major

Airports in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago along with hubs across the U.S. are among the 40 that will see flights cut starting Friday due to the government shutdown, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by The Associated Press.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it would reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown.

The airports impacted cover the busiest across the U.S. — including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected.

The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown and have been increasingly calling off work.

Controllers already have missed one paycheck and are scheduled to again receive nothing next week as as the shutdown drags on and the financial pressure on them mounts.

The FAA has already been delaying flights at times when airports or its other facilities are short on controllers.

Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on travelers. United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes like 737s.

Passengers should start to be notified about cancellations Thursday. The AAA recommended that travelers download their airline’s app and turn on notifications. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said they will offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly — even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable.

Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.

“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” Bedford said Wednesday. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”

Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.

Mounting staffing pressures are forcing the agency to act, Bedford said.

“We can’t ignore it,” he said, adding that even if the shutdown ends before Friday, the FAA wouldn’t automatically resume normal operations until staffing improves and stabilizes.

Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that they would meet with airline executives to figure out how to safely implement the reductions.

Major airlines, aviation unions and the broader travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest on record.

The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system and “forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement.

Duffy warned on Tuesday that there could be chaos in the skies if the shutdown drags on long enough for air traffic controllers to miss their second full paycheck next week.

Duffy said some controllers can get by missing one paycheck, but not two or more. And he has said some controllers are even struggling to pay for transportation to work.

Staffing can run short both in regional control centers that manage multiple airports and in individual airport towers, but they don’t always lead to flight disruptions. Throughout October, flight delays caused by staffing problems had been largely isolated and temporary.

But the past weekend brought some of the worst staffing issues since the start of the shutdown.

From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown.

During weekends from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average number of airport towers, regional control centers and facilities monitoring traffic at higher altitudes that announced potential staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.

Funk and Yamat write for the Associated Press. AP journalist Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, N.M., contributed to this report.

NEW YORK — At the top of his victory speech at a Brooklyn theater late Tuesday, Zohran Mamdani — the 34-year-old democratic socialist just elected New York’s next mayor — spoke of power being gripped by the bruised and calloused hands of working Americans, away from the wealthy elite.

“Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it,” he said. “The future is in our hands.”

The imagery was apropos of the night more broadly — when a beaten-down Democratic Party, still nursing its wounds from a wipeout by President Trump a year ago, forcefully took back what some had worried was lost to them for good: momentum.

From coast to coast Tuesday night, American voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Trump and his MAGA movement, electing Democrats in important state and local races in New York, New Jersey and Virginia and passing a major California ballot measure designed to put more Democrats in Congress in 2026.

The results — a reversal of the party’s fortunes in last year’s presidential election, when Trump swept the nation’s swing states — arrived amid deep political division and entrenched Republican power in Washington. Many voters cited Trump’s agenda, and related economic woes, as motivating their choices at the ballot box.

The wins hardly reflected a unified Democratic Party nationally, or even a shared left-wing vision for a future beyond Trump. If anything, Mamdani’s win was a challenge to the Democratic Party establishment as much as a rejection of Trump.

His vision for the future is decidedly different than that of other, more moderate Democrats who won elsewhere in the country, such as Abigail Spanberger, the 46-year-old former CIA officer whom Virginians elected as their first female governor, or Mikie Sherrill, the 53-year-old former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor who won the race for New Jersey governor.

Still, the cascade of victories did evoke for many Democrats and progressives a political hope that they hadn’t felt in a while: a sense of optimism that Trump and his MAGA movement aren’t unstoppable after all, and that their own party’s ability to resist isn’t just alive and well but gaining speed.

“Let me underscore, it’s been a good evening — for everybody, not just the Democratic Party. But what a night for the Democratic Party,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during his own remarks on the national wins. “A party that is in its ascendancy, a party that’s on its toes, no longer on its heels.”

“I hope it’s the first of many dominoes that are going to happen across this country,” Noah Gotlib, 29, of Bushwick said late Tuesday at a victory party for Mamdani. “I hope there’s a hundred more Zohrans at a local, state, federal level.”

On a night of big wins, Mamdani’s nonetheless stood out as a thunderbolt from the progressive left — a full-throated rejection not just of Trump but of Mamdani’s mainstream Democratic opponent in the race: former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani — a Muslim, Ugandan-born state assemblyman of Indian descent — beat Cuomo first in the Democratic ranked-choice primary in June. Cuomo, bolstered by many of New York’s moneyed interests afraid of Mamdani’s ideas for taxing the rich and spending for the poor, reentered the race as an independent.

Trump attacked Mamdani time and again as a threat. He said Monday that he would cut off federal funding to New York if Mamdani won. He even took the dramatic step of endorsing Cuomo over Curtis Sliwa, the Republican in the race, in a last-ditch effort to block Mamdani’s stunning political ascent.

Instead, city voters surged to the polls and delivered Mamdani a resounding win.

“To see him rise above all of these odds to actually deliver a vision of something that could be better, that was what really attracted me to the [Democratic Socialists of America] in the first place,” said Aminata Hughes, 31, of Harlem, who was dancing at an election-night party when Mamdani was announced the winner.

“A better world is possible,” the native New Yorker said, “and we’re not used to hearing that from our politicians.”

In trademark Trump fashion, the president dismissed the wins by his rival party, suggesting they were a result of two factors: the ongoing federal shutdown, which he has blamed on Democrats, and the fact that he wasn’t personally on people’s ballots.

Stephen Miller, one of Trump’s chief advisors, posted a paragraph to social media outlining the high number of mixed-status immigrant families in New York being impacted by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and mass deportation campaign, which Miller has helped lead.

Democrats in some ways agreed. They pointed to the shutdown and other disruptions to Americans’ safety and financial security as motivating the vote. They pointed to Trump’s immigration tactics as being an affront to hard-working families. And they pointed to Trump himself — not on the ballot but definitely a factor for voters, especially after he threatened to cut off funds to New York if the city voted for Mamdani again.

“President Trump has threatened New York City if we dare stand up to him. The people of New York came together and we said, ‘You don’t threaten New York,’” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). “We’re going to stand up to bullies and thugs in the White House.”

“Today we said ‘no’ to Donald Trump and ‘yes’ to democracy,” New Jersey Democratic Chair LeRoy J. Jones Jr. told a happy crowd at Sherrill’s watch party.

“Congratulations to all the Democratic candidates who won tonight. It’s a reminder that when we come together around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about the issues that matter, we can win,” former President Obama wrote on social media. “We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter.”

In addition to winning the New York mayoral and New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races, Democrats outperformed Republicans in races across the country. They held several seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and won the Virginia attorney general’s race. In California, voters passed Proposition 50, a ballot measure giving state Democrats the power to redraw congressional districts in their favor ahead of next year’s midterms.

Newsom and other Democrats had made Proposition 50 all about Trump from the beginning, framing it as a direct response to Trump trying to steal power by convincing red states such as Texas to redraw their own congressional lines in favor of Republicans.

Trump has been direct about trying to shore up Republicans’ slim majority in the House, to help ensure they retain power and are able to block Democrats from thwarting his agenda. And yet, he has suggested California’s own redistricting effort was illegal and a “GIANT SCAM” under “very serious legal and criminal review.”

Trump had also gone after several of the Democrats who won on Tuesday directly. In addition to Mamdani, Trump tried to paint Spanberger and Sherrill as out-of-touch liberals too, attacking them over some of his favorite wedge issues such as transgender rights, crime and energy costs. Similar messaging was deployed by the candidates’ Republican opponents.

In some ways, Trump was going out on a political limb, trying to sway elections in blue states where his grip on the electorate is smaller and his influence is often a major motivator for people to get out and vote against him and his allies.

His weighing in on the races only added to the sense that the Democrats’ wins marked something bigger — a broader repudiation of Trump, and a good sign for Democrats heading into next year’s midterms.

Marcus LaCroix, 42, who voted for Proposition 50 at a polling site in Lomita on Tuesday evening, described it as “a counterpunch” to what he sees as the excesses and overreach of the Trump administration, and Trump’s pressure on red states to redraw their lines.

