Briefing
Electoral rebuke
Narendra Modi could respond to disappointment in two different ways
He could become more moderate and focus on the economy, or double down on Hindu nationalism
Abortion and politics
The undoing of Roe v Wade has created a mighty political movement
The power of women with clipboards
Dawdling and decay
Why this is South Africa’s most important election since 1994
It may force the country’s indecisive leader to make a fateful choice
In the worst case
Why America is vulnerable to a despot
Its democratic system is not as robust as it seems
The great regression
The world’s economic order is breaking down
Critics will miss globalisation when it is gone
Budgetary blindness
America’s fiscal outlook is disastrous, but forgotten
On the campaign trail, both main candidates largely ignore the problem
Emptying and fuming
America is uniquely ill-suited to handle a falling population
Which is a worry, because much of it is already shrinking
Risk of subsidence
Homeowners face a $25trn bill from climate change
Property, the world’s biggest asset class, is also its most vulnerable
Nuclear weapons
America and its allies are entering a period of nuclear uncertainty
And it means the balancing act is getting harder
Stranger danger
How to predict Donald Trump’s foreign policy
He may be inconsistent, but his advisers offer some clues
No winners
The war in Gaza may topple Hamas without making Israel safer
It will end up even more deeply mired in the conflict that is the main threat to its security