Hundreds of Bolivian residents are braving near-freezing temperatures to queue for affordable chicken in La Paz, due to more than a month of food shortages.
Spiked prices and protester blockades have affected access to food and medical supplies in the capital.
STRIKES across Portugal are set to go ahead tomorrow causing widespread disruption across the country.
Rail workers, cabin crew and public transport staff are all staging a walkout.
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easyJet has said it is expected to have some flights impacted by the strikeCredit: AlamyPublic services like Lisbon Metro will be affected tooCredit: Alamy
At its airports in Portugal, strike action is predicted to affect hundreds of flights with 500 at risk of being cancelled and delayed.
Over half of these flights are operated by TAP Air Portugal, as well as other Portugália and SATA services.
On social media, TAP Air Portugal said it would still operate a minimum of 79, it is also rebooking travel options for affected passengers.
The airline Air Europa has cancelled all of its flights between Madrid and Lisbon and Porto.
The union added that easyJet and Ryanair flights are also expected to be impacted.
easyJet told Sun Travel: “Due to a national strike in Portugal on 3 June, like all airlines operating to and from the country we can expect some disruption to our flying programme.
“We will be doing all we can to minimise the impact of the strike action and will contact customers directly with their options if their flights are affected.
“While this is outside of our control we are sorry for any inconvenience this strike action may cause.”
Ryanair however told The Independent that it did not expect any disruption and would operate as normal.
Away from airports, staff working for FECTRANS are expected to walkout.
Around 500 flights could be cancelled due to strike action across Portugal tomorrowCredit: Alamy
This is expected to limit service on the Lisbon Metro and will disrupt those with travel plans across the city.
Union members include those working on the Porto Metro, so Porto is another city set to be majorly affected by the strike action.
Due to the sheer volume of staff strikes, it’s thought that the delays could impact travel on the following days, too.
Flight compensation rules
A look at your rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled, when your entitled to compensation and if your travel insurance can cover the costs.
What are my rights if my flight is cancelled or delayed?
Under UK law, airlines have to provide compensation if your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late.
If you’re flying to or from the UK, your airline must let you choose a refund or an alternative flight.
You will be able to get your money back for the part of your ticket that you haven’t used yet.
So if you booked a return flight and the outbound leg is cancelled, you can get the full cost of the return ticket refunded.
But if travelling is essential, then your airline has to find you an alternative flight. This could even be with another airline.
When am I not entitled to compensation?
The airline doesn’t have to give you a refund if the flight was cancelled due to reasons beyond their control, such as extreme weather.
Disruptions caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control employee strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.
Some airlines may stretch the definition of “extraordinary circumstances” but you can challenge them through the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Will my insurance cover me if my flight is cancelled?
If you can’t claim compensation directly through the airline, your travel insurance may refund you.
Policies vary so you should check the small print, but a delay of eight to 12 hours will normally mean you qualify for some money from your insurer.
Remember to get written confirmation of your delay from the airport as your insurer will need proof.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, you’re unlikely to be covered by your insurance.
Health workers wearing full personal protective equipment prepare May 23 to transport the body of an Ebola victim for a safe burial at Sofepadi Hospital in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo. On Monday, hundreds of people in Kenya protested plans for a nearby field hospital to quarantine and treat Americans exposed to Ebola. Kenya has no Ebola cases thus far. Photo by Stringer/EPA
June 1 (UPI) — Hundreds of residents in central Kenya marched Monday in protest of plans for a U.S.-run field hospital in which Americans exposed to Ebola would be treated and quarantined.
Officers from the U.S. Public Health Service would run the facility at Laikipia Air Base near Nanyuki, Kenya. The hospital was supposed to open last Friday. However, a Kenyan court blocked that opening, with another hearing set for Tuesday, The Washington Post reported.
Kenya has had no cases of Ebola in this outbreak thus far, but there have been about 1,000 cases worldwide, with about 200 suspected deaths, mostly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kenya has increased screening and security measures to lessen the risk of the disease spreading to the country.
Nanyuki residents said the hospital facility would endanger the lives of those living nearby.
“If it is not good for America, why is it good for us? Why does the U.S. only care about itself?” Gibson Maina, 25, said to The Washington Post. “The moment we get sick people here, how sure are we that we will be able to contain the disease and that we will be able to survive it?”
The protests were largely peaceful with “localized disruptions,” Capital News in Kenya reported. The Post, however, said some demonstrators set fires and “clashed with the police.”
Officials have said the hospital would keep U.S. citizens with Ebola from returning to the United States for treatment. Katiba Institute, a constitutional rights advocacy group in Kenya, filed the lawsuit that blocked the facility from opening.
The Law Society of Kenya has also opposed the hospital, Capital News reported. Charles Kanjama, leader of the society, said that Ebola treatment centers should be closed to the outbreaks and not in countries with no cases.
“We owe patients human solidarity, but public health requires facilities to be placed near outbreak epicenters,” Kanjama said.
Sarah Korere, a local leader, also said such a hospital should be closer to the problem areas.
“As residents of Nanyuki, we have said we do not want the Ebola rescue center in Nanyuki,” she said to Capital News. “And it’s not just Nanyuki; we’ve said we do not want it in Laikipia, and not yet Laikipia, we don’t want it in Kenya.”
Kenyan Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said any international agreement for Ebola treatment facilities must comply with Kenyan laws and public health protocols. The United States said in a statement last week that it was in talks with Kenyan officials after the lawsuit.
French Ministry of Interior says 416 people detained nationwide, including 283 in Paris, after PSG’s win over Arsenal.
Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026
Police in France have detained more than 280 people in Paris after violent clashes erupted when thousands poured onto the streets after Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in the Champions League final.
About 22,000 police were deployed across France for the game on Saturday, including 8,000 in Paris, after unrest marred PSG’s win in the competition last year. Paris tram lines were halted, several metro stations shut and bus traffic halted in places in a bid to minimise disturbances.
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According to the French Ministry of the Interior, 416 people were detained nationwide, including 283 who were apprehended in Paris. It was not immediately clear how many of these individuals were remanded in custody to face further investigation.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said seven officers were wounded and called the unrest “absolutely unacceptable”.
Six vehicles and two businesses were damaged.
A group of supporters also stormed the Paris ring road, the Boulevard Peripherique, bringing traffic to a halt for a time and setting off flares.
PSG supporters drive their scooters past antiriot police at the Place du Trocadero in Paris [AFP]
As fans celebrated the dramatic penalty shootout victory in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, about 20,000 people converged on Paris’s Champs-Elysees avenue, police said.
Shops boarded up their windows before the match to avoid a repeat of disturbances last year when youths ransacked shops on the Champs-Elysees and other streets. Hundreds of people were arrested.
Two dozen flares and about 100 fireworks were seized on Saturday while a bus shelter was destroyed near the Champs-Elysees.
The match was played on a hectic evening in Paris with singer Aya Nakamura performing at the Stade de France national stadium, rapper Damso at the La Defense Arena and the French Open tennis tournament in full swing.
Police said a bakery and a restaurant were damaged near PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, where tens of thousands of people had gathered inside to watch the match. Another 4,000 to 5,000 people loitered outside with projectiles that were thrown at officers.
About 150 people “attempted to enter through one of the gates” at the stadium, but police pushed them back, a police spokesperson said.
Some also tried to erect a barricade with rental bikes, which was cleared by police.
Clashes broke out between police and supporters near the stadium, and officers responded with tear gas when fireworks were thrown at them.
PSG supporters gather on the Champs-Elysees after the club’s win [Romeo Boetzle/AFP]
‘Only in France’
The scenes angered the French far right. Three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen wrote on X that “only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots.”
“Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence,” she added.
Nunez said there was a “very robust, very solid system in place” to curb violence.
“Our responsibility is to guarantee everyone a festive celebration that is calm and fully secure,” a police spokesperson said.
PSG’s players will take part in a parade on Sunday afternoon on the Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower in front of an expected crowd of 100,000 people before they are received by President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
ELLIE GOULDING has confirmed she’s about to drop her sixth album, five months after I told you she was gearing up to release it.
