ATHENS, Greece — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio flatly refused to comment on a new report alleging that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before taking up her post.
Rubio told reporters that he would not discuss the allegations contained in a Wall Street Journal story that said Guilfoyle had asked a donor and supporter of President Trump to pay a $100,000 credit card bill just before her confirmation hearing, promising him access to administration officials if he did.
He spoke before leaving Greece, where he delivered a speech calling for European countries to return to what he described as their civilizational roots.
Rubio said he was aware of The Wall Street Journal’s report, which was published late Wednesday, but had no idea if it was true and he would not address it.
“You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it’s the gospel. It’s not the gospel. It’s not the gospel for me. That’s not the way we do things,” he said at the foot of his plane as Guilfoyle, who was there to see him depart Greece, looked on.
At a joint news conference with the Greek foreign minister on Wednesday, Rubio said he would not address the allegations while visiting a foreign country, but added, “Suffice it to say our embassy here is doing a great job. Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.”
The top two Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees have called for an investigation into Guilfoyle, but Rubio would not say if he was prepared to open one.
Congressional Democrats already were looking into claims reported last month by the Wall Street Journal that Guilfoyle acted improperly while serving as the top U.S. envoy to Greece.
The Journal reported that Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that the U.S. could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of one particular Greek construction and energy company, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to Trump’s son Donald Jr., has denied any wrongdoing and Rubio has defended her before.
A British couple were left with a massive £28,000 bill while holidaying in a beautiful Greek island
A mother has vowed never to go abroad on holiday again after massive accident (Image: Kennedy News and Media)
A mother has said she will never go abroad on holiday again after being handed a £28,000 bill. Diane Steadman, 61, was on holiday on the Greek island of Skiathoson September 11 when disaster struck.
To get between the beaches on their £2,200 holiday, Diane and partner Mick Raftery had used quadbikes they’d rented. However, during one short journey between two beaches, the pair claim they were hit by a local car.
The impact from the rear sent both Diane and Mick flying off the road. While Mick came away with a few cuts and bruises, Diane landed heavily, breaking two vertebrae in her back. Diane recalled: “I felt a jump in my back and I don’t remember anything else.”
She added: “All I remember is waking up on the road. He [the car diver] wasn’t watching the road and didn’t have time to slow down. I was in and out of consciousness, I didn’t have the energy to speak to anybody when I woke up. I tried to be strong but I’m so frightened, I feel like I’m going to die.
After being moved by ambulance to a local medical centre Diane, a mother-of-two, was rushed to the mainland for further treatment, all under the belief the whole incident would be covered by her travel insurance.
However, she was shocked to find out that quadbikes weren’t covered by her policy.
What’s more, although she was under intense pain relief, she was unable to afford a £40,000 operation, so had to borrow a massive £28,000 to fly back to the UK via air ambulance on September 30.
As she waits for an operation to fix her back, Diane has paid tribute to her partner but also admitted she does not intend to go abroad again.
She said: “It’s just been one thing after another, I will not be going abroad again, no way. Mick has been brave and tried to put a smile on my face. I’m scared of the operation, everyone is telling me it’s going to be okay.”
Meanwhile Mick has issued a warning of his own pleading with people to make sure they check the small print of their insurance policies so they know what is and isn’t covered to avoid something similar happening to him and Diane.
He added: “Check your insurance before you rent a quad bike. We were mistaken in thinking insurance covered quad bikes too.”
As well as asking people to check their policies, Mick has also set up a GoFundMe to help him and Diane cover some of their costs following the disaster.
TORN on where to go on holiday next year? You’re in luck – the cool new places have been revealed.
Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2027 report has looked at which destinations are seeing the biggest year-on-year searches.
This means these are the destinations which are seeing a boom in interest in demand, and much higher than the year before.
Skyscanner boss Bryan Batista said: “Travel is entering a new era.
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“As people become more intentional about how they spend their time and money, they’re making different choices about where they go, how they book and what creates lasting value.”
So here are the top 10 destinations set to be the next big thing for Brits next year.
Yet the beach city of Da Nang has seen searches increase by 68 per cent according to Skyscanner (just after it was named a top 2027 holiday destination by Lonely Planet too).
There’s white sand beaches, but it is also, bizarrely, famous for its two beaches – Golden Beach, which is held between two huge stone hands, or Dragon Bridge which is shaped like the creature itself.
To get there, it is best to fly via places like Singapore or Bangkok, or a short domestic flight from other cities in Vietnam.
8. Sal, Cape Verde
Cape Verde’s Sal is great for no jet lag but hot wintersCredit: Alamy
Cape Verde remains a popular winter sun destination for Brits.
And a 67 per cent increase in searches to Sal means it is getting even more popular.
Hot weather all year round, no jet lag and short direct flights – all you’d need from a warm break from the UK
Flights to the African island are direct, with tour operators like TUI offering affordable package holidays.
9. Kittilä, Finland
Lapland is the best in Christmas, so try KittilaCredit: Alamy
If you want the ideal Christmas break, where better than Lapaland?
With searches up 65 per cent, Kittilä in Finland has it all husky sledding, reindeer safaris and and Northern Lights.
You an even head over to Levi for some fantastic skiing too.
EasyJet fly direct, and they start from £28.99.
10. Guatemala City, Guatemala
Volcanoes and fantastic food is all you need in Guatemala CityCredit: Alamy
The last trending destination on the list is Guatemala City which has seen searches increase 63 per cent.
It is actually the biggest capital in Central America, with everything you could want – fantastic coffee scene and historic museums.
The scenery is pretty stunning two, with a number of volcanoes being the backdrop.
Guatemala’s tourism minister suggested earlier this year that more flights from Europe could connect to the city – but until then, you’ll have to fly via Madrid with Iberia.
ATHENS — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the nations of the West to return to their civilizational roots and restore the values that drove the rise of Europe and North America to global dominance for centuries.
In Athens to discuss deepening economic, energy and security cooperation with Greece, Rubio delivered a speech later Wednesday near the ruins of the Acropolis, a widely recognizable symbol of the city’s ancient civilization associated with the creation of popular participatory government and the social contract.
Rubio aimed to remind listeners of qualities he says were born in Greece and later defined the West, such as curiosity, courage, ambition, a restless spirit of exploration and a drive to discover the unknown.
“It has become fashionable today to believe that enlightened foreign policy means prioritizing the ‘global community’ over one’s own people. And I think here, too, we have much more to learn from the men of Ancient Greece. They knew that there was nothing selfish or wrong about loyalty to your nation, nor anything selfish or wrong about fighting to defend its interests above all else,” Rubio said.
Rubio urges Europe to uphold its traditional values
“Today, we find ourselves at a crossroads,” he said. “The next decade will write the story of the next century. The course we take will determine whether the West maintains its place at the head of the world, or resigns itself to a future of atrophy, and servitude, and decline. We will either choose to act now or lose the choice to act at all.”
Rubio is seen by many as the gentle face of the Trump administration and has been frequently dispatched to clarify or otherwise address concerns about the president’s frequently undiplomatic statements.
Rubio, along with Vice President JD Vance, is seen as one of the leading contenders to assume Trump’s mantle at the top of the Republican Party, which faces stiff challenges in next month’s congressional midterm elections. Republican Party, which faces stiff challenges in next month’s congressional midterm elections.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused countries in Europe of backsliding on their traditional values and democratic principles by stifling the free speech of conservatives and falling short on commitments to international partners like the United States.
Many of those countries have rejected the complaints and accused the U.S. under Trump of being guilty of similar behavior and worse with its staunch anti-immigration stance that some believe is racist.
Left-wing groups protest across Greece
Ahead of his visit to Athens, about 1,500 people gathered to protest Rubio’s presence and the war in Iran, chanting “American killers!”
The demonstration was organized by a communist labor union and other left-wing groups and was held ahead of extensive road closures planned in Athens. Organizers said similar protests were held in at least 12 other Greek cities. Police banned public demonstrations Wednesday in central.
Rubio seeks to reassure NATO allies
Rubio is on the second leg of a three-nation tour of NATO allies that has already taken him to Iceland and will end in Portugal on Thursday. The trip is aimed at reassuring U.S. partners that the Trump administration is committed to their success and security despite what has been an often brusque and sometimes rude approach to traditional friends that has stirred unease.
