Latest from Tel Expresse
Times
13 minutes ago
- Times
Airport liquids rule: passengers braced for confusion over changes
Airports have begun quietly lifting the 100ml restriction on hand luggage liquids, risking confusion over the peak school summer holiday period. Passengers at Birmingham and Edinburgh can take up to two litres of liquids in their cabin bags, but the rules will vary by airport. All major UK airports were required to have installed next-generation CT scanners by this summer, paving the way for the lifting of restrictions and the biggest change in aviation security in almost two decades. • Airports bring back curbs on liquids after security fears However, it has proved complicated and there have been stop-start changes in policy since the planned changes were revealed by The Times in late 2022. Airports were initially given a deadline of June last year to have the new scanners. Many smaller airports — including Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, London City, Aberdeen, Southend and Teesside — met the deadline and began lifting restrictions. However, a handful of the largest airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, were granted an extension until last month because installing the technology had proved more complicated than originally expected. • 100ml liquids rule: which UK airports have changed restrictions? In June last year the Department for Transport (DfT) suspended the plan to lift restrictions to two litres, and reintroduced a 100ml limit to 'enable further improvements to be made to the new checkpoint systems'. It said the move was not in response to a specific threat. It emerged on Monday that the DfT had quietly told airports in May that the blanket rules would be lifted and that once the CT scanners, similar to those found in hospitals, had been installed and approved, each airport would be allowed to ease the rules. Birmingham announced it was lifting the 100ml rule last Wednesday and Edinburgh followed suit on Monday. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Each airport will be able to set its own timescale and is responsible for communicating the change with its passengers, prompting fears of confusion and queues this summer. At most other airports where the CT scanners are installed but the switch has not been made, passengers must still put their liquids of 100ml or less in a clear plastic bag, although they can be left inside the cabin bag. The DfT is urging holidaymakers to check airport websites before packing large containers in hand luggage. The 100ml rule may also still be in force when returning to the UK from abroad. One airline source said the timing was 'absurd and would inevitably cause extra queues and confusion this summer'. The source said: 'Given most people don't know about the change and just do 100ml anyway, it's hard to follow the logic of allowing individual airports to have different rules for the busiest period of the year.' The 100ml rule was introduced after a foiled Islamist terrorist plot targeting transatlantic flights in 2006. It was believed at the time to be a temporary measure. Terrorists had planned to down seven passengers jets departing from Heathrow using liquid explosives disguised as soft drinks. It would have been al-Qaeda's largest attack in the West since 9/11. The CT scanners provide a high-resolution 3D scan of passengers' bags, allowing operators to inspect it from every angle. The older x-ray machines produce a 2D image of luggage.
Times
13 minutes ago
- General
- Times
Texas floods live: Scott Ruskan hailed as hero for ‘saving 165 lives'
Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of the former president George W Bush, said her mother Laura Bush had worked at Camp Mystic as a drama counsellor. Bush Hager, who hosts Today with Jenna & Friends on NBC, said many of her friends and their children had been at the all-girls' Christian camp when it was struck by flash flooding on Friday. 'The stories that I heard over the last couple of days were beautiful and heartbreaking,' she said on Monday morning, adding that Texas had a special 'type of resilience' where communities come together in difficult times. George W Bush said on Sunday that he and Laura were 'heartbroken by the loss of life and the agony so many are feeling'. A US Coast Guard petty officer has been credited with helping to save the lives of 165 Texas flooding victims on the first rescue mission of his career. Scott Ruskan took off with his helicopter crew from their base in Corpus Christi, Texas, at about 7am on Friday. It took six hours to reach the epicentre of the flooding in Kerr County due to poor visibility and adverse weather conditions. The crew eventually landed at Camp Mystic, where nearly 200 children and camp staff were sheltering. Ruskan led the triage efforts and provided emotional support to the children. He carried children to the helicopters to be evacuated, and volunteered to stay on the ground to free up space. 'I was trying to be a voice of calm and triage these people and get them to safety as soon as we could,' he told Fox News on Monday. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said 'his selfless courage embodies the spirit and mission of the United States Coast Guard'. The Camp Mystic summer camp said it was 'grieving the loss' of 27 campers and counsellors who died in flash flooding in Texas on Friday. The Christian girls camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerr County was swamped early on Friday morning. 'Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,' the camp said. It added that it was working with local and state authorities 'who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls'. Slide to see how the river rose: An 11-year-old boy who was among 400 campers at a camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River said he saw an entire cabin being washed away. Kaelan Kubena told NBC Los Angeles he was woken by counsellors at Camp La Junta at 4am on Friday morning and told to move to higher ground. 'We looked outside and we just saw like an ocean out there,' he said. 'We saw like a whole cabin just floating down, and that's when we knew like those things were getting actually real out there. Like we were starting to realise that this was a real natural disaster crisis.' The Guadalupe River surged by 8m (26ft) in less than an hour, washing away camper vans and buildings on its banks. All 400 boys at Camp La Junta are believed to have survived. At least 11 people, including ten children and a counsellor, are still missing from Camp Mystic, a nearby all girls camp. Rescue teams have continued to search storm-ravaged terrain in central Texas through the night for signs of life after flash flooding left at least 82 people dead. Hundreds of local, state and federal authorities were joined by scores of local volunteers in scouring Kerr County, the epicentre of the disaster, by air, land and water. Greg Abbott, the Texas governor, has said at least 41 people remain unaccounted for as the rescue mission enters its fourth day. A flood watch will remain in effect until 7pm local time today (1am BST tomorrow) for areas in the Texas Hill country, including Kerr County, Burnet, Austin and San Antonio.
