A plan to offer rapid daily tests to fully vaccinated people as an alternative to self-isolation could be extended to travellers, the Prime Minister has suggested.
People who have had two Covid vaccines and come into contact with an infected person may soon be exempt from the isolation rule. Boris Johnson said: "When it comes to travel we will certainly be looking at that, but I stress that [...] whatever happens this is going to be a difficult year for travel."
"There will be hassle, there will be delays, I am afraid, because the priority has got to be to keep the country safe and stop the virus coming back in," he added, during a visit to a laboratory in Hertfordshire.
Analysis of NHS Test and Trace figures by The Times found that fewer than one in 200 travellers who entered the UK from amber tier countries between May 20 and June 9 tested positive for coronavirus.
People returning from a green list country are not required to enter quarantine, but just two destinations on the list – Gibraltar and Iceland – are currently accepting non-essential travellers.
Scroll down for more on this, and today's other top stories.
04:39 PM
That's a wrap
It has been another busy day for travel news. Before we sign off, here's a quick recap of the day's main headlines:
Israel to open up for vaccinated travellers on July 1
Abu Dhabi offers free Covid vaccines to tourists
Expect travel hassle and delays this summer, warns PM
England to join Jersey's red list
Overseas travel 'won't open up until August'
We'll see you again tomorrow for more.
04:35 PM
Israel to open up for vaccinated travellers on July 1
Israel, one of the UK's few 'green list' options, will open its doors to tourists soon - Getty
Fully vaccinated Britons will soon be permitted to travel to Israel for non-essential reasons, such as holidays, under new rules which will take effect from July 1.
The country is currently on the UK's green list – however, Israel currently requires any tourists to be part of carefully monitored organised group tours, of which only a handful have been permitted to date.
Under the new rules, those travelling independently will be permitted to enter the country, with no need to quarantine if they test negative for Covid.
Children under six will also be allowed in, regardless of their vaccination status.
04:15 PM
Canada drops quarantine for fully vaccinated citizens
Fully vaccinated Canadian citizens who test negative for Covid will be exempt from two weeks of quarantine when returning to the country as of July 5, officials said on Monday.
Canadians and permanent residents who return to Canada will have to be fully vaccinated 14 days or more prior to the arrival to qualify for the exemption.
Officials said those travellers must have two doses of a vaccine approved by Canada, provide a negative Covid test from 72 hours before arrival, take a second test upon arrival, and have a quarantine plan in the event that the arrival test comes back positive.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the first phase of easing border measures will continue to restrict entry to Canada for foreign nationals who want to enter for nonessential reasons.
04:03 PM
Around the world: International Yoga Day
Today is the International Day of Yoga, for which people around the world came together to practise their warrior poses, cat-cows, and more. Here's how it looked around the world:
Miami Beach, Florida - Getty
District Park, New Delhi - Getty
Beach, Gaza City - Getty
Taizhou, east China - Getty
03:48 PM
Current traffic light travel system is a 'no man's land', says expert
The Government must choose between opening up travel and allowing more freedoms within the UK in order to avoid the risk of more variants, a scientist has said.
Oksana Pyzik, a specialist in infectious diseases at University College London, told Sky News that the current traffic light system for travel is a "no man's land" that satisfies neither the travel industry nor scientists.
She said: "You can't have your cake and eat it too. We need to decide whether we want to open up and have more freedom in the UK but be a bit more patient with travel."
03:30 PM
UK imposes Belarus sanction after Ryanair diversion
The UK has imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials in response to the forced landing of a Ryanair flight last month.
The Foreign Office said seven individuals and one organisation had been sanctioned over the diversion of the Ryanair flight, while four individuals and an entity had been sanctioned over human rights abuses in Belarus by Alexander Lukashenko's regime.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "The UK and our partners have today sanctioned those responsible for the continued suppression of democracy and human rights in Belarus.
"The Lukashenko regime endangered the lives of airline passengers and crew in a shameful ruse to snatch Roman Protasevich.
"We will hold the regime to account in co-ordination with our allies including through further banning travel, freezing assets and cutting off oil export revenue streams."
The flight from Greece to Lithuania on May 23 was diverted to Minsk, where authorities arrested Roman Protasevich, a dissident journalist who was on board, and his partner Sofia Sapega.
03:17 PM
Abu Dhabi offers Covid vaccines to tourists
The UAE has quietly launched vaccine tourism, with the emirate of Abu Dhabi offering visitors free jabs after approving the inoculation of all those with visas issued by its authorities.
Abu Dhabi has not officially announced that it is vaccinating tourists, but authorities in the emirate said in a brief statement earlier this month that free Covid-19 vaccines were approved for everyone with an "entry visa".
The UAE's social media groups have lit up with enquiries as to how tourists could navigate the vaccination system, which was previously only open to UAE residents holding a locally issued identity card.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi - Alamy
Now, however, Abu Dhabi's healthcare app has a facility for visitors to register either for the US-German Pfizer/BioNTech jab or the Chinese-made vaccine Sinopharm.
Visitors can book appointments using their passport information on the app, which states that those with an Abu Dhabi-issued visa or with passports "eligible for visa on arrival" can register to be vaccinated. Proof of a visa or an entry stamp is required at the time of inoculation, it adds.
02:55 PM
Overseas travel 'won't open up until August'
The first "checkpoint" review since the traffic light system was introduced is due to take place on June 28.
But Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said he does not anticipate any major changes.
He said: "I think caution is going to continue from the Government. I think there may well be very few changes. You may see maybe somewhere like Turkey move from red to amber, you may see a couple of greens added.
"But they've got to re-instil confidence in people about the traffic light system. The system is shot to pieces at the moment, because of the way that they treated Portugal two weeks ago.
"They've either got to reinvigorate the traffic light system, or they've got to outline how they're going to enable fully jabbed citizens to travel with more freedom and not have to quarantine when they return from an amber country."
He added: "I'm not sure they're going to open things up very much at all until August."
02:39 PM
Watch: PM warns of a "rough winter" to come
02:31 PM
'An entire generation is missing out on reckless gap year experiences'
Chris (aged 22) with friend, Bob, in Amsterdam, 1988 - Chris Moss
Travel for the under-30s can be profound and formative – but currently, it is also largely impossible. Chris Moss looks back on the early journeys that changed his life:
It’s easy to dismiss the ban on foreign travel as a “first world problem”. People claim a moral high ground – a virtue signal in social media parlance – by saying they really don’t mind staying at home for six, 12, even 18 months.
Good for them. But what if you’re 18 or 20 or 25, at the beginning of your adult life, and were hoping to travel after all those slow years of being penned up in school, or perhaps before choosing to enter university – a wonderful thing, but full of timetables, small rooms and enforced socialising?
Sacrificing travel when you’ve done a lot of it is one thing. But for those who were getting ready to see the world in March 2020, the pandemic has been a perverse gap year of restrictions and losses, boredom and social isolation.
Nicola Sturgeon and Andy Burnham are engaged in a war of words over the Scottish Government's decision to impose a Covid-19 travel ban on parts of north west England.
The Greater Manchester mayor continued his criticism of the restrictions, saying he felt people in his region had been "insulted" by the First Minister's approach and a lack of consultation.
The First Minister defended her decision and suggested Burnham was seeking to "generate a spat" with her in order to position himself in a future Labour leadership contest.
On Friday, Sturgeon said that all non-essential travel from Manchester and Salford would be banned due to rising coronavirus cases. This prompted anger from Mr Burnham at the weekend, who said the move was disproportionate and should have been communicated to his administration beforehand.
The First Minister was asked about Mr Burnham's reaction on BBC News on Monday. She said: "These are public health measures. "I have a duty, and it's one I take very seriously, to keep Scotland as safe as possible."