Rubio began emphasizing historical themes on Thursday, when he met Iceland’s foreign minister at the site of the landmark 1986 summit between former President Ronald Reagan and then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a meeting that many believe marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War and was a catalyst for the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union.
It remains unclear what impact Rubio’s visits will have, although on Tuesday in Reykjavik, he sought to reassure Iceland that President Trump’s administration has no designs on the island. Rather, he said the U.S. shares Iceland’s deep concerns about Arctic security as tensions between the U.S. and Russia rise in the High North and elsewhere.
Iceland has been uneasy about Trump’s intentions toward it after he posted a map showing the colors of the U.S. flag sprawling across all of North America and extending to Iceland and Greenland. That wariness has persisted despite an agreement last month to increase the U.S. presence in the neighboring Danish territory of Greenland that appears to have ended Trump’s demands for the U.S. to take full control of the island.
But after Rubio’s talks in Reykjavik, those tensions appeared to be on the wane. Rubio said the United States would not do anything in Iceland without Iceland’s consent.
Visit follows allegations of misconduct by U.S. ambassador
Before delivering his speech in Athens, Rubio declined to comment when he was asked about allegations of misconduct leveled at U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle.
At a joint news conference with the Greek foreign minister, Rubio said he would not address the matter while visiting a foreign country, but added: “Suffice it to say our embassy here is doing a great job. Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.”
The top Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks, have initiated probes into claims reported last month by the Wall Street Journal that Guilfoyle acted improperly while serving as the top U.S. envoy to Greece.
The Journal reported that Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that the U.S. could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of one particular Greek construction and energy company, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to Trump’s son Donald Jr., has denied any wrongdoing, and Rubio has defended her before.
Lee writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the first leg of a four-day European tour in which he will also visit Greece and Portugal.
“Economic and security collaboration” top the agenda for his talks on Monday with Icelandic officials, according to a statement from the Department of State.
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Ahead of his departure, he told reporters he would not directly tie the United States’ decision to remove its B-1 bombers from the British base of Fairford to last week’s incident.
“I wouldn’t just directly tie that to the move that was made,” Rubio told reporters, adding that “the Department of War is constantly reallocating resources where they need to be”.
Rubio asserted confidence in the security of all US bases and praised United Kingdom authorities’ cooperation.
Five British men were arrested near the British airbase at Fairford on suspicion of preparing “terrorist acts”, and were later released on bail. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national arrested separately in London, has also been released on bail.
B-1 bombers were returned to the US. They had been used for strikes on Iran.
A NATO military source had, however, said: “It is still believed that Iran poses an acute threat to US assets in the UK”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards previously said the Fairford base was a legitimate target, but Tehran denied any links to last week’s incident.
Rubio is also visiting Greece to lead the US delegation for the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, focusing on defence cooperation and regional and energy security, and will wrap up his tour in Lisbon, where he will discuss defence, economic and technology cooperation.
The emperor is a symbol of Bulgarian national identity whose repatriation stoked tensions with Greece.
Published On 3 Oct 20263 Oct 2026
More than 1,000 years after his death, the remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel have arrived in Bulgaria.
A symbol of Bulgarian national identity, Samuel was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom before suffering defeat and dying soon after in 1014. His supposed remains were discovered in a Greek border area in the 1960s.
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The coffin and remains were flown on Saturday to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, on board a military aircraft that was surrounded by air force fighter jets.
Thousands of people poured into a public square to honour the czar’s arrival, which capped years of fraught negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece until an accord was reached this week.
Bulgarian politicians across the spectrum paid tribute to the medieval ruler, listening to the national anthem and a 21-gun salute.
“Today, we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.
“That is why Europe must not reopen old wounds but must work for peace as the supreme good,” Radev continued, referring to the centuries-old rivalry between neighbouring Greece and Bulgaria.
Crowds cheered as fighter jets performed a flypast.
Martin Nestorov, a 42-year-old software engineer, told the AFP news agency he attended the ceremony “to welcome Czar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs”.
“I am here because I am Bulgarian, and a Bulgarian is returning to his homeland,” added Tsanka Zlatkova, 65, a retired art historian.
A procession brought the remains to be laid in the Church of Saint Sofia, a sixth-century basilica that is the capital’s namesake and where church officials say Samuel was baptised.
The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel inside a coffin Saturday, October 3, 2026 [Giannis Papanikos/AP]
Competing claims
The handover of Samuel’s remains is part of a broader accord between the Greek and Bulgarian culture ministers.
In exchange, Greece is slated to receive 48 objects that Bulgarian troops pillaged from churches and monasteries in Greece during World War I.
Speaking before the handover, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he hoped the ceremony would boost Greece’s campaign to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of 2,500-year-old marble sculptures taken from the Acropolis in Athens and later displayed in the British Museum.
“The global community is essentially re-evaluating its longstanding stance on protecting cultural heritage,” Mitsotakis said, adding that historical heirlooms “cannot be treated as the spoils of war”.
Bulgaria is not the only country to have claims on Samuel. A huge statue of the czar stands in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, with Macedonians claiming him as “their” ruler.
In 2022, a bilateral commission recommended presenting Samuel as the head of a state that “most contemporary historiographers consider to be the Bulgarian Empire”, based in what is currently North Macedonia.
The TikToker posted a side by side comparison of prices at a Greek airport, and many holidaymakers, despite visiting the country several times, didn’t know there was a ‘secret menu’ available
Food and drink can be expensive at the airport(Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Holidays are an expensive business, especially if you plan to grab a coffee and a toastie at the airport. Even a bottle of water can set you back £2-3, which is a kick in the teeth when you’re delayed and stuck in a hot terminal.
So, when one TikToker posted the prices at a busy Greek airport, it inspired a flood of comments, but not for the reason you might think. The Greek holiday fan, who posts under the username @zantegeezer with videos about the party island, went to an outlet at the airport that sold the usual pre-departure fare, and one thing surprised his followers.
He started his video saying: “I always post this every time I come to the airport. There is a regulated menu. Basically it means Greek government enforce these very good value for money options.”
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He goes on to show the regulated menu, which includes inexpensive prices for coffee, tea, toasties, and water, all the basic airport staples. He then holds up the café menu, saying:
“That’s a normal menu. You see the price difference there? I mean, look at the proper espresso you get off the regular menu”. The cafés usual menu shows a single espresso costs €4.80, just over £4, but travellers who order it via the regulated menu can get it for €1.80, a more reasonable cost of around £1.53.
A filter coffee is listed as €4.70 on the normal menu, yet if customers were to order off the regulated menu they’d spend just €1.60, around £1.36. And the bargains don’t stop there. Bottled water, in 0.5 or 0.75 litre bottles can be bought for €0.60 or €0.90, around £0.51 and £0.77 respectively.
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Hungry travellers can enjoy a toast with ham and cheese for €1.80, and if you’re dying for a cuppa before you get on the plane, a hot tea costs €1.60 on the regulated menu, or €4.00, about £3.43, if you order from the normal menu.
The TikToker finished by saying: “Just so you know, any airport in Greece you can get cheap stuff by law. Sort it out.” Regulated menus are also available in other locations across Greece in spots such as ports and ferries and places with a captive audience such as certain tourist sites.
However, there is a slight catch. The regulated prices only apply to basics such as water, coffee, and simple snacks like toasties, and only have to be offered on a takeaway basis, so the establishment isn’t under any obligation to let you use its tables. You’ll also generally be offered Greek brands, so don’t expect Volvic or San Pellegrino for the low price.
The video received many positive comments from people sick of rip-off airport prices. Over the summer, a number of airport prices came under scrutiny by fed-up travellers, from food costs to the hike in airport drop-off fees across major hubs.
Many shared their experiences with finding these cheaper deals. One said: “Santorini Airport only had €6.50 Evian water on display but they had the cheap Greek stuff when I asked.”, while another was unaware of these ‘secret menus’: “I didn’t know! Paid €4 for a bottle of water and € 7.90 for a sandwich at Zante airport!”
And there were plenty of calls for other countries to follow suit. “I need to call my representatives for the local and European Parliament. this has to be a European wide directive.”, said one. While another poster commented, “This is one of the best things about Greek airports. needs to be made Europe-wide”
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
WITH ancient ruins like the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus, Athens has long been considered one of the oldest cities in the world – but it’s about to get much more modern.
A new billion-pound seafront regeneration project with a towering skyscraper and luxury shopping has resulted in the city being dubbed the ‘new Dubai‘.
The Ellinikon project which includes the building of a 650 foot tower is underwayCredit: theellinikon.comThe regeneration is taking place on the Athens RivieraCredit: theellinikon.com
A regeneration project called The Ellinikon an estimated €8billion (£6billion) is set to completely transform the area to become its first ‘smart city’.
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At its core is an enormous skyscraper called Riviera Tower – once transformed it will be the tallest building in Greece at over 650 feet high.
Inside will be around 170 luxury apartments including penthouses and each one will have panoramic views over the coastline.
The Ellinikon will also have new additions including ‘Little Athens’, a new neighbourhood right next to the beach with apartments as well as small shops and cafés.
The Riviera Galleria will be a new complex for luxury shopping with 80 new shops covering 10,000 square metres.
At the galleria will also be upscale restaurants, artisan ice-cream parlours, beauty salons and organic markets.
The upscale and luxury aspect mirrors what visitors expect when heading to the seafront neighbourhoods of Dubai.
The ancient city of Athens is considered one of the oldest in the worldCredit: Alamy
In order to entice expats into Greece, the country is also offering tax breaks – much like Dubai which is a playground for the wealthy.
Since its debt crisis in around 2009, Greece has made a ‘remarkable economic recovery’, according to the IMF.
Part of this is thanks to tax breaks aimed at families, young workers and expats.
Under new rules this year, investment professionals who relocate to Greece can pay five per cent on “carried interest” – this is a fraction of the rate in the UK.
The project is being built on the site of the former Ellinikon International AirportCredit: Not known, clear with picture deskThere will be new luxury apartments, shopping gallerias and spasCredit: theellinikon.com
Talking to The Times, Henley & Partners, which organises residence and citizenship planning for the rich says interest in moving to Greece has surged.
It’s now the second-most popular destination after St Kitts & Nevis for relocation.
Mario Rafael, a managing director at the firm. said: “Greece is increasingly competing for the attention of the same internationally mobile families considering places such as Milan and Dubai.”
If it does turn into a Dubai-alternative, for Brits it’ll be much easier to get to as the flight is around four hours less.
While it might not be the winter hotspot like the city in the UAE, Athens still has scorching summers too.
Two women reportedly injured in blast in Athens’ historic Plaka district, buildings evacuated.
Published On 26 Sep 202626 Sep 2026
Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of six people killed in a building collapse following a a blast in the historic centre of Athens, Greece, according to local authorities.
Documents and belongings found with four of the victims – two men and two women – on Saturday indicated they were United States citizens, Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media reported.
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The other two victims were reportedly an elderly couple, a British man and a Greek woman, who lived on the building’s second floor.
Two women were injured in an adjacent building, according to the fire department.
The blast that brought down the small, two-storey building in the popular tourist district of Plaka on Friday was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated, he said.
“The damage extends to the entire street as well as the street behind [the building],” Doukas said. “We are talking about an unimaginable catastrophe.”
Two adjoining buildings severely damaged might have to be demolished, he said.
The Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini reported on Friday that the four tourists, who were due to leave their accommodation at about 11:00am (08:00 GMT), failed to board their flight back to the US.
Rescuers work at the scene on September 26, 2026, one day after a powerful blast hit Athens’ Plaka district [Yorgos Karahalis/AP]
Plaka residents issued warning
A group of Plaka residents had alerted the municipality and the managers of the electricity and gas networks about the risks of short circuits or gas leaks in the area a year ago.
In a letter published by Kathimerini, the group called for the organisation of a security exercise to identify any potential shortcomings in the emergency response system.
The citizen movement “We Remain Active” also stated on social media that a resident of the street where the explosion occurred had reported a smell of gas for several weeks and had warned the authorities.
A Greek police spokeswoman confirmed on ERT that residents had made the report. However, the nature of the substance and its origin have not yet been determined.
Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece’s most visited ancient monument.
BIANCA Censori’s sister Angelina soaked up the sun in a tiny string thong during a Greece getaway.
The Aussie native channeled her sister’s usually super sexy attire and stripped down into skimpy lingerie in new photos.
Bianca Censori’s sister Angelina soaked up the sun in a G-string thong in new photosCredit: Instagram/angelinacensoriAngelina shared photos of her skimpy outfit, including a bra that featured a vertical chain-link connecting the strapsCredit: Instagram/angelinacensori
Angelina, 22, took to Instagram on Thursday to share multiple pictures from her Mediterranean vacation.
Some of those pics captured the model sitting on the pavement, hugging her knees into her chest while sporting a G-string thong.
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She paired the bottoms with a black string bra with a vertical chain link connecting the straps.
Angelina kept her back facing the camera, showcasing her thin figure and bare butt as she sat on the ground.
Angelina often uses the platform to share sultry photos of herself in revealing attire.
Earlier this month, the brunette posted a series of snapshots of herself wearing a skintight white corset bodysuit.
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She also shared a pic of herself in July, flaunting her pin-thin physique in a tiny gold bikini while lounging by the pool in Madrid, Spain.
Angelina blew fans away last November when she shared several photos of herself in a heavily cut-out lace dress.
She modeled the outfit, which showed her underboob with its massive opening at her midsection, in the mirror.
The ensemble also exposed her backside and legs with its sheer fabric, which she showcased in an overhead shot of her lying on a bed.
Angelina regularly channels Bianca with her skimpy wardrobeCredit: Instagram/angelinacensoriBianca has often drawn attention to her revealing wardrobe since she married Kanye West in December 2022Credit: Getty
Bianca, 31, has often drawn attention with her revealing wardrobe after completely switching up her style when she married Kanye West, 49, in December 2022.
The Yeezy architect is usually seen sporting skintight bodysuits that display her curves, and other sexy looks.
She most recently posted several photos of herself in a gold string bikini top and skirt that barely covered her breasts or butt cheeks.
Bianca also underwent a dramatic hair transformation, swapping out her usual brown hairstyle for a platinum blonde wig.
The designer has been accused of “public indecency” numerous times over the years while repeatedly stepping out in public in barely-there attire.
Many have also blamed Kanye for pulling the strings on her fashion choices, after doing the same with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s style.
Angelina shut down rumors last year that her family didn’t approve of Bianca and Kanye’s marriage, telling The Herald Sunthat they supported the Donda rapper.
What to know as Brits may soon be turned away from 30 countries – The Mirror
Need to know
New scheme will be a requirement for British passport holders travelling to around 30 European nations, including Spain, France and Italy
(Image: Erlon Silva – TRI Digital via Getty Images)
British travellers to face new entry fees for European holidays from 2026 – what you need to know:
British holidaymakers face being turned away at European borders from 2026 unless they pay for a new digital travel document.
UK passport holders will need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) to enter 30 countries including Spain, France and Italy.
The fee has nearly tripled from the original estimate, now costing 20 euros per person instead of 7. A family of four with two children would pay 40 euros in total, with under-18s and over-70s exempt.
The scheme covers popular destinations across Europe, with travellers able to stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period once approved.
While most applications are expected to be approved “almost immediately”, rejections can occur for invalid passports, security risks, or incomplete applications.
The long-delayed system is now expected to launch within months, with the authorisation stored electronically against passports.
Should your application be denied, you have the right to appeal this decision.
New mandatory entry requirement for UK travellers is about to come into force
A new scheme is about to come into force(Image: South agency via Getty Images)
British passport holders could be turned away at the border in Spain, France, Italy and several other destinations due to a post-Brexit scheme set to launch later in 2026.
Once the initiative comes into effect, UK holidaymakers will be required to pay for a digital travel authorisation document to gain entry to around 30 European nations. British travellers will need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will soon become an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals visiting a specific group of 30 countries.
With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, travellers can enter these European countries as often as they wish for short-term stays, typically up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Originally, the ETIAS was expected to cost around 7 euros per person, however it has since been confirmed the fee will be nearly triple that amount, coming in at 20 euros per eligible traveller.
Those aged under 18 or over 70 are exempt, meaning a family of four travelling with two children would pay 40 euros in total. Once the scheme is up and running, failing to hold a valid ETIAS could see you refused entry to any of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, 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 scheme has faced numerous delays, and it is now anticipated that ETIAS will be launched over the next few months. The ETIAS is stored electronically against the passport.
