Tech News

Asian markets mixed, Tokyo boosted by BoJ nominee

Asian markets were mixed Friday, with traders still occupied by long-running interest rate worries, though Tokyo rallied after the man tipped as Japan's next central bank head made the case for keeping its ultra-loose policy.. Tokyo was the standout, returning from a long weekend and piling on more than one percent as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's nominee to head the Bank of Japan said its longstanding monetary easing policies were "appropriate".

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

Tech News

Facebook, Instagram roll out paid subscription in Australia, New Zealand

Facebook and Instagram began a week-long rollout of their first paid verification service on Friday, testing users' willingness to pay for social media features that until now have been free.. Some commentators have expressed puzzlement at why Facebook and Instagram would adopt a verification-subscription strategy that rival Twitter tried just weeks ago -- with less than stellar results.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

Tech News

Bank of Japan's next chief says monetary easing 'appropriate'

The Bank of Japan's longstanding monetary easing policies are "appropriate", its next governor Kazuo Ueda told parliament on Friday, suggesting no sudden changes to the bank's stance when he takes the helm in April.. Ueda said Friday he saw the "continuation of monetary easing as appropriate".

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 1 mins read

Tech News

Japan inflation hits 4.2 percent in January

Japan's consumer prices rose 4.2 percent in January from a year earlier, a level not seen since September 1981, fuelled in part by higher energy bills, government data showed Friday. . Increases in electricity and gas bills, as well as telecommunication fees and price hikes for a range of processed foods contributed to the January acceleration, the government data showed.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

Tech News

Boeing halts deliveries of 787 again on fuselage issue

Boeing has suspended deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner again following new issues with a fuselage component, US aviation regulators said Thursday.. Boeing is "conducting additional analysis on a fuselage component," the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 1 mins read

Tech News

US World Bank pick a straight-talker who 'gets things done'

The United States' candidate to lead the World Bank, Ajay Banga, has helmed large institutions and "helped bring 500 million unbanked people into the digital economy," according to US authorities.. The next World Bank president will need to "unite a very large group of countries behind a common agenda," said Clemence Landers, policy fellow with the Center for Global Development.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

Tech News

One billion users, but bans mount up for TikTok

TikTok's breakneck rise from niche video-sharing app to global social media behemoth has brought plenty of scrutiny, particularly over its links to China.. With more than one billion active users it is the sixth most used social platform in the world, according to the We Are Social marketing agency.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

Tech News

US transport chief sorry over delayed derailment response

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg voiced regret Thursday over his muted response to a toxic train derailment and pushed for safety reforms as he addressed resident's fears over possible contamination of their air and water.. Norfolk Southern says it is monitoring air and water quality as it removes rail cars and contaminated materials. ft/mlm

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read

Tech News

World's last Meccano factory to close next year in France

The owners of the world's last dedicated Meccano toy factory have said it will close by next year after more than half a century in France because of rising costs.. The French site is the last factory owned and run by Spin Master for Meccano toys, but the company has also outsourced Meccano production to toy makers in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 1 mins read

Tech News

French news channel sacks anchor after disinformation probe

France's leading rolling news channel BFMTV on Thursday said it has sacked an anchor after a probe into alleged external influence in his work, according to a company message seen by AFP. Rachid M'Barki was sacked this week after the probe revealed that due editorial process had not been followed in several segments aired between 2021 and 2022, its director general Marc-Olivier Fogiel said in the message.. In the reports concerned, "these shortcomings were the sole responsibility of one journalist who has not respected the rules in force within the editorial staff", Fogiel said in the message.

Thu, Feb 23, 2023 2 mins read