The Government is backing cross-channel services launching from Stratford International Station in the futureCredit: Getty
Stratford International finished construction back in 2006 with four platforms, however the two platforms for international services have never been used.
In order for the international platforms to open to services, work will need to be done to aid the flow of passengers through the station as well as implementing new security technology.
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The station would be able to handle around 250 to 300 passengers at a time.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Today’s Budget is a really positive and significant day for London. At its heart is a new devolution revolution.
“After lobbying on the issue for many years, I’m delighted that the Government will help us to bring cross-channel rail services to Stratford International – making this station truly international for the first time.
“It will open up huge opportunities for jobs, investment and tourism.”
Services could head to France from the station as soon as 2030Credit: Alamy
Last week, it was revealed that the station is set to undergo a £20million project to launch trains to France by 2030.
One in three trains to and from France could stop at the station under the new plans.
It’s predicted that the stop would add five to eight minutes to the overall journey time.
And in the future trains could stop at Brussels, Rotterdam and Amsterdam as well as other destinations in Germany and Switzerland.
The Mayor added that billions is also set to be invested in “transformational infrastructure projects such as the West London Orbital, the Bakerloo Line Extension and the Euston knowledge quarter project, supporting tens of thousands of new homes, jobs and economic growth”.
ONE airline is returning to the UK after more than a decade with a direct route from London.
Cyprus Airways is relaunching daily direct flights to Larnaca on April 23, 2027.
New flights will launch from London Stansted to Larnaca in April 2027Credit: AlamyThe daily service has return flights from £355Credit: Getty
The airline last regularly served London until 2015, also flying to Stansted – although it was a different company at the time under government ownership.
It will be a year-round service and according to its website, return trips start from €423 (£355) in Economy Basic.
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With this option, holidaymakers get one 10kg cabin bag included and a personal item.
Another is Economy Flex which includes one 10kg cabin baggage and a personal item as well as one checked bag at 23kg included – there’s also free seat selection.
Cyprus Airways also has Business Class which has in-flight service, lounge access and priority check-in.
The ticket includes 15kg cabin baggage, two 32kg checked bags, seat selection, fast track, meals included and priority boarding.
Thanos Pascalis, chief executive of Cyprus Airways, said: “By adding London Stansted to our network from April 2027, we are providing our customers with greater choice and flexibility while further strengthening our presence in one of Cyprus’ most significant international markets.
“We look forward to welcoming passengers on board and offering them the convenience, reliability and authentic Cypriot hospitality that define Cyprus Airways.”
For those Brits who arrive in Larnaca in April, they can expect average highs of around 18C.
It’s a popular spot for the cooler months as well as in October it still has highs of 22C and it remains as high as 14C in December.
Singer Peter Andre has his own holiday home in LarnacaCredit: Alamy
There shouldn’t be a long wait in the airport either as Cyprus doesn’t require EES checks.
Brits with a valid passport can visit the country for up to 90 days without the need for a visa.
The island itself gets over 300 days of sunshine each year and is known for having beautiful beaches – including one of the best in the world.
In the Europe list of ‘World’s Best Beaches‘, Golden Beach found on the Karpaz Peninsula in the north of the island comes in at number 30 out of 50.
The beach has 2.4 miles of sand and is known for its wild beauty and sand dunes – it’s a place where you’ll find sea turtle nesting grounds.
Talking to Sun Travel he said: “For anyone going to Larnaca, I have three recommendations. One is a new restaurants called Theta in Perivolia which is very near the airport.”
Peter also loves to go to a Japanese restaurant called Nippon.
He also added: “There’s another one called Opa Souvlaki Kiti, it’s not fancy, but if you want a proper Greek kebab done the Cypriot way, go there.”
Houthi missiles reportedly struck a number of targets in Yemen, including Aden’s airport and a coastguard base.
Published On 24 Oct 202624 Oct 2026
Houthi fighters have launched a series of attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government in Aden.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Yemeni government’s Transport Ministry denounced what it described as the Houthis’ targeting of Aden International Airport with two ballistic missiles, calling it the “fourth such attack this month”.
