Markéta Vondroušová had overcome the odds throughout the last fortnight at Wimbledon and the Czech did so again in the women’s final on Saturday, beating favorite Ons Jabeur to become the first unseeded woman in the Open Era to win the famous tournament.

The world No. 42, who was playing in her second grand slam final, beat the No. 6 seed 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court to make history, falling onto the grass as the enormity of her achievement hit her.

Not since Serena Williams in 2018, when the American was ranked 181 in the world, had a female player ranked so low in the world reached a Wimbledon final. The last unseeded woman to do so was Billie Jean King in 1963.

Last year Vondroušová was in London as a tourist, still recovering from surgery to her left wrist. And at the start of Wimbledon, seven months on from her most recent injury comeback, no one had expected her to be competing in the championship match, not even the player herself whose husband had remained in the Czech Republic until the final to look after their cat, Frankie.

But Jabeur became the fifth seeded player to fall to the 24-year-old in this tournament as her unpredictability proved difficult for her opponents to overcome, with the Tunisian particularly struggling despite having numerous opportunities to take control of the match.

“Tennis is crazy,” said Vondroušová, a former junior No. 1 and runner-up at the 2019 French Open, in her on-court interview. “Yeah, I really don’t know what is happening now, it’s an amazing feeling.”

History would have been made no matter which of the finalists had lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish, but the enormity of the occasion weighed heavier on Jabeur, who has now lost a second successive Wimbledon final with this, she said after the defeat, being the most painful of her career. This was also her third loss in a major final.

But that is what pressure does to a player, especially one carrying the hopes of not only a nation but a continent while also trying to grapple with her own expectations, dreams and past failures. Jabeur again came close to becoming the first Arab and African woman to win a grand slam, but her 31 unforced errors proved costly and the wait goes on. That she won just four of 10 break points will likely play heavy on her mind for some time, too.

“I’m not going to give up, I’m going to come back stronger,” she told Centre Court while also wiping away the tears.

Unpredictable and fearless

Jabeur had plenty of opportunities in the first set in particular, but secured only two of seven break points and made 17 unforced errors. Statistics she would come to regret as Vondroušová took control.

The finalists traded breaks in the second and third games of the match, drawing level at 2-2 after a series of absorbing, lengthy baseline battles. More breaks followed – four in the opening seven games – as nerves infiltrated their play, adding to the tension.

Vondroušová, the unpredictable left-handed underdog varied her tactics brilliantly. She kept changing the pace and spin on the ball and eventually took the first set, securing the crucial break in the ninth game to serve out the set.

The 28-year-old Jabeur was left shaking her head as she was broken in the opening game of the second set, her opponent rattling off six games in a row to put herself in the ascendancy.

The momentum shift was a surprise, but Vondroušová has unnerved opponents throughout these last two weeks. When it’s impossible to predict what shot will come next, seeds of doubts start to play with the mind.

But things can change quickly in tennis and just when Jabeur seemed to be dangling off the precipice, from 40-0 down on Vondroušová serve she broke back to level the match. Hope was restored, and a nation breathed a little easier. But only for a short while.

Jabeur was still unable to inflict the killer blow on a player who refused to yield and, crucially, Vondroušová broke back to make the most of her opponent’s nervousness, continuing the unpredictable nature of the match.

The crowd was rooting for Jabeur, the supremely talented Tunisian who had said it was her dream to win at the All England Club, but their vociferous support was not enough and, at 4-4, Vondroušová broke again and served for the match, a backhand volley securing a famous and deserved win.

Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz. Perennial grand slam winner against the leader of the next generation and the Wimbledon men’s final many wanted.

Djokovic and Alcaraz will meet on Sunday in a mouthwatering final between two of the sport’s most in-form players in a match where there is much on the line – the winner will leave London with not only the Wimbledon crown but also world No. 1 status.

Djokovic even acknowledged the excitement of a clash with Alcaraz in the aftermath of his semifinal victory over Jannik Sinner.

“I think, judging by the performances that we have seen from all the players, I think this is probably the best finals that we could have,” he told reporters. “We are both in good form. We’re both playing well.

“I guess I want to take this title without a doubt. I look forward to it. It’s going to be a great challenge, greatest challenge that I could have at the moment from any angle really: physical, mental, emotional.”

Although Djokovic believed that Alcaraz is “hungry” for success, he said he felt similar feelings.

