Politics
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Nasa announces giant step for womankind
Does a woman on the moon really matter? Nasa has announced plans for the first female lunar explorer. For some, it is a potent statement of equality, but others call it a token gesture.
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Covid: ‘The cure is worse than the disease’
Is it time we learnt to live with the virus? Governments across the world are imposing harsher restrictions to reduce further outbreaks. But some believe this will do more harm than good.
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The fighter who changed the world for women
Will her death also be the death of US justice? Many say Donald Trump's move to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before the presidential election is an abuse of power.
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Record migrant numbers risk lives to reach UK
Should rich countries take in more refugees? Illegal crossings of the English Channel have risen to an all-time high, reigniting an agonising debate on the West’s responsibilities.
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Celebrities boycott social media for a day
Are celebrities right to boycott social media? Some big names turned off Facebook and Instagram yesterday to protest against fake news, but many say they are hitting the wrong target.
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England’s uncivil war over the ‘rule of six’
Is the "rule of six" wrong? Critics say that people should be free to go out and take risks with their own health. But others insist that we cannot put personal freedoms ahead of saving lives.
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Thousands of wildfires devastate California
Are California’s wildfires a warning to all of us? As the state fights some of the worst infernos in its history, experts argue that global warming makes them an ever greater threat.
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Meritocracy is bad for us, says top academic
Is society too focused on the idea of self-improvement? For years, politicians have promised that hard work equals success. Now one leading philosopher says the idea of merit is a myth.
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Sceptics haunted by spectre of second lockdown
Do lockdowns cause more harm than good? Without a vaccine, they might be our most effective tool for tackling Covid-19 – but some argue that shutting down society comes at too high a cost.
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China v India: tensions mount in Himalayas
Will there be war between China and India? Indian troops have moved to occupy contested strategic ground. Meanwhile, each country accuses the other of stoking an old row over borders.
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Publish or pulp: the return of Charlie Hebdo
Should Charlie Hebdo have republished cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad? In 2015, they provoked a terrorist attack — and their return threatens to reignite a ferocious debate over free speech.
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Banksy funds boat to rescue Med migrants
Does Europe have a responsibility to rescue migrants? Refugees fleeing war are dying in the Mediterranean, but politicians say rescue ships encourage smugglers and make the situation worse.
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Putin critic in coma after tea is poisoned
Could there be another Russian revolution? Some say Alexei Navalny is a martyr whose fate will spark a mass uprising against Vladimir Putin. Others say the president will crush all dissent.
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Amazon on fire: ‘All you can see is death’
Who is to blame for the destruction of the Amazon? Man-made fires are raging across the world’s largest rainforest, burning down areas the size of five football pitches every minute.
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The woman who could change the world forever
Will Kamala Harris become president? Her selection as Joe Biden’s deputy already breaks the mould of American politics. If she wins the world’s most powerful job, it would launch a new era.