The pop powerhouse teased that the follow-up to 2023 No1 Higher Than Heaven will be out “soon”.
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Ellie Goulding has confirmed she’s about to drop her sixth album, five months after I told you she was gearing up to release itCredit: GettyThe pop powerhouse teased that the follow-up to 2023 No1 Higher Than Heaven will be out ‘soon’Credit: Splash
In an exclusive chat after her headline set at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland, Ellie added: “I’ve spent the past few years working really closely with a brilliantly talented producer and multi-instrumentalist called Jack Rochon.
“I actually found him on TikTok when he was still relatively undiscovered, living in Canada.
“He’s since moved to LA and worked with Beyonce.
“I immediately connected with what he was doing creatively.
“I have always loved discovering emerging talent and championing new voices, just like I did when I first started out and discovered Starsmith.
“We’ve recorded hundreds of songs together, and I loved the freedom of exploring different sounds, feelings, thoughts and experiences.
“It felt really organic and honest, like journaling through music.”
During her incredible set, where she was watched live for the first time by young son Arthur, Ellie debuted upcoming single Black Prada Dress.
Ellie said of the song: “There’s not one definitive experience that inspired it.
“It’s directed at that negative, critical voice bringing you down. And that voice could be your own, internal voice — that self-critical, destructive one.
“I feel like we all have one of those, just like we have different versions of ourselves.
“I love the honesty of it, the rawness, and I hope people can connect to it in their own way.”
Ellie lit up the crowd in Sunderland, kicking off with I Need You Love before hits including Still Falling For You, Love Me Like You Do and Lights.
The singer added with a grin: “It felt so, so good to be back performing at Radio 1 Big Weekend.
“The crowd was amazing, the sun was shining. Great vibes all round.
“I remember my first-ever Radio 1 Big Weekend performance back in 2010.
“My debut album had just gone to No1 and I was on cloud nine.
“It’s been four albums since then.
“So to come back to debut Black Prada Dress in the mix with some of my old favourites feels like a real full-circle moment.”
It was made all the more special for Ellie, who gave birth to her second child, Iris, in March.
She said: “It’s such a joy, my son is here today.
“I love playing music to them, especially classical music.”
With a potential record of classical music in the works, too, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ellie had already given the kids a taster.
Ra-ra Larsson
Zara Larsson delivered what could easily go down as her best Big Weekend performanceCredit: Splash
ZARA LARSSON delivered what could easily go down as her best Big Weekend performance.
The Swedish singer, wearing a light blue ra-ra skirt, pulled out all the stops during her fourth appearance at the festival on Saturday.
She opened with Midnight Sun before blasting through tracks including Can’t Tame Her, Ain’t My Fault, Lush Life and finishing with a cover of Clean Bandit’s Symphony, the No1 song she featured on in 2017.
But the standout moment came when Zara invited one lucky fan, Kayleigh, up to join her.
“This is my favourite part of the show but it’s also the hardest,” Zara said.
“Because I see so many of you are giving me the best energy ever.”
Welcoming Kayleigh on to the stage, Zara immediately recognised her from a previous show in America.
Zara then spray-painted a personalised T-shirt for Kayleigh in front of the crowds after she revealed she was flying over to LA in the coming weeks to watch her perform again.
Now that’s dedication.
EMMA’S GOT NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR THIEVES
Emma Myers showed she is a Radio 1 superfan and was spotted hanging out backstageCredit: Alamy
WEDNESDAY actress Emma Myers showed she is a Radio 1 superfan and was spotted hanging out backstage.
Presenter Greg James bought her out on stage to introduce Nothing But Thieves.
My mole told me: “Emma is a massive fan of the band and a close personal friend, so they asked her to come out on stage and introduce them. She is so down to earth and lovely. Everyone was obsessed with her.”
Emma said on stage: “I’m having so much fun, I’m seeing so many incredible artists, it’s so lovely to be here.”
Of Nothing But Thieves, she added: “They were my soundtrack when I was shooting season one of The Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, so I have them on repeat.”
