Returning Afghan refugees face an unstable future
New:
Sudan civil war, explained
To understand how Sudan has reached this point, this explainer unpacks the conflict’s causes, its turning points, the country’s geography and the humanitarian crisis now unfolding. On 24 November, the RSF agreed to a temporary three-month humanitarian ceasefire in response to growing international concern over the dire conditions civilians were facing. Famine has already been confirmed in several parts of Sudan.
‘If the youth fear nuclear weapons, they should raise their voices and take action’
On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped the atomic bomb ‘Little Boy’ on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, followed three days later by the ‘Fat Man’ bomb on Nagasaki. The bombing led directly to the loss of 100,000 lives, but the devastation persisted as the resulting radiation contributed to the deaths of an additional 100,000 people.
Gen Z: Defined by adaptability
Gen Z has faced challenges that were previously unimaginable to past generations, particularly in education. As a young student, I was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, by the democratisation of AI (artificial intelligence). You might think that these challenges would slow us down, but, in fact, they make us stronger and more resilient.
Opinion:
Editor’s pick
How the world’s chocolate empire runs on 90¢ wages
Before the world unwraps its chocolate, somewhere in the heat of Ghana’s Ashanti region, a farmer named Nana Nyanteng Ahenkan bends over rows of cocoa trees, machete in hand. He has been working since sunrise – eight, maybe nine hours.
Don’t tell me to leave my country – I want to stay and fight for it
Every time another friend boards a plane to flee Afghanistan, my heart aches – not because I envy their departure, but because their absence adds weight to the burden, we, who stay, continue to carry. Each empty seat in a classroom, each silent voice in the community is a reminder of the pressure to leave.
What Gen Z girls think about ‘femvertising’
The practice of promoting a product through messages about female empowerment – commonly known as ‘femvertising’ – has become a major way that brands try to attract the interest of many Gen Z females, especially in fast-fashion campaigns. For example, extremely thin models are shown wearing baby tees with so-called “feminist” slogans printed on them, like the examples above.
Film & Book Club
Kill Bill remains a must-see, genre-defining celebration of cinematic audacity
Tarantino has been criticised for stylising violence to the brink of fetishization. Yet it is this unapologetic embrace of excess that encouraged filmmakers to take artistic risks — proving that violent cinema can also be formally ambitious and culturally resonant.
Classic saga turns into a call for awakening. Avatar: Fire and Ash review
The first Avatar premiered in 2009 and ignited cinema screens because it made audiences feel as though they were being transported into a different dimension. Pandora glowed with vibrant, breathtaking colours, and its creatures felt entirely new — James Cameron’s world-building redefined what visual storytelling could be. Avatar: The Way of Water, released after a 13-year break, carried that legacy forward, expanding the universe with new characters and emotional depth.
Racing at full throttle. F1: The Movie analysis
The much-awaited F1: The Movie, released last June and starring big-name actors such as Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem and Damson Idris, has redefined what a sports film can achieve on a global scale. The fusion of Hollywood spectacle and real-world Formula 1 elevates the film beyond previous motor sports movies.