banned

Venezuela has revoked operating permits for six international airlines after they suspended flights to the country following a United States warning of airspace risk, in the latest point of tension between the two countries.

Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned of a “potentially hazardous situation” in Venezuelan airspace due to a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity”.

While Caracas said the FAA had no jurisdiction over its airspace, the decision led some airlines to indefinitely suspend flights to the South American country from November 24 to 28, Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela, said.

The action comes amid worsening tensions between the US and Venezuela over President Donald Trump’s battle against what he calls ‘narco-terrorism’ in the Caribbean.

Since September, the US has carried out at least 21 strikes on vessels it accuses of trafficking drugs, killing at least 83 people. Venezuela has said the strikes amount to murder.

Which airlines has Venezuela banned and why?

On Wednesday night, Venezuela’s civil aviation authority announced that Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Colombia’s Avianca, Chile’s and Brazil’s LATAM, Brazil’s Gol and Turkish Airlines would have their permits revoked.

The authority said the decision was taken against the carriers for joining “the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government”.

Before the revocation, Venezuela’s government had issued a 48-hour deadline on Monday for airlines to resume their cancelled flights or risk losing their permits.

Airline carrier Iberia had said it plans to restart flights to Venezuela as soon as full safety conditions are met.

At the same time, Avianca announced in a statement on Wednesday its intention to reschedule cancelled flights to the Venezuelan capital by December 5.

But Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel called the decision to revoke permits “disproportionate”.

“What we have to do is, through our embassy, ​​make the Venezuelan authorities aware that this measure is disproportionate, that we have no intention of cancelling our routes to Venezuela, and that we only did this for security reasons,” he said.

What about other airlines operating in Venezuela?

Spain’s Air Europa and Plus Ultra have also suspended flights to Venezuela, but their permits have not been revoked, with no reason given for the exemption.

Panama’s Copa and its low-cost airline, Wingo, are continuing to operate to Venezuela. Domestic airlines, including the flag-carrier, Conviasa, flying from Venezuela to Colombia, Panama and Cuba are also still in operation.

What is behind US-Venezuela tensions?

Since US President Donald Trump’s return to office in January, tensions between his administration and Venezuela’s government have ramped up.

The US has built up a large military presence off the coast of Venezuela – its most significant military deployment to the Caribbean in decades – to combat what it claims is the trafficking of drugs.

The Trump administration has frequently claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is behind the drug trade, without providing any evidence to support this.

In August, the US government raised its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest from $25m to $50m.

Maduro denies that he is involved in the drug trade.

This week, the US designated the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) a foreign “terrorist” organisation. It also claims the group is headed by Maduro and a senior figure in his government.

Venezuela’s foreign ministry said it “categorically, firmly and absolutely rejected” the designation, describing it as a “new and ridiculous lie”.

Moreover, the US has long rejected Maduro’s government, calling his election win last year “rigged”. In November 2024, the US recognised Venezuela’s opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the country’s rightful president.

The Venezuelan government has suggested that the drug operation in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific is a cover for the US’s real aim of deposing Maduro from government – something some observers also believe.

Since September, the US has conducted at least 21 strikes on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, claiming they are drug boats. More than 80 people have been killed, but the Trump administration has provided no evidence for its claims.

Last month, the US military conducted bomber flights up to the coast of Venezuela as part of a training exercise to simulate an attack, and sent the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, into the region.

However, in recent days, Trump has shown a willingness to hold direct talks.

On Wednesday, Trump told reporters on board his presidential plane, Air Force One, that he “might talk” to Maduro but warned “we can do things the easy way, that’s fine, and if we have to do it the hard way, that’s fine, too”.

What has Trump said about anti-drug land operations in Venezuela?

On Thursday, Trump warned that land operations to combat drug trafficking by land could begin “very soon”.

“You probably noticed that people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also,” Trump said in remarks to troops stationed around the globe to mark the US holiday, Thanksgiving.

“The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”

“We warned them to stop sending poison to our country,” he added.

James Ryan has been handed a three-week suspension after the red card he was shown during Ireland’s 24-13 defeat by South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday was upheld by an independent disciplinary committee.

Second row Ryan’s yellow card for a high hit on Malcolm Marx in the early stages of the loss to the Springboks was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

The independent committee determined that by applying World Rugby’s sanctioning provisions, a mid-range entry point of six weeks was appropriate.

That has been reduced to three weeks, however, in light of Ryan accepting the red card, his clean record and other mitigating factors.

