Billions of voices heard: a year of elections

Artificial intelligence could help terrorists develop new dangerous pathogens. Our correspondent asks how humanity can protect itself from machine-assisted biological weapons. Stock markets are soaring, despite the oil shock. What does this tell us about investor confidence in tr ...  Show more

After catastrophic local-election results, Britain’s prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is fighting for his political life. One airline has folded and others may follow: jet-fuel prices are crimping carriers the world over, but the pain is not spread evenly. And could San Andrés, a ...  Show more

In some places, votes resulted in political chaos; in others they showed a promising shift away from identity politics. Our deputy editor looks back on 2024’s pile of polls. Looking ahead, we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2024/11/20/which-are-c ...

In the first electoral test of Donald Trump’s second term, Democrat supporters voted in a socialist mayor of New York and governors to New York and Virginia. What does this mean for next year’s midterms? Democracy in Turkey is being eviscerated. And the world may be becoming less ...  Show more

The possibilities for an inevitable coalition government are a head-spinning colour wheel of party logos. We look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/2025-german-election-polls-prediction-forecast?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=thein ...

The United Arab Emirates projects an image of level-headed calm in the Gulf. Its actions abroad, however, betray a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/04/16/the-uae-preaches-unity-at-home-but-pursues-division-abroad?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio ...