AS the nights draw in and the days become colder, sunny warm days seem like a distant memory – so there couldn’t be a better time to book a winter sun holiday.

And the good news is that it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.

New research by TravelSupermarket has revealed the most affordable winter sun destinations from the UK’s biggest airports.

Comparing prices for a week in the sun between November and February 2027, results found that some airports cost twice as much as others – so if you live near two airports, one might be cheaper to fly from than the other.

Chris Webber, Head of Holidays and Deals at TravelSupermarket, said: “Where you fly from makes a huge difference to the cost of winter sun this year – even neighbouring airports can vary wildly as Agadir averages £598 per person from Edinburgh but £784 from Glasgow, a difference of £186 for the same destination.”

Here’s a full run- down of the best deals at each of the UK’s major airports:

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London airports

If heading out of London, Sousse on Tunisia’s Mediterranean coast came out on top as the most affordable winter sun spot.

A seven-night holiday in Sousse costs from £380 per person, which also makes it the cheapest winter sun deal across all UK airports researched.

Hammamet, also in Tunisia, followed behind with a week away cost from £436 per person.

Agadir in Morocco then rounded out the top three, costing on average £606 per person.

Manchester Airport

If you want to fly out of Manchester Airport, Sousse in Tunisia once again came out on top as the most affordable winter sun destination.

A week away costs on average £399 per person.

And again, Hammamet followed with the average price per person spending seven days there costing £513 per person.

Agadir in Morocco again came third, costing an average of £644 per person.

Bristol Airport

In the south of the country, travellers flying from Bristol Airport will get the most affordable winter sun break in Hammamet, Tunisia.

A week’s holiday in the winter sun spot costs on average £413 per person – just £33 more than the cheapest deal from London (which is less than the train fare to London).

Marrakesh, Morocco, came in second costing on average £787 per person.

And rounding out the top three was Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, costing an average of £814 per person for seven nights away.

Edinburgh Airport

If you are located near the Scottish capital, you should book to go to Agadir in Morocco, with a week away costing on average £598 per person.

Morocco also took the second most affordable spot at Edinburgh Airport, with Marrakesh, where a week away will set you back £749 per person, on average.

Fuerteventura, Canary Islands then rounded out the top three costing on average of £814 per person.

Birmingham Airport

For Birmingham Airport, Agadir in Morocco is the most affordable option costing on average of £661 per person for seven nights.

This is followed by Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, costing on average £811 per person for a week away.

And then another Canary Islands destination rounded out the top three – Lanzarote – averaging at £933 per person for seven nights away.

East Midlands Airport

East Midlands Airport passengers should head to Agadir as well, with a week away costing on average £734 per person.

Agadir is followed by Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, costing on average of £898 per person.

Lanzarote followed in third costing on average of £942 per person for seven nights.

Belfast Airport

Over in Belfast, Egypt is the most affordable spot to travel to, with a seven-night holiday costing an average of £754 per person.

Fuerteventura once again followed, costing an average of £794 per person for a week away.

And then Lanzarote rounded out the top three, costing on average £936 per person for a week away.

Leeds Airport

If you are based near Leeds, Agadir was found to be the most affordable spot with a week’s holiday averaging £778 per person.

Fuerteventura came in second costing on average £842 per person for seven nights away.

And a second Canary Islands spot rounded the top three – Lanzarote – costing on average of £965 per person.

Glasgow Airport

Back in Scotland, if you are based near Glasgow your best bet for an affordable winter break in the sun is also Agadir in Morocco, costing on average of £784 per person for seven nights.

Marrakesh in Morocco followed in second place, costing £846 per person, on average, for a week away.

Canary Islands spot Fuerteventura then came in third, costing £857 per person on average for a week away.

Newcastle Airport

From Newcastle, you should travel to Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, costing on average £827 per person for a week.

Egypt then came in second costing an average of £928 per person.

And rounding out the top three was another Canary Islands spot, Lanzarote, costing on average £938 per person for a week away.

Liverpool Airport

And finally in Liverpool, Fuerteventura came out on top with a week’s holiday in the winter sun spot costing on average £840 per person.

Egypt came in second, costing just £7 more at £847 per person, on average for a week away.

And Lanzarote came in third costing on average of £899 per person, for a week away.

The provided text outlines the historical significance of President Ndadaye’s Day in Burundi, commemorated annually on October 21. It details how Melchoir Ndadaye made history in 1993 by becoming the nation’s first democratically elected and first Hutu presidentfollowing nearly three decades of military administration. Tragically, at only 40 years of age, his life was cut short when he was assassinated during a military coup later that same year. This devastating event triggered a protracted civil conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi populations that lasted for an entire decade. Today, despite this turbulent history, Ndadaye is honored as the founding father of national democracy and remains an enduring symbol of peace and reconciliation.

‘I’m absolutely disgusted by how we were treated’

A Ryanair passenger says he is ‘absolutely disgusted’ with the airline after travelling for a family funeral. Edward Stokes had flown to London Stansted with his son to pay his respects at the funeral of his cousin’s wife.

What should have been an emotional family occasion allegedly descended into a travel nightmare when the 49 year old said he ran into difficulties with his booking on the journey home last week. Edward claims he and his son were each hit with a £46 (€55) charge after missing the online check-in window by just three minutes for their outbound flight.

“I’m absolutely disgusted by how we were treated,” said Edward. “I’ve been a loyal Ryanair customer for years.

“In fact, Ryanair is practically the only airline my family and I ever use. But after what happened to me this week, I am absolutely shocked and disgusted.

“We were three minutes late checking in online on Tuesday morning and were charged €55 each, €110 in total. Fair enough, we were late.

“We accepted responsibility, paid the money and moved on. But what happened on the way home was a completely different story.”

Edward alleges he was then refused boarding on his homeward flight to Dublin due to a mix-up over the name on his reservation. His booking listed both Edward and Teddy – a nickname he commonly uses – and he claims he had been permitted to travel to England without any problems.

Unable to board his scheduled flight, he said he was forced to book an alternative service departing at 10pm for £300 (€357.57), after an earlier option would have set him back around £450. Yet he says his journey home was anything but straightforward.

Mr Stokes claims the replacement flight was delayed by approximately an hour and 45 minutes, meaning he missed the last bus home. With no funds for a taxi and nobody on hand to collect him, he says he was left stranded at Dublin Airport for five hours until the next bus, finally making it home the following morning.

Edward, a blinds and carpets business owner from Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, said: “I’ve been known as Teddy all my life. On the way over, my booking included Edward Teddy Stokes, and Ryanair allowed me to travel without any problem.

“On my return journey, there was confusion over my booking name, and I was refused boarding. I explained the situation to the Ryanair staff member.

“I explained that I had just attended one of the saddest funerals of my life and was simply trying to get home to my family. Her response?

“‘That’s not my problem. What do you want me to do about it? I couldn’t believe the attitude.

“There was absolutely no compassion, understanding or willingness to help. We have no problem accepting responsibility when I’m wrong.

“We were three minutes late checking in, and we paid the money. But where is the same accountability when an airline causes passengers serious inconvenience? What hurt me most wasn’t even the money.

“It was the way I was spoken to, the complete lack of compassion and the feeling that we were treated like we didn’t matter.. “Nobody should be spoken to or treated like that.

“All I wanted was to attend a family funeral, support my cousin and get home safely. I was absolutely exhausted.

