The Thursday letters page tries to predict the contents of today’s Nintendo Partner Showcase, as one reader thinks the next gen Xbox console is doomed.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Worrying times We’ve had a lot of talk back and forth about Nintendo recently and, to be honest, I felt people were being a bit silly claiming they’d made serious mistakes. But to hear Nintendo themselves say the Switch 2 has underperformed in the West is a bit of a shock. They seem to be talking about profit more than sales, but their whole business has been based on relatively low budget hardware and software that is hugely profitable.
You change that and suddenly the whole foundation of the company is at risk. I’m surprised they didn’t realise this, but then obviously they couldn’t have predicted the RAM shortages and tariffs. Even so, they’ve stuck their neck out further than they usually do and they’re in danger of having it cut off.
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Well, maybe not that much danger but I’m more worried about them now than I was during the Wii U era, even though the Switch 2 has sold tons and the Wii U was a disaster right out the gate. It was recoverable though, which is exactly what happened. I really don’t see what Nintendo does next to get back to its old position, especially when they refuse to announce any decently exciting games. Acheron
Improper Direct It’s hard to know what to say when you realise that when there is finally a ‘proper’ Nintendo Direct it’s going to be the fifth one of the year. Maybe even the sixth if they slip an Indie World one in before it. Are they trolling or is their line-up for the year just really behind? As usual with Nintendo, we’ll never know for sure.
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So what’s going to be announced on Thursday’s Partner Showcase? I have a nasty feeling it’s not going to be much we haven’t heard of before. There’s an awful lot of third party games, like Elden Ring, that have been announced but haven’t got a release date yet, or we haven’t seen running on Switch 2.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to sit through 15 minutes of Elden Ring with its unique Master Sword item, or whatever they add to it. Nor do I need to see any more of 007 First Light or whatever else they have. Here’s hoping there’ll be some welcome surprises but the golden rule with these showcase is to expect nothing and never be disappointed. Corden
Console-esque Whatever the next gen Xbox is next year, or whenever, I’ll bet it’s not really a console as we’ve come to think of them. It’s not going to be a new format, that only runs the games made for it, because nobody but Microsoft is ever going to want to make them.
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It’s just going to be a PC, with as much AI nonsense installed on it as Microsoft can cram onto the hard drive, or in the cloud or however they pitch it. They’ve already said it’s going to be hyper expensive and that combined with it not actually being a console is going to be a disaster, I believe.
They would’ve been better off sticking with their portable idea because at least in that case there’s not really a clear leader for PC handhelds. Steam Deck is number one but it could easily be improved on it’s not that much more successful than its rivals. Zeiss
Phoning it in RE: Lurgie. The Fallout TV show has been fine. Entertaining enough to me, at least. I’ve seen some diehards moaning about aspects of the show, but it hasn’t affected me. I’m not a lore buff, so I don’t care about any changes brought in by the showrunners. Only thing is, I hope they have an ending planned and not, like Westworld, it just limps along until it’s cancelled. Bobwallett PS: Whilst I appreciate Walton Goggins making an appearance in Fallout 76, his performance kinda reminds me of Krusty’s recording session.
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Inflation problems I see they have the new Monster Hunter Stories 3 amiibo in stock to pre-order on Nintendo Store UK. They look amazing and very colourful, but very expensive compared to the price of amiibo which came out during the Switch 1’s lifetime. They also have the Super Mario Bros. Wonder amiibo available to pre-order.
I particularly like the Mario elephant character going down a green pipe! I will be picking up some of them in future to add to my collection. Andrew J. PS: On a different subject what is GameCentral’s opinion on the game The Stone of Madness for PlayStation 5? as I am thinking of picking it up on physical.
GC: We haven’t played it, we’re afraid. You’re right about the amiibo though. Those Ratha ones look great, but the price is well outside the impulse purchase range they used to be.
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Customer service Even in the early 2000s, as a 21-year-old gamer, I remember being trolled for liking Nintendo/Pokémon by a certain member of staff (if anyone’s from Wolverhampton).
Years later, I had an issue with ‘Dave’ in 2020, regarding returning a still-sealed GAME in the Merry Hill store.
Besides those idiots, GAME’s trade-in/cash was always lower than GameStation’s. All GAME had was the Reward Points and once I spent those, I never really went back.
GAME got jealous of GameStation, bought them and then shut them down.
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Then they never have any new releases in store on launch day, which meant a wasted journey so I’m personally glad they’re going/gone.
