It was a pleasure to see so many of you in Berlin for our 24th G50 annual meeting! Thank you to those who were able to join us as we heard from global thought leaders in business, science, politics, the arts and much more. Over the course of our four days together, we shared many 'G50 moments' which you can reflect on by looking at pictures from this year's event. Simply click here. 

You asked and he responded...Andreas Ekström, digital revolution guru, has compiled all of your questions from this year's session, "In Google We Trust...but should we?" and responded to some. To read what he has to say, click here. 

Upstart Berlin online bank N26 is jumping the Atlantic with hopes of luring mobile-obsessed millennials. The CEO, Valentin Stalf talks about the decision to branch out to the United States.  "The US is an interesting market for N26 that creates major opportunities. Everywhere in the world, customers are open for a new banking experience. User behavior among millennials has moved strongly toward mobile.” 

World-renowned diplomat (and G50 opening night speaker) Javier Solana warns that while "the preference of some countries to isolate themselves within their borders is anachronistic and self-defeating... it would be a serious mistake for others, fearing contagion, to respond by imposing strict isolation. Even in states that have succumbed to reductionist discourses, much of the population has not." Read his full article here. 

According to Judy Dempsey, nonresident Carnegie fellow, the election of Andrej Babiš as the Czech Republic’s next prime minister says much about the state of politics in this part of the European Union. Read more of her thoughts on Central Europe here. 

In a world of bullies and macho leaders, Angela Merkel - with a calmer demeanor - still manages to retain her power. Andreas Kluth, Handelsbalatt Global's editor in chief, deconstructs how through the science of body language. "She makes herself large and small at the same time. She does not lunge at an opponent but waits until her opponents fear looking weak and attacks, thus initiating their undoing." Read more here. 

David Goodhart writes in The Guardian that strengthening regional identities could be the key to keeping communities united and persuading the able and ambitious to stay. He concludes that what is needed [to bring Somewheres and Anywheres together] is a common project or a common threat to bind the interests of the two value groups. 

Coming in at 43 per cent, Berlin - with its low rents and high living standards - has the highest number of immigrant-founded start ups after Silicon Valley.  Featured in Wired UK's recent list of best startups in Berlin are two of the companies that joined us at this year's meeting: Mimi and N26.  Philipp Skribanowitz, managing director of Mimi, says that the company's aim is to become the standard for personal sound. Read more here. 

In a post for Project Syndicate, Bill Emmott writes about dealing with North Korea. "Donald Trump has chided China for failing to take responsibility for its dangerous neighbor. But America's president should be careful what he tweets for: If China launched a military invasion of North Korea, it could work – and China would gain greater strategic parity with the US in East Asia." Read the full article here. 

The G50 Annual Meeting is just two months away. Even though the registration period has closed, stay tuned for instructions to register for your concurrent sessions. And our full program will be published one month prior to the meeting. We look forward to sharing it with you!  

Javier Solana, former Secretary-General of NATO, warns of the fragility of the EU. "The looming British exit from the EU has reminded us of something fundamental that had been hidden until now: the EU’s tendency to expand is not irreversible, and the EU’s continued existence as a political entity cannot, and should not, be taken for granted." Read his full article here. 

Bill Emmott, former editor-in-chief of The Economist writes about the importance of remaking the established British political parties. "We live in a politically turbulent age. Parties barely a year old have recently swept to power in France and in the huge metropolitan area of Tokyo. A party less than five years old is leading opinion polls in Italy. A political neophyte is sitting in the White House, to the profound discomfort of establishment Republicans and Democrats. So where will the political earth shake next? The answer could be – indeed, should be – the United Kingdom." Read his full column here.

Dr. Christian Mölling, deputy director of the German Council on Foreign Relations writes about the impact that a new fighter aircraft will have on Europe's defense industry. "Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel took the Franco-German defense partnership to a new level with their announcement on July 13 to jointly develop the next generation European fighter aircraft – the biggest armament project imaginable in Europe at the moment." Read his take here. 

In a New York Times editorial, David Goodhart, founder of Prospect magazine and recent author of The Road to Somewhere, argues for a constructively ambiguous Brexit. "There is a sense of drift and stalemate about British politics today...But this stalemate between the country's two  dominant 'values' blocs may turn out to be benign. Britons excel at constructive ambiguity, or 'muddling through,' and a constructive ambiguous Brexit may be exactly what Britain and Europe need." Read the full article here. 

The famed Turkish novelist, Elif Shafak, warns against complacency and self-consciousness and urges western thinkers to speak out. "Intellectuals should be bold and loud and yes, offensive. It is high time to stop denigrating the term. At least out of respect for those people who pay a heavy price in other parts of the world just to be a public intellectual." Read her full article here. 

N26, a digital only challenger bank, has expanded its range of consumer loans through a partnership with auxmoney, an online lender serving continental Europe. As with all other products of N26, customers can access credit with just a few clicks directly on the N26. "We see a strong trend towards platforms with multiple vendors. Through this partnership, we combine the advantages of a platform with excellent user experience," says Valentin Staff, founder and CEO of N26. Read more here. 

Author of the new book After Europe, Ivan Krastev discusses his interpretation of President Trump's speech in Warsaw in July by comparing it to "an old joke from the Cold War era: Two trains pull into Warsaw's Central Station - the westbound Moscow-Paris express and the return train from Paris heading in the opposite direction. A Frenchman peers out of the eastbound train, looks at the city and thinks, 'My Lord, Moscow is every bit as gray as I expected!' A Russian on the westbound train takes a quick look around and exclaims, 'Ah, que c'est beau, Paris!'" Read his full article here. 

Registration for our 24th annual meeting is now open! Don't miss out on the opportunity to reconnect with your G50 community in the magnificent city of Berlin. To register  please follow the link in the  email (Headlines & Bylines: Registration now open) sent to you in early June.  

The most popular female novelist in Turkey says the rise of populism in the west offers an opportunity for solidarity and sisterhood with the Middle East. Women across ages and nationalities are realizing that “we can’t take the rights we have for granted,” said writer Elif Shafak during the Guardian women seminar. Read more of her thoughts on feminism in the world.