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reading room

Need a 10-minute break? Step into the Reading Room…

Want to take a few minutes out to catch up with some interesting reads? We promise you’ll be out in 10 minutes or so…

WE KNOW HOW it is. You need to take a few minutes to yourself, and you want something interesting to watch, read, or flick through.

That’s where the Reading Room comes in. Five varied reads that don’t take much more than 10 minutes each to enjoy.

Your toughest decision should be: which one do I pick first?

1. Why the v-sign?

WCUP WORLD CUP SOCCER JAPAN CROATIA AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Why is the V-for-victory sign popular in Asia? It’s all to do with a figure skater and Manga… [Time - 5 mins]

2. Tasting chocolate for the first time

Ghanian cocoa farmers do the hard work to get chocolate bars to us… but they don’t get to eat the end product. Here’s what happened when a small group of farmers tried it for the first time. [Buzzfeed - 3 mins]

VPRO Metropolis / YouTube

3.You WILL have that lightsaber one day…

FILM STAR WARS WHAT NOW AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Hurrah! Here are some sci-fi innovations that may yet become a reality. [The Guardian -8 mins]

4. To shave or not to shave…

While some men are deciding whether they grow beards, some women are wondering whether to let their armpit hair run wild and free. Here’s Reni Eddo-Lodge‘s take on it. [Telegraph - 5 mins]

Decades ago, we were encouraged to conceal the lengths we go to in order put ourselves together. But not many of us truly wake up like this. It takes time and effort. Achieving the perfect eyeliner flick; shaving, waxing, threading and exfoliating. Some white women fake tan, some women of colour bleach their skin.

5.What’s going on in Iraq?

Mideast Iraq AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

You might have seen tweets about Iraq, Sinjar, and ISIS this morning. But what’s going on? We have an explainer that will fill you in. [TheJournal.ie - 7 mins]

Looking for longreads? You’ll find more here>

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