We loved boozy dinners, cocktails and champagne. Then I saw crushing truth about what alcohol had done to me and quit... but didn't foresee the impact on my marriage: DAISY BUCHANAN
I didn't know what was wrong with me, but my anxiety – which had dogged me for years – was suddenly overwhelming. I felt scared and utterly ashamed of myself, and I couldn't explain why.
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The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Holidaymakers warned about boarding pass mistake that could see YOU lose thousands of pounds
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been issued a warning over a common boarding pass mistake that could prove costly. Jetsetters should avoid posting photos of themselves with the crucial documents on social media or risk being targeted by cyber criminals. Richard Daniels, director of fraud at TSB, said: "Fraudsters can sometimes gather personal information from boarding passes posted online that can be used to unleash a wave of nasty impersonation fraud. "Name, passport number, date of birth, email and phone numbers can all be used against you – and in some cases there have even been examples of tickets being used by scammers." A typical follow-up scam once cyber criminals have gleaned personal information from a boarding pass is to carry out a phishing attack. This is where fraudsters try to trick you into revealing other personal information about yourself. This might come in the form of a text message, email or call pretending to be from a trusted body asking you to hand over sensitive information like bank details. Richard added: "Criminals can also aim to use personal and sensitive information to take over a bank account; or to apply for new accounts, or services and utilities in their target's name." Posting a boarding pass with a QR code on can be particularly dangerous too. Criminals can use this to create duplicate fake passes, make changes to bookings and even cancel flights. How holidaymakers can avoid being scammed The first and easiest way to avoid being targeted by scammers is by not sharing photos of your boarding pass online, Richard said. Social media platforms are rife with fake accounts run by criminals looking to prey on users' mistakes and take your personal data. [bc_video account_id="5067014667001" application_id="" aspect_ratio="16:9" autoplay="" caption="Insider tips to avoid tourist traps and scams on your next holiday " embed="in-page" experience_id="" height="100%" language_detection="" max_height="360px" max_width="640px" min_width="0px" mute="" padding_top="56%" picture_in_picture="" player_id="default" playlist_id="" playsinline="" sizing="responsive" video_id="6350521755112" video_ids="" width="640px"] The second is by adding a boarding pass to the digital wallet on your mobile phone, which requires biometrics to access. That means even if you lose your phone the passes will be protected. If you are set on using a physical pass, make sure it is kept safely and securely in your bag or pockets. Once you've used it, either shred it or make sure it's not put in a public bin where someone can take it. The third is by being wary of scammers pretending to be from your airline or holiday booking company. Emails, texts or phone calls asking you to hand over personal information like bank details, especially urgently, can be a major red flag. The fourth and final way is by doing your best to avoid "Juice Jacking" at airports. This happens at phone-charging stations where criminals install a cable that either steals your data or infects the device with malware. To avoid this, use your own cable via a power outlet or buy a power bank and keep clear of the charging stations entirely. You can pick up power banks from the major retailers, with Tesco selling one for £15.99 and Argos selling another for £19.99. Households lose billions to scammers Scammers are increasingly targeting hapless consumers and households and stealing personal information as well as money. A recent report from CIFAs revealed fraudsters stole £11.4billion from people in the UK in 2024, up from around £7billion in 2023. The warning came as a survey it carried out showed one in seven consumers said they lost cash to criminals in 2024, up from one in 10 the year before. The average loss per victim was £1,400 and only 18% recovered all their money. Prof. Jorij Abraham, managing director of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, said: "Losing £11.4 billion to scams in 12 months is absolutely staggering. "It demands stronger action and an unwavering commitment to bringing criminals to justice. "The UK's counter-fraud community needs more support if they are to intensify the fight against scammers, restore confidence, and protect people from this growing threat." Separate research by the government and published last month found 43% of UK businesses and three in 10 charities reported experiencing some form of cyber security breach or attack in the previous 12 months. This equates to roughly 612,000 UK businesses and 61,000 UK charities. Top tips for avoiding scammers BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam: Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is. Check brands are "verified" on Facebook and Twitter pages - this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile. Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a 'friend' informing you of a freebie, consider whether it's written in your friend's normal style. If you're invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine? To be on the really safe side, don't click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact. Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware. If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it. .
