Latest Developments

Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

How integrated digital ecosystems are transforming India’s agricultural value chain

For years, the agricultural sector has been talking about digital transformation. Today, the conversation has evolved. The next phase of India’s agricultural growth will not be driven by another app, another marketplace, or another technology platform. It will be shaped by connected ecosystems that enable every stakeholder in the value chain to make faster, smarter, and more informed decisions. India is already laying the foundation for this future. Initiatives such as the Digital Agriculture Mission, Agri-Stack, and the Krishi Decision Support System are creating the country’s Digital Public Infrastructure for agriculture, bringing together farmer identities, crop data, geospatial intelligence, and AI-driven advisory into a unified framework. While these national initiatives are building the digital backbone, the real impact will come from how the private ecosystem builds on top of it. This is where agri-commerce is undergoing a fundamental shift from disconnected transactions to intelligent interactions. Every order placed by an agri-retailer has the potential to generate demand signals for manufacturers, optimise inventory planning, improve logistics efficiency, unlock working capital, and create richer market intelligence. Commerce is no longer just about selling products. It is becoming a source of intelligence that benefits the entire ecosystem. Agri-retailers are no longer operating as conventional input sellers. They are evolving into digitally enabled business partners who advise farmers, manage inventory more efficiently, access credit digitally, discover new products, and serve as the last-mile link between manufacturers and farming communities. This evolution is redefining the role of the retailer. The future retailer will not compete on proximity alone. They will compete on access to insights, product availability, service quality, and speed. Digital platforms are enabling retailers to make data-backed decisions on what to stock, when to replenish inventory, and how to better serve the cropping patterns of their local markets. For manufacturers, this creates an entirely new opportunity. Instead of relying solely on historical sales trends, they can understand emerging demand patterns in near real time, identify regional opportunities earlier, improve forecasting accuracy, and strengthen engagement with retailers through more targeted product availability and marketing initiatives. Artificial intelligence is accelerating this shift even further. Across agriculture, AI is increasingly being used to combine weather intelligence, crop information, transaction data, and market trends to generate recommendations that are specific to a farmer’s geography and cropping cycle. However, technology alone does not create value. Data becomes meaningful only when it flows across stakeholders. The real competitive advantage will belong to organisations that can connect manufacturers, retailers, logistics, finance, and advisory into one integrated experience rather than offering isolated digital solutions. That philosophy has shaped the journey of nurture.retail. Our objective has never been limited to creating an online ordering platform. We are building a digital ecosystem that simplifies business for agri-retailers while strengthening collaboration across the agricultural value chain. From providing access to a wide portfolio of trusted brands and exclusive products to enabling faster deliveries, digital credit, and marketing opportunities, every capability is designed to help retailers grow their business while ensuring farmers receive timely access to genuine agricultural inputs. As India’s agricultural ecosystem becomes increasingly data-driven, retailers will emerge as one of the most influential participants in this transformation. Positioned closest to the farmer while remaining deeply connected to manufacturers and supply chains, they are uniquely placed to convert digital intelligence into real-world impact. India’s next agricultural revolution will not be defined by who builds the biggest platform. It will be defined by who builds the strongest ecosystem.

How integrated digital ecosystems are transforming India’s agricultural value chain
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

England defeat Norway 2-1 as Jude Bellingham shines in World Cup quarterfinal

FIFA World Cup 2026 - Quarter-final - Norway v England - Miami Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - July 11, 2026: England’s Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring the extra-time winner against Norway. | Photo Credit: Mike Segar Jude Bellingham scored in the third minute of extra time to lift England past Norway 2-1 and into the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2018. Bellingham’s goal was his second of the game — he also had an equaliser late in the first half. The Real Madrid star is now tied with England teammate Harry Kane with six goals in this tournament, behind the eight of France’s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina’s Lionel Messi. He scored twice in the round of 16 as England beat co-host Mexico. England, winner of the 1966 World Cup and facing pressure to return to the title match, is now one win away from getting there. The Three Lions will face either Argentina or Switzerland, who were set to play Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri. Andreas Schjelderup scored in the 36th minute for Norway, a squad that reached its first quarterfinals and took the internet by storm with its “Viking row” and the charisma of 6-foot-5 striker Erling Haaland. Haaland — the Manchester City star who had seven goals in this tournament — was held without a goal for the first time in the World Cup. He was subbed out on Saturday for Jorgen Strand Larsen in the second half of extra time. Norway nearly went ahead 2-1 in the 56th minute when Torbjørn Heggem put a rebound past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after a corner kick. Following a video review, the goal was disallowed because of a foul by Haaland in the box. Haaland was also denied by Pickford on a point-blank header in the first half. Schjelderup, making just his second start of the tournament, fired a shot that caromed off the right post and into the net to stun an England team that had dominated possession to that point. Bellingham’s equaliser from close range elicited a roar from that crowd that included Mick Jagger and England great David Beckham. Schjelderup, who set up both of Haaland’s goals in Norway’s round of 16 win over Brazil, celebrated by stretching his arms wide and looking at the crowd as his teammates lifted him onto their shoulders. Meanwhile, Kane sat near midfield, grabbing his leg and looking toward the officials. No foul was called. Moments before Bellingham evened the score, a Norway goal kick resulted in the ball appearing to make contact with an aerial camera cable before landing at the feet of England’s Elliot Anderson. The ball was eventually played to Bellingham, who beat Ørjan Nyland with a low shot to the far post. By rule, if the ball had been noticed hitting the cable, play would have stopped, and a drop ball would have been utilised to determine possession. There was a brief moment of silence before the match in honour of Jayden Adams, the 25-year-old midfielder for South Africa whose death was announced earlier Saturday. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

