Migrant guilty of threatening to kill Nigel Farage in TikTok video

An Afghan migrant who came over to the UK via small boats has been found guilty of making threats to kill Nigel Farage on TikTok.

Fayaz Khan, 26, shared a video between 12 and 15 October last year in which he claimed he wanted to come to England to “marry” the politician’s sister, and made gun gestures while saying “pop, pop, pop”.

During his trial at Southwark Crown Court, the Reform UK leader said that the post had been “pretty chilling”, adding “given his proximity to guns and love of guns, I was genuinely worried”.

Nicholas Coates of the Crown Prosecution Service said he hopes the conviction “sends a clear message” and stressed “elected politicians must be able to carry out their jobs free from the fear of harm or abuse and we will make sure that those who seek to intimidate them face the full force of the law.”

“Having already charged Khan with coming to the UK illegally, we were determined to bring him to justice for his threats against Nigel Farage,” he added.

Jurors were told that Khan had a “very large presence online” with his videos on TikTok, under the username “madapasa”, amassing hundreds of thousands of views.

In autumn last year, he filmed his attempts to come to the UK “by small boat” – with the defendant having lived in Stockholm, Sweden, since 2019.

On 12 October last year, Mr Farage uploaded a video to YouTube titled “the journey of an illegal migrant” which highlighted Khan and referenced “young males of fighting age coming into our country about whom we know very little”.

The prosecution said Khan responded with a video on 14 October, which was played to the jury, in which Khan appears to say: “Englishman Nigel, don’t talk s**t about me.

“You not know me. I come to England because I want to marry with your sister. You not know me.

“Don’t talk about me more. Delete the video. I’m coming to England. I’m going to pop, pop, pop.”

Prosecutor Peter Ratliff told jurors that while Khan said “pop, pop, pop” he made “gun gestures with his hand”, as well as headbutting the camera during the video, and pointing to an AK47 tattoo on his face to “emphasise he wasn’t joking”.

Mr Farage said: “He says he’s coming to England and he’s going to shoot me.

“I understood that very clearly indeed as did many people who saw it at the same time.”

The right-wing politician added: “In high-profile politics, a lot of nasty stuff gets posted. A lot of nasty stuff gets said.

“What you don’t see is an individual say on social media they are coming for you directly, and secondly, the means by which they are going to do it.”

Asked by the prosecution about the reference to his sister, Mr Farage said: “I’m not sure he wanted to marry my sister, you could perhaps draw a different inference from that.”

Asked by defence lawyer Charles Royle whether he was concerned that Khan “wanted to marry” his sister, Mr Farage said: “Really, are you being serious? It said so much about the mindset of this individual.

“I was concerned there was a man who clearly treats women as mere objects and could be a threat to them on our streets.”

Mr Farage added that the comment was “deeply misogynistic”.

Jurors were shown a screenshot of a subsequent TikTok post by Khan with the caption “I mean what I say” written on an image of a GB News report about the alleged threat against Mr Farage.

In a police interview on 1 November last year, Khan said through an interpreter that he had attempted to come to the UK “10 times” and was in Dunkirk, France, when he recorded the video in which he is alleged to have made a threat to kill Mr Farage.

Khan told police: “I come here because I want to live here. I want new life. I don’t come here because I want to kill Nigel Farage.”

He also said that he had been smoking cannabis and was “high” at the time of posting the video.

‘Burglary to order’ claim thrown out of Prince Harry’s legal battle

An allegation that the publisher of the Daily Mail commissioned “burglary to order” will not form part of an upcoming legal battle by a group of stars including Prince Harry, a High Court judge has ruled.

The Duke of Sussex is one of a group of seven high-profile individuals bringing legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over alleged unlawful information gathering.

The group, also including Sir Elton John, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Liz Hurley, have accused the publisher of unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, “blagging” private records and accessing private phone conversations.

ANL firmly denies the allegations and is defending the legal action, previously describing the claims as “lurid” and “simply preposterous”.

At a preliminary hearing earlier this month, lawyers for the group and the publisher returned to the High Court in London ahead of an expected trial in January 2026.

Antony White KC, for ANL, made a bid to have allegations that two Mail on Sunday journalists burgled the home of former businessman Michael Ward in 1992 and stole documents thrown out ahead of the trial.

And in a judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Nicklin agreed.

He said: “Even if proved true, they cannot assist in the fair resolution of the claimants’ claims. It is not alleged that this incident has any connection with any claimant, or any pleaded journalist.”

In his 16-page ruling, the judge said the 30-year-old allegation had become a “substantial dispute of fact”.

“The costs and resources that would be devoted to resolving the factual dispute would, I am satisfied, be out of all proportion to any possible evidential value,” he continued.

“Put bluntly, it has become a complex and involved side-show.”

He also ruled that establishing whether unlawful information gathering was widespread or habitual is not necessary to resolve the claims.

The judge said he would exclude allegations “which are not relevant and probative” from the trial and prevent the case from becoming “an uncontrolled and wide-ranging investigation akin to a public inquiry”.

However, lawyers representing the group of seven, which also includes David Furnish, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes, will make a bid to appeal against Mr Justice Nicklin’s ruling as wrong in fact and in law, it is understood.

At the two-day hearing earlier this month, which Prince Harry attended via video link, the celebrities’ lawyer David Sherborne also dragged the Prince of Wales into the legal battle, claiming his 21st birthday party may have been targeted by private investigators.

He claimed an invoice linked to a story from June 2003 – which included “extensive” details about William’s “out of Africa” themed party – was likely obtained through blagging.

“It can be inferred… that information for the article was obtained through blagging,” Mr Sherborne argued in written submissions.

Mr Sherborne also told the court that a record from a different private investigator allegedly shows a journalist commissioning him to provide a “mobile phone conversion” related to the Princess of Wales, as well as phone numbers from a “family and friends” list.

However, Antony White KC, for ANL, argued the claim includes “wholly unparticularised” allegations of unlawful information gathering (UIG) that should not proceed to the trial.

A further preliminary hearing is expected to take place next month.

Melania Trump reveals Putin talks as kidnapped Ukrainian children reunited with families

Eight Ukrainian children who were kidnapped from their families and held captive in Russia have been returned to Ukraine after back-channel negotiations between First Lady Melania Trump and Russian representatives, the First Lady said on Friday.

Ms Trump, a former model who was born in what is now Slovenia when that country was part of the former Yugoslavia, made the stunning announcement in the Grand Foyer of the White House. She told reporters “much [had] unfolded” since she sent a letter in August to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the fate of the thousands of children who’ve been taken to Russia after being seized by Russian forces during the attempted invasion of Ukraine.

She said Putin had responded in writing to signal a “willingness to engage” with the First Lady “directly” and provided her with “details regarding the Ukrainian children residing in Russia.”

“Since then, President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication regarding the welfare of these children,” she said.

Ms Trump also told reporters that “both sides” of the talks had participated in “several back channel meetings and calls” and had “agreed to cooperate with each other for the benefit of all people involved in this war.”

Additionally, she said her “representative” had been “working directly with President Putin’s team to ensure the safe reunification of children with their families between Russia and Ukraine,” starting with eight such children who have been “rejoined with their families” over the last 24 hours.

Of those eight, Ms Trump said three had been “separated from their parents and displaced to the Russian Federation because of frontline fighting” while the other five had been “separated from family members across borders because of the conflict,” with one of the five children being a Russian girl who was repatriated to Russia.

Although the First Lady described the children as having been “separated from their parents” because of “frontline fighting” as if by accident, Ukrainian officials and human rights groups have documented evidence that Russian forces have actively seized Ukrainian children and forcibly deported them to Russia.

While the exact number of missing children remains unclear, the Institute for the Study of War reported in March Ukraine verified nearly 19,500 children have been deported by Russia. But the research non-profit said, “The true figure is likely to be much higher because Russia frequently targets vulnerable children without anyone to speak for them.”

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of the war crimes of unlawfully deporting children and unlawfully transferring them from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. The Russian government has denied the allegations.

Ms Trump said Moscow had over the last three months “ demonstrated a willingness to disclose objective and detailed information” about the children, including biographical details and photographs plus what she called an “overview of the social, medical and psychological services” provided to them while in captivity — including a “detailed report” on the eight children who were part of the recent repatriation effort.

She also said the U.S. government had confirmed the information provided in cooperation with Ukraine’s government.

The work outlined by the First Lady on Friday is not the first involvement she has had in shaping the American response to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Over the summer, President Donald Trump revealed that his wife had been frequently reminding him of Russia’s continuous strikes against Ukrainian civilian targets.

At one Oval Office appearance in July, he told reporters that she would routinely weigh in after he described his phone calls with Putin in positive terms.

“I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation.’ And she says, ‘Oh really, another city was just hit’,” he said at the time.

Ms Trump said her work on the fates of the kidnapped Ukrainian minors would be an “ongoing mission” that is an “important initiative” for her, and said moving forward she would be working to “optimize a transparent free flow exchange of health related information surrounding all children who have fell victim to this war, and to facilitate the regular communication of children with their families until each individual returns home.”

She added that plans were underway to return more children to Ukraine from Russia “in the immediate future” and said Russia had further agreed to return adults who were kidnapped while they were minors but have since turned 18 in captivity.

