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Photographer Peter van Agtmael captured a striking image during his first trip to Iraq 20 years ago, which has become a defining moment in his career. The photograph shows a dejected soldier sitting in a domestic living room, highlighting the incongruity of war in everyday life.Van Agtmael, who was 25 at the time, had been embedded with the US military for six weeks. He wanted to move beyond traditional war photography, which often focuses on violence and horror, and explore the human side of conflict. This image, he says, crystallized his understanding of the US military's role in the Middle East and the absurdity of war.The photograph shows a soldier in a mundane setting, which could be anywhere in the world. Van Agtmael notes that this juxtaposition of war and domesticity reveals the complexity of human nature and the proximity of war to everyday life. He believes that war is part of the human soul and that it's essential to acknowledge this reality.Van Agtmael's experience in Iraq was formative, and he reflects on the failures of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. He questions the effectiveness of externally created regime change and the long-term impact of military interventions.As a war photographer, van Agtmael has grappled with the moral complexities of his work. He believes that thoughtful documentation of human violence can have a moral impact, but also acknowledges the challenges of being a witness to extreme violence.Now a father, van Agtmael has shifted his focus away from war photography. He reflects on the changing nature of his work and the importance of finding new purpose in life.

The Australian cricket team's Test season, a staple of the country's summer, is on the brink of a transformative change. Next season will feature four matches over four weekends, commencing in the second week of December and concluding a week into January. This shift has sparked concerns about the potential consequences for player well-being and the overall quality of the sport.Cricket Australia's decision to expand the schedule to seven Tests may seem beneficial, but the reality is that several matches will be played outside the traditional summer period. A tropical excursion against Bangladesh in August and a pink-ball Test in March will be distant outliers in the cricket calendar. This scheduling overhaul raises questions about the prioritization of player welfare and the potential erosion of the sport's integrity.The physical demands of Test cricket are well-documented, and players may face increased risk of injury and mental burnout if forced to play at an accelerated pace. The example of Mitchell Starc, who has prioritized his fitness and Test appearances over lucrative IPL opportunities, highlights the challenges faced by players under the current system.Critics argue that Cricket Australia's decision is driven by financial considerations, particularly the growing influence of the Indian Premier League. The governing body's pursuit of profit may lead to further compromises on the sport's quality and traditions. As the organization prepares to sell tranches of the Big Bash League to foreign investors, concerns about the long-term implications for Australian cricket and its values grow.The proposed scheduling changes may appeal to casual spectators, but they threaten to leave Australian summers unrecognizable and undermine the country's Test season. As Cricket Australia navigates the complex landscape of modern cricket, it must balance financial imperatives with its commitment to the sport's integrity and the welfare of its players.

Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy has achieved a lifelong dream by breaking the 50m freestyle world record with a time of 20.88 seconds at the China Open. The Queenslander shattered the longstanding record by three hundredths of a second, a mark set during the era of now-banned super-suits.The 31-year-old athlete expressed his surprise and delight at achieving this milestone ahead of schedule. "That was more of a target for the end of this season, so to have hit it at the moment in March is really special," McEvoy stated upon returning to Brisbane.McEvoy's journey to swimming's pinnacle has been unconventional. Having made his Olympic debut in London as a teenager in 2012, he won bronze medals in relays in Rio and Tokyo before securing his first individual Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 at age 30—well past the typical peak age for elite sprinters.His remarkable rise to dominance stems from a radical rethinking of his training methodology. McEvoy abandoned traditional long pool sessions in favor of strength training and short, explosive sets that mimic the specific requirements of the 50m event. This year, he took an even more extreme approach."I had an off-season which was mainly strength development, and I've barely done much swimming since the [August] World Champs last year, up until this comp," McEvoy explained. "And then this comp was meant to be the transition door into going into more of a sprint-focused regime, but because I got the world record and I've made steps, the idea is just to double down on this and not change it, see how far this can actually take me."The previous world record-holder, César Cielo, congratulated the Australian on his "incredible" swim, sharing a profound insight: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."McEvoy's innovative approach has resonated beyond his own achievements. He receives weekly messages from both elite athletes and former swimmers who have returned to the sport inspired by his methods. "The amount of them that are saying that they're doing lifetime best times and they're deep into their 40s, compared to when they were training full-time in their teens, it's pretty incredible," he noted.Looking ahead, the Australian swimmer has set his sights on future Olympic Games. "I've still got my eyes on LA, I definitely have my eyes on the home Games here in Brisbane, and so I'll just keep at it every year and just take it one step at a time," McEvoy stated, emphasizing his commitment to continue pushing boundaries with his unique training philosophy.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the annexation of southern Lebanon, stating that the region's bombardment "needs to end with a different reality entirely", including a "change of Israel's borders".In a radio interview, Smotrich suggested that the new Israeli border should be the Litani River, a critical waterway in southern Lebanon. This comes as Israel continues its military operations in the area, targeting residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.The United Nations has warned that Israeli attacks may amount to war crimes, with over 1,039 people killed, including 118 children, and 2,876 wounded in Lebanon since early March. The conflict has also led to the displacement of over 1.2 million people, with many fleeing under threat of attack.The Israeli military has issued forced displacement orders for southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, prompting hundreds of thousands to flee. The World Health Organization has recorded at least 64 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in 51 deaths and 91 injuries.