As regards the high street, it’ll be Smyths or Argos for me, regarding brand new, or CeX or eBay for second-hand. LeeDappa
GTApocalypse I’d like to echo a reader’s concern from last month, where he worried what will happen to the rest of the games industry once GTA 6 comes out. Whether you’re interested in the game or not, it’s fascinating to see how massive the hype is for it, but it’s going to leave such a crater I don’t think many people are going to be buying or playing else for months.
That’s a bigger problem when it comes out at Christmas than in May and it’s particularly bad news for Call Of Duty, which has had a really bad couple of years. But how long will GTA 6 be the only game in town? Months and months into 2027 I’m sure. And what will be the first big game to dare go up against it and break the chain? Whatever it is, good luck to the developer. Crumpton
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It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world As some people have kind of touched on already, I think a lot of the problems with the games industry at the moment don’t have anything much to do with publishers but the wider business world which is, not to put too finer point on it, nuts right now.
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The reason RAM is expensive isn’t because it’s hard to get the raw materials or even because of Trump’s tariffs, it’s because it’s all being used for AI. And when that bubble bursts – and I believe it will this year – suddenly it’s all going to become dirt cheap. Which may sound a good thing but the wider effects on the economy, of companies finally admitting AI is almost worthless, is going to be horrendous. So that’s something to look forward to.
We’re in a situation where the Switch 2 has become the fast-selling console ever and yet it’s still seen as underperforming. What was it supposed to do? Become the fast-selling console in multiple dimensions at once?
Nothing has made sense since Covid, as far as I’m concerned, but the last couple of years, with the rise of AI, has been full on lunacy. The reason stocks are down for video game companies? Because investors think Google’s Project Gemini is going to make video game development redundant. As if you’re going to type in a prompt and get God Of War out the other end.
For a sensible, financially conservative company like Nintendo all of this must be especially infuriating, but they’ve just got to ride out like the rest of us, and hope that sanity returns at some point soon. Ashton Marley
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Inbox also-rans I have to admit, even I thought that Fallout website reveal was going to be the Fallout 3 remaster. Kind of funny that it wasn’t. Maybe they’ll go for an April launch, so that it’s exactly the same as Oblivion? Ken
Was that another case of Inbox magic, with the reader talking about GTA 6 Trailer 3 being around the time of Summer Game Fest and then the next day we get Take-Two talking about just that! Didn’t realise the magic works even on Rockstar. Whaler9
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Designs were bought by Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer, Trudie Styler and Clemence Poesy, among others.
A Scots fashion brand which catered for numerous A-list celebs, including Jennifer Lopez and Madonna, has gone into liquidation.
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Queene and Belle Limited, based in the Borders, has voluntarily closed the business. Founded in 2001, the firm has created designs which were worn by many celebrities.
Previously speaking to The Herald, Angela Bell, the company’s director, revealed who has snapped up their designs. She said: “Designs have been bought by Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer, Trudie Styler and Clemence Poesy, among others, which is great.”
Thomson Cooper’s Richard Gardiner has been named Queene and Bell’s liquidator. He is said to guarantee that “all creditors will be paid in full.”
The judgement has been referred to as a “members’ voluntary liquidation.” This indicates that although the company is still operating well and can settle its debts, the owners have decided to shut it down.
Speaking in 2015 on what attracted their high-end clientele, Ms Bell added: “We have a very artistic approach to all the pieces, and so much thought is put into every detail.
“It all comes from my perspective – that’s what my customers buy into. We have a high price point, so we’re hanging next to global brands like Lanvin.
“Being small can be difficult, but we can offer something different, a much more personal service.”
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Olivia Rodrigo has released the music video for her new single Drop Dead, the first offering from her much-hyped third album You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So in Love.
The video, directed by Petra Collins, sees the three-time Grammy winner dancing through the Palace Of Versailles in Paris in a frilly blue dress, running between the rooms before picking up her pink guitar and rocking out.
“You lookin’ like an angel on the walls of Versailles,” she sings on the track. “The most alive I’ve ever been.”
Watch the exciting clip for yourself below:
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On Instagram, the chart-topping singer described Drop Dead as a “new chapter” in the story of her new album.
“It makes me wanna skip around and roll the windows down and make out!” she enthused. “I was lucky enough to film the music video at the Palace Of Versailles a few months ago with the wonderful Petra Collins and I’m so stoked with how it turned out.”
Although Olivia has never directly said who inspired the song, she told British Vogue recently that the “person that the song is about is great”.
In the bridge of Drop Dead, she’s heard singing: “Pisces and a Gemini. But I think we might go really nice together. If you let me stay the night. Well, I think I might just have to stay forever.”
Olivia is a Pisces and Louis is a Gemini, further fuelling the speculation that he is the subject of the song – and, likely, more tracks from her upcoming album.
Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge in October 2025
In the same British Vogue article, Olivia teased that her time with Louis – with whom she reportedly split in December 2025 – in London has inspired her new album.
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She teased: “I’ve spent so much time here over the course of making this album. It has a lot of songs that are London vibes, about experiences that I’ve had here”
The Summertime Sadness singer told the BBC in 2024: “I mean, how has that not happened yet? Can we just say, (singing) ‘it’s only 24 hours in a day’, I wrote that for them, but Sam (Smith, who sang Writing’s On The Wall, the theme to 2015’s Skyfall) you did a wonderful job, really, no I’m just kidding…
Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United last summer to join Chelsea and could be on the move again
Alejandro Garnacho reportedly made it clear that he wanted to swap Manchester United for Chelsea several months before he left the club. Garnacho left United last summer to join the Londoners in a deal worth up to £40million.
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Since leaving United, Garnacho has made 38 appearances for Chelsea and has scored just eight goals in his debut season at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentina international has been forced to deal with a change of manager during his first season after leaving United, with Chelsea replacing former boss Enzo Maresca with Liam Rosenior back in January.
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Just months after leaving United, a fresh update has emerged about Garnacho’s future, including some insight into his final season at Old Trafford.
The Sun have reported that Chelsea are weighing up whether to cash in on Garnacho just a year after signing the forward from United.
The report also claims that Garnacho was keen to join Chelsea as early as January last year, with the player’s agent said to have made a trip to Stamford Bridge in the same month.
Garnacho’s agent is former Chelsea player Enrique de Lucas, and it now remains to be seen what the future holds for the former United star.
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Last summer, Garnacho expressed a desire to leave United, and was critical of the club’s former manager Ruben Amorim, following the decision to drop the forward to the bench for the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
This was followed by Garnacho being left out of the squad for the Premier League finale against Aston Villa last season, and the forward recently opened up about his final months as a United player.
“I remember that, in the last six months, I was not playing like before at Manchester United,” Garnacho recently told Premier League Productions.
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“I started to be on the bench. It’s not such a bad thing – I was only 20 years old – but in my mind it was like I had to play every game.
“In my mind, maybe it was also on me. I started to do some bad things. But it was just a moment in life and sometimes you have to make decisions. I am really proud to be [at Chelsea] and still in the Premier League at a club like this.
“About United, I have nothing wrong to say about the club, anyone at the club or my team-mates. It was just a moment that changed and life continues. I have no regrets.”
Mohammed Mizanoor Rahman, who owns Norton restaurant Pangea, appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (April 15) charged with a string of offences.
They include three counts of assaulting a child under 13 by sexual touching and two counts of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child.
The 34-year-old, who is also known as Mizzy, did not enter any pleas during the short hearing.
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Rahman, of Durham Street in Stockton, was remanded in custody until his next appearance at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday, May 13.
The restauranter first opened Pangea on Norton Road in 2023.
The problem has been ongoing, according to Cllr Hilary Fairclough, for several months, usually reappearing after periods of heavy rain.
Council officers tested the water and found it was not untreated sewage as had been feared for locals, though they were unable to account for the smell or colour.
Cllr Fairclough said: “Several residents have reported this to me – they all said it was terribly smelly.
Residents described the small as ‘foul’ (Image: Hilary Fairclough)
“It’s been going on for a quite a long time as well – it was hot on Facebook just before Easter, but some residents have told me its been going on for months, not weeks.
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“I think it was the Facebook pictures that finally got people to take a serious look at it – just the fact that it looked so horrible.”
The sludgy, foul-smelling water flows down the ginnel from Whithill lane, past Highview and the back of Eastgrove Avenue.
There was at first concern that the water was coming from the nearby Sweetloves Water Treatment Plant, though United Utilities investigated this and found this not to be the case.
Despite this, neither United Utilities nor Bolton Council were able to ascertain the source of the water nor what it consisted of.
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The water seems to have formed a thick sludge (Image: Hilary Fairclough)
But United Utilities have install a channel drain on the path to fix the issue, work which they will complete ‘within the next few weeks’.
