A POPULAR European city destination is adopting a green voucher scheme that will see tourists rewarded for litter picking this summer.

The city is hoping to attract tourists who don’t mind getting their hands a bit dirty on their holiday.

Germany‘s capital, Berlin, is set to introduce the ‘BerlinPay’ scheme that will see tourists rewarded for engaging in sustainable behaviour, like supporting social projects and collecting rubbish.

Those getting involved are set to receive benefits at museums, restaurants, and Berlin experiences when the scheme gets underway this summer.

This year, the scheme is going to be centred around water tourism and, partnered with the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, the model hopes to make responsible engagement around the waters visible and appreciated.

The tourism agency, Visit Berlin, has described the scheme as “an initiative that raises awareness and encourages responsible behaviour on and around Berlin’s waterways among visitors and Berliners”.

HOL NO

Popular European city brings back ‘tourist tax’ this week – ignoring risks £260 fine

SEA IT

UK seaside town undergoing a £40m revamp is home to the country’s best pier 

The agency has continued: “Those who behave responsibly on and around the water, for example by collecting trash, beautifying the neighbourhood, or supporting social projects – receive recognition from participating partners: small benefits or special Berlin experiences.”

The scheme is hoping to create a virtuous circle, where people get engaged, appreciate the city, and in turn are rewarded with a positive experience that will then drive engagement up further.

Berlin is currently looking for companies and initiatives to get involved with the reward scheme this summer and is keen on partners related to “Berlin’s water world”.

The tourism agency emphasized companies involved in water sports, leisure and tourism, gastronomy, hotel industry, culture and education, mobility, and environmental and urban initiatives should apply.

This new project appears to be following in the footsteps of Denmark, which launched ‘CopenPay’ for the country’s capital back in 2024.

So far, the scheme has proved to be effective and has had positive effects in the city, as tourists are given rewards such as boat trips and free bike rentals for their sustainable behaviour.

The head of communications and behavioural research at Wonderful Copenhagen, Rikke Holm Petersen, has reiterated the benefits to both the tourists and the city.

“When people are on holiday, they are more open to new ideas, and with CopenPay we have shown that tourists are not only happy to take part but are also inspired to…take new habits home with them,” Peterson said.

Commenters who never have been — and never will go — complain about the cost, the influencers, the hype. Purists wax poetic about the days when they disappeared into three days of music and the field wasn’t overtaken by brands like Barbie and e.l.f. cosmetics. Defenders claim they can camp their way to an affordable weekend, and others spend the whole time posting. A select few even talk about great performances they saw — it’s still a music festival.

But one thing everybody can agree on: Coachella has changed. I should know. I’ve been covering it as a journalist since 2007.

Rapid advancements in technology and mass adoption of social media have brought out the best and worst of the festival — not just on screens thousands of miles away, but to those of us trying not to trip over the makeshift photoshoot you might have seen on Instagram.

Coachella pre-2010 was a purist’s paradise

Some of Coachella’s most iconic moments happened before smartphones: The Flaming Lips in a human hamster ball in 2004; Daft Punk’s 2006 pyramid set; Rage Against the Machine reuniting and calling for the George W. Bush administration to be tried for war crimes in 2007. If you even had a cellphone when Coachella started in 1999 it was probably a Nokia brick or a flip phone with an antenna that had limited talk and text options.

In the early years, there were no brand activations on the field; nobody knew what an influencer was and the only corporate sign you saw was for Heineken in the beer gardens. (There was no Heineken House with its own stage, just signs advertising the beer.)

The grounds were also considerably smaller, making it easier to explore the different stages and discover new music. You didn’t have fancy food options, but a slice of Spicy Pie was less than $10. (Coachella upgraded its food options from festival staples to weekend outposts of L.A. restaurants in 2014.)

The music was the draw. The festival’s track record includes artists like the Killers, the Black Keys, Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar climbing up from small type to headliner on the lineup poster.

Livestreams and influencers made Coachella’s reach global

The vibes started to shift in 2010 as smartphones grew in popularity, although the service on the field was spotty. It was the first year Coachella offered a livestream — available via Facebook and MySpace. The next year, the stream moved to YouTube, where it remains and draws millions of viewers.

As Coachella expanded to twin weekends due to popular demand on the ground in 2012, it also had the first viral moment fans could enjoy from thousands of miles away: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg brought 2Pac back to life via a hologram.

Celebrities were always at Coachella (I spotted Ryan Seacrest, Corbin Bernsen, David Hasselhoff and Danny DeVito in my early years), but the rise of social media made celebrity culture a key part of the event. By 2011, TMZ was posting about stars like Lindsay Lohan. Clips from Coachella went viral and ended up on shows like “Tosh.0” and referenced in “Community.”

The art, which was always part of the festival, became bigger and more iconic. On the growing photo app Instagram, larger-than-life sculptures of astronauts started appearing in selfies.

Brands saw an opportunity. American Express, H&M and Samsung launched activations on-site in 2015. The party scene outside the festival, with non-affiliated events that were timed because everyone was in town for Coachella, became marketing vehicles. Brands are still cashing in more than a decade later.

The next watershed moment was Beyoncé in 2018. Today, most headlining sets at the fest feel as if they are designed for the viewing experience on the livestream rather than the fans on the field (ahem, Justin Bieber and his laptop). But Beyoncé’s spectacle was just as mind-blowing on-site as it was at home. A year later, the “Homecoming” special debuted on Netflix, widening the reach.

Coachella became a key part of the pop culture landscape, and then it became a cornerstone of the influencer economy.

Behind all the hype, there’s still a music festival hiding

I inadvertently photobombed approximately 500 people just trying to go to and from the press tent last weekend and my inbox is overflowing with requests for coverage of off-site events with brands, celebs and TikTok influencers, including social media clips.

But at the end of the day, Coachella is still a music festival, and a really good one at that. The Strokes, David Byrne, Jack White, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Wet Leg, Fujii Kaze and even Less Than Jake in the Heineken House were some of the best performances I had seen in years.

Coachella is what you make of it. And besides, everyone knows there are fewer influencers on Weekend 2.

Today’s top stories

A health worker administers a measles test on Fernando Tarin, of Seagraves, Texas, at a mobile testing site outside Seminole Hospital District on Feb. 21, 2025.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

Increasing measles cases in California

• California in 2026 has already seen its highest number of annual measles cases in seven years amid an ongoing resurgence of a disease once considered effectively eradicated in the U.S.
• The re-emergence comes as vaccination rates have tumbled nationwide in recent years.

Testing LAX’s long-awaited train

• LAX’s 2.25-mile electric train system will begin running without passengers next week as testing advances following a series of delays.
• The Automated People Mover system began construction in 2019 and was initially slated to open to the public in 2023.

Nationwide recall of a popular anxiety drug

• Specific bottles of Xanax, one of the most widely prescribed medications to treat anxiety and panic disorders, has been recalled due to its failure to dissolve at a standard rate.
• FDA officials are not warning against consuming the product at this time.

What else is going on

Commentary and opinions

This morning’s must-read

Another must-read

For your downtime

Reporter Deborah Vankin gets a massage by an “Aescape” robot at Pause Wellness Studio.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

Staying in

A question for you: Are you planning on leaving California for another state? If so, tell us why.

Laura says, “I left California during the pandemic. Part of the push factor for me was politics, but not blue politics. I had been living in OC since 2018 and was surprised it was so Conservative (and conservative). That became a bigger source of discomfort for me as the vaccine question demonstrated how our neighbors’ decisions can impact us directly. Rather than moving elsewhere in California, which would have sorted out the political discomfort nicely, I moved to a much more affordable state where I had family.”

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally … from our archives

Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2017.

(Amy Harris / Invision / AP)

On April 16, 2018, Compton’s own Kendrick Lamar became the first hip-hop artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.

He won for his album “Damn.,” which the Times’ Mikael Wood heralded as Lamar’s graduation to pop superstardom.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.