“I’m hungry, too, so let’s have a feast.”

Learning from past mistakes

Alcaraz’s remarkable ascent to the top of tennis has been quick, so much so that at this year’s French Open he was seen by many as the favorite to win what would have been his second grand slam title.

As he blitzed through opponents on the clay – a surface which he, like his compatriot Rafael Nadal, has become dominant on – those beliefs were enhanced.

And against Djokovic in the semifinal, he held his own against the 36-year-old for much of the match, even playing the better tennis at times.

However, at the start of the third set disaster struck when he began suffering from serious cramps which hampered his all-action style of play. He went on to lose the match, ending hopes of a first French Open title.

After the match, Alcaraz later said that nerves and tension had caused his whole body to cramp.

This time, the 20-year-old is keen to avoid anything similar happening again, saying he’ll look to his psychologist – who he says he’s been working with since 2020 – to help him through the process.

“I will talk with her how to prepare that match, that important moment for me, that is not going to be easy,” the current world No. 1 told reporters after his victory over Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.

He added: “I (will) try to get into the court with not as much nerves as I probably had in French Open, in the semifinal. I (will) try to pull out all nerves, try to enjoy that moment because probably in the semifinal at the French Open I didn’t enjoy at all in the first set probably.

“I’ll do something different from the match. I prepare the match a little bit different from French Open. It’s going to be different for me. I hope not to get cramp during the final.”

History making

For Djokovic, he has another opportunity to make history on Sunday.

Having already achieved the men’s singles grand slam titles record with his 23rd at the French Open last month, Djokovic can tie Margaret Court for the most singles titles of all time with victory at Wimbledon.

The Serbian can also tie Roger Federer on eight for the most Wimbledon titles in men’s singles and a win on Sunday would be his third grand slam of the year, giving him the opportunity at the US Open later this year to complete a ‘grand slam’ of all four majors in one calendar year.

That hasn’t been done since Steffi Graf won all four grand slams – as well as the Olympic gold medal in women’s singles – in 1988. Rod Laver is the last man to accomplish the feat, in 1969.

With six out of the last eight grand slams under his belt, Djokovic says remaining focused on the biggest matches has allowed him to reach this point.

“Well, it’s no secret that grand slams are the highest priority for me, the highest goals on my priority list,” he said. “Every time I start the season, I want to peak at these four tournaments. I try to organize my schedule, training schedule, and my preparation weeks, and all the tournaments, according to these priorities.

“I feel that the job is not finished until I lift the trophy – hopefully – and play in the finals of a grand slam. I put myself, again, in that position. Of course, I’m very thrilled.”

More than 85 million people remained under heat alerts Saturday as the weekslong heat wave continues and intensifies in the Southwest.

Dangerously high temperatures will continue to plague the Western United States throughout the weekend, with temperatures growing hotter in the South early next week.

“Daytime highs will routinely range between 10-20F above normal, equating to daytime temperatures approaching the century mark in the interior Northwest, between 100-110F in central and southern California, and 115-120F+ in the high desert of southern California, southern Nevada, and Arizona,” according to the Weather Prediction Center.

More than 100 temperature records are possible through Monday across the West and South.

Death Valley, California, could top 130 degrees on Sunday. That’s happened just five times in more than 110 years of record

Phoenix temperatures have reached 110 degrees on consecutive days, and the streak should continue through at least Wednesday.

In Southern California, the Riverside County Fire Department is battling three wildfires that started Friday, including the Rabbit Fire. It grew from 20 acres to 4,500 acres and was 5% contained Saturday, Cal Fire said.

Meanwhile, sultry conditions will persist in the south-central US and in South Florida. Daytime highs in the 90s to low 100s with oppressive humidity levels will allow heat indices to range frequently between 105-110F each afternoon.

A heat advisory is in place from Texas to Alabama but does not include Georgia or most of Florida. The high in Houston is forecast for 100 degrees on Saturday. It could reach 96 in New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi. Atlanta is expected to reach only a relatively mild 92.

And wildfire smoke from Canada will move into the Northern Plains and Midwest over the weekend and into early next week.

Concern about power outages from increased demand arose in the Southwest. And some venues planned to close early or cancel events, including the Sacramanto (California) Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.

