US imposes ban on flavoured e-cigarettes
A good example here of how a ban can impact on demand for a product but also lead to some possible unintended consequences.
Rail fares by 2.7% - fair for rail users?
The annual raise in rail fares, as people return to work, is always a prompt for plenty of navel gazing regarding the state of the railways and whether or not the rise is 'fair'.
Price mechanism in action - tobacco farmers chasing a sweeter crop
This BBC article looks how Greek tobacco farmers have switched to the production of stevia, a zero calorie, sugar substitute (natural sweetener).
News here that Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries is going head-to-head with Amazon in the online retail sector, with the soft launch of JioMart.
Development Economics Success Stories from 2019
Students spend plenty of time dissecting and discussing development traps. Here is a glass-half full selection of positive development stories from 2019.
UK national living wage to rise by 6.2% in 2020
The UK National Living Wage (formerly known as the minimum wage) is set to rise by 6% in April 2020 following a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission.
CMA probes Amazon over plan to buy Deliveroo stake
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is still concerned about Amazon's proposed purchase of a stake in Deliveroo.
How the US-China trade war has changed the world
The BBC looks here at how the US-China trade war has changed the global trading environment, identifying three main themes - the end of multilateralism, across a range of issues; a splintering of...
Tragedy of the Commons - How the scramble for sand is destroying the Mekong
AQA chose sand as a topic in a recent A-level economics exam. Here is classic example of a common access resource being over-exploited as it inevitably will be.
Tesco halts Xmas card production over alleged forced labour
A Christmas story with a difference. In this case, a worker in a Chinese card factory producing cards for Tesco smuggled out a message highlighting working conditions.
How much should bosses be paid?
Tim Harford looks here at one of my favourite areas of economics, executive pay. We've linked to an exemplar essay answer on this topical question.
Six tax-based ways to tackle inequality
This is from a US perspective but it's still an interesting look at alternative wealth taxes, and how they can tackle inequality in the USA.
Zambia's loan options run out as China steps in
Just a perfect development story illustrating the rise of China in Africa, and capturing some of the many concerns regarding Chinese involvement in African economies.
Economic growth is the best way to raise living standards
A rebuttal of much of the material that makes a case for abandoning existing measures of national income in favour of broader measures of well-being and/or happiness.
How an economist helped thousands get a new kidney
A lovely example of how microeconomics can improve the world.
Economics Weekly Quiz w/e 13 December 2019
Here's this week's economics news quiz. Good luck!
Cambodian bicycle firms face bump in the road
This BBC article looks at how human rights intersects with economic issues.
Intergenerational equity - older voters are richer than ever
Phillip Inman highlights what I think is one of the major structural issues facing the UK economy. Inter-generational equity.
Government borrowing is cheap but not without risks
Ken Rogoff's latest Project Syndicate piece looks at the current trend for funding spending promises by taking on more debt, with many politicians arguing that low interest rates offer a...
How economists make predictions
Here is a handy behind-the-scenes look at how the IMF goes about making their global macro forecasts!