Goalkeepers: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Conor Hazard, Luke Southwood
Defenders: Paddy McNair, Ryan Johnson, Daniel Ballard, Ciaron Brown, Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Brodie Spencer, Eoin Toal, Terry Devlin, Ruairi McConville
Midfielders: George Saville, Ali McCann, Shea Charles, Jamie McDonnell, Paul Smyth, Isaac Price, Ross McCausland, Ethan Gailbraith, Justin Devenny, Jamie Donely
Attackers: Josh Magennis, Dion Charles, Callum Marshall, Jamie Reid
Northern Lights holidays are a hit with intrepid explorers over the winter season but 2026 is well worth having on your radar as it’s one of the ‘best years in a decade’ for booking
If you’ve always dreamed of seeing the Northern Lights, then this winter might be the time to finally do it.
In fact, you may want to consider a trip in January or February, as 2026 is expected to be the best year in a decade for Aurora viewing opportunities.
That’s because next year will bring with it a once-in-a-decade phenomenon; the solar maximum. This rare event sees the Sun’s heightened magnetic activity release charged particles that collide with Earth’s atmosphere, creating brighter and more frequent auroras. Scientists are expecting it to peak until March 2026, before fading again until the mid 2030s.
The good news is that you don’t need to head into the deep depths of the Arctic if you want to try and spot the lights. There are plenty of European destinations including Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland where you can watch the Aurora because of their proximity to the Arctic Circle.
The Northern Lights are on most people’s bucket lists(Image: Getty Images)
The experts at Travel Republic recommend the likes of Iceland, Sweden and Finland as these destinations offer over 200 nights of Northern Lights activity every year, so they’re the spots where you’ll be putting the odds in our favour. The travel insiders also suggested Norway, specifically areas such as Tromsø, the Lofoten Islands, Alta, and Svalbard.
If you want to go further afield, Canada’s northwest territories offer Northern Lights viewing opportunities for up to 240 nights annually, while Alaska’s Fairbanks promises an 80% chance of seeing the aurora.
The best time to spot the aurora typically falls between October through to March; some destinations do have sightings in February and April but the likelihood of getting a great view is reduced.
If you are thinking of booking that dream getaway, the Travel Republic team shared some of their top tips for planning the ultimate trip – check out their advice below.
Choose dark, remote locations: Rural or wilderness areas, away from buildings and vehicles, with minimal artificial light, offer the most vivid aurora displays.
Monitor the weather: Clouds can get in the way, even during peak aurora activity. Check forecasts and aim for clear nights in regions known for stable winter weather.
Consider guided tours: Experienced operators know the best locations and conditions, helping you chase clear skies and capture unforgettable sightings of the Northern Lights.
You don’t necessarily have to go abroad as there are parts of the UK where you can spot the Aurora when there are clear, dark skies over the winter months. Scotland will be your best bet, especially regions such as Caithness, Lewis and Harris, the Moray Coast, the Isle of Skye and the Cairngorms, thanks to their remote landscapes and dark, clear skies. Over in England, the likes of Cumbria and Yorkshire have also been the setting for Northern Lights spotting.
In fact, earlier this month the Met Office said that the Aurora Borealis would be visible across parts of the UK, as the enhanced geomagnetic activity created conditions that could allow the lights to be visible further south than usual.
Do you have a holiday story that you want to share with us? Email us at [email protected].
Coleraine were one of three Irish Premiership clubs to miss out on progression to the next stage of the funding process, along with Crusaders and Portadown.
League of Ireland side Derry City also missed out, while Institute and Limavady United were the other clubs from the north west of Northern Ireland not included in the list announced by Lyons on Thursday morning.
“Geographically, for me, the north west has been shafted again,” Higgins said.
“You might say it is sour grapes because of my connection to Coleranie Football Club and Derry City, but I’ll not talk about either – I’ll talk about Institute.
“If there’s one club that needed support it was them. For me, it’s an absolute disgrace.”
Higgins was referring to the loss of Institute’s home ground in Drumahoe, in 2017 after flash flooding left the stadium unusable with Japanese Knotweed.
Institute now play their home matches at Derry City’s Brandywell Stadium and Drumahoe is now being demolished.
Higgins said Stute had been “dealt the worst hand out of everybody” and felt the process was unfair.
“In 2017 they lost their ground through no fault of their own. It’s a brilliant football club run by brilliant people, and they’ve been absolutely trampled on from what I can see.
“They had a disaster eight years ago and they’ve been given no backing at all. That surprises me in one sense, but when you look geographically where they are based, it doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Speaking at the announcement of funding in Belfast on Thursday morning, before Higgins gave his reaction, Lyons said the location of clubs had not come under consideration.
“This hasn’t been done in terms of geography, it has been done in terms of need and other criteria that we set out,” Lyons said.
“Yes, you can look at the two big ones in Belfast but there are many others throughout Northern Ireland.”
O’Neill was left to lament some soft defending as a defensive mix-up allowed Amiri to pounce for Germany’s second, whilst he also questioned the awarding of the free-kick which Wirtz superbly dispatched.
“For 60 or 65 minutes we were well in the game. The second goal is a bit of a freak goal, we could have defended it better. The third goal isn’t a free-kick. It’s a fantastic finish but it’s a soft free-kick,” he explained.
“I thought the referee was a bit fussy in the second half. He refereed it well in the first.
“We were well in the game and needed to get to that final 15 minutes and we might have had a final chance, but the game drifted away from us.”
