World

Toulouse, the fourth largest city in France, is known as the ‘Pink City’ due to its terracotta brick buildings, and it’s been named one of the best cities to visit in 2025

Those who crave the excitement of a city getaway but prefer to avoid the crowds may find the charming “Pink City” of France to be an ideal destination. Characterised by vibrant streets, an historic centre, and a thriving nightlife, Toulouse boasts distinctive terracotta brick buildings that radiate a warm, pinkish-orange hue, particularly at sunset.

Nestled close to the Spanish border, Toulouse has earned the nickname ‘La Ville Rose’ (The Pink City) due to its unique architecture. Founded by the Romans, this captivating city effortlessly wins over visitors with its distinctive charm, showcasing the quintessential essence of French southern culture.

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Situated in southwestern France, Toulouse stretches along the picturesque Garonne River, blending history, art, and cutting-edge innovation. A short, one-hour flight from the UK, with pleasant temperatures of 21C in April, it’s hard to resist this enchanting destination.

As spring awakens in France during April, it’s an excellent time to discover Toulouse’s attractions and bask in the beauty of blossoming flowers.

For history enthusiasts, Toulouse offers an array of breathtaking landmarks, including the grand central square, Place du Capitole, which pulsates with activity at the city’s heart.

This vibrant square is always abuzz, featuring daytime market stalls, rugby match celebrations, and newlyweds emerging from city hall, reports the Express.

The Basilique Saint-Sernin, dedicated to the first Bishop of Toulouse, Saint Saturnin, is an unmissable UNESCO-listed Romanesque gem in the city.

Toulouse tantalises taste buds with its sumptuous local dishes – especially the iconic cassoulet, a must-try slow-cooked stew renowned in this region.

Boasting its status as France’s fourth-largest city with a significant student presence, Toulouse pulsates with life, offering non-stop excitement with delectable meals in top-notch restaurants, chilled coffee breaks at quaint bistros, and relaxing evenings sipping wine at chic bars.

Toulouse has been slated as the place to be, earning Lonely Planet’s praise as the ‘best city in the world‘ to visit in 2025, proclaiming: “Often referred to as ‘Paris in Miniature’, Toulouse is a maze-like city overflowing with art galleries in repurposed industrial spaces, excellent food and scenic river and canal banks.”

Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al-Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie, Chelsea, Club Leon*.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al-Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

*Since removed by Fifa for failing to meet multi-club ownership criteria.

JACOB MURPHY is dreaming of being the next one of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle stars to make their England breakthrough.

Carabao Cup Final goalscoring hero Dan Burn, 32, was the latest Toon player to make their Three Lions bow.

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Anthony Gordon, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento all become internationals under the guidance of Howe at St James’ over the past year.

And now winger Murphy hopes his form can catch the eye of Thomas Tuchel ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Murphy said: “That’s a conversation me and coach Graeme Jones have been having for a number of seasons. Just got to keep putting in performances and they’re always casting an eye out on all the English players.

“To see Dan get his call up was amazing. It does give you that extra motivation to know that it really is possible.

“We’ve got Gordy, Lewis Hall, Tino and when you’re kicking it with them every week you know what you have to offer, you think there’s every chance in the future.

“I keep my head down and – you know – I’ve just won a Cup with Newcastle so who’s to say no to getting a call-up?”

Murphy has played for England across four youth age groups, with his last involvement in the under-21 Euros in 2017.

This term he has produced eight assists and five goals in the Premier League and, crucially, also provided the knockdown for Alexander Isak to score the winner over Liverpool at Wembley.

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After being part of the side that finally ended a 70-year wait for major silverware, the attacker believes the Toon Army will have a lot more to celebrate under Howe.

After celebrating on Saturday in front of an estimated 300,000 Geordies at a bus parade and on stage at the Town Moor, he said: “I think the Newcastle fans, the council, everyone’s probably gonna have to get used to this.

“We always knew that the specialness was in being the first and to be on that bus, knowing that we were the first in so long to do it, makes it even more special.

“I didn’t know there were that many people in Newcastle. You drive these streets daily, weekly, but then to see them full of people is something that you can’t really put into words. It looked unbelievable.

“As a club we want to be doing that every season. Now, without putting too much pressure on ourselves, we’ve set a level and that’s what we have to be aiming for and striving for every season.

“Granted, it’s not going to happen every year because wonderful teams up and down the country are going to make it difficult for us, but these are moments that now that we’ve got a taste for it we want it again.

“We spoke about it so much being the first. Now that the club’s on this trajectory, I think titles, accomplishments like this will be happening more frequently.”

Despite the huge party and two weeks of celebrations since the Wembley win, it is finally back to business.

Newcastle host Brentford on Wednesday in the Premier League – the first of ten remaining matches that sixth-placed Toon have to try and secure Champions League qualification.

Murphy, who signed from Norwich for £12m back in 2017, added: “That’s the aim. We’ve got ten huge games coming up. 

“Although this is lovely and we’re taking it in, I think that secretly, in the back of everybody’s mind, is that there’s 30 points to get and we need to try our best.

“We might have already got some sort of European football, but we want the big dog.”

How ‘big angel’ Joelinton rescued boss after he fainted in Subway

NEWCASTLE cult hero Joelinton rescued his old boss after he fainted in Subway.

And coach Pellegrino Matarazzo still calls the Brazilian his ‘angel’.

Matarazzo was Joelinton assistant manager during the midfielder’s spell in Germany with Hoffenheim.

Recalling the scary incident, the Matarazzo revealed: “I was standing in the queue and I wasn’t feeling well.

“I tried to go over to the Coca-Cola machine to quickly get a drink.

“I realised I was about to faint, and I did faint.

“When I opened my eyes I saw Joelinton! ‘Rino, Rino, are you okay?’

“He was like a small, no a big, angel – Joelinton, what are you doing here?”

Read the full story…

“Although the issue of direct negotiations between the two sides was rejected, it was stated that the path of indirect negotiations is open,” Pezeshkian said.

Pezeshkian said Iran has “never avoided negotiations” over its nuclear program and said it was the “behavior of the Americans” that would determine the path of nuclear talks.

The contents of the letter have not been made public, though Trump told Fox News that he told Iran it cannot have a nuclear weapon and that the United States was willing to go use its military to prevent that if Iran refused to negotiate.

The fact that Iran had responded was first reported Friday with Kamal Kharazi, the top foreign policy adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, making similar remarks expressing openness to indirect talks.

The alignment between Pezeshkian and Kharazi marks a rare moment of consensus between Iran’s elected government and its unelected religious leadership on foreign policy. Their shared openness to indirect nuclear talks signals a coordinated shift in Tehran’s approach, potentially paving the way for renewed diplomacy between Iran and the West.

The United States opposes Iran obtaining nuclear weapons due to concerns about regional instability, the potential for a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, and threats to allies like Israel. U.S. officials also worry Iran could provide nuclear technology to non-state actors.

Iran argues that as a sovereign nation it has the right to develop nuclear capabilities for defense and energy under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and some advocates say that nuclear deterrence could stabilize power dynamics in the region, much like it has among other nuclear-armed states.

1 of 3 | Thousands of supporters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu took to the city’s streets in protest overnight to demand his release after being arrested on corruption charges. Photo by Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE

Imamoglu, who was re-elected during the country’s elections last year and is seen as the main opposition to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s ruling government, was detained earlier this month on corruption charges.

Imamoglu and his party have called the charges politically-motivated and an attempt by Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party to erode support for the mayor. The JDP has governed Turkey since 2002, with Erdogan serving two terms as prime minister followed by two terms as president.

“In the early hours of March 19, I was detained by dozens of armed police officers. It was a political operation — not a legal one — timed just days before CHP’s presidential primary,” Imamoglu wrote on his English-language X account.

“But what followed was far more powerful than the repression itself: people from all across Türkiye stood up. From Istanbul to Rize, citizens took to the streets, joined our party, and reminded us all that democracy lives in the will of the people,” he wrote

Imamoglu shared an aerial photo showing a large crowd at the demonstration on his Turkish-language X account, as well as posts with video of the protest. The video was accompanied by the caption in Turkish and translated to English by Google reading “you are so beautiful, Istanbul!”

Turkey has maintained the country’s judiciary is independent and that Imamoglu’s arrest is not an attempt to quell his political opposition.

Approximately 1,900 people have been arrested, however, in protests since Imamoglu was first arrested on March 19. Among them, nearly two-dozen journalists and photojournalists are have been detained while reporting on the protests.

Imamoglu’s lawyer was also detained and later released, according to reports.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel told reporters Saturday he now expects the number of arrests to dissipate.

Lynn, who was used to being on the other end of big scorelines during a hugely successful spell at Gloucester-Hartpury, now has the gift of time during the tournament’s fallow week.

It is something he has not had before having come into Wales camp the day after winning a third Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) title, giving him just three sessions before the opening defeat against Scotland.

Lynn has two weeks before Wales travel to Brive to take on France, who like England have won two from two.

“We have to get better, every game we’ve got to be getting better,” he said.

“We knew that there are going to be fixes, the defence system is something that we really need to be thinking about.”

Wales missed 35 tackles in Edinburgh and 28 against England, which means new defence coach Dan Murphy has his work cut out.

“Dan has come in and he’s brought a system in, it’s just the girls getting that in place and also that trust as well,” said Lynn.

Wales had led the Test after scoring an early try through Jenni Scoble, while Kate Williams crossed in the second half. It was the first time since 2019 that Wales scored two tries against England.

“I thought our attack looked really well today, very promising,” added Lynn.

“Everything I’ve talked about is making sure we’re always moving forward, I thought some of our attack today was outstanding but we just fell away.

“Just keep believing and lets keep moving forward. We’re all in this together.”

Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

In the biggest news of the week, the Sundance Film Festival announced it will be moving to Boulder, Colo., beginning in 2027. The board of the Sundance Institute selected the city over two other finalists, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City, from an initial lineup of some 67 locations that expressed interest in hosting the festival.

“There was overwhelming support for Boulder,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute’s board chair, in our interview on Thursday morning. “There certainly was robust conversation, but we as a board have been going through this process for about 18 months now, so there’s been a lot of consistent conversation and an evolving conversation and evolving process.”

“It’s an awesome town,” added Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute’s acting CEO. “It has this wonderful vibe to it. You can go hiking or biking nearby. But it’s also an art town, it’s a tech town, it’s a college town. So it’s a really vibrant place.”

The Boulder Theater will be a venue for the Sundance Film Festival when it moves to the city in 2027.

(Sundance Institute)

During its more than 40 years in Utah, the Sundance Film Festival has helped boost filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino, Ava DuVernay, Steven Soderbergh, Ryan Coogler and countless others, while seeing the film industry through multiple eras of change. The festival will now try to create a new home in Boulder as it moves with the industry into an uncertain future.

“As change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute president and founder, in a statement. “This move will ensure that the festival continues its work of risk taking, supporting innovative storytellers, fostering independence, and entertaining and enlightening audiences. I am grateful to the Boulder community for its support, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the festival there.”

Alan Rudolph on ‘Choose Me’

Lesley Ann Warren, left, Rae Dawn Chong and Keith Carradine in the movie “Choose Me.”

(Joyce Rudolph / Criterion Collection)

On Thursday, the Laemmle Royal will host a screening of the 4K restoration of Alan Rudolph’s 1984 film “Choose Me” with cast members Keith Carradine and Lesley Ann Warren and producer David Blocker in attendance for a Q&A. The evening will be a tribute to Robert Laemmle, longtime head of the local art-house chain and a passionate supporter of Rudolph’s, who died in January at age 89. “Choose Me” had a successful run of several months at the Royal when it was originally released.

“It is probably the only film I made that people actually liked,” said Rudolph, 81, in an interview this week from his home in the Pacific Northwest. “So it’s a special one. It was probably the most complete experience of making a film in a positive way.”

The film, which was also just released to 4K UHD/Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection, follows a group of characters who all circle around Eve’s Lounge, a dive bar in Los Angeles. Eve (Warren) runs the place and frequently becomes emotionally entangled with the patrons. Nancy (Geneviève Bujold) provides love advice on her radio call-in show but is herself lovelorn and dejected. Mickey (Carradine) recently left a mental institution and his tales of a fantastic life may not be true.

The project had its origins when Rudolph was offered some $500,000 to make a music video for the Teddy Pendergrass song “You’re My Choice Tonight (Choose Me),” in an effort to assist the singer, who was paralyzed in a 1982 car crash. Instead, Rudolph suggested making a feature film for a few hundred thousand dollars more. The film’s opening credits sequence, in which people dance in the street outside the bar, captures the moody sensual vibe of the song.

“I took the song home and just listened to it the way you would read a Russian novel,” said Rudolph. “I tried to absorb it and figure out what it meant.”

For Rudolph, that meant a fluid attitude toward love and commitment.

“I came up with the phrase in my mind: It’s romantic roulette,” he said. “And so I started to think, well, what is it? You go together with somebody for a night? What’s the opposite of that? Well, you get married. This dichotomy of surface reality and underlying truth, I started playing with that.”

Keith Carradine in Alan Rudolph’s “Choose Me.”

(Joyce Rudolph / Criterion Collection)

In putting “Choose Me” at #5 on her top-10 list for the year, ahead of such films as David Lean’s “A Passage to India,” Milos Forman’s “Amadeus” and Wim Wenders’ “Paris, Texas,” Times critic Sheila Benson wrote, “A blithe original, this is a romance for those afraid to be in love, a trenchantly L.A. movie, hip, outrageous and beautiful as neon.”

In his films such as “Welcome to L.A.,” “Remember My Name,” “Trouble in Mind,” “The Moderns,” and very much in “Choose Me,” Rudolph often explores a tension between languid, stylized worlds and the very real emotions his characters are working through.

So what draws him to this tension between style and emotion?

“I think I’d have to lay down on your doctor’s couch” said Rudolph with a laugh. “I can tell you this — and this is the truth, Dr. Olsen — I’ve always had a very tenuous grip with reality. There’s an absurdity to life that seems more honest to me than what we’re supposed to accept. Now, when you get inside of real moments, when it’s vital and mortal and it overwhelms you, that’s reality.

“And it seems to me that the acceptance of the absurdity is what keeps societies together,” said Rudolph. “They say, ‘OK, I accept that because we’re all weird.’ They may not articulate it that way, but that’s the way I look at it.”

‘Emotion in Color: A Kaleidoscope of Indian Cinema’

An image from the movie “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.”

(Academy Museum)

The Academy Museum’s series “Emotion In Color: A Kaleidoscope of Indian Cinema” uses color as a way to introduce audiences to the breadth of filmmaking in India.

“My interest in putting this together was to give people the knowledge to see Indian cinema in its full diversity, to get an idea between all kinds of movies,” Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, who programmed the series, said during a recent video call from Mumbai. “You can have a very popular commercial film of the ’70s of a big Indian superstar and, at the same time, you can have a very avant-garde alternative film, very different, because I wanted people to be able to see all genres.”

Screening on Saturday is the film “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” directed by Aditya Chopra. The film has notably continued to play every day in Mumbai for three decades since its release in 1995.

Dungarpur, a filmmaker and founder of the Film Heritage Foundation dedicated to the preservation of India’s cinema history, noted the film makes a good point of entry for American moviegoers looking to begin exploring Indian cinema.

“‘Dilwale’ was a trendsetter, in terms of locales, in terms of freshness,” said Dungarpur. “It was the emergence of Shah Rukh Khan, the big Indian superstar, and the storytelling which touched a lot of Indians because it was reflecting the times.

“It seemed all very real in that romantic sort of new-age kind of a film in ’95, with popular songs and wonderful actors who became heartthrobs. It just struck a chord with a lot of young people and college students and it continued to inspire many romantic films after that.”

Also to come in the series is a 35-mm showing of 1962’s “Kanchenjungha,” the first color film directed by Satyajit Ray, still India’s best-known filmmaker around the world. The series will conclude with Kumar Shahani’s 1972 “Maya Darpan,” an example of the Parallel cinema movement that emerged as India’s answer to the new waves of filmmaking in France and Czechoslovakia.

Dungarpur described how in India, cinema can become almost like a religion, with literal temples to popular stars. Audiences found connections with the lives onscreen they could often not find in the real world.

“Seeing larger-than-life images, I think it struck a chord with them,” said Dungarpur. “In the evenings you wanted to just go to a cinema hall, shout, shriek, emote with people. And many of them became political messengers for social reforms and it almost transcended into change. Many of the commercial films were reflecting what was happening in India at that time, but also the actors were portraying it larger than life and bringing it back to the people.

“People saw hope, they saw the future,” said Dungarpur. “And they saw themselves in it.”

Points of interest

Paul Schrader’s ‘Blue Collar’ and ‘American Gigolo’

Richard Gere wears an Armani blazer in the 1980 film “American Gigolo.”

(Giorgio Armani)

The New Beverly will have a double bill of Paul Schrader’s 1978 “Blue Collar” and 1980’s “American Gigolo” running from Tuesday to Thursday.

“Blue Collar” stars Richard Pryor, Yaphet Kotto and Harvey Keitel as factory workers on an auto assembly line who hatch a plan to rob the safe at their union headquarters. Sharp and funny, the film has a consciousness of the intersections of race and class that is still rare today.

“American Gigolo” stars Richard Gere as Julian Kaye, a male hustler in Los Angeles whose clientele is mostly wealthy, lonely women. He finds his well-curated life collapsing around him after one of his clients turns up dead. With photography by John Bailey, production design by Ferdinando Scarfiotti, clothes by Giorgio Armani and music by Giorgio Moroder, the film has a sleek, seductive style.

In his review of the film at the time, Charles Champlin drew comparisons to “Midnight Cowboy” and “Shampoo,” noting, “There is a lingering sense of traditional moral outrage, as in Schrader’s ‘Hardcore.’ But if there is a sense of sin, there is also a feverish fascination with sin at its most opulent. Nothing, neither bosom nor buttock, is photographed more lovingly than the [Mercedes] 450 SL — those taillights, winking provocatively in the velvet night, such as to drive men mad. They are somebody’s objective correlative, presumably Julian’s. But, I sense, not his alone.”

Schrader, heroically quotable even at age 33, addressed his film’s critics in a February 1980 interview with Clarke Taylor by saying, “Critics have a stake in seeming to know more than the people they’re talking to, and they don’t know what to make of this narcissistic male bravado in a cloak of spirituality. So they take a condescending view, masking their ignorance as superiority. We all have this problem, but most of us don’t have to commit it to print.”

Reconsidering Maria Schneider in ‘Being Maria’

Anamaria Vartolomei and Matt Dillon in the movie “Being Maria.”

(Kino Lorber)

Directed and co-written by Jessica Palud, “Being Maria” is adapted from Vanessa Schneider’s book about her cousin, the actor Maria Schneider, who achieved infamy for her role in Bernardo Bertolucci’s sexually explicit 1972 drama “Last Tango in Paris” at age 19. Schneider would go on to appear opposite Jack Nicholson in Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1975 “The Passenger.”

“Being Maria” approaches Schneider’s story with great sensitivity and understanding, exploring how the trauma of making “Last Tango” left her forever changed as her life spiraled into a long struggle with addiction leading to her death in 2011.

Anamaria Vartolomei, who has also appeared in Audrey Diwan’s “Happening” and Bong Joon Ho’s recent “Mickey 17,” gives a riveting performance in the lead role as Schneider. Matt Dillon brings nuance to his role as Marlon Brando.

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson won Great Britain’s first figure skating World Championship medal in more than 40 years with ice dance bronze in Boston.

Not since 1984, when Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won their fourth and final global title, have British skaters stood on a world podium in any discipline.

But Fear, 25, and Gibson, 30, finally ended that wait on Saturday with a total score of 207.11 points, having finished fourth at the previous two World Championships.

American favourites Madison Chock and Evan Bates defended their title while Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier took silver.

“I can’t even describe my feelings, I’m still shaking,” said Fear. “I’m in disbelief.”

Gibson added: “It’s a dream come true.”

Olympians Fear and Gibson are three-time European medallists and earlier this season claimed Britain’s first ever medal at the Grand Prix final.

In Boston, they had placed third after Friday’s rhythm dance but while their free dance routine – soundtracked by a trio of Beyonce hits – was judged the sixth best on Saturday, their combined score was enough to land them the greatest success of their careers to date.

Fellow Britons Phebe Bekker and James Hernandez placed 17th.

Earlier this month, Torvill said Fear and Gibson had “taken ice dancing in Great Britain to another level”.

The World Championships is a qualifying event for next year’s Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.

Elsewhere, US skater Ilia Malinin won a second straight men’s figure skating world title with a routine which included a record-equalling six quadruple jumps.

The 20-year-old also carried off a once-banned backflip as part of his routine.

He and fourth-place finisher Adam Siao Him Fa of France became the first skaters in nearly 50 years to legally land the move at a world championships.

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone whose Anglophilia is flaring up again.

In this week’s edition, we recommend two acclaimed British TV series to satiate your cravings: Netflix’s breakout one-shot sensation, “Adolescence,” and the long-awaited continuation of Emmy winner “Wolf Hall,” “The Mirror and the Light.”

Also in Screen Gab No. 174, David Blaine stops by to discuss the “inherent fear” he confronted to film his new series, “Do Not Attempt.”

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

Juliana Pasquarosa and Grant Ellis in the season finale of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”

(Anne Marie Fox / Disney)

‘The Bachelor’ faces overhaul to bloom again after upheaval and withering viewership: As Season 29 of the ABC dating reality series comes to a close, the franchise’s uncertain future after leadership changes and a series of missteps on race and vetting of contestants.

‘Mid-Century Modern’ is a nod to ‘Golden Girls’ and a tribute to Linda Lavin: Starring Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham and Matt Bomer as three gay best friends who move in together, Hulu’s multicamera sitcom also features Linda Lavin in her final role.

‘The White Lotus’ Season 3, Episode 6 recap: What happened last night?: This week, everyone seems to be assessing what happened the night before, there’s a new arrival, and Rick moves forward with his plan.

Sundance Film Festival picks Boulder as host city for 2027 and beyond: Colorado’s Boulder was selected over two other finalist cities, Cincinnati and Salt Lake City. The relocation will steer the festival toward a new era.

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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Erin Doherty in “Adolescence.”

(Netflix)

“Adolescence” (Netflix)

Its bravura one-shot episodes have received the lion’s share of the attention, but the searing intensity of Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s new Netflix miniseries isn’t reducible to a single stylistic choice. What trumps all in “Adolescence,” which follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller (the extraordinary Owen Cooper) after he’s arrested in the stabbing death of a female classmate, is its “Wire”-like completeness, unfurling a saga in which every broken system that contributes to the tragedy is looked square in the eye. Police struggle to follow the clues left behind on social media; a rolling boil of chaos at school overwhelms even the most well-meaning teachers; and Jamie’s parents (Graham and Christine Tremarco) wonder how much their actions contributed to their son’s retreat into isolation, toxic masculinity and rage. As the riveting exchange between Jamie and a court-appointed therapist (Erin Doherty) suggests, however, the series is not merely interested in enumerating all the ways adults fail kids. It’s also determined to reflect society’s collective bafflement at having been caught so flat-footed by the forces that lead Jamie astray. “Adolescence” offers no pat solutions to the problems of 21st century boyhood, but it offers a terrifying vision of what happens when we “blunder about” in ignorance of those problems for too long. — Matt Brennan

Mark Rylance, left, and Damian Lewis in “Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.”

(Nick Briggs)

“Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light” (PBS)

After a decade, the third volume in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy of historical novels has reached the TV screen, the wonderful 2015 “Wolf Hall” having combined “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up the Bodies.” You won’t necessarily notice the wear and tear on stars Mark Rylance, as protagonist Thomas Cromwell, poker-faced chief minister to Damian Lewis’ world’s-worst-husband (and mercurial boss) Henry VIII, and to the extent that you do, remember that people aged fast in those days. In any case, weariness is appropriate; things grow dark in this six-part installment, which begins with Anne Boleyn losing her head, and bumps along through wives No. 3 and No. 4 (Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour and Dana Herfurth as Anne of Cleves) as Cromwell faces the twilight of his career. Played out largely in dimly lighted close quarters, the pressure is palpable as Cromwell’s enemies press in; but, as the best imperfect man in the room, played with heroic equanimity by Rylance, he remains their better, circumscribed but uncompromised. With Jonathan Pryce as the ghost of Cromwell’s mentor, Cardinal Wolsey, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as his mentee, Ralph Sadler. — Robert Lloyd

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

David Blaine looks on as a fire breather performs in India in “David Blaine: Do Not Attempt.”

(Aditya Kapoor / National Geographic)

Given that he’s been buried alive and suspended in a Plexiglas box high above the ground, you’d think nothing scares David Blaine. But as he tells Screen Gab, his latest project forced him to confront something that truly made his skin crawl. In the course of filming “David Blaine: Do Not Attempt,” which airs Sundays on Nat Geo, the performer/daredevil traveled to India, the Arctic Circle and more to witness extraordinary real-life feats and meet the extraordinary people who accomplish them — including two handlers of venomous snakes. In this week’s Guest Spot, he discussed those “intense” experiences, what he’s watching and more. — Matt Brennan

What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?

The last two movies that I kept recommending to everyone were “Poor Things” [Prime Video] and “American Fiction” [Prime Video, Fubo, MGM+], but that was when we were filming “Do Not Attempt”— which quickly became all-consuming. Now that I finally have a little downtime, my most trusted friends keep telling me to watch “Severance” [Apple TV+].

What’s your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?

My comfort movie, specifically when flying, is “The Fugitive” [VOD, multiple platforms].

In “Do Not Attempt” you meet people from around the world who perform seemingly impossible — i.e., magical — feats. Which encounter most directly reshaped your thinking or practice about your craft and how?

While making the series, there were two situations in which I had to face my inherent fear. Both involved some of the deadliest snakes in the world.

In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, I met Neville Wolmarans, a reptile rescuer. He meditates in a small enclosure with six black mambas. His goal is to show that the best way to keep both snakes and people safe during encounters in the wild or when they appear unexpectedly is to remain calm. I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of sitting with venomous snakes, but this was definitely one of the most intense experiences of my entire life. I was incredibly nervous, but Neville demonstrated how to remain still and nonresponsive, defying the urge to move away. If you don’t respond to them as a threat, the snakes will (in most cases) eventually lose interest.

During my training with Fitz, a remarkable snake handler from Indonesia, I learned how to trust and connect with the king cobra, one of the deadliest snakes in the world.

I’ve always found great value from extreme situations like these because learning to handle them makes other challenges more manageable.

When it comes to your own material, what’s the biggest difference between preparing for and taping a special and putting on a years-long residency?

I think they are both the same. It comes down to practice, training and listening carefully while pushing to always try to be better.

1 of 3 | Members of Commander, Task Force 68 U.S. Navy dive team arrive on site to assess diving operations to recover four U.S. soldiers in a submerged M88 Hercules on a training site near Pabrade, Lithuania, on Saturday. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Saunders

The soldiers last were known to be inside the M88A2 Hercules heavy-equipment recovery vehicle that was located on Wednesday and remains submerged under at least 15 feet of water, clay-like mud and silt, USAEA officials said.

“We’ve touched base with the Lithuanian divers who have gone in already,” U.S. Navy Senior Chief Master Diver Carlos Hernandez said. “We have a good site picture from them and the other boots on the ground.”

The dive team will deploy a remotely operated submersible vehicle and use handheld sonar to get a “clear picture of what we can expect down there,” Hernandez said.

The dive team’s mission is to locate lift points on the sunken vehicle to it can be recovered from the peat bog and is being helped by the arrival of 55 Polish engineers, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineering team on Friday and ongoing support from Lithuania.

“We are going to use every resource available from all our countries to find our missing soldiers,” 1st Armored Division Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor said. “We are stronger together as a joint and multinational team, and we will not rest until our soldiers are found.”

The Polish engineers are recovery experts and brought 13 vehicles, including three tracked recovery vehicles that are similar to the sunken Hercules, to remove it from the bog.

“We are on standby with armored recovery vehicles, one engineering machine, a water pump and so on,” Polish Armed Forced Maj. Mikhail Bebark said. “If there is a need for us, we can bring our equipment and assist with this work here.”

The U.S. Army’s Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division, has several helicopters on site, including three CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, two UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for medical evacuation, two UH-60M and one UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters for medium-lift capability and command and control.

A recovery team has continued removing water from the site and shoring up the nearby ground to support the heavy equipment needed to remove the sunken armored recovery vehicle from the peat bog.

Lithuanian geologists also arrived Saturday and brought a portable sub-bottom profiler to help map the recovery area.

The search area is located within a military training area near Pabrade and about 6 miles west of the Belarus border with Lithuania.

The U.S. military has not identified the four missing soldiers, NBC News reported.

The families of the missing soldiers have been notified, and 3rd Infantry Division is keeping them informed as the recovery effort continues.

1 of 2 | Turkey has arrested the lawyer for jailed political opposition leader and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in what Imamoglu Thursday called a legal coup against democracy. File photo by Sedat Suna/EPA-EFE

The post said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s government wants “to add a legal coup to the coup against democracy.”

“The evil that a handful of incompetent people are inflicting on our country is growing. Release my lawyer immediately,” Imamoglu’s post added.

Politico, citing Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, said Pehlivan was taken to a police station but no criminal charges were immediately announced.

Imamoglu is Erdogan’s main political rival. He was arrested March 19 and charged March 23 with corruption charges.

Imamoglu denies the charges and the arrest triggered huge protests nationwide in Turkey.

BBC reporter Mark Lowen was grabbed by Istanbul police while covering the protests Wednesday, held for 17 hours and then deported.

In an X post Lowen said he was told he was “a threat to public order.”

BBC News CEO said in a statement, “This is an extremely troubling incident and we will be making representations to the Turkish authorities.”

Hundreds of protesters who believe Imamoglu because he is a political threat to Erdogan have been arrested while demanding that Imamoglu be released.

Turkey denies the arrest is political.

Imamoglu and protesters supporting him believe his arrest is anti-democratic political repression, essentially a coup against democracy.

The Guardian reported that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said “Turkey must protect democratic values, especially the rights of elected officials.”

1 of 3 | Russian President Vladimir Putin said it would be a “profound mistake” to dismiss American interest in taking control of Greenland, but added it is of no concern to his country. File Pool Photo by Vyacheslav Prokofyev/EPA-EFE

“In short, America’s plans in relation to Greenland are serious. These plans have deep historical roots. And it’s clear that the U.S. will continue to systematically pursue its geo-strategic, military-political and economic interests in the Аrctic,” Putin said during the forum meant to promote Russian development in the Arctic.

Trump has repeatedly said the United States should annex the autonomous Danish territory. Putin’s comments came as American officials including Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were set to arrive in Greenland on Friday in an altered itnerary that would see them visit a U.S. Space Force base following pushback to plans for the second lady to attend a dogsled race.

“As for Greenland this is a matter for two specific countries. It has nothing to do with us,” Putin said during the Murmansk speech.

The Russian president’s address also came as the United States on Thursday rejected a Putin proposal that would see the United Nations set up a temporary government in Ukraine while that country holds elections.

“We could discuss the possibility of [the] introduction of temporary governance in Ukraine,” Putin told reporters, adding it wasn’t unprecedented for the United Nations to do so.

The White House later dismissed the proposal.

Trump earlier this week accused Russia and Putin of “dragging their feet” on peace talks with Ukraine.

Putin floated the idea while at the same conference in Murmansk, calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s term unlawful. Ukraine has not held elections as scheduled because of Russia’s ongoing war in the country.

Zelensky’s term officially expired last year. The Ukrainian leader’s popularity remains high. A poll conducted in the month that country earlier this month found 69% of Ukrainians “trust” Zelensky’s leadership, up from 67% in February.

Ukrainian officials have not responded to Putin’s governance plan. The Russian president said the plan was only an idea and not a requirement for peace talks to move forward.

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson deliver an impressive performance at the World Figure Sskating Championships, scoring 83.86 points to secure their highest position in a world championship segment to put them third heading into the free dance.

READ MORE: Torvill & Dean hoping to pass mantle to Fear & Gibson

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South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service halted a rights offering worth $2.5 billion by defense giant Hanwha Aerospace. Photo courtesy Hanwha Group

Hanwha Aerospace CEO Sohn Jae-il said that the paid-in capital increase was the best choice to help the company better compete with its European rivals. Hanwha Aerospace is an affiliate of Hanwha Group, South Korea’s seventh-largest conglomerate.

“In order to carry out large-scale investments in a short period of time while maintaining a robust debt ratio for overseas bidding, a rights offering is the most effective solution,” he said.

Hanwha Aerospace vowed to use the new funds for the overseas defense business, the foreign shipbuilding industry, and the development of engines for unmanned aerial vehicles.

The new rights offering is subject to approval by the Financial Supervisory Service, which initially praised the measure but suddenly halted it Thursday.

Above all, the move continues to spark controversy as it has weighed on the share price.

Over the past five years, the market capitalization of Hanwha Aerospace jumped nearly 40-fold on the Seoul bourse. The company also cruised well throughout this year thanks to increased global contracts after the war broke out between Ukraine and Russia in early 2022.

In July 2022, for example, Hanwha Aerospace signed a framework agreement with Poland to export 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 288 Chunmoo multi-caliber rocket artillery systems.

Thereafter, Hanwha Aerospace struck multi-billion-dollar executive contracts with the European country and more deals are expected in the not-so-distant future.

Yet, the announcement of the rights offering resulted in a stock market crash, with its share price plummeting 13.02% last Friday, although it somewhat bounced back this week.

Stock market plunge and criticism

A vast majority of Korea’s brokerage houses also expressed disappointment with Hanwha Aerospace’s choice. More than 10 brokerages came up with reports on the issue this week, which have been mostly negative.

“Hanwha Aerospace’s annual investment target did not exceed $1.4 billion. Hence, it likely could have been funded solely through its own profits,” MERITZ Securities analyst Lee Ji-ho said in a report.

Last year, Hanwha Aerospace netted $710 million in profit. Over the next two years, its combined bottom lines are predicted to be around $3.4 billion.

Some critics take issue with a recent step of Hanwha Aerospace, which channeled $890 million to purchase shares of Hanwha Ocean from other Hanwha affiliates, including Hanwha Energy and Hanwha Impact.

In 2023, several Hanwha subsidiaries teamed up to take over Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, in a $1.4 billion deal.

“Hanwha Aerospace decided to snap up Hanwha Ocean shares at a time when the shipbuilder’s stock price was rising. That’s bad for shareholders of Hanwha Aerospace but good for those of Hanwha Energy and Hanwha Impact,” business tracker Leaders Index CEO Park Ju-gun said in a phone interview.

“Of note is that Hanwha Energy is a private company owned by Hanwha successors and Hanwha Impact is also related to them. Can shareholders of Hanwha Aerospace accept this?”

Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, the eldest son of Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn, holds a 50% stake in Hanwha Energy. The remaining 50% is owned by his two younger brothers.

In addition, Hanwha Energy has a 52% stake in Hanwha Impact.

Korea’s civic group People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy concurred with Park.

“From the perspective of ordinary shareholders of Hanwha Aerospace, it seems unreasonable that the company used internal funds to purchase shares of Hanwha Ocean and raised business funds via a capital increase, which caused losses for them,” PSPD official Kim Yun-jin told UPI.

In response to such criticisms, Hanwha Aerospace countered that the stock purchase of Hanwha Ocean had nothing to do with the owner’s family.

“As Hanwha Aerospace is a holding company in the military business, we think that it should hold more shares of Hanwha Ocean to create greater synergy effects,” a Hanwha Aerospace spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the FSS originally said that there were no problems with Hanwha’s paid-in capital increase. Yet, the financial regulator abruptly halted the process Thursday, asking Hanwha Aerospace to submit a revised filing.

The FSS pointed out that the first capital increase filing was lacking in such crucial areas as the rationale for the rights offering and communication with shareholders.

Against this backdrop, Hanwha Aerospace said that it would present the revised plan as soon as possible, but observers worry that the rights offering may be delayed compared to the previous plan.

Rescue workers search for victims in the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday. At least two missiles hit a building in the Hadath area, which was destroyed by the attack after an Israeli military warning earlier in the day, according to the Lebanese National News Agency. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE

Residents and schoolchildren rushed to evacuate the area in panic, with cars clogging the streets, after Israeli Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued a warning and a map showing the targeted building in red.

The building was flattened by a direct hit, while massive plumes of smoke billowed from the site. No casualties were reported.

The Israeli Army said in a statement that it targeted a drone storage facility used by Hezbollah‘s aerial unit and warned that it will continue “to operate to remove any threat” to Israel.

This was the first such attack on Beirut since a U.S.-France brokered cease-fire accord was reached, ending 14 months of destructive war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The cease-fire went into effect Feb. 18 after Israel requested an extension. Although it pulled out its forces from south Lebanon on that day, Israel retained five strategic positions and continued to bomb Hezbollah suspected positions in the country’s southern and eastern regions.

Friday’s air and artillery strikes that also targeted several areas in southern Lebanon came in response to two rockets that were launched toward Kiryat Shmona and the surrounding area in northern Israel, one of which was intercepted, according to the Israeli Army.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said three people, including a woman, were killed and 18 others wounded in an Israeli strike on the village of Kfar Tibneet in southern Lebanon. The injured included six children and eight women.

A Hezbollah source denied any connection with the morning rockets launched into northern Israel and reiterated its commitment to the cease-fire agreement. The source quoted by the group’s Al Manar website said these incidents were part of “a suspicious” scheme to justify the continuation of the “Israeli aggression” against Lebanon.

The Lebanese army announced that the rocket launchers used in the morning attack against northern Israel were found near the village of Qaaqaait al-Jisr, north of the Litani River. The army said it started an investigation to determine who was behind the rocket fire and denounced the Israeli air strikes and “escalating aggressions” as a “blunt violation” of the cease-fire accord.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced the Israeli attacks that target civilians and residential areas as “a dangerous escalation,” calling for stopping Israel’s continued violations of the cease-fire and securing its complete withdrawal from the five sites it still occupies in southern Lebanon as soon as possible.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Paris, said the Israeli airstrikes were “unacceptable” and “a violation of the cease-fire.”

“The strikes are unilateral actions that betray a given promise and play into the hands of Hezbollah,” Macron said, adding that he would speak by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump “in the coming hours” and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu within two days regarding the new Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.

Aoun condemned “any despicable attempt” to drag Lebanon into a spiral of violence.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that if the Lebanese government fails to enforce the cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah along the border, Israel will take action to do so itself, according to Israel’s Ynet English website.

“I am sending a clear message to the Lebanese government: If you do not enforce the ceasefire agreement, we will enforce it,” he said in a statement after Israeli aircraft hit targets in Beirut.

Katz’s warning came as Asaf Lengelben, head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council, said the morning’s rocket fire into Kiryat Shmona was the second in less than a week and “is proof that even as residents return to the north [of Israel], the security challenge is still here.”

“We will not agree to accept any kind of ‘drip fire,'” Lengelben said.

He was referring to some 60,000 Israelis who were displaced from northern Israel during the war with Hezbollah that started in support of Gaza in October 2023.

U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert warned in a statement that “a return to wider conflict” in Lebanon would be devastating for civilians on both sides and “must be avoided at all costs.”

More than 20,000 people have been killed or wounded in Lebanon since October 2023, though most of the casualties were reported following Israel ramping up its military operations starting Sept. 23.

Nearly 1.2 million people were displaced, mainly from the southern suburbs of Beirut, as well as from southern and eastern Lebanon, because of the intensive Israeli air and ground bombardments.

A great number of them could not return to their villages in southern Lebanon, especially along the border, because they were destroyed.

The four American soldiers disappeared during a training exercise Tuesday near Lithuania’s border with Belarus. Poland has sent military engineers to help Lithuanian rescue teams get the vehicle out.

“Most likely, the M88 drove into the swamp,” and that it “may have just gone diagonally to the bottom,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told ABC News.

The defense minister said the search had become a complicated recovery mission.

The saturated swampy ground can’t support the weight of heavy recovery vehicles, so military engineers are working to overcome that challenge as water is drained and pumped from the site. Earthen berms are being built to contain the removed water.

The U.S. Army said in statement Friday that “A large capacity slurry pump, cranes, more than 30 tons of gravel and subject matter experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are just some of the assets that arrived on site.”

Polish Armed Forces have also provided military engineers and additional equipment.

The Army said a U.S. Navy dive team is expected to reach the site Saturday.

The missing soldiers were all from Fort Stewart, Ga., and assigned to the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.

Some of the most famous theme parks will exhaust parents more than others so we had a look to discover which adrenaline-fueled destinations make the most physically demanding days out

With better weather on the horizon and the Easter holidays approaching, it feels like the perfect time to pull on those trainers and make way for a magical theme park day. Pack up the snacks and arm yourself with plenty of water because they’re not for the faint-hearted; with one expert warning, expect to ‘feel still and sore’.

And despite there being options all over the world to sink your teeth into it’s your feet you need to be thinking about. It’s no secret that you’ll get your steps in but there are some parks that are more strenuous then others, and for lots of reasons, and parents should come well equipped to handle the pace.

READ MORE: ‘I tried Universal Orlando’s new Butterbeer season drink and I can’t stop thinking about it’

A trip to a theme park is always both fun and tiring in equal measure, especially for parents spending their days chasing their kids as they dash between attractions to try and navigate queues to squeeze in as many rides as possible.

New research by PureGym has analysed the overall size of more than 60 theme parks from around the world, as well as the average temperature, number of rides and attractions, average queue time and maximum G-Force on a single ride, to give each an overall ‘exertion’ score and reveal the most physically demanding theme park in the world.

With a park spanning more than 541 acres and multiple worlds, Universal Orlando, Florida, was revealed as the most physically demanding theme park to explore, scoring 83.01 out of a possible 100.

This is no bad thing, though, and means you’re getting value for money in Universal Orlando – just make sure you’re prepped with comfortable footwear, plenty of fluids and a portable fan.

With multiple worlds to explore and the warm temperatures of Florida, it’s no wonder visitors often leave exhausted. To fit it all in, guests tend to enter under the famous arches from opening—sometimes even early entry—and leave at park closing time, which can mean up to 13-hour days.

The study found that Universal Orlando, in the USA’s Sunshine State of Florida, is the world’s most physically demanding theme park, which may leave visitors with some aches, as well as lots of memories, from the high-octane thrills on offer as it ranks top with a total exertion score of 83.0/100.

Covering a huge 541 acres and including multiple worlds such as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Jurassic World and the Simpson’s hometown of Springfield, there’s plenty of ground to cover to explore this park to its fullest. Not to mention, the Florida heat can make things even more tiring, particularly when it comes to queuing in the beating sun.

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park is closely behind, with a score of 82.1/100. With a huge range of activities on offer, from thrill rides to shows, there’s plenty to keep both adults and children occupied for the day, while the park’s setting is often touted as one of the most beautiful of any theme park in the world, thanks to the panoramic bay views on offer.

Completing the top three most physically demanding theme parks to visit is Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, with a score of 80.4/100.

Another Florida favourite, Animal Kingdom is among the largest theme parks in the world and one with a huge variety of attractions to explore; from safari drives to 3D cinemas and thrilling rides that are sure to get hearts racing, there’s a lot to pack in, and is sure to leave visitor relieved to put their feet up at the end of such an exhilarating day.

Claire Phippen, Personal Trainer at PureGym Norwich, said: “Theme parks are incredibly popular, and for good reason – they offer a wide variety of rides and attractions, making them a great family day out. However, people may often find that they feel a little stiff and sore the day after a theme park visit, not only due to the high speeds and G-Forces experienced on the rides, but more likely due to some of the other aspects of the day that can be more physically draining than we may expect.

And it’s not just the walking. She says: “Theme parks require us to spend a lot of time on our feet; between waiting in long queues for rides or food, and walking long distances to explore the park, most visitors are far more active than they would be on a typical day.

“A sudden increase in movement like this, particularly without taking many breaks, can use up a lot of energy and put stress on our muscles that can leave us feeling a bit achy afterwards.

“Dehydration and heat exposure can often play a part, particularly at parks like the Universal Orlando which ranked at the top of our ranking, since they’re located in hotter climates with limited shade.”

If you’re looking for shade in Universal Orlando, head into one of their many air-conditioned shows and well-ventilated cafes or shops for a much-needed cooldown.

“Spending a lot of time in the sun, and often not drinking enough water while doing so, can increase fatigue and leave us feeling quite exhausted,” added Claire. “The food on offer at theme parks is usually ‘fast food’ too, so the high-sugar content is likely to leave our energy spiking and then crashing, only exacerbating feelings of fatigue later in the day.”

Do try the Today Cafe in Universal Orlando if you’re looking for something a little lighter and fresher – the warm smoked salmon bagel is heavenly.

“If you’re planning a theme park visit, but aren’t hugely active on a day-to-day basis, it’s worth making the effort to do some preparation before the big day out.

“Simple changes like walking instead of driving where possible or taking the stairs rather than the lift, can help to build stamina. While you’re at the park, taking time to have a proper break in a shady area with a big drink of water will also help keep your energy levels up, and make the whole experience a bit less exhausting!”

READ MORE: Dunelm’s £36 wildflower bouquet that ‘looks so real’ – and includes a vase

The gorgeous city, around four hours from the UK, has been named as home to some of the most affordable luxury accommodation in the world – but there’s so much more to it

If you’re still mulling over your summer holiday plans and haven’t locked anything in, you might want to consider a breathtaking city offering affordable luxury accommodation and budget-friendly flights.

Marrakesh, Morocco, just four hours from the UK, is home to one of the world’s cheapest five-star hotels.

Consumer experts at Which? have pinpointed this enchanting city as a hotspot for some of the best value luxury stays globally. The gem they’ve spotlighted is the exquisite traditional Riad Jona, featuring 14 lavish rooms adorned in white, complete with a heated plunge pool and rooftop hot tub.

READ MORE: Incredible European seaside city named one of the cheapest places to visit in 2025

Nestled near the bustling Medina market, you can enjoy this stunning property from just £79 per night.

What’s more, June flights to Marrakesh start at a mere £19 one-way from Stansted Airport. So if you’re after a summer getaway that’s both affordable and luxurious, Morocco should be on your radar.

But Marrakesh offers more than just gorgeous Riads. One of its main attractions is undoubtedly the lively markets, or souks, teeming with vendors selling everything from unique homewares and rugs to accessories and perfumes.

Marrakesh also boasts an array of fascinating museums and beautiful mosques. The Yves Saint Laurent museum, open daily, invites you to delve into the life of the iconic fashion designer, whose ashes are scattered in the neighbouring vibrant blue Jardin Majorelle.

Dar El Bacha is another must-see, a stunning palace that now houses the Museum of Confluences and a much-loved coffee shop.

No visit to Marrakesh would be complete without tasting the local cuisine, renowned worldwide. It’s a lively fusion of Middle Eastern, African and Mediterranean flavours, from slow-cooked tagines to invigorating mint tea.

Grilled meats and kebabs are also a big hit, and a common sight at the markets.

If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss out on the pastries and other sugary delights. Traditional ingredients like almonds, dates and honey are transformed into scrumptious desserts that anyone with a sweet tooth will love.

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