AN airline that was named the best in Europe in this year’s Skytrax Awards has revealed plans to launch flights from a new UK airport.

Turkish Airlines was named Best Airline in Europe in what is dubbed the Oscars of Aviation.

Splash

Turkish Airlines is launching new flights from a UK airport[/caption]

Alamy

The new route will connect London Stansted to Istanbul[/caption]

And the airline has since confirmed new flights would launch from London Stansted for the first time.

The flights – which will connect the London airport to Istanbul – will operate 14 times a week.

The launch is due to meet the “higher demand” the airline has seen from their other UK airports.

They already operate from seven airports in the UK and Ireland.

This includes London Heathrow and London Gatwick, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Dublin.

The new flights will launch from London Stansted on March 18, 2026.

Turkish Airline’s general manager for London, Mehmet Gurulkan, said it would “strengthen their commitment to the UK market”.

They added: “This new service increases our total weekly UK – Istanbul frequencies, providing passengers even more choice and greater connectivity to our global network.”

And Stansted Airport’s managing director Gareth Powell said it was a “major milestone” for the airport, which currently operates to 353 destinations.

He explained how the new flights would also mean better connections across other destinations as well.

He added: “Istanbul is a fantastic destination in its own right, but this new service also opens the door to Turkish Airlines’ extensive global network, connecting London Stansted to over 353 destinations, offering passengers and businesses across our region greater choice and easier access to destinations across Asia, Africa, Australia and beyond.”

A number of new routes have already launched at London Stansted in recent months.

Another Turkish carrier, SunExpress, is launching a new route to Kayseri this month.

Transavia launched its first flights from London Stansted back in April, connecting the airport to Rotterdam.

British Airways started a new flight service to Bergerac in France last month.

And Ryanair launched routes to Munster in Germany and Clermont-Ferrand in France, earlier this year from London Stansted.

In the mean time, here is how to do a city break holiday in Istanbul.

Alamy

The new routes will operate to Istanbul 14 times a week[/caption]

Immigration officials at Don Mueang International Airport detained a 24 year old Vietnamese man for allegedly using a forged visa stamp to avoid overstaying. The suspect, Nguyen, was apprehended while preparing to board a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. The arrest was executed under the supervision of Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Boonyaluck, the Commander of the …

The story Vietnamese man detained at Don Mueang for forged visa stamp as seen on Thaiger News.

IF THERE is one thing we have learned from Keith Andrews’ appointment as Brentford’s head coach, it is that Martin O’Neill still likes to nurse a grudge.

But if the Dubliner contemplates the journey he has undertaken to get to where he is now, then someone settling scores seven years on should not unduly trouble him.

PA

Andrews has become the first permanent Irish manager in the Premier League since Chris Hughton[/caption]

AFP

It’s safe to say Roy Keane and Martin O’Neill aren’t his biggest fans[/caption]

It was three decades ago this summer when Séamus Crowe, Alan Dixon and Stephen Hackett signed for Wolves.

They were three of five Irish youngsters who had left these shores in search of footballing fame and fortune. Robbie Keane and Andrews completed the group.

With the playing careers the duo had, that quintet has already defied the odds.

In a broader sample, nowhere near 40 per cent of an academy intake at what was then a second-tier club would go on to play top-flight football and at a major international tournament.

With two of them now in high-profile management jobs, they have reaffirmed their status as outliers.

But, given this is Andrews’ first role as head coach, there is no shortage of people queuing up to question its wisdom.

If they are mainly the opinions of a disinterested observer, in O’Neill’s case, his assessment of Andrews appeared to revolve around criticism when roles were reversed as manager and pundit.

O’Neill said: “He has been their set-piece coach. The irony is when I was manager of Ireland he was a particularly vitriolic critic of mine.

“He was really dead against me trying to use set-pieces to try to win games.”

There is, of course, no irony in someone criticising a team’s over-reliance on set-pieces and the apparent absence of a game-plan in open play, and achieving tangible results to make a team more efficient at both defensive and offensive dead-ball situations.

Andrews joined Brentford a year ago. According to whoscored.com, excluding penalties, the team had conceded nine goals from set-pieces in 2023-24.

Andrews helped get that down to two, three fewer than the next best, Manchester City.

His impact at the other end was also impressive, with their goal haul increasing from ten to 13.

