Indian states have been spaffing cash on handouts and other bungs to voters. Register for free to read why a sensible, remunerative and politically feasible proposal for booze taxes might bring a surge in revenue Illustration: Lehel Kovacs

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A study in France shows a striking gender gap within the first months of school

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Could you survive 72 hours without outside food, water or electricity?

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Carmakers usually talk up a new model. Yet Ferrari is not like other car firms

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Stopping North Korea’s nuclear-weapons programme appears to have fallen off China’s agenda. Register for free to learn why

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Japan’s sprawling sex industry is thought to be worth ¥2trn-5trn ($12bn-31bn) a year. Lately a debate has raged over how the work is policed

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Migrants are helping South Korean shipbuilding companies fulfil a flurry of orders from foreign buyers. Now their presence is making waves

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The show now averages 8m American viewers per episode. A third of them rewatch episodes; 15% have watched five times or more

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“Recursive self-improvement” is both tantalising and worrying

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TV title sequences were once simple cards displaying static text. By the 1950s they served as prologues. The form peaked in the era of prestige TV at the turn of the millennium. But now they are dwindling

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The company’s AI-first PC is another sign of how fiercely contested the chip business has become, with firms venturing ever further from their original turf

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Although Donald Trump may be willing to tear a strip off Binyamin Netanyahu, he still is reluctant to break with his ally. Register for free to understand why

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Since Donald Trump took office in January 2025 America’s overall labour force has shrunk, lowering the pace of job creation needed to keep unemployment stable. Against that backdrop, jobs growth has been exceptionally strong

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A new book about the military leader combines analysis with good old-fashioned fun, offering a lesson in how history can be both academically ambitious and readable. Register to continue reading (it’s free)

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A question that will define the 21st century

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Lawmakers have little more than six years to find a remedy. If nothing is done, the immediate consequences will be dire for America’s pensioners:

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Although vertical jails have been built before, the cost and ambition of four planned “jailscrapers” in New York City is new. Curious as to why? Register to continue reading (it’s free)

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For a long time, writers valued trees chiefly for the materials they provided. But of late they have become a subject of fascination in their own right

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Russia’s dirty tricks are failing to stop its pivot to the West

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For Donald Trump, the priority is reaching a deal with Iran. Increasingly, he seems to have reached the conclusion that doing so will require him to impose limits on Israel

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Early in the campaign Xavier Becerra, a rather milquetoast establishment Democrat, was a non-factor in the race to be California’s next governor. Three factors explain his ascent. Register for free to discover what they are