The sanction could be further reduced to two weeks should Ryan complete World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme as a substitute for the final week of his suspension.

That option is aimed at modifying specific techniques and technical issues which contributed to the incidence of foul play.

As it stands, Ryan is ruled out of Leinster’s United Rugby Championship game against Dragons this weekend and the Investec Champions Cup matches at home to Harlequins on 6 December and away to Leicester Tigers on 12 December.

For officials in Singapore, one Australian man’s actions at the “Wicked: For Good” premiere earlier this month wrought enough chaos to keep him out of the country — for good.

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has deported and barred 26-year-old Johnson Wen from reentering the country after he crashed the yellow carpet and accosted star Ariana Grande, according to several reports. A representative for the authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Singapore’s the Straits Times reported that Australian national Wen arrived in the country earlier this month on a 90-day social-visit pass to attend the movie musical’s premiere and for a vacation. The self-proclaimed “Troll Most Hated” was seen in video jumping over the fan barricade onto the other side of the carpet. He ran toward Grammy winner Grande with his arms and legs flailing before grabbing her roughly around the neck and shoulders. He turned and smiled for the cameras before Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo interfered and separated Wen from Grande. He was arrested, charged and later released.

Wen, who has a history of crashing other celebrity events including concerts down under by Katy Perry and the Weeknd, was charged with being a public nuisance days after the incident. Shortly after that, he was convicted and sentenced to nine days in jail.

During his trial in Singapore, Wen said he was “going to stop,” according to the Straits Times. His courtroom statement, however, doesn’t seem to match up with his tone on social media.

Wen re-shared video of the incident Sunday on Instagram. “Dear Ariana Grande thanks for letting me join the Red Carpet 💛,” he captioned the video.

“Wicked: For Good” premiered Friday, a year after after the first “Wicked” film. The sequel also stars Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Marissa Bode and Jonathan Bailey. Jon M. Chu directs both films.

Times assistant editor Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this report.

AN AUSSIE superfan who lunged at Ariana Grande on the red carpet has been kicked out of Singapore and banned from returning to the country for life.

Johnson Wen, 26, was jailed for nine days for being a public nuisance and has now been officially “barred from re-entering Singapore”, the country’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority confirmed.

Wen sparked chaos at the Asian premiere of Wicked: For Good on 13 November when he shoved past photographers and charged straight at Grande as she arrived at Universal Studios Singapore.

Her co-star Cynthia Erivo immediately rushed in and physically wrestled him away.

The prankster has a history of disrupting concerts and celebrity appearances, including jumping on stage at Katy Perry’s Sydney concert in June.

Fans online accused Wen of re-traumatising Grande, who has spoken about suffering PTSD after the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, which killed 22 concertgoers and injured hundreds more.

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The court heard Wen had tried twice to force his way into the premiere.

After being removed the first time, he made a second attempt to jump the barricades before security pinned him to the ground.

He later posted bizarre videos thanking Grande “for letting him on the carpet” and declaring he was “free”, only to be arrested the next day.

Wen pleaded guilty to the public-nuisance charge.

Judge Christopher Goh said Wen was “attention seeking” and foolish to believe he wouldn’t face consequences.

Grande has not commented, but Erivo later told NBC she stepped in instinctively: “I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe … You never know with those things.”

A CELEB stylist who dressed Princess Di and Liz Hurley is suing ­Harvey Nichols for age discrimination — claiming he was barred from serving Prem footballers. 

Furious Dean Aslett, 55, says England stars Bukayo Saka and Ivan Toney were top clients at the luxury department store and would blow up to £35,000 during lavish spending sprees. 

Dean was dubbed “Mr Safety Pin” for picking out actress ­Hurley’s famous Versace side-fastened dress in the 1990s. 

But the personal shopper says Arsenal winger Saka, 24, former Brentford striker Toney, 29, and other footie aces were routinely handed to younger colleagues. 

Dean said: “I’ve been working as a stylist for 35 years and I thought I would have something to bring to the table but, if ­anything, my experience worked against me. 

“The management would give me all the difficult, much older clients no one wanted to service, while all the lucrative appointments with affluent young ­people were given to others, so I was effectively being penalised. 

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“Premier League footballers were coming in and they were amongst the biggest spenders. 

“They could drop between £10,000 and £35,000 a time. 

“I remember Saka spent over £10,000 on clothes for a Halloween party in October 2024. 