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The airport attacks pose “a threat to the safety of civil aviation” and have “humanitarian and economic repercussions for citizens” who rely on it, the ministry warned.
Yemeni authorities said that the coastguard headquarters and a second building were also hit.
The Houthis claimed attacks on the al-Nasr camp and Aden’s naval military base.
Yemen’s army said a Houthi missile killed three people when it malfunctioned and fell on a family home in Houthi-held Sanaa on Friday. The army said it was one of a number of missile malfunctions seen in recent weeks by the Iran-backed group.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said on Saturday that Saudi coalition air strikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and in the port city of Hodeidah. The claim could not be verified and Riyadh has not commented on the alleged raids.
Saudi attacks
Also on Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence said on X that the Houthis had launched two ballistic missiles towards Mecca and Medina, warning of “the fall of shrapnel” following their interception.
Images shared on X by the Saudi Press Agency appeared to show a large, blackened missile-shaped object that had landed somewhere in Saudi Arabia.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the Houthi attacks as “heinous”, which embody “a blatant disregard for the lives and security of civilians” in a statement shared on Saturday.
The Houthis said the claim that they targeted the two cities – the holiest in Islam – was a “huge lie”. They said their targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase.
The Houthis have persistently targeted Saudi energy infrastructure and airports across the country with long-range strikes since a fragile ceasefire agreed in 2022 fell apart in July.
Fighting rages
Intense fighting is continuing on Yemen’s front lines as the Houthis battle forces of the internationally recognised government for control of key areas.
On Saturday, Yemeni army spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili said that government forces had carried out more than 700 “targeting operations” over the last 24 hours across Yemen, “neutralising” 300 Houthi fighters and disabling military vehicles.
Al Jazeera could not independently verify those figures.
Operations targeted field command centres, Houthi gatherings, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, where intense clashes have been ongoing for days, the spokesman added.
Houthi activists and a banner depicting Houthi missiles at an anti-Saudi rally in Sanaa, July 31, 2026 [Khaled Abdullah/Reuters]
FANCY travelling through Europe in the comfort of your own private cabin rather than a cramped plane? This new sleeper train might be the answer.
Nox Mobility is launching next year as an alternative to short-haul flights – and they’re pretty cheap too.
Nox Mobility is launching a sleeper train service next yearCredit: Nox MobilityThe suites are private for each passengerCredit: Nox Mobility
The sleeper train will launch in March next year with its first journey between Hamburg and Munich with stops in Bremen and Augsburg.
The inaugural run will leave Hamburg at 9.22pm and arrive at 8.14am – there will go in each direction three times per week.
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Tickets are affordable too with one-way fares starting from €65 (£55).
Rather than regular train carriages, inside will be Nox Suites – a private area for each passenger with a seat that opens into a lounge to work or unwind.
Inside is also a two-metre-long bed, storage, charging ports and a window to gaze out of.
There’s also no restaurant carriage on Nox Mobility, however you can pre-order meals to be served in your cabin and breakfast is available as an optional add-on.
On Nox, children under the age of four are allowed to travel for free with an adult passenger.
It also teased future rooms which are actually private cabins.
The Single Loft has a seat and desk for the day with a bed for during the night.
The Double Loft is the most spacious room with a 170cm wide bed, two seats and a panoramic window to take in the views.
The first route is between Hamburg and Munichnoxmobility.com/enCredit: Nox Mobility
The Double Vista has ‘two seats by day and two beds by night’ in a private room with a full window.
In fact by 2035 it aims to connect 100 European cities.
Thibault Constant, co-founder of Nox said: “Sleeping while a train gets you across Europe is a great concept. But today people have to share their cabins with strangers, beds are tight, and it’s often more expensive than air travel.
“We want to change that and make night trains an essential part of European travel.”
It later hopes to expand its network to the likes of Sweden and ItalyCredit: Nox Mobility
On trade, investment and innovation, leaders will work toward conclusion of a Canada-Turkiye Free Trade Agreement.
