Author: Thefuturedatainsights

NFU Scotland is calling on the Scottish government to urgently commit to a multi-annual funding framework for farmers and crofters, following the UK government’s spending review on 11 June.The union argues that the financial clarity now provided to devolved administrations presents a timely opportunity to strengthen long-term agricultural support, particularly as the sector grapples with escalating cost pressures.The UK government confirmed that devolved nations now have the budgetary certainty required to set multi-year financial plans. As part of the review, it was announced that the Scottish government will continue to receive more than 20% higher per capita funding than the…

Here’s my first dilemma of the day: the new Luckin Coffee near my office in Hong Kong wants me to download their app for a $2 drink. Without it, it’s $3.75.Fine. I register, get a WhatsApp code and scroll through their menu: fruity Americanos, a seasonal kale tea and the coconut milk latte — a bestseller with five sweetness levels.The menus are something else. This coconut comes from Luckin’s own grove in Indonesia, it says, blessed by volcanic ash and ocean nutrients. The milk is cold-pressed within four hours of cracking the fruit open. Sure, Luckin. I click iced, no…

98.8 Small Business Optimism 0.2% Wholesale Inventories MACROECONOMY & END-USE MARKETSACC published its Mid-Year Situation and Outlook this week. Following a strong Q1, uncertainty has emerged as an economic headwind to businesses and consumers. Near term weakness in manufacturing activity is expected amid supply chain disruptions, both in the U.S. and abroad.Consumer prices edged higher by 0.1% in May, with higher prices for food, shelter, and appliances offsetting lower prices for energy, airline fares, vehicles, and apparel. Excluding food and energy, core consumer prices also rose by 0.1%. Compared to a year ago, headline consumer prices were up 2.4% Y/Y…

Alphabet-owned robotaxi company Waymo is limiting service due to Saturday’s scheduled nationwide “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump and his policies. A Waymo spokesperson confirmed the changes to Wired on Friday. Service is reportedly affected in San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, and Phoenix, and is entirely suspended in Los Angeles. It’s not clear how long the limited service will last. As part of protests last weekend in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, five Waymo vehicles were set on fire and spray painted with anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) messages. In response, Waymo suspended service in downtown LA.…

Beleaguered genetic testing company 23andMe announced Friday that it has reached an agreement to sell itself to a nonprofit led by the company’s co-founder and former CEO Anne Wojcicki. Following a massive cyberattack in 2023 and a related lawsuit settlement, 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in March, with Wojcicki resigning in order to become an independent bidder for the company. But pharmaceutical company Regeneron was announced as the company’s acquirer with a $256 million bid. According to the Wall Street Journal, Wojcicki’s nonprofit TTAM Research Institute reopened the bidding process by making an unsolicited bid earlier this month, and Regeneron declined…

Credit: cottonbro studio from Pexels As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers turn their attention to improving productivity growth across the economy, it will be interesting to see what the business community brings to a planned summit in August. Labor productivity (output per hour worked) has barely grown this decade. Much of the focus in the current debate has been on the role of workers (labor) and industrial relations. Less discussed has been low business investment (capital). Labor will be more productive if each worker can use more capital: machinery, equipment and technology. Over the medium term, providing…

Summary Oil gains of up to 14% were largest intraday move since 2022 Iran’s nuclear facility in Natanz damaged in Israeli attack No impact to oil flows in the region so far -analysts Israeli attacks kill key Iranian military commanders Trump urges Iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme (Reuters) – Oil prices jumped on Friday and settled 7% higher as Israel and Iran traded air strikes, feeding investor worries that the combat could widely disrupt oil exports from the Middle East. Brent crude futures settled at $74.23 a barrel, up $4.87, or 7.02%, after earlier soaring over…

The survivor of the Air India Flight 171 crash Thursday revealed he miraculously survived by escaping through a broken emergency exit.There were 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, that crashed shortly after takeoff in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, smashing in a fiery blast into a medical college hostel, killing and injuring more people on the ground.The plane crashed into a hostel for the B.J. Medical College and Civil Hospital (BJMC). As a result, four students at BJMC died, six relatives of resident doctors died and 24 are undergoing treatment, the Federation of All India Medical Associations…

2. Connected systems and processesIt can be exceedingly difficult for a consumer goods company to manage risk and respond to rapidly shifting market signals and supply chain conditions when the data it needs to uncover insights is scattered across spreadsheets, disparate systems, and disconnected processes. When critical sourcing, supply chain, planning, manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics systems and processes are connected and integrated, however, information and insight can flow unimpeded in real time, giving people — and the intelligent analytics and modeling tools that support them — the timely information they need to make better decisions in the moment. How can transportation be…

Summary NEMA Convenes Bipartisan Discussion with Lawmakers on How Energy Infrastructure Can Keep Pace with AI Revolution ARLINGTON, Va. – June 13, 2025 – The grid of the future is being built today, and electrical manufacturers are playing a key role by deploying innovative technologies and investments to strengthen America’s energy resilience. The impact of data centers and AI advancements on achieving this reliable future grid was a timely topic of discussion during today’s NEMA-Semafor event, “Powering Our AI Future.”The conversation featured bipartisan insights from House Energy and Commerce Committee…