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Roberto De Zerbi arrived on the pitch barely half an hour before kick‑off, his black padded gilet pulled up to the neck against a biting Wearside wind. By the final whistle the chill had eased, but Tottenham’s morale had plummeted.Sunderland’s 1‑0 victory not only cemented the visitors’ place in the league’s bottom three, it also lifted Régis Le Bris’s side to 10th place with six matches left in the campaign.Facing his third managerial appointment in a single season, De Zerbi urged his squad to rediscover the high‑risk attacking ethos of former boss Ange Postecoglou – a vision that remained frustratingly out of reach on a day dominated by low‑tempo play.Long‑time Tottenham midfielder Antonin Kinsky made a rare return after his brief, infamous cameo in a 5‑2 Champions League loss to Atlético Madrid. His comeback was cut short when a second‑half head clash forced his substitution for the inexperienced Brandon Austin.Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, still recovering from hernia surgery, was expected to be tested. Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka delivered a sharply inswinging corner, but Kinsky calmly palmed the ball over the bar, keeping Spurs in the game.A potential penalty for Tottenham was overturned after VAR review; replays showed Omar Alderete had won the ball cleanly, while Randal Kolo Muani’s appeal proved unfounded.Richarlison offered brief flashes of quality but failed to convert his chances, and Dutch striker Brian Brobbey – described as a “human bulldozer” – was unable to capitalise on Enzo Le Fée’s incisive passes, despite a lone fine save from the Sunderland keeper.De Zerbi’s frustration was palpable. After Dominic Solanke’s weak finish allowed Sunderland’s Robin Roefs to deny a golden‑chance in stoppage‑time, the manager pulled his gilet up over his eyes, perhaps to shield himself from the disappointment.Mid‑second‑half, former Paris Saint‑Germain defender Nordi Mukiele, back from injury, struck a 20‑yard shot that deflected off centre‑back Micky van de Ven. The ball’s change of direction left the goal‑mouth ambiguous, sparking a debate over whether the goal should be credited to Mukiele or recorded as an own‑goal.The match’s physical intensity escalated when Brobbey’s challenge led to a painful collision between Kinsky and Cristian Romero, forcing both players off – Romero in tears with a leg injury. De Zerbi also expressed anger that Brobbey, already booked, escaped a second yellow card.Despite a flurry of substitutions, Tottenham struggled to pose serious questions to Sunderland’s defence, leaving the club’s relegation hopes hanging by a thread as the season draws to its final stretch.

When a Toronto reader confessed to always using "please" and "thank you" with Alexa, the Guardian invited its audience to share their thoughts on the etiquette of speaking to artificial assistants.One camp warns against treating AI as sentient beings, arguing that these systems merely mimic social cues and that confusing imitation with reality can erode our language’s power to challenge dehumanisation. As User30000 put it, we should avoid both de‑humanising language toward people and humanising language toward machines.Conversely, several contributors argue that politeness serves as a useful human default. Lauk notes that courteous phrasing may reinforce positive behavioural cues for AI that learn from user input, while also keeping the speaker grounded in genuine social norms.From an ecological standpoint, extra words translate into measurable energy and water waste. Superspartan highlights that each unnecessary token adds processing load to already energy‑intensive models, and that the cumulative effect of polite phrasing across millions of daily interactions could be substantial.Academic research supports the idea that courteous language can improve AI performance. A linked study finds that polite prompts often elicit more helpful replies, treating modern models as "statistical parrots" that mirror the tone they receive. Yet Sam Altman has publicly estimated that responding to thank‑you notes costs OpenAI tens of millions of dollars, underscoring a tangible financial dimension to the debate.Some readers take a lighter view, extending politeness to elevators, SUVs and even low‑battery iPads, while others, like Martin from Dorset, argue that the practice protects the human soul rather than the machine.There is growing concern that habitual rudeness toward AI may spill over into real‑world interactions. Poridgeoates observes that younger users, who spend more time with technology than with people, risk weakening empathy and emotional‑intelligence muscles if they treat conversational agents dismissively.Louise adds that the way we speak to objects can shape broader social behaviour, especially where power imbalances exist. While AI itself may not feel insulted, the act of being rude can reinforce undesirable character traits in the speaker.Overall, the discussion reveals a split between those who see politeness as a harmless habit that can improve AI responses, and those who view it as an unnecessary drain on resources and a potential threat to human civility.

