Which bag can I not check in?

Why aren’t smart bags generally allowed in the hold?

Oil markets have been thrown into disarray as the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping corridor, is still effectively shut

Scottish drivers are understandably worried about fuel prices as global oil markets remain unstable. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route off the coast of Iran, are raising fears about supply and costs, and there’s no quick fix in sight.

To help people use fuel efficiently, experts at RAC have outlined steps drivers can take to ease any financial strain – as well as one thing to avoid. While slowing down, avoiding speeding or harsh braking are well-known ways to conserve fuel, it stresses that it’s far from the only option available.

Regular vehicle maintenance and servicing can play a crucial role in keeping engines running efficiently and can significantly improve fuel economy. Drivers are also being advised to minimise excess weight in their vehicles, as a lighter load can help reduce fuel consumption.

It explains: “Don’t leave your roof bars and roof box on because they create wind resistance and cause your car to use more fuel through the ‘drag’ effect. This is increased the faster you drive.

“According to the Energy Saving Trust an empty roof rack adds 16% drag when driving at 75mph. At the same speed a roof box adds 39%, making your vehicle much less fuel efficient. Driving with an open window also has a similar effect.”

Motorists can also try limiting how often they use air-con. The RAC continues: “Only use air conditioning when necessary, as it draws power from the engine and increases fuel consumption. The same applies to heating, so if fuel efficiency is a priority, try to dress appropriately for the weather even when you’re in the car.”

Finally, it stresses that it’s “particularly important to make sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure as indicated in your owner’s manual.” This is because “underinflated and overinflated tyres both adversely affect fuel economy.”

Your tyre pressure should match your load. If your car is full of people and luggage, inflate the tyres to the higher recommended level.

Drivers should not panic-buy fuel

This is the one thing people should avoid. Just remember not to panic buy. As reported by Manchester Evening News, Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, urged people to “stick to their usual refuelling routines. There’s no point wasting time, fuel and money queuing when drivers don’t need to.”

For more money-saving tips on fuel, visit the RAC website.

Violence broke out in a remote town in northern Australia after police arrested the main suspect in the murder of a five-year-old Indigenous girl.

Jefferson Lewis, 47, was arrested late on Thursday night local time in Alice Springs.

The young girl, referred to by her family as Kumanjayi Little Baby in line with Indigenous customs, was reported missing from her central Australian home late on Saturday.

Authorities located the body, believed to be hers, shortly before midday on Thursday, about 5km south of the original crime scene.

Local reports said a crowd attacked Mr Lewis when he appeared in a local community and beat him unconscious before police intervened.

Police said they had long suspected that Lewis received assistance from people in the community before he appeared at a town camp.

“For him to be able to appear in Alice Springs last night just confirms to us that he was getting support from somebody,” police commissioner Martin Dole of the Northern Territory said.

“My message to those people is, look out because we’re coming for you as well.”

When officers took him to a local hospital, hundreds of “angry” residents gathered, shouting for him to be killed and demanding “payback”, according to the ABC.

The situation escalated into rioting as people threw rocks and bottles, set vehicles on fire, and damaged property. Police responded with rubber bullets and tear gas to control the crowd.

Several officers were injured in the violence.

The unrest continued into the next day, leaving streets littered with debris and signs of looting nearby. Authorities later transferred Mr Lewis to Darwin for his safety and to prevent further violence.

“As a result of presenting himself, members of that town camp decided to inflict vigilante justice upon Jefferson, and we received numerous phone calls saying he was in the process of being assaulted,” Mr Dole said on Friday.

The violence followed days of search for the girl, who had gone missing from a remote Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs.

Hours after the girl’s death was confirmed, Mr Lewis was reportedly seen wandering near the Charles Creek town camp in central Alice Springs.

“Members of that town camp decided to inflict vigilante justice upon Jefferson and we received numerous phone calls saying he was in the process of being assaulted,” Mr Dole said.

“Our police officers were attacked at that time, as were the St John Ambulance crew that attended to assist. They were turned on by about 200 people, but they were able to get out of there and get Mr Lewis to hospital.”

Videos from outside the Alice Springs Hospital showed protesters demanding “payback”, meaning a form of traditional punishment under Aboriginal law in Central Australia.

Reports said anger within the community remained high. “The feeling is that the police are protecting this guy. They are shooting us with rubber bullets,” Harley Myers, an Arrernte man from Alice Springs, said.

“It’s like the system is not sticking up for us and letting us get our own traditional payback.”

“We’re united because it hurts all of us,” he added, “because she was only five years old and it could happen to any of our kids. I don’t want that to happen to any of our kids at all.”

Indigenous leaders, however, urged calm. “Bringing the word ‘payback’ into this scenario just fuels violence,” Michael Liddle, an Alyawarre man and Alice Springs local, told the BBC.

