UK Edition - Today's top story: Jason Arday's death: Black academics need to feel they belong in higher education August 19, 2026 UK Edition   It’s an intensely sad week for all those involved in higher education. Jason Arday, who had been professor of sociology at the University of Cambridge until his resignation earlier this month, was found dead on Friday 14 August. Arday had been facing allegations of plagiarism and scrutiny in the press. Ifedapo Francis Awolowo carries out research on how to increase a sense of belonging for Black scholars across academia, and runs a scholarship programme to encourage young Black students into PhD study. He knew Jason Arday through this work. “There is a difference,” he writes, “between being invited into a university and feeling wanted there; between being represented and being valued; between surviving academia and flourishing within it.”   Grace Allen Education and Young People Editor   Jason Arday speaking at an event in November 2024. Alamy/David Colbran Jason Arday’s death: Black academics need to feel they belong in higher education Ifedapo Francis Awolowo, Sheffield Hallam University There is a difference between being invited into a university and feeling wanted there. World How drones are taken down – from nets and metal cages to jammers Anna Jackman, University of Reading As drone use proliferates, responses to the threat they pose in and beyond the battlefield continue apace. Politics + Society Italy’s sporting fortunes transformed by immigration, sparking wider debate about identity Marco Antonsich, Loughborough University For some, Italianness is still defined by being white. If British voters seem impatient and angry, data shows they might have a point Paul Whiteley, University of Essex Prime ministers aren’t lasting long in the job these days – and data shows that the UK is slipping on some measures of governance. Arts + Culture Before Greek myths reached the multiplex, they were weapons of political satire Callum Smith, Aberystwyth University Eighteenth-century caricaturists knew what modern film-makers understand: ancient myths can be endlessly adapted for new audiences. Don’t eat your feelings (or the rich) warns the surprisingly wholesome absurdist satire, Lady Adam J Smith, York St John University Lady Isabella thinks she’s “aristocracy’s answer to the Kardashians” but visibility has a strange, unexpected effect on her. Business + Economy Working from home should be a right, not a reward Rebecca L. Clark, London School of Economics and Political Science An Australian state is set to introduce a law supporting the right to work from home, and it’s already in place for some parents in Portugal. Should it happen elsewhere? Education A-level results: why politics is the fastest growing subject Rose Gann, Nottingham Trent University; Ana Isabel Nunes, Nottingham Trent University Young people are not disengaged from politics but increasingly interested in understanding it. Environment Can Britain’s railways cope with ever-more extreme heat? An expert Q&A Xueyu Geng, University of Warwick Heatwaves can cause tracks to buckle, forcing speed restrictions or closures. An engineering expert explains how railways can adapt to a hotter climate. Climate doom may discourage climate action, but there’s a way to counter it Sander van der Linden, University of Cambridge; Rachel O'Boyle, University of Cambridge; Academia Sinica One way to guard against misinformation is to empower people to identify climate doom in the first place. Health What happens to strength, balance, stamina and reflexes as you age – and what you can do about it Jack McNamara, University of East London; Lee Brown, University of East London Some age-related decline is locked in. Strength, balance and fall risk are not – and the evidence shows what works. Jeremy Clarkson says men have lost the right to prostate cancer testing – the truth is a bit more nuanced than that Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University PSA testing hasn’t been banned – but the row over prostate cancer screening reveals a genuine scientific and ethical dilemma. Babies born under sugar rationing grew into adults with lower cancer risk Weilong Zhang, University of Cambridge Britain’s postwar sugar rationing was an accidental experiment. Decades on, it’s revealing how early diet shapes cancer risk, ageing and eating habits for life. Science + Technology The global race to make a practical quantum computer just took a big leap forward Animesh Datta, University of Warwick The new machine works in a different way to many other quantum devices. More newsletters from The Conversation for you: World Affairs Briefing • Imagine climate action • Global Economy & Business • Europe newsletter • Something Good • Politics Weekly • Education Focus About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organisation dedicated to helping academic experts share ideas with the public. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of universities and readers like you. Donate now to support research-based journalism   Featured events View all The Women's Library at 100: celebrating a century of collections