Briefing
New regime, old problems
Syria has got rid of Bashar al-Assad, but not sectarian tensions
Its new rulers seem torn between reassuring minorities and appeasing their jihadist base
Liberty, poverty, asphyxiation
Syria’s economy, still strangled by sanctions, is on its knees
It will not improve until they are lifted
Gangster’s paradise
The transactional world Donald Trump seeks would harm not help America
Ukraine, Gaza and China will all test his self-interested approach to diplomacy
Orders and chaos
Donald Trump is a reckless president, but not yet a lawless one
He has yet to flatly defy a court order, which would initiate a constitutional crisis
Disrupting the Pentagon
America’s military supremacy is in jeopardy
To win future wars it needs new weapons, new suppliers and a new system of procurement
Self-restraining Raj
Even in India, bureaucracy is being curtailed
Many small steps could make a big difference
The war on red tape
Many governments talk about cutting regulation but few manage to
Yet radical deregulation is often a big boost to growth
Uncomfortably close
Why Chinese AI has stunned the world
DeepSeek’s models are much cheaper and almost as good as American rivals
Courtiers with ideas
The right in Congress and the courts will reshape Donald Trump’s agenda
As dominant as the new president is, there is still life in Washington’s institutions
Deportation fixation
How far will Donald Trump go to get rid of illegal immigrants?
It is his signature policy, but the obstacles are daunting
Nip, tuck, lift, plump
Young customers in developing countries propel a boom in plastic surgery
Falling costs and converging beauty standards spur new habits