She's the cabaret siren, bringing a blaze of Broadway glamour, old Hollywood shimmer and flame-haired icons to Ripon – and she cannot, she insists, do a show without funny bones. There is a particular kind of performer who walks into a room and instantly rearranges its atmosphere. Amber Topaz is one of those.

In a country where most of the population seems to bemoan the fact that Chancellor Rachel Reeves, introduces new stealth taxes on a weekly basis, it is a curiosity that in Denmark, with one of the highest tax regimes in the world, there is little pushback against the Minister of Finance and people remain among the happiest on the planet.

It turns out that many of the things we were told - and chose to believe - about this country’s ancient rituals may not be true after all.

English wine has spent the past two decades proving it can rival Champagne. Now, a handful of ambitious producers are asking a different question altogether: can England make a genuinely great red wine for everyday drinking? Under a railway arch in the heart of Birmingham, Midland Press believes it can.

As the daddy of a nine-year-old and a five-year-old, I've experienced Blippi fever not once, but twice. Over the years, a much-loved Blippi doll has made the journey from older brother to younger sister, surviving countless adventures along the way.

We normally think of summertime as a time when we don’t worry so much about energy bills. Brits are now being urged to pay attention to their summer energy bills if they want to remain savvy about savings. From July 1st Britain’s energy price cap is set to rise by 13.5% for an average household – or £221 from the previous level.

Whilst most owners of horses and ponies are aware that spring grass and frosty paddocks can be dangerous to their animals, some are unaware that the problem persists year-round and is simply exacerbated in spring, as grass is high in sugar and fructans.

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.

Fresh from his first headline European solo tour, Jack Cullen is preparing for his most ambitious challenge yet: running 22 ultramarathons in 22 days from Berlin to London ahead of his biggest headline show to date at Oslo Hackney.

The Arctic Truck AT35 is designed for those who intend to boldly go where no pickup has any right to go, whether that’s wandering through the frozen wastelands of Scandinavia and Iceland or wading through deep rainforest in warmer climes.

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…

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.

A devastatingly beautiful release from beginning to end, Olivia Rodrigo’s third album is a triumph of songwriting, performance and emotional storytelling. It is bold, vulnerable and endlessly compelling — the kind of album that deepens with every listen. More importantly, it feels like a defining statement from an artist who continues to surpass even the highest expectations. Her finest moment to date.

The music is, for the most part, elegantly crafted rather than profoundly searching—these are miniatures that delight in surface and atmosphere rather than structural ambition—and there were moments when the lush, exotic colouring put me in mind of Rimsky-Korsakov, particularly the languorous orientalism of Shéhérazade.

In 1917 The Ivy first opened its doors on West Street in London’s West End, and since then it's become synonymous with exceptional service and food. I remember when I worked in London meeting with colleagues for a quick bite to eat before going on to review a West End show.

Workouts can sometimes feel repetitive or uninspiring, and many people are turning to martial arts to reignite their motivation and transform their fitness routines.

As summer holiday season approaches, travellers everywhere are busy plotting itineraries, hunting for flight deals and perfecting the art of carry-on packing. But while most attention is given to the destination itself, travel experts say one of the most overlooked parts of any trip happens long before you check-in at the hotel: the flight.

House of Wonder, assembled to mark Beamish's seventieth birthday, is above all a personal album, and that comes through in every bar. To celebrate the occasion, Beamish has returned to the instrument that first shaped her career as a performer in the 1980s: the viola. Crucially, the instrument she plays throughout is a viola made in 2014 by Stephanie Irvine—a gift that, in Beamish's own account, rekindled her relationship with the instrument entirely. The album gathers works written by Beamish for herself to play alongside new commissions from her three children—all accomplished musicians in their own right—and a circle of close collaborators.

Make UK survey finds a quarter of firms are moving activity overseas

A truly inspiring Yorkshire photography exhibition which captures Yorkshire women in the rural landscape is coming to the Great Yorkshire Show, which takes place on Tuesday 14 – Friday 17 July.

UK adults are building cash savings, but a reluctance to invest means millions may risk missing out on potential long term growth, new research from Scottish Friendly finds.

York has secured Purple Flag accreditation for a fifth consecutive year, cementing its reputation as one of the UK's safest and most welcoming evening destinations. The internationally recognised award celebrates towns and cities that offer a vibrant, safe and well-managed night-time economy.

A new competition will be held to see who can travel to the highest number of railway stations in the North of England in a single day. Passengers can now apply here for a place in The Great Race Across the North, which will be held on Saturday, 25 July. Ten people will be selected to take part and they can compete solo or bring a friend.

They’re back, The Thursday Murder Club! The residents of Cooper’s Chase Retirement Village. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are on the trail of the baddies once more and, as ever, are aided by Chris and Donna and of course, Bogdan, among others. The familiarity is comforting, like a cup of cocoa on a winter’s day. It’s a new puzzle but you know you’re surrounded by helpful friends.

The estimated number of deaths linked to long waits in Emergency Departments across England has surged almost tenfold over the past decade.

Last week was a reminder of what British summers can now look like with the first heatwave of the year. With long dry spells arriving earlier and lasting longer, it's worth thinking about how you water, because a bit of care goes a long way when the ground is baked solid, and your plants are struggling.

Regular viewers of the BBC’s Gone Fishing programme will be familiar with Ted, the Patterdale cross dog who was given as a surprise Christmas present in 2012 and then abandoned at the New Year, at just six months old.

Chester Zoo and Malagasy conservationists are carrying out the biggest ever butterfly survey in Madagascar – and they have high hopes of “uncovering what an extraordinary forest is hiding”.

With millions of Brits set to travel abroad and attend festivals, concerts and events across the UK this summer, mobile phones will play a key role in staying connected. However, increased usage during peak holiday periods also creates more opportunities for mobile fraud.

Babies are born with only two innate fears: falling and loud noises. Everything else they learn. Around age two or three, new fears emerge naturally. Fears of the dark, of strangers, of separation from parents, of dogs or thunder are developmentally normal – it’s part of how children learn to navigate the world.