The European Union and Canada signed a far-reaching trade agreement this week that commits them to opening their markets to greater competition, after overcoming a last-minute political obstacle that reflected the growing skepticism toward globalization in much of the developed world.

A former South Korean teacher, Kim Jeong-min was at Narita Airport in Japan this month when he watched a television news report that Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 smartphone was banned on airplanes because it was prone to catching fire. Kim, 58, said he had felt humiliated, as if the non-Koreans in the airport lounge were looking at him.

Negotiators from more than 170 countries have reached a legally binding accord to counter climate change by cutting the worldwide use of a powerful planet-warming chemical used in air-conditioners and refrigerators.

China reported this week that its economy grew 6.7 percent in the third quarter compared with a year ago. That matched economists' expectations exactly, and was identical to the pace China set in the first and second quarters of this year. In economics, stability like that is remarkable - and usually not to be believed.

The vision of the so-called internet of things - giving all sorts of physical things a digital makeover - has been years ahead of reality. But that gap is closing fast, according to Gartner, a research firm. Today, the range of things being computerized and connected to networks is stunning, from watches, appliances and clothing to cars, jet engines and factory equipment. Even roadways and farm fields are being upgraded with digital sensors. In the last two years, the number of internet-of-things devices in the world has surged nearly 70 percent to 6.4 billion, Gartner says. By 2020, the firm forecasts, the internet-of-things population will reach 20.8 billion.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that sluggish economic growth throughout the world could bolster an anti-trade backlash that has become a feature of politics in both the United States and Europe.