Arts
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Ze, toxic, single-use: words that defined 2018
What do they tell us about the year? Environmental catastrophe, extreme politics and gender relations… The dictionaries’ words of 2018 reveal a world battling division and destruction.
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Ariana Grande: your person of the year 2018
How should we respond to tragedy? At just 25, Grande has had enough for a lifetime, including a terror attack at her concert and the death of an ex. But her music is all about staying positive.
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Official: the nation’s favourite Christmas movie
What makes the perfect Christmas movie? A classic film has won the Radio Times’s poll of Britain’s most popular festive movies — ahead of modern...
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Primary school hit inches towards number one
Is the Christmas chart race still relevant? The pupils of Flakefleet Primary School are having festive fun while raising money for a good cause with their catchy Christmas single.
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Don’t lie about Christmas warn psychologists
Should we stop telling children the Christmas myth is true? Santa Claus, the chimney and the reindeer: it is the story we all grew up with. But some experts argue these lies can be harmful.
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Mary Poppins sequel ‘a gift in dark times’
Is escapism good for you? Mary Poppins Returns hits cinemas next week, 54 years after the original. Meryl Streep has called it a “gift” of joy and...
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Surging demand for modern Christmas carols
Are modern carols better than the classics? This year, hundreds of new carols will be sung in concerts alongside old favourites — some using the Christmas story to tackle grave world issues.
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The seven-year-old YouTuber earning £17m a year
Is becoming a YouTuber a good career goal? Around one third of children dream of vlogging when they grow up. In 2018, the platform’s highest earning star was a seven-year-old boy named Ryan...
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Living Coral declared 2019 colour of the year
What does it tell us about ourselves? Each December, design company Pantone picks a colour of the year. It says 2019’s pink-orange hue will “provide comfort and buoyancy” in changing times.
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Prize-winning film heralds era of iPhone art
Is this a good thing? The 2018 Turner Prize has been won by video artist Charlotte Prodger. The film explores her experience of coming out as gay and was shot entirely on her phone.
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‘Why austere Advent beats cheesy Christmas’
Is Advent better than Christmas? The season of Advent has officially begun and will continue until midnight on Christmas Eve. Some say the anticipation trumps Christmas Day.
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We need Robin Hood today, says movie director
Is Robin Hood relevant to the modern world? The famous outlaw of Sherwood Forest has returned to our screens once more, reinvented for the 21st century, but the film has been poorly received.
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Elton John ad ‘nothing to do with Christmas’
Is it consumerist rubbish or genuinely touching? The John Lewis Christmas advert has finally been released. It charts the career of music legend Elton John with a signature emotional punch.
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This could be the most expensive painting ever
Can a painting really be worth $80 million? Today, David Hockney’s Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) is set to become the most...
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The superhero whose comics took over the world
What did Stan Lee teach us about life? The mastermind behind Marvel’s success has died aged 95. From Spider-Man to the Hulk, he helped to create many of the world’s most beloved superheroes.