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Category: 3. Business

  • Rupee Registers 69-Day Winning Streak Against US Dollar

    Rupee Registers 69-Day Winning Streak Against US Dollar

    The Pakistani rupee (PKR) closed in green against the US Dollar (USD) for the 69th consecutive day on Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, it posted losses against most of the other major currencies during today’s session.

    The PKR closed at 280.15 after gaining one paisa against the US Dollar today.

    Other Currencies

    The PKR was red against most of the other major currencies in the interbank market today.

    It ended on a negative note for the UAE Dirham (AED) but positive for the Saudi Riyal (SAR).

    Currency 26-Dec

    2025

    		 29-Dec

    2025

    		 30-Dec

    2025

    		 Change

    +/–
    USD 280.1731 280.1602 280.1515 0.0087
    EUR 329.7077 329.8467 329.6403 0.2064
    GBP 377.6033 377.7120 378.4427 -0.7307
    AUD 187.7020 187.8614 187.9256 -0.0642
    MYR 69.2812 69.0135 69.1732 -0.1597
    CNY 39.9688 39.9721 40.0723 -0.1002
    CAD 204.8124 204.6085 204.6919 -0.0834
    AED 76.2832 76.2797 76.2815 -0.0018
    SAR 74.6989 74.6955 74.6911 0.0044

    It lost 73 paisas against GBP and six paisas against the Australian Dollar.


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  • Only 4% of All Cards in Pakistan Are Credit Cards

    Only 4% of All Cards in Pakistan Are Credit Cards

    The use of digital payment channels by the public saw big growth in Pakistan, with 2.5 billion transactions processed and the total value surpassing Rs. 55 trillion during the financial year 2024–25.

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has released its Quarterly Report on Payment Systems, which presents a comprehensive analysis of the existing payment ecosystem, key evolving trends shaping the payment landscape, and developments achieved across the sector during the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal year 2025–26.

    Digital payment channels included transactions carried out through mobile apps, internet banking, digital wallets, payment cards, ATMs (excluding cash withdrawals), the Raast system, and other platforms.

    Mobile app-based payments dominated the digital landscape, with 2.0 billion transactions carried out through apps offered by banks, branchless banking (BB) providers, and electronic money institutions (EMIs). These transactions accounted for 81 percent of all digital payments and amounted to Rs. 33.7 trillion in value.

    This channel was used for various types of digital payments, including person-to-person payments, bill payments, and account- and wallet-based merchant payments at both online platforms and physical retail outlets.

    Internet banking also saw steady expansion, with an increasing number of users conducting transactions through digital channels. The number of card users also increased, with payment cards in circulation reaching 61.3 million, of which 90 percent were debit cards, and 4 percent were credit cards.

    The Raast Instant Payment System continued to maintain strong growth momentum. Person-to-person (P2P) transactions rose to 535 million, up 31 percent, with a value of Rs. 11.3 trillion during the quarter. Raast person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions doubled to 4.3 million, amounting to Rs. 17.0 billion. Overall, Raast processed 544 million transactions worth Rs. 12.8 trillion.

    Point-of-sale (PoS) terminals and e-commerce activity continued to grow, registering 1.5 million daily card-based transactions. A network of 20,527 ATMs facilitated 267 million transactions amounting to Rs 4.5 trillion across the country. On average, each ATM handled 142 transactions per day with an average ticket size of Rs. 16,800 per transaction.

    Alongside ATMs and other digital channels, physical touchpoints continued to support retail payments. A total of 19,852 bank branches and 756,480 BB agents provided over-the-counter (OTC) services, including cash deposits, withdrawals, fund transfers, and bill payments.

    Bank branches processed 137 million transactions worth Rs. 110 trillion, while BB agents facilitated 129 million transactions amounting to Rs. 0.9 trillion.


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  • Living Your Values Linked to Positive Life Outlook

    Living Your Values Linked to Positive Life Outlook

    Story Highlights

    • Housing, social connections and health top Americans’ vision of a good life

    • Alignment between values and activities is strongly linked to life satisfaction and thriving

    • Americans’ daily habits often diverge from what they value

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans overwhelmingly point to adequate housing, time with loved ones and getting enough sleep as very important ingredients of a good life, according to a new national survey examining what people value and how these values relate to their day-to-day experiences and overall life evaluations.

