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.
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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.
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“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.
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“I didn’t see it at the time that I was really writing about the Shona language,” Chidovi said.
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Western languages were prioritized
Like many in Africa, she grew up with the understanding that to get ahead she had to embrace Western languages instead of her mother tongue. English remains the dominant language for education, business and government affairs in the southern African nation that officially recognizes 16 mostly Indigenous languages.
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“When you talk of Africa, you talk of English, French, Portuguese,” said Believe Mubonderi, a linguistics lecturer at Zimbabwe Open University. His research notes the importance of ensuring that African languages have a place in technologies shaping how people communicate, learn and trade.
“In most cases, African languages were sidelined. They were never exposed or modernized to be used in commerce, science and technology,” he said. “When a language has a very low status, there’s a danger that that language eventually becomes endangered.”
Culture and connection are driving the new interest
Governments and international organizations are trying to reverse that trend.
The African Union’s 2022 decision to adopt Kiswahili, spoken in much of east Africa, as an official working language has raised its international profile. The United Nations declared 2022-2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
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And the AU continental body and UNESCO are supporting efforts to document and revitalize African languages, including using artificial intelligence to generate and translate children’s books and teacher guides.
But there’s a steep digital disadvantage. UNESCO says only 10 languages around the world dominate the “internet ecosystem,” while less than 2% of African languages have a meaningful online presence. That leaves many with too little data to train artificial intelligence systems.
Still, momentum for change is growing, with much of it from Africans abroad.
“People of African descent have come to realize that we also have our own identity which we need to embrace and be proud of. You go on Facebook, you go on TikTok, you are seeing many different efforts,” Mubonderi said. Younger diaspora Africans “are trying by all means to revive, to revitalize, to make use of these languages.”
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Chindovi said she hears that desire from children and their parents.
“When people are away from home, they long for home more than when they are home,” she said.
Nigerian game show penalizes English speakers
That hunger for connection is also reshaping culture.
In Nigeria, a game show called “Masoyinbo,” meaning “Do not speak English,” has turned Yoruba, one of the country’s most widely spoken languages, into prime-time entertainment. Contestants, including diaspora Nigerians, are tested on Yoruba language and culture, with prizes reaching thousands of dollars.
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Host Olalekan Fabilola, who started the show in 2024, sees its popularity as part of a wider shift.
“If ‘Masoyinbo’ had started like 10 years ago, it wouldn’t have been what it is now,” he said. “But we are in the age of cultural resurgence. People want to go back to their roots. Everyone wants to know why, where they are from, and so it’s timely.”
Tomi Adeshokan, a New Jersey resident who is learning to perfect her Yoruba with Fabilola as a tutor, was part of the audience during a recent recording of the show. She said she lost daily exposure to Yoruba after moving out of her father’s home before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, she joined Clubhouse just to hear the language and later began taking classes. Now she was back visiting family.
“It’s very important for us to immerse ourselves in our culture and not to fully identify with other cultures, like the American, the Western culture,” Adeshokan said.
The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Get ready for a new week (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
A lot of cosmic shifts this week with a New Moon in Virgo, Mercury moving into Libra, Venus moving into Scorpio and a Uranus retrograde. All kicking off on September 10 – what a day!
Feels like a week of home truths. Of facing facts, getting a reality check, bearing down on the details, and seeing what needs to be said, done, and changed as a result.
If you don’t acknowledge the reality, then how can you see the future vision?
Let the tarot cards guide you towards the most important truth you need to face this week ahead.
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Looking for more insight?
My limited edition Midnight Carnival reading is out for Halloween (only until November 1) to tell you all you need to know about you and your life this spooky season.
Or, come join my magical, mystical tarot club, free for a whole month when you sign up using this link.
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Aries
March 21 to April 20
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Six of Swords (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Aries for this week: Six of Swords
Meaning: You are ready to leave, depart, quit, walk away. And you’re not sad about it either. It’s time. Your grieving is already done, this ended long ago, it’s just been in a dying thrall ever since, and you’re ready to extricate yourself finally and for good.
Get to it. This is the right time. Your gut instinct is correct.
Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications.
April 21 to May 21
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The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by Judgement (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Taurus for this week: Judgement
Meaning: You feel differently about yourself, better in fact, and this is going to impact your dynamics with several people. And that’s okay, because you’re done with shrinking or shape-shifting just to make someone else feel comfortable.