For all the talk about top-level matches being decided on fine margins, they are significant gains.

There is, of course, a world of difference between organising a team to be effective at corners and free-kicks and overseeing the whole operation as he now will.

O’Neill made a valid observation when he said: “He is stepping into an unknown. It’s all well when you can be the friend of players.

“You can have the set-pieces and you can be the coach sitting in the room. It’s a different ball game when you’re making big decisions.”

PATIENCE PAID OFF

But it was accompanied by the customary reference to O’Neill’s own playing career.

He said: “It’s not as easy to be sitting in a chair criticising someone who in all honesty had a much better career than he had.

“He was dealing at the bottom end of it when I was winning the European Cup.”

Are people really still at that? Surely there are enough examples of successful coaches who did not have illustrious playing careers to make that jibe redundant.

It is true that Andrews’ career was a slow-burner.

But, ultimately, it was a story of perseverance being rewarded which is the exact sort of quality any coach would want in their team.

Andrews did not make his Wolves debut until 2½ years after his compatriot Keane. And Keane had already left by then in the first of his six multi-million pound moves.

There were 4½ years between his first and second Premier League appearances.

His first Ireland cap also came more than a decade after Keane’s but both were starters at Euro 2012.

Ahead of that tournament, he reflected: “I thought about jacking it in on more than one occasion.

“I fell out of love with the game. I wasn’t interested. I was injured a lot in my early 20s and my lifestyle wasn’t as good as it should have been.

“You get depressed, you’re not around friends and family as much and you get a bit lonely.

“It was a vicious circle. You’d get injured and then, out of boredom, go for a drink, which would make your injury last longer.

“You’d get back from injury, you mightn’t get chosen to play and I wouldn’t react in such a good way.

“In the last couple of years I didn’t play much. Thankfully I moved on. I had to drop down a level and it worked out well.”

MODERN APPROACH

In being appointed as the head coach of Brentford, he has — for now — leapfrogged his former fellow trainee, who has led Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros to league titles, by landing a job in the self-proclaimed best league in the world.

His experience is limited to stints assisting Stephen Kenny at Under-21 and senior international level, Chris Wilder at Sheffield United and Thomas Frank at Brentford.

As an analyst, he did not pull any punches and those who have worked with or studied alongside him paint a picture of a diligent person keen to educate himself and become a better coach.

And that, in fact, may be the nub of the problem with both O’Neill and his former assistant and fellow Brian Clough acolyte Roy Keane.

And that is because it seems they have felt, for a long time, they have nothing left to learn.

They cannot — or do not — accept that football has changed from when Old Big ’Ead could unearth rough diamonds for a bargain, allow good players to figure things out for themselves and it would add up to a winning formula.

KEANE’S GRIPE

Keane famously said of Andrews in 2020: “I’ve heard a lot of bulls***ters over the last ten years, and Keith Andrews is up there with the best of them.”

In fairness, Andrews had doled out plenty of criticism in the dying embers of O’Neill’s time with Ireland.

Among other things, he said: “The first three quarters of this reign has to be seen as a successful period.

“The areas where it falls down . . . ten years ago that type of management may well have worked and we have a lot of players who’ve retired in the last year to two who would have been used to that.

“But players now need different requirements. So if Martin is that kind of man-management and quirky manager we’re used to seeing on TV and interviews, that’s fine.

“But then your backroom staff have to complement that and if that’s not the case it’s going to fall down — especially when players are getting the level of detail they are now at club level. It doesn’t happen with this Ireland team.”

That was, clearly, a none-too-subtle dig at Keane who was never going to take it lying down.

And Andrews’ point might have carried more weight had, in his time working alongside Kenny, Ireland been able to obtain better results than they did.

Now, he gets a fresh chance to prove himself as the main man.

And — while O’Neill might not be able to let go of the past — most in Irish football will be interested to see what the first permanent Irish boss in the Premier League since Chris Hughton can deliver in the present and the future.

BROOKLYN Beckham has sparked fury while posing in birthday snaps for Nicola Peltz’s dad, after snubbing David’s 50th. 

The son of David and Victoria Beckham has hit the headlines recently after a distancing from his family.

