Green

The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its global growth forecast for 2026 from 3.3 to 3.1 percent, citing the impact of the United States-Israeli war on Iran and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz on the world economy.

The war has damaged energy infrastructure across the Gulf, while critical exports like oil, gas, chemicals and fertiliser remain largely stranded by Iran’s shutdown of the strait and the subsequent US naval blockade of Iranian ports.

In the worst-case scenario of a prolonged war, the IMF said global growth could fall to 2.5 percent in 2026, with low-income and developing economies hit the hardest by soaring commodity and energy prices. The global shipping and logistics industry is facing a separate crisis.

But every economic crisis also has beneficiaries: despite the dire macroeconomic outlook, some corners of the global economy are thriving on the uncertainty.

Here’s a look at five industries that are doing well either despite – or because of – the darkening economic outlook.

Wall Street investment banks

Global investors have been on a rollercoaster since the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term last year. The president’s erratic decision-making, where he often issues an ultimatum one day and then changes it the next, has led traders to coin the term “TACO trade”, where TACO stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out”.

The recent volatility has made some investors anxious, but it’s been a boon to investment banks, which make millions in commissions and revenue from the surging volume of trade, according to Sean Dunlap, a director of equity research at Morningstar Research Services.

“Clients want to reposition, so they trade frequently,” he told Al Jazeera. “Spreads tend to increase, which increases the profitability for trade intermediaries like banks.”

First-quarter results for 2026 – released this week – showed that Morgan Stanley reported a profit of $5.57bn, up 29 percent year on year, while Goldman Sachs reported a profit of $5.63bn, up 19 percent year on year.

JP Morgan Chase also reported major gains, with first-quarter earnings of $16.49bn, up 13 percent year on year. The banks all cited high levels of trading, deal-making, and “robust client engagement” as the reasons behind surging profits.

The boomtime for banks could reverse course, however, if volatility persists for too long, Dunlap warned, because investors may become increasingly cautious and less willing to borrow money to make trades.

Prediction markets

As mainstream Wall Street banks reap profits, the crypto-based prediction platform Polymarket has been earning upwards of $1m a day since the start of the month by letting users make peer-to-peer bets on everything from sports tournaments to elections.

Polymarket has been doing well since the start of the war, but it revised its fee structure on March 30 to cash in even more on its popularity.

Rival platforms like Kalshi, Novig and Robinhood also follow the same business model, but Polymarket has been the standout winner of 2026 because it controversially allows users to bet on the outcome of conflicts like the Iran war.

Polymarket revised its fee structure on March 30 to cash in on its popularity. The change has already netted the platform more than $21m in fees since April 1, up from $11.6m for all of March and $6.23m for all of February, according to DefiLlama, a website that provides data analysis for decentralised finance platforms.

If the current trend continues, Polymarket could make $342m in fees this year alone, according to DefiLlama’s analysis.

Anonymous users have also made millions correctly predicting the dates of major events like the US-Iran ceasefire, but the outcomes for rank-and-file users are typically less impressive.

Researchers found that the top 1 percent of Polymarket users captured 84 percent of all trading gains, according to a new report released this month analysing 70 million trades from 2022 to 2025. The returns are so high that US federal regulators have pledged to crack down on insider trading in prediction markets following suspiciously well-timed bets on Iran war outcomes.

Aerospace and defence

Unsurprisingly, the aerospace and defence industries are booming this year due to major conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, Sudan, Gaza and Lebanon and a surge in global defence spending.

About half of the world’s countries have increased their military budgets over the past five years, according to an April report from the IMF, which means they are also buying everything from drones to missiles — more than ever before. Demand is growing particularly fast in Europe, where NATO countries have committed to raising defence spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.

The defence industry has, in turn, seen major gains on the stock market. The MSCI World Aerospace and Defence Index – which tracks aerospace and defence stocks across 23 global markets – reported net returns of 32 percent year on year at the end of March.

The defence index outpaced the MSCI World Index, which tracks 1,300 large and mid-cap companies across the same 23 markets. The index, which gives a broader overview of global stock markets, reported net returns of 18.9 percent over the same period.

Artificial intelligence

Last year, the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) office predicted that the AI industry would grow from $189bn in 2023 to $4.8 trillion by 2033, and the Iran war does not seem to have dented the outlook.

“Despite the shocks from the Iran war, we’re still seeing resilience in a lot of sectors like artificial intelligence and renewable energy,” said Nick Marro, lead analyst for global trade at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

One metric for the AI boom has been the high volume of semiconductor chips still being exported out of East Asia, he said. At the top of the chart is chipmaking powerhouse Taiwan, which reported record-breaking merchandise exports of $80.2bn in March, up 61.8 percent year on year, according to EIU analysis.

