By Alexander Friedman and Jerry GrinsteinSEATTLE – The contenders for the US Democratic Party’s presidential nomination have held their first debates, and the main questions reverberating in political and media circles seem to be either who will be tough enough to take on Preside

By Zaki Laïdi, Shumpei Takemori, Yves TiberghienPARIS — Thanks to the efforts of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the recent G-20 summit in Osaka avoided the worst possible outcomes. That counts as a victory in the age of US President Donald Trump.

By Marcia Ashong and Akinyi OchiengEBENE, Mauritius — By 2050, one-quarter of the world’s population will be African, which means that one in eight people will be an African woman.

By Stephen S. RoachNEW HAVEN — Blinded by a surging stock market and a 50-year low in the unemployment rate, few dare to challenge the wisdom of US economic policy. Instant gratification has compromised the rigour of objective and disciplined analysis. Big mistake.

By Caroline Conroy and Kemal DervişWASHINGTON, DC — The success of Western-style democracy after World War II was based on national social contracts: citizens paid taxes, and the state provided the conditions for steady economic progress, along with secure jobs, a social safety n

By Ana PalacioMADRID — In Greek mythology, it was prophesied that Zeus’ first wife Metis, the goddess of wisdom, would bear a son who, equipped with his mother’s cunning and his father’s power, would eventually overthrow the king of the gods.

By Shamel AzmehMANCHESTER — In a scene in the US sitcom “Silicon Valley”, digital start-ups compete for funding by presenting their ideas. In each presentation, company founders repeat the Silicon Valley mantra of “making the world a better place”.

By Maxwell GomeraCAMBRIDGE — Walhi, Indonesia’s largest environmental organisation, recently took the government to court for issuing construction permits to a Chinese company based on what they allege was a “deeply flawed” environmental impact assessment.

By Md. Shahidul HaqueGENEVA — In a globalised world, migration is a fact of life that should be governed accordingly.