The tourism balloon carrying 21 people went up in flames in the early hours of Saturday, crashing in the city of Praia Grande
At least eight people have been killed and 13 injured when a hot air balloon they were on caught fire and crashed in Brazil’s southern state of Santa Catarina.
The tourism balloon carrying 21 people went up in flames in the early hours of Saturday, crashing in the city of Praia Grande on the Atlantic coast, according to Santa Catarina’s military fire brigade.
Footage shared by local news outlet G1 showed billows of smoke coming from the balloon as it plummeted dozens of metres toward the ground.
The survivors were transported to nearby hospitals, said firefighters.
“We are in mourning. A tragedy has happened. We will see how it unfolds, what happened, why it happened. But the important thing now is for the state structure to do what it can,” said Jorginho Mello, governor of Santa Catarina, in a video on X.
Mello said he had asked authorities to head to the municipality “to do as much as possible to rescue, to help, to take to hospital, to comfort the families”.
Praia Grande is a common destination for hot-air ballooning, a popular activity in some parts of Brazil’s south during June festivities that celebrate Catholic saints such as St John, whose feast day is on June 24.
Last Sunday, a balloon came down in Sao Paulo state, killing a 27-year-old woman and injuring 11 other people, G1 reported.
At least eight people have died in a hot air balloon accident in Brazil, a state governor has said.
There were 21 people on board the balloon in the city of Praia Grande on Saturday morning, Governor of Santa Catarina Jorginho Mello said in a post on X.
Rescue teams attended the site of the incident to search for survivors. Mello later said 13 people had survived and eight had died.
“We are all shocked by the accident,” he added.
“Our teams continue to provide all necessary support to families and victims.
“We continue to monitor the situation.”
Praia Grande is in southern Santa Catarina and is a popular tourist destination. It is known as the “Capital of Canyons” as it has 11 canyons in its territory, including some in the Aparados da Serra and Serra Geral National Parks.
Sleeping in the heat has interrupted my sleep pattern but Simba’s Summer Hybrid Duvet has been a game changer for regulating body heat at night
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The summer hybrid duvet has a cool touch to help regulate body temperature
Sleeping in summer has been a struggle for me especially when the heatwave hit and I ended up tossing and turning in bed all night, but that’s not the case until I tried Simba’s Summer Hybrid Duvet, a down-like comfort designed for lightweight warmth.
Available in Single, Double, King and Super King with prices starting from £129, the Hybrid Duvet is a 4.5 Tog bedding that features innovative Stratos tech to keep hot sleepers like me to slumber down for a restful sleep. I don’t own a cooling fan so the special webbing pattern stitched to the bottom of the duvet is the next best thing that keeps me from oversweating at night.
While 10.5 Tog is generally considered for all-year use but for those who are prone to cold might want to invest in a two-in-one duvet such as Dusk’s Feels Like Down Duvet Collection, their All Seasons duvet is comprised of two separate 4.5 and 9 tog duvets, fastened together with buttons. It’s retailed at £63 but shoppers can enjoy 20% off with code EXTRA20 at checkout.
I have been sleeping with open windows and legs out of my duvet cover but the traffic noise and night owls on the street have made an impact on my sleep quality. Since I swapped my duvet to Simba’s Hybrid Duvet, I’ve had some of the most peaceful sleeps and it kept my body temperature cool.
The special square stitched Simba Renew Bio Fibres fill prevents any uneven coverage and the fresh cotton cover had me ditching the duvet cover. Having said that, there is a risk of getting stains on the pristine white fabric.
Offering superbly light and gentle warmth, it’s made from recycled plastic bottle fibres combed into airy layers, and is designed to allow plenty of airflow through the duvet for wonderful, drier warmth.
But shoppers will be pleased to know that it is machine washable and it fits in most at-home washing machines and it also dries pretty fast (when the sun is out and about).
For those who prefer to add colours or patterns to their bedding essentials, the Night Lark Gingham Print Coverless Duvet in blue and taupe are perfect for summer styles and they are available in both 4.5 and 10.5 tog with prices starting from £60.
I’ve been sleeping soundly in hot days with this new duvet
I enjoy using the Simba duvet however, my brother is not a big fan as he finds it “too cold”. He said: “It’s nice to sleep in it but after a few hours, I felt cold and had to grab a fleece throw instead. It’s too lightweight and I like to sleep with a weighted blanket.”
While some customers find it pricey but for me, it saved me from buying a cooling fan, which could cost £100 extra. One shopper added: “A wonderful duvet, I cannot recommend it more. Just like a feather on top of you, and seems very temperature regulating.”
Another shared: “Warm yet light and regulates temperature so well. We are using the duvet now when we would have changed to a low tog summer duvet to keep cool. It’s not immediately obvious which is the top and bottom side so adding a label which states top and underside would be helpful.”
The Simba Hybrid Duvet is available to purchase here.
A MAJOR car manufacturer is axing its record-breaking hot hatch just three years after its latest revamp.
The FL5-generation Honda Civic Type R is being culled in the UK and Europe from 2026 – but is set to go out with a bang.
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The UK’s Honda Civic Type R launched in 1997 – and became a record-breaker on the track
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The Civic Type R ‘Ultimate Edition’ will provide a bittersweet swansongCredit: Honda
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Only 10 will be available in the UKCredit: PA
Forty final Ultimate Edition models with a classic Championship white paint job, and red accents, including a central pinstripe, are being made as a swansong – but is likely to cost more than the regular Type R (£48,900).
Just 10 of these special edition motors will be available in the UK – and these will be available on a first come first serve basis, according to Honda.
The news will come as a bittersweet blow to petrol heads, with the FL5 having broken countless front-wheel drive lap records during its short reign.
Honda’s European strategy boss Hannah Swift put the axing down to the industry “changing” and an evolution of its model range “in accordance with European legislation”.
