Born of a Factory Mistake, This Sad Toy Horse Captures China’s Mood
A manufacturing error turned a Lunar New Year toy into an unlikely emblem of workplace fatigue.
Social Media
Social media star Shirley Raines dies after years helping homeless in LA
Known as “Ms. Shirley”, she used TikTok to bring food, dignity and hope to Skid Row and beyondShirley Raines, a social media creator and non-profit founder who dedicated her life to caring for people experiencing homelessness, has died, her organizatio…
BBC urges stricter checks after offensive tweets emerge from The Apprentice contestant
Production company asked for full review after broadcaster ‘completely unaware’ of Levi Hodgetts-Hague’s comments Over 20 seasons, The Apprentice boardroom has not been short on drama – but one recurrent theme is the show’s penchant for problematic co…
Tech giants head to landmark US trial over social media addiction claims
Meta, YouTube and TikTok accused of making products intentionally addictive and harmful to young peopleFor the first time, a massive group of parents, teens and school districts is taking on the world’s most powerful social media companies in open cour…
French lawmakers vote to ban social media use by under-15s
Legislation, which also bans mobile phones in high schools, would make France the second country after Australia to take such a stepFrench lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban social media use by under-15s, a move championed by president Emmanue…
Amid Two-Week Internet Blackout, Some Iranians Are Getting Back Online
Many in Iran are gaining brief and unexplained windows of online connectivity, offering a widening glimpse of the extent of the government crackdown.
AI-generated British schoolgirl becomes far-right social media meme
Amelia, created to deter young people from extremism, has been subverted and is breaking out of niche online silosIn certain corners of the internet, on niche news feeds and algorithms, an AI-generated British schoolgirl has emerged as something of a p…
‘We have a clear agenda’: the teenager who broke news of Tory MP’s defection to Reform
Charlie Simpson, 15, is part of new generation of self-styled rightwing ‘independent journalists’ and ‘has sources in the [Reform] party’UK politics live – latest updatesThe Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell had been tipped as a potential Reform recruit…
‘Manosphere’ influencers pushing testosterone tests are convincing healthy young men there is something wrong with them, study finds
Researcher points to ‘medicalisation of masculinity’ after investigating how men’s health is being monetised online“If you’re not waking up in the morning with a boner, there’s a large possibility that you have low testosterone levels,” an influencer o…
Labour’s Andrew Gwynne resigns paving the way for return of Andy Burnham as an MP– as it happened
PM declines to say whether he supports Burnham standing as Gwynne steps down Andy Burnham may have a new route to parliament after the MP Andrew Gwynne reached a settlement with the Commons that would allow him to retire and call a byelection, Pippa Cr…