“A lot of people are very concerned about the redistricting in Texas,” he said. “But we can actually fight back.”

Ed Razine, 27, a student who lives in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, was in class when he heard Mamdani won. Soon, he was celebrating with friends at Nowadays, a Bushwick dance club hosting an election watch party.

Razine said Mamdani’s win represented a “new dawn” in American politics that he hopes will spread to other cities and states across the country.

“For me, he does represent the future of the Democratic Party — the fact that billionaires can’t just buy our election, that if someone really cares to truly represent the everyday person, people will rise up and that money will not talk,” Razine said. “At the end of the day, people talk.”

The Associated Press and Times staff writer Connor Sheets contributed to this report.

TRAIN travel can be very expensive in the UK, especially when you’re travelling halfway across the country.

But one train company that offers affordable tickets has applied to start two additional direct routes between major UK cities.

Lumo, which offers affordable journeys onboard its fleet of electric trains, has plans to add even more routes to its network.

FirstGroup, which owns Lumo, has revealed that it has submitted applications to begin new direct routes between Cardiff and York, and Rochdale and London Euston.

The Cardiff to York route would run via Birmingham, Derby, and Sheffield.

Meanwhile, the Rochdale to Euston route would stop at Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows, and Warrington Bank Quay.

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The company hopes these routes will be operational by December 2028.

Lumo hopes to run return services between the cities to six times a day throughout the week from Cardiff to York.

It hopes that this journey would “replicate the success of the Edinburgh to London service” which Lumo started in 2021.

As for the Rochdale to London route, the application proposes three return services on weekdays and Sundays and four services every Saturday.

Lumo said this would provide residents of the north-west a “convenient and competitively priced” direct rail service to London. 

The train company also applied to extend its new route between Scotland’s Stirling and London Euston.

The service between Stirling and London has been approved and will start to run from next year.

The new application has asked for it to be extended past May 2030 when the contract currently ends.

Lumo’s new route will link London Euston directly to Stirling, calling at Milton Keynes, Nuneaton, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Whifflet (serving Coatbridge), Greenfaulds (serving Cumbernauld) and Larbert.

Lumo tries to keep its train fares affordable and aims for 60 per cent of its single fares to be under £30.

Onboard a Lumo train, there are no first class seat options. But wherever you sit, you’ll have USB sockets and tray tables.

Passengers can also personalise their lighting through the button on the back of the seat in front of them.

Additional amenities include free Wi-Fi, a winged headrest for comfort and a coat hanger.

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Lumo will connect two more major cities from December 2025…

Customers travelling between London and Glasgow can do so on a new Lumo service which starts in December 2025.

Lumo announced its new service on social media. It said: “Our new timetable starts on 14th December 2025!

“Our new Glasgow service will start in December and we’re also adding an additional service from Newcastle to London King’s Cross every weekday.”

Lumo plans to run two northbound and one southbound service on weekdays and one service in each direction on Sundays between London King’s Cross and Glasgow.

The new route will go between the two cities but will also stop at Falkirk High and Newcastle.

If booked in advance for journeys in 2026, tickets start from as little as £33.90. Anyone travelling from Newcastle to Glasgow can buy tickets for just £10.90.

For more on trains, here is the way that passengers can travel on UK trains without buying tickets.

Plus, this is where you can find the most beautiful train journey – it takes 10 minutes and costs £3.

A MAJOR airline has revealed plans to restart UK flights – and you might just get the best sleep onboard.

Air New Zealand last had flights between the UK and New Zealand back in 2020.

However the route – which went via Los Angeles – was axed during Covid.

The London-Auckland route first launched in 1982, and was the first commercial airline to welcome a royal when the Queen broke with tradition in 1995 to travel onboard.

And now the airline’s new CEO has revealed future plans to start up again, alongside a number of routes in India.

Nikhil Ravishankar told local outlet Stuff: “Places we would go tomorrow if we could, and we want to get there as quickly as we can, would be London [and India] – those are places that we know New Zealanders are interested in being connected to.

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“I think all three of those are equally important for us, but India and London are top of the list.

“There are a lot of reasons why New Zealand should be connected to the United Kingdom – it’s a very, very important, almost a cultural highway for us, and so we need to get that route up and running.”

It isn’t clear when this could restart, or where the airline will connect via.

Due to the long nature of the flight – often taking around 24 hours – connections are often in destinations such as Singapore or Hong Kong.

If it does restart, its good news for passengers as Air New Zealand is the only airline in the world set to have bunk beds onboard.

Launching in early 2026, the Skynest will include six bunk bed sleep pods that both economy and premium economy passengers will be able to book.

Each bed can be booked for a four hour slot, and will have new pillows, sheets and blankets per passengers, as well as earplugs, charging points and a personal light.

A curtain will be able to be closed to offer some extra privacy.

They were initially set to launch in 2024 on flights from New York to New Zealand but have since been delayed.

While prices are yet to be confirmed, it was previously suggested that the four hour sessions could be between NZ$400-$600 (£173-£260).

However, you can only book one slot per flight – so make the most of the four hours.

Otherwise there is also the Skycouch, where you can turn a row of three sets into a lie flat bed.

Rather than pay for three seats, passengers can buy two seats and then upgrade to the Skycouch, with then includes the third seat.

Passengers don’t need to buy three seats – instead, you pay for two seats and then upgrade to the Skycouch which automatically includes the third seat.

Prices start from £104 each way.

In the mean time, Brits can fly to New Zealand with other airlines such as Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific.

Flights include stopovers in Dubai, Singapore, Doha and Hong Kong, respectively.

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Another airline has revealed plans for non-stop 20-hour flights to London.

And here is the regional UK airport that has revealed plans for long-haul flights.

Tropea in the Calabria region of Italy has recently been voted the prettiest village in the whole country

Few places can be beaten for splendour than the duomo in Florence, and turning a corner to be greeted by the Colosseum in Rome would take anyone’s breath away.

Travel to Italy and you’re never far from a spectacular sight – be that the shores of Lake Garda, which as a dyed in the wool Cumbrian even I have to admit looks like the Lake District on steroids, to the canals, gondolas and majestic cathedral of Venice, and Verona’s amphitheatre and Juliette’s balcony to the high end shops of Milan, there really is something for everyone.

But venture a little of the beaten track, and escape the hordes of tourists battling for an inch of beach in the Amalfi coast, to travel south to the untapped and undiscovered region known as Calabria and you’ll step into the ‘real Italy’ – and back in time.

One of the crown jewels of this region, which is Italy’s poorest, is the stunning medieval town of Tropea, where I was lucky enough to spend a blissful week. And it’s not just me who’s a fan, the town was recently voted the prettiest in Italy, which I think we can all agree means it was up against some stiff competition.

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Nestled into the cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea, this ancient town tumbles down the rock face and into the turquoise blue of the ocean.

Surrounded by stunning golden beaches with plenty of room to feel like you have them to yourself, this town has a magical dream-like quality.

Tropea has survived it all – invasions, earthquakes and bombings – to stand proud on the clifftops. Its array of noble palaces and stunning churches, all contained within the winding, cobbled streets of the old town.

I was lucky enough to spend a week in Calabria with Tropea as my base. A glorious sunny October afternoon spent strolling through its streets, with secret, hidden alleys at every turn, and sampling the delicious food from the region, including the sweet, red onions and spicy ndjua, was an utter delight.

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Stopping for one of the most delicious ice-creams I’ve ever eaten while overlooking the awe-inspiring Tyrrhenian from one of the many viewing points in this quaint little town quite simply took my breath away. Meanwhile, stopping for a crisp, white wine in an ancient tavern half way up the cliff face on my way back from the beach was the perfect way to while away a few hours.

If it’s history you’re after, then Tropea has it in bucketloads – from the cathedral to the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Isola, the church on the rock, gazing out into the wide expanse of azure sea.

From the incredible viewing points, you have an amazing view of Stomboli, the still erupting volcano which lights up the night sky every evening off this part of the coast of Italy.

I have but one complaint about this undiscovered, Italian hidden gem – and that’s that I don’t live there and only got to spend a week wandering its beautiful streets.

