Mara Budgen

Head International Editor

I have several passions: discovering new cultures, learning languages, exploring nature, climbing and eating well, of course. I studied in the United Kingdom, have worked in Italy and traveled in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sometimes I get dizzy because I can’t stay still. I still want to see the world and discover different lifestyles, because diversity is what fascinates me most.

Favourite quote: “Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same” (Michel Foucault)

Last article

The Greater Aletsch Glacier, a journey into the melting heart of the Alps

In the heart of Switzerland lies the largest glacier in the Alps, the Greater Aletsch Glacier. However, climate change is threatening its very existence.

All articles

Indigenous leaders want the ICC to try Bolsonaro for crimes against humanity

Jair Bolsonaro is accused of crimes against humanity for persecuting indigenous Brazilians and destroying the Amazon. We speak to William Bourdon and Charly Salkazanov, the lawyers bringing the case before the ICC.

Return to Fukushima, 10 years later

Ten years have passed since the 11 March 2011 disaster, but this chapter is far from over. Travelling through Fukushima, renewal and destruction can be seen side by side, sometimes separated only by a road.

In the eye of the typhoon: Japan isn’t ready for the climate crisis

Typhoons will become more intense as a result of global warming, but Japan has to do more to prepare itself for this perfect storm.

What Shinzo Abe leaves behind for Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s new prime minister

Yoshihide Suga is Japan’s new prime minister. Following Shinzo Abe’s resignation, what legacy does the nation’s longest serving leader leave behind?

Kamala Harris makes history as first woman of colour to become Vice-President

The second black female US senator has become the first black female vice-president. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have made history.

Japan leads the way in accessible tourism

Disabled travellers need not fear Japan. Accessible Japan founder Josh Grisdale tells us about his commitment to opening the country’s doors to everyone.

Tokyo 2020, Japan hopes to host revival Games as Olympic preparations continue

Will Tokyo 2020 be the revival Games? Much uncertainty remains but preparations haven’t stopped as Japan remains committed to hosting the Olympics.

The Omo Valley, where life flows with the river

The tribes of the Lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia live in close contact with nature and the river they depend on. We explore how their ancestral ways of life are being threatened by the impacts of a mega-dam, climate change and a booming tourism industry, in this exclusive reportage.

As Tokyo 2020 is postponed the Olympic flame stays in Japan as a symbol of hope

Japan lights the Olympic flame in a key ceremony in the lead-up to Tokyo 2020. Neither it nor the IOC want to give up on the event, though postponement is being considered. Within four weeks the world will know the fate of this year’s Games.

London Rebelling, the video. Activists tell XR’s story during the International Rebellion

The International Rebellion took place in 60 cities around the world between 7 and 20 October 2019. Extinction Rebellion activists tell their stories from London, the heart of the radical, nonviolent environmental movement, in a video.