worlds

CAMB.AI is introducing its new Streaming SDK and Streaming Dashboard at IBC2026,  with integrations into NVIDIA Holoscan for Media  open reference architecture

The release gives developers and broadcast teams new ways to integrate, manage and deploy real-time multilingual broadcasting within their existing workflows.

Multilingual broadcasting, now live as an SDK

Available for C++, Python, Java and Rust, the SDKs allow developers to start broadcasting in multiple languages with as little as three lines of code, making it easier to integrate multilingual capabilities directly into existing applications and workflows.

CAMB.AI’s live streaming platform supports 150+ languages, producing dubbed audio and subtitles for live content. It supports source-speaker voice cloning, studio voices and custom terminology, allowing names, venues, sponsors and other specific terminology to remain consistent across languages. 

The release features the latest quality enhancements backed by CAMB’s foundational models MARS and BOLI.

Bringing live dubbing  to NVIDIA Holoscan for Media open reference architecture

CAMB.AI’s new capabilities will be available within the NVIDIA Holoscan for Media reference architecture as a hybrid SaaS. 

Holoscan for Media is NVIDIA’s open reference architecture and developer toolkit for building AI-powered live media solutions on NVIDIA infrastructure.

Program audio can be processed by CAMB.AI’s models to produce dubbed commentary in each target language, with outputs returned to the production network or delivered directly to destinations including CDN, OTT and YouTube Live.

For broadcasters, this allows live localization to operate alongside other production applications. It reduces the need to send feeds to a separate cloud localization environment and back, reducing infrastructure hops while allowing media to remain within the broadcaster’s facility or own cloud environment when required.

New Streaming Dashboard

The new Streaming Dashboard provides a visual environment for building, launching and monitoring multilingual streams.

Operators can configure sources, select audio, set processing profiles, create language pipelines and manage output destinations from a single interface. During a live broadcast, teams can monitor stream health, outputs, runtime and live transcripts, as well as pause and resume dubbing without stopping the stream.

CAMB.AI’s live localization technology has already been used across Ligue 1+, NASCAR and Eurovision Sport, including live AI-dubbed commentary and multilingual subtitling.

See It at IBC2026

CAMB.AI will preview its new dashboard and SDKs at IBC2026. Visitors will be able to see live multilingual dubbing in action at the CAMB.AI booth.

CAMB.AI builds localization AI for content, entertainment and sport.

Its MARS family of speech models and livestreaming platform deliver dubbing, translation and subtitles in more than 150 languages, live and on demand.

Founded in 2022, CAMB.AI has offices in Dubai and San Francisco.

The historic English city with Roman roots was crowned the world’s most beautiful city according to research

Sitting in northwest England close to the Welsh border, this historic city is steeped in centuries of history. Chester’s story stretches back almost 2,000 years.

The city was founded as Deva Victrix, a major Roman fortress, around AD 79. Today, traces of its Roman past can still be found throughout Chester, including the remains of its impressive amphitheatre and parts of the original fortress.

One of Chester’s biggest attractions is its remarkably well-preserved city walls. The roughly two-mile circuit follows the route of the city’s historic defences and offers a unique way to explore Chester, taking in many of its best-known landmarks along the way.

‘Most beautiful’ city

Chester has been previously crowned the most beautiful city in the world. Taking the top spot with an impressive 83.7% “beauty score” based on the “golden ratio”, Chester had seen off fierce competition from Edinburgh, Bristol, Prague, Venice and even Rome to claim the coveted title.

The research, carried out by Online Mortgage Advisor, used Google Street View to assess the architectural grandeur of thousands of homes, landmarks and streets from across the globe.

While the study ranked cities on their built environment, its foundations are firmly rooted in the world of art.

Explaining the significance of the golden ratio in the art world, it noted: “Artists over the last few centuries have incorporated the golden ratio into their work, believing it to be a gold standard in natural aesthetic perfection,” reports the Express.

Perhaps nothing gives Chester its distinctive character quite like The Rows.

These unusual two-level, covered walkways run through the heart of the city centre, with shops, cafés and restaurants lining the galleries.

The medieval structures are among Chester’s most recognisable features and give the city centre an atmosphere unlike many other places in England.

Meanwhile, the magnificent Chester Cathedral is another highlight, with a history spanning centuries and architecture ranging from the Norman period through to the Victorian era.

The Eastgate Clock has also become one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. Perched above the Eastgate section of the city walls, it is an especially popular spot for photographs.

