Latest Stories
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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?
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Asylum hope for Saudi teenager who fled death
An 18-year-old Saudi woman who fled her family at the weekend is in hiding in Thailand pleading for asylum. She fears that her father and brother may kill her for renouncing Islam.
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Germany introduces ‘third sex’ option at birth
Every year, thousands of babies are born who are biologically neither male nor female. Now some countries are recognising a “third sex”. Are gender distinctions less rigid than we think?
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Surging demand for modern Christmas carols
Are modern carols better than the classics? This year, hundreds of new carols will be sung in concerts alongside old favourites — some using the Christmas story to tackle grave world issues.
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School tries (and fails) to ban Christmas
Has the meaning of Christmas been lost? Lady Lumley’s School reversed its decision to ban festivities after more than 500 pupils wrote letters arguing that the holiday is still valuable.
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Judges to decide if veganism is a religion
What should the verdict be? In a landmark anti-discrimination case, a charity worker who was sacked from his job is arguing that veganism should be recognised as a “religion or belief”.
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Debate rages as first designer babies born
Should gene editing be banned? Chinese scientist He Jiankui claims to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies. The research, banned in many countries, has been widely condemned.
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Why future bosses might microchip your hand
Is this an exciting future or a dystopian nightmare? Hundreds of workers across the world have been fitted with chips that can store personal data. Activists fear a new era of surveillance.
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Driverless cars ponder who should die first
Are some lives worth more than others? The rapid development of self-driving technology is raising questions about who should be saved in car crashes, and bringing up old ethical dilemmas.