Northern Ireland sit second in Group A following a win and a defeat from their opening two games.
O’Neill believes his side are where they expected to be at this stage of qualifying, with two huge home games against Slovakia and Germany to come in October.
“It’s tough to play two games away from home,” he said. “We got what we hoped for, but we’re a bit disappointed it’s not a little bit more.
“We have to be ready to play back-to-back at home and we know two good results will put us in a good position.”
The ongoing battle between the jihadist group Boko Haram and villagers in Nigeria’s Borno state erupted over the weekend when at least 60 people were killed in an overnight attack, according to local officials. Photo by freelance photographer/EPA/EFE
Sept. 7 (UPI) — More than 60 people were killed in overnight attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram in the northern Nigerian state of Borno, local officials said. At least five of the people killed were soldiers.
The militants struck the village of Darul Jamal, the location of a military base along the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The Nigerian Air Force said it killed 30 militants after it received reports of attacks on the village.
“In a series of three precise and successive strikes, the fleeing terrorists were decisively engaged, resulting in the neutralization of over 30 insurgents,” Nigerian Air Force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said, according to BBC News.
Ejodame said the insurgents were fleeing north from the town toward nearby bushes.
Residents recently returned to the rebuilding village after years of being displaced by fighting between Boko Haram and rival groups, including the West African branch of the Islamic State group, authorities said.
“This community was settled a few months ago and they went about their normal activities, but unfortunately, they experienced a Boko Haram attack last night,” Gov. Babagana Zulum told local media. “Our visit is to commiserate with them and build their resilience.”
Zulum called for the immediate deployment of newly trained specialty guards to help the military defend vulnerable communities.
A decade ago, Boko Haram controlled large areas of Borno state before being pushed back.
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin says he has “no regrets” over joining LIV Golf.
McKibbin made the switch to Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII LIV team despite securing his PGA Tour card in November.
Alongside Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt, the 22-year-old helped Legion XII win the teams’ title and had a best individual finish of joint-fourth place.
“I’m very glad, I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’ve learnt a lot and I feel like my game has improved a lot,” McKibbin told BBC Sport NI ahead of the Irish Open at the K Club.
“I’ve no regrets. I love being there, and being able to come and play some events over here is really good as well.”
After signing up to the lucrative LIV Golf, McKibbin says he is “fortunate” to be a multi-millionaire at only 22 years of age.
However, while he says the financial aspect of the Saudi-backed golf league is a plus, his motivation when he steps out on the tee is to try and win.
“With how golf is now, there is a lot of money around it. To be part of it and be able to benefit from it is good, but I want to let my golf do the talking and that’s more important,” he said.
“I want to win more. It is life-changing and to be fortunate enough to have that is nice, but hopefully I can get a few more wins.”
McKibbin is eligible to play at the Irish Open as the conflict between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has yet to be resolved.
That meant he has been able to retain his DP World Tour membership while playing under the LIV banner.
The Holywood golfer says he hopes there is a resolution so he can continue to play at the Irish Open and other tournaments in the coming years.
“I think everyone just wants it to work out and play together,” said McKibbin.
“We’re all hopeful it can happen, so hopefully this isn’t my last one [Irish Open] for a while.
“I’ve still got membership and status here, and I’d love to play whenever I can. It’s good to come back to events like this.
“There’s some big tournaments and national Opens to play. I want to try and win those, so there’s definitely something important for me still here.”
Kate Cross takes two wickets in two balls for Northern Superchargers and her No Balls podcast co-host and best friend Alex Hartley is delighted as Maia Bouchier and Laura Wolvaardt are dismissed for in the women’s Hundred final.
It’s back! A fantastic offer saving you money on your travel with Northern valid until October 2025
15:34, 28 Apr 2025Updated 11:52, 31 Aug 2025
The Flat Fare is back for another round and the Mirror has teamed up with Northern, the rail operator for the North, to provide you with a discounted rate available between September 1 and October 23, 2025. All you have to do is collect two tokens from the Mirror (North edition only) between Monday, September 1 and Sunday, September 7, 2025 and take them with the registration form to your local staffed ticket office on the Northern network to redeem.
The best part is you can use your tickets to travel anywhere on the Northern network!* So, if you’re looking for the perfect autumn retreat to relax or explore before the nights come in or spend the day shopping in one of the many great cities of the North, this could be the ticket for you! Great value tickets that leave you with more money in your pocket for that essential trip out treat! You can purchase either a Day Ranger ticket for £12 per adult or a Weekend Rover ticket for £20 per adult. Don’t forget kids go half price on this offer, so you could take the whole family out for a fraction of the price!
The travel window will be open from September 1- October 23, 2025. (*No direct travel route available on Northern services between Newcastle and York).
Once you have your tokens, log in or register and complete the online form at northernrailway.co.uk/reachplc. Next, print the form, and hand it in at any local staffed ticket office on the Northern network to redeem. You will then be given the tickets to go do your thing!
Terms and Conditions: To qualify for this special offer, collect two tokens from the Mirror (North edition), between 01.09.25 and 07.09.25 and complete the online redemption form. Insert availability varies depending on title. Collect two tokens per redemption form. Two tokens allow you to buy up to four Northern Day Ranger tickets (£12 each) or four Weekend Rover tickets (£20 each). Kids offer includes ages 5-15 years. Day Ranger ticket travel between 01.09.25 and 23.10.25. Weekend Rover ticket travel between 06.09.25 and 19.10.25. All tickets must be valid for travel on the same date. Tickets are valid on trains departing after 0845 Monday to Friday. Valid anytime at weekends, on Northern services only. *No direct travel route available on Northern services between Newcastle and York. Full t&c’s at northernrailway.co.uk/reachplc.
As of Saturday evening, nearly 200 people were under evacuation orders due to the Pickett Fire in Napa County. Photo courtesy of the Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit
Aug. 24 (UPI) — A wildfire in Northern California has grown to nearly 7,000 acres, prompting evacuations in Napa County, forestry officials announced Sunday.
The Pickett Fire, which was sparked Thursday in Calistoga, was 6,803 acres as of midday Sunday with 11% containment, according to a status report from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Twenty-four hours earlier, the blaze was about 4,700 acres with 7% containment.
Cal Fire said much of the new growth occurred near the eastern edge of the wildfire. There’s been no confirmed damage to any structures.
Officials ordered evacuations for areas near Calistoga, west of Pope Valley Road. Evacuation warnings were also issued for threats to life and/or property.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District also issued an air quality advisory in Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties due to smoke from the Pickett Fire. The advisory was in place through Monday. The smoke could be dangerous to older adults, children and pregnant people, as well as those with heart problems.
Northern Superchargers and Oval Invincibles are guaranteed a top-three finish after the Superchargers won the encounter between the two teams in the earlier match at Headingley.
Both teams have 20 points and only Trent Rockets, currently on 16 with two games to play, can match or overtake them.
After Harry Brook’s first half-century of this year’s Hundred and Zak Crawley’s rapid 49 helped Superchargers set a target of 199, Will Jacks’ 11-ball 25 gave the Invincibles a brisk start in their chase.
But Jacob Duffy halted his charge inside the powerplay before Tom Lawes struck twice, dismissing Tawanda Muyeye and the in-form Jordan Cox – who came into the match on the back of three consecutive half-centuries.
When Sam Curran edged Matthew Potts to wicketkeeper Michael Pepper, the Invincibles were reeling at 115-4.
But Donovan Ferreira gave them some hope by hitting three fours and three sixes from seven deliveries before falling for a 15-ball 41 – Duffy ending the chance of a dramatic comeback to set the Superchargers on their way to a crucial win.
Earlier, openers Crawley and Dawid Malan gave the hosts a flying start after being sent in to bat by Invincibles skipper Sam Billings.
Crawley set the tone, helping them race to 49 without loss by the end of the powerplay, before falling just one run short of a fifty.
Captain Brook consolidated the Superchargers’ innings with a 27-ball 56 that included five sixes and three fours, before David Miller added the finishing touches, launching Tom Curran for three consecutive sixes in the final set to take them to 198-4.
Two-time defending champions Invincibles will host London Spirit in their final game on Monday, while Superchargers take on Manchester Originals the following day, live on the BBC.
COTTONWOOD — When the talk turned to politics at the OK Corral bar in this historic stagecoach town on Tuesday night, retired nurse Ovie Hays, 77, spoke for most of the room when she summed up her view of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan.
“I don’t want Democrats around,” she said. “They have gone too far in controlling us. We won’t have a say in anything.”
Nearby, a man in hard-worn cowboy boots agreed with Hays — using much more colorful language. He works as a ranch hand and said he’d just come from fixing a goat pen.
“The morons in charge, and the morons that put [those] morons in charge need to understand where their food comes from,” he said. He declined to see his name printed, like a lot of folks in this part of Shasta County and neighboring counties.
In its current form, California’s 1st Congressional District, which sweeps south from the Oregon border almost to Sacramento, is larger than Massachusetts or Maryland or eight other states.
This is farm and forest country. From the glittering peaks and dense forests of Mt. Shasta and the Sierra Nevada, rivers course down to the valley floor, to vast fields of rice, endless orchards of peaches and golden, rolling grassland full of more cows than people. Voters here are concerned with policies that affect their water supply and forests, given that the timber industry limps along here and fires have ravaged the area in recent years.
This is also Republican country. For the last 12 years, this district has been represented by Congressman Doug LaMalfa, a rice farmer from Oroville who is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump.
During a Chico town hall meeting, attendees hold up red cards to indicate their opinion on a statement made by Rep. Doug LaMalfa.
(Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee)
But if voters approve the redistricting plan in November, the deep-red bastion that is LaMalfa’s district will be cleaved into three pieces, each of them diluted with enough Democratic votes that they could all turn blue. The northern half of the district would be joined to a coastal district that would stretch all the way down to the Golden Gate Bridge, while the southern half would be jigsawed into two districts that would draw in voters from the Bay Area and wine country.
Northern California finds itself in this situation because of power plays unleashed by President Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Newsom and others. To ensure GOP control of the House of Representatives, Trump pressured Abbott to redraw Texas’ congressional maps so Republicans could take more seats. Newsom responded by threatening to redraw California’s maps to favor Democrats, while saying he’d holster this pistol if Texas did the same.
The California Legislature is expected to approve a plan Thursday that would put new maps on the November ballot, along with a a constitutional amendment that would override the state’s voter-approved, independent redistricting commission. If voters approve the new maps, they would go into effect only if another state performs mid-decade redistricting. Under the proposal, Democrats could pick up five seats currently held by Republicans, while also bolstering some vulnerable Democratic incumbents in purple districts.
Now, voters in Northern California and other parts of the state find themselves at the center of a showdown.
