Colour visions: a German-election lookahead

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

The possibilities for an inevitable coalition government are a head-spinning colour wheel of party logos. We look at the most likely outcomes, and the smaller parties that may well play kingmakers. A series of scandals in Japan has propelled the country to a belated #MeToo crisis ...  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 Chinese cities that will come into their own in 2025 (11:36). And the changi ...  Show more

Poland’s presidential election was a fight between two distinct visions of the country’s future. Our correspondent explains how the nationalist victor, a political newcomer, will shape Europe. Why drunken bar brawls are declining in Britain (7:31). And remembering the “Wonga Coup ...  Show more

Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the violence, and how to end it swiftly. Japanese politics had until recently been anachronistically tame; not so now that the social ...  Show more