This Week in Explainers: Will Donald Trump be president again?

Three weeks into 2024, the year has already been a blockbuster. The third week of the year saw Donald Trump, a former president who is facing 91 indictments, kick off his political comeback by winning the Republican caucus in Iowa in a landslide. Age-old tensions between Pakistan and Iran rose yet again as their militaries traded strikes and summoned diplomats. Across Germany, people took to the streets to protest a political party that many have compared to the Nazis – and which is currently surging in national polls. A panel high-profile panel including World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met at the 54th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland’s Davos to discuss the much-dreaded ‘Disease X’. Meanwhile, the South Korean capital of Seoul has passed a law to protect its beleaguered K-pop stars. Let’s take a look at our weekly round-up of explainers of stories from around the globe: 1. He’s back. Not that he ever really went away. Trump, who has been the putative Republican front-runner for 2024 for ages, took a big step in making that a reality . The former president absolutely demolished Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and any other pretenders to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) throne in Iowa. No sooner had the caucusing begun in the Hawkeye State than all the networks called the race in favour of Trump – to the howls of surrogates of the DeSantis campaign. But how did Trump do it? And more importantly, what does it mean for the future of the race? Is it a harbinger of things to come? This piece examines and answers all your burning questions. 2. The week also saw Iran and Pakistan, who have shared a complicated relationship for decades, exchange military strikes.

It was Tehran who unsheathed its sword first – targetting the Jaish al Adl group, a Baloch militant outfit based in Pakistan it says is responsible for a December attack which killed Iranian security forces. [caption id=“attachment_13635252” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Members of Muslim Talba Mahaz Pakistan chant slogans at a demonstration to condemn Iran strike in the Pakistani border area,in Islamabad. AP[/caption] Pakistan quickly struck back the next day – claiming to hit the Baluch Liberation Army and Baluchistan Liberation Front inside Iran using  rockets and killer drones.

The tit-for-tat strikes naturally raised fears of an all-out war between the two nuclear-armed states.

But which nation has the stronger military? And how do the nations stack up against each other? This piece gives you the low down. 3. Should we be worried about ‘Disease X?’ That was what many on social media were asking after the high-profile 54th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) held a meet to discuss the disease. Some experts, including the WHO, have warned that humanity got off lightly in the COVID-19 pandemic. They say Disease X could kill as many as 20 times the number of people that died during COVID-19. But what is Disease X?  How real is the threat from it? What are researchers and scientists doing to stop it? This piece has all the details to put your mind at ease. 4. In Germany, some are seeing a terrifying echo of the past come to life. Thousands of people have marched on the streets after a report that members of the far-right  Alternative for Germany party (AfD) attending a meeting in which plans to deport German citizens of foreign origin were discussed. Some say the meeting has obvious parallels with the ‘darkest chapter of German history’ when the Nazis, who had not yet settled upon their ‘final solution’, met to deport European Jews.

The AfD isn’t a niche party either – it’s currently polling second in nationwide polls.

This, as the current Olaf Scholz government, remains one of the least popular in modern history. [caption id=“attachment_13626452” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A person holds a sign that reads ‘Nazis out’ as people protest against the Alternative for Germany party (AfD). Reuters[/caption] The German people may find themselves yet again cursed to live in interesting times. 5. Think it’s easy being a K-pop star? Think again. More and more K-pop artists are coming out about their journey superstardom – specifically the trials and tribulations they faced on the ascent. Now, South Korea’s capital Seoul, has passed a law to protect the idols of tomorrow. But how does it work? And will the new law protect the K-pop stars in training? This piece gives you the knowledge and takes you behind the scenes of the glitz and glamour. 6. You may have noticed something peculiar in the photos of young folk. That teens, now known as Gen Z, are covering their noses in family photos.

Why would they do this, you parents might ask yourself.

Also, where did this baffling trend begin? Also, huh? [caption id=“attachment_13624842” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] In a photo posted by Paris Fury, her daughter Venezuela and niece Valentino do the ’nose cover’ pose. Image Courtesy: @PARISFURY1/Instagram[/caption] Those are all good questions. This article gives you the answers. 7. America just got a lot bigger. The country grew by 386,000 square miles – or twice the size of Spain to be exact – according to the state department. But how did the country manage to pull that off? And are there any implications for the future? This piece explains the who, what, how and why of it all. You are all caught up for the week. If you like our explainers and want to remain updated, bookmark  this page .