'Built by my family': America's grand buildings constructed by slaves

Monticello, the expansive brick home of Thomas Jefferson, sits atop a hill overlooking farmland, trees and the University of Virginia, the institution founded by the third U.S. president.

Cairo candles workshop struggles to survive

In a rudimentary workshop in Cairo, Haj Mohamed Hussein uses a simple method to produce candles for different occasions. It earns him a humble living - but he worries the profession may be dying out.

West Africa's historic slave sites bear witness to brutal trade

When Gambian boat captain Abdoulie Jabang ferries visitors to Kunta Kinteh island he tells them that the waves lapping the shores of the former slave site threaten to wash history away.

Wake up and smell the coffee: from your Ukrainian sunglasses

Ukraine's innovative OCHIS eyewear brand is getting customers to literally smell the coffee - by making sunglasses out of coffee waste.

Drag shows and hipster parties: Jerusalem has an underground nightlife

Jerusalem, ancient sacred city and heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, takes on a wholly different tone around midnight.

Heady days of Amsterdam's drug culture turn bad as hard stuff brings violence and corruption

Long famed for its casual attitude to marijuana use, the Dutch capital Amsterdam says it now has a serious problem with hard drugs that has brought increased violence and corruption at the hands of...

Playing ketchup in Spain - thousands wage the Tomatina fight

Thousands of revelers hurled tonnes of tomatoes at each other on Wednesday, cavorting in the red pulp beneath their feet in the Spanish town of Bunol.

A dog's life: Bangkok street sweeper carries pet to work

A street sweeper in Thailand has become an internet sensation after a picture of her carrying her dog on her back while sweeping the streets of the Thai capital went viral.

Venezuelan migrant who sings for tips gets shot at stardom after chance meeting

When Mexican singer Mario Domm overheard a Venezuelan migrant crooning Domm's own song in exchange for coins outside a restaurant in Bogota, Colombia, he was moved to tears by the young man's...

Polish nurse, 97, recalls training for a war that terrified her

Wanda Kialka was 17 when a friend suggested she join a military training camp for women outside Vilnius, then a part of Poland, as a way of preparing for something both hoped would never come -...

Hong Kong artist offers free protest-themed tattoos

A Hong Kong artist is offering free protest-themed tattoos to people who want to show their support for pro-democracy demonstrations in the Chinese territory.

Automated buses dodge peacocks, tourists and plants in Singapore test

Roaming peacocks, meandering tourists and curbside bushes were all causing headaches this week for operators of one of the first autonomous bus shuttle services to hit public roads in Singapore.

Camo and crop top: Thai palace publishes consort pictures

Thailand's palace website crashed on Monday after it released unprecedented pictures of the king's consort in a fighter jet, wearing a crop top and dressed in combat fatigues with him and the royal...