Latest Stories
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China, Covid-19 and the future of communism
Could Covid-19 be the death of communism? Demands for freedom of speech and anger at the government’s handling of the epidemic are plunging China into its biggest crisis in 30 years.
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UK to make web titans liable for online harms
Could it undermine free speech? Facebook and Google bosses will face prosecution if they breach their “duty of care”. But some fear the same laws might be twisted to block truth-telling.
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The Bernie boom aiming to dump Trump
Is Bernie Sanders the rival to beat Donald Trump? Claiming victory this morning in the Iowa vote, the radical 78-year-old socialist is narrow favourite to be the Democratic candidate.
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Fur flies over fickle love of Ozzy the cat
Should cats be allowed to choose their owners? A bitter row has erupted in public over a majestic Maine Coon cat that started spending most of its time enjoying the high life away from home.
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BBC in its current form ‘facing the end’
Should the BBC be another Netflix? Nicky Morgan, the UK culture secretary, wants a move to a subscription system, ending almost a century of public broadcasting funded by a licence fee.
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Trust is dying across the world, says survey
Whatever happened to good faith? People no longer believe that it is possible for institutions to do the right thing AND be competent. This is creating an unprecedented wave of cynicism.
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Trump rages as impeachment trial opens in USA
Will this be the end of Trump’s controversial presidency? The impeachment process moves to the US Senate this week, with high-profile lawyers and politicians set to debate his wrongdoing.
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Exit Harry and Meghan as royal family cuts ties
Will Harry and Meghan live to regret their choice? Negotiations are over: the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have taken the drastic decision to drop their HRH titles in a bid for a normal life.
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And now for a new national anthem – for Mars!
Does Mars need a national anthem? Opera singer Oscar Castellino has just given the first performance of his composition, Rise to Mars!, written to encourage colonisation of the Red Planet.
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UK at loggerheads over Battle of the Bongs
Is Brexit worth £45,000 a bong? A campaign for the chimes of Big Ben to sound as Britain leaves the EU on 31 January appears doomed – though, for some, it remains a cause worth fighting for.
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Queen summons crisis meeting to save monarchy
Citizen or subject? Republic or monarchy? Questions that were almost unthinkable in the UK, a few months ago, are now being openly discussed. Can today’s urgent royal summit steady the ship?
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Abdication: Meghan flies off as Harry faces wrath
Will the monarchy survive? Insiders at the Palace are furious after Harry and Meghan gave no warning of their bombshell. Some say it might be the final straw for 1,000 years of history.
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Protest sweeps India over ‘anti-Muslim law’
Is India becoming a racist state? A new citizenship law has sparked protest across India. The government says it protects persecuted minorities; opponents say it is racist and anti-Muslim.
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Shock landslide for Johnson as UK turns blue
What kind of victory was it? In a calamitous night for the Left, Jeremy Corbyn announced plans to stand down, and Jo Swinson lost her seat. But progressives still reign in Scotland and London.
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Brexit, ‘One Nation’ and a British breakup
Is this a new era in British history? With Boris unfettered, there will be a wave of political change; the role of the UK will be reset, and tensions between England and Scotland will soar.