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News Ticker
  • [ May 12, 2026 ] Rising Fuel Prices Create a ‘K-Shaped Economy’ in the United States Economic News
  • [ May 8, 2026 ] Egypt’s Inflation Slows — But Economic Pressures Are Still Building Economic News
  • [ May 5, 2026 ] South Korea’s ‘Youth New Deal’: Can Government Intervention Fix Youth Unemployment? Economic News
  • [ April 27, 2026 ] Beef Prices Hit Record Highs: A Classic Case of Supply and Demand Economic News
  • [ April 24, 2026 ] AI in Banking: Boosting Profits but Cutting Jobs Economic News
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Economic News

Freeze the Rent: Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Bet on Price Controls — An Economist’s Dream or Nightmare?

November 11, 2025 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Freeze the Rent: Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Bet on Price Controls — An Economist’s Dream or Nightmare?

New York City has a new mayor, and his signature promise fits on a protest sign: Freeze the Rent. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and former state assembly member from Queens, swept into office by […]

Economic News

Sugar Tax Shake-Up: UK Plans to Target Milkshakes and Dairy Drinks

April 29, 2025 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Sugar Tax Shake-Up: UK Plans to Target Milkshakes and Dairy Drinks

The UK government has launched a consultation to extend the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL)—commonly known as the sugar tax—to milkshakes, milk-based drinks, and their plant-based substitutes like oat and rice milk. The move follows […]

Economic News

U.K. Government Seizes Control of British Steel Plant

April 15, 2025 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on U.K. Government Seizes Control of British Steel Plant

It’s a dramatic move—but one the U.K. government believes is essential for national economic security. In an extraordinary step, the government has taken control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant under emergency legislation to prevent its […]

Economic News

New York Launches $9 Congestion Toll to Combat Gridlock

January 8, 2025 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on New York Launches $9 Congestion Toll to Combat Gridlock

New York City has introduced a $9 congestion pricing toll for vehicles entering central Manhattan during peak hours. This policy aims to address the market failure of traffic congestion, a classic negative externality, by reducing […]

Economic News

Russia Slaps Google with an Unpayable Fine for Blocking State Media

November 1, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Russia Slaps Google with an Unpayable Fine for Blocking State Media

In one of the largest fines ever imposed on a company, a Russian court has ordered Google to pay a staggering 2 undecillion roubles—a number so vast it’s hard to imagine, equaling about $20 decillion […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Google and Apple Fined Billions for Abusing Monopoly Power

September 11, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Google and Apple Fined Billions for Abusing Monopoly Power

Google and Apple, two of the world’s largest tech companies, have faced heavy fines for abusing their market dominance, highlighting the economic consequences of monopoly power. In a major ruling, Google was ordered by the […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

New Starbucks CEO Faces Backlash Over Private Jet Commute

August 22, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on New Starbucks CEO Faces Backlash Over Private Jet Commute

The newly-appointed CEO of Starbucks, Brian Niccol, is facing criticism after it was revealed that he will commute nearly 1,000 miles from his home in Newport Beach, California, to Starbucks’ headquarters in Seattle using a […]

Economic News

UK Aiming to Snub Out Smoking For Good

April 17, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on UK Aiming to Snub Out Smoking For Good

In a bold stride towards public health, the UK Parliament has recently advanced legislation aimed at banning cigarette sales to individuals 15 years old and younger, effectively setting a path towards a smoke-free future generation. […]

Curious?

