China

HSBC to sell US retail bank branches

HSBC Holdings PLC will exit from its U.S. retail and small-business banking operations as the bank shifts its focus to wealth management and international banking, especially in Asia.

Intelligence on sick staff at Wuhan lab fuels debate on COVID-19 origin

WASHINGTON—Three researchers from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care, according to a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report that could add weight to growing calls for a fuller probe of whether the Covid-19 virus may have escaped from the laboratory.

Bitcoin value cut in half as cryptocurrencies tumble in weekend slide

According to prices tracked by Coindesk, Bitcoin has fallen about 12% in the last 24 hours as of Sunday afternoon, trading near $33,000 per coin. Meanwhile, Dogecoin is down about 15% trading near 28 cents per coin and Ethereum is down about 14% trading around $1,900 per coin.

Cryptocurrency crackdown by China is about more than the 'safety of people's property'

On Wednesday China echoed previous announcements, making clear in no uncertain terms that financial institutions and payment companies should not participate in any cryptocurrency-related transactions or services. The comments helped send the price of Bitcoin plummeting to its lowest price since January – $30,066,-- before recovering Thursday at around $41,000.