Why some countries give away free electricity and even pay consumers to use it
vfhnb12/ShutterstockIn parts of Germany and Australia, a surprising thing is happening more and more often: households are being offered free electricity.
UK
The Duolingo taxi test – could being rude to the driver cost you your dream job?
GBJSTOCK/ShutterstockDuolingo recently revealed a seemingly genius trick to assess candidates for a senior position. Hiring managers at the language-learning app read applications and cover letters, scheduled phone interviews and asked all the usual questions about skills and ambitions.
The Strait of Hormuz shows how everything is now about leverage
lavizzara//ShutterstockIran’s military might was never going to be a match for the US and Israel. So instead it turned to the highly effective weapon it has at its disposal – geography.
With talk of closer EU alignment, the UK is signalling to Europe that it’s a partner worthy of trust
PM Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have reset the UK-EU relationship – but UK alignment would take things a step further. Alexandros Michailidis/ShutterstockIt is now almost a decade since the UK voted for Brexit and since the tariffs of US president Donald Trump’s first term increased global trade frictions.
The old adage that people leave managers, not companies is true – but only up to a point
Meeko Media/ShutterstockIt has been said that “people leave managers, not companies”. It’s easy to believe that this is true, either from personal experience or observation. Many workers can easily point to a line manager who dismissed their concerns or treated them unfairly.
Want to cut your energy bills? Here’s how five experts are doing it
Monkey Business Images/ShutterstockRising prices are putting pressure on people to try and use less energy. But what are the most effective ways of cutting bills? We asked five experts for their practical advice.
1. Insulate your home
The problem with vet bills – a dog-owning economist explains
Kamil Macniak/ShutterstockWhen my dog Buddy ate a tub of chewing gum – around 60 pieces – we rushed him to the vet, where he stayed overnight. Thankfully he was fine. The same could not be said for our wallets.
Strait of Hormuz: why even neutral and distant countries like Switzerland can’t escape the fallout
Glaciers in the Swiss alps are experiencing rapid melt due to climate change. Manuel Wild/ShutterstockThere is often a perception that geographical distance reduces vulnerability – an idea that can be particularly appealing in neutral countries with long-standing stable and strong economies.
How Iran cryptocurrency demands explain a key role of money throughout history
When Iran began demanding payment in exchange for safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, it offered the option to pay in cryptocurrency. Likewise, the shadowy network of tankers that have smuggled Russian oil to world markets since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have often been paid this way.
Brazil now forecast to see double-digit inflation
Headline inflation has increased markedly across both advanced and emerging market (EM) economies this year ending up much higher than we forecast six months ago. Consumer price inflation is expected to remain elevated until at least the second quarter of 2022 as ongoing supply chain disruptions, higher energy prices, and stronger-than-expected demand in countries such as the US provide additional impetus to already buoyant goods prices. Nowhere is this clearer than in Brazil, where annual inflation rose to 10.67 per cent in October, the highest rate since January 2016.
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