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Compiling a definitive Top 10 of superhero movies proves as elusive as “herding thunder through a spreadsheet.” Critics must decide whether to prioritize cinematic craftsmanship, cultural influence, or the raw emotional resonance that these films generate.Over the past two decades the genre has diversified dramatically, spanning crime‑driven Batman sagas, family‑friendly adventures like The Incredibles and Guardians of the Galaxy, political allegories such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Black Panther, and experimental visual feats exemplified by Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse. This breadth makes any hierarchical ranking inherently subjective.Influence remains a key metric. Richard Donner’s Superman (1978) demonstrated that audiences would pay to see a man fly, paving the way for half a century of cape‑wearing blockbusters. Similarly, Iron Man reshaped the modern blockbuster formula, launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe and redefining franchise economics.Emotional impact also matters. Logan stands out as a bruised, mournful western that subverts the genre’s usual invincibility myth, presenting a weary Wolverine confronting mortality. Its rawness offers a rare catharsis rarely found in superhero narratives.Event status cannot be ignored. Avengers: Endgame turned its opening weekend into a cultural ritual, with multiplexes resembling revival tents where audiences collectively cheered, gasped, and celebrated. Even a “colder” analysis must acknowledge that the film transformed anticipation into a generational sacrament.Visual innovation is another hallmark. The Oscar‑winning animation Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse made comic‑book ink feel alive, delivering a sensory overload that redefined what animated superhero storytelling could achieve.Cultural relevance caps the discussion. Black Panther emerged as a modern myth that forced critics to confront race, identity, and heritage within blockbuster fantasy, expanding the perceived centre of the superhero universe beyond the traditional Batman, Superman and Spider‑Man triad.While outliers like Alex Garland’s Dredd and Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army deserve mention, the critic’s final Top 10 list reflects a balance of influence, artistry, and cultural weight:1. The Dark Knight2. Spider‑Man: Into the Spider‑Verse3. Superman (1978)4. The Incredibles5. Spider‑Man 26. Dredd7. Spider‑Man: No Way Home8. Avengers: Endgame9. Spider‑Man10. Logan

Lachlan Kennedy made history at the Sydney Olympic Park national championships by becoming the first Australian 100m sprinter to break the 10-second barrier on home soil, clocking a time of 9.96sec with a modest tailwind of +0.2.The 22-year-old Queenslander stormed out of the blocks and surged through the finish line, lowering his personal best by two hundredths of a second. This achievement is significant as it's the first time a local has run under 10 seconds for 100 metres in an event in Australia.Kennedy expressed his excitement, stating, 'Honestly, I didn’t really even expect it. I was just super relaxed, super – not cruisey, I was definitely pushing it – but it just felt easy.' He believes he has potential to go under 9.9sec as soon as this year.In other events, Cam Myers came close to a new national record in the 1500m, running 3:29.85, less than half a second off the 2023 mark set by Olli Hoare.The women’s 1500m final was marred by drama when Jess Hull tumbled over on the final straight after being clipped by rival Claudia Hollingsworth. The incident sparked two protests and an appeal to be heard on Saturday.Hull, visibly deflated, finished at the back of the pack. Her father and coach, Simon, voiced his displeasure, claiming his daughter was 'robbed.' The result remains in limbo pending the appeal.

