Accept defeat and the Tories could yet prosper
Philip Collins in The Times
Rishi Sunak is facing a "political paradox", says Phillip Collins in The Times – that "accepting defeat is the only vague hope he has of victory". The prime minister should "ditch the gratingly dishonest rhetoric of 'long-term decisions', which makes him sound both petulant and risible", and instead focus "on the only term he will get, which is the short term". The Tory leader needs a "concerted plan to minimise losses", rather than making a "futile wide shot at victory".
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Think before shouting at your child: to them, words can be as harmful as physical blows
Peter Fonagy in The Guardian
Words are one of humanity's most "powerful tools", writes Peter Fonagy for The Guardian, "and harsh language used against children can damage them for the rest of their life". Misusing words to "intimidate, shame and control may appear less obviously harmful than bodily threat", but a systematic review of hundreds of studies has found that verbal abuse can carry the "same risks", including low-self esteem, substance abuse, increased risk of depression and "even psychotic disorders".
Workers could be the ones to regulate AI
Rana Foroohar in the Financial Times
The Writers Guild of America has just made "big progress" in constructing "guard rails" for the use of AI in the workplace, says Rana Foroohar in the Financial Times. Representing striking Hollywood writers, the union has struck a deal with studios that includes "new rules around how the entertainment industry can, and can’t", use the new technology. This is a "very big deal" as it shows not only that AI can be regulated but also how workers "are in a good position to understand how to curb it appropriately".
'Mum rage' is a ridiculous myth that dehumanises mothers
Lucy Mangan for i news
"Very, very few emotions" are "solely the preserve of mothers simply because they are mothers", writes Lucy Mangan for i news. "Most of them arise because we are – get this! – people under pressure." Yet "it suits everyone to assume or to pretend that mothers don’t or shouldn’t feel anger". This is "a tremendously efficient way of ensuring that nearly half the population has another barrier it must fight through if it wants to claim time or space or demand changes or improvements".
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Russia slams Kyiv, hits government buildingSpeed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
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What is Tony Blair's plan for Gaza?Today's Big Question Former PM has reportedly been putting together a post-war strategy 'for the past several months'
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China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
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Will Ukraine trade territory for peace?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Kyiv’s defences are wearing thin but a land swap is constitutionally impossible and crosses Zelenskyy's red lines
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Russia tries Ukraine land grab before Trump summitSpeed Read The incursion may be part of Putin's efforts to boost his bargaining position
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Europe counters Putin ahead of Trump summitSpeed Read President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week for Ukraine peace talks
