Latest Stories
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New call for policy to be about happiness
Good mental health and having a partner make people happier than doubling their salary, a new study has found. Could this lead to a new politics, in which well-being comes before money?
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Row over ‘offensive’ Halloween costumes
Acid attack survivor Katie Piper has criticised people who dress up with realistic cuts and burns for Halloween. ‘It’s distasteful and offensive,’ she says. Do some costumes go too far?
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Daring. Crazy. Visionary. A colony on Mars
A billionaire inventor has announced plans to set up a new colony on Mars. The risk of death will be ‘high’, he says. But humans must become a ‘spacefaring civilisation’. Is it a good idea?
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‘Ban zoos!’ demand animal rights activists
Harambe the gorilla was killed last May to protect a child who fell into his enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio. Many were furious. The incident has got people asking: do we need zoos at all?
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Every child should be educated, says Malala
Malala Yousafzai was 15 when she was shot in the head on a Pakistani school bus in 2012 after she defended girls’ education. Somehow she survived. Now she has promised to continue her struggle.
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Dress codes disputed as high heels row grows
A receptionist has been sent home for refusing to wear high heels at work. British people are dressing more casually at work than they used to. Do we need rules about what to wear?
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May Day sparks talk of less work, more play
All over the world, May 1st is associated with fun, holidays and the right to take a break from work. Now experts are saying that more time off would make the world a better place.
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They’re off! UK launches EU referendum debate
In just a few weeks, Britain will make its most important decision in years. Should it stay a member of the European Union?
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Government promises to tackle unequal pay
Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, has announced plans to force large businesses to say how much they pay their male and female employees. Will this help to end the gender pay gap?
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Revealed: women overcharged in ‘sexist’ shops
A newspaper investigation has found that women are often charged more than men for almost identical products in shops. This is clearly unfair — but whose fault is it?
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Richest 62 ‘as wealthy as half the world’
A charity has shocked people by claiming that the world’s 62 richest people are as wealthy as its poorest 3.6 billion put together. Is that really true? And does it matter if it is?
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US celebrates 50 years of civil rights
It is now more than 50 years since US President Johnson passed a law to end centuries of discrimination against black people in America. Did it work?
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Star Wars sets record as fans debate meaning
The Force Awakens is set to become the highest-grossing film ever in North America this week. The series is a global phenomenon – but can we learn anything from its story?
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Away in a manger: ‘miracle’ in New York
This week, we read the amazing story of a real newborn baby found in a manger, just like Jesus. What role does the Christmas story still play?
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‘No choice but to strike’, say junior doctors
Junior doctors have voted to strike in protest over changes to their pay, despite warnings that some patients may die as a result. Is being a doctor a job or something more important?