It’s not a worthwhile price to pay. You are older, wiser and better than the version of you that let this happen, and enough is enough. Be different. Be authentic. Let them deal with it. Not your problem.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Queen of Wands (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Gemini for this week: Queen of Wands
Meaning: You have been drifting, coasting, flying on autopilot. That ends this week. You’re putting the purpose back into how you invest your precious time, energy and attention.
You have got mountains to climb, goals to smash, expectations to exceed, and a life to live fully and at full throttle. No half measures, no coasting along. Wake up. Get up and at ‘em.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Five of Cups (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Cancer for this week: Five of Cups
Meaning: You are grieving or mourning the loss of something, or someone. Even a kind of anticipatory grief because you can feel and sense what lies ahead. Cancer, you’re a deep well of emotion and intuition so you tend to feel what others would sense as a tremor as an earthquake.
Don’t sink into this feeling, don’t let it overwhelm you. The future is not yet written, and the past is over and can’t hurt you. You are here in the present. Stay here. Don’t look too far ahead, nor too closely back.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Three of Swords (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Leo for this week: Three of Swords
Meaning: You have been treated poorly, even betrayed or backstabbed, and it’s time to see it. Stop making excuses for them or covering your eyes. Truly see what they did. And then surgically remove yourself from this situation.
They have proven who they are, you don’t need more evidence or proof. Get yourself away, create distance, and heal. You deserved better. Now let them feel your total absence.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by The Tower (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Virgo for this week: The Tower
Meaning: Let it all tumble, let things collapse if they would do so without you holding them up, alone and without support. Enough. You have overcompensated here for far too long, and the truth is that whatever it is you’re trying to uphold really doesn’t merit it. Let it fall.
The relief will be palpable, and the reward is that you can shift your attention to something healthy, positive, and that will respond to your efforts. Stop wasting your time.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Three of Cups (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Libra for this week: Three of Cups
Meaning: Pleasure doesn’t have to be earned. You don’t have to control, limit or deconstruct the ways and means you enjoy your life, have fun, relax, and find beauty in life. Pleasure is life.
Stop curbing your own enthusiasm and putting barriers in the way of enjoyment. You already work hard, there’s no need to punish or curtail your own fun. Whatever started this habit, remove it. You are ruled by Venus, the goddess of pleasure, you were born to have a good time. Go do it!
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Ace of Wands (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Scorpio for this week: Ace of Wands
Meaning: You need to get going with a new idea, beginning, project, role or endeavour. New news is necessary, otherwise you end up circling the drain, clinging on to things for too long, limiting your potential and future options.
This week, activate some new ideas, trips, acquaintances, and options in your realm. One thing will quickly lead to another and establish momentum. Get the ball rolling.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Nine of Coins (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Sagittarius for this week: Nine of Coins
Meaning: You are ready to admit you want things to improve, that you can do better, be more. You can see that where you’ve cut corners or come in at half measures, the results have mirrored that energy.
And you take comfort from that because you know you can do more, better more consistent, and take things more seriously. A new era of consistency is beginning. It will yield success.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by Death (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Capricorn for this week: Death
Meaning: You want to kill something off, maybe even an old habit or version of yourself that you know isn’t going to take you where you wish to go.
From now until winter, you’re all about mirroring autumn’s shedding energy and letting old things die away, reach a conclusion, end quietly. Evolution starts with letting go of what doesn’t work. And then the renewal and rebirth will begin, all through this coming season.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by the Ten of Coins (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Aquarius for this week: Ten of Coins
Meaning: You want to settle, nest, put down roots, build a foundation strong enough to build your Aquarian Empire on now. You are done experimenting and free-wheeling and roaming. It’s time to come home and build.
A decade-long project and ambition lies ahead. A time for creating the home, family and lifestyle you yearn for. It’s all possible. The very best is yet to come. Have high hopes.
The home truth waiting for your attention and acknowledgement this week is shown by The Sun (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Tarot card for Pisces for this week: The Sun
Meaning: Life is good! You are feeling good about yourself, but sometimes you try to hide or dim that light because everyone else seems so down. Pisces, shine it at full beam!
