scared

“You have to deliver on addressing that crisis.” New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani criticised President Donald Trump for not fixing the affordability crisis he campaigned on, adding that Republicans are scared the new mayor may actually deliver.

The Woman in Cabin 10, the new Netflix thriller fronted by Keira Knightley, has left viewers unnerved with one ‘scary’ crime detail feeling like an all too plausible reality

Netflix fans have been keen to see the new Keira Knightley-led thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10, which landed on the streaming platform this month amid much hype. Based on Ruth Ware’s 2016 novel of the same name, it stars Knightley as hard-hitting journalist Laura ‘Lo’ Blacklock, who finds herself aboard a luxury yacht’s maiden voyage, mingling with billionaires and socialites alike.

The film begins with Lo’s return to the newsroom after a traumatic incident where she witnessed a source being murdered for agreeing to talk to her for a story. Her editor encourages her to take some time off, but Lo is adamant about getting back to work.

When an invitation to the Aurora Borealis, a luxurious new yacht, for a three-day sea trip followed by an exclusive gala event lands in her lap, she sees it as the perfect blend of work and leisure.

At first, everything seems fine; Lo is warmly welcomed by philanthropist Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce), who has organised the trip to celebrate his wealthy wife, Anne (Lisa Loven Kongsli), who is terminally ill with cancer.

It transpires that it was Anne who insisted on Lo joining the group as she admires her work. Anne wants Lo to assist her in refining her speech for the gala, where she plans to announce her intention to donate her vast wealth to those less fortunate upon her death.

Later, Lo hears a commotion in the neighbouring cabin and steps out onto her balcony to investigate. She hears a splash and sees a woman floating in the water below.

A bloody handprint on the glass partition separating their balconies leaves her unnerved. When she seeks answers and clarity, all her fellow passengers and the crew are present and accounted for.

With no one apparently missing, her recent trauma is used to dismiss her claims as a PTSD-induced hallucination, causing growing impatience among the other guests. Despite nobody believing what she knows she saw, Lo embarks on a perilous search for the truth.

Anne begins to act out of character – she forgets a meeting she had previously arranged with Lo, and despite claiming she’s stopped taking her medication, she attributes her confusion to those pills.

In a shocking revelation, it turns out Richard used his friend’s facial recognition software to find a woman who could realistically impersonate Anne and alter her will, transferring her billions to him instead of donating them to charity.

The woman Lo saw being thrown overboard was the real Anne, with the imposter – now sporting a freshly shaven head and dressed in Anne’s clothes – assuming her identity.

This aspect of the film’s twist ending left some viewers feeling uneasy – the unsettling idea that as technology and AI advance, finding doppelgängers to serve as substitutes could become a feasible reality.

One Reddit user commented: “It was good. It’s refreshing to watch a film that doesn’t waste any time. What’s scary is it’s probably possible for someone to use facial recognition to find a doppelgänger.

“My only minor quibble with it was I would’ve expected her to read the room more quickly and keep her suspicions to herself. Because we all know there are no good billionaires.”

One viewer shared: “I rewound the movie to make sure they didn’t cheat by using imposter Anne the whole time, to trick us, and only using two separate actors when they’re depicted in the same room together.

“They didn’t cheat! That’s what was so neat, I didn’t notice the swap either. Never crossed my mind.”

Others simply shared their thoughts on the film overall.

One person commented: “People will nitpick things to death but I rather liked it. Not too long and to the point. 7/10.

“Good Saturday night movie that isn’t complete trash and gives you a decent enough murder mystery with an ending that pays out.”

Author Ruth Ware shared with Netflix’s Tudum that despite her book being published nearly ten years ago, its relevance persists because “the fear of not being believed is perennial, unfortunately”.

HE IS the English striker formerly of Stoke, Yeovil and Weymouth in a  shootout for the MLS Golden Boot with Lionel Messi.

Sam Surridge, now of Nashville SC, is on 23 league strikes, just one behind the Greatest Of All Time — as well as LAFC’s Denis Bouanga — in the Stateside goalscoring stakes.

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The ex-England Under-21 international has the odds stacked against him as he has only one game left to take the crown, as opposed to Messi’s two and Bouanga’s three.

And, in an exciting twist of fixture fate, that solitary match is at home to the iconic Argentinian’s Inter Miami a week today.

Yet Surridge, who played in the Premier League with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, told SunSport: “I’ve probably got to get a hat-trick so it’s not going to be easy.

