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March 26 (UPI) — Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is scheduled to appear for a court hearing Thursday in New York to argue that the U.S. government is preventing him from paying his lawyer.

The hearing was originally scheduled by Judge Alvin Hellerstein to allow lawyers time to review evidence and possibly set a trial date. But Maduro’s attorney, Barry Pollack, said last month that he will have to withdraw because the U.S. government won’t allow the Venezuelan government to pay his legal fees. Pollack said the Maduros do not have any money.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by the American government in early January. They were taken to New York and charged on federal drug trafficking and weapons charges. The U.S. government then installed Delcy Rodriguez as the new president of Venezuela.

Since then, Maduro has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn in a unit that gives him “special administrative measures.” The SAMs unit doesn’t allow him access to the outside world and keeps him isolated, CBS News reported. Flores is in a different unit in the same facility.

Pollack said the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control granted then revoked a license that would allow Maduro to pay his legal fees. The Maduros and the Venezuelan government are sanctioned by the United States. That means anyone who wants to receive payment must get a license to do so legally.

Pollack argues that not allowing him to pay his fees is a violation of Maduro’s constitutional right to defend himself. Flores’ lawyer has joined the motion.

Prosecutors have said the initial license was an “administrative error” and the Maduros can still use their personal funds.

“OFAC, however, has denied the defendants’ request for an additional exception: to allow them to pay their legal fees from a slush fund controlled by a sanctioned government. That is because OFAC regulations expressly prohibit using a sanctioned entity’s funds to pay a separate sanctioned person’s attorneys’ fees,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Duncan Levin, a former prosecutor who specializes in sanctions law, told CNN that Maduro would still be entitled to a court-appointed attorney.

“Because he is not recognized as the leader of Venezuela and the whole sanctions regime is meant to cut him off, it’s unlikely that the court is going to feel that he’s entitled to any of the money to help fund his criminal defense,” Levin said.

Pollack has also said he intends to challenge the legality of Maduro’s arrest because he was president at the time of the alleged crimes.

“Under the U.S. Constitution, it’s the president who gets to determine who to recognize as head of state, and I am 100% certain a U.S. court is not going to second guess a U.S. determination that Maduro is no longer head of state,” William Dodge, an international law professor at George Washington University’s law school, told CNN.

“Snatching him was illegal under international law,” he said, but “it’s quite well established in the U.S. the illegality of bringing someone into court doesn’t affect the jurisdiction of the court.”

Dodge added: “Drug trafficking isn’t an official act.”

FOR the first time ever, renewing a British passport is set to cost more than £100.

That makes it one of the most expensive in the world – so if you want to avoid the rising costs, here’s how you can do it.

From April 8, 2026, the fee to renew a passport online for adults will rise from £94.50 to £102.

The standard fee for children will see a £5 increase, from £61.50 to £66.50.

Postal applications will go up from £107 to £115.50 for adults and £74 to £80 for kids.

The charge for a next-day premium service made from within the UK will rise from £222 to £239.50.

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The Home Office said that the price increase is to “move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.”.

If you need to update your passport, but don’t want to pay the increased fees, there are a few ways to avoid them.

First of all, apply before April 8, 2026 so your renewal will cost the current rate of £94.50.

Second, don’t apply for a renewal by post as this will increase the fee by £13.50.

And if you’re trying to avoid high costs, apply with ample time and don’t opt for next-day premium service as this hikes up the price by over £100 compared to online renewal.

The Home Office say that the fees “contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.”

It also added that last year 99.7  per cent of applications last year that needed no further information were processed in under three weeks.

Those who still have a burgundy passport need to check the expiry date on their passports, as Brits are still being caught out.

You’ll need to have the passport renewed exactly six months before the expiry date to make sure you can still travel.

For example, if your passport was issued in June 2016, but your expiry date says September 2026, that expiry is incorrect.

Instead, your passport will expire 10 years past the start date – making the real expiry June 2026.

If travelling to the EU, your passport must be less than 10 years old.

It must also be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to return home.

For more on passport rules – here’s everything you need to know for travelling in 2026.

And check this new rule that was enforced in February 2026 affecting dual national citizens.

Ahead of the busy Easter and summer holidays, the cost of a UK passport application, online and postal, are set to increase, with prices soaring above £100 for the first time

The cost of all passports will significantly increase from next month as the Home Office confirms proposed plans.

The Home Office has proposed an 8 per cent increase in UK passport prices, which could see an adult pay out over £100 for the first time. The price of a child’s and a pensioner’s passport will also increase, with the changes set to be implemented from Wednesday, 8 April.

