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RYANAIR is offering bargain rescue flights to any easyJet travellers faced with cancellations at a major UK airport.

EasyJet announced earlier this week that it will be axing all of its flights from Leeds Bradford Airport.

The last flight will be on January 5, 2027.

Destinations the airline flies to from the airport include Paris, Barcelona and Malaga.

Now, Ryanair has announced that it will be launching ‘rescue fares’ from £29.99 for passengers impacted by easyJet’s flight cancellations at Leeds Bradford Airport.

From today, Ryanair flights between Leeds Bradford and Malaga in Spain, will be £29.99.

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Ryanair currently operates 10 weekly flights between Leeds and the Spanish holiday hotspot.

Travellers will be able to book the rescue fares between now and the end of February 2027.

Ryanair’s Director of Comms, Jade Kirwan, said: “While easyJet abandons Leeds Bradford, cutting its full schedule from 5 Jan 2027, Ryanair is saving the day with rescue fares from just £29.99 for affected passengers – particularly those booked to fly easyJet from Leeds Bradford to Malaga, who can now switch to one of Ryanair’s 10 Malaga services per week.

“Ryanair’s rescue fares are available to book now on the Ryanair app/website.”

When easyJet announced that the airline will be scrapping flights from Leeds Bradford Airport, a spokesperson said: “Following a review of our routes from Leeds Bradford Airport, we have made the decision to no longer operate flights from the airport after 5 January.

“Our focus is on maintaining and developing routes which prove most popular with customers.

“We value the relationship we have built with Leeds Bradford Airport and we always keep options for our network under review, with the aim of providing more choice and connectivity where we see demand.”

A US federal appeals court says EPA likely acted unlawfully in trying to cancel Biden-era clean energy grants.

A United States federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration likely broke the law when it tried to cancel a multibillion-dollar clean energy programme, dealing a blow to the president’s broader push to dismantle Biden-era climate policies.

The full US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled on Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot freeze roughly $20bn in grants awarded to nonprofit groups for clean energy projects, reversing an earlier decision by the same court.

But the money will not be released immediately. The ruling has been temporarily put on hold to give the EPA time to ask the US Supreme Court to intervene.

At the centre of the dispute is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a programme created by Congress through former US President Joe Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

The programme, often referred to as a “green bank”, was designed to give federal money to nonprofit organisations that would give out loans and invest in small energy projects, energy-efficient buildings and clean-energy infrastructure.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has been trying to dismantle the programme, saying it doesn’t align with his agency’s priorities and accusing its recipients of fraud, waste and mismanagement.

In a video posted on social media last February, Zeldin described the fund as an example of government waste.

“Shockingly, roughly $20bn of your tax dollars were parked at an outside financial institution by the Biden EPA,” he said. “This pot of $20bn was awarded to just eight entities that were then responsible for doling out your money to NGOs and others at their discretion.”

“The days of irresponsibly shovelling boatloads of cash to far-left activist groups in the name of environmental justice and climate equity are over,” he added.

The following month, the EPA froze billions of dollars that were being held at Citibank to be distributed as grants.

The organisations, which included the Climate United Fund, Coalition for Green Capital and three others, denied any wrongdoing and sued, arguing the administration was illegally withholding money already approved by Congress and attempting to kill the programme because it opposed its climate goals, not because of evidence of fraud.

Tuesday’s decision overturns a ruling by a three-judge panel of the same appeals court last September that sided with the administration. The full appeals court agreed to revisit that decision, a rare move reserved for significant cases.

The majority of judges said the EPA’s attempt to terminate the grants and claw back the money “based solely on a policy disagreement” likely violated the Inflation Reduction Act. It also said the agency hadn’t provided assurance that it would leave the funds untouched if the injunction were lifted.

The ruling restores an order issued last year by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who found the EPA had failed to justify cancelling the grants and warned the administration was encroaching on Congress’s power to decide how federal money is spent.

The case is one of several legal challenges to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to reverse Biden’s climate agenda. Since returning to office, Trump has rolled back environmental regulations, expanded support for fossil fuel production and sought to unwind clean energy initiatives, arguing they impose unnecessary costs on businesses and consumers.

At the time, Kerr gave his answer as the bell tolled. In a flash, he made his move, bursting to the outside in pursuit of Myers and Cheruiyot, who made theirs momentarily first.

