due

Rybakina pulled out on the eve of the Indian Wells tournament, with Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk replacing the top seed.

Defending champion Elena Rybakina has pulled out of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, saying she was not physically ready to compete, allowing Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk to take her place in the eight-player field at Indian Wells.

Organisers on Saturday cited a viral illness as the official reason for the world number one’s “disappointing” withdrawal, but said the world number one needs time to recover from the physical toll of a demanding year.

Tournament director Garbine Muguruza, a former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion, said she had spoken with Rybakina and that the Kazakh had been unable to recover in time after struggling with physical problems late in the season.

“We love Elena, and we know that she was feeling so-so in Tokyo as well,” Muguruza told the Reuters news agency. “I spoke to her today, and she really couldn’t recover on time.

“What we want is for her to feel good, to go rest, to recover. We don’t want her to feel like she has to play — only if she’s ready to.”

Rybakina, who won two Grand Slam titles this year, also withdrew from ⁠the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last month because of a neck injury.

‘Amazing field’ despite Rybakina absence

Rybakina’s absence deprives the event of some star power, but Muguruza said the round-robin format and depth of the field would ensure a high-quality tournament.

“We have the best players,” said Muguruza, who triumphed at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara in 2021.

“I know our world number one is not going to be able to play, but we have an amazing field, the very best,” she added.

“Every match could be a Grand Slam final. You really need to be ready. You cannot give one inch.”

Kostyuk, who is making her WTA Finals debut after a breakthrough season that included the Madrid title and a rise into the top 10, was already in Indian Wells as an alternate and practising when Rybakina withdrew.

Muguruza said the Ukrainian, known for her signature post-match backflip celebrations, had earned her opportunity.

“Marta is great. She’s had a breakthrough year,” Muguruza said. “With this year, we have many first-time players in the Finals, and that’s very exciting. It’s very hard to qualify.”

Kostyuk has been outspoken about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and does not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents. Muguruza said the tournament would support players in making their own decisions.

“They’re free to do whatever they feel,” she said. “We are open and supporting them.”

Opportunity for Sabalenka

Rybakina’s withdrawal could create an opening for world number two Aryna Sabalenka to make inroads in the rankings.

Sabalenka, who won the Indian Wells title earlier this year, has the chance to reduce the gap at the top of the rankings, according to Muguruza, who highlighted Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva as a player comfortable in the California desert.

“Of course, Aryna might be thinking that this can be a good opportunity,” she said.

The WTA moved the finals to Indian Wells from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Muguruza saying player safety had been the decisive consideration amid conflict in the Middle East region.

“It clearly felt no longer safe to be in a region where there is conflict,” she said. “Taking care of the players and looking ahead to what could be safe, comfortable and secure, relocating felt the best decision.”

Muguruza said players had responded positively to the switch to Indian Wells, where she competed regularly during her career.

“When we knew that Indian Wells could be the next venue, it was just a joy,” she said, adding that ticket sales have been strong. “The whole thing is just perfect.”

Breakfast cereal giant Kellogg’s has stopped using rice grains in Rice Krispies and Coco Pops in the UK due to “changing weather conditions” that have disrupted supplies.

Corn flour and rice flour are being used instead, a Kellogg’s spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that the updated recipes have been “carefully assessed” and the firm has taken customer feedback into consideration.

Those ingredients are replacing rice grains as crops have been hit by dry weather in key producing countries in Asia, reducing harvests and driving up prices.

The new recipes mean cereal packaging will now include a ‘contains wheat gluten’ warning.

Rice Krispies products in the US and Canada will continue to be made with real rice with no changes to their recipes expected, a spokesperson for Kellogg’s North American business told the BBC.

The recipe change in the UK will help “maintain consistent quality at a time when changing weather conditions are affecting the quality and availability of some of the rice and grains used in our cereals,” a Kellogg’s spokesperson told the BBC.

“We appreciate that even small changes to a much-loved product can feel noticeable and that’s why we have approached this with a lot of care and consideration.”

The company also said that Rice Krispies and Coco Pops will continue to meet UK food standards on levels of fat, salt and sugar in food.

