Comments by President Donald Trump lead the Financial Times after he rejected increasing demands for restrictions on the growth of artificial intelligence , external(AI). The paper highlights the “rare show of unity” from AI leaders in calling for a more cautious pace of development – but says Trump responded by stressing it was imperative for the US to retain its international leadership in the field. The Guardian warns that the US president “appears reluctant to confess to any AI fears” – with “losing to China” a bigger worry in his “calculus”.

The Daily Telegraph features the call from hospitality bosses, external for Andy Burnham to implement a cut in VAT. It says the appeal comes days after the prime minister “blindsided the industry” by handing local authorities the power to impose unlimited tourist taxes. The Daily Express , externalsays the shadow chancellor, Andrew Griffith, has warned that the new charge on overnight stays could “crush” family-run seaside B&Bs. The government says visitor levies will be set as a percentage of the cost of accommodation, ensuring low-cost holidays will stay low.

The Times says Reform UK has accused Labour of threatening the rule of law, external – after the cabinet minister, Angela Rayner, suggested that Nigel Farage’s party could be forced to return £72m donated by two crypto billionaires. The paper quotes Reform spokesman Zia Yusuf who said applying new restrictions retrospectively would amount to confiscating donations that were lawful when received. The Daily Mirror says the huge windfall, external “seems like a gift from heaven but could be a poisoned chalice” for Reform – arguing that “taking millions from crypto billionaires sits awkwardly with Nigel Farage’s man of the people schtick”.

With the headline, “Boris Flees Vlad Drone Blitz”, the Sun highlights Sunday’s attack by Russia on a rail station in Ukraine, external shortly after Boris Johnson had passed through. It says the former prime minister was travelling close to the Polish border when the service behind his was blown up. Writing in the Daily Mail, Johnson accuses President Valdimir Putin of getting “absolutely desperate” – and says the strike illustrates the “bared teeth of a cornered rat”.

Manchester United have been handed a new verdict over the controversial goal conceded from Manchester City in the derby

Former Premier League referee Graham Scott has claimed Michael Oliver should have been advised to conduct an on‑field review of the incident that led to Manchester City’s winning goal against Manchester United in controversial circumstances. Erling Haaland finished from Josko Gvardiol’s cross, but the build‑up immediately sparked debate.

Gvardiol’s delivery deflected towards the back post, with Lisandro Martinez positioned between Enzo Fernandez and Haaland. The City midfielder launched himself towards the ball in an attempt to convert a diving header.

The linesman initially raised his flag for offside, but after a VAR check, officials ruled that the former Chelsea man had not interfered with play and suggested that Patrick Dorgu’s boot kept Haaland onside.

However, Scott, who refereed in the English top flight for a decade, argued that in situations like this, it ‘would have made more sense’ for Oliver to be sent to the monitor so he could review the incident ‘in its entirety,’ he told The Athletic.

He also noted that officials operate under intense pressure to make quick decisions, adding that it may have been a reasonable call for the VAR team ‘not to intervene unless absolutely necessary.’

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Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL, have since taken accountability for the mistake, which they described as an error of judgement, and confirmed that a review will take place.

A Pro Ref spokesperson said: “Following the incident in the 60th minute of Sunday’s Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, we can provide clarification regarding Erling Haaland’s awarded goal.

Erling Haaland’s goal for Man City was the subject of controversy in the Premier League win over Manchester United in the Manchester derby

Manchester City appeared to mock Manchester United with a social media post referencing one of the Reds’ famous fans. City emerged victorious from the Manchester derby on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over United at Old Trafford.

Erling Haaland scored the only goal of the game in a dramatic clash in the Premier League over the weekend, with City claiming all three points to continue their 100% start to the campaign.

However, there was controversy with the goal, with Haaland’s effort initially being ruled out for offside, only to be given following a VAR review.

Pro Ref later issued a statement saying that an “error” had been made in allowing Haaland’s goal to stand, given Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position

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Almost immediately after the final whistle, City’s official X account made a post that appeared to poke fun at United.