EMILY has been to Paris (obviously), the Alps, St Tropez, Venice, Rome – and now, it looks as if she’s off to Greece.

According to show creator Darren Star, filming is expected to take place across Greece and Monaco with production starting as soon as next month.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

With the cast members like Lily Collins set to jet off to Greece, we’ve put together our favourite islands with top resorts and world’s prettiest villages…

Crete

As an anti-fly-and-flopper, you know a hotel is good when even I’m tempted to just stay there the whole time.

Over on the west side of Crete, I spent a blissful few days at the family-friendly Royal Senses Resort & Spa.

GREAT ESCAPES

Ten European city or beach holidays for under £100pp INCLUDING flight & hotel

SHORE WINS

How to bag yourself a stunning British seaside holiday break for just £49

The sprawling resort had me sold instantly with the massively long heated swimming pool, as well as the adult-only spa section with day beds and hot tubs.

I had way too much fun travelling on the private hotel funicular every day up to my two-storey suite (that made me feel like I’d stepped into a Selling Sunset property).

Maldives floating breakfasts, live music at dinner, it was serious luxury without having to spend too much – rooms start from around £146 a night.

If you really do want to explore, this side of the island has some beautiful little spots, such as Margarites – a small village known for its ceramics – or Rethimno, a coastal city perfect for market shopping and cocktails.

– Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor

A feeling of zen still wafts over me when I look back on my visit to Crete, around eight years ago.

Mum and I were staying in the sleepy town of Agios Nikolaos, on the east coast of the island, in a rugged and airy resort whose white-washed walls were contrasted by large pots of fuschia-coloured roses and climbing vines.

The hotel was a short wander to the main port, where terracotta-roofed houses overlook sparkling waters lined by authentic restaurants serving properly delicious tzatziki and Greek salads.

Gioma Meze is nestled into the cliff-face and whips up all the classic mezze dishes in a fuss-free setting.

From this port you can hitch a boat over to the teeny island of Spinalonga, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It once operated as a leper colony in the early 1900s and has a fascinating story to tell – much of its stony fortress remains intact.

– Sophie Swietochowski, Assistant Travel Editor

Feeling inspired? Here are some other Greece holidays…

*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue.

Blue Bay Beach Resort, Rhodes

The four-star Blue Bay Beach Resort sits a stone’s throw away from this beach, and has its own pools, splash park and water slides. Here you’re only a 15-minute drive away from Rhodes Old Town, where UNESCO-listed medieval streets wind through castle-like architecture. Make sure to check out the Street of the Knights, one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe.

BOOK HERE

Gouves Bay Hotel, Crete

Gouves Bay Hotel keeps things simple on a sunny Greek island location right by the sea. This hotel has a relaxed, family-friendly feel with two pools, a kids’ club and easy all-inclusive dining. And if you fancy a change of atmosphere, Gouves’ bars and tavernas are just a short walk away for your choice of evening drinks with a view.

BOOK HERE

Aegean View Aqua Resort, Kos

The picturesque hotel is perched up high and surrounded by lush greenery in the historic harbour town of Kos. Here you’ll find a huge swimming pool and a waterpark, as well as activities like darts, tennis, football and more. There’s evening entertainment six days a week, and an on-site spa with a hot tub and sauna to unwind.

BOOK HERE

TUI Blue Lagoon Queen, Halkidiki

This mega resort with six pools and its own waterpark is rated five stars by TUI. In the main restaurant, you’ll see show cooking displays as you take your pick from an extensive international buffet. Plus, Kalives beach is on the doorstep of this hotel, with its strikingly blue water and soft golden sands.

BOOK HERE

Mykonos

Being one of the most expensive islands in the Cyclades, Mykonos oozes glamour and luxury from its exclusive resorts to sleek beach clubs.

But it still has the charm of Greece with its classic white architecture, lime-coated trees and stone pathways all perfectly framed by bright pink bougainvillea.

Chora Town is beautiful and has lots of boutique shops selling elegant dresses, designer handbags and it is fun to window shop – or splash out if you wish.

There are 16 windmills on Mykonos and seven are on the hill in Chora which at sunset makes for an incredible photo.

If you’re lucky, you might spot several of the island’s pelicans walking about too.

They’re a mascot of the island, starting with the original, Petros who roamed the island for 30 years.

– Alice Penwill, Travel Reporter

Kefalonia

My very first Greek island holiday is still my favourite – when I took my son, then three years old, to the stunning Kefalonia.

The island in the Ionian Sea — a Hollywood star in its own right thanks to the 2001 film version of Louis de Bernières’ wartime novel — ticked all the boxes and boasts what is often claimed as Greece’s best beach.

We spent a week on the island in mid-May and enjoyed everything it had
to offer — without spending too much money.

Our timing (outside of school holidays) meant we were one of the few
tourist groups on the island.

The weather was still perfect though. The average is highs of 21C in
May and the same in October. There were no crowds, either.

So we were eating al fresco at top seafront restaurants without
needing to make a booking.

On my favourite day, we picnicked at Myrtos Beach with huge Greek
tomatoes, spanakopita, feta and hunks of bread with olive oil.

In a post lunch dip at what is regularly named one of Greece’s top
five beaches, we were the only people in the sea.

– Caroline McGuire, Head of Sun Travel (Digital)

Corfu

I’m convinced I’ve found the most underrated spot in Corfu.

Sidari sits on the northern tip of the island, and is often overlooked by those heading to popular resorts like Kavos or Corfu Town.

Sidari has some of the most stunning beaches I’ve seen. The Canal d’Amour is a dramatic sandstone cliff split in two to reveal a tiny beach, with pretty turquoise waters and caves to explore.

A short walk away you’ll find a main strip lined with affordable restaurants that feel super high-end.

Savannah Seaside offers amazing fruity cocktails and delicious flame-grilled skewers in a tropical beach club setting, plus there’s plenty of spots serving gyros and fries for €3.

Plus hotels in this region are mind-bogglingly affordable. I stayed in the Eleni Apartments with TUI, who offer week-long breaks there including return flights from £297.

So if you want a Greek island holiday with plenty of sea views, fruity cocktails and delicious gyros – but without the Mykonos prices – give Sidari a try.

– Jenna Stevens, Travel Reporter

Santorini

Santorini is just as beautiful in real-life as it is in all those posts on Instagram.

The clifftop village of Oia on the northern tip of the island is the most famous where you’ll see the three blue dome churches across the skyline.

It’s even been called one of the most beautiful villages in the world.

Yes, it’s busy. So if you want to avoid the crowds then I’d suggest going in shoulder season like I did in May.

In saying that, you do still have to dodge tourists for a good photo and walking down lively Nikos Monikos Street was particularly cramped.

But it’s all worth it for when you get a small gap in the streets between villas and get a glimpse of the sparkling Aegean Sea.

If you want peace and quiet, and stunning views, head up to the Venetsanos Winery.

Not only does it offer wine tastings, there are unbeatable views across the Santorini caldera.

– Alice Penwill, Travel Reporter

For more on Greece, here’s where you can find the world’s best island with chalky houses and beach clubs.

And this ‘last paradise’ island is unknown to tourists and where locals actually go on holiday.

IF you’re looking for some of the most beautiful beachfront holiday homes, head to Camber Sands.

Two that sit right on the famous beach have been named as being some of the most ‘idyllic’ in the country from cosy cottages to A-shaped beach houses.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel. 

Camber Sands sits on the south-east corner of England and its location makes it one of the warmest beaches in the country.

The spot also heats up quickly thanks to its sand dunes that absorb heat from the sun – and the spot is sheltered by the dunes too.

In spring, it can have highs of 19C, which is roughly 1C warmer than other popular UK spots like Dungeness and Studland Bay.

GO SEA IT

£9.50 holiday spot with shipwrecks, seals offshore & horseshoe-shaped waterfalls

GRUBS UP

Best pubs, fish and chip shops and cafes in Sussex – by Sun readers & locals

Camber Sands has an average of 195.19 hours of sunshine logged per month too.

