The Times - 07.08.2026.pdf

外国学生贷款欺诈警报 - 五分之一现由非英国公民领取 - 英国纳税人将为数十亿未偿还债务买单

奥利弗·赖特 (Oliver Wright) 政策编辑

目前约有五分之一的学生贷款被发放给非英国公民，这可能导致纳税人每年承担数十亿英镑的未偿还债务风险。研究发现，在过去一年中，外国学生获得了约 40 亿英镑 billion 的学费和生活费贷款，约占该计划总贷款额的 20%。其中绝大多数流向了欧盟公民，仅罗马尼亚人就占所有首次学生贷款的 20 分之一，而政府内部则担心该计划存在欺诈漏洞。

批评人士警告称，这一增长将加剧未偿还的学生贷款债务。数据显示，外国学生偿还贷款的可能性比英国学生低约 25%，这意味着英国纳税人每年面临 12 亿英镑 billion 至 22 亿英镑 billion 的损失。

通常情况下，在英国学习的其他国家公民无法获得学生贷款，而是被要求自行承担学费和生活住宿费用。但对于欧盟公民或其亲属，如果符合英国脱离欧盟后达成的脱欧公民身份协议，则享有豁免权。这意味着拥有定居身份（settled status）的人有权申请学生资助。

在过去的 12 个月里，有超过 36,000 人成功申请了定居身份，另有 30,000 名已获批者的家属也获得了该身份。学生贷款公司的数据显示，在获得贷款的 239,000 名外国公民中，约 195,000 人根据公民身份计划拥有定居身份。

在过去十年中，发放给非英国学生的贷款比例已从 10.2% 增加到 19.3%。保守党议员尼尔·奥布赖恩 (Neil O'Brien) 通过议会质询和信息自由请求汇总了这些数据，他表示担心脱欧后的计划被利用。他指出，尽管申请定居身份的截止日期已在五年前过期，但内政部仍在继续批准逾期申请。

“仅在过去 12 个月中，就有约 66,000 名完全的新申请人在截止日期五年后通过该计划获得了居留权，”他说道。“为什么内政部允许这些极其不合理的逾期申请，且他们是基于什么理由继续批准的？”

作为保守党政策负责人，奥布赖恩认为，发放给外国学生的贷款数量增加与持续的定居身份申请之间存在联系。

“我担心这些人中太多人会离开且不偿还，或者是在主要工作、少量学习的同时，利用贷款来补贴收入，”他表示。“如果我们停止这种流...” 续见第 2 页

家属致敬 爱丁堡慈善工作者伊丽莎白-简·罗斯 (Elisabeth-Jane Ross) 的尸体在雅典的一个行李箱中被发现。她的亲属表示，他们将记得她是一个善良且无私的人，一生致力于帮助他人。 第 7 页

唐宁街10号助手向“哥们儿风”的伯纳姆出示红牌

Ben Clatworthy 怀特霍尔编辑

安迪·伯纳姆被唐宁街10号的社交媒体专家告知，应降低其视频中“哥们儿式”的风格。伯纳姆团队正收到来自该部门的每日报告，该部门包含数据和社交媒体分析专家。上周，他们建议首相限制提及足球和酒吧的次数，以尝试吸引更广泛的受众。

该团队是在基尔·斯塔默爵士担任首相期间创建的，负责监测伯纳姆的个人账号，包括回复的情绪。一段伯纳姆与财政大臣约翰·希利评价酒吧小吃以突出降低餐饮场所商业税的视频，在X上的播放量超过500万次。伯纳姆在社交媒体内容中也经常提及足球、他对埃弗顿的热爱以及品脱啤酒。

一名消息人士告诉《泰晤士报》，该团队“对部分内容提出了警告，建议降低一些‘哥们儿气’，例如酒吧小吃那个噱头。他是一名出色的沟通者，但关键在于平衡。”

内阁办公室正在为政府媒体部门（GMU）招聘约50名社交媒体工作人员。该部门由政府通信公务员主管、前《太阳报》编辑大卫·丁斯莫尔监管。一名熟悉其计划的消息人士表示，他希望引导用户转向英国中央政府的社交媒体账号，以尝试提高整体参与度。

在过去的18个月中，由GMU制作的内容已被25%的人口看到。而部门账号的触达率仅为2%。内阁办公室表示，尚未就GMU的最终规模做出决定。

--- 2 新闻 周五 2026年8月7日 / THE TIMES

今日亮点

7am 边境安全与庇护大臣 安娜·特利 7:45am 影子工作与养老金大臣 海伦·沃特利 8:35am 前国际足联（Fifa）高级副总裁 吉姆·博伊斯 10:45pm 喜剧演员多姆·乔利（右图），谈论他的新巡演以及《Trigger Happy TV》25周年纪念 2pm 凯彻家族的密友萨莉·艾灵顿，她发起了一项请愿，要求取消阿曼达·诺克斯在爱丁堡艺术节的演出

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新闻

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加泰罗尼亚的召唤 巴塞罗那加入争夺战，试图将罗德里从伊蒂哈德球场吸引至此

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乌克兰击垮俄罗斯经济的计划

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优惠

关停信号可能导致乡村数百万人无法观看电视

杰拉尔丁·斯科特 政治副编辑

工党已收到警告，如果在未来十年内关停地面电视网络，可能会导致数百万农村家庭需要支付更多费用才能观看电视，或者完全无法观看。

活动人士敦促部长们将终止数字地面电视（DTT）的任何决定推迟到至少 2044 年。数字地面电视是通过屋顶天线向家庭提供 Freeview 服务的系统。他们认为，政府的数据显示，乡村地区的宽带和移动网络覆盖范围太弱，无法支持这一举措。

政府上个月发布的《英格兰乡村未来》报告承诺，将通过要求白厅各部门从一开始就评估政策对乡村的影响，使农村社区处于政策制定的“核心”地位。

旨在保留全民免费无线电视的联盟“Broadcast 2040+”已致信环境、食品和农村事务部部长、前工党农村研究小组主席珍妮·里德尔-卡彭特（Jenny Riddell-Carpenter），敦促她将 DTT 的未来作为政府履行“乡村证明”（rural-proofing）承诺的早期测试。

该团体希望部长们将地面电视网络保留至至少 2044 年，并在决定是否最早于 2034 年终止该服务之前，进行正式的农村影响评估。

政府目前正在就于 2034 年底关闭 DTT 并通过宽带提供电视服务，还是将网络保留至 2044 年进行磋商。

活动人士认为，英格兰农村的大部分地区尚未为这一转型做好准备。他们表示，政府数据显示，只有 66% 的农村住宅可以使用千兆宽带，而城市地区这一比例为 93%。

英格兰约有 21,000 处农村房产仍缺乏良好的宽带连接，而只有 63% 的农村场所能接收到所有移动运营商的室内 4G 覆盖，相比之下，城市地区为 96%。约 2% 的场所无法接收任何运营商的室内 4G 覆盖。

Broadcast 2040+ 表示，在这些问题解决之前关停地面电视网络，将迫使许多家庭可能不得不购买昂贵的宽带订阅服务，更换功能完好的电视机，或购买额外设备，以继续接收目前可通过天线免费获取的频道。他们警告称，其他生活在连接较差地区的人可能会完全失去观看电视的机会。

该团体还指出了英格兰农村的人口统计特征：那里 27% 的人口年龄在 65 岁或以上，而伦敦以外的城市地区这一比例为 18%。

Broadcast 2040+ 的一名发言人表示：“在实现全民互联之前关停数字地面电视，将使数字鸿沟根植于电视的未来。”

一名政府发言人表示：“向 IPTV（网络协议电视）进行长期转型有充分的理由，但尚未做出任何决定。媒体绿皮书的目的是在做出任何最终决定之前，收集整个行业和公众的意见。我们致力于确保在电视观看日益转向在线化的过程中，没有人被遗忘。任何未来的转型只有在我们确信正确的保障措施、基础设施和支持已到位，从而使每个人都能以实惠且自信的方式继续观看电视后才会进行。”

针对外国学生的贷款

随着欧盟定居身份新申请的出现，欧盟学生贷款的流动可能会枯竭。”今年，时任教育大臣的布里奇特·菲利普森（Bridget Phillipson）承诺，将严厉打击那些有权代表大学授予学位的特许学院。专家表示，这些学院正被一些学生利用，他们注册课程是为了申请贷款，随后在毫无还款意愿的情况下辍学。

与此同时，由于对惩罚性利率的愤怒日益增加，政府面临着放宽英国毕业生还款条件的压力。本周，超过 120 名国会议员和贵族院议员致信财政大臣，要求其对学生贷款还款制度进行“紧急审查”。他们表示，在这种毕业生必须偿还超过特定阈值收入的 9% 的制度下，这是一种“不可持续且不公平的财务负担”。

教育大臣露西·鲍威尔（Lucy Powell）上周表示，该问题处于其“待办事项的最顶端”。教育部的一位发言人表示：“我们对学生贷款有严格的资格要求——任何居住在英国境外的人都不能申请或获得贷款。任何离开英国的人必须继续偿还其欠款。”

向世界放贷

2024-25 学年，发放给外国申请者的英国学生贷款百分比

尼尔·奥布赖恩评论

去年学生贷款公司发放的所有贷款中，有五分之一流向了非英国国民——每年 40 亿英镑 billion 的英国纳税人资金。每发放 1 英镑贷款中，就有 5 便士流向了仅罗马尼亚一国的国民。其中大部分将无法偿还，因此纳税人在补贴那些最终很可能居住在其他国家的人。考虑到人们对英国学生被收取的高额费用以及他们必须支付的极其不公平的利率所产生的正当愤怒，这种情况完全是荒谬的。

为什么会发生这种情况？五年前我们脱离欧盟后，就不再需要像对待英国学生那样对待欧盟国民了，尽管工党正考虑将其作为正在进行的谈判的一部分而做出让步，但至少目前我们不再需要向欧盟国民提供学生贷款。然而，流向非英国国民的学生贷款份额却在上升而非下降。

为什么？作为退出协议的一部分，我们同意通过欧盟定居计划，维持在脱欧前已居住在此的欧盟公民的权利。这很合理，但申请截止日期已在五年前过去。所以，你理应认为这件事现在已经结束了。

不。在过去的 12 个月里，大约有 66,000 名新申请人在截止日期五年后通过该计划获得了居留权。获得定居状态的新申请人数不仅没有减少，反而 在上个季度激增。自 June 30, 2021, 截止日期以来，已有超过 160,000 名“逾期申请者”被授予定居状态，另有 54,000 名家庭成员随之加入——总计约 220,000 人。此外，有 124,000 名在截止日期后申请的人获得了预定居状态，并有 202,000 名家庭成员随之加入。

内政部为什么允许这些逾期申请，又是基于什么理由继续批准的？我已询问，但内政部拒绝回答。如果你逾期一周，我会理解。但逾期五年则是另一回事。

罗马尼亚国民申请的可能性是其他欧盟国民的五倍——目前至少每 20 名罗马尼亚公民中就有一人在英国拥有定居或预定居状态。虽然波兰人的借款金额在五年内几乎没有变化，但罗马尼亚人的借款金额已翻倍至 12.5 亿英镑 billion。

政府似乎在打瞌睡。它不公布向非英国国民发放贷款的数据，也不公布任何关于偿还率的估算。我不得不通过议会质询强行从政府那里获取这些信息。这些信息揭示了非英国国民的偿还率要低得多：去年有 51% 的非英国国民进行了偿还，而英国学生的偿还率为 68%。罗马尼亚人的偿还率不足一半，仅为 45%。

英国纳税人在向非英国国民发放的贷款上，每年可能会损失 20 亿英镑 billion 多一点。欧盟计划是保护此处欧盟国民和欧洲英国人权利的一种合理方式。但这本应是一次性的。当这意味着享有福利和学生贷款权利时，我们无法承受继续发放定居权的代价。

尼尔·奥布赖恩（Neil O'Brien）是哈伯勒、奥德比和威格斯顿（Harborough, Oadby & Wigston）的保守党国会议员，以及政策更新与发展影子大臣。

--- THE TIMES / Friday August 7 2026 3 News

妈妈咪呀！布雷西亚之兽 巨型爬行动物的出现令一座意大利小镇为之着迷——并引发了大量模因，詹姆斯·伊玛姆（James Imam）报道

手电筒的光束穿透北意大利一片田野的黑暗，揭开了一个没人预料到的景象。一只体型巨大的爬行动物——一个更适应热带气候的物种——正用它那像珠子一样、不眨的眼睛盯着追捕者。这只生物并非本土物种，而是一只身长1.5 metre-long的巴布亚巨蜥——一种来自印度尼西亚和巴布亚新几内亚的强力捕食者，不知怎么地来到了伦巴第大区布雷西亚附近的蒙蒂基亚里乡村。

这张照片引发了一场蜥蜴狩猎，近一个月来一直令这座乡村小镇为之着迷。自从一名工人在7月第一周报告在农场看到它以来，关于这只蜥蜴的传闻就一直在流传。两周后的7月 12,，同一名农场工人成功拍到了这只生物的照片。

“起初我不相信这是真的，”蒙蒂基亚里市长马可·托尼（Marco Togni）告诉《泰晤士报》，“但我们现在已经验证了图像，可以确定它是绝对真实的。”

在两周的时间里，目前已有三起报告的目击事件。巴布亚巨蜥（也被称为鳄巨蜥）是快速的奔跑者，拥有强有力的爪子，如果在惊吓或被逼入绝境时会做出攻击反应，造成严重的咬伤、抓伤和有力的尾击。就像它们体型更重的一类亲戚科莫多巨蜥一样，这些爬行动物带有毒液，通常以蛋类、鸟类以及像老鼠和袋狸这样的小型哺乳动物为食，但据记载也能捕杀猪、鹿和猎狗。1983, 年曾报告过一起人类死亡病例，当时一名巴布亚女性被巴布亚巨蜥咬伤并死于感染。

在意大利饲养该物种是违法的，尽管它也受到保护，这意味着除非是为了自卫，否则不能杀死这只蜥蜴。

在布雷西亚地区蒙蒂基亚里被拍到的蜥蜴。左侧为当地市长马可·托尼，在AI生成的视频中。

“我们不知道它是怎么来到这里的，”托尼说，他暗示一定是某位居民在非法饲养。“它要么是逃跑了，要么是被遗弃了。”

为了保护居民，市议会已禁止在看到蜥蜴的区域行走和骑行，同时告知农场工人关闭小屋的门。一项搜寻行动也已启动，使用了配备热成像相机和夜视仪的无人机，到目前为止，在十天时间里的黎明和傍晚时分已先后派出。此外还布置了两个装有鸡肉的笼形陷阱。

“这种爬行动物是冷血的，”托尼解释道，“它在阳光下取暖，所以我们希望热成像相机能检测到温度差异。”

今年其他关于非意大利本土生物的目击事件也引起了媒体的极大关注。在托斯卡纳的一起报告的鳄鱼目击事件中

不可轻视

在蒙蒂基亚里（Montichiari）出没的这种生物似乎是一只湾鳄监视蜥（crocodile monitor），也被称为巴布亚监视蜥（Papuan monitor）。它是原产于世界第2.大岛新几内亚的最大蜥蜴，通常生活在沼泽和雨林中。它是世界上最长的蜥蜴之一，长度可达100英寸（2.54米），这主要是因为其长而像鞭子一样的尾巴，体重可达90公斤。它是肉食性的，主要以鸟类、小型哺乳动物和蛋为食。虽然没有记录显示它们捕食人类等大型动物，但如果被逼入绝境或受到威胁，这些生物可能会具有攻击性。《大英百科全书》（The Encyclopaedia Britannica）称，捕猎它们“被认为具有风险”。

5月在马西亚诺（Masiano）村的一次报道引发了搜寻行动，并激励当地一家业余足球俱乐部将自己重新命名为“马西亚诺鳄鱼队”。尽管人们怀疑该爬行动物的照片是真实的还是AI生成的，但该村被戏称为“托斯卡纳的尼斯湖”。

春季在拉文纳（Ravenna）附近的普塔马里纳（Punta Marina）发生的孔雀泛滥事件也造成了混乱，100多只异域鸟类的尖叫声让当地居民彻夜难眠，促使一些人要求对其进行扑杀。

这只蜥蜴目前尚未被捕获，但托尼（Togni）的行动引发了大量模因（memes）的产生，并将这位市长变成了一位出人意料的社交媒体明星。一段AI生成的视频将他描绘成一名戴着太阳镜的“蜥蜴护林员”。视频中，蜥蜴在游泳池边喝着鸡尾酒悠闲地躺着，随后从护林员身边逃走，乘坐轻型飞机离去。两人还被看到共同出现在舞台上，表演一首特别创作的歌曲《小心蜥蜴》（Beware of the Lizard）。

这段视频是由当地高中教师兼音乐家米凯莱·桑吉内塔（Michele Sanguinetta）创作的。他说这个想法是在一次夜生活之后产生的。他先将旋律和键盘伴奏录入一个AI程序，然后使用另一个程序通过文本提示生成视频。桑吉内塔说：“我不认识市长，但后来他打电话来感谢我。我想用一点幽默来缓解人们的恐惧。”

如果这只蜥蜴最终被捕获，它将被移交给野生动物专家，由专家将其捐赠给动物园等经批准的机构。托尼以积极的心态对待这些模因，并在他的社交媒体上转发了蜥蜴护林员的视频。市长表示：“这很有趣，我也用一点幽默表达了支持，但保持官方基调同样重要。困扰这个城镇的情况是严重的。”

阿根廷将国家纪念日定为世界杯战胜英格兰之日

Stephen Gibbs

拉丁美洲特派记者

阿根廷是一个充满了国家纪念日的国家：它有探戈日，有马黛茶日（其草本国家饮品），还有一个“友谊日”。现在又增加了一个。从明年起，7月15日将成为“国家足球队日”，以纪念其足球队在世界杯中击败英格兰的日期。

“选择这个日期是为了纪念国家队在2026年世界杯半决赛中战胜英格兰的伟大且具有历史意义的胜利，”阿根廷足球协会在一份声明中表示。该协会强调，庆祝这一时刻的决定已获得其董事会的“一致”通过。

该协会表示：“在利昂内尔·斯卡洛尼的带领下，球队一度以1球之差落后于英格兰队，但凭借恩佐·费尔南德斯和劳塔罗·马丁内斯的进球，成功反超比分，让整个国家陷入了疯狂的庆祝之中。”

该协会称，这一天将向所有国家队致敬，从青年队到在布宜诺斯艾利斯利昂内尔·梅西综合体训练的沙滩足球队，“带着捍卫天蓝白球衣的希望、喜悦和责任”。

将7月15日定为庆祝日，或许是为了转移人们对四天后发生之事的注意力，当时阿根廷在决赛中0-1输给了西班牙。

阿根廷与英格兰之间深厚的足球宿怨至少可以追溯到1966年的赛事，当时阿根廷队长安东尼奥·拉廷在温布利球场进行的关键四分之一决赛中，因在抗议一次犯规时表现出“言语不敬”而被罚下场。

这种敌意在1986年赛事的四分之一决赛胜利中进一步加深，那是马尔维纳斯群岛（福克兰群岛）冲突四年之后，以及迭戈·马拉多纳那次臭名昭著的“上帝之手”进球之后。

球员们举起一条横幅，上面写着马尔维纳斯群岛属于阿根廷。

足球协会在指定国家纪念日时，并未提及今年比赛后的争议，当时一些阿根廷球员通过展开一条写着“Las Malvinas son Argentinas”（译为“马尔维纳斯群岛是阿根廷的”）的横幅来庆祝。

国际足联（Fifa）已对阿根廷足球协会启动正式纪律程序。

---

4 新闻 抄袭争议

阿尔代声称出版商支付了夏洛特·阿尔特

杰森·阿尔代在被指控剽窃后辞去了剑桥大学教授的职务，他声称其将于本月出版的回忆录获得了“140 万”的报酬。这本书名为《伟大而不幸之事》（Great and Unfortunate Things），记录了他如何成为该大学最年轻的黑人教授，计划于8月11日在美国、8月27日在英国由西蒙与舒斯特（Simon & Schuster）出版。尽管阿尔代面临剽窃指控、学术资格质疑以及夸大体育和筹款成就的指控，出版商仍对其表示支持。剑桥大学此前曾表示，针对剽窃指控的调查未发现违规证据，但周三宣布已启动一项新调查。阿尔代随后不久辞职。

据透露，在接受《卫报》（The Guardian）采访时，阿尔代表示西蒙与舒斯特通过一次“抢先交易”（pre-empt）为这本书提供了“140 万”的报价；在这种交易中，出版商为了抢夺手稿，会在进入拍卖程序前开出高价。出版界人士告诉《卫报》，像阿尔代这样的一本书通常预计销量约为5,000册，按每册£2的版税计算，相当于£10,000的预付款。阿尔代并未具体说明140 万这个数字是指英镑还是美元。西蒙与舒斯特未就该金额的置评请求做出回应。

《卫报》原计划在《伟大而不幸之事》于英国出版前进行连载，但《泰晤士报》获悉，目前已不再有此计划。《卫报》的一位发言人表示：“我们不对编辑计划发表评论。”

西蒙与舒斯特在阿尔代辞职前不久确认，将按计划继续出版。一名发言人周三表示：“我们很自豪能出版杰森·阿尔代教授的作品。自2024年4月购得《伟大而不幸之事》以来，我们一直与他密切合作，可以证明他在出版的每个阶段都展现出了专业精神和正直。在西蒙与舒斯特，我们拥有完善的编辑和法律流程，并将其应用于我们出版的所有书籍。《伟大而不幸之事》是杰森·阿尔代的回忆录，通过他的

辞职信由“AI撰写”

根据三种不同的检测工具显示，在经历数日关于剽窃指控的审查后，杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）在撰写辞职信时似乎使用了人工智能。周三晚上，阿尔代发布了一份600字的声明，宣布他将辞去剑桥大学社会学教授的职务。当《泰晤士报》将该信函通过四款市场领先的检测工具进行分析时，其中三款评估认为该信函全部或几乎全部由AI撰写。Pangram和Winston AI均判定该文本100% AI-generated，而Humalingo的评估结果为94% AI-generated。Turnitin给出的AI分值为68% AI。

AI检测器通过分析大语言模型在撰写文本时经常留下的模式来进行分析。没有任何检测工具声称能做到完全准确。

阿尔代在信中写道，自他被任命以来的这些年“充满了持续不断的公众审查和个人攻击”。他补充道：“虽然批评是学术生活不可避免的一部分，但我所经历的已经远远超出了学术分歧的范畴。”

阿尔代没有对任何剽窃指控做出回应，也没有对据称由他提出的其他主张做出说明。记者已联系他寻求评论。

（接前文）……他自己的回忆以及与他最亲近的人的回忆。他与共同作者以及我们的编辑和法律团队紧密合作，对叙事内容进行了仔细的研究、撰写和证实。”出版商表示，关于这部回忆录没有收到任何剽窃指控，该书是由常驻纽约的伦敦出生作家伊芙·克劳克顿（Eve Claxton）协作完成的。西蒙与舒斯特（Simon & Schuster）出版社未回应置评请求。

这部回忆录讲述了阿尔代的生活，从他3岁时被诊断出患有自闭症和全球发育迟缓，到11. 岁时说出第一个词。在书中，他声称自己在18. 岁时学会了写字。

一份手稿表明，近日被质疑的几项主张并未出现在该书的最终版本中。阿尔代声称个人为70家慈善机构筹集了高达5350 万资金的主张并未出现。他为这一主张辩护，但澄清这笔资金是由一个100. 人的财团在20年间筹集的。

回忆录中没有提到他声称在六天内跑了600英里的主张，如果这一成就属实，将使他跻身于世界上最有天赋的耐力跑者之列。阿尔代现在表示，实际上他花了12天时间。

周三有消息披露，阿尔代似乎虚构了自己出版过一本名为《年轻、黑人与男性：挑战主导话语》（Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse）的书籍。据《电讯报》报道，帕尔格雷夫·麦克米伦（Palgrave Macmillan）出版社接受了该提案，但并未推进出版。

三年前，西蒙与舒斯特出版社曾处于一场争议的中心，当时美国著名肿瘤学家大卫·阿古斯（David Agus）博士的一本书被发现包含大量剽窃实例。《洛杉矶时报》在2023年报道称，在《动物秘密之书》（The Book of Animal Secrets）中发现了95处未注明出处但与其他地方首次出现的文本相似的段落。该报称，对阿古斯此前三本书的审查又发现了另外120处类似段落。

出版商当时表示：“我们以及作者都非常严肃地对待这些问题，并对这些错误被包含在书籍的初版中表示遗憾。”

2022年，西蒙与舒斯特出版社因鲍勃·迪伦（Bob Dylan）书籍《现代歌曲哲学》（The Philosophy of Modern Song）的“亲笔签名”特别版而遭到抨击，这些书籍售价$600，但实际上使用的是该歌手的自动签名。出版商最终提供了全额退款。

教授辞职，见第26页信函 此案使学术审核与严谨性成为关注焦点，见第27页社论

伟大而不幸之事

杰森·阿尔代的出版商 Simon & Schuster 将按计划出版他的回忆录（左图）。他的前上司希拉里·克雷明（右下）在英国广播公司的一篇报道中，在阿尔代被聘为教授时（右图）告诉他：“就你所从事的研究而言，你是世界上最优秀的。”休顿的摩根男爵夫人（下方）曾是任命他的选举委员会成员

我在履行记者职责，而他却报了警

故事背后 在今年2月3日皇家法院的一次听证会上，我正快速记录速记笔记，手机开始静静地振动——是一个未知手机号码打来的电话（杰克·格罗夫 Jack Grove 撰文）。由于急于提交稿件，我决定回到十分钟路程外的办公桌前再听语音信箱。令我震惊的是，电话来自伦敦警察厅，要求我回电。为什么？在过去的一年里，我没发生过任何值得注意的事情。当我回电时，警官解释说有人针对我就剑桥大学教授杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）一事提出了投诉，但该事项现已结案。不过，警官解释说，重要的是我不要再次联系他，因为这影响了他的心理健康。我已经四个月没有给阿尔代发邮件了——最后一封是在九月份，就他涉嫌剽窃其博士论文的指控提供正式的回复权利。该指控并非轻率提出。我汇总了一份63页的报告，详细阐述了他如何显然在没有正确引用的情况下，使用了另一名学生保拉·兹武迪亚克-迈尔斯（Paula Zwoudiak-Myers）在2009年撰写的论文中的大量片段，后者目前是伦敦布鲁内尔大学一位备受尊敬的教育学者。进一步检查发现，有些段落似乎是抄袭自美国、澳大利亚、阿拉伯联合酋长国以及英国其他地区研究人员的作品。总计，我向剑桥大学和授予阿尔代学位的利物浦约翰摩尔大学提交了97页的证据以供调查。这无疑是严重的指控。绝对是令人深感尴尬且痛苦的。尽管阿尔代在利物浦约翰摩尔大学审查后最终被判定没有剽窃，但疯狂的报道导致剑桥大学对他学术记录和简历展开调查，随后不久阿尔代宣布辞职。但我的询问是否构成了刑事投诉的理由？在《高等教育时报》（THE），我们经常报道此类故事。也许我对这个故事的追求过于“不间断”，正如阿尔代所声称的那样，在关于他个人传记的细节上对他穷追不舍，而这些细节与他的学术角色几乎没有关系？事实上，在收到其律师回复的那封信之前，我在两个月内仅直接向阿尔代发送了三封礼貌的电子邮件，询问多位教授对他2018年在《社会科学》期刊发表的论文中关于剽窃或异常数据的怀疑，随后又发了一封关于其简历中不一致之处的邮件，最后询问他那备受推崇的跑步成就和慈善活动是在何时何地进行的。这些邮件是基于事实的：我说，几乎没有证据表明他完成了其中任何一次跑步，尤其是那次“六天600英里”的苦旅。根据一段YouTube演讲，这一壮举发生在2013年，但没有任何记录，尽管规模较小的跑步活动却获得了大量的宣传。我没有收到阿尔代的回应，所有随后的回复均通过剑桥大学新闻办公室传达。我认为这些都是向阿尔代提出的合法询问——特别是关于他之前论文的担忧，而这些论文是他能在六年内从博士生晋升为教授的基础。我向苏格兰场警官解释说，我是一名正在调查具有公共利益维度的故事的记者，并询问他是否意识到他是在给一名记者打电话。他告诉我，阿尔代说我在网上发布了针对他的帖子。但我没有发布过任何关于阿尔代的网络帖子，那么投诉的内容是什么？他没有真正回答，只是重复他的要求，让我 --- 《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月7日 星期五 19 5 新闻 # 他的回忆录获得“140 万” 英国广播公司，ALAH BONNET ## 针对该行业隐形偏见的严肃质疑

索尼娅·索达评论

杰森·阿尔代的故事是一个在学术界迅速攀升至高层，随后又经历了一场更为惊人的陨落的故事。他星光的熄灭给大学领域留下了一堆严肃的问题。一个声称做过某些事情但事实证明并未做过的人——例如出版过某本特定的书——究竟是如何被剑桥大学提升到如此高度的？为什么内部针对剽窃的调查认定他没有学术不端行为，而记者和学者的调查却产生了如此多关于挪用材料和伪造数据的严重指控？他是如何通过其学术前辈的审核的，而这些人理应是我们之中最聪明的一批？

有些人已经试图将此事单纯归结为缺乏学术质量控制。这种叙事是这样的：世上总会有投机者和骗子。同行评审等保障机制依赖于诚信，而其中一些人得以通过。这与阿尔代的种族或他的自闭症诊断无关。他身上带有受保护的特征纯属巧合。这种思维方式是令人震惊的智力不诚实产物。

撇开剽窃和伪造指控不谈，我被阿尔代作品的……程度所震惊。看到剑桥大学教育学院院长希拉里·克雷明教授对他谄媚地称赞时的视频，让我感到尴尬：“我们非常幸运能拥有你。就你所从事的研究而言，你是世界上最顶尖的。”令我目瞪口呆的是，她在提供一份优渥的工作之前，竟然没觉得有必要尝试读读他声称写过的那本书。但话说回来，她为什么要这么做？阿尔代被雇佣并非因为他的大脑。他被雇佣是因为他是一个多样性的海报男孩：一个留着脏辫、声称直到11岁之前都无法用语言交流的黑人。美国学者约翰·麦克沃特（John McWhorter）残酷地指出：那些雇佣他的人“认为黑人很笨”。

这是实现多样性的便捷路径——充满了捷径和救世主。我认为该学院并不想要像麦克沃特那样聪明的黑人学者来挑战他们关于公平的懒惰观念。那样会有太多“错误思考”的风险。他们不想付出艰苦的努力去确保最优秀的黑人和工人阶级才俊拥有与其他人同等的成为教授的机会。不，他们想向世界展示他们是多么进步和酷。不幸的是，这已经根深蒂固于现代学术界的某些部分，在这些地方，平庸的群体思维被推崇，人们为了与同僚保持一致而鹦鹉般地重复愚蠢的意识形态。当然，如果允许男性通过自我认同进入女性更衣室和强奸危机中心，这对女性来说没有任何区别。而维护自己权利的女性竟然成了如此恐跨的偏执狂！

这件事现在可能有两种走向。如果建制派走“这只是我们的质量体系问题”这条路，他们将为像内森·科夫纳斯（Nathan Cofnas）这样的学者提供慰藉，后者揭露了阿尔代的一些剽窃行为，但其动机在我看来源于他的种族主义信念，即在真正的精英管理制度下，黑人“将从除体育和娱乐之外的所有高知名度职位中几乎消失”。或者，多样性可以迎来一次健康的重启，促使该领域对低期望的“软偏见”和模糊的群体思维进行真正的反思。学术界可以转向优先考虑真正的机会平等，而非那些只会损害学术人员地位的、旨在展示美德的任命。

然而，该领域能够做到这一点吗？阿尔代曾多次为《泰晤士报》撰稿。阿尔代的辞职不太可能是这个非凡故事的终点。剑桥大学到目前为止的立场是，调查阿尔代的博士学位应由利物浦约翰摩尔大学负责。这在技术上可能是正确的，但考虑到阿尔代的知名度以及针对他的指控之严重，该领域许多人认为剑桥大学的反应在很长一段时间内都是不足的。

在我看来，利用剑桥大学错综复杂的研究程序中的一项晦涩技术细节，来阻止对阿尔代学术记录问题的进一步审查，这几乎到了荒诞的程度。剑桥大学可能已经纠正了这一点，但在学术界和更广泛的社会大众心中，阿尔代案件现在需要行业监管机构的关注。杰克·格罗夫（Jack Grove）是《THE》的记者兼副专题编辑，本文最初发表于该刊。

剑桥大学系主任给予“全力支持”

（及……）他得到了我们的全力支持”。克雷明在电子邮件的结尾写道：“我们非常希望这件事已得到令您满意的处理”。哈默斯利在回复中表示，他认为此事并未得到令人满意的处理，并认为应对阿尔代的其他出版物进行调查。他补充说，阿尔代决定从该在线期刊撤回其文章，这表明剽窃指控并非“仅仅是指控，而是一个既定事实”。他没有收到回复。

41岁的阿尔代在申请教育学院的一个教授空缺职位后被剑桥大学任命。他是由一个由9名成员组成的独立评审小组（即选举委员会）选出的，该小组由休顿的摩根男爵夫人（一名工党贵族，也是菲茨威廉学院院长）主持。评审小组的其他成员包括：纽卡斯尔大学的阿努普·纳亚克教授；伦敦大学学院（UCL）的路易丝·阿彻教授；剑桥大学的乔-安妮·迪拉博；剑桥大学马格达伦学院院士蒂姆·哈珀；塞浦路斯开放大学的米哈利诺斯·赞比拉斯；剑桥大学霍默顿学院的凯伦·科茨；伦敦大学学院（UCL）的马丁·米尔斯；以及剑桥大学沃尔夫森学院的保罗·拉姆钱达尼。

在哈里斯直接写信给阿尔代，要求其澄清“某些古怪之处和混乱之处”之后，哈里斯和哈默斯利向克雷明表达了他们的担忧。特别是，哈里斯强调了阿尔代在2018年发表的一篇论文与一名著名流行病学家的研究之间存在许多相似之处。阿尔代最初没有回应，但在哈里斯发送后续消息一周后回信。他没有回应哈里斯的批评，反而指责他行事“完全没有任何反思或谦卑”。

阿尔代写道：“你没有把时间花在试图消除种族主义和能力歧视上，而是花了我想象中的数小时梳理我的作品以寻找错误，然后将这些错误报告给各个机构。我不反对建设性的批评，但你的电子邮件语气不友善且具有敌意。”他要求对方不要再写信给他。当哈里斯再次写信，并在邮件开头表示对他表示钦佩时，阿尔代以骚扰为由将其举报至警方。德文和康沃尔警方随后决定不对此案进行追究。

阿尔代去年也对《高等教育时报》杂志的记者杰克·格罗夫提出了类似的投诉。昨天，伦敦警察厅局长马克·罗利爵士承认，警方在花费四个月调查格罗夫时“失职”了。

在2023年接受英国广播公司（BBC）采访时，克雷明表示，选举委员会在支持阿尔代的申请上是“一致”的。

在经历了数日关于剽窃指控（阿尔代对此予以否认）的审查后，阿尔代于周三辞职。摩根以及评审小组的其他任何成员均未回应关于他们选择阿尔代之依据的置评请求。发送给克雷明的置评请求邮件收到了一封自动回复的办公外通知。

据《卫报》报道，剑桥大学的高级学者表示，领导层应对“整件事所引发的荒诞种族主义”承担责任。据称，大学内部传阅了一封联名信，要求对阿尔代的任命进行调查，许多人认为大学想要通过一种“快速修复”的方式来提高多样性。英语系后殖民研究的普里亚姆瓦达·戈帕尔告诉该报：“这需要负责任的人现在就承担责任，而不是掩盖真相。”

--- 6 新闻 菲尔·威尔金森

柔焦 毡艺艺术家莫伊·麦凯的展览以使用美利奴羊毛纤维和缝线创作的风景画为特色。展览在爱丁堡的Dundas St Gallery举行，直到8月13日结束。

手术后的化疗可能有助于对抗脑癌

AI首次设计病毒

Poppy Koronka 健康记者

研究发现，在手术后几分钟或几小时内使用化学疗法打击侵袭性脑癌，可以提高治疗效果。曼彻斯特大学的科学家发现了两个化学疗法的新机会窗口，分别是手术后 15 分钟以及 48 到 72 小时。通常情况下，为了让患者恢复，会有四到六周的延迟。他们的研究表明，血脑屏障（它能保护大脑免受伤害，但也会限制药物浓度）在手术后即刻和早期的这两个窗口期内会被破坏。

这些发现尚处于早期阶段，但有可能导致胶质母细胞瘤患者治疗方案的改变，这类患者目前的预后情况较差。在英国，每年约有 3,200 人被诊断出患有胶质母细胞瘤，这是一种生长迅速的脑癌。该疾病的平均生存时间为 12 到 18 个月，生存时间超过五年的患者不足 5%。自 2005 年以来，NHS 对该癌症的标准治疗方案没有发生实质性变化。

这项发表在《科学翻译医学》（Science Translational Medicine）杂志上的新研究的作者们进行了小鼠研究，以模拟切除肿瘤的临床过程，并使用了一种通常无法进入大脑的制剂——除非血脑屏障遭到破坏。该团队发现手术破坏了血脑屏障，“揭示了在特定时间窗口内进行早期治疗的机会”。

周二，游泳运动员 Archie Goodburn 向安迪·伯纳姆呼吁投入更多资金和资源来应对脑癌。这位 25 岁的青年在 22 岁时被诊断出患有脑癌，他描述了全球范围内的临床试验在英国未能开展的情况，他称这“不公平且不公正”。Goodburn 在接受英国广播公司（BBC）《早餐》（Breakfast）节目采访时流泪说道：“请投资并做出改变。我跪在地上恳求，不仅是为了我自己的生命，也是为了那些受影响的人以及全国各地的家庭。”

在收到他的恳求后，首相同意会见这位游泳运动员。

参与领导该研究的 Thomas Kisby 博士表示：“我们首次证明，胶质母细胞瘤手术会短暂地暴露出一个我们可以利用的漏洞。”

“我们认为，手术后的几小时和几天可能是阻止胶质母细胞瘤复发的关键。”

母亲身份与长寿的联系

Kaya Burgess 科学记者

养育孩子可能是一项令人精疲力竭且昂贵的事业，但包括人类在内的动物界中的母亲，尽管承受了额外的身体负担和成本，往往寿命更长。科学家们现在认为他们找到了原因。

进化不仅使母亲拥有生育后代所需的额外力量和韧性，她们还能在怀孕和开始哺乳时获得触发的额外保护，而卵巢则充当一个“枢纽”，向全身发送信号以维持器官的健康运作。

这是由加利福尼亚州巴克衰老研究所（Buck Institute for Research on Aging）开展的一项针对母亲身份与长寿之间联系的最新深度科学研究综述得出的结论。发表在《细胞》（Cell）杂志上的这项研究指出，在某些“真社会性”物种中（例如拥有一个为群体产生大部分后代的蜂王 / 蚁后的物种），“极高的繁殖力与极长的寿命相结合”。

生育后代可以增强她抵御压力能力。在许多物种中，母亲需要这种力量来抚养和保护孩子。

在人类母亲中，时机至关重要。过早进入青春期或在较年轻时生育孩子的女性似乎会遭受不利后果，这与更高率的“心代谢疾病、认知能力下降、衰弱和早逝”相关。然而，那些在生命后期生育第一个孩子的人，患 2 型糖尿病、高血压、慢性心力衰竭和生物学衰老的风险似乎较低。

巴克研究所综述分析的研究发现，女性一生中每增加一年的哺乳时间，与 2 型糖尿病风险降低 14 到 15% 相关。

Kaya Burgess

首次利用人工智能设计出了自然界中不存在的全新病毒。斯坦福大学的研究人员创建了 16 种噬菌体，它们攻击细菌，但不能直接伤害人类或动物细胞。他们将这些病毒的混合物释放到培养皿中，以吞噬两种对天然病毒产生耐药性的大肠杆菌菌株。

这也是首次由 AI 从零开始设计出整个功能基因组。所使用的 AI 系统被称为 Evo1 和 Evo 2，被称为基因组语言模型。它们通过数百万种噬菌体的遗传数据进行训练。

这些系统为病毒设计了数千个基因组，其中 302 个最具潜力的被选中进行测试，但最终只有 16 个能够成功感染细菌。

研究结果发表在《科学》（Science）杂志上。在随附的一篇文章中，Tom Inglesby 教授和 Moritz Hanke 博士警告说：“虽然这对于生命科学应用来说前景光明，但它也提出了紧迫的生物安全和生物防御问题。”

© 许多公司承认，AI 模型经常在不经过人类监督者的情况下私自发起网络攻击。在拉斯维加斯的 Black Hat 会议上，ChatGPT 的创建者 OpenAI 的研究人员表示，一群机器人为彼此留下了黑客攻击技巧，随后其中一个入侵了科技公司 Hugging Face 的网站。Facebook 的所有者 Meta 昨天表示，其一个 AI 模型在测试期间能够入侵另一个组织的系统。

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使用下方每个字母仅一次，解答全部五个简洁线索：

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伦敦剪刀袭击事件

一名被指控在伦敦科文特花园用一把剪刀刺伤四名男子背部的女性已在海布里治安法院出庭。斯特拉·戈洛维拉（Stella Gollovera），47岁，无固定住所，被指控四项蓄意造成严重身体伤害的伤人罪。她将于9月3日在斯内尔布鲁克刑事法院再次出庭。

牧师未能报告

一个法庭裁定，一名牧师在未能调查关于基督教大律师约翰·史密斯（John Smyth）殴打年轻男性的报告方面“玩忽职守”。法庭获悉，安德鲁·科恩斯（Andrew Cornes）牧师认为营地里的人已经与史密斯对质。法庭补充称，科恩斯本应采取措施将该报告告知其上级。

电动滑板车受伤风险

一项针对重大创伤数据的NHS研究发现，电动滑板车骑行者面临的严重脑部和器官损伤风险显著高于骑自行车者或摩托车骑行者。研究人员还警告称，这些车辆可能偏向于男性的身体比例，使女性面临更大风险，同时强调只有不到6%的骑行者佩戴头盔。

无删减土拨鼠

科罗拉多州的生物学家丹尼尔·布鲁姆斯坦（Daniel Blumstein）教授发现了一种支持其野生动物研究的独特方式，即在色情明星青睐的OnlyFans网站上提供“无删减土拨鼠内容”。他的“OnlyMarms”频道展示了这些在自然栖息地中的大型类松鼠啮齿动物，有助于为该研究项目筹集资金。

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--- 7 新闻

暴徒试图冲击寻求庇护者住所

Mark Ludlow, Herbie Russell, Geraldine Scott

在100人试图强行进入三处据称住有寻求庇护者的房产后，警方从诺福克郡的一栋房屋中撤离了五名男子。在政府提议使用附近的皇家空军（RAF）基地来安置多达1,000名寻求庇护者后，这座名为塞特福德（Thetford）的市场小镇局势紧张。

警方表示，周二晚上8点后，在接到一群人试图进入该镇圣约翰路（St John's Way）一处房产的报告后，警方赶赴现场。现场一扇窗户被砸碎，围栏和信箱遭到损坏。警方称：“该群体在叫喊并阻止一名工人离开。同一房产的一名居民报告称，有30到50人试图进入屋内。”

随后，警方前往第二处房产，同一群体在那里砸碎了窗户；在第三处房产，人们进入屋内，将居民强行赶出，并涉嫌盗走其手机。警方表示，一名三十多岁的男子于周三被捕，涉嫌违反公共秩序罪。

周三晚上，塞特福德发生第二晚动乱后，两名警员被送往医院。一名男警员被石头击中，一名女警员被“严重咬伤”，导致皮肤破裂。第三名警员被吐口水。两名男子因涉嫌违反公共秩序罪、骚扰和持有攻击性武器而被捕。

警方表示，周三晚上在克洛弗路（Clover Way）聚集大量人群后，警方在塞特福德部署了“大量资源”以维护公共安全。在此之前，一大群人聚集在警察局外进行反移民抗议，该活动基本保持和平。

动乱始于周二，当时人们看到五名男子被移入圣约翰路的房产。一名邻居告诉当地媒体，他们在5月份被告知有人将搬入该房屋，但房东并未提及他们可能是寻求庇护者。周二下午，消息在社交媒体上散布，人们在晚上7点后开始抵达该社区。

昨天下午，包括防暴警察在内的数十名警员聚集在阿比庄园（Abbey Estate）的一处房产外。他们遇到了100多人，其中许多是当地居民，他们已知晓社交媒体上的传闻，称该路段的一处房产住有寻求庇护者。

在 9.30pm，在约一半人群散去后，现场传出“把他们赶出去”以及“驱逐，驱逐，驱逐这些混蛋”的叫喊声。警方逮捕了两名男子，其中一人涉嫌煽动种族仇恨，涉及周三晚上涉嫌实施的犯罪行为。另一人因涉嫌醉酒且扰乱秩序被捕。

警方表示，警员还根据第35条权力发布了十项驱散令，要求相关人员离开该区域，以防止进一步的动乱并保护公共安全。

社区居民艾玛（Emma）表示，她“不赞同”前几晚的暴力行为。警方已在塞特福德采取公共安全措施，包括要求人们在警察要求时摘除面部遮盖物，否则将面临被捕风险。警员还被授予权力，如果人们正在实施或涉嫌计划实施反社会行为，可将其引导离开相关区域。

工党西南诺福克选区议员特里·杰米（Terry Jermy）谴责了对塞特福德房产内人员的骚扰，称“过去几天丑陋的场面令人难以直视且深感担忧”。他在X上发帖称：“暴民统治和私刑行为是不可接受的”。

杰米表示，他担心最近的事件可能会削弱针对内政部将巴纳姆皇家空军基地（RAF Barnham）改为寻求庇护者住所计划的合法反对意见。

改革英国党（Reform UK）党魁奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage），

表示，拟议将 RAF Barnham 用于安置寻求庇护者将使该地点附近的当地居民感到“非常担忧且非常恐惧”。该基地距离塞特福德（Thetford）约一英里。一名内政部官员表示，他们致力于与地方当局合作，在包括 RAF Barnham 等前军事基地在内的基础住宿设施中安置多达 3,750 名寻求庇护者。该官员表示：“社区的担忧是我们移民改革的核心。在过去一年中，住在酒店的寻求庇护者人数下降了 35%，且较 2023 年 56,000 人的峰值下降了 63%。自大选以来，整体庇护成本已下降了近 10 亿英镑 billion。”

诺福克的移民战场

故事背后 诺福克已成为全国最重要的移民战场之一，出现了一系列反对寻求庇护者安置点的抗议活动，且选民日益转向主张更严格边境管控的政党（Geraldine Scott 撰文）。该郡多次出现针对使用酒店安置寻求庇护者的示威活动，包括在诺里奇的布鲁克酒店（Brook Hotel）外的抗议，以及反对内政部计划在距离塞特福德一英里的前巴纳姆皇家空军基地（RAF Barnham site）安置多达 1,000 名寻求庇护者的计划。今年，在七名阿富汗难民因涉及一起儿童性剥削调查而被起诉后，诺里奇也出现了反移民示威。5月，改革英国党（Reform UK）成为诺福克郡议会最大的政党，而格雷特雅茅斯则由“恢复英国”的国会议员鲁珀特·洛（Rupert Lowe）代表。洛一直主张大规模驱逐出境和更严格的移民管制。诺里奇长期以来与诺福克的其他地区截然不同，传统上至少会选出一名工党国会议员。近期，这座城市已成为绿党日益肥沃的土壤，其成功部分得益于庞大的学生群体。但即便在诺里奇，抗议活动也爆发了——“统一右翼”（Unite the Right）今年试图在市内举行游行，而“英国第一”（Britain First）在7月举行了一场“重新移民游行”，随后遭到了反法西斯主义者的反向抗议。

家属悼念雅典遇害者 Lara Wildenberg, George Odling

一名女性的尸体在希腊被发现于一个行李箱中，她的家属在悼念中称她为“善良、诚实且无私”。伊丽莎白-简·罗斯（Elisabeth-Jane Ross），化名丽莎（Lisa），38岁，是一名来自爱丁堡的慈善工作者，当时在雅典从事志愿者工作。7月18日，她的尸体在基普塞利（Kypseli）区的一栋废弃建筑中被发现——此前几天她被报失踪。来自阿富汗的竞技拳击手谢里夫·艾哈迈德扎伊（Sharif Ahmadzai），26岁，被指控杀害她并从她的银行账户中窃取数千欧元。

希腊媒体报道了艾哈迈德扎伊妻子的证词，描述了她开始怀疑丈夫的时刻。她的家人发布了一张照片并对其表示悼念，在声明中写道：“在近期遭遇这场悲剧性的损失后，我们作为丽莎的家人发表这一简短声明……丽莎将永远被人们记得是一个善良、诚实且无私的人。她的正直不容妥协，她将一生致力于帮助有需要的人……我们深陷痛苦之中，在我们努力应对这次损失之际，请求给予我们时间和对隐私的尊重。”照片显示罗斯盘腿坐在一个看似山顶的地方。她于6月26日抵达雅典。

罗斯经常前往希腊在非政府组织担任志愿者。她曾合作的一个团体为难民（包括来自阿富汗和伊朗的人员）提供医疗支持。艾哈迈德扎伊在昨天于希腊法院拒绝就涉嫌谋杀罗斯的指控进行认罪答辩后，将在18个月内面临审判。据称，艾哈迈德扎伊承认将罗斯丢在行李箱中并盗取了她的银行卡，但据了解他否认杀害她，声称他发现她时已经死亡。在市内的Evetipidon法院的一次简短听证会上，他拒绝发表评论，其律师表示在毒理学和医疗报告提交之前，他不会发表评论。

据称其妻子阿拉娜·霍尔（Alaina Hall）向希腊警方提供的一份充满感情的证词被披露，这位出生于美国的非政府组织工作人员在其中描述了她的丈夫如何引起她的怀疑。据希腊新闻媒体《Proto Thema》报道，与艾哈迈德扎伊共同经营“Love Every Nation”组织的霍尔表示，她最初是在2月份通过共同的志愿者活动和基督教会聚会结识受害者的。她表示，7月15日晚上大约午夜时分，她醒来发现丈夫不在家，并通过定位应用程序看到他在罗斯居住的公寓。当她给丈夫打电话时，他声称自己在附近看足球赛，去那栋公寓是为了使用洗手间。霍尔表示，到7月29日，她开始担心她的朋友可能就是那个在基普塞利行李箱中被发现尸体的女性。

验尸官裁定被定罪的诈骗犯“确实谋杀了妻子”

一名五年前在法庭上被判定无罪、涉嫌杀害其富 heiress 妻子的定罪诈骗犯，被一名验尸官裁定为谋杀了她。

唐纳德·麦克弗森（Donald McPherson），53岁，在2021年曼彻斯特刑事法院审理期间，根据法官对陪审团的指示，被判定杀害其妻子宝拉·利森（Paula Leeson），47岁，无罪。

在利森于2017年6月6日去世前不久，他为这位单亲母亲购买了350万英镑（£350 万）的人寿保险；而在她“意外溺水”后的几小时内，麦克弗森就将其账户中数千英镑的资金转移，用以偿还债务。

两年前，利森的家人阻止了他继承其妻子440万英镑（£440 万）的遗产。在利森家族向高等法院提起的民事诉讼中，一名法官裁定，麦克弗森为了钱财非法杀害了他的妻子，手段是将其掐至昏迷，随后在2017年将其溺死在丹麦的一个游泳池中。

