WE HAD TWO covers this week. With the world gathering in Dubai for the 28th COP, one cover considers the progress that has been made in the fight against climate change. Some improvements have come thanks to better policies and cheaper and more widespread renewable energy. But they are not enough. The climate is still worsening, and serious, international debates are needed about solar geoengineering and carbon-dioxide removal.

Leaders: Progress on climate change has not been fast enough, but it has been real
Special report: Carbon-dioxide removal
Science and technology: Solar geoengineering is becoming a respectable idea

Our other cover focuses on the United Arab Emirates. Like Singapore, the uae is a haven for its region. But whereas Singapore’s ascent coincided with a golden age of globalisation, the uae is seizing opportunity in a time of chaos and disorder. Its successes and its failures hold lessons for middling powers as they navigate a fragmenting world.

Leaders: How to thrive in a fractured world
Briefing: The messier the world gets, the more the UAE seems to thrive