Google is following in Amazon’s footsteps and has committed $2 billion to the AI startup

A wristwatch once owned by China's last emperor, Puyi, is expected to fetch over $3 million when it goes on sale in Hong Kong this month.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 15, 2023--

(Reuters) -British retailer John Lewis Partnership has agreed a five-year deal with Alphabet Inc's Google Cloud, enabling it to harness

Gone are the days of fusty, old-school Scottish hotels. Today, Scotland offers a wealth of welcoming hotel options to suit all tastes, types and budgets. The classic old-world luxury dames still proudly proffer their history in the glens and overlooking the lochs, with many back at their best in recent years, thanks to some serious investment. They’ve been joined by a new wave of boutique accommodations, where tartan twee is eschewed for cutting-edge design and the work of local artists and craftspeople. Scotland’s eight cities all boast a dizzying array of options, with real choice, too, out in the Highlands and on the islands. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway for two, a life-affirming family break packed with action, or a chilled escape with old pals, you’ll find it north of Hadrian’s Wall in a country where jaw-dropping scenery comes as standard. Scottish hospitality has moved up a notch as customers’ expectations rise ever higher, and, when it comes to picking a place to stay, we’ve rounded up the best of the best. The best hotels in Scotland 2023 are: Best luxury hotel: The Balmoral Best hotel for couples: Orocco Pier Best budget hotel: Clayton Hotel Glasgow City Best city break hotel: Malmaison Aberdeen Best hotel for walkers: The Torridon Best boutique hotel: Hotel Indigo Dundee Best hotel for scenic views: Trump Turnberry Best hotel for foodies: Kinloch Lodge Best spa hotel: Cameron House Best family hotel: Gleneagles Best hotels in Edinburgh Best luxury hotel: The Balmoral Neighbourhood: Edinburgh This quintessential Edinburgh hotel has proudly stood at No.1 Princes Street since 1902. Rocco Forte’s flagship city hotel is constantly being tweaked to stay ahead. Book a room with a castle view or the room where JK Rowling completed her Harry Potter saga – all rooms have the same classically luxurious, calm vibe. A basement spa with the Irene Forte Skincare range tempts, along with the pool. Delve below street level too for Number One, which has cherished a well-deserved Michelin star for more than two decades. It still does a proper Scotch beef steak if you don’t want to experiment with the modern Scottish creations. Expand your whisky horizons at SCOTCH whisky bar with its 500 whiskies, or savour afternoon tea beneath a Venetian chandelier, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the harp in Palm Court. Book now Best hotel for couples: Orocco Pier Neighbourhood: Edinburgh The seaside suburb of South Queensferry is a favourite of Edinburghers during weekends. Enjoy the day-trip delights of the cobbled high street’s shops, a boat trip on Maid of the Forth out to the wee island of Inchcolm and – best of all – the epic views of the world-famous Forth Bridge. When the day trippers leave, linger at Orocco Pier, a smart 17-room boutique bolthole on the waterfront. Book a room with a view of the bridge, savour a sundowner in the Antico Bar, feast on a seafood platter for two in the revamped Samphire Restaurant and enjoy a moonlit stroll with the bridge as a seriously romantic backdrop. Best hotels in Glasgow Best budget hotel: Clayton Hotel Glasgow City Neighbourhood: Glasgow Forget the privations of hostel rooms or faceless budget chains; instead, recline in the deeply historic old Grade A-listed customs house right on the River Clyde in the heart of Glasgow. This is a 303-room, four-star hotel at three-star prices. Rooms are comfortable rather than luxurious, but spacious with comfy King Koil mattresses. Book a riverside room for views over the Clyde and towards the city’s Southside. The Custom House Bar & Restaurant is worth staying in for too – savour the signature Glaswegin cocktails at the swish bar before tucking into steaks and international comfort food. Best hotels in Aberdeen Best city break hotel: Malmaison Aberdeen Neighbourhood: Aberdeen Aberdeen has its fair share of characterless hotels catering for its lifeblood fossil fuel industries, but the Malmaison’s offering is the finest of the boutique chain in Scotland. Housed in a grand grey granite building (Aberdeen is known as the Granite City), this 79-room hotel is ideally located for exploring the rapidly changing city. Stroll to the revamped Aberdeen Art Gallery and the new City Gardens; later watch the dolphins at Torry Battery. The city’s boisterous pubs and clubs buzz all around, with plenty of eating out options nearby. The hotel’s wine list is impressive, while Chez Mal serves spot-on steaks cooked on a Josper grill. Best hotels in the Scottish Highlands Best hotel for walkers: The Torridon Neighbourhood: Wester Ross Daniel and Rohaise