Absences surge among US air traffic controllers, who have been working for more than a month without pay.

Airports across the United States are experiencing major delays and cancellations due to an uptick in absences from air traffic controllers, who are under “immense stress and fatigue” from the ongoing, record-breaking US government shutdown, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

More than 16,700 US flights were delayed and another 2,282 were cancelled over the weekend from Friday to Sunday, according to FlightAware, a US website that provides real-time flight tracking.

The delays continued into Monday evening in the US, as FlightAware counted more than 4,000 delays and 600 cancellations across major airports, like Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver and Newark.

The FAA said on X that half of its “Core 30” facilities at major US airports were experiencing staffing shortages due to the shutdown, with absences at New York-area airports hitting 80 percent.

Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, ensuring the safety of more than 50,000 daily operations across the national airspace system (NAS).

As we head into this weekend, a surge in callouts is straining staffing levels at multiple…

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) November 1, 2025

Air traffic controllers, who number nearly 13,000 across the US, are classified as “essential workers”, which means they have been working without pay since the shutdown began on October 1.

But the FAA said that there had been a surge in absences, which had forced it to reduce the flow of air traffic in the US to maintain safety standards.

“The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travellers can avoid further disruptions and delays,” the FAA said on X on Friday. “When staffing shortages occur, the FAA will reduce the flow of air traffic to maintain safety. This may result in delays or cancellations.”

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told CBS News’s Face the Nation programme on Sunday that the delays will continue to maintain airline safety.

“We work overtime to make sure the system is safe. And we will slow traffic down, you’ll see delays, we’ll have flights cancelled to make sure the system is safe,” Duffy said, according to a transcript of the programme.

Duffy said that although air traffic controllers were using their absences to work second jobs elsewhere, they would not be fired. “When they’re making decisions to feed their families, I’m not going to fire air traffic controllers,” he said.

The government shutdown is due to enter its 35th day on Tuesday in the US, when it will tie with the 2018-2019 shutdown as the longest in US history.

At least 670,000 civilian federal employees have been furloughed due to the shutdown, while about 730,000 are working without pay, according to the Washington, DC-based Bipartisan Policy Center.

The Split Up is a spin-off from the hit BBC drama The Split and will follow another family’s law firm.

A spin-off from the hit BBC drama The Split has received a significant update.

Fans were gutted when the legal series starring Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan wrapped up after three seasons in 2022, followed by a two-part special last year. Now, fresh information about the upcoming show The Split Up has emerged, including casting announcements.

The original programme featured Annika star Nicola as Hannah, grappling with the breakdown of her marriage to Nathan (Stephen) whilst juggling affairs, romance and complicated relationships, all while managing her family’s law practice alongside the chaos created by her two sisters and mother.

The Split Up will now centre on a different family law practice, this time based in Manchester and focusing on the British-Asian elite Kishan family.

The six-episode series will explore “the high-stakes world of Manchester’s divorce law circuit, where one family of lawyers, the Kishans, reigns supreme,” according to the previous announcement, reports Wales Online.

It adds: “Kishan Law is a British-Asian high net worth family law firm in Manchester, noted for its clientele and its reputation.

“They are the ‘go to firm’ for Manchester’s elite who come to them for their excellence, integrity, and discretion.

“But the future and legacy of Kishan Law hangs in the balance when a family secret from the past comes to light, throwing their professional and personal lives into turmoil.”

The line-up for the series has already been unveiled, and it’s now been confirmed that The Good Place star Jameela Jamil is coming on board.

When the announcement was posted on social media featuring a photo of Jameela with leading lady Ritu Arya, the She-Hulk actress responded: “I love her.”

“My two favourites together,” one supporter wrote, whilst another added: “OMG can’t wait. Love you both!!!”

“Very excited for this,” a third person commented.

Jameela is joining The Umbrella Academy’s Ritu Arya, Unforgotten’s Sanjeev Bhaskar, alongside Aysha Kala (Virdee), Arian Nik (Film Club), Danny Ashok (Dinosaur), Dimitri Leonidas (Those About To Die), Mawaan Rizwan (Juice), Sindhu Vee (Matilda the Musical), Shalini Peiris (The White Lotus) and Tom Forbes (Queenie).

Celebrity guest appearances will also feature Lenny Henry and Jane Horrocks.

The BBC revealed: “The fast-rising star of Kishan Law is Aria Kishan (Ritu Arya), poised to step up and take the mantle from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar). However, the death of her mother has cast a new light over these plans for Dhruv, who has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly.

“Aria’s relationship is placed under scrutiny too with the wedding for long-term partner Neal (Danny Ashok) on the horizon, but with their personal and professional so entwined it’s unclear if their relationship can withstand any more pressure – a problem further compounded when a former secret flame (Dimitri Leonidas) arrives in Manchester unexpectedly.

“Alongside her siblings Maya (Aysha Kala) and Kav (Arian Nik), Aria must navigate the splits that divide family and those we love – and ask herself: who should you live your life for?”

Creator Ursula Rani Sarma expressed: “Having admired The Split and Abi Morgan for years, I was honoured to be asked to bring The Split Up to life. As a writer passionate about representation, it’s a dream come true to place a contemporary British South Asian family centre stage. Diversity deepens our understanding, enriches our stories, and reflects the true fabric of our society.

“It’s thrilling to watch our amazing cast led by Ritu and Sanjeev bring the Kishan family to life. I can’t wait for audiences to meet them and to witness the drama as it unfolds.”

Abi Morgan chimed in: “The chance to take all that was loved about The Split and use it to inspire the next generation of British South Asian talent, to create a new family of dynamic lawyers spilling over with all the messiness of life, both personally and professionally, has been a brilliant challenge, beautifully realised by lead writer Ursula Rani Sama. I hope audiences will take it to their hearts.”

The Split is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Commuters can expect travel chaos in the days ahead after the derailment of train on a major line, with the train operator issuing an urgent warning for anyone travelling by rail this week

Less than 48 hours after passengers were stabbed in a frenzied attack on a train near Huntingdon, Cambridge, police have declared a second ‘major incident’.

Chaos has ensued after an Avanti West Coast train derailed near the Cumbrian village of Shap in what was declared a “major incident”.

Those onboard feared the worst after the train hit mud left by a landslide at around 90mph, with some alarmed passengers even concerned that the “loud bang” meant that another knife attack was underway, like the one that unfolded in Cambridgeshire on Saturday night (November 1).

The incident occurred at 6.10 am this morning (November 3), and all passengers were safely removed from the train by emergency crews. Meanwhile, photographs show a train carriage in a crushed state, with pipework and wires exposed.

Four individuals suffered minor injuries following the derailment near Shap in Cumbria, North West Ambulance Service confirmed, but thankfully, after assessing 87 people, ambulance workers determined that “no one required further hospital treatment”.

However, while the major incident status has since been “stood down”, an operation remains in place as crews work to clear the scene, and Avanti West Coast have now warned commuters to expect significant disruption to its network in the days to come.

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Warning commuters not to travel north of Preston, an Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “At 06.10hrs today, 3 November, the 0428 Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow to Euston was reported to have derailed at Shap in Cumbria. Our priority is the well-being of everyone who was on board and getting them safely off the train. We are assisting emergency services who are on the scene.

“As a result, all lines are blocked north of Preston. Please do not attempt to travel north of Preston today. We’ll provide further information in due course, but it is likely there will be significant disruption to our network for a number of days.”

With the line from Glasgow to London Euston being the main route for services operating in the west of the UK, it’s expected that thousands of passengers will be impacted by this ongoing disruption.

Echoing Avanti West Coast’s warning not to travel north of Preston, National Rail stated: “Major disruption between Carlisle and Preston expected until the end of the day. A derailed train between Penrith and Oxenholme means all lines are blocked. Trains running between Carlisle and Preston may be delayed by up to 120 minutes or cancelled.”

Meanwhile, National Rail has also clarified that rail replacement buses are no longer in operation between Carlisle and Preston, “due to a limited supply of coaches”, while it’s anticipated that “replacement vehicles may be busier than usual”. The train company advised: “You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.”

