Jake Hall

A 12-day New Scientist Discovery Tours and Aurora Expeditions voyage from Reykjavík to Greenland combines Icelandic sightseeing, onboard science lectures and Arctic exploration aboard the small expedition ship Sylvia Earle. After navigating challenging weather and fjords, the crew finds a clear location in Greenland’s Hare Fjord for an unobscured total solar eclipse. The journey also features whales, polar bears, musk oxen, glaciers, icebergs, an aurora and citizen-science and sustainability initiatives, leaving the writer convinced that the experience surpassed his first eclipse viewing.

A summer hiking itinerary through the French Alps travels from La Clusaz via Chinaillon and Le Grand-Bornand to Annecy. The route offers dramatic mountain scenery, wildflower meadows, local farms and Savoyard food, with Inntravel arranging accommodation, luggage transfers, navigation and route notes. The hikes can be demanding, particularly in hot weather, but the writer finds them rewarding and highlights Annecy’s lake, food scene and cultural attractions as appealing additions.

Birmingham is presented as an underrated cultural destination offering music history, museums, independent shops, LGBTQ+ nightlife, galleries, cinemas, food and canal tours. The city’s Black Sabbath heritage, Digbeth’s creative scene, historic architecture and diverse restaurants are key attractions, while new BBC studios are expected to generate significant economic benefits. The piece recommends venues including the Grand Hotel Birmingham, Voce Books, Nightingale Club, Mockingbird Cinema and local restaurants, while noting the decline of the Balti Triangle and the uneven appeal of the Jewellery Quarter.

Roskilde is presented as a historic Danish city that merits exploration beyond its internationally renowned Roskilde Festival. The festival, which began in 1971 as a Woodstock-inspired youth event, now attracts more than 130,000 people and remains non-profit, directing substantial proceeds toward youth wellbeing, creativity and sustainability. The city’s main attractions include Roskilde Cathedral, the Viking Ship Museum and its fjord, while cafes, creative workshops and the Rock Museum reinforce its cultural identity. A stay at the sustainable 1 Hotel Copenhagen provides convenient access by train, though the feature notes that visiting Denmark and staying at the hotel can be expensive.

The Peak District is presented as an appealing summer staycation destination combining dramatic landscapes, accessible walking routes, independent food businesses and historic villages. The article highlights the 1932 Kinder Scout mass trespass by working-class ramblers, whose protest helped inspire the right to roam movement and the creation of the UK’s first national park in 1951. The Hope Valley, Hathersage, Eyam, Padley Gorge, Longshaw Estate and nearby attractions are recommended, with practical advice on public transport, accommodation at Losehill House Hotel and improving wheelchair accessibility.

Activists are protesting Brunei’s introduction of laws making sodomy and adultery punishable by death, including through boycotts of the sultan’s Dorchester Collection hotels and broader economic pressure. Although critics argue that luxury-hotel boycotts are elitist or could harm staff, sustained international scrutiny previously delayed Brunei’s implementation of sharia-based punishments. The decline of attention to abuses in Chechnya is offered as a warning against allowing media outrage to fade. The piece argues that small acts such as advertising withdrawals, sanctions campaigns and hotel boycotts should be understood as components of a wider strategy rather than dismissed as ineffective on their own.

The piece argues that Brexit has deepened an “us versus them” divide and that Remain supporters are often stereotyped as affluent, London-based liberals. It criticizes the Put It to the People March for projecting concerns about lifestyle goods and travel while failing to represent working-class Remainers, people of colour, migrants and other marginalized groups. The author links Brexit to austerity, rising in-work poverty, food-bank use, xenophobia and economic instability, arguing that working-class communities have been neglected and that political debate must address inequality and intersecting forms of discrimination.

Male suicide, addiction and poor mental health should be understood as feminist issues because oppressive forms of masculinity, shaped by patriarchy, discourage men from seeking help and can contribute to violence against women. The article acknowledges that feminism must remain centered on women and marginalized groups, and that women should not bear sole responsibility for addressing male problems, but argues that feminist politics should not disengage from them. It also criticizes social-media activism for reducing complex debates to marketable soundbites and highlights CALM and Vent as organizations addressing male mental-health stigma.

Bilbao BBK Live is praised as an ambitious, scenic and affordable festival with a carefully curated lineup and unusually late performances. Childish Gambino, Florence + the Machine, SOPHIE and Gorillaz delivered standout sets, while The xx's technically delayed and somewhat uneven performance still generated a strong fan response. Long transport queues and unreliable cashless payment wristbands were notable shortcomings, but the festival's scale, atmosphere and freedom from restrictive curfews made it a memorable alternative to increasingly constrained UK festivals.

Samm Henshaw’s Hoxton Hall performance marked a strong return after a two-year hiatus. His soulful vocals and older material engaged a devoted London crowd, while new songs including “How Does It Feel?” and “Church” demonstrated sharper hooks, a clearer pop sensibility and gospel influence. Despite occasional technical issues, Henshaw’s energetic rapport with the audience and increasingly polished sound suggested that his career could continue to grow.

Demi Lovato’s account of hiring a sex worker to grope her bodyguard is criticized as an example of male sexual assault being treated as comedy. The commentary argues that Lovato’s dismissive response and inadequate apology reflect wider social attitudes that minimize male victims, despite evidence that men experience sexual violence and often struggle to discuss its effects or seek help. It also condemns the use of a sex worker as a prop in the prank and calls for discussions of sexual assault to include men without diminishing attention to women’s experiences.