The Pi Perspective

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At Pi Online, we are a massive group of editors who work together to curate content for the website. But who are we really? What do we like, dislike, observe, think?

Each week, we’re pulling back the curtain with a new editorial spotlighting what’s been on our minds.

Editors-in-Chief

As a somewhat commuter (4 stops on the Piccadilly line hardly counts…), I have taken to people watching, at least until Sadiq Khan holds true to his promise to install 5G on the underground.

In a time of unrest and political chaos, it is actually quite calming to have such unremarkable reminders of humanity. In the past week alone, I have seen an old man give a child his Santa hat (in November!), a Mayfair bro help a woman lift her suitcase onto the train, and a father play I Spy with his toddler. I’ve noticed countless scruffy sneakers, couples making heart eyes at each other, and freshers stealthily hiding bottles of vodka in their coats as they head to the club.

None of this is groundbreaking, obviously. Londoners are still chronically allergic to eye contact and the tube is still one screech away from rupturing someone’s eardrum. But somewhere in a tunnel beneath the city, bonded by our lack of WiFi, is a surprising amount of comfort and kindness.

News

On November 20 of this year, Alice Guo, the mayor of Bamban in the Philippines, was convicted of espionage and human trafficking. She was sentenced to life in prison. The conviction marked a huge turn in one of the Philippines’ most shocking political scandals.

Guo was once celebrated as her town’s first female mayor. She built her image on optimism and accessibility, promoting a brand that resonated with local voters.

Yet, authorities later tied her to a compound which housed a major online scamming operation led by Chinese nationals. The scams were operated by scores of trafficked workers under the threat of violence. They were lured into the compound by the promise of lucrative salaries, but had their passports and personal items confiscated. The scheme was disguised as an online gambling business, known locally as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO).

Most shockingly, despite claiming to be a child of local farmers from Bamban, it was later discovered that Guo is in fact a Chinese-born national named Guo Hua Ping. Filipino authorities and some whistleblowers have alleged that she is highly likely to be a Chinese intelligence asset.

Features

One of us has recently acquired a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. And I am totally hooked. I didn’t realise how much I have been missing out! Suddenly, I can hear myself think over the dulcet tones of the Victoria Line’s screeches. I can  read, understand and enjoy Joyce’s Ulysses in Waterstone’s café, with the background hubbub actually in the background. Heck, I can take a nap on Oxford Street!

But all this quiet comfort got me thinking, what does it mean to block out the world around us? What does it mean to stop listening? We’re living in a world where listening is more important than ever. Society is bitterly polarised, we are divided along political lines, gender lines, generational lines. Distrust and fear of the ‘other side’ are rampant. These factors are symptomatic of a lack of understanding, lack of compassion for the people around us. When we don’t listen to one another, we cannot empathise with each other – we lose our sense of common humanity. 

So maybe now is not the time for noise-cancelling mode. Maybe this week you can join us in turning it off and tuning back in.

Opinion

The British left has become its own worst enemy. Labour shifts towards the centre, the Greens stake their claim on climate absolutism, Your Party splits over trans rights and foreign policy, and meanwhile, Reform laughs all the way to Downing Street.

The impulse is understandable. Compromise feels like betrayal when you're passionate about justice, the environment, or economic equality. But Britain's electoral system doesn't reward moral purity; it punishes division. Every splinter party takes a chunk out of the progressive vote, leading to another five years of policies that progressives all dislike.

The harsh truth? Most voters care about housing, healthcare, and heating bills, not ideological purity tests. Until the left accepts that winning power beats losing honourably, it's just performing politics while the country suffers.

Lifestyle and Culture

It’s official: Bella Hadid is a modern-day princess (and the status has nothing to do with the rumoured proposal by a prince)!

Take, for instance, her plans for the start of 2026. Headlining the model’s upcoming January itinerary is the freshly announced ‘Artists for Aid’ - a large-scale charity concert (to be hosted by Hadid in collaboration with Pedro Pascal) aimed at fundraising for humanitarian relief in Palestine and Sudan.

Beyond the event, Hadid’s Instagram page is overflowing with social advocacy, particularly in defence of her motherland (the model is half-Palestinian): an exemplary use of a platform with 60 million followers.

Furthermore, from Bella’s comforting openness about mental health struggles, to her devotion to promoting a clean, cruelty-free approach to fragrance manufacturing, the model ceaselessly reminds us that compassion is beauty. And is there anything more royal than the fight for positive change?

Science and Technology

A global trial led by UCL scientists has delivered the most promising Huntington’s disease results to date. Developed by uniQure, a biotech company specialising in one-time AAV gene therapies, the experimental gene therapy AMT-130 showed a dramatic 75% slowdown in disease progression in patients compared to a matched control group – an effect never seen in any Huntington’s treatment trial. The one-off therapy uses a harmless virus to deliver DNA directly into the brain, permanently switching off production of the toxic huntingtin protein that drives the disease. 

Looking at biomarkers, the results are also promising. Levels of neurofilament light, which normally rise as neurons deteriorate, instead fell in treated patients, signaling protection of the brain cells.

Professor Sarah Tabrizi called the findings “groundbreaking”, while Professor Ed Wild said they “change everything”. uniQure plans to seek accelerated approval next year, raising hope for a more accessible and effective treatment.

Sports

Arsenal aren’t title-winning quality yet, and this weekend’s London derby proved it.

In a match where Chelsea went down to 10 men after 38 minutes, Arsenal still couldn’t take control of the game and only mustered a draw. For all the noise around their title hopes, they never looked convincing. Their lack of shots, urgency and creativity should alarm Arsenal fans, especially when their missing first-choice centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães seemed enough to derail their rhythm.

If Arsenal can’t impose themselves on a weakened Chelsea side, should they really be considered Premier League favourites? With Manchester City just five points behind after winning both their matches this week, Arsenal’s flaws are becoming harder to ignore.