It was previously reported that some 130 passengers have been taken to the nearby Shap Wells Hotel, with hotel director Shabeeh Hassan, revealing that the commuters arrived from 07:30am and seemed to have no injuries. He did however remark that some of the passengers were in shock, telling BBC Radio Cumbria: “I’m doing as much as I can just to make them comfortable.”

It comes after passengers on the 6.25pm LNER train from Doncaster to King’s Cross on Saturday night ended up running for their lives down the carriages as one of the biggest mass stabbings in British history unfolded.

A total of 10 people – including a man who was allegedly stabbed in the head while protecting a young girl – were rushed to hospital after the quick-thinking driver made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, allowing passengers to flee down the platform.

Anthony Williams, 32, of Langford Road, Peterborough, was charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of Actual Bodily Harm and one count of possession of bladed article.

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The world’s longest flight connects America to Asia, with passengers strapped into their seats for almost 19 hours – and it’s not for the faint-hearted

The world’s longest flight links America to Asia with travellers buckled in for nearly 19 hours. The current record holder for the longest long-haul journey is the Singapore Airlines route from New York’s JFK Airport to Singapore Changi.

The 9,537-mile trip has a scheduled flight time of 18 hours and 50 minutes and was introduced by the carrier in 2018. The service operates using Singapore Airline’s cutting-edge A350-900ULRs, which can remain airborne for more than 20 hours without refuelling.

The aircraft achieves such endurance thanks to a specially adapted fuel system. This enhancement boosts the plane’s total fuel capacity to an enormous 24,000 litres.

Yet the journey isn’t readily available to all, as Singapore Airlines doesn’t provide economy class seating on this route.

Rather, Singapore Airlines provides 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats. Premium Economy travellers can benefit from additional legroom, a footrest, and an adjustable headrest. Passengers can also utilise noise-cancelling headphones and WiFi throughout their journey.

Business class travellers experience ultimate privacy, whilst their seats transform into completely flat beds to ensure a peaceful sleep during travel.

Singapore Airlines assert that the A350-900ULR will provide customers with a “more comfortable travelling experience”. The aircraft boasts a range of additional features including elevated ceilings, expanded windows and specially designed lighting to combat jetlag.

The carrier maintains that the plane’s innovative carbon composite airframe also enables enhanced air quality. Those seeking a ticket are expected to be extremely wealthy, with seats routinely costing well into five figures.

Singapore Airlines’ CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong, previously stated that the new route will be the “fastest way” to travel between the two major cities.

He said: “Singapore Airlines has always taken pride in pushing the boundaries to provide the best possible travel convenience for our customers, and we are pleased to be leading the way with these new non-stop flights using the latest technology, ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR.

“The flights will offer our customers the fastest way to travel between the two cities – in great comfort, together with Singapore Airlines’ legendary service – and will help boost connectivity to and through the Singapore hub.”

Nov. 2 (UPI) — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday that the government shutdown, now in its sixth week, would continue to cause flight delays, cancellations and closures amid air traffic control staffing shortages across the country.

“We will delay, we will cancel any kind of flights across the national airspace to make sure people are safe,” Duffy warned during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”

Duffy ‘s comments came during a ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport Sunday, which he said could spread to airports nationwide the longer the shutdown dragged on.

As few as 20 flights per hour were arriving at Newark late Sunday afternoon, local media reported. Delays averaged about two hours Sunday, but some flights were more than three hours late.

“There is a level of risk that gets injected into the system when we have a controller that’s doing two jobs instead of one,” he continued.

Nearly half of all major air traffic control centers are already facing staffing shortages across the country, which prompted a flurry of airport closures, ground stops or long flight delays, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA’s real time website shows Boston’s Logan Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas closed Sunday, ground tops at Chicago’s O’Hare, and major ground delays at LAX in Los Angeles and the San Francisco International Airport.

Duffy warned during his Sunday interview that the situation could deteriorate still further as the shutdown continues.

“If the government doesn’t open in the next week or two, we’ll look back as these were the good old days, not the bad days,” he cautioned.

He said the administration is considering “pulling in whatever dollars we can” when asked whether there are other funding sources to pay the costs associated with air traffic control facilities and employees.

Federal law requires air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration, along with some other government employees, to work without pay during the duration of the shutdown.

“They have to make a decision,” Duffy said. “Do I go to work and not get a paycheck and not put food on the table, or do I drive for Uber or DoorDash or wait tables?”

Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers are working with no compensation amid the shutdown. Washington lawmakers are at an impasse of a GOP-led budget bill, which has failed a Senate vote a dozen times.

Democrats are holding out for an extension of Biden-era premium subsidies that make health insurance more affordable on the federal marketplace.

A ‘major incident’ has been declared after multiple people were stabbed on board a train in Cambridgeshire that was heading to London King’s Cross. Here’s everything we know so far

A horrifying knife attack unfolded on a high-speed train heading towards London last night, leaving ten people hospitalised, nine of whom have life-threatening injuries.

The incident took place on Saturday, 1 November, on the 18.25 service from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, to London King’s Cross. Police received reports at 7.39pm that “multiple people had been stabbed on a train”, and armed police, paramedics, air ambulances and transport police rushed to Huntingdon station, where the train made an unscheduled stop for assistance.

While the train stopped at Huntingdon, some passengers said the attack took place shortly after the train left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire, which is around 50 minutes from London. British Transport Police confirmed that 10 people were taken to hospital, with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.

READ MORE: Huntingdon train stabbings: Counter-terror police investigate as ‘major incident’ declaredREAD MORE: Huntingdon horror as person ‘hanging out train door bleeding’ after mass stabbings

The terrifying train attacks are said to have involved a man carrying a large knife. Two people have been arrested over the stabbings, and one suspect is believed to have been shot with a taser.

Passengers recounted scenes of panic as people trampled over each other and hid in toilets to escape the carnage. One witness told The Times there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee. “I heard some people shouting we love (you).”

Witness Olly Foster told the BBC he initially heard people shouting “run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone”, and believed it might have been a prank related to Halloween. He quickly realised it was not a prank when he noticed his hand was “covered in blood” as there was “blood all over the chair” he had leaned on.

An older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with a gash on his head and neck, Foster said. Passengers around him used jackets to try to stop the bleeding. Although it lasted 10 to 15 minutes in total, Foster said the incident “felt like forever”.

Another witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared the horror moment he saw a person “hanging out the train door bleeding”. They told The Mirror: “I was waiting for the 8:10pm train to Kings Cross when I spotted the train on the platform. I spotted someone hanging out the train door bleeding.

“I looked further up the platform and see people running towards me bleeding and panicking. I saw someone in a hoodie running towards us so I shouted for everyone to leave the station immediately, so I got people out the station with me and to a place of safety.”

In the early hours of this morning (2 November), the incident was escalated to a “major incident” and counter-terrorism police were brought in to support the investigation. The station remains closed with numerous train services cancelled.

British Transport Police said in a statement: “We can confirm that at 7.42pm today (1 November) British Transport Police were called to reports of a multiple stabbing on board the 6.25pm train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross.

“Officers immediately attended Huntingdon station alongside paramedics.

“Armed police from Cambridgeshire Police boarded the train and arrested two people in connection to the incident who have been taken to police custody.

“Ten people have been taken to hospital with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. One is being treated for non life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.

“This has been declared a major incident and Counter Terrorism Policing are supporting our investigation whilst we work to establish the full ci

rcumstances and motivation for this incident.”

As an investigation is underway, it is unclear at this time what caused the incident. In regard to this, Chief Superintendent Chris Casey issued a statement, which read: “This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families.

“We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further.

“At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.

“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time.

“Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.”

A ‘major incident’ has been declared after multiple people were stabbed on board a train in Cambridgeshire that was heading to London King’s Cross. Here’s everything we know so far

A horrifying knife attack unfolded on a high-speed train heading towards London last night, leaving ten people hospitalised, nine of whom have life-threatening injuries.

The incident took place on Saturday, 1 November, on the 18.25 service from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, to London King’s Cross. Police received reports at 7.39pm that “multiple people had been stabbed on a train”, and armed police, paramedics, air ambulances and transport police rushed to Huntingdon station, where the train made an unscheduled stop for assistance.