The post read: “Five wins in a row,” and featured a scissors emoji and an eyes emoji.

This appears to be in reference to the famous United fan, Frank Ilett, who pledged not to cut his hair until United had won five matches in a row.

Following the controversy, Pro Ref issuing a statement admitting that an “error” was made with the review of Haaland’s goal.

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT A young player collapsed and died minutes after assisting a goal during a football match – as teammates and audience members watched in shock

Dozens of football players on the pitch and thousands of football fans were horrified to witness the death of one young, talented player, who passed away on the pitch mid-game.

24-year-old Miklos Feher was a Hungarian striker part of the Benfica squad on the day of his death in 2004. During the team’s rainy match against Vitoria Guimaraes, Miklos came onto the pitch in the 60th minute and two minutes later assisted Fernando Aguiar on the only goal that would come out of that 2004 game.

Seconds before the televised match drew to a close, at minute 91, referee Olegario Benquerença issued Miklos a yellow card for wasting time on the pitch.

As he reacted to the card shown, Miklos smiled, bent over with his hands on his knees, and then fell backwards, prompting teammates and rivals to run to his side.

Audiences watched, confused, as the minutes passed with Miklos lying motionless and the people on the pitch growing increasingly desperate – fellow players heartbreakingly dropped to their knees in prayer, while club personnel, including coach Jose Antonio Camacho, were seen crying.

Miklos received medical attention at the stadium, before being taken by ambulance – which arrived late due to “access difficulties” – to the nearest hospital.

The match resumed once it became apparent that the medical team had revived Miklos, with the remaining athletes playing out the final moments after he was taken for further treatment.

But, according to an autopsy report later released, the Hungarian player was pronounced dead at 11pm that day, a victim of a fatal heart attack of natural causes.

According to Benfica’s medical team, the player had undergone exhaustive medical tests, including an electrocardiogram on his heart and drug testing, just one month before his death, and nothing unusual was found in his system.

Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias later claimed that analysis of tissue samples indicated Miklos suffered from a congenital heart deformity that had not been detected by the clubs he played for.

Tributes soon poured from his teammates, former colleagues and the team’s crew – all of whom described him as a friendly, exemplary player.

The jersey – which was torn to allow medics to use the defibrillator – and the boots Miklos was wearing at the time of his death are now displayed at the Benfica Museum in Portugal. Since then, Benfica has retired the number 29 in his memory.

His Primeira Liga championship medal was posthumously presented to his grieving parents, and both Benfica and the Hungarian national team regularly hold commemorative tributes, laying wreaths and honouring his memory at home stadiums and Miklos’ gravesite.

A US Air Force colonel who was stranded behind enemy lines in the heart of Iran for two days has opened up about the experience – from the ‘terrifying’ moment he realized his parachute was broken to the daring rescue mission.

The weapons system officer, who has only been referred to by his callsign ‘Dude 44 Bravo,’ was flying in the back seat of an F-15E Strike Eagle on April 2 when it was struck down over a remote area of Iran.

He now calls his rescue and fight for survival a ‘modern-day miracle’ after breaking his back, an arm and a shoulder, and spraining his ankle. 

Bravo’s mission that night was to conduct a strike on industrial facilities related to Iran’s drone and missile program, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, told 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

But as he and the pilot of the plane, who has only been referred to as ‘Alpha,’ were crossing south of the city of Isfahan, a shoulder-fired missile struck the $30 million plane in what Bravo likened to ‘getting hit by a freight train.’

At first, the airman said he and his partner did everything they could to try to save the fighter jet – but it quickly became apparent that the plane couldn’t be saved and they were forced to eject.

Alpha was able to land safely, but after Bravo jumped out of the plane, he realized his parachute had been damaged in the attack.

‘At one point, when I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen,’ the airman recounted, choking up as he spoke.

