Explainer

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U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump, participate in the CNN presidential debate at the CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump, participate in the CNN presidential debate at the CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

Is It Too Late to Replace a Presidential Candidate?

Not according to other democracies around the world.

Explainer
Jack Detsch, Christina Lu
A satellite view of Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands in the Chagos Archipelago, in the Indian Ocean.
A satellite view of Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands in the Chagos Archipelago, in the Indian Ocean.

Why Diego Garcia Matters

A dispute over a tiny island in the Indian Ocean presents complications for U.S. goals in the Indo-Pacific.

Explainer
Nitya Labh
A woman holds a microphone and waves a large Mexican flag as confetti falls from the ceiling.
A woman holds a microphone and waves a large Mexican flag as confetti falls from the ceiling.

Mexico’s Historic Elections, Explained

The country is all but guaranteed its first woman president.

Explainer
Christina Lu
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at a podium onstage at an ANC rally. Zuma wears a shirt in the green-and-yellow party colors, as do many of the people crowded onstage behind him. He also raises one fist in the air as he speaks into the microphone.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at a podium onstage at an ANC rally. Zuma wears a shirt in the green-and-yellow party colors, as do many of the people crowded onstage behind him. He also raises one fist in the air as he speaks into the microphone.

South Africa’s Uncertain Election, Explained

The African National Congress risks losing its majority for the first time since 1994.

Explainer
Christina Lu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

Can the ICC Actually Arrest Netanyahu?

A former ICC president answers questions about the top court's jurisdiction in the Israel-Hamas war.

Explainer
Chile Eboe-Osuji
French farmers drive their tractors on the A71 highway in protest.
French farmers drive their tractors on the A71 highway in protest.

Europe’s Farmer Protests Are Part of a Bigger Problem

The unrest exposes the trade-offs that governments must confront on climate policy.

Explainer
Christina Lu
The words PALESTINA LIBRE are painted on a car.
The words PALESTINA LIBRE are painted on a car.

What Does Latin America Think About the Israel-Hamas War?

Many countries are spurning Israel. But the region’s Middle East stance has always been nuanced.

Explainer
Patricia Garip
As two out of focus Palestinian flags wave in the foreground, in the background, a protester stands on the head of a bronze statue of Neptune on top of a fountain on a cloudy day. The protester waves another Palestinian flag and shouts as he leans back agains the statue's trident. Other demonstrators have climbed to rest on lower parts of the statue.
As two out of focus Palestinian flags wave in the foreground, in the background, a protester stands on the head of a bronze statue of Neptune on top of a fountain on a cloudy day. The protester waves another Palestinian flag and shouts as he leans back agains the statue's trident. Other demonstrators have climbed to rest on lower parts of the statue.

How the Gaza War Could Shape Global Politics in 2024

From India to Germany to the United States, debate over the war could have real electoral consequences.

Explainer
Amy Mackinnon
In a photo released by the Houthi military on Nov. 20, a Houthi helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea.
In a photo released by the Houthi military on Nov. 20, a Houthi helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea.

The Red Sea Crisis, Explained

A wave of Houthi missile attacks has spooked shipping companies and energy markets.

Explainer
Christina Lu
The top and side of the U.S. Capitol dome are seen through a four-paned window. The black frame blocks most of the rest of the image, obscuring about two-thirds of the photo.
The top and side of the U.S. Capitol dome are seen through a four-paned window. The black frame blocks most of the rest of the image, obscuring about two-thirds of the photo.

The Contentious Surveillance Law Making Waves in Washington

Why a regulation created to help U.S. intelligence agencies fight terror has become a political football. 

Explainer
Rishi Iyengar, Jack Detsch
Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Vladímir Padrino López reads flyer on the Venezuela-Guyana territorial dispute.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Vladímir Padrino López reads flyer on the Venezuela-Guyana territorial dispute.

Why Is Venezuela Threatening a Land-Grab War in Latin America?

Caracas has its sights set on Guyana’s vast oil deposits, and President Nicolás Maduro isn’t willing to let a little thing like international law get in his way.

Explainer
Alexandra Sharp
Several plumes of white smoke rise against a gray sky above a densely populated area of the Gaza Strip.
Several plumes of white smoke rise against a gray sky above a densely populated area of the Gaza Strip.

What the Use of White Phosphorus Means in Warfare

Israel’s use of the deadly chemical would violate international norms.

Explainer
Alexandra Sharp, Jack Detsch
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds a placard showing maps tracing the reduction of Palestinian territory from its historical borders, left, to then-U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for a Palestinian state under his new peace plan, far right, as he speaks in Ramallah.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds a placard showing maps tracing the reduction of Palestinian territory from its historical borders, left, to then-U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for a Palestinian state under his new peace plan, far right, as he speaks in Ramallah.

The Geopolitics of Palestine, Explained

Gaza wasn’t always the hot spot it is today.

Explainer
Allison Meakem
A grid of images shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a boy carrying a Palestine and a Fatah flag, a Hamas militant holding a gun with his face covered, members of Hezbollah wearing berets, fatigues, and holding flags, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants.
A grid of images shows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a boy carrying a Palestine and a Fatah flag, a Hamas militant holding a gun with his face covered, members of Hezbollah wearing berets, fatigues, and holding flags, PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants.

A Guide to Palestinian and Other Anti-Israel Factions

Hamas is not the only group vying to lead the Palestinians—or the fight against Israel.

Explainer
Alexandra Sharp, Rishi Iyengar
U.S. President Joe Biden looks at a quantum computer as he tours the IBM facility in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Oct. 6, 2022.
U.S. President Joe Biden looks at a quantum computer as he tours the IBM facility in Poughkeepsie, New York, on Oct. 6, 2022.

The Quantum Chips Are Stacking Up

Why it matters, and how worried we should be about it.

Explainer
Rishi Iyengar
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