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why the plane market is unlikely to crash

why the plane market is unlikely to crash

TWO YEARS ago at the Dubai Air Show,things were looking rosy for planemakers. The four tremendous...


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why a tough talking mayor is about to become...

why a tough talking mayor is about to become...

A CONTINUITY candidate should have it easy in the Philippines. For most of the six years that the...


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what bots are

what bots are

“I PROPOSE,whether and when found, to buy him by his beastly neck, and shake him till he...


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the difference between virtual and augmented...

the difference between virtual and augmented...

whether COMPUTING companies have their way,then 2016 will be the year in which virtual reality (VR)...


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the differences between the catholic and orthodox...

the differences between the catholic and orthodox...

TO A non-Christian,or even to a Christian who prefers to keep doctrine and worship as simple as...


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why the anglicans  meeting matters

why the anglicans meeting matters

ON JANUARY 11th,38 leaders of Anglican provinces around the world will open a five-day meeting in...


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why referendums are not always a good idea

why referendums are not always a good idea

REFERENDUMS are spreading across Europe. During the 1970s only around two were held,on average, each...


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why britain s government is being harder on the...

why britain s government is being harder on the...

A FAVOURITE slogan of Britain's Conservative government is that "we are all in this together"....


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why big banknotes may be on the way out

why big banknotes may be on the way out

HIGH-value banknotes maintain received a lot of base press recently. In early February the European...


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how shadow banking works

how shadow banking works

ON JANUARY 5th,in a campaign speech in original York, American senator Bernie Sanders pledged to...


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why central banks are talking about throwing money...

why central banks are talking about throwing money...

CENTRAL banks occupy gone to extraordinary lengths to obtain their slumping economies moving again:...


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will dilma rousseff survive impeachment...

will dilma rousseff survive impeachment...

ON MARCH 18th Brazil’s political crisis entered a new phase. After months of procedural...


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why south korea is worrying about the position of...

why south korea is worrying about the position of...

THE murder of a 23-year-old woman in Seoul,the South Korean capital, on May 17th is shocking for at...


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why students in africa are protesting

why students in africa are protesting

final month,Nigeria’s oldest university, the University of Ibadan, anddered its students to...


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how a podcast spurred a new hearing for a murder...

how a podcast spurred a new hearing for a murder...

JOURNALISTS are generally in the commerce of reporting the news,not making it. But over the past...


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why both i and me can be right

why both i and me can be right

"I'M TALL,but my brother is taller than __" How do you complete this sentence?  There are at...


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what are the panama papers and why do they matter?

what are the panama papers and why do they matter?

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN had not heard of Mossack Fonseca when he observed “nothing can be said to be...


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why austria s asylum cap is so controversial

why austria s asylum cap is so controversial

EUROPE is divided on how to handle the largest number of refugees since the moment world war....


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why some of india s castes demand to be...

why some of india s castes demand to be...

IN LATE February the citizens of Delhi were made painfully aware of a grievance borne by the Jats of...


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why the citizens of flint have poisonous tap water

why the citizens of flint have poisonous tap water

ENSCONCED between Lake Michigan,Lake Huron and Lake Erie, Michigan is surrounded by the remarkable...


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why is poland s government worrying the eu?

why is poland s government worrying the eu?

POLAND is giving Brussels a headache. Since the socially conservative and mildly Eurosceptic Law and...


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why the press said donald trump could never win

why the press said donald trump could never win

AS SURELY as the sun rises in the east,a major American political party could never nominate Donald...


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the worries about china s slowing growth

the worries about china s slowing growth

ON THE face of it,this should be a triumphant day for China. It reported that the economy grew by...


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hollande s call to revoke the citizenship of...

hollande s call to revoke the citizenship of...

SINCE the terrorist attacks in Paris in November,the French president, François Hollande, and has...


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why  off price  shops are trouncing department...

why off price shops are trouncing department...

MACY'S,an American department store, announced results on January 6th it euphemistically...


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what is  healthy ?

what is healthy ?

final week America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would reconsider its definition of...


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why american cities are raising the minimum wage

why american cities are raising the minimum wage

“I DON’T know how people make it on $7.25 an hour”,Donald Trump confessed over the weekend on...


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how filibustering works

how filibustering works

IN MARCH ministers of the South Korean parliament set a modern world record by speaking for 192...


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how facebook became an advertising behemoth

how facebook became an advertising behemoth

IT WAS not too long ago that many people believed Facebook would flame out. Several social...


