A global phenomenon, the Victoria Falls - the world’s largest sheet of falling water - span the South African countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe, (formerly Rhodesia). Up to 500 million litres of water thunder down the falls into the mighty Zambezi river every minute in the rainy season.

Mortgage holidays can offer valuable breathing space, but those taking one need to understand the true cost, a leading mortgage expert has warned. A mortgage holiday can be a genuinely useful tool for the right circumstances, so long as borrowers go in with a clear picture of how the debt, and the interest it accrues, will be repaid afterwards.

Fresh from a morning of interviews and still buzzing between events, this year's Festival Programming Chair, Lisa Jewell, talks to Andrew Palmer at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival about omissions, instinct, and the coercive-control novel taking shape for 2027. The deckchairs are out on the lawn of the Old Swan Hotel, the sun is doing exactly wha…

The Flower Belt lies between the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Howardian Hills Natural Landscape) and the North York Moors National Park. It’s just a 40-minute drive from York, a region rich in cultural, historical, and natural attractions, and only a couple of minutes’ drive from Helmsley.

This is an exciting time for BMW. The company’s UK CEO, David George, has confirmed that we can expect to see more than 40 new vehicles by the end of 2027. The first of the ‘Neue Klasse’ (New Class) range of cars is the iX3, launched earlier this year to UK media at the firm’s UK base in Farnborough. I was lucky enough to attend.

Edward Bennett freely admits he gets pleasure from cooking and making meals. “I’d love to do more of it, but unfortunately pressure of work doesn’t allow me the time," says Edward, who is currently playing Captain Von Trapp in Opera North’s production of The Sound of Music. “That’s why I really appreciate staying in an apartment during the run of the show.

Thirty years is no small tenure, and Regent Records' latest instalment in its cathedral series chooses to mark David Price's three decades at the helm of music at Portsmouth Cathedral with a disc that feels less like a retrospective and more like a tide turning full circle. As is the way with this series, the selection draws from the choir's repertoire across the liturgical year, and the result is a recording of genuine freshness — one that rewards repeated listening rather than exhausting itself on a single pass.

Perhaps the biggest surprise arrives with Faded Blue Jeans, featuring Josh Homme. It's an unlikely pairing that somehow makes complete sense, with Homme's gravelly vocals adding a rugged edge to a song that blurs the boundaries between country, blues and rock. Their chemistry is effortless, and the result is one of the album's most memorable collaborations

Parkinson’s England Table Tennis (PETT) has entered into a new partnership with Parkinson’s UK and Table Tennis England (TTE) with the aim of getting more people with Parkinson’s into the sport.

Over the course of more than three decades, Shawn Colvin has established herself as one of America's most captivating performers and revered storytellers.

Andrew Palmer, Group Editor, on how The Duke's Theatre Company concluded this year's festival at Ripon Racecourse with a Romeo and Juliet that showcased wit, precision, and considerable heart – a fitting finale!

The death of the high street in Yorkshire’s towns and cities, like that of legendary American author Mark Twain, has been greatly exaggerated. While no one can deny the high street faces numerous challenges for a myriad of different reasons, it is misleading to suggest that they are finished.

Dicks There was little on which we did not draw a dick, compassing grey paint off lockers, etching desks, but mostly inking each other’s files or textbooks, apostles casting cocks across the Sea of Galilee, Tybalt shaking terrible showers onto poor Juliet, dark colossi swung over relief maps of Gallipoli, some veiny and ridged, some rushed as signatures.

Timing a beach holiday is never as simple as booking in the summer, is it? Book too early in the season, and you risk disappointing temperatures – but leave it too late, and you're dealing with big crowds, extortionate prices and weather that borders on being too hot.

Amy Shark has always excelled at turning life's awkward, painful and complicated moments into memorable songs, but soft pop feels different. Stripped back and refreshingly uncomplicated, this is an album that places her voice and innermost thoughts front and centre, allowing the emotion to do the heavy lifting. The production rarely gets in the way, creating the feeling that you're sitting with Shark as she quietly unpacks her experiences without fear, shame or pretence.

Martha Argerich is nothing less than the High Priestess of the Piano, and this release marks a fitting way to celebrate her 85th birthday: a complete digital collection of her recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and Philips, spanning 65 years, from 1961 to the present day. Her solo recordings, though relatively few, are each a gem — from Chopin to Ravel, Bach to Schumann — but it is her partnerships with the great artists of her generation that have defined her legacy: Claudio Abbado, Nelson Freire, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky and Daniel Barenboim are among them.

Close your eyes in a garden, and you notice things you'd otherwise walk straight past, like the rustle of grass, the scent of jasmine on the evening air, the softness of a lamb's ear leaf under your fingers. That's the joy of a sensory garden: it's not just something you look at, but something you experience with all five senses.

