In response to the knife crime crisis in London and her own experiences and loss, Letitia Wright’s directorial debut is a “love letter” to young Black men.
Wright wrote, directed and produced the film which will premiere on May 31, 2025(Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Emmy-nominated actress Letitia Wright is set to make her directorial debut with Highway to the Moon, a new coming-of-age fantasy drama. Wright was inspired to create the short film in response to the devastating impact of knife crime in London and has called the project a “love letter to young Black men all over the world”.
Wright wrote, directed and produced the short film which was inspired by the killing of her friend’s brother and the death of model Harry Uzoka. Actors Kenyah Sandy and Lamar Waves star in the fantasy film, which follows the experiences of young Black men after their lives are tragically cut short.
A group of other young men guide Micah, a young man who travels through the liminal space between life and death. Sandy portrays the character. Together, the men learn to accept empathy and self-worth as they confront what it means to be a Black boy in contemporary society.
Wright has said that she wants to avoid stereotypes about knife crime with her new film(Image: Getty Images for Atlantis The Ro)
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According to Wright, Highway to the Moon steers clear of stereotypes and acknowledges the individual struggles and strengths of young Black men in terms of emotional, social, and mental health.
She stated, “The movie is my way of exploring joy, love, and unity, and I want to show these boys in a way that doesn’t involve stereotypes, but instead explores their emotions, complexities, hopes, dreams, disappointments, and fears, and allows them to see themselves as worthy, with lives that have meaning. ”
The South London Film Festival will hold its world premiere on May 31 for the film. For her, Wright said that the setting for the movie’s premiere was particularly significant. She explained that holding the film at a festival that supports emerging filmmakers in our area was crucial. The audience I’m trying to reach with this movie, “always aligns with the young people I’m trying to reach,” I said. ”
In response to those who might criticise her for highlighting knife violence, Wright told The Guardian: “There is not a single knife that you see in this film. It’s just the actions of it. It’s just the aftermath.” She also noted that in many stabbing cases, gangs were not involved at all.
Through WePresent, WeTransfer’s arts platform, the short film was commissioned. Alex Mattinson and Damian Bradfield work for WeTransfer as executive producers, and Holly Fraser, VP of content, is one of them.
The Black Panther actress will also be making her National Theatre debut in 2026(Image: Marvel Studios 2018)
As reported by Variety, Fraser shared: “Being able to commission important stories and work with artists that are driven to use creativity as a tool for progress has always been the cornerstone of WePresent’s mission as a platform.
A soldier was killed in a brief clash with troops from neighboring Thailand in a disputed area along the Thai-Cambodia border, prompting the country’s leader to maintain calm.
Prime Minister Hun Manet reassured the nation that he did not want a conflict between Cambodian and Thai forces in a written statement on Thursday that people should not “panic over unverified material being circulated.”
“I hope that the upcoming meeting between the Cambodian and Thai army commanders will have beneficial outcomes in order to maintain stability and effective military communication between the two countries, as we have done in the past,” said Hun Manet, who is currently visiting Tokyo.
He continued, “Even though I am in Japan, my full responsibilities as prime minister are still in the command system and hierarchy for major military operations, such as troop movements.”
In a tense border region between Thailand’s Preah Vihear province and Cambodia’s Ubon Ratchathani province, the country’s Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday that one of its soldiers was killed in a brief firefight with Thai troops.
The ministry claimed that Thai soldiers opened fire on a Cambodian military post that had been in the conflict’s border zone first.
As tensions increase with Thailand [Kith Serey/EPA] Cambodian soldiers ride on a self-propelled multiple rocket launcher in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on May 28, 2025.
Cambodian forces in the area had opened fire first, according to Thailand’s minister of defense Phumtham Wechayachai, adding that they had previously dug a trench there to bolster Cambodia’s claim over the disputed territory, according to local media reports.
“To defend our country and defend Thailand’s sovereignty, the return fire was advised,” I’ve been informed. I’ve advised caution. Both sides continue to face off, the minister said, according to Thailand’s The Nation newspaper, despite the ceasefire.
Additionally, The Nation reported that Hun Manet, the country’s prime minister, and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, her counterpart, were negotiating to lower the stakes.
The Thai prime minister’s statement read, “We don’t want this to escalate.”
