The budget airline has confirmed it will shut its seven-aircraft operating base at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) from October

Ryanair is poised to slash flights from several UK airports following confirmation it will shutter a significant base in Germany.

The budget carrier revealed it will close its seven-aircraft operation at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) from 24 October 2026. Alongside this development, Ryanair announced it will halve its flight capacity to and from the German capital throughout its winter timetable.

Consequently, routes linking Berlin with UK destinations such as London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh are anticipated to face disruption. The airline presently operates direct services from these airports to Berlin multiple times weekly, with journey times of approximately two hours, according to the Express.

While Ryanair hasn’t specified exactly which UK routes face the axe, it disclosed that Berlin passenger numbers will plummet from 4.5 million to 2.2 million in 2027.

The operator added that upwards of two million Ryanair seats annually will vanish as a consequence of the base closure. Ryanair confirmed it will maintain Berlin connections, albeit using aircraft stationed beyond Germany’s borders.

All seven Berlin-stationed aircraft will relocate to more economical airports across other EU nations, encompassing Sweden, Slovakia, Albania and Italy. The carrier attributed the decision to escalating airport fees and aviation levies in Germany.

Ryanair DAC CEO Eddie Wilson stated: “We regret to announce this planned closure of our seven aircraft Berlin base from 24 Oct 2026, but we have no alternative following the Airport’s latest 10% fee increase to its already high airport fees.

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“This comes on top of the 50% increase in Berlin’s airport fees since 2019. Despite Berlin Airport losing 30% of its pre-Covid traffic thanks to its excessive airport charges, and Germany’s stupid aviation tax regime, they have now decided to increase charges by a further 10%, which will result in the loss of more than 2m Ryanair seats p.a. and seven based aircraft.

“Ryanair will still serve Berlin but on a/c based outside Germany and our Berlin traffic will fall by 50% from 4.5m to 2.2m pax in 2027.”

He added: “German aviation is broken. The Govt. admits that it is uncompetitive, yet there is no strategy to cut aviation taxes or high airport fees – despite Ryanair warning that Germany would lose traffic, connectivity, jobs and trade.”

Mr Wilson stated that additional reductions across Germany were “now inevitable” unless substantial cost reforms were implemented.

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He continued: “Efficient operations and competitive airport fees are the foundation which enable Ryanair to deliver long-term traffic growth and increased connectivity for airports and regions.

“This is impossible at Berlin following the German Govt’s failure to abolish its harmful aviation tax and Berlin Airport’s decision to again increase its already high airport fees.”

The airline confirmed that pilots and cabin crew stationed in Berlin have been informed of the proposed base closure.

Consultations with staff will commence in the near future, with affected personnel given the opportunity to seek alternative positions across the carrier’s European operations.

“EVERY second shop in Newgate Street, the main street in Bishop Auckland, shuttered up and the shopkeeper ruined,” wrote the town’s prospective MP Hugh Dalton in his diary 100 years ago.

This was not the result of an out-of-town shopping centre. This was because of the General Strike which broke out a century ago this weekend and brought Britain to a standstill.

READ MORE: PICKETS IN PRIESTGATE AND FURY IN FERRYHILL: DAY-BY-DAY HOW THE GREAT STRIKE UNFOLDED IN THE NORTH-EAST

In Bishop Auckland, Dalton, leading member of the Labour Party, found “white-faced women who starved themselves to feed their children” and “men sitting silent in clubs too poor to buy either a drink or a smoke”.

Later, in December 1926, he made a single entry: “Miners hopelessly defeated”.

Digging for coal at Murton during the 1926 strike

Coal lay at the start and finish of the General Strike.

More than one million miners made coal the largest industry in Britain, and in 357 towns and villages of County Durham, it shaped the social geography.

Coal mining was the dirtiest, most dangerous (more than a thousand deaths annually) and dehumanising occupation in the country (80 per cent of coal was hewn by hand-pick). It gave rise to class conflict and the most appalling industrial relations.

A County Durham soup kitchen during the 1926 strike.

