Category: Features

aIn a surreal landscape of colours, dominated by luminescent ponds of yellows and greens, boiling hot water bubbles up like a cauldron, whilst poisonous chlorine and sulphur gases choke the air. Known as the “gateway to hell”, the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is scorchingly hot and one of the most...

In the middle of a Russian swampland, not far from the city of St Petersburg, is a rectangular iron gate. Beyond its rusted bars is a collection of radio towers, abandoned buildings and power lines bordered by a dry-stone wall. This sinister location is the focus of a mystery which stretches back...

It was approaching midday and beads of sweat formed on my back as I followed the road along the east coast of Tanna, one of the 83 islands that makes up the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Every so often the roadside foliage thinned enough to reveal a glimpse of...

Turkey is now situated at the center of world interest. Being the center of Ottoman Empire, it has a long legacy of glorious history. The kingdom that once existed still has its remains in architecture and other elements. Ongoing governmental disputes have left the fate of these medieval architectural wonders...

A  new kind of hotel is opening for business around the world. Its guests are wild bees. Built by people, these hotels are going up in rural farmlands, in suburban backyards — even on city rooftops. They don’t offer maid service, but they do give bees a place to nest....

Three months ago, XiscoGràcia experienced what he describes as every diver’s worst nightmare – he found himself without oxygen in an underwater cave, relying on an air pocket for survival. As hours turned into days he realised he might not be found in time. On Saturday 15 April, XiscoGràcia slipped...

Celebrated inventor and physicist Nikola Tesla swore by toe exercises – every night, he’d repeatedly ‘squish’ his toes, 100 times for each foot, according to the author Marc J Seifer. While it’s not entirely clear exactly what that exercise involved, Tesla claimed it helped to stimulate his brain cells. The most prolific...

In broad daylight one spring afternoon in Naperville, Ill., two burglars snuck into a suburban home. They took food out of the fridge. They sat on the couch. They picked up framed photos. “We didn’t steal anything,” says Candace Young. She was one of the “burglars.” They were tasked with...

In a conference room overlooking downtown Miami, British executives are talking about why they know south Florida’s streets so well. It isn’t because of the sunshine. It’s because of the area’s risk for disasters like hurricanes and flooding. “There are hundreds of my colleagues… who know the zip codes of...

Vietnam is in danger. Rising sea levels pose a huge threat to this coastal country. In less than 100 years much of southern Vietnam’s Mekong Delta – the heart of the nation’s rice production – could go the way of Atlantis. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment  predicts that the ocean...

With its 26 million people, Delhi has been described as a microcosm of India, with trappings from the country’s many cultures, religions and traditions. Centuries of global trade, conquest and colonisation have made the city one of the world’s most multicultural. And residents who adapt to this ever-changing culture are...

As always, the Saudia Airline flight from Riyadh to Medina started with prayer. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the flight attendant said over the intercom. “The text that you are about to hear is a supplication that the prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, used to pray before travelling.” The rest was...

In the village of Tahala, solar panels not only improved the agricultural economy – they also helped residents connect with God. A remote region Tucked away in the Anti-Atlas mountain range, southern Morocco’s Tafraout region doesn’t attract many tourists. Those visitors who do brave the winding roads from cities like...

The beauty salons, swimming pools and even wireless communications of today’s huge cruise ships all got their start with the “floating palaces” of a century ago. When the world’s then-largest ocean liner embarked on its first transatlantic voyage in September 1907, thousands of spectators gathered at the docks of Liverpool...

Félix Ramón Guirola Cepero has used everything from tin fencing to PVC pipes in his efforts to build the world’s tallest bicycle. It’s not possible to keep up with 52-year-old Félix Ramón Guirola Cepero, and it’s not wise to try. On a bright winter day, he flew down Havana’s famed...