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European natural gas prices may need to jump above €100/MWh ($117) by December for the continent to rebuild enough inventory to last the winter if the Strait of Hormuz crisis persists and keeps spot liquefied natural gas prices in Asia elevated, Goldman
WINTER Wonderland tickets have dropped today with a whole host of new attractions and cheaper tickets.
The UK’s largest Christmas event has released its tickets for this year’s event which will run from November 19 to January 3.
And this year there will even be £1 tickets available.
All entry tickets from Monday to Thursday throughout November will be off-peak and priced at just one quid per person.
New attractions at this year’s event include a K-Pop circus as well as a frozen ‘Neverland’.
Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus, will debut exclusively at Winter Wonderland featuring storytelling, comedy and “breathtaking visuals with an electrifying soundtrack”.
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The Magical Ice Kingdom will then be home to ‘Neverland’ in association with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity).
Inside, people can explore ice sculptures and for the first time ever, visitors will be able to step though the Jolly Roger and into a world inspired by Neverland with Peter Pan and Wendy.
Fan favourites will also return including The Giant Wheel, which is the world’s largest transportable wheel, stretching 70 metres high.
And of course, there’s the UK’s largest open-air ice rink too.
Little ones are left out of the fun, as Winter Wonderland is home to the UK’s largest free Santa’s Grotto as well.
Also new for this year, is The Coaster Pass which allows visitors to head on all the rollercoasters.
There’s The Explorers Pass, which gets fans access to the most loved attarctions including the Real Ice Slide and the Haunted Mansion.
Great for families, there’s The Sand Land Unlimited Ride Pass, where you can go on the 16 Santa Land rides as many times as you like for £27.50.
There are three different advance entry ticket options including off-peak for £1, standard for £5.50 and peak for £8.25.
Entry fees are also waived when visitors spend £25 on activities in advance.
Fred. Olsen has three ships in its fleet that can visit smaller ports due to their size(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
Summer holiday season is well under way – and for those returning from abroad already dreaming of their next trip, there’s the option to book a getaway in autumn and winter when there are fewer crowds. For travellers looking to visit multiple destinations without the fuss of several bookings, a cruise is a top option with a number of money-saving deals now on offer.
Fred. Olsen has launched offers on selected fly cruises, offering holidaymakers the chance to skip the sea days and discover their destination sooner with flights from London or Manchester. Whether jet-setters want to soak up the sunshine in the Canary Islands or explore the picturesque coastlines of the Mediterranean, there’s plenty of options for swapping out the chilly UK weather for somewhere warmer.
The popular cruise line, favoured for its smaller ships which mean the fleet can visit ports that bigger cruise liners can’t reach, is offering passengers £150 on board credit per cabin to spend on selected fly cruises this year. This offer ends on September 30 and is in addition to half price flight offers on some trips – terms and conditions can be found here.
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The first cruise to be included in the offer is the Wonders of the Mediterranean holiday, a 21-night exploration of iconic landmarks and lesser-known ports starting from Limassol, Cyprus on November 9. Priced from £3,099 per person, the next stop after Cyprus is Alexandria in Egypt, followed by Marmaris and Istanbul in Turkey, then visits to Greece, Malta, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, and finally Tenerife.
Also in the £150 credit deal is the Mediterranean Icons voyage from £4,299 per person, offering the chance for UK holidaymakers to escape the dreary winter weather for a whole month by setting sail on November 9 for a 31-night adventure. Also beginning in Limassol, this cruise adds an extra 10 nights on to the aforementioned Wonders of the Mediterranean trip, following the stop in Tenerife with visits to Las Palmas and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, then Funchal, Lisbon and Matosinhos in Portugal.
Book a Fred. Olsen fly cruise
Fred. Olsen is offering holidaymakers up to £150 credit per cabin to spend on board selected fly cruises in 2026.
