UK inflation expected to have risen in August as cost of living squeeze tightens – business live

Saudi says Houthis targeted Mecca with a drone, Iran-backed group rejects claim

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone before it could enter the airspace over Mecca, with the Iran-backed Houthi militia group rejecting the claim as "an worn-out lie," as fighting reaches the holy city for the first time in the ongoing conflict. Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition which has battled the Houthis since 2015, described the attack as "a deliberate act intended to provoke the feelings of millions of...

US, Vietnam firms to sign agreements as To Lam travels to New York, documents show

US, Vietnam firms to sign agreements as To Lam travels to New York, documents show HANOI, Sept 16 : A string of agreements is expected to be announced next week by U.S. and Vietnamese corporations involving energy, tech, aviation and financial firms as Vietnam's leader To Lam travels to New York, according to officials and two documents reviewed by Reuters. Commercial agreements, many of which are expected to be non-binding, have been for months part of Vietnam's strategy to mollify...

Horizons Middle East & Africa 9/16/2026 (Video)

UK inflation jumps to 3.1% as energy costs soar

Customers re-fuel their cars at a petrol station as Brent crude oil prices hit $100 per barrel for the first time since May on July 23, 2026 in London, England. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.K.'s annual inflation rate jumped to 3.1% in August, pushed up by surging gasoline and diesel prices. The print, which was in line with economists' expectations, marked the first inflation reading above 3% since March.