A seasoned cabin crew member believes there’s one secret trick that could be a gamechanger — and it’s designed to make the dreaded take-off and landing much easier for the little ones.

Air travel with children is often a stressful feat as they tend to experience discomfort while flying and react to it in different ways. As we approach the October half term, when many families will be jetting off for a well-deserved break, a seasoned cabin crew member has revealed her top tips for travelling with kids.

Andrea Owen, a TUI Cabin Crew member since 2003, has clocked up at least 3,000 flights in her 22-year career. From short hops to long-haul journeys, she’s witnessed hundreds of families take to the skies each week, heading to popular holiday spots like Majorca, the Canaries, Mexico and Jamaica.

With such a wealth of experience, there’s little Andrea hasn’t encountered. She’s seen families cool, calm and collected during their flight, some bubbling over with excitement, while others appear utterly frazzled and overwhelmed.

Andrea reveals: “After all these years of flying, I have looked after thousands of families. I can tell you that the secret to stress-free family travel is preparation. I always tell parents to expect the unexpected, pack more snacks than you think you’ll need, and don’t be afraid to ask crew for help. A lot of us are parents too, and we genuinely want every family to have a great start to their holiday.”

In fact, Andrea believes there’s one secret trick that could be a game-changer — and it’s designed to make the dreaded take-off and landing much easier for the little ones.

Read on for some of Andrea’s tried-and-tested tricks and tips for families travelling with kids in flights this October half term.

Relieve ear pressure

Andrea has shared some top-tier advice for take-offs and landings with young kids. She shares: “This is one of the most common concerns parents ask me about, and it’s really easy to solve. For babies and toddlers, feeding during take-off and landing is brilliant, whether that’s breastfeeding, a bottle, or even just a dummy – the sucking motion helps equalise ear pressure.

“For older children, give them chewy sweets or lollipops about 30 minutes before landing as that’s when the pressure really starts to build. I’ve seen many tears avoided with this simple trick.”

Always carry a range of activities

Andrea recommends throwing together a bag with a mix of toys, activities, and snacks to keep things interesting — and your child engaged. She reveals: “What works brilliantly is either letting them pack their own bag so they’re excited or pack some surprise toys they haven’t seen before. Keep everything small and compact with plenty of pencils, crayons, and paper.

“A surprise sticker book with a little bag of sweets is absolute gold. The games I see working best are Snap, Dobble, and colouring. And here’s a lovely tip – encourage your children to draw pictures for the cabin crew. We absolutely love receiving them and always have a stash of stickers at the ready for every flight.”

Figure out the exact time to board the flight

The in-flight expert notes: “This one really depends on your child’s personality, and you know them best. Some families find that boarding as soon as possible gives them that extra breathing space to get settled, stow the bags, and get the kids comfortable in their seats without feeling rushed. But I’ve also seen plenty of parents who swear by boarding last, especially if their little ones can’t sit still for long.”

Dress kids in multiple layers

The temperature on board can fluctuate throughout the flight. That’s why Andrea always suggests dressing children in layers so they can add or remove clothing to keep themselves comfortable.

She notes: “It’s always handy to pack a spare pair of clothes in your hand luggage just in case of a spill or accident. I’ve seen many parents caught out without a change of clothes, and it makes the rest of the flight uncomfortable for the both of you.”

Pack the home comforts

Andrea advises packing home comforts like a small pillow, blanket or cuddly toys to help children of all ages feel more relaxed.

She shares: “If you’re travelling at times when your child would normally be having a nap or going to bed, I really encourage parents to try and stick to that routine as much as possible. Let them sleep if they want to, you’ll arrive at your destination feeling so much fresher and ready to enjoy your holiday.

“It’s also worth thinking about time zones if you’re flying long haul. Maybe start adjusting their sleep schedule a day or two before you travel. A well-rested child makes for a much happier holiday start.”

Prepare them in advance

The cabin crew expert has some pre-flight advice for parents travelling with kids. “Preparation is everything when it comes to keeping children calm. Before you leave for the airport, talk through exactly what’s going to happen. Checking in, going through security, boarding the plane, and what take-off and landing will feel like.”

Andrea advises: “Let them know about the noises they might hear and explain that their ears might feel different. This is particularly useful if your child is neurodiverse. The key is to make it sound like an exciting adventure rather than something to worry about.”

Snack trays come in handy

Andrea reveals: “Those little snack trays with multiple compartments come in handy. Kids absolutely love them and there’s something about having lots of different treats in separate sections that keeps them entertained for ages. You can fill each compartment with different snacks: fruit, crackers, cheese cubes, raisins, a couple of sweets.”

She adds: “It turns snack time into something fun and interactive, and it means you’re not constantly rummaging through bags. We also have healthy snack boxes for kids available onboard which they love, so there will always be something they can eat.”

Don’t hesitate to ask cabin crew for assistance

Andrea emphasises that cabin crew recognise how daunting it can be for parents travelling with children. She says: “Don’t ever feel worried about asking us for help, that’s what we’re here for. Over my 22 years of flying, I’ve seen everything. We’ve warmed countless bottles, fetched extra sick bags, provided colouring sheets, and even entertained little ones while parents take a breather.

“Many of us are parents ourselves, so we completely understand how overwhelming it can feel. Whether you need extra wipes, help with the overhead locker, or just some reassurance, we’re here to make your journey smoother.”

Andrea advises: “We know flying can feel overwhelming for families, whether it’s your first flight with kids or you have an anxious flyer in the family, there are lots of simple and easy tips you can put into place to make it seem that little bit less daunting.”

CHICAGO — The music begins low and ominous, with the video showing searchlights skimming along a Chicago apartment building and heavily armed immigration agents storming inside. Guns are drawn. Unmarked cars fill the streets. Agents rappel from a Black Hawk helicopter.

But quickly the soundtrack grows more stirring and the video — edited into a series of dramatic shots and released by the Department of Homeland Security days after the Sept. 30 raid — shows agents leading away shirtless men, their hands zip-tied behind their backs.

Authorities said they were targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though they also said only two of the 27 immigrants arrested were gang members. They gave few details on the arrests.

But the apartments of dozens of U.S. citizens were targeted, residents said, and at least a half-dozen Americans were held for hours.

The immense show of force signaled a sharp escalation in the White House’s immigration crackdown and amplified tensions in a city already on edge.

“To every criminal illegal alien: Darkness is no longer your ally,” Homeland Security said in a social media post accompanying the video, which racked up more than 6.4 million views. “We will find you.”

But Tony Wilson, a third-floor resident born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, sees only horror in what happened.

“It was like we were under attack,” Wilson said days after the raid, speaking through the hole where his door knob used to be. Agents had used a grinder to cut out the deadbolt, and he still couldn’t close the door properly, let alone lock it. So he had barricaded himself inside, blocking the door with furniture.

“I didn’t even hear them knock or nothing,” said Wilson, a 58-year-old U.S. citizen on disability.

Dreams and decay

The raid was executed in the heart of South Shore, an overwhelmingly Black neighborhood on Lake Michigan that has long been a tangle of middle-class dreams, urban decay and gentrification.

It’s a place where teams of drug dealers troll for customers outside ornate lakeside apartment buildings. It has some of the city’s best vegan restaurants but also takeout places where the catfish fillets are ordered through bullet-proof glass.

It has well-paid professors from the University of Chicago but is also where one-third of households scrape by on less than $25,000 a year.

The apartment building where the raid occurred has long been troubled. Five stories tall and built in the 1950s, residents said it was often strewn with garbage, the elevators rarely worked and crime was a constant worry. Things had grown more chaotic after dozens of Venezuelan migrants arrived in the past few years, residents said. While no residents said they felt threatened by the migrants, many described a rise in noise and hallway trash.

