Trade war, customs duties, down with free trade! More and more countries are seeking to protect their domestic economies and imposing trade barriers. We currently hear a lot of talk of "protectionism" - but what does that really mean?

Global trade policy is like a strategic game: a combative US President Donald Trump imposes trade tariffs. China's President Xi Jinping immediately hits back, while the European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström tries the diplomatic approach.

German carmakers like Audi have been manufacturing in Mexico for decades. We follow one Mexican trainee as she prepares to enter the industry - which has been in uproar since the US threatened to impose high import tariffs on cars made in Mexico.

The small town of Günzburg in southern Germany has set up its own online marketplace, with around 50 retailers. The initiative is a response to changes in consumer habits and the seemingly overwhelming competition from internet giants like Amazon.

Hamburg's port is a gateway to the world - the city lives from free trade. Authorities here believe the only answer to the ongoing threat of trade tariffs from Washington is for the EU to take a united stand in support of free trade.

How many kilometers have you walked today? How many calories have you burned? Wear a fitness tracker and you’ll have your answer. But are you putting yourself under unnecessary pressure? Our reporter gives it a go.

Optimize your career, and you’ll find yourself working long hours and checking your email at the weekend. Don’t do it, says Alix Fassmann, author and career refusenik. She turned her back on a job in PR.

Every year, Verden in northern Germany hosts a beauty pageant for cows. The more than 200 contestants are styled and primped for the big day. Many have undergone special diets and training to boost their milk production and strengthen their bones.

There’s plenty of room for optimizing when it comes to men’s fashion. Let’s start with accessories, and where the stylish gent keeps his laptop and lunchbox. Gerhard Elfers says there’s more to a manbag than a leather briefcase.

We talk to asset managers, luxury-goods dealers and a sociologist about the wealthy – and how they do it. In 2017, around 80 percent of the wealth generated globally went to just one percent of the population.