risk

Feb. 23 (UPI) — Nearly $273 million in annual Ecuadorian exports are at stake if a reciprocal 30% tariff announced by Ecuador and Colombia takes effect, according to the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters, Fedexpor.

The trade group said 580 Ecuadorian companies export to Colombia and warned that for several of them, the impact of new tariffs could be devastating, as up to half of their revenue depends on that market.

Although the tariff has not been implemented, Fedexpor said uncertainty is already affecting business decisions. Colombian buyers are reluctant to close deals amid the possibility that the measure could made formal in the short term, local newspaper Primicias reported.

The government of President Daniel Noboa announced Jan. 21 that Ecuador would impose a 30% tariff, described as a “security fee,” on imports from Colombia. Quito said the move responds to what it considers a lack of commitment by the government of President Gustavo Petro to border security.

Colombia responded the following day by announcing a reciprocal 30% tariff on 20 products imported from Ecuador. It also decided to cut off electricity supplies to Ecuador.

The 30% tariffs were scheduled to take effect Feb. 1, but were not implemented.

Xavier Rosero, president of Fedexpor, said there remains a “window of time” for both governments to reach an agreement on security and trade matters.

Industrial products such as fats, vegetable oils, canned tuna, plastics and rubber face high uncertainty. Orders for these goods, which are key in bilateral trade, are currently on hold, Rosero told digital outlet El Oriente.

He added that Colombian buyers are already seeking alternative suppliers in China, Brazil and Mexico to replace Ecuadorian products, a shift that could result in market losses that are difficult to recover.

Ecuadorian palm oil is among the most affected products, valued at roughly $96 million annually.

The palm oil sector generates 110,000 jobs across 14 provinces, mainly in border areas. It exports between 6,000 and 8,000 metric tons per month to the Colombian market — volumes that could be redirected to other destinations, though that would not be easy, according to Ecuavisa.

Fedexpor estimates about 40,000 jobs are tied to Ecuadorian companies with significant sales to Colombia. Once the tariff is applied, it could affect more than 50 Ecuadorian products.

Rosero acknowledged as “legitimate” the Noboa government’s concern over security conditions along the shared border with Colombia, describing it as “a key space for trade, but also one that has been vulnerable to illicit activities.”

The dispute is now under review by the Andean Community’s courts after complaints filed by Colombia and counterclaims from Ecuador, in a process that could prolong commercial uncertainty.

The Gaza Strip – As soon as the “ceasefire” in Gaza began in October, Palestinian farmer Mohammed al-Slakhy and his family headed straight for their farms in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City.

After more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza – and despite ongoing Israeli attacks – it was finally safe enough to return, and attempt to rebuild and restore.

Mohammed and his family spent months clearing rubble from the ground and whatever was left of their greenhouses, which were flattened during the fighting, like many of the buildings in Gaza.

With very limited resources, they prepared the soil and planted the first courgette crop, hoping it would be ready to harvest by early spring.

But even this limited attempt to bring the family’s land back to life is not without risk. As Mohammed explains, every time he goes to tend to his field, he is risking his life. A few hundred metres away sit Israeli tanks, and the sound of bullets flying by is common.

Before the war, Mohammed’s farm produced large quantities of vegetables.

“I learned farming from my father and grandfather,” he told Al Jazeera. “Our farm used to produce abundant, high-quality crops for the local market and for export to the [occupied] West Bank and abroad. Now, everything we had has been destroyed in the war.”

Levelled to the ground

More than three hectares (7.5 acres) of Mohammed’s greenhouses were levelled to the ground. The destruction also included his entire irrigation network, all nine of his wells, two solar power systems, and two desalination plants.

Mohammed’s losses reflect the wider extent of the damage to the agricultural sector in Gaza. According to a July 2025 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 80 percent of cropland was damaged, and less than 5 percent remained available for cultivation.

And even with the “ceasefire”, the losses have not stopped for Gaza’s farmers, as Israel expands a so-called buffer zone, within which its forces are based.

In fact, many Palestinians fear that Gaza’s agricultural lands will be forcibly taken by Israel if the buffer zone becomes a permanent fixture. Blueprints released as part of United States President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” plan for Gaza show many agricultural areas erased.

