Conflict
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The Syrian boy who helps pupils with English
Should we all learn new languages? Eleven-year-old Mohammed is very good at it. A video about how he helps his classmates to understand English is very popular online.
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Anger as protests in Hong Kong turn violent
Will China ever be a democracy? This week, thousands took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest a controversial new law. “The people’s voices are not being heard,” said one teenager.
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Trees can help predict famines and wars
Scientists are finding that tree ring patterns are a time-map of rainfall and drought, accurately going back thousands of years. These might help us predict future famine and conflict.
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South Africans celebrate 25 years of freedom
Is Nelson Mandela’s work done? Twenty-five years ago, the hero activist was elected president, spelling an end to the racist apartheid era. However, South Africa is still deeply unequal.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 11
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Mosque attack prompts clampdown on extremism
Who is to blame for the terror attack which took place in New Zealand last week? The world is still mourning the deaths of 50 Muslims who were killed during Friday Prayer.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 14+
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More people are in slavery than ever before
Can modern slavery be stopped? More than 40 million people around the world are living in some form of modern slavery, according to the latest figures. Around a quarter of these are children.
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Botswana in shock elephant poaching crisis
Are Botswana’s elephants in danger? The country in southern Africa has been widely praised for protecting wild animals. However, a new report claims the government is hiding a poaching problem.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 11
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ISIS bride: people should have sympathy for me
Should Shamima Begum be allowed back to Britain? The teenager was 15 when she left London to join the terrorist group ISIS in Syria. Now, the government says that she cannot return home.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 14+
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Protesters broke the law to fight for justice
Are the “Stansted 15” heroes or criminals? Two years ago, they lay down on a runway to stop a plane taking migrants back to their home countries. This week they narrowly avoided jail time.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 14+
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The 10,000 children rescued from the Nazis
Should Britain take in more child refugees? This Sunday is Holocaust Memorial Day. It falls 80 years after 10,000 Jewish children were rescued from Nazis by the Kindertransport.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 14+
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Dr King’s dream still not a reality in America
Monday is Martin Luther King Day when the world honours the great human rights campaigner. His “I Have a Dream” speech changed America. Yet today the race debate is still as bitter as ever.
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The curse of the drone strikes again
Should drones be banned? This week, Heathrow became the latest airport to shut down after reports of a drone nearby. Without tough action, some say a big accident is waiting to happen.
- Conflict
- Technology
- Reading Band 14+
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British man was 100% a spy, say former jailers
Would you be a spy? That was the accusation thrown at a British man named Matthew Hedges. He was doing research in the United Arab Emirates when he was jailed for spying. Now he is free.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 11
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The great debate: how to remember the war
Is Remembrance Day really about learning from the past? This Sunday, the world will mark 100 years since the end of the First World War. Some say we have forgotten its lessons.
- Conflict
- Reading Band 14+
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MP says white poppies are gimmicky rubbish
Is it wrong to wear a white poppy? A century after the end of the First World War, some are wearing a white poppy instead of the traditional red one to symbolise peace. Are they disrespectful?