In early March, with little warning, the UK announced a ban on student visas for four countries: Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Cameroon.It came as devastating news to Afra Elmahdi (pictured), an exceptional student from Sudan. Having survived civil war and been exiled to the United Arab Emirates, she hoped to further her medical career in the UK. But after being offered a place at the University of Oxford – and as she was waiting to find out whether she’d be offered a prestigious scholarship –...

Andrew Roth, the Guardian’s global affairs correspondent based in Washington DC, says reporting on the US and Israeli war on Iran gives you “whiplash”.“We’re so used to going into these kinds of wars and conflicts where there’s a massive plan for what’s going to happen six weeks from now, six months from now,” he tells Michael Safi.“I think the Iran war is unique in American history, for the fact that so little planning, it seems, was put into specifically the political changes, what the goals a...

The Irish government’s Basic Income for the Arts initiative will provide €325 (£283) a week to 2,000 eligible artists, after a pilot found that the scheme recouped more than its net cost and improved the wellbeing of participants.“It’s effectively a subsidy to help them focus on their art because most of them are juggling other jobs, sometimes multiple jobs,” the Guardian’s Ireland correspondent, Rory Carroll, tells Helen Pidd. “The idea is that this will facilitate your art, make your life easi...

When the US and Israel launched their attack on Iran two weeks ago, the response from European leaders was muted and ambiguous. Uneasy about the strikes but unwilling to condemn Donald Trump outright.There was one notable exception, however: Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain. As he would say in his public announcement – explaining to Spaniards why he had not allowed the US to use two military bases – the Spanish government’s position could be summarised in four words: ‘no a la guerra’,...

As 15-year-old Abbey explains to Helen Pidd, scrolling through her phone, she is assailed by misogynistic content day and night whether she wants to see it or not.It is not only seeing strangers leave abusive comments to women online, Abbey says. It is much more personal too. Boys, for example, have been sending her unsolicited naked photos since she was 13.But why has the internet become like this for teenagers? And why are so many boys seemingly seduced by it?Pidd speaks to 16-year-old Josh Sa...

When the US and Israel unleashed coordinated strikes on Iran, Keir Starmer initially held back on allowing the US to use UK military bases.But then, on Sunday evening, the prime minister agreed that the US could use two of its military bases – but maintained that the UK did not believe in “regime change from the skies”.Donald Trump said the “relationship is obviously not what it was”.Why is this moment so challenging for Starmer?“You have to understand how massively exposed Britain would be if t...