02:05 PM
Thomas Cook CEO: 'Great' to see that vax status will be considered in travel rules
Alan French, CEO of Thomas Cook, has praised the Government's apparent plans to consider travellers' vaccination status when deciding future travel restrictions.
He told Telegraph Travel this afternoon:
We’ve long argued that the government should take into account people’s vaccination status when it designed the current traffic light system so it’s great to see that this is going to happen hopefully in time for the summer holidays.
With around half the population double-jabbed we would encourage the government to introduce these new measures as soon as possible to give families confidence and certainty that they can get away this summer for some much-needed weeks in the sun.
01:48 PM
Expect travel hassle and delays this summer, warns PM
Heathrow, pictured here in February, has already seen four-hour queues at Border Control, as officers struggle to process newly required paperwork and locator forms - Getty
Boris Johnson has played down suggestions that restrictions on foreign travel could be lifted as more people receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Speaking during a visit to a laboratory in Hertfordshire this morning, the Prime Minister said: "I want to stress that this is going to be – whatever happens – a difficult year for travel.
"There will be hassle, there will be delays, I am afraid, because the priority has got to be to keep the country safe and stop the virus coming back in."
Ministers had previously indicated that travel restrictions may be relaxed for double-vaccinated travellers this summer.
Evidence to support ending post-travel quarantine was "still developing" but heading in the right direction, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the BBC on Sunday.
He said: "It looks great, it looks really encouraging, we’re trying to be as flexible as we can."
01:45 PM
Let the vaccinated travel, UK air industry demands
Aviation industry leaders have called for Britain to remove Covid testing and isolation requirements for fully vaccinated travellers from most countries, a step already being taken in the European Union to help tourism recover.
Airlines UK said in a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that fully vaccinated travellers from "amber" destinations should be exempt from the 10-day isolation requirement, while those coming from both "amber" and "green" countries should not need to have expensive PCR tests.
The group said:
Given the incredible efficacy of vaccines and their critical role in easing domestic restrictions, we believe that the framework can safely be adjusted to provide a pathway for vaccinated people to travel without restriction, alongside steps to reduce restrictions for green and amber categories, making them more proportionate for travellers.
[The vaccines'] effectiveness has been recognised by Europe, which is now opening its travel and leisure markets by introducing waivers from testing and isolation requirements for fully vaccinated persons, including arrivals from major markets such as the United States.
Today 32 countries exempt travellers from quarantine and 27 from testing if fully vaccinated. The failure to adopt a similar approach risks the UK falling further behind the EU's reopening of international travel, including the critical trans-Atlantic market.
01:32 PM
The countries that could go green, amber and red this week
Croatia, Malta and the US have a clear case for being on the green list
In the traffic list update due later this week, our measly green list of 11 destinations should be upped to 25, according to the Government’s own criteria.
Welsh school trip rules 'absolute joke', says activity centre boss
The Welsh Government has lifted restrictions to permit overnight stays on school trips for primary age school children, but not for secondary schools.
One outdoor activities centre manger told the BBC the ban has had a "profound psychological and physical impact on young people".
Clive Richley, who runs the Pro-Active outdoor education centres throughout Wales, said government guidance in Wales was "woolly and seemingly out of sync with the rest of the UK".
"It's an absolute joke," he said. "I am fully aware that the government is dealing with a unique and unprecedented crisis, but it seems to many of us who provide residential school outdoor education, that crisis has been responded to with crisis.
The Welsh Government said the rules were there to keep people safe.
12:53 PM
Macron invites French clubbers to rave at presidential palace
French president Emmanuel Macron has invited music fans to a socially distanced techno party at the presidential palace tonight.
French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre and 1970s disco star Cerrone will headline the concert on Monday evening in the palace courtyard, where Macron normally greets visiting heads of state. However, attendees will be asked to remain seated and social distancing will be observed.
12:43 PM
Bill Granger: 'I predict a regional town explosion, with great, creative restaurants'
After seeing the pandemic unfold both in his native Australia and the UK, chef Bill Granger forecasts no let-up in the shift to the suburbs.
bill granger - Petrina Tinsley
Adapting to the cultures of a country 9,500 miles from home would be challenging for any new arrival. Even if you speak the same language, there are some habits which are hard to translate. For Australian chef Bill Granger, it was the mealtimes that troubled him most.
“When I first came to London, people would have dinner parties from 8pm and we wouldn’t eat the first course until 10,” recalls the easy-going restaurateur and cookbook writer, who lives in the capital with his wife, Natalie Elliott, and their three daughters. “By that point I was ready for bed!”
Digital vaccine passports aim to help South Koreans travelling
The Asian country is in the early stages of rolling out an app to ease international travel, write Junho Lee and Nicola Smith.
South Korea has never fully closed its borders, but as the vaccinated world begins to reopen – and with one quarter of its population now having receive at least one dose - it hopes to push the door further ajar.
Last week, it announced an exemption from two-week quarantine for some fully vaccinated travellers, starting from July 1. Regional quarantine-free travel bubbles are also potentially back on the table with Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand Guam and Saipan – all popular with holidaymakers – that would allow group trips for people who have all had their jabs.
The “COOV” vaccine passport – which will allow international travellers to show digital proof of inoculation – is expected to be a key part of easing the return of a cross-border world.
Jersey is to add England to its travel red list from June 29 due to concerns over increasing cases of the Delta variant. Scotland is already classified as red under the Channel Island's system, but Wales and Northern Ireland will stay green.
Those arriving in Jersey from England will be required to self-isolate for a minimum of 10 days.
Fully vaccinated travellers are only required to isolate up until their first negative test result and to take an additional test on day eight. Any other arrivals from England who are 18 or over must receive negative test results from day 0, day five and day 10 tests while undertaking self isolation.
An ‘emergency brake’ will be placed on 49 English areas a week before the whole country is added to Jersey's red list, meaning they will be classified as red from June 22.
11:53 AM
Why it's high time you visited Northern Ireland
Many overlook this holiday destination on our doorstep, writes Anna Selby.
She suggests 10 reasons to plan a trip to Northern Ireland, including:
For dramatic heights
mourne mountains - Getty
Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne Mountains at 850m, rises above the pretty seaside town of Newcastle in County Down. The summit is where Saint Donard is said to have had his hermitage and there used to be a yearly pilgrimage to the top – though most people now walk up simply to sample the beauty of the place. The Mournes sweep down to the sea along a dramatic coastline where there are caves and underground rivers, the hedgerows are ablaze with wild flowers, steep glaciated valleys alternate with rolling downs and the patchwork fields are full of sheep and cows dozing in sun. You may very well never want to leave.
Positive travel news? Yes, there is some out there...
While we're all consumed with the UK's ongoing travel restrictions, there is some good news for travel-lovers – if you know where to look.
Aisling O'Leary delves into some of the uplifting stories for this week that you may have missed, including a flight-free global adventure and a new Rockies train ride.
Hong Kong to shorten quarantine for most arrivals to 7 days
Hong Kong plans to shorten the quarantine period for vaccinated people arriving in the city to seven days from 14, provided travellers show sufficient Covid antibodies.
City government leader Carrie Lam told a media briefing that the shorter period of quarantine would only be for people who had a second vaccination does at least 14 days before their arrival. The new rule is due to come into effect from the end of the month, she said.
The Chinese-ruled city has some of the toughest quarantine rules globally with residents ordered to stay for up to 21 days in quarantine hotels after arriving.
Hong Kong has a surplus of unused vaccines and some of the shots are about to expire, the government said - Getty
The decision to reduce the time in quarantine comes as the city tries to encourage more of its 7.5 million people to get vaccinations. Only about 17 per cent of residents have been fully vaccinated since February.
The government said the new rule would apply to Hong Kong residents from June 30 and to non-residents some time in July.
For those arriving from countries deemed "very high risk", the quarantine period remains unchanged at 21 days.
Health Secretary Sophia Chan told the briefing some social distancing measures, including limits on numbers in restaurants and bars, would be eased from June 24 for vaccinated residents.
11:01 AM
'Encouraging' signs that UK will ease travel restrictions
Ministers have not ruled out relaxing travel restrictions, such as self-isolation on return from Amber List destinations, for Britons who have received both Covid vaccines.
Evidence for fully-inoculated travellers to avoid isolation was “still developing”, but heading in the right direction, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the BBC yesterday.
He said: “It looks great, it looks really encouraging, we’re trying to be as flexible as we can.”
Britons heading to amber-list Spain do not need to take a Covid test before travelling, nor prove that they are fully-vaccinated - Getty
Jesse Norman, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, confirmed on Thursday that the Government was looking at opening up summer holidays abroad to fully vaccinated Britons, allowing them to return from amber list countries without having to quarantine.
Amid concerns that EU nations are stealing a march on the UK by opening up to vaccinated travellers, he said: "We don't want to be left behind by other countries that are taking a two-jab approach if it can be done safely."
10:46 AM
'Highest number of flights' since first wave of pandemic
The skies were at their busiest on Friday since March 2020, according to flight monitoring service FlightRadar24:
'Celebrity Apex' sets sail on maiden voyage – after 15-month delay
Cruise ship Celebrity Apex arrived in Athens port this weekend, ready to begin her maiden voyage and first summer sailing in the Aegean.
She is the newest ship in the Celebrity Cruises fleet, and was originally scheduled to be introduced in March 2020.
Celebrity Apex will sail with a vaccinated crew and at least 95% vaccinated guests - Celebrity Cruises
The ship was originally scheduled to sail in late March, 2020 - Celebrity Cruises
Apex is the second ship in Celebrity’s multi-award-winning Edge Series, and will commence a seven-night cruise on a Greek Islands and Cyprus itinerary, visiting Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, and Limassol.
10:17 AM
Nightclubs in France to reopen from July 9 onwards
French nightclubs will be allowed to re-open from July 9 onwards, said government minister Alain Griset, allowing the industry to operate again for the first time since it was shut during the France's Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020.
France eased its third nationwide lockdown - meant to rein in the coronavirus outbreak - last month with the reopening of terraces on May 19.
Earlier in June, restaurants, bars and cafes were allowed to reopen for indoor service for the first time in seven months.
More than 100 nightclubs out of 1,600 in France have closed permanently due to the Covid pandemic crisis, according to hospitality trade union UMIH.
09:53 AM
In pictures: Police called to disperse crowds at Stonehenge
English Heritage scrapped a live feed of the Summer Solstice sunrise at Stonehenge this morning, after police were called to break up crowds at the site:
Video from the scene showed around 100 people inside the stone circle and a banner reading "Standing for Stonehenge" - Getty
The organisation said safety reasons were behind the lack of an online 'live feed' of the neolithic Wiltshire monument at sunrise at 4.52am - PA
Steel pilings are becoming a common sight in Amsterdam, where at least 125 miles of canal walls need to be rebuilt - NYTNS / Redux / eyevine
The city's tourist hotspots are at risk of collapse, and sinkholes have led to bicycle bans in some canalside areas, writes Senay Boztas:
As tourists gradually return to Amsterdam, many will have no idea that the charming canalside pavements and beautiful bridges that provide perfect backdrops for their selfies are, in fact, falling down.
Sinkholes have opened up, vulnerable bridges are closed to traffic, 125 miles of canal wall are badly damaged and at risk of collapse, while 20 metres have crumbled.
Even Amsterdam’s ever-present cyclists have been told not to bike in certain areas. The city is facing a bill of at least £1.7bn bill and two to three decades of rebuilding to save its 17th and 18th century from the water.
Flexible rail tickets to save passengers up to £350 a year
Train passengers in England can buy flexible season tickets from Monday, with commuters able to save up to £350 a year compared to some typical annual fares.
In the first part of a major shakeup of the railways post-Covid, the scheme will offer workers commuting into the office two or three days a week savings on routes across the country.
The paperless flexible tickets, which can be used from June 28, will allow travel for eight days over a 28-day period.
They have been introduced following the shift to working from home during the pandemic, with many workers commuting to and from towns and cities expected to permanently switch to more flexible ways of working.
So says Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, as he drills into the data for key destinations on the green, amber and red lists:
Here’s the latest data. Higher vaccination rates, especially in #Europe, are reducing 14-day infection rates to the point where it’s still obvious several destinations should be on the green list. Political jousting is blocking travel recovery and threatening jobs. @ThePCAgencypic.twitter.com/r6IzgORlHV
Up to 10,000 fans allowed at Tokyo Olympics events
Up to 10,000 fans will be allowed at Tokyo Olympic events, organisers said on Monday, warning that the competition could move behind closed doors if infections surge.
The decision, just weeks before the opening ceremony, ends months of speculation about whether spectators will be allowed at the pandemic-postponed Games. Overseas fans were banned in March.
"In light of the government's restrictions on public events, the spectator limit for the Olympic Games will be set at 50 percent of venue capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 people in all venues," organisers said in a statement.
A decision on spectators at the Paralympics will be delayed until July 16, a week before the Olympics open.
Anti-Olympic protesters in Japan - Getty
Officials left open the possibility of a reversal if the virus rebounds. "If there should be major dramatic change in the infection situation, we may need to revisit this matter amongst ourselves and we may need to consider the option of having no spectators in the venues," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said.
Senior medical experts, including top advisors to the government, have said that holding the Games behind closed doors would be "ideal" from a health perspective. They fear crowds of fans could fuel a new surge in infections in a country still racing to vaccinate its residents.
08:39 AM
Indonesia to tighten Covid restrictions for two weeks after virus surge
Indonesia will tighten social restrictions for two weeks starting Tuesday, a government minister said, in a bid to contain a surge in coronavirus cases in the world's fourth most populous country.
The curbs will apply to 'red zones' where cases have been rising sharply this month, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto told a streamed news conference on Monday.
The tightened regulations will mean that offices, restaurants, cafes and malls in such areas will only be permitted to operate at 25% capacity. Religious activities at all houses of worship in red zones will be temporarily suspended, and tourist attractions closed.
Local residents enjoy Bali's Sanur beach, as boats load passengers to cross to the nearby tourist island of Nusa Penida - Getty
Areas that have been designated as red zones include the regions of Kudus in Java, Bangkalan on Madura island, the capital Jakarta and parts of Riau, in Sumatra.
According to data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), 29 areas across Indonesia have been designated as red zones.
The World Health Organization (WHO) last week urged Indonesia to tighten its lockdown amid increased transmission and a surge in hospital occupancy rates.
Indonesia has been grappling with a spike in coronavirus infections this month, reporting 13,737 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest daily rise since Jan 30, with deaths from the respiratory disease also rising.
08:21 AM
UK stuck in the Covid slow lane as Europe and America dance again
On most measures of mobility, the UK trails its international peers
Widely spaced jabs, a refusal to use vaccine passports and the Delta variant are holding Britain back, writes our Global Health Security team:
In Berlin, nightclubs reopened on Friday allowing groups of up to 250 to throw shapes again on outdoor dance floors across the German capital. On Monday, bars in Madrid will open until three in the morning, also with outdoor dancing allowed.
And in the Big Apple – where it is already possible to drink around the clock – hundreds will squeeze into the St James theatre on Tuesday for an audience with Bruce Springsteen. It’s the first time Broadway has opened in over a year.
But as torrential rain once again lashes Britain and with “freedom day” postponed to July 19 at best, the mood in the UK feels more subdued. Despite 62 per cent of the population having had at least one jab of vaccine and 45 per cent being fully vaccinated, the country is falling behind its peers.
