A number of readers submitted reports of Internet slowness to/from Asia. We now know that this is a direct result of up to six submarine cables being severed during a series of temblors off the coast of Taiwan. From Bloomberg:

"Taiwan was jolted by three earthquakes yesterday, killing two people
and injuring 42 others, the island's National Fire Agency said. The
tremors damaged undersea cables, causing a disruption to Internet
traffic and some telephone calls in the region for customers including
Singapore Telecom, PCCW, Chunghwa Telecom Co., Taiwan's biggest
telephone operator, and KDDI Corp., Japan's second-largest telephone
carrier."

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been lost or injured in the quakes and to their friends & families.