Most countries in the world have been separating newborns from mothers who have tested positive for COVID. Although intended to safeguard the babies’ safety, this separation can have negative health effects.

Now research from Sweden has shown that such measures are almost always unnecessary. Looking at nearly a year’s worth of data, scientists found that a mother being COVID-positive during pregnancy or at birth poses very little risk to their baby. Infants are highly unlikely to suffer ill health or an infection as a result.

The recent clashes in Jerusalem have been disturbing, and they cannot be attributed to a single cause, writes Carlo Aldrovandi. Although sparked by evictions of Palestinians, the current violence is the result of a host of destabilising factors that have been incubating for months.

And our latest Curious Kids piece looks at the causes of synaesthesia, which is where the senses overlap, allowing people, for instance, to hear colours or taste sounds.

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