The European Consumer Centre is advising people to exercise caution when buying holiday accommodation online.
It says failure to prove that the purchasing website is genuine, can prove costly.
The 'book now, pay later' practice can, in some cases, be misleading.
Martina Nee of the European Consumer Centre says where possible, keep records of transactions.
"Well when you're booking holiday accommodation online it's extremely important to check how and when they payment will be made before the contract is concluded.
"Keep evidence of this, take screenshots," she said.
Amazon's deal for supermarket chain Whole Foods has sent US shares in grocery stores, big retailers and food makers and distributors plunging.
It is rare for a single deal to have a big effect on the broader stock market but Amazon's agreement to buy Whole Foods Market did.
Investors wondered if Amazon will do to grocery stores and supermarkets what it has done to sellers of goods like clothing and office supplies - force them to make big changes or be supplanted.
Neil Saunders, managing director of the research firm Global Data Retail, said Amazon is likely to push supermarkets and grocery stores to slash prices, which will affect the companies that make and distribute those products.
"As Amazon enters the grocery market proper, it will put a lot more pressure on existing grocers," he said. "Those grocers will respond by cutting prices and that will cut profits for the distributors."
Elsewhere, energy companies rose as oil futures bounced back from their lowest price this year and utilities and industrial and basic materials ground out modest gains.
Thanks to a late gain, the Standard & Poor's 500 index inched up 0.69 points to 2,433.15.
The Dow Jones industrial average added 24.38 points, or 0.1%, to a record high of 21,384.28.
The Nasdaq composite fell 13.74 points, or 0.2%, to 6,151.76. The Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks shed 3.36 points, or 0.2%, to 1,406.73.
Online juggernaut Amazon announced it was acquiring Whole Foods in an all-cash deal worth 13.7 billion US dollars (£10.7 billion).
Many investors had expected Amazon to get into the grocery business. It already runs AmazonFresh, a grocery delivery service for members of its Prime service, and it recently opened a few grocery stores.
Investors dumped retailers, drug stores, and even discount chains. Many of them have started trying to sell more groceries in the last few years to try to capitalise on shoppers' desire for fresher, more natural food.
Amazon is a unique threat to many retailers because it does not mind losing money for long stretches. The company might be able to sell cheap groceries as it makes its money from its cloud computing business and its gigantic online marketplace.
"Is the future of grocery store shopping going to be a point and click experience, or is it going to be going to a grocery store?" said Dan Morgan, senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust.
A girl aged four has been shot dead by her six-year-old sibling at their home in South Carolina.
Carley Mack was struck by one bullet and died in hospital 45 minutes later, said Spartanburg Police.
It was not revealed whether the other child who fired the gun was Carley's brother or sister or details of the gun's ownership or how it ended up in the hands of the child.
The incident appears to be accidental and it is unlikely charges will be filed, said police.
Two people were taken to hospital after 18 stowaways were found in the back of a lorry on the hottest day of the year in the UK so far.
The stowaways waved to alert passing motorists who flagged down the HGV driver to stop on the A22 in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England, at around 9.20am on Saturday.
Immigration enforcement officers found 18 people who said they came from Iraq, Syria and Iran. A male and a female were taken to hospital with dehydration, but were later discharged.
Six people claiming to be children were passed to social services to have their age assessed. A Home Office spokesman said: "All will be processed in line with immigration rules."
Sussex Police said those who did not need hospital treatment were given water and medical aid. The nearby Trinity Methodist Church was used as a refuge centre as immigration officers arrived.
The lorry driver, a 63-year-old man of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration. He was in police custody.
With temperatures in East Grinstead hitting 25C on Saturday, police said it was vital that they reacted quickly to free the stowaways from the lorry.
Sergeant William Keating-Jones, of Sussex Police, said: "Our priority was for the welfare of the occupants who were in the back of the lorry. The vehicle was exceptionally hot and it was important we reacted quickly.
"This was a great multi-agency response to a potentially life-threatening situation, with emergency services, immigration officials, volunteers and even local residents all pulling together.
"We were also mindful of causing minimal disruption to motorists, and the road was closed for about 20 minutes while we were at the scene."
Update - 5.47pm: The family of Syrian refugee Mohammad Alhajali, the first Grenfell Tower victim to be identified, have described him as a "a very amazing and kind person".
