banned

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hedda Felin, boss of the Norwegian firm, has raised concerns about the rapid growth of the cruise industry and has issued a warning of what could happen if changes aren’t made

The cruise industry has to change or it faces being banned out of existence, the CEO of Hurtigruten has warned.

Hedda Felin, boss of the Norwegian firm, has raised concerns about the rapid growth of the cruise industry in an interview with the Mirror. She says more must be demanded of passengers visiting ports, while calling for dirty fuels to be scrapped to ease the significant environmental impact of the industry.

Hedda is particularly worried about the size of cruise ships and the burden their vast numbers of passengers are placing on coastal towns. If restrictions are not put in, anti-cruise ship protests such as those that have broken out in Barcelona and Venice will spread, she predicts.

“I am very concerned about the future. Local communities will react (if we don’t act). We will see more ‘cruise ships go home’ mentality. There will be no future if you don’t leave behind more than you take,” Hedda said.

OPINION

Milo Boyd

OPINION

Milo Boyd

Hedda spoke to the Mirror at a moment of unprecedented growth in the cruise industry. This year, the world’s largest cruise ship set sail after the industry brought in just shy of $80 billion in a year. That figure will hit $171 billion by 2035, according to one study.

Norway, where Hurtigruten is based, has seen a 70% increase in cruise traffic since 2019 – growth that Hedda calls “kind of overwhelming”.

“I am concerned, I am worried for Norway. It is a long coast, but it has small communities. The communities are overwhelmed by the size of the cruise and the number of visits every day. Local communities are more and more skeptical. 5,000 passengers are trying to fit into villages of 300 people.”

A major gripe among those living and working in busy cruise ship ports is how little passengers spend. Often they visit for a short period of time, see the public sights and then return to their all-inclusive ship.

“We (Norwegians) as a nation demand too little of the visitors and how much they leave behind. There are so many things you could do easily. We could ban heavy oil fuel along the coast. (Hurtigruten) banned it 15 years ago. There could be more restrictions on NOx emissions.

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“Hurtigruten has chosen to only use local suppliers. We get the local expertise, as well as quality food and drink. It is possible to impose requirements that, for example, 30% of the supplies must come from the nation you’re visiting.

“We have our own seaweed farm, which we use to make protein for food, soup and socks. It is a huge contrast to all-inclusive, vacuum-packed food.”

Hedda argues that the issue isn’t about growth generally but the wrong kind. Hurtigruten’s fleet has grown from seven to 10 ships over the last two years. In the future, the CEO hopes it can become less environmentally damaging. She also backs size limits on future ships.

“We want to create the world’s most energy-efficient product, as close to zero as possible. We want energy-efficient sails, solar panels powered by the midnight sun. My dream is that it will be ready by 2030,” Hedda said.

“We, clearly, need to restrict and reduce the building and size of new ships. We do not need more of the big cruise ships. They need to be a completely different environmental standard. If we managed that, it can be a good way of travelling. It has to be local value creation. If growth continues, it will be some years and then it will be completely banned. It will meet huge resistance.”

Not everyone is so pessimistic about the future of the cruise industry, however. Jonny Peat, head of cruise for Advantage Travel Partnership, is enthusiastic about the growth predicted for the coming years.

“The most striking number is that less than 3% of the leisure travel market is made up of cruise passengers. We’ve not even scratched the surface.”

Right now, 37 million passengers set sail on cruise ships worldwide each year. By 2028, that will hit 42 million. “Despite the fact that some people think there are too many ships, leisure cruise liners make up 1% of the overall maritime industry. Cruise isn’t going anywhere,” Jonny said.

Both cruise ship size and total number have rocketed in recent years. According to a Transport & Environment report, the number of cruise ships has increased more than twentyfold, from only 21 in 1970 to 515 vessels today.

“Unfortunately, there will always be organisations that seek to pirate our game for potential financial gain.

“They don’t invest in pathways or the development of players. They simply exploit the hard work of others, putting players at risk of financial loss while profiting themselves.

“They are, in reality, counterfeiting a code.”

R360 is co-founded by former England World Cup winner Mike Tindall and backed by private investors.

After the prospective rugby union bans were announced last week, it said it wants to “work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar,” and that all players would be released for international matches.

“History shows that when athletes are offered free choice and given fresh opportunities for them and their families then threats to those sportsmen and women follow,” R360 co-chief executive Mark Spoors said on Wednesday.

“R360 is about empowering players, giving them, rugby lovers and the next generation of fans opportunities and new platforms to enjoy the sport we love.

“We know there is much interest in understanding more about the global series we’re building. We remain on plan and look forward to sharing and discussing the detail in the coming months.”

R360 will seek approval for its plans from World Rugby, rugby union’s governing body, at its council meeting next year.

NEW YORK — A new report on book bans in U.S. schools finds Stephen King as the author most likely to be censored and the country divided between states actively restricting works and those attempting to limit or eliminate bans.

PEN America’s “Banned in the USA,” released Wednesday, tracks more than 6,800 instances of books being temporarily or permanently pulled for the 2024-2025 school year. The new number is down from more than 10,000 in 2023-24, but still far above the levels of a few years ago, when PEN didn’t even see the need to compile a report.

Some 80% of those bans originated in three states that have enacted or attempted to enact laws calling for removal of books deemed objectionable — Florida, Texas and Tennessee. Meanwhile, PEN found little or no instances of removals in several other states, with Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey among those with laws that limit the authority of school and public libraries to pull books.

“It is increasingly a story of two countries,” says Kasey Meehan, director of PEN’s Freedom to Read program and an author of the report. “And it’s not just a story of red states and blue states. In Florida, not all of the school districts responded to the calls for banning books. You can find differences from county to county.”

King’s books were censored 206 times, according to PEN, with “Carrie” and “The Stand” among the 87 of his works affected. The most banned work of any author was Anthony Burgess’ dystopian classic from the 1960s, “A Clockwork Orange,” for which PEN found 23 removals. Other books and authors facing extensive restrictions included Patricia McCormick’s “Sold,” Judy Blume’s “Forever” and Jennifer Niven’s “Breathless,” and numerous works by Sarah J. Maas and Jodi Picoult.

Reasons often cited for pulling a book include LGBTQ+ themes, depictions of race and passages with violence and sexual violence. An ongoing trend that PEN finds has only intensified: Thousands of books were taken off shelves in anticipation of community, political or legal pressure rather than in response to a direct threat.

“This functions as a form of ‘obeying in advance,’” the report reads, “rooted in fear or simply a desire to avoid topics that might be deemed controversial.”

The PEN report comes amid ongoing censorship efforts not just from states and conservative activists but from the federal government. The Department of Education ended an initiative by the Biden administration to investigate the legality of bans and has called the issue a “hoax.” PEN’s numbers include the Department of Defense’s removal of hundreds of books from K-12 school libraries for military families as part of an overall campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and “un-American” thinking.

In Florida, where more than 2,000 books were banned or restricted, a handful of counties were responsible for many of the King removals: Dozens were pulled last year as a part of a review for whether they were in compliance with state laws.

“His books are often removed from shelves when ‘adult’ titles or books with ‘sex content’ are targeted for removal — these prohibitions overwhelmingly ban LGBTQ+ content and books on race, racism, and people of color — but also affect titles like Stephen King’s books,” Meehan says. “Some districts — in being overly cautious or fearful of punishment — will sweep so wide they end up removing Stephen King from access too.”

PEN’s methodology differs from that of the American Library Assn., which also issues annual reports on bans and challenges. PEN’s numbers are much higher in part because the free expression organization counts any books removed or restricted for any length of time, while the library association only counts permanent removals or restrictions.

Both organizations have acknowledged that because they largely rely on media reports and information that they receive directly, their numbers are far from comprehensive.

The PEN report does not include data from Ohio, Oklahoma, Arkansas and other red states because researchers could not find adequate documentation. Meehan said PEN also doesn’t know the full impact of statewide laws.

Italie writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Fla., contributed to this report.

James May joined Christine Lampard on Lorraine on Friday morning as he ‘hit back’ at being banned from former co-star Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog

There’s only two people banned from Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his former Top Gear co host, James May.

The ban was announced at the pub’s opening, with May stating it was “like being banned from the golf club”. May himself has his own pub, The Royal Oak pub, which is around the corner from his home in Wiltshire.

Speaking to Christine Lampard on Lorraine, May made it clear he has no problems with being banned, as he issued a savage response back to his former co-star, who he spent 25 years working alongside.

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“Apparently, and I’ve said before it’s a bit like being banned from a golf club, I wasn’t going to go anyway. I’ve got my own pub which is just around the corner, I’m not going to go 75 miles to his. Especially as mine’s better,” he said as Christine burst into laughter.

The petrolheads have always had a friendly rivalry, and it doesn’t seem to have disappeared after the trio went their separate ways.

However, Clarkson shut down any rumours of a serious feud, previously stating: “We’ve spent more time in each other’s company than our families’ over the last 25 years so I don’t think it would have lasted as long as it did if we’d hated each other as much as James likes to think.”

It’s been a year since the trio went their separate ways, with their final episode of The Grand Tour landing on Amazon Prime.

Reflecting on his time with the two, which began on BBC’s Top Gear, May told Christine: “It did occupy 25 years of my life. I worked at that job longer than I’ve worked at any other.

“That’s almost half of my life, over half of my working life doing that. It is quite remarkable, but it’s gone now and I’m just old!”

With no plans to reunite at the moment, the stars are each taking part in their separate endeavours. James May is currently on his solo tour, Explorers, which comes to the UK next week.

Elsewhere, Jeremy Clarkson is having huge success on the farm, and with his Prime Video show, Clarkson’s Farm.

The show is hugely successful, and just last week Clarkson and the gang picked up an NTA for Factual Entertainment show.

However, he seemed to suffer an awkward wardrobe malfunction when heading up on stage, as his trousers appeared to fall down.

While adjusting his trousers, Clarkson explained: “I should explain I am on mounjaro [antidiabetic medication Tirzepatide] and my trousers are falling down.”

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Fans were prevented from taking Palastine flags into Real Madrid’s stadium on heated night with Marseille fans in Spain.

Spanish police clashed with Marseille fans ahead of the Champions League match between the French club and Real Madrid.

The confrontation began in the Spanish capital on Tuesday, as the fans waited to get into the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium before the game.

Police in riot gear and horse-riding officers used batons to disperse the French supporters as they apparently tried to move out of the spot allocated for them while waiting outside the Bernabeu gates.

A few thousand French fans were expected for the match, and a heavy police presence was in attendance for the game.

The situation was controlled quickly, and the fans entered the stadium in time for the match.

Bernabeu security personnel did not allow fans to enter the stadium with Palestinian flags, enforcing a policy that was in place even before pro-Palestinian protests made headlines for disrupting the Spanish Vuelta cycling race this weekend.

The flags were confiscated from fans who tried to enter with them.

The anti-Israeli government protests disrupted several stages of the three-week-long Vuelta.

Protesters, who demanded that team Israel Premier Tech be expelled from the Grand Tour event, threw barriers onto the road and clashed with police on Sunday to keep the final stage from being completed as originally planned.

Italian media reports that the pair, one of whom is from the UK and one from Romania, were fined £390 each and were ordered by authorities to leave the World Heritage city for 48 hours

A British couple has been kicked out of Venice and fined after they were caught jumping into the Grand Canal, local media has reported.

The 35-year-old man and his 25-year-old Romanian partner, both of whom live in the UK, launched themselves into the famous waterway on the final day of their holiday, it has been reported.

Gondoliers spotted the canal-clad couple and reported them to the police. Italian media reports that the pair were then fined £390 each and were ordered by authorities to leave the World Heritage city for 48 hours.

Security councillor Elisabetta Pesce told Il Gazzettino: “I thank the gondoliers for their cooperation and timely reporting.”

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Swimming in Venice’s 150 canals is strictly prohibited, in large part due to the dangers of the gondolas and motorboats that pass through the water. The floating city is crisscrossed by more than 150 canals and 400 bridges. Many of these were inlets that were turned into canals in the 5th century when inhabitants from the mainland first settled there.

While it might be possible to hop into the drink for a quick dip in one of the smaller waterways on the outskirts of the city, launching yourself into the Grand Canal – or Canalasso, as the locals call it – is going to be a little harder.

The central canal runs for 3km, forming a giant ‘S’ from the Santa Lucia train station to St. Mark’s Square and the beautiful church of Santa Maria della Salute. It’s also a major traffic artery lined with more than 170 buildings, including many of Venice’s architectural landmarks.

Swimming is also prohibited to protect people from pollution. Venice doesn’t have sewage pipes or conduits, as installing them would require raising the entire city by half a meter. While many houses are now equipped with septic tanks, most of the wastewater still ends up in the canals. The tides flush it out into the sea twice a day.

The case has sparked anger from supporters of the action group Venice is not Disneyland. Some locals are demanding higher fines for those who break the swimming rules and a permanent ban from the city for transgressors.

This is not the first time that tourists have been caught jumping into Venice’s canals. In 2023, the mayor of Venice tweeted a video of a man jumping from a three-storey building into the water. The public official branded him an “idiot”.

Five years earlier, tourists jumped from the Rialto Bridge late at night, cheered on by their friends. In 2016 a New Zealand man received treatment in hospital when he hit a water taxi after diving off a bridge.

Two German tourists were filmed swimming in the Grand Canal under the iconic Rialto Bridge in 2020, just as the Italian city was taken out of lockdown.

LOCK, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels star Jason Flemyng has been banned from driving after being caught speeding — at 24mph.

The 58-year-old was pinged in a 20mph zone in his Kia Sorento.

1

It was the fourth time Flemyng had been caught speeding in the past year.

He already had 12 points on his licence but had not been banned because of a justice system administrative error.

The actor admitted speeding near his home in Clapham, South West London, on December 5.

He was banned for six months and fined £775.

He told Lavender Hill JPs: “I don’t want to waste the court’s time. I accept what has happened.”

Asked whether he wanted to claim exceptional hardship, the actor, wearing a black suit, said: “Well, my work and what I do for a living, and my charity work, all depend on me driving.

“Maybe I should have thought about that before I drove 24mph in a 20mph zone.”

Flemyng played Tom in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and has appeared in Snatch and From Hell with Johnny Depp.

In 2009, the actor joined the cast of the ITV science fiction cult drama series Primeval during its third series, as maverick ex-policeman Danny Quinn and he reprised the role in 2011.

He has been married to actress and producer Elly Fairman since 2007, best known for Blitz, and has also starred in BBC drama series Casualty.

If your summer holiday saw screen time soar, you’re not alone. New research shows kids spend up to 67 per cent of their time on them while off school. Mum-of-two Hannah Britt reveals how cutting back made her feel like a better parent – and you can do it too

Our summer was full of sea, sand, sun… and screen time. K-Pop Demon Hunters, anyone? But with September now in full swing, it’s time to crack down – and fast. And I am by no means alone. In fact, the latest statistics show that, for primary-aged children, 29 per cent spend two or more hours per day on screens during the school week, but that number jumps to an eye watering 67 per cent during the holidays.

Parenting expert Kirsty Ketley explains. “School provides children with structure and built-in limits on screen use, and of course, once home, there are less hours in the day for screens, but once the holidays arrive, that structure disappears,” she says. “Parents are often juggling work, childcare, and the cost of keeping kids entertained, so screens naturally become a convenient option. On top of that, digital entertainment is designed to be engaging and hard to switch off from, so it’s no surprise children gravitate towards it when they have long stretches of free time.”

So what’s the issue? “It’s not that screens are inherently ‘bad’,” says Kirsty. “In fact, they can be educational, social, and even calming at times. However, when screen time dominates, it can crowd out other important activities like active play, real-world socialising, outdoor time, and rest. High levels of screen use are also linked to disrupted sleep, reduced concentration, and higher stress levels in both children and adults. The key issue isn’t the screen itself, but what’s being displaced when usage creeps up too high. It’s why having consistent boundaries around screen time is important, so that kids strike a healthy balance.”

Having done some serious Netflix parenting over the summer holidays, I decided to pull the plug – and go cold turkey when it came to screens. Indeed, experts agree the benefits of reducing screen time are huge. “Reducing screen time means more space for connection. Families who put healthy limits in place often find they talk more, laugh more, and feel less stressed,” advises Kirsty. “Sleep improves, behaviour often does too, and there’s more opportunity for shared activities – from board games to walks, to simply sitting around the table together.”

Looking around our home, my eyes glanced upon the TV, the iPad, various laptops, a Nintendo, the Kindle and two phones. So I booked an Airbnb, and we hopped in the car to the Lake District. And there the screen time stopped.

For our digital detox I chose Dodd’s Lee, a 17th Century farmhouse, located in the village of Dockray, near Ullswater. It was a Guest Favourite (easy to recognise as they have a special logo on the properties, and a collection of the most-loved homes on Airbnb, according to guests), and around £400 per night, with four bedrooms. It looked ideal – there was a pub at the end of the road, walks to Aira Force waterfall, Ulswater and more from the door and plenty of board games to enjoy while we were there. It was so well located, I wouldn’t even need Google maps to explore.

Once there, my partner John and I put our phones, along with Molly’s Kindle, and the TV remote in a little bag and hid them in an upstairs wardrobe. “What now”, I thought. “Can I watch Mr Bean?” asked my five-year-old, Molly. When the answer was no, she huffed. Getting out the board games, we started our digital detox by playing dominos. Then Monopoly. Molly’s grump gave way to laughter as she beat both me and her dad.

Then, it was time for a walk, for which we headed down the hill from Dockray to a little beach on the banks of Ullswater. I found myself reaching for my phone several times out of habit. Whatever I would have done on it, check Instagram, reply to a text, it could wait. Holding hands with Molly, we chatted all the way instead, and she told me stories, clearly happy her mummy was fully engaged. That evening came stories and songs, and when the children were in bed John and I set about talking away before we too hit the hay.

The next morning, Molly didn’t ask for her Kindle but to play snap. She beat us again. Lunch came in the form of a trip to the pub, where John tried in vain to teach us the rules to giant chess. We fell about laughing, getting our rooks mixed up with our pawns.

After three days, when checking out of our wonderfully cosy Airbnb, I almost didn’t want to get my phone out of its bag. And in fact, after just a few minutes of a Disney film in the car on the way home, Molly set her Kindle aside and asked for a family sing song. A complete digital wipeout might not be possible in the modern age in which we live. But a detox every now and again might be just what we need.

How to reduce your family’s screen time

Kirsty shares her advice:

OFFER ALTERNATIVES

For me, the most effective way isn’t to ban screens altogether, but to add in alternatives, and have rules and boundaries in place – they need to be fair and realistic, too. Children need things to do instead, whether that’s setting up playdates, encouraging outdoor activities, or giving them creative projects at home.

SCREEN-FREE ZONES

Having screen-free zones or times of day (like during meals or the hour before bed) also helps build natural boundaries. Start small and be realistic: shaving an hour off daily use by swapping it for something else is far more sustainable than trying to go cold turkey. Also, when creating boundaries for the kids, incorporate some as whole family rules – no screens at the table, after a certain time, in bedrooms, for instance.

