China tightened its grip on the global supply chain for battery raw materials as Tianqi Lithium Corp. struck a deal to take a $4.1bn stake in Chilean rival SQM, the second-largest lithium producer.

Alibaba has long enjoyed a lucrative return from its massive online shopping network. But their extraordinary profitability is no longer a foregone conclusion as the Chinese e-commerce giant re-invests huge sums of money on new initiatives in the face of intensifying competition.

The most telling symbol of the modern era isn’t the automobile or the smartphone. It’s the chicken nugget.

Before the financial crisis hit more than a decade ago, the easy way to test the global outlook was to apply the maxim that when the U.S. sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold.