Two men were in a serious condition on Sunday after their dirt bikes crashed into one another in Quinns Rocks on Saturday night. 

A massive dust storm akin to something out of a Hollywood movie has shocked residents in the State’s north as the region’s week of wild weather continues.

Australia have a shot at a rare double on home soil after winning both their men’s and women’s semifinals at the World SVNS Series in Perth — but women’s superstar Maddison Levi has been ruled out with injury.

South West swimming sensation Kyle Lee has swept the national open water titles in his home region, winning a third gold medal for the tournament on Sunday. 

Thousands of families have packed the Swan River foreshore ahead of tonight’s Australia Day fireworks show.

Rio de Janeiro também deve ter mais um dia de altas temperaturas, com máxima de 38ºC

Fresh off being named Australian of the Year, the AFL legend was on court at Rod Laver Arena.

A HOTEL in Cyprus has one of Europe’s biggest kids clubs with 3,000sqm of entertainment.

Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, in Limassol is one of the most family-friendly resorts on the island.

Marriot

A Cyprus holiday resort has one of Europe’s biggest kids clubs[/caption]

scottdunn

The 3,000sqm club has a huge outdoor splash zone[/caption]

scottdunn

Kids can play on the pirate shop, with four slides to choose from[/caption]

And it lays claim to have one of the largest clubs for younger guests called the Scott Dunn Explorers Kids Club.

Outside is a huge splash park, with a pirate ship and two-storey castle.

Fountains, water slides and shallow pools make up the gated area so no worries about kids wandering off.

Sports activities range from beach volleyball, treasure hunts, baking and yoga, to water sports like snorkelling.

Football mad kids can try out the Football Escape course, which was created by Rio Ferdinand along with Bobby Zamora.

And there is even a new sleep room with cots and toddler beds for when it gets a bit much for younger guests.

Kids are divided into ages – ‘Globetrotters’ are for four months to three years old, ‘Adventurers’ are three to five years old and ‘Voyagers’ are five to eight years old.

The oldest group are the ‘Pioneers’ for kids eight to 12 years old.

The website states: “Explorers Kids Club at Parklane is one of Europe’s biggest kids’ clubs with approximately 3000 square meters of adventurous and enjoyable facilities.

“Open daily all year round, it has been styled to offer an adventurous and enjoyable place for children up to 12-years-old.”

It has also won over families, with most of the reviews on TripAdvisor giving it five stars.

One parent wrote: “Kids club is biggest and best we experienced so far. Lots of things for kids of all ages.”

Another wrote: “The kids club was one of the best I’ve seen.”

A third agreed: “Our kids couldn’t be taken away from.”

They also raved about the staff, with some even calling them “angels”.

The club costs around €35 per child for a half day stay.

scottdunn

Younger kids can enjoy the sensory zones[/caption]

Marriot

The rest of the hotel is just as beautiful with 222 rooms[/caption]

Marriot

Want a treat? They have amazing luxury villas with private pools too[/caption]

Outside of the kids club, the five-star resort has both rooms and suites as well as villas.

There are four pools to choose from – one with seawater, one that’s adults-only and, one with a slide and one that’s indoors.

If you need to relax even more, there is the massive Kalloni Spa with 14 treatments rooms as well as five pools.

Tennis courts, football pitches and a gym are also on-site.

Despite being a five-star hotel, it doesn’t cost as much as you’d think with rooms for as little as £200 a night.

Getting to Limassol is easy too, with non-stop flights around 4h35.

The cheapest deal we’ve found is £40 return with Ryanair, travelling to Paphos Airport which is around an hour from Limassol.

Otherwise you can fly to Larnaca with Wizz Air for £42 return, which is 30 minutes away.

If you don’t want to stay at a family resort, there is also the new City of Dreams Mediterranean in Cyprus – the largest casino resort of its kind in Europe.

scottdunn

Rooms at the hotel won’t break the bank, costing around £200 a night[/caption]

USING your tumble dryer more efficiently or avoiding using it could save you over £50 a year on your energy bills, according to a top expert.

With energy bills soaring, many of us are trying to use the central heating more sparingly this winter.

getty

But attempting to dry laundry indoors without the radiators blasting all day is no mean feat – not least because many properties can suffer from cold and damp. 

For those who hang reams of wet clothes around their rooms, there’s a risk the increased condensation could lead to issues including mould.

All of this may bring you back to the fact a tumble dryer is the fastest way to dry your laundry. 

The problem is, this can be one of the most gas-guzzling appliances in your home.

According to price comparison site, Uswitch.com, a standard model that uses 2.5kWh of energy costs a whopping 62p per cycle.

Families who do several loads of washing a week could easily spend more than £100 a year tumble drying their clothes – and potentially a lot more.

But rather than ditch your dryer altogether, especially if you have an A-rated appliance, one expert has come up with some simple ways to keep costs down. 

Elise Melville, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “One of the best ways to cut energy costs is by being more economical when it comes to use of white goods such as tumble dryers – and also washing machines.

There are good habits that you can adopt which can save you a significant sum of money over the course of the year.”

Here we take a closer look.

1) Run full loads

Findings from Uswitch.com show that half of households run their tumble dryer when it is not full, potentially adding an extra £16.15 to yearly bills.

Those who run their washing machine when it’s not full could add almost £7.

Elise said: “Get into the habit of only using the tumble dryer with a full load. It could soon become second nature.”

The same applies when using your washing machine.

This helps reduce the number of cycles – enabling you to save both water and money.

Just take care never to overload the machine as it could damage it.

2) Opt for a cold wash

With a washing machine, most of the cost comes down to heating the water, according to Elise.

She said: “Using a lower setting will still give clothes a thorough clean, and can save you money.”

Helpfully, modern detergents are designed to work at lower temperatures.

“This means that washing items at 30C – or in water that is even colder – is perfectly fine,” said the energy whizz.

“You should only need warmer water for badly-stained items or underwear.”

According to Uswitch, more than two-thirds of households set their washing machine at more than 40C. 

This, it adds, could cost someone £17 a year more compared to washing laundry at 30C. 

3) Get cleaning

It might not be top of your ‘to-do’ list, but clearing your tumble dryer filter and outside vents is a job that needs doing regularly.

It’s vital to do this for both efficiency and safety.

Elise said: “A blocked filter can force your tumble dryer to work harder and longer, using more energy, and potentially creating a fire hazard.

“Cleaning out the filters is a simple task that can significantly improve your appliance’s performance.”

While you’re at it, remember to clean your washing machine filter, too.

3) Add a towel

Try adding a dry towel in with your wet load when you put it into your tumble dryer, as this can speed up the time it takes clothes to dry.

You can use any old towel for this hack. 

Alternatively, you could try ‘tumble dryer balls’ to help keep a lid on the cost of using your appliance. These little gizmos allow air to circulate around the laundry, helping items dry faster.

Aldi is selling a three-pack for £2.99. 

4) Try a heated clothes airer

Opting for a heated airer is an efficient way to dry clothes during the winter. 

Elise said: “For a standard tumble dryer using 2.5kWh of energy, you could pay around 62p per cycle.

“By contrast, if you swap this for a 300-watt heated airer, it would cost you 37p to use it for five hours under the current energy price cap.”

Dunelm recently cut the price of one of its heated airers to £40, down from £80.

Take care to spread your clothes out, as overlapping will mean they take longer to dry – and increase the risk of a damp smell setting in.

For even better results,  drape a dry bedsheet over the top.

Also think carefully about where to locate your airer.

The energy aficionado added: “By drying your clothes in a heated room – rather than an unheated space like a garage – you can take advantage of ambient warmth to speed up the drying process.”

Other ways to save money drying your clothes

There are plenty of other gadgets which can help dry your clothes quicker this winter.

For example, heated airers can be a cost-effective tool that costs a few pennies to run.

Heated airers can save money on your energy bill as it offers a cheaper alternative to drying your clothes on the radiator.

This method can become costly as it requires you to turn on the central heating.

Heated clothes airers are like traditional ones, but you plug them in, with the bars of the dryer heating up.

You can buy covers for some as well, which speeds up the time it takes to dry your clothes.