Arizona and Texas endure weekslong heat streaks

Alerts for dangerous heat levels have been posted in areas of Arizona and Texas for more than 30 days in a row as a long-lasting heat wave has settled over parts of the West and South since mid-June.

Temperatures have failed to drop below 90 in the Phoenix area since Monday, a trend that could be deadly for those without air conditioning if they are unable to cool and recover their bodies overnight.

In Texas, El Paso broke its own high temperature streak record on Thursday after experiencing 28 consecutive days above 100 degrees, the weather service tweeted.

That streak will likely extend well beyond 30 days as El Paso is expected to see temperatures of at least 103 degrees through the middle of next week.

Elsewhere, much of Texas’ eastern half saw heat indices – what the combined humidity and temperature feels like – between 110 and 115 degrees on Thursday.

Widespread temperatures of 100 to 108 were seen across much of the state Thursday, including temperatures of 107 in Austin and Del Rio. The North Texas city of Wichita Falls broke a daily record of 110 degrees with a heat index as high as 118 degrees.

The dangers of brutally high heat

As the climate crisis ratchets temperatures higher and higher, scientists have warned there’s a growing likelihood that 2023 could be the Earth’s hottest year on record.

Heat kills more Americans than any other form of severe weather, including flooding, hurricanes or extreme cold, according to National Weather Service data.

Communities across the globe are already feeling the devastation of these extreme temperatures, including one Texas county that reported at least 11 heat-related deaths during last month’s heat wave. In Mexico, at least 112 people have died from extreme heat exposure since March.

While our bodies try to regulate their own temperature, extreme heat can make it hard for the body to cool down, and added humidity can make that struggle even worse.

When the body becomes unable to cool itself, illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke – which can be fatal – can set in.

The risks of heat exposure are particularly high for people experiencing homelessness, outdoor workers, low-income families, communities of color and the elderly.

To stay safe in sweltering temperatures, experts recommend hydrating regularly, finding a cool or air-conditioned place and avoiding outside activities, particularly during the hottest times of the day.

People should watch for signs of heat exhaustion or other illnesses, which include light-headedness, nausea, headache or confusion.

Italian authorities have issued an “extreme” health risk for 16 cities including Rome and Florence this weekend as a heat wave that is baking Europe threatens to bring record temperatures.

Climate scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) say temperatures could reach 48 degrees Celsius (118.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, “potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe.”

Rome could get as hot as 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit).

Italian authorities have issued the second-highest heat warning to nine other cities. The country’s health ministry is advising the public to stay hydrated, eat lighter meals and avoid direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The ESA warned that Europe’s heat wave has only just begun with Spain, France, Germany and Poland expected to see extreme weather, just as the continent welcomes what is expected to be a record-breaking number of tourists coming for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Greece shut the Acropolis of Athens for a second straight day Saturday amid fierce temperatures. Local police helped a tourist who got into difficulty on Friday.

There is particular concern over those working outdoors after a 44-year-old construction worker in Italy died after collapsing on a roadside earlier in the week.

Authorities in Spain warned the heat wave is not just hitting the usual frying pan areas in the south, but also affecting the country’s typically cooler north.

In the south, temperatures in the cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada have reached 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spain’s national weather service says it’s also sizzling on Spain’s resort island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea with highs of 36 degrees Celsius, or 97 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, even the normally mild region of Navarra in the north is seeing up to 40 degrees Celsius.

A wildfire that broke out on La Palma Island in Spain’s Canary Islands burned several homes and forced the evacuation of 500 people, the Canary Islands regional government tweeted Saturday morning.

Heat is one of the deadliest natural hazards – more than 61,000 people died in Europe’s searing summer heat wave last year.

The current heat wave – named “Cerberus” by the Italian Meteorological Society after the three-headed monster that features in Dante’s “Inferno” – has prompted further fears for people’s health, especially as it coincides with one of the busiest periods of Europe’s summer tourist season.

Europe is not the only place facing extreme temperatures. A dangerous weekslong heat wave in parts of the western United States is set to worsen this weekend, with more than 90 million people under heat alerts.

The extreme weather is even taking affect as far afield as Australia, with Sydney experiencing unseasonably warm weather for its winter months, according to the country’s Bureau of Meteorology.

North Korea said that the intercontinental ballistic missile it launched on Wednesday, which flew for more than 70 minutes, was a Hwasong-18, marking a potential new round of confrontation with Washington and its allies.

