The Globalist (February 29, 2024):We get the latest from a Western Balkans summit that includes Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Then: the latest battle for Pacific Island influence between the US and China, what Japan can do about its record-low birth rate and how Christian nationalism is rising in the US. Also, technology news with David Phelan and fine wines in the Arabian Peninsula.
Russian aggression and American wavering reveal just how ill-equipped the continent is
Russia is becoming more dangerous, America is less reliable and Europe remains unprepared. The problem is simply put, but the scale of its solution is hard to comprehend. The security arrangements based on nato that emerged from the second world war—and have prevented a third—are so much part of Europe’s fabric that remaking them will be an immense task. European leaders urgently need to jettison their post-Soviet complacency. That means raising defence spending to a level not seen in decades, restoring Europe’s neglected military traditions, restructuring its arms industries and preparing for a possible war. The work has barely begun.
Monocle on Saturday, February 17, 2024: Isabel Hilton, international journalist and founder of China Dialogue, joins Georgina Godwin for a round-up of the week’s news and culture.
This week, we look back at the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the UK by-elections and fake Chinese accounts on Elon Musk’s X. Plus: Professor Suzannah Liscomb, award-winning author and broadcaster, joins Georgina Godwin to talk about the first-ever Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.
The Economist Magazine (February 10, 2024): The latest issue features ‘The Right Goes GAGA’ – Meet the Global Anti-Globalist Alliance’; Goodbye to the racial jobs gap; San Francisco’s comeback; China’s chipmaking plan; The looming hell in Rafah….
The Globalist (February 12, 2024):The latest on the Israel-Gaza war.
Plus: we head to Helsinki for the Finnish election results, Colombia’s Supreme Court battle and Australia announces a new domestic military drone programme.
Monocle on Saturday, February 10, 2024: Will China’s economy recover during the Year of the Dragon? What is the UK’s new tech that could control the weather?
And how is the ‘Bayeux Tapestry’ being updated? Join Georgina Godwin and David Bodanis for a round-up of the week’s news and culture. Plus: the owner of The Steam Room, Tony Chung, joins us to talk about his collaboration with Ai Weiwei and Avant Arte for the Lunar New Year.