The Economist Asia Edition March 19, 2022

Politics Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appeared to have stalled, with Russian forces making few territorial advances. The invaders continued to bombard Ukrainian cities indiscriminately, leading to increasing reports of civilian casualties. The International Committee of the Red Cross warned of a “devastating humanitarian crisis”, although some noncombatants did manage to escape the port of Mariupol and other besieged locations. In peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, both sides suggested that there had been some progress. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, implied that Ukraine might have to give up its ambition to join NATO, but said that his country would seek strong alternative security guarantees. Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, continued to rail against the “Nazis” and “criminals” running Ukraine, calling into question the sincerity of the negotiations. In a show of…

EACH DAY brings new horrors to Ukraine, where Russian artillery fire echoes like thunder across cities and towns. The metropolis of Kharkiv lies in ruins, victim of two weeks of bombardment. Mariupol, on the coast, has been destroyed. It is too soon to know if a winner will emerge from the fighting (see Briefing). But, on the other side of the planet, the world’s emerging superpower is weighing its options. Some argue that China will build on a pre-war friendship with Russia that knows “no limits”, to create an axis of autocracy. Others counter that America can shame China into breaking with Russia, isolating Vladimir Putin, its president. Our reporting suggests that neither scenario is likely (see China section). The deepening of ties with Russia will be guided by cautious…

THE INVASION of Ukraine is the third big blow to globalisation in a decade. First came President Donald Trump’s trade wars. Next was a pandemic in which cross-border flows of capital, goods and people almost stopped. Now armed conflict in Europe’s breadbasket, besieged Black Sea ports and sanctions on Russia have triggered a supply shock that is ripping through the world economy. Wheat prices have risen by 40%, Europeans may face gas shortages later this year, and there is a squeeze on nickel, used in batteries, including for electric cars. Around the world many firms and consumers are grappling with supply chains that have proved too fragile to depend on—yet again. If you look beyond the chaos, Vladimir Putin’s warmongering also raises a question about globalisation that is uncomfortable for…

GERMANY’S POST-WAR pacifism was once comforting to its neighbours and to Germans themselves. Yet, with the passing of the generations, attitudes have shifted. Sensible Europeans long ago stopped seeing Germany as a threat. On the contrary, the passivity of its foreign policy has in recent years posed more of a danger, by encouraging aggressors such as Vladimir Putin. At last Mr Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has convinced Germans to take security seriously. As Olaf Scholz‘s first budget makes clear, Germany is preparing to pull its weight. The task for Germany’s new chancellor is to make sure that the effort is sustained, effective and encompasses risk-sharing as well as just cash-splurging. The budget presented to Germany’s coalition cabinet on March 16th was accompanied by a proposed law creating a special…

WHENEVER OIL and gas are expensive, politicians’ eyes turn greedily to the profits of energy firms. Since energy prices began to surge last year Bulgaria, Italy, Romania and Spain have introduced new taxes on the industry. On March 8th the European Commission recommended that governments try to “capture a part of the returns” made by electricity generators. And in America 12 Democratic senators including Elizabeth Warren, a one-time presidential candidate, have proposed a tax on every barrel of oil big firms produce or import, equal to half the difference between the current oil price and the 2015-19 average. The impulse to levy “windfall taxes” is particularly strong today because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused oil and natural-gas prices to rocket and then to gyrate wildly, giving the perception that…

LIA THOMAS, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, is an excellent swimmer. She often beats her rivals by tens of seconds, breaking records. Her success is based on three things. One is natural talent. Another is relentless training. And the third is biology. For although she identifies as a woman, Ms Thomas was born male. Since humans cannot change their sex (unlike their selfidentified gender), she remains that way. On the eve of her biggest competition, Ms Thomas finds herself at the centre of the bad-tempered debate about whether trans women—males who identify as women—should compete in women’s sports (see United States section). That, in turn, is part of a broader argument: should brute biological facts sometimes override people’s deeply held feelings about their identities? This newspaper believes it…