The exit of Ulster Bank from the market has been followed by the resuscitation of a terrible idea which history tells us is not viable

Nigerian economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has her work cut out to tackle the current backlash against the principles for which the World Trade Organisation stands

Italy’s afflictions are often filtered through the lens of its enormous public debt and zero-growth economy. Yet its problem is more insidious – that politics does not offer solutions

Cryptocurrencies have their zealous admirers, including the Tesla chief, but critics insist they have no practical uses and facilitate online fraud and tax evasion

The Amazon founder is stepping down as ceo to devote more time to the Washington Post and his ambitions of space flight, yet he will still monitor his successor closely

Climate change is now about business rather than emotion and Exxon-Mobil must reinvent itself if it is to catch up with its rivals in the transition to clean energy

It can be seen as the moment when populism stormed the citadels of high finance, but there are likely to be few winners when the GameStop trading episode is over

You don’t have to be a fan of investment bankers to think the French government acted hastily in the Carrefour affair

Not every company can be like IBM in eschewing political patronage. But if they want to play politics, boardrooms must think before acting

It was a good year for Elon Musk, with Tesla now more valuable than almost all its auto industry rivals combined

From athletes to protesters, and from young people to scientists, 2020 was shaped by inspiring people who gave the world reason to hope

Rumours of the party-state’s ascendancy and its decline have been equally exaggerated. It is just flexing its considerable muscle

Popular culture – movies, music, football, cricket, GAA matches – is simply a collection of assets to be bought and sold. That is the context in which the entertainment industry now operates

The US president-elect needs to be thinking more of cooperation and solidarity than of ‘leading’ the world

Since Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016, both sides have spent more time on the future of fishing than the future of financial services

Spanish bank BBVA made it out of the US market last week with both its dignity and its bottom line intact, but it is an exception to the rule

The global industry may have met its moment of redemption thanks to the pandemic

France and Turkey have similar origins, both secular republics born of revolution, but Erdogan’s Muslim-centric approach has created tension

Chinese mogul Jack Ma’s mindboggling $34 billion IPO for his digital payments system is helping to shift the axis of economic power eastwards

With Scotland, and even Manchester, shying away from Westminster dominance, the union of the UK is shakier than at any other time in its history