By Sanjeev Krishna and Yolanda AugustinLONDON — The British have often taken great pride in dubious achievements, from the “victorious” retreat from Dunkirk during World War II to the bare-minimum Brexit agreement recently reached with the European Union.

By Christine Loh, Pamela Mar, Peter Seligmann and Lin XuHONG KONG — Optimism is in the air in Asia, where the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership has brightened prospects for a post-pandemic recovery and a revival of multilateralism.

Zhang Jun and Shi ShuoSHANGHAI — When President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated next week, he will quickly move to transform most dimensions of US policy. A glaring exception is China.

By Zia Khan and John W. McArthurNEW YORK — With COVID-19 vaccinations underway in some countries and efforts to expand access still ongoing, world leaders will soon shift their attention from crisis response to pandemic recovery.

Selva Demiralp and Sebnem Kalemli-ÖzcanISTANBUL/WASHINGTON, DC — No one should be surprised by Turkey’s recent economic and financial woes. The country’s triple crisis (currency, banking, and sovereign debt) has been unfolding for years.

By Andrew Sheng and Xiao Geng HONG KONG — As the United States prepares for a radical course-correction on climate change, China is raising its game. Climate action has become yet another front in the competition between the world’s two largest economies.

By Mariana Mazzucato and Simon Sharpe LONDON — The United Kingdom is entering its deepest recession in 300 years. Millions of jobs are at risk. And national debt has exceeded 100 per cent of GDP.

By David Kaye and Jason PielemeierWASHINGTON, DC — As the European Commission’s recent Digital Services Act demonstrates, lawmakers around the world are scrambling, with good reason, to address the extremism, disinformation, and manipulation that have consumed the digital ecosyst

By Michael Chui and Matthias EversSAN FRANCISCO — In November, the United Nations World Food Programme and the International Organisation for Migration warned of the “unprecedented” threat to food security brought about by COVID-19.