Vox tech writer Timothy B. Lee used to be one of the most ardent techno-optimists. But he’s had a bit of a conversion, of late, and is now on the side of those who think tech progress is slowing. Maybe it was the economist Robert Gordon who convinced him, or maybe years of observing the tech world changed his ...

  Hong Kong / AFP Asian markets retreated on Wednesday on fears about an expected US interest rate rise this year, while the pound recovered after suffering a series of losses fuelled by worries over Britain’s EU exit. Samsung Electronics suffered another bout of selling in the morning after announcing on Tuesday it would scrap the troubled flagship Galaxy Note ...

Dubai / Reuters Gulf stock markets consolidated in quiet trade early on Wednesday but Saudi banks rose after a major lender posted earnings in line with estimates. The Saudi stock index gained 0.4 percent in the first 75 minutes of trade as the banking sector index rose 0.7 percent. Banque Saudi Fransi, the second major Saudi lender to report third-quarter ...

  Bloomberg Emerging-market stocks and currencies fell toward a three-week low as surging domestic risks from Thailand to South Africa worsened sentiment impaired by a fractious U.S. election campaign and bets for December policy tightening by the Federal Reserve. Thai equities and baht led losses amid concern for the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The rand headed for a one-month ...

  Bloomberg OPEC’s most senior official talked up Russia’s commitment to joining efforts to limit oil production even as the group’s internal disagreements over how to share the burden of cuts stood in the way of a global deal. “We are confident of Russia’s commitments,” OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo said in an interview with Bloomberg television in Istanbul on Wednesday. ...

  LONDON / Reuters OPEC’s deal to cut oil production is unlikely to result in a substantial reduction in actual supplies, some of the world’s biggest oil trading companies said, meaning the market is unlikely to rebalance until well into 2017. The price of crude oil has stabilised around $50 a barrel since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ...

  Bloomberg The scale of the internal differences OPEC must resolve before securing a deal to cut supply was revealed Wednesday as the group’s latest output estimates showed a half-million-barrel difference of opinion over how much two key members are pumping. Venezuela and Iraq’s own figures on how much crude they produced in September were 565,000 barrels a day higher ...

  Bloomberg Oil dropped a second day on speculation the OPEC agreement to trim crude output won’t succeed in reducing supply. Futures fell as much as 1.8 percent in New York. Crude has climbed since the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed on Sept. 28 to have a new output range of 32.5 million to 33 million barrels a day. ...

  MUSCAT / Reuters Oman, seeking to bolster state finances as low oil prices slash its revenues, will raise electricity prices for large government, commercial and industrial users at the start of next year, an official said on Wednesday. All government, commercial and industrial consumers of at least 150 megawatts per year will pay the higher tariffs, Qais Al-Zakwani, executive ...

  Bloomberg Investors in wind and solar power are getting more capacity for their money as the cost of the technology tumbles, making alternatives to fossil fuel more competitive. That’s the conclusion of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which found dramatic improvements in wind and solar technology is helping to boost the amount of power generated from each plant — and ...