THE world’s longest suspension bridge has finally been given the go-ahead – linking Italy to its biggest island.

First announced back in the early 2000s, the €14.6billion (£12.1billion) bridge would join the mainland to Sicily.

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A contract was given for the bridge back in 2009, only for the plans to be scrapped in 2013.

But it has finally been given the go-ahead, with construction to start this year.

The Società Stretto di Messina and the Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency of the European Commission (CINEA9) – the construction company behind the bridge – has signed a new funding proposal.

Around €25million of the infrastructure will be covered by the EU – 50 per cent of the executive design costs.

The bridge was initally estimated to cost €10billion, although a forecast conducted by the Treasury’s Economic and Financial Document (DEF) said it would be closer to €14.6billion.

This includes €13.5billion for the bridge itself and another €1.1billion for better rail-links between Sicily and the south of Italy.

It hopes to open until in the 2030s, with no confirmed date.

Matteo Salvini, Italy’s infrastructure minister said it had “always been one of his goals” to build the bridge.

Currently, travellers have to fly to the island, or get a ferry, taking anything between 20 minutes to 24 hours.

But the new bridge would have both road and rail links, stretching 3km (1.8 miles) long.

There would be three vehicle lanes going in each direction, with just two used by the public and one would be for emergency situation.

As many as 6,000 cars and trucks could use the bridge every hour.

And train line would run throughout the middle, with as many as 200 a day.

The bridge project has faced both criticism and support.

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Critics of the project fear it is badly placed, being in Italy‘s earthquake zone as well as concerns over the migration of birds between Africa and Europe.

However, supporters of the bridge say it would help the country’s struggling economy, especially in the south.

It’s not the only record-breaking attraction being built.

The world’s biggest airport hopes to open by 2030, with 120million passengers a year.

King Salman International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will have a six runways with international flights.

Launching next year is the world’s biggest cruise ships, dubbed a “theme park at sea”.

Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas will launch in summer 2025.

Five new water attractions opening in the UK

1. Therme Manchester will have 25 swimming pools, 25 water slides and an indoor beach.
2. Modern Surf Manchester will be a surfing lagoon offering lessons to both beginners and experts.
3. Chessington World of Adventures Waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
4. The Cove Resort, Southport is likely to have a water lagoon and a thermal spa with steam rooms and saunas.
5. The Seahive, Deal plans to be the “surfing wellness resort” in the UK.

And you can find the world’s largest train station in New York- with Grand Central Terminal having 80 stores inside.

Want to stay at the world’s biggest hotel? You’ll have to head to Malaysia.

Courtesy of Sofitel

Ushering in a new era of French-inspired luxury and understated grandeur, the five-star Sofitel Sydney Wentworth Sofitelsydney.com.au has officially unveiled its $70 million refurbishment, with final completion set for November. The rebirth of this Sydney, Australia icon coincides with the Diamond Jubilee of the global Sofitel brand, celebrating 60 years of embodying French art de vivre all over the world.

Created by Qantas Airlines in 1966, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth has a storied history. Central to the hotel’s new vision was to reignite the hotel’s original jet-set glamor when it opened as Australia’s premier five-star hotel for an international clientele of royals, movie stars, and dignitaries. Modernizing that golden era for the 21st century, the new refurbishment encompasses 436 guest rooms and suites, the opulent Sofitel Club Millésime VIP lounge, health and wellness center, public spaces including the grand entrance lobby, and state-of-the-art conference and event spaces. 

The hotel embodies the essence of what management calls “Modern Heritage.” The building was originally designed in a post-war minimalist style, opening with a modernist interior, and was the largest brick structure in the southern hemisphere. The redesign seeks to capture the essence of this modernist era through a contemporary lens, celebrating the building’s unique heritage and re-igniting the hotel’s glamorous past.

Courtesy of Sofitel

Entrance & Lobby

The new grand entrance features a bronze façade that welcomes guests to a revitalized lobby where historic charm meets modern elegance. A striking lighting feature illuminates the way — inspired by the Sofitel ritual of being taken to your room by candlelight. The open-plan ground floor lobby provides subtle nods to the building’s 1960s heritage in a series of lounge settings. Interactive stations let guests manage their stay and enjoy a streamlined arrival process with just a few taps, while the new online concierge app puts all hotel services directly at guests’ fingertips via their phones. 

Courtesy of Sofitel

Sofitel Club Millésime

An exclusive check-in experience occurs at the Sofitel Club Millésime, an eclectic lounge soft furnishings. Club members (or those purchasing a day pass) can relax, entertain or work with business and concierge facilities, showers, and all-day food and drink from breakfast to afternoon tea, to Apéro Chic hors d’oeuvres and evening drinks. Platinum members of Accor’s loyalty program can access the lounge during their stay, free of charge.

Courtesy of Sofitel

Rooms & Suites

The essence of Sofitel luxury lies within the 436 beautifully appointed rooms and suites, all gracefully curving around the terrace. MySmart lighting sets the mood, in-room dining manages cravings, a pillow menu and premium Sofitel MyBed™ creates comfort, and the luxurious heritage-listed bath with French Balmain amenities provide indulgence. In-room extras include a Nespresso machine, and a Wellness Bag — a portable travel gym complete with a roller, yoga mat, resistance bands, handles, and ankle straps – for guests to use in-room or at outdoor landmarks such as the Botanic Gardens or Opera House, situated just outside the hotel.

Courtesy of Sofitel

Conferencing & Events

From contemporary meeting rooms to the iconic Wentworth Ballroom, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth has over 15 event and conference spaces. The Wentworth Ballroom has hosted some of Sydney’s most legendary events, and is one of the city’s largest ballrooms. With an original 1960s mirrored ceiling, it offers a grand setting for events of up to 750 guests. The highlight of the technological upgrade is the installation of one of Australia’s largest LED screens in the Grand Ballroom, complemented by digital screens and LED upgrades throughout all meeting spaces. New additions in all event spaces feature state-of-the-art lighting, presentation, and staging technology. Event dining is guided by newly appointed Michelin-trained Executive Chef Bektas Özcan.

Courtesy of Sofitel

Restaurants & Bars

A new dining precinct offers four distinct venues within the hotel. The tilda channels restaurant has a Australiana vibe, while bar tilda revives the hotel’s timeless allure with nostalgia-inspired cocktails and the soulful sounds of a nu jazz band. Delta Rue serves up a lively mix of Vietnamese-French flavors and energy, while Wentworth Bar provides a rooftop view from its all-weather terrace.

Located in the heart of Sydney’s central business district, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth is conveniently just twelve kilometres from Kingsford Smith Airport, is near key transport hubs, and is just minutes from iconic landmarks such as the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and the fashion district. The hotel is also known as Sydney’s “Hotel of the Arts” after 20+ years partnering with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, plus Opera Australia, the Australian World Orchestra, and the Australian Youth Orchestra.

YOU can rent three holiday cottages complete with their own pub where you can pull your own pints for less than two quid.

Located near the coastal town of Filey, Yorkshire, Lucasland Holiday Cottages has enough space to sleep 18 guests.

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The holiday complex is made up of three buildings, each able to sleep six guests.

While there are three buildings on-site, Lucasland Holiday Cottages are only rented to one group at any one time, which means holidaymakers will have the place to themselves.

Set inside a converted barn, the cottages still have a number of original features such as beamed ceilings and chalk walls.

One of its best features is the fully-functioning pub where holidaymakers can even pull their own pints.

Before arriving guests can order kegs of beer from the owners, working out at £1.55 per pint according to holiday provider groupaccommodation.com.

The private pub also has a pool table, a dart board and a small flat-screen TV secured in its rafters, providing guests with a quintessential pub experience.

There’s plenty to keep younger guests and non-drinkers entertained too, with the property’s communal courtyard complete where guests will find a hot tub and a barbeque.

Each cottage has one double bedroom with an en-suite, another double bedroom, a twin room and a family bathroom.

There’s also an open plan living room, dining room and kitchen in each of the cottages.

The kitchens are well-equipped and the communal areas have flat-screen TVs and feature fireplaces.

Lucasland Holiday Cottages is just three miles from Filey, an underrated coastal town in Yorkshire.

Earlier this year, Sun reader Mae Duffy described Filey as an excellent alternative to Scarborough.

She said: “Filey is an underrated seaside destination in Yorkshire. It’s a great alternative to Scarborough.”

Filey Beach is a stretch of golden sand that’s ideal for families because of the rock pools that can be explored during low tide.

There’s also Filey Brigg, a long narrow peninsula situated about a mile north of Filey, which offers stunning views of the coastline.

Other nearby amenities to the Lucasland Holiday Cottages include a supermarket and two nearby pubs.

