Explainer
List of Explainer articles
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Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani arrives in Vienna. How Close Is Iran to Getting a Nuclear Weapon?
Why Tehran’s breakout time has shrunk—and the technological hurdles that remain.
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Joint military drills for the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Kyrgyzstan 3 Big Things to Know About the Russian-Led Alliance Intervening in Kazakhstan
The Collective Security Treaty Organization, explained.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual press conference in Moscow. What’s Behind Russia’s Latest Demands
Moscow has long chafed at Ukraine’s relationship with the West, so why the sudden urgency?
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U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin Kicking Russia Off of SWIFT Might Not Be the Nuclear Option
But additional economic sanctions under study could be more devastating to Moscow than the last ones were.
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Maxine Waters, chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services Why Congress Should Regulate Cryptocurrency Now
The United States has a chance to become a standard-bearer as digital currencies expand.
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Supporters of Honduran presidential candidate for the LIBRE Party Xiomara Castro take part in the campaign’s closing event in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Nov. 21. Honduras’s Pivotal Election
The country’s opposition finally has a shot at ousting the party that has ruled since a 2009 coup—if voting isn’t rigged.
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Peng Shuai plays at a tennis tournament in New Zealand. What’s Going on With China’s Missing Tennis Star?
Peng Shuai’s disappearance has mobilized the international community—and puts China’s Olympic dreams under even more scrutiny.
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Delegates sit in the action zone as they attend the third day of the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 3. 4 Key Takeaways From COP26
After two weeks of intense climate negotiations, here’s where progress was made—and where negotiations fell short.
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Indian paramilitary troopers stand guard during a random search along a street in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir, on Nov. 9, a day after a salesman was shot to death by suspected anti-India militants. What’s Behind the Latest Violence in Kashmir?
Militants are attacking minorities and outsiders in pursuit of demographic hegemony.
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A Chinese customer uses her mobile to scan a QR code while paying with the WeChat app at a local market in Beijing on Sept. 19, 2020. China’s Social Media Explosion
Now that all the major U.S. platforms have left the country, what does the world’s largest social media market look like?
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An aerial picture shows smoke rising from a forest fire outside Berdigestyakh, in Sakha, Siberia. The Gap Between Talk and Action on Climate Is on Full Display in Glasgow
Environmental disasters are rapidly engulfing the world. Can bureaucracy meet their pace?
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A man holds his daughter across from a coal power station in Shanghai. Why Xi’s Coal Pledge Is a Big Deal
With China out, there’s little investment left for global coal projects.
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Meng Wanzhou dressed in a red dress waves as she steps out of a plane with a Chinese flag on the side of it. Another Win for China’s Hostage Diplomacy
A yearslong diplomatic dispute between China and the West has finally ended.
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Drivers line up for fuel in London. What’s Causing the U.K. Fuel Crisis?
One part Brexit and one part coronavirus have derailed Britain’s transportation system—and given the government a huge headache.
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Election campaign billboards show Olaf Scholz, chancellor candidate of the German Social Democratic Party, and Armin Laschet, chancellor candidate of the Christian Democratic Union, in Berlin on Sept. 21. Germany Has Voted. What Happens Next?
Contentious coalition talks mean German Chancellor Angela Merkel could remain in her post for months to come.
