Photographer captures the beauty of Europe's abandoned buildings

Over the last six years, London-based photographer Gina Soden has photographed some of Europe's most beautiful derelict buildings.


http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/28/arts/abandoned-architecture-photography-gina-soden/index.html

How tiny pies changed the English language

Tiny pies have been a favourite food in Britain since the Middle Ages – and have changed the English language with idioms, nursery rhyme verses, even a mention by Shakespeare. In fact, records go back to the 11th Century!

Every March, St Mary’s church in the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray becomes a cathedral of pies: it fills with tables bearing more than 800 pastries.


http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170322-how-a-pocket-sized-snack-changed-the-english-language

Brazil teacher changes hairstyle to support bullied girl

Ana Barbara Ferreira, from Sao Paulo, said her student was "sad" after being ridiculed by a boy, who had said her hair was "ugly".

Though she supported the child in a Facebook post telling her 'she was wonderful and shouldn't care about what he was saying,' a bigger show of support came in the following day, when she went to work wearing the same hairstyle as her pupil.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39393371

Employee of the Quarter four times - so far

Accuride International makes drawer slides but only has three employees at its sales base in Georgia, in the southeast of America. Two of those are dogs - Meeka and Kya. The other is human, Michael Reeg, who started working from home early last year.

During a visit to the family home, his daughter Madison noticed that her dad had named eight-year-old Meeka as his "employee of the quarter".

Michael told the BBC that when he started working from home last year, he needed a companion to keep him motivated. "I remember looking at her laying in my office, which she did faithfully every day, and thinking about how happy she was when I was home and how excited she was when I said, 'Let's go to work.'"

"That was the end of the first quarter in 2016 and it struck me that she deserved to be rewarded for that quarter, based on her consistent attendance and her honest enjoyment of working," Reeg said.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/91825d64-5bff-43fb-a018-a90a135ce591

Spain's female bodyguards who protect abused women

When Ana reported her male former partner for an assault at her home in Spain she thought she would be protected. In fact she ended up living as a prisoner alone in her own house, afraid to go out in case she was confronted by her aggressor once more.

Ana went online to contact women's support groups and was put in touch with Carolina, a former police bodyguard now using her skills and training to keep women safe from violent men.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39283407

One of Emma Watson’s costumes in Beauty and the Beast was made in India

Kasam and Juma Sangar, two artisans from Bhuj, Gujarat, India, have embroidered one of the costumes worn by Belle, played by Emma.

This collaboration was made possible by Sinéad O’Sullivan, the movie’s assistant costume designer. Sinead is committed to the #whomademyclothes campaign, which strives to promote supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing in the global clothing industry.


http://www.thebetterindia.com/92405/gujarat-artisans-behind-emma-watsons-costumes-beauty-and-the-beast/?utm_source=The+Better+India+Newsletter&utm_campaign=26431fce36-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cd579275a4-26431fce36-74060141

How Green became associated with St. Patrick's Day

Blue is believed to have been associated with Ireland before green was.

A light blue became associated with the Order of St. Patrick.

The earliest use of green for nationalistic reasons was seen during the violent Great Irish Rebellion of 1641.

The Society of United Irishmen, wore green, especially an Irish version of the "liberty caps" worn during the French Revolution.

The importance of the color green spread, thanks in part to the poems and ballads written during this time, most famously "The Wearing of the Green."

The origins of the wearing of green clothing in the U.S. on St. Patrick's Day and for St. Patrick's Day celebrations in general date back to the 19th century, when waves of Irish immigrants came to America looking for better job opportunities, especially after the Great Famine of the 1840s-50s, and began wearing green and carrying Irish flags along with American flags as a point of pride for their home country.

http://time.com/4699771/green-irish-st-patricks-day-color/?xid=newsletter-brief

'Healthiest hearts in the world' found

The healthiest hearts in the world have been found in the Tsimane (pronounced "chee-may-nay") people in the forests of Bolivia, say researchers. Barely any Tsimane had signs of clogged up arteries - even well into old age - a study in the Lancet showed.


http://www.bbc.com/news/health-39292389

How Nature resets our minds and bodies

"Nature restores mental functioning in the same way that food and water restore bodies." This fascinating article from the Atlantic explores how Nature resets our minds and bodies.


http://www.dailygood.org/2016/03/12/how-nature-resets-our-minds-and-bodies/

Homeless man given makeover

A homeless man in Majorca, Spain, was left in tears when he was given a free makeover by a local hair salon.

