Latest content in affairs and

Erratic leadership by national governments emphasises the need for a safe pair of hands at city hall. We meet four mayors winning approval by knowing what makes their cities tick.

In Europe, national volunteer forces are proving their worth.

From US midterms to political trouble-makers, we look at the events, nations and people poised to influence and define 2018.

As the issue of Catalan sovereignty remains a point of crisis in Spain, we chart the timeline of that chaotic referendum and what it might mean for other regions seeking to go it alone.

27 April 2017

It can be rare on election day to be faced with a candidate that really represents your values. So if you're faced with a ballot paper full of maybes, what are your options?

With China and Russia as neighbours, Mongolia’s future rests on pragmatism and smart planning. We look at the forces driving the growth of central Asia’s oasis of democracy.

As the rest of the world closes its doors, Argentina is opening up. Treasury minister Nicolás Dujovne tells us about leaving his country’s protectionist past behind and stepping into a free future.

19 April 2017

The UK prime minister’s decision to hold a general election in June makes political sense. However, if she wins but her victory is not as impressive as she hopes, will it all have been worth it?

12 April 2017

Congo’s presidential election was supposed to happen last year as Joseph Kabila’s second five-year term came to an end – but he doesn’t want to stand down. Under President Obama the US took a leading role in putting pres…

6 April 2017

If Emmanuel Macron is elected as the French president next month it could revive one of the most important relationships in global politics: the Franco-German axis.

31 March 2017

We’ve seen how Donald Trump’s administration dealt with Australia, Germany and the UK. If this is how he deals with his closest allies, how will he act when it comes to Turkey and China?

22 March 2017

As the fallout from the US secretary of state Rex Tillerson’s tour of Asia shows, treating the media like the enemy can cause problems.

15 March 2017

The dream of working less and relaxing more is not a new one. But for too long we’ve talked about work purely in terms of money.

8 March 2017

German chancellor Angela Merkel heads to Washington to meet Donald Trump. It will be his trickiest meeting since taking office – Merkel is one of the few world leaders who has made no attempt to hide her disdain for him.

1 March 2017

Turkey is gearing up for a constitutional referendum in April that could give executive powers to President Erdoğan. Our Istanbul bureau chief Christopher Lord explains how important and disruptive this could be for the…