By Simon Mabon, Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University
Mohammed bin Salman wants to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham accords, the network of agreements to normalise relations between Israel with other countries in the Middle East and, increasingly, beyond. Donald Trump would have enjoyed hearing this when the Saudi crown prince visited the White House on November 18.
It was Trump’s first administration that brokered the initial agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan in 2020. It’s an achievement that is often trumpeted by his supporters…
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By William Finnegan, Head of Programmes in Lifelong Learning in Social Sciences, University of Oxford
Anya Gleizer, DPhil candidate in Performance Art and Geography, University of Oxford
Tina Fawcett, Associate Professor, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
In 2023, a visit to a local state secondary school to discuss our project, The Museum of Climate Hope, led to an unexpected discussion. A few weeks earlier, an eminent climate scientist had presented a harrowing tale of climate apocalypse to the school’s sixth form. But the students told us the scientist’s presentation, intended as a wake-up call to apathetic teenagers, had backfired.
After that “doom and gloom” message, a teacher at the school told us some students who were already concerned…
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By Lewis Mattin, Senior Lecturer, Life Sciences, University of Westminster
Sleep is one of the essential physiological needs for human survival, alongside food, water and air. But sleep is socially driven, influenced by environmental and personal factors, and a recent study suggests it may be affected by fragments from bacteria.
Historically scientists have thought it unlikely that gut microbes affect physiological sleep regulation. The recent study, published…
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By Joseph Ford, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London
The decline of languages education in England is a familiar and depressing story. Take-up of French at GCSE is down from 25% in 2009-10 to 18% in 2024-25. German has halved in the same period from 10% to 5%.
There is also a significant gap in take-up at GCSE by disadvantaged pupils (34%) compared with those from more privileged backgrounds (50%).
In March 2025, the interim…
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By Treena Orchard, Associate Professor, School of Health Studies, Western University
Younger generations are exploring non-traditional, non-hierarchical relationships as a way to cultivate authentic connections in a world where meaningful interactions are increasingly rare.
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By Aaron Gilbert, Professor of Finance, Auckland University of Technology
Asking people to find extra money to lock away in KiwiSaver during a cost-of-living crunch risks pushing them in the opposite direction.
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By Donald Heflin, Executive Director of the Edward R. Murrow Center and Senior Fellow of Diplomatic Practice, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
In a war that’s lasted almost four years, a former diplomat says it’s not realistic to say, ‘In the next week, come up with a very complicated peace deal, sign off on it and it’s going to stick.’
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By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne
Abbas Rajabifard, Professor in Geomatics and SDI, The University of Melbourne
Gavin Lambert, Director, Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute, Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology
Rico Merkert, Professor in Transport and Supply Chain Management and Deputy Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney
Taha Hossein Rashidi, Professor of Transport Engineering, UNSW Sydney
Even moderate night-time aircraft noise can increase insomnia – particularly children. The US and UK both do more to mitigate the noise around airports.
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By Katherine Harding, Professor of Allied Health and Implementation Science, La Trobe University
ABC analysis shows some patients wait six years or more for outpatient medical appointments in Australia’s public hospital system.
According to the ABC, the delays are longest in parts of South Australia, where some patients waited more than six years to see a neurologist and 5.5 years to see ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists and gastroenterologists.
In parts of Tasmania, waits for ENT specialists, neurologists and urologists were almost five…
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By Gemma Hamilton, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, RMIT University
The legal system can be complicated and many victims of sexual violence aren’t sure what to expect from it. Here’s how it works.
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