The surge was led by exports to the US, which grew by 124 percent year on year, the EIU said.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s top chipmaker better known by its acronym “TSMC,” on Thursday posted a net income of 572.8 billion New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) ($18.1bn) for the first three months of 2026 – up 58 percent year on year in NTD.

Another metric, initial public offerings or “IPOs,” also shows that the industry is confident for the moment, with industry leaders Anthropic and OpenAI both planning to go public this year.

Renewable energy

The Iran war has highlighted the need to transition from fossil fuels not only for environmental reasons, but also for reasons of energy security. The war marks the third major energy shock this decade, following the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Iran war has “boosted” renewable energy “given the urgency to switch away from fossil fuels and diversify towards renewable sources,” Marro of the EIU said.

Even before the Iran war began, the International Energy Agency reported that global governments were already taking active measures to invest in renewable energy for geopolitical reasons.

According to an IEA report released this month, “150 countries have active policies to advance renewable and nuclear deployment, 130 have energy efficiency and electrification policies, and 32 have policies to incentivise supply chain resilience and diversification across critical minerals and clean energy technologies.”

The Iran war has triggered another flurry of policymaking in Asia, which typically buys 80 to 90 percent of the oil and gas that transits through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the shutdown, the region has been struggling to find alternative sources of energy, forcing governments to deploy emergency measures like fuel rationing and price caps.

South Korea, Thailand, India, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines have all announced a variety of measures from tax breaks for at-home solar panels to commissioning new renewable energy projects – and even restarting nuclear reactors.

The surge in policymaking has been good for the renewable industry. The S&P Global Clean Energy Transition Index, which tracks 100 companies that produce solar, wind, hydro, biomass and other renewable energy across emerging and developed markets, is up 70.92 percent year on year.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Lawrence Bennett wasn’t only a guardian of the green jackets — the iconic garment of Augusta National — but he also oversaw their cremation.

That was among his many responsibilities in a career that spanned 51 years, where he first picked up litter then picked up everyone from celebrities to sports heroes to ex-presidents as the club’s top chauffeur.

“All I’ve known from Day 1 was Augusta National,” said Bennett, 72, sitting in the living room of his tidy home six miles from the storied course. His hallways are painted Masters green. Paintings of the course hang on the walls, as do photographs of famous people with heartfelt inscriptions.

For decades, he embraced the club. The members hugged him back, from bankrolling his college tuition to sending him generous gifts when he retired in 2013 and donations when his beloved wife, Cheryl, died in 2020 after suffering a massive stroke.

Lawrence Bennett, a longtime chauffeur at Augusta National, holds a framed portion of the logo that appears on the green Masters jackets.

(Sam Farmer / Los Angeles Times)

Bennett isn’t watching the Masters this week — he tuned in for Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and some other greats over the years — and he said he’s never swung a golf club. But his job was his life, even though he moonlighted as a high school teacher and administrator.

His father, too, bled green. The late and legendary Freddie Bennett began as a young caddie and worked his way up to caddie master, looking for that ideal chemistry between club members or tournament competitors and the men who carried their golf bags and advised them on putting lines.

“Once you work at Augusta National, they don’t want half of your time,” the younger Bennett said. “They want all of your time. And that’s what he did, and that’s what I did.”

Father and son were highly regarded at the club.

“There’s no doubt they commanded respect,” said Ward Clayton, author of “The Legendary Caddies of Augusta National.” “But at the same time, they understood, whether you’re working for Augusta National or a top corporation, you’ve got to follow the guidelines of the place you’re working for. I think they understood that to the highest degree.”

Augusta National opens its gates to the world every April but otherwise is so secretive that it won’t confirm how many members it has, let alone name them. The waiting list for Masters tickets has been closed for decades and patron badges are passed down through families like heirlooms. The club is closed from mid-May until October, and new buildings appear as if by magic, yet fit in as if they’ve been around forever.

As his father and other club employees did, Bennett signed a non-disclosure agreement that lasted 10 years. Now, more than a decade after his retirement, he’s telling some of his stories.

Hot pockets

When an Augusta member died, left the club or simply wanted a new green jacket, Bennett was responsible for disposing of the old garments. That meant cutting off a coat’s emblem on the pocket, buttons and name tags in the lining, then taking what was left to a local funeral home for cremation. It wasn’t an everyday event. Bennett and a security guard from the club would bring 20-30 of the jackets that would be placed in a coffin-like cardboard box and pushed into a 2,400-degree oven.

Lawrence Bennett, longtime chauffeur at Augusta National, points to a painting of the course in his home.

