Briefing

Swell of pride

The hard right is getting closer to power all over Europe

It does not need to join governments to affect policymaking

Reorientation

The Gulf countries want to reshape the Middle East in their image

Stability and development is a tempting formula, but it has been tried before

Looters with flags

How cynical leaders are whipping up nationalism to win and abuse power

Hatemongers often erode checks on misrule and corruption

A problem child

El Niño and global warming are mixing in alarming ways

Havoc in poor countries and commodities markets is inevitable

Generation Stagnation

China’s defeated youth

Young Chinese have little hope for the future. Xi Jinping wants them to toughen up

Scoring political goals

Saudi Arabia is spending a fortune on sport

It says this will help diversify its economy. Critics call it “sportswashing”

Turning a corner

Could America’s economy escape recession?

The route to a soft landing is narrow

Chaos meets preparation

The meticulous, ruthless preparations for a second Trump term

The America First movement is readying policies and personnel

Neighbourhood botch

Why China should be friendlier to its neighbours

If it wants to challenge America’s global leadership, it will need their backing

Out of the frying pan

The surprising upside of climate migration

To adapt to climate change, people will move. The results will not be all bad

Ukraine 2.0

War is reshaping the Ukrainian state—for the better

But corruption remains a plague

A sticky predicament

Inflation is as corrosive to investing as it is to the real economy

The failure to quell it quickly will transform financial markets