The quaint notion of air travel as a romantic and relaxing prelude to a summer holiday disappeared around 50 years ago with the advent of mass transit and package holidays.

George Habash, a long-time rival of Yasser Arafat who led the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s second-largest faction which pioneered aeroplane hijackings, died today in Jordan. He was 81.

From Australia to Zimbabwe, millions of people took to the streets today to mark May Day with protests, violence, demonstrations and, in some causes, enjoyment.