The 74-minute flight time represents a marginal advancement on the missiles tested by North Korea in March and April of this year, both of which were also ICBMs – weapons with the required range to potentially hit the continental United States.

Wednesday’s launch, which landed in waters near to Japan, comes after Pyongyang earlier this week threatened to shoot down US military reconnaissance aircraft engaging in what it called “hostile espionage” activities near its territory.

The Hwasong-18, a type of solid-fuel weapon that is harder to detect and intercept than the North’s other liquid-fuel ICBMs, was first test launched in April. Analysts say the Hwasong-18 could allow North Korea to launch long-range nuclear strikes more quickly and easily as it ramps up its missile program.

State-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Wednesday’s missile launch was conducted “at a grave period when the military security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region has reached the phase of nuclear crisis beyond the Cold War era as the US and its vassal forces’ unprecedented military provocations against the DPRK have been intensified.”

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally guided the test-fire of the Hwasong-18, KCNA said Thursday, local time.

The missile launch and fiery rhetoric, while not unusual for Pyongyang, arrives during a period of heightened tensions on the peninsula, as Washington and Seoul ramp up their defense cooperation. It also appears timed to coincide with the NATO summit in Lithuania, where leaders from South Korea, Japan and the US are meeting to discuss security issues – including the threat posed by North Korea.

The latest ICBM launch, the country’s first in three months, flew a distance of about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and at an altitude of over 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) for over 74 minutes, according to KCNA.

Flight times give an indication of a missile’s range. North Korea tests most of its missiles on a highly lofted trajectory so they splash down in nearby waters, rather than a flatter trajectory as would be used in an actual attack.

Japan’s Coast Guard said earlier the missile was launched at 9:59 a.m. local time and fell into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, at 11:15 a.m., citing the Ministry of Defense.

Kim Jong Un previously called the Hwasong-18 his most powerful nuclear weapon – though there is no indication the missile can successfully deliver a nuclear payload.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held an emergency National Security Council meeting in Lithuania on Wednesday morning in response to the missile launch, Yoon’s press office said in a statement. Yoon is in Vilnius to attend the NATO summit.

The South Korean leader said that he would call for “strong international solidarity” at the NATO summit in response to North Korea’s launch, according to his office.

US condemns ‘brazen’ test

Washington condemned North Korea’s missile test, with US National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge calling it “a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.”

Hodge called on all countries to condemn the violation and call on North Korea to “come to the table for serious negotiations.”

“The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions and instead choose diplomatic engagement. The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies.”

A communique from the NATO meeting on Tuesday urged North Korea to abandoned its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.

“We call on (North Korea) to accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by all parties concerned, including Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea,” the communique said.

But North Korea has shown no signs that it is willing to engage in negotiations with Washington or Seoul.

Wednesday’s ICBM test follows threats from Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of Kim Jong Un, who accused a US spy plane of entering the North’s exclusive economic zone at least eight times on Monday.

“In case of repeated illegal intrusion, the US forces will experience a very critical flight,” Kim Yo Jong warned in a statement Tuesday from North Korea’s state news agency.

The US and South Korea dismissed the accusations and urged North Korea to stop creating tension with false claims.

Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said that Kim’s accusations are part of a North Korean pattern of inflating external threats to rally domestic support and justify weapons tests.

“Pyongyang also times its shows of force to disrupt what it perceives as diplomatic coordination against it, in this case, South Korea and Japan’s leaders meeting during the NATO summit,” said Easley.

Last month, tens of thousands of North Koreans marched in anti-US rallies in Pyongyang, marking the 73rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War. The participants denounced the US as “Destroyer of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula” and warned of nuclear war, according to state nedia.

Meanwhile, South Korea, the US and Japan have been holding joint and trilateral military exercises aimed at deterring any North Korean military threat.

Wednesday’s launch comes two weeks before North Korea is due to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, that brought about a cessation of hostilities of the Korean War, and weeks after its failed launch of the first spy satellite in May.

More than 3.1 million people have been forced to flee their homes amid an increasingly desperate humanitarian situation in war torn Sudan.

Human rights groups are warning of widespread ethnic violence, attacks on civilians and rampant sexual violence against women and girls as the warring factions – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – continue to battle for control of the northeastern African country.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported Wednesday that more than 2.4 million have been internally displaced in Sudan while 737,801 people have crossed the border into neighboring countries.