Those changes relate to stricter emissions standards in Britain and the EU, with which the Type R doesn’t comply.
The four-wheel-drive hatch market comprises of the Golf R, Toyota GR Yaris and Mercedes-AMG A45 S – but all are risk due to the new regulations.
Several brands are instead moving to e-performance cars.
It comes 28 years after the first Civic Type R arrived as a grey import from Japan.
Arriving in late 1997, before a second generation model in 2001, a third in 2007 and a fourth in 2015.
Its fifth and sixth generations are widely regarded by experts as the finest driver’s cars of the modern age.
According to the Honda website, the current Type R features a two litre- four cylinder VTEC TURBO engine and can accelerate from 0-100km/hr in 5.4 seconds.
It adds: “The Type R is the fastest front wheel drive car to have driven the legendary 5.8km Suzuka circuit.”
Key facts: Honda Civic Type R
Price: £46,995
Engine: 2-litre 4cyl turbo petrol
Power: 329hp, 420Nm
0-62mph: 5.4 secs
Top speed: 171mph
Economy: 34mpg
CO2: 186g/km
Out: January 2022
Ms Swift said: “As we say farewell to a true icon of the Honda automobile line-up in Europe, we thought it was fitting to give the Civic Type R the ultimate send-off with this special edition model offering our customers a unique opportunity to celebrate its legacy.
“The industry is changing, and our model range is having to evolve with it in accordance with European legislation.
“However, Type R has always been Honda’s ultimate expression of our passion for driving excitement, and we look forward to celebrating its heritage in the weeks and months ahead.”
Ten things YOU should know as a car owner
To help you feel more confident as a car owner, here are ten things you should be familiar with about your vehicle:
A COASTAL town was treated to free chips with a twist – the chippy was powered by an electric car.
In the aptly named Kent town of Deal, National Fish and Chip Day was celebrated with 300 portions of chips given away, as well as a limited run of battered fish.
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The chippy was fronted by two electric cars and fronted by TikTok’s ‘Chip Shop Diva
But it wasn’t your ordinary chip shop, with the chippy being powered by two electric cars and fronted by TikTok’s ‘Chip Shop Diva’, Destiny Harold.
The Dacia Spring, which its makers say is the cheapest electric vehicle currently on the market, was the power behind the frying, in partnership with local chippy, The Blue Mermaid Fish Bar.
It comes after a poll of 2,000 adults found fish and chips is the most popular treat on a British holiday, as well as cream tea and hot doughnuts.
Others to feature in the top 20 list include Mr Whippy ice cream, Cornish pasties and mussels.
Quintessentially British foods, such as fish finger sandwiches, strawberries and cream and a pie and mash also featured in the ranking.
A spokesperson for car brand Dacia said: “It was fun treating passers-by today and showing the power of our electric car, Spring, using its vehicle to load technology, which allows you to power external devices off the car’s battery.
“It’s no surprise we have a national day dedicated to the iconic meal that is fish and chips and the study shows just how much we love it and associate it with holidays by the seaside.
“Playing on the phrase ‘cheap as chips’ in line with our affordable car and being in the appropriately named Deal, was a great way to celebrate National Fish and Chip Day.”
The research also found 41% of adults describe such foods as nostalgic, while 45% feel satisfied after eating them.
When ordering a classic fish and chips, cod (48%) and haddock (19%) were the most popular choices, but 69% simply order a portion of chips.
It also emerged 44% believe fish and chips is the ‘food of the people’ and 39% said class doesn’t impact how people eat it.
While 46% feel there is something nostalgic about eating the British staple with a wooden fork, which 33% typically do, although 38% opt to eat it by hand.
Food psychologist, James Cornish, said: “There are few things that unite the British public quite like fish and chips.
“Golden, salty, comforting, and steeped in history, this timeless dish is more than a meal – it’s a national treasure.
“Loved across generations, social classes, and regions, it’s one of those rare things that truly brings us together.
“There’s a certain kind of magic in fish and chips – a simple meal that somehow carries the weight of memory, comfort, and delight.
“Maybe it’s because we don’t expect too much from humble food, but our delight is excelled through the delivering of more than we expected.”
BRITS TOP 20 UK HOLIDAY TREATS
1. Fish and chips 2. Mr. Whippy ice cream 3. Cream tea 4. Ice lolly 5. Hot doughnuts 6. Cornish pasty 7. Strawberries and cream 8. Chip butty 9. Fudge 10. Battered sausage 11. Candy floss 12. Pie and mash 13. Stick of rock 14. Crab sandwich 15. Fish finger sandwich 16. Mussels 17. Cockles 18. Lobster roll 19. Pickled egg 20. Crab sticks
SUMMER is just around the corner, and those scorching nights are about to make decent kip feel like mission impossible.
For hot sleepers, the battle against night sweats and overheating is a year-round struggle – but when temperatures soar, finding the best cooling pillow becomes absolutely essential.
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Stay cool and comfyCredit: Getty
Whether you’re naturally hot-blooded, going through menopause, or dealing with medical conditions that trigger night sweats, a cooling pillow could be your ticket to uninterrupted slumber.
Unlike standard pillows that trap heat against your head and neck, cooling pillows are clever little sleep savers engineered specifically to keep you comfortable all night long.
The secret lies in their innovative materials and design. Traditional pillows often use dense materials that absorb and hold heat – exactly what you don’t want during a heatwave!
Cooling pillows, however, work their magic in several different ways.
Some feature thermoregulating natural fabrics like bamboo, silk or wool that actively wick moisture away from your skin.
Others incorporate high-tech foam with open-cell structures that allow air to circulate freely around your head.
The most advanced options even use special gel layers or phase-changing materials that literally draw heat away from your body.
According to The Sleep Charity, the ideal bedroom temperature for quality sleep is between 16°C-18°C.
When your bedroom thermometer creeps above 24°C, you’re far more likely to wake up during the night – leaving you groggy and irritable the next day.
