the final day ofjubilee celebrations will end with a huge pageant near buckingham palace later. iam i am annita mcveigh on the mall as they get ready for that pageant, the people s pageant, on the fourth and final day of celebrations to mark the queen s 70 year reign. street parties are also set to be held across the uk. moscow continues its offensive in eastern ukraine but a series of powerful explosions strike the capital. meanwhile, closer to home the welsh national football team will take on the ukraine side in a world cup qualifier later today and we will take a look at the papers this morning, with the queen and paddington bear playing a major part. hello and welcome to bbc news. welcome to bbc news and the fourth and final day of the platinum jubilee celebrations. today there will be a pageant along the mall in london, featuring a military parade, acrobats, puppets and other tributes to the 70 years of the queen s reign. celebrations will be held across the country
first city on in their temp two take the rest of the donbas, it would make you think that they will really struggle to achieve their objective of taking over the whole of the donbas. tens of thousands of british travellers are stranded at airports across europe by an estimated 200 flight cancellations over the weekend. many of them are families hoping to return home after half term holidays. more than 100 flights to and from the uk were cancelled on saturday by a combination of staff shortage and air traffic control restrictions. so far today dozens more have been grounded. let s talk to the independent s travel editor, simon calder. how many people are stranded abroad, simon? i think we are now into the tens of thousands. many of them have been trying to get back probably since thursday or friday because all the way through the half term a
caused by rising covid cases have forced some rail operators to cancel or reduce services ahead of the annual christmas getaway. long distance lines are among the worst affected. transport for london says about 500 of its frontline staff are currently off work. in the past week, 5.2% of trains have been cancelled, compared to an average ofjust under 3%. and over the past seven days, almost 9% of staff across the railway network have been off work. joining me now is the independent s travel editor, simon calder. simon, it is good to speak to you. well, it is always at this time of year there are problems, how bad is it? ithink year there are problems, how bad is it? i think you are at heathrow at the moment. i it? i think you are at heathrow at the moment- it? i think you are at heathrow at the moment. ~ . ., ., ., the moment. i think! am at london euston station. the moment. i think! am at london euston station. sorry, the moment. i think! am at london euston station. sorry, forgi
south african countries. we can speak now to the independent s travel editor, simon calder. let s go through the practicalities of what is happening. so today there is a deadline, midday. is a deadline, midday. there is, and alread , if is a deadline, midday. there is, and already. if you is a deadline, midday. there is, and already, if you are is a deadline, midday. there is, and already, if you are at is a deadline, midday. there is, and already, if you are at heathrow, i already, if you are at heathrow, then virgin atlantic flight 450 from johannesburg hasjust then virgin atlantic flight 450 from johannesburg has just pulled then virgin atlantic flight 450 from johannesburg hasjust pulled up at the gate. the lucky passengers on board that flight, they will see themselves as lucky, will simply go through normal immigration process and then go home. in about an hour, you get two british airways run from johannesburg and one from cape town, also touching down. before they bec