Walkable city

Despite officially being a city, Chester’s compact historic centre has a distinctly smaller-town feel.

Visitors can wander between independent shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants while surrounded by timber-framed, black-and-white buildings that give parts of the city an almost storybook appearance.

Beyond the centre, the surrounding Cheshire countryside provides plenty of opportunities to escape the bustle.

Chester’s location also makes it a convenient base for exploring North Wales, while Liverpool and Manchester are both within easy reach.

It is no wonder that Chester draws visitors from across the globe, with many leaving glowing five-star reviews on Tripadvisor.

John J was thoroughly impressed during a visit, saying: “Chester really is a beautiful town.”

He added: “The Chester Rows are just what makes Chester. Beautiful old buildings kept in remarkable condition. Walking around and seeing the history and beauty is so enjoyable. Sampled some nice food and pubs.”

During a visit to the cathedral, Sue. W called it “magnificient inside and out”.

She added: “This cathedral is magnificent. It is large so takes some time to get round it and do it justice. The craftsmanship inside is superb from the stone masonry to the tiled floors and the wooden carving to the stained glass.”

What is the ‘golden ratio’?

For centuries, artists have woven the ‘golden ratio’ into their creations, regarding it as the ultimate benchmark of natural aesthetic perfection.

By applying the ratio to measure buildings and iconic landmarks, experts have been able to determine which cities across the UK and the wider world can boast the most stunning architecture.

Other British cities that made the grade include London and Belfast, scoring 83% and 82.9% respectively.

On the global stage, Chester was closely followed by Venice, which scored 83.3%; Rome, with 82%; and the Spanish city of Barcelona rounding things off with 81.9% on the scale.

Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro are two cities on most people’s bucket lists, but which one reigns supreme when it comes to the best – one writer compares the two

Days shaped by sand, surf and salt air. Nights by bars, beats and grills. All played out in a city somehow woven between soaring mountains and sun-swept shores. Sounds good, no? Well this is both Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and South Africa’s Cape Town. Then chuck in vibrant waterfront neighbourhoods, primeval hiking trails, world-class food and drink, plus a melting pot of cultures and you’ve got what it takes to be the greatest city in the world. Which is what both have boldly claimed.

But they both can’t be right, so which takes the crown? I’ve lived in samba-soaked Rio, and recently spent a month exploring the city straddling Africa’s southern tip, so may just be qualified enough to have a say in the debate that’s enraged Brazilians and South Africans online. The neutral voice of reason ’n’ all that.

Weather

Rio has a glorious tropical climate. Hot and humid, with sweltering summers often as high as 40C. You’ll rarely feel cold, but if you’re of a sensitive disposition, it may be too much heat to handle. Plus biblical rains can wash your trip away.

Conversely, Cape Town has a Mediterranean-style climate. Dry, warm summers with highs of a perfect 30C. Fantastic if it weren’t for one thing – the wind. Known as the “Cape Doctor”, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Sweeping in off the ocean, it can make a hot summer’s day feel like autumn. Worse, it can be downright violent, turning beaches into giant sandblasters, stinging your skin, near blinding you. Bad doctor.

Verdict: Rio is the winner.

Beaches

Oh my, what an amazing array of beaches they both have, like no other city in the world. Apart from each other, of course. Both have smaller arcing sands near the city centre, becoming longer and more pristine the further out of town you head.

Just south of the centre, Rio has the world-famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, broad stretches of golden sand where the whole city decants to at weekends to let it all hang out in too-scant swimwear.

Cape Town has the likes of smaller yet very pretty Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, which were far more debonair than I expected. More like the Cote d’Azur than the Cape of Good Hope.

Further up the coast, Rio has beautiful Barra, and Cape Town kite-surf strewn Bloubergstrand, giant stretches of glorious open coastline pounded by those big blue waves.

But the key difference is that Rio’s waters are much warmer, whereas Cape Town’s side of the Atlantic is surprisingly cold year-round, plus that wiiiind, meaning you don’t see many people swimming – the complete opposite of Rio.

Verdict: Rio takes the crown.

Mountains

Both have an imperious plethora of peaks. Cape Town’s most famous is Table Mountain, which your eyes can dine upon from all over the city. Rio’s is craggy Corcovado, atop which the statue of Christ offers redemption to thousands of tourists daily. But there are countless breathtaking viewpoints from many other fantastically surreal mountains, plus hiking trails that transport you into oh-so-big nature – lush jungle in Rio, temperate forest in Cape Town – a world away from the urbanity below.