“Between the sadness of the funeral and everything that happened with my flights, it’s been a very difficult and emotional week for me. Ryanair, is this really how you treat loyal customers?”

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “The first and surname on a passenger’s booking must match the first and surname on their travel documents. The passport that Mr Stokes presented at the boarding gate in Stansted did not match the first name on his booking for this Stansted to Dublin flight (14 October). Ryanair offers passengers a 24-hour grace period to correct minor spelling errors on bookings free of charge or full name changes up to two hours before scheduled departure (subject to a fee).

“Unfortunately, Mr. Stokes did not avail of either option and presented at the boarding gate in Stansted with a passport that did not match the name on his booking.”

For more information on names on travel documents, visit the Ryanair website’s section on the subject.

It stopped me mid-scroll. In an Instagram reel, one DJ was mixing an upbeat track in a dark, packed room while another danced on a stage behind her, twerking perfectly on beat. Above them, a message flashed on a massive screen: “Love. Dance. And F— Ice.”

The crowd went wild, matching the energy of the two Los Angeles-based DJs who go by Mango and Ginger. The night looked so electric that I could feel the FOMO traveling through my body.

When I tapped the location tag, I assumed I was looking at an underground warehouse party in downtown L.A. or a venue in Hollywood. Instead, the party — known as If You See Me You See Me — was happening 120 miles south in San Diego. As a DJ and music lover, I knew I needed to get down there ASAP.

For many Angelenos, San Diego is the place to go for a peaceful weekend getaway — think scenic cliffs, serene beaches, fresh fish tacos and visits to Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. But it’s easy to sleep on its vibrant nightlife scene — and I don’t just mean the bars crowding the Gaslamp Quarter. The city is home to some of the most exciting late-night spaces, from hi-fi listening lounges to a cinematic Middle Eastern restaurant that feels straight out of Disneyland.

“People just aren’t aware,” says San Diego native Mo Perez, who as DJ Dopemo regularly packs out parties at North Park’s Bluefoot Bar and Lounge. “Then they come here and they’re like, ‘Wow, San Diego is really fun.’”

This is part of the reason why Sasha Marie, a longtime DJ and former member of the Soulection music collective, decided to continue hosting her event If You See Me You See Me, in partnership with Future Is Color, in her hometown of San Diego, even amid invitations to bring it to other cities. She invites DJs from around the globe, many of whom wouldn’t typically play in San Diego, to spin at the party.

“I feel like it’s important to show that something can be successful here,” she says.

Consider this your wake-up call to tap into San Diego’s nightlife scene, whether you want to go dancing or vibe to diverse sounds or have a cocktail in a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. These nine great spots are a sampling of how the city comes alive after dark.

Jasmin Strange’s withdrawal from the England squad with a knee injury is a “devastating blow” to their World Cup prospects says head coach Stuart Barrow.

The Sydney Roosters second-row forward impressed on her debut, scoring a try as England thrashed Wales 70-6 in their World Cup opener.

Strange, 23, whose mother was born in Yorkshire, was one of five NRLW players included in Barrow’s squad to face the reigning world champions Australia in Perth.

“Jasmin joined us when we arrived here and has been outstanding. She’s mixed with the girls really well and to lose her yesterday in training was a devastating blow for all the girls,” said Barrow.

“It was almost a freak accident. It was a defensive session but Jasmin was with the ball, did a step and unfortunately suffered a serious knee injury. It was a real disappointing outcome for someone who has been excellent for us.

“It’s affected the camp but Jasmin will want us to recover and bounce back and she’s coming back into camp this evening so the girls will get around her.

“It flatlined the group and it flatlined the coaching staff but we’ve bounced back today. Within seven hours Jas had a scan and got the results. I went to the hospital with her last night and the scan confirmed our worst fears.”

Strange, 23, who comes from a rugby league family, had looked set to be a key player for Barrow’s new-look side which has altered significantly since England fell to a record defeat 90-4 defeat to the Jillaroos in March 2025.

Barrow confirmed that Leeds Rhinos second-row Lucy Murray will replace Strange this weekend and that there are no plans to bring in another player for the remainder of the tournament.

“She [Jasmin] played very well at the weekend so we lose a bit of quality but we’ve brought 23 players who are all competing for shirts so we are confident we can cover that loss,” Barrow added.

“It’ll be a straight swap. Lucy [Murray] was very close in the first selection and was close again this week so with Jas playing that back-row spot, Lucy will come straight in.”

England women: Fran Goldthorp, Anna Davies, Molly Jones, Connie Boyd, Amelia Brown, Isabel Rowe, Jenna Foubister, Liv Wood, Keara Bennett, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Lucy Murray, Eva Hunter, Megan Williams.

Interchange: Jodie Cunningham, Vicky Whitfield, Georgia Roche, Lucie Sams.

Reserves: Hope Millard, Mary Coleman, Georgia Wilson.

WHO doesn’t love a holiday bargain? Well, British Airways is launching new flights that cost less than the average UK pint.

However, the two return journeys to the beautiful Mediterranean islands come with a small catch.

British Airways is launching two Avios-Only flights next summer – so you have enough points on its reward scheme to go on them.

The new return flights will be to Palma in Majorca and Heraklion in Crete.

Flights to the Greek island of Crete will depart on August 14, 2027 and returning a week later on August 21.

Seats will be available for 35,500 Avios + £5 return in Euro Traveller.

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For a return flight in Club Europe its 60,000 Avios + £40.

Crete is the largest island in Greece and one of the biggest in the Mediterranean Sea.

On the same dates, British Airways will also have an Avios-Only flight to Palma, Majorca.

Seats will be available for 28,000 Avios + £5 return in Euro Traveller.

In Club Europe, seats are available for 49,000 Avios + £40 return with checked baggage included as standard.

Majorca meanwhile has a beautiful coastline, picturesque villages and its busy capital of Palma has lots of bustling restaurants and a huge cathedral in the centre.

Once you’ve joined the British Airways Club, you can earn points by shopping online through the Avios portal, booking hotels and car hire, using co-branded credit cards, or converting Nectar points.

If you’re a frequent flier, you can earn through BA flights, as well as other IAG airlines like Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL, as well as partner airlines Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Loganair.

Other brands associated with IAG loyalty include brands like Domino’s, Deliveroo, River Island, Marks and Spencer and Boots.

For a more in-depth look at Avios and how to claim points, read more here.

The British Airways Avios-Only flights go on sale tomorrow.

BREAKINGBREAKING,

Smoke seen rising near airport in Aden as Houthis say they attacked a military camp with a ballistic missile.

A powerful explosion has been heard in the city of Aden in southern Yemen, an Al Jazeera journalist and police official said.

A police official said on Wednesday that smoke was rising near the airport in Aden, which is controlled by the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

Reporting from Yemen’s Taiz, Al Jazeera’s Maha Ali said “the Houthi group targeted Aden airport with a ballistic missile”.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted the Saudi-led coalition’s “military operation room at the Badr Camp in Aden with a ballistic missile”.

He said that “the strike was precise and direct”.

More to come…

New photos provide an interesting first public look inside the payload bay of Australia’s Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV), and a glimpse of the highly modular concept at the heart of the Royal Australian Navy’s emerging undersea warfare capability. Australian authorities had said in the past that they plan to use Ghost Sharks to conduct “persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike” missions, but without any real elaboration.

