Business

US gains 943,000 jobs in July, unemployment falls to 5.4%: govt

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The recovering US economy added 943,000 new jobs in July, according to government data released Friday, as hard-hit industries continued to return to normal. The result was shy of the million jobs some economists had been expecting, but enough to push the unemployment rate down a half a point to 5.4 percent, the Labor Department reported. With widespread vaccinations allowing economic activity to return to normal, hiring has begun to […]

Indonesian economy grows for first time in five quarters

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia’s economy bounced back in the second quarter to post its first growth in more than a year, but analysts warned the recovery might be short-lived as Covid-19 surges. Southeast Asia’s largest economy grew by 7.07 percent in the April-to-June quarter compared with the same period last year, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said Thursday. The figure is higher than a projection by the Central Bank of Indonesia, which predicted growth […]

Hun Sen declares oil extraction a ‘failure’ for Cambodia

Premier Hun Sen declared Cambodia’s attempt at oil extraction a “failure” on Sunday, just eight months after the kingdom achieved its long-awaited milestone of producing its first drop of crude. In late December the nation announced it had extracted oil from its waters in the Gulf of Thailand which experts believe boasts significant deposits. But the operation, led by Singapore’s KrisEnergy, was endangered after the company was unable to pay its debts and filed for […]

YouTube suspends Sky News Australia channel

YouTube said Sunday it had barred Sky News Australia from uploading new content for one week, citing concerns about Covid-19 misinformation. The move comes after a review of posts uploaded by the Rupert Murdoch-owned TV channel, which has a substantial online presence. “We have clear and established Covid-19 medical misinformation policies… to prevent the spread of Covid-19 misinformation that could cause real-world harm,” a YouTube statement said. With 1.86 million YouTube subscribers, the channel — […]

TikTok fined 750,000 euros for Dutch privacy violation

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — Dutch data protection authorities issued a 750,000-euro fine against TikTok on Thursday, saying the social media service violated the privacy of young children in the Netherlands. The Dutch Data Protection Authority noted that TikTok’s app installation information was in English and was not readily understood by young Dutch children. “By not offering their privacy statement in Dutch, TikTok failed to provide an adequate explanation of how the app collects, processes […]

Amazon magnate Bezos blasts into space on own rocket

by Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The wealthiest man on the planet Jeff Bezos lifted off on his own rocket and reached outer space on Tuesday, a key moment for a fledgling industry seeking to make the final frontier accessible to elite tourists. Blue Origin’s first crewed mission, an 11-minute hop from west Texas to beyond the Karman line and back again, coincided with the 52nd anniversary of the first Moon landing. “It’s […]

King LeBron reigns again as new ‘Space Jam’ tops N.America box office

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — New Warner Bros. release “Space Jam: A New Legacy” rocketed to the top of the North American box office over the weekend, taking in $31.7 million in the best showing of a family film since Covid first hammered the industry. The live action/animated movie — a sequel nearly 25 years after the original “Space Jam” with Michael Jordan — has NBA superstar LeBron James teaming up with Bugs Bunny […]

UK inflation nears three-year peak as economy reopens

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s annual inflation rate has soared close to a three-year peak as consumer prices accelerated on easing virus curbs, official data showed Wednesday. The Consumer Prices Index hit 2.5 percent in June, which was the highest rate since August 2018 and compared with a 2.1 percent gain in May 2021, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. Inflationary pressures were partly stoked by the temporary impact of rising […]

US sees biggest annual inflation jump since 2008

by Heather SCOTT WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States saw its biggest surge in inflation in more than a decade last month, according to government data released Tuesday, hitting consumers and challenging the White House and Federal Reserve narrative that the price spike will fade in the coming months. As widespread Covid-19 vaccinations allowed the world’s largest economy to relax pandemic restrictions, Americans have resumed spending and traveling but have faced rising prices […]

US states accuse Google of app store monopoly

by Glenn CHAPMAN Agence France Presse SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Dozens of US states joined forces in a lawsuit filed Wednesday accusing Google of abusing its power when it comes to getting apps for Android-powered mobile devices. The litigation aimed at the Play Store online shop for apps and other digital content for Android smartphones comes as the power of Big Tech firms is facing increasing pressure from regulators and lawsuits. “We are […]

Cyberattack hits hundreds of US businesses

  SAN FRANCICO, United States (AFP) — A US IT company urged customers to shut down their servers Friday after cyberattackers smuggled ransomware onto its network platform. Kaseya said Friday evening that it had limited the attack to “a very small percentage of our customers” who use its signature VSA software, “currently estimated at fewer than 40 worldwide.” Cybersecurity firm Huntress Labs had earlier said in a Reddit forum that it was working with partners […]

Globe Business kicks off tribute campaign for MSMEs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNaSMfYGBuE   By Randy Bernardino The COVID-19 pandemic has tested Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) to see if they are future-proof. Some businesses are struggling to survive, while others have shut their doors completely.  In spite of the unprecedented disruptions, small business owners have been resilient and resourceful to adapt to the changing times.  Globe Business salutes these efforts as it kicks off the campaign #SaludoSMEs with the theme “Tuloy Tayo.” This is in […]