Learner profile: Communicators
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Football genius whose flaws made him a hero
Are virtuous heroes boring? As the world mourns footballing legend Diego Maradona, some commentators argue it was not his sporting achievements that made him an icon – but his personal failings.
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Lockdown loneliness reaches record levels
Is it the leprosy of our times? The latest statistics show that loneliness is soaring to unprecedented levels. To make matters worse there is a powerful taboo around admitting it in public.
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Satire on trial as Spitting Image returns
Is satire good for us? For centuries satirical art has provided an outlet for our dissatisfactions with politics and society. But in these torrid times, does it cause more harm than good?
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Biden promises era of light after darkness
Is this a new chapter in our history? Donald Trump has often been likened to the ruthless populist leader Julius Caesar. Now many see Joe Biden as a new Cicero – defender of civic ideals.
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No clear result: an American nightmare begins
Is this how democracy dies? President Trump falsely declared victory and promised to go to court as Joe Biden seemed to be narrowly winning the election. Many fear violence on the streets.
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The Average Joe who could triumph over Trump
Is ordinariness the secret of his success? He is not always suave and sophisticated. But if he wins tomorrow, Joe Biden will become the oldest first-time American president in history.
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Google under fire for getting too big
Should we break up Google? The US government has launched a landmark antitrust case against the tech giant. The verdict could completely transform the digital world as we know it.
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Excuse me for pressing you on this, but…
Have we lost the art of the interview? A series of classic conversations with 20th-century icons has just been reissued by the BBC. It reveals the surprising power of old-fashioned TV.
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I am Greta: the person behind the protests
Is authenticity the secret of charisma? A Swedish teenager became an overnight sensation after launching a lone climate protest. Now, a new film sheds light on her extraordinary popularity.
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Seeing the world through an animal’s eyes
Are animals the best teachers? Two annual photography awards, and an extraordinary new documentary, highlight how much we can learn from other creatures about the workings of our planet.
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Zephaniah: the poet who set the world on fire
Does inspiration come from within? To mark Black History Month, The Day is launching a series of stories about modern black role models. Our first is the hugely popular Benjamin Zephaniah.
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‘It doesn’t matter about your sexuality’
Is Strictly Come Dancing a force for good? Some see its same-sex announcement as profit-driven publicity-seeking, while others celebrate it as a positive step towards social change.
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When buzzwords start to become fuzzwords
Does jargon stop us thinking clearly? Some people love using technical or fashionable language, but others complain that buzzwords simply clutter our minds and hamper communication.
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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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Zero: the idea that changed the world
Has the number “zero” done more to advance humanity than any other idea? Many mathematicians think so – for, without zero, we could not ponder either the concepts of the void or the infinite.