While the train stopped at Huntingdon, some passengers said the attack took place shortly after the train left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire, which is around 50 minutes from London. British Transport Police confirmed that 10 people were taken to hospital, with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.

READ MORE: Huntingdon train stabbings: Counter-terror police investigate as ‘major incident’ declaredREAD MORE: Huntingdon horror as person ‘hanging out train door bleeding’ after mass stabbings

The terrifying train attacks are said to have involved a man carrying a large knife. Two people have been arrested over the stabbings, and one suspect is believed to have been shot with a taser.

Passengers recounted scenes of panic as people trampled over each other and hid in toilets to escape the carnage. One witness told The Times there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee. “I heard some people shouting we love (you).”

Witness Olly Foster told the BBC he initially heard people shouting “run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone”, and believed it might have been a prank related to Halloween. He quickly realised it was not a prank when he noticed his hand was “covered in blood” as there was “blood all over the chair” he had leaned on.

An older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with a gash on his head and neck, Foster said. Passengers around him used jackets to try to stop the bleeding. Although it lasted 10 to 15 minutes in total, Foster said the incident “felt like forever”.

Another witness, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared the horror moment he saw a person “hanging out the train door bleeding”. They told The Mirror: “I was waiting for the 8:10pm train to Kings Cross when I spotted the train on the platform. I spotted someone hanging out the train door bleeding.

“I looked further up the platform and see people running towards me bleeding and panicking. I saw someone in a hoodie running towards us so I shouted for everyone to leave the station immediately, so I got people out the station with me and to a place of safety.”

In the early hours of this morning (2 November), the incident was escalated to a “major incident” and counter-terrorism police were brought in to support the investigation. The station remains closed with numerous train services cancelled.

British Transport Police said in a statement: “We can confirm that at 7.42pm today (1 November) British Transport Police were called to reports of a multiple stabbing on board the 6.25pm train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross.

“Officers immediately attended Huntingdon station alongside paramedics.

“Armed police from Cambridgeshire Police boarded the train and arrested two people in connection to the incident who have been taken to police custody.

“Ten people have been taken to hospital with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. One is being treated for non life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.

“This has been declared a major incident and Counter Terrorism Policing are supporting our investigation whilst we work to establish the full ci

rcumstances and motivation for this incident.”

As an investigation is underway, it is unclear at this time what caused the incident. In regard to this, Chief Superintendent Chris Casey issued a statement, which read: “This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families.

“We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further.

“At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.

“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time.

“Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.”

A controversial plan to kill one owl species to save another cleared a major hurdle.

The full Senate on Wednesday struck down a GOP effort to prevent the cull of up to 450,000 barred owls in the Pacific Northwest over three decades, ending a saga that created strange political bedfellows.

It’s a major win for environmentalists and federal wildlife officials who want to protect northern spotted owls that have been crowded out by their larger, more aggressive cousins. In recent weeks they got an unlikely ally in loggers who said scuttling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plan could hinder timber sales.

But it’s a blow to an equally unusual alliance that includes right-wing politicians and animal rights advocates who argue the cull is too expensive and inhumane. The Trump administration leaned on Republican lawmakers to get out of the way, scrambling partisan lines.

Sen. John Kennedy, a conservative from Louisiana, sought to nix the owl-killing plan via the Congressional Review Act, which can be used to overturn recent rules by federal agencies.

Kennedy said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose portfolio includes timber production, recently called him and told him to abandon the resolution. This month logging advocates said that stopping the cull would jeopardize timber production goals set by the Trump administration.

But Kennedy was not persuaded.

“The secretary needed to call somebody who cared what he thought, because I think he’s wrong,” Kennedy said on the Senate floor. “I think he and the other members of the administrative state at the Department of the Interior decided to play God.”

Flanked by pictures of owls and bumbling cartoon hunter Elmer Fudd, Kennedy praised barred owls for their “soulful eyes” and “incredibly soft” feathers. But he acknowledged they’re better hunters than spotted owls. Barred owls, which moved over from eastern North America, are outcompeting spotted owls for food and shelter in their native territory.

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy spearheaded a resolution to overturn the Biden-era plan to cull barred owls, even after he said the Trump administration told him to back down.

(Senate Banking Committee)

Ultimately the resolution failed 72 to 25, with three lawmakers not voting. Nearly all those who voted in favor of the resolution were Republican, but even more Republicans voted against it. The Fish and Wildlife Service approved the barred owl cull last year under the Biden Administration.

“I feel a lot of relief because this was one of the most major threats to the long-term, continued existence of the northern spotted owl in many years,” said Tom Wheeler, executive director of the Environmental Protection Information Center. “We’ve passed this hurdle, which isn’t to say there aren’t other hurdles or road bumps up ahead, but this feels good.”

Wheeler described the failed effort as a “nuclear threat” — if the resolution had passed, the Fish and Wildlife Service would have been blocked from pursuing any similar rule, unless explicitly authorized by Congress.

Now Wheeler said he and his allies will continue to push for the owl cull to be carried out, and for federal funding to support it.

Animal welfare advocates like Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and Center for a Humane Economy, are dismayed.

“What this means is that not only are barred owls at extreme risk of large-scale shooting, but spotted owls and old-growth forests are at risk from chainsaws,” Pacelle said of the failed resolution.

Pacelle’s camp vowed to continue the fight. A lawsuit challenging the hunt they filed against the federal government last fall is moving forward. And they’ll try to ensure money doesn’t flow to the program.

In May, federal officials canceled three related grants in California totaling more than $1.1 million, including one study that would have included lethally removing barred owls from more than 192,000 acres in Mendocino and Sonoma counties.

However, there are other projects to kill barred owls in the Golden State, according to Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

One $4.3-million grant issued by the state agency will support barred owl removal in the northwestern part of the state, along with other research. Another grant issued by NASA to a university involves killing barred owls in California as well as creating a tool to prioritize areas where the raptors need to be managed.

It’s not clear how or if the government shutdown, now stretching into its 31st day, is affecting the projects, Tira said in an email.

THE last major airport in the UK to allow free drop offs is set to scrap them completely.

London City Airport has said that it will bring in a fee for passenger drop offs “by the end of the year”.

According to bosses of the airport, the charge will help support sustainable transport goals.

The airport told The Independent: “The charge will help London City meet its wider sustainability goals by reducing the number of vehicles travelling to and from the airport, supporting efforts to lower congestion, reduce emissions and improve air quality in the surrounding area.”

Currently, 70 per cent of passengers at London City Airport use public transport to reach the airport – which includes the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

Only 10 per cent of passengers then arrive by car – and around 14 per cent use taxis, minicabs or Ubers.

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Whilst a date or cost for the new charge hasn’t been revealed yet, other airports in the UK have fees of £6 to £7.

Blue badge holders will be exempt from the charge.

Rod Dennis, the RAC‘s senior policy advisor, added that for drivers this will be an “unwelcome watershed moment”.

He added: “Compared to many, London City has excellent public transport connections so arguably most people dropping off are only those that really need to.”

He also explained that this isn’t the usual practice elsewhere in Europe, with eight of the top 10 European airports still allowing drivers to drop off travellers for free.

Airports that have introduced a fee usually have a designated area to drop off passengers.

And they also normally have other ways of getting into the airport where you aren’t charged.

For example, via taking a shuttle bus or using walkways to get to the terminal.

However, this might not be introduced at London City Airport as there is limited space.

In terms of other London airports, Heathrow introduced a drop off fee of £6 back in 2021.

London Gatwick Airport also introduced its fee in 2021, but in comparison, it costs £7 for 10 minutes and then an additional £1 for each minute thereafter, up to 20 minutes.

The maximum daily charge is £27.

In 2009, London Luton Airport introduced a similar process with the first 10 minutes costing £7 and then each minute thereafter being an additional £1.

There is a maximum stay of 30 minutes.

London Stansted Airport introduced its fee in 2012 and drivers pay £7 for 15 minutes, or £25 for drop offs over 15 minutes.