The beach is often called the Hamptons of the UK, and it’s a favourite of Caroline McGuire’s (Head of Sun Digital).

She said: “Sussex lays claim to Camber Sands, but according to Wikipedia a small fraction of this seven-mile-long beach reaches over the Kent border. 

“Which helpfully means we can use it as part of this round-up, as it is easily the best beach in the area.

“Backed by large sand dunes, Camber is so large that you can always find a spot – even on the hottest of summer days – if you are willing to walk. 

“After an afternoon lazing in the sun, drive 10 minutes down the road to the medieval town of Rye for a pub dinner.“

There are some beautiful places to stay in Camber Sands – and two made it onto Country Living’s list of ’14 idyllic Airbnb beach houses in the UK’.

The first house is called ‘Coastguards Beach House‘ which is right at the edge of the beach perched high up on the shoreline.

Guests can rent out the entirety of the 1875 cottage which has a cosy log burner inside the comfortable lounge.

In the kitchen is a long table for hearty breakfasts and family dinners.

The cottage can sleep up to five guests and it has direct beach access with steps down to the sands.

Lots of guests described it as ‘cosy’, ‘remote’ and ‘peaceful’ thanks to its location away from the main beach hustle and bustle.

You can book a five-night stay in May for five guests from £771 – or £30.84pppn.

For more spots by the beach, check out these seaside towns…

Sidmouth, Devon
Take a trip to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and wander down Jacob’s Ladder to its pretty shingle beach. Make sure to walk along the promenade and check out the independent shops and boutiques. Stay at the four-star Harbour Hotel for sea views and traditional afternoon tea from £135 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Whitby, North Yorkshire
With a history of sailors and vampires, a dramatic coastal path, and the very best in pints and scampi, it takes a lot to beat Whitby. Pop in the amusements, eat award-winning fish and chips, and board the all-singing Captain Cook boat tour on the harbour. The Royal Hotel overlooks the harbour with stays from just £68 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Old Hunstanton, Norfolk
This town has some of the best beach walks beside striped limestone cliffs, a Victorian lighthouse and 13th century ruins. The beach has golden sands with rolling dunes and colourful beach huts, backed by a pretty pinewood forest. Stay at a beachfront hotel from £100 per room.

BOOK A STAY

Seahouses, Northumberland
This is an authentic British seaside break, with fishing boats bobbing on its pretty harbour and fresh catches of the day to enjoy in local restaurants. There’s no flashing arcades here, but there’s a great beach with rockpools, boat trips, and you may even spot a grey seal, too. Treat yourself to a stay at the Bamburgh Castle Inn from £129 per room.

BOOK A STAY

The second Camber Sands Airbnb on the list is an A-framed beach house called ‘Barefoot‘.

This is the perfect spot for anyone who wants to beach right on their doorstep as it lies just behind the wooden deck of the house.

Inside is bright and modern, with huge windows that let in all the natural light.

The main bedroom is where you’ll find the best views thanks to the A-shaped of the house.

During the evenings, light up the wood burner and toast marshmallows while watching the sunset.

It has four bedrooms and can sleep up to eight people.

For those with pets, you can bring up to two dogs for an extra £35 per stay.

It’s received rave reviews and has a rating of 4.89 stars out of five on Airbnb.

One guest wrote: “Beautiful house in beautiful surroundings! Absolutely stunning setting, right on the beach and next to the dunes.”

A four-night stay in May for eight guests costs £3,274 – of £102.31pppn.

For more on beaches, here are our 26 must-visit UK beaches for 2026 – including tropical-feel spots and family-friendly finds.

Plus, here’s where you can find the best UK beach – AND it gets the least amount of rain in the country.

I went behind the scenes on a Marella cruise and ended up getting a sneak peek at some of the rooms that the passengers usually don’t get to see

Cruises are made to feel effortless – from island-hopping, flowing cocktails to all-inclusive dining. But behind the scenes, an army of staff are working around the clock to keep things powered to the highest of stands.

For my first Caribbean cruise on board the Marella Discovery, I was given access to areas passengers don’t normally see. After getting to grips with the 11-deck vessel – home to nine restaurants, six bars and everything from mini golf, an escape room and a climbing wall to keep you entertained, it was time to see the ship from a new angle.

Here’s everything I learned…

Where the magic happens

Only a handful usually get to see the command centre of any ship; the bridge. Here, the Captain and his crew navigate these huge vessels from ‘parking’ in tight corners at the docks, to steering the course when out in the middle of the ocean. The view from the bridge was unlike anything I’d seen before, and quite impressive. We watched how the crew navigated as our ship docked among huge superyachts owned by millionaire (just to add that extra bit of pressure).

Your air con affects the speed of the ship

Next, I head into the engine room where a team operates the smooth running of five engines, two massive propulsion motors and multiple air-conditioning systems – working 24 hours a day. Modern cruise ships like the Marella Discovery distribute power to meet the demand. That means lighting, kitchens and even your cabin’s air con will play a role. “If we were in Alaska in the middle of the night, with no air con running, we could reach 24 knots,” one crew member explained. “But during the day, when everything’s in use, it drops to around 22.” At full speed, the ship burns around 8,000 litres of fuel an hour. Efficiency is key.

It all comes out in the wash

In the laundry room, staff wash around 1000 towels a day with industrial machines and steam presses. It’s not just the passengers who are catered for. In these rooms tucked out of sight, the crew’s immaculately white uniforms are maintained. Since that’s a lot of similar looking clothing, every item is labelled with a unique number to make sure they go back to the right person.

The show must go on

As a theatre fan, I couldn’t wait to get up on the stage of the Broadway Show Lounge – from a view not many get to see. Behind the curtain, the performers do more than just sing and dance. I learned that they handle their own props, do their own hair and make-up, and of course all of the warm-ups they undergo. In the dressing room, wigs, hairspray and hairpins fill every space, but among the seeming chaos there’s a strong camaraderie. After working with each other for three months at sea at a time, it’s clear the performers are like family.

The motion in the ocean might be in your head

Unlike the seasoned sailor, I admit that being a cruise-newbie means I feel the ship moving especially at night. However, according to the crew, the tilting is far less dramatic than I was expecting. Thanks to stabilisers, the ship can only ever move to a maximum of one degree either side. “We keep your soup in your bowl and your drinks in your glasses,” one jokes.

The most eaten food on board? It’s not what you’d expect

I got a chance to see the ship’s galley – the central multi-floor hub of the ship where thousands of meals are prepared every single day. A team of 101 chefs work around the clock to fuel up 1800 passengers and 700 crew members every single day. The head chef shows me what is known as ”the manual’, a list of detailed recipes for every single food item on the menu – ensuring the exact same meal can be recreated anywhere in the TUI fleet. Around 3,600 meals are served at lunch and dinner, but breakfast is the real peak with passengers get through a staggering 7000 dishes a day. The most popular food on board? Eggs. Around 2,300 are served up at breakfast alone – that’s a lot of omelettes.

The customer service is down to a tea

It’s not just the big systems that are carefully thought out on Marella. As an avid Yorkshire tea drinker, I was thrilled to see the boat was well stocked even in the Caribbean. One crew member told me it’s something that was introduced after passenger feedback and quickly became a staple.

Book the holiday

Marella Cruises offers a seven-night Tropical Isles round trip from La Romana, Dominican Republic on Marella Discovery from £1573 per person. Price based on two adults sharing a Deck 2/3 inside cabin on an all-inclusive basis. Includes flights from London Gatwick, 20kg of luggage per person, transfers, tips, and service charges. Find out more at tui.co.uk/cruise.