While holiday‑makers flocked to Lancashire’s coast for fresh sea air, residents of the former fishing port of Fleetwood were forced to endure a persistent, noxious odor emanating from the reopened Jameson Road landfill.The stench, identified as hydrogen sulphide – a toxic gas with a characteristic rotten‑egg smell – has been linked to the landfill’s re‑activation by recycling firm Transwaste in late 2023 after a five‑year closure.Local authorities report that the Environment Agency (EA) has received more than 20,000 complaints since the site reopened, including 6,000 complaints in the last six weeks alone. In the two‑year period ending January, the EA recorded 74 compliance breaches at the site, a third of which were classified as “significant”.Health impacts are mounting. Residents describe symptoms ranging from retching and vomiting to nosebleeds, headaches, itchy eyes and aggravated respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One resident, retired teacher Donna Davidson, reports that the smell has penetrated her home at night, describing it as “people are getting gassed in their beds”.Children are also affected; Dave McPartlin, headteacher of nearby Flakefleet Primary School, says pupils are refusing to play outside because the odor “lingers” even on sunny days. A family staying in an autism‑friendly caravan described their child’s severe nausea, calling the experience “hell”.Medical professionals are sounding the alarm. Dr. Barbara Kneale, a GP and occupational‑medicine consultant living a mile from the landfill, says the community feels “treated with contempt” by public agencies and is gathering detailed hydrogen sulphide readings to bolster a campaign for permanent closure.Local political pressure is intensifying. MP Lorraine Beavers used parliamentary privilege to label Transwaste “crooks” evading accountability, pledging to fight until the site is shut down. In response, Transwaste denied the allegations, insisting it complies with all regulations and attributing odour issues to the site’s re‑opening process.Wyre Borough Council, the landfill’s landlord, warned that legal action would only proceed if residents provide detailed diaries and allow council officers to witness the odour inside homes.Community activism has grown, with over 100 locals staging a slow march to the landfill, many using walking frames and face masks. Campaigners, including Davidson and Kneale, are also tracking the origins of waste trucks, which have been traced to locations as far as Dover, Dunfermline and Hull.The EA has pledged further enforcement, stating that “the community should not have to tolerate odours that affect their environment” and that it is pressing the operator to install permanent capping to prevent future emissions.As Fleetwood grapples with what residents call an “abomination”, the dispute highlights broader concerns about landfill management, air‑quality standards and the disproportionate impact on deprived communities with already high rates of respiratory illness.

Netflix's vast library of content often includes films that were initially intended for theatrical release but end up being off-loaded to the streaming platform. The latest example is 'Thrash', a shark thriller that was previously known as 'Beneath the Storm' and 'Shiver'. Despite its promising premise, the film fails to deliver, with critics calling it a messily made, choppily edited and entirely misfiring cavalcade of bad decisions and dodgy accents.The film, directed by Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola, tells the story of a hurricane that destroys a town while also thrusting a pack of bull sharks into the streets and homes of those unlucky enough to still be there. However, the film's distracting sense of inauthenticity and lack of suspense make it a disappointing watch. The cast, including Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Djimon Hounsou, struggle to elevate the poorly written characters and lackluster dialogue.'Thrash' is now available on Netflix, but it's unlikely to be a hit with viewers. The film's cheap production values and lack of originality make it feel like a low-budget B-movie, rather than a film that was once intended for theatrical release. With Netflix spending around $18bn on content last year, it's surprising that they would accept a film of such poor quality.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Thursday that it would be "dumb" for the United States to permit Israel to jeopardise the newly‑declared regional ceasefire by persisting with its intense bombardment of Lebanon, a campaign that has already claimed hundreds of lives. Araghchi noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial is set to resume on Sunday, suggesting the prime minister may have ulterior motives for sustaining the fighting. He wrote on social media that a ceasefire encompassing Lebanon would "hasten his jailing," implying that the truce could pressure Netanyahu’s legal woes. Addressing Washington directly, Araghchi said: "If the US wishes to crater its economy by letting Netanyahu kill diplomacy, that would ultimately be its choice. We think that would be dumb but are prepared for it." The statement echoes language used by U.S. Vice President JD Vance the previous day, who warned that Iran would find it "dumb" to let the ceasefire collapse over Lebanon, yet framed it as a choice for Tehran. Since the ceasefire was announced on Tuesday, the dispute over whether it applies to Lebanon has become a central obstacle to sustaining the truce. Iranian officials and media have hinted that Tehran could respond militarily to Israel’s assault on Lebanon or even block the Strait of Hormuz to enforce a Lebanon‑wide ceasefire. President Donald Trump told NBC News that he had spoken with Netanyahu and urged the Israeli government to "scale back" its operations in Lebanon, describing the approach as "low‑key." Vance also reported that Israeli officials had agreed to "check themselves a little bit in Lebanon." Despite these diplomatic overtures, the violence shows no sign of abating. The death toll from recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon has already surpassed 300, marking one of the deadliest days in the country’s recent history. On Thursday, Israel launched several new attacks, including a strike that killed four rescuers in the southern town of Borj Qalaouiye, and issued a displacement order for Beirut’s Jnah district, home to two major hospitals and tens of thousands of residents and displaced persons. The United States has a track record of asserting that Israel will curb its military actions, only to witness continued strikes. In 2024, the Biden administration insisted that Israel’s operation in Rafah was "limited," yet the Israeli military ultimately razed nearly every structure in the city, a tactic now hinted at for southern Lebanon. The Lebanese conflict escalated into full‑scale war in early March after Hezbollah fired rockets in retaliation for Israeli strikes and following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28. Since a separate November 2024 ceasefire, Israel has maintained near‑daily attacks on Lebanon, targeting civilian infrastructure and deepening the humanitarian crisis.