The 23-year old's family said he had come to the UK with hopes for the future, and they will miss him dearly.
In a statement Mr Alhajali's family said: "Mohammad was a very amazing and kind person. He gave love to everyone. He came to the UK because he had ambitions and aims for his life and for his family.
"Our whole family will miss Mohammad dearly and he will never be forgotten.
"To God we belong and to him we return."
Photo issued by the Metropolitan Police of Mohammad Alhajali who has now been formally identified as one of the victims who perished in the Grenfell Tower fire.
It comes after British Prime Minister Theresa May has said the support for families "who needed help or basic information in the initial hours" after the Grenfell Tower disaster "was not good enough".
The Prime Minister said there had been "huge frustrations" on the ground as people struggled to find information.
After a two-and-a-half hour meeting in Downing Street with victims, residents, community leaders and volunteers, Mrs May said she had heard their concerns.
She added: "The response of the emergency services, NHS and the community has been heroic.
"But, frankly, the support on the ground for families who needed help or basic information in the initial hours after this appalling disaster was not good enough."
Mrs May said money from the £5m emergency fund to help victims buy food and clothes was already being handed out and more funding would be allocated if needed.
She has ordered daily progress reports on housing for those affected.
Mrs May added: "There have been huge frustrations that people do not know who to talk to, that they can't get through on the council hotlines.
"I have ordered that more staff be deployed across the area, wearing high visibility clothing, so they can easily be found, dispense advice and ensure the right support is provided. Phone lines will have more staff.
"Victims have concerns their voice will not be heard, that their many questions about this tragedy will not be answered.
"That is why I ordered a public inquiry, with the costs for providing victims with legal representation met by Government.
"The inquiry will be open and transparent. Government and ministers will cooperate fully. I anticipate the name of the judge will be announced within the next few days and that an open meeting will be held with residents to help shape the terms of reference.
"It has been decided today that the public inquiry will report back to me personally. As Prime Minister, I will be responsible for implementing its findings."
Mrs May said councils have been told to complete urgent safety checks on all high rise buildings further action "will be taken" if needed.
"After something this traumatic, many people will be in need of not just financial support, but also counselling. NHS London will provide that support," she added.
"I can also announce that NHS London will provide specialist long-term bereavement support for the families who have lost loved ones, and immediate psychological support is being provided by Cruise and Red Cross."
Mrs May said the Grenfell Tower blaze "was an unimaginable tragedy for the community, and for our country".
She added: "My Government will do whatever it takes to help those affected, get justice and keep our people safe."
Update - 3.30pm: Fifty-eight people are missing and presumed dead in the Grenfell Tower disaster, the officer in charge of the investigation said.
Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy warned that the death toll could rise further as he formally identified a first victim as 23-year-old Mohammed Alhajali.
Earlier on Saturday British Prime Minister Theresa May met victims of the blaze at Downing Street, amid criticism she had not seen them in the immediate wake of the tragedy.
Mr Cundy said: "Sadly, at this time there are 58 people who we have been told were in the Grenfell Tower on the night that are missing, and therefore sadly, I have to assume that they are dead."
Cristiano Ronaldo appears determined to quit Spain as he believes he is being singled out for unfair treatment by the tax authorities.
The Portugal captain enjoyed a remarkable career in England and surpassed all expectations following his £80 million move to Real Madrid.
Ronaldo scored his 600th career goal in this year’s Champions League final – and that’s just the first of many astounding numbers.
Press Association Sport understands the 32-year-old is “outraged” after prosecutors accused him of defrauding the authorities of 14.7 million euros (£12.8 million).
Earlier this week Ronaldo’s agency Gestifute released a statement which said: “There is no tax evasion scheme… There has never been any hiding nor any intention to hide anything.”
On Thursday Ronaldo, who signed a new five-year contract in November, posted a picture of himself with his fingers to his lips on Instagram with the caption “Sometimes the best answer it’s to be quiet”.
His tactics are not dissimilar to those of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi who took a similar stance in threatening to quit Spain in 2014, also claiming he had been singled out for special treatment, when he was accused of concealing 4.1 million euros (£3.5 million) from the authorities.
Laois withstood a stubborn Wicklow fightback to claim a Round 1 All-Ireland Senior Football Qualifier win at a sunny Aughrim this evening.
