Standfirst A farmer who cannot repair his own tractor. A driver asked to pay every month for heated seats already installed in the car. Customers discovering that television shows they purchased have disappeared from their digital libraries. These incidents seem…
Standfirst Oracle reduced its workforce by roughly 21,000 employees while preparing to spend about $70 billion expanding AI infrastructure. Across Silicon Valley, companies are making similar decisions. The layoffs and the spending spree look like separate stories. They are not.…
Standfirst For three decades, the internet rewarded those who created more information. Generative AI is overturning that bargain. As content becomes abundant and inexpensive to produce, economic power is shifting toward the companies that decide what billions of people see,…
Technology companies have spent decades monetizing information, entertainment and attention. Artificial intelligence is opening a new commercial frontier: emotional connection. When Google agreed to pay roughly $2.7 billion in 2024 to license technology from Character.AI and rehire its founders, Noam…
Birth rates are falling almost everywhere. The bigger surprise is that many people still want larger families but increasingly struggle to achieve them. Nearly one in five adults worldwide believe they will not have the number of children they want.…
LONDON, 23 June 2026. The world is entering a cooling race. Extreme heat is no longer only a weather problem. It is increasingly becoming an economic one, measured in lost productivity, strained power grids, rising infrastructure costs and growing pressure…
New research suggests GLP-1 weight-loss medications are reducing spending on snacks, fast food and groceries, forcing food companies and retailers to rethink consumer demand. LONDON/NEW YORK, June 2026 — U.S. households using GLP-1 weight-loss medications reduced grocery spending by an…
Polling, economic data and behavioral trends suggest growing skepticism toward long-established pathways to upward mobility. LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO, June 21 — For decades, the formula for economic success appeared relatively straightforward: earn a degree, secure stable employment, buy a home and…
New research and corporate hiring decisions suggest artificial intelligence is automating routine work while increasing demand for judgment, leadership and decision-making skills at the start of professional careers. LONDON/SAN FRANCISCO, June 2026 — PwC plans to reduce its U.S. entry-level…
A 14-point memorandum has reopened the Strait of Hormuz and eased pressure on global energy markets, while leaving core disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief unresolved. DUBAI/WASHINGTON, June 18, 2026 — The United States and Iran have agreed…