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As ChatGPT “worms its way into more people’s personal lives”, couples are “having to navigate what it means to juggle relationships with both a human and AI”, said The Cut.
How AI chatbots are ending marriages
When one partner forms an intimate bond with AI it can all end in tears
theweek.com
November 28, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Every 10 minutes, a woman or girl somewhere in the world is killed because she is female, according to a newly published UN Women report on femicide. Last year, 83,000 women and girls were killed deliberately – with nearly 60% murdered at the hands of an intimate partner or family member.
Femicide: Italy’s newest crime
Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
theweek.com
November 28, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Founded by former doula Emilee Saldaya, the FBS promotes an “extreme” version of home birth that dispenses with all medical support, said The Guardian. It is presented to expectant mothers as “returning something sacred that had been stolen from them”.
The controversial Free Birth Society
Influencers are encouraging pregnant women to give birth without midwife care – at potentially tragic cost
theweek.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:48 PM
The growing realisation that Russian aggression could “easily spill into Europe” has put “intense pressure” on countries across the continent to “quickly expand the ranks of full-time soldiers and reservists that shrank during the post-Cold War peace”, said The New York Times.
Is conscription the answer to Europe’s security woes?
How best to boost troop numbers to deal with Russian threat is ‘prompting fierce and soul-searching debates’
theweek.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:22 PM
There’s a “dystopian” environment in the Indian capital as a particularly “persistent toxic haze” shrouds the city, with slow winds and cooling temperatures preventing pollutants from dispersing, said The Independent.
‘Like a gas chamber’: the air pollution throttling Delhi
Indian capital has tried cloud seeding to address the crisis, which has seen schools closed and outdoor events suspended
theweek.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:26 AM
“Crucially, the physiological stress response to surgery”, which is measured through serum cortisol, the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood, was “markedly lower” in patients listening to music, said The Independent.
How music can help recovery from surgery
A ‘few gentle notes’ can make a difference to the body during medical procedures
theweek.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Google’s tensor processing units (TPUs) are ideally suited to generating responses to ChatGPT or Claude, said Bloomberg. They are “less adaptable” and “more specialised” than Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs), but crucially they offer a “less power-hungry” system at a lower cost.
Has Google burst the Nvidia bubble?
The world’s most valuable company faces a challenge from Google, as companies eye up ‘more specialised’ and ‘less power-hungry’ alternatives
theweek.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:12 AM
A second trial of seven health professionals, accused of negligent homicide relating to the former footballer’s death at the age of 60, will begin in March.
Five years after his death, Diego Maradona’s family demand justice
Argentine football legend’s medical team accused of negligent homicide and will stand trial – again – next year
theweek.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The 12,000-year-old Göbekli Tepe site in Turkey is often called the “zero point of history”, said The Archaeologist. But recent excavations at the nearby Mendik Tepe site suggest it dates back even further, and could offer “newer insights into humanity’s earliest steps toward settled life”.
Mendik Tepe: the ancient site rewriting human history
Excavations of Neolithic site in Turkey suggest human settlements more than 12,000 years ago
theweek.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:45 PM
In today's Morning Report:Ukraine talks, Trump-less G20 and X transparency

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📸: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP via Getty Images
November 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Although the outcome of the summit remains unclear, with delegates divided on whether to commit to a "road map" for phasing out fossil fuels, Miliband has doubled down on Britain’s commitment to tackling global warming. But the actions behind the government’s words paint a more complicated picture.
Can the UK do more on climate change?
Labour has shown leadership in the face of fraying international consensus, but must show the public their green mission is ‘a net benefit, not a net cost’
theweek.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Want to make the next sequel to “Frozen” yourself? The Walt Disney Company company announced it is exploring tools that could allow you to upload your own AI-generated content onto Disney+ for a "much more engaged experience.” But here's why some people are shaking their heads about the idea.
Disney bets big on AI but not everyone sees a winner
The company will allow users to create their own AI content on Disney+
theweek.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that shadow tankers ship around 62% of Russia’s crude oil exports, which in October alone brought almost £10 billion into Kremlin coffers, said the BBC.
Defeating Russia’s shadow fleet
A growing number of uninsured and falsely registered vessels are entering international waters, dodging EU sanctions on Moscow’s oil and gas
theweek.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:58 PM
A “growing list” of companies sell skin products for pre-teens that are packaged to “look like candy dispensers” and are marketed with “soothing assurances about gentle, dermatologist-approved ingredients”, said the NYT.
Beauty line for kids as young as three sparks ‘rage’
Inside the world of child skincare
theweek.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Around 1,000 Indigenous representatives were invited to take part in the summit, with a further 2,000 able to access spaces for activists and the public.
Did Cop30 fulfil its promise to Indigenous Brazilians?
Brazilian president approves 10 new protected territories, following ‘unprecedented’ Indigenous presence at conference, both as delegates and protesters
theweek.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Having claimed credit for securing the tournament for North America back in his first term, the US president has repeatedly sought to insert himself into the World Cup narrative since returning to the White House.
Will 2026 be the Trump World Cup?
US president already using the world’s most popular football tournament to score political points
theweek.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Kicking yourself for not spending a little bit extra on travel insurance for your next trip? You may already have it. As it turns out, some credit cards automatically come with travel insurance coverage. Here's what it typically covers.
How travel insurance through a credit card works
Use a card with built-in coverage to book your next trip
theweek.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:17 PM
These breaks are “not your standard PTO,” because “they’re intentional, unpaid time to rest and recharge,” said Fast Company.
Out of office: Microretirement is trending in the workplace
Long vacations are the new way to beat burnout
theweek.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:06 PM
On 23 November, Sanae Takaichi will have to decide whether to break with tradition and step into the sumo ring (dohyo), to present the trophy to the Grand Sumo champion in Fukuoka.
Will Japan’s first female prime minister defy sumo’s ban on women?
Sanae Takaichi must decide whether to break with centuries of tradition and step into the ring to present a trophy
theweek.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:48 AM
She was the longest-serving prime minister (1996–2001 and 2009–2024) and also the longest-serving female leader in the world. Her tenure was “marred by allegations of corruption, torture and enforced disappearances”.
Sheikh Hasina: why ousted Bangladesh PM has been sentenced to death
The country’s longest-serving leader ordered the ‘ruthless, state-led crackdown’ on protesters and faces extradition from India
theweek.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:46 AM
President Donald Trump's long relationship with deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein roared back into the public eye last week, as Republicans and Democrats jockeyed to capitalize on the tranches of Epstein-related documents recently released.
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?
As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
theweek.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:29 PM
For more than a century, BHV has “embodied a certain Parisian ideal” of accessible luxury, craftsmanship and good taste. “Now it’s flogging throwaway polyester” stitched in exploitative Asian factories; which, until now, was only available on Shein’s website alongside 600,000 other cheap goods.
Shein in Paris: has the fashion capital surrendered its soul?
Despite France’s ‘virtuous rhetoric’, the nation is ‘renting out its soul to Chinese algorithms’
theweek.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:45 AM
It’s true that many residents are fed up, said Ruth de Aquino in O Globo (Rio de Janeiro). But if the authorities really want to fix this problem, then what the favelas need is “genuine political will and investment” to establish a state presence that can push out the gangs.
Massacre in the favela: Rio’s police take on the gangs
The ‘defence operation’ killed 132 suspected gang members, but could spark ‘more hatred and revenge’
theweek.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Featuring an image of the Rosalia adorned with a white nun’s veil and a rosary, the artist's new album exudes “religiosity”, despite its sometimes explicit lyrics. It is also part of a wider trend across Spain: a “growing return to the Catholic faith”.
Rosalía and the rise of nunmania
It may just be a ‘seasonal spike’ but Spain is ‘enthralled’ with all things nun
theweek.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:59 PM
“This year’s shortlist was a strong one”, said Martin Chilton in The Independent. Each of the “experienced” authors tackled the “theme of identity” in one way or another – so what set Flesh apart?
Should David Szalay’s Flesh have won the Booker Prize?
The British-Hungarian author’s ‘hypnotic’ tale of masculinity, sex and power scooped this year’s literary award
theweek.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:48 PM