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So, what did I miss when I was away? News was limited on the steep slopes of the terraced hills of Sapa in northern Vietnam. This trip, I decided to pass on the customary all-you-can-eat e-sim that would have kept me in the loop, preferring instead to focus on what was immediately in front of me, not what was happening back at home or in the troubled Middle East.

This was necessary not just for my sanity but for my physical wellbeing as well. The tracks we took were perilous, each step requiring a full measure of focus. The phone only came out for photos before being pocketed again.

No notifications or news alerts to distract me from being present in the moment. Ears open to the cicadas in full song in the bamboo forest and eyes to the dreamscape of rice terraces backdropped by dragon spined mountains. I'd go back in a heartbeat. For the views. For the mindfulness. A wise colleague had counselled before I left, a break from the relentless news cycle would be restorative - and it was.

When WiFi eventually caught up with me in a bustling Asian capital on the way home, I discovered a fair bit had happened - and hadn't happened - while my eyes were averted.

Peace had broken out and the Strait of Hormuz was open. Then it hadn't and the strait was closed. Iran closed it. No, wait, the US did.

The price of Brent crude plunged then soared again.

Peeved at Pope Leo, Donald Trump had posted a Christ like image of himself healing a sick man then denied it had anything to do with Jesus - he was dressed as a doctor and he made people better, he claimed. (I'm sure I'm not the only one who's never seen a doctor dressed in white robes applying a glowing orb to a man's forehead.)

And to cap it off, what had been my April Fools gag about the 25th Amendment being invoked - that never-used provision to remove a president who has become unfit for office - was being discussed seriously by media outlets in the US.

It was enough to give me whiplash.

In fact, whiplash is the perfect description of how events have played out since the US and Israel started the war on February 28. No two days have been consistent. Iran's military has been obliterated, we're told one minute. The next minute, a refinery or tanker on the other side of the gulf is ablaze, courtesy of an Iranian drone or missile.

They want a deal, a press conference is told. They'd better accept the deal or their civilisation will end tonight, a late night presidential post threatens.

Even before being insulated from this madness, I'd tuned out of the rolling coverage of the war. The contradictions, the U-turns, the dizzying ups and downs of the oil and financial markets, the breakthroughs, the impasses, the rants all seemed pointless and utterly confounding.

In other words, a useless loop, one which I was happy to be released from while enjoying the quiet order and tranquility of the hill country of northern Vietnam.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Are you growing tired of the Middle East war and the antics of Iran and the US? Is there any point trying to keep up with events that seem to be caught in an endless loop of contradiction? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

- One Nation's recent surge in support has slipped from its historic highs. The latest Newspoll showed Pauline Hanson's party falling from its peak of 27 per cent to 24 per cent.

- Production at one of Australia's two refineries, which was damaged in a major fire, is expected to almost return to full capacity in coming weeks.

- Australians are reporting record-low life satisfaction as war in the Middle East sends fuel prices surging and workers fear AI job losses.

THEY SAID IT: "I'm fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy, businesses' bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world." - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer

YOU SAID IT: Zoe's piece on choosing kindness struck a chord with many of you.

Pam, who confesses cynicism can be her default position, writes: "Zoe, what a powerful and timely article which really spoke to me. As I approach retirement it made me reflect how many times I could have chosen kindness more consciously in my workplace. Thanks for bringing back some focus."

Kate was so moved she's going to print the article as a physical reminder. Thais writes: "Your essay on kindness resonated with me, it was the most useful description I have read about how to live a good life."

Arthur points to the local CWA and Men's Shed as sources of practical kindness: "We should all join Pope Leo in his prayer, Holy Spirit, make us faithful and creative builders of daily peace' in our hearts, our families, our communities, and our cities. May every kind word, every gesture of reconciliation, and every choice for dialogue be seeds of a new world."

"I needed to see it spelt out, the difference between being nice, and practising kindness," writes Alison. "As the Dalai Lama says, despite the horrors he's had to endure, 'My religion is simple; my religion is kindness.'"

Paul writes: "The distinction between kindness and niceness particularly struck me. Your definition and explanation of true kindness represents a standard we should all aspire to."

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