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The Latest Breaking News from The Conversation Weekly

The hidden sources of forever chemicals leaking into rivers – and what to do about them

As one of the birthplaces of the industrial revolution, the River Mersey in northern England is no stranger to pollution flowing into its waters.

The Conversation

Nobel laureate Shimon Sakaguchi on his immune system breakthrough – and the treatments he hopes it will unlock

Back in the 1980s, when Shimon Sakaguchi was a young researcher in immunology, he found it difficult to get his research funded. Now, his pioneering work which explains how our immune system knows when and what to attack, has won him a Nobel prize.

The Conversation

How changes in autism diagnosis help explain the rise in cases – podcast

When Donald Trump gave a press conference in late September urging pregnant women to avoid taking paracetamol unless medically necessary because of a possible link to autism, the reaction from the scientific community was swift and loud.

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The 1970s inflation crisis shaped modern central bank independence. Now it’s under populist threat – podcast

For months, Donald Trump has badgered the US Federal Reserve and its chair, Jerome Powell, to lower interest rates. When the governors of the Fed did so by 0.25 percentage points in mid-September to a target of between 4% and 4.25%, it wasn’t big or fast enough for Trump.

The Conversation

From resistance to intifada to recognition: the origins of an independent Palestinian state – podcast

France, the UK and Canada are expected to become the first G7 countries to recognise the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in late September, where Australia will also announce its recognition. Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, will not be present as he is banned…

The Conversation

How ‘sovereign citizens’ around the world draw on similar pseudo-law arguments – podcast

In the remote mountain high country of the Australian state of Victoria, police are continuing a huge manhunt. The fugitive is Dezi Freeman, a man alleged to have killed two police officers and injured a third in late August in the town of Porepunkah, 300km northeast of Melbourne.

The Conversation

How China uses second world war history in its bid to reshape the global order – podcast

With Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un among 26 world leaders watching, China’s president Xi Jinping made a muscular address to 50,000 people in Tiananmen Square marking 80 years since the end of the second world war. China is “never intimidated by bullies” and would “stand by the…

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China’s WWII anniversary parade rekindles cross-strait battle over war narrative − and fears in Taiwan of future conflict

World War II casts a very long shadow in East Asia. Eighty years after ending with Japan’s surrender to Allied forces on Sept. 2, 1945, the conflict continues to stir debate over the past, in the context of today’s geopolitical tensions.

The Conversation

From bees doing maths to fish driving cars: teaching animals irrelevant skills can help unlock the secrets of cognition – podcast

Scientists can get animals to do the strangest things. They’ve taught goldfish to drive cars, primates to perform calculations with Arabic numerals and giraffes to do statistical reasoning. But what’s the point?

The Conversation

How Rupert Murdoch helped to build brand Trump – podcast

Donald Trump’s lawyers are pushing to get Rupert Murdoch deposed, and quickly.

The Conversation

Origins of Israel’s nuclear ambiguity lie in a secret deal forged between Richard Nixon and Golda Meir – podcast

Israel has never officially confirmed or denied having nuclear weapons and has never signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Instead, even as evidence has emerged about its nuclear capabilities, Israel has maintained a policy of nuclear ambiguity.

The Conversation

What will batteries of the future be made of? Four scientists discuss the options – podcast

The majority of the world’s rechargeable batteries are now made using lithium-ion. Most rely on a combination of different rare earth metals such as cobalt or nickel for their electrodes. But around the world, teams of researchers are looking for alternative – and more sustainable – materials to build the…

The Conversation

The enduring anti-fascist legacy of places that mark Italy’s wartime resistance – podcast

Across Europe, far-right movements are gaining ground. From the Netherlands, to Germany and Italy, they’re winning seats in parliaments and sometimes joining ruling coalitions. By normalising nationalist rhetoric and challenging democratic institutions, these parties raise comparisons with former periods of fascism on the continent.

The Conversation

How Europe dropped the ball on its own defence and was left fawning over Donald Trump – podcast

The language from European leaders was fawning and obsequious. At one point, the head of Nato, Mark Rutte, even called Donald Trump “daddy”. But when the US president left the Nato summit in late June, there was a sigh of relief that he had not made any more angry criticism…

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Amid alarm over a US ‘autism registry’, people are using these tactics to avoid disability surveillance – podcast

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. caused controversy in April by promising to find the cause for autism by September. Claims by the new US secretary for health and human services that autism is a “preventable disease” with an environmental cause, contradict a body of research that suggests autism is caused by…

The Conversation

What makes some people self-censor while others speak out? Podcast

Faced with the choice in their daily lives, their work or their politics, why do some people decide to keep quiet, to censor themselves in anticipatory obedience, even if they’re not ordered to do so?

The Conversation

Cash for sharks: the unintended consequences of paying fishermen to release sharks caught in their nets – podcast

As Jaws marks its 50th anniversary this year, sharks continue to get a bad rap. Film after film portrays them as terrifying hunters, the bane of surfers and swimmers.

The Conversation

Four years after a 15% global minimum tax deal, the world remains divided on how to implement it – podcast

In October 2021, 136 countries agreed to establish new tax rules requiring large multinational companies to pay at least 15% in corporate tax. Nearly four years later, this ambitious agreement is finally being implemented around the world, but its success faces big challenges.

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The Conversation

Why the global tax system needs fixing – podcast

For decades, multinational corporations have used sophisticated strategies to shift profits away from where they do business. As a result, countries around the world lose an estimated US$500 billion annually in unpaid taxes, with developing nations hit particularly hard.

The Conversation

How trafficked American guns fuel Mexico’s cartel violence – podcast

More than two thirds of guns recovered at Mexican crime scenes originate in the U.S. For decades, Mexico has struggled with staggering levels of gun violence fueled in large part by weapons trafficked across its northern border.

The Conversation

It’s unlikely a magic bullet will ever cure Alzheimer’s – maybe a magic shotgun can

For much of the 21st century, one theory has dominated research efforts to cure Alzheimer’s disease: the amyloid hypothesis. Beta-amyloid is a protein that builds up in clumps, or plaques, in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and is linked to their cognitive decline.

The Conversation

Where do cuts to USAID leave the future of foreign aid in Africa? Podcast

Three months after the Trump administration made drastic cuts to its aid agency, USAID, the effects are being felt across the world, particularly in Africa.

The Conversation

Three scientists speak about what it’s like to have research funding cut by the Trump administration

The Trump administration’s cuts to funding for American universities and research have left many scientists reeling and very worried. At the National Institutes of Health, which has an annual budget of US$47 billion to support medical research both in the U.S. and around the world, nearly 800 grants have been…

The Conversation

Fake cures and vaccine passports for sale: the conspiracy communities in Brazil monetising the anti-vax movement – podcast

Editor’s note: The Conversation learned after publishing this podcast that one of the interviewees, Igor Sacramento, passed away in late April. He was interviewed on 27 March for this episode. We’re deeply saddened to learn of his death and send our deepest sympathies to his friends, family and colleagues.

The Conversation

Birkin vs Wirkin: the backlash against the global elite and their luxury bags – podcast

The Birkin bag made by French luxury retailer Hermès has become a status symbol for some of the global elite. Notoriously difficult to obtain, a select few obsess over how to get their hands on one.

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