European leaders to hold emergency summit as US plans to meet Russia for Ukraine peace talks
This week, America told Europe that everything’s changedpublished at 09:06 Greenwich Mean Time 09:06 GMT Frank GardnerReporting from the Munich Security Conference On this final day of the Munich Security Conference confusion and uncertainty still cloud the issue of how President Trump plans to end the Ukraine war. European leaders worry that this is a […]
Apple harvest in the Himalayan foothills
Virginia Jealous Features correspondent Shimla India On clear days, the orchard landscapes in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh are a photographer’s dream. Some 80km north of Shimla — the former summer capital of the British Raj and now the capital of the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh — the small rural community […]
Mumbai’s Bollywood dreams
BBC World News Features correspondent Mumbai’s Bollywood dreams In Bollywood-mad Mumbai, Neeta Lulla, a costume and fashion designer for the Indian film industry, is almost as famous as the celebrities she dresses. If there is one thing in Mumbai that is more important than cricket and good food, it is Bollywood. Worth more than a […]
Why cork is making a comeback
Alastair Leithead Features correspondent Amorim Cork oak bark is prized for its lightweight, elastic qualities which makes it ideal for a number of uses including as wine stoppers (Credit: Amorim) Prized for the lightweight, elastic bark, cork oaks can also store large amounts of carbon during their long lifetimes. Now there are moves to find […]
How microplastics are infiltrating the food you eat
Nailia Schwarz/Alamy Root vegetables such as carrots appear to absorb more microplastics than other fruit and vegetables (Credit: Nailia Schwarz/Alamy) Plastic pollution is one of the defining legacies of our modern way of life, but it is now so widespread it is even finding its way into fruit and vegetables as they grow. But they […]
The Cold War’s ultimate spy plane
Stephen Dowling Features correspondent Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin SR-71 (Copyright: Lockheed Martin) Colonel Rich Graham spent 15 years as a Blackbird pilot and wing commander. He told BBC Future some of his incredible stories about the world’s fastest plane. After a Soviet surface-to-air missile battery showdown with a USAF U-2 spy plane near the closed […]
Berlin versus tourists
Stephen Evans Features correspondent Tourists take a photo with the Buddy Bear sculptures on Berlinâs Kurfuerstendamm Boulevard. The bears are on display through 3 October to mark the 125th anniversary of the cityâs most famous shopping street. (Reuters) Locals often grumble about tourists, but Berlin saw an actual protest. In a disused theme park in […]
Drinking in the views from Vienna’s wineries
Bethany Bell Features correspondent Downtown Vienna, Austria, seen from Fritz Wieningerâs vineyards. (Bethany Bell) Walking from vineyards to traditional wine taverns in the world’s only capital to have a significant wine growing area within its city limits. The view from Fritz Wieninger’s vineyards on the Nussberg hill is one of the best in Vienna. Standing […]
The world’s top coffee spots
Lonely Planet Features correspondent Harvesting coffee beans from a state-owned coffee plantation in Ethiopia. (Frances Linzee Gordon/LPI) From Ethiopia to Cuba, Seattle to Colombia, which is your top choice for caffeine-fuelled travel? It inspires passion, opinion and addiction. It is the world’s second most valuable commodity (after petroleum), and it will almost certainly play a […]
New Orleans’ film industry blooms
Karina Martinez-Carter Features correspondent Easy Rider, New Orleans 1968 Long an artistic hotbed, Louisiana’s largest city is becoming known as “Hollywood South”, acting as the setting for more than 60 feature films in 2012. A group of people huddled by a nondescript wrought-iron black door on a quiet street in New Orleans’ French Quarter, whispering […]