As Witkoff and Kushner were negotiating at the Kremlin, Zelensky said he was ready for “a substantive conversation”.

Saturday’s talks in Moscow lasted three hours and were held behind closed doors in Putin’s official residence in the heart of the Russian capital, according to Russian state media.

Details are still emerging, but both sides have given broadly positive remarks without going into specifics.

Putin adviser Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “constructive, extremely frank”.

“The talks were not limited to an exchange of views on resolving the Ukrainian crisis – economic issues and potential major, mutually beneficial Russian-American projects were discussed in considerable detail,” he said.

Ushakov also said “note was made of the Russian army’s tangible advances in the combat zone” and that there was acknowledgement that talks needed to address “the root causes of the conflict”.

Despite an escalation of Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Russian ground forces have made very slow advances for most of the conflict, incurring enormous casualties. Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory – areas that it seized back in 2022.

Kushner and Witkoff have visited Russia several times but given Ukraine’s airspace has been closed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, it is not clear how they will be travelling to Kyiv from Moscow.

The talks come after Russia and Ukraine have intensified aerial attacks in recent months.

Ukraine says it has struggled to repel ballistic missile attacks due to a lack of interceptor missiles, while Kyiv has focused its strikes on Russian economic infrastructure targets, notably oil installations.

Nepalese rescuers have found a man and a woman alive ten days after devastating floods hit the country – but 500 still remain trapped in tunnels. 

Hundreds of people are stuck inside blocked hydropower project tunnels in the aftermath of last month’s flood. 

The unprecedented deluge of ice, rock, mud and debris on the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday – blamed on a glacier collapse – has killed at least 1,300 people with 5,000 still missing. 

Officials said on Saturday that a Chinese national had been rescued from the tunnels – bringing the total to three people pulled alive from the Trishuli hydropower project. 

Two Nepalese workers were rescued from a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower plant on Friday.

Nepal’s army said a joint rescue team of Nepalese military personnel and South Korean disaster experts rescued the man from a 225-metre tunnel (738ft) and that he was undergoing a health assessment. 

Pictures show him being evacuated by helicopter, with an army medic checking on him during the flight. 

A photo released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed two rescuers carrying the man out of the tunnel. 

Pictures show him being evacuated by helicopter, with an army medic checking on him during the flight

In flood-hit Nuwakot town a woman was rescued alive from a house, Nepal’s army spokesperson said today

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Nepali officials said that their focus was on reaching the hundreds of workers believed to be trapped inside about half a dozen hydropower project tunnels that had been blocked by mud and rock debris. 

Pictures and videos shared by rescue teams showed earth-moving equipment digging and shovelling mud and rocks under lights in the dark of the night as workers watched.

Teams had used a pipe to begin ‘sending air through the small opening’, Nepali Home Minister Sudan Gurung said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, in flood-hit Nuwakot town a woman was rescued alive from a house, Nepal’s army spokesman said today.

Officials said she was being airlifted to Kathmandu. 

Images released by Nepal’s army showed rescuers finding the woman covered in mud. 

They gave her bottled water before pulling her to safety, wrapped in a grey blanket. 

Yesterday, two hydropower workers were pulled alive from a tunnel buried by debris.

Images released by Nepal’s army showed rescuers finding the woman covered in mud, wrapped in a grey blanket

Dramatic photos showed about a dozen rescuers pulling a man from a small hole in the ground

Rescue crews are seen carrying one of the freed power plant workers to safety

Soldiers are pictured carrying a powerplant worker to safety on Friday morning

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One man was helped to his feet by rescuers and later carried on the backs of the emergency workers. 

A photograph showed the second man caked in mud, his hands pressed together in prayer, as rescuers brought him away on a stretcher.

Rescuers called it a ‘miracle’ after the disaster last Wednesday

‘I am so happy, my heart is lighter,’ Amir Maharjan, the brother of rescued worker 45-year-old Kabir Maharjan said.

The men were identified as Sanjay Shah, 30, a mechanical foreman, as well as Maharjan, a mechanical supervisor, by Home Minister Sudan Gurung.

The Nepal Army said the two men were receiving medical treatment and that ‘search and rescue operations are ongoing’.

Kulman Ghising, former head of many of the hydro projects who has just returned from the scene to help co-ordinate the rescue operation, told the Daily Mail last week:

‘It’s impossible to say how long the workers will be able to survive because we just don’t know the condition of the tunnels. From our estimates, there are 300 workers inside six to eight tunnels. If there’s enough oxygen and food, they could be OK for several weeks. But from what I’ve seen so far, that’s not the case.

Nepal army soldiers are pictured during a search and rescue operation outside a tunnel near the Hydropower Project sites on Wednesday

‘There was one tunnel that was reached, and it was totally filled with water and mud, so we weren’t able to tell if there were any workers inside. At another, after creating an opening, there was no response when we called out.’

Mr Ghising, who previously served as Nepal’s Energy Minister, said: ‘The whole area has been destroyed and many villages and hydropower projects have been wiped off the face of the earth. I only got back to Kathmandu yesterday and will be returning very soon.

‘We have to find our people as quickly as we can. This is a desperate race against time.’

A GP dubbed ‘doctor death’ failed to bring his ‘suicide collar’ into Britain amid fears it would be seized by customs.

Hugely controversial Dr Philip Nitschke said he feared it being confiscated so instead left it in Holland before making the trip to Britain for a talk.

MPs and campaigners had called on the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to ban Dr Nitschke from even being allowed to enter Britain.

He had planned to do a live demonstration of the Kairos ‘suicide collar’ at an event in London on Saturday.

The Australian spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail at a packed event, held just six days before MPs vote at Second Reading on Lauren Edwards’ revived assisted dying Bill.

He was on stage at an Exit Workshop in west London, which was packed, with almost every seat taken by a largely elderly audience who were considering assisted suicide.

Dr Nitschke, the controversial founder of Swiss euthanasia organisation Exit International, defended the device.

The collar, called ‘Kairos’, consists of two balloons that exert pressure on the carotid artery, leading first to unconsciousness and then to death.

The collar, called ‘Kairos’, consists of two balloons that exert pressure on the carotid artery, leading first to unconsciousness and then to death (Pictured: A model of the ‘Kairos’ collar)

Earlier this year, Dr Nitschke said that he would conduct the first assisted suicide using the collar on a woman in Switzerland who would be his first ‘test subject’.

Devices could be legal to use for assisted suicides here if new Bill passes.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘I have left the device in the Netherlands. I feared it would be stopped at customs. We are under pressure from authorities about what they call “giving dangerous information to vulnerable people”.

‘It’s a difficult environment.

‘The device is not expensive to make but we are currently in the testing phase and it would be a real setback to lose it.’

Dr Nitschk shrugged off the controversy around his visit and the device itself.

He said that the interest in his device and the visit to London was the result of the political deadlock over legalising assisted dying.

He said: ‘People are a little worried or frustrated by the slow pace of legislated change in the country. So they often look around and ask what else is available.’

Dr Nitschk said he would conduct the first assisted suicide using the collar on a woman in Switzerland who would be his first ‘test subject’

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Dr Nitschk shrugged off any controversy surrounding the collar (Pictured: Dr Nitschke lies down in a ‘suicide pod’ in 2024)

Carlos Cabrera, a representative from the Swiss euthanasia clinic, Athanasios, also spoke at the event, explaining the process of an assisted suicide in the country.

He said: ‘The Swiss have a unique law and don’t restrict it to just Swiss nationals.

‘Switzerland lets other people benefit from this very progressive legislation.

‘When you touch the ground in Switzerland you have indirectly or directly the right to die.

‘We support people to die without selfish intentions.’

Under Swiss law, there are few restrictions on undergoing an assisted death, with a terminal condition not being a requirement.

‘When you have the mental capacity to leave this world, you can do it,’ Cabrera says.

Mr Cabrera told the Mail that between 40 and 60 people from the UK have chosen to end their lives through his organisation.

One relative of a person considering using the device, said: ‘My main concern about all of this is what would happen to us when we returned to Britain. What legal consequences would there be for going to Switzerland with them?’