With 250m to go, Kerr left them behind. Wightman gamely tried to follow but how do you chase down a man this fast? His brave gamble failed and the bronze medallist from the last two Games trailed home in sixth.

By then, Kerr was already celebrating gold, with Myers coming through for silver and Cheruiyot bronze.

“I peeked up at the screen, saw I had a bit of a gap, and I felt great,” added the Edinburgh athlete, who has been racing at Scotstoun since he was a child.

“I was just trying to stay present and enjoy it. I learned how to race on that track – and I’ve had some pretty bad ones out there – so to really enjoy that last 100m was a really important moment.”

It was the moment Glasgow 2026 has been building to. The historic, reinstated, Blue Riband event of these Games got a fittingly elite winner. As a student of the sport’s history, Kerr will appreciate that.

And as a kid who was at the athletics event at Hampden in 2014, he knew how much joy every man, women and child inside this place would derive from every picture he had taken, every word he shared with them, and every scrawl of his name.

“I have to take my time out there because they’ve waited and put their hard-earned money to come out and watch me perform,” he said.

“You’ve got to stay in your lane and realise I’m lucky coming into this championship healthy, ready to go and I’m in the best shape of my life. And to do that in front of a home crowd is very special.”

A NUMBER of airlines have changed their seat allocation rules – and it means you’ll have to shell out more cash.

The Lufthansa Group, which owns Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Discover Airlines, has announced a change to the way seats are handed out.

Passengers will still be allocated a seat at check-in, but if they want to change it, they will now need to pay.

The change applies to the airlines’ long-haul flights across Economy and Premium economy.

Before this change, travellers who hadn’t booked a seat in advance would be given a standard seat at check-in, which they could then change free of charge if they wanted to.

The rules are already in place on some short and medium-haul flights, but now extend to lots of long-haul Economy and Premium Economy tickets.

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Prices to swap your seat will depend on a number of different factors including your flight route and departure point.

As an example, according to Travel Mole, swapping your standard Economy seat on many intercontinental routes with Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa could set you back between €25 (£21.36) and €45 (£38.46).

Lufthansa Group has said that it will try to keep families together though, where possible.

The airline group has said the change has been introduced to make fares “more transparent”, so travellers only pay for the services they want.

The new rules came into effect on July 1 and the seat allocation process and any wanted changes take place at check-in.

A number of people have taken to Reddit to share their outrage for the new rule.

One person commented: “Why are they so busy trying to compete with Ryanair.”

Another added: “Next they will charge us if we think about our seat.”

Adam Ramsay-Peaty becomes the latest to face the latter situation on Saturday – in the 100m breaststroke final at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, shortly after 21:00 BST.

The greatest breaststroker the world has seen is on his own journey – one which he hopes ends with a third individual gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in two years’ time.

Manoeuvring into his slipstream is 18-year-old Filip Nowacki.

Master meet apprentice.

Not only has Nowacki started to pick off Ramsay-Peaty’s age-group records, he is part of the 31-year-old’s AP Race stable – the programme set up to develop the next generation.

Ramsay-Peaty has spoken of wanting to mentor and pass on advice to his young pretender. Last year, Nowacki repaid him by breaking his 100m breaststroke junior British record.

Ramsay-Peaty, who is chasing a 33rd major gold of a glittering career, appeared in no mood to hand over the baton in Friday’s semi-finals.

There is uncertainty around a broken finger suffered in June but, side by side in lanes four and five, Ramsay-Peaty built an early lead and held off the youngster in the second length. Nowacki was close but never quite close enough.

“I saw his front wave, but at the same time that is what I train for,” Ramsay-Peaty said.

“I know I am a sprinter. I know I can go out fast.”

Nowacki, who competes for Jersey here having learned to swim under the tutelage of Nathan Jegou on the Channel Island, is arguably best in the 200m event – a distance Ramsay-Peaty does not race.

In this shorter contest, it is the youngster who should stay stronger for longer.

And when they spoke afterwards alongside each other, Ramsay-Peaty, all chest and tattooed muscle, towered over his young rival – so much so you would be forgiven for thinking the pair compete in different sports.

Nowacki appeared wary of Ramsay-Peaty but there is a cheeky confidence within.

“Course I do,” he laughed when asked if he believes he can win.

“No, I wish, I’m gonna give it my best shot” was his quick addition.

Nowacki was not long out of armbands when Ramsay-Peaty won gold in this same pool at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

That was his emergence on to the global stage and two years later the Englishman won his first Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro. Nowacki was only eight years old.

