News

Europe to drop face masks at airports and flights

Published

4 years ago

May 12, 2022

Travellers will no longer have to wear face masks at airports and on flights across Europe from May 16

This comes following an announcement made on Wednesday by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

“From next week, face masks will no longer need to be mandatory in air travel in all cases, broadly aligning with the changing requirements of national authorities across Europe for public transport,” says EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky.

“It is a relief to all of us that we are finally reaching a stage in the pandemic where we can start to relax the health safety measures.”

The update of the Aviation Health Safety Protocol takes account of the latest developments in the pandemic: the levels of vaccination and naturally acquired immunity & the accompanying lifting of restrictions in a growing number of EU states.

Full report: https://t.co/P1KFU5jR2g
— ECDC (@ECDC_EU) May 11, 2022

The agencies say that rules for wearing masks are expected to vary once the mandatory requirement is lifted, with airlines told to encourage passengers to use masks on flights to or from destinations where wearing a mask on public transport is still necessary.

“While risks do remain, we have seen that non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccines have allowed our lives to begin to return to normal,” says ECDC director Andrea Ammon.

“While mandatory mask-wearing in all situations is no longer recommended, it is important to be mindful that together with physical distancing and good hand hygiene it is one of the best methods of reducing transmission.”

The announcement follows a similar change in the U.S. with a number of airlines like United and Delta saying masks are no longer compulsory from April, after a federal judge in Florida ruled that the U.S. administration’s mask mandate on public transport was unlawful.

In recent months, many European countries including Italy, Greece, France, Bulgaria as well as the U.K. have been easing or ending many or all of their coronavirus travel measures.
Masks have been mandatory on flights in the EU for the last two years.

Danaya Malenda contributed to this report.

News

Iran live updates: Trump Says Iran strikes to continue for four to five weeks

Published

23 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Ahron Young

What’s happening in the Middle East?

President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, with Iran now entering a transitional period under a three man leadership council
Trump says U.S. strikes on Iran could last four to five weeks, outlining objectives including destroying missile capabilities, dismantling Iran’s navy and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon
The U.S. military confirms four American service members have been killed, and the White House says U.S. forces have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships
Iran says it sees “no limit” to its right to self defence and will not negotiate, as missile and drone attacks continue across Israel and Gulf states
More than 500 Iranians have been killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes, with additional deaths reported in Lebanon, Israel and the UAE
Shipping, aviation and energy markets have been disrupted, Qatar has halted LNG production, UAE stock markets have closed temporarily, and oil and gas prices have surged

News

Israel strikes Tehran anew as conflict escalates and global markets react

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Published

23 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.

Israel has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the campaign could last up to a month, framing the operation as a move to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

Iran has retaliated with missile attacks, while its Revolutionary Guards claim responsibility for assaults on oil tankers in the Gulf. The escalating hostilities are already disrupting global shipping lanes and air travel, sending shockwaves through international markets.

With reports of the first U.S. casualties emerging and Washington declaring the Tehran operation a success, tensions across the Middle East are intensifying rapidly. The question now is how far this conflict could spread — and at what cost.

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#Israel #Iran #Tehran #MiddleEastConflict #Geopolitics #OilMarkets #BreakingNews #GlobalSecurity

News

U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Ahron Young

U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.

The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.

Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.

Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.

Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.

Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.

With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.