Expanding buffer zones

Israel still controls about 58 percent of the Gaza Strip, calling it a security buffer zone in the east, north, and south of the Gaza Strip. The majority of that buffer zone is Palestinian agricultural land.

Mohammed has only been able to return to one hectare (2.5 acres) of the more than 22 hectares (54 acres) of farmland his family had cultivated in Gaza City before the war. The other 21 hectares lie within the Israeli buffer zone, and he cannot access them.

The solitary hectare is only about 200 metres (650 feet) from the “yellow line”, which marks the border between the buffer zone and the rest of Gaza. Mohammed says that Israeli tanks frequently approach and fire randomly.

One such incident occurred on February 12, when Israeli tanks advanced into Salah al-Din Street and opened fire. Two Palestinians were killed, and at least four others were reported wounded. Mohammed was in his farmland, close to the Israeli tanks.

“We were working in the field when suddenly a tank approached and opened fire towards us. I had to take cover behind a destroyed building and waited there for more than an hour and a half before I could escape west,” Mohammed said.

The dangers to Mohammed’s farm are mirrored in central Gaza, where 75-year-old Eid al-Taaban is increasingly worried.

His land in Deir el-Balah lies only about 300 metres (980 feet) from the yellow line and the Israeli areas of control.

“We planted eggplants in an open field after the ceasefire. Now, we can’t reach it and harvest the crop because of the expansion of the buffer zone,” Eid told Al Jazeera.

“The sounds of Israeli heavy machineguns are heard every day in our area. Every time my sons go to irrigate the crops in the greenhouses, I just pray that they come back alive,” he added.

On February 6, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the Israeli army killed Palestinian farmer Khaled Baraka while he was working on his land in eastern Deir el-Balah. Khaled was Eid’s neighbour and friend.

“Khaled Baraka was a great farmer,” Eid said. “He dedicated his life to cultivating his land and teaching his sons and daughters about farming.”

Israeli blockade

According to Palestinian farmers, the Israeli blockade of Gaza is one of the biggest challenges they face in their efforts to reclaim agricultural land.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has largely prevented the entry of any agricultural equipment or supplies, such as seeds, pesticides, fertilisers, irrigation networks, or tractors.

That has led to a huge shortage, with what is available still liable to being damaged in bombing, or in the case of seeds, pesticides, and fertilisers, reaching expiry. The prices of what little is available have also skyrocketed due to the Israeli restrictions.

And even when the materials can be obtained, they do not guarantee a return.

Eid said that he had planted tomatoes in his greenhouses to harvest in the spring, paying an exorbitant amount to acquire the seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides.

After 90 days of costly care for the plants, and when it was time to start harvesting, the entire crop was ruined because the pesticides and fertilisers he had bought turned out to be ineffective. He was forced to replant the crop.

Market difficulties

Eid noted that the current economic conditions in Gaza mean that it is hard to find customers for the produce.

“Even when we manage to keep the plants alive and harvest the crop, we don’t know if we’ll be able to sell it,” Eid said.

The instability of the market in Gaza is causing heavy losses for local farmers.

Waleed Miqdad, an agricultural produce wholesaler, explained that Israeli authorities sometimes close the crossings and at other times flood the market with various goods, causing significant losses for Palestinian farmers.

He added that Israeli goods are usually of a lower quality and are priced more cheaply.

“Our local produce, although much fewer in quantity than before the war, still has a distinctive quality and taste. Many of our customers prefer local produce,” Waleed told Al Jazeera.

But many residents of Gaza, whose economy has been devastated as a result of the war, do not have the money to be able to choose the higher-priced items.

The competition from Israeli produce is therefore making it difficult for Palestinian farmers to market their produce and make a profit.

“I was recently forced to sell large quantities of my produce for less than the cost of production because of the competition from imported goods that are widely available in the market,” said Mohammed, the farmer from northern Gaza. “I had to sell and lose or watch my produce rot. And of course, we haven’t received any compensation or support.”

Despite the challenges facing the farmers in Gaza, they remain determined to reclaim agricultural fields across the Gaza Strip. These areas have always been adored by Palestinians in Gaza, where most had lived in the built-up cities. The farms provided a respite from Israel’s control over the territory and its constant wars.

“Agriculture is our life and our livelihood,” said Mohammed. “It is an important part of our Palestinian identity. Despite the destruction and danger, we will remain steadfast on our land and will replant all the land we can reach. Our children will continue after us.”

For Eid, farming is a continuation of the work of his ancestors – in towns that are now in Israel, and where he can never set foot.

“I’m 75 years old, and I still work in the fields every day,” Eid said. “My grandfather was a farmer in our hometown of Beersheba before the [1948] Nakba.”

“He taught my father, my father taught me, and today I’m passing on my agricultural expertise to my grandchildren,” Eid added. “The love of the land and agriculture is passed down from generation to generation in our family, and it can never be taken away from us.”

The UK Government issued an urgent safety alert for a travel electronic after it was identified as posing a serious risk of fire

The Government has issued an urgent safety warning for households who’ve recently bought a particular travel item or are planning a holiday in the near future. In a recent product safety report published on Wednesday, February 18, officials announced that a specific travel adapter must not be used.

This safety alert follows identification of the product as presenting a “serious risk” of fire during use. According to the government’s official website, the travel adapter fails to “conform to the dimensional requirements” of BS 1363 (the British Standard for 13-amp plugs, socket-outlets, and adapters), whilst also containing an undersized fuse.

The item in question is a black plug manufactured by the brand Decqle.

The product subject to the safety alert includes:

• Decqle Universal Travel Adapter – model number DQZ9.

They can also be identified by the following numbers: B0D95K3NV3, 1031-YSR3013, and 10433514U000010, reports the Express.

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It additionally carries the PSD notification number: 2602-0096. A Product Safety Database (PSD) notification number is a unique identifier allocated to reports of unsafe or non-compliant products submitted to the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).

The risk description read: “The product presents a serious risk of fire because the plug does not meet the dimensional requirements of BS 1363 and the fuse is too small.

“The fuse is required to ensure the safe operation of the product under fault conditions, and its absence could lead to the plug overheating and/or exploding. Improvements are also required to the product labelling and marking.

“The product does not meet the requirements of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 or the Plugs & Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994.”

As the travel adaptor was imported into the UK, it has been turned away at the border as a corrective action.

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Los Angeles city officials may be empowered to remove homeless encampments from hillside areas at severe risk of fire, even without the property owner’s permission, under a proposal that the City Council moved forward on Tuesday.

The proposal would allow the city to remove hazardous materials, including homeless encampments, from private property in hillside areas in “Very High Fire Severity Zones,” including in the Santa Monica and Verdugo Mountains.

By an 11-3 vote, the council directed the city attorney to draft changes to the municipal code, which the council will then vote on at a later date.

“Prevention [of fires] is the most cost-effective tool we have,” said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who sponsored the proposal. “When we are in imminent threat of wildfires, especially as it relates to or is exacerbated by these types of encampments, we have a duty to act.”

Rubbish fires, many related to homeless encampments, have skyrocketed over the last several years, according to Los Angeles Fire Department data. Rodriguez said there have been five wildfires in her northeast San Fernando Valley district since she took office in 2017, though none was caused by an encampment.

Between 2018 and 2024, about 33% of all fires in the city, and more than 40% of rubbish fires, involved homeless Angelenos, according to the LAFD.

Rodriguez said the city is often left flat-footed when encampments pop up on hillsides and property owners don’t help address the issue.

“If a private property owner is not responsive, it puts the rest of the hillside community under threat,” Rodriguez said in an interview.

Rodriguez’s motion said it’s often difficult for city departments, including police and fire, to get permission from property owners to enter.

“It can take weeks to determine property ownership and to obtain the necessary signoffs from property owners to access the property, causing unnecessary delays and increasing the risk for a serious fire and threats to public safety,” the motion reads.

Some council members argued that while they agreed with the intent of the proposal, some details needed to be addressed.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez — who voted against the proposal — said he was concerned that homeless people would end up getting shuffled around the city.