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Race Against the World winner reveals paradise destination tourists 'don't know about' - and it's only 50 minutes from a major destination
A former winner of BBC One's Race across the World has shared his latest adventure - to a paradise island that is still off the tourist map. Alfie Watts, who won the 2024 series of the hit travel show with his St Albans pal Owen Wood, posted shots of azure blue ocean and swaying palms from his latest adventure. He captioned one of the dreamy holiday images with the line: 'I cannot believe more people don't know about this place'. Watts, who ended his triumphant reality show run by reaching Lombok in Indonesia, was back in the South East Asian country that helped shoot him to fame this week. However, this time he was on an island that gets just 10,000 British visitors a year - small fry if you consider 17.8 million UK tourists make it to Spain. He'd landed on Bindan Island, which has been dubbed ' Asia 's best kept secret' by those who've discovered its charms. Sharing snaps of himself in traditional dress and jet-skiing around the island's coastline, Alfie gushed about his latest pitstop. The backpacker said: 'From sea turtle conservation to some of the cheapest jet skiing in the world, I genuinely cannot believe more people don't know about this incredible place!' He added that the island, which is just a 50-minute boat ride from international travel hub Singapore, 'should ABSOLUTELY be on your travel bucket list!' Although more than three times larger in size than Singapore, around 5.4 million fewer people reside on this island, with most of its 340,000 population centred around the capital, Tanjung Pinang. Over the last few years, Indonesia has been promoting Bintan as its next big tourist destination after Bali. The island has beautiful beaches for bathing and lush rainforests for trekking and its capital city is a lively metropolis to explore. Other attractions included the mangrove forests of the Sebung River, hiking in Gunung Bintan, where you can spot rare breeds such as silvered leaf monkeys. There's also the option to take a boat to Senggarang, a Chinese fishing village with houses on stilts, which is home to a 200-year-old Banyan tree (a popular pilgrimage site for Buddhists). Meanwhile Penyengat has old Dutch forts and palaces, and the Sultan of Riau's Grand Mosque. One of Alfie's photos showed him spending time at a desert themed glamping resort close to Lagoi on the island Tourists can swap Bali for Bintan, pictured, which has beautiful beaches for bathing and lush rainforests for trekking Back in April, Alfie revealed his two favourite countries to MailOnline - Jordan and Malaysia. The travel content creator said: 'I took my Nan to Petra because she'd wanted to see it for her whole life, so that was really nice, and the whole feeling around the trip was just really positive. 'The people in Jordan are just so friendly as well. And Malaysia is also a favourite, because it's just a cheap paradise. 'But my single favourite place in the world has to be Angel Falls in Venezuela. 'They're the tallest waterfall in the world, but they're completely off grid, and a nightmare to get to.' When it comes to his least favourite country, Alfie finds it hard to single one out, but he admits Cambodia was the country he 'disliked the most', having stopped there during Race Across the World. 'I just didn't get along with it at all,' he says. 'I found the people quite unfriendly, and Cambodia is in southeast Asia, which obviously means that it's surrounded by Thailand and Malaysia, which are so top that I just don't think it comes close. 'But a lot of people disagree, and love Cambodia, so I think I'm objectively wrong with this opinion!' Another place many people love, but Alfie found to be overrated is Sydney. He says: 'Yeah, it looks all right, but it's very expensive, and I just didn't catch the hype. I was really looking forward to it, and it was just a bit average. 'Everywhere felt like it was trying too hard, and the whole hipster thing was just coming across a bit too much. 'I do need to go back and explore more of Australia though, because Sydney is the only place I've been.'
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Crying at work isn't unlikely as you'd think - but what happens when you do
Rachel Reeves was seen visibly upset during Prime Minister's Questions which posed questions over her emotional wellbeing - but can being upset at work make you appear stronger, or can it have an impact? The weight of being the first female chancellor is weighing heavy on Rachel Reeves shoulders as seen during PMQ's on July 2 - but seeing her cry in the House of Commons was devastating. We've all had times where work can feel overwhelming and many women may resonate all too well with Ms. Reeves emotions after a bad day at work. Always appearing with a perfect stoic, with an unwavering tone and message staying strong, it was the first time people may have seen the chancellor on a more personal level. Besides being in front of peers, television cameras and opposition leaders, the chancellor openly displayed her feelings after being spotted with a tear rolling down her cheek. Whether it was work related or not, it's caused a mixed opinion - and her feelings aren't unusual. She's not alone in feeling emotional at work, a YouGov & Mental Health UK 2025 Burnout report study of 4,418 UK adults conducted found that the risk of burnout remains prevalent, with one in three (34%) adults experiencing high or extreme levels of pressure or stress 'always' or 'often' last year, compared with 35% the previous year. Meanwhile, nine in 10 (91%) experienced high pressure or stress at some point over the last year. Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir Tim Hunt once boldly said women shouldn't be allowed to work in laboratories because 'when you criticise them, they cry'. But can crying at work truly impact your career? "Crying at work is neither inherently 'good' nor 'bad," Lucas Botzen, CEO of Rivermate and HR specialist told The Mirror. "What matters is the context. For example, I've seen people cry due to grief after losing a loved one, burnout from unmanageable workloads, or even overwhelming pride after achieving something meaningful." Lucas said these are deeply human responses, and when handled appropriately, they can strengthen trust within teams. "In fact, some companies offer emotional intelligence training now to allow managers to respond with empathy when employees exhibit emotion, like crying," he added. However, workplace culture can play an enormous role in opinions regarding tears in the office, and the expert noted that in some male-groomed or high-stress workplaces, like finance, law, or tech start-ups, crying can be "severely criticised even if unfairly." Lucas suggested that while one's professional reputation is concerned, an isolated incidence of crying, especially if it's in the context that is acceptable "will not damage your business credibility". However if it becomes a trend, and could result in something deeper such as emotional exhaustion, poor fit, or even a mental illness issue may be indicated - HR should be involved. He noted it shouldn't be with a disciplinary measure, but with "support, giving access to employee assistance programs (EAPs), mental health services, or workload adjustments." For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Sometimes showing a little emotion can help bolster your passion for you career, as Lucas recalled a time he watched a staff member in a high-level position at a consultancy firm lose her cool in a client debrief. He said: "Although she was frightened it would be counterproductive to her credibility, the client subsequently informed her that it made her seem more empathetic and sincere. "In business cultures that value psychological safety, though, like those utilising Google's Project Aristotle model, vulnerability is a leadership asset." Whether you deal with stress head on, or take a moment to gather yourself, or even shed a tear, women should be allowed to use their emotions however they wish - even if you are being broadcast on national TV. This is echoed by Holistic Empowerment & Career Coach Jo Irving, who told The Mirror that Rachel Reeves' moment was "powerful" because it was honest. "We're shifting from the outdated idea that professionalism means emotional detachment. True leadership increasingly values authenticity and vulnerability," and added: "For leaders, showing emotion can actually be powerful, when it's clear, honest and with purpose." So when it comes to whether it affects your job, Jo said someone who expresses vulnerability and still shows up with purpose and resilience is "often perceived as more authentic and relatable, not less capable." Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
