Amazon is signaling a major shift in how it plans to serve customers, starting with rewriting parts of its own playbook.

CEO Andy Jassy released his annual letter to shareholders on Thursday, writing that the tech giant is not content to simply add artificial intelligence features to its existing retail business. Instead, Jassy said Amazon is preparing to rebuild the customer shopping experience from the ground up, even if it means disrupting products and systems that already work at massive scale.

“The temptation is to just add a little AI to the existing experience,” Jassy wrote, adding that the “trick” leaders must learn is “reimagining your experiences from a clean sheet of paper.”

“When you have a product that’s working at scale, one of the hardest decisions to make is to go back to the starting line,” Jassy wrote.

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks during an Amazon Devices launch event in New York City on Feb. 26, 2025. (Brendan McDermid/File Photo / Reuters Photos)

Jassy suggested that “the interface with which customers want to interact with a retailer could be substantially different over time.”

The CEO acknowledged that rebuilding systems at scale can feel like “going backwards,” especially when those systems are already widely used.

In this photo illustration, the Amazon logo is displayed on a smartphone screen. (Jaque Silva/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

AMAZON HEALTH BRINGS A DOCTOR TO YOUR POCKET

But he argued that standing still in a moment of rapid technological change is riskier.

In this photo illustration, a shopping cart is seen in front of the Amazon logo. (Jaque Silva/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“AI is not a standalone initiative—it’s a multiplier,” Jassy wrote. “It will reshape every customer experience we offer and unlock entirely new ones.”

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Jassy concluded his letter sharing his optimism for what lay ahead for the tech giant, underscoring Amazon’s strong finish to 2025, which saw revenue grow 12% year-over-year from $638 billion to $717 billion.

Somerset councillor Heather Shearer said: “One thing the Crisis Resilience Fund wants us to do is not just support people in crisis, it also wants us to work in our community, give more strength and support for the organisations who already support our families.”

By Christopher Gannatti, CFA & Samuel Rines

Currency is often treated as a background variable that can be hedged away, neutralized, or simply ignored. But in the current environment, that framing could overlook potentially compelling investment opportunities. When we

HOUSTON — As NASA’s Artemis II astronauts hurtle back toward Earth aboard the Orion spacecraft, the agency on Friday released a video compilation celebrating the “Moon joy” — an intense happiness and excitement unique to lunar missions — that the four-person crew has experienced during humanity’s first crewed voyage around the Moon in more than half a century.

The 87-second video, posted by NASA’s official X account, blends stunning external views of the white Orion capsule silhouetted against the cratered lunar surface with intimate zero-gravity scenes inside the spacecraft. Crew members float weightlessly, laughing with heads thrown back, hair fanning out in microgravity and faces lit with wide grins. Overlaid text reads “MOMENTS OF MOON JOY.” The clip ends with a brief appearance by NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya and the agency’s iconic logo.

The post defines “Moon joy” simply: “the feeling of intense happiness and excitement that only comes from a mission to the Moon.” It adds, “The Artemis II crew bring us endless Moon joy.”

The timing is deliberate. With splashdown scheduled for approximately 8:07 p.m. EDT Friday off the coast of San Diego, the video serves as both a victory lap and a farewell to the deep-space portion of the 10-day test flight. Live NASA coverage of the dramatic re-entry and Pacific Ocean landing begins at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

Launched April 1 aboard the massive Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Artemis II carried NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Victor Glover (pilot) and Christina Koch (mission specialist), along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist). The crew performed the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972, swinging behind the far side of the Moon on April 6 and traveling a record 252,756 miles from Earth — eclipsing the Apollo 13 distance mark.

During a news conference Wednesday while still en route home, the astronauts described the journey in deeply personal terms. Wiseman called the experience “a true gift” and said the team’s brains were still processing the surreal views. Glover noted there were “so many more pictures, so many more stories.” Koch and Hansen, the first Canadian on a lunar mission, echoed the sense of profound wonder.

“Moon joy” quickly became the mission’s unofficial catchphrase. Mission control used it repeatedly, and the crew embraced the term in radio calls. NASA officials said the phrase captured the emotional high that technical milestones alone could not convey. The video released Friday amplifies that sentiment, showing raw human reactions — floating hugs, playful zero-g maneuvers and quiet moments of reflection — that contrast with the precise engineering required for the flight.

The mission tested critical Orion systems with humans aboard for the first time, including life support, navigation, thermal protection and manual piloting. The crew practiced emergency procedures, conducted scientific observations and captured thousands of photographs of Earth, the Moon and the solar eclipse they witnessed emerging from lunar orbit. One standout image shared earlier showed Earth setting behind the Moon’s horizon — a view no human had seen live since the Apollo era.

International cooperation was on full display. Hansen’s participation fulfilled Canada’s commitment to the Artemis Accords. The diverse crew — including the first woman and first person of color to fly to the Moon — symbolized NASA’s push for broader representation in space exploration.

