Special Reports

The CEOs of Kroger and Albertsons, Rodney McMullen and Vivek Sankaran, argued on Wednesday in Oregon’s U.S. District Court that a merger of the two supermarket giants would enable them to lower prices and better compete with large retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon. The hearing was part of a...

Australia's economy grew better than expected in the June quarter, driven by increased government spending, although per capita activity shrank for a record sixth consecutive quarter. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported a 1% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the same period in 2023, exceeding the...

At a meeting in Cyprus on Tuesday, September 3, agriculture ministers from nine EU member states urged the European Commission to expedite water security policies. The MED-9 ministers, representing Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain, issued a joint appeal to address water shortages and secure water...

Africa, which accounts for 18 percent of the world’s population and 20 percent of its landmass, contributes only four percent of global annual greenhouse gas emissions, and even less when considering cumulative emissions since the Industrial Revolution. Despite its minimal role in causing climate change, Africa is already facing severe...

Burnout, defined by the World Health Organization in 2019 as an "occupational phenomenon" marked by exhaustion, decreased professional effectiveness, and feelings of negativity or detachment from one’s job, remains a significant concern in the modern workforce. According to Inc.'s 2024 CEO survey, burnout was the most prevalent challenge, with 49%...

The first three years of the European Union's $800 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) have experienced delays in both the disbursement of funds and the implementation of projects, according to a report released by the European Court of Auditors on September 2. These delays pose a risk to the...

Brazil, home to the world's fifth-largest internet user base, has banned the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). The ban, which took effect over the weekend, follows a protracted conflict between X's owner, Elon Musk, and Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. De Moraes had previously ordered...

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has elevated China-Africa relations to unprecedented levels, and the 2024 summit is expected to further deepen cooperation between China, African countries, and the Global South, according to Dennis Munene Mwaniki, Executive Director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute. Speaking to the...

The U.S. economy expanded at an annual rate of 3% in the second quarter of 2024, bolstered by strong consumer spending and robust business investment, according to an updated report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday. This revised figure marks an increase from the initial estimate of 2.8% growth...

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has outlined four key strategies for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to build intelligent economies amid a rapidly evolving global landscape. The WEF report highlights that the MENA region faces several economic challenges that could be addressed by leveraging digital technologies. The report...