Jan 20th 2025 | Washington, DC S O BEGINS Donald Trump’s tariff roller-coaster, sure to be a stomach-churning ride for the global economy. He started his first day in office with an unexpected show of restraint: rather than slapping hefty new tariffs on other countries, he instead issued a presidential memorandum calling for a review

Jan 20th 2025 | Washington, DC S O BEGINS Donald Trump’s tariff roller-coaster, sure to be a stomach-churning ride for the global economy. He started his first day in office with an unexpected show of restraint: rather than slapping hefty new tariffs on other countries, he instead issued a presidential memorandum calling for a review

Jan 20th 2025 | Washington, DC D onald Trump started his new presidential term with an unexpected show of restraint. Just a couple of months ago, Mr Trump had warned that he would announce hefty new levies on his first day back in the White House. Instead, he opted for a softer opening. He was

Jan 17th 2025 | Hong Kong T he company at the heart of “Severance”, a celebrated TV show that just began its second season, features a department of “Macrodata Refinement”. Its workers must spot disconcerting numbers and lock them away in a digital bin. Does China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have a similar department?

Jan 16th 2025 T HE SCENES of devastation in Los Angeles were just the latest in a recent barrage. Last year hurricanes in the Atlantic, earthquakes in Japan and flooding in Europe all carried huge financial and human costs. Indeed, 2024 is set to be the year with the third-biggest insured losses, adjusted for inflation

Jan 16th 2025 J udged by their revealed preferences, people love cities. Metropolises such as London and New York are bursting at the seams, with house prices to match. China, meanwhile, can boast at least six cities bigger than either of them. Across the world, 25% of people live in cities of over a million

Jan 16th 2025 | Johannesburg I t was a momentous occasion. But the peal of the bell did not initiate a flurry of trading at the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, which opened on January 10th. With no brokers and only one listed stock, the exchange enjoyed a relaxed start to life. The country’s officials nevertheless see

C laudia Winkleman, a television presenter with a helmet of shiny hair, is not a typical economics teacher. Yet students should consider her game show. Those learning outside Britain may opt for any of the 20 or so versions of “The Traitors” screened elsewhere, including a popular American option that has featured celebrities such as

Jan 15th 2025 | New York A ccording to Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase and king of Wall Street, bankers were elated upon Donald Trump’s election victory. Many chafed under Joe Biden’s presidency, as mergers and bank fees faced additional scrutiny, and new capital-market rules came thick and fast. Now, with the inauguration

Jan 13th 2025 O n November 25th the Elva, a tanker flagged in São Tomé and Príncipe, clandestinely picked up 2m barrels of Iranian crude off Malaysia’s coast. Sailing from there to north-east China, the vessel’s likely destination, usually takes two weeks at most. But not this time. On December 3rd, alleging the Elva had