The latest analysis by HR consultancy Hamilton Nash shows that 54 employment tribunals in England, Scotland and Wales cited remote‑working issues in 2025 – a 13% decline from the previous year and the first drop since the pandemic began.This marks the end of a six‑year upward trend during which tribunal filings related to remote work surged tenfold from the pre‑COVID baseline of 2019. The number of cases peaked at 62 in 2024 but fell sharply to just six in 2025.According to the Office for National Statistics, 28% of working‑age adults in Great Britain now operate in a hybrid model, splitting time between a traditional office and another location such as home. Yet many large employers, notably financial giants Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, have intensified return‑to‑office mandates, with some demanding five days a week on site.Employment experts attribute the unexpected dip to broader labour‑market dynamics. The UK unemployment rate rose to a near five‑year high of 5.2% in Q4 2025, while job vacancies have continued to fall, shifting bargaining power back toward employers. As Jim Moore, employee‑relations partner at Hamilton Nash, explains, “Top talent did vote with their feet for a while, but that has changed because of wider issues in the labour market and people saying: ‘I am going to stay put and keep my head down.’”Legislative changes may also be curbing tribunal filings. The amended Employment Relations Act, which introduced a right to request flexible working from day one of a new job in April 2024, appears to encourage employees to resolve disputes internally rather than through the courts.Moore warns that tribunal numbers represent “the tip of the iceberg,” noting that much workplace conflict never reaches a public hearing. Adding to employer confidence, a 2024 tribunal decision rejected a senior manager’s claim against the Financial Conduct Authority for the right to work entirely from home, a ruling that, according to Hill Dickinson partner Padma Tadi‑Booth, “may give some encouragement to employers” to tighten office‑attendance policies.Consequently, some firms are already planning to raise on‑site requirements, moving from two to three days a week or mandating a higher percentage of total working hours in the office.Nevertheless, the backlog of employment tribunals remains a significant hurdle. Over 500,000 cases were pending last year, and claimants can expect waits of up to three years for a hearing, potentially deterring future filings.

The evening’s television line‑up offers a mix of heartfelt competition, natural‑history wonder and high‑profile live events, giving viewers plenty of reasons to stay tuned.9 pm – Channel 4 – Your Song: Produced by the team behind The Piano, this new talent show invites ordinary Britons to perform the songs that hold personal meaning. Hosted and judged by Alison Hammond, Paloma Faith and Sam Ryder, the series launches from Liverpool with stories ranging from a teenager’s Bocelli tribute to a lift‑engineer’s pipe‑organ showcase, all racing toward a finale at the Hackney Empire.6 pm – BBC One – Secret Garden: David Attenborough returns to domestic natural history, turning his lens on a modest garden in Bristol. The programme explores the hidden dramas of urban foxes, blue tits and goldfinches, revealing how a tiny plot can host an entire ecosystem.7 pm – BBC Two – Olivier Awards 2026: The Royal Albert Hall hosts the 50th anniversary of Britain’s premier theatre awards, with Nick Mohammed as host. Into the Woods and Paddington: the Musical lead the nominations with eleven each, while Elaine Page receives a Special Award. Rumours swirl about a surprise performance from the awards’ most famous marmalade lover.7.40 pm – Channel 4 – The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer: A comforting Sunday tradition returns, featuring celebrity bakers Ralf Little, Mutya Buena and Mark Wright. Their creations—savory pull‑apart rolls and vegan fruit tarts—aim to raise funds for cancer research.8 pm – BBC One – The Other Bennet Sister: This Pride & Prejudice spin‑off follows Ella Bruccoleri’s Mary as she navigates the attentions of Mr Hayward and Mr Ryder, with a storm‑laden hike adding further tension to the series’ impending conclusion.10.15 pm – ITV1 – Savage River: Australian crime drama starring Katherine Langford returns, following ex‑con Miki Anderson as she attempts a fresh start in her hometown, only to become the prime suspect when a new crime erupts.Film choice – Sky Cinema Premiere – Blue Moon (6.10 am & 7.10 pm): Richard Linklater’s melancholy drama, anchored by Ethan Hawke’s transformative performance, imagines a night in the life of struggling Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart, whose post‑opening despair leads him to a cocktail of regret.4.15 pm – Channel 4 – Soul: Pixar’s latest metaphysical adventure, co‑directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers, follows deceased music teacher Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx) as he navigates a limbo for unborn souls, meeting the reluctant 22 (Tina Fey) in a story that blends child‑friendly wonder with adult reflections on purpose.Live sport: Premier League action kicks off with Sunderland vs Tottenham at 1 pm on Sky Sports Main Event, followed by Chelsea vs Manchester City at 4.25 pm, offering football fans a double‑header of top‑flight drama.

