Learner profile: Knowledgeable
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When passports can threaten your freedom
Is the world sleepwalking into captivity? Governments are proposing vaccination certificates as the key to resuming normal life, but critics see them as an infringement of liberty.
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The world’s biggest traffic jam is unblocked
Is trade what keeps the peace? The worldwide fallout from the blocking of the Suez Canal is a reminder of the vital part commerce plays in knitting different nations together.
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Chilled out Finns are world’s happiest people
Should all countries be more like Finland? The Scandinavian state has been named the world’s happiest nation – again. Now some say we could all learn from the Nordic way of life.
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Fierce criticism for ‘vital step to net zero’
THE GREEN REVOLUTION: 4/5 Politics. Are governments doing enough? The UK announced a £1bn plan to create green jobs and slash emissions yesterday. But many say a bigger vision is needed.
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How it may soon be weird not to be green
THE GREEN REVOLUTION: 2/5 Society. Will being green soon be as normal as saying please and thank you? A recent book explains how things we take for granted can change remarkably quickly.
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Grey goop that means a car can run on water
THE GREEN REVOLUTION: 1/5 Climate. Is hydrogen the key to fixing global warming? Research is speeding up, promising far lower costs than sceptics suppose. And the future scale is vast.
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The nun who became a symbol of resistance
Is moral courage stronger than physical force? A photograph of a nun pleading with police in Myanmar not to use violence against demonstrators reminds us of the power of peaceful protest.
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Five big ideas that WON'T be in the budget
Should Rishi Sunak be more radical? Today's UK budget is one of the most important of the past 100 years. Many believe it is a chance to reset society for generations to come.
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UK cut in aid to Yemen is ‘death sentence’
Should the Yemen crisis be the only big story this week? Despite the UN warning that it faces the worst famine the world has seen for decades and is ‘falling off a cliff’, aid is drying up.
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Four faces that ask us what we stand for
Is the West complicit in the barbarism of Middle Eastern leaders? As details emerge about the fate of the region’s rebels, some say democracies should drop links with their autocratic allies.
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Russian scientists unearth ancient viruses
Should scientists be examining prehistoric viruses? As Russian researchers announce that they will start studying frozen pathogens, some fear their curiosity might doom humanity.
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The young poet whose words are a joy for ever
Are we too obsessed with youthful genius? John Keats died 200 years ago today at the age of 25, having written some of the most beautiful and influential poems in the English language.
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NASA starts the search for life on Mars
Is the Mars story more about psychology than science? It is presented as the ultimate quest for knowledge but many believe it tells us more about our deepest desires and dreams.
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Fears grow for kidnapped princess’s safety
Does the liberal West have a right to condemn Dubai? A BBC exposé about the plight of Princess Latifa has triggered a worldwide outcry against her father’s tyrannical behaviour.
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A golden age of discovery starting right now
Are we on the brink of another scientific golden age? Hopes are rising that significant advances in clean energy, farming and medicine will end hunger and disease and stop climate change.