Alternatively, holidaymakers can opt to go Country-Hopping from Greece to Tenerife, and take advantage of half price flights as well as the £150 to spend on board. Beginning in Piraeus, Greece and priced from £1,499 per person, this 11-night cruise sails on November 19 to stop off in Malta, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco, before finishing in the Canary Islands at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Another winter sun option is the Mediterranean & Canary Islands Warmth trip, which is on offer with a half price flight at the start of the cruise as well as the £150 credit. Also starting in Piraeus, Greece on November 19 before embarking on a 21-night adventure around the Mediterranean via Malta, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco, followed by stop-offs across the Canary Islands in Tenerife, Las Palmas and Lanzarote, before finishing in Portugal, this cruise is priced from £2,399 per person.
Rounding off the year is the Canaries Escape with the Fleet Fiesta, which also has a half price flight deal at the start of the cruise on top of the £150 per cabin spend. Priced from £1,329 per person and beginning in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on November 30 before embarking on a 10-night tour of the Canary Islands and Portugal, this holiday is centred around the festivities that come with the reunion of the Fred. Olsen fleet in Las Palmas.
For more last-minute fly cruise deals, TUI’s Marella Cruises is also offering trips with flights included in their price as a budget-friendly family option. Among the cheapest options are the Highlights of the Mediterranean cruise beginning from Majorca and stopping off across Corsica, Italy and Spain, which is on offer for £985 per person, and the Grecian Discovery holiday sailing from Cyprus to mainland Greece, Santorini, Turkey and Crete, now priced from £994 per person.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Cruise Line also has special offers on selected Caribbean fly cruises sailing this year. For those who can’t wait to get away, the earliest departure date is on the Atlantic Horizons and Caribbean Discovery cruise, which is priced from £1,499 per person with the option to get 50% off flight upgrades and free coach transport.
Back at Fred. Olsen, holidaymakers who want to plan ahead for next year can also choose from more than 20 fly cruises scheduled for 2027. The shortest option is the Scenic Greek Island Hopping trip from £1,349pp, while the longest is the Scenic Shores & Ancient Wonders of the Mediterranean from £3,899pp which lasts a whopping 33 nights.
Fred. Olsen has earned a rating of 4.6 out of five stars on Trustpilot based on more than 15,000 reviews. One of the newest reviews reads: “Fantastic suite with extras included. Great, friendly and efficient staff. Many varied activities available. Food was exceptional. Boat size was enough and the atmosphere was lovely and friendly.”
Another passenger fed back recently: “Cabin was spacious with plenty of storage. All the staff were superb and went the extra mile to look after everyone. Food was exceptional everywhere on the ship. It never felt crowded as everyone was doing their own thing all over in the numerous areas to relax. Our first cruise and no doubt we will do it again.”
And a third echoed: “Probably the cleanest ship we’ve ever been on! Staff were excellent with a good variety of food. Definitely will return!”
Regarding fly cruises, some customers felt that the schedule had room for improvement, with one writing: “Sadly the Fred. Olsen pre arranged flight back to the UK was too late in the day. It should have been arranged for early afternoon, which would have allowed us to arrive in Manchester by 6pm rather than 10pm.”
While a different reviewer suggested: “For guests joining the ship at various locations along the way a morning flight would be better, this would enable guests to settle in before evening meal and be refreshed for any excursions they have booked the following day.”
Australian specialist aviation operator Skytraders evacuated an American from McMurdo Station in Antartica on July 31. The American was transported to Christchurch, New Zealand, where they were receiving medical treatment as of Friday. Photo courtesy Skytraders
Aug. 7 (UPI) — An American was evacuated from Antarctica to a New Zealand hospital last week for medical treatment, officials said Friday.
The rare mid-winter operation was conducted July 31 by the Australian Antarctic Division, the Australian government agency responsible for running the Australian Antarctic Program, with aviation partner Skytraders, an Australian specialist aviation operator, AAD said in a statement.
The extent of the medical emergency was not immediately clear. UPI has contacted the U.S. Antarctic Program, which requested the evacuation, for comment.
Skytraders told UPI in an emailed statement that it deployed an Airbus A319 Long Range aircraft from Hobart, Tasmania, after receiving an urgent request for assistance.
The plane, known as Snowbird 1, departed Hobart at 2:44 a.m. AEST on July 31 during what Skytraders called “a narrow weather window” during the Antarctic winter, and landed in the dark at McMurdo Station five-and-a-half hours later.
Skytraders said its flight crew and operational support and medical teams worked in temperatures as low as -45.4 degrees Fahrenheit to transfer the patient to the plane, which departed before conditions deteriorated further.
The aircraft landed in Christchurch, New Zealand, on the afternoon of July 31, it said. AAD said the American was “now receiving medical treatment.”
“Every Antarctic mission demands absolute precision, but winter operations raise the complexity significantly. The conditions we encountered were right on the edge of even the most specialized aircraft capability,” Capt. Al Wallach, Snowbird 1’s pilot for the mission, said in a statement.
“Our focus throughout the mission was the safety of the patient and our crew. Our thoughts remain with the patient and we wish them a full recovery.”
George R.R. Martin says he fears “the worst may be yet to come” as he opened up about the personal challenges that ran parallel to a year of professional highs.
The fantasy author, who created the world of HBO series “Game of Thrones,” said in a post published to his website on Monday that he has “battled sadness and depression” amid a “stressful” and “overwhelming” year of some exciting endeavors, “dreams coming true” and “nightmares.” In his blog post, his first since February, Martin wrote that he has lost friends — he did not provide names — and briefly mused on aging: “I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun.”
“But there have been amazing times as well,” he continued, “I suppose that’s just life. Of course, I knew that.”
Martin, who is writing his long-awaited book “The Winds of Winter,” said he has fallen behind on blog entries and intends to get readers up to speed, “but my posts are likely to [be] short and rushed.” The author also highlighted the recent critical success of HBO’s “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” also adapted from his work. While he acknowledged the drama’s nine Emmy nominations, “including the big one, Best Drama,” Martin also noted that his attendance at the upcoming Emmy Awards in September “depends…on, well a lot of things.”
His latest post rings similar to another entry he shared in March 2018, when he reveled in “lots of exciting things going on” but also shared with followers that he is “buried in work, so much that it is starting to overwhelm me.” He announced at the time he would be taking a break from writing his posts.
“I’ll return eventually,” he said in 2018, “Just don’t know when.”
Martin has faced seemingly endless questions about the status of “The Winds of Winter” and his ability to complete the planned sixth novel in his “A Song of Ice and Fire” series that inspired the hit HBO drama “Game of Thrones,” for more than a decade. He tried to shut down those concerns in 2014.
“I find that question pretty offensive, frankly, when people start speculating about my death and my health,” he told a Swiss newspaper at the time.
Since then he has assured fans that progress is ongoing, previously voicing hopes for completion dates that have since passed. What we do know is “it’s going to be a huge book,” Martin teased in 2020.
World number one Luke Littler threw a thrilling nine-darter as he booked his place in the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay with a 11-8 win over Nathan Aspinall.
Littler began the contest at Winter Gardens in Blackpool in sensational fashion with a perfect leg, finishing on double 15.
The Warrington teenager cupped his ears to lap up the adulation of a delirious crowd while fellow Englishman Aspinall laughed in disbelief before he gave Littler a high five.
Excitement levels were raised further in the fourth leg when Littler had double 15 remaining for a second nine-darter, only for his arrow to land just the wrong side of the wire.
Aspinall turned to the crowd and jokingly offered up his darts to see if anyone else wanted to give the 19-year-old a game.
He refused to allow Littler to pull away, though, and managed to haul himself back on terms at 7-7 only for the defending champion to reel off the next three legs.
Aspinall briefly rallied again but when he missed tops in the 19th leg, Littler was able to checkout 52 as he sealed victory with an incredible 113.68 average – the second highest in the tournament’s history – featuring a total of 14 180s.
“The nine-darter just happened. These guys [the crowd] were booing me at the beginning and then they started cheering me on!” Littler told Sky Sports.
“It felt amazing and that was probably the best game Nathan and I have played against each other – it’s never over against Nathan because he never gives up.
“That’s two unbelievable performances from myself here. Hopefully I can pick up the title again, but I just have to focus on who I play next.”
Littler will play the winner of the final second-round match on Tuesday between Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting.
Elsewhere, Michael van Gerwen’s campaign ended as he suffered a 14-12 defeat to fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Van Gerwen had battled back from 8-4 down to level the match at 10-all but Van Duijvenbode closed out the contest.