Owned by out-of-state investors, the building hasn’t passed an inspection in three years, with problems ranging from missing smoke detectors to the stench of urine to filthy stairways. Repeated calls to a lead investor in the limited liability company that owns the building, a Wisconsin resident named Trinity Flood, were not returned. Attempts to reach representatives through realtors and lawyers were also unsuccessful.

Crime fears spiked in June when a Venezuelan man was shot in the head “execution-style,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Another Venezuelan was charged in the death.

Days after the raid, the doors to dozens of the building’s 130 apartments hung open. Nearly all those apartments had been ransacked. Windows were broken, doors smashed, and clothes and diapers littered the floors. In one apartment, a white tuxedo jacket hung in the closet next to a room knee-deep in broken furniture, piles of clothing and plastic bags. In another, water dripping from the ceiling puddled next to a refrigerator lying on its side. Some kitchens swarmed with insects.

Wilson said a trio of men in body armor had zip-tied his hands and forced him outside with dozens of other people, most Latino. After being held for two hours he was told he could leave.

“It was terrible, man,” he said. He’d barely left the apartment in days.

A city under siege?

Chicago, the White House says, is under siege.

Gang members and immigrants in the U.S. illegally swarm the city and crime is rampant, President Trump insists. National Guard soldiers are needed to protect government facilities from raging left-wing protesters.

“Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World,” he posted on Truth Social.

The reality is far less dramatic. Violence is rare at protests, though angry confrontations are increasingly common, particularly outside a federal immigration center in suburban Broadview. And while crime is a serious problem, the city’s murder rate has dropped by roughly half since the 1990s.

Those realities have not stopped the Trump administration.

What started in early September with some arrests in Latino neighborhoods, part of a crackdown dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” has surged across Chicago. There are increasing patrols by masked, armed agents; detentions of U.S. citizens and immigrants with legal status; a fatal shooting; a protesting pastor shot in the head with a pepper ball outside the Broadview facility, his arms raised in supplication.

By early October, authorities said more than 1,000 immigrants had been arrested across the area.

The raids have shaken Chicago.

“We have a rogue, reckless group of heavily armed, masked individuals roaming throughout our city,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said after the Sept. 30 raid. “The Trump administration is seeking to destabilize our city and promote chaos.”

To Trump’s critics, the crackdown is a calculated effort to stir anger in a city and state run by some of his most outspoken Democratic opponents. Out-of-control protests would reinforce Trump’s tough-on-crime image, they say, while embarrassing Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, seen as a possible Democratic presidential contender.

So the South Shore raid, ready-made for social media with its displays of military hardware and agents armed for combat, was seen as wildly out of proportion.

“This was a crazy-looking military response they put together for their reality show,” said LaVonte Stewart, who runs a South Shore sports program to steer young people away from violence. “It’s not like there are roving bands of Venezuelan teenagers out there.”

Officials insist it was no reality show.

The operation, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was based on months of intelligence gathering, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The building’s landlord told authorities that Venezuelans in about 30 units were squatters and had threatened other tenants, the official said, adding that the building’s size necessitated the show of force. Immigration agencies declined further comment.

Even before the “Midway Blitz,” Trump’s election had whipsawed through Chicago’s Latino communities.

Stewart said Venezuelan children began disappearing from his programs months ago, though it’s often unclear if they moved, returned to Venezuela or are just staying home.

“I had 35 kids in my program from Venezuela,” he said. “Now there’s none.”

A wave of migrant newcomers

The raid echoed through South Shore, pinballing through memories of the surge in violence during the 1990s drug wars as well as economic divides and the sometimes uncomfortable relations between Black residents and the wave of more than 50,000 immigrants, most Latino, who began arriving in 2022, often bused from southern border states.

Chicago spent more than $300 million on housing and other services for the immigrants, fueling widespread resentment in South Shore and other Black neighborhoods where the newcomers were settled.

“They felt like these new arrivals received better treatment than people who were already part of the community,” said Kenneth Phelps, pastor at the Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Woodlawn, a largely Black neighborhood.

It didn’t matter that many migrants were crowded into small apartments, and most simply wanted to work. The message to residents, he said, was that the newcomers mattered more than they did.

Phelps tried to fight that perception, creating programs to help new arrivals and inviting them to his church. But that stirred more anger, including in his own congregation.

“I even had people leave the church,” he said.

In South Shore it’s easy to hear the bitterness, even though the neighborhood’s remaining migrants are a nearly invisible presence.

“They took everyone’s jobs!” said Rita Lopez, who manages neighborhood apartment buildings and recently stopped by the scene of the raid.

“The government gave all the money to them — and not to the Chicagoans,” she said.

Changing demographics and generations of suspicion

Over more than a century, South Shore has drawn waves of Irish, Jewish and then Black arrivals for its lakeside location, affordable bungalows and early 20th-century apartment buildings.

Each wave viewed the next with suspicion, in many ways mirroring how Black South Shore residents saw the migrant influx.

Former first lady Michelle Obama’s parents moved to South Shore when it was still mostly white, and she watched it change. A neighborhood that was 96% white in 1950 was 96% Black by 1980.

“We were doing everything we were supposed to do — and better,” she said in 2019. “But when we moved in, white families moved out.”

But suspicion also came from South Shore’s Black middle-class, which watched nervously as many housing projects began closing in the 1990s, creating an influx of poorer residents.

“This has always been a complex community,” Stewart said of those years.

“You can live on a block here that’s super-clean, with really nice houses, then go one block away and there’s broken glass, trash everywhere and shootings,” he said. “It’s the weirdest thing and it’s been this way for 30 years.”

Sullivan writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Aisha I. Jefferson in Chicago, Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

Welcome back to this week’s Lakers newsletter, where things are going to get weird (in a good way). Lakers basketball is officially back Tuesday as the team begins its regular season with the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.

Coach JJ Redick downplayed any suggestion that his emotions entering his second season at the helm were significantly different than last year, but he said something that resonated with me as I’m entering my first full season in the NBA world.

“The fun part about this,” Redick said, “is the chaos.”

Let’s embrace this chaos.

Make Luka joyful again

Redick has a word for what Luka Doncic does. When the star guard skips up the court after a one-footed jump shot. The way Doncic grins slyly at his bench after a particularly bold pass. How he makes even the most unimaginable feats seem possible when the ball is in his hands.

‘He’s a weirdo,” Redick said in the most affectionate way possible.

“He has an ability to do what I would call, like, silly stuff, but still be locked in. It’s important to him that basketball is fun. … He’s at play. And that’s part of what makes him great.”

When he was drafted third overall in 2018, Doncic was 19 years old. People called him “The Wonder Boy.” He played with the joy of a child who was discovering new things each time he stepped on the court.

Now he’s 26. He’s seen that the NBA isn’t always just audacious step-back threes and sky-high lobs. Sometimes business gets in the way. Doncic’s ability to bridge the gap between his inner child and the outward seasoned veteran will be what defines the Lakers’ success this year.

“By being in a clearer headspace, and by that I mean just mentally and emotionally in balance, it allows you the freedom to just be yourself,” Redick said of Doncic. “That gets reflected in his expressions, his interactions with teammates, his interactions with our coaching staff, his desire to toe that line between competition and joy and playfulness that truthfully makes him the special person and player that he is.”

Redick has had a unique view of Doncic’s style. They were teammates in Dallas during Redick’s final year. They were unexpectedly reunited by a late-night trade so monumental that it even dominated the conversation at the Super Bowl.

But the shell-shocked version of Doncic wasn’t exactly the joyful player Redick remembered. Doncic said the basketball court has always been his “peaceful place.” The trade shattered not only the collective NBA mind, but also Doncic’s own spirit.

“The joy wasn’t there,” Doncic said.