Celebrate your wins. Share the love. Bring glimmers of hope and happiness to others, using your own joy as fuel and inspiration. People will be genuinely pleased to see you having fun and feeling content. You deserve it. Show it.
Kerry King has been reading, teaching and creating tarot for 30 years. Join her magical, exclusive Tarot Club for forecasts, predictions, lessons and readings straight to your inbox. Enjoy one month free for all Metro readers (no lock-in or commitment) over on Patreon.
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Here is your chamber round-up for Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council for the month from the Local Democracy Reporting Service
New monitoring of CCTV operations across the council has left a councillor with ‘grave concerns’ on live crime viewing as the local authority refuses to disclose details.
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The Lagan lock canal outside Lagan Valley Island could have been mistaken for a new golf putting green while the hot weather has seemingly left Dunmurry residents ‘choking’ on a ‘rotten egg’ odour.
Also in the month of August, car parking concerns will see Belfast children gain an innovative safe pathway to school, whilst a Lisburn double yellow line dispute could see a Northern Ireland change to legislation.
Here is your latest round up of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council matters for the month of August:
Council refuses to reveal CCTV monitoring details despite ‘grave concerns’
A Northern Ireland council has refused to disclose details of how its CCTV operations are monitored despite “grave concerns” raised following their handover to the local authority.
CityWatchNI had watched over Lisburn, Moira and Hillsborough public areas for over 25 years before being liquidated in July and a transfer of assets made to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
However, councillors have now raised concerns over the extent of monitoring of the camera system now located in Lagan Valley Island civic centre.
Investigation after ‘rotten egg’ stink leaves Dunmurry residents ‘choking’
A Stormont agency is to investigate a Dunmurry bad odour after complaints of a “rotten egg” smell in the air “choking” residents.
The council has also stepped in following reports of the stink causing local people to stay indoors as it surfaces around nearby children’s play-parks.
The NI Environment Agency has confirmed it will now use enforcement powers to inspect the Linamar Light Metals Belfast Ltd site as the identified alleged source of the stench.
Council statement on blue green algae fears in Lisburn canal
A huge weed build up in a canal has been confirmed as not being blue green algae following a Stormont department inspection.
Visitors to Lagan Valley Island civic centre could have at a glance, easily thought a new golf putting green had opened up on the navigation canal with complete green coverage on the waterway.
The local authority will now set about removing the weed, however the unsightly plant growth will remain for another month.
Parking row prompts calls to change NI double yellow line rules
Stormont is being urged to review its double yellow line policy amid a Lisburn residential dispute that could affect all cul-de-sacs in Northern Ireland.
Concerns have been raised over the potential for a single person being able to virtually hold road safety to ransom despite “99.9%” of residents supporting the measures.
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Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council is now seeking to meet with Department of Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to resolve the parking matters.
Belfast school kids at ‘risk’ of road dangers set for major safety pathway
A Belfast school is set for a new park and ride pathway amid road safety concerns for children.
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Busy traffic and pavement parking outside St Ita’s primary just off the Purdysburn Road has brought about a multi-agency effort to protect pupils on their way to school
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s recent regeneration committee has now approved an agreement with said land owners Northern Ireland Water to progress the scheme.
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”.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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Pictures show rescuers carrying a Chinese national (centre) found in the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.’
Controversial right-to-die campaigner dubbed ‘Dr Death’ speaks in London to promote his ‘suicide collar’ – but without the device over fears ‘it would get stopped at customs’
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.
He had planned to do a live demonstration of the Kairos ‘suicide collar’ at an event in London on Saturday.
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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.
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Dr Philip Nitschke – also known as ‘Dr Death – did not bring his ‘suicide collar’ into Britain (pictured) amid fears it would be seized by customs
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’.
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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.’
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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.
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‘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.
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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.’
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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
Stewart Carr and Adam Care
22:26, 05 Sep 2026Updated 22:40, 05 Sep 2026
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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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.
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“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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Ex-aide Dan Jukes, seen with Nigel Farage ahead of the 2024 general election, will no longer advise the Reform UK leader
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.
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‘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.
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‘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.’
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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.’
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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.
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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.
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And based on what I just witnessed in Birmingham, it may be many, many years until they are.
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’.
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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.
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“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.”
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.
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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.”
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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.
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.
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