The UK and France are once again exchanging ultimatums in their long-running dispute over who gets to fish in which bits of the sea after Brexit. In this round of the argument, the UK wants to take legal action over licence arrangements and France wants to cut off Jersey’s electricity supply.

For anyone surprised by how rapidly these spats spiral into threats of such magnitude, it’s worth looking back at the history of Britain’s arguments with its neighbours over territorial waters. It started way back in the 1600s with a Scottish lawyer taking on a Dutch antagonist. Be warned, though, no one comes out of this story looking good.

International tensions between India and Pakistan have also been playing out by proxy in recent days – this time through the medium of cricket.

And as leaders gather in Glasgow for COP26, a look at what role deforestation plays in climate change.

Follow all our COP26 coverage here. And if you value our insightful content, help us continue to bring you the latest expertise on climate change and other important issues by donating to The Conversation today.

Laura Hood

Politics Editor, Assistant Editor

A scene from the First Anglo-Dutch War, from British Battles on Land and Sea, by James Grant. falkensteinfoto/Alamy

Brexit fish wars: history explains why France and the UK get so angry about access to the seas

Richard Blakemore, University of Reading

Years of bitter words and dodgy use of history eventually became the foundations of the modern law of the sea.

Only a game? India and Pakistan’s cricket teams after the recent Pakistan victory in the T20 World Cup. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

India v Pakistan: arrest of Muslim fans show how cricket is more than just a sport in these two nations

Amalendu Misra, Lancaster University

Kashmiri students were among more than 14 people arrested for celebrating Pakistan’s recent win over India.

Dudarev Mikhail/Shutterstock

Why tackling deforestation is so important for slowing climate change

Tom Pugh, Lund University

Halting forest loss is a crucial milestone on the road to net zero.

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