    About nine in 10 U.S. adults, 92%, say having adequate shelter or housing is “very important” to their vision of a good life for themselves. Roughly three in four say the same about spending time or connecting with a romantic partner, friends or family (78%) and getting enough sleep (76%). Majorities also place high importance on avoiding physical pain (67%), having enough money for planned purchases and activities (65%), and regular exercise or physical activity (58%).

    Meanwhile, less than half of Americans rate 13 other activities as very important, but majorities rate each as at least “somewhat important.” These include cooking, spending time in nature, learning new skills, applying those skills to solve problems, practicing spirituality or religious reflection, reading books, engaging in activities to promote mental health (e.g., meditation), creating or listening to music, spending time alone, reading or watching the news, creating or enjoying art, engaging in civic or community activities, and buying things beyond the basic necessities.

    Just two activities in the survey fall short of earning at least “somewhat important” ratings from majorities of Americans: using AI tools and using social media.

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    Gallup and the Aspen Ideas Festival partnered on the Gallup-Aspen Ideas American Values Study to survey Americans on the elements of a good life. Interviews were conducted on the web, from Oct. 1-15, 2025, with 2,167 adult members of the Gallup Panel.

    Top “Good Life” Elements Are Common Experiences in Everyday Life

    After rating the importance of each experience to having a good life, respondents reported how often they engaged in these activities over the prior week.

    Adequate housing was the most common experience: 93% said they had it on four or more days. More than half also reported frequent engagement (four or more days) with social connections, consuming news, using social media, preparing meals, creating or listening to music, getting enough sleep, having enough money for planned purchases, exercising, and avoiding physical pain.

    By contrast, no more than 15% regularly engaged in civic or community activities, created or enjoyed art, purchased items beyond basic necessities, or used AI tools for ideas or recommendations.

    ###Embeddable###

    The combined findings tell us how the experiences and activities Americans report engaging in relate to those they consider part of a good life. Many experiences that Americans value highly are also those they report having at least once during the week — such as adequate housing, time with loved ones, getting enough sleep, financial sufficiency for planned needs, exercising and avoiding physical pain.

    Yet several activities that Americans engage in frequently are not viewed as central to a good life, but are a part of daily chores for many (e.g., cooking, which 93% said they did at least once, but less than half consider it very important). Other commonly experienced, but not important, activities may be done out of necessity. For example, most people report having spent time alone at least once (81%), but fewer than four in 10 rate it as highly important.

    A notable mismatch appears in social media use. Only 6% of Americans say using social media for entertainment is very important to a good life, yet 85% used it at least once and 63% on most days during the prior week. Similar gaps arise for reading or watching the news (about one in four rate it as very important, while 92% report having read or watched at least once) and purchasing nonessential items (two in 10 rate it as very important; about three in four purchased nonessential items at least once).

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    How Much of a Good Thing Is Enough? A Look at Optimizing Time

    Time spent on several experiences and activities in the survey is statistically associated with how Americans rate the quality of their current lives using the 0-10 Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale.

    Two experiences that Americans judge to be very important for living a good life show positive linear relationships with how people rate the quality of their lives. For these activities, more frequent engagement is consistently linked with higher life evaluations:

    • Spending time with loved ones

    • Having enough money for planned purchases or activities

    For three other activities, there is a link between engagement and higher ratings of the quality of people’s current lives, but there seems to be an optimal range, beyond which additional engagement does not translate into higher life evaluations. These are:

    • Buying things beyond the basic necessities: Doing this 3-4 days a week seems to be linked to high current life ratings, although, when asked directly, about four in 10 don’t believe it is important to their image of a good life.

    • Reading books: Reading about 4 days per week seems to be linked to higher current life ratings — again, even though about three in 10 judge it as not important to a good life.

    • Creating or enjoying art: Doing this 3-4 times a week (e.g., going to a museum, painting, crafting something) is also linked to higher quality-of-life ratings, despite about four in 10 judging it as unimportant.

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    These findings suggest that some activities contribute steadily to how people feel about their lives, while others provide meaningful benefits in moderation.

    Doing What You Value Is Strongly Related to Thriving

    Regardless of what constitutes a good life for any individual, spending more time doing what one values may have wellbeing benefits. To test this, four categories were created, based on the alignment between respondents’ values (i.e., experiences and activities that they judged as “very” or “somewhat” important) and their pattern of engagement in these experiences and activities (i.e., how many days they said they engaged in the activities or experiences during a week). Each respondent was placed into one of these categories based on their dominant pattern of engagement in activities and experiences during a one-week period.

