BANGKOK — Asian markets were mixed Friday after more declines in big technology stocks pulled major indexes lower on Wall Street.
Tokyo, Shanghai and Taiwan slipped but most other regional markets advanced. U.S. futures also were higher.
The World Health Organization says a record 9.5 million COVID-19 cases were tallied over the last week as the omicron variant of the coronavirus swept the planet, a 71% increase from the previous 7-day period that the U.N. health agency likened to a “tsunami.”
Asia has seen smaller numbers but infections are rising rapidly and bottlenecks in testing mean that still more cases are likely unreported. At the same time, alarm has been kept in check by signs the omicron variant may cause less severe illness,…