(Sam Farmer / Los Angeles Times)

“We had to wait until the ashes cooled down to make sure we weren’t leaving buttons or anything identifying about it, and the funeral home would take care of the rest,” Bennett said. “They would just toss it.”

Occasionally, deceased members were buried in their green jackets.

“Some members’ families started to request that,” he said. “And I know one guy — I had to go take the jacket, a local member — I had to watch them put it on him. Didn’t like that too good. Watch them put it on, fixing it neat, and report back to the club manager that it was on.”

Watch your speed

The club had three station wagons and a long blue limousine when Bennett began chauffeuring at age 17. He was well spoken and polite, so his bosses soon began sending him on the most important jobs.

Once, a member named Alexander Chisholm from Mississippi had come into town for a party and round of golf, then stayed over for a dinner at a fancy place called the Green Boundary Club in Aiken, S.C. Bennett brought him in the limo.

“My dad said, `Boy, if you’re going to South Carolina, slow down because they’ll give you a ticket in a minute. They watch for Augusta tags to give you tickets,’” Bennett recalled.

He started slow and cautious.

“Mr. Chisholm, with a big cigar in his mouth, said, ‘Can you go any faster than this?’” he said. “Now, I’m 19. That’s all I needed to hear. I stepped on the gas.”

As soon as he crossed the Savannah River, the police lights pulled up behind him.

“The officer wasn’t real nice,” Bennett said. “He said, `Boy, can’t you read? Can’t you see that speed limit?’ Mr. Chisholm was in back and said, `How much is the ticket?’ The officer said it was going to cost me $150.”

Chisholm peeled off three $100 bills.

“Here,” the member told the officer. “Take $300, because we’re going to be coming back the same damn way.”

Hail to the chief

Back when he was in first grade, Bennett feigned illness so he could get sent home and spend some time with his dad, whom he hadn’t seen in two weeks.

“I would hear him come home and get in the bed, but I didn’t see him because he came home when I was asleep,” he said. “He left when I was asleep. So one day I was at school, and I played sick. So I told my teacher my stomach was hurting.”

His mother was working at the time, so the school called the club.

“Dad came to get me, and he took me to work, gave me a Coca-Cola and a little pack of crackers,” he recalled. “He said, `You can’t be running around, because the President is here.’ Well, I’m 6 or 7. I thought he was talking about George Washington.”

Then, his father pulled a milk crate up to a hedge.

“He said, `You want to see the President?’ So I went out, and he put me on this box, and I could look over the top of the hedge, and there was Eisenhower. That was Clifford Roberts, and that was Bobby Jones,” he said, referencing the Roberts and Jones, co-founders of Augusta National.

Bennett has some snapshot memories of the president.

“I remember him being a big man, big stomach,” he said. “He had brown pants on with pleats, and he got up and made his tee shot off number one, and he looked over and saw me. He did just like this [crisply saluting the child]. I did it back at him.”

The moment left an impression.

“That was my first really inkling of what my daddy did,” he said, “and the type of people that were at the club.”

Supreme honor

As a young chauffeur, Bennett had all sorts of driving duties. He would take members’ wives antique shopping or sit through movies with the children of members who were bored at the tournament.

He picked up Christopher Lee at the airport once, and — as a big fan of Dracula — he half-believed he saw the English actor transforming into a vampire while they drove to the club.

“As we got back, it was getting dark, and all I could see — this was in my mind now — those fiery red eyes in the rear view mirror,” said Bennett, recounting the meeting on the “70 Years of Masters Magic” podcast.

Lawrence Bennett, longtime chauffeur at Augusta National, shows some Augusta National keepsakes at his home.

(Sam Farmer / Los Angeles Times)

“When he got out, I had to tell him. I said, `You know what? I was nervous because all I saw was your eyes and your face in the mirror.’ And it was illegal to get an autograph, but I got it.”

In 2013, the last Masters for Bennett, he drove Arnold Palmer back to the airport and they both got teary rolling back down Magnolia Lane and out of the club.

Maybe the most memorable assignment was picking up Sandra Day O’Connor. He was especially excited because he had just been teaching his ninth-grade students about her, the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The two became fast friends, and O’Connor gave him her personal pocket constitution. She inscribed it: “For Lawrence Bennett and his ninth-grade class, always remember the constitution protects you. Sandra Day O’Connor.”

Her husband, John Jay O’Connor, told Bennett: “Do you know what she has given you? She takes that to the bench every day she goes to work.”

It’s framed in Bennett’s den.

From the heart

Bennett, whose mother was a nurse and semi-professional bowler, was the first in his family to finish high school, and first to go to college, where he would earn three degrees. His younger sister followed him, earning a degree in nursing.

Tuition at Paine College wasn’t easy on the family. That’s where the club stepped in.

