In many countries, the biggest barrier to prosperity is in the home
For many women around the world, the struggle for equality at work begins not with wages or career opportunities, but with whether they are allowed to work at all. An experiment in Egypt shows how strongl traditional gender roles constrain women’s participation in the workforce and how much economic potential remains untapped as a result.

Europe cannot protect Russia from itself
Concerns about an unpredictable reaction from Vladimir Putin have long shaped Europe’s approach to Russia. Too often, restraint has been justified by fears that a more determined response could push the Kremlin towards even riskier actions. According to Radek Sikorski, this logic has paralysed the West for far too long.

AI is changing religion and religions are trying to change AI
Artificial intelligence is also changing religious practice: by answering questions of faith, unlocking historical writings, and making religious content accessible worldwide, chatbots are taking on an increasingly prominent role. Meanwhile, churches and other faith communities are working to develop ethical guidelines for the use of this technology. It remains unclear whether AI will ultimately replace clergy or meaningfully complement their work.

Donald Trump is delivering the deportations he promised
Donald Trump is delivering on his campaign promise of a large-scale deportation drive. Yet while tougher immigration policies long helped mobilise voters, scepticism is growing about their consequences.

How the anti-AfD firewall broke German politics
In Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, representatives of almost all German parties – from the CDU to the Greens, SPD and Die Linke – join the “colourful instead of brown” protests, which began last year against far-right AfD rallies. For many gathered in the town square, an AfD government would recall the darkest period of German history.

Violent Israeli settlers want to provoke a Palestinian uprising
In the hills south of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, rocks and earth block dirt tracks to Palestinian villages, cutting residents off from fields and olive groves. Israeli settlers have planted vineyards, erected flag-draped fences and brought in goat herds. Patrolling with government-issued vehicles and assault rifles, they embody a creeping annexation.

In Ausgabe 034/2026 von The Economist

America really might restore democracy to Venezuela
After US special forces captured Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro in January, President Donald Trump stressed control of Venezuelan oil rather than restoring democracy. He installed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy, as interim president. Without a clear US commitment to a democratic transition, the old brutal kleptocracy risked continuing.

China has wrested control of oil markets from OPEC
Oil prices have remained surprisingly contained despite the Strait of Hormuz being mostly closed during the Iran war. Five months in, Brent crude is about $40 below its $126 intraday peak in late April, with a brief mini-glut. Motorists and oil importers have avoided a severe crunch, while China has limited Iran’s leverage over President Donald Trump.

How long can Iran weaponise Hormuz?
While the world has long focused on Iran’s potential nuclear ambitions, another strategic capability is increasingly coming into focus: its ability to control the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s geographic position and military capabilities give Tehran significant leverage over one of the world’s most important energy trade routes, through which around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.

How to end Sudan’s brutal, forgotten conflict
Sudan’s civil war has plunged the country into a severe humanitarian and political crisis. Once a vibrant capital, Khartoum has been largely reduced to ruins after years of fighting, while violence, displacement and destruction continue. Finding a political solution remains difficult amid ongoing conflicts between rival centres of power.

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