India’s food safety regulator has widened its scrutiny of the country’s spirits industry by inspecting a Pernod Ricard manufacturing facility in Bengaluru and collecting samples of popular whisky brands. The two day inspection, according to sources familiar with the matter, involved testing liquor samples, reviewing documentation and examining production and packaging practices. No adverse finding…
Alibaba is turning to the stock market to finance an artificial intelligence expansion that is already reshaping the company’s finances. The Chinese technology group has launched an HK$80 billion share placement, worth about US$10.2 billion, with all net proceeds earmarked for its artificial intelligence capabilities. The move is significant not simply because of its size,…
A Chinese humanoid robot running 100 metres faster than the fastest human in history is an extraordinary demonstration of engineering progress, but the significance of the achievement lies less in beating a sporting record than in what it reveals about the direction of China’s robotics industry. Tiangong Ultra completed the distance in 9.39 seconds at…
Diesel prices have overtaken jet fuel prices in Europe for the first time in more than a year, revealing a deeper imbalance in the region’s refined-fuel market. The shift is not simply the result of stronger diesel demand or weaker aviation demand. It reflects a supply chain under pressure from several directions at once: reduced…
The European Central Bank is moving toward another interest rate increase not because the euro zone economy is overheating, but because a prolonged energy shock is threatening to keep inflation above target for longer than policymakers had expected. According to economists surveyed in recent reporting, the ECB is widely expected to raise its deposit rate…
The investment habits of wealthy households are increasingly diverging from those of ordinary investors, not necessarily because they possess access to secret investments, but because they approach wealth as a system rather than a portfolio. Recent wealth research and financial-industry analysis suggest that affluent investors are putting greater emphasis on diversification across private markets, real…
India is preparing for a broader overhaul of health insurance as rapidly rising medical costs put pressure on households, insurers and hospitals. The proposed reforms are expected to focus on standard treatment prices, clearer coverage rules and faster claims processing, according to people familiar with the discussions. The central objective is not simply to expand…
Myspace is preparing another attempt at a comeback at a moment when the biggest problem facing social media may no longer be attracting users, but keeping them from spending too much time online. The platform that once helped define the early social internet is being positioned for a return just as concerns over endless scrolling,…
Berkshire Hathaway has begun putting its enormous cash reserves to work at a pace that marks an important change in capital allocation under Chief Executive Greg Abel. The conglomerate repurchased $4.5 billion of its own shares in the second quarter and another $3.3 billion in July, while spending nearly $20 billion more on stocks than…
Moderna has begun the first human trial of its experimental vaccine against Bundibugyo virus disease at a moment when the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing one of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreaks ever recorded. The trial is significant because the strain driving the outbreak has no licensed vaccine specifically approved against it, leaving health authorities…
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