Doncic was also struggling with a calf injury that kept him sidelined for a week after the trade. He made his debut on Feb. 10. He has said that, in retrospect, that first game was the highlight of his first season as a Laker because of the way the crowd received him. But it took maybe 10 or 15 games for the joy to truly return, Doncic said.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human,” guard Austin Reaves said. “It’s not like we’re robots out here that don’t have feelings, don’t have emotions, anything like that. … That’s not saying that he wasn’t fun to be around. He was always, still joking, having fun, but you can tell that he’s at peace with it. And he’s excited to go to war with us every night.”

Doncic has been adamant about trying to become more of a vocal leader this season. Time has healed his trade wounds, and Doncic said he’s felt much more comfortable speaking up around his teammates. He treated them to a Porsche driving experience as a team-bonding activity and gifted everyone his newest signature shoe. He traded jerseys with Jarred Vanderbilt at a recent practice just for fun. He and Rui Hachimura trade barbs about each others musical preferences.

In front of reporters, Doncic is not a gregarious interview subject, but he still dutifully plodded in front of a hoard of cameras and reporters Monday after practice. Reaves walked by and said loud enough to make sure everyone could hear that Doncic was his “favorite teammate ever.”

Doncic, laughing, responded that Reaves was his least favorite.

“He’s a big kid,” Doncic said sarcastically. “Very childish.”

But in Doncic’s world, that’s a good thing.

Defense wins championships

Gabe Vincent chases a loose ball during last season’s playoffs.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Gabe Vincent got the starting nod in LeBron James’ place during the preseason finale and will likely hold onto that role as the season begins in earnest. He has surely earned it.

Vincent shot a sizzling 55.6% from three-point range in the preseason and averaged 16.3 points per game. It was a glimpse of the player he showed he could be in Miami when helped lift the Heat to the NBA Finals.

The 29-year-old guard is also a gritty defender and strong communicator. The Lakers need that to improve on their defense that allowed the Sacramento Kings — playing without stars Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan — to shoot 54.7% from the field.

Doncic said a major piece missing from the Lakers’ defensive performance was physicality. Redick said he saw what the defense could be in two- or three-play bursts in each of the games following a flat performance against the Golden State Warriors in the first game. Now the key is to turn those flashes into sustained stretches.

“Building our habits, building our communication, and being in great shape, it’s how you build a great defense,” Redick said, echoing his three mantras of the year. “I could have put ‘championship defense’ up there. What does that mean? Actually what does that mean? Doesn’t mean anything. It literally doesn’t mean anything. How do you have a championship defense? You gotta have great habits. You gotta be able to communicate. That builds trust. And you gotta be in elite shape so you can play harder than the other team every night. It’s pretty simple.”

Favorite thing I ate this week

Oxtail ragu with pappardelle pasta

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

It’s not a bad gig when you get to watch basketball for a living and in between games eat at different restaurants across the country. But after days, and sometimes weeks, on the road, a good home-cooked meal just hits different.

That’s why my culinary highlight came out of my own kitchen this week: Oxtail ragu with pappardelle pasta from Trader Joe’s. And because I like counting on home cooking after road trips, the leftovers will be waiting for me in the freezer for later this season. Nothing says comfort food like a big bowl of noodles.

In case you missed it

Luka Doncic expecting tough test vs. Stephen Curry and Warriors without LeBron

LeBron James is off the hook for $865.66 as fan calls off ‘Second Decision’ lawsuit

Reigning NBA champs Oklahoma City Thunder aim to end NBA parity era

With LeBron James out, Lakers lean on Luka Doncic to open season

Lakers story lines: Five things to watch as the season begins

From oops to aahs, Jaxson Hayes and Lakers work to catch more of Luka Doncic’s passes

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at [email protected], and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

Oct. 21 (UPI) — A preliminary report released Tuesday about last month’s deadly crash of one of Lisbon’s famed funiculars found that an unapproved underground cable snapped just before the incident.

The Sept. 3 crash of the Elevador da Glória, a 111-year-old two-car funicular that operates the sloping streets of Portugal’s capital, killed 16 people after one of the cars broke free and crashed into a building along the route. More than a dozen other people were injured in the incident.

The preliminary report by Portugal’s Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau found that the cause of the crash was an underground cable that snapped, allowing the car at the top of the hill to break free.

Though the cable had a minimum breaking load within the safety parameters of the Glória Funicular, the investigators found the cable was not in compliance with specifications by the city’s transport operator, CCFL.

The haulage cable ran between the two cars and acted as a counterweight between them as one descended the hill and the other ascended from the opposite direction.

The cable broke seconds after the two cars began their 54th trips of the day. While the bottom car abruptly stopped and remained largely in place at the bottom of the hill, the top car lost power and began to increase speed down the hill. According to investigators, the brakeman of the top car attempted to engage the pneumatic brake system, and when that didn’t work, he tried to use the manual brake.

While the brakeman’s maneuvers caused a slight decrease in acceleration, the car was still steadily increasing its speed down the hill. It successfully negotiated the first slight curve in the track, but derailed at the next, sharper bend in the track.

The car then slammed into a building along the route.

Investigators said the haulage cable — multiple strands of twisted steel — showed various breaks in the smaller metal strands that happened at different times.

“The failure occurred progressively over time and involved multiple fracture types,” the report said.

Workers installed the cable between Aug. 26, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2024, as part of what the bureau described as an intermediate repair of the Glória Funicular. This type of cable is commonly used in funiculars, the report said.

However, the manufacturer of the cable said it could not be used with a swivel, a rotating part on the cars that attached them to the cables.

“At this time, it cannot be said whether the use of this type of non-compliant cable intervened, or what intervention it had, in the rupture,” the report said. “And it is certain for the investigation that there were other factors that had to intervene.”

Since the crash, the head of Lisbon’s public transport has been fired and though Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas faced accusations he failed in his oversight of the funiculars, he won re-election Oct. 12, according to the BBC.

He told SIC television the results of the report released Monday “reaffirms that the unfortunate tragedy … was due to technical and not political causes.”

The bureau is expected to release a final report on the crash in September 2026, The New York Times reported.

The charming coastal Lancashire town of Lytham has plenty to enjoy for residents and visitors alike during a weekend away and is home to a major UK festival attracting hundreds of thousands each year

Lytham, a charming coastal town in Lancashire, is the place to be when music’s biggest names come to town. The town offers plenty to enjoy all year round, from its quaint bars and boutique shops to its highly praised restaurants, but it’s during the summer that Lytham truly shines.

Since its inception in 2010 as a one-day prom concert, Lytham Festival has grown into a five-day extravaganza attracting over 100,000 attendees each year. Founded by mates and business partners Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor, the festival has brought some of the world’s most renowned music legends to the coast.

Over the years, the festival has boasted a line up featuring global superstars such as Stevie Wonder, Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, Sting, Sinitta and Shania Twain, as well as major acts like Stereophonics, Faithless, Bryan Adams, Def Leppard, The Courteeners, and The Strokes.

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The 2026 edition will kick off on Wednesday, July 1, with GRAMMY-nominated singer Teddy Swims taking the stage on opening night. He’ll be joined by Lauren Spencer Smith and Jordan Rakei for support.

The second act announced is the Pet Shop Boys, who will bring their euphoric pop sound to the stage with ‘DREAMWORLD – The Greatest Hits Live’, on Saturday, July 4, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The global superstar Pitbull will be bringing the festival to a grand close on Sunday, 5 July, with his ‘I’m Back! Tour’. He’ll be joined by rapper Lil Jon, his band The Agents, and dancers The Most Bad Ones, promising a spectacular finale to the event on the Lancashire coast.

While there are still more artists to be announced, Lytham’s appeal extends beyond its star-studded line-up. The town offers plenty to enjoy throughout the year, whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or just fancy a bite to eat.