The photographs were taken during a recent visit to the Anduril Australia factory in Sydney, New South Wales, by Pat Conroy, Australia’s Minister for Defense Industry. They emerged as the Australian government announced new details of payload development for Ghost Shark, the Speartooth large uncrewed underwater vehicle (LUUV), and the BlueBottle uncrewed surface vessel (USV), on October 19. While the announcement described the payloads in very broad terms, the photos plus additional details from the Anduril event reveal a more concrete picture of the missions Ghost Shark is being designed to perform.

The three previously undisclosed payload options include deploying up to 12 sea mines in a mission, leaving supply caches on the seabed, and launching Anduril’s ALTIUS aerial drones for reconnaissance or strike missions.

“Ghost Shark now has teeth, and will have the ability to inflict damage on any potential adversary,” Conroy said.

The payload bay image is significant in its own right. Ghost Shark’s modular design is intended to accommodate different mission-specific systems, allowing the Royal Australian Navy to configure the same underlying platform for different operational requirements. Ghost Shark was designed to be extremely modular, flexible, and readily reconfigurable. As part of this, the overall payload portion can be readily configured in different ways using different-sized modular hull sections. Since the nose and the tail are different pieces, with an expandable section in the middle, there is plenty of scope for different payloads as well.

Seeing the internal bay for the first time provides a more tangible look at that approach than earlier photographs of the submarine’s exterior.

Inside the bay of one of the Ghost Sharks on display, there appear to be cylindrical spacers, formed in segments, rather than operational stores. These spacers, and other areas inside the bay, look as if they are fabricated from plywood or similar. Overall, this means it is not entirely clear if they represent the kind of ballast that would be loaded to take the place of actual payloads during trials, or whether they are part of a mockup.

Of the three payload options, the ability to deploy ALTIUS aerial drones is particularly noteworthy. An underwater vehicle capable of releasing aerial systems could extend a naval force’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) reach beyond the submarine’s own sensors. Depending on the drone variant and mission configuration, it could also provide a means of delivering effects at a distance without putting personnel directly in harm’s way. Other roles could include stimulating enemy air defense networks, perhaps even responding to pop-up air defence threats as they appear and attacking them. The ability to put miniaturized satcom terminals, as well as AI, on small drones also greatly opens up the possibilities for UUV-launched aerial drones.

Which ALTIUS variants the Ghost Shark will be able to deploy has not been publicly disclosed. The models displayed at the Altus factory are all derivatives of the ALTIUS-600 family. Notable versions include the ALTIUS-600 for ISR, as well as the ALTIUS-600M, which is designed for strike missions. As you can read here, the basic drone has an overall weight of between 20 and 27 pounds, depending on its payload, which typically weighs between three and seven pounds. The ALTIUS-600 has a maximum range of around 275 miles and can remain airborne for at least four hours, according to its developer. Unarmed variants of the ALTIUS-600 are designed to be recoverable and reusable, although it is unclear how practical that would be after launch from a UUV.

ALTIUS-600M Loitering Munition

There is another missing part of the payload puzzle, namely the kinds of capsules that would contain the ALTIUS UAVs for launch from the sub.

The Rheinmetall Asteria 533mm-diameter mine pictured alongside the Ghost Shark is not installed in the vehicle’s payload bay. Its appearance nevertheless provides an intriguing visual counterpart to the newly disclosed mine-delivery capability. According to the manufacturer, the Asteria can be deployed from surface vessels, aircraft, and submarines (normally via torpedo tubes). It can be remotely controlled via an acoustic link and is optimized for the defense of harbors, straits, ports, and other critical areas.

The seabed supply-cache concept points to a different operational role. Ghost Shark could position equipment and supplies underwater for later retrieval, potentially supporting forces operating in areas where conventional resupply is difficult or risky.

The notional supply cache payloads — which are under development by the Defense Science and Technology Group (DSTG) — don’t appear to be on display here. Alex Luck, a naval analyst who closely tracks submarine developments, told TWZ that the cache payloads would likely take the form of capsules, similar in shape to the Asteria mine, but containing whatever supplies need to be moved. It is not immediately clear who would use those caches. One option could be special operations forces, but if the payloads could later rise to the surface, they could be accessed by other forces, too.

It should also be noted that the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, in particular, are envisioning future fleets of UUVs and USVs that can carry out kinetic attacks and employ electronic warfare and other non-kinetic effects, as well as emplace mines, providing a direct parallel with the planned mission set for Ghost Shark.

Some of the new payload capabilities are due to be featured in Exercise Maritime Big Play Pacific in San Diego, an AUKUS Pillar II activity focused on advanced maritime capabilities and interoperability. The Australian government says the development effort involves the Royal Australian Navy, Defense Science and Technology Group, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator and defense industry.

As we have discussed in the past, Maritime Big Play has links to the U.S. military’s Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) effort and NATO’s Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping Augmented by Maritime Unmanned Systems (REPMUS) exercise series, according to the Pentagon. The U.S. Navy has also been conducting a growing number of large-scale uncrewed-focused maritime exercises and demonstration events in recent years.

Under AUKUS Pillar II, Australia is collaborating with the United Kingdom and the United States on Ghost Shark and its associated capabilities. While Pillar I centers on providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, Pillar II focuses on the joint development of advanced defence technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.

Exactly how the Ghost Shark will be deployed during the Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise is unclear, but, speaking about the concept of operations, Conroy described examples of it being deployed from a shipping container or launched from the back of a small vessel using a crane. In the past, we have also seen the Ghost Shark loaded in a standard shipping container and transported in a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III airlifter.

Overall, U.S. military wargames have highlighted how uncrewed systems could shape a high-end conflict across the Pacific, particularly a fight over Taiwan. One set of Taiwan conflict simulations found that large swarms of relatively low-cost, networked drones could be decisive in helping locate and attack an invading force, while other wargaming by the Center for a New American Security has highlighted the severe challenges of defending the island against a Chinese assault. Maritime drones could also play a major role: the U.S. Navy has explored submarine-launched aerial drones that act as “flying periscopes,” extending sensor coverage and providing targeting data beyond a submarine’s own reach, while uncrewed underwater vehicles could conduct mine-laying and other asymmetric missions around key maritime chokepoints. The rapid growth and technological advances made by the Chinese submarine fleet also underscore the critical importance of anti-submarine capabilities, in which uncrewed systems can play a major role. Together, these developments underscore the potential value of autonomous systems for the Royal Australian Navy as it prepares to operate across the vast distances of the Indo-Pacific.

Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program allocate up to A$5.8 billion (approximately $4.05 billion) over the decade to autonomous and uncrewed undersea warfare capabilities, including A$1.7 billion (approximately $1.19 billion) for a new fleet of Australian-designed and built Ghost Shark vehicles.

The newly released imagery and payload details offer the clearest picture yet of how Australia intends to expand Ghost Shark beyond a conventional underwater surveillance role. The next key milestones should provide more details of how the payloads will be integrated into the vehicle, and how they might be deployed in practice.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

NICOLE Kidman’s daughter Sunday Rose has addressed being labelled a “nepo-baby” after she posed for Vogue.

The 18-year-old model has followed in her famous parents’ footsteps after launching her career on the runway at age 16.

Sunday – who is the daughter of Hollywood actress Nicole, 59, and country singer father Keith Urban, 58 – made her cover debut for Vogue Germany this month and opened up about getting opportunities due to her parents.

