The Economist explains
Subjects topical and timeless, profound and peculiar, explained with The Economist's trademark clarity and brevity
Where does Santa come from?
How a miracle-working Greek bishop, Dutch folk figure and early New York icon became the ubiquitous symbol of Christmas
Who are the main rebel groups in Syria?
They were united against the country’s dictator. Now they have little in common
Is RFK junior right to say America allows more toxins than the EU?
He is, but things are slowly beginning to change
What would it cost to kill coal?
The price of shutting down coal power, and what would be gained
Should America ban fluoride in its drinking water?
The idea by Robert F. Kennedy junior—nominated by Donald Trump as health secretary—may have teeth
Why is Donald Trump keen to use “recess appointments”?
The president-elect is testing the loyalty of the Senate’s next majority leader
Will Donald Trump’s power be unchecked if Republicans win the House?
A “trifecta” of presidency, Senate and House of Representatives would provide a huge opportunity
Why The Economist endorses political candidates
Our independence is protected by our principles and structure
Is Kamala Harris right to call Donald Trump a fascist?
The f-word helps explain him, but may not help beat him
Is Elon Musk’s $1m giveaway to American voters illegal?
His lottery scheme raises thorny questions—and sets a new precedent
How far do Kamala Harris and Donald Trump differ on policy?
A short guide to their plans for America—which are more similar than their opposing styles suggest
What does SpaceX want to do with its Starship?
A guide to the reusable spaceship’s trip—and where it might lead for space travel
What is Kamala Harris’s record as a prosecutor?
Republicans say she was soft on crime. Progressives say she was too harsh
Can Donald Trump use songs against a musician’s will?
Many stars have complained, and some have filed lawsuits
What is the Fed’s preferred inflation measure?
The PCE gauge is broader and more dynamic than its better-known relative, the CPI
Will Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris matter?
Celebrity endorsements are unlikely to change voters’ minds. But they may boost turnout
Donald Trump says immigrants are eating Springfield’s pets. What?
He repeated the bizarre—and false—claim in his presidential debate against Kamala Harris
Who will lead Britain’s Conservative Party?
Here are the four candidates vying for the daunting job
When can parents be held responsible for their children’s crimes?
Mass shootings by young assailants are raising the question
Will the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump matter?
Normally presidential match-ups hardly move the needle—but this is no ordinary year
What are the Murdochs fighting about in a secret Nevada court?
The outcome could shape the political orientation of the family’s media empire
The battle between drones and helicopters in Ukraine
Small cheap drones could pose a new threat to expensive Russian craft
A short history of political meddling with the Federal Reserve
Donald Trump’s attacks on the Fed are a throwback to the era before central-bank independence
Could a waterspout have sunk a superyacht?
These columns of spray, in essence sea tornadoes, can be highly dangerous
What is a carry trade?
Borrowing cheaply to buy high-yielding assets is popular, but risky
The significance of liquid water on Mars
There could be an ocean’s worth deep underground
Why Russian troops are attacking on motorbikes
New conditions give rise to new tactics
What is “two-tier” policing?
The conspiratorial belief has spread online, fuelling disorder in Britain
Would legal doping change the Olympics?
The impact would be smaller—and worse—than proponents of drug-taking claim
Do vice-presidential picks matter?
If they have any effect on an election’s result, it is at the margins
What led to the bitter controversy over an Olympics boxing match?
A mighty punch by an Algerian boxer has revived a politically charged dispute
Is this the end of Project 2025, the plan that riled Donald Trump?
The right-wing blueprint for governing has taken centre-stage in America’s presidential campaign
Who should control Western Sahara?
France becomes the latest country to back Morocco’s claim
Who are the Druze, the victims of a deadly strike on Israel?
The religious minority has often been caught up in regional crossfire in the Middle East
Myanmar’s rapidly changing civil war, in maps and charts
Ethnic militias and pro-democracy groups are scoring victories against the governing junta
Who will be Kamala Harris’s running-mate?
She is reportedly down to six candidates
Why have so few American presidents been from the West?
Kamala Harris’s nomination would be a milestone for the region
Why the Olympics still has a doping problem
Cheating with drugs has again become an organised affair
Why some Russian athletes will be eligible to compete at the Paris Olympics
Despite antipathy between the Russian government and the International Olympic Committee a handful will compete
Why did the Secret Service fail to protect Trump from being shot?
Lawmakers want an accounting for mistakes that nearly resulted in Mr Trump’s assassination on July 13th
What is the Chinese Communist Party’s third plenum?
Hundreds of the party’s senior members gather in Beijing amid hopes they will speed up economic reforms
Who might Donald Trump pick as his running-mate?
The Republican nominee has a number of hopefuls to pick from
Why Finland and others are vaccinating people against bird flu
The virus is spreading undetected in mammals
Ten plausible contenders to replace Joe Biden
The Democrats have a deep bench of talent
How will Democrats replace Joe Biden as their candidate for president?
And who could replace him on the ticket?
Why football might (just) be coming home, to Austria
The modern game was created in the coffee houses of Vienna
Why North Korea is sending its rubbish to the South
Trash balloons are a sign of growing tensions on the peninsula
What is the “duck curve”?