The visitors defence were caught napping in the closing stages, conceding two goals inside a minute, including one from Paddy Byrne, but somehow Laois held out for a three-point win.
Peter Creedon's charges were far more clinical in the opening half, and led by 1-8 to 0-5 at half-time, with Gary Walsh firing 1-3 in the first half, including a 10th minute goal.
Wind-assisted Laois pushed eight points clear early on the restart, but lost their captain Stephen Attride to a black card in the 41st minute.
Wicklow cut the gap to three points at the start of the final quarter, after Paul Cunningham cut in for a well worked goal, but Laois came good once more.
They moved 2-14 to 1-9 ahead after Donie Kingston bagged the O'Moore's second goal, following a James Finn delivery, but Wicklow pushed hard yet again.
Seanie Furlong delivered to Paddy Byrne who found the net in the 68th minute, with Wicklow again netting from the resulting kick-out, but Laois held out for victory.
A Danny Heavron goal in the 50th minute finally gave Derry some breathing space from a persistent Waterford as they progressed to the second round of the All-Ireland qualifiers with a seven-point win at Fraher Field.
Waterford were well in contention at the interval, trailing by just 0-11 to 0-9, but they went 23 minutes without a score in the second half and found themselves 10 points in arrears until Donie Breathnach finally got them going.
They performed better from then on, with Tommy Prendergast and Paul Whyte also getting on the board, but they needed a goal and Gavin Crotty just failed to get a touch to a through ball as Derry goalkeeper Ben McKinless advanced.
Damien Barton’s men were comfortable however and Emmet McGuckin, the excellent Ciarán McFaul, Chrissy McKaigue, Heavron, Tallon and Mark Lynch scored good points.
They shot some horrendous wides too though and registered 16 by the time the final whistle had blown.
The Oak Leafers, who had a considerable number making the long journey south among the 1,067 in attendance, flew out of the traps thanks to a brace of points from Niall O’Loughlin, and one each by Tallon and McFaul.
But Waterford began to settle and found plenty of joy with runners getting in behind the Derry cover.
Crotty scored three points from play in the first half, Prendergast another and Breathnach landed three frees.
Prendergast might have gone for goal but as the sides went in at half time but the hosts would have been pleased to follow up their excellent effort against Cork with a performance.
Prospects of a first qualifier win since 2011 eroded quickly however.
Derry returned to the control that categorised their opening salvo in the first half, their power guaranteeing them primary possession and finding space despite Waterford dropping 13 and sometimes 14 players deep.
McGuckin was introduced during the change of ends and fired inches over within seconds of the resumption.
McFaul and McKaigue followed and when Heavron thumped gleefully beyond Stephen Enright, after Karl McKaigue had attracted three Waterford defenders before timing his hand pass perfectly, it was all over.
DERRY: B McKinless, N Keenan 0-1, B Rogers, K McKaigue, C McFaul 0-2, C McWilliams, D Heavron 1-1, C McAtamney, C McKaigue 0-1, R Bell 0-2, N O’Loughlin 0-2(1f), M McEvoy, D Tallon 0-3, J Kielt 0-3(2fs), B Heron. Subs: E McGuckin 0-1 for O’Loughlin (ht), M Lynch 0-1 for Bell (45), S McGuigan for Kielt (48), N Forrester for McFaul (55), C Nevin for McAtamney (60), G O’Neill for Heron (64), C Nevin for McAtamney (68)
WATERFORD: S Enright, S Dalton, R Ó Ceallaigh, T O’Gorman, J McGrath, S Prendergast, A Trihy, T Prendergast 0-2, M Curry, C Murray, P Whyte 0-1, G Crotty 0-3, D Breathnach 0-5(3fs), F Ó Cuirrín 0-2, J Veale. Subs: M O’Halloran for McGrath BC (19), P Hurney for Veale (47), D Guiry for Murray (50), L Ó Corraoin for Dalton (55), F Galvin for Ó Cuirrín (61), K Murphy for T Prendergast (70+2)
Tourism bosses say Dublin is not a rip off, after comments to that effect by a tourism expert.
Michael Hall, a professor in marketing, said he would not recommend Dublin to anyone for a short break as the city is a "rip-off".
He also took issue with the time it took him to get through passport control, and said he did not like sharing the capital with stag parties.
CEO of Dublin Town, Richard Guiney, says the city centre is much calmer than in previous years.