Jose Antonio has been homeless for 25 years and is well known to local people. The owner of La Salvajeria invited Jose to his business after getting to know him as an "unlicensed car parking attendant".


http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39292293/homeless-man-given-makeover-after-25-years-living-on-the-streets

The orangutan grandfather

Dr Peter Pratje manages a 'jungle school' in Sumatra for orphan orangutans.

This is definitely a must-see.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04wrwvg

"The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder and Genius": Dr. Gail Saltz

There are numerous examples of people with learning disabilities and mental health disorders doing extraordinary things: the child on the autism spectrum who is masterful at putting together incredibly intricate Lego creations, the young person with Asperger's syndrome who knows more about presidential history than most adults, the child with dyslexia who is a master chef in the kitchen.

Dr Saltz's findings could help turn the stigma associated with these challenges on its head.


http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/09/health/learning-disabilities-mental-health-genius-parenting/index.html

The slow death of purposeless walking

We are talking here not of the distance between porch and corner shop. But a more aimless pursuit.

Some key tips:

•     Walk further and with no fixed route
•     Stop texting and mapping
•     Don't soundtrack your walks
•     Go alone
•     Find walkable places
•     Walk mindfully

Then you may get the rewards. "Being out on your own, being free and anonymous, you discover the people around you," says Solnit.


http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=6648

The rise of 'modest' fashion

Modest dressing is a global cultural movement on the rise.

A search of the word modest on Instagram opens a treasure trove of evidence. Sensitive layering, long silhouettes, raised necklines...

Trend analysts have dubbed what they interpret as a new wave of feminism the "pluri-empowerment" factor, says Iza Dezon, a trend forecaster at Peclers Paris. "An empowered woman is no longer subject to a specific definition, nor must she live by a specific set of values," she explains. "We're seeing the opening up of what empowerment means, allowing women to create their own definitions."


http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/08/fashion/the-modist-modest-fashion-online/index.html

A "Brownlee brothers moment"

Riley Watson, 10, was 60ft from the end of a cross-country race when he collapsed with a stitch. But classmate Julian Otu, also 10, came to his rescue - carrying him in his arms.

The gesture came during an inter-school race in Grimsby.


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-39215616

East and West think in profoundly different ways

Psychologists are uncovering the surprising influence of geography on our reasoning, behaviour, and sense of self.

From the broad differences between East and West, to subtle variation between States in the US, it is becoming increasingly clear that history, geography and culture can change how we all think in subtle and surprising ways – right down to our visual perception. Our thinking may have even been shaped by the kinds of crops our ancestors used to farm, and a single river may mark the boundaries between two different cognitive styles.


http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170118-how-east-and-west-think-in-profoundly-different-ways

Namibia's nomads

he Himba people of Namibia can see fine details and ignore distraction much better than most other human beings – a finding that may reflect the many ways that modern life is changing our minds and abilities.

Findings show that even the most basic aspects of our perception – which you may assume to be hardwired in the brain – are shaped by our culture and surroundings.


http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170306-the-astonishing-focus-of-namibias-nomads

A message of love from two small boys

We tend to lose sight of the human part of the human beings we see around us. These two boys bring us back to our senses...


http://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/03/03/boys-jaxon-reddy-haircut-louisville-kentucky-sfc-orig.cnn

Neighbours put up Christmas lights after elderly man sent 'bullying' letter

People in Homewood, Alabama have put up their Christmas lights very early this year, after one of their neighbours, Mr Frank, received a letter asking him to take his decorations down.

Mr Frank said he kept his lights up to stop traffic from crashing into his tree. There was a danger of someone getting hurt.

When they heard the news, about 30 homeowners took out their Christmas decorations and put them up in their gardens.

"It's been a neat way for the community to slow down, and make it a priority to get to know him.

"It's an opportunity to take time to stop and make sure he knows we're there and we appreciate him."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39171894/neighbours-put-up-christmas-lights-after-elderly-man-sent-bullying-letter

The first Vogue Arabia issue

Vogue Arabia launches this month - and Gigi Hadid has been revealed as its first cover star. "Being half-Palestinian, it means the world to me to be on the first-ever cover(s) of Vogue Arabia," the model said.

Two different editions of the magazine's first issue have been produced - one in English and one in Arabic.


http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39139170

Great-grandmother cycles 10,000 miles

78-year-old Montana woman, Ethel MacDonald, took up tour cycling at the age of 65. Fourteen years later, the retired French teacher has covered more than 10,000 miles across Europe and North America and she's not stopping yet.

"I like what I like to do without having to wait for someone else to be ready," explains the 78-year-old great-grandmother. The appeal of biking alone on the open road, she says, is "just feeling like I'm my own boss."


http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/08/travel/ethel-macdonald-cycling/index.html