    • Often doing what one values: The people in this group spend more time engaging in the activities they highly value than in other activities. They spend 4-7 days a week engaging in valued activities and experiences.

    • Infrequently doing what one values: The dominant pattern for this group is to engage in valued experiences and activities between 1 and 3 days a week.

    • Not doing what one values: The dominant pattern of activities for this group is not to engage in activities that they deem important; they report engaging in valued activities on 0 days a week.

    • Doing what one doesn’t value: Extremely few (less than 1%) fall into this category, where the dominant pattern is to often engage in activities and experiences that are judged as only slightly important or not important at all; they spent most of their time (4-7 days a week) engaging in “unimportant” experiences and activities.

    Most Americans (67%) spend much of their week engaging in activities they consider important. About one-quarter do so only occasionally, while 7% rarely or never do.

    This alignment is strongly connected to wellbeing. Individuals who frequently engage in activities they value are far more likely to be thriving — defined here as rating their current life at 8 or above and their anticipated life in five years at 9 or 10: More than four in 10 Americans who often do what they value meet the thriving threshold. That figure drops to 26% among those who only occasionally do what they value, and to 20% among those who rarely or never do.

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    Bottom Line

    Americans share a clear vision of what constitutes a good life, anchored in housing stability, meaningful social relationships, physical health and financial security. While many regularly experience what they value most, large portions of daily life are devoted to activities that Americans do not regard as essential to living well — particularly social media use and news consumption.

    Experiences most strongly linked with higher life evaluations involve connection, security and self-expression. Even for some activities that few Americans deem essential — such as reading or creating art — moderate engagement appears to offer meaningful wellbeing benefits.

    Perhaps the most important finding is that alignment matters. People who spend their time in ways that reflect their personal values report substantially higher levels of thriving. Creating environments, opportunities and routines that help Americans engage more often in the activities they value may support greater overall wellbeing and optimism about the future.

    Stay up to date with the latest insights by following @Gallup on X and on Instagram.

    Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works.

    ###Embeddable###


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  • A north-south hemispheric migratory divide in the butterfly Vanessa cardui

    A north-south hemispheric migratory divide in the butterfly Vanessa cardui

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  • Octopus Energy to spin off $8.65bn tech arm Kraken

    Octopus Energy to spin off $8.65bn tech arm Kraken

    Archie MitchellBusiness reporter

    Getty Images Octopus energy van and two Octopus energy employees carrying a boiler Getty Images

    Octopus Energy is set to spin off its Kraken Technologies arm as a standalone company after a deal to sell a stake in the platform valued it at $8.65bn (£6.4bn).

    The energy giant, Britain’s biggest gas and electricity supplier, has sold a $1bn stake in the AI-based division to a group of investors led by New York-based D1 Capital Partners.

    The move paves the way for Kraken to be demerged from Octopus, and for a potential stock market flotation for the business in the future.

    Octopus founder and chief executive Greg Jackson told the BBC there was “every chance” Kraken would list its shares “in the medium term”, with the location of the flotation “between London and the US”.

    Kraken uses AI to automate customer service and billing for energy companies and can manage when customers use energy, rewarding them for reducing consumption at peak times.

    It was initially built for use by Octopus but has since picked up a raft of other utilities clients, including EDF, E.On Next, TalkTalk and National Grid US. It now serves 70 million household and business accounts around the world.

    The majority of the $1bn investment will go to Octopus to fund its expansion, with Kraken receiving the rest. Mr Jackson said Kraken will be operating completely independently of Octopus “within a few months”.

    Other investors in the business included Fidelity International and a unit of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, with Octopus maintaining a 13.7% stake in Kraken.

    Kraken chief executive Amir Orad said the spinoff would give it the “focus and freedom” to grow, with the company having previously struggled to do business with Octopus’s rivals.

    Mr Jackson said that for a large tech firm such as Kraken, the location for its share listing would be either London or the US.

    “One thing about Kraken is we’ve got this global investor base… and so really the stock exchanges have got to kind of show why they are the right one for business.”

    A London listing for Kraken’s shares would reverse a trend of firms snubbing the UK in favour of floating in the US.

    Mr Jackson said Octopus had created 12,000 jobs in the UK, with 1,500 of these attributed to Kraken.