The cereals also contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners and the nutritional benefits in each bowl, such as fibre, Vitamin D and iron are staying the same, the spokesperson added.

Nicolas Cage says he’s “a little bit homeless” because of the massive sinkhole that swallowed up the driveway of his Malibu home

While sharing his Halloween plans during an appearance on the main stage Saturday at Los Angeles Comic Con, the “Spider-Noir” star lamented that greeting any trick-or-treaters at home wasn’t a part of his itinerary.

“I’m currently a little bit homeless,” Cage said in a fan video from the event. “Something happened to my house in Malibu, so I’m just sort of living in hotels. So I don’t have the normal trick-or-treaters that I would like to enjoy tonight.”

Instead he said his plans for his favorite holiday included taking his daughter trick-or-treating “somewhere in Santa Monica” and then watching Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic, “The Shining.”

“That is one of my favorite movies ever made,” he said.

A massive, expanding sinkhole opened up just outside Cage’s home on Sea Level Drive on Sept. 8, prompting Malibu to declare a local emergency and issue evacuation orders for 31 homes in the beachside community. Seven of those homes were red-tagged because of hazardous conditions.

The 25-foot-deep and 30-by-60-feet wide crater blocks the only road in and out of the neighborhood. The homeowner’s association that controls the private roadway is responsible for overseeing the repair efforts. The work includes excavation to retrieve a soil sample and debris removal, as well as installing sandbags to mitigate further damage from strong waves and coastal erosion.

In October, Cage secured four permits to repair the damage caused by the sinkhole.

L.A. Comic Con marks the “National Treasure” actor’s latest outing to directly interact with his fans. He also appeared at Fan Expo Dallas and New York Comic Con earlier this fall, where he addressed topics including his thoughts on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and AI.

Jack Grealish was left out of Everton‘s Carabao Cup tie with Newcastle United on Thursday “due to a breach of club discipline”., external

Everton did not disclose any further details but it is believed it was for missing a training session.

England winger Grealish, 31, is on loan at Everton from Premier League rivals Manchester City.

He spent a large chunk of last season with the Toffees under a similar arrangement, scoring twice and providing six assists in 20 appearances, before sustaining a season-ending foot injury in January.

Grealish came on as a substitute during City’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal at Wembley in August.

The former Aston Villa player, who cost City £100m in 2021, also featured as a substitute during City’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

He returned to Everton before the transfer window closed and has featured five times for them this season in the Premier League.

Grealish also played in Everton‘s Carabao Cup third round win over Wolves.

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia — A U.S. cruise ship on an around-the-world voyage that touted its cabins as floating homes suspended its three-year voyage in Cambodia due to fuel costs, forcing hundreds of passengers to disembark.

The MV Odyssey set sail two years ago on a voyage to the seven continents marketed as combining long-term living at sea with global travel. Its operator had offered to “make the Odyssey your permanent home,” with the purchase price of a suite for the lifetime of the vessel starting around $230,000.

For now, it is docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand, with no certain departure date.

The ship has been carrying 203 passengers, mostly Americans, along with 156 crew members, according to Cambodian officials. It has a 650-passenger capacity.

Its Florida-based operator, Villa Vie Residences, said monthly fuel expenses per cabin that historically averaged $1,800 have reached an estimated $6,000 to $8,000 in parts of Asia due to the war in Iran. The company said it sought to reduce fuel consumption by slowing the itinerary and spending more time in port, but was unable to offset the surging costs.

Traffic has been curtailed in the Strait of Hormuz since the war in Iran began, squeezing supplies of all kinds of petroleum-based fuels, especially in Southeast Asia, and sharply increasing prices.

“We have been unable to continue carrying the resulting operating losses,” Villa Vie Residences said in a statement issued Tuesday. “Passing the full increase on to residents is not a realistic solution. Our focus now is on supporting residents, crew, and employees” while it tries to restructure.

“The company is working with residents to coordinate disembarkation and identify temporary living arrangements,” it said.

Those on the ship had hoped to sail for years to come

Passengers, however, said they received no support and had to make their own arrangements after being given seven hours notice on Tuesday to disembark. Some were devastated and expressed hope a new company could rescue the venture so life at sea can continue.

