When in Rome, do as the tourists do

Near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, concealed by its plain exterior, is the less well known Basilica of Saint Praxedes. It contains some of the most beautiful Byzantine mosaics in the city.

Malana: Indian village of ancient tradition and marijuana

Malana is a two thousand year old village in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, whose people trace their lineage back to soldiers of the Macedonian army of Alexander the Great, left behind after his invasion of north India in 326 BCE.

The humble chilli – nature’s not so secret weapon

Many of the vividly coloured chillies on display in today’s supermarkets are fairly innocuous. Others are gastronomic time bombs with an extremely short fuse – the kind you don’t want to mess with.

Seize the day, and put no trust in tomorrow

The meteor that streaked over the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia’s Ural Mountains on Friday 15 February 2013 was a reminder of the fragility of life on Earth. If dinosaurs can be wiped out, so can human beings.

Mahabalipuram and the Yonghy-Bonghy Bo

South India is known for its wonderful vegetarian cuisine, but it has other cultural attractions too. Contemporary with the classical period of the Maya civilization in Central America, the temple complex at Mahabalipuram reflects the aspirations of the late Pallava dynasty.

How to clear landmines: The answer is blowin’ in the wind

More than 100 million landmines are still concealed throughout the world – one landmine for every 17 children. In Afghanistan hundreds of square kilometres are contaminated by mines and unexploded ordinance. Fortunately Kabul-born inventor Massoud Hassani has come to the rescue.