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Making ‘The Blue Flash’: How I reconstructed a fatal atomic accident
In 1946, a dangerous radioactive apparatus in the Manhattan Project killed a scientist when his screwdriver slipped. To tell his story, Ben Platts-Mills pieced together what happened inside the room. Less than a year after the Trinity atomic bomb test, a careless slip with a screwdriver cost Louis Slotin his life. In 1946, Slotin, a…
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Travis King: How the US negotiates with North Korea
Reuters By Chelsea Bailey BBC News, Washington The fate of Travis King, a US soldier who crossed into North Korea, remains unknown and experts say the US is at a critical stage to try and negotiate his return home. The challenge is America has never had an official diplomatic relationship with North Korea. As a…
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Watch: Flames engulf giant Buddha statue in China
A giant Buddha statue has been damaged by a fire in China’s north-west Gansu province. Videos shared on social media showed the statue at the Great Buddha Temple of Shandan County surrounded by flames in the early hours of Monday morning. After the fire was extinguished, the statue appeared to remain partially intact, but several…
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The world’s most liveable cities for 2023
We speak to residents in five of the highest-ranked cities to get the low-down what makes them so special. After a pandemic slump, quality of life is again on the rise in many of the world’s cities. In fact, overall liveability has reached a 15-year high, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Global Liveability…
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The best of Boston’s hidden history with author and guide Dina Vargo
From a secret Underground Railroad station to the Witch House of Lime Street to the Debutante Murderer House in Beacon Hill, this guide is sure to enrich and surprise you. Some travellers come to Boston to follow The Freedom Trail past famous sights from the US’ colonial and Revolutionary history. Others wander around the hallowed…
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Trevor Reed: Ex-US marine freed by Russia is injured fighting in Ukraine
Getty Images By Max Matza BBC News A US man who was jailed by Russia for nearly three years before being released in a 2022 prisoner swap has been injured while fighting in Ukraine. Ex-US Marine Trevor Reed was hurt while fighting against Russia’s invasion, the US State Department said on Tuesday. Officials add that…
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US lawmaker Greg Casar begins thirst strike over heat laws
Reuters By Bernd Debusmann Jr BBC News, Washington DC A US congressman will go without food and water in a protest over a Texas law overriding protection for people working outdoors in intense heat. Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat, says the “thirst strike” will go on until a nurse requires him to stop. It comes…
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LGBTQ+: When 15 rain-soaked marchers made history in India
Owais Khan Pride parades in India today are vibrant affairs, where thousands gather to express themselves and offer support to the queer community. But things were very different in 1999, when the country’s first Pride walk was organised in the eastern state of West Bengal. Journalist Sandip Roy revisits the trailblazing event. On 2 July…
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Canada floods: Bodies of two children found in Nova Scotia
Reuters By Nadine Yousif BBC News The bodies of two children missing for three days after devastating floods in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia have been found by police. The children were traveling in a car with three others when the vehicle became submerged over the weekend. Authorities have also recovered the body of…
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How the ‘lazy girl job’ took over work TikTok
A content creator says workers should clock fewer hours, work from home and make comfortable salaries. Thousands of people couldn’t agree more. In late May, 26-year-old Gabrielle Judge sat in front of a camera in oversized glasses and pigtails to film a TikTok about what she called the “lazy girl job” – a low stress,…