The Range Rover Electric, Jaguar Land Rover’s first fully electric luxury SUV, is being built at JLR’s manufacturing plant in Solihull

Automotive giant Range Rover has unveiled its first fully electric model.

The vehicle, Range Rover Electric, is being manufactured at JLR’s production facility in Solihull, in the West Midlands.

The firm said the launch is accompanied by a sweeping transformation of the plant and several other sites across the West Midlands, encompassing new battery and electric drive unit production lines, as well as a comprehensive reskilling programme for staff ahead of the shift to electrification.

Some 9,000 employees in Solihull have been upskilled for electrification and a further 1,500 have been trained across the West Midlands, while JLR’s Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton now produces battery packs and electric drive units alongside internal combustion engines.

Martin Limpert, managing director of Range Rover, said: “Range Rover Electric is the result of a decade of considered engineering and technological development, setting a new benchmark for the original luxury SUV.

“We took our testing and development programmes even further than originally intended to ensure Range Rover Electric is genuinely the most accomplished Range Rover ever.”

Matt Becker, JLR’s vehicle engineering director said: “The defining characteristic of Range Rover Electric is its ability to perform across every surface, with effortless comfort and refinement.

“We’ve worked tirelessly to ensure it retain those qualities.”

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Malaysia proposed a science diplomacy and sustainable haze fund at the 27th MSC meeting in Bali, strengthening AATHP efforts. Members reaffirmed commitment to haze-free ASEAN by 2030, discussed rising hotspots, El Nino risks, SEA FDRS improvements, and agreed to expand the haze fund’s scope and governance.

Key Points

• Malaysia proposed a science diplomacy and sustainable haze fund at the 27th MSC meeting in Bali, with members agreeing to explore its feasibility and strengthen the Asean haze fund’s contributions and scope.
• ASMC reported an 86% hotspot increase in H1 2026, with El Nino expected to worsen dry conditions; Malaysia showcased SEA FDRS upgrades and the new MyCMAQ air quality model.
• Malaysia and Indonesia held bilateral talks on environmental cooperation; Malaysia will host the 28th MSC meeting in Sabah in 2027.

New Proposals to Strengthen Regional Haze Cooperation

At the 27th Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) meeting in Bali, Malaysia—represented by Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup—proposed a science diplomacy initiative and a sustainable haze fund to reinforce the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP).

Member states, including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and Timor-Leste, agreed to assess the feasibility of science diplomacy within existing or new AATHP mechanisms. They also reaffirmed commitment to the Asean Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC) and welcomed progress under the Asean Investment Framework for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management, supporting the goal of a haze-free Asean by 2030.

Rising Hotspot Risks Amid El Niño Conditions

The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) reported an 86% increase in hotspots in early 2026 compared to 2025, driven by hotter, drier weather. El Niño is expected to persist and intensify through August–September 2026, raising concerns over below-normal rainfall and heightened haze risks across the region.

To address this, MET Malaysia highlighted advances in the Southeast Asia Fire Danger Rating System (SEA FDRS), including three new automated weather stations in Peninsular Malaysia, and the March 2026 launch of the Malaysian Community Multiscale Air Quality Model (MyCMAQ) for improved air quality forecasting and haze monitoring.

Strengthening Governance and Bilateral Ties

The MSC meeting reaffirmed commitment to prevention, firefighting, and joint emergency response, guided by the Second Haze-Free Roadmap 2023–2030 and the SOP for Monitoring, Assessment and Joint Emergency Response (SOP MAJER). Members also agreed to explore expanding the Asean haze fund, broadening contribution sources and supporting scientific research through transparent governance.

Looking ahead, the 21st AATHP Conference of Parties will be held in Da Nang, Vietnam, in October, while Malaysia will host the 28th MSC meeting in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, in June 2027. Separately, Malaysia and Indonesia held bilateral talks, agreeing to deepen cooperation on environmental and climate change issues, including continued efforts to monitor and prevent transboundary haze.

Source : Malaysia proposes science diplomacy, sustainable haze fund to combat Asean haze

Mumbai: ICICI Bank is closing in on HDFC Bank‘s position as the most influential stock in the Nifty. The gap in weights between the index heavyweights is the narrowest since at least January 2010, according to Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research.

The weight of HDFC Bank in the Nifty was around 9.85% as on August 31, while ICICI Bank’s was 9.45%. Reliance Industries’ weight was around 7.8% as of August 31. The 1.65 percentage point gap between ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries is the widest since April 2015, according to Nuvama data.

The convergence between the weights of HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank has been driven by the contrasting performance of their shares this year. HDFC Bank‘s Nifty weight has dropped from 12.7% at the end of December 2025 to 9.85%, with the stock declining around 28% so far in 2026. ICICI Bank’s weight, in contrast, has risen from 8.05% to 9.45%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points.

Read more: Midcap Street party turns selective as 15 stocks power 50% of rally

Reliance Industries has also lost ground, with its Nifty weight falling from 8.9% at the end of December to 7.8% as its shares declined around 17% this year.

The shift marks a significant change in the Nifty’s pecking order. HDFC Bank’s weight had reached a record 19.1% in February 2020, while Reliance Industries peaked at 14.92% in September that year.
Despite the lower weight in the index, Reliance Industries remains the largest of the three with a market capitalisation of around ₹17.7 lakh crore, followed by HDFC Bank at ₹10.97 lakh crore and ICICI Bank at ₹10.32 lakh crore.