While a cooling pillow isn’t the only solution (a lightweight duvet, a home fan, and strategic window opening all help), it’s one of the simplest ways to dramatically improve your sleep during hot weather.
Ready to chill out and sleep better this summer? We’ve put the UK’s top cooling pillows through their paces to bring you our definitive ranking of the very best options for every type of sleeper.
How we tested cooling pillows
Each cooling pillow was tested over several weeks in our reviewers’ homes.
They considered several factors when rating the products, including the fabric, how cool it was and the shape of each pillow.
Each reviewer also considered the thermoregulating properties and any special features it had, such as open-cell memory foam, spring layers, adjustable height and cooling technology.
Our testers also evaluated whether the pillows were soft to the touch, comfortable, supportive and something our reviewers actually liked sleeping on.
Best cooling pillows at a glance:
8 best cooling pillows, tried and tested
Best overall: The Simba Hybrid
This one has over 14,000 glowing reviews onlineCredit: Kiya-Ellen
The Simba Hybrid pillow has been cleverly designed to regulate your temperature and increase airflow.
It incorporates astronaut-inspired temperature regulation, which absorbs, stores and releases heat as and when you need it, which means that — even on a hot summer’s night — it’ll absorb the heat and keep you cool.
With over 14,000 five-star reviews, we decided to put one to the test and see what all the fuss was about.
As someone who usually opts to buy budget £5 pillows, I was taken aback by the price, but once my head hit the pillow, I couldn’t believe the difference in comfort.
The pillow is filled with breathable and lightweight nanocubes, which can be removed to adjust the height and firmness of your pillow.
Once I tweaked the height to suit my needs, it was glorious to sleep on. The material is thick, plush and supportive, and I swiftly found myself among the army of Simba pillow lovers.
Whilst this is one of the more expensive pillows in our round-up, the consensus of those who have tried it is that it’s worth every penny.
The Eve Memory Foam Hybrid pillow is constructed in three parts: there’s a memory foam centre that relieves pressure on your neck and head, a hollow fibre layer that gives extra support and an outer layer of breathable memory foam.
This final layer is honeycombed, allowing air to pass through it so you don’t overheat and your head stays cool.
I tested this pillow for a week and really noticed the difference from my old cheap pillows. This one is more supportive as it keeps your spine in alignment, which helps prevent aches in your neck and back.
It also kept me cool, and I didn’t feel too hot while I was sleeping on this pillow, which I think is due to the fact it has a breathable cotton cover and mesh borders, as well as the air holes in the memory foam that worked their cooling magic.
The cover is removable, and you can wash it in the machine, which is handy.
Eve also offers a 30-night trial, which is a great idea if you’re unsure about buying, as you can return the pillow if it’s not to your liking.
Material: Memory foam middle layer, hollow fibre mid layer and honeycomb memory foam top layer, encased in a cotton cover, Support: Medium
Best firm pillow: Simba Hybrid Firm Pillow
The Simba Hybrid Firm (right) is noticeably big in comparison to standard pillows
Cons: Expensive, might be too big for some pillowcases, firmness may not be to everyone’s taste
Rating: 4.5/5
Simba seems to be storming ahead of its competitors when it comes to cooling technology.
The sleep company is known and loved for its Simba Hybrid Firm pillow (and many other products), and I tested it out during a heatwave.
The Hybrid Firm is comprised of three individual pillows (two soft fibre pillows and one layer of firm Aerocoil springs), which can be combined and rearranged to adjust the height and firmness of the pillow.
It also features Stratos tech (the astronaut-inspired temperature regulation we mentioned earlier), which means it’s as good as a pillow can be at regulating your body temperature.
While it took me a few days to get used to the firmness of the pillow, its superior cooling properties and adjustability make it the most comfortable pillow I’ve ever slept on.
Undeniably, the price of the pillow is pretty high, but if you’re able to afford it, we believe it will be a worthwhile investment.
Material: Cotton, mesh, Aerocoil, Support: Firm to medium-firm (adjustable)
Best budget: Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow
The material draws moisture away from the skin
Panda Memory Foam Bamboo Pillow, £44.95
Pros: Luxurious, improved the quality of my sleep, next-level comfort
Cons: Genuinely couldn’t find one!
Rating: 4/5
The Panda Hybrid Pillow is designed with sleep tech to regulate your body temperature while in the land of nod, and it is incredibly comfortable.
The Orthopaedic grade design is made from a bamboo charcoal-infused memory foam, and whether I am sleeping on my back, side or front, this pillow provides ample support.
The bamboo fabric is highly breathable, promoting airflow to keep your body at the optimum temperature and drawing moisture away from the skin, keeping you dry and comfortable.
It has made a considerable difference to the quality of my sleep, and I genuinely wake each morning feeling ready to start the day, having had good quality rest.
You can customise the layers to suit your preference
Emma Premium Foam Pillow, £75 £63.75
Pros: Removable and washable moisture-resistant cover, layers can be removed and changed to suit you
Cons: Expensive!
Rating: 4.5/5
The Emma Premium Foam Pillow certainly lives up to its premium name.
Its temperature-regulating design means it is filled with removable layers and stays fresh and clean.
The removable layers include a foam layer that regulates temperature, which means you can adjust the pillow to suit how you sleep.
This is great for women struggling with menopausal or general hormonal night sweats as the design is customisable and easy to remove and replace.
I like that the knitted white fabric of the pillow is breathable, as there’s nothing worse than a hot, sweaty sleep.
I won’t lie; I did love this pillow, but because of the memory foam, you may find this pillow a little harder than others. I also think it’s expensive at full price.