“There’s a system set up here, where there is a person in custody, and the Western rules will deal with that person.”

The girl’s grandfather also called for calm on Friday. “What has happened this week is not our way,” Robin Granites, a senior Yapa elder, said in a statement.

“Our children are precious, of course, we are feeling angry and hurt at what has happened. This man has been caught, thanks to community action, and we must now let justice take its course while we take the time to mourn Kumanjayi Little Baby and support our family.”

On Thursday, the girl’s mother, who was not named, said: “It is going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you. Me and your brother will meet you one day.”

Mr Dole said charges against Mr Lewis were likely to be filed in the coming days.

It’s often assumed that expanding access to education is progressive – that it’s a means of ensuring social, economic and political development. However, this is not always the case.

We’ve carried out research examining the relationship between education and authoritarianism with a focus on Eritrea. Eritrea has been under a single political party and leadership since its independence in May 1993. The country lacks a functioning or implemented constitution and freedom of the press.

Our research has concluded that, in countries under authoritarian rule, education is not necessarily a path to empowerment. Instead, it’s a fertile ground for the spread of authoritarianism. Governments can spread their ideas and principles through repressive and ideological state apparatus – the processes and organisations they use to maintain power. This includes education.

Authoritarian regimes such as Eritrea claim to address societal problems through social justice and cohesion. However, they consolidate power around a single or dominant regime, which restricts democratic institutions and erodes civic liberties. They also apply preferential treatment based on political loyalty. People are elevated to positions of power for allegiance rather than merit. This causes division and political polarisation in the name of protecting national security.

Expanding education

Authoritarian states use education to maintain political stability to ensure the survival of the regime. Although many authoritarian regimes expand access to education, it is often used as a means of control and a tool for manufacturing loyalty.

For example, since independence, the number of schools and student enrollment in Eritrea has increased around fourfold. However, such regimes also see education as an opportunity to impose their attitudes onto young people. They use education to keep students isolated from ideas that may differ from or be critical of the regime.

Authoritarian regimes use deception and misinformation to uphold their ideology and extend their control. In doing so, they attempt to ensure that citizens accept the legitimacy of their rulers without question.

Additionally, authoritarian regimes politicise the school curriculum. They manipulate content, such as in history and citizenship education. This is used to mislead citizens and make them supporters of the degradation of human rights.

For example, Eritrea’s school curriculum normalises the creation of a militarised citizen who upholds the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front’s legacy and revolutionary culture. Similarly, North Korea uses school education to shape students’ behaviour, attitudes and beliefs to be compatible with and supportive of the regime. This is often supported by controlling the teaching and learning process and the academic environment.

Monitoring teachers and research

Authoritarian regimes recognise that safe education spaces can help students develop critical thinking and eventually question the country’s political system. They monitor teachers and school leaders, and promote those loyal to the regime’s ideas and principles. And, rather than encouraging critical thinking, they foster students’ sense of nationalism and patriotism.

Academic research is also a target of authoritarian regimes because of its scrutiny of government policies and actions. Researchers’ academic freedom is limited, and their choice of research topics is policed.

Most of these control measures are imposed in the name of protecting national security. For example, Eritreans are not allowed to conduct critical research that challenges the existing systems, inequalities and power structures of the country.

Researchers who cross the boundaries and criticise authoritarian regimes are silenced. Some are fired from their jobs while others face prison terms.

Meanwhile, authoritarian regimes rely on loyal academics to promote the state’s narrative. Loyal academics are also used to conceal authoritarian regimes’ failures by presenting selective evidence.

Many authoritarian states, such as China, Eritrea and North Korea, also incorporate military training into education. They blend political and ideological instruction to sustain their power. They teach students discipline and promote patriotism to develop loyal and obedient citizens.

Militarisation education sometimes places teachers and school leaders under military control. In Eritrea, all secondary school students complete their last year under military authority. This approach leads students to drop out of school. Additionally, it causes students and teachers to leave the country.

Authoritarian regimes manifest their true nature by spreading their ideas and principles. Our research shows that the education system is one of the most important levers in the propaganda machine for authoritarian countries.

Malek Kerbache died following a two-vehicle collision on Glenavy Road in the Upper Ballinderry area on Saturday, April 25

The heartbroken loved ones of a much-loved family man who died in a crash have paid tribute saying “to know him was to love him”.

Malek Kerbache, 41, died on Saturday, April 25, following a crash involving a car and motorcyclist on Glenavy Road in the Upper Ballinderry area.

Following the dad-of-one’s funeral service in Portadown on Thursday, his family have paid tribute to Malek and said he was “a doer who just got the job done with a smile on his face”.

Paying tribute the Kerbache and Rodgers families said: “The most commonly used words to describe Malek over the last few days have been: Gentle, calm, caring, loyal, friendly, generous, talented, chatty, sociable, kind, funny, a gentleman and exceptional.