Along their shared border, Cambodia and Thailand have a long history of fighting, including armed clashes that broke out in 2008 close to Cambodia’s Preah Vihear Temple, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site that year. In 2011, fighting also broke out along the border.
According to the Associated Press news agency, Cambodian troops and their families entered a historic border temple in February, where they sang the country’s national anthem, leading to a brief dispute with Thai troops.
He was given the name “Manchester City” in honor of a legend of the club.
Erling Haaland, whose father also played for City, and he both played for Norway youth teams.
However, Colin Rosler had to choose a different path in order to pursue his career while Haaland achieved stardom.
He tells BBC Sport, “I’ve tried to make my own name since I was a young child.” “I’ve made an effort to be my own and not rely on my father,” he said.
The tough-tackling centre-back, age 25, is finally emerging from the shadows and establishing himself.
Man City’s signing was a “dream come true.”
Uwe Rosler, a hard-working striker, played for East Germany before becoming a favorite of the city’s fans between 1994 and 1998.
Given Rosler’s association with the club, he named his sons Colin Bell and Tony Book, who were later the birth of his two sons.
Before his father played and managed in Norway, Colin Rosler was born in Berlin in 2000. The boys frequently met their namesakes at Etihad Stadium after the family relocated to England in 2010.
Colin Rosler calls it an honor to be given City’s honor to honor such a legend.
“I’d always laugh when I was with Colin and my brother when I was with Tony Book, and it was always fun to see them and learn more about the club’s history.”
Images courtesy of Getty
Colin and his father play on the opposite end of the pitch, but the City coaches soon noticed a striking connection.
I was already an aggressive defender when I was just ten years old, Colin says. I merely desired to smash people.
We always appear the same on the field, and my mother always says that I have a similar temperament to him.
And despite Colin’s advancement through the City and Norway age groups, Uwe was aware that his son’s chances of making the first team, or any other academy graduate, were very slim.
He told BBC Sport in 2013 that he was uncertain whether all of them knew it, but my one does.
“You get a very good football education from City, and you can make a living playing football elsewhere,” says the statement.
I wanted to “push myself, see what I’m made of,” he said.
Colin felt prepared to travel alone because he was born in Germany and raised in England and Norway before deciding to pursue a career abroad. He signed for Dutch side NAC Breda in August 2019.
He says, “Leaving City wasn’t the easiest choice, but it was one I felt I had to make.” I was expecting a culture shock and a new challenge, but I’m good at adapting quickly and becoming knowledgeable.
“And I learned a lot in Holland, living alone, playing for the first team, and not speaking the language.
You must enter that place, take control, and act like a man. I quickly realized that winning is everything.
Prior to joining Mjallby, a Swedish club that is “not as well-known and sort of in the middle of nowhere,” he spent the 2022 season with Lillestrom, a Norwegian side.
According to Colin, “That was probably the best choice I ever made.” Because I could just concentrate on football, it came at the right moment in my career.
Haaland participates in the title win for “chaotic.”
Images courtesy of Getty
Malmo, arguably the biggest club in Scandinavia, recently experienced a mid-season slump with the signing of Rosler in August.
Erik Botheim, a Malmo striker who played for Norway’s youth teams alongside him and Erling Haaland, made the reunion a reality.
In 2015, Rosler and Haaland played for Norway’s Under-15s, sharing a unique trait.
We immediately discussed the fact that both of our fathers played there and that we are both Blues.
We both said it was our dream to play for City, I recall. It’s amazing to see how well he’s done there, despite the fact that he’s obviously continued to do that. He has turned into a total monster.
Since Botheim and Haaland still have close friendships, Haaland chose to watch Malmo fight back from Gothenburg in a 2-1 victory over Botheim when Malmo had a chance to win the Swedish title in October.
He almost attracted more attention than our league victory, he said! Rosler asserts.
It was interesting to see that he made the effort to come here and show his support because he has a busy schedule.
Everyone has a different path, according to the saying, “There is no right way.”
Norwegian Football Federation
Nine years after making their U15s debut together, Rosler replaced him with Haaland when he left for Norway in November.
According to Rosler, “I actually thought about that, that it would be a nice picture.”
We’ve known each other for a very long, and I did, yes, I did his senior debut, which is very intriguing in football.
There is no correct way to go. Everyone follows a different path. In my brief career, I have faced many challenges, but also many incredible experiences.
It’s something I’ve worked so hard for and for my family to achieve, and winning the league made me proud.