Material: ThermoSync foam, HRX Foam, polyester and 2% elastane; Support: Medium (but fully adjustable layers)
Best for side sleepers: Simba Cooling Body Pillow
A great option if you prefer to sleep on your sideCredit: Lucy Gornall
Simba Cooling Body Pillow, £109
Pros: Good for pregnancy and nursing, washable cover
Cons: High price point, takes up a lot of space on the bed
Rating: 4/5
This body pillow is designed to provide extra support if you sleep on your side, as it keeps your spine and hips in alignment. It’s also fab if you’re pregnant, as it supports your bump while taking pressure off your hips.
I found it really soft – thanks to the Simba Renew Bio fibres inside – and cool. It is made with Stratos cool-touch technology, which stops you from getting too hot, and I could definitely feel that coolness.
The cover is removable, and it’s machine washable, which is always a good thing.
The body pillow is incredibly comfy, as well as supportive, and it’s ideal as a back pillow for sitting and reading in bed.
The only issue you’re going to have is finding somewhere to store it when you’re not using it.
Material: 100% cotton cover incorporating Stratos cooling technology with down-like Simba Renew Bio fibre interior; Support: soft but supportive
The Simba Stratos is filled with recycled fibres from plastic bottles – Simba Renew Bio – which is breathable, so reducing heat as you sleep and avoiding sweating.
Simba’s Stratos technology on one side of the pillow keeps the fabric cool to the touch.
It reacts to your body temperature and dissipates heat, ensuring you feel cool and comfortable. The sustainable cotton cover is washable, which is another plus point.
I loved that this pillow arrived in a strong bag, which is useful for storage should I ever need to pack it away.
Material: Sustainable cotton cover; Simba Renew Bio interior (made from recycled plastic bottles); Support: Soft but supportive
Pros: Organic fabric and filling, cooling in summer, very comfortable, machine washable, great size
Cons: Price
Rating: 3.5/5
Wool is a great material for regulating your temperature, so this pillow is a must for hot summer nights.
It’s a travel pillow, so great for you or the kids when you’re heading off on holiday, though I must admit I use it more at home.
It’s also lovely and soft for sleeping on – I’m not a fan of hard pillows and sleep much better on a squishy (or medium-squishy) version.
This one is made from 100% organic British wool and has a 100% organic cotton outer cover.
Because of the wool’s hypoallergenic qualities, it’s endorsed by Allergy UK and house-dust mite resistant.
Sustainability is important to me, so I love that the wool is traceable back to the farms from which it was sourced, and the sheep that supply it are kept in high welfare conditions.
The pillow is also certified by the Soil Association and meets the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). It even comes with its own zipped carry bag for storage.
Material: 100% organic British wool inner with 100% organic cotton cover; Support: soft
Best cooling pillows FAQs
Click the links below to navigate.
Where to buy cooling pillows
Looking for the perfect cooling pillow to beat the summer heat? Here’s where to grab them:
Most retailers offer free delivery when you spend over a certain amount, so why not pair your new cooling pillow with matching sheets for the ultimate summer sleep upgrade?
How do cooling pillows work?
Cooling pillows are used mainly in the warmer summer months to prevent heat retention and provide a cool surface when sleeping.
The design of the pillow increases airflow, so keeping you cooler, while fabrics are breathable and often include natural fibres, such as bamboo, silk or wool.
Some pillows may contain water or gel pouches that absorb heat from the skin, cooling you down and wicking away moisture.
As they absorb your body heat, they warm up, so they need to be cooled again – either by not sleeping on them or turning them over.
You can always pop the gel pack into the fridge for a few hours before bed so it cools ready for use.
What are the main differences between a cooling pillow and a regular pillow?
Regular pillows use dense, standard fillings that trap heat against your head like a furnace, leaving you tossing and turning in a sweaty mess.
Cooling pillows, however, are engineering marvels that actively regulate temperature.
They feature thermoregulating natural fabrics like bamboo, silk or wool that wick moisture away, while innovative open-cell foam structures allow continuous airflow around your head.
The most advanced versions contain phase-changing materials or gel layers that literally pull heat away from your body throughout the night.
Do you need a pillowcase for a cooling pillow?
Your cooling pillow absolutely needs a pillowcase for protection and hygiene, but standard synthetic covers will trap heat and completely undermine its temperature-regulating technology.
Natural fabrics are essential for maintaining maximum coolness.
Bamboo offers exceptional breathability and feels instantly cool against your skin, while silk provides unmatched temperature regulation along with impressive beauty benefits for hair and skin.
Cotton and linen are decent options too – just avoid polyester blends at all costs.
Do cooling pillowcases really work?
Fans of cooling pillowcases swear they really do work.
Silk is usually the fabric of choice. It is thermoregulating and also wicks away moisture, but its added skin and hair benefits seal the deal.
Hair is less frizzy because the super smooth fabric reduces friction as you move around in bed, and your skin is less creased in the morning, in theory, leading to fewer wrinkles.
Bamboo is another good option as it regulates temperature and feels cool to the touch, especially when you first lay your head on the pillow.
Natural fibres generally will be cooler than synthetic fabrics, which hold in heat.
What is the best cooling pillow in the UK?
Many cooling pillows could take the title of best, depending on what you’re looking for.
The Simba Hybrid is an incredibly popular choice and has more than 27,000 five-star reviews on Simba’s website.
If you need more support, especially for your neck, then the Simba Hybrid Firm is another great option with over a thousand five-star reviews online.
What fabric, high-tech features and firmness to go for depends on the individual and the budget.
Generally speaking, when looking for the best cooling pillow available, go for natural fibre covers, such as silk, bamboo and wool, as they draw heat away from the body.
As for the filling, again, that’s a personal choice – natural materials are cooling, but so is the recycled polyester used in many man-made bestsellers, and it’s a lot cheaper than feathers and down.
How do I keep a pillow cold at night?
Cooling pillows come in different designs that work in different ways to ensure you get the best night’s sleep.
Their effectiveness depends on their features and how you use them.
