A BEAUTIFUL MIND?

Groundbreaking mathematician Alexander Grothendieck spent his last years alone, engrossed in his esoteric theories. Some say solitude drove him to madness, but others think his work may hold the key to the future of AI

The flight speed record that remains unbroken 50 years on

On 1 September 1974, two men made the fastest ever journey between New York and London. The astonishing trip - at three times the speed of sound - set a record that still stands 50 years later.

Tribal target Democrats chase voters who may flip to Harris

A siren blares. Feet crunch on gravel. A county sheriff looks into a car and tells a teenage girl he knows she is pregnant. He arrests her father for driving her to a state where she can get an abortion. \"And you, young lady,\" the sheriff says, \"well, you're under arrest for evading motherhood.\"

Birds of a feather The flying scientists showing ibis the way home

Extinct in central Europe for 300 years, a flock of northern bald ibis is following a light aircraft on a migration route from Austria to Spain

South China Sea island community stands up to Beijing

From the sandy beaches of Thitu Island, blue waters stretch for as far as the eye can see. It feels like a tranquil paradise: there's no noisy road traffic, air pollution or crowds. But Thitu is not a luxury retreat, it's a tiny island in the remote Spratly chain and one of the world's most fiercely contested maritime sites.

Beetlemania How nation fell in love with quirky classic car

When Yared Agonafer, an Ethiopian gold and silver merchant, wanted to buy a car five years ago, he settled quickly on the model: a 1977 Volkswagen Beetle. The low price was its main draw, but nostalgia motivated him too.

Self-serving China's divide-and-rule tactics risk shock waves across region

Ethnically, religiously, ideologically fractured Myanmar, formerly Burma, has never been a model of harmonious, integrated nationhood. Yet since the 2021 military coup and ensuing civil war, new and old divisions have grown rapidly. Western and neighbouring states supporting a democratic restoration now face a more fundamental, urgent challenge: how to prevent Myanmar's anarchic disintegration.

Family affairs Can Asia break free from the power of political dynasties?

In early August, against a backdrop of deadly student-led protests, Bangladesh's prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned her position, bringing to a close a political dynasty that stretched back to the country's founding.

Grenfell communities share solace and succour

'Seven long years on from Grenfell, progress has seemed agonisingly slow on any number of fronts, but I find the seeds of hope in many places,\" said Mary White from the Latymer community church in the shadow of the burnt-out tower.

Friends disunited? East and west drifting apart as far-right AfD rides a populist wave

After the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, the former West German chancellor Willy Brandt predicted that reunification would finally allow \"what belongs together to grow together\".

'It was all a blur' Troops tell story of audacious attack

While the situation in the country's east looks increasingly bleak, the surprise incursion into Russian territory has boosted morale in Kyiv

War on hold in Gaza as polio vaccine drive offers hope

Like so many in Gaza, Eid alAttar, a teacher from the north of the territory, now spends his days trying to find enough food and water for his family. Displaced eight times since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, the 42-year-old has tried his best to protect his five children. Now the Palestinian territory is facing a new danger: the highly infectious and potentially deadly disease, polio.

Pressure point Hostage deaths unleash public fury-but can it bring a ceasefire closer?

Pressure mounted on the Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu this week after his US counterpart Joe Biden accused him of not doing enough to secure a ceasefire deal with Hamas, although protests against Israel's government suffered a blow when a court ordered an early end to a general strike.

Questions of truth Tech bros-in-arms control the narrative. We must fight back

It was a breaking news alert to lift the spirits and make the heart sing. A tech billionaire arrested as he stepped off his private jet and detained by the French authorities. Happy days! Because while the UK police have been charging individuals who incited violence online during this summer's riots, the man who helped to fuel its flames - Elon Musk has simply tweeted his way through it.

Mixed message Why was Durov arrested and what are the implications?

What is Telegram? At its core, Telegram is a messaging app, but it offers more social networking features than most of its peers. Group chats are in effect unlimited in size, as are the broadcast \"channels\" that let users follow individual accounts.

THE rise and fall of Pavel Durov

The Telegram app is widely used by political protesters but also by criminals. Now its enigmatic founder is under arrest. Can he face down the French authorities?

Five to follow Athletes to watch out for

Froma US swimming stalwart to French cycling’s champion of champions’, this quintet will beon the hunt for medals

Islands laid waste by Beryl survey devastating cost

From the outside, it looks like a typical primary school in the multi-island Caribbean nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), with children's voices echoing behind the distinctive green walls.

Canal plus The quest to make urban waterways swimmable

Around the world, architects and campaigners are turning previously polluted rivers and harbours into bathing spots

Line in the sand A bitter battle over seabed mining

Rare metals in iron sands off North Island coast could be extracted despite local opposition as government pushes to fast-track proposals

Pokrovsk packs up as Russian invaders close in

Library books are piled in the street, waiting to be removed in a truck.

On the edge War remains possible despite sound reasons for avoiding it

If Israel and Hezbollah wanted an all-out war it would have happened a long time ago.

Is Banksy's latest spree a comment on Gaza?

The artist has reignited the same criminalor genius?’ arguments but there are signs his new Londonworks are more than just monkey business

We Ukrainians have spent our lives trying to escape Russia's legacy

At 35, I'm younger than many things - such as the internet or Apple computers.

The evolution of Kamala Harris

From a childhood activist to US presidential candidate, the daughter of civil rights campaigners has an unbroken history of working to change 'anything that wasn't right', friends say.

Is Trump ok? Unhinged reaction to rise of Harris sows doubts

Even some of Donald Trump's supporters are now asking the question that was the undoing of Joe Biden: is the former president fit for office? But while Biden's run for re-election was largely sunk by a single disastrous televised debate before a national audience, Trump is ramping up doubts with each chaotic, disjointed speech as he campaigns around the country.

'We need to act' Massive Attack stage ultra-low emission gig

As pop stars fly on private jets and haul stage sets around the world, with fans generating significant emissions via their own travel to gigs, Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja has said \"it's time to act\" and address the environmental damage wreaked by live music.

'Everyone was afraid' The families on the mpox frontline

First, liquid-filled blisters developed on three-yearold Marceline Désiré's back.

'You hit us, we hit you' Life in the borderlands of conflict

Like every morning, Ali Abu Khudoud woke up just before dawn last Sunday to perform the fajr prayer.

A vital gauge These Games should tackle social issues, but I'm wary

Progress at the Paralympics also highlights the lack of change in the ordinary lives of disabled people