Labour MP Paulette Hamilton and singer Mel B, of Spice Girls pop fame, are two of the leading black Britons to launch a campaign calling on the country's leaders to change the law to criminalize "afro hair discrimination".
The campaign, known as World Afro Day (WAD), argues that afro hair must become a protected characteristic in the UK, and that alleged discrimination against the hair type must be recognized and prevented through legislation.
They warn that “omission of hair as a protected characteristic from the law has facilitated everyday discrimination and the normalization of afro hair as inferior in every sphere of life”.
The campaigners further argue that black children are unfairly penalized in British schools for their "natural styles and protective methods for the upkeep of their Afro hair" and that adults with afro hair face "discrimination, harassment and assault".
"Generations of afro hair discrimination"
– Laws are actually there to tell people what is right and what is wrong and to protect minority groups from oppression, discrimination and injustice. We simply do not have the right laws in the UK to stop generations of Afro hair discrimination from continuing, says campaign co-founder Michelle De Leon.
Mel B, meanwhile, says she was told early on in her music career that her hair had to be straightened and that it "didn't fit the pop star mould".
– But I stood my ground - backed by my girls - and I sang and danced like me, with my big hair, my brown skin and I was totally proud of who I was.So yes, I'm proud to support World Afro Day in its call for the Equality Act to protect against afro hair discrimination in the UK.
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A skeleton from the Viking Age has been found in Norway with burial details that have never before been documented in pre-Christian graves in the Nordic region. The find has led archaeologists to work in secret, and now DNA analyses will provide answers to the mystery surrounding the woman from the 800s.
The discovery was made in Bjugn in Trøndelag, central Norway, after Roy Søreng was searching with a metal detector in a field in Val earlier this year. When he found a belt buckle, a typical ornament from the Viking Age, he contacted the authorities.
Archaeologists from NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet (the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Museum of Natural History and Archaeology) and Trøndelag municipality then began work at the site where they were able to confirm that it was a grave.
— The Viking Age grave contains what we believe is a woman, buried with typical Viking Age dress and jewelry from the 800s. This indicates that she was a free and probably married woman, perhaps the mistress of the farm, said senior engineer Raymond Sauvage at the Department of Archaeology and Cultural History at Vitenskapsmuseet in a press release.
Remarkable find
The work has since continued in secret because the find was deemed so significant. Now the archaeologists reveal that they found jewelry consisting of two oval brooches that fastened the straps of the pinafore dress, as well as a small ring brooch that closed the neck opening of the undergarment. It was one of these brooches that Søreng originally discovered. The skeleton was also very well preserved.
But the most remarkable aspect is what was found at the dead woman's mouth.
— The most remarkable thing is two scallop shells placed at the deceased's mouth. This is a practice not previously known from pre-Christian graves in Norway. We don't yet know what the symbolism means, said Sauvage.
The burial custom with shells did not become common until approximately 300-400 years later, and pre-Christian graves with shells have never before been found in Scandinavia, Sauvage explains.
— We must try to find out what significance this had, he told Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.
Second find in a short time
The shells were positioned with the curved side outward and the straight edge upward, so that they partially covered the mouth. Along the grave, the researchers also found small bird bones, probably from wings.
During the Viking Age, burials were ritual stagings where jewelry, clothing and grave goods expressed status and identity. The deceased was displayed with dress, bedding and symbolic objects to create a strong memory and emphasize the family's social position.
Earlier this year, another grave was found in the same field, dated to the 700s. The next step is to DNA-analyze the find to learn more about the woman in the grave, including whether she may be related to the person in the other grave.
— We will examine the skeleton, preserve the objects and take samples for dating and DNA analysis. The goal is to learn more about the person and, if possible, kinship to the earlier find from the same location, said Sauvage.
The Asian giant is making it easier for Swedes who want to explore Chinese culture and business life. Starting November 10, Swedes can now travel to China without a visa for stays of up to 30 days.
Sweden was the last Nordic country where citizens had to apply for a visa to visit China, while visa-free travel was introduced in neighboring countries in November last year. Visa applications involve both costs and require more planning before trips, with significant limitations on flexibility.
Travel operators have pointed out that this has limited both tourism and business travel. Now it becomes easier to book a trip spontaneously, whether the purpose is to discover the country's culture or develop business contacts, and the regulatory easing is a sign that relations between Sweden and China have improved.
China, which in area is almost as large as all of Europe, carries a 5,000-year-old civilization and culture that is well-preserved and has a great diversity of local cultures, traditions, food, and ethnic minorities with their unique expressions.
In the north, the capital Beijing attracts visitors with iconic sights such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. To the west lies the historic city of Xi'an with the famous Terracotta Army and traces from the ancient Silk Road.
Southern China offers dramatic karst mountains around Guilin, green rice fields, and opportunities for bamboo raft trips on calm rivers. Shanghai combines metropolitan energy with modern architecture and historic quarters where old meets new.
The country also contains lesser-known gems such as Taoism's sacred mountains, Buddhist temples, and traditional villages where old craft traditions are still preserved.
Good to know
The visa exemption applies to business, tourist, family and friendship visits, as well as exchange trips and transit. Travelers must have a regular Swedish passport that is valid for at least six months after entry. The stay may not exceed 30 days, and the exemption applies through December 31, 2026.
Upon entry, travelers may provide fingerprints and facial photos. Since the country experienced a severe period of terrorism, stricter controls were introduced both at entry into the country and on certain travel routes within the country.
Surveillance cameras are extensively deployed in public places and in traffic.
At the same time, the country is considered one of the world's safest to visit, with very few violent crimes. China now has the world's most modern infrastructure with low living costs and high accessibility to everyday services, social activities, and a rich cultural life.
David Icke is back on YouTube after being suspended for over five years. In a video message, he confirms that he was removed from the platform in April 2020 due to statements that contradicted the official COVID narrative.
Icke, 73, was formerly a professional footballer and BBC sports commentator before he began writing and lecturing in the 1990s about alternative explanations for world events and power structures. He has published numerous books and built a global following through his theories about how the world functions.
In his comeback message, Icke describes how he was suddenly removed from the platform following a livestreamed interview that reached a large audience.
— It was in April of 2020 when I was, shall we say, saying things that were at odds with the COVID narrative that I was thrown off YouTube and everything else unceremoniously half an hour after a live interview that got a massive audience, he says in the video.
All content to be restored
Icke states that he has been informed that all previous content from his channel, which was deleted five and a half years ago, will be restored on the platform. He also mentions that there is "loads of other content" that could not be published during the suspension period.
The author also has a new book coming out titled "The Roadmap: Escaping the Maze of Madness", which he describes as "a real eye-opener" when it comes to explaining "the whole conspiracy's" scope.
— So it's with great pleasure that I announce that I'm back on YouTube because of the reach, because of the impact that the channel has and the impact it can have on communicating information, says Icke.
He urges his followers to subscribe to the channel and notes that it "helps the algorithm". Icke also runs the website ickonic.com where he published material during the suspension period.
Uncertainties surrounding the reversal
The YouTube channel was shut down in April 2020 as part of the platform's measures against content that violated the platform's very strict guidelines regarding COVID-19. Icke had on several occasions expressed views that deviated from health authorities' official directives about the virus and the experimental mRNA vaccines, which also led to him being banned from several social media platforms.
His work has over the years encompassed theories about global power structures, technology and societal development. He has also built a presence through books, lectures and digital content.
Why YouTube is now choosing to restore Icke's account is unclear, however, and the platform has not publicly commented on the decision.
— It's nice to see you again, Icke concludes his message to his followers.
Ace Frehley of KISS has died – The Spaceman has left Earth for his home planet Jendell. Paul Daniel Frehley is sadly no longer with us, but his otherworldly guitar playing, songwriting legacy and not least his unique personality will live on forever.
Published November 2, 2025
Montage. Photo: Jan Sundstedt collection, Jan Sundstedt/Gröna Lund, Stockholm, Sweden, June 2015
Ace Frehley wearing his iconic persona during a photo session in 1976, and backstage before his performance at Gröna Lund (Stockholm's amusement park) in June 2015.
This is an opinion piece. The author is responsible for the views expressed in the article.
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley, one of rock history’s most influential and iconic guitarists, passed away on Thursday, October 16, following complications from a brain hemorrhage caused by a fall down the stairs the previous week.
His family describes their grief as devastating and shares that during his final hours, they were able to surround him with love, care, and peaceful words.
—We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever, the family writes in a statement.
Frehley's former bandmates in KISS – Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss – have all commented on the loss.
— We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history, Stanley and Simmons say in a joint statement.
Frehley's wife Jeanette (the couple separated in the 1980s but never divorced) and their daughter Monique remain as close family and witnesses to a life both on and off stage.
We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS's legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and… pic.twitter.com/y19anvZXbz
Ace Frehley was born on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, into a musical family. He received his first electric guitar as a Christmas present in 1964 and learned to play entirely without lessons. Among his greatest influences were Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Who.
As a teenager, he played in various local bands and earned the nickname "Ace" – not least for his ability to arrange dates for his friends. He dropped out of high school when the band Cathedral started making money but later returned to graduate. In 1971, he became a member of the band Molimo, which signed with RCA Records and recorded several songs that were never released.
In late 1972, a friend saw an ad in the Village Voice for the role of lead guitarist in a new band. Frehley auditioned in Manhattan, dressed in one red and one orange sneaker. Despite a lukewarm first impression, he quickly impressed Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss with his guitar playing.
The band named itself KISS in December 1972–January 1973 and soon began painting their faces and wearing elaborate stage costumes, inspired by the New York Dolls and Alice Cooper.
Initially, KISS faced cynicism and indifference from New York's music scene. Frehley also supported himself as a taxi driver to make ends meet while the band fought for their place on stage. When manager Bill Aucoin took over, the band gradually began planning their path to stardom.
