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...

War Disruptions Turn Oil Refining Into a Profit Windfall

Korea’s Stock Mania Exposes The Cost Of Chasing Market Gains

Beetaloo Gas Tests Australia’s Shale Ambitions On Cost And Scale

Big Pharma Turns China’s Obesity Crisis Into a Battle for Patients

Governments Across the World Tighten Social Media Access as Child Safety Concerns Grow

Shein’s Valuation Reset Exposes the Cost of Ultra-Fast Fashion

Trump’s Iran Isolation Strategy Faces A Network Of Trading Partners

Chery’s Robot Push Turns Public Safety Into A Global Business

Nvidia’s Rubin Chip Transition Faces a Tougher Growth Test

Gulf States Reroute Investment to Reduce Hormuz Dependence

US H-1B Changes Could Raise Hiring Costs and Limit Talent Access

Bitcoin’s Rally Could Accelerate Stablecoin Payments Adoption

Markets

Korea’s Stock Mania Exposes The Cost Of Chasing Market Gains

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...

Beetaloo Gas Tests Australia’s Shale Ambitions On Cost And Scale

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’s Robot Push Turns Public Safety Into A Global Business

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...

Trump’s Iran Isolation Strategy Faces A Network Of Trading Partners

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 Tighten Fuel Supplies and Boost Export Margins for Oil Exporters of India and the US

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....

AI Data Centers Drive Demand Across America’s Industrial Supply Chain

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...

China’s Shift to Domestic Supply Widens Germany’s Trade Deficit

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...

Congo Tightens Mineral Exports to Force Higher-Value Processing

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...

Trump Crypto Divestiture Plan Could Turn Ethics Rule Into Tax Deferral

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...

US-Iran War Reaches Egypt's Energy Corridor

A drone strike on two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta Port has opened an unexpected new dimension in the United States-Iran conflict, bringing a country that had largely remained outside the direct military confrontation into the growing map of regional security risks. Although no organisation has...

Weak July Demand Deepens China's Manufacturing Slowdown

China's manufacturing sector lost momentum in July, highlighting how weakening domestic demand is becoming a more significant drag on the world's second-largest economy despite continued resilience in several export-oriented industries. Fresh factory surveys suggest that the country's growth model...

Central Banks Prioritise Flexibility Over Aggressive Rate Moves

The world's leading central banks are entering a new phase of monetary policymaking in which uncertainty, rather than inflation alone, is dictating interest rate decisions. Although inflation remains above target in several advanced economies and energy markets continue to pose upside risks,...