Culture
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Phone-hacking throws spotlight on Murdoch
Ex-PM Gordon Brown joins those who suspect their phones have been tapped. Andy Coulson may have resigned, but the story continues to grow.
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Make-up! Lipstick! Mirrors! And ‘Mr Sahara’
It’s a beauty contest with a difference. The men dress up and the women judge. Poverty and bling meet in the deserts of West Africa.
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Film stars are a joke for Ricky Gervais
The Golden Globes ceremony is usually all about praise. But this year, Hollywood’s finest were also the butt of jokes. Should comedy upset people?
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‘Tiger mother’ takes on western parents
A new book has caused a storm by suggesting that western parenting is too lax. Chinese parents, writes the author, know that strict discipline is the path to success.
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The font of all knowledge is really ugly
Research claims we don’t remember writing that's too easy to read and learning should be struggle. So is clear writing the enemy of discovery?
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'Wrinkly' TV star wins under new ageism rules
A television presenter wins her age discrimination case against the BBC. But is the world of work ready to make room for the older generation?
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Snakes and ladders with new school tables
Government changes to school league tables will mean less choice for many GCSE pupils. But will focus on new core subjects raise standards?
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Is England’s World Cup collapse the media’s fault?
After England’s dismal start to the World Cup, reports of mutiny in the camp are rife. But does this tell us more about journalism than it does about football?
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Poison pen: scandal and intrigue in Poets’ Corner
After an election full of controversy, Oxford has a new professor of poetry. But why is the job so important? And what is better poetry anyway – a classical sonnet or a modern rap?