As Malmo face Hacken in the Swedish Cup final on Thursday (14:00 BST), Rosler will continue to be a regular player and could win another trophy.
He will also be included in Norway’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Italy and Estonia next week.
Rosler is “extremely grateful” for his father’s guidance as he searches for his own path, despite having already done so.
After settling the dispute earlier this year with an agreement, Brad Pitt has now admitted to his long-running divorce from Angelina Jolie.
Brad Pitt speaks out for first time on eight-year divorce from Angelina Jolie(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Brad Pitt has finally broken his silence on the end of his tumultuous divorce saga with Angelina Jolie. The Hollywood actor, 61, tied the knot with Angelina, now 49, in 2014 after a whirlwind romance that began on the set of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ back in 2005. The pair parted ways in 2016, sparking a high-profile split that saw Angelina file for divorce in the same year, leading to a series of bitter disputes over custody and business interests, some of which remain unresolved.
The “F1” actor downplayed the event when discussing the conclusion of his divorce proceedings, saying, “No, I don’t think it was that important.” Just something being realized. Legally”. The ex-couple’s legal battles included the division of their six children’s assets, including the French winery Château Miraval.
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Angelina and Brad split in 2016 (Image: Getty Images)
Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, both 16, are Brad and Angelina’s six children.
Brad made a candid comment to GQ about the relentless media coverage he’s been receiving: “It’s been in the news for 30 years, bro. Or, let’s say, some aspect of my personal life.
Ines de Ramon, a 32-year-old jewelry executive, and Brad currently reside in Los Angeles.
He said the divorce wasn’t ‘that major of a thing’(Image: BANG Showbiz)
When asked if their glamorous 2024 British Grand Prix performance was intended to promote F1, Brad refuted any suggestion of promotional intent.
He responded, “No, dude, it’s not that calculated.” How exhausting would living be, my God? If you can do those calculations yourself, what about that? No, everything evolves. Relationships “evolve.”
When quizzed by the publication on whether Formula 1 was a sanctuary from the limelight, Brad Pitt replied: “Um, I don’t see it that way.”
He continued, “I’ve had to deal with it in every way, large and small, as I do the things I really want to do.”
If you let it be that, I don’t know, it’s always been this kind of nagging time suck or time waster. I’m not sure. Brad responded, “Reflecting on his personal life, I feel pretty… my life is fairly contained.
With my friends, my loves, my family, and my understanding of who I am, it feels like this fly buzzing around a little bit, you know.
The actor, who was once married to Jennifer Aniston until their breakup in 2005, appears to have found peace amid the chaos of fame.
Angelina’s attorney said in a statement that Brad and Angelina were “exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”
Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt more than eight years ago, according to attorney James Simon, who spoke to the Associated Press. She and her children left all of the property they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since then, she has been trying to bring their family peace and healing.
This is only one component of a long-running process that began eight years ago.
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Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, the country’s prime minister, visited Azerbaijan in February and Turkiye only one month ago in April.
Yet, this week, he was back in both countries, as part of a five-day, four-nation diplomatic blitzkrieg also including stops in Iran and Tajikistan, where Sharif will hold talks on Thursday and Friday. Additionally, Sharif is being accompanied by deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Asim Munir, who was recently promoted to Pakistan’s only second-ever field marshal.
Although Sharif’s previous visits may have been well-known, the context has drastically changed.
More than two weeks after a four-day standoff between Pakistan and India – during which they exchanged missile and drone strikes – diplomacy has become the new battlefront between the South Asian neighbours.
India has organized a diplomatic trip to more than 30 nations, accusing Pakistan of supporting “terrorist organizations” responsible for the attacks in India and Kashmir.
We want to urge Pakistan to hold those responsible for transnational terrorism accountable, as they have done for 40 years. Their actions need to be called out”, said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, last week.
In the worst civilian casualty attack in years, gunmen killed 26 people, the majority of them tourists, in Pahalgam, a hill resort in Indian-administered Kashmir. India attributed the killings to The Resistance Front (TRF), which it claims is affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Pakistan-based organization that the UN has labeled a “terrorist” organization. New Delhi accused Islamabad of complicity in the attacks.
Pakistan disputed the allegations, calling for an “unbiased, credible, and transparent” investigation.
