DEAR ABBY: A dear friend of 10 years experienced a severe mental health crisis. I did my best to reach out to her, but she pushed me away and flaked on plans and important events at the last minute at least a dozen times. Once her mental health began to…

Published on 18/09/2026 – 8:26 GMT+2 Think of Dubai and many people will imagine a metropolis of gleaming skyscrapers, mega shopping malls, palm-shaped islands and some of the world’s top luxury hotel and hospitality brands. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT But away from all the glitz and glamour, which often dominate the headlines,…

There’s no doubt about it, it’s been a tough year for the tourism industry – especially in the Middle East, where regional conflict and the knock-on effects have disrupted travel. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Despite a record-breaking year for global tourism in 2025, the geopolitical situation has impacted travel to the Middle…

Berkeley is losing one of its most iconic beer institutions, with the city’s famed Triple Rock Brewery set to shut down after four decades. The brewpub, which opened in 1986, will close its doors by the end of 2026, ending a 40-year run that saw it become a fixture for…

They’re some of the best in the West. Five California restaurants were honored on a new, national list of the best restaurants in the United States — from a casual San Diego County taqueria to the casual offshoot of a pioneering East Bay farm-to-table eatery. Published annually by the New York…

A treasure-hunting crew searching a legendary 17th-century underwater shipwreck off the Florida Keys has recovered a massive 55-pound copper ingot — the latest find along a trail that its captain believes could lead to more treasure. The ingot was found by divers with Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions at the wreck…

From Formula 1 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup to concerts and food festivals, Qatar has unveiled a calendar of more than 560 events stretching through 2027. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The programme comes as the Gulf country looks to build on record visitor numbers following a period of regional uncertainty. Qatar…

International tourism grew just 0.4% in the first half of 2026, with Europe seeing a 3% uptick in arrivals, according to the latest World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The continent was among the strongest performers, with only Africa seeing a larger growth of 4%. Some 350 million…

When deciding on where to stay in a new city, an obvious place to start is to narrow it down by neighbourhood. Perhaps you want to stay in a city’s old town, or its creative district. Or maybe you just want to be as close as possible to the nightlife…

What’s in a name? Maybe a happy marriage. Spouses who don’t share a last name get divorced far more often than those who do — and they split up sooner, data reveals. Married couples with different surnames call it quits at a 50% higher rate and make it an average…