O’Connor noticed the impact on his father and brother when the family made the switch from beef to dairy farming two years ago.

“It is a lot different – it’s rigid – you start milking in the morning, you have to milk in the evening. There’s not as much flexibility,” he said.

He also became more conscious of the paperwork and level of compliance involved in running a dairy operation.

Farmers in Northern Ireland work an average of 65 hours a week.

O’Connor said there was “a whole side of farming that the general public don’t see”, where farmers have late nights alone, completing jobs on the farm or filling in paperwork.

The app was developed with the idea of giving farmers more time with their families by making the business more manageable.

A campaign – the Empty Table – has been launched with the app to raise awareness of the effort that goes into producing food.

“I love to solve problems,” O’Connor said.

“So I wanted to set up FarmFlow to sort of solve problems on our own farm and try and make it more efficient.

“I love keeping things on time and stuff.”

UK retail sales fell 0.5 per cent in July as shoppers cut back during record temperatures, according to the Office for National Statistics, reversing the rise recorded in June at the start of the warm summer and the Fifa men’s World Cup.

The monthly fall was in line with expectations from economists polled by Reuters. June’s increase was revised down from 1 per cent to 0.7 per cent, and July’s drop wiped out that gain.

Over a rolling three-month period, sales volumes are up 1.1 per cent, the ONS said.

Spending on clothing, footwear and household goods all fell in July. Excluding petrol and diesel, sales volumes recorded a larger 0.9 per cent monthly contraction. Pump prices rose in July after the end of a US-Iran ceasefire pushed up global oil costs.

Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the ONS, said British consumers had ramped up spending on sports merchandise, fans and outdoor products.

Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon, a consultancy, said consumer spending would be squeezed in the coming months as energy costs drove inflation towards 3 per cent. Annual consumer prices rose by 2.9 per cent in July, up from 2.6 per cent in June.

Sandra Prince, head of consumer at Lloyds, said the warm weather meant more spending had been directed to retail parks and online shopping rather than the high street.

“After an extended spell of warm weather across large parts of the UK, many households will already have bought what they need for the season, while lines of popular summer products come to an end. The boost from the World Cup that came to an end in the first half of July also meant fewer opportunities to capitalise on the warmer conditions,” Prince said.

“For retailers, as the summer peak slows down, attention is now turning to the opportunities the autumn could bring to keep consumers engaged.”

Amy Ingham

Amy Ingham is a reporter at Business Matters, covering UK business news with a focus on breaking news, business policy, late payments and insolvency. She joined the magazine in 2026 after completing the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism at Harlow College’s journalism school. Her recent reporting includes British Steel’s nationalisation and its impact on SME suppliers, the decline in late payments by large firms, and Insolvency Service director disqualifications. Reach her at aingham@cbmeg.co.uk.

Goodluck India shares opened at Rs 493.20 apiece on the NSE on Friday, compared with Thursday’s closing price of Rs 1,439.40. On an adjusted basis, however, the stock was down only around 4%, trading at about Rs 471 apiece.

All about Goodluck India’s bonus issue

Goodluck India in July announced its maiden bonus issue in a 2:1 ratio. Under the proposal, eligible shareholders will receive two bonus equity shares of a face value of Rs 2 each for every one equity share held as of the record date, which will be announced separately.

A bonus issue consists of free shares distributed by a company from its reserves and is often seen as a sign of strong financial health and growth prospects. While the issue of bonus shares increases the total number of outstanding shares, it does not change the company’s market capitalisation. However, it can improve liquidity and affordability, allowing more investors to add shares of the company to their portfolio.

Can you buy Goodluck India shares today and be eligible for bonus issue?

Only shareholders who hold Goodluck India shares in their demat accounts on the record date will be eligible for the bonus shares. Under India’s T+1 settlement cycle, shares bought one trading day before the record date are generally settled in the investor’s demat account in time to qualify for the corporate action.

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Therefore, if Friday is the record date, Thursday was the last day to buy Goodluck India shares and still be eligible for the bonus issue. Buying the shares on Friday would not make an investor eligible for the bonus shares.
Also read | Bonus issue alert! Last day to buy Goodluck India shares for 2:1 bonus reward

How will dividend payout be impacted?