"We've got purple flag recognition and purple flags about excellence in the management of the evening-time economy, we've got that in the area around South William Street, the Creative Quarter, Dame Street, and we have it on the north side of the city as well.
"That imposes obligations on ourselves, on the Council, on the Gardaí, local business to basically manage the night-time economy to very high standards," he said.
The European Consumer Centre is advising people to exercise caution when buying holiday accommodation online.
It says failure to prove that the purchasing website is genuine, can prove costly.
The 'book now, pay later' practice can, in some cases, be misleading.
Martina Nee of the European Consumer Centre says where possible, keep records of transactions.
"Well when you're booking holiday accommodation online it's extremely important to check how and when they payment will be made before the contract is concluded.
"Keep evidence of this, take screenshots," she said.
Super Mario Odyssey, the first proper Mario game for the Nintendo Switch, will feature a local co-op gameplay mode albeit one that is slightly unusual.
Instead of taking control of Luigi or another well-known Mario character, player 2 will instead play as Cappy, Mario’s famous red cap.
Cappy can be used to make certain puzzles easier to complete as well as providing player 1 with assistance in other areas.
Check out the below video from SwitchForce to see Cappy in action.
Dying Light developer Techland has revealed its intentions to reward players of the critically acclaimed zombie action game with a year of free DLC, as noted in an article from Game Informer.
Almost 500,000 people still play the game weekly, more than three years after its initial release, and players can expect 10 free DLC packs over the next 12 months in light of this impressive number.
Speaking about the free DLC, Techland CEO Pawel Marchewka said:
‘In the face of such enthusiasm and engagement, we cannot keep quiet. Today I’m happy to announce Techland’s continuous support for Dying Light. Original content is already in the works and our fans can expect to face new challenging enemies, master new gameplay mechanics, solve more Harran mysteries, and even explore never-seen-before locations.’
Today the news broke that Amazon is buying the grocery chain Whole Foods for a whopping $13.7 billion (£10.7 billion). Normally, acquisitions are pretty dull fare, but Twitter has come in with some pretty hilarious reactions to the deal.
Amazon already offers grocery-delivery services in five markets, but the Whole Foods purchase would let it expand to many more. Amazon also offers grocery shipments elsewhere, but that’s tough with perishable foods.
This may be so, but some think it might have been an accident on the part of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
The Aegon Classic in Birmingham has been dealt another blow with the withdrawal of French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Her withdrawal comes days after Rafael Nadal announced he would not play at Queen's Club as he looks to recover in time for Wimbledon.
The Latvian had been due to return to action at the Edgbaston Priory Club next week but has pulled out of the tournament, Press Association Sport has learned.
Ostapenko, the first unseeded winner at Roland Garros in the Open era, is now set to begin her grass-court campaign at the Aegon International in Eastbourne in two weeks' time.
The 20-year-old joins Simona Halep, who she beat in the final in Paris, Karolina Pliskova, Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska in withdrawing from the event.
World number one Angelique Kerber heads what remains a very strong field, with home hope Johanna Konta one of three other top-10 players.
Cristiano Ronaldo's reported unhappiness in Spain will have some of the biggest clubs in world football on alert in a bid to sign the Real Madrid forward.
We have assessed possible destinations for the 32-year-old, and which of those clubs could afford the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Ronaldo has made no secret of his affection for United - the club he left to join Madrid in 2009 after six years at Old Trafford - and there is no doubt boss Jose Mourinho would welcome his compatriot with open arms. United struggled in front of goal last term and, with the crocked Zlatan Ibrahimovic already released, there is a slot ready to be filled up front. The Red Devils are certainly one of the few clubs capable of putting together a financial package to re-sign the Portugal captain, as they are predicting record revenues of up to £570million this year.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is "outraged" at what he feels is unfair treatment by Spanish tax authorities and is determined to quit the club and the country.
It is understood the 32-year-old feels he is being singled out for disproportionate treatment after prosecutors accused him of defrauding the authorities of €14.7m.
A source claims the "outraged" Portugal international "feels great indignation" with all the speculation about his tax affairs and a sense of "injustice" at the allegations - which he contests - and has made a decision to leave Spain.
Earlier this week Ronaldo's agency Gestifute released a statement which said: "'There is no tax evasion scheme ... There has never been any hiding nor any intention to hide anything."