SET AN EXAMPLE

Children copy what they see, so if we’re always scrolling, they’ll think that’s normal. Modelling balanced screen use is powerful. That might mean putting your phone away at dinner, not checking emails late into the evening, or choosing to read, cook, or go for a walk instead of defaulting to a device. Being honest with kids about your own screen habits can also help. If you explain, “I’m putting my phone down because I want to spend time with you,” it sends a strong message.

Rybakina, speaking at the Australian Open in January, said she never made “any complaints” about Vukov, adding: “I don’t agree with a lot of things the WTA do in the sense of my relationship with Stefano.”

Vukov challenged the WTA’s decision to issue the suspension and it was lifted after a hearing in front of an independent tribunal.

Following the appeal, the WTA told BBC Sport it is “fully committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all athletes and other participants”.

The governing body added: “While case details remain confidential, we can confirm that Mr Vukov is eligible to receive credentials at WTA events. We will not be commenting further.”

With Vukov back in her corner, Rybakina reached the US Open fourth round for the first time in her career after impressively beating Britain’s Emma Raducanu on Friday.

Rybakina says she is feeling happier and healthier after overcoming insomnia, the sleep disorder which has troubled her in the past two years.

The issue led to her immune system breaking down and she decided to take an extended break from the WTA Tour at the end of last season.

After withdrawing before her 2024 US Open second-round match because of illness, Rybakina did not play again until November.

“Now it’s much better and I have no issues, so I’m pretty happy,” she added.

“I think we are managing and getting closer to where I want to be, physically also doing, I think, a pretty good job. Of course, it’s not much time between tournaments, but overall I’m happy with how the work is going right now.

“Things in the box definitely helps a lot, and I think it’s important when the whole team can support you.”

A small quaint seaside village may be the perfect place for those looking to escape the bustling city life – and the charm comes from the narrow paths where cars and bikes aren’t even allowed

If you’re after some peace and tranquillity, this remote Scottish village may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Crovie, nestled in the north-east of Scotland on the coast of Aberdeenshire is one of the most quaint seaside communities in the country. The slow-pace sleepy village is home to picturesque narrow streets, chunky cottage walls and lots of fishermen – but what makes Crovie so spectacular is there are no roads leading through the cliff-foot village located right on the waters edge.

Cars are to be left outside it and even bikes aren’t allowed in. You can only access the row of some 60 houses on foot, with a steep cliff behind them. Only accessed by a steep hill, the residents of Crovie transport their groceries with wheelbarrows, adding to it’s quaint and secluded charm.

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Visit Aberdeenshire call it Europe’s best-preserved fishing village, as Crovie boasts the narrowest space between shore and cliff in Scotland. It is characterised by it’s unique layout, with many houses built with their backs to the sea to protect them from the quick changing weather patterns on the coast, but still offer a sight found nowhere else on earth.

According to the Scotsman, Crovie is no stranger to visitors. One Aberdeenshire local, who owns a holiday cottage for him and his wife, said there are just five permanent residents in the village as the rest are holiday homes. You can explore holiday homes and self-catering accommodations adorned with brightly painted pebbles and maritime art.

The village was once a fishing village, until 1953, when a storm washed away some of it and made it impossible for the fishermen to carry on working from there. This led to many fishermen moving along the coast to the larger village of Gardenstown.

For visitors hoping to explore Crovie, there is a car park at the viewpoint overlooking the village and further parking by the final bend as you head towards the village. Drivers are discouraged from driving all the way down and once parked, there is a steep walk down to the houses or you can choose to take the stairs.

It’s an incredibly small place, and those taking the trip to Crovie have shared their thoughts. One visitor took to TripAdvisor and wrote: “Finally made the journey of 9 hours from my hometown. The place is in the middle of nowhere with no shops, cafe, pub etc so you need to take lunch with you[…]Very secluded and no one about.

You get a good view from the viewpoint. It’s a steep walk down and obviously steeper going back up. At the bottom there’s a stoney beach that you can only access at the end!”

While another penned: “Scottish village directly on the sea. Wonderful even just for a visit. You have to walk a very short distance because the cars stop a little further up. There is a small car park, but it’s absolutely worth it. Mandatory stop.”

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Five jockeys have been banned for 10 days after they failed to pull up in a chaotic flat race at Windsor where a blindfolded loose horse crashed into a plastic running rail.

The five-furlong handicap for apprentice jockeys at 16:52 BST on Monday featured a field of seven, but the result was declared void following a false start.

Master Zack, trained by Martin Dunne, was blindfolded to go into the stalls but reared up just before the gates opened.

Jockey Ryan Kavanagh remained in the stalls but riderless Master Zack set off with his vision obscured by the blindfold.

The three-year-old then veered to the right and crashed into a running rail before being caught with no major injuries reported.

Jockeys Tommie Jakes, Jack Doughty, Jack Dace, Taryn Langley and Alec Voikhansky all completed the course on their respective mounts but according to chief stipendiary steward Richard Westropp, ignored requests to stop.