The Spaceman and the musical legacy
KISS exploded onto the music scene in 1974 with the self-titled debut album KISS, followed by Hotter Than Hell (1974) and Dressed to Kill (1975). The major commercial breakthrough came with the live album KISS Alive! (1975), where Frehley's explosive guitar playing became one of the band's most distinctive trademarks.
Frehley developed his alter ego The Spaceman – a silver-clad space figure with sparkling makeup and pyrotechnic guitar solos. His playing style, which blended blues, hard rock, and glam, contributed to several of the band's most iconic songs, including Shock Me, Cold Gin, Parasite, Rocket Ride, Talk To Me, and New York Groove.
After leaving KISS in late fall 1982, primarily due to personal problems, Ace Frehley formed his own band, Frehley's Comet.
There he could explore a more personal musical expression. The band released its debut album Frehley's Comet in 1987, which blended hard rock, glam, and Ace's own characteristic blues-influenced guitar style.
Songs like Rock Soldiers, Breakout (which he wrote together with then-KISS drummer Eric Carr) and We Got Your Rock, showed that Frehley could still combine explosive guitar playing with melodic hooks, and the tours gave him the freedom to experiment on stage outside of KISS.
The band became an important step in his career, cementing him as a solo artist on his own terms, but he always retained the iconic Spaceman persona.
He returned to KISS for the reunion tour Alive/Worldwide Tour in 1996/1997 and participated on the album Psycho Circus (1998), until he left the band again in summer 2002.
During the 2000s, he continued his solo career and released albums including Anomaly (2009), Space Invader (2014), and Spaceman (2018).
Ace Frehley is celebrated as one of hard rock's most influential guitarists. His style inspired generations of musicians, from Slash to Dave Grohl, and his stage presence remains a benchmark for showmanship within the genre.
Photo: Jan Sundstedt collection/"Psycho Circus" promo poster 1998.
A personal impact
On a personal level, I cannot adequately describe the emptiness within me. It is difficult, if not impossible, to summarize in a few words all the memories that overwhelm.
From being, together with other KISS fans, ridiculed and teased by the "cool" kids at school for loving a band unlike anything else, to the occasionally difficult times at home when my parents struggled with alcohol, KISS and Ace Frehley have been a safe soundtrack.
Their music helped me through adversity and gave me strength and inspiration. Honestly, one doesn't know how life would have turned out without KISS and especially Ace Frehley. Sure, you love other magnificent bands – such as Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple – but KISS was different.
KISS was a band for those of us who felt a bit odd, different, and had a sense of not quite fitting in. Childhood and adolescence became infinitely easier to get through when you understood that you're not alone out there.
Later in adult life, getting to meet all the original members of KISS was a surreal experience – and each meeting reminded me why Ace Frehley will always be more than just a guitarist; he was an inspiration, a mentor, an icon.
Ace Frehley together with the writer, in connection with a performance at Gröna Lund (a Stockholm amusement park), in June 2015. Photo: Jan Sundstedt.
The legacy lives on
Ace Frehley's passing leaves a void in the music world. But his legacy – the electrifying guitar playing, the song catalog, the visual stage show, and above all the unique personality that made fans worldwide feel seen – will live on.
The Spaceman has left Earth, but his music continues to provide comfort, joy, and inspiration to new generations. In every guitar solo that echoes through the speakers, in every young person who picks up a guitar and thinks "I can do this," Ace Frehley remains.
And for me, as for many others, the feeling is personal: Thank you for everything, Ace. Thank you for being there, for playing, and for making the world a little more electric. I will never forget you!
"Rock soldiers come and rock soldiers go. And some hear the drum and some never know. Rock soldiers! How do we know? Ace is back and he told you so..."
Jan Sundstedt
Ace Frehley – discography (1974–2024)
With KISS
1974 – KISS
1974 – Hotter Than Hell
1975 – Dressed to Kill
1975 – KISS: Alive! (live)
1976 – Destroyer
1976 – Rock and Roll Over
1977 – Love Gun
1977 – Alive II (live + four newly written tracks and one cover)
1978 – Double Platinum (compilation)
1978 – Ace Frehley (solo album under the KISS name)
1979 – Dynasty
1980 – Unmasked
1981 – Music From "The Elder"
1982 – Killers (compilation plus four newly written tracks) – participates only with name and character
1982 – Creatures of the Night (participates only with name and character)
1996 – You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best! (compilation, reunion period)
1998 – Psycho Circus
With Frehley's Comet
1987 – Frehley's Comet
1988 – Live+1 (EP/live)
1988 – Second Sighting
1989 – Trouble Walkin' (credited to Ace Frehley but often counted as part of the Comet era)
Solo albums
2009 – Anomaly
2014 – Space Invader
2016 – Origins Vol. 1 (cover album)
2018 – Spaceman
2020 – Origins Vol. 2 (cover album)
2024 – 10,000 Volts