“Adam is a true role model in the sport,” Nowacki said.

“I grew up watching him race at Rio, Tokyo and Paris.

“To race him and not be a random competitor but give him a race is special to me.”

The pair should compete as Team GB team-mates in LA but are also racing for their own personal ambitions on Saturday.

Despite winning an emotional silver at the Olympics in Paris two years ago, Ramsay-Peaty has not stood atop a major podium since the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.

In that meet he won the 50m crown but lost his 100m title to James Wilby. A “self-destructive spiral” amid issues with his mental health, which led to him considering his future in the sport, soon followed.

If Nowacki wins a medal it would be Jersey’s first at the Commonwealth Games for 36 years. They have only ever won one gold medal.

Australia’s Sam Williamson, who won the first semi-final, will also have something to say.

“It is going to be a good scrap, especially down that last 25m, and I do love a good scrap,” Ramsay-Peaty said.

He would never go quietly.

Two more airports could ditch the need for Brits to register their biometric details when entering the Schengen area in the hope of avoiding ‘disaster’ this summer

The EU’s new travel rules have caused growing concerns for the peak travel season, prompting a number of destinations to look at options to waive them for holidaymakers.

The European Union’s (EU) Entry/Exit System (EES) was fully rolled out on 10 April 2026, requiring all Brits heading to the Schengen area to “create a digital record” and register their biometric details, including fingerprints and a photograph. While it’s been successful in many countries, it continues to cause significant travel disruption at European airports.

There have been reports of Brits being asked to submit their biometric information again, despite having already provided it on their first visit to the Schengen zone. Holidaymakers have also been stuck in gruelling queues lasting up to four hours as they attempt to navigate the digital border system, with missed flights and ruined holiday plans.

In an attempt to ease the travel chaos, particularly during peak travel times, Greece opted to waive the EU requirement for Brits to provide fingerprints and facial scans at airport border controls earlier this year. In an official statement, the Greek Embassy confirmed: “In the framework of the implementation of the Entry/Exit System, as of 10 April 2026, British passport holders are exempt from biometric registration at Greek border crossing points.”

Now, it appears that Rome Fiumicino Airport and Rome Ciampino Airport could join Greece in waiving the EU requirements in a bid to avoid “disaster” during the peak summer travel months.

Aeroporti di Roma Chief Executive Officer Marco Troncone told the Financial Times, “We are very worried for the summer”, and said his concerns were an “eight or nine” out of 10. He added: “The process proves to be incompatible with the peak volumes that we are going to face. So the only way is to open up the valve. There is no way that we can deliver 100% of the enrolment.”

While Rome is yet to make such a change, Greece remains the only country to have officially eased the EU requirements for British travellers. However, an EU official has indicated that European airports could relax EES requirements until September this year.

Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of Frontex, which helps to manage the external borders of the EU, said earlier this month: “We have until the end of the summer, the possibility during the tourism season to lift the biometric controls or the biometric registration temporarily.

“If there is a peak hour, you see that there are hundreds of people queuing, their queues are getting too long, then member states still have the possibility to lift biometric registration. The EU has considered, for the period of summer, to make sure that there is still some relief for the worst-case scenario.”

The new digital border system is required for the initial arrival at the airport border within the Schengen zone and has replaced the traditional manual passport-stamping process. Once the initial registration is complete, the EES remains valid for three years.

Countries in the Schengen area include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Meanwhile, the EES system is not needed for travel to the Republic of Ireland and Cyprus, as neither falls within the Schengen area.

The Foreign Office confirmed the EES change for Greece on its travel advice page. It read: “Greek authorities have indicated that they will not collect biometric data (fingerprints and photos) for UK travellers as part of EES. Follow the advice of authorities on the ground. If you are resident in Greece, make sure to show your residence documentation at passport control to ensure you are not registered in EES.”

Some of the major mainland airports in Greece include: the International Airport of Athens, Thessaloniki International Airport, Kalamata International Airport and Aktion National Airport. Meanwhile, those on the islands include Corfu International Airport, Kefalonia International Airport and Zakynthos International Airport.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

THE summer of warned EES chaos is almost upon us – but two airports are set to scrap the new entry rules for Brits.

Both Rome Fiumicino Airport and Rome Ciampino Airport could suspend the requirements to avoid length queues at passport control.

