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ABTA has issued a statement on the situation at airports across the UK, advising passengers of their rights and what steps they should take if their flight is cancelled or delayed this week

ABTA, the UK’s biggest trade travel association, has issued a statement amid air traffic control chaos at British airports which has continued into a second day.

According to BBC figures, obtained from aviation analytics firm Cirium, 1,750 flights were cancelled yesterday (Tuesday, September 8), and more than 150 have been cancelled today so far. Significant delays are also expected to persist today due to the knock-on effect of yesterday’s cancellations.

At least 16 major UK airports have been affected by the wave of cancellations, which are due to a major technical problem impacting National Air Traffic Services (NATS), leading ABTA to issue advice to affected passengers.

Luke Petherbridge, director of public affairs at ABTA, said in a statement: “If your flight has been delayed or cancelled customers will have rights, which will vary depending on whether they booked their flight separately or as part of a package.

“ABTA members will be supporting those booked with them, to help make alternative arrangements, and we have advice on abta.com to help people understand their rights.

“While the immediate priority is supporting customers, as this isn’t the first NATS outage to cause widespread disruption, the industry and the public will want answers as to what has gone wrong, what lessons are being learned, and how the system will be made more resilient to avoid this happening again.”

ABTA has advised passengers to visit it FAQs page, which gives passengers a breakdown of their rights if a flight is delayed or cancelled. If a flight is delayed, your airline is required to offer certain support, from refreshments to accommodation and transfers, depending on the length of the delay and the route.

ABTA also says: “If the delay exceeds five hours, your airline must offer you the choice of taking a refund of the flight cost.” However, it’s unlikely passengers hit by today’s delays and cancellations will be able to claim for additional compensation. It states: “if it wasn’t the airline’s fault, you won’t be entitled to receive any compensation. Delays caused by things like extreme weather, airport or air traffic control strikes or other ‘extraordinary circumstances’ are not eligible for compensation.”

For those hit by cancellations, ABTA says: “If your flight is cancelled and you’re departing from the UK, your airline must offer you the choice of a replacement flight at the earliest opportunity or a refund.”

It advises: “If you were at the airport when your flight was cancelled, and you’ve chosen rerouting, you’re also entitled to care and assistance while you wait to be rerouted. This usually means food, drink, access to communications (e.g. two free phone calls) plus accommodation and the necessary transfers if the replacement flight departs the next day or later.”

Airlines affected by delays and cancellations include London-Heathrow, Gatwick, London-Stansted, London-City, London=-Southend, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Liverpool John Lennon, Aberdeen, Belfast, EMA, Southampton, Leeds and Jersey.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

EXCLUSIVE Great British Bake Off spin off show Extra Slice has been replaced with a new show called Second Helpings which will now run alongside the main show with new hosts too.

Channel 4 are revamping the spin off show for The Great British Bake Off for the first time in 12 years – with new hosts and a show which airs the same day the main show goes out.

Extra Slice, which has been on screen for more than a decade and was fronted by Jo Brand and Tom Allen, will be replaced by a new series called Second Helpings hosted by Bake Off superfan Jon Richardson and Loose Women star Judi Love.

They’ll be joined by celebrity guests and bakers to look at the drama that has happened earlier in the evening on Channel 4. An insider said the plan was part of a major revamp for the show this year and an overhaul which has also seen Nigella Lawson join as a new judge, replacing Prue Leith who quit earlier this year.

“This is going to be a fresh new show, very different in style to Extra Slice,” a source told the Mirror. No strangers to the Bake Off tent, Jon and Judi have both previously taken part in The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer, with varied results.

Confirming her new job, Judi said: “I’ve been lucky enough to be in the tent a few times and work alongside Jon, both were pure joy! Joining the show to talk all things baking and celebrate showstopping bakes, including some unique spins sounds like absolute blast. I can’t wait to get started and of course eat a few cakes or whatever treats they may have.”

Joking about his new job and paying tribute to the previous hosts, Jon, 43, said: “Bake Off is an institution. Jo Brand is a comedy God. Together with Tom Allen, they have made a spin off show that is warm, witty and unique. I pity the poor sap they lure into stepping into those shoes.”

Jo and Tom seem to have taken the news of the revamp well, which has ultimately seen them sidelined after fronting Extra Slice for many years. Jo was first on Extra Slice when it aired on BBC and then continued to work on Bake Off when it moved to Channel 4 in 2017.

The comedian said: “I’ve loved every minute of Extra Slice. The bakers have been brilliant, talented and remarkably calm for people whose pork pies are being discussed on national television. And working alongside my TV husband Tom has obviously been a joy, he’s always been more immaculately presented than anything in the tent.”

Tom, who joined in 2018, added: “I have loved working with the team and with the kindest person in television, Jo Brand. It’s been a joy to meet so many delightful Home Bakers from all over the world and learn about them through their cake creations. Please don’t tell anyone, but I have stolen the whisk.”

The new show will also bring viewers exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and unexpected revelations from those in the know, including Bake Off hosts and judges Alison Hammond, Noel Fielding, Paul Hollywood and new judge Nigella.

Sarah Lazenby from makers Love Productions, said: “We’re delighted to be serving up Second Helpings of Bake Off with comedy pals Jon and Judi. Together they’ll unpack all the gossip and memorable moments from the tent over a cup of tea in Cake Corner.”

Senior Commissioning Editor, Channel 4, Vivienne Molokwu agreed: “We have revamped Extra Slice by giving it a brand-new shape and a brand-new home.

“Second Helpings will be available on the same night as Bake Off meaning viewers don’t have to wait long to chew over what’s gone down in the tent. With the deliciously funny Jon and Judi at the helm we’ll all have a hilarious time talking all things sweet treats”.

Second Helpings will air weekly on Channel 4 alongside the new series of the Great British Bake Off when it begins later this month.

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Walmart sales are slumping as US consumer spending pulls back, with the economic impact of tariffs and the United States’ tensions with Iran weighing on consumers, the big-box retailer’s most recent earnings report shows.

US same-store sales rose 2.6 percent in the second quarter, according to the company’s earnings released on Thursday, falling short of the 3.8 percent forecast by analysts at LSEG. That marked the slowest quarterly increase in six years.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer said heightened petrol prices are to blame for the slowdown in spending.

“When fuel prices increase and get above $4, perhaps there’s a psychological impact to that … consumers are making trade-offs,” CFO John David Rainey said on a call with analysts on Thursday.

Prices are continuing to jump. The average price for a gallon (3.78 litres) of petrol rose to $4.10 on Thursday, up from $4.07 a week ago, according to the American Automobile Association, which tracks daily petrol prices. By comparison, the average price was $2.98 when the US and Israel first struck Iran.

The big-box retailer also said it expected $2bn in incremental fuel-related costs above its original guidance.

Sales dropped in Walmart’s US pharmacy business and also dipped elsewhere. Overall, quarterly revenue rose 3.4 percent, the slowest pace since the first quarter of fiscal 2023.

Consumers are spending more in the checkout line — 1.1 percent higher than the previous quarter — but it is still well below the 3.1 percent jump this time last year.

That comes as consumer inflation ticked up last month by 0.1 percent from the month prior and 3.4 percent from this time last year, according to the US Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The price of fresh fruit jumped 2.2 percent from a month ago, butter by 0.8 percent, and fresh fish by 1 percent, according to the BLS report.

This as overall retail sales dipped in July, dropping 0.6 percent, marking the biggest decrease since May 2025, according to the US Commerce Department data released last week.

Walmart also announced price cuts on Wednesday on 11,000 items, to be fuelled in part by the $2.9bn in tariff refunds it has received – a one-time boon – and a strategy also being deployed by rivals including Target.

Walmart said, however, that price changes took effect in July, so the effects might be more apparent in the company’s next earnings report.

“You don’t necessarily expect to have that offsetting benefit to the lower prices in the immediate period,” Rainey said.

However, fewer consumers are venturing into brick-and-mortar stores, with foot traffic increasing by 1.5 percent for the quarter, a drop from 3 percent in the previous quarter. However, Walmart’s e-commerce sales are on the upswing, with sales jumping 24 percent in the US.

As a result, Walmart upgraded its forecast for net sales growth, from 3.5–4.5 percent to 4–5 percent.

But that is limited because in-store sales are still the company’s premier offering.

“The bread and butter of the company is still in-store and in-person shopping,” Melius Research analyst Jacob Aiken-Phillips told the Reuters News Agency.

Mixed big-box earnings

Other big-box retailers also reported earnings in the last couple of days, with a pullback in consumer spending being an undertone. TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls, reported sales growth of 1 percent for the quarter, a slowdown from 6 percent the quarter before.

“Our fear is that it relates to lower ticket [less purchases per shopping trip] given wider signs of consumer weakness and price increases over the last year-and-a-half,” William Blair analyst Dylan Carden told Reuters.

That comes alongside earnings from Target, one of Walmart’s closest competitors. On Wednesday, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based big-box retailer reported net sales jumping 5.3 percent for the quarter compared to this time last year, at $26.5bn.

That was driven by a 3.6 percent rise in in-store traffic. The company has also cut prices over the last year on more than 10,000 items and received a $1bn tariff refund.

On Wall Street, Walmart is taking a hit on the heels of its earnings report, with shares down by 9.6 percent since the market opened. Other big-box retailers are lower, but not showing nearly as stark a drop. TJX stock was down 1.7 percent, and Target was down by 0.1 percent.

Aug. 19 (UPI) — A study released Wednesday shows that the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea are far hotter than normal, threatening ecosystems and coastal communities.

Parts of the oceans around Europe reached more than 42 degrees Fahrenheit above average this week in a marine heat wave hitting the area.

Climate change is the cause, said the World Weather Attribution consortium in the study.

This summer has been especially brutal in Europe, which has seen multiple heat waves with extreme temperatures and worsened by wildfires. Western Europe recorded its hottest summer on record.

In the water, the high temps harm marine life, raise jellyfish populations and increase the risk of stronger storms later in the year.

“This summer, we’ve seen some really exceptional ocean temperatures around Europe,” said Catherine Gregory, a climate scientist at the University of Bern who contributed to the study, Politico reported.

“By July, the average temperature of the entire Mediterranean Sea was just over 27C [80.6 degrees Fahrenheit], which was the highest July value on record,” she added. “We’ve had a buoy reading to the west of Mallorca measuring more than 33C [91.4F] in open water … and we’ve seen similarly extreme conditions in the North Atlantic.”

The scientists analyzed four regions: the Eastern and Western Mediterranean; the Atlantic around the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Peninsula; and the seas around Ireland and western Britain.

“We find it’s the most extreme July marine heat wave conditions in the record for the Western Mediterranean, the Celtic region and for the Bay of Biscay-Iberian Peninsula region,” Gregory told Politico.

The scientists found that climate change raised temperatures in both Mediterranean regions by 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and Iberian waters increased by 34.52 degrees. The Irish seas rose by 34.34 degrees.

Oceans absorb most of the excess heat from burning fossil fuels. The warming waters push some species to search for cooler water, while those that can’t move, such as corals or seagrasses, could see mass die-offs.

“We have what we call winners and losers. So a lot of species wane in abundance or completely disappear while others bloom and proliferate,” said John Bruno, an ecologist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and one of the study’s co-authors.

His NFL playing career is over, but Derek Carr is far from done with football.

UCLA announced this week that it has hired Carr as a special advisor to football coach Bob Chesney, and that the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback will assist with the Bruins’ offensive staff in game-planning strategy.

“Coach Chesney is a leader of men,” said Carr, who was at Dodger Stadium on Monday evening and was on the field before the game. “So many guys get hired just based on scheme. This is a guy who stands up in front of the room and leads.”

It might seem a bit random, Carr joining UCLA’s staff. He played at Fresno State, then with the Raiders in Oakland and Las Vegas before finishing his NFL career in New Orleans. But there’s a connection.

Darrick Yray, UCLA football’s general manager, formerly was an offensive assistant and assistant director of football operations at Fresno State. He and Carr got to know each other there.