Published On 22 Oct 202622 Oct 2026
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have announced the launch of a Canada-Turkiye Strategic Partnership, backed by a three-year action plan.
“In an increasingly complex global security environment, rising geopolitical uncertainties, and evolving humanitarian challenges, a strong and resilient Canada-Turkiye partnership is essential, providing a foundation to mitigate shared threats and capitalise on new opportunities,” said a statement by the two leaders on Thursday.
This comes as Carney is on a two-day visit to Turkiye, seeking to forge a new partnership as Canada looks to reduce its dependence on the United States.
The partnership’s three-year action plan rests on four pillars: trade and investment; defence and security; energy; and ties between people, the statement said.
On trade, investment and innovation, the two leaders agreed to “work toward successful conclusion of a Canada-Turkiye Free Trade Agreement”, it said. They will also expand bilateral trade and investments in priority sectors including energy supply, defence production, aerospace, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
On defence and security, the leaders “underlined their intent to deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation”. They also agreed to “strengthen cooperation in support of peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond including Ukraine, South Caucasus, and the Middle East, in particular Gaza”.
Meanwhile, energy ministers from both countries will work on areas such as LNG, nuclear energy and critical minerals.
‘Launching a new era’
Speaking to reporters in Ankara alongside Carney on Thursday, Erdogan said the two countries “hope to increase our trade volume, which currently stands at around $3 billion, to $5 billion initially and then to $10 billion through the steps we will take”.
He said the two sides had agreed to begin free trade agreement negotiations before the end of the year to boost trade and investment, adding that elevating Turkiye-Canada relations to the level of a strategic partnership would not be merely a symbolic step on paper.
“We have today overcome the disconnect that had persisted between Turkiye and Canada for many years. Now we are launching a new era between Turkiye and Canada,” he said.
Canadian and Turkish leaders will convene next month in Ankara for the first round of trade talks, the joint statement said.
Carney is on the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister to Turkiye, although he travelled to Ankara in July to attend the NATO summit.
He was scheduled to meet with Erdogan and other officials before travelling to Istanbul for talks with Turkish business groups as the two countries seek to deepen trade ties.
The Canadian prime minister has sought to diversify partnerships and reduce reliance on the US amid an escalating trade war with President Donald Trump, marked by US tariffs on Canadian goods, retaliatory measures by Canada and statements questioning Canadian sovereignty.
WHO doesn’t love a holiday bargain? Well, British Airways is launching new flights that cost less than the average UK pint.
However, the two return journeys to the beautiful Mediterranean islands come with a small catch.
British Airways is launching return flights for £5 – but there is a catchCredit: AlamyAnyone wanting to take advantage of the cheap flights needs to have Avios pointsCredit: Getty
British Airways is launching two Avios-Only flights nextsummer – so you have enough points on its reward scheme to go on them.
The new return flights will be to Palma in Majorca and Heraklion in Crete.
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Flights to the Greek island of Crete will depart on August 14, 2027 and returning a week later on August 21.
Seats will be available for 35,500 Avios + £5 return in Euro Traveller.
For a return flight in Club Europe its 60,000 Avios + £40.
Crete is the largest island in Greece and one of the biggest in the Mediterranean Sea.
On the same dates, British Airways will also have an Avios-Only flight to Palma, Majorca.
Seats will be available for 28,000 Avios + £5 return in Euro Traveller.
In Club Europe, seats are available for 49,000 Avios + £40 return with checked baggage included as standard.
Majorca meanwhile has a beautiful coastline, picturesque villages and its busy capital of Palma has lots of bustling restaurants and a huge cathedral in the centre.
Heraklion in Crete has a Venetian port and pretty beachesCredit: Getty Images
Once you’ve joined the British Airways Club, you can earn points by shopping online through the Avios portal, booking hotels and car hire, using co-branded credit cards, or converting Nectar points.
If you’re a frequent flier, you can earn through BA flights, as well as other IAG airlines like Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL, as well as partner airlines Qatar Airways, Finnair, and Loganair.
Other brands associated with IAG loyalty include brands like Domino’s, Deliveroo, River Island, Marks and Spencer and Boots.
