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High bulky waste fees may be driving fly-tipping in Wrexham

Business Waste says Wrexham's high bulky waste fees may be worsening fly-tipping, as Wales recorded a record 1.26m incidents in 2024-25. The council says charges reflect cost recovery and incidents have since fallen.

2 min read

AI sell-off deepens as chip stocks slump in market retreat

Asian markets tumbled as an AI-driven sell-off hit major chip stocks, with the Kospi halting trading and Japan’s Nikkei falling more than 4%. Concerns over AI borrowing and China’s chipmaking progress added to the rout.

3 min read

Sat Bains calls for VAT cut to help restaurants

Sat Bains has urged the government to cut VAT for restaurants, saying it would help the sector as rising living costs make customers more cautious.

4 min read

Chip shares fall in US and Asia as AI stock sell-off deepens

Chip makers fell sharply in the US and Asia as investors sold AI-related stocks. South Korea's Kospi was briefly halted after sliding 8%, while Nvidia dropped 5% and lost its top global valuation to Apple.

2 min read

J&J offers up to $5.5bn to settle baby powder lawsuits

J&J has offered up to $5.5bn to settle about 69,000 talc-related lawsuits alleging its baby powder caused ovarian cancer.

1 min read

Can paper packaging work without glue or labels?

Europe is tightening paper recycling rules, pushing firms like Fraunhofer, Hermann Ultraschall and Henkel to develop glue-free or recyclable sealing solutions.

7 min read

Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino to step down after rebrand backlash

Cracker Barrel said CEO Julie Masino will leave in August after backlash over a rebrand, with David Deno taking over. Shares fell more than 2% after the announcement.

3 min read

Survey says islanders’ real incomes are down 12% since 2018/19

A survey of more than 2,000 people says average income in Guernsey is 12% lower in real terms than in 2018/19, while spending and savings pressures remain significant.

2 min read

AstraZeneca chief urges drugmakers to move at ‘Chinese speed’

Pascal Soriot said AstraZeneca and other western drugmakers must move at “Chinese speed” to avoid falling behind more innovative rivals, while the company reported first-half 2026 revenue up 6%.

4 min read

Oil falls as US and Iran pause attacks

Oil prices fell sharply after the US and Iran paused attacks, with Brent crude dropping more than 9% as markets weighed hopes for talks against ongoing uncertainty.

4 min read

Businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood dies aged 84

Aberdeen businessman and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood has died aged 84. His family said he died peacefully at home and remembered his kindness, generosity and commitment.

1 min read

Oil falls below $90 as US-Iran tensions ease; AstraZeneca beats forecasts

Oil slipped below $90 a barrel as US-Iran tensions eased, while Vodafone, DCC Energy, Shein and AstraZeneca all reported major updates.

6 min read