On Thursday Ronaldo, who only signed a new five-year contract in November, posted a picture of him with his fingers to his lips on Instagram with the caption: "Sometimes the best answer it's to be quiet."
The potential availability of the Portugal international, one of the most marketable players in the world, would alert a number of top clubs, plus big-spending Chinese Super League sides looking to make a statement.
However, his Real contract is understood to have a €1bn buy-out clause and, in May, Forbes calculated his pre-tax salary as being close to €51m a year.
You might have seen comments swirling on social media that the Government has issued a D-Notice stopping the media from reporting details of the Grenfell Tower fire.
This isn’t true, so here’s everything you need to know about a D-Notice, so you can be on high alert for fake news.
What is a D-Notice?
(Matt Dunham/AP)
A D-Notice (also known as a DSMA-Notice or Defence and Security Media Advisory Notice) is an official request for news editors not to publish certain details of a story for reasons of national security.
D-Notices are issued by the Defence, Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee, not, as some have claimed, the Home Office. The DPBAC is an independent body that is funded by and housed within the Ministry of Defence, but separate from the government.
D-Notices are voluntary for the media but aim to protect national security. Those responsible for issuing D-Notices say that any threat to national security must involve “grave danger to the State and/or individuals.”
Residents of Grenfell Tower have described how they escaped the burning building.
While some attempted to leave their flats using damp towels as shields, witnesses reported seeing people resort to throwing children from windows in an attempt to save them.
A baby who was thrown from a window
(Rick Findler/PA)
One witness described the moment someone dropped a baby from a window “on the ninth or 10th floor” as the fire raged through the tower block.
Samira Lamrani told the Press Association: “The windows were slightly ajar, a woman was gesturing that she was about to throw her baby and if somebody could catch her baby.”
Lamrani then saw a member of the public run forward and catch the infant, who she believes was unharmed.
A man who tripped over bodies on the way out
(Rick Findler/PA)
Christos Fairbairn, who lived on the 15th floor, told the BBC he heard noises outside and loud knocking on his door before smoke started to pour in.
After calling the fire service, who told him to get out, he attempted to leave but could not because of the thickness of the smoke outside his door.
He said he banged on his window calling for help, but burnt his hand on the melted plastic as he tried to open it.
Then, taking the emergency service’s advice, he wrapped a wet jumper around himself and left the flat.
He described running down a stairwell so thick with smoke that he could barely see or breathe. Tripping in the dark, he realised the stairwell was littered with bodies.
After collapsing on a lower floor, he was rescued by a firefighter and later treated for smoke inhalation.
A man who was woken up by screams
(Rick Findler/PA)
Paul Mennacer, who was asleep in his flat on the seventh floor when residents became aware of the fire, was woken by people screaming and shouting “don’t jump”.
Despite black smoke filling his flat, he said: “My instinct told me ‘Just grab your shoes and run out’.
“It was hard to get out because the fire exit stairwell was on the side of the fire and so there was a lot of debris falling.”
The residents who were told to stay inside
(Natalie Oxford/PA)
Michael Paramasivan, 37, lived on the seventh floor with his girlfriend Hannah West, 23, and her five-year-old daughter Thea.
They escaped the inferno after choosing to leave their flat, contrary to the advice they were given.
Paramasivan said: “If we’d listened to them and stayed in the flat we’d have perished.”
The firefighters who led residents to safety
(Rick Findler/PA)
Edward Daffarn, a resident who is a part of the Grenfell Action Group that urged the building’s landlords to improve fire safety back in November, told Buzzfeed News he almost died trying to escape.
After tying a damp towel round his face, he attempted to leave his flat on the 16th floor but couldn’t find the fire exit through the smoke.
He said a fireman who was lying on the ground opened the fire exit door for him.
“He touched my leg and that was enough,” Daffarn said.
“That enabled me to get out.”
Those who were woken by neighbours
(David Mirzoeff/PA)
One woman who escaped with her family after being woken by a call from neighbours on a higher floor, said she didn’t know how big the fire was until she got outside.
Turafat Yilma, 39, along with her husband Abraham, 44, and five-year-old son Abem, had tried to leave, but the thick smoke in the corridor prevented them from using the staircase.
A firefighter later reached the seventh floor, knocked on their door and led them outside.
