NEW YORK: Major US companies are having to reassess their return-to-office plans and getting tough on vaccine or mask requirements as the Omicron COVID variant looks set to extend pandemic-induced work-from-home culture.

ISTANBUL: Fatih Yuksel is one of thousands of Turks rushing from one pharmacy to another in search of imported drugs that are disappearing as quickly as the lira is losing value. “Sometimes I have periods where I don’t have the drugs I need and my illness gets worse. 

MEKNES, Morocco: Recycling in Morocco may be in its infancy, but the North African kingdom is making steady progress, helped by a Swiss firm that specializes in processing organic waste.

LONDON: Britain’s pandemic-weary hospitality businesses have taken a fresh hit from soaring coronavirus cases fueled by the Omicron variant, as anxious customers curtail socializing and cancel bookings over the Christmas period.

KUWAIT: During a recent visit to Kuwait as a guest for Reconnaissance Research, Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Scott Crino had a candid interview with Abdulaziz Al-Anjeri, the Founder and CEO of Reconnaissance Research, to discuss the threats of drones in the Middle East and Kuwait. 

FRANKFURT: The German central bank on Friday lowered its outlook for growth in Germany next year and upped its inflation forecast, as supply chain bottlenecks and the pandemic put Europe’s biggest economy under pressure. The Bundesbank expected Germany to grow by 4.2 percent in 2022 on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from a previous forecast of 5.2 percent, made in June this year.

LAURIERVILLE, Canada:  Pancake lovers, fear not. Strong demand for maple syrup after a poor Canadian harvest has created supply-side woes, but Quebec province is tapping its strategic reserves to keep the world awash in the sweet, sticky stuff.

COLOMBO: International ratings agency Fitch downgraded cash-strapped Sri Lanka yesterday due to mounting fears of a sovereign default on its $26 billion foreign debt, but Colombo insisted it will meet its obligations.

BUENOS AIRES: An illusion of prosperity, a headlong rush into debt and years of austerity collided 20 years ago to provoke one of the biggest crises in Argentina’s history. The subsequent social unrest left scars that can still be felt today.