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As it turned out, Donald Trump didn’t feel the need to wait two weeks before making his decision to join Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear programme. On Saturday afternoon, UK time, a number of the US air force’s B-2 bombers were observed to have taken off from their base in Missouri, fuelling speculation that these warplanes and their cargo of 30,000lb “bunker buster” bombs might soon be going into action.
Early on Sunday morning Trump announced that they had delivered their payload and had “totally and completely obliterated” key enrichment sites. Full details are still emerging, but what is clearer, writes Simon Mabon, is that the US decision to join Israel’s attack marks a new and dangerous era.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by negative news and losing hope in human goodness, you’re not alone. But there are powerful antidotes to our collective “headline stress disorder”. This article by positive psychologist Christian van Nieuwerburgh explores the fascinating research behind the “light triad” of personality traits that reveal the inherent kindness, compassion and dignity that exists within us all. He shares five simple ways to reignite your faith in
humanity and spread positivity in your daily life.
And scientists are drilling through Antarctica’s ice to uncover clues about ancient sea level rise visible in Cornwall’s raised beaches. We hear from one of them before his return to the southern continent about his hope of being able to better predict how quickly our seas will rise as climate change accelerates. You can also listen to him being interviewed in the latest episode of Secrets of the Sea, our collaboration with the BBC exploring the work of marine scientists.
Finally, if you were one of the many people who watched Netflix’s Adolescence in horror and wondered, “What is really going on with boys and girls?” you should join us in Newcastle for what promises to be a fascinating discussion. The Conversation’s education editor, Grace Allen, will be joined by academic experts and young people to explore the gender divide, the role of social media, and what it means for the next generation. Tickets for the July 3 event are available now.
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Jonathan Este
Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor
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Dangerous friendship? The US president, Donald Trump, meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Washington in February,
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Simon Mabon, Lancaster University
The US president’s decision to join israel’s air campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme is the death knell of the old rules-based order.
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Sam Oaksey / Alamy Stock Photo
Christian van Nieuwerburgh, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Five ways to boost your hopefulness.
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Anthony Powell / Antarctica New Zealand
Ed Gasson, University of Exeter
When ice gets trapped on land as giant ice sheets, it causes the sea level to change, but it doesn’t change by the same amount all around the planet.
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World
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Sahar Maranlou, Royal Holloway University of London
Iran’s supreme leader is known for his speech making, but less is known about his family life.
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Politics + Society
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Jwana Aziz, University of Birmingham; Anna Lavis, University of Birmingham
Acquiring high-value status is not viewed merely as key for success in life, but also for attracting “high-value” women as well.
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Suzanne Ost, Lancaster University; Nancy Preston, Lancaster University
Legalisation is not yet a done deal. Here are the challenges the bill could face in the House of Lords.
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William Tantam, University of Bristol; Daniel Taggart, University of Essex
Casey’s audit highlights the huge gaps around ethnicity data.
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Arts + Culture
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Laura O'Flanagan, Dublin City University
What does this new story have to offer cinema audiences accustomed to characters they already know and onscreen worlds that they have already visited?
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Benedict Morrison, University of Exeter
Rector’s son Stephen must come to terms with the complexity of his desires while grappling with societal pressure and religious guilt.
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Nick Lee, Royal Holloway University of London
The narrowness of this field is bad news for diversity – we need greater breadth and depth when it comes to British culture and those who produce it.
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Business + Economy
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Yusuf Oc, City St George's, University of London; Janina Steinmetz, City St George's, University of London
The messaging service was always going to be monetised.
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Tobias Jung, University of St Andrews
Huge donations actually help billionaires spin stock swings into tax breaks and lasting influence.
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Environment
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Jill Nash, Bournemouth University
Talking to teenagers about safety isn’t easy. Here’s how to do it in a way that’s honest, effective and grounded in care.
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Health
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Erica Borgstrom, The Open University
I’ve seen just how deeply people are affected when asked to contemplate their future – or the future of someone they love.
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Colin Gavaghan, University of Bristol
The assisted dying bill faces tough questions, but includes arguably stricter safeguards than existing end-of-life laws.
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Johnathan Cooper-Knock, University of Sheffield; Pamela J. Shaw, University of Sheffield
Fruit flies, fast skiers and electrical signals between muscles and neurons are helping researchers uncover a possible link between extreme exercise and MND.
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Adam Taylor, Lancaster University
A cold shower could have the opposite effect.
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Science + Technology
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Tommi Anttonen, University of Oxford
Mice don’t just use their whiskers as a sense of touch.
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Elton Santos, University of Edinburgh
The Marie-Thérèse Pink, thought to have belonged to Marie Antoinette, was auctioned by Christie’s in New York.
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