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Rainmakers: The drones used to seed clouds
Cloud seeding is gaining attention as countries look to boost rainfall - will drones help?
Why AI is both the hope and the hazard for world leaders, according to IMF chief Georgieva
Kristalina Georgieva warns that the technology lifting growth hopes is also pushing up inflation and yields, just as public debt levels rose.
Porsche’s New Look: Pricier Cars and 25% Fewer Employees
The German sports car maker once thrived in China and powered profits for its parent company, Volkswagen. Now it hopes to do more with less.
Half the harvest, twice the bills: how drought hit farms
Farmers gathered much less wheat in 2026 and dairy farmers' costs rose.
Landlord's heartbreak as pub shuts down
Jon Dean, who ran The Alma Tavern in Worcester, said he has been crippled by rising costs and has had to let 15 staff go.
India's central bank hikes interest rate to 5.5pc
The Indian central bank raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5 percent on Wednesday, marking the first rise in nearly four years amid mounting inflation and strong economic growth. India has joined major central banks in raising rates as higher oil prices triggered by the Iran war fuel inflation, squeeze purchasing power and weigh on currencies. Weak monsoon rains linked to El Niño have compounded price pressures in Asia's third-largest economy. The six-member rate panel voted unanimously in favour of the rate hike. The monetary policy stance was changed to "calibrated tightening" from "neutral". It is clear that the outlook for inflation is no longer benign, Governor Sanjay Malhotra said in his policy address. Nearly 60 percent of economists in a Reuters poll expected a 25 bps increase in the repo rate. Consumer inflation accelerated in August to 4.82 percent from a year earlier, above the Reserve Bank of India's four percent medium-term target for a third consecutive month. Higher prices of fuel and food are now rippling through the economy with nearly half of the consumer basket seeing inflation above four percent. At the same time, economic growth remains strong, giving the central bank greater leeway to raise the cost of borrowing for consumers and businesses. GDP growth for the April-June quarter stood at 7.8 percent, well above the central bank's forecast of seven percent. (Reuters) Edited by Tony Sabine
Stocks flat as investors await signals from the Fed
Trading in local and regional markets was flat on Wednesday morning as investors turned their focus to the release of the Federal Reserve's September meeting minutes on Thursday. The Hang Seng Index lost 108 points, or 0.45 percent, to open at 24,172 points on Wednesday. The Nikkei Index in Japan was flat in early trading session, hovering around the 70,700 level. South Korean shares fell on Wednesday, as investors took a wait-and-see stance ahead of Samsung Electronics' earnings release to assess the outlook for AI demand. The benchmark Kospi was down 43 points, or 0.62 percent, at 6,898 during the morning trading session. Financial markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen were closed on Wednesday for the final day of the National Day Golden Week holiday. (Agencies) Edited by Tony Sabine
EU unveils measures to curb high energy costs
High energy costs are putting growing pressure on European households and businesses, prompting the European Union to step up efforts to stabilize supplies, contain prices and reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Hong Kong retains position as world's freest economy, report finds
Hong Kong has once again been ranked as the world's freest economy, according to the Economic Freedom of the World 2026 Annual Report released on Tuesday by the Fraser Institute.
Paramount Closes Merger With Warner Bros. Discovery to Form Skydance
After a legal battle, the two Hollywood giants have become one. But the new company is saddled with debt, and in a memo to employees, its leaders hinted at cost cuts.