Latest Stories
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Furious conservatives attack #MeToo Gillette
Gillette has released a bold new advert attacking “toxic” masculinity, sparking fierce debate. Some say the ad is insulting and wrong, while others praise its progressive message.
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Ze, toxic, single-use: words that defined 2018
What do they tell us about the year? Environmental catastrophe, extreme politics and gender relations… The dictionaries’ words of 2018 reveal a world battling division and destruction.
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The superhero whose comics took over the world
What did Stan Lee teach us about life? The mastermind behind Marvel’s success has died aged 95. From Spider-Man to the Hulk, he helped to create many of the world’s most beloved superheroes.
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Dispute over bleak message in new war poem
Do we learn anything from history? As Remembrance Day approaches, poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s new poem about the First World War suggests we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.
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The young ad man who conquered the Dragons
What does it take to be an entrepreneur? Ed Hollands launched his truck advertising company after university, realising a childhood dream. Sales soared this year after victory...
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‘No one has ever read anything like this before’
Are book prizes bad for writing? Milkman, a challenging work about sexual harassment in Northern Ireland, has won the Man Booker Prize. Some writers say the award is...
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‘Let me live, love, and say it well...’
Is poetry more vital than ever? A survey has declared Sylvia Plath the most popular poet of all time among teenagers — ahead of William Shakespeare. Meanwhile, poetry readership is surging.
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I, Hunter: how a name can change your life
How much do they matter? The most popular baby names of 2017 have been revealed. Studies show that what you are named can influence everything from your exam results to your face.
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Booker Prize holds a mirror to our dark times
Can fiction change the world? Racism, injustice, ecological destruction — the Man Booker Prize shortlist has been unveiled, and the new novels paint a bleak picture of modern society.
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New Shakespeare play celebrates warrior queen
Is it brilliant or blasphemy? The ambitious production combines material from the Bard’s plays with fresh lines from playwright Jeanie O’Hare to tell the bloody history of Margaret of Anjou.
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Tuneless, dull and dated: anthems under fire
Should we scrap national anthems? A nine-year-old girl has sparked anger by calling out racist lyrics in Advance Australia Fair. It is far from the only national song...
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Bodyguard: thrills viewers and divides critics
Does Bodyguard teach us anything about the world? The hit BBC show has become Britain’s most watched TV drama in over a decade — several different...
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Avo, bougie and rando: the new words for 2018
Is the English language getting out of hand? Merriam-Webster has added more than 800 new words to its dictionary, including “TL;DR”. Our language has been constantly changing for centuries.
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The surprising philosophy of Winnie-the-Pooh
Should we all live like Pooh? As Christopher Robin hits cinemas, the friendly bear has been hailed “a philosopher to rival Plato and Confucius”....
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Indonesia rocked by earthquake catastrophe
Are media reports of natural disasters unfair? At least 98 people have died in a deadly quake in Indonesia. Hundreds of tourists evacuated. Meanwhile, famous faces were caught in the chaos.