The Silver Dollar Saloon in Marysville, a part of Northern California where a number of voters say that urban California doesn’t understand the needs of rural California.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
And from Marysville to Redding this week, many — including those who call themselves Democrats — said they were outraged at what they saw as another example of urban California imposing its will on rural California, areas that city people generally ignore and don’t understand.
“Their needs and their wants are completely different than what we need here,” said Pamela Davis, 40, who was loading bags of chicken feed into the back of her SUV in Yuba City. Her children scrambled into their car seats, chatting happily about the cows and ducks they have at home on their farm.
Davis, who said she voted for LaMalfa, said voters in California’s cities have no understanding of water regulations or other policies vitally important to agriculture, even though what happens in farming areas is crucial to the state overall.
“We’re out here growing food for everybody,” she said. “Water is an issue all the time. That kind of stuff needs to be at the top of everybody’s mind.”
For years, folks in the so-called north state have chafed at life under the rule of California’s liberal politicians. This region is whiter, more rural, more conservative and poorer than the rest of the state. They have long bemoaned that their property rights, grazing rights and water rights are under siege. They complain that the state’s high taxes and cost of living are crushing people’s dreams. The grievances run so deep that in recent years many residents have embraced a decades-old idea of seceding from California and forming a “State of Jefferson.”
At the Riviera Mobile Estates community in Anderson, Calif., a “State of Jefferson” flag flies alongside the Stars and Stripes.
(Los Angeles Times)
Some residents, including LaMalfa, said if redistricting were to go through, it could further fuel those sentiments. And even some voters who said they abhorred Trump and LaMalfa and planned to vote in favor of the redistricting plan said they worried about the precedent of diluting the rural vote.
Gail Mandaville, 76, was sitting with her book group in Chico and said she was in favor of the plan. “I just am really, really afraid of the way the country is going,” the retired teacher said. “I admire Newsom for standing up and doing something.”
Across the table, Kim Heuckel, 58, said she agreed but also wondered whether a member of Congress from a more urban area could properly represent the needs of her district. “I’m sorry, but they don’t know the farmlands,” she said. “We need our farmers.”
We do, chimed in Rebecca Willi, 74, a retired hospice worker, but “all the things we stand for are going down the drain,” and if the redistricting in Texas goes forward, “we have to offset it because there is too much at stake.”
In an interview, LaMalfa predicted that California’s voters would reject the redistricting plan. “We’re not going anywhere without a fight,” he said.
But should it pass, he predicted that his constituents would suffer. “We don’t have Sausalito values in this district,” he said, adding that politicians in the newly redrawn districts would be “playing to Bay Area voters; they won’t be playing towards us at all.”
One of the biggest issues in his district recently, he noted, has been concern over wolves, who have been roaming ranch lands, killing cattle and enraging ranchers and other property owners. With redistricting, he said, “if it doesn’t go to the dogs, it will go to the wolves.”
Northern Superchargers thrashed London Spirit by eight wickets, moving above their opponents into second in The Hundred table.
Spirit put in a dismal performance with the bat, struggling to 90-8 at Lord’s.
The Australian pair of Phoebe Litchfield, who hit an unbeaten 55, and Annabel Sutherland, who made 29 not out, put on an unbroken partnership of 76 to seal victory for the Superchargers with 34 balls to spare.
The home side floundered after choosing to bat, slipping to 9-2 in the powerplay with top-order batters Kira Chathli and Cordelia Griffith dismissed for a duck and one respectively.
Spirit can usually rely on the big-hitting Grace Harris to drag them out of trouble, but Nicola Carey had her caught at long-on for just seven, then saw Dani Gibson taken at point from her following delivery.
They continued to steadily lose wickets until Issy Wong and captain Charlie Dean offered a degree of stability, putting on a partnership of 31 for the seventh wicket, but it came from 33 deliveries, with the pair unable to significantly up the tempo.
Sutherland dismissed Dean caught behind in the final set of five deliveries, and had Glenn caught in the covers from the next ball, as Spirit limped to a sub-par total.
Superchargers’ top-order also wobbled, with Alice Davidson-Richards and Davina Perrin both dismissed by Bex Tyson for a golden duck and four respectively.
However, those early wickets brought star batters Phoebe Litchfield and Sutherland to the crease, and the Australian pair made light work of reaching their target.
Litchfield took more of the strike, hitting her second half-century in three matches, and it was the 22-year-old who hit Eva Gray for four to bring the match to an early conclusion.
The result sees Spirit slip to fourth in the standings, behind Superchargers and Manchester Originals on net run-rate.
Such attacks have become common in Nigeria’s northwestern and north-central regions, where local herders and farmers clash.
At least 27 worshippers have been killed and several wounded when armed bandits stormed a mosque in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state during morning prayers, a village head and a hospital official said.
The gunmen opened fire inside a mosque as Muslims gathered to pray at around 04:00 GMT in the remote community of Unguwan Mantau in the Malumfashi local government area, residents said.
No one immediately claimed responsibility, but such attacks have become more common in Nigeria’s northwestern and north-central regions, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water.
The attacks have killed and injured scores, with a June attack in north-central Nigeria killing more than 100 people. Amnesty International called for the government to end the “almost daily bloodshed in Benue state”. That attack took place in Yelwata, a town in Benue State, according to Amnesty.
The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms.
The state’s commissioner, Nasir Mu’azu, said the army and police have deployed in the area of Unguwan Mantau following Tuesday’s bloodshed to prevent further attacks, adding that gunmen often hide among the crops in farms during the rainy season to carry out assaults on communities.