AI’s Thirst for Power: The Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence

March 6, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on AI’s Thirst for Power: The Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought its environmental footprint into sharp focus. Data centers, the powerhouses behind AI’s capabilities, are consuming natural resources at an alarming rate. Estimates show that by 2026, […]

Basic Economic Concepts

Paris Triples Parking Charges for SUVs in a Push for Greener Streets

February 6, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Paris Triples Parking Charges for SUVs in a Push for Greener Streets

In a landmark decision, Parisians have recently voted in favor of tripling parking charges for SUVs, a move aimed at curbing the use of “bulky, polluting” vehicles within the French capital. This significant increase in […]

Basic Economic Concepts

Scotland to Increase Alcohol Minimum Price by 30% in Public Health Push

February 6, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Scotland to Increase Alcohol Minimum Price by 30% in Public Health Push

Article: Scotland is set to take a bold step in its public health policy by increasing the minimum price of alcoholic beverages by 30%. This significant move, expected to be confirmed by ministers in Edinburgh, […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

UK Government to ban disposable vapes

January 29, 2024 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on UK Government to ban disposable vapes

In a significant move to address the increasing prevalence of vaping among young people, the UK government has announced plans to ban disposable vapes. This decision comes as figures from Action on Smoking and Health […]

Basic Economic Concepts

New Zealand’s U-Turn on Groundbreaking Smoking Ban

December 5, 2023 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on New Zealand’s U-Turn on Groundbreaking Smoking Ban

In a significant policy reversal, New Zealand’s government plans to scrap the “generational smoking ban,” a groundbreaking law aimed at curbing smoking rates. Initially passed in 2022, the law intended to progressively raise the minimum […]

Basic Economic Concepts

Pouring Money Down the Drain: The €200M Plan to Save Wine!

August 27, 2023 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Pouring Money Down the Drain: The €200M Plan to Save Wine!

Time to uncork a bottle of economic intrigue: the French government and the European Union are shelling out a whopping 200 million euros to… destroy surplus wine. Wait, what? Yep, you read that right. It’s […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

South Africa’s Vape Tax: A Cloudy Future for the Booming Industry

May 3, 2023 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on South Africa’s Vape Tax: A Cloudy Future for the Booming Industry

In June 2023, South Africa will impose a flat excise duty of R2.90/ml on nicotine substitutes, including vaping products. This tax has been anticipated since finance minister Enoch Godongwana announced it in his 2022 budget […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Swap to Stop: A Bold New Plan to Snuff Out Cigarettes

April 17, 2023 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Swap to Stop: A Bold New Plan to Snuff Out Cigarettes

In a world-first initiative, one million smokers in England will be encouraged to trade cigarettes for vapes in the innovative ‘swap to stop’ program. The aim is to boost public health and slash smoking rates […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Juul Coughs Up $462M to Settle State Cases Over Teen Vaping Epidemic

April 13, 2023 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Juul Coughs Up $462M to Settle State Cases Over Teen Vaping Epidemic

Juul Labs Inc, the e-cigarette giant, is coughing up $462 million to settle allegations by six US states, including New York and California, that it illegally hooked teens on its addictive products. Like bees to […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Greece launches €200m solar subsidy program to boost renewable energy adoption

March 30, 2023 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Greece launches €200m solar subsidy program to boost renewable energy adoption

Greece has launched a new subsidy program to encourage more households and farmers to install solar projects and small storage systems. The €200 million ($215.3 million) scheme is part of the country’s post-pandemic recovery plan […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Utah’s Social Media Laws: Will They Protect or Harm Kids?

March 27, 2023 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Utah’s Social Media Laws: Will They Protect or Harm Kids?

Utah has just passed some sweeping legislation aimed at protecting children and teens from the negative effects of social media. It’s a really ambitious attempt to tackle some of the issues around addiction, mental health […]

Externality diagrams
Consumer and Business Behaviour

Farmyard fart tax to combat climate change – a novel solution from the New Zealand government!

June 23, 2022 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Farmyard fart tax to combat climate change – a novel solution from the New Zealand government!

The government of New Zealand, a country notorious for having more sheep than people, has proposed a creative way to fight the impending climate crisis – a tax on the flatulence produced by cattle and […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

How effective will the UK plastic tax actually be?

March 29, 2022 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on How effective will the UK plastic tax actually be?

On April 1st, the new UK plastic tax will come into effect. The levy on firms will charge £200 per tonne of plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled plastic. The UK government, who announced […]

Curious?

