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In Japan, President Joe Biden is pursuing two pillars of his foreign policy: revitalizing U.S. alliances and demonstrating democracy鈥檚 virtues as an effective governing system. Hanging over both is the debt ceiling crisis he left behind in Washington.

Opponents of Turkish President Recep Tayyip聽Erdo臒an are poorly placed to unseat him in the second round of elections, but they are not giving up hope.

Does fear justify violence? The killing of Jordan Neely in a New York subway has revealed a chasm between stand-your-ground states and states like New York with a legal duty to retreat.

Building community is an intentional act. What often follows is the building of trust, which strengthens bonds at a time when other forces seem to be pulling people apart. On this week鈥檚 鈥淲hy We Wrote This鈥� podcast.

When it comes to technology, faster usually means better. In communication technology, though, 鈥渇aster鈥� also means that you can miscommunicate rapidly, too.

Honesty will be a prime topic at the Group of Seven summit this weekend in Japan. For leaders of these wealthy nations, there鈥檚 still too much secrecy around an estimated $326 billion in debt held by more than 70 low-income nations. A default by any one of them 鈥� or worse, a country caught lying about its statistics 鈥� could spark a global financial crisis.

鈥淚t is essential to improve debt data transparency and accuracy to prevent future debt crises,鈥� says Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi.

Yet the fact that the G-7 is even pressing more nations to be open about their debt details is a testament to the honesty already achieved in official data. Since the 1994-95 Mexican financial crisis, both the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have raised global standards by helping dozens of countries adopt advanced reporting systems. 鈥淲e are working hard to make statistics more comprehensive and available,鈥� says David Malpass, the departing World Bank president. In some countries, criticism of official data is still a crime.

Data transparency is a 鈥減ublic good鈥� and 鈥渁 core principle of good governance,鈥� says the IMF. And not just to avoid a financial collapse or to better involve citizens in decision making. Without accuracy in climate-action data, for example, the world may not make as much progress against global warming. 鈥淪ound public finances enable us to invest even more in the fight against climate change,鈥� says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

A leading example of how data dishonesty can ricochet around the globe is Greece. In 2009-10, a new government in Athens admitted the country had long lied about its national deficit. The sudden fear of a debt default triggered a severe financial crisis in Europe that almost ended the continent鈥檚 experiment with a single currency, the euro.

One of those who exposed the truth about Greece鈥檚 finances was a new member of the country鈥檚 reformed statistics agency, Andreas Georgiou. 鈥淎s a statistician, you hold up a mirror to society: look, this is you,鈥� he told the German news outlet S眉ddeutsche Zeitung in March. 鈥淎nd it is a constant of history that the rulers would like to keep this mirror in their own hands.鈥�

Today, after an international bailout program for Greece, severe fiscal austerity for its people, and better reporting of official statistics, the country has experienced one of the most rapid rates of debt reduction in the world. The government budget is expected to show a surplus this year. And Greece鈥檚 economy could be upgraded soon to 鈥渋nvestment grade鈥� by international credit agencies.

All of Greece鈥檚 reforms during the country鈥檚 10-year debt crisis 鈥渉ave all contributed to the maturity of the Greek society, enabling it to understand the new international economic environment,鈥� stated Greece鈥檚 central bank in April.

Greece鈥檚 comeback from debt deceit will be in the background at the G-7 in Hiroshima. Financial statistics can be as dry as dust. Yet when officials are open and honest about such data, it can lubricate the world economy.