For a more in-depth look at Avios and how to claim points, read more here.
The British Airways Avios-Only flights go on sale tomorrow.
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats’ top campaign spending group is wading into Mississippi’s U.S. Senate race for the first time this year, an aggressive move in a deep-red state that signals a party on the offensive as Republicans look to protect a slim majority.
The Senate Majority PAC, aligned with Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, will spend $1.2 million on a new television advertisement to boost Scott Colom, a district attorney, in his campaign against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The ad, first disclosed to the Associated Press, is set to start Wednesday and run through Election Day.
“Senate Majority PAC has been watching this race closely, and it is clear Colom is running a competitive race that has put Hyde-Smith on her heels,” group spokesperson Lauren French said in a statement.
With just two weeks to go in the race, it’s unclear what impact the ad will have in a matchup that’s been set since Colom won a March primary. Still, it’s a substantial investment in a race that’s seen only about $8 million in total spending, with Colom outspending Hyde-Smith nearly $4.6 million to $3.2 million, according to AdImpact.
Hyde-Smith, first appointed and then elected in 2018, is running for reelection in a state Republicans have long dominated. In the 2024 presidential race, Republican Donald Trump won Mississippi by nearly 23 percentage points over Democrat Kamala Harris, and a Democrat hasn’t won a Senate race in the state since 1982.
However, some Democrats believe Hyde-Smith is vulnerable, and she underperformed Trump by 6 percentage points in 2020, the year he lost his White House reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden.
The television ad touts Colom’s time as district attorney, while labeling Hyde-Smith a “do-nothing” senator.
“A decade in power, Hyde-Smith hasn’t passed one piece of legislation, but she did vote to kick people off Medicaid,” a narrator says in the ad, which will run on television stations statewide alongside a digital campaign.
Hyde-Smith’s campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Colom has raised Democratic hopes in a year when electoral winds are at their backs. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock was the latest high-profile Democrat to campaign with Colom last week, and Harris, who was Biden’s vice president, is set to rally with Colom on Thursday.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate and were expected to face a friendlier map this year with fewer seats to defend. But high costs and gas prices amid an unpopular war in Iran under a Republican president have made Democrats optimistic, with the Senate Majority PAC spending its final weeks investing in conservative territory. It’s already announced spending in Kansas, where megachurch pastor and Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Roger Marshall.
Colom would be his state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction, the 12-year period after the U.S. Civil War when the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were adopted.
Some Democrats have criticized national groups for not spending more in Southern states like Mississippi.
“I worry, to be very honest, that Democrats are missing a real opportunity to invest in a serious and sustained way in the South,” Warnock said Sunday on NBC’s ”Meet the Press.”
Basically, in the European scenario, hundreds or possibly thousands of balloons would be sent east. They would provide attritable real-time reconnaissance, strike, and decoy capabilities, while also acting as a force multiplier for other assets by providing a resilient active network over the battlefield — one that could help fill in the gaps if the space-based layer gets degraded.
“We would like to proliferate the stratosphere with high-altitude balloons, but I mean 200, 300 at a time,” Carpenter told us during last week’s Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C., which TWZ attended. The Army would utilize high-altitude balloons “not only as decoys, a lot of decoys, but also communications retrans[mission platforms], electronic sensing, as well as electronic attack, and then obviously air-launched effects to be able to drop them down and use kinetic means as well.”
A sensor-laden high-altitude balloon from Aerostar seen lifting off from Won Pat International Airport on Guam during an exercise in 2024. US Army
Air-launched effects (ALEs) is a collective term the U.S. military now commonly uses to discuss air-launched drones configured for a wide array of missions. The ALE umbrella encompasses designs that can be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare tasks, or signal relay, and can act as decoys. It also includes loitering munitions often referred to as kamikaze drones, capable of carrying kinetic attacks.
