BUSINESS

LONDON — The FTSE 100 climbed more than 1% in early trading Wednesday as investors weighed signs of potential de-escalation in the Middle East conflict against lingering geopolitical risks and steady UK inflation data. The blue-chip index rose as high as 10,077.21 points before pulling back slightly, trading around 10,069.49, up 104.33 points or 1.05% from Tuesday's close of 9,965.16.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Shares of 4DMedical Ltd. (ASX: 4DX) exploded higher Wednesday, closing at A$6.23 after surging as much as 34.56% on record trading volume exceeding 30 million shares, as the medical imaging company announced more than US$100 million in new funding to accelerate its U.S. commercial rollout of revolutionary lung imaging software.

SYDNEY — Australia's vast trucking industry, the backbone of the nation's freight, mining and agricultural supply chains, is confronting a looming AdBlue crisis that could force thousands of modern diesel trucks into "limp mode" or off the road entirely within 30 days, as global disruptions from the US-Iran war tighten supplies of urea, the key ingredient in the emissions-control fluid.

The ongoing US-Iran war has exposed Australia's precarious fuel security, with stockpiles dipping to roughly 30-36 days for key products and petrol prices surging toward A$2.20 per litre, but the crisis is also fast-tracking the nation's shift to sovereign green hydrogen production as policymakers and industry leaders seize the moment to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.