The daily business briefing: August 8, 2016
Computer outage delays Delta flights worldwide, U.S. jobs report lifts global stocks, and more


1. Delta flights slow to get off the ground after global computer outage
Delta Airlines said Monday that a system-wide computer outage was keeping its passengers from checking in and grounding its departures around the world. "Our systems are down everywhere," the No. 2 U.S. airline said via Twitter. Flights that were already in the air when the glitch hit were operating normally, but those scheduled to leave early Monday were delayed, affecting tens of thousands of passengers. By 8:30 a.m. ET, "limited" flights had resumed, but Delta, which operates 5,000 flights per day, has warned customers to still expect continued delays and cancellations. Its stock dropped by two percent in pre-market trading.
2. U.S. jobs report lifts global stocks
Global stocks gained on Monday after Friday's strong U.S. jobs report boosted confidence in the health of the world's biggest economy. European indexes gained around 1.5 percent; Japan's Nikkei 225 jumped by 2.4 percent. U.S. stocks surged to record highs on Friday after the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added 255,000 jobs in July, smashing expectations. "It is easy to check off good-news boxes within this stellar jobs report and tough to find any negatives," Stephen Innes of OANDA said in a report.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
3. Airbus faces corruption investigation
Britain's top corruption busting agency is investigating Airbus over its use of third-party consultants in jet-sale negotiations, the company said Sunday. The company said the Serious Fraud Office inquiry focuses on allegations of fraud, bribery, and corruption in its passenger-jet business. Airbus, the world's No. 2 plane maker behind Boeing, said it was cooperating with investigators.
4. Amazon Japan offices searched in antitrust investigation
Japan's Fair Trade Commission has raided Amazon Japan's offices on suspicion of antitrust law violations, a spokesman for the antimonopoly watchdog said Monday. The investigation, first reported in the Nikkei business daily, was launched on suspicion that the Japanese arm of the online retail giant had forced sellers to offer lower prices on its site than elsewhere. A spokeswoman for Amazon Japan declined to comment.
Reuters The Wall Street Journal
5. Suicide Squad shakes off negative reviews to lead box office
Suicide Squad broke the box office record for an August open over the weekend despite negative reviews. The Warner Bros. big-budget superhero movie hauled in $135.1 million in the U.S. and Canada, smashing the previous record of $94.3 million set two years ago by Walt Disney Co. and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. The big opening for Suicide Squad was boosted by its ensemble cast, led by Will Smith and Margot Robbie.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK