tourists

South Africa vs Australia: Tourists facing defeat after remarkable day with careers on the line

If Katich’s words seem strong for a side 1-0 up in the series, this South African subsidence was the latest example of an Australian batting line-up only consistent for its inconsistency.

Bowled out for 132 in the first Test of the Ashes last winter, they piled up 511 in Brisbane in the next.

They scored 567 at the end of the Ashes, but were bundled out for 198 by Bangladesh in their next Test en route to a shock defeat.

Even the highs of Matt Renshaw’s 190 in the first-Test win in Durban were countered by the fact no other Australian made 50.

And after another failure, Marnus Labuschagne appears the most at risk. He will not get another chance to bat for his place before Cape Town hosts the third Test from 27 October.

After edging a drive to third slip for 14 off Anrich Nortje in the morning, he gave it away by hitting spinner Simon Harmer to long-on after tea for 39 – his third dismissal in the thirties in the series.

It was made worse by the fact he had only survived an lbw decision on review just three balls earlier.

It is now 47 innings since the 32-year-old, once the leading batter in the world, has made a Test century.

“Only he knows what was going through his mind when he tried to take Harmer down the ground, against the breeze, when Australia are trying to play for a draw,” added Katich.

“How will the Australian selectors view that dismissal?

“He’s been given plenty of rope over the past few years, when plenty of others haven’t, but he has.”

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UK seaside town loved by tourists dealt major blow after immediate closure

A five-star establishment has closed for good

A popular Scottish seaside town has been dealt a devastating blow following the sudden closure of a prominent hotel. The firm behind the establishment recently collapsed into liquidation, forcing its immediate shutdown, with all members of staff confirmed to have lost their jobs.

The Kinnettles Hotel, a five-star boutique property nestled in the heart of St Andrews, Scotland, shut its doors for good in September after its parent company, Kinnettles Hotel Limited, went into liquidation.

The hotel’s on-site restaurant partner, Gidi Grill, was locked out of the building on September 23, with owner Mo Adeniyi claiming “the building was taken over by someone else, but we hadn’t been told”. He confirmed he was now on the hunt for new premises to relocate his West African and Afro-Caribbean restaurant.

The closure of the Kinnettles Hotel, situated just a 10-minute walk from the iconic West Sands Beach and the historic St Andrews Old Course golf links, left all 12 members of staff without work.

The broader Kinnettles portfolio, which includes Kinnettles Mansion in Guardbridge and Kinnettles Castle near Forfar, had previously been put up for sale for £15 million.

Callum Carmichael, a partner at FRP Advisory, has been appointed as liquidator of the company. He confirmed that the challenges facing the business had become “insurmountable”, reports the Express.

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Mr Carmichael told The Courier: “Kinnettles Hotel has been a well-established part of St Andrews’ hospitality sector, offering boutique accommodation in the heart of the town for many years.

“Despite its established presence, the challenges facing the business and many like it in Scotland’s hospitality sector ultimately proved insurmountable. Our focus is now on safeguarding the assets of the three companies and supporting those affected.”

Nestled at 127 North Street in the heart of St Andrews town centre, the Kinnettles Hotel featured 15 spacious bedrooms, a bar, spa, and an on-site restaurant.

The hotel had garnered a string of glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, with guests heaping praise on the accommodation, spa and facilities alike.

One wrote in July: “I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever had a better spa experience in my life. From the moment I arrived until the moment I left, every single detail was absolutely perfect.”

A second reviewer wrote in May: “I had an amazing experience at Kinnettles Hotel & Spa, truly one of the best I’ve had.”

A third posted in March: “My husband and I stayed for one night and used spa facilities and got a treatment each. First of all we were made to feel very welcomed when we entered the building , staff couldn’t do enough for us.

“The breakfast next morning was lovely but the best part was the spa facilities and the treatment it was absolutely fantastic and cant wait to go back again.”

Another visitor commented in March: “I can’t praise highly enough the Kinnettles Hotel and Spa, St Andrews. We arrived as guests and departed five days later as friends.”

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Popular Spanish beaches introduce strict new bans with tourists facing £2,500 fines

BRITS could face hefty fines if caught smoking, or playing loud music at one popular holiday spot.

In some cases, the penalty could be as much as £2,500.

In areas of Tenerife it’s now it’s been banned to smoke on the beach Credit: Getty
It’s also been banned to be disruptive around natural swimming pools Credit: Getty

The area of La Laguna in Tenerife, has approved new rules banning smoking, camping, overnight stays and disruptive music on its beaches and natural swimming pools.

The announcement was made on October 7 and has been put in place to protect the coastline.

Under the new rules, beaches within the areas and natural pools are now smoke-free.

It also stops visitors from leaving rubbish behind including soap and shampoo in public showers.

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Unless there’s a a special permitted event, beachgoers are banned from playing loud music or general noise that disturbs those around them.

The new rules also state that there is a ban on camping and overnight stays on the beaches.

Within the area of La Laguna, the coastal areas where these rules have been enforced include Bajamar, Punta del Hidalgo, Jover and La Barranquera.

While there is a maximum fine of €3,000 (£2,500), it does not apply to every beach.

The amount also depends on the offence with those deemed minor having fines of €300 (£254).

In summer 2026, lots of beaches and hotels in Tenerife put rules in place to stop tourists reserving loungers and sand space with a towel.

Tourists could see their belongings confiscated and be fined up to €3,000.

It comes after strict rules were put in place across Spain for summer 2026.

Fines could be between £254 and £2,500 depending on the severity Credit: Getty



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‘The city is so welcoming for tourists with disabilities – which is why we love going back’

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Australia v South Africa: Pace attack and Steve Smith put tourists in charge

First Test, Durban (day three of five)

Australia 390 & 33-0: Maddinson 17*

South Africa 284: Bedingham 49; Cummins 3-54

Australia lead by 139 runs

Scorecard

Australia’s modern Test side remain a fascinating one to unpick.

Viewed by many in England as there for the taking in last winter’s Ashes despite a 4-1 win, they are also labelled too old by many observers at home.

The victims of recent shock defeats by West Indies and Bangladesh, they are still unbeaten in their past nine Test series.

But while their struggling batting line-up was bailed out by Matt Renshaw across the first two days of the first Test in Durban, they took control over South Africa on day three in an all-too familiar way.

Nine years after they first appeared together as Australia’s bowling quartet, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon produced their latest relentless performance to dismiss South Africa for 284. There was even some magic from Steve Smith thrown in too.

Cummins took three wickets, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon two apiece, in doing so brushing off any doubts about their effectiveness at the start of a run of Tests against the world Test champions, in-form New Zealand, India and England.

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Pretty UK island that ‘feels like another planet’ to close to tourists until next year

AN island in the UK is soon to close for the season – and won’t reopen until next year.

Ulva is home to just 16 people – but saw an ‘unprecedented’ increase in visitors over the summer thanks to its beautiful landscape, wildlife, and a new TV show.

Ulva has been described like ‘looking like another world’ Credit: Alamy
Ulva is reached via a tiny passenger ferry from the Isle of Mull Credit: Alamy

Found in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, you can only reach it via a small passenger ferry from the Isle of Mull which has daily crossings.

However, Ulva will close to visitors completely on October 31.

The island is open seasonally with people able to visit between Easter and the October – however it did have a change in its schedule this year.

Ulva saw a surge of popularity after the airing of a BBC series called Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel.

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The show followed interior designer Banjo Beale and his husband Ro Christopher who are in the process of redeveloping a stately manor into a boutique hotel – which is set to open next year.

As a result, the island became significantly busier during spring and summer.

The Ulva Ferry team said: “If you’ve visited us already this year, you’ll have noticed how much busier things have been.”

It added: “None of us could have predicted how significant the increase in the numbers of visitors would be.”

Due to the sudden demand, the ferry announced it would close on Sundays over the summer to give islanders “the chance to recharge.”

Banjo and Ro already run The Boathouse on Ulva, a restaurant where visitors can pick up a coffee or local fish dishes.

The island saw a surge in popularity after Banjo and Ro’s TV series Credit: BBC

The island is car-free island with cliffs, moorlands, woodland as well as quiet beaches and bays.

Talking to Sun Travel about the island, Banjo described it as “another world” thanks to its beautiful landscape, and there’s plenty of wildlife to spot too.

Banjo told us: “We’ve got otters, dolphins and seals swimming by, and one ferry you can take from Ulva is called Turus Mara which goes to the Treshnish Isles, it’s home to puffins.

“Often we go there for a puffin picnic just to sit with them, that’s one of our favourite things to do.

“There are more cows than people too so you’re likely to see a lot of them. And you’ve got a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights when the sun goes down.”



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Beautiful island nicknamed Europe’s Hawaii loses 100,000 tourists after Ryanair scraps all flights 

AN island in Europe has already lost thousands of tourists after Ryanair axed all flights there earlier this year.

The budget airline previously operated flights to the Azores in Portugal, having launched in 2015.

The Azores lost its Ryanair flights earlier this year Credit: Getty
The airline had been flying to the islands since 2015 Credit: PA

However, they confirmed last year that they would be scrapping them all with the last flight taking place on March 28.

The cancellations were due to airport fees, Ryanair said, as well as environment taxes in Europe.

The removal of Ryanair flights – which also included a number of routes from the UK – has left just British Airways operating flights, along with European airlines TAP and Azores Airlines.

Most of these operate from mainland Portugal.

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And new figures have found that the loss of Ryanair passengers has seen a drop in tourists of 100,000 already.

According to the Regional Statistics Service of the Azores (SREA), passengers arriving at the island airport dropped by 103,766 between April and August.

And there are fears this could increase even more, with projections of up to “391,000 overnight stays” lost a year.

They are often called Europe’s Hawaii Credit: Getty
Collage of travel items including a plane, sunscreen, passport, suitcase, and plane tickets, advertising The Sun's travel Instagram account.

Brits wanting to fly to the island from the UK can now only fly with British Airways, which runes flights from London Heathrow between April and October.

Otherwise alternative routes are to fly to Portugal with a connecting flight from Lisbon or Faro.



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Tiny UK island with peaceful beach and chocolate factory closes to tourists a month earlier than planned

An image collage containing 4 images, Image 1 shows Ferry arriving at Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Image 2 shows The old lighthouse building on the clifftops at Caldey Island off the coast of Wales, UK, Image 3 shows A red and blue boat named Nemesis docked at a pier, with a British flag flying and Caldey Island in the background, Image 4 shows Colorful buildings along the rocky coast of Tenby, Wales, under a clear blue sky

A TINY island off the coast of the UK has closed earlier than expected amid fears of incoming bad weather conditions.

Caldey Island is a short, 20-minute boat ride from Tenby in Wales, with just 40 people living there.

Caldey Island has closed a month earlier than planned Credit: Alamy
The only way to get to the island is by boat Credit: Alamy

However, in the summer months, tourists flock to the island when it reopens from Easter to the end of October.

Yet the island has since stopped boats almost a month early, citing upcoming weather concerns including high pressure and fog.

The island, owned by a group on monks, explained on social media: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Caldey Island for the remainder of the 2026 season.

“With the weather forecast for October looking particularly challenging, we feel it is the right decision to bring the season to a close a little earlier than usual.”

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They added that it had been a “record-breaking season,” having been open for 64 days in a row from July to August.

The island will now stay closed until next year, likely opening in spring 2027.

But if you are planning your trip there next year, there is lots to do for a day trip to the ‘paradise’ island.

It is one of the UK’s holy islands, having been owned by monks for more than 1,500 years.

One of the main attractions is the lighthouse Credit: Alamy
You can expect a very quiet beach on the island Credit: Alamy
There is also a small village with shops and cafes Credit: Alamy

Priory Bay is the beach that is open to tourists, with the golden sands often devoid of crowds.

The island also has a chocolate factory to explore, along with a cafe, tea garden and gift shop.

Along with five walking trails (where you can spot rare red squirrels), a playground and a lighthouse attraction, a new Visitor Centre is also set to open.

If you want to stay, there are three options – St Philomena’s, with full-board stays costing £75pp and St Teilo’s cottage which is £65 a night.

Otherwise there are some rooms in the Monastic Guesthouse, which is only for men, and must work with assisting the monks.

To visit the island, it costs £24.95 for adults and £12.95 for kids, with reduced rates for seniors and families.



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‘Extremely drunk’ British tourists drenched in buckets of water by ‘fed up’ Italian local

Locals in Rome’s Trastevere district complain that tourists have been making noise in the early hours, leading one frustrated 74-year-old to resort to extreme measures

A frustrated Italian local has admitted to dousing rowdy, “drunk” British tourists with buckets of water after they disturbed her in the night. Locals in Rome’s Trastevere district complain that UK and US tourists have been making noise beneath apartments in the early hours, leading one 74-year-old to resort to extreme measures.

Rome has long been a popular holiday destination, drawing in millions of visitors each year. Tourists flock to the Italian capital to soak up the city’s Roman history and art, and enjoy its nightlife and world-famous cuisine.

With the swathes of tourists comes a downside, though: some allegedly get “extremely drunk” and cause a nuisance in the middle of the night. Local Simonetta Marcellini told The i Paper that she keeps buckets of water by her window.

She said: “At first I’m polite, and I point out to them that it is the early hours of the morning and that people will be sleeping. The moment they start arguing back and insulting me, I pour water on them.”

Simonetta, a former radiographer born in the area, has grown frustrated with the changes she’s witnessed. She claims there has been a marked decline in the quality of restaurants, and businesses have been replaced by bars and sandwich shops.

Meanwhile, Rome was inundated with 22.9 million visitors last year, a figure said to be more than seven times the local population. Simonetta decided she’d had enough when she spotted tourists urinating against her building.

She claims that life has “gotten much worse” in relation to tourism since the Covid pandemic. “Regulations are fewer and our complaints from years ago were underestimated.

“So a phenomenon that could have been controlled was practically left unchecked and we’ve arrived today with all the reckless partying.”

It comes after British holidaymakers were warned they could face a 500 euro fine in “some Italian towns”. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) plays a crucial role in keeping Brits informed when travelling.

In its travel advice section for Italy, the FCDO warns that “some Italian towns and cities have specific laws, and you could be fined for breaking them”.

Some of the acts include eating and drinking near certain churches, historic monuments and public buildings. It’s also important to remember that entering or bathing in many public fountains is prohibited – including in Rome.

On the sun-kissed island of Capri (situated off Italy’s Amalfi Coast), a rule is in place regarding disposable plastic. Visitors are banned from bringing items such as plastic bags, cutlery, cups, trays, or straws onto the island.

Further FCDO guidance reads: “Illegal traders operate on the streets of all major Italian cities. It is illegal to buy items from unlicensed street traders. If you do, you could be stopped by the local police and fined.

“It’s illegal to remove sand, shells or pebbles from coastal areas in Italy. You could face a large fine for doing so. It’s also illegal to collect various species of flowers, plants and herbs from mountain and wooded areas.

“For more information, check with the regional authorities of the area you’re visiting.”

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Four American tourists among 6 killed in suspected gas leak blast in Athens | News

Two women reportedly injured in blast in Athens’ historic Plaka district, buildings evacuated.

Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of six people killed in a building collapse following a a blast in the historic centre of Athens, Greece, according to local authorities.

Documents and belongings found with four of the victims – two men and two women – on Saturday indicated they were United States citizens, Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media reported.

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The other two victims were reportedly an elderly couple, a British man and a Greek woman, who lived on the building’s second floor.

Two women were injured in an adjacent building, according to the fire department.

The blast that brought down the small, two-storey building in the popular tourist district of Plaka on Friday was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated, he said.

“The damage extends to the entire street as well as the street behind [the building],” Doukas said. “We are talking about an unimaginable catastrophe.”

Two adjoining buildings severely damaged might have to be demolished, he said.

The Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini reported on Friday that the four tourists, who were due to leave their accommodation at about 11:00am (08:00 GMT), failed to board their flight back to the US.

Rescuers work at the scene following Friday's powerful blast in Athens' Plaka district, Saturday, September 26, 2026 [Yorgos Karahalis/AP]
Rescuers work at the scene on September 26, 2026, one day after a powerful blast hit Athens’ Plaka district [Yorgos Karahalis/AP]

Plaka residents issued warning

A group of Plaka residents had alerted the municipality and the managers of the electricity and gas networks about the risks of short circuits or gas leaks in the area a year ago.

In a letter published by Kathimerini, the group called for the organisation of a security exercise to identify any potential shortcomings in the emergency response system.

The citizen movement “We Remain Active” also stated on social media that a resident of the street where the explosion occurred had reported a smell of gas for several weeks and had warned the authorities.

A Greek police spokeswoman confirmed on ERT that residents had made the report. However, the nature of the substance and its origin have not yet been determined.

Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece’s most visited ancient monument.

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