Smart Money People's newly launched "Smart Money Risers" index reveals which financial services brands are winning over customers, and why simplicity, speed and service are driving loyalty

Professor Christoph Bluth, Professor of International Relations and Security at the University of Bradford, argues that NATO emerged from its recent summit militarily stronger but politically more fragile. In this expert analysis, he explores growing tensions over defence spending, Ukraine, Iran and US leadership, and assesses what this means for the future of the alliance.

Ripon will come alive on Saturday 1 August 2026 as this year’s St Wilfrid’s Procession is extended into a full day of free family celebration, held in joint celebration of St Wilfrid’s Procession and Yorkshire Day.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is inviting businesses, schools, community groups and individuals across the region to turn Yorkshire yellow this July by taking part in its annual Yellow Yorkshire campaign.

The TUC has launched a new skills initiative bringing together unions, employers, and education providers to tackle Britain's deepening skills crisis. The union body says the crisis has been caused by years of underinvestment by government, falling investment by employers, a failure to listen to workers, and a skills system struggling to keep pace with rapid technological change.

Overall index increased by +0.4. Retrospective (+1.5) and forward-looking (+2.6) household finance figures continue recovery. Perceptions of house prices worsened over the past 30 days (-3.2) and looking ahead to the next 12 months (-0.5). Business activity measures improved over June (+3.6), as did outlook (+1.2)

With the school summer holidays around the corner, Aldi is sharing the quietest times to shop at its stores to help families avoid busier periods and make their money go further. From quieter shopping windows to practical ways to stretch the weekly shop, the UK’s cheapest supermarket is offering simple support for families during one of the busiest times of the year.

Only one in ten adults in England and Wales understand how much water they use each day, according to research released to mark the launch of a major new campaign aimed at changing the nation's relationship with water.

Ripon City Photographic Society (RCPS) returns this summer with its annual exhibition on Saturday, 29th August, transforming Allhallowgate Methodist Hall into a vibrant hub of local creativity. Open from 9am to 4pm, the free-entry exhibition brings together a striking collection of work from talented society members.

Whether you're training for a marathon, heading to the gym or playing five-a-side football, a good book could be one of the most powerful tools in your fitness kit.

Andy Burnham used his first major speech since launching his bid for the Labour leadership to set out an "innovation nation" vision for Britain, built around deeper devolution, a championing of science and entrepreneurship, and a fundamental rethink of how young people are educated and trained.

Dear Editor, Around 3 million people in the UK are hearing aid users. With the temperature this week reported to reach in excess of 38C in some places, RNID, are encouraging hearing aid users to give their devices some extra TLC during the hot weather so they can soak up the sunshine without missing out on conversations.

Sir Keir Starmer's decision to step down has triggered a pivotal moment for Labour and for the future direction of public services, with Andy Burnham the leading contender to succeed him. Burnham has previously spoken about the need for stronger community-based services and reforms to health and social care, making the sector one to watch closely as the leadership contest unfolds.

Following the issue of a rare red weather warning, LNER is advising customers travelling throughout this week to check before they travel and strongly recommends customers booked to travel on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June 2026 do not travel.

Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has announced that its annual Customer and Communities Improvement Fund, and its Biodiversity Improvement Projects fund, are now open for applications. The two funds are being launched to support local projects that encourage sustainable growth and create a positive impact for local communities across the CrossCountry network.

While the world watches the FIFA World Cup, Chester is gearing up to host its own global tournament, and this one comes with bells on. Twenty-five town criers from across the globe will descend on the city this September for the World Town Crier Tournament, organisers Marketing Cheshire have confirmed. The details were announced, fittingly, by Chester Town Crier David Mitchell.

Sweeping reforms to England's home-buying system, unveiled today, have been welcomed by one of the country's leading mortgage lenders as a step towards tackling Britain's affordability challenges.

Northern's 'Creating Customer Confidence' programme is helping to deliver one of the biggest customer satisfaction turnarounds in the operator's history. Train operator Northern has moved up from the bottom of the national rankings in Transport Focus's latest rail passenger scorecard, in one of the clearest signs yet that the operator's drive to rebuild passenger trust is working.

Over 100,000 passengers surveyed in the biggest rail satisfaction survey in British history. 87 per cent of passengers satisfied with their journey. CrossCountry worst-performing train operator in survey with 79 per cent of passengers satisfied. Hull Trains passengers most satisfied with their journey. Results will be used to drive day-to-day improvements for passengers and inform Great British Railways priorities.

ONS data that shows inflation to have held at 2.8 per cent in May

Witnesses across York and North Yorkshire are benefitting from technology that allows them to give evidence without travelling to a distant courthouse, following the closure of Northallerton Magistrates Court in 2019.

Yorkshire Water is encouraging schools across the region to take part in its free water safety education programme as part of Drowning Prevention Week 2026, helping children and young people understand the dangers of open waters ahead of the summer holidays.