chaos

The brand new series hosted by Steph McGovern follows amateur art dealers putting their skills to the test

BBC Two’s brand new series has been plunged into chaos as contestants clash on air.

Former BBC Breakfast host Steph McGovern has returned to television screens for the hit BBC series that is set to rival The Apprentice.

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern follows seven trainee art dealers from around the UK who are putting their creativity, negotiating and profit making skills to the test as they battle it out to win a piece of art worth a staggering amount.

Airing new episodes every Thursday at 8pm on BBC Two, tonight’s instalment (Thursday, August 20) follows the six remaining amateur pairs who are split into two teams and challenged to sell contemporary art to furnish multi million pound homes.

A synopsis read: “Host Steph McGovern and series mentor Cordelia de Freitas are joined by Peter Staunton, an award-winning luxury interior designer who is on hand to tell the dealers about his clients’ tastes, as well as sharing tips and tricks when it comes to investing in art for the home.”

The dealers had a limited time to hunt for the best works before pitching their ideas directly to the homeowners – those with the lowest amount of commission would face elimination.

And it wasn’t long before tensions started to rise as the show was plunged into chaos. The teams were split into two larger groups, with opinions regularly clashing between Daisy and Darren.

Later, series mentor and art dealer Cordelia de Freitas and Peter Staunton, award-winning luxury interior designer met up with the teams to see what art work they had bought.

Despite a brief of a bronze sculpture, Daisy and Rebecca returned with two blue pieces as Cordelia said “talk about that” when it came to discussing the artist.

However, Daisy replied: “But guys, we’re not pitching to you right now”, as Cordelia added: “We’re here to help.” Daisy went on to say: “No, no it’s been a long day trust me, we can turn it on tomorrow.”

Speaking to cameras, team member Darren admitted: “Would I have picked those blue whatever they were? No absolutely not.”

Darren and Graham and Daisy and Rebecca clashed again later on the show when they butted heads choosing a sculpture design to pitch.

When Darren said they would get to the story behind their chosen design, Rebecca hit back: “Is there much point if we’re not going to pitch it”, to which Daisy stated: “Mum just leave it.”

Clashing on their opinions, the group continued to talk over one another as their co-stars looking on from the sidelines, Deborah and Rebeckah, told cameras: “I had to clock out because I found it distasteful and I’m not here to disgrace myself so I wanted to step out of it.”

Also speaking to producers, Darren said: “There’s definitely a divide there but again, this comes down to personality and taste. We’re not always going to like what other people like and they aren’t going to like what we like.”

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern airs every Thursday at 8pm on BBC Two

PASSENGERS are facing travel chaos today after a train caught fire.

Trains running to Gatwick are being cancelled or delayed until further notice.

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel.

A train is on fire between Balham and London Victoria, with some lines between these stations closed as a result.

The Gatwick Express account posted on X: “A train is on fire between Balham and London Victoria.

“Some lines are closed between these stations until further notice.

“Gatwick Express services will still run but may be delayed due to congestion.

“Please check your train before you travel and allow extra time to reach your destination.”

Southern Rail also warned of disruption until 3pm.

“Both slow lines between Balham and Clapham Junction are blocked until further notice.

“We will be unable to stop at Wandsworth Common or Battersea Park until further notice.

“If you are travelling to or from these stations, you will need to use an alternative route for your journey.”

In an update, it said some trains are being delayed by at least half an hour.

A MAJOR budget airline cancelled around 100 flights at a number of airports over the weekend – and there could be more to come.

Travellers are being warned that there could easyJet flight cancellations due to strikes, in the next two weeks.

Between August 15 and 16, an initial walk out led to nearly 100 flights to and from France cancelled, impacting thousands of passengers.

And there is the possibility that cabin crew could start a number of strikes again over the coming days.

A notification for strike action remains in place until September 2.

The notice gives workers at the airline the option to strike with 48 hours notice.

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With the strike notice still in place for the couple of weeks, travellers are being warned that the chaos might not yet be over.

If further strike action is called, it is expected to take place on weekends as this will create the most disruption.

The previous strikes impacted all of easyJet’s bases in France including Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice, Nantes, and Bordeaux.

According to The Connexion, no further strike dates have been confirmed at the moment.

Three unions are involved in the action, which has been called over poor working conditions and uncooperative management.

The Connexion added that easyJet has offer alternatives to all passengers impacted but the strike action over the past weekend, including other flight options.

Due to the strike action being called by easyJet’s staff it cannot be classed as ‘extenuating circumstances’ and as a result passengers should receive compensation and refunds.

EastEnders’ Sean Slater is back on the BBC soap with actor Rob Kazinsky soon reprising the role for fresh drama and ‘heartfelt chaos’ while the reason for his comeback is under wraps

Sean Slater is returning EastEnders, the BBC soap has confirmed.

Actor Rob Kazinsky will reprise his role, with it expected to be a full-time appearance. The show has not revealed how long he is back, with no suggestion it will be a small stint like his previous returns.

Instead, the soap has teased a mystery storyline will trigger his comeback, with actor Rob pictured on set. His character Sean was last seen in 2022 briefly, having made an earlier return a year earlier in 2021.

Prior to this, Sean’s first comeback after years away from Walford came in 2019, 10 years after he left the Square for good in 2009. The popular character will rejoin the Slaters later this year, with his reasons for heading back to the show set to become clear closer to his arrival.

Actor Rob has teased “heartfelt chaos” when he heads back, while the soap also promised more drama from the character. A statement read: “Sean returns later this year, and if his previous stints are anything to go by, it’s only a matter of time before Sean will find himself embroiled in drama.”

