‘More exploitation, fewer rights’: Argentina braces for sweeping overhaul of labor laws

‘More exploitation, fewer rights’: Argentina braces for sweeping overhaul of labor laws

Javier Milei’s boosters say law will revive employment, but critics decry cuts to severance and longer working hours Argentina ’s senate is poised to approve a sweeping overhaul of labour laws aimed at weakening trade unions and lowering labour costs for businesses. The government of the self-styled “anarcho-capitalist” president, Javier Milei , says the initiative will help revive formal employment, after 290,600 registered jobs were lost between December 2023, when he took office, and November 2025. Continue reading...

Bring Her Back to Molly vs the Machines: the seven best films to watch on TV this week

Bring Her Back to Molly vs the Machines: the seven best films to watch on TV this week

Sally Hawkins will give you the heebie-jeebies in a grisly horror, plus Marc Silver’s tragic documentary is an absolute must-watch Danny and Michael Philippou’s grisly follow-up to their hit horror debut Talk to Me features a performance of malign nervous energy from Sally Hawkins that will give you the heebie-jeebies. Not to mention a scene involving teeth that may have you hiding behind your hands. Hawkins plays Laura, a foster parent – and grieving mother – who takes in Billy Barrett’s 17-year-old Andy and his partially sighted younger stepsister Piper (Sora Wong). She’s already taking care of Oliver (an uncanny Jonah Wren Phillips) who doesn’t speak and is clearly disturbed. What is the far-from-parental Laura up to (there’s a clue in the title) and why is she particularly interested in Piper? Saturday, 10.20pm, Sky Cinema Premiere Continue reading...

‘Putting on a brave face’: why royal fashion has never been more arresting

‘Putting on a brave face’: why royal fashion has never been more arresting

Could the royal family’s latest troubles usher in a new era of diplomatic dressing? As Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was taken into police custody last week, his brother King Charles made a “surprise” appearance on the front row at the opening of London fashion week . Styled in one of his staple jaunty ties, clashing pocket handkerchief and British-made suit, it sent the message loud and clear: this was business as usual. That message persisted when, at the Baftas at the weekend, the Prince and Princess of Wales showed a united front in coordinated burgundy velvet ( “Pantone diplomacy” , as the New York Times put it). Catherine’s blush Gucci gown showed not just solidarity in hue but also, arguably, signalled her ethics in a week when the royal family’s came under fire: she’d worn the dress before, on a previous outing. Continue reading...

Trump says he is a savior of women’s sports. His ice hockey joke showed what he really thinks

Trump says he is a savior of women’s sports. His ice hockey joke showed what he really thinks

The president and his allies have never been interested in helping or elevating female athletes. His true feelings were exposed on Sunday This past week Team USA won gold in both the women’s and men’s ice hockey at the Winter Olympics, presenting Donald Trump with a golden opportunity. Instead of seizing the easy political points, he embraced his chance to ingratiate himself with the boys by inviting them to the State of the Union address. He followed up his offer of a military jet shuttle to Washington DC with a lament that he would have to also invite the women’s team. It was a bit that lit up the locker room with laughter. The women’s gold medal had been a prime opportunity for Trump to live up to his stated commitment to “protect opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports”, a claim made last February when he sought to position himself as the figure saving women’s sports. Instead, he decided to make a joke at the expense of Olympic champions. Continue reading...

Russia and Ukraine agree local ceasefire to allow repairs at Europe’s largest nuclear plant – Europe live

Russia and Ukraine agree local ceasefire to allow repairs at Europe’s largest nuclear plant – Europe live

The plant relies on external power to keep its nuclear material cool and avoid a catastrophic accident A local ceasefire around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine has been agreed , with the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to allow for necessary repairs of the backup power lines to the plant. The IAEA has confirmed that a local arrangement has been reached to help the repair teams ensure the safety of the plant, with demining activities in the area ongoing to enable access. Continue reading...