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how supersonic jets may become less noisy

how supersonic jets may become less noisy

FOR its time,Concorde was a technological marvel whether not a commercial success. Only 14 aircraft,...


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why firms are piling into artificial intelligence

why firms are piling into artificial intelligence

SOMETIMES it is perceived as a figment of the far future. But artificial intelligence (AI) is...


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ireland s general election

ireland s general election

ON FEBRUARY 26th,Ireland will go to the polls to elect 158 representatives for the Dáil Éireann,...


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why the zika virus was ignored for so long

why the zika virus was ignored for so long

ON FEBRUARY 1st,the World Health Organisation declared the spread of the Zika virus a global public...


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how airlines cut costs

how airlines cut costs

IN THE 1980s a cabin crew at American Airlines observed that its passengers would fortunately wolf...


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how america 039;s top court justifies affirmative...

how america 039;s top court justifies affirmative...

FIFTY years ago,President Lyndon Johnson spoke of the need for affirmative action in an address at...


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what apis are

what apis are

A FEDERAL jury has handed Google a huge victory in its long-running battle with a rival,Oracle, over...


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whether the catholic church will ordain women

whether the catholic church will ordain women

POPE FRANCIS has a habit of causing shock-waves with seemingly off-the-cuff remarks. It...


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why gdp is a poor measure of progress

why gdp is a poor measure of progress

WOULD a feudal king swap places with a present-day insurance clerk? The king has many palaces and...


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the conflict in nagorno karabakh

the conflict in nagorno karabakh

FEW NOTICED when intense fighting broke out in early April in Nagorno-Karabakh,a disputed enclave...


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how obamacare has been attacked in court

how obamacare has been attacked in court

SINCE 2010,when the Affordable Care Act became law, Republicans in Congress have pursued a...


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why lesbians tend to earn more than heterosexual...

why lesbians tend to earn more than heterosexual...

EVERYONE knows that labour markets are not objective. Whether it is skin colour,gender, or some...


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why gdp is so difficult to measure

why gdp is so difficult to measure

MEASURING output is the best way we have of taking the temperature of an economy. But the industry...


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why britain is copying america 039;s metro mayors

why britain is copying america 039;s metro mayors

FOR MANY current Yorkers,the man who tamed their city was Rudy Giuliani. Mr Guliani was Mayor of...


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why britain s ahmadis are worried

why britain s ahmadis are worried

THE murder of a shopkeeper in Glasgow on March 24th has drawn attention to Britain’s relatively...


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why the world has too much steel

why the world has too much steel

THE two giant furnaces at Port Talbot steelworks,Britain’s biggest, were still hard at work this...


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why the easter rising still matters

why the easter rising still matters

In many nations,celebrations of the state’s founding event (from the signing of the American...


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what chance do the syria peace talks have of...

what chance do the syria peace talks have of...

THE UN-sponsored Syria peace talks in Geneva began on March 14th and are,all being well, scheduled...


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why apple is tussling with american law...

why apple is tussling with american law...

APPLE is the most valuable listed company in the world. It has also become the most controversial....


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what is at stake in taiwan s election

what is at stake in taiwan s election

TAIWAN’S voters disappear the polls on January 16th to elect a unique president and parliament...


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why facebook s  free internet  effort is in...

why facebook s free internet effort is in...

AT THE Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in 2013,label Zuckerberg, Facebook’s boss, or told the...


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could facebook influence the outcome of the...

could facebook influence the outcome of the...

IN “HOUSE OF CARDS”,a reveal on Netflix approximately ambitious and immoral politicians in...


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why washington, dc is seeking statehood

why washington, dc is seeking statehood

ON APRIL 15th the District of Columbia celebrated Emancipation Day,which commemorates Abraham...


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why american equities are close to a record high

why american equities are close to a record high

IN JANUARY and February,fairness markets took a battering around the world. But since then a...


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why pakistan has failed to take back power from...

why pakistan has failed to take back power from...

PAKISTAN's civilian and military elite are forever jetting off to Dubai. But the routine...


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why rockstars and firms are boycotting north...

why rockstars and firms are boycotting north...

IN FEBRUARY,the city council of Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city, or passed a...


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why hijackings are no longer common

why hijackings are no longer common

ABOUT 15 minutes after a Cairo-bound EgyptAir flight took off from Alexandria,Seif Eldrin Mustafa...


