The world in brief

In today's edition: a year of war in Ukraine, next steps for Japan's economy, and the streaming giants ride a new French wave

Laundering loot

North Korean hackers stole a record $1.7bn of cryptocurrency last year. But investigators are getting better at cracking their methods

Cobalt from the blue

A crucial battery material is suddenly superabundant. Here's how an obstacle to the energy transition disappeared

A soldier's secret diary

"I'm so tired that I don't even have the strength to be afraid." A Ukrainian officer details fear and grief on the front lines

Dullness and its discontents

It is really bad to be boring at work? A case for the unexciting corporate achiever

Shovels in the ground

The map of China's overseas financing is being redrawn. Welcome to a new era of lending

The long fight

Vladimir Putin is mobilising Russia for a conflict that could last a generation. This is how Ukraine can win

<Reference: Economist>