    He said the company would keep its headquarters in the UK, and that “if London can be the right place to list, I would love that”.

    “But it’s down to be where you’re going to get the most investor support and the most support from the stock exchange.”

    The demerger comes amid the continued growth of Octopus Energy, which overtook British Gas to become the UK’s largest energy supplier earlier this year, serving 7.7 million households.

    But it confirmed this year it was one of three retail energy firms that had not yet met regulator Ofgem’s financial resilience targets.

    Octopus said the cash injection would “almost double Octopus Energy Group’s already strong balance sheet”.

    The deal was announced as Octopus published its results for the year to April, revealing it made a £260m loss before tax, compared with a £78m pre-tax profit a year earlier.

    That came despite overall sales rising by a tenth to £13.7bn. Octopus took a hit from lower energy demand due to warmer weather and the ending of energy crisis allowance payments in 2024.

    It said warmer weather hit profits by around £103m, blaming the UK’s hottest spring on record since 1885, which saw gas usage slump by 11% in March and 25% in April.

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  • Fresh draft of West Northamptonshire Local Plan published ahead of consultation in the new year

    Fresh draft of West Northamptonshire Local Plan published ahead of consultation in the new year

    30 December 2025

    West Northamptonshire Council has today (30 December) published the latest draft of its Local Plan, ahead of councillors considering proposals for public consultation at the Planning Policy Committee meeting on 8 January.

    The Local Plan is a key document shaping the future of development across West Northamptonshire up to 2043. It sets out how land will be used for housing, employment, green spaces, and infrastructure, while supporting regeneration and protecting the environment. This updated draft reflects significant changes since the last consultation, including new policies on sustainability, health and wellbeing, and placemaking, alongside proposals for growth in towns and rural areas.

    The Plan also includes:

    • A refreshed spatial strategy supporting regeneration and brownfield development alongside support for our rural areas
    • Policies to help achieve net zero and improve health outcomes.
    • Enhanced protection for valued green spaces and opportunities for communities to nominate more.
    • Updated guidance on housing mix, affordable homes, and employment land.

    Following committee consideration, the draft plan and intention to launch a public consultation will be discussed at full Council on 19 January. A major public engagement will then launch in late January, giving residents, town and parish councils, businesses, and community groups the chance to have their say. This will run for eight weeks and include opportunities to comment on the draft plan and propose new sites, including those for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation and further Local Green Spaces.

    This Local Plan is one of the most important documents we produce, setting out how we balance homes, jobs, and infrastructure while protecting our environment and creating thriving places for future generations. The views of residents, parishes, and businesses will be vital in shaping the final plan, and I strongly encourage everyone to get involved when the consultation opens in February.Cllr Thomas Manning, Cabinet Member for Planning at West Northamptonshire Council

    See the agenda for the Planning Policy Committee meeting on 8 January. Further details on how to take part will be shared in the new year. 

    Want the latest Council news delivered straight to your inbox?

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  • Herne Bay railway historian awarded British Empire Medal

    Southeastern is proud to celebrate customer assistant Mark Jones for an extraordinary 40 years of service to the railway and his community, now recognised with the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the New Year Honours List.

    Mark, known affectionally as the Herne Bay Railway Historian, has gone above and beyond to bring rail history to life and inspire the next generation to learn about the railway.

     From organising 24 community events and hosting local heritage tours in his British Rail uniform, to curating anniversary exhibitions at Herne Bay’s Seaside Museum and Whitstable Museum, Mark has single-handedly brought the railway and the Herne Bay community together.

    Mark Jones, Customer Assistant at Southeastern said:

    “I am honoured to receive the British Empire Medal. The railway and my love of my hometown have been a constant over the course of my life, and it was only natural I began to take an interest in the history of both.

     “During my work supporting Railway 200 it has been a privilege and a joy to share this knowledge with others and to see first-hand how learning about the past the railway can inspire young people and bring our communities together.”

    Mark, 57,  is a familiar face to many Southeastern passengers at Whitstable station, where he has been the resident train dispatcher and customer assistant since 2009. His introduction to the railway came in 1984 when he joined the Youth Training Scheme with British Rail, before taking up the post of junior railman aged 17.

    He worked at stations across Kent before passing his ticket office exam in 1993 and returning to his home town of Herne Bay in 1993, where Mark worked for 15 years.