After attending his first team meeting at UCLA, Carr texted Yray and said, “You’ve got a real one” in Chesney.

“You can feel his presence,” Carr said of Chesney, hired in December after his rise to coaching prominence at Holy Cross then James Madison. “You can feel the team respond to him. … It wasn’t so much what he said, it was how he said it. He was so demanding of the team, yet so encouraging.

“He can demand, demand, demand, but also love them at the same time, to the point where they’re like, `OK, Coach, whatever you want.’”

Carr played 11 NFL seasons, finishing with 41,245 yards passing and 257 touchdowns. He remains the Raiders’ all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completions. He retired in May 2025.

Coaching was always in his plans. His brother, Darren, is head football coach at Bakersfield Christian High, and Derek helped coach the quarterbacks there last season. Their brother, David, the quarterback picked No. 1 overall by the expansion Houston Texans in 2002, is Bakersfield Christian’s offensive coordinator.

“I have so much knowledge and things built up that I just want to give to these kids,” Derek Carr said of his interest in coaching in high school and college. “Just like my brother did for me.

“When I got to high school, I was ahead. When I got to college, I was ahead. When I got to the NFL, I was ahead. Because my brother poured into my life. That’s what I feel I want to do for the next generation, too.”

Aug. 11 (UPI) — Israel recorded two diplomatic advances in Latin America, as Colombia became the second country in the world to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and Venezuela agreed to restore consular services with Israel for the first time since diplomatic relations were severed in 2009.

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday its recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau along the border between Israel and Syria, saying the decision was in response to “persistent regional instability in the Middle East” and the territory’s strategic importance to Israel’s security.

“Colombia recognizes that Israel’s continued control and sovereignty over the Golan Heights constitutes an essential component of its national defense,” the Colombian Foreign Ministry said.

The decision makes Colombia the second country in the world, after the United States, to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the territory. The United States did so in 2019 during President Donald Trump‘s first term.

Israel captured most of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and extended its laws, jurisdiction and administration over the territory in 1981. The United Nations does not recognize that move and considers the Golan occupied Syrian territory.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 497 declared Israel’s decision “null and void and without international legal effect.”

Syria condemned Colombia’s recognition, saying it violates Syrian sovereignty and international resolutions concerning the territory. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the Golan is an “integral and indivisible part” of Syria and called on Colombia to reconsider its decision.

The Arab League, Saudi Arabia and Egypt also rejected the move and reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty over the territory.

Colombia’s decision comes amid a broader shift in relations with Israel under President Abelardo de la Espriella. His government also announced plans to relocate the Colombian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, reversing policies adopted under Gustavo Petro, who severed diplomatic relations with Israel in May 2024 in response to the war in Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights as a “historic” decision, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

Separately, Israel and Venezuela announced Tuesday that they had agreed to establish a coordination mechanism to provide consular services to their citizens, creating the first official link between the two countries since Caracas severed diplomatic relations with Israel 17 years ago.

The agreement, announced in a joint statement released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, does not amount to the full restoration of diplomatic relations or include the reopening of embassies.

The two countries also agreed to continue bilateral technical cooperation that began after Israel sent humanitarian assistance to Venezuela following the magnitude-7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck the country June 24.

An Israeli delegation composed of Foreign Ministry and Israel Defense Forces personnel traveled to Venezuela after the earthquakes and worked with Venezuelan authorities and emergency teams on disaster response, recovery and humanitarian assistance.

The rapprochement also comes amid efforts by Venezuela’s Jewish community to promote the normalization of relations.

Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said Isaac Cohen, chief rabbi of the Venezuelan Israelite Association, delivered a letter to President Delcy Rodríguez asking her to consider restoring diplomatic relations with Israel.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia said the request was intended to “address the needs of the Jewish community in our country.”

In their joint statement, Israel and Venezuela highlighted the relationship between Israel and Venezuela’s Jewish community, describing it as an “important bridge of historic friendship” between the two countries.

Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Israel in January 2009 under then-President Hugo Chávez amid the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.