The EU’s Entry Exit System has resulted in long waits at passport control across Europe

Politicians in the Canary Islands have called for the Spanish government to suspend the Entry/Exit System (EES) at airports across the archipelago. It’s the latest destination to speak out against the European Union’s new border checks.

It comes as non-EU travellers have faced long queues at passport control as a result of the EU’s new entry restrictions which came into force on April 10. Under the EES, third-country nationals – which includes Brits – must provide biometric data which includes fingerprints and a photograph which creates a digital record that is valid for three years.

The system is designed to replace passport stamping and will monitor visa-free travellers to ensure that they do not stay any longer than 90 days within any 180-day travel period. Initially rolled out gradually in October last year, it was fully launched in April, but the system has been plagued with issues.

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Airports across the Schengen Area have struggled to cope with additional administration, which has even resulted in some passengers missing their flights. Now ahead of the busy summer season destinations across Europe have called for the EU to suspend the EES during peak travel times.

Greece has already suspended checks until September, and it is understood Portugal is waving passengers through when the queues are too long. Italy is understood to be following soon.

The Partido Popular in the Canary Islands has announced that it will take a proposal to the regional parliament calling on the Spanish government to suspend the EES across the islands, Canarian Weekly reports. David Morales, the PP’s tourism spokesperson in the Canary Islands Parliament, has questioned the implementation of the system.

Mr Morales has said the EES is not meeting expectations and is impacting airport operations, as passengers face long wait times and overcrowding at the border. He argues that both tourism business organisations and police representatives have previously warned that the system is “at risk of saturation” if “introduced without adequate preparation”.

He also states that the border queues damage the islands’ image for tourists. The Partido Popular is citing EU Regulation 2025/1534, which allows Member States to temporarily suspend the EES at specific border crossings in cases of technical failures or where excessive traffic leads to significant delays. The proposal is set to be debated in the regional parliament, where the PP is seeking formal backing to press Madrid for action.

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A police helicopter was seen circling above Plymouth last night after a man in his 20s was found dead at a property – a 57-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder

Police have launched a murder probe after a man in his 20s was found dead at a property in Plymouth.

Multiple residents spotted a police helicopter circling above the city last night as police confirmed a “serious incident” was ongoing in the area. Emergency services were called at around 8.20pm to reports of a serious assault of a man on Embankment Road.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, a man in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and Devon and Cornwall Police said they are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.

Officers said “immediate searches” were carried out last night which led to a 57-year-old man being arrested on suspicion of murder, reports Plymouth Live.

Det Supt Rachael Bentley from the force’s Major Crime Investigation Team said: “This is a tragic incident in which a man has sadly lost his life. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

“A thorough investigation is underway to understand the full circumstances surrounding what has happened.

“We carried out immediate searches last night which resulted in a 57-year-old man being arrested on suspicion of murder and he is currently in police custody. A cordon remains in place this morning, and officers will be in the area throughout the day.

“Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or who was in the area at the time, to come forward.”

Det Supt Bentley added: “At this stage, this is believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public. We are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident.

“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was in and around the area of Embankment Road yesterday evening and may have seen or heard anything suspicious. Even information that may seem small could be vital to our investigation.”

Officers have asked residents and drivers to check any CCTV, doorbell, or dash‑cam footage they may have from the area at the time. Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or online quoting reference number 794 of 04/05/2026.

Information can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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The possibility of holding the 2027 London Marathon across two days – Saturday and Sunday – is still being explored.

Brasher previously said the idea would be to hold the elite women’s race on one of the days, alongside other women to have gained entry through their previous marathon times – and wheelchair races.

The men’s equivalents would take place on the other day, with mass races across both days.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, Brasher said he hoped it would be confirmed by the end of May.

“This is for one year only. We are engaging, and have been engaging for a long time, with a lot of stakeholders,” he said.

“Rightly, they want us to go through a process to ensure what we do is appropriate. People will get disrupted – it’s never happened before on a Saturday.

“There are lots of plans and mitigations that we’ve got and we would have do some unique things.

“But I think this shows the desire, the need, for the country. More than £400m of economic and social benefit would happen as a result of the two days, and we believe more than £150m would be raised for charities.