U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the Extended Range Sensing and Effects Company, 3d Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, 3d Multi-Domain Task Force, and industry partners attach an Icarus Apollo R stratospheric fixed wing aircraft to an Urban Sky high-altitude balloon during a multi-day Special User Demonstration at Orote Airfield on Naval Station Guam, June 24, 2026, for Valiant Shield 26. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Ondirae Hamil Abdullah-Robinson) Sgt. 1st Class Ondirae Abdullah-Robinson
In general, modern high-altitude balloons offer persistent deployment that can last for days, weeks or even months at a time. After navigating to an assigned operating area, some modern balloon systems can hold their position, in spite of prevailing winds, by modulating their altitudes to keep on station.
In addition, high-altitude balloons operate at heights providing excellent fields of view for radars, cameras, and other sensors in all directions and across very broad areas. From a perch of 60,000 feet or more, they also offer a way to peer into certain denied areas while still soaring in international airspace and keeping farther away from potential threats. During a conflict, the balloons could be deployed deep into enemy airspace as they are attritable.
Though some balloon systems can hold their general positions in many circumstances, Carpenter told us that seasonal weather changes will still play a role in deployment.
“The flight paths are different. We study that,” he noted. “We understand during what seasons where the best places are to launch those high-altitude systems, and then again to hold enemy cities and capabilities at risk at any time, so that we can defeat them at the time and place of our choosing.”
We asked Carpenter for more details about how he sees balloons being used by troops in Europe.
“I think everybody knows there’ll be a point where satellite communications are going to be degraded, if not eliminated,” he stated. “One of the things that we’re focusing on is in the stratosphere, so above 60,000 feet up to 80,000 feet, which is next to impossible to target unless you’re using one of your exquisite systems, fifth-gen fighters, SA-21 Bravo [S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile system], etc. to shoot that stuff down.”
Many of the balloons would be equipped with Link 16, a NATO-standard tactical datalink communication system central to U.S. and allied military operations, the general said. Link 16 allows coalition forces to seamlessly transmit and exchange real-time situational awareness data. You can read more about how Link 16 works, and its increasing dependence of space, in our story here.
A graphic the Army previously released showing a notional “operational view” for how its planned the Multi-Domain Sensing System (MDSS) system of systems, including crewed ISR aircraft, might be employed in conjunction with other assets. (U.S. Army)
As for using balloons as ALE delivery platforms, Carpenter told us there are “different technologies, different altitudes that we’d have to deliver those from” at “different ranges, different levels of yield or lethality. But for us, it’s really just a single arrow in a quiver full of arrows, utilizing space capabilities, cyber capabilities, or surface-to-surface capabilities. In this case, you’re talking just another air-to-surface capability with your air-launched effects off balloons.”
Carpenter said that when it comes to balloon-launched ALEs, he is looking at “everything from shorter range, lower yield, maybe targeting an adversary ballistic missile radar, to longer range, higher yield capabilities that you might use to maybe take out a ballistic missile system.”
In such cases, the balloons would carry drones deep into enemy territory, where they would be launched opportunistically to strike the targets Carpenter suggested. The size of the target, and how well it is protected, would determine what kinds of drones the balloons would launch, as well as their proximity to the target.
Russian air defense systems like these S-400 launchers could be targeted by balloon-launched weapons, an Army general told us. (Sergei Malgavko / TASS)
Should a fight break out in Europe tonight, Carpenter said he is confident he can rely on the technology.
“Our operating concept is proven,” he stated, noting that “we’ve already tested those capabilities against most modern adversary systems that exist. We’ve already validated our operating concept in terms of getting to mass and scale that we would need in large-scale conflict.”
As we have previously reported, while high-altitude balloons have been used for decades, the modern concept of these systems was recently employed operationally by the U.S. in a combat theater.
The Army had planned to demonstrate the ability of balloons to operate in swarms with a high degree of autonomy in the Pacific region last year before those assets were redirected to the Middle East. When exactly that deployment occurred and how long it lasted are unclear.
“We were asked to pivot and do some experimentation in combination with operations, and we pivoted and supported operations in CENTCOM [U.S. Central Command],” Andrew Evans, Director of Strategy and Transformation with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, or G-2, told Breaking Defense, according to a story the outlet published last week. “They were effective for the mission that they were assigned,” he added. However, Evans was not able to disclose the exact location and operational scenarios in which they were used.