The toll on civilians continues to grow, according to the latest report from the UN’s Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which states that 414,625 individuals comprising 483,672 households, have been displaced, an increase of 183,102 individuals compared to last week.

The number of refugees fleeing to neighboring countries, mainly Egypt, Chad and South Sudan, is also increasing with an estimated 750,000 civilians leaving Sudan entirely.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that 20,000 refugees crossed into Chad just last week, adding that many of them are “seriously wounded” and report being “deliberately” targeted in an “increasing ethnic dimension to the violence.”

“We can see that they have suffered, many lost family members, and we don’t even dare ask them, ‘Where are the men?’ The answer from the mothers is often that they were killed. So, you just see many women, many children,” WFP Chad Country Director Pierre Honnorat said, describing desperate scenes from the Zabout refugee camp in Goz Beida in a call with journalists.

“Many are seriously wounded and have harrowing stories of the violence they have experienced” Honorat said, appealing for funding, adding that the “situation is really critical.”

In a statement, WFP said its “urgent priorities include treating the wounded and helping dangerously malnourished children crossing from Darfur into Chad.”

According to WFP, one in 10 displaced children from Sudan is malnourished.

UN officials condemned increasing reports of gender-based violence in Sudan earlier this month, with Save the Children warning of “alarming numbers of children and teenage girls being sexually assaulted and raped by armed combatants.”

Martin Griffiths, UN’s relief operations chief said it’s “unconscionable” that Sudan’s women and children “are being further traumatized this way.” He labeled Sudan “a crisis of humanity.”

The situation in Darfur, western Sudan, is also said to be “critical” with the UN receiving “continued reports of heavy fighting and attacks on civilians”.

In addition to clashes between RSF and SAF, OCHA’s report also notes increased RSF and militia presence reports emerging from other Darfur states, as well as fighting in North and South Kordofan, in an increasingly complex fighting landscape across Sudan.

For a basketball sharpshooter, there’s no higher praise than being complemented by Steph Curry.

The NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made has had a transformative effect on the way the sport is played, such is his accurateness from beyond the three-point arc.

So when Curry calls something in the realm of basketball shooting “RIDICULOUS,” the achievement must be noteworthy. And indeed, what Sabrina Ionescu did on Friday evening was, in fact, ridiculous.

Ionescu set a WNBA and NBA all-time record for a single round score in the three-point contest during All-Star weekend.

The New York Liberty’s point guard scored 37 out of 40 possible points – hitting 25 out of 27 possible shots – as she claimed the three-point contest crown.

The 25-year-old’s extraordinary round surpassed the previous NBA record of 31 by Curry in 2021 and Tyrese Haliburton in 2023 and 30 in the WNBA by Allie Quigley last year.

Quigley herself took to Twitter to praise Ionescu, saying: “UNBELIEVABLE!!! This record won’t ever be broken.”

Ionescu comfortably defeated Seattle Storm’s Sami Whitcomb who came second with 22 points and Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale in third with 11.

“I was just focused on making one at a time,” Ionescu told the ESPN broadcast. “I wasn’t sure how many I’d miss but I knew it wasn’t a lot. I’m happy to have won this and thankful for the crowd, they were cheering me on the entire time.”

In the three-point contest, players take five shots from five different locations around the three-point line, as well as two attempts from a deeper range. Each rack contains four regular orange balls worth one point apiece, and one multi-colored money ball, which is worth two points. The deeper shots are worth three points.

Each player chooses one of their five racks as their specialized rack and those five balls are all worth two points. On Friday, Ionescu hit every one of her selected specialized shots, earning herself 10 points.

Ionescu will make her second career WNBA All-Star game appearance on Saturday.

The 2023 WNBA All-Star game will be played at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. Along with Ionescu, Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner, Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Indiana Fever’s Aliyah Boston are some of the big names expected to play.

A pre-Women’s World Cup friendly between the Republic of Ireland and Colombia was abandoned after it was deemed “overly physical,” the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) said in a statement.

The behind-closed-doors match in Brisbane, Australia ended after 20 minutes, the FAI said on Friday, with the team proceeding to take part in a full training session instead.