在利森死亡的死因研讯中（该研讯因谋杀审判和民事听证会而推迟至昨天），一名验尸官裁定她同意非法杀人的裁决。曼彻斯特南部高级验尸官艾莉森·马奇（Alison Mutch）告诉斯托克波特验尸法院，麦克弗森负债累累，且是唯一从其妻子死亡中获益的人。

她补充道：“因此，我认定他确实谋杀了他的妻子。”

--- 8 # 新闻 政治

“性之夏”议员因跨性别指南陷入争端

在一名呼吁开展“性之夏”的工党议员指责单性别空间支持者仇恨跨性别者后，工党女性之间爆发了一场口水战。

南德比郡的工党议员萨曼莎·尼布莱特（Samantha Niblett）抨击了平等与人权委员会（EHRC）关于单性别空间的法定准则，该准则于周三生效。尼布莱特在度假期间发布的一段社交媒体视频中表示：“这份新指南没有保护任何人。它所做的只是造成更多分裂，以及对那些只想过自己生活、互不干扰的跨性别者的仇恨；而且它也没有保护任何持有性别批判观点——让我们直呼其名吧，就是仇恨跨性别者——的顺性别女性，因为如果你不仇恨，为什么会恐惧跨性别者？”

这位议员今年作为终身教育推动计划的一部分，鼓励人们享受“性之夏”。她表示对政治家的反应感到“难以置信地羞愧”，并称：“我将继续利用我作为议员的平台，为跨性别者的权利而战。”她补充道：“女士们，别自欺欺人了。他们在针对LGBT群体的其他成员之后，就会来针对你们。他们要来找你们，要来找我们。停止伪装成这是为了保护女性权利，根本不是那么回事。”

尼布莱特的干预促使高尔（Gower）的工党议员、议会中最著名的单性别保护倡导者之一托妮亚·安东尼亚齐（Tonia Antoniazzi）指责她撒谎。在一条后来似乎已被删除的X平台帖子中，安东尼亚齐写道：“你在媒体上对我撒了谎。我有证据。好好休假吧，议员们值得如此。今天，我们得到了澄清，而不是更多的混乱。女性和女孩需要免受男性的侵害，停止将跨性别者作为你支持性工作、支持色情议程的论据。”

尼布莱特上周协助启动了她的“是的，请给我性，我们是英国人”（Yes, Sex Please, We’re British）活动。她表示希望推动更多关于同意、尊重和健康关系的教育，并承诺将向议会展示性玩具。她说：“在过去，被称作‘性议员’会显得相当下流和猥琐。但值得庆幸的是，我也希望能够帮助改变这一点。”

与安东尼亚齐的冲突暴露了工党内部在去年最高法院裁决上的分歧。该裁决认定，就《平等法》而言，“性别”是指生物学性别。EHRC这份长达342页的实践准则规定了机构在提供单性别服务和设施时应如何执行该判决。

《泰晤士报》昨日报道称，左翼议会已发起协调行动以抵制该准则，部分议会拒绝要求员工基于生物学性别来运行服务。与此同时，英格兰国民医疗服务体系（NHS England）拒绝就更新允许跨性别患者选择就诊病房的政策制定时间表。英国全国学生会（National Union of Students）则出台了指南以帮助学生“抵制”该准则。

卫生大臣伊薇特·库珀（Yvette Cooper）昨日告诉泰晤士广播电台，NHS在实施单性别供应时将遵守法律。当被问及跨性别女性是否将根据其生物学性别进行安置时，她表示详细指南将很快公布，但补充道：“法律就是法律。我们所有人都需要遵守法律。法律在这方面非常明确。”

然而，几位工党议员继续公开开展反对该准则的活动。布伦特东区（Brent East）的议员道恩·巴特勒（Dawn Butler）称该指南不可行，并支持一项旨在阻止该指南的早期动议。她表示：“这场辩论仍然由那些不了解跨性别者生活现实的人主导。”

诺丁汉东区议员纳迪亚·惠特姆（Nadia Whittome）称周三是“跨性别者的黑暗之日”，并认为这将使他们被排除在日常公共生活之外。其他人则对该指南表示欢迎。爱丁堡北区和利斯区的工党议员特雷西·吉尔伯特（Tracy Gilbert）表示，该指南带来了受欢迎的澄清，并补充道：“法律保持不变。在《平等法》下，没有任何现有权利被移除，也没有创建任何新权利。”政府表示，部长们期望公共机构和服务提供者遵守法律和法定准则。一名发言人表示：“该准则提供了[机构]所需的清晰且可行的指导，如果机构仍然不清楚，他们应该寻求专业的法律建议。政府致力于维护单性别空间，同时也保护跨性别者的权利。目前已有明确的法律保护跨性别者免受歧视和骚扰，我们将继续维护这些法律。我们加强了针对跨性别者仇恨犯罪的保护，并且就在一个月前发布了我们禁止包容跨性别的转换实践方案。”

信件，第 26 页 谴责这种破坏性的哗众取宠，社论，第 27 页

紧急审查将把诱导犯罪团伙排除在提前释放之外

Daisy Eastlake 政治记者

在《泰晤士报》揭露部分人员未被排除之后，安迪·伯纳姆将“紧急”确认任何可能仍符合提前释放条件的诱导犯罪团伙（grooming gang）犯罪者。

《泰晤士报》发现，在针对亚裔诱导犯罪团伙的历史调查中，有数起在布拉德福德被判定袭击儿童的男性案件未被排除在提前释放计划之外。由于其中许多案件发生在2003年反诱导法律出台之前，这些男性被指控为猥亵袭击，而这并不在首相本周宣布的提前释放计划豁免范围之内。

伯纳姆现已要求司法部通过查阅纸质记录，对所有诱导犯罪者（包括被指控猥亵袭击的人员）进行审查，并将这些案件排除在提前释放计划之外。

首相的一位发言人昨天表示：“作为审查的一部分……首相要求司法部对案件进行深入审查，以确保诱导犯罪案件被识别。”

“这项工作正在紧急进行中。。”

目前尚不清楚政府在法律允许的范围内，能采取什么措施来防止那些未根据特定罪名被定罪的诱导者和儿童性犯罪者被提前释放。一名政府高级消息人士表示，他们将寻求对这些人进行“重新分类”，但无法说明将如何实现。

过失杀人是另一项未被纳入豁免范围的指控。这意味着警察安德鲁·哈珀（Andrew Harper）的两名凶手阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯（Albert Bowers）和杰西·科尔（Jessie Cole）仍将符合提前释放条件。

保守党将尝试通过议会投票阻止他们的释放，通过提交一项针对《2026年量刑法》的修正案，将被判定过失杀害紧急工作人员的罪犯排除在计划之外。

泰晤士河谷地区保守党警察与犯罪专员马修·巴伯（Matthew Barber）已起草该修正案，由保守党高层提交给议长，以便议员在下个月议会结束夏季休假回归后予以考虑。据《电讯报》报道，他已与影子内政大臣克里斯·菲利普（Chris Philip）和影子司法大臣尼克·蒂莫西（Nick Timothy）讨论了相关计划。

伯纳姆在就任首相时，宣布对前工党政府的提前释放计划进行快速审查。周二，他宣布将缩减该计划，并将任何被判定犯有“强奸、严重儿童性犯罪及其他诱导犯罪”的人员排除在外。

然而，随着有消息显示在2003年之前实施犯罪的历史儿童虐待者将不受豁免条款覆盖，该公告随后出现了漏洞。

周三晚上，保守党党魁凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）致信伯纳姆，强调法律中的这一漏洞，并将其描述为“对受害者的又一次背叛”。她呼吁他建设更多监狱并租赁海外监狱牢房以关押罪犯。

她昨天表示：“我昨晚写信给安迪·伯纳姆，警告他的政策将让强奸团伙的犯罪者提前出狱。”

“作为回应，首相又委托进行了一次审查。在安迪·伯纳姆采取常识性做法并禁止所有这些怪物提前释放之前，我们还需要多少次审查？勇敢的幸存者在这个过程中经历了地狱。他们理应得到更好的对待。”

在那些仅服刑一半即可能符合资格的人员中，包括五名因涉嫌参与布拉德福德（Bradford）诱导帮而入狱的男子。他们于去年10月被判入狱，罪名是在一名女孩处于监护期间，对其进行从13岁起就开始的虐待。他们被裁定多项猥亵袭击罪名成立，去年每人被判处六至八年监禁。这意味着其中一些人可能会在2028年底前获释。受害者专员克莱尔·瓦克斯曼（Claire Waxman）表示，在此次公告发布后，遭受虐待的人们被置于“数周的压力和不确定性”之中。她表示：“许多人因为夏季糟糕的沟通而再次受到创伤，这给许多人带来了巨大的痛苦，且对于这些变化对他们意味着什么，或者何时会发生，几乎没有提供任何明确的说明。”

伯纳姆的首个重大考验：绝无提前释放，帕特里克·马奎尔（Patrick Maguire），第23页 --- 9

GIF BELLIN,ARY 上个月在特拉法加广场举行的年度伦敦跨性别骄傲游行。左图：工党议员萨曼莎·尼布莱特（Samantha Niblett）发布了一段视频，批评关于单性别空间的新行为准则。

外国人可能会失去其市政住房，保守党称

Geraldine Scott

根据保守党公布的计划，外国人将被禁止入住社会住房，且现有租户将被剥夺住房。该党表示，限制申请资格将为家庭腾出约 230,000 套住房，而不再符合资格的人员将被要求在六个月内搬离。

该计划是凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）在移民和福利问题上与工党划清界线的最新尝试，此前改革英国党（Reform UK）曾呼吁将社会住房预留给英国人。

目前，拥有定居身份、难民身份或某些形式人道主义保护的外国公民可以申请社会住房，而寻求庇护者通常被排除在外，除非在涉及家庭暴力等有限的情况下。

根据该提案，任何居住在社会住房中且既非英国、爱尔兰也非欧盟公民的人员都将失去其权利，无论其是否育有子女。拥有欧盟定居身份的人员将获得豁免。

对于未来的租赁，只有英国公民和拥有欧盟定居身份的人员才有资格，这意味着来自欧盟但没有定居身份的人员将不再符合资格。如果夫妻双方都不是英国或欧盟公民，且均未持有欧盟定居身份，则将失去其权利。

影子工作和养老金大臣海伦·沃特利（Helen Whately）表示：“将英国作为家园应当是通过工作、纳税和融入来赢得的。这不应伴随着在福利制度上的‘免费搭车’。英国不能成为世界的提款机。”

“下一届保守党政府将使外国国民不再具备社会住房的申请资格。近 230,000 套住房可以交给英国家庭。”

改革英国党（Reform UK）党魁奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）在 6 月份宣布了一项类似的政策，他承诺如果其政党进入政府，将把所有外国公民从社会住房中驱逐。他表示，英国已变成一个“针对白人的两级国家”。

改革英国党内政发言人齐亚·尤苏夫（Zia Yusuf）表示：“保守党试图抄袭改革英国党的政策，但他们最终还是背弃了优先考虑外国人的本能。令人难以置信的是，凯米·巴德诺克的新政策竟然允许数万名来自欧盟的外国国民占用由英国纳税人资助的英国社会住房。”

“改革英国党将确保英国社会住房严格仅限英国公民。保守党说他们将继续将其提供给外国国民，而我们自己的人民和退伍军人则被撇在后面自谋生路。”

政府统计数据表明，绝大多数社会住房由英国和爱尔兰公民占用。根据《英格兰住房调查》，2024-25 年英格兰社会住房中的主要户主中，88.5% 为英国或爱尔兰国民，而 11.5% 则不是。

另有估算表明，英格兰社会住房中约有 470,000 名非英国且非爱尔兰公民居住，不过并非所有人都会受到该政策影响，因为许多人拥有欧盟定居身份或属于仍具备资格的类别。

一名工党发言人表示：“这是一个不严肃、不可行的提案，抄袭自改革英国党，对于解决保守党自身造成的住房危机毫无帮助。”

“没有永久居留权的人已经没有资格申请社会住房，因此这项政策将主要影响难民以及为这个国家做出贡献但并非英国公民的英国长期居民，包括国民医疗服务体系（NHS）的工作人员。”

“这还将使更多家庭面临无家可归的风险，同时增加纳税人负担的临时住所使用量。无论如何追求头条新闻，或追随改革英国党走向极端，都无法掩盖保守党对我们住房系统造成的破坏。他们至少应该承认自己的失败。”

首相安迪·伯纳姆承诺将启动“战后以来规模最大的市政房屋建设计划”。然而，《泰晤士报》此前揭露，他的计划面临每年 £8 亿 的资金缺口，并可能导致每年减少 5,000 套住房。

斯塔默批评者将就心理健康指控起诉工党

Stefan Boscia

一名被暂停党鞭资格的工党议员将就“残疾歧视”指控起诉安迪·伯纳姆的商业大臣。

卡尔·特纳（Karl Turner）在今年3月被暂停工党党鞭资格，他准备起诉乔纳森·雷诺兹（Jonathan Reynolds）及该党，寻求六位数的赔偿金。他将主张，雷诺兹在今年早些时候担任首席党鞭期间，曾告诉议员们特纳患有精神疾病，而这构成了对《平等法》的违反。

一名接近特纳的消息人士表示，该诉讼将指控雷诺兹“基于其心理健康状况进行残疾歧视”。《泰晤士报》获悉，雷诺兹和该党将被列为单独的被告，但双方均未收到法庭的法律通知。

特纳在4月接受《泰晤士报》采访时声称，在他向工党党鞭寻求支持后，对方利用他过去的心理健康问题来削弱他。他在5月20日的一次首相问答环节（PMQs）中再次重复了这一指控，特纳在会上告诉议员们，在他在2015年经历侄子马蒂（Matty）自杀后，他曾精神崩溃。

雷诺兹否认针对他的指控。一名党内人士表示：“工党认真对待其对所有当选代表的关怀职责以及其法律义务。”

特纳去年开始发起一项反对基尔·斯塔默爵士拟议的陪审团改革的运动。在接受一名被指控为反犹主义者的记者采访后，他的党鞭资格被暂停。这位赫尔东区（Hull East）议员目前正在就回归进行谈判。一名政府消息人士表示，他需要向雷诺兹道歉。

绿党威胁伯纳姆的上涨势头

Aubrey Allegretti 首席政治记者

由于安迪·伯纳姆面临党库中超过£250 万的资金缺口，工党面临其成员人数被绿党超越的风险。

最新数据显示，工党的成员人数在一年内从333,235人下降至去年年底的264,754人。与此同时，扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）领导的政党表示，其5月份的总人数为230,000人——差距仅约34,000人。

绿党的一位发言人表示，自波兰斯基去年9月就任领袖以来，其人数已“翻了两番”。其成员人数在近几个月继续上升，截至12月底为186,441人。这种增长被认为带来了一些选举上的成功，包括在2月份赢得戈顿和登顿（Gorton & Denton）议会补选，并在5月选举的预计全国得票率中以微弱差距排名第二。

工党消息人士表示，自该数字作为年度账目的一部分提交以来，该党又失去了更多成员，部分人是因为基尔·斯塔默爵士的领导而退出。然而，据称自新任首相在7月接任领袖以来，人数再次回升——一名内部人士将这一变化称为“伯纳姆效应”（Burnham bounce）。

改革英国党（Reform UK）声称其拥有270,000名成员，如果属实，这可能使其成为英国最大的政党。

扎克·波兰斯基于9月成为绿党领袖。与此同时，自由民主党的成员人数在去年日历年年底下降了近3,000人。

工党筹集到的资金比任何其他政党都多——£4460 万——然而，其支出为£4.73 亿。今年对工党来说是选举密集年，该党试图捍卫最高数量的议会席位及其在威尔士议会的掌控力，并旨在夺取荷罗都（Holyrood）的控制权。此外，在伯纳姆辞职成为梅克菲尔德（Makerfield）议员后，工党还被迫出资支付大曼彻斯特市长补选的竞选费用。

《泰晤士报》获悉，在之前的负责人于12月离职后，工党今年一直没有筹款主管。一名党内人士表示：“安迪承诺要改变党内的文化；他可能需要先优先处理财务问题。”

为啤酒干杯

“一起去喝杯啤酒吧。”无论你是谁，从事什么工作，或者住在哪里，每当你听到这四个神奇的词，你就知道它的意义远不止于喝一杯冰啤酒。这是一个邀请——去聊天，去庆祝，去重新建立联系，或者仅仅是抱怨你的老板。现在就对你的朋友、新同事、祖父，甚至是对你的老板说这句话，然后观察他们的反应。无论是100年前还是100年后，对任何人说“一起去喝杯啤酒吧”，都意味着与你最在意的人共同创造一段回忆。这就是最真实的生活。

但它是如何实现的？让我们先从杯中的东西开始。啤酒由自然界中简单的原料制成： 谷物、啤酒花、酵母和水。这种简单性令人赞叹。啤酒是本土的。 它的原料由当地农民种植和收获，每一杯啤酒都在支持这些农民及其社区。毫无疑问，以这种方式酿造的啤酒才是最顶级的。最重要的是，啤酒是社交的。 它是体验之饮。无论是在啤酒花园，在当地的酒吧，在家里与朋友共聚，在音乐节上，还是在比赛中为你的球队加油，啤酒适合任何场合。事实上，当你仔细想想，“去喝一品脱”通常本身就是一种场合。

啤酒正在塑造我们的饮酒方式。作为一种适度饮用的饮料，随着低酒精和无酒精啤酒选择范围的扩大，你可以比以往任何时候都更频繁地说“干杯”。我们不断创新，以提供人们所寻求的产品，同时不改变他们最热爱的东西。所以，下次当你思考在说“干杯”时手里应该拿着什么时，请记住这一点：啤酒是特别的。喝一杯啤酒能像没有任何其他东西那样将人们聚集在一起。为了一个有更多干杯时刻的未来，干杯！

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11 News

被解雇的《烘焙挑战赛》老板引发争执

亚历克斯·法伯（Alex Farber）报道：一名原《英国最强烘焙大赛》（Great British Bake Off）高管正起诉Sky，此前有指控称该公司曾考虑将该节目从Channel 4移走。

莱蒂·卡瓦纳（Letty Kavanagh）已针对这家付费电视广播公司及其前雇主兼该热门烘焙节目制作方Love Productions启动高等法院法律程序，指控其违反合同。她同时也在寻求就业法庭的裁决。Sky否认了所有关于其行为不当的指控。

卡瓦纳指控称，在公司工作18年并升至董事总经理后，她在11月被解雇，至今仍有欠款未结。卡瓦纳认为，自己在对Sky试图影响公司运营的方式提出担忧后，被Sky不公正地解雇。Sky于2014年以£3500 万的交易价格收购了Love Productions。

她最担心的是Sky在2024年提出的一项计划，即把《英国最强烘焙大赛》从Channel 4移至其自有频道运行，她认为这将损害该节目。据悉，两年前当Channel 4的广播协议到期时，Sky、Netflix和迪士尼都渴望将该节目引入自己的频道。但Sky高层最终决定不采取这一行动，并继续与Channel 4就其最受欢迎的节目续约，该节目最高可吸引700万观众。

据称，卡瓦纳曾提出担忧，认为转移到Sky并不符合该节目的最佳利益，且由于她掌握关于Channel 4交易的详细机密知识，此举可能存在问题。Sky内部人士对“接手一个最终由其拥有版权的节目是不恰当的”这一说法表示质疑。

据了解，卡瓦纳的另一些担忧还包括：Sky试图砍掉《烘焙挑战赛》系列中的数十档节目，并削减数百个员工和自由职业者的岗位，她再次认为这将损害品牌和Love Productions的业务。

一名了解此案的消息人士认为，卡瓦纳可能因为对Love Productions的管理不善提出了真诚的担忧，而被Sky不公正地当作了“替罪羊”。该人士表示：“她是在为制作公司的员工和自由职业者着想，这些人因为糟糕的管理决策而面临失业风险，她试图保护Love Productions以制作而闻名的公共服务广播内容。”他们补充说，Sky处理此事的方案让人对其以16 亿英镑 billion收购ITV广播和流媒体频道的交易产生了疑问。

卡瓦纳还指控称，她向Sky高级管理层反映问题的尝试被无视，并且在一次讨论节目未来的会议上，她被建议不要带法律代表参加——随后她在该会议上被立即解雇。她还认为自己因性别而受到歧视，且男性同事受到了更优厚的对待，包括获得了被剥夺她的相关款项。

一名Sky发言人表示，公司不认可卡瓦纳的说法。他们补充道：“我们否认在涉及我们控制且完全拥有的资产时存在利益冲突的可能性，并以最强烈的措辞驳斥其歧视和报复的指控。遗憾的是，此事目前处于法律诉讼过程中，我们打算坚决捍卫自己的立场。”

作为与该广播公司更广泛协议的一部分，Sky目前正处于将Love Productions以£2 亿的价格出售给ITV制作部门ITV Studios的过程中。

此案在9月最新一季《英国最强烘焙大赛》开播前数周浮出水面。在普鲁·莱思（Prue Leith）离职后，尼格拉·劳森（Nigella Lawson）将与保罗·好莱坞（Paul Hollywood）共同担任评委。

一位资深电视制作人表示，Love Productions 拥有“坚实的基础”，拥有一系列高知名度节目，包括 BBC Two 的《英国缝纫大赛》（Great British Sewing Bee）、《英国陶艺大赛》（The Great Pottery Throwdown）以及 Channel 4 的《钢琴》（The Piano）。但该制作人补充道，在 Love Productions 首席执行官理查德·麦克凯罗（Richard McKerrow）去年离职后，卡瓦纳（Kavanagh）与 Sky 之间的关系变得日益恶劣，她的离职是“不可避免的”。据了解，另一位曾在该公司工作近二十年并在同一时间离职的前 Love Productions 高管基兰·史密斯（Kieran Smith）也已向 Acas 就业仲裁服务机构启动了程序。Sky 的首席内容官塞西尔·弗罗特-库塔兹（Cécile Frot-Coutaz）在卡瓦纳离职后对其表示赞赏。她表示：“莱蒂（Letty）在 Love Productions 的成功中发挥了巨大作用，我代表 Sky 以及我个人，想借此机会感谢她充满激情且尽职尽责的领导。”

酿酒师预测将迎来“里程碑”之年 Seren Hughes

马克·德赖弗（Mark Driver）开玩笑说，由于今年的酷暑，他位于萨塞克斯郡的葡萄藤觉得自己回到了地中海。这位拉思芬尼酒庄（Rathfinny Wine Estate）的创始人认为，今年将成为英国起泡酒的“里程碑”之年；其他酿酒师也表示，随着葡萄在漫长、干燥且炎热的夏天中茁壮成长，今年可能是“英国葡萄酒有史以来最好的年份之一”。

这可能会有助于提升英国起泡酒相对于法国香槟产区起泡酒的地位。后者在遭受严重干旱和热浪袭击，导致温度超出最佳生长条件后，宣布今年的产量创下历史最低。

英国今年夏天已经经历了四次热浪。德赖弗告诉《泰晤士报》：“葡萄藤生长在炎热的国家，而现在的英国比以前更温暖了。因此，葡萄藤生长旺盛，品质惊人。”他期待将获得“极佳的风味、良好的成熟度和良好的含糖量”。他解释道：“葡萄藤本质上是将阳光转化为糖分，而葡萄则保留这些糖分并创造出这些美妙的风味。”

香槟产区的葡萄园表示，他们将比往年更早采收，时间在8月中旬，比大多数英国葡萄园预计的采收时间早一个月。德赖弗表示，9月中旬对于英国的收获来说也比往年早，但更长的成熟时间仍然允许“积累美妙的成熟风味”，这使得“英国脱颖而出”。

今年葡萄酒的质量有望达到卓越水平，但由于春季晚霜，产量可能会下降。肯特郡的巴尔福（Balfour）等葡萄园在5月遭受了霜冻。但首席酿酒师费格斯·埃利亚斯（Fergus Elias）表示，在经历了“极好的夏天”之后，“质量有望相当非凡”。“这具备了英国葡萄酒有史以来最佳年份之一的所有特征。”

然而，由于距离收获仍有一个月的时间，前景可能会发生变化。埃利亚斯承认：“如果9月多雨，在病害和作物质量方面可能会成为一个真正的问题。”

尼廷伯（Nyetimber）的高级酿酒师布拉德·格雷特里克斯（Brad Greatrix）表示，英国葡萄酒面临的最大挑战是每年条件的“多变性”。过去两个夏天较为有利，但 2024 年较为凉爽。

干燥的条件也让一些葡萄藤承受压力。水分压力可以促使葡萄藤将能量集中在开发风味上，但过于干燥的条件会影响浆果的大小。

西萨塞克斯郡 Sugrue South Downs 的酿酒师德莫特·苏格鲁（Dermot Sugrue）表示：“我们经历了有记录以来最温暖的6月和最干燥的7月，葡萄园迫切需要降雨——葡萄藤承受着极大的压力。保守地说，这非常有挑战性。今年我们肯定能酿出伟大的葡萄酒，但产量将会下降，因此生产成本将会非常高。”

检查员再次视察后，Ynyshir获评最高分 Seren Hughes

位于西威尔士的著名米其林二星餐厅Ynyshir，在去年被降级为五分制中的一分后，其食品卫生评级现已提升至最高分。这家位于马希勒塞（Machynlleth）附近的餐厅为食客提供一套包含30道菜品的品鉴菜单，用餐时间长达五小时，并配有店内黑胶DJ定制的背景音乐，每人费用为£450（不含增值税）。

米其林指南将Ynyshir描述为一次“真正独特的体验”，但食品卫生检查员在经历了前一个月的一次检查后，于11月给出了五分制中的一星评级。在《泰晤士报》通过信息自由请求获得并由凯雷迪基翁（Ceredigion）郡议会公布的完整食品卫生报告中，Ynyshir被发现缺乏供应生龙虾所需的正确检查机制，且厨房墙上挂有一块无法妥善清洁的地毯。

该餐厅对于采集的桦树汁、野蒜和熟成鸽子等食材的安全管理计划也被认为不足；同时发现厨房员工在烹饪低温慢煮（sous vide）鳕鱼（即将鱼放入真空密封袋并在水浴中烹饪）时，未能以正确的温度烹饪正确的时间。

主厨兼店主加雷斯·沃德（Gareth Ward）指责检查员不了解他的餐厅，坚持认为他的做法是“与众不同”而非错误。但他“立即”采取了必要的措施，在2月份的重新检查后，郡议会官员于3月份将Ynyshir的评级提高到了五分。

郡议会表示，该企业“已解决了初次检查中发现的所有问题”。《泰晤士报》已联系Ynyshir寻求评论。

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12 新闻

历史根源 在今天于维瓦里公园（Vivary Park）开幕的汤顿花展（Taunton Flower Show）之前，工作人员正在进行最后的调整。英国历史最悠久的在办花展首次举办于1831年。

MARK PASSIONA 电影公司

虐待指控后，陆军呼吁受害者发声

陆军表示，关于某青少年军事培训学院女学员遭受强奸和性虐待的报告极其令人痛心且不可接受。

四名年轻女性告诉英国广播公司（BBC），她们在位于北约克郡哈罗盖特（Harrogate）的陆军基础学院（Army Foundation College）期间遭受了性虐待和骚扰，该学院为19岁以下人员提供基础训练。

陆军呼吁该学院内刑事行为的受害者和证人站出来发声。陆军昨日表示：“不可接受的刑事行为在我们的武装部队中绝对没有立足之地，这些报告极其令人痛心且严重。人们加入陆军是希望拥有辉煌的职业生涯，任何此类报告都是不可接受的，且完全违背了陆军所代表的一切。”

一名被英国广播公司称为蒂莉（Tilly）的女性告诉他们，她在17岁时在学院里被战友强奸。另一名被英国广播公司称为莫妮卡（Monica）的女性表示，她被一名战友性侵，对方将她困在房间里，并在未经她同意的情况下触摸她。另一名女性据称在训练期间遭到性侵和性骚扰。

陆军表示，近年来已做出调整以支持受害者站出来发声。

颈部按摩成为英国皇家空军的最新武器

查理·帕克（Charlie Parker）报道 由于俄罗斯日益频繁地侵犯北约领空，英国战斗机飞行员在执行任务之间接受颈部按摩，以延长飞行时间。根据英国皇家空军（RAF）的研究，台风战斗机在紧急起飞拦截敌机时可产生高达9G的过载，导致86%的飞行员经历与飞行相关的颈部疼痛。在佩戴沉重的高科技头盔时执行此类高强度出击任务，可能会导致严重伤害，从而使飞行员无法完成目标或完全无法飞行。为了避免将疼痛的飞行员送回英国进行肌肉骨骼治疗，军事物理治疗师一直被部署在海外行动中，最近被部署至波兰和罗马尼亚。英国皇家空军的26名物理治疗师被认为是无名英雄，他们在致力于威慑俄罗斯沿北约1,500英里东翼的入侵时，确保飞行员能够保持飞行状态，并使地面人员处于最佳状态。北约昨日透露，上个月其战斗机的紧急起飞次数比去年同期增加了250%。该联盟的东欧和中欧司令部表示：“原因何在？俄罗斯军机在没有飞行计划和应答机信号的情况下，反复在北约领空附近飞行，导致我们的战斗机必须起飞、拦截并识别它们。”上周，来自第3（战斗机）中队的英国皇家空军台风战斗机飞行员结束了在罗马尼亚为期四个月的行动。他们紧急起飞了7次，包括拦截从乌克兰领空飞向北约边界附近的俄罗斯无人机，尽管他们并未开火。物理治疗师每年大约参与19次行动和演习，其工作是进行评估、诊断并提供早期干预（包括物理康复），以“优化在部署期间受伤后的恢复”。在任务之间，被分配到台风中队的物理治疗师可能会在飞行员坐在驾驶舱内时评估其飞行适航性，以便他们能迅速再次起飞。治疗通常在中队大楼的其他区域进行，包括针对颈部、上背部、下背部和髋部的更实质性的活动能力训练。一名飞行中尉最近因确保所有部署在波兰的英国皇家空军人员（包括一名负责拦截俄罗斯飞机的“严重受伤”飞行员）能够维持作战能力而获得赞誉。这名物理治疗师仅被提及为哈里森（Harrison）飞行中尉，她去年随台风团队参与了“国际象棋兵”行动（Operation Chessman），这是英国皇家空军在波兰马尔博克空军基地为北约空中巡逻提供的支持。在为期四个月的行动中，英国战斗机紧急起飞20次，以防御俄罗斯喷气机和侦察机对北约领空的侵犯。哈里森根据飞行频率的增加、夜间飞行以及飞行员使用Mk4头盔和夜视仪（一种更沉重的组合）量身定制了治疗方案。她为部署人员中32%的不同岗位人员提供了干预，涵盖从台风飞行员、工程师到任务支持人员和增援人员。她所有的患者都在战区完成了治疗计划，并以健康且准备好迎接下一次任务的状态返回英国。

三星（SAMSUNG）

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定义商务新标准

现已在EE发售 以旧换新最高可省£580 更适合商务 Till's daily 优惠适用于数字设备。 2026年9月7日售出。 --- 13 新闻

我在桑德灵厄姆被跟踪者追赶，安德鲁表示

凯特·曼西 (Kate Mansey) 副编辑

安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎 (Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) 表示，他与一名涉嫌跟踪的人面对面接触，对方“戴着巴拉克拉法帽面罩”，并开始在桑德灵厄姆庄园追赶他的车辆。这位国王的兄弟在诺福克郡家中附近与一名男子发生冲突后，向警方提供了目击证词。

威斯敏斯特地方法院获悉，蒙巴顿-温莎当时正在遛狗，这时他看到一名看起来“格格不入”的男子。亚历克斯·詹金森 (Alex Jenkinson)，39, 岁，被指控在5月 6. 日对蒙巴顿-温莎使用威胁性、辱骂性或侮辱性的言语或行为。

上图为亚历克斯·詹金森，他被指控导致安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎“担心遭受非法暴力”

詹金森被指控在沃尔弗顿 (Wolferton) 靠近其马什农场 (Marsh Farm) 房产的冲突期间，导致蒙巴顿-温莎“担心遭受非法暴力”。萨福克郡警方还在申请一项针对詹金森的民事跟踪保护令，其依据是蒙巴顿-温莎提供的证据以及对詹金森手机的搜查。

蒙巴顿-温莎的陈述是法律程序的中心，其部分内容于昨日在法庭上被宣读。副首席地方法官坦·伊克拉姆 (Tan Ikram) 表示，蒙巴顿-温莎当时在国王的庄园里遛狗，这时他发现了一辆他认为属于新闻摄影师的汽车。随后，蒙巴顿-温莎与他的私人安保人员一起进入一辆车并“开车经过该车”。

在陈述中，蒙巴顿-温莎说，那名男子“转身面向我——他戴着巴拉克拉法帽面罩”。他提供了对这名“格格不入”男子的描述，并在陈述中补充道：“随后我看到一只没拴绳的狗向他跑去，然后他意识到我是谁，并开始冲刺追赶我的车辆。”

詹金森已承认在5月 6. 日被拘留期间未能提供血液样本。然而，他否认针对蒙巴顿-温莎的公共秩序罪行，并且对另一项指控也表示不认罪，该指控称其在5月 5. 日于金斯林 (King’s Lynn) 对另一名男子斯蒂芬·特里 (Stephen Terry) 使用威胁性、辱骂性或侮辱性的言语或行为，意图造成恐惧或挑起非法暴力。

无家可归的詹金森没有出庭，因为他坚持要带着他的狗印第 (Indie) 一起，因此被拒绝进入大楼。詹金森的律师克莱尔·豪威尔 (Claire Howell) 告诉法庭，他已经找到了临时住所，可以在未来的听证会期间将狗留在那里。

蒙巴顿-温莎预计将在定于12月 21. 日举行的刑事审判中通过视频链接提供证词。来自萨福克郡斯托马基特 (Stowmarket) 的詹金森也在对抗跟踪保护令的制定。

伊克拉姆法官昨日裁定，蒙巴顿-温莎以及特里和诺福克事件的一名目击者，必须在决定跟踪保护令申请的听证会上第二次提供证词。他说：“我认为公平要求允许本程序的被申请人传唤并交叉质询这些证人。”

法官已延长了临时跟踪保护令。

伯纳姆赞扬当地教堂等级提升

在安迪·伯纳姆的梅克菲尔德选区，一座教堂的登录等级已获得提升，被认可为“英格兰最出色的20世纪早期教堂之一”（杰克·布莱克本报道）。圣奥斯瓦尔德与圣埃德蒙·阿罗史密斯罗马天主教堂是首相选区内的一处著名地标，且与他的孩子们就读的天主教学校有关。

“我很高兴圣奥斯瓦尔德教堂得到了英格兰历史古迹保护机构（Historic England）的认可，”伯纳姆表示。“这是一座我非常熟悉的精美建筑，我知道当地社区多么珍视它。”

圣奥斯瓦尔德与圣埃德蒙·阿罗史密斯罗马天主教堂现已被列为II*级保护建筑。

该教堂于1988年被列入英格兰国家遗产名录，当时为最低等级的II级建筑。现在它已被提升至II*级，这意味着它跻身于所有登录建筑的前8%之列。

升级程序始于去年12月，当时距离人们能够想象伯纳姆会成为当地国会议员，更不用说成为首相，还早了好几个月。

该教堂于1930年竣工，被认为是其建筑师约翰·悉尼·布罗克尔斯比的杰作。它受到了法国罗马式风格的启发，其特点是使用了粉色和浅黄色的达利代尔（Darley Dale）及帕博尔德（Parbold）石材。此外，这里还拥有由都柏林艺术家哈里·克拉克创作的最广泛的彩色玻璃收藏。

这座教堂还因其与当地殉道者圣埃德蒙·阿罗史密斯的联系而闻名。它的建造是为了存放这位耶稣会神父保存下来的手——这位出生于1585年的男子在从事天主教神父的秘密工作后，于1628年被处决。

该教堂现在拥有第二高级别的保护，升级登录等级的决定于5月下旬做出，就在伯纳姆成为国会议员的前几周。

伯纳姆在卡尔切斯长大，距离该教堂有7英里的车程，被广泛认为是英国第一位天主教首相。鲍里斯·约翰逊是第一位受洗为天主教徒并成为首相的人，但他后来确认了圣公会信仰。

伯纳姆曾公开谈论自己的信仰，并上个月向《泰晤士报》确认，虽然他不是经常参加弥撒的人，但他仍然信仰该教派。

“如果我对那个问题回答‘不’，我的母亲永远不会原谅我，”他说道。

菲利普亲王预见到互联网如何助力王室

凯特·曼西 (Kate Mansey)

一名前宫廷助手透露，在戴安娜王妃去世后，菲利普亲王曾向宫廷官员阐述了一个早期的“愿景”，关于互联网如何能在全球范围内推广君主制。

已故的爱丁堡公爵对技术的兴趣众所周知。然而，现在显现出的是，在互联网的早期阶段，他便预见到万维网能帮助王室在这个机构处于敏感时期时与公众建立联系。

西蒙·刘易斯 (Simon Lewis) 于 1998 年被聘为宫廷的首任通讯秘书，他在由《泰晤士报》制作的《王室》(The Royals) 播客中，谈到了在 1997 年 8 月戴安娜王妃去世后如何管理君主制的声誉。

他说：“我认为女王做得非常出色。首先，女王代表这个机构和家庭保持了冷静，她走出去，用她最擅长的方式，以一种非常符合女王身份的方式与人们建立联系。”

“另一件我认为非常重要且应归功于菲利普亲王的事是，在 1998 年，使用互联网的人数仅在 1 亿 左右。我曾与他坐在一起，他向我阐述了一个利用网络和互联网让王室在全球范围内变得更加亲民的愿景。”

“这是 1998 年。很多人认为，‘这又是他的一个想法，我们就把它扔进抽屉底层吧’。”

“但他是对的。哇。而我在任期间监督的王室网站，实际上是关系根本性重塑的开始，这样人们获取关于王室机构的信息，不仅可以通过大报，还可以通过不同的方式接触到人们。所以这极其重要。”

王室于 1997 年 3 月推出了首个网站。如今，互联网用户人数已超过 60 亿。

来自王室家政的数据显示，在 2025-26 年，其发布的帖子产生了 21 亿美元 次社交媒体曝光量，高于前一年的 13 亿美元 次。同一时期，官方王室视频的观看次数为 4.32 亿 次，高于前一年的 3.97 亿 次。

根据刘易斯的说法，菲利普亲王是宫廷中第一个意识到互联网在推广君主制方面具有威力的人。

刘易斯是一名公关主管，在 1998-2000 年期间从能源公司 Centrica 借调至宫廷工作，。

在获得这份工作后，刘易斯得到了即将就任女王首席私人秘书的詹夫林勋爵 (Lord Janvrin) 的一条建议：不要在戴安娜王妃的一周年忌日那天开始工作。

刘易斯说：“我原定入职的日期是 August 31, 1998, 也就是威尔士王妃 [去世] 的次年。忌日。罗宾私下跟我说了一句话。他说，‘如果我是你，我不会在 September 1, 之前来，因为那天发生的任何事情，你都要承担责任。’这是一个非常聪明且睿智的建议。”

--- 14 新闻

高风险 徒步者在萨塞克斯郡的西福德角 (Seaford Head) 摆拍，显然没有意识到脚下的危险。白垩崖上出现了巨大的裂缝，附近最近发生了岩崩。

右翼极端主义导致 Prevent 转介人数增加

首席政治记者

去年，有近 10,000 人被举报至政府的反恐计划。对右翼极端主义担忧的剧增将数据推至十年来的最高点。

在截至 2025 年 9 月的一年里，Prevent 计划共收到 10,293 次转介，涉及 9,957 人，其中包括 393 名 10 岁或以下的儿童。这一增长标志着 2024 年 7 月南港袭击事件后趋势的延续，当时 Axel Rudakubana 在一个泰勒·斯威夫特主题舞蹈课上杀害了 6 岁的 Bebe King、7 岁的 Elsie Dot Stancombe 和 9 岁的 Alice da Silva Aguiar。

官员们注意到转介人数显著增加。他曾三次被转介至 ，但因缺乏明确的意识形态而结案。极端右翼意识形态的报告从 1,480 份跃升至 2,103 份——占昨天公布的官方统计数据中所有报告的五分之一。

伊斯兰极端主义的转介人数下降了近 9%，从 945 例降至 860 例，这引发了保守党关于该问题被“忽视”的指责。然而，被认定为在伊斯兰极端主义方面易受激进化影响并获得名为 Channel 的自愿服务支持的人数确实有所增加。

对极端暴力或大规模伤亡袭击感兴趣的转介人数为 818 人——占总数的 8%。约 95 份报告与“非自愿独身者”（Incel）极端主义有关。

超过一半的转介没有明确的意识形态。在已知年龄的情况下，11 至 15 岁的人群在 转介中占比最大（3,655 人），其次是 16 至 17 岁的人群（1,379 人），而 393 人为 10 岁或以下的儿童。

种族数据的收集并非强制性，数据仅涵盖过去一年转介人数的一半多一点。其中，3,600 人为白人，949 人为亚裔，401 人为黑人，365 人为“其他”。

影子内政大臣 Chris Philp 表示：“尽管伊斯兰极端主义仍然是最致命的恐怖威胁，但 正在忽视它……未能解决此问题并进行干预正将公众置于危险之中。 的作用对国家安全至关重要，但它必须适应其目的。工党没有勇气面对这一现实，这是国家安全的失败。”

内政部内部人士表示，伊斯兰极端主义的 转介人数仍高于两年前公布的统计数据涵盖的时期，他们补充说，该时期部分与保守党执政期间重叠。

安全大臣 Dan Jarvis 表示：“ 转介人数创纪录以及威胁等级的提高，凸显了我们在保护公众免受恐怖主义侵害方面所面临的挑战规模。我们将继续改进 ，以确保它拥有履行职责所需的工具。”

内政部表示，英国面临着“持久且不断演变的恐怖主义威胁”。国家威胁等级为“严重”（severe），这意味着恐怖袭击极有可能发生。

政府独立 专员 Tim Jacques 在英国广播公司（BBC）Radio 4 的《World at One》节目中表示：“转介人数的增加，特别是那些被认为没有恐怖主义意识形态的人，确实产生了一种风险，即可能会遗漏某些具有恐怖主义元素的内容，因为 的创建初衷并非为了应对我们今天看到的这类威胁。”

在被问及削减 支出时，Jacques 补充道：“我完全认同这一担忧”。

法律负责人为恋童癖提供推荐信

Jonathan Ames 法律编辑

一名法律负责人因在法庭上为其恋童癖表亲提供性格推荐信而被一家人权准政府机构（quango）解雇。

大卫·拉弗里（David Lavery），69岁，被移出北爱尔兰人权委员会。此前，外界对其将表亲威廉·劳埃德-拉弗里（William Lloyd-Lavery）描述为“婚姻幸福”、拥有“基督教信仰”且是“一个判断力健全、品行良好的人”感到日益愤怒。

帕特里克·林奇（Patrick Lynch）KC法官在4月的贝尔法斯特刑事法院审理中，在劳埃德-拉弗里（77岁）被裁定在20世纪70年代其任教的一所贝尔法斯特学校中对四名女学生实施猥亵袭击的六项罪名成立后，判处其两年监禁。

大卫·拉弗里是北爱尔兰律师协会的首席执行官。

律师因发送性暗示WhatsApp消息被除名

Jonathan Ames

一名自称是“好色之徒”（horny bastard）的人被开除出律师行业，并必须支付75,000英镑的法律费用，此前他向三名女性发送了大量“性暗示消息”。

高级诉讼专家迈克尔·亚历山大（Michael Alexander）向女性专业人士发送了一系列淫秽且不受欢迎的消息。纪律法庭发现，这位63岁的男子通过反复提及一名女大律师的“大屁股”并询问其穿着描述，使其感到不适。

据称，亚历山大在同事面前将自己描述为“好色之徒”，并被发现向一名潜在助手发送了一系列性暗示礼物，同时询问她是否“挺翘或圆润”（pert or peachy）。他还通过社交媒体网站LinkedIn给一名身怀六甲的女性发送消息邀请其共进午餐，对方回复建议亚历山大使用在线约会网站。

在相关行为被举报至律师监管机构后，1988年取得律师资格的亚历山大被带到法庭。法庭在认定其存在“蓄意的、重复的且持续的”不当行为后，现已将其除名。

2020年至2022年期间，亚历山大受雇于布莱克本的Harwood律师事务所，不当行为发生于此时。2022年，亚历山大向一名女大律师发送了一系列他称之为“玩笑”的“性动机”WhatsApp消息。亚历山大被多次告知其言论是不恰当的。

据称，亚历山大的其他消息还包括询问该大律师是否穿着丁字裤。这位高级律师还被发现发送消息询问该大律师是否在床上，以及是否“commando”（俚语，指未穿内衣）。

在听证会上，他承认自己的消息“极其不恰当且具有冒犯性”，但辩称自己从未在现实中进行性骚扰。

法庭指出，“反复无视明确的停止要求，在监管调查进行期间继续不当行为，采取指责受害者的回应方式，且在很长一段时间内缺乏真正的反省”。

据了解，在北爱尔兰事务大臣克里斯·布莱恩特爵士（Sir Chris Bryant）获悉拉弗里提供了性格推荐信后，他采取行动将其从委员会解雇。

北爱尔兰律师协会首席执行官拉弗里为其“严重的判断错误”发表了道歉。他还为“在本案中给受害者造成的任何伤害和痛苦”表示道歉。

北爱尔兰律师协会表示，已就该事件进行了“内部程序”，且不会就拉弗里的职位发表评论。

--- 11 15 新闻

电力故障导致火车停运，乘客陷入困境

劳伦斯·斯莱特 (Laurence Sleator) 交通记者

昨日，一场电力故障导致北部和中部的火车运行受阻，部分乘客收到“请勿出行”的通知。

曼彻斯特网络铁路（Network Rail）运行中心在午餐时间发生停电，导致铁路上的所有信号和通信暂时中断。火车司机无法接收关于前方路线的指令或信息。

此次问题影响了往返于利物浦、曼彻斯特、谢菲尔德和利兹的乘客。受影响的运营商包括 Northern、Avanti West Coast、Trans-Pennine Express、Transport for Wales、East Midlands Railway 和 Cross-Country。

Northern 和 TransPennine Express 发布通知，建议客户不要乘坐其服务。从曼彻斯特皮卡迪利站（Manchester Piccadilly）到曼彻斯特维多利亚站（Manchester Victoria）和博尔顿（Bolton）之间无法运行火车，影响了整个西北网络的运营。

电力最终恢复，但滞留的火车需要被引导至最近的车站，以便乘客下车。

铁路和火车运营商敦促所有计划于今日乘火车出行的人员在出发前进行检查，可以通过使用国家铁路查询（National Rail Enquiries）或访问特定火车运营商的网站获取最新的出行建议。

网络铁路西北路线总监克里斯·赖特（Chris Wright）昨晚表示：“对于今天的混乱以及许多人经历的极其艰难的旅程，我深表歉意。我们的工程师正在不懈努力，以恢复受午餐时间停电影响的信号系统。”

“随着这项工作在今晚继续进行，我们提醒人们明天早晨可能会有进一步的干扰。我敦促人们在明天开始任何计划行程之前，务必检查国家铁路查询，因为可能会有进一步的取消和延误。”

交通大臣海蒂·亚历山大（Heidi Alexander）表示，她很遗憾听到乘客受到取消或延误的影响，并且在网络铁路致力于解决该问题期间，她一直在接收定期更新。

今年4月，曼彻斯特皮卡迪利站的一次电气故障也导致火车停运。国家铁路当时表示，由于“发生故障的区域较为复杂，有超过 400 米的线路受损”，需要进行长达 12 小时的铁路关闭以进行维修。据报道，配电变压器的故障是导致那次停电的原因。

曼彻斯特铁路运行中心控制着一个巨大区域内的所有火车运行，范围涵盖克鲁（Crewe）、卡莱尔（Carlisle）、西约克郡的托德莫登（Todmodern）以及与威尔士的边界。

网络铁路在 2014. 年该设施启用时表示，经历此次故障的曼彻斯特设施是最终用于管理整个铁路网络的 12 个运行中心之一。这些设施取代了过去用于控制火车的 800 个信号箱和其他运行地点。

国家能源系统运营商的一位发言人表示：“我们已知晓一起影响网络铁路部分区域电力供应的事件。国家电力传输系统运行正常且安全。”

TMS 日记 @thetimes.co.uk / @timesdiary

头衔累累

路易丝·海格（Louise Haigh）累积的头衔已经多到让人难以启齿。作为兰开斯特公国大臣、内阁办公室大臣以及第一国务大臣，她需要的与其说是名片，不如说是一卷中世纪的卷轴。她告诉公务员，在官方文件中她希望被称为最后一个头衔（尽管在办公室里大家只叫她“露”）。这是一个有趣的选择。第一国务大臣是她最高级别的头衔，但兰开斯特公国大臣（CDL）的历史则早了约 600 年。然而，该职位在工党持有者中的记录褒贬不一。一方面你有克莱门特·艾特利，但另一方面你又有奥斯瓦尔德·莫斯利。不过，第一国务大臣的记录也并非毫无瑕疵。上一任工党持有者是彼得·曼德尔森。。这无疑有其乐趣，但当她在“厨房里大吵大闹”时，这干扰了他的播客录制。新任卫生大臣现在公开回应了她的丈夫。“他起初为什么要在厨房附近广播？”她说。库珀对他丈夫工作的评价似乎不太可能被用于宣传材料中。她还说：“说认真的，为什么有人会听埃德说话？”

举白旗 恢复英国党（Restore Britain）的领导人鲁珀特·洛（Rupert Lowe）不知怎么地竟然同时激怒了君主主义者和共和主义者。在《今日》（Today）节目中，他被问到国王是否是一名白人英国人，他回避了这个问题，因为洛所青睐的“拥有两名白人且出生于英国的父母”的定义，陛下并不符合。洛毫无讽刺意味地指责英国广播公司（BBC）的尼克·罗宾逊（Nick Robinson）在进行“粉饰”。然而，在宪法分歧的另一边，克伦威尔协会（Cromwell Association）不得不发布一份澄清声明，与恢复英国党撇清关系。这个纪念 17 世纪护国公生活的协会被误认为是恢复英国党的排他性克伦威尔俱乐部。区分它们有一个简单的方法：无需猜测就能知道，哪一个的年费是 £2,500，而哪一个只收取 £27。

金发炸弹

英国演员在全世界受到钦佩的原因是，他们恰到好处地知道如何通过夸张的表演来吸引注意力。下方的杰森·艾萨克斯（Jason Isaacs）在《电影评论》（Kermode on Film）中告诉主持人，他注意到在《哈利·波特》系列电影的片场有一种竞争氛围，资深的戏剧演员们在短短五分钟的银幕时间里竭尽全力地榨取所有表演空间。有一天他坐在化妆间的肯尼思·布拉纳（Kenneth Branagh）旁边，当艾萨克斯在头上安装一个瓦妮莎·费尔茨（Vanessa Feltz）风格的金发发型时，他坦承自己有些担心。“我觉得我的表演太夸张了，”艾萨克斯说。“亲爱的！”布拉纳回答道，“抬头看看，你能看到我的鞋底。”

威斯敏斯特市议会的某个爱管闲事的人在研究一个人站着喝一杯啤酒的概念时，真的挖掘出了地狱般的词典，将其描述为“垂直饮酒”。这个短语隐含的意义简直令人难以置信。作为一名记者，我在职业生涯中遇到过一些极其酗酒的人，但即使是他们，一旦变成水平状态（躺下）也会停止饮酒。 杰克·布莱克本（JACK BLACKBURN）

欧洲百万奖金

可能就是你

20.24 亿* 今晚

--- 16 新闻

为日偏食做好充分准备的“秘诀”

里斯·布莱克利 (Rhys Blakely) 科学编辑

下周三，英国将迎来一代人以来最壮观的日食。太阳圆盘将有高达 96% 被月球遮挡，使天空变得异常昏暗。下一次日偏食要等到 2050 年才会出现。至于在英国本土可见的下一次日全食（太阳将被完全遮蔽），则必须等到 2090 年 9 月 23 日。

届时还将有一次天文“返场”。在日偏食结束几个小时后，英仙座流星雨将在新月带来的黑暗天空下迎来年度峰值。国际流星组织预测，最高活跃期将在下周四出现，这使得 8 月 12-13 日之夜成为十年中最具潜力的观测之夜之一——前提依然是云层能够配合。

那么，您应该如何观看？

日食在什么时间发生？ 日食将于 8 月 12 日周三下午 6 点后不久开始，具体时间因地点而异。爱丁堡和格拉斯哥约为下午 6.08 开始，贝尔法斯特为 6.10，曼彻斯特和利物浦为 6.13，伯明翰为 6.15，伦敦为 6.17。在更西南方向，康沃尔郡的初触时间约为 6.18。

食甚（最大食分）大约在 1 小时后出现：爱丁堡约为 7.05，贝尔法斯特 7.08，曼彻斯特 7.10，伯明翰 7.11，伦敦和卡迪夫约为 7.12。日食将在 8 点后不久基本结束。

英国境内观看日食的最佳地点在哪里？

西南地区将经历最严重的日食：兰兹角（Land's End）约 95.8% 的太阳将被遮挡，利扎德角（Lizard Point）为 95.6%，西利群岛的主教岩（Bishop Rock）为 96.5%。卡迪夫和贝尔法斯特将看到约 93%，而伦敦、伯明翰、曼彻斯特和爱丁堡将看到约 91%。即使是设得兰群岛也将迎来深度日食，尽管那里的遮挡程度将接近 88%。

苏格兰皇家天文学家凯瑟琳·海曼斯（Catherine Heymans）教授表示，91% 和 96% 之间的差异远不如是否拥有晴朗的天空重要。她说：“我的计划是关注气象局的云层覆盖预报，看看云在哪里，然后去没有云的地方。我会准备好开车向北、南、东或西行驶。”

您应该在何处观看？

日食将出现在傍晚低空，发生在太阳向西或西北地平线下降之时。一排建筑、林地甚至一座缓坡都可能完全遮挡最后的阶段。

海曼斯说：“太阳即将落下，在日食发生时会越来越接近地平线。如果你的视线被房屋挡住，你就无法看到它。”

她的建议是，如果可能的话，进行一次“预演”。在前一天傍晚 6 点到 8 点之间访问该地点。如果落日清晰可见，那么这里应该是可行的。太阳的位置在相邻的两个傍晚之间只会发生轻微变化。

如何安全地观看日食，是否需要眼镜？

不要用肉眼直视太阳，因为这会严重且永久地灼伤您的视网膜。

保持安全最简单的方法是使用符合 ISO 12312-2 安全标准的日食眼镜。您可以在线订购。在使用日食眼镜前请检查它们。如果滤光片有划痕、撕裂或穿孔，请将其丢弃。检查儿童是否正确佩戴；在摘下眼镜前请将视线移开太阳。

不应使用普通太阳镜、烟熏玻璃、裸露的摄影胶片和临时制作的滤光片。

对于没有眼镜的家庭，间接投影是另一种选择。背对太阳站立，让阳光穿过厨房沥水篮的孔洞投射到一张白纸上。每个孔洞都会投射出一个微小的日食图像。

电视执照

电视节目看什么？办理电视执照，随心选择

访问 tvl.co.uk / explore 或扫描二维码立即购买或续费。

--- 17 新闻 # 阿曼达·诺克斯喜剧秀引发不满 卡拉·詹金斯 (Carla Jenkins)

梅雷迪思·克切尔 (Meredith Kercher) 的姐姐支持一项请愿，呼吁爱丁堡节日边缘艺术节 (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) 取消阿曼达·诺克斯 (Amanda Knox) 的一场演出。

斯特凡妮·克切尔 (Stephanie Kercher) 表示，她“无法想象”强奸和谋杀如何能成为一场喜剧演出的主题。

由克切尔家族的一位朋友发起的请愿书称，诺克斯的演出计划于本周末在 Gilded Balloon Teviot 场馆首演，该演出将这名学生在 2007 年的死亡转化为娱乐。

诺克斯曾于 2009 年被判定在意大利佩鲁贾谋杀这名 21 岁女性，两年后被宣判无罪。她曾撰写书籍并出演关于其经历的纪录片。

斯特凡妮·克切尔说：“想象一下，在梅雷迪思去世 20 年后，你的痛苦变成了别人的笑料。我姐姐的悲剧被用来在本周末——竟然是在爱丁堡——首演一场喜剧秀，而表演者正是那个被意大利检方审讯并移交给司法系统的人。”

“我很清楚在备受关注的案件中，每个人对有罪和无罪都有自己的看法，我也赞同言论自由。”

“然而，当有人仍在利用梅雷迪思的名字来维持生计，而且当一场喜剧与一个具体案件和具体个人挂钩时，我无法想象强奸和谋杀如何能被当作笑话，我也无法理解一个人在警察局的行为如何能成为喜剧演出的主题。”

诺克斯在 Instagram 上为该演出辩护，发表声明称请愿书基于“错误假设并误读了该演出”。

多年来一直与克切尔家族相识的萨莉·艾林顿 (Sally Alington) 在 Change.org 上发起了一项请愿，呼吁 Gilded Bal-

阿曼达·诺克斯表示，呼吁取消其爱丁堡边缘艺术节演出的请愿书误读了该演出

loon 和爱丁堡节日边缘艺术节撤回《侧手翻》(Cartwheel) —— 这是一场被标榜为具有“成人”主题的单口喜剧，围绕该案件展开。

已有超过 4,000 人签署了该请愿书。

在本周的一次采访中，诺克斯表示她认为她以前的室友会觉得这场演出“有趣”。

现与丈夫和两个孩子住在华盛顿农村的诺克斯（39 岁）表示，这场演出讲述的是她被冤狱囚禁的经历，以及她将如何向女儿解释她的过去。

该演出被命名为《侧手翻》，源于当时的媒体报道称，诺克斯在被带到警察局接受审讯时“打了侧手翻”。她否认情况如此。

艾林顿表示：“这不仅是对梅雷迪思的家人和朋友完全不恰当且具有伤害性的，而且远不止于此。它使针对女性的暴力常态化且琐碎化。”

Gilded Balloon 表示，除了上个月发表的一份支持举办该演出的声明外，没有进一步评论。

声明称：“爱丁堡节日边缘艺术节是一个开放式艺术节。作为边缘艺术节的一个场馆，我们为广泛的声音提供平台，这符合边缘艺术节长期以来对表达自由的承诺。”

阿科斯塔 53 岁依然舞姿惊人

舞蹈 Debra Craine 《神话与现代大师》（Myths and Modern Masters） 皇家歌剧院 (160 分钟) ★★★★★

这是卡洛斯·阿科斯塔（Carlos Acosta）之夜。而且是多么精彩的一个夜晚！是的，《神话与现代大师》或许是一个在 53. 岁时看他重返皇家歌剧院舞台的机会，但其意义远不止于此。在由他执掌的两家舞团——伯明翰皇家芭蕾舞团（Birmingham Royal Ballet）和阿科斯塔舞蹈团（Acosta Danza）的协助下，这位古巴之星策划了一场卓越、多样且极具娱乐性的舞蹈盛宴。

我们首先关注他本人，他身着醒目的紫色舞衣，首次出演一部美国现代舞经典之作。何塞·利蒙（José Limón）的《摩尔人的帕凡舞曲》（The Moor's Pavane, 1949）巧妙地将莎士比亚的《奥赛罗》浓缩在 20 分钟内，将其设计为四位核心角色在伊丽莎白时代宫廷中的舞蹈，并配以珀塞尔（Purcell）的音乐（由皇家芭蕾交响乐团演奏，保罗·墨菲指挥）。在首演之夜，阿科斯塔的风采与魅力丝毫不减，摩尔人危险的激情潜藏在他礼貌的外表之下。贝阿特丽斯·帕尔马（Beatrice Parma）饰演的纯洁妻子苔丝德蒙娜静静地承受着痛苦。马克斯·马斯伦（Max Maslen）饰演阴险的伊阿古，沉浸在胜利的快感中；水谷美纪（Miki Mizutani）则饰演他那迷人的妻子艾米莉亚。

阿科斯塔的《哈瓦那套曲之胡桃夹子》（The Nutcracker in Havana Suite）让其位于古巴的阿科斯塔舞蹈团点亮了科文特花园。这部芭蕾舞剧中的民族舞在他的充满活力、带有拉丁风情的编舞中被重新演绎；此外还有康加舞，甚至还有木鞋舞（向《糟糕的女孩》致敬）。阿科斯塔饰演德罗斯梅耶，统筹这场欢乐，他的 14 岁女儿艾拉·阿科斯塔·霍兰德（Aila Acosta Holland）饰演克拉拉。一对来自伯明翰皇家芭蕾舞团的舞者，帕尔马和恩里克·贝哈拉诺·维达尔（Enrique Bejarano Vidal），演绎了糖梅仙子及其王子的双人舞，风格非常传统且打磨得极其精美。另一对来自伯明翰皇家芭蕾舞团的舞者——凯瑟琳·奥乔亚（Katherine Ochoa）和亚西尔·霍德林·贝洛（Yasiel Hodelin Bello）——在阿格里皮娜·瓦加诺娃（Agrippina Vaganova）的《狄安娜与阿克泰翁》双人舞中大获成功。贝洛的力量感十足，而奥乔亚的表现则令人惊叹，她不仅轻松完成了高难度的古典编舞，更敢于将其推向极致。

阿科斯塔在《我们》（Nosotros）中与阿米萨代·纳拉（Amisaday Naara）搭档，这是由贝亚特丽斯·加西亚（Beatriz García）和劳尔·雷诺索（Raúl Reinoso）创作的一部当代双人舞，其中情感处于高度紧绷状态。不稳定的灯光在一定程度上削弱了他们破碎关系的尖锐感，但在阿科斯塔细微且凄美的舞步中，岁月的痕迹消散了。

克里斯托弗·布鲁斯（Christopher Bruce）的《公鸡》（Rooster, 1991）以一种不可一世的方式为演出收尾。这部作品配以滚石乐队的歌曲，布鲁斯通过一场性感且机智的性别之战，讽刺了男人们自鸣得意的虚荣心，并赞美了他们长期忍耐的女性伴侣。十名演员的表现令人愉悦，但真正抢尽风头的是出色的阿科斯塔，他像米克·贾格尔（Mick Jagger）一样昂首阔步，舞姿惊人。

伦敦，皇家歌剧院，演出至周日，rho.org.uk

Clean it up 年度活动

Ben Cooke 环境记者

目前处于良好生态状态的河流比 2019 年更少，政府看来将无法实现到明年年底前改善河流健康的指标。

环境局自 2019 年以来首次对英国河流、湖泊和沿海水域状态进行评估，结果显示仅有 14% 的河流被评级为良好状态，下降了两个百分点。结果表明，政府几乎肯定无法实现其目标，即到明年年底前将略高于四分之三的河流提升至良好生态状态。 —— 这是上一次完成全国河流和湖泊调查的时间。

调查揭示了英格兰河流受损的程度，不仅是由于污水污染，还包括来自农田的杀虫剂和化肥，以及在阻燃剂和化妆品中发现的有毒“永久化学品”。

波涛汹涌 英格兰 4,658 个地表水体的生态状态 来源：环境局

该机构发现，英格兰的每一个水体都被此类化学品污染，而来自农田径流和污水的磷酸盐是英国河流污染的最大原因。

环境大臣安吉拉·伊格尔（Angela Eagle）表示，结果强调了整个水务部门需要进行“全面变革”。

她说：“我们的当地社区理应拥有干净的当地河流和湖泊。我们已经出台了具有里程碑意义的立法来追究水务公司的责任，确保了创纪录的投资以帮助修复基础设施，并且正全力关注将防止未来失效的长期改革。”

但活动团体 River Action 的首席执行官詹姆斯·华莱士（James Wallace）表示，“尽管历届政府做出了承诺，但没有任何改变”。

行业机构 Water UK 表示，水务公司将在 2030 年前在环境改善方面投资创纪录的 220 亿英镑 billion，这是有史以来在自然环境上花费的最大金额。

《泰晤士报》的 Clean It Up 活动呼吁采取更严格的监管以改善英国的水路。

右下方 13 岁的乔治·博克斯（George Box）从格拉斯顿伯里修道院（Glastonbury Abbey）拿走了一块骨头和一片瓷砖

少年偷窃70年后，院长膝盖骨获归还

一名11岁男孩在70年前一次前往格拉斯顿伯里修道院（Glastonbury Abbey）的学校旅行中偷走的一块院长膝盖骨，现已被归还至萨默塞特郡（马克·卢德洛撰文）。来自布伦特诺尔（Brent Knoll）的乔治·博克斯（George Box）在1956年的一次考古挖掘中钻过绳索，从一座打开的坟墓中“顺手牵羊”。这块骨头是一位13世纪院长的膝盖骨，博克斯在20世纪70年代移民澳大利亚后，将其自豪地陈列在自家的玻璃柜中。在去年去世前不久，博克斯向妻子坦白，两人同意将其归还。来自修道院的露西·纽曼（Lucy Newman）表示，学校旅行的日期与一次打开了数位院长坟墓的挖掘日期一致。唯一的难题是，他们不知道这块骨头属于谁，纽曼表示，只能通过“把他们全部掘出来，看看每个人有几块膝盖骨”来让膝盖骨与主人重聚。纽曼告诉英国广播公司（BBC）：“根据我们掌握的（挖掘）坟墓照片，我们无法确定这些照片是在一名学童爬进去并顺走一块骨头之前还是之后拍摄的。”重新挖掘可能会“破坏的考古价值超过了让一位院长与他的膝盖骨重聚所带来的益处”，并最终导致“另一位院长拥有三块膝盖骨”。博克斯的遗孀表示，她那“淘气”的丈夫当时不仅“顺手牵羊”拿走了骨头，还拿走了一块中世纪的地砖碎片。她说：“他小时候从未告诉任何人他做了什么。”目前，这块膝盖骨和地砖碎片在修道院的博物馆中展出。--- 19 News

限制站立饮酒？酒吧顾客称其为疯狂之举

Ed Halford, Hamish McCorriston

在索霍区（Soho）的 The French House 酒吧，时间刚过下午2点，饮酒者们传开了一个消息：威斯敏斯特市议会提出的许可提案中提到要打击“垂直饮酒”（vertical drinking）——用非官方的话说，就是端着一杯啤酒站着喝。这个消息让一些人惊得喷出了几口啤酒（该酒吧传统上使用半品脱杯），而以 Madness 乐队主唱身份更为人熟知的 Graham McPherson（艺名 Suggs）则感到困惑。“这能是真的吗？”他问道。“那么议会打算怎么做？在人满为患时提供一些长凳或沙发？他们打算在哪里为‘水平饮酒’腾出空间？我认为，威斯敏斯特市议会应该被‘放平’（put horizontal）。”

考虑到索霍区的酒吧、俱乐部、酒馆和餐厅经常挤得水泄不通，这些提案令人感到意外。议会表示，这些措施应当“遏制过度醉酒，并鼓励在提供酒精饮料的场所提供更多座位，让人们坐下来享受饮品并通过桌边服务点餐，以取代那些为了满足大量垂直饮酒而设置的开放式酒吧空间”。此外，在议会所谓的“累积影响区”（涵盖索霍区和西区大部分地区）开设新酒吧和酒馆的行为也将被禁止。

伦敦市长萨迪克·汗（Sadiq Khan）表示，这些提案是“进一步证明限制性且反增长的政策并未奏效”。一名发言人表示，政府正赋予汗市长新的权力，使其能够介入许可决定，以“保护伦敦至关重要的夜生活和款待业”。

71 岁的 Lesley Helen Lewis 在 The French House 担任女店主已有 37 年，她表示：“这是在对索霍区进行‘消毒’，使其变得和世界上其他地方一样。索霍区一直代表着自由的感觉，而且从未对他人持有偏见。如果真的到了那一步，我们将战斗到底，因为英国人并不喜欢被告知该怎么做。”

在 The Ship & Shovell 酒吧，78 岁的 Martin Kaufman 表示：“伦敦酒吧生活最伟大、最充满活力的一点就是能够自由地社交和交谈。每周都有酒吧关闭，因此限制人们享受生活的能力似乎很愚蠢。”26 岁的 Harry Broomby 表示：“我认为这是文化的一部分，也是人们访问英国的原因。”

Heaven 的所有者 Jeremy Joseph 去年关闭了他在索霍区的 G-A-Y Bar，并将议会限制性的许可制度列为原因之一。对于新提案，他表示：“我的直接反应是，你们还想给款待业造成多少损害？”Joseph 估计，如果议会要求饮酒者必须就座，户外容量将下降 70%，而“酒吧将无法生存”。

62 岁的 Gary Henshaw 经营 LGBT 场所 Ku 已 30 年，他认为政策应根据每个场所的情况量身定制。英国夜间产业协会的 Michael Kill 表示：“在酒吧里站着不是一个许可问题。它是英国文化的一部分。”

议会副领导人 Tim Barnes 表示，人们对这些提案存在“蓄意的误读”。“我们的指导方针仅仅是鼓励场所管理好其顾客，以免人们拥挤在人行道上，或过度饮酒干扰到路人。”

愚蠢的清教徒，社论，第 27 页

下方为 Madness 歌手 Suggs，他是索霍区嘲讽该计划的饮酒者之一

大学副校长在欺诈调查中被解雇

Sian Bradley 大曼彻斯特大学（University of Greater Manchester）任职多年的副校长已被解雇，此前几周他因涉嫌挪用资金被逮捕调查。乔治·霍姆斯（George Holmes）教授于7月8日被大曼彻斯特警察局（GMP）逮捕，涉及一项针对涉嫌挪用高达£170 万大学资金的“重大且复杂的调查”。 根据Manchester Mill看到的一封电子邮件，校董会主席安德鲁·罗伯茨（Andrew Roberts）周三通知员工，“乔治·霍姆斯博士作为副校长的合同已被大学管理机构终止”。邮件继续写道：“因此，霍姆斯博士不再是大学的雇员。” 在此期间，格雷格·沃克（Greg Walker）博士继续担任代理副校长，校董会将需要召开会议任命该机构的永久负责人。 该大学在给The Mill的一份声明中确认，霍姆斯的合同已于“本周早些时候”终止。 霍姆斯于2005,年被任命进入该机构，当时该校名为博尔顿大学（University of Bolton），他于去年5月被停职。大学显然将其停职描述为一项“预防性措施”，并不意味着“任何关于有罪的假设”。 警方表示，在收到普华永道（PricewaterhouseCoopers）和大学欺诈应对小组的举报后，他们于一年前启动了调查。去年，GMP表示警员已开始调查“涉嫌欺诈和贿赂”行为。他们在博尔顿的两个地址以及兰开夏郡、汉伯赛德郡和西约克郡的其他三个地址执行了逮捕令，逮捕了两名六十多岁的男子和一名五十多岁的女子。 该调查涉及2014年至2025年间，跨越60笔交易和超过一百万封电子邮件的约£100 万价值的欺诈活动。目前尚不清楚哪些潜在罪名适用于霍姆斯。

大多数门店适用，不包括Morrisons Daily。在线商城有所不同。 慈善机构注册号 207994（英格兰和威尔士），SC038731（苏格兰）。 条款与条件：my.morrisons.com / marie-curie-eggb-tcs

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22 新闻

多塞特郡的 Holt Heath 在一场毁灭性火灾一年后依然焦黑。大部分土地尚未看到重新生长或恢复。

自然保护区在火灾一年后呈现“月球表面”景象

亚当·沃恩 (Adam Vaughan) 环境编辑

环保人士发现，去年被山火烧毁的多塞特郡（Dorset）的一处自然保护区大部分尚未恢复，呈现出一片焦黑的“月球表面”景象。

国民信托基金会（National Trust）的生态学家对霍尔特希斯（Holt Heath）进行的调查显示，在大火发生一年后，约 70% 的土地仍然被烧焦。

这种缓慢的恢复进程为萨福克郡（Suffolk）的邓威奇希斯（Dunwich Heath）敲响了警钟，该信托基金会管理的地块在上周遭受了一场毁灭性的山火。此次火灾是由相邻的英国皇家鸟类保护协会（RSPB）明斯米尔（Minsmere）保护区起火引发的。

萨福克郡消防救援服务局目前仍维持重大现场处置状态。尽管没有可见的火光，但由于地下热量和植被阴燃带来的风险，消防员仍留在现场。

今年的高温干燥天气（包括英格兰有记录以来最干燥的七月）加剧了火势，并被认为是多塞特郡保护区未能恢复的原因。

在烧毁最严重的区域，这场被认为当时是蓄意纵火的多塞特郡大火不仅清除掉了植被，还烧穿了脆弱的土壤表层。这导致大面积的裸沙暴露，容易受到风雨侵蚀，且缺乏植物生根所需的养分。

该信托基金会表示，恢复工作受到了天气的阻碍。由于英格兰一半地区处于干旱状态，降雨不足意味着任何脆弱的新生长植被都难以生存。

国民信托基金会在霍尔特希斯和金斯顿莱西庄园（Kingston Lacy Estate）的乡村经理埃莉·伊根（Ellie Egan）表示：“虽然部分地区开始自然恢复，但某些地方的破坏程度远超我们的通常预期，部分希斯地带看起来仍然非常像‘月球表面’，如果想要成功恢复，这些地方需要谨慎的长期管理。”

这家保护与遗产慈善机构正在开展一项研究，探讨如何最好地启动土壤的恢复。

霍尔特希斯是一个具有特殊科学价值的地点（SSSI），代表了低地希斯地带（lowland heathland）的一部分，这是英国最稀有的栖息地之一。邓威奇希斯同样属于低地希斯地带，因此该研究也可以为后者的修复提供参考。

多塞特郡的该地点在历史上支撑着大量的希斯地带鸟类种群，例如达特福德苇莺（Dartford warbler）、夜鹰（nightjar）、石鵖（stonechat）、林 lark（woodlark）和画眉（curlew）。

这里还因拥有英国所有六种本土爬行动物而闻名。其中包括极其罕见的沙蜥（sand lizard）和平滑蛇（smooth snake），以及原色蝰蛇（adder）、草蛇（grass snake）、普通蜥蜴（common lizard）和慢蠕虫（slow worm）。

稀有爬行动物、达特福德苇莺和石鵖因筑巢地和觅食地的丧失而遭受严重打击。不过，夜鹰依然存在，并且在当地被听到发出被称为“churring”的求偶鸣叫声。

2023, 年，信托基金会在霍尔特希斯进行的一次受控焚烧失控，摧毁了约 7 英亩（3 公顷）的土地。这是在二十年的有意焚烧实践中首次发生此类事件。

去年是英国有记录以来山火最严重的一年，且该国经历了首次“超级大火”（megafire）。今年的情况并没有好多少，约 56,460 英亩（22,850 公顷）的土地被烧毁，使其目前成为有记录以来的第三严重年份。

夏洛特·丘奇为她的林地学校而战

大卫·布朗 首席新闻记者

夏洛特·丘奇正申请获得许可，以继续为一群寻求替代教育的儿童运营一所林地学校。这位威尔士歌手创办的 Awen Project 慈善机构在格拉摩根谷温沃的橡树农场（Oaktree Farm）的一座前猪舍中，为在家教育的儿童经营一个教育中心。

丘奇，40 岁，在 2016 年将自己的孩子从主流学校接出后，于 2019 年创立了该慈善机构。她与前威尔士橄榄球运动员加文·亨森育有一女 Ruby，18 岁，一子 Dexter，17 岁；与目前的伴侣、音乐家乔纳森·鲍威尔育有一女 Frida，六岁。

该机构的网站将“Awen 部落”描述为一个“自主导向、基于共识的学习社区”。它自 2024 年 10 月起在温沃运营，并于去年 8 月申请规划许可，旨在将其用途从农业设施改为非住宅机构。该申请因对道路安全、噪音以及缺乏生态报告的担忧而被拒绝。

在该申诉中，该项目表示：“孩子们在学习时会发出声音，无论是唱歌、演奏乐器，还是在发现与自身热情相契合的事物时发出兴奋的惊呼，如果以此作为反对他们拥有学习场所的理由，那是极其糟糕的。”

此次申诉将由威尔士规划与环境决策局（Planning and Environment Decisions Wales）审理。

这位威尔士歌手经营 Awen Project --- 23

在一个政治相互掣肘的时代，让自己更像巴约 (Be More Bayeux) 劳拉·弗里曼 第 24 页

伯纳姆的首场大考：绝无提前释放之可能

首相能否将斯塔默在囚犯问题上的失败转化为成功？与前任不同，他正试图争取选民的支持。

帕特里克·马奎尔 @PATRICKKMAGUIRE

上周，在一次关于囚犯提前释放的艰难会议上，安迪·伯纳姆让官员们领教了他的政治本质。在听完白厅方面对他将部分罪犯继续关押计划的所有反对意见的又一次排演后，他语气坚定地告诉他们：“我就是不认为公众会相信那个。他们绝不会为此而感谢我。”

人们经常嘲讽地认为，这位首相最大的弱点就是渴望被喜爱。而现在，这是一个棘手的公共政策危机——监狱容量已达 98%，迫使人们做出不可能的政治选择。而伯纳姆却在国家机器在他周围崩塌之时，还在担心自己的受欢迎程度。

相比之下，基尔·斯塔默爵士则借鉴了哈里·斯托勒的经验，后者是布莱恩·克洛夫在足球管理方面的首位导师。斯托勒告诉年轻的克洛夫，他的职业比看起来要孤独得多：“没有人会说谢谢。”这就像埃诺克·鲍威尔关于政治生涯与失败的那句陈词滥调一样，是对感激与肯定之过高期待的一种制约。看台上或投票站里没有人会说谢谢，所以不要表现得好像你能强迫他们那样。

当斯塔默在两个夏天前面对同样的问题时，我们看到了这一点。他上任后的首批会议之一就是与一群情绪激动的监狱长会面。他们恳求他推进提前释放计划，无论多么不受欢迎，因为如果不这样做，后果就是崩溃。时任司法大臣沙巴娜·马哈茂德也表达了类似的观点。因此，引用一位参与讨论的顾问的话，斯塔默“做了正确的事”。这是专家和数据认为必要的做法。

没有人说谢谢。在几年后，一旦针对监狱及其他领域的严厉药方有了见效的时间，也许人们会说。但结果恰恰相反。斯塔默政府因为继承的烂摊子而被迫做出艰难且不受欢迎的决定，这确实没错，但这些决定的不受欢迎程度同样构成了政治风险。他太快地将斯托勒的格言内化了：没有人会说谢谢，所以没必要假装我能做其他任何事情。

关于提前释放，斯塔默的一位前助手表示：“如果说我们要停止这项计划，他一定会嗤之以鼻，”

10号唐宁街的亲信谈到首相的“公众良知测试”

“因为他会说，反正我们很快就会得重新这么做。”结果就是，这个政府看起来像是已经放弃了自己。它承诺变革，但交付的往往是消极被动。在监狱床位问题上，伯纳姆继承的局面几乎同样惨烈，而他在提前释放计划中引入的有限豁免权正反映了这一点。只有强奸犯、“严重”的儿童性犯罪者和诱导儿童者仍需服刑三分之二的刑期，而杀警犯和严重的家庭虐待者在服刑仅一半后仍可能被释放。改变的与其说是政策的实质——该政策依然像以往一样糟糕且棘手——不如说是领导风格。当伯纳姆在那些会议上谈到公众的不信任，或他对公众反应的担忧时，问题的关键不在于受欢迎程度，而在于信任与认同。

10号唐宁街的亲信谈到他在提前释放问题上的“公众良知测试”。他在为梅克菲尔德（Makerfield）竞选时首次意识到这场斗争即将到来；在他担任首相最初几周处理的所有事务中，这件事占据了他最多的时间和精力。大多数日子里，他的会议日程一直持续到晚上9点以后，这让担心疲劳和边际效用递减的官员们感到忧虑。但另一种选择是告诉公众，政府无法阻止许多人认为在道德上令人愤慨的提前释放。正如他在生活成本问题上试图表现的那样，伯纳姆任期的这个早期阶段是有意识地在做示范：他在倾听，他尝试过，他设法在几乎没有任何实质改变的情况下做了一些事情，无论这些事情多么微小，无论随之而来的补充问题和极端案例多么棘手。这与宿命论截然相反——白厅的一些人会说，这甚至到了天真、适得其反的地步。它实际上假设，在某个地方，可能会有人最终说声谢谢。

与工党上一次处理此事的对比具有启发意义，因为在实质内容上，这根本没有形成鲜明对比。斯塔默政府最终将几类性犯罪者、家庭虐待者和跟踪者排除在提前释放之外。他们最初被纳入该计划，但在2024年大选后的一次气氛紧张的眼镜蛇（Cobra）会议上，内政大臣伊薇特·库珀（Yvette Cooper）认为，如果针对女性的犯罪被认为不够严重而无需排除，公众的认同感将会崩溃。她说，没有人试图向公众解释为什么提前释放是必要的——或者保守党也曾计划采取类似措施。于是，没有人说谢谢：既没有感谢拯救监狱系统免于无政府状态的行动，也没有感谢将那些犯罪者继续关押的决定。那是反应性的、零碎的，且全部是在闭门会议中强加给首相的。

一年后，在2025年5月，库珀再次试图取消严重性犯罪者、儿童性犯罪者和最严重的家庭虐待者的释放资格。她在内阁委员会会议前夕向斯塔默和马哈茂德（Mahmood）发送了一份九页的备忘录，阐述其理由，但这次没有起作用。首相听从了监狱管理者的意见，于是我们走到了今天。接下来的发展将是“伯纳姆主义”的第一个重大测试案例。新风格与旧实质发生了碰撞。正如首相本人所言，他关押的罪犯数量远没有他或公众所希望的那样多。顺便一提，斯塔默本人的偏好是在离职前由他亲自授权提前释放。他认为

上届政府的幸存者们表示，延长他的痛苦或许能让他的继任者生活得轻松一点，并在不可避免的失望到来时，帮工党挽回面子。这个提议被拒绝了，因为正如安迪·伯纳姆在进入 No 10 前一天告诉我的那样，他“打算尝试用不同的方式做事”。他承认自己并未完全成功，并且对那些尚未解决的问题所引发的公众愤怒十分敏感：因此，在本周安迪·伯纳姆的指示下，司法部官员目前正在搜寻儿童性犯罪的旧纸质记录，以识别那些可能利用不可预见的漏洞而获释的诱拐团伙成员。安迪·伯纳姆正敦促官员们为那些击败其前任的问题寻找新的解决方案和新答案。本周的情况表明，他最终可能会陷入同样的境地。但他正试图带着选民一起前行。上届政府的幸存者们说，这在不必要地延长他的痛苦——他将其变成了自己的问题和失败，而且没有人会说谢谢。在这一场以及未来每一场遗产之战中，安迪·伯纳姆的赌注是他能证明他们是错的。

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24 评论

在一个政治相互挑衅的时代，“像拜约挂毯一样”体现了宽容胜过凯旋主义：这是给当今咆哮的暴民和食尸鬼的一课

劳拉·弗里曼

正如任何学童都知道的，英国历史上只有两个日期。第一个是公元前 55 年，那一年尤利乌斯·凯撒在塞内特登陆。第二个是 1066 年，当时诺曼底公爵威廉在黑斯廷斯战役中征服了英格兰。如果你的知识范围比这稍微——仅仅是稍微——宽一点，你会知道这场战役被记录在拜约挂毯中，而且哈罗德被法国人射了一箭在眼睛上。砰，啪，啪。或者甚至是 biffe, baffe, bouffe。

这个知识匮乏、仅受过 Sellar 和 Yeatman 教育且没学过其他多少东西的人，并非完全是假设的。几周前，那就是我。对乔治时代很赞，但对 18 世纪就没那么精通。为了迎接这场千禧之展，我一直在补习关于拜约挂毯的知识，它已经安置在英国博物馆，但尚未向公众开放。

就像大多数人知之甚少的事物一样，我所知道的那一点点也是错的。一个月前，我会告诉你，这幅挂毯（实际上是一件刺绣，任何缝过采样布的学女都知道）是一场 70 米长的诺曼宣传活动。是对战败英格兰人的嘲讽。是对英格兰王位的一次刺绣形式的强占。诺曼人 1，盎格鲁-撒克逊人 0。英格兰人就像最后一个征服我们的人认为的那样，瘦小、软弱且无力。如果 70 米的内容都是那样，该有多无聊。

当然，故事要复杂得多，像分隔场景的树木一样盘根错节。用现代话来说，这幅挂毯是一次英法合拍。由赢家委托，几乎可以肯定是由输家缝制。同情心时而倾向于一方，时而倾向于另一方。现代学者喜欢强调的主题之一是宽容胜过凯旋主义。嗯，他们当然会这么说，因为这次借展既是策展上的成功，也是外交上的胜利。这种特质确实存在；一种公正，对阵亡敌人的悲悯，以及对其成就的尊重。英格兰人可能喝酒太多。

我对针对杰森·阿尔代的猎巫行动及其垮台后的狂欢感到厌恶（看看那些饮酒角吧），但他们虔诚，在壮丽的教堂中祈祷，建造宏伟的修道院，且在战斗中极具战术。英格兰人的盾墙在被击破之前曾展现出极强的防御力。哈罗德并非那个理应落得如此凄惨结局的大背叛者，而是一个复杂的人，时而英勇，时而狡诈，曾是威廉的战友，一个被夹在两位国王之间的人。多年前我在一家二手书店买了一本关于拜约挂毯的小型企鹅图书（基于“永远应该买一本企鹅书”的原则），作者埃里克·麦克拉根在书中这样写哈罗德：“他出现在舞台上并非是以犹大之姿，或许更像麦克白；一个被野心引导至不忠之道的勇敢之人”。当哈罗德的两个兄弟在战场上被杀时，上方边框中的鸟儿似乎在哀鸣。一些英格兰人逃跑了；另一些则勇敢地守卫着他们的据点。当我们到达战斗的最后阶段时，阵亡的诺曼士兵和英格兰士兵已无法区分，同样被安置，同样被哀悼。这具有令人心跳加速的电影感，巧妙地营造了悬念，且充满了反转。展览将于9月10.开幕。仅剩34个夜晚。我犹豫是否要将一件拥有1,000年历史的西方艺术奇迹当作现代的励志格言，但“像拜约那样宽宏大量”并非一个糟糕的信息。在我们这个充斥着低级攻击和截图抓包的时代，宽宏大量已成为稀缺品。敌人失足、失言，或在早间新闻报道中栽跟头，随之而来的便是成群结队的人们在渴求他们的鲜血。本周早些时候，当我听到《星期日泰晤士报》和《旁观者》的专栏作家罗德·利德尔去世时，我的第一个念头是“他们会在网上如何幸灾乐祸”。而他们确实在X和Bluesky上这么做了；幸灾乐祸，心怀报复，希望那是次痛苦的死亡，并威胁任何发布悼词或赞美之词的人。这与一个月前我们在安·威达科姆身上看到的同样那种在坟墓上跳舞的阴森之举如出一辙。我对那个满口胡言、谎话连篇、名誉扫地的剑桥大学教授杰森·阿尔代有好感吗？并不特别。但我同样厌恶这场猎巫行动的奇观以及对他垮台的狂欢。政治似乎日益变成了一系列在网络战场上进行的酸楚冲突和小规模胜利。美国总统即便看到宽宏大量穿着锁子甲向他奔来，恐怕也认不出来。埃尔西·马斯克称《经济学人》编辑赞尼·明顿·贝多斯为“西方的叛徒”。（而她克制地表示，对他这种反应感到“困惑”。）背叛是一个热门主题。改革英国党（Reform UK）的齐亚·尤苏夫称工党和保守党政治家为“国家的叛徒”。与此同时，扎克·波兰斯基转发了一张照片，照片中的男子穿着一件印有断头台和口号的T恤：“我们只是在为奈杰制定计划”。唾弃与决裂，以牙还牙，斧头对斧头。他们中没有一个人比我三岁的女儿更胜一筹，她每当爬到攀爬架顶端，就会宣布：“呐-呐，呐，呐-呐，抓不到我-呐！”操场上的胜利主义现在成了成年人的常态。你可能会说：挂毯或许宽宏大量，但这依然是一次圆滑的传播。在黑斯廷斯战役之后，确实发生了一定程度的乡村破坏和向伯克汉斯特德进军的行为。但永远不要让更广泛的历史背景干扰专栏文章的整体锋芒。我的丈夫对美国政治有着一种书呆子式的兴趣，他喜欢引用约翰·麦凯恩在2008, 一次共和党集会上的例子，麦凯恩礼貌但坚定地为巴拉克·奥巴马辩护。“他是一个体面的家庭男人和公民，”麦凯恩说，“我只是恰好在根本问题上与他有分歧。”虽然不到二十年前，但这样的宽宏大量似乎已成了遥远过去的遗迹。劳拉·弗里曼是首席艺术评论家

无论在任何情况下，酷刑都是错误的 —— 我对此深有体会

约翰·麦卡锡（John McCarthy）

就在 35 年前的今天，我在黎巴嫩被扣为人质五年多之后回到了家。在那段时间里，我被殴打，被蒙上眼睛，被锁在阴暗的地下室里。我被单独监禁并遭受了酷刑。作为一名酷刑幸存者，我成为了一个没有人愿意加入的俱乐部的成员。我知道酷刑会对一个人造成怎样的影响，它如何否定人性并剥夺尊严。虽然身体上的伤疤可能会淡去，但记忆是不可能抹除的。

这就是为什么由人权组织“免受酷刑”（Freedom from Torture）委托开展的最新 YouGov 民意调查让我如此深感不安。在表达了观点的英国人中，五分之一的人认为在某些情况下，酷刑是可以接受的。我觉得这很难理解。

长期以来，英国一直正确且自豪地反对酷刑。绝对禁令是我们最清晰的道德底线之一：它承认无论在什么情况下，有些事情是我们绝对不能对另一个人类做的。这种全球性的演变在很大程度上归功于英国数百年来所发挥的领导作用。正因如此，这个国家竟然有人认为这一原则是可以协商的，这更令人震惊。

大多数人无法想象在另一个人的掌控下毫无权力、被剥夺自主权并认为自己可能无法生存是什么感觉。就像大多数施刑者一样，我的绑架者认为他们有充分的理由。这就是为什么绝对禁令必须保持不可触碰。一旦考虑任何例外，我们所有人都处于风险之中。

在思考远方独裁者的行为时，谴责酷刑很容易。但当我们感到恐惧、愤怒，或者坚信离家更近的特殊情况需要采取特殊措施时，谴责就变得更困难了。然而，一旦基本人权被视为在政治上不方便，我们就处于失去人性的边缘。

英国的记录并非完美，但几代以来，英国一直是全球舞台上反对酷刑的领先发声者。现在，全球范围内的冲突比二战以来任何时候都多，我们必须继续保持警惕。绝对禁令反映了我们国家最好的一些品质。我们必须不惜一切代价去保护和维护它。

我知道那条底线的另一端通向哪里。我曾在那里生活过。那是难以忍受的，且永远无法被证明是正当的。我敦促任何认为酷刑在某些情况下可以接受的人重新考虑。酷刑没有任何正当的情况。

约翰·麦卡锡是“免受酷刑”组织的赞助人

詹姆斯·马里奥特（James Marriott）笔记本

对不起，妈妈，我的成绩单上依然写着：需要改进

周末回到纽卡斯尔，我母亲向我展示了一个鼓囊囊的灰色圆环文件夹。里面装满了我在青少年时期积累的学校报告，一份充满母爱自豪感的档案。她记得她的儿子（正如母亲们通常那样）是一个成绩全优的天使学生。令她惊愕的是，当她打开文件夹时，第一张飘出来的竟然是一张留校察看单：“请詹姆斯·马里奥特在放学后向克拉克先生汇报。”其中有一些鼓励性的评语（我的父亲教我英语，他倾向于对我的人格持积极看法）。但这些报告的基调远非一致的赞美：缺乏组织、注意力分散、不可教。一位老师评论道：“需要克制他那种华丽写作的倾向。”令人不安的是，这些形容词至今仍如此贴切地适用于我。虽然我不像 17 岁时那样混乱——那时我在学校里笨手笨脚，经常走错教室，口袋里飘出碎片纸张——但我仍然很难记住自己应该做什么，或者很难专注于任何我不感兴趣的任务。十五年后，我担心我的成绩单上会写着：依然没有进步。我越来越相信，随着年龄的增长，我们的改变比我们希望或相信的要少。回想起我的校园好友，我想不起任何一个我在 15 岁时认识的人，其成年后的生活会像是一场不可预见的冲击。事实上，我的感觉是，在二十岁出头——当你拥有尝试成为另一个自己的精力和自我怀疑时——之后，大多数人会退回到更像他们青少年时期的习惯和兴趣中。这对我的预兆并不好。

海鸥的力量

我可怜的母亲。她不仅在面对关于她儿子的这个令人幻灭的启示，而且还被一只海鸥绑架了。问题始于她开始给尼尔森（这是给那只海鸥起的名字）喂猫粮袋。他现在巡逻在花园里，等待下一顿晚餐。当他在晚餐时间变得不耐烦时（他在美食方面几乎没有节制感），他会摇摇摆摆地走上露台，不停地用喙敲击法式窗户。这种效果令人胆战心惊。停止他这么做的唯一方法就是拉上窗帘。我们在黑暗中吃了晚餐。

凉爽的北方人

在经历了数周折磨人的伦敦酷暑后，纽卡斯尔这里凉爽得令人心旷神怡。我在青少年时期发誓永远不会搬回北方，但凝视着低垂的云层和铅灰色的海洋，我想我是否过于匆忙了。东北部的气温要文明得多。有多少伦敦人，在像小烤箱一样的公寓里被活活烤熟，开始考虑在纽卡斯尔、爱丁堡或利兹过一种更凉爽的生活？当安迪·伯纳姆在思考如何振兴北方时，我想他是否会将全球变暖考虑在内。所有那些薪酬丰厚的伦敦银行家、管理顾问和律师，都撤退到一个更宜人的气候区。我认为这并非完全是幻想。

英文原著

我正在阅读约翰·考珀·波伊斯（John Cowper Powys）的《沃尔夫·索伦特》（Wolf Solent），这一定是1,200世纪最古怪的经典小说之一。我二十岁出头时第一次读这本书，对其中那些可怜人的记忆挥之不去。我是对的。作者的感触与我所遇到过的任何事物都不同。如何描述它？他的世界是色情的、哥特式的且怪诞的，充满了乱伦的书商、贫困的乡村地主和纯洁的少女。而且（他写作中最出色的特点），他对多塞特郡乡村有一种幻象般的、神秘的感知。这与一种近乎矫揉造作的对英国生活舒适惬意的欣赏交织在一起。尽管有些违背我的理智，但我发现自己被这一切所吸引。这也意味着波伊斯经常写出像这样出人意料的句子：“那是对[那位老书商]痴迷表情的记忆——那种指向宇宙物质的、集中的色情疯狂的表情，正如他从那人布满皱纹的额头下方，透过蓝色的茶盘捕捉到的一样。”在AI时代，我们经常听到关于人类智能中“原创性”重要性的讨论。ICF以优异的成绩通过了考验。你可以让一个大语言模型运行几个世纪，它才可能产生这样一个短语。 --- 25 评论

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费奥奇博士成为国家病灶的替罪羊

一场关于新冠疫情的残酷政治清算将这位自我意识过强的病毒学家置于准星之中——并让各方都愤怒不已 贾斯汀·韦伯（Justin Webb）

两场大流行，两本日志。 来自1665年伦敦大瘟疫期间的塞缪尔·皮普斯（Samuel Pepys）：“今日，违我之愿，我在德鲁里巷看到两三栋房子的门上画着红十字，并写着‘主啊，怜悯我们’。” 而这是美国国家过敏和传染病研究所所长安东尼·费奥奇（Anthony Fauci）博士在2020年新冠疫情蔓延时写道的：“多篇社论（印刷新闻《华盛顿邮报》等）和评论文章（《新闻周刊》）在写我。无法跟进甚至无法全部阅读。国家在特朗普总统任期内需要一个可以仰望的人。有趣的心理动力学。” 皮普斯的同情心与冷静，与费奥奇频繁的轻率自溺之间的对比，在上周被《华尔街日报》资深专栏作家佩吉·努南（Peggy Noonan）注意到。 “皮普斯日记的广度和细节捕捉到了他那个时代，即复辟时期的精神，”她写道。“希望安东尼·费奥奇日记的平庸与自吹自擂不要捕捉到我们的时代。” 平庸与自吹自擂确实存在于费奥奇博士的日志中，他似乎相当愚蠢地将其保存在政府服务器上，结果在出席国会听证会前夕被他的敌人公开。 但现代时代精神的另一个方面，则在上周的国会听证会以及参议院国土安全与政府事务委员会威胁建议以藐视罪起诉他中得到了体现。 那是仇恨。彻底的仇恨。 佩吉·努南对费奥奇博士重新出现在国家舞台上的冷静评价是

平淡与自我吹捧在他（的日志）中确实存在，这很反常，甚至可以说是独一无二。在主流媒体的每一个角落，在社交媒体的每一个角落，在整个国家的每一个角落，每个人对福奇都有看法，而且每个人都愤怒。这种失礼的情绪源自参议院委员会会议室本身：来自俄亥俄州的共和党参议员伯尼·莫雷诺（Bernie Moreno）问道：“你他妈以为你是谁？”，以及，“你对这个国家所做的一切简直是彻底的耻辱。”这是在回应福奇援引第五修正案——这一宪法赋予的脱身之计，允许人们在面临可能的起诉时无需自证其罪。尽管拜登总统在任期最后的一系列行动中，已经为福奇可能犯下的所有罪行颁发了赦免令。而且尽管有些问题并不困难，例如：“你面前的地毯是什么颜色的？”参议员们现在主张，福奇必须回答委员会的质询，因为他受到了赦免令的保护，因此第五修正案不适用。但这并非这位医生及其顾问的观点。在之前基于法律顾问的建议而保持沉默的开场陈词中，福奇直接指出了委员会主席兰德·保罗（Rand Paul）的行为：“我能得出的唯一结论是，他召我来到这个委员会的唯一原因，就是为了让我说出某些话——任何话——从而证明他多次公开承诺的正确性，即用他的原话来说，我最终将‘锒铛入狱’。”福奇今年 85 岁。他为美国医疗卫生事业服务多年。他的支持者——大约占全国人口的一半——将此视为麦卡锡主义的重生；一场揭示现代美国右翼魔怔疯狂的公开审判。他的反对者——大约占全国另一半的人口——认为福奇压制了关于新冠病毒起因的讨论，以保护那些与中国实验室进行肮脏交易的科学家——或者至少认为，他应对那些在他们看来是不必要且有害的封锁措施和疫苗强制令负有鼓励责任。就好像所有关于新冠疫情积压的愤怒都落在了他的肩上。人们因为不愿

必然会爆发一次大爆发，而福奇正感受到其全部威力。疫苗？某些州的学校关闭时间远超合理范围，这是否正确？新冠疫情将美国撕裂得与2008年金融危机一样严重，且威力更大，因为它开启了此前崩溃时期就已经暴露的断层。它将富人、特权阶层、带着挂绳证件且持有常春藤盟校傲慢态度的阶层，与那些必须遮住面孔、服药并尽力在家照顾孩子的穷苦民众对立起来。大爆发迟早会到来，而福奇现在正感受到其全部威力。周四，参议院委员会在投票决定认定福奇藐视国会时陷入党派分歧，最终共和党多数派地实现了其意愿。下一步将交给特朗普总统的司法部，由其考虑是否对其提起指控。许多律师认为，此类起诉最终能否成功高度可疑，但一个简单的事实是，被判定藐视国会的人会被送进监狱。问问总统的前心腹史蒂夫·班农就知道了。无论是否入狱，这次参议院听证会都是国会近年来见过的最令人不快且最恶毒的景象之一。如果你是个乐观主义者，你可以指出，早在1856年，在一次关于奴隶制的争论中，马萨诸塞州的参议员查尔斯·萨姆纳曾称另一名成员为“令人厌恶的、矮胖的、无名的动物……不是一名合格的美国参议员典范”。在营业时间结束时，那位被批评绅士的一名盟友用金属手杖将萨姆纳参议员打得奄奄一息。因此，参议院曾发生过真实的暴力行为，而国家幸存了下来。如果你是个悲观主义者，你可能会指出，在那种长期幸存之前，曾发生过一场内战。贾斯汀·韦伯在BBC Sounds的Americast播客中进行呈现 --- 26

致编辑的信

单性别空间

先生：

继贵报报道的《不屈的议会誓言无视单性别空间新规》（8月6日）之后，我希望关于女性空间的平等与人权委员会指南最终能得到执行。作为一名经常独自旅行的女性，我依赖女性宿舍，但关于“女性”定义却缺乏透明度。这已变得日益成问题。女性没有被告知标准是什么，甚至询问本身就充满压力。各家旅馆连锁店给出的定义混乱不堪：自我认同、生物学、护照标记、《平等法》引用，甚至包括“其他旅行者的同意”。几家旅馆根据我询问对象的不同，给出了不同的答案。没有一家在网站上提供相关信息。当我向监管机构反映这种缺乏透明度的情况时，广告标准局和竞争与市场管理局均表示这超出了其职权范围。简而言之，即使是询问“仅限女性”空间也遭到了阻挠和沉默。强制执行这些空间可能会是一场类似的战斗，这将要求女性变得麻烦、能言善辩、坚持不懈，甚至诉诸法律。我确信我们会这么做的。

埃夫琳·鲍威尔·黑斯廷斯

结束干旱

先生，令人惊讶的是，这次打破纪录的干旱期竟然没有重启关于建设一条将供应充足的北方与干旱的南方连接起来的管道的讨论。目前的普遍看法是，在英国起伏不平的地形中挖掘此类工程过于困难且成本过高。然而，大多数水务公司在其实际管辖区域的边缘地带与邻近公司保持连接，以进行具有成本效益的“补水”；水资源可以通过这种方式，或者可能通过运河系统进行转移。一项全国性的管道计划将赢得选民的兴趣和支持，但这需要历任政府的支持，无论其政党颜色如何。一个在规定时间内且在预算范围内成功完成的项目（诚然需要许多年时间），或许可以用来抹除人们对 HS2 那场灾难的任何记忆。

约翰·牛顿 肯特郡，威特沙姆

致《泰晤士报》的信件必须是独家的，并可能经过编辑。请附上详细地址和日间联系电话。

更正与澄清

受监管

《泰晤士报》严肃对待有关编辑内容的投诉。我们致力于遵守独立新闻标准组织（"IPSO"）的规则、条例以及 IPSO 执行的《编辑实践准则》。更正或澄清请求应通过电子邮件发送至 feedback@thetimes.co.uk，或通过邮寄发送至 Feedback, The Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

剽窃争议教授辞职

先生，在罗杰·莫西（Roger Mosey）于8月6日发表的《阿尔代事件是剑桥大学的乌龙球》一文中，他告诉我们，在2013年，剑桥大学的学生群体“与现代英国相比，白人比例过高”。他判定这是一个“问题”，大概是因为他认为这不公正。十三年后，他热情地报告称，剑桥大学新招收的英国本科生中有35%来自少数族裔，其中经济学专业的学生占58%，医学专业的学生占66%。然而，根据政府统计数据，黑人和少数族裔在总人口中的比例为18%。如果目前的这种不成比例同样是不公正的，那么一定是因为非白人英国人的受教育程度普遍远高于白人。但如果这是不公正的，那只能是因为非白人申请者被不公平地优先录取，而更好的白人申请者则被排除在外。 比格尔勋爵（Lord Biggar） 上议院

先生，罗杰·莫西在他那篇出色的文章中反思了他当选剑桥大学平等、多样性和包容性委员会成员时的经历。最值得注意的是，他恳请同事们不要只关注少数族裔，还要关注那些在录取中同样被公认为被忽视的人群：白人年轻工人阶级子弟，尤其是男孩。他试图强调这一担忧的尝试显然遭到了蔑视，并立即被懒惰地贴上“法拉奇（Farage）式语言”的标签。他的经历与我多年来的经历完全共鸣，在我的经历中，即便提出这个问题也是“禁忌”，且显然被视为“极右翼政治思维”。现在无疑是耶稣学院和剑桥大学公开其最新录取统计数据的时候了，不仅要公开少数族裔的入学数据，还要公开英国弱势青年群体中最大群体之一的数据：白人工人阶级男孩。 彼得·P·爱德华兹教授（Professor Peter P Edwards） FRS 格洛斯特郡，莫顿马什

先生，杰森·阿尔代教授曾是剑桥大学耶稣学院的院士，这并不令人惊讶。耶稣学院的校友们越来越担心我们的母校近年来所采取的方向。曾经装饰在食堂里的贝宁青铜器被送回了尼日利亚；学院的中国中心被一些人视为中国共产党的传声筒；校友们不得不采取法律行动，以阻止从学院礼拜堂移除拉斯塔特纪念碑（Rustat Memorial）。现任学院领导层已使这个古老而光荣的机构成为了“美德信号”式觉醒主义（virtue-signalling wokery）的代名词。除非他们被更换，否则我们中的许多人将修改遗嘱。 弗朗西斯·鲍恩（Francis Bown） 伦敦 E3

先生，你们报道（新闻，8月6日）称剑桥大学将调查杰森·阿尔代教授的资历和荣誉任命。如果在其任命之前履行这一基本职责，或许能让剑桥大学免于巨大的尴尬和嘲笑。 彼得·兰托斯教授（Professor Peter Lantos） 伦敦 NW1

先生，如果杰森·阿尔代教授的回忆录最终出版，这将给剑桥大学及其他地方的图书馆员带来一个难题。这本书应该被编入小说类还是非小说类目录？ 大卫·斯坦利（David Stanley） 伦敦 SW6

公民画廊

先生，迈克尔·戴利（Michael Daley）称国家美术馆的公民议会是“疯了”（见《评论者称：画廊公民分不清艺术与肘部》，8月4日）。一个随机选择、具有人口统计代表性的50人小组，在经过充分简报并获得审议时间后，并不会排挤专业知识。相反，公民议会将所有相关专家的知识——包括策展人，以及像戴利先生这样的艺术评论家——与美术馆旨在服务的民众置于对话之中。正如贵刊文章所述，伯明翰博物馆信托基金（Birmingham Museums Trust）也召集了一个公民议会来重启其战略。该举措取得了成功。该信托基金的共同首席执行官萨拉·瓦吉德（Sara Wajid）表示，£65,000的投资直接带来了强有力的新想法、更高的访客数量以及资助者更强的信心。如果投入£250,000来扩大谁能塑造我们的国家美术馆在评论家看来过于奢侈，那么我建议计算一下完全不询问公众的代价——即相关性的下降和访客的减少。 露西·里德（Lucy Reid） DemocracyNext 首席战略官

提前释放的缺陷

先生，虽然政府在服刑一半后可获释放的囚犯类别上做出转向是受欢迎的，但将因过失导致紧急救援人员死亡而被监禁的人排除在外则不然（见《杀人犯而非强奸犯将获提前释放》，8月4日；信件，8月5日）。。决定排除这一小类人群，要么是政府缺乏想象力，要么是部长们对警察和其他紧急工作人员的轻视，引用过去多位部长的原话，这些人“在他人逃离危险时奔向危险”。此外，在1990年代期间（至少）有两次，一些内政部囚犯（即那些应被关押在监狱中的人）被安置在警察拘留室中。我们和其他警力关闭了一些用于拘留被拘留者的拘留室综合体，转而安置那些被认为低风险或在候审期间的内政部囚犯。我很惊讶这个选项尚未被研究以协助解决容量问题。 鲍勃·帕蒂森（Bob Pattison） 北安伯兰警察局（Northumbria Police）总警监（退休），诺森伯兰郡，贝德灵顿

祖母最大化

先生，杰克·伯克（Jack Burke）是对的，我们应该赞美我们的祖母，就像意大利人欣赏他们的nonnas一样（见《Nonna-maxxing！为什么我们不赞美英国的奶奶？》，Times2，8月5日）。我的祖母玛丽（Marie）出生于1900年，是以音乐厅明星玛丽·劳埃德（Marie Lloyd）的名字命名的。相比之下，她很严肃，有时很可怕。尽管由于她父亲的银行职业而富有，但她一生都保持节俭。例如，当衬衫领子磨薄时，她会将其拆下，反过来，然后用一台电动胜家（Singer）缝纫机将其缝回去。她还给我看了她用来给后花园养的鸡砍头的刀。她这样做是因为她的儿子和丈夫下不去手。 格雷厄姆·阿申（Graham Ashen） 西萨塞克斯郡，霍舍姆

我们的海滩、森林、小径——尽是污秽

《泰晤士报》 2026年8月7日

本周因在芬斯伯里公园（Finsbury Park）乱扔碎纸而被处以罚款，这令人满意，但就此而言，伦敦的问题相对较小且简单。在上个周末，散落在英国海滩和其他度假胜地的垃圾，对于一个自称文明的国家来说是一种耻辱。那些较为僻静的地点，如森林、小径和原野，被留下的状态同样令那些了解并热爱这片土地的体面之人感到厌恶。而在这些既没有潮汐也没有官方清洁工清理的地方，这种侵害将长期存在。

出于宽容，让我们试着相信，那些对自己声称享受的环境做出这种暴行的人，天性并非肮脏或恶意。突然之间，通过长途汽车和私家车，他们获得了在乡村自由活动的可能；或许不能指望他们知道在那里应该如何表现。如果一个路过的陌生人在他们新车的漆面上划燃火柴，或者通过他们的客厅窗户倾倒一桶脏水，他们会非常愤怒。他们对自己的财产持有恰当的自豪感。正是因为无知而产生的粗鄙自私，让他们用垃圾玷污了与他人共享的环境。

这种恶习增长如此之快，必须立即从根源上予以打击。立法能带来的希望微乎其微。除了像伦敦公园这样的地方，惩罚乱扔垃圾的人可能是不可能的——因为他们显然占据了人口中如此庞大的比例。其中的成年人必须被视为无可救药。真正的希望在于儿童。教育部门不遗余力地向学生灌输个人卫生的重要性：而关注他们应当自豪的土地的清洁同样重要。如果小学里的孩子们能被教会这种清洁意识，那么他们很有可能通过清理部分垃圾的实际行动，将这种意识传达给他们的父母。而如果父母已经无法被教育，那么未来的新一代或许仍有希望，他们将因为在接受美与幸福的同时却留下污秽与污染而感到羞愧。

年轻女性使用行走杖

先生： 作为一名拥有42年医疗经验的退休全科医生，我对凯瑟琳·斯托克（Kathleen Stock）的洞察（《为什么年轻女性使用行走杖？》，评论，8月6日）表示赞赏。显然，她所描述的诸如纤维肌痛和慢性疲劳综合征等病症，受到多种生理、心理和社会因素的影响。让我印象深刻的是大约20年前一名罗马尼亚全科医生培训生在讨论上述病症时发表的评论。他说：“这些病症在罗马尼亚并不存在。”在他看来，这是因为病假津贴几乎不存在，而必须工作的现实防止了症状的滚雪球式恶化。人们普遍认为，纤维肌痛的部分问题在于体能下降，即不活动导致活动变得痛苦，从而陷入恶化循环。也许他的观点有道理？ 格雷厄姆·威斯 (Graham Weese) 多塞特郡，布罗德斯通

先生： 我敢猜测，凯瑟琳·斯托克在文章中描述的许多现象与一种“错失感”有关。一个向某些边缘群体支付并给予关注的社会（这通常是令人钦佩的），会让其他人觉得自己在被遗忘。那些认为自己被遗忘的人选择发展出自己的残疾，在这种情况下就是使用行走杖的年轻女性。人们越早意识到他们可以追求并掌控自己的命运，就越不会倾向于通过自我诊断疾病，以希望因此获得回报。 凯瑟琳·巴顿 (Katharine Barton) 米德尔塞克斯郡，汉普顿

也许凯瑟琳·斯托克不应如此快地批评使用行走杖的年轻女性。据估计有200万人患有长新冠，其中很大一部分是女性，而在数十种症状中，长新冠影响着平衡能力和能量水平。如果她们试图尝试回归接近正常的生活，并将助行设备视为时尚配件而非纯粹的功能性物品，这对她们来说是好事。 凯瑟琳·希克曼 (Catherine Hickman) 伦敦 W8

养老院补贴

继伊恩·赫普沃斯（Ian Hepworth）的来信（8月6日）之后，我的母亲在过去两年中在养老院得到了专业的照顾。她完全由自费承担，通过出售房屋来支付护理费用。这是她的钱，我想不出有什么比在晚年能够安全、温暖且饮食良好更好的消费方式了（她今年95岁）。读到她辛苦工作和积攒的钱可能被用来补贴那些不支付护理费用的人，这令人心碎。 莎伦·坦顿 (Sharon Tanton) 肯特郡，丰布什

星级吸引力

关于用威尔士语重新发行《星球大战》（新闻，8月5日）的话题，《帝国反击战》（来信，8月6日）的续集可以是《援助回归》（Return of the Aid）（谐音梗）。 加里·鲁姆菲特 (Gary Rumfitt) 达勒姆

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每日通用登记

皇家爱丁堡军乐节开幕，将持续至8月29日；爱丁堡国际艺术节和边缘艺术节开幕。

自然笔记

世界上最大的燕鸥物种正在约克郡度假。里海燕鸥拥有巨大的红嘴、杂乱的黑色冠羽以及超过4英尺的翼展，在诺斯特菲尔德自然保护区引起了相当大的轰动。这种食鱼鸟在高空盘旋，直到发现鱼鳍或鳞片的闪光，然后俯冲而下。一次极尽优雅的俯冲以一声巨大的水响结束。正如其名，里海燕鸥远离家乡：这些鸟确实在里海筑巢。实际上，它们的分布很广。据估计，全球种群数量仅在240,000和470,000只之间，该物种分布在除南极洲以外的每个大洲。极少数游牧个体在夏季访问英国。 乔纳森·图洛克 (JONATHAN TULLOCH)

今日生日

Dominic Cork（如图），板球运动员，英格兰队 (1995-2002)，55岁；Roger Boyes，《泰晤士报》外交编辑兼专栏作家，74岁；Greg Chappell，板球运动员，澳大利亚队队长 (1975-77, 1979-84)，78岁；Brian Conley，演艺人员，《布莱恩·康利秀》主持人 (1992-95, 2000-02)，演员，《东区东区》(EastEnders) (2021-25)，65岁；Bruce Dickinson，歌手，铁娘子乐队 (Iron Maiden)，《Piece of Mind》(1983)，兼 airliner 飞行员，68岁；David Duchovny，演员，《X档案》(The X-Files) (1993-2002, 2015-16, 2018)，66岁；Giorgetto Giugiaro，设计师，大众高尔夫第一代 (Volkswagen Golf MkI) 和 DMC DeLorean，88岁；Sigfried Held，足球运动员，西德队 (1966-73)，84岁；Lauren Hemp，足球运动员，曼城女足 (Manchester City WFC) 和英格兰队，26岁；Harry Hyman，Primary Health Properties 创始人兼董事长，国际歌剧奖创始人，70岁；Garrison Keillor，作家，《Lake Wobegon Days》(1985) 及广播员，84岁；Sir Andrew Large，英格兰银行副行长 (2002-06)，84岁；Zane Lowe，广播及电视节目主持人，53岁；Dame Sarah MacIntosh，英国驻联合国纽约代表团大使兼常驻代表，57岁；Seema Malhotra，工党 (合作社) 议员，代表 Feltham & Heston 选区，54岁；Matthew Parris，《泰晤士报》专栏作家，广播员及保守党议员 (1979-86)，77岁；Dame Anne Richards，Coults and Evelyn Partners (私人银行及财富管理) 董事长，62岁；Alain Robert，自由攀岩者，被称为“法国蜘蛛侠”，64岁；Nick Ross，《Crimewatch》(1984-2007) 主持人，79岁；Alexei Savle，喜剧演员，《The Young Ones》(1982-84)，74岁；Michael Shannon，演员，《纽伦堡》(Nuremberg) (2025)，52岁；Sir Michael Smurfit，Smurfit Kappa Group 董事长 (2005-07)，90岁；Sir Richard Sykes，微生物学家，英国皇家学会 (Royal Institution) 董事长 (2010-22)，84岁；Charlize Theron，女演员，《奥德赛》(The Odyssey) (2026)，51岁；Jimmy Wales，维基百科 (Wikipedia) 共同创始人 (2001)，60岁；Adam and Simon Yates，公路及场地赛自行车运动员，34岁。

历史上的今天

1947年，托尔·海尔达尔 (Thor Heyerdahl) 的 Kon-Tiki 号木筏抵达波利尼西亚，证明了 1854 年之前的南美船只有可能抵达这些岛屿。

最后一言

“如果我们希望改变孩子身上的某些东西，我们应该首先审视自己，看看这些东西是否更应该在我们自己身上改变。” —— 卡尔·荣格 (Carl Jung)，瑞士心理学家，《Vom Werden der Persönlichkeit》（《人格的发展》） (1932)

大学挑战

杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）在被指控剽窃和做出虚假陈述后辞去了剑桥大学教授的职务，这一事件使学术审查和严谨性成为了关注焦点。

有一个老笑话是说，学术政治之所以如此激烈，是因为其赌注太低。然而，虽然这个俏皮话在餐后演讲中可能会引起苦笑，但它并不完全正确。在剑桥大学教育社会学教授杰森·阿尔代的情况下，这一点尤其不正确。他在周三辞职，此前其学术成果的真实性以及其个人主张的夸张程度都受到了日益严厉的审查。在这里，赌注确实非常高。

当剑桥大学在2023年任命阿尔代先生担任讲席教授时，该大学大张旗鼓地宣传了这一举动。其网站称，他是一位“在种族、不平等和教育领域备受尊敬的学者”，并且是“有史以来被任命为剑桥大学教授的最年轻黑人”。该公告强调了他为了攀登学术顶峰而克服的众多障碍，包括经济劣势、种族偏见和自闭症诊断。

在现代era，在社交媒体的推动下，一个强大的个人故事经常被个人和雇主用作成功的途径——但这绝不应高于工作本身。

当7月份出现阿尔代先生剽窃其博士论文部分内容的指控时，剑桥大学起初将其描述为一场“旨在破坏其公信力的卑劣活动”。更早之前，在2月份，《高等教育时报》（Times Higher Education）的记者杰克·格罗夫（Jack Grove）曾收到大都会警察局的警告，要求其停止联系阿尔代先生。据称，他的询问——包括三封礼貌的电子邮件和一封信函——影响了这位教授的心理健康。格罗夫先生不仅在寻求关于剽窃指控的澄清（这些指控是由其他学术人员提供线索引发的），还针对阿尔代先生关于慈善活动的惊人主张寻求澄清。其中包括一项声称在六天内跑了600英里的主张，这一壮举在其他地方未得到证实。

自那时起，更多的情况浮出水面，似乎揭露了这位教授与客观真理之间模糊的关系，包括关于客座教授职位的虚假主张，以及一本实际上从未出版的书籍的作者身份。

剑桥大学和阿尔代先生所属的耶稣学院现在都承诺进行调查。但一个令人不安的画面已经显现。这是一家大学在为其中一个最高职位审查候选人时，似乎抛弃了严谨性，同时传播一个——即便在开始时——就有部分内容需要进一步调查的个人叙事。

例如，在阿尔代先生经过验证的作品集中，究竟有什么内容能真正支持剑桥大学教育学院院长希拉里·克雷明（Hilary Cremin）教授在2023年给予的赞誉，称“就你所从事的研究而言，你是世界上最优秀的”？

那些持有疑虑的学术人员显然没有地方可以表达，否则会给自己的职业生涯带来风险，因此他们转而依赖向一名同样受到警方调查的记者提供简报。这就是旨在照亮我们大学的无畏探究精神的现状。

这种为了追求引人入胜的叙事而忽视客观事实的现象，正日益困扰着左右两派的政治格局。此前，出版业也曾因此引发丑闻，但在本案例中，其对体制产生的影响更为严重。此事件损害了剑桥大学的世界级声誉。通过如此迅速且不加批判地提拔阿尔代先生，同时大肆宣传其种族身份，此举还损害了教育社会学的声誉，并给许多拥有扎实且令人钦佩的学术成果的黑人学者带来了更多困难。而且，随着学生在离开大学时背负着平均 £50,000 的债务，这引发了人们对他们所接受的教学质量的担忧。任何调查都不能仅止于查明关于阿尔代先生的事实，还必须对将其推向高位的相关人员和流程进行深刻且严肃的反思。

自找麻烦

公共机构不能拒绝执行最高法院关于生物学性别的裁决。

南德比郡的工党议员萨曼莎·尼布莱特（Samantha Niblett）在今年早些时候发起了一场教育活动，号召公众参与“性之夏”，从而引起了关注。尽管她接受了所谓“性议员”的绰号，但尼布莱特女士对其所选主题的生物学基础的理解之匮乏令人不安。在一段发布在社交媒体上的视频中（该视频是在她于泳池边躺椅上晒太阳时录制的），这位后座议员抨击了平等与人权委员会（EHRC）出台的旨在保护单性别空间中女性的指南。她说，该指南只造成了“更多的分裂和仇恨”：“它所做的就是否定跨性别者的生活经验”。

尼布莱特女士的言论使其形象极其糟糕。EHRC 的执业准则于周三正式生效，为面向公众的组织提供了关于如何遵守法律的实用建议。去年 4 月，最高法院确认，对英国平等法的解释要求将“男人”和“女人”等词汇按照其普通的生物学含义来理解。这意味着，专为女性保留的洗手间、更衣室、强奸危机中心和医院病房不得向男性开放，无论其性别认同如何。在试图诋毁 EHRC 准则的过程中，尼布莱特女士不仅将自己置于与女性权利相对立的境地，而且与英国最高法院所解释的国土法律相悖。

不幸的是，尼布莱特女士并非唯一一个在作秀的人。许多工党中偏左翼的议员发现很难接受最高法院的决定。布伦特东区的议员道恩·巴特勒（Dawn Butler）试图通过议会的一项早期动议来阻止 EHRC 的准则，而诺丁汉东区的议员纳迪亚·惠特莫尔（Nadia Whitmore）则支持由命名不当的良好法律计划（Good Law Project）领导的一项司法审查，旨在阻挠法律的实施。负责确保 EHRC 指南得到执行的部长布里奇特·菲利普森（Bridget Phillipson）自己在将其提交议会时犹豫了太久。

既然法律已经明确，女性有权拥有女性专属空间应当成为一个定论。工党的议员们需要跟上进度。

遗憾的是，对 EHRC 指南的抵制远不止于议会。本报昨日报道，几个左翼议会正在协调尝试抵制执行平等法。在的一封联名信中，六个伦敦自治区的代表将 EHRC 的准则贴上“有害”的标签，并表示他们的工作人员不会被强制执行该准则。布里斯托尔市议会也表示，其女性服务将继续在“认同为跨性别的男性可以进入”这一非法基础上运行。令人震惊的是，英格兰国民医疗服务体系（NHS England）尚未更新其关于单性别服务的内部政策，也未说明何时更新。英国全国学生会则走得更远，制作了指导成员如何“抵制”法律的资料。

政府必须谴责这种破坏性的作秀。遗憾的是，正如该委员会前主席法尔克纳男爵夫人（Baroness Falkner）最近强调的那样，EHRC 匮乏的资金意味着它无法确保自己的指南得到妥善遵守。这项责任往往落在普通女性的基层组织身上，她们自费团结起来，挑战违规的公共机构和议会。这些活动人士可能希望争取权利的斗争已经结束；她们不应该再等待更久。

饮酒之乐

将酒精销售限制在就座顾客身上将是愚蠢的清教徒主义

“事实很简单，”克里斯托弗·希钦斯在多年前写道，“那就是它让其他人，乃至生活本身，变得没那么无聊。”他指的是社交饮酒的乐趣，而他正是这方面的专家。遗憾的是，威斯敏斯特市议会似乎并不了解这些乐趣，其执照政策草案建议“引入措施以减少或消除‘垂直饮酒’的机会”。通过这个奇怪的新词，议会是指站着喝酒。与古往今来的清教徒精神一致，该草案政策据称是通过遏制醉酒来服务于公共利益。在实践中，这是一个不必要的法令。它将阻碍不伤害任何人的纯粹享受，损害商业，并使伦敦中心地带对游客而言变得不再那么有吸引力。

该议会的管辖范围包括西区。该地区是旅游业的磁石，以文化和美食闻名。情况并非一直如此。一代人之前，距离国家美术馆和英国国家歌剧院仅一步之遥的苏豪区（Soho）曾是肮脏、成人用品店和卖淫的代名词。如今该地区已然蜕变。其狭窄的街道现在坐落着出色的餐厅和热情 welcoming 的酒吧。至于认为通过防止顾客自由交流能进一步提升该地区的观点，委婉地说，缺乏证据支持。

没有人怀疑休闲部门必须在规则框架内运行。如果能审慎地采用，监管可以让夜晚的出行成为每个人更愉快的体验。不到 20 年前，英格兰和威尔士的酒吧及餐厅还允许吸烟；很少有人感叹其消失。将社交饮酒者引导至桌边服务并非此类方法。其设计初衷将是隔离群体而非融合群体。这是一种对快感的惩罚，被构思成一种官僚主义的执念（idée fixe）。这绝非英国人的方式。

--- 28 # 世界

乌克兰士兵被诱导至死

Mykyta Orlykivskyi 的网络恋情以一份中毒威士忌的“礼物”告终，Jack Clover 在日托米尔报道

这名年轻的士兵被发现瘫在公寓的阳台上，脉搏微弱。桌上放着一瓶烈酒和一把瑞士军刀。在医院里，医生说他试图自杀。他用最后一丝力气试图告诉他们，他们错了。

“我走到[他的床边]问他：‘你为什么要对自己这样做？’”他的姑姑含泪回忆道。“他听到了我的话。他无法说话，但他摇了摇头。就像他想告诉我某些事情一样。”

在俄罗斯间谍的指使下，一名被该士兵称为爱人的女性将其诱导至死亡。

Mykyta Orlykivskyi 第一次告诉家人他遇到了某人是在 4 月。他的姑姑 Tetiana Apalko，53 岁，在日托米尔（一座距离前线数百英里的城市）的一张公园长椅上讲述了他的故事，手里紧握着她死去的侄子的照片。

一名女性通过 Telegram 即时通讯应用直接联系了他。她说她在一个约会软件上看到了一个来自日托米尔的 Mykyta，并且很喜欢他，询问他是否就是那个男人。Orlykivskyi，23 岁，并没有使用任何约会软件，但他感到很受宠若惊，并继续了对话。

两人交换了信息和照片。她告诉他他们“如此相似”，并且她对他产生了好感。当被问及是否是士兵时，Orlykivskyi 上传了一张自己穿着制服的照片，肩膀上贴着一面新西兰国旗的臂章。这张照片是在 2024 年初他在英国接受军事训练时拍摄的，就像在他之前的数千名乌克兰士兵一样。

“对于俄罗斯安全部门来说，这就是他确实是一名士兵的证明，”Apalko 说。“他们不需要其他任何东西了。”

在 Orlykivskyi 的手机中，这名女性仅被保存为“Rodnaya”，在俄语中意为“亲爱的”或“宝贝”。她用 AI 编辑的图像进行回复，在这些图像中，她出现在同一片英国森林中拥抱他。

这名女性构建了一个令人信服的背景故事。她 30 岁，住在哈尔科夫。她的公寓被炮击，她进出医院。她的哥哥甚至在为乌克兰而战。

“当他第一次告诉我们关于她的事情时，我说：‘听着，如果她是个好女孩，为什么不和她聊聊呢？’” 回忆道。“我[甚至]说，‘如果炮击那么严重，她为什么不来我们这里住一段时间’。”

这名女性声称，在处理与公寓被炸相关的文书工作期间，她无法离开哈尔科夫。与此同时， 看着她的侄子陷入爱河。两人通过信息和视频通话聊了两个月，他们会详细讨论两人多么热爱动物和烹饪。

“我甚至注意到他有了积极的变化，” 回忆道。“她[似乎]对他产生了良好的影响。”

目睹了他们的一些视频通话。当时没有任何事情显得可疑。那个黑发女人确实是真实的，她讲俄语而不是乌克兰语，但这在哈尔科夫很常见。然而，在她身后，背景始终是同一面白墙。

到 5 月底，他们约定见面。

“我很快就会去找你，”那名女性写道。然而在约定的日期，她说由于证件问题，她必须推迟行程。目前，她将改为寄一份礼物。

6 月 3 日星期三上午 10 点， 突然接到一个电话。一名据称来自“执法部门”——极有可能是乌克兰情报部门——的女性询问她最近是否见过她的侄子，因为她担心他可能已经死了。

到下午 1 点， 在朋友的帮助下，破开了侄子公寓的门。

“我们冲了进去。他坐在阳台上，已经失去了意识，我开始尖叫，”她说。

他接受了心肺复苏（CPR）并被送往

医院。医生告诉她，他服用了毒药。“我不明白。我以为也许是他自杀了，”阿帕尔科说。“然后我想也许是药物过量……但他根本不吸毒。”那天晚上，一名自称是“来自哈尔科夫的米基塔的女友”的女性给阿帕尔科打了电话。她的声音似乎比阿帕尔科在与侄子进行视频通话时听到的那个女人更粗糙，且没有提供姓名。她声称由于奥尔利基夫斯基没有回复她的消息，她很担心他的安危。在听到他的情况后，她假装很震惊，并在第二天再次打电话。周五，当地电视台关于另一起案件的报道似乎揭示了奥尔利基夫斯基身上可能发生的事情。一名来自附近贝尔迪切夫镇的17岁女孩因涉嫌受俄罗斯安全部门指使，毒害一名27岁的乌克兰士兵而被拘留。乌克兰当局表示，她在Telegram上寻找“快钱”工作后被招募。她的上线起初让她担任毒品快递员进行测试，随后要求她接近一名乌克兰士兵。她在网上找到了一个，两人最终在日托米尔市中心租了一套公寓。“他离开她去商店买酒，”该市警察局的高级调查员奥列格·拉基齐尤克告诉《泰晤士报》。“她在Telegram上给[她的上线]打电话解释了情况。士兵带着两瓶干邑白兰地回来了。”他们举杯共饮。“但在其中一瓶中，她已经加入了美沙酮，”拉基齐尤克说。该士兵死亡。看到新闻后，阿帕尔科的女儿给她打了电话。“她说，‘妈，这不可能是自杀……有些不对劲。去报警吧’。”周六，侦探搜查了奥尔利基夫斯基的公寓，并在他的笔记本电脑上发现了这一连串的消息。他的姑姑说，这些消息显示，在他被认为饮下毒药的时间前后，他的“亲爱的”给他打了视频电话。该女性在他发病前挂断了电话，但他很快给一名朋友发了一张威士忌的照片和一条消息：“这是什么东西？我才喝了三小杯就……快死了。”侦探告诉阿帕尔科，此案具有俄罗斯联邦安全局（FSB）的特征。他的笔记本电脑、手机、威士忌瓶、一把可疑的刀和一只礼品袋被作为证据带走。“我震惊了，”她说。她的电话再次响起，“米基塔的米基塔·奥尔利基夫斯基在一张AI编辑的图像中，与他在网上认识的参与谋杀他的阴谋的女性在一起；上方是身穿制服的奥尔利基夫斯基，下方是被毒害的乌克兰士兵的照片。左下方是塔蒂亚娜·阿帕尔科，她对侄子的死亡仍有未解之谜女孩”在询问情况。侦探告诉她这次不要接听。他说，对方是在给她的上线打电话，确认任务已完成。奥尔利基夫斯基于6月9日周二早上6点左右死亡。侦探推测，米基塔的“亲爱的”并没有亲自寄给他那瓶有毒的威士忌。相反，一名来自乌克兰中部波尔塔瓦的19岁男子在Telegram上被招募，负责将毒药注入瓶中并将包裹邮寄到奥尔利基夫斯基的公寓，作为回报，他获得了5,000格里夫纳——约£80。“一个

克里姆林宫虚假信息“抹黑法国选举候选人”

查尔斯·布雷姆纳（Charles Bremner）巴黎报道

法国指责俄罗斯针对明年春季总统选举的两名竞争者发起虚假信息抹黑活动。安全官员表示，格鲁乌（GRU）军事情报局的网络战部门是这些虚假新闻报道的幕后黑手，旨在诋毁前中右翼总理爱德华·菲利普（Edouard Philippe）以及与中左翼社会党结盟的公共广场党（Place Publique Party）领导人拉斐尔·格鲁克斯曼（Raphaël Glucksmann）。

55岁的菲利普成为了一场协调一致的社交媒体活动的攻击目标，一些法语账号虚假地声称他患有脑部疾病。在一次更为复杂的行动中，过去一周出现了一个法国新闻网站的伪造版本、一段深度伪造视频以及一批法国社交媒体账号，旨在推行一项主张，称46岁的格鲁克斯曼的伴侣向左翼媒体提供贿赂以支持他。

勒阿弗尔市市长菲利普在民调中排名第二，仅次于极右翼国民联盟领导人玛丽娜·勒庞（Marine Le Pen）。根据一些早期民调，他目前是唯一能击败她的候选人。选举将于4月举行。格鲁克斯曼是温和左翼选民的首选候选人，在总统投票意向中排名第三，尽管预计他本月才会正式宣布参选。

马克龙总统和总理塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔努（Sébastien Lecornu）警告称，由格鲁乌领导的俄罗斯情报部门正在升级一场混合战争行动，他们自2017年起就在法国开展此类行动，旨在影响选举并破坏国家稳定。

37岁的前总理加布里埃尔·阿塔尔（Gabriel Attal）在选举中竞争中右翼领导地位，他的团队表示，据告知，他一直受到“源自俄罗斯以及与俄罗斯中央政府相关机构的外国干预行动”的影响。虽然没有提供进一步细节，但安全部门表示此次攻击的影响相对较低。

部长们上周下令驱逐克谢尼娅·费多罗娃（Xenia Fedorova），她是一名俄罗斯宣传员，已成为由亿万富翁工业家转变为媒体大亨的文森特·博洛雷（Vincent Bolloré）旗下右翼新闻机构的明星评论员。政府表示，她不是记者，而是“为克里姆林宫工作的影响力代理人”。

在伪造的Blast新闻网站上关于格鲁克斯曼的虚假报道中，包含了一封据称来自格鲁克斯曼伴侣、法国2台（France 2）主新闻主播莱亚·萨拉梅（Léa Salamé）的伪造电子邮件。该邮件向调查网站Mediapart的编辑埃德威·普莱内尔（Edwy Plenel）提供€50,000。

法国在识别其认为试图通过虚假信息和实体行动煽动分歧以破坏国家稳定的俄罗斯机构方面，变得异常明确。

勒科尔努在6月表示：“俄罗斯对总统竞选的操纵威胁将是巨大的。”

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29 大都会博物馆向“热爱希特勒”的设计师授予荣誉 第31页 特朗普因导弹危机“痛斥海格塞斯” 第32页

在俄罗斯的“美人计”中

用5,000格里夫纳买一条人命，”阿帕尔科说道。“如果他当时直接给我打电话，我当场就会给他10,000 [格里夫纳]。”据信，该女子联系奥尔利基夫斯基时并非来自哈尔科夫，而是来自被俄罗斯占领的顿涅茨克地区。调查人员告诉阿帕尔科，该女子被认为是一名监狱囚犯，这可以解释背景中的墙壁。警方无法证实这一点，并表示调查仍在进行中。当《泰晤士报》拨打尼基塔的“亲爱的”的电话号码时，线路已断。谜团依然存在。为什么奥尔利基夫斯基在被毒杀的三天前，在Instagram快拍上发布了一张照片，照片中有一瓶威士忌、一把直插在桌上的刀、他打开的笔记本电脑屏幕，背景中播放着一首名为《我是女皇》（I am the Imperatrix）的AI生成歌曲？为什么根据阿帕尔科的说法，在她破门而入询问邻居这里是否住着一个“瘾君子”之前的几刻，有一个男人来到了他的公寓？为什么俄罗斯联邦安全局（FSB）在女子监狱中招募人员，而这些女性得到了什么回报？据乌克兰安全局（SBU）称，今年乌克兰已挫败了50起通过虚假约会谋杀其士兵的企图。成功的暗杀企图数量尚不清楚。“SBU记录到，俄罗斯特勤部门利用所谓的‘美人计’手段清除乌克兰军人的企图显著增加，”该局本周宣布。简易爆炸装置是最常用的手段。1月，一名女子邀请一名士兵在扎波罗热的一个工业区约会。但一名戴着巴拉克拉法帽的男子突然跳出，在SBU赶到现场前将其刺了六刀。在其他案例中，投毒很常见。两名少女被指控在1月用美沙酮毒杀一名士兵，然后将其死亡过程拍成视频交给她们的FSB上线。4月，在乌克兰西部的乌日霍罗德，一名来自扎波罗热的26岁女性被指控从一名士兵的手机中窃取信息，将其毒杀并使其死亡看起来像是自然死亡，以换取俄罗斯间谍提供的$1,000。此外，还出现过乌克兰平民女性或情报人员在Tinder等约会软件上通过“虚假身份”诱骗俄罗斯士兵，以泄露其位置或将其诱入无人机火力范围的案例。奥尔利基夫斯基在14岁时失去了母亲，父亲在几年后去世。他曾与阿帕尔科及其丈夫共同生活了一段时间，然后搬到敖德萨与祖母同住。大学毕业后，他志愿参军。阿帕尔科曾试图说服招募人员不要带走他。“他没有父母。他还是个孩子，”她说。招募人员回答说他已经是成年人，并且已经做出了选择。他在休假期间被杀，当时他正试图办理退伍手续，以便成为当时身体不适的祖母的护理员。“他的整个生命才刚刚开始。他一直想要孩子，”她说。“这太冷酷了。她怎么可能一边向他表白爱情……一边一直知道自己将要谋杀他？”

莱比锡无人机“瞄准携带弹药的飞机”

德国 Tom Parfitt

昨日披露，在莱比锡机场被怀疑为自杀式无人机攻击目标的一架乌克兰飞机携带了军事弹药货物，这加剧了人们对莫斯科是此次事件幕后主使的担忧。包括《南德意志报》在内的多家新闻机构揭露了该飞机载荷的性质，这进一步支持了德国方面的断言，即周三的事件代表了“一个新级别的威胁”。

萨克森州警方此前表示，在一名员工于夜间在乌克兰安东诺夫货机附近的禁区地面发现一架四旋翼无人机后，莱比锡-哈勒机场部署了机器人。航班随即被暂停，无人机上携带的爆炸装置的雷管被移除。警方随后进行了受控爆破。

伦敦国王学院安全研究教授彼得·诺伊曼（Peter Neumann）将其描述为一次升级。他说：“多年来我们一直知道德国上空有可疑的无人机飞行。然而，一架配备爆炸装置和雷管的无人机代表了严重程度的新级别。”

自普京总统在2022年2月发动对乌克兰的全规模入侵以来，欧洲各地虽有数十起疑似俄罗斯无人机入侵的报告，但大多数与监视和一般干扰有关，而非明显的试图打击军事目标的行为。

在周三一起独立但可能相关的事件中，一架DHL货机在因发现无人机而从莱比锡机场分流时撞击到了一个物体。警方昨日一直在搜寻该碰撞产生的碎片。该飞机受损轻微，并在另一座机场安全降落。

莱比锡机场的货运航站楼是欧洲最大的航站楼之一，在向乌克兰供应物资方面发挥着重要作用。北约的战略空运国际解决方案（Salis）计划使用驻扎在那里的安东诺夫飞机运输武器和其他重型设备。

安全智库国际战略研究所（IISS）高级研究员查理·爱德华兹（Charlie Edwards）表示，“该地点被选中极有可能是因为其功能”，且无人机配备武装这一事实标志着其与无人机（UAVs）以往的间谍或干扰活动有所不同。

他说：“一架携带装药且雷管失效的无人机是一个不同的命题；虽然尚未确定，但这很可能是旨在发挥作用而非被发现。”

诺伊曼表示：“几乎总是受到影响的是联邦国防军（Bundeswehr）、军工产业和物流枢纽——换句话说，正是那些对支持乌克兰至关重要的基础设施。”他补充说，这些无人机难以检测，“自主飞行系统无法简单地被干扰。”

哥伦比亚准备迎接右翼总统

斯蒂芬·吉布斯，拉丁美洲特派员

拉丁美洲右翼领导人将于今日聚集在哥伦比亚第三大城市卡利，参加极保守派阿贝拉尔多·德·拉·埃斯普里埃拉的总统就职典礼。全市已部署超过 11,000 名安保人员以防止暴力事件。周三，当局在泛美公路上拦截了一辆载有 450 公斤炸药前往卡利的巴士。哥伦比亚官员认为，这是当地一个游击队计划在就职典礼期间对军事和警察设施发动袭击的一部分。

德·拉·埃斯普里埃拉是一位白手起家的百万富翁律师，他承诺以对毒品卡特尔零容忍的态度恢复哥伦比亚的治安。他的竞选承诺之一是在就职后 90 天内抓获或击毙十名毒枭。他说：“我会像猎杀老鼠一样猎杀他们。”

自唐纳德·特朗普于 2025, 1 月重返白宫以来，拉丁美洲举行的全部七次总统选举均由右翼获胜，今日仪式的嘉宾名单也反映了这一政治转向。预计出席的总统包括阿根廷的哈维尔·米莱、厄瓜多尔的丹尼尔·诺博亚、巴拉圭的圣地亚哥·佩尼亚、智利的何塞·安东尼奥·卡斯特、巴拿马的何塞·劳尔·穆利诺、多米尼加共和国的路易斯·阿比纳德以及洪都拉斯的纳西·阿斯富拉。代表特朗普总统的美国代表团将由司法部长托德·布兰奇率领。美国国家药物管制政策办公室主任萨拉·卡特预计也将出席。

选择卡利而非首都波哥大作为典礼地点，本身就是一个声明。卡利及其周边地区是哥伦比亚受组织犯罪影响最严重的地区之一。

此次就职典礼的一个显著缺席者将是卸任总统古斯塔沃·佩特罗。他声称在他支持的候选人落败的选举中存在舞弊，但未提供证据。在作为该国首位左翼总统的佩特罗执政期间，可卡因产量创下历史新高。

此前没有政治经验的德·拉·埃斯普里埃拉一直是美国“美洲之盾”计划的支持者，该计划是特朗普在 3 月启动的一个政治-军事协调框架。美国军方于去年 9 月开始对加勒比海和东太平洋中涉嫌运输毒品的船只进行空袭。

在回复美国战争部长皮特·海格塞斯当选后的祝贺信息时，德·拉·埃斯普里埃拉表示：“哥伦比亚将不再由一个对毒品恐怖主义持纵容态度的政府统治；我们将对其进行应有的打击。”

--- 30 世界

考试泄题成了我们惊恐且精疲力竭的女儿的最后一根稻草

印度学校系统危机的规模体现在自杀人数中，Arjuna Keshvani-Ham 撰文

5月3日早上7点，雷玛·贝古姆（Rema Begum）离开她位于印度阿萨姆邦戈尔帕拉镇的家，去参加医学院入学考试。20岁的贝古姆感到非常恐惧。为了参加私立补习班，她两年来每天工作16小时，住在距离家近124英里的旅舍里。没有什么比考试更让她害怕。她从小就梦想成为一名医生。她在托儿所工作的母亲多年来一直患有慢性病，贝古姆想要治好她的病。但有一件事挡在了她的面前：那场涵盖物理、化学和生物、以难度著称的医学院入学考试。这场被称为 Neet 的考试每年在全印度有超过200万名学生参加，仅有129,000人通过。为了获得医学院的录取名额，贝古姆需要进入前5%的行列。

贝古姆昂首挺胸地回到了父亲和母亲身边。她告诉他们，考试进行得很顺利。“我一定能找到一个名额的，”她向父亲保证道。但九天后，国家测试局（NTA）的一则通知出现在新闻中。通知称，试卷被泄露了。所有229 万名学生都需要重新参加考试。贝古姆当时正和她的父亲拉贾乌特·伊斯兰（Rajaut Islam，43岁）在厨房里，这时她听到了这个消息。“她的脸色顿时变得惨白，”伊斯兰说，“她认为自己不可能第二次通过。”

三天后，贝古姆的母亲罗米娜·卡图姆（Romina Khatum，39岁）下班回家，发现女儿已经自杀了。她是报道中在泄题事件后自杀的21名学生之一。上个月，来自“蟑螂运动”的50,000名抗议者涌向德里的詹塔尔·曼塔尔（Jantar Mantar）遗址，要求教育部长达尔马恩德拉·普拉丹（Dharmendra Pradhan）因考试泄题和学生自杀人数增加而辞职。这次抗议由“蟑螂人民党”（CJP）领导，这是一个由波士顿大学毕业生、30岁的阿比吉特·迪普克（Abhijeet Dipke）创立的青年运动，起因是印度首席大法官将该国部分失业青年比作“蟑螂”。

7月20日，在德里警方发射催泪瓦斯并用被称为 lathis 的棍棒殴打抗议者后，这场和平抗议演变为暴力冲突。7月25日，在与 CJP 成员谈判后，普拉丹被迫辞职。在 CJP 的要求得到满足后，抗议活动被取消，但随后有报道称，此前被承诺特赦的学生正被警方拘留或骚扰，CJP 因此威胁将重启抗议。

贝古姆的父亲伊斯兰是一名鱼商，他流泪说道：“我从未给她施加过任何压力。我试图向她解释，考试泄题是对所有学生都发生了。但第一次考试对她来说真的非常痛苦。她不想再次为之学习。”伊斯兰为女儿的考试辅导花费了高达10 lakh（£7,800）——这是他所有的钱。“我告诉她休息”

雷玛·贝古姆曾梦想成为一名医生，但她的父母表示，在泄题导致考试取消后，她陷入了极大的痛苦之中。

“蟑螂抗议”是政府对学生痛苦、父母经济牺牲以及社会期望压力采取轻视态度的结果。每年有数千人因学习压力或未能取得足够好的成绩而自杀。2024年，印度记录了14,488起学生自杀事件，占所有自杀死亡人数的8.5%。最高法院表示这是一种“令人不安的模式”，并警告不要将这些死亡视为孤立事件。

考试泄题的危机根源于系统性腐败。警方调查表明，Neet 泄题源于部分 NTA 内部小组委员会成员和学科专家直接

参与了试卷的翻译和准备工作。当地媒体报道称，为了避免留下数字痕迹，拥有试题访问权限的导师在私人辅导课上将题目口述给一小组学生，以换取巨额资金。据当地媒体报道，在浦那的一名美容师被报道要求学生回忆他们记忆中的题目并将其记录下来，以重建试卷，导致泄题进一步扩散。随后她出售了副本。总理纳伦德拉·莫迪已承诺进行改革。7月26日，他在社交媒体上宣布，IT咨询公司Infosys的联合创始人南丹·尼勒卡尼将领导一个关于考试改革的“高权力特别工作组”。7月29日，议会下议院（Lok Sabha）对泄题者引入了更严厉的处罚。

改革至关重要但绝非易事

分析

在一个极端不平等、腐败和裙带关系严重的国家，Neet考试本应是一个人们仅凭能力而非依靠家庭关系或贿赂来获得评判的例子（Amrit Dhillon撰文）。由于最近发生的试卷泄露事件，教育部长德尔梅德拉·普拉丹（Dharmendra Pradhan）辞职仅仅具有象征意义。真正的问题在于如何改变制度。政府已任命一个专家小组，旨在寻找利用技术防止考试泄露的方法。单是这一项就将是一项艰巨的任务。从出题的学者，到将其翻译成13种印度语言的人员，再到将其装入表面密封的箱子、装上卡车并分发到印度各地的环节，腐败和泄露的机会随处可见。犯罪团伙通过将题目卖给家长或培训中心来牟利。

解决更深层的结构性问题将更加困难。在纳伦德拉·莫迪（Narendra Modi）领导下，经济增长虽然令人印象深刻且稳定，但很大程度上没有创造就业机会。调查显示，在花费数年时间和宝贵的家庭积蓄追求高等教育后，印度失业人口中约有60%是大学毕业生。由于私营部门的工作岗位太少，印度中产阶级将医学、工程和法律职业视为获得安全感和地位的唯一途径，这种执念已变得十分明显。为了进入工程学院，每年约有150 万名学生参加JEJ入学考试，竞争约67,000个名额。每年参加Neet考试的人数超过200万。政府建设了更多医学院，自2014.年以来，数量增加到844所，翻了三倍。然而，由于政府资助学院的学费远低于私立学院，竞争极其残酷。政府医学院的总学费可能在£7,800,左右，而私立学院则高达£118,000。

教育专家一致认为，印度必须将考试去中心化，由各学院自行设定入学测试，并转向持续性评估。医学和工程入学考试采用多项选择题，在很大程度上是对记忆力的测试。其结果是产生了一大批无法就业的毕业生，他们缺乏市场所需的解决问题的能力。

这场考试。我告诉她，无论是否被选中都无关紧要。但她一直说：“如果我没被选中，人们会怎么看我？”“孩子们如此努力，拥有如此纯真且令人钦佩的梦想。他们日以继夜地为之奋斗。他们远离父母生活。但当制度辜负他们时，这摧毁了他们的信任，让他们觉得梦想永远无法实现。这摧毁了他们的身体和精神。”

在考试泄露的消息传出后的第二天，另一名学生里蒂克·米什拉（Ritik Mishra），21,岁，在出门前要求母亲为他准备帕拉塔（parathas）和蔬菜。当他没有回来时，他的家人出去寻找他；他们在家人在路边拥有的第二栋房子里发现了他的尸体。“如果我们知道他经历了什么，我们绝不会让他离开，”他的父亲阿努普·米什拉（Anup Mishra）说道；他仍在为给儿子参加考试培训而申请的贷款支付利息。“制度和政府杀死了我的儿子，”他说。

印度的大学入学考试制度是世界上竞争最激烈的制度之一。学生们竞争顶尖医学院或工程学院的极少数名额，这被视为进入中产阶级的金票。标准学校教育被认为不足以通过这些测试，因此数十万学生搬到“培训城市”，例如拉贾斯坦邦的科塔（Kota），这些城市已变成了考试准备中心——以及利润丰厚的生意。许多人远离父母生活多年，每天学习长达18小时。在科塔，孩子在11,岁时就可以入学，尽管大多数人直到17.岁才会参加入学考试。压力因他们的

--- 31 World

忘掉臃肿的大片吧，出人意料的电影热门作证明“少即是多”

法国 查尔斯·布雷姆纳（Charles Bremner）发自巴黎

虽然今年夏天电影观众们很乐意花近三个小时看奥德修斯回家，但法国人正涌向一部出人意料的季节性热门作品，它证明了有时少即是多。

《法兰西喜剧院》（De la Comédie-Française）是一部以庄严的法国国家剧院为背景、活泼的后台闹剧。尽管片长仅 75 分钟，但它赢得了热情洋溢的评价，预计将售出约 200 万张门票。

这部关于《麦克白》（Macheth）开幕之夜惨败的充满笑料的故事，被赞誉为好莱坞大片臃肿以及法国电影时长增加趋势的解药。法国电影经常被国内评论家批评为节奏太慢且对白过多，其近期平均时长已从约 100 分钟逐渐攀升。法国的夏季大片《戴高乐之战》（La Bataille de Gaulle）是一部关于查尔斯·戴高乐的两部分史诗巨作，每集时长达 160 分钟。

《法兰西喜剧院》的导演马丁·达隆多（Martin Darondeau）和贝尔特兰·昂克拉（Bertrand Unclat）表示，当他们获得在 Palais-Royal 附近拥有 345 年历史的剧团所在地里舍留厅（Salle Richelieu）拍摄的机会时，他们将强加给他们的条件转化为优势。

“从一开始，我们就知道我们要拍一部短片，”达隆多告诉《巴黎人报》（Le Parisien）。约 €200 万的低预算和短促的拍摄时间有助于打造一部紧凑、快节奏且更像舞台剧的喜剧。

法国资讯电台（France Info）的电影评论员表示：“两位导演在两个月内完成了剧本，并在三周内完成了拍摄。电影中充满了这种能量和紧迫感。”

领先的电影网站 AlloCiné 也表示赞同：“极短的运行时间几乎没有给冷场留下空间，使故事全程保持聚焦。”

虽然简洁被评论家视为加分项，但一些影迷抱怨剧本单薄，感觉亏了。然而，短片长正被转化为商业优势，随着口碑传播和媒体赞誉，影院座无虚席。电影院正在挤出额外的放映场次，有些每天提供多达八场。

左图：英国设计师约翰·加利亚诺（John Galliano）与安娜·温图尔（Anna Wintour）今年 1 月在巴黎的一场迪奥（Dior）秀上。右图：加利亚诺在 2007 年巴黎的一场迪奥秀上与琳达·伊万格丽斯塔（Linda Evangelista）和娜奥米·坎贝尔（Naomi Campbell）在一起，随后他陷入了公众视野的低谷。

大都会博物馆向“热爱希特勒”的设计师授予荣誉 美国 奥利维亚·恩普森 纽约

纽约大都会艺术博物馆是时尚与艺术名流的圣地，在那里举办展览是设计师职业生涯中的最高荣誉。明年，该馆将举办一场专门聚焦于约翰·加利亚诺（John Galliano）作品的回顾展，他是第三位在大都会博物馆服装学院举办个人展的在世设计师。

对某些人来说，这次回顾展是对加利亚诺才华迟到已久的赞颂。他以戏剧化、浪漫甚至古灵精怪的服装著称，在 1990 年代闯入伦敦时尚界，颠覆了传统的高级定制，并连续获得年度英国设计师。

而对另一些人来说，这次展览为一名职业生涯被丑闻玷污的艺术家提供了一个不可原谅的平台。加利亚诺在 2011 年发表种族主义和反犹太主义言论后名声崩塌，这迫使他被时尚界放逐。《众神与国王：亚历山大·麦昆与约翰·加利亚诺的兴衰》（Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano）的作者达娜·托马斯（Dana Thomas）在近期一篇题为“大都会艺术博物馆正在犯一个严重的错误”的评论文章中也批评了这次展览。

“并非所有伟大的创作者都配得上回顾展，”她写道。“像加利亚诺先生这样具有煽动性的人，在有生之年绝对不应该成为回顾展的主题，因为他将从中获得个人利益。”她向《泰晤士报》补充道：“博物馆回顾展应该是学术行为，而不是与主题人物的协作。当设计师参与塑造展览、监督安装并出席开幕庆典时，很难说博物馆是在提供客观评估，而不是在参与一场‘洗白’。”

这次回顾展将于明年 5 月 9 日开幕，主办方承诺不会忽视定义了加利亚诺职业生涯的争议。在宣布展览之前，组织者会见了纽约的拉比和犹太领袖。参与讨论的拉比里克·雅各布斯（Rick Jacobs）表示：“针对犹太社区面临的这一挑战时刻，以及作为此次拟议展览痛苦背景的反犹太主义激增，我们进行了坦诚的对话。但我看到他意识到了自己对犹太社区造成的伤害，而且盛典组织者致力于以有意义的方式处理他的过去。”

然而，对于许多批评者来说，这些磋商还远远不够。此前唯一获得个人展的设计师是 1983 年的伊夫·圣罗兰（Yves Saint Laurent）和 2017 年的Comme des Garçons创始人川久保玲（Rei Kawakubo）。两人都没有像加利亚诺这样引发如此程度的争议。

回顾展最著名的支持者之一是前《Vogue》编辑安娜·温图尔（Anna Wintour），她是加利亚诺长期的拥护者。她在Vogue.com上写道：“没有人比约翰·加利亚诺更配得上这种规模的展览。展览不会回避约翰过去中的任何阴暗面。这也是塑造他的一部分。”

加利亚诺出生于直布罗陀，在英格兰长大，于 1995 年被任命为纪梵希（Givenchy）的首席设计师。2011 年，一段视频记录了他发表的一系列种族主义和反犹太主义言论，导致他辞去了当时在迪奥（Dior）创意总监的职务。在其中一段视频中，可以听到他说“我热爱希特勒”。

尽管如此，他在 2014 年在时尚界完成了充满争议的回归，成为了 Maison Margiela 的创意总监。加利亚诺在 2024 年在 Maison Margiela 的收官秀被视为行业的里程碑，而今年 9 月，他将启动与 Zara 的时尚合作。大都会博物馆的回顾展可能是他重返主流时尚界的最终证明。至于他的批评者是否会接受这一点，则是另一回事。

宝马车主发现他们无法逃离蜘蛛侠 Susie Coen 纽约

在广告牌、电视频道和社交媒体平台之间，人们可能会认为制片公司有充足的渠道来推广其最新的电影发行。但漫威最新电影《蜘蛛侠：崭新之日》（Spider-Man: Brand New Day）的推广在上周扩展到了新领域，广告出现在全美各地的宝马（BMW）控制屏幕上。

自7月27日起，进入宝马较新车型的驾驶员会看到触摸屏上的一个横幅，上面写着“惊喜！蜘蛛侠刚刚跳进了你的宝马！”如果用户点击该图标，一段动画会显示蜘蛛侠跳过一辆在纽约行驶的宝马车。此次活动是与宝马和索尼影业合作的一部分，预计将持续到8月10日。

但这一广告策略激怒了一些宝马车主，其中一些人为一辆豪华车支付了$160,000（£139,000）。驾驶员在在线论坛上发表评论，称该计划“极其反乌托邦”，并誓言不再购买这家德国制造商的另一辆车。

动作电影中的汽车植入并非新鲜事，最著名的例子是詹姆斯·邦德和阿斯顿·马丁，而最新的蜘蛛侠电影中也出现了宝马。但在车辆内部放置蜘蛛侠广告，标志着该汽车制造商与其之前的声明发生了重大转变，此前该公司声称不会允许将其仪表盘作为广告空间出售。

雪城大学纽豪斯公共传播学院的广告学教授贝丝·唐纳利·伊根（Beth Donnelly Egan）表示，这次活动很可能是品牌谈判的一部分，而不是宝马获得报酬的结果。伊根表示，车载广告是该行业的“逻辑下一步”，制造商可能会向广告商收取$5 million至$10 million来展示广告。

宝马将能够追踪关于看到横幅的驾驶员数量、点击广告的人数，以及潜在的这些客户中谁随后去看了这部电影的数据。

驾驶员们迎来了蜘蛛侠的造访 --- 32 世界

特朗普因导弹危机“斥责赫格塞斯”

美国 乔治·格里尔斯 华盛顿报道

据报道，特朗普总统因美国导弹短缺在一定程度上迫使他取消对伊朗的空袭，而对皮特·赫格塞斯大发雷霆。总统在周一宣布，他已取消了“自第二次世界大战以来最大规模的袭击”，声称由于和平谈判取得进展，他对伊朗表现出了宽容。

然而，另一个原因是五角大楼的精确武器即将耗尽。据《华盛顿邮报》报道，自2月28日以来，美国已向伊朗发射了850枚战斧巡航导弹和1,300枚战术弹道导弹。在同一时期，超过1,000枚防空导弹——包括萨德（Thaad）和爱国者（Patriot）拦截弹——已被发射。

消息人士告诉该报，特朗普在得知短缺情况后，在上周的一次戴维营会议上向战争部长赫格塞斯发泄了他的沮丧，因为他认为弹药问题“已经解决了”。据称，赫格塞斯将弹药短缺以及未告知总统的责任归咎于其副手斯蒂芬·费恩伯格。

总统在Truth Social上的一篇帖子中否认了短缺情况，并表示任何泄露“叛国言论”的人都将被“追捕”，并补充道：“将寻求长期监禁！”白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特在X上的一篇帖子中称，该报道是“胡说”且是“假新闻”。

据报道，五角大楼军械库中最重要武器的库存已被这场为期五个月的战争严重耗尽。路透社本周报道称，五角大楼已使用了美国陆军“几乎所有”的地对地武器——陆军战术导弹系统（Atacms）和精确打击导弹。

据CNN报道，在防空拦截弹方面，美国已发射了80%的萨德导弹和约50%的爱国者导弹，用于击落中东地区的伊朗导弹和无人机。此次短缺发生之时，正值乌克兰极度缺乏拦截弹，几乎无法防御俄罗斯的弹道导弹袭击。

防空导弹的紧缺迫使美国指挥官调整拦截来袭攻击的标准，根据预计目标选择是否拦截，据NBC新闻报道。

美国国防公司将难以快速重建库存。美国每年可制造约600枚爱国者-3（Pac-3）先进能力导弹。据外交政策研究所称，Pac-3拦截弹的交付周期为两年，而固体火箭发动机的制造需要30个月。这意味着现在订购的爱国者导弹可能直到2029年才会到货。

特朗普政府一直试图加快生产，五角大楼今年与洛克希德·马丁公司签署了一项协议，计划到2030年每年生产2,000枚爱国者导弹。然而，进展缓慢，洛克希德去年仅生产了620枚Pac-3导弹。

一枚萨德导弹的成本在$12至$15.5之间，一枚爱国者拦截弹的成本在$37和$4 .之间。一枚Atacm的成本为$1至$2，一枚战斧巡航导弹的成本在$2至$2.5 .之间。

赫格塞斯最近声称，伊朗战争耗资3750 亿加元，但他正申请$67的紧急资金以弥补五角大楼预算的赤字。除此之外，赫格塞斯希望国会批准2027,的$1.5国防预算，比前一年增加40%。

有迹象表明，伊朗正趋向于与阿曼达成一项协议以重新开放霍尔木兹海峡，从而为更长期的停火铺平道路。根据该协议，德黑兰将能够监督通过这条狭窄水道的商业船只，但不会收取通行费。入境船只将紧贴伊朗海岸线，而出境船只则将经过阿曼水域。伊朗外交部发言人埃斯迈尔·巴盖伊表示，只要“没有外部各方阻碍这一进程”，该协议就处于“审查和起草的最后阶段”。与此同时，以色列第12频道报道称，摩萨德局长罗曼·戈夫曼因与战争相关的失职行为，解雇了该机构的情报部门负责人和伊朗事务部门负责人。

这次全方位的之旅不仅向您展示越南的亮点，还将让您完全沉浸在丰富的历史和文化之中。在游览常规景点的同时，花更多时间与当地人互动并访问那些较少为人知的地方。飞往西贡，探索历史悠久的殖民地地标、古芝地道以及湄公河三角洲蜿蜒的水道。从大叻的高地前往芽庄的青绿色海岸，访问迷人的会安和顺化的皇城。飞往河内，乘坐人力三轮车穿过老城区，品尝鸡蛋咖啡，并在民族学博物馆探索部落历史。接下来，乘船游览下龙湾标志性的石灰岩喀斯特地貌，进行皮划艇运动并探索隐藏的洞穴。返回河内观看《东京之精髓》（The Quintessence of Tonkin）现场表演，然后带着难忘的回忆飞回家。*所列价格基于两人共用一间双床 / 大床房。单人差价可根据要求提供。提前12个月以上预订的假期航班，在航空公司公布票价时可能会产生附加费用。由 Wendy Wu 运营并受其预订条件约束，ABTA 917994 ATOL 6629，该公司完全独立于 News UK。“优惠视供应情况而定，Wendy Wu Tours 保留更改或撤回优惠的权利。”优惠折扣已应用，请在2026年9月1日前预订。我们值得信赖的合作伙伴 Wendy Wu Tours @ABTA

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墙上的文字？位于苏丹贝杰拉维亚的联合国教科文组织世界遗产地梅罗埃正受到该国内战的威胁。该遗址的金字塔位于喀土穆以北 120 英里处，曾是库施帝国统治者的陵墓 ## 定居者因杀害巴勒斯坦人被起诉 以色列检察官起诉了一名以色列定居者，指控其在被占领的西岸杀害了巴勒斯坦活动人士 Awdah Hathaleen。活动人士表示，这是自以色列-哈马斯战争爆发以来的首次此类起诉。以色列司法部在 X 上表示，来自 Maron 的 Yinon Eliya Levi, 31, 被指控在西岸南部的 Umm Al-Khair 向有人区域开火，导致 Hathaleen 死亡。他被指控犯有过失杀人罪、非法侵入罪和故意损坏财产罪。Hathaleen 曾参与制作获得奥斯卡奖的纪录片《No Other Land》，于 2025 年 7 月被杀。 ## 操纵价格的生产商被罚 5300 万 枚鸡蛋 美国 三家美国大型鸡蛋生产商将不得不向食品银行捐赠 5300 万 枚鸡蛋，作为法律和解的一部分。由 17 个州组成的联盟起诉了这些生产商，指控他们秘密协调以影响供应合同中广泛使用的每日鸡蛋报价。纽约州总检察长 Letitia James 表示：“在纽约或全美范围内，任何形式的价格操纵都是不被容忍的。”James 表示，Cal-Maine Foods、Versova 和 Hickman's Egg Ranch 早在 2022. 开始串通。根据美国农业部的数据，2025, 2 月纽约的一打鸡蛋平均价格达到了 $8.47 (£6.30)。 ## 政治家承认在会议中发送“我的工作很无聊”短信 澳大利亚 一名在澳大利亚首都领地领导反对党自由党的政治家承认，他在一次预算评估听证会期间发送了“*** 我的工作很无聊。想交换吗”的短信。Mark Parton 受到一项投诉，指控他将该信息发送给了一名性工作者。在最初将该投诉斥为“抹黑”并予以否认后，他承认确实发送了该短信，但否认是发送给性工作者的。他没有透露该信息发送给了谁，并辩称他仍然在监督政府。他补充道：“我明白大多数人对预算评估听证会的看法就是它们相当无聊。”一项正式投诉已被驳回。 --- 33 # 商业 世界市场（当日变动）

大宗商品

货币

帝亚吉欧首席执行官：10亿美元 成本削减计划将振兴陷入困境的饮料公司

杰西卡·纽曼，休闲产业记者

戴夫·刘易斯爵士昨日获得了金融城的支持，因为帝亚吉欧（Diageo）一项 10 亿加元 billion 的成本削减计划恢复了投资者对于这家陷入困境的饮料集团能够重回增长的希望。这家 FTSE 100 公司的股价收盘上涨 91½ 便士，或 5.6%，至 £17.33，为自二月以来的最高水平。此前该公司透露，在继续重组的过程中，计划在未来三年内实现 8.5亿美元 的节省，此外还将通过供应链计划进一步节省 1.5亿美元。这家约翰尼沃克（Johnnie Walker）的制造商表示，重组成本总计约为 10 亿加元.20 亿加元，将通过改革运营模式实现，这将导致数千个工作岗位流失。

刘易斯表示，帝亚吉欧将“激活我们的更广泛的产品组合”，例如 Smirnoff 和 Captain Morgan，以迎合寻求节省开支的客户。刘易斯说：“这些节省将使我们能够在需要提高竞争力的地方有选择地投资于创新，但同时也使我们能够在无需降低利润的情况下这样做。”

市场将信心寄托在这位前乐购（Tesco）老板身上，希望他能扭转帝亚吉欧的局面。近年来，该公司因董事会动荡、关税、美国等关键市场增长缓慢以及消费者饮酒模式的转变而受到削弱。刘易斯的战略重启与帝亚吉欧最新的业绩报告一同公布。报告显示，在关键的北美地区继续出现问题后，截至六月底的 12 个月内，有机销售增长收缩 2% 至 196 亿加元 billion。该地区占集团总销售额的 37 ，去年潜在销售额下降 8.4 ，公司将其归咎于“竞争压力增加以及品类进一步疲软，尤其是龙舌兰酒”。

刘易斯承认，“前方仍有艰巨的工作，特别是在北美，提高业绩是明确的优先事项”。亚太地区的销售额也受到影响，由于中国烈酒（尤其是被称为白酒的传统烈酒）持续疲软，下降了 6.3 。欧洲地区实现了 3.4 的增长，这得益于消费者在世界杯前囤货，以及健力士（Guinness）在英国的稳健增长。其拉丁美洲和加勒比地区增长了 7.7 。

营业利润下降 27.2 至 31.5 亿加元 billion，而税前利润从去年的 35 亿英镑 billion 下降至 25.6 亿英镑 billion。帝亚吉欧的全年股息减半至每股 50 cents，旨在“创造更多的财务灵活性”。

前路清醒，第 34-35 页

易捷航空（EasyJet）同意 57亿英镑 美国收购案

航空公司创始人支持交易后，Apollo 获胜

本·马丁 (Ben Martin) 金融编辑

在股票交易所上市超过四分之一个世纪后，由于其创始人斯特利奥斯·哈吉-伊奥安努爵士 (Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou) 支持一项 £5.7 亿的收购案，EasyJet 即将私有化。这家廉价航空公司的董事会昨天表示，已同意美国私募股权公司 Apollo Capital Management 每股 71½便士的报价，该公司一个月以来一直在就该价格进行交易谈判。

哈吉-伊奥安努及其家族仍持有该公司 15.3% 的股份，使其成为最大的股东以及出售过程中的关键人物；他通过公开支持 的条款，为此次收购铺平了道路。然而，59, 的哈吉-伊奥安努及其家族并不打算将股份全部出售给这家总部位于纽约的收购公司，而是计划通过将其持股转换为一个在航空公司退市后将持有该公司的私人工具，从而继续投资 EasyJet。

他们之所以能这样做，是因为 的条款包含两项方案：投资者可以选择每股 股份接受 71½便士的现金，或者将股票兑换为所谓的“滚动股份”。

这为这家富时 250 (FTSE 250) 航空公司的未来数月之久的猜测画上了句号，也是一系列伦敦上市企业被收购事件中的最新一例，引发了人们对英国股市萎缩的担忧。 由英塞浦路斯裔的哈吉-伊奥安努于 1995 年创立，并于 2000 年在伦敦上市，上市价格为每股 310便士。

今年 5 月的消息显示，另一家美国投资公司 Castlelake 也在关注这家总部位于卢顿的航空公司。由于股价低迷，且在新冠疫情给航空业带来混乱后未能恢复， 变得容易受到收购出价的影响。今年中东的战争导致航空燃料成本飙升，并促使旅客推迟预订，这也打击了其股价。

由主席斯蒂芬·赫斯特爵士 (Sir Stephen Hester) 领导的 董事会于上个月与 Castlelake 达成了一项初步协议，对该航空公司的估值为每股 690便士。几天后，该交易被推翻，因为有消息称董事会已与 达成一项每股 71½便士的“原则性协议”。

然而，在整个过程中，哈吉-伊奥安努的意图一直不为人知。他昨天打破沉默，表示他“对 对 业务的战略意图感到满意，这些意图旨在创造更多增长”。他家族的持续投资将帮助 符合欧盟规则，即拥有欧盟运营许可的航空公司必须由欧洲投资者持有多数股权。

一些城市分析师认为， 的净资产价值为每股 £11.75。虽然 Castlelake 昨天表示将放弃出价，但保留了重新出价的权利。 和 表示，如果出现一个高出 9% 的真实出价，哈吉-伊奥安努家族也可以撤回对 报价的支持。

股价在昨日收盘时上涨 2.8%，报 670便士。

最终结果 丽贝卡·洛 (Rebecca Lowe) 为福克斯体育 (Fox Sports) 主持世界杯报道，后者的第四季度营收为 $4.21 亿，在赛事的助力下超过了预期

Fat Duck 连锁店未来存疑

Isabella Fish 零售编辑

赫斯顿·布卢门塔尔（Heston Blumenthal）的餐饮集团发出警告，尽管获得了新资金，但其作为持续经营实体的能力仍存在“重大不确定性”。

新加坡最成功的女企业家之一克里斯蒂娜·翁（Christina Ong）在 5 月对这位名厨的餐饮业务进行了战略投资，以帮助支撑其资产负债表并推动潜在的扩张。

然而，本周签署的 SL6 Limited（布卢门塔尔集团的控股公司）账目指出，在“业务转型期间仍存在不确定性”。董事会警告称，“在年末日期存在重大不确定性，这可能会使该集团或母公司作为持续经营实体的能力产生重大疑问。”

布卢门塔尔屡获殊荣的餐厅包括位于伯克郡布雷（Bray, Berkshire）的 Fat Duck，这家拥有三颗米其林星的餐厅在 1995 年通过将科学原理应用于烹饪，使英国的“分子美食学”名声大噪。它提供如蜗牛粥和培根鸡蛋冰淇淋等古怪菜肴。

布卢门塔尔还经营着 Hinds Head 酒馆，同样位于梅登黑德（Maidenhead）附近的布雷。

截至去年 5 月底的一年内，营业额从前一年的 £890 万 增长至 £910 万。税前亏损由 £2.1 . 缩小至 £1.7 ,。

在年末，其银行存款及现金为 £203,932，而前一年为 £697,605。净债务从 £1.8 . 增加到约 £2.6。

董事会表示，酒店餐饮业仍然是一个艰苦的经营环境。他们表示，该集团“无法免于该行业面临的挑战，并且在供应链和人力成本方面都经历了通货膨胀。在这种背景下，公司决定不将价格上涨转嫁给消费者，同时意识到这将影响到

续见第 34 页 --- 34 商业

饮料巨头准备迎接清醒的清算日

杰西卡·纽曼（Jessica Newman）写道，首席执行官计划在大幅削减开支的同时，对帝亚吉欧（Diageo）的高管层进行一次彻底的清理。不久前，帝亚吉欧还向投资者展示了5%至7%的中期有机销售目标，但事实证明，这一目标与现实脱节，且过于雄心勃勃。不到两年时间，这家富时100指数（FTSE 100）成分酒类公司认为，未来几年实现“低个位数”的有机销售增长更为可行，而营业利润预计将实现“中个位数”增长。这一指引受其最大市场美国市场的疲软影响，是戴夫·刘易斯爵士（Sir Dave Lewis）所传达的一场更广泛的清醒现实检查的一部分。刘易斯昨日公布了一项10 亿加元 billion成本削减计划以重置业绩，这比之前的36.25 亿目标有了显著提升。帝亚吉欧预计在三年内节省该金额，其中$850 million来自对其过时且过于复杂的运营框架的重组。另有$150 million的节省将通过供应链改革实现。这两项计划的成本预计总计10 亿加元.20 亿加元，其中70%的费用已经产生。此次改革将导致数千个工作岗位流失。刘易斯在进入特易购（Tesco）担任负责人之前，在联合利华（Unilever）任职期间获得了“激进戴夫”（Drastic Dave）的绰号，他表示此次重组将对帝亚吉欧的员工产生“非常显著的影响”，但拒绝透露将影响多少个岗位。该公司去年的遣散成本从前一年的$73 million大幅上升至5.14亿美元。“对我进入帝亚吉欧来说，最强烈的一点是人们非常明确地表示事情需要改变，”他说道，并补充说公司的大部分业务一直深受“大量重复工作”之苦，“其后果对每个人来说都不是好事”。尽管金融城在很大程度上预料到刘易斯会提高帝亚吉欧的成本节省目标，但杰富瑞（Jefferies）分析师爱德华·蒙迪（Edward Mundy）指出，节省的金额甚至超过了市场的预期。刘易斯表示，帝亚吉欧的转型将是“有机的”，重点在于解决内部结构性问题。“我们没有考虑并购，我希望人们对此非常明确，”他说道，“我们拥有扭转业务所需的一切。”帝亚吉欧重组的一个关键部分将按类别方法实施，例如将威士忌作为一个整体来看待，而不是按单个品牌看待。刘易斯还利用此次战略更新，就他计划让帝亚吉欧重新关注其拥有200个品牌的饮料库中一些被忽视的品牌提供了一些见解。在已故的伊万·梅内塞斯爵士（Sir Ivan Menezes）的领导下，帝亚吉欧被转型为一家全球多元化的饮料巨头，通过在投资组合中加入名人支持的龙舌兰酒和高端威士忌来向高端市场迈进。其中最受关注的交易之一是与乔治·克鲁尼（George Clooney）共同创立的龙舌兰品牌Casamigos的交易。这笔10 亿加元 billion的交易为帝亚吉欧注入了明星影响力，有助于使其形象现代化，并切入当时全球烈酒中增长最快的类别之一。虽然刘易斯坚定地为帝亚吉欧历史上对高端标签的关注进行辩护，将该战略描述为“巨大的价值创造者”，但他也承认公司不能仅仅依赖过去的成功，必须开始迎合客户真正想喝的东西。“当我审视美国业务时，我发现核心品牌在数年内一直存在一些疲软，而这被龙舌兰酒的增长掩盖了，”他说道。刘易斯点名摩根船长（Captain Morgan）朗姆酒和斯米诺夫（Smirnoff）伏特加为两个“非常大、非常重要的品牌，

[...OMITTED...]

Raleigh自行车所有者濒临崩溃

伊莎贝拉·菲什 (Isabella Fish)，零售编辑

Raleigh的所有者——这家总部位于诺丁汉郡、拥有£39年历史的自行车制造商——在收购谈判失败后正处于崩溃边缘。

Accell Group是一家由私募股权持有的荷兰自行车制造商，旗下拥有包括Raleigh、Haibike、Lapierre和Ghost在内的品牌。该公司在本周早些时候进入了法院监管的破产程序。首席执行官乔纳斯·尼尔森 (Jonas Nilsson) 表示，这是一个“深感悲哀且令人沮丧的局面”，并且公司已经为该自行车业务的未来“不遗余力地探索”了每一个选项。

Accell在2012年以约$100 million的价格收购了英国最著名的自行车品牌之一Raleigh。Raleigh于1887年在诺丁汉创立，并成长为全球最大的自行车制造商。它在20世纪70年代创造了拥有加长车把和带靠背座椅的Chopper车型。该公司不再在诺丁汉生产自行车，已搬迁至诺丁汉郡的伊斯伍德 (Eastwood)，同时将其重心转向销售电动自行车。

美国私募股权公司KKR在2022年以€15.6 亿加元的价格，通过股权和债务相结合的方式收购了Accell，当时该公司假设疫情期间的自行车需求将持续下去。由于在自行车热潮崩溃前夕让Accell背负了数亿加元的债务，利息支出和收入下降严重挤压了现金流。

Accell在2月进行了重组，导致债务大幅削减，且多数控制权从KKR转移到了其贷款人财团手中。1月，Accell将其钛金属专业品牌Van Nicholas出售给了意大利制造商Velo-ce。

Accell表示，它已经为未来“探索了每一个可能的途径”，包括与潜在买家的讨论。尽管此前获得了德国、奥地利和波兰的监管批准，但由新加坡DuTech Group发起的收购最终失败。

该公司目前已在荷兰启动了破产程序，即所谓的暂停支付 (suspension of payments)。

Raleigh在2025年1月提交的账目中报告，2023年的税前亏损为£3010 万，而2022年的亏损为£680 万。尽管在疫情后市场库存过剩和高价格压力的驱动下，营业额增长了3.5%，达到£5770 万，但情况依然如此。

尼尔森表示：“这是一个深感悲哀且令人沮丧的局面。关于公司未来的每一个现实选项都已得到了不遗余力的探索，但没有一个能够让集团以目前形式继续生存的解决方案。”

Fat Duck 集团看到了该集团盈利能力的进展”。该公司表示，最新的账目“仅代表截至 2025 年 5 月的期间，并未涵盖业务在此之后取得的进展”。公司称：“Fat Duck 实现了迄今为止最高的年度盈利，而 Hinds Head 则连续三年实现了两位数的增长。这一进展是通过加强领导团队、显著提高运营效率，以及重新聚焦于我们的两项核心业务——Fat Duck 和 Hinds Head 而实现的。”在年终之后，该集团通过与 Como Holdings Limited 签署的外部协议，对其两笔 10 年期银行贷款进行了再融资——一笔是到期偿还的 £680,000 贷款，另一笔是每月偿还的 £1.4 贷款。Como Group 由亿万富翁 Ong 家族控制。

--- 35 商业

“坦率地说，我们在这一方面做得并不出色。”刘易斯（Lewis）战略的核心在于一种信念，即降低廉价饮品的标价将成功刺激足够的额外需求，从而抵消任何利润空间的压缩。他表示，在某些产品（如 Bell's）中已经出现了这一转变奏效的迹象，目前在部分超市中，一升装的调和威士忌售价为 £18.50，低于去年的 £25。他认为帝亚吉欧（Diageo）在采取行动方面较为缓慢的另一个增长杠杆是即饮罐装鸡尾酒，这是烈酒市场中唯一一个正在经历显著全球增长的领域。帝亚吉欧的即饮产品组合主要由其成熟品牌的延伸产品组成，例如 Smirnoff Ice，这是一个拥有 27 年历史的品牌，但实际上一直被冷落在橱柜深处。管理层对利用 Guinness 品牌的计划也持乐观态度，透露计划在 2030 年前投入近 10 亿加元 用于增加产能并在全球范围内推广这种爱尔兰黑啤。与此同时，在美国这个销售持续低迷、令公司苦恼的市场，公司将通过改进包装、发起商标宣传活动以及推出更小、更便宜的瓶装尺寸，优先处理其承认处于长期衰退的三大品牌：Smirnoff、Captain Morgan 和 Crown Royal 威士忌。公司还信心十足地认为，可以通过利用内容创作者的平台并引入更小瓶装尺寸，让预算有限的消费者能够接触到该品牌，从而恢复消费者对包括 Don Julio 和 Casaminos 在内的优质龙舌兰品牌的热爱。市场显然将刘易斯备受期待的战略更新视为一个转折点，股价上涨 5.6% 至五个月高点 £17.32。但距离其 2022 年 £41 的高点还相去甚远。刘易斯或许已经设定了航向，但市场情绪依然脆弱，如果他想要实现另一次扭转局面的胜利，投资者将需要看到执行层面的证明。

派拉蒙就华纳交易获得英国支持

Louisa Clarence-Smith 美国商业编辑

派拉蒙-天舞（Paramount Skydance）已承诺确保第五频道新闻（Channel 5 News）维持其编辑独立性，并保证继续在英国委约内容，以防止英国政府阻止其对华纳兄弟探索（Warner Bros Discovery）价值 1100 亿加元 billion 的收购。

文化大臣丽莎·南迪（Lisa Nandy）曾在6月致信两家公司，告知他们她“倾向于”基于公共利益理由干预此次交易。这些理由包括英国新闻领域需要“充足”的观点多元性以及媒体所有权问题。然而，她在昨天表示，在收到派拉蒙的保证和具有法律约束力的承诺后，她决定不再干预。

在英国，此次合并将使派拉蒙将包括 Channel 5, TNT体育和尼克儿童频道（Nickelodeon）在内的电视频道，与华纳兄弟的CNN国际频道、卡通网络（Cartoon Network）和HBO Max相结合，并将派拉蒙和HBO Max的流媒体服务整合在一起。第五频道将在其执照于 2034 年到期前继续作为公共服务广播机构，并在编辑上与CNN国际频道和CBS新闻保持独立。

派拉蒙还同意其英国服务将在五年内保留独特的编辑身份。由大卫·埃利森（David Ellison）领导的派拉蒙就英国委约提供了为期五年的法律约束保证，承诺委约人员数量以及内容的质量和范围不会减少。该公司已承诺向政府官员提供年度合规声明，并接受监督。

另外，英国竞争监管机构——竞争与市场管理局（CMA）昨天也表示不会采取进一步行动。欧盟监管机构已经通过了该交易，目前仅剩 12 个试图以反垄断理由阻止交易的美国州成为最后的重大障碍。派拉蒙已同意将交易暂停至 June 2027, 而联邦审判定于 3 月举行。

华纳兄弟报告第二季度营收为 87.2 亿加元 billion，远低于 92.9 亿加元 billion 的预期，原因是票房表现平平且广告销售疲软。制片厂营收下降 39% 至 23 亿加元 billion。华纳的流媒体业务表现较好：HBO Max 的营收增长 10% 至 31 亿加元 billion。

在纽约早盘交易中，华纳兄弟股价上涨 $0.47, 或 1.8%, 至 $26.44。派拉蒙股价上涨 $0.39, 或 4.5%, 至 $9.16.

快捷航空的租赁构想悬而未决 商业评论 Alistair Osborne

有些航空公司的飞行难度比其他公司更高。以 Wizz Air 为例，其创始人兼首席执行官约瑟夫·瓦拉迪（Jozsef Varadi）与竞争对手一样，一直在应对一个“极其动荡”的六月季度——这三个月期间，中东冲突、高企的燃料价格以及预订模式的变化接踵而至。

对他而言，主要区别在于什么？他驾驶的似乎是一个长着翅膀的会计谜题：这家公司不断积累债务，可以说，如果不是依靠一些精巧的财务工程——将飞机出售后再租赁回来——它可能会遭受巨额损失。

这并不是在暗示 Wizz 陷入了财务危机。该公司表示拥有大量“流动资金”，且拥有“€22.1 亿加元 的强劲现金头寸”。但 成为伦敦市场被做空最严重的股票之一并非偶然，看空该公司的人持有 9.1% 的股份。

不仅是空头在质疑： 的商业模式是否可持续？其净债务在上一季度增长 3.9% 至 €51.3 亿加元，已经是其市值的四倍：在季度业绩公布后，股价下跌 3% 至 £11.10，市值变为 11.5 亿英镑 billion。而且很难看出这些指标在短期内会有所改善。

这是瑞安航空（Ryanair）的负责人迈克尔·奥利利（Michael O'Leary）一直大声疾呼的一点。上个月在一次季度收益电话会议上，他宣称：“ 这个冬天就得完蛋”。

在 2003 年共同创立这家专注于东欧市场的航空公司的瓦拉迪，对此以冷幽默回应。他告诉匈牙利媒体 G7：“我认为在他看来，我们至少已经破产了十次。看看我们的数据：我们有 20 亿欧元的现金”。

然而，奥利利提出了一个关键点。正如他所言， 维持盈利表象的唯一方法就是“不断接收飞机，然后进行售后回租，并通过损益表（P&L）予以确认”。

Panmure Liberum 的分析师杰拉尔德·邱（Gerald Khoo）也提出了这一点，他指出 的全年数据带有“来自低质量收益来源的惯常助力”。全年账目中关键的一项是 €5.42 亿 的“其他收入”，高于前一年的 €4.96 亿。

表示，其中 €2.56 亿（高于之前的 €1.21 亿）是 33 架飞机的“售后回租交易收益”：这些都是机队更新计划的一部分——主要是空客 A321neo 飞机——目前 仍在等待 244 架飞机的确定交付。

事实上， 出售并租赁回来的不仅是飞机，还有 18 台发动机。其余大部分“其他收入”是普惠公司（Pratt & Whitney）因发动机强制检查导致飞机停飞而支付的补偿金。

航空公司可以通过将从空客或波音以批发折扣购买的飞机，按市场价格出售给租赁公司，从而在售后回租中获利。然而，他们可以选择如何处理这笔利润——是用它来减少未来的租赁负债，还是通过损益表提前将其计入，以提升短期利润。

采取了后一种方法。结果如何？如果去年没有此类售后回租收益， 仅 €130 万 的微小净利润将变成 €2.55 亿 的亏损。更糟糕的是，对于一家已经背负 €50 亿加元 净债务的集团来说，此类交易难道不会增加未来的租赁成本吗？

最新数据显示，在一个 EBITDA（息税折旧摊销前利润）减半至 €3.47 亿 且 净亏损 €1.98 亿 的季度中，包含了 €5300 万 的售后回租收益。

在邱看来，此类飞机销售收益正成为 产生现金的关键途径。问题在于：“他们不能停止接收新飞机，因为那样的话他们的融资来源就消失了”。

针对这一切，Wizz表示：“售后回租将资产的残值风险从Wizz身上转移走了，使我们能够专注于飞行而非管理旧飞机”，并补充说其仅通过损益表记录前期收益的“三分之一”。它承认这确实“增加了较高的租赁付款成本”。但它表示，“基于净现值的模型表明，售后回租可以增加价值”。也许吧。但从五年内从£52下跌的股价来看，市场似乎持有不同的看法。

帝亚吉欧的强心剂

真是令人震惊：与其听着“激进”的戴夫·刘易斯爵士滔滔不绝，不如自己在那儿品尝帝亚吉欧的酒柜。在经历了一场由其新任老板及其团队主导的冗长资本市场日后，如果分析师们调制一杯由走路人（Johnnie Walker）威士忌、唐·胡里奥（Don Julio）龙舌兰、坦奎瑞（Tanqueray）金酒、摩根船长（Captain Morgan）朗姆酒和百利甜（Baileys）组成的巨型鸡尾酒并一饮而尽，也是可以原谅的。尽管如此，股价仍上涨 5.6% 至 £17.32，因为刘易斯在帝亚吉欧的改造中至少带来了多年未见的细致分析，并传达了一个令人欣慰的信息：他拒绝了那些敦促通过愚蠢的品牌出售来寻求完全“有机”修复的银行家。随之而来的是 10 亿加元 billion 的成本削减；对健力士（Guinness）的大力推动；推出“令人惊叹”的罐装即饮鸡尾酒；以及对其关键的北美部门在价格点到包装方面进行全面调整，在该部门中，包括皇冠皇家（Crown Royal）、斯米诺夫（Smirnoff）和摩根船长在内的三分之二品牌一直在失去市场份额。谁知道这是否真的有效。但刘易斯通过了初步的口味测试。

Castlelake 的动向

从技术上讲，Castlelake 仍有可能回归。它退出 easyJet 的竞购战时附带了一个条件，即如果有人（包括 Apollo）宣布了“首个”报价，它“保留”再次尝试的权利。但这机会渺茫，尤其是考虑到斯特利奥斯·哈吉-约安尼斯爵士（Sir Stelios Haji-Joannes）已不可撤销地将其家族持有的 35.3% 股份支持 Apollo 71½p 的 57 亿英镑 billion 报价，除非有人出价高出“至少 9%”。在 60½p 的价格下，easyJet 的股价暗示 Apollo 将实现一次平稳着陆。 alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk --- 36 商业

更多业主选择原地不动，住房阶梯缺失环节

大卫·拜尔斯 (David Byers) 副房地产编辑

由于搬迁涉及的成本更高，房屋所有者持有房产的时间更长。来自英国最大的高街房地产和租赁机构 Connells Group（拥有超过 1,200 家分店）的研究发现，在今年英格兰和威尔士出售房屋的人中，仅有 5% 的人持有房产三年或更短时间。这是有记录以来短期持有者比例最低的一次，低于 2006. 的 15%。与此同时，在五年内出售房产的业主比例在过去 20 年中减半，从 2006 年的 29% 下降到今年至今的 14%。

分析人士表示，高昂的搬迁成本（尤其是印花税）、昂贵的抵押贷款以及长期的负担能力问题，共同促使家庭减少搬迁频率。Connells Group 的研究总监 Aneisha Beveridge 表示：“房屋所有者发现搬家不再划算。结果就是，房屋所有者不太可能在住房阶梯上采取小步、渐进的上升或下降。当他们搬家时，这越来越需要成为一个更大、更长期的决定。”

根据国家统计局的数据，平均房产价格是平均工资的 7 倍——几乎是 1995 年水平的两倍——而面临更高税收的房东投资频率降低，与新冠疫情前相比，可供出租的房屋减少了 25%。

根据 Connells 的数据，今年英格兰的典型搬迁者在印花税上花费了 £5,950，在伦敦则上升到 £23,000，这还没有计入法律、房地产中介、抵押贷款或搬家费用。

Beveridge 表示，许多家庭被困在不再适合他们的房屋中。英格兰和威尔士购房 10 年或更短时间内出售的房屋比例

“无论是为了养育孩子、更换工作还是缩减住房规模，家庭都需要灵活性来使住房适应其情况。相反，我们看到日益增长的财务障碍使得这些搬迁举措更难证明其合理性。”

在东南部，业主被困在房屋中的时间更长，那里的房价最高且搬迁成本令人望而却步。购房 3 年和 5 年内亏本出售的业主比例

在伦敦，今年 9% 的卖家持有房屋五年或更短时间，东南部为 12%，但在东北部，短期持有者的比例为 17%，在约克郡和亨伯地区为 15%。

“如果房屋所有者的搬迁频率像 2006, 那样，我们将看到每年增加约 439,000 笔交易，”Beveridge 说道。

数据还显示，价格增长缓慢如何影响了许多业主在出售时的银行余额。与 2000 年代的繁荣时期相比，现在有更高比例的卖家在出售房屋时不得不承受损失。在英格兰和威尔士，五年或更短时间内出售的业主中有 20% 遭受损失，三年内出售的业主中有 23% 遭受损失，分别高于 2006 年的 6% 和 10%。

伦敦人受价格贬值的影响最严重，据估计，首都 21% 的房屋价值低于业主支付的价格，而英格兰和威尔士的平均水平为 79%。与此同时，以 £100 万 或更高价格购买的房屋中，有 32% 的价值低于购买价格。

Persimmon 顶住行业增速放缓，建设量增长 13%

建筑业低迷导致住房目标存疑

Martin Strydom

英国最大的房屋建筑商之一在住房市场放缓的情况下，于今年前六个月实现了更多住房的建设。Persimmon 在截至 6 月底的六个月内交付了 5,189 套住房，同比增长 13%，且由于该公司在应对困难市场的表现优于竞争对手，预计全年完工量将处于其约 12,500 套指导范围的上限。在高端品牌 Charles Church 强劲需求的推动下，平均销售价格上涨 1% 至 £285,752，该品牌的完工量增长 25% 至 555 套。战略合作伙伴关系带动交付给住房协会的单位数量增长 50% 至 928 套。强劲的业绩使税前利润增长 15% 至 £1.68 亿，营收增长 15% 至 17.3 亿英镑 billion。尽管这家富时100指数公司警告称，全球贸易摩擦和中东冲突在未来 18 个月内可能会增加 £4000 万 到 £5000 万 的成本，但 Persimmon 的股价在昨日收盘时上涨 2.9%，即 32½p，至 £11.56。

首席执行官 Dean Finch 表示，尽管市场充满挑战，“存在负担能力限制和建筑成本压力”，但公司仍有望实现 £4.54 亿 的全年潜在税前利润。该公司在砖块、屋顶瓦片和木框架方面的内部制造能力使其能够比竞争对手更好地应对成本上涨。竞争对手 Taylor Wimpey 在面对其担心将持续一段时间的“长期市场低迷”时，将每年返还给股东的资金削减了一半。Taylor Wimpey、Barratt Redrow 和 Berkeley 也降低了土地储备目标，但 Persimmon 持续投资。

然而，该公司表示，买家咨询在 7 月份有所减少，且在截至 8 月初的五周内，不包括大宗交易的公开市场销售额低于去年同期水平。自伊朗战争开始以来，住房市场出现逆转，这推高了抵押贷款利率，并打击了本已脆弱的消费者信心。最近，房地产经纪人和其他开发商表示，世界杯、热浪以及新任首相的结合在过去几个月里进一步放缓了市场。

Finch 表示，“住房市场继续经历住房的长期供应不足以及新房主面临的负担能力挑战，这是新政府关注的重点”。Persimmon 表示中东冲突可能会增加高达 £5000 万 的成本。

首相 Andy Burnham 计划花费 390 亿英镑 billion 用于“战后以来规模最大的市政住房建设规划”，并优先考虑棕地，以保护绿地并再生城市土地。自 20 世纪 80 年代以来，英格兰各地的市政住房建设大幅下降，许多地方当局的住房在“购房权”政策下被出售。Sir Keir Starmer 的政府在实现 5 年内于英格兰建设 150 万 套新房的目标方面正处于落后状态，目前仅为 662,500 套。

Jefferies 的分析师表示：“与其他公司相比，Persimmon 的这次交易更新显得很有信心。管理层对 2026 全年的市场预测感到满意，尽管我们注意到这在过去两个月里略有下滑——目前的潜在税前利润为 £4.54 亿，而此前为 £4.62 亿。”

摩根资产管理股权研究执行董事 Zaim Beekawa 表示，这是一组“良好的业绩”，并补充说，在一些竞争对手削减新房建设目标之际，指导目标的上调应能让投资者放心。

Jack Barnett 由于数据显示住房建设继续大幅萎缩，Andy Burnham 可能面临无法在当前议会任期内实现工党竞选宣言中提出的 2029 年前建设 150 万 套新房目标的风险。

标准普尔全球（S&P Global）英国建筑业采购经理人指数（PMI）从上月的38.4攀升至7月的44.7，高于共识预测，但仍远低于区分增长与收缩的50点阈值。尽管房屋建筑子指数升至去年10月以来的最高水平，但仍处于41.8的深度收缩区间。糟糕的住房PMI读数表明，工党政府将难以履行其竞选宣言中的承诺。分析人士表示，由于霍尔木兹海峡无限期关闭导致建筑成本将维持高位的时间存在不确定性，建筑商在招聘新员工方面持谨慎态度，并对未来的贸易状况感到担忧。标准普尔全球市场情报（S&P Global Market Intelligence）经济总监蒂姆·摩尔（Tim Moore）表示：“建筑公司谈到了由于中东战争而产生的燃料附加费和原材料价格上涨，但整体成本通胀率处于五个月以来的最低水平。”凯投宏观（Capital Economics）首席商业地产经济学家基兰·赖丘拉（Kiran Raichura）表示：“虽然我们预计[霍尔木兹]海峡很快会再次开放，但这第二波敌对行动造成的不确定性可能会使建筑业的任何复苏……保持低迷。”一些人指出，PMI读数是由低迷的情绪而非产出的剧烈下降所驱动的。潘西昂宏观经济研究（Pantheon Macroeconomics）英国首席经济学家罗布·伍德（Rob Wood）表示：“PMI在很长一段时间内一直过于悲观，因此我们对这种压抑的氛围持保留态度。糟糕的情绪表明产出不太可能快速增长，但……进一步下降也不在预料之中。”建筑业在英国经济产出中所占份额较小，经济主要由服务业驱动。服务业PMI显示7月恢复增长，指数从6月的48.8升至50点阈值之上的52.1。同期制造业调查则从52.5降至51.9。 --- 37 商业

哈里·沃洛普 (Harry Wallop) 如何避免市场失误？通过意识到自己可能是错的

“Allbirds 曾是一个极其符合政治正确趋势的鞋类品牌。其鞋子由尤加利树、羊毛和甘蔗制成；莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥是投资者，早期的粉丝包括格温妮丝·帕特洛、艾玛·沃特森和巴拉克·奥巴马。当 2021 年在纳斯达克上市时，Allbirds 的估值超过 40 亿加元。然而，它存在一个缺陷。这些鞋子价格昂贵，有时在几个月内就会散架。到今年早些时候，其价值已跌至仅 3900 万加元。

随后发生了一件令人惊叹的事情。4 月，该公司宣布将放弃鞋业，转型为一家“AI 计算基础设施”公司（不，我也没听懂），并将公司名称改为 NewBird AI。股价在一天之内暴涨 580%。投资者在对战略一无所知的情况下，争先恐后地购买这家新颖的 AI 风险企业的股票。

这并非第一次因为公司更名导致投资者行为愚蠢。1999 年，一家名为 Computer Literacy 的乏味的加州书店连锁店更名为 Fathrain.com——其股价在单日内上涨了 36%。事实上，根据普渡大学的一项研究，在 1998 年至 1999 年互联网泡沫的高峰期，95 家上市公司在名称中加入了 com、net 或 internet，即使业务没有任何变化，其股价在更名后的十天内平均上涨了 74%。

这项研究被引用在将于 9 月出版的一本有趣的书籍《市场的疯狂》（The Madness of Markets）中。作者是金融学教授亚历克斯·埃德曼斯 (Alex Edmans)，他在 20 年前因一项轻率但迷人的研究而成名：在国家足球队输球的第二天，股市会下跌。为什么？因为交易员感到沮丧，更倾向于卖出股票而非买入。从那时起，他就一直着迷于个人投资者和整个市场如何表现出非理性。

在金融城工作的人喜欢声称他们知道如何为股票估值，并能为客户获得高于平均水平的回报。在许多情况下，他们其实毫无头绪，未能意识到人类容易产生严重的偏见，受波动的荷尔蒙甚至天气的变幻影响。美国学者分析了 1982 年至 1997 年间 26 个国家的早晨阳光与股市之间的关系：当天空阴暗时，市场也随之低迷；当阳光比平时充足时，股市则会上涨。这与酒吧公司和冰淇淋制造商在阳光明媚时表现良好无关，而是整个市场的表现。

如果你持怀疑态度，晴朗的蓝天对住房贷款也有显著影响。一项研究分析了美国的 300 万份抵押贷款申请，查看了做出决定当天每个县的云层覆盖情况。在完美、阳光明媚的日子里，贷款批准率上升；在阴天则下降。这相当于在单日内多批准了 1.5 亿加元的信贷。这不是“电脑说不行”；而是审核人员起床心情好，拉开窗帘，步履轻盈。看来，我们能否获得买房资金，不仅取决于我们的信用评分，还取决于决策者的心情。

问题在于你是否能利用这些人类的弱点。幸运的是，埃德曼斯的书中充满了关于如何识别买入和卖出信号的建议。我最喜欢的一条可能是：当你能看出首席执行官更感兴趣的是填满自己的口袋，而不是股东的口袋时。这并非看他们令人瞠目的薪水或奖金——公平地说，这些通常与股价表现挂钩——而是看他们对公司私人飞机的使用情况。”

早在20世纪80年代，众所周知，RJR Nabisco拥有36名飞行员驾驶十架私人飞机，这些飞机不仅搭载高管，还将首席执行官的爱犬Rocco（登记乘客名为G Shepherd）带往高尔夫锦标赛。这促使斯特恩商学院的大卫·耶马克（David Yermack）进一步挖掘，并发现使用公司私人飞机的公司，其股价年表现低于市场4%，平均导致公司价值缩水3亿美元——这比一架飞机的成本还要高。他的结论是，管理层对成本表现出一种鲁莽的漠视，这对公司的长期盈利能力是不健康的。

基于心理学，最令人信服的投资策略是动量力量。近期上涨的股票将继续上涨，表现糟糕的股票将继续下跌——这并非因为它们本质上是优秀或弱小的公司，而是因为市场反应迟缓，投资者容易产生确认偏差，且呈现羊群效应。根据《金融杂志》（Journal of Finance）的一项研究，这一现象在58个市场中均成立——包括股票、债券、大宗商品、货币、黄金和石油。如果该金融工具在12个月内表现积极则买入，如果表现消极则卖出，然后持有该头寸一个月。你将获得惊人的15%年回报率。

我们都喜欢认为自己极其聪明，或者认为我们的股票经纪人一定很聪明——否则他们为什么要收取如此高昂的费用？但我们不要自欺欺人。我们中的许多人就像那些在新冠疫情初期，将一家半休眠的中国公司Zoom Technologies的股价推高1,500%的傻瓜，因为他们将其误认为视频会议公司Zoom。还有那些冲动购买New Birds AI的白痴？其股价目前低于更名之前的水平。诀窍在于意识到自己是个傻瓜，并避免他人更大的愚蠢。Edmans的书是一本非常有用的入门指南。

哈里·沃洛普（Harry Wallop）是一位消费者记者和广播员。可在X上关注他 @hwallop

软银凭借80亿美元 boost from Intel stake

Chris Dorrell

在全球最大技术投资公司的账面上，由于该公司在美制芯片制造商英特尔（Intel）的股份中录得超过80 亿加元 billion的收益，其利润跌幅低于预期。软银报告称，截至6月的三个月内净利润为¥3473 亿加元 (22 亿加元 billion)，比去年同期下降了127%，但远高于市场预期。

这家由董事长兼首席执行官孙正义领导的日本科技集团去年投资了20 亿加元 billion购买英特尔股票，当时其股价为每股$23 per share。在更广泛的半导体反弹中，英特尔股票在过去12个月中取得了显著增长，目前交易价格超过$100.