But Mr Cabrera explained that he has never seen problems with family members being prosecuted.

‘All information on what happens in Switzerland, stays in Switzerland. We cannot give information to UK authorities.’

After the discussion about the option of travelling to Switzerland, many in the audience stayed on for a ‘do-it-yourself guide’ to assisted suicide given by Nitschke.

Participants had to sign waivers to declare that they had not been influenced by Nitschke in order to take part in the talk.

• For help and support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org

Gregory Catillo Volquez was murdered after a night out with friends, in an unprovoked and seemingly random attack

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Three men who murdered a young father in cold blood on a London street have been jailed for a combined total of 68 years.

Gregory Catillo Volquez, 36, from South London, had been enjoying a night out with friends on Monday, January 13 last year, when they travelled north, and he was set upon by the trio in Tiverton Road, Haringey.

Footage showed two of men wielding a machete and crutch as Mr Volquez was stabbed 22 times, while the crutch was used to repeatedly rain down blows upon him. Mr Volquez, who had a young daughter with his partner, was pronounced dead in the street by paramedics, reports MyLondon.

On Friday, September 4, following an an eight-week trial in Southwark Crown Court, Benito Ramirez Kones, 20, Carlos Akum Metumbe, 22, and Italian national, Luiggi Perelli Santana, 22, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Kones, 21, of Hackney, received a minimum term of 23 years; Metumbe, also from Hackney, a minimum of 22 years; and Santana, of Lambeth, a minimum of 23 years.

Kones was arrested in Swansea, less than a week after the attack.

In a victim impact statement read out to the court, Gregory’s partner, Teresa said: “We have a daughter, a little girl, who misses her dad. She asks for him, she still expects to see him coming back. She needs his hugs, his words, and his presence.

“It is very painful to see a little girl suffering the absence of her father and how she tries to understand why he is not with us. They robbed her of the opportunity to grow up beside him, to share her birthdays, graduations and all the important moments of her life.

“This tragedy not only destroyed our lives, but also broke the heart of a mother, who lost her only son. There are no words that can describe the suffering of this mother who had to say goodbye to her son in such a cruel and unjust way. Our family has been marked forever.”

The investigation found that Gregory did not know the three men who carried out the violent attack, and the motive of the attack still remains unclear.

Of the three, Kones was detained five days after the attack in Swansea. Kones’ trainers, which were seen on CCTV, were seized upon arrest and forensic evidence confirmed they were covered in traces of Gregory’s blood.

While two of the three killers, Metumbe and Santana, did succeed in leaving the country, the pair were traced to Spain and were respectively extradited by Met officers in August and October 2025.

Both Metumbe and Santana were captured on CCTV repeatedly raining down blows on Gregory with a machete and crutch.

Gregory’s post-mortem examination stated that he had 22 stab wounds – many of which were caused by a long knife – as well as bruises that were caused by a blunt object. Forensic evidence supported the footage and Santana’s bloody fingerprints were identified on both the crutch and large knife.

READ MORE: Drug gang enforcers linked to Scots kingpins face jail after savage attack

READ MORE: Graeme Souness’ devastation over heart diagnosis at 38 after ‘no obvious symptoms’

Detective Inspector Jim Barry, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts go to Gregory’s loved ones who have demonstrated commendable togetherness and strength throughout this turbulent process. I know nothing will bring him home but am hopeful that this result offers justice and closure for his family, who have been left without a much-loved dad, brother, and son.

“Our team of officers showed huge tenacity to build a solid case with undisputable forensic evidence which resulted in these violent men being taken off our streets for a long, long time. It’s this hard work that is enabling the force to secure a positive outcome from 95 per cent of our murder investigations.”

A fourth man was found not guilty.

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano erupted early Sunday, prompting the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as volcanic ash drifted across parts of western Indonesia.

Indonesia’s Geological Agency said the volcanic island located in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait between the main Java and Sumatra islands showed signs of activity Saturday and erupted for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. Sunday.

There were no casualties reported and no evacuation order issued. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometers (10 miles). But the agency warned residents and visitors to stay at least 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the volcano’s active crater.

