Governments across several continents are moving to restrict children's access to social media, marking a significant shift in how policymakers view the responsibilities of technology companies. For years, most major platforms relied on a minimum sign-up age of 13, while parents were expected to...

China's growing obesity problem is rapidly becoming a major commercial opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry, but the companies seeking to profit from it face an unusual constraint: they cannot simply advertise prescription weight-loss medicines directly to the public. As demand for obesity...

South Korea's recent stock market reversal has exposed a problem that extends beyond the losses suffered by individual investors. The dramatic shift from market euphoria to panic has raised questions about how financial liberalisation, retail speculation, leverage and government efforts to make the...

The imminent arrival of first gas from Australia’s Beetaloo Basin marks an important test for the country’s long-running ambition to establish a large-scale shale gas industry. The initial production volumes will be modest, but their significance extends well beyond the amount of gas entering the...

Chery Automobile’s decision to prepare its robotics subsidiary for a possible stock market listing reflects a broader shift in China’s robotics industry from technological experimentation toward commercial expansion. AiMOGA Robotics is discussing potential listing venues as it seeks additional...

President Donald Trump’s threat to impose unprecedented economic pressure on Iran is aimed at more than Tehran itself. The broader objective is to make the countries, companies, banks and trading networks that keep Iran connected to the international economy reconsider their relationship with the...

Wars disrupting major oil-producing and refining centres are creating an unusual advantage for refiners in the United States and India, as buyers search for replacement supplies and profit margins on diesel, jet fuel and gasoline rise. The opportunity is not simply the result of higher oil prices....

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers in the United States is creating a growing source of demand for manufacturers far removed from the technology companies building the facilities. Generator makers, electrical equipment producers, cooling-system manufacturers, steel...

Germany's widening trade deficit with China is exposing a deeper transformation in the relationship between Europe's largest economy and the world's manufacturing powerhouse. Preliminary figures for the first half of 2026 show German exports to China falling by more than 12 percent to just under 37...

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has taken another significant step toward reshaping its mineral economy by immediately prohibiting exports of copper and cobalt concentrates, according to a government order reviewed by Reuters. The measure is aimed less at stopping mineral exports altogether...

A proposed ethics provision linked to the United States cryptocurrency market structure bill could create an unusual outcome for President Donald Trump: a measure designed to address his financial conflicts could also allow him to defer taxes on gains generated when he sells certain crypto-related...