The shooting death of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson in early December has led to a period of introspection over some of the more troubling aspects of U.S. society. Initial shock over the killing was soon joined by questions about the insurance industry, and why some accused of murder are venerated by sections of the public.

To say America is uniquely awash with firearms is nothing new. But what is – and what the U.S. shares with countries around the world – is the growing use of “ghost guns” to carry out serious crimes. These weapons, so called due to the difficulty law enforcement has in tracing them, are typically made – either in whole or in part – using commercial 3D printers. The first known arrest over a 3D-printed gun took place in the UK in 2013 following a gang raid. But since then ghost guns “have been used by diverse groups including far-right extremists, ethno-separatists, jihadists, left-wing anarchists, organized crime groups in Europe and pro-democracy rebels in Myanmar,” writes Nir Kshetri, who has researched the growth of 3D-printed guns. He adds that their growing use in criminal acts has left governments playing catch-up when it comes to regulating the weapon, leaving a patchwork of laws. And things are only likely to get worse as technologies improve.

Elsewhere this week we have looking at how K-pop has become the soundtrack to protests in South Korea and weighing Kyiv’s options as we head into 2025 and a fourth year of war in Ukraine.