Volcanic ash spread across parts of the capital Jakarta and Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra island, Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said.

“Due to increased activity from the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has temporarily suspended flight operations from 5:30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m.,” the airport said in a travel advisory early Sunday.

Passengers at the country’s busiest airport sought refunds and reclaimed checked baggage as departure boards displayed a growing list of canceled flights.

Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Australia identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery.

One plume rose to an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) while drifting northeast, affecting parts of Jakarta, Banten, West Java and surrounding waters.

A second cloud reached 50,000 feet (15,200 meters) and was moving westward and northwestward, covering parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.

The explosive collapse of Anak Krakatau caused a tsunami in 2018 that killed at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java.

Located close to Kent’s county town of Maidstone, Aylesford has a few interesting historical features to explore.

Alongside that, visitors can find a couple of highly regarded pubs and some beautiful scenery to admire.

Although Aylesford is a village rather than a town, it was named among the UK’s 6 most overlooked towns by World Atlas.

Visitors can reach Aylesford by train (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

The Friars Priory and the nearby Kit’s Coty House were highlighted by the publication as some excellent spots to visit there.

Aylesford is only a relatively short train journey away from me, so I wanted to pop along to see if the village justified its inclusion on the list.

Why you need to visit the village of Aylesford

After heading over on the train, it takes about 10-15 minutes to walk over the main High Street area of Aylesford.

The entrance to Aylesford bridge (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

On the way over, there isn’t much of note to point out aside from some houses and a park, but once you’re nearly at the High Street you’ll be treated to a gorgeous sight.

To reach Aylesford’s main area, you’ll need to cross over a bridge on the River Medway, and if you’re there on a sunny day, it’s a proper feast for the eyes.

Arguably, this landmark is what the village is best known for, whether you’re viewing it from the side or walking over the bridge and admiring the views.

A view of Aylesford from the bridge (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

Once you’re over the bridge, you enter the High Street area itself, which is a narrow street with plenty of pretty shops, pubs and houses on either side.

If you head right once you cross the bridge, the pathway opens up a bit, and you can find a bit of seating.

Aylesford’s High Street was rather pretty (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

Heading up the hill next to this section, I then went to see St Peter and St Paul’s Church.

The oldest parts of the church date back to the Norman period, while other sections like the nave and chancel were built in relatively more recent centuries.

It’s certainly an attractive church from the exterior and worth a quick visit if you’re having an explore.

The oldest parts of St Peter and St Paul’s Church date back to the Norman period (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

After that, I then headed over to the Friars Priory, which is arguably the most famous attraction that can be classed as being in the village itself.

I was on foot, so I walked over from the High Street area, but it is easy to drive to as well.

If you are approaching on foot, I would recommend using the higher path that can be accessed close to the church up some steps, which I didn’t discover until I walked back later on.

Regardless, it was a short walk over the Friary, which has plenty of grounds to explore and is free to enter.

The Friary has plenty for visitors to see (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

It is the home to a small community of Carmelite Friars, who first came here in 1242.

They left at the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, but were able to return in 1949.

Walking around the grounds and admiring the architecture of the place was very peaceful, and the whole site had a sense of quiet serenity.

Although we were in the height of drought when I visited, the place was still beautiful to admire and it was intriguing to see the various statues and religious imagery.

The ground of the Friary were quite peaceful (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

There was even a small garden to admire and a tea room (although I didn’t go in).

It was very pleasant to sit awhile on one of the benches, though, and just take it all in.

Once I had finished exploring, I made my way back to the main part of the village and took in a glorious view from the high path.

The stunning view over Aylesford (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

It was after midday at that point, so I went for a spot of pub lunch at an establishment called The Chequers Inn.

I was hoping it wasn’t going to be too busy outside, as we were enjoying some gorgeously sunny weather.

Thankfully, I was able to grab a spot on the terrace, which was perfect for enjoying a view out onto the River Medway and the bridge.

The view out onto the River Medway from the Chequers Inn (Image: Carlo Simone/Newsquest)

As a result, it was such a lovely spot to sit down after all the walking I had done, and I tucked into a plate of delicious fish and chips with relish.

Although I didn’t go in, Aylesford has a couple of other options for pubs, including The Little Gem, which is claimed to be the smallest pub in Kent.

There’s also The Bush, which can be found up on Rochester Road, just off the High Street.

Overall, while there isn’t loads to explore in the village, what is there is exceptionally pleasant and can make for a lovely day trip.

Plus, the benefit of it being reachable by train is an added bonus if you’re coming from afar.

Have you ever visited Aylesford before, and what did you think? Let us know in the comments.

The senior Reform official didn’t pull his punches. ‘The point of this conference was to show the country we were ready for office. That we had a plan for our first 100 days. And we’ve blown it.’

Twelve months ago, when Nigel Farage and his party arrived in Birmingham for their first major gathering since the General Election, the prospect of securing power was an ambitious but realistic goal. Keir Starmer’s premiership was already imploding. The Tories were flatlining, with speculation rife Kemi Badenoch was set to be ousted as leader and replaced by Robert Jenrick.

The polls showed Reform UK on 30 per cent, ten points ahead of Labour, 14 ahead of the Conservatives, and on course for an outright majority.

So this year’s conference was – at Nigel Farage’s own insistence – supposed to be a defining moment. The point at which he and his allies transitioned from being scrappy political insurgents to supplanting the Tories as the effective Opposition to Labour, and showing the nation they were the viable alternative government in waiting.

But his colleague is right. They have indeed blown it.

Over the past 72 hours the political agenda has been dominated by Channel 4’s ‘sting operation’ which saw two of Farage’s most senior aides suspended from the party for allegedly discussing improper donations. But in a sense, that represents a side issue. What the 2026 Reform conference has highlighted is the way that over the last 12 months the party has not merely stalled, but regressed.

Yes, there is a greater degree of professionalism about their operation, as anyone walking around the impressive array of corporate stalls dotting the National Exhibition Centre could attest.

There was also some evidence of policy development, with the unfeasible proposal of unilaterally dumping small-boat migrants back on French beaches seemingly replaced by a tentative returns agreement secured with French prime ministerial candidate Jordan Bardella. And the long queues to enter the conference hall showed the energy and enthusiasm of the Reform faithful remain undimmed.

But this was merely papering over the cracks. Cracks that are now turning into gaping fissures.

‘There’s a serious divide between the Tory defectors and Reform traditionalists,’ one party source admitted to me yesterday.

‘The Tories think we have to start to broaden our appeal, detoxify the brand and stop trying to simply appeal to our base.

‘But traditionalists are obsessed with trying to outflank Restore, pushing everything through the prism of migration and fighting a culture war.’

There are also major splits forming within Nigel Farage’s inner circle. In the wake of the Channel 4 exposé, the departure of senior aides Dan Jukes and James Orr was seen by many as a body-blow to the party. But some senior Reform insiders are openly celebrating their demise.

‘Jukes was a liability,’ another Reform official claimed. ‘He was leading Nigel astray.

‘This gives an opportunity to get things back on track.’

Another insider stated: ‘It’s damaged us, but it gives us the chance to push through the changes that are needed at the top of the party. What Nigel needs is a proper chief of staff, not a bunch of courtiers.’

This in-fighting is music to the ears of Reform’s political opponents. One senior Tory official pointed to the ongoing blood-letting and dysfunctionality, and drew a direct contrast with the way Kemi Badenoch last week reshuffled her own top team.

‘You look at how we managed it. A number of senior people were moved and replaced with fresh talent. There were no rows. No tantrums. We’ve had our problems, but we’re now looking like a serious alternative government. They look like a rabble.’

One thing that was notable was that as Reform’s showpiece conference turned into a bin-fire, there was no attempt by Kemi Badenoch or Andy Burnham to leverage or exploit their obvious discomfort. Which is part of a deliberate strategy.

Badenoch has taken the decision that from now on Reform will effectively be ignored.

‘We think the battle lines are clear now,’ one senior aide explained. ‘It’s us as traditional Conservatives versus Burnham and his old-school Labour socialism. That’s the choice facing the country. That’s where our focus is.

‘Reform are too busy looking inward and fighting among themselves.’

