1. Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype double quotation mark No matter which continent they are from, mothers are the inexhaustible subject: the inevitable endpoint of a therapy session, the proverbial container of infinite grievances, the shortcut to understanding a person’s idiosyncrasies and insecurities. But there is something about the Asian mother in popular culture that feels both overexposed and underdeveloped. Rebecca Liu wrote this Guardian long read that explored what’s beneath the stereotype of the pushy Asian Tiger mom. Read more
2. Meet the AI jailbreakers: ‘I see the worst things humanity has produced’ View image in fullscreen Illustration: Nick Lowndes/The Guardian To test the safety and security of AI, hackers have to trick large language models into breaking their own rules. It requires ingenuity and manipulation – and can come at a deep emotional cost. Jamie Bartlett spoke to those on the new frontline in AI safety, which isn’t just about code, but also words. Read more
3. ‘I don’t want to be part of a dictatorship’: the Americans queueing up to renounce their citizenship View image in fullscreen Illustration: Andrea Ucini Zoe Williams looked at the surge in Americans renouncing their US citizenship, despite the hurdles and fears of retaliation. Severing ties with the US can take more than a year and cost thousands of dollars. But Paul, Ella, Margot and thousands of others feel they have no choice. Read more
4. The Rendlesham Forest mystery: ‘It’s the perfect storm of a UFO case’ View image in fullscreen Photograph: Clynt Garnham Suffolk/Alamy double quotation mark It’s multiple witnesses, including military. It’s sightings over three consecutive nights. It’s physical evidence in terms of radar, radioactivity, ground trace indentations, scorch marks. It’s a case where we have declassified and released documents. In 1980, two US airmen reported an extraordinary encounter near a military base in the east of England. Daniel Lavelle asked what really happened in Rendlesham Forest? Read more
5. Curfews, conspiracy theories … and a cancelled concert: Mali’s capital tries to shrug off violence on its doorstep View image in fullscreen Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Surprise coordinated attack by jihadists and separatists last weekend has rattled the regime and its security ally Russia. Eromo Egbejule and Aisha Down wrote this gripping read on how civilians are trying to maintain a sense of normalcy through curfews and high security following the violence. Read more