Talking to the Financial Times, Aeroporti di Roma Chief Executive Officer Marco Troncone said that allowing passengers to skip EES checks is the only way to avoid “disaster”.

He added “we are very worried for the summer” and rated his concerns an “eight or nine” out of 10.  

Marco Troncone said: “The process proves to be incompatible with the peak volumes that we are going to face. 

“So the only way is to open up the valve. There is no way that we can deliver 100 per cent of the enrolment.”

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These two Italian airports can be particularly busy during the summer period.

Rome Fiumicino Airport sees over five million passengers per month during the peak summer travel season.

In recent years, numbers have been as high as 180,000 in a single day.

Rome Ciampino Airport is a little quieter but can still see up to 3.9million total passengers per year.

During the summer, there are estimates of up to 400,000 passengers per month through the airport, according to Aeroporti di Roma.

EES requires UK and other non-EU nationals to register at the border with their biometrics and will replace manual passport stamping.

But since their introduction there have been reported issues which have caused up to six- hour queues through airports.

Another issue was raised by Olivier Jankovec, head of the airports industry group ACI Europe.

H said that one of the biggest problems is that the self-service EES points “don’t work”.

He also said that there is congestion caused by a lack of organisation.

Once enrolled with EES, travellers should be able to go through gates automatically on future trips without needing to use the machines again.

But at the moment, lots of airports haven’t introduced separate queues for those who have already completed EES checks which is adding to wait times.

Queues at passport control have been so long at some airports that passengers have missed flights.

Earlier this month, a Ryanair flight was forced to leave up to 50 of its passengers behind when they were stuck in Athens Airport in what they dubbed a ‘mega queue’.

In April, an easyJet flight left Milan Airport without all of its passengers who were stuck in border control queues.

Harare, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwean lawmakers have approved a bill that would replace direct presidential elections with a vote by parliament, a proposal that supporters say would promote policy continuity but that opponents fear could weaken democratic accountability and further entrench the ruling party’s grip on power.

“I just cannot believe that these are the people who want to elect a president on behalf of everyone,” Barnabas Gura, a 38-year-old from Harare’s Glen View suburb, told Al Jazeera.

“Only 210 members of parliament vote on behalf of a population of 15 million. It is preposterous.”

On Thursday, Constitutional Amendment Bill No 3 passed the National Assembly after 216 lawmakers voted in favour and 42 against. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it is also expected to secure the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments.

The bill seeks to amend Zimbabwe’s 2013 Constitution by replacing the direct election of the president with election by a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, the bill’s sponsor, has rejected criticism that the proposed changes would undermine Zimbabwe’s constitutional order.

Speaking in parliament on June 3, Ziyambi said the bill was “not an abandonment of our constitutional order in any way, shape or form but a continuation of it”.

“It is a product of practical and experience of institutional reflection and of honesty that after more than a decade of implementation of certain provisions of the constitution requires refinement to enhance their functionality, coherence and their service to national progress,” he told lawmakers.

Ziyambi said there was considerable misinformation surrounding the bill, particularly on social media.

“This bill does not give the president a term extension or a third term. It does not take away the right to vote. It does not postpone elections. It does not concentrate power or the running of elections in the hands of the president,” he said.

Opponents, however, dispute that interpretation and argue the proposed changes would strengthen President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s influence over the political system and could pave the way for him to remain in office beyond the end of his constitutional term in 2028.

Bill threatens democracy

Supporters of the bill, including lawmakers from the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), say the changes would promote long-term policy continuity and give Mnangagwa more time to complete his development agenda.

Gura is unconvinced.

He said two more years would not improve the lives of Zimbabweans struggling with poverty.

“Mnangagwa has failed for the past eight years. Only a few who are close to the ruling class are benefiting. More time will not make any difference,” he said.

ZANU-PF has been in power since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. Mnangagwa came to power in November 2017 after former President Robert Mugabe was removed from office following a military intervention.

Under the current constitution, Mnangagwa is due to leave office in 2028.

Pride Mkono, a social justice activist and human rights defender, said the proposed amendment would further entrench ZANU-PF’s dominance.

“Since independence, the ZANU-PF party has dominated politics until 2000, when it was challenged by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. However, the opposition is now comatose and lacks capacity to challenge it,” Mkono told Al Jazeera.

“So, we will effectively enter a one-party state, but one dominated by a cartel of individuals.”

He said the objective of the proposed changes was not to improve the lives of ordinary people.