More than 300 people have died in Pakistan after days of relentless monsoon rains triggered floods and landslides. Rescue efforts are still underway as thousands remain stranded, as homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods have been devastated.
Rescuers in northern Pakistan have pulled dozens of bodies overnight from homes ravaged by landslides and flash floods, taking the death toll to at least 321 in the past two days, according to disaster agencies.
Hundreds of rescue workers continue to search for survivors in the Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan after torrential rains and cloudbursts caused massive flooding on Friday, washing away dozens of homes, according to the provincial Disaster Management Authority.
First responders are focusing recovery efforts in the villages of Pir Baba and Malik Pura, which suffered the highest casualties on Friday, according to Bunar deputy commissioner Kashif Qayyum.
“We do not know from where the floodwater came, but it came so fast that many could not leave their homes,” said Mohammad Khan, 53, a Pir Baba resident.
Dr Mohammad Tariq at a Buner government hospital reported that most victims died before reaching medical care. “Many among the dead were children and men, while women were away in the hills collecting firewood and grazing cattle,” he said.
At least 307 casualties are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Above-average rainfall in Pakistan, which experts attribute to climate change, has triggered floods and mudslides that have killed approximately 541 people since June 2, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
In neighbouring Indian-administered Kashmir, floods have killed dozens and displaced hundreds in recent days.
Experts note that cloudbursts have become increasingly common in India’s Himalayan regions and Pakistan’s northern areas, with climate change being a significant contributing factor.
Pakistani officials report that since Thursday, rescuers have evacuated more than 3,500 tourists stranded in flood-affected areas nationwide, though many tourists continue to ignore government warnings to avoid these regions despite the risk of additional landslides and flash floods.
In 2022, Pakistan experienced its worst monsoon season on record, killing more than 1,700 people and causing approximately $40bn in damage.
Maiduguri, Nigeria – Sometimes, it feels to Zara Ali as though her daughter was born already sick in the womb.
On a recent weekday, the 30-year-old mother clutched the ill toddler in her lap as she sat outside a government hospital in Maiduguri, the capital of northeast Nigeria’s Borno State. The two had just finished yet another doctor’s appointment in hopes of curing the child.
Although cranky as any other sick two-year-old, it is Amina’s hair – brownish and seemingly bald in several spots – that’s a visible sign of the malnourishment doctors had previously diagnosed. Yet, despite months of treatment with a protein-heavy, ready-to-eat paste, Ali says progress has been slow, and her daughter might require more hospital visits.
“She gets sick, gets a little better, and then falls ill again,” she said, frustrated. Already, Ali and her family have had to move homes several times because of the Boko Haram conflict. They were displaced from Damboa town, about 89km (55 miles) away, and now live in Maiduguri as displaced persons.
Adding to her woes is the reduced access to care in recent months as several aid clinics she visits for free treatment have begun to scale back operations, or in some cases, completely shut their services. “Honestly, their interventions were really helpful, and we need them to come back and help our children,” Ali said.
Amina is only one of some five million children across northeast and northwest Nigeria suffering from malnourishment in what experts have called the region’s most severe food crisis in years. The troubled northeast region has, for a decade and a half, been in the throes of a conflict waged by the armed group Boko Haram, and prolonged insecurity has disrupted food supplies. In the northwest, bandit groups are causing similar upheavals, resulting in a hunger crisis that state governments are struggling to contain.
Compounding the problem this year are the massive, brutal funding cuts roiling aid organisations, which have often stepped in to help by providing food assistance to the 2.3 million displaced northeast Nigerians. Many of those organisations were dependent on funds from the United States, which, since February, has reduced contributions to aid programmes globally by about 75 percent.
The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations food aid agency and the world’s largest provider of food assistance, was forced to shut down more than half of all its nutrition clinics across the northeast in August, Emmanuel Bigenimana, who leads northeast Nigeria operations, told Al Jazeera from the agency’s site in Maiduguri. Some 300,000 children are cut off from needed nutrition supplements, he said.
Already, in July, WFP doled out its last reserves of grains for displaced adults and families, Bigenimana added, standing by a row of half-empty tent warehouses. A few men removed grain sacks from the tents and loaded them onto trucks bound for neighbouring Chad, a country also caught in complex crises. For Nigeria, he said, which is in the lean season before harvest, there was no more food.
Men load a WFP food truck in Maiduguri, Nigeria [Sani Adamu/Al Jazeera]
Insecurity fuels food crisis
Northeast Nigeria should be a food basket for the country, due to its fertile, savannah vegetation suitable for cultivating nuts and grains. However, since the Boko Haram conflict broke out, the food supply has dwindled. Climate shocks in the increasingly arid region have added to the problems.
Boko Haram aims to control the territory and has been active since 2011. The group’s operations are mainly in Borno, neighbouring states in the northeast, and across the border in Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. It gained global notoriety in 2014 for the kidnapping of female students in Chibok. Internal fractures and Nigeria’s military response have reduced the group’s capacity in recent years, but it still controls some territory, and a breakaway faction is affiliated with ISIL (ISIS). More than 35,000 people have been killed in attacks by the group, and more than 2 million are displaced.
Before the insecurity, families in the region, particularly outside the urban metropolis of Maiduguri, survived on subsistence farming, tilling plots of land, and selling surplus harvest. These days, that is hardly an option. The military has hunkered down in garrisoned towns since 2019 to avoid troop losses. It is hard to find cultivating space amid the trenches and security barriers constructed in such places, security analyst KabirAdamu of intelligence firm Beacon Consulting, told Al Jazeera. Those who venture outside the towns risk being targeted by armed fighters.