While the vast majority of applications are expected to be approved “almost immediately”, if the system detects an error in your ETIAS submission, it could face rejection. Reasons for ETIAS applications being refused are reported to include holding an invalid passport, being considered a “risk” or having a Schengen Information System (SIS) alert, submitting an incomplete application, or failing to attend a mandatory interview.
Should your ETIAS application be turned down, you have the right to lodge an appeal.
EES delays update over 9 UK tourist destinations – key details – The Mirror
Need to know
The EES entry/exit system has been widely criticised for causing long EU border delays at airports in popular UK tourist travel destinations
Crowds of passengers gathered at passport control areas at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol following the introduction of a new European digital border control system(Image: Anadolu, Anadolu via Getty Images)
Need to know on EU delays: Latest over the controversial EES system
British holidaymakers could finally get relief from airport chaos as the EU has reportedly postponed its controversial Entry/Exit System across nine major countries.
Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Greece and Switzerland have all been granted permission to postpone the EES system indefinitely, reports say. The scheme has caused delays of up to four hours at European airports this summer, but the Times reports the 9 nations have been allowed to delay implementing the scheme, with no timescale on when to actually bring it in.
The automated system forces non-EU residents to queue at special machines before entering 29 Schengen area countries. It was designed to track whether people have exceeded their permitted 90-day stays in Europe.
Despite the EU previously insisting there would be no extensions after September 6, countries have informally been allowed to drop the checks until the technology works properly. The system has faced fierce criticism from airlines including Ryanair.
Nadia from Greater Manchester described her Frankfurt airport experience as “pretty shambolic” after facing ridiculously long queues. “People missing their flights because of it is just not acceptable,” she said.
The controversial system has sparked widespread debate on social media, with one traveller saying: “They made a mess of it.”
At least 51 people rescued as search operation continues off the island of Gavnos near Crete.
Published On 14 Sep 202614 Sep 2026
One person has died, 25 are missing and 51 people have been rescued after a boat carrying migrants sank off a Greek island near Crete, according to the country’s coastguard.
“Fifty-one were picked up by two boats that were in the area,” a coastguard spokesman said on Monday.
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He said survivors had reported that 77 people were on board when the boat went down near the island of Gavdos.
Search and rescue efforts were ongoing, with four ships, boats, Frontex aircraft and a coastguard helicopter operating in the area, Greece’s public broadcaster ERT News reported.
The 51 rescued people were due to be brought to Crete, “where the prescribed procedures will be followed”, ERT reported.
After arriving in Crete, undocumented migrants generally face immediate arrest and temporary confinement before being transferred to closed detention camps on the Greek mainland. Under Greek law, individuals are subject to extended administrative detention, severe penalties and fast-track deportation.
Strong winds blowing through the area have been hampering the search operation, ERT said.
In late August, Greece’s ANA news agency published figures from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum that indicated that migrant arrivals in the country fell from about 61,000 in the year to August 2025 to 42,000 in the following 12 months – a decline of about 31 percent.
Greece’s conservative government in July suspended all asylum claims for migrants arriving by sea from North Africa for three months, a move it argued helped deter crossings.
The ban passed in parliament amid a surge in asylum seekers reaching Crete and after talks with Libya’s Benghazi-based government to stem the flow were cancelled in July.
The government remains at odds with regional authorities in Crete over a plan to build a permanent transit facility on the island. It is preparing draft legislation that would mandate imprisonment for people whose asylum claims are denied and require ankle monitors during a 30-day compliance period before deportation.
Authorities in Europe have tightened their immigration rules over recent years as far-right, anti-immigrant political parties have won increasing support throughout the continent.
Greece has been in discussions with Germany and several other European Union countries on setting up “return hubs” outside the bloc for processing migrants’ claims.
The European Union entry-exit system (EES) has caused repeated delays for Brits at major EU airports this year
14:40, 13 Sep 2026Updated 14:50, 13 Sep 2026
(Image: Anadolu, Anadolu via Getty Images)
British holidaymakers heading abroad may finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief over the widely-criticised EES system. The scheme forces non-EU residents to queue at special machines in airports before gaining entry to 29 nations within the so-called Schengen area – essentially the majority of the European Union.
However, there have been persistent reports of lengthy delays – some stretching to as long as four hours. A new report in the Sunday Times now reveals that the European Union has shelved the controversial entry-exit system (EES) across at least nine countries.
Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Greece and Switzerland are all understood to have been granted permission to postpone full implementation of EES. The newspaper reports that there appears to be no deadline by which these countries must adopt the scheme, which has already sparked widespread reports of enormous queues at European airports this summer in destinations such as Mallorca, Faro, the Canary Islands and Milan.
The scheme has faced fierce criticism from Ryanair and others. The European Union describes the Entry/Exit System (EES) as an automated IT system designed to register non-EU nationals travelling on short stays each time they cross the external borders of participating European countries.
Following years of postponements, the system was rolled out from October 2025, with full implementation originally anticipated by the following April. However, faced with the prospect of significant border queues due to software failures, officials granted countries a 150-day grace period during which they could drop the checks to avoid travel chaos.
That rule ended on September 6. The EU previously insisted there would be no extension.
Yet the Sunday Times reports that at least nine Schengen countries are understood to have told the European Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the EES, that they would not enforce the new controls in full until the technology and systems were working correctly.
They have informally been allowed to do so with no time limits apparently in place to adopt the system, it is being reported. One of the main purposes of the system is to track whether non-EU citizens have spent more than their permitted 90 days in the bloc in a rolling 180-day period.
Social media has been awash with debate about the scheme. One post on Reddit saw a traveller say: “They made a mess of it. Seems many basic things like it is hit and miss on the document scanning but also things like people walk up with hats and headphones and the machine doesn’t tell them to remove them, and organisational things like if the machine errors the traveller has to back out and has no where to go.
“The right way to do this would have been progressive: start by getting some people eg 5% going through the machine lane, everyone else through normal.
“The vendor observes problems, fixes them, once machine working well, increase to 10%, then 20% and so on.” Another person said: “The general lack of functionality of so many IT systems across the EU is kind of astonishing.”
A third added: “It’s worse than that. There isn’t even consistent protocol/IT support within a single EU airport.”
Another put it more simply, saying: “I just miss having stamps.”
‘People are missing their flights’
Nadia, from Greater Manchester, told the Guardian in August she had made two trips to Schengen areas this summer. A trip to Tenerife in June was “quite straightforward”, but her experience in July at Frankfurt airport where she was picking up a connecting flight home, was much less so.
“The queue there was ridiculously long, and there was very limited information,” she says. “People were wandering around trying to work out where they needed to go.
“I’m very well travelled and pretty confident, but even I was slightly unsure and was thinking, is there some other queue I should be joining? There was no one nearby to check with without losing your place.”
Eventually, her passport was checked. “He didn’t actually take fingerprints then,” says Nadia, who is a solicitor. “I think the queue was so long they decided to dispense with that.
“It’s the efficiency of the system I question and the fact that individual member states’ systems do not talk to one another. They shouldn’t need to get information again if you have already gone through. It’s pretty shambolic, and I think people missing their flights because of it is just not acceptable, especially when there’s no recourse; it’s not your fault.”
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has repeatedly complained about EES. Speaking earlier this year, he said: “There’s a bit of Brexit in this too. Here, you voted for Brexit – f***ing join the queue.”
Rubio refuses to comment on Guilfoyle allegations
By Matthew LeeAP Diplomatic Writer
ATHENS, Greece — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio flatly refused to comment on a new report alleging that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before taking up her post.
Rubio told reporters that he would not discuss the allegations contained in a Wall Street Journal story that said Guilfoyle had asked a donor and supporter of President Trump to pay a $100,000 credit card bill just before her confirmation hearing, promising him access to administration officials if he did.
He spoke before leaving Greece, where he delivered a speech calling for European countries to return to what he described as their civilizational roots.
Rubio said he was aware of The Wall Street Journal’s report, which was published late Wednesday, but had no idea if it was true and he would not address it.
“You guys walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it, it’s the gospel. It’s not the gospel. It’s not the gospel for me. That’s not the way we do things,” he said at the foot of his plane as Guilfoyle, who was there to see him depart Greece, looked on.