One man who knows the ins and outs of finding the ideal hotel is travel expert Mark Wolters, who outlined how you can spot top quality accommodation in 60 seconds

A seasoned traveller who has visited more than 80 countries has revealed how you can identify a quality hotel in just 60 seconds. As we’re all aware, a decent hotel can determine whether a holiday succeeds or fails; be it the standards of cleanliness, the facilities, the swimming pool, or any other factor, having a solid place to retreat to after an exhausting day helps you properly relax.

Not every hotel measures up – the web is awash with stories of dreadful experiences, ranging from the merely disappointing to the absolutely horrendous. So, as we begin mapping out our spring and summer escapes, any guidance on securing a good one will surely prove invaluable.

One person who knows the tricks of finding an ideal hotel is Mark Wolters, the instantly familiar face behind the Wolters World YouTube channel, which boasts 1.17 million subscribers.

As an experienced world traveller, Mark has journeyed everywhere from Uruguay to Albania. Now he’s revealing his top hotel tips to help others steer clear of a disastrous booking.

Check the most recent reviews

His first suggestion was examining online reviews of the accommodation. Importantly, you should focus on the latest reviews, since a hotel that enjoyed five-star status a decade ago might have deteriorated – or improved considerably.

Mark explained: “Are they still getting that nine out of 10 or eight out of 10? Or have they fallen to a six or a seven? Because you want to look for that consistency.

“Because if they’re consistently getting nines and tens today and five years ago, that shows that that hotel continuously cares about their guests and their hotel, which means boom, probably going to be a good hotel.”

Actually read the reviews

Mark advised people to scrutinise the reviews and look out for specific keywords and phrases, such as “clean”, “safe”, “comfortable, “, “good location” or “attentive staff”, for example.

He added that you should, for the same reason as above, remember to sort these reviews by date and check whether the hotel has responded to guests online, paying close attention to whether their replies were courteous and professional.

Check that the price makes sense

Mark said: “I know we all want to find that great hotel for a super low price, but a lot of times, (if) they have to have heavy discounts, it’s for a reason.

“So, what you want to see is if you’re looking in an area like here in Lille, you’ll see that, oh, similar hotels have similar prices, and does that hotel fit in that same similar price range. That makes sense.

“I mean, they can have a deal every so often, but a good hotel doesn’t have to have a deal because they’re a good hotel.”

Check photos posted by guests

Mark highlighted the importance of not only looking at the photos posted by the hotel, which could be old, but also at those shared by guests online. Check if these line up with the originals.

Cancellation policy

He went on to advise that you should review your hotel’s cancellation policy because good hotels “know that life happens”, and that our plans can change. Mark noted that desirable hotels “don’t punish guests”.

Location, location, location

It’s well worth pinpointing the exact location of the hotel on a map to establish whether it’s within easy reach of local amenities or attractions. Crucially, Mark also highlighted that you can check whether the hotel is situated in a safe neighbourhood.

Check the description

Mark said: “Is it a realistic description of the hotel, of the rooms, or is it something like a ‘tranquil oasis away from the problems of your life in the outskirts of the world?'”

If it’s packed with “marketing jargon”, as Mark puts it, he suggested you should avoid it, adding that good hotels will be “realistic”.

Trust your gut

Finally, Mark said that when you check out hotels online, much of the time, you will get a “gut feeling” and advised people to trust it.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Guards severely beat and pepper-sprayed detainees at a state-run immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades this month, according to a lawyer for two detainees.

The guards targeted Katherine Blankenship’s clients and other detainees at the facility after they complained about not having phone access on April 2, Blankenship said in a court declaration.

The phones, which weren’t functioning, are the primary way for detainees to communicate with family and their attorneys while in the detention center. The guards began taunting the detainees, who were in a cell, then became “more aggressive and were yelling and threatening to enter the cage,” Blankenship wrote.

When one detainee approached a guard, he was punched in the face. The guards then started beating other detainees in the cell. One of Blankenship’s clients was punched in the right eye, thrown to the floor and beaten by several guards. He was kicked in the head and his shoulder and arm were injured. A guard put his knee on the detainee’s neck while restraining him, according to the attorney’s declaration, which included a photo made during a video call almost a week later showing the detainee with a bruised eye.

“The officers beat several people during this incident and broke another detained individual’s wrist,” Blankenship wrote. The detainee whose wrist was broken is not one of her clients.

Phone service was restored the next day without any explanation for why it was cut off.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management didn’t respond to questions emailed Wednesday about the incident.

Blankenship’s declaration was included in a court filing accusing state and federal officials of failing to comply with a federal judge’s preliminary injunction last month ordering detention center officials to provide access to timely, free, confidential, unmonitored and unrecorded outgoing legal calls. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell in Fort Myers, Florida also said facility officials must provide at least one operable telephone for every 25 people held in the facility.

The judge’s order came in a response to a lawsuit that claimed detainees’ First Amendment rights were being violated.

State officials have denied restricting detainees’ access to their attorneys and cited security and staffing reasons for any challenges. Federal officials who also are defendants denied that detainees’ First Amendment rights were violated. State officials last week filed a notice that they plan to appeal the judge’s order.

The Everglades facility was built last summer at a remote airstrip by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to support President Trump’s immigration policies. Florida also has built a second immigration detention center in north Florida.

During a visit last week to the detention center, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, said she wasn’t given the chance to talk to detainees. She described conditions at the detention center as “inhumane.”

“The way the detainees are housed is cruel and unnecessary,” she said.

Schneider writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed to this report.

The drop-off in Belfast is an issue when it comes to Antrim’s future.

In December 2024, the county launched a new five-year strategic plan, addressing a range of issues including player retention and development.

At present, there are 51 clubs in Antrim, comprising of approximately 20,000 members of which 15,000 are players, but when it’s considered the population of west Belfast alone is over 100,000, there is potential for much more.

Since St Gall’s record-breaking run of of eight county titles in a row ended in 2014, the Padraig MacNamee Cup has been in Belfast just once when Cunningham’s Lamh Dhearg triumphed in 2017.

“There is a question of participation levels, but the standard of underage football in Belfast is quite poor and there’s no point dressing it up,” Cunningham insists.

“Aside from St Brigid’s and St Paul’s who can compete at U16 and minor level because of the numbers they have, the rest – and I include my own club – are scrapping to get teams out on the pitch.”

No school from within the county plays in the Ulster Colleges MacRory Cup and exposure to top-level competition at a young age is one area Cunningham, a teacher at St Mary’s CBGS, feels is vital to raising standards which will feed into county teams.

“There is no school competing at colleges’ ‘A’ football apart from St Louis [Ballymena] in Year Nine.

“If the Gaelfast, Belfast city combined team is harnessed correctly over a number of years, there is something in that, but it requires buy-in.

“They’ve piloted it this year with Year Nine and Year 12, but does that continue into Year 10 next year? It needs to be continued with the same panel or else by the time they get to Year 12, you’re back to square one as it takes time for a squad to gel.

“It needs to be piloted from Year Eight right through to Year 14 to see how it goes.”

Modern warfare has dramatically changed as we have seen from the Russia-Ukraine war, conflicts involving Gaza, India and Pakistan, and the recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran. At the centre of this shift is a surging global reliance on drone and missile technology as well as advanced air defence systems.

Turkiye, one of the largest military powers in the Middle East, is increasingly positioning itself as a major supplier in the global defence sector. Central to this effort is Roketsan, a company founded in 1988 to supply the Turkish Armed Forces, which has since evolved into the country’s primary manufacturer of missile and rocket systems.

Currently exporting to approximately 50 countries, the firm is one of the fastest-growing defence companies globally.

So how did Roketsan secure a large share of the global arms trade?

Bypassing Western embargoes

Turkiye’s defence expansion was largely accelerated by restrictions placed upon it. Western embargoes aimed at halting its military advancement meant Ankara could not acquire the necessary technical systems or components.

In 2020, the United States imposed Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) restrictions on Turkiye – a key member of the transatlantic military alliance NATO. These sanctions targeted Turkiye’s military procurement agency, its chief Ismail Demir, and three other senior officials. Washington also ejected Ankara from the F-35 stealth jet programme in July 2019.

