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Video: Monkeys chase traveler from pool

Video: Monkeys chase traveler from pool

CNN22-03-2025

British backpacker Kane Smith was on vacation in Thailand when a troop of monkeys surrounded his pool. He recalls the now-viral encounter to CNN.

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Thousands of sun loungers removed in Majorca after anti-tourism protests
Thousands of sun loungers removed in Majorca after anti-tourism protests

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Thousands of sun loungers removed in Majorca after anti-tourism protests

British holidaymakers heading to Majorca next summer will face increased competition to secure a sunbed, after the Spanish island announced that it would remove 1,700 from beaches around Palma. It comes after pressure from locals, who say there is hardly any space left to lay out their towels. Similar rules were put in place in Costa Blanca last year, where police began confiscating sunbeds placed on the beach before 9.30am and charging offenders £214 to get them back. Palma's council said it planned to reduce the number of sunbeds across the city's beaches by about 20 per cent. Playa de Palma, the largest, will have its 6,000 loungers reduced to 4,436. In Cala Major, the number of sunbeds will decrease from 300 to 250. In Cala Estància, in Can Pastilla, 132 will remain from an original 150. In the suburb of Ciutat Jardi, 300 will be cut to 288. Residents say they struggle to find space because of the large number of pay-per-use sun loungers and parasols, a problem made worse by the fact the island's beaches are receding due to years of sand erosion and rising sea levels. Anti-tourist sentiment has soared in Spain in recent years, with regular protests taking place across the country. Last summer, activists armed with water pistols soaked holidaymakers as they dined outside cafes in Barcelona. In March, anti-tourism campaigners in Majorca published an open letter telling visitors 'not to come' and that they were 'the source of our problem'. A demonstration organised by Southern Europe Network Against Touristification is set to take place on June 15 across several Spanish cities and islands – including Majorca – as well as in Venice and Lisbon. The campaigners say too much tourism prices out locals and causes environmental issues. A study by Fotocasa, the housing platform, last year showed that the average monthly rent in the Balearic Islands had risen from €562 to €1,451 in a decade, with prices considerably higher in hotspots such as Palma. Authorities have in response announced plans to limit the number of tourists arriving and invest in local infrastructure projects. In March, the Balearic Islands government, which administers Majorca, announced a slew of 'tourism containment measures', which included increasing a tax on visitors and putting a levy on hire cars. Barcelona has announced a €30 million scheme to revitalise the tourist hotspot of Ciutat Vella after public services reportedly suffered because of the area's popularity with visitors. The plan involves redesigning public spaces and converting old buildings into arts centres, as well as investing in housing and schools. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

‘My £19,000 family holiday is in jeopardy because of the Home Office's ETA shambles'
‘My £19,000 family holiday is in jeopardy because of the Home Office's ETA shambles'

Yahoo

time18 hours ago

  • Yahoo

‘My £19,000 family holiday is in jeopardy because of the Home Office's ETA shambles'

I live in California and have dual UK-US nationality, as do my three teenagers. Me and my husband (who has dual Canadian-US citizenship) have been planning a month-long trip to see family in England for the first time since 2019. Our UK passports expired in 2017, so we booked the flights – and planned to travel – using our US passports (as required under US law). After doing so a few weeks ago, United Airlines informed us that we would need to apply for the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK. No problem, we thought. One of the questions on the online ETA form asks applicants whether they hold dual nationality, however, and nowhere in the drop-down menu can you select 'British', nor is there anywhere to type it in. Therefore, unless I falsely claim to have only US citizenship, I cannot obtain one. Having booked the flights within a month of travel – we were awaiting confirmation of work commitments – we have no time to apply for new UK passports (it takes at least four weeks, we have been advised) or a Certificate of Entitlement (which takes up to eight weeks and costs £589 per person). I have spent around 30 hours calling the British Consulate and Embassy in the US, I've called the UK Visas and Immigration agency and used its ETA web chat multiple times, and I've spoken to United Airlines on several occasions. Yet all I'm getting is conflicting advice. While the Home Office website advises dual nationals that we should be allowed to board a plane to the UK without an ETA, I don't want to risk being turned away at Heathrow for either travelling without an ETA, withholding information on my ETA form, or possessing an expired passport. We feel devastated and defeated, with no choice but to cancel our travel to the UK. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip and we are faced with losing $26,000 (£19,200) in flights, car rental and accommodation and are left wondering why entry for British dual citizens is so much harder than for tourists. I also worry for myself – and others – what would happen if I needed to travel if a family member was sick or dying. - Mary, California I can well understand your frustration. The ETA scheme has been phased in since early January and it appears you are not the only ones to be baffled by the rules – many other dual British nationals are experiencing the same problem. Currently, the UK Home Office seems unable to provide a solution beyond the advice on its ETA Factsheet which states: 'We recommend that all British citizens travel on a valid British passport to avoid unnecessary delays at the border… As an alternative, British dual citizens can evidence their citizenship in another passport by obtaining a certificate of entitlement on However, with just 10 days to go before you travel, obtaining either a valid UK passport or a certificate of entitlement is, as you say, not an option. I spoke to the Home Office on your behalf and was advised verbally that you should be allowed to board a plane with an expired passport but there was no confirmation that your family would be allowed to enter the UK when you arrived at Heathrow. Of course, without an ETA, you are unable to simply use your US passport upon arriving in Britain as you did the last time you came here in 2019. The ETA factsheet goes on to state: 'We recognise that the introduction of the ETA is a substantial change for British dual citizens of ETA eligible nationalities. In the current transition period, we do not expect carriers to deny boarding to passengers who cannot produce a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement.' This would suggest you can enter the UK with your US passport and an expired UK passport, but the Home Office is unwilling to say so on record. Your airline, United, would not confirm to me that you will be allowed to board, and simply referred me back to when I contacted them on your behalf. Scouring blogs, social media forums and media coverage for expatriates in ETA-eligible countries, the situation is being described as 'a shambles' but it appears people facing this quandary are coming to the UK on expired passports or using an ETA and the valid passport they hold for the country where they now live, falsely claiming on the ETA form that they do not have dual citizenship. The latter option – lying on an immigration form – is risky and understandably not one we would condone nor that you wish to pursue, especially with teenagers in tow. There is one last option, and that is to apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) for yourself and your three children. While ETDs are not designed for leisure travel, the Home Office told me verbally that if you have held valid UK passports since 2006 (and yours only expired in 2017), then there is no requirement to prove the reason for emergency travel. Applying for an ETD takes 48 hours and may involve an interview with the nearest embassy, but could provide the peace of mind you need to proceed with your desperately longed-for holiday. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

Multiple people airlifted after a plane crashes in Tennessee, highway patrol says
Multiple people airlifted after a plane crashes in Tennessee, highway patrol says

CNN

timea day ago

  • CNN

Multiple people airlifted after a plane crashes in Tennessee, highway patrol says

Air travel safety Airplane crashesFacebookTweetLink Follow A plane with several people on board has crashed in Coffee County, Tennessee, about 60 miles south of Nashville, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. 'Initial reports suggest 16–20 people were on board. Some have been airlifted to nearby hospitals,' the highway patrol said in an X post Sunday afternoon. 'This is an active scene.' Multiple people have been flown to local hospitals while others are being evaluated at the scene, the highway patrol added in a Facebook post. CNN has reached out to local law enforcement for more information on the severity of the injuries. Initial information suggests the aircraft was a skydiving plane, according to a law enforcement officials. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Evan Perez contributed to this report.

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