This weekend, we have curated six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days, covering a range of topics from the dark side of children's beauty videos on TikTok to the accidental rewilding of Chornobyl's exclusion zone.
1. The Dark and Exploitative World of Children's Beauty Videos on TikTok
Children as young as two are appearing in TikTok videos demonstrating their skincare routines, raising concerns about the beauty industry's reach and the lack of safeguards for child influencers. An investigation by Guardian reporters, data journalists and software developers found evidence that many young people featured in these videos had received free products in exchange for posting about brands online, as part of programmes open to young influencers.
2. Every Single Shakespeare Play – Ranked!
To mark the bard's birthday, the Guardian's former theatre critic Michael Billington ranked all of Shakespeare's plays. His theory: the play works best when the leads are seen as victims of a self-intoxicating fantasy. Antony and Cleopatra? Exhausting. Lear? Magnificent but flawed. Hamlet? Limitless.
3. Lawrence Bishnoi: The Gangster Who Became an Icon of Modi's India
Lawrence Bishnoi has been in high-security custody for more than a decade. During that time, he has been linked to multiple high-profile killings, both in India and as far afield as Canada. In this Guardian Long Read, Atul Dev explores what explains his seemingly undimmed power.
4. Bonobos and Chimps: Apes Are More Like Us Than We Ever Thought
Bonobos enjoy pretend tea parties and chimps think rationally. A series of stunning findings about great apes' mental capabilities has transformed the way we see our closest relatives. Gloria Dickie reports on these remarkable creatures with rich mental lives.
5. Going Bald? There's a Subreddit for That – and It's Weirdly Wonderful
Being hairless on top has never been in style, but the r/bald subreddit encourages members to embrace baldness and strive to make the world a more bald-friendly place. Jason Diamond writes about this community that supports one another in the face of insecurity.
6. The No-Go Zone Paradox: Chornobyl's Wildlife Thrives Amid Pro-Nuclear Shift
Ahead of the 40th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear disaster, Jonathan Watts examines its mixed legacy of nature's resilience amid serious contamination. The Chornobyl exclusion zone and the neighbouring Polesskiy radioecological reserve form one of Europe's biggest unplanned nature sanctuaries, an accidental rewilding project that has emerged from the exclusion of most of its former human residents. According to some experts, the long-term effects on nature may be less than if the area had been left to humans.