Aldi recently brought back its popular heated airer which costs just 9p to run.

It was part of its Special Buy range meaning once stock has been cleared it will not be coming back.

The discounter is selling the heated airer for £79.99 and has also launched a smaller version for £34.99.

You can find a similar version on Amazon or Dunelm if you can’t find one at Aldi.

Another hack for keeping your clothes dry is using a dehumidifier.

These devices can help remove dampness from your home and can prevent the growth of mould.

They can also be great for helping clothes dry quicker when placed near your airer.

This is because it can help suck the moisture of your clothes helping them dry at a faster pace.

A “SILENT pandemic” is slowly destroying the lives of millions of Brits, experts warn. 

As many as 50 per cent of people in the UK are deficient in vital B vitamins but have no idea.

If left untreated, this can lead to extreme tiredness, depression, birth defects, dementia and even cancer.

Dr Harry Jarrett, head of science and research at supplement brand Heights, said: “These nutrients play such an important role in various different reactions throughout the human body.

“Without them, the body simply can’t function.”

B Vitamins are a group of eight key nutrients. They include:

• Thiamine (vitamin B1) 
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
• Niacin (vitamin B3) – 
• Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
• Vitamin B6
• Biotin (vitamin B7)
• Folate (vitamin B9 or folic acid)
• Vitamin B12

Collectively, they help the body store and release energy from food, keep the nervous system healthy, form red blood cells, and look after our skin and eyes.

But due to fast food, the rising popularity of vegan diets, the cost of living crisis, busy modern lives, and not enough of us taking supplements, many of us aren’t getting enough of them.

In fact, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of hospital admissions caused by a lack of vitamins.

“Very concerning” NHS figures show anaemia caused by vitamin B12 or B9 (folate) led to 3,490 admissions in 2023/24 – up 400 per cent from 1998/99. 

And there was a 15 per cent increase in admissions for B vitamin deficiency (other than folate) from 2022/23. 

“Recent studies show that the UK population, amongst many others, are deficient or have suboptimal levels of a number of these B vitamins,” Dr Jarrett said. 

“A major concern right now is riboflavin, otherwise known as vitamin B2.”

Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found 39 per cent of younger and 29 per cent of older adults were riboflavin deficient. 

A similar study, presented at the Nutrition Society Winter Conference 2025, discovered this number was a “striking” 50 per cent in otherwise healthy UK adults. 

Riboflavin is found in foods like milk, eggs, mushrooms and plain yoghurt, and adults need about 1.2mg of the stuff a day. 

It’s essential for energy production as it helps turn foods into fuel, and it plays an important role in iron production.  

It can even lower blood pressure in people with a genetic risk factor for stroke and vascular dementia, according to Scientists at Ulster University.

But things can go seriously wrong when we don’t get enough. 

If left untreated for long periods, it can lead to increased risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia

Dr Harry Jarrett

“In the short-term, riboflavin deficiency, known as ariboflavinosis, presents as cheilosis (sores around the mouth), glossitis (swollen and sore tongue) and swelling of the mouth and throat,” Dr Jarrett said. 

“Riboflavin also interacts with iron, which explains why anaemia can also present alongside riboflavin deficiency.

“In the long-term, if riboflavin deficiency isn’t corrected and anaemia remains untreated, it can have serious negative complications. 

“This includes effects on the heart, such as tachycardia (abnormally fast heartbeat), lungs and extreme tiredness.”

He added: “Riboflavin also plays an important role in activating both folate and vitamin B6, so deficiency in riboflavin can lead to deficiency of both folate and vitamin B6.”

Folate (vitamin B9) levels are also a “big concern” across the population, according to the expert. 

“Data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows there has been a steady reduction in blood folate levels, with more and more adults and children being deficient,” he said. 

“This folate decline is two to three per year, with a 25 to 28 per cent reduction in the past 11 years, which is extremely alarming. 

“Of great concern is that now almost nine out of 10 women have folate levels that increase their risk of a neural tube defect affected-pregnancy.”

A global study published in The Lancet Global Health found that more than four billion people did not consume enough riboflavin or folate from their diet alone.

