Chinese leadership abandoned its zero-COVID strategy practically overnight. The consequences promise to be enormous. Rural areas in particular will struggle with the suddenly spiking caseload in the country.

A major bribery scandal is currently rocking the European Parliament. Yet the European Commission and member states want to continue deepening relations with Qatar, the country reportedly behind the affair. Many worry the scandal could cause significant damage to the EU.

Russia and Finland once maintained close relations that were partly imposed by Moscow. Since Putin's invasion of Ukraine, though, the Finns are strengthening their defenses and striving to join NATO. For many, it marks the end of an era.

Germans have a disastrous view of Tesla, with company founder Elon Musk's behavior hardly helping. Whether from a likeability or quality perspective, the Tesla brand is far behind its German competitors.

China's secret police stations abroad have caused outrage around the world. But the idea apparently didn't come from Beijing. The representations came from individual Chinese cities – one of which is Qingtian, a city with many international ties.

Ukraine wants to see Russian President Vladimir Putin dragged before a special tribunal for his invasion. Thus far, many countries in the West have been skeptical of such a move, but recently, resistance has been softening.

An obscure German blue blood is reportedly at the center of a strange plan to topple the German government foiled this week by the country's security services. Observers are describing the development as a dangerous escalation of the Reichsbürger movement, whose followers want to overthrow Germany's leaders.

Eleven million people in Ukraine are currently receiving humanitarian aid. The United Nations and NGOs are still able to provide for them, but perhaps not for much longer, warns Denise Brown, the highest-ranking UN diplomat working in Ukraine.

Jakarta is sinking into the sea and suffers from terrible congestion and a trash problem. The Indonesian government is building a new city in response. But one architect wants to save her home – and the idea could become a model for other cities threatened by the climate crisis.

Many of France's best football players come from problematic surroundings. When they reach stardom, they are forced to walk a difficult line between fame and fortune – and the envy of their former friends. Some fall off or become targets of extortion.

Machismo is widespread in Latin America. Bogotás undersecretary for culture would like to change that and redefine what it means to be a man. He has developed a program for teaching men to cook, change diapers and talk about their feelings.

U.S. President Joe Biden has adopted a heavy-handed approach to China and hopes to cut Beijing off from modern chip technologies. To do so, he will need European support. Will he get it?

Tens of thousands of Russian draftees are fighting in Ukraine. Hardly any of them have tried to resist conscription. But Kirill Beresin tried to do just that, fleeing from his unit and filing a complaint back home.

Kolya had just turned 17 when the Russians bombed Mariupol. His parents and sisters died in the shelling, but he survived. He also had a bit of luck when strangers helped him flee the worst. He now lives in Western Europe, where he is sharing his story and rebuilding his life.

After 16 years as Germany's political leader, she realized that it was time for someone new. But one year after leaving office, Angela Merkel has yet to find closure – particularly as her legacy continues to look worse and worse. DER SPIEGEL visited her to learn more about her present and her plans for the future.

Beijing's tone toward Taiwan is becoming increasingly aggressive, and most of those living on the island are unprepared for a war against its oversized neighbor. Some, though, are trying to change that.

Russia has been terrorizing Ukraine for weeks using Iranian drones. A closer look at the weapons has shown that some of the parts used to build them come from the West, despite strict sanctions against Tehran.

The uprising against the Islamist dictatorship in Iran is entering a new phase and the regime is doing all it can to survive. For how much longer can the mullahs cling to power?

Moldova is seeking to join the European Union, but Russia is doing everything it can to destabilize the small republic. The Kremlin has radically throttled gas deliveries and is orchestrating protests in the country.

With their bank accounts frozen and their savings inaccessible, Lebanese depositors are turning to drastic means to withdraw their money. The population hails them as heroes while officials have shied away from prosecuting them.

The German government is moving towards legalizing marijuana, creating an entirely new industry in the country. But the effort faces significant challenges, including European law.

What a debacle for FIFA. At the end of the opening match, Al Bayt Stadium was almost empty, with the Qatari fans having long since headed for home. It was a powerful symbol of a World Cup taking place under a cloud of suspicions.

During their retreat from Kherson, the Russians took buses, ambulances and computers and destroyed the electricity supply. Most of the city's inhabitants are breathing a sigh of relief, but there are some who actually miss the occupiers.

Qatar has spent several years developing its national team ahead of the World Cup, which kicks off on Sunday. The global public, though, is skeptical of the event. Nobody quite knows what to expect.

He has been an adviser to seven presidents, and he played a major role in protecting millions of people from AIDS. Now, pandemic expert Anthony Fauci is stepping down – as one of the most loved, and most hated, medical professionals of all time.