Rose-Bristow are legends of the Scottish hotel scene, seamlessly steering this Wester Ross escape for more than two decades. You could just sip whisky watching the Highland cows and the mist over Loch Torridon, but many come here to hike. The epic Torridon Mountains soar up over a kilometre high, offering life-affirming challenges. A comparatively easy option for experienced hikers is 903m-high Beinn Damh – yomp up straight from the hotel. Even gentler is a rare – for Scotland – waymarked mountain trail at Beinn Eighe, offering a taste of the mountains to less-experienced hikers. The hotel’s Torridon Outdoors team can lead the way. Stay in the plush main hotel or more hiker-friendly inn-style Stables. Book now Best Isle of Skye hotels Best hotel for foodies: Kinloch Lodge Neighbourhood: Isle of Skye Dining at whitewashed Kinloch Lodge, you’ll question the judgement of the Michelin inspectors who stole a well-deserved star a few years ago from this 17th-century hunting lodge run for five decades by the legendary foodie family the MacDonalds. Passion, authenticity and sound local produce ripple through this foodie hideaway, gloriously set on its own sea loch. Spend the morning foraging for wild herbs and chanterelles with the Skye Ghillie, then tuck into creative fine dining from head chef Jordan Webb. Kick off with Lochalsh crab toast rarebit, pickled cucumber and lemon gel; followed by Skye roe deer with turnip, and leek, spiced with a Kinloch wood-foraged bramble jus. Divine. Best hotels in Dundee Best boutique hotel: Hotel Indigo Dundee Neighbourhood: Dundee Dundee is a designated Unesco City of Design and is arguably the most dynamic Scottish city of this millennium – home to the first V&A design museum outside London, which is the centrepiece of the multi-million pound waterfront regeneration. The Hotel Indigo is symbolic of Dundee’s transformation – a boutique 120-room oasis brilliantly reborn from one of the old jute mills that used to power Dundee. Antique furnishings weave together with bright colours and striking fabrics – the latter the work of artist alumni from the city’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design. Best hotels in Ayrshire Best hotel for scenic views: Trump Turnberry Neighbourhood: Ayrshire Whatever you think of its owner, the views at this unique 92-bedroom resort are impossible to argue with. This prime strip of Ayrshire coastline, site of Robert the Bruce’s ancestral castle, peers out across the Firth of Clyde towards the glowering Alpine-esque peaks of the Isle of Arran, with the hulking gannet-dotted rock granite rock sentinel of Ailsa Craig blinking back too. As the sun melts into the cobalt waters, the Turnberry Lighthouse kicks into action. Play a round on the famous golf courses to really make the most of the views, or just recline in one of the plush bars and restaurants in a window seat. Horse riding and hiking also reveal spirit-soaring views. Best hotels in Loch Lomond Best spa hotel: Cameron House Neighbourhood: Loch Lomond Set on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, this resort retreat is naturally relaxing with water, forests and hills everywhere you look. There is a swimming pool complex at the main hotel but, if you really want to chill, take the shuttle bus just up the road to the Cameron Spa. The outdoor infinity pool at this adults-only escape peers over the island-studded loch; inside, the 20m ‘tranquillity pool’ sports a hot tub with other thermal treats as part of the Hydro & Thermal Experience. Spa and beauty treatments use ESPA and Made for Life Organics products. The ‘Couples Suite’ is the setting for sheer decadence for two. Best hotels in Perthshire Best family hotel: Gleneagles Neighbourhood: Perthshire It’s hard to think of a resort anywhere in the UK better set up for families than this glorious historic offering, which opened in 1924. They provide world-class kids’ clubs, a swimming pool with a bubbling outdoor section that delights wee ones, and all the usual child-distracting, parent-pleasing activities. Swirled in, too, is the chance for kids to help train a gun dog, have a bird of prey swoop in to literally eat out of their hands, shoot some arrows or drive a mini Land Rover. The hotel restaurants excel too, as adept at catering to babies as they are to teens. And then there are the world-renowned golf courses. Read more of our Scotland hotel reviews: Best Scottish highlands hotels Best dog-friendly Scotland hotels Best Scotland spa hotels Read more about Scotland travel: Best luxury hotels in Scotland Best boutique hotels in Edinburgh Best cheap hotels in Edinburgh Read More Best Norfolk hotels 2023: Where to stay for food, luxury and beach walks Best family-friendly Cornwall hotels for a fun 2023 holiday Best hotels in Brighton 2023: Where to stay for a unique seaside escape Eight of the best self-catering holiday homes to stay at in the UK Eight best solo holiday destinations in the UK for a singles getaway Scotland country guide: Everything you need to know before you go