To achieve the effects he laid out, Carpenter told us that he will still need to surge capacity to Europe.
“The Army will make decisions on which vendors they’re going to go with,” he pointed out. “But the ability to field that at scale is just simply based on the resources provided. I’m talking about money to go ahead and bring them into theater.”
Pushed to provide details of how quickly he could have the desired number of balloons, Carpenter told us that “if the United States or NATO and its allies were on a wartime footing, it would be extremely rapid, but we would need to get them into theater before crisis turned to conflict. So we’d have to keep a close eye from an IC [intelligence community] perspective on indicators and warnings to make sure we have the right systems on the ground at point of need.”
U.S. Army soldiers from Multi-Domain Command–Europe deploy high-altitude balloons at Tehachapi Airfield, April 22, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rajheem Dixon, Multi-Domain Command–Europe) Staff Sgt. Rajheem Dixon
The concept Carpenter laid out for how balloons will be used in a future European conflict is another example of the renaissance in lighter-than-air military technology and how the Pentagon is increasingly seeking to weaponize it on a grand scale.
BRITS will get more choice of where to go on holiday next year as TUI has announced eight new routes.
These will take-off from London Gatwick to destinations from sunny Spanish cities to North African islands.
TUI is adding eight new routes from London Gatwick for summer 2027Credit: AlamyOne of these routes is to the popular winter sun city of SevilleCredit: arcady_31
For summer 2027, TUI is adding eight new routes which will contribute to its 17 million seats and 84,000 flights planned for next year.
There will be three new routes to Spain, one of which will be to Seville which is popular for winter sun thanks to its year-round sunshine.
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Even in the winter, Seville can experience highs of 18C.
The city has plenty to see like Royal Alcázar of Seville, Seville Cathedral and Plaza de España which is a cobbled square with four bridges over its small river.
In Greece, one of the new routes is to the Greek city of AthensCredit: Getty
He added: “I climbed Mars Hill to catch the sunset over the city — an experience that’s usually a shoulder-to-shoulder fight in July, but in winter felt like my own private viewing platform.
Another of TUI’s new routes is to Mytilene (Lesvos) which is on the Greek island of Lesbos.
In the city, visitors can explore Mytilene Castle, stroll around Ermou Street Market and enjoy seafood at the tavernas along the waterfront.
It even has its own Statue of Liberty in the harbour.
One of the three Spanish routes is to ValenciaCredit: GettyThe island of Lesvos has bright blue Mediterranean watersCredit: Getty
TUI will also fly to Palermo, the capital of the Italian island of Sicily.
It sits on the northern coast of the country with both sandy and rocky beaches like Mondello Beach and Addaura.
One free attraction is San Domenico Square which is the entrance to La Vucciria a market selling things like food, jewellery and souvenirs.
TUI is also offering a direct route to Tangier in Morocco which sits along the Strait of Gibraltar.
The city itself has plenty to see including its medina, busy souks, and landmarks like the Kasbah and the Caves of Hercules.
The city itself has a blend of cultures; African, French and Spanish.
It has a vibrant café culture thanks to its French influence, tapas culture from Spain.
In the summertime, Tangier sits at around 30C so it’s warm, but still mild enough to explore.
Tangier in Morocco boasts souks and the Cave of HerculesCredit: DoraDaltonDjerba is off the coast of Tunisia and is hot all year-roundCredit: BTWImages
Another route is to Djerba, a large island off Tunisia’s southeastern coast.
It has sandy beaches and for any Star Wars fans, it was the filming location for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope – and there are regular tours too.
Head of Sun Travel, Lisa Minot, visited Djerba last year, she said: “Relatively undiscovered by us Brits, Djerba is a great-value option for those looking to explore beyond the Med favourites.
“Sizzling in summer, temperatures remain high all the way through to November and rarely dip below the 20Cs, even in the depths of winter, making it ideal for out-of-season sunshine.”
Marvel Unlimited, the company’s digital comics subscription service, is shutting down after 19 years.