England defeat Norway 2-1 as Jude Bellingham shines in World Cup quarterfinal
Europe
The Guardian

Oil prices jump over 5% after Trump suggests ceasefire with Iran has ended following fresh US strikes – as it happened

Oil and gas prices jumped, stock markets slid and government bond yields rose after the US and Iran traded fresh strikes and Donald Trump said the shaky ceasefire was “over”. In stock markets, the UK’s FTSE 100 fell 1%, or 110 points, to 10,556 while Germany’s Dax tumbled 1.6% and Spain’s Ibex lost 2%. Speaking at a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump also said he was cutting off trade with Spain over defence spending). On Wall Street, the S&P 500 index fell nearly 0.5% while the Dow Jones slid 0.9% and the Nasdaq slipped 0.3%. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei ended the day 2.1% lower while China’s CSI 300 declined 0.77% and South Korea’s Kospi tumbled 5.5%, also hit by a sell-off in semiconductor shares. Eurozone government bond yields rose to their highest levels in almost a month, as higher oil prices stoked inflation fears. The yield, or interest rate, on Germany’s 10-year bond rose 5 basis points to 3.034%, the highest since 11 July, as bonds sold off (yields move inversely to prices). The two-year bond yield, which is more sensitive to European Central Bank interest rate expectations, also climbed 5bps, to 2.637%, the highest since 22 June. The yield on the 10-year UK government bond, known as gilt, climbed 9bps to 4.94%.

Oil prices jump over 5% after Trump suggests ceasefire with Iran has ended following fresh US strikes – as it happened
North America
CNBC Finance

PepsiCo earnings miss estimates as U.S. consumers tighten their budgets

PepsiCo on Thursday reported mixed quarterly results as the struggles of its North American food and beverage divisions offset strong international demand. "Results were tempered in the quarter as U.S. food and beverage category performance moderated with consumer budgets tightening due to rising inflationary pressures," CEO Ramon Laguarta said in prepared remarks shared on the company's website on Thursday. During Pepsi's second quarter, global oil prices swung dramatically due to the U.S. war with Iran. In the U.S., the national average gas price hit a four-year high of $4.56 per gallon in late May, leading many shoppers to watch their spending. Pepsi reported second-quarter net income attributable to the company of $2.98 billion, or $2.18 per share, up from $1.26 billion, or 92 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding restructuring and impairment charges and other items, the company earned $2.20 per share. Net sales rose 6.4% to $24.18 billion. Organic revenue, which excludes acquisitions, divestitures and foreign currency, increased 2.4% in the quarter. Globally, volume for Pepsi's food increased 3%, while volume for its beverages rose 2%. The metric excludes pricing and foreign exchange fluctuations to reflect demand more accurately. But Pepsi's volume growth came from its international markets. Demand was much weaker domestically. Its North American food business reported flat volume for the quarter, and its North American beverage division saw volume drop 4%. "I think the consumer is worse than what we had anticipated, and it's driven mainly by gas prices," Laguarta said on the company's earnings conference call. "We need to see some improvement in the in the convenience and gas channel, and hopefully we'll get some tailwinds from gas prices to do that," CFO Steve Schmitt said. Over the last two years, both North American segments have seen weaker demand as a result of higher prices. In February, Pepsi cut prices on Lay's, Tostitos, Doritos and Cheetos by as much as 15% to try to win back shoppers. The company has also been "restaging" some of its iconic brands, like Gatorade and Lay's, with fresh branding to boost their sales. Pepsi expects that its North American volumes will recover, but that will take time, particularly after this quarter's setback.