Pillows with gel or water inserts only keep you cool for a certain amount of time – your body heat transfers to them as they cool you, and eventually, they’re no longer cold.
They need re-cooling (either by not using them or refrigerating the gel pack) before you can sleep on them again.
Technical fabrics, such as the ones used in the Simba Stratos pillow design, work by absorbing body heat, while the nanocubes inside allow for greater airflow.
Again, though, you may find even the high-tech material becomes warm after a few hours.
Buy pillowcases made from natural fibres such as cotton, linen, bamboo, wool and silk, as these are cooler to sleep on.
Once your pillow becomes too warm, simply turning it over will give you a whole new layer of coolness.
Do cooling pillows help with night sweats?
Anything that feels cool on your face or body is going to help with night sweats, but it’s a question of degree.
The cover and filling in a cooling pillow are designed to draw heat away from your body so you don’t wake up feeling all hot and bothered.
As a result, your sleep isn’t disturbed, and you’re more rested in the morning.
However, if you suffer from frequent and intense night sweats due to menopause, you may need to take extra steps to keep cool.
These could include using only natural-fibre bedding, sleeping under just a sheet, buying a cooling mattress or running a fan in the bedroom.
Buying a gel pad that you can pop in the fridge and then put in your pillowcase with your pillow could also help ease night sweats.
What is the best cooling pillow for side sleepers?
Side sleepers should look for a supportive cooling pillow with a higher loft (thickness).
This is because lying on your side can mean your body is not aligned, causing pain in your shoulders, neck, knees and hips.
Memory foam is a good choice as it moulds to your body, supporting you as you sleep; however, it does absorb heat.
Instead, you can opt for a pillow with open-cell foam layers that allow air to circulate, improving breathability and coolness.
Side sleepers may also want to consider adding a second pillow – between their knees – to help keep their spine, neck and hips in alignment.
The Simba Cooling Body Pillow is great for this, and our reviewer found it “incredibly comfy, as well as supportive”.
A BEAUTY enthusiast has revealed “the best hot girl holiday hack” that will ensure you never feel floated in a bikini again.
So if you’re lucky enough to be jetting aboard any time soon and want to feel confident in your swimwear this summer, you’ve come to the right place and will need to take notes.
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A young woman has revealed a savvy “holiday hack” to ensure you wave goodbye to bloated daysCredit: TikTok/@juliaglowguide
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So if you’re heading away and want to look fabulous in your bikini, you’ll need to check this outCredit: TikTok/@juliaglowguide
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Julia raved about the Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes which facilitate the normal breakdown of proteins and tripeptidesCredit: Healf
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These supplements “relieve occasional bloating or gas” and work out at just 44p a timeCredit: Getty
In fact, it will work out at just 44p a time – yes, you heard that correctly.
Posting on social media, Julia, who is on a mission to “glow up” her life, revealed the key to staying slender whilst abroad.
The trainee nutritionist said: “Let me give you the best holiday bloating hot girl tip – I used to be that girl who’d go on holiday and be scared to eat all the food that I want, enjoy my time, because I’d constantly feel bloated.
“I just wouldn’t want to be in my bikini – the bloating would get so bad and uncomfortable because I was eating foods my body wasn’t used to.
“And I discovered the best hot girl holiday hack ever that means I can go away, feel comfortable in my bikini, not bloat, enjoy all the food and just have a great time.”
Julia explained that in order to put bloating at bay, she swears by the Pure Encapsulations Digestive Enzymes – supplements containing enzymes involved in the digestion of protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, and lactose.
Julia’s favourite Digestive Enzymes contain a high-strength, broad-spectrum mixture of vegetarian digestive enzymes that facilitate the normal breakdown of proteins and tripeptides.
According to the product description, these supplements contain alpha-galactosidase that promotes the breakdown of certain complex carbohydrates, such as raffinose and stachyose, found in some legumes, vegetables, and grains.
In turn, this helps “to relieve occasional bloating or gas.”
I’m a size 16 and I’ve found the perfect summer dress from F&F – it’s so comfy and great for bloated days on holiday
A pack of 30 capsules will cost you £13.49, working out at just 44p per tablet.
Clearly a huge fan of the supplements, the content creator continued: “I cannot tell you how much I love Digestive Enzymes – magic pill, take them 15 minutes before you eat any meal and these help you break down food your body’s not used to eating.
Omg been looking for a solution for this for years
TikTok user
“I can have a pizza and not bloat when I take Digestive Enzymes – trust me, this is worth your investment.”
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @juliaglowguide, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as in just three days, it has quickly racked up 235,700 views.
Bloating: Foods to eat and avoid
Eating the right foods can prevent bloating as well as reduce when it occurs.
But it depends entirely on what your symptoms are.
If you are bloated and constipated, eat:
Fruits and vegetables
Bran flakes
Oats
Skin-on potatoes
Dried fruits such as apricots and raisins
If you have trapped wind, avoid:
Cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and kale
Beans (baked, kidney, butter)
Lentils
These foods, including pulses like beans and lentils, are good to add into the diet slowly as they are high in fibre.
While they are not advisable to help in the moment, they do help in the long-run by boosting gut health.
Try adding them slowly into your diet.
If you are bloated with diarrhoea, you may have a stomach bug and should eat:
Plain foods: bananas, white rice, bread or toast
Boiled potatoes
Oatmeal
Small and frequent meals
Other tips for preventing bloating are:
Exercise regularly
Chew with your mouth shut
Eat smaller more frequent meals than large meals
Avoid fizzy drinks, alcohol or caffeine
Limit processed, sugary, spicy or fatty foods
One person said: “I’ve never heard of these! Thank you.”
Another added: “Omg been looking for a solution for this for years.”
Meanwhile, one woman beamed: “They’re amazing, only thing that’s worked for me.”
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Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actor best known for her time as Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the TV version of “M*A*S*H,” died Friday in her New York City apartment, her representative confirmed to The Times. She was 87.
