Briefings
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Islamophobia
For the last few years, there has been a steady rise in Islamophobia in Western countries. What is driving the prejudice and hate against Islam, particularly in Europe?
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Online privacy
From the Cambridge Analytica scandal to online identity fraud, privacy has become one of the internet’s biggest battlegrounds. But there are still ways to protect yourself online.
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The House of Lords
The House of Lords currently has about 800 members. None are elected by the people, yet they still wield a lot of power. How does the Upper House work — and why do many people want change?
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The NHS
The NHS was founded in the spirit of post-war optimism and rebuilding, over seven decades ago. Ever since then, health care has been free for all UK citizens. How did this happen?
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Refugees
There are 68.5 million “forcibly displaced people” worldwide, including 25.4 million refugees — the highest numbers in history. Who are the world’s refugees? And where do they flee to?
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Endangered languages
Over 2,000 languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers. More than half of the world’s languages are in danger of dying out by the end of the century. What are they and how can we save them?
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Knife crime
Knife crime in the UK has been steadily rising since 2014. The Home Secretary Sajid Javid says it must be treated like “the outbreak of some virulent disease”. But why is it happening?
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Women and science
As of 2019, the Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to 206 men — and three women. Does this mean that men are better at science? The truth is much more complicated.
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The Irish border
Almost a century on from the creation of Northern Ireland, the Irish border could decide the future of the UK and Europe. What were ‘the Troubles’, and are they over for good?
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The last leg
With less than 24 hours until polling stations open, we take a final look at the parties’ prospects. A hung Parliament, where no party secures a majority, is still very much a possibility.
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What next?
Friday 13th might be a bit of a horror show for the political party leaders. If, as many suspect, the election delivers a slim Tory majority, every party will have to deal with some big...
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Ones to watch
As election day gets closer, what should you be looking out for as the results stream in on Thursday? There will be the big exit poll at 10pm. There will also be interesting upsets in individual...
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Polls
Opinion polls dominate every election. They can be influential in whether or not people bother to vote. They inform the national debate, but they can sometimes get their predictions wrong!
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Leadership qualities
In a representative democracy, party leaders rarely shape the outcome by themselves. They drag their party up or down depending on their ratings. So, how are they faring this time?
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The green election
Is this the first green election? For the first time, the climate crisis and related issues dominate the manifestos. Politically, many are saying green is the new yellow, red and even blue.