Despite its small size – you can stroll from one end of the town centre to the other in just a few minutes – Lytham is packed full of charm. Its array of delightful businesses more than compensates for its compact size, demonstrating that quality always trumps quantity.

For those in search of gifts, cards or street food, the Clifton Walk Shopping Arcade provides a quaint back-alley experience. It’s been ages since I’ve seen an arcade so well-maintained and bustling with people, which only serves to underscore the town’s enduring charm.

Lytham is also home to two of the nation’s top fish and chip shops – Whelan’s and The Haven – as declared by The Times in its recent roundup of the best seaside spots for fish and chips. The town centre is awash with flowers, trees, and lush greenery, creating a laid-back atmosphere where everyone seems to be taking their time and soaking up the surroundings.

Lytham may not be the place for a wild night out, but it’s perfect for a relaxed drink.

If you’re in the mood for some grub, Lytham House brasserie is the place to go. With an AA-Rosette to its name, it’s the town’s top spot for a posh dinner.

Spread over two floors with a buzzing cocktail bar, the menu offers a modern take on British classics to suit all tastes.

Even a night-time stroll home is something special in Lytham. The Windmill Museum comes alive after dark, bathed in a soft pink light that can be seen from miles around.

There’s loads to do in Lytham, even if you’re just there for the day. From the stunning coastline and plethora of quaint bars, shops and eateries, to the annual festival that draws in thousands of visitors and big-name stars.

This peaceful seaside town is just a short drive from Liverpool and should definitely be on your must-visit list.

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Small screen giant Netflix has once again turned to the big screen, this time with the release of its latest buzzy film, “Frankenstein.”

Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, the film opened last weekend with a limited release in 10 theaters in Los Angeles, New York and a few other cities, and will expand to more sites for a total theatrical run of three weeks. The film stars Oscar Isaac as the titular egomaniacal scientist and Jacob Elordi as the Creature (who, contrary to popular belief, is not named Frankenstein — you can thank my English major for that tidbit).

The film is getting some awards attention, particularly for the performance of the prosthetics-and-makeup-laden Elordi, and notched a solid 86% approval rating on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. As of Sunday afternoon, Del Toro posted that the film had sold out at least 57 screenings. “Frankenstein” will debut on the streamer on Nov. 7.

Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” is just the latest in a long line of adaptations of the classic 1818 novel by Mary Shelley. From the first silent film short in 1910 to Boris Karloff’s famed turn as the monster in 1931 and the Kenneth Branagh-directed movie in 1994 that starred Robert De Niro as the creature (Branagh played Frankenstein and Helena Bonham Carter was Elizabeth Lavenza), the classic horror story has proved ripe for filmmakers’ commentary on humanity, science and nature.

In fact, “Frankenstein” has been a lifelong passion project for Del Toro, who has made an award-winning career out of analyzing and depicting monsters, from 2006’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” to 2017’s “The Shape of Water.”

For Netflix, it’s a reminder of why film remains an important, if unlikely, part of the streamer’s strategy.

It’s no secret that Netflix has built its reputation — and its streaming prowess — on the strength of its series, from “Orange Is the New Black” to “Stranger Things” and “Bridgerton.” After all, popular episodic shows keep viewers on the platform, rack up hours of engagement and help draw new subscribers to the service.

The Los Gatos, Calif., company’s embrace of movie theaters may seem surprising given its longstanding testy relationship with movie theater exhibitors and their distribution strategy.

In fact, Netflix has also long said its main goal is to offer subscribers first-run movies on its platform, directly undermining the traditional 90-day “window” between a film’s release in theaters and when it appears in the home.

Earlier this year, Netflix Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos poured salt on the wound when he called the theatrical business “outdated,” at a time when many chains are struggling to fill seats to pre-pandemic levels.

Yet, theaters are still important to Netflix, which releases about 30 films annually in cinemas.

One reason: the allure of Oscar glory.

For the last few years, Netflix has submitted dozens of movies for awards-qualifying runs.

It’s typical for those films to be in cinemas for about two to three weeks before showing up on the platform. (Sometimes, those theatrical showings are for marketing purposes, like the recent “KPop Demon Hunters” singalong screenings.)

Netflix has won numerous Academy Awards over the years, ranging from animated feature (Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” in 2023), supporting actress (Laura Dern for “Marriage Story” in 2020 and Zoe Saldaña for “Emilia Pérez” in 2025) and director (Alfonso Cuarón in 2019 for “Roma” and Jane Campion in 2022 for “The Power of the Dog”).

Best picture, however, has continued to elude the company.

Theatrical releases also help the streamer to attract filmmakers and build relations with key talent. For instance, Netflix’s upcoming “Narnia” film from Greta Gerwig will get a two-week Imax run next year. Netflix previously ran Del Toro’s well-received horror anthology series “Cabinet of Curiosities.”

And while serial narratives may reign supreme, to maintain subscribers, you need other kinds of content to keep it fresh. That’s where movies (and live events) come into play.

As consumers decide which streaming services they can’t live without, a platform that has a little bit of everything has an advantage.

“Having a good mix of movies and serial content is really important,” says Alicia Reese, senior vice president of equity research in media and entertainment at Wedbush Securities. “A lot of people use this as their one and only subscription.”

In other fronts, is the fight over OpenAI’s new Sora 2 dying down? Maybe not, but there are signs of easing tensions.

On Monday, United Talent Agency, SAG-AFTRA, Creative Artists Agency, Assn. of Talent Agents, actor Bryan Cranston and OpenAI released a joint statement noting that Cranston’s voice and likeness was able to be generated “in some outputs” without consent or compensation when the tool was launched two weeks ago in a limited release.

“While from the start it was OpenAI’s policy to require opt-in for the use of voice and likeness, OpenAI expressed regret for these unintentional generations,” the statement said. “OpenAI has strengthened guardrails around replication of voice and likeness when individuals do not opt-in.”

Cranston, who brought the issue to SAG-AFTRA’s attention, said he was “grateful” to OpenAI for improving its policies and “hope that they and all of the companies involved in this work, respect our personal and professional right to manage replication of our voice and likeness.”

Stuff We Wrote

Film shoots

Number of the week

NBC News sent termination notices to 150 staffers last week, as the network struggles with declining TV ratings and ad revenue. Layoffs have been prevalent throughout the media landscape this year, but have been felt especially hard at broadcast news outlets, as audiences increasingly migrate to streaming platforms and cut the cord.

In addition to these issues, my colleague Stephen Battaglio reported that the NBC News layoffs were also attributed to the spin-off of cable networks MSNBC and CNBC. NBC News now no longer shares resources with those outlets, which will become part of a new company called Versant.

Affected employees were encouraged to apply for 140 open positions throughout the news group.

Finally …

I had to do it. With the Dodgers returning to the World Series, my colleague Jack Harris looks at the team’s season this year and how they fought through multiple injuries on the roster to eventually turn the ship around.

Airbnb Inc. Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky said he didn’t integrate his company’s online travel app with OpenAI’s ChatGPT because the startup’s connective tools aren’t “quite ready” yet.

Airbnb will monitor the development of ChatGPT’s app integrations and may consider a tie-up in the future similar to those of its peers Booking Holdings Inc. and Expedia Group Inc., Chesky said in an interview.

“I didn’t think it was quite ready,” he said of ChatGPT’s integration abilities.

Because Airbnb is a community with verified members, OpenAI will have to build a platform so robust that Airbnb’s app can work within the ChatGPT chatbot in an “almost self-contained” manner, Chesky said.

Chesky, who is close friends with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, said he advised the AI company on its new capability for third-party developers to make their apps available within the ChatGPT chatbot. The AI company announced those features earlier this month. Airbnb wasn’t among the first apps that are available on the popular chatbot.

An OpenAI spokesperson declined to comment on Chesky’s remarks, but referred to the company’s blog post earlier this month that described the app integration technology as a developer preview, with more features coming soon.

While Airbnb has set aside a possible integration with ChatGPT, the company Tuesday announced that it had updated its in-app artificial intelligence tools to let customers take more actions without the need of a live representative.

The company’s AI customer service agent, which it rolled out to all US users in English in May, now displays action buttons and links that can help people complete, say, a reservation change or cancellation.

That has led to a 15% reduction in users needing a live representative, cutting average resolution time to six seconds from nearly three hours, Airbnb said. The company plans to add Spanish and French language support this fall, and 56 more languages next year.

The agent is built upon 13 different AI models, including those from OpenAI, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and open source providers, Chesky said.

“We’re relying a lot on Alibaba’s Qwen model. It’s very good. It’s also fast and cheap,” he said. “We use OpenAI’s latest models, but we typically don’t use them that much in production because there are faster and cheaper models.”

Airbnb, which expanded its business beyond accommodations into tours and individual services earlier this year, also is adding new social features to encourage user connections and eventually make better travel recommendations within the app.

The company unveiled an option for guests to share their Airbnb profile with other travelers after they book an experience. Users who have gone on the same tours can also now directly message one another — privacy safeguards are implemented where the conversation can only continue if the recipient accepts a message request, Airbnb said.

More social features are coming next year, and Chesky said that longer term these features could lend themselves to user-generated content on the app, where people can seek travel inspiration without leaving the Airbnb site.

“I think the social features, the community, that’s probably the most differentiated part of Airbnb,” he said. “People are the reason why I think Airbnb is such a sticky service.”

Lung writes for Bloomberg.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is set to journey all the way from Paris to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Its inauguration will be on May 4, 2026. The train trundles out of the French capital for an overnight journey to Pompeii

The world’s most famous and fanciest train has announced a new route.

There are few, if any, rail operators as synonymous with opulent luxury and glamour as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE). Close to a century and a half since the original train launched, the new service, which takes inspiration from the original, continues to wow guests.

According to Travel + Leisure, the VSOE will travel from Paris to the Amalfi Coast in Italy and will be inaugurated on May 4, 2026.

The train trundles out of the French capital for an overnight journey to Pompeii. The going is leisurely, with guests able to enjoy food and drink in the painstakingly preserved 1920s carriages. It will feature cocktails and live piano music in the train’s famed Bar Car 3674.

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Train travellers can disembark in Pompeii and explore the historic UNESCO site, which has been preserved by ash from Mount Vesuvius. Grand Suite guests can enjoy exclusive access to the rarely opened Casa del Larario Regio V, an archaeological treasure that Caruso supports through its preservation efforts.

A boat will then whisk guests to the lavish Caruso hotel in Positano for a two-night stay. The hotel is known for its history and its newly restyled La Piscina infinity pool, perched 1,000 feet above the sea.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express general manager Pascal Deyrolle told WWD: “This journey offers guests a unique way to experience one of Italy’s most celebrated coastlines — with its cliffs, villages and sea views revealed in a way that only the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express can provide.”

Before you book any annual leave, it’s important to note one thing. The trip is not cheap. The price tag for a ticket on the Paris to Amalfi service looks to set you back a hefty £8,600.

While that may sound pretty expensive (and it is), that fee does include all meals, transfers and excursions. It’s all relative at least. The priciest route could leave you more than £60,000 lighter for the Grand Suite on a five-day expedition travelling from Istanbul to Paris.

There are other luxury trains on offer.

Luxury brand Belmond is set to launch The Britannic Explorer, offering a three-night journey through Wales this year.

Passengers boarding the Britannic Explorer are advised to pack walking shoes and a dinner jacket or cocktail dress. This is the first luxury sleeper train to operate in England and Wales, complete with an onboard spa. Guests will slumber in stunning suites, indulge in world-class dining curated by a Michelin-star chef, and partake in excursions such as hikes in the Welsh countryside, visits to a luxury pub, and clay pigeon shooting.

Prices start at £11,000, based on a double cabin for three nights, inclusive of excursions, meals, wine, and alcoholic beverages on board.

A three-night route through Wales departs from London Victoria, stopping at Llandrindod Wells and Machynlleth, via Haverfordwest, Porthmadog and Barmouth, before returning to London via the Cotswolds.

The itinerary reveals that on the first day, guests will check-in and enjoy an afternoon tea crafted by Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, featuring Welsh teacakes and Bara Brith, reports Wales Online.

Nancy Pelosi’s plan to seek reelection extends one of San Francisco’s longest-running, most-fevered political guessing games: Who will succeed the Democrat when she finally does step aside?

The announcement Tuesday by the 81-year-old congresswoman was utterly predictable. Her decision augurs an election that will be thoroughly pro forma.

Pelosi will attract, as she always does, at least one candidate running to her left, who will insist — in true San Francisco fashion — that she is not a real Democrat. There will also be a Republican opponent or two, who may raise many millions of dollars from Pelosi haters around the country acting more out of spite than good sense.

And then, in just about nine months, she will be handily reelected to Congress for an 18th time.

Nob Hill may crumble. Alcatraz may tumble. But Pelosi, who hasn’t bothered running anything remotely resembling a campaign in decades, will not be turned out by her constituents so long as she draws a breath and stands for election.

There was speculation she might step aside and not run again. But Pelosi knows better than anyone the power and influence — not to mention prodigious fundraising capacity — that would diminish the moment she indicated the rest of the year would be spent marking time to her departure.

In an October 2018 interview, while campaigning in Florida ahead of the midterm election that returned her to the speakership, Pelosi allowed as how she didn’t envision staying in office forever. (It was a signal to those impatient Democrats in the House that their aspirations wouldn’t die aborning and helped her secure the votes she needed to retake the gavel.)

“I see myself as a transitional figure,” Pelosi said at a downtown Miami bistro. “I have things to do. Books to write; places to go; grandchildren, first and foremost, to love.”

But, she quickly added, she wasn’t imposing a limit on her tenure. “Do you think I would make myself a lame duck right here over this double espresso?” Pelosi said with a raised eyebrow and a laugh.

She won’t, of course, live forever, and so for many years there has been speculation — and some quiet jockeying — over who will eventually take Pelosi’s place.

To say her seat in Congress is coveted is like suggesting there’s a wee bit of interest in the city in a certain sporting event this weekend. (For those non-football fans, the San Francisco 49ers will be playing the Rams in the NFC championship game for a ticket to the Super Bowl.)

In nearly 60 years, just three people have served in the seat Pelosi now holds. Two of them — Phil Burton and Pelosi — account for all but a handful of those years. Burton’s widow, Sala, served about four years before, as she lay dying, she anointed Pelosi as her chosen replacement.

So succeeding Pelosi could be the closest thing to a lifetime appointment any San Francisco politician will ever enjoy. And given all the pent-up ambition, there is no shortage of prospective candidates.

One of the strongest contenders is state Sen. Scott Wiener, 51, who has built an impressive record in Sacramento in a district that roughly approximates the current congressional boundaries.

Another prospect is Christine Pelosi, 55, the most politically visible of the speaker’s five children and a longtime activist in Democratic campaigns and causes. If she ran, to what length — if any — would the speaker go in hopes of handing off the seat to her daughter?

Republicans seem exceedingly likely to win control of the House in November. It seems exceedingly unlikely that Pelosi would happily settle into the role of minority leader, much less fall back as a workaday member of a shrunken, enfeebled Democratic caucus.

Would she time her departure to benefit her daughter by, say, requiring a snap election that would take advantage of Pelosi’s brand name? Or would she avoid choosing sides and allow the election to play out in San Francisco’s typically brutal, free-for-all fashion?