Southend Airport was the latest airport to introduce a fee which took place over the summer and costs £7.

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In other airport news, Deputy Travel Editor Kara Godfrey’s local airport was recently named the best in the UK – it beats London Heathrow and City by miles.

Plus, these are the best and worst airports in the UK – with a regional airport coming in number one.

President Donald Trump has come out in support of a future fleet of South Korean nuclear-powered submarines. He says he has signed off on the plan and has claimed that at least some of the boats will be built in the United States. Authorities in South Korea have been open about their nuclear-powered submarine ambitions for years, but have faced pushback, including from the United States, particularly over nuclear proliferation concerns.

Trump has made two posts on his Truth Social social media network discussing South Korean nuclear-powered submarine plans in the past day or so. The U.S. President held a summit with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae Myung, yesterday, which was centered heavily on trade negotiations. Trump’s visit to South Korea was part of a larger tour of Asia.

“Our Military Alliance is stronger than ever before and, based on that, I have given them approval to build a Nuclear Powered Submarine, rather than the old fashioned, and far less nimble diesel powered submarines that they have now,” Trump wrote in one post on Truth Social.

“South Korea will be building its Nuclear Powered Submarine in the Philadelphia Shipyards, right here in the good ol’ U.S.A.,” he wrote in a second post. “Shipbuilding in our Country will soon be making a BIG COMEBACK. Stay tuned!!!”

The South Korean Navy already has a substantial fleet of diesel-electric submarines, which currently consists of 12 Jang Bogo class, nine Sohn Won-yil class, and three Dosan Ahn Chang-ho class types. The Jang Bogo and Sohn Won-yil class submarines are German-designed Type 209s and Type 214s, respectively. The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho class, also known as the KS-III Batch I, is a domestically developed design. Just this month, South Korea launched the first of a planned subclass of three KS-III Batch IIs, the country’s largest and most advanced submarine to date, which you can read more about here.

In general, compared to even advanced diesel-electric types like the KS-III Batch II, the key benefit that nuclear-powered submarines offer is functionally unlimited range.

The Trump administration has yet to elaborate on exactly what the current South Korean nuclear-powered submarine plan might entail and the roles that the United States may play.

The shipyard in Philadelphia that Trump mentioned is most likely the Hanwha Philly Shipyard. That yard had been Philadelphia Shipyard Inc. until elements of the South Korean conglomerate Hanwha acquired it last year. That yard has never produced a submarine of any kind or any type of nuclear-powered vessel.

“Asked about Trump’s submarine announcement, Hanwha Ocean, which owns the shipyard with another Hanwha affiliate, said it was ready to cooperate with both countries and provide support with advanced technology, but did not mention specifics,” according to Reuters.

General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, and Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) in Newport News, Virginia, are two current producers of nuclear-powered submarines in the United States.

South Korea’s “Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back told lawmakers that plans called for South Korea to build its own submarines and modular reactors, and receive a supply of enriched uranium fuel from the United States,” Reuters also reported. “Seok Jong-gun, the minister for the defense acquisition program administration told the same hearing that South Korea had been developing small nuclear reactors for some time and would be able to build one for a submarine in less than the decade usually needed to develop such nuclear-powered vessels.”

“We believe if we use the technologies we have been preparing for the future…we’ll be able to achieve this within a short period of time,” Seok added, per Reuters‘ story.

The South Korean government is known to have conducted at least one detailed design study relating to a miniature nuclear reactor for use on a future submarine, called the 326 Initiative, in the 2003 timeframe. The country also has an established nuclear power industry that develops reactors for non-military purposes, but which could be leveraged for such work.

A key question, in general, when it comes to nuclear-powered submarine designs, is the level of enrichment of the fuel inside their reactors. U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarines notably have reactors with fuel enriched to the same level as material for nuclear weapons. This is not a requisite, however. The reactors inside current French nuclear-powered submarines use low-enriched uranium. There are reports that Chinese nuclear-powered submarines may also use reactors with LEU fuel.

Still, it is worth noting here that, at least currently, the only countries with operational nuclear-powered submarines are also nuclear weapon states. At the same time, that is already set to change with the Australian Navy’s expected acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines through the trilateral Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) defense cooperation agreement.

Since 2015, South Korea has also faced the unique hurdle of a bilateral agreement that bars it from enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel without U.S. government approval. Trump appears to have now given that approval. Defense Minister Ahn’s comments, per Reuters, indicate the hurdle has been further cleared by a plan to source the nuclear material directly from the United States.

A South Korean nuclear submarine program could still create proliferation concerns for the country, which is presently a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). As TWZ previously wrote when the possibility of South Korea acquiring nuclear-powered submarines came up in 2018:

The need to build enrichment or other nuclear facilities, or otherwise acquire the highly enriched fissile material, could also draw international criticism that South Korea is abiding by the letter, but not the spirit of the NPT, effectively developing a nuclear weapons program in all but name. These issues are at the core of why South Korea conducted the 326 Initiative in secret and why it abandoned it after it became public, attracting the attention of both the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

South Korean officials have talked in the past about the possibility of changing geopolitical circumstances on the Peninsula, and elsewhere, leading it to start its own nuclear weapons program. North Korea is, of course, a nuclear weapons state, and it may now be pursuing its own nuclear-powered submarines with assistance from Russia.

The South Korean Navy would also have to develop suitable infrastructure to sustain a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, as well as train personnel in the operational and maintenance of naval reactors. There could be cost and related industrial base concerns, especially depending on how deeply involved the United States needs to be in any such plan. Questions have already been raised about whether the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine industry can support Australia’s needs and U.S. Navy requirements. The U.S. naval shipbuilding industry, as a whole, has faced serious challenges in recent years and continues to despite government-backed efforts to bolster its capabilities and capacity.

There are still larger questions about South Korea’s practical need for a nuclear-powered submarine capability. South Korean President Lee has said that his country fielding nuclear-powered submarines could help reduce operational demands for its American allies. Especially combined with conventionally-armed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), it could also give the South Korean Navy more of a true second-strike capability to help deter North Korea.

However, North Korea has limited anti-submarine warfare capabilities, while South Korean diesel-electric submarine designs are only getting more and more advanced. The range and other benefits that nuclear propulsion offers for naval vessels generally point to broader, blue water ambitions. This is certainly the case for Australia, which is situated far from the areas it expects its future nuclear-powered boats to operate.

As such, South Korea’s work to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, especially if they are capable of carrying out longer-range strikes on targets at sea and/or ashore, could have broader ramifications. The KSS-III Batch I submarines can already fire conventionally-armed SLBMs (SLBM), a capability that is being expanded upon in the Batch II types.

The Chinese government “hopes that South Korea and the United States will earnestly fulfill their nuclear non-proliferation obligations and do things to promote regional peace and stability, and not the other way around,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the country’s foreign ministry, said in response to the nuclear-powered submarine news, according to Reuters.

China already has a very large submarine force that includes diesel-electric and nuclear-powered types, and which it continues to expand in both size and capability.

Much still remains to be learned about how, and when, South Korea may expect to finally begin operating nuclear-powered submarines. Regardless, the country’s ambitions in this regard have now gotten a major boost in support from President Trump.

Contact the author: [email protected]

The Spanish city is a popular short break destination as well as being popular with groups who want to enjoy the lively atmosphere, but a new ban could see their parties cut short

A Spanish city which is a major tourist destination for Brits, including stag and hen parties, is introducing a brand new rule in an effort to curb antisocial behaviour linked to drinking.

Barcelona, which sees over 500,000 Brits visiting each year, has banned pub crawls citywide at all hours of the day. Previously, pub crawls were only banned in the area of Ciutat Vella and L’Eixample, which had restrictions between 7PM and 7AM.

On the official website for Barcelona City Council, a statement explained how it defines a pub crawl: “Pub crawling is a business that takes customers on organised drinking tours to a series of establishments that offer discounted alcoholic drinks.

“It typically involves quickly consuming one or more low-quality drinks before heading to the next stop.”

The statement went on to say: “This activity has been identified as a risk factor that causes disturbances in neighbourhoods, puts extra strain on public spaces and potentially leads to criminal behaviour or road safety violations.”