One of Ireland’s key players, midfielder Denise O’Sullivan, had an x-ray and scans on an injury sustained during the friendly. On Saturday, the FAI said the player had avoided a fracture.

Ireland head coach Vera Pauw told Sky Sports on Saturday that her players “feared for themselves.”

“It was something I had never experienced before in my 47 years being involved in football, not as a player, not as a coach,” Pauw said.

“It started lively, a good game, normal, and then it built an atmosphere up in which it became over physical … Then there came a huge challenge on Denise. It was a typical challenge that is not within the rules of the game, and she was in awful pain … The players were extremely upset and had fear for themselves. We are not a team that has fear of tackles or fear of challenges or fear of anything.”

In a statement, the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) said the game was suspended “due to Ireland’s National Team, rival of the practice this Friday, preferring not to continue playing when 23 minutes of the first half had already taken place.

“If all of the processes and trainings of our national teams are based on the rules of the game, healthy competition and Fair Play, among other things, we respect the decision of our rival national team.”

The Women’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand, starts on July 20. Ireland begins its campaign against Australia on the opening day, while Colombia’s first match is against South Korea on July 25.

In travel news this week: gastronomic delights at vineyards and top hotels, spectacular engineering projects around the world, plus an expert explains must-know nude beach etiquette.

Wine, dine and sleep

This year’s most glorious vineyard experience has just been announced, according to the World’s Best Vineyards awards, and the 2023 winner is Catena Zapata in Mendoza, Argentina. If you like Malbec wine, Mayan-inspired architecture and multisensory masterclasses, then this could be the vacation for you. Plus, it’s cool in the Southern Hemisphere right now – a welcome relief from the blistering heat gripping much of the United States and Europe.

Other fabulous foodie adventures can be enjoyed at any of the establishments featured in our roundup of the world’s tastiest hotels. Each has a Michelin-starred restaurant on-site, so you can eat and make merry then roll directly to your freshly made bed and cool, cotton pillows.

Bridge and tunnel crowd

Work is underway on a $5.5 billion canal that will connect Paris to European waterways and break up one of the continent’s major transport bottlenecks. Scores of bridges and towering locks are set to be built before the project is completed in 2030.

When it comes to mass industry, moles know what’s up. Those many-thumbed mammals can dig out what would be the human equivalent of a half-mile burrow in one night. But when it comes to impressive tunnels, our species has created some spectacular efforts as well, underneath oceans, submerged inside glaciers and buried deep in the Earth.

How to coast through life

If you’re looking for a vacation at a geographical sweet spot where land meets ocean, then we have a fresh set of suggestions to pep up your July.

An awe-inspiring new tourist route has opened up along the majestic, and terrifying, Hornelan mountain sea cliff in Norway. The via ferrata climbing route along the sheer rockface ascends right to the top of the 2,820-foot (860-meter) mountain, with incredible views rewarding the adrenaline-seekers who make it up.

For a less vertiginous experience, there’s Croatia’s northern coastline between Zadar and Trogir, where you’ll find fewer tourists than the likes of Split or Dubrovnik, but equally gorgeous beaches, villages and local culture.

Trips around the world

In 2021, two Minnesota teenagers set off on what was to be a two-year bike trip around the world. But just a few months into the trip, things weren’t going according to plan. Keen cyclist ​​Adam Swanson had a big decision to make.

Meanwhile, Canadian firefighter Markus Pukonen was on his own epic voyage, continuing his seven-year quest to circumnavigate the world using no motorized transport, powered only by his “muscles and some wind.” Here’s how he got on, walking, canoeing, kayaking, cycling, tricycling, skiing, rowing, trimaraning, rafting, sailing and stand-up paddleboarding around the globe.

Noteworthy

Hot on the heels of that tourist who reportedly carved names into Rome’s Colosseum, a Canadian teen was this month questioned over allegedly defacing a UNESCO-listed temple in Japan.

Forget your trunks, but never your manners

Eighty-one-year-old Ronna has been a nudist for more than 30 years, and she’s seen it all and then some. Watch her etiquette guide above to learn what you should never do on a nude beach.

In case you missed it

This chef visited 48 African countries to create a new “Afro-fusion” cuisine.

Dinner at this Kigali restaurant isn’t just a meal, it’s a continent-wide tour.

When a tourist in Bali gets arrested, this is the woman they call. 

She’s the “go-to person” when there’s trouble in paradise.

