Briefing
The burning question
First electric cars. Next, electric factories?
They could be a major new way to slow global warming
Nationalists of the world, unite!
“National conservatives” are forging a global front against liberalism
The alliance may be incoherent, but that does not make it harmless
Dissipating dreams
China’s well-to-do are under assault from every side
Their agonies at the hands of markets and the state will reshape the Chinese economy
Not posting, but watching
As Facebook turns 20, politics is out; impersonal video feeds are in
Social media are more popular than ever, but social networks are dying
Chatbots for the bottom 4bn
Could AI transform life in developing countries?
Optimists hope it will ease grave shortages of human capital
Invincible Indian
Ram and the strongman: Modi looks unstoppable in India’s election
But Indian democracy is stronger than it seems
The car east
Western firms are quaking as China’s electric-car industry speeds up
Expertise in batteries and a vast domestic market give Chinese firms an edge
Biden or bust
Joe Biden’s chances do not look good. The Democrats have no plan B
It is too late to hold a competitive primary to allow a better candidate to emerge
Invincible city
Brexit? Hah! Lockdowns? Shrug! Can nothing stop London?
It has been bouncing back for 2,000 years and counting
Solution or delusion?
Despite the war in Gaza, talk of a two-state solution persists
For there to be any hope, both Israelis and Palestinians need new leaders
For the fatherland
How Putin is reshaping Russia to keep his war-machine running
He is creating a class of wealthy bureaucrats, who are the war’s biggest supporters
Port in a storm
The messier the world gets, the more the UAE seems to thrive
For a tiny country, it has outsize influence