It also confirmed: “The new decree introduces a permanent ban that applies 24 hours a day, year-round, rather than being only seasonal. ” It stated that the new ban will be in place for four years. The change came into force yesterday (October 29).

Organisers who ignore the ban and plan an event could find themselves hit with fines of up to €3,000. While participants in an organised pub crawl wouldn’t face charges, authorities could potentially give them fines for public drinking or other disturbances, which range from €100 to €3,000.

The move is the latest in a long-line of measures brought in by authorities to ease the impact of tourism on Barcelona, and other Spanish destinations could follow suit.

In May, it was announced that Spain was cracking down on holiday rentals, with authorities ordering Airbnb to remove 65,000 properties from their website. Reasons such as lack of licence numbers and unclear ownership records were cited for the mass removal. Many of the delisted properties were in popular areas such as Barcelona and Malaga.

Demonstrations against overtourism have also taken place over the last couple of years, with hundreds of protesters taking to the streets of Barcelona waving banners with slogans such as “tourists go home”.

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A trade union in the Balearic Islands has even proposed a €15 a day tourist tax during high season to work as a “deterrent” for tourists. The union’s general secretary said: “”This is not an increase aimed at raising revenue, but rather a deterrent, so that the Balearic Islands send a clear message to the world that there’s no room for more people here during the high season.”

Some resorts have also dealt a blow to Brits who were hoping to enjoy copious amounts of booze. Those visiting certain areas of Majorca and Ibiza may find themselves limited to six drinks a day, even if they’ve paid for all-inclusive.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is initiating a leadership shakeup at a dozen or so offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to bring more aggressive enforcement operations across the U.S.

Some of the outgoing field office directors at ICE are anticipated to be replaced with leaders from Customs and Border Protection, according to news reports. Among the leaders targeted for replacement are Los Angeles Field Office Director Ernesto Santacruz and San Diego Field Office Director Patrick Divver, the Washington Examiner reported Monday.

The stepped up role of Border Patrol leaders in interior enforcement — which has historically been ICE territory — marks an evolution of tactics that originated in California.

In early January, Gregory Bovino, who heads the Border Patrol’s El Centro region, led a three-day raid in rural Kern County, nabbing day laborers more than 300 miles from his typical territory. Former Biden administration officials said Bovino had gone “rogue” and that no agency leaders knew about the operation beforehand.

Bovino leveraged the spectacle to become the on-the-ground point person for the Trump Administration’s signature issue.

The three-decade veteran of Border Patrol, who has used slick social media videos to promote the agency’s heavy-handed tactics, brought militarized operations once primarily used at the border into America’s largest cities.

In Los Angeles this summer, contingents of heavily armed, masked agents began chasing down and arresting day laborers, street vendors and car wash workers. Tensions grew as the administration ordered in the National Guard.

The efforts seem to have become more aggressive after a Supreme Court order allowed authorities to stop people based on factors such as race or ethnicity, employment and speaking Spanish.

Bovino moved operations to Chicago and escalated his approach. Immigration agents launched an overnight raid in a crowded apartment, shot gas into crowds of protesters and fatally shot one man.

Now Bovino is expected to hand-pick some of the replacements at ICE field offices, according to Fox News.

Tom Wong, who directs the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at UC San Diego, said the leadership changes are unsurprising, given Bovino’s strategies in Los Angeles and Chicago.

“The Trump administration is blurring the distinction between Border Patrol and ICE,” he said. “The border is no longer just the external boundaries of the United States, but the border is everywhere.”

Former Homeland Security officials said the large-scale replacement of executives from one agency with those from another agency is unprecedented.

The two agencies have similar authorities but very different approaches, said Daniel Altman, former head of internal oversight investigations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

ICE officers operate largely inside the country, lean heavily on investigations and typically know when they set out for the day who they are targeting.

Border Patrol, on the other hand, patrols the borderlands for anyone they encounter and suspect of entering illegally. Amid the rugged terrain and isolation, Border Patrol built a do-it-yourself ethos within the century-old organization, Altman said.

“Culturally, the Border Patrol prides itself on solving problems, and that means that whatever the current administration needs or wants with respect to immigration enforcement, they’re usually very willing and able to do that,” said Altman.

White House leadership has not been happy with arrest numbers. Stephen Miller, President Trump’s deputy chief of staff who is heading his immigration initiatives, set a goal of 3,000 immigration arrests per day, which the agency has not been able to meet.

DHS says it expects to deport 600,000 people by January, a figure that includes people who were turned back at the border or at airports.

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant public affairs secretary for the Homeland Security department, didn’t confirm or deny the changes but described immigration officials as united.

“Talk about sensationalism,” she said. “Only the media would describe standard agency personnel changes as a ‘massive shakeup.’ If and when we have specific personnel moves to announce, we’ll do that.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, “The President’s entire team is working in lockstep to implement the President’s policy agenda, and the tremendous results from securing the border to deporting criminal illegal aliens speak for themselves.”

On Fox News on Tuesday, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said the administration is dedicated to achieving record deportations of primarily immigrants with criminal records.

“As far as personnel changes, that’s under the purview of the Secretary of Homeland Security,” he said. “I’m at the White House working with people like Stephen Miller, one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met, to come up with strategic policies and plans — how to get success, how to maintain success, and how to get the numbers ever higher.”

Deborah Fleischaker, a former ICE and DHS official under the Biden administration, said the personnel moves appear to be an “attempt to migrate a Border Patrol ethos over to ICE.”

“ICE’s job has historically focused on targeting and enforcing against public safety threats,” she said. “Border Patrol has a much more highly militarized job of securing the border, protecting against transnational crime and drug trafficking and smuggling. That sort of approach doesn’t belong in our cities and is quite dangerous.”

Fleischaker said it would be difficult to increase deportations, even with Border Patrol leaders at the helm, because of the complexities around securing travel documents and negotiating with countries that are reticent to accept deportees.

In the meantime, she said, shunting well-liked leaders will sink morale.

“For the folks who are still there, everybody knows you comply or you risk losing your job,” she said. “Dissent, failure to meet targets or even ask questions aren’t really tolerated.”

On Tuesday, DHS posted a video montage of Bovino on its Instagram page set to Coldplay’s song “Viva la vida.” The caption read, “WE WILL NOT BE STOPPED.”

Times staff writer Brittny Mejia contributed to this report.

NEW rules have come into which will ban ALL pub crawls in a major Spanish city.

The classic activity popular with locals and tourists alike is now totally banned, whatever the time of day or night.

The ban on promoting, organising or running pub crawls has been extended to cover the entire area of Barcelona at all hours of the day, and comes into force on October 29, 2025.

The move aims to “ensure peaceful coexistence, safeguard residents’ right to rest and protect public health“.

The new rule, which also prohibits advertising related activities in any form, has been agreed following a public consultation.

A spokesman for Barcelona city council. “Pub crawling is a business that takes customers on organised drinking tours to a series of establishments that offer discounted alcoholic drinks.

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“It typically involves quickly consuming one or more low-quality drinks before heading to the next stop.

“This activity has been identified as a risk factor that causes disturbances in neighbourhoods, puts extra strain on public spaces and potentially leads to criminal behaviour or road safety violations.”

Organisers face fines ranging up to €3,000 (£2,641), while participants are exempt from fines, they could face them for other infractions like drinking in the streets or causing disruptions. 

Until now, pub crawls were only banned in the districts of Ciutat Vella, since 2012, and L’Eixample, since June 1, 2025.

The restrictions here were mainly focused on nighttime hours, from 7pm to 7am.

The new rules that have been introduced are for a permanent ban that applies 24 hours a day, all year-round, rather than being only seasonal.

This has been approved and will be in force for four years.

According to the city council, data provided by the police indicates that the ban on alcohol routes in Ciutat Vella and L’Eixample has worked.

They say it  has “contributed to significantly reducing the number of activities detected and has facilitated their prevention, thanks to the early detection of the offer through social networks”.

The city council says the ban has been well-received in the Ciutat Vella district, with only three fines issued last year, and authorities believe it will have a similar impact citywide.