Paul and Lynn Montoya, a retired couple from Wyoming, said they bought a window cabin and had expected to sail for years. They boarded the ship 17 months ago in Panama.

Paul praised the concept of residential cruising but said the shipowner lacked the expertise to make the business financially sustainable. While rising fuel costs had been cited publicly as the reason for the suspension, he said the company had already been struggling. Changes to itinerary, unreliable internet access and declining food quality had pushed many residents to leave the ship in recent months, he said.

Lynn said residents were repeatedly asked to contribute additional money for fuel and other expenses, including a fresh call to raise funds for fuel to get out of Cambodia. She said the crew members were also not paid.

“We were tired of every two to four weeks being asked for money for fuel, money for everything,” she said. “We had hopes but they just kept sinking further and further into the hole through mismanagement.”

The company could not immediately be contacted for comment.

For some, the venture was a risk worth taking

Yet for some, even the financial and logistical turmoil couldn’t outweigh the extraordinary experience of traveling the world and living at sea.

Carol Larson, 69, and her sister Crystal Lavering, 72, occupied separate cabins aboard the ship for 18 months. The siblings, from California, described the suspension as heartbreaking, and hoped the cruise would be resuscitated.

“I hope there is a movement for the residents to buy the ship and I am hoping that goes through because it’s a dream to live on the ship and I don’t want it to end,” Larson said.

Lavering said her health improved during her time on the ship, and that she didn’t need to use a cane to walk anymore. “You come to this ship to live … it’s just sad that it’s all over.”

Larson bought her cabin for $120,000, paid in installments, in addition to monthly maintenance fees, under a plan that had promised the possibility of living aboard for up to 15 years. She said she blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for the ship’s woes as fuel costs spiked due to the Iran war, in addition to poor management. But she said she didn’t regret her investment.

“Because it was a startup company, I believe that it was a risk. From the very first day, I said to myself that if it lasts a year, I can walk away and feel like I got my money’s worth … I still feel that way. I feel blessed to have been part of the experiment of residential cruising,” she said.

The cruise began in Northern Ireland in 2024

The ship arrived in Sihanoukville last Friday and was scheduled to depart Wednesday, according to a statement from Long Dimanche, the deputy governor of Preah Sihanouk province. He said it was now expected to refuel and depart Cambodia on Saturday, but the ship’s operator has not yet publicly confirmed any date.

Built in 1993 and operated under different names by several cruise lines over the years before being becalmed by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the Odyssey was bought by Villa Vie Residences in 2023.

Its current cruise, originally intended to last 3 1/2 years, began in October 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the ship had been refitted. A second cruise had been tentatively scheduled to end in August 2030.

The Odyssey is not the first cruise ship Sihanoukville has hosted in crisis.

In February 2020, the MS Westerdam was allowed to dock in Cambodia after being turned away at five ports in other nations because of fears of COVID-19, which just a month earlier had started to spread from China. It carried 1,455 passengers, more than 600 of them American citizens.

After being stranded at sea for two weeks, Cambodia’s then-Prime Minister Hun Sen allowed it to dock for what he said were humanitarian reasons. Cambodia won plaudits as passengers were welcomed ashore and arrangements were made for them to fly home.

Cheang writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Tom Jones has postponed two California concerts after coming down with a “bad case of the flu.”

Hours before he was expected to take the stage on Monday at the Greek Theatre, the Welsh crooner announced on Instagram that he was rescheduling his L.A. and San Diego concerts on doctor’s orders.

“I’ve had a great time these last few weeks, completing 20 shows and singing for wonderful audiences across the USA, but unexpectedly I’ve been hit with a bad case of the flu,” Jones wrote. “Following doctor’s advice, I unfortunately have to reschedule tonight’s show in Los Angeles and tomorrow’s show in San Diego.”

Monday’s Greek Theatre show will now happen on Nov. 4. His show at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park has been postponed until Nov. 3.

According to the Instagram statement, all tickets for the original shows will be honored for the new dates. Those who are unable to attend the rescheduled concerts are advised to request a refund through the original point of purchase.