United Utilities said: “We’ve carried out a number of investigations on site and don’t believe the water to be coming from Sweetloves water treatment works or the wastewater and clean water networks in the area.
“We’ve agreed with the council as a goodwill gesture that we will install a channel drain on the path to direct the water into a nearby road gully which will rectify the issue – this will be done within the next couple of weeks.”
Williams’ cautiousness about going under the knife suggests he still has ambitions to continue on the baize for years to come – and who can blame him.
Last October, at the age of 50 years and 206 days, he beat the mark set back in 1982 by fellow Welshman Ray Reardon to become the oldest winner of a ranking event when he triumphed in the Xi’an Grand Prix.
Even now, having turned 51 last month, he is ranked sixth in the world going into the World Championship this weekend.
“When I was 45 I said I’d like to see where I am in the rankings when I’m 50,” Williams recalled.
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“I’m not retiring, I made that decision years ago. Let’s see where I am in the rankings at 55, that’ll be interesting.”
He may have ruled out retirement but is not feeling quite so confident about his chances at the Crucible this year.
“I’m still fighting. I’m still trying and that’s all I can say,” he said.
“I try my best in every tournament and if you win, great, if you lose, that’s not the end of the world.
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“I’ve been doing this since I was an eight-year-old kid. My father was going down the mines for 30 years, my grandfather for 50 years.
“I’m just travelling around the world playing the stupid game of snooker, getting paid well for it and enjoying it. You can’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Teenager Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, went missing in 2024
Olivia Beeson UK & World News Reporter and Kirstie McCrum Deputy Head of News, Live News Network
09:10, 17 Apr 2026
American singer D4vd has been taken into custody following the discovery of a missing teenage girl’s body in his Tesla.
The TikTok sensation, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke, faces arrest in connection with the death of the teenager who disappeared in 2024. The Coachella performer became the subject of a grand jury probe into the suspected murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, 14, after her remains were located in his vehicle in September.
Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Thursday that the 21 year old is being detained without bail, with the case due to be submitted to the District Attorney’s office on Monday for potential charges.
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The musician has remained silent regarding the case, though his representatives confirmed he is assisting authorities with their enquiries, reports the Daily Star. Information surrounding the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez has been restricted from public disclosure, according to officials.
The court directive prevents any details about Hernandez’s death from being released or published on the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office website. Hernandez’s remains were found inside the boot of D4vd’s impounded Tesla on September 8 2025, after complaints of a foul odour at a Hollywood tow yard.
Rivas Hernandez, from Lake Elsinore in California, was last spotted in April 2024. Following the discovery of Celeste’s body, D4vd called off the remainder of his tour dates, with a representative confirming his co-operation with police enquiries. “D4vd has been informed about what’s happened. And, although he is still out on tour, he is fully cooperating with the authorities,” a spokesperson for the artist stated.
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The LAPD told The Mirror US in a statement: “On September 17, 2025, detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division served a search warrant on the 1300 block of Doheny Place in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Several items of evidence were recovered and will be analysed by detectives in the coming days.
“This is an ongoing investigation. Investigators are following up on several leads. Once additional information is available to share with the public, it will be released by the Media Relations Division.”
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Hit Bravo series The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills has been airing since 2010 but series 15 has its lowest viewing figures yet
I first started watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills during lockdown. When the world was forced to stay indoors and socially distance, I found escapism in the glamorous Bravo series, living vicariously through the cast members’ lives.
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Starting with series one, within six months I had caught up on all seasons and soon wondered how I had lived without the lives of Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump and Lisa Rinna in my life.
Over the seasons, the housewives have undergone huge changes, from losing fan favourites to iconic newcomers joining, all while wearing extravagant outfits and being head-to-toe in designer goods.
When series 15 started back in December, I couldn’t wait to get my next fix, although I was sad to have lost one of my favourites as Garcelle Beauvais quit the show during the series 14 reunion.
With new additions such as Amanda Frances and Rachel Zoe, as well as guests Kathy Hilton, Jennifer Tilly and Natalie Swanston, the fivesome joined series regulars Kyle Richards, Erika Girardi, Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke and Bozoma Saint John in a huge shake-up.
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As much as I want to love series 15, which is currently airing, it sadly doesn’t hit in the same way past series do. It appears viewers feel the same way, as series 15 has the lowest viewing figures of a premiere episode.
The series have always seen more than 1million average viewers tune in, with series two bringing in 2.17million for the opening episode, but series 15 had its lowest yet with 0.70. What’s caused this decline?
