When I stared in newspapers it was often said that today’s paper is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper. It is a relief to know that some are not so casual about the press. John Menadue and Paul Keating both have long memories, and mark a special anniversary today. It is exactly three years to the day since The Age and SMH ran a series called ‘Red Alert – warning war with China would come within three years, making that deadline today.

This week have been working hard to bring you the best range of factual news and analysis on a very different war. As the US/Israeli war on Iran unfolds we have focused on its legality or not, the motivations and intent of the major players, as well as the huge impacts rippling across the Middle East and the globe. But the stories that have stayed with me most are the human ones. Like this personal recollection from Eugene Doyle. Eugene usually writes geopolitical analysis and history for P&I. Like so many of he was particularly upset by the horrific story of the hundreds of school children killed at Shajareh Tayebeh primary school in Southern Iraq, at the very start of the war. Eugene tells us of the generosity and the young people he and his wife met during a 2018, young people just like those killed last week.

Tomorrow Gareth Evans discusses the difficulty of finding a set of convincing moral defences for the war. Our Gaza correspondent, Refaat Ibrahim concludes that: “The United States appears to be sinking once again into the sands of the Middle East, as if it had forgotten the most important lesson of history: that those who have the power to ignite the fire do not necessarily have the ability to predict when and where it will be extinguished.”

As the war broadens and US objectives are increasingly unclear, one thing is certain, Americans don’t like it much. Later this week we will dig into the sentiment polling, but one thing stands out: Trump is starting from very low base, with half the number of Americans supporting this war compared with the 9/11 Iraq war.

Back home it is saddening to see that people who should know better are still trying to stifle debate on Palestine. We bring you whole recording of a sold-out event featuring Chris Sidoti, Francesca Albanese, Henry Reynolds and Lana Tatour on lessons and links for Australia on settler colonialism and the Israel/Palestine conflict.  You may have heard about it. This is the event that was to take place at Adelaide University, until the university withdrew access to the venue at the last minute.

Until next time.