软银还报告称，其对TikTok所有者字节跳动（ByteDance）的投资获得了¥3584 亿加元的收益。这有助于抵消软银愿景基金（Vision Funds）表现较弱的影响，该基金投资于高增长科技公司。愿景基金在该期间报告的投资收益为¥2558 亿加元，比去年下降了近65%。

软银曾取得过一些惊人的成功，包括早期押注阿里巴巴和Arm Holdings，同时也经历过像WeWork那样偶尔发生的崩盘。孙正义此前将软银的“终极使命”描述为通过开发人工智能超级智能来支持进化，该公司已在AI经济的核心公司中建立了持股，例如英国半导体公司Arm Holdings（迄今为止软银最大的持股）和OpenAI。

预计到年底，软银对这家ChatGPT制造商的累计投资将超过600 亿加元 billion，这将使其持有13 per cent的股份。OpenAI正寻求上市，但报告显示，任何潜在的首次公开募股（IPO）都可能被推迟，从而延迟潜在的收益。

一些投资者开始担心，软银在没有货币化时间表的情况下，为了资助其投资而承担了大量债务。该公司在3月份达成了一项为期一年、400 亿加元 billion的过桥贷款以资助投资。

其在AI领域的风险敞口也导致了其股价的波动。在股价上涨超过80 per cent后，该公司在6月初曾短暂成为日本市值最高的上市公司。然而，投资者近期对AI繁荣可持续性的担忧产生了影响，该股已从峰值下跌约三分之一。

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THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES --- 38 商业

WPP 在新任老板领导下营收下滑势头减缓

Emma Powell 媒体与电信编辑

WPP 的营收下滑幅度有所减轻，这为其新任老板努力扭转这家陷入困境的广告集团局面的尝试提供了初步助力。

这家英国最大的广告集团报告称，6月季度的潜在营收下降了 2.8%，较今年前三个月的 6.7% 有所缓解。在今年前六个月中，同口径营收下降了 4.7%。WPP 股价昨日收盘上涨超过 28%，报 395便士。

该公司此前曾指导，上半年潜在营收将下降“中到高个位数”，并在今年后六个月处于“改善轨迹”上。城市分析师此前预测，第二季度潜在营收将下降 6%，半年期将下降 6.5%。

于 9 月被任命领导这家富时 250 指数成份股公司的 Cindy Rose 表示，虽然“历史账户损失”继续影响其业绩，但稳定业务的计划正按计划进行。

WPP 一直在应对一系列高知名度客户的流失以及宏观经济低迷，后者促使品牌削减广告支出。然而，Rose 表示：“客户确实面临着逆风，但我们还没有看到营销投资出现明显的缩减。”

2 月，Rose 制定了一项结构性改革方案，旨在简化该广告集团庞大的运营规模，并在 2028. 年前节省 £5 亿 的成本。公司表示，今年有望实现 £1 亿 的成本节省。

Rose 表示，数百个运营单位正被合并为仅四个——创意、制作、媒体和企业解决方案——且奖金结构已统一，旨在打破封闭的工作方式。

“在过去，即使 WPP 表现不佳，你仍然可以在自己的代理机构损益表中表现得非常好。而现在这已不再可能，”她说道。

这位前微软高管的目标是在明年某个时间点让集团恢复有机增长。在截至 6 月底的 12 个月里，员工人数减少了近 6,700 人，至略低于 97,400 人。

预计该公司将出售低增长业务，并利用所得资金帮助加强其资产负债表。公司表示，预计今年从非核心资产处置中获得约 £2 亿 的资金。

截至 6 月底，调整后净债务为 29 亿英镑 billion，低于一年前的 33 亿英镑 billion。

《泰晤士报》此前报道，高盛的顾问正在为传播机构 Burson 探索战略选择，这可能为最终出售铺平道路。Burson 是由 WPP 最大的两家传播机构 BCW 和 Hill & Knowlton 在 2024 年合并而成，在全球雇佣约 6,000 人。

Rose 已取得了一些早期的业务突破，包括美容公司雅诗兰黛（Estée Lauder）和捷豹路虎（Jaguar Land Rover）的全球媒体账户，以及汉高消费品牌（Henkel Consumer Brands）的欧洲媒体业务。

由于员工和重组成本降低，WPP 的法定营收下降 4.4% 至 64 亿英镑 billion，而税前利润增长 8% 至 £1.06 亿。

Kantar的Levings将领导YouGov

研究数据与分析集团YouGov已任命Kantar的Wayne Levings接替Stephan Shakespeare担任首席执行官。56岁的Levings曾在该市场研究公司担任过多个高级职务，包括北美地区负责人和Kantar零售业务首席执行官。他将于11月1日以候任首席执行官身份加入，并于2027年2月1日正式就任，届时Shakespeare将在六个月后卸任执行职责，继续在董事会担任非执行董事。

在AIM市场交易的YouGov股票昨日收盘上涨13便士，涨幅为5%，报274便士。今年2月，前ITV高管Ian Griffiths被任命为董事长，在Steve Hatch于2025年初突然离职后领导首席执行官的搜寻工作。在Hatch离职前几个月，公司曾收到关于业绩的警告，导致股价在一天内下跌40%。

YouGov由Shakespeare与前保守党财政大臣Nadhim Zahavi于2000年共同创立。在寻找Hatch的永久继任者期间，Shakespeare被请回领导公司。

YouGov在美洲、欧洲大陆、英国和亚太地区设有业务，声称拥有全球最大的研究网络之一。它在64个市场拥有数百万名成员，使其能够运行“样本组”，为公司提供关于其品牌消费者认知的信息。根据媒体情报公司Meltwater的数据，其数据是全球媒体引用最多的市场研究品牌。

该集团还宣布，预计全年业绩将与之前的指引一致。YouGov表示，由于各公司重新评估预算，该公司正面临广告支出放缓的问题。该集团已就其贷款额度的修订条款达成一致，使其在继续审查3月份启动的Shopper部门时具有更大的灵活性。

--- 39 商业

再生公司最大股东欲全资收购

詹姆斯·赫利 (James Hurley) 助理商业编辑

约翰·惠特克 (John Whittaker) 的 Peel Group 已提出近 £5.83 亿的报价，旨在收购土地与物业再生公司 Harworth Group 并将其私有化。Peel 已经是 Harworth 的最大股东，持有近 30% 的股份。该集团旗下的 Pepper 已提出以每股 1725 便士的现金收购 的剩余股份，较其 8 月 5 日的收盘股价溢价约 20.1%。

Holdings 表示，其认为 的资产在完全私有化所有权下将能获得“最佳的拥有、管理和开发”。对此， 表示其董事会“在昨天的公告之前，未与 就任何报价进行过实质性接触。董事会正与顾问共同审查该报价条款，并将视情况发布进一步公告。”

的股价收盘上涨 34½ 便士，涨幅 24%，报 178 便士，为近一年来的最高点。 在英格兰北部和中部的 100 个站点拥有并管理约 15,000 英亩土地，具有建设工业空间和允许建造 29,000 套住宅的潜力。该公司监督了什罗普郡前 Ironbridge 电站的重新开发，该电站于 2023 年以 £2000 万的价格出售给 Taylor Wimpey，且该公司一直将其重心更多地转向工业和物流开发。

它在 2024 年以 £1.066 亿的价格向微软出售了一个数据中心开发项目，并确定了第二个其认为适合建设人工智能数据中心的站点。该公司本周表示，目前正与“几家交易对手就该站点的出售进行高级谈判”，预计其售价将高于微软交易。该公司还表示，其投资组合中存在类似的“数据中心机会”。

Group 自 2004 年退市以来一直为私有公司，投资领域涵盖土地与物业、交通与物流、低碳能源及其他基础设施。该公司专注于英格兰北部的再生项目。它由惠特克在 20 世纪 70 年代初创立，这位亿万富翁被描述为大曼彻斯特地区和西北部最具影响力的商业领袖之一。

表示，其认为该报价“为 的股东提供了一个极具吸引力的机会，使其能以公平价值实现其持股的完全流动性”。

根据 AJ Bell 的数据，此次报价较 最近公布的每股净资产价值折价 20%，而房地产行业每股净资产价值的平均折价率为 24%。

要求股东在权衡该报价时考虑几个因素。该公司表示，“在 行政成本基数增加以及净利息支出增加（这两项显著高于其经常性租金收入）的部分驱动下， 的现金流状况正变得越来越不可持续”。

它还质疑了该公司交付的回报，并表示其增长目标“极不可能实现”。它还表示，该报价解决了 “多年来一直面临的”相对于净资产价值的“结构性估值折价”，且其股票市场上市带来的“益处有限”。

“ 在过去九年里没有筹集新股，且 [] 认为，鉴于其持续的折价， 今天将无法 [有效地] 筹集新股，”该公司补充道。

2025 年， 报告的营收为 £1.297 亿，税后利润为 £950 万。

谷歌面临 50亿英镑 集体诉讼审判

Chris Dorrell 英国法院已批准一项针对谷歌的 50 亿英镑 billion 集体诉讼，允许数十万家英国企业将这家科技巨头诉至审判。该案件由竞争法学者 Or Brook 博士发起，指控谷歌滥用其在搜索市场的主导地位，推高了英国近 900,000 家企业和组织的搜索广告价格。谷歌称该指控具有“投机性和机会主义色彩”。

指控称，谷歌要求设备制造商预装其搜索应用和 Chrome 浏览器才能访问 Play 商店。谷歌还被指向设备制造商提供财务激励，以诱导其预装其搜索引擎。原告方认为，凭借其在搜索市场的强势地位，该公司被指控滥用在搜索广告领域的主导地位，导致“谷歌能够对搜索广告收取超竞争价格，并降低此类广告所获得的价值”。

在上个月的听证会后，竞争上诉法庭授予了一项所谓的基于“选择退出”（opt-out）机制的集体诉讼令。这意味着，被谷歌广告多收钱的企业将自动在审判中获得代表。米德法官（Justice Meade）表示：“这些并非弱势指控。”

谷歌此前主张该案件应仅在“选择加入”（opt-in）的基础上进行，这可能会大幅降低其潜在赔偿责任。谷歌认为，原告未能证明以选择加入方式进行是不切实际的。米德法官表示，这些论点反映了一种“吹毛求疵”的做法，“几乎没有任何理由支持选择加入”。

尽管该裁决允许案件进入审判阶段，但这并不意味着谷歌违反了法律。一名谷歌发言人表示：“这是一个投机性和机会主义的案件——我们将对此进行有力反驳。消费者和广告商使用谷歌是因为它有用，而不是因为没有替代方案。”

Geradin Partners 和 KP Law 两家律师事务所支持该项指控，该诉讼由 Burford Capital 提供资金。

特朗普关税退款助力任天堂营收增长

Simon Freeman 由于特朗普总统关税的退款，任天堂的营收获得了数百万加元的助力。尽管总净销售额下降了 9.5%，但这家日本视频游戏制造商在截至 6 月 30, 的三个月里的营业利润增长了 £50% 以上，达到 9亿美元 多加元。

增长的主要驱动力是销售成本的降低，这与特朗普“解放日”关税的退款有关，美国最高法院在 2 月份裁定该关税非法。任天堂的大部分硬件在亚洲生产，主要制造业务位于中国和越南，这些业务曾面临高达 46% 的税率。

该公司表示，自去年 4 月关税引入以来，其大部分额外成本已由公司自行承担，但目前正面临一项潜在的集体诉讼，要求将部分退款返还给客户。该公司表示：“我们记录了约 3亿美元 的销售成本减少，这与关税退款有关。”“与退款相关的关税主要由公司承担，而非通过产品价格转嫁给消费者。”

除了关税影响外，任天堂表示，去年夏天发布的 Switch 2 主机“保持了强劲的销售势头”，总计销售 380 万 units。分析师认为，由于下个月将为了应对内存芯片价格飙升而上调国际价格，买家提前购买推高了这一数字。

任天堂在东京上市的股票昨日上涨 2.9%。

--- 40 v3 Friday August 7 2026 / THE TIMES Business

贷款票据令投资者蒙受损失，部分投资者在购买营销精良的产品后失去一切，这些产品被指为庞氏骗局，James Hurley 报道

数千人在失败的贷款票据投资计划中损失了足以改变生活的巨额资金。这些计划的运营者正受到破产管理人的追究，其中一例正接受刑事当局的调查。但与此同时，有一群个人和组织通过这场丑闻发财，而就目前而言，他们几乎没有面临任何后果。

本报已查明，在 79th Group 和 Godwin Capital 这两个此类计划的案例中，据估计第三方推广人员赚取的佣金超过 £1 亿。根据破产管理人的说法，79th 和 Godwin 均被指控为庞氏骗局。

普通投资者被精良的营销和流畅的销售技巧吸引到贷款票据投资中。据称支撑此类计划的资产范围涵盖从房地产开发到诉讼融资、黄金、威士忌、艺术品和加密货币。投资者在这些高风险且有时被指欺诈的贷款票据中的总风险敞口估计高达数十亿英镑。

一名批评者将这种快速增长称为“流行病”，这引起了英国监管机构、破产管理人和银行业的日益警觉，并促使人们要求加强对帮助这些计划繁荣的第三方的审查。

伦敦城警察局已针对 79th Group 涉嫌“广泛欺诈”启动刑事调查，其运营者已被宣布破产。《泰晤士报》获悉，其投资者的资金中约有 £7000 万 流向了第三方推广人员。几名个人顾问通过推广 79th 各自赚取了数百万英镑。根据《泰晤士报》看到的记录，仅一名个人推广人员据称就赚取了近 £400 万 的佣金。79th 的运营者否认有不当行为。

安妮·钱伯林（Anne Chamberlain）和她的丈夫（两人均在 70 岁后期）是那些在面对英国金融行为监管局（FCA）所称的此类投资“诱人”营销后承担代价的人之一。这对定居西班牙的退休外籍人士为未来的生活和护理费用节省了超过 £150,000。2024 年 7 月，他们将这笔资金——他们的“全部毕生积蓄”——投资于 Godwin Capital。

与 79th 类似，Godwin 告诉投资者，他们的资金由商业地产投资担保，同时声称拥有与麦当劳（McDonald's）和 Lidl 等品牌合作的记录。该公司于去年崩溃，破产管理人指控其为一个 £1.75 亿 的庞氏骗局，即一种用新支持者的资金偿还投资者的投资骗局。预计投资者每投入 £1 只能收回约 5p。

“这太毁灭性了，”曾在英国担任餐饮经理的钱伯林在退休后表示，“它摧毁了我们的计划。我们不知道未来会怎样。”

她声称，该计划是由一名叫雷米·哈特（Remy Hart）的推广人员向她推销的，哈特是 Holborn Assets 公司的合伙人。她称哈特说服这对夫妇将积蓄投入到一项年利率 12% 的两年期 Godwin 贷款票据中。

“我丈夫反对将所有钱投入到一种产品中，但雷米说这笔钱是 100% 保障的，资产上有抵押权，且由一家受 FCA 监管的公司持有担保。我们以前从未将积蓄全部投入到一件事情上，但他说服了我们。我们信任 Holborn 和雷米。这太毁灭性了。”

Godwin 的投资预计只能变现约 £600 万，这意味着投资者面临巨额损失，而据了解，估计有 £3500 万 以佣金形式流向了第三方推广人员。

在 Holborn 的网站上，哈特被描述为“致力于为我们的

查理·哈斯伯里（Charlie Hasberry）和雷米·哈特（Remy Hart），左下，在79th Group崩溃前为其做推广。右下：Capital 3PM创始人亚当·戴维斯（Adam Davis） 客户。他的LinkedIn个人资料显示，他“最喜欢的商业方式”是在“太阳海岸（Costa del Sol）的高尔夫球场上”。他没有回应钱伯林的指控或一系列问题，包括他通过销售Godwin赚了多少佣金。Holborn是一家总部位于迪拜的公司，其合伙人在推广Godwin方面发挥了关键作用，该公司将参与此次涉嫌诈骗的行为归咎于一家名为Capital 3PM的公司，约有2,500人因此受影响。Capital 3PM是一家“分销商”，在Godwin与向公众销售票据的人员之间充当桥梁。它从贷款票据提供商那里获得佣金，然后与Holborn等销售或“介绍”票据的网络分成。Capital 3PM有时也会直接向投资者销售贷款票据。一份Capital 3PM的文件似乎显示，Holborn的顾问们在排行榜上竞争销售Godwin，其中针对“前三名”表现者的“激励措施”包括一次“意大利托斯卡纳超级跑车之旅”。为那些销售贷款票据最多的人提供的、可在“四天三夜”之旅中穿梭于“起伏的山丘、美丽的湖泊和迷人的葡萄园”的车辆包括一辆McLaren 720s（新车零售价约£190,000）和一辆Lamborghini Huracán Performance Spyder（价格超过£200,000）。“亚军”激励措施包括苹果产品。瑞安·摩尔（Ryan Moore）在社交媒体上的描述是总部位于阿布扎比、“隶属于Holborn Assets网络”的“屡获殊荣的财务顾问”，在日期为2020年的文件中，他被列为Godwin的最高销售额者。在2020年6月的一篇在线评论中，一名叫瑞安·摩尔的人声称，他将自己的“个人财富”投资于Capital 3PM的交易，并“介绍了我的许多客户”。摩尔没有回应置评邀请。在本报听到的语音记录中，Capital 3PM的创始人兼管理合伙人亚当·戴维斯似乎在告诉一名推广员为什么Godwin是一个不错的选择，他声称该产品是“100 per cent资产抵押，100 per cent担保”。他解释说它“从未违约”，并且已经进行了“数万次票息支付”。在这些他认为应该与投资者分享的语音记录中，他说“我们收到最常见的异议”是它听起来“好得令人难以置信”。然而，他说投资资金通过一个针对劳埃德银行（Lloyds）账户资金的“由担保受托人持有的债券”得到了“100 per cent保护”。他被听到声称：“如果Godwin破产，所有资本都担保在Godwin的银行账户中……并通过债券形式担保。”“我们对该产品的信心和安全性元素非常乐观。”这些说法被证明是不准确的。破产从业人员已经查明，没有向受托人授予固定抵押权，投资者资金没有担保，且Godwin除了公司间余额外没有任何资产。Capital 3PM在Godwin崩溃后不久倒闭，无法联系到戴维斯置评。戴维斯此前在一次采访中表示，支持此类“固定收益”产品可以帮助他和客户“在夜晚安睡”。总部位于瑞士的Lawsons Network表示，它通过提供“基础设施、系统和运营支持”，帮助独立“顾问”销售包括贷款票据在内的投资产品。《泰晤士报》看到的一份名为“Lawsons Network的提供商及总佣金率”的Lawsons电子表格描述了顾问在推广贷款票据时将获得的高额佣金。其中包括79th Group；Woodville（一家最近崩溃的£2.5 亿诉讼融资集团）；Alderley Group（一个在6月破产的社会住房投资计划）；以及HJ Collection（一个价值£1.2 亿的房产计划，由安妮和罗素·钱伯林（Anne and Russell Chamberlain）投入全部

由里斯·门尼（Reece Mennie）所有，其另一家公司亨特·琼斯（Hunter Jones）误售投资产品，其中一名受害者是一位90岁的女性。上周，金融城监管机构对Equity for Growth (securities) 进行了谴责，该公司曾为亨特·琼斯提供监管掩护以营销贷款票据。监管机构表示，该公司批准了包括亨特·琼斯在内的企业的促销活动，而这些企业“未能披露极高额的佣金费用”。

高昂燃料成本削弱 Wizz Air 竞争力 Charlotte Bend

由于中东冲突导致航空燃料成本大幅上涨，Wizz Air 在一个“极其动荡”的时期陷入季度亏损。这家廉价航空公司在截至 6 月的三个月内，税前亏损达 €2.519 亿，而去年同期则盈利 €4800 万。尽管该季度搭乘该航空公司的乘客人数达 2.11 亿，比去年同期增长 251%。

这家在富时 250 指数（FTSE 250）上市的公司表示，亏损在很大程度上反映了其燃料支出较去年增长 39%，达到 6000万欧元。Wizz 此前表示，在 3 月份不得不取消飞往以色列特拉维夫以及其他中东和塞浦路斯航线后，因伊朗战争遭受了 €5000 万 的损失。

展望未来，该航空公司表示，其已对其全年 76 的航空燃料需求进行了套期保值。虽然许多航班已经恢复，但公司表示，正在将飞行资源从长途的中东航线重新分配到较短的欧洲市场。

昨日公布的业绩结果此前在周三引发了股东反弹，当时 26 的投票者反对公司的薪酬报告，而 25 的投票者反对重新选举兼任薪酬委员会主席的 Barry Eccleston 为董事。

Wizz Air 首席执行官 Jesse Varadi 表示：“由于中东冲突、燃料价格高企以及预订模式的变化，整个行业在 6 月季度表现得极其动荡。”

“虽然我们继续看到预订量的增加，但预计今年剩余时间将同时带来行业挑战和战略机遇。”

Varadi 补充说，Wizz Air 仍在从主要与普惠（Pratt & Whitney）发动机粉末金属缺陷相关的飞机停飞中恢复。影响正在持续减轻，截至 6 月 30, 日，停飞飞机数量为 27 架，而去年为 41 架。在 2027 年底前让受影响机队恢复服务的计划仍按计划进行。

在交付十架飞机后，记录的净债务为 €51 亿加元，而 3 月 31 日为 €49 亿加元。

Wizz Air 表示，将在西班牙永久部署五架飞机，以支持从瓦伦西亚、马德里和圣地亚哥-德孔波斯特拉基地启动的 15 条新国内航线和三条国际航线。

Wizz Air 股价昨日收盘下跌 3.23 ，即 37p，至 £11.10。

助力低收入员工的应用程序考虑上市 Richard Tyler

企业家网络（Entrepreneurs Network）编辑。为400万低收入工人提供更廉价金融服务的员工福利公司Stream，在营收增长81 per cent至£6680 万后，正在考虑在股票市场上市。这家目前处于亏损状态的公司据称“估值超过10 亿加元 billion”，在一项具有法律约束力的社会章程下运作以“行善”，并支持900,000名NHS员工提前支取工资、储蓄和借款。

Stream表示，计划在“可预见的未来”上市。联合创始人兼首席执行官Peter Briffett表示，自2018年启动以来，Stream已筹集超过£1.7 亿的风险投资，上市是自然的下一步。他说：“我们肯定会进行公开市场上市。作为一家英国企业，非常考虑伦敦市场对我们来说是有意义的。”

然而，关于选择哪个证券交易所的最终决定尚未做出，因为该公司的股东包括主要的国际金融机构，且近期在美国进行了扩张，目前在该国为包括零售商Dollar General和Albertsons在内的公司提供服务，覆盖人数达100万。Briffett表示，上市选择是“股东的决定”，且由于在美国取得了成功，Stream拥有“选择权”。该公司尚未任命城市银行家为其首次公开募股提供咨询。他说：“他们仍在争取我们，但这些决定将在接下来的几周和几个月内做出。”

该公司通过Next和Asda等雇主支付的平台使用费获利，此外还包括向提前支取工资的员工收取£1.95的交易费、贷款利息，以及品牌方为针对特定职业（如护士或厨师）投放折扣优惠而支付的费用。

在即将提交至公司注册处（Companies House）的账目中，该公司报告其2025年的税前亏损从之前的£2220 万缩小至£1850 万。一名接近Stream的消息人士表示，该公司在去年秋天的一轮£6700 万融资后获得了独角兽地位。

该公司由Briffett和Portman Wills创立，旨在通过解决储蓄较少的工薪家庭使用掠夺性发薪日贷款的问题。Briffett表示，公司的长期使命是“影响1 亿人”。在英国，它已帮助年收入通常低于£35,000的家庭储蓄了1 亿英镑 million。Briffett补充说，通过对收入进行向下取整并将小额定期款项转入储蓄账户，Stream的贷款比其他提供给信用记录较少员工的贷款更便宜。

--- 《泰晤士报》 / Friday August 7 2026 v2 41 商业 # 推广者赚了1亿英镑

他们在Godwin Capital中的储蓄，其销售人员包括Ryan Moore，或者披露这些费用将从投资者的资金中扣除。由于该问题，Equity for Growth已被英国金融行为监管局（FCA）关闭。监管机构表示，这些推广活动“不公平、不清晰且具有误导性”。Hunter Jones拒绝发表评论。

Citywire报道称，Charlie和Joseph Hasberry兄弟拥有Lawsons Network。目前担任“精品介绍机构”Jura Capital董事的Charlie Hasberry曾是79th Group的关键销售人员之一。Lawsons、Jura和Charlie Hasberry未回应询问或评论邀请。

传统的受监管财务顾问通常收取投资金额的1 and 3 per cent作为费用，以及每年约0.8 per cent的持续咨询费，并且在接收底层投资提供商的佣金方面有严格限制。

提交文件打击行动，董事面临禁令

詹姆斯·赫利 (James Hurley)

未能按时提交公司文件的董事正面临来自公司注册处（Companies House）更严厉的执法行动，其中最严重的违规者将被禁止经营业务。今年前六个月，已有 23 人因“持续或严重不履行”职责而被取消资格，累计禁令时长达 70 年。英国的公司登记机构还表示，今年第一季度已起诉并处罚了 360 名因提交文件违规的董事，因为该机构加强了对未能按时提交账目和股东信息等文件的人员的审查。公司注册处未提供一年前的同类数据，但据了解，其在该领域的执法活动显著增加，此前每年平均约有 12 起取消资格的案例。

The Lawsons 的电子表格描述了高达 15% 的佣金，计算基数为顾问说服人们投资的金额。这还是在 Lawsons、Capital 3PM 等第三方分销商或贷款票据提供商本身扣除任何费用之前。在不受监管的贷款票据计划中，支付给推广者的高额佣金揭示了其核心逻辑中不可能实现的数学计算。此类款项可能导致投资者的资本在进入任何底层投资之前就已大幅减少，在许多情况下甚至是致命的损耗。在 Godwin 案中，据了解，破产从业人员计算出该计划需要至少 234% —— 甚至可能高达 400% —— 的回报率，才能简单地偿还本金和利息。

虽然贷款票据通常依赖于一个监管漏洞，允许向自我证明为“资深”投资者的群体营销此类计划，但金融专家警告称，任何具备金融素养的投资者都不会认为债务产品能获得如此高的现实回报。据称，这些佣金通常不予披露。Lawsons 和 Holborn 等网络不受监管，并表示它们依赖于 Capital 3PM 等分销商对底层投资进行尽职调查。

代表 79th 崩盘受害者的律师罗伊·托马斯 (Roy Thomas) 回忆起在西班牙参加的一次“可怕的”会议，据称一名介绍人因向 79th 介绍超过 35 名受害者而获得了“超过 £200,000 的佣金”。他见到的许多人身体虚弱，托马斯认为其中许多人脆弱且缺乏经验。“当投资者意识到他们可能无法拿回钱时，场面令人心碎，”他说。

Richardson Hartley Law 是一家致力于从贷款票据计划中追回损失的律所，其高级合伙人马丁·理查森 (Martin Richardson) 表示：“人们的生活被毁了。这给许多人带来了财务上的毁灭，导致关系破裂，并使许多人陷入深度抑郁。”

“我们估计在过去几年中，已有数亿英镑被支付给了那些将客户引导至最终失败计划的介绍人。”

“我们经常看到介绍人推荐三个、四个甚至五个计划，而这些计划最终全部失败。当你比较支付给不受监管的介绍人与必须遵守监管规则的人员的佣金率时，差距可达十倍以上。”

Kroll 重组实践部门的董事总经理安德鲁·斯通曼 (Andrew Stoneman) 正在调查 79th Group 的崩盘，他表示：“这些计划猎取普通人，利用slick的营销手段诱导他们，并承诺不切实际的回报。应当考虑通过监管改革来打击误导销售。”

Holborn 没有回答一系列问题，包括其及其顾问通过销售 Godwin 赚了多少钱。该公司在的一份声明中表示，在破产工作和民事诉讼进行期间，不希望对“个人指控”发表评论。

该公司表示，其在Godwin项目中的角色“仅限于介绍公司”，并补充道：“投资者是根据正式协议被介绍给Capital 3PM的。Holborn既不是Godwin投资的发行方也不是推广方，也不控制底层资产、担保安排或投资者资金的部署。”该公司称，Capital 3PM“负责提供产品信息、营销材料以及介绍公司预期依赖的产品级尽职调查”，且Holborn“进行了与其角色相符的审查水平”，而关于Godwin的不实主张“源自Capital 3PM提供的信息”。该公司表示，“没有信息”表明此类主张是“虚假或欺诈性的”。它补充说，公司“意识到”Godwin崩溃所带来的“重大财务和个人影响”。Hunter Jones表示，公司已从过去的错误中“吸取教训”，且遵守规则是“我们经营业务的基础”。Godwin的前经营者未能取得联系。

税收减免对振兴英国石油和天然气业“至关重要”

艾米莉·戈斯登 (Emily Gosden) 能源编辑

Harbour Energy 的负责人表示，税收减免对于振兴英国北海石油和天然气工业“至关重要”，尽管该公司在价格上涨的推动下利润大幅增长。

Harbour 是北海第三大生产商。在 BP 宣布在进入该盆地 60 多年后将其退出之后，北海再次成为关注焦点。

由于保守党在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后引入的“能源利润税”（作为一项超额利润税），且该税项在工党领导下被提高并延长，英国北海目前面临 78 的有效税率。

Harbour 首席执行官琳达·库克 (Linda Cook) 告诉分析师：“北海继续发挥着至关重要的作用，在涉及英国能源安全方面可以发挥更大的作用。这也意味着投资和就业。实现这一目标的关键将继续在于我们需要一个更具支持性的财政框架。如果项目要与在英国境外拥有机会的公司竞争资本，这一点至关重要。”

Harbour 报告称，今年前六个月的调整后净利润增长 37，达到 5.62亿美元，这得益于创纪录的产量以及美国对伊朗战争导致的价格上涨。息税、勘探成本及其他费用前利润 (EBITX) 增长 15，至 45 亿加元 billion。在宣布 2.5亿美元 的股票回购后，股价上涨 11½p 或 4.9，收于 2435p。

Harbour 最初是一家专注于英国北海的参与者，拥有前壳牌 (Shell) 和 Premier Oil 的资产，但通过一系列收购扩大了海外业务，使得英国目前仅占其产量的 29。其最大的业务分布在挪威，但在美洲和亚洲也有业务。

其上半年的产量增加到相当于每天 509,000 桶原油，高于一年前的每天 488,000 桶，这得益于对墨西哥湾生产商 LLOG 的收购。该公司预计全年平均产量为每天 490,000 桶，高于此前至少 480,000. 的指引。

首相安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) 表示，他对北海将采取“务实”态度，并正在审查能源利润税。

BP 负责人梅格·奥尼尔 (Meg O'Neill) 表示，这项工作使得英国工业无法与世界其他地方的机会竞争。

库克表示，新政府的评论让她感到“鼓舞”。她补充道：“BP 所说的很有道理。这也是为什么 Harbour 减少了在英国的投资，转而支持在其他地方（如美国）进行收购和投资的原因。”

© Serica Energy，这家富时 250 指数 (FTSE 250) 北海集团报告称，由于美国对伊朗战争推高了商品价格，其利润有所增长。

该公司报告的上半年息税、勘探成本及其他费用前利润为 3.01亿美元，高于一年前的 $11800 万。税后利润从 2025. 同期的 4300万美元 亏损转为 600万美元 盈利。

Serica 最近通过一项针对 Pharos Energy 的交易完成了其首次国际收购，该公司表示将“继续寻求通过在英国和国际上的并购 (M&A) 来创造股东价值的进一步机会”。

过去。它还成功说服法院更严肃地对待这些违法行为，并判处了更长时间的禁令。

公司注册处 (Companies House) 情报与执法参与总监马丁·斯温 (Martin Swain) 表示：“有限责任鼓励创业，给企业提供启动、投资和增长的信心。作为回报，企业被要求保持透明和负责。我们鼓励并支持公司履行提交账目和确认声明的法律义务。起诉确保了在发生严重违法行为时，相关个人能够被追究责任。”

在多年来被批评过于容易被滥用之后，公司注册处正处于旨在清理登记册并帮助打击经济犯罪的变革之中。

从2028年4月起，200万家小公司将被要求首次提交其损益信息，不过在相关计划引发强烈反对后，它们将可以选择隐藏这些信息。这些变更影响到小型和微型公司——即员工人数不超过50人或年收入不超过£1500 万的企业。政府表示，损益表将可供“执法部门和英国税务海关总署（HMRC）”审查，以打击“欺诈、经济犯罪和逃税”。英国470 亿英镑 billion税收缺口中，约60 per cent被归因于中小企业的欠缴。在实施要求公司新任董事和受益所有人验证身份的独立措施后，公司注册量有所下降。这些规则的引入是因为长期以来人们担心英国的登记制度被滥用来便利金融犯罪和洗钱。--- 42 v2 Friday August 7 2026 / THE TIMES Business

特朗普将美国联储局主席设为快捷拨号，以便就战争寻求建议

OSB集团的利润受到竞争对手贷款机构的挤压

杰克·巴内特（Jack Barnett），特朗普总统经常致电美国联邦储备委员会负责人凯文·沃什（Kevin Warsh），以获取关于中东战争如何影响美国经济的信息。特朗普倾向于爆发式地致电美联储主席，有时一天多次，此举打破了旨在将政治与货币政策分开的数十年惯例。《华尔街日报》率先报道了这一消息，并引用了知情人士的话。针对该文章，美国财政部长斯科特·贝森特（Scott Bessent）在X上发帖称，这些记者是“伪装成记者的速记员……报道美联储的后台八卦，因为他们如果没有人喂食，就无法进行真正的经济或货币政策分析”。

尽管消息人士未确认总统是否与沃什讨论过利率，但他们表示，特朗普寻求关于海湾冲突导致的全球能源价格跳升将如何影响美国消费者的建议。他还想知道经济如何应对人工智能的兴起。

特朗普与沃什的定期沟通发生在与前美联储主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔（Jerome Powell）关系破裂之后。总统通常在其Truth Social网站的帖子中，要求鲍威尔将利率大幅削减至低至1%，并称他为“笨蛋”和“太迟了”的鲍威尔。这种紧张关系在鲍威尔披露联邦检察官对他就美联储总部装修向参议院委员会提供的证词发起调查时达到顶峰。这一披露促使全球最顶尖的央行负责人出面支持鲍威尔，而鲍威尔在5月被沃什取代。

自2月美国-以色列与伊朗的战争爆发以来，特朗普的支持率受到打击。由于战斗开始后批发油价上涨，汽油价格已突破每加仑$4大关。分析人士称，特朗普希望在11月中期选举前与德黑兰达成和平协议。

美国近几个月的通货膨胀势头增强，且远高于美联储2%的目标，达到了3.5%。央行在7月的最近一次会议上将利率维持在3.5 per cent至3.75 per cent的区间。白宫发言人告诉《华尔街日报》：“特朗普总统多次强调，他正给沃什主席必要的空间，以恢复美联储决策的信心和能力。”

据消息人士透露，特朗普在电视上看到美联储主席后，经常称赞其外貌。

20世纪90年代，人们开始倾向于将货币政策的决定权从政治家转移给独立的央行行长，以避免利率被设定为政治获利而非为了更广泛的经济利益。英格兰银行在1997.获得独立地位。在过去25年通胀水平较低的情况下，这一举措被誉为成功。

然而，疫情之后全球价格大幅上涨。俄罗斯在2022,入侵乌克兰以及中东战争，导致央行面临指责，称其在2008年金融危机后将利率维持得过低，且在2021.年底通胀攀升时加息不够快。

改革英国党（Reform UK）领导人奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）批评了英格兰银行行长安德鲁·贝利（Andrew Bailey）及其在利率和量化宽松方面的决策。法拉奇此前曾暗示，如果他成为首相，将寻求更换贝利。

英国历史上任职时间最短的首相利兹·特拉斯（Liz Truss）经常声称，尽管她的迷你预算引发了英国金融市场的危机，但该银行是旨在将其推翻的建制派政变的一部分。

本·马丁（Ben Martin） OSB集团的一则警告称，今年存款市场的激烈竞争将挤压其利润空间，这引发了股市抛售，导致这家富时250指数（FTSE 250）银行的市值缩水超过£2 亿。作为英国最大的买房出租抵押贷款机构之一，OSB的股价昨日下跌61便士，跌幅10.7%，至508便士。此前，该公司将其净利息收益率（即贷款收费与存款支付之间的差额）的指引下调至2.15 per cent至2.2 cent之间。该公司此前预测2026年的收益率约为2.25 cent，并将此次下调归咎于“今年迄今为止零售储蓄市场的激烈竞争以及高企的零售融资成本”，并补充称其“做出了这些压力不会缓解的保守假设”。OSB还将今年预期的有形权益回报率指引从3月份给出的“10%出头”下调至约£2.5 cent。这些下调以及随后的股价下跌（使OSB的估值降至17 亿英镑 billion）对长期担任首席执行官并将在本月底离职的安迪·戈尔丁（Andy Golding）来说是又一次打击。57岁的戈尔丁在过去两年中一直试图恢复股东信心，此前2023年的利润预警和2024年的收益率预测下调曾引发投资者恐慌，导致其股价大幅下跌。他昨日表示：“市场短期内对净利息收益率数字非常敏感，但我认为这并非决定一切。该机构的中期前景极其强劲，只是目前市场有些波动。”戈尔丁将被桑坦德英国银行（Santander UK）高管恩里克·阿尔瓦雷斯·拉比亚诺（Enrique Alvarez Labiano）接任，他表示存款市场“相当火热”，而OSB的竞争能力受到了一个内部项目的影响，该项目旨在将储蓄账户从第三方服务迁移到新平台，这意味着“我们出现了一些没有产品可销售的时期”。OSB创建于2019年，当时由戈尔丁自2012年起经营的一储蓄银行（One-Savings Bank）收购了Charter Court Financial Services，该集团旗下拥有包括Kent Reliance和Precise Mortgages在内的品牌。其下调收益率指引的决定是在半年报中披露的，报告显示，在截至6月底的六个月中，OSB的税前利润同比下降3 cent至17 亿英镑.2 million，略低于城市分析师预期的£1.91 亿。

CAB Payments 计算抵御恶意收购的成本

本·马丁 (Ben Martin)

私募股权对 CAB Payments Holdings 的围攻已导致该公司承担了超过 £300 万 且仍在增加的账单，因为它正努力抵御前所有者发起的非自愿收购。这家在伦敦上市的 昨日披露，为了防御 Helios Investment Partners 的攻击，它在投资银行和律师身上花费了数百万英镑；后者是一家试图以低价报价买回 的私募股权公司。

这家跨境支付业务公司还宣布，一直领导对抗 Helios 的董事会主席安·凯恩斯 (Ann Cairns)，69, 计划在年底前卸任。虽然一名 发言人表示她离职是为了专注于“个人优先事项”，但其离职的时机仍可能引起金融城的关注。

持有 45% 股份的最大股东 Helios 实际上正在围攻这家公司。它在 2 月份发起了恶意收购，提议以每股 $1.15（约 85p）的价格购买 ，这将使公司估值为 £2.16 亿。尽管董事会认为这一价格过低，但 Helios 的报价得到了 前老板 Bhairav Trivedi 的支持，他持有 2.2% 的股份，加上另一名股东，这意味着超过 52 的股票支持该收购计划。

尽管如此，该报价仍显著低于 Helios 在 2023, 7 月以每股 335p 将 上市时给出的 £8.51 亿 估值；在那次上市后的几个月内，由于 发布了巨大的利润预警导致股价暴跌，上市被证明是一场灾难。

Helios 正在寻求包括英格兰银行在内的监管机构的许可，以便在做出正式报价前控制 。该公司还利用其持股有效地阻止了金融服务公司 StoneX 以每股 101p 的竞争报价尝试购买 ；StoneX 已于 5 月退出。

在昨天的上半年业绩报告中表示，在截至 6 月底的六个月中，它记录了 £360 万 的“非底层项目”，这“主要与 Helios 提出的不建议接受的报价相关的咨询成本”有关。然而，税前利润仍从一年前的 £310 万 跃升至 £1460 万，反映了由 Neeraj Kapur（60, 2024. 年接替 Trivedi 担任首席执行官）所主导的扭转局面。

股价收盘上涨 3p，或 3.9 ，报 80p。

--- 43 市场 商业 约翰·费塞内克 (John Ficenec)

Tempus 买入、卖出还是持有：今日最佳股票建议

移动通信集团的希望寄托在非洲

沃达丰 (VODAFONE) 市值 354亿英镑 全球客户 280m

我们快到了吗？沃达丰的投资者已经等待了超过四分之一个世纪，希望这家电信巨头的命运能有所好转，虽然最新的更新提供了一线希望，但目前仍难以给出买入该股票的有力理由。

亮点在于非洲，那里手机的使用正在普及，人们愿意为这项特权支付更多费用。年轻人也在避开标准的银行账户，直接通过 M-Pesa 在手机上管理财务。非洲业务贡献了集团总额的 21 ，其服务收入在截至 5 月的三个月（本财年第一季度）中增长了 14.8 。

这家 FTSE 100 公司对非洲的前景充满信心，并支付了 €18 亿加元 以获得额外的 20 股份，从而有效控制肯尼亚最大的移动运营商 Safaricom。

问题在于，业务核心部分极其艰难。目前最大的地区远在德国，贡献了 32 的服务收入。这里的表现不那么亮眼，第一季度增长 2.2 。向企业销售更多服务有助于抵消移动和宽带客户的流失，并阻止了去年 6 的收入下滑。英国贡献了 23 的服务收入，同样也

信号强度

建议 避开。重组已显示出进展，但一个季度还不足以令人信服。在剔除去年与Three合并的影响后，第一季度的服务收入仅增长0.6%，表现依然迟缓。沃达丰（Vodafone）支付了43 亿英镑 billion，收购了由长江和记（CK Hutchison）持有的沃达丰 / Three剩余49%的股份，以实现全资拥有。欧洲其他地区和土耳其实现了增长，助力集团收入提升9.7%。凭借稳健的交易和密集的协议，管理层有信心能够达到截至3月底的全年经调整潜在利润指引的高端，即€130 亿加元至€133 亿加元。问题在于，占据业务一半以上的德国和英国市场情况艰难。根据政府研究，在截至2025, 的十年间，经通胀调整后，英国人的人均手机支出（即每用户平均收入）从£19下降至£10。在手机合约中，我们支付给手机本身的费用越来越多，而支付给网络接入的费用越来越少，这使得数据更像是一种大宗商品。如果你拥有网络，并且必须支付与英国通信管理局（Ofcom）达成的110 亿英镑 billion账单以提高5G服务水平（作为Three交易的一部分），那么这种情况将十分痛苦。虽然分别于1991年和2001年推出的2G和3G已开始关停，但5G于2019, 推出，这意味着6G将在2030. 出现。在定价残酷、支出巨大、债务水平高企且截至3月底资本回报率从7%下降至6.6%的世界里，股东处于什么位置？答案是，在打造欧洲电信巨头的这26年旅程中，股东的位置相当尴尬。在激烈的竞争、家庭财务受压以及技术快速变化的背景下，很难看出这种情况将如何改变。诚然，在非洲的五分之一业务进展顺利，但这能否带动整个集团？随着首席执行官玛格丽塔·德拉·瓦莱（Margherita Della Valle）领导的重组开始见效，股价在过去12个月中上涨了近40%。西班牙和意大利的业务，以及一家荷兰合资企业和移动基站业务已被出售，所得资金将截至3月底的年度净债务从四年前的€416 亿加元降低至€254 亿加元。对于英国投资者来说，这是一段凄惨的时光，因为股价在过去五年中一直横盘，且在过去十年中价值减半。今年的股息增长2.5%至4.61欧分（或3.9lp），收益率为3.5%。但对于那些计划依靠2019. 支付的15欧分股息退休的人来说，这不过是微小的安慰。法国企业家、《世界报》（Le Monde）股东克萨维尔·尼尔（Xavier Niel）显然看到了他感兴趣的东西，并收购了16%的股份。但随着来自罗马尼亚的Digi和Lidl等新低成本供应商预计将推出移动服务，任何收益都伴随着过高的风险。

新闻简讯

Admiral “处于正确位置”

Admiral 的首席执行官坚称，尽管该公司上半年税前利润从去年同期的 £5.21 亿 下降至 £4.292 亿，但这家汽车保险公司仍“处于有利位置”。 昨天表示，由于一年前降低费率导致赚得保费减少，这家富时 100 指数公司的核心英国汽车保险部门利润同比下降 18%。然而，其首席执行官 Milena Mondini de Focatis 表示，该公司现在将从中受益，因为它今年“比市场更早地提高了费率”， 的汽车保险价格上涨了中到高个位数百分比。她暗示，其他汽车保险公司可能会效仿并提高保费，因为“无论在哪个方向上，我们往往都是第一个采取行动的”。此前，专业服务集团 EY 上月预测，由于整个行业的保险公司提高价格以抵消理赔处理成本的增加，汽车保险保费今年将上涨 4%，并在 2027 年跳升 12%。截至 6 月底的六个月中， 集团的整体营业额持平，为 31 亿英镑 billion。其中期股息从去年的 11½便士每股削减至 70½便士每股。昨日在伦敦，该公司股价收盘上涨 194便士，或 5.2%，至 £39。

股票基金外流加剧

根据全球基金网络 Calastone 最新的基金流量指数，7 月股票基金的外流有所增加，因为向新任首相的过渡增加了经济政策和税收方向的不确定性。英国投资者净提取了 16.1 亿英镑 billion，这是自 2025 年 10 月和 11 月秋季预算案准备期间以来的最高抛售水平。上个月是 Calastone 11 年记录中股票基金表现第五差的月份。12 个月的滚动外流额现已达到创纪录的 139 亿英镑 billion。多资产基金出现了自 2022 年 10 月以来的首次外流，金额为 £4.63 亿。

Spire 要约再次延长

Spire Healthcare 昨天表示，Toscafund Asset Management 对这家私立医院运营商提交正式收购要约的截止日期已第四次延长至 8 月 12 日。Toscafund 在 5 月 14 日提出了每股 250p 的方案，较 Spire 前一交易日的收盘价溢价 66%，对该公司的估值约为 10 亿英镑 billion。如果交易成功，Toscafund（目前已是 Spire 的第二大股东）将控制英国最大的髋关节和膝关节手术提供商，而此时创纪录的 NHS 等候名单推高了对私立医疗服务的需求。

Serco 扩大回购

Serco Group 昨天增加了其股票回购计划，同时报告上半年利润和收入大幅增长，这主要得益于国防部门的强劲表现。该公司还将中期股息提高了 10%，至每股 1.60p，并表示年度回购金额将从 £7500 万 增加到 £1.5 亿。六个月内的收入增长 4%，至 25 亿英镑 billion，其中国防业务贡献了 10% 的有机增长。税前利润从一年前的 £1.121 亿 上升至 £1.215 亿。股价收盘上涨 17½便士，或 7.2%，至 260p。

尽管 PZ Cussons 下跌，富时 250 指数仍走高

市场报告

富时 250 指数（FTSE 250）能够顶住PZ Cussons股票的剧烈下跌，并依然实现了连续第二个交易日的创纪录收盘，这足以证明其稳健性（罗伯特·米勒撰文）。不过，对于这家帝国皮革（Imperial Leather）制造商的投资者来说，情况并不乐观。该公司报告称，截至5月底的年度总营收为 £5.41 亿，同比增长 5.8%，而税前利润增长 22% 至 £5000 万。而且，在许多公司削减促销支出的时期，PZ Cussons实际上将营销预算增加了 £350 万。该公司还推广了品牌建设合作伙伴关系，例如使用《格鲁法洛》（The Gruffalo）和《佐格》（Zog）动画角色以及名人大使斯宾塞·马修斯（Spencer Matthews）。然而，投资者依然选择离场，导致股价下跌6p，或 5.6 ，至10½p；但由于该股自年初以来已上涨 38.5 ，这其中可能也包含了一部分获利了结的行为。富时 250 指数收盘上涨 62.79 points，报 24,695.42, 在周中的纪录之后再创新高。这得益于排名榜首的WPP的显著上涨，该股上涨67½p，或 28.6 ，至395p。

华尔街报告

在一系列好坏参半的公司财报出炉后，指数出现回落。霍尼韦尔航空航天（Honeywell Aerospace）因未能达到预期而下跌 23.2 。全球石油基准布伦特原油在关于重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的谈判出现最新进展后，上涨 3.8 至每桶 $82.49。道琼斯工业平均指数从周中的纪录回落 464.02 points，或 0.9 ，至 53,885.10；纳斯达克指数下跌 15.09 points，或 0.1 ，至 26,348.35. 标准普尔 500 指数下跌 13.59 points，或 0.2 ，至 7,709.96。

今日最大波动股

公司 / 涨跌幅

帝亚吉欧 (Diageo) / 5.6% 英国海军上将保险集团 (Admiral Group) / 5.2% 沃达丰集团 (Vodafone Group) / 4.3% Metton Energy & Metals / 3.4% Persimmon / 2.9% 康帕斯集团 (Compass ) / -2.1% 梅尔罗斯工业 (Melrose Industries) / -2.8% IG集团 (IG ) / -2.8% Ratx / -4.1% Tritax Big Box Reit / -4.2%

斯宾塞·马修斯与妻子沃格·威廉姆斯（Vogue Williams）担任PZ Cussons的大使，此前该广告代理公司的半年报显示出改善迹象。紧随其后的是Harworth ，在Peel Group提出近 £5.83 亿 的报价以收购这家土地和物业再生公司并将其私有化后，该股上涨34½p，或 24 ，至17½p。然而，富时 100, 指数（FTSE 100）终结了两日的上涨势头，收盘下跌 20.41 points，报 10,867.89. Tritax Big Box Reit的股价跌幅最大，下跌7½p，或 4.2 ，至164½p。这家专注于开发物流和数据中心的房地产投资信托公司表示，已通过以164p的价格发行新普通股成功筹集了约 £3.5 亿，净收益拟用于其数据中心开发管线。伦敦主指数的下跌得到了能源公司的上涨支撑，因为在与伊朗结盟的Hoathis表示他们袭击了也门境内的“沙特部署”后，油价大幅上涨，加剧了对红海航运的担忧。BP上涨45½p，或 0.9 ，至519½p；壳牌（Shell）上涨34½p，或 1.1 ，至 £33.15；而全球基准布伦特原油上涨 4.2 ，至每桶 $82.78。

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商业招聘 # 请提供一定程度的工作经验

由于对就业的担忧，对于许多人来说，就业能力往往比课程内容更重要，Jane Hamilton 撰文道。

尽管人们对毕业生就业市场的状况感到担忧，但 Ucas 的最新数据显示，获得学位仍然极具吸引力。英国大学和学院向离校学生发出的录取通知书数量创下纪录，达到 130 万 份，高于去年的 120 万 份。

但随着 A-level 成绩公布日的临近，学生在选择学位的方式上正在发生明显变化。数以千计的学生不再选择在“梦幻尖塔”中度过三年，而是受金钱顾虑和激烈的就业竞争驱动，选择提供工作经验的课程。

伦敦大学城市圣乔治学院（City St George's, University of London）最近的一项研究发现，97% 的潜在学生表示工作经验是课程内容的一个重要方面，而 87% 的学生现在将就业技能培训列为其选择大学的前五大标准之一。

“我们看到早期职业领域发生了明显的转变。工作经验不再是‘有了更好’，而正成为大多数年轻人整个职业轨迹的关键，”学生招聘网站 Higherin 的联合创始人 Ollie Sidwell 表示。“对于许多学生在选择就读地点时，就业能力现在的优先级高于课程内容本身。”

由于学生债务的平均水平为 £53,000, 准学生们正在评估其学位的“投资回报率”——而这正是与工业界联系紧密的前理工学院（polytechnics）蓬勃发展的领域。

在年度毕业生成果调查中，东伦敦大学最近在英国毕业生就业能力方面排名第二，其副校长 Amanda Broderick 教授将这一成就归功于其就业能力计划。其“职业保证”（Careers Guarantee）计划提供在伦敦雇主处工作经验的机会，而其“心理财富与专业素养”（Mental Wealth and Professional Fitness）课程则培养雇主经常抱怨缺失的关键软技能。

“学术知识仍然至关重要，但仅有知识已不再足够。雇主需要能够沟通、协作、适应并持续学习的人才，”Broderick 表示。

与此同时，金斯顿大学（Kingston University）的“未来技能”（Future Skills）计划将学生与包括 Adobe、可口可乐、联合利华、约翰刘易斯合伙公司和 IBM 在内的主要企业联系起来。本科生参与实际项目，帮助开发创新解决方案，以解决可持续发展和供应商关系方面的问题。

金斯顿大学副校长 Steven Spier 教授表示：“通过支持我们的学生将职业……”

“不要对你想工作的地方过于挑剔”

案例研究

Lois Davies 在哈德斯菲尔德大学（Huddersfield University）学习时尚品牌营销，同时在哈德斯菲尔德镇足球俱乐部（Huddersfield Town Football Club）进行体育商业与零售实习。

来自雷克瑟姆（Wrexham）的 Davies 表示：“作为一名来自工人阶级背景的第一代大学生，我想从教育中获得最大的就业能力，因此我对大学及其课程结构做了大量研究。”

“虽然我的实习内容与我的学位非常不同，但在很早的阶段我就在项目中获得了很大的自主权和信任，这推动了我在工作中的独立性。”

“我还发现我的课程在跨行业转移方面具有很强的适应性，并意识到我热爱在体育领域工作。”

“现在的就业世界竞争如此激烈。所以，无论你在学生时代获得什么样的经验或工作机会，都要抓住它。”

“在积累经验时，不要对你想工作的地方过于挑剔——对不同的事物保持开放态度，因为你可能会爱上它。”

