Economy

Syria’s president used a Visa card to buy coffee in Damascus, marking the country’s reconnection to global banking networks after its removal from the US state sponsors of terrorism list.

A new €3 EU customs duty on parcels valued under €150 has triggered a 30–40% drop in low-value imports from China, signalling a significant shift in cross-border e-commerce dynamics.

Nearly 50,000 new university entrants are competing for a dwindling supply of affordable rooms, with Lisbon average rents now exceeding €500 per month and pressure mounting on policymakers to act.

An analysis of GDP share data spanning two decades shows Eastern European economies gaining ground within the EU, while some of the bloc’s traditional heavyweights have seen their relative economic weight gradually diminish.

European wholesale gas prices have reached their highest point in over three years, and the cost is beginning to filter through to household bills — though the speed of impact differs markedly across the continent.

Reports suggest Christine Lagarde is being considered for a senior position at the World Economic Forum, raising questions about her future after the European Central Bank.

The breakdown of trade talks between Washington and Ottawa triggers sweeping 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian exports, with wide-ranging consequences for cross-border commerce.

Washington’s threat of a sweeping 50 percent tariff on Canadian goods has been walked back, but not before jolting trade talks between the two neighbours back to life after more than a year of stagnation.

The military focus on Iran is drawing naval resources away from the Horn of Africa, reviving concerns that Somali pirate networks could exploit the resulting gap in maritime security coverage.

Faced with a fresh round of tariff threats from the Trump administration, European Union officials are opting for restraint over retaliation — a calculated bet that patience will prove more effective than escalation.