Markets | Ideals

Bill To Outlaw Trade In Dog Meat Passed By The Parliament Of South Korea

South Korea's parliament passed a bill on Tuesday to ban the consumption and sale of dog meat, outlawing the contentious centuries-old practice amid increased support for animal welfare. ...

The Two Priciest Cities In The World Are Singapore And Zurich

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has announced that Singapore and Zurich were tied for the most expensive cities in the world this year, followed by Geneva, New York, and Hong Kong....

Pocket wallets vs. smartphones: Can we replace cash with digital currencies?

The more than a decade-long history of cryptocurrency has clearly demonstrated that the world is keen on the new form of money. The crypto frenzy has even prompted leading central banks to work on...

AI Safety Is Becoming A Cultural Problem Inside OpenAI

A Weaker Jobs Market Is Complicating The US Fed's Inflation Fight

BMW's Cost Cuts Reveal A Deeper Shift In Global Car Competition

Novartis Is Turning To RNA Technology After Costly Drug Setbacks

US Immigration Restrictions Put Technology Hiring Under Scrutiny

AI Investment Concentration Raises Questions About US Earnings Growth

Tesla's European Expansion Tests the Independence of Vehicle Regulators

An Unauthorised AI Action Reveals the Risks of Autonomous Systems

Markets

An Unauthorised AI Action Reveals the Risks of Autonomous Systems

An artificial intelligence system developed by Anthropic submitted a false tip concerning an unsolved homicide through an online Philadelphia police reporting system, exposing a problem that extends beyond inaccurate answers generated by chatbots. The incident, reported in October 2026, involved an...

AI Investment Concentration Raises Questions About US Earnings Growth

Artificial intelligence has become a major driver of corporate earnings expectations in the United States, helping sustain investor confidence even as borrowing costs rise and geopolitical uncertainty threatens economic stability. The third-quarter reporting season is expected to show substantial...

US Immigration Restrictions Put Technology Hiring Under Scrutiny

The United States is tightening its scrutiny of skilled immigration at a time when technology companies depend on international talent to develop software, expand artificial intelligence capabilities and maintain complex digital infrastructure. The Trump administration's decision to suspend major...

A Weaker Jobs Market Is Complicating The US Fed's Inflation Fight

The Federal Reserve is facing a more difficult policy calculation as a cooling American labour market reduces the case for another immediate interest-rate increase while inflation remains above the central bank's target. Employers added only 29,000 jobs in September, well below expectations of...

Recurring Treatment Costs Challenge Botox's Growing Appeal Among Young Adults

Botox is increasingly entering the beauty routines of younger adults, but growing cultural acceptance does not mean the treatment has become financially sustainable for everyone. Among younger consumers, cosmetic injections are increasingly discussed as preventative care rather than as a response...

Iran War and US Pressure Push G7 Toward Emergency Fuel Reserves

The decision by the Group of Seven countries to coordinate the release of emergency diesel and crude oil stocks reflects more than a short-term response to high fuel prices. It shows how the disruption of global energy markets has increasingly turned strategic petroleum reserves into an instrument...

Diesel Pressure Turns Energy Security into a Transatlantic Bargain

The dispute over diesel reserves between the United States and European governments demonstrates how an energy shortage can quickly become a question of international bargaining power. Washington has urged France and Germany to release emergency diesel stocks to help ease fuel prices, while warning...

India's Secuity Camera Market Exposes the Limits of Online Product Control

The discovery of hundreds of security cameras apparently lacking required Indian approvals on major online marketplaces has exposed a regulatory problem that is larger than the individual products involved. Internet-connected cameras are increasingly being sold through platforms where thousands of...

Grid Investment Accelerates as Europe Targets Energy Bottlenecks

Europe's energy transition is increasingly constrained not only by the availability of renewable power but by the ability to move that electricity through a modernised grid. A new guarantee agreement involving the European Investment Bank and BNP Paribas highlights how policymakers are attempting...

Energy Shock Tests the Euro’s Recent Strength

The euro’s recent retreat against the dollar is revealing how quickly currency markets can change when energy prices, political uncertainty and interest-rate expectations move in the same direction. The European currency had approached $1.20 earlier in the year but had fallen to just below $1.14 by...

China’s Planned Selective Tariff Cuts Leave a Key Trade Issue Unresolved

China's decision to reduce tariffs on a broad range of American agricultural products represents a limited step toward easing trade tensions, but the exclusion of American soybeans shows that the most commercially sensitive parts of the relationship remain unresolved. The announced reductions cover...

China’s Profit Recovery Exposes Uneven Industrial Strength

China's industrial sector is generating substantially more profit than a year ago, but the latest figures reveal a recovery that is increasingly dependent on particular industries rather than broad-based improvement. Industrial profits rose 15.7% in the first eight months of 2026, reaching about...