Further afield there’s also Flamingo Land, which is a 35-minute drive from the property.

Two-night stays at Lucasland Holiday Cottages start from £2,250, working out at £62.50 per person per night.

Tourists can also book to stay inside a UK-based holiday home with its own Irish pub and Tiki bar.

A number of hotels in the UK are also out of the ordinary, having been converted from old prison buildings.

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A CITY in Portugal is one Brits may have never heard of – but has been named one of the cheapest to visit.

Silves in Portugal used to the be capital of the Algarve.

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Sadly, most of the city only dates back to the late 1700s as most of it was destroyed in a huge earthquake.

What has remained is the Moorish Castelo de Silves, the largest in the Algarve.

But now, most people skip the city in favour of the nearby beaches, making it a quiet – and affordable destination to visit during the off-peak season.

A study conducted by Lisbon Tickets & Tours analysed the average cost of hotels, food, beer, taxis and flights from the UK.

And coming out on top as the most affordable spot in Portugal was Silves.

The average price of a hotel was around £73, while a beer costs as little as £2.50.

And flights from the UK were under £50, on average.

Visit during August for the annual Silves Medieval Fair, with live reenactments and markets.

Lisbon Tickets & Tours’ travel expert Magdalena Petrusic said: “Portugal offers a range of affordable destinations to visit during the off-peak season, making it a great choice for budget-conscious travellers.”

Silves is a great day trip destination for the Algarve, especially if staying in Lagos of Albufeira.

The cobbled streets are lined with independent shops and cafes, serving handcrafted gifts and ceramics.

Some of the best restaurants include Churrasqueira Valdemar, named one of Tripadvisor‘s Travellers Choice Awards and known for its authentic peri peri chicken.

And the Segredo dos Mouros bar has been named a “hidden gem” for great value tapas and drinks.

most of the central hotels are B&Bs and even riads you are likely to see in Morocco.

Casa Riad Yasmin has its own indoor swimming pool, while Hotel Colina dos Mouros is a more affordable three-star option with rooms as little as £37.

To get to Silves, he best way is to fly to Faro with easyJet and Ryanair offering bargain flights.

Ryanair has £14.99 flights from Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and London Luton, while the cheapest easyJet flights are also £14.99, from London Luton, London Gatwick and Liverpool.

Silves is then a 45 minute drive, or a one hour bus.

The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor on why a holiday to the Algarve can’t be missed

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The Sun’s Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey visited the Algarve, after it was named Europe’s best beach destination.

I visited the Algarve just before the peak season and could definitely see why it is often winning praise.

Praia do Camilo is one of the popular beaches and lives up to the hype with bright blue water and fewer crowds due to the steep 200 steps to the bottom.

And off the coast are some amazing unknown islands – there is Barretta Island, uninhabited but home to amazing restaurant Estamine, the slightly more built up Isla de Armona.

Make sure to stay at 3HB Faro, the first five-star hotel in the city.

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The Sun recently visited the W Algarve – here’s what you can expect.

And we’ve rounded up the best hotels in the Algarve with waterparks.

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A HOLIDAY park in Devon is set to undergo a huge multi-million-pound renovation.

The planning committee at Teignbridge council has approved the next phase of a multi-million-revamp at Golden Sands Holiday Park in Dawlish, south Devon.

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Documents submitted to the council outline a series of renovations to the clubhouse, shop and reception area.

The site’s outdoor swimming pool will also get a roof, with a new crazy golf course and activity centre being built.

The pool will be for the use of holiday park guests only and not for members of the public.

Park Holidays who own Golden Sands Holiday Park also applied for retrospective approval of its 25 timber camping pods.

The timber pods were built at the Devonshire holiday park between 2018 and 2022.

When they were being built, Golden Sands had planning permission for 58 caravan and touring pitches.

In a piece in the Dawlish Gazette, Cllr Linda Goodman-Bradbury described the retrospective approval as “disappointing”.

She added: “My concern is about the footprint, and where the water is going. Dawlish Warren is very prone to flooding.”

Chartered town planner Robert Gandy, spoke on behalf of Park Holidays, countering the concerns of flooding, with the pods being less impactful in terms of drainage compared to the pitches.

Park Holidays describes the pods as “an exciting new type of accommodation designed to offer an alternative to camping and touring.”

The timber pods sleep up to four people and come equipped with double glazing, insulation and heating.

While the improvements have been given the go-ahead, a timeline has yet to be revealed, which means it is not yet known when the features will be on the site.

