Manage The Numbers - Most Recent

Sep 18, 2026

Councils to share £5m in 'emergency food aid' as living costs rise

The money from the Welsh government will amount to around £200,000 to every council.

Bank of Japan ups rates to 31-year high

Sep 18, 2026

The Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a 31-year high on Friday and signalled its readiness to keep pushing up borrowing costs, joining other major central banks in fighting persistent inflation pressures driven by soaring oil costs. The widely expected move, which was the first hike in three months, takes interest rates closer to levels the central bank deems neutral to the economy, marking another step away from decades of ultra-low rates that cemented the yen's status as a cheap global funding currency. It follows rate hikes by its European and US peers, highlighting central bank's focus on global inflation risks caused by the Iran war-induced energy cost spike, expansionary fiscal policies and surging demand for AI investment. At the two-day meeting ending on Friday, the bank raised its policy rate to 1.25 percent from one percent by a 7-2 vote. Doveish board members Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato were the dissenters. "Wholesale inflation remains elevated and price pressures from business-to-business trading has started to spill over into consumer prices," the bank said in a statement announcing the decision. "Underlying inflation has been approaching two percent" as companies continue to pass on the cost of higher wages and inflation expectations keep heightening, it said. While economic and price developments are moving in line with the bank's baseline forecast, there was a risk of underlying inflation deviating from its two percent target, it said. Markets are focusing on bank governor Kazuo Ueda's news conference, scheduled for later on Friday for clues on the pace and timing of future rate hikes. A hike to 1.25 percent brings the rate within the bank's estimated 1.1 percent to 2.5 percent range of Japan's nominal neutral rate, or the level that neither cools nor overheats growth, raising questions about how far it could eventually hike rates. But the bank still lags global peers with its policy rate lower than that of the European Central Bank, which raised its key rate last week to 2.5 percent, and the Fed's 3.75 percent to four percent range. The still-wide rate divergence may keep the yen weak against other currencies, pushing up import costs and broader inflation. (Reuters) Edited by Tony Sabine

HK, regional markets up as action looms on inflation

Sep 18, 2026

Asian stocks rose and the US dollar held its ground on Friday as investors contended with global policymakers ramping up efforts to rein in inflation, with a dip in oil prices improving sentiment ahead of an expected rate hike from the Bank of Japan In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index opened up 119 points, or 0.5 percent, at 24,723. The China enterprises index was up 27 points, or 0.3 percent, at 8,202 while the tech index was up 17 points, or 0.41 percent, at 4,328. Up north, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index opened up 16 points, or 0.42 percent, at 3,891. The Shenzhen Component Index was 154 points, or 1.15 percent, higher at 13,563 while the ChiNext Index was 53 points, or 1.61 percent, up at 3,351. The gains came with monetary policy response being in focus this week as the over six-month-long war in the Middle East shows few signs of ending, keeping oil prices above US$100 per barrel and fanning inflation fears across the globe. Hopes of alternate ways for oil supply from the Middle East to reach markets pushed Brent crude futures down one percent to US$103.77 a barrel even as concerns about strikes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis lingered. Traders also took their cues from a rally on Wall Street overnight, led by beaten-down tech stocks. Bond prices steadied after another brutal selloff this week that took the 10-year US Treasury beyond 5 percent to its highest since 2007. It was last at 4.936 percent. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.55 percent. In Tokyo, the Nikkei opened 545 points, or 0.85 percent, higher at 64,681 before losing some ground to be at 64,584 at one stage before lunch. In Seoul, the Kospi surged 170 points, or 2.54 percent, to 6,885 before, also like the Nikkei, wandering down to be at 6,851 at one stage before noon. The Bank of England warned on Thursday it may have to hike if the Middle East war drags on while the Federal Reserve raised rates on Wednesday for the first time in three years and flagged more in the coming months. The European Central Bank last week also cautioned the need for further tightening as it raised rates. "If bonds reverse and yields push higher again, volatility could quickly return," said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone. "For now, though, the buyers have regained some control, and the price action suggests the post-Fed risk-off move has lost momentum." The yen softened to 156.23 per US dollar in early trading as traders braced for the policy decision from the Japanese central bank later in the day, with the Bank of Japan set to raise interest rates to a 31-year high and pledge to deliver more to counter inflation risks. "The key as such for markets is not just whether Bank of Japan hikes, but also how it hikes and the communication by governor Kazuo Ueda on the path moving forward," said Michael Wan, currency strategist at MUFG. (Reuters/Xinhua) Edited by Tony Sabine

Sep 18, 2026

King Charles Meets With A.I. Executives About Safety Risks

The gathering in Scotland brought together industry leaders amid a growing debate about the safety risks of unchecked artificial intelligence.