Swit was found by her housekeeper around 10 a.m., according to publicist Harlan Boll, who said he had been on the phone with her at 11 p.m. local time Thursday night — 2 a.m. Friday in New York. Her doorman saw her drop something in the mail at 4 a.m. Friday, New York time, Boll said, and six hours later, she was gone.
The actor — born Loretta Jane Szwed on Nov. 4, 1937, in Passaic, N.J. — loved playing Hot Lips so much that she was the only performer other than Alan Alda who stayed on the series from its pilot in 1972 through its much-watched finale in 1983. “M*A*S*H,” set during the Korean War, was a sitcom but also more than that to Swit.
“There is, I think, an intelligence behind the humor,” she told The Times in 1977. “The audience is huge, and they deserve to be entertained on the highest level we can achieve.”
Though her portrayal of the libido-driven blond in fatigues and Army boots catapulted Swit to household-name status, she had been in acting since before her 8th birthday in stage productions and musicals in New York. She left home at 17 to work in the theater, temping at secretarial jobs while studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
A confessed workaholic, Swit moved easily from comedy to drama, acting in “Same Time, Next Year,” “Mame” and “The Odd Couple” before moving to Los Angeles to star in “M*A*S*H.” She appeared in iconic series such as “Hawaii Five-O,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Mannix,” and had a productive television career until very recently.
Her most recent TV appearance was as herself in the 2024 Fox tribute special “M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television.”
Her theater work was plentiful, and in addition to Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and national work, included shows in Southern California. She joined Harry Hamlin in “One November Yankee” at the NoHo Arts Center in 2012, three years after doing a reading of the play with a different actor at the Pasadena Playhouse.
“M*A*S*H” filmed its outdoor scenes at Malibu Creek State Park, where the set was re-created for fans’ enjoyment in 2008.
“It’s thrilling to be honored in this way,” Swit told The Times that year. “I think if I had to sum it up, what we’re most proud of is that we made everybody come together. And I think this will also bring people together.”
Swit was nominated for 10 Emmys for her Hot Lips role and won for supporting actress in a comedy, variety or music series in 1980 and 1982. She garnered four Golden Globe nominations for her work on “M*A*S*H,” in the lead and supporting actress categories, but did not win.
She was given a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 1989, near what is now the home of Amoeba Music.
An animal lover, Swit set up the SwitHeart Animal Alliance to prevent cruelty and end animal suffering. The alliance worked with numerous nonprofit organizations and programs to protect, rescue, train and care for animals and preserve their habitat, while raising public awareness about issues that concern domestic, farm, exotic, wild and native animals.
She created an art book, “SwitHeart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit,” which includes 65 of her full-color paintings and drawings and 22 of her photographs. Proceeds went to animal causes, and the 2016 Betty White Award from the group Actors and Others for Animals was but one of the many honors she received for her philanthropic work.
Former freelance writer T.L. Stanley contributed to this report.
May 28 (UPI) — Global warming is expected to send temperatures soaring at or near record levels over the next five years, according to a Wednesday report from the World Meteorological Organization.
The WMO report said there’s an 86% chance that at least one of the next five years will exceed the Paris Climate Agreement goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Farenheit, above the 1850-1900 global temperature average.
There’s an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will surpass 2024 as warmest on record.
The WMO report said global temperatures “are expected to continue at or near record levels in the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies and sustainable development.”
“We have just experienced the ten warmest years on record. Unfortunately, this WMO report provides no sign of respite over the coming years, and this means that there will be a growing negative impact on our economies, our daily lives, our ecosystems and our planet,” WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett said in a statement.
The report forecast a 70% chance that the 2025-2029 five-year-average warming will be more than the 2.7 degrees Farenheit threshold.
That’s up from the 47% chance forecast in last year’s report for the 2024-2028 period. In the 2023 report it was 32%.
The report’s data indicates a higher risk of climate-change intensified storms, wildfires, floods and drought.
“Every additional fraction of a degree of warming drives more harmful heatwaves, extreme rainfall events, intense droughts, melting of ice sheets, sea ice, and glaciers, heating of the ocean, and rising sea levels,” the WMO said.
The WMO report follows the hottest 10 years ever on Earth.
The rapid warming of the Earth includes Arctic warming over the next five extended winters, which is expected to be more than three and a half times the global average.
The chance of seeing a global temperature rise of 3.6 degrees Fearenheit before 2030 is about 1%, but it was previously considered impossible.
“It is shocking that 2C is plausible,” Adam Scaife of the Met Office, which played a leading role in compiling the data, said it was “shocking” that reaching that temperature was plausible.
“It has come out as only 1% in the next five years but the probability will increase as the climate warms,” he said.
Thorpe Bay Beach overlooks the Thames estuary and visitors can’t wait to tell you what they think about its beauty – here’s what they love about it
Thorpe Bay beach is popular with visitors
Our county’s glorious coastline is a treasure all year round, and there’s one particular beach that absolutely shines when the sun graces us with its presence – which has been quite frequent over recent weeks. Thorpe Bay Beach, with its panoramic view of the Thames estuary, has become the talk of the town for its sheer allure.
This scenic spot, like many others along our coast, is adorned with charming huts, as well as an assortment of cafes and restaurants. Adding to its accessibility and charm is the decking that stretches out, inviting visitors onto the sands.
VisitSouthend has praised the location, stating: “With spectacular views of the Thames estuary, this beach is a great place for refreshing walks and for those looking for a relaxing break.
“Wander past the picture-postcard beach huts or grab a bite to eat at one of the cafes or restaurants nearby.”
They also highlighted the inclusive nature of the beach, saying, “There is decking leading straight onto the beach for wheelchair and pushchair access meaning it’s a great day out at the seaside for everyone.”
