17 must-read stories for the weekend

Fast-growing religion; DNA-scarring poverty, winning the refugee debate and other top stories from the last seven days.

Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion. Many others are growing too.

Which countries treat the environment best? Europe leads the pack.

The populist right is winning the refugee debate. This trend has its reasons, but we can change it.

Watching soccer is good for you. It can make you a better leader.

Are you ready for a home robot? Your digital assistant will be good company.

Fighting global corruption is possible, right now. Radical transparency has changed the rules.

Healthcare can heal economies too. Here are five ways to take advantage of the health sector’s growth.

If America is turning against the global economy, business will have to follow. But big companies are less trusted, and less listened to, than they used to be. How will multinationals survive the ‘globalisation winter’?

Move over Bitcoin. Ethereum is the cutting edge of digital currency.

Poverty leaves genetic scars. It changes the DNA of young people who experience it, making them more likely to suffer depression and mental illness.

Brand persistence, political disengagement, and bias in news media. Meet an economist pioneering new fields of research that challenge our assumptions.

The lonely universe. It may well be that fewer than one in a trillion trillion planets ever spawns life.

The World Economic Forum on ASEAN starts June 1. Business and government leaders will gather in Kuala Lampur. (New Straits Times)

Emerging economies will have 80% of the world’s elderly. Cites Forum data on healthcare spending. (Financial Times)

3 keys to successful long-term leadership. Quotes from The Fourth Industrial Revolution. (Fortune)

East Africa must harness infrastructure and education. A report released at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Africa. (AllAfrica.com)

Social unrest threatens reforms in France. Cites Forum’s global competitiveness rankings. (Reuters)

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