Science in the modern era is increasingly reliant on enormous datasets and automated analysis. In astronomy, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) – a ten-year survey covering the entire southern sky almost a thousand times over the next decade – will test the limits of this reliance.

The Rubin observatory, located on a mountaintop called Cerro Pachón in Chile, is expected to catalogue the night sky in exquisite detail. The observatory aims to answer a number of questions about the universe by studying different phenomena in the sky, including supernovae (exploding stars), asteroids, dark matter and the properties of our own galaxy.

What it will also answer is a question dominating all areas of science in the 21st century: how is discovery viewed in the age of big data?

Although primarily funded by the US Department of Energy and National Science Foundation (NSF), the Rubin telescope is the product of a collaborative effort by astronomers spanning six continents and over a dozen countries.

Assistance in setting up its data processing systems was provided by the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Australia, South Africa and Canada, among others. These in-kind contributions provide researchers from these countries with data rights for the LSST.

Alerts providing scientific data are forwarded to seven “brokers” scattered around the world. The brokers are websites or software that astronomers use to access the data from LSST.

The alerts provide information on a new astronomical object, such as its likelihood of being real, its type, the galaxy it belongs to and how its brightness has changed over time. With this data, astronomers are able to select the best candidates for follow-up research.

However, even with the efforts of the software teams and brokers, there is still too much transient data for any research team to sift through. The final stage of data processing from the Rubin telescope will involve scientists using machine learning and AI techniques to identify the best data.

These techniques may be for identifying real cosmic objects among the terabytes of false alerts received, or for classifying the ones most interesting to scientists.

Astronomy is increasingly code-heavy and focused on in-house development. Given the huge amounts of data generated with every night of telescope observations, it is, unsurprisingly, one of the first sciences to turn to machine learning as a solution.

LSST’s Informatics and Statistics Science Collaboration (ISSC), for example, is a group of over 150 data scientists who work on developing tools for astronomy, focusing on the survey’s data science goals.

Astronomy has led the charge in regard to big data, with funding provided by companies such as Amazon and Microsoft for a number of major projects. Indeed, the namesake of the 8.4-metre Simonyi Survey Telescope at the Rubin observatory, Charles Simonyi, is known for software development in the early days of Microsoft, as well as his philanthropic work.

The volume of data produced by the observatory will not only produce opportunities for scientists, software developers and tech workers, but also for volunteers with an interest in astronomy via citizen science projects.

LSST’s partnership with the citizen science platform Zooniverse will ask volunteers to look through data and provide additional context to what they’re shown – identifying interesting objects, discarding garbage data and classifying various types of phenomena.

Future lessons

What does the Rubin observatory tell us about modern astronomy? The 20th century saw a greater push for international collaboration in exploring the skies. The increased sophistication of the resulting observatories means that more and more astronomers are working in the service of enabling science, rather than making discoveries themselves.

The huge amounts of data generated by the survey, and the huge number of personnel required to analyse it, is not novel to Rubin. Other contemporary surveys such as Euclid and the Ligo-Virgo-Kagra collaboration, as well as the next decade’s even larger Square Kilometer Array, each consist of thousands of collaborators worldwide leveraging huge amounts of data.

What is clear is that AI will dominate the scientific discovery space of the Rubin observatory to meet these big data challenges. With more funding from industry to develop AI tools to analyse astronomy data, astronomy is becoming deeply embedded within the tech-sphere that dominates modern life.

Rubin will produce 10 terabytes of data every night, with the aim of a final database size of 15 petabytes at the end of its ten-year survey. With the majority of the 10 million alerts produced each night expected to be false, advanced machine learning and AI tools are required to filter out all but the most promising candidates for follow-up.

By reducing the amount of time spent by astronomers reviewing this data, more time can be spent carrying out new and exciting astrophysics research.

Ownership of both the tools of discovery and the discovery itself is now disseminated among scientists, big tech and the citizens who label data. The unresolved question is whether the cosmos will remain a shared public frontier, or become a domain shaped by the priorities of Silicon Valley.

Around 6pm on Tuesday, 25 February, a property near the B739, between Tarbolton and Monkton, was broken into.

Jewellery and clothes worth approximately £300,000 were stolen during a housebreaking and theft in Ayrshire.

Around 6pm on Tuesday, 25 February, a property near the B739, between Tarbolton and Monkton, was broken into.

Police have since confirmed that jewellery and clothing worth approximately £300,000 were taken.

It is believed two males were involved in the break-in and they would have needed access to a vehicle.

A team of detectives has reviewed CCTV and carried out extensive enquiries in the local area.

Police Scotland Detective Sergeant Davie Gillies, Ayr CID, said: “We are now appealing for the help of the public.

“We believe this house was targeted specifically for its remote location and with the intention of stealing high-value items.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing and I am appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident, who may have seen a car or people acting suspiciously in the area on the day the property was broken into or in the days leading up to it or who may have information which could assist to contact us.

“I would also ask any motorists who were in the area of the B739, between Tarbolton and Monkton, around the time and who may have dash cam footage which could help to get in touch.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 3693 of 24 February, 2026.

BANGKOK (AP) — The escalating war with Iran is pushing parts of the world into energy triage, forcing governments to choose where to cut demand or absorb costs, while prioritizing dwindling supplies.

Asia is the most exposed since it relies heavily on imported fuel, much of it shipped through the now-blockedStrait of Hormuz. The narrow passage offshore from Iran is the main route for shipping a fifth of global trade in crude oil and liquified natural gas.

Governments in the region are scrambling to adjust — tallying oil reserves, conserving energy, competing for supplies and trying to blunt prices. That brings difficult trade-offs: saving power may slow business activity. Prioritizing cooking gas for households can hurt restaurants and other businesses.

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Analysts warn the same hard choices could soon spread beyond Asia to fuel-importing economies in Africa and elsewhere as countries compete for scarce supplies.

“The situation is common across the board,” said Putra Adhiguna of the Jakarta-based Energy Shift Institute. “There is no easy decision for the short term.”

Southeast Asia is rationing scarce energy

With oil prices surging despite releases of some reserves, Southeast Asia is stretching dwindling energy reserves by urging households, businesses and government agencies to slash power use.

In the Philippines, officials have switched to a four-day workweek to cut back on fuel consumption and reduce the government’s energy use by a fifth. Office have been told to switch off computers during lunch breaks and keep air conditioning no lower than 24°C (75°F). Vietnam has urged people to work from home. While in Thailand, the prime minister has even asked officials to take the stairs instead of elevators.

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But this comes at a cost.

Dieu Linh, a vegetable seller in Hanoi, said even a 10% rise in fuel costs will eat into her thin margins. “If my costs go up by even a little, the profit is almost gone,” she said.

At the same time, countries in the region are competing for limited supplies at higher costs.

Vietnam has asked refineries and fuel distributors to keep fuel supplies high, while Thailand is stretching its roughly two-month oil reserve and seeking other domestic energy sources. Both are using price supports to shield households from rising costs.

Thailand halted exports to protect its limited reserves, contributing to shortages that have closed nearly a third of Cambodia’s roughly 6,000 gas stations.

East Asia searches for new energy suppliers and sources

More than 80% of the liquefied natural gas, or LNG, that passed the Strait of Hormuz in 2024 went to Asia, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and much of it to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Japan’s first line of defense is its vast strategic oil stockpile, amounting to around 254 days’ worth of supplies. This system was set up after the shocks from the 1970s Arab oil crisis.

Japan began releasing about 45 days’ worth of oil reserves this week to prevent fuel prices from surging as crude oil imports slow. It last released reserves after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

This will help keep Japan’s energy-intensive industries running, from automobiles to steel manufacturing and heavy machinery. Companies like Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nippon Steel depend on steady fuel supplies.

South Korea plans to release 22.46 million barrels from its reserves under the International Energy Agency ’s largest-ever coordinated stock draw.

But analysts said that tapping reserves isn’t a longterm solution.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is due to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month and Japan’s plans to buy more American LNG and restart nuclear power plants are likely to be on the agenda, analysts say.

Populous nations

prioritize homes, but face price pinch

India is prioritizing household needs for its limited supply of liquefied petroleum gas or LPG, which is used for cooking and to power cars.