The 86-year-old “It’s Not Unusual” singer is on the tail end of his “Come Gather Round Tour.” His San Francisco show on Nov. 1 was expected to be the finale, but the tour will now wrap in L.A. Jones is scheduled to perform next at Yaamava’ Theater on Thursday.

“I’m truly sorry for any inconvenience caused,” Jones said. “I look forward to seeing you all soon.”

Dutch withdrawal is the latest in a number of boycotts by countries unhappy about Israel’s inclusion.

The Netherlands has withdrawn from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, its public broadcaster NPO has confirmed, citing “sensitivities” over Israel’s participation.

“We have known for some time that Israel’s participation elicits various reactions in society and causes discussion and division,” the NPO’s media director Jurre Bosman said in a statement.

“Therefore, after consultation with the board of broadcasters, the NPO has decided to forgo participation in 2027.”

The announcement follows a decision in August by Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS to boycott the competition. AVROTROS, which usually selects the Netherlands’ entry and broadcasts the show, said the event could “no longer be considered neutral”.

NPO stepped in last month, saying it would take responsibility for the Dutch entry to the competition, before reversing course on Tuesday.

Jet de Ranitz, NPO’s executive chairman, acknowledged that the decision would disappoint fans but stressed that the contest would still be aired on public channels.

“Due to the sensitivities surrounding the themes currently at play, we have decided to take a step back for the time being,” De Ranitz said.

The announcement follows the Netherlands’ boycott of the 2026 edition. Iceland, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia all pulled out, with the latter three refusing to broadcast the show at all.

More withdrawals

In August, the organisers announced that countries would be unable to host the competition if “an armed conflict, a sensitive geopolitical situation, or any other situation materially affects the security, safety or stability of their state or immediate region.”

But that has not prevented withdrawals, with Ireland already having announced that it will not be participating in next year’s contest for the second year in a row.

Earlier this month, the Czech broadcaster also pulled out of next year’s event, but cited spending cuts as the reason.

Bulgaria will host next year’s edition of Eurovision for the first time in the Black Sea city of Burgas, after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year’s contest in Vienna, Austria, with her catchy floor-filler ‘Bangaranga’. 

Since its first edition in 1956, Eurovision has become the world’s biggest live televised music event. It catapulted Swedish icons ABBA to worldwide fame, as well as boosting artists such as Celine Dion and Olivia Newton-John. 

Doha, Qatar – African countries are feeling the economic fallout from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with rising fuel and fertiliser prices threatening to drive up food costs, according to trade ministers from the region and the United Nations’ top trade official.

The crisis around the Strait of Hormuz due to the United States and Israel’s war on Iran needs to be resolved “sooner rather than later”, Luz Maria de la Mora, director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), told Al Jazeera at the World Investment Forum on Monday. She warned that soaring fertiliser prices could affect harvests next year.

“Prices of fertilisers have risen dramatically … so many countries have decided to reduce the use of fertilisers, which will have an effect next year in terms of crops,” she said.

“It may have an effect on availability of food and prices of food.”

The US-Israel war on Iran has highlighted the world’s heavy reliance on the strategic waterway, through which one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade previously passed.

Against this backdrop, Doha hosted UNCTAD’s World Investment Forum on October 25 and 26, bringing together heads of state, policymakers, CEOs and investors to discuss global investment and sustainable development.

The Strait of Hormuz’s disruption has rippled through African economies. In Zimbabwe, rising fuel and fertiliser prices are a critical concern in a country where more than 70 percent of the population depends on agriculture, Monica Mutsvangwa, the country’s minister of women affairs, community, small and medium enterprise development, told Al Jazeera.

Uganda, another heavily agrarian economy, has also been hit, with fuel prices more than doubling, Sanjay Tanna, the country’s minister of trade, industry and cooperatives, told Al Jazeera.

The impact extends beyond the immediate cost of energy. Rising oil prices have disrupted supply chains, with effects lasting longer than anticipated, according to de la Mora.

“The effects are lasting longer than we would have expected or would have wanted,” she said.

‘Friend to all, enemy to none’

The shock has also exposed differences in how African economies weather global disruption.

