Stansted Airport chaos as IT crash sees hundreds miss flights
A major IT failure at London Stansted Airport caused significant disruption on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
An estimated 10,000 passengers missed their Flights due to extensive delays in baggage handling and security.
The IT crash affected various airport systems, leading to long queues and flight disruptions.
While Jet2 and Tui delayed Flights to accommodate passengers, Ryanair dispatched planes on time to avoid further delays.
Passengers reported chaotic scenes, including long queues, difficulties accessing the terminal, and issues with baggage drop-off.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
What is a digital nomad visa, and how do I get one? The rise of ‘workcations' around the world
It has never been easier to clock in to your job from anywhere, with working from home normalised since the pandemic and meetings migrating from the office to Zoom calls. The dawn of the digital work has meant you can set up your workspace in any location, even if that means on the other side of the world. Digital nomad visas allow people to do just that, giving workers a chance to do their job on their laptops from another country and explore communities, cultural landmarks and natural landscapes while they're at it. In 2020, Covid meant that it wasn't possible to travel the world, tick off bucket-list mountain peaks, relax on a remote beach or meet new people in buzzing cities. But the world 2025 looks very different, with ample opportunity to explore. After the UK left the European Union in 2020, the right to work and live in other European countries was swept away. While a deal is being processed for young workers to gain back this benefit, for others who are over 30 or have their sights set a bit further afield, digital nomad visas unlock the chance to stay in a country longer than a tourist, while still earning money. We've rounded up what we know about digital nomad visas and which countries offer the best ones. What is a digital nomad visa? A digital nomad visa is a temporary permit that allows people who work remotely to move to a different country to live and work. Digital nomads refer to people who do not have a requirement to work from an office or a certain place, meaning they are free to work wherever they want to in the world. The type of work usually requires people to have a job that centres around technology, using a laptop and phone to keep in contact with colleagues or clients. Some countries allow those working for a foreign employer and people who are self-employed or manage their own business to benefit from this visa, even including students who want to work remotely for a year. The digital nomad visa often has a longer validity than a tourist visa, meaning the holder can usually stay for months or even years in certain areas. The visas remain valid from as little as six months, such as in Japan, up to five years, like in Thailand. However, these visas are not typically permanent, meaning that once the permit runs out, remote workers have to leave the country or renew it to stay. What are the requirements for a digital nomad visa? Requirements vary from country to country, but generally the person has to be over 18, earn a certain monthly income, and have a job they can do from anywhere. Some countries only allow higher earners to apply for their visa, such as South Korea, where a minimum income of around £54k is required. Countries like Malaysia open up their visas at less than half of this at £25k. Health insurance and a clean criminal record are also often requirements during the visa application. The visa holders cannot already be employed by a company in the host country, or provide goods and services to businesses there. Usually, you have to be self-employed or work for a foreign employer. Some countries will also only allow people from certain nationalities to apply for their digital nomad visa. Why has there been a rise in digital nomad visas? While the concept is not new, more countries, such as the Philippines and New Zealand, have recently announced they will be introducing digital nomad visas. One of the main motivations is to boost tourism by allowing people to stay longer in the country, promoting slower travel and exploring areas in depth. Relaxing the limits on duration of stay means more money will be spent and tourism-based jobs are more secure, especially in shoulder seasons. The introduction of the visa is also a representation of how countries are adapting to fit the modern digital age. As jobs are increasingly becoming digitised and more people work from home since the pandemic, employees have more flexibility than ever before to travel the world. The demand for digital nomad visas among workers has risen due to the desire to travel without having to rely on annual leave to visit different countries. Alongside exploring new places, immersing in nature or visiting bustling cities, the low cost of living in certain countries is also attractive for digital nomads, allowing their income to become more fulfilling while keeping daily costs low. Many countries also allow partners or children to be added to applications, making the opportunity to live in another country as a family more accessible. Tax exemptions and breaks are also important driving points. For example, in Spain digital nomads pay a flat rate of tax at 24 per cent, no matter their salary (up to €600,000). Over in New Zealand, authorities said that if the person's income is taxed elsewhere, they will be exempt from tax so long as they do not spend more than 92 days in the country within 12 months. The days do not need to be consecutive. Which countries offer digital nomad visas? There are well over 50 countries that offer digital nomad visas to UK citizens, so it all depends on whether you are seeking a retreat tucked away on a remote mountain or a temporary home in a bustling city. A report by Global Citizen Solutions, a boutique investment migration firm, found that 63 per cent of digital nomads come from the 'Global North', which encompasses countries such as the UK, USA, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands. The firm analysed 65 different visas, including digital nomad visas and other long-term visas that allow people to work remotely in the country. It found that Spain's digital nomad visa ranked the best, due to the country's high quality of life, internet speed and benefits such as a year-long duration and ability to renew. Estonia, Romania, Malta, Portugal, Canada and Hungary also appeared in the top 10 for their digital nomad visas, while the Netherlands, Norway and France secured spots for visas that make it easy to work in the country. Other countries that offer digital nomad visas include a freelance-only one in Germany, Italy, Greece, Taiwan, Latvia, Malaysia, Japan, the UAE (specifically Dubai and Abu Dhabi), South Korea, New Zealand and Thailand, to name just a few. The Global Citizen Solutions report found that European countries had some of the best digital nomad visas. Meanwhile, the Caribbean had some of the greatest income requirements and visa costs, reaching as high as £1,477.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Heathrow says record demand shows ‘honest conversation' is needed on expansion