It has absorbed more than half of the increase driven by global market disruptions under a federal scheme to keep prices low for poor households, said Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

But shortages are already seeping into restaurants and hotels in the world’s second-largest LPG importer, as eateries shorten hours, close temporarily or trim long-simmered curries and deep-fried snacks from their menus.

The scale of demand in India, the world’s most populous nation, limits how long it can cap prices to shield consumers. The situation could worsen within a week if government subsidies lapse, said Duttatreya Das of the think tank Ember, noting gas supplies were the most immediate concern.

“You can’t store a lot of gas,” Das said, adding that fertilizer factories and small industries will feel the pinch first.

While the government has promised to maintain fuel prices throughout Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, Adhiguna of the Energy Shift Institute said there is “no clarity about what will happen after that,” adding that this implies fuel prices could increase.

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Thailand is also caught in a dilemma. If it ends subsidies that keep prices low, living costs will jump and that could spark a panic if reserves fall further, said Areeporn Asawinpongphan of the Thailand Development Research Institute.

If the conflict continues, Indonesia will have to choose between keeping the subsides that protect customers or cutting funding to keep to budgetary limits. However, this could fuel inflation. Given Indonesia’s limited 20-day reserve, Adhiguna warned that price fluctuations in Indonesia’s fuel market will be swift.

“It will eventually reach a breaking point,” Adhiguna said.

Europe feels the squeeze, too

The European Union is doubling down on its long-term clean energy strategy to cut consumption and rein in prices across the 27-nation bloc that have risen sharply since the war’s start. Officials met in Brussel this week, where they considered ways to improve the region’s energy security.

“We are looking at how we can reduce people’s energy bills,” said European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen. “We are working on immediate measures to help businesses and our most vulnerable citizens.”

___

Ghosal reported from Hanoi, Vietnam. Associated Press writers Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok, Thailand, Sam McNeil in Brussels and Piyush Nagpal in New Delhi, India contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Amid the debate over the new rules, what is more important, the entertainment spectacle or driver satisfaction? And with changes being considered, what sort of things are likely to be changed? – Kevin and Tim

For this answer, I have combined two separate questions that came in. I hope Kevin and Tim don’t mind.

F1 is a sport first and entertainment second. The hope is that it should be entertaining, and effort is made to make sure that’s the case, but sport can’t be entertaining all the time. You get 0-0 draws in football as much as 5-4 thrillers. Not all rugby matches are as compelling as that between France and England on Saturday evening.

Most of the stakeholders in F1 recognise that as a truism.

The new rules were not arrived at from an entertainment-first standpoint, at least not initially. The engine rules were changed to attract new manufacturers – successfully – and only afterwards was it realised that the chassis rules would be problematic.

Primarily, issues revolve around the fact that with such powerful electrical systems, a nominal 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, batteries of the current size, and front-axle recovery not allowed, the cars are energy starved.

It’s fair to say that many people in F1 recognise the chassis rules are a mish-mash of compromises arrived at as a sticking plaster for the engine rules, while at the same time trying to align a series of competing political positions.

It’s hardly a surprise that, in those circumstances, the rules are less than perfect, to say the least.

The fundamentals of the rules won’t change, but it’s recognised that some areas could be tweaked to reduce some of the bigger compromises.

It’s clear from some remarks Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff made after the race in China that certain changes that have come with the new rules are considered welcome.

“From an entertainment perspective, what we’ve seen today between Ferrari and Mercedes was good racing,” Wolff said.

“Many overtakes. We were all part of Formula 1 where there was no overtake, literally. Sometimes we’re too nostalgic about the good old years. But I think the product is good in itself. We saw quite some racing in the midfield also. And that is, I think, the positive.

“Qualifying flat-out would be nice. But when you look at the fans and the excitement that is there, live, the cheering when there’s overtakes and also on social media, the younger fans, the vast majority, through all the demographics, like the sport at the moment.

“We can always look at how we’re improving it. But at the moment, all the indicators say and all the data say people love it. And I spoke with Stefano (Domenicali, the F1 president). He says that, too. So, it is driving the car that, for some, is not most pleasant.”

That sounds a bit like Wolff is saying the drivers can lump it if they don’t like it.

