Warnings

Shares of Caterpillar, the world’s largest heavy equipment maker, fell 9.3 percent after its quarterly profit widely missed Wall Street estimates.

LONDON: Bitcoin blasted to another all-time high of almost $18,000 on the Bitstamp exchange on Friday, up 9 percent on the day, as warnings grew over the risks of investing in the highly volatile and speculative instrument. The cryptocurrency’s staggering recent price rises -- more than 1,700 percent since the start of the year -- have driven worries that the market is a bubble that could burst in spectacular fashion. Bitcoin has climbed almost 80 percent so far in December alone, putting it on track for its best month…

NEW YORK: Bitcoin will make its debut on a major exchange Sunday, a landmark for the cryptocurrency that has generated enthusiasm among some investors and more than a little anxiety from others. The Cboe Futures Exchange in Chicago will open trading in bitcoin futures at 2300 GMT on Sunday, a move that is expected to be followed a week later by a rival listing on Chicago Mercantile Exchange. "Bitcoin bonanza takes hold of world markets," proclaimed the front page of the Times of London on Friday, reporting on the…

NEW DELHI: Air pollution in New Delhi worsened again Sunday and officials warned of little relief in sight from the smog, which has even caused one airline to cancel flights to the world's most polluted capital. The US embassy website Sunday showed levels of the smallest and most harmful airborne pollutants reached 676, about 27 times the World Health Organization's safe maximum, after falling slightly late last week. Delhi authorities have halted all construction, shut brick kilns and banned lorries from entering the…

As deaths from powerful painkillers continue to rise, Canada is pursuing unprecedented measures to curb their use, including requiring cigarette-style warning stickers on every prescription, Health Minister Jane Philpott told Reuters. Next month Health Canada plans to publish a detailed proposal for the stickers, which Philpott said would warn that opioid painkillers can cause addiction and overdose. In March, an advisory panel is set to consider a second measure, revising the official label definition of how opioids…

BERLIN: Germany's spy chief warned that Russian hackers may target next year's German election with campaigns of misinformation that could undermine the democratic process, echoing concerns voiced by the country's domestic intelligence director. US intelligence officials warned in the run-up to the Nov 8 presidential election won by populist outsider Donald Trump of efforts to manipulate the vote that they believed was backed by Russian authorities. Russian officials denied any such effort. In an interview published on…

JAKARTA: A massive quake struck on Wednesday off the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a region devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean quake and tsunami, but initial fears of another region-wide disaster faded as tsunami warnings were cancelled.

BANGALORE: One woman died and two people were injured late Sunday when a crude bomb exploded outside a restaurant in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, police said.