In rural areas not under army control, Boko Haram operates as a sort of government, exploiting villagers to generate money.
“The armed actors collect taxes from them to use land for farming,” Adamu said, adding that for rural farmers, those taxes often prove heavy on the pockets. In more unlucky scenarios, farmers have been killed if they were believed to be military informants. In January, 40 farmers were executed in the town of Baga. Fishermen have similarly been targeted.
The vicious cycle has repeated itself for years, and the compounding effect is the current food crisis, experts say.
Just 45 minutes from Maiduguri, in Konduga town, farmer Mustapha Modu, 55, tilled the earth in anticipation of rainfall on a cool weekday. He had just returned from a short journey to Maiduguri, braving the risky highways to buy seedlings in hopes of a good season.
Even as Modu planted, he worried that harvest might be impossible. There are widespread fears that Boko Haram fighters often lie in wait and then pounce on farmers to seize harvests. At one time, he said, his family of three wives and 17 children depended on handouts, but those hardly reached Konduga any more, so he had to do something.
“It’s been a long time since we saw them in our village,” Modu said of food aid distributors. “That’s why I managed to go and get some seedlings, even though the insurgents are still on our neck.”
Modu Muhammad, a farmer, works on a farm in Konduga, outside Maiduguri [Sani Adamu/Al Jazeera]
Aid cuts risk more ‘violence’
The UN and its agencies were the focus of aid cuts from Washington in April, leading to the WFP receiving zero aid from the US this year, Bigenimana said. Like the US, other donors such as the European Union and the United Kingdom have also cut back on aid, instead diverting money to security as tensions remain high over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The agency catered to some 1.3 million displaced people and others in hard-to-reach areas, fringe locations accessible only by helicopter. For children, the agency ran several nutrition clinics and supported government hospitals with ready-to-use food, a protein mixture made mostly of groundnut, which can rapidly stabilise a malnourished child.
Funding cuts caused the WFP to begin rationing supplies in recent months. In July, resources in Nigeria were completely emptied. At least $130m is required for the agency to speedily get back on track with its operations here, Bigenimana said. Extended lack of support, he said, could push more people into danger.
“People are attempting to go and get firewood to sell outside the secure points,” the official said. “Even when we delay distribution on normal days, people protest. So we are expecting that, and it could get violent.”
Multiple other NGOs across the region were also hit by the Trump aid cuts. They not only provided food aid or nutrition treatment, but also medical services, and crucial vaccines children need in the first years of life to guard against infectious diseases like measles.
Analysts like Adamu, however, criticise aid groups for what he said is their failure to create a system where people don’t rely on food aid. In Borno, the state government has, since 2021, gradually shut down camps for internally displaced people and resettled some in their communities. The aim, the government argues, is to reduce dependency and restore dignity. However, the move faces widespread backlash as aid agencies and rights organisations point out that some areas are still unsafe, and that displaced people simply move to other camps.
“They should have supported the government on security reforms for the state,” Adamu argued. That, he said, would have been a more sustainable way of empowering people and would have eased the food crisis.
Mourners attend the funeral of 43 farm workers in Zabarmari, about 20km from Maiduguri, after they were killed by Boko Haram fighters in rice fields near the village of Koshobe in November 2020 [File: Audu Marte/AFP]
Rain time, sick time
For now, the food crisis looks set to continue, and children in particular appear to be bearing the brunt, especially as heavy rains arrive.
Muhammad Bashir Abdullahi, an officer with medical aid group Doctors without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, told Al Jazeera that more malnourished children are being admitted to the organisation’s nutrition facility in Maiduguri since early August. It is possible, he said, that the shuttered services in other organisations were contributing to the higher numbers.
“We used to admit 200 children weekly, but last week we admitted up to 400 children,” Abdullahi said. MSF, which is not dependent on US aid, has recorded more than 6,000 malnourished children in its Maiduguri nutrition centre since January. Typically, children receive the protein paste, or in acute cases, a special milk solution. Abdullahi said more children are likely to be admitted in the coming weeks.
Back at the government hospital where Ali was seeking treatment for her daughter, another woman stopped outside the clinic with her children, twin baby boys.
One of them was sick, the mother, 33-year-old Fatima Muhammad, complained, and is suffering from a swollen head. This is the third hospital she was visiting, as two other facilities managed by NGOs were overwhelmed. Unfortunately, her son had not been accepting the protein paste, a sign that medical experts say signals acute malnutrition.
“His brother is sitting and crawling already, but he still cannot sit,” Muhammad said, her face squeezed in a frown. She blamed herself for not eating enough during her pregnancy, although she hardly had a choice. “I think that’s what affected them. I just need help for my son, nothing more.”
Graham Clark hit the final ball for six to snatch a dramatic three-wicket victory for Northern Superchargers against Southern Brave in The Hundred.
Needing five for victory or four for a tie, Durham batter Clark heaved England international Tymal Mills over the boundary at mid-wicket.
In a see-sawing finale, Superchargers needed only 11 from the last 10 with five wickets left before Jofra Archer struck twice and conceded only one run from his final five balls.
Clark swept the second ball of the last set from Mills for four to leave five to get from three but when Mills followed with two dot balls the hosts still appeared favourites.
Mills opted for a slower ball again, however, and dropped to the ground when Clark clubbed it for six.
Clark, in contrast, roared in delight and finished 38 not out from 24 balls, having left the previous delivery believing it to be a wide outside off stump.
