The Independent - 04.10.2026 — 2026-10-04

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PILOT IN TERROR INCIDENT STUDIED AT BRITISH UNIVERSITY

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Louis Chilton Florence Pugh is brilliant in new TV adaptation of Steinbeck's East of Eden

Captain Kane inspires huge win over Croatia in the Nations League

Harry Kane wheels away in triumph after scoring the opener in a stunning 7-0 victory yesterday in Rijeka

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Burnham scraps Starmer's plan to axe jury trials

The move is a U-turn on radical plans to cut thousands of jury trials across England and Wales in a bid to tackle the court backlog, which had prompted an outpouring of protest from MPs, lawyers and campaigners

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BRYONY GOOCH

Andy Burnham has scrapped the controversial plan to curb jury trials in yet another reversal of one of Sir Keir

Starmer's flagship policies. The decision is a U-turn on proposals introduced under Sir Keir's leadership in a bid to tackle the court backlog and which led to a major

backbench backlash. The Justice Secretary Alex Norris said that he decided to “change course” after hearing the “strength of feeling on the proposals”.

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Burnham's decision to keep the right to jury trials is welcome

he right to a jury trial is an essential protection against an authoritarian state. Juries may be flawed, but the ability of a jury to return even a perverse verdict is one of the guarantees of a free society. It e given up lightly.

should not be given up lightly.

So Andy Burnham's decision to scrap Sir Keir Starmer's plan to dramatically restrict the number of cases that could be heard by a jury is a welcome one. It is the second such change to criminal justice policy made by the new prime minister and Alex Norris, his new justice secretary.

The first adjustment to the policies inherited from Sir Keir and David Lammy was to limit the number of prisoners granted early release in order to ease overcrowding in jails. This had the effect of keeping two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper behind bars, which was the right decision – although it took Mr Burnham and Mr Norris more than one attempt to arrive at it. It is still not clear exactly how the solution, which Mr Burnham at one point described as impossible, was achieved.

Much the same applies to the U-turn on the right to jury trial. Mr Lammy insisted that the courts backlog had become so serious that there was no way to reduce it except by restricting the right to jury trial, because jury trials take so much longer than cases heard only by a judge.

Mr Norris has now decided that there is, after all, another way to tackle the backlog without taking away this essential component of the justice system. He says the change of policy allows the government to start work on “maximising efficiencies” earlier: “I remain committed to structural reform, which is crucial if we are to bring down the backlog.”

We look forward to hearing the details, because The Independent always had its doubts that the restriction of jury trials proposed by Sir Brian Leveson, the former senior judge, was the only way to make the courts more efficient. Anyone who has had any contact with the criminal justice system knows that it is chronically dysfunctional.

We are aware that part of the problem has been the lack of funds over the years, which is why we are inclined to take the credit claimed by Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, for Mr Norris's U-turn with a pinch of salt. The Labour government has increased planned spending on the courts, but it has rightly insisted that the increase be accompanied by reform.

Equally, it is right that Mr Norris should not be applying to the taxpayer for further funding to pay for the preservation of the right to jury trial. There is plenty of scope elsewhere in the justice system for further savings.

If anyone deserves credit for the change of course, it is Karl Turner, the former Labour MP who was suspended by the party after his outspoken criticism of his own government on this issue. He should have the whip restored immediately.

But praise is also due to Mr Burnham and Mr Norris. Not because they are better at politics than Sir Keir and Mr Lammy, although they are, but because the plan to restrict the right to jury trial was wrong in principle.

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PM scraps Starmer's controversial plan to cut jury trials after outcry

Andy Burnham's move is a U-turn on radical plans designed to tackle the court backlog

Bryony Gooch

The jury trials reversal represents the Burnham government's latest move away from Sir Keir Starmer's legacy (AFP/Getty)

Andy Burnham has scrapped a controversial plan to curb jury trials in yet another reversal of one of Sir Keir Starmer's major policies.

The move is a U-turn on radical plans, introduced by former justice secretary David Lammy under Sir Keir's leadership, to cut thousands of jury trials across England and Wales in a bid to tackle the court backlog.

It led to an outcry from MPs, lawyers and campaigners, with the proposals condemned as “madness” and described as being against Labour values.

Justice secretary Alex Norris has now said he has decided to “change course” after hearing the “strength of feeling on the proposals”.

Only some fraud and financial offences will be allowed to be heard before a judge alone without a jury, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

Justice secretary Alex Norris has ‘changed course’ on the controversial proposal (PA)

Announcing the move, Mr Norris said scrapping the proposal would allow the government to reduce the backlog faster, as it would require less structural change.

“This government inherited criminal courts on the brink of collapse, with victims waiting years for their day in court,” he said. “I remain committed to bringing down the backlog and delivering swifter justice for those who so desperately need it.

“But I have heard the strength of feeling on the proposals for increasing the number of judge-alone trials in the crown court and have made the decision to change course.

“This allows us to start that work far earlier, ensuring that under this government we do not have victims waiting endlessly for justice.”

He added: “Justice delayed is justice denied, and I am committed to maximising efficiencies in our system alongside record investment. I remain committed to structural reform which is crucial if we are to bring down the backlog.”

The radical plans were introduced by former justice secretary David Lammy under Starmer's leadership (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

It represents the Burnham government's latest move away from Sir Keir's legacy. Last month, Mr Burnham intervened in the early release scheme by making it more restrictive following an “urgent review” over who would be eligible.

Last week, the prime minister also raised the prospect of a potential second Brexit referendum, indicating he would reconsider Sir Keir's post-Brexit red lines.

In a significant shift from the position Labour fought the 2024 election on, Mr Burnham said the government could keep the current arrangements, seek a customs union, return to the single market or “go all the way” in what would be full EU membership.

The move to curb jury trials had been championed by Mr Lammy, who said the reforms were needed to prevent victims facing “agonising delays”.

Mr Lammy wanted to reserve jury trials for “indictable-only” offences such as murder and rape, and lesser “either-way” offences with a likely sentence of more than three years in prison. Other cases would instead have been heard by a single crown court judge. The proposals were produced after a review by retired judge Sir Brian Leveson.

Ministry of Justice figures showed there were 80,829 cases still to be dealt with at the end of June, with the backlog almost doubling since 2020.

Barrister Karl Turner has welcomed Labour's U-turn (PA Archive)

Barrister Karl Turner, who had the Labour whip suspended after he criticised the plan, welcomed the decision, and thanked the prime minister “for his support during my campaign”.

Mr Turner, the MP for East Hull who has yet to have the whip restored, said he had “engaged directly with the justice secretary” about the issue in recent weeks.

The decision has also been welcomed by Law Society of England and Wales president Mark Evans, who said that backlogs remained high as time had been wasted on the proposal.

“We welcome the government’s decision to step back from some of its proposed changes to jury trials that risked fairness and public trust,” he said. “Too much time has been wasted to reach this common-sense position while the backlogs in the crown and magistrates’ courts have remained unacceptably high.

“Investment in infrastructure and technology is encouraging but this must be new money coming into the criminal justice system, a vital public service which has been drained of resources for too long. We have been calling for a whole-system approach that combines sustained investment and long-term planning.

“We remain concerned that putting more cases into the magistrates’ court, which also faces record backlogs, without increasing capacity places even greater strain on an already overburdened system and risks serious cases facing summary justice.

Starmer's post-Brexit red lines could be reconsidered after Burnham raised the prospect of a potential second referendum

“It is essential to invest in legal aid. The prospect of people facing imprisonment while being denied legal representation remains a serious concern, and lack of legal representation adds to delays.”

Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller MP said the proposal should never have been introduced in the first place, and the government should look to bring down the court backlogs so victims can get the justice they deserve.

“This starts with adopting Liberal Democrat plans to double sitting time in courtrooms across the country and introducing specialist courts for victims of rape and serious sexual offences, as promised in the 2024 Labour manifesto,” she said.

Sian Berry, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion with the Home Office brief, said it was another example of Labour conceding to Green pressure.

“This is a victory for justice and fairness,” she said. “As Zack [Polanski] said at conference, 'vote Green and watch Labour move.'

"The right to choose trial by a jury of your peers is an absolute cornerstone of our justice system, and the government's attempt to completely abolish this was profoundly disturbing and wrong."

Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy declared the decision a major victory for the Conservative Party (UK Parliament)

Another change announced by the MoJ will see criminals accused of what they described as “relatively minor crimes” losing the right to choose a crown court jury trial rather than a magistrates one, with courts having the final say on where “either-way” offences are sent.

This decision has been criticised by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), who warned the proposals will shift 25,000 cases a year, including 5,500 jury trials, on magistrates – including complex assaults, sexual assaults and child abuse which volunteer magistrates are “completely unequipped to try”.

Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy declared it a major victory for the Conservative Party and those who had fought to defend jury trials, but condemned shifting cases onto the magistrates' doorstep.

“This is a major victory for everyone who fought to defend trial by jury, and Conservatives led that fight from day one. Labour has been forced to abandon its central attack on jury trials in the crown court,” he said.

“Labour are restricting juries by the back door, scrapping the right to elect one and dumping those cases on magistrates whose backlog is at a record high.

“Nearly 81,000 cases are stuck in the crown court, yet there is no commitment to get courts sitting more often, but Labour did find the time to write into law a review of how its reforms treat people of different backgrounds.

“Sixty-four crown courtrooms stand empty every day. A Conservative government would get every courtroom sitting so we can protect the right to a jury.”

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Badenoch to cut public servants to fund childcare for high earners

Under the proposal, any parent employed for at least 16 hours a week would qualify for 30 hours of free care weekly – ending the £100,000 ‘cliff edge’

Nina Lloyd

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and shadow education secretary Laura Trott at Wendy House Day Nursery, Birmingham (PA)

High-earning parents would no longer lose state support under plans from Kemi Badenoch to scrap the £100,000 salary cap on funded childcare. Under the Conservative proposal, any parent employed for at least 16 hours a week would qualify for 30 hours of free care weekly.

Party officials calculate the policy would cost £700m a year, funded through reductions in civil service headcount across arm's-length public bodies. They suggest that shrinking

organisations such as Arts Council England and the Environment Agency could generate £1.6bn in savings by the end of the decade, with NHS organisations excluded from the job cuts.

At present, parents of young children can claim 30 hours of funded care provided both earn under £100,000 annually. However, if a single parent's income exceeds this threshold, the entire entitlement is withdrawn.

Unveiling the pledge ahead of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham this weekend, Tory leader Mrs Badenoch described the rules as “absurd” and a disincentive to work more.

“Conservatives believe that you shouldn’t be punished for working more, but this childcare cliff edge does exactly that,” she said. “I’m a mum of three and I’ve had to make the same choices many families have had to make on work and childcare. Those choices are difficult already; the government should not be making them harder. No one should be turning down a promotion or a pay rise because they literally cannot afford to earn more.

“It is often women who end up carrying more of the childcare responsibility so a system that makes it harder for them to progress in their careers is not helping families, it is not helping women and it is definitely not helping the economy.”

In response to the proposal, a Labour Party spokesperson said: "No government has ever put so much focus or investment into the early years as this Labour government. It tells you everything you need to know about the Tories that the first of their own tax policies they want to unpick is one helping higher earners. They clearly don't want to admit that they set the thresholds in the first place.

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Boost for Burnham as poll shows half of the UK supports rejoining the EU

The prime minister Andy Burnham said Brexit has done ‘more harm than good’ and promised to set out the options to the country around the time of a UK-EU summit

Bryony Gooch

Andy Burnham has suggested it is ‘possible’ Labour’s next election manifesto could include an in-out referendum (PA)

Almost half of all UK voters support rejoining the European Union, according to a new megapoll that will boost Andy Burnham over the Brexit debate.

Rejoining the EU was favoured by 49 per cent of 11,461 people polled by the Messina Group, compared to the 28.5 per cent against, as reported in The Guardian.

The poll also found that renegotiating the UK’s relationship with the EU could boost Labour’s vote share by as much as seven points, with most votes shifting from the Greens and Liberal Democrats for all scenarios that resulted in closer ties. It comes days after the prime minister acknowledged he could go “all the way” and propose rejoining the EU as he considers the UK’s future relationship with Brussels. He also suggested it is “possible” Labour’s next election manifesto could include an in-out referendum.

The poll looked at a number of options for relationships with the UK. The second most popular was to keep the existing relationship but cut as many trade barriers as possible with 48.2 per cent showing support and 20.9 per cent against. A customs union came next – as called for by former Tory Chancellor George Osborne during an interview with The Independent earlier this month – with 47.1 per cent in favour and 20.7 per cent not, according to the report.

Almost a third of voters in the poll, which involved UK adults who were asked between 12 and 24 September, said an in-out referendum would be needed before rejoining the EU, while more than one in six felt a general election mandate would be sufficient, the paper reported. The same proportion thought parliament could make the decision.

More than a quarter (25.9 per cent) said they wanted the UK to rejoin the EU immediately. A slightly lower proportion (22.9 per cent) said it should happen in the next three years and 8.4 per cent opted for over the next decade.

The Independent has led the campaign for Britain to rebuild its relationship with Brussels on the basis of clear evidence that it has damaged the economy and failed to deliver promised benefits on a wide range of issues including immigration.

During his first Labour Party conference speech, Mr Burnham said that Brexit had done “more harm than good” and promised to set out the options to the country around the time of a UK-EU summit, which he said would be in November.

He insisted “this isn’t about leaping to a referendum” as he seeks to find a political consensus on the UK’s future relationship with Brussels.

But, he said, if public opinion is “pointing towards” backing re-entry into the bloc, he could commit to holding a vote on the issue in the next manifesto.

Burnham said he could commit to holding a vote on the issue in the next manifesto (Getty)

He also declined to rule out skipping a referendum and fighting the next general election on a promise to rejoin.

Nigel Farage called the prime minister's decision to reignite the Brexit debate a “very big political mistake”. The Reform UK, leader, who was a key proponent of Brexit ahead of the 2016 referendum, said on Thursday the Labour leader's position on Brussels was at odds with his interest in devolution.

“This is the pro-devolution prime minister,” Mr Farage told reporters. “To even consider rejoining the single market, the customs union, let alone the European Union itself, is the opposite of devolution – a massive transfer of huge powers up to an authority, whereby there’s nothing parliament could do to change any of it. So I find the whole thing totally contradictory.”

He warned Mr Burnham had “opened the door to Reform in the most extraordinary way” by promising to look at options for Britain’s future relationship with the European Union.

Nigel Farage called Mr Burnham's pledge a ‘big political mistake’ (AFP/Getty)

Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron and Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking at a joint press conference in Madrid, welcomed Mr Burbham's remarks.

Mr Macron said it was “very good news” for both the UK and Europe, quipping: “Welcome back.”

Mr Sanchez said Brexit was a “huge loss” for the UK population and the EU project, and that Spain would “open its arms” to the

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I can cut cost of housing to stop London brain drain, Cleverly claims

London mayoral candidate Sir James Cleverly discusses his ambitions for what he hopes is his ‘last big job in politics’ – including claims he can cut new-home prices by £100,000

David Maddox Political Editor

Conservative candidate James Cleverly, a former home secretary, hopes to be London mayor (The Independent)

London needs to reverse a brain drain that is seeing talent flee the capital because of the cost of living, the Tories' expected candidate for mayor Sir James Cleverly has warned.

Speaking to The Independent ahead of this week's Conservative Party conference, Sir James made an extraordinary claim that he would be able to cut prices of new houses in the capital by £100,000 if he is elected mayor.

But Brexit is also emerging as a key dividing line in the contest, after Sir Sadiq Khan renewed his demands for the UK to rejoin the EU at last week's Labour Party conference, while Andy Burnham has signalled that rejoining could feature in Labour's next general election manifesto.

Sir James, a former foreign secretary and home secretary who backed Brexit in the 2016 referendum, said any push to rejoin the EU could damage London's interests.

"The UK is the world's third largest hub for AI development because we have a different regulatory regime to the EU," he said. "So, if you're happy to basically kill off London's tech sector..."

Addressing what he sees as a crisis, the 57-year-old told The Independent: “We are losing talent. We’re losing young people from London. That is unsustainable.”

He added: “It’s not just multi-millionaire rock stars and influencers running off to Dubai. People on quite modest salaries are looking at opportunities elsewhere. Some to places like Dubai.

“But I see this in Braintree, where I’m currently the MP – there are people being priced out of London who are moving to towns like Braintree or Maidstone or Milton Keynes or Hemel Hempstead or whatever. They’re moving out of London because they just cannot envisage making the maths work for them in the city – that is a real problem.”

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), about 420,500 people moved out of London to other parts of the UK in the year to mid-2025, while about 183,000 people left the capital to live abroad – a total of around 600,000 people leaving in a 12-month period.

This was offset by around 288,500 people moving into London from the rest of the UK and roughly 235,000 international arrivals, totalling just more than 500,000.

