AstraZeneca urged to avoid $400bn US mega-merger, stick with strategy

Crude oil prices dropped after markets reacted to signs of a possible diplomatic breakthrough aimed at ending the war involving Iran. The decline reflects how traders are pricing in reduced risk to global energy supplies. Any breakthrough would have wide implications for oil markets and the broader world economy.

A report says the Trump administration used taxpayer dollars and pollution allowances to support about half of U.S. coal plants. The measures may extend coal operations, increase emissions, and shift environmental and financial costs onto the public.

Countries are on track to miss global nature targets, prompting growing calls to reform COP summits. Critics dismissed the current process as a “bunch of baloney” and urged changes to improve accountability and implementation. The push matters because weak follow-through could undermine international efforts to protect biodiversity.

Elon Musk spent $446 million on the US midterms, according to a Guardian visualization of the spending. The outlay underscores the outsized role of billionaire donors in American elections and why campaign finance remains a major political issue.

Poundland's former owner has offered to put money into the struggling UK discount retailer, according to BBC Business. The move comes as a government minister prepares to meet the company's board amid concerns over the chain's finances. The talks matter because Poundland employs thousands of staff across hundreds of UK stores.