NIALL LOVES A TEE PARTY
Niall Horan has revealed he only tours so he can play golf courses around the worldCredit: Alamy
NIALL HORAN has revealed he only tours so he can play golf courses around the world.
And he ends up spending more time on makeshift greens than in the studio when writing albums.
The former One Direction singer was on stage at the Big Weekend yesterday in Herrington Country Park, right next to Wearside Golf Club.
Niall, who has a handicap of eight, said: “It’s Niall’s golf tour with music, especially in the States.
“Florida is great – there’s so much good golf in Florida, and we’ll hit random places in Ohio. If we do 30-something shows, I’ll try and get in ten rounds.”
And it doesn’t stop there.
Talking about a place he rented out with songwriter pals to work on his upcoming fourth solo album, Niall said: “When we stayed in this house in the countryside in the UK, we made up our own golf course.
“We put flowerpots in places and made our own courses and chipped balls around.
“We did this all over the world. We make up our own little golf courses in the backyard of wherever we’re playing and we do more of that than we do songwriting.
“On that trip, we wrote Dinner Party – but after a round of golf, of course.”
Now Niall’s eyeing up something entirely different.
When asked on the And The Writer Is podcast if he would pen a musical, he said: “I’d love to. I’ve often thought about that.
“That would be such a cool thing, to put some time aside to actually dig in for six months to try and write something. But I haven’t had the offer yet.”
VICKY: A FAT LOT OF GOOD
DJ Vicky Hawkesworth managed to catch some performances between her own sets at Big WeekendCredit: Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.
DJ VICKY HAWKESWORTH managed to catch some performances between her own sets at Big Weekend.
She said backstage: “Nothing But Thieves were amazing and Fatboy Slim was so good . . . way better than I thought.
“Not that I thought he wouldn’t be good, but you know what I mean.
“Also, those visuals. If I was off my nut, I’d be, like, ‘I’m not well’.”
Luckily for Vicky, she was as sober as a judge.
MY one to watch from the festival is rising talent Alessi Rose.
The Skin singer smashed her set on the New Music stage and will play a run of shows at festivals this summer, as well as supporting Lewis Capaldi and Lorde at their concerts in July and August.
A STELLAR SMITH GOES EXTRA MYLES ON STAGE
★★★★★
Myles Smith had Sunderland belting out every word as he smashed his 30-minute setCredit: Splash
MYLES SMITH had Sunderland belting out every word as he smashed his 30-minute set – complete with support from his Drive Safe collaborator Niall Horan.
Sprinting up and down the stage, the soulful singer powered through nine tracks yesterday, including a cover of iloveitiloveitiloveit by his friend Bella Kay.
Speaking about the US singer-songwriter, Myles told the crowd: “This is someone that I’ve been following for a little while now.
“They can’t be here this Big Weekend, but I’m sure they’re gonna be here for many more, so hopefully you can enjoy this song with me.”
His energy was off the charts as he worked his way through hits including Behind, Hold Me In The Dark and Nice To Meet You.
Myles jumped off the stage and into the pit to hug fans before singing Gold.
Out of puff as he climbed back up, he said with a laugh: “I need to go back to the gym.”
Myles finished off his belting show with the stellar Stargazing.
Fans are now counting down the days until he releases his new album My Mess, My Heart, My Life on June 19.
FREYA FRASER
FAMOUS FACES HAVE A DAY TO REMEMBER
THERE are celebrations popping off all over the place.
Not only is it looking like being a scorcher of a Bank Holiday, but famous names from television, music and sport are also coming together to take part in a national “Big Toast” tonight.
At 7pm, people across the country will raise a glass for Celebration Day in memory of people who shaped their lives.
Five-time Paralympic swimming gold medallist Ellie Simmonds is also on board.
She said: “On this Celebration Day, I’m raising a cup of tea to my auntie Shirley and my grandma.
“I’ve got so many memories of them.
“When I was at my biggest events, they were always up there in the crowd, cheering me on, decked in their Team GB flags.”
