Financial markets are so connected that floods, drought or war in one country can sink an economy halfway across the globe. How does that work? A woman walks by piled up cars after floods in Massanassa, just outside of Valencia, Spain, 1 November 2024. (AP...
Are the Houthis in Yemen “Iran-backed” or “Iran-aligned”? Are Hezbollah members “terrorists” or “liberators”? Labels can make a big difference. A sheet of sticker labels. (Illustration by News Decoder) From 24 to 31 October, the world marks Global Media and...
Poor nations are hardest hit by extreme weather, but they can lack resources to produce forecasts that can save lives. What can be done? Hurricane shown on a weather map. (Photo by Tomas Griger) Editor’s note: The UK Foreign Office this month warned British...
These are polarising times. If we want to heal divisions and save democracy, we need to listen to views we don’t like to hear. People stick fingers in their ears to keep from hearing what they don’t want to hear. (Illustration by News Decoder) Editor’s...
If you owe too much money and can’t repay it, you could lose your car or home. Can a nation have too much debt? What happens then? A rooster, a national symbol of France, peeks out from within an empty bank vault. (Illustration by News Decoder) Editor’s...
How we perceive events like the war in Ukraine depends on our news sources. While never perfect, news media perform invaluable services. A note tacked onto a refrigerator reminds someone to pick up needed items including news. (Illustration by News Decoder)...
With an influx of migrants over the past decade, Germany is reconciling to rapidly changing demographics. The idea of German identity is evolving. In a refuge for asylum seekers in Eichsfeld, Germany, a father hugs his son who has just returned from school, 24 April...
It is easy to write off mass shootings as a U.S. problem. But they are on the rise globally. Can we find global solutions to this massive problem? Candles, flowers and other memorabilia are placed at the Viertola school in Vantaa, Finland, 3 April 2024. A 12-year-old...
A selfie on the Olympic podium of competing ping pong players from North and South Korea reminds us of the ability of sports to bridge political divides. North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik, left, and Kim Kum, foreground left, with their bronze medals, China’s Wang...
Drones are being used in warfare in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East. Other nations have them. How did we get to this point and how much should it worry us? Ukrainian servicemen of the Ochi reconnaissance unit launch a drone to fly over Russian positions at the...