“But at the same time I’ll always back myself to score and it would be an amazing achievement.

“We’re fighting at a really good point in our league. We just won the cup and we need to get into the top four to get a good play-off spot.

“I’ll do as much as I can to do it.

“It’s great. Just to mention my name along with his is a huge achievement.”

Berkshire-born Surridge came through the ranks at Bournemouth under Eddie Howe and had formative lower-league loans at Weymouth, Poole Town, Yeovil, Oldham and Swansea.

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He had a half a season at Stoke before moving to  Forest, where he played 20 Premier League games in 2022-23 but netted only once.

His world has changed completely, however, since moving to the other side of the Pond in 2023.

He is now the main man with Tennessee side Nashville.

Though he has Messi to thank for convincing him to make the revitalising switch in the first place.

Surridge will hope his upcoming meeting with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner goes better than the last one, when Miami won 2-1 thanks to Messi’s double — including a sublime free-kick.

The 27-year-old added: “At first I didn’t want to come here because I just wanted to stay in England.

“But then I saw Messi join Inter Miami and I knew they were going to host the World Cup and the size of the league was going to grow.

“Since I’ve been here, the standard has been getting better and better every year.

“Going into that game against Miami in July, we were on a ten-game unbeaten streak, I was on 16, he was on 14.

‘IT WAS CRAZY’

“I remember we gave a foul away on the edge of the box and you just knew he was going to score from it.

“It was crazy — you knew exactly where he was going to put the ball. And he did.

“You’re trying to focus on the game but at the same time you know he’s playing. It’s not easy.

“He is coming to the end of his career but he only won the Ballon d’Or two years ago.”

Surridge has been relishing his role as Nashville’s go-to guy up top and recently scored the match-winning goal to clinch the US Open Cup — America’s equivalent of the FA Cup.

It was the first piece of silverware in Tennessee in a long time, although Surridge was sent off right at the end of the game for two late yellows.

Surridge puts his inspired form in part down to the recent birth of son Noah.

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He added: “In the past, I’ve probably let it eat me up when I’ve had a bad game or not scored a goal.

“But now as one game is gone, I’m straight on to the next, back home with my family and being a dad.

“That’s a massive factor (in my form) this season, giving me that renewed focus.” Surridge is experiencing week in, week out the soaring temperatures that Harry Kane and the rest of the England team will have to deal with at the World Cup next summer.

And forward Surridge, who played with the likes of Marc Guehi for the Young Lions, said: “I know England are going to find it hard to cope with the weather over here because it’s not easy adjusting to it.

“There’s going to be a lot of South American teams that are used to it.

“Especially when you go to places like Miami, and places more south of Nashville, it’s not easy to play in the heat. There’s going to be a lot of toing and froing, sitting off and trying to break teams down.

“They should be pushing the games back because we play at 7pm most games and it’s still ridiculously hot.

“At the Club World Cup, I’ve seen them play at games at 2pm and 3pm in the 30-degree heat and it’s almost impossible.”

‘PICKING THE MOMENTS’

So what would his advice be for Thomas Tuchel’s side braving the heat?

The striker replied: “It’s not saving yourself in games, it’s more about picking the moments.

“Because as soon as you get into a full-on sprint in that heat, it’s hard to get your breath back.

“I think managers will set up their teams differently for that reason.

“You see pressing teams where they’re full-on pressing and, as soon as they break down, they’re going to struggle.

“It’s about conserving your energy where you can.”

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ON ‘P***head Corner’, a group of worse-for-wear locals tuck into cans of cheap beer while commuters hurry past on their way to work.

Charity shops, boarded up stores and nail salons dominate the high street, while drug deals take place in broad daylight and drunks brazenly swig from bottles of spirits. 

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Yet this scene of deprivation is just yards from the picturesque seafront of South Shields, with a stunning stretch of golden sands and a recently regenerated promenade.

This weekend 60,000 athletes will cross the finish line of the Great North Run, running a mile along the coastline at Sandhaven Beach, after competing the gruelling race from Newcastle. 

But beyond the funfair, restaurants and elegant Victorian park close to sands, the rundown streets tell a story of years of neglect and residents speak of a dark underbelly of crime, alcoholism and drug taking. 

Steven Smith was once a successful painter and decorator but is now a self-confessed alcoholic desperately trying to get sober. 

We speak to him at the town’s transport interchange, dubbed “P***head Corner” due to its popularity among drinkers.

The 42-year-old said: “Having the Great North Run is all well and good but the crime rate is diabolical.

“I got beat up just last night. It was for no reason at all. I was walking through the row of shops in the centre and I ended up in hospital. I woke up there. 

“There were three lads and they jumped me for nothing. They were probably trying to steal from me but it knocked me out.

“I’m walking and talking and that’s the main thing, but it’s not nice. They did it because they are a***holes, and it didn’t surprise me to be honest. 

“South Shields is getting worse for it. The town was given some money a while ago but it hasn’t been spent wisely.

“I don’t take drugs but I’m an alcoholic trying to ween myself off.

“The other day I walked around the corner and saw someone smoking a crack pipe in front of kids.”

Steven believes the town’s younger population are at risk of falling into the same trap.

The other day I walked around the corner and saw someone smoking a crack pipe in front of kids

Steven Smith

He added: “I had some kids ask me last week to go in the shop for them to buy drink. They couldn’t have been older than 13 or 14.

“I told them I wasn’t going to do it. I don’t want to encourage anyone to drink. It ruins lives.”

Addiction crisis

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Damning data from the Office of National Statistics speaks of an alcohol crisis engulfing the town and the surrounding area. 

Across 2022 to 2023, 777 per 100,000 people in South Tyneside were admitted to hospital for an alcohol-related reason. The figure was sky high compared to the rate of 475 across England as a whole. 

During the same time period, 62 per 100,000 under 18s were admitted as a result of consuming booze, while the England rate stood at just 26.

The number of people suffering from alcoholic liver disease in South Tyneside was also nearly double the national rate. There were 304 per 100,000 in the region, compared to 156 in England.

By mid-morning, groups of men and women eagerly waited outside the town’s pubs ahead of opening time. 

Meanwhile, a gaunt couple were handed a package by a furtive-looking man before rushing from the bustle of the interchange. 

People are always on drugs giving you abuse when you walk past. Even if you have a child with you, they do it all the time.

Ex-McDonald’s worker Chloe Mycock

Ex-McDonald’s worker Chloe Mycock used to dread taking breaks during shifts at the nearby fast food restaurant due to unsavoury characters loitering outside.

Chloe, now 21, said: “Alcoholism is a major issue. People are always on drugs giving you abuse when you walk past.

“Even if you have a child with you, they do it all the time. Groups of kids go through the bus station on bikes and they will harass you without a care.

“One hundred per cent it makes me wary of going outside on my own.

“I used to work at McDonald’s and I would come and sit outside on my breaks to get some fresh air. But there would be crowds of people outside and it made me feel unsafe.

“This was during the day so I definitely would not feel safe coming out at night-time.

“I think a lot of these people come from certain parts on the outskirts of the town and they congregate together in the centre.”

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Retired police officer Dave Binding, 81, added: “The place is dirty, although it is the same as anywhere else these days.

“People used to come home after work, get changed, and go for a night out.

“But now they might have a quick drink and then go home and stay there, perhaps due to fear of walking the streets.

“There are places around here that are no-go areas, which common sense dictates you stay away from.

People used to come home after work, get changed, and go for a night out. But now they might have a quick drink and then go home and stay there, perhaps due to fear of walking the streets

Retired police officer Dave Binding

“But I ask, what more can you do? We have a country that we deserve now, not one that we want.

“I’m seeing the problem happen more often with drinks in South Shields. I feel sorry for the staff at A&E because it must be like a conveyer belt.

“They must tell each other ‘I saw him yesterday’ but what more can they do?

“This place suffers from the same rash – the same nail bars, the same barbers and second-hand shops.”

Child poverty

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A recent BBC study ranked a third of the neighbourhoods in South Tyneside among the most deprived in the country.

The child poverty crisis was deemed so severe the council recently announced a four-point plan in a desperate bid to reduce levels.

In 2020 to 2021, around 39 per cent of children in the South Tyneside area were living in poverty according to council data.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators will flock to the town to watch the competitors finish the 42nd Great North Run, which was founded in 1981, when just 12K took part. 

The event was masterminded by former Olympic medallist Brendan Foster who wanted to create a fun run in his home region. Mo Farah dubbed the 2013 race his favourite ever, despite not winning, due to the tremendous support from the sidelines. 

One woman, who didn’t want to be named, said: “The Great North Run is great for the area but people only ever see the nicer part of South Shields at the coast when it’s on TV.

“I don’t think the people who come here for the run will to rush to return.

“People used to come to this area to live but now they try and get out because there’s nothing here.

“Kids these days hang around on their bikes outside of McDonald’s and people don’t feel safe.

I don’t venture out in the town when it’s dark because people are up to no good on their bikes

Anonymous

“Child poverty is definitely an issue in the town. A lot of the younger generation don’t go on to higher education.

“If they’re not lucky enough to grow up in a nicer area, they often get stuck in a poverty cycle.

“There aren’t many jobs and people have to travel elsewhere.

“The foodbank in nearby Hebburn gets really busy.

“I don’t venture out in the town when it’s dark because people are up to no good on their bikes.”

Intoxicated groups

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Sarah Wytcherley, a 40-year-old warehouse worker, said: “Crowds of intoxicated people gather in the town all of the time.

“They sit outside the bus interchange and that’s not what people want to see when they’re visiting the town for the first time.

“It has always been a problem with Shields as far as I’m aware. It doesn’t look very nice.”

One worker at the interchange believes police have been making an effort to move on the hoards of drunks.

He said: “It has been bad. It is has gone downhill as a whole. You see them spiced out of their heads and it puts fear into people.

“There was an incident not long ago where a kid on a bike hurt a disabled guy. It doesn’t look good for town at all.”

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Cllr Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council told The Sun: “The Great North Run showcases the beauty and spirit of our borough.

“But behind the scenes, we’re working every day to make sure that spirit is felt in every neighbourhood – tackling inequality, improving safety, and creating opportunity for all.

“We’ve never shied away from the challenges some of our communities face and we have worked hard to tackle them head on, targeting our support to make things fairer across the borough and redress inequalities.

“We know that issues like child poverty and alcohol-related harm have a real impact on people’s lives, and that’s why we’ve taken bold, proactive steps to address them.

“We’ve launched the North East’s first Child Poverty Strategy, bringing together partners across the region to take coordinated action — from working closely with schools and providing baby boxes to new parents to helping parents with the costs of school uniforms, school meals and holiday activities.

“We’re also refreshing our Alcohol Strategy to confront the borough’s high rates of alcohol-related deaths. This includes improving access to support services, challenging cultural norms around drinking, and tackling health inequalities head-on.

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“To tackle long-term challenges, we’re investing in both our places and our people. Our regeneration plans go beyond the seafront — they’re about creating opportunity across the borough.

“The relocation of South Tyneside College into the town centre, backed by millions in external funding, will breathe new life into South Shields.

“Through the Community Regeneration Partnership, we’re also delivering real improvements in Hebburn, Jarrow and beyond. Programmes like South Tyneside Works and regional skills initiatives are helping residents access training and support.

“And by attracting major employers, we’re creating jobs and helping local people step into them.”

Superintendent Lisa Laverick, of Northumbria Police, said: “Alongside our partner organisations, we strive to make South Tyneside as safe as possible a place for people to live, work and visit.

“As a Force, we fully understand the detrimental impact that crime can have on the lives of residents and always aim to tackle these issues head on using a range of tactics.

“We carry out a number of proactive operations during each year, including Project Shield patrols which aim to reduce anti-social behaviour and serious violence incidents while also engaging with our communities to retain and build their trust in us.

“We also run the Safer Transport Northumbria initiative which allows commuters to raise any issues while using public transport with us, while our dedicated Metro Unit regularly patrols the Metro network to identify any criminality and take the appropriate action.

“This has helped us to achieve a 19 per cent fall in the number of recorded ASB incidents in South Tyneside in the past year, and our focus remains on improving this even further.

“Our teams do their utmost to build on our ever-growing intelligence picture so that we can target offenders and get them before the courts to face justice.

“As ever, we rely on the support and assistance of our community so please continue to work with us by providing information on crime or suspicious activity if you become aware of it in your neighbourhood.

“Together, we can keep South Tyneside the welcoming borough it is.”

Antonia Lambert intially noticed something was wrong with her daughter Delilah in March, before it was discovered in June that she had a rare and serious condition

When Antonia Lambert took her 17-month-old daughter Delilah-Rose Lambert to the opticians earlier this year, she had no idea what was about to transpire.

