An Indonesian fish story.
Photographer: Dimas Ardian/BloombergAdam Majendie
While world events may seem a little dark and fearful, this weekend we’ll try to dilute the gloom by looking at some of the other aspects of life, such as getting rich, searching for peace and living forever.
Only a handful of countries have managed over the past few decades to escape the middle-income trap — where developing countries get caught in a cycle of rising wages without a large boost in productivity. Now Indonesia has a plan to join them and it involves everything from coconuts to fish.
At the other end of the technology spectrum, Indonesia is planning a state-run crypto bourse to garner a bigger slice of the volatile market and guard against speedbumps like the FTX meltdown. Here’s how it would work
Some feel that crypto’s slump have left it nowhere to go but up. The same cannot be said for the mighty US dollar. After deepening poverty and turbocharging inflation in nations across the globe, King Dollar is finally on the run. And some forecasters say the currency could now be at the start of a multi-year decline
Freak weather events are increasingly showing that not normal is the new normal. That’s the case this month in India, where an unusually warm winter is already forcing some utilities to ration electricity, with dire forecasts for what could happen in the summer. “There’s no other option than to cut power supply,” says Rajasthan’s power minister.
One person who’s unlikely to be affected by the cuts is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who makes his first visit to India today, towing a posse of senior managers from industrial heavyweights such as Siemens, ThyssenKrupp, Renk and SAP, all angling for business opportunities. Attention, though, may focus on discussions between Scholz and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
After a year of the war in Europe, several nations are weighing in with cease-fire proposals, including . But none so far addresses the key issue of the territory Russia seized. Meanwhile Ukrainians are helping their defense by crowdfunding drones.
Also today, a country with around 220 million people and a median age of 18 goes to the polls to elect a new president, with the two leading candidates both in their 70s. Read the Big Take on how Nigeria’s economy, Africa’s biggest, is on the verge of ruin.
The age gap between Nigeria’s youthful population and its aging would-be leaders might lead you to wonder how long you’re going to live. Hannah Fry tells how you can find out in her new series:
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Have a youthful weekend.