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In the classic 2002 rom-com Brown Sugar, the character Sidney Shaw (Sanaa Lathan), a music journalist and editor of XXL, asks all of her interview subjects one simple question: when did you fall in love with hip-hop? All year, we’ve been celebrating the 50th anniversary of the genre, and the Unbothered team has been asking ourselves the same question. We know how far hip-hop has come and how powerful the medium has been for all of us personally. But we also know that embedded in hip-hop’s roots along with b-boys from the Bronx, block parties, breakdancing, and mind-bending rhymes was misogyny, anti-feminist lyrics, and a culture that largely saw women as props instead of peers (despite women being a big part of rap’s foundation). You can simultaneously love hip-hop music and acknowledge the harm that some of its artists have perpetuated. There’s that famous Ava DuVernay quote that sums it up: “To be a woman who loves hip-hop at times is to be in love with your abuser.”

Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal become entwined in a ghostly story of love and loss

Think rich warm earthy tones, sandy shades, burnt oranges and you’re in the comfort zone of terracotta. Calming and comforting, this earthenware shade has an organic feel, and it’s a natural choice for a chic colour palette of rich rusts balanced by beige, neutrals and shell pinks. Here’s what’s fired our imagination… 1. Carrots Soup Plate, £25, Emma Bridgewater Whether it’s gazpacho or carrot soup, those power-packed blended veggies and side of crusty bread are the perfect fit this soup plate. 2. Brabantia Tasty + Frying Pan, 20cm, Non-Stick – Terracotta Pink, £31.25, Spatula Plus Cutting Edge, Tasty+ – Terracotta Pink, £8.50, Brabantia Master the art of flawless, fluffy omelettes and perfect pancakes with Brabantia’s new non-stick frying pan with grip handle in terracotta pink. Suitable for gas, electric, induction and ceramic. 3. Yankee Candle Cinnamon Stick, £31.99, (567g), Yankee Candle Scentscaping for summer? The sweet, spicy scent of cinnamon with base notes of bay leaf and cedarwood is one of the most familiar fragrances – and will boost your wellbeing with its mood lifting aroma. 4. Shaped Ceramic Set of 3 Mini Vases, £18, Next Abstract vases are having a moment in the sun this summer and this stoneware trio tick all the boxes. Contemporary and combining rose hues with ivory and terracotta. 5. Bella Terracotta Table Lamp, £125, Natural Raffia Lamp Shade, from £58, Graham & Green This sculptural lamp makes a sophisticated statement with its raffia lampshade and sets the scene for restful schemes. 6. HK Living Terracotta Vase with Handles, £80, Spicer & Wood With its decorative handles and Mediterranean vibe, this is the kind of vase that radiates warmth and works like a dream with rustic furniture, tans, exposed timber and stone. 7. Get Your Funk On Wallpaper in Tuscan Rooftop, The Running Fox and Tahini, £45 per roll, Lust Home When you want to bring an element of classic retro home, this psychedelic print with its burnt orange hues, caramel and browns is your happy place. A fabulous styling tool, the design has matching paints to play around with to create a contrast wall. And you can change the feel with plush fabrics, rugs and cabinet of curios. 8. Terracotta Dreams A3 Abstract Print, Oak Frame, £39, (was £45), Cult Furniture For no-stress decorating, let someone else’s brush works do the talking. Art prints can be tailored to fit any decor – and Terracotta Dreams channels escapism and freedom of expression. 9. Hutton Compact 2 seater ‘sofa in a box,’ Soft Velvet Rust Brown, £460, Next If your space is more bijoux than grandiose, this ‘sofa in a box’ is a brilliant way to incorporate more seating without having to commit to larger furnishings. Compact and petite, the sofa arrives in a box, designed to fit through tight spaces – and rust brown velvet feels cosy as we slowly head into autumn. 10. John Lewis Odora Rug, £300, (120 x 180), John Lewis – available from August 6 A mix of wool and silk, this hand-tufted rug with harmonious colourway of sandy shades, dusty pink and damson makes a tactile focal point. 11. Terracotta Super Soft 100% Cotton Bed Linen, King Size Duvet, £79, Standard Pillowcase, £14, Spice Vivienne 100% Cotton Quilted Throw, £109, Secret Linen Store – available from August 11 And so to bed… is there anything lovelier than cocooning yourself in terracotta bed linen to enhance those feel-good vibes from this happy hue? Style with touches of ivory and grey to highlight this pleasing pigment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 3 great abs exercises that aren’t crunches ‘Women short-changed as 65% of weekly working hours ignored in official data’ How to wear the casual tailoring look in summer

Apple Inc. is set for a showdown with European Union antitrust regulators, insisting it doesn’t need to make