On returning to EastEnders, actor Rob said he is happy to be back and exploring who Sean is all these years later. He said: “I left EastEnders in 2008 as a 23-year-old boy and was lucky to spend the next 19 years of my life working around the world.

“Always championing EastEnders and stating the fact that one day I wanted to walk in Sean’s Shoes again. But this time as a man to see who Sean the man might also be.

“I wanted to do it for Sean, I wanted to do it for the fans that have supported me in every role since I left the Square but, mostly, I wanted to do it for me. I’m home, and I can’t wait to bring a new level of heartfelt chaos to Albert Square in the way only Sean Slater can.”

Executive Producer of EastEnders Ben Wadey also teased what cans can expect from Sean being back onscreen. Ben shared: “I’m delighted to welcome Rob Kazinsky back to EastEnders as he reprises the role of Sean Slater later this year.

“Sean Slater was a big part of the Slater family and as viewers will already know, where Sean goes, drama is not far behind.” More will be revealed soon about when Sean will come back and why he’s returning to Walford.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

A EUROPEAN airport has finally restarted flights after a week of chaos – but passengers are still being warned of cancellations.

Catania Airport in Sicily, Italy, was forced to cancel hundreds of flights last week as well as close for a number of days due to Mount Etna erupting.

Today, the airport is open again, however flights are still being cancelled.

There are currently no restrictions on departures, but only five flights are allowed to arrive at the airport per hour.

And despite departure flights going ahead, there are already several delays this morning affecting Ryanair, easyJet and British Airways passengers.

In the latest statement on the airport’s website, it says: “Due to Etna’s eruptive activity and the associated release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the airspace corresponding to Sectors B1 and B2 has been closed.

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“Arriving flights are limited to 5 aircraft per hour until 2:00 PM today, Monday 17 August.

“There are no restrictions on departures.

“Passengers are kindly advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before heading to the airport. Further updates will follow in the coming hours.”

In the latest update, at 7:09am this morning a new volcano vent opened, creating a new lava flow.

“Intense explosive activity” also resumed at the summit crater, with an ash plume rising a few kilometres, according to Volcano Discovery.

Some passengers have been left stranded during the volcanic activity.

Barbara Krmelj, 35 and partner Roy Barone, 46, were due to fly back to London on August 11 but their flights were cancelled.

As a result, the duo had to take an extra week’s leave from their jobs and while they have been given new flights, they anticipate that they too will be cancelled.

The couple, who said they are likely to have been left £1,000 out of pocket, added: “We can’t enjoy all the beauty around us as we feel trapped on the island.”

Another passenger, Evgenia Filimianova, 39, flew to Sicily from London to attend a friends wedding but their return flight was cancelled.

Evgenia said: “It feels like there is no way out. Emotionally, it’s not easy – it’s stressful and tiring and we weren’t prepared for it.”

Last week, the volcanic ash also caused issues at Malta International Airport.

A EUROPEAN airport has been forced to close for the third day in a row as a volcano eruption continues to disrupt thousands of passengers.

Flights at Catania Airport in Sicily, Italy, will now be suspended until at least early Saturday due to ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing volcanic eruption.

Over the course of this week hundreds of flights have been cancelled with further flights diverted to neighbouring airport Palermo.

The airport has been closed for three days now, with flights disrupted over the past seven days.

In the latest update on its website, the airport states: “Due to Mount Etna’s eruptive activity, the closure of Sector C1 and B3 has been extended, resulting in the suspension of departures and arrivals until 2:00 AM on August 15.

“Passengers are kindly advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before heading to the airport.

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“Further updates will follow in the coming hours.”

Flights cancelled today include:

• 10:50am easyJet service to Bristol Airport
• 11:45am easyJet service to Edinburgh Airport
• 12:15pm easyJet service to London Gatwick
• 12:30pm BA Euroflyer service to London Gatwick

In total, nine flights to the UK are cancelled today as well as nine flights from the UK due to arrive at Catania.

Over the past days, more than 700 flights have been cancelled.

Families have also been left stranded at the airport, with videos on social media showing how some passengers have resorted to sleeping on luggage belts at the airport.

The impact has spread further than the Sicilian airport as well, with Malta International Airport forced to cancel 19 flights earlier this week too.

Patients forced to move as part of hospital shut after burst pipe sends A&E into choas

A hospital department on Channel 5’s Casualty 24/7 was thrown into chaos.

Patients were forced to leave their cubicles after part of a hospital was shut when a burst pipe sent water and steam crashing through the ceiling.

During Wednesday’s episode of the hit show, the emergency department at Barnsley Hospital was plunged into turmoil after the unexpected incident left a large section of the hospital out of use.

Staff were forced to evacuate patients from the affected area and move equipment into corridors as they battled to keep the busy A&E department running.

Three fire engines were called to the South Yorkshire hospital after steam began pouring through the ceiling and part of it came down while doctors were working below.

At first, staff did not know what they were dealing with and feared the fumes could potentially have been gas. A member of staff explained that patients had to be evacuated from the cubicles as steam continued to pour down from the ceiling.

The trolleys were also moved into the back corridor, while staff initially feared the substance could be gas, prompting them to call the fire service.

The incident meant the entire back section of the emergency department had to be shut while staff worked to make the area safe.

With patients still waiting to be seen, the team had to find ways of continuing to treat people despite losing a significant part of the department.

The waiting room remained full as service manager Lindsey was drafted in to help Sister Jo get the department back on track.

Fortunately, nobody was injured during the dramatic incident. Lindsey said: “Nobody was injured, thankfully. Fortunately, it started slowly dripping first so people were standing back looking up as the ceiling came in.”

But the disruption created yet another challenge for staff working in an already pressured environment.

She said: “It’s already a difficult environment to work in, so any additional pressure on top of that is only going to make it even more difficult.”

Staff were forced to improvise, moving computers and equipment as they attempted to keep the department functioning.

One nurse said: “Just getting on really. There’s nothing you can do. They told us to get laptops and make it work.” Another added: “It’s a change but that’s ED for you, isn’t it? Got to work with what you’ve got.” The scale of the disruption on behalf of the hospital was out of use for the day.

Lindsey said she had asked the IT team to bring in computers on wheels so staff could continue working, describing the disruption as “a new challenge to add to the list.”

After hours of disruption, staff finally received some good news when another small section of the hospital was made available.

Computers could be plugged back in and some of the electrical problems had been resolved, allowing the team to start getting back to normal.

Lindsey praised the staff for how they had handled the extraordinary situation. She said: “I’m proud of the team because they handled it the way they do everything.” Meanwhile Sister Jo added: “We managed to keep on top of it and the patients got what they needed.”

You can stream Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts on Channel 5

MORE eruptions from a volcano in Europe has resulted in sudden flight cancellations in Sicily today.

An ash cloud drifting into airspace means that flights cannot land or take off at Catania Airport on the Italian island.

Following an eruption over the weekend and change in wind direction, an ash cloud from Mount Etna has affected airspace in Sicily.

Due to safety reasons, flights departing and arriving into Catania Airport have been cancelled or delayed until 5pm local time.

Impacted airlines include Ryanair, EasyJet, and Wizz Air.

Operator SAC said: “Due to Etna’s eruptive activity and the associated release of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, the airspace corresponding to the ash cloud southwest of the volcano (Sector C1) has been closed. Arrivals are suspended until 5:00 PM.

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“As the situation is significantly affecting operations, passengers are kindly advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before heading to the airport.

“The situation is being constantly monitored, and further updates will be provided depending on the evolution of volcanic activity and weather conditions.”

One Brit travelling home from Sicily over the weekend also faced disruption, he wrote on X: “Had a superb holiday in Sicily

“Getting home was interesting.. Catania flight cancelled due to Etna → 3hr taxi to Palermo → flight cancelled → slept at airport → Rome → taxi to Naples → Gatwick → taxi to Luton. Only a day late but very happy to be back at the nest.”

Palermo Airport, Sicily’s other major aviation hub located on the northwest coast, remains unaffected, with flights operating as scheduled.

It’s not the first time this year that there has been disruption at the airport following eruptions on Mount Etna.

Last month, the volcano erupted for 10 days leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in Sicily.

Holidaymakers had to seek hotel allocation, while others travelled elsewhere to get home.

A significant change could come into force from next month that would impact Brits travelling to parts of Europe, with threats of more potential airport chaos – unless it’s pushed back yet again

Brits could face a fresh wave of airport chaos when new restrictions kick in for travel to parts of Europe – unless officials introduce allow further delays.

Earlier this year, British holidaymakers began to face significant travel disruption as they grappled with the new European Union’s (EU) Entry/Exit System (EES), which was fully implemented across airports on April 10, 2026. There were reports of grueling queues of up to four hours and missed flights as Brits needed to create a digital record and register their biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photograph, on arrival in a Schengen area.

Thankfully, some restrictions were eased, and member states, including France, Portugal and Spain, were given the option to temporarily “lift biometric registration” until the end of summer to ensure there is “some relief for the worst-case scenario”. Greece was one of the countries that opted to waive the EU requirement for Brits to provide fingerprints and facial scans at airport border control.

Uku Särekanno, deputy executive director of Frontex, which helps to manage the external borders of the EU, explained in June: “We have until the end of the summer, the possibility during the tourism season to lift the biometric controls or the biometric registration temporarily.

“If there is a peak hour, you see that there are hundreds of people queuing, their queues are getting too long, then member states still have the possibility to lift biometric registration. The EU has considered, for the period of summer, to make sure that there is still some relief for the worst-case scenario.”

However, any flexibility that has been in place for the EES, or that is still in effect, could come to an end.

According to Frontex, the offer of eased measures for the digital border system is set to expire on Sunday, 6 September, potentially leading to longer airport queues and travel disruptions.

However, there have been calls to extend the full rollout of the EES beyond 6 September, for fear it could spark further airport chaos, even though it comes after the summer holidays.

According to The Times, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, has privately reassured that the EES checks could still be paused after the current 6 September deadline, when needed. It’s also been reported that Apostolos has also made similar assurances to the UK, indicating that an extension of the flexibility could be possible, following a meeting with British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

“We want everyone to have the summer holidays they deserve – and yesterday’s meeting shows everyone is pulling in the same direction, “Heidi said following the meeting on 14 July. “I was reassured that the EU commissioner for transport understood the concerns of holidaymakers and recognised the need for us to work together.”

The new digital border system is required for the initial arrival at an airport border within the Schengen zone and replaces the traditional manual passport-stamping process. Once the first registration has been completed, the EES remains valid for three years.

Countries within the Schengen area include: 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. The EES system is not required for travel to the Republic of Ireland or Cyprus, as neither country is part of the Schengen area.

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ANYONE heading to two of the UK’s busiest airports are being warned of major travel disruption until the end of the day.

Trains between central London and both Heathrow and Gatwick airports are are currently disrupted due to train issues.

A tunnel closure between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow has caused problems this morning.

There are currently no Elizabeth Line trains between the west London station and Heathrow terminals 4 and 5 and there are also a number of delays on other lines heading to Paddington.

National Rail has said that the tunnel has been closed for safety reasons.

The Heathrow Express is also currently running on a reduced service, with two trains per hour from London Paddington instead of four.

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Disruption is also expected until the end of the day.

The tunnel closure is reportedly due to a water leak on the line.

Tickets are being accepted across the Piccadilly Line as well as numerous different buses.

