alert

The ferry operator has urged passengers with trips booked to ‘plan ahead’ when travelling

P&O Ferries says passengers need to ‘plan ahead’ if they are travelling over the bank holiday weekend. The popular ferry operator issued the alert for customers, as families across the country head off on their half-term holidays.

The travel company operates routes between Dover and Calais, Hull and Rotterdam, and Larne and Cairnryan. P&O Ferries shared the message for passengers in a post on X. Taking to @POferriesupdate, the travel update included essential advice for anyone travelling today (May 24).

P&O Ferries said: “Ahoy half-term heroes and Bank Holiday adventurers! The port will be busier than usual, so pack your bags with a travel pillow and those extra snacks you’ve got in the cupboard.”

The post explained: “We expect the ports to be busy today so please plan ahead and use our top tips.” In the travel advice, P&O Ferries said passengers should:

• Check traffic and their route before setting off
• Bring refreshments and snacks
• Exercise pets before entering the port
• Bring entertainment for children
• Keep documents to hand and remove passports from cases

Families driving to the port should be aware that the bank holiday is set to be the busiest on the roads in two years, according to the RAC. Research suggests almost 19 million Brits are travelling over the long weekend, with 3.4 million journeys expected on Sunday and 3.1 million trips planned for Monday.

The RAC said: “Drivers looking to spend less time in the car should consider making their getaway outside of peak hours. According to transport analytics experts INRIX, the worst jams this weekend will be on the M1, M25, M5, M6.

“On Friday, the M25 anticlockwise will likely see the heaviest traffic from junction 10 to junction 6 around 4.45pm, as people clock off for the day. The same stretch of road could see a second spike on Saturday around lunchtime, with journey times more than twice as long than on a typical day.

“On the same day, queues of 45 minutes are expected at midday on the M5 southbound between the RAC tower near Bristol and junction 23 for Bridgwater.” As a result, there will be an extra one million Brits on the road compared to the same weekend last year.

RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Sean Kimberlin said: “With the weather looking like it may improve, millions are planning to make a getaway trip over the bank holiday weekend.

“And the fact our research shows it’s set to be the busiest late May bank holiday since 2024 shows that even though fuel prices remain uncomfortably high, it takes a lot to stop drivers taking to the roads to make the most of a long weekend.”

One of the former stars of Death in Paradise has issued an update about another of his crime shows

Ben Miller has shared a major update about one of his crime dramas.

The actor, previously known for his detective role in the BBC’s Death in Paradise, now leads the ITV crime show Professor T, playing a brilliant criminology professor living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) who assists police in cracking cases.

Since launching in 2021, the programme has aired four series, with additional episodes already confirmed to be on the way. During an appearance on The One Show, Ben let slip a “spoiler alert”, revealing that a sixth series was in production too, reports the Express.

Presenter Roman Kemp asked about the show’s future, noting that numerous viewers had been asking when Professor T would return.

“It is coming back,” Ben replied. “I think the autumn is the season. Yeah, so we’ve got season five that will hopefully be coming out in the autumn. I mean, spoiler alert. We’re actually working on season six.”

Roman and co-host Alex Jones appeared delighted, with Roman exclaiming: “Wow! Double spoiler alert.”

Professor T sees Ben play Jasper, who assists police in solving complex cases and puzzles. The series also stars Frances de la Tour as Jasper’s domineering mother.

Last year it was confirmed that it would be back on ITV for a fifth instalment, with Ben saying at the time: “I’m beyond thrilled that we will soon be breaking ground on a fifth series of Professor T.

“Working with such a talented cast and crew is a joy that even a heavy woollen suit can’t stifle, and I can’t wait for audiences to see the treats we’ve got in store for them in series four later this year, when the Professor tackles his most baffling case yet: romance.”

The actor, well known for portraying cantankerous detective Richard Poole in Death in Paradise, added: “The fact that audiences worldwide have embraced the show so warmly is hugely rewarding, and we’re already brimming with ideas to make Series 5 even more quirky, heartfelt, and surprising.

“Here’s to another season of baffling crime, dreaming spires, and ironing that tweed…”

Sharing an update on Instagram after filming wrapped last summer, he said: “Last week we wrapped Season 5 of Professor T!

“Another few months spent filming with the most hard working crew and cast who give their all to this show. It’s always a pleasure.”

The One Show broadcasts on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays.