Scotland’s Gary Anderson also progressed to the last eight with an 11-7 win over Welshman Jonny Clayton.
McCulloch said: “If I were the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, I’d be looking closely at where’s my next source of energy security, and you’re standing on it.
“The wells are drilled, they’re hooked up. We’re just readying the systems. It will be ready for the 1st of October.
“Jackdaw will play a vital part of this winter’s gas supply,” he added, providing energy security, employment and taxation to the UK.
Environmentalists say Jackdaw will only produce 2% of the country’s annual gas demand during the lifetime of the field.
“It would be a huge betrayal of the British public for the UK government to approve new oil and gas fields at a time when ordinary people are suffering so much as a result of these record-breaking heatwaves,” said Tessa Khan, executive director of the campaign group, Uplift.
In response McCulloch said: “So we all watch the same news, and we see that.
“But what we’re saying is that Jackdaw should not take that on its shoulders, or it should take a very small portion of that.
“It’s a very, very small proportion of the total global emissions.”
14:45, 11 Jun 2026Updated 15:06, 11 Jun 2026
Jet2 is making its largest ever winter travel offer
Jet2 has announced the launch of a brand-new range of travel options for Brits seeking some winter warmth. The 2027/28 Winter Sun programme will be the largest ever offered by the leisure airline and tour operator.
It will see nearly 4.5million seats go on sale for the winter, flying to 17 destinations from airports including Belfast International, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool John Lennon, London Gatwick, London Stansted, London Luton, Manchester and Newcastle International.
The programme encompasses 181 routes, covering the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma, Mainland Spain (Alicante, Malaga), Balearics (Majorca), Portugal (Faro and Madeira), Turkey (Antalya), Malta, Morocco (Marrakech and Agadir), Cyprus (Paphos), and Egypt (Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada).
Jet2 says it is the first airline and tour operator to go on sale for the winter of 2027/28. In the coming weeks, the airline and tour operator will also unveil details of its Ski, City Breaks and Iceland programmes for Winter 27/28.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2, said: “Our winter sun programme for 2027/28 is on sale nice and early, and we are very pleased to be giving customers and independent travel agents fantastic choice and flexibility.
“The launch of our biggest ever winter sun programme gives customers from across all 14 of our UK airport bases huge choice. We have designed the programme in direct response to demand, so as well as offering 4.5 million seats, this will be our first year of full winter season operations to Egypt. We are not done yet, with even more exciting announcements about our Winter 27/28 programme coming soon.”
Key Winter Sun highlights by base for Winter 27/28 include:
Belfast International Airport
Birmingham Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bristol Airport
Edinburgh Airport
East Midlands Airport
Glasgow International Airport
Leeds Bradford Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
London Luton Airport
Manchester Airport
Newcastle International Airport
London Stansted Airport
TENS of thousands of flights face being cancelled this winter as fears continue to grow over the high cost of jet fuel.
Airlines have already been forced to scrap thousands of flights in recent months since the Iran war broke out.
However, experts have warned that unless costs go down, cancellations could now affect winter schedules.
Italy‘s ITA chief executive Joerg Eberhart said they could be forced to cut as may as a fifth of flights from October to April, he told the FT.
Turkish Airlines echoed this, saying they could be forced to make “frequency cuts of even stop destinations” after summer if it continues.
Others have warned that is puts added pressure on airlines to fill planes, which is often not the case during the quieter winter season.
Most UK airlines have said that they don’t see any immediate threats to upcoming flights, as many have ‘hedged’ fuel costs, which is paying a set price for a period of time.
However, Ryanair has warned that budget airlines face the biggest struggle, due to the low margins.
The budget carrier’s boss Michael O’Leary previously warned: “If pricing stays higher for longer this summer, we think a number of our airline competitors in Europe are going to face real financial difficulties. I think there will be failures.”
Spirit Airlines has already been a victim of the ongoing fuel crisis, having gone into administration last month.
And while UK flights might not be cancelled, the cost of flights is expected to only go up.
International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns Iberia and Aer Lingus, said it will likely pass on extra costs to cover the additional £1.72billion costs of its fuel this year.
And Virgin Atlantic has added a new fuel surcharge, ranging from £50 to £360.
