In the year up to March 2025, “there were 106 religious hate crimes per 10,000 population targeted at Jewish people, the highest rate for any religious group”, the Home Office report, released in October, said. “The next highest rate was for hate crimes targeted at Muslims, with 12 per 10,000 population,” it added.

If you have just booked a summer holiday, you may be on the hunt for a new suitcase. While some travellers congratulate themselves for only taking a backpack, the rest of us need a sturdy suitcase (or two).

For this year’s guide to the best suitcases, we’ve tried everything from the July and Antler cases you’ve seen all over your Instagram feed to classics like Samsonite, Rimowa and Trunki for the kids. We’ve tested soft shell and hard shell options, including lightweight and expandable suitcases. This article focuses on large, checked luggage, but we also have a guide to the best carry-on luggage, if that’s what you’re after.

You can read our full reviews below, where we’ve concentrated on medium-sized suitcases so that you can better compare prices and weights. Below that, you can find answers to frequently asked questions like how to find the most durable model and what is a regular cabin size.

The best suitcases: At a glance

How to choose the best suitcase

First, decide between hard shell and soft shell. Hard shells (like polycarbonate) are brilliant for keeping your belongings safe and avoiding getting squashed, while soft ones are lighter and let you stuff a bit more in (plus they often have handy front pockets).

Next, consider weight and wheels. Four smooth, 360-degree spinner wheels will change your life at the airport. And every ounce counts, so look for “lightweight” construction so you don’t waste precious baggage allowance. Finally, don’t forget security and size. Make sure it has a proper TSA-friendly lock if you fly often. And always double-check the airline’s rules, especially if you’re buying a carry-on, to avoid gate surprises.

Tom Marchant, co-founder of luxury travel company Black Tomato, says the key to choosing the best suitcase is finding one that is ​​durable and comfortable to use. “To make sure it withstands all elements, I look for a suitcase that’s completely waterproof. Reliable 360-degree spinner wheels and hard-wearing locks are also essential,” he says.

How we test suitcases

Five caravans have camped off Pavilion Square, near Cricketers Way.

The car park at 1 Pavilion Square, where the caravans are currently located, serves as a based for multiple companies.

Vehicles not believed to be associated with the encampment were parked on the opposite side of the car park, where spaces remained available.

It is understood that the travellers arrived on Sunday, March 22, although it has not been confirmed how long they intend to stay.

The Bolton News approached individuals at the site, where two women and a toddler were present.

The women politely declined to comment on their presence on the privately owned land.

The camp comes after Travellers moved their caravans onto Tesco car park in Horwich late last week.

The Gypsy and Traveller way of life may involve travelling across the country and staying in different locations for varying periods in order to earn a living.

Gypsies and Travellers have rights, as do the owners of land where unauthorised encampments take place.

They are protected from discrimination under the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Human Rights Act 1998, alongside all ethnic groups with distinct cultures, languages or values.

If an encampment is on private land, it is typically the responsibility of the landowner to take steps to seek eviction.

Sir Keir Starmer lost his temper at Bernard Jenkin after the Conservative MP accused the prime minister of “lacking a war-fighting mentality” whilst discussing the UK’s involvement in the Iran conflict.

On Monday (23 March), the PM was taking questions from the Liaison Committee when Mr Jenkin said that the Labour government was not acting with urgency and needed to get the country “ready for war”.

When Sir Keir said he was finalising the investment plan, Jenkin quipped it “smacks of enormous complacency”.

Raising his voice slightly, the PM fired back that it “smacks of the fact that for years there was underinvestment by the last [Conservative] government and the stripping out and hollowing out of our armed forces”.

An initiative that empowered girls in rural Bangladesh to tackle child marriage has shown encouraging results in a country where the practice is stubbornly persistent. 

Child marriage is illegal in the south Asian nation, but it is still widely accepted as a cultural norm and the law is poorly enforced. Consequently, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 51% of young Bangladeshi women aged 20–24 were married before the age of 18. Bangladesh, it adds, has around 38 million child brides, with 13 million wed before turning 13.

The systemic problem is more prevalent in deprived and climate-vulnerable communities, where girls are seen as a burden and are ‘married off’ by their families to save money. Experts say that poverty remains the primary driver, compounded by climate shocks in vulnerable regions, where some areas have reported sharp increases in child marriage following environmental disasters.

