Editor's note

It was all going so well. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un had stopped threatening to blow each other up and started planning a hot date instead. The president was even, somewhat optimistically, starting to dream of the Nobel Peace Prize that would come his way after solving one of the most intractable political problems of our times. And then … cancelled. So what happens now? Is it really all over for the talks?

Record breaking striker Mohamed Salah is one of the most celebrated footballers on the planet right now, with fans all over the world expecting him to play a key part in the Champions League final that pits his Liverpool team against Real Madrid today. But Salah is far more than just a sporting figure. He is a philanthropist, a champion of unity and a man profoundly dedicated to his supporters. Researcher Solava Ibrahim has spent the past decade talking to disaffected young Egyptians about their lives, hopes and fears. She says in all that time, she has never seen anyone inspire them as much as this young player.

Other modern idols have a potentially less positive impact on our lives, argues Catherine Rottenberg. In an age where feminism seems to be all about the success of the individual in a corporate world, she sees a women’s movement colonised by neoliberalism. And neatly demonstrating that trend, we also heard this week from a psychologist about the tactics used by the Kardashians to sell their brand.

We’ve also been feeling other people’s pleasure and pain, batting off spring pests and, like you, stealing office supplies from work.

We hope you enjoy this selection of content from across The Conversation’s international network over your long weekend break.

Laura Hood

Politics Editor, Assistant Editor

Peter Powell/EPA

The 'Mohamed Salah Effect' is real – my research shows how he inspires Egyptian youth

Solava Ibrahim, Anglia Ruskin University

The Liverpool FC star striker has inspired a generation of young Egyptians.

EPA/Jeon Heon-kyun

North Korea: is war on the cards again?

Virginie Grzelczyk, Aston University

A remarkable year on the Korean peninsula has been marked by both bitter enmity and genuine goodwill. Now, the tension is being ratcheted up again.

Alexi Lubomirski/PA Wire/PA Images

How neoliberalism colonised feminism – and what you can do about it

Catherine Rottenberg, Goldsmiths, University of London

Markets have mobilised feminism to advance political goals and add value.

Sensorium Tests, 2012, 16mm film, 10 minutes. © Daria Martin, courtesy Maureen Paley, London

Some people with synaesthesia feel other people's sensations of touch – painful and pleasurable

Michael Banissy, Goldsmiths, University of London

Synaesthesia – a rare experience where the senses merge – comes in many different forms.

 

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