I personally think that by losing some iconic cast members over the years, from Lisa Vanderpump, Lisa Rinna, Denise Richards and Garcelle Beauvais, while replacing them with relatively unknown celebrities in the Bravo atmosphere, it has left the series feeling disjointed.
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We’ve followed the housewives for years, and the only still-standing cast member from series one in 2010 is Kyle, with her sister Kathy regularly appearing as a friend throughout the franchise. The next-longest cast member is Erika, who joined in 2015; Dorit in 2016; and Sutton in 2020.
While it’s nice to shake up the series with new cast members, we’re not always as committed to their journeys as we are to those of long-standing cast members, so they really have to make an impact during their time on the show.
Thankfully, newcomers such as Jennifer, who has joined as a friend of Sutton’s in a guest capacity, Bozoma and Rachel have breathed new life into the series with their hilarious anecdotes, traffic-stopping ensembles and honest insights into their lives.
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This differs from fellow newcomer, Amanda, who has left the cast and viewers at home just as confused. Described as a ‘world-renowned thought leader on financial empowerment for women’ and known for her manifesting courses, which have divided the cast, Amanda was introduced as someone who had bought Kyle’s former Bel-Air family home.
This caused confusion from the start, as typically, newcomers have long-standing friendships with housewives already on the show or at least a history with them. But with Amanda’s link being bought by Kyle’s former home, she’s found it hard to settle on the series, and the other housewives have been just as hard on her. And this is my main issue with series 15.
Of course, with any Real Housewives series, we’re used to the drama, petty arguments or gossip between the ladies, but series 15 has taken on a new level of pettiness or dare I say it, nastiness.
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Typically, newcomers are given an easy ride on their first series as they settle into the housewives’ dynamics and socialising, but I don’t feel Amanda has been given that grace. Thankfully, Kyle and Sutton have taken Amanda under their wing, but the businesswoman has unfairly found herself and her business under scrutiny.
In one particularly harsh scene, some of the housewives used ChatGPT to dig into Amanda’s life and business, which was relayed back to her, and she hit back at.
Meanwhile, during a group trip to Florence, Italy, the ladies spotted a street vendor selling Venetian masks, which they dubbed ‘Pinocchios’. Newcomer Natalie asked, “Who’s going to be Pinocchio?” to which Bozoma responded, “Amanda!”
As a long-term fan of the show, the excessive scrutiny and behaviour towards Amanda just seems so unbelievably harsh. I understand the ladies might not get on with Amanda or understand her business, but to use ChatGPT to dig into her life and brand her as ‘Pinocchio’ seems way off the mark.
Meanwhile, a big feature of series 15 has been Dorit, who has found herself falling out with most of the cast while developing strong relationships with Bozoma and Rachel as she navigates her messy divorce with husband PK Kemsley. While Dorit’s fiery rows have provided entertainment throughout this series, as we gear up towards the finale, I’m bored with the same narrative.
We’ve seen Dorit storm off from a day out with Kyle and Erica as the trio tried to address their issues, while an expletive-laden dinner with the ladies saw Dorit walk away from a row with Erica.
The latest episode saw Dorit gear up for her book cover party, but with several housewives not attending due to their fallout with the housewife, the series finale, episode 18, is sure to feature the fallout and yet more arguments.
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For the series to succeed, we need to either bring back some fan favourites, introduce housewives with actual history with current cast members, or focus more on the glamorous lifestyles rather than the constant rows.
The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills is available to watch on Hayu.
Every day thousands of passengers board a flight from Manchester Airport, a vital northern travel hub which connects the region to more than 200 destinations across the globe.
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Summer is on the horizon and we will soon be entering one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Over the past few weeks, many holidaymakers have also been jetting off to sunny destinations to enjoy the Easter break, making it a busy time for air travel.
While the travel industry is nearing its peak season for the year, airports have been facing significant disruption.
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Major airlines which operate within the affected region, such as Emirates and Etihad, have now resumed flights. However, the Foreign Office guidance still advises against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates.
Despite the uncertainty, travel agents report that Brits are still keen to go on holiday abroad and the appetite for travel remains strong.
Below are the latest delayed (by more than 30 minutes) and cancelled flights from Manchester Airport today (Friday, 17 April) according to FlightRadar24.com, as of 8.30am.
Delayed flights
8.15am Qatar Airways flight QR22 to Doha. Estimated departure at 9.25am.
2.55pm Qatar Airways flight QR28 to Doha. Estimated departure at 3.55pm.
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