RIYADH—Every second, land degradation claims four football fields of healthy terrain, resulting in a yearly loss equivalent to two Spains. As one would expect, the costs of these losses are staggering, putting billions of people at risk and draining the global economy of nearly $1 trillion annually. Left unchecked, up to 95% of the world’s land could be degraded—defined as a loss of capability to produce benefits from a particular use—by 2050, with droughts hitting more than three-quarters of the world’s population.

Politics 4 The Strong Suffer What They Must Harold James marvels at the major powers’ loss of credibility, military prowess, and international influence.

The Strong Suffer What They Must

Carl Court/Getty Images Longer Reads 1 What Ukraine’s Success Means for the West Chrystia Freeland Many Western experts, if not most, got the Ukraine war wrong from the very beginning (some still do). One lesson from the dynamism and sheer chutzpah that has characterized Ukrainians' fight for survival is that we live in an age of technological marvels and political failures. thinks the important lesson for democracies to draw is not to lose confidence in themselves.

What Ukraine’s Success Means for the West

Many Western experts, if not most, got the Ukraine war wrong from the very beginning (some still do). One lesson from the dynamism and sheer chutzpah that has characterized Ukrainians' fight for survival is that we live in an age of technological marvels and political failures.

Economics 3 Why Business Leaders Are Souring on AI Dambisa Moyo Companies have poured billions of dollars into AI in anticipation of transformative productivity gains and cost savings, but the returns have yet to justify those investments. Rising costs, intellectual-property risks, and mounting cybersecurity threats call for a more disciplined approach to AI adoption. outlines four steps that firms should take before committing even more resources to AI.

Why Business Leaders Are Souring on AI

Companies have poured billions of dollars into AI in anticipation of transformative productivity gains and cost savings, but the returns have yet to justify those investments. Rising costs,........

© Project Syndicate