The UN has 193 member states. A growing number of “country counters” are trying to visit them all. Curious as to why? Register for free to continue reading Photo: Panos Pictures

The Economist

Where past military leaders treated violence as a tragic necessity, Pete Hegseth celebrates war as righteous and even thrilling. One longs for a return to high standards for America’s most important jobs

The Economist

The US Treasury market is in trouble. Both the executive and the legislature must summon the will to confront the underlying long-term problem and find ways to shrink borrowing

The Economist

Ahead of Xi Jinping’s trip to North Korea, Kim Jong Un has sent a clear signal that his atomic aspirations are not up for debate

The Economist

Technology forges new art forms and destroys them. The printing press galvanised literature and rubbed out illuminated manuscripts. Cinema killed the music hall. Today a popular gizmo is threatening another intricate craft

The Economist

“Frugality wasn’t for the purpose of financial independence. Frugality was for the purpose of conserving the resources of Mother Earth,” Vicki Robin tells “The Weekend Intelligence”. Listen now to discover how retiring early can benefit you and the planet

The Economist

To understand Kafkaesque bureaucracy, it helps to read Kafka. But Jane Austen and H.G. Wells offer lessons for office life, too: Illustration: Paul Blow

The Economist

Christian activists in Nigeria are following American evangelicals in framing the country’s security crisis in religious terms—some even allege that a “genocide” is under way

The Economist

On “Checks and Balance” this week: “83% of their electricity is generated from oil.” @chowardchoward explains why America’s embargo is causing so much damage in Cuba

The Economist

So nukes are off the agenda as Xi Jinping heads to Pyongyang

The Economist

A new biography of Alexander is brutal, violent and staggeringly bloody. It is, in other words, splendid fun. Register for free to learn why it is also, in some ways, unusual Illustration: Ricardo Tomás

The Economist

“Recursive self-improvement” is both tantalising and worrying

The Economist

Ukraine has become a crucial security partner for Europe. Bringing it into the EU would bolster a continent that looks vulnerable among more predatory great powers