As the spacecraft coasts home, the crew has spent the final days stowing gear, conducting final systems checks and preparing for the fiery re-entry that will see Orion slam into Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 25,000 mph. Recovery teams aboard the USS John P. Murtha have rehearsed the complex operation: helicopters, divers and a specialized raft will secure the capsule in the Pacific before flying the astronauts to shore for medical evaluations and a return to Houston.

NASA’s Artemis program aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface with Artemis III, targeted for no earlier than 2027, and eventually establish a sustainable presence at the Moon’s south pole. Artemis II is the critical dress rehearsal, proving that Orion can safely carry humans into deep space and back.

The emotional tone of the latest video stands in contrast to the often dry language of spaceflight operations. “Moon joy” humanizes the mission at a moment when public interest in space exploration is surging. Social media reactions poured in within minutes of the post, with users sharing the clip alongside messages of awe and inspiration. Some called it a welcome reminder that science is also about wonder.

Kshatriya, speaking in the video, has emphasized throughout the mission that Artemis is about more than hardware. “This is about expanding humanity’s presence beyond Earth,” he has said in earlier briefings. The crew’s visible delight reinforces that message.

Friday’s splashdown will mark the end of the flight phase but the beginning of months of data analysis. Engineers will pore over telemetry to refine systems for future crewed landings. The astronauts will undergo extensive debriefings and medical monitoring to understand the effects of prolonged deep-space travel.

For now, the focus remains on a safe return. Mission managers have declared the flight “GO” for entry, with weather conditions in the Pacific recovery zone appearing favorable. NASA officials said the crew remains in excellent health and high spirits.

The Artemis II mission has already delivered on one of its core goals: rekindling public excitement about lunar exploration. By defining and sharing “Moon joy,” NASA has given the world a new vocabulary for the emotion that has driven humanity to the Moon before and will carry it there again — and eventually to Mars.

As the Orion capsule prepares for its “fireball” descent through the atmosphere, the four astronauts inside carry not only scientific data but also the collective wonder of a planet watching them come home. Their successful return will close a chapter that began with Apollo and opens the next era of lunar exploration — one defined as much by emotion as by engineering.

For decades, the “summer holiday” was a military operation. You booked your two weeks off in January, fought over the office calendar, and spent months staring at a countdown timer.

But in 2026, the vibe has shifted. Thanks to the permanent rise of hybrid work, the rigid 9-to-5 holiday block is dying. In its place? The “screw it, let’s go” getaway.

We’re seeing a massive surge in professionals hunting for P&O cruise last minute deals not because they’re disorganized, but because they finally have the freedom to be spontaneous.

The Death of the “Out of Office” Dread

Remember when taking a week off meant three weeks of prep and a mountain of emails upon return? Hybrid work has smoothed those edges. When you have the autonomy to manage your own output, you don’t necessarily need six months’ notice to clear your desk.

If a project finishes early or a meeting gets moved to Zoom, the “dead time” between tasks suddenly becomes a window for a four-day sailing to Bruges or the Channel Islands.

Why Cruising is the “Hack” for Busy Pros

Let’s be honest: planning a last-minute overland trip is a nightmare. Coordinating flights, hotels, and dinner reservations when you’re already stressed with work is just more work.

Cruising is the ultimate “low-friction” travel:

• The “One-and-Done” Factor: You book the cabin, and the logistics (food, transport, sleep) are sorted.
• The Southampton Shortcut: For UK pros, being able to drive to the port and be on a balcony with a drink in hand by 4:00 PM, without touching an airport, is a game changer.
• Connectivity (When You Need It): While we all want to disconnect, the reality of 2026 is that sometimes you need to send one quick Slack message. Modern ship Wi-Fi means you can go “off-grid” without being truly unreachable in an emergency.

Spontaneity as a Power Move

There’s a psychological win here, too. Booking a trip at the eleventh hour feels like a rebellion against the grind. It turns a standard holiday into an adventure. Finding a luxury cabin at a fraction of the price because you were flexible enough to grab it three weeks out? That feels like a victory.

The New “Work-Life” Blend

We’re moving away from the idea that work and life are two separate boxes. Instead, they’re blending. Professionals are choosing shorter, more frequent bursts of travel to prevent burnout rather than waiting for one big blowout trip in August.

A quick cruise offers a “hard reset.” You get the sea air, a change of scenery, and a different country, all without the mental load of a complex itinerary.

Is There a Catch?

Of course, if you’re a “Type A” planner who needs a specific mid-ship balcony on a specific deck, the last-minute life might give you hives. You have to be okay with whatever is left. But for the modern professional who just wants a high-end experience and a break from the screen, the trade-off is more than worth it.

The “traditional” holiday is becoming a relic. As long as UK businesses keep embracing flexibility, the cruise industry will keep seeing a rush of professionals who are trading their home offices for the horizon, usually with only a few days’ notice. It’s not just a trend; it’s the new way we recharge.