The world in brief

In today's edition: Alibaba will split up, what's next for Israel's political crisis, and the World Bank's new president

Chequebook diplomacy

Since 1990 at least 15 countries have cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Why is the island losing its friends?

• chequebook: 수표책

Dime turners

Will the recent banking chaos lead to an economic crash? So far, people seem remarkably blase

• blase: 심드렁한

Cereal killer

Rice cultivation is a major casualty-and cause-of global warming. It is becoming a source of food insecurity and threat

<Reference: Economist>