Sir James claimed the so-called brain drain was driving this and said one solution would be to use mayoral powers to bring down the cost of house prices by reducing the amount of additional costs when you buy. He also hinted at looking again at measures like Ulez to bring down the cost of living. Polling suggests the cost of house prices in London is one of the top three issues. According to a YouGov poll in August 2026, it was the third highest concern on 39 per cent, behind cost of living (72 per cent) and crime (44 per cent).

"The mayor accounts for about half of what people pay in their council tax, so if the mayor can reduce his part of the council tax budget, we can reduce some of that financial drag," Sir James said. "The cost of public transport – that's very much in the mayor's gift. The cost of driving a car, particularly in outer London boroughs, is very much in the mayor's gift."

But he identified house prices as the real issue, adding that if someone wants to live in Westminster they even need to be super rich or have their housing paid for by the council.

“I want to make it cheaper for people to get on the housing ladder,” he said. “The accumulated cost of bureaucracy, taxes, and various other things adds about £100,000 per property onto new build properties in London. That’s £100,000 that doesn’t go into the bricks or mortar. It doesn’t go into the windows and doors. It just gets soaked up by tax and bureaucracy.

“Then we wonder why young people are looking at flats – the cheapest of which are £350,000 or £400,000. And £100,000 of that is tax and bureaucracy.

Sadiq Khan is expected to run again for Labour (PA)

"If you can find a way of stripping that cost out, then suddenly young people in London are looking at flats at £250,000 and £300,000. That's the kind of thing that maybe gives people an incentive to stay in London."

The powers of the mayor mostly affect building new homes through the London Plan including housing targets, density and design policy, affordable-housing expectations and rules on tall buildings, green belt and metropolitan open land.

Under the Mayor of London Order 2008, boroughs must refer applications of potential strategic importance to City Hall. Triggers include more than 150 homes, buildings over 30 metres outside the City, large commercial floorspace and some green-belt or metropolitan open land schemes.

Since 11 May 2026, the mayor can also intervene on schemes of 50 or more homes where a borough is minded to refuse, and on larger green-belt proposals (1,000 square metres or more). Sir James announced in August that he was quitting the shadow cabinet to run for London mayor.

He said he is “all in on being mayor” and will not try to run for his Braintree seat in Essex again. He also insisted the role would not be a stepping stone for a comeback like Boris Johnson or Andy Burnham, who both became prime minister after their mayoral jobs.

He told The Independent: “This is my last big job in politics... I’ve stepped down from the shadow cabinet, I’ve burnt my bridges.”

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch joined by then shadow housing secretary Cleverly help to clean graffiti off a wall in Herne Hill, south London (PA)

Sir James also insisted he would work with prime minister Andy Burnham to end rough sleeping but warned it is a more complex issue than simply providing accommodation.

“Rough sleeping is a very complicated issue. It’s often about drug and alcohol. Alcohol dependency. It’s often about people who have been victims of abuse. It’s not just a housing issue,” he said. “I applaud Andy Burnham’s passion for this. I’m not going to criticise him for his passion. His track record in Manchester was not great, but you know what? I’m not going to be cynical about this. I know he feels strongly about this because I’ve discussed it with him directly whilst he was up in Manchester.

“I think we’ve got to be realistic that this cannot be resolved just through throwing more public money at the problem or just feeling very passionate about the problem – it’s quite a technical issue.”

Sir James admitted the Tories “still have a big hill to climb” in terms of swaying voters but added that “other parties are coming off the boil”.

He believes “optimism” is the key for his party to take on Nigel Farage and Reform UK, who have seen a dip in the polls over the past few months.

“Reform don’t have answers to London’s challenges. They don’t have answers to national challenges,” he said.

Standing for Reform UK is Laila Cunningham, who has vowed an “all-out war on crime” if she is elected. She also said she wanted to return London to “the glory days”.

Sir James said: “All I ever hear from Reform is criticism about London. We’ve got a candidate that keeps saying that London is terrible, that it’s dangerous. She won’t let her children out in London. I mean, you can’t hate London and then hope to be the mayor of London.”

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FlyDubai co-pilot in axe attack hijacking graduated from British university

Hammam al-Hammami, believed to be the perpetrator of the FlyDubai hijacking, was educated in the UK

Suha Kidwai

(Reuters)

A FlyDubai co-pilot who attempted to hijack a Tel Aviv-bound passenger jet with a cockpit crash axe graduated from a British university, latest reports have found.

Hammam al-Hammami, 29, earned a distance-learning aviation management degree from Buckinghamshire New University in

2023. The UK institution has since said that the qualification involved no practical flight training.

Earlier reporting by The Independent confirmed that Hammami is an Omani national born in the UAE to an Omani father and Syrian mother.

Banned from flying by Omani authorities last year due to his radical views, following his detention Hammami reportedly told investigators that he intended to crash the airliner in Israel.

Hammam al-Hammami received higher education from a British institution (Reuters)

The revelations come as Israeli investigators arrived in the UAE on Saturday to interrogate the suspect.

Authorities from both nations are focusing on whether Hammami operated independently as a "lone wolf" or under the direction of an external extremist network.

According to accounts obtained by Emirati prosecutors, two hours into Wednesday's flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Hammami seized the emergency axe and repeatedly slashed Indian captain Smit Machchhar.

The struggle sent the Boeing 737 MAX into a sudden 17,000-foot plunge toward the Gulf.

Despite sustaining severe injuries, Captain Machchhar has said he was able to unlock the flight deck door, allowing passengers to force their way inside, subdue Hammami, and stabilise the aircraft before making an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to reporters, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed intelligence services are investigating whether Hammami operated under external direction, warning that any accomplices would pay a "heavy price."

Netanyahu has since warned that accomplices will pay a "heavy price" (Reuters)

As speculation surrounding Hammami's motives heightens, former U.S. diplomats and regional analysts have suggested the attack carried a “dual target,” and may have been a deliberate attempt to derail the 2020 Abraham Accords, which established commercial air routes between Israel and Gulf states.

The joint investigation is currently focused on how Hammami passed employment background checks.

Oman Air previously removed Hammami from flight duties after intelligence officials discovered extremist materials on his devices and noted visits to radical websites, according to reports by The Wall Street Journal and ABC News.

It remains unclear whether Omani officials shared these security concerns with neighbouring states or international carriers.

Hammami was later transferred to an administrative desk job before briefly training at Royal Air Maroc, which ultimately rejected his application. FlyDubai then hired Hammami eight months ago.

Former Israeli intelligence officials have said that allowing a national from a country with no diplomatic ties to Israel onto the Tel Aviv route represents a critical failure by Israeli and Emirati security agencies.

Following the incident, regional aviation authorities have launched urgent reviews of all aircrew screening protocols.

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UAE threatens to pull billions in UK investment over Man City ruling

Emirati officials say Man City verdict will ‘have an influence on the bilateral relationship’

George Lithgow

Andy Burnham speaks to Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the Etihad Stadium in 2019 (PA)

The United Arab Emirates has warned the government it could cancel billions of pounds of investment in the UK over the Premier League's Manchester City ruling, according to reports.

Emirati officials said “the Premier League’s actions” would “have an influence on the bilateral state relationship”, Bloomberg reported.

The Telegraph said the UAE is threatening to scrap billions of pounds of private investment for a hi-tech Silicon Valley-style hub between Oxford and Cambridge.

The newspaper also reported that Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak met Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, in Downing Street two weeks before the Premier League announced its decision.

On Thursday, Downing Street insisted the guilty verdict against City is “serious”, after Andy Burnham was accused of making a “frankly extraordinary” intervention in support of the football club’s owners.

A No 10 spokesperson issued the statement after the prime minister said he would be “really concerned” to see the current owners sell up.

Conservative shadow sport minister Louie French had accused Mr Burnham of “publicly backing the owners” amid a probe into the club’s funding over recent years, describing his comments as “frankly extraordinary”.

The Liberal Democrats called on Burnham to publish all details of his meetings with Manchester City's owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), and declare all hospitality he has accepted at the Etihad Stadium.

Asked by the BBC earlier this week if he was worried about the current owners selling the club, Mr Burnham said: “I would be really concerned to lose them. They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester. Obviously, the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.”

The then Manchester mayor joins Prince Harry at Manchester City's training ground (PA)

Asked also if his dealings with the club would stand up to scrutiny, he said: “I do actually thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money that they didn’t just put into the Etihad and the campus around it but also into the city – but yes, of course.”

Downing Street was forced to issue two clarifications of his position on Thursday, with a spokesperson for the PM insisting the guilty verdict against Manchester City is “serious”.

Former City and FA chairman David Bernstein said he was “concerned” about Mr Burnham’s comments and the issue was “something that politicians should be seen to be staying well away from”.

City were found guilty of charges related to breaches of financial rules between 2009-10 and 2017-18.

The Premier League said an independent commission found City arranged “sham” commercial deals with a number of its sponsors during the period, which were part of a disguised

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The ‘Sarah Everard effect’ is solving crimes – one anonymous call at a time

Reports to Crimestoppers are soaring due to an erosion of trust in policing in the wake of the shocking 2021 murder, as Amy-Clare Martin discovers on a visit to the charity

The Crimestoppers call centre triages up to 3,000 anonymous reports from members of the public every day (Getty)

n an unmarked office in a London suburb,

Crimestoppers call centre agents are listening

intently.

The calls they are taking could potentially save a life by stopping a serious crime from being committed or provide the vital intelligence needed to crack a major case.

Every day, they triage up to 3,000 anonymous reports from members of the public about everything from drug dealing, murder and domestic abuse to fly-tipping and tax evasion. The day's calls and online forms will generate around 800 pieces of intelligence which they pass to law enforcement agencies across the country, 365 days a year.

The crucial information the charity gathers, usually from those too fearful to speak to the police, has helped to solve or prevent at least 35,791 crimes in the past year alone – and the true impact is likely even higher.

“It’s kind of an insurance service for society in many respects,” chief executive Mark Hallas, a former head of intelligence and security at the army, tells The Independent.

“Sometimes one tiny bit of information can be the difference between life and death, between a massive result or not.”

Crimestoppers call centre agents at work in an unmarked office in a London suburb (Crimestoppers)

Founded by former Conservative Party politician Lord Michael Ashcroft in 1988 in the wake of the murder of PC Keith Blakelock during the Broadwater Farm riots in Tottenham a few years earlier, the concept was simple: to give people who are unable or unwilling to speak to police a safe, anonymous way to share information.

PC Blakelock had been brutally stabbed during clashes which erupted in north London as tensions with the Metropolitan Police boiled over.

“People knew what had happened, but it was a kind of estate where you didn’t talk to the police directly for self-preservation reasons,” Mr Hallas says.

“Lord Ashcroft, our founder and chair, sat down with the then commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Kenneth Newman, and then Lord Peter Imbert, and said, ‘Look, there’s got to be a way. These people are not going to talk to the police, but some of them do want to do the right thing, so how do we do that?’”

Loosely modelled on an initiative founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1976, Crimestoppers UK began as a simple phone line called the Community Action Trust. Since then, it has evolved into the major charity that operates today.

Crimestoppers was founded in the wake of the murder of PC Keith Blakelock during the Broadwater Farm riots in Tottenham (Getty Images)

In its near 40-year history, the intelligence it has generated has led to hundreds of thousands of arrests and demand is soaring to record highs.

The number of reports they pass to law enforcement has more than doubled in a decade, with over 250,000 sent in the year to March 2026, out of more than 827,442 total contacts from members of the public.

Growth has surged fastest in the past five years, something the Crimestoppers team attributes – in part – to the “Sarah Everard effect” after the shocking case damaged public confidence in policing.

The 33-year-old marketing executive was kidnapped, raped and murdered in 2021 by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens, who was handed a rare whole-life order for the crime. Chillingly, he had used his police warrant card to convince her to get into his car.

Mr Hallas says the incident “eroded trust in policing”, adding that Crimestoppers now operates a nationwide dedicated Police Anti-Corruption Abuse Reporting Service.

“I think trust and confidence in policing has taken a bit of a hit,” he adds. “So whilst that might not be great for society as a whole, it has meant that I think a lot of people kind of channel shifted and came across to us because they know that they can contact us safely, securely, and above all else anonymously.”

Sarah Everard was murdered in March 2021 by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens (PA Media)

He admits that when he took over 13 years ago, “we looked and sounded too much like the police”, but says they have since been on a journey to stress their independence and anonymity.

Louise Peers, who has spent 20 years leading their contact centre, agrees there is “huge suspicion now” about police officers.

“People just don’t want to speak to the police, even so far as they don’t want to phone 101,” she says. “They don’t want to speak to police staff. They don’t want to be recorded. You know, they don’t want to engage at all, and they will actively avoid that.

“Unfortunately, it’s not great, but we are here for those people, and we do have this alternative reporting mechanism.”

Along with increased campaigning by Crimestoppers and public frustration with 101 call-waiting times, it seems demand for her 50-strong team, who work a 24-hour rota, is not going to slow down any time soon.

Louise Peers is head of contact centre services at Crimestoppers (Scott Ramsey Photographer & Visu)

This includes a 73 per cent year-on-year surge in time-critical reports, where they receive information about a crime in progress, a threat to someone's life or serious safeguarding concerns.

This can be very stressful for handlers, who have to make fast decisions to ensure key opportunities for law enforcement to act are not lost.

“I personally remember where someone was watching an incident from the bedroom window,” she says. “In the end the agents were on the phone to the person, on the phone to the police, and we’re trying to protect the source because they were so scared that someone would see them at the window on the phone, or blue lights would turn up at their door looking for a statement.”

Despite the pressures, she is committed to empowering her team to have a proper conversation with the person on the other end. Unlike most call centres, there are no canned answers or scripts for agents to follow, so handlers can build a rapport with the caller to get the best quality information possible.

And although the charity is perhaps best known for its cash rewards, which it offers for information which helps to solve difficult cases, only a tiny fraction of them are ever claimed.

Demand is soaring at Crimestoppers with the number of reports passed to law enforcement doubling in a decade (Crimestoppers)

“It is not and has never been the motivating factor,” Ms Peers says, adding that most people who call in do not ask for the money.

The majority of reports are received in an encrypted online form, but 25 per cent still call the phone line. What is most important, Ms Peers says, is their unwavering commitment to anonymity.

When you contact Crimestoppers, phone numbers are scrambled and IP addresses cannot be traced, so the handlers can never identify the source of the information.

“Everything is designed within an inch of its life to be anonymous,” she says.

“I have had interactions with counterterrorist policing saying ‘this is national security, you will give me that person’s number’. But I don’t have it. Network providers don’t have it. And then, if you don’t mind, let me just take a second to say that you probably have this piece of intelligence because we can’t get that.”

“Whatever reason any agency needs that source detail, we genuinely cannot get it.”

The model was once confined to reports from adults, but it is now playing a growing role in the fight against knife and youth crime through their youth service Fearless.

Crimestoppers chief executive Mark Hallas says the charity is an ‘insurance service’ for society (Scott Ramsey Photographer & Visu)

Recent research showed that only 31 per cent of 16 to 25-year-olds would be very likely to tell the police that someone is carrying a knife, but this increased to 51 per cent if the reporting was anonymous.

Youth reporting is a key area of growth, Mr Hallas says, adding: "We all know, young people, that kind of issue about ‘we don’t snitch, we don’t want to dob our friends in’, and I think you’ve got to turn the narrative on its head.

“And it’s not about those things. It’s about protecting your community. It’s about preventing something potentially very serious taking place.”

Callers are also increasingly turning to the charity to raise the alarm about hidden harms, with huge increases for reports about issues such as domestic abuse, child neglect, female genital mutilation and modern slavery.

“More often than not, it’s somebody maybe one step removed,” Mr Hallas explains. “So it’s the sister or the co-worker or a

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Thousands of schoolchildren are facing a silent battle against arthritis

Jessica Ward was mocked when her grandmother had to carry her home from school

Holly Evans

Jessica Ward was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) when she was seven years old (Supplied)

An estimated 10,000 schoolchildren currently struggle with chronic fatigue, pain in their limbs and mobility issues as they navigate juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) – yet most teachers remain unaware of its prevalence.

JIA is the most common type of arthritis among children and teenagers, and typically causes inflammation in the hands, knees, ankles, elbows and wrists. However, given that arthritis is an autoimmune disease usually associated with old age, the warning signs are often ignored.

In Jessica Ward's case, she was just six years old when her parents became increasingly concerned in the year after she developed blood poisoning following appendicitis, when she continued to have swelling in her joints.

For 14 months, she was a regular visitor at the hospital, enduring countless blood tests and appointments and suffering from instability and pain in her knees.

Upon being referred to the rheumatology department at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool, one of the few in the country, she was diagnosed within minutes of walking through the door.

Ms Ward found both primary and high school difficult as her teachers struggled to understand her condition (Supplied)

“They knew immediately from the way I walked,” she said. “It’s not as well taught or heard of unless you’re a specialist working in this area with children.”

While her parents were relieved she had finally received a diagnosis, the following years became increasingly difficult to navigate as her school teachers in Wirral struggled to understand her condition. This included struggling to write due to hand pain and needing crutches and adapted shoes to walk.

“I didn’t have the greatest time in primary or high school, it was the denial factor of everybody,” she said. “In school, I found it extremely difficult due to my trauma response to hospital, which meant I missed a lot of school. In high school, there was a change in my medication and my immune system was completely battered. I struggled with friends, and I remember one day, my nan had to carry me home as my knees were that bad.

“People found that quite entertaining, some students and kids can be cruel. It wasn’t pleasant and it wasn’t great. I just don’t think teachers got it.

I did have a lot of instances of being bullied for not being able to be included in things."

On one occasion, nursing staff from Alder Hey even visited her school to give a talk on juvenile arthritis, to help students and staff understand.

As a result of changes to her medication during her GCSE years, she became unwell and struggled to achieve the grades she wanted, despite passing all of her exams.

She has since become a teacher and helps other students with educational and physical needs (Supplied)

After moving to a different sixth form and prioritising vocational work, her grades improved and she decided that she wanted to become a teacher.

Now aged 27, she works in a primary and a high school supporting students with physical and special educational needs.

"To be completely honest, being a teacher myself now, and trying to explain arthritis, it is still not understood," she said. "There's never a one size fits all. Not everybody has the same condition, not all of them are the same. It may be a case of asking more questions, my biggest problem in school was having to repeat myself constantly to the same teachers. Feeling believed and understood is the biggest thing. You can't see arthritis and it is hard."

JIA is an autoimmune condition, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body. While there is no cure, there are a number of different treatments available to manage symptoms, such as painkillers, steroids, and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. While some children enter remission and outgrow the condition, others suffer with inflammation throughout their life, which can cause joint damage and disability.

In Ms Ward's case, she has recently had to take several weeks off work after suffering with a recent flare up. Arthritis UK are hoping to raise awareness of the condition within educational settings, and are encouraging schools to become aware of the side effects and to show compassion for missed classes.

Methotrexate is a drug commonly given to children with arthritis yet can make pupils feel nauseous and exhausted, often resulting in school absences.

Lynne Woolley, head of young people and families at Arthritis UK, said: “Going through school is one of the most important aspects of a young person’s life and we know that not getting the right support when living with arthritis can make many aspects of school life very difficult.

“Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is an often invisible and unpredictable condition. Learning to manage appointments, medication side effects, pain, and the impact on your mental health can be challenging alongside learning and being a young person! Jessica’s story is like many we have heard before, but just like she suggests there are several ways that school staff can help.

“Staff can take the time to understand their individual needs, working closely with them and their families can make a huge difference. Creating a safe, supportive and understanding environment encourages open communication and helps the school provide the right support as their needs change.

“We want schools to feel confident to open up the conversation with young people with JIA and their families. Often, relatively

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Trains cancelled after bedbugs are spotted on Southeastern railway

Insects were seen crawling in cabs and bags as drivers refused to board trains without protective gear as Southeastern says services are now back to normal

Maira Butt

Southeastern trains operating from the affected West Marina train depot near Hastings in East Sussex were taken out of service as a result of the bedbugs (PA)

Trains have been cancelled and drivers have refused to board after bedbugs were spotted on carriages across south east England, it has been reported.

Southeastern trains operating from the affected West Marina train depot near Hastings in East Sussex were taken out of service as a result of the bedbugs, according to The Telegraph. Sightings of the insects have also been reported on

Southeastern's High Speed 1 line services – raising concerns the issue has spread.

One train – apparently dubbed the “Bedbug Express” by insiders – still operated on Tuesday, making several journeys between London and Kent but with two carriages locked and out of use after a driver spotted insects at one end. On Friday, at least three services were cancelled, with more cancelled since the first sighting reported on 22 September, The Telegraph said.

Drivers have reportedly found bedbugs in their cabs and crawling on their bags. According to an incident log viewed by the publication, one driver refused to drive the train unless they were “provided with a white full-body protection suit... in case any bugs transfer to themself” [sic].

However, protective gear was unavailable, leading to two trains being cancelled including one that had been blocked in by the bedbug train. Internal messages also accuse bosses of failing to take the matter seriously.

Southeastern maintenance staff tried to take the train out of service but service controllers had not been advised of the problem, according to internal logs, which led to it still operating through Tuesday.

Pest control were seen at the depot and an operator would only say that they had a regular contract with Southeastern for the service.

Bedbugs are notoriously difficult to get rid of (AP)

A Southeastern spokesperson told The Telegraph that four trains had been reported as having bedbugs on them, of which two were confirmed then cleaned before being returned to service.

“We have a great relationship with our drivers, who have helped hugely in cooperating with us over these isolated incidents,” said Oly Turner, the train company’s head of drivers.

"When we receive reports such as these, we check trains thoroughly before they are put back into service when given the all clear. Cases have been contained to the drivers cabs in only two of our trains and no bed bugs have been identified in areas for passengers.

Southeastern trains are back to normal according to a spokesperson (PA)

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southeastern.

“We continually carry out robust cleaning across our trains and stations, ensuring our customers and employees can travel safely and with confidence.”

The Independent has contacted Southeastern for comment.

Bedbugs are capable of squeezing into narrow gaps in furniture and are also good at hiding in clothing, linen and mattresses. They can be difficult to spot directly but their presence is betrayed by small, dark excrement stains.

In 2023, London mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London were forced to deal with the matter after a suspected infestation following sightings in Paris.

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Picture of the Day

Catch of the day

An egret catches a fish at Sri Lanka's Mannar. AFP/Getty

Fast forward

Red Bull Racing's French driver Isack Hadjar at the qualifying session of the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang. AFP/Getty

Rise and shine

The skyline of the Latvian capital Riga is seen across the Daugava River early in the morning. AFP/Getty

Thanksgiving moves

Women dressed in traditional Oromo costumes dance during the Irreecha celebration, the Oromo people's thanksgiving festival at Hora Finfinnee in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Reuters

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Home news in brief

'Stop it now before it's too late...': Queen's Brian May has issued a warning to Andy Burnham about AI data centres (Getty)

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Queen's May warns Burnham about ‘evil’ AI data

Sir Brian May has urged Andy Burnham to block AI “before it’s too late” and dubbed data centres “a massive evil” that “have to be fought”. The British guitarist, 79, revealed that he designed a Queen immersive experience, similar to ABBA’s virtual concert ABBA Voyage, but wouldn’t move forward with the show until it was possible without AI.

“I have serious misgivings about that,” the musician told The Times. “We all like AI. It helps us write emails. It’s even saved a few lives. But the harm it is bringing to the world is immense,” he said.

May shared that he’d even nixed a video for his recent song, “My Angels Are Calling”, after its directors admitted they’d used AI to create it. “AI would have stolen the angels from some artist, so they had to go,” the guitarist said of his choice to shut down the video. “We’re facing a moral dilemma: you can’t hide from this thing, but it’s turning us into a very different civilisation and personally I’m terrified. These tech billionaires do not have our interests at heart.”

Last month, the government rejected calls for a so-called “kill switch” to protect against an attack from rogue artificial intelligence. The position came amid escalating alarms over technological risks, including warnings from experts that the technology could wipe out humanity within the decade.

Long, hot UK summers mean ticks living longer

Recent heatwaves are allowing disease-carrying ticks to survive for longer periods in the UK, a specialist has warned. In the past, temperatures were too cool to enable hyalomma ticks to reach full maturity. Dr Jolyon Medlock, head of medical entomology at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), noted that although cases remain rare, public health authorities are “starting to pick up a bit more”.

The hyalomma tick serves as the primary vector for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a condition that can prove severe and life-threatening. These parasites occasionally enter the UK by attaching themselves to birds migrating from Africa and the Mediterranean during their nymph stage.

At this intermediate point in their development, the ticks are approximately the size of a poppy seed. They transition to adulthood through moulting, a phase where they cast off their hard outer layer.

Dr Medlock said: “They would normally come in on migratory birds as a nymph, and then fall off, and they wouldn’t be able to moult. It’s not warm enough. What we’re seeing now in heatwave years is that they can moult through to the adult stage, and we then could be able to pick up records of adults through our tick surveillance.”

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Prince to unveil UK extreme weather plan

A new national scheme designed to help local communities prepare for extreme weather and crisis situations will be launched in Somerset by the Prince of Wales. On Tuesday, William will travel to Ilminster to observe collaborative work between local residents, emergency services, businesses and volunteers as they address threats including flooding and wildfires.

During the visit, the Prince will unveil Ready Together, a project created by the National Emergencies Trust to offer actionable guidance to UK communities facing unexpected crises. Serving as patron of the trust, William will join young people and volunteers participating in a training exercise involving a series of simulated emergency scenarios.

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: “Research has shown that people are very willing to help in an emergency, including to support their neighbours during a crisis. At the same time, far fewer feel their communities have the structures and plans in place to respond effectively. Ready Together seeks to bridge that gap by turning goodwill into practical preparedness.”

William will also meet members of the Ilminster Resilience Group, which supported residents through severe flooding, and visit Sweet Surprise, a cafe providing opportunities for adults with learning disabilities. PA

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Rajan played ‘wrong game’ after Traitors exit

Broadcaster Amol Rajan has reflected on his short-lived stint on the new series of The Celebrity Traitors, conceding that he played “the wrong game” after becoming the debut participant to be murdered on the show. The 43-year-old was targeted during Friday’s episode of the BBC reality show by secret traitors, actor Richard E Grant and TV presenter Maya Jama. Meanwhile, comedian James Acaster was brought in as the third traitor for the series.

During Thursday's broadcast, Rajan and Acaster had met Grant and Jama to argue why they should be recruited rather than eliminated. Appearing on spin-off show The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked on Friday, Rajan said: “It’s hard not to watch it and think I, obviously, with 20/20 hindsight, I played the wrong game. That was a crazy, crazy once-in-a-lifetime (opportunity).”

The former Today Show presenter explained that he felt he would have performed well as a traitor if given the chance to switch sides.

He said: “Obviously, I wish I’d been chosen, and I wish I’d been a traitor. I can say, hand on heart, that if I’d been chosen as a traitor in the first, when Maya and Richard were, if I got the nod or the tap at the roundtable, I think it would have thrown me a bit. I’d be like, ‘what am I doing? what’s going on?’, having genuinely spent a day as a faithful, if I’d then been recruited, I think I would have been quite a good traitor because I’d actually known what it was like to be a faithful.” PA

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How ‘Israel’s 9/11’ was averted – as pilot attack motive remains a mystery

Passengers on Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv have been hailed as heroes for preventing disaster. Maira Butt looks at how the midair incident unfolded

Bloodied Flydubai pilots after the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia (Social media)

hen the first reports about a diverted flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv came through on Wednesday, it appeared to have been caused by a tussle between two pilots. Early claims even suggested one was the other Ukrainian.

Russian and the other Ukrainian.

But in the age of social media, the true chaos aboard the Flydubai flight FZ1073 quickly came to light. Footage and images sent from the plane by blood-covered passengers showed them overpowering the co-pilot, who it later emerged was an Omani national.

The plane, a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, was carrying over 170 people when it plunged more than 17,000ft in two minutes as the fight broke out. An emergency alert was sent out and the plane changed course towards Jordan, eventually landing in Saudi Arabia.

Aviation experts told the BBC that the rapid descent led to damage on the plane's rudder, adding that the incident could easily have led to the plane breaking up in mid-air.

Passengers onboard the Flydubai flight revealed what was happening in social media posts (Social media)

Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was identified as the victim of the attack, while his arrested co-pilot was yesterday identified as Hamam al-Hammami by sources cited by CNN and Reuters.

The motive for the incident is still being determined but Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration suggested early on that it was a suspected terror attack.

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‘Blood everywhere’

Nina Manes, a six-year-old girl on her way to the toilet accompanied by her mother, was the first to raise the alarm when the pair heard shouting coming from the cockpit,

prompting cabin crew to rush to the blood-spattered scene.

“There was blood all over the cockpit and very, very sharp fighting moves,” Nina’s mother, Tali Manes, told Israel’s Channel 12.

“I screamed, ‘He’s stabbing the pilot, he’s stabbing the pilot, come help!’ People looked at me and didn’t understand.”

Her husband, Tzvika Manes, said: “The shrieks of my daughters when the plane nose-dived [are still with me]. They said, ‘Dad we don’t want to die.’ [Their cries] were the triggers that caused me to run inside the cockpit.”

The flight had been heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv but was diverted to Saudi Arabia (Flightradar24.com)

One passenger recorded the incident on his phone and later shared the footage to social media. With blood dripping down his face, he declared that the passengers had “subdued the terrorists”. “Whoever is hearing me, we need help,” he added.

Yesterday, UAE prosecutors said Capt Machchhar had been attacked by a “crash axe” – a tool kept in the cockpit in case of emergencies, bypassing stringent security protocols.

Yaniv Hayun, a 50-year-old owner of a sewage plumbing company, was travelling on the plane with his wife and two daughters. In his blood-spattered T-shirt, he was hailed as a hero by Mr Netanyahu who personally thanked him for helping to subdue the attacker and to prevent the plane from crashing.

Along with Tzvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan, he broke into the cockpit to intervene. By mimicking gestures he said he had seen on television, Mr Hayun “grabbed the controls and started pulling back the handles”. He said he had learned the techniques from watching Air Crash Investigation.

Six-year-old Nina Manes played a crucial role in preventing disaster when she asked to go to the toilet at the same time as the attack was taking place (Channel 12)

He said it took 20 to 25 minutes to fully subdue and bind the pilot using cords from headphones linked to the plane's entertainment system.

Mr Hayun was helped by a dentist, Dr Shota Musayev, who administered “life-saving medical treatment” to Capt Machchhar, including treating him for severe wounds to his head and cuts to his fingers. He helped to successfully stop the bleeding and to stabilise his blood pressure before emergency surgery.

All five are expected to receive Israel's Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, president Isaac Herzog said on Thursday.

Both pilots have been transferred to the UAE for further investigations and for medical treatment.

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'Suicidal and indoctrinated'

Mr Netanyahu told Fox News the attacker was “suicidal” and called out to the crew “kill me, kill me” after he was subdued.

Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, tells Indian prime minister Narendra Modi about the ordeal on a video call (Reuters)

“It’s clear he was suicidal, that’s not a question,” he added. The Israeli leader said the attacker had undergone an “Islamist radical indoctrination” and promised to reveal whether he had connections to Iran in the coming days.

The prime minister said those onboard managed to “prevent a 9/11 disaster, because that’s what it looks like was happening”, claiming that the intent may have been to crash the plane.

A regional official familiar with the Flydubai investigation told the Associated Press that investigators in Saudi Arabia were working with authorities from the UAE, US, Oman and Israel, and that “all possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into”.

“Nothing is ruled out for now,” the official said.

Al-Hammami was banned from flying last year over concerns that he had radical ideological views, according to Saudi state media.

Two Israeli security officials said the co-pilot was probably acting alone, according to their initial assessments. He was arrested by Saudi security forces after the plane landed in Tabuk, northwest Saudi Arabia, and was being questioned by investigators.

Benjamin Netanyahu meets Yaniv Hayoun, Or Fradilov, Dr Shota Musayev and his wife Sigalit – the Israeli PM described them as ‘heroes’ for helping prevent disaster (Reuters)

Yesterday, the UAE prosecutor general said that al-Hammami had attempted to carry out a “terrorist” attack, according to the country’s state news agency WAM.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the incident, the motives and any related connections, as well as to examine physical and digital evidence, he added.

Mr Netanyahu said: “It looks very likely that he was going to down the plane. The Islamist tendencies, that radicalisation that are found in his background, I think that’s a pretty good clue.”

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Warnings and questions over security

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Wednesday that politicians had been warned in a national security briefing the night before that Israel’s enemies could attack in the run-up to the country’s elections that are due to take place on 27 October.

A ban on pilots from states without formal relations to Israel was not enforced appropriately, according to a report cited by the Times of Israel.

Assaf Regavim, who filmed the first widely circulated video from inside the cabin (Getty)

Under the law, pilots from nations including Oman, which does not have formal ties with Israel, were banned from flying but airlines and security agencies did not enforce the rule.

Furthermore, Israel's security agency, Shin Bet, had raised concerns about flights from the UAE for months before the

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‘We will not stop’: Students’ message as school protests spread in France

More than 5,000 people have been arrested across the country after student demonstrations about overcrowded classrooms and school conditions turned violent. Jessie Williams reports

A protester throws a traffic sign into a fire as protesting students create a blockade in Brest (AFP/Getty)

rance has been rocked by nationwide student protests that turned violent, with thousands arrested, more than 100 schools damaged, and dozens of teachers injured.