“The British are worrying more than any other country,” Prof Tim Spector, creator of the Zoe Symptom Study app, told the New York Times last week. “We seem to be much more receptive to the doomsday scenarios.”
John Swinney defends last-minute ban of people entering Scotland from parts of England
Scotland's Deputy First Minister has defended the Scottish Government's decision to implement a last-minute ban on people entering the nation from certain parts of England.
John Swinney said it had acted within the realms of what the public would expect from them after it announced on Friday that residents from Greater Manchester and Salford have been temporarily banned from travelling to Scotland and vice versa.
He told the Today programme this morning: "We have got to take decisions based on the data and the evidence that presents itself, and take decisions which are designed to stop the spread of the virus.
"In our judgment, the rising case numbers and the high levels of the virus in the Greater Manchester and Salford area justified the decision we took and we are taking that to try and minimise the circulation of the virus."
07:52 AM
Summer solstice crowds flock to Stonehenge
English Heritage pulled a live feed of the summer solstice sunrise at Stonehenge this morning, after people disregarded advice not to travel to the site.
The organisation said safety reasons were behind the lack of an available live feed of the neolithic Wiltshire monument at sunrise at 4.52am.
Thousands of people tuned in to English Heritage's Facebook and YouTube pages for the solstice and saw pre-recorded footage of the stones.
The live feed returned at around 5am showing largely cloudy skies.
There was an unauthorised gathering at Stonehenge this morning. Security and police were extremely patient and understanding to avoid any unnecessary trouble. https://t.co/H6DF0ltSe4pic.twitter.com/8UqSzdYAxc
Apologising for the outage, host Ed Shires said: "I must say we have been disappointed that a number of people have chosen to disregard our request to not travel to the stones this morning and that is the reason why we haven't been able to bring you the pictures that we would have liked to have done.
"It is disappointing to see that happen but unfortunately in those kind of situations we have to put the safety of our staff members first and that's why we have had some interruption this morning.
"We have been told by police that people have now been dispersed and the situation is under control."
English Heritage did not elaborate on how the attendance of people at the site prevented them from showing a live feed of the sunrise.
07:39 AM
Watch: Scottish Government accused of 'hypocrisy' over Manchester travel ban
07:34 AM
Foreign holidays back on from July under new plans
Holidays to Amber-listed destinations will be back on from the end of July, under plans to be considered by ministers as early as this week.
It comes as official data revealed government scientists found no evidence of Covid variants in more than 23,000 people tested after arriving from amber list countries – including some in Europe.
Fully vaccinated adults will be allowed to travel to amber countries with their children without having to quarantine under the plans being drawn up by Department for Transport (DfT) officials. Travellers will still face tests to screen for Covid and its variants.
The move would open up popular European holiday destinations to families that are currently amber including Spain, Greece, France and Portugal although ministers are not expected to introduce any changes until August.
Affluent Americans may want to double-check how much of their bank deposits are protected by government-backed insurance. The rules governing trust accounts just changed.
Former NBA guard Darius Morris has died at the age of 33. He played for five teams during his four NBA seasons. Morris played college basketball at Michigan.
With free agency and the draft behind us, what 32 teams look like today will likely be what they look like Week 1 and beyond for the 2024 season. Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski reveal the post-draft fantasy power rankings. The duo break down the rankings in six tiers: Elite offensive ecosystems, teams on the cusp of being complete mixed bag ecosystems, offensive ecosystems with something to prove, offenses that could go either way, and offenses that are best to stay away from in fantasy.
It’s key to note that we’re not saying the “best team” or “best roster.” Instead, we’re talking about the best confluence of factors that can outline a path for survival and then success.
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss the Padres-Marlins trade that sent Luis Arraez to San Diego, as well as recap all the action from this weekend in baseball and send birthday wishes to hall-of-famer Willie Mays.
An annual government report offered a glimmer of good news for Social Security and a jolt of good news for Medicare even as both programs continue to be on pace to run dry next decade.