PepsiCo earnings miss estimates as U.S. consumers tighten their budgets
Europe
The Guardian

The Hill is capitalizing on reader interest in the second Trump administration

Bill Sammon: ‘I think we’re kind of having a moment right now.’ Photograph: The HillView image in fullscreenBill Sammon: ‘I think we’re kind of having a moment right now.’ Photograph: The HillMediaThe Hill is capitalizing on reader interest in the second Trump administrationThe Washington-based publication is announcing plans for a new digital subscription product called the Hill Insider The most-visited digital-first news publication dedicated to politics wasn’t Politico or Axios in May – it was the Hill, a Washington-based outlet that also still publishes a print product three days a week that gets delivered to the office of every member of Congress. While the Hill is often left out of conversations about the most influential political news outlets, the publication has been quietly chugging along since it was acquired by the television conglomerate Nexstar in 2021 for $130m. Bill Sammon, the Fox News veteran who serves as senior vice-president for editorial content, said the Hill was profitable and had benefited from a surge of interest in the second Trump administration. “I think we’re kind of having a moment right now,” Sammon said in an interview. “The viewership is engaged, and a lot of it has to do with, frankly, that there’s just so much going on in the news. It is a good time to be a journalist in Washington given the sheer volume of consequential stuff that’s just coming over the transom.” The main website will remain free to read, however. “It’s additive,” Sammon said. “For the very most part, we’ve developed all kinds of new value-added content that we think is going to serve our readers as we understand what our readers want … For people who are really into this, they just want more of it.” There is no shortage of direct-to-consumer subscription services available to media consumers, but Sammon said he was hopeful that the Hill’s offering would be sufficiently differentiated from the competition to become a meaningful revenue source for the publication, which began in 1994. Media veterans like Sammon aren’t often available for hire in Washington. He became a free agent after Rupert Murdoch himself suggested that he be pushed out following Fox’s controversial coverage of the 2020 presidential election, an offering to the Trump super-fans who were unhappy that the network correctly called the election for Joe Biden. In a 20 November 2020 email released as part of the voting technology firm Dominion’s defamation lawsuit against Fox, Murdoch told his chief executive, Suzanne Scott, and his son Lachlan Murdoch that “maybe [it would be] best to let Bill go right away and make acting appointment”, which he hoped would send a “big message with Trump people”. (“Sammon was told the inevitable today,” Scott responded.) “I have many fond memories – and retain lots of great friendships – from my time at Fox,” Sammon told the Guardian. Sammon, who began his career as a print journalist, has been able to lean on his experience at Fox News by serving in a dual editorial role for NewsNation, the cable news channel that is also owned by Nexstar and works out of the same office. “I don’t have a lot of skillsets in this world and they found the two weird skillsets that I have, and there’s a job for that,” he said. “You need to know about newspapers and you need to know about cable TV. Well, that’s actually something I can do.”

The Hill is capitalizing on reader interest in the second Trump administration
Asia-Pacific
The Straits Times

50 cents a day: Arki Finance CEO saved his allowance to buy his mum a watch

Staying invested consistently over the past 15 years has been one of his best financial decisions, says Arki Finance CEO David Ng. Sign up for ST InvestMe and unlock full access to exclusive insights and financial literacy courses today. SINGAPORE – When David Ng was 10, he spent months squirrelling away his 50-cent daily allowance to save $50 to buy his mother a watch. “I passed her the money, never knowing how much the watch really cost or if she actually bought one,” says the 46-year-old co-founder and chief executive of Arki Finance. “There’s joy in putting someone else’s happiness above my own... And that mindset of intentional saving and giving has stuck with me in adulthood.” The Singaporean started digital wealth advisory platform Arki after more than two decades working in global financial institutions like Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, as well as a stint as a national rugby player from 1996 to 1997. Arki, which received its Capital Markets Services licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore earlier in 2026, is preparing for its public launch later in the year. The firm is targeting the mass affluent segment with a simplified wealth platform built on a three-part framework: cash, income and growth. Ng has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He is married with two sons. My portfolio is a mix of equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and private investments. About half is in public equities focused on global and thematic strategies – sectors that I believe will define the future. Around 30 per cent is in ETFs and index funds, and the remaining 20 per cent is in private investments such as early-stage fintechs and private credit. Arki Finance, which I started building about two years ago, is my biggest financial and emotional investment.

