Learner profile: Reflective
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‘Women make better leaders than men’
Are women better leaders than men? Finland is about to have a new female prime minister — the world’s youngest. Around the globe, female leaders are being praised for their inspiring work.
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Sugar named the world’s most popular drug
Should sugar be treated like a drug? A new study shows that seasonal lattes and hot chocolates being sold by some high street coffee chains can contain up to 23 spoonfuls of sugar per cup.
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‘Why austere Advent beats cheesy Christmas’
Is Advent better than Christmas? The season of Advent has officially begun and will continue until midnight on Christmas Eve. Some say the anticipation is better than Christmas Day itself.
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Black Friday: generosity, greed and guilt
Are Christmas presents a waste? “Black Friday” today and “Cyber Monday” mark the start of a huge spending spree in rich countries — big enough to end world hunger for the next eight years.
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‘The American festival we all should celebrate’
Should Thanksgiving go global? It seems like a holiday that’s as American as pumpkin pie. But there are variants of this day all around the world, revolving around the concept of gratitude.
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The oldest hatred: anti-Semitism on the rise
Is anti-Semitism different from other forms of hate? The British Labour Party and the American Right have both been hit by allegations of Jew-hatred. It has a unique and terrible history.
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A football pitch of rainforest lost each minute
Who owns the rainforest? Deforestation in the Amazon has increased by 30% in the past year, with many blaming Brazil’s president. Activists say the precious ecosystem is not his to destroy.
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Key to early humans found in giant ape’s tooth
Could this teach us who we really are? A scientific breakthrough has allowed researchers to read genetic data, effectively 12 million years old — shining a light on the origins of man.
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Big ideas hit prime time in His Dark Materials
Are dust and dæmons fiction or fact? A new book about consciousness argues that the ideas behind Philip Pullman’s books and new TV series may be closer to reality than you might think.
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World in ‘colossal danger’, says Nobel winner
Where did it all go wrong? Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Michael Gorbachev, one of the great leaders of the 20th century, warns that we are facing Armageddon once again.
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German city Dresden declares Nazi emergency
Does talk of a Nazi revival belittle the past? Last week, Dresden declared a “Nazi emergency” over right-wing extremism. But many say there’s no serious comparison to the party of the Holocaust.
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Attenborough returns with stern warning
But is he shying away from blaming humanity? The veteran naturalist returns to our screens on Sunday with a new series, delivering his most radical environmental message yet.
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#Nemesis: ‘better than a friend or a lover’
Everyone needs a nemesis. Or do they? Social media is abuzz with the idea. And history is full of arch rivals who pushed each other to be better — or drove each other to death.
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William’s fears for troubled Prince Harry
Were they right to speak out? After Harry and Meghan revealed their feelings in a candid TV interview, the Duke of Cambridge said he was “concerned” and hopes that his brother is all right.
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The picture that gave Instagram a meltdown
What is it about Friends? It took one selfie of the show’s main cast to spark such delirium yesterday that Instagram crashed. Yet for many the comedy is sexist, offensive and outdated.