Action Aid, an international charity working with women and girls in poverty, met the problem head-on in the remote Kurigram district. Through a 12-month pilot, it provided financial support to families, including scholarships to keep girls in education, assistance with school fees and lump sums to help them develop new income streams, including money to purchase livestock.

The charity also helped to establish a network of youth clubs totalling 120 members, creating a safe space for girls to discuss challenges, share experiences and actively stop child marriages from going ahead. 

According to Action Aid, the initiate prevented at least 18 child marriages, provided scholarships for 40 at-risk students, and generated new incomes for 30 vulnerable families.

Some areas have reported sharp increases in child marriage following environmental disasters

Romana, vice president of one of the clubs, managed to avert her own early marriage and that of a close friend. 

“We all came together and intervened,” she said. “We explained the harmful consequences of child marriage, emphasised the importance of education and informed her father about the legal implications. We also involved her school teachers to help reinforce the message and successfully stopped the marriage.”

Abdullah Al Mamun, who heads up Action Aid Bangladesh’s child sponsorship and child rights programme, said the charity hoped to roll out the initiative elsewhere, and said that it’s success should act as a clarion call to local authorities to improve enforcement.

Main image: Action Aid 

Richard Madeley has lifted the lid on a bizarre trick he used when he and his wife, telly icon Judy Finnigan, were trying for a family together

Richard Madeley has made a surprise appearance on Series Two of Last One Laughing – and revealed bedroom secrets about his relationship with wife Judy Finnigan.

The TV host, 69, is not a contestant on the Prime Video but appears as a guest star to try to make the comedians on the show smile and laugh. And he wastes no time on stage inviting them up one by one to be interviewed about a variety of topics.

But the most surprising moment comes in his chat with Romesh Ranganathan and talk turns to sex and having children. Richard asks Romesh: “You’ve got three children, haven’t you? Yeah, any tips for conceiving?”

When Romesh makes a joke in response, Richard adds: “The reason I ask is that when Judy and I were trying to conceive a few years ago, I used to douse my balls in icy water beforehand, right? Apparently it ups the sperm count. Yeah, it’s agonizing.”

Romesh didn’t laugh at the comment but did look shocked and as others looked on he clarified what Richard actually meant. Father-of-two Richard explained: “In a bucket, put several trays of ice, then in, count to 50 and out. You’re dropping in.”

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Romesh couldn’t help inquiring if this move by Richard put Judy off sex a bit afterwards and wondered if it gave her “the ice”.

Richard replied: “Well, I did that in the bathroom, and then I came out nicely, chilled with fast swimming sperm. So I just thought I would pass it on.”

With that admission the interview ended and Romesh left the stage without having laughed. In a piece to camera afterwards he said: “I mean, Richard Madeley, you know, broadcasting legend. The thing that I didn’t want was the image of him squatting to lower his testicles into a bucket of ice water.”

Romesh is one of ten comedians taking part in the second series of Last One Laughing. In 2025, Bob Mortimer, 66, won the first series of Last One Laughing.

Bob is back and up against Romesh as well as Mel Giedroyc, 57, David Mitchell, 51, Diane Morgan, 50, Amy Gledhill, 38, Maisie Adam, 32, Alan Carr, 49, Gbemisola Ikumelo, 39, and 34-year-old Sam Campbell.

The show has been a huge success and reports suggest that a third series has already been commissioned. The first series featured Danny Dyer amongst the special guests.

Richard and Judy have two children together: son Jack born in 1986 and daughter Chloe Susannah born in 1987.

The first three episodes Series Two of Last One Laughing is on Prime Video now with more episodes dropping on Thursday.

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It marks the end of an era after 50 yards of being in business

A popular card shop that’s been a key part of a Swansea community for generations has closed its doors for good. Colin’s Cards, located at Elgin Street in Manselton, Swansea, served its final customers on Saturday, March 21.

It marked the end of an era for the store, which traded in the area for 50 years under community stalwart Colin Lightfoot, who initially ran the shop as a cobblers before diversifying and becoming a specialist greeting card shop since the early 1980s.

Mr Lightfoot sadly died aged 86 on Tuesday, June 17, having battled dementia. The shop remained open with new owner Jo Brooks in charge. But the shop closed at the weekend, with all stock reduced to clear. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here.

The shop had an old-school traditional-feel and was not too dissimilar inside to the one seen in the TV show Open All Hours.