Renowned actor Sam Neill, known for his role in the Jurassic Park movie franchise, has joined the fight against a proposed goldmine near his vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand. The mine, backed by Australian company Santana Minerals, could potentially damage the region's pristine environment and threaten up to 650,000 native lizards.The proposed Bendigo-Ophir goldmine, located in an area legally enshrined as 'outstanding natural landscape,' has sparked fierce division between communities. While proponents claim it will create 357 jobs and boost the economy, critics argue it will dampen tourism and harm the environment.Neill, who has grown wine under his Two Paddocks label in the region for 30 years, emphasizes his connection to the land, stating, 'If this mine goes ahead... everything that you see [there] is under a claim [by the mining company]. And there will be mining all around us, and that'll be the end.'The mining industry has a history of environmental disasters, particularly with tailings dams storing toxic waste. Ian Taylor, a prominent Māori businessman, worries about the 600km-long alpine fault running down the South Island, which could lead to seismic risks.Santana Minerals claims the dam has been designed to withstand a one-in-10,000-year earthquake and denies that the mine will negatively affect tourism. A decision on the Bendigo-Ophir mine is expected by the end of the year.

Atlassian announced a suite of new AI capabilities for its collaboration hub Confluence, aiming to turn a single page into a launchpad for visual storytelling, prototyping, and presentations.Remix Visual AI Enters Open Beta to Auto‑Generate Charts and GraphicsThe flagship feature, Remix, analyzes data stored in Confluence and recommends the most appropriate visual format—charts, graphs, or infographics—creating the asset without leaving the platform. Users can simply select a data block, and Remix produces a ready‑to‑use visual, streamlining the transition from raw information to polished output.Third‑Party Agents Bring Prototyping, App Building, and Slide Creation Inside ConfluenceLovable agent: Converts product ideas and data into working prototypes directly from Confluence pages.Replit agent: Transforms technical documentation into starter applications, accelerating development cycles.Gamma agent: Generates presentation slides and related materials, turning notes into polished decks.All three agents operate via Model Context Protocols (MCPs), allowing seamless interaction with external AI services while keeping data within the trusted Confluence environment.Embedding AI: A Strategic Shift Toward Integrated Workflow EnhancementsThis rollout follows Atlassian’s February addition of AI agents to Jira and mirrors a broader industry movement. Companies like Salesforce and OpenAI are embedding AI into existing tools—Salesforce’s Agentforce now lives within its core suite, and OpenAI’s Frontier Alliances push consultants to integrate its models into client workflows.Implications for Enterprise Collaboration and Competitive LandscapeBy keeping AI functionality inside the platforms teams already use, Atlassian reduces friction, potentially increasing adoption rates and driving higher engagement metrics. Competitors will need to match this depth of integration or risk losing market share in the fast‑growing AI‑augmented collaboration space.Looking Ahead: AI‑First Collaboration Platforms as the New StandardAnalysts expect the next wave of enterprise software to be “AI‑first,” with native agents and visual tools becoming default features rather than add‑ons. Atlassian’s strategy positions it to lead this transition, and future updates may expand Remix’s capabilities to real‑time data streams and broaden the ecosystem of third‑party agents.

