Royal Caribbean has unveiled details of the world’s largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas.

With the largest water park at sea and the first suspended infinity pool on a cruise ship, the first Icon Class vessel will set sail in January 2024.

It will also be home to a 16-metre-high waterfall, a rock-climbing wall, the company’s first swim-up bar and its very own “Central Park” neighbourhood, inspired by New York City’s famed urban park.

Sailing on seven-night journeys around the Caribbean from its port city of Miami, the megaship will open for bookings next Tuesday.

At 250,800 tonnes, the new ship is more than five per cent larger in volume than Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class vessels, making it the largest cruise ship in the world.

Spanning more than 365 metres in length, the vessel clocks in three metres longer than the Wonder of the Seas, the current largest ship in the world.

With 2,805 staterooms, the ship’s focus is family-style holidays and it has a capacity for 7,800 passengers and 2,350 crew members.

Accommodation includes an array of family staterooms, suites and the first Ultimate Family townhouse. Spanning three levels, this spacious retreat includes a slide, cinema, karaoke, huge balcony and a private entrance to the ship’s Surfside family neighbourhood.

“With each new ship, we raise the bar in the travel industry while enhancing what our guests know and love,” said Jason Liberty, president and chief executive at Royal Caribbean Group.

“From the moment they step on board, every experience is specifically designed to give them the best vacation anywhere on land and at sea. With Icon of the Seas, we’ve taken this to a new level and made the ultimate family vacation.”

Thousands of new homes face being delayed or scrapped because of river pollution

Tens of thousands of new homes face being delayed or scrapped because of river pollution that could cost the economy £16bn.

Experts say more phosphate, found in animal and human waste, is getting into rivers and affecting water quality.

Tougher rules on phosphate river pollution targets have been brought in – but that could affect 100,000 new-build homes in England and Wales.

Developers want governments to take urgent action to find a solution.

The pollution is a problem partly caused by us and our demand for cheap food.

Campaigners have said more needs to be done to save the UK’s rivers before it’s too late.

The building of more than 5,000 new homes are affected in Wales because of tighter phosphate pollution targets on rivers which were adopted in 2020. That could cost more than £700m to the economy.

The Home Builders’ Federation (HBF) contacted planning authorities and developers and calculated 100,000 homes in 74 areas in England are also affected by phosphate restrictions on housebuilding.

The HBF estimate the impact could be a £16bn loss in economic activity in England and Wales.

“We have government agency-imposed moratoriums on house building across large swathes of the country for nutrient neutrality, despite house building being a minor contributor to the issue,” said Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF.

“House building delivers growth, and it is crucial that the government re-evaluates the impacts of these costs and moratoriums and ensures that the industry is sufficiently supported such that it can deliver desperately needed new homes and the associated social and economic benefits.

“It is encouraging that after almost three years of home builders’ pleas, the government seems to be looking to find solutions, but we need urgent actions that matches the scale and urgency of the issue.”

An “exceptionally rare” gold sword pommel discovered by a metal detectorist near Stirling has been acquired by National Museums Scotland.

A pommel is a decorative piece attached to the bottom of a sword sometimes used as a counter-weight.

The pommel, which is about 1,300 years old, was found in 2019 and was declared to the Scottish Treasure Trove unit.

The gold decoration which would have sat at the top of a sword handle measures 5.5cm wide, weighs 25g and was valued at about £30,000.

The find has been described as “hugely significant”.

Dr Alice Blackwell, senior curator of medieval archaeology and history at National Museums Scotland (NMS), said goldwork from this period was “virtually unknown” anywhere in the UK.

She said it showed the spectacular skill and craftsmanship of the early medieval period.

The pommel is thought to date from about 700 AD.

The solid gold object is encrusted with garnets and intricate goldwork which feature religious motifs and fantastical creatures.

The discovery was made at Blair Drummond towards the end of 2019 but NMS said that due to restrictions during the pandemic decisions about its acquisition were delayed.

It was allocated to them on recommendation of the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel.

Dr Blackwell said its archaeological value was due to what it told us about important cultural, political and artistic interactions in northern Britain at this time.

She said its decoration combined elements from both Anglo-Saxon England and the kingdoms of Early Medieval Scotland.

“Early medieval Scotland is a really interesting period,” Dr Blackwell said.

“You have a number of culturally distinct kingdoms and the pommel’s design has taken from the different cultures and melded them together “

That melding of different cultural styles is known as “insular art” style, which was made famous by illuminated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Dr Blackwood said this fusion of styles had made it hard to determine where exactly it was made and whom it may have belonged to.

However, she said it potentially could have belonged to royalty due to the higher standard of goldwork the pommel had compared with other goldware found in this period.

“In a way this is the start of the artefact’s journey,” Dr Blackwell said.

“A lot of research and work is still to be done to uncover what stories it can tells us about the political and cultural landscape of Northern Britain at this time.”

Plateau State is known as The Home of Peace and Tourism and there is plenty to see.

The Shere Hills are a range of undulating hills and rock formations on the Jos Plateau, situated about 10 km east of the Jos metropolis.

Shere Hills with one of the highest peaks in Plateau is a popular destination for mountain climbers, adventure seekers, and campers.

The Shere Hills are a range of undulating hills and rock formations on the Jos Plateau, situated about 10 km east of the Jos metropolis, the capital of Plateau State in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria.

The Shere Hills have numerous high peaks, with the highest peak reaching a height of about 1,829 metres or 6,001 feet above sea level, the Shere Hills are the highest point of the Jos Plateau and they form the third highest point in Nigeria after Chappal Waddi on the Mambilla Plateau averaging about 2,419 metres or 7,936 feet above sea level and Mount Dimlang (Vogel peak) on the Shebshi Mountains reaching a height of about 2,042 metres or 6,699 feet above sea level.

Reminds me of Cock Crow At Dawn.