Swedish classrooms swap laptops for books, pens and paper, raising concerns from the tech sector.
Abercrombie & Fitch is expanding its product assortment by adding third-party footwear brands like Puma and Sperry, a strategy inspired by rival Aritzia. This move aims to attract new customers and encourage existing ones to spend more, particularly at its new NYC store.
Mortgage application volume fell 3.8% last week due to mixed rate movements. Refinance applications dropped 5%, while purchase applications decreased 3%. Rates are influenced by inflation data and optimism over the Strait of Hormuz opening, with potential impacts from oil price fluctuations.
Fuel smuggling from Iran to Pakistan is increasing due to disrupted oil flows and rising prices, driven by the US-Israeli war. Thousands in Balochistan, like Mazaar, risk their lives ferrying petrol and diesel, facing dangers from heat, accidents, and conflict, as it's their only livelihood.
Central banks are increasingly storing gold bullion domestically, driven by geopolitical tensions and concerns over accessibility of overseas reserves. The World Gold Council survey shows a rise in domestic storage and diversification of foreign locations, with expectations of continued central bank gold purchases.
UK inflation remained at 2.8% in the year to May, defying expert expectations of a rise. Food price inflation slowed to a 17-month low, but transport costs saw the fastest annual rise since December 2022. Analysts suggest a US-Iran peace deal may temper future increases.
Lidl has opened its first pub, The Middle Ale, in Northern Ireland, a move driven by the region's strict licensing laws. The supermarket had to overcome legal hurdles, including the 'surrender principle' and the 'inadequacy' test, to obtain a license for a pub, which it passed due to recent bar closures.
