Snapshot

Coober Pedy in the Australian outback is considered the world capital of opals. That does not make it a glamorous place, though

Every year at the beginning of March, extreme sports enthusiasts gather on Lake Baikal to take part in the “Winteriade”. Here, the athletes can also try their hand at disciplines such as ice fishing or ice golf

When screenwriter Cem Kaya reflects on his childhood, he remembers the long car journeys from Germany to Turkey - and the music of the “Aşiks”. On the travelling singers of Anatolia and their links to pop music by immigrant workers in Germany

What is the most threatening about artificial intelligence? Author Rebecca Giblin points out where the dangers lie. A commentary

In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, there’s a house on a leafy street corner that is like a museum. A visit

Smashing stereotypes: Young women in traditional dress meet to skateboard in the Pacata Alta neighbourhood in the north of Cochabamba

Opera: outmoded and out of touch or timeless and eternal? We ask the soprano singer Fatma Said

How can our homes deal with climate change? This house in the Munshiganj region can simply be moved when the floods come.

Oral story-telling has a long history in Africa, and has taught generations of children vital lessons

Mexican perpetrators of acid attacks, in particular against women, are often punished with light sentences or released on bail. A new draft law wants to change all that 

Beethoven, bubble tea and vertical cemeteries: life in Taiwan is often funny, sometimes strange, never boring. Don't believe us? Read on ...

Kuwait City locals flood the desert landscape to fly kites of all shapes and sizes on their national day

Despite its difficult past with Turkey, a majority of the Armenian population wants a normalisation of Armenian-Turkish relations. How did this come about?

The scientist Maria Teresa Escalas lives in Mallorca, overlooking a rocky bay called Cala Santanyí. It is a modernist structure with sharp angles and clear lines but it also blends into the colour scheme of the local coastline.

From indigenous myths to playground games, the jaguar is iconic in Colombia. The legendary beast has proven itself adaptable through the centuries

Our author reports on a dangerous and high-adrenalin stunt show that has gripped him since childhood. The “Well of Death”, where cars race around a near-vertical track, is part of an annual religious festival  

South Africa's passion for barbecuing unites all social classes. The award-winning writer Dalmon Galgut talks us through the social gathering which has deep cultural roots

Off the coast of Italy, fruit and vegetables are being cultivated 10 meters below the sea's surface. Could these futuristic greenhouses be a prototype for how to grow food in an uncertain future?

On why the Golden Plover is used to sell barbecues

How a tortilla oven survived a tsunami and fed three generations of one Chilean family

Remember, remember the fifth of November! Writer Will Self on why effigies of Guy Fawkes and contemporary villains go up in flames all across the UK

The mud volcano in Pakistan’s Hingol National Park is considered sacred by many Hindus

The fossa is Madagascar’s largest carnivore. Today it is at the verge of extinction

Why pizza is more important to people in Gothenburg than the NATO accession negotiations

In Katowice, rain evaporated above heated tar, filling the air with caramel sweetness, a mixture of freshness and dirt

Why the Tiwah of Borneo bury their dead twice

The cedar tree is Lebanon’s national symbol. Unfortunately, the ancient trees can be seen only sporadically

A large proportion of Colombians are convinced that educational opportunities are extremely unequally distributed. What can be done?

Taiwan’s history unites many cultural influences: These are reflected in Mrs Wu’s house.

How to write about things you haven’t experienced yourself.

The Mata brothers’ hamburger stand is buzzing during Domingo Rociero, one of the holidays of the annual Feria in July in La Línea de la Concepción

What does your cashmere jumper have to do with the snow leopard? About a special animal in Mongolia

Not everyone is equal before the healthcare system in New Zealand. Maori are now to receive better care

The pangolin is very popular - and not just in Cameroon. Its protective armour does not seem to protect it very well anymore

Crosses of devotion stand as a symbol of Lithuanian resistance – but are far from a cemetery.

A Colombian New Year’s custom gets the year off to a fresh start

Borders have shifted in Armenia, due to the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020. Now people in Yerevan are discussing how to cope with that

How I discovered the magic of storytelling on the Syrian radio

Doors wide open in the Cuntum Madina neighbourhood

No two specimens have the same song: The bellbird from Costa Rica is almost never seen, but can be heard all the better

About the weddings of the Qashqai nomads in the Fars province

Very convenient: when someone moves house, everyone helps. About a special parade in the Philippines

In the north of Norway, citizens are protesting against a planned copper mine

Homo sapiens are not the only ones who can observe and learn. Jane Goodall recalls her research on Chimpanzees in Tanzania

A majority of Bolivians support the government’s plan to take control of lithium production. But the plan has yet to bear fruit

Appeasing the volcano: Indonesian photographer Putu Sayoga talks about an ancient ritual that is still alive today

A symbol of beauty and grace: The okapi is the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national animal

Having tea brings people together - and if tea is not available, herbs will do. But the most important thing about the Russian tea ceremony is the shared conversation

The healthcare system in Japan is under strain due to the pandemic. More and more voices are calling for the 2020 Summer Olympics to be postponed again – or even canceled altogether

About money worries and chocolate bars

About the deeply rooted tradition of nature conservation among the Bishnoi in the middle of the Indian desert

In the city of Antigua, inhabitants decorate the streets with lush flowers and fruit every year to celebrate the Easter procession

A little piece of home away from home