海角大神

It was a big week for news about 鈥渂rand positioning鈥� by several nations.听There was another North Korean missile launch and some large-scale Russian war-gaming.听

It wasn鈥檛 all belligerence and force projection, although a lot of it did involve flexing.听India, with Japan鈥檚 help, got going on a that鈥檚 partly a hedge by both powers against China鈥檚 rising clout. Norway, an oil-and-gas giant, even though many saw Greens making a credible challenge, reflecting an electorate conflicted about climate change.

Most often, defining moves come in layers amid cultural reflection. Germany, which has a woman as chancellor but has, by most accounts, , is pressing big companies to add women to their boards. Australia is finding its lawmaking process a little klugy as it decides whether to legalize same-sex marriage, as Mark Sappenfield wrote on Monday.听

In the United States, at the citizen level, it鈥檚 been a period of helpfulness and hanging tough. But in the political sphere, volatility seems to cloud intent. How much is by design? What鈥檚 wholly uncalculated? Which deals are real?

And what does the US project to the world?

Now, to our five stories for your Friday night.