• Three Hours for Makeup and Household Chores: Japanese Prime Minister’s Admission Sparks Public Debate

  Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has said her daily schedule is significantly more demanding than those of her male predecessors. In addition to her official duties, she spends several hours a day on makeup, bathing, cooking and other household tasks. Her remarks have sparked a heated debate about gender stereotypes and the expectations placed on Japanese women, The New York Times reports...

• “Grandparents Now Need Permission to Hug”: Controversial Ad Pulled After Backlash

  A controversy has erupted in Ireland over a public awareness campaign urging grandparents to ask their grandchildren for permission before hugging them. The video, created by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and funded by the Department of Justice, sparked accusations of absurd political correctness, disrespect toward older people and the misuse of public funds. The justice minister eventually demanded that the video be taken down...

• The Pharaohs Forgot to Sign the Paperwork: Scottish Museum Removes Mummies Over Lack of Consent

  A scandal worthy of a museum exhibit of its own has erupted in Scotland: ancient Egyptian remains have been removed from a Glasgow museum because people who died thousands of years ago never gave permission for their bodies to be displayed in public. Visitors are now greeted by explanatory signs instead of mummies — apparently the safest exhibit in an era when even pharaohs have suddenly been found to have personal-boundary issues...

• Hermès Steps Up Boutique Security After Riots in France

  French luxury house Hermès has tightened security at its stores following widespread protests in France, during which one of the brand’s boutiques in Marseille was looted. The company is also facing a new challenge: demand for its products is slowing, and sales of clothing and accessories have declined for the first time in several years, Reuters reports...

• Outrage Over Inaccessible Luxury: Why Dior and Hermès Boutiques Were Looted in France

  Riots in France have led to the looting of boutiques belonging to Dior, Celine, Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent. Images of ransacked stores have become some of the most widely discussed scenes from the protests sweeping the country. But, as The New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman observes, the attacks on luxury brands may reflect not only street violence but also growing resentment over social inequality...

• Luxury Yachts, Secret Palaces and Private Hunting Grounds: How the World’s Most Brutal Dictators Spent Their Holidays

  While millions of North Koreans struggle with hardship, Kim Jong Un appears to spend his summers very differently — aboard a luxury yacht equipped with swimming pools and water slides, the Daily Mail reports...

• Kylie Jenner’s $50 Million Fantasy Bra Set for Private Sale: Who Could Own the Most Expensive Victoria’s Secret Showpiece?

  The $50 million Fantasy Bra worn by Kylie Jenner during her Victoria’s Secret runway debut in 2026 is being prepared for a private sale. According to Page Six Style, the extraordinary piece will return to Jacob & Co.’s New York boutique, where wealthy buyers will have the opportunity to purchase it...

• French Looters Regret Stealing iPhones After Apple Locks Devices and Tracks Their Locations

  Looters who ransacked an Apple Store in Lille, France, during widespread riots have faced an unexpected consequence: the stolen iPhones have been disabled, and their locations are being tracked...

Collector Peter Levin believes Pokémon cards are already outperforming traditional assets and could one day become a global currency if modern society collapses.

Pokémon cards have long since stopped being merely a childhood pastime. Collecting them has grown into a multimillion-dollar market, while livestreams of people opening packs have become a business of their own online. But one investor has taken the idea even further: he believes that after a global catastrophe, Pokémon cards could become a real currency.

As The Hollywood Reporter reports, investor and collector Peter Levin has so much faith in the collectibles market that he owns more than 500,000 cards. If his prediction about the future proves correct, that collection could one day make him one of the richest people on the planet.

Asked whether card collecting is still a niche hobby or has already become a global phenomenon, Levin was unequivocal: “I absolutely believe that if the world experiences an apocalypse tomorrow, the next day the global currency will be Pokémon cards.”

According to the collector, the cards are already showing impressive investment performance. He claims their value has outperformed the S&P 500 by 3,000%.

Levin attributes the transformation of collectible cards into a fully fledged financial asset to the development of the grading, certification and authentication industry. Specialized companies assign condition grades to cards, allowing investors to view them not simply as pieces of cardboard featuring Pokémon characters, but as assets with a defined market value.

At the same time, the idea that Pokémon cards could replace money after an apocalypse raises plenty of questions.

Money works precisely because society collectively agrees that it has value. Pokémon cards are certainly worth significant amounts today, largely because of their rarity, nostalgia and enormous collector base. But what would happen to that value if the existing economic system disappeared?

Still, recent years have shown that the collectibles market is capable of surprising even the most skeptical observers. Pokémon cards have already evolved from a children's game into a serious investment asset, with some of the rarest examples selling for enormous sums.

So if the familiar world really does collapse one day, it is entirely possible that somewhere out there, someone will be willing to trade a cow for a perfectly preserved Pikachu card.

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram