The opening headlines from the summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing signal an openness on the Chinese side towards stabilising relations with the US. In his opening remarks, the Chinese president noted that China and the US “should be partners not rivals”. But he warned Trump that a crisis over Taiwan could lead to “clashes and even conflicts”.

With Xi also indicating that there will be more opportunities for US companies to do business in China, the stage is set for a relatively successful summit. Both sides can claim it as a success because it offers some concrete benefits in the form of a trade war avoided and at least the prospect of cooperation on global issues such as the Iran war. It also sets a generally more positive tone for relations between the two countries.

Such an outcome is particularly troubling for Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, who will see his relevance and leverage diminished by more stable and predictable US-China relations. Putin’s aspirations to position Russia as a great power depend on Moscow either being strategically useful to Washington and Beijing, or gaining leverage with them by demonstrating a capacity to be disruptive.

However, on both counts, Putin’s hand has been substantially weakened. His war against Ukraine is no longer a priority issue for the US, with the two main American interlocutors in peace talks, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, focused on negotiations with Iran.

Putin’s latest phone call with Trump on April 29 will have been disappointing for the Russian leader. His offer to take Iran’s highly enriched uranium to Russia was reportedly rebuffed by Trump, who told him to focus on “ending the war with Ukraine”. And days later the Kremlin was forced to scale back its annual military parade in Moscow, due to concerns that it could be targeted by Ukrainian forces.

On the Chinese side, things are possibly even more troubling. The last face-to-face meeting between Xi and Putin took place in September 2025. They have only held one video conference since then. A Kremlin statement during the Trump-Xi summit that Putin will visit China soon smacks more of desperation than confirmation.

Putin’s leverage

While Putin appears sidelined in the US-China relationship, he is not without cards of his own. Major global issues – including wars in Ukraine and Iran, energy security and the future of the international order – are still connected to Russia. This provides Putin with a degree of leverage in his relations with both Xi and Trump.

But exercising this leverage comes with significant risks, especially in areas where Chinese and US interests are more aligned with each other than with Russia. Take the case of the Iran war as an example.

Russia benefits most from this conflict continuing. The disruption it is causing to global energy flows has pushed up oil and gas prices, keeping Moscow’s war economy afloat. It has also reduced the flow of US arms to Ukraine. Unsurprisingly, therefore, Russia has expanded its support for Iran – from intelligence and cyber support to providing unjammable drones.

While Russian support is unlikely to enable Iran to win the war, it will give the regime in Tehran more time to avoid defeat and increase the costs for the US, its regional allies and the global economy. This is not going to play well with Trump, who is under mounting domestic pressure to wind down the war in Iran.

Beijing has offered Iran some support throughout the war, for example by helping it bypass western sanctions on the export of its oil. But there are clear limits to how far China will go. For China, its relationship with the US is far more important than the one with Iran. This tilts the balance of preferences in Beijing towards an end of the conflict rather than towards its continuation.

This does not mean that China and the US will now align against Russia. Relations between Russia and China are longstanding and deep across a range of issues. Their “no-limits partnership” may be increasingly asymmetric, but there is still a great deal of anti-American and anti-western alignment between them.

The US under Trump is also more ambivalent about its stance on Russia than under previous administrations. Trump’s transactional foreign policy – and his urge to make deals rather than pursue a consistent strategy – is something Russia will continue to try to leverage to its own advantage.

Ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov released a statement in which he said “the path to the implementation of a whole range of economic projects will be open” if the White House agrees to decouple trade from the war in Ukraine. This indicates that Moscow is fully aware of this opportunity – as well as the challenge to offer the US something China cannot.

The Xi-Trump summit is a party to which Putin was not invited. The fact that the US and China seem to be heading towards a period of better-managed relations indicates that his efforts to make his presence felt have largely failed. This does not bode well for his aspirations to restore Russia to its Soviet-era status as a great power – but it does not imply that he will give up.

King Charles has visited Golders Green to offer a show of support to the Jewish community and meet victims of last month’s stabbings in the area.

On Thursday, the monarch attended a Jewish Care charity centre where he spoke with Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, also known as Norman Shine.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley were also in attendance.

Chief Rabbi Mirvis expressed the community’s gratitude, telling the King they “appreciate it enormously” that he had made the visit.

Charles also engaged with members of Shomrim, the Jewish community police force, who were involved in responding to the attacks on April 29.

Mr Shine, who was stabbed in the neck outside a bus stop during the incident, later shared his experience, speaking about the “genuine warmth” he had felt from the King.

He said: “He was very concerned.

“The most inspiring thing was that he didn’t let go of my hand, I mean it was amazing, he is the King but I felt a genuine warmth and concern.”

He said that the visit felt “extremely important” for the whole Jewish community.

“We feel we have a genuine friend in the King,” he added.

After meeting with the victims, the King greeted the crowds gathered outside the charity centre on Golders Green Road.

He waved to the crowds gathered outside and was greeted with chants of “long live the King”.

Charles shook hands with a man who turned 100 on Thursday.

“I hope they give you a good celebration, and I hope you get a card from me,” the King said.

He was then presented with a loaf of traditional Challah bread outside Grodz bakery on the high street, and spoke to children from a local primary school.

The alleged Golders Green attacker Essa Suleiman, 45, has been remanded in custody accused of three counts of attempted murder.

Suleiman is accused of trying to kill his friend of 20 years, Ishmail Hussein at his home in Southwark before stabbing the two Jewish victims in the street on April 29.

Suleiman was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s, and was reported to Prevent, the Government’s anti-extremism programme, in 2020 but the case was closed the same year.

More than 70% of people, including a majority of Leave voters, agree that Brexit has been more of a failure than a success in Northern Ireland, an opinion poll has suggested.

The results of the research from Queen’s University Belfast also indicate two-thirds of people in the region believe Brexit has made the break-up of the UK more likely.

The polling, carried out for Queen’s by LucidTalk, suggests that close to half of voters (48%) do not agree that the 2016 Brexit referendum was based on a “fair democratic process”, while 40% agree.

The report is the 15th in the “Testing the Temperature” series on Northern Ireland voters’ views on Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol/Windsor Framework, led by Professor David Phinnemore and Professor Katy Hayward.

Previous reports were produced as part of a four-year project led by Queen’s and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

This latest poll was conducted between April 17-20, using a weighted sample of 1,050 respondents from across Northern Ireland.

The survey found declining public understanding among respondents of the Windsor Framework, the post-Brexit deal between the UK and the EU aimed at reducing trading frictions between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Poll findings included:

– 72% of respondents agree that “Brexit has been more of a failure than a success for Northern Ireland”. This includes 60% of Leave respondents.

– 66% agree that Brexit has made the break-up of the UK more likely; 19% disagree.

– More than twice as many agree (52%) than disagree (23%) that their Brexit-related identity, Leaver or Remainer, is “very important” to them.

– 46% of respondents now regard the Windsor Framework as “on balance a good thing for Northern Ireland”, the lowest level since June 2021, while 38% disagree.

– Confidence in the NI Protocol/Windsor Framework as a tool for managing Brexit’s effects has declined, with only 46% now viewing it as an appropriate means of addressing Brexit in Northern Ireland, down from 61% in summer 2024 and equal to its previous low recorded in spring 2021.

– Views among respondents of the framework’s effects on Northern Ireland’s relationship with the rest of the UK remain negative, including on its place in the UK internal market (44% negative vs 28% positive).

– Perceptions of the Windsor Framework’s economic impact are more positive than negative, 45% believe it has had a positive effect on the economy, while 37% believe its impact has been negative.

– A majority of respondents (57%) believe the Windsor Framework offers unique economic opportunities, down from 68% in summer 2024.

– A majority distrust either a Conservative-led (76%) or Reform-led UK government (70%) to protect Northern Ireland’s interests in EU-UK relations.

– The SDLP is the most trusted party among respondents on the Windsor Framework (38%).

– The TUV the most trusted unionist party (30%) on the issue, though it is also the most strongly distrusted (50%).

Prof Phinnemore said: “The poll provides further evidence that understanding of the Windsor Framework is declining.

“In part, this is no doubt due to the complexity of some of its arrangements.

“Yet the poll findings also show fewer voters believing reliable information is available.

“With the UK and EU negotiating new agreements that are expected to reduce trade frictions arising from the Windsor Framework, it will be important that the new arrangements are clearly and reliably explained.

“If they are not, then this will only further damage trust levels in the UK Government and the EU.”

Professor Hayward said: “Ten years after the Brexit referendum, one in two voters in Northern Ireland still see their Leave/Remain identity as very important – across both camps and the political spectrum.

“This constitutes an additional layer of division broadly on top of existing ones.

“The need to manage this with compromise on both sides explains the region’s unique post-Brexit arrangements, ie the Windsor Framework.

“It also helps explain why the majority of both Leavers and Remainers here believe – albeit for different reasons – that Brexit has been a failure for Northern Ireland.”

The survey also suggested a preference among voters for closer ties with the EU – 59% of respondents oppose further loosening of UK-EU ties and 57% support the UK rejoining the EU, with strong gender and Remain/Leave divides.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents support Ireland using its EU Council Presidency to improve EU-UK relations.

More than half of respondents (58%) oppose leaving the European Convention on Human Rights while 36% support such an exit.

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.3%.

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‘The cost of Labour tearing itself apart is distraction and deepens an already destabilising moment in British politics at precisely the time the country needs the opposite’

No time for distraction

Wes Streeting’s resignation only deepens an already destabilising moment in British politics, at precisely the time the country needs the opposite.

Now comes word that Andy Burnham has found his route back to Westminster, after MP Josh Simons announced he would stand aside in his Makerfield seat to make way for the Greater Manchester mayor.

A by-election where Reform came second last time, with a Labour majority of less than 6,000, is far from a guaranteed landing pad – and the shadow of a leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer hangs over it.

Get past the noise, and look at what is actually happening. The NHS has hit its 18-week treatment target for the first time in years. The economy unexpectedly grew by 0.3%. These are early signs of a government delivering.

There is another cost to Labour tearing itself apart: distraction. While the party obsesses over internal warfare, serious questions emerge around Nigel Farage and his £5million gift from Christopher Harborne. Politics should be focused on answers, not drama.

Weigh it up

Weight loss jabs are already changing lives.

Now there is growing evidence that they could help change the workplace too. Research showing sickness absence among patients taking the injections has almost halved, which is encouraging news for families, employers and the NHS under relentless pressure.

Fewer GP appointments, fewer A&E visits and fewer people trapped by poor health are good for everyone. Fewer people off sick also means a healthier, more productive country.

Businesses, public services, and working people benefit too. The government is right to take their potential seriously. But there is a catch.

These jabs are not a miracle cure or a shortcut. Lasting success still relies on support, healthier lifestyles and long-term change. Britain needs bold action on obesity. But if these treatments help people live healthier, happier lives, they deserve a proper chance.

World’s Queen

Madonna has outlasted generations of pop stars. The Material Girl has watched trends, rivals and entire music eras come and go.

Now, at 67, she is still reinventing herself, still making music, and now preparing to headline the World Cup half-time show too. Decades on, the Queen of Pop remains firmly on her throne.

There have been some suggestions that a hot and sunny spell could arrive just in time for the late May Bank Holiday

With Wales stuck with some unseasonally cold temperatures so far in May, it might be time to get tentatively optimistic about the weather for the upcoming bank holiday weekend and half-term break. A change in pressure in the coming weeks looks set to bring a longer spell of dry weather and warmer temperatures just in time for the holidays.

The Met Office said that over the next week there will be changeable conditions due to an area of low pressure nearby. This means there will be periods of rain or showers, interspersed by drier interludes.

However, as we head towards the bank holiday on May 25, an area of high pressure is likely to build from the south bringing more settled weather.

According to forecasters at the weather agency, there is also a chance temperatures will be “rather warm” by the bank holiday and half term.

The BBC’s long-range forecast also paints a similar picture. Their outlook for Monday, May 25 to Sunday, June 7 says it will be “most probably drier and warmer than normal.”

The forecast states that the UK may cool down towards the end of may for a couple of days if a period of high pressure moves to the north. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter

But, it goes on to add: “However, high pressure could also expand across the UK from the southwest, delivering warmer-than-average conditions again by the end of May.

“Either way, there should be plenty of dry weather, with near to below-normal precipitation amounts.

“A similar set-up should linger into early June. Although a little rain cannot be entirely ruled out anywhere, rainfall totals should be below normal across most areas.

“More seasonal amounts are possible in northwestern regions, with Scotland in particular more susceptible to occasional wetter spells. Temperatures are most likely to be near to, or higher than, the early-June average overall.”

There have been some reports that a heatwave could hit the UK as we head into the Bank Holiday weekend, but many forecasters have said any suggestions of this are premature.

The ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) is currently forecasting maximum possible temperatures of 26C in the UK on the evening of May 22. The model shows warmest weather expected to hit just south of London, although the mercury could reach 23C or 24C across parts of Wales, central England and the east as well.

The Met Office is more sceptical and will not make such detailed predictions more than five days in advance, but they are also forecasting warmer weather. Their long range forecast states that by May 26 the weather may become “rather warm” and “especially in the south”.

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Weather maps show the UK is set for a warm bank holiday weekend with temperatures expected to reach 25C in parts of England, while 18 counties across the country could see highs of 24C or above

Temperatures could climb to 24C across parts of Scotland over the upcoming bank holiday weekend, as warm air builds across the UK.

New GFS weather model data suggests highs of around 25C could be reached in parts of England on Sunday May 24, while Scotland is also expected to enjoy unusually warm conditions for the time of year, with highs of up to 24C possible in central and northern areas.

Forecast charts show much of Scotland turning warm by Sunday, with temperatures widely reaching the low to mid-20s. Even northern parts of the country could see values close to 24C in places.

By bank holiday Monday (May 25), Scotland is again expected to remain warm, with weather maps indicating highs near 24C in the far north. Similar temperatures are forecast across north-west England later in the day. Overall, most of the UK is expected to sit above 20C.

Temperature anomaly maps for May 24 show the UK largely shaded in red, indicating temperatures above seasonal averages. Darker red areas across Scotland highlight where conditions are expected to feel particularly warm compared with typical late May values.

Across the two-day period, the modelling suggests multiple counties across the UK could reach 24C or higher, with Scotland among the regions experiencing notable warmth.

UK counties set for 24C or above

England

• Lancashire
• Cheshire
• Wiltshire
• Hampshire
• Berkshire
• Buckinghamshire
• Essex
• Kent
• Hertfordshire
• Surrey

Scotland

• Morayshire
• Banffshire
• Renfrewshire
• Ayrshire
• Ross-shire and Cromartyshire
• Nairnshire

Northern Ireland

The Met Office has indicated temperatures may rise into the mid-20s as the bank holiday weekend approaches, with a gradual shift towards more settled conditions.

Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said: “By the end of next week and the start of the bank holiday weekend, temperatures could be above average.

“From Thursday onwards, temperatures could rise above average, approaching 20C for some across southern areas. We could be closer to the mid-20s, possibly, for some areas, in the south-east, by the bank holiday weekend.”

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The wider outlook from May 19 to 28 states: “As this period progresses, high pressure is likely to begin to build from the south bringing more settled weather, although with occasional showers.

“Temperatures near-normal to begin, but tending to rise as the period progresses, perhaps becoming rather warm by the end of the period, especially in the south. Winds will be stronger during the first part of the period, generally from a southwesterly direction, before becoming lighter in line with the more settled conditions.”

Rory McIlroy struggled on the opening day of the US PGA Championship 2026, with the Northern Irishman finishing four over par after a bogey-laden first round

Rory McIlroy described his opening round at the US PGA Championship as “s***” after closing with four consecutive bogeys.

The 37 year old teed off early at Aronimink Golf Club in south-west Philadelphia and looked to have recovered following an initial bogey.

He clawed back with a birdie before producing 10 consecutive pars. However, his back nine – the opening nine holes on the course – wrecked his round with five bogeys and just one birdie, leaving him four over par.

When asked to sum up his round, McIlroy said: “S***.

“I started missing fairways. I missed the fairway right on four, the fairway right on six, the fairway right on seven, fairway right on nine.

“I made that birdie on five to get back to even-par after the soft bogey on four, then I just got on that bogey train at the end.”

Approaching the end of day one, there were six players tied for the lead on -3 – including defending champion Scottie Scheffler. Stephan Jaegar, Min Woo Lee, Justin Thomas, Rio Hisatsune and Aldrich Potgieter were the other co-leaders at that stage.

Holywood ace McIlroy admitted driving difficulties have plagued him throughout the season, saying: “I’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part. I just need to try to figure it out. I honestly thought I’d figured it out.

“Just sort of, once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me.”

McIlroy is pursuing a seventh major championship following his Masters title defence last month. Although he curtailed his first practice session due to a troublesome toe problem, he confirmed this hadn’t impacted his performance.

Despite McIlroy’s earlier assessment that the layout was a “bash driver down, figure it out” course, several competitors struggled after finding themselves off the fairway. McIlroy conceded that straying off the fairway proved more costly than he had anticipated.

“There certainly is a penalty for missing the fairway. Probably more than what I anticipated after being here, whatever it is, two Fridays ago,” McIlroy said.

The Northern Irishman received tremendous backing from the sizeable crowds following his high-profile group, which also included Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth – the latter chasing a victory to complete his own career grand slam.

Both Spieth and Rahm concluded their rounds at one under par.

The Spaniard endured a mixed outing, though a pitch-in eagle and a chip-in birdie on the back nine provided a welcome boost.

Pre-tournament speculation that Aronimink would pose little challenge to the world’s elite proved wide of the mark, with the clubhouse lead standing at just three under when the trio wrapped up their round.

“There was some chatter where people thought 15 to 20 under was going to win. And I think that got to somebody in the PGA and they did something about it!” Rahm said.

“Because if the golf course stays like this and it keeps firming up, yeah, obviously it’s not going to be anything like that.”

Rahm was also full of remorse after striking a volunteer with a divot during a moment of frustration.

“Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing, just over the grass, and I wasn’t looking, took a divot, and unfortunately, I hit a volunteer,” he added. “I couldn’t feel any worse. That’s why I was there apologizing. I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable.”

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The Eurovision Song Contest was founded 70 years ago as a way for Europe, divided after war, to come together by celebrating its music. Every year, several dozen countries across the continent – and, more recently, far beyond – compete in what is considered the world’s most viewed non-sporting event.

As a cultural institution that last year attracted around 166 million viewers, the results of Eurovision have a big impact – not least by deciding the venue of the following year’s event. Yet the issue of bloc voting, where countries tend to vote more favourably within regional or cultural blocs, has long been a controversial aspect of the contest.

In 2008, the BBC’s Eurovision commentator Terry Wogan spoke out against bloc voting by Eastern European countries, saying: “You have to say that this is no longer a music contest. I have to decide whether I want to do this again.” He didn’t – it was his final show in the commentary hotseat.

On occasion, suspiciously friendly voting has strayed into something even more troubling. The 1968 contest, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, saw a major upset when home favourite Congratulations, sung by Cliff Richard, was pipped by the Spanish entry La, La, La.

Forty years later, Spanish Eurovision host Jose Maria Inigo claimed that the vote had been rigged at the behest of Spain’s military dictator, Franco. His claims were later supported by an Irish TV investigation.

The modern, expanded Eurovision features two semi-finals as well as the grand final, held this year in Vienna on May 16. Its scoring combines a jury panel with a public vote, reducing the impact of each jury. But that didn’t stop another major voting scandal emerging in 2022.

The 2022 scandal

During the 2022 grand final in Turin, Italy, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that six juries’ scores from the second semi-final – Azerbaijan, Georgia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and San Marino – had been nullified after “certain irregular voting patterns were identified in the results of [these] countries”.

The countries’ votes were replaced with an aggregate score “based on the results of other countries with similar voting records” for both the semi-final and grand final. This process was acknowledged by Eurovision’s Independent Voting Monitor.

The countries’ broadcasters strongly denied any wrongdoing, with Georgia even suggesting their first-place vote in the final had been wrongly allocated as a result of the imposed system. Among online audiences, there was immediate speculation of a cover-up. After the final, the EBU issued a long explanation for their decision.

So had there really been collusion? Colleagues and I from the University of Stirling, including Riley Uttley, have re-assessed the 2022 voting scandal using applied statistical methods.

Each five-member Eurovision jury selected their ten favourite songs, with 12 points going to their favourite, ten points for second, then eight down to one for their tenth-best song. A similar points system was used to reflect each country’s public vote, doubling the total number of votes awarded by each country.

The jury results prior to the EBU’s intervention are shown below. The six juries whose scores were nullified – marked in red – awarded each other a total of 251 points. This is just seven points shy of the absolute maximum they could have given each other: 6 x (12+10+8+7+6) = 258 points.

Eurovision jury scores, 2022 second semi-final

If the scores were allocated randomly, the odds of the six countries awarding each other 251 points would be less than 1 in 10,000. Such a low probability provides strong objective evidence that the six juries were indeed colluding.

But applied statistics can precisely quantify the strength of this collusion – using a version of the Bradley-Terry (BT) method of paired comparisons, first published in December 1952.

Calculating the strength of collusion

Say we have two songs, a and b, and want to know the probability that a is judged better than b. Using the BT method, this probability is:

p(a) / p(a) + p(b)

where p(a) and p(b) are the respective strengths of the two songs.

This idea can be extended to the ranking of any number of songs. If we observe, say, that a ≻ b ≻ c ≻ d ≻ e (that is, song a is the best, then b, down to e), the probability of this voting decision is:

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This is known as a Plackett-Luce likelihood function. While calculating each value is difficult, we can use standard optimisation techniques to maximise this probability, and thereby estimate the strengths of the songs.

When it comes to identifying the strength of collusion in the 2022 contest, my own technique known as reified Bradley-Terry can be applied to this likelihood function.

The unfair advantage of collusion is represented by adding an extra strength term to any competitor who benefitted from collusion. In the equation below, S represents the strength of the collusion effect, and is applied to song b. So, we replace every occurrence of p(b) with p(b)+S. Then, the probability of a ≻ b ≻ c ≻ d ≻ e is now:

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The Eurovision 2022 semifinal had 18 songs and 21 juries, leading to a probability equation like the one above – but with a total of 220 terms. While this is a lot for a person to work with, it can be easily handled by the R programming language, an open-source statistical tool designed to handle masses of data and produce graphics and visualisations.

The removed juries all appeared to have very similar behaviour, so we represented the strength of the collusion of all six as a single number S, which we calculated to be 0.262. We then calculated the probability of S being as high, or higher, than this value on the assumption of no collusion.

We calculated this probability to be one in 58,000. Put another way, if you have 2.5km of matchsticks laid out end-to-end and burn one, it’s the probability of picking the burnt one. We can, therefore, confidently conclude that collusion did take place.

A final quirk

The 2022 Eurovision voting scandal had ramifications beyond the nullification of the six collusive scores. Jury voting for semi-finals was discontinued from 2023 until this year’s contest. Perhaps perversely, this made the juries carry more weight in each grand final.

With the semi-finals decided purely by public votes, which tend to be more dispersed and unpredictable, this meant the juries’ more concentrated voting patterns played a more significant role in deciding the ultimate winner.

Jury voting was reinstated for the semi-finals of this year’s contest. However, the juries are larger (seven members rather than five) and chosen from a more diverse background.

The clear favourites, Finland, will hope this is another step towards eradicating the controversial voting patterns that have haunted past contests – and made Eurovision a focus of keen interest for some applied statisticians.

If you’re the kind of person who gets a kick out of discovering exciting new flavours, there’s a place you need to hear about.

Pittsburgh is a culinary powerhouse that doesn’t do half measures. Forget beige and boring – this is a city of big, bold tastes that linger long after you’ve returned home.

With its legendary industrial history, Pittsburgh was built on innovation. Stroll or cycle around its streets today, and you’ll see this spirit lives on in chef-led restaurants crafting creative, adventurous dishes using fresh local produce.

It’s also worth leaving time to explore the city’s thrilling arts and culture scenes. But wherever you go, you’ll never be far from exceptional food at refreshingly reasonable prices.

And getting there couldn’t be easier, with direct, year-round British Airways flights from Heathrow in addition to Icelandair services from London, Manchester and Glasgow. Aer Lingus will also offer direct flights from Dublin from 25 May offering pre-clearance.

Read on for our top tips – then go and forge your own culinary adventure.

Bold flavours

The good folk of Pittsburgh are justly proud of their city’s foodie transformation. And the world is increasingly taking notice, with local eateries gaining national and international recognition.

When it comes to American culinary honours, they don’t get bigger than the James Beard Awards.

Pittsburgh now boasts more than a dozen semi-finalists, such as Nik Forsberg of fet-fisk, a Nordic seafood restaurant and oyster bar that began life as a pop-up.

Others include Kate Lasky and Tomasz Skowronski of European-inspired vegan hangout Apteka, and Wei Zhu from Chengdu Gourmet, a wildly popular Chinese restaurant specialising in Szechuan cuisine.

Take a taste of the city home with you by attending a pizza-making class at Enrico Biscotti, where a lead pizzaiolo will guide you through the whole process, from dough making to baking. Or grab one of 30 different varieties of handmade, traditional Italian biscotti.

Their flavours range from classic anise almond to creative options like coconut chocolate chip, fig pecan, and black pepper walnut.

If you feel thirsty afterwards, you’re in luck. Pittsburgh has a booming bar scene, from trendy cocktail joints to friendly neighbourhood bars serving craft beer, wine and cider. Cheers!

Food meets fun

In Pittsburgh, food isn’t all starched collars and seriousness – this is a city that knows how to have fun.

After all, where else would you find a whole four-day-long festival dedicated solely to pickles? 

Every year, a whole swathe of downtown is set aside to celebrate this delicious, yet humble ingredient, which has played a key role in the city’s culinary history.

Head along for themed food galore, from pickled peppers in hot sauce to pickle cocktails and (wait for it…) pickles covered in chocolate!

You can also try your hand on the ‘Mechanical Pickle Ride’, or watch contestants compete in the Pickle Juice Drinking Contest – a fan favourite.

This year, Picklesburgh runs from July 16–19, joining a packed calendar of events across the city, with many local businesses offering specials or themed activities. Why not try your hand at Pittsburgh Glass Center’s pickle-shaped glass blowing, for example?

Highlights include PrideFest, Oktoberfest Pittsburgh, and Ribfest – where BBQ classics are served alongside live music and sports-themed entertainment. Keep an eye out too for the Little Italy Days festival in Bloomfield. Running 13-16 August this year, it celebrates authentic Italian-American cuisine, local businesses, artists and bands.

Foodie culture

Food and Pittsburgh’s culture are intrinsically linked. Make the most of this and take one of Burgh Bits & Bites famous tours as a unique way to explore several Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Offering eight different tours, each will immerse you in a local area, connecting you to its community, culture, history and spirit through its unique cuisine.

And it isn’t only food that runs through the city’s history. The legacy of the the Whiskey Rebellion (1791–1794), against the government’s attempt to tax the spirit, has lead to a thriving distillery scene in the city. Small-batch distillerstaking on the legacy of the rebellion, creating craft spirits using local malt and grains, and many local bars and breweries offering immersive experiences for enthusiasts and novices alike.

Pittsburgh’s Appalachian roots have inspired a unique farmer-to-table dining scene across the city, which can be really felt in its network of farmers markets. Serving up local farm fresh produce including eggs, cheese, homemade baked goods, jams and honey.

A meal is only as good as the ingredients used to make it, and these are the places to buy them!

Given its creative approach to food, you won’t be surprised to hear Pittsburgh hosts a thriving arts scene.

The city was the birthplace of legendary pop artist Andy Warhol and today the Andy Warhol Museum stands in his honour as the largest single-artist museum in North America.

For more contemporary art, go to the Mattress Factory, which is known for its immersive, room-scale installations.

Another must-visit spot for arty types is the Pittsburgh Glass Center, which serves as a creative hub for the city’s community of glass artists. And keep an eye out for all the street murals – Pittsburgh is famous for them! Including tributes to iconic Pittsburghers, from rapper Mac Miller to humanitarian and legendary Pirates baseball player, Roberto Clemente.

With so much to see, do, and eat, plus regular flights from the UK and plenty of affordable hotels to choose from, there’s never been a better time to visit this incredible slice of urban America.

If you’re considering a trip, why wait?

Get inspired at visitpittsburgh.com 

Cheer on the black and gold!

Known as the City of Champions, Pittsburgh is home to three top sports teams who all wear black and gold kits.

So why not catch a top-class game while you’re in town? Fans of American football can cheer on the Panthers and Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, formerly Heinz Field.

Alternatively, mix sport with sightseeing by visiting PNC Park, where the Pirates play baseball in a beautiful ground with gorgeous views of the city’s skyline.

For a chance to learn more about the team’s most famous player, Roberto Clemente, pop over to The Clemente Museum – which celebrates his fascinating life on and off the field.

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