Then, on May 7, India launched a number of missile launches in parts of Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir in an effort to attack what it called “terrorist infrastructure.” Islamabad insisted that the missiles struck civilians, mosques and schools. In the Indian missile attacks, at least 11 security personnel were killed, including more than 50 others.
As they were on the verge of a full-fledged war before agreeing to a ceasefire that the US claims it brokered, both sides fired missiles at each other’s military bases on May 10.
Now, Pakistan, say officials and analysts, is looking to flip India’s narrative before the world — projecting itself as an advocate of peace and stability in South Asia, and New Delhi as the aggressor looking to stoke tensions.
We desire peace.
If India responds “in all sincerity,” Sharif said on Wednesday that he would talk with her about “all matters.”
Speaking at a trilateral summit in Lachin, Azerbaijan, Sharif said trade could resume if India cooperated on all issues, including “counterterrorism”.
According to the resolutions of the UN and the Security Council, and as per the aspirations of the people of Kashmir, “I have said in all humility that we want peace in the region, and that requires discussions on the table on issues that urgently need urgent attention and amicable resolution,” he said.
Since their independence in 1947, the two nuclear-armed countries have engaged in conflict in Kashmir, a picturesque valley in the northeast of the continent.
A 1948 UN resolution called for a plebiscite to determine Kashmir’s future, but eight decades later, it has yet to take place.
Kashmir is administered by India and Pakistan, and China controls two remote areas. Pakistan claims the majority of the territory, but India does not claim the areas China’s ally holds.
Contrasting diplomacy
Officials and experts believe that Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach is also being driven by other factors.
Members of India’s diplomatic delegations are currently making their way around the world, representing members of various political parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Indian National Congress (INC), which both project a unified stance.
In contrast, Pakistan’s current mission is led by top state officials, including Sharif and army chief Munir, widely considered the most powerful figure in the country.
During their four-country tour, the Pakistani delegation, which included prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, also stopped in Iran. [Handout/Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office]
The trip also reflects strategic alignment, say analysts. Turkey is a significant defense partner, having helped Pakistan with the recent conflict by using drones.
The cooperation between Pakistan and Turkey for defense is “particularly strong,” according to Christopher Clary, an assistant professor of political science at the University at Albany.
“Evidence suggests several Turkish-origin systems were used in this recent clash, with varying levels of effectiveness, so there is much to talk about between the two”, he told Al Jazeera.
A Pakistani delegation will travel to the US, UK, and EU headquarters in Brussels next month under the direction of former US foreign affairs and defense minister Khurram Dastgir Khan.
He claimed that Sharif, Munir, and Dar’s current trip is intended to demonstrate Pakistan’s ability to fight a larger adversary in a contemporary world. “There is immense interest in how Pakistan fought the recent war”, Khan said.
“There are nations who are very interested in learning the details,” he continued, noting what Pakistanis and Indians had.
“This opens up Pakistan’s defense forces’ strategic options for providing training to others. We are battle-tested. This increases our reputation, both locally and globally.
Pakistan relyed heavily on Chinese weapons, including the air defense systems it used to defend itself from Indian missiles and fighter jets it used to attack India.
Post-conflict narrative battle
Although both nations won the conflict after it ended, debates have raged on social media and in public forums.
India has not confirmed or refuted Pakistan’s claims that it downed six Indian jets, but Indian missiles have also penetrated deep into Pakistani territory, exposing weaknesses in its air defenses.
India has also suspended the six-decade-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a critical water-sharing agreement that is vital to Pakistan.
Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, recently urged Pakistanis to reject “terrorism.” In a speech in Gujarat state, Modi remarked, “Live a life of peace, eat your bread or choose my bullet.”
He also criticised the IWT as “badly negotiated”, claiming it disadvantaged India.
Following discussions in Berlin, Germany, on May 23, 2025, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, right, speak to the media. [Reuters/Annegret Hilse]
Muhammad Shoaib, an academic and security analyst at Quaid-i-Azam University, said Modi’s remarks reflected “ultra-nationalism” and were targeted at a domestic audience.
“The Indian diplomatic teams won’t likely concentrate on what Pakistan says,” he added. They will only strengthen their case by blaming Pakistan for terrorism. Meanwhile, the Pakistani delegation will likely use Modi’s statements and international law regarding the IWT to bolster their arguments”, he told Al Jazeera.