Antonia, 20, had noticed her daughter’s left eye shine white and wanted to find out why. After the opticians referred her to the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, they attended an appointment, after which they were sent home when nothing was found.

When Delilah started rubbing her left eye constantly and developed a fear of the dark just weeks later, Antonia, from South Killingholme in North Lincolnshire, was referred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

It was there that doctors made a tragic discovery. In June, three months after symptoms had first been noticed, Delilah was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma. According to the NHS, this is a rare type of eye cancer that can affect young children.

Following the diagnosis, which Delilah’s family believed caused her fear of the dark because she could see less, Antonia’s daughter had to have her entire left eye removed.

Although Delilah has now been given a temporary prosthetic, it will be a few more weeks before she receives a longer-lasting one. While the situation cannot be changed, hairdresser Antonia believes that, had they not been initially dismissed, her daughter might still have her left eye.

Speaking about the beginnings of their horrific ordeal, Antonia spoke about how she first came to notice something was wrong with her daughter.

She said: “We had a lamp on in our room and one of her pupils looked white. We didn’t think much of it but she started to get wobbly so we took her to get her eyes tested.

“[Before her diagnosis], she refused to settle in her room and would cry for hours until I put a light on or took her out of that room.”

Antonia also spoke about how hard it was to hear that her daughter had such a difficult diagnosis. She said: “There were so many emotions at the time and I didn’t know how to feel. I sat and cried for days.

“I think most of the frustration was with our local hospital because they decided her eye wasn’t important enough to examine at the start and it made me think that it could have been different. The tumour might have been smaller if she was seen earlier and they could have potentially saved her eye.”

Despite the heartbreak, Antonia is determined to raise awareness of retinoblastoma so that other parents know what symptoms to look for and can act quickly.

She urged: “You need to trust your gut and push as much as possible. We didn’t push enough at the start, but we kept going and going – and she ended up getting her eye removed.

“It’s not massively common. We were told 30 to 40 kids a year in the UK get diagnosed with this. You don’t think it’s going to be you – until it is.

“Opticians don’t usually test children’s eyes under four unless there are concerns, but if you spot anything unusual, you definitely need to get their sight checked.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the NHS Humber Health Partnership said: “We are sorry to hear about the difficulties Miss Lambert and her daughter encountered at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital earlier this year.

“We would be keen for her to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service team so we can discuss the issues with her in more detail and allow us to investigate fully.”

The Ryanair flight from Marrakech Menara Airport in Morocco to London Stansted Airport encountered a “minor technical issue” – and passengers, including Keyaan Adediran, were delayed

A Ryanair passenger described his “quite scary” experience following the plane’s “minor technical issue”.

Keyaan Adediran, 20, was on the sweltering plane after it became marooned on the tarmac for nearly one hour before take-off. It was delayed – with all the passengers aboard – at Marrakech Menara Airport in Morocco due to the glitch, which impacted the air conditioning.

And so holidaymakers were left sweating inside the jet, which Keyaan jokingly compared to a sauna. However, the tourist soon found the experience “honestly quite scary” as the air con reportedly continued to blow out heat while the plane for Stansted Airport was stranded.

Ryanair says the aircraft doors remained open during the delay and passengers were remained onboard to ensure the flight was ready for the earliest available take-off slot in Morocco.

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But Keyaan, who is a student, said: “The incident felt like a lack of organisation and preparation. It was honestly quite scary.” The aircraft doors were open but temperatures in Marrakesh on Sunday August 17 – the day the issue happened – peaked at 45C.

“There were kids and old people struggling from the heat. They got tended to well by the attendants,” Keyaan, who is from Oxford, continued.

“The heat lasted for the entire duration of while we were grounded and for about 10 minutes after take off. But after that point it got extremely cold and me and everyone else I spoke to were shivering throughout the remaining three hours.”

Ryanair said the flight on Sunday was delayed by 52 minutes due to the technical problem. Water was available to passengers upon request, the budget airline continued.

A spokesperson said: “This flight from Marrakesh to London Stansted (17 August) was delayed 52 minutes ahead of take-off due to a minor technical issue with the aircraft, which impacted the air conditioning.

“To ensure the flight was ready for the earliest available take-off slot, passengers remained onboard. During this time, the aircraft doors remained open, and water was available to passengers upon request.”

Flight delays have been topical this month with Brits continuing to head abroad for their holidays. One tourist who was delayed more than four hours after two easyJet planes collided into each other spoke of her “frustration” at only being given a £3 food and drink voucher by the airline.