There are two tunnels that link the airport to the main trainline, but with only one remaining open, trains have to wait at the tunnel to get in or out of the airport.

It is bad news for anyone heading to London Gatwick Airport as well, as there has been a fire beside the track causing delays to rail services between London and the South East.

The fire has caused damage to the overhead signalling cables and currently passengers are being asked to allow an extra 30 minutes for their journey to the airport.

Currently, services between London Victoria and Eastbourne are suspended along with Gatwick Express services.

Thameslink services which run between Three Bridges and Bedford are also suspended.

A Gatwick Express statement says: “You should travel on alternative Southern or Thameslink services towards your destination.

“If you’re travelling towards a different London terminal to normal, you will be able to change trains at stations along the route, such as Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport, or East Croydon, for a train towards your destination.

“Alternatively, you can use London Underground to travel between stations once you’ve arrived in the London area.”

Authorities suspect narcotics dealers and gang rivalries are behind prison violence at several facilities in Sri Lanka.

Police and riot squads have been deployed after three inmates were killed and nearly two dozen others were injured in separate prison riots across Sri Lanka.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told parliament on Friday that one prisoner was killed when 40 inmates broke out of their cells at the New Magazine Prison in the capital, Colombo, late on Thursday.

Two more prisoners were killed on Friday morning during a second riot at Kuruwita prison, about 80km (50 miles) from the capital, he said.

Between the two incidents, 23 inmates were injured and admitted to hospitals, Wijepala said, adding that police and special forces ‌brought both riots under control.

Additionally, police told the Reuters news agency that officers fired tear gas at protesting inmates at an open prison in the coastal town of Negombo, about 40km (25 miles) from Colombo, to bring the situation there under control on Friday.

Riot police at all three prisons worked to return prisoners who had climbed onto rooftops or moved into open areas back to their wards, the minister said.

Wijepala told parliament the violence was related to narcotics dealers and rival criminal gangs.

He said the government is trying to find out if the riots were coordinated.

“When you take all ⁠these incidents together, it appears that there is planning behind these and an attempt at sabotage. But we can only say ⁠anything further after a comprehensive investigation,” Wijepala said.

The prison disturbances happened a month after 10 ⁠prison officials and 20 prisoners died in two days of fighting at a prison in Negombo.

One inmate also died and several others ‌were injured in a riot last weekend at a prison in Mahara, about 14km (8.6 miles) from Colombo.

Overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prisons is at crisis levels.

Facilities are highly congested, with more than 39,000 inmates crowded into a system with a total capacity of just 10,000, according to a recent speech in parliament by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.

“The number of prisoners in Sri Lanka today is four times the capacity,” said Senaka Perera, president of the Committee for Rights of Prisoners. “In fact, they have been patient for so long.”

A large number of inmates are suspects awaiting trial for alleged narcotics-related offences. Recent laws tightening bail conditions have resulted in prison overcrowding, Perera said.

Sri Lanka is planning to amend its constitution ‌to extend superior court judges’ tenure by two years, as part of efforts to clear a backlog of more than one million court cases and reduce prisoner numbers.

EUROPEAN borders have been consumed by long queues recently thanks to new travel rules introduced back in April – and it’s about to get worse.

Europe‘s new Entry/Exit System (EES) was fully rolled out at the beginning of April and applies to all Brits entering Europe.

Upon your first entry to a Schengen country, you must register – which means having your photo taken as well as fingerprints.

However, this registration process has been causing long queues and delays at border control across European airports, with some travellers waiting hours and others even missing their flight.

And soon it could get much worse.

Come September 6, a flexibility allowance introduced across Europe is due to expire.

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EU member states are currently allowed to pause EES checks in “exceptional circumstances” which includes when queues get too long.

According to the EU border security agency Frontex, the flexibility won’t be renewed in September, despite industry bodies calling for it to be, reports The Times.

Countries including Greece, France, Portugal and Spain currently all switch off EES when they need to.

However, when the flexibility expires in September these countries could once again experience long queues at their airports.

At some airports, the machines even have to be shut down and turned on again when they get overwhelmed, just to get them to work.

Air France-KLM told Politico: “When lines form during the busy summer months, the system is shut off to ensure smooth transit at our hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.”

Other airports that have had problems with the technology include Brussels Airport, where the system is still not fully operational.

It comes as other issues with the new system have emerged including taking the fingerprints of elderly people.

In some cases, the new system has been unable to scan fingerprints of elderly people as they are too faded.

According to The Telegraph, one Brit who recently travelled to Majorca but when she got to the EES kiosks, her fingerprints weren’t recognised.

The woman then had to wait in a long queue of mainly families for her passport to be manually stamped.

However, anyone who cannot give fingerprints will be exempt from having to give them.

The yearly sunbed wars are in full swing, and one TikToker has captured Brits pioneering a new way to queue for sunbeds without having to miss breakfast

If you’re heading to a holiday hotspot such as Spain, Portugal, Greece, or Turkey, then the odds are you’ll see people reserving their sunbed first thing in the morning.

Whether the hotel is busy or not, you’ll often see a queue of Brits, and let’s face it, many other European nationalities too queueing up for the grand opening of the pool area so they can lay down their towel before they even hit the breakfast buffet.

But one TikTok poster has discovered a new hack that her fellow holidaymakers were using to avoid even needing to queue, and while it meant they could avoid needing to hang around the lobby, comments slammed it as ‘selfish’.

The poster Sarah, who posts on TikTok as @mrsbainbridge, posted the video taken at the Hotel Best Oasis Park in Salou, Spain, showing a neat line of beach bags, inflatables, and other items holding peoples’ place in the queue while their owners are presumably doing something more fun.

