The Economist | Independent journalism
Democracy | Is America dictator-proof?
The many vulnerabilities, and enduring strengths, of America’s republic
Britain
Spies, trade and tech: China’s relationship with Britain
China was once seen as a golden opportunity. It is increasingly viewed as a threat
Finance & economics
Narendra Modi’s flagship growth scheme is off to a sluggish start
Without improvements, it risks wasting trillions of rupees
The world in brief
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defence Minister, said that his country’s operation in Rafah “will continue with additional forces”...
Chinese authorities announced sweeping measures to stabilise the country’s ailing property sector...
Vladimir Putin said that Russia has no plans to capture the city of Kharkiv in north-east Ukraine, but that the military was creating a “buffer zone” in the Kharkiv region to protect Russia’s border...
Xi Jinping and Mr Putin promised a “new era” of relations between China and Russia and a strengthening of military ties...
Germany’s government is barely holding together
The mood in the country is miserable—and it is getting worse
Schumpeter: What do Joe Biden and the boss of Starbucks have in common?
Both are grappling with gloomy consumers at home and trouble abroad
Six charts help to explain 2024’s freakish temperatures
Could the end of El Niño bring some relief?
Shirley Conran wrote a bonkbuster to teach schoolgirls about sex
The author and campaigner for maths education died on May 9th, aged 91
This week
The most important political stories this week
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meeting in Beijing, a would-be assassin seriously wounds Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia—and more
The most important business stories this week
Joe Biden imposes another round of tariffs on Chinese goods, OpenAI updates its chatbot model —and more
KAL’s cartoon
A lighter look at the week's events
Letters to the editor
On college protests, farming, Emmanuel Macron, Jeremy Clarkson, working on a plane, lonely-hearts ads
World news
The Xi-Putin partnership is not a marriage of convenience
It is one of vital, long-term necessity
An assassination attempt against Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico
The country is split by struggles over corruption and the rule of law
The narcissism of minor differences, Labour Party edition
On the centre-left the small divisions can be the most toxic
The main opposition candidate on how to fight organised crime in Mexico
New leadership and outside help are needed, says Xóchitl Gálvez
Business, finance and economics
America’s 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs: bad policy, worse leadership
The global trade system is disintegrating as you read this
The property firm that could break China’s back
If Vanke collapses, so might confidence in the state’s management of the economy
America is in the midst of an extraordinary startup boom
How the country revived its go-getting spirit
God™: an ageing product outperforms expectations
An economist tries to explain religion
The war in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year term ends on May 20th
But he has no plans to step down or call an election during wartime
What are the Russian “turtle tanks” seen in Ukraine?
Wrapping vehicles in corrugated metal might protect them from drone attacks
Sergei Shoigu’s sacking points to yet more attrition in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin wants Russia’s armed forces to be better supplied
Tracking the Ukraine war: where is the latest fighting?
Our satellite view of the conflict, updated daily
Strife in the Middle East
The Israeli army is caught in a doom loop in Gaza
And the refusal to plan for the day after the war is fuelling a crisis with America
Israel has seen arms embargoes before
But this time it will struggle without American military support
On Independence Day Israel is ripping itself apart
Anger, tears and recriminations
Why are Arab armed forces so ineffective?
Governments are splashing the cash, but that may do little to burnish their armies’ reputations
Stories most read by subscribers
Featured read
App stores are hugely lucrative—and under attack
Governments want to curb their power
Video
America’s election year
A mano-a-mano contest between Michael Cohen and Donald Trump
The hush-money trial hinges on the testimony of the former president’s former fixer
In brief
Biden and Trump agree to debate; Cohen’s cross-examination resumes
Our daily political update, featuring stories that matter
US election 2024
Can you build a Trump voter?
Try our tool—and see which attributes make voters more likely to pick one candidate over the other
Trump v Biden: who’s ahead in the polls?
The Economist is tracking the race to be America’s next president
India’s election
Who could replace Narendra Modi?
A leadership struggle is brewing in India’s ruling party
Banyan: Narendra Modi ramps up the Muslim-baiting
Is the Indian prime minister confident, or worried?
1843 magazine | Rahul Gandhi is on the march. But where is he heading?
He wants to be the champion of Indian liberalism. First he needs to save his party from irrelevance
Even disillusioned young Indian voters favour Narendra Modi
They worry about their future, but do not blame the BJP
Other highlights
Alice Munro was the English language’s Chekhov
The Nobel prizewinning short-story writer died on May 13th, aged 92
#Tradwives, the real housewives of the internet, have gone viral
Why social-media users are riveted by the domestic toil of homemakers
1843 magazine | Why is Britain hopeless at punishing corruption?
The Serious Fraud Office had a slam-dunk case. This is the inside story of how it fell apart
Venice’s new admission fee cannot curb overtourism
It is too low, and there are too many exemptions
Weekly edition: May 18th 2024
Is America dictator-proof?
An American startup boom
How the country revived its go-getting spirit
China, Russia and the grey zone
Xi Jinping is subtler than Vladimir Putin—yet equally disruptive
The BJP’s power vacuum
A leadership struggle is brewing in India’s ruling party
Economists and God
An ageing product outperforms expectations
Special reports: May 11th 2024
Worlds apart
The American-led financial order is giving way to a more divided one
The global financial system is in danger of fragmenting
How crises reshaped the world financial system
The movement of capital globally is in decline
National payment systems are proliferating
The fight to dethrone the dollar
How the financial system would respond to a superpower war
Sources and acknowledgments