Uganda’s reliance on subsistence farming has helped cushion the impact, with domestic food production offering some protection from international market volatility, said Tanna.

But the country has not been insulated from financial pressures: its currency has lost 10 percent of its value against the US dollar, the minister said. The Ugandan shilling has steadily declined since mid-2026.

For Zimbabwe, the crisis has reinforced the importance of attracting investment while maintaining economic ties across geopolitical divides.

Amid the simmering trade war between the US and China, Harare considers itself a potential partner to investors from either side, Mutsvangwa said.

“We are a friend to all and an enemy to none,” she said.

“Money has no color … If we get an investor who comes into our country, follows the rules and regulations of the country, makes his money, and Zimbabwe develops, that’s what we want.”

The official pointed to Zimbabwe’s deposits of more than 60 critical minerals, including lithium and graphite, as well as its tourism potential.

Trade in an unequal system

But attracting foreign capital remains a challenge for developing economies, with investment concentrated in a relatively small number of countries.

That concentration is “very understandable”, de la Mora said, arguing that investors need confidence that their money will generate returns.

“Capital is risk averse. Capital needs to have certainty that its investment is going to yield returns and it’s going to come to fruition,” she said.

Governments can help build that confidence through transparent institutions, the rule of law and investment in infrastructure, including reliable electricity, energy supplies and digital connectivity, she added.

The question of whether the international trading system treats all countries equally prompted a more blunt assessment from Uganda’s trade minister.

“Of course not,” said Tanna. “The world cannot be equal … It’s unfair, but we believe that, within the space that we are in, we are in a good space.”

Uganda was well placed for the future, he argued, because it produces its own food – an advantage at a time when international supply chains are under pressure.

For both Uganda and the Republic of Congo, building resilient economies also means investing in younger generations.

The Republic of Congo’s Deputy Prime Minister for Coordination, Development Infrastructure and Land Planning, Jean-Jacques Bouya, said the country had aligned its national development plan, Vision 2063, with the African Union’s broader development ambitions.

Connectivity – through electricity, digital infrastructure and physical links – is central to that strategy, he told Al Jazeera.

The Republic of Congo also wants to expand local processing so that more value from its natural resources remains within the country.

“Africa can no longer be a reservoir of raw materials, and neither can Congo – a place where raw materials are extracted, taken elsewhere, processed and then sold back to us at a much higher price. We cannot go on like this,” Bouya said.

Bath and Bristol
Dyrham Park
Avebury 

Birmingham and West Midlands
Wightwick Manor Gardens
Clent Hills
Coventry Charterhouse

Cambridgeshire
Peckover House and Garden – closed on Sunday 25th, reopens Monday 26th

Cornwall
Lanhyrdrock
Trelissick – also closed on Saturday 24th
Cotehele
Godolphin – also closed on Saturday 24th
Trerice – also closed on Saturday 24th
Trengwainton – also closed on Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th and Monday 26th
Glendurgan Garden – closed until Saturday 24th
Pentire – cafe and toilets are closed today

Devon
Killerton – The Parkland, Garden, Chapel and Chapel Grounds are closed today. The house, cafés and shop are open.
Arlington Court and the National Trust Carriage Museum – also closed on Saturday 24th
Castle Drogo 
Knightshayes
Coleton Fishacre
Saltram
Buckland Abbey – also closed on Saturday 24th
Greenway
Lydford Gorge
A la Ronde
Finch Foundry

Dorset
Kingston Lacy – The Woodland Walk is closed but the house, garden, shop and cafe are open. The Pikachu Art Adventure Trail will be affected by the woodland closure. 
Corfe Castle
Brownsea Island – also closed on Saturday 24th

Essex, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Hatfield Forest
Paycocke’s House and Garden – also closed on Sunday 25th

Gloucestershire and the Cotswalds 
Hidcote
Woodchester Park – the Trust10 is also cancelled on Sunday 25th
Snowshill Manor and Garden

Hampshire
Mottisfont
The Vyne
Hinton Ampner
Sandham Memorial Chapel

Lake District
Hill Top and Hawkshead – closed on Sunday 25th
Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park – closed on Sunday 25th
Historic Steam Yacht Gondola- Sailing is cancelled on Saturday 24th

