Explainers
- 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
Latest
- Explainer
- Trump diplomacy
Unfinished business: Why Trump floated a ‘friendly takeover’ of Cuba
The US has extracted Venezuela’s leader and launched attacks on Iran’s regime this year. Now Donald Trump says Cuba will fall too. The island nation is in crisis. What’s next?
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Petrol prices
The narrow strip of water off Iran affecting petrol prices
About a fifth of the world’s oil and LNG passes through the Strait of Hormuz every day. What happens when a war breaks out across it – and how does it affect petrol prices?
- Angus Holland, Jackson Graham and Madeleine Heffernan
- Explainer
- Health
Bunions, corns, plantar fasciitis: How to nail foot trouble before it’s too late
Some people get the “ick” over feet. Yet problems such as corns and callus are very common. Here’s what causes them as well as the painful condition known as “jogger’s heel”.
- Madeleine Heffernan
- Explainer
- Public transport
The dream lives on but can high-speed rail ever work in Australia?
With details of a new high-speed rail line soon to be revealed, could this be the plan that actually gets up?
- Patrick Hatch
- Explainer
- Real life
What’s the secret to a well-rounded life? These researchers have a theory
Whether it’s crafting or learning to play a ukulele, a hobby can boost your mental health and improve your ability to focus. Here’s why.
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Nuclear disarmament
The last US-Russia nuclear treaty has expired. What now?
Since the dawn of the nuclear age, there have been efforts to limit nuclear arms. What does this treaty’s lapse mean for the world?
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- US politics
‘This is not a joke’: Could the US take control of Greenland?
Donald Trump has upped the ante in his efforts to ‘get’ the Danish territory. Could he do it?
- Angus Holland
- Explainer
- Venezuela crisis
Why is the US attacking Venezuela?
After months of build-up, the US has attacked Venezuela and taken President Nicolás Maduro and his wife into American custody. How did it get to this?
- Angus Holland, Jackson Graham and Felicity Lewis
- Explainer
- Roads
It takes just one driver to start a ‘phantom jam’. Can you avoid them?
It’s a mysterious yet oh-so familiar phenomenon on the roads. What makes cars grind to a halt for no apparent reason?
- Angus Holland