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why obama s visit to cuba is groundbreaking

why obama s visit to cuba is groundbreaking

HE MAKES fairly a warm-up act. The Rolling Stones will play a free concert in Havana on March 25th...


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the point of america s election debates

the point of america s election debates

THE ostensible purpose of an election campaign debate is to give candidates a chance to share their...


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why india s newspaper business is booming

why india s newspaper business is booming

IN A recent episode of “The Simpsons” Grampa Simpson,hallucinating on prescription drugs, drives...


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why the markets fear brexit

why the markets fear brexit

BRITAIN is on the brink of agreeing a deal over the renegotiated terms of its EU membership at a...


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david cameron s hopes for a deal with the european...

david cameron s hopes for a deal with the european...

DAVID Cameron,the British prime minister, is heading to Brussels for a crucial summit with fellow...


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what are market inflation expectations and why do...

what are market inflation expectations and why do...

WITH stockmarkets tumbling and the oil price below $30,some economists are once again worrying...


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how relations between catholics and jews have...

how relations between catholics and jews have...

WHEN Pope Francis visited a synagogue in Rome on January 17th,the atmosphere was one of warmth and...


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why the worst may be over for the french economy

why the worst may be over for the french economy

WHEN the French president,François Hollande, said recently of his country’s economy that “ça...


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why australia is closing its refugee detention...

why australia is closing its refugee detention...

IN ITS short,on-off existence, the regional processing centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea...


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how a supreme court justice is appointed

how a supreme court justice is appointed

ANTONIN SCALIA’s death on February 13th emptied a seat at America’s Supreme Court for the first...


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why the clinton foundation is so controversial

why the clinton foundation is so controversial

ONE OF the main problems of Hillary Clinton in her quest to become America’s first female...


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how barack obama has reformed america s prisons

how barack obama has reformed america s prisons

WHEN Barack Obama took office 7 years ago,many wondered whether the first black president would...


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who was the shia cleric killed in saudi arabia?

who was the shia cleric killed in saudi arabia?

RELATIONS between Sunni and Shia Muslims believe been poisoned in many places by the execution of a...


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michel temer s plans for brazil

michel temer s plans for brazil

ON MAY 12th Michel Temer became the third Brazilian vice-president in 30 years to be thrust into the...


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why mexico city s pollution problem is so hard to...

why mexico city s pollution problem is so hard to...

MEXICO’S capital is not a worthy place to be an asthmatic. Its levels of ozone,a pollutant which...


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how leicester city staged the greatest upset in...

how leicester city staged the greatest upset in...

ANYONE who watches sport for long enough will see his share of upsets. Boxing aficionados remember...


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why this could be a crucial year for undocumented...

why this could be a crucial year for undocumented...

THE LARGEST crowd of demonstrators in years gathered external the Supreme Court on April 18th...


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why myanmar s path to democracy will be bumpy

why myanmar s path to democracy will be bumpy

ON MARCH 30th in Napyidaw,Myanmar’s eerie purpose-built capital, Htin Kyaw was sworn in as the...


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how ireland s traveller community remains on the...

how ireland s traveller community remains on the...

WHEN A fire ripped through a caravan site in Dublin’s Carrickmines final October,killing ten...


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how the colour palette of germany s political...

how the colour palette of germany s political...

SEVERAL German states,and perhaps the whole country one day, may believe a political future as Kenya...


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why twenty20 cricket is so successful

why twenty20 cricket is so successful

CRICKET’S day in the sun—when it would break through into the wider public consciousness—used...


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the role of religion in america s presidential...

the role of religion in america s presidential...

BY THE standards of any other Western country,the role played by faith in America’s presidential...


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why london 039;s hotels are booming

why london 039;s hotels are booming

LONDON may no longer be the capital city of the world's biggest empire,and it may not be among...


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why investors buy bonds with negative yields

why investors buy bonds with negative yields

JAPANESE ten-year bonds contain joined the long list of government securities with a negative...


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why twitter has run into trouble

why twitter has run into trouble

ON FEBRUARY 5th Twitter,the social network common among chirping celebrities and journalists, saw...


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the new transatlantic data  privacy shield

the new transatlantic data privacy shield

THE EUROPEAN Union and America beget reached a deal on data  protection. The “EU-US Privacy...


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why there are fresh hopes of a united cyprus

why there are fresh hopes of a united cyprus

FEW places reveal the anguish of a frozen conflict better than the 180km long buffer zone between...