Westropp said: “Our footage is very clear, the recall man is stood in the middle of the track and blowing his whistle. I think all the procedures were followed correctly.”

All five jockeys will have the opportunity to lodge an appeal.

The racy series was based on a controversial novel

A period drama that will leave audiences hot under the collar is streaming now, after fans have enjoyed one drama deemed “sublime” and another hailed the “alternative Austen”.

The BBC series is just one of many adaptations of a novel that was banned due to the social mores of the time.

However, this version has been praised by many viewers for capturing the spirit of the book.

One 10/10 review on IMDb read: “A truly masterful performance for all involved. I did not even know this existed until recently and I sat to watch it in one sitting.”

Another person praised the show’s aesthetics in their review: “An excellent work of art in a long and expertly made movie. Being almost totally visual, I must admit I’m carried away by visually beautiful movies, and this one is tops.”

READ MORE: ‘Sublime’ period drama adaptation of ‘extraordinary novel’ now streamingREAD MORE: Period drama fans rave about ‘best television series’ based on beloved books

A third person titled their review: “A beautiful, complicated love story I enjoyed” and explained: “This movie was very enjoyable as well as instructive.

“It was enjoyable because it was so faithful to the most popular version of the story and instructive about how people conducted their lives after WW1 in England.”

Lady Chatterley came out in 1993, and charted the passionate affair between an upper-class woman, Constance Chatterley (played by Joely Richardson) and her working-class groundskeeper, Oliver Mellors (Sean Bean).

Constance and Mellors initially had an arrangement whereby she would fall pregnant and claim the child was her injured WWI veteran husband Sir Clifford Chatterley’s (James Wilby) child.

However, the agreement quickly gave way to feelings between Constance and Mellors, with their affair marking a sexual and spiritual awakening for her.

The show has won praise for its depiction of the novel and also leading man Bean.

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One person commented on IMDb: “This is the definitive Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and the noted: “After having seen all the film adaptations of Lady Chatterley’s Lover 1981 onwards, in my opinion none of them can hold a candle to (this) Ken Russell’s version. It has beauty, poetry, squalor and vision.”

Another audience member urged viewers to watch Lady Chatterley for Bean and said the series “belongs” to him, “who gets his teeth in and doesn’t let go”.

Someone else commented: “Sean Bean Amazes Yet Again” and elaborated: “I have followed his career since seeing the Sharpe’s episodes and in everything he is in, he takes the part and makes it his own. A simply wonderful effort and a beautifully touching love story.”

The four-part series was adapted from D.H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover, which was banned in the UK, America, Australia, India, Japan, and other countries for obscenity.

It wasn’t until 1960 with the outcome of the British obscenity trial R v Penguin Books Ltd that people in the UK were finally able to read the novel. Unsurprisingly, the book quickly became a bestseller after its lengthy censorship.

The novel had been banned in Britain after it was deemed indecent and immoral due to its sexual content and explicit language.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover also featured an inter-class romance, which was taboo at the time given Britain’s rigid social structure, not to mention featuring an extramarital affair.

The novel has been published privately in the late 1920s in France and Italy, the BBC reported, but was censored by others after this.

Lady Chatterley (1993) is streaming on Prime Video for a fee

Since the controversial ban on July 7, more than 700 people have been detained at peaceful protests.

London’s Metropolitan Police say at least 60 people will face prosecution for “showing support” for Palestine Action, the activist group outlawed as a “terrorist organisation” last month for protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Three others have already been charged.

“We have put arrangements in place that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary,” the force said in a statement on Friday.

Since the controversial ban on July 7, more than 700 people have been detained at peaceful protests, including 522 arrested at a protest last weekend for holding signs backing the group, believed to be the largest number of arrests at a single protest in the capital’s history.

Critics, including the United Nations, Amnesty International and Greenpeace, have called the ban an overreach that risks stifling free speech.

Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the latest decisions were the “first significant numbers” from recent demonstrations, adding: “Many more can be expected in the next few weeks. People should be clear about the real-life consequences for anyone choosing to support Palestine Action.”

The UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission has also warned against a “heavy-handed” approach, urging the government and police to ensure protest policing is proportionate and guided by clear legal tests.

The initial three prosecutions earlier this month stemmed from arrests during a July demonstration, with defendants charged under the Terrorism Act. Police said convictions for such offences could carry sentences of up to six months in prison, along with other penalties.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley praised the rapid coordination between officers and prosecutors, saying he was “proud of how our police and CPS teams have worked so speedily together to overcome misguided attempts to overwhelm the justice system”.

Home Office Minister Yvette Cooper defended the Labour government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action, stating: “UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority. The assessments are very clear, this is not a non-violent organisation.”

The group was banned days after claiming responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England, which the government claims caused an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.3 million) in damage to two aircraft. The home office has accused it of other “serious attacks” involving “violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage”.