State of Ohio to award 5 people $1 million for taking the Covid-19 vaccine

May 14, 2021 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on State of Ohio to award 5 people $1 million for taking the Covid-19 vaccine

The US state of Ohio has recently announced an innovative scheme to encourage more people to take the Covid-19 vaccine. From May 26th, all Ohioans over the age of 18 who have received the first […]

robots replacing workers
Consumer and Business Behaviour

Is taxing robots the best way to protect human jobs?

September 4, 2020 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Is taxing robots the best way to protect human jobs?

According to research from Oxford Economics in 2019, up to 20 million manufacturing jobs could be replaced by robots by 2030. If we then add in those jobs from other sectors which could be easily automated, […]

an image of plastic bags in an overfilled bin
Consumer and Business Behaviour

Paying for plastic bags has dramatically reduced usage in the UK

September 1, 2020 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Paying for plastic bags has dramatically reduced usage in the UK

Since the UK government introduced a 5p charge for single-use plastic bags in 2015, millions of shoppers are now choosing not to use them. In data compiled by the UK government, it was found that […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Apple faces a record US$1.2 billion fine for fixing prices in France

March 17, 2020 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on Apple faces a record US$1.2 billion fine for fixing prices in France

In a huge show of strength against the so-called anti-competitive practices of US tech companies, the French competition watchdog has fined Apple a record US$1.2 billion. US tech companies have been under intense scrutiny in […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

The more you honk the more you wait: Mumbai’s innovative solution to impatient honkers!

February 8, 2020 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on The more you honk the more you wait: Mumbai’s innovative solution to impatient honkers!

Local government in Mumbai have come up with an inspired plan to cut noise pollution across the city. Fed up with honking drivers waiting at the city’s junctions, traffic lights have been installed with listening […]

Economic News

High speed trains that drive themselves? It must be 2020!

January 12, 2020 TheCuriousEconomist Comments Off on High speed trains that drive themselves? It must be 2020!

China, the world leader in high-speed rail technology, has just opened a new 172km route which hurtles passengers across the Chinese countryside at speeds of 350km per hour without a driver! This is the latest […]

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Recent Posts

  • Rising Fuel Prices Create a ‘K-Shaped Economy’ in the United States
  • Egypt’s Inflation Slows — But Economic Pressures Are Still Building
  • South Korea’s ‘Youth New Deal’: Can Government Intervention Fix Youth Unemployment?
  • Beef Prices Hit Record Highs: A Classic Case of Supply and Demand
  • AI in Banking: Boosting Profits but Cutting Jobs
  • Why Air Fares Are Soaring: Conflict, Fuel Prices and Supply Constraints Explained
  • Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability
  • China Posts Record Trade Surplus Despite Tariffs
  • Mexico Imposes 156% Sugar Import Tariff to Protect Domestic Producers
  • Freeze the Rent: Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Bet on Price Controls — An Economist’s Dream or Nightmare?

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Most Read Articles.

Economic News

Philippines Introduces Rice Import Quota to Balance Farmer Protection and Food Security

November 10, 2025 Comments Off on Philippines Introduces Rice Import Quota to Balance Farmer Protection and Food Security

The Philippines has announced that it will reopen rice imports in January 2026, allowing 300,000 tonnes of rice to enter the country after several months of import restrictions. The move comes as local rice stocks […]

Balance of Payments

Kenya and the US look set to sign a free-trade deal despite Trump’s attacks on global trade

February 7, 2020 Comments Off on Kenya and the US look set to sign a free-trade deal despite Trump’s attacks on global trade

Under President Trump, the US stance towards global trade has become increasingly protectionist, with billions of dollars of tariffs placed on goods from countries all over the world, engagement in a devastating trade war with […]

Rishi Sunak
Aggregate Demand and Supply

UK government to step in and pay people’s wages

March 21, 2020 Comments Off on UK government to step in and pay people’s wages

In yet another unbelievable day of economic policy in action, the chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced yesterday the latest measures to protect people’s income, keep businesses alive, and encourage spending in the economy.  […]

an image of currency in Saudi Arabia when they announced a 10% increase in VAT
Consumer and Business Behaviour