“Sometimes my dad didn’t have the money, so the club manager [Phil Wahl] said, `Lawrence, Freddie, everything OK?’ My dad said, `No, Mr. Wahl, I’ve got to pay $855.53 for that boy’s semester.’ Mr. Wahl said, `Go to the front desk and get a petty cash slip.’ They gave daddy $855.53 per semester for four or five years. Never asked for it back.

“So I owe a lot to Augusta National. I tried to pay it back but they wouldn’t take it.”

Freddie Bennett retired in 1999 after 46 years as caddie master and 51 years on the property — just as long as his son would work there. He died in 2006.

“Paine College, this huge chapel, we had daddy’s funeral down there,” the younger Bennett said. “It was packed. If you looked at the private field, you thought it was tournament time. The private jets came to his funeral.

“The club manager got up and spoke, and he talked about all of the things that Freddie had done, all the achievements he had done. But he said Freddie’s greatest accomplishment at this club: `He gave us Lawrence.’

“I lost it,” he said, tears welling, “I never thought anybody thought that of me.”

Buyout firm Leonard Green & Partners is reportedly close to acquiring Cumming Group from New Mountain Capital, in a transaction that could value the business at around $3 billion including debt.

The deal, which could be announced within weeks, would transfer ownership

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Among the many rules at Augusta National — no cell phones, no booing, no lying in the grass — patrons are not allowed to run.

Somebody tell Rory McIlroy.

The defending Masters champion was sprinting away from the field Friday, building a six-shot lead heading into the weekend and putting himself in prime position to become the first repeat winner since Tiger Woods in 2002.

McIlroy atoned for two bogeys with nine birdies, shooting a seven-under-par 65 to improve on his stellar 67 in the opening round.

At 12 under, he now holds the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.

“When I was standing on the 12th tee, I didn’t imagine that I would be six ahead going into the weekend,” said McIlroy, who birdied six of the final seven holes despite hitting into the trees on holes 13, 15 and 17.

“I’ve always had the ability to go on these runs … but it’s staying aggressive. My little mantra today was keep swinging, and keep swinging hard at it.”

And he completed that masterpiece in the afternoon, when the legendary course was even firmer and more slippery than it was in the morning. The warm weather and cloudless skies set the stage for a test of surgical precision in the final two rounds.

“These greens are going to be concrete,” said Wyndham Clark, who followed an even-par round with a four-under 68. “Obviously getting really fast without the wind, so it’s going to really matter hitting it in the fairway and the angles, and being patient.”

Rory McIlroy walks across Nelson Bridge with his caddy during the second round at the Masters.

(Eric Gay / Associated Press)

Fifty-four competitors from 15 different countries made the cut from a starting field of 91.

Of his jaw-dropping finishing scramble, McIlroy said: “The only way I can describe it is everything that you see or any situation that you come across, you can find a positive in it. And then you see birdies and you can see ways to make birdies. Hit it in the trees at 13, fine, I can make a birdie doing it this way. Hit it in the trees at 15, same thing.”

Whereas McIlroy created separation, Tyrrell Hatton made a case for inclusion. He was two over after Thursday but played himself back into contention with a 66 on Friday, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and becoming just the third player in 30 years to do that at the Masters. He is tied for seventh with Clark.

Patrick Reed, who shot a 69 in the first round, matched that in the second to claim a share of second place with Sam Burns.

Reed, who left for LIV Golf but announced in January he plans to return to the PGA Tour, played golf locally at Augusta State University and won this tournament in 2018. He said that Masters experience helps in a big way now.

Of winning a green jacket, he said, “Until you do, you always have that little voice of doubt in the back of your mind.”

Justin Rose, who lost to McIlroy in a sudden-death playoff last year, is in a three-way tie for fourth with Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood.

Patrick Reed hits off the 18th tee during the second round of the Masters on Friday.

(Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

Asked if his near-miss in 2025 serves as extra motivation this year, Rose said: “Not really, if I’m honest. I don’t really need to try any harder, know what I mean? Trying harder ain’t going to help me.”

It was a rough day for Scottie Scheffler, ranked No. 1 in the world, as his 74 put him 12 shots back of McIlroy.

Bryson DeChambeau was on the bubble all day before a triple-bogey seven on the 18th hole. He missed the cut six over.

Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson missed the cut, as did 66-year-old Fred Couples, who was playing well Thursday until taking a quadruple-bogey nine on the 15th hole.

McIlroy played with 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell, who was sufficiently impressed as the defending champion birdied each of the final four holes.

“You’ve got to stay in your own lane, but it’s hard not to watch that,” Howell said. “That chip-in on 17 was unreal. That was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in sports, and I got to witness it in person, so that was awesome.”

