
Wren’s day: an old Irish tradition that survives today
In the town of Dingle in the south-west of Ireland, locals often say that there are two seasons in the year: six months before the Wren and six months after the Wren (pronounced wran). It is not uncommon to hear Ill see...

What Virginia Woolf has in common with the Peepo! baby
What does Peepo!, a popular picture book from the 1980s, have in common with Virginia Woolfs unfinished wartime memoir? More than a little, as it turns out. Sketch of the Past is Woolfs memoir of her childhood, written...

Why splash pools can be an infection risk for kids
In the heat of summer, many parents take their children to splash pools or splash pads and other recreational water parks to cool down. But indoor aquatic facilities with their fountains and spraying jets of water can...

The death of a spy is rarely newsworthy, due to the secrecy surrounding it. But when a white beluga whale suspected of spying for Moscow was found dead in Norwegian waters in September, the animal soon became a minor...

Six ways to make the internet safer for women
Women are less likely to protect themselves online because current safety advice does not take full account of their needs despite women being more at risk from cyber abuse and threats than men. This abuse of women is a...
Is it time to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan?
Is it justifiable to continue not recognising the Taliban government, which has been in power for more than three years? This stance does nothing to improve the situation of Afghan women and prevents the international...

What cost-of-living crisis? Luxury travel is booming – and set to grow further
About ten years ago, while working at Badrutts Palace Hotel in the Swiss town of St Moritz, I was shocked to learn a guest once requested an elephant be brought in to deliver a birthday gift to his wife. And the hotel made...