At a joint news conference with the Greek foreign minister on Wednesday, Rubio said he would not address the allegations while visiting a foreign country, but added, “Suffice it to say our embassy here is doing a great job. Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.”
The top two Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees have called for an investigation into Guilfoyle, but Rubio would not say if he was prepared to open one.
Congressional Democrats already were looking into claims reported last month by the Wall Street Journal that Guilfoyle acted improperly while serving as the top U.S. envoy to Greece.
The Journal reported that Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that the U.S. could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of one particular Greek construction and energy company, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to Trump’s son Donald Jr., has denied any wrongdoing and Rubio has defended her before.
Lee writes for the Associated Press.
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Mum vows never to holiday abroad again after receiving £28,000 bill
A British couple were left with a massive £28,000 bill while holidaying in a beautiful Greek island
A mother has vowed never to go abroad on holiday again after massive accident (Image: Kennedy News and Media)
A mother has said she will never go abroad on holiday again after being handed a £28,000 bill. Diane Steadman, 61, was on holiday on the Greek island of Skiathos on September 11 when disaster struck.
To get between the beaches on their £2,200 holiday, Diane and partner Mick Raftery had used quadbikes they’d rented. However, during one short journey between two beaches, the pair claim they were hit by a local car.
The impact from the rear sent both Diane and Mick flying off the road. While Mick came away with a few cuts and bruises, Diane landed heavily, breaking two vertebrae in her back. Diane recalled: “I felt a jump in my back and I don’t remember anything else.”
She added: “All I remember is waking up on the road. He [the car diver] wasn’t watching the road and didn’t have time to slow down. I was in and out of consciousness, I didn’t have the energy to speak to anybody when I woke up. I tried to be strong but I’m so frightened, I feel like I’m going to die.
After being moved by ambulance to a local medical centre Diane, a mother-of-two, was rushed to the mainland for further treatment, all under the belief the whole incident would be covered by her travel insurance.
However, she was shocked to find out that quadbikes weren’t covered by her policy.
What’s more, although she was under intense pain relief, she was unable to afford a £40,000 operation, so had to borrow a massive £28,000 to fly back to the UK via air ambulance on September 30.
As she waits for an operation to fix her back, Diane has paid tribute to her partner but also admitted she does not intend to go abroad again.
She said: “It’s just been one thing after another, I will not be going abroad again, no way. Mick has been brave and tried to put a smile on my face. I’m scared of the operation, everyone is telling me it’s going to be okay.”
Meanwhile Mick has issued a warning of his own pleading with people to make sure they check the small print of their insurance policies so they know what is and isn’t covered to avoid something similar happening to him and Diane.
He added: “Check your insurance before you rent a quad bike. We were mistaken in thinking insurance covered quad bikes too.”
As well as asking people to check their policies, Mick has also set up a GoFundMe to help him and Diane cover some of their costs following the disaster.
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From winter sun beach resorts to ‘cyberpunk’ cities
TORN on where to go on holiday next year? You’re in luck – the cool new places have been revealed.
Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2027 report has looked at which destinations are seeing the biggest year-on-year searches.
This means these are the destinations which are seeing a boom in interest in demand, and much higher than the year before.
Skyscanner boss Bryan Batista said: “Travel is entering a new era.
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“As people become more intentional about how they spend their time and money, they’re making different choices about where they go, how they book and what creates lasting value.”
So here are the top 10 destinations set to be the next big thing for Brits next year.
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Foreign holiday destinations set to be big in 2027 – including Europe’s Maldives
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First look at new £1.1bn airport terminal opening at trending holiday destination
1. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
The destination with the biggest boom in searches is Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.
Searches are up 501 per cent, which could be accredited to it featurin in this year’s Race Across The World.
Expect Soviet architecture and leafy parks overlooked by the Tian Shan mountain range.
You’ll have to stopover to get to Bishkek, with common flight routes being with Pegasus or Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, taking around 10 hours.
2. Hurghada, Egypt
Hurghada might not be little-know, being a popular winter sun holiday destination.
Yet searches there are up 186 per cent, most likely up after seeing a slight drop by the Middle East conflict earlier this year.
The Egyptian resort is loved by those wanting to fly and flop, or is big with divers.
You can easily find holiday packages to Hurghada with seven nights for as little as £249pp with loveholidays.
3. Malmö, Sweden
Forget Stockholm, Malmo is the trending destination in Sweden.
With searches up 103 per cent, it makes a great alternative city break that is quieter than the other busier cities.
It’s hard not to spot the huge Turking Torso skyscraper, as well as its beautiful castles (and much-loved falafel street food scene).
EasyJet has recently launched new city breaks to Malmo – or you can fly there with Ryanair for £14.99, taking just 1hr50.
4. Trapani, Italy
Sicily’s Trapani, a coastal city in the west, has seen a boom by 95 per cent in searches.
The huge Greek temple of Segesta is its main attraction, dating back to 430BC.
Otherwise it is used as a popular jumping off point to explore the Egadi Ilands.
Direct flights with Ryanair can be found from Bournemouth for £14.99.
5. Samos, Greece
Forget Mykonos and Santorini – after all, Greece has hundreds of other islands to explore without the crowds.
And Samos has seen an increase in searches, up 75 per cent.
Actually nearer to Turkey than Greece, expect all the classics – ancient ruins, beautiful beaches and a fantastic food scene.
Jet2 has added new flights, while TUI has said it is set to be big as well.
6. Chongqing, China
If you’ve ever wanted to step into the set of Blade Runner, you need to head to China’s cyberpunk city of Chongqing.
The city – which has seen searches up 70 per cent – has huge skyscrapers best seen lit up at night.
China is having a moment too, with visas scrapped for Brits until the end of the year, and seeing a huge boom in tourism.
You can even fly there direct with Tianjin Airlines, taking around 11 hours.
7. Da Nang, Vietnam
Vietnam is often named as one of the most affordable holiday destinations, yet most trend to travel to Hoi An or Ho Chi Minh.
Yet the beach city of Da Nang has seen searches increase by 68 per cent according to Skyscanner (just after it was named a top 2027 holiday destination by Lonely Planet too).
There’s white sand beaches, but it is also, bizarrely, famous for its two beaches – Golden Beach, which is held between two huge stone hands, or Dragon Bridge which is shaped like the creature itself.
To get there, it is best to fly via places like Singapore or Bangkok, or a short domestic flight from other cities in Vietnam.
8. Sal, Cape Verde
Cape Verde remains a popular winter sun destination for Brits.
And a 67 per cent increase in searches to Sal means it is getting even more popular.
Hot weather all year round, no jet lag and short direct flights – all you’d need from a warm break from the UK
Flights to the African island are direct, with tour operators like TUI offering affordable package holidays.
9. Kittilä, Finland
If you want the ideal Christmas break, where better than Lapaland?
With searches up 65 per cent, Kittilä in Finland has it all husky sledding, reindeer safaris and and Northern Lights.
You an even head over to Levi for some fantastic skiing too.
EasyJet fly direct, and they start from £28.99.
10. Guatemala City, Guatemala
The last trending destination on the list is Guatemala City which has seen searches increase 63 per cent.
It is actually the biggest capital in Central America, with everything you could want – fantastic coffee scene and historic museums.
The scenery is pretty stunning two, with a number of volcanoes being the backdrop.
Guatemala’s tourism minister suggested earlier this year that more flights from Europe could connect to the city – but until then, you’ll have to fly via Madrid with Iberia.
Top 10 Best Value Destinations List
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Rubio, in Greece, calls for the West to restore founding democratic principles and values
ATHENS — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the nations of the West to return to their civilizational roots and restore the values that drove the rise of Europe and North America to global dominance for centuries.
In Athens to discuss deepening economic, energy and security cooperation with Greece, Rubio delivered a speech later Wednesday near the ruins of the Acropolis, a widely recognizable symbol of the city’s ancient civilization associated with the creation of popular participatory government and the social contract.
Rubio aimed to remind listeners of qualities he says were born in Greece and later defined the West, such as curiosity, courage, ambition, a restless spirit of exploration and a drive to discover the unknown.
“It has become fashionable today to believe that enlightened foreign policy means prioritizing the ‘global community’ over one’s own people. And I think here, too, we have much more to learn from the men of Ancient Greece. They knew that there was nothing selfish or wrong about loyalty to your nation, nor anything selfish or wrong about fighting to defend its interests above all else,” Rubio said.