That being said, there is widespread unease at the way the need for energy management has compromised the purity of not only the driving experience but also the essence of the sport – especially in qualifying, and especially in fast corners, many of which some drivers say are now being used for energy recovery and are no longer taken at the limit of grip.

At the moment, there are two levels of energy recovery. When flat out, a maximum of 250kw, in what is known in F1 jargon as ‘super-clipping’. But 350kw once the driver has lifted and/or braked.

One obvious change would be to allow the cars to super-clip – the most efficient way of recovery – at 350kw. That feels like it could happen pretty soon, perhaps even for the Miami Grand Prix in early May.

Another proposal has been to reduce the power from the electrical components from the current 350kw, to 300kw or 250kw. Then deployment would last longer.

More extensive changes, such as changing the split between internal combustion and electrical power so it was more in favour of the engine, or increasing the fuel-energy limit, would require significant changes to the power-units. So that could not happen before next year at the earliest.

It remains to be seen whether there is appetite for that – especially as people are already beginning to wonder what the next engine regulations will be, and exactly when they will come in.

The Doc Martin star has opened up on how he prepared to play the disgraced BBC newsreader

Doc Martin star Martin Clunes has opened up about the challenges of playing disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards. Edwards, who was born in Bridgend, was one of the highest-paid newsreaders at the public service broadcaster.

He was best known for presenting the BBC’s News at Ten and delivering some of the biggest stories to the public, including the death of Queen Elizabeth II, before he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children in July 2024.

Clunes will portray Edwards in a new feature-length drama which will explore the newsreader’s double life as it spirals out of control, leading to his complete exit from public life following his conviction. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter.

Clunes said he hasn’t “judged” the disgraced newsreader in his performance. “I never get into whether I like or dislike a character I’m playing,” he explained.

Having never met Edwards however, Clunes admits he spoke to people who worked with him and “didn’t hear any compliments”, he told The Times.

The 64-year-old, who recently appeared in the new adaption of Wuthering Heights, said he knew portraying Edwards would be a challenge from the beginning.

Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards, focuses on how a young vulnerable man, played by Welsh actor Osian Morgan, came into contact with one of the most powerful figures in television.

“Beyond the salacious curiosity around this story, I really thought there was another story worth telling, that of ‘Ryan’ and his family,” the London-born actor said.

“Obviously the press and the media have focussed on the fallen big man, Huw Edwards, which, of course, is a big story. But behind that, there’s this lad and his family whose lives got turned upside down and rather spoiled. I’m not on any social media and I had no idea that this sort of thing went on, I really didn’t.”

Edwards’ downfall came after a report by the Sun in July 2023 alleged that a “top BBC star” had paid a 17-year-old for sexual pictures. Days later his wife named him as the presenter at the centre of the scandal and the newsreader resigned the following April.

Edwards was charged with making indecent images of children in June 2024 following a Metropolitan Police investigation. A month later the former presenter and father of five admitted three offences of making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. He was sentenced to a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

Clunes said that while preparing for the role, he looked through archive clips of Edwards in an attempt to understand the man behind the newsreader. “I was familiar with Huw Edwards, the newsreader, and how he presented himself when he was reading the news,” he explained.

“But I’ve seen other actors make the mistake of just inhabiting that projected face of a famous person or politician, I knew that we needed the other side of him too.

“Finding archive clips of Edwards away from the news was less easy, but I wanted to make sure I did. I noticed from looking at that archive that he was different when he wasn’t reading the news, and I wanted to make that distinction. If you listen to his rhythms, he’s far more Welsh when he’s not newsreading.”

But even for Clunes, Edwards remains something of a mystery. “The circularity of it is something I’ve thought about. Because he was on the telly in all those homes, every night, and he would have reported on somebody else’s fall from grace. And I wonder how he would have felt.”

Clunes, who is known more for his comedy roles, said it can be uncomfortable dealing with sensitive subject material, but dealt with it by being a “little facetious”, despite taking his work seriously.

“Sometimes it’s harder when a role is more nebulous and you can’t pin your performance on something, but we had transcripts of text messages between Huw Edwards and ‘Ryan’, and they do appear in the script, so we breathed life into them,” he said.

