Special Reports

Renewable energy accounted for 24.5% of the European Union’s energy consumption in 2023, marking a new record. Despite this progress, the figure remains significantly below the EU's ambitious target of 42.5% by 2030. Among the bloc’s four largest economies, only Spain exceeded the EU average in renewable energy usage. Sweden...

The European Union (EU) and Mercosur, comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, have reached an agreement in principle to establish a bilateral trade deal. This pact, which has been in negotiation for 25 years, aims to create a free-trade zone encompassing over 700 million people across two continents. However, political...

The global surge in ultra-wealthy individuals since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has not made it easier to join the ranks of the top 1% of earners in the United States. According to Knight Frank's 2024 Wealth Report, the wealthiest 1% of Americans are worth at least $5.8 million....

Over the next 15 years, Britain is expected to outshine its European neighbors economically, securing its place among the world’s largest economies, according to projections by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). The report predicts Britain will maintain its sixth-place position globally by 2039, with France trailing in...

In a historic expansion, BRICS continues to assert its global economic influence by adding nine new partner countries in January 2025, following the admission of four new members in 2024. With this latest inclusion, the bloc now represents nearly half of the world’s population and accounts for over 41% of...

Christmas Day, with its abundance of gift-giving, feasts, and decorations, causes the average Briton’s carbon footprint to soar by a staggering 23 times. A recent analysis reveals that the greenhouse gas emissions generated by each adult on Christmas Day amount to 513kg of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), compared to an average...

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has highlighted the sustained economic growth of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states, with all countries showing promising GDP performance over the first nine months of this year. According to the EEC, Armenia's GDP expanded by 6%, Belarus by 4.5%, Kazakhstan by 4.1%, Kyrgyzstan...

Africa's mounting debt is significantly reducing funding for sustainable development in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), particularly affecting critical sectors like health and education, according to Ms. Oyebanke Abejirin, Economic Affairs Officer at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA). Speaking at the Second Session of the Committee on Economic...

Portola Valley, a scenic California enclave once dubbed the richest town in America, is facing a looming financial crisis. Despite its reputation as a haven for Silicon Valley billionaires, the town’s cash reserves are dwindling, driven by soaring costs and state-imposed affordable housing mandates. Located about an hour south of...

In the United States, nearly 14 million children—or approximately one in five—currently face food insecurity and hunger. This figure represents an improvement from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the number had climbed to nearly 18 million. The issue of child hunger reflects a broader problem of food insecurity...