Our funeral practices have a high carbon footprint. Becca Warner explores how she could plan her own more environmentally-friendly burial. Not many of us like talking about death. It’s dark, and sad, and prone to throwing us into an existential spiral. But the uncomfortable truth is that, as someone who cares about the environment, I…

Reuters By Katty Kay US Special Correspondent America’s election cycle is topsy-turvy. What would normally be down is up – at least as far as the two main candidates and their popularity goes. The number of criminal charges against Donald Trump keeps stacking up – but so do his poll numbers in the Republican primary…

A rich and creamy omelette is a test of a young chef’s ability in French kitchens. Yves Camdeborde shares his story behind the illustrious dish, and best practices for making it. Joining a French restaurant kitchen is a baptism by fire. An apprentice has mere moments to make an impression, and, according to Yves Camdeborde,…

From vandalising ancient sites to disrespecting local culture, we’re increasingly aware of travellers misbehaving – and this could ultimately be a good thing. This summer, every day seems to bring another headline of tourists around the world behaving badly. Last week, it was two drunk Americans sneaking into a closed section of the Eiffel Tower…

AFP By Andrew Harding BBC News, Johannesburg The wealthiest square mile in Africa is hosting a big international summit this week with a mixture of pride, relief, and a hint of unease. Sandton – a glitzy banking district on the outskirts of South Africa’s increasingly dilapidated city of Johannesburg – is the venue for the…

A baby giraffe was born with no spots at Brights Zoo in Tennessee on 31 July. The spotless giraffe is incredibly rare. In a statement, the zoo said: “Giraffe experts believe she is the only solid-coloured reticulated giraffe living anywhere on the planet.”

How are the creativity, spaces and heritage of the war-torn country being supported? Beverley D’Silva explores the issues, and speaks to those making a difference. “Attacking a country’s culture is to attack its humanity. Historic monuments, works of art and archaeological sites – known as cultural property – are protected by the rules of war,” stated…

Telegram/Grey Zone By Emily McGarvey BBC News Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has appeared in his first video address since his failed mutiny in Russia, which suggests he is in Africa. The BBC has not been able to verify where the video was filmed. The video posted on Telegram channels linked to the Wagner mercenary group…

Getty Images By Jennifer Meierhans BBC Business reporter Baggage mishandling rates last year hit the highest in a decade globally as the airline industry scrambled to recover after the pandemic, a report shows. Some 26 million pieces of luggage were lost, delayed or damaged in 2022 – nearly eight bags in every 1,000. But new…

By James Cook Scotland editor Scotland has the highest drugs death rate in Europe, with narcotics claiming more than 100 lives on average every month. The Scottish government is proposing to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use to “help and support people rather than criminalise and stigmatise them”. But the UK government, which…