An avian graph shows the challenges facing burgeoning solar power
How political “cohabitation” works in France
Upcoming parliamentary elections could lead to a new period of political friction
How America’s presidential debates are changing this year
Will the Trump-Biden showdowns be an institution’s last gasp, or a new start?
What are MRP polls and can they predict election results accurately?
How a novel technique to predict Britain’s general election works
Ukraine has a navy that needs no sailors
It does a surprisingly good job of destroying Russian vessels
How powerful is the European Parliament?
Upcoming elections show its growing clout
How lab-grown meat became part of America’s culture wars
Conservatives have beef with petri-dish steaks
Who is Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court?
He has applied for an arrest warrant for Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister
What does it mean to recognise Palestinian statehood?
Ireland, Norway and Spain will be the latest to do so
Why Julian Assange’s extradition case is taking so long
The WikiLeaks co-founder is granted a new appeal against being sent to America
What are the Russian “turtle tanks” seen in Ukraine?
Wrapping vehicles in corrugated metal might protect them from drone attacks
The tawdry history of “catch-and-kill” journalism
Testimony from Donald Trump’s trial highlights a practice that is normally hidden
Why India’s election is the most expensive in the world
It is not just because of its size
Could the International Criminal Court indict Binyamin Netanyahu?
Rumours abound that an arrest warrant is imminent for Israel’s prime minister
The vocabulary of disinformation
From AI-generated news to verification
What are the rules governing protests on American campuses?
They vary, and are hard to enforce
Who is jamming airliners’ GPS in the Baltic?
Russia seems to be the culprit, but it may be inadvertent
What are the obligations of Israel and Hamas to protect civilians?
International Humanitarian Law creates obligations—but contains numerous caveats
Why is so much of the internet’s infrastructure run by volunteers?
Malware smuggled into XZ Utils software highlights a bigger problem
The growing role of fighting robots on the ground in Ukraine
Drones already fill the skies. Now uncrewed vehicles are heading to the front lines
Why do cicadas have such a strange life cycle?
Two broods will soon emerge simultaneously for the first time in 221 years
How a home-improvement subsidy is wrecking Italy’s public finances
Government largesse is costing taxpayers
What is geoengineering?
Deliberately cooling the climate is an unsettling idea
Why are embassies supposed to be inviolable?
Ecuador’s raid on a Mexican embassy challenges a central principle of diplomacy
What are “golden visas”?
And why they are so controversial
Why the Moon needs its own time
The seconds really do pass more quickly up there
Why it is so rare to see a total solar eclipse
The Great North American eclipse should be cherished, because total eclipses will not happen for ever
How to define artificial general intelligence
Academics and tech entrepreneurs disagree. A court may soon decide
Gaza could face a famine by May. What does that mean?
Some parts of the strip are already experiencing “catastrophic hunger”
What is the Islamic State Khorasan Province?
The group that claimed responsibility for the Crocus City Hall attack is a growing threat to Russia—and the West
Will Texas succeed in enforcing its own immigration law?
The state’s latest challenge to the federal government’s powers, SB4, is in limbo
Might Russia run out of big guns?
Its armed forces may be out-shelling the Ukrainians—but they are wearing out their artillery
How can democracies respond to rigged elections?
A host of Western countries reject the results of Russia’s sham election
What is photo retouching and when is it permissible?
The edited photo of Kate Middleton shows what a minefield it can be
Who is Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, Haiti’s most prominent gang leader?
The warlord is one of the country’s most powerful men—for now
Why Germany is reluctant to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine
Olaf Scholz seems determined to defy pressure from Germany’s allies and domestic opposition
Why American cars are so big
A regulatory loophole that incentivised sales of big vehicles is about to be tightened
What is Hindutva, the ideology of India’s ruling party?
It seeks to equate Indianness with Hinduism
Does generative artificial intelligence infringe copyright?
Several lawsuits, one brought by the New York Times, could soon answer the question
Why do Nvidia’s chips dominate the AI market?
The firm has three big advantages
Can transgender women breastfeed?
Biological males may have a latent capacity to produce small amounts of milk
Why is Nikki Haley losing to Donald Trump on home ground?
The former governor of South Carolina is set to lose a primary showdown in her state on Saturday
What is Russia’s mysterious new space weapon?
Theories include a space-nuke or a nuclear-powered jammer
How Ukraine sank the Caesar Kunikov—and is beating Russia at sea
It is the fourth landing ship Ukraine has taken out in the Black Sea in seven months
Who is Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s probable next president?
The former general appears to have won the election, after rebranding himself as a cuddly character
How Donald Trump’s re-election would threaten NATO’s Article 5
And thus play into Russia’s hands
How to know when the world has passed 1.5°C of global warming
We explain in four charts
A history of settler violence in the West Bank
The number of attacks by Israelis on Palestinians has risen since October 7th
Why has The Economist changed its typeface?
Keen-eyed readers will have noticed that our website, app and print edition look different
What is an atmospheric river?
The storm systems battering California have a global reach
Why is there so much violence in Balochistan?
Militant groups in the region are a common problem for Iran and Pakistan
Can anyone do anything about Viktor Orban?
Hungary’s prime minister is blocking EU aid for Ukraine. Other governments are at their wits’ end
Did an Israeli hospital raid breach the laws of war?
Disguising a soldier as a doctor can be an act of “perfidy”

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