50 cents a day: Arki Finance CEO saved his allowance to buy his mum a watch
Asia-Pacific
The Straits Times

Caught by IRAS: Doctor earned millions but reported monthly salaries of $5k and $6k

The doctor paid himself below market salaries but received huge amounts in dividends and loans. Sign up for ST InvestMe and unlock full access to exclusive insights and financial literacy courses today. SINGAPORE – A doctor declared monthly salaries of around $5,000 and $6,000 from his companies, but did not pay any personal tax on additional payouts averaging over $2 million a year. He claimed there was no need to declare the additional income because the sum was received as tax-exempt dividends and “shareholders’ loans” after his companies paid the standard corporate tax of 17 per cent on their profits. This doctor, a private specialist, thought he had a foolproof arrangement that would shield him from higher personal income taxes. Income beyond the $1 million mark would have hit the highest personal tax bracket of 24 per cent. After scrutinising past assessments between 2013 and 2018, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) deployed its most powerful weapon – Section 33 of the Income Tax Act – which can shoot down any arrangements that are created mainly to avoid tax. It imposed additional taxes on the doctor’s overall income, which the High Court upheld despite the doctor’s challenge. Under the personal income tax regime, someone earning $6,000 monthly would have been taxed less than $3,000 a year, but taking home $2 million could entail over $400,000 in taxes annually. The decision has likely sent shockwaves through the league of high-income earners who have been using company structures to avoid paying more personal taxes. The doctor was among 279 high-income earners IRAS has caught to date for using sham arrangements to avoid paying more taxes. An example of such an arrangement involves setting up companies to receive income but paying owners salaries below market rate so that they can pay lower taxes. As companies enjoy various concessions to encourage entrepreneurship, the owners will end up paying less tax on their profits than individuals earning the same amount.

Caught by IRAS: Doctor earned millions but reported monthly salaries of $5k and $6k
Asia-Pacific
The Straits Times

Planning my wedding taught me to spend on what matters, and not what is expected

The writer says that intentional saving has helped her a lot when planning wedding expenditures. Sign up for ST InvestMe and unlock full access to exclusive insights and financial literacy courses today. SINGAPORE – While planning for my wedding in November, I’ve been feeling a lot of invisible pressure to spend on what everyone else is spending on. One such area is the Chinese tradition of Guo Da Li, a ritual where the groom’s family presents the bride’s family with betrothal gifts that symbolise fertility, prosperity, abundance and a harmonious marriage. These gifts often include gold jewellery, so as gold prices have climbed over the decades, the cost of Guo Da Li has also risen. Because my parents really want traditions to be upheld, I felt obligated to go along with it. My husband and I managed to find a shop with affordable jewellery, but the process made me think about how important intentional spending is when it comes to milestones like weddings. While looking for a wedding venue, some vendors we spoke to had strong opinions about what we were “supposed” to do, such as the number of guests to invite and the type of food to serve, and even on the sequence of events. People around me often held their weddings at expensive hotels, and my mother didn’t want me to have mine at a venue that would make me look “poor” by comparison. But I didn’t want to spend for appearances’ sake – to me, that isn’t what a wedding is about. My husband and I eventually settled on a venue that isn’t a lavish hotel but offers something I really want – a view of the blue sea during the solemnisation. I’ve never enjoyed being cooped up indoors, so having a beautiful outdoor view on the most important day of my life is a priority. The venue we have chosen is also relatively small, ensuring we can celebrate our marriage with only the people who matter.

Planning my wedding taught me to spend on what matters, and not what is expected
Europe
BBC Business

Pressure builds on Europe's biggest port to be greener

Standing on a grassy verge in the Hook of Holland, I'm overlooking the Port of Rotterdam. At the delta of the Rhine and Meuse in the Netherlands, on land largely reclaimed from the North Sea, it's the biggest port for freight, external in Europe. By some measures, Rotterdam alone handles almost as much cargo as all UK ports combined. The horizon is dominated by cranes, bulk carriers and container stacks – the visible parts of a vast energy and chemicals hub. Five refineries, including Shell's largest in Europe, process hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil a day, while a tight cluster of chemical plants feeds factories across the continent. According to research by CE Delft, the fossil fuels flowing through the port are ultimately linked to around 600 megatonnes of CO2 a year – many times more than the CO2 output of the Netherlands' biggest airport, Schiphol. That scale has made Rotterdam a test case for a difficult question: can a port built on fossil fuels ever truly become green? A lawsuit brought by environmental group Advocates for the Future argues that the Port of Rotterdam Authority is not doing enough to phase out fossil-based energy, and wants a concrete plan to wind down the coal, oil and gas flows whose emissions dwarf those of most countries. Rotterdam's own industrial cluster currently emits about 29 million tonnes of CO2 a year – roughly half of the Netherlands' domestic emissions, says Mark van Dijk, head of external relations at the Port of Rotterdam Authority. That's the equivalent of tens of thousands of return flights from Amsterdam to Los Angeles. "It's not good," admits van Dijk. The Port Authority has a plan to cut the emissions of its own activities and encourage businesses on the site to be greener. It has set targets to cut its own direct and purchased energy emissions by 90% between 2019 and 2030.

Pressure builds on Europe's biggest port to be greener