JOHANNESBURG, Aug 22, 2023 (AFP) – BRICS leaders meet in South Africa on Tuesday as the loose association of major emerging economies seeks to assert its voice as a counterweight to Western dominance in global affairs. The so-called BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — represent a quarter of the global economy, and interest in joining the club has surged ahead of its three-day summit in Johannesburg. Security has been bolstered […]
Business
China developer Evergrande files for bankruptcy protection
NEW YORK, Aug 18, 2023 (AFP) – Embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande Group filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States on Thursday, court documents showed, a measure that protects its US assets while it attempts to restructure. Evergrande, once China’s top property developer, was found in 2021 to be struggling with more than $300 billion in liabilities, as it came under intense pressure after officials tightened scrutiny on the real estate industry. The company’s […]
China suspends release of youth unemployment rates as economic data disappoints
China on Tuesday said it would suspend the release of youth unemployment rates, as its central bank cut a key interest rate to boost flagging growth. A slew of disappointing figures in recent months has reflected a slump as China’s post-Covid rebound fades, with youth unemployment hitting a record 21.3 percent in June. The National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday said it would no longer release age group-specific unemployment data starting this month, citing the […]
PAL cancels six flights to Japan due to Typhoon Lan
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has canceled six flights between Manila and Japan scheduled for Tuesday due to Typhoon Lan (international name). The flights that were canceled are: PR 438/437 Manila-Nagoya-Manila PR 412/411 Manila-Osaka-Manila PR 407/408 Manila-Osaka-Manila In an advisory on Monday, PAL said it will coordinate closely with concerned airport authorities in Japan and keep a close watch on weather forecasts in case the airline needs to make other adjustments. Affected passengers may choose […]
Russian central bank to meet on Tuesday as ruble tanks
MOSCOW, Aug 14, 2023 (AFP) – The Russian central bank said it would meet on Tuesday to discuss its key rate, after the ruble slid past 100 against the dollar Monday, its lowest level in over sixteen months. The ruble has shed around 30 percent of its value against the dollar since the beginning of the year, as the country grapples with a drop in export revenues, rising imports and higher military spending. The central […]
Japanese economy expands 1.5%, beating expectations
TOKYO, Aug 15, 2023 (AFP) – Japan’s economy grew 1.5 percent in the three months to June, official data showed Tuesday, beating expectations on the back of strong exports. The average forecast for quarter-on-quarter growth in the world’s third-largest economy had been 0.8 percent, according to Bloomberg News. The data, released by the Cabinet Office, means the economy grew an annualised 6.0 percent, compared with the market expectation of 2.9 percent, giving Japan three straight […]
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried jailed after bail revoked
NEW YORK, Aug 11, 2023 (AFP) – A US federal judge on Friday ordered FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried back to prison less than two months before his trial on fraud charges, revoking the disgraced cryptocurrency tycoon’s bail over alleged attempts to tamper with witnesses. Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, as well as election finance violations, in connection with the spectacular collapse of his […]
Millions escape poverty in Mexico as incomes rise
Millions of people have escaped poverty in recent years in Mexico, helped by rising incomes in Latin America’s second-largest economy, official figures showed Thursday. The number of people living in poverty fell by 8.9 million, to 46.8 million, between 2020 and 2022, the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL) said. The percentage of the population of 126 million in poverty dropped to 36.3 percent, down from 43.9 percent, it reported. The […]
Disney streaming service sees subscribers fall again
Disney on Wednesday reported a loss for the most recent quarter, with the number of subscribers to its streaming service shrinking again, but a pledge to crack down on password sharing sent shares higher in after-market trades. The falling Disney+ subscriber numbers — for the third consecutive quarter — came as a crippling writers and actors strike hits the US entertainment industry, threatening the company’s ability to produce content key to the streaming service’s appeal. […]
Cathay Pacific rebounds to first-half profit as travel picks up
HONG KONG, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific on Wednesday swung to a healthy profit in the first half of the year thanks to a pick-up in travel, with the airline expecting passenger capacity to reach 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels by end of the year. The airline said it made a $546 million profit in January-June, rebounding from a loss of $640 million in the same period last year. It […]
Everybody hurts: Los Angeles suffers as Hollywood strike hits 100 days
BURBANK, United States, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – In his dry cleaning shop near the Warner Bros. and Disney studios, Tom Malian looks in despair at a carousel mostly empty of the shirts, jackets and pants it held before Hollywood went on strike. Film and TV production ground to a halt 100 days ago when writers downed their pens, only to be joined on the picket lines in mid-July by actors. The double strike emptied […]
Philippines takes second place in 2023 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation
In a significant achievement reported by the Bureau of Customs on Tuesday (August 8, 2023), the Philippines secures the second rank in Southeast Asia within the UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation 2023. This achievement is underscored by the Philippines’ Trade Facilitation score of 87.10%. This ascent from the third position in the 2021 survey underscores the nation’s unwavering momentum in modernizing trade processes and achieving top-tier customs administration standards, as stated […]





