logo
Space craft and heavenly respite – readers' best photographs

Space craft and heavenly respite – readers' best photographs

The Guardian23-04-2025
'I spent two hours waiting for the sun to be in the best place in an amazing and unique landscape.' Photograph: Alan Wright
'On the border of Myanmar, the Konyak Naga tribe celebrates the coming of spring and their warrior culture as part of the annual Aoling Festival.' Photograph: Max Vere-Hodge
'Every year hundreds of people compete in a week-long regatta called Sail Port Stephens. These were some of the yachts on a misty, rainy day.' Photograph: Ian Sanderson
'The Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory. One of the four Veritas gamma-ray telescopes, with the plume of a SpaceX rocket launch from Vandenberg in the background.' Photograph: Jamie Holder
'Problems with squirrels at your bird feeder? This is a javelina, or collared peccary, that was proving to be a bit of a nuisance at the feeders at Bentsen-Rio grande state park. I was warned about it and, sure enough, it showed up. I kept my distance.' Photograph: Gillian Henry
'A rainbow over Bad Godesberg as the first heatwave of the year broke. Petersberg on the left, Drachenfels on the right: two of the peaks in the Siebengebirge (Seven Mountains). Photograph: Ewan Dow
'Seeking a moment's refuge from shoppers and tourists, I stepped into St Giles in the Fields to find just one other person savouring the sanctuary of this beautiful old church.' Photograph: Ton Fijten
'The small joys of an early morning dog walk in York Community Woodland.' Photograph: Keith Emerick
'Mounted police letting their horses have a well-earned drink at the Diana fountain in Green Park.' Photograph: Nigel Knowlman
'How's this for an Easter bonnet?' Photograph: Lydia Morris
'The London Fire Spinners gather monthly on the river banks in central London to practise their art in front of a fantastic backdrop.' Photograph: Isabelle Desgranges
'Ominous storm clouds in Southport.' Photograph: John Keilman
'Spotted in Volcanoes National Park.' Photograph: Jason Stewart
Photograph: Jeremy Johns
'Light that sparkles at Hereford town hall.'
Photograph: Margaret Beare
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Virgin Atlantic upgrades Cape Town route for summer season
Virgin Atlantic upgrades Cape Town route for summer season

Time Out

time12-08-2025

  • Time Out

Virgin Atlantic upgrades Cape Town route for summer season

Cape Town's direct link to London is getting a major upgrade. Virgin Atlantic has announced that its seasonal Cape Town–Heathrow route will now run from 13 October 2025 to 19 April 2026 - adding an extra 17,000 seats to the summer season. From 26 October, a new double overnight schedule kicks in, with flights timed for better rest and faster onward connections to all of Virgin's US destinations, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Orlando. VS 478 departs London at 22:30, arrives in Cape Town at 12:10 (+1) VS 479 departs Cape Town at 21:55, arrives in London at 07:45 (+1) A special Easter extension will see daily flights continue through to 19 April 2026. All services will be on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with Virgin's signature Upper Class, Premium, and Economy cabins. Marc Harding, Virgin Atlantic's South Africa Country Manager, says the move cements the airline's long-term commitment to the market: 'These changes give customers more seats, more flexibility, and even better connections through Heathrow – making it easier than ever to travel between South Africa, the UK and the US.'

The two big new changes coming to all Ryanair flights this year
The two big new changes coming to all Ryanair flights this year

