desperate

The hum of the kidney dialysis machine that Onasis Munoz is connected to suddenly stops. The fluorescent lights overhead flicker out, and his room at a clinic in Valencia, Venezuela, is plunged into darkness.

It is not the first time a power cut has interrupted one of the three weekly sessions Munoz needs to do the work his failing kidneys can no longer do, filtering waste and excess fluid from his blood.

For years, electricity would go out every couple of days across parts of Venezuela’s Carabobo state.

But in recent months, Munoz said, the outages have grown to be daily, lasting around seven hours. The clinic’s emergency batteries have since been depleted, and its backup generator no longer works.

He explained that the frequent power failures have disrupted his treatment. His health has slumped as a result.

“I arrive home, exhausted, as if I had run a marathon,” the 34-year-old said.

But often there is no electricity there either, and recent weeks have been sweltering. “I can’t switch on the air conditioning. I cannot rest because of the heat and the mosquitoes. There’s no relief,” Munoz said.

Across Venezuela, the prolonged outages are riling locals, as the electricity supply to homes, businesses and essential services becomes unstable.

Some of the cuts are deliberate, as the government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez rations electricity.

The resulting frustration has spilled onto the streets, where demonstrators hold “cacerolazos” – a traditional form of protest that involves banging pots and pans.

Some have gone as far as blocking roadways and setting tyres on fire. The electricity crisis has also raised concerns about how the government is managing the country’s vast oil supply, a key source of income for the country.

“We are desperate. We cannot understand how a country so rich in resources can be practically left in the dark,” said Patricia Cueva, a lawyer from Maracaibo, the capital of oil-rich Zulia state.

“We cannot rest. We cannot work. Our children cry.”

RONAN Keating stripped naked and flashed his bum in a desperate attempt to flog tickets for his solo tour, after the recent Boyzone reunion controversy.

The star, 49, who shot to fame in the early 90s in the famous Irish boyband, gave his loyal fans a cheeky thrill in his latest Instagram video.

In the short video Ronan can be seen in his plush kitchen mixing himself a cocktail.

The star is wearing just an apron, with his bare chest visible underneath.

“Been working hard in the gym, getting ready for the World Tour,” Ronan tells fans.

“Treating myself, you know, to a little cocktail.”

Read more on Ronan Keating

ZONED OUT?

Boyzone fans furious as one member goes missing from reunion gig

nyc nuptials

Ronan Keating’s TV presenter ex-wife marries fiancé in New York

The star adds: “Tickets go on sale tomorrow, UK and Europe.”

Ronan then picks up his drink and turns around to reveal he is fully nude underneath the apron.

The singer then flashes his bottom as he walks off with his cocktail.

Fans rushed to comment on the cheeky video, with one saying: “Ok I just spat my drink out!”

While another joked: “Rear of year winner 2003!”

Ronan is gearing up for his solo tour, after performing in Boyzone’s last ever gigs in June.

The singer shot to fame in the Irish boyband in the early 90s, along with Shane Lynch, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and the late Stephen Gately, who passed away in 2009.

But during their recent reunion gigs there was some controversy after one of the remaining four bandmates went “missing”.

Fans were left in uproar when Mikey only appeared on stage midway through the concerts to perform only a handful of songs.

During their time together, Boyzone racked up 18 Top Ten singles, with six No1s including 1998’s No Matter What.

However, in 1999, while still a member of Boyzone, Ronan released When You Say Nothing At All which became part of the soundtrack for the movie Notting Hill.

The song topped the UK charts and launched his solo career.

Each year, Intrepid Travel releases its Not Hot List, spotlighting a short list of lesser-known destinations that are ready to welcome more visitors over the coming year

While some destinations are creaking under the strain of too many visitors, others are actively hoping more tourists will come.

In recent years, Canary Islanders, Romans, Santorinians and even Laplandic folk have complained that overtourism is changing the way they live their lives, and for the worse. Roads are too busy; accommodation too expensive; neighbourhoods unreconigsable.

There are, however, some places that are actively hoping more people will come.

Each year, Intrepid Travel releases its Not Hot List, spotlighting a short list of lesser-known destinations that are ready to welcome more visitors in 2027. Developed using insights from Intrepid’s extensive global network of local leaders and destination experts, the list shines a light on under-the-radar alternatives and less-visited regions where travellers’ presence can have an outsized positive impact.

OPINION

The destinations on the Not Hot List are selected based on three key criteria:

(1) being less visited, with fewer visitors than comparable places

(2) demonstrating tourism readiness, with infrastructure and capacity to support more tourists

(3) new initiatives, improved connectivity, major events, launches or infrastructure developments that give travellers a compelling reason to visit in 2027.

The 2027 Not Hot List

1. Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

2. Mestia, Georgia

3. Northern Highlands, Jordan

4. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

5. Alonnisos, Greece

6. Dili, Timor-Leste

7. Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka

8. Liepāja, Latvia

9. Carretera Austral, Chile

This year’s list is designed to highlight destinations that offer compelling alternatives to some of travel’s most popular experiences. Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve, for example, represents a nationwide effort to combat overtourism in some of East Africa’s busiest national parks. While Chile’s Carretera Austral provides an alternative to some of the well-trodden trails of Patagonia.

The 2027 Not Hot List also highlights countries like Timor-Leste, Latvia and Georgia, which receive fewer international visitors than their regional counterparts, as well as lesser-known regions of Jordan and Sri Lanka.

To coincide with the report, Intrepid has launched five new trips to several of the featured regions. These include the new 10-day Kenya Safari Adventure, the 16-day Wild Canada & Alaska, the 10-day Hike Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail, the 12-day Jordan Uncovered and the new 9-day Trek the Trans-Caucasian Trail in Georgia.

Erica Kritikides, general manager of experiences at Intrepid Travel, said: “If we want tourism to continue to be a force for good, we need to constantly rethink how and where we travel. The Not Hot List isn’t just about surfacing lesser-known places, it aims to shift the conversation and help travellers to discover new destinations where their visit can make a meaningful contribution to local communities and economies.”