Sep 18, 2026

Bank of England Holds Rates Steady but Warns of Higher Inflation

The decision was announced a day after data showed the fastest pace of price increases in months.

Sep 17, 2026

Early Bowie music available to stream for first time

Previously unheard material from the start of the artist's career has been released for the first time.

Sep 17, 2026

The virtual worlds where robots are trained

Training systems that allow robots to negotiate the real world are getting more sophisticated.

US stocks climb as oil and Treasury yields dip

Sep 17, 2026

Wall Street bounced back on Thursday as easing oil prices, dropping US Treasury yields and solid labour data helped markets move beyond the Federal Reserve's first interest rate hike in more than three years. All three major US stock indexes closed sharply higher, driven by a broad, tech-led rally that put the Nasdaq out front. "We're seeing interest in the areas of the market that have been hit hard in anticipation of this Fed rate hike," said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth in Fairfield, Connecticut. "And people sort of stepping in, doing a little bit of buying on the pullback." Crude prices dropped, touching a one-week low after supply disruption fears were calmed by reports of Saudi oil moving through Oman. Energy prices have soared since the onset of the US-Israeli war against Iran, feeding into broader global inflationary pressures. On Wednesday, Fed policy makers voted unanimously to raise the Fed funds target rate for the first time since July 2023. The central bank's statement said the Fed was dedicated to bringing about a "timelier return" to its 2-percent inflation goal, setting the table for more tightening this year. "The market is a bit relieved at the Fed's coherence in that they all voted in the same way," said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird in Louisville, Kentucky. "Fed Chair Warsh re-emphasised the Fed's independence." Financial markets are currently pricing in a 53.1 percent likelihood of another 25-basis-point rate hike at the Fed's next meeting in October, up from 27.2 percent a week ago, according to CME's FedWatch tool. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh stated at his press conference on Wednesday that the US economy is strong, and ensuring price stability need not harm the job market, a view sustained by the Labour Department's weekly jobless claims report, which showed initial claims dipping to near-1969 lows. The CBOE Market Volatility Index, often called "the fear index," touched its lowest level in over a week, moving in concert with easing crude prices. "When you have an oil shock this lengthy, it's bound to start to seep in prices all across the economy. It's really the only major headwind facing the global economy right now," Mayfield added. "And to get any sort of relief or resolve there is a tailwind for consumers, it's a tailwind for corporates, and it allows the Fed to be less hawkish." The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 317 points, or 0.6 percent, to 51,779, the S&P 500 gained 85 points, or 1.1 percent, to 7,637 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 439 points, or 1.7 percent, to 26,418. Gold and silver miners and chips were among the clear outperformers, both advancing more than 3 percent. Homebuilders gained 1.1 percent after housing data showed single-family housing starts and pending home sales increased last month. Crypto-linked stocks rose after the US Securities and Exchange Commission unveiled a five-year exemption for tokenised stock trading. Circle Internet Group and Robinhood rose 5.8 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively, while Coinbase advanced 5.8 percent. CoreWeave fell 4.2 percent after it announced plans to raise capital via stock and convertible bond offerings. Fluence Energy tumbled 15.4 percent after lowering its revenue forecast for fiscal year 2026. (Reuters) Edited by Cecil Wong

Sep 17, 2026

Searing Elon Musk Film Nears U.S. Release Amid Overseas Concerns

Alex Gibney’s “Musk” will arrive in United States theaters next month. Universal says it remains committed to releasing it overseas but has yet to set dates.

Data Center’s Spill of 5,000 Gallons of Diesel Forces N.J. River Cleanup

Sep 17, 2026

The fuel poured from a storage tank at a large data center in Secaucus, N.J., into a tributary of the Hackensack River.