Alex Kingston reveals shock womb cancer diagnosis: ‘I haemorrhaged on stage’

Your body does try to warn you. It just depends on whether you can read the warning signs.” Alex Kingston is talking about cancer. More specifically, her own recent, earth-shattering experience of womb cancer. The actor hasn’t spoken publicly about it before, but her 2024 was dominated by a shock diagnosis and subsequent recovery. “I had a major operation,” she says frankly. “I had to have a hysterectomy, I had to go into radiation therapy, and that took up a huge part of my life.” Her treatment only finished towards the end of last year.

It is astounding, really, considering the Doctor Who star is currently competing in the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing. The training schedule is notoriously gruelling, requiring a level of fitness that would be supremely challenging for most 62-year-olds – let alone a 62-year-old who’s just overcome the big C. But more than that, Kingston looks in incredible shape.

Two weeks into the iconic BBC show, she and professional dance partner Johannes Radebe have already delivered a gloriously dramatic Viennese waltz to “Cry Me a River”, Kingston swoon-worthy in a floor-length red gown with her signature golden curls smoothed into soft, 1940s waves. Last Saturday saw her snap into the samba swathed in multi-coloured frills to the jaunty strains of “La Bamba”. Though she describes the experience of learning a complex routine in just three days as “intense”, she’s clearly loving every minute. “I feel like Superwoman,” she tells me – and I believe her. There’s an aura of buoyant, unquenchable energy emanating from this woman.

It’s all in stark contrast to this time 18 months ago. “I had assumed that the way I was feeling was old age, and I just sort of accepted it,” Kingston says over Zoom. Clad in a grey sweatshirt, lioness-like corkscrew curls framing her face, she looks the picture of health as we chat during a break between rehearsals. “I thought, ‘OK, this is what it’s like to be in my sixties.’ But a lot of how I was feeling was to do with my illness.”

Kingston had been experiencing bloating and achiness for years. It wasn’t until she noticed blood in her urine that she sought medical help – but even then, “I never went down the cancer road in my head,” she admits. “It was a shock, because I have a very positive outlook on life in general. Even though my body was telling me there was something very seriously wrong, I kept thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got a bad UTI or fibroids.’”

Then, while doing a play at Chichester Festival last summer, her body sent her a message that couldn’t be ignored. “That night on stage, I haemorrhaged,” she says. “That was really shocking.” She was thankfully wearing a big Tudor dress and knee pads at the time; “I just knocked my knees together and prayed that it would soak everything up.” It’s a macabre tale – we both chuckle darkly at the black humour of it all – that perhaps perfectly epitomises the old adage “the show must go on”.

“The wardrobe women were incredible,” she adds. “I ran off stage and said, ‘Grab me some pads!’ We shoved some pads in my pants and I went back on stage and carried on. That was how we finished the show.”

Kingston was advised to wait until the six-week run was over before undergoing further tests and investigations at her local hospital once she’d returned home. Though she was blindsided by the eventual diagnosis, she was “lucky” – the cancer was in her fallopian tubes but hadn’t spread to the ovaries. Moreover, the treatment turned out to be not just lifesaving, but life-changing. “Despite having gone through all of that – and any cancer is really tough to accept, to steel yourself to go through all of the necessary procedures to get back into health – the minute I had the operation, I suddenly felt like myself again,” she says. Kingston realised she “hadn’t felt like that for years”.

Her main guidance for other women is not to ignore it when they feel out of sorts. “Womb cancer is really tricky because it is so sneaky,” advises Kingston. “What I would say is, the body does know – and that was the body saying to me, ‘Help! There’s something really wrong.’ It’s so important to seek advice and have a check-up.”

There’s nothing like a health scare to put things into perspective; there’s nothing like coming face to face with one’s own mortality to make seizing the day feel urgent. Though sobering, Kingston’s experience with cancer is the real reason she said yes to Strictly – something she’d dreamed of doing for years. “When they approached me, I thought of that cliché: life is too short,” she says. “Go for whatever it is you secretly long to do, because if you’re not brave and you don’t do it, it won’t happen.” And, really, what’s the worst that could happen? In the case of Strictly, you might get voted off. “So what? You’ve done it. You’ve proved yourself.”

It’s why Kingston isn’t particularly fussed about how far she gets in the competition; determined to “live in the now”, she’s taking it one dance at a time. Though she would, she confesses, like to stay in for Radebe’s sake. “He’s putting so much effort into me – I would like to get as far as we can because I think he deserves it.”

