Editor's note

The more children a woman has, the greater her risk of heart attack, stroke or heart failure, according to a new study. The cause is probably stress, as earlier studies have shown that fathers who have more children are also at higher risk of heart disease. But having children isn’t entirely bad for your health, as Clare Oliver-Williams explains. It lowers a woman’s risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Swings and roundabouts.

Knife and gun crime is escalating across the UK, and the police can’t seem to stop it. Meanwhile, across the channel in France, the gilets jaunes protest movement is gathering momentum to challenge President Macron’s leadership. The two trends might seem unrelated, but their root cause is the same: these days, people just don’t trust their governments.

Humans famously evolved and learned to make tools in East Africa, before spreading across the world later on. But new research is challenging this picture. Stone tools recently unearthed in Algeria suggest that human ancestors spread to the region much earlier than previously thought. Alternatively, the oldest known stone tool technology may have been simultaneously invented by early hominin species living outside East Africa. John McNabb explains.

There has been much speculation this week about the economic impact Brexit will have under the current plan. Anand Menon and Matthew Bevington get to grips with the numbers, while Andrew Woodhouse explains what actually happens during the Brexit transition period.

Clint Witchalls

Health + Medicine Editor

Top stories

Rugrats can seriously mess you up. Kichigin/Shutterstock

Having children is linked to increased risk of heart disease, new study suggests – but don’t let that put you off

Clare Oliver-Williams, University of Cambridge

Having children is linked to a greater risk of heart attacks and stroke, but kids aren't completely bad for your health.

History repeats itself. Lewis Whyld/PA Images.

Youth violence: rise could be linked to British people’s growing distrust of authority

James Densley, University of Oxford; Michelle Lyttle Storrod, Rutgers University

When people don't trust the government, the media or police, they are less inclined to play by the rules and more likely to lash out violently.

An Oldowan core freshly excavated at Ain Boucherit from which sharp-edged cutting flakes were removed. M. Sahnouni

Human ancestors may have spread to north Africa earlier than thought, stone tool discovery suggests

John McNabb, University of Southampton

New discovery could be a game changer for archaeology.

By Markus Schmidt-Karaca / Shutterstock

The economic cost of Brexit is unavoidable – but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it

Anand Menon, King's College London; Matthew Bevington, King's College London

Independent research estimates that Theresa May's deal could reduce UK GDP per capita by between 1.9% and 5.5% over ten years.

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