In the meantime, the coastal holiday park has enough to keep you occupied.

The Devonshire holiday park has both an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool.

It is also close to several beaches like the Blue Flag Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth Town Beach and Ness Cove.

Other on-site facilities include a restaurant and bar, an outdoor playground and an arcade with penny machines.

Holidaymakers can book an overnight stay in the camping pods, with prices starting from £37.50 per night.

The holiday park has been praised by visitors on TripAdvisor, with one person writing: “Another fantastic week at Golden Sands.”

Another added: “I’ve been going to Golden Sands for five years, love the staff, caravan and entertainment”.

Golden Sands isn’t the only holiday park that has recently revealed plans to renovate.

Earlier this week, Haven’s Presthaven Sands, which was visited by footballer Harry Maguire over the summer, also announced plans to renovate.

The holiday park has now revealed new plans to upgrade the resort.

New documents submitted to the local council include a huge extended play zone, with aerial adventure courses, climbing walls and bungee trampolines.

A new inflatable arena as well as a dog-friendly “Bark Yard zone” are also part of the plans.

And Haven Primrose Valley opened a Wetherspoons on-site earlier this year, the first of its kind – and we went down.

Haven holidays for 2025 can still be found for £49 too.

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A CARIBBEAN-themed indoor waterpark is just a few hours from the UK – and is a tropical 29C all year round.

Aqualibi in Belgium is part of the Walibi theme park.

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Inside is a huge wave swimming pool, with ‘four different levels of waves’.

There is also the relaxation pool is more low-key as well as the 36C lagoon pool, both with whirlpools and hot tubs although kids under 3 are not allowed in the lagoon pool.

And surrounding the pools are 10 slides to choose from, four of which are new.

The newest are Pomakai which is a ‘hard level’ slide with two-person rings that go up to 31mph, and Banzai, a medium level, two-person water rollercoaster.

Wiki Wiki is a side-by-side mat race that travels 147m and the easiest Waikiki is an 18m high slide.

Other slides include the Rapido, Flash, Surf and Xtreme, as well as Jet and Bi-Bob

And little kids can enjoy the Kiddie Bay or Mini Beach with splash fountains and smaller slides.

You don’t need to leave for snacks or gifts either.

Palm Beach, just steps from the pool, is a serving burgers, snacks and ice cream.

And the Aqualibi gift shop sells everything from swimming gear to toys and snow globes.

Previous swimmers have raved about it as being a “great family day out”.

One person even said: “This is the best indoor waterpark I have ever been to!”

A second agreed, saying: “Best waterpark we’ve ever visited — hands down!”

There are some strict rules on what you can wear in the pool – the website states: “Bermudas, shorts, strings, tangas, pareos en surfer’s wetsuits are not allowed in Aqualibi.”

What is allowed are “bathing briefs, bathing boxer shorts, bikinis, the one-piece swimsuit, lycra swimming costumes reaching down to just below the knees and the elbows”.

Tickets are as little as €13.50 for guests between 1m and 1.2m, while taller guests are €35

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It is open all year round from 10am to 8pm, with themed events including the current “Aqua-lloween” with “pirate-haunted river” and Bloody Burgers at the restaurant, along with face painting and closing parties.

Visit on Fridays and Saturdays for late night openings until 10pm.

If you don’t fancy flying, you can get to the waterpark by train.

Brits can hop on the Eurostar at London St Pancras, which goes directly to Brussels.

The waterpark is then an hour by train from the city.

Or you can fly to Brussels from the UK, which takes just over an hour when flying from London.

Earlier this year, a n ew £48million indoor waterpark opened in France, with Europe’s “only aquatic cinema”.

Five new water attractions opening in the UK

1. Therme Manchester will have 25 swimming pools, 25 water slides and an indoor beach.
2. Modern Surf Manchester will be a surfing lagoon offering lessons to both beginners and experts.
3. Chessington World of Adventures Waterpark is set to have wave, infinity and spa pools as well as waterslides and cabanas.
4. The Cove Resort, Southport is likely to have a water lagoon and a thermal spa with steam rooms and saunas.
5. The Seahive, Deal plans to be the “surfing wellness resort” in the UK.

Futuroscope also has a futuristic lazy river, eight water slides and smaller zones for kids.

If you don’t want to leave the UK, here’s how to find the country’s biggest indoor waterpark which also has tropical weather all year round.

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