Sarah Palin and Santa Claus are among the candidates contesting Alaska’s special primary election. Palin, a former Republican vice presidential candidate, hopes to win the House seat that is open for the first time in nearly 50 years. So does Santa Claus, a 75-year-old North Pole councilman, described by CNN as “a portly, bearded Anglican monk who wears a red robe”. He changed his name from Thomas Patrick O’Connor in 2005.
Woman wins $5.2m payout after getting STD in car
Latin and French phrases ‘alienate people’
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Money dysmorphia: why people think they're poorer than they areIn The Spotlight Wealthy people and the young are more likely to have distorted perceptions
-
Full-body scans: are Neko Health and the like more panic than panacea?The Explainer Hailed as the 'future of medicine' by some, but not all experts are convinced
-
The Last of Us, series two: 'post-apocalyptic television at its peak'The Week Recommends Second instalment of hit show is just as 'gutsy' and 'thoughtful' as the first
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weaponsThe Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarrayIn the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliamentTHE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysisIn Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
-
Why Assad fell so fastThe Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
-
Romania's election rerunThe Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
