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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Political cartoons for February 16Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include President's Day, a valentine from the Epstein files, and more
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The problem with diagnosing profound autismThe Explainer Experts are reconsidering the idea of autism as a spectrum, which could impact diagnoses and policy making for the condition
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Greenland’s capital becomes ground zero for the country’s diplomatic straitsIN THE SPOTLIGHT A flurry of new consular activity in Nuuk shows how important Greenland has become to Europeans’ anxiety about American imperialism
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Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
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Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
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Which way will Trump go on Iran?Today’s Big Question Diplomatic talks set to be held in Turkey on Friday, but failure to reach an agreement could have ‘terrible’ global ramifications
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Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
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China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
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Ukraine, US and Russia: do rare trilateral talks mean peace is possible?Rush to meet signals potential agreement but scepticism of Russian motives remain
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Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