“I’m very aware that I’m given opportunities that not everyone can have, and I’m truly grateful to be able to take advantage of them,” she said.

“When I’m at work, I make sure to always give my best, never come to work with a negative attitude, no matter how tired or jet-lagged I may be, and treat everyone with respect.”

Sunday often steps out with her famous parents as she continues to make a name for herself in the industry.

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Last year, she was seen with mum Nicole at a private dinner for Chanel at New York Fashion Week.

The teenager looked stylish as she joined the special event, which also saw Kirsten Dunst and Jon Hamm attend.

For the glam evening, Sunday Rose opted for a chiffon long sleeved crop top, and black trousers.

Sunday is busy carving out a career in modelling and film.

She previously walked in the Miu Miu Paris Fashion Week show in October 2024.

The opened the showcase of the brand’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection. 

Sunday then became one of the new faces of Miu Miu’s 2025 Duets campaign.

In the gig, she starred alongside the likes of actress Liu Haocun, singer Eliot Sumner and Netflix favourite Joey King.

As well as her catwalk work, Sunday has also starred in The Angry Birds Movie 2, The Undoing and Big Little Lies.

Nicole shares daughters Sunday and 16-year-old Faith, with husband Keith.

Nicole previously spoke out about how she parents her children.

“I won’t let them be on Instagram,” she said in 2020 during an appearance on UK chat show Loose Women.

“I have a 12-year-old right now who is chomping at the bit and wants to get into all of that.

“It’s just that constant push, pull. I’d say a lot of parents would say the same thing.

“I think it’s keeping their confidence and their self-esteem intact.”

NOTHING says Christmas quite like streets filled with twinkling lights – especially the spectacular displays put up in London.

This year you can score 20% off the magical Christmas Lights London Bus tour AND even get a free Thames cruise.

Save 20% on The Original Tour’s Christmas Lights London Bus Tour + claim a FREE Thames sightseeing cruise. Use code: FESTIVELONDON

The tour usually costs £36 for adults and £22 for kids, but you’ll get tickets for £28.80 and £17.60, respectively, using our discount code.

The tour starts on Coventry Street, where you’ll climb aboard one of London’s famous double-decker buses and get cosy on your guaranteed upper deck seat.

The Christmas-themed bus will then take you through London‘s best-decorated spots, alongside festive facts and jokes from a live tour guide.

Along the route you’ll tick off famous spots such as Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus and more.

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Make sure to snap some pictures of the world-famous, glittering Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, gifted to the UK all the way from Norway.

And in a brand new route for 2026, you’ll now also cruise down Regent Street, known for its giant glimmering angels with golden wings spread high overhead.

Oxford Street sees a canopy of sparkling hanging stars, while posh Bond Street goes all out with fancy displays illuminating the high-end shops and hotels.

Picadilly Circus acts like the grand junction of all these fantastic displays, with its giant screens running festive takeovers and the glowing spillover of surrounding streets in the distance.

Whether you’re visiting London with the kids, ticking off the sights with friends or wanting a romantic date beneath the stars, the tour is suitable for all ages and occasions.

The best way to make the most of the tour? Grab a hot chocolate before boarding, wrap up in your cosiest hat and scarf, and make sure to pose for pictures as you cruise right under the impressive displays.

The tour lasts up to 90 minutes, running from November 14 and January 3,.

You have lots of options too with the first bus departing at 4:30pm and the last at 9pm.

Save 20% on The Original Tour’s Christmas Lights London Bus Tour + claim a FREE Thames sightseeing cruise. Use code: FESTIVELONDON

Tots under two travel free, and there’s space on every bus to pop your pram and buggy.

That’s not all, however. If you purchase the Christmas Lights London Bus Tour, you also get a daytime Thames River cruise thrown in completely for free.

That means you can experience a full-on sightseeing day in London, taking in the sights from the water in the daylight on the river cruise, before taking in the city by night on your bus tour.

On the Thames River cruise you’ll tick off top landmarks like Big Ben, the London Eye and more, so by the end of your big day in London you’ll have taken in the very best the city has to offer.

Cruises start from Westminster Pier, Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier, or the London Eye Pier, giving you flexibility in how you plan your day.

As well as a free river cruise, you’ll also get SIX free self-guided walking tours thrown in.

So when you’re not aboard the boat or open-top bus, you’ll have plenty of guidance on which sights are best to see by foot.

The audio tours include the Wizard’s Walk (a Harry Potter-themed tour) as well as a spooky Jack the Ripper tour, and you can listen to them on The Original Tour’s partner app.

With three ways to explore the city bundled into one, it’s hard to find a better value way to experience London at Christmas.

Save 20% on The Original Tour’s Christmas Lights London Bus Tour + claim a FREE Thames sightseeing cruise. Use code: FESTIVELONDON

Terms and Conditions:
Code FESTIVELONDON expires on January 3, 2027 at 11:59pm BST. The offer is available from 12 October 2026 until 3 January 2027, with tours running daily from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The discount applies to adult and child tickets only, excludes family tickets and cannot be combined with other offers. Blackout dates apply and are from 21 December 2026 to 30 December 2026. Blackout dates are dates in which promotional offers cannot be used. Full T&Cs can be found on The Original Tour’s website at  theoriginaltour.com

Prices correct at the time of publication.

RYANAIR is axing 20 routes from two European airports this winter – including one route from a city in the UK.

The airline has said the increase in aviation tax has resulted in the cancellation of over one million seats.

From its winter 2026/2027 schedule, Ryanair will no longer fly certain routes to and from Brussels South Charleroi and Brussels Airport at Zaventem.

It will be withdrawing six of its aircraft from the two bases and relocating them to other European airports.

The UK that will be affected is between Newcastle and Brussels Charleroi.

Looking at its website, the route remans on sale up until January 22.

HAPPY HOLLY-DAYS

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The last outgoing flight is from Newcastle at 4.25pm with fares starting from £21.99.

The last inbound flight from Brussels to Newcastle is at 7.30pm with prices from £214.99.

At Brussels Airport in Zaventem, The Brussels Times reported that the only Ryanair route that will remain will be to Dublin.

By January 2027, the price of aviation tax will have risen by 50 percent going from €2 (£1.68) in January 2025 to €7 (£5.87) in January 2027.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary called the measure a “failed and stupid initiative.”

According to reports, eight routes will be discontinued from Brussels Airport in Zaventem.

Meanwhile, 12 routes will be cut from Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

This comes after Ryanair recently announced it would be cancelling all flights to Bremen in Germany.

Currently, Ryanair offers daily flights from London Stansted to Bremen for as little as £15.

But in a new announcement, these will come to an end in April 2027.