Scottish Sun

time05-08-2025

  • Scottish Sun

The two big new changes coming to all Ryanair flights this year

One of the new rules could land you with a £75 fine SWITCH UP The two big new changes coming to all Ryanair flights this year RYANAIR is enforcing two major changes for passengers in the next few months. Anyone flying with the airline needs to check both the size of their hand luggage and make sure they've got the correct boarding pass before travelling later this year. Advertisement 4 Ryanair has got new rules for baggage and boarding passes Credit: Alamy 4 The baggage sizes have changed and is expected to roll out from October Credit: Alamy Win one of 8 incredible holidays to the Caribbean, Mexico and Greece by voting in The Sun's Travel Awards - enter to win here In early July, Ryanair announced it would be changing its hand luggage rules. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing for passengers as it means they get a little more room. Ryanair is in the process of changing the size of its personal bag allowance from 40x20x25cm to 40x30x20cm. Advertisement This is an increase of 5cm - and the standard size of personal luggage for most other airlines. It's also changed the overall capacity from 20 litres to 24 litres. A Ryanair spokesperson said: "Following the new EU minimum bag size of 40x30x15cm, Ryanair will increase its max 'personal bag' dimensions to 40x30x20cm, so that Ryanair's 'personal bag' allowance is bigger than the EU standard. "This change will be implemented over the coming weeks, as our airport bag sizers are adjusted." Advertisement If you attempt to board with a bag that doesn't fit into the sizers you are likely to face a fine, or fee to bring it onboard. The Ryanair website details that passengers who bring an oversized bag (over 55x40x20cm) to the boarding gate will either have their bag refused or placed in the hold of the aircraft for a fee of £75. 'It's very important' - Ryanair's 'baggage sizers' warning to Irish passengers ahead of busy Easter break amid €75 fine 4 Passengers will need to have boarding passes on their phone Credit: Alamy As the new sizers are still being rolled out at all airports that the airline flies out from, Ryanair encourages passengers to comply with the old measurements for now. Advertisement This is until it announces the new ones are all in place which is expected to be in October 2025. Another change Ryanair is making from this year is that it's going completely paperless and in some case there will be no check-in desk at all. From November 3, 2025 the airline will no longer accept printed boarding passes. Ryanair CMO Dara Brady said: "This move to 100 per cent paperless boarding passes from November 2025 will allow us to deliver an enhanced travel experience for customers, streamlined through the myRyanair app during our less busy winter schedule. Advertisement "This will be particularly useful to passengers during disruptions as it will facilitate real-time updates from our Ops Centre directly to passengers' phones, and will also provide them with alternative flight options, and offer transfers or hotel accommodation options when necessary." When the new rules are rolled out, passengers will only be able to get a digital boarding pass. And there are no exceptions as check-in desks will not be able to print them out at the airport. However, some airports don't accept mobile passes including those in Morocco and Turkey (except Dalaman), and Tirana airport in Albania. Advertisement Anyone travelling from these airports will need to download their boarding pass from the email confirmation or from the app, print it and keep it to hand. Ryanair spoke to Which? who said that "if someone's phone dies or breaks they will be assisted by staff at the gate and their details will be crossed checked and validated against our flight manifest and they will be boarded as normal." Currently, there's a £55 charge for passengers who forget their boarding pass and need it printed at the airport - but this is set to be scrapped with the new rule. At the moment, there is no mention of what will happen if a traveller's phone dies before they can pass through security in an airport where Ryanair has removed check-in desks. Advertisement This European airport is at risk of closure as Ryanair prepares to scrap all flights. And here's another European airport is losing all of its Ryanair flights this year.

Blaenavon Heritage Centre bank holiday opening questioned
Blaenavon Heritage Centre bank holiday opening questioned

South Wales Argus

time03-08-2025

  • South Wales Argus

Blaenavon Heritage Centre bank holiday opening questioned

The Blaenavon Heritage Centre, which is a visitor centre for those visiting the Blaenavon World Heritage Site, a designation granted by United Nations cultural body UNESCO in recognition of the area's central role in the industrial revolution, is closed on Monday. It would open on Bank Holiday Mondays but Janet Jones, an independent borough councillor who represents the town, told Torfaen council's July meeting 'even this has changed over the past months'. She asked if budget cuts have forced the Monday closures and said: 'As we are trying to encourage more tourists to visit Torfaen's iconic landscapes why does this facility which is an information centre remain closed? I can probably accept early closure during the winter months but not in what is technically the tourist season from Easter to the end of October. Is the centre closed at a result of budget restraints?' Council leader, Labour's Anthony Hunt, said Cllr Jones was 'right to question' the centre's closure on bank holiday Mondays as it 'attracts tourists and helps build footfall' but said it wasn't due to budget cuts. Cllr Hunt said: 'Recent experience has demonstrated visitor numbers have been low when the centre has been open on bank holiday Mondays. Our staff are not contracted to work on Mondays and the centre not being open is due to practical and pragmatic reasons and not due to budget constraints.' The Panteg councillor said officers are currently reviewing the centre's operations including opening hours and bank holiday and said Blaenavon councillors would be kept informed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store