A whirlwind romance began in a Brussels chocolate shop.

It turned into a love story spanning nearly 40 years.

Wanna see some tiny pink panda cub twins? 

Course you do. Don’t be shy.

It’s been several days since US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen left Beijing, and much has been said about her efforts to repair the US-China relationship.

But politics aside, her Beijing visit resulted in one unexpected success – she managed to dramatically boost business for a Yunnan restaurant chain while bringing jian shou qing, an unusual yet highly sought-after mushroom prized for its unique properties, into the national limelight.

Shortly after the treasury secretary landed in Beijing last week, her delegation was spotted dining at Yi Zuo Yi Wang (In and Out). Contrary to the eatery’s English name, there are no burgers here. This restaurant chain specializes in Yunnan food, a popular regional cuisine from part of southwestern China that borders Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.

It all started when a food blogger posted about Yellen’s party’s meal on Weibo, a popular Chinese micro-blogging site.

“When I walked by their table on my way to the washroom, I slowed down to take a glance at the dishes they ordered,” said Weibo user Pan Pan Mao in the post.

Among the dishes the food blogger claimed to have spotted were grilled fish with herbs, stir-fried pickled Yunnan wild greens with potato slices and cold rice noodles.

“Very Yunnan, very homey,” Pan Pan Mao commented.

The restaurant soon confirmed the visit on its Weibo account.

“US Treasury Secretary Yellen was here,” said the post, in Chinese.

“Speculating from the timestamp on the news, it was true that she came (to the restaurant) right after landing in China. Our staff said she loved mushrooms very much. She ordered four portions of jian shou qing (a Yunnan wild mushroom species). It was an extremely magical day.”

The hashtag “US Treasury Secretary Yellen’s first meal in Beijing is Yunannese” became a trending topic on social media, with related posts racking up 6 million views.

Many netizens expressed curiosity, wondering who picked the restaurant. Others noted they were impressed by Yellen’s chopsticks skills and her delegation’s down-to-earth choice for her first post-flight meal.

But the most heated discussions were focused on the multiple orders of the mushroom dish – jian shou qing.

This person added that Yellen enjoys going out to different restaurants, including popular local ones like Yi Zuo Yi Wang, whenever she travels with her team.

She also enjoys meeting different people in the countries she visits over a meal, this person continued, pointing to her upcoming lunch with Vietnamese women economists during her current trip to Vietnam and India.

Jian shou qing, Yunnan’s mysterious mushrooms

Jian shou qing, which translates literally as “see hand blue,” gets its Chinese name from one of its defining characteristics – the inner surfaces of the mushrooms bruise and turn blue when you apply pressure on them, including during the slicing process.

It’s an umbrella term for a family of mushrooms, but in Yunnan, jian shou qing mostly refers to what scientists call “Lanmaoa asiatica.”

“It’s a medium- to large-sized mushroom, reddish color on the outside and yellow underneath and looks very similar to some of the porcini mushrooms,” says Dr. Peter Mortimer, a professor at Kunming Institute of Botany.

“So similar in fact that it is easily confused with local porcini species, often with interesting, or scary, consequences.”

The South African national first arrived in Yunnan in 2010 on a climbing holiday and was offered a position at the institute. He has lived in Yunnan and been researching the region’s mushrooms ever since.

“Lanmaoa mushrooms are considered poisonous as they can be hallucinogenic,” says Mortimer, who spends many of his days in the Yunnan forest foraging for fungi.

“However, scientists have not, as of yet, identified the compounds responsible for causing the hallucinations. It remains a bit of a mystery, and most evidence is anecdotal. I have a friend who mistakenly ate them and hallucinated for three days.”

Last year, the Botanical Society of Yunnan published an updated index of Yunnan’s poisonous mushrooms, with photos identifying the species, to warn the public. Among the fungi included was jian shou qing, leading to discussions about whether the beloved mushrooms should still be allowed to be sold online and served in restaurants. In the end, popularity trumped such concerns and they’re still widely available.

Despite its reputation, jian shou qing is considered a common delicacy among Yunnan locals and is a popular dish at Yunnan restaurants throughout China, where the mushrooms are properly prepared to avoid any negative effects.

Xinhua, China’s state news agency, even produced a news segment on how to eat jian shou qing safely on July 10 following Yellen’s visit, interviewing Chinese shoppers at a Yunnan wild mushroom market.

