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An exhibition room at Pop Mart’s theme park, Pop Land, in Beijing, on June 18, 2025.Pedro Pardo | Afp | Getty ImagesBeijing may have warned against “blind box” toys, but analysts are betting that Pop Mart International — the company behind Labubu dolls — will remain one of China’s hottest consumer brands this year.In an editorial on June 20, China’s state media People’s Daily called for tighter regulations around selling blind-boxed toys and trading cards to children under the age of eight, such as verifying buyers’ age upon payment and requiring parental approval in online transactions.Without naming Beijing-headquartered Pop Mart,…

The unemployment rate for recent graduates reached 5.8% in March 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. baona | E+ | Getty ImagesFormal degrees aren’t cutting it anymore for some industries. Instead, many companies are prioritizing skills and experience-based hiring, Sarah Skelton, co-founder and managing director of staffing and recruiting firm Flourish, told CNBC Make It.The class of 2025 is stepping into a challenging and competitive job market. The unemployment rate for recent graduates reached 5.8% in March, up from 4.6% a year earlier, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.Meanwhile, the share…

A hiring sign on June 25, 2025 in Austin, Texas, U.S.Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images There’s a scene in the cinematic masterpiece Mean Girls in which a character writes in big bloody script: “DO NOT TRUST HER.”Apologies in advance to the good folks at ADP, who I’m sure are doing good work processing private payrolls. But we might want to keep in mind the above warning when assessing the monthly ADP jobs report. Official labor numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a higher-than-expected increase of 147,000 jobs in June. The ADP report, released Wednesday,…

CNN  —  When President Donald Trump signs his so-called big, beautiful bill into law Friday, much of the focus will be on its big-ticket items — tax cuts, slashes to Medicaid and food stamp spending and boosted border security funding. But lawmakers tucked a long list of measures that won’t grab headlines into the massive tax and spending package. Here’s a look at seven of the lesser-known provisions of the measure: The space shuttle Discovery, parked at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum annex in Northern Virginia since it was decommissioned in 2011, will be relocated. Its new home:…

European stock markets have been on a tear in 2025, with the Stoxx Europe 600 index climbing roughly 7% in the year to date and investors rotating into the region to seek refuge from the political and valuation anxieties of the U.S. markets. But some analysts warn that this rally is built on a fragile and potentially risky assumption: that the escalating global trade war is temporary and will pass without inflicting lasting damage. Investment strategists highlight that beneath the surface of the market’s optimism, the data tells a more grounded story. .STOXX YTD mountain They point to the Federal…

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Firefighters in Turkey remained locked in a battle to contain flames tearing through forested hillsides in the west of the country on Friday, while similar wildfires in neighboring Greece were largely brought under control.Wildfires that broke out in at least five locations across Turkey’s Aegean coastal province of İzmir — fueled by soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity — have killed two people, forced the evacuation of tens of thousands and damaged some 200 homes.Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumakli said Friday that firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft, remained on the ground battling a deadly wildfire near…

European stock markets fall as U.S. tariff risks loomEuropean equities turned red as investors began taking on board the risk of U.S. tariffs being snapped back on again.The Stoxx Europe 600 index fell by 0.5%. Regionally, while the U.K.’s FTSE 100 was flat, France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX ended 0.8% and 0.6% lower, respectively.The British pound also gave up some of the gains from earlier in the session as one Bank of England official called for a more aggressive schedule of interest rate cuts this year.Stock Chart IconStock chart iconSAS CEO says new wave of European airline consolidation neededThe…

LONDON (AP) — It might just be the best deal in all of major professional sports: Tennis fans can get a chance to watch stars such as Carlos Alcaraz compete on Centre Court at Wimbledon by forking over just 15 pounds — about $20 at the current exchange rate.That’s instead of Friday’s price of nearly $220 for the best seats at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament’s biggest stadium. Face value there rises as the event goes on, hitting nearly $370 by the end of Week 2, then going up again for the singles finals.The secret to saving so much cash?…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer react as they greet Labour campaigners and activists at Number 10 Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Toby Melville | ReutersIt’s been one year since Labour returned to power in a landslide victory that appeared to show the party had turned over a new leaf after 14 years in opposition.But the last 12 months have been nothing short of tumultuous for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.Big promises, especially on the economy, have failed to materialize and as a result, Starmer’s popularity has plummeted in…

DEIR al-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza early on Friday, while a hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while waiting for aid.Meanwhile, the U.N. human rights office says it has recorded 613 killings within the span of a month in Gaza near humanitarian convoys and as Palestinians try to reach aid at distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organization since it first began operations in late May. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the rights office was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings. But she said “it is clear that the…