We’ve been relatively spoiled for sunshine in the UK this year – perhaps a little too spoiled, given the ongoing drought covering most of England and Wales.

But if you’re looking to keep the sunny vibes going well into autumn (particularly the half-term break), there’s one Mediterranean island in particular that’s been named the best for October sun.

Travel experts at Solmar Villas ranked 105 holiday destinations on how reliably they deliver great weather between September and November, alongside affordability of flight prices.

They then compiled a list of the best autumn sun destinations in Europe for Brits hoping to head abroad.

Cyprus was the overwhelming winner, with Ayia Napa, a lively coastal resort town known for its beach-side nightlife, ranking as the overall best destination for Autumn sun, followed by Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos (all cities in Cyprus).

Coming in at number five was Athens Rivera in Greece, followed by Lanzarote (Spain), Fuerteventura (Spain), Rhodes and Kos (both in Greece) and Malta.

Each destination was scored on four measures: average daily sunshine hours, average rainy days per month, average daytime high temperature, and flight cost for September to November.

Cyprus tends to experience consistent temperatures sitting between 24C and 29C in October, with little rainfall. According to Skyscanner, flights can be as little as £31 one-way.

Travel experts highlighted Limassol as the perfect spot for those who love a combination of city and coast, while Larnaca is a peaceful port-city, and Paphos is great for history buffs, with plenty of World Heritage sites to visit.

Sharon Bradbury, travel expert and managing director at Solmar Villas, said: “Whilst we can’t predict the weather, this data is as close as we can get to determining the best spots for the perfect autumn sun holiday.

“Whilst Cyprus seems to be a clear winner, other locations on the list are also fantastic choices based on your personal preferences.”

She added that if the prospect of rain is a dealbreaker for your family, the Canary Islands should be your top choice, “with the least rainy days predicted this autumn season”.

If a bargain break is important to you, Spain has some of the cheapest flights available from September to November, she added. Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol have one-way flight tickets from as little as £16 and £17 respectively.

Zia Yusuf has been mocked online after launching another thinly-veiled swipe at some of his own Reform UK colleagues.

The party’s home affairs spokesman hit out at “former Tory ministers”, despite the fact that most of Reform’s senior figures served in the last Conservative government.

In a late-night rant on X, Yusuf said they were “the most nefarious people outside of those in prison”.

That seemed to be a direct attack on the likes of Robert Jenrick, Suella Braverman, Nadine Dorries, David Jones and Nadhim Zahawi, who all served in Conservative cabinets before switching to Reform.

His attack came just a day after he hit out at “deadbeat Tory ministers” in another social media post.

Yusuf’s latest tirade seems to have been triggered by the fact that Rishi Sunak and Jacob Rees-Mogg are back in the news.

Former PM Sunak won praise for hitting back at claims non-white people cannot be English, while Rees-Mogg warned about the threat of war with Russia.

Yusuf said “people are furious” at what the two senior Tories were saying.

He said: “They’re former Tory Ministers. The most nefarious people outside of those in prison. They betrayed our country and caused incalculable harm. Ignore them. Vote Reform. Then we will hold them to account.”

X users were quick to point out to Yusuf that many of those “former Tory ministers” are actually his Reform frontbench colleagues.

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Cate Blanchett has made a plea for theatre audiences to keep their phones away while they’re watching people performing.

The two-time Oscar winner is currently starring at the National Theatre’s Electra/Persona, and during her curtain call on Friday, she took a moment to get something off her chest.

She began: “There are few places on this planet where we can simply be together, and be present.

“I understand you like filming the curtain call – and it is kind of flattering in a way – but for anyone who was filming the show, please don’t.”

Cate continued: “It spoils it for the next group of people who come in and are present with us. So, thank you very much.”

One Instagram user commented on a clip of Cate’s message: “I was there on Friday, so just to clarify what happened: after the first act, while they were changing and preparing for the second, latecomers were being let in, the staff were cleaning the stage, and the cast were doing their makeup onstage.

“Cate noticed someone recording during that break. She came towards the front of the stage and gestured ‘no, no, no’ with her finger for them to stop. She also mentioned it to the audience at the very end before they left.

“The person wasn’t filming the actual performance, but the interval between the two acts while the cast were still onstage. To be fair, people do this quite often and the staff usually don’t say anything. It was my third time seeing the play, and I’ve seen people film during that break every time. Friday was simply the first time I saw Cate notice it herself, just after she had finished doing her makeup.”

Another added: “I was there. Great show. And I was appalled she felt she had to make this statement.

“I didn’t see anyone taping from where I was. But clearly people were. Get a life. If you’re only going so you can put it on Instagram then don’t bother. You’re not wanted.”

Cate is far from the first performer to call out people’s phone use in theatre during recent memory.

Back in June, Rosamund Pike called out an audience member during the curtain call of her show Inter Alia for using their phone in the auditorium, while Cynthia Erivo went as far as pausing a performance of Dracula when she noticed she was being recorded.

Since then, Amber Davies also made her feelings known on the “selfish actions” of those who chose to use their phones in a theatre environment.

Meanwhile, Broadway legend Patti LuPone has been vocal on this issue for years, infamously once swiping an audience member’s phone after seeing them on it during a performance in 2015.

Similarly, Gemma Arterton once claimed during an interview on The Graham Norton Show that she had done the same thing when she spotted a patron filming her while she was performing in the West End musical Made In Dagenham.

I’ll be honest: I always thought that solstice lasted an entire day. But the Met Office explained that it’s actually a “very specific moment which is over almost as soon as it has begun”.

“Solstice” comes from the Latin for “sun standing still” and refers to a moment in which the sun appears to stall in the sky. This year, the winter solstice will happen on December 21 at 8:50am GMT.

It’s the astronomical opposite of the equinox (the next of which is due on Wednesday, 23 September at 1:04am GMT ).

Here’s what the word means, as well as what’s actually happening in the sky when the phenomenon occurs.

Equinox comes from two Latin words: “aequus”, meaning “equal”, and “nox, which means “night”.

Given that daytime and nighttime last roughly the same amount of time in an equinox, the name’s pretty apt.

There is, however, another day when light and dark hours are exactly even. This is called an “equilux” and happens “a few days before the spring equinox and a few days after the autumn equinox,” per the Met Office.

The Earth is tilted at an angle, which is why we have seasons. If we weren’t angled, the amount of light we get throughout the year would stay stable.

This means that there will be a point in the year where the North Pole is the closest, or furthest away, it’ll be to the sun in that cycle. This is a solstice (either the longest or shortest days).

Meanwhile, an equinox happens when the sun is as close as possible to the equator. This is why night and day seem equally divided: the amount of light we recieve depends on our angle in relation to the sun, so with minimal tilt, sunshine is divided about evenly.

Without that slant, the Earth would have an equinox everyday.

If you remember from earlier, the day in which we actually get equal sunlight is called an “equilux,” not an “equinox”.

Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, told the BBC this is because sunlight has to get through Earth’s atmosphere before it reaches us.

“This means when the sun’s near the horizon it appears to be slightly higher than it is because the light is refracted through the atmosphere. So, you get slightly longer than the 12 hours of sunlight,” he explained.

Sir Tom Jones has thanked his supporters for backing him after his abrupt departure from The Voice UK.

The Delilah singer was one of The Voice UK’s original coaches, and had been part of the show’s panel for every series bar one until earlier this month, when it was announced he would no longer be judging the upcoming series.

“We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK. While he will no longer be a full-time coach on series 15, we continue to talk to Sir Tom and his team about his involvement in the next series,” an ITV rep told HuffPost UK when the news was confirmed.

Meanwhile, the man himself later claimed that it was not his decision to leave The Voice UK’s panel, accusing bosses of “firing” him “because of a financial difficulty with insurance”.

In the weeks that have followed, many fans have been voicing their disappointment in ITV’s decision, with a Change.org petition calling for The Voice UK to reinstate him having reached more than 60,000 signatures at the time of writing.

“So many heartfelt messages, comments and even petitions of support,” the 86-year-old wrote on social media on Sunday. “It doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s been really lovely to receive these! Thank you!”

This message was shared alongside a clip of Sir Tom from the most recent season of The Voice UK, in which he was heard crooning one of his signature hits, It’s Not Unusual.

In his previous statement, Sir Tom claimed: “To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience. ITV made this decision – obviously a while ago, and I was told just recently.

“The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance. They now say in the press they wanted to ‘refresh’ the show, and with a new coaching line-up there wouldn’t be a chair for me.”

He added: “They are offering a much-reduced role where I would make an appearance but without being actually involved from the start, and I’m not thrilled about that.

“So, the only thing I know right now, is that there’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job.”

Mis-Teeq singer Sabrina Washington’s assertion that the group are going their separate ways following their recent reunion show has not gone down well with all of her bandmates.

Earlier this month, Sabrina came together with former Mis-Teeq stars Alesha Dixon and Su-Elise Nash (not to mention OG Mis-Teeq star Zena McNally in a surprise appearance) for a one-off show at London’s Wembley Arena, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their debut album.

Although the show was well-received by critics and fans, just one week later, Sabrina made it clear that Mis-Teeq would not be moving forward as a band when she announced a string of solo shows for 2026.

“There aren’t any further Mis-Teeq dates or new music planned and we’ve all gone back to doing our own things now,” she told The Sun. “For me, though, I wasn’t ready for the celebration to end there.”

However, after Sabrina’s interview was published, Su-Elise claimed that this wasn’t a version of events that she necessarily agreed with.

On Monday evening, she wrote on Instagram: “As far as I was aware, today was our deadline to make a decision on some incredible Mis-Teeq offers for 2027… including headlining a major UK festival, performing at another huge UK festival and potentially taking the show regional for everyone who couldn’t make Wembley.

“After the incredible response to our sold-out Wembley Arena show, I genuinely believed these were opportunities we were all excited about and hopefully saying YES to today as Mis-Teeq! So to find out that a press release went out [to the media] today saying ‘Mis-Teeq have split’ has taken me by surprise.”

“That’s news to me,” she claimed. “Either way, I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved at Wembley and so grateful to everyone who came out and supported us.”

HuffPost UK has also contacted Alesha Dixon’s team for comment.

During their time together, Mis-Teeq racked up a string of top 10 hits, including All I Want, One Night Stand, Can’t Get It Back and Scandalous.

They went their separate ways in the mid-2000s after their record label, Telstar Records, entered bankruptcy proceedings.

The thing about Christmas is it happens every year. Joy to the world, and all of that.

And we’re not knocking it: it’s special, dependable, and you get presents. But in recent years, we’ve unlocked a real life hack: extend that joy to the whole of December, and it’s far more exciting.

Advent calendars are basically to thank for that. Perhaps the most exciting ones available are beauty Advent calendars, which are packed with everything from serums to our favourite fragrance brands.

As a shopping writer, I’ve been reviewing Advent calendars for the last few years, and I’m already on a mission to find the best one out there.

Liberty has admittedly topped the list in previous years, but John Lewis looks like a strong contender already this year…

Keep reading for the beauty advent calendars you can buy right now, and a selection with a waitlist. Get those bells a-jingling, because Xmas is fast approaching!

Best beauty Advent calendars at a glance:

You might have heard of a little, low-key calendar from somewhere called Liberty – don’t worry if you haven’t, it’s quite esoteric.

Good news for those of you that spend the year poised for its release: you can join the waitlist now. And you’ll want to get on it ASAP, because it’s sold out for the last 11 years in a row.

This year, it’s worth over £1,300 and comes with a whopping 29 products, 21 of which are full-sized and 20 are exclusive to the Liberty calendar.

You can expect the likes of ILIA, Violette FR, and Jones Road, all housed inside the recreation of the iconic Liberty store beauty hall. If that wasn’t enough for you, then perhaps the fact there’s a golden ticket for £1,000 of Liberty credit hidden in 20 of the calendars will be. Damn.

Number of days: 25
Number of items: 29
Worth: Over £1,300.

John Lewis has truly outdone itself this year. Its calendar is bigger than it has ever been, with 41 total products worth four times as much as the retail price (yep, you read that right) including beauty tech for the first time ever.

Splash out a neat £250 to get a mini Foreo UFO (a heating and vibrating LED device that helps even your skin tone) along with a ton of other treats from brands like Medik8, Fenty Beauty, Sisley London, and Dermalogica.

Not only will beauty lovers relish in the selection of mascara, fragrance, serum, sheet masks, and body creams, but you’ll also have the chance to win even more thanks to mystery vouchers hidden throughout the calendar.

One in 41 will be in for the chance of winning a Shark CryoGlow Plus LED Mask, Clarins treatments, John Lewis gift cards, or more.

Talk about value for money! The calendar is available to order now in the rewards section of the John Lewis App.

It will be available to purchase in the app from 3 September, and on general sale from 7 September so mark your calendars!

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 41
Worth: £1,160.

I won’t lie to you, I’m as susceptible to a social media trend as the next person, and I’ve done my time of trying out new products that work and don’t work.

Cult Beauty has really leaned heavy on the ‘work’ with this calendar, which has 38 incredible products spread across 25 days. Of those, 17 are full-sized, and I want them all.

Some of the products I use genuinely every day are in here – K18’s AirWash Dry Shampoo and Vieve’s Super Skin Nova, namely – so it’s great to see them getting some love (and at such an insane discount).

Across the rest of the calendar, Cult Beauty has struck the perfect balance between products you’ve been desperate to try and price points you’ll be able to actually afford going forward.

This is one for the makeup enthusiasts, as it’s stuffed with the best of the best, like a blush palette from Patrick Ta, Saie blush, Milk Hydro Grip Primer, Charlotte Tilbury setting spray, and Hourglass lipstick.

But don’t worry, Cult Beauty knows better than anyone that it’s all about that base, so it’s included everything you need for a flawless foundation, like a Medik8 Peptide Cream, BYOMA Cleanser, Anua cream, and so much more.

Plus, this year, Cult Beauty’s Advent calendar is in support of MindOut, a charity supporting LGBTQ+ folk’s mental health and wellbeing, so you’ll know your money is doing good.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 38
Worth: £1,100.

Ah, the people’s princess of the British high street. If there’s one brand that knows exactly what we want to see, it’s Boots, so we have high expectations of its Advent calendar.

And of course it doesn’t disappoint: the calendar is filled with 27 of Boots’ cult favourites, including NARS, Benefit, Clinique, Fenty and Colour Wow.

Thankfully, it’s not just minis on the menu, as there are 19 whole full-sized products to play with, meaning you save a whopping £560 on essentials you might already be buying.

Some of my personal faves include a full-sized Laneige lip mask, the holiday essential Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, and a mini aura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder (which is perfect for chucking in your bag to de-shine after a sweaty commute).

Number of days: 24
Number of products: 27
Worth: £709.59

Aaaand the award for the most beautiful Advent calendar goes to: ELLE! The magazine has once again partnered with British fashion brand Chopova Lowena to illustrate the exterior of its Advent calendar, and it’s the prettiest I’ve seen yet.

The exterior looks like one of the designer’s covetable carabiner skirts, which you’ll want to keep out on display in your house like a piece of art work.

Unlike its skirts, the calendar comes in at £197 for £1,132 worth of products from some of the best beauty and skincare brands out there – think Murad, Shiseido, Votary, and Grown Alchemist.

Huge props to ELLE, too, because 20 of the 27 included products are full-sized, including a Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, which is worth £54 alone.

Not only is there everything you need to enhance your everyday makeup routine in here, like Vieve’s Soul Shadows bronzing and highlighter palette and Gisou’s lip oil, but there are also a ton of luxury items that you could use for a proper at-home spa day.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 27
Worth: £1,132.

If you’re already a Charlotte Tilbury fan, there’s no better way to get your fix than her annual Advent calendar.

Made up of 12 products, at around half the retail price of their worth, you’ll be able to stock up on (or try for the first time) 15 of her makeup and skincare favourites.

Let’s start with the thing you’ll get the most use out of: her Pillow Talk Velvet Organiser Makeup Pouch, which will home all of the treasures you unbox over the next 12 days.

There’s everything you need to set the foundations for your makeup, including a Magic Cream, Magic Serum, Facial Oil, and Gua Sha, so you can give yourself a little massage as you prepare for your day.

Then, there’s lip liners, highlighter, and lipstick galore, with multiple shades of Pillow Talk in every format you could like, not to mention a setting spray, lipstick, eyeliner, and mascara. Now that’s fabulous, darlings.

Number of days: 12
Number of products: 15
Worth: £325.50.

If there’s one thing you can count on Look Fantastic for, it’s being on top of the trends.

This year, it’s compiled this gorgeous calendar of 27 products, all chosen by big names you trust, from Molly Mae, to Sarah Jossel, and Olivia Attwood so you can get your hands on the products they themselves know and love.

Naturally, that means it’s full of enviable products from brand such as Medik8, UK Lash, Sol de Janeiro, the Ordinary, and Colour Wow, with 19 full-sized products to keep you going all year long.

I’m not going to lie, the packaging could be slightly more exciting and festive – it’s only red and purple – but I guess it could be reused if you feel like storing it until next Christmas.

It’s also chock a block with products we all know and love, like Colour Wow’s Dream Cocktail, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze, UKLash Lash Serum, and so many more – all at an impressive 82% discount. Honestly, why wouldn’t you?

