The slowdown that began among India’s shadow banks is spreading. Sectors that had come to depend on credit from what in India are called non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are posting awful numbers. Insurance is slowing and real estate is troubled. The automobile sector — which contributes half of India’s manufacturing output — is shrinking as stressed shadow banks prioritise survival ...

Twenty-five years ago, as a young physicist, I worked on research linked to fusion energy. Nuclear fusion powers sun and stars through reactions that turn hydrogen nuclei into helium nuclei, and if we could master the process on Earth, we’d have a safe and virtually limitless source of clean energy. At conferences every year, scientists from around the world gathered ...

Bloomberg US stocks edged higher as strong earnings and a continuation of trade talks helped ease investor concerns. Treasuries rose ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision. The S&P 500 advanced for the first time in three days, fuelled in large part by Apple Inc after the company lifted its forecast. Sentiment also got a boost after US and Chinese ...