Affairs
How to cool cities naturally, without resorting to air conditioning
Humanity has adapted to environmental challenges. But to mitigate the effects of a warming world, cities must look to the past to glimpse a better future.

Latest
Can Poland’s cyber umbrella stop digital election meddling?
Election interference is part of modern political reality but Poland is taking a proactive approach that could help others weather such storms

Amsterdam’s rebel mayor on sex, drugs and tourists
Femke Halsema, the Dutch capital’s first female mayor, doesn’t shy away from radical yet rational policymaking. Here she tells us how she aims to take drug distribution out of criminal hands and cut overtourism.

Why Germany’s far-right electoral bounce is just an affirmation of an ancient divide
Don’t panic, says James Hawes. The truth is, the electorate in eastern Germany has chosen authoritarian parties ever since it got the vote.

On the defensive: Europe must co-ordinate its defence procurement to avoid past mistakes
European defence stocks are booming. In the first quarters of 2025, indices such as the Stoxx 600 added more than $100bn (€92bn) in market value. This is down to the start of a massive…

Inside the fighter-jet school where virtual technology is your wingman
How augmented reality is helping to prepare a new generation of pilots for aerial combat.



Opinion
If Milan values its property market, then it urgently needs to slow down and reset
6 min read

All puffed out: Milan’s new smoking laws cause a stir
New regulations in Italy’s most stylish city prevent smoking in public – but rules are made to be broken.
