Dressed in black, his face covered, the killer of a schoolgirl prowled around a car park in pursuit of his victim, intent on murder. Disturbing new CCTV footage seen for the first time today shows Logan MacPhail’s secret, silent pursuit of Holly Newton. Now that the obsessive stalker has been sentenced, police have released chilling…
Saltburn star Barry Keoghan has been spotted for the first time on the Peaky Blinders set – as filming for the hotly anticipated movie gets underway. Filming alongside Sophie Rundle – who is reprising her role as Ada Thorne – and Hollywood royalty Tim Roth – the Dunkirk actor certainly looks the part, wearing a…
Egypt has long been a jewel of global tourism. The allure of the Pyramids, the majesty of the Nile, and the beauty of the Red Sea make it a bucket-list destination for millions around the world.
Yet, while Egypt’s history and natural wonders are timeless, its tourism sector faces a very modern problem – TikTok. The platform, along with Reddit and other social media forums, is brimming with negative reviews from travel influencers and tourists who are increasingly viewing Egypt as a destination to avoid.
On TikTok, viral videos from travel influencers – many of them women – complain about harassment, scams, and disorganization. Influencers are increasingly answering the question, “Where would you not go back to?” with one word: Egypt.
These videos have reached hundreds of thousands of people, rapidly shaping perceptions of Egypt as a nightmare for tourists.
The environmental health team at Cambridge City Council was asked by the authority’s own planning department to take “a more lenient stance on the very serious contamination issues” surrounding a major new science park on a former landfill site, it has been revealed. Emails revealed under the Freedom of Information Act show the team felt…
Basic-Fit CEO, Rene Moos, says 2024 is “going to plan” as the low-cost operator continues to open clubs across Europe and progresses plans for franchising.Revenues increased by 19 per cent to €892 million in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, with a 14 per cent increase in the number of clubs.The low cost operator’s ambitions for 2024 was to increase its number of clubs to around 1,575 and revenue to between €1.2 billion and €1.25 billion. CEO, Rene Moos, says it’s going according to plan.During the first nine months of this year 173 clubs opened and five closed. Most of the club openings have been in France (71) and Spain (70) with 11 in Benelux and 16 in Germany.The number of clubs stood at 1,570 at the end of September, the number of memberships has increased 13 per cent year on year to 4.2 million and the average revenue per member per month has increased to €23.86, compared to €23.28 this time last year.“The first nine months of the year developed according to plan with continued strong growth in revenue and memberships,” says Moos. “We are well on track to reach our year-end targets and empower an ever-growing number of individuals to embrace a healthier lifestyle.”Having announced last year that it was planning to move into franchising, Basic-Fit has confirmed it expects to launch a franchise platform during 2025. It will require limited capex and opens possibilities to expand into new countries. Talks are currently underway with strong potential franchisee partners with ample experience in their respective countries.Tweaks to the membership structure are also planned for next year, with the introduction of weekly prices, which has already been implemented in France. A Basic membership now costs €4.99 a week (from €19.99 per four weeks); a Comfort membership is €6.99 per week (from €24.99) and a Premium costs €7.99 (from €29.99)Membership numbers are growing in France thanks to continued investment and longer opening hours. The offering is still being improved, with massage chairs being added and further increasing opening hours.The company is aiming for ROIC of mature clubs of more than 30 per cent and Moos says the average revenue and the average underlying club EBITDA less rent over the first nine months improved over the same period in 2023.
Moorhead, Minnesota, is home to more than 3,000 Kurds, some of whom have been there since the mid-1970s. They are the town’s largest minority group and hope this election might bring them representation in local government. Dakhil Shammo of VOA’s Kurdish service went to Minnesota and met with two local candidates in this story narrated…
The Foreign Office has issued a warning to UK tourists heading to the Caribbean. The Foreign Office has a list of precautions UK tourists in Dominica need to take, as they try and hunt for winter sunshine as the mercury plunges domestically. “The crime rate in Dominica is low, but you could be at risk…
The federal government has pledged to provide technical assistance and support for Edo State Government on improving its ease of doing business environment in the state.
Daily Trust reports that the programme focused on review and validation of Edo State Business Environment Reforms Action Plan (BERAP) for 2025, supported by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ SEDIN).
Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreEastern Spain has been hit with devastating flash flooding this week, the worst flooding disaster the area has experienced in decades.Rainstorms started on Tuesday (29 October) and continued into Wednesday. In the aftermath of the floods, cars have been piled on the street surrounded by a sea of debris from damaged buildings and structures.At least 158 people have lost their lives after the flooding swept through streets, turning walkways into rivers and trapping people in their homes and on the roofs of cars.It is the worst flood-related catastrophe Spain has witnessed since at least 1996, when 87 people died and 180 were injured in a flash flood near Biescas in the Pyrenees.The rain has battered the eastern region of Spain, hitting holiday hotspots such as Valencia to Malaga.Spain’s state weather agency, Aemet, has issued its most severe weather alert in the south west of the country as the province of Huelva was hit by torrential rain.Here is the latest on the situation in Spain and what you need to know about travel.Where in Spain has flooded?Cars and debris are strewn over railway tracks after being swept up in the recent flash flooding in Valencia, Spain
Representatives of travel agencies from Kazakhstan and China exchange gifts after signing contracts. Photo: Courtesy of the Kazakhstan Embassy in ChinaThe Astana-Beijing 2024 tourism promotional event was held on October 18 in Beijing within the framework of the Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China. At the event, Astana’s abundant tourism resources, which attract a large number of tourists annually were on display.The Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China in 2024 was unveiled in July. China and Kazakhstan will hold a series of splendid activities throughout the year of tourism.The Kazakh government has set a goal to increase domestic tourist visits to 11 million and foreign tourist visits to 4 million by 2030. Correspondingly, the number of people employed in the tourism industry is expected to reach 800,000 by that time, according to media reports.The event commenced with welcoming remarks from the Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in China, who emphasized the significance of China as one of Kazakhstan’s leading tourism markets and partners, given the geographical closeness and deep historical ties between the two nations. Other diplomats and officials from the tourism sectors of both countries were present. Seven agreements on tourism cooperation were signed at the forum, which became key elements for discussing the prospects of cooperation and the promotion of Kazakhstan’s tourism industry in the Chinese market.Since the beginning of 2024, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Kazakhstan has been steadily increasing, establishing the Central Asian country as a burgeoning popular destination for outbound travel.During this year’s National Day holiday, the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center, located at the bilateral border, also experienced a spike in tourism and shopping activities.