On the Ryanair website, it appears tickets for the final flights to Bremen are scheduled for March 27, 2027.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
First Round

DIVISION 2
Newport Harbor d. Los Osos, 25-21, 25-10, 25-23
Redondo Union d. Crean Lutheran, 25-15, 25-16, 25-16
San Juan Hills d. Mayfield, 25-19, 25-14, 25-14
Corona Centennial d. Bishop Montgomery, 21-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-19
Orange Lutheran d. Eastvale Roosevelt, 3-2
Murrieta Valley d. Palos Verdes, 3-2
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame d. West Ranch, 3-0
Long Beach Poly d. Campbell Hall, 25-17, 25-23, 25-14

DIVISION 4
Portola d. Trabuco Hills, 25-12, 25-17, 26-24
Burbank Burroughs d. Summit, 3-0
North Torrance d. El Dorado, 3-0
Yorba Linda d. Whitney, 25-22, 25-22, 25-13
Arcadia d. Santa Monica, 3-2
Notre Dame Academy d. San Marino, 3-1
Ventura d. Oak Hills, 25-15, 25-23, 25-19
Vista Murrieta d. Tesoro, 3-0
Ayala d. Village Christian, 3-2
Santa Barbara d. Ontario Christian, 3-1
Rancho Cucamonga d. Laguna Beach, 25-13, 16-25, 25-21, 25-21
Hemet d. San Dimas, 3-1
Glendora d. La Palma Kennedy, 3-2
Royal d. Xavier Prep, 25-18, 25-18, 25-20
Bonita d. Chadwick, 25-23, 25-12, 25-23
Linfield Christian at Chino Hills

DIVISION 6
Alta Loma d. Laguna Hills, 3-2
Villa Park d. Granite Hills, 27-29, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 15-10
Dos Pueblos d. Torrance, 3-0
Temescal Canyon d. Bishop Diego, 3-1
Temecula Prep d. Le Lycee, 26-24, 25-20, 22-25, 21-25, 15-11
St. Bonaventure d. Woodbridge, 3-1
Capistrano Valley Christian d. Rowland, 3-1
Ridgecrest Burroughs d. Loma Linda Academy, 25-20, 25-14, 25-16
Castaic d. Oxford Academy, 3-0
Santa Fe at Rancho Christian
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 3, Palm Springs 1
Rim of the World 3, Norte Vista 1
Schurr d. Holy Martyrs, 3-1
Mayfair d. Norwalk, 3-2
Yucaipa d. Oxnard, 3-1
Lakewood d. Covina, 3-0

DIVISION 8
Samueli Academy d. Montclair, 3-1
Bellflower d. Bolsa Grande, 25-11, 26-24, 20-25, 25-23
San Gorgonio d. Oxnard Pacifica, 3-0
San Gabriel Academy d. El Rancho, 26-28, 25-14, 25-21, 26-24
San Jacinto Valley d. Western, 3-0
Fairmont Prep d. St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy, 3-0
Burbank d. Colony, 3-0
Riverside Prep d. University Prep, 3-0
Garden Grove Pacifica d. Lancaster Desert Christian, 25-21, 25-14, 25-22
Lighthouse Christian d. Westminster La Quinta, 3-0
Jurupa Valley d. Kaiser, 25-11, 20-25, 25-15, 20-25, 18-16
Rio Mesa d. Orange Vista, 3-0
Big Bear d. Ramona, 25-20, 20-19, 25-17
Geffen Academy d. Pomona Catholic, 3-2
Artesia d. Century, 3-0
Bell Gardens d. West Valley, 3-0

DIVISION 10
Leuzinger d. Perris, 3-1
Glendale d. CSDR, 3-1
Orange d. Beacon Hill, 3-0
Canyon Springs d. Avalon, 3-1
Orange County Classical Academy d. Indian Springs, 25-22, 25-12, 17-25, 27-25
Adelanto d. Compton, 3-1
Chaffey d. Anza Hamilton, 3-2
New Roads d. Bassett, 3-0
La Quinta d. Westmark, 3-0
Miller d. Glendale Adventist, 3-0
Loara d. Montebello, 3-2
Redlands Adventist d. Rosemead, 3-1
Lancaster d. Cathedral City, 3-2
Ganesha d. Dominguez, 3-0
Cornerstone Christian d. River Springs, 3-0
Santa Ana Valley at St. Mary’s Academy, Wed.

Note: Second Round (Divisions 4, 6, 8, 10) Thurs., Oct. 22; Quarterfinals (Divisions 2, 4, 6, 8 10) Tues., Oct. 27 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Sat., Oct. 31 at higher seeds; Finals Nov. 6 or 7 at TBA.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Games at 6 p.m. unless noted)
First Round

DIVISION 1
Pool A
#8 Harvard-Westlake at #1 Mater Dei
#5 Santa Margarita at #4 Oaks Christian

Pool B
#7 Marymount at #2 Sierra Canyon
#6 Los Alamitos at #3 Mira Costa

Note: Open Division second round pool play Tues., Oct. 27; Third round pool play Sat., Oct. 31. Finals Sat., Nov. 7 at Cerritos College.

DIVISION 3
Cerritos at Sunny Hills
Oak Park at Santa Ana Foothill
Chaminade at Cerritos Valley Christian
Alemany at Beckman
Corona Santiago at Newbury Park
Redlands at Rosary
Murrieta Mesa at Etiwanda
Saugus at Thousand Oaks
Claremont at Corona del Mar
Flintridge Prep at Millikan
Bishop Amat at St. Margaret’s
La Salle at Huntington Beach
Chaparral at Crescenta Valley
Crossroads at La Canada
Lakewood St. Joseph at Marina
Aliso Niguel at Windward

DIVISION 5
West Torrance at Marlborough
Liberty at Academy of Academic Excellence
Hesperia Christian at Peninsula
Moorpark at Canyon Country Canyon
Troy at El Toro
Western Christian at Valencia
Culver City at San Jacinto
Santa Monica Pacifica Christian at St. Anthony
Southlands Christian at Viewpoint
Westridge at Arrowhead Christian
Irvine at Beaumont
Gahr at Paraclete
Maranatha at Sultana
Burbank Providence at La Serna
Quartz Hill at Temple City
Palm Desert at Capistrano Valley

DIVISION 7
CAMS at Pasadena
Immaculate Heart at Tustin
Brea Olinda at Laguna Blanca
Chino at Sacred Heart Los Angeles
South Hills at Placentia Valencia
Trinity Classical Academy at Nordhoff
Highland at Barstow
Webb at Mary Star of the Sea
Eisenhower at Pasadena Marshall
Whittier at Beverly Hills
Rialto at Vistamar
Northview at Calvary Baptist
Indio at Fullerton
Tahquitz at Buckley
Rio Hondo Prep at Arlington
St. Genevieve at Foothill Tech

DIVISION 9
Santa Paula at Rancho Mirage
Canoga Park AGBU at Saddleback
Cobalt at San Jacinto Valley Academy
Anaheim at St. Monica Academy
Carter at Nogales
Carpinteria at Santa Rosa Academy
Vasquez at Westminster
Azusa at Moreno Valley
St. Jeane de Lestonnac at Santa Clarita Christian
Jurupa Hills at Sierra Vista
Victor Valley at Desert Christian Academy
Wildwood at Hillcrest
Excelsior Charter at Buena Park
Milken Community at Eastside
California at Garden Grove
Twentynine Palms at Shadow Hills

DIVISION 11
Grove at Compton Early College
Ambassador Christian at El Monte Arroyo
Rubidoux at Mesrobian
Animo Leadership at Ramona
Long Beach First Baptist at La Sierra Academy
Thacher at Pacific Lutheran
Grace at Shalhevet
New Covenant at Newport Christian
Oak Grove at Tarbut V’ Torah
Cal Lutheran at Workman
EF Academy at Santa Clara
Desert Chapel at Lynwood
Norton Science Academy at Newbury Park Adventist
Liberty Christian at Joshua Springs
River Springs at Downey Calvary Chapel
Riverside Bethel Christian at Silver Valley

Note: Second round (Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) Sat., Oct. 24; Quarterfinals (Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9) Wed., Oct. 28; Semifinals (all divisions) Oct. 31; Finals (all divisions) Sat., Nov. 7 at TBA.