“It was hard towards the end of the story, hearing Osian’s vulnerable voice when Edwards was bullying him, and the hurt of this boy reaching out in a sensitive way. I didn’t feel very nice at the end of those scenes, so again it was definitely good to have Osian in the room to talk to afterwards.

“I’m not a very heavy person, so my way of dealing with things is generally to be a little facetious and sort of lighthearted, even though I take the work very seriously.”

Speaking about filming the phone scenes, he says they always made sure to be in the same room. “Luckily, I did have Osian there with me, who plays Ryan, and he was terrific,” said Clunes.

“A lot of our scenes are seemingly in isolation on phone calls, so we decided to both be there in the room for the other actor. Usually, if you film a phone call, the director or assistant director will read out the other lines, and you have to act to that. But because of the intimate nature of so many of these phone calls, we felt we couldn’t do that.

“There’s an intimacy on the phone. Having us both in the room for filming really helped to create that feeling. There was only one time it wasn’t possible to be in the same place, and I phoned Osian directly for that scene. He’s a brilliant young actor, I was just bowled over by him and really enjoyed working with him.”

When asked how he feels fans will react to seeing him in this role, Clunes says: “I’ve played a murderer before and I’m vile in Wuthering Heights, so this isn’t my first dark role, but I always just take work from what’s on offer, and I’ve never had a plan.

“I’ve always been lucky enough to balance light-hearted jobs like Doc Martin with dramas in-between. I’m not desperate to reshape myself – I’d play someone like Doc Martin again in a heartbeat.”

Power: The Downfall Of Huw Edwards airs on Channel 5 on Tuesday, March 24 at 9pm.

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ROME (AP) — Bodies washing ashore day after day. Phone calls from relatives going unanswered. Migrants’ tents abandoned overnight.

Migrants trying to reach Europe are vanishing in droves in what are known as “invisible shipwrecks” but governments responsible for search and rescue are withholding information about what they know.

The beginning of 2026 ranks as the deadliest start to any year for people trying to cross the Mediterranean — an unprecedented 682 confirmed missing as of March 16 — according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration. But the real death toll is almost certainly much higher.

Human rights groups are increasingly struggling to verify tolls as Italy, Tunisia and Malta have quietly restricted information on migrant rescues and shipwrecks along the deadliest migration route in the world. The news barely makes headlines, in part because the lack of transparency prevents journalists from confirming reports.

“It’s a strategy of silence,” said Matteo Villa, a researcher focusing on migration and data at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies think tank.

The organization Refugees in Libya and other human rights groups have been sounding the alarm since late January, reporting more than 1,000 people missing after Cyclone Harry hit the region. But authorities have not confirmed, denied or corrected those reports.

In the weeks that followed the cyclone, more than 20 decomposing bodies washed ashore in Italy and Libya while other human remains were spotted floating in the middle of the sea.

For the families of missing migrants, not knowing their fate is excruciating.

“Europe should know that these people who got drowned in the sea have family members, have dreams, have passions,” Josephus Thomas, a migrant from Sierra Leone and community leader in Tunisia’s coastal town of El Amra, told AP.

Hundreds of people had departed from Tunisia’s coastal region of Sfax and disappeared, according to information the group Refugees in Libya gathered from migrants in Tunisia and their relatives abroad.

The group acknowledged it was difficult to be precise “because there is no central system recording departures, losses, or recoveries,” but it warned that the death toll was likely even higher.

“We are looking at boats that never counted how many kids are inside,” Refugees in Libya founder David Yambio told AP.

The AP sent five email requests to the Italian coast guard seeking information on the boats reported missing and search efforts but received no response. An officer who answered the phone said the coast guard did not have “any further verified and confirmed information regarding the circumstances.” AP also filed a Freedom of Information request, which is pending.

The coast guard also declined to comment on an alert it issued on Jan. 24 asking vessels sailing between the Italian island of Lampedusa and Tunisia to be on the lookout for eight small boats in distress carrying some 380 people. The alert was made public by Italian journalist Sergio Scandura.

Until mid-2024, Tunisian authorities regularly shared the number of migrants they were intercepting at sea, eager to show their European partners compliance with a 2023 deal to curb migration in exchange for financial aid. But the deal was also followed by a brutal crackdown against migrants on land that resulted in thousands being detained or dumped in the desert.

