Author: Eka Gerona

American shoppers may face higher prices if US President Donald Trump goes ahead with some of his proposed tariffs, the US central bank has warned.Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting released on Wednesday revealed members of its committee believe Trump’s policies might “hinder the disinflation process”. “Business contacts in a number of districts had indicated that firms would attempt to pass on to consumers higher input costs arising from potential tariffs,” the minutes said.The release of the comments comes as the Fed faces criticism from Trump for not cutting interest rates sooner after leaving rates unchanged in the January…

US President Donald Trump’s administration is attempting to rehire officials with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) who worked on the government response to bird flu before being fired over the weekend, US media report. The layoffs were a part of a cost-cutting mission across the US government by Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) leader Elon Musk.The terminations came as the latest outbreak of the bird flu has wreaked havoc on poultry and cattle farms, causing egg prices to skyrocket and raising concerns among public health experts. A USDA spokesperson told the BBC that although “several” officials…

Getty ImagesThe committee said frequent depictions of older people as wealthy homeowners normalised “ageist attitudes”MPs have warned against “ageist stereotyping” that characterises older people as stockpiling wealth as younger generations struggle.A report from the Commons’ women and equalities committee said the portrayal was normalising “ageist attitudes”.They criticise depictions of baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 and now in their 60s and 70s – as either frail or enjoying a life of luxury at the expense of their children and grandchildren.The report also hits out at what the authors say was a failure by previous governments to address…

KFC, the fast-food restaurant chain formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is moving its corporate headquarters in the US from Louisville in Kentucky to Plano in Texas, according to a statement from its parent company, Yum Brands.About 100 corporate employees and dozens more remote workers will be required to move and will receive relocation support.The decision by Yum Brands’ is part of a plan to have two headquarters for its main brands — KFC and Pizza Hut will be headquartered in Plano, while Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill will remain in Irvine, California.In recent years, many companies have…

Argentine President Javier Milei has denied promoting a newly launched cryptocurrency which collapsed shortly after he mentioned it in a social media post on Friday.The cryptocoin $Libra quickly rose in value before nosediving, causing severe losses for the majority of people who had invested in it.A judge will now determine if the president should face fraud charges over the incident. On Monday, Milei said he had acted “in good faith” and dismissed investors’ complaints, comparing their actions to people who gamble: “If you go to a casino and lose money, what’s there to complain about when you knew the risks?”President…

Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondentInstagramMeghan’s lifestyle brand is now going to be called ‘As Ever’Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has announced a new identity for her lifestyle brand, which will be called As Ever.Despite the social media teasers showing celebrities with pots of jam from Meghan, the previous brand name American Riviera Orchard seems to have reached a sticky end.On a social media post, Meghan said the newly-named product range would be a joint project with Netflix, which is showing her cooking and lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan next month.”‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the…

Argentine President Javier Milei is facing impeachment calls – and legal action accusing him of fraud – over his promotion of cryptocurrency on social media.Milei posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the $LIBRA coin on Friday, which he said would help fund small businesses and start-ups.He shared a link to buy it, causing its price to shoot up. But within a few hours, he deleted his post and the cryptocurrency nosedived in value, losing investors most of their money.Some opposition members of Congress say they plan to start proceedings to impeach Milei. Meanwhile, lawyers filed complaints of fraud in Argentina’s…

Priti GuptaTechnology Reporter, MumbaiReemyZeeshan Ali has dozens of wigs for his drag actZeeshan Ali has been a drag artist for 10 years and has taken his show all over India.Central to his performance is a collection of around 45 wigs.“It’s an alter of identity, helping me transition from my everyday self into exaggerated, glamorous or whimsical characters. The right wig makes me feel more authentic and empowers me to command the stage,” says Ali, who is based in Mumbai.But getting that look right wasn’t easy in the early days.”When I started my career the accessibility of the wigs was extremely…

Lily JamaliNorth America Technology CorrespondentReutersOpenAI’s board of directors has officially rejected Elon Musk’s nearly $100bn offer for the maker of what is the world’s best-known artificial intelligence (AI) tool, ChatGPT.But the unsolicited bid might not be a failure – at least as far as Musk is concerned, experts say.That’s because the offer could still complicate CEO Sam Altman’s plans to transform OpenAI from a non-profit controlled entity to a for-profit company.Musk is “basically trying to stymie OpenAI’s growth trajectory,” said University of Cambridge associate teaching professor Johnnie Penn in an interview with the BBC.Profit & non-profitLast week, Musk and a…

Ireland’s goods exports to the United States surged by 34% to €72.6bn (£60.4bn) in 2025 while its imports from the US fell slightly to €22.5bn (£18.7bn).That meant Ireland had a goods-trade surplus with the US of just over €50bn (£41.6bn), according to the data from Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO).These trade patterns have gained political significance since Donald Trump regained the US presidency.He regards countries which have big trade surpluses as taking advantage of the US.Last week he launched his “fair and reciprocal” plan for trade which could pave the way to large tariffs, or import taxes, on goods from…