O’Neill was speaking as the Scottish FA announced sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne will lead its investigation into the disorder that followed the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic in March.

Tensions have arisen between elements of Celtic’s support and the board about such matters as summer transfer activity, managerial appointments and crowd safety.

Discussions have been held between the Green Brigade and the club and Celtic said earlier this week that Glasgow City Council’s Safety Advisory Group was happy for the suspension to be lifted.

“I think that the safety regulations have been sorted,” O’Neill said. “We’ve got to just see how it goes and see what the end of the season brings. Let’s have a proper conversation at the end.”

Defending champions Celtic go into Saturday’s game three points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian and two adrift of Rangers.

Hearts have been handed a visit to Celtic Park on the final day of the season following the publication of the post-split Scottish Premiership fixtures, but O’Neill said “it’s certainly a long way off for us” to be thinking of that possibly being a title decider.

Celtic’s goal difference is worse than both their title rivals, but the Northern Irishman said “it’s too late now” to think about that and “I would just be delighted to win the games”.

Meanwhile, O’Neill revealed on-loan right-back Julian Araujo had suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury after returning to Bournemouth for treatment and would miss the rest of the season – and possibly the World Cup with Mexico.

Fellow right-back Colby Donovan also has a hamstring injury that will rule him out for perhaps the next two weeks, but Canada international Alistair Johnston could return next weekend for the first time since October.

Lapping up the pomp as Masters champion is what every golfers wants, but it also comes with more interviews, more presentations and – potentially – more distractions.

Spain’s Jon Rahm finished tied 45th on his return after winning in 2023, later admitting he struggled to “adjust” with the demands of “a lot going on”.

“If you’ve won the Masters, especially for Rory, it really is a dream come true. So you’re happy to go back there and I don’t think the additional commitments are ever a distraction,” said Brown.

“Rory has done everything he set out to do in his career, but there are always more goals. Now he wants to defend it.

“As a professional sportsman, you’re always striving for the next win. What can I improve to take me to the next level?

“Golf’s particularly difficult because one week you’re a champion, the next minute you’re a chicken. You can’t take your foot off the gas.”

McIlroy’s form going into the season-opening major provides little indication about his chances.

Three top-10 finishes in his opening four events of 2026 bode well, before a back injury forced his withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational and left him “still not 100%” at the PGA Tour’s flagship Players Championship three weeks ago.

He says not playing competitively since has provided a “good opportunity to address the issue” before Augusta – which is notoriously physically taxing.

Therefore, it seems the more pertinent factor in McIlroy’s hopes this week is the trust he has gained in his tactical ability.

“Augusta over the years has made me quite tentative at times, especially with approach play,” McIlroy said.

“By becoming a better putter, by working on my short game and becoming better around the greens, that probably allowed me to become more aggressive with my approach play.

“I think that’s been a big part of the reason why I’ve now eventually won there, but why my play has got better there over the years.”

McIlroy feels the Masters is the major where he could potentially end his career with the most success.

Becoming a multiple champion this week, and a rare back-to-back winner, would be another golfing mountain which he has managed to scale.

With the summer holidays on the horizon, travel lovers are preparing for their getaways

An insurance provider has shared a checklist for drivers planning a European getaway. Ahead of summer, many families and adventurers are preparing for road trips or holidays abroad. For anyone planning to drive their car in Europe, Green Flag recommends checking five things before setting off.

Sharing advice for motorists online, Green Flag said: “It’s worth taking a few minutes to make sure everything is properly arranged before you head off on your European travels. A quick check, a few weeks before you go, means you’ll have time to address anything that’s not already in place. Take a few minutes and check:

1. Whether any existing breakdown cover includes European travel
2. Which countries are covered under the policy
3. You have your vehicle insurance documents
4. Your driving licence and passport are valid
5. Any local driving requirements, such as safety equipment rules and items you’re expected to have in your car.”

The motoring experts explained that drivers should know their breakdown cover options, which could help them decide whether to take out European breakdown cover for the trip. Green Flag said the insurance helps drivers if their car develops a fault or breaks down during a trip outside of the UK but within Europe.

If drivers don’t take out insurance and then experience difficulties, it could prove costly. Green Flag said: “If you don’t have European breakdown cover and your car develops an issue while travelling abroad, you’d need to call up a breakdown and rescue service that operates in the country you’re in.

“This usually means contacting a local recovery operator and paying for roadside help and towing directly. Costs vary depending on the country, time of day and distance involved.

“In many cases, payment is required upfront, and getting English-speaking help may be difficult depending on where you are.” Green Flag added that you might also need to arrange accommodation and pay the costs to return your car to the UK if it can’t be repaired locally.

