The world’s sixth ‘Blue Zone’: Why Singapore values both quantity and quality of life
When it comes to longevity, few places in the world have seen such a drastic jump in life expectancy as the island city-state in Southeast Asia. A child born in…
After the tsunami: Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 20 years on
On 26 December 2004 at 07:59 local time, a magnitude 9.1 undersea earthquake struck 240km west of Sumatra, Indonesia, rupturing the greatest fault length of any recorded earthquake (1,500km long),…
‘I’m not afraid of dying’: The pioneering tennis champion who told the world he had Aids
In 1988, World Aids Day began with the aim of raising awareness and understanding of a disease that had struck fear in communities around the globe. That same year, US…
‘It was probably the strongest picture I made’: How Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life became a Christmas classic
Released in 1946, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life was derided as an “over-sentimental” Christmas yarn. In History looks at how its profound exploration of mental health, societal expectations and…
Gavin and Stacey tops Christmas Day TV ratings
The Gavin and Stacey finale attracted an average of 12.3 million TV viewers – the largest Christmas Day audience in more than a decade, overnight data shows. The new Wallace…
Our Sun may once have had a twin. What happened to this stellar sibling?
Many stars in our galaxy exist in pairs, but our Sun is a notable exception. Now scientists are finding clues that it may once have had a companion of its…
Owner and architect of Turkey quake collapse hotel jailed
A court in Turkey has sentenced the owner and architect of a hotel which collapsed in an earthquake in 2023, killing 72 people, to jail. The owner of the Isias…
Twenty years on: ‘My boat was metres from the shore when the tsunami hit’
Boxing Day, 2004. When the earthquake struck at 06:30 (01:00 GMT), I was on a ferry, headed towards Havelock – an island in the Indian archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar.…
Colourful life of 100-year-old artist who’s never used a paint brush
Acclaimed artist Glenys Cour is just weeks away from her 101st birthday and cannot believe her good fortune. She has built her long and vibrant life around her passion for…
It was a shock to many’: Matthew Bourne on his Swan Lake with male swans, the show that shook up the dance world
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of his legendary stage production, Matthew Bourne tells the BBC about the show that radically changed ballet with one “big idea”. The most iconic dance costume…