“It would be a one-off. We hope to get there – we’re not there yet. I’m positive it’s the right thing to do.”

A measles outbreak is sweeping across the UK in 2026, with 477 laboratory-confirmed cases recorded between January and late April

Brits are grappling with a surge in measles cases, with nearly 500 confirmed infections this year as the Victorian-era illness continues its spread.

Figures from the UK Health Security Agency reveal 477 laboratory-confirmed cases between January 1 and April 27, representing a significant jump in infections and extending a concerning pattern observed in recent years.

The highly infectious disease, which transmits through coughs and sneezes, had been largely controlled through vaccination programmes.

However, falling rates of MMR jab uptake have been associated with the recent comeback, and the most recent figures show that cases have risen progressively since the beginning of the year.

There were 106 infections in January, climbing to 142 in February and 140 in March, before dipping marginally to 89 cases in April so far. Authorities warn that April’s total is expected to increase further owing to reporting delays, reports the Mirror.

Youngsters are shouldering the heaviest burden of the outbreak. Roughly two-thirds of all cases – 317 out of 477 – have been identified in children aged 10 and under. A further 28 per cent have been detected in people aged 15 and above.

London has become the focal point of the outbreak, representing 58% of all cases. The West Midlands comes next with 23%, while the North West has logged 8%. Every region across England has reported at least one case this year. At local authority level, Enfield has recorded the highest number of infections, with 98 cases – accounting for more than one in five of the national total. Birmingham has logged 74 cases, while Islington has confirmed 44. Other London boroughs, including Haringey, Camden, Barnet and Hackney, have also experienced significant clusters.

Latest figures indicate the virus continues to transmit. In the four weeks from March 30 alone, there have been 101 confirmed cases, although officials caution this is probably an underestimate owing to lags in data reporting. London once more represented the bulk of these, accounting for 66% of cases.

Despite the rapid transmission, no fatalities linked to measles have been reported in England so far this year.

The present surge comes after a turbulent spell for measles infections. Throughout 2024, England recorded 2,911 confirmed cases – the highest yearly figure since 2012. While numbers dropped to 959 in 2025, the disease has not been eradicated and remains in circulation.

Public health experts have repeatedly cautioned that measles can resurge rapidly when vaccination coverage drops beneath the threshold required for herd immunity, generally around 95%. The illness can trigger severe complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation and, in rare instances, death.

The UKHSA has emphasised that vaccination remains the most effective method of preventing infection and containing outbreaks. The MMR jab, which guards against measles, mumps and rubella, is administered to children in two doses, though uptake has fallen in certain communities.

Officials have also pointed out that the figures remain provisional and are subject to change. Case numbers may be revised as additional testing takes place and some suspected cases are either confirmed or dismissed. The agency provides weekly updates on its measles surveillance data throughout April, before shifting to fortnightly reporting thereafter. The next update is expected on May 14.

Public health teams continue to keep a close eye on the situation, especially in regions experiencing the highest levels of transmission. While no deaths have been recorded so far this year, the extent and reach of infections highlight the danger of a disease many believed to be a thing of the past staging a significant resurgence.

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Two men were arrested by police

A man was injured with a “bladed weapon” after a fight in a hotel car park. Lincolnshire Police were called to the George Hotel in High Street St Martins, in Stamford, near Peterborough, just before 10pm on Saturday (May 2).

A fight had broken out between a group of people in the hotel car park. Officers arrested two men, one aged 25 and another aged 48, on suspicion of GBH.

In the incident, a 62-year-old man was injured and treated for non-serious injuries which “appear to have been caused from being slashed with a bladed weapon”, according to a police spokesperson. The 25-year-old man has since been released on bail and the 48-year-old man has been released with no further action.

A police spokesperson said: “Several people were spoken to at the time of the incident and other lines of inquiry explored, but investigating officers would still like to hear from anyone who hasn’t already been spoken to and who may have been in the area of the hotel at the time of the incident and who saw or heard anything.”

Anyone with information should email Andrew.james@lincs.police.uk or call 101 and quote incident 543 of May 2.

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