The feed

World·Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence: how big is the boom?

The four cloud giants doubled their investment in a year; AI revenue is growing fast but remains far behind.

China·Record in office

Xi Jinping: the record in figures

Germany·Record in office

Friedrich Merz: the record in figures

United States·Record in office

Donald Trump: the record in figures

United States·Institutional trust

Trust in the federal government down to 17%, one of the lowest levels ever measured, democracy indices in clear decline and a polarization that flips trust depending on who holds power, as the November 2026 midterm elections take place.

Japan·Record in office

Sanae Takaichi: the record in figures

United States·Defense

The world's foremost military power by a wide margin (a third of the planet's military spending in 2025), engaged against Iran and in a technological competition with China, with the administration requesting a defence budget of about $1.5 trillion for 2027.

United States·Economy & public finances

The world's leading economy sped up in 2026 despite the war with Iran and the tariff turmoil, but the federal deficit reached $2 trillion and inflation forced the Fed to raise rates again, a legacy the Democratic Congress elected on 3 November will have to manage.

United Kingdom·Record in office

Andy Burnham and the Labour government: the record in figures

United States·Education & training

Spending per student among the highest, PISA 2025 results average in mathematics and falling in reading, $1.65 trillion of student debt, and a federal department being broken up.

United States·Environment, energy & climate

The world's second-largest emitter and among the highest per capita: after two years of decline, emissions rose again in 2025, while Washington dismantles most of its climate regulation.

France·Record in office

Emmanuel Macron: the record in figures

United States·Health

The highest health spending in the world (18% of GDP in 2024), a life expectancy finally back up to 79 years but still the lowest among large rich countries, and health coverage weakened by the end of the enhanced subsidies and the Medicaid reform.

European Union·Pensions

Pensions: what the figures say

Pension expenditure, exit age and normal retirement age, older workers’ employment and the income of people aged 65+ in Europe; the COR’s French trajectory to 2070.

South Korea·Pensions

National Pension reform of 2025: contributions from 9% to 13%, replacement rate of 43%

Adopted by the National Assembly on 20 March 2025 and in force since 1 January 2026, the amendment to the National Pension Act raises the contribution rate (unchanged at 9% since 1998) by 0.5 point a year to 13% in 2033, sets the nominal replacement rate at 43% instead of letting it fall to 40% by 2028, writes the State’s guarantee of payment into the law and extends childbirth and military-service credits. It is the first parametric reform since 2007; the structural reform is left to a special committee of the Assembly.

Australia·Education & training

Social media minimum age of 16 (2024 Act and 2026 enforcement Act)

Since 10 December 2025, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube must take « reasonable steps » to prevent Australians under 16 from holding an account. Children and parents face no penalty: the obligation and fines fall on platforms, up to 150,000 penalty units (A$49.5m) for a company, doubled by a 2026 Act.

Indonesia·Justice

Indonesia’s new Criminal Code (KUHP, Law No. 1 of 2023)

Promulgated on 2 January 2023 and in force since 2 January 2026, Law No. 1 of 2023 replaces the criminal code inherited from the Dutch colonial administration. It adds supervision and community service to the main penalties, asks judges to avoid prison where possible for minor cases, turns the death penalty into an alternative penalty with a 10-year probation, and recognises « living law » in society. It also contains contested offences (attacks on the honour of the President, insulting state institutions, adultery, cohabitation). It came into force alongside a new Criminal Procedure Code (Law No. 20 of 2025) and a law adjusting criminal penalties (Law No. 1 of 2026). In August 2026 the Constitutional Court struck down articles 240 and 241 and limited complaints under articles 218 and 219 to the President and Vice President.

France·Defense

Military programming act 2024-2030 and its 2026 update

The act of 1 August 2023 sets the armed forces’ resources for 2024-2030: €413.3bn of programmed needs, including €400bn of payment appropriations for the « Défense » budget mission, rising from €47.2bn in 2024 to €67.4bn in 2030. The act of 16 August 2026 updated it, adding €36bn over 2026-2030 for an updated total of €435.7bn.

European Union·Artificial intelligence

EU Artificial Intelligence Act (2024) and its 2026 « Digital Omnibus » amendment

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, in force since 1 August 2024, regulates AI according to risk: eight practices banned since 2 February 2025, rules for general-purpose AI models since 2 August 2025, obligations for high-risk systems, transparency duties, fines of up to €35m or 7% of worldwide turnover. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (« Digital Omnibus on AI »), in force since 27 July 2026, postponed the high-risk obligations to 2 December 2027 and 2 August 2028 and added a ban on « nudification » apps and AI-generated child sexual abuse material from 2 December 2026.

Australia·Economy & public finances

Redesign of the « Stage 3 » income tax cuts (2024) and the 2026-2027 top-ups

The « Stage 3 » income tax cuts legislated in 2018 and 2019 under the Coalition were to apply, from 1 July 2024, a single 30% rate from A$45,000 to A$200,000. On 25 January 2024 the Albanese government announced a redesign, passed on 27 February 2024: from 1 July 2024 the 19% rate falls to 16%, the 32.5% rate to 30%, and the 37% and 45% thresholds rise to A$135,000 and A$190,000. A 2025 act lowers the first rate again, to 15% since 1 July 2026 and 14% from 1 July 2027.

Germany·Labour market

2026 reform of basic income support for jobseekers: from Bürgergeld to Grundsicherungsgeld

The act of 16 April 2026, wanted by the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition, reshapes the basic income support for jobseekers (SGB II) introduced as « Bürgergeld » on 1 January 2023. Since 1 July 2026 the benefit is called « Grundsicherungsgeld »: job placement takes priority, a breach of duties cuts the standard rate by 30% for three months, three missed appointments in a row can end the entitlement, the one-year asset grace period is abolished and housing costs are capped from the first day. The standard rate itself is unchanged (€563 a month for a single adult in 2026).

European Union·Immigration & integration

EU Pact on Migration and Asylum (2024)

Ten EU acts adopted on 14 May 2024 and applied since 12 June 2026 overhaul asylum and migration rules: mandatory screening of irregular arrivals at the external borders (up to seven days), a common asylum procedure with a mandatory border procedure (up to 12 weeks), a reformed Eurodac database, new rules on which Member State is responsible for an application and a permanent solidarity mechanism. The first Annual Solidarity Pool, for 2026, sets 21,000 relocations and €420 million of financial contributions as reference numbers.