Affairs
What to expect from Japan’s next likely, ‘punk rock’ prime minister, Sanae Takaichi
Japan's newly elected leader of the ruling LDP party is primed to be the country’s next - and first female - Prime Minister, redefining national ambition as permanent overtime.
Opinion
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The perils of prosperity: inside Norway’s struggle to spend its €1.7tn oil and gas fund
It’s not always easy being rich – just ask Norway’s prime minister. Following re-election last week, Jonas Gahr Støre holds the nation’s purse strings as a cast of competitive coalition partners and critics from…
Novo Nordisk’s slimming down is symptomatic of Danish business naivety
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced 9,000 redundancies on Wednesday in response to lowered growth forecasts and a rapidly changing market. The company’s decline has been as swift as it has been surprising –…
Taiwan struggles to fill military ranks as China ramps up regional threats
Taiwan is racing to fortify itself against the possibility of conflict with China. Fighter jets roar across the divide, new weapons deals are signed and the defence budget keeps on climbing – but Taiwan…
Democrats are making a mistake by muscling in on macho Republican tactics
When it comes to what qualities a political leader should possess, a six-pack is probably pretty far down most people’s lists. However, it seems that brawn is increasingly valued over brains in the US,…
Propaganda shots fired despite pause in Thailand-Cambodia war
Six weeks after a ceasefire, Cambodia and Thailand remain on edge. Borders closed, propaganda campaigns launched and far-right media meddling leave the fragile truce hanging by a thread in this volatile dispute.
Opinion
The Marshall Islands could teach the world a lot with an amphibious parliament building
3 min read
The road to Kyiv is long – but lined with fruit trees and fearless resolve
Going to Ukraine to see family is a constant fixture of the holiday season. Some things are always the same: the trees that line the streets of Bucha, the Kyiv suburb where my family…
Why Italy’s beaches became a battleground this summer
Italian beachgoers are experiencing spiralling fees and shrinking free sand. As debate rages, the question is whether the coastline is for the people – or for profit?
Author Thomas Chatterton Williams on the backfiring of identity politics and the unravelling of America
In his latest release, Williams warns readers against the risks of identity-centred movements led by both the right and left. We speak to him about his book and how to address a fractured democracy.