Thorpe Bay is a peaceful seaside escape
TripAdvisor user Vintagelady was enamoured by the beach, describing it as a “fantastic beach”, reports Essex Live. They commented: “What a beautiful beach – very clean and very pretty, love all the beach huts along there.”
Adam S also had high praise on TripAdvisor, urging others to prepare for a dip, writing: “Lovely beach, not too busy on a really hot day in August.
“Sea lovely and warm at high tide so nice for swimming if you don’t mind the seaweed (there’s lots of it! )”.
If it’s peace and quiet you’re seeking, reviewer Bernijbillericay has some encouraging news in his review, stating there’s “no crowding”.
He wrote: “On a hot day in southend with all the ‘unsafe’ hustle and bustle – it is so much nicer to travel on a bit further to thorpe bay —, past the yacht club, on the right hand side is a reasonably priced “grass” car park with public toilets, a small general shop and close access to the beach — take a pic-nic and have a cheap day out.”
Chad Smith remembers the night in 2003 when the Red Hot Chili Peppers played for an audience of 80,000 or so amid the rolling hills of the Irish countryside.
After a somewhat fallow period in the mid-’90s, the veteran Los Angeles alt-rock band resurged with 1999’s eight-times-platinum “Californication” and its 2002 follow-up, “By the Way,” which spawned the chart-topping single “Can’t Stop.” To mark the moment, the Chili Peppers brought a crew to document their performance at Slane Castle, where they headlined a full day of music that also included sets by Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, for an eventual concert movie.
“Everything’s filmed now, but back then it was a big shoot,” Smith, the band’s drummer, recently recalled. “You can get a little self-conscious. At the beginning, I f— something up — nothing nobody would know, but we would know — and Flea kind of looked at me,” he said of the Chili Peppers’ bassist. “We gave each other this ‘Oh s—’ look. We laughed it off, and I don’t think I thought about it after that because the crowd was so engaged. The energy was incredible.”
Twenty-two years later, the Chili Peppers are bringing that 2003 gig to screens again — only this time they’re string puppets.
“Can’t Stop” is director David Fincher’s re-creation of the band’s rendition of that tune at Slane Castle. Part of the just-released fourth season of the Emmy-winning Netflix anthology series “Love, Death + Robots,” the animated short film depicts the Chili Peppers — Smith, Flea, singer Anthony Kiedis and guitarist John Frusciante — as dangling marionettes onstage before a veritable sea of the same. As the band rides the song’s slinky punk-funk groove, we see Flea bust out some of his signature moves and Kiedis swipe a fan’s cellphone for a selfie; at one point, a group of women in the crowd even flash their breasts at the frontman.
The puppets aren’t real — the entire six-minute episode was computer-generated. But the way they move looks astoundingly lifelike, not least when one fan’s lighter accidentally sets another fan’s wires on fire.
So why did Fincher, the A-list filmmaker behind “Fight Club” and “The Social Network,” put his considerable resources to work to make “Can’t Stop”?
“A perfectly reasonable inquiry,” the director, who executive produces “Love, Death + Robots,” said with a laugh. “First and foremost, I’ll say I’ve always wanted a Flea bobblehead — it started with that. But really, you know, sometimes there’s just stuff you want to see.”
Why did David Fincher turn the Chili Peppers into puppets? “First and foremost, I’ll say I’ve always wanted a Flea bobblehead — it started with that. But really, you know, sometimes there’s just stuff you want to see.”
(Netflix)
Fincher, 62, grew up loving Gerry Anderson’s “Thunderbirds” series featuring his so-called Supermarionation style of puppetry enhanced by electronics. But the Chili Peppers project also represents a return to Fincher’s roots in music video: Before he made his feature debut with 1992’s “Alien 3,” he directed era-defining clips including Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” Madonna’s “Express Yourself” and “Vogue” and George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90.” (Fincher’s last big music video gig was Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” in 2013.) In addition to “Thunderbirds,” he wanted “Can’t Stop” to evoke the ’80s work of early MTV auteurs like Wayne Isham and Russell Mulcahy — “that throw 24 cameras at Duran Duran aesthetic,” as he put it.
Fincher said he knew his puppet concept would require “a band you can identify just from their movement,” which seems like a fair way to describe the Chili Peppers. He recalled first encountering the band around 1983 — “I think it was with Martha Davis at the Palladium?” he said — and was struck by a sense of mischief that reminded him of the “elfin villains” from the old Rankin/Bass TV specials.
“I feel like Finch got the spirit of me,” said Flea, 62, who’s known the director socially for years. The bassist remembered discussing “Can’t Stop” with Fincher at a mutual friend’s house before they shot it: “I was talking about how I still jump around onstage and my body still works really good. But I used to dive and do a somersault while I was playing bass — like dive onto my head. And now I’m scared to do it.” He laughed. “Some old man thing had happened where I’m scared to dive onto my face now. Finch went, ‘Well, Puppet Flea can do it.’”
Sketches of Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and bassist Flea as puppets in Vol. 4 of Netflix’s “Love, Death + Robots.”(Netflix)
After doing a day of motion capture with the band at a studio in the Valley, Fincher and a crew of animators from Culver City’s Blur Studio spent about 13 months working on “Can’t Stop.” Fincher said the hard part was giving the marionettes a feeling of suspension.
“With the mo cap, you’re capturing the action of a character who has self-determination,” he said, referring to a human Chili Pepper, “then you’re applying that to an object that has no self-determination,” meaning a puppet controlled by an unseen handler. “It’s so much trickier than it looks. But that was kind of the fun, you know? I mean, not for me,” he added with a laugh.
Asked if the production involved any use of AI, Fincher said it didn’t. “It’s Blur — it’s a point of pride for them,” he said. But he also shrugged off the idea that that question has become a kind of purity test for filmmakers.
A digital rendering of the Chili Peppers as puppets.