By midday on Friday, the ministry of national education announced that 564 schools had been affected. Dramatic pictures showed fires in the streets, barricaded entrance gates and youths clashing with riot police. At least 400 high schools, roughly one in 10, were closed due to the unrest.

The protests began last week triggered by frustrations over school conditions with peaceful blockades of secondary schools around Paris.

They soon morphed into wider discontent with the government and spread across the country, after France's main union for secondary school students called for a nationwide blockade. University students and other supporters also joined the demonstrations.

High school students speak out on bins and light a smoke torch in front of Jeanne d'Arc high school in Clermont-Ferrand (AFP/Getty)

French interior minister Laurent Nunez told TF1 TV on Friday that police had arrested around 5,000 people, most of them teenagers, since Monday. Justice minister Gerald Darmanin had earlier told RTL radio that parents of those damaging property should pay reparations.

So far 65 school staff have been injured, including 40 headteachers, and there has been significant damage to facilities, with classes now taking place remotely, education minister Edouard Geffray told French media on Friday. More than 300 police officers have also been injured in the chaos.

Students claim there has also been police violence against the protesters, with officers in riot gear using batons and teargas.

In Tours, a city in central France, a 16-year-old student was injured on Wednesday outside his secondary school after being hit in the eye with an LBD-40 – Lanceur de Balles de Défense or Defence Ball Launcher. The controversial riot gun, used by French police, has caused severe injuries at previous protests.

Students in Lyon hold placards reading ‘Education is a right, not something for rich kids’ (AFP/Getty)

Martin, a 19-year-old university student in Tours and member of the student union Federation Syndicale Etudiante, has been taking part in the demonstrations over the past few days. He told The Independent the injured boy was in a “critical state” and that he could be blind for the rest of his life.

"The police have shown an extreme brutality, hitting students and using excessive amounts of teargas," Martin (not his real name) said.

“Apparently high-schoolers are too young to be listened to but old enough to be repressed.

"The situation shows how the government is scared of the movement, they're struggling to contain the anger of the youth and the working class. Despite their best efforts to scare us, we will not stop."

Another student, aged 14, lost multiple teeth and suffered severe facial injuries in Val-d'Oise after being hit in the jaw by a teargas grenade launcher. His mother told newspaper Le Parisien that his mouth had been “torn apart”.

French authorities have opened multiple investigations to examine the accusations of police violence.

Masked students near the Lycee Deodat-de-Severac high school in Toulouse (Reuters)

Amnesty International said the reports of secondary school students being assaulted were “extremely alarming”.

“Many are minors, children. They must be protected, not beaten with batons,” the human rights organisation posted on X (Twitter) on Thursday evening.

“Let’s be clear: since the beginning of the blockades, there have also been acts of violence on the part of certain protesters. They are not acceptable. But even in these situations, including in the event of an arrest, the use of force must remain proportionate.”

The mayor of Tours, Emmanuel Denis, appealed for calm on Thursday and said the student movement's demands are “legitimate”. He also said he was going to meet with their representatives on Friday.

Some parents also support the protests. Vincent Martin joined his daughter outside Helene Boucher high school, in Paris, saying students were "fundamentally right to demand ... better learning conditions".

The Union Syndicale Lyceenne, the student union which orchestrated the blockades, said they want authorities to address the “shortage of teachers and staff, dilapidated high schools, overcrowded classrooms, and overloaded schedules”.

French students clash with police near Lycee Le Corbusier Senior high school in Aubervilliers, Paris (Getty)

Martin said that one particular policy university students are protesting against is a new measure which will see the end of university fee waivers for non-European students.

"The end goal [of the government] is to the increase the fees for all students, because of the lack of budget for universities. The recent governments have been putting less and less money in public services such as schools and universities and hospitals while investing in the army and big companies," he said.

Another university student in Tours, 21-year-old Vinnie, said they are watching their universities “fall apart in real time” due to unrelenting budget cuts.

“What the government should do is very simple,” he said. “Unlock funding. Every year money is being pulled from every public service imaginable, every year everyone in public service is asked to do more with less.”

The education minister claimed on Friday that the student protest movement had been “hijacked” and that teachers had told him that “the people in front of me were not my students”.

A number of schools have been set on fire over the past few days, including the Nelson Mandela high school in Nantes in the west of the country, while staff at Victor Hugo high school in the southern city of Marseille were splashed with petrol as protesters reportedly filled containers.

Police fire teargas towards students during a march in Aubervilliers (Getty)

Justice minister Mr Darmanin has said there is an “active and violent minority” taking part in the protests.

“We’re not entirely sure that they are even high school students themselves,” he told RTL radio. “We have gone from high school student demonstrations to a public order disturbance. When people target buses and set schools on fire, it is no longer simply a protest issue,” he added.

Vinnie says that as with every protest movement there are some casseurs – or vandals – who try to cause destruction, which the students do not want.

“I have personally witnessed on the first day of the protests a small group of young men who were not students bring cardboard to the front of a blocked high school to light it up,” he added.

“They don’t all have the same motivation, some just want to destroy, some think it really is the only way to protest even when the protesters most involved disagree, and some are actually opponents of the movements with goals of destabilising it,” he added.

Martin said he has seen people who aren't students join the movement “because what we're asking for is much larger than just about universities”.

Students have started fires in the middle of streets and schools have been damaged during the unrest across France (Getty)

“We’re calling for a large movement uniting high-schoolers, students and workers, because we must stay strong together, especially against police violence and repression.”

He said they have seen solidarity across all generations, notably from the former gilets jaunes protesters. He said he was looking forward to 17 October, when there is a large demonstration planned by the “yellow vest” group.

Before that there is another big student protest planned for Tuesday. “In the meantime, we’ll keep protesting in the university and beyond,” he added.

The demonstrations come at a tense time for the country as next year's presidential election approaches. The French prime minister and far-right politicians, like Marine Le Pen, presidential candidate for National Rally, have blamed the hard left for igniting the protests, particularly La France Insoumise (LFI) party.

LFI leader and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has attended some of the demonstrations, said he was in favour of non-violent protests, but argued that blaming the left would not solve the issues behind the demonstrations.

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World news in brief

Luke Evans has said he knows ‘several actors’ in Hollywood who have chosen not to be open about their sexuality (Reuters)

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Evans says several Hollywood actors are closeted

Luke Evans has revealed that he knows “several actors” in Hollywood who have chosen to keep their sexuality private. The actor, 47, came out as gay early in his career and acknowledged that it “wasn’t easy” to be one of the few openly gay figures for a long time. Discussing performers who decide against publicising their orientation, Evans noted you “never know what a person has gone through”.

He told The Telegraph: “It wasn’t easy being the only one who was out for quite a long time, doing the level of movies I was doing. And I know of several actors in Hollywood [who chose not to be out]. But you never know what a person has gone through. You don’t know what their family feels or how hard they've fought to get a career in the first place. Of course I can't speak for any of them, and yes it saddens me that there shouldn't be a whole smorgasbord of brilliant gay Hollywood actors, but it's a very insular industry. No one comes up to you and says, 'Oh, by the way, this is how you deal with [coming out]' or whatever it might be. You're on your own."

Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, Evans previously said he struggled to come to terms with his sexuality and decided to leave his home and religion behind at the age of 16 to pursue a career in acting. “There were a lot of bullies in my school, and I was an easy target,” he explained. “I needed to find my identity, and I needed to be independent of my family, find my voice and be a happy, gay teenager.” PA

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Man missing in Nepal floods found after 37 days

One of the 55 Malaysian nationals missing after the devastating Nepal-Tibet floods has finally been found after 37 days and has safely returned home, a group representing the individuals has announced. The group, named Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (Masfih), said on Friday that the missing person – a Chinese Malaysian solo traveller who had gone to Nepal – reported themselves to the Malaysian embassy in Kathmandu.

“For Masfih and the other families, the finding of a safe Malaysian 37 days later is an extremely relieving and meaningful development,” Masfih spokesperson Manivannan Rethinam said in a statement.

The devastating floods, triggered by a Himalayan glacier collapse and avalanche near Langtang Lirung, claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people, with more than 5,000 people still missing in Nepal, with hundreds unaccounted for in neighbouring Tibet and China. The glacial collapse generated energy equivalent to a 5.2-magnitude earthquake, triggering the floods and landslide, according to analysis by the US Geological Survey.

The Malaysian foreign ministry said on 27 August that 55 Malaysians who reported to its embassy in Kathmandu were uncontactable following the floods. After 37 days, one of the 55 missing Malaysians has made their way back home.

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Women given shorts after Oktoberfest upskirting

Women have been provided with cycling shorts at a popular Oktoberfest ride in Germany to prevent them being upskirted after thousands of voyeuristic videos emerged online. The Teufelsrad, or Devil's Wheel, is a rotating ride, which riders sit or lay down on while it spins. The motion means that skirts and dresses sometimes fly up but these instances have been filmed and shared widely online.

Elisabeth Polaczy, 80, who operates the popular attraction, told the BBC that she has been forced to hand out free shorts to women and girls to protect them from people who may be filming in the crowd at the beer festival. She said that at the festival this year, which began on 19 September and ends today, she has handed out more than 100 pairs of the shorts. “I want to do everything I can to make people feel secure,” she said.

The ride is surrounded by signs and police posters warning against filming but she she said that it is impossible to control everyone. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, a Munich-based daily publication, there are at least 32,000 videos of women on the Teufelsrad in circulation and some have apparently been viewed millions of times.

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Trump wants bridge to be named after him

President Donald Trump has added the \$3.2bn Mobile River Bridge and Bayway project in Alabama to a long list of things he'd like named after him. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy "helped break ground on the brand new I-10 corridor and bridge project connecting Mobile and Eastern Shore. All made possible by \$3bn dollars in funding from the Trump administration, and we were proud to do it," Trump said as the crowd at his rally in Mobile roared in excitement on Friday night. "Maybe they'll name the damn bridge after me," Trump said. "I'll be happy."

Duffy announced last month that state authorities would receive a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan of \$2.52bn to pay for most of the project. But the Biden administration also awarded a \$550m grant for the project in July 2024, which was finalised under the Trump administration in May 2025.

“I do want to thank the Trump administration for their role in getting us here,” Representative Shomari Figures, an Alabama Democrat, said on Friday during a groundbreaking ceremony, local outlet ABC 33/40 reported. “But I would be remiss not to thank the Biden administration as well. The Biden administration made a huge investment in this project – \$550m.”

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I never thought I would say it, but Badenoch really could become PM

As the Conservative Party conference opens in Birmingham, Kemi Badenoch's fortunes have been transformed, writes John Rentoul

‘Kemi Badenoch’s personal ratings have improved dramatically, which is one in the eye for people who think that the House of Commons doesn’t matter and that Prime Minister’s Questions is a side show for nerds’ (House of Commons)

This time last year a wise friend predicted that Farage would stumble and that, if the Tories could find a better leader, they would be back in the game. Well, Farage has hit turbulence and the Tories have er leader – she is called Kemi Badenoch.

found a better leader – she is called Kemi Badenoch.

A year ago, most people thought Nigel Farage was going to be prime minister with a big majority. Seat-by-seat projections gave Reform UK a landslide. One of them (Electoral Calculus) suggested that Labour would be the sixth-largest party in the House of Commons with just 30 seats.

The same projections now suggest that, if Andy Burnham does what Badenoch predicts and calls a snap election, Labour would be the largest party in a hung parliament. He would probably continue as prime minister with the support of the Liberal Democrats and possibly a rainbow alliance of smaller parties.

More significantly, two of the four projections based on large samples in September suggest that the Conservatives would win more seats than Reform.

Even though Reform is still more popular than the Tory party, the way votes translate into seats favours the Tories, and Badenoch is much more popular than Farage. Badenoch's personal ratings have improved dramatically, which is one in the eye for people who think that the House of Commons doesn't matter and that Prime Minister's Questions is a side show for nerds.

My view is that she is currently the best performer in the Commons, which gives her MPs confidence, and it reinforces her media performances outside parliament. Focus groups consistently report that voters are impressed by her, sometimes to their own surprise. “She handles herself well at the despatch box and she’s quite amusing,” said one floating voter in one of Michael Ashcroft’s groups last month. “I think she’s quite

steady." (Ashcroft, the Conservative former peer, continues to serve the cause of understanding democracy by publishing, free, the results of his opinion research.)

The Tory fightback against Reform for leadership of the right is one of the conditions for what seemed so unlikely last year – that Badenoch might actually be prime minister one day.

Last year, even those Tory MPs who admired her told me that they thought she was a transitional leader, a “Tory Neil Kinnock”, who might enable the party to survive – and therefore to lay the foundations for someone else to possibly win the election after next. But they recognised that the party itself was in a terrible state and that its brand had suffered long-term damage in the Johnson-Truss period.

What has really changed since last year is that it is possible to see how Badenoch could win the election, which will more probably be in 2028 or 2029. If Farage and Burnham both lose ground, she is most likely to be the winner

My mole in the Tory shires tells me that the party organisation is largely defunct at local level – that in most places the grass roots are as dry and brown as the real grass was across most of the south-east of England this summer. And the party struggles with the fundamental problem that it was so comprehensively rejected at the last election because it had failed on immigration and on so much else.

Every day I get press releases from the Tory party where I just read the headline and say to myself: “But you were in government when that happened.” Yesterday it was: “Conservatives will end the broken sick note system.” Then there was: “Conservatives will build 50,000 new prison places.” There will be several of these every day during the party conference.

These doubts apply with even more force to Badenoch's big changes. To present the Tories as different from what went before, she has repudiated net zero and the European Convention on Human Rights. Her response to the Financial Times, which pointed out that these were Tory government policies until a mere two years ago, was: “The party will be doing what I want to do, because it’s my Conservative Party now.”

I think she has made two big mistakes recently. One was to appoint Andrew Griffith as shadow chancellor – he was too close to the kryptonite meltdown of the Liz Truss disaster. And the other was to oppose Andy Burnham’s fiscally responsible “adjustment” to the triple-lock ratchet for uprating the state pension.

But there is time to put those right before the next election, which I do not think will be soon – although she predicted this week that Burnham would “gamble” on an election before Christmas. I assume that this was simply to galvanise her depleted troops.

What has really changed since last year is that it is possible to see how Badenoch could win the election, which will more probably be in 2028 or 2029. If Farage and Burnham both lose ground, she is most likely to be the winner.

Farage has proved himself thin-skinned, erratic and only fitfully capable of leading a united team. His support depends on a single issue, the boats.

Meanwhile, as Burnham is about to discover at the Budget, to govern is to disappoint. He has made a better start than anyone, with the possible exception of himself, expected. But support for prime ministers and governments is always more likely to go down than up.

My point in drawing attention to the state of the opinion polls a year ago is not just to note the rise of Badenoch but to argue that

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Gen Z is burning France's classrooms - such chaos is a gift to Marine Le Pen

Smoke is rising near the Eiffel Tower, and protests that started with complaints about school timetables are spiralling. It’s tailor-made for the far right to exploit, says Emma-Kate Symons

Protests outside schools have spread from Toulouse to Marseille, Lille (above) and Brittany, and into central Paris (AP)

There is no denying the fascination, and almost blasé attitude, the French can have towards violent protest.

I have watched the country's latest mass revolt, this time by high school students, and its sudden lurch into hyper-brutality and arson, with a sinking sense of deja vu. I covered 2005 suburban riots, which caused hundreds of millions of euros of damage, and the 2006 student demonstrations over new employment contracts, which also turned ultra-violent.

Twenty years on, with the Yellow Vests and the 2023 urban riots still fresh, France is stuck in its cycle of colère and lutte (anger and struggle), blockades, burning barricades and cars, and smashed buildings. The same argument comes round from 1789, the Paris Commune and May 1968: is violence legitimate, or even necessary, to force the state to act? For a vocal minority, including some opportunistic politicians, the answer is still, “Oui!”

This time around there is TikTok, cynically leveraged by the extreme-left La France Insoumise (LFI, or France Unsubmissive) of Jean-Luc Mélenchon (think Jeremy Corbyn with more cunning and charisma). The party now accused of insurrection is sending its MPs, in tricolour sashes, straight into the manifs (demos) to egg on the teenagers, alongside revolutionary Trotskyist and, reportedly, Islamist groups. It is a recruitment technique: many of these kids will vote for the first time in next spring's presidential election.

It bears some resemblance to the social media-driven Gen Z wave that has swept Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Indonesia, Serbia and Madagascar, though it could hardly be more French: outside my kids' school, demonstrators consciously imitated Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People.

Within weeks, isolated protests outside suburban schools spread from Toulouse to Marseille, Lille and Brittany, and into central Paris. On Thursday more than 1,200 lycees were disrupted or blocked. Now 400 remain closed. Smoke rose near the Eiffel Tower after arsonists attacked a school in the 15th

arrondissement, and schools have been damaged in the trendy Marais.

