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It’s a relief that the 40 workers trapped in the 4.5km-long highway tunnel being burrowed in Uttarakhand that saw a section of it collapse are reported to be safe even as efforts to rescue them are underway. Food and oxygen are being supplied via tubes through the 60-metre-stretch of debris that isolates them. A 3-foot-wide steel pipe is also being extended with the aid of hydraulic jacks to extract them.

I have been in Delhi for a little over a week, and, as is the case at this time of the year, the city is highly polluted. The trouble is Mumbai, where I live, has also been very polluted this year. Mumbai’s problem stems from a massive increase in construction in 2023.

Inflation in the United States slowed last month in a sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes are continuing to cool the consumer price spikes that have bedeviled consumers for the past two years.

Manulife Financial Corp. says it has cut 250 jobs globally in its investment management division.

Indian economy likely expected 6.7% in the July-September quarter, according to a median forecast of 10 economists polled by ET, boosted by a strong performance by the services sector. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has forecast 6.5% growth in the quarter. Robust manufacturing and construction activity also likely contributed to growth in the second quarter, economists said. Forecasts ranged from 6.2% to 7%.

Telecom operators, chip makers, network providers and handset makers have strongly opposed any hurried decision on a proposed idea to beam TV content directly to mobile phones without a cellular data connection, as the technology is still immature. The smartphone industry is worried that adoption of the proposal making it mandatory for devices to offer support to direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting will increase the cost of devices by $30 (₹2,500) at least.

climate change the «health of humanity is at grave risk». Lethal heat was just one of the many ways the world's still-increasing use of fossil fuels threatens human health, according to The Lancet Countdown, a major annual assessment carried out by leading researchers and institutions. More common droughts will put millions at risk of starving, mosquitoes spreading farther than ever before will take infectious diseases with them, and health systems will struggle to cope with the burden, the researchers warned. The dire assessment comes during what is expected to be the hottest year in human history — just last week, Europe's climate monitor declared that last month was the warmest October on record. It also comes ahead of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this month, which will for the first time host a «health day» on December 3 as experts try to shine a light on global warming's impact on health. Despite growing calls for global action, energy-related carbon emissions hit new highs last year, the Lancet Countdown report said, singling out still massive government subsidies and private bank investments into planet-heating fossil fuels. — 'Crisis on top of a crisis' — Last year people worldwide were exposed to an average of 86 days of life-threatening temperatures, according to the Lancet Countdown study.

Banking infrastructure and lending solutions provider Knight Fintech is in final stages to close $25 million in a fresh round of funding led by Accel, at least three people told ET. The round is expected to include a secondary portion, which might see some of its initial investors exit.

Wall Street is looking grim for bankers in an industry hobbled by rising interest rates, bank failures and a dealmaking slump. Next year will probably be no better.

oil markets won't be as tight as expected this quarter, as upward revisions to demand are outpaced by upgrades to supplies, the International Energy Agency said. The IEA boosted forecasts for world fuel consumption this year on surprising strength in China, and still anticipates a supply shortfall during the fourth quarter. But it will be roughly 30% smaller than previously projected, at about 900,000 barrels a day. «World oil demand continues to exceed expectations,» the Paris-based agency said in its latest monthly report.

Japan, Australia and the Middle East and the home market, among others, will largely help alter the geographic mix. To be sure, average contract values in these geographies will still be relative stragglers in comparison with those finalised by Anglophone clients either side of the Atlantic.

Piper Sandler Chief Global Economist Nancy Lazar details her economic expectations for the second half of the fiscal year on ‘Mornings with Maria.’

heat-related deaths by mid-century, according to The Lancet's new global projections. According to its report, in 2022, individuals were, on average, exposed to 86 days of health-threatening high temperatures, of which 60% were made at least twice as likely to occur because of human-caused climate change. The researchers have blamed the «negligence» of governments, companies, and banks who continue investing in oil and gas for the crisis. «Our health stocktake reveals that the growing hazards of climate change are costing lives and livelihoods worldwide today.

Netflix's Wednesday season 2 is gearing up for filming, set to begin in late April 2024 in Ireland, moving from the original location in Romania, as reported by Deadline. The renewal of Wednesday for its second season in January 2023 has not seen many updates from Netflix, but information has surfaced through the cast and creative teams. Jenna Ortega, reprising her role as Wednesday Addams, will also take on a producer role in the upcoming season. As of November 2023, filming for Season 2 has not commenced. The series is expected to transition from Romania to Ireland for production, with filming likely to start in April 2024. However, rumors circulate about potential scheduling conflicts for Jenna Ortega, who might be balancing commitments to Scream 7. Reports indicate that production for the first season began in the fall of 2021, wrapping up in the spring of 2022 in Romania. The expectation was a similar timeline for the second season, aiming for a late 2024 release. However, with the late start in April 2024, the release date might be pushed to 2025 due to the necessary time for pre-production, filming, post-production, and promotional activities. The confirmed cast for Season 2 includes Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Fred Armisen, Gwendoline Christie, Jamie McShane, and Joy Sunday.

mitigation target are projected to be only 2% below those levels, shows a new UN synthesis report on countries' collective climate actions released on Tuesday. It highlights that peaking of global emissions will, however, occur within this decade. The synthesis report, released ahead of the upcoming UN climate conference (CO) in Dubai, also shows that while emissions will not increase after 2030, compared to 2019 levels, they are still «not demonstrating rapid downward trend» — a necessity of this decade to limit warming below the 'danger' level. Limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century is considered safe to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heat waves and rainfall. The rise in earth's global average surface temperature, however, has already reached around 1.1 degrees C, higher than the pre-industrial average (1850-1900), and 2023 is already on track to be the warmest year on record.

Chris Appleton and actor Lukas Gage have decided to split. Chris and Lukas have filed for divorce and termed “irreconcilable differences” as the ground for their separation. According to a report, the estranged couple filed divorce petition in Los Angeles on Monday. According to the petition, the duo don't share any children.

Bonus season on Wall Street is looking grim for bankers in an industry hobbled by rising interest rates, bank failures and a dealmaking slump. Next year will probably be no better. 

The macroeconomic math relating to Canada’s looming wall of mortgage renewals should be terrifying for the Bank of Canada. A large increase in average monthly mortgage payments will arise from the nearly $1 trillion in renewals due by 2026, triggering, in turn, a large demand shock and putting stress on the housing market in particular and the economy in general. The central bank will need to ease aggressively before the shock strikes to avoid turning a slowdown into a crisis, positioning Government of Canada bonds for outperformance in 2024.

By Travis Toews

Power Corp. of Canada, the holding company of Canada’s billionaire Desmarais family, increased the estimated value of its Sagard Holdings alternative investments unit after closing a deal to sell a minority stake in it.

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss