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British Airways made a demonstration Concorde flight to Caracas in 1975, pictured here. Air France made the city a weekly destination for its supersonic flights.

Why is the US attacking Venezuela?

After months of build-up, the US has attacked Venezuela and taken President Nicolás Maduro and his wife into American custody. How did it get to this?

  • Angus Holland, Jackson Graham and Felicity Lewis

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Social media footage showed the early stages of the fire as it spread across the ceiling.

A flashover probably occurred during the Swiss nightclub fire. Here’s what that means

Soaring temperatures in enclosed-space fires mean the entire contents of a room can ignite almost simultaneously, with unsurvivable consequences for those inside.

  • John Yoon

It takes just one driver to start a ‘phantom jam’. Can you avoid them?

It’s a mysterious yet oh-so familiar phenomenon on the roads. What makes cars grind to a halt for no apparent reason?

  • Angus Holland
This image combines Jeffrey Epstein in a photo from the New York State Sex Offender Registry in 2017 and an image of stenographer notes from unsealed grand jury testimony about Epstein in 2006.

More Epstein files are set to be released. Here’s what we know so far

A tranche of documents about Jeffrey Epstein will be unsealed this week. What are they, and what might they reveal?

  • Angus Holland

An ousted leader, a Nobel laureate at the helm: How Bangladesh plans to rebuild itself

No stranger to turmoil, Bangladesh is set to usher in a new democratic future. How did it get here – and how is it meeting the challenge?

  • Angus Holland

Born to be a little wild, but no rebel without a cause: Inside the world of Japan’s first female PM

She plays drums for fun, barely sleeps – and is enjoying a wave of popularity right now. What challenges does Sanae Takaichi face as she settles into Japan’s top job?

  • Angus Holland
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How Gavin Newsom got under Trump’s skin – with jokes

Hollywood looks, a sense of humour and pushback against the president have put the California governor in the spotlight. Could he end up in the top job? One test is coming up next month.

  • Angus Holland

‘That moment of agreement’: How treaties with First Nations people work around the world

There’s the Treaty of Waitangi, modern agreements in British Columbia, and hundreds of historic treaties in the US. What can we expect as Victoria prepares to sign Australia’s first formal treaty with traditional owners?

  • Jackson Graham

Daylight saving is here again (for some). What’s it all about?

Time can be a controversial business. Beyond the twice-yearly clock shifting that’s familiar to many, reaching global agreement on time zones and the squiggly International Date Line has been no mean feat. How did it happen?

  • Felicity Lewis and Angus Holland
Nobel prize winners Albert Einstein, Jody Williams and Barack Obama.

How do you win a Nobel Prize?

Even some of the greatest minds can only dream of winning a Nobel Prize. But what if the dream comes true? And could it for Donald Trump?

  • Angus Holland

Original URL: https://www.watoday.com.au/topic/explainers-1lz9