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The Independent •

‘No way to run a railway’: The ‘outdated’ rule causing train cancellations every week

Relying on staff volunteering to work weekend shifts to keep trains running on Sundays, as well as the regular need to fall back on voluntary overtime to cover absences, has been blasted as not sustainable for a healthy, functioning railway in the UK.Transport expert Graham Eccles, who during his career was the managing director of South West Trains before being appointed as the head of the railway division at Stagecoach, told The Independent that reliance on overtime work is “no way to run a ra...
The Independent •

Budget airline Spirit files for bankruptcy

US budget carrier Spirit Airlines has announced it has filed for bankruptcy protection after accumulating debt and losing more than $2.5bn since 2020But it has stressed to its customers that it will still continue to fly.The airline announced on Monday 18 November that it has entered into a “restructuring support agreement” that has been supported by a supermajority of its bondholders.The filing follows two failed attempts to merge with other airlines, falling stocks and a loss of income due to...
The Independent •

Are London Tube strikes happening today?

London Underground drivers have called off plans to carry out strikes on the Tube network just days before they were supposed to start.Train drivers’ union Aslef announced on Tuesday (5 November) that they were suspending strike action due to take place on 7 and 12 November across the London Underground after new negotiations and an “improved offer” from transport bosses.The announcement comes just days after the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) declared it would no l...
The Independent •

The best and worst hotel brands revealed

Three lesser-known Spanish hotel chains are favoured among guests as the best international hotel brands, beating out some big names such as Hilton and Holiday Inn, a new Which? survey has revealed.Iberostar, Paradores and RIU came joint-first in a table ranking international hotel brands based on a survey carried out by 2,000 Which? members.The lowest-scoring brand overall is French-owned Campanile, which received an overall customer score of just 57 per cent.The survey asked people about their...
The Independent •

Union call off November Tube strikes after last-ditch talks

Strikes planned by London Underground staff in the RMT have been suspended, the union has announced.Workers had been due to walk out on Friday evening and across several dates over the coming weeks in a dispute over pay, sparking fears of severe disruption on the network.However, on Friday afternoon a spokesperson from the union announced they would be suspending the strikes.Planned strikes from the train drivers’ union Aslef still appear to be scheduled to go ahead. An RMT spokesperson said: “F...
The Independent •

These are the best places to travel to in 2025

National Geographic has named its top 25 destinations to explore next year, from the tropical savannahs of Brazil all the way to the icy fjords of Greenland.The science, culture and travel brand has unveiled what they believe to be the must-see destinations of 2025, handpicked by their explorers, photographers and editors.Some journeys are recommended due to their timely importance, such as hiking near an active volcano, catching new museum openings, visiting thriving ecosystems and attending on...
The Independent •

Odyssey timeline: How the four-month Belfast ordeal unfolded before setting sail

When it was announced that the residential cruise ship Odyssey would set sail around the world this year, visiting more than 425 ports in 147 destinations over the course of three and a half years, some passengers immediately knew that they needed a place on that ship.What they did not know, however, was that before this ‘trip of a lifetime’, the new residents would have to endure four months stuck in Belfast after a string of last-minute repairs.Delay after delay haunted the vessel as its saili...
The Independent •

Greenland’s new international airport hopes to open the territory up to the world

Greenland is set to open a new international airport next month, aiming to entice more adventure tourists and visitors to the ice-capped territory by making it more accessible.From 28 November, visitors to Greenland’s capital Nuuk will be able to get a direct flight to the city for the very first time, via jetplane from Copenhagen, Denmark.The new airport marks the beginning of a series of openings, with two other airports in Ilulissat and Qaqortoq, in South Greenland, opening by 2026 which will...
The Independent •

Mother refused Airbnb refund despite Hurricane Milton barrelling towards Florida

A US woman has called out an Airbnb host in Florida for their “lack of empathy” after they refused to give her a refund for a holiday she booked for her family before Hurricane Milton struck.Kaitlynn Thayer, a mother of five, took to TikTok to air her grievances with an Airbnb host who owns a beachfront property in Amelia Island. Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key on 9 October, spawning dozens of tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating s...
The Independent •

Ultra high-speed flights one step closer after ‘groundbreaking’ reveal

An aerospace company has unveiled a new hypersonic engine which it says makes a “major breakthrough” in high-speed flight.Venus Aerospace, a Texas-based company focused on making hypersonic travel a reality, has announced they are producing an advanced propulsion engine that could power high-speed vehicles, including drones and aircraft.Hypersonic technology is not a new phenomenon – it has been used in ballistic missiles, space expeditions, as well as Nasa’s experimental X-planes.However, the i...
The Independent •

Odyssey cruise ship finally sails out of Belfast after four-month delay

A cruise ship that was stranded in Belfast for four months has finally set sail after a string of delays and is now en route to France on its first stop of an around-the-world voyage.The Odyssey is believed to be on its way to Brest in France, with marine traffic website CrusieMapper showing the ship sailing south past west England as of Friday morning, with an expected time of arrival in France around 8pm this evening.The Villa Vie Residences chief executive, Mikael Petterson, said Thursday eve...
The Independent •

Passenger makes sourdough loaf during flight sparking furious online reaction

A social media creator has been slammed online for vlogging the process of making sourdough bread – all from her seat on a flight to Spain.Content creator Maria Baradell, 37, has gained an online following for documenting how she makes baked goods for her bread bakery business, however, a recent video sparked some controversy after she filmed herself making sourdough while on a plane.The video shows the mother-of-five starting the process of creating a fresh loaf of bread to surprise her sister...
The Independent •

Which beach has the whitest sand in the world?

Tulum Beach in Mexico has been named the beach with the whitest sand in the world, beating out destinations like the Seychelles and Greece for the top spot.Researchers from luxury villa travel agents CV Villas carried out a study of over 200 beaches around the world, using colour analysis theory and Google Maps images to find out which beach truly is home to the whitest sands on the planet.Using screenshots from Google Maps and finding out the sands’ RGB colour code, the researchers compared thi...