“That felt euphoric,” he told Sky sports.
“I thought I messed it up when I left the ball before, but it’s a good feeling to get over the line.”
Clark came in at number six when Superchargers and England white-ball captain Harry Brook was caught off Mills for 24. Dan Lawrence holed out for 10, while opener Zak Crawley was caught for 29.
Superchargers were helped by an injury to Chris Jordan, who left the field with an apparent groin injury with 49 needed from 35 balls and Mitchell Santner capitalised by hitting Michael Bracewell’s spin for a six and a four.
Santner, who took 2-24 in Brave’s 139-5 – with fellow New Zealander and debutant Jacob Duffy also taking 3-26 – became Archer’s first victim and Tom Lawes followed for a duck, but Clark proved to be Superchargers’ match-winner.
The victory is their second from three games in this year’s Hundred and ends the Brave’s winning start.
WITH summer in full swing, holidaymakers are flocking to the beaches to make the most of the sun.
Airbnb has revealed the trending beach destinations around the world, with the Northumberland coastline making the cut.
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Beaches along Northumberland have long stretches of golden sandCredit: Alamy
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It’s a popular spot for swimming with great views of the North SeaCredit: Alamy
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The northern county of Northumberland has been getting lots of attention over the summer, with plenty of pretty beaches that are usually less busy than those in the south.
Airbnb said: “Northumberland is drawing more summer visitors, with searches up over 50 per cent this summer, thanks to its pristine North Atlantic beaches.”
One beach that’s been highlighted as a must-see is Embleton Bay. It sits on the edge of the North Sea to the east of the village of Embleton.
The bay has a long stretch of golden sands, cool water and it’s overlooked by the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.
Lots of visitors stumble across the bay and are stunned by it’s beauty, one wrote on Tripadvisor: “We thought we had seen all the best beaches in Northumberland but Embleton Bay wowed us the most!
“Crystal clear waters, fabulous views of Dunstanburgh Castle and acres of perfect sand and even though weather was fantastic we had the beach practically to ourselves.”
Another said the bay was one of Northumberland’s “best kept secrets”.
Near Embleton Bay is a pub that has previously held the title of ‘best beach bar in the UK’ – it’s called the Ship Inn in Low Newton-by-the-Sea.
It once claimed top spot in a list of the best beach pubs in the country put together by Conde Nast Traveller.
Exploring the UK’s Hidden Coastal Gems
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The Ship Inn pub has previously been called the best place to grab a pint by the coastCredit: Alamy
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Other European hotspots include Hossegor in FranceCredit: Alamy
The publication said: “Low Newton-by-the-Sea is one of the prettiest spots on the Northumberland coast.
“The tiny pub sits in the middle of a horseshoe of whitewashed cottages set around a village green where a cluster of trestle tables face the sea.”
Other favourites spots along the Northumberland coastline include Alnmouth,Beadnell Bay,andDruridge Bay.
Here are some of our own favourite spots across Northumberland…
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
Sun writer Kevin Donald took a trip to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea – one of Britain’s most budget-friendly seaside resorts.
He discovered bargain places to grab a bite too like The Coble pub and Caffe Bertorelli where you can pick up a cheap ice cream.
During his trip, one local said he wasn’t surprised more people were visiting, he added: “The beach is stunning and there are loads of nice shops and pubs and cafes to visit but for me, the best thing about the place is the people.
“They are so friendly and welcoming here that you can’t help but fall for the place, it has a lovely community atmosphere.”
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One writer took a trip to Newbiggin-by-the-SeaCredit: Alamy
Lindisfarne
Sun writer Matt Dathan visited the town of Lindisfarne also know as Holy Island.
The tidal island is a two square mile island and can only be accessed for around five hours a day.
It looks so other-worldly that Matt said he felt as if he were leaving England.
There he discovered ruins of a monastery and Lindisfarne Castle which he said has incredible views — and even includes a toilet that claims to be the “best loo with a view”.
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There’s 30 miles of beaches to explore along NorthumberlandCredit: Alamy
Spittal
Sun writer Jenny Green took a trip up to Northumberland‘s Berwick-upon-Tweed, three miles from the Scottish border.
She was spoiled for choice for doggy beach walks, as there’s 30 miles of beaches in Northumberland and lots are dog-friendly all year round.
Her favourites spots were Alnmouth Bay where if you’re lucky, you can see dolphins and whales swimming just off the coast and Bamburgh Beach which she described as looking like “something out of Game of Thrones”.
She also recommended checking out the quirky shops around the market towns, including one called Barter Books in Alnwick, which is a second-hand store housed in an old railway station.
While we all know that “costa” is simply the Spanish word for “coast”, for most of us it has a much wider meaning, evoking all sorts of images, both positive and negative. It may be beaches, fun, cold beers and tapas at a chiringuito (beach bar) with your feet in the sand. Perhaps you’re thinking of childhood holidays in a thrillingly huge hotel, where you happily stuffed yourself with ice-cream and chips for a fortnight. More recent memories might revolve around showy beach clubs with exorbitant prices. If you’ve been to the costas of eastern or southern Spain in the past few years, however, you may have reluctantly concluded that your favourite resorts are now a bit too hot for comfort.
This year, there has been a lot of buzz about “la España fresca”, or cool Spain, but, in reality, Spaniards have been thronging the northern coast in summer for decades, decamping to Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. This is particularly true for residents of Madrid and other cities in central Spain that are stifling in July and August.
