Heathrow runway 05

Heathrow has been hit by another day of travel chaos with hundreds of passengers left without luggage and caught up in lengthy queues. Huge lines were seen snaking around the outside of the London airport this morning, as it continues to be hit by staffing shortages. One traveller described the "chaos" and "lengthy wait times" at Terminal 2, saying there "simply is not enough space to queue". Tensions appeared to boil over at one point, with "some flare-ups" being reported between the public and stressed-out staff. Airlines were even forced to "fish" customers out of security queues for final calls, said another passenger, who spent two and a half hours waiting inside the airport. Footage capturing "hundreds of cases" piled up at baggage reclaim, which is the responsibility of the airlines and their ground handlers, was also posted to Twitter this morning. It is the third day in a row that Heathrow has faced delays, after travellers compared the scenes to something out … [Read more...] about Heathrow chaos as hundreds lose luggage and airlines ‘fish passengers out of queues’

A plane has gone off the end of a runway during landing at Cardiff Airport, reportedly leaving flights cancelled, delayed and diverted. Travellers faced fresh chaos today when the runway was closed for about an hour on Sunday. No one was injured in the incident, which took place around 1.30pm, and the plane is still intact. But a Wizz Air flight from Cardiff Airport to Larnaca was later cancelled, passengers claim. The incident was named ‘a shambles’ after the journey was delayed by several hours earlier. Passengers arriving in Cardiff on a Wizz Air flight from Corfu were also left frustrated when they were sent to Bristol instead. They landed an hour late before being forced to sit on the runway for nearly two hours, Wales Online reports. One person on Twitter said: ‘On Wizz Air flight from Corfu. Was supposed to land at 1330 in Cardiff. ‘Currently waiting on Tarmac in Bristol. Apparently we’re waiting to refuel and get a new landing slot in Cardiff. Due to … [Read more...] about Flights halted after plane skids off runway during landing

Security checks on aviation staff will be fast tracked in an attempt to cut delays at Britain's airports. The Department for Transport said it was speeding up the vetting process for new staff to help tackle the travel chaos that has plagued travellers for months. Holidaymakers faced more disruption on Saturday, with thousands of passengers at Heathrow hit by delays caused by a computer failure that left planes unable to refuel and "horrendous" scenes at the baggage reclaim area. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that by speeding up the vetting of new aviation security staff, the Government was "doing its bit to help deliver for passengers". Counter terrorism checks on staff, which previously took up to 20 days, are now being done in half the time, he said. New staff are also carrying out other training while their security checks are ongoing. Airlines are expected to announce a series of cancellations to summer flights next week aimed at minimising disruption in the … [Read more...] about Vetting of airport staff fast-tracked to ease travel chaos

A ameaça de centenas de despedimentos anunciada esta quarta-feira pelo presidente executivo na Ryanair será apenas uma manobra para tentar evitar as greves previstas para este mês de agosto. A acusação partiu de Bruno Fialho, vice-presidente do Sindicato Português do Pessoal de Voo da Aviação Civil (SNPVAC), em declarações à Rádio Renascença , horas depois da divulgação do vídeo interno emitido por Michael O'Leary a justificar os cortes no pessoal até final deste ano. "Nos primeiros trimestres no decorrer dos dois últimos anos, os nossos lucros caíram cerca de 41 por cento e isto deve-se sobretudo a tarifas mais baixas, em especial no Reino Unido com o 'brexit' e na Alemanha, a preços muito mais altos nos combustíveis e a custos mais altos com pessoal, sobretudo devido ao grande aumento salarial de pilotos e assistentes de bordo que negociámos no ano passado", começou por explicar o presidente executivo no vídeo destinado aos funcionários. O'Leary … [Read more...] about Greves e despedimentos na Ryanair: o que está em causa?