“For Malek nothing was ever too much trouble, a doer who just got the job done with a smile on his face. To know him was to love him, a much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend.”

Motorcyclist Mateusz Prokopiuk, 31, also died in the same collision. Both men were from the Portadown area.

In a police appeal, officers asked anyone who may have any information that could help them as part of the investigation into the two men’s deaths to contact them.

Detective Inspector Dave Stewart, from the PSNI’s Collision Investigation Unit, said, “The driver of the white Tesla Model Y, who died, has been named as Malek Kerbache. The motorcyclist on the black Honda CBR 600, who died, has been named as Mateusz Prokopiuk. A passenger in the Tesla was taken to hospital for treatment to their injuries but has since been discharged.

“Our enquiries are continuing and anyone who was in the area at the time, who may have witnessed the incident or who has dashcam or mobile phone footage or any other information, should contact us on 101 quoting reference number 1142 25/04/26.

“You can also submit a report online at www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.”

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

In the aftermath of Liverpool‘s Champions League exit to Paris St-Germain, Slot insisted the future is bright. Eyebrows were certainly raised after that comment but if Liverpool can put in a string of performances in their remaining games then perhaps the Dutchman has a point. Integral to that will be Isak and Wirtz.

Last Saturday saw both of the summer signings, who cost a combined £241m, score against Crystal Palace but Isak is yet to complete 90 minutes as a Liverpool player after a season plagued with injury while Wirtz has impressed in moments but is still awaiting a statement performance for the side.

German Wirtz is yet to score or provide an assist against any of the Premier League teams currently occupying the European places but when that was put to Slot on Friday, he insisted that’s a “coincidence” and said he is “100% sure” Wirtz will start delivering in the bigger games.

Meanwhile, Isak managed just 18 touches against Palace but that was still more than the nine he got against Everton and the five against PSG in the other games he’s started since returning from injury. The goal he scored – the Swede’s first in the Premier League for Liverpool at Anfield – will only do the 26-year-old’s confidence a world of good.

“In terms of what I’ve seen, everyone knows and sees and experiences as team-mates how outstanding he is. It is about getting games, confidence but obviously scoring goals as a striker – that’s the main trigger for him,” said Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

“The more he touches the ball, the bigger chance there is that we score goals,” Slot added on Friday.

“Having Alex more and more available would help with converting created chances into goals, which is something we haven’t done very well this season.”

For Wirtz, the emphasis on connecting more with Isak is clear, especially with Hugo Ekitike sidelined.

“It’s important that we feed him with balls because if he’s just there on top alone then it’s hard for him to score goals,” Wirtz said.

His own tally of seven goals and 10 assists this season is certainly no room for major concern but Wirtz, who turns 23 on Sunday, would be the first to admit that he must do better.

The finish against Palace was a timely reminder of his class. In mitigation, he initially struggled with the intensity and physicality of Premier League football but has bulked up considerably since making the move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Those at Liverpool, including Slot, believe there is so much more to come from a player they fought Bayern Munich and Manchester City for.

“The development Florian has made in his Liverpool career is so clear and obvious,” said Slot. “In the 93rd minute against Crystal Palace, making a duel on the sideline, winning a throw-in and then making a sprint from 40 yards and hitting the ball in the top corner… That is something I am not completely convinced he could do eight months ago.

“His improvement – and he was already an elite player – will only continue as he is only 22 so that makes complete sense. Almost every player in the world is at his best when he is 25, 26 but he is already an elite player and he can only become better and that is the beauty of the signings we did last summer, that all of them are of a certain age where we can only expect them to get better,”

Parts of Cambridgeshire will see highs of around 21C over the bank holiday weekend

Parts of the UK are set to bask in warm temperatures over the bank holiday weekend, including Cambridgeshire. The Met Office is predicting that temperatures in Cambridge, Ely, and Peterborough will reach highs of around 25C today (Friday, May 1), and this looks set to somewhat continue into tomorrow.

The forecast shows Cambridge and Ely will hit 20C at around 11am this morning while Peterborough will reach 21C at midday. The county will experience highs of 24C or 25C throughout the afternoon but some cloud is also forecast from 2pm onwards.

The hot weather continues into Saturday, May 2, with Cambridge reaching highs of 22C and Peterborough and Ely forecast to reach highs of 21C. The weather starts to get worse in the evening with rain forecast from 6pm onwards that will continue through the night.

On Sunday, May 3, the rain is set to continue for the majority of the day. However, if you are planning to get out, the temperature will still be warm with the county reaching highs of 18C or 17C depending on where you area.

The weather on Monday, May 4, will be drier with cities across Cambridgeshire reaching highs of 17C. The Met Office said: “More unsettled than recently, with rain or showers, some thundery. Gradually turning cooler. More sunny spells from Monday, but still also showers, these becoming lighter and further between on Tuesday.”

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