The conflict that erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces has driven the country’s humanitarian situation to catastrophic levels, according to the international non‑governmental organisation Humanity & Inclusion.Three years on, the NGO warns that civilians are enduring a deepening crisis, while people with disabilities are confronting extreme challenges as violence continues, essential services crumble, and unexploded ordnance spreads across former battle zones.Humanity & Inclusion estimates that 11.6 million Sudanese have been displaced by the fighting, and that **more than 33 million people now require humanitarian assistance**—roughly half the nation’s population. By the end of January 2026, over **3 million displaced individuals had begun returning home**, including **700,000 who had fled abroad**. Most of these returns have been to states where hostilities have eased, such as Khartoum, the Blue Nile and Gezira regions.The organisation highlights that **4.6 million Sudanese—about 16 % of the total population—live with disabilities**. In conflict‑affected areas this proportion is likely higher due to war‑related injuries, trauma, and deteriorating health conditions. The NGO stresses that disabled persons “face extreme challenges in fleeing violence, accessing aid, and protecting themselves from harm,” and are often among “the first to be left behind,” exposing them to heightened risks of violence, abuse, discrimination and exclusion.Adding to the peril, Humanity & Inclusion points to the lingering presence of **explosive remnants of war**, describing them as a “new and deadly danger” for millions returning to their homes. Unexploded ordnance—including antipersonnel mines—has contaminated former front lines, residential areas, schools, hospitals, places of worship and roadways, severely restricting access to essential services and livelihoods.These findings underscore the urgent need for intensified humanitarian response, targeted protection measures for people with disabilities, and comprehensive clearance of explosive hazards to prevent further civilian casualties and enable the safe return of displaced populations.

Andy Jassy used his 2026 shareholder letter as a platform to signal a multi‑front offensive against the likes of Nvidia, Intel and SpaceX’s Starlink, while laying out a $200 billion capital‑expenditure roadmap that could reshape Amazon’s hardware ambitions.Jassy’s Letter Paints a Bold AI Chip VisionThe CEO framed the narrative as a “new shift” in AI compute, positioning Amazon’s home‑grown Trainium chips as the price‑performance alternative to Nvidia’s dominance. He also highlighted the Graviton CPU’s penetration among the top cloud customers and hinted at future ventures in robotics and satellite broadband (Amazon Leo).Revenue Projections and Chip Capacity NumbersTrainium3 capacity: nearly sold out ahead of launch.Trainium4 capacity: nearly sold out despite being 18 months away.Current Trainium ARR: $20 billion annually.Potential ARR if sold externally: $50 billion.Nvidia 2023 revenue: $215.9 billion.Graviton usage: 98% of the top 1,000 EC2 customers run on it.Two customers requested “all” Graviton capacity for 2026.2026 capex pledge: $200 billion, primarily AWS data centers.Strategic Ripples Across Cloud, CPU, and Satellite MarketsAWS can leverage Trainium to negotiate better pricing with AI‑heavy workloads, challenging Nvidia’s pricing power.Graviton’s market share pressures Intel’s x86 dominance in enterprise cloud environments.Amazon Leo’s early contracts with Delta, AT&T;, Vodafone, NBN and NASA signal a credible challenge to Starlink in the broadband‑satellite arena.Potential robotics spin‑off could monetize data from >1 million warehouse robots, opening a new industrial‑solutions revenue stream.What’s Next for Amazon’s Hardware Ambitions?Expect accelerated rollout of Trainium4 in late 2027, with Amazon courting external chip customers to close the $50 billion ARR gap.Graviton’s dominance may prompt Intel to accelerate its own custom silicon roadmap or pursue strategic partnerships.Amazon Leo’s mid‑2026 launch could force Starlink to lower prices or expand coverage to retain enterprise contracts.Robotics offerings may emerge as a niche SaaS product by 2028, leveraging the massive data lake from warehouse operations.Continued $200 billion capex spending will likely keep AWS as the world’s largest cloud infrastructure provider, but execution risk remains amid a volatile AI‑chip market.