The measures came after Ankara purchased Russia’s S-400 missile defence system, which was seen as a potential threat to NATO security. The European Union also prepared limited sanctions and discussed restricting arms exports following energy exploration disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean.

To circumvent this, the country built an integrated, domestic defence ecosystem. Today, Turkiye relies on a vast supply chain of nearly 4,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) scattered across the country. As a result, the Turkish defence industry now operates with a local production rate exceeding 90 percent.

This shift has yielded significant financial returns for Ankara. In 2025, Turkiye’s defence industry reported $10bn in exports. Roketsan’s General Manager Murat Ikinci told Al Jazeera that the company currently ranks 71st among global defence firms, with ambitions to break into the top 50, then the top 20, and ultimately the top 10.

To support this expansion, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated several large-scale facilities last week, including:

• Europe’s largest warhead facility.
• new research and development (R&D) centre housing 1,000 engineers.
• the “Kirikkale” facility dedicated to rocket fuel technology.
• new infrastructure for the mass production of ballistic and cruise missiles.

These projects represent a $1bn investment, with the company planning to inject an additional $2bn to expand mass production capabilities.

The ‘Tayfun’ and modern warfare

Roketsan’s R&D strategy – which employs 3,200 engineers and makes the company the third-largest R&D institution in Turkiye – is heavily influenced by data gathered from ongoing global conflicts.

According to Ikinci, the war in Ukraine highlighted the impact of cheap, first-person view (FPV) and kamikaze drones supported by artificial intelligence. In response, Roketsan developed air defence systems like “ALKA” and “BURC,” alongside the “CIRIT” laser-guided missile.

The regional landscape was further complicated during the US-Israel war on Iran, as cheap Iranian-designed Shahed drones – recently upgraded by Russia with “Kometa-B” anti-jamming modules – overwhelmed defences and even struck a British base in Cyprus in March 2026. During the same month, NATO air defences were forced to intercept three Iranian ballistic missiles that entered Turkish airspace.

Meanwhile, the recent conflict between Israel and Iran showcased the use of complex attacks combining ballistic missiles with “swarms” of kamikaze drones designed to overwhelm air defences. This environment makes hypersonic technology a critical asset.

This brings the Tayfun (Typhoon) project into focus. Tayfun is a developing family of long-range ballistic missiles. Its most advanced iteration, the Tayfun Block 4, is a hypersonic missile engineered to penetrate advanced air defence systems by travelling at extreme speeds.

When Al Jazeera asked for specific details regarding the Tayfun’s exact operational range, Ikinci was elusive. “We avoid mentioning its range; we just say its range is sufficient,” he noted.

Similarly, historical Western sanctions have pushed Turkiye to form new cooperation initiatives, effectively accelerating an “Eastern shift” away from Western defence dependence. Turkish drones are now being used by a growing number of countries, including by Pakistan during its war against India last May.

Based on these threat assessments, Roketsan has prioritised five key areas of production:

1. long-range ballistic and cruise missiles.
2. air defence systems, including the “Steel Dome”, Hisar-A, Hisar-O, and Siper.
3. submarine-launched cruise missiles, utilising the AKYA system to leverage Turkiye’s large submarine fleet.
4. smart micro-munitions designed specifically for armed drones.
5. long-range air-to-air missiles, a need highlighted by the brief India-Pakistan skirmish.

A strategic export model

Unlike traditional arms procurement, Turkiye is marketing its defence industry to international buyers as a strategic partnership.

“Our offer to our partners… is as follows: Let’s produce together, let’s develop technology together,” Ikinci stated.

By establishing joint facilities and R&D centres in allied nations across the Middle East, the Far East, and Europe, Turkiye is attempting to secure long-term geopolitical alliances rather than purely transactional sales. Ikinci highlighted Qatar as a prime example of this model, describing it as a benchmark for technological, military, and security cooperation in the region.

Filling the global stockpile gap

This rapid expansion comes at a critical time for the global arms trade. Ongoing wars have severely depleted the stockpiles of advanced weapon systems worldwide.

During the recent US-Israel war on Iran, Washington relied heavily on multimillion-dollar Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems to intercept cheap Iranian drones targeting US assets across Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. With growing concerns that US interceptor supplies could run low, Gulf states – which have collectively detected over 1,000 drones in their airspace – are actively seeking alternative defence technologies, creating a highly lucrative opening for Turkiye’s missile industry.

Defence analyses indicate that even military superpowers like the US will require significant time to replenish their current air defence inventories due to the complexity and massive infrastructure required to build them.

Turkish defence officials view this shortage as a strategic opening. Having localised its supply chain, Turkiye claims it can manufacture and export these highly sought-after complex systems independently.

As global demand for air defence and ballistic technologies rises, Roketsan is aggressively reinvesting its revenues into production infrastructure to expand its footprint in the international arms market.

Additionally, it said the applications, “through a wholly-owned and financed government club”, were part of an “aim of facilitating transfers of allegiance and enabling those athletes to represent Turkey at future international competitions, including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games”.

It added: “Given the common features across the applications, the panel assessed them together and determined that such an approach is inconsistent with the core principles of the regulations.

“As a result of the decisions, the athletes are not eligible to represent Turkey in national representative competitions or other relevant international events.”

The other athletes were Catherine Relin Amanang’ole, Brian Kibor, Ronald Kwemoi and Nelvin Jepkemboi from Kenya, Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell, Jaydon Hibbert and Wayne Pinnock plus Nigeria’s Favour Ofili and Russian Sophia Yakushina.

Avid Technology, the editing software company, is the latest entertainment industry player to introduce AI into its toolbox.

The company behind industry-standard platforms Pro Tools and Media Composer said it is entering a multiyear partnership with Google Cloud.

The goal is to implement both generative and agentic AI so that users can turn the “mostly manual process into an intelligent, AI-assisted experience,” Avid said in a statement Thursday morning.

“The primary bottleneck in Hollywood is manual labor [in editing] and managing thousands of hours of high-risk footage,” Avid Chief Executive Wellford Dillard told The Times. “This isn’t us just adding a new tool. It’s going from static files sitting on hard drives, to living data that understands its context.”

Google’s Gemini models and Vertex AI will be embedded directly into Avid’s processes, offering customers a chance to accelerate their editing time. Avid’s Media Composer, the editing system used on most professional film and TV productions, will now include a Gemini extension that could enhance metadata and generate B-Roll.

The company said that, overall, using AI on its platforms enables systems to understand the context of every file — allowing users to describe what they need based on visual movements, on-screen dialogue and emotional cues.

Dillard said that when someone uses Media Composer for editing, it can often be frustrating to click in and out of the application in search of the right shot buried within hours of footage. Now, he said, clients can describe the shot to AI, which could find it faster.

Anil Jain, global managing director at Google Cloud, said that these tools can do both simple functions like tweaking a scene’s background, or achieve more complex tasks, like creating promotional material.

“Most storytellers don’t get excited about putting together a promo, but if they could leverage AI to help do it a lot faster, then it becomes more interesting, gets it done and opens up the possibility of more creative time,” Jain said.

Avid, founded in 1987, is based in Burlington, Mass., and has since established itself as a pioneer in digital audio and video editing software. The company said its software was used to edit 87% of this year’s Oscar-winning productions, including the movies “K-Pop Demon Hunters” and “One Battle After Another.”

Avid is one of the many media companies that has recently incorporated AI into its services. In March, Netflix acquired Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking company, Interpositive. Disney invested $1 billion into OpenAI’s now shuttered Sora platform. Even in the music industry, the “Big Three” labels have inked individual deals with AI startups like Udio, Klay and Suno — after suing a few of the same companies for copyright infringement.

Ramesh Srinivasan, a professor of information studies at UCLA, said these kinds of deals are the “new normal” and that “almost every single industry is being sort of eaten up by the Pac-Man of AI.”