The Home Office said it will “move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation”. The fee increases are subject to Parliamentary approval.

The Home Office said in a statement: “The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.

“The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications. The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.”

READ MORE: British tourists ditch popular holiday hotspot as it’s become ‘too expensive’READ MORE: UK passport holders face major fee change on April 8 2026 ‘for the first time’

How much is an adult passport?

From April 8, the cost of a UK adult passport, for standard online applications, will rise from £94.50 to £102. Meanwhile, postal passport applications could rise from £107 to £115.50 for adults.

How much is a passport for children?

The standard fee for a child’s passport, for online applications, could increase from £61.50 to £66.50, while a postal application could rise from £74 to £80 for children.

How much is a pensioner’s passport?

A standard, 32-page concessionary passport is available free of charge for those who were born on or before 2 September 1929 and at the time of their application, hold any British nationality.

The government said: “Customers who naturalised or registered as British nationals will still qualify regardless when they naturalised or registered.”

While the passport is free, there may be some delivery charges to return the passport or to send any supporting documents.

Will next-day services increase?

While it’s always advisable to apply for a new or replacement passport as early as possible, a next-day premium service is available in the UK. However, the new fees from 8 April could see this rise from £222 to £239.50.

How much will overseas UK passports cost?

Those applying overseas for a UK passport online can expect a rise from £108 to £116.50 for adults and from £70 to £75.50 for children. Meanwhile, overseas paper applications will increase from £120.50 to £130 for adults and from £82.50 to £89 for children.

The last time the price of a UK passport increased was on April 10, 2025, when they rose by around 7 per cent. An adult passport soared from £88.50 to £94.50, while a child’s online application increased from £57.50 to £61.50.

Before 2025, there were increases in April 2024 and February 2023.. However, the price surge in 2023 was the first increase in five years.

The government advised that anyone needing a new passport should apply well in advance, as the renewal process can take up to three weeks in the UK or longer during peak travel periods. For more information or to apply for a new or replacement UK passport, you can visit the government website.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

A POPULAR seaside attraction will reopen later this month with two big changes – a new ride and free entry.

Adventure Coast Southport, which used to be known as Southport Pleasureland, will reopen on March 28 with a free-entry model.

The new system will mean you can access the attraction – which is one of the UK’s oldest seaside amusement parks – for free and pay-as-you-go for each ride instead.

The park will also feature a new ride, and while little details about the attraction have been revealed, CEO Norman Wallis said that it is “something really big”.

The Adventure Coast Southport team added it will be a “spectacular new addition” that will be visible as part of Southport’s coastline.

Full details of the ride are expected in due course, but visitors can expect a “brand new BIG 50metre showstopper ride arriving from Easter”.

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Wallis added: “We are looking forward to welcoming visitors back for 2026 with a refreshed approach that puts flexibility for families first.

“By removing the entry fee, families can decide what works for them.

“They might come for a couple of rides, meet friends by the coast or make a full day of it.

“Guests often tell us they love coming back because every year it feels bigger and better.”

The park is split into four themed areas: Cartoon Boardwalk, Viking Landing, Steampunk Bay and Pirate Cove.

Across the different themed areas there are a number of different rides, starting from just £1 a ride.

For example, you can head on a ghost train, swing ride, flying chairs and dodgems.

There are also a number of arcades onsite to explore and gardens with waterfalls.

Visitors can grab food at the park, including new street food options like loaded fries – but you can also bring your own picnic.

Many locals have welcomed the news of free entry on social media with one person commenting: “So glad it’s gone back to free entry and just pay for what you want, better for people with only a certain amount to spend.

“Also grandparents can now join in and watch grandkids ride.”

The park is also dog-friendly, has onsite parking and will be open every weekend and daily during the school holidays, from 11am.

If you want to extend your stay and explore more of Southport, then there is a motorhome site that is part of the park where you can pitch your caravan or camper van for £24 a night.

Then, just across the road from Adventure Coast Southport is Splash World waterpark.

It costs £16.20 per person to visit and includes three slides and a lazy river.

You can also head for a stroll along Southport Beach and see the pier, which is the second longest in the UK but currently closed.

Though, the Victorian pier is due to undergo £20million repairs starting this year.

In other attraction news, a popular technology-free attraction with no loud rides is set to open a third site in the UK.

Plus, here are the 20 most-visited attractions in England that are completely free to enter.