• If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you are entitled to compensation, depending on how long the delay has been. Nothing in life is ever that simple, of course! Airlines have a knack for trying to get round the law that governs compensation for flight delays and cancellations. So knowing how the rules work can help you fight back if you get fobbed off.

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.

The cast of the terrifying new Alien series have admitted they weren’t particularly scared of the iconic space menace on set for one simple reason

Alien: Earth’s cast have revealed the man inside the iconic Xenomorph suit was anything but frightening behind the scenes.

Created by award-winning Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley, the new FX series, premiering this week on Disney+ in the UK, serves as a prequel to Ridley Scott’s sci-fi nightmare from 1979.

The series’ ensemble cast includes newcomers and familiar faces, including Timothy Olyphant, Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther and Babou Ceesay.

Of course, no entry in the Alien franchise is complete without the terrifying titular extraterrestrials and Hawley has emphasised a return to visceral practical effects to bring the horror to life.

Previewing the series at Alien: Earth’s London premiere, the cast revealed performer Cameron Brown was primarily inside the classic black suit that’s been horrifying fans for over 40 years.

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“It was Cameron Brown, who’s a vegan,” Ceesay shared. “Dressed in an eight-foot suit.

“Snarling in your face, K-Y jelly dripping out of his mouth. Yeah, scary.”

However, Ceesay and the rest of the cast couldn’t help giggling as they fondly remembered their time with Brown on set.

Lawther added: “It’s really easy to run away scared from a Xenomorph when it’s really a man who’s a Xenomorph chasing you.”

The cast also revealed their alien-suited co-star would frequently take breaks to munch on carrot sticks and hummus, in stark contrast to his flesh-eating screen persona.

During a panel discussion at Comic-Con’s Hall H, lead actress Chandler previously admitted she was “giddy” to be chased by a Xenomorph, calling Brown “the sweetest person in the world“, per GoldDerby.

And Lawther agreed at the time: “There’s something hysterical about the fearsomeness of the Xenomorph, but then he takes off his head, and he’s from New Zealand, and he doesn’t eat meat.

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“If you think me and Sydney are soft-spoken, just wait till you meet the Xenomorph.”

Die-hard fans of the original film by director Ridley Scott, as well as its subsequent sequels, will be thrilled to discover that Hawley relied on practical effects and sets as often as possible.

Elaborating on the advantages of practical techniques versus CGI, he explained: “I think it’s meaningful, both to the cast and, I think audiences know when something’s real or not real.

“We’ve gotten very good at tricking them, but, usually, what you need is some realistic element in the shot.

“The thing with horror is your imagination does most of the work for you, so you don’t want to see the monster for too long. You want to see the shadows, you want to see the open door.

“The shot is half a second and you’ve got a tail on a fishing line and that’s probably gonna work, you know what I mean?”

Critics are saying the Alien franchise is better than ever with the new TV prequel, but will it win fans over who think the Xenomorphs should have stayed in space? Find out soon.

Alien: Earth premieres Wednesday, 13th August on Disney+.

For a limited time only, witness the first stage of the life cycle of the Xenomorph up close with a thrilling new display at London’s Natural History Museum.

Visitors can touch real pieces of the solar system at the Museum’s blockbuster exhibition, Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, and discover more about one of pop culture’s most iconic and frightening creatures just by the entrance until Friday, 22nd August.

Some locals in Majorca are claiming that certain resorts are ’empty’, with one hospitality boss sounding the alarm over the impact that overtourism protests are having

Spanish officials have warned that overtourism protests are scaring off holidaymakers.

Some locals in Majorca have claimed that certain resorts are “completely dead”, following several years of intense campaigning about the impacts of tourism on the Balearic islands and those similar to it.

Restaurant association president, Juanmi Ferrer, has now warned that the protests are “scaring visitors away”, while Miguel Pérez‑Marsá, head of the nightlife association, sounded a similar alarm. He told the Majorca Daily Bulletin: “The tourists we’re interested in are being driven away; they don’t feel welcome and are going to other destinations.”

Pedro Oliver, president of the College of Tour Guides, told Mail Online that his industry had been impacted by the negative messaging. “The anti‑tourism messages are resonating,” he said, noting that sales were down 20 % as key markets including Brits and Germans were staying away.