Marvel announced Monday that it is launching Marvel Comics, a new digital comics app that will house more than 35,000 current and classic titles featuring Spider-Man, the X-Men, Captain Marvel and more from its extensive library. The new platform is built and operated by Webtoon and will launch Nov. 16.
The Marvel Comics app library will feature comics spanning Marvel, Star Wars and 20th Century Studios titles at launch, with stories from Disney’s other brands — like Pixar and Disney Animation — expected to follow. The new app will support both the traditional page-based comics format that mirrors physical books and the more mobile-device-friendly vertical-scroll format. (Marvel Unlimited also featured vertical-scroll comics under its Infinity Comics banner.)
A preview of the Marvel Comics app.
(Marvel Comics)
Those attending New York Comic Con this Thursday through Sunday can get an early look at the new app at the Marvel Comics booth (#2435).
With the arrival of the new Marvel Comics app, Marvel Unlimited will “sunset” on Dec. 7. Marvel Unlimited has been the company’s in-house digital hub for its comics since its launch as Marvel Digital Comics in 2007. Subscriptions and payment information from Marvel Unlimited will not automatically carry over into the Webtoon-operated Marvel Comics, and Marvel says those whose paid subscriptions will be cut short because of the shutdown can expect a prorated refund on or around Nov. 16.
Marvel Unlimited members who sign up for Marvel Comics will be able to import their current library and reading history into the new app once it’s launched. The steps required for that process have not yet been detailed, but the company says these members will have until Dec. 21 to access their Marvel Unlimited library to ensure the transfer was successful.
Marvel Comics will offer two subscription tiers: The base-tier membership will run $9.99 per month or $69.99 annually for access to the app’s full catalog, with new issues of ongoing titles added as early as three months after print release. For those who would rather not wait that long to read newer comics, Ultimate-tier members will be able to access new issues as early as a month after its print release. Subscriptions for that tier will run $12.49 a month or $99.99 a year. Marvel is currently offering a special $59.99 “founder member” price for the first year of an annual Ultimate-tier memberships for those that preorder the service.
People can expect to see the change roll out at dozens of major UK airports
A major change to part of the airport security process is being made at some UK airports ‘by early 2027’(Image: Getty)
One part of airport security is about to get quicker for travellers at certain UK airports. The Government is set to roll out a “state-of-the-art” scheme regarding passports. People heading off on autumn and winter breaks might see this new system in place as airports gradually upgrade.
BBC Morning Live recently discussed a Home Office announcement claiming that a new “contactless system” for checking passports on arrival in the UK could be up and running by early next year at many major British airports. Consumer affairs expert Harry Kind claims that, although passengers won’t be able to leave their passports at home, this process change should make part of the return process “smoother and faster”.
The discussion stems from a BBC headline claiming the “passport-free” system was coming into effect. In an official update from the UK Government, it claims that passengers arriving in the UK will soon pass through airport checkpoints securely without showing their passports. The system uses facial recognition technology to allow arriving passengers to clear immigration without physically scanning their passports.
This is not a “passport-less” journey. Border Force explicitly states that passengers must keep their physical passports with them at all times. If the facial recognition scan hits a snag or requires additional vetting, you will be prompted to scan your physical passport or be directed to a Border Force officer.
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The technology, described as a “cutting-edge contactless system”, will begin rolling out this month and gradually replace every airport eGate “by early 2027”. Here’s how it works:
Passengers approach an eGate and have their photo taken
The system checks this live image against verified immigration, travel and passport information
The eGate opens automatically once these checks are complete
A statement reads: “The system uses state-of-the-art facial comparison technology to verify a passenger’s identity before the UK’s robust border security checks are carried out in full. Legitimate travellers can then simply walk through, without needing to place their passport on the eGate reader.
“If further checks are needed, passengers will need to place their passport on the reader or may be directed to a Border Force officer, as happens today. Border Force officers will continue to monitor all eGates offering assistance, and passengers should keep their passports with them at all times.”
The phased rollout starts at East Midlands Airport, initially for British citizens. The aim, by early 2027, is to expand this to more airports and other nationalities already eligible for eGates over the coming months.