In the caption, Sarah wrote: “Never have I came across somewhere like this for sun bed wars of a morning” as she panned across the variety of abandoned items. In a second video, she captured the massive queue, this time populated with people waiting to nab their favourite spot.

Comments overwhelmingly agreed with Sarah. Some said they simply wouldn’t follow the informal system: “I’m not waiting in a queue behind a bag. Straight to back of the first human I see in the queue.”, while another agreed: “nah if you’re not physically in the queue then I’m walking to the front”.

Others questioned whether there were steps the hotel could take to minimise the impact. One person suggested: “The hotel should be taking all those bags and putting them into an orderly pile in the corner. Same with towels left on sun beds for more than 40 minutes”.

Other posters who claimed they’d visited the same hotel as Sarah shared their story. One claimed: “Was there start of July, worse when the doors open.. absolute chaos! Grown men pushing children out of the way etc,” while another added: “Just left there. Joke each morning. Kids nearly getting trampled on then people putting towels down and disappear for the day.”

Sarah isn’t the only one to post videos of the hotel’s sunbed wars. Another user named Mandy posted a video captioned “10am sunbed dash” showing a huge queue of families with towels and inflatables trying to reserve a spot. Warning: video contains strong language.

In June, @deajak1405 also posted a video showing a ‘rat race’ which showed the view of the daily sunbed grab from his balcony. The user is heard laughing as grown adults are shown pushing through the doors as they open, jogging towards the pool area to find their favoured spot.

Some reviews of the hotel on TripAdvisor also highlight the hotel’s sunbed issues. A review from July claims: “The set up for sunbeds at this hotel is ridiculous. The doors to the pool open at 10am, people queue from 9am, then others just run past for a bed. My daughter 14 years old was pushed to the ground one day then my wife and daughter were verbally abused on other day. We also witnessed to major arguments in the week.”

Hotel Best Oasis Park has been contacted for comment.

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Travel plans for around 1.6 million UK tourists heading to Italy were disrupted Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples hit by red alert. Greece helicopters fight fire despite midair crash which one Brit crew member miraculously survived.

Extreme weather brought chaos across Europe today, with warnings of 40C (104F) temperatures in some of the worst-hit countries.

Travel plans for about 1.6 million UK tourists heading to Italy were disrupted as nearly every city was placed on ‘red alert’ for extreme heat. Cities from north to south – including the capital Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples – were warning residents and tourists about the health risks. Temperatures have hit the mid-30sC in many places.

Authorities warned the ‘healthy and active’ were also at risk; not just groups including the elderly, very young children and people with chronic illnesses. Meanwhile, five water-dropping planes and five helicopters took off at dawn today to help firefighters near Athens – after a midair collision in which a Brit helicopter crew member miraculously survived.

The collision between the two fire-fighting choppers showed the extreme danger on the frontline of Europe’s wildfire emergency. Flames bore deeper into the region of the Greek capital, forcing fresh evacuations in the early hours. A Greek national and a Dane died when their helicopter collided with another near the seaside area of Psatha.

The British national and another local man were taken to a hospital, where their injuries were reported as minor. Foreign firefighting and helicopter crews are often deployed in Greece to help tackle wildfires during the country’s hot, dry summers.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from the region, including more than 250 rescued by boat from beaches in Greece. Evacuation orders were issued for three more areas, while crews worked to create firebreaks in a forest to help halt the blaze’s advance

In France, firefighters guarded a still-burning scar four times the size of Paris. The blaze raged through pine forests and scrubland over the weekend, whipped by gale force winds that often prevented water-dropping planes from operating.

Hungary is facing power cuts after the drought sweeping across much of Europe forced its only nuclear power plant to shut down. Peter Magyar, the prime minister, said the country was preparing for a “critical” week after the level of the Danube River, which cools the plant, fell to a record low.

The government was considering applying mandatory electricity restrictions for large companies starting today, Mr Magyar said: “We are facing the most critical five days ahead,” he said in a Facebook video.

The Paks power plant will not be generating, while the hottest, 40C days are ahead. The power grid, our public services, and we ourselves will all come under enormous strain.

The Danube has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years in several countries, including Romania. The drought has triggered water-use restrictions in more than 100 cities and villages, including on the outskirts of Budapest.

Mr Magyar called on companies, public institutions, local governments and households to significantly reduce or reschedule electricity use during evening peak hours between 5pm and 10pm.

Italy is in the midst of its fourth extreme heatwave of the summer, with temperatures hitting 40C in many parts of the country. According to official estimates, a total of 17.4 million tourists will be travelling in Italy until August 23, including 8.4 million Italians and nine million visitors from abroad, with about 1.6m expected from the UK.

Dash firefighting aircraft were seen through smoke as they flew over a wildfire in Correns, southeastern France, though the situation in the area was largely under control. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said wildfires in Greece were ‘deeply worrying’ for UK travellers.

He said: “It’s essential, however, that travellers don’t cancel their trips, especially those not due to travel for the next week or two. Travellers who cancel now will likely forfeit the right to a refund or rebooking, and you’re unlikely to be able to claim on travel insurance, as the FCDO has not warned against travel to the affected regions.

“Where possible, holidaymakers should wait until closer to their departure date to see if their holiday can go ahead or what flexible booking options may be offered by their tour operator or airline. Travel companies will be prioritising anyone due to depart in the next couple of days.”

Some athletes struggled in the conditions.

England’s Morgan Lake did not clear the bar with any of her three efforts in the high jump.

Similarly, Scotland’s Steven Stone had attempts with his glasses on his face and the top of his head in the men’s T20 long jump but did not register a clean effort.

Northern Ireland’s Kate O’Connor said she was “gutted” with her throw of 12.85m in the heptathlon shot put.

“It just kept slipping out of my hands,” she said.