Rubio urges Europe to uphold its traditional values
“Today, we find ourselves at a crossroads,” he said. “The next decade will write the story of the next century. The course we take will determine whether the West maintains its place at the head of the world, or resigns itself to a future of atrophy, and servitude, and decline. We will either choose to act now or lose the choice to act at all.”
Rubio is seen by many as the gentle face of the Trump administration and has been frequently dispatched to clarify or otherwise address concerns about the president’s frequently undiplomatic statements.
Rubio, along with Vice President JD Vance, is seen as one of the leading contenders to assume Trump’s mantle at the top of the Republican Party, which faces stiff challenges in next month’s congressional midterm elections. Republican Party, which faces stiff challenges in next month’s congressional midterm elections.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused countries in Europe of backsliding on their traditional values and democratic principles by stifling the free speech of conservatives and falling short on commitments to international partners like the United States.
Many of those countries have rejected the complaints and accused the U.S. under Trump of being guilty of similar behavior and worse with its staunch anti-immigration stance that some believe is racist.
Left-wing groups protest across Greece
Ahead of his visit to Athens, about 1,500 people gathered to protest Rubio’s presence and the war in Iran, chanting “American killers!”
The demonstration was organized by a communist labor union and other left-wing groups and was held ahead of extensive road closures planned in Athens. Organizers said similar protests were held in at least 12 other Greek cities. Police banned public demonstrations Wednesday in central.
Rubio seeks to reassure NATO allies
Rubio is on the second leg of a three-nation tour of NATO allies that has already taken him to Iceland and will end in Portugal on Thursday. The trip is aimed at reassuring U.S. partners that the Trump administration is committed to their success and security despite what has been an often brusque and sometimes rude approach to traditional friends that has stirred unease.
Rubio began emphasizing historical themes on Thursday, when he met Iceland’s foreign minister at the site of the landmark 1986 summit between former President Ronald Reagan and then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a meeting that many believe marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War and was a catalyst for the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union.
It remains unclear what impact Rubio’s visits will have, although on Tuesday in Reykjavik, he sought to reassure Iceland that President Trump’s administration has no designs on the island. Rather, he said the U.S. shares Iceland’s deep concerns about Arctic security as tensions between the U.S. and Russia rise in the High North and elsewhere.
Iceland has been uneasy about Trump’s intentions toward it after he posted a map showing the colors of the U.S. flag sprawling across all of North America and extending to Iceland and Greenland. That wariness has persisted despite an agreement last month to increase the U.S. presence in the neighboring Danish territory of Greenland that appears to have ended Trump’s demands for the U.S. to take full control of the island.
But after Rubio’s talks in Reykjavik, those tensions appeared to be on the wane. Rubio said the United States would not do anything in Iceland without Iceland’s consent.
Visit follows allegations of misconduct by U.S. ambassador
Before delivering his speech in Athens, Rubio declined to comment when he was asked about allegations of misconduct leveled at U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle.
At a joint news conference with the Greek foreign minister, Rubio said he would not address the matter while visiting a foreign country, but added: “Suffice it to say our embassy here is doing a great job. Our ambassador has been a strong ambassador here.”
The top Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks, have initiated probes into claims reported last month by the Wall Street Journal that Guilfoyle acted improperly while serving as the top U.S. envoy to Greece.
The Journal reported that Guilfoyle told guests at a reception that the U.S. could undermine the Greek government if it chose to, promoted the business interests of one particular Greek construction and energy company, and allowed its lobbyist into private diplomatic meetings.
Guilfoyle, a former Fox News Channel host and California prosecutor who was once engaged to Trump’s son Donald Jr., has denied any wrongdoing, and Rubio has defended her before.
Lee writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report.
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Rubio: No direct link between US bombers removal and UK base incident | Crime News
Published On 5 Oct 20265 Oct 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the first leg of a four-day European tour in which he will also visit Greece and Portugal.
“Economic and security collaboration” top the agenda for his talks on Monday with Icelandic officials, according to a statement from the Department of State.
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Ahead of his departure, he told reporters he would not directly tie the United States’ decision to remove its B-1 bombers from the British base of Fairford to last week’s incident.
“I wouldn’t just directly tie that to the move that was made,” Rubio told reporters, adding that “the Department of War is constantly reallocating resources where they need to be”.
Rubio asserted confidence in the security of all US bases and praised United Kingdom authorities’ cooperation.
Five British men were arrested near the British airbase at Fairford on suspicion of preparing “terrorist acts”, and were later released on bail. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national arrested separately in London, has also been released on bail.
B-1 bombers were returned to the US. They had been used for strikes on Iran.
A NATO military source had, however, said: “It is still believed that Iran poses an acute threat to US assets in the UK”.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards previously said the Fairford base was a legitimate target, but Tehran denied any links to last week’s incident.
Rubio is also visiting Greece to lead the US delegation for the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, focusing on defence cooperation and regional and energy security, and will wrap up his tour in Lisbon, where he will discuss defence, economic and technology cooperation.
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Remains of Bulgaria’s Czar Samuel return ‘home’ after 1,000 years | History News
The emperor is a symbol of Bulgarian national identity whose repatriation stoked tensions with Greece.
Published On 3 Oct 20263 Oct 2026
More than 1,000 years after his death, the remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel have arrived in Bulgaria.
A symbol of Bulgarian national identity, Samuel was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom before suffering defeat and dying soon after in 1014. His supposed remains were discovered in a Greek border area in the 1960s.
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The coffin and remains were flown on Saturday to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, on board a military aircraft that was surrounded by air force fighter jets.
Thousands of people poured into a public square to honour the czar’s arrival, which capped years of fraught negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece until an accord was reached this week.
Bulgarian politicians across the spectrum paid tribute to the medieval ruler, listening to the national anthem and a 21-gun salute.
“Today, we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.
“That is why Europe must not reopen old wounds but must work for peace as the supreme good,” Radev continued, referring to the centuries-old rivalry between neighbouring Greece and Bulgaria.
Crowds cheered as fighter jets performed a flypast.
Martin Nestorov, a 42-year-old software engineer, told the AFP news agency he attended the ceremony “to welcome Czar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs”.
“I am here because I am Bulgarian, and a Bulgarian is returning to his homeland,” added Tsanka Zlatkova, 65, a retired art historian.
A procession brought the remains to be laid in the Church of Saint Sofia, a sixth-century basilica that is the capital’s namesake and where church officials say Samuel was baptised.
Competing claims
The handover of Samuel’s remains is part of a broader accord between the Greek and Bulgarian culture ministers.
In exchange, Greece is slated to receive 48 objects that Bulgarian troops pillaged from churches and monasteries in Greece during World War I.
Speaking before the handover, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he hoped the ceremony would boost Greece’s campaign to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of 2,500-year-old marble sculptures taken from the Acropolis in Athens and later displayed in the British Museum.
“The global community is essentially re-evaluating its longstanding stance on protecting cultural heritage,” Mitsotakis said, adding that historical heirlooms “cannot be treated as the spoils of war”.
Bulgaria is not the only country to have claims on Samuel. A huge statue of the czar stands in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, with Macedonians claiming him as “their” ruler.
In 2022, a bilateral commission recommended presenting Samuel as the head of a state that “most contemporary historiographers consider to be the Bulgarian Empire”, based in what is currently North Macedonia.
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Man ‘absolutely floored’ after seeing food and drink prices on Greek airport’s ‘secret menu’
The TikToker posted a side by side comparison of prices at a Greek airport, and many holidaymakers, despite visiting the country several times, didn’t know there was a ‘secret menu’ available
Food and drink can be expensive at the airport(Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Holidays are an expensive business, especially if you plan to grab a coffee and a toastie at the airport. Even a bottle of water can set you back £2-3, which is a kick in the teeth when you’re delayed and stuck in a hot terminal.
So, when one TikToker posted the prices at a busy Greek airport, it inspired a flood of comments, but not for the reason you might think. The Greek holiday fan, who posts under the username @zantegeezer with videos about the party island, went to an outlet at the airport that sold the usual pre-departure fare, and one thing surprised his followers.
He started his video saying: “I always post this every time I come to the airport. There is a regulated menu. Basically it means Greek government enforce these very good value for money options.”