For years, South Sudan has suffered from massive flooding. Now, the water is no longer draining away – and around 8 million people are at risk of starvation. The climate crisis is bringing this already highly vulnerable country ever closer to collapse.

The autocratic countries of the Persian Gulf play a key role in the new world order – and for the future of Germany's economy. Complete dependence will be difficult to avoid.

Until recently, Europe had been urging Africa to focus on the development of renewable energy sources. But a natural gas project in Senegal suddenly has Germany, France, Italy and others flocking to the country hoping for a new supplier.

"Every Herero, with or without a gun, will be shot." That was the order given in October 1904, setting off Germany's genocide in Namibia. New research shows how the crime continues to have an effect today, and how Berlin seems uninterested in real reconciliation.

This year, the Social Design Awards from SPIEGEL WISSEN and Bauhaus are going to a group from Osnabrück engaged in reforestation work, two architecture students from Düsseldorf and a group from Franconia who dream of flooding an autobahn.

Europe is threatened by recession, war and a deep economic crisis. Christine Lagarde, the head of the European Central Bank, is fighting a steep increase in prices as the continent experiences its worst inflation since the introduction of the common currency. Can she pull it off?

The Brazilian state of Acre in the Amazon rainforest region was once considered a model of environmentalism. Under Bolsonaro, though, deforestation accelerated. Can the country's new president get things back on track?

China has allegedly established dozens of police stations abroad, including many in Europe. Beijing has sought to play down the reports, but one dissident in Europe recounts how he has been constantly harassed by staff members of one such office.

The hype surrounding digital works dominated the international art world for two years. Then the market collapsed, and buyers lost millions. Yet optimism still pervades the scene.

In the United States, abortion is no longer a basic right. The recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has allowed states to criminalize the act. But the battle for women's right to self-determination continues – on the streets and underground.

Critics like Economy Minister Robert Habeck are warning Germany's industrial giants from becoming too dependent on Beijing. But it seems many haven't the learned the lesson from Russia of the perils of doing business with autocratic countries.

Female sterilization is one of the most widespread methods of contraception in the world, and some countries even subsidize the procedure. Experts, though, say that the women involved don't always have full control over what is happening to them.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is not getting positive reviews from his partners in Europe. The Franco-German relationship, once the motor of Europe, has noticeably cooled. Many fear he will put Berlin's interests first when he travels to China this week.

Global warming, war and inflation: The world seems to be in a perpetual state of crisis at the moment. In an interview, crash prophet Nouriel Roubini identifies 10 "megathreats" we are facing and how he is dealing with them.

In an interview, infectious diseases expert Sir Jeremy Farrar discusses recent mutations of the coronavirus and his worries about future pandemics. He says COVID is here to stay and that we haven't reached a "stable phase yet" that would allow us to let down our guard.

The Hamburg Islamic Center is considered the most important outpost of the Iranian regime in Germany. But since it is also reportedly used to spread the mullahs’ propaganda across Europe, calls are growing for its work to be restricted.

For over a month, people in Iran have been protesting against the Islamist regime. Data shows how protests have sprung up around the country and where the government has unleashed the most brutality against the demonstrators.

The death of university student Jina Mahsa Amini has triggered a wave of protests across Iran. For the last five weeks, the women of the country have been leading the way, but people from all walks of life have joined them. Are they the force that could bring down the regime?

He has transformed his country into a surveillance state, isolated it from the rest of the world during the pandemic and expanded his foreign policy. Now, China's Xi Jinping is set to become ruler for life. Why is he so beloved by his people?

After the election victory of Giorgia Meloni in Italy, the head of the Five Star Movement, Giuseppe Conte, is concerned that she will lead Italy to the right-wing fringe. In an interview, he talks about what lies ahead for his country.

Nobody knows how the protests in Iran against the mullah regime will end. But the women of Iran have already accomplished more than they ever could have hoped for. And that deserves our respect.

With each victim in Iran, the question as to how the West should react becomes more pressing. Experts are skeptical that the end is nigh for the regime in Tehran – and the country's nuclear ambitions remain a concern.

For years, Germany's far-right AfD party has seen multiple power struggles as the extremist wing under Björn Höcke sought to seize control. Though he's not part of the leadership duo, Höcke has now reached his goal.

Magnus Carlsen accused Hans Niemann of cheating and also went after his mentor. In an interview with DER SPIEGEL, the latter, Maxim Dlugy, speaks of those accusations for the first time and discusses whether he will take legal action.

The EU border agency Frontex has sought to cover up human rights violations for several years, but an investigation by the European anti-fraud office OLAF has exposed the treatment of refugees at Europe's frontiers. DER SPIEGEL is publishing the report in its entirety.