For the past few years the biggest economic worry in America, as in many other countries, has been inflation. Data released on Wednesday will probably underscore that this worry is rapidly fading. Forecasters think that consumer prices in August rose by about 0.2% from a month earlier. That would be the fourth consecutive month of relatively low inflation. A decline in oil costs in August probably added to the downward pressure.

Such monthly figures would translate into a 2.6% year-on-year increase in prices, close to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%. The price data come on the heels of a report last week showing that the employment market has continued to weaken, which is the new economic worry. The Fed is all but certain to start cutting interest rates this month. If the inflation reading comes in below the already-soft expectations, it could well tip the central bank towards a bigger rate cut.

In the 2010s Inditex, the world’s largest fashion retailer, surged ahead of its rivals by keeping the bulk of its production close to Europe, its biggest market. That allowed the firm to keep inventories low and respond quickly to fashion trends. These days competition from Shein, a Chinese e-commerce firm, is squeezing much of the sector. But Inditex, whose brands include Zara and Bershka, is bucking the trend again. It has unified its online and shop-based operations better than its rivals thanks to clever radio-frequency trackers, an in-house digital platform and a group-wide inventory database.

Its nimbleness is paying off. During the second quarter of 2024 net profits climbed 9.6% year on year, while sales rose 7.3%. Analysts expect the strong performance to continue into autumn: interim results showed that sales rose 11% year on year between August 1st and September 8th.

Britain’s Conservative Party suffered a historic defeat in July’s general election. On Wednesday the final four candidates to succeed Rishi Sunak as leader of the party get down to the business end of campaigning. They are Robert Jenrick (pictured), a former immigration minister; James Cleverly, a former home and foreign secretary; Kemi Badenoch, a former business secretary; and Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister. Mel Stride, the former welfare secretary, was knocked out in a second ballot of Conservative MPs on Tuesday. With 33 nominations in that ballot, Mr Jenrick is the front-runner.

They will make their pitch to Conservative members at a hustings at the party’s conference, which starts on September 29th in Birmingham. Members will then choose between a final pair, with the winner announced on November 2nd. The party now has just 121 of 650 parliamentary seats. But with the shine quickly coming off the new Labour government and a highly volatile electorate, it is worth taking the new leader seriously.

One of the most haunting images of September 11th 2001 was of Marcy Borders, a young woman covered in ash and dust fleeing from the north tower of the World Trade Centre. She recalled how the dust caused her to choke. Borders died from stomach cancer in 2015, aged just 42. She wondered if the particles had caused the disease.

The dust from the disaster has been linked to a variety of illnesses. A recent study from NYU Langone suggested that those who were exposed to it may have an increased risk of breast cancer. More than 132,000 people are enrolled in the World Trade Centre Health Programme, a federally funded system providing care to survivors. They suffer from more than 60 types of cancers and other diseases. Meanwhile the number of firefighters killed by illnesses caused by exposure to toxins at Ground Zero has reached 370, surpassing the number of firefighters killed on 9/11 itself. Yet some fear that federal funding is running out, which could mean cuts to health care in future.

It started with rebellion. In 1904 a group of professional musicians left their ensemble to create Britain’s first self-governing orchestra. The London Symphony Orchestra quickly developed a reputation for accurate sight-reading and virtuosity. Responsible for their own finances, the players prioritised giving lots of performances, sometimes at the expense of rehearsal time.

Now the LSO is regarded as one of the world’s great orchestras. On Wednesday it begins its first season under its new chief conductor, Sir Antonio Pappano (pictured), a former music director of the Royal Opera House. At the Barbican in London they will perform a world premiere of “Ghosts”, a “concerto for orchestra” by Sir James MacMillan, a Scottish composer. In the remainder of the season they will perform other demanding British music, including works by Edward Elgar and Gustav Holst. Sir Antonio calls the LSO ’s ambition “something to behold”. The zeal can be traced back to its unruly beginnings.