    During his career Mark has distinguished himself several times, including in 2008 when he received a commendation from Canterbury crown court for intervening in a racially motivated assault while off duty, and in 2024, when he supported a young woman in crisis.

    Southeastern thanks Mark for an extraordinary 40 years of service and we look forward to working with him for many more years to come.

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  • Ørsted completes divestment of 50 % stake in Hornsea 3

    Ørsted completes divestment of 50 % stake in Hornsea 3

    Further to the announcement issued on 3 November 2025, Ørsted has today completed the divestment of a 50 % stake in the Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm to Apollo-managed funds.

    For further information, please contact:

    Ørsted Global Media Relations
    Kathrine Ejlskov
    +45 99 55 10 23
    katej@orsted.com

    Ørsted Investor Relations
    Valdemar Hoegh Andersen
    +45 99 55 56 71
    Ir@orsted.com

    About Ørsted
    Ørsted is a global leader in developing, constructing, and operating offshore wind farms, with a core focus on Europe. Backed by more than 30 years of experience in offshore wind, Ørsted has 10.2 GW of installed offshore capacity and 8.1 GW under construction. Ørsted’s total installed renewable energy capacity spanning Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America exceeds 18 GW across a portfolio that also includes onshore wind, solar power, energy storage, bioenergy plants, and energy trading. Widely recognised as a global sustainability leader, Ørsted is guided by its vision of a world that runs entirely on green energy. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs approximately 8,000 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2024, the group’s operating profit excluding new partnerships and cancellation fees was DKK 24.8 billion (EUR 3.3 billion). Visit orsted.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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  • Vestas announces a new order in South Korea

    Vestas announces a new order in South Korea

    Press Release:

    News release from Vestas Asia Pacific
    Seoul, 30 December 2025

    Vestas is proud to announce the following order as part of our Q4 order intake:

    Country Region Customer Project name MW Turbine varaint Service agreement Delivery & commissioning
    South Korea APAC DaeMyoung  Energy Co., Ltd Gokseong Green Wind Power Project 43 7 x V162-6.2 MW 20-year AOM5000 Service Agreement Delivery planned for 2027 and commissioning in 2028

    For more information, please contact:
    Megumi Sakuma
    Marketing & Communications Manager
    Mail: mgskm@vestas.com
    Tel: +81 90 6723 5325

    About Vestas
    Vestas is the energy industry’s global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service onshore and offshore wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 197 GW of wind turbines in 88 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 159 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas’ more than 37,000 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future.

    For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images.

    We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels:

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  • Council and partners take action to address anti-social behaviour in Bentley

    Council and partners take action to address anti-social behaviour in Bentley

    Published on

    Walsall Council officers, West Midlands Police and whg have been working together to respond to concerns about anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Bentley. 

    On Thursday 11 December, council community protection officers were joined by two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and whg staff to carry out door-to-door visits on Western Avenue and Fambridge Road.  

    The team spoke directly with residents to listen to concerns, gather information about ongoing issues and provide advice on how to report incidents such as anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping. 

    Residents were given clear guidance on the reporting process to ensure concerns can be logged quickly and acted upon. This will enable the council and partners to identify those involved and issue warning letters regarding their behaviour. 

    “ Anti-social behaviour has a real impact on people’s quality of life, and it’s important that residents know we are listening and taking action.

    “By working closely with the police and whg we’re addressing immediate concerns in Bentley while also putting measures in place to prevent further issues. I would encourage residents to continue reporting problems so we can respond quickly and keep neighbourhoods safe. “

    “ We can’t tolerate this kind of behaviour which is having a real negative impact on the local community.

    “We are supporting our partners as we tackle the issues with anti-social behaviour in this area of Bentley. “

    “ We know how upsetting anti-social behaviour can be and the impact it can have on people’s day-to-day lives. That’s why we work closely with our partners and local residents to listen, offer support and take action where it’s needed. By working together with Walsall Council and West Midlands Police, we can help resolve issues early and create neighbourhoods where people feel safe, respected and proud to live. “

    The visit followed concerns raised by residents, and forms part of a wider partnership approach to tackling ASB, improving safety and providing reassurance to the local community. 

    Residents can report anti-social behaviour by emailing CommunityProtection@walsall.gov.uk or calling 01922 653060, and for police matters should call 999 in an emergency or 101 for non-emergency issues. 

    Walsall Council and its partners will continue to work closely with residents to address concerns and improve neighbourhood safety. 

    ENDS

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