VAT to be tripled in Saudi Arabia to 15%

May 11, 2020 Comments Off on VAT to be tripled in Saudi Arabia to 15%

Saudi Arabia, the second largest oil producing nation in the world, has for the last few years been trying desperately to diversify its economy and reduce their dependence on the export of oil. Despite being […]

Economic News

China makes pledge to be ‘carbon neutral’ by 2060

October 20, 2020 Comments Off on China makes pledge to be ‘carbon neutral’ by 2060

In what some commentators are calling a bold and audacious pledge, President Xi announced to the UN that China will be carbon neutral by the year 2060. That gives the world’s second largest economy, and […]

Keep Curious.

Curious?

Rishi to the rescue: UK chancellor announces the new job support scheme

September 25, 2020 Comments Off on Rishi to the rescue: UK chancellor announces the new job support scheme

The UK chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has just announced the government’s latest scheme to save people’s jobs from the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. With the job retention scheme set to end at the end of October, both employers and […]

Consumer and Business Behaviour

Why is everything made in China?

December 30, 2019 Comments Off on Why is everything made in China?

If you are like me and not much of a shopper, I recently found a much more interesting way to pass the time whilst being dragged from store to store. It’s really simple to play, […]

Balance of Payments

A trade deal between the US and China seems imminent… But what even is a Trade War and how do they fight?

January 4, 2020 Comments Off on A trade deal between the US and China seems imminent… But what even is a Trade War and how do they fight?

Trade wars are not fought with guns, missiles, planes, or ships. Instead they are fought with the raw power of economics, and in particular a special type of tax called tariffs. These are taxes which […]

SGD News.

Economic News

Rising Fuel Prices Create a ‘K-Shaped Economy’ in the United States

May 12, 2026 Comments Off on Rising Fuel Prices Create a ‘K-Shaped Economy’ in the United States

As petrol prices continue to rise in the United States, not all consumers are feeling the impact equally. New research from the Federal Reserve of New York shows that lower-income households are cutting back sharply […]

Economic News

Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability

January 19, 2026 Comments Off on Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability

Luxembourg has introduced a new solar subsidy scheme designed to accelerate the transition to renewable energy by reducing the upfront costs faced by households. Under the new pre-financing system, which came into force on January […]

Economic News

BP’s Brazil Oil Find Tests the Trade-Offs Between Growth and Sustainability

August 13, 2025 Comments Off on BP’s Brazil Oil Find Tests the Trade-Offs Between Growth and Sustainability

BP has announced its largest oil and gas discovery in a quarter of a century, this time in deep waters off Brazil. The “Bumerangue” field could become a major new production hub and marks BP’s […]

Policy Spotlight.

Economic News

South Korea’s ‘Youth New Deal’: Can Government Intervention Fix Youth Unemployment?

May 5, 2026 Comments Off on South Korea’s ‘Youth New Deal’: Can Government Intervention Fix Youth Unemployment?

South Korea has launched a major new policy, the “Youth New Deal,” aimed at tackling rising youth unemployment. Despite overall employment increasing, the proportion of young people (aged 15–29) in work has fallen to 43.5%, […]

Economic News

Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability

January 19, 2026 Comments Off on Luxembourg Cuts Upfront Costs to Encourage Solar Energy and Sustainability

Luxembourg has introduced a new solar subsidy scheme designed to accelerate the transition to renewable energy by reducing the upfront costs faced by households. Under the new pre-financing system, which came into force on January […]

Economic News

Freeze the Rent: Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Bet on Price Controls — An Economist’s Dream or Nightmare?

November 11, 2025 Comments Off on Freeze the Rent: Zohran Mamdani’s Bold Bet on Price Controls — An Economist’s Dream or Nightmare?

New York City has a new mayor, and his signature promise fits on a protest sign: Freeze the Rent. Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and former state assembly member from Queens, swept into office by […]

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