Instagram/nicolaannepeltzbeckham

Brooklyn Beckham has sparked fury while posing in birthday snaps for Nicola Peltz’s dad, after snubbing David’s 50th[/caption]

Instagram/nicolaannepeltzbeckham

Brooklyn joined all of Nicola’s family for the celebrations[/caption]

Instagram/nicolaannepeltzbeckham

Nicola and her dad Nelson[/caption]

David Beckham/Instagram

The son of David and Victoria Beckham has hit the headlines recently after a distancing from his family[/caption]

Rumours about a feud with the Beckham clan and Nicola Peltz, 30, have circulated since her £3million wedding to Brooklyn, 26, in Florida.

Since then, the alleged clash has intensified as Brooklyn snubbed all four parties that were thrown for his ex-footballer dad David to celebrate his birthday.

Then just last week, Brooklyn sparked further conversation as he shared a photo of Nicola’s dad and wished him a happy birthday. 

Hot sauce company owner Brooklyn shared a photo of himself, Nicola and her father Nelson.

Nicola could be seen with her arms draped around Nelson’s shoulders, while Brooklyn stood in the background. 

He wrote: “Happy birthday Nelson x we love you,” followed by a heart emoji. 

Brooklyn has also now been seen in photos with Nelson on his birthday, in a photo carousel shared by Nicola. 

She wrote: “happy birthday dad! i am so lucky to be your daughter, you’re the most loving and supportive father i could ever dream of. i love you more than i could ever begin to express – you’re the wind beneath my wings. i loved celebrating you yesterday! thank you for always being there for us – our constant love and support.”

In the images, Brooklyn smiles away while standing behind seated Nelson Peltz.

Nelson can be seen surrounded by his sons and Nicola in another snap, and Brooklyn is also in the photo. 

The Peltz family appeared to celebrate Nelson’s birthday outside at their home, with cake and a huge table of food on display. 

In the comments, one person wrote: “How sad for David when he sees this,” and another added: “Seriously….you couldn’t wish David a happy 50th?” and a third echoed: “Why does this post seem more like its rubbing it in than celebrating your dad.”

It comes as Brooklyn was backed by his godfather Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, after he posted a photo with wife Nicola last week.

Elton wrote: “Happy Anniversary to the sweetest, most loving couple,” followed by love hearts, and his husband David added his own comment, which read: “Happy Anniversary to the gorgeous couple.” 

Elton is the godfather of the Beckhams‘ eldest son Brooklyn, and they’re very close, regularly going on trips abroad together over the years.

Both Victoria and David Beckham failed to comment on or like their son’s anniversary post. 

It was recently revealed that the situation has become so severe that Brooklyn is no longer on speaking terms with his siblings.

According to The Mail, his family – which include Romeo, 22, and Cruz, 20, – refer to the aspiring chef as ‘The Hostage’.

It’s also been reported that the former amateur photographer failed to even congratulate his dad after news emerged of his knighthood.

Instagram

Brooklyn recently shared a photo of Nelson wishing him a happy birthday[/caption]

Instagram/nicolaannepeltzbeckham

Another photo from the birthday celebrations[/caption]

Instagram

It’s been reported that Brooklyn failed to even congratulate his dad after news emerged of his knighthood[/caption]

Three men will appear in Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for allegedly scamming a woman of R3 million in an online dating scheme.

Kaizer Chiefs have a whole new team worth of new faces set to play for them in the up-and-coming tour to Europe. Here's the full list.

MANILA, Philippines — A police corporal was arrested in Bulacan for an alleged recruitment scam victimizing individuals seeking overseas employment, the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) said. In a statement released on Tuesday, IMEG said the officer was arrested on June 16 in Bocaue. According to the police, the suspect and his accomplices posed

Kaila Estrada learned a lot from ‘Incognito’ Kapamilya actress Kaila Estrada hoped that their action-drama series Incognito will have its season 2. Kaila has proven that she is more than just a nepo baby. Being the daughter of seasoned showbiz personalities Janice de Belen and John Estrada, it was inevitable that people would compare Kaila ... Read more

The post Kaila Estrada On Incognito: “Sana may Season 2” appeared first on PhilNews.

AJ Odudu has shown off her huge sparkling diamond ring after her shock engagement to her secret boyfriend.

The Celebrity Big Brother host, 37, officially launched her relationship publicly last month in the most spectacular of ways.