Palestine Action has said its actions target the United Kingdom’s indirect military support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.

The UK’s Liberal Democrats voiced “deep concern” over using “anti-terrorism powers” against peaceful protesters.

Hundreds of thousands of people have demonstrated in several UK cities for nearly two years, calling for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza and for the British government to stop all weapons sales to the country.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last month that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to end its war on Gaza and commits to a lasting peace process. Many who have been protesting to end Palestinian suffering have said the move is too little, too late.

On August 5, 2019, the Indian government stripped the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state of its special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, split it into two entities and demoted the two units to Union Territories under New Delhi’s direct control.

As the sixth anniversary approached, the region was caught in the grip of rumours of a probable further division, or other administrative changes. Reports of unusual jet activity over Srinagar triggered widespread panic among residents.

This evoked harrowing memories of similar aerial activity coupled with a similarly bizarre set of rumours in the tense days leading up to August 5, 2019. People waited anxiously.

The bombshell that came on the sixth anniversary was an official order banning 25 books that focus on Jammu and Kashmir’s history and politics – all accused of promoting “false narratives” and “secessionism” – a sweeping judgement that does not stand the test of scrutiny and is not based on any evidence.

My book A Dismantled State: The Untold Story of Kashmir After Article 370, published in December 2022 by HarperCollins, is one of them. The book is a rare chronicle of the day-to-day reality in Jammu and Kashmir after 2019. Based on ground research, extensive interviews and the collation of data from other primary and secondary sources, it punctured the Indian government’s claims of “normalcy” in Jammu and Kashmir.

The government justified the actions of August 5, 2019 on the grounds that they would usher in peace and development in the region, while glossing over the unprecedented physical and cyber-restrictions imposed across the erstwhile state, during which thousands of people, including pro-India politicians (three former chief ministers included), were arrested. Barbed wire and military barricades turned the region, particularly the Kashmir Valley, into a curfewed zone, and communication channels – from internet to telephone lines – were pushed into some black hole.

Six months later, when some of these restrictions were slightly eased and the internet was partially restored, the stranglehold of the Indian state became even more oppressive, with an exacerbation of raids and crackdowns against journalists, political and social activists, and civil rights defenders. The policy of widespread detentions under laws like the Public Safety Act, which allows the government to detain anyone without charge for up to two years, was ramped up significantly.

These realities were hardly ever reported. Journalism was severely curtailed under the state’s clampdown, particularly affecting local publications. Newspapers that refused to fall in line were choked financially until they were out of print. Those that did comply were rewarded with lavish government advertisements that kept the businesses going, minus the journalism.

Either co-opted or terrorised, the newspapers were no longer daily chroniclers of the events, developments and incidents in the region. Community voices were silenced while journalists no longer asked questions. The rich archives of some newspapers, showcasing the complex day-to-day history of the region, became inaccessible or were removed.

In the last six years, the government has been extremely intolerant of any criticism. Any word of dissent invites punitive measures ranging from mere intimidation and interrogation to confiscation of devices, and from the slapping of income tax and money laundering cases to terrorism accusations, sometimes accompanied by short detentions or prolonged arrests. While local journalism was reduced to an extension of the government’s public relations department, all civil society voices were throttled by intimidation, leaving major gaps in information.

It was this vacuum that my book aimed to fill. Focused on the first two years of the revocation of Article 370, and in 12 chapters, I documented what was happening on the ground – the increased suppression of the masses, the lack of space for freedom of expression, the shrinking space for civil society and political activism, the criminalisation of dissent, the continuation of terrorism as opposed to the claims of peace and normalcy, and the hollowness of the development claims by the government even as the new policies and actions robbed the people of their homes and agricultural lands.

The book is a pursuit of truth – the naked truth, which challenged everything the Indian state was saying. A paranoid state whose only method of engagement in Jammu and Kashmir is through increasing its military footprint, merciless subjugation of the residents and silencing of all voices of dissent was obviously uncomfortable with what I documented. The book was a warning to the government that its methods of control, creation of a police and surveillance state, and misplaced development models were unsustainable and would fail.

In the last six years, the government has been pulling the wool over the eyes of the world by trumpeting its achievements of bringing peace, normalcy, tourism and development. The April 22 killings this year of 26 innocent civilians punctured this bubble. It was a wake-up call for the government to sit back and review its policies in Kashmir and begin course correction.

Instead, it clamped down even further with a horrific scale of demonisation of Kashmiris, ruthless detentions and even more brutal demolitions of houses. This, even as there was widespread public condemnation of terrorism, including vigils and calls to reject violence – something unprecedented in the more than three-decade-long history of rebellion in the region – and even as the investigators indicated foreign militants, not locals, were involved in the killings.

In the last three months, the government has demonstrated that its policy of control through harsh security measures and pervasive surveillance would be further accelerated. The ban on 25 books, many of which provide rich, well-researched, and layered historical, political and legal narratives about the complex and trouble-torn region, is an extension of the pattern. Through this ban, there is an attempt to erase every trace of a counter-narrative and alternate memory.