But he said he’s not sure that this kind of AI will only be used for mechanical tasks.

“Editing is a task that involves creativity and human artisanship. An editor is not just someone who mechanically reproduces a number of steps. They have a sense of storytelling in mind,” said Srinivasan. “In terms of AI-created content, the initial research is showing that it is flattening creativity. It’s putting out the dominant patterns that it can copy, rather than reflect, the specific diverse and creative ways we can write, or edit.”

To Dillard, Avid’s CEO, incorporating AI is a way to ensure that creators can make enough content to keep up with audiences’ increasing demands.

“The demand for content is almost insatiable, and dollars are limited. This work can help compress those production timelines [and make] more content,” Dillard said. “Our hope is that we’re actually enabling the world, within the same budget constraints that the studios have today. You’re producing more content, and you are also opening the doors for smaller production houses to be able to produce more content competitively.”

Many passengers are facing waits of up to three hours at Spanish airports due to the new controls

Travellers in Spain are experiencing significant delays at airports. And experts are warning that one particular group is bearing the brunt of new border controls, according to a Spanish travel organisation.

There have been widespread reports of waiting times of up to three hours. New regulations have been introduced, with some passengers in particular facing very long waits.

Spanish media reports indicate waiting times of up to three hours at Palma airport alone, with similar delays reported in France, Greece, Italy and beyond. Travel group Aviba is now calling for urgent measures to prevent chaos this coming summer.

Pedro Fiol, president of the travel association, is demanding immediate action to avert disruption this summer, and has revealed he has been pushing for such measures for months, according to Ultimata Hora. The new system has only just been introduced, having fully launched on April 10, following a trial period that began late last year.

The EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) initially began operations on 12 October 2025, with a phased rollout across 29 European countries. Now it is fully in place.

The system replaces passport stamping with digitally recorded entries, exits or refusals of entry of non-EU nationals arriving for short stays. Travellers’ facial images, fingerprints and personal data from the travel document will also be recorded.

Mr Fiol said: “The implementation of the new European Border and Security System (EES) is already beginning to be felt at the Balearic airports, especially at Son Sant Joan, the main gateway to Mallorca, where we are still operating with a hybrid model. At certain times, it is causing some slowdowns in the controls, particularly for non-EU passengers.”

He warned that “we are facing a structural change in how borders are managed across Europe: biometric registration is replacing manual passport stamping, and this means more time for the passenger’s first contact with their destination.” In his view, so far “the experience has been inconsistent: some days the operation runs relatively smoothly, while others, according to agencies and tour operators, can take more than two hours from the moment the plane lands until the traveller collects their luggage, and even nearly three hours in some specific cases.”

Ultima Hora reports that the National Police have acknowledged the delays, though they say they have seen no evidence of prolonged hold-ups. Sources close to the security forces have told Spanish media that additional staff have been deployed during peak hours in a bid to ease any difficulties that may occur during periods of heavy passenger congestion at checkpoints.

Travellers passing through airports in countries including France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece are facing waits of several hours at border controls, according to the Airports Council International (ACI). Olivier Jankovec, the director of the ACI European division, told the Financial Times: “This situation, in the coming weeks and certainly over the peak summer months, is going to be simply unmanageable.

“We are seeing those queueing times now, at peak times, when traffic is just starting to build up.” A spokesperson for the European Commission told the Guardian: “What we can see from the first days of full operation is that the system is working very well. In the overwhelming majority of member states there are no issues.”

The commission said that the average registration of a passenger was 70 seconds, although the ACI has claimed that it can take up to five minutes. The spokesperson said there were a “few member states where technical issues have been detected” but that they “are being addressed”.

They said: “It is up to member states to ensure the proper implementation of the EES on the ground.” Luke Fitzpatrick, from independent travel agency Perfect Getaways, told the BBC this week that travellers should plan ahead to make border checks as smooth as possible.

“It’s about being as prepared as you can be,” Fitzpatrick told BBC Radio Merseyside. “There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment as people are getting used to the new system.”

While he said the advice was to arrive at the airport “at least three hours early”, he said it could be more difficult for people booked on a package holiday. “If you’re on a shared transfer back, everyone’s coming together at the same time,” he said.

EES changes and the impact on transfer and pick-ups

Pedro Fiol told Ultima Hora that “this situation is forcing a restructuring of transfer and pick-up operations at destinations to better co-ordinate exact times, avoid additional downtime, and guarantee the smoothest possible service.” Given this situation, he says that “travel agencies are concerned that if resources are not properly allocated at airports with such high tourist pressure as those in the Balearic Islands, significant queues and a negative first experience for visitors are possible.”

What do Brit tourists need to do with EES rules?

The govuk website states that “if you are travelling to a country in the Schengen area for a short stay using a UK passport, you may be required to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo, when you arrive. You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration.

“EES registration is replacing the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the EU. EES may take each passenger extra time to complete so be prepared to wait longer than usual at the border.”

The countries in the Schengen area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

A POPULAR European city is set to bring back its ‘tourist tax’ for visitors this summer.

The city became the first metropolitan area globally to charge day-trippers an admission fee, which was introduced on April 25, 2024.

Day-trippers who book last-minute trips to Venice this summer will feel the biggest sting, with reservations that are made less than four days in advance costing €10 per person.

Holidaymakers who are a bit more organised, and book their trips more than four days ahead of their planned visit, will only have to pay €5.

Entering the city before 8.30am or after 4pm exempts you from paying, as does being a current resident or a Venetian-born visitor, a student, worker, or someone in the city on an overnight stay.

When you’ve secured your QR code via the booking platform, it will be checked at one of seven entry points across Venice, which includes Santa Lucia railway station.

SUNNY STEALS

10 cheap Spanish holidays to book NOW – with all-inclusive breaks from £199pp

SEA IT

UK seaside town undergoing a £40m revamp is home to the country’s best pier 

However, if you do not pay the fee and are not registered for exemption, or if you fail to produce the QR code, you could be fined anywhere between €50-300.

That’s equivalent to up to £260.

The number of pay-to-enter days is increasing from 54 to 60 this year.

However, last year’s stats show visitor numbers dropped only slightly over the summer, from an average of 16,676 in 2024 to 13,046 in 2025.

The new tax is to help incentivise tourists to visit the small Italian city on weekdays, rather than during the weekend.

But it faces opposition as critics argue that it would not teach visitors ‘respect’.

Giovanni Martini, the city council member, said: “Wanting to raise this to 10 euros is absolutely useless. It makes Venice a museum.”

There are now more tourist beds in Venice than official residents, whose numbers stand at an all-time low of 50,000.

The dates the fee will be in place this year

• April: 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
• May: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31
• June: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28
• July: 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26

AN AIRPORT in the north of the country has taken one step closer to welcoming back passengers.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed in 2022 after operating for 17 years, but has been recently backed by the government to reopen.

Now, the regional airport has taken another step closer to welcoming flights as it is launching a search for an operational partner.

Operator Fly Doncaster is looking for a Fixed Based Operator to have a permanent place within the airport.

This type of organisation would provide services that include aircraft handling, fuelling, and parking.

What this means is that private flights could return to the airport before the end of 2026 – with plans for passengers flights much later.

GREAT ESCAPES

Ten European city or beach holidays for under £100pp INCLUDING flight & hotel

SHORE WINS

How to bag yourself a stunning British seaside holiday break for just £49

Simon Hinchley, Executive Director for Airport Operations at Fly Doncaster said: “As we work towards reopening Doncaster Sheffield Airport, our focus is firmly on building a safe, efficient and operationally robust airport that is ready to serve a broad range of users from day one.”

In early 2025, the UK government revealed that £30million was being put towards its reopening.

More recently, a report for City of Doncaster Council’s cabinet announced that the cost of reopening the airport had risen to £193million.

Fly Doncaster said that when the airport reopens, it could see as many as four million passengers through its doors.