“When your chalk gets wet, it’s like you might as well have dish soap on your hands and I just probably spent too much time and effort trying to stay dry rather than doing the cues that I work on in training.

“I can’t blame anybody else apart from myself for not executing.”

But there were also a number of impressive performances given the conditions.

O’Connor responded by running a dominant 24.14 seconds in the 200m to reclaim top spot of the heptathlon competition. England’s Jade O’Dowda was only eighth quickest and slipped back to second, 49 points in arrears.

In the men’s 100m, Eseme’s winning time of 9.83 was a Commonwealth Games record, the third-fastest time this year and moved him third on the all-time list of African sprinters.

The hammer throw and the high jump were briefly paused but when the former did resume Canada’s Camryn Rogers produced another Games record – 74.91m.

Even Hunt, who was slow out of the blocks and off the pace for the first 60m, finished 0.01secs outside her lifetime best of 10.97 in the women’s 100m.

“I am just proud of myself for gritting it out and trusting my long legs,” she said.

“Ultimately, we all have to race in the same conditions. We are all on the start line together freezing.

“You just have to get out there and get it done.”

A smattering of hardy locals even stayed until the final anthem was sung as the clocked neared 11pm.

It was a night few will forget.

British holidaymakers travelling to and from a popular Spanish destination have been warned about planned strikes that could cause delays and disruptions during the summer holidays

Brits jetting off abroad to a major holiday hotspot are being warned about travel disruptions due to planned strikes set to start this week.

Holidaymakers travelling through Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) could face significant delays as Swissport workers are due to strike on Tuesday, 28 July, with TUI one of the affected airlines. Further walk-outs in the Swissport ground handling strike are planned for the summer holidays, including on August 1, 4, and 8 from 7am to 12pm and 7pm to 10pm.

To make matters worse, full 24-hour daily walkouts are also set to take place this week, starting from today (Monday, 27 July) until Thursday (30 July). This industrial action, known as the metal sector strike, has been planned by three unions and covers 39,000 workers across the Balearic Islands who are demanding “fair wage increases and protection against inflation”, Palma Airport outlined.

However, Palma Airport warned that there is a “crucial overlap date” for Tuesday, 28 July, as the two strikes coincide. This could result in the worst-impacted day for travellers passing through the airport with delays and disruptions, as various airlines could be affected.

Palma Airport explained that Swissport provides essential passenger, baggage handling and ramp services to a specific group of international carriers, including TUI, Condor, TAP Air Portugal, Air Canada, Etihad Airways, Albastar and DAT. While other airlines at Palma use different ground handling providers, such as Ryanair, EasyJet, or Jet2, the airport warned that “large-scale airport strikes can occasionally create a minor knock-on effect”, but Swissport passengers are expected to be the worst affected.

Meanwhile, the airport warned that the regional metal sector strike “covers technical personnel across the entire airport”, meaning that its impact will “stretch beyond Swissport-handled airlines to affect all carriers operating at Palma, Ibiza, and Menorca.” They added that “passengers on any airline could face localised delays” on those specific dates (July 27 to 30).

The airport warned that during the strikes, passengers could face “longer waiting times” and “potential operational bottlenecks.” In addition, travellers could face delays when checking in or dropping off their bags before departure, when at the boarding gate, and at the baggage carousels after landing in Mallorca, during the Swissport strikes.

In advice to holidaymakers set to travel to or from Palma, the airport advised the following:

• Check in online: Complete your check-in online before heading to the airport to minimise time spent in queues.
• Travel light if possible: Travelling with hand luggage only allows you to bypass potential check-in and baggage carousel delays.
• Monitor your airline’s app: Keep a close eye on text alerts or app notifications from your airline for real-time schedule updates.
• Arrive on time (but not too early): Stick to the standard arrival window recommended by your carrier (usually two to three hours before departure). Arriving half a day early can worsen airport congestion.

Palma Airport, also known as Son Sant Joan Airport, is one of the biggest Spanish airports, connecting Brits to the capital of Mallorca (Majorca), and beyond. In July last year, a whopping 1.8 million tourists travelled through Palma Airport in favour of that Spanish sun-soaked summer getaway.

The airport strikes planned for this week follow protests against overtourism in Palma on Sunday, 26 July. According to the police, around 25,000 people were involved, while the organisers, Menys Turisme, Mes Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), estimate that 70,000 took part in the protest.

For more information on the planned strikes during the summer, visit the Palma Airport website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

As 6.3 million people embark on road trips, the UKHSA has issued a yellow heat health alert with a risk to life for the elderly and vulnerable

More than six million people are hitting the roads as the summer holidays begin – battling 30C temperatures and nose-to-tail traffic jams.

The AA predicts 6.3 million of us will make journeys between now and Thursday. Yellow heat health alerts are in place across much of the country until tomorrow morning and the UK Health Security Agency is warning of minor impacts on health and social care services and an increased risk to life for vulnerable people.

The Port of Dover is braced for its busiest weekend of the summer. Holidaymakers faced gridlock as they waited for ferries today, and tomorrow is set to be the same. Ferry company DFDS said its wait times at Dover were up to 60 minutes at border controls.

But officials hope it will be smooth sailing compared to the May half-term getaway, when waiting times hit four-and-a-half hours due to technical issues with thenew border check Entry Exit System.

The RAC’s Simon Williams warned: “Drivers should be ready for some very busy roads this weekend and expect delays. The best advice is to plan journeys and think about setting off earlier or later in the day to avoid traffic jams.”

Opting to stay at home this week will also come with its challenges. Millions of Brits are now subject to hosepipe bans and a drought has been officially declared for large parts of north and mid-Wales.