By branding all criticism of the state and narratives that are out of sync with the official version as “seditious”, the government can now seize and destroy these books. Not only are the written words being criminalised – even the act of reading will be wrongfully deemed a threat to the security and integrity of the nation. While this may not stop ideas and memory from being suppressed, policing what people write and read is likely to be further intensified.

Though senseless, shocking and irrational in scale and scope, the ban, which ironically coincides with a government-backed Chinar Book Festival in Srinagar, sends a chilling message: Knowledge and information will be regulated by the state. What people write and read will be decided by the state. The thought police will penetrate deeper.

Last year, during Jammu and Kashmir’s first assembly elections as a Union Territory, India’s home minister, Amit Shah, took a dig at the regional political parties and alleged that while “they (local politicians) gave the youth stones in their hands”, his government had given them “books and laptops”.

The hollowness of such claims is laid bare when the daily reality is one of confiscation of digital devices, including laptops, during raids and interrogations, alongside a blanket book ban that only reinforces the central message of my work: Kashmir is anything but normal.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

MYLEENE Klass’ former husband has hit back at the popstar and broadcaster and claimed he’s been banned from seeing his kids.

It comes after the Hear’say hitmaker, 47, candidly opened up on her former husband Graham Quinn’s alleged “cheating” with a fellow celebrity.

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During a recent episode of Paul Carrick Brunson‘s We Need To Talk podcast, Myleene told how she walked in on her then partner, 51, and another woman unzipping each other’s clothes at her birthday party.

The Pure and Simple hitmaker — who wouldn’t divulge the female’s name but said she built her career off a “family brand” — revealed: “I walked in on him with a famous person on my birthday on a balcony. It was in my house.”

Now Graham, with whom she shares two daughters, has clapped back.

Pals of the music manager have suggested she is a “vindictive bully.”

A source told MailOnline: “He thinks she’s a bully.

“They believe it was especially ‘vindictive and calculated’ of Myleene to launch the bombshell broadside on what she would have known was the week of Graham’s 51st birthday.”

The Saturdays hitmaker Rochelle Humes recently posted a snap showing Graham on their family holiday to Ibiza.

PARENTING CLASH

As the cheat claims swirl, Graham’s comments about his parenting with MBE winner Myleene – who scooped her accolade services to women’s health – for have resurfaced.

In lines contained in a historic chat with Fathers4Justice, which have only recently resurfaced, the security manager said Myleene had “actively denied” him access to his two kids.

He suggested he was “banging his head against a brick wall” in his attempts for access.

In the piece Graham, who is based in Ibiza, wrote: “I haven’t seen my kids in years.

“The only exception is when Myleene begrudgingly met me in a car park off the North Circular Road in 2014.

“She lowered the window about three inches and I could see the girls in the back. That was it.

“I’ve thrown so much more money at it [trying to see his daughters] and I can’t afford much more.

“I’ve spent £20,000 and am probably further away from them now than I’ve ever been.

“It’s like banging my head against a brick wall.

“I’ve missed so many birthdays and Christmas days. I’ll never get that back.”

Graham, who married Myleene in 2011 and was with the star until their split in 2013, also opened up on the impact on his mental health.

He told how he was depressed “for years” and sought counselling daily.

In his piece, he added: “I’ve tried to get Myleene to see the light, but she’s not interested.

“She knows how much I love those girls and that it’s destroying me, but she doesn’t care – she’s got them all to herself and loves it.

“I don’t even know where they live any more. I can’t see them and I can’t speak to them on the phone. I’m blocked on Twitter and Instagram, so can’t see photos of them.”

Myleene’s rep had no comment when approached.

CHEAT CLAIMS

Graham and Myleene met when he worked as a security guard for Myleene’s pop group.

They had what was described as a “private, intimate” wedding in Norwich where just 16 family and friends were invited.

In the recent podcast, Myleene recently opened up on the infidelity claims.

She explained of Graham and the unnamed famous face: “It was my party.

“They weren’t having sex, but they were unzipping each other.

“[They said] ‘It’s not what you think’, but it is what I think. It’s the first thing they both said.”

Talking of her reaction she told MAFS expert Paul: “I kicked everybody out of the party, including his mum and dad. They went back to Ireland.

“And his dad said, ‘He doesn’t get it from me’. I was like, ‘OK’. I just remember that being quite a weird thing to say.”

Myleene admitted she struggled to see the woman continuing as normal after the run-in, explaining: “I’ve made peace with that situation now.

“But for a long time, it was very difficult to see their life . . . Not that I would wish that on a family. I don’t know, I feel conflicted.

“But my life literally just broke apart very, very publicly.

“And their life, they’ve managed to continue building a family brand on it and it felt so difficult for a long time. This is the person I caught him with.”

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