BEIJING: China’s central bank on Friday said all financial transactions involving cryptocurrencies are illegal, sounding the death knell for the digital trade in China after a crackdown on the volatile currencies. 

LONDON: The UK government is poised to temporarily ease visa rules to attract more foreign lorry drivers, reports said yesterday, as it grapples with a growing shortage that has now hit fuel supplies. 

HONG KONG: Asian markets rose yesterday as concerns about a collapse of troubled property giant Evergrande receded for now, while investors were also cheered by a Federal Reserve plan to begin scaling back its ultra-loose monetary policy soon. 

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s embattled national airline yesterday flew its first plane since March 2020 after emerging from bankruptcy proceedings.

BEIJING: The head of teetering Chinese developer Evergrande has urged staff to resume construction and sales to deliver properties, state media reported yesterday, as the firm battles to avoid a collapse that could send shockwaves through the world’s number two economy. 

MILTON KEYNES: It’s famous for its roundabouts and statues of concrete cows. But the English town of Milton Keynes now has another claim to fame – a trundling army of shopping delivery robots. 

WASHINGTON: Sales of new homes rose faster than analysts expected last month in the United States, according to government data released Friday, though prices remained high and supply was still tight. 

BEIJING: Embattled Chinese property titan Evergrande said yesterday it had agreed a deal with domestic bondholders that should allow the conglomerate to avoid missing one of its interest payments and avoid default, but its deeper debt burden remains. 

MANILA: The Asian Development Bank warned of “lasting scars” from the coronavirus pandemic as it cut its 2021 growth forecast for developing Asia on slow vaccination rates, surging infections and crippling lockdowns.