The Economy Markets

The neutral interest rate is rising Borrowing costs for education will stay higher Hedge risk and fund only projects with fast, proven payback In 2025, the U.S.

The 10,000-hour rule fits early skill, not true peak AI raises the floor; judgment and transfer win Teach breadth first, verify always, specialize later Elite performance is best viewed as a process of growth, not just a nu

Social media bans for children shift teens to riskier apps Use age assurance + safe defaults + measurable outcomes Make protections portable across platforms and schools Young people have already sh

Six consecutive half-years of declining hiring, deepening employment contraction among SMEs Exports hit $700 billion, yet semiconductor dependence remains entrenched Chinese offensive erodes manufacturing competitiveness, heightening urgency for corporate restructuring

North Korea–Russia military cooperation reaches a new inflection point amid the war Russian weapons vessel carrying reactor components for North Korea sinks Proposals emerge to deploy North Korean conventional weapons in the Ukraine war Russia

December FOMC deepens internal Fed rift over whether to cut rates Judgment grows opaque as polarization runs through the U.S.

China holds dual dominance over reserves and processing technologyDownstream industries such as basic chemicals cultivated over decades

K-food accelerates expansion into Indonesia, widening its reach beyond Vietnam as a core hub Export flows smooth further after last year’s easing of regulations on key items such as instant noodles Halal certification, a key factor for local consumers, is unlikely to become a major variable

Stablecoin regulation is about making token money behave like deposits in a crisis The open transaction layer is the main weak point If it stays weak, bank-issued tokenized deposits will win In mid-November 2025, the total amo

Rising interest costs make France’s sovereign debt sustainability a school budget problem Higher defence pressure tightens the squeeze on education Italy shows credible fiscal plans can restore sovereign debt sustainability without wrecking schools

Housing wealth losses are squeezing education budgets Cuts hit “extras” first, widening gaps fast Schools need funding buffers and lower pressure According to research, a 10% change in home values can predict a 1.6% chan

Dependence on rare earths embedded in advanced weapons systems confirmedNo immediate alternatives for the U.S., supply chain overhaul to take at least five years

Credit and payment guarantees aligned with sovereign currencyStablecoins excluded from the official policy track

TSMC’s Review of AI Line Conversion and Japan’s All-Out Semiconductor Push AI Data Centers Rapidly Filling the Void Left by Nissan and Toyota’s Battery Investment Retreat The ‘EV Exodus’ and a Monumental Capital Shift Toward AI, as Companies Seek New Pathways Through ESS and Hybrids

U.S., Israel Coordinated During June Preemptive Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites Middle East Risk Expands Amid Hamas Disarmament Debate Prolonged Ukraine War Raises Fears of Expanded Russian Strategic Leverage U.S.

SoftBank buys DigitalBridge for $4B, accelerating expansion of its AI infrastructure portfolio Google also moves into infrastructure M&A to secure priority access to power and land Private markets turn more optimistic, with the AI infrastructure investment boom set to accelerate

“No plant without customers” principle formally reaffirmedIntel’s earnings and technological competitiveness weaken in tandem

Korean regulators and parliament move in tandem to strengthen CISO authority at financial firms Repeated hacking and data breaches fuel growing consumer concerns Financial sector revamps security systems, but market says “lenient penalties are the real problem”

Two-thirds of companies plan workforce cuts or freezesGrowth increasingly driven by technology, not labor

EU eases carbon-fiber rules for cars as it shifts its policy course ‘2035 ban on sales of new ICE cars’ also effectively headed for rollback Amid industry pushback, EU delays AI Act rollout; possible slowdown for DMA and DSA also raised The Eur