Forty years ago, The Economist began comparing the prices of a Big Mac around the world to judge whether currencies were too cheap or too expensive. The Big Mac index is celebrating its birthday as leaders from Washington to Beijing are at loggerheads over…

Germany knew Abdul Ballout was dangerous. It let him go anyway

Blame technology, inflation and customers’ shifting habits

Social-media-savvy politicians are drawing them in

It has stepped up its abuse of Australia, the Philippines and Japan

A billionaire diplomat’s floating statecraft

The Hong Kong bookseller died on July 2nd, aged 70

No representation without taxation

What happens when the alternative becomes the mainstream?

Its country’s economy depends on it

Its boss has ambitious plans for the future

A new book tells the story of an atrocity in North Carolina in 1898 and its long aftermath

One of Narendra Modi’s proudest achievements is under scrutiny

As states led by Democrats try to squeeze the rich, Republicans want to phase out income taxes entirely

The country's future depends on events beyond its borders, as well as within them

Also on the daily podcast: how China’s “mother river” has cleaned up and the end of the postcard era

A friend of the president is racking up infrastructure contracts

America won’t import regulatory fashions that hold markets back, writes Michael Selig

McDonald’s and other chains are turning to gimmicks to lure customers back

China’s progress in artificial intelligence is impressive. In the past few weeks Chinese labs have released several models that almost match the most advanced ones created in America. Will China pull ahead in the AI race? And how is the technology reshaping…