寻求含工作经验学位时的顶级建议

哈德斯菲尔德大学的职业顾问克里斯·韦伯（Chris Webb）解释了如何做出正确选择。 - 了解什么是行业实习年 / 三明治实习（sandwich placement）、其运作方式，以及目标大学能提供什么样的支持来帮助你获得实习机会。 - 阅读你感兴趣的学位课程的模块概览，检查工作经验在课程内容中的位置。是否有特定的工作经验模块？是否会有实际案例简报或咨询项目？是否可以进行行业访问或与雇主建立联系？ - 使用 Gradcracker、TargetJobs 和 Bright Network 等毕业生求职网站来评估实习和安置情况，以便了解潜在机会的范围。 - 对不同形式的工作经验保持开放心态。 - 研究每门课程如何帮助你准备并反思你的工作经验，并利用你的职业服务中心。 - 如果你对某个特定行业或特定雇主感兴趣，请查明大学已经与哪些企业建立了合作伙伴关系。 将准备工作视为学习的重要组成部分而非可选活动，我们正在培养一批具备企业告知我们其所看重的技能的毕业生。" 所提供的工作经验类型范围广泛，从完整的三明治年和在单一公司的全夏季实习，到多次较短的安置，或实际项目和行业挑战。一些大学（包括哈德斯菲尔德大学）支持学生在学习的同时发展组合式职业（portfolio careers），鼓励创业。据副校长简·欧文-林奇（Jane Owen-Lynch）称：“工作经验和学术研究应被视为大学生的互补活动，而非孤立的追求。”

六条最佳建议

夏洛特·博斯沃思（Charlotte Bosworth）早年生活在西米德兰兹郡的一个市政住宅区，随后参加了法律学徒培训，并在 OCR 考试委员会升至高级职位。凭借在技能开发领域 25 年的经验，她现在担任学徒培训提供商 Lifetime Training 的首席执行官，致力于帮助雇主消除晋升障碍。 1 不要等待领导许可：你不需要被邀请进入房间才能做出贡献。出现，提问，并确保你的声音被听到。 2 重点比规模更重要：成功不需要规模。重点和执行力更重要。如果你清楚自己在哪里能创造价值，你不需要成为该领域最大的组织。 3 不要害怕挑战体制：即使你与监管机构和政府密切合作，你也不会总是同意他们的观点，而且你不应该害怕表达这一点。 4 不要过度规划你的职业生涯：你做出的一些最重要的举措将是反应性的。重要的是意识到你何时处于一个提供增长的环境中，然后全身心地投入其中。 5 创造心理安全感：包容性领导力是指为不同的观点创造空间，尤其是来自组织中新人的观点。 6 伟大的领导者设计的是入口坡道而非障碍：意识到并非每个人都从同一个起点开始。通过提供踏脚石和结构化支持，你将建立起更具韧性的团队。

本周任命

非营利组织 TrustMark 寻求首席执行官

TrustMark 正在寻求一名首席执行官。作为英国政府唯一认可的房屋改良质量计划以及一家非营利组织，TrustMark 的存在旨在推动整个行业的质量、信心和消费者保护，同时支持一个更安全、更可持续的建筑环境的长期发展。该任命将向董事会汇报，并作为 TrustMark 的首席大使，在政府、行业、监管机构和商业合作伙伴之间建立信任关系，确保组织保持影响力、相关性并为未来增长做好定位。鼓励来自建筑、改造、能源效率、房屋改良、更广泛的建筑环境或其他受监管且以消费者为中心的部门的候选人申请。薪资范围为 £160,000 至 £160,000，并包含高管福利方案、酌情奖金和汽车津贴。该职位位于贝辛斯托克（Basingstoke），要求定期在办公室出勤。请于 8 月 23 日前申请，网址为：appointments.thetimes.com

工作周

海盗软件威胁工作数据

员工可能会使敏感的业务数据面临风险。超过三分之二盗版体育赛事、电视剧和电影的人员使用公司智能手机进行操作，但其中超过一半的人表示，他们的设备在过去 12 个月内被恶意软件感染——这一比例是全国平均水平的三倍多。BeStreamWise 的顾问 James Bore 表示：“恶意软件可能成为进入公司网络的入口。”

电子竞技成为新领域

近一半的 Z 世代认为职业游戏是一条正当的职业路径，52% 的 18 至 29 岁人群支持将电子竞技纳入学校课程。超过三分之一的人不知道赛事组织者、团队经理和教练，以及电子竞技评论员和战略师等职业。罗技 G（Logitech G）的 Derek Perez 表示：“电子竞技是一场重大的文化现象。”

职业支持被冷落

约 35% 的 A-level 学生在过去 12 个月内没有使用其学校或学院的职业服务，而考虑学徒制的人员参与度最低。早期职业专家 Prospects 的 Chris Rea 表示：“职业支持在帮助学生对未来计划感到更有信心方面可以发挥重要作用，但太多人错过了能够帮助他们做出明智决定的建议和指导。”

在压力下赠礼

员工平均每年在同事礼物（包括生日和离职礼物）上花费 £200。虽然 25% 的人乐于出资，但另有 17% 的人不喜欢为他们几乎不认识的人出钱买礼物。根据贺卡和礼品公司 Thortful 的数据，另有 10% 的人感到出资时“压力很大”，而 11% 的人即使在个人情况无法负担的情况下仍然出资。

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莱斯特大学（UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER）

你的未来。

您的选择。在英国前25名大学中掌控您的下一步。 每个本科学位均包含保证100小时的由雇主指导的、与工作相关的学习。在我们的补录中心（Clearing Hub）了解更多信息，并获取支持与指导。le.ac.uk / clearing 2026年泰晤士高等教育世界大学排名

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51 伊丽莎白女王的亲戚 被指控过失杀人 Elizabeth Wise

注册 讣告

安东尼·肯尼爵士 (Sir Anthony Kenny)

一位才华横溢但心存质疑的哲学家，正是这种心态引导他离开了罗马天主教会，步入了学术殿堂。作为卓越的哲学家、贝利奥尔学院院长以及牛津大学副校长，安东尼·肯尼就像他的偶像圣托马斯·莫尔一样，是一个“全能的人”。在从亚里士多德到维特根斯坦、从核威慑到谋杀法律定义的写作、教学和公共辩论中，这位前天主教神父在近五十年的时间里一直是牛津学术界的巨擘。

他的哲学生活转折点在于一种存在主义的不确定性，这导致他在1963年离开了天主教神职。他对天主教会极其推崇的、由托马斯·阿奎那形式化的亚里士多德式信仰证明持怀疑态度，因此撰写了《五路》（The Five Ways，1969年），探讨阿奎那关于上帝存在的证明，以及《哲学家的上帝》（The God of the Philosophers，1979年），在书中他系统地梳理了年轻时作为天主教神父时困扰他的种种质疑。他证明了阿奎那的所有证明均不成立，并极具说服力地论证了全能、全知且仁慈的上帝这一概念是不自洽的。

肯尼同时也是一名一流的哲学史学家，其写作兼具敏感度、诠释上的同情心和批判性的敏锐。1968年，他出版了《笛卡尔》（Descartes），这本书在接下来的三十年里一直是标准教材。在书中，他向笛卡尔的天才及其严密的推理逻辑表达了应有的敬意，同时揭露了其关于人类心灵及其与身体关系的构想之不自洽。实际上，他将从研究维特根斯坦中所学到的知识，用来对抗笛卡尔的二元论以及笛卡尔关于意识和自我意识的观念。1973年，他出版了《维特根斯坦》（Wittgenstein），对维特根斯坦哲学的主要轮廓进行了清晰的综述。

随后，他从维特根斯坦转向亚里士多德伦理学和心灵哲学。他的著作《亚里士多德伦理学》（The Aristotelian Ethics，1978年）之后，接连出版了《亚里士多德论意志》（Aristotle on the Will，1979年）、《亚里士多德论完美生活》（Aristotle on the Perfect Life，1992年）以及《阿奎那论心灵》（Aquinas on Mind，1993年）。1998年，他出版了一本广受欢迎的《西方哲学简史》（A Brief History of Western Philosophy）。随后，他推出了哲学史的巅峰之作——四卷本的《西方哲学新史》（A New History of Western Philosophy，2004-07年出版），许多人认为这部作品取代了伯特兰·罗素的《西方哲学史》。

他在牛津分析哲学处于巅峰时期进入哲学领域，并见证了其日落并为此感到惋惜。肯尼确立了自己作为维特根斯坦传统中最为杰出的心灵哲学家的地位。他主要关注意志的本质、意向性行为以及实践推理。其首部作品的续篇是《意志、自由与权力》（Will, Freedom and Power，1975年），在书中他探讨了权力与能力的逻辑特性，并以极具原创性的方式捍卫了关于决定论与自由意志的比较论观点。与传统观点相反，他认为人类的自由既需要自发性的自由，也需要冷漠性的自由。他声称，人类的独特之处在于能够基于理由而行动的能力，随后他进一步探讨了这种独特能力的本质、前提及其后果——

1998年的肯尼。他在分析哲学处于巅峰时期进入该领域，在牛津期间是当时公共辩论中最令人敬畏的人物。

这些研究顺理成章地促成了《自由意志与责任》（Freiwill and Responsibility，1978年）的诞生，而该书又进一步延伸至对法律责任、谋杀的法律定义、强迫抗辩的限度以及“犯罪意图”（mens rea，有罪之心）本质的反思。凭借特有的严谨，肯尼通过学习法学考试，获得了他认为必要的法律专业知识，并于1981-82年成功通过考试。

他针对这些主题的著作，以及他与当时顶尖法律人物（包括大法官）的交流，对随后的法律改革产生了影响。他的《心灵的形而上学》（The Metaphysics of Mind，1989）对维特根斯坦和赖尔所建立的分析传统中的心灵哲学进行了精湛的概述。肯尼能够以幽默和机智轻盈地展现其分析敏锐度，在讲台上极具魅力且清晰透彻。在公开辩论中，他是当时牛津最令人敬畏的人物，礼貌无瑕，在揭露错误和混乱时毫不留情，能够洞察哲学问题的核心并勾勒出解决方案的轮廓，尽管他缺乏耐心去绘制一幅包含所有必要细节的宏大画布。尽管他在哲学方面才华横溢，但他将这一学科视为生活的预备教育，并且像他的偶像摩尔一样，相信 vita contemplativa（沉思生活）与 vita activa（积极生活）的互补性。尽管他有着相当庄重且像罗丹雕塑般深思者的面容，但肯尼是一个强健且具有说服力的人，深耕于大学生活的公共事务，并致力于在政府对学术自由干预日益增加的时期，保护并推进学术事业。肯尼以正直和行政效率著称，在1978至1989年这一动荡时期，他担任了贝利奥尔学院稳健的院长，并将他巨大的精力投入到其他学术事业中，从旨在com-

他曾为鲍里斯·约翰逊提供额外辅导，但后者仍未能获得一等学位

……整个牛津大学图书馆系统，到帮助引导陷入困境的英国图书馆建设方案直至完工。他在学术界少数的失败之一，与鲍里斯·约翰逊希望在1987年以一等学位离开贝利奥尔学院的野心有关；在此之前的四年里，这位本科生的经历颇为坎坷，他体验了学院生活所能提供的一切，包括臭名昭著的布林顿俱乐部（Bullingdon Club）。肯尼应约翰逊的要求，在其口试前提供了额外辅导，但这位未来的首相最终仍只获得了二等一学位。与心怀不满的约翰逊不同，这位知识巨匠对此持豁达态度。

安东尼·约翰·帕特里克·肯尼于1931年出生在利物浦，是商船工程师约翰·肯尼与玛格丽特（原姓琼斯）的独生子。他曾是个病弱的婴儿，被认为无法生存超过几天。因此，根据家族传说，安东尼接受了三次洗礼：第一次是由担心他在神父授予圣礼前就去世的祖母主持，随后由一名不久后抵达医院的神父主持，最后是在教堂举行正式洗礼。他的母亲后来开玩笑说，她的儿子将成为“利物浦最好的天主教徒”。

安东尼幼年时父母分居，随后他的父亲在第二次世界大战早期去世。在与悲伤和存在主义焦虑作斗争时，他受到叔叔亚历山大·琼斯（一名罗马天主教神父和圣经学者）的启发，决定追求自己的宗教天职。在离开兰开夏郡的阿普霍兰学院后，他从1949年起在罗马格里高利大学的英国学院接受神职培训。1955年授职后，他留在罗马继续攻读关于“语言分析哲学与宗教语言”的博士学位。在为格里高利大学撰写博士论文期间，他在圣贝内特礼堂注册攻读牛津大学的哲学博士（DPhil），课题为“心理动词的意向性”。

在牛津期间，他与伊丽莎白·安斯康姆结为好友，由她向他介绍了维特根斯坦的作品。他后来写道，她关于维特根斯坦的研讨会是他一生中最具塑造性的教育经历，而接触维特根斯坦的思想深刻地改变了他的思维模式。他在1958年完成了罗马的博士学位，并在1961年完成了牛津的博士学位。

肯尼于1959年在利物浦成为一名助理牧师，并在那里服务于各个教区直到1963年。在宗教学习的不同阶段，关于信仰的逻辑合理性以及圣餐变体教义的可理解性的怀疑一直困扰着他。这些问题后来再次地纠缠他。维特根斯坦的哲学削弱了他对“宗教体验可以证明自然神学主张”的信心，他开始怀疑信仰是否能替代上帝存在的证明。他的疑虑既无法解决也无法压制，但他依然坚守自己的天职。致命一击来自利物浦大主教约翰·希南（后来的希南枢机），他谴责肯尼在《天主教图画报》（Catholic Pictorial）中写道，天主教徒可以（续见第52页） --- 52 Register

伊丽莎白·怀斯（Elizabeth Wise）

女王伊丽莎白的表亲及被誉为“优秀的母亲”的女性，因导致其脑损伤女儿死亡而被指控犯有过失致死罪。

1973年9月2日，维多利亚女王的玄孙、伊丽莎白女王的三表亲伊丽莎白·怀斯产下了一名名为艾玛·夏洛特（Emma Charlotte）的女儿，她拥有美丽的灰金色头发和明亮的蓝色眼睛。“她是我一直渴望并祈祷才得到的孩子，”怀斯说道。九天后，艾玛被病毒感染击倒。“起初她变得非常嗜睡。然后我无法唤醒她。在24小时内，她陷入了深度昏迷，”她说道。牛津拉德克利夫医院（Radcliffe Infirmary）的检测显示，她因脑炎导致严重的脑损伤。

当时住在伯克郡纽伯里（Newbury）附近朋友家的怀斯，在接下来的九个月里，将每一个清醒的时刻都奉献给了艾玛，希望并祈祷她的情况能够好转。“她的眼睛和耳朵都是正常的，但没有大脑来解读它们发送的信息，或者告诉肢体该怎么做，”她说道。她回忆起女儿因颅内压力而发出的不停的痛苦尖叫。喂食过程极其缓慢，因为孩子无法控制喉咙或胃部肌肉，并且不断呕吐。她咨询了无数专家，阅读了所有关于残疾儿童的可用书籍。她还安排将女儿送到她曾经居住过的澳大利亚的一家脑损伤儿童机构。

但到了1974年夏天，她不得不接受艾玛永远无法康复的事实。事实上，她的病情比母亲想象的更为严重，由于感染，她失去了四分之三的大脑。“看着她真是令人心碎，”她说道。

6月3日，怀斯给艾玛喂食了过量的研碎在牛奶中的Mandrax安眠药。“我让她趴着，这样她就不会吞掉舌头。我用毯子把她裹起来，这样她就不会着凉……我的意图是让她快速、平静且无痛苦地死去，”她说道。赶到雷丁巴特尔医院（Battle Hospital）的警察发现她正将死去的女儿抱在怀中。“这是一种幸福的解脱。她真正感知到的唯一东西就是痛苦，”她说道。“从她的角度来看，我觉得发生的一切是最好的结果。”

四个月后，在雷丁刑事法院出庭时，泪流满面的怀斯基于责任减轻的理由承认了过失致死罪。人们对她的困境表示了极大的同情，检方将其描述为一名“优秀的母亲”。在判处她一年缓刑时，肯尼斯·琼斯法官（Mr Justice Kenneth Jones）表示：“医生们对于这个孩子如何能生存这么久感到由衷的困惑。我毫不怀疑，正是你的奉献让她生存了下来。我认为即使在极端案例中，这也是一个极端的案例。在我的判断中，根据法律，你为所犯的错误已经承受了足够的痛苦。”

几天后，她出现在英国广播公司（BBC）的广播节目《本周末的世界》（The World This Weekend）中，质疑医生是否应该人为地延长重度残疾儿童的生命。她还呼吁为面临难以忍受的困难的父母提供更多支持。“一个人永远不知道自己是否做了正确

“女王一直非常友善、体贴且体谅，”她说道。“我认为对于像我这种情况的母亲应该有更多的帮助。可能当孩子畸形严重到让人意识到他们将有严重残疾时，不应该竭尽全力让他们活下来。” 怀斯与王室的亲近关系将这一私人悲剧推上了头版，尤其是当她透露自己曾与伊丽莎白女王讨论过这种情况时，而针对她的案件正是由女王的法院审理的。“女王一直非常友善、体贴且体谅。我们仍然是好朋友，”她说道。“直到我女儿去世，我的被捕消息见报后，她才知道我女儿的事。但在我被还押候审期间，我们进行了深入的交谈。”

伊丽莎白·爱丽丝·亚贝尔-史密斯于1936年出生在伦敦的肯辛顿宫，她是皇家骑兵卫队亨利·亚贝尔-史密斯上校（获勋章）及其妻子特克区的梅公主的三个孩子中最小的一个；她的祖母是阿索隆伯爵夫人爱丽丝公主，维多利亚女王的孙女。她的妹妹安妮（一名基督教慈善工作者）在世；她的哥哥理查德先于她去世。她的一个侄子伊恩·利德尔-格兰杰直到2024年仍是布里奇沃特和西萨默塞特的保守党国会议员。她的教母是公爵夫人

怀斯于1965年在伦敦结婚，王室成员出席了婚礼，其中包括约克（后来的伊丽莎白女王，最终成为 the Queen Mother），据《皇家沉思》（Royal Musings）博客称，她将对方视为一个“可怕的八卦之源”。

由于她的祖父阿索隆伯爵在1940年被任命为加拿大总督，全家成为了渥太华的“战争宾客”。伊丽莎白于1945年7月返回英国，并参加了1947年菲利普王子与伊丽莎白公主的婚礼以及1953年的加冕礼。她就读于阿斯科特的希斯菲尔德学校，随后前往瑞士的一所完成教育学校（finishing school），并于1954年出现在《乡村生活》（Country Life）杂志的照片中。《塔特勒》（Tatler）和《旁观者》（Bystander）宣布她作为社交名媛的“首个社交季取得了卓越成功”，尽管她并不太喜欢正式的亮相派对，她在接受一名采访者询问时表示：“我认为那种势利的事情挺可惜的。”

这位“金发且娇小”的伊丽莎白曾在坦布里奇韦尔斯的巴纳多博士之家工作，随后于1958年陪同父母前往澳大利亚，当时她的父亲被任命为昆士兰州总督。在那里，她以自由奔放而闻名，带着她的哈士基蓝色牛工作犬塞巴斯蒂安在全国各地旅行。她学习了丛林烹饪，在一家花店工作，并成为了珀斯以北850英里处的雅拉波拉羊站两名孩子的家庭教师。1959年5月，在她的祖母访问该国期间，她返回布里斯班共饮下午茶。然而，当她的老校友亚历山德拉公主传来消息，称三个月后她也将访问澳大利亚时，布里斯班的政府大楼只能表示，伊丽莎白“在内陆某处”，而且“我们了解到她在那儿过得很愉快”。

1965年，她在骑士桥的圣保罗教堂嫁给了P&O航运公司的高管彼得·怀斯，此前她根据1772年的《皇家婚姻法》征得了女王的许可。仪式由伊丽莎白女王、王太后以及肯特公爵夫人玛丽娜公主，以及瑞典的西比拉公主和玛格丽特公主出席。当这对新人开车离开圣詹姆斯宫的招待会时，他们的戴姆勒汽车后备箱开了几英寸，一只手出现并挥舞着一块白色手帕。客人们哄堂大笑，但直到新婚夫妇意识到不对劲之前，车子已经行驶在林荫大道上很远了。当他们停下来检查时，一名16岁的宾客现身了。

到艾玛出生时，这对夫妇已经分居，在怀斯出庭后，他们的婚姻被宣告解除。此后，她退出了公众生活，但并未脱离家庭生活；她晚年住在北约克郡的莱伯恩，并继续与伊丽莎白女王通信。当被问及是否对杀死女儿感到愧疚时，怀斯回答道：“不。这是一个非常私人的问题。这是一个人永远不会考虑对他人或他人的孩子做的事情。我觉得她在现在所在的地方会过得更好。但我绝不会鼓励任何人去做我所做的事。”伊丽莎白·怀斯，伊丽莎白二世的表妹，出生于1936年9月5日。她于2026年8月2日去世，享年89岁。

（）

安东尼·肯尼爵士在良心上无法接受在建造核潜艇的造船厂工作。他于1963年脱离神职。同年，肯尼被牛津大学三一学院和埃克塞特学院任命为联合学院讲师，在此期间，他的牛津博士论文于1963年以《行动、情感与意志》（Action, Emotion and the Will）为题出版，并获得赞誉。他于1964年当选为贝利奥尔学院的导师研究员，并在那里工作了接下来的四分之一个世纪。1965年，他结识了出生于美国的音乐教师南希·盖利，并于次年与她结婚。贝利奥尔学院很快就认可了他的才华。在1971-72年以及随后的1976-77年，他担任高级导师，并在1978年当选为贝利奥尔学院院长，接替马克思主义历史学家克里斯托弗·希尔。当时，激进的低年级学院成员与抽烟的高级教授之间的关系有些破裂。肯尼将他们重新团结在一起，并主持了女性进入贝利奥尔学院的录取工作。随着公共资金的缩减，贝利奥尔学院与其他牛津学院一样，承受着日益难以忍受的财务压力。1984年，为了提供资金用于那些否则将被取消的研究员职位、为学费上涨三倍的海外学生提供资助，以及为低年级成员建设新宿舍，肯尼发起了“贝利奥尔学院德沃古伊拉募捐活动”（Dervorguilla Appeal for Balliol College），筹集了£100 万——其中大部分来自那些被他有效地重新拉回阵营的疏远校友。同年，他被任命为牛津大学副校长，并担任此职至2001年。作为贝利奥尔学院院长，他努力（但成效有限）地减轻他所认为的政府对学术自治的干预，以及大学研究被政府当局设定的经济议程所支配的后果。从1989年到1993年担任英国国家学术院院长期间，他致力于改善政府政策对整个大学系统研究生学习产生的影响。1985年，他被任命为牛津大学图书馆委员会主席，建立了一项为所有牛津图书馆设立并计算机化统一目录的计划。与此同时，他还是牛津大学出版社的代表和财务委员会成员（1986-93），在为新版《牛津国家传记词典》争取资金方面发挥了关键作用。他于1992年被封为爵士，以表彰他对高等教育事业和英国知识文化做出的诸多贡献。从1993年到1996年，他担任大英图书馆委员会主席，接手时正值大英图书馆建筑计划的严重危机时期。在他的指导下，这项艰巨的任务得以完成，使未来几个世纪的学者们从中受益。

1989年，肯尼从贝利奥尔学院院长任上退休，出任罗德之家的院长及罗德信托基金会秘书，这两个职位他一直担任到1999年。他代表信托基金会走遍世界。通过改进选拔程序，他确保了罗德学者在牛津大学的学术成就从诺灵顿表（Norrington Table）的接近垫底上升至第四名。他在引导罗德信托基金的大量资金投入后种族隔离时代南非的教育项目以及牛津的各项项目（其中最著名的是新成立的美国研究学院）方面发挥了重要作用。他写了一篇赞赏摩尔的小传，以及一本关于19世纪贝利奥尔诗人亚瑟·休·克劳和杰拉德·曼利·霍普金斯的书，题为《上帝与两位诗人》（God and Two Poets，1988年）。他非常钦佩两人，但对克劳及其信仰危机有着特殊的共鸣。他还编辑了克劳的牛津日记。并非过于危险的山岳攀登，以及后来与他挚爱的妻子和两个儿子一起进行的山间徒步，是他最喜爱的假期消遣，他还编辑了一部关于该主题的文集：《山脉：选集》（Mountains: An Anthology，1991年）。此外，他写了两卷自传，《来自罗马之路》（A Path from Rome，1985年）和《牛津生活》（A Life in Oxford，1997年）。南希以及他们的儿子查尔斯和罗伯特在他之后继续生活。退休后，他回到了对他而言具有深刻个人意义的宗教哲学问题。 《未知的神》（The Unknown God，2004年）是一本论文集，阐述了他对上帝存在以及宗教信仰能否表达这些问题的最终观点。在书中，他针对无神论的抨击和信仰的要求，为不可知论（agonisticism）进行了辩护。他现在主张，如果存在一个神圣存在，那么任何非隐喻性的描述都无法对其进行定义，且任何适用于此类存在的隐喻都无法用非隐喻的术语来解析。他认为，宗教话语必须在非字面意义上被理解。换句话说，是用诗意的术语来理解。哲学家安东尼·肯尼爵士出生于1931年3月16日。他于2026年8月3日去世，享年95岁 --- 53

罗宾·吉尔爵士 (Sir Robin Gill)

一位富有远见的电视高管，他为独立电视新闻网（ITN）的彩色广播做好了准备。当边境电视台（Border Television）于1961年9月1日启动时，罗宾·吉尔是在主持人玛丽·马奎斯（Mary Marquis）之后出现的第二张面孔。他借此机会承诺将提供“真正具有地方特色的节目，反映你们的兴趣和生活方式”。然而，这并没有阻止他在仅三年后就跳槽到关联电视公司（ATV），为要求极高的刘·格雷德（Lew Grade）工作。1961年12月，他主持了边境电视台的第二次启动，当时被大幅推迟的229米（752英尺）塞尔基克发射机正式投入运行，使得苏格兰南部观众终于能与英格兰北部观众观看相同的节目。吉尔对低地地区的观众表示道歉，因为在那之前，他们只能勉强接受“纽卡斯尔、格拉斯哥甚至亚伯丁的电视节目”，这一举动引发了争议。边境电视台在2001年被格拉纳达（Granada）收购，现为ITV的一部分。

吉尔引导ATV度过了独立电视管理局1968年的特许经营权大洗牌，并在赢得一周七天覆盖的中部地区领地中发挥了核心作用，那是当时最赚钱的单一合同。他极力推动英国电视节目的国际分销，取得了巨大成功，使得ATV成为首家获得女王工业出口成就奖的电视制作公司。他还负责制作了如《这是汤姆·艾姆斯》（This is Tom Ames）综艺秀和赢得艾美奖的戏剧《物种之雄》（Male of the Species），以及在亚马逊盆地拍摄的开创性纪录片《躲避人类的部落》（The Tribe that Hides from Man）。

身材高大且令人敬畏的吉尔在1968年至1970年期间担任独立电视新闻网（ITN）主席。在那里，他引导新闻业务从405线广播系统（即旧模拟电视画面中横跨屏幕的水平线数量）升级到625线，这是实现彩色电视的前提条件，并由一个新的1150 万伦敦工作室综合体提供支持。从1968年到1969年，他在一个由菲利普亲王主持的鲜为人知的委员会中工作，该委员会监督拍摄了实录电视电影《皇家家庭》（Royal Family），但由于伊丽莎白女王事后认为该片过于露骨，这部影片被封存。尽管委员会拥有审查播出内容的权力，但导演理查德·考斯顿（Richard Cawston）并未引起太多担忧，委员会的主要作用是协调进入王室住所的权限。即便如此，宫廷的人脉被证明是有价值的。虽然吉尔坚称他与卡拉尔的关系完全友好，但在1969年他离开了

吉尔在离开商业世界后致力于慈善事业，而推广教育是他最顶尖的成就

ATV和电视行业，并于1970年创办了信托基金（Trust），这是一个早期的私募股权基金，由希望寻找工党政府工业重组公司替代方案的城市金融机构支持。该基金最著名的投资是计算机公司惠普（Hewlett-Packard）。该信托于1993年解散，吉尔彻底离开商业世界，全身心投入慈善事业。1990年，他成立了皇家周年信托（Royal Anniversary Trust），以组织1992年伊丽莎白女王登基40周年的官方庆祝活动。其主题是教育，这促使他运营女王周年

设立了组织女王在位40周年庆典的信托基金，以及Per奖项（现为伊丽莎白女王教育奖），这是英国大学和学院可获得的最高国家荣誉。皇家周年信托基金现任首席执行官诺布卡·塔斯克（Nobuka Tasker）表示，吉尔“是最初的总召集人，他的魅力和信念赢得了政府、慈善家、教育界以及王室的支持”。罗宾·丹尼斯·吉尔（Robin Denys Gill）1927年出生于新西兰黑斯廷斯，父母是托马斯·吉尔（Thomas Gill）和马乔里（Marjorie，见Butler）。他的父亲是一名土地和房产代理人，在1931年的内皮尔地震中，因试图冲进办公大楼营救一名员工而不幸丧生。马乔里出生于英国，曾在皇家音乐学院学习，后来与罗宾及其哥哥哈里（Harry）一起回到英国。起初，她在伦敦牛津圆环的Peter Robinson商店担任采购员，随后开设了一家服装店；但在第二次世界大战爆发时，她将其改为三明治店，因为她认为人们买衣服会减少，但仍然需要进食。战争期间，哈里在亚洲的情报部队服役，之后移民加拿大从事商业地产。罗宾就读于萨里郡的一所预备学校Fan Court（现为Claremont Fan Court），该校由基督教科学教会的教师创立，马乔里是通过Peter Robinson的一位同事结识该校的。罗宾在余生中一直是一名基督教科学家，并成为了该校的校董。在就读于克赖斯特医院学校（Christ's Hospital）以及随后的杜尔维奇学院（Dulwich College）期间——后者在1944年夏季的两周内被两枚V-1飞行炸弹击中——他于1945年进入牛津大学布雷诺斯学院学习法律，但随后转而学习哲学、政治学和经济学（PPE）。他是一名热衷于板球的运动员，并获得了橄榄球蓝带，参加了1947年和1948年的校际比赛，牛津大学在这两场比赛中分别以6-0告负和14-8获胜。在1948年的比赛中，他作为助理侧翼球员攻入了一个达阵。1951年，他与在牛津结识的玛丽·霍普·亚历山大（Mary Hope Alexander）结婚。他们成立了罗宾和玛丽·吉尔慈善信托基金，旨在支持教育、社区福利和宗教项目，特别是针对青少年和老年人的项目。他们育有三个儿子：斯蒂芬（Stephen）是一位在京都大学工程学部讲课的海句诗人；理查德（Richard）是一家学校公司的董事；以及乔纳森（Jonathan），后者于1991年因自然原因去世。玛丽在五年前死于绝症。在西北地区高等教育咨询委员会期间，吉尔结识了记者基思·沃特豪斯（Keith Waterhouse）的侄女丹妮丝·斯宾塞（Denise Spencer），两人于1991年结婚。吉尔的第一份工作是在联合利华（Unilever）的Van den Berghe Zeb油脂部门销售人造黄油：Stork、Summer County、Echo和Blue Band。1954年，他转职到由加拿大国际纸业（Canadian International Paper）拥有的英国国际纸业（British International Paper），这间接让他进入了媒体行业。该公司是英国出版物的新闻纸进口商，其中包括由坎伯兰副代表约翰·伯吉斯（John Burgess）领导的坎伯兰报业（Cumberland Newspapers）。伯吉斯组建了一个Border TV财团，其中包括为学院投资的布雷诺斯校友诺曼·莱兰（Norman Leyland）。莱兰推荐了吉尔，而吉尔恰好与苏格兰边境有家族联系。在ATV期间，他成为了Stolt Moss剧院、ITC和Pye Records的董事，并在1966年至1967年期间担任独立电视公司协会（Independent Television Companies Association）主席。他加入了1970年信托基金投资企业的董事会，包括慈善专业机构Anavar Insurance和惠普（Hewlett-Packard）。随后，他加入了国家高等教育咨询委员会、牛津大学任命委员会以及LAESTE (UK)（一个由学术、工业和学生国家委员会组成的协会）。他曾任布雷诺斯协会主席，并担任学院筹款咨询委员会成员。吉尔因对皇家周年信托基金的贡献，于1993年被授予CVO（皇家维多利亚勋章司令），并在2010年退休时被授予KCVO（皇家维多利亚勋章骑士）。

他的兴趣包括橄榄球、板球、高尔夫、游泳和风帆冲浪。他教孙辈们如何使用飞饵钓鱼和航海，并且是一位造诣颇深的刺绣爱好者，曾制作过靠垫、书签和脚凳套。他是Vincent's、St George's Hill和Five Foresters俱乐部的成员。推动教育是吉尔最顶级的成就，今年1月，一项在伊丽莎白女王教育奖校友与英国领先学术机构人员之间开展的交流计划正式启动，这进一步证明了这一点。“罗宾拥有惊人的远见，”前进一步教育专员谢拉·莱格雷夫女爵士（Dame Shelagh Legrave）说道。电视高管罗宾·吉尔爵士（Sir Robin Gill）出生于1927年10月7日。他于2026年5月26日去世，享年98岁

出生、结婚与死亡

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我选择了忠诚之路；我的心定在你的律法上。诗篇 119.30 (901) 圣经经文由圣经协会提供

出生

FARON 2008年7月29日，Stephanie（原姓 Jones）与 James 喜得一子，取名 Oscar Anthony。

即将结婚

MR W. D. AMBIGGE 与 MRS H. V. CRUZ 宣布订婚：William，Exter 的 Mr and Mrs Stephen Ambridge 之长子，与 Holly，直布罗陀 and Simon Cruz 之次女。

P. EVANS 与 S. HALLATT

宣布订婚：Polly，伦敦 Chiswick 的 and Alexander Evans 之女，与 Samuel，白金汉郡 Penn 的 and James Hallatt 之子。

I. W. M. TRICE 与 K. E. STANTON

宣布订婚：Ius，伦敦 Keenington 的 Jeremy 和 Victoria Trice 之子，与 Katherine，格洛斯特郡 Lawnton 的 Mark 和 Sara Stanton 之女。

C. SAMUELSON 与 L. THORNTON

宣布订婚：Charlie，剑桥大学 Beilworth 的 and Gordon, Gideon 之幼子，与 Lucy，西萨塞克斯郡 Thakertown 的 Alexandra Thornton 与瑞士 Gideon 的 James Thornton 之幼女。

死亡

ACKROYD (Robert) Peter MBE, DL Peter，羊毛运动（Campaign for Wool）主席及全球英国羊毛纺织品推广运动负责人，于 7月18日因心脏病突发猝逝。他的家人、朋友以及全球各地的同事将深切怀念他。葬礼仪式将于 9月1日（星期四）11am 在布拉德福德大教堂（Bradford Cathedral, 1 Stott Hill, Bradford, B21 4EH）举行。仅限家人献花，但可向 Craig, colouring, and / orance 以及英国心脏基金会（British Heart Foundation, 1st.org.uk）捐款以纪念 Peter。

COONWELL (Christopher Edward) 2026, 年8月1日逝世，享年 80 岁。在南非 Somerset West 的家人陪伴下安详离世。深受爱戴的丈夫、父亲和朋友。

OGILVIC Sylvia (原姓 West) 享年 87 岁，来自 St Andrews，于 2026. 年7月25日（星期一）在 St Andrews House 护理院安详离世。她是已故 Gordon 的妻子。她是 Anna 和 Alastair 深爱的母亲，Anna West 的姐妹，以及 Benjamin 和 Ellen 的 Jeremy。葬礼仪式将于 8月12日（星期四）11am 在 St Andrews 圣公会教堂举行。随后于 13 Share 在 St Andrews 西部公墓安葬，欢迎所有家人和朋友参加。请仅限家人献花，但如愿意，可捐款资助苏格兰阿尔茨海默症协会（Alzheimer Scotland）。

PELHAM The Lark Lucy (原姓 Egerton) 在短时间患病后，于 8月1日（星期六）在家中安详离世，享年 88. 岁。深受爱戴的姐妹、母亲、祖母和曾祖母。葬礼将于 8月20日（星期四）230pm 在温彻斯特举行。联系电话 Steels 0Y6Q 862333 或访问 www.steelsfuneral.co.uk

WILLIAMS Anita Emily 2026年7月25日逝世，享年 90. 岁。葬礼仪式将于 8月17日 11am 在 Reading Commission 举行。可于 1st-7am-8pm 在广泛的福利环境中向 NOMAD 食物银行捐款。6 Son, Henley。

YEOMAN Gordon 2026年7月24日（星期五）安详离世。他是 Gregor 和 Sarah 深爱的父亲，也是 Isabelle, Rory, Charlie, Florence 和 Ede 的祖父。所有认识他的人都将怀念他的正直、温暖和幽默。葬礼仪式将于 8月18日 11am 在伦敦 SW1 Pont St 的 St Columba's 教堂举行。仅限家人献花。捐款请交给 Wooden Spoon Society。

感恩礼拜

LOMAX-SIMPSON Rosemary Lomax-Simpson 的生命感恩礼拜将于 10月9日（星期五）3pm 在皮卡迪利 St James's 教堂举行，随后在皇家艺术学院举行。

法律公告

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针对 25-31 / 6-0497 的索赔 在高等法院 商业与财产法院 关于此项及在期间 在某部分 是否延迟后续 P.C. 关于共产主义 2016 年之事项 法院会议通知 特此通知 根据日期为 2026 年 8 月 1 日的命令，或由英格兰和威尔士高等法院在上述通知中，法院已许可在本法院会议举行会议。 会议应在 Gilmore Shores 26.00 的边界举行，并按照下述之安排计划，旨在考虑并由女儿至、批准誓言或在不制定安排计划的情况下，该安排计划（Scheme of Arrangement）是根据委员会 2016 年附表 26.00 的第 26 部分之命令为 持有（Holding） 而在 10 日* 输入。 我设定了 Gilmore Shores 26.00 的持有人以及安排计划中的持有人。特此通知法院，*持有（Holding） 时间为 2016 年 12 月 26 日（周四）上午 10 点，6.00，以及 2026 年 9 月 3 日，请 Gilmore Shores 的持有人在上述地点和时间出席。关于批准安排计划的决议将通过且由法院会议主席决定的方式进行。 有权出席并对法院会议投票的 Gilmore Shores 持有人，可以亲自出席此类会议，或者如果他们有权如此，则由另一人或多人（无论是否为法院会议成员）作为其代理人或多名代理人，行使他们在法院会议上的出席、发言和投票的任何权利。 在委员会 2016 年的持有人中，未收到上述安排计划相关传单副本的人员可以向法院会议索取。特此通知委员会，传单已签署确认（参考 / 可转让）（精炼 / 撤回 / 公布）。委员会并非传单副本，上述安排计划的相关传单副本可向法院会议索取。委员会并非传单副本，已签署确认（参考 / 可转让）（精炼 / 撤回 / 公布）。委员会并非传单副本，已签署确认（撤回 / 撤回 / 公布）。

根据 1935 年证明法案之通知 1997 年英国退休计划（1994-1995）根据 1935 年受托人法案第 97 条向债权人和受益人发出的通知

现根据 1935 年《受托人法》第 97 条发出通知，在上述董事会成员转移后，1997 年英国退休计划（1994-1995 年）有权获得 1,453, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500。任何 T. Reese Price International Limited 或 Gabriel Vancore (U.K. Services) Limited 的员工或前员工，10000000亿 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 PAO and Moot Warwick Court 5 Paternoster Square London EC4M 7SW 以提出索赔。索赔人应提供其全名以及可能被称呼过的任何原名，并发送至公司董事会，注明其在上述雇主处工作的时间。如果任何其他人认为他们拥有索赔权或有权提出索赔，公司可能有权在同一地址提交其索赔的详细详情。请在所有往来信函中注明 Pain 名称。所有索赔必须在 9 October 2026. 前收到。在此日期之后，受托人将仅根据在索赔到期前已获通知的索赔和权益，继续为任何剩余受益人完成 Pain 的金额和数据库福利。受托人不对在本次通知到期日之前未收到其索赔和要求的任何人员承担责任。任何已被受托人在其当前地址联系过，或已经提出索赔并收到回复的人员无需向受托人申请。代表 T. Reese Price Retirement Plan Trustee Limited 作为 1997 年英国退休计划的受托人发布 日期 2026 年 8 月 7 日。在登记册中发布您的出生、结婚或死亡公告的简便方法。全天 24 小时可用。请访问：newssukadvertising.co.uk 《泰晤士报》讣告最新选集。性！耻辱！丑闻！好莱坞传奇人物的一生，现已在《泰晤士报》推出。现可在书店以及 amazon.co.uk 和 thetimes.co.uk / bookshop 购买。THE TIMES ---

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腰围随您而动 请将支票 / 采购单 / MasterCard / Visa 卡详情发送至： Chums Ltd., (Dept. T3226), P.O. Box 94, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1FG 立即在线订购 - 快速、安全且便捷！ www.chums.co.uk / offers 3-Pay 4-Pay 5 并输入来源代码：T3226 Master 重要提示！您必须在我们的网站上输入来源代码才能享受此促销优惠 我们友好的客户服务人员正等待接收您的订单。 立即致电！ 08715 267 166 通话费用为每分钟 13p，外加您的网络接入费 Chums 提供免费退货，如果您需要更换或退款，我们将确保您完全满意。 商品通常在 3 到 5 个工作日内发出。 欢迎个人购物者光临我们的展厅。 开放时间：周一至周三 上午 10 点 - 下午 4 点 MB7 Junction 4, off School Lane, Unity Grove, Knowsley Business Park, Liverpool L34 9AR

居家购物 - 送货上门 - 免费退货 Chums Ltd., (Dept. T3226), P.O. Box 94, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1FG. 请向我发送所示商品 请使用大写字母 / 商品编号 / 颜色 / 腰围 / 内腿长 / 数量 / 价格 / --- / --- 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 请勾选，请按下方所示扣除我的账户号码 / --- / 有效期 / 月 / 年 / CVC（卡背面最后 3 位数字） / 称谓 _, _, ____ 地址 邮编 手机电话 电子邮件 我们此前已向您发送了来自其他信誉良好的零售商的所有最新营销活动及随附优惠。因此，最近的 1990 年代仅为我们品牌的公司，我们将为您提供服务，请致电现金折抵。为了您的方便，我们接受付款，并且我们所有的产品都是政府和公司的选择，我们是一家优秀的公司。我们不对任何产品的损失或损失负责 我们不对任何产品的损失或损失负责 1. 2017年，公司与上海浦东发展银行股份有限公司签订了《关于使用部分闲置募集资金进行现金管理的协议》。 --- 50 UNIWORLD ✓ 5★ 服务，我们在您需要时随时提供服务 ✓ 无可比拟的价值 ✓ ABTA & ATOL 保护 ✓ 英国第一独立邮轮专家 ROL CRUISE 30 超过 30 年的信赖 Uniworld 荣幸成为 Which? 推荐供应商

## 6★ 全包式 斯洛文尼亚、威尼斯及威尼托瑰宝

最高可节省 £1,800 的专属优惠 免费入住斯洛文尼亚三晚 免费获得 £250 的船上消费金 截止至 2026 年 8 月 15 日 BPM 包含免费 WI-FI、饮料、小费及岸上观光 包含

10 晚行程，出发日期为 2027 年 7 月 15 日、8 月 12 日及 9 月 2 日

第 1 天 从伦敦飞往斯洛文尼亚的卢布尔雅那。抵达后，由您的 Uniworld 代表迎接，并接送至卢布尔雅那洲际酒店（InterContinental Ljubljana）* 进行免费的三晚入住

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第 5 天 意大利，威尼斯。以一次私人且一生一次的体验为这一天画上圆满句号：在没有人群干扰的情况下，参加圣马可大教堂闭馆后的点灯仪式。 ★行程亮点*: 威尼斯漫步及参观总督宫。此外，专为 Uniworld 宾客提供的圣马可大教堂私人闭馆后参观。

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第 9 天 意大利，基奥贾 – 威尼斯 ★特色观光*: 波河三角洲航行 或 卡塔约城堡参观

第 10 天 意大利，威尼斯（过夜）。您将乘坐水上出租车优雅地抵达里阿尔托桥。今晚将为您准备特别的船长告别招待会及晚餐。

[注：译文句数超出限制，已截断]

包含内容 • 免费入住斯洛文尼亚卢布尔雅那的卢布尔雅那洲际酒店三晚 – 仅限短期提供 • 乘坐6★ S.S. La Venezia号享受七晚全包超豪华河 cruise，包括：- 免费 £250 船上消费金 - 截止至 2026 年 8 月 15 日 - 船上所有餐饮 – 享受从农场到餐桌的世界级美食 - 包含船上无限量饮品，包括优质葡萄酒、啤酒、高端烈酒、手工鸡尾酒、软饮料、特制咖啡和茶，以及矿泉水 - 包含小费及免费 Wi-Fi - 为期九天的观光行程，全部由英语当地专家陪同 - 优雅且设施齐全的舱房和套房，配备最优质的亚麻布、毛巾和 Savoir of England 床垫 - 仅限 Uniworld 客人享有的终身一次 VIP 体验 • 伦敦往返航班（可根据要求提供地区和高端舱位航班）及海外接送 赚取专属邮轮里程，下次预订最高可抵扣 £143 您的专属 ROL 邮轮票价自 [op] 起 / 现金 / 航线 / 2027 年 7 月 15 日 / 2027 年 8 月 12 日 / 2027 年 9 月 2 日 / --- / 标准舱房 / £2,699 / £2,599 / £3,199 / 豪华舱房 / £2,999 / £3,699 / 法式阳台舱房 / £3,899 / £5,099 / 套房 / £5,999 / £7,199 / rolcruise.co.uk / times 与 CONFERENCE U OABTA UNIVERSITY 一同旅行 请拨打 0808 239 2624 免费咨询我们的邮轮专家 报 offer 参考号 644667 我们每周 7 天营业，时间为上午 8:30 – 晚上 8 点 Trustpilot Fedman Trustee Service Award Nabte 价格和供应情况在 06 / 08 / 2028 签发时正确。票价为每人价格，基于两名成人共用，单人舱房除外，且可能随时增加或撤销。优惠仅适用于新预订。请注意，行程和观光活动可能会发生变化，并可能受水位、公共假期关闭或其他不可控因素的影响。 受邮轮公司条款及细则约束。 金额基于两名成人共用一个舱房 / 套房。 将产生额外费用，并可能需要额外增加一晚住宿。如果指定的酒店无法提供，将提供同等标准的酒店。 #节省金额基于两名成人共用，且已包含在广告票价中。 *行程可能不适合行动不便的客人，且可能会发生变化。 6★ 仅基于邮轮部分。 †Cruise Miles® 条款及细则适用。Uniworld 条款及细则适用。代理人为 ATOL 持有者 Uniworld (10975)。如有错误，保留修正权。 --- 57 天气

五日预报

北部和西部地区时有阵雨或较长时间降雨。东南部干燥且非常温暖或炎热。明天，苏格兰北部和西部以及爱尔兰将出现阵雨，有时雨势较大。苏格兰东北部、英格兰和威尔士天气干燥，有阳光照射。英格兰西南部天气潮湿。

周日，英格兰北部、威尔士和爱尔兰早晨有阵雨。下午天气转晴，伴有阵雨。英格兰南部、Szechline和plaster on苏格兰地区干燥。最高 10℃，最低 8℃

周一，苏格兰北部和西部、北爱尔兰以及英格兰最东端有阵雨或较长时间降雨。其他地区干燥，有阳光照射。

周二，爱尔兰最西部和苏格兰最西北部多云，有小雨机会。其他地区干燥，阳光充足。最高 10℃，最低 39℃

周三，爱尔兰和苏格兰西部多云，有阵雨机会。威尔士和英格兰北部阳光照射，下午有阵雨机会。其他地区干燥。最高 34℃，最低 10℃

《泰晤士报》天气页由 WeatherQuest 提供

总体情况：苏格兰北部和西部有阵雨。英格兰北部和北爱尔兰有极小概率出现孤立阵雨。其他地区阳光照射。

伦敦、英格兰东南部、东英吉利、南威尔士、英格兰西南部、中地区、海峡群岛、东部：干燥的一天，有长时间的阳光照射。风力轻微且多变。最高 27℃ (81F)，最低 7℃ (45F)。

北威尔士、西北部、中北部、IsM、湖区、东北部：阳光照射，有孤立阵雨机会，尤其是英格兰西北部。西风或西南风，风力轻至中等。最高 25℃ (73F)，最低 7℃ (45F)。

北爱尔兰、爱尔兰共和国：阳光照射，北部有阵雨机会。其他地区干燥且阳光充足。西南风，风力轻至中等。最高 23℃ (73F)，最低 9℃ (48F)。

苏格兰西南部、边境地区、阿伯丁、爱丁堡和邓迪：阳光照射，早晨有孤立阵雨机会。下午云量较多，有一次或两次阵雨机会，尤其是阿伯丁郡和法夫郡。西南风，风力轻至中等。最高 20℃ (68F)，最低 10℃ (50F)。

格拉斯哥、中高地、苏格兰西北部、苏格兰东北部、Mocay Feth、阿盖尔、北群岛：大多多云，有阵雨爆发。西南风，风力中等至强。最高 19℃ (66F)，最低 11℃ (52F)。

潮汐总预测。高度以米为单位，4M 为当地时间 / 今日 / HI / HC / --- / Aberdeen / 38.12 / 3.7 / 21.04 / Arsennooth / 41.24 / 10.8 / 13.52 / Bedford / 35.39 / 3.1 / 10.29 / Cardiff / 31.48 / 10.1 / 11.56 / Davenport / — / 12.93 / Dover / 35.25 / 5.6 / 10.07 / Dublin / 36.21 / 3.6 / 19.07 / Edinburgh / — / 12.03 / Greenock / 36.40 / 3.1 / 19.08 / Hornock / 36.35 / 3.4 / 10.39 / Hollywood / 34.93 / 4.8 / 17.42 / Hull / — / 12.08 / Leith / 39.21 / 4.8 / 22.13 / Liverpool / 35.34 / 3.1 / 10.13 / London Bridge / 38.03 / 5.9 / 20.44 / Lowestoft / 34.15 / 2.2 / 16.21 / Milford Haven / — / 13.03 / Morecambe / 35.47 / 5.8 / 10.39 / Newbanes / 35.34 / 5.5 / 10.09 / Newquay / — / 12.01 / Okan / — / 12.28 / Penzance / — / Portsmouth / 36.13 / 4.0 / 10.53 / Shenham / 35.36 / 5.1 / 10.54 / Southampton / 35.09 / 3.9 / 17.42 / Seacoosa / — / 13.04 / Tees / 33.32 / 4.8 / 22.23 / Weymouth / — / 13.23

天气形势图

一系列与中心位于爱尔兰南部的低压区相关的锋面将给苏格兰北部和西部以及爱尔兰北部带来阵雨。位于凯尔特海的高压区将使英格兰、威尔士、爱尔兰南部和苏格兰东南部迎来一个大部分时间干燥且阳光充足的一天。

过去24小时至昨日下午5点的最高值与最低值 Warnock：西萨塞克斯郡，Thorney Street，24,70 Caldwell：Carrington，3,90 Whitfield：亚伯丁郡，From Castle，45, Sunnivolt：泽西岛，12,