THE WEEK IN BIZNESS
TODAY: BTS and Pussycat Dolls perform at the American Music Awards in Las Vegas.
Queen Latifah will host the bash, where Taylor Swift leads the nominations with eight.
WEDNESDAY: Camila Mendes and Nicholas Galitzine will be among guests at the UK premiere of live-action He-Man film Masters Of The Universe in London’s Leicester Square.
FRIDAY: Take That launch their Circus Live – Summer 2026 tour at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium, 17 years after their Circus Live gigs.
SATURDAY: The two-day Mighty Hoopla festival kicks off at Brockwell Park in South London.
The event features performances from Lily Allen, Scissor Sisters, Jessie J and Five.
CONCORD, N.H. — A growing effort to raise suspicion about the security of voting systems has kindled a back-to-the-future moment among conservatives in some parts of the U.S.
Republican lawmakers in at least six states have introduced legislation that would require all election ballots to be counted by hand instead of electronic tabulators. Similar proposals have been floated within some local governments, including about a dozen New Hampshire towns and Washoe County in the presidential battleground state of Nevada.
Despite no evidence of widespread fraud or major irregularities, conspiracy theories have proliferated among his allies that voting systems were somehow manipulated to favor Democrat Joe Biden. That has prompted calls to ban electronic tabulators used to scan ballots, record votes and compile race tallies.
“It’s our responsibility, and it should be our desire, to count every vote and to imbue confidence in our citizenry that our elections are fair and free, and that their vote is being counted,” said New Hampshire state Rep. Mark Alliegro, sponsor of a hand-counting bill that is similar to ones proposed in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Washington and West Virginia.
Alliegro said he was motivated by his analysis of recounts in nearly 50 New Hampshire state legislative races, not by the 2020 presidential election.
But some of the bill’s supporters reference the 2020 election to explain why they argue his hand-count legislation is needed. They cite a belief — despite evidence disproving it — that Trump actually won a landslide victory and that cheating is the only way to explain how New Hampshire voters elected a Republican governor and GOP majorities in the Legislature, but then backed Democrats for federal office.
Critics of the proposals to ditch electronic ballot tabulators and return to hand-counting are blunt about what they see as the motivation.
“It’s coming from conspiracy theories and lies,” said Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections for Common Cause, a nonpartisan group that advocates for expanded voter access. “It’s attempting to lower people’s confidence in elections.”
Albert and others said it’s unrealistic to think election officials can count millions of ballots by hand and report results quickly, given that ballots often include dozens of races. The partisan review last summer of the 2 million ballots cast in Maricopa County, Ariz., which included a hand count, took several months and hundreds of people to complete.
“If you have a jurisdiction with 500 voters, you might be OK. But if you have a jurisdiction with thousands of voters, tens of thousands of voters, hundreds of thousands of voters, it’s just not going to work,” said Jennifer Morrell, a former elections clerk in Colorado and Utah who now advises state and local election officials.
Even in New Hampshire’s small towns, hand-counting is a complicated, lengthy process when a typical ballot might include 50 questions, said Milford Town Clerk Joan Dargie, who spoke against the proposed legislation on behalf of the New Hampshire City and Town Clerks Assn. She estimates her town would have to boost election workers from 200 to 350, and said many of her fellow clerks have said they will quit if they have to tabulate every ballot by hand. “People who are asking to get rid of machines obviously haven’t worked in an election,” she said.
As one example, Cobb County, Ga., performed a hand tally ordered by the state after the 2020 election. It took hundreds of people five days to count just the votes for president on roughly 397,000 ballots, said Janine Eveler, elections director for the county in metro Atlanta. She estimates it would have taken 100 days to count every race on each ballot using the same procedures.
Counting by machine isn’t just faster. Multiple studies have shown it’s also more accurate, said Charles Stewart, professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The first research on the topic was done almost two decades ago, comparing recounts of New Hampshire races that were originally tabulated by hand with those tabulated by machines. In that study and subsequent research, the machines won, he said.
“Counting votes is very tedious. Human beings are bad doing tedious things, and computers are very good at doing tedious things,” Stewart said.