Khan, a senior member of the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), said the upcoming diplomatic mission will focus on issues like India’s decision to suspend the IWT.
Pakistan’s main argument is that while Indian aggression poses three major challenges, “we want to maintain lasting peace in South Asia.”
The first, according to Khan, is “Indian-sponsored terrorism” in Pakistan, in which, he claimed, more than 20 people have been killed over the past four years. The US and Canada have accused India of carrying out international assassinations. Pakistan also charged India with killing people on its soil in January 2024. India denies involvement. Another accusation that India rejects is that Pakistan also accuses India of supporting separatist groups in its province of Balochistan.
Khan remarked, “India’s completely irresponsible suspension of the IWT is the second point.”
“Pakistan has rightly said that any step by India to stop our water will be treated as an act of war. I believe that if India can start diverting waters in the next six to ten years and makes an effort to do so, it will start a war,” Khan warned.
Khan cited Pakistan’s concern over India’s “status as a responsible nuclear power” as the third factor.
In the past, New Delhi has frequently cited the nuclear proliferation facilitated by Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, as evidence that Islamabad cannot be trusted with the safe management of its nuclear weapons.
However, Amit Shah, India’s internal security minister, has confirmed that the country used its own BrahMos missile against Pakistan during the most recent military escalation. He is widely regarded as the second-powerful leader behind Modi.
A supersonic cruise missile with a range of 300 to 500 kilometers and three times the speed of sound is the BrahMos, which was developed with Russia. It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads and be launched from land, air, or sea.
Khan, who served as defense minister from 2017 to 2018, warned of “unfathomable consequences” if someone used these weapons.
You can’t tell what payload a missile carries until it hits the target once it is in the air. This is very, very irresponsible”, he said. When India mistakenly launched a missile into our territory a few years ago, it has already shown carelessness.
Khan was referring to a “accident” that occurred in March 2022 when India “accidentally” fired a BrahMos into Pakistani territory in Mian Channu, a densely populated city located about 500 kilometers south of Islamabad.
India at the time acknowledged that accidental launch was due to a “technical malfunction” and later sacked three air force officials.
On May 26, 2025, at the road show of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad, India, a man wave the national flag in front of a cutout of a Brahmos missile. [Photo by Ajit Solanki]
Ceasefire holds, but tensions linger
Although the two nations were at odds with one another during the conflict, the ceasefire that was declared on May 10 has been up, and troops have since gradually returned to their normal positions during peacetime.
Shoaib, a research fellow at George Mason University in the US, expressed cautious optimism.
“Initiating hostilities is risky. No party wants to appear careless. He claimed that a significant incident would be required for that to fail.
Tughral Yamin, a former military officer and researcher in Islamabad, noted that while diplomacy offers no guarantees, the ceasefire could last.
Pakistan is no cakewalk, according to India. He told Al Jazeera, “It has both conventional and nuclear deterrence.” “Both sides will remain alert, and Pakistan must address weaknesses exposed in the standoff”.
Clary added that while the India-Pakistani relationship is still fragile, historical evidence suggests that more calmer times frequently follow intense conflicts.
He said, “It is reasonable for both countries and international observers to hope for the best but plan for the worst over the upcoming months.”
But Khan, the former minister, questioned Modi’s comments, after the military crisis, where the Indian PM said that any attack on the country’s soil would now be seen as worthy of a military response, and that New Delhi would effectively cease to draw any distinction between Pakistan’s military and non-state armed groups.
Latif al-Ani, a well-known photographer, discovers the people and locations he photographed before the wars in various locations throughout Iraq.
Latif al-Ani, a well-known photographer who was born in Baghdad in 1932, is credited with founding Iraqi photography. His portfolio creates a unique visual archive of Iraq during its height between the 1950s and the 1970s as the official photographer for presidents and the Iraqi Petroleum Company.
His images show how diverse and varied a modern, cosmopolitan country is in harmony and with abundance. Al-Ani, however, stopped taking photos when Saddam Hussein gained control. Al-Ani travels across Iraq with his photos in search of the remains of his stunning nation after decades of conflict.
![The Pakistani delegation with prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir also made a stop in Iran in their four-country tour. [Handout/Pakistan Prime Minister's Office]](https://i0.wp.com/www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/c4bc2843-fa4c-4437-b90f-387be1d39668-1748471595.jpg?w=696&ssl=1)