Student and teacher grievances are real. School days run past 6pm, classes overflow with 35 or more pupils, absent teachers go unreplaced, and buildings are decrepit

At Louis le Grand, the prestigious selective public high school opposite the Sorbonne where Robespierre studied, I saw a masked student in a Che Guevara T-shirt and a keffiyeh. Banners read “Youth not fascists”, “Our privileges should be rights” and “Macron screw your prof not ours”. At nearby Lycee Montaigne, placards ranged from, “Deal with rapists, not the veil”, to complaints of an “education prison” with days from “8am to 6pm, not even time to masturbate”.

Plenty of these revolutionary student leaders have names like Philemon and Eustache, with fancy CVs and well-connected parents. I am sure they all took the theatre option. Champagne socialism is no insult in France. Be more French: sport a keffiyeh outside your elite school and whine about the smartphone ban.

It is too easy to mock the performative style, but student and teacher grievances are real. School days run past 6pm, classes overflow with 35 or more pupils, absent teachers go unreplaced, buildings are decrepit and staff are badly paid. The issue is who is exploiting it.

LFI's Louis Boyard, the 26-year-old MP and TikTok idol, has toured blockaded schools with a megaphone, filming himself with adoring teenagers as if in a moshpit. LFI parliamentary leader Mathilde Panot did a viral TikTok dance with teen demonstrators. BFMTV's Raphael Grably counts around 10 million views for LFI deputies' school visits.

My colleague Nora Bussigny reported in Le Point on ultra-left and some Islamist-linked networks also feeding the protests, including the RED Jeunes collective, which campaigns on “Islamophobia”.

According to Le Parisien, security services traced the movement to Creteil around September 18 to 19, and after Thursday's emergency meeting the government called it “an operation organised by LFI and its ultra-left proxies”. LFI vehemently denies it.

Some police responses have been repressive. A 14-year-old was seriously injured by a grenade launcher and others have eye injuries. But on Thursday alone, 305 police and gendarmes were hurt and 1,949 people arrested. Sixty-five Education Ministry staff have been injured, including 40 headteachers, and education minister Edouard Geffray says most of them told him their attackers were not their pupils. At Lycee Nelson-Mandela in Nantes, fire destroyed the entrance hall. My own children have no school. A movement demanding better education is depriving children of an education.

Then there is the cult of the blocage. Why not march, or demonstrate outside the Education Ministry? Because barricading the entrance is the performance. “We just want to show our discontent, and the only way, as history has shown, is through violence,” a technological high school student in Le Havre told public radio. “France changed in 1789 with the revolution, and that was violent, because when we talk, when we vote, nothing changes.” Bally Bagayoko, the Saint-Denis mayor and LFI figure, agrees: “Of course it can be legitimate!”

Meanwhile, in Paris's 20th arrondissement, a video shows a group of masked young male thugs chasing a young policewoman, throwing her to the ground and kicking her, screaming “dirty whore” and “kill her”. In Belfort, a plain-clothes officer was beaten around the head until he lost consciousness, and prosecutors have opened an attempted murder inquiry.

Another national mobilisation is planned for Tuesday. I don't see how this does not end up like the Yellow Vests or 2005.

Sadly, it is all tailor-made for Marine Le Pen, who can happily shift the spotlight from the damning antisemitism revelations about her aspiring prime minister Jordan Bardella. Melenchon's youth delivers the chaos, and the extreme right sweeps up the votes.

And the student leaders? Giddy, chanting “The youth screws the National Front” and spouting formulaic diatribes against “Macronists”. What will they say when Le Pen and Melenchon drive a country already teetering on a debt crisis into financial and social collapse? Who will they blame?

I could dust off a report from 10 or 20 years ago, and nobody would notice. Except now it would be a video on TikTok.

Emma-Kate Symons is a Paris-based journalist and columnist

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I'm part of the ‘bedroom generation’ – this is the reason why I never leave

A new study says that a third of 15-year-olds in England barely leave their bedrooms, except to go to school. Laila Manzoor, 15, explains how parents should deal with it

‘For me, the bedroom is a place of safety and control. It is my space, and for teens like me there are not many places that feel truly ours’ (Supplied)

It is four in the afternoon and I am in my bedroom. I have just come home from school and am on my bed with my laptop, watching The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives series 5 while scrolling Instagram

on my phone. In a few hours my mum will ask me to come and eat with my dad and brother, but I will insist she brings dinner to my room, which I will eat while I watch some more Botox-filled reality TV trash. I will spend the rest of my evening in my room, except to have a bath.

I am 15 and this is my life. You might be thinking, “God, what an absolute saddo! What a snowflake,” in which case I have some bad news: it is not just me. A study out last week revealed that a third of 15-year-olds in England say they barely leave their bedrooms except to go to school. The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) found that 23 per cent of 15-year-olds spent at least six waking hours in their bedroom on a typical Saturday or Sunday, and the same proportion spent four hours or more there on a typical school day. That sounds like me and many of my friends. So you are probably wondering why that is.

For me, the bedroom is a place of safety and control. It is my space, and for teens like me there are not many places that feel truly ours. A bedroom is curated. My walls are primrose yellow, tacked with pictures of everything I love and paintings of flowers and mushrooms I did myself last year. The lights are just how I like them, yellow and soft. The air smells of my perfume and woolly jumpers. I don’t have to worry if my clothes are on the floor.

The American writer Rachel Moss has spent 10 years researching girls' bedroom culture. She wrote her doctorate on it and turned it into a book, In the Girls' Room: Essays on Bedroom Culture from the 90s to Now. She argues that girls' bedrooms are where they create culture, not just consume it, and she says: "There are so many demands on our time, and our phones make it feel like we have so much to do. But when I check out, it's really easy to feel like I'm back in my teenage bedroom." I love this quote as it legitimises teenagers' desire to seek comfort in their rooms.

I think another reason we teens stay in our rooms is good old existential fear. When I talk to my friends IRL, all roads lead to the same situation: Is university worth it? Do we commit to trying to live our dream life, or lie back and succumb to the mature and mundane? It’s not nice to be confronted by a crippling reality, so we stay in our rooms, with our multiple devices stimulating our overactive minds with hot takes and Utah mums.

People might assume that if us teens are in our bedrooms we have no friends. That is not true: actually 44 per cent of teenage girls report being in near-constant communication

My parents would like me to come downstairs to eat with them and watch TV with them. I do sometimes, but I also like being alone with my thoughts and consuming media by myself.

It is not just parents who are worried. Tabby Fitzgerald, senior researcher at the CSJ, said: “We are raising a ‘bedroom generation’ of teenagers who leave school, shut the door and disappear to scroll. The consequences can be seen in deteriorating mental health, rising obesity and a generation missing the friendships, independence and resilience that previous generations enjoyed.”

I think Tabby is wrong. For me, it is only because I can spend time in my bedroom that I have the strength to go to school and see friends. Without it I would be too mentally drained. Perhaps that's my neurodivergence, but then again, about 20 per cent of Gen Z is neurodivergent too.

People might assume that if us teens are in our bedrooms we have no friends. That is not true: actually 44 per cent of teenage girls report being in near-constant communication. I am a talker: I can talk my teeth off till the cows go home. I love the art of conversation, balancing banter with philosophical analysis. It is just easier to send TikToks and filtered selfies.

This diluted form of connection works perfectly for us; it's a balance between sincerity and total isolation. The subtext is clear: “Stay filtered, separate and totally non-personal.” Funny cat videos and pouting lips follow that thesis to a T. The other appealing thing about “socialising” on our phones is the control. A call can end; you can “Sorryy have to go” at any point in a message exchange. You can be a kind of puppet master, having five conversations at once.

I do get that staying in your room to the extent that I and my fellow 15-year-olds do isn't exactly ideal. So these are my tips on how to lure your friendly neighbourhood 15-year-old out of their room. Warning: you should proceed with immense caution and expect to be met with hostility, profanity and rolling of eyes.

Start by talking to your teen in their room. Ask about the pictures on their wall and the music they listen to. Don't be invasive, because teenagers need a degree of privacy. But dip a toe into their world, and let them into yours.

Don't try to shame them out of their rooms. That builds resentment and drives them further away. Go at their pace. Find things that you know your teen likes doing. My mum can nearly always get me out of the house by offering to drive me to my favourite charity shop. My dad often gets me out by showing that he is willing to stop his work to go for a walk with me to the park.

It means more than I'll admit when I can see my parents are willing to meet me where I'm at. Fifteen-year-olds are complicated. We don't know whether to see ourselves as

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Pike's botched execution shows the absurdity of America's death penalty

Having represented people on death row for more than 40 years, I have seen enough to know that capital punishment does nothing to make the United States safer, more just or more civilised, says British lawyer Clive Stafford Smith

Christa Pike survived her execution attempt (Tennessee Department of Correction)

Every now and then, America's 27 “executing states” do everyone a favour by illustrating why their practice is both barbaric and utterly pointless.

It might be the state of Georgia, putting the profoundly intellectually disabled Jerome Bowden to death (he did not eat all his final meal, saying he would save the dessert for later). It might be the state of Texas, killing Leonel Herrera, after the Supreme Court told us that merely being innocent would not be a reason to spare him. You have the constitutional right, apparently, to a “fair trial”, but not one that reaches the correct result.

The state of Tennessee followed the pattern, delegitimising capital punishment while trying to execute Christa Pike as midnight loomed on Wednesday.

The run-up was relatively typical, at least since the conservative Supreme Court majority decided to speed the process up. Some of my American colleagues struggled mightily and got a stay from the Sixth Circuit two hours before the execution was to begin. That is traumatic, but not abnormal: as a lawyer working on death penalty cases, I once got a stay 58 seconds before the allotted time.

In Christa's case, the state attorney general appealed, and the Supreme Court predictably voted 6-to-3 to sanction the death penalty, over a despairing dissent by the three liberals.

I have been there, and it leaves one with great empathy for all those involved. I kept tabs on what was happening to Christa until the Supreme Court ruled, but stopped when it all seemed inevitable.

The odds were good that there would be some type of botch, as the executing states are just not very good at killing people. Most of our clients have bad veins, often from when they self-medicated the pain of their childhood abuse away with drugs. Christa was known to have veins that were naturally narrow, and her lawyers had warned everyone that the rather amateur executioners would struggle to insert an IV properly. (Medical

professionals are barred by their Hippocratic oath from taking part.)

Equally, Tennessee uses shoddy drugs. This dates back to when pharmaceutical giant Hospira decided to no longer sell certain drugs, because what they had patented as life-saving medicine was being used to kill people, which was very bad PR for a profit of about 90 cents a vial. The executing states have struggled to find their materiel ever since.

We now wait to hear whether she will pull through, or is she so brain damaged that she no longer understands where she is and why. The most obvious irony is that the prison rushed Christa to the hospital to try to preserve her life, so they can try again to execute her

Some years back, Tennessee bought a batch of drugs from a one-man enterprise in west London. So the pentobarbital used on Christa ran the risk of being defective, even if they could get it into her veins. And so it proved. She was in great pain as the needles were apparently badly set and the drug was not readily absorbed, swelling and burning her arm. By the second dose, she was asleep, but still breathing.

However, this is really a story of absurdity. We now wait to hear whether she will pull through, or is she so brain damaged that she no longer understands where she is and why. The most obvious irony is that the prison rushed Christa to the hospital to try to preserve her life, so they can try again to execute her.

Another incongruity arises from Christa's age. The US Supreme Court has ruled that it would be “cruel and unusual” to execute someone under 18. While the media made out that the murder of Colleen Slemmer was a satanic ritual, it was Christa’s 17-year-old boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, who carved a pentagram on the poor victim's chest. Because Christa was 10 months past her 18th birthday, that qualified her to die.

There is also the issue of whether Christa was the victim of several capital crimes, as well as an author of one. The Supreme Court has ruled that for anyone who did not actually commit murder to face execution would be a disproportionate punishment.

In 2024, the state of Tennessee decided to challenge the Court by making child sexual abuse a death penalty offence. Aged three, Christa was sexually molested over and over; aged 11, it happened some more; this led her, aged 12, to attempt suicide; and, aged 17, she was raped. So according to the Tennessee authorities, Christa has been the victim of multiple offences, most that would now be capital offences. All of this was reported to the authorities at the time, yet nothing was done.

I must admit that, after 42 years doing death cases, I find the arguments made in favour of the death penalty unwise on every level. Colleen's family were promised that, after 32 years of appeals, an execution will make her feel better. But it is never truly a catharsis: the victim's relatives emerge from witnessing the execution with the same trauma or more, and their loved one still dead. Imagine how Colleen's mother feels after this week's farce?

I have myself come out of the death chamber six times, always around midnight, and looked up at the stars. I ask myself a simple question, as I did when, in 1987, the BBC was filming its Fourteen Days in May documentary: did systematically gassing Edward Johnson with Zyklon B really make the world a better, safer and more civilised place? I suspect most people are asking the same thing about Christa's torment.

Clive Stafford Smith is a human rights lawyer and founder of the Justice League

Sport/Football

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England put seven past Croatia to show secret to success under Tuchel

Nations League performance will fuel excitement over what the side is capable of achieving

Jonathan Veal

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[Croatia] England

Kane (8, 53), Bellingham (21), Gordon (39), Saka (45, 68), Rogers (87)

It was officially a behind-closed-doors game as Croatia were punished for their fans' racist behaviour in a 2025 match (Getty)

England produced one of their most dominant performances in recent years as they dismantled Croatia in a stunning 7-0 victory.

Their attacking quality came to the fore in the Nations League clash in Rijeka as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka all made hay.

Kane and Saka both scored twice and got an assist, Bellingham notched one and made two others, while Gordon scored one and created another.

Substitute Morgan Rogers added a late seventh as Thomas Tuchel's side posted a memorable victory.

This was a free-flowing performance that will fuel huge excitement at what this side is capable of achieving with a set of attacking players at the top of their game.

Thomas Tuchel's side hit seven in Rijeka to take a huge step towards Nations League qualification (Reuters)

England have had plenty of high-stakes battles with Croatia over the last eight years, but Slaven Bilic's outfit are now a far cry from the team that made it to the 2018 World Cup final and the semi-finals four years later.

Victory saw England consolidate their position in the top two of Group A3 and another three points against Czechia on Wednesday will put them on the brink of qualifying for March's quarter-finals.

This was officially a behind-closed-doors game as Croatia were punished for their fans' racist behaviour in a 2025 match against France.

But there were over 6,000 schoolchildren in attendance and they had to watch as their country was taught a lesson.

England were in control from the off and went about dismantling their hosts in the opening half.

They opened the scoring in the eighth minute as two of their star players combined brilliantly.

Harry Kane broke the deadlock for England in the eighth minute (Getty)

Bellingham superbly threaded the ball through to Kane and the marksman made no mistake, firing home his 88th international goal after a fine first touch.

Tuchel's side almost doubled their lead straight after as Lewis Hall's through-ball sent Gordon clear, but the in-form Barcelona winger shot straight at Dominik Livakovic.

It was all England and they did make it 2-0 in the 21st minute. They worked the ball out to the right, where Saka's cross found Gordon at the back post. He brought the ball under control and squared it to Bellingham, who converted from close range.

This was irresistible stuff from England and it should have been three soon after, but Gordon missed from close range after Bellingham had tried to repay the favour.

Anthony Gordon kept up his hot streak to make it three for England (Getty)

The third goal came in the 39th minute as Gordon finally got on the scoresheet, heading home Jarell Quansah's cross for a third goal in three games.

A dreadful Croatia should have reduced the deficit after Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic danced past three challenges after Elliot Anderson's slip, but he embarrassingly shot wide from six yards with the goal gaping.

And England rounded off a stunning opening 45 minutes as Saka joined the fun. Gordon and Bellingham combined down the left and the Real Madrid man teed up Saka for another close-range finish to send England into the break 4-0 up.

They needed just seven minutes of the second half to make it five with another picture-book goal.

A patient passing move saw Anderson eventually break the lines after a one-two with Saka and his low cross was converted by a sliding Kane.

Bukayo Saka made it six after another awful Croatia defensive error (PA)

Bellingham could have then brought up the half-dozen when Gordon sent him clear but he stabbed wide.

The sixth did come in the 68th minute as Saka got his second after he intercepted Josip Stanisic's wayward pass then got it back off Kane to fire home.

He should have been celebrating a hat-trick soon after but somehow skied a far-post effort from a yard out.

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Sport news in brief

Ireland's Heimir Hallgrimsson's pre-match press conference was cut short after tempers flared in the room (AP)

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Ireland press conference cut short after clashes

Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson admitted simply “surviving this camp” would feel like a “massive win” on the eve of another controversial Nations League clash with Israel. The Republic’s “home” leg is set to be played behind closed doors in Backa Topola, Serbia today, the second match of a controversial tie which has divided opinion. Hallgrimsson’s pre-match press conference yesterday was cut short after tempers flared in the room.

