Latest Stories
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UK reaches tipping point on service charges
The British government is planning to force restaurants to let staff keep tips and to make it clear that service charges are optional. Some say that it is now time to ban tipping entirely.
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Against all odds, man killed by meteorite
When a man died in a strange blast, officials blamed a meteorite – a first in recorded history. Should we believe them? More importantly: the next time we leave the house, should we look up?
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Trump and Sanders leave pundits floundering
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders were written off by commentators. But as Americans prepare to choose their next president, both are threatening to spring shocks. Have the experts lost touch?
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Buzzfeed tennis scoop shakes up serious media
Tennis has become the third sport to be rocked by corruption scandals in the last eight months. The title behind the revelations? Buzzfeed. Is this the new face of journalism?
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Author: maths divided by gender equals inequity
Bestselling writer Shirley Conran has launched a drive to change girls’ negative attitudes to maths. Will it take a special effort to break down historical and social disadvantages?
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Scientists ‘find’ over two trillion new trees
There are likely to be eight times more trees in the world than we previously thought, according to a new study. When they can be so wrong, should we trust in the statistics we read?
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Research reveals Facebook ‘echo chambers’
A Facebook study suggests that users are disproportionately accessing opinions which reinforce what they already believe. Are social media narrowing our minds?
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Tories and SNP triumph after night of shocks
The Tories are on course to win well over 300 seats in the election — far more than predicted by the pundits beforehand. But have the British people spoken in their favour?
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Campaign focus narrows to key ‘swing seats’
With two days to go before the UK election, the result in most constituencies is a foregone conclusion. All eyes are on the scattered areas where the decision still hangs in the balance.
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Shops ‘special offer’ dirty tricks exposed
The consumer magazine Which? has published a damning catalogue of misleading offers used by supermarkets to lure shoppers into spending extra money. How can you avoid being duped?
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Twitter bamboozled as logic puzzle goes viral
A question from a Singaporean maths test left thousands of people scratching their heads after it was spread by social media. What on Earth is the explanation for this improbable scenario?
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Humans getting smarter, psychologists claim
Performance in IQ tests is rising drastically all over the world, leading some psychologists to talk of a ‘cognitive revolution’. Are we becoming more intelligent, or just better at tests?
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HSBC admits to helping customers avoid tax
The banking world is once again in trouble as HSBC admits helping its clients evade millions in tax. It claims to have changed its ways, but is justice soft on the rich?
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Pupils ‘held back’ by choosing arts over science
The UK education secretary argues that students — especially girls — who ditch science and maths for arts and humanities reduce their job prospects. Is one subject really better than another?
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Anger as ticket costs ‘price out’ football fans
Already expensive, English football tickets are becoming even more unaffordable, a new study shows. Is it ruining the ‘beautiful game’ and is there anything fans can do about it?