In 1890 an estimated 180,000 ancient cats, weighing 19.5 tonnes, were auctioned off in Liverpool.

Carmen Roberts explores the historic towns and villages that hug the coast in Puglia.

Montenegro's most difficult roads are also the most beautiful, as Carmen Roberts discovers.

Today is widely considered an unlucky day. But where did the superstition come from, and why do people still believe in it?

The Rosa Damascena, known as the Damask rose, is considered a great treasure in the region of Kazanlak.

The Varna treasure is considered the world's oldest human processed gold, dating back 6,500 years.

Nasa has released new 'sonifications' of the Universe on the 25th anniversary of Chandra, its X-ray Observatory.

The iconic team has developed technology which spread to concerts, nightclubs, and other sports teams.

Bachkovo Monastery in the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria is one of the oldest Orthodox monasteries.

Hiding in a London cathedral is an intricate wooden mock-up of Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece.

Bettany Hughes goes underwater in search of ancient archaeological finds in historic Sozopol, Bulgaria.

Why being vain is not just good, but crucial if we want society to work.

Reece Parkinson heads to the Bahamas, where he meets a community adapting to unpredictable weather patterns.

Lucy Hedges is in Thailand where she explores the beach made world-famous by Hollywood.

With storms occurring between 140 to 160 nights a year, it's no wonder the area is a world record holder.

Drought forces the real Paddington Bear into deadly conflict with cattle farmers in the Andes.

An 11-mile hike in the Bako National Park in Malaysia transports travellers through seven distinct habitats.

In the BBC Select documentary Penguins: Spy in the Huddle, we explore the world of penguin fathers.

Marc Cieslak spends a night on ice, camping under the stars.

The reason behind the Red Planet's nickname is also why its sunrises and sunsets look pale blue.

Ghost towns are remnants of lost communities but also a testament to nature's persistence.

Our star's activity is increasing and that could mean more supercharged light shows on Earth.

A wild orangutan has astonished researchers by using a medicinal plant to treat his cheek wound.

This rare dual emergence of two different broods hasn't happened for 221 years.

An intriguing mix of cultures await travellers who are prepared to explore beyond the beaches.

Sri Lankans began planting jackfruit trees to gain food self-sufficiency during British rule.

New research suggests the fiery moon Io has been spewing lava for billions of years.

A dietary change to reduce wrinkles, boost collagen, and improve skin texture.

Better nutrition can have a surprisingly positive effect on memory, the BBC's Melissa Hogenboom explains why.

Why learning self-soothing touch will make you feel calmer.

A bustling community of trillions of cells influence almost every aspect of our life.

We explore the range of health benefits linked to cold water swimming.

There is a gender gap in just how much exercise we need for healthy hearts.

A simple on the go therapy could help ease anxiety, stress and reduce the impact of traumatic memories.

There's a lot of hype around magnesium and its ability to alleviate anxiety and depression.

A new generation of smart goggles provide real time visual feedback to enhance athletic performance.

The robotaxis were stationed in a San Francisco parking lot when a feature to avoid crashes set off the noise.

Lara Lewington travels to California to meet the scientists and experts researching our brain health.

At 51, Andy Macdonald shows you're never too old to compete at the Olympics. But how can you keep fit as you age?

Joe Tidy played along for over two months to learn more about how the scams work.

In a clash of wit and technology, we bring together two unlikely adversaries: a comedian and an AI chatbot.

The BBC's Samira Hussain is in Delhi, trying to catch a flight to go on holiday with her family.

A new network along the Seine in Paris will broadcast Olympic festivities from the river.

The Shahmaran, or "ruler of the snakes", is a mythical figure that is popular in Turkish folklore and seen by some as a good luck symbol.

Find out how the rich culture of Normandy in Northern France inspired one of the world's greatest artists.

La Haine director Mathieu Kassovitz says Artificial Intelligence is replacing the role of movie makers.

Song, who was born in South Korea, was Oscar-nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Home to some of the most imaginative storytelling in the world, Korea is taking the next innovative step.

Messi has been a big star on the red carpet, eclipsing Meryl Streep. But who will win the Palm Dog this year?

A documentary chronicles the experiences of individuals coping with the aftermath of nuclear testing.

A BBC reporter confronts Auschwitz, and his own Jewish ancestry, to take a closer look at an Oscars favourite.

Director Mstyslav Chernov speaks about the challenges of making a film about the early days of the Ukraine war.

The couple behind the blockbuster's Fremen language speaks about their process.

Stephen Shames' photography offers a radically new and candid picture of the militant black power organisation.

What does it take to be crowned as the most beautiful man in the country?

Paul Giamatti gives us an inside look at his new film: The Holdovers.

Art critic Alastair Sooke learns about a modern designer's take on Doha's Museum of Islamic Art's collection.

Art critic Alastair Sooke travels to Doha to discover some of the treasures of the Museum of Islamic Art.

Art critic Alastair Sooke learns about a decorative 10th-Century treasure at Doha's Museum of Islamic Art.

Art critic Alastair Sooke learns about a masterpiece of the Islamic world at Doha's Museum of Islamic Art.

From its humour to its hero, why Doctor Who is so quintessentially British in spirit.

Partially blind, he vows to continue until he can no longer see.

