Aberdeen Economist on Falling Brent Crude Prices

Nearly half of U.S. families couldn't afford basic necessities in 2024, report finds

Hong Kong authorities charge seven people after deadly fire

Hong Kong charged seven people and two companies over the world's deadliest residential building fire in decades. The Wang Fuk Court blaze, which killed 168 people at a public housing estate last year, prompted a months-long investigation into the cause. The charges included manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, 'money laundering', attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and tax evasion.

Watch: Batteries, microchips, and K-Pop—what's at stake at the EU-Korea Summit

European leaders António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen are hosting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for the EU-Republic of Korea summit. They say hospitality begins at home, and Brussels is putting that to the test this week. European leaders António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen are hosting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for the EU-Republic of Korea summit.

EU threat of trade war against China is a strategic farce

The European Commission has declared its trade and economic relationship with China “unsustainable”, pointing to a daily trade deficit of €1 billion (US$1.16 billion) and Chinese manufacturing overcapacity that puts millions of jobs across various sectors at risk. However, a clear-eyed analysis reveals this premise to be entirely flawed. The narrative spun by Brussels is a desperate attempt to weaponise trade policy to mask structural, self-inflicted failures.