The world this week
Business
The weekly cartoon
Print edition — 2026-06-06
The me-first doctrine is a threat to prosperity
It is not just rich places that are becoming less fertile
Europe needs its help just as badly as the other way round
Even though his views are awful
High debt, disjointed markets and pugnacious trade policy all threaten the world’s safe asset
The World Cup is wonderful. It could be even better
Also this week, SpaceX, Star Wars and cinema production, urban trees, management waffle, dressing for the City
FIFA could emulate other sports by tweaking rules to generate more excitement, writes James Tozer
Neither widespread poverty, nor high rates of marriage nor relatively young mothers are sustaining fertility
No, but Nigel Farage would have you think so
America’s disengagement means it is now the old continent’s conflict to manage
Legislators have just six years to fix things
The Donald Trump Show could be back on air later this year
Blame social media, populist politicians and falling trust in institutions
Ideological certainties have hurt Cubans for 70 years. Time to give cynicism a chance
Problems mount at home as its leader plays peacemaker abroad
That could make a starkly unequal country even more so
Government debt, inflation and unpredictable policymaking are putting the world’s most important asset under threat, argues Mike Bird in a special report
Exxon’s reincorporation is one more feather in the state’s cowboy hat
The world’s leftists are embracing a new set of economic ideas
Startups are combining AI and genetics to make more food for less money
A new book is as riveting as its protagonist was
The saxophone colossus died on May 25th, aged 95