There has also been talks of a rail link to and from the airport that could have connections with the Lincoln Line and East Coast Mainline.

Prior to its closure, airlines like FlyBe, Wizz Air and TUI operated flights from Doncaster Sheffield.

As of yet, no airline has confirmed it will open base, but Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme Labour MP Lee Pitcher said last year that he was in talks with both Ryanair and TUI.

In July 2025, he told local media: “Yesterday, I chaired the latest meeting of the DSA Action Group, where we sat down with TUI’s UK & Ireland commercial director.

“It was a productive discussion, and we’ll continue to work with TUI, other key stakeholders, and push the Government to keep Doncaster Sheffield Airport firmly on the agenda.“

The airport is expected to be operational with passenger flights for summer 2028.

Another airport that is in talks to reopen is Manston Airport, in Kent which once offered flights from the UK to Europe.

Passenger services stopped when KLM pulled out of the airport in 2014.

The current plan is to reopen the airport for cargo planes which is scheduled for 2029.

There have been talks to start commercial flights once again, but this could take longer to start.

Tony Freudmann – the public face of the site’s owners, RiverOak Strategic Partners told Kent Online: “We need, by the time we open, to have enough advance commitment from cargo operators to see that it is going to work.

“At that point, if we get the right approach from passenger carriers, wanting us to build a passenger terminal and base some aircraft here, we’ll go with that.”

Here’s more on airports as chaos sweeps Europe with new travel rules that have resulted in three hour queues and passengers missing their flights.

And this Spanish airport is set to close for over a month with all flights cancelled and thousands of Brits set to be impacted.

Brian Williams, the veteran former anchor for NBC News and MSNBC, is joining Netflix where he will host a weekly podcast.

Netflix announced Thursday that “We’re Back! With Brian Williams” will debut later this year. The format will feature Williams in extended interviews with pop culture figures and newsmakers in a casual setting.

“With scientists predicting that every American will have a podcast by 2030, I thought it was time to get in the game,” Williams said in a statement.

Williams – long a stalwart of traditional TV news – will be the biggest name from that arena to join a major video streaming platform.

Williams has been off TV since he departed MSNBC (now MS NOW) in 2021. He the anchor of the nightly program “The 11th Hour” and handled major breaking news coverage for the network.

Before joining MSNBC in 2015, Williams spent 10 years as anchor of “NBC Nightly News.” He left the broadcast after being suspended for making false statements about his experiences covering the Iraq war.

Williams tested the streaming waters when he anchored extended coverage of the presidential election in 2024 on Amazon Prime Video. While Amazon was said to be pleased with the program, which earned an Emmy, but the company has made no further commitment to live news programming.

“We’re Back!” will likely emphasize the playful side of Williams, who once hosted “Saturday Night Live” during his NBC years. He occasionally told colleagues he harbored a desire to become a late night talk show host or a forum where he could work in a more conversational style.

“After 40 years in the news business whee an in-depth interview gets four minutes of airtime at best, I just want to have interesting conversations with creative, funny, smart, talented and consequential people – like the shows we all grew up watching and listening to,” he said. “Netflix is the perfect home.”

jonathan Wald, a veteran TV news executive who worked with Williams at NBC and MSNBC, will be the executive producer for “We’re Back!”

Netflix has moved aggressively into the podcast business. Sports columnist Bill Simmons, who helped popularize the format, recently moved his podcasts to the platform in January as part of a deal with Spotify. Currently Netflix is carrying 51 video podcasts.

The high-powered Indy cars that will be racing in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Long Beach will burn about two gallons of fuel on each of their 90 trips around the tight 1.968-mile street course.

So if all 27 cars that start the race also finish it, the field will use 4,860 gallons of fuel. And that doesn’t include the fuel used in qualifying or in the other five classifications of cars that will be participating in the three days of racing in Long Beach.

That’s a lot of fuel for drivers who will end up in the same place they started, especially when seven weeks of war in the Middle East has driven the price of gasoline to record highs. However, the fuel the IndyCar series uses differs significantly from what that comes out of the pump at the gas station.

“This year marks the fourth season that IndyCar has used 100% renewable race fuel for the NTT IndyCar Series — the first motorsport series in North America to utilize this type of fuel,” an IndyCar spokesperson wrote in a statement. “Developed through a collaboration with Shell, this innovative fuel consists of a blend of second-generation ethanol derived from sugarcane waste and other biofuels mainly derived from animal waste. The use of this renewable race fuel enables a 60% reduction in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions.”

So while driving Indy cars 177 miles in a circle may seem wasteful during a gas crunch, Sunday’s race will have a negligible affect on the price and availability of fuel at service stations. The greater impact will be made by fans driving to Long Beach; last year’s three-day race weekend drew more than 200,000 people.

April 16 (UPI) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer put the big five social media firms on notice Thursday that he was considering state intervention, including the nuclear option of a ban, if they did not do more to protect children from being harmed by their products.

Starmer warned executives from Meta, Snap, Google, TikTok and X at a meeting in Downing Street that something had to give, saying a ban on children accessing their platforms would be “preferable to a world where harm is the price” for social media use.

“Things can’t go on like this, they must change because right now social media is putting our children at risk. In a world in which children are protected, even if that means access is restricted, that is preferable to a world where harm is the price of participation,” said Starmer.

“I am determined we will build a better future for our children, and look forward to working with you on this. I do think this can be done. I think the question is not whether it is done, the question is how it is done,” he added.

Executives attending the meeting included Google U.K. managing director Kate Alessi, Markus Reinisch, a public policy principal at Meta, and X’s global government affairs director Wifredo Fernandez.

TikTok was represented by Alistair Law, director of public policy for northern Europe, while Snap was represented by Europe president Ronan Harris.

Starmer put to the firms the negative impacts of social media use on children’s ability to concentrate, their sleep, relationships and the way they view the world that have been flagged by parents and child experts.

“It’s clear to me that parents aren’t asking us for tweaks at the edges, they’re asking us whether a system that clearly isn’t working for children should be allowed to continue at all. Companies have to grip this and work with us to do better by British children,” he said.

No. 10 had earlier acknowledged that some of the tech firms had “stepped up” by disabling autoplay of videos for children by default and providing better tools to parents to limit the amount of time their children spend looking at screens, but took a much tougher line at Thursday’s meeting.

Starmer’s Labour administration has previously pushed back on pressure from parents, educators and child safety advocates for an Australia-style ban for children younger than 16 on fears it could drive them onto the dark web and make them more vulnerable when they eventually begin using the apps by hindering development of their digital skills.

Most social media sites operating in Britain do not permit children younger than 13 to use their products.

However, in the past three months, Starmer’s administration has twice been forced to use its House of Commons majority to override two efforts by the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Parliament, to amend a government bill to include a ban for children younger than 16.

The most recent of these was on Wednesday in which the government defeated the Lords’ latest attempt to force through a ban, but with a reduced majority from the previous vote on March 10. More than 240 of 650 MPs either failed to show or abstained.

In January, 60 Labour Party backbenchers signed a letter urging Starmer to bring forward a ban.

The government managed to fend off the first challenge in March by launching a three-month public consultation on how to proceed with anticipation inside his administration growing that Starmer will yield to pressure for a ban when the findings are published in the summer.

United States Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth has said the military blockade of Iran’s ports will continue “as long as it takes”, saying Washington remained “locked and loaded” to attack Iran’s energy facilities.

The US Pentagon chief spoke on Thursday as a tenuous pause in fighting agreed to last week has continued. On Monday, President Donald Trump announced the military would blockade Iran’s ports in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf after US-Iran talks in Pakistan failed to reach a breakthrough.

Hegseth struck an aggressive tone as he maintained the US military was monitoring Iran’s military movements during the pause in fighting, which currently is meant to extend through early next week.

“We are reloading with more power than ever before…even more importantly, better intelligence than ever before,” Hegseth said.