The rest of Wales, along with much of central, southern and eastern England, is in the “prolonged dry weather” ­category – one stage below a drought. But parts of Britain might be in for some light relief from Sunday, as high pressure retreats and brings outbreaks of rain.

Showers could be heavy in the north and the west of the UK, with 20mm possible in parts of north west Scotland. The rain will be much patchier further south and east, with large swathes of England and Wales forecast to get just a few millimetres at most. And it’s likely some locations in the south of England will not see a drop.

The Met Office’s Dan Suri said: “After a prolonged spell of hot, dry and settled weather, some will see a temporary change this weekend as weather fronts move south east across the UK. While some areas, particularly in the north and west, will see rain and showers, many places are likely to receive ­relatively little rainfall.

“For much of southern England, dry conditions are expected to remain the ­dominant feature, with ­temperatures recovering quickly next week and the potential for very warm or locally hot weather to return.”

Meanwhile, British holidaymakers were among thousands evacuated from the Cap Ferret peninsula as wildfires raged across south-west France. Tens of thousands are being forced to leave the upmarket resort, including hundreds escaping by boat.

Headmaster David Morton, 53, from Gloucester, was holidaying in the coastal village of Petit Piquey with his wife and sons when they received an emergency text message at 3am.

He said: “We got in our car, packed everything up as quickly as we could… and then set off and joined a very long, slow-moving queue of traffic. We could see several fires in the distance. The whole forest was on fire.”

The fire has so far consumed around 10,000 hectares – nearly the size of the city of Manchester – with water-bombing planes deployed in a bid to keep the flames under control. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 40,000 people either had been or were preparing to evacuate from the Cap Ferret peninsula.

Firefighters also battled blazes in Le Porge and Lacanau in the Gironde department of south-west France, while smoke from the fires dominated the skyline in nearby Biscarrosse.

Elsewhere in Europe, Spain has declared a national emergency after 20,000 people were forced to flee due to fires near Madrid, while the Italian island of Sicily has also been hit.

Chaos erupted outside India’s parliament as thousands attempted to storm the building, amid growing protests challenging Modi’s government. The ‘Cockroach Janta Party’ began as a satirical online movement. Now it’s become something far bigger.

Al Jazeera’s @avawarrinerr explains.

Families are being delayed at security and some items are being confiscated

Parents have warned holidaymakers about a viral toy as it is causing chaos at airport security this summer. Stress relief toys called NeeDohs and squishy shaped dumplings are popular among children, but they are causing problems at airport security.

The squishy toys contain liquid which parents say is being detected on scanners at airport security and have caused travellers delays as they wait to get their bags checked. Emma Barnes was travelling to Barcelona from Birmingham airport on May 29 with her ten-year-old twins when their cases were pulled aside by security.

The part-time teacher, from Chester in Cheshire said: “I didn’t know it was a thing until it happened to us. We had five or six squishies in total spread across random pockets in our bags. I didn’t think twice, I thought it was just a squishy toy the kids had and especially on a short hall flight when they don’t have a television, they need something.

“It caused us so much stress. It is stressful anyway at airport security and when the first case got pulled and I thought ‘oh no what is it’.”

Emma explained security officials went through their bags until they found one of her children’s NeeDoh squishies. She said: “The first case got pulled and they took the squishy out and said we can’t tell what the component is inside of it and they had to drug test it.

“My daughter then said to me ‘I put two in the other cases as well’. The queue behind us was getting massive and I was dying inside. The security was really nice, they scanned and swabbed them and gave them back to us.

“I wanted to help warn other parents travelling this summer as everyone’s kids have squishy toys. We could see the airport staff thinking ‘this is going to be a bad summer ahead’.”

Emma said next time she will treat the squishies. Other parents said online “my son’s got taken off him” and that “Play-Doh has the same issue”.

Leanne, from Derbyshire, had a similar experience at East Midlands airport earlier this year. Her seven-year-old daughter put a NeeDoh in a bag without telling her mum. “Thankfully we were allowed to keep it,” she said. “I have heard that some airports dispose of them.

“My little girl is in the special educational needs (SEN) pathway so they help her regulate emotions when she’s stressed, so she was so worried it would be taken from her. The security lady said they flag up all the time. It was not a nice experience but I do understand why it happened when we knew what our daughter had done.

“It has never been flagged until now. It is becoming a bigger and bigger thing – the scanners aren’t liking them at all.”

A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said: “Things like squishy toys contain liquid – this includes NeeDohs which use malt syrup. Smaller versions of the toy are under 100mls but larger versions are not. The problem is that as they don’t have measurements printed on them security staff have to estimate their size.

“Our advice is that all but very small squishy toys should be placed in hold baggage.”

A Birmingham Airport spokesperson added: “These items are not a security prohibited item, but as with any item carried as cabin baggage, they are required to clear security screening”.

Gatwick Airport said the toys are not prohibited but like all items, are subject to security screening. Government officials have also issued concerns about the toys, including Aberdeen City Council in Scotland who put out a warning on July 13 about potentially dangerous versions of the popular squishy toys, with more than 1,000 being seized from local shops in a month.

Hillingdon Council trading standards officers seized 500,000 squishy dumpling toys in two months at Heathrow airport which were coming into the UK to potentially be sold. Officials fear businesses are selling dangerous counterfeit versions and urge people to check where they are buying the toys from.

Hillingdon Council said: “Heathrow Airport is a gateway for goods entering the UK, and we’re proud to play a leading role in protecting consumers. As part of this work, our Trading Standards officers have been carrying out targeted checks on “squishy” toys at Heathrow. In the past two months, the council has seized 500,000 squishy toys. Many are similar in design and lack proper labelling and traceability information.

“The main issue is the absence of clear details of a responsible UK-based business and the correct UKCA or CE safety markings, making it hard to verify compliance and take action.”