Bayern Munich host Arsenal on Wednesday, as the teams clash for the 16th time in Europe’s premier club competition.

Who: Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
What: UEFA Champions League, match day 3
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
When: Wednesday, October 21, at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 16:00 GMT.

The Champions League will live up to its name as the title holders from two top European leagues face-off in the group stage on Wednesday.

Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich host Premier League champions Arsenal at their Allianz Arena Munich fortress.

Bayern are on a 10-game unbeaten streak across all competitions this season, largely thanks to the striking prowess of Harry Kane and Michael Olise.

But the German giants, aiming for a seventh UCL crown, face an early test of their title credentials when they play Arsenal in Munich without in-form winger Olise. London-born Olise, who started in Arsenal’s junior system, is unavailable following a silly suspension in the last game.

The Frenchman’s absence hands a huge advantage to Arsenal, who have made a strong start to their English top-flight title defence, losing just one game all season. Bukayo Saka and Victor Gyokeres have led from the front, while Declan Rice has lived up to his reputation as a playmaker.

Bayern and Arsenal are familiar foes in the UCL, and it’s Vincent Kompany’s side that leads the head-to-head record, having won eight of the previous 15 meetings in the competition.

Before Wednesday’s fixture, here’s everything you need to know:

How have Bayern Munich played this season?

Bayern are top of the Bundesliga table with 14 points after six games. They have won four games and drawn two.

How have Arsenal played this season?

Arsenal are second in the Premier League standings with 18 points after seven games. The Gunners have won six games and lost just once.

What happened in the first and second Champions League rounds?

Bayern thrashed 10-man Bodo/Glimt 5-0 at home to kick off their UCL campaign and were held to a 3-3 draw by Viking in their next away game.

Arsenal started their campaign with a 1-0 away win over Napoli before beating Lille 3-0 at home in the second game.

Those results keep Arsenal seventh in the Champions League standings on six points and Bayern 10th on four points.

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer has given Bayern a 46.4 percent probability of winning this fixture, while Arsenal have a 29.3 percent chance.

There are 24.3 percent odds of the game ending in a draw.

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: Head-to-head

(Only in the Champions League)

• Matches: 15
• Bayern wins: 8
• Arsenal wins: 4
• Draws: 3

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal: Form guide

(Last five matches across all competitions; latest game first)

Bayern Munich: W-D-D-W-W

Arsenal: W-W-W-L-W

Who are the top players to watch?

Harry Kane and Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich): Forward Kane has been unstoppable for Bayern this season, with his nine goals in all competitions making him their joint leading scorer alongside Olise. The England international also has six assists. Winger Diaz, on the other hand, has five goals, which include a hat-trick over RB Leipzig in the last match.

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice (Arsenal): Winger Saka is Arsenal’s joint-top scorer this season, alongside Victor Gyokeres, with four goals in all competitions. Rice, on the other hand, leads the chart for the most assists (four).

Team news and predicted lineups

Bayern Munich

Olise is suspended after picking up two yellow cards inside a minute in Bayern’s 3-3 draw with Viking last week.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is doubtful, while midfielder Jamal Musiala is out for a few weeks with a thigh injury.

Predicted starting XI:

Manuel Neuer; Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah; Alphonso Davies; Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Lennart Kartl, Ismael Saibari, Luis Diaz; Harry Kane

Arsenal

Arsenal have three injuries in the squad – Piero Hincapie (ankle), Christos Tzolis (hamstring) and William Saliba (back).

Predicted starting XI:

David Raya; Jurrien Timber, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori; Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke; Kai Havertz

Katie Boulter moved into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open after she beat Viktorija Golubic in less than an hour.

The British number two defeated her Swiss opponent 6-2 6-1 in Osaka and will face either Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic or American Kayla Day in the next round.

Boulter saved a break point in the opening game but dominated from 2-2 in the first set, winning nine games in a row before Golubic took the penultimate game of the match.

The 30-year-old lost the British number one spot to Sonny Kartal on Monday, but is set to retake the position following her run this week.

Boulter, who is seeded eighth in the competition, said she was pleased with how she handled “difficult conditions”, with a strong wind affecting play.

“I think one of the biggest things for me is staying patient in the wind,” she said.

“Sometimes I can get a little frustrated, and I’m very pleased that I didn’t allow that to affect me today and I think I ended up playing some really good tennis in the second set. I’m really pleased with the performance.”

JOEY Essex has confirmed he will be returning to the boxing ring after signing a ‘big fight deal’.

It comes a week after he took on Dapper Laughs in a Misfits Boxing event last weekend, with the clash ending in a controversial draw.

Freshened up and having swapped the gloves for a suave suit, Joey walked the Pride Of Britain red carpet on Monday.

Talking to The Sun at the event, he shared: “I feel great, there isn’t a scratch on me! I feel like I’ve come out the ring better than when I first went in – I look even better.

“But yeah, feeling good and very proud of myself, it was a good night.”

Last week, we told how an investigation was underway into the result of the fight after some fans claimed it shouldn’t have been a draw.

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Answering whether he was happy with the result, Joey replied: “Yeah of course, it’s boxing – you know?

“It’s how it goes. Win, lose or draw, you’ve got to look back and to learn. You just keep learning, experience is a massive thing in boxing so onto the next.”

And the next won’t be too far away, he says.

“I’ve signed a big fight deal, so I guess I’ll be back in [the ring] soon. I don’t know who against, but yeah, I’ll be back in soon,” confirmed Joey.

While he may appear fighting fit now, Joey says he was in the depths of a tough training camp this time last month.

“The training for boxing is very intense, the training is harder than the actual night itself.

“This time around my camp was only about 5 and a half weeks, so it was a very short camp. A lot of my opponents were dropping out and stuff so longer camps are harder. But you learn and the harder you train the better you fight.”

An animal rights group is urging Crystal Palace to retire their live bald eagle mascot with immediate effect, saying a “bright stadium filled with boisterous fans is no place for animals”.

In a letter to Palace CEO Sharon Lacey, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) asked the Premier League club to stop using the eagle, named Phoenix, in pre-match displays at Selhurst Park and to never use live animal mascots again.

The London team, known as the Eagles since 1973, introduced a live eagle to matchdays in 2010. Kayla, who died in 2020, performed the role for 10 years and her replacement Phoenix made her debut against West Ham in August 2024.

Peta says birds can become “frightened, disoriented and panicked” in stadium environments, putting themselves and fans at risk.

Using them for displays and entertainment also denies the animals, who “would naturally avoid humans”, the opportunity to engage with their natural instincts, leading to “frustration and stress”, the group said.

The organisation has “detailed records” of incidents involving live mascots, including birds, being injured or killed in collisions with walls, windows and match balls, as well as a falcon embedding its talons in a spectator’s scalp after landing on his head.

In 2017, a Charlton Athletic fan was found guilty of trying to punch Kayla the eagle at a League Cup fixture two years earlier.

“Many professional sports teams use only willing humans as mascots and the club already has Pete the Eagle to excite the crowd,” said Dr Carys Bennett, Peta’s senior corporate projects manager.

“Bald eagles are widely recognised as symbols of freedom. They deserve better than to be used as an entertainment prop to amuse the Eagles’ fans.”

