Features

Mukalla, Yemen – A few weeks before the start of this year’s World Cup, Adel Mohsen’s backup battery stopped working. Without the money to replace it, he knew his home would be plunged into darkness whenever the frequent power cuts hit. At the same time, a fuel shortage swept through his hometown of Mukalla in eastern Yemen. He struggled to find enough petrol for his motorbike, limiting his movement and making it harder to gather with others to watch matches. Adel is deeply disappointed. Now

Turkana, Kenya – Under the scorching sun in Kainama, Turkana County, Veronica Akalapatan and her neighbours trek several kilometres each day to reach a shrinking well set amid the cracked, dusty plains of northern Kenya. The shallow pit, accessed by a simple wooden ladder, is the area’s only water source. Hundreds of residents from nearby villages – along with their animals – depend on it. Many wait for hours to fill small plastic containers with limited amounts of murky water. Recommended

Stretching from Inverness all the way to Britain’s northernmost rail junction, the Far North Line glides through grazing pastures, rustic communities, and the planet’s only Unesco-recognised blanket peatland. As the train slowly eases out of Inverness Station and ventures into the Scottish Highlands, a wave of excitement courses through me. I once spent four summers working in these wild parts, and the deep ties to this dramatic terrain still stir my heart. At last, I'm back—reuniting my

Brooklyn, New York – A blackened microwave, its frame warped by heat, lay abandoned, while the bent frame of a lawn chair sat nearby. A heap of clothes, half-melted, and the singed remains of a Bible were strewn across the forest floor, surrounded by charred pinecones – a stark reminder of what once existed here. Underneath a canopy of burnt trees in a small, somber clearing in the northwest corner of Prospect Park, remnants of the devastation caused by a rampant fire were evident. A homeless

Pick up trash from canals. Volunteer at an urban garden. Opt for biking instead of driving. In Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, travelers who make eco-friendly choices are getting unique rewards: free ice cream, glasses of wine, or discounts on museum tickets. This is all part of a fresh initiative called CopenPay, designed to inspire more sustainable actions by tourists. Covering 24 attractions, including art galleries and sports rental services, the month-long pilot, running until August

The vastness of the nation means it still holds unexpected gems – Roman artifacts you never expected, scenic coastal train rides, expansive deserted shores… Guéthary on the Basque Coast Sitting between the glitzy Biarritz and the rustic charm of Saint-Jean-de-Luz with its tuna boats and timbered homes, there is a tranquil section of the Basque coast. Even during the peak summer season, Guéthary stays relatively undiscovered by most tourists. “It’s the wild Atlantic waves that keep the crowds at

Pizzas, Aperitivos, and a Stretch of Sandy Coastline: The Offbeat Appeal of This Adriatic Resort Town Back in the summer of 2018, I never expected to find myself in Pesaro. That was until my former roommate insisted I head there. At the time, I was working on a book, and Giulia thought her granddad's old flat—an unassuming post-war property built during the brief reign of Umberto II—would be the ideal writing retreat. The flat had sat empty since the passing of her beloved nonno, Dottor