“What I don’t want to see is this being used as a tool to push homeless folks from one side of the street to the other side of the street,” he said before casting his vote.

Soto-Martínez said he wouldn’t vote for the proposal until the city developed a definition of what a fire hazard is.

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado also voted against the proposal, saying she wanted the council to do more research before changing the municipal code.

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez was the third “no” vote.

Connor Cipolla, an Eaton wildfire survivor, last year praised Southern California Edison’s plan of burying more than 60 miles of electric lines in Altadena as it rebuilds to reduce the risk of fire.

Then he learned he would have to pay $20,000 to $40,000 to connect his home, which was damaged by smoke and ash, to Edison’s new underground line. A nearby neighbor received an estimate for $30,000, he said.

“Residents are so angry,” Cipolla said. “We were completely blindsided.”

Other residents have tracked the wooden stakes Edison workers put up, showing where crews will dig. They’ve found dozens of places where deep trenches are planned under oak and pine trees that survived the fire. In addition to the added costs they face, they fear many trees will die as crews cut their roots.

“The damage is being done now and it’s irreversible,” homeowner Robert Steller said, pointing Maiden Lane to where an Edison crew was working.

For a week, Steller, who lost his home in the fire, parked his Toyota 4Runner over a recently dug trench. He said he was trying to block Edison’s crew from burying a large transformer between two towering deodar cedar trees. The work would “be downright fatal” to the decades-old trees, he said.

Altadena resident Robert Steller stands in front of his Toyota 4Runner that he parked strategically to prevent a Southern California Edison crew from digging too close to two towering cedar trees.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

The buried lines are an upgrade that will make Altadena’s electrical grid safer and more reliable, Edison says, and it also will lower the risk that the company would have to black out Altadena neighborhoods during dangerous Santa Ana winds to prevent fires.

Brandon Tolentino, an Edison vice president, said the company was trying to find government or charity funding to help homeowners pay to connect to the buried lines. In the meantime, he said, Edison decided to allow owners of homes that survived the fire to keep their overhead connections until financial help was available.

Tolentino added that the company planned meetings to listen to residents’ concerns, including about the trees. He said crews were trained to stop work when they find tree roots and switch from using a backhoe to digging by hand to protect them.

“We’re minimizing the impact on the trees as we [put lines] underground or do any work in Altadena,” he said.

Although placing cables underground is a fire prevention measure, consumer advocates point out it’s not the most cost-effective step Edison can take to reduce the risk.

Undergrounding electric wires can cost more than $6 million per mile, according to the state Public Utilities Commission, far more than building overhead wires.

Because utility shareholders put up part of the money needed to pay for burying the lines, the expensive work means they will earn more profit. Last year, the commission agreed Edison investors could earn an annual return of 10.03% on that money.

Edison said in April it would spend as much as $925 million to underground and rebuild its grid in Altadena and Malibu, where the Palisades fire caused devastation. That amount of construction spending will earn Edison and its shareholders more than $70 million in profit before taxes — an amount billed to electric customers — in the first year, according to calculations by Mark Ellis, the former chief economist for Sempra, the parent company of Southern California Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric.

That annual return will continue over the decades while slowly decreasing each year as the assets are depreciated, Ellis said.

“They’re making a nice profit on this,” he said.

Tolentino said the company wasn’t doing the work to profit.

“The primary reason for undergrounding is the wildfire mitigation,” he said. “Our focus is supporting the community as they rebuild.”

It’s unclear if the Eaton fire would have been less disastrous if Altadena’s neighborhood power lines had been buried. The blaze ignited under Edison’s towering transmission lines that run down the mountainside in Eaton Canyon. Those lines carry bulk power through Edison’s territory. The power lines being put underground are the smaller distribution lines, which carry power to homes.

A power line outside the home of Altadena resident Connor Cipolla.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

The investigation into the fire’s cause has not yet been released. Edison says a leading theory is that one of the Eaton Canyon transmission lines, which hadn’t carried power for 50 years, might have briefly reenergized, sparking the blaze. The fire killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes, businesses and other structures.

Edison said it has no plans to bury those transmission lines.

