Health
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New Year resolutions: optimism v experience
Around a third of British people are trying to keep new year’s resolutions this month. Is January an ideal chance to improve our lives or an annual bonanza of indulgent wishful thinking?
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Germany introduces ‘third sex’ option at birth
Every year, thousands of babies are born who are biologically neither male nor female. Now some countries are recognising a “third sex”. Are gender distinctions less rigid than we think?
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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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UK turns against turkey (but eats it anyway)
Is it time to dump the turkey at Christmas dinner? Around three quarters of families in the UK will serve it on December 25 — but only half of Britons actually want it. So why do we eat it?
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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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No way José: the special one gets the sack
Is Mourinho finished? Dropped points, player feuds and public outbursts: José Mourinho’s rocky reign at Manchester United has come to an end. Some say his best days are very much behind him.
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Humble hero voted UK’s favourite sportsman
How important is it to be modest? Cyclist Geraint Thomas has won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He has had an extraordinary year, but many are struck by his unassuming...
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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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School tries (and fails) to ban Christmas
Has the meaning of Christmas been lost? Lady Lumley’s School reversed its decision to ban festivities after more than 500 pupils wrote letters arguing that the holiday is still valuable.
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UK at war over Brussels. (Sprouts, that is)
Is this utterly trivial or deeply important? Our most hated vegetable will take a starring role in millions of Christmas dinners. No wonder the nation is obsessed with such a vital topic.
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Michelle Obama: I still have impostor syndrome
Is a little anxiety good for us? This week, Michelle Obama has been in London sharing stories of her time as first lady. Despite her success, she revealed she often felt fear and panic.
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Judges to decide if veganism is a religion
What should the verdict be? In a landmark anti-discrimination case, a charity worker who was sacked from his job is arguing that veganism should be recognised as a “religion or belief”.
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Yes means yes: the rise of affirmative consent
Is it the best policy? After a horrific sexual assault case shocked the nation, Spain became the latest country to write affirmative consent into law. But what does it mean?
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LGBT pupils and the long fight for acceptance
Are LGBT relationships truly accepted in 2018? Almost half of LGBT pupils are bullied at school, but campaigners say inclusive sex education could be the key to ending discrimination.