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During my considerable time in academia teaching politics at various universities, including American ones, I have had many wonderful students who cared deeply about their studies and the issues discussed in class.

Once again, as a matter of routine, the US has vetoed a Palestinian request to the UN Security Council for full UN membership and, by that, prevented the only global political body with the power to bestow such a recognition from doing so.

Negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a ceasefire, the release of hostages and allowing more humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip have been taking place mainly in Cairo, and for a reason.

In basketball in the US, the time between when a score is beyond the ability of the team chasing it to close the gap and the end of the game is known as “garbage time.” In British politics, the period between now and the next general election feels very much the same.

Following the first direct military confrontations between Israel and Iran, which have taken place over the past two weeks, commentators have been debating whether the exchanges ended in a draw, or whether one of the nations gained the advantage.

Eid Al-Fitr was a very sad occasion in Gaza this year, during which people mainly celebrated the fact that they had managed to survive the bloodiest war this tiny enclave has ever experienced — and it is no stranger to conflict and the deaths and devastation that come with it.