Asked if reaching seven points with victory today would feel like a success, Hallgrimsson said: “I don’t know how I want to answer that question, if it should come from my heart or as a coach or as a person, or as a leader. Surviving this camp, coming out of it together as one, would be a massive win for me. That is coming from my heart, I think all the challenges that this team has gone through, all the criticism... that would be a big win for me and for this group, for the association, that will be a big, big win if we go through this undamaged.”

The press conference ended shortly after an Israeli journalist asked about the attack onboard a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel earlier this week. The co-pilot of that flight is suspected of stabbing the captain. There was a request from the Irish press officer to keep the line of inquiry to “football questions”, and Hallgrimsson took a question about Finn Azaz’s availability. A different Israeli journalist made claim of racism against the Irish players, an allegation that the Irish press officer said was “completely untrue”, before he ended the press conference as shouting continued.

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India hold off rivals Pakistan to claim Asian Games

India completed a golden double in the Asian Games cricket after the men beat arch-rivals Pakistan by 19 runs in the final in Nisshin. The Twenty20 world champions piled up 211-6, the highest total of the Aichi-Nagoya Games, thanks to half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (61) and Tilak Varma, who smashed 51 not out off 22 balls. Hasan Nawaz's defiant 96 kept Pakistan in the hunt, but they finished on 192-6.

Abhishek raced to a 20-ball fifty after Pakistan opened with spin from both ends, with Saad Masood removed after conceding 24 from his first over. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had hit Masood for two sixes, was caught behind attempting a reverse sweep against Saim Ayub, who celebrated with a rocking-baby gesture. Abhishek struck seven sixes and three fours before Arafat Minhas had him stumped, while Varma's late surge took India past 200. Chasing 212, Pakistan struggled to 76-3 at halfway, with Jasprit Bumrah keeping things tight and Axar Patel removing Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat.

Nawaz kept Pakistan's hopes alive but received little support and fell to the final ball of the match. Earlier, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 63 runs to take bronze. India's women won gold after beating Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final on 22 September. Reuters

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Fury wants Trump to join Joshua ringwalk

Tyson Fury says he will ask US president Donald Trump to walk him to the ring for his British super-fight with Anthony Joshua. Fury and Joshua faced off for the first time on Wednesday after a mostly-cordial launch press conference, which followed the long-awaited announcement of the “Battle of Britain” for 11 December at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Joshua was determined to have the fight held in the UK while Fury took a more neutral stance, with his existing relationship with UFC chief and Zuffa Boxing co-founder Dana White, who was particularly keen to have the fight booked in the US, perhaps playing a factor. Fury has also been a vocal advocate of Trump and made a surprise appearance at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, donning a hat with the slogan “Donald Trump for Prime Minister”. His cageside cameo in July came despite US visa issues stemming from links to alleged Irish crime boss and ex-promoter Daniel Kinahan, which Fury claimed were resolved after a joint effort from Trump and White.

And while it won't be as easy to arrange as a ringwalk at New York's Madison Square Garden, Fury is still keen to get the US president to Wales for fight night. Asked whether he will reach out to Trump over the idea, Fury said: “Definitely. I'll make that offer to my old buddy, old pal, and we'll see if he's available.”

United mark 250th game with win over Liverpool Julia Zigiotti Olme's lob proved enough to earn Manchester United boss Eva Olid a second Women's Super League victory of the season after a 1-0 home win over Liverpool. Zigiotti Olme capitalised on a mistake by Liverpool goalkeeper Khiara Keating and, despite some late pressure from Gareth Taylor's side, United held on to make it back-to-back league wins.

After a shaky start under new head coach Olid, the Spaniard has now masterminded four consecutive victories in all competitions with United unbeaten in five matches. This was United's 250th match since the team reformed in 2018 and Olid watched her side mark the occasion with the breakthrough after six minutes.

It was a moment to forget for England goalkeeper Keating after her pass out from the back was intercepted by Zigiotti Olme, who composed herself and chipped home in superb fashion. Liverpool pushed for a leveller, but United stood strong to move onto seven points in the WSL.

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THE NEW REVIEW

SUNDAY'S NEWS FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, CULTURE AND TELEVISION

The extraordinary

reimagining of

East of Eden

The New Review / First person

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Confessions of a walkaway wife and why divorce doesn't have to mean war

A new drama starring Sienna Miller and Dominic West gets rave reviews but for Jane Green, there is nothing entertaining about lawyers turning up the heat and weaponising money

The new show sees divorce play out as a dramatic device – the truth is much more solemn (Justin Downing/Sky/HBO/New Pictures)

he “tasty” legal drama, War, starring Dominic West and Sienna Miller, landed on Friday on HBO, with wonderful reviews. It seemingly has everything: pretty people, dastardly lawyers and a healthy

amount of subterfuge and brutal underhanded behaviour. But, I'm afraid, as a woman who has been divorced not just once, but twice, I won't be tuning in to watch, however good it may be.

I have lived the reality of discovering that love is more fragile than I was ever led to believe. I know how it can easily tip over

Jane Green: 'As a woman who has been divorced not once, but twice, I won't be tuning in to watch "War", however good it may be' (Supplied)

into animosity. It’s not “juicy” or a great “romp” in any way. It is searingly painful and heart-crushing, no matter how many years go by.

For who would enter into marriage if we truly thought we might end up hating the person who lights our world? It’s impossible to believe it will ever come to that when you walk down the aisle with the person who feels like the person you’ve spent your whole life waiting for. The exhale of relief you feel at finding not just a lover with whom you want to spend the

rest of your days, but your best friend, your “person”.

No more having to walk into parties on your own, dressed up with a forced smile on your face, cloaked in an invisible veil of dread. No more enduring terrible set-ups by well-meaning friends with people you smile politely at over the table as someone wondering how on earth anyone could possibly have thought you might ever, ever, have anything in common.

But then you meet them. “The One”. You sail through those early days, days that feel surreal, like something out of a movie. Of course, it doesn’t last, but that honeymoon period gives way to ease, to comfort, to the gift of truly being known. A wonder at the sheer improbability of finding this person you love also loves you.

But love is always more fragile than we expect. Resentment bides its time, lurking in the dark corners that communication fails to reach. We say yes instead of no, and wonder why we are carrying the bulk of a load that grows ever more heavy with every passing year. We have arguments, the same arguments, over and over.

The new show sees divorce play out as a dramatic device – the truth is much more solemn (Sky)

During my last marriage of 16 years, I asked for change, begged for change, tried ultimatums, tried threats, but I carried on, because this was my person; this was the one I loved, and all the while I did not know that resentment was building into something that would make rupture inevitable.

A recent trend has seen the rise of the walkaway wife. It tends to happen in midlife, often when the children are older, when our roles as mothers have changed, when our entire purpose for the past 18-plus years has changed. We don’t know who we are anymore, and we don’t remember who we used to be. We leave our husbands, men we loved, men we sometimes still love, but men we can no longer live with because we are not our mother’s generation, who had no money of their own, no choices, who believed life would be over if we divorced.

We walk away because we have put up with too many indignities for too many years. Because we didn't understand how

menopause was going to crack us open, that we would undergo a seismic neurological reorganisation where we could no longer sweep everything under the rug, pretend to be okay with all the things we were not okay with, tolerate the intolerable. It isn’t that we don’t love our partners, but that love has come at grave cost to us. It’s a burden that is suddenly made impossible for us to continue carrying.

The women I know who have left their marriages all have some version of the same story. The wise ones understand that it is never their former husband's fault, not entirely. He may have been irresponsible, or childish. He may have been married to his mother, or unfaithful. Perhaps he was an alcoholic, or any myriad of things, but she? She may also have nagged constantly, been perennially critical, cold, withdrawn; she may have shrunk every time he touched her, so he stopped reaching out, and she is relieved; she is so relieved, but oh! How they both miss affection! These ships that pass in the night may not have had sex for years. Years.

But as we walk away, and our marriages break, we do not know how much we can break with it. Divorce brings out the worst in people, particularly when it comes to money, and everything – all of that disappointment, and fear, and anger – is so easily whipped into something bigger, and frothier, and much more profitable, by the lawyers.

Jane: 'It isn't that we don't love our partners, but that love has come at grave cost to us' (Supplied)

Which is the premise of War, which is more focused on the backroom legal drama than perhaps the warring couple. How dirty they fight, how much money can they make, how best they can play the game. But in this game, the only winners are the lawyers.

When I went through my first divorce, after seven years of marriage, we planned a collaborative separation, which was somewhere between mediation (the gentlest approach) and litigation (the most aggressive). This was also in America, where War is set, and my lawyer, who I chose precisely because he seemed gentle and understanding of my wish to avoid conflict, spent our second meeting pointing out my husband's narcissism, clearly trying to whip me into a rage. It was deeply manipulative, and he had no interest in anything collaborative. The more I hated, the more money he would make. I fired him.

My second divorce was via mediation, but outside forces still managed to ramp things up. Every time we reached an agreement, my former husband would come to the table a week later, filled with legalese, moving the goalposts yet again. He deserved more money, he said. He wanted spousal support, and half my book contracts. He had clearly been speaking to people, perhaps friends, maybe lawyers, all of whom led him to believe he deserved so much more than the fifty per cent I had offered.

I have a close friend who is currently at the beginning of a divorce. They separated a month ago, and she still wants to believe they will remain friends. She has a vision of them perhaps even being occasional lovers, meeting for romantic getaways in ancient European cities. There is still love there, as there was for me. But there are already disagreements about money, who is deserving of what, and I haven’t told her that her dream is lovely, but that it will never happen. I haven’t told her of the abject disappointment you feel when you leave someone you love, someone you believe to be a good person, only to watch divorce turn them into an unimaginable version of a person you wouldn’t spend an hour with, let alone years of your life.

But it's this behaviour during the divorce that creates the discord. In War we watch as Miller and West argue over enormous figures, tearing strips out of each other that you wonder if any of it seems worth it at all.

Of course money matters, and it can really matter when you are terrified of being alone, wondering how you are going to get through the next few years. I was the sole breadwinner and provider in my marriages, and both divorces cost me greatly. I am now in my late fifties, happily single, but still cannot ever foresee a time when retirement may be an option. I consider myself lucky that I love working, that new opportunities have presented themselves, that I am fine.

The New Review/In Focus

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PM wants to inspire the working class – but who does that mean now?

Andy Burnham wants to unlock blue-collar aspiration. Dani Payne directs his attention away from graduates and social mobility success stories and to communities that may hold the answer

Say ‘working class’ and people once thought of shipyards, mines, factories, trades. Deindustrialisation changed that (Getty)

e are a country full of working-class aspiration," Andy Burnham told Labour conference this week, promising that his government would "unlock it". But what, exactly, does working class mean in 26?

Ask me if I am working class and I hesitate.

I grew up below the poverty line, was the first in my family to go to university and was a young carer for my mum. Eligible for free school meals throughout my childhood, I would be considered to be from a “lower socioeconomic background” – basically working class, in policy-speak – by almost any measure researchers use.

But I now work in the Westminster bubble, went to Oxbridge, and if you heard me speak, you wouldn't detect much of the West Country twang that has faded from my accent.

My background is the sort that media and politics love: a social mobility success story with a satisfying ending. But it is also precisely why people like me are a terrible proxy for the working class.

For much of modern British history, we have tried to measure class through work. The old Registrar General's Social Class system divided people according to their occupation, and its modern successor still focuses on the work people do and their employment relationship.

Dani Payne: ‘My background is the sort that media and politics love: a social mobility success story with a satisfying ending’ (SMF)

But there is an important distinction between where someone is now and where they came from. Today, researchers trying to measure social class background often ask more about the latter: what did the main earner in your household do when you were 14?

Class can describe both how you grew up and how you live your adult life – and sometimes

those two things can be wildly different. And even then, this only captures part of the picture: as the gap between the top 1 per cent and everyone else grows, accumulated wealth and your assets increasingly shape your economic security and social standing, meaning that occupation alone can obscure deeper inequalities.

The jobs associated with being working class were also once easier to picture. Say “working class” and people thought of shipyards, mines, factories, trades. Deindustrialisation changed that picture. Now, it would be more accurate to think of retail, hospitality, warehouses, childcare and social care – sectors characterised by low pay, low progression and low recognition.

But there is another characteristic many of the people doing these jobs share: many did not go to university.

The current Cabinet is still overwhelmingly graduate: 93 per cent went to university and more than half went to Oxbridge

This increasingly matters. A decade ago, whether someone had a degree told you relatively little about how they would vote. Now, education is more strongly related to vote choice than traditional markers of class such as income or home ownership.

Of course, a degree does not define your class or erase childhood poverty. But having one remains an enormous advantage. Graduates have higher employment rates and earnings and even better health – and those advantages can extend across generations, with young people with graduate parents possessing a greater understanding of the education and labour market.

Which is why I hesitate over my own class identity. I know where I came from, and I know the data well enough to understand that social mobility does not simply erase it. KMPG, for example, found that employees from lower socioeconomic backgrounds took 19 per cent longer to progress in work than their more advantaged Colleagues – a larger gap than found for gender or ethnicity.

But my life now has far more in common with the socially mobile graduate professionals who dominate Westminster than with many people working in modern-day working-class sectors.

No wonder, then, that education has become such a stark voting divide when most of the political class looks like me. We have one of the most state-educated Cabinets this country has ever seen – worth celebrating. But it is too often lazily described as the most “working class” too.

The current Cabinet is still overwhelmingly graduate: 93 per cent went to university and more than half went to Oxbridge. When fewer than half of poorer children pass both English and Maths GCSE, you can start to understand why the “I’m working class too” narrative can fall flat.

The journey from council estate to Oxbridge to Cabinet is remarkable precisely because it is so rare. Politicians who have made it can absolutely have working-class backgrounds, but their adult lives are not representative of or relatable to most working-class people or communities.

“Working class” is not synonymous with “non-graduate”. But if Burnham wants to revive working-class aspiration, the communities where university is not the norm, and the jobs disproportionately done by people without degrees, are where he should start.

Labour has become increasingly successful with people who look a bit like me: socially mobile, university-educated professionals. At the same time, it has struggled to hold many of the non-graduate voters who once formed such a large part of its electoral base.

The New Review/Tech

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AI's threat is far more insidious than human extinction – just ask the Pope

Warnings of a tech-induced apocalypse have been mounting rapidly, writes Anthony Cuthbertson. But it is capable of robbing us of our humanity even if it doesn't end humanity

The pope meets with Emmanuel Macron in Paris last weekend, where he shared stark warnings about AI (AFP/Getty)

fter decades of speculation about what could go wrong with artificial intelligence, it has taken just a few months to find out. Since OpenAI revealed in July that one of its models had gone rogue and

attacked another company, there have been hundreds of incidents involving frontier AI agents breaking into government systems, committing crimes, and creating viruses that do not exist in nature.

And according to those developing the technology, things could get much worse very quickly. There has been a surge of warnings from tech leaders about AI's existential threat after former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon warned that “things could be out of control” by next year, and humans could be extinct by the end of the decade.

But amid all the hyperbole and conjecture, there is an equally real threat that the technology poses that has been sidelined. An unlikely voice in the form of Pope Leo XIV has been sounding the alarm about AI's existential threat, though not in the sense that it will physically end our species. Instead, he warns that it could permanently strip away the fundamental qualities that make us human.

On Friday, the Pope took to X to tell his followers that “algorithms lack the spark of humanity” and that urgent action is needed to distinguish humans from machines. His words came a week after he appeared at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris to speak on the subject, and four months after he published his 43,000-word encyclical on artificial intelligence.

A humanoid robot dressed as a Buddhist monk attends the Lotus Lantern Festival to celebrate the forthcoming birthday of Buddha at the Jogyesa Temple in May, in South Korea (Getty)

In a speech delivered in the cadence and sombre severity of a sermon, he told Unesco attendees of a coming age where humans survive physically but lose all agency, purpose, moral responsibility and authentic connection as a result of technological advances.

The future he is speaking of is not too dissimilar to the human blobs in the movie WALL-E. With all of their physical and economic needs met, people are reduced to a life as comfortable and easy as a passive pet, while machines provide all the means of production and perform all thought, art and moral discernment.

“Over the centuries, many tasks once performed by human beings have been entrusted to machines whose capabilities and applications have continued to expand,” the Pope said in his speech at UNESCO. “More recently, certain artificial systems have even been given the name of our human faculty of thought: intelligence. At the same time, however, our ideas and

relationships risk being impoverished by a process of dehumanisation. The paradox has become increasingly evident."

He also warned of a “paradise of machines”, referring to to French author Georges Bernanos’s 1947 essay France against the robots. The essay explored the shift from humans using tools, which are extensions of us, to machines, which seek to replace us.

"The technical civilisation is preparing a formidable trap for man," Bernanos wrote. "Under the name of progress, it promises a golden age, a paradise of machines, but it actually leads to a world where human liberty is completely regulated, measured and standardised."

