Falling fertility rates pose major challenges for the global economy

Terry Vine | Getty Images Falling fertility rates are set to spark a transformational demographic shift over the next 25 years, with major implications for the global economy, according to a new study. By 2050, three-quarters of countries are forecast to fall below the population replacement birth rate of 2.1 babies per female, research published … Read more

First ship carrying aid approaches Gaza Strip as Israel accused

The Open Arms vessel docked in the Cypriot port of Larnaca. – | Afp | Getty Images An aid ship was approaching the Gaza Strip’s coastline on Friday with much-needed deliveries for the Palestinian people, as relief organizations warn that thousands in the besieged enclave are on the brink of famine. The ship — called … Read more

Abu Dhabi-backed newspaper buyout sparking panic

Copies of The Daily Telegraph newspaper on a newsstand in a shop in London, UK, on March 12, 2024 (L), and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan speaking at COP28 on Dec. 1, 2023. Getty Images DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Mansions, university facilities, think tanks, sports teams — the U.K. is no stranger … Read more

UK economic growth, January 2024

People walk along Waterloo Bridge past the City of London skyline, the capital’s financial district, on a sunny and mild day. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images LONDON — U.K. gross domestic product grew 0.2% in January, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday, as construction output jumped unexpectedly. The headline figure was in … Read more

Trump pledges to get tough with tariffs again if elected

Proclaiming that “I’m a big believer in tariffs,” former President Donald Trump on Monday indicated he’s likely to reinstitute duties on foreign goods should he win election to a second term. In a CNBC interview, Trump cited both economic and political benefits from targeting foreign goods entering the U.S. “I fully believe in them economically … Read more

When will European Central Bank cut rates? Markets could soon get clues

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde speaks as she presents the bank’s 2022 Annual Report to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 26, 2024.  Frederick Florin | AFP | Getty Images FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank will meet again this week amid falling inflation, a slight recovery in economic activity … Read more

UK, Europe real estate to surge as buyers eye investment opportunities

Aerial view of the roof gardens at Gasholder Park in Kings Cross, London. Richard Newstead | Moment | Getty Images The U.K. looks poised to lead a European real estate resurgence this year as international investors return capital to the region’s strained property market. An anticipated fall in interest rates and modest economic revival will … Read more

Russia marks two years of war in Ukraine, looking confident amid gains

A Ukrainian soldier in a shelter at his fighting position in the direction of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, 20 February 2024. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images When Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, the stout resistance mounted by the country’s armed forces and overwhelming Western support for Kyiv — along with some obvious military … Read more

EU considering sanctions on Chinese firms supporting Russia’s war machine

This pool photograph distributed by Russian state owned agency Sputnik shows Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) and China’s President Xi Jinping heading to a group photo session during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 18, 2023. Grigory Sysoyev | AFP | … Read more

China comes just shy of Japan as the world’s largest car exporter

LIANYUNGANG, CHINA – JANUARY 17, 2024 – A large number of cars are ready to be shipped for export at the port of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China, January 17, 2024. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images BEIJING — China failed to replace Japan as … Read more