“As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry,” he said.

Still, the Pentagon chief said the US prefers to resolve the conflict, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, through diplomacy.

“You, Iran, can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge, and we hope that you do for the people of Iran,” he said. “In the meantime and for as long as it takes, we will maintain this blockade, successful blockade, but if Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.”

On Wednesday, a Pakistani delegation arrived in Tehran to coordinate a new round of talks. While both sides have indicated they remained open to further negotiations, Major-General Ali Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned that the US blockade could end the current pause in fighting.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, meanwhile, indicated the US maintained a positive outlook on future talks.

“At this moment, we remain very much engaged in these negotiations, in these talks,” she said.

But reporting from Tehran on Thursday, Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem says deep-seated distrust remains. The US under Trump twice attacked Iran amid ongoing indirect talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, a fact that has cast a long shadow over the most recent bout of diplomacy.

“Clearly, there have been several messages conveyed to the Iranians. But rather than consolidating a feeling of trust and optimism, it seems that it’s already shaken,” he said.

“We saw a platform closely associated with the foreign ministry tweeting today, quoting a source saying that whatever is being demonstrated or said in the media regarding the optimism is just hype, and this is used for PR and it’s for President Trump to use in the markets,” he said.

Iran’s speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation in the talks with Iran, told his Lebanese counterpart on Thursday that a ceasefire in Israel’s invasion and ongoing bombardment of Lebanon is “as important” as the pause in fighting in Iran.

A Lebanon ceasefire has emerged as one of the main sticking points in talks, which also include control of the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.

‘We will use force’

Speaking during the news conference on Thursday, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said so far, 13 ships leaving Iranian ports have turned around in response to US military warnings.

“If you do not comply with this blockade, we will use force,” Caine said.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), meanwhile, said the US is using the wear to rearm and reposition its forces.

“We’re rearming, we’re retooling, and we’re adjusting our tactics, techniques and procedures. There’s no military in the world that adjusts like we do, and that’s exactly what we’re doing right now during the ceasefire,” said.

During questions with reporters, Hegseth also shot down reports that China was planning to send weapons to Iran amid the pause in fighting. Hegseth said Washington had received assurances from Beijing that this was not the case.

Hegseth also used a large portion of the news conference to attack US press coverage of the war, which the Trump administration is receiving criticism for its shifting objectives and justifications for launching the conflict.

Hegseth called the coverage “incredibly unpatriotic”.

A EUROPEAN airline is axing all flights with immediate effect.

Lufthansa‘s subsidiary airline CityLine is to cease operations due to both the Iran war and ongoing strike action.

The airline – which operates some flights to and from the UK – will be grounding 27 aircraft from April 18.

Flight routes typically connect London to both Frankfurt and Munich.

It isn’t clear how this will affect passengers just yet, as to whether they will offer alternative routes or refunds.

They said in a statement, according to local media: “As a first, immediately effective step, the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa CityLine will be permanently removed from the flight programme starting the day after tomorrow, in order to reduce further losses at the loss-making airline.”

Read more on travel inspo

GO ON

All the little-known websites for cheap or FREE tickets to gigs, theatre & festivals

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

CityLine was due to cease operations by 2028, but has since decided to close this month instead.

Sun Travel has contacted Lufthansa for comment.

Lufthansa’s main airline has also announced that it will be grounding four Airbus jets and two Boeing jets for good, by the end of the summer, which are mainly used for longer flights.

Lufthansa will reduce short and medium-haul flights by five aircraft from this winter as well, while long-haul capacity will be reduced by six.

Till Streichert, chief financial officer of Lufthansa Group, also said: “The goal is to focus our short- and medium-haul platforms more clearly and make them more competitive.”

The announcement follows hundreds of flight cancellations this week following pilot strike action.

Union Vereinigung Cockpit called the strike action over pension disputes and yesterday announced that the strike action would be extended by two days.

Pilots first walked out on Monday leading to hundreds of flights being cancelled, including many from the UK.

Cabin crew also walked out yesterday and today.

Around 34 flights were cancelled to and from the UK yesterday and with an average flight usually carrying around 150 passengers each, more than 5,000 Brits could have been impacted.

When further strike action was announced, VC president Andreas Pinheiro said: “The situation remains unchanged; there is absolutely no movement on the employers’ side.

“For us, this is not about political power struggles or egos, but about sustainable solutions.”

In a statement, the airline told passengers earlier this week: “Lufthansa and Eurowings are working intensively to keep the impact on passengers as low as possible.

“We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.

“However, despite these efforts, flight cancellations are unavoidable.

“Travelers who are affected by an irregularity will be informed accordingly, provided their contact details are stored in the booking.

“We ask passengers to check the status of their flight before setting out on their journey.

“We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement.”

The airline has told passengers that if their flight is cancelled, they will be able to rebook once free of charge or have their ticket refunded.

In other flight news, here’s the first look at one airline’s new onboard bunk beds which even economy passengers can book.

Plus, a major UK airline is set to hike flights by up to £360 as they warn jet fuel prices have ‘never been this high’.

Netflix fans have been raving about a lesser-known comedy crime show starring, as they beg for a second series of the ‘cosy’ White House murder mystery to be made

Netflix fans have praised one lesser-known comedy crime programme available on the streaming service, left desperate for more as they plead for a second series to be commissioned.

With an enormous number of TV programmes and films accessible on streaming platforms, it can be overwhelming to settle on what to watch. As a result, many people frequently turn to recommendations from friends, family, or even strangers online to determine their next viewing choice. This was precisely the situation for one Reddit user, who headed to the Netflix forum seeking a suggestion for their next watch, but stipulated it had to be a bingeable programme with only one series.

“Best Series on Netflix (Only One Season) Like a Must Watch Binging Series,” they wrote in the headline of the post.

They continued: “Please drop the best one season series down below. I mean like I’d want to watch it all in one sitting because of how good it is. Like suspenseful, action, cliff-hangers. Maybe a really sad part where I get very attached to the characters! Anything!!”

Fellow Netflix enthusiasts promptly descended on the comments section to share their top picks across a variety of genres. However, one programme stood out from the crowd, as fans lauded its characters and overall storyline.

Get Netflix free with Sky

£5.99

£0

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.

“Really liked the comedy The Residence,” one person shared. To this, someone else added: “So pi**ed they aren’t doing more. It was gold!

“Such a fun show,” another person said, while another wrote: “I freaking LOVED this one. So much. Great rec.”

The Residence is an American mystery comedy drama TV series exclusive to Netflix. The debut and only series launched in 2025, and centres on an eccentric detective named Cordelia Cupp as she attempts to solve a murder that took place in the White House during a state dinner for the Australian Prime Minister.

As the investigation unfolds, interpersonal tensions amongst the residence’s staff come to light, with both personnel and dinner guests emerging as potential suspects.

The programme has earned an impressive 84% score on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside a rating of 7.7 out of 10 on IMDb. Viewers frequently rave about the endearing central character and the captivating storyline.

“A fantastic “cosy”-style mystery: light, wickedly clever, and keeps you guessing to the very hand,” one viewer wrote in their IMDb review.

They went on to say: “Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cup is a great lead. The supporting cast has additional strong characters as well, though some of these portrayals are less even. As much as I enjoyed the first season and wish for more, I find it hard to imagine how a second season could live-up to the first: further developing the Cup character (so that she is not just a repetition of the Cup we already know) will be hard.”

Another viewer remarked: “For those who find this series too long consider this, the plot, the mystery and all the plot twists are not nearly as important as the comedy and the wonderful performances in this fun story. It was smart without being pedantic, funny without being crude or silly, and engaging without pandering.”

The Tesla (TSLA) Cybertruck has seen a boost from Elon Musk’s other companies, according to tracking by S&P Global Mobility. Notably, without sales to Elon Musk-led companies, Cybertruck registrations in Q4 would have fallen 51%.

SpaceX (SPACE) accounted for