She’s been inspired, too, by another professional dancer on the show: Amy Dowden. The 35-year-old has undergone her own very public health struggles, having first been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2023. Following a mastectomy and various setbacks, she was told there was “no sign of the disease” in February 2024 and returned to Strictly this season (though sadly, she and celebrity partner Thomas Skinner went out in week one). “The very first time I met her, it was the day that all of the contestants met the dancers,” recalls Kingston. “They walked into the room and looked like gods and goddesses. But I went and found Amy and gave her a hug and said, ‘I’ve been through it.’ I told her how incredible she is, how strong and brave she’s been.”

Kingston is also conscious that she’s repping not just herself, but older women everywhere. The former ER star is here to prove that “age is not a barrier and that we are still fully functional and vibrant”. During a recent appearance on ITV’s This Morning, Kingston put it even more bluntly, telling a slightly bemused Cat Deeley: “We’re not dead below the navel!” The actor bursts out laughing at the very mention of it: “Bizarrely, that came out of my mouth because I had just had my hysterectomy and I no longer have a womb. It was an analogy that nobody else really understood. But I understood – because I may not have all those parts that are about fertility and childbearing any more, but it doesn’t mean I’m not still functioning down there!”

It’s a laudable goal to strive for visibility in an industry notable for its rampant ageism, particularly when it comes to female actors. Kingston famously called out ER after her character, British surgeon Elizabeth Corday, was dropped from the medical drama in 2004 following more than seven seasons. “Apparently, I, according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting,” quipped the then-41-year-old. Have things improved since then?

“I think it has got better,” she muses. “I mean, the very fact that I’m still working… I was already older when I got the job on Doctor Who as River Song [Kingston was in her mid-forties when she was first cast]. I’m old enough to be Matt Smith’s mother! It definitely has changed.”

The pressure to stop visibly ageing, though, has not. At least if half of Hollywood – Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, Kris Jenner et al – are anything to go by. But again, Kingston’s recent health journey has made such strivings feel a little, well, frivolous. “My attitude has changed since I’ve had my diagnosis, because there’s part of me that doesn’t care so much about that,” she says. “There are far more important things in life than how am I looking, or can I still be cast as a 40-year-old? Of course you can’t! Get over it.”

She’s breezy, too, when it comes to social media – mainly because she has no truck with it whatsoever. “I could be cancelled and I wouldn’t even be aware of it,” Kingston says blithely with a shrug, when I ask whether we’re too quick to judge each other these days. It’s somewhat ironic, considering she starred in the Steven Moffat-penned ITV drama Douglas is Cancelled last year, which saw Hugh Bonneville’s presenter-of-a-certain-age fall foul of the online mob. “I stay away from it all,” she explains serenely. “I like to keep my own life private. In a sense, you can take the power out of cancel culture if you don’t actually join in. You don’t have to engage. You’ll actually have a much simpler life.”

The only exception to her mistrust of social media is Strictly, during which she’s happily meeting her contractual obligations by using it to connect with fans. But don’t expect to see her popping up on your Insta after that – even if it may feel mandatory in our influencer-obsessed era. “There is pressure; all the actors that get work nowadays are the ones who have huge numbers of followers, and that’s what casting producers often look at,” Kingston says ruefully. “I want to be cast because of my ability, my talent – not because of how many followers I have. I just won’t play that game.”

Working on Douglas is Cancelled had the added benefit of bringing Kingston back into the professional orbit of two fellow Doctor Who alumni: Karen Gillan, the Doctor’s assistant during Matt Smith’s tenure, as well as former showrunner Moffat. Both have been in touch to say they’re rooting for their ex-colleague on Strictly – Gillan has even said she’ll fly over from the US – and they’re not the only ones. “Matt Smith left me an amazing voice message,” says Kingston fondly. “He’s really hard to get a hold of, so for him to suddenly message me, I must be doing something right! Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat… They’re all obsessed. The Doctor Who gang is on the ball.”

All these years later, her former ER castmates are also in her corner. Laura Innes, who played hospital chief of staff Kerry Weaver on the series, is currently in England shooting the third season of Apple TV’s dystopian future drama, Silo. “I’ve already told her she has to come and watch me dance,” Kingston says excitedly. “I said, ‘Laura, I’m going to put you in the front row!’”

And with that, it’s time for Kingston to get back to rehearsing the quickstep – she can’t disappoint her legion of fans, after all. I comment again on how amazing she is to be handling such a physically demanding challenge less than a year after completing cancer treatment. But she’s not having any of it.

“The thing is, it isn’t amazing. We can all do it. It’s just having the belief that you can do it and going for it.”

I nod along politely, but I don’t really believe her. She is a bit amazing, actually.

‘Strictly Come Dancing’ returns on Saturday 11 October

Specialised womb cancer organisations:

The Eve Appeal is a national charity that raises awareness and funds research for all five gynaecological cancers, including womb cancer. They also offer a support service called Ask Eve. eveappeal.org.uk

Peaches Womb Cancer Trust is a UK charity focused on funding research, raising awareness, and providing support to those affected by womb cancer. peachestrust.org

Womb Cancer Support UK is an organisation established to support and inform women diagnosed with womb cancer and raise awareness of the disease. wombcancersupportuk.weebly.com

If the boomer memoir is the new misery memoir, at least say sorry

Once upon a time, in the cold grey years after the Second World War, Britain was a land of hope (if not glory), symbolised by a Labour landslide and the newly created welfare state. Simultaneously, the baby-boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964, grew up in a mood of never look back, fuelled by coronation chicken and toad in the hole, washed down, in the immortal words of Enid Blyton, with “lashings of ginger beer”.

Our parents were committed to renewing a broken world through the three Es of energy, economy and education. The biggest “never” in our coming of age – I was born in 1953 – was Harold Macmillan’s “You’ve never had it so good”.

History seemed to have scattered fairy dust on us boomers – the children of peace. In the age of free school milk, we were too young to grasp the extent of our good luck. Only the survivors of world war – prematurely aged veterans, sometimes scarred beyond recognition – knew the horrors we’d been spared.

By 1963, notoriously the year the poet Philip Larkin discovered sexual intercourse, Britain had been remade for a certain kind of English boy (still a full decade before women’s lib). The soft power of English language, culture and football seemed briefly to restore Britannia to her throne. In retrospect, this was a post-war restoration, an end-of-the-pier show starring James Bond, the Beatles and Dad’s Army. This surreal farrago of Britishness would culminate in Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which launched on BBC in the autumn of 1969.

While the Seventies began with the three-day week and juxtaposed the Queen’s silver jubilee with punk rock’s “Anarchy in the UK”, it culminated with “Labour Isn’t Working” and the election of Margaret Thatcher. Despite harbingers of future trouble, the boomers were enjoying a Neverland of manageable inflation, steady jobs with good pensions, and the blessings of free healthcare. We revelled in peace, wallowed in plenty and flew wherever we chose.

Then baby boomers began coming into government and anything seemed possible – the Argies were put to flight and even the Labour movement, shattered by its failures in the Seventies, began to renew itself under the direction of two ambitious boomers, Tony Blair (1953) and Gordon Brown (1951).

With the stock market deregulated, house prices going through the roof, “loadsamoney” to burn, and a short-lived cultural bonanza (“Cool Britannia”), the Neverland of the Sixties seemed back in business. From the other side of the Atlantic, an optimistic American academic set the seal on this fantasy, declaring “the end of history”.

Fat chance. In Britain, history is what we do. By the turn of the millennium, the Neverland dream was morphing into a post-millennium nightmare – perhaps symbolised by the Dome – first with the “war on terror”, and then the credit crunch of 2008-09, followed by Brexit, and finally the death of the baby boomers’ queen in the tormented autumn of 2022. Once a seat of empire, a seasoned liberal democracy, Britain had been an arbiter of world events. Today, we’re a tatty museum of curiosities, devoted to the flattery of rich American tourists.

The children of Neverland once lived as if there was no tomorrow, but now they’ve begun to ask, “What is to be done?” That classic pre-revolutionary, existential question haunts my contemporaries as lottery winners faced with the belated audit of a bitter legacy.

Some have begun to compose their recollections of a fascinating era. This autumn, two distinguished British writers – Sebastian Faulks and Geoff Dyer – have published compelling fragments (see below) of vivid boomer autobiography, the former in Fires Which Burned Brightly, the latter in Homework. It’s a fair bet that this will become a new genre of memoir: the boomer confessional.

Faulks, the best-selling author of Birdsong, celebrating “a life in progress”, opens the batting with the authentic, semi-ironical confidence of the Fifties’ boy. “Everything is fine. We’re alive. We live in England. It’s all good.” He pictures his family as “pioneers in a landscape that’s been through a bad time but on which the sun is now going to shine”. This can’t last and – spoiler alert – there’s a reckoning. Faulks’s crack-up is all about him, of course, but it’s emblematic of the hidden neuroses within Neverland.

As well as “cowboys on television” (The Lone Ranger, naturally), and with peace and prosperity apparently furthering “a continuation of the War by other means’’, the boomers’ imaginative landscape is illuminated by black-and-white screenings of The Wooden Horse and The Dam Busters. This was a time when everyone was in the sanitarium, when schoolboys were instructed in irregular Latin verbs by veterans with horrific war wounds and stoically undiagnosed PTSD. Our minds were at war. Toys were plastic weapons, and racing cars replaced Spitfires. My first headmaster had a prosthetic leg and would never forget El Alamein. Other survivors had been pulled from blazing tanks with melted features. Post-war cities were scarred and crumbly with bomb damage.

Dyer, who offers a more elaborate literary persona, seems more in thrall to fighting Nazis, noting “how close to home the war was in the consciousness of any boy growing up in the 1950s… All our games were war-related.” This “boy” recalls his Sekiden toy pistol in astonishing detail, and feels in his marrow the thrill of the Airfix model, especially the Spitfire and the Focke-Wulf 190.

“Airfix”, he remembers, “offered a complete childhood vision of a world at war.” Some ageing boomers faced with the demise of this restoration still hum, “Non, je ne regrette rien.” Oh, for the magic of an Airfix fix!

Later generations, notably Gen Z (1997-2012), won’t be buying these tales of woe. They despise “never had it so good”, mistrust the sun that never sets, and look askance at their parents’ and grandparents’ Neverland as a botched restoration. To non-boomers, their elders are undeserving property-misers or frivolous pensioners leading a comfortable old age at the expense of everyone who came after them.

Contrariwise, some boomers will protest that their generation adapted with optimism to a peacetime world, disposed of an empire and managed a complex national reconciliation with historical change. They will never concede their tragedy: that they squandered countless opportunities, lost control of the argument and blew it, leaving Britain more broken than ever.

In this fraught inter-generational landscape, contemporary British politics feeds on envy, insecurity and dread, sponsoring the frenzy of retribution that surrounds the Reform party. Now, added to the anxiety of “what is to be done?” there’s a more visceral, and insular worry: “Who are we?” and “Where are we going?”

The search for new and better narratives has become a dominant theme of disrupted times. If the boomer memoir is to join the misery memoir of the 1990s as a popular genre, it might be well-advised to strike a note of contrition, and find a new way to say “sorry”.

“Homework, A Memoir” by Geoff Dyer is published by Canongate

“Fires Which Burned Brightly – A Life in Progress” by Sebastian Faulks is published by Hutchinson

Norwegian nature: Enjoy wild, wonderful adventures on a safari-at-sea

Norway’s rugged coast is chock-full of natural beauty, dotted with steep fjords where the mountains meet the sea and teeming with all kinds of curious wildlife, from orcas, humpbacks, and over 80 species of seabirds to red foxes, reindeer, and otters. Norwegians are famous for their deep love of the outdoors, which even has its own word: friluftsliv. It helps that it is home to more than 150,000 lakes and is known for its dramatic fjord-fringed landscapes and shimmering glaciers. It’s also one of the best places to catch the technicolour magic of the Aurora Borealis.

What’s more, if you explore this breathtaking region on a Hurtigruten cruise, you’ll do so alongside the expert local Expedition Team, who have spent years traversing Norway’s rugged coastline. They are always on hand to provide engaging insights into the nature, wildlife, and culture you’ll encounter on every voyage. They go above and beyond to ensure you experience more than just the tourist hot spots. Each team member has their own area of expertise and hosts regular lectures for those who want to delve deeper into a specific interest. They also encourage you to join them on their hand-picked hikes and activities, which are at an additional cost and subject to availability but offer the chance to explore with those who know the area best.

Drawing on over 130 years of travel experience, Original and Signature Hurtigruten Voyages lead passengers along Norway’s dramatic Arctic coastline, showcasing its remarkable natural beauty in all its glory, with options to stop off in various locations along the way. As you sail between destinations, keep your eyes peeled for the abundance of wildlife that frequents the area. The coastline is a popular haunt for mammals like giant humpbacks, frolicking seals and playful porpoises.

During time spent on land, depending on your route, you might also come face-to-face with reindeer in the north or the elusive lynx, not to mention the flora that decorates the landscape in various seasons. Some routes stop at Mehamn, a traditional fishing town with only 800 inhabitants. From here, you can embark on an excursion to learn about the Sámi, an indigenous people from Europe’s northernmost region, known for reindeer herding, traditional handicrafts, and a deep connection to nature. Get to know the family, hear their stories and joik chanting, and try dried reindeer meat around a fire in a lavvo tent.

There are many different journeys you can take, depending on what you want to get out of your cruise. Trace the historic Coastal Express route on one of their Original Voyages, Hurtigruten’s first and most iconic route, established in 1893 and often hailed as the world’s most beautiful voyage. You’ll cover 2,500 nautical miles and visit 34 ports, starting in Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, where you can hop on a funicular to the summit of Mount Fløyen and soak up the incredible views of the city, the nearby fjords, and the surrounding mountains.