The high cost of undergrounding has become a contentious issue in Sacramento because, under state rules, most or all of it is billed to all customers of the utility.

Before the Eaton fire, Edison won praise from consumer advocates by installing insulated overhead wires that sharply cut the risk of the lines sparking a fire for a fraction of the cost. Since 2019, the company has installed more than 6,800 miles of the insulated wires.

“A dollar spent reconductoring with covered conductor provides … over four times as much value in wildfire risk mitigation as a dollar spent on underground conversion,” Edison said in testimony before the utilities commission in 2018.

By comparison, Pacific Gas & Electric has relied more on undergrounding its lines to reduce the risk of fire, pushing up customer utility bills. Now Edison has shifted to follow PG&E’s example.

Mark Toney, executive director of the the Utility Reform Network, a consumer group in San Francisco, said his staff estimates Edison spends $4 million per mile to underground wires compared with $800,000 per mile for installing insulated lines.

By burying more lines, customer bills and Edison’s profits could soar, Toney said.

“Five times the cost is equal to five times the profit,” he said.

Last spring, Pedro Pizarro, chief executive of Edison International, told Gov. Gavin Newsom about the company’s undergrounding plans in a letter. Pizarro wrote that rules at the utility commission would require Altadena and Malibu homeowners to pay to underground the electric wire from their property line to the panel on their house. He estimated it would cost $8,000 to $10,000 for each home.

Residents who need to dig long trenches may pay far more than that, said Cipolla, who is a member of the Altadena Town Council.

An oak tree stands tall in an area impacted by the Eaton fires. Homeowners worry such trees could be at risk in the undergrounding work.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

Last week, Cipolla showed a reporter the electrical panel on the back of his house, which is many yards away from where he needs to connect to Edison’s line. The company also initially wanted him to dig up the driveway he poured seven years ago, he said. Edison later agreed to a location that avoids the driveway.

Tolentino said Edison’s crews were working with homeowners concerned about the company’s planned locations for the buried lines.

“We understand it is a big cost and we’re looking at different sources to help them,” he said.

At the same time, some residents are fuming that, despite the undergrounding work, most of the town’s neighborhoods still will have overhead telecommunications lines. In other areas of the state, the telecommunications companies have worked with the electric utilities to bury all the lines, eliminating the visual clutter.

So far, the telecom companies have agreed to underground only a fraction of their lines in Altadena, Tolentino said.

Cipolla said Edison executives told him they eventually plan to chop off the top of new utility poles the company installed after the fire, leaving the lower portion that holds the telecom lines.

“There is no beautification aspect to it whatsoever,” Cipolla said.

As for the trees, Steller and other residents are asking Edison to adjust its construction map to avoid digging near those that remain after the fire. Altadena lost more than half of its tree cover in the blaze and as crews cleared lots of debris.

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1. A pedestrian walks past Christmas Tree lane in Altadena. Christmas Tree Lane was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. 2. A “We Love Altadena” sign hangs from a shrub on Christmas Tree Lane. 3. Parts of a chopped down tree rest on a street curb in Altadena.

Wynne Wilson, a fire survivor and co-founder of Altadena Green, pointed out that the lot across the street from the giant cedar trees on Maiden Lane has no vegetation, making it a better place for Edison’s transformer.

“This is needless,” Wilson said. “People are dealing with so much. Is Edison thinking we won’t fight over this?”

Carolyn Hove, raising her voice to be heard over the crew operating a jackhammer in front of her home, asked: “How much more are we supposed to go through?”

Hove said she doesn’t blame the crews of subcontractors the utility hired, but Edison’s management.

“It’s bad enough our community was decimated by a fire Edison started,” she said. “We’re still very traumatized, and then to have this happen.”

Feb. 11 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s National Fire Agency warned that choking incidents involving rice cakes and other foods tend to spike around major holidays, with older adults accounting for most victims.

A Seoul resident in his 60s recalled nearly choking while eating tteokguk, a traditional Lunar New Year soup, after a piece of rice cake lodged in his throat. He said he now cuts rice cakes into smaller pieces and eats more slowly.