Finnish authorities scramble fighter jets; defence chief says false alarm but warns of potential repeats while Russian war persists.

Finland has stood down its defence forces after sounding an alarm over suspected drone activities in its airspace.

The authorities said on Friday that suspected drone activity above the Helsinki region no longer posed a threat and that the situation was ⁠returning to normal hours after launching an emergency response, including the launch of fighter jets and closure of the capital’s airport.

The alarm illustrates the tension stalking the region as Finland and the Baltic states eye Russian aggression and daily missile and drone attacks amid Moscow’s continued war on Ukraine.

The Helsinki City Rescue Department had warned the nearly 2 million inhabitants of Finland’s Uusimaa region to stay indoors starting about 4am local time (1:00 GMT), as fighter jets were scrambled. Helsinki’s airport was also closed for about three hours.

Later, President Alexander Stubb wrote on X that authorities had “demonstrated their readiness and capacity to react”, adding that the country was now facing “no direct military threat”.

Kimmo Kohvakka, director general for rescue services at the Ministry of the Interior, called the response a “precautionary measure” and said “daily life can continue.”

The incident arose amid growing concerns about regional spillover from the Ukraine war.

The Baltic states of ‌Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have reported a series of suspected Ukrainian drones headed for Russia entering their airspace, prompting domestic criticism over their ability to respond to military threats.

The situation has led to a full-blown government crisis in Latvia. Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned on Thursday after a coalition partner pulled support. The move followed the ousting of the defence minister after a drone crashed at a fuel storage facility.

In March, two drones crossed into Finnish territory and crashed after flying low over the sea and southeastern Finland.

Finnish authorities did not indicate the source of Friday’s drone activity.

However, defence forces operations chief Kari Nisula suggested that Finland had received information from Ukraine about drones potentially straying into the country, according to the Reuters news agency.

The military head added that there was no evidence that drones had entered Finland, but that such situations could happen again as long as Russia continues its war on Ukraine.

Prisoner swap

The incident in Finnish airspace unfolded as Ukraine maintained its drone attacks on Russian oil and energy infrastructure, and Kyiv continued counting the costs of a huge strike that killed two dozen people.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Friday that its air defence systems shot down 355 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow overnight, as well as the border regions of Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk.

Among the targets was an oil refinery ⁠in the central city ⁠of Ryazan, about 200km (125 miles) southeast of Moscow, according to the commander of Ukraine’s drone forces.

The attack killed three people ⁠and wounded 12, regional Governor Pavel Malkov wrote on Telegram. Two high-rise apartment buildings were struck, he said, while debris fell on the grounds of an industrial enterprise.

Meanwhile in Kyiv, the death toll from a Russian barrage on an apartment building on Thursday rose to at least 24 people, including three children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Forty-eight people were wounded.

Amid the ongoing violence, Russia and Ukraine have moved ahead with a prisoner swap that saw 205 POWs repatriated on each side ⁠on Friday. It was the first step of a swap that is planned to ultimately see 1,000 people on each side return home.

The two sides also conducted an exchange of those killed in the fighting, with Russia handing 526 bodies to Ukraine and receiving 41 in return. Both Kyiv and Moscow thanked the United Arab Emirates for mediating the swap.

Zelenskyy wrote on social media that most of the prisoners returned to Ukraine had been in Russian captivity since 2022.

“We will continue to fight for every single person who remains in captivity,” he said.

BORDEAUX — Passengers unaffected by an illness outbreak on a British cruise ship have been allowed off the ship in Bordeaux, while authorities confirmed the cause of the outbreak is norovirus, a nasty stomach bug that spreads easily.

French authorities had initially ordered over 1,700 passengers and crew on The Ambition cruise ship to remain on board, but then decided late Wednesday to let those unaffected disembark. One passenger was spotted raising his arms in triumph while leaving the vessel.

It was not immediately clear how many left the ship.

French authorities said there is no link to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch vessel that has put European health authorities on alert in recent weeks.

The Ambition was midway through a 14-night cruise from Belfast and Liverpool, with scheduled stops in northern Spain and along France’s Atlantic coast when it was struck by the outbreak. It reached Bordeaux on Tuesday evening, according to the operator, Ambassador Cruise Line. It was not immediately clear if or when it would resume its journey.