Most states also conduct postelection audits that are designed to identify any irregularities with ballot scanning and counting. But with many Republicans believing Biden was not legitimately elected, election machines have become a popular target.
In Nevada, a Republican county commissioner is pushing a proposal that would require hand-counting of all ballots, along with a return to primarily in-person voting and beefing up uniformed security at polling places.
“I’m 82 years old, and I’ve been through a lot of elections,” said Washoe County Commissioner Jeanne Herman. “I know that something is not right.”
The proposal has drawn opposition from other commissioners, the biggest labor union in the state and a rare front-page editorial in the largest newspaper in northern Nevada, which said the measure could cost taxpayers “millions of dollars to chase down Facebook rumors of illusory election fraud.”
In West Virginia, a bill to repeal the state law governing tabulation machines died in committee earlier this month. In Missouri, lawmakers have not yet acted on a proposal that would ban electronic voting machines and tabulation equipment and require hand-counting to be livestreamed and recorded.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Rep. Mitch Boggs Jr., said he has no proof elections have been manipulated but is responding to constituent concerns.
“You file what the constituents are asking for,” Boggs said. “But at the end of the day, what they’re really wanting is just the transparency. They want to know that our elections are secure.”
Republican state Rep. Petty McGaugh said the legislation would delay election results and likely undermine their accuracy. When she became clerk of rural Carroll County in 1995, election staff were still hand-counting ballots by marking tallies in blocks of five on paper. She noticed multiple errors and eventually switched the county to an electronic tabulation system.
“I don’t really think that in this day and age we need to go back to hand-counting where it’s so susceptible to human error,” she said. “We’ve got to start trusting electronics and computers.”
In New Hampshire, that message seems to have gotten through. Last week, a state House committee unanimously recommended killing the hand-counting legislation and voters in nine towns where the question was on the ballot in local elections rejected it.
WE were tucking into mouth-watering Mickey waffles soaked in syrup when in popped the Mouse himself.
It was just after 8am and our amazing Walt Disney World adventure had kicked off with a bang — plus a load of bangers and bacon.
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A Disney experience is as much about the great food and drink options as it is the ridesCredit: SuppliedMeeting Mickey Mouse on holiday in Disney World is the ultimate treat for young childrenCredit: Supplied
The delicious food at Tusker House restaurant in the Animal Kingdom was as plentiful as the special guests.
Goofy, Donald Duck and Daisy waltzed in, too, and there was just no containing the grandkids’ excitement.
Nine-year-old Albie’s impersonation of Mickey had the mouse in stitches and there were hugs from Mila, seven, and Lois, four.
The scrumptious character breakfast buffet isn’t cheap, at around £45 an adult and £25 a child.
But, as in all the snack bars and restaurants in Orlando’s four Disney parks, the quality of food is excellent and there’s always plenty of it.
One way of saving cash is the Disney Dining Plan, just launched again for next year and even free on selected holidays.
Depending on the package, each day you get the choice of quick- service or table-service meals and snacks from 170 locations.
If staying at a Disney hotel for a week, the plan saves families hundreds of pounds.
Visitors can grab meals and snacks from up to 170 different locationsCredit: SuppliedAt Teppan Edo the Japanese chefs juggle utensils as they chop and stir-fry dishes at your tableCredit: Disney
A Disney experience is as much about the great food and drink options as it is the rides.
Themed restaurants are hugely popular, so we made bookings on the Disney app as soon as reservations opened — 60 days before arrival.
Our choices, with kids’ menus and main courses between £12 and £26, turned out winners.
Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Skipper Canteen, for a touch of African and Asian flavours, and The Plaza for club sandwiches and milkshakes.
At the Fifties-style Sci Fi Dine-In Theater, in Hollywood Studios, we sat in retro cars to eat burgers and fries while watching old movie clips.
And our favourite, at Epcot, was Teppan Edo, where the Japanese chefs juggle cooking utensils as they chop and stir-fry dishes at your table.
