The Economist | Independent journalism
The US in brief
New election-interference charges for Trump
Money Talks
Taylor’s version (part one)
“Dateline” history quiz
This week: a royal wedding; BP’s big spill; and more
Leaders
Why inflation fell without a recession
High interest rates, not the passage of time, have restored price stability
China
After six years in China, our bureau chief says farewell
He leaves a country that is increasingly unwilling to accept foreign scrutiny
Finance & economics
How Vladimir Putin hopes to transform Russian trade
He believes the country’s future lies with China and India. What could go wrong?
The world in brief
Pavel Durov, the founder and chief executive of Telegram, was charged by French authorities for crimes related to illegal activity on the social-media app...
Nvidia, an American chipmaker, reported $30bn in revenue in the three months to July—up by 122% from the same period a year ago and 15% from the previous quarter...
Profits at BYD, China’s biggest carmaker, rose by 24% year on year during the first half of 2024...
Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s investment firm, became the first American company outside of the tech sector to hit $1trn in market value...
Meta is accused of “bullying” the open-source community
It hopes its models will set the standard for open-source artificial intelligence
Schumpeter: What could stop the Nvidia frenzy?
Two contradictions could stymie the AI chipmaker-in-chief
To hold the Senate, Democrats have to do something extraordinary
They must pull off the biggest reversal of electoral disadvantage since 1978
John Sainsbury, a donor to the National Gallery, had the last laugh
A hidden letter offers an insight into disputes between artists and patrons
The US in brief
New election-interference charges for Trump
Money Talks
Taylor’s version (part one)
“Dateline” history quiz
This week: a royal wedding; BP’s big spill; and more
America’s election
Kamala Harris can beat Donald Trump. But how would she govern?
Being a politician is about more than campaigning. More policy detail is needed
Kamala Harris completes her reinvention
As the Democrats’ convention ends, the general election begins in earnest
Our presidential-election forecast
Kamala Harris has put the Democrats back in the running
1843 magazine | Kamala Harris is running on vibes
Delegates at the DNC can’t agree whether she is moderate or progressive. They’re just relieved she’s not Biden
Video
The war in Ukraine
The Kremlin is close to crushing Pokrovsk, a vital Ukrainian town
Even as Ukraine raids Russia, it is losing another key battle
1843 magazine | “I use anti-tank mines for weightlifting”: meet Ukraine’s Paralympians
The war-wounded join forces with soldiers on leave in the pursuit of sporting success
Tracking the Ukraine war: where is the latest fighting?
Our satellite view of the conflict, updated daily
What next after Ukraine’s invasion of Russia?
It could dig in, pull back or grab more as a bargaining chip
World news
Israel’s settlers are winning unprecedented power from the war in Gaza
They are gaining land—and sway over the army, police and politics
The poisonous global politics of water
Polarisation makes it harder to adapt to climate change
Is Xi Jinping an AI doomer?
China’s elite is split over artificial intelligence
After decades of decline, Poland’s population seems to be increasing
Immigration and the war are the reasons
Business, finance and economics
Bartleby: What to do about pets in the office
Dogs can bring both joy and chaos
India’s largest airline is flying high
IndiGo has conquered its home market. Its ambitions are rising
Buttonwood: Investors should avoid a new generation of rip-off ETFs
Some proposals may even be a risk to financial stability
Mike Lynch was Britain’s first software billionaire
He was celebrating his freedom when his yacht sank in a freak storm
America’s economy
What to make of America’s topsy-turvy economy
Don’t panic just yet
America’s recession signals are flashing red. Don’t believe them
We assess a range of measures
Will America’s economy swing the election?
It is not entering recession, but it is slowing down. That is bad news for Kamala Harris
Can Kamala Harris win on the economy?
A visit to a crucial swing state reveals the problems she will face
Israel’s wars
Israel and Hizbullah play with fire
They both attempt escalating attacks that fall short of all-out war
The Middle East’s bizarre waiting game: ceasefire or Armageddon?
Israel accepts a proposal to pause fighting but Hamas’s hardliners may not
How vulnerable is Israel to sanctions?
So far, measures have had little effect. That could change
Iran’s electronic confrontation with Israel
The two adversaries are engaged in an intense cyber struggle, with Israel still a click ahead
Summer food
In praise of mangoes
South Asia’s mangoes deserve a wider audience
How Provençal rosé became the summer tipple par excellence
When temperatures rise, wine-drinkers think pink
The world’s best summertime drink relies on nature’s magic
Making tepache, like any other fermentation project, is a lesson in co-operation
When it comes to ice cream, the instinct to innovate is misguided
Forget flavours like ketchup, pickle and blood. It’s best to keep it vanilla
Travel
Madrid, one of Europe’s largest cities, deserves more appreciation
It is now the subject of a comprehensive new biography
From Taylor Swift to Star Trek, niche cruises are on the rise
Themed offerings are luring young and old
Exposure to the sun’s UV radiation may be good for you
For now, though, keep the sun cream handy
We enjoyed reading these books on holiday. You might, too
A selection of titles chosen by The Economist’s journalists
Summer stories
From Coachella to Burning Man, festivals are having a bad year
Tickets are no longer selling out
Engineered dust could help make Mars habitable
Restoring water on Mars may be easier than you think
Reality TV is irritating but irresistible
There is more to the format than meets the eye
How long would it take to read the greatest books of all time?
The Economist consulted bibliophile data scientists to get an answer
Our summer issue
1843 magazine | How to get rich (Taylor’s version)
Think you know the story of how Taylor Swift took on the music industry? The reality is more complicated
1843 magazine | How the Proud Boys are prepping for a second Trump term
They led the charge on the Capitol. What next?
1843 magazine | Marwan Barghouti, the world’s most important prisoner
There’s one Palestinian who could help end the conflict. He’s in an Israeli jail
1843 magazine | The cruise that will get you chased by the Chinese coastguard
China is bullying its rivals in the South China Sea. For some tourists, that makes it a perfect holiday destination
Recent highlights
Why do Australians live so long?
A new study finds they far outlive people in other English-speaking countries
Why the world is teeming with so many new sports leagues
Interest from fans and investors has led to a surge. But is it a winning strategy?
The trial of Lucy Letby has shocked British statisticians
And shown that many Britons are woefully ignorant of statistics
America is sabotaging itself in the global battle for talent
Some countries are much more serious about attracting the highly skilled
Stories most read by subscribers
Featured read
Nudity, drinking, smoking: Winston Churchill’s unusual diplomacy
His time at the White House serves as a case study in getting what you want
AI schools briefs
A short history of AI
In the first of six weekly briefs, we ask how AI overcame decades of underdelivering
AI firms will soon exhaust most of the internet’s data
Can they create more?
How AI models are getting smarter
Deep neural networks are learning diffusion and other tricks
LLMs will transform medicine, media and more
But not without a helping (human) hand
Edition: August 24th 2024
How would she govern?
Russia’s mysterious middlemen
Sanctions are as watertight as a sieve
Indian tourists go global
A booming middle class, budget flights and Bollywood
Big food’s big upheaval
It must contend with weight-loss drugs and concerns about processed foods
Complaining about kidults
Is Western culture stopping people from growing up?
