Top Lifestyle News
Red gold from purple flowers: saffron harvest in Kashmir – in pictures
Nov 2, 2026 - Lifestyle
Kashmiri saffron is one of the world’s most expensive spices. It’s primarily cultivated in the Pampore region of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Often referred to as ‘red gold’ because of its high value, saffron is prized for its rich aroma, distinctive flavour and quality Continue reading...
Frightfully good get-ups: how celebs celebrated Halloween – in pictures
Nov 2, 2026 - Lifestyle
From Heidi Klum as her own severed hand to Lily Allen as a Ticketmaster seating plan, this year the celebrities didn’t disappoint Continue reading...
Japan’s Jimi Halloween, a celebration of all things mundane – in pictures
Nov 1, 2026 - Lifestyle
While Halloween is traditionally a family-oriented holiday and an occasion for children to dress up and go trick-or-treating, a unique spin on spooky season is taking off in Japan. ‘Jimi Halloween’ or ‘Mundane Halloween’ sees adult participants dress up as ordinary people in everyday life. They do highly specific tasks, embracing and celebrating unremarkable situations for the event, hosted by online magazine Daily Portal Z in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. Continue reading...
I wrote a book about death. Here’s what people really think about dying
Oct 30, 2026 - Lifestyle
In the eight years since my graphic novel on death published, I’ve learned readers of all ages want to talk about loss and preserve their family’s storiesBecoming an author in my late 50s was unexpected, the result of my daughter Hallie’s own existential anxiety in her early 20s.Fearing my untimely demise, she begged me to write down advice that would cover all of life’s bases going forward. I agreed, but put the project off for years; it wasn’t until she cornered me with a laptop on vacation that I gave in. She asked countless questions, and I found, to my surprise, that I had plenty to say. Hallie helped shape the manuscript, and then spent a year painting its warmly emotional gouache illustrations.I lost a parent (or other loved one, including spouse or beloved pet) and your book helped me through.I gave the book to my kids and wrote my own notes in the margins.I can’t bear the thought of my mom or dad dying, but they don’t want to talk about it. I’m hoping that sharing the book with them will start some conversations. Continue reading...
Witches, clowns and a killer durian! Halloween in the Blue Mountains – in pictures
Oct 30, 2026 - Lifestyle
Each Halloween, photographer Maja Baska roams the streets of North Katoomba with her analogue camera to document the local festivities, capturing everything from the delightfully banal to the genuinely terrifying Continue reading...