Goodluck India in May had announced a final dividend of Rs 3 per share for the financial year ended March 31, 2026, subject to shareholders’ approval. In view of the 2:1 bonus issue, the company announced that its board has now adjusted the final dividend amount to Re 1 per share.

The company has declared 27 dividends since March 2003 and has a dividend yield of 0.51% at the current market price, according to data on Trendlyne.

Goodluck India share price

Goodluck India shares have gained around 7% over the past week but declined 9% in the last month. The stock is up more than 33% so far in 2026.

Over the longer term, the stock has delivered returns of 29% in one year, 148% in three years and 422% over five years.

Also read | Stock split alert! Last day to buy multibagger TD Power Systems shares to be eligible for 1:2 split

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

The gains came after silver prices rose for a third straight session. MCX silver jumped Rs 13,000 per kg to Rs 2,45,158, supported by a weaker dollar and efforts by the U.S. Treasury Department to keep longer-term yields under control. The U.S. dollar was headed for a weekly decline, making dollar-priced commodities more affordable for holders of other currencies.

On the global stage, Hindustan Zinc ranks among the leading silver producers, with annual output of 22.5 million ounces — ahead of Grupo Mexico’s 12.1 million ounces and not far from top players such as Fresnillo at 52.5 million ounces and Newmont at 28 million ounces. The company also operates in the lowest quartile of the global zinc cost curve and has a mine life of about 25 years.

Silver may have lost some of its shine after a stellar run earlier this year, but the white metal continues to lead all major asset classes on a five-year annualised return basis. Despite investors booking profits after silver surged to $122 in January amid soaring oil prices and renewed concerns over interest rate hikes, the metal has delivered a five-year CAGR of 27%.

Will silver bounce back again?

Fundamentally, silver continues to enjoy strong tailwinds. Demand from sectors such as solar energy, electric vehicles and electronics remains robust, while supply-side constraints support its constructive medium- to long-term outlook. That said, its higher volatility cannot be ignored. Experts suggest a staggered accumulation strategy may be more prudent, allowing investors to balance its higher return potential with the need for risk management.

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“We reiterate investing in silver over supportive fundamentals and market uncertainties. Any decline in prices due to a dollar rally or easing of tensions provides an opportunity to accumulate or invest in silver,” Tata Mutual Fund said in a report.
The report added that corrections after a sharp and extended rally are natural and do not weaken the long-term bullish outlook for precious metals. In silver’s case, the structural fundamentals remain firmly in place despite the recent pullback.

Hindustan Zinc Q1

The Vedanta Group company reported a 145% year-on-year (YoY) surge in net profit to Rs 5,469 crore for the first quarter of FY27.

Its revenue from operations rose around 77% YoY to Rs 13,747 crore during the quarter under review, from Rs 7,771 crore reported in the same period last year. Total expenses increased by over 33% YoY to Rs 6,749 crore during the quarter, which ended on June 30, 2026.

The Vedanta Group company’s net profit margin improved to 40% in the April-June quarter of FY27, from 37% in the previous quarter (Q4 FY26) and 29% in the year-ago period (Q1 FY26). Operating margin, meanwhile, increased to 52% during the quarter under review.

The metal major’s net worth also more than doubled year on year, rising around 108% to Rs 23,587 crore at the end of the June quarter of FY27. Its debt-to-equity ratio stood at 0.32 times, as against 1.19 times in Q1 FY26.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

LONDON — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, surprised the world this week with news that they plan to move back to the United Kingdom more than six years after stepping away from their senior royal roles and settling in Montecito, California.

According to the BBC, the decision was made relatively recently, with King Charles III only informed of the couple’s plans on Sunday, Aug. 16. A source familiar with the matter told NBC News that Charles “welcomes the opportunity” to see more of the Sussex family in a private and personal capacity. According to The Telegraph, which first reported the move, the couple’s children, 7-year-old Archie and 5-year-old Lilibet, are set to begin the school year in the U.K. this September.