Meanwhile, the latest incumbent in No10 views Reform as representing less of a threat and more of a political opportunity.

‘Obviously Reform are splitting the Right, and that’s a big help to us,’ one Burnham ally revealed, ‘but Andy is going to adopt a different approach to them.

‘Keir basically said, “I’m going to destroy Farage and everything he represents”. Andy’s approach is going to be to reach out to Reform voters and say, “I get it. I understand why you’re angry. I don’t think you’re a bunch of ignorant bigots. Let me see if I can help sort some of this.’

French prime ministerial candidate Jordan Bardella, the leader of the National Rally party, with Nigel Farage at the Reform UK conference. The pair have agreed a tentative returns deal over small-boat migrants

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In the bars of Birmingham, in the wake of Nigel Farage’s strangely lacklustre speech, the view of the travelling press pack was that this had indeed been a defining moment.

‘There’s no way they recover from this,’ one veteran Reform observer stated, echoing the prevailing consensus. His view was reinforced by a Reform MP. ‘Power isn’t a realistic prospect,’ they conceded. ‘Our strategy now has to be to try to shore up our existing support and see if we can leapfrog the Tories and become the new Opposition.’

That view is almost certainly overly pessimistic. Whatever happens, Reform will continue to exert influence over British politics. There is a small but significant proportion of the electorate who no longer trust the two main traditional parties, and see Farage and his allies as the only remaining hope for their broken nation.

But another truth has emerged from Birmingham. This was supposed to be the conference where Reform demonstrated they are ready for government.

And they are palpably not. They are too fractured internally. The bulk of their policy prescriptions – from Robert Jenrick’s ambitious assertion he would manage to cut public spending by £80 billion a year in his first five years in the Treasury, through their flip-flopping over the two-child benefit cap, to their proposal to effectively penalise pensioners and single mothers in the allocation of social housing – are neither practical nor electorally viable.

The ongoing scandals surrounding their finances expose a recklessness towards important regulations safeguarding our public governance, and an increasingly arrogant belief the rules do not apply to them.

Kemi Badenoch’s aide is correct. This weekend the choice facing Britain became clear. Kemi’s traditional conservatism. Or Andy Burnham’s old-school socialism.

However effective Nigel Farage has been at identifying the problems facing the country, Reform are simply not currently a viable alternative government.

And based on what I just witnessed in Birmingham, it may be many, many years until they are.

– READ MORE: Robert Jenrick vows to cut taxes for millions… and says he’ll quit if pledge isn’t met in the first 100 days 

– READ MORE: Nigel Farage says ‘bad period’ is over for Reform as family urges him to quit as he faces barrage of questions over donations to his party 

The reviews for the new Oasis film have landed. Don’t Look Back In Anger received its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival today (September 5), which saw the Gallagher brothers reunite in front of paparazzi to promote the new film, which will be released in cinemas next week.

From acclaimed directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, the film features behind-the-scenes footage from the band’s Live ’25 reunion tour, as well as the Gallagher’s first joint interview since the series of gigs began last July. It has also been written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter

Ahead of its cinema release on Wednesday (September 9) and its arrival on streaming platform Disney+ later this year, reviews for the film have been published today following the world premiere at the prestigious festival and it appears to be a resounding success. The documentary has been hailed as both a ‘beautiful, emotional thing’ and ‘powerfully nostalgic’.

For a review in the Manchester Evening News, What’s On editor Jenna Campbell said the documentary was a ‘triumphant homage to Manchester’s favourite sons’, but features a series of ‘tense’ and ‘even a little stilted’ initial interactions with the brothers as they begin rehearsals for the 41-date tour.

Giving her verdict on the film, she wrote: “There is no other way around it, what you watch is utterly captivating. Whether you were there or not, you feel part of it again – the tears, the sheer euphoria of people dancing and singing their hearts out – it’s pure alchemy. There’s plenty of humour too, as the two personalities collide and eventually find a meeting point.

“Underpinning it, though, is the story arc of the brother’s relationship. Those first few scenes of rehearsals feel like things remain unsaid, but rather than thrash it out, the gigs themselves feel like the perfect remedy for years of misunderstanding, miscommunication and growing distance.”

You can read the Manchester Evening News’ full review of Don’t Look Back In Anger here.

Also praising the film, Time Out Worldwide’s film editor Phil de Semlyen gave it a five-star review as he said the documentary is ‘loud, hopeful and surprisingly emotional’. TheWrap’s Siddhant Adlakha, meanwhile, said it could ‘turn agnostics into believers’ in a positive breakdown.

The Hollywood Reporter described it as a ‘rich and poignant celebration’, with Richard Lawson writing that directors ‘Lovelace and Southern have compellingly stitched together interviews, performance clips, audience reactions, and a few detours into the lives of individual fans’. He also said it may be the most expletive-laden film to arrive on Disney+ yet.

Lawson added that the brother’s interviews are ‘charmingly self-effacing and humble’, which goes somewhat against the reputation they are used to having in the press – suggesting they may be ‘putting on a good act for the cameras’.

NME’s Rhian Daly said the ‘masterfully done doc captures [the Gallagher’s] journey’, and said ‘watching the pair repair their relationship is a beautiful, emotional thing’ to witness on the screen.

In a four-star review, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described it as a ‘mammoth tour movie’ that ‘brings the joy and poignancy of reunion’ to the big screen. He added: “It was always difficult to be cynical about Oasis and now it’s impossible.”

Also giving it four-stars for The Telegraph, film critic Robbie Collin said it is ‘powerfully nostalgic’ but slightly lacking when it comes to any ‘Gallagher gossip’ or drama that some fans may be hoping for.

IndieWire’s Marshall Shaffer also downplayed the drama on-screen, adding: “Anyone expecting fireworks, or even a confrontation of any kind, may be sorely disappointed by how anticlimactic the moment proves.” But the writer said the films ‘offers a definitive behind-the-scenes glimpse of how this secular sanctuary came to be’, even if its lengthy setlist may put off casual viewers.

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The film’s release comes as rumours mount over the band’s 2027 touring schedule, as leaks have suggested they could be on the brink of announcing at least 23 UK dates over the summer including a 12-night residency at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium. The band have also been adding to the specualtion with a series of cryptic videos hinting towards Glasgow, Manchester and Munich.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A television game show in Nigeria’s commercial hub of Lagos has an unforgiving rule: Speak English and you lose. For a U.S.-born millennial in the audience and a student of her parents’ mother tongue, the high-stakes setting is a perfect classroom.

Meanwhile, a 15-year-old Canadian speaks to a teacher about 13,000 kilometers (8,000 miles) away in Zimbabwe, learning a language her parents feared she would never speak.

“Mhoroi,” Nyashadzashe Machingura says cheerfully with a pronounced Canadian accent while greeting in Zimbabwe’s vernacular Shona.

The scenes capture a new generation of interest and entrepreneurship around African languages once pushed to the margins by decades of colonialism. Often seen as secondary to English, French and Portuguese, they are enjoying a renaissance that is also creating business opportunities.

There are between 1,500 and 3,000 languages in Africa

Africa is home to over 1 billion people speaking roughly a third of the world’s languages, with between 1,500 and 3,000 across 54 countries, according to UNESCO.

Experts say the revival in some of them is driven partly by second- and third-generation Africans in the diaspora finding it easier to reconnect with their roots and communicate with older relatives, thanks to social media, online learning and entertainment.

“There were times I definitely felt left out because my family around me were all speaking Shona. And I just couldn’t understand them,” Nyashadzashe said after a lesson covering traditional greetings, proverbs and ancestral clan symbols. She said she had eaten the food and worn the traditional clothing but still felt left out.

But now her conversations with her grandparents in Zimbabwe are growing longer.

“Being able to connect with them on that level makes me really proud of my heritage,” she said.

African languages were never ‘modernized’

Her Zimbabwe-based tutor, Shungu Chidovi, left her banking career in January to focus full-time on ZimbOriginal, an online platform that teaches Shona through storytelling, book clubs and “buddy pairing” exchanges.