Verdict: All too amazing to call. Draw.

City centres

Surprisingly, their city centres are the least impressive aspect. Both have smallish downtowns and historical quarters, which are nice but nothing impressive compared to some global cities. Much better are the colourful colonial-era neighbourhoods – Lapa in Rio, Bo Kaap in Cape Town – where you can join the tourist hordes to get your Insta-pics.

Down by the water, Rio’s Port Zone has cool museums and galleries, while Cape Town’s upmarket V&A Waterfront is very pretty with great views and shops, albeit a tad generic. Then both have plush beach front neighbourhoods, where you can whimsically while away days on the golden sands or trendy terraces.

Verdict: Again, too close to call. Draw.

Food and drink

Both have excellent culinary scenes, especially their meats and barbecues. Yum. But Cape Town has a much broader option of cuisines and restaurants, local and international, and during the entire month I was there I didn’t have a single bad meal. Caipirinhas and other potent cocktails get the party rocking in Rio, but Cape Town’s wines are next level. Despite being of proud Provençal stock, I can freely admit their rosés were the best I’d ever tasted. Perfect sundowners.

Verdict: Cape Town is the clear winner here.

Prices

Both have similar prices, which are considerably cheaper than the UK and Western Europe. Decent budget meals are around £4-£10, and mid-level accommodation around £50-£100pn. There are plenty of upmarket options, which are also relatively good value for money.

Verdict: Draw.

Nightlife and music

Both cities come alive even more when the sun sinks into the ocean. Your more mainstream bars and restaurants line the beachfronts, while cool bar-clubs are found in the more hipster hoods of Ipanema and Lapa in Rio, and Bree St and Woodstock in Cape Town.

Both cities are home to world-class music, Rio sways to the sound of samba, rap and “funk”, whereas in Cape Town it’s Afro house, amapiano and 3-step that get things thumping.

Verdict: Cape Town (but mostly due to my penchant for house music), although if we were judging it on Carnival season alone, nothing comes close to Rio!

Vibe

Brazilians are famously some of the most friendly and welcoming people in the world, which is true for Rio, but like any big city, you get plenty of miserable buggers too. People of all shades were friendly with me when I was in Cape Town, yet seemingly not that much with each other.

Sadly, both cities are still riddled with historical divisions between class and race, yet in Cape Town the legacy of Apartheid looms large indeed, and as a tourist you unfortunately won’t see much of the native African side of the city. The division feels tense.

Verdict: Rio.

Overall verdict

My biggest gripe with Cape Town is that as a tourist, you only really see the predominantly rich, white neighbourhoods that feel more like Canada, the US and Australia than Africa.

In Rio, though, everywhere is very Brazilian, no matter the social makeup of the area. Plus the beaches are a leveller, especially Copacabana where the whole city congregates for communal sun-worshipping, eating, drinking, sport playing, and strutting of stuff, no matter if black, white or brown, muscle-bound or beer-belly beautiful – nobody seemingly cares.

And that, for me, is the key difference – which is why Rio is my overall winner.

THE Portuguese love a summer spent in the Algarve as much as the rest of us.

But instead of the better-known Albufeira, Faro and Lagos, they head to the quaint fishing town of Tavira.

On the eastern end of the famous coastline, it has calmer, cheaper and more cultured experiences than its neighbouring tourist hotspots.

And with easyJet having launched new routes from the UK this summer, it’s the perfect time to explore new Algarvian shores.

WHY SHOULD I GO?

Put simply, for the numerous beaches. Tavira is a paradise within the Algarve, which was last year crowned the World’s Best Beach Destination 2025.

These numerous wild, sandy stretches are largely unspoilt and crowd-free, even in peak season.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

Notably, they include the beautiful Praia da Ilha de Tavira, which spans eight miles, leaving plenty of room for your beach towel.

Here, the sea is famously warmer as it is more sheltered from the chilly expanse of Atlantic Ocean.

STREETS MADE FOR WALKING?

To reach Praia da Ilha de Tavira, you will need to take a ferry or, if you feel you like splashing out, a water taxi.

From Tavira, the easiest place to hop on is at the town’s pier.

Ferries, which operate between March and October, take 20 minutes and cost around £2 for a return trip.

Back on dry land in central Tavira, however, the town’s winding, cobbled streets can be easily explored on foot.

Make sure to stroll along the picturesque Gilao river, which runs through the centre, flanked by traditional tile-covered buildings.

And linger to take in the live music at golden hour on the old Ponte Romana bridge.

Want to rest your legs? You can travel past the town’s key landmarks on a traditional hop-on, hop-off “tourist train”.

ANYTHING FOR THE BUCKET LIST?

For those who like to relax on holiday, the port town’s beaches include the option to rent sunloungers, as well as surfboards, and enjoy beach club drinks served while you sunbathe.

While you’re between the sandy dunes and saltwater lagoons, you may even see the flamingos, dolphins and turtles that call this area home.

If you often get itchy feet and like to immerse yourself in the local culture — or need to walk off the traditional dessert of a freshly baked pastel de nata — then this is a Portuguese spot rich in history.

The ruins of a Moorish castle can be found in Tavira, and they are free to explore.

Plenty of architectural evidence also remains of the sailors and fishermen who came to inhabit the town in the Middle Ages.

WHERE SHOULD I EAT?

Given its proximity to the coast, seafood is the most popular choice here.

Try Mesa Farta, which has a modern take on traditional Portuguese food, including homemade sourdough and mackerel, as well as fresh chocolate mousse.

Special occasion? You can’t beat A Ver Tavira. Situated near the castle and with the best views in town, it is one of only seven Michelin-starred restaurants in the Algarve, with mouthwatering dishes that take culinary inspiration from the local area.

A particular favourite of the locals is Restaurante Pedro, in the nearby village of Cabanas de Tavira.

I FANCY A DRINK

There are no shortage of bars in Tavira. One popular option is Arcada, positioned on the main square, which serves freshly-shaken cocktails.

Meanwhile, the Black Anchor is an Irish bar with a terrace that overlooks the river, with the Portuguese beer Sagres on the menu — or even a Guinness on tap if you must.

If you are more of an early bird than a night owl, the town is brimming with cafes where you can get your caffeine fix for less than a couple of euros.

Flat white or matcha more to your taste? Then head to speciality coffee shop, The Table.

WHERE SHOULD I STAY?

For complete tranquillity, head to the 4* Quinta dos Perfumes, with its rooms and pool area nestled in an oasis of orange and avocado trees.

It is less than a ten-minute drive from the centre, a 15-minute walk to the boats at Cabanas de Tavira and close to Benamor golf course.

This huge cave is more than 2,000 metres deep.

Deep beneath a massive mountain range lies a sprawling cave system that spirals beneath the hills, extending more than 2000 metres into the earth. This cave system is the deepest in the world (depending on who you ask), its limestone caverns so huge that you could upend Ben Nevis and place it inside, and still have room remaining.

The Veryovkina Cave lies beneath the Gagra Range of the Western Caucasus within the Georgian region of Abkhazia. This cave is one of two which frequently compete for the title of the deepest cave on earth.

According to Live Science, both Veryovkina and another cave in the same region, Krubera (also known as the Everest of the Deep), alternate as record holders, depending on the most recent research.

Both caves are more than 2,000 metres deep and are frequently explored further by scientists and cavers who are constantly updating the measurements.

The caves are dark, inhospitable and cold with temperatures rarely exceeding 3°C.

As you descend further into the depths, animals begin to change. Many of the species which call these caves home have no eyes or pigmentation and have long antennae, appendages and hairs which help them sense vibrations and move throughout the blackness of the cave system.

As of January this year, Veryovkina is currently in the lead, with a depth of 2,212 metres, or 1.37 miles. Krubera is close behind, at 2,199 metres, or 1.37 miles.

Veryovkina was discovered in 1968 and given the name S-115 and then renamed in 1986 after Alexander Veryovkin, a cave diver who died in a water-filled passage while exploring a nearby cave Su-Akan.

Another major incident in Veryovkina Cave occurred in 2018, and very nearly killed a team of cave explorers.

National Geographic photographer Robbie Shone and his assistant Jeff Wade joined a team of Russian explorers who had descended to the very bottom of the cave over four days.

They were camped in the darkness to undertake a more detailed examination of the cavern.

One morning, the team were eating breakfast when the cavern shook as if an earthquake had struck, and according to Robbie an “enormous torrent” of white water appeared from a hole and began to flood the cavern.

National Geographic wrote about the team’s desperate scramble back up the cave to escape the rapid flooding.

Robbie remembered climbing through the tight passages upwards as they rapidly filled with water.

He said: “All I could see was the white rope in front of me. “And I just kept moving the ascender up a little bit at a time. I was saying to myself, ‘Just keep going. Just keep doing this.’”

The whole team escaped from the cave, barely.

Robbie said: “This team had the strength, the reserves, mentally and physically, to deal with the worst situation. That’s not only why they’re exploring the deepest cave in the world so successfully, but why we all survived.”

EVER wanted to head to a music festival abroad? Well, how about heading to the world’s biggest where most concerts are free?

Found in the capital of Morocco – Rabat – Mawazine isn’t your usual festival.

Instead of lasting the normal three-days, Mawazine goes on for nine days in total.

The festival takes place each June and its attendance always breaks records with 3.75million people visiting in 2025 – making it the largest music festival in the world by attendance.

As for whats on at the festival, around 90 per cent of the concerts are free to attend.

You can expect Moroccan and Arab artists as well as global headliners.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

SO FLY

Our fave beach hols under 5 hours from UK with Caribbean dupes & £2 bottles of wine

There are a seven stages in total including OLM Souissi, which is the main stage where international stars such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Shakira, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and Maroon 5 have all performed.

You could then go to the Nahda Stage, which is dedicated to Arabic and Oriental music.

And over at Chellah, you’ll find a historic Roman site used for calm with acoustic music.

The festival isn’t just music either – you can expect art exhibitions, workshops and film screenings.

If you want to head to the festival, make sure to book your hotel well ahead.

The city of Rabat is transformed for the nine days as well, with cafes and shops open later.

The city is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site meaning there is plenty to explore including a huge medina, Hassan Tower and Kasbah of the Oudayas – a historic fortress with sea views.

Return flights from the UK to Rabat cost as little as £125 in June.

Drivers will be required to pay a toll to cross the bridge.

A new bridge connecting the city of Messina, in Sicily, to mainland Italy is set to become the world’s longest suspension bridge. The project, estimated to cost £11.5billion, has received the green light and is expected to be finished by 2032-2033.

The Strait of Messina Bridge will stretch a total length of 3,666 metres (2.2 miles), and is designed to accommodate six lanes of traffic and two railway tracks. It will have a maximum capacity of 200 trains a day and 6,000 vehicles an hour.

The world’s longest bridge is currently the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, spanning 34 miles.

The Strait of Messina Bridge sits at the point where the African and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making seismic planning absolutely vital.

In 1908, Europe’s most powerful earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck southern Italy, centred in the Messina Strait. Moments after the earthquake, a devastating tsunami formed, causing 40-foot waves.

The population of Messina was reduced from 150,000 to only hundreds, and the total death toll in Italy was nearly 200,000.

The project plans state that “from a seismic viewpoint, the bridge is able to withstand an earthquake of 7.1 on the Richter scale”.

Motorists will be required to pay a toll to cross the bridge. The cost of a single crossing in a motor vehicle will be between €4 and €7 (£3-£6) per trip.

The project’s website explained: “The above rates will ensure that the cost of the project will be covered over the period of the concession term, as well as the related operating costs and routine and non-routine maintenance expenses.

“At the same time, the bridge will provide seamless travel between Sicily and Calabria with tolls far lower than the current cost of crossing the Strait.”

WHEN most of us check into a hotel, it’s likely to have a restaurant, a spa and a bar – but around the globe are some VERY luxurious ones with suites costing as much as £30k per night.

In a new Channel 4 series, First Dates star Fred Sirieix heads behind the scenes to see what exactly makes these hotels the best of the best.

In the show called Fred‘s Ultimate Hotel, the charming maître d’ explores four hotels; The Royal Mansour in Marrakesh, The Royal Madikwe Lodge in South Africa, Les Barmes de l’Ours in France and Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

All of the hotels are five-star with Michelin-star dining and experiences that make them a step above the rest.

Thanks to his history of working in hospitality, Fred can definitely make a judgement on whether these hotels live up to expectation.

Fred explained: “I’ve been doing this work from the age of 15 in hotels and restaurants – so I speak the lingo.

CHECK IN

Sunny European city breaks cheaper than a night out… £14 flights & £3 JUGS of wine

HOL YES

Cheap holiday destinations with 86p beers, £15 flights & £129pp package breaks

“Observing them, being a guest and then behind the scenes and working with the people there because this is all I’ve done all my life – and I wanted to see if these hotels were actually ultimate and why.”

Not only does Fred check-in at the hotels as a guest but he also goes behind the scenes as concierge and even bar staff – so here are the best ones he explored.

The Royal Mansour, Marrakesh

The first stop is at The Royal Mansour in Marrakesh which is owned by King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

It has 53 private riads with gardens, courtyard patio, roof terrace, swimming pools, hammams and each comes with a personal butler.

Fred said: “The most incredible thing is that this hotel was built from scratch and this started from the back of the house.

“They created the most efficient hotel, it’s aerodynamic – it’s like Formula 1 it makes for such fast service.

Fred continued: “I was an easy customer for the butler, by 6 o’clock I told him I was OK. I can call room service or make my own coffee from the machine in my room – but some customers use the butler for 18-hours a day.”

“These are the Premier League of hotels – and the way to be the best is to not say no. You have to deliver – they are working at the highest level.”

The Royal Mansour in Marrakesh ranked 13th globally and Best Hotel in Africa at the World’s 50 Best Hotels Awards last year.

Sounds incredible, right? If you’re looking to stay, you might need to start saving now as the top suite, the Grand Riad, costs over £30,000 per night.

The Royal Madikwe Lodge, South Africa

The next stop on his trip is safe to say one of Fred’s best, and possibly worst emotional experiences, at The Royal Madikwe Lodge in South Africa.

Fred explained: “The Royal Madikwe, out of all the places I have been in the world, I have never felt so emotional throughout.

“From the moment I arrived, I started to cry. It was so emotional – I almost died in the bush, sandwiched between an elephant and two rhinos.”

Luckily bush ranger Ernie came to Fred’s rescue: “He saved my life because of how he dealt with the situation.”

“The staff there were on another level – it was very touching. It was very different as well like when I was in the bush with Ernie because it was a very responsible job.”

The most expensive accommodation at The Royal Madikwe Lodge is The Sovereign House which racks up to £6,000 per night.

It sits by a well-travelled elephant path so guests are likely to see the creatures from the comfort of their room.

It has room for six guests across three spacious bedrooms, with a glass wine cellar, plunge pool and private boma.

Barmes de l’Ours, France

Tucked way in the French ski resort of Val-d’sère is the five-star luxury Les Barmes de l’Ours.

It’s safe to say that Fred, who was born and raised in France, had high hopes and luckily, they delivered.

Fred said: “These people are the embodiment of French hospitality – it’s a dying art that people do not practice anymore.

“From the moment I arrived, I was so impressed. It’s rare in life when you’re really impressed in life and you see excellence in people who want to do a good job.

“One thing about these hotels is that the five-star standard must be everywhere. If you’re walking down a corridor and you cross a member of staff – they must see, smile and say hello before you do that to them.”

The hotel in the mountains has North American-style lodges, alpine chalets and even contemporary lofts.

It’s the only hotel to sit at the foot of Face de Bellevarde – a black run which has a vertical drop of 850metres.

With the hotel guests can fly in via private helicopter and arrange paragliding flights from the slopes, it also has a two-lane bowling alley.

Here, the Bear Suite is the most expensive at over £3,500 per night – it has a private Jacuzzi, sauna, hammam and balcony overlooking the mountains.

When a hotel has former guests like Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William and Princess Kate, and Elizabeth Taylor – you know it’s going to be amazing.

Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Raffles Hotel in Singapore is found on 1 Beach Road, the colonial-style hotel is surrounded by lush gardens and it has a huge rooftop pool.

It’s the birthplace of the Singapore Sling cocktail which was invented at its Long Bar where Fred attempts to create the drink himself.

Its suites all have high ceilings with separate living areas. Guests get 24-hour butler service – and it’s in a league of its own with personalised itinerary and service.

Fred said the special touches from his butler makes the experience extra special.

He explained: “I arrived on Father’s Day and the butler there looked me up before I arrived.

“They prepared a Father’s Day card for me with pictures of my children and left it in the room – it was so special. I thought wow, this is a touch above the rest.”

Raffles Hotel started off as a 10-bedroom bungalow before being expanded into the grand hotel it is now with 115 suites.

The Presidential Suite in Raffles Hotel Singapore costs around £12,000 per night.

Fred’s Ultimate Hotel starts 31st August at 8pm on Channel 4.

THE WORLD’S top cities for a night out have been revealed with one spot in the UK making the list – and no, it isn’t London, Birmingham or Manchester.

The UK is home to great nights out anywhere you go, but one seaside city in particular has it all.

According to Time Out, Brighton is the best city to go on a night out in the UK and one of the best spots in the world.

The publication commented: “Brighton’s legacy as the home of the UK’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene continues to thrive.

“Of all cities on this ranking, Brighton received the highest score for its sense of community, with 84 per cent of locals saying it’s easy to make connections in the seaside city.”

According to TripAdvisor, the best spot to head to in the city is Maggie Mae’s, which opened back in 2014 and claims to be “one of Brighton’s busiest and most loved venues”.

Read more on travel inspo

GET A ROOM

13 London hotels we love for UNDER £100- all-inclusives & bargain suites

SO FLY

Our fave beach hols under 5 hours from UK with Caribbean dupes & £2 bottles of wine

For the number one LGBTQ+ nightclub on the South Coast, visit Revenge which has three floors, five VIP booths and even a magic mirror photobooth.

A raunchier option is Madam Lola’s – a cabaret and nightlife experience inside a Grade II-listed building with drag performances, dancing on tables and circus performances.

If you like to enjoy a pint but also want a bit of fun then The World’s End is the ideal spot.

The venue is home to a lively bar area as well as a 10-person remote controlled race track and a retro arcade.

If you want something unique, head to Alcotraz – a prison-cum-bar immersive experience – or for sticky floors and cheesy tunes, head to Pryzm nightclub.

Comedy clubs are more your thing? Brighton has options including Komedia, which hosts around 700 comedy performances each year.

While Brighton came eighth overall, the top spot went to Bangkok in Thailand.

The city has “everything you could ask for, from the pokey street-side bars to the mega clubs and the 360-degree rooftop bars to the wild LGBTQ+ party pads”, according to Time Out.

In second place – and the best city for nightlife in Europe – was Berlin in Germany, known for the hedonistic Berghain where cameras are banned but nudity is a go.

Time Out said: “Berlin’s nightlife is at a turning point. Rising rents and redevelopment have fuelled what critics call Clubsterben: the slow death of the city’s legendary clubs.

“But there is light at the end of the darkroom. Germany is aiming to reclassify its clubs as cultural institutions, making them harder for developers to displace; a new layer of protecting following UNESCO’s 2024 recognition of Berlin’s techno culture as intangible cultural heritage.”

Rounding out the top three was New York in America.

This train track claimed the lives of hundreds of people during its 24 years of construction.

Burrowing beneath a towering mountain range in Massachusetts is a railway tunnel with a long and blood soaked history. The Hoosac Tunnel travels between North Adams in the west to the town of Florida, Massachusetts in the east. It was constructed in 1851 and finally finished in 1975.

However, during its 24 years of construction, this railway tunnel claimed the lives of around 200 men, giving it the terrifying nickname of ‘the Bloody Pit’. Men were killed by explosions, falling rocks and accidents with ladders and scaffolding, leading to a strike in 1865 where workers burned buildings in protest of the horrific working conditions.

Over the year following the strike, a further 14 men were killed or injured at work in the tunnel.

On October 17, 1867, the tunnel saw the deadliest accident of its 24 years in construction.

Workers were digging a 1,028 foot long vertical exhaust shaft when a candle ignited the fumes that had leaked from a lamp.

An explosion ripped through the shaft, setting the hoist alight. It collapsed into the shaft, trapping 13 men working at the base of the shaft inside the darkness.

The pumps were destroyed, and the shaft began to fill with water.

In a desperate attempt to save the men trapped below, a worker was lowered into the shaft the following day but was overcome by fumes and reported no survivors once he reached the surface again.

Horrifyingly, when workers reached the bottom of the shaft months later they found that at least some of the men had survived long enough to build a raft to escape the rising flood waters before they suffocated.

The men died due to a lack of oxygen as fires burned through the air.

Despite the tragedies that befall construction, the tunnel was finally completed and used by both passenger and freight trains.

Today, the tunnel still stands but is only used for freight trains.

THE world’s most famous nepo-baby North West has revealed she is planning to land a job at Starbucks next year.

The 13-year-old star is arguably the most famous child-star and nepo-baby thanks to her parents being Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

She has already carved out an impressive career having released her own music, appeared in stage productions and taken part in fashion editorials all before becoming a teenager.