Bloomberg
13 minutes ago
- Climate
- Bloomberg
Camp Mystic Says 27 Campers, Counselors Died in Texas Flood
By Updated on Save Camp Mystic, the all-girls summer camp on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Texas, has confirmed that 27 children and counselors died in the flash floods that have tore through the area since Friday. Intense rainfall caused the Guadalupe River to surge 26 feet (8 meters) in under an hour, sweeping through parks and summer camps crowded with Fourth of July visitors.
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- Politics
- BBC News
OBE-awarded prison governor appointed in Jersey
Jersey's government has appointed a new prison governor who was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal for his service to prisons in the UK. Paul Yates OBE, the current governor of HMP Nottingham, was to take on the role in Jersey from 1 September for a three-year term, officials Yates, who began his career in 1988, was awarded the OBE in 2021 for services to prison and probation services, reducing reoffending and public said he was looking forward to combining his skills and experience with senior staff at Jersey prison to "ensure the best outcomes for all prisoners." Previous governor Susie Richardson stepped down in July 2024. The government said Mr Yates was appointed to the role after a "detailed selection process". Mr Yates said he was very pleased to take on the role in Jersey. He said: "My priority is to build on the excellent work already in train by the team at HMP La Moye and I am looking forward serving the States of Jersey, and the people of Jersey."At HMP Nottinghamshire I have pursued a passion for building a rehabilitative culture, reducing reoffending and public protection." Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Mary Le Hegarat said Mr Yates was chosen from a "very strong field of external candidates"."I welcome Paul to the Justice and Home Affairs family in this important senior leadership role, and look forward to the skills and experience he has built in his diverse career benefitting the States of Jersey Prison Service," she said. La Moye Prison has accommodation for up to 200 prisoners, but usually had an average of 140 prisoners at one time, the government said.
Time Out Dubai
13 minutes ago
- Business
- Time Out Dubai
UAE launches new AI plans to make government services quicker
The United Arab Emirates is set to integrate artificial intelligence into government plans ahead of 2031. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, revealed that AI will be used in the new strategic planning cycle for the federal government for 2031. The plans prioritise AI in government planning, process simplification, resource optimisation and financial efficiency. This focus should mean that processes are streamlined and resources are managed more intelligently. Sheikh Mohammed has instructed teams across ministries and the federal government to begin developing strategies that incorporate AI and future technology solutions to allow the UAE government to achieve its We the UAE 2031 goals quickly. The 2031 plans include four main pillars –society, economy, diplomacy and ecosystem. Mohammed bin Rashid launches new strategic planning cycle aimed at achieving 'We the UAE 2031 Vision'#WamNews — WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) July 6, 2025 38 federal entities will be involved in the new cycle, which aims to provide a more intelligent, agile and responsive approach to change in the UAE. The new cycle has been shortened from five years to three years to keep pace with rapid global changes and to ensure the highest levels of flexibility and capability to accommodate regular plan updates. Sheikh Mohammed said: 'We have launched the new strategic planning cycle for the Federal Government for 2031. 'This plan prioritises artificial intelligence in government planning, process simplification, resource optimisation, and enhanced financial efficiency. 'While in the past government success was measured by regulatory strength and comprehensive procedures, today it hinges on regulatory agility, streamlined processes, and intelligent resource management, a significantly more complex undertaking. 'Tools and priorities change, but the unwavering commitment to serve the people of the UAE remains constant.' Life in Dubai Direct flights from Dubai: All the brilliant places to explore So many options, so little time In pictures: Dubai then and now See just how much the city has changed through the decades 112 best things to do in Dubai in 2025 Everything to tick off your Dubai bucket list
