There’s no escaping it now: artificial intelligence has well and truly arrived in hospitality. From the moment a guest starts searching for somewhere to stay or eat to the follow-up review after they’ve gone home, AI is increasingly shaping the journey. It promises smoother bookings, sharper recommendations, and smarter marketing.

It's that exhilarating time of year when schools are about to break up and the summer holidays are just around the corner. Kids are buzzing while parents are equally buzzing and bracing themselves. As a mum, I can’t wait for chilled mornings, fun in the sun, and our family holiday.

Charlie Ayre, who competes in the men’s -60 kg category, has been named in England’s judo squad ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. He is one of 14 judoka selected to represent England at the upcoming games as the sport makes its fifth official appearance at the Commonwealth Games.

In boardrooms and conference halls across the UK and beyond, the phrase 'death by PowerPoint' has become shorthand for a common and excruciating experience, the dull, overwhelming, and often tedious business presentation.

An eye-watering seven million square kilometres, the Amazon River Basin covers around 40 per cent of South America and crosses eight countries. Home to the world’s largest rainforest, it teems with up to three thousand fish species including piranhas.

Whilst pot-bellied pigs are extremely affectionate and endearing, it is important to remember that caring for these small-breed pigs requires understanding and dedication. Pot-bellied pigs have wonderful personalities and are very clever animals; in fact, they are thought to be among the top five most intelligent animals in the world and are often considered much smarter than dogs.

This is a beautiful novel which evokes all sorts of emotions. Set in Trinidad and partly in New York City, it is written in a patois which has a musical lilt to it and which quickly becomes familiar. Likewise, although the dialogue is not punctuated, it is laid out in such a way as to make it easily readable.

The disc closes with a winning account of La plus que lente, beautifully turned and rounding off what is, in sum, a most agreeable album. There is creativity and no shortage of skill in these interpretations. Rêverie, in particular, charms from the first bar. Much of that charm comes down to sound as well as substance: the recording was made on a Bösendorfer 280VC concert grand in the Concert Hall at Snape Maltings, Suffolk, and Chandos's engineers have captured its warmth with their customary skill.

It had been a few years since Bird and I had last spoken, so when we connected over Zoom, catching up felt wonderfully warm and familiar. Before we even reached the subject of new music, our conversation wandered through life reflections, favourite records, memorable holidays and the simple pleasures that make us who we are.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Nigel Gresley, former Chief Mechanical Engineer of the original LNER, a special Azuma train livery has been unveiled at Doncaster railway station.

Mitsubishi stopped selling its range of vehicles in the UK in 2021, but now the Japanese company is back with two new vehicles. At the recent launch event, I got to sample both the L200 pickup and the Outlander PHEV. The latter is a story for another day. This is the seventh generation of the L200 and it has been on sale in other markets for quite some time.

She opens with the lyrical and rather lovely Handel Violin Sonata in D major — rhythmical and expressive, with delightful accompaniment from Bai. The playing throughout is perfectly balanced and crisply articulated, the dynamics judged with care, each movement elegantly shaped.

Do you want the good news, or the bad news? Let’s start with the positive. Theatre audiences in the UK are up on pre-Covid levels. The downside is the number of new plays has plummeted. A report published last autumn by the British Theatre Consortium found that attendances were up in 2023 compared to 2019, but there were 30 per cent fewer plays opening during the same period.

Maybe next year Dudley…..

Sleeping Through He wakes, reaches for my hand and says ‘it’s very morning’, which is true.

Cockermouth in Cumbria will host the first stage of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, with the event taking place across the region on Wednesday, 19th August.

Conservationists at Chester Zoo have welcomed a rare northern giraffe - and hope he'll prove quite the catch. Kris, a lively three-year-old male, has travelled from West Midlands Safari Park to meet the zoo's resident female herd. His introduction has been carefully planned, with conservationists matching the animals based on genetics, age and temperament.

Millions of people are preparing for summer holidays, but immigration experts are warning that one overlooked travel requirement could leave passengers stranded before they even board their flight.

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.

If there is one thing every outdoor artist in Manchester learns quickly, it is never to trust the weather forecast. In the days leading up to Didsbury Festival 2026, the prediction was fairly bleak. Rain seemed inevitable.

A debt recovery expert has outlined the key steps universities and independent schools should take when recovering unpaid student debts. The issue has come under renewed focus following recent reports that nearly £500 million in unpaid or hidden debts is owed to UK universities, much of it linked to accommodation and other institutional costs.

As more people across the UK discover the joy of gardening, whether planting their first container, refreshing a border, or nurturing a vegetable patch, understanding compost is one of the most important steps to grow healthy and thriving plants.

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.

The Bank of England was widely expected to keep interest rates on hold this month. But the Monetary Policy Committee’s focus has now shifted towards digesting the implications of the US-Iran deal to extend the ceasefire and restore energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.

As Drowning Prevention Week (13-20 June) continues, Yorkshire Air Ambulance is urging the public to take care around open water following a number of tragic incidents across the UK. The annual awareness campaign, led by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), follows reports of more than 17 people losing their lives in open water incidents across the UK since the start of May.

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

The amount of money people invest when they first open an Individual Savings Account (ISA) has jumped by 84% in a year, according to proprietary data from Scottish Friendly. The modern mutual’s data shows that opening values have been steadily increasing over the last four quarters, data for Q4 2025 and Q1 2026 shows a 21% increase.

Four in 10 adoptive families say they are facing severe challenges or are at crisis point as the Adoption Barometer 2026 calls for a legal right to lifelong, needs-led support. A major new report from Adoption UK has revealed that too many families are still being left without the support they need once adoptions are made, and adult adoptees continue to be overlooked by policymakers.

Father’s Day (21 June) can be a particularly difficult and lonely day for those whose baby has died, however long ago. Dads with other children may also have mixed feelings and worry about how to approach the day. Every day in the UK, 13 babies die shortly before, during or soon after birth.

Returning for 2026, the Sky Bet Ebor Community Sweepstake will provide an incredible opportunity for Yorkshire-based charities, community groups and good causes to win up to £20,000.

Abra-Cadabra My mother had more magic in her thumb than the length and breadth of any magician Weaving incredible stories around the dark-green senna brew just to make us slake the ritual Sunday purgative Knowing how to place a cochineal poultice on a fevered forehead Knowing how to measure a belly's symmetry kneading the narah pains away Once my baby sister stuffed a split-pea up her no…

Tom Sorsby and the rest of the England men’s field hockey team are gearing up for the final stages of the 2025/26 FIH Men’s Pro League, which will take place in London over the next two weeks.

We’re all told, ‘if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.’ But one of the UK’s top leadership experts has said that in order to succeed, we need to step away and take time to think.