Despite this, some drivers might decide to go ahead without additional breakdown cover. The blog advised: “Whether it’s worth getting breakdown cover for your trip to Europe depends on how much of a risk you consider breaking down abroad to be.

“If you’re happy to figure things out should they happen, then maybe European breakdown cover isn’t for you. But if you’d rather set off knowing you’re covered should your car break down, then you’ll probably want to consider getting European breakdown cover.”

Nonetheless, knowing your options ahead of travel means you’re prepared in case of an emergency. For drivers considering European cover, insurers often offer single-trip or multi-trip cover.

Winning tip: Whitebeams and roe deer in Bristol

I always take friends on an afternoon walk when they visit Bristol, to experience the swift changes in scenery: starting at the tobacco warehouses of Cumberland Basin before ascending from the muddy banks of the River Avon up into Leigh Woods, a national nature reserve. As well as possible animal sightings like peregrine falcons and roe deer, the woods are an important site for whitebeam trees, with several species only growing here. It’s easy to spend a full afternoon crisscrossing the trails before walking over Brunel’s famous suspension bridge for a well-deserved coffee at the Primrose Café in Clifton village.
Tor Hands

A seal colony on a Cumbrian island

South Walney nature reserve (£3 adults, £1 children) has an end-of-the-world feel. You drive through industrial Barrow-in-Furness to reach a windswept island that’s home to Cumbria’s only seal colony and a multitude of migrating seabirds. Curious seals surface as you gaze across the water towards Piel Castle, which can be reached by foot at low tide. More seals can be observed from the immaculately kept hides, full of hand-drawn illustrations, local history and specimens of skeletons and shells. There is even a livestream seal cam for a closer look.
Rebecca Alper Grant

Dartmoor’s way of the dead

Across Dartmoor’s torn spine, the Lych Way drags its long memory westward. Moor folk once hauled their dead like felled trunks, boots sinking in peat’s cold hunger. Wind gnawed faces raw; streams stitched ice through bone. Wheel ruts scarred earth, a ledger of grief. Farms emptied into distance, toward stone prayers waiting. Ravens watched slow processions darken the moor. Ten miles north, Ted Hughes’s memorial stone listens, weather-drunk, to their passing weight, and silence rooting deeper than time beneath heather, where footsteps fade yet pulse on, buried but breathing in Dartmoor’s black remembering heart that never loosens them.
John Chrimes

A cemetery now full of life in London’s East End

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is a truly magical place. Not your typical local nature reserve, and not your typical Victorian-era cemetery, this now deconsecrated space is truly a haven for human and non-human visitors. The site attracts an impressive array of flora and fauna thanks to its carefully “managed wildness”– an essential respite in London’s East End. Wander at your own pace or join the Friends (the charity which has carefully defended and managed the space since the 1990s) for a tour covering topics ranging from foraging and fungi to women’s history and grave symbolism.
LR

Coastal birding and a castle in Dumfries

The Dumfries and Galloway coast is a beautiful but often overlooked gem among Scotland’s natural offerings. Caerlaverock national nature reserve on the Solway Firth is a highlight, with its protected wetlands serving as a seasonal home for thousands of migrating birds, including geese, plovers and waders. It lends the place a year-round charm, even in the cold winter months. And if birdwatching isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the excellent walks and cycle paths, stunning views and a rare sense of peace. Make sure to check out the nearby Caerlaverock Castle (from £6.50 adults, £3.90 children), with its picturesque setting – and unique triangle shape!
Allan Berry

Historic sailing on the Norfolk Broads

We were holidaying in the Broads national park when my husband told me that my birthday present was a day out on a historic wherry yacht. At the boatyard in Wroxham, an enthusiastic crew showed us round the boat, and within a few minutes we were watching the huge gaff-rigged sail rise up the mast. We sipped our tea, gliding silently past the reeds, and stopped for a guided tour of Bure Marshes national nature reserve. Lunch was a picnic on Salhouse Broad, and a treat was a cornet from the ice-cream boat. A perfect day on the water for £60 each.
Allison Armstrong

London’s hidden wetlands

Not many Londoners know that there is a real treasure of a nature reserve just 20 minutes from the city centre by tube. The Walthamstow Wetlands is a protected area, easily reached via Tottenham Hale railway/tube station. I often spend a day there with a picnic, a bird guidebook, a flask of coffee and a pair of binoculars. Birds come to the site to feed around the 10 areas of open water and marshland. Swifts and little ringed plovers arrive in spring. Much-travelled black-tailed godwits can also be seen and there’s even the chance of spotting a peregrine falcon. Enjoy the circular bird walk, viewing platforms and hiding areas. There are also weekly guided bird walks starting from the tube station from early spring. It’s free to enter and wander around the nature reserve. Trees and wild fauna abound everywhere you go – a brilliant oxygen overload after the traffic fumes of central London.
Joe