‘So I paused right then and I prayed, “Lord your will be done. But I’m getting through this.”‘ 

Bravo shared how terrified he was when he realized his parachute had been destroyed

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Bravo was flying in the back seat of an F-15E Strike Eagle on April 2 when it was struck down over a remote area of Iran

Bravo then free-fell to the ground, crashing down at an estimated 70 to 100 mph.

‘I believe it’s a testament to God’s provision in my life to bring me through that moment in a way that didn’t prevent injuries, but prevented any catastrophic injuries that would have affected my ability to survive,’ he said.

‘I had injuries, but we all train to adapt and overcome the things that we’re faced with,’ he explained. ‘I moved as quickly as I could, despite the injuries, away from the place that I landed.’

When the sun then rose that morning, Bravo was able to make out some of his surroundings – and found himself in a valley with cliffs to either side.

He then realized the safest place for him to go would be up, where he could see Iranian forces coming from the valley below.

So, despite his broken bones, Bravo hiked and climbed up a 7,000-foot ridgeline as he told himself to ‘never let a lack of motivation put you on Iranian TV.’

Meanwhile, back in the United States, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had to be woken up in the middle of the night as his aides told him about the crash.

His immediate reaction, he said, was to ask whether the crew was OK and whether Iran knew what had happened. 

But ‘whether they’re alive or not, we’re going to get them,’ Hegseth vowed. 

Following the crash, Iranian military forces put a $60,000 bounty on the airman’s head, prompting Iranian militants to hunt for him in the mountains. (Pictured: Bakhtiari tribes in Khuzestan headed into the mountains, rifles in hand, searching for the missing American F-15 jet pilot)

Evidence of the wreckage was quickly shared on Iranian media 

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Soon, though, evidence of the wreckage was shared on Iranian media and videos emerged online of armed groups hunting down the F-15E’s crew.

Some came within just a few hundred meters of where Bravo was hiding, US military sources told 60 Minutes.

‘There was clear intent out of the Iranian ground force to come find those two guys,’ said General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During the ‘race against time,’ US military closely tracked the Iranians in the area, and after six hours, US forces were able to rescue Alpha in a risky daytime raid as American helicopters took fire.

‘It was a gun fight all the way in and all the way out,’ Hegseth recounted. ‘But they got Alpha back in.’

Still, the crews were unable to find Bravo and withdrew from the region. 

Declassified video showed the moment rescuers approached Bravo after two days of hiding on the ridgeline at about 7,000 feet above sea level

But as night fell on that first day in Iran, Bravo was able to send a message back home.

‘When I got to the moment where I could review and think about all that I’d gone through, I sent “God is good” as recognition of all that He had brought me through,’ said the airman.

He also alerted the US military that he was injured but was moving.  

A rescue force was almost sent in immediately after US forces received the message, but it ‘just didn’t line up,’ Hegseth said. 

‘That was a really tough decision,’ he said. ‘I’ll never forget, you know, being in the situation room and saying “OK I guess we’re gonna roll 24,” which means, “Hey Bravo’s going to be out there for basically 24 hours more.”‘ 

Fortunately, the airman was able to survive with almost no food or water, in the wind and the cold on the high mountain desert.

At the same time, the CIA launched a multi-pronged deception campaign meant to confuse Iranian forces looking for Bravo as they used top-secret technology to pinpoint the airman’s location.

When US forces were then ready to conduct another daring rescue, American bombers and drones struck Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces near where he was hiding.

Once the path was then cleared, the US sent more than 90 soldiers on the ground – marking the first US boots on the ground in Iran in 46 years.

Several hundred other soldiers took to the air while several thousand more served as support, as General Caine said the US would have sent even more to rescue Bravo.

The rescue teams then came in on two large planes and landed on a makeshift desert airstrip, while ‘Little Bird’ helicopters reached Bravo on the ridgeline several miles away.

When Bravo then saw his rescuers approach, he said it was ‘one of the greatest moments of my life.’

Still, Bravo was not in the clear – as the rescue planes’ landing gear got stuck in the desert sand and could not take off, leaving more than 90 of what Adm Cooper described as the military’s ‘most elite service members’ stuck until a clandestine Air Force unit came to the rescue.

It then destroyed the two stuck aircraft, worth about $100 million each, as well as the Little Bird helicopters so that the technology wouldn’t fall into Iranian hands.

Finally, about 50 hours after being shot down, Bravo was safe.

When he then left the country, the airman made sure to call his wife back home.

‘I was really proud of her and grateful for the strength that she showed,’ he recounted.

Bravo said he now wants the American public to realize the rescue mission was about more than what he had endured.

‘It’s a story of the teamwork, the training, of the faith, of the decisions and the leadership to do something that will live in history as an example of what America’s willing to do, in order to uphold our promise and leave no man behind.’ 

Donna Marie Brand was given service after her recent death at HMP Stirling. Prison officers claim the event was “extraordinary” given the killer’s part in barbaric death of Caroline Glachan, 14, in 1996

Prison staff were shocked at a memorial service held for a child killer who evaded justice for 30 years.

Officers were made to organise a service at HMP Stirling for Donna Marie Brand, who died after serving just two years of a 17 year sentence for the murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl Caroline Glachan in 1996. The family of the killer were then invited to the prison to see the cell she’s occupied and the facilities available to her.

Staff have claimed the treatment given to the murderer was “extraordinary”, given the appalling nature of her crime. When Brand appealed her sentence last year, appeal judge Lord Carloway said: “It is not possible to categorise the punishment part as excessive for what was an evil, concerted crime.”

Brand was part of a gang who savagely battered Caroline, then hit her with rocks and left her to die in the River Leven at Renton, Dunbartonshire.

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One source said: “Officers weren’t happy about having to facilitate this. It is extremely unusual, extraordinary even, for a murderer to be afforded this level of courtesy within a prison when they die. There was a lot of muttering about it and most people didn’t think it was appropriate.”

More than 20 people attended a memorial service, including Brand’s family members and prisoners. The source added: “If had been a prisoner that had been in the system for many years and who’d forged positive relationships in that time it would be easy to understand.

“But this is a woman who committed a terrible crime and who only served less than three years of a 17 year sentence. People felt it was an affront to the family of the young girl who was murdered.”

Caroline’s mum said she did not wish to comment on any memorial for her daughter’s killer.

But Margaret McKeich, 68, said she was troubled that Brand did not serve the sentence that was handed out to her. She said: “I don’t have any opinion on it, other than to say that she failed to serve her full time. That bothers me. But other than that I don’t have feelings for her. She doesn’t live in my head.”

Donna Marie Brand, 47, died in custody last month after an illness. She was found guilty in December 2023, alongside Robert O’Brien and Andrew Kelly following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

She was sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years in jail. Initial investigations back at the time of Caroline’s death were bungled, with huge police time wasted chasing up wild goose chase leads.

Vital evidence that was available at the time was never given proper priority until the cold case team took another look at the crime. Jurors heard the trio arranged to meet Caroline near a bridge by the River Leven, on August 25, 1996.

She was repeatedly punched and kicked and had bricks or similar objects thrown at her. She was pushed or fell into undergrowth before her body was discovered in the river later the same day.

When Brand was sentenced, the judge said she played no active part in the assault but shared responsibility for Caroline’s death because she left the teenager in the river. Ringleader Robert O’Brien and accomplice Andrew Kelly were also jailed for life, with minimum terms of 22 years and 18 years.

Caroline was still alive when she entered the water and that the ultimate cause of death was drowning.

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “Every death, whether in prison custody or in our communities, is a tragedy for all those who knew and supported the individual. When someone in our care dies, a service will often be held for those who knew and cared for the individual.”

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Anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth may look like another manifestation of a familiar phenomenon. In recent years, the UK has seen repeated demonstrations and rioting over asylum hotels, small-boat crossings and immigration. This time though, the gatherings consisted of black-clad men in balaclavas, organised by a man who calls himself a devoted Christian.

The protesters took to the streets of Dover, occupying key roundabouts and causing traffic chaos. Similar intimidation tactics were used in Portsmouth the following day. My research on the contemporary far right suggests that we should pay attention not only to what these activists believe, but how they organise and what they do.

At the centre of the latest protests is a group called Patriot Platform, a network formed in June connecting anti-migrant and “patriot” formations. This appears to be an evolution in British far-right activism: away from conventional demonstrations and towards something more mobile, networked and potentially vigilante in nature.

Anti-migrant activists monitoring Britain’s coastline are not new. Other research has documented how Dover became an important arena for far-right mobilisation around small-boat crossings from around 2020. This study described an ecosystem of political organisations, single-issue groups and influencers (often self-described “citizen journalists” and even “auditors”). They operate in a space that falls somewhere between activism, the online celebrity world and vigilantism.

One key difference with Patriot Platform, however, lies in its organisation and operational capacity. The group claims to have had 45,000 “sign-ups” since its launch. A longstanding weakness of the British far right since the decline of the British National Party has been the way in which it has splintered.

Patriot Platform is significant because it is attempting to connect disparate local “patriot” groups rather than construct a single hierarchical organisation.

This appears to be a very different and more localised movement to the 2024 UK riots in Southport and beyond. Now, a relatively small, committed set of activists travel between coastal locations, communicate privately and draw support locally wherever the next flashpoint occurs.

Christian nationalism

There is also an explicitly Christian dimension to Patriot Platform – this is not incidental. The group is a self-professed Christian “army of patriots”. Its leader Daniel Thomas (Danny Tommo) has presented the network as committed to Christian values and restoring the nation to a time when Christian values were central to the nation.

The group’s use of religious language (“Christ is king” and “Christian values”) provides a vocabulary of redemption, duty, sacrifice and the defence of a community supposedly under threat. This fits a wider pattern in the UK of an emerging Christian nationalism, where Christianity isn’t just about theology or church attendance. It is also a marker of national and civilisational identity.

Britain is imagined as fundamentally Christian. Immigration (particularly Muslim immigration) can be framed by these groups as a threat to borders and to the country’s cultural and moral order.

That does not mean that Christianity in itself explains the mobilisation, nor that the activists represent British Christians generally. Rather, Christian symbolism can reframe right-wing ideas of nationalism as a moral mission

Activists become protectors of the nation, family (another cherished institution of Patriot Platform) and inherited values, rather than simply people who oppose immigration. This broadens the movement’s appeal, opens up funding opportunities in the US and gives its political action a higher sense of purpose.

The riots following the Southport murders in 2024 demonstrated how rapidly misinformation and anti-migrant and anti-Muslim narratives could travel between social media and the street. Subsequent protests around asylum accommodation have shown how immigration can function as a focal point for wider political grievances.

This is why it’s important not to become overly focused on individual organisations. Groups can collapse, while their activists, tactics and narratives migrate elsewhere. The crucial question about Patriot Platform is not whether it will still exist in five years. It is whether its networks, tactics and ideological framing will become more broadly adopted within the UK far right.

It remains to be seen if the same activists are able to mobilise around successive flashpoints and whether national networks can continue to recruit local supporters. Another question is whether the combination of patriotism, anti-migrant politics and Christian identity will provide a more durable organising culture.

Several years ago, the intersection between anti-migrant activism, surveillance and vigilantism in Dover was already understood. Recent events may show the next stage of that process. The important question is whether parts of Britain’s far right are developing the networks and ideological identity to sustain vigilante actions into the future.

Friends of Rowntree Park said it was “really upsetting” to find the damage in the park on Sunday morning (September 13).

A spokesperson for charity said three rowan trees, planted last year and worth around £80 to £100 each, have been “snapped and pulled apart” in the park’s Friends Railed Garden.

A tree which has been snapped in Rowntree Park, York (Image: Friends of Rowntree Park)

Pampas grass has also “been torn out and strewn around the garden, alongside a considerable amount of rubbish and cannabis-related paraphernalia”, they said.