The fire agency said an analysis of rescue statistics from 2021 through 2025 found an annual average of 239 people were transported to hospitals for airway obstruction caused by rice cakes or other foods.

During the same period, authorities recorded 1,487 related emergency responses and 1,196 hospital transports. Of those taken to hospitals, 455 people, or 38.1%, were in cardiac arrest, the agency said. Another 741 people, or 61.9%, were reported as injured, underscoring that choking can become life-threatening.

During the Lunar New Year holiday period over the past five years, 31 people were transported for choking incidents involving rice cakes or food, averaging 1.3 people per day.

Older adults made up nearly all of those cases. Among the 31 patients transported during the holiday period, 29 were ages 60 or older, or 96.7%, the agency said, citing factors such as increased meal frequency and faster eating during holiday gatherings.

Officials also pointed to age-related declines in chewing strength and swallowing function, warning that tough or sticky foods such as rice cakes can more easily block the airway when eaten quickly.

The agency urged families to watch elderly relatives during meals, particularly when they are eating alone, and encouraged the public to learn the Heimlich maneuver and use it immediately if someone shows signs of choking or breathing difficulty.

A fire official in Gyeonggi Province said most holiday choking transports involve seniors and can quickly lead to cardiac arrest if breathing is blocked.

Acting Fire Service Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong urged people not to eat too quickly or overeat during the holiday period and asked family members to closely monitor elderly relatives while they eat.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260202010000583

Brits with dual-citizenships have been told they could be refused entry back into the UK from February 25, 2026, under new ETA rules if they travel abroad without the correct documents

British passport holders could find themselves barred from re-entering the UK from February 25, 2026, under stringent new travel regulations that require additional documentation for entry into the country.

From later this month, the UK will get stricter with its Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for all visitors, including those from the EU, USA, and other visa-exempt countries, meaning they’ll need digital clearance before arrival. The system will apply across all modes of transport – aeroplanes, ferries, and Eurostar services – with strict carrier inspections in place. Whilst the average British citizen won’t be impacted by these measures, dual nationals holding multiple passports could face significant complications.

While residents under the EU Settlement scheme or Leave to Remain arrangements are exempt, as their foreign passports contain evidence of their approved UK residency, those with dual citizenship and multiple passports have been cautioned they may struggle to return back to the UK if they overlook one crucial detail.

With the Government recently announcing tougher enforcement of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and eVisa verification at border control, an immigration solicitor has issued an urgent reminder to British dual nationals to carry out one essential check before jetting off on holiday. A UK immigration lawyer and legal expert has issued an urgent warning to Brits on social media, particularly those holding dual citizenship who could face serious travel disruptions.

Skylar McKeith, who has amassed thousands of followers by demystifying British immigration laws and providing guidance on various scenarios including travel, has raised the alarm about upcoming changes that could see some British citizens refused entry to their own country.

“British citizens could be refused entry to the UK,” she cautioned in her video, before detailing how the new ETA regulations could impact British nationals.

“From the 25th February, the UK will fully enforce its ETA system,” Skylar revealed. “British citizens cannot apply for an ETA, so if you are a dual citizen and you travel on your non-UK foreign passport, you may be refused boarding.”

From 25 February 2026, visitors from 85 countries, including the United States, Canada, and France, who previously didn’t require a visa will be unable to legally enter the UK without obtaining an ETA.

The enforcement of these new rules means that everyone wishing to enter the UK must secure digital permission through either an ETA or an eVisa, with carriers conducting checks before passengers travel.

Whilst this may seem complicated, it simply means that British citizens holding multiple different citizenships need to carefully consider which passport they use when travelling. Skylar went on to to share her essential advice on navigating this situation.

“The solution is simple,” Skylar advised. “Travel on your British passport, or a foreign passport with a certificate of entitlement.”

A Certificate of Entitlement (CoE) is an official endorsement, usually a vignette in a foreign passport, that confirms a person’s right of abode in the UK, granting them unrestricted living and working rights. Those eligible can apply for these documents via the government’s website at a cost of £589.