The intrigue continues.

Wales’ players will assemble at their training base on the outskirts of Cardiff on Monday, 27 October.

New head coach Steve Tandy will then begin his tenure with a match against Argentina on Sunday, 9 November, with Tests against Japan, New Zealand and South Africa to follow.

Those fixtures, which will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, represent a formidable first assignment for ex-Scotland defence coach Tandy.

He takes over a Wales side ranked 12th in the world and one that only broke an 18-match international losing sequence by beating Japan in Kobe in July.

“It’s been really exciting going through the whole process and realising how many good players we’ve got,” said Tandy.

“There’s a really good mix of some young guys coming in, mixed with some experience as well. But the overall feeling is really exciting and I can’t wait to get the boys into camp on Monday.

“It’s a new time and there are some new faces in and around the playing group as well.”

Carre has started the season strongly with Saracens, but was ineligible under Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) selection policy because he has 20 caps, five short of the required number for those playing for clubs outside Wales.

But in its statement confirming the squad, the WRU said Carre had been “included following confirmation by the Professional Rugby Board that he is eligible for Wales selection”.

Second rows Adam Beard and Dafydd Jenkins are back having missed the two-Test series in Japan over the summer because of being given a break and elective surgery respectively.

There are also returns for Jacob Beetham, Rhys Davies, Rio Dyer, Jarrod Evans, Joe Hawkins, Max Llewellyn and Nick Tompkins.

However, fellow lock Will Rowlands is not included having announced his retirement from international rugby shortly before the squad was published on Tuesday.

WHILE the UK threatens to be a washout, we’ve found the place in the Mediterranean least likely to have rain in October.

The place in question is the Algarve in Portugal, and the best news is that Brits can be there in less than three hours and flights cost as little as £15 for a one-way ticket, even during half-term.

The Algarve in Portugal is the driest place in the country thanks to its Mediterranean climate that’s influenced by dry winds from the northeast and hot air from the Sahara.

During October temperatures in the Algarve range from 15C all the way to 23C.

The southern spot has between seven and eight hours of sunshine a day on average, throughout the month.

Next week, during October half-term, Brits can fly to Faro, also known as the ‘gateway of the Algarve’ from Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Newcastle, London Stansted and Glasgow from £15 with Ryanair.

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So here’s where Sun Travel suggests you explore next…

Albufeira

One of the most well-known spots in the region is the coastal city of Albufeira with sandy beaches and a lively nightlife strip.

Believe it or not, Albufeira was a former fishing village, and despite all the built up areas, there’s still an old town to explore.

Some of the best beaches are Praia dos Pescadores’, also known as Fisherman’s Beach, and Praia da Falésia.

There’s also a busy marina, and visitors can take boat trips out for dolphin-watching and exploring the Benagil Caves.

Albufeira is popular with tourists, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as you’ll find plenty of hotels, waterparks, restaurants and bars.

However, if you’re looking to escape the tourist traps one local suggested heading just outside of Albufeira to the fishing village of Olhos de Água.

Angela Antor, who is a watermelon farmer told Sun Travel: “There you can enjoy a nice evening drink and watch the sun go down whilst the fisherman take to the sea.

“And in the traditional village of Ferragudo you can enjoy the catch of the day in riverside restaurants straight from the fishing boats.”

Faro

Faro is the capital of southern Portugal’s Algarve and is considered the ‘gateway’ region.

Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey visited Faro, and discovered very few tourists. She added: “Most people skip Faro to head further into the Algarve.

“But there are some fantastic islands just off the coast where you will see barely any tourists. Ilha Deserta, also known as Barreta, takes just 20 minutes by boat, with tickets a few euros.

“Some call it the Caribbean of Portugal – something I agree with thanks to its golden sandy beaches. There is nothing on the island apart from the fabulous restaurant Estamine – a must visit serving up locally caught food”.

Other highlights in Faro include the 18th-century Capela Dos Ossos on Largo do Carmo within the walled city.

Translated as the Chapel of Bones, the ancient walls are decorated with pieces from over 1,250 human skeletons.

As for the best beach, Kara said: “Praia de Faro, on the island Ilha de Faro, is considered the best beach in the Faro region by locals, but few tourists have heard of it.

“The gold sands stretch for five kilometres with views of the sea on one side and a natural park on the other.”

Lagos

Lagos has become one of the most visited cities in the Algarve, mostly thanks to the number of tourist-friendly beaches.

Some of the most popular are Praia de Dona Ana, Ponta da Piedade and Praia do Camilo.

Sun Travel chatted to some locals about the Algarve and Ana Veiga, travel and food writer and the co-founder of We Travel Portugal, said: “Lagos is a brilliant town that has long attracted surfers to the west Algarve, but recently has become a prime destination for visitors of all types.

“It has incredible hiking trails, water and beach sports, and a historic old town to explore, plus its proximity to the west Algarve is great for explorers that want to see the wild coastline with cliffs and big waves.”   

Salem Haire, who lives in Lagos, said: “Pomò La Pasta Italiana has the best Italian food – people will wait more than two hours to eat there (speciality mains from €19), and there’s a local Portuguese kitchen called Tasca de Lota that’s my personal favourite (mains from €11 and bottles of wine from €13).

“Also in Lagos, Go Bao has delicious bao buns for those who are tired of Portuguese food (buns from €5), and Gelicia has amazing Italian gelato, with vegan and gluten free options too.”

Portimao 

Portimão is the second-largest city in the Algarve so there’s plenty to explore, like beaches such as Praia da Rocha – a lively resort town.

It’s known for having a vast sandy beach with water sports, as well as lots of restaurants and bars.

Inês Tito, a Portugal and Algarve trip planner, said: “Portimão, near the Praia De Rocha, is the perfect place for beach holidays. There are plenty of accommodation options, some only a few steps from the beach, so you won’t have any issue in finding a place to stay.

As for places to stay, Inês said: “Or the Bela Vista Hotel & Spa – Relais & Châteaux in Portimão is a beautiful boutique hotel set in a 19th palace overlooking Praia da Rocha.”

Silves

Silves doesn’t have beaches as it’s inland, but there’s still plenty to do, and last year it was named one of the cheapest places to visit.

The city used to be the capital of the Algarve, and it’s around an hour away from Faro.

It’s a great place for an affordable break, with the average price of a hotel being around £73, while a beer can cost as little as £2.50.

In Silves, you’ll find cobbled streets with independent shops selling gifts, and ceramics, and plenty of cafes.

Compared to the other destinations in the Algarve, Silves is likely to be quieter than the others.

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EuroLeague said the decision to allow Israeli clubs to play home games was in response to the October 10 ceasefire agreement.

Basketball’s top European competitions are set to become the first to return to Israel since the October 7, 2023 attacks, after clubs agreed on Tuesday to resume EuroLeague and EuroCup games in the country from December 1, following recent ceasefire and peace initiatives in the region, the organisation said.

Games involving Israeli teams have been held at neutral venues since October 2023 due to the conflict in Gaza.

Six-time champions Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv are the Israeli clubs in this season’s EuroLeague, while Hapoel Jerusalem play in the EuroCup.

Maccabi have been playing their home games in Belgrade, Serbia, where they host Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Hapoel Tel Aviv have made their home in Sofia, Bulgaria, where their next home game is on October 29 against Partizan Belgrade.

“After thoughtful deliberation, ECA clubs agreed on the proposal to set December 1, 2025, as the date for games to resume in Israel. Until then, Euroleague Basketball will continue to carefully monitor developments, stay in close contact with local and foreign authorities, visiting teams, and all relevant organisations,” EuroLeague Basketball said in a statement.

“Euroleague Basketball and its participating clubs welcome the recent peace plan with optimism and hope. The organisation reaffirms its belief in the power of basketball to bring people and communities together, and its commitment to contributing to peace through the shared values of sport, respect, and unity.”