Heathrow airport has called for 'an honest conversation' about expansion after another record month for passenger numbers. More than 7.2 million passengers travelled through its four terminals last month. This was up 0.4% from a year ago and represents its busiest May on record. A Heathrow spokesperson said: 'As these record numbers become the norm, it's time to start an honest conversation about the challenges this presents for an already space-constrained yet highly efficient hub. 'Heathrow continues to deliver excellent service, but to sustain this performance and meet future demand, expanding capacity will be essential.' The airport has previously said it will submit detailed plans for building a third runway to the Government in the summer. Chancellor Rachel Reeves used a speech on growth in January to give her support to the project, which has been repeatedly delayed over several decades because of environmental concerns.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Down on the farm: a summer cabin stay on the Somerset Levels
In Old English its name meant 'the land of the summer people', after the local practice of coming down to the Somerset Levels after the winter flooding receded. Today, Somerset is still somewhere where seasons are felt vividly, as Sophie Brendal and Panu Long discovered when they and their two children moved to Thornfalcon, their farmstead in a village of the same name, 15 minutes' drive from Taunton, at the end of 2022. Here, they are on constant weather watch, tending their young vines (Panu, now a winemaker, has a background in the drinks industry) and harvesting daily from the kitchen garden. They are also busy making plans for the apple harvest, which will go into the 150-year-old cider press. In addition, they have created a handful of places to stay on their 16-hectare (40-acre) site, which sprawls through woods, orchards and vines to a reed-fringed lake. Walking around it at the end of May, you feel the cusp of summer, from the water lilies coming into bloom and the nesting swan, guarded by her mate. 'Soon the eggs will hatch, and later she'll teach the cygnets to fly, before taking them down to the Somerset Levels,' says Sophie. My cabin, the Vine Hut, is surrounded by wildflowers overlooking rows of champagne grape varieties. Inside, nature is just as enveloping: nasturtiums climb over the bedroom wallpaper, a blousy bunch of homegrown peonies sits on the dining table. Behind the orchard, the Lambing Shed's interior is clad in textured band-sawn planks and the bed's headboard is painted with apple blossom. In front of the family's blue lias stone farmhouse is the two-bedroom Coach House, filled with antiques and beautiful textiles, which hint at Sophie's years spent among pattern and design as a director at the V&A. The latest arrival is a vardo Gypsy wagon with floral patterned ceiling, which sleeps two children as extra accommodation for families staying in the cabins. As the sun creeps out, I wander back to the lake, Mr Swan still patrolling in case I had a mind for a dip. Instead I sit in the wooden sauna – the big picture window frames the scene as swifts dip, and the mental ticker tape of to-do lists begins to melt away. There's a hot tub outside too, and nearby an old boat house has been turned into the wild treatment room, where local therapist Gemma undoes some of the rest of my knots as the bird calls carry in off the water. Both cabins have outdoor baths of their own, although the plum spot at the Vine Hut after dinner is a pair of adirondack chairs, positioned just so to catch the sunset. The next morning, in the sunny, green-painted kitchen, I make breakfast with blue-shelled eggs from the brood of Legbar chickens. There's the option to have a box of just-picked Thornfalcon produce in your cabin on arrival, or Sophie and Panu are full of recommendations for eating nearby, from roasts at the Dinnington Docks to something smarter at the Barrington Boar. Afterwards, I take the short stomp through the village and up Thorn Hill (known as 'the clump' for its wooden top), where baby bunnies dart from hedgerows. A patchwork of green rolls away to the edge of the Quantock Hills. There are other walks from the door, looping round through the village of North Curry – where you can pick up a duck sausage roll at the Bird in Hand pub, which is in the process of reopening and is currently serving pints and street food from a converted wagon outside. Slightly farther away, you can strike out around Cothelstone Hill to spot the herd of Exmoor ponies and bronze age burial mounds, or rent paddle boards from the Somerset Boat Centre to float along the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. A current of creativity also flows through this corner of Somerset, and later that morning I meet Buc Dennis at his family's Dennis Chinaworks in an old stable block outside Shepton Beauchamp (open Monday to Friday, and weekends by appointment). Visitors can buy beautiful vases and jugs, with patterns hand drawn by Buc's mother, Sally Tuffin, a former fashion designer now in her 80s. It's not the only creative family hub in these parts, and afterwards I swing by the Temperleys' Burrow Hill Cider Farm. The familiar Glastonbury cider bus is parked outside, the pumps fired up on Saturday afternoons, when local families spread picnic blankets between the apple trees, entertained by food trucks and circus troupes. Across the yard, Mary Temperley's Make store is stocked with zesty body washes (also in bathrooms at Thornfalcon), baskets woven in Ghana and suzanis stitched in Jaipur. Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion Sophie and Panu, too, fizz with ideas. 'When I developed long Covid, creativity and making were one of the key things that made me well again,' Sophie told me when pointing out a framed needlepoint she had stitched in one of the cabins. This summer, the first bottles of wine and cider will be ready; there are plans to take beekeeping courses and plant lavender fields; and to host feasts, yoga classes and painting workshops in a lovely old barn. It's inspiring to be around, and equally, easy to dip into as much or as little as you choose. A place to get fired up or sink into a slower way of living, or, as I tried, to find a balance between the two. Accommodation was provided by Thornfalcon Winery & Press: the Coach House sleeps five from £125 a night; the Vine Hut and the Lambing Shed sleep two from £170 a night, and the Gypsy Caravan an extra £70 a night (all two nights minimum), Train travel was provided by Great Western Railway, which travels directly from London Paddington to Taunton,