Writer and academic Shahidha Bari asks why shoes don’t get the credit they deserve.

Mangal 2, a fixture on the London food scene, is redefining Turkish cuisine in a city constantly evolving.

In 1865, 150 Welsh immigrants fled to Argentina, discovering a new world far from home.

A music and art extravaganza takes place in an 'otherworldly' landscape amid unique volcanic rock formations.

At Michelin-starred Semma, chef Vijay Kumar brings deeply personal dishes from his childhood to the plate.

At Icca, Japanese sushi master chef Kazushige Suzuki blends ancient methods with other cuisines.

Christa Larwood climbs Mount Nemrut to learn more about a group of mystical stone monoliths.

As part of its mission, Silo uses a nose to tail and root to tip approach to cooking out of respect for nature.

The menu at the Icehotel, the world's first hotel made out of ice and snow, is served on plates of ice.

Only seven of the world’s 1,000 tallest buildings are in the EU. Watch to find out why.

The Finns have been named the happiest people seven years running. How do they do it?

Ready for spring? Here's how locals saved an almost forgotten ritual in Slovenia.

We are entering Cherry Blossoms Season in Japan and in many US cities. What does this tradition teach us today?

London's Darjeeling Express is ground zero for chef Asma Khan, a champion of women's empowerment.

Foraging is one of Finland's favourite hobbies and an essential part of the culture.

Baggage fees made airlines a record $33 billion in 2023 so we look at how we got here.

The history of how the Maroons escaped slavery through an unknown route in the Amazon rainforest.  

Floating in the middle of a Norwegian fjord, Restaurant Iris takes diners on an 'experiential dining' journey.

Deniseea Taylor is a mixologist who teaches what she jokingly calls 'drunk Black History'.

Taste of China: How chef Andrew Wong takes diners on a culinary journey across China's provinces.

American football is a US tradition unlike any other and yet it traces its roots to an ancient Roman game.

Scientists are preparing to drill into the rock of an Icelandic volcano to learn more about how volcanoes behave.

The degrowth movement questions the feasibility of the idea of endless economic growth on a finite planet.

Land use for food and agriculture around the world is putting pressure on climate and biodiversity.

Noise and air pollution are major threats and EVs can therefore offer a promising solution.

Heat is the most deadly extreme weather phenomenon and cities are seeking ways to cool their urban cores.

These mechanical creatures lurk beneath the water's surface and power homes in the Faroe Islands.

Giant ravines: Entire communities are disappearing because of an extreme form of soil erosion.

Two urban explorers' stories of decay tell a tale of a changing American cultural landscape.

The floating houses built to withstand typhoons and flooding in the Philippines.

With its own currency and 'head of state', this American micronation has become an odd tourist destination.

One team is on a mission to create 3D printed sea walls with environmental benefits.

Marc Cieslak finds out how gentoo penguins are adapting to a warming climate.

As the river dried up, life in Samdzong became impossible. So the locals built a new village from scratch.

Qasa Alom meets a team conducting research on Alaska's changing environment.

The world's largest direct air capture plant sucks CO2 from the air and deposits it underground.

Landsat satellites provide the longest continuous global record of the Earth's surface.

Although huge hailstones are still rare, there are signs that their frequency and size are increasing.

Scientists had a conversation with Twain, the humpback whale. It's the first ever recorded chat of its kind.

The rare phenomenon of asexual reproduction continues to perplex scientists.

The James Webb Telescope sends back stunning photos of our Universe. But are the vibrant colours real?

The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak was accidentally discovered by Bulgarian soldiers digging up shelters in 1944.

The prehistoric paintings in Magura Cave in Bulgaria are made using a surprising material.

In 1911, a fence was constructed on the US-Mexico border. But its purpose was not to stop humans.

A look through footage from the Paris 1924 Olympics gives viewers a chance to reflect on how much has changed.

One of Europe's oldest residential streets hides in the heart of the English countryside.

In late 1922, photographer Harry Burton joined archaeologist Howard Carter's team as they uncovered the famous tomb.

Thomas Edison wasn't the first person to record sound. It was a Frenchman who invented sound recording in 1857.

On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, veterans who were on the beaches of Normandy recount that fateful day.

How does King Charles III's Coronation year compare to his mother's?

Fifty years ago, on April 25, 1974, a Eurovision song gave the signal for a military coup in Portugal.

How one day in 1963 changed history forever and created a piece of America in the UK.

700 years after his death, Marco Polo's travellogue is full of wonder but also 'hard to believe' in some parts.

How Putin 'dreamed of being the Russian version of James Bond'.

Has Amelia Earhart's plane really been found? Here are the key things to know.

The move made it the first government in the entire English-speaking world to ban the death penalty.

Emeline Nsingi Nkosi heads into Berlin's underground U-Bahn system to visit the disused war bunkers.

Myth and mystery surround the ancient Tartessos civilisation that vanished 2,500 years ago.

A team of Israeli archaeologists have decoded the oldest known sentence in the ancient language of Canaanites.

In 1967 residents of a US-Mexico border town discovered they weren't Mexican citizens but were actually American.

Join Istanbul-based poet and writer Pelin Batu as she explores a museum bursting with history, myth and legend.