July 03, 2022 - 14:49 BST Bridgerton's Daphne, Phoebe Dynevor, stunned fans on Sunday after she debuted a choppy new hairstyle and edgy tattoos - details Phoebe Dynevor is best known for her role as Netflix's 'It-girl' Daphne Bridgerton , but the 27-year-old actress just proved she couldn't be further from her Regency-era counterpart with an edgy Instagram selfie debuting a set of abstract tattoos. READ: Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor's London home is dreamy – see inside Taking to social media on Sunday, the Manchester-born star rocked a vampy new hairstyle, displaying a choppy wolf cut and beachy bangs as she shared a fresh-faced selfie. Phoebe rocked a turquoise blue tank top and revealed two previously unseen tattoos on her left arm. Loading the player...Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor looks unrecognisable in first-ever acting job WATCH: Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor looks unrecognisable in … [Read more...] about Bridgerton’s Phoebe Dynevor unveils unrecognisable new look and fans are losing it

The world is currently witnessing biodiversity loss at a rate and scale unprecedented in human history. Over 1 million species are at risk of extinction. Many are disappearing before we have had a chance to discover them. Climate change, pollution and disappearing habitats are among the forces that have pushed nature toward a cliff edge. The situation is so severe that scientists say we are facing the " sixth mass die-off " ⁠— the scale of which has not been seen since the dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago. Yet 2022 presents a window of opportunity, with the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Canada set to bring together world leaders to discuss a road map to deal with the crisis in nature. In our latest Global Ideas web special we take a deep dive into why protecting biodiversity is so critical, and what the concrete and effective solutions are to tackling the problem. 'Biodiversity loss is the greatest threat to humanity' What impact does … [Read more...] about Nature in crisis: How can we prevent biodiversity loss?

With blistering summer temperature around much of Europe, it may be hard to convince people to think about heat pumps . But a push for more renewable energy plus the ongoing war in Ukraine and the curtailing of Russian gas and oil means there has hardly been a more pressing time. A heat pump is a system that moves around thermal energy. There are a number of different types of devices based on what they use, including exhaust air, ground and water. Ground-source heat pump equipment taps into the nearly constant temperature below the soil's surface. These geothermal heat pumps draw heat into a building in winter and remove warm air in summer, acting like an air-conditioner. This type of system uses a network of water-filled pipes that are either laid horizontally a few feet underground or pipes drilled vertically much deeper into the Earth's core. Advocates say the systems can be used nearly anywhere and are cheaper to run than other heating and air-conditioning systems like … [Read more...] about Can heat pumps be the answer to higher energy costs?

1. Russian forces claim control of Lysychansk Russia claimed control Sunday over the last Ukrainian stronghold in an eastern province that is key to achieving a major goal of its grinding war. Ukraine's General Staff of the military reported that its forces had withdrawn from Lysychansk in Luhansk province, but the president said the fight for the city was ongoing. If confirmed, Russia's complete seizure of Luhansk would provide its forces a stronger base from which to press their advance in neighboring Donetsk province and bring them one step closer to achieving one of President Vladimir Putin’s major goals: capturing the entire Donbas. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Putin that Russia’s troops, with members of a local separatist militia, “have established full control over the city of Lysychansk” and now hold all of Luhansk, according to a ministry statement published Sunday. As is typical with such descriptions, the Russian statement characterized … [Read more...] about Ukraine war: Five important developments to know for Sunday

Some 700,000 Ukrainian soldiers are now actively participating in defending the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a televised interview on Saturday. In comparison, Russia deployed anywhere between 100,000 to 190,000 troops when it launched its invasion on 24 February, with the exact numbers of currently active units unclear. Meanwhile, the Moscow forces continued their assault in the east after claiming victory in Mariupol on Friday as the last Ukrainian defenders holed up in Azovstal laid down their arms. Read more about the day's developments in our live blog below. 05.21.2022 10:03 Saturday's key points: Russia suspended its gas delivery to Finland on Saturday morning in response to the country's NATO membership bid. The Russian military says it has fully taken over the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol after the last Ukrainian fighters gave themselves up. Earlier, Moscow said more than 1,900 Ukrainian fighters … [Read more...] about 700,000 soldiers defending Ukraine now, Zelenskyy says, as battles rage in the Donbas

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron had an 80-minute telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Saturday. The two asked for the release of some 2,500 Ukrainian fighters who surrendered at the Azovstal steel mill, ending the siege of the southern port city of Mariupol. While Moscow claims to have taken the strategic town of Lyman and the fighting for Sievierodonetsk continues to rage, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia should not think that it will be holding the cities as they will eventually return to Ukraine. Follow Saturday's developments as they unfolded in our blog below: 05.28.2022 09:20 Saturday's key events: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron held a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Saturday, calling for "serious direct negotiations" with Kyiv and the release of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered at Azovstal. "The Donbas will be Ukrainian", President … [Read more...] about Ukraine war: Macron, Scholz ask Putin to free captured Azovstal fighters