A TRAIN strike is set to cause major rail disruptions this week.

Passengers can expect delays, cancellations and reduced services over Friday and Saturday.

London Northwestern Railway services will be scaled back from July 9 to 11, with staff walkouts set to impact the West Coast Main Line routes.

Numerous employees striking will result in fewer trains running from the likes of London Euston, Birmingham, Crewe and Liverpool.

Those intending to travel on strike days are being urged to check their route first, as some routes will be without trains entirely.

Some routes will run one train per hour over Friday and Saturday.

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These routes include London Euston to Crewe, Birmingham to Liverpool plus Birmingham to Euston via Northampton.

The Milton Keynes to Euston and Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey routes are also expected to operate on a one train an hour basis.

Services will stop earlier than usual, with the last train from London to Crewe going at 3:46pm on Friday.

The last LNR service of the day from Euston will be the London to Milton Keynes Central train, departing at 5.09pm.

No LNR trains will run after 7pm on Friday, with no early morning services scheduled for Saturday and trains starting later than usual at 7am.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association Union has called the strike amid disagreements over rest day pay.

London Northwestern Railway’s customer experience director, Jonny Wiseman, said: “We are disappointed TSSA has called further unnecessary strike action which is set to cause significant disruption for our customers. We are working hard to reach a resolution to this dispute and urge TSSA to continue talks.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience this will cause our customers and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact as much as possible. If the strike action does go ahead we will be running a significantly reduced timetable on both dates.”

THE rollout of a new visa system for Brits entering Europe is set to be delayed AGAIN.

First announced in 2016, the new ETIAS will be required by all UK travellers visiting countries in the EU.

Similar to the ESTA required to visit America, it will be a ‘visa-waiver’ that lasts three years, or until the passport expires.

However, the introduction of the scheme has faced years of delays – and is likely to be be delayed even further.

This is due to the chaos of the EES system that launched in April, requiring lengthy biometric checks from all non-EU visitors.

Not only has this led to queues as long as five hours, but hundreds of passengers have even missed their flights.

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And this is before the busy peak period, with fears of a “complete collapse of the system” during the summer holidays, according to the head of Europe’s airport trade body.

In response, the launch of ETIAS is now expected to be pushed back to 2027.

According to the FT, EU-Lisa – in charge of the ETIAS rollout – has expressed concerns over it being ready to go this year.

One person said they needed to “clean up EES” before they thought of launching it.

Initially thought to launch back in June, a confirmed launch date is expected to be discussed again in September.

When it does start, all travellers aged 18-70 will have to pay €20 (£18) for the ETIAS.

Anyone outside of this age bracket still need to apply, but will get it free of charge.

Applications will only take a couple of minutes to complete, but it may take up to 30 days to be approved.

Hundreds of easyJet and Ryanair flights have been hit by delays today following an issue at the National Air Traffic Services, with 30,000 Ryanair passengers said to be impacted

Hundreds of UK flights have been delayed due to an issue at the UK’s air traffic control (ATC).

There was widespread disruption across UK airspace this morning after an issue at the Met Office meant the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) didn’t receive weather information.

As a result, Ryanair saw 155 of its flights delayed, impacting almost 30,000 passengers, with delays of up to three hours. EasyJet was hit harder, with 253 flights delayed – 13% of its total number of planned departures today.

“A Met Office technical issue overnight meant that we were not receiving vital weather information into our NATS systems this morning. Accurate weather information is vital for air traffic controllers and pilots in managing flights safely,” a spokesperson for NATs said

“As a result, some air traffic restrictions were put in place early this morning and these have now been removed. We continue to work with the Met Office, who are working to fully resolve the problem.”

The Met Office has been contacted for comment.

“Nearly three years after NATS catastrophic 2023 system meltdown, UK passengers are once again being delayed because NATS’ systems have failed,” Ryanair Chief Operations Officer, Neal McMahon, said.

“Today’s outage delayed 155 Ryanair flights and disrupted almost 30,000 Ryanair passengers. Families travelling on holiday, people travelling for work and thousands of visitors to the UK have once again paid the price for NATS’ failure.”

Back in August 2023, a technical problem experienced by NATS saw very significant delays and cancellations across the UK. An outage resulted in hundreds of flights being delayed or canceled. In some cases, passengers waited several days for alternative flights. More than 700,000 passengers suffered cancellations and delays.

An investigation into the incident found that an engineer was unable to correct the fault from home, and so arrived at work more than three hours after the incident began in a bid to fix it.

A single flight from Los Angeles to Paris triggered the failure at 8.30am BST on Monday 28 August, the Civil Aviation Authority previously said. The air traffic control system had been confused by a duplicate code – DVL – which represents both Deauville in France and Devil’s Lake in North Dakota, USA.

Despite the engineer’s best efforts to resolve the problem on site, he was unable to do so. The system was eventually restored at 2.30pm after its manufacturer, Frequentis Comsoft, found the fault.

Following an independent review, Jeff Halliwell, Chair of the Independent Review Panel, said: “The incident on 28 August 2023 represented a major failure on the part of the air traffic control system, which caused considerable distress to over 700,000 aviation passengers, and resulted in substantial costs to airlines and airports. Our report sets out a number of recommendations aimed at improving NATS’ operations and, even more importantly, ways in which the aviation sector as a whole should work together more closely to ensure that, if something like this does ever happen again, passengers are better looked after.”

Rob Bishton, Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, added: “This final report gets to the heart of what went wrong in August 2023 and sets out a number of recommendations that are sector-wide in their scope. It is vital that we learn the lessons from any major incident such as this. I would personally like to thank the Panel for all of their efforts in producing a thorough and wide-ranging report, that will help improve the UK’s aviation system for the future.”