Muvija M

Aer Lingus plans to cut up to 500 jobs and reduce its route network in response to rising costs, particularly fuel increases linked to the US-Iran conflict. The cuts would affect pilots, cabin crew and head office staff, with several Dublin routes slated for removal. Parent company IAG recently issued a profit warning, citing heightened fuel costs and supply chain challenges. Aer Lingus aims to improve its operating margin to attract investment, though it currently lags behind British Airways and Iberia under the same group.

Aer Lingus is considering cutting up to 500 jobs, including 70 pilot positions, 140 cabin-crew roles and 290 head-office jobs at Dublin Airport. The airline also plans to remove less profitable routes from Dublin, including services to Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Split, reducing overall capacity by 6%. The restructuring is attributed to rising costs and higher oil prices linked to the US-Iran conflict, while parent company International Airlines Group expects an additional €2 billion in fuel costs this year and fare increases across its airlines.

British transport minister Heidi Alexander has raised concerns with EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas about delays caused by the European Union’s Entry/Exit System, which requires biometric registration from many travellers entering the Schengen area. Airports have reported long queues and missed flights, while Ryanair has warned of potential disruption. The UK is seeking greater French support at border checks and has allocated £20 million for additional passport-check booths at the Port of Dover, where checks also affect ferry and rail passengers travelling into the EU. Conservative MP Roger Gale warned that extended queues could create serious health and safety risks and called for the system to be paused until the technology is fully ready.

The UK government is considering intervening in Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery because of potential effects on UK news provision and on-demand services. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has given the companies until 6 July to respond, after which she could trigger reviews by Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority. Those reviews could take up to 40 days, followed by a possible investigation lasting as long as 24 weeks. The deal has already been approved by several countries, while EU regulators are still assessing it. Potential remedies could include asset divestments or commitments to protect editorial independence.

More than two dozen sanctioned Russian shadow-fleet vessels have reportedly continued passing through UK waters, particularly off England’s southern coast, despite Keir Starmer authorizing the British military to board and detain ships suspected of breaching sanctions. Russia condemned the policy as deeply hostile, while experts and legal scholars said intervention faces operational, escalation and international-law challenges. Critics argue the government appears weak for announcing the threat without carrying out any boardings.

At least 25 sanctioned Russian shadow-fleet tankers have continued traveling through British waters in the English Channel despite Keir Starmer authorizing the military to board and detain vessels suspected of sanctions breaches. No boarding operations have been reported, with officials citing case-by-case enforcement and declining to comment on potential actions. Maritime and legal experts say intervention would be operationally difficult, legally untested and potentially escalatory, while a sanctions specialist argues that the government appears weak for announcing enforcement without acting. The Channel remains the fleet’s most convenient route between the Baltic and southern Europe, and other European countries have already detained some vessels.

Sarah Mullally is set to become the first female Archbishop of Canterbury when she is enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral. The former chief nursing officer and bishop faces opposition from Gafcon, a conservative Anglican bloc, as she attempts to unite the divided 85-million-member Anglican Communion, address declining attendance and rebuild trust after historic safeguarding failures. The ceremony will be attended by around 2,000 guests, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Sarah Mullally is set to become the Church of England’s first female Archbishop of Canterbury at an enthronement ceremony attended by senior British figures and representatives from across the Anglican Communion. Her appointment has been challenged by Gafcon, a conservative alliance opposed to women’s ordination and greater LGBTQ+ inclusion. Mullally also inherits a Church of England dealing with internal divisions, declining attendance and the fallout from historic safeguarding failures, while her authority depends largely on persuasion rather than centralized power. Her pilgrimage from London to Canterbury and the ceremony’s international and multicultural elements are intended to emphasize unity and the communion’s global reach.

Sarah Mullally, the first woman to lead the Church of England, is walking the 140-kilometre Becket Camino from St Paul’s Cathedral in London to Canterbury ahead of her ceremonial installation as Archbishop of Canterbury on 25 March. Accompanied by her husband and fellow pilgrims, she has visited churches, schools and congregations along the route, which follows the historic path associated with Thomas Becket. The pilgrimage is expected to conclude at Canterbury Cathedral with Evensong and is described as the first journey of its kind by an Archbishop of Canterbury in modern history.

Waymo plans to launch a fully driverless ride-hailing service in London by the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the company’s UK and Europe policy chief Ben Loewenstein. The UK government is developing regulations for autonomous vehicles and estimates the sector could create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion to the economy by 2035. Waymo’s planned entry will increase competition with Uber-backed Wayve, expected to launch in London this year, and Tesla, which is also pursuing large-scale robotaxi operations. The announcement follows Waymo’s expansion into Miami and further growth plans in the United States.

Waymo plans to launch a fully driverless ride-hailing service in London by the fourth quarter of 2026, according to its UK and Europe policy chief. The expansion comes as the UK develops regulations intended to support autonomous vehicles, with the government estimating the sector could create 38,000 jobs and add up to £42 billion to the economy by 2035. Waymo will face competition from Uber-backed Wayve, which is expected to launch in London earlier, as well as Tesla’s expanding robotaxi ambitions. The company recently began operating in Miami and says its London service will improve road safety and transport accessibility.

British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has arrived in the UK after Egypt lifted his travel ban following President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s pardon. Abd el-Fattah, who spent much of his adult life imprisoned and was removed from Egypt’s terrorism list earlier in the year, was welcomed by his family and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He is expected to reunite with his teenage son in Brighton after years of detention and repeated hunger strikes prompted international campaigns for his release.

British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has arrived in the UK after Egypt lifted his travel ban on 20 December. He was released from prison in September following a presidential pardon, after spending much of his adult life detained for activism and undertaking repeated hunger strikes. His arrival was confirmed by his family and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, allowing him to reunite with his 14-year-old son.

The UK has sanctioned Russian military officials Aleksey Viktorovich Rtishchev and Andrei Marchenko over their alleged roles in transferring and using chemical weapons in Ukraine. It also sanctioned a Russian research institute accused of supplying RG-Vo riot control grenades used by Russian forces, which the UK says violates the Chemical Weapons Convention. The measures follow broader UK sanctions targeting Russian finance, military and energy interests, including shadow-fleet operators Orion Star Group LLC and Valegro LLC-FZ, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledges continued pressure on Vladimir Putin.