'Alex Batty used timeless teenage courage to chart his own path'
Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
Alex Batty's dark fairytale has a very practical ending
Libby Purves in The Times
The decision of British teenager Alex Batty to escape a "hippyish community" in France is "something to applaud", writes Libby Purves in The Times. While the "idea of being 'off-grid' has many charms", children "are not chattels and we may not cram them into a mould". As such Alex's "nerve to step away from parental eccentricities and determinations" should be embraced. He has used "timeless teenage courage" to chart his own path.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How far is Keir Starmer willing to go to reform the NHS?
The Telegraph editorial board
As Keir Starmer ponders the "NHS permacrisis", he is "taking aim at the inefficient use of the organisation's resources", says The Telegraph's editorial board. He is "quite right", but has he "correctly diagnosed the disease"? An "injection of funding" may help, but "it will be disappointing if this is the extent of his ambition". Only by admitting "many issues are the result of its state-dominated structure" will the NHS achieve "meaningful reform".
UK Government must share what help it's giving to Israel
Kenny MacAskill in The National
As we prepare to "celebrate the birth of a child in a manger in Bethlehem", a mere "40 miles down the road, children are dying in hospitals" due to war, says Kenny MacAskill MP in The National. Britain "cannot have any complicity in the atrocity being perpetuated in Gaza" and Rishi Sunak must cease "being supine to both Israel and President Biden, who can stop this".
Boasting season is upon us – and it can't end soon enough
Emma Beddington in The Guardian
"Be careful out there", warns Emma Beddington in The Guardian, as "it's boasting season". The end of the year often brings a "desire to scream success from the rooftops". But it is important "not to feel threatened by other people's expression of pride". Instead, "find a coping strategy" such as "That's wonderful!" because "anything that adds a drop to the leaky pot of human happiness is worth embracing".
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The future of abortion access in many states may come down to who has the final say'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
US makes first Gaza aid delivery from floating pier
Speed Read Israeli restrictions on border crossings have prevented food and supplies from reaching Gaza citizens
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fico assassination attempt exposes deep divisions in Slovakia
The Explainer Violence lays bare the growing schism between older, nationalist Slovaks and younger, pro-Western liberals
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
'If the election is thrown to the House, 2024 could be a watershed year for American democracy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How to read polls like a pro
In Depth Sorting through the noise and controversies of modern survey research
By David Faris Published
-
Slovak prime minister 'will survive' after being shot
Speed Read Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a stable but serious condition
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The UK's food poverty crisis
The Explainer Austerity, Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and high inflation have led to one of Europe's worst rates of food insecurity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is public opinion shifting in Israel over the war?
Today's Big Question International criticism and a lack of progress in freeing hostages is piling pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published