Pension savings, pricier loans and a vaccine maker's troubles: economic news for September 28

Monday's roundup of business and economic news highlights several notable developments. Contributions to the third pension pillar have risen significantly, while borrowers face less welcome news, as credit is becoming more expensive.

The digest also examines a cross-border shopping trend — why Lithuanians travel to Latvia to shop and what exactly they buy there — along with how the Latvian and Lithuanian housing markets differ from one another. Elsewhere, coverage looks at why precious metal prices are falling globally, and features a selection of exclusive seaside properties.

International business news

The McDonald's restaurant chain is facing difficulties, automaker Porsche is taking another step toward reusing raw materials, and a vaccine manufacturer has announced it will close factories. In technology, Nvidia has rolled out a system designed to detect cases where AI agents attempt to access systems they shouldn't be able to reach.

News from Latvia

An unprecedented urban development project has been launched in Latvia, while extensive traffic restrictions are set to take effect because of road repair works. The Port of Riga has recorded a new high for cruise passenger numbers this year. Other items note that Latvia's list of tax havens could change, a major company has opened recruitment for a chief executive and board member positions with the salary disclosed, a new guide to the lower Gauja River area has been created, and a deal involving the company Scandiweb has drawn attention.

The Delfi Bizness portal regularly publishes a daily roundup of business and economic news.