The spokesperson said the vandalism has been reported to North Yorkshire Police and urged anyone with information about the damage – as well as any other anti-social behaviour in the park – to contact the force.

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They said the rowan trees, which can grow to 15m in height and live for up to 200 years, were donated to Friends of Rowntree Park last year and planted by its volunteers.

“While there is a financial cost to replacing [the rowan trees], the real cost is much greater,” the Friends of Rowntree Park spokesperson said.

“Someone donated those trees, volunteers gave their time to plant and care for them, and now more volunteer time will be spent clearing up and trying to repair the damage.”

Litter left in Rowntree Park, York (Image: Friends of Rowntree Park)

They said the vandalism overnight into Sunday came after the park faced “increasing problems in this particular area over the last few months, including regular litter and graffiti”.

“Whoever was responsible, deliberately destroying trees and plants in a community garden is incredibly disappointing,” they said.

“We don’t have CCTV in the park. We do report incidents of antisocial behaviour to the police, and this damage has also been reported.

“If you witness antisocial behaviour, deliberate damage or drug-related activity in the park, please report it to the police too.

“Individual reports help build a picture of what is happening and when, and hopefully help make the case for more community policing and evening patrols in and around the park.”

They added: “Rowntree Park belongs to all of us.

“The Friends Railed Garden is cared for largely by people giving their time for free. It’s incredibly frustrating to see that work deliberately destroyed for no reason.

“A huge thank you, as always, to the volunteers who keep turning up and caring for this space.”

The sun had its hat on in Newcastle today (September 13) as runners of all ages and abilities took on the world’s biggest half marathon.

The Red Arrows brightened up the skies with red white and blue as they soared over the Tyne Bridge on Sunday morning as runners left the city centre on their 13.1 mile route. 

From Chris Kamara and Ben Shephard to Joe McElderry and Helen Skelton, a string of celebrities took part in the event today, kicked off by Newcastle legend Dan Burn.

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: Richard Sellers)

Plumes of colour fill the skies as runners cross the start line of the AJ Bell Great North Run (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Armed with banners, signs, and bucket loads of community spirit, thousands of people lined the streets of Tyneside to cheer on the many runners.

First to cross the finish line for the men’s elite race today was Zouhair Talbi (59 minutes, 47 seconds) followed by last year’s winner Alex Mutiso (01:00:01) and Yohei Ikeda (01:00:40)

The Great North Run 2026. First to cross the finish line for the men’s elite race today was Zouhair Talbi (59 minutes, 47 seconds) followed by last year’s winner Alex Mutiso (01:00:01) and Yohei Ikeda (01:00:40) (Image: Adam Kennedy)

Zouhair Talbi wins the elite mens race in the AJ Bell Great North Run (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

Brigid Kosgei (1st), Sheila Chepkirui (2nd) and Melknat Wudu (3rd) at the end of the elite womens race in the AJ Bell Great North Run (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

The Great North Run 2026. In the elite wheelchair race, Melanie Woods (00:50:19) came first followed by Rita Cuccuru (01:06:57) and Catriona Johnston (01:27:29). (Image: Adam Kennedy)

Brigid Kosgei (01:06:15) took home the top spot in the elite women’s race, followed by last year’s winner Sheila Chepkirui (01:08:19) and finally Melknat Wudu (01:09:37).

In the elite wheelchair race, Melanie Woods (00:50:19) came first followed by Rita Cuccuru (01:06:57) and Catriona Johnston (01:27:29).

Prime Minister Andy Burnham gets ready to take part in the AJ Bell Great North Run (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

Prime Minister Andy Burnham completes the AJ Bell Great North Run, (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

And some runners were even able to jog alongside Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who was announced as a surprise runner earlier this morning. 

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Wearing a Number 10 bib, the Labour leader became the first serving Prime Minister in the event’s 45 years to take on the event whilst serving in office. 