Have you stayed away from Spain because of the protests? We’d love to hear from you. Email [email protected]

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Biel Rosales, who runs excursion provider Proguies Turístics, said activity had been cut in half this summer, blaming the protests as well as rising prices. “Tourismphobia and the idea that tourists are not welcome are hurting us greatly,” he said.

The cooling effect has also been felt in the taxi ranks. Biel Moragues, who works in one of the island’s taxi associations, told Mail Online: “British tourists are the most upset by the protests and have changed their holiday destination.”

Lesley Johnson, from Leicester, has been living in Majorca for 30 years and has seen a big change this year. Where previously the main strip would be packed and difficult to walk down on Friday and Saturday evenings, now it is “dead”. She echoed the complaints of other Brits who have made the holiday island their home, that the number of their compatriots living in Majorca is dwindling as each year passes.

While it is hard to judge how many people have visited Majorca so far this summer and whether overall numbers are down, early-season figures suggest Brits might be staying away.

In March, visitors from Majorca’s third-largest market, the UK, were down 23.2 % to 48,741. For the Balearics as a whole, the UK fell 25.3 % to 52,170. Other markets showed notable decreases as well, with France down 39.4 % in Majorca and Italy 40.1 %.

It may be that Brits are avoiding the Balearic islands such as Majorca and opting for the Canaries instead. Recent Canary Islands Statistics Institute data show an influx of British tourists to Lanzarote so far this summer. Numbers have swelled by just shy of 40,000, despite widespread demonstrations rocking the archipelago.

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According to Gazette Life, UK visitor numbers to Lanzarote surged from 691,902 to 738,387 during the five‑month period year‑on‑year. Intriguingly, German visitor numbers have dwindled by nearly 30,000 in Lanzarote, as recorded between January and May 2025.

Official figures on the number of visitors to Majorca over the month of June will be released this week. They will offer a good indication of whether tourism to the island has slumped, as it did in May, when visitor numbers were down by just over 1 %.

Jordi Mora, president of the Federation of Small and Medium Enterprises of Majorca, has argued against the suggestion that the protests were scaring tourists away, claiming that there would be a 5 % growth in visitor numbers this year compared to last, once the season is complete.

Marcus Daniels, a former flight attendant who spent five years in the job, claims that airlines are too afraid of offending passengers to resolve an apparently longstanding toilet-related issue

A former flight attendant claims that airlines are afraid of teaching passengers how to use toilets properly, for fear of offending them.

Marcus Daniels spent five years working the aisles at 30,000 feet. He loved his job, but not all aspects of it. Marcus says he was disgusted on multiple occasions by messes left behind by passengers. He believes many of these incidents occurred because some flyers were unfamiliar with these types of toilets, and he noticed a trend emerging on certain routes.

“On those flights, passengers will defecate on the floor, and you just do your best to smile and not say anything. You get used to it after a while and can start mentally preparing yourself for those flights,” Mr Daniels said.

The flight attendant added that the language barrier made it difficult to address this delicate topic with passengers.

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“It would be great if there were visual guides showing how to use the toilet properly, rather than just guides for flushing,” he added, according to the Daily Mail.

Daniels recalled one occasion when he had to lock off the toilet for the remainder of a flight after a passenger repeatedly urinated on the floor. “Airlines are very particular about how they communicate with customers because they don’t want to offend anyone,” he said.

In other plane-toilet news, a flight attendant recently revealed that birdsong is now being played in lavatories to mask embarrassing “toilet sounds.” KLM attendant Esther Sturrus posted a video on TikTok demonstrating this new feature inside the bathroom of a brand-new Airbus A321neo.

Sturrus, 24, who has worked for the Dutch airline since 2020, laughed as the sound of birds chirping filled the space. Since summer 2024, KLM has gradually replaced its Boeing 737 fleet with A321neos, according to its website.

“The birdsong definitely catches people by surprise the first time. You’re expecting the usual hum of the engines or total silence, and instead you’re suddenly surrounded by chirping birds. The idea behind it is to make the onboard experience a little more soothing and enjoyable, even in the smallest and most unexpected places,” said Sturrus, who is from Rotterdam.

“The birdsong gives a sort of spa-like vibe. Let’s be honest, it also nicely covers the classic toilet sounds, so it might just be functional too. I found it unusual and amusing and just had to capture the moment. It’s little touches like these that show how much thought can go into even the tiniest details of a flight experience.”