The national rollout began on October 6, 2026. The government plans to have all UK airport eGates switched over to this contactless tech by early 2027. East Midlands Airport is the first UK airport to officially switch on the live contactless technology.
Standard eGates are currently functioning across 13 major UK airports (including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Stansted), all of which will transition gradually during this phased rollout. Phil Douglas, Director General of Border Force, claims that this is “a win for travellers coming to our brilliant country”.
He said: “By using state-of-the-art technology, we are making journeys smoother and faster, all while fully maintaining the UK’s robust border security. Our digital transformation also builds on our work this summer to extend eGates to children aged eight and above, making life a little easier for families.”
Steve Griffiths, managing director of East Midlands Airport, said: “As an airport committed to providing an effortless travel experience, we welcome any technological innovation that can help to safely make our customers’ journeys smoother, swifter and simpler. This complements changes that we carried out to our immigration hall recently to help improve the flow of arriving passengers through the area.”
NEW passport rules are being rolled out across the UK which will make travelling MUCH quicker.
The government recently announced its new scheme where passengers arriving into the UK will be able to pass through e-gates without scanning their passport.
A new contactless passport system is being rolled out in the UKCredit: AlamyBrits returning into the UK will no longer have to scan their passportCredit: AFP
It has now opened up to passengers returning to the UK via East Midlands airport – the first to use the system.
The government has said that in its testing, the new contactless system is up to 25 per cent faster than current e-gates.
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It will work by passengers having their photo taken at the e-gate – it’s checked by the system, verified against immigration, travel and passport information.
Essentially it takes away the need to both have a picture taken and scan the passport.
Once the checks are complete, the e-gates will open automatically.
If there is a need for further checks, then passengers will need to place their passport on the reader – or they could be asked to see a Border Force officer.
Passengers should still keep their passport with them at all times.
At the moment, the contactless system will be for British citizens only, but will eventually be able to be used by other nationalities.
The new passport system has opened at East Midlands AirportCredit: Alamy
It’s set to be in place at all airports across the UK by early 2027.
Phil Douglas, Director General of Border Force, said: “This is a win for travellers coming to our brilliant country.
“By using state-of-the-art technology, we are making journeys smoother and faster, all while fully maintaining the UK’s robust border security.
“Our digital transformation also builds on our work this summer to extend eGates to children aged eight and above, making life a little easier for families.”
Anyone travelling with just hand luggage won’t be affected.
The airline claims this is as many as 80 per cent of passengers who don’t ever have checked bags.
But anyone who likes to rock up to their flight and still check a suitcase at the last minute will be in for a shock.
Ryanair CMO, Dara Brady, said: “This will allow these 20% of our customers (who check in a bag) more time to clear through airport security and passport queues, and get to their departure gate on-time, especially during busy travel periods when some of these airport queues can be longer.”
More self-check in machines have since been rolled out as well in a bid to speed up the process.
Then from Birmingham you’ll be able to head to Copenhagen, Rome Fiumicino in Italy and Marrakech in Morocco which is perfect for winter sun – with some of these flights costing as little as £14.99 per person, per-way.
And there are other lesser-known destinations where you won’t find the crowds experienced elsewhere in Europe such as Tirana in Albania and Warsaw Modlin in Poland.
The airline has also announced that it is increasing the amount of flights departing Manchester Airport to 26 destinations including Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid in Spain.
It comes as the airline’s boss Michael O’Leary also warned of flight prices rising next year.
At a press conference last week, he said: “Fares for Ryanair passengers and every other passenger into the summer of 2027 are going to rise materially, I believe, because of significantly higher oil prices.
And the flights start from as little as £14.99 per person, per wayCredit: EPA
“I have no doubt fares are rising next year. The question is by how much.”
The airline also announced recently that it was axing even more seats that are equal to around 13,000 flights.
In 2025, France lost 25 routes and some 750,000 seats last winter and in Brussels, Ryanair axed 20 routes and cut one million seats across Brussels-Zaventem and Brussels South Charleroi airports.