It became every bit as much of a community as it was a business with customers treated as Mr Lightfoot’s friends when they walked in.

Signs are displayed in the shop’s window informing the community that it has now closed down.

On its Facebook page, customers had been invited to visit the store in its final days and “raise a glass to Colin and his empire.”

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​Residents, politicians, and businesses have called on Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency to speed up their work to improve water quality in Scarborough and to introduce a year-round testing regime of bathing water in the resort.

​Yorkshire Water has admitted that “for many it feels like too little too late” but promised further significant investment in its storm overflows and infrastructure in Scarborough and across the coast.

​“Irate” residents said “Scarborough is celebrating its 400th anniversary as Britain’s first resort, but it’s now the last resort” at a special meeting convened to discuss bathing water quality in the town.

​​Issues with Scarborough’s bathing water quality have continued to persist and last year’s ratings saw the South Bay still classed as ‘poor’ and the North Bay’s bathing water quality classed as ‘sufficient’.

​Steve Crawford of Surfers Against Sewage told the meeting on Monday, March 23: “Based on the ratings, if it was a restaurant, you wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole.

​“I think it’s fantastic that Yorkshire Water is investing in infrastructure, but it needs to clarify why its previous work failed, if I’m to trust it now.

“I’ve lost my shop, lost my business, lost my livelihood as a surfing instructor because of the water quality. I want to feel that I can leave this meeting and feel that something will get done.”

​Miles Cameron, manager of strategic partnerships at Yorkshire Water, said: “I’m really proud of the bathing water team who will be out working in communities, and Scarborough is a key priority for us.

​“I know for many in the room it feels like too little too late, but it is coming, and we are working on these projects. We hold the operational team to account.

​“We’ve seen improvements, including at Wheatcroft, which we are pleased to see, and were driving that improvement across our assets.

“The Scarborough investment programme will benefit Yorkshire by reducing spills from Scarborough’s five CSOs to no more than 10 per year and no more than two per bathing season, helping to improve and protect the bathing water.

​“The programme is a major AMP8 programme impacting a major urban area with a value of £150 million.”

​The Environment Agency currently tests bathing water quality from May to September, but councillors said Defra should extend the agency’s remit and funding.

​Cllr Roberta Swiers told the meeting: “The extension of the testing regime has to happen because we’re a year-round destination, because holiday parks are used consistently.

​“For everyone in this room its very frustrating that the issues remain and the change has to come faster, we need results, and we want to see Scarough going up in these water quality tables because it’s one of the best resorts in the country.”

​Professor Darren Gröcke has been investigating seaweed as an indicator of water quality in Scarborough for the past two years in a study supported by North Yorkshire Council.

​The Durham University expert said his findings pointed to Scalby Beck as the dominant source of pollution which is understood to be travelling through North Bay and into South Bay.

​He said the pollution itself was “either human sewage or manure from farms, but based on what the Environment Agency (EA) has shown us, human DNA seems to be the dominant one that’s coming through”.

​Professor Gröcke told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the issue could be addressed by going to the source of the pollution.

​He said: “Go to the source, which is Yorkshire Water, and make sure that a lot of that water that’s being released into the Scalby Beck is clean, it’s sterilised, that there’s no DNA, no pathogens in it, and hopefully with monitoring that Scalby Beck through the two to three years, then we’ll hopefully start to see an improvement.”

​Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said she was concerned “by the issue that the people of Scarborough cannot be assured that the water they are bathing in is safe”.

​The MP said the system for rating bathing water quality should be more “dynamic” in order to reflect recent improvements “instead of this four-year cycle”.

​Ms Hume added that she would be pushing the Government to adopt “a more dynamic resolution to this, because people don’t want to wait for years, as the water is improving due to recent investment by McCains and Yorkshire Water, and we need to be able to say that”.

​Mr Cameron, of Yorkshire Water, described innovation in water quality monitoring as “the holy grail to inform all water users whether it’s safe to bathe” and noted that the company had installed 20 new monitoring units as part of a trial to assess “how we can provide near or ‘real-time’ water quality data for water users”.

Nuno Espirito Santo will rightly see the visit of former club Wolves to the London Stadium as a must-have three points, though the rest of West Ham’s run-in looks tricky, with home games against Arsenal and Everton plus short trips to Crystal Palace and Brentford, and a journey to Newcastle on the penultimate weekend.