Assam, India – Under the sweltering April sun, Akram Ali stood amid the rubble of his four‑room house, a home he had built over 45 years ago. The demolition, part of a government‑led bulldozing operation on March 14, turned his residence into a pile of debris.Bulldozers descended on Islampur, a Muslim‑majority neighbourhood on the outskirts of Guwahati, and for four hours razed homes across 177 hectares (437 acres). The sweep rendered 400 families homeless, including Ali, who now lives in a tarpaulin shanty a few kilometres from his former home.Ali, a daily‑wage worker, told Al Jazeera that despite identifying as Goriya – “son of the soil” – his house was destroyed. The Goriyas are an Assamese‑speaking Muslim community traditionally settled in the tea‑belt region. In 2022, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officially recognised the Goriya, along with four other Muslim sub‑groups, as “Indigenous” to Assam.While this designation has afforded the Indigenous Muslims a degree of cultural safety, it has not shielded them from the state’s aggressive land‑clearance drives. Ali questioned the distinction, asking, “Weren’t our homes demolished because we are Muslims?”Muslims make up more than a third of Assam’s 31 million residents, according to the 2011 census. Of these, roughly 6.3 million are Bengali‑speaking “miyas,” often labelled “outsiders,” while about 4 million belong to Indigenous groups like the Goriya.The BJP, led nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been courting the Indigenous Muslim vote ahead of the April 2026 state elections, where it seeks a third consecutive term after governing since 2016. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has spearheaded the party’s crackdown on “miyas” since 2021, claims the government will “never target” Indigenous Muslims.Political analyst Bonojit Hussain explains that the BJP’s outreach serves two purposes: softening its communal image and capturing decisive vote blocks in constituencies where Indigenous Muslims and Hindus together decide the outcome. In seats such as Nalbari, where Indigenous Muslims account for over 25 % of the electorate, and Barkhetri, with roughly 80,000 Muslim voters, the community’s support can swing the result.Upper Assam, a region with a strong Assamese‑speaking identity, is especially critical. Journalist Firoz Khan notes that Indigenous Muslims influence the outcome in seven or eight of the 39 seats there, prompting the BJP to temper its overtly anti‑Muslim rhetoric in the area.Despite the party’s overtures, many Indigenous Muslims remain skeptical. Moinul Islam, spokesperson for the rights group Sadou Asom Goria Jatiya Parishad, warned that the BJP’s broader anti‑Muslim policies—evictions, voter‑list objections, and alleged deportations—are unlikely to win their votes.Earlier in 2025, similar demolition drives displaced hundreds of Goriya families in Lakhimpur and Golaghat districts, and a systematic campaign to challenge Muslim names on electoral rolls further strained relations.BJP spokesman Kishore Upadhyay dismissed the allegations as “malicious, biased and politically motivated,” but Indigenous groups argue the pattern signals an attempt to erase their cultural legacy.Recent actions by the state government reinforce this perception. Chief Minister Sarma renamed the only medical college in Barpeta—previously bearing the name of Goriya freedom fighter Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed—arguing that institutions should reflect their geographic location. Critics view the move as symbolic of a broader effort to marginalise Muslim contributions to Assam’s history.In December 2025, Sarma also proposed dropping the hyphen in “Sankar‑Azan,” a name that celebrated the syncretic legacy of 15th‑century polymath Srimanta Sankardev and 17th‑century Sufi saint Azan Peer. Communist Party member Isfaqur Rahman warned that such revisions reflect a “slow erasure of Assamese Muslim heritage.”For Ali, the demolition has hardened his political stance. “After being evicted, the chief minister called us illegal immigrants and broke our backs by destroying our homes,” he said. “We are the new miyas.”

Romanian director Radu Jude is known for his wildly improvised and low-budget filmmaking style, often incorporating elements of TV ads, AI-generated content, and amateur dramatics into his movies. His latest film, 'Dracula', continues this trend, presenting a satirical take on Romania's dark past and the country's most reliable export: the legend of Dracula. The film is a meta-cinematic experiment, featuring a smug and supercilious film-maker, Adonis Tanta, who introduces the audience to his cheapo film about Dracula, created on his iPad using unbearable AI. The story is interspersed with set-piece mini-films-within-a-film on Dracula-adjacent themes, including a communist-era tale of a truck driver who falls in love with a local woman. Jude's film is a scathing critique of Romania's persistent strains of fascism, antisemitism, clerical arrogance, exploitative service economy, and stakeholder capitalism. Specifically, it relates to a proposal for a Dracula theme park in the late 1990s, in which thousands of Romanian citizens invested money that they would never see again. While the film may test the audience's patience at times, it features moments of startling insanity and is a testament to Jude's innovative filmmaking style. As the reviewer notes, 'one day, I predict, Jude will make a biopic of political vampirism about the most pressing Romanian subject of all: Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu.' 'Dracula' is set to premiere at the ICA in London on April 10.

NASA announced that the Artemis II crew has now traversed the halfway mark between Earth and the Moon, and the agency released the first photographs of our planet taken from within the Orion capsule.After completing the fourth day of a ten‑day voyage, the astronauts settled in for a brief rest while the spacecraft hovered roughly 322,000 km (200,000 miles) from Earth and about 132,000 km (82,000 miles) from the lunar surface, according to NASA’s live mission dashboard.The newly published images showcase Earth as a luminous blue sphere wrapped in swirling cloud patterns, offering a striking perspective from deep space.Looking ahead, the four‑person team is slated to perform a swing‑by of the Moon’s far side early next week – a maneuver that has not been attempted by a crewed vehicle in more than five decades.The next critical checkpoint arrives overnight from Sunday into Monday (U.S. time), when Orion is expected to enter the “lunar sphere of influence,” the point where the Moon’s gravity overtakes Earth’s pull on the spacecraft.If the trajectory proceeds as planned, the mission will place the astronauts at a greater distance from Earth than any human has ever traveled, setting a new record for deep‑space human flight.Artemis II forms a cornerstone of NASA’s broader strategy to re‑establish a regular human presence on the Moon, ultimately building a permanent base that could serve as a launchpad for future missions to Mars and beyond.