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 27
Worth: £665.

If you’re not one for fucking around with tiny bottles of beauty products, you’ll be pleased to hear Fortnum & Mason has created a calendar that champions mostly full-size products: 24 of the 25, to be precise.

Because it’s the epitome of British class, it naturally comes with tons of high-end brands inside. Expect everything from Ortigia to Sol de Janiero, Wildsmith, and Bamford, among other brands we’ll garner a guess you’d never buy for yourself.

As well as actual products, you’ll also get a teacup-decorated washbag, to truly get in the Fortnum spirit, as well as a pair of silk socks – because feet beauty counts, too!

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 25
Worth: £1,225

Space NK always knows how to capture a season: from its summer travel bags to winter, the high street staple is on top of cult products and timeless brands.

This year, it’s really captured our hearts with its beautiful Christmassy packaging, but it’s what’s on the inside that really counts.

It’s truly gone overboard, with every product being from the likes of Gisou, Medik8, Kosas, Laneige, Rare, REFY, Sol de Janeiro and Summer Fridays.

Unlike other calendars, Space NK has made sure it has products exclusive to its Advent calendar, so you won’t be able to get them anywhere else.

A whole 26 of the 35 products are full-sized, so you’ll be using them all year long, if not beyond, and there aren’t any repeats from last year, so if you’re a Space NK purist, you won’t have to worry about doubling up.

I’m seriously eyeing that Saltair body oil, and honestly I get overwhelmed every time I step into Space NK, so I’m glad for the chance to try some of its top picks without having to make 35 individual decisions myself.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 35, 26 full-sized
Worth: £1,200.

Holland & Barrett has amassed quite the cult following over the past few years, and its mega fans will be pleased to hear it has upped its Advent calendar game accordingly.

This year marks the brand’s biggest one yet, with 26 products across 25 days. And let me tell you, you get more than bang for your buck.

While the Christmas tree covered-box isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing design out there, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, and the smorgasbord of Weleda, Faith in Nature, Q&A, and Fussy goodies delivers.

You’ll get a selection of supplements, soaps, cleansers, hair masks, serums, and moisturisers – all reliable essentials you can fall back on and know you can afford to repurchase year-round, unlike other pricier offerings out there.

It would also make a great gift for a family member who’s not fussed about luxury brands. H&B, we <3 you.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 26
Worth: Over £266.

This is as exciting a hamper as we’ve ever seen. The ultimate calendar for any Lush fans out there, it’s full of 25 days of bath and body treats.

Not only does it contain fan favourites, including the Honey I Washed the Kids sugar scrub and Sticky Dates shower gel, but it’s also chock full of festive limited edition launches.

Honestly, they all sound absolutely scrumptious but some stand outs are the Smores shower gel (yum), The Most Famous Reindeer Of All soap, a Once Upon A Time candle – to name but a few.

You’ll also have a brat green, and sustainable, hamper to keep everything in, so they’re merely a reach away every time you want to have a bath; we wouldn’t be surprised if it kept you going for the next year.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 25
Worth: Not clear.

If you’re only in it for the bath bombs, this card calendar will give you enough bombs to grant you one bath a week for half of the year.

You’ll be covered in glitter forever (and who doesn’t want that?) thanks to the likes of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Luna’s Butterfly, and Snowman Dreaming bath bombs.

Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty more where that came from: 25 total bombs and bars, in fact. If you can’t wait, it’s available to buy now, so knock yourself out with wintermaxxing in August.

Number of days: 25
Number of products: 25
Worth: Not stated.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, this Soap & Glory calendar will transport you back to 2015. At £48, this calendar is honestly great value for money, considering you get 24 gifts.

Should you not be willing to revisit that particular era of your life, it would also make an excellent gift for the teenage girl in your life, as it’s packed full of sheet masks, hand creams, lip masks and body butters.

It’s not just the brand’s regular Vanilla-licious and Call of Fruity scents you’ll get, either, there’s also a limited edition Velvet Cherry scent for Christmas, and it comes in the form of a body wash, body butter, and rollerball fragrance. Delish.

The whole thing comes packaged in a pretty pink and red box, with each gift in its own mini cardboard box, so it feels seriously premium when you’re opening it. You could even keep your new products in the lid of the box if you want to keep them on display.

Number of days: 24
Number of products: 24
Worth: Over £93.

• Molton Brown: 9th September
• M&S: 13th October.