Since January 1, 2025, the UK government has imposed a 20 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on private school fees, while abolishing their charitable tax relief (HM Revenue & Customs 2024). This move aims to raise approximately £1.6 billion annually to invest in public education, with a particular focus on improving resources for disadvantaged students (Sibieta 2023). This policy stems from growing concerns about persistent educational inequalities in the UK, where private schools—attended by only 7 percent of students—have historically dominated access to elite universities and high-status careers (Sibieta 2023).
Nicolas Fu
October 29, 2025
“The Philippines, as an independent sovereign nation, must not be treated as trash by a foreign nation,” said President Duerte’s spokesman in 2019, responding to years of the country being a dumping ground for Canada. For decades, Southeast Asians were widely treated as “dirty workers,” exposed to degraded environments, toxic chemicals, and even blamed for 60 percent of ocean waste.
Mohan Sun
October 29, 2025
Still visibly shocked at the local Greyhound bus station’s sudden disappearance, one Edmonton community member admitted, “I don’t know where everybody is.” In 2017, the station, which had been well known as the hottest local hangout spot for people to gather, share resources, and build relationships, was demolished in front of their very eyes. Despite its cherished status, the location had been long eyed by property developers looking for the best place to build their new sports stadium. To them, the Rogers Place would put Edmonton on the world map as a vibrant urban centre with contemporary cultural amenities.
Hanwen Lin
October 29, 2025
In today’s world, cities face escalating threats from climate change, including heatwaves, floods, and rising CO2 emissions. Many of these threats are caused by rapid urbanization and unsustainable architectural practices that disrupt entire ecosystems. In fact, skyscrapers alone, such as the ones in Dubai that prioritize aesthetics over ecological function, can generate about 140 percent more greenhouse gases than shorter buildings of equivalent occupancy.
Jiangli Wang
October 29, 2025
Just a few weeks ago, my grandpa’s brother, or my great uncle, passed away from cancer at the ripe age of sixty-nine. To be honest, I didn’t feel as sorrowful as the rest of my family. We had only met three to four times a year and had even less opportunities to talk with each other. Still, his seemingly normal death made me think deeply about his journey starting from the day he was diagnosed. Did he intentionally choose his destiny?
Zirui Li
October 29, 2025
In the iconic Pale Blue Dot image captured by Voyager 1, Earth appears as a tiny speck of dust suspended in a sunbeam, a fleeting glimmer against the vast cosmic canvas. If the world we occupy is a whisper in the vastness of the universe, what does a single individual signify on this scale? Throughout human history, humans have regarded themselves as the center of the universe, speculating that they will be punished for violating religious codes, such as eating forbidden food or engaging in premarital sex. Why would the creator of a trillion galaxies, if they even exist, care about such trivial behaviors in this infinite cosmos?
Xiyu Zhu
October 29, 2025
(for college and high school students)
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