After interviewing a number of executives in the automotive space, Orwa Mohamad, Analyst at Third Bridge made a series of remarks regarding Volkswagen, informed by insights from industry experts. Third Bridge experts say the biggest challenge for Volkswagen's German plants is not utilisation but ownership.

Huddersfield Giants have announced that its upcoming Betfred Super League game at home to Catalans Dragons on Saturday 8th August at 2pm will be FREE ENTRY for anyone who wishes to join them for what is possibly the biggest announcement in the club’s 162-year history.

St John Ambulance has launched the inaugural Lifesavers at Work Awards. A nationwide hunt is under way for the UK’s most inspirational workplace heroes; people who have used first aid skills to save a life, or support someone in a medical emergency, while at work.

Experts warn UK could face permanent establishment of the invasive predator, with a single nest capable of consuming up to 150,000 bees Sightings of Asian hornets across the UK have risen by 666% in a single year, prompting fresh warnings from beekeepers and pollinator experts that Britain's bee population faces a mounting and potentially permanent threat.

Martin House Children’s Hospice is bringing healthcare professionals together from across the country for its first dedicated conference on children’s palliative care. The Martin House Children’s Hospice Conference 2026: Inspiring Excellence will take place at the charity’s newly redeveloped hospice in Boston Spa on Tuesday 15 September, from 10am to 4pm.

RSPB Bempton Cliffs has recorded its 1,000th marine mammal watch, just 16 months after becoming the first official Shorewatch location in England. Shorewatch is a citizen science programme run by Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the leading global charity dedicated to the conservation of whales and dolphins.

New YouGov research reveals that nearly three in ten members of the British public (28%) say they are not planning ahead financially. Of the rest, a fifth plan less than one year ahead (21%) and the same proportion plan 1-3 years ahead (21%). Some 12% plan 3-5 years ahead, but only a quarter (25%) plan more than five years ahead.

Charities across Yorkshire are being encouraged to apply for funding from LNER’s 2027 Customer & Community Investment Fund (CCIF). Grants of up to £10,000 are available to small and medium-sized charities based within 15 miles of the East Coast Main Line for projects that support LNER's three key priorities: better for planet, better for people and better for places.

The former Anglican Bishop of Lancaster from 1998 to 2005, Rt Rev. Stephen Pedley, has died at the age of 85. Bishop Stephen was also Honorary Chaplain to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth between 1984 and 1998.  A priest's son, Stephen was born in Coventry in 1940 at the height of the Battle of Britain and the subsequent bombing blitz of many British cities.

Millions of UK women believe investing is far harder than it really is — and that misconception, rather than any lack of money or opportunity, may be a key driver of Britain's £574bn gender investment gap, according to new research from trading platform eToro.

The Rt Hon John Healey has been confirmed as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first major appointment, ending weeks of speculation and drawing swift reaction from business and rural groups over the direction of the new government's economic policy.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has issued a "Roadmap for Growth" to incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham, calling on the new administration to abandon political drift and partner with industry to drive national economic renewal.

The summer getaway is expected to peak as schools break up in England and Wales, with one in five drivers considering a road trip of more than 100 miles between Friday 17 and Thursday 23 July, according to a new AA survey.

The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey revealed divergent hiring trends in June, as a fall in permanent staff appointments contrasted with a rise in temp billings. While there was a sharper reduction in permanent job openings, growth in temp vacancies slowed.

The University of Bradford's incoming Vice-Chancellor Professor Gillian Murray has signalled “a new era” for the university focused on innovation and partnerships.

Teens in AI has expanded its partnership with Sage to launch the North East AI Talent Acceleration Programme, aimed at young people aged 13-19 across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham. The initiative gives students access to the AI Adventures learning platform, while participating schools receive AI literacy training and career support for teachers and pupils.

Deliveroo and Pho have joined forces with Sheffield Hallam University for the return of Deliveroo’s Sustainable Packaging Challenge for the third year. This follows the successful collaboration between the delivery platform and University with GAIL’s in last year’s competition, and the launch of the challenge in 2024.

In its 50th anniversary year, Theatres Trust is marking the 20th year of the Theatres at Risk Register by highlighting both encouraging progress and continuing challenges for theatres across the UK.

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.

Figures show people with red flag symptoms put off going to the GP and face barriers in seeking help. Cancer Research UK and Tesco have partnered to encourage people to seek help for potential cancer symptoms and support early diagnosis Tesco pharmacists trained by Cancer Research UK available in-store to provide information and support to customers experiencing potential symptoms or concerned about cancer

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.