The chasm between Silicon Valley's tech elite and everyday people is growing ever larger, as the industry doubles down on artificial intelligence. Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang predicts $1tn in sales by 2028, a staggering figure that equates to 3% of the entire US yearly GDP.Meanwhile, 65% of Americans don't use AI in their work at all, according to Pew Research. The survey also shows that Americans are wary of AI and believe both political parties are regulating it poorly. Meta is reallocating huge amounts of its spending to AI, cutting jobs and scaling back metaverse ambitions. The company's Reality Labs division has recorded losses of $80bn since 2020.In a stark illustration of the divide, Mark Zuckerberg is building an AI agent to perform his work as CEO of Meta. The AI industry is splitting away from the lives of everyday people, with exclusive polling conducted for the Guardian finding that twice as many Americans believe their financial security is getting worse than better.In other tech news, Tesla's Cybertruck has been involved in several fiery crashes, resulting in fatalities and lawsuits. The vehicle's unique design and materials have raised safety concerns, with experts alleging that the truck's design led to these worst-case scenarios.

A recent conversation with a guest at an academic function brought to light the public's desire for a simple, all-encompassing test for cancer. The guest, intrigued by the speaker's profession as an oncologist, inquired about the existence of an 'everything' test for cancer. The speaker's response was clear: no such test exists.The quest for early cancer detection is a significant goal in cancer medicine, with the aim of identifying the disease before it metastasizes and ensuring a cure. One company, Grail, launched a blood test called Galleri, which claims to detect a 'signal' shared by more than 50 types of cancer. This signal is identified through circulating DNA, minute fragments of cancer DNA present in the bloodstream.The Galleri test was marketed as a screening tool, with results indicating either a cancer signal detected or no cancer signal detected. However, the test failed to meet its primary endpoint in a large-scale trial conducted with the NHS, which aimed to determine if the test could reduce late-stage cancer diagnoses. Despite the company's claims of 'strong' results, the trial did not demonstrate a significant reduction in late-stage cancer diagnoses.The failure of the Galleri test highlights a crucial distinction between detecting more cancers and saving lives. Detecting cancer at an early stage does not necessarily translate to less invasive treatments or prolonged survival. Moreover, some cancers detected through screening may never have posed a lethal threat, leading to unnecessary interventions.For now, there is no blood test or total body scan that saves lives. Instead, the focus should be on modifying cancer risk factors, such as reducing processed foods, curbing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, and engaging in regular exercise. These evidence-based approaches may not be as flashy as a single 'everything' test, but they have a proven impact on public health.