“That’s over 50 per cent of the global population, so it’s a major concern,” Dr Jarrett said. 

Folate is found in vegetables like cabbage, kale and broccoli, as well as chickpeas, kidney beans, and fortified cereals, and we need about 200micrograms per day. 

“It plays a whole host of important roles, including the formation of red blood cells that help to carry oxygen around the body – a vital process,” Dr Jarrett said. 

“Folate is also involved in biosynthesis in cells, methylation of DNA, contributing to DNA synthesis, repair, and replication, which are all fundamental to sustain human life.

“It also plays a well-defined role in foetal development, where it helps the neural tube develop into the brain and spine.

“And we know that both folate and riboflavin play an important role in a cycle called one-carbon metabolism, which is responsible for removing a nasty amino acid called homocysteine from the body.

“High homocysteine levels have been linked to a number of different diseases, including cardiovascular disease, dementia and depression to name but a few. 

“If you are deficient in either riboflavin or folate, this can cause a breakdown in this cycle, leading to elevated homocysteine levels, predisposing you to increased disease risk.”

Initially, people deficient in folate will usually experience extreme tiredness, a lack of energy, weakness, shortness of breath, and neurological issues, like problems with memory and a change in temperament. 

“If left untreated for long periods, it can lead to increased risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia,” Dr Jarrett said. 

“Depression can also arise from folate deficiency, with one study showing that those with the lowest levels of blood folate had almost an 80 per cent increased risk of depression.

“It has also been proven beyond doubt that optimising folate levels can prevent neural tube defects, including spina bifida.

“These conditions lead to either death of the foetus or life-changing disabilities. 

“Low vitamin B6 levels have been linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and depression and anxiety.”

WHO IS MOST AT RISK?

Anyone who doesn’t hit the target B vitamin intake is at risk of complications.

But some people are more prone than others, according to Dr Jarrett.

He said: “The body cannot produce these fundamental nutrients and therefore, the main reason deficiencies arise is through inadequate intake from the diet or lack of supplementation. 

“The primary food sources of riboflavin are milk and dairy products, so people unable to consume these foods, like those who are lactose intolerant or vegan, will have a much lower intake, leading to a greater risk of deficiency.

“Evidence also suggests that certain conditions may increase your risk, including alcoholism, diabetes and anorexia.”

If you don’t think you are hitting your B-vitamin requirements, which could very likely be the case for riboflavin and folate, consider supplementation

Dr Harry Jarrett

At particular risk are pregnant women and older people. 

“This is because during pregnancy, the body’s requirement for folate increases to support the healthy development of the foetus,” Dr Jarrett said. 

“The NHS recommends taking 400micrograms of folic acid (synthetic form of folate) every day before and during the first three months of pregnancy to top-up the mother’s folate supplies.

“Also, as we age, our risk of folate deficiency increases, believed to be due to declining intake and malabsorption issues.”

But he added: “However, a large proportion of the UK population are riboflavin deficient, regardless of age and health status, and thus the deficiency pandemic is a population-wide problem.”

HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK

The easiest thing you can do is eat more foods containing high levels of B vitamins.

Dr Jarrett said: “For riboflavin, increasing consumption of milk and dairy products will improve your intake, and eating more green leafy vegetables will help with folate levels.”

But it’s not always that simple. 

“For many in the population who cannot consume such foods, including lactose intolerant people, vegans or simply those who actively avoid dairy products, this is not possible,” he added.

“And the natural form of folate in foods is highly unstable, particularly during cooking, which substantially reduces the folate content before it’s even reached your mouth.”

The next best thing? Try fortified.

“Some cereals and plant-based milks have these vitamins added to them,” Dr Jarrett said.

“However, riboflavin fortification is not mandatory in the UK and only certain foods are required to be fortified with folic acid (man-made folate).

“My best advice is: if you don’t think you are hitting your B-vitamin requirements, which could very likely be the case for riboflavin and folate, consider supplementation. 

“There are many supplements available but as a scientist, I would only trust supplements that have been clinically tested and proven to improve nutrient biomarker status (how much of the vitamin is available in the body).”