Manchester United manager’s troubles grow as seven players are out injured before a Champions League trip to Como.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick says he needs no reassurances from the club’s hierarchy as he knows winning games is the only way to silence speculation over his future.

Before a Champions League trip to Italian side Como on Wednesday, United have won just two of their 10 games in all competitions this season.

The Red Devils are off to their worst start to an English top-flight campaign in 40 years, having been knocked out of the League Cup by Brighton last month and comfortably beaten by Atletico Madrid last week in the Champions League.

Carrick was appointed manager on a permanent basis in May only after an impressive spell as interim boss in the second half of last season.

But he has quickly become just the latest manager under pressure at Old Trafford at a club that has fallen from grace since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.

“I know we’ve got to win football games for everything to flow and everything to fit into place. That’s the great thing about it; we can do something about it,” Carrick told his pre-match news conference in Italy.

“I don’t need any reassurance. It’s pretty clear.

“I know the role, I know the responsibilities. I don’t need anyone else to kind of tell me that or tell me when it’s going well or when it needs to be better. I know that myself.”

Carrick’s hopes of turning things around have not been aided by a growing injury list.

Lisandro Martinez started Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Leeds, despite his stinging criticism of the club’s lack of transfer activity following the defeat at Atletico, but had to be replaced at half time.

The Argentinian international will miss the trip to Como, as will Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven.

This autumn, the Supreme Court will consider a question with potentially far-reaching consequences for civil rights in the United States: Who gets to enforce them? On November 30, the justices will hear a case over whether employees of federally funded universities can sue under Title IX over alleged workplace sex discrimination. The Trump administration has urged the court to rule that they cannot, arguing that Congress never gave university employees a private right to bring such claims.

The dispute is the latest front in a broader legal push to restrict the ability of individuals and advocacy groups to take rights violations to court themselves. In June, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a federal appeals court ruling that barred Arkansas United, an immigrant advocacy organisation, from suing to enforce protections for voters who need assistance at the polls. Across a growing number of cases, Republican-led states and the Trump administration are advancing the same basic principle: Unless Congress has clearly authorised private citizens to sue, enforcement should largely be left to the government.

That may sound like an arcane legal argument, but its implications are anything but. If individuals and civil rights groups cannot go to court when laws protecting them are violated, the power to decide which rights are actually enforced increasingly rests with the very government that may be violating, ignoring or choosing not to enforce them.

A private right of action allows individuals, or groups acting on their behalf, to file lawsuits to enforce rights protected by law. These lawsuits can seek compliance with the law or compensation for past violations. Private rights of action are not automatic under US federal and state law. Congress and state legislatures sometimes explicitly authorise private lawsuits. Where they have not, courts have had to determine whether a law implicitly allows individuals or groups to sue, or whether enforcement rests solely with government authorities.

In practice, private litigation has been an essential part of enforcing rights throughout much of US history. As University of Virginia School of Law Professor George Rutherglen writes in a 2015 law review article (PDF):

“The long history of civil rights, dating back to Reconstruction, makes them quintessentially private rights, whose exercise and enforcement should depend primarily on the initiative of the individuals who bear those rights. Public enforcement no doubt remains necessary, and it has an equally long and distinguished pedigree in civil rights law, but it cannot entirely displace individual control over individual rights.”

Proponents of private rights of action, such as AARP, consider them an effective tool for vulnerable individuals and groups to protect their rights when government agencies are unwilling or unable to act. Critics, such as the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, however, argue that private lawsuits can encourage frivolous litigation.

These critics, often from the political right, have attempted to restrict private litigation through legal arguments against private causes of action. An example is the 2001 Alexander v Sandoval decision, in which a Supreme Court majority led by Justice Antonin Scalia ruled that Title VI did not provide a private right of action to enforce regulations prohibiting policies or practices with a disparate impact on protected groups – discrimination that can occur without clear evidence of intent.

The legal push against private rights of action has intensified in recent years. Republican-led states have increasingly challenged the doctrine of implied private rights of action, arguing that courts should reject private suits to enforce various types of rights. The Trump administration has also adopted this stance. When the court decided a 2021 voting rights case, Justice Neil Gorsuch submitted a one-paragraph concurrence, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, questioning whether “the Voting Rights Act of 1965 furnishes an implied cause of action,” despite that issue not being raised in the case itself.

The conservative push to restrict private rights of action has extended to a variety of areas. In June, the Supreme Court ruled against Falun Gong practitioners who accused Cisco Systems of helping the Chinese government develop surveillance technology used to facilitate their persecution, concluding that they could not pursue those aiding-and-abetting claims under the federal laws they had invoked.

One of the most consequential implications of restricting private rights of action is the threat to voting rights. In the Arkansas United case, the Eighth Circuit ruled that the immigrant advocacy organisation did not have the right to sue on behalf of non-native English speakers over the right to have language assistance in the voting booth. The ruling concerned Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But it extended a much broader argument already adopted by the Eighth Circuit: that private individuals and advocacy organisations cannot sue to enforce key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court’s refusal in June to hear Arkansas United left that ruling in place.

This argument has also been pushed by Republican-led governments in two redistricting and vote-dilution cases: Board of Election Commissioners v NAACP in Mississippi and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v Howe in North Dakota. In May, the Supreme Court vacated judgments in both cases and sent them back for reconsideration in light of its ruling in Louisiana v Callais, without resolving the private-enforcement question. That decision sharply raised the bar for some racial vote-dilution claims, endangering the voting power of Black, Hispanic and Native American communities across the US. At the same time, conservative-controlled governments are attempting to deny members and advocates for these communities the right to even bring some of these cases before the courts, arguing that only the Department of Justice can initiate action over such voting rights violations.

The broader danger is that, as private rights of action are curtailed, enforcement of federal law increasingly depends on decisions made by the executive branch.

The Trump administration is now pursuing a different means of restricting private enforcement. The Clean Air Act explicitly gives private citizens the right to bring certain lawsuits, yet the Justice Department has sought to intervene and dismiss a case brought against xAI over allegations that gas turbines at its power facility in Southaven, Mississippi, are violating federal environmental law and polluting surrounding communities. The facility powers xAI’s Colossus 2 data centre in nearby Memphis. In September, the Justice Department appealed to the Fifth Circuit and sought to halt the case. The department has argued that allowing the suit to proceed would threaten national security and the US pursuit of global leadership in AI. Here, the issue is not whether Congress created a private right to sue – it did – but whether the executive branch can nevertheless step in to stop such a case when it conflicts with its priorities.

Relying solely on the Justice Department to pursue such cases at the federal level is a particularly dubious proposition under the current administration. The department has also been weaponised to target political foes of President Trump. Its Civil Rights Division has been steered away from defending the rights of racial and ethnic minorities and refocused on cases brought by white plaintiffs alleging so-called “reverse discrimination”.

The Justice Department’s current politicisation may be reversed under a future administration. But even then, the erosion of private rights of action would leave the enforcement of civil and political rights increasingly dependent on a federal agency with limited resources and subject to political direction. For example, as Democracy Docket noted in 2024, of the 216 active voting rights and redistricting cases it was tracking at the time, only five were cases brought by the Justice Department. As Professor Rutherglen noted in his article, to rely primarily on government actors to enforce rights “is to transform the nature of those rights: from private to public, from individuals to groups, from legal control by plaintiffs to political control by administrators.”