When future generations examine television trends, they might be surprised by the glut of dramatisations about famous men caught in sex scandals. Jimmy Savile and Prince Andrew have both received multiple treatments, and now, with almost crushing inevitability, comes Channel 5's Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards.Edwards, the high-profile BBC newsreader who resigned in 2024 before being charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, remains defensive. Prior to the broadcast, he released a statement claiming the drama is unlikely to convey reality while asserting: I am repelled by the idea that some people enjoy viewing indecent images of children.The drama earns its title by portraying a powerful man utilizing a queasy power dynamic to manipulate a teenage boy into fulfilling his sexual desires. While not the pinnacle of drama, the film succeeds in capturing a sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach.The main draw comes from its casting. Martin Clunes, known for roles that rely on his innate likability, creates an impressively accurate Edwards. He captures the fascinating mix of swagger and vulnerability, along with Edwards' distinctive accent and diction. Even during disturbing scenes, his performance never wavers.For much of the film, Edwards remains a figure of distant menace. Instead, this is really the story of Ryan (Osian Morgan), a teenage boy who finds himself being groomed by Edwards. The drama is constructed around first-hand interviews with Ryan (using a pseudonym to protect his identity), showing how Edwards validated his desire for connection before making the relationship transactional.Most powerfully, the film depicts the effect on Ryan's parents, as their dismay at his increasing waywardness first becomes anger directed at Edwards and then fear that they had become the bad guys.Still, the producers face challenges with a story that isn't visually interesting. Much of the relationship happened over text, meaning excessive time is spent watching people type or narrate messages. The film makes odd stylistic choices, including framing everything around the Queen's death and ending with Edwards reporting on his own charges.Edwards has promised to tell his side of the story, but as the reviewer notes, few will have the stomach to hear it when that day arrives.

Huw Edwards, the former iconic BBC newsreader, has publicly denounced Channel 5's forthcoming dramatization of his downfall. In a lengthy statement, Edwards expressed his disapproval of the drama, stating that mental illness is often misunderstood and should not be used as an excuse for criminal behavior. Edwards has been open about his struggles with persistent mental illness over the past 25 years. However, his decision to use this as an explanation for his actions has been met with criticism, particularly given the severity of his condition and the conviction for possessing multiple indecent images of children, including category A images. The drama, titled 'Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards,' stars Martin Clunes as Edwards and has sparked controversy over its portrayal of Edwards' actions. Edwards has questioned the production values of the drama and suggested that it will not accurately convey the reality of his situation. He also expressed concerns about the allegations made against him and whether those involved were paid for their contributions. Edwards' statement has been seen as an attempt to shift the focus away from his own actions and onto his mental health struggles. Critics argue that this approach downplays the severity of his crimes and the impact on his victims. The drama is part of a larger trend of 'true story' dramas that have become increasingly popular in recent years. Marina Hyde, the author of the article, criticizes Edwards for not taking responsibility for his actions and instead using his mental illness as an excuse. Hyde also questions Edwards' motives, suggesting that he is trying to rehabilitate his image and portray himself as a victim.

The Gaza conflict continues to escalate, with devastating consequences for civilians. Since October, 677 Palestinians have been killed and 1,800 injured in Israeli strikes across the territory. The attacks have averaged about 10 per day over the past five months, leaving a trail of destruction and despair.Abed Elrahman Hamdouna, a 31-year-old father of two and volunteer ambulance driver, was killed in a reported drone strike west of Gaza City. His death is a stark reminder of the ongoing risks faced by healthcare workers in the conflict zone. Hamdouna's family had been worried about him the most during the war, given his role in helping injured people.The Israeli military's actions in Gaza have been widely criticized, with UN experts accusing Israel of 'medicide' and deliberately targeting healthcare workers and facilities. The destruction of Gaza's healthcare system has had a catastrophic impact on the population, with over 1,500 healthcare workers killed in the war.The conflict has also had a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of those affected. Hamza Nabhan, a medical student, described the despair and hopelessness that has become a daily reality for many in Gaza. 'I think about how to wake up, charge my phone, fill my water container. I don’t think about tomorrow.'The international community has expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with Amnesty International accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. The organization has called for an end to the violence and for those responsible to be held accountable.