Pub crawls have been hugely popular in Barcelona and have been widely promoted on the internet.

These have attracted hundreds of thousands of people every year and bringing in a huge income.

Most pub crawls lasted for at least six hours and others up to 24 hours, but now organisers have started to post “now unavailable” messages on their websites.

These aren’t the only rules that have been introduced, across Spain there are been lots of new sanctions put in place to stop bad behaviour.

New rules range from not wearing swimwear in towns or cities, to smoking bans, and monitoring noise complaints.

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A second prototype of China’s very heavy J-36 ‘fighter’ has emerged with major refinements. These alterations, compared to the first J-36 airframe, point to the program very much being iterative in its process. They also add to the evidence of what we already posited, that the first J-36 aircraft was not a highly mature, near-production-representative design, as some had repeatedly claimed. You can read our very in-depth initial analysis on the J-36 here.

Images of this second example of the J-36 emerged today on social media, showing the aircraft flying through Chinese skies from multiple angles. The images were likely taken near Chengdu Aircraft Corporation’s major plant in its namesake city, where initial flight testing of the first aircraft publicly emerged on December 26, 2024.

The new images show the same overall modified delta design we have become accustomed to, but with some major features changed in readily visible areas.

Exhaust

The first J-36 had exhausts that were recessed from the trailing edge atop the aircraft, an arrangement loosely similar to what was found on the Northrop YF-23. This is a noted low-observable (stealth) design cue and made sense for a big three-engined jet that optimized stealth, speed, and efficiency over raw maneuverability. Now we are seeing what appears to be three angular exhaust nozzles that look very similar to the two-dimensional thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles on the Lockheed F-22 Raptor — a design trait and capability that is also present on China’s new J-XDS heavy tailless stealth fighter.

The exhaust changes have major implications. First off, if indeed this is two-dimensional (2-D) thrust vectoring, why is it needed for what appears to be a very heavy multi-role tactical jet that is less fighter than regional bomber? It could be that a higher degree of fighter-like performance is desired, pointing to that mission set being prioritized. It could also be to solve certain stability and maneuverability issues during certain phases of flight. Tailless designs are inherently extremely unstable. Thrust vectoring can help with this and maximize potential performance throughout the flight envelope, including at very high altitudes.

It’s also possible that just a lower thrust vectoring ‘flap’ is being employed here and not a full 2-D exhaust system. This seems less likely, but it is possible, and could provide some degree of extra control without such a heavy redesign of the upper empennage.

The new, more heavily serrated design likely has an impact on the jet’s low-observable qualities, at least from the rear aspect. In order to pull off full 2-D thrust vectoring, the aircraft’s rear upper rear fuselage design would also have to be significantly remodeled, with the engine nacelles being pushed back to the trailing edge. The full extent of the changes to the upper end of the J-36 are unclear, but this was not a case of just slapping a thrust vectoring nozzle on there, as the original exhausts were deeply recessed forward of the trailing edge. Again, it looks like Chengdu designers traded some signature control for performance here.

Weight is also an issue, as thrust vectoring nozzles add complexity and mass, but for such a larger and heavy jet as it is, the impact is likely minimal.

Inlets

The original J-36 aircraft’s F-22-like caret lower inlets have been significantly revised. In our original analysis, we discussed how it was interesting that the dorsal intake uses divertless supersonic intake (DSI), which China is now accustomed to using on its aircraft, but the two lower intakes were a trapezoidal caret-like design. This has changed in the new iteration of the jet, with what appear to be DSI intakes taking the place of the original ones. The lower lips of these intakes also sweep forward, which is another trademark for this kind of design, and is especially pronounced on low-observable ones.

Landing Gear

The J-36’s tandem two-wheeled main landing gear — which provided a stark indication of how heavy the aircraft was — has been totally redesigned, with a twin-wheel side-by-side truck arrangement taking its place. While this may necessitate a deeper main gear well for stowage when retracted, it requires less area and smaller main gear doors, among other advantages. This is a relatively dramatic and surprising refinement, to say the least.

Other Takeaways

Another small tweak appears to be a less elaborate air data probe jutting out from the second J-36’s nose, although this could be an artifact of the high compression of the images. There are certain to be other outward tweaks to the J-36’s original design that we cannot see in these limited-resolution images taken in poor lighting. We can expect some refinements in shaping, especially where the intakes blend with the fuselage and other areas, although we cannot confirm this at this time. This is all in addition to what’s on the top of the new aircraft, which we haven’t seen at all at the time of writing.

Overall, these major changes a year after we first saw the design, point to an aircraft still very much in the stages of flight test demonstration/development and possibly to an accelerated iterative design scheme used to rush the aircraft into a production-like state. This new aircraft could also be an alternative configuration, not an evolutionary one, but that seems less likely at this time.

As we have repeatedly stated, the progress China is making when it comes to advanced combat aircraft is absolutely stunning. And yes, these aircraft are far more than their outward appearance and would need to rely on superior sensor and communications technology, low-observable material science, total force integration, and of course, operator and integrated training, in order to win the day. But taken at face value, China’s rapid progress with so many diverse platforms in such a short time is remarkable.

That being said, there are some that declare everything they see as late in development and near ready for production, regardless of the evidence. This is usually framed against an inflammatory U.S.-China competition narrative. Seeing this new iteration of the J-36 should underline just how fast China is working to refine the design, and it’s likely this was well in the works when the first example took flight. Still, claims that the J-36 was very far along in its development and even production representative when it first flew should now be put to rest.

Contact the author: [email protected]

The Irish airline has decided to make a major change that will impact their passengers from 12 November onwards. Here’s everything you need to know about the new system

Ryanair passengers have been given a last-minute warning about a major change the airline is making in a matter of days.

Passengers flying with the Irish airline any time from 12 November onwards will need to follow a new rule – and not everyone is happy about it.

The budget airline has announced it is ditching physical boarding passes and going completely digital, which means paper print-outs will be a thing of the past. Travellers will now be required to show their boarding passes through the Ryanair app.

The company hopes to cut around 300 tonnes of paper annually by switching to digital, with Ryanair CMO Dara Brady explaining the airline settled on November 12 because it’s a quieter time for travel.

However, many have expressed concern about the potential challenges for elderly passengers who might not use the internet or possess smartphones.

Ryanair’s boss, Michael O’Leary, has now sought to reassure passengers with anxieties about the compulsory smartphone boarding passes. He said: “Almost 100 per cent of passengers have smartphones, and we want to move everybody onto the smartphone technology.

“The big concern that people have is: ‘What happens if I lose my battery or whatever, I lose my phone?’ reports Wales Online.

“If you lose your phone, no issue. As long as you’ve checked in before you get to the airport, we’ll reissue a paper boarding pass at the airport free of charge. But you have to check in before you get to the airport.

“Also, if your battery dies or something happens, once you’ve checked in, we’ll have your sequence number anyway at the boarding gate, we’ll take you, you’ll get on. So nobody should worry about it.

“Just make sure you check in online before you get to the airport, and then all will be fine.”

Guidance on Ryanair’s website echoes this, adding: “If you have already checked in online and you lose your smartphone or tablet (or it dies), your details are already on our system and you will be assisted at the gate.”

The website also emphasises the importance of completing their online check-in. “All Ryanair passengers will still receive email reminders to check-in online 48 and 24hrs pre-departure.

“If any passenger arrives at the airport but hasn’t checked in online (having ignored these reminders), they will still be required to pay the airport check-in fee.”

Currently, the fee is set at £55/€55 per passenger for most flights. However, passengers flying out of Spain are obliged to pay £30/€30, while those departing from Austria will be hit with a £40/€40 charge.

There are two exceptions to the new digital boarding pass rule; the first is passengers flying to Albania. Authorities there have insisted passengers present paper passes until March 2026, after which they’ve agreed passes can be digital.

Morocco has the same paper pass policy as Albania, however, it won’t be changing its rules to fit Ryanair’s new paperless policy. Michael O’Leary has confirmed the airline will make exceptions in this case and accept physical passes for flights to the African country.