Experts have said costs could continue to go up, due to the UK’s reliance on US jet fuel.
This is because US suppliers could divert their fuel inwards due to it being the busy American holiday season, particularly for “driving season” (when domestic holidays boom).
S&P Global’s research director for fuels Eleanor Budds told Telegraph: “Prices could rise again. The UK is replacing a good part of its imports. If the US can’t keep up those volumes, [the UK] is very exposed”.
Snowboarding made its Winter Olympics debut in Nagano 1998 with halfpipe and giant slalom.
Riders competed against the clock before the head-to-head parallel giant slalom version on identical, side-by-side courses was introduced four years later in Salt Lake City.
Three-time Winter Olympian Alex Payer said: “PGS is one of the only formats where everything is truly equal – same course, same conditions, same start, same chance. That fairness is rare in sport.
“If you take it out of the Olympic programme, you take away one of the purest expressions of competition we have.”
Among the sports bidding to replace them in the programme for the Games, which are scheduled for 1-17 February 2030, are freeriding and ice climbing.
Freeriding allows skiers and snowboarders to choose their own off-piste course from top to bottom and also perform tricks as they descend.
They are judged on elements of their descent including the difficulty of the course, jumps and performance.
In ice climbing, competitors climb up a frozen waterfall or glaciers with a speed version favourite for inclusion.
There had been speculation that cyclo-cross would be also be aiming for inclusion but last month IOC president Kirsty Coventry said that “no summer sports and no seasonal crossover events” would be part of the programme.
IF YOU’RE looking for your next holiday spot, one sunny destination should be at the top of your list.
From November 2, TUI is launching holidays between a major UK city and one of the best-value winter sun spots.
Weekly flights between Birmingham and Banjul, The Gambia, will fly on Mondays – with the journey only taking six hours.
Between November and April, temperatures usually hit 30C in The Gambia and to make the most of it, you can explore the country’s golden beaches and warm seas.
Dubbed the ‘Smiling Coast of Africa’, visitors can head off on a boat cruise to spot wildlife and mangroves, along The Gambia River, which runs through the country.
And if you want to see more wildlife, then you can visit the Kachikally Crocodile Pool in Bakau or explore Abuko Nature Reserve which spans around 260 acres just south of Banjul and is home to more crocodiles as well as monkeys.
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For history lovers, there’s Kunta Kinteh Island – a UNESCO World Heritage site that used to be a former slave-trading post.
TUI’s Linda Sharrocks, recently visited The Gambia and said: “I chose The Gambia for winter sun without having to fly as far as the Caribbean or Thailand, and it completely delivered.
“You’ve got guaranteed sunshine, beautiful sandy beaches and some of the friendliest, happiest people I’ve ever met.”
She added: “Kololi Beach was a highlight for me – it’s quieter but still close to everything.”
Other popular beaches include Kotu Beach, which is known for being a family-friendly spot with gentle waves and Sanyang Beach – which is also known as Paradise Beach – with a number of beach bars and local fishing boast bobbing in the water.
Linda also revealed that The Gambia is cheap when there, with a meal and drink costing just a few quid.
“There are loads of amazing restaurants and bars to try like Scala and Ginger for food, and Mkais for a drink and live music,” she shared.
“I loved visiting the local markets and just soaking up the laid-back atmosphere.
“My biggest tip is to get out and explore the local restaurants and bars, that’s where you really get a feel for the place.”
Holiday packages with TUI to The Gambia start from £800 per person and include flights, accommodation, transfers, luggage and all-inclusive food and drink.
Chris Logan, Commercial Director at TUI UK, said: “We know Brits are looking for winter sun that delivers great value without the long flight times, and destinations like The Gambia are seeing real growth as a result.”
Matt Hazelwood, Chief Commercial Officer at Birmingham Airport said: “We are delighted to welcome The Gambia back to our list of direct destinations with TUI.
“This popular winter sun getaway is easily accessible from Birmingham Airport, offering beautiful sandy beaches, stunning scenery, and nature reserves rich in Gambian wildlife, all just a six-hour flight from BHX.”
Don’t worry if you aren’t close to Birmingham though, as TUI also has flights to The Gambia from London Gatwick and Manchester airports.