The Pope has joined a growing number of AI experts and leaders in calling for a reset in our approach to artificial intelligence, though not everyone agrees with this assessment.

Tech billionaire and AI investor Peter Thiel said last week that the Pope's calls to slow down AI development made him a “useful idiot” for the Chinese Communist Party. “China is not going to listen to the Pope,” he said in an interview. “There’s a chance people in the US will, and so in effect, the Pope’s encyclical was working for the Communist party.”

But although it may feel incongruous to listen to a man whose beliefs are based on ancient religious scripture, Pope Leo XIV offers a rare voice that is not swayed by financial or political gain.

Will Jones, who leads the religious outreach efforts at the non-profit tech advocacy group Future of Life Institute, says the Pope provides the “moral leadership so needed in an age when a handful of technology corporations race to replace humans in work, relationships and decision-making.”

In his encyclical, the Pope wrote: “Humanity — in all its grandeur and woundedness — must never be replaced or

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Doubters be damned, East of Eden has done something extraordinary

Seven decades after her grandfather adapted John Steinbeck's classic novel for the screen, Zoe Kazan has remade ‘East of Eden’ as a streaming miniseries. It’s an undertaking that’s had to overcome a fair amount of scrutiny, writes Louis Chilton

Florence Pugh as the sharp-edged Cathy Ames in Zoe Kazan's lush 'East of Eden' (Netflix)

ow fitting it is that Netflix's new adaptation of East of Eden – John Steinbeck's bible-inspired story of generational sin and inherited trauma in turn-of-the-20th-century California – has its own

genealogical baggage to wrestle with. The 1952 novel has been adapted for the screen by Zoe Kazan, the actor and writer known for roles in films like The Big Sick and Revolutionary Road. She's also, relevantly, known for being the granddaughter of Elia Kazan, the filmmaker behind a certain mid-century classic, the 1955 East of Eden film adaptation.

Well received at the time, and venerated by many still today, Elia's East of Eden was an exercise in ruthless narrative streamlining. Steinbeck's tome had been a big, popularity-reviving success, but it was too long and unwieldy to work as a film. Focusing on the feuding brothers Adam and Charles Trask, Steinbeck spent much of the first half of the book riffing on Cain and Abel. In the latter parts, he repeats this riff with the next generation – Adam's children, Aaron and Cal. But the 1955 film adaptation threw away the first three-quarters of the novel, picking up when Adam's children are already adults. It wasn't just shortened but slimmed: many of the plot strands and side characters were discarded, leaving in their stead a clear, single protagonist – the morally fallible Cal, played by recalcitrant heartthrob James Dean.

A key reason for the film's enduring reputation is doubtless the mystique and star power of Dean, who would die within six months of East of Eden's release. I'd struggle for an alternative explanation, because Elia's film is otherwise an unconvincing piece of work – flawed as a standalone film and inadequate as an adaptation of Steinbeck's novel. While Zoe Kazan has spoken highly of her grandfather's film, her new TV adaptation, spread over a seven-episode miniseries, seeks to be a far more faithful interpretation of the source material. And it is: the book's first storyline, involving Adam (Girls' Christopher Abbott) and

Charles (Challengers' Mike Faist), plays out in brutal, nuanced colour, pivoting to Adam's sons only in later episodes. Lee, the Chinese housekeeper and biblical scholar who serves as the book's moral core, is given the attention he deserves (having been excised from the film entirely), played with rare warmth and pathos by Your Friends & Neighbours' Hoon Lee.

There is a lush American handsomeness to this East of Eden, undercut by an atmosphere of sober morality. It is sad and contemplative in a way that the film was unable to be. Most important of all may be Cathy Ames, the woman who marries Adam and bears twin children before fleeing and reinventing herself as a murderous bordello owner. (She was only a minor character in the film, seen towards the bitter end of her life – Jo Van Fleet nonetheless won an Oscar for her performance.) It’s an incredible role, a woman who indulges the absolute depths of human evil but is possessed of an incredible sense of agency, and a warped but stubborn set of principles. It would be easy to impose modern feminist thought onto a character like Cathy, whose malice is born of childhood abuse; to paint her as a woman kicking back at a world that never missed an opportunity to kick her first. While there are shades of this in Zoe’s take on the character, she leaves Cathy’s sharpest edges unblunted.

In the run-up to East of Eden's release, certain parts of the internet seemed to have their knives out over exactly this issue. In an interview with The Atlantic, Pugh stated that she wanted to avoid making Cathy a “monster”, and wanted viewers to “sympathise” with her. Some argued that this was a betrayal of the book, and that Pugh and Kazan had misunderstood Steinbeck’s text. (Responding to the discourse, Kazan shared a quote from the novel itself, in which Steinbeck seems to endorse a more nuanced reading: “When I said Cathy was a monster it seemed to me that it was so. Now I have bent nose with a glass over the small print of her and reread the footnotes, and I wonder if it was true.”) Kazan’s comprehension of the text was

called into question again, when she stated in an interview that the book was riffing on the story of Adam and Eve – prompting people to suggest she had got the book’s biblical influences mixed up. (She was objectively in the right: Steinbeck did incorporate many elements of Genesis, not just Cain and Abel.)

Why, then, has there been so much bad faith in the anticipation of East of Eden? Kazan has proven her value at literary adaptations before – she wrote the screenplay for 2018’s Wildlife, doing a fine job of transferring Richard Ford’s novel to the screen. And here, she has taken a staunchly traditionalist approach – this is a classically handsome, well made, well-acted period piece, with none of the loopy, crowd-baiting flourishes of, say, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights.

Mike Faist as Charles Trask, Christopher Abbott as Adam Trask, and Pugh's Cathy (Netflix)

It may be that there's an element of sexism to it, or perhaps something specific to Kazan. It's true that she has faced criticism for years over her lineage – both for the usual “nepo baby” arguments, and tangentially for Elia's decision to “name names” during the McCarthy era. It is hard to say what accountability

could reasonably be expected from the granddaughter of a man long dead, for transgressions now over 75 years in the past, but look around on socials, and it's still a cudgel that people seem to readily wield against her.

I suspect, now that East of Eden is actually released, that the dissenting voices will be drowned out: in most every regard, the miniseries is a resounding success. (In a four-star write-up for The Independent, Nick Hilton described the series as a “reverent, traditional adaptation of one of America’s great novels”, and “slow, poetic television-making”.) Pugh in particular is brilliant, shaking off the last few years of forgettable project choices (and a recurrent role in the Marvel universe) to re-stake her claim for the best actor of a generation. She nails the big moments here, the biblical melodrama of it all – but is, crucially, just as compelling in the minutiae.

Her best sequence in the series is one without dialogue: when Cathy, drunk and treacherous, first begins to turn on her doting mother-figure madam, we are shown it through a camera holding on her face – a grand moral tragedy told in micro-expression. Faist and Lee, though, are just as good, the former utterly unrecognisable from the plain tennis-star dweeb he played Challengers, or the tragic, wiry Riff in Stephen Spielberg’s West Side Story.

And it's all the more surprising given that East of Eden is being put out by Netflix: the miniseries is several leagues above anything else the streamer – now inextricably associated with the word “slop” – has produced in months, perhaps even years. For Steinbeck purists, it'll still fall short of his beautiful, expansive novel. But what a delight it is to see this story finally told properly on screen.

'East of Eden' is streaming now on Netflix

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What to read this month, including a tour of London's lavish restaurants

What happens when someone in your family commits an earth-shatteringly evil deed? That question and more are answered in Martin Chilton's favourite new book releases for October

Martin Chilton selects his three books to read this month (The Independent)

K Chesterton said that when people lose their faith, they don't believe in nothing: they believe in anything. In Malcolm Gaskill's enlightening Worlds of Fear and Wonder: Living with the Supernatural,

Past and Present (Profile Books/London Review of Books), the author looks at the secrets of the “unseen”, from medieval miracles to the visions of First World War soldiers. His “afterword” takes on the 21st century, a time in which mediums are on the rise in post-Soviet Russia and “fear of Satan” is spreading throughout Catholic regions of Europe. One in five Germans still believe in “malefic witchcraft”, Gaskill, professor of early modern history at UEA, notes.

I like wine (though not in a witch's brew) and Kathleen Burke's thoughtful, detailed Wine: A Global History (Profile), contains high praise from the London University professor for British sparkling wines, including some made in Cornwall. She records that land in the French Champagne region can sell for £1m an acre. Fields are cheaper in the similarly chalky soil areas of Kent, west Sussex and Dorset, and English vineyards are now staffed by well-trained winemakers. “English sparkling wines regularly surpass champagnes in international competitions,” Burke states. Sip, sip, hooray.

October brings a plethora of impressive novels by female authors, including Elif Shafak's In One Brief Moment All Eternity (Viking); Audrey Niffenegger's Life Out of Order (Jonathan Cape), a sequel to The Time Traveler's Wife; Bonnie Garmus's Peck & Peck (Manilla Press); and Roisin Maguire's Snow Birds (Serpent's Tail).

Finally, novelist and Booker Prize judge Patricia Lockwood returns to poetry with Agate Head / Stone Soup (Bloomsbury Circus), which includes the striking poem “Jane Austen Fastest 147”, written partly in praise of “genius” snooker player Ronnie

O'Sullivan and why it's understandable to “love him like the underside of a lip”.

The novel, non-fiction book and memoir of the month are reviewed in full below:

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Non-fiction book of the month: Table Hopping: The Secret History of London Restaurants by Dylan Jones ★★★★☆

The Secret History of London Restaurants: from Langan's Brasserie to the Wolseley Table Hopping Dylan Jones

The psychological dramas of the chefs help make Dylan Jones's book a sizzling read (Little Brown)

Table Hopping contains juicy quotes and interviews from more than 200 journalists, chefs, photographers, critics and celebrities, including Ricky Gervais, David Bowie and the late “jazz legend” George Melly, who reminisced about eating in Soho in the post-war era.

Melly and John Chilton's Feetwarmers used to play gigs at Langan's Brasserie in the mid-1970s, in a time when, according to acclaimed photographer David Bailey, “life in London revolved around Langan’s”. This wild, fame-attracting Mayfair restaurant and drinking den, which was financed by actor

Michael Caine, provides the jumping off point for Dylan Jones's supremely entertaining, gossipy book.

Jones, who sampled many great meals during his time in charge of GQ, examines the role that famous diners played in creating a buzz around Langan's, including a bizarre paparazzi shot of Rod Stewart “manhandling” Van Morrison. Look it up; it’s certainly an arresting image. Among the most outrageous stories in the book is one retelling Lou Reed’s fight with Bowie in the Chelsea Rendezvous restaurant.

Jones's book functions as a social history of London and its eateries – especially the high-profile customers who frequented the capital's glitzy designer restaurants such as 192 in Notting Hill and a rollicking account of celebrity life in modern Britain, peppered with accounts of drug-taking, sex, violence, and rivalry.

Over 440 pages, Jones takes the reader on a journey through the rise of private members' clubs such as the Groucho; the nouvelle cuisine craze of the 1980s; the rise of the gastropub; the emergence of pop-ups and street food of the 21st century and all the way up to how London has reinvented itself in terms of food in the post-Covid years.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Table Hopping is the psychological dramas of the chefs – and their fragile lives. Food critic Tanya Gold sums it up neatly: “Lots of chefs are angry nutters.” Certainly, it makes for a sizzling read.

'Table Hopping: The Secret History of London Restaurants: from Langan's Brasserie to the Wolseley' by Dylan Jones is published by Constable on 1 October, £30

Biography of the Month: John McGahern: A Writing Life by Frank Shovlin

★★★★☆

JOHN

McGAHERN

A WRITING LIFE

FRANK SHOVLIN

Frank Shovlin deftly pulls together the tales of John McGahern's private life, which he kept shielded from the public during his lifetime (Faber)

John McGahern was the author of short stories, a memoir and novels including The Barracks, The Dark, The Leavetaking and the magnificent Amongst Women. His magical fiction, published between 1963 and 2002, shines with honesty and purity; his biographer Frank Shovlin calls him a “great artist in the high European tradition”.

McGahern, the eldest of seven children, was born in Dublin in 1934. Shovlin, professor of Irish literature at the University of Liverpool, pieces together his bleak childhood. His father, Francis “Frank” McGahern, was a vicious bully and a pedant. There was a “sexual element” to Frank’s treatment of the future writer. McGahern eventually stood up to his old man who once beat one of his daughters senseless with a spade – culminating with teenage John warning him after one attack on his siblings, “do that again and I will tear you apart limb from limb”. Frank cut his son out of his will, but he did not strike the girls again.

McGahern's mother Susan, a sweet and devout schoolteacher, died when he was nine, an “insurmountable tragedy” he never really got over. Shovlin says he was not even permitted to attend his mother's funeral. The sorrow poured out in his fiction, in the despair and the resilience evident in his finest stories. "After enough suffering a kind of iron enters the soul," McGahern said. Shovlin believes that the main problem with McGahern's own 1985 autobiography – starkly titled Memoir – was that "his successes and failures get skipped over... the man remains hidden".

His life was sent into turmoil after the success of his second novel The Dark, published in 1965. Holding a light to clerical abuse, the book was denounced as “pornography” – McGahern thought it was a “spiritual, religious work” – and he was attacked from the pulpit, vilified in the press, dismissed from his teaching post and pushed towards self-imposed exile. He ended up “flat broke” and having to work as a supply primary teacher in Chingford.

Shovlin deftly pulls together the tales of McGahern's private life – his marriages to Finnish theatre director Annikki Laksi and American photographer Madeline Green – which he kept pretty much shielded from the public during his lifetime. Once, pressed on his views about sexuality and love, the Booker shortlisted author told an interviewer his opinions on the subject would not be “any more valid than those of Roy Keane”. One disappointment with A Writing Life is its limited view of McGahren’s role as a largely absent father to Joseph Kelly, the child of a brief relationship with American historian Joan Kelly. McGahern did not meet his son until the boy was 15 and had little contact thereafter.

Otherwise, Shelvin delivers, over 475 pages, a sensitive, respectful and insightful portrait of McGahern, the author. Along the way there are glimpses into his love of football, his political judgements, his friendships and his thoughts on literature. Above all, he respected authors who wrote “honest” work. “I

believe that it is a great achievement for any man to state, even once, a measure of his experience truthfully," said McGahern. He certainly did that.

'John McGahern: A Writing Life' by Frank Shovlin is published by Faber on 8 October, £25

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Novel of the Month: Night of a Thousand Hells by Intan Paramaditha

Set across Indonesia, America and Australia, Intan Paramaditha's novel explores guilt, secrets, betrayal and sibling rivalry (Europa Editions)

What happens when someone in your family commits an “earth-shatteringly evil deed”? The Indonesian author Intan Paramaditha’s Night of a Thousand Hells – translated by Stephen Epstein and Tiffany Tsao – opens with a truly evil act when Annisa, the youngest of three sisters, takes part in a 2018 terrorist attack in Indonesia that leaves 12 dead and 40 injured, including her own two-year-daughter, who perishes in the suicide-murder spree. Annisa’s older sisters, Mutiara and Maya, are left to literally pick up the pieces as they are forced to

confront the haunting, buried truths of their family past and ponder how a relative could destroy her own child. The spectre of their younger sister (who is praised on social media for her “beauty”) casts a long shadow. Annisa is hard to ignore in death not least because “round her ankle hangs a chain of corpses, dangling daintily like charms”, in Paramaditha’s memorably macabre simile.

Set across Indonesia, America and Australia, the novel (which last month was included in the prestigious 2026 National Book Awards longlist for translated literature) explores guilt, secrets, betrayal and sibling rivalry. Paramaditha, a senior lecturer in media and film studies at Macquarie University, Sydney, creates three complex sibling protagonists. They all grew up under the hectoring control of a racist, sexist father, who presided over his three daughters like King Lear. In the novel, he is dying in an ICU unit, completely unaware of the carnage his favourite daughter has instigated. Eldest sister Mutiara, a cat-obsessed medical worker and a devout “bully in a hijab”, has a prickly relationship with Maya, a writer based in New York.

Forcing Mutiara and Maya to confront long-concealed secrets – and the cursed prophecies of their enigmatic grandmother – allows Paramaditha to blend feminism, folklore, Islamic mysticism, and the modern politics of radicalism and violence in a stunning novel that is hard to pigeonhole into any one genre. Into the bold mix, too, comes the treatment of trans people in the modern world. Among the people killed in Annisa and her husband Muhammed’s attack are those attending an Islamic study group for trans women. A friend, and former family servant, says plaintively of those particular victims, “people like us, no one cares if we die”.

