The Best of BBC News (World)

Experts say the use of the inflatable could be intended to send a message to Washington.

A new approach to interior design is less about aesthetic trends and more about how our spaces make us feel. Daisy Woodward explores the feel-good home phenomenon.

Many people believe willpower is fixed and finite. Yet powerful strategies exist that can help us increase it.

University students' mental ill-health could be linked to the subjects they study, a report says.

«it has been found that students who study humanities, social work and counselling were more likely to report childhood adversities»

The "Soft Girl" aesthetic began life among Nigerian social media influencers, and has since gone mainstream. Evie Muir explores why it has found resonance among young black women.

The so-called lost decade has now stretched to three. What went wrong, asks Rupert Wingfield-Hayes.

A man who had not walked for two years was able to move all his limbs thanks to new technology.

Retailers are struggling to make their products accessible, and customers are taking them to court.

The problems caused by plastic waste are rapidly increasing around the globe, but it still serves a useful purpose in food packaging. Can plastic still be a green option?

«brands have transitioned away from refillables to single-use packaging faster in the global North than in the South; it simply made more economic sense,»

Invented by the region's Moorish rulers 1,200 years ago, Valencia's irrigation system is now a model for sustainable farming.

The vegan diet is low in – or, in some cases, entirely devoid of – several important brain nutrients. Could these shortcomings be affecting vegan’s ability to think?

We know fish as a healthy food, but pregnant women are told to limit consumption. Do the health benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks, particularly as stocks grow more depleted?

A growing and influential intellectual movement aims to understand why human progress happens – and how to speed it up. Garrison Lovely investigates.

For millennia, people slept in two shifts – once in the evening, and once in the morning. But why? And how did the habit disappear?

What are the consequences of southern India outperforming the rest of the country?

The homegrown brands that have found their way into the homes and hearts of millions of Indians.

Centuries ago, a prestigious Islamic library brought Arabic numerals to the world. Though the library long since disappeared, its mathematical revolution changed our world.

Police forces devoted to enforcing strict Islam-based codes of practice are a fact of life in several mainly Muslim countries, but opinion about them is divided.

Our world is awash with a rainbow of colours, but certain shades can have a surprising impact on our ability to concentrate, our mood and even our taste.

«And if you want a child to concentrate, you might consider painting a classroom in a vivid palette and so bolster their reading scores.»

Address the real reasons you procrastinate and you’re more likely to start achieving your goals.

«procrastination is an issue with managing our emotions, not our time. The task we’re puttin»

These Ukrainians say their Russian relatives only trust the narratives they see on TV at home.

Because of his miscalculations, there's a new iron curtain at the Russian leader’s door - writes Allan Little

In Denmark, the Nordic concept of friluftsliv – or unwinding in the outdoors – includes troll hunts, shoreline biking and stargazing in Scandinavia's first International Dark Sky Park.

«the Nordic concept of friluftsliv – or unwinding in the outdoors»

In the dusty plains of present-day Sindh in southern Pakistan lie the remains of one of the world's most impressive ancient cities that most people have never heard of.

Speaking a second or even a third language can bring obvious advantages, but occasionally the words, grammar and even accents can get mixed up.

«our languages aren't just static throughout our lives but shifting, actively competing and interfering with each other.»

Through apparently spontaneous change or through mishap or illness, our eyes can change colour in surprising ways.

Some 200 places around the world have now achieved Dark Sky status. Frankie Adkins explores the benefits nights with out light pollution can bring.

«LED lighting – despite its reputation for energy efficiency – often contains high proportions of blue light in its spectrum, which creates a harsh glar»

Most of us are subjected to insults, sarcastic comments or bad feedback in our everyday lives. But we weren't built to deal with torrents of criticism.

BBC Culture polled 206 TV experts from 43 countries in order to find the greatest TV of the 21st Century – here’s the top 100

«79 shows in the top 100 were created by men, and just 11 by women, with 10 by a combination of men and women.»