Leader of a party with one MP—himself—Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has to persuade a nation which rejected him to back harsh economic reforms. This won’t be easy. Mistrust of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Wickremesinghe’s boss, runs deep. The PM will have to prove he’s no puppet.
Putin might level Ukraine but Finland’s NATO application shows Europe won’t bend to his will
Vladimir Putin’s hammer-blows might level Ukraine, but Finland’s imminent application for NATO membership shows they’re failing to bend Europe to his will. Instead of scaring Russia’s neighbours into submission, Russia’s president has driven them to shelter under the United States’ security shield. Threats obviously don’t turn difficult neighbours into friends.