Samples analyzed at Bordeaux University Hospital confirmed an outbreak of norovirus. Local authorities said at this stage no serious cases have been reported and that sick passengers were cared for onboard by the ship’s medical team.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks outbreaks on voyages that call on U.S. and foreign ports, recorded 23 gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships last year. Most were caused by norovirus, including a new strain.

Ambassador Cruise Line, a British operator catering to passengers over 50, was founded in 2021.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to ‘level with’ the public as jet fuel shortages continue to affect airlines

British holidaymakers are set to be warned by ministers to prepare for potential flight cancellations. The anticipated warning follows concerns from airline bosses about possible jet fuel supply shortages affecting the UK from as early as next month.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is reportedly preparing to “level with” the public this weekend about the likelihood of disruption and cancellations this summer. She is also expected to outline contingency measures designed to minimise the fallout – as six tourist hotspots have reportedly been identified as being at risk of cancellations.

Government officials are drawing up plans to advise against long-haul travel to specific destinations should tensions in Iran escalate dramatically. Countries including Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Myanmar and Ethiopia could be affected, sources told the Times.

Ministers are also set to highlight the “positives” of staycations as anxiety mounts over overseas bookings. A number of major European carriers have recently sounded the alarm about looming jet fuel shortages in the coming weeks, citing disruption to their primary supply route through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to UKOilWatch, Britain currently holds just 34 days’ worth of jet fuel reserves. Roughly three-quarters of Europe’s jet fuel originates from the Middle East and passes through the Strait of Hormuz off Iran. Heathrow Airport confirmed on Wednesday that it anticipates passenger figures for the remainder of the year will be impacted by Middle Eastern tensions.

Lufthansa Group plans to axe 20,000 flights over the next six months in a bid to conserve fuel. Meanwhile, other carriers including Virgin Atlantic have introduced a fuel surcharge, and British Airways has cautioned passengers about potential “pricing adjustments” to their tickets.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, also suggested this week that Brits might need to reconsider “where they go on holiday”. Government ministers insist the UK isn’t currently facing jet fuel shortages, as alternative supply sources remain available.

Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, revealed to The Times that competitors are “desperately” hunting for flights to axe, with cancellations expected to begin within weeks. According to the newspaper, leading fuel suppliers are informing airlines that the UK has the “most limited visibility” across Europe regarding jet fuel availability, largely due to its heavy dependence on Middle Eastern imports.

These suppliers reportedly anticipate May will be manageable. Yet they warn that “mid to late June as the potential start of disruptions” if the Strait of Hormuz near Iran remains closed.

Ryanair and Jet2 reassure passengers

O’Leary explained: “There is a modest improvement in the supply situation through to the end of May, early June, but then nobody would give us any undertakings what happens in mid-June or thereafter.”

He confirmed Ryanair wouldn’t be slashing flights. However, he predicted that other prominent European carriers more “exposed” to soaring costs would likely begin scrapping routes, saying: “They are all desperately trying to take out marginal flights or any growth because they don’t have the fuel for it.

“We were worried there would be disruption to around 10 per cent of our flights but some of those worries have eased because other European airlines have taken out lots of capacity.” It comes as Jet2 has revealed that holidaymakers are increasingly making last-minute bookings following the outbreak of the Iran war, with growing concerns about the conflict’s impact and potential disruptions to jet fuel supplies.

The company reported that summer passenger bookings are currently up 6.2%, driven by growth in both its airline and package holiday operations. However, highlighting rising unease amongst travellers, it noted that the “booking profile has become increasingly close to departure” as a result of the Middle East conflict.

Jet2 confirmed it has strong protection against fuel cost increases triggered by the Iran war for the crucial summer period. It said it is “maintaining frequent dialogue with our fuel suppliers and airport partners on fuel supply”.

British refineries have meanwhile been instructed to maximise jet fuel production as part of government contingency measures amid concerns that the Iran war could lead to aircraft being grounded. Energy minister Michael Shanks said the government is closely monitoring UK jet fuel stocks and liaising with airlines, airports, fuel suppliers and international partners.

“UK airlines typically buy fuel months in advance, and aviation fuel suppliers hold bunkered stocks. The UK imports jet fuel supplies from a range of countries not reliant on the strait, including the United States,” Shanks stated in a ministerial announcement. “Airlines UK have stated that ‘UK airlines continue to operate normally and are not experiencing issues with jet fuel supply.’ The government continues to work with partners to monitor and mitigate potential disruptions,” Shanks added.