Nongovernmental organizations such as the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, known by its French acronym FTDES, which used to compile and share reports on migrant interceptions, were also caught in the crackdown.

In June 2024, Tunisia’s Ministry of Interior stopped releasing any information on migrants, citing security reasons, said Romdhane Ben Amor, FTDES’ spokesperson. But in his opinion, the motives were political. The numbers were incompatible with the narrative that Tunisia was not Europe’s border guard, he said.

Italy’s erosion of information on migrant rescues is even older than Tunisia’s. The Italian coast guard used to provide detailed monthly data on migrants rescued. The monthly reports became quarterly before stopping completely in 2020, Villa said. In 2022, previous reports were also removed from the coast guard’s website.

This year, the Italian coast guard did not share any migration-related press releases despite nearly 5,000 migrants disembarking on Italian shores, according to Italy’s Interior Ministry statistics.

“It is very clearly a political strategy to repress as much information as possible from the public,” Villa said.

___

Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Trisha Thomas contributed to this report from Rome.

The move, expected to save around £20 million a year, is part of wider reforms under the upcoming Great British Railways (GBR), which will oversee Britain’s rail network and train operations.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “These changes will ensure taxpayers’ money goes toward freezing fares and upgrading services, rather than lost to fare dodgers.”

From the second half of 2026, passengers buying discounted tickets from machines will need to:

• Scan their railcard or
• Enter railcard details, such as the number and their name

Those purchasing via a website or app with a registered account will only need to input this information once, allowing automatic validation for future purchases.

Refund rules tightened for customers

At the same time, refund rules for flexible tickets are being tightened. Starting next month:

• Off-Peak and Anytime tickets will only be refundable until 11.59pm the day before travel (unless services are disrupted).
• Exceptional circumstances, like medical emergencies, will still be considered.

We’re making changes to ticket refunds. From 1 April 2026, some tickets will only be refundable up until 23:59 the day before they’re valid for travel.

Take a moment to check what this means for you.
Find out more: https://t.co/BjCMDjYNEs #refundschange pic.twitter.com/SpdilsuR6X

— National Rail (@nationalrailenq) March 2, 2026

Currently, passengers can return unused tickets within 28 days of expiry without giving a reason, a loophole that has led to refund abuse costing around £40 million annually.

Delay Repay compensation made simpler

The DfT also plans to streamline Delay Repay claims, allowing passengers to claim compensation directly from wherever they buy their ticket, instead of contacting the train operator.

Online ticket retailer Trainline estimates passengers currently miss out on £80 million per year because one-click claims are limited to tickets bought directly from operators.

Under GBR, compensation systems across 14 different operators will be merged to make claiming refunds quicker, simpler, and less confusing.

What passengers need to do ahead of the changes

Passengers can prepare by:

1. Knowing their start date – if your turnover is above £50,000, ticket validation begins in mid-2026.
2. Choosing recognised software or apps – including free and paid options, with bridging software for those who still prefer spreadsheets.
3. Signing up early – don’t wait until the last minute to ensure smooth travel and refund claims.

Jacqueline Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “The consolidated Delay Repay service will make it easier for all customers to request compensation, regardless of where they bought their ticket, with a more consistent process.”

The move is to better reflect the wide range of pubs in both the city and the vast, rural area the 1,100-member branch covers.

The City Winner is the Last Drop Inn in Colliergate and the White Bear in Stillington is the Country Pub of the Year, beating around 450 others in York Camra’s patch

Branch chairman Chris Tregellis told the Press: “For a modestly sized pub in a modestly sized village the White Bear certainly punches well above its weight.

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“The regular beers are consistently excellent but it’s the commitment to frequently changing guest beers which takes this up a notch and makes every visit a treat.

“The commitment to the autovac system ensures that every pint emerges fresh and sparkling. The food in the restaurant bar is also something not to miss.” 

The White Bear is currently on the market but since 1995 has been run by Phil and Sue Robinson. The pub has won the seasonal award three times but this is their first annual success.

York Camra’s Chris Tregellis outside the White Bear in Stillington (Image: Pic supplied)

Chris added of the couple: “They have never put a foot wrong. A worthy winner.”