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He goes on to show the regulated menu, which includes inexpensive prices for coffee, tea, toasties, and water, all the basic airport staples. He then holds up the café menu, saying:
“That’s a normal menu. You see the price difference there? I mean, look at the proper espresso you get off the regular menu”. The cafés usual menu shows a single espresso costs €4.80, just over £4, but travellers who order it via the regulated menu can get it for €1.80, a more reasonable cost of around £1.53.
A filter coffee is listed as €4.70 on the normal menu, yet if customers were to order off the regulated menu they’d spend just €1.60, around £1.36. And the bargains don’t stop there. Bottled water, in 0.5 or 0.75 litre bottles can be bought for €0.60 or €0.90, around £0.51 and £0.77 respectively.
Hungry travellers can enjoy a toast with ham and cheese for €1.80, and if you’re dying for a cuppa before you get on the plane, a hot tea costs €1.60 on the regulated menu, or €4.00, about £3.43, if you order from the normal menu.
The TikToker finished by saying: “Just so you know, any airport in Greece you can get cheap stuff by law. Sort it out.” Regulated menus are also available in other locations across Greece in spots such as ports and ferries and places with a captive audience such as certain tourist sites.
However, there is a slight catch. The regulated prices only apply to basics such as water, coffee, and simple snacks like toasties, and only have to be offered on a takeaway basis, so the establishment isn’t under any obligation to let you use its tables. You’ll also generally be offered Greek brands, so don’t expect Volvic or San Pellegrino for the low price.
The video received many positive comments from people sick of rip-off airport prices. Over the summer, a number of airport prices came under scrutiny by fed-up travellers, from food costs to the hike in airport drop-off fees across major hubs.
Many shared their experiences with finding these cheaper deals. One said: “Santorini Airport only had €6.50 Evian water on display but they had the cheap Greek stuff when I asked.”, while another was unaware of these ‘secret menus’: “I didn’t know! Paid €4 for a bottle of water and € 7.90 for a sandwich at Zante airport!”
And there were plenty of calls for other countries to follow suit. “I need to call my representatives for the local and European Parliament. this has to be a European wide directive.”, said one. While another poster commented, “This is one of the best things about Greek airports. needs to be made Europe-wide”
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European city set to become the ‘next mini Dubai’ with huge £6billion skyscraper resort & new tax breaks for expats
WITH ancient ruins like the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus, Athens has long been considered one of the oldest cities in the world – but it’s about to get much more modern.
A new billion-pound seafront regeneration project with a towering skyscraper and luxury shopping has resulted in the city being dubbed the ‘new Dubai‘.
Major changes are happening in Athens especially on the riviera where an enormous development is underway.
A regeneration project called The Ellinikon an estimated €8billion (£6billion) is set to completely transform the area to become its first ‘smart city’.
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At its core is an enormous skyscraper called Riviera Tower – once transformed it will be the tallest building in Greece at over 650 feet high.
Inside will be around 170 luxury apartments including penthouses and each one will have panoramic views over the coastline.
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It will also have private infinity pools, spa and gym as well as shared wellness spaces and greenery and plant filled terraces around the building.
The skyscraper was formerly part of Ellinikon International Airport which served the city until 2001.
The Ellinikon will also have new additions including ‘Little Athens’, a new neighbourhood right next to the beach with apartments as well as small shops and cafés.
The Riviera Galleria will be a new complex for luxury shopping with 80 new shops covering 10,000 square metres.
At the galleria will also be upscale restaurants, artisan ice-cream parlours, beauty salons and organic markets.
The upscale and luxury aspect mirrors what visitors expect when heading to the seafront neighbourhoods of Dubai.
In order to entice expats into Greece, the country is also offering tax breaks – much like Dubai which is a playground for the wealthy.
Since its debt crisis in around 2009, Greece has made a ‘remarkable economic recovery’, according to the IMF.
Part of this is thanks to tax breaks aimed at families, young workers and expats.
Under new rules this year, investment professionals who relocate to Greece can pay five per cent on “carried interest” – this is a fraction of the rate in the UK.
Talking to The Times, Henley & Partners, which organises residence and citizenship planning for the rich says interest in moving to Greece has surged.
It’s now the second-most popular destination after St Kitts & Nevis for relocation.
Mario Rafael, a managing director at the firm. said: “Greece is increasingly competing for the attention of the same internationally mobile families considering places such as Milan and Dubai.”
If it does turn into a Dubai-alternative, for Brits it’ll be much easier to get to as the flight is around four hours less.
While it might not be the winter hotspot like the city in the UAE, Athens still has scorching summers too.
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Four American tourists among 6 killed in suspected gas leak blast in Athens | News
Two women reportedly injured in blast in Athens’ historic Plaka district, buildings evacuated.
Published On 26 Sep 202626 Sep 2026
Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of six people killed in a building collapse following a a blast in the historic centre of Athens, Greece, according to local authorities.
Documents and belongings found with four of the victims – two men and two women – on Saturday indicated they were United States citizens, Greek state broadcaster ERT and other local media reported.
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The other two victims were reportedly an elderly couple, a British man and a Greek woman, who lived on the building’s second floor.
Two women were injured in an adjacent building, according to the fire department.
The blast that brought down the small, two-storey building in the popular tourist district of Plaka on Friday was believed to have been caused by a major gas leak, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said. Neighbouring buildings were damaged and evacuated, he said.
“The damage extends to the entire street as well as the street behind [the building],” Doukas said. “We are talking about an unimaginable catastrophe.”
Two adjoining buildings severely damaged might have to be demolished, he said.
The Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini reported on Friday that the four tourists, who were due to leave their accommodation at about 11:00am (08:00 GMT), failed to board their flight back to the US.
Plaka residents issued warning
A group of Plaka residents had alerted the municipality and the managers of the electricity and gas networks about the risks of short circuits or gas leaks in the area a year ago.
In a letter published by Kathimerini, the group called for the organisation of a security exercise to identify any potential shortcomings in the emergency response system.
The citizen movement “We Remain Active” also stated on social media that a resident of the street where the explosion occurred had reported a smell of gas for several weeks and had warned the authorities.
A Greek police spokeswoman confirmed on ERT that residents had made the report. However, the nature of the substance and its origin have not yet been determined.
Plaka lies at the foot of the Acropolis, Greece’s most visited ancient monument.
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Bianca Censori’s sister Angelina ‘basks’ in the sun in a G-string thong on trip to Greece
BIANCA Censori’s sister Angelina soaked up the sun in a tiny string thong during a Greece getaway.
The Aussie native channeled her sister’s usually super sexy attire and stripped down into skimpy lingerie in new photos.
Angelina, 22, took to Instagram on Thursday to share multiple pictures from her Mediterranean vacation.
Some of those pics captured the model sitting on the pavement, hugging her knees into her chest while sporting a G-string thong.
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She paired the bottoms with a black string bra with a vertical chain link connecting the straps.
Angelina kept her back facing the camera, showcasing her thin figure and bare butt as she sat on the ground.
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Her hair was pulled into a tight bun as she gazed at her shadow on the concrete beside her.
“Basking,” Bianca‘s sister wrote in her caption.
Angelina often uses the platform to share sultry photos of herself in revealing attire.
Earlier this month, the brunette posted a series of snapshots of herself wearing a skintight white corset bodysuit.
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She also shared a pic of herself in July, flaunting her pin-thin physique in a tiny gold bikini while lounging by the pool in Madrid, Spain.
Angelina blew fans away last November when she shared several photos of herself in a heavily cut-out lace dress.
She modeled the outfit, which showed her underboob with its massive opening at her midsection, in the mirror.
The ensemble also exposed her backside and legs with its sheer fabric, which she showcased in an overhead shot of her lying on a bed.
Bianca, 31, has often drawn attention with her revealing wardrobe after completely switching up her style when she married Kanye West, 49, in December 2022.
The Yeezy architect is usually seen sporting skintight bodysuits that display her curves, and other sexy looks.
She most recently posted several photos of herself in a gold string bikini top and skirt that barely covered her breasts or butt cheeks.
Bianca also underwent a dramatic hair transformation, swapping out her usual brown hairstyle for a platinum blonde wig.
The designer has been accused of “public indecency” numerous times over the years while repeatedly stepping out in public in barely-there attire.
