Latest Stories
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New row erupts over use of animals in war
A funny-looking Russian spy is in the news this morning — a (very friendly) beluga whale. It may seem cute, but the use of military mammals is widespread and many are furious about it.
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Isis says it was behind Easter Day massacre
Islamic State admitted responsibility yesterday for the Easter Day bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed at least 321 people, including 45 children and eight Britons.
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Hope rises from the ashes of Notre Dame
The extraordinary global reaction to the huge fire in one of the world’s greatest cathedrals has prompted a profound debate about civilisation, spirituality and the failings of modernity.
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Rwanda remembers its genocide 25 years on
This week, Rwanda commemorates the massacres of 1994, in which 800,000 people were killed in just 100 days. The country is now stable, but how does any society recover from such a horror?
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Wales to ban parents from smacking their kids
Is this a good idea? Corporal punishment of children — including smacking — is outlawed in 54 countries around the world. But some parents say it is a loving way of disciplining their kids.
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‘Darkest day’ as world mourns mosque slaughter
Yesterday, the death toll in New Zealand rose to 50. A man was arrested in Surrey, suspected of a copycat terrorist attack. Is divisive rhetoric and a climate of hate feeding extremism?
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Report finds work has become the new religion
Teenagers say having a job they enjoy is twice as important as getting married or having children, according to a major new American survey. But anxiety and depression are rising steeply.
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ISIS teen bride begs for return to Britain
Should she be allowed back? Four years ago, Shamima Begum fled Britain to join Islamic State. Now, with the caliphate in ruins, she wants to return. Her plea has caused division and uproar.
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Row erupts over claim Churchill was a villain
Can you be a hero and a villain at the same time? Labour’s shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, is under fire for branding Winston Churchill — once voted the “greatest Briton” — a villain.
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Happy New Year! China welcomes Year of the Pig
Today, one fifth of the world’s population is celebrating the start of a new year — one that promises to bring prosperity, joy and relaxation. That is, if you believe in the Chinese zodiac…
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‘God wanted Trump to be president’
That is the incredible claim made by Donald Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Sanders. Whether divine intervention is at play or not, Trump is extremely popular among America’s evangelicals.
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Game changer as mice pass down edited genes
Gene drive technology could be the key to eradicating animal-spread diseases. Now, scientists have successfully used it in mammals for the first time. But could it spell ecological disaster?
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James Bulger’s mum ‘disgusted’ at murder film
The 1993 murder of James Bulger by two 10-year-old boys, which sent shockwaves through British society, is the subject of an Oscar-nominated film. Bulger’s family say it should not have been...
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Straight actors get Oscar nods for gay roles
Yesterday, seven straight actors received Oscar nominations for playing LGBT film roles — more than a third of the total. And yet there were no openly gay actors on the list. Is this fair?
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Nazi. Traitor. Scum. Political debate today
The insults hurled at politicians outside Parliament this week have been condemned by MPs. But where does the nastiness come from? And when should free speech become a crime?