Hampshire’s alluring lagoons

I only meant to stop briefly at Titchfield Haven national nature reserve (£6.50 adults, £3.50 children), but it drew me in for the entire afternoon. Tucked between river and sea, it feels a world away from the busier south coast. I wandered slow, winding paths through reed beds and lagoons, pausing in a hide where a sudden flash of electric blue revealed a kingfisher. As the tide shifted, the landscape subtly changed and the light softened across the water. Nothing here shouts for attention, and that’s the magic of it – a place where doing nothing feels completely absorbing.
Diane

Lakeside magic in Eryri (Snowdonia)

Near Trefriw in the Eryri national park, there is a scenic walk around Llyn Crafnant reservoir. You can also walk over to Llyn Geirionydd from Llyn Crafnant to swim in the lake or paddleboard; it can get a little busy in the summer but it still feels like a little bit of a secret spot. For a big hike, you can walk down from here, past Crimpiau mountain, to Capel Curig, taking you from the Conwy valley to the Ogwen valley.
Bethan Patfield

On safari in Kent

The approach to Elmley national nature reserve (£10 adults, free for up to two accompanying children) is thrilling: precious saltmarsh habitat sandwiched between the elegant Isle of Sheppey road bridge and the looming hulk of a paper factory across the Swale estuary. The reserve’s safari-like access drive is surrounded by bubbling curlews, darting hares and patrolling marsh harriers, while lapwings cavort just feet from the car. As well as being the UK’s only privately owned national nature reserve, Elmley is also the only one you can stay overnight, so you can sip a drink outside your cosy hut or yurt while short-eared owls hunt for small mammals and barn owls glide silently past. Watching the wildlife action unfold on your own personal savannah is magical.
Cathy Robinson

“Lanterns” co-creator Damon Lindelof is setting the record straight: “Green is f— awesome.”

The prolific TV writer, who is an executive producer on the upcoming HBO Max superhero drama, addressed the backlash against comments he previously made about the Green Lantern show’s title in a lengthy apology posted to Instagram on Monday.

“I made a dumb joke on a comedy podcast,” the “Lost” showrunner wrote in the caption accompanying a photo of him wearing a very green T-shirt with the Green Lantern symbol at his first Comic-Con appearance. “I’m not going to bob and weave about context, the joke was dumb, the fandom is not. I owe them an explanation and a genuine reflection of my actual feelings.”

The joke in question was made during his appearance on a 2024 episode of “Pod Save America” co-host Jon Lovett’s “Lovett or Leave It” podcast. “It’s called ‘Lanterns’ because we all agreed that the ‘Green’ was stupid,” Lindelof said when the host brought up the upcoming TV show.

These remarks were resurfaced recently after the first “Lanterns” teaser was released earlier this month and some fans noticed a lack of green. The uproar gained enough steam that even comic book great Grant Morrison noticed. Morrison, the writer of a Green Lantern comics series from 2018 to 2021, then addressed the situation in a Sunday Substack post calling Lindelof out directly and questioning why he even took the “Lanterns” job.

“Why does a writer attach himself to this kind of narrative if he thinks it’s fundamentally ‘stupid’?” wrote Morrison. “What is this jockish dismissal of superhero conventions intended to prove anyway? Does Lindelof imagine it makes him seem less nerdy? … The only people who give a [f—] about the ‘Lanterns’ TV series are Green Lantern fans. Why alienate them at the start? That feels more like ‘stupid.’”

Lindelof acknowledged Morrison’s criticism and owned up to his faux pas before sharing just how much Hal Jordan — one of the Green Lanterns who will be featured in the series — meant to him growing up.

“For a quiet, uncoordinated kid, there was nothing cooler than a hero whose superpower was his imagination,” Lindelof wrote in his social media apology. “And green is not stupid, it is my lifelong favorite color and I have a questionnaire that I filled out in third grade to prove it.”

“More importantly, it would be a betrayal to everyone I worked for and alongside to say anything other than I was absolutely honored to be a part of the team that manifested the incredible construct that is Lanterns … because it was,” he added. “I was sloppy and careless with my words, ironic considering I care so much about Hal, John and the entire Corps. I can and will do better to be worthy of the oath. … [U]ntil then, I’ll let the show speak for itself and I can’t wait for you all to hear what it has to say.”

Among those sending Lindelof some love in the comments of his Instagram post were “Superman” actor Nathan Fillion, whose Green Lantern Corps member Guy Gardner is set to appear in “Lanterns,” as well as DC Studios boss James Gunn.