Many have also blamed Kanye for pulling the strings on her fashion choices, after doing the same with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s style.
Angelina shut down rumors last year that her family didn’t approve of Bianca and Kanye’s marriage, telling The Herald Sun that they supported the Donda rapper.
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What to know as Brits may soon be turned away from 30 countries
Need to know
New scheme will be a requirement for British passport holders travelling to around 30 European nations, including Spain, France and Italy
(Image: Erlon Silva – TRI Digital via Getty Images)
British travellers to face new entry fees for European holidays from 2026 – what you need to know:
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New rule could see Brits refused entry to Spain, France and Italy
New mandatory entry requirement for UK travellers is about to come into force
A new scheme is about to come into force(Image: South agency via Getty Images)
British passport holders could be turned away at the border in Spain, France, Italy and several other destinations due to a post-Brexit scheme set to launch later in 2026.
Once the initiative comes into effect, UK holidaymakers will be required to pay for a digital travel authorisation document to gain entry to around 30 European nations. British travellers will need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will soon become an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals visiting a specific group of 30 countries.
With a valid ETIAS travel authorisation, travellers can enter these European countries as often as they wish for short-term stays, typically up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Originally, the ETIAS was expected to cost around 7 euros per person, however it has since been confirmed the fee will be nearly triple that amount, coming in at 20 euros per eligible traveller.
Those aged under 18 or over 70 are exempt, meaning a family of four travelling with two children would pay 40 euros in total. Once the scheme is up and running, failing to hold a valid ETIAS could see you refused entry to any of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, 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 scheme has faced numerous delays, and it is now anticipated that ETIAS will be launched over the next few months. The ETIAS is stored electronically against the passport.
While the vast majority of applications are expected to be approved “almost immediately”, if the system detects an error in your ETIAS submission, it could face rejection. Reasons for ETIAS applications being refused are reported to include holding an invalid passport, being considered a “risk” or having a Schengen Information System (SIS) alert, submitting an incomplete application, or failing to attend a mandatory interview.
Should your ETIAS application be turned down, you have the right to lodge an appeal.
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EES delays update over 9 UK tourist destinations – key details
Need to know
The EES entry/exit system has been widely criticised for causing long EU border delays at airports in popular UK tourist travel destinations
Crowds of passengers gathered at passport control areas at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol following the introduction of a new European digital border control system(Image: Anadolu, Anadolu via Getty Images)
Need to know on EU delays: Latest over the controversial EES system
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At least one dead, 25 missing after boat carrying migrants sinks off Greece | Migration News
At least 51 people rescued as search operation continues off the island of Gavnos near Crete.
Published On 14 Sep 202614 Sep 2026
One person has died, 25 are missing and 51 people have been rescued after a boat carrying migrants sank off a Greek island near Crete, according to the country’s coastguard.
“Fifty-one were picked up by two boats that were in the area,” a coastguard spokesman said on Monday.
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He said survivors had reported that 77 people were on board when the boat went down near the island of Gavdos.
Search and rescue efforts were ongoing, with four ships, boats, Frontex aircraft and a coastguard helicopter operating in the area, Greece’s public broadcaster ERT News reported.
The 51 rescued people were due to be brought to Crete, “where the prescribed procedures will be followed”, ERT reported.
After arriving in Crete, undocumented migrants generally face immediate arrest and temporary confinement before being transferred to closed detention camps on the Greek mainland. Under Greek law, individuals are subject to extended administrative detention, severe penalties and fast-track deportation.
Strong winds blowing through the area have been hampering the search operation, ERT said.
Crete and Gavdos, about 320km (200 miles) from the Libyan coast, have become the main point of entry for asylum seekers in Greece.
In late August, Greece’s ANA news agency published figures from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum that indicated that migrant arrivals in the country fell from about 61,000 in the year to August 2025 to 42,000 in the following 12 months – a decline of about 31 percent.
Greece’s conservative government in July suspended all asylum claims for migrants arriving by sea from North Africa for three months, a move it argued helped deter crossings.
The ban passed in parliament amid a surge in asylum seekers reaching Crete and after talks with Libya’s Benghazi-based government to stem the flow were cancelled in July.
The government remains at odds with regional authorities in Crete over a plan to build a permanent transit facility on the island. It is preparing draft legislation that would mandate imprisonment for people whose asylum claims are denied and require ankle monitors during a 30-day compliance period before deportation.
Authorities in Europe have tightened their immigration rules over recent years as far-right, anti-immigrant political parties have won increasing support throughout the continent.
Greece has been in discussions with Germany and several other European Union countries on setting up “return hubs” outside the bloc for processing migrants’ claims.
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Major EES update for 9 UK tourist hotspots including Portugal
The European Union entry-exit system (EES) has caused repeated delays for Brits at major EU airports this year
14:40, 13 Sep 2026Updated 14:50, 13 Sep 2026
(Image: Anadolu, Anadolu via Getty Images)
British holidaymakers heading abroad may finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief over the widely-criticised EES system. The scheme forces non-EU residents to queue at special machines in airports before gaining entry to 29 nations within the so-called Schengen area – essentially the majority of the European Union.
However, there have been persistent reports of lengthy delays – some stretching to as long as four hours. A new report in the Sunday Times now reveals that the European Union has shelved the controversial entry-exit system (EES) across at least nine countries.
Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Greece and Switzerland are all understood to have been granted permission to postpone full implementation of EES. The newspaper reports that there appears to be no deadline by which these countries must adopt the scheme, which has already sparked widespread reports of enormous queues at European airports this summer in destinations such as Mallorca, Faro, the Canary Islands and Milan.
The scheme has faced fierce criticism from Ryanair and others. The European Union describes the Entry/Exit System (EES) as an automated IT system designed to register non-EU nationals travelling on short stays each time they cross the external borders of participating European countries.
Following years of postponements, the system was rolled out from October 2025, with full implementation originally anticipated by the following April. However, faced with the prospect of significant border queues due to software failures, officials granted countries a 150-day grace period during which they could drop the checks to avoid travel chaos.
That rule ended on September 6. The EU previously insisted there would be no extension.
Yet the Sunday Times reports that at least nine Schengen countries are understood to have told the European Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the EES, that they would not enforce the new controls in full until the technology and systems were working correctly.
They have informally been allowed to do so with no time limits apparently in place to adopt the system, it is being reported. One of the main purposes of the system is to track whether non-EU citizens have spent more than their permitted 90 days in the bloc in a rolling 180-day period.
Social media has been awash with debate about the scheme. One post on Reddit saw a traveller say: “They made a mess of it. Seems many basic things like it is hit and miss on the document scanning but also things like people walk up with hats and headphones and the machine doesn’t tell them to remove them, and organisational things like if the machine errors the traveller has to back out and has no where to go.
“The right way to do this would have been progressive: start by getting some people eg 5% going through the machine lane, everyone else through normal.
“The vendor observes problems, fixes them, once machine working well, increase to 10%, then 20% and so on.” Another person said: “The general lack of functionality of so many IT systems across the EU is kind of astonishing.”
A third added: “It’s worse than that. There isn’t even consistent protocol/IT support within a single EU airport.”
Another put it more simply, saying: “I just miss having stamps.”
‘People are missing their flights’
Nadia, from Greater Manchester, told the Guardian in August she had made two trips to Schengen areas this summer. A trip to Tenerife in June was “quite straightforward”, but her experience in July at Frankfurt airport where she was picking up a connecting flight home, was much less so.
“The queue there was ridiculously long, and there was very limited information,” she says. “People were wandering around trying to work out where they needed to go.
“I’m very well travelled and pretty confident, but even I was slightly unsure and was thinking, is there some other queue I should be joining? There was no one nearby to check with without losing your place.”
Eventually, her passport was checked. “He didn’t actually take fingerprints then,” says Nadia, who is a solicitor. “I think the queue was so long they decided to dispense with that.
“It’s the efficiency of the system I question and the fact that individual member states’ systems do not talk to one another. They shouldn’t need to get information again if you have already gone through. It’s pretty shambolic, and I think people missing their flights because of it is just not acceptable, especially when there’s no recourse; it’s not your fault.”
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has repeatedly complained about EES. Speaking earlier this year, he said: “There’s a bit of Brexit in this too. Here, you voted for Brexit – f***ing join the queue.”
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