But after the First World War, there was a falling demand for coal, and the strike originated in an attempt by mine-owners to pass the problems of a declining industry down to their workers. Rather than amalgamate struggling pits, the owners tried to cut wages and increase hours.

The situation was aggravated by Chancellor Winston Churchill restoring Britain’s currency to the Gold Standard in 1925 in an attempt to regain the country’s financial prestige. This meant Britain’s currency was over-valued at a time when other countries were devaluing – therefore, cheap foreign coal came into Britain while British coal for export became 10 per cent dearer – and Durham coal was an exported commodity.

Miners resisted the owners’ changes – “not a penny off the pay, not a second on the day” – and appealed to the Trades Union Congress, which represented eight million workers, for support.

When lengthy negotiations failed as miners refused to accept inferior terms, they were “locked out” of their collieries on April 30. They reacted by going on strike on May 1.

Miner solidarity was total and was almost equalled by the 1.75 million workers called out by the TUC in support.

Yet on May 12, the strike – a “nine days wonder” – was over as the TUC capitulated.

The troops are called in to deal with the strikers. Photo by Universal History Archive/REX/Shutterstock

Most miners continued to strike for six months until starvation and isolation – Dalton’s diary highlighting the appalling conditions on the ground in the coalfield – forced them to accept the owners’ harsh terms, and the lock-out ended.

Responsibility for this dire state of affairs can be shared between the four participants.

The TUC was anxious to protect its members’ wages but its leaders were divided and timid. They hoped not to paralyse the country but to pressure the government into forcing concessions from the owners. Afraid of “reds”, moderates like Ernest Bevin sought a Trumpian “exit ramp” from early days.

Righting a bus that was turned over in Glasgow by strikers

The men’s leaders, like the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain (MFGB) secretary and gifted orator Arthur Cook, trusted neither the TUC nor a Conservative government. He stubbornly held to the rhetorical “not a penny off the pay, not a second on the day” long after May 12, until union funds of £4m were exhausted.

Colliery owners, at a time of right-wing government, adopted an intransigent stance. They remained deaf to calls for colliery improvement and felt they only had to wait the strike out. Even Tory hawk Lord Birkenhead called them the “stupidest men in England” and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin found them “stupid and discourteous”.

During the 1926 Great Strike, unemployed miners formed fashionable jazz bands to wile away the hours. This is the No Place Nobblers, from near Stanley

Baldwin shrewdly grasped that by trying to coerce him, the TUC had converted an industrial dispute into a political one. He was thus able to portray himself as a “man of peace” and to brand the strike as a threat to the constitution.

By contrast, Churchill denounced striking workers as “the enemy” trying to “hold up the nation”, words that could have been a rehearsal for the way the 1984 miners’ strike was presented by another Conservative government.

History suggests that, against these forces, the strike was doomed from the beginning.

Planning by the TUC was eleventh hour, improvised and fragmented. There were more than 500 Councils of Action acting virtually autonomously, such as the proactive and radical centre of Chopwell (“Little Moscow”), in Gateshead.

FIGHTING FOR COAL: Striking miners digging for coal at South Hetton during the 1926 strike

By contrast, government planning was timely and comprehensive. Coal and food were stockpiled and an emergency structure divided Britain into 10 districts. Each was under a Civil Commissioner empowered to recruit half-a-million (chiefly middle class) “patriotic volunteers” and to use the armed forces to ensure that food was smoothly delivered.

Warships also acted as an intimidating presence by turning their guns towards ports.

Leadership was exercised effectively by Baldwin and based on a clear strategy of protecting parliamentary democracy, while the supine TUC shrank from turning off the lights and fires and bringing industry to a halt.

Local leaders were more impressive. In Chopwell, Will Lawther – later the Labour MP for Barnard Castle – led the blocking of roads from Newcastle to Consett in order to undermine “volunteer” action, and he was imprisoned after the police baton-charged his supporters outside the Gateshead court.

The Flying Scotsman derailed near Cramlington when strikers removed a rail from the East Coast Main Line

In propaganda terms, Churchill orchestrated the government case in a nationally circulated newspaper called “The British Gazette”.