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why vaccination rates in the west are too low

why vaccination rates in the west are too low

IN ANY list of life-saving discoveries,vaccines come near the top. In America, more than 700000...


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why fashion week is passe

why fashion week is passe

DESIGNERS should love fashion week. It is the culmination of months of work. Celebrities clamour to...


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why stockmarkets are falling

why stockmarkets are falling

SHARE prices acquire been falling persistently since the start of 2016 with markets in Europe and...


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why the world s vultures are vanishing

why the world s vultures are vanishing

AFRICA is losing its vultures. Of its 11 species of the bird,6 are at risk of extinction and 4 are...


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why trudeau wants the pope to make an apology

why trudeau wants the pope to make an apology

FOR more than a century the government of Canada ran a system of residential schools for indigenous...


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our ten most popular explainers from 2015

our ten most popular explainers from 2015

EVERY weekday The Economist explains a fresh subject,topical or timeless, profound or peculiar. As...


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why india has a water crisis

why india has a water crisis

AFTER two successive dry years,330m people in India, around a quarter of the population, or...


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why the price of quinoa has fallen

why the price of quinoa has fallen

QUINOA'S tricky pronunciation (keen-wah) has not stopped it from taking over salads in...


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why the eu turkey deal is controversial

why the eu turkey deal is controversial

ON MARCH 20th the European Union signed a deal with Turkey which was meant to help stem the flow of...


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how are social media changing democracy?

how are social media changing democracy?

Donald Trump may be unfit to be America’s president,but he clearly is a master of social media....


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how america s abortion laws have changed

how america s abortion laws have changed

IN 1970,under the alias of “Jane Roe”, a 22-year-faded woman named Norma McCorvey sued the state...


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why greeks are protesting over pension reforms...

why greeks are protesting over pension reforms...

GREEKS are on the streets protesting against pension reforms. This is hardly strange: pensions were...


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egypt five years after the uprising

egypt five years after the uprising

IT BEGAN with so much hope. Five years ago on January 25th tens of thousands of Egyptians took to...


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why eating more vegetables is good for the...

why eating more vegetables is good for the...

FILET mignon commands a princely sum on many restaurant menus. But bill-payers may not realise its...


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why argentina is ending its long debt battle

why argentina is ending its long debt battle

ARGENTINA'S $82 billion sovereign default in 2001 was the largest ever. More than fourteen...


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why planned parenthood is at the centre of america...

why planned parenthood is at the centre of america...

SINCE 1973,when America’s Supreme Court issued its ruling in Roe v Wade, there has been no pause...


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why puerto rico is in trouble

why puerto rico is in trouble

ONCE known for its pristine beaches and balmy weather,Puerto Rico, an island of 3.5m people, and is...


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why giving politicians influence over monetary...

why giving politicians influence over monetary...

FEW issues unite Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders. Increasing government influence over the Federal...


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why so many canadians privately sponsor syrian...

why so many canadians privately sponsor syrian...

CANADA's three main parties indulged in a curious game of one-upmanship during final year’s...


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why iowa is so important in the presidential...

why iowa is so important in the presidential...

IOWA is hardly representative of America in the 21st century. It is a rural state that is sparsely...


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why politicians are granted immunity from...

why politicians are granted immunity from...

HUMAN-RIGHTS watchers gulped when Turkey stripped more than 100 parliamentarians of their immunity...


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why england is reforming its school system

why england is reforming its school system

ON MARCH 17th,the government outlined a series of reforms to the English school system, including...


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why america s flagship environmental scheme may...

why america s flagship environmental scheme may...

NEVER before had America’s Supreme Court acted in such a way. On February 9th,divided five to four...


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what happened in the thirty years war?

what happened in the thirty years war?

THE TENSIONS in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia (ruled by the Sunni Saud family) and Iran (the...


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the significance of the hillsborough inquests

the significance of the hillsborough inquests

IT TOOK an interminable,unacceptable wait of 27 years. But on April 26th the families of the 96 men,...


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how america s presidential candidates are chosen

how america s presidential candidates are chosen

AMERICA’s primary-election season kicks off on February 1st,when Democrats and Republicans in Iowa...


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what we know about saint patrick

what we know about saint patrick

WHOEVER exactly Saint Patrick was,he surely never expected the fuss that would be made of him 15...


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why women are more religious than men

why women are more religious than men

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