Our party of five adults and three kids also did a lot of snacking — extra-large iced doughnuts for less than a fiver, chocolate-chip cookies, Mickey’s ice-cream bars and multi-coloured iced drinks.
But, in our defence, we were often in the parks from dawn until dusk and even later when we saw spectacular night shows.
Brit families can spend thousands on a dream trip to Walt Disney WorldCredit: AlamyThe rides and parades create an unforgettable experience for visitorsCredit: Alamy
I reckon Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios is one of the most thrilling ever.
Its half an hour of pure magic — lights dancing on the water, fireworks flying from Mickey’s hands, lasers and all your favourite characters setting sailing on boats around the lagoon.
Magic Kingdom’s parade and the Happily Ever After fireworks spectacular at Cinderella Castle are a must-see, but then every Disney show is a treat.
You name it, we saw it — including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, the hilarious Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Finding Nemo and the new Villains: Unfairly Ever After.
Like we did, use them for a breather, and certainly after a meal, before going back to the thrills and spills of some of the best rides in Orlando.
We hurtled up and down on the Tower of Terror and sped around a track on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Expedition Everest.
We spun 360 degrees, too, on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — the first ever reverse launch on a Disney coaster — and were whisked through the universe on Avatar Flight of Passage and Soarin’.
The imagination, hi-tech design and special effects are simply breath-taking.
“Wow!” is the only word when you come face to face with legions of stormtroopers in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — or witness the sheer genius of being shrunk down to the size of a rat on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
We blasted our way around Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, just re-opened with new interactive targets, and got very wet on the Kali River Rapids.
Slow the pace by hopping on a Kilimanjaro Safari truck, to see 34 species of African wildlife in their natural habitat, and take a boat to Elsa’s ice palace in wonderful Frozen Ever After.
Disney has hotels with pools and entertainment to suit all budgets — and these include the fabulous Animal Kingdom Lodge, where animals roam free on the savannah.
Of course, we ate there — at The Mara where we had a grab-and-go breakfast before catching the free shuttle for early entry into the parks, and at Boma for a buffet dinner.
Oh, there was one more treat — Mickey biscuits filled with oozing, toasted marshmallows — around the firepit. Yum! It just had to be done.
GO: Walt Disney World
GETTING/STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ room-only at Disney’s All-Star Sport Resort, including flights from Heathrow on January 19, seven-day Disney Magic park tickets and a free dining plan for two adults and two children, costs from £5,189 in total.
Includes £200 discount with promo code DISNEY2027.
Hundreds of passengers were left stuck at major UK airports as airlines included British Airways cancelled departing flights alongside hundreds of other delays
British Airways cancelled further flights on Friday (Image: Jaroslaw Kilian via Getty Images)
Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded at major UK airports after several flights have been cancelled.
British Airways were one of many airlines who cancelled flights on Friday, May 15, leaving travelers stuck at several airports across the nation.
The significant wave of disruption saw a total of 465 flight delays and 25 cancellations on the one day.
Flights from British Airways, American Airlines, Norse Atlantic Airways, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were among those impacted.
London Heathrow was the most significantly impacted, with 233 flights delayed.
A total of 22 flights were also cancelled from the busy travel hub, with 17 of these being British Airways flights.
At Gatwick, cancellations were kept to a minimum with only one British Airways journey called off.
Despite this, 142 flights from the London airport departed later than scheduled.
In Scotland another British Airways flight did not go ahead, with a further 58 delays logged from Edinburgh airport.
Glasgow also saw a cancellation from British Airways.
The disturbance comes as the travel industry is suffering at the hands of the Middle East conflict due to hiking fuel costs as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.
Data shows that airlines have dramatically ramped up flight cancellations for May as jet fuel costs continue to soar.
In total, Cirium recorded 296 departures from UK airports scrapped this month as of Tuesday; a sharp rise from 120 cancellations just six days earlier.
Last week, British Airways’ parent company IAG warned its profits will be hit as it expects to spend about two billion euro (£1.72 billion) more than planned on fuel this year.
Chief executive Luis Gallego said IAG does not believe there will be “any interruption for the summer” in terms of jet fuel supplies.