The North Cape Line Winter route is another popular cruise for nature lovers. This Signature Voyage adventure starts and finishes in Norway’s Capital, Oslo. The Signature Voyages take things up a notch, offering unmatched views of Norway’s best bits with more time to explore each stop. They’re also a hit with foodies, thanks to the all-inclusive option featuring award-winning restaurants and seasonal produce from Norway’s bountiful coastline.

Åndalsnes is also a favourite stop on the route, home to soaring mountains overlooking the surrounding town. It’s the ultimate hotspot for hikers, climbers and skiers thanks to its abundant accessible natural beauty. The Troll Wall is a highlight for adrenaline seekers here; this 1,000-metre vertical cliff in the Romsdalen valley boasts some of the most epic views from atop, including 360-degree vistas of Romsdalshorn, Åndalsnes town centre, and the Rauma River.

This route also takes you to The City of Northern Lights, Alta, where you can stand at the northernmost point in Europe, Cape Point in Honningsvåg – the perfect vantage point for those trying to catch this incredible natural phenomenon. Hurtigruten is so confident you’ll see the lights that they even offer a ‘Northern Lights Promise’: a free cruise if you don’t see them during the season (valid on 11-day plus voyages from 20th September to 31st March).

Many of the routes stop at Lofoten, an archipelago with immense peaks and fishing villages sandwiched between slopes. It’s not hard to see why this chain of islands is referred to as one of Norway’s most beautiful locations. Hiking opportunities abound here, and most trails lead to spectacular vistas, or if you prefer to stay on the water, you can hop in a kayak and enjoy a leisurely paddle.

Lofoten isn’t the only archipelago you’ll see on specific routes — keep an eye out for the Vega archipelago, a collection of around 6,500 islands, skerries, and islets. On Gardsøy Island, you’ll find a UNESCO World Heritage Centre with dedicated huts for local eider ducks to build their nests.

Journeying south along Norway’s west coast, many of the routes also take you past some of the country’s most famous fjords, including Hardangerfjord, measuring a whopping 179 kilometres in length, making it the second longest fjord in the country and fifth longest in the world. Get your cameras ready, as you’ll be treated to panoramic mountain vistas from every direction, with snow-capped peaks peeking over the fjord reflected on mirror-like water.

Hurtigruten cruises stop at Torsken on the southbound leg of the Svalbard Line, one of their premium, all-inclusive Signature Voyages that sails from Bergen to the Arctic archipelago and back. The secluded fishing village of Torsken is perfect for outdoors enthusiasts, tucked away in Torskenfjorden on the rugged west coast of Senja Island. It’s home to just a handful of houses, workshops, and small piers sprinkled with fishing boats and is the ideal base for exploring Norway’s second-largest island, Senja.

Senja’s stunning coastline has been rightly nicknamed the ‘Caribbean of the North’ thanks to its white-sand beaches and towering mountain peaks. It’s best to take an excursion and explore by small boat to spot white-tailed eagles, seals, seabirds like cormorants, and maybe even a golden eagle. Whether exploring Senja or simply soaking up sea views from onboard, a Hurtigruten cruise offers a chance to connect with nature, wildlife, and Norway’s stunning landscapes, with countless routes to choose from.

Book your Norwegian adventure for less, with up to 30% off, plus 10% off excursions on selected Coastal Express and North Cape Line voyages. For offers, routes and excursion info, visit Hurtigruten.

Tensions high as thousands of runners from around the world flock to Chicago Marathon with ICE patrolling streets

More than 50,000 runners from over 100 countries will descend on the Windy City this weekend for the Chicago Marathon, a world-renowned race that contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy each year.

Excitement is in the air as the city gears up for Sunday’s race, where athletes have smashed world records in front of millions.

But Chicago is also in the spotlight for a different reason: President Donald Trump‘s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which has seen immigration law enforcement flood the city and led to immigration raids and arrests becoming a daily occurrence.

The raids have sparked fear among Chicago communities, particularly in Latino neighborhoods. That sense of foreboding was also spreading among marathon runners this week.

Instead of sharing excitement about sightseeing along the route or hitting their finish time, social media was alight with fears by minority runners about being snatched up by agents potentially positioned along the route, plans to run with passports in their pouches and debates over whether to run at all.

The concerns came from participants and their families planning to travel from abroad — Chicago welcomes about 10,000 international runners each year — but also those from elsewhere in the U.S. and the Windy City itself. The Independent has contacted organizers of the Chicago Marathon for comment.

On Sunday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that Trump has ordered troops from the Texas National Guard to be deployed to the state, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem likened Chicago to a “war zone” when she was there last week. On Thursday, a judge blocked that National Guard effort for two weeks – but ICE can continue its operations.