By contrast, the TUC deprived itself of favourable coverage by calling out the printers to strike! Their “British Worker” newspaper was hand-printed and circulation in Durham was limited to 16,000. In Blaydon, workers produced a publication called “The Northern Light” which was cyclostyled on equipment which was moved from house to house to avoid arrest.

The technically independent BBC focused on the political issue too and even blocked a broadcast of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s peace initiative. Its chairman was Darlington coal lord Jack Pease, Baron Gainford.

Road transport was at the centre of most of the trouble, but in general food and coal supplies were maintained. On Newcastle quayside, a submarine and two destroyers were moored beside a food-ship and convoys to Consett had police escorts.

It cost the United Bus Company £600 to repair damage to vehicles in Bishop Auckland.

Volunteers numbering 25,000, including university students, were available in the North East to drive private cars and lorries, and a further 12,000 acted as special constables. Of a national figure of 1,760 arrests for disorder, 396 were in the North East District.

Thankfully, no one was killed in the UK.

In the last analysis, the power of the state prevailed. The TUC had no stomach for the fight and the government spent £433m on winning it.

In working class Durham, there was little for strikers to do as support was solid and blacklegs practically unknown.

It was a hot summer and men at first enjoyed the natural warmth and light, and relief from toil.

But some families were turned out of their tied housing by the mine owners, and by July, with no benefits system for able men, food was running short. Perhaps in mining villages, some men could hunt and fish or “acquire” vegetables, but in towns there was more scavenging, notably of coal from heaps and railway lines, but also men had the possibility of casual work.

There was no paid work available for women and they can be seen to have been the real victims of the strike.

By November, only five per cent of Durham miners had returned to work, but by the end of that month, the privations their families and communities were suffering, forced the majority to accept severe, locally-dictated terms.

Nationally, the triumph of the owners meant there was no reorganisation and so nationalisation, universally popular with miners, did not come about until 1947.

In 1927, Baldwin introduced an Act of Parliament that outlawed sympathetic strikes. This, though, was seen by some as unnecessarily vindicative and contributed to his ousting in 1929, although it was not repealed until 1946.

The miners remained stoical and stubborn but recognised that a better future lay in supporting Labour politics rather than in industrial action. They were rewarded as early as 1929 with the formation of the second Labour government, with Will Lawther defeating the sitting Conservative MP Cuthbert Headlam in Barnard Castle.

Some miners and their supporters were victimized in 1926 but the strike was also a warning to employers that conciliation and collective bargaining were less risky than confrontation. And with non-militant men like Bevin leading the unions away from direct action, the result was relative industrial peace until the 1970s.

Sadly, 60 years after the General Strike, the lessons of under-preparation and taking on a strong government were not learned by a future miners’ leader who shared a first name with his role model Arthur Cook.

Glynn Wales at the Tommy statue in Seaham

• Glynn Wales, of Bishop Auckland, began his career as a history teacher in 1969 at Ferryhill Grammar School, and he rose to become head of Ferryhill Comprehensive until he retired in 1997 to join Durham university and train the next generation of history teachers

French authorities said in a statement: “All state services were mobilised to respond to this incident, with the involvement of the national gendarmerie, border police, aerial resources — including drones — the departmental fire and rescue service, as well as volunteers from Civil Protection, and resources co-ordinated by CROSS Gris-Nez under the authority of the Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea.

Ethiopian athlete Abay Alemu was first past the post in today’s event

Ethiopian long-distance runner Abay Alemu claimed victory at the 44th Phoenix Energy Belfast City Marathon earlier today by only a split second with a lung-busting finishing straight sprint.

More than 23,000 thousand people ran or jogged in the 44th Belfast City Marathon. The event started at Stormont Estate and finished in Ormeau Park with an array of entertainment provided to support the spectators and visitors.

An event spokesperson said: “It was a great day for athletes across the island of Ireland and beyond, congratulations to Abay Alemu winning the 44th Phoenix Energy Belfast City Marathon in a time of 2:16:23 with second place winner Teadese Mamo right beside in a time of 2:16:24. Third place was Abera Ketema in a time of 2:17:38.