“The joke was funny. No harm, no foul! Keep up the great work, we appreciate you!” wrote Fillion, who included a green glove emoji in his message. Gunn was more succinct, showing his support with just a green heart emoji.

“Lanterns,” about superpowered intergalactic cops, will follow new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as they investigate a murder. Co-created by Lindelof, Tom King and showrunner Chris Mundy, the series will premiere in August.

CITY breaks are a perfect short-haul holiday option for Brits, and in some cases even top-tier ones won’t break the bank.

TravelSupermarket has found the cheapest five-star European city holidays and the Portuguese capital has topped the list at under £310pp.

TravelSupermarket found that the average price for a five-star break to Lisbon works out at £308pp.

On TravelSupermarket Sun Travel found some five-star accommodation deals for under £200.

A two-night city break at the VIP Grand Lisboa Hotel & Spa in March starts from £180pp – including flights.

The hotel has a rooftop pool, bar, restaurant, room service, free Wi-Fi, a fitness centre and spa facilities.

EGG-CELLENT CHOICE

The cheapest all-inclusive holidays this Easter break – from just £192pp

DREAMY DEALS

Our pick of the best long haul holidays for short haul prices

Another is The Vintage Lisboa where you can book a two-night city break in March from £269pp.

The boutique hotel is in the heart of the city and has modern interiors as well as a restaurant and bar.

Each room has a flatscreen TV, air conditioning and private bathroom with rain head shower.

It has a spa with a full menu of massages, as well as a sauna, steam bath, hammam and a gym.

The city itself is known for its steep streets, trams and its position on the coastline.

British expat Lauren Clark, who left her life in London for Lisbon reveals it’s an affordable city once you’re there too.

She even said that you can catch up with a friend over a glass of wine for the price of a coffee in the UK.

Lauren explained: “You can pick up a fruity ‘vinho verde’ from a quiosque or restaurant terrace, enjoyed in the sunshine, might set you back just a few euros.

“One of the reasons why the top-notch wine is so affordable – with a bottle of my favourite white costing around three euros in the supermarket – is because Portugal is covered in swathes of vineyards.”

Vinho verde translates to ‘green wine‘, but it’s not actually anything to do with colour.

What is actually refers to is the young age of the grapes.

When it comes to choosing where to drink – you can get views of the city if you go up high onto a rooftop bar.

One trendy place is Park Bar which is at the very top of a parking garage.

Here you can pick up a selection of beers and wines, sangria and some bar snacks – and on Sundays it serves up all-day brunch.

Another is Topo Chiado which has view downtown that one visitor described as ‘breathtaking’, and it has a DJ during the evenings.

While Lisbon is easily walkable it also has lots of trams – it has six different routes and 58 trams.

Lisbon tram tickets usually cost between €3.10 (£2.70) and €3.30 (£2.87) if you buy it onboard.

You can save money in Lisbon by getting a Lisboa card too, which you can buy from £27 and it then gives you access to 51 museums and galleries across the city.

Lisbon doesn’t have many main beaches for sunbathing as such – but just a short-ride away are some lovely coastal spots.

Two popular beaches are Praia da Ursa and Praia do Ribeiro do Cavalo which are both less than an hour’s drive away from the city centre.

For Brits, Lisbon is easy to get to with direct flights taking just two hours and 50 minutes.

In April, flights from London Luton to Lisbon start from £21.

Eight airports across the UK offer direct flights including London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.

When it comes to other city break destinations, cheap five-star holidays include destinations like Krakow and Prague.

Berlin rounds out the top three at £357 per person on average.

Chris Webber, Head of Holidays and Deals at TravelSupermarket said: “There’s a real appetite among British travellers for luxury city breaks, but many assume five-star automatically means five-star prices.

“What this data shows is that destinations like Lisbon, Krakow and Berlin are delivering genuinely premium experiences at remarkably competitive price points.

“As ever, Eastern Europe in particular offers exceptional value, and with so much history, culture and food on offer in cities like Prague and Budapest.”

These are the top 10 destinations for a cheap five-star break…

Here are the cheapest destinations and the average price for a five-star city break in Europe from TravelSupermarket…

1. Lisbon – £308pp
2. Krakow – £321pp
3. Berlin – £357pp
4. Prague – £375pp
5. Budapest – £430pp
6. Venice – £500pp
7. Barcelona – £539pp
8. Rome – £555pp
9. Amsterdam – £633pp
10. Paris – £967pp

For more on cheap city breaks, here are some in Europe that are CHEAPER than an English train ticket.

And here is Europe’s ‘top trending city break’ destination has been revealed with flights for £15 and beers for £2.17.