Instagram / @ajodudu

AJ Odudu showed off her huge engagement ring as she enjoyed a tasty breakfast[/caption]

Instagram

AJ hard launched her relationship by announcing their engagement[/caption]

She introduced her hunky man at the same time she announced they were engaged to be married.

Now the loved-up TV host has given fans a closer look at her ring, which one diamond expert has valued at £14,500.

In the picture, which was taken in Seattle, Washington, a relaxed AJ is sitting in a café drinking a cuppa and eating a plate of waffles.

Grinning behind her mug, AJ’s hand rests on her face with ring taking centre stage.

Zack Stone, from UK retailer Steven Stone, said: “AJ’s engagement ring is a stunning piece that speaks volumes – both in design and sentiment.

“At its heart is a 1.5-carat cushion-cut diamond, known for its romantic, pillow-like shape and vintage charm.

“The centre stone is set in a cluster setting, where smaller diamonds delicately encircle the main gem, enhancing its brilliance and symbolizing the strength and support of a close-knit bond.

“The entire setting appears to be crafted in classic yellow gold, a timeless choice that represents warmth, tradition, and enduring love.

“Altogether, it’s a ring that blends elegance with meaningful symbolism – a truly fitting piece for such a joyful announcement. I’d estimate it to be worth $20,000.”

AJ was flooded with messages of congratulations from her famous pals after revealing the engagement.

Taking to Instagram, she wrote: “Hiya love,” followed by a heart, ring and puppy eyes emoji.

While the presenter star didn’t reveal the name of her man, she shared a string of loved-up snaps in which they embraced and kissed inside a photo booth.

Another snap saw AJ proudly show off her sparkler while wearing a gorgeous feathered dress.

Her partner – who had not previously been known by fans – looked suave in a cream suit, layered above a black tank top.

The Strictly star’s post attracted heaps of comments from her celeb friends, with Alexandra Burke writing: “Awww congrats babe! I love this for you!”

Jourdan Dunn added: “Congratulations!!!” while Johannes Radebe said: “Awww congrats,” and Anita Rani chimed in with: “congratulations.”

Joe Baggs, Henry Southan and Yinrun Huang also sent their love.

Up until now, AJ had been believed to be single.

In December 2021, there were rumours when she was on Strictly that she was dating her dance partner Kai Widdrington.

When quizzed on Strictly: It Takes Two, the duo laughed and appeared awkward, before Kai explained: “If people react like this then it means we are doing something right, because that is the way the dance should be danced.”

He went on to say they wanted to do the “passionate, fiery and intimate” dance justice.

“If people want to think that, then great but we are just doing our jobs, she was doing her job,” he added.

During her time on Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, AJ gave an insight into her previous relationships.

TV presenter AJ does not have any children.

She said: “I’ve been cheated on by three ex-boyfriends.

“One of them was sleeping with my best friends.”

Instagram

Last month she shared a string of loved-up snaps with her beau[/caption]

Instagram

The happy couple embraced and kissed inside a photo booth[/caption]

Rex

AJ hosting Celebrity Big Brother with Will Best[/caption]

ANASTASIA LUCHKINA has sparked a furious backlash after giving an orangutan a vape.

The MMA fighter shared a video of the shocking moment on social media.

X

Anastasia Luchkina has sparked backlash for giving a vape to an orangutan[/caption]

X

The poor caged primate could be seen taking a puff from the vape[/caption]

Luchkina, 24, could be seen taking a drag of the vape herself before handing it to the orangutan through a wired fence.

The primate put its mouth to the vape and then backed away before exhaling a cloud of vapour.

She then continued to give the orangutan puffs from the vape in the video.

The incident occurred while the Russian visited the Taigan Park Zoo in Crimea.

Luchkina is now facing a furious backlash from MMA fans for her actions.

One posted on social media: “That’s abuse.”

A second wrote: “Idiot of the idiots.”

A third commented: “What is wrong with people.”

A fourth said: “Just disgusting behaviour and she should not be allowed to fight again”.

Another added: “Leave the animal alone!”

Reports have claimed the orangutan is okay after being given the vape.

It is also suggested that Luchkina could be fined and banned from the zoo.

SunSport has reached out to PETA for comment

In Luchkina’s one and only pro fight, she was beaten by Indian fighter Vinaskshi by unanimous decision

The clash took place during the King of the Himalayan Ring in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh last month.