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“For the ladies, Aziza Alaoui Selsouli came in first in a time of 2:38:00. In second place, Judith Storm of City of Derry Spartans finished in a time of 2:39:09 with Melissah Gibson of Ealing Eagles s third in a time of 2:42:44.

“Congratulations also to Jayne Bleakley who won the Wheelchair Race in a time of 2:32:39. A full list of the results will be available at www.belfastcitymarathon.com on Monday May 4, 2026.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

At 9pm on BBC One, viewers can catch The Cage, which was filmed last year in Bolton town centre and nearby Tockholes. At the same time, Channel 5 will air the brand-new series Rich Wedding, Poor Wedding, showcasing the picturesque village of Edgworth and the stunning Wellbeing Farm.

Crime drama,The Cage, has been receiving excellent reviews from critics and audience members alike, describing it as one one of the sharpest shows we’ve seen for a long time.

The Wellbeing Farm (Image: Creative Camera Photography)

Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha are both ridiculously charismatic, talented and impossible to take your eyes off.

Their characters Leanne and Matty are now working together, but their partnership isn’t going particularly well – they’re actually in a blind panic because Nancy and Gary are reviewing the casino’s accounts, which could expose their nefarious activities.

In September last year, The Wellbeing Farm received an unexpected call from a Channel 5 producer about a new show called Rich Wedding Poor Wedding.

Filming in Le Mans Crescent (Image: NQ)

Airing at 9pm this Sunday (May 3), it follows two couples from contrasting financial backgrounds as they plan their dream weddings.

Liv Chase, 26, head of sales and marketing at The Wellbeing Farm, shared what’s in store for viewers.

The Wellbeing Farm (Image: The Wellbeing Farm)

“One of the brides-to-be told the producers that she loved our venue and wanted to view it,” Liv explained.

The couples looked at three venues each, with starkly contrasting budgets.

Describing itself as “a wedding venue like no other”, The Wellbeing Farm is an option for the “rich wedding” couple.

The big question is which will you be watching tonight?

Emergency services were called to Hyde Leisure Pool on Walker Lane after a child got into difficulty in the water and was taken to Tameside General Hospital

A child has been rushed to hospital after emergency services responded to an incident at a swimming pool in Hyde this afternoon.

The alarming episode unfolded at Hyde Leisure Pool on Walker Lane on Sunday (May 3).

The Manchester Evening News understands that emergency crews were scrambled to the scene following reports that a child had got into difficulty in the water.

Eyewitnesses reported that the pool was cleared of swimmers as paramedics raced to assist. One individual told the M.E.N. they witnessed ambulance crews carrying out CPR at the scene, reports the Manchester Evening News.

It is believed the child was conscious when taken to hospital for further assessment following being pulled from the water.

A North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) spokesperson said: “We received a call for a child in cardiac arrest at Active Hyde and several NWAS resources were dispatched to the scene, in which a patient was then taken to Tameside General Hospital.”

Active Tameside, which runs the leisure facility, has also been approached for comment.

Iran’s latest 14-point proposal to the United States calls for all issues between the two countries to be resolved within 30 days – Donald Trump says “they have not yet paid a big enough price”

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Iran is calling on Donald Trump to end the war in 30 days with a new 14-point proposal, according to Iranian state-linked media.

Tehran’s latest proposal to the United States calls for all outstanding issues between the two nations to be resolved within 30 days, and seeks a permanent end to the conflict rather than a simple extension of the existing ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war but expressed doubt it would lead to a deal, saying “they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years” since the Islamic Revolution.

Iran’s 14-point proposal calls for a full cessation of hostilities, rather than merely prolonging the truce. The proposal, a direct rebuttal to the US nine-point plan, also demands that Washington lift sanctions on Tehran, end the naval blockade, withdraw its forces from the region and halt all military activity, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semi-official Nour News agency, which maintains close ties to the country’s security apparatus.

There was no mention in those reports, however, of Iran’s nuclear program and its enriched uranium, long the central issue in tensions with the US.

Iran delivered its response via a Pakistani intermediary, the news agency reported. Pakistan has previously hosted talks between Iran and the United States.

