International
The Trump administration’s assault on Europe
His invitation to Vladimir Putin to make a deal over Ukraine has thrown the transatlantic alliance into turmoil
Finance & economics
Will Europe return to Putin’s gas?
A deal with the devil would boost the continent’s miserable economy
United States
So far, mass deportation has been more rhetoric than reality
A raid in New Jersey highlights the barriers Donald Trump faces
The world in brief
Marco Rubio, America’s secretary of state, said that “the next few days” will show whether Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, is serious about peace in Ukraine...
European leaders will meet in Paris on Monday...
A busy Mr Rubio also met Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem...
Japan’s GDP grew by an annualised 2.8% in October-December, topping analyst expectations and marking the third consecutive quarter of expansion...
It’s not just AI. China’s medicines are surprising the world, too
Its firms are at the forefront of cheaper, faster drug discovery
Bartleby: How to get people to resign
Without torching the organisation or losing your best employees
A neutrino telescope spots the signs of something cataclysmic
What could have generated the most energetic neutrino ever detected?
Faceless influencers are becoming famous online
They are everywhere on social media. Just don’t ask what they look like
Discover more
The Intelligence
Can Trump and Modi’s bromance survive tough talk on tariffs?
Donald Trump’s first 100 days
Keep tabs on his executive orders, cabinet picks and popularity
The war in Ukraine
Team Trump’s shakedown diplomacy
America has just tried to grab Ukraine’s vast mineral wealth
Russian inflation is too high. Does that matter?
In a strong economy, price pressure can endure for a long time
Fighting the war in Ukraine on the electromagnetic spectrum
Drone operators and jammers are in a high-tech arms race
The added dangers of fighting in Ukraine when everything is visible
There is no more fog of war
Disrupting the Pentagon
Will Donald Trump and Elon Musk wreck or reform the Pentagon?
America’s security depends upon their success
America’s military supremacy is in jeopardy
To win future wars it needs new weapons, new suppliers and a new system of procurement
Defence tech is blowing up Silicon Valley’s beliefs
Hardware is all the rage. So is patriotism
Could a German startup disrupt Europe’s arms industry?
Meet Helsing, Europe’s defence-tech unicorn
Germany’s election
Can Friedrich Merz save Germany—and Europe?
He is on track to win the election, but to fix Europe he will have to fix his country first
Germany’s “business model is gone”, warns Friedrich Merz
Germany’s probable next leader talks about Ukraine, saving the economy and beating the AfD in an exclusive interview
Alice Weidel, Germany’s most vilified—and powerful—female politician
The hard-right AfD co-leader’s popularity (and that of her party) increased as she became more radical
Who is ahead in the race for Germany’s next parliament?
Follow the polls and our prediction model in the run-up to February’s election
The second Trump presidency
Donald Trump wants states and cities to do as they are told
But local governments are taking immigration into their own hands
What happened next at USAID
A textbook case of how not to cut wasteful government spending
Elon Musk is failing to cut American spending
DOGE has so far disrupted everything in government bar the deficit
Donald Trump and the art of the quid pro quo
The president likes to kneecap prosecutions of his friends
World news
Countering China’s diplomatic coup
China has turned much of the global south against Taiwan. That could be laying the ground for forced unification
Hizbullah’s decline is a boon for Lebanon’s new government
But it will not be able to ignore the armed group entirely
The Lucy Letby case shows systemic failure and a national malaise
Whether or not the neonatal nurse is guilty of murder, her saga is revealing
A new crackdown is gathering strength in Turkey
Opponents of all stripes are being targeted
Business, finance and economics
How AI will divide the best from the rest
Optimists hope the technology will be a great equaliser. Instead, it looks likely to widen social divides
Javier Milei is betting big on an Argentine oil gusher
Its shale fields are on track to yield 1m barrels of oil per day by 2030
South-East Asian producers are being hammered by Chinese imports
Deep ties with China stymie a protectionist response
Buttonwood: Why you should repay your mortgage early
For the first time in decades, the arithmetic suggests settling housing loans
Other highlights
What explains the enduring appeal of Bridget Jones?
From spawning “chick lit” to becoming a Gen Z icon
Escapism and fear made “The White Lotus” a pandemic-era hit
Now the show about obnoxious American tourists has become a drag
1843 magazine | Why are so many Israeli Jews spying for Iran?
Unprecedented numbers are risking everything to help their country’s bitterest enemy
Does more education lead to less sex?
Trying to make sense of the sexual “degree divide” in America
Edition: February 15th 2025
Battle for the Pentagon
Can Friedrich Merz save Germany?
He is likely to win this month’s election, but to fix Europe he will have to fix his own country first
How America and the EU get AI wrong
Europe has a chance to catch up, whereas America should ease up
What the Letby case says about Britain
Whether or not the neonatal nurse is guilty of murder, her saga is revealing
The man who understood parking
Donald Shoup knew how to get cities going
Special reports: January 11th 2025
The Africa gap
The economic gap between Africa and the rest of the world is getting wider, says John McDermott
- The economic gap between Africa and the rest of the world is growing
- Africa is undergoing social change without economic transformation
- Africa has too many businesses, too little business
- African elites should align themselves with their countries’ needs
- The African investment environment is at its worst in years
- To catch up economically, Africa must think big