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeated breaches of the ceasefire since it was formally agreed upon eight days ago, with flashes of violence and recriminations over the pace of returning captives’ bodies, bringing in aid and opening borders.

The series will air over four gripping hour-long episodes.

Sean Bean is leading a new factual series delving into the lives of some of history’s most notorious criminals.

From Al Capone to The Krays and the Queen of Harlem, Original Gangsters sees the actor team up with experts to separate fact from fiction when it comes to their legacies.

The show’s first episode, which will air on November 4, is about the Peaky Blinders and it will see Sean Bean delve into the reality behind the Steven Knight hit series, which will be returning.

The synopsis for the episode reads: “Sean Bean unveils the real-life Peaky Blinders who terrorised Birmingham in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

“From the labyrinthine alleyways of industrial Birmingham in the 1860s through riots and deadly gang warfare where the city’s ruffians battled with police, to the early twentieth century where rogue street mobs coalesced to become organised and eventually united under the hand of one man: Billy Kimber.

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“With testimony from Carl Chinn, the world’s leading expert on Birmingham crime and the Peaky Blinders, discover more on the people behind history’s first intercity gang war.”

The Peaky Blinders street gang consisted largely of young criminals from working class backgrounds who engaged in robbery, violence and illegal bookmaking.

They were recognised by their signature outfits which included tailored jackets and flat caps.

They held control for 30 years until 1920, when a larger gang known as the Birmingham Boys, led by Billy Kimber, overtook them.

Still, the name “Peaky Blinders” became synonymous slang for many of Birmingham’s street gangs.

Episode two of Original Gangsters focuses on Al Capone – an American gangster and businessman who became famous during the Prohibition era.

Episode three looks at Stephanie St. Clair, known as the Queen of Harlem, who ruled Harlem’s numbers rackets in the 1920s.

Episode four explores Ronnie and Reggie Kray, and London’s original ‘Gentleman Gangster’ Billy Hill.

Original Gangsters with Sean Bean airs on Sky History from November 4 at 9pm

October is more than halfway over, but there’s still time for investors to snap up some world-class stocks. For those wanting to bet on artificial intelligence (AI), Intel (INTC 2.94%) and International Business Machines (IBM 0.83%) fit the bill. For consumer goods stocks that offer long-term potential, Nike (NKE 0.53%) and Walmart (WMT -0.67%) are great choices. And for something different, Reddit (RDDT 4.00%) looks interesting for investors with more appetite for risk. Here’s why these five stocks are the best of the bunch in October.

Image source: Getty Images.

Intel

Intel’s turnaround is still a work in progress, but a series of deals and developments have pushed the stock up about 90% so far this year. CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over in March, has been slashing costs and refocusing the company on its best opportunities. Regaining leadership in the PC and server CPU markets after years of market share losses is an imperative, as is justifying the massive expense associated with Intel’s manufacturing efforts by winning external foundry customers.

Tan has proven to be quite the dealmaker. The U.S. government took a nearly 10% stake in the company in exchange for grant money that had yet to be delivered, Softbank invested $2 billion, and Nvidia took a $5 billion stake and partnered with Intel on custom PC and server chips. Pairing Intel and Nvidia technology in PCs and servers could help the company win back market share from AMD.

While Intel still needs to deliver results, market sentiment has certainly shifted in a positive direction, and recent news that Microsoft has reportedly chosen Intel to manufacture a custom AI chip has added fuel to the fire. Intel’s turnaround is going to take time, but the pieces are falling into place. For patient investors, now is a great time to buy the stock.

International Business Machines

It’s taken a while, but IBM has settled into a successful AI strategy that’s helping to accelerate its revenue growth. The company’s pairing of consulting services with an enterprise AI software platform, along with a focus on small, specialized, and cheap AI models tuned for specific tasks, has proven to be a winner.

IBM has booked more than $7.5 billion worth of generative AI-related business so far, with much of that total coming from the consulting business. In the second quarter alone, IBM booked more than $1 billion of generative AI-related consulting business. By offering solutions that combine AI implementation and other services with its AI software platform, IBM is winning over enterprises as they race to deploy AI.

IBM expects to increase revenue by at least 5% this year, adjusted for currency. That growth will come despite weakness in discretionary projects tied to the state of the economy. By leaning into AI, IBM is building a powerful growth engine that can offset sluggish spending in other areas. And because IBM’s AI business is focused on delivering results for its clients in the form of reduced costs or greater efficiency, the business can continue to grow even if the AI boom cools off. For investors looking for a low-risk way to bet on AI, IBM stock is the answer.

Nike

Unforced errors have put footwear giant Nike in an uncomfortable position. The company has lost ground in sports to upstarts like On Holding, and its aggressive push toward direct-to-consumer sales has weakened the brand and hurt relationships with retailers. The stock has been a disaster, down more than 60% from its all-time high.

While attempting to stage a comeback against the backdrop of an uncertain macroeconomic environment will only make things more difficult, green shoots are starting to appear. Wholesale revenue rose by 7% in the company’s latest quarter, and the Nike brand managed to grow in North America. Nike is refocusing on key sports as well as the North American market, and rebuilding wholesale relationships, and progress is clearly being made.

At the same time, Nike CEO Elliott Hill was careful to note that Nike’s progress “will not be linear as dimensions of our business recover on different timelines.” Investors shouldn’t expect miracles in the next few quarters, but for those willing to buy and hold for at least a few years, Nike is positioning itself for a return to consistent growth. With the stock carving out new multiyear lows, now is a great time to bet on an eventual comeback.

Walmart

Inflation, tariffs, and souring consumer sentiment have created plenty of uncertainty for the retail industry. For investors looking for a relatively safe bet no matter what happens to the economy, Walmart is a great choice.

Walmart’s massive scale gives it unparalleled leverage with suppliers, allowing it to keep prices as low as possible and win over consumers struggling with strained household budgets. Walmart grew revenue by nearly 5% year over year in its latest quarter while gross margin remained steady and adjusted operating margin rose. The company’s bet on technology is also paying off, with global e-commerce sales rising by 25%.

Walmart is diving headfirst into the future with its partnership with OpenAI that will enable customers to purchase products from Walmart directly within ChatGPT. While the interplay between AI and commerce is still evolving, getting its products in front of hundreds of millions of ChatGPT users could drive meaningful revenue growth. Walmart isn’t immune to economic conditions, but the company is better positioned than most retailers to ride out the storm.

Reddit

Where people on the internet get information, including recommendations that lead to purchases, is changing. Search engines used to be the only game in town. Then came social media sites like Meta Platforms‘ Facebook and Instagram, which are full of lucrative ads. AI chatbots like ChatGPT are pulling more people away from search engines, and even Alphabet has resorted to inserting AI Overviews at the top of Google search results.

What makes Reddit unique is that it benefits almost no matter what. Plenty of people go directly to Reddit for information; those who search on Google often find Reddit threads among the top results. And AI chatbots and Google’s AI overviews often use Reddit threads as key sources. As the old and the new battle each other, Reddit stands above the fray.

Reddit’s ad revenue is soaring as more people turn to the social media site. Ad revenue jumped by 84% year over year in the second quarter, driven by a 21% rise in daily active unique users and improved monetization. Depending on Google and AI chatbots for traffic does pose a risk, and it could create volatility in traffic and revenue. But there’s no real alternative to the rich source of information Reddit provides. For investors who can handle a riskier stock, Reddit is great choice.

WHEN Brits think of Costa Blanca, the places that come to mind are probably rowdy Benidorm and busy Alicante.

But one woman revealed to Sun Travel that the “jewel” of that coastline is actually the small town of Moraira.