Now she teaches about two dozen learners in Zimbabwe, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Ireland and Scotland, charging $50 a month.

The business, part of a small but growing number of online initiatives teaching African languages, emerged almost by accident. Chidovi began writing a blog about Zimbabwean traditions in 2016. Readers began asking whether she taught Shona.

“I didn’t see it at the time that I was really writing about the Shona language,” Chidovi said.

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Robert Jenrick tried to put Reform UK’s chaotic conference back on track on Saturday by pledging to cut taxes for millions of voters within the first 100 days of forming a government.

Mr Jenrick, who is expected to become Chancellor if Nigel Farage wins the next general election, said that he would raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 – taking 2.9 million people out of income tax altogether and ensuring the state pension remains out of reach of the Treasury.

Mr Jenrick – who promised to resign as Chancellor if he failed to deliver the tax cut within the promised timescale of 100 days – said it was his ‘mission’ to deliver the ‘biggest rise in the personal allowance in its history’. Reform said that for a typical family the move would save £1,000 a year.

The annual earnings at which income tax starts to be paid has been frozen at £12,570 since 2021 and is due to stay at that level until 2031, but that has been penalising ever-greater numbers of workers as rising inflation erodes the value of the allowance. 

And the increase to the state pension next year to £13,000 will push millions of pensioners above the threshold, meaning they will have to start paying income tax.

The move came as Reform tried to escape the controversy over undercover filming aired by Channel 4 on Thursday which led to the suspension of aides Dan Jukes and James Orr over alleged attempts to circumvent electoral law.

Reform says that its long-term aim is to raise the personal allowance to £20,000 a year. Mr Jenrick told the conference in Birmingham: ‘The task is mighty. But our cause is right and our country is worth it. They tried to knock us down. We’re still standing. Now let’s get Britain standing again.’

Mr Jenrick said the cost to the Treasury of raising the allowance would be £17.7billion in the first year, rising to £21billion in the fifth year of the next Parliament, and that it would be funded through £80billion of savings from cutting the welfare bill, Net Zero spending and the foreign aid budget.

Mr Jenrick has promised to resign as Chancellor if he failed to deliver the tax cut within the first weeks of a Reform government

He told delegates: ‘There has never, in our lifetimes, been a worse time to be a worker in Britain. Britain now has the highest tax burden since records began…higher than when we were paying for the war.’

He added: ‘Now, for the first time, the freeze means they’re going to be taxing the state pension. What a disgrace…no wonder so many of our most ambitious young people are seeking their futures abroad.’

Mr Jenrick challenged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to match his pledge, saying: ‘The hard choice for Burnham and for us is exactly the same. It’s either welfare waste, foreign aid and migrants – or the British worker. We choose the worker.’

Speaking to GB News after the announcement, Mr Farage said: ‘I have been arguing for raised allowances for 20 years,’ adding: ‘The next pension increase will take nearly ten million pensioners into paying tax. Just think of the cost and bureaucracy of all of that. So it actually helps simplify the tax system. It takes three million out of tax, but also it widens the gap between whether it’s worth going to work or not going to work.

‘And what Andy Burnham picked up on the door is what I’ve been picking up for ages. People say, “I get up at 5.30, I go to work, the traffic’s awful, the job is hard, and I’m almost no better off than the people next door who sit around and smoke dope all day”.

‘If we don’t get Britain working again, if we don’t increase our productivity, we are going bust. It’s just as simple as that.’

And Mr Farage also repeated his prediction on Saturday that Mr Burnham would call a general election in the spring.

A Labour Party spokesman said: ‘Robert Jenrick only seems to be interested in making people better off when Reform UK are trying to distract from the latest scandal engulfing their party.’

A Tory Party source on Saturday told the MoS: ‘Nigel said he would sack anyone if they can’t deliver on their 100-day plans. We all know Rob wants the top job, so I guess this is one way of getting rid of a leadership rival.’

– READ MORE: Nigel Farage says ‘bad period’ is over for Reform as family urges him to quit as he faces barrage of questions over donations to his party 

– READ MORE: It was meant to be the week Reform showed us they could govern… but even senior aides admit they’ve blown it: DAN HODGES