lifestyle news

Durga Puja 2026: All set for the beat of the dhak

All set for the beat of the dhak. As India gears up for Durga Puja 2026, the air will once again thrum with the beat of the dhak.

Rachel Roddy’s pasta with Senegalese-inspired ragu – recipe

A historical adventure deep in the very heart of pasta country in southern Italy unexpectedly unearths a sauce with roots in Senegal About 30 kilometres south of Naples, the town of Gragnano is surrounded by the Monti Lattari mountain range – the limestone backbone of the Sorrento peninsula. During a visit to Gragnano last month, local historian Giuseppe Di Massa explained how it all worked; how gravity drove the flow of water from one mill to the next, in order to power vertical millstones – a system created for the inconsistent flow.

Country diary: A new chapter for the farm – we’re going organic

A new chapter for the farm – we’re going organic. We have decided to become an organic farm and have started the two-year conversion process with the Soil Association.

TV tonight: it’s already time for the year’s first Christmas special

Sally Lindsay’s antique-dealing detective is drawn into a festive investigation in Madame Blanc. Somebody has murdered the mayor of Sainte-Victoire and dumped her body in the village fountain, which has put a dampener on antique-dealing sleuth Jean’s (Sally Lindsay) Christmas Eve wedding plans.

The rise and fall of mid-century modern: how millennials fell out of love with their favourite look

“I definitely don’t think it is cringe,” says Laura Budds, a vintage furniture dealer based in Norfolk. She’s even made a career out of it: she sells furniture and vintage clothes at Williams & Parfitt, a modern antiques centre in Wymondham, Norfolk.

Ghana targets nutrition security through plant-based food systems

Ghana is seeking to strengthen nutrition security, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods through the development of a National Plant-Based Food Systems Plan. Mr Seidu Issifu, the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, said the plan would provide a framework for improving local food production, promoting dietary diversity and integrating climate action into the country’s food systems.

Gold Coast Suns AFLW finals feat faces home-ground headache

The Gold Coast Suns have earned a place in the AFLW finals but are yet to find a venue to play their final games.

Ghana to host African Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives in December

Ghana will host the inaugural African Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTACC 2026) in Accra from December 9 to 12, with organisers aiming to promote the continent’s cultural heritage, strengthen Pan-African collaboration and unlock economic opportunities in the creative industries. She said AFESTACC draws inspiration from the Pan-African ideals championed by leaders including Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere.

Indigenous artists explore scorching heat in new exhibition

As Pilbara prepares for another hot summer, more than 60 artists interpret and celebrate the region's scorching change of season at a new exhibition. Here are three artworks you should see.

Bega Group requests more milk from FNQ farmers

Far North Queensland dairy farmers are being asked to supply more milk as processor Bega seeks to reduce its reliance on supply from southern states.

Non-profit group leaks data of more than 40,000 homeland security workers

Information released by Distributed Denial of Secrets is the third such government data disclosure in the last month The leak website Distributed Denial of Secrets said on Wednesday it has released data on more than 40,000 Department ⁠of Homeland Security (DHS) employees, including details about officials working in sensitive fields such as surveillance and human intelligence. DHS did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Davido features Chioma in ‘Already Falling’ video, recreates proposal scene

Released Wednesday, the video puts the couple’s relationship in focus.

‘We sold out tickets within 13 minutes’: new novel from romantasy author Sarah J Maas sparks fan mania

Move over Oasis – 6,000 people tried to buy 220 tickets to a masquerade ball to celebrate the release of A Court of Splintered Harmony, while specialist bookshops catering for the genre report huge sales When The Spicy Librarian, a romance bookshop in Leamington Spa, announced a masquerade ball to celebrate the new Sarah J Maas novel, 6,000 people tried to buy 220 tickets. The shop was one of many across the UK marking the release of A Court of Splintered Harmony, the first instalment of Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series in more than five years.

‘It all happened in a split-second’: survivors recount details of Spain’s second deadly train crash in 10 months

Passengers describe carriages full of seriously injured people after crash that has claimed at least 68 lives Josimar Medina woke a little before 9am on Wednesday to find himself airborne and hurtling through his carriage on the fast train from Madrid to Seville. “I remember flying through the air and looking for my girlfriend, who was also shooting through the air,” said Medina, a 37-year-old tourist from the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo.

Skulls, bulls and someone peeing in her own eye: four great exhibitions to see for free

Andy Warhol’s skulls and Pierre Bonnard’s fruit have more in common than you might think. Plus: the world’s rudest cartoon character is up to dirty tricks again Continue reading...

Food Commission reviews nutrition supplies in Attappady

The inspection followed reports of infant deaths in Attappady, suspected to be linked to malnutrition

Passengers stranded in Cambodia after cruise halted due to high fuel costs

The luxury MV Odyssey ship slated for a years-long voyage around the world suspends operations amid high fuel prices A luxury cruise ship that had embarked on a years-long voyage around the world was forced to suspend its operations and leave passengers stranded in Cambodia because of high fuel prices. The ship, known as the MV Odyssey, had been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, Cambodian officials told the Associated Press.

MultiChoice announce continent-wide restructuring of DStv subscription

They announced the development in Lagos on Tuesday.

‘Light therapy without remortgaging the house’: the best LED face masks – tested

They claim to reduce the appearance of fine lines, stop spots and calm redness, with some even combining different types of light to enhance the benefits. With this in mind, I interviewed doctors and dermatologists to find out whether these light therapy devices work.

Five sweet shops shut, licences of five others suspended in Hyderabad over food safety violations

Tommy Robinson found guilty of harassing journalists

Daily Mail reporters and their families fled homes after far-right activist targeted them over coverage The far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been found guilty of harassing two journalists to the point where it caused them fear of violence. Journalists from the Daily Mail and their family members fled their homes after “bullyboy, intimidatory tactics” were deployed by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon, his trial was told.

Parel Church becomes second basilica in Changanassery archdiocese

Parel Marian Pilgrimage Centre has been renamed Marth Mariam Immaculate Conception Shrine Basilica.

Two years on from our first newsletter … how has the Long Wave evolved?

From AI aunties to long diaspora Uber phone calls, here is a selection of our favourite editions to celebrate our second anniversary Don’t get The Long Wave delivered to your inbox? Sign up here The Long Wave is two!

FESF Foundation calls for stronger rice production to boost food security

The FESF Foundation has called for increased investment in Ghana’s rice sector, saying stronger domestic production is critical to food security and economic growth. The call was made at the 5th FESF Foundation Food Security Lecture, held under the theme “Rice: A Global Crop for Food Security and Economic Growth.”