Briefing

Not posting, but watching

As Facebook turns 20, politics is out; impersonal video feeds are in

Social media are more popular than ever, but social networks are dying

Chatbots for the bottom 4bn

Could AI transform life in developing countries?

Optimists hope it will ease grave shortages of human capital

Invincible Indian

Ram and the strongman: Modi looks unstoppable in India’s election

But Indian democracy is stronger than it seems

The car east

Western firms are quaking as China’s electric-car industry speeds up

Expertise in batteries and a vast domestic market give Chinese firms an edge

Biden or bust

Joe Biden’s chances do not look good. The Democrats have no plan B

It is too late to hold a competitive primary to allow a better candidate to emerge

Invincible city

Brexit? Hah! Lockdowns? Shrug! Can nothing stop London?

It has been bouncing back for 2,000 years and counting

Solution or delusion?

Despite the war in Gaza, talk of a two-state solution persists

For there to be any hope, both Israelis and Palestinians need new leaders

For the fatherland

How Putin is reshaping Russia to keep his war-machine running

He is creating a class of wealthy bureaucrats, who are the war’s biggest supporters

Port in a storm

The messier the world gets, the more the UAE seems to thrive

For a tiny country, it has outsize influence

AI did it my way

Now AI can write, sing and act, is it still possible to be a star?

The deal that ended the Hollywood actors’ strike reflects a fear of the technology

Higher for longer

Markets think interest rates could stay high for a decade or more

The economic consequences could be grim

Dread and disagreement

Why Israel’s invasion of Gaza has been delayed

Bibi and his generals are divided