The presentation evening will be Friday May 1.

The Last Drop Inn in Colliergate was once owned by the York Brewery, then the Black Sheep brewery, and now Paul Kemp, and is going on from “strength to strength.”

Like the Robinsons, Paul has also placed  his pub on the market, but York Camra says “as with the White Bear, the Last Drop stands out because of quality and choice.”

Paul Kemp of the Last Drop Inn (Image: Darren Greenwood)

Chris continued: “There is always something new to try. Sitting in the front bar is a great place to watch the envious glances of tourists and locals as they pass down Colliergate.”

The Last Drop will be celebrating during its presentation night on Friday April 17.

Paul Kemp who took over the pub in 2023 says he is “absolutely made up” to be an annual winner.

He told the Press: “When we started this project, this award was one of the things we wanted to achieve.”

The pub has been a seasonal winner, it got listed in the Good Pub Guide and this latest award sees it competing regionally.

Paul has been praised for bringing the pub back ‘from the dead’, which he credits on traditional pub values of well-maintained beers, rotating guest beers, and recognisable permanent beers in a friendly and pleasant environment.

“Now it’s about staying there and trying to repeat it,” he said.

And to any potential buyer, Paul added this latest award “shows the potential of gaining a real ale flagship in the centre of York.”

Phil Robinson told the Press he is “ectatic, overwhelmed” to win after 30 years at the White Bear and 40 years in the trade.

Sue and Phil Robinson of the White Bear with Chris Tregellis at an earlier York Camra presentation (Image: Pic supplied)

Phil thanks their wonderful staff and customers for their support, adding he is doing his bit to keep traditional pubs going, which he says are disappearing.

Phil continued: “We support the community in return through sponsorships to the local football, cricket, squash and bowls teams. Other local charities get our support through our monthly charity qub quizzes (last Sunday of the month).

“We offer some great beer, with 5 casks, including our own White Bear Bitter (a 4% traditional ale lovingly brewed by Craig at Rudgate Brewery), Leeds Pale Ale from Kirkstall Brewery and three rotating guest beers from different local breweries; always including a stout, porter, or mild.”

Phil added: “To complement our beer we serve home cooked seasonal food prepared by my wonderful wife Sue and chef Dan.

“We hope this award will bring more business not just to The White Bear but to the village as a whole as we all need support to keep going in these testing times.”

York Camra will officially be announcing its other 2026 award winners later.

Two holidaymakers from London were injured after their hot air balloon crashed into power cables before landing on a football pitch.

The passengers have been named locally as Claire Wolstenholme, 43, and her partner, Nicholas Wright, 49.

Claire is said to be in a critical condition after suffering burns from an electric shock.

The crash was reported before 9am yesterday in the Teotihuacan Valley around 25 miles north-east of Mexico City after the pilot allegedly lost control of the balloon.

The couple were treated at the scene before being taken to the hospital.

The company that took the two Brits out in the hot air balloon has been named by investigators as Happy Puerto.

The pilot, named locally as Santiago Torres, was taken in for questioning by state prosecutors with one unconfirmed report saying he had been arrested.

An investigation into the accident, which left people living near to the football pitch without electricity, was ongoing this morning.

Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency said in a statement late yesterday: The Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) reports that at 8.40am this morning, in the municipality of Teotihuacan, State of Mexico, an incident was reported involving a hot-air balloon coming into contact with power lines.

‘Two people were travelling in the aircraft, registered as XA-OZY and operated by Happy Puerto, who suffered burns from an electric shock.

‘They were transferred to Mexico City for treatment at a private hospital.

‘The AFAC is launching an administrative investigation into the incident.’

Hot air balloons have been involved in fatal accidents.

In June last year a hot air balloon caught fire and crashed in Praia Grande in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, killing eight of the 21 people on board.

In April 2023 a married couple burnt to death and their 13-year-old daughter was injured in a hot air balloon accident over the pre-hispanic ruin site of Teotihuacan close to where yesterday morning’s drama occurred.

The pair killed were named as Jose Nolasco, 50, and his wife Viridiana Becerril, 39.

Footage of the incident taken by an onlooker showed the hot air balloon deflating as flames engulfed the basket below where the Mexican family were enjoying their ride.

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