Leicestershire and Northamptonshire
Lyveden

Liverpool and Lancashire
Speke Hall – also closed on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th

London
Ham House and Garden
Osterley Park and House
Morden Hall Park – also closed on Saturday 24th, Sunday 25th and Monday 26th
Runnymede and Ankerwycke

North East
Wallington – closed until 11am on Monday 26th

Oxfordshire 
Stowe Gardens – the gardens are closed but New Inn, including the café and shop, are open. 
Hughenden
Basildon Park
Cliveden

The Peak District and Derbyshire
Kedleston Hall – closed from 3pm today. The hall is open 11am to 4pm daily with last entry at 3.15pm

Shropshire and Staffordshire – 
Attingham Park – The Mile Walk, Walled Garden, Field of Play and Deer Park are closed but the Mansion and Stables (cafe, shop, bookshop) are open
Ironbridge Gorge – The Miners walk, Canal Side and the Adventure Playground are closed and will reopen on Monday 26th. All other areas remain open as normal
Shugborough Estate
Wightwick Manor and Gardens
Dudmaston Estate Comer Woods – The Cafe In Comer and visitor facilities are closed

Somerset 
Montacute House
Dunster Castle and Watermill
Barrington Court
Lytes Cary Manor
Fyne Court – also closed on Saturday 24th
Prior Park Landscape Garden
Brean Down

Suffolk
Sutton Hoo – closing at 4pm on Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October. Tales by Torchlight is cancelled on 23 and 24. Ticket holders have been contacted via email and will be automatically refunded. 
Flatford

Surrey
Polesden Lacey 
Hatchlands Park
Winkworth Arboretum
Box Hill
Claremont Landscape Garden
Runnymede and Ankerwycke

Sussex
Nymans
Sheffield Park and Garden
Petworth
Bodiam Castle
Standen House and Garden
Bateman’s
Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters – Café, Shop & toilets will be closed on Friday 23rd October
Alfriston Clergy House – closed from 3.30pm today
Monk’s House

Warwickshire 
Charlecote Park – some areas closed but The House, Wood Yard Cafe and Service Courtyard all remain open
Packwood House – The Mystical and Magical Woodland Trail is closed and other partial closures are in place across the site
Baddesley Clinton – some areas of the site are partially closed
Upton House and Gardens
Coventry Charterhouse – The garden is closed all day but the house and café remain open

Wiltshire
Stourhead
Mompesson House
The Courts Garden

Worcestshire and Herefordshire

Berrington Hall
Brockhampton
Croft Castle and Parkland
The Weir Garden
Croome
Hanbury Hall
Tyntesfield

Yorkshrie
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden – Fountains by Floodlight is cancelled on Saturday evening and the whole estate will be closed on Sunday 25th
Goddards – closed on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th
Treasurer’s House, York – the gardens at Treasurer’s House will be closed on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th. The house will remain open as usual, by guided tour only

A British Airways flight from a tourist hotspot was forced to divert in the early hours to land at Gatwick rather than Heathrow

A British Airways flight has been forced to divert from Heathrow to Gatwick after falling foul of strict rules over its landing time.

The BA707 flight from holiday hotspot Larnaca was diverted to the London airport after the four hour journey, according to AirNav Radar.

The flight had to be diverted to Gatwick after missing the curfew at Heathrow.

The plane left the Cyprus airport at 9.32pm, over three hours after scheduled take off.

It then landed at Gatwick at 12.12am on Tuesday.

Flights heading to Heathrow are often diverted to Gatwick or other regional hubs if they miss Heathrow’s strict nighttime curfew.

Heathrow enforces rigorous restrictions on movements late at night in order to reduce noice pollution for the millions of residents that live under its flight paths.

The core curfew means that scheduled flights are heavily restricted to land and take off between 11pm and 6am.

The airport operates under a strict ‘night quota’ system between 11pm and 6am which limits both the absolute number of flights allowed to land and the total amount of aircraft noise allowed.

Unless an official emergency is declared then air traffic control will deny landing rights past the curfew, forcing a diversion.