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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

How China’s Belt and Road Initiative is changing

The many motivations behind Xi Jinping’s key foreign policy

The Economist explains

A short history of Gaza

To understand this war, consider the territory’s past

The Economist explains

Why the Polish election campaign has been so vicious

A knife’s-edge vote has turned into a sword fight

The Economist explains

How powerful is Hamas?

Long politically dominant in Gaza, it has become better equipped militarily

The Economist explains

How America’s House of Representatives will choose a speaker

Jim Jordan is hoping to land the job—and end the chaos—on October 17th

The Economist explains

Why France has worked itself into a frenzy about bedbugs

The thought of the unpleasant critters is worse than the threat they pose

The Economist explains

Can Russia repeat its winter bombing of Ukraine’s electricity grid?

Estimates of its capacity to make missiles vary

The Economist explains

What happens if America’s government shuts down this weekend?

For starters, millions of people will not get paid

The Economist explains

What is America’s farm bill, and why does it matter?

It has transformed the agriculture industry and given millions of Americans food security

The Economist explains

Why Poland is halting its supply of weapons to Ukraine

A row over duty-free grain has escalated rapidly—but Poland’s government is also posturing

The Economist explains

Could the 14th Amendment bar Donald Trump from becoming president again?

Some conservative legal scholars think so—but the idea is a long shot

The Economist explains

What is Khalistan, the independent homeland some Sikhs yearn for?

The separatist movement is now largely propagated from abroad