The location of the family’s new home is being closely guarded, though multiple outlets, including ABC News and CNN, report the family intends to settle in a private, non-royal residence outside London rather than returning to any official royal property. NewsNation similarly reported the family will be staying in a non-royal home, with its precise location undisclosed.

Crucially, the move does not signal any return to official royal duties. A source told ABC News that Charles has made clear there will be no alteration to Harry and Meghan’s status as private individuals and non-working royals, consistent with the arrangement the couple themselves requested when they stepped back in 2020. CNN reported the same assurance, noting the king has been explicit that the Sussexes will remain non-working members of the family. The couple will reportedly continue their professional ventures from the U.K., including Harry and Meghan’s production work through Archewell and Meghan’s separate lifestyle brand.

The announcement follows a significant family reunion earlier this summer. Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort, met with Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet during a visit to the U.K. in July, according to a royal source who confirmed the meeting to ABC News. That gathering marked the first time Charles and Camilla were known to have seen Meghan and their grandchildren since 2022. Notably, the Sussexes were not known to have seen Prince William, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, or their three children during that visit. According to The Telegraph, as cited by NBC News’ Today, Harry and Meghan’s decision to relocate was not actually discussed during that July visit itself, meaning the substance of the move appears to have been finalized separately and communicated to the king only days before this week’s public announcement.

Sky News royal reporter Laura Bundock told Variety that the July trip appeared to represent a meaningful turning point in the family’s relationships. “I think they had a really good trip here in the summer,” Bundock said, noting that the visit had also included time with relatives connected to Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, some of whom Archie and Lilibet were meeting for the first time.

The relationship between Harry and his brother, William, remains a considerably more complicated matter. According to Variety, the bond between the two brothers has been described as severely damaged following the 2023 publication of Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” and the couple’s bombshell 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they leveled allegations of racism and mistreatment against unnamed members of the royal family. Bundock offered a cautious assessment of what the move back to Britain might mean for that specific relationship. “Their friendship circles and acquaintances overlap to some extent,” she said, “but I think to say that this is a moment of great reconciliation between those feuding brothers is far from reality.” A royal insider separately told NewsNation weeks earlier that William has “no interest at all” in speaking to his brother.

Harry’s efforts to rebuild his relationship specifically with his father have followed a somewhat different trajectory. King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, a development that has periodically factored into discussions about reconciliation between father and son. In September 2025, the two reunited for the first time in 19 months. Harry addressed his hopes for reconciliation directly in a May 2025 interview with the BBC. “I would love reconciliation with my family,” Harry said at the time. “There’s no point in continuing to fight. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. It would be nice to reconcile.”

Following the family’s July trip, Meghan shared photographs from their time overseas, including images from a visit to Princess Diana’s childhood home, offering a rare public glimpse into the family’s time together during what has since been described by royal watchers as a pivotal visit ahead of this week’s relocation announcement.

The couple’s return marks a striking reversal from the circumstances of their original 2020 departure, an exit that became widely known as “Megxit.” At the time, Harry and Meghan announced in a statement described as “a personal message from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex” that they intended to step back as senior royals and work toward financial independence, while continuing to support Queen Elizabeth II. That original announcement caught even some within the royal household by surprise; a follow-up statement from Buckingham Palace at the time noted that discussions with the couple were “at an early stage,” adding, “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.” As part of that earlier transition, the couple relinquished their use of HRH titles, agreed to no longer represent the monarch in an official capacity, and pledged to repay the roughly $3.1 million in Sovereign Grant funds spent renovating Frogmore Cottage, their former U.K. residence.

As Harry and Meghan now prepare to reestablish a life in Britain more than six years later, questions remain about how the wider family, particularly William and Catherine, will navigate the couple’s return, and whether the warmth shown during July’s reunion with King Charles will extend more broadly across a family relationship that has remained publicly strained since 2020. Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have released a detailed public statement addressing how the family’s day-to-day dynamics might evolve once Harry, Meghan and their children are settled back in the U.K. later this month.