Beyond the bling: the most pointless luxuries ever

A bubble-bath necklace? A DNA vending machine? An unwearable gold hat that took 12 years to weave? Through a collection of priceless, pointless and surprising objects, the V&A’s new exhibition asks: what is luxury?

Apple Watch launch swaps high-street crowds for high-end fashionistas

Waiters serving iced tea among luxury goods at Selfridge’s may be more discreet than the public queues of the past, but shoppers are still high on anticipation

Abu Dhabi could buy luxury Mayfair hotels from Barclay brothers

But long-standing minority shareholder Paddy McKillen believes complex legal agreements between the shareholders effectively weaken the brothers’ hand

The innovators: build and launch your own satellite … for £20,000

Technology used in mobile phones and laptops can now be used to track planes, follow tankers seized by pirates and even spot people flouting planning laws

The answer lies in the soil and pesticides

Letters: A major research study by Newcastle University published last year found not only that organic fruit and veg contains more beneficial nutrients, but also four times less pesticide residues

Antarctic ice shelves are melting dramatically, study finds

Melting of floating ice shelves around the continent is accelerating, potentially unlocking extra sea level rise from larger ice sheets jammed behind them