Along the north coast, temperatures are usually more like those of Cornwall on a good summer’s day. But be warned: you do get blisteringly hot spells, too, not to mention a greater risk of wet weather. I have trudged along beaches in driving rain in June, but enjoyed glorious sunshine and delicious swims well into September.
One of my favourite chunks of northern Spain is the Costa Trasmiera in Cantabria. If you are trying to cut down on flying, it has the advantage of being easy to reach by Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander, the regional capital, or from Portsmouth to Bilbao, an hour’s drive away.
Anchovies and tuna for sale in Santoña. Photograph: Tim Graham/Alamy
Sailing into the Bay of Santander, your eyes are drawn to the city, framed by its string of beaches, rising up on your right. Look left, however, and the view is rural rather than urban. A long spit of glittering sand, El Puntal, protrudes into the bay, with a green landscape stretching out behind it to the east. This is the Costa Trasmiera, a stretch of about 30 miles (50km) between Santander and the fishing town of Santoña.
A car is really useful to get to different beaches along the coast, but there are buses from Santander to the main places, such as Somo, Noja and Santoña. With a car, you are only likely to be travelling short distances each day, so using an EV is no problem.
If you liked the look of El Puntal as you were arriving, you can jump on a little ferry across the bay. I love doing this when I’m staying in Santander, as within a quarter of an hour I’m running into the sea, shrieking as the cold water hits my body. If you’re used to wallowing in the tepid soup of the Mediterranean in summer, it might come as a bit of a shock.
The view across the bay from Santander. Photograph: Juanma Aparicio/Alamy
Back on the sand, a chopped seafood salad and glass of rosé at Chiringuito El Puntal Tricio always hits the spot. Walking along the beach brings you to Somo, a hub for surfers from all over the world, where you’ll find lots of cafes, bars and places offering surfing and paddleboarding tuition. Hotel Bemon Playa (doubles from €90 room-only) is in the thick of things if you fancy staying for a few days.
Heading east along the coast, it’s one superb beach after another: Loredo, Langre, Galizano, Antuerta, Cuberris. Book a table for a lobster lunch or a seafood platter overlooking the sea at Hotel Astuy (doubles from €60 room-only) in Isla, where the crustaceans served in the restaurant are kept in seawater pools in caves below the building. The hotel is a good base for exploring the area, but just beyond Isla, right next to Playa de Ris, Camping Playa Joyel (pitches from €19.50) is one of several good campsites on the Costa Trasmiera, with lots of facilities to keep kids happy.
From the campsite, it’s an easy walk into Noja, the main holiday town on the coast. Practical rather than pretty, for most of the year it is a sleepy place with a population of about 2,500. In summer, however, the number rises to an astounding 80,000-plus, mostly in second homes and holiday apartments – a much higher ratio of tourists and second-home owners to residents than in resorts on the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol. Families from other parts of Spain, especially the adjacent Basque Country, install themselves for the entire school holidays, which can stretch from late June until the second week of September.
Joyel salt marshes. Photograph: Mikel Bilbao/Gorostiaga Travels/Alamy
Although there are vestiges in Noja of the village it once was – including the church of San Pedro on the main square and a handful of grand mansions – the streets are lined with apartment blocks, with shops, bars and restaurants at ground level. This may not be the most attractive place, but for the thousands who come here year after year, it has everything needed for a relaxing holiday with no delusions of grandeur or attempts at being cool. No one cares what you’re wearing here.
With Playa de Ris on one side of Noja and the equally gorgeous Trengandín stretching away on the other (a path links the two), it’s not hard to see how people while away a summer here with swims, picnics, leisurely walks, long lunches and sunset cocktails. Seafood is, of course, excellent, but the nécoras (velvet crabs) are particularly prized.
Those who can summon the energy to move on from Noja only have to round the El Brusco headland at the end of Trengandín to come upon yet another splendid beach. Berria is bordered by the Santoña, Victoria and Joyel marshlands, a nature reserve that attracts migratory birds from autumn to spring.
Considered a delicacy, Santoña anchovies are served straight from the tin at restaurants and tapas bars. Photograph: Sergio Rojo/Alamy
The adjacent town of Santoña marks the end of the Costa Trasmiera. It’s all about fisheries and canning factories here, which is a lot more interesting than it sounds. As long as you like anchovies, that is. Santoña anchovies are bigger and fleshier than most, with a softer texture and a more delicate flavour, and here they’re expertly filleted and preserved in olive oil. Considered a delicacy throughout Spain, they are served straight out of the tin at top restaurants and tapas bars. Have a look around the anchovy museum – really – before ordering someat a bar, along with a plate of sardines and a beer. Devour the lot while standing at a high table on the pavement outside, then quaff another beer. You may find yourself ordering more anchovies as well.
By now you should have tuned into the laid-back Costa Trasmiera vibe. All you have to do, at some point, is make your way back to Santander. It only takes about half an hour by car, but you may be tempted to stop at some of the inland villages along the way. This is not an area to rush around, which – if you’re doing things properly – you will no doubt have gathered by now.
Zak Crawley’s unbeaten 67 runs off 38 balls, including four sixes, helps Northern Superchargers to an eight wicket victory over Welsh Fire in their opening match of the Men’s Hundred 2025 at Headingley.
![Modu Muhammad, a farmer, works on a piece of farm in Konduga, outside Maiduguri [Sani Adamu/Al Jazeera]](https://www.occasionaldigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WhatsApp-Image-2025-08-08-at-09.47.28-2-1755107230.jpeg)