For those juggling multiple passports, it’s generally suggested to carry all of them while travelling as it provides more options for visa-free entry. It’s also recommended to use your home country’s passport when entering or returning to that country.

Since the introduction of ETA in October 2023, over 13.3 million travellers have successfully applied, enjoying quicker and smoother journeys. ETA has become an essential aspect of travel, including for passengers taking connecting flights and passing through UK passport control.

A POPULAR family-run theme park is at risk of closing forever after it was forced into liquidation.

Brean Theme Park in Somerset originally opened back in 1946 as a camp site and later grew, but soon will close for good.

The theme park, which calls itself the ‘UK’s largest free-entry theme park’, has over 40 rides – which include indoor and outdoor rollercoasters, a ghost train and carousels.

According to The Gazette, the UK’s official public record, the theme park has gone into liquidation, with Nicholas Stafford of Hazlewoods LLP appointed as liquidator.

On February 4, ‘resolutions for winding-up’ were published in The Gazette.

It states: “NOTICE IS GIVEN that the following written resolutions of the above-named Company, were passed on 28 January 2026 as a Special resolution and Ordinary resolution respectively:

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1. That the Company be wound up voluntarily
2. That Nicholas Stafford (IP No: 27270) of Hazlewoods LLP, Staverton Court, Staverton, Cheltenham, GL51 0UX be appointed Liquidator of the Company.”

This essentially means that the company must cease trading and in other words, close.

A spokesperson has confirmed to Burnham-On-Sea.com that Brean’s Unity Holidays and Brean Splash, Brean Play and Brean Gym will be unaffected.

No official date for the closure has been announced yet but currently on the website it says the park is still set to open as usual on March 14.

The House family originally purchased the land of the theme park in 1946, with it first being a camp site.

In the 70s, it expanded to include a golf course, swimming pool, bars and a bowling alley.

Most of the rides then came in the 80s.

The park is usually open seasonally between March and October.

While entry is free, each ride costs a different amount of credits which can be purchased when you arrive.

Many people have taken to social media to share their sadness on the news.

One person said: “Aww that will be missed by a lot of people , Brean isn’t the same.”

Another added: “That’s a shame kids loved it up there.”

Brean Theme Park has been contacted for comment.

In other theme park news, the world’s first Paw Patrol land is set to open at a UK theme park in weeks – here’s what it’ll look like.

Plus, UK’s strangest (and coolest) theme park launches new ‘crazy trikes’ attraction for 2026.

A MAJOR airline has confirmed it is axing all long-haul flights from a UK airport – starting next month.

The airline will cancel its long-haul transatlantic routes to the US and the Caribbeans.

Aer Lingus will stop flying from Manchester to New York JFK from February 23.

The operator will then cease its flights to Orlando and Barbados from March 31.

In order to re-accommodate impacted passengers who were scheduled to travel to the Caribbean island from Manchester, the airline will run a service from Dublin to Barbados in April and May.

The affected customers have already been contacted and given options for a refund or rebooking.

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The airline said that the developments will not affect Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional services between Ireland and Manchester.

A spokesperson told The Sun:

An airline spokesperson told The Sun: “Aer Lingus informed staff and their representatives at its Manchester base today that the airline’s Manchester transatlantic operations will fully cease as of and from 31st March 2026.

“Manchester-New York operations will cease from 23rd February 2026 and Aer Lingus plans to operate a service from Dublin to Barbados (subject to receipt of necessary approvals) during the months of April and May to reaccommodate affected customers.

“There is no impact to Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines) flights between Manchester and Ireland. Customers are being informed directly of the cancellation of flights and provided with reaccommodation and refund options.

“Aer Lingus will continue to engage with staff representative groups to discuss the phased reduction in operations, redeployment opportunities and the terms of a severance package at the Manchester Base.

“Aer Lingus acknowledges that this is a very difficult time for colleagues based in Manchester and will seek to ensure that colleagues are kept informed and supported as discussions evolve during the next phase of the consultation.”

In the past, the airline has said that its long-haul routes from Manchester had an operating margin that “significantly lags behind” that of Ireland.

About 200 employees at the base, which Aer Lingus launched in 2021, could be impacted if the closure goes ahead.