Private rights of action are now being eroded, case by case. Politicians, civil liberties advocates and organisations must challenge this trend before more avenues for enforcement are closed off. Otherwise, protections won over decades may become increasingly dependent on the willingness of government authorities to uphold them, leaving those whose rights are violated with fewer ways to seek redress.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

THERE were plenty of skeptics when former Love Islander Zara McDermott struck up an unlikely romance with One Direction heartthrob Louis Tomlinson early last year.

But as Zara gives The Sun a rare insight into life with superstar Louis, it appears the couple have proved the naysayers wrong.

Zara and Louis were first spotted together in early March 2025, just two months after she split from partner of five years Sam Thompson.

At the time, the reality star and documentary-maker was subject to cruel trolling over the romance from Louis’ hardcore fanbase.

But sticking it out, not only is Zara seemingly stronger than ever with the musician, she’s ultra close to his famous sisters.

Walking the red carpet at last night’s Pride Of Britain Awards, Zara was arm in arm with Louis’ influencer younger sister Daisy.

“We’re going to have a big family Christmas this year, it’s rare that you get everyone in the same room, so it’ll be nice,” the duo tell me.

After confirming she’s looking forward to spending it with her other half and his clan, Zara admits: “I’ve had to try to figure out how to split my time between my family and Louis’ this year, it’s so difficult!”

As the pair discuss shopping for Louis – which Daisy assures is an easy task – Zara says in a rare gush: “He’s just a very happy person, he’s always happy. And he’s just always grateful.”

Despite being often seen at Louis’ California home, Zara – who noted how Louis’ siblings are her ‘sisters’ now – says the pair’s main residence is his North London home.

“It’s mostly London! I travel all over, but mostly London because that’s where all of my family and friends are.”

Zara and Louis keep their union famously private, with the pair only ever sharing a few snaps together online and rarely discussing one another.

However, she has dubbed the singer her “prince charming” – recently admitting: “I genuinely can’t even say one [irritating habit]. He’s like my Prince Charming. He’s like my fairytale.

“He is genuinely the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life, he’s an inspiration to me in so many ways.

“He is the most empathetic, considerate, kind person. He will always think about every single other person before himself, and I think that is such a rare quality to find in someone.”

There are even rumours that the loved-up pair could soon announce they are engaged, but the presenter remains stubbornly tight-lipped about wedding bells.

That doesn’t mean the relationship has been without its challenges, with Zara widely trolled by Louis’ fans who, at the beginning of their relationship, accused her of “following” the popstar around.

When Zara posted snaps of herself in Italy, where Louis was performing at a sold-out concert in Milan, earlier this year – she was subjected to vile backlash.

At the time, a source told The Sun: “Zara can’t win with the trolls.

“She’s either accused of ‘following’ Louis around the world or is slated for not being a supportive enough girlfriend.

“It’s like she’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

But keeping a dignified silence appears to have done the trick for Zara, who is proving to his fans that she certainly doesn’t seem to be going anywhere – and the whole Tomlinson clan are behind her.

An ‘overpowering sewage smell’ was reported on board, along with flies seen around uncovered food. Passengers have been complaining about various stomach issues

A group of 12 passengers who fell seriously ill onboard a P&O ship are taking legal action after their dream Mediterranean cruise turned into a “nightmare” holiday from hell. The British passengers were struck down with gastric illness and flu-like symptoms while travelling around the Greek islands on the P&O Azura.

The holidaymakers, who paid up to £3,000 each, claim they encountered an “overpowering sewage smell” on board and raised concerns about hygiene in buffet restaurants where flies could reportedly be seen around uncovered food. Many were confined to their cabins during the eight-night voyage between May 28 and June 4 this year, while others were left hospitalised upon returning to the UK and some say they are still feeling the effects now.

The group, who had been celebrating a 60th birthday, have now instructed international injury lawyers to investigate their illnesses. Julie Stones, 53, from Bolton, was among those who says the cruise left her battling a catalogue of health problems.

She first became ill on June 2 with a sore throat and diarrhoea before her condition spiralled. She suffered vomiting, severe stomach pain, fever, headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, a persistent cough, and pain in her back and legs.

After returning home, she attended A&E, was diagnosed with a chest infection and later required further GP and hospital treatment. Julie, who has several underlying health conditions and uses a powered wheelchair, said she spent weeks largely confined to bed and relied on help from her husband and daughter.

Julie said: “This holiday was supposed to be a special celebration with friends and something I’d been looking forward to for months. Instead, it turned into a complete nightmare. It felt as though one thing after another kept going wrong and, as the holiday went on, I just got worse and worse.

“One thing that really stood out was the overpowering sewage smell near the Manhattan Bar. It was so noticeable that other passengers were commenting on it. I also had concerns about hygiene in the buffet areas. I remember seeing food left uncovered with flies around it and people entering the restaurant without sanitising their hands.

“Even after returning home, the symptoms didn’t go away. I’ve needed hospital treatment, GP appointments, and medication, but I’m still not back to normal. More than two months later, I’m still dealing with fatigue and headaches. I just want to understand what happened.”

Linda Chapman, from Bury, who was celebrating her 60th, also became seriously ill after developing symptoms on the final evening of the cruise. The mum and grandmother suffered chills, vomiting, breathlessness, wheezing, a sore throat, and a persistent cough.

Her condition worsened so badly after landing back in Manchester that she contacted NHS 111 and was taken to A&E, where she was prescribed antibiotics. Linda, who works as a housekeeper on an NHS stroke ward, was forced to take two weeks off work.

Linda said: “I remember being on the plane. The flight was only a few hours, but it felt like forever. People kept asking if I was okay and I must have looked as awful as I felt. I just kept telling myself that I’d be home soon and could finally go to bed.

“What I didn’t realise was that I’d end up spending weeks like that. In my view, hygiene onboard wasn’t up to scratch and the food often didn’t seem fresh at all, despite the cruise being very expensive. What did surprise me was just how ill I became. I was struggling to breathe and, combined with the stomach problems, I just couldn’t work out what was wrong with me. It was a very frightening and disorientating experience.”

Sharon Robinson, 51, from Wigan, was the first member of the group to fall ill. She initially believed she had a chest infection but later suffered stomach pain, nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, fever-like symptoms, and extreme fatigue.

Despite feeling unwell, Sharon tried to continue with the group’s planned celebrations but says she spent the rest of the cruise exhausted. Sharon said: “I’m unbelievably disappointed.

“Even though I felt awful, I kept trying to take part in as much as I could because I’d been looking forward to this cruise for a year. I was the first in our group to become ill, but after the first few days it felt as though everyone was dropping like flies.

“One thing that’s burned into my memory is the strong sewage smell onboard. It still makes me feel sick when I think about it. So many people in our group became unwell that it’s difficult not to have concerns about what caused it. I still feel very sad about the whole experience and I’m still suffering because of it.”

Jatinder Paul, the lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the passengers, said: “Cruise holidays should provide passengers with an opportunity to relax and enjoy their time away. However, they also involve large numbers of passengers sharing restaurants, bars and other facilities in confined space so robust hygiene measures are vital in helping to prevent illnesses from spreading.

“What’s particularly concerning for our clients is that so many from the same party became unwell, with several still having their lives affected by symptoms. Our clients understandably have questions about their illnesses and whether more should have been done to protect them.

“Nothing will make up for what they’ve been through, but we’re determined to provide them with the answers they deserve.”

P&O has been approached for comment.