“It means a continuation of economic and social services collapse and mass impoverishment of the masses,” Mkono said.

Obert Masaraure, a human rights defender and president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), said the amendment would severely weaken the country’s fragile democracy.

“Power will be usurped from the people, and the executive acting in concert with the elites will freely loot national resources, exploit workers, destroy the environment and dehumanise our people without any restraint,” Masaraure told Al Jazeera.

Young people such as Gura say they have little reason to believe extending Mnangagwa’s tenure would improve their prospects.

He argues that removing direct presidential elections would strip citizens of one of the few mechanisms available to hold leaders accountable.

“This is a direct attack on accountability and transparency,” he said, adding that ZANU-PF had promised jobs ahead of the 2018 elections but failed to deliver.

Masaraure drew parallels with the colonial era.

“If you can not vote, you can not hold anyone accountable,” he said.

Violence and intimidation

A parliamentary committee report tabled in the National Assembly earlier this month said 99.4 percent of submissions received during nationwide consultations supported the proposed changes.

But the consultation process was marred by allegations of intimidation and violence.

Activists and rights groups say suspected state security agents abducted and tortured several opponents of the bill.

In Chiredzi, suspected ZANU-PF youths assaulted activist Gilbert Mutebuki after preventing him from speaking against the bill during a public hearing in late March.

Gura said he was also denied an opportunity to speak, along with other citizens opposed to the proposal.

Rawlings Magede, senior programme lead at Heal Zimbabwe Trust, disputed the parliamentary committee’s findings.

“It is not true that most people are in support of the bill. Those supporting it are only a few who think that by supporting the bill, they will get some rewards. People are desperate for gifts,” Magede told Al Jazeera.

He said the reported level of support was misleading and did not reflect the views of many Zimbabweans.

ZANU-PF controls parliament

The ruling party controls both the National Assembly and the Senate.

Its parliamentary dominance grew after the 2023 elections, when Senator Sengezo Tshabangu recalled a number of CCC legislators, strengthening ZANU-PF’s position in parliament.

Critics say many opposition lawmakers who remained in parliament are politically vulnerable because of Tshabangu’s influence.

The opposition remains fragmented and has struggled to mount a coordinated challenge to the ruling party.

Mkono said that although ZANU-PF enjoys a two-thirds majority in parliament, passage of the bill was never really in doubt.

To prevent individual lawmakers from voting independently, he said, the party wanted an open vote by show of hands.

“This is subtle intimidation and closes all avenues for genuine expression of MPs’ views. It is as archaic as it is diabolic,” he said.

Wicknell Chivayo, a controversial businessman and ally of Mnangagwa, has faced accusations from critics of attempting to influence lawmakers through gifts of cash and vehicles.

In April, he offered legislators $3.6m if they passed the bill before withdrawing the offer following public criticism, including from some ZANU-PF youths.

During debate on the bill, Chivayo gave vehicles and cash to MPs Remigious Matangira and Samantha Mureyani after they spoke in support of it in the National Assembly. Critics have described such gifts as inducements intended to influence support for the bill.

Tatenda Chikumbu, from Kambuzuma, another densely populated suburb of Harare, said he has little faith in lawmakers.

“If they can be bribed and vote for the bill, how can I trust them to vote for the president once the amendment is done?” Chikumbu asked Al Jazeera.

Susan Matsunga, an opposition MP who received a vehicle from Chivayo, supported the bill during debates last week.

During voting in the National Assembly on Thursday, more than 30 opposition lawmakers voted in favour of the bill.

Courts are the last line of defence

With the bill now headed to the Senate, opponents are increasingly looking to the courts.

Mkono said legal challenges could slow the process, but argued that political mobilisation offered the strongest response.

“Social movements must be launched and all concerned Zimbabweans come together to fight this politically. That is the only viable option,” he said.

Several legal challenges are already before the courts.

Some citizens are suing their MPs for supporting the bill. Others are challenging proposals that could extend Mnangagwa’s tenure. Human rights activist Youngerson Matete has approached the High Court seeking to stop enactment of the bill without a referendum.

Many Zimbabweans, however, have lost confidence in the judiciary, which critics accuse of lacking independence. The Constitutional Court has already started dismissing some of the cases based on technicalities.

For Gura, the stakes extend beyond the next election cycle.

The proposed constitutional changes, he said, would shape the future of the country his children will inherit.

“This is a direct attack on accountability and transparency,” he said.