“He was also buying clothes for his girlfriend and he was handed straight to a young ­personal shopper. 

“Ivan Toney came in with about ten of the Brentford team — again it was a five-figure sum they spent. But they refused to give any of the high-net-worth footballers to me.” 

Dean once worked with Diana and helped style Elton John and Joan Collins while at Versace. 

In 1994, he was asked to pick a film premiere frock for Hurley. The black number he chose became known as “that dress” — held together by giant safety pins and making her a huge star. 

But he claims he faced ­discrimination from his first day at Harvey Nichols in London in January 2024. He was let go in December the same year. 

His employment tribunal case against the company is due in April. Harvey Nichols said it was unable to comment ahead of it. 

Trans people in the UK could be banned from single-sex spaces based on their appearance, according to a leaked document.⁠

⁠On 19 November, The Times reported that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) drafted new guidance for ministers nearly three months ago, aimed at “preserv[ing] the dignity and safety of women.” The guidance has not yet been published by Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities.⁠

⁠A copy obtained by The Times revealed that “places such as hospital wards, gyms and leisure centres” may question trans women over their use of single-sex services based on “how they look, their behaviour or concerns raised by others.”⁠

⁠If there is uncertainty about an individual’s gender identity, they could be prohibited from accessing these services once those in charge have taken into account “relevant factors.”⁠

In response to the leak, Trans+Solidarity Alliance founder Jude Guaitamacchi called on the government to reject the guidance.

“These leaks reveal that not only does the EHRC’s proposed code of practice seek to require trans exclusion, it instructs service providers to police this based on appearance and gender stereotypes,” Guaitamacchi said, per The Independent.

“This is a misogynist’s charter, plain and simple, and the government must reject it.”

A spokesperson for the TransActual organisation echoed similar sentiments in a separate statement.

“Astonishingly, the UK’s ‘human rights watchdog’ is attempting to mandate that staff at cinemas, hospitals, bars and cafes must try and judge whether users are trans or not based on appearance alone. This is a license to discriminate based on looks, plain and simple,” they said.

“We’ve seen this before – people trying to make our society into a place that is only safe for ‘normal’ ladies. Not just loos. But sports centres, changing rooms and more.

“We offer our solidarity to the many cis women who have been targeted and harassed for their appearance by ‘gender critical activists’ who believed they were trans, and who would be put even further at risk by these rules.”

Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister also addressed the “big implications” the new guidance can have on individuals during an interview with Times Radio.

“These are massive issues and I think that the public, now looking at the draft guidance from the EHRC, will recognise that when you drill down into examples of how this might be applied, it has big implications for individuals, it has big implications and public services,” he said.

The leaked guidance follows an April 2025 Supreme Court ruling that defined “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act as referring to biological sex, a decision that allows organisations to restrict trans women’s access to single-sex services.⁠

As of this writing, the UK government has not announced when the new guidance will be published.

However, on 20 November, Phillipson told reporters that she was going through it “thoroughly and carefully.”

“I have responsibilities to make sure that’s done properly, and we’re taking the time to get this right,” she added, per The Guardian.

RYANAIR has been banned from landing some flight routes at a European airport at certain times of the week.

The Airport Coordination Netherlands [ACNL], which apportions landings Eindhoven Airport, made the decision following a slew of late arrivals on Monday and Thursday evenings.

Flights hitting the runway from Sofia, Bulgaria and Pisa in Italy both consistently arrived an average of an hour late.

The official body have since cracked the whip, removing the budget airline’s slots.

“Ryanair is the most punctual airline in Europe. We have appealed this unprecedented, irrational and disproportionate decision by ACNL to the European Commission and the Dutch courts, where we expect it will be overturned,” a Ryanair spokesperson said.

The airline have pushed back against the decision and questioned the claims made by the ACNL.

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“ACNL are penalising airlines for ATC [air-traffic control] delays that push flights just 15 minutes over their scheduled arrival time which is completely out of whack with the vast majority of European airports where the threshold is much higher and more reasonable,’ the spokesperson added.

“Ryanair has long campaigned for ATC [air-traffic control] reform, but EU Commission President, Ursula von ‘Derlayed-Again’, has failed to take action.”

The Sun Online has reached out to Ryanair for comment.

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It comes just days after Ryanair announced they were set to scrap even more flights across Europe in 2026, and months following their decision to scratch two million seats across Spain.

Earlier this year, the budget airline said they would be cancelling all flights to three French airports –  Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg.