But despite already living the life of luxury in the fame world, North has now admitted that she wants to give it all up and bag a “regular job”.

In a brand new interview with Dazed magazine, North confessed that as well as her music career, her dream role is to be work as a barista at Starbucks.

Speaking to the publication, North said: “I still wanna work.

‘DOESN’T SIT RIGHT’

North West, 13, worries fans with chilling music vid & haunting lyrics

TOO FAR?

North West, 13, sparks concern as she debuts THIGH piercings on night out

“I wanna work at, like, Starbucks next year.

“I think I can next year ’cause I’m gonna be 14, so… I think I can.

“I want to have a regular job, I guess.”

It marks a major U-turn for the young star to pivot away from the mega Kardashian brand.

In her first magazine interview, North also opened up on her well-discussed look.

Despite her tender age, conversation has swirled around her dyed blue hair and multiple body piercings.

Clapping back, she said: “Everyone’s in love with boys, vaping and doing all kinds of bad stuff.

“All I want is blue hair and piercings.”

But North did reveal that she had been disallowed from getting her “bridge pierced” – a piercing that goes through the top of your nose and under your eyebrow.

The waters far away from El Niño’s Pacific hunting ground are also extremely warm, including around the UK and Europe.

The western English Channel has seen almost continuous marine heatwave conditions for more than three years, peaking at 7C above normal in July, according to Prof Tim Smyth, director of science at Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

“This is unprecedented,” he added.

Scientists say such widespread warmth around the planet is a clear sign of the growing effect that human-caused climate change is having on the world’s seas.

The oceans take up more than 90% of the excess heat trapped by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels.

“The latest Copernicus data reinforce the troubling upward trend in ocean temperatures,” said Smyth.

Warmer seas help to fuel more extreme weather. They can provide storms with extra moisture and energy, and can intensify heatwaves on land in some coastal regions by reducing the cooling effect of sea breezes.

Warmer water also takes up more space, raising sea levels and bringing a greater risk of coastal flooding – while intense ocean heat can be devastating for sea habitats, such as coral reefs.

The increasing frequency of marine heatwaves is already “putting increasing pressure on marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them”, Burgess said.

Can you name the top 20 men’s bowlers in the world based on the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings?

There are plenty of big names but some less obvious answers too. There is also only one Englishman.

Have a go at our quiz and let us know your score in the comments.

A SMALL UK train station that sees thousands of festivalgoers every year has had a glow-up.

Castle Cary train station in Somerset has had a £835,000 vintage makeover.

The train station is close to Glastonbury Festival, making it the ideal stop to get to the festival.

The inside of the station has now been restored to a classic style, with the original entrance reopened.

Along the platform, travellers will find more seating, a digital departure board and a new toilet.

The ticket office boasts a wooden panelled exterior with a black and beige sign that reads ‘tickets’.

Read more on travel inspo

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

The walls are then painted in different shades of brown.

There is a new ramp for wheelchair access as well.

Around 350,000 people use the station each year to head to Glastonbury Festival, which is around six miles away and served by a free shuttle during the festival.

From the station, there are numerous services including Great Western Railway services direct to London Paddington.

According to the BBC, Tim Hedley Jones, director of the Railway Heritage Trust, said: “I’m particularly pleased to see the reproduction of the original Great Western Railway benches so that people can appreciate the quality of furniture that was provided in stations, and also the colours that were used.

“Historic stations have character. This project, whilst also bringing back the old heritage at the station, removed the clutter and made it a much more positive experience for passengers in a modern context.”

For Welsh fans, the arrival of the tour offers a chance to watch a strong contingent of homegrown riders racing alongside some of the sports biggest names, including 2024 winner and two-time world champion, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx – Protime).

Among the Welsh headliners is British champion Zoe Backstedt who goes into stage 3 in 51st, 2 minutes 48 seconds behind leader, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx – Protime).

The 21-year-old is competing less than three weeks on from making her highly anticipated Tour de France (TdF) Femmes debut, where she finished 50th overall.

Racing on home roads will offer Backstedt another exciting opportunity to build on what has already been a successful season.

The Canyon-SRAM rider has won British road race and time trial titles plus a sprint stage at the Tour de Suisse Femmes, and retained the 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour title a year after becoming the youngest winner of the race.

And she has her elder sister, Elynor Backstedt who rides for UAE Team L’IMAD, for company, making this year’s race a family affair, with their father Magnus also taking on a sport director role for Human Powered Health.