Tech News

UK rail, postal staff halt strikes after queen's death

British railway and postal workers, at the forefront of sector-wide strikes over a cost-of-living crisis, have halted upcoming walkouts following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The Communication Workers Union had planned to continue a 48-hour stoppage Friday but it was called off "out of respect for" the queen, CWU general secretary Dave Ward said in a statement following the queen's passing in Scotland on Thursday.. "RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth," its general secretary Mick Lynch said in a statement.

Voice-operated smartphones target Africa's illiterate

Voice-operated smartphones are aiming at a vast yet widely overlooked market in sub-Saharan Africa -- the tens of millions of people who face huge challenges in life because they cannot read or write.. - Twi and Kiswahili - Other companies investing in the voice-operation field in Africa include Mobobi, which has created a Twi language voice assistant in Ghana called Abena AI, while Mozilla is working on an assistant in Kiswahili, which has an estimated 100 million speakers in East Africa.

Asian markets rally, dollar dips as traders price in policy tightening

Asian markets rallied Friday following a healthy performance on Wall Street, with investors largely pricing in more interest rate hikes aimed at taming runaway inflation.. "Wall Street is expecting to see some pricing pressure relief with next week's inflation report, but that shouldn't derail the current 75 basis-point pace of tightening."

Asian markets rally, dollar dips as traders price in policy tightening

Asian markets rallied Friday following a healthy performance on Wall Street, with investors largely pricing in more interest rate hikes aimed at taming runaway inflation.. "Wall Street is expecting to see some pricing pressure relief with next week's inflation report, but that shouldn't derail the current 75 basis-point pace of tightening."

Recycling firm battles Jakarta's plastic waste emergency

As Indonesia's capital Jakarta grapples with overflowing plastic waste and pollution pours into the sea, one burgeoning business is trying to turn rubbish into revenue.. As one of the initiators of the "Beach Clean Up Jakarta" movement, she saw how Jakarta is littered with plastic waste and was frustrated that little was being done to change the situation.

EU ministers seek ways to face energy shock

EU energy ministers on Friday will attempt to forge a united response to the energy shock from Russia's war on Ukraine that has sent prices for electricity and heating skyrocketing.. There needs to be a "discussion without qualms" about a potential solidarity levy on "energy companies that make windfall profits in times of war", said Austrian Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler ahead of the talks.

US launches Asia economic forum to counter China

The United States began a series of meetings with ministers from the Asia-Pacific in Los Angeles on Thursday at an economic summit aimed at countering China's growing influence in the region.. Trump's isolationist "America First" policy saw him yank the United States from the Asia-focused trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a move criticised as ceding ground to China in an economically crucial part of the world.

GM unveils electric SUV aimed at middle class

General Motors unveiled an electric sport utility vehicle Thursday with a starting price tag of $30,000, positioning the model for consumers priced out of the growing segment.. GM had previously disclosed that the Equinox would be intended for middle-income consumers, saying in January the vehicle would start at $30,000 at an event to launch the electric Silverado.

Charles to inherit queen's private fortune

King Charles inherits not just the throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but also her private fortune -- without having to pay inheritance tax.. But the new king will not pay inheritance tax on the personal wealth he will inherit from his mother due to rules drawn up in 1993.

Jeep's first electric SUV to arrive in Europe in 2023: CEO

Jeep will launch its first all-electric SUV for Europe, the "Avenger", next year, CEO Christian Meunier told AFP on Thursday, as its parent company Stellantis moves away from fossil fuel vehicles.. Jeep plans to sell only electric vehicles in Europe by 2030 under the Dare Forward plans of its parent company, Stellantis, a US-European group whose other brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler and Alfa Romeo.