Economic Spotlight

Storms in the British market are changing winds both away and at home.

Some reforms concerning the German labour market could provide more security for employees while offering dynamism for firms, however, labour shortages are the real problem.

The government has released its spending plan for the next financial year, however, more spending means more taxes – all while a leadership challenge is unfolding at Downing Street.

The US’ intervention in Venezuela was its first step in reshaping the global energy markets. This may present a silver lining in accelerating foreign investment towards oil-rich economies in Latin America.

Japan’s stock market story is usually about exporters, mega-caps, and macro shocks. This time, smaller domestic firms could be the quiet winners if inflation stays firm and fiscal support continues.

Digital banks in Malaysia have been accelerating upgrades to its systems, a move expected to attract new users and increase profits.

Thailand continues to invest in building data centres as it seeks to become Southeast Asia’s main digital hub.

The last few years have shown the decline of German proficiency based on standardised student tests. If the country can address this problem within its education system, it may unlock massive economic growth over time.

With Brazil in the middle of a polarising political scenario, investors face a challenging environment in the markets that currently favour more defensive strategies.

They say that "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush", but Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appears to believe the opposite: free the bird from its cage and trust that people will reward the gesture – and they did.