Passport Power Grows as Countries Curb Migration
The Happy Passports Index 2026 puts Finland first. Passport power has almost doubled since 2006, while the UK, US and EU curb migration.
Passport Power Grows as Countries Curb Migration
Change is certain. How do we harness it?
What Is a Smart City, and Who Is It Built For?
What Is a Smart City, and Who Is It Built For?
A smart city uses data and AI to run services. A new UN toolbox sets rules to keep residents in charge, drawing on Helsinki, eThekwini and Rotterdam.
One Year After Belém, What Do COP Summits Leave Their Hosts?
One Year After Belém, What Do COP Summits Leave Their Hosts?
One year after COP30, Brazilian cities have 200 electric buses on order. What COP summits leave their hosts, from Paris to Baku, as COP31 opens in Antalya.
Women Now Chair 31% of Firms But Pay Gap Has Barely Moved
Women Now Chair 31% of Firms But Pay Gap Has Barely Moved
Women chair 30.9% of firms in an ILO survey, yet the pay gap has narrowed two points and firms are cutting equal pay work.
Job Satisfaction Hits a Record Low. Is It a Warning?
Job Satisfaction Hits a Record Low. Is It a Warning?
Job satisfaction in Britain has hit a record low of 74%. Evidence links it to quits and firm performance, but its value as an economic warning is less clear.
Oil Demand Shrinks While Metals Hit Record Prices
Oil Demand Shrinks While Metals Hit Record Prices
The World Bank sees oil demand falling 2.5% in 2026, the third-largest drop on record, as metals used in renewables, EVs and data centres hit records.
New York Bans AI Chatbots From Flattering Children
New York Bans AI Chatbots From Flattering Children
New York will ban AI chatbots from flattering children from 2027. Psychologists and anthropologists explain what constant praise can do to young people.
Climate Pledges Would Cut 6% by 2035. 1.5C Needs 60%
Climate Pledges Would Cut 6% by 2035. 1.5C Needs 60%
A UN tally of 154 countries' climate pledges projects a 6% emissions cut on 2019 levels by 2035, half last year's estimate. Holding 1.5C needs 60%.
Delaware Wants Firms Run by AI Agents. Argentina Tried First
Delaware Wants Firms Run by AI Agents. Argentina Tried First
Delaware's draft law would let companies be run by AI agents. A House inquiry asks who pays for harm, as Argentina's similar bill stalls.
HMRC Is Owed £43.8bn, a Third of Last Year’s Borrowing
HMRC Is Owed £43.8bn, a Third of Last Year’s Borrowing
HMRC tax debt stands at £43.8bn, a third of last year's borrowing. Nearly half may never be paid, as the Budget weighs new powers over bank accounts.
Meta Seeks $97.5bn and Anthropic Files for IPO as AI’s Bill Moves to Investors
Meta Seeks $97.5bn and Anthropic Files for IPO as AI’s Bill Moves to Investors
Meta seeks up to $97.5bn in new shares as its cash flow turns negative, the Anthropic IPO filing shows $16.3bn revenue and Microsoft offers 60,000 exits.
Brazil and Serbia Reject the Right. In France, Le Pen Still Polls 35%
Brazil and Serbia Reject the Right. In France, Le Pen Still Polls 35%
Brazil and Serbia reject the right as Lula wins and Vučić concedes. In France, Marine Le Pen polls about 35% ahead of the 2027 election.
Jackdaw Gas Approved. Rosebank, With 7 Times the Carbon, Waits
Jackdaw Gas Approved. Rosebank, With 7 Times the Carbon, Waits
The UK approved Jackdaw gas after weighing 36.6m tonnes of emissions. Rosebank oil, mostly for export, is a harder call, as Norway, Brazil and Australia show.
50,000 Heat Deaths in Europe’s Cities and How to Cut Them
50,000 Heat Deaths in Europe’s Cities and How to Cut Them
An estimated 50,000 heat deaths hit Europe's cities this summer. Barcelona's 500 shelters and Italy's work bans show how cities are adapting.
Alberta Referendum Says No to Leaving Canada, Yes to Taking On Ottawa
Alberta Referendum Says No to Leaving Canada, Yes to Taking On Ottawa
The Alberta referendum rejected a path out of Canada by about 76% to 24%. Voters backed eight of nine other questions, from citizenship checks to judges.
One Digital Day, 10 Working Days of Privacy Small Print
One Digital Day, 10 Working Days of Privacy Small Print
One ordinary day's privacy small print would take a UK family 83 hours to read, Web3 Foundation finds, as regulators rethink consent.
Grid Queues Now Exceed Peak Demand From Texas to the UK
Grid Queues Now Exceed Peak Demand From Texas to the UK
An IEA report for the G7 finds grid queues exceed peak demand in Texas, Virginia, Finland and the UK, as homes and factories compete with data centres.
Norway’s $2.3tn Fund Told It Can Own Nuclear Arms Makers
Norway’s $2.3tn Fund Told It Can Own Nuclear Arms Makers
A commission says Norway's $2.3tn sovereign wealth fund should be free to own US, UK and French nuclear arms makers. Its ethics watchdog would lose power.
Amazon Deforestation Falls 42% to Record Low
Amazon Deforestation Falls 42% to Record Low
Amazon deforestation fell 42% to 3,335 sq km in the year to July 2026, a record low, days before Brazil's 25 October presidential runoff.
China Plans Export Controls on AI and Solar Tech
China Plans Export Controls on AI and Solar Tech
China's draft export controls cover 23 AI technologies and 12 solar manufacturing processes, from perovskite cells to thin wafers. Comments close 15 November.
