On the surface, it’s just a smartphone — little more than a very slick, rather pricey, well-built gadget. But the iPhone is much more than that, and this year the world could do with having one released just a little earlier than usual. That’s because the global smartphone market is in a funk, with shipments dropping 9% in the June ...

  If you’re looking for an iconic example of humanity’s ability to harness nature to produce clean energy on a massive scale, it’s hard to ignore the Three Gorges Dam. Built through the 2000s just as China’s rise was at its most headlong, the world’s largest power station can generate 22.5 gigawatts, equivalent to 20 nuclear plants. Two more of ...

  Ukraine’s president wants the West to ban Russian travellers in the hopes of boosting internal pressure against President Vladimir Putin. Calls from European states for a crackdown on visas are also growing louder. Such measures may seem appealing in light of Putin’s aggression, but there’s no guarantee that they’d work as proponents expect. Far better to lay out the ...