Why the US delayed China sanctions after shooting down a spy balloon

By Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When an alleged Chinese spy balloon traversed the United States in February, some U.S. officials were confident the incursion would galvanize the U.S. bureaucracy to push forward a slate of actions to counter China.  Instead, the U.S. State Department held back human rights-related sanctions, export controls and other sensitive actions…

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HSBC, Scotiabank hit with US penalties over employees’ use of personal devices

By Chris Prentice WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. regulators on Thursday slapped units of Bank of Nova Scotia and HSBC Holdings Plc with civil penalties for widespread recordkeeping violations through employees’ use of personal devices and apps for work communications. The banks admitted they had failed to meet recordkeeping requirements for dealers registered with U.S. market regulators….

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US House Republicans raise ‘deep concern’ on TikTok content decisions

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The chair of a U.S. House of Representatives committee on China’s Communist Party and other lawmakers on Thursday raised “deep concern” and sought answers over reports Chinese-owned short video app TikTok censored an account that posted content from a film about pro-democracy Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai. Representative Mike Gallagher…

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Top Pakistan court rules Imran Khan’s arrest unlawful, streets are quiet

By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam and Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest was unlawful, two days after his detention on graft allegations triggered deadly violence, escalating his tussle with the powerful military. The protests coincide with Pakistan’s worst economic crisis in decades, with record high…

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Pakistan needs significantly more financing for successful bailout review -IMF

By Rodrigo Campos, David Lawder and Libby George (Reuters) -Pakistan needs significant additional financing for a successful completion of the long-stalled ninth review of the International Monetary Fund’s bailout package, the IMF said in a scheduled press conference on Thursday. Obtaining commitments of “significant additional financing” is essential before the IMF approves the release of…

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Lithium miners surge as Allkem-Livent tie up fuels M&A hopes

By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Shares in Australian-listed lithium miners jumped on Thursday after a $10.6 billion merger in the sector raised expectations for more consolidation among producers of the key metal in electric vehicle batteries. The tie up between Allkem Ltd and Livent announced on Wednesday will create the world’s third-biggest producer of…

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