Plumes of colour fill the skies as runners cross the start line of the AJ Bell Great North Run (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: Adam Kennedy)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: Adam Kennedy)

He described the event as “fantastic” and said it was “good for the whole country to have its eyes on this wonderful part of the world today”.

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Speaking to the BBC before the race on Sunday morning, Mr Burnham said: “People said to me when I became Prime Minister: ‘Don’t change.’

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“I’ve been doing the Great North Run for a few years, so I thought: ‘Well, I’ll live that now. I won’t change. I’ll come and do it again.’

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The Great North Run 2026 (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Runners take part in the AJ Bell Great North Run (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd)

“And hopefully leading from the front, getting out there. I’m a big believer that everybody should do a bit of activity, whatever it is people can do.”

He ran to raise money for homelessness charity Changing Lives, which he visited in Newcastle last month as part of a national drive to end rough sleeping.

While many runners simply opted for a lightweight t-shirt and shorts, others opted for something a little more out there – with a dinosaur, panda, and sunflower among the costumes this year.

A growing number of older men are turning to boxing for the first time and taking part in competitive bouts with another new recruits

A grieving dad has become a boxer to help him cope with the tragedy of losing his wife to cancer.

Khurum Jabbar took up the sport competitively after his wife Shahzia, who passed away in July, was diagnosed with Melanoma last October. The 36-year-old mother has also left three young children aged two, five and seven.

Rookie Khurum who had never fought before is part of a new wave of pugilists – called white collar boxers – taking part in the sport for the first time despite their advancing years. He has already fought twice in the ring with more bouts to follow.

His most recent outing was last month in Glasgow’s River Palace banqueting hall where he drew with his opponent. The 34-year-old, who runs a takeaway business, says the step into the ring came with the full blessing of his late wife and he wants to continue boxing to celebrate her memory.

He took up the sport in November a short time after Shahzia’s cancer diagnosis. Khurum from Irvine, Ayrshire, says his wife was very supportive right to the end. He added:” She told me just to be careful and don’t get hurt. She was a very strong woman.”

White‑collar boxing has been described as one of the the fastest‑growing “contact sports” in the world. Beginners with no prior fight experience — typically office workers, executives, lawyers, bankers and businessmen — train for several weeks and then compete in a supervised bout. The three-round bouts are held under normal boxing rules.

Khurum’s first fight was in January which he won and also raised over £3000 for Cancer Research. He added: “Shahzia’s cancer was a rare, aggressive type and she was given no more than a year to live.

“We were desperate to find something that would keep her alive for longer and scoured the world for a possible cure. We tried immunotherapy, without success.

“Then we were given great hope when Shahzia was accepted for a trial of a new drug in a London hospital. Then, one day, out of the blue as she was preparing to go to London, they phoned and said they’d pulled the plug on the trial.”

Khurum added: “I started looking abroad and found a possible treatment in Turkey. I spoke to the hospital in Istanbul and they offered to examine her suitability.

“In April we went there for a biopsy. At the time we were told that the treatment won’t work for between eight and ten per cent of patients. We felt confident the odds were in her favour.

“Alas, Shahzia was in that small group who couldn’t benefit from the treatment. She was in that eight and ten percent. After that setback she lost heart and went downhill.”

Khurum admits that boxing is helping to ease the pain. He said: “In the gym I need to focus on the fight and there are always other people there to keep my spirits up.

“They’ve been like a family to me. Going into boxing has helped me. It has released a lot of emotions. It was the best thing I could have done to keep me focussed and not go down a bad road.”

The white collar boxing nights are arranged by brothers Shehbaz and Raz Parnez, through their Glasgow based RT Elite Promotions. Raz says the fights could even be a pathway to a professional career for someone like Khurum.

He added: “It gives people who have never boxed before the chance to test themselves in the ring in front of a large crowd. For Khurum it has kept his mind busy, occupied and in a better place It is a hard thing he is dealing with with as well as three young children to look after.”

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