PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, March 4: The war in the Middle East has transformed the lives of influencers and expats living in Dubai. But first: papers discuss why US President Donald Trump chose to strike Iran. Also: junior doctors in England use ADHD as an excuse to skip working overnight. Finally, a story about mini (and maxi) pet pigs. 

Papers are still analysing the rationale behind the US strikes on Iran. The Guardian writes that Trump "has still not settled on reasons for going to war with Iran". The paper's analysis piece says that his administration has run through a number of justifications – from Iran planning an imminent strike and the country's evolving nuclear programme, to lobbying by Israel. The Washington Post writes that for the first time, Donald Trump acknowledged a personal dimension to his decision to attack Iran. He cited Iran's alleged efforts to assassinate him in 2024, saying, "I got him before he got me", "I got him first". The paper says that in 2024, Trump went through two assassination scares and had to ramp up his security measures. However, no evidence has yet connected Iran with those two assassination attempts. 

In Dubai, influencers and expats are still trying to grasp their new reality. French investigative paper Mediapart calls it "the end of illusions". The paper writes that the "Emirati city has awakened from a senseless dream" in which it thought it was a zone immune to the crises affecting the world. The Guardian writes that influencers have been "interrupted by Iran strikes". The paper writes that online, residents are posting videos of parties, but also missiles in the sky and emergency messages urging residents to take shelter. Dubai has long been painted as a safe playground for the ultra-rich and one of the safest places on Earth, the paper notes, but "this image of safety has been shattered". A cartoon by Stephen Collins makes fun of Dubai expats "having their first ever geopolitical thoughts". 

Next, junior doctors in England are trying to dodge night shifts by claiming they have ADHD, The Times reports. The number of doctors who say they are neurodivergent has almost doubled since the Covid-19 pandemic. The paper says that junior doctors are using social media to coach each other on how to avoid night shift work. 

Finally, The Wall Street Journal writes about the myth of the "teacup pig", and those who had to find out the truth the hard way. 

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