Explainers
- Explainer
- US election
An oyster farmer, a firefighter, a Kennedy: The Democrats taking the fight to the Republicans
Across the United States, parties are choosing candidates for midterm elections in November. Who are the emerging Democrat stars? And who’s in the frame to run for the presidency in 2028?
- Angus Holland and Madeleine Heffernan
Latest
- Explainer
- Foreign relations
Location, location: Why tiny island strongholds are so prized
The Indian and Pacific oceans cover roughly half the globe and are dotted with strategically valuable islands. Who has what where – and when can it get controversial?
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Trump's America
If Trump really was ‘deranged’, could he be stripped of his powers?
A president can be made to stand aside under the 25th Amendment – but it’s never happened. Who decides if he or she is no longer able to govern?
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Middle East at war
Going, going, gone: What it means to be a ‘failed’ state
The term has re-emerged as war rages in the Middle East. But what qualifies as a failed state – and why are they such a worry?
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Healthcare
‘A second chance’: How do organ donations work?
Every year, hundreds of Australians receive a lifesaving organ donation. What’s it like to gift a kidney or have a change of heart, literally? And how do transplants happen?
- Madeleine Heffernan
- Explainer
- Daylight saving
Daylight saving ends on Sunday. Where did it come from (and who invented time zones)?
Time can be a controversial business. Beyond the twice-yearly clock shifting that’s familiar to many, reaching global agreement on time zones and the squiggly International Date Line has been no mean feat. How did it happen?
- Felicity Lewis and Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Trump diplomacy
‘Cuba is finished’: What does Trump want with the island nation?
Without oil from Venezuela, the island nation is in crisis. Now Trump says he will ‘take’ it. How did Cuba get here, and what’s next?
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Middle East at war
Its seven emirates united 50 years ago. Now the UAE faces its biggest challenge yet
The UAE has had to defend against a barrage of attacks from Iran, and not only on Dubai. Why? And what are the United Arab Emirates anyway?
- Angus Holland and Felicity Lewis
- Explainer
- Middle East at war
‘We will hunt you down’: Is Pete Hegseth for real?
It’s been a busy year for Donald Trump’s unconventional pick for secretary of war. Now, with the war in Iran, he’s firmly in the spotlight. Where did he come from? How is he performing so far?
- Angus Holland and Madeleine Heffernan
- Explainer
- Middle East tensions
‘The Great Satan’: How the era of the ayatollahs began
Iran has a new Supreme Leader, only its third in nearly half a century. Here’s how the clerics came to power – and held on to it.
- Angus Holland