One interviewee claimed that she had been negatively affected once: “You thought you were walking straight but you just fell sideways.”

“I still eat it. I can’t stop myself,” another mushroom fan told Xinhua. “We often ask one person at the table to try one first, and if he is OK, we will follow and start eating.”

The general belief is that you have to fully cook the fungi to rid them of hallucinogenic properties.

The aftereffect for the Yunnan restaurant chain has been prominent. Following Yellen’s visit, wild mushroom dishes have been selling out in the restaurant’s many branches in China’s major cities, the chain said in a later Weibo post.

Growing appetite for Yunnan cuisine

The fact that Yellen and her team visited a Yunnan restaurant shouldn’t come as a surprise.

While it may not be as popular as Cantonese or Sichuanese food internationally, Yunnan cuisine – also referred to as Dian Cai – has long been a beloved dining option all over China and has soared in popularity among hip young urban Chinese in recent years.

“However, with the rise of fine-dining restaurants in China, more chefs are discovering the value of these exceptional ingredients, leading to increased attention and appreciation [to Yunnan food],” says Ng.

Ranked no.31 on the latest Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, the restaurant strives to combine Chinese ingredients with international cooking techniques. Ng says it has incorporated many Yunnan ingredients in its current seasonal menu.

“In fact, for our summer menu, we use Yunnan ingredients in 60% of our dishes. Some of the highlights include our scampi appetizer with peanut shoots, uni custard with fresh wild chanterelle and dry mushrooms, beef tartare with sunchoke, scallop dumpling with summer truffle, and our duck dish with a jus infused with fresh peppercorns.

“We also use fresh wild milk cap mushrooms to complement our wagyu beef, and fresh jasmine flowers to add a seasonal touch to our melon dessert.”

Amidst the plethora of fresh produce on offer in the region, mushrooms are undeniably one of Yunnan’s most loved ingredients, especially in summer.

“Yunnan is absolutely mushroom mad,” says scientist Mortimer. “There are towns where all the streets are named after mushrooms, buildings designed to look like mushrooms, and all the restaurants are serving mushroom dishes. The Yunnan people are extremely knowledgeable regarding mushrooms, from the kids through to the old folks.”

Mushroom festivals and sumptuous mushroom feasts are often held around Yunnan from June to October. In Chuxiong prefecture in central Yunnan province, for instance, foragers bring their most prized fungi collections and compete for the “King of Mushroom” title.

Restaurants and local homes serve wild mushroom hotpots during the season, too.

“Yunnan is home to about 800 species of mushrooms that people eat,” adds Mortimer.

“That is a crazy number of edible species for one place. Consider the fact that there are only about 2,200 species of mushrooms considered edible globally.”

But there’s so much more to Yunnan food than fungi.

Yunnan Province is home to many ethnic minority groups, resulting in a colorful array of spices and fresh flavors from different regions.

Perhaps the most popular dish to come out of the province is Yunnan Guoqiaomixian (translated as “crossing-the-bridge rice noodles”). Why the name? Legend has it that cross-the-bridge rice noodles were invented many years ago by a loving wife. Her husband studied on an island, so the wife would travel across a bridge to deliver him his daily lunches.

As the food would be cold after the journey, the disheartened wife decided to bring a pot of scalding hot chicken broth, along with the rice noodles and raw ingredients.

The chicken oil on the surface of the soup kept the liquid warm. When the husband was ready to eat, she’d cook all the ingredients by pouring them into the hot soup.

Today, many noodle shops sell their own style of cross-the-bridge rice noodles, offering a choice of different ingredients and soup bases.

Other popular Yunnan foods include Xuanwei dry-cured ham, comforting rice pancakes and rubing – goat cheese. The province also has an enviable selection of wild edible flowers, especially in spring, and is also the home of pu’er, a popular variety of fermented tea known for its complex and earthy flavor.

“Yunnan has a huge variety of interesting dishes stemming from the cultural diversity in the province,” says Mortimer.

“Mushroom hotpots are always a great option when you have a big group of people, and I really enjoy the selection of unusual vegetables, such as fern fronds.”

So say what you like about whether Yellen’s Beijing visit had any impact on relations between the world’s two biggest economies. When it comes to Chinese cuisine, it’s clear the treasury secretary’s team made all the right moves.