The Al‑Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem reopened after a 40‑day closure imposed by Israeli authorities.Verified video footage released by Al Jazeera shows crowds streaming through the gates early Thursday, with approximately 3,000 worshippers attending the morning prayers.The ban had been total—or limited to a few dozen faithful—at Christian, Jewish and Muslim sites since the US‑Israeli war on Iran began on February 28. Israel frequently imposes restrictions, especially on Palestinian worshippers.The Islamic Waqf Department in occupied Jerusalem confirmed that the doors of Al‑Aqsa would be opened to all worshippers from dawn; the Jordanian‑affiliated authority managing the site offered no further details.Volunteers and caretakers were seen preparing courtyards and prayer areas to receive the faithful, while Israeli officials announced the simultaneous opening of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Wednesday evening.Israeli police attributed the decision to “updated instructions from the Israeli Home Front Command” and highlighted a massive security deployment, with hundreds of police officers and border guards stationed throughout the Old City and surrounding roads to “secure visitors.”Jerusalem’s holy sites have endured strict security measures and repeated closures during the six‑week regional war, curtailing celebrations of Lent, Passover, Ramadan and, for the first time since Israel’s 1967 occupation, Eid al‑Fitr prayers at Al‑Aqsa.The lifting of the ban arrives just in time for Orthodox Christians, who observe Easter on Sunday, a week after Catholic and Protestant celebrations.Continued Raids in the Occupied West BankIsraeli forces continued operations across the occupied West Bank. In Nablus, a woman was detained and a man assaulted during an early‑morning raid, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.The Ramallah‑based Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces fatally shot 28‑year‑old Alaa Khaled Mohammed Sbeih near the village of Tayasir on Wednesday night; the Israeli military said an off‑duty soldier fired at a stone‑thrower.Wafa added that six young men were detained in Tayasir, while troops stormed homes in Ya’bad, south of Jenin, destroying the contents of three houses. Additional raids hit the villages of Qusra and Awarta, though no arrests were reported there.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since 2023, with at least 10,000 people forcibly displaced.

Residents of Tehran and much of Iran are breathing a sigh of relief after a two-week ceasefire was announced, bringing an end to daily bombardments. The ceasefire, agreed upon by Iran and the US with mediation from Pakistan, has allowed some traffic to return to the streets of the Iranian capital during daylight hours.Despite the temporary reprieve, Tehran remains far from its usual bustling state, having been targeted by several thousand munitions since February 28. The Iranian capital is home to more than 10 million people. Air defence systems were activated for short periods several times since the ceasefire was announced overnight, but there were no reports of impacts or any official explanation for the activations.People across Tehran are debating whether the ceasefire will hold and what the future may hold for them. A young man noted, “Looks like the ceasefire will continue. I heard the Israelis are opening up their airspace more,” referring to an announcement by Israeli authorities that flights will resume from Ben Gurion Airport.However, others are more pessimistic, especially after two critical islands off southern Iran were attacked on Wednesday morning, hitting oil facilities. It is unclear who was behind the attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it shot down a drone in the southern province of Fars.Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain also reported attacks on their territories by missiles and drones from Iran, with Iranian state television confirming this was in retaliation for the post-ceasefire oil attacks. Tehran said it was ready to restart military operations if attacked again.On Tuesday, Iranians had been worried about the targeting of critical civilian infrastructure, such as power plants and bridges, after a threat from US President Donald Trump to end “civilisation” in a country with one of the world’s oldest civilisations. The ceasefire was announced shortly before the midnight GMT deadline that Trump had set for an agreement to be reached.The Israeli military intensified its attacks in the hours preceding the ceasefire, hitting electricity outposts, bridges, and the railway network. Warplanes also struck the Iranian Aluminium Company in Arak, damaging the country’s largest aluminium production facility.Even after the ceasefire, Israel continued attacking Lebanon, killing more than 250 people in a devastating day of attacks on Wednesday. Israel said it was targeting Iran’s ally Hezbollah, but civilian locations across Lebanon were hit.Trump hailed what he described as a decisive victory against Iran while announcing the ceasefire, but his top general emphasised that the deal only signifies a pause and combat operations could start once again if no final deal is reached. The US military said it struck 13,000 targets across Iran in less than six weeks of war.In Iran, similar proclamations of victory and celebrations were broadcast from Iranian state television. A statement from the Supreme National Security Council urged supporters of the government to trust in the system and refrain from making “divisive commentary”.The council also stressed that affairs were being overseen by Mojtaba Khamenei, who was declared Iran’s supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on the first day of the war on February 28.