“We must now start calling this what it is: Trump’s Invasion,” Pritzker said.

Days later, Johnson signed an “ICE-Free Zone” executive order, which prohibits federal immigration agents from using any city-owned property in their operations.

The 26.2 mile route, one of the 7 Abbott World Marathon Major events which make up the world championships, winds through 29 neighborhoods, including those where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been carrying out raids.

Meanwhile, an unverified post doing the rounds on social media, from a person claiming to work for the Chicago Park District, added to the panic. “We were informed today that ICE will be all throughout the marathon and told us not to interfere,” the anonymous note said.

The Chicago Park District issued a statement rebuking the post. “Contrary to a post circulating on social media, @ChicagoParks has NOT received any information nor has the District shared any guidance regarding ICE agents at the @chimarathon,” the agency said.

The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not respond when asked by The Independent how its operations may impact the marathon weekend.

Democratic Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia of Illinois’s 4th District, who has run the Chicago Marathon three times, told The Independent that the runners’ enthusiasm always inspires him and that the event showcases the city’s beauty and hospitality.

“ICE is not welcome to the Marathon. President Trump and Secretary Noem are creating dangerous and violent conditions by infiltrating peaceful and safe community spaces. Their motive is control and intimidation. To all my Chicagoans and our visitors, Chicago is a welcoming city that does not bow down to a want-to-be king,” Garcia said.

As fears swirled, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson encouraged foreign runners to compete.

“We’ve gotten word that roughly 3,000 runners from Mexico have signed up for this marathon, and I want all of them to come,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. “I believe the best way in which we can demonstrate resistance is not bending the knee to tyranny.”

But some international racegoers are worried about the days leading up to it, and the event itself due to the anti-immigration activity.

Still, the Trump administration’s anti-immigration agenda is giving some marathon runners doubts ahead of this weekend.

A handful of people said they are considering forgoing the race altogether, while others plan to run with their passports as a precaution, according to messages they’ve shared on social media.

“My husband and I are coming in to run the Chicago Marathon in two weeks. We’ll be on a visitor’s visa, flying in from Canada. We’re both brown/asian,” a runner shared on Reddit. “Should we forfeit our race (it’s kinda a once in a lifetime opportunity to race in a major since I’ve never qualified before and I might not qualify again) because of the ICE situation?”

Some people said the fears were “overblown,” while others expressed incredulity. “This is absolutely insane that this is a conversation that needs to be had,” a Reddit user replied.

“I’m so sorry you have to deal with this,” another added.

Others from the U.S. took to the social media platform to air their anxieties ahead of the marathon.

“This is my first marathon and I’m super excited for it but I also can’t help but be worried about ICE especially with my family spectating,” one person wrote, noting her relatives plan to mainly watch in Pilsen, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood.

Another wrote: “I’m running the Chicago Marathon next weekend (super excited!) but I’ve been a bit anxious after seeing more news about ICE activity in Chicago lately. I’m Latino (I’m here legally) but you know how it is, sometimes they just target people based on how they look. I really don’t want to deal with any of that racist stuff, especially on race weekend.”

Yet another asked for advice on behalf of his friend: “My buddy has been grinding since January to prep for the Chicago Marathon. He’s dropped 25 lbs, crushed those 20-mile long runs, and even hit 70-mile training weeks. His goal is Sub-3 hours – dude’s put in the work and deserves it. But with ICE ramping up in Chicago, he’s stressing hard.”

Some have even contacted law firms in the city ahead of time incase anything should happen.

“Asking to push my bid for next year if that’s a possibility due to fear of ICE,” another race-goer said. “Also reached out to a Chicago law firm for the time I’m there; and they’re able to help but only in the chance one gets detained.”

One seasoned marathon runner said the ongoing ICE arrests was “hardly a warm welcome” for participants of the prestigious race.

“Today ICE and Federal agents were marching through River North, the loop, and the Miracle Mile — all neighborhoods that the race goes through,” the runner said in a Facebook post. “They even were making arrests in Millennium Park where the race starts. This is hardly a warm welcome for an Abbott World Marathon major.”

Others said they would be running with identification come race day. “I plan to run with my passport in a baggy in the pouch,” another said. “I find the recent events terrifying for international participants.”

“Unfortunately, I do plan to carry my passport card on me which is absolutely unbelievable,” said another runner.

On Sunday, the Portland Marathon saw 12,000 participants run past the city’s ICE facility without incident. The event took place amid Trump’s attempt to deploy the Oregon National Guard, which was blocked by a judge after the state pushed back. The Trump administration now intends to move hundreds of federal troops from California and Texas to Portland.