However, more are set to be axed, they have confirmed, affecting passengers in summer 2026.

Chief Commercial Officer Jason McGuinness told local media: “We will be leaving several regional airports in France this summer. 

“When you increase taxes by 180 per cent, it makes these airports unviable for us.”

The new taxes will see an extra €4.77 per flight ticket when it comes to short haul flights.

However, long haul flights will increase by €120 (£105). 

Which airports in France will be affected is yet to be confirmed.

Ryanair added that two million seats across Spain would be being scrapped.

This affects all flights to and from Tenerife North, Vigo, Santiago Valladolid and Jerez.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said at the time: “If the costs in regional Spain are too high, I will fly elsewhere.

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“We are better off flying at the same cost to places such as Palma [on the island of Mallorca] than flying to Jerez.”

The airport worst affected is Vigo, as the cancellations mean there are no longer any direct UK flights.

You can buy it at the airport, but some airlines won’t let you board with it

If you’re planning on jetting off abroad any time soon, it’s worth knowing that you might not be able to bring a common item, typically costing around £3, on board your flight. Ryanair and Jet2 both have a clear ban, but you can bring the same product onto easyJet or TUI services.

While many airline rules are consistent across carriers, certain restrictions differ depending on your chosen operator. When travelling by plane, passengers often browse airport retail outlets and restaurants, purchasing everything from duty-free goods to refreshments and snacks.

But before spending money in the departure lounge, it’s handy to know that hot drinks cannot be taken onto certain flights. Many travellers opt for a caffeine boost at the airport, and there are normally plenty of opportunities to purchase a tea or a coffee before you’re called to the gate.

But you’ll be required to finish that drink prior to boarding with Ryanair or Jet2, according to their individual policies. Ryanair states it “cannot allow passengers to board the plane with hot drinks” for safety considerations, whilst Jet2’s website confirms: “You may not bring hot food or hot drinks onboard the aircraft”.

Should you be flying with TUI or easyJet, however, you’re permitted to carry your airport coffee onto the aircraft, provided it has a secure lid. As well as this, recent post-Brexit rules mean certain items purchased before departure cannot be transported into any EU nations, and this applies irrespective of which airline you’re travelling with, reports the Liverpool Echo.

You’re not allowed to bring meat or dairy into the EU, even if they’re part of food items like sandwiches, regardless of whether you purchased them at the airport or elsewhere.

A TEENAGE boy was banned from boarding his flight because of a sticker on his passport.

Thirteen-year-old Alix Dawson was due to fly to Thailand with his family last month for two weeks.

However, after arriving at Edinburgh Airport, his mum Meghan Law was told that he wouldn’t be allowed to board the flight with his passport at the check in desk.

Meghan, who lives in Aberdeen said: “We got to the airport and were checking in my bags when the [check-in staff member] looked at my passport then just walked away from the desk. She didn’t say anything.

“We were standing there for 20 minutes before I asked what’s going on. She came back and said that my passport was damaged.

“I said I’ve used this umpteen times. No one’s ever mentioned any damage on it before.

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“There were no rips or stains, I don’t know what she was trying to imply. I was really shocked.

“What they were trying to say was that the luggage check-in stickers that had been stuck on one of the pages [and] had damaged the page. But it wasn’t even on the photo page.

“There were no rips, it was just where the sticker marks had been. They said we couldn’t travel with it.

“I knew there were no issues with their passports. We’d probably travelled over a dozen times with them.”

She was then told that they would need to go to Glasgow Airport to get a new emergency passport.

Fearing for their £3,000 holiday, she contacted TUI, who they booked the trip with.

After sending photos of the reported ‘damage’, Meghan said the tour operator found no issues with the passport and put them on the next available flight to Thailand which was with Emirates rather than Qatar Airways.

The family were able to head on holiday with no further obstacles, albeit the next day, from a different airport.

Meghan said: “If I hadn’t booked through TUI and booked it myself, we just wouldn’t have been able to go on holiday.

“One way from Glasgow on the same day of travel would’ve been £2,800.

“We used it six times over the two-week holiday and no one said anything which confirms there were no issues with the passports.”

She said that it “ruined the start of the trip” for being so stressful and is calling for compensation.

Other passengers have been banned from their flights due to them being too damaged.

Countries such as Bali and Vietnam have some of the strictest rules in the world when it comes to passport condition, with airlines fined thousands if they let passengers fly with them.

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