Arabic version: «خمس قراءات رائعة» تسلط الضوء على الفقد والسياسة والتحمل

According to The Guardian, its latest Five Great Reads selection brings together reporting and features on the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster, people leaving the Maga movement, Freddie Mercury’s life, sex doll ethics and a week-long running challenge. The weekend roundup was selected by Miles Herbert.

The first story follows the aftermath of flooding in Nepal and Tibet, where thousands remain missing and difficult conditions are hindering aid access. South Asia correspondent Hannah Ellis-Petersen and journalist Gaurav Pokharel report from badly affected areas, describing communities confronting extensive damage and loss. Rescue teams have found personal items including kettles, teddy bears, medicine packets and glasses among debris.

Another feature examines people who have stepped away from Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement. It includes Rich Logis, founder of Leaving Maga, who says he found belonging and camaraderie in the community before diversifying his news sources after politicians he supported platformed Covid anti-vaxxers. The selection also highlights Mary Austin’s new book about Freddie Mercury, her former partner and longtime friend.

The roundup considers the expanding sex doll industry, citing estimates that value the global market at more than US$6bn. It notes that lifelike dolls can be customised and bought for about US$1,790, while Prof Kelly Richards of the Queensland University of Technology and author Caitlin Roper raise concerns about gender equality and the treatment of dolls.

The final read profiles Australian endurance athlete Phil Gore, who ran 6.71km every hour for a full week. Gore, who set a world record in 2025, undertook the effort to test his physical and mental limits outside the constraints of backyard ultra competition. He relied on foods including speckled snakes, Nerd clusters, jelly cups and custard pouches during the challenge.