(Netflix)
“For the next couple of months, maybe it’ll be an interesting sort of gotcha,” he said. “But I can’t imagine 10 years from now that people will have the same [view]. Nonlinear editing changed the world for about six weeks, and then we all took it for granted.
“I don’t look at it as necessarily cheating at this point,” he continued. “I think there are a lot of things that AI can do — matte edges and roto work and that kind of stuff. I don’t think that’s going to fundamentally ruin what is intimate and personal about filmmaking, which is that we’re playing dress-up and hoping not to be caught out.”
As he reportedly works on an English-language version of “Squid Game” and a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” did making “Can’t Stop” lead Fincher to ponder the state of the music video now that MTV is no longer in the business of showcasing the form?
“Well, the audience that MTV aggregated — in retrospect, that was time and a place,” he said. “Remember, the Beatles were making music videos — they just called it ‘Help!’ There was no invention at all on MTV’s part.
“What I do miss about that — and I don’t think we’ll ever see it again — was that I was 22 years old and I would sketch on a napkin: This is kind of the idea of what we want to do. And four days later, $125,000 would be sent to the company that you were working with and you’d go off and make a video. You’d shoot the thing in a week, and then it would be on the air three weeks after that.
“You make a television commercial now and there’s quite literally 19 people in folding chairs, all with their own 100-inch monitor in the back. The world has changed.” He laughed.
“I started my professional career asking for forgiveness rather than permission, and it’s been very difficult to go the other direction.”
THE HUMBLE crab stick has been popular since the 80s tossed in salad, now they seem to have had a resurgence as people add them to ramen or seafood boils.
The food has often been used as a cheap alternative to crabs but fans are vowing to never eat them again.
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People are just realising how crab sticks are actually madeCredit: Getty
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Some say it’s enough to put them off for goodCredit: Getty
It comes after foodies have just realised how the crab sticks, also known as imitation crab, are really made.
After seeing the process of how the red and white sticks are processed some have dubbed them the ‘hot dog of the ocean.’
It comes after a Thai crab stick factory revealed their manufacturing secrets through a YouTube video, reports the Mirror.
It showed the transformation from unappetising grey blocks to the familiar red-and-white striped sticks seen in shops.
Initially resembling massive, grey, concrete-like slabs, the frozen fish meat blocks undergo several stages before becoming edible.
They’re first pulverised by machinery into a mushy mix, then carried along a conveyor belt where salt and various spices are infused.
Next ice, vegetable oil, and sugars are blended in.
The footage shows factory workers funnelling the mixture through a tube, which turns it into a grey paste which is then shaped and coloured to achieve the iconic crab stick appearance.
The Thai factory boasts being the globe’s largest, churning out 40,000 tons of fish sticks annually – that’s quadruple the weight of the Eiffel Tower. It sells to more than 37 nations.
But it seems the video has put people off of the snack.
My budget’s so strict I pray at the till on my food shop – this week I did it for a family of 4 for £100, here’s my haul
Taking to Reddit, people shared their disgust after witnessing the video.
One person wrote: “Hot dogs of the sea”.
Another commented: “The only ingredient I could identify was the ice”.
Humorously addressing the unappetising mush, a comment read: “Everything ok hun? You’ve hardly touched your grey.”
A fourth penned: “Bet that place smells wonderful”.
Another person noted: “If the title hadn’t specified they were making crab sticks, or in fact any type of food, I would’ve gotten to 1:38 before I realised that they weren’t making some sort of industrial building material.”
If you’re looking to book a UK self-catering getaway this year, we’ve found a charming holiday cottage in Anglesey, Wales, that has travellers coming back again and again
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We’ve found a cottage with stunning coastal views(Image: Sykes Cottages)
With staycations on the rise – especially when the weather’s as nice as it is at the moment – we’ve been searching out some of the best UK holiday rentals homes and cottages to inspire you’re next British break – and we think we’ve found a gem with this charming Anglesey escape.
This four-bedroom, eight-person Sykes Cottages holiday home in on the coast of Anglesey, Wales, stood out to us for its stunning sea views, outdoor hot tub and high quality decor, not to mention the perfect customer score of five out of five stars. Even better, there’s still availability in June through to August, including during the school summer holidays.
Yr Hen Feudy house in Anglesey(Image: Sykes Cottages)
The single-story Yr Hen Feudy house is available to book via Sykes Cottages’ website, and is located on the beautiful east coast of the Welsh Isle of Anglesey in the seaside village of Moelfre. Here you’ll find a picturesque port, a shingle beach and stunning views, perhaps even spotting seals or dolphins out at sea.
The house itself features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an outdoor hot tub and an electric vehicle charging port, making it the perfect base for groups of friends or family holidays.
What especially impressed us were the glowing reviews from previous visitors, many who clearly have booked this place year after year. “We returned to this stunning cottage and it was as lovely as in previous visits,” one five star review reads. “The cottage is spotlessly clean and is finished to a very high standard. The views are fantastic. Good food at the local pub too. The owners are wonderful. We will be back again.”
Yr Hen Feudy house sleeps up to eight people(Image: Sykes Cottages)
“The views were amazing and the house was so clean and comfortable, definitely a home from home!” another person wrote. “We loved our stay, and we look forward to going again!”
A third person called it “such a gem“, writing: “This was our second visit to this property” and added, “Great location with amazing views from the comfort of the sofa. Facilities are just as you would expect. The house is kept in immaculate condition too. Can’t wait for our next visit.”
In fact, the only negative comment listed appears to be about some confusion about the number of guests staying – however the commentor does say that “the place is beautiful and well-maintained, and we had a very pleasant stay.”
At the time of writing, Yr Hen Feudy cottage still had availability on dates including 2-5 June, 25-28 July and 4-8 August, however is these dates don’t work for you or get booked up, there are plenty of other lovely Anglesey options on Sykes Cottages, including Chapel House, Swyn Llyr and Sea La Vie.