It has all the best bits of Spain like white-washed houses with terracotta tiles, sandy beaches with bright blue waters, and a little harbour filled with boats and yachts.

While lots of holidaymakers like to mix up the places they visit each year, the Sun’s Jade Dadalica and her family have been returning to the town of Moraira, several times a year since 2021.

Jade explained: “My family and I go one or twice a year for around two weeks. We went on holiday to Jávea which is a nearby town and went for a day trip to Moraira, which we actually preferred.

“We booked a villa there the following year and have been going back ever since. A lot of the Spanish go on their holidays there, and you only get a few Brits, it’s not rowdy at all.

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“We love it, if I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is buy a place there.”

While Moraira might not have everything that a busy city does, the laidback town still has plenty to offer.

Jade added: “It’s got loads of restaurants, bars, shops, ice cream parlours, and Ale-Hop of course. There’s a market once a week too, that sells everything from clothes and souvenirs to fruit and veg, a lot of locals go and it’s always really busy.

“One of my favourite places to eat is what my family call the ‘windy bar’, but it’s actually called El Cafeti de la Mar. From there you can see the sea and the castle and we love it. We go so much that the owners know who we are.

“It’s always popular with locals, especially in the mornings because they go for breakfast there. But lunch and dinner are amazing too.”

On its menu, El Cafeti de la Mar serves up simple breakfast croissants, bagels, crepes, and Huevos Benedict.

There’s plenty of tapas to choose from, as well as mains in the evenings from salads, to fish dishes, burgers, ribs and steak.

Another of Jade’s favourites is a spot literally called The Secret Bar where you can sip on classic cocktails like margaritas and blueberry daiquiris.

Other places that Jade recommended are La Malquerida, a Mexican restaurant and The Ribs Bar, which has speciality dishes of ribs, steaks and kebabs.

Once you’ve filled your stomach, why not stretch out on the beach for an afternoon siesta – and Moraira has a few playas to choose from.

The main beach in Moraira is Playa de l’Ampolla but when Jade is on holiday, she goes around the corner to Playa del Portet.

Jade said: “The main beach is sandy and is always quite busy because it’s the one the locals use. We go to one on the other side, Playa del Portet, it’s a little less known, so we go out there and hire paddleboards.”

If you want to venture out of the town, then it’s an easy vantage point to take daytrips too.

Jade told us: “From Moraira, you can get to a town called Calp, which isn’t far at all. There are also some waterfalls, called Fonts de l’Algar, which are under an hour’s drive away.

“You have to buy tickets, but these are €8 (£6.95) during the summer, and €6 (£5.21) during off peak, for the whole day. You can go swimming, or climb up the waterfalls, it’s a great place for pictures.

“Of course, Moraira is close to Benidorm, which is funny because it really doesn’t feel like it. We drive down that way to go to the waterpark called Aqualandia for a family day out.”

If you think that it’s too late in the year to take a break to the Moraira to get good weather, you’d be wrong.

In October, it still has highs of 19C and next week during half-term, you can get flights to Alicante, which is the closest airport, for as little as £14.

Ryanair offers one-way direct flights from London Stansted, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham for under £15.

Although if you do book for half-term hoping to visit Aqualandia, it has closed for the season and will reopen in May 2026.

Jade told us: “I went to Moraira in late September and the weather was still really warm. You can still go on the beach, I even got sunburnt. We always go in September and June which are quieter because it’s out of school holiday time.

“It’s not like other places across Spain which close when the tourists leave either. My dad was speaking to owners of the local bars and they’re open all year round.”

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A HEART-SHAPED lake in one of the UK’s most loved beauty spots is set to become an underground attraction.

Located in the Lake District, Elterwater Quarry will be getting a new ‘Cavern Explorer’ experience.

As part of the attraction, several steel staircases and platforms will be installed across the quarry’s cavern.

The ziplines will then take visitors from one platform to another.

The experience is said to allow visitors to see parts of the cavern that were previously inaccessible.

Other plans for the attraction include ‘The Quarryman’s Viewpoint’, which will offer visitors a place to look out across the Lake District.

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There will be a natural history trail, venturing through parts of the nearby countryside as well, and a visitor centre with information boards.

Proposals were first submitted two years ago by Burlington Slate, which owns Elterwater slate mine and Zip World.

In the application, the mine said: “The proposed experience at Elterwater will provide a blend of heritage-based adventure through the caverns and offer a unique immersive experience within an underground mine that dates back to the middle of the 19th century.”

However, the first proposals were rejected.

A year later they were resubmitted and approved.

The proposed park isn’t without its controversy though as campaign group Friends of the Lake District has attempted to stop the project.

The group claimed that the planning permission has been wrongly granted and that the new experience would “take us a step closer to a Lake District of noise, chaos and degraded landscapes”.

However, this month, judgement from a judicial review was published and ruled in favour of the Lake District National Authority – meaning that the zipline was still allowed to go ahead.

Michael Hill, CEO of Friends of the Lake District said: “This ruling is a setback for the Cumbrian landscape, but in our 90 years’ history Friends of the Lake District has seen many of those.

“We remain unbowed in our determination to campaign for a Lake District that is tranquil, rich in cultural heritage and environmentally healthy and for protections in law for this and other National Parks to be maintained and strengthened.”

The International Council on Monuments and Sites – which is an advisory board to UNESCO – has also commented that they are opposed to the planned zipline.

The council explained that the zipline “would transform the quarry or part of it into a theme park and would trivialise the experience of an important aspect of the Lake District’s heritage”.

The ultimate worry is that the attraction could lead the Lake District losing its UNESCO World Heritage Site status, which is what happened to the Liverpool Docks in 2021.

The lake itself reveals a heart shape when the water levels drop, also exposing the 500million-year-old rock.

The site of the new attraction is a 40-minute drive from Windermere and an opening date is yet to be revealed.

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THE UK’S capital isn’t exactly short of train lines – but a completely new service is taking a step closer to getting approval.

Transport for London (TfL) is hoping that its proposed West London Orbital (WLO) line will get the green light next month.

Plans for the WLO launched back in 2017 and propose to create new connections to north and west London.

This would include the line travelling through Hounslow to Hendon and West Hampstead via Old Oak Common – the new rail hub created for HS2.

The proposed rail line promises to cut the journey time considerably between Harlesden and Brent Cross to just a few minutes.

Currently, travellers heading on this route need to make several changes.

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If the plans are approved, then the WLO will be built on an old freight line that hasn’t had passengers on it since 1902.

A new station would also be built on Lionel Road, near Gunnersbury Park.

Services could run from Kew Bridge as well.

In total, the project is expected to cost around £700million.

TfL is hoping that they will receive backing from the government in its autumn budget and if the project is approved, then the line will become the seventh branch of the London Overground network.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said that the WLO could “transform the future of transport in the capital”.

He added: “As the West London Orbital route would be integrated into the London Overground network, it would be given its own line name, consistent with the principles of the individual line names I launched in 2024.

“The local communities along the line, the local heritage, history, and interchanges with other lines would all be taken into consideration to find a suitable name that showcases London’s rich diversity and makes sense for wayfinding and navigation.”

A number of other rail projects are proposed for the capital including the DLR extension and Bakerloo extension.

The Bakerloo Line extension would extend the tube line from its current terminus at Elephant & Castle, to Lewisham.

The project would involve adding a number of new stations along the route, including on Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate.

And an extension will also be carried out on the DLR to Thamesmead, veering off the current line at Gallions Reach.

This involves adding a new station at Beckton Riverside too.

Commenting on the ongoing projects in July, Sadiq Khan said: “Subject to successful funding discussions, as well as further project development, planning and public consultation, I am confident that the DLR extension could be delivered by 2032, with the Bakerloo line extension and West London Orbital following later in the 2030s.”

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