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The Economist explains

Subjects topical and timeless, profound and peculiar, explained with The Economist's trademark clarity and brevity

The Economist explains

Who are the Druze, the victims of a deadly strike on Israel?

The religious minority has often been caught up in regional crossfire in the Middle East

The Economist explains

Myanmar’s rapidly changing civil war, in maps and charts

Ethnic militias and pro-democracy groups are scoring victories against the governing junta

The Economist explains

Who will be Kamala Harris’s running-mate?

She is reportedly vetting a dozen options. These are the top three

The Economist explains

Why have so few American presidents been from the West?

Kamala Harris’s nomination would be a milestone for the region

The Economist explains

Why the Olympics still has a doping problem

Cheating with drugs has again become an organised affair

The Economist explains

Why some Russian athletes will be eligible to compete at the Paris Olympics

Despite antipathy between the Russian government and the International Olympic Committee a handful will compete

The Economist explains

Why did the Secret Service fail to protect Trump from being shot?

Lawmakers want an accounting for mistakes that nearly resulted in Mr Trump’s assassination on July 13th

The Economist explains

What is the Chinese Communist Party’s third plenum?

Hundreds of the party’s senior members gather in Beijing amid hopes they will speed up economic reforms

The Economist explains

Who might Donald Trump pick as his running-mate?

The Republican nominee has a number of hopefuls to pick from

The Economist explains

Why Finland and others are vaccinating people against bird flu

The virus is spreading undetected in mammals

The Economist explains

Ten plausible contenders to replace Joe Biden

The Democrats have a deep bench of talent

The Economist explains

How will Democrats replace Joe Biden as their candidate for president?

And who could replace him on the ticket?