Fate is a cruel game of chance in Night of a Thousand Hells, a novel that offers a sharp, eerie portrait of what it's like to be “dragged into the abyss” by a family member’s actions. “Ogres

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TRAVELLER

THIS WEEK'S DIGEST OF EXCEPTIONAL JOURNEYS, UNDER-THE-RADAR DESTINATIONS AND THE HOTTEST HOTELS

A subtropical European island for a shoulder season getaway

Traveller/Feature

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This spooky, romantic Ghent hotel haunt will put a spell on you

Floating candles, secret doors and hallways that ‘smell like spells’ – this bewitching bolthole may have strong hints of Harry Potter, but it’s also undeniably sexy, says Victoria Richards

What more could you ask for from a romantic weekend getaway? (Supplied)

ith a delicious glance at the fairytale gothic spired turrets above us, we stepped into the dark, hushed warmth of a building that both looked – and smelled – like spells. And that, in fact, was exactly

what it was: for the Harry Potter-esque 1898 Porter's House hotel in Ghent has such exquisite attention to detail that it has even curated its own magic-inspired scent diffuser, “Freyr” – an abundance spell, comprising patchouli, amber, vetiver and myrrh.

What it smelled like to me, however, was a love potion. For this boutique, otherworldly experience didn't feel like it was for first-year wizards-in-training, heaving bags of luggage (and brooms) onto platform 9 and 3/4. And while families are welcome (there is a Porter's family suite, complete with terrace, sauna and plunge bath), I personally wouldn't bring my kids along – because this hotel is sexy. The vibes are cozy, luscious honeymoon, perfect for couples who appreciate something darker and more sensuous; the perfect complement to a winter wedding (or, dare I say, Halloween...?).

A 1898 Porter's House double bed – you won't want to get out... (Supplied)

It’s impossible not to feel mysterious (and, I’ll admit, turned on) when surrounded by dark wood and earthy, deep-red hues. Even the hallway doors are, the hotel manager Damien Brunin told me, painted “midnight black”; the housekeeping trolleys specially commissioned to blend in with the rich, heavy curtains, plush carpets, wooden beams and exposed wrought iron structures in the ceiling, which are the same as those on the Eiffel Tower.

Over in the main building that makes up the neighbouring 38-room heritage hotel 1898 The Post, there are secret doors where you must twist a button to open them; an “honesty bar” complete with hidden library, vintage radio and view of the river outside; and a cocktail bar called 1898 The Cobbler (which beats the Leaky Cauldron, hands down).

The Cobbler cocktail bar: who needs the Leaky Cauldron? (Supplied)

There's also an illusory double stairwell that gives you the impression of walking downstairs (yet you find yourself back on the second floor), a relic of the main building's past persona as a post office, and an enormous spiral staircase. "We have already ordered 200 floating candles for this staircase for Halloween," Brunin casually tells me. Hogwarts Great Hall, eat your heart out...

No, much as my kids might have wanted to join me – and are perfectly catered for in the luxury family suites – I’m afraid that my visit to the latest extension to bougie, boutique hotel brand 1898 (the four-roomed, newly-refurbished, heritage townhouse luxury of 1898 Porter’s House, which opened on 1 September) on this occasion is strictly adult-only.

How else to truly and ostentatiously (it's pricey, so pretty much perfect for a special and romantic anniversary weekend treat) enjoy the huge wet room with twin rainforest waterfall showers, and the copper ice plunge bath on a private terrace, where you can shimmy out of your hotel robe and into the water without fear of being overlooked (I did exactly that) armed with a glass or three of Champagne?

Kids are welcome, yet 1898 Porter's House feels like it's for grown-ups. Specifically: grown-ups who, like me, have an affinity for Morticia Addams, Dracula and Bellatrix Lestrange; fans of Harry Potter, certainly – who have all grown up. It's much more “Cursed Child” than “Philosopher’s Stone”, even if the staff (kind, sweet, polite) are on the young side.

For all its Harry Potter charm, it feels like it's for grown-ups (Supplied)

What makes Porter's House so special are the trimmings. Luxury Parisian beauty and cosmetics house Guerlain is known for being discerning – but never more so than with the brands it chooses to partner with. Guerlain usually won't collaborate with more than one hotel per city, Brunin tells me – and it wasn't a surprise to hear that 1898 Porter's House was its choice for Ghent, its bottles strewn carefully throughout the pure marble bathroom suites.

From the hidden tech in the rooms (the only snag we noticed was how difficult it was to find the right light switch), to the fairylights on the terrace; the home-made negronis and manhattans in potion bottles on the antique writing desk; the carefully chosen coffee table books (one on flowers, one on the Queen) that are changed and rotated every month; and the incredible, 80-item “choose your own” breakfast in the comfort of the Cobbler lounge at “The Kitchen”... my real wonder was why I hadn’t been to Ghent before now.

Make a meal of it: An 80-item breakfast feast awaits (Supplied)

After all, it is barely four hours door-to-door from St Pancras via Eurostar, making it the perfect (and perfectly romantic) sustainable travel option. And with some CityCards from Visit Ghent giving us access to a guided boat tour where we saw Ghent the way it must have looked in the 11th century – when it was the second major medieval port after Paris – not to mention some achingly beautiful willow trees (where, legend has it, if you kiss your loved one you’ll be together for a lifetime); plus entry to see the restored Ghent Altarpiece Painting by Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck... well – what more could you really wish for?

If it’s high-end Michelin-starred food, then cracking a wand and yelling “Accio” in the direction of Lys D’Or would definitely do the trick, but for me, the really memorable evening came courtesy of “grapes and plates” natural wine bar Chubby Cheeks. It was one of the best meals of not just my weekend, but possibly my life. A “taste explosion” was how I explained it, breathlessly, to my boyfriend.

That's who I chose to travel with, you see – and I'd advise you do the same. The thing about 1898 Porter's House is that you need to go with someone you love and desire, because love and desire runs through it like day and night (or Lumos and Nox).

If only I could flick my wand and conjure up a Portkey to take me back...

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This Portuguese Hawaii is a perfect shoulder season getaway

Emma Cook found a slice of the Pacific while travelling with her family to the subtropical delight that is Madeira in the North Atlantic

Madeira's beaches are perfectly suited for surfing (Getty/iStock)

“Look ahead and don’t overthink it!” my surf instructor, Ceciliano, instructs as I paddle furiously.

“Show conviction. Crouch. Now stand.” I slide into a warrior position, arms stretched out, navigating the swell. For one glorious second I’m vertical but it’s short-lived – the full force of a wave tips me off balance, spewing me onto the sand seconds later. Needless to say my teenage daughter is much better than me. She skirts the same wave elegantly, effortlessly upright as she reaches the shoreline.

“Come on, mama,” Ceciliano shouts at me. “You can do this. One more time.”

I'm much happier lying on my surfboard, staring at the sweep of sand on Seixal beach. Madeira is often called the Atlantic's Hawaii and it's easy to see why. World-class surfing, volcanic mountains, misty forest walks and subtropical climate give it a Pacific feeling.

Madeira has been compared to Hawaii due to its volcanic landscapes (Getty/iStock)

Madeira's location helps to explain why it feels less like a European island and more like a long-haul destination. Closer to Morocco than mainland Portugal, it sits on the African tectonic plate.

“Every American that flies here says the same thing,” says our taxi driver on the way to the capital, Funchal. “It’s just like Hawaii. Either that or Rio de Janeiro.”

We lounge on the terrace of our hotel admiring the view – a spectacular sweep of lush emerald hills surrounded by ocean. Tearing ourselves away, we head to the harbour to pick up a boat and venture out into the swell of the late afternoon. Madeira may not match the diversity of Hawaii's coral reefs but, thanks to an exceptionally deep sea close to shore, it's in the same league for whale and dolphin spotting.

We skim the waves in our speedboat and within half an hour, we've made our first sighting: the tell-tale “footprints” of Bryde's whales circling for fish. When they feed close to the surface, we can only see part of their bodies – a blowhole here, a dorsal fin there – so it's difficult to get a sense of their true size.

Below the water, these warm-water tropical whales are huge, growing up to 15 metres long, or the size of a large bus. Nearby are pods of bottlenose dolphins. We head back close to the coastline, past the pretty fishing village Camara de Lobos Bay, which Winston Churchill painted during a visit in 1950. Back at the hotel, we tuck into red snapper risotto at their rooftop restaurant and enjoy a dip in the pool.

The next morning, to really experience Madeira's wild side, we meet our guide, Renaldo, for a Jeep tour. Leaving Funchal behind us and heading northwest, we zigzag up a series of narrow inclines too steep for a normal car, surrounded by banana plantations and vertiginous drops into the sea.

“You can plant literally everything here and it will grow thanks to the volcanic soil,” says Renaldo, pointing out mimosa, palms, papayas, passion fruit, mangos and avocados.

Fanal forest is particularly atmospheric (Getty/iStock)

Our next stop is Fanal, a mystical laurel forest on the Paul da Serra plateau. Some of its ancient trees are up to 800 years old. One of the stranger sights is seeing cows roaming freely, as farmers bring their cattle here to graze. As we climb higher, a bank of white cloud settles above us, known as Madeira's second ocean.

It feels eerie and remote, and yet less than 90 minutes later, we're back in Funchal at the buzzy Three House restaurant, overlooking the harbour. You can sit at the bar as they prepare dishes in their open kitchen. Black scabbard fish and banana guacamole is a highlight, as is their Basque cheesecake.

On our final day, we get a sense of Madeira's history while hiking the Levada do Rei on the island's northeastern side. Levadas are narrow aqueducts, first built in the 15th century to irrigate the sugar cane and vines, and are unique to the island. Many of them pass through Laurissilva, a subtropical forest that dates back millions of years.

Levada walkways are structures unique to the island (Getty/iStock)

As we climb higher, it feels like a land that time forgot – sunlight glints through the dense canopy above; looping vines, giant ferns and moss drip with humidity and, briefly, we’re soaked as we follow the levada under a cascading waterfall. Eventually the path leads us to Ribeiro Bonito, a ravine deep in the forest where we stop for lunch.

As we retrace our steps back home, our guide tells us how thousands of Madeirans travelled to Hawaii in the 19th century to work on its expanding sugar plantations. Maybe they were drawn to how similar the surroundings were, she says. In which case, comparing Madeira to Hawaii isn't as fanciful as it sounds.

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How to do it

Numerous airlines fly from Britain to Funchal, including Jet2 from Manchester and British Airways from London Gatwick.

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Where to stay

The Vine Hotel in Funchal is a contemporary design hotel in the centre of town with a rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar, and

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Don't overlook this West African jewel

On a twin-city break in Cotonou and Ouidah, Phil Thomas learns about Benin's fascinating history including its slave trade links, its voodoo belief system, and art that looks towards a brighter future

Forward looking: Phil Thomas at Marina Boulev'art in Cotonou, Benin (Phil Thomas)

f all the things I expected to find in Benin, a 30-foot spaceman wasn't on my list. He stares back at me against a riot of colour, looking almost as surprised to see me as I am him.

The mural is part of Africa's largest street art wall, the Marina Boulev'art, in Benin's largest city, Cotonou. Unveiled in 2024, currently there are depictions of Benin's history and ambitions for the future from 40 local and diaspora artists. It's nearly a kilometre long and continues to grow with serious, satirical and playful creations. One mural shows locals embracing across

religious divides; another splits an ancient mask open to reveal the serene face of a teenage girl.

A mural shows an ancient mask splitting open to reveal a teenage girl at Marina Boulev'art (Phil Thomas)

Wedged between regional heavyweights Ghana and Nigeria, Benin remains overlooked by many international travellers, despite recent heavy investment in tourism and cultural projects. But this torch-shaped country packs an outsized cultural and historic punch.

Standing at nearly 17 metres tall, the “Door of No Return” in Ouidah, an hour’s drive west from Cotonou, symbolises the darkest chapter of Benin’s history. Millions of Africans were forced onto slave ships from this coastline. The Rue des Esclaves from Ouidah to the coast was the best-preserved thoroughfare in the whole region, built to speed the final journey of captives towards the ships.

Our guide from Mowoki Tours, Essodong, explains that many captives never even reached the ships, with those deemed too weak to survive the journey murdered by their captors prior to transit, or taking their own lives at the sight of the Atlantic.

The Door of No Return memorial arch in Ouidah (Phil Thomas)

Carved into the arch of the door are haunting figures of chained captives walking towards the Atlantic, away from the “Tree of Forgetfulness”. In Vodun tradition, captives circled this tree before departure, symbolically severing ties with their homeland.

Standing here on a calm morning, little is needed to imagine the corrosive agony of such a place and the horrors those who were brought here endured. Benin still wrestles openly with this dark history. The country abandoned the name Dahomey – the name of the pre-colonial kingdom – in 1975, partly because of the kingdom’s central role in supplying slaves to European traders.

Ouidah's other principal attraction draws on the same spirituality as the Tree of Forgetfulness. Confounding the Western stereotype of curses and pin-filled dolls, Vodun is a vibrant, living belief system and an official religion of Benin.

Boatmen in the lake village of Ganvie prepare to ferry commuters to the mainland back home (Phil Thomas)

A few miles from the Door of No Return, in the centre of Ouidah, lies the Python Temple, where the resident snakes are sacred, believed to provide a bridge between the living and the gods. It welcomes visitors, who are permitted to handle the snakes, and demystifies the cliches many have of the religion.

The Temple faces the city's early 20th-century basilica. Unlike other countries in the region, Benin's spiritual prism is decidedly flexible. Many inhabitants combine traditional practices with a sprinkling of Catholicism; attending Mass on a Sunday, leaving an offering at the Vodun temple on their way home.

“Best to leave nothing to chance,” Essodong explains with a grin.

25,000 people live, work and socialise in buildings hoisted on stilts above Lake Nokoué (Phil Thomas)

Proximity of sacred spaces creates occupational hazards, with priests finding the odd python slithering among the pews. Rather than eliciting screams, a python in your house is considered a good omen in Vodun tradition. They're calmly returned to the temple, as if they were forgotten items of clothing.

The final stop on our Beninese road trip begins precisely where the road runs out.

Ganvié is often dubbed the Venice of Africa, but it really should be beyond lazy comparisons. Some 25,000 people live, work and socialise in buildings hoisted on stilts above Lake Nokoué, which is separated from the Atlantic by a narrow sandbar occupied by the city of Cotonou.

Like so much in Benin, its origins link to the slave trade, but here with a tale of defiance and resistance. In a desperate escape from local slavers, the Tofinou people fled to the banks of Lake Nokoué. According to legend, they were carried across the water on the back of a giant crocodile, which remains the symbol of the town. Appropriately, Ganvié translates as “we survived”.

At first glance, the houses on stilts look fragile, as though a stiff gust might scatter them across the lake. Up close, they feel reassuringly solid, as they'd need to be after sheltering generations of Ganvié residents for four centuries.

In the late afternoon light, Lake Nokoué glitters like liquid silver. Commuter boats, as packed as any rush hour subway, criss-cross the water while women in bright headwraps steer pirogues stacked with blue fuel containers. Most striking are the children, some barely five years old, paddling confidently and casting fishing nets with practised ease.

Boys break off from their fishing to wave, crying out “yovo, yovo” (the ubiquitous word for “white person”), followed by a flurry of words in Tofinu, the local language.

Essodong explains they're inviting us to join them in their fishing expedition. When we demur, commenting on lack of experience, he laughs.

A 30-metre high bronze tribute to the Dahomey Amazons in Cotonou (Phil Thomas)

“Oh they know you’d be useless, but having a yovo on board is said to bring good fortune.”

I suppose it's more practical than finding a python.

Ganvié's future is fragile. Pollution, overfishing and invasive water hyacinths threaten the lake ecosystem, although locals weave the choking plants into baskets and mats, repurposing what the lake provides as they have for centuries. Many hope increased tourism can fund infrastructure improvements and create enough opportunity to slow the steady drift of young people to the mainland.

Back in Cotonou, darkness falls like a portcullis as we reach the end of the Marina Boulev'art. It's far from quiet, with zems (motorcycle taxis, whose name delightfully translates as “get me there fast”) whizzing in and out of gaps in the traffic, drivers wearing yellow vests like a hive of overactive bees.

Nearby stands a 30-metre high bronze tribute to the Dahomey Amazons, the elite all-female military regiment that astonished 19th-century European visitors. Now the second tallest statue in Africa, it symbolises the pivotal role of women in Beninese history.

It's become a focal point of a country that's a whirl of colourful motion, and is looking to a confident future without losing its grip on its complex history. Groups of schoolchildren climb onto the plinth and couples take selfies in front of their heroine who is both new and old simultaneously. Although this one isn't wearing a spacesuit.

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How to do it

Return flights to from the UK to Cotonou start at £650 with Air France, with one connection, usually in Paris.

E-visas to Benin can be obtained at evisa.bj (£43 for single entry) and should be applied for at least seven days prior to travel.

Boats to Ganvié by taxi or zem can be booked on ride-hailing app Gozem.

For longer tours to Benin, and multi-country visits, booking through a specialist agency is recommended. Mowoki Tours,