Pakistan’s prime minister, foreign minister and army chief are continuing to drive negotiations forward and urging both Washington and Tehran to engage in direct dialogue, according to two Pakistani officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trump rejected a previous Iranian proposal earlier this week as the fragile three-week ceasefire holds. Today, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held discussions with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al Busaidi, who facilitated earlier rounds of negotiations between the US and Iran prior to the current bout of hostilities.

The US also put forward a fresh proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas trade normally flows.

Iran’s deputy parliament speaker declared on Sunday that Iran “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions.” Ali Nikzad, who holds no decision-making authority in parliament, delivered the remarks during a visit to port installations on Iran’s strategically important Larak Island, situated near the strait’s narrowest point.

“The Strait of Hormuz belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said, adding that the country was working to compensate businesses and property damaged during the war, and that Trump’s blockade plan was certain to fail.

Iran effectively shut the strait by attacking and threatening ships after the U.S. and Israel launched a war on February 28. Tehran subsequently offered some ships safe passage via routes nearer to its coastline, imposing fees at times. The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since 13th April, cutting off Tehran’s oil revenues.

Yousef Pezeshkian, son and adviser to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, posted on Telegram that both the United States and the Islamic Republic consider themselves the victor in the conflict and remain unwilling to concede ground.

North Yorkshire Police have issued a warning to motorists after a vehicle has broken down on the A171, close to Pond Hill and Fylingdales, today (May 3).

The road serves as the main route between Whitby and Scarborough, with this coinciding with the Whitby Goth Weekend over the bank holiday weekend.

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It has broken down in a live lane in the southbound carriageway, with the county’s police stating that whilst the road is the national speed limit, the vehicle is in an area where traffic signs suggest reducing your speed.

“Officers are with the vehicle, and arranging to get it moved, however, please take care when driving and be prepared for delays,” said a spokesperson for the force.

More to follow.

Paul Pogba made his long-awaited return to football as he started for Monaco against Metz at the weekend and the former Manchester United star has opened up on his mental turmoil

Paul Pogba has opened up on his mental difficulties as he attempted to find a way back into football. The French midfielder has endured a nightmare time of things since leaving Old Trafford.

Injuries ruined his return to former club Juventus, Pogba making just 12 appearances for the Italian side. He was then provisionally banned in September 2023 after failing a routine drugs test.

Pogba was hit with a four-year ban from the game but that was eventually reduced to 18 months. Now 33, Pogba has attempted to get his career back on track with French side Monaco.

But it has not gone to plan so far, with the midfielder having made just six appearances for his new employers, with injuries having kept him on the sidelines. Having finally made his first start since his ban, Pogba has spoken candidly about how tough he has found his time away from the pitch.

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Speaking with Ligue 1 Plus, he said: “Honestly, there were times when I was like, ‘That’s it, it’s getting on my nerves.’ I do everything, I come, I’m here, and it doesn’t stop, it just keeps going.

“I was thinking, ‘What more do I have to do to avoid all this?’ And actually, it’s about time and patience. You have to have the patience to keep going and not give up.”

Pogba has praised those around him for helping him through the tough times. He added: “I was lucky to have people around me, whether it was my family or close friends, who would say to me, ‘What are you talking about?’ When I see the messages, whether on social media or when I arrive at the stadiums, they applaud.”

Pogba’s future remains up in the air. He has just over a year remaining on his contract at the Stade Louis II but he has vowed that simply starting a game will not satisfy him,

He said: “I can’t stop here. I want to give that love and joy back to the people.”

Speaking earlier this season, Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro admitted talks would be held over his future. He said: “Paul, first of all, was about performance. It is about performance, the first step.

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“Paul is a very talented player with a different tier than we are used to having in Ligue 1. He’s coming back from two years without playing – We knew that the challenge to bring him back would be high.

“Of course that he brings also an impact in terms of visibility to the league, to AS Monaco, commercial revenues, all of this. But as we all know, the player must be on the pitch performing for everything to work well. At the end, we started this process in the summer with a very high expectation.”

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Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.