Chinese leaders and markets are grappling with “involution” — a term that began as internet slang for gruelling, self-defeating competition among young people but has since mutated into a description of an economy caught in a race-to-the-bottom of price cutting, overcapacity and shrinking returns....

U.S. Democratic lawmakers have urged the Trump administration to make curbing China’s longstanding industrial overcapacity a central aim of any trade agreement, pressing negotiators to win enforceable commitments that would change Beijing’s production incentives and shield American industry. The...

Fitch Ratings has cut France’s long-term sovereign credit rating to A+, the lowest grade assigned to the country by a major agency, citing political fragmentation and an unclear path to stabilising public debt. The downgrade intensifies pressure on Paris as policymakers scramble to craft a credible...

China’s commerce ministry has launched two formal trade investigations targeting U.S. semiconductor practices: an anti-discrimination inquiry into U.S. trade policy on chips and a parallel probe into suspected dumping of certain American analog chips. The timing — announced on the eve of a...

The United States’ urging of the G7 and the European Union to impose tariffs on countries that continue to buy discounted Russian oil has sharpened a fraught diplomatic episode that mixes security aims with blunt trade tools. Washington’s appeal to allies to punish buyers was presented as a way to...

China drag and subsidy hangover hit global pace. Global sales of battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids rose by 15% year-on-year in August, to roughly 1.7 million units, marking the slowest monthly growth since January. The moderation reflects a blend of factors: a pronounced slowdown in...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has projected that the global oil market is on course for a significant surplus as supply continues to grow faster than demand. The agency’s latest outlook highlights that an accelerated increase in output from OPEC+ members and steady contributions from...

The U.S. dollar has steadied after a record plunge earlier this year, but investors who have bet against the currency say the recent calm is a pause — not a reversal. Bears point to a potent mix of weaker U.S. growth signals, a likely turn toward easier Fed policy, persistent fiscal and trade...

Nearly 690 million travelers took international journeys in the first half of 2025, representing an increase of about 5%, or 33 million more than the previous year, as reported by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. UN Tourism reports that Africa experienced the highest growth rates in...