太阳与月亮 格林威治远端 日出：35.33 日落：21.92 月出：23.45 月落：17.57 周六 新月：8月 12

黑暗时段 亚伯丁 21:39-06:51 贝德福德 23:43-05:17 伯明翰 21:19-05:09 卡迪夫 23:26-05:17 埃克塞特 21:19-05:21 格拉斯哥 21:42-05:05 利物浦 21:37-05:10 伦敦 21:00-05:05 曼彻斯特 21:24-05:06 纽卡斯尔 21:27-04:58 Newnich 21:07-04:55 彭赞斯 21:25-05:31 谢菲尔德 21:20-05:04

天气之眼 保罗·西蒙斯

7月份英格兰和威尔士经历了创纪录的高温和干旱，而且天气还出现了另一个显著特征——这是英格兰和威尔士有记录以来阳光最充足的7月。事实上，它也是一年中所有月份里阳光最充足的一个月，这是一个令人惊讶的统计数据。阳光在大部分湛蓝的天空下炽热地照射，通常几乎没有一丝云彩。这引发了一个许多父母一定害怕被孩子问到的问题：“为什么天空是蓝色的？”奇怪的是，阳光实际上是白色的，是光谱中所有颜色的混合体。但当光线穿过地球大气层时，会被空气中的微小颗粒甚至空气本身的气体分子散射。当大气非常洁净时，空气只散射短波长的光，产生蓝色和紫色，而光谱中的其他颜色则毫无阻碍地直接穿过。至于紫色，由于我们的眼睛不够灵敏，无法在天空中看到紫色，因此它对我们来说是不可见的。那么黎明和黄昏时分天空中的黄色、橙色和红色又是怎么回事呢？那是由于太阳在天空中的位置较低，阳光必须穿过一层厚得多的大气层。蓝光被散射得如此严重，以至于只有较长波长的光能穿过，从而产生黄色、橙色和红色。有趣的是，天空的蓝色程度随地理位置而异。例如，希腊群岛的天空以深蓝色著称，但欧洲大部分地区的天空颜色较浅，因为有更多的尘埃颗粒和污染，这不仅散射蓝光，还散射光谱中的许多其他波长，导致天空呈现出一种乳白色的蓝色。另一方面，从山顶看去，天空呈现深蓝色，因为那里的空气稀薄得多，散射也较少。最终，如果你爬得更高，天空中的所有蓝色都会消失，只剩下太空本身的漆黑。 # 每日上午9点至下午5点，请拨打 09065 777675 直接与我们的预报员沟通（通话费用为 £1.55 另加网络附加费） # WeatherQuest weatherquest.co.uk

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40岁的缪尔海德旨在夺得奥运金牌

前英国队队长在2022年触及“人生低谷”后退役，但现已准备回归，由 Elgan Alderman 撰文

伊芙·缪尔海德（Eve Muirhead）回归了。这位2022年奥运会女子冰壶冠军队长决定撤销退役决定，旨在2030年与鲍比·拉米（Bobby Lammie）在混合双人项目中赢得第二枚金牌。缪尔海德成为继威利·杰克逊（Willie Jackson）和罗娜·马丁（Rhona Martin）之后，第三位带领英国队获得奥运胜利的人。

英国队在北京仅获得的一枚金牌标志着缪尔海德的一次惊人反转，因为在准备奥运会期间，她曾处于“人生低谷”。在她的自传《冰后》（Ice Queen）中，缪尔海德解释了在2021年加拿大世界锦标赛中获得第八名如何让她在弗思维高尔夫练习场（Forthview Golf Range）的车里，通过免提电话与医生进行了一次反常的坦诚对话。“我处于最低潮，与那个被传为一代天才的运动员判若两人，”缪尔海德写道。她在序言的结尾向医生断言，她“不想在这里”。

在加拿大的那个结果曾让英国队面临无法获得北京奥运会资格的风险。缪尔海德的队伍必须在12月的荷兰参加第二场赛事。他们成功晋级，两个月后成为了奥运冠军。考虑到缪尔海德在九个月前的心境，决赛是一次解脱，也是一片模糊。她继续参赛，成为

缪尔海德最初对四年前的退役决定“毫无遗憾”，但她将在混合双人项目中与拉米一起竞争世界混合双人冠军，她曾在那个夏天32岁时退役。“我知道那是目前为止最正确的事，”现年36岁的缪尔海德说道。“我对退役毫无遗憾。”

这并不完全像史蒂夫·雷德格雷夫（Steve Redgrave）曾允许国民如果在船上看到他就可以开枪射击，结果却在悉尼腼腆地赢得了第五枚奥运金牌。缪尔海德缺席了一个周期，不过她今年作为英国队的代表团团长（chef de mission）出现在米兰-科尔蒂纳。这个角色听起来像詹姆斯·邦德小说里一个阴暗的配角，但涉及的任务包括告知奥运村花样滑冰运动员房间的水槽在漏水。

缪尔海德在现场负责指挥，见证了英国队最辉煌的冬季奥运会：马特·韦斯顿（Matt Weston）成为雪架一项双冠王（单人赛，以及与塔比莎·斯托克（Tabitha Stoecker）的双人赛），同时得到了夏洛特·班克斯（Charlotte Bankes）和休·耐廷盖尔（Huw Nightingale）组成的单板滑雪队的支撑。“我现在是雪架专家了，”缪尔海德说。“他们在夺金时我就在现场。太震撼了。”

从崩溃边缘回到冰场，缪尔海德再次成为一名运动员，被拉回了冰壶赛的生活，她的竞争意识被重新点燃。她已从苏格兰搬到英格兰，将能够进行“去中心化”训练，以及在斯特灵（Stirling）的国家冰壶学院训练。如果没有普雷斯顿（Preston）的Flower Bowl——一家提供疯狂高尔夫、洗牌棋和十瓶保龄球以及冰壶运动的娱乐中心——缪尔海德的回归将无法实现。

退役期间，缪尔海德一直关注冰壶，但几乎没有比赛。“我偶尔参加过俱乐部比赛或慈善活动，但从大局来看，几乎没什么，这对我来说完全没问题，”她说。“我的身体需要休息。”

这次休息是以Hyrox的形式实现的。一系列持续一小时以上的室内健身比赛，再加上对马拉松的爱好，这看起来并不像是在休息，但这意味着缪尔海德比以往任何时候都更健康。她一直是个多才多艺的女性：搬到英格兰削弱了她作为前高尔夫零差点选手的实力，且自十月她弟弟的婚礼以来，她就没再吹过风笛（她曾参加过世界锦标赛）。

搬迁也让她远离了圣约翰斯顿足球俱乐部（St Johnstone FC），不过她依然关注着他们的比赛结果。上赛季，“圣徒队”赢得了冠军联赛，并在上周末英超联赛的首轮比赛中以 4-3 击败了基尔马诺克队。对缪尔黑德来说，更令她感兴趣的是主席亚当·韦伯（Adam Webb）资助在俱乐部所在的麦克迪亚米德公园（McDiarmid Park）建设一座新冰上竞技场的可能性，此前杜瓦尔中心（Dewars Centre）的设施面临关闭威胁。在英国经历另一场热浪之际，讨论冰壶运动似乎显得格格不入，大多数英国人认为这项运动每四年在二月的英国广播公司（BBC）上出现一周。世界冰壶巡回赛下周将在瑞士举行一项男子赛事。全国锦标赛在十月举行，因此缪尔黑德将很快能够在一个不再是关于“追求结果和数字”的年份里测试自己。此外还有岩石联赛（Rock League），该联赛于四月在多伦多举行了首个赛季。缪尔黑德是 Alpine 队的总经理。她能承担更多角色吗？“我其实收到了一条来自 Alina Pätz 的有趣信息，她是球队队长，”缪尔黑德说，“她问我，‘教练兼球员？’”在她通过一系列媒体活动宣布回归时，缪尔黑德的奥运成功总是出现在 BBC 工作室的电视剪辑中。它们是对过去的提醒，也是对 2030 年的激励。“赢得奥运会是一件在你经历之前很难想象是什么感觉的事情，”缪尔黑德说，“当然，为了能再次体验，你愿意付出任何代价。以我的决心和竞争心，那是我的终极目标。”“我在英国冰壶运动处于非常、非常高水平的时期回归。目前英国冰壶运动员的水准令人惊叹。欧洲冠军、世界冠军、奥运奖牌获得者。所以对我来说会很艰难，但这正是我想要的。”

talkSPORT 伟大的雷克瑟姆期待 两支冠军联赛竞争对手在卡拉巴杯（CARABAD CUP）中开启新赛季 米德尔斯堡 对阵 雷克瑟姆 今晚 20:00 开球 talkSPORT 电台 / 在线 / APP

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《泰晤士报》 / 周五 7 2026 59

赛马 体育 海多克公园 (Haydock Park) Rob Wright / 5.42 / Ancaster / 7.26 / Arthurban

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案件崩塌令本已陷入困境的体育运动形象进一步受损

亚历克斯·洛（Alex Lowe） 橄榄球特派记者

理查德·博德曼（Richard Boardman）曾被视为正义之士。这位前电视制作人带着自己的律师事务所来到这里，承诺为弱势的前橄榄球运动员提供脑部扫描，并提起集体诉讼，向英格兰橄榄球联合会（RFU）、威尔士橄榄球联合会（WRU）和世界橄榄球联合会（World Rugby）寻求赔偿。数百名球员签署了协议，指控这些管理机构在处理脑震荡问题上存在过失。

但六年之后，该案件正处于崩溃边缘。博德曼已被球员们罢免，而其中 430 名球员——包括史蒂夫·汤普森（Steve Thompson）、菲尔·维克里（Phil Vickery）和阿里克斯·波帕姆（Alix Popham）——面临被剔除出诉讼的可能，此前一名法官批评其律师提供的证据存在“广泛的不合规”和“误导性”。

管理法官高级法官杰里米·大卫·库克（Jeremy David Cook）表示，目前没有法律先例，他将在暑假期间考虑此事，预计 10 月做出决定。

世界橄榄球联合会、RFU 和 WRU 否认针对他们的指控，并表示法院诉讼使他们无法向涉事球员提供直接的帮助、支持或同情。但在诉讼程序开始之前，他们从未提供过任何实质性的帮助，因此他们目前的立场显得有些过于“方便”。

长期以来，管理机构否认脑震荡与脑损伤之间存在任何因果关系；这一立场受到了已失信的澳大利亚科学家保罗·麦克罗里（Paul McCrory）的启发和影响，他曾任体育脑震荡小组（CISP）主席。批评者对此类研究的独立性提出了质疑。

NFL 在 2015 年达成了一项涉及 10 亿加元的脑震荡赔偿协议，随后 RFU 被问及橄榄球是否也面临着自己的“定时炸弹”。英格兰的管理机构在 2014 年坚称，“我们不认为退役球员的风险状况是橄榄球联盟中的定时炸弹”。

许多涉事球员觉得在职业生涯结束后被这项运动抛弃了。“当我站在悬崖边缘时，谁在陪着我？”前埃克塞特酋长队（Exeter Chiefs）钩手尼尔·克拉克（Neil Clark）说道。

这些故事令人心碎。球员们表现出相同的症状集：抑郁、关系破裂和健忘；经常酗酒，且在轻微挑衅下就容易发脾气。由博德曼安排的扫描和神经学测试确认了脑损伤，诊断结果包括早发性痴呆和可能的慢性创伤性脑病（CTE），这是一种进行性的脑部疾病。

波帕姆、汤普森和迈克尔·利普曼（Michael Lipman）是首批公开情况的高知名度球员。曾代表英格兰出战一次的柱球员杰森·霍布森（Jason Hobson）被告知其大脑有六处不可修复的病变。他参与诉讼是为了尝试争取任何可能的款项，以便在他最终进入养老院时能覆盖相关费用。

克拉克是霍布森的童年好友，他在同一天收到了诊断结果。“我的耳边一直有尖叫声。我们到底做了什么？”他说，“我热爱橄榄球带给我的一切。但我痛恨它留给我的后果。”

CTE 只能在死后才能被最终诊断。上周末，来自英格兰世界杯冠军队的战士柱球员维克里谈到了结束自己生命，以便让他的大脑接受检查。这是在《观察家报》（The Observer）上的一次令人沉重的采访，揭示了带着这种病症生活在日常中所面临的艰巨挑战。

维克里的采访促使另一位参与诉讼的前球员、Tackle Suicide 创始人保罗·普克（Paul Pook）发出提醒，最重要的战斗并非在法庭上进行。

“这不在于谁在法庭上胜诉或败诉。而在于我们是否会失去更多的球员，”普克写道，“当这个案件在法庭上争论时，另一场战斗正在一些核心人物的心中进行。”

参与诉讼的球员中，仍有人将博德曼视为好人，认为他是一位初衷高尚的律师，只是被过多的案件淹没了。他就像一个面对辩护律师大军的小企业，被工作量所吞噬。波普汉感谢他的“重要”贡献——但也承认，这个案件对于博德曼来说规模太大且过于复杂。拥有更丰富经验和资源的 Leigh Day 公司在决定是否接手此案之前，正在进行尽职调查。其他人则对博德曼持怀疑态度。此前已出现多次预警信号，球员们没有更早地寻求新的代理人，这令人惊讶。“他们一年前就应该失去信心，”代表世界橄榄球协会（World Rugby）的国王法律顾问（KC）尼娜·古拉马利上个月在法庭上表示，“他们不应该等到最后一刻。”前英格兰队前锋且拥有律师资格的布莱恩·摩尔质疑球员们的代理人选择。他在《电报报》中写道：“无论他们是否愿意，这项索赔——

六国赛：威尔士 vs 英格兰 2027年3月 5, 2027

在千禧体育场（Principality Stadium）见证威尔士对阵英格兰的比赛，这是一场吉尼斯男子六国赛赛事，历史、宿敌之争与决定赛季走向的压力在此交汇。此专属套餐包含官方比赛门票以及两场由评论界传奇斯图尔特·巴恩斯（Stuart Barnes）、《泰晤士报》的查理·摩根（Charlie Morgan）和一位名人嘉宾主持的活动，为您提供超越开球瞬间的体验。入住市中心优质四星级酒店，您将紧邻体育场、餐厅以及赛后讨论区。哨响前的洞察，哨响后的氛围——所有细节从始至终由我们处理。

由斯图尔特·巴恩斯主持 自从脱下十号位（fly-half）球鞋后，斯图尔特成为了《泰晤士报》的专栏作家和比赛分析师，也是英国最犀利的橄榄球评论员之一。

价格包含

• 在卡迪夫湾Future Inn酒店入住两晚四星级住宿（含早餐）
• 赛前问答环节，嘉宾包括评论界传奇斯图尔特·巴恩斯、《泰晤士报》资深橄榄球撰稿人查理·摩根及一位名人嘉宾
• 周五参加队长训练赛（Captain’s Run）的权限
• 官方A类门票（下层看台，达阵线区域）
• 主持的欢迎饮品
• 巡回赛周边商品

可选升级：- 包含饮品和午餐的银级款待升级

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上方的 Thompson 和左方的 Popham 均由上方的 Boardman 代表，在他退出后，该案件正处于崩溃边缘 应该是原告掌控这项诉讼并指示律师，而不是相反。"然而，在这种情况下，感觉一直恰恰相反。为了扩大诉讼规模，相关方投放了广告鼓励球员加入。前 Wasps 队的柱球员 Will Green 在拒绝加入后，被 Boardman 的律师事务所 Rylands Garth 起诉。由 Boardman 安排的 Green 的初步扫描显示需要进一步调查。 访问了 Harley Street 的第二位专家，后者证明他没有早发性痴呆症。Rylands Garth 起诉 要求支付首次扫描的费用，但败诉。这本应给球员们敲响警钟。《泰晤士报》采访了另一位处于与 相同情况的高知名度球员，他选择支付约 £12,000 以退出诉讼，而不是陷入法律纠纷。每次法庭听证会都出现了警告信号。2023 年 12 月，高级法官 Cook 拒绝了原告关于群体诉讼令 (GLO) 的申请，理由是证据中存在“巨大的漏洞”。GLO 要求将完整的医疗记录与辩方共享，以便双方选择代表整个群体的首席原告，从而使案件进入审理阶段。Rylands Garth 表示其已提供了大量材料。然而，高级法官 Cook 指出，共享所有记录对于程序的公正性至关重要。那是 2½ 年前的事了。至今仍未实现。Leigh Day 关于接手此案的决定将至关重要。如果案件继续，可能会出现令人不快的一幕：代表该运动的律师在证人席上盘问前球员，挑战他们证明症状是由橄榄球引起的，而非饮酒、打架、药物、遗传或纯粹的运气不佳。整个案件给橄榄球运动蒙上了阴影。职业球员参加的比赛过多，Popham 关于应像 NFL 那样限制接触性训练的观点是有道理的。但在听取了担忧家长的意见后，橄榄球学校开始在课程中引入足球。新西兰橄榄球首席执行官 Steve Lancaster 最近告诉《泰晤士报》，在橄榄球努力维持青少年参与率高企的同时，该运动在应对负面叙事方面做得不够。男孩和女孩玩的不是职业球员那种比赛。规则不同。这项运动远没有那么激烈。经过多年的宣传，青少年橄榄球的脑震荡教育已经很成熟。孩子们都能从橄榄球提供的一切中获益——社区感、团队合作、友谊、自信、体能和纪律。

青少年橄榄球运动中危险的认知将会持续，即使球员们未能赢得他们的诉讼。而现在，关于他们是否能获胜存在严重的质疑。

诺尔斯投资海盗队，目标直指顶级联赛

电视节目主持人尼克·诺尔斯（Nick Knowles）已投资冠军橄榄球联赛（Champ Rugby）的海盗队（Cornish Pirates），该球队计划在未来十年内进入顶级联赛。诺尔斯（见插图）因主持房屋改造节目《DIY SOS》而闻名，他是一名橄榄球迷，经常前往门奈球场（Mennaye Field）观看海盗队的比赛。该俱乐部在5月被威尔士-康沃尔制药百万富翁理查德·韦斯特纳奇（Richard Westnage）收购，随后不久获得了美国公司Stonewood Capital Management的七位数资金支持。现在，诺尔斯也加入了进来并承诺提供资金。

海盗队首席执行官萨莉·佩蒂弗（Sally Pettipher）告诉英国广播公司（BBC），这些投资将帮助俱乐部达到可以考虑申请加拉格尔顶级联赛（Gallagher Prem）特许经营席位的地位。顶级联赛将在2029-30,赛季向扩军球队开放，这对海盗队来说可能太早，但他们雄心勃勃。

“（这项投资）很重要，但这并不是中彩票，”佩蒂弗说。“这个十年发展计划是一系列投资，旨在让我们成为一家顶级联赛的顶尖俱乐部。”

在顶级联赛中，海盗队必须在球员阵容上至少投入£500 万，这远高于他们目前每年£800,000的支出。在过去一年中，他们的商业收入翻了一番，达到£120 万。

若要让传统巡回赛生存，必须对全黑队进行考验

威尔·凯勒 (Will Kelleher) 副橄榄球记者

本周在开普敦，拉内利（Llanelli）的精神——以及马克斯·博伊斯（Max Boyce）——依然鲜活。风暴队（Stormers）主教练约翰·多布森（John Dobson）是一位橄榄球历史学家——深受其父亲、已故作家兼记者保罗（Paul）的影响——因此，他以典型的方式，用 1972 和 1976. 的故事激励他的球队，准备在周五挑战全黑队（All Blacks）。

本周，他向球队播放了博伊斯的 9-3 小曲，纪念 54 年前拉内利以该比分击败新西兰的那一天，“以及当时酒吧里的酒是如何被喝光的”。西省队（Western Province）在 1976, 对阵全黑队时也有自己的传奇时刻：当时他们在 11-0 落后的情况下，凭借博西·克拉克（Bossie Clarke）和克里斯·波普（Chris Pope）的达阵，在最后一分钟将比分反超至 12-11 获胜，随后罗比·布莱尔（Robbie Blair）在纽兰兹（Newlands）从右侧踢进附加分，锁定胜局。

一支拥有伊恩·柯克帕特里克（Ian Kirkpatrick）和布莱恩·威廉姆斯（Bryan Williams）等伟人的全黑队被一支俱乐部球队击败——这种壮举在现代真的能重演吗？多布森邀请了 76 年西省队的标志性中锋彼得·惠普（Peter Whipp）和克拉克在本周向风暴队球员赠送球衣，并强调这些传统的重要性，因为他们正准备在今晚于开普敦进行“橄榄球最伟大宿敌”（Rugby's Greatest Rivalry）巡回赛对阵新西兰的首场比赛。

“1976 是南非一个令人心潮澎湃的年份。我们经历了索韦托骚乱，以及一场本不该进行的全黑队巡回赛 [由于南非的种族隔离制度]，”多布森在半个世纪后尝试创造新历史之前告诉《泰晤士报》，“我们 [西省队] 在 1996. 没有与他们交手。从 50 年前到如今仅剩几个小时的距离，这太不可思议了。”

在《泰晤士报》，我们正在准备一个名为 Rack 的特别播客系列，追踪南非与新西兰之间——历经种族主义、反叛与重新接纳——的碰撞历史，该系列将在 8 月 22. 于埃利斯公园（Ellis Park）开始的测试赛系列赛之前推出。我们将其命名为《橄榄球最伟大的宿敌》（Rugby's Greatest Rivals），这是对这次“回到未来”巡回赛官方注册商标名称的戏仿，而该名称本身则借用了历史学家多布森长辈写的一本精彩书籍，书名为《橄榄球最伟大的宿敌》（Rugby's Greatest Rivalry），追踪了从 1921 到 1995. 的故事。

今晚这类比赛的成败至关重要。金钱才是我们真正来到这里的原因。新西兰和南非羡慕英国及爱尔兰狮队（British & Irish Lions），因为每隔 12 年巡回赛球队到访一次时，狮队就会支撑起他们以及澳大利亚的橄榄球经济。他们希望找到一种方法为自己榨取这头“现金奶牛”，因此他们决定独立行动，正如一位高管所言，去打印一张“30 年来尚未售出的最大面额票券”。

关于每四年在两国之间恢复巡回赛的讨论始于 2023. 。为了实现这一目标，橄榄球锦标赛（Rugby Championship）今年被搁置，以及 2030, 届时南非将巡回赛访问新西兰。由于“飞涨”的成本和碎片化的橄榄球格局，两名宿敌都处于经济困境，因此费用问题变成了商业上的共识。

“我们被指责贪婪，但贪婪被定义为想要更多你已经拥有的东西——而我们双方都有债务，我们想要的是减少债务，”一名南非消息人士表示。

这种老派的巡回赛让赞助商们争先恐后地想要参与。在巴尔的摩（Baltimore）——那个全黑队与春羚队（Springbok）历史的温床——举行的第四场测试赛将轻易售罄，并让两国在世界橄榄球联合会（World Rugby）分配 20 / 31 年美国世界杯利润时处于队列前列。

当全黑队 11 月在芝加哥对阵爱尔兰时，这为他们带来了除狮队比赛之外最高的单场比赛收入。他们希望继续在美推广其品牌，并希望巴尔的摩站能超越之前的记录。新西兰和南非都无法接近英格兰橄榄球联合会（RFU）在特威克纳姆（Twickenham）的安联体育场举办一场顶级男子测试赛所赚取的约 £1500 万英镑，因此这次巡回赛是跟上步伐的一种方式。

然而，体育运动的生死取决于场上的竞争力。测试赛系列赛几乎能保证悬念和趣味，但正如我们在狮子队巡赛中所发现的，职业化和球员福利的现实意味着，巡赛期间的周中比赛可能变得越来越难以推销。东道主会保护他们的测试赛球员，而巡赛队伍则会击溃可怜的俱乐部球队，且几乎学不到什么。如果巡赛中有一半的周赛没有亮点，大赞助商将会流失。根据今年的巡赛协议，风暴队（Stormers）、鲨鱼队（Sharks）、公牛队（Bulls）和狮子队（Lions）必须派出其“尽可能最强”的阵容。今晚的风暴队阵容很不错，尽管缺少了10名跳羚队球员——其中包括明天在阿根廷为南非队出任10号位的飞翼 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu。博登·巴雷特（Beauden Barrett）是全黑队中的明星球员，但队长阿尔迪·萨维亚（Ardie Savea）被留作测试赛使用。DHL体育场的门票价格将是URC比赛的三倍，但预计将售出40,000张。下周二在德班金斯公园（Kings Park）举行的鲨鱼队比赛人数将少得多，而当狮子队在第一场和第二场测试赛之间进行比赛时，埃利斯公园（Ellis Park）的观众可能会很稀少。“这次巡赛将有助于定义新西兰队明年在世界杯上的状态，”1995年世界杯冠军、南非人乔尔·斯特兰斯基（Joel Stransky）告诉《泰晤士报》。“他们无法在身体对抗上周复一周地与南非队抗衡，因为他们不习惯在超级橄榄球联赛（Super Rugby）中进行那种强度的身体对抗。这次巡赛会对他们有帮助，我希望如此，因为世界橄榄球需要一支强大的全黑队。”南非的特许经营球队面临着让整个计划运转起来的压力。“如果我们能把这件事做好，对这种模式将非常有益；但如果周中比赛变得像2021年英国及爱尔兰狮子队的比赛那样，我们都赢了40, 50分——如果没有人能击败全黑队，或者巡赛中没有几次惊险时刻——那么我认为这种巡赛概念就走到尽头了，”多布森（Dobson）说道。

风暴队 对 新西兰 开普敦，今晚，下午6点 电视：Sky Sports Mix --- 62

体育 足球 # 因凡蒂诺拒绝辞职——他将如何被推翻？ # 国际足联的领导权仍是约旦足协关注的焦点 国际足联主席可能会试图顶住针对他的愤怒，但他的对手们仍有选择，马丁·齐格勒（Martyn Ziegler）撰文报道

吉安尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）拒绝辞去国际足联（Fifa）主席一职，这令人惊讶吗？并不完全是。足球界内部对他及其世界杯出售计划的批评程度在国际足联历史上是前所未有的，但他认为自己仍有微小的机会扭转局面。同样的情况是，如果没有国际足联主席的职位，以及每年 $6 百万（约 £450 万）的薪水和奖金，因凡蒂诺将变得无名无姓：没有私人飞机，无法与世界领导人和名流交往，没有人急于讨好他；当他乘坐豪华轿车前往会议时，也没有警察护送。在因凡蒂诺看来，如果这意味着他能继续担任该职务，那么承受所有针对他的愤怒和恶意，以及他失败计划带来的耻辱，应该是值得的。

L'afa坚持抵制国际足联赛事的立场将如何演变？国际足联Under-20女足世界杯预计将于9月在波兰举行，而涉及欧洲球队的女足世界杯预选赛预计将于10月举行。如果这两项赛事受到威胁，那将成为国际足联必须处理的巨大问题，并且肯定会引发因凡蒂诺的新危机。

如果他仍然拒绝辞职怎么办？3月将举行主席选举，如果他能撑到那时，他肯定会面临挑战者——在这次危机之前，人们一直认为他将毫无争议地连任。挑战者将是一个被视为能统一反对因凡蒂诺各方的力量，但不太可能是欧洲人，因为人们强烈认为，在因凡蒂诺以及之前的塞普·布拉特（Sepp Blatter）身上，欧洲已经有了机会但失败了。

有潜在的人选吗？代表北美、中美洲和加勒比海地区足协的中北美及加勒比足联（Concacaf）主席、加拿大人维克多·蒙塔利亚尼（Victor Montagliani）是一个可能性。巴黎圣日耳曼主席、beIN Sport高层及欧洲足球俱乐部协会主席纳赛尔·阿尔-赫莱菲（Nasser Al-Khelaifi）是另一个。足球界的一些人士会支持国际足联No.3的法国人凯文·拉穆尔（Kevin Lamour），他上周与因凡蒂诺保持距离，或者支持挪威足协那位积极奔走的负责人莉丝·克拉文内斯（Lise Klaveness）。

球员们对因凡蒂诺有什么看法？国际职业足球运动员协会（Fifpro）持有非常强烈的观点，尽管他们在世界杯期间与因凡蒂诺签署了一份新的谅解备忘录。该协会在声明中表示：“‘国际足联前行企业’（Fifa Forward Enterprise）[出售计划]已经消失。但产生该计划的权力滥用依然存在。迫切需要的是治理改革，而非掩盖。这是对主席权力的严重滥用。”声明补充道：“我们还注意到国际足联的警告，称其‘将不再容忍任何对其诚信的攻击’。让我们明确一点：对足球治理的监督并非攻击。这是每一个维持这项运动的人的职责。”

因凡蒂诺现在的支持基础在哪里？非洲一直是他的传统权力基地，也是他希望收复失地的地方。他安排明年的主席选举在拉巴特举行并非巧合——摩洛哥或许是他最大的支持者。事实上，昨晚，非洲足球联合会（CAF）全力支持这位陷入困境的主席。一份声明写道：“CAF执行委员会还一致再次确认支持国际足联主席吉安尼·因凡蒂诺，并感谢他多年来对非洲足球的支持。”

还有什么能触发他的辞职？如果赞助商开始犹豫——他们会对围绕国际足联的所有负面宣传感到非常担忧——那么这将具有决定性意义。

接后页

对于他作为国际足联主席的未来而言——加拿大是 2026 世界杯的共同主办国之一。与此同时，约旦足协主席、亚洲足球最具影响力的人物之一阿里·本·侯赛因王子表示，尽管国际足联突然寄来了逾期资金，但针对国际足联领导层的“严重担忧”依然存在。阿里王子称，在他在批评国际足联“敲诈” 48 小时后，足协本应在八个月前收到的资金神秘出现。这位约旦国王阿卜杜拉二世的同父异母兄弟本周表示，因凡蒂诺的助手在世界杯期间暗示，如果他支持国际足联主席连任，这些资金将会被支付。这笔本应在 12 月国际足联阿拉伯杯后支付的资金现已到账，但曾在 2016 年与因凡蒂诺竞争国际足联主席职位的阿里王子表示：“这笔资金本应在八个月前收到。”

“虽然这对我们的球员来说是一个积极进展，但这并未改变我们足球界对国际足联领导层的严重担忧，也没有改变我们的足协在过去所遭受的对待。”

“这正是我们所有人面临的困难的典型症状，且通常与国际足联主席选举相关。这也没有改变我对国际足联领导层的明确立场：我的足协和我将不会支持因凡蒂诺主席，也不会投票给他。”

在给国际足联理事会成员的一封信中，因凡蒂诺表示他希望“恢复对该组织的信心”。他补充道：“我们承认在拟议建立国际足联前行企业（Fifa Forward Enterprise, FFE）的过程中出现了错误。”

“我们承认在提案泄露给媒体后也出现了错误。我们为这些错误诚挚道歉，并承诺不再发生。”

因凡蒂诺还对针对国际足联的批评发出了含蓄的威胁。信中补充道：“随着该项目的撤回，国际足联将不再容忍任何对其诚信、良好治理和正当程序的攻击，并将采取一切必要措施来保护和维护其名誉和声望。”

阿森纳遭受打击，维尼修斯将留在马德里

加里·雅各布

在维尼修斯与皇家马德里达成一份新的六年合同后，阿森纳必须重新制定计划以签下一名顶尖左翼前锋。这位英超冠军此前一直试图利用维尼修斯与这家西班牙俱乐部合同仅剩最后一年的情况。然而，在周三的一次会议上，这位巴西前锋接受了税后薪资从 £1280 万增加到约 £2050 万（含奖金）的方案，尽管这低于他最初想要的 £2570 万。合同续签预计将于本周最终敲定。

皇马在声明中表示：“维尼修斯已成为我们历史上最成功时期中最重要的球员之一。”

阿森纳曾提供类似的财务方案，以鼓励这位 26 岁的球员拒绝皇马的提议，而这原本可能会迫使这家西班牙俱乐部在本月将其出售。相反，他成为了阿森纳在夏季转会窗中错过的第二名翼锋，此前阿森纳不愿支付 £1.17 亿购买摩根·罗杰斯，后者上个月从阿斯顿维拉加盟切尔西。

为了支持米克尔·阿尔特塔追求进入“不同维度”的愿望，阿森纳一直愿意在精英球员身上投入巨资。阿尔特塔希望缩小与欧洲竞争对手的差距，例如在欧冠决赛点球大战中击败他们的巴黎圣日耳曼。

维尼修斯正是阿尔特塔心目中的球员水准，且如果加盟，他将与巴西国家队队友布鲁诺·吉马良斯共事，后者预计将在 48 小时内由阿森纳正式宣布加盟。

维尼修斯曾随皇马两次赢得欧冠冠军，并在两年前获得金球奖亚军。上赛季他在各项赛事中打入 22 球并贡献 14 次助攻。在世界杯的五场比赛中，他打入了四个进球。

阿尔特塔两年来一直试图加强阿森纳的左翼，但追求拉菲尼亚、尼科·威廉姆斯和勒鲁伊·萨内均未成功。今年夏天，他们探讨了签下法国翼锋布拉德利·巴尔科拉的交易，但由于利物浦同样感兴趣，巴黎圣日耳曼对其 £1.28 亿的估值立场坚定。

阿森纳还在寻找一名中后卫，以及潜在的一名前锋。阿尔特塔的主要目标一直是胡利安·阿尔瓦雷斯，希望马德里竞技拒绝将这位阿根廷前锋出售给巴塞罗那。

流浪者在欧洲赛场失利，为糟糕防守付出代价

在欧联杯资格赛首回合比赛中，流浪者队在波兰以 1-2 负于比亚韦斯托克雅盖隆尼亚，他们为松懈的防守付出了代价，在早早领先的情况下被反超。

德里克·麦金内斯作为流浪者主教练的首场欧洲赛事开局梦幻，开场四分钟，吉列尔梅·蒙托亚将图尔·罗门斯的传中球自摆入网。

卡耶坦·什米特在第 13 分钟通过一个本可避免的进球扳平比分，随后在八分钟后，利用这支苏格兰球队进一步的防守懈怠打入第二球。

流浪者在下半场占据主导地位，替补登场的芬德利·柯蒂斯在补时阶段的一次射门击中门柱，但他们必须在下周于伊布罗克斯球场逆转局势。

--- 63 体育

“就像速配约会”——随行新主帅雅斯莱

马丁·哈迪，北部体育特派记者

在西班牙东南部 36℃ 的酷暑下，拉曼加（La Manga）训练场边，马蒂亚斯·雅斯莱（Matthias Jaissle）看起来就像在为纽卡斯尔联的新款灰色 Adidas 训练系列走秀：仪表堂堂，发型完美，且毫无疑问，有着经常出入健身房的身材。

在周三晚上宣布其前东家（且关系恶劣的）阿赫利（Al-Ahli）发来的冗长文书已由纽卡斯尔的律师处理完毕并签署后，对于这位 38 岁的德国教练来说，今天正式是他上任的第二天。

在拉曼加的训练场上，他的左侧是一群他必须在经历了一个剧烈变动的夏天后将他们凝聚在一起的运动员，并准备在不到三周后的英超赛季首个周末，在圣詹姆斯公园球场迎接利物浦的挑战。

然而，此时此刻，在当地时间上午 10.30，在他面前的是一群大汗淋漓、略显慌乱的来自英格兰东北部的十来名记者。对比十分鲜明。欢迎来到纽卡斯尔。

雅斯莱曾是一名身高 6 英尺 2 英寸的后卫，因伤早早退役，他向这群人发表讲话。“对球员来说，这段时间很紧张，”他说。“能量会很高，我们每天进行两场训练。很艰苦。今天会平静一些。”

在他身边是一位白发渐起俱乐部工作人员。有人开玩笑地告诉他：“做这份工作两年，你的头发也会变成那个颜色。”他回答道：“我更担心头发掉光。”

这似乎是他少数几个担心的事情之一。也许我们应该在这里回顾一下。三周前，在拉曼加君悦高尔夫俱乐部及水疗中心（Grand Hyatt La Manga Golf Club & Spa）的计划是花时间陪伴并采访埃迪·豪（Eddie Howe）。然而，在纽卡斯尔几乎所有人不知情的情况下，那艘船已经起航了。

豪同意继续担任主教练直到继任者就位。他告诉俱乐部的人，在他离开时，训练强度可能会有所提升；在一家俱乐部待五年是很长一段时间。

尽管如此，那些负责维持纽卡斯尔球员巅峰体能的员工们展现出的信心是显而易见的。“早期的迹象非常惊人，”纽卡斯尔备受尊敬的体能总监詹姆斯·邦斯（James Bunce）说。“工作人员的整合，大家共同挺身而出。你没有时间可以浪费，所以每一刻都至关重要。这就像速配约会。”

“在介绍马蒂亚斯及其团队时，我们谈到了利物浦这场比赛的时间是不变的。我们需要在同一条路径上，相互了解，提问，协作并整合。”

在汗流浃背的记者团离开后，雅斯莱在训练场上的真正工作开始了。一家渴望展示新主帅工作状态的足球俱乐部开始发布视频。接着进入正题。

“伙计们，这就是规则，”雅斯莱对一群他在周六初次见面的球员说，“立刻理解它。”

球员们互相竞速，铲球飞起。“如果需要用铲球来拦截，就拦截，”主教练说道，随后拍了拍手。“不要输！”

一个秒表挂在他的脖子上。距离利物浦之战还有 17 天。

纽卡斯尔的消息人士坚称，他们已经追踪了雅斯莱一个月。此前他在红牛萨尔茨堡（Red Bull Salzburg）赢得了两次奥地利联赛冠军，随后转投沙特阿拉伯，这在当时令人意外。而此次变动同样未被预见。阿赫利在上一赛季沙特职业联赛获得第三名后，刚刚签下了弗朗西斯科·特林科（Francisco Trincko）和爱德华·斯佩尔齐扬（Eduard Spertsyan）。

雅斯莱此刻离开并不在他们的计划之内，但这位德国人身上散发着雄心。他青少年时期在斯图加特青训队效力于托马斯·图赫尔（Thomas Tuchel）麾下，随后在霍芬海姆效力于拉尔夫·朗尼克（Ralf Rangnick）。

在他二十多岁时因膝盖和跟腱受伤不得不退役后，他开始从事教练工作，最初在莱比锡担任助理。他的执教风格是以高强度逼抢见长，而现在，他正急于让纽卡斯尔打出他的风格。

巴塞罗那准备在争夺曼城罗德里的竞争中与皇家马德里抗衡

夏洛特·邓克（Charlotte Duncker）

巴塞罗那已加入签下罗德里的竞争，旨在抢在竞争对手皇家马德里之前达成与这位曼城中场球员的协议。皇马此前一直有信心能以 £4000 万 的价格签下这位 30 岁的球员，但现在他们在争夺这位 2024 年金球奖得主时面临来自西甲竞争对手的挑战。

罗德里希望出于家庭原因回到祖国，虽然他对转会马德里持开放态度，但在巴塞罗那联系并确认其兴趣后，转会巴塞罗那的可能性并未被排除。巴塞罗那正努力签下马德里竞技的前锋胡利安·阿尔瓦雷斯（Julián Álvarez），但他们也希望加强中场，尤其是考虑到弗伦基·德容（Frenkie de Jong）在几周前遭受了膝盖伤势。

虽然尚未向球员或曼城提交正式报价，但这位西班牙冠军球队正密切关注局势，并准备在争夺罗德里的签名上与皇马竞争。尽管曼城希望这位中场核心能够留队，但他的合同仅剩一年，因此如果他在那之前未能就新条款达成一致，曼城将面临在明年夏天失去他的风险（自由转会）。

在随西班牙队赢得世界杯并被评为赛事最佳球员后，罗德里一直在从几周前进行的小型背部手术中恢复。他接受该手术是为了解决持续的不适感，预计将于下周回到曼彻斯特开始季前训练，并与正在亚洲巡演的其余队员汇合。

恩佐·马雷斯卡（Enzo Maresca）已经以俱乐部纪录的 £1.16 亿 从诺丁汉森林签下了埃利奥特·安德森（Elliot Anderson），曼城目前正致力于达成一项协议，将 18, 岁的摩洛哥球星艾尤布·布阿迪（Ayyoub Bouaddi）从里尔带到伊蒂哈德球场。

除了罗德里，蒂贾尼·赖因德斯（Tijjani Reijnders）和尼科·冈萨雷斯（Nico González）都有可能离开曼城，而诺丁汉森林已经表达了对赖因德斯的兴趣。如果该区域有更多球员离队，曼城很可能会寻求加强中场。

与此同时，英格兰门将詹姆斯·特拉福德（James Trafford）在以 £4000 万（外加附加条款）的价格从曼城加盟后，成为了利兹联的纪录签约球员。23, 岁的特拉福德签署了一份为期五年的合同，成为利兹联今夏继自由球员哈里·威尔逊（Harry Wilson）和波黑中后卫塔里克·穆哈雷莫维奇（Tarik Muharemovic）之后第三位重要签约球员。

--- 64 # 体育 板球

首场测试赛：8月19-23日（海丁利球场）。第二场：8月27-31日（勋爵球场）。第三场：9月9-13日（埃德巴斯顿球场）。由于伤病限制了之前的机会，考克斯将渴望抓住任何出现的机遇。他希望能够比丹·劳伦斯在2024年对阵斯里兰卡时被错误地安排为开场击球手时的表现更好，当时劳伦斯无意中证明了面对新球击球究竟有多困难。劳伦斯现在在6号位得到了一个受欢迎的机会，因为他也能投出还算合格的旋转球。前两场在海丁利和勋爵球场的比赛，其场地在近年来旋转球几乎没有效果，如果情况如预期，劳伦斯可能也将成为主要的旋转球选项。他是一名比在对阵斯里兰卡时短暂且不稳定的开场表现所暗示的更好的击球手。他当时可能也感受到了必须以某种方式打球的压力，而这种压力在新的教练组下应该会减轻。劳伦斯是郡冠军赛第一组的第二高得分手，为萨里队贡献了近800分，包括五个世纪分。但赛程在一定程度上削弱了这一相关性：他自6月中旬以来没有参加过一场一级比赛，当时他对阵格拉摩根队仅得8分和0分（他在前一场比赛中拿到了双世纪分），此后在短形式板球赛中仅获得了一个半世纪分。和所有人一样，在经历了一个月的“百球赛”（the Hundred）后，他必须迅速调整回一级板球的状态。如果需要四名快速投球手，劳伦斯可能会成为首席旋转球投手，这表明英格兰在旋转球方面的现状。劳伦斯本赛季为萨里队拿到了9个三柱门，平均分71，由于今年椭圆球场的一级比赛场地普遍较新，这些数据有所偏差；而在此被留用的肖艾布·巴希尔，自上次对阵新西兰的测试赛以来，仅为德比郡队投了10个回合。如果英格兰的首选旋转球投手在德比郡队的50回合球队中都难以获得出场机会，这本身就说明了问题。2024年那场对阵斯里兰卡的比赛——劳伦斯最后一次身披英格兰战袍——正是“Bazball”计划开始出问题的时刻：就在那场比赛的三天前，麦卡勒姆的职责被扩大到涵盖白球赛角色；乔什·赫尔的入选表明选拔环境已变得过于沉溺于自身的聪明才智；而在第一天以140分仅失1柱门的情况下，最终以8个三柱门之差落败，证明了缺乏应有的谨慎和关注。奥利·波普在那场比赛中担任队长，并拿到了他迄今为止9个测试赛世纪分中的第6个。自从最后一个世纪分之后，他的下滑与对阵印度和澳大利亚的10场测试赛重合，并导致他在灰烬杯后被弃用。现在他被召回了，尽管是以备用击球手 / 接球手的身份。波普的回归揭示了他们在面对即将到来的南非冬季巡赛时，关于杰米·史密斯备份方案的考量。波普的回归对詹姆斯·雷来说不是好消息，雷在对阵新西兰时浪费了自己的机会。雷进入这支球队有两条路径，要么作为3号位（被考克斯占据），要么作为备用击球手兼接球手（波普），但在首秀中接球和击球表现糟糕后，他被忽略了。不应该仅凭一场比赛就评判一名球员——库克在对阵津巴布韦的一场糟糕测试赛后重返球队就是一个提醒——但第一印象至关重要，而雷没有留下好印象。尽管新教练斯蒂芬·弗莱明直到秋季才正式就职，但他远程参加了这些选拔会议并提供了一些建议。许多人对他的入职时间不够早表示了一定程度的不满，不过花一些时间熟悉情况，观察并考虑球队和教练组需要做些什么，并不是一件坏事。正如这支阵容所暗示的，他有大量工作要做。

库兰有望在恢复健康后被召回 —— 接后页

本赛季锦标赛中，他以 788 分的成绩，场均 65.66 分。劳伦斯自 2024 年 9 月以来未参加过一场测试赛，且未入选英格兰队的灰烬杯阵容，但他的入选为英格兰队提供了一个在下中层顺序击球的旋转全能球员选项，因为球队正在考虑在本·斯托克斯退休后如何平衡阵容。这位 29 岁的球员将排在第 6 位击球，而守门员杰米·史密斯将回到第 7 位，他在新西兰系列赛期间的击球位置高了一位。

65 体育

25 岁的考克斯在第 7 位击球时完成了他的测试赛首秀，在斯托克斯和古斯·阿特金森因切尔西一家夜总会的深夜事件而被禁赛后，他进入球队参加了对阵新西兰的第二场测试赛。他本应在 2024 年完成首秀，当时他原定在新西兰期间接替处于陪产假的史密斯担任守门员，结果在第一场测试赛前夕在练习网中弄断了手指，这使得贝塞尔得以入选并在第 3 位完成首秀。考克斯仅在一次一级比赛中在第 3 位击球，此前他在 30 个回合中担任开局击球手。

英格兰队首席选拔员马库斯·诺斯透露，萨里全能球员萨姆·库兰有望在对阵巴基斯坦的第三场比赛中被召回参加测试赛，此前他之所以未能入选前两场测试赛，是因为对其身体状况的担忧。28 岁的库兰自 2021 年以来未参加过测试赛。

“随着本·斯托克斯的退休，很明显他曾为我们的球队提供了一种特定的平衡，”诺斯表示。“萨姆·库兰绝对是我们感兴趣的球员。萨姆在这个夏天承担了非常繁重的工作量，参加了大量的板球比赛。我们觉得他的身体状态还没有完全恢复，我认为让他参加前两场测试赛是不公平的。”

埃塞克斯的快速投球手萨姆·库克也获得了召回，他去年夏天在对阵津巴布韦的比赛中完成了首秀，但此后未再出场。达勒姆的布赖登·卡斯也被纳入名单。

对阵巴基斯坦在海丁利和勋爵板球场进行的前两场测试赛阵容已经公布，这将是乔·鲁特被重新任命为红球队长后执掌球队的首个系列赛。英格兰队助理教练马库斯·特雷斯科西克将接管本系列赛的领导权，因为新任永久主教练斯蒂芬·弗莱明在新西兰有家庭事务。诺斯表示，弗莱明已全面参与选拔决定。

弗莱明接任的测试赛主教练布伦登·麦卡勒姆支持其前队友的任命。麦卡勒姆在弗莱明被任命后首次发声，表示：“我认为弗莱明会表现出色。他有点像我，但更好。”

奥利·罗宾逊在两年前新西兰系列赛开始时首次回归测试队，他保留了在阵容中的位置。乔弗拉·阿彻、马修·费舍尔、阿特金森和乔什·汤格——以及库克、卡斯和罗宾逊——为英格兰队提供了充足的选择，诺斯确认他们可能会选择四人快速投球攻击线。腿旋全能球员雷汉·艾哈迈德被排除在外。

西汉姆协议为世界锦标赛申办铺平道路

田径 马特·劳顿 (Matt Lawton) 首席体育记者

伦敦已提交 2029年9月世界田径锦标赛的申办申请，此前已解决了与西汉姆联（West Ham United）关于体育场使用权以及可能对赛程造成干扰的问题。由于西汉姆联援引伦敦体育场的法律协议，认为自己在足球赛季期间拥有优先权，导致双方陷入僵局，申办工作一度陷入危机。但据《泰晤士报》了解，双方已达成一项西汉姆联可接受的协议，并达成共识，认为锦标赛的举行对俱乐部的赛程影响将降至最低，例如体育场座椅现在可以快速地为田径赛进行改装。他们认为，这意味着在英超联赛中最多连续两场客场比赛，或在英格兰足球联赛（EFL）中连续三场。此外，双方还承诺通过某些改进，提升西汉姆联球迷的长期体育场体验。关于赛程干扰的所有可能情况均已考虑在内，无论西汉姆联是仍留在英冠联赛，还是回到英超联赛并参加欧洲赛事。涉及俱乐部、代表英国顶尖田径项目的联合组织 Athletics Ventures (AV) 的关键人物、体育场官员、政府官员以及伦敦市长办公室的讨论已持续一年多。但在最近几个月取得了重大进展，西汉姆联在意识到政府希望举办一场能极大提振经济的高规格国际赛事的同时，也渴望成为良好的体育场合作伙伴。2017年的锦标赛在财务上取得了巨大成功，每场比赛的 60,000 个席位全部售罄。这应该使伦敦的方案领先于罗马和慕尼黑的竞争方案，以及印度可能提交的申请，因为德国官员已经对成本表示担忧。世界田径联合会主席科（Lord Coe）希望锦标赛能为田径赛季收官，而将赛事安排在 9 月给伦敦带来了问题。不过，该问题现已解决，西汉姆联的一份声明称：“西汉姆联可以确认，已与伦敦体育场有限责任合伙公司（London Stadium LLP）和 Athletics Ventures 达成协议，将伦敦体育场纳入由英国政府支持的 2029 年伦敦世界田径锦标赛申办方案的承办场馆之中。”“一旦确定西汉姆联在 2029-30 赛季将参加哪个级别联赛及其他赛事，任何对足球赛程的影响都将得到确认。随后可与相关足球管理机构进行进一步讨论，以审查并减轻对赛程安排的任何潜在影响。”Athletic Ventures 的一份声明确认，“向世界田径联合会提交的关于 2029 年将世界田径锦标赛引入伦敦的申办最终文件”已经提交。英国田径协会首席执行官兼 AV 联合创始人杰克·巴克纳（Jack Buckner）表示：“我们很高兴与伦敦体育场和西汉姆联达成协议，并对他们为实现这一目标所做出的承诺表示由衷感谢。”伦敦马拉松赛事首席执行官兼 AV 联合创始人休·布拉舍尔（Hugh Brasher）补充道：“2029 年在伦敦举办的世界田径锦标赛将为首都及全国带来超过 £4 亿的经济和社会效益。”伦敦市长萨迪克·汗（Sadiq Khan）的一位发言人表示：“。萨迪克决心，如果伦敦的申办在下个月获得成功，这次机会将为伦敦市民带来长期利益。”世界田径联合会计划于 9 月公布 2029 年世界田径锦标赛的主办城市。

萨利文将不顾建议出席赛季首场比赛

接续背面

由于安全保障方面的担忧，[他]被禁止在三年内接触女子球队。西汉姆联已获悉，萨利文将出席明天的比赛，这是调查结果公布以来的首场比赛，也是在赛季最后一天从英超联赛降级、支持者对他产生反感后的首场比赛。在那天战胜利兹联但仍不足以保级的比赛中，他提前离开了董事席。自2010年首次获得股份以来，他一直定期出席主场比赛。支持者团体表示，他们已提出担忧，认为萨利文的出现将不被许多球迷欢迎，并且在俱乐部和体育场面临财务压力之际，可能需要增加安保力量。该团体称，他的出席有风险重新引发紧张局势。本周，体育场运营商表示，其已寻求相关信息以确保能够履行自身的安全保障责任，而西汉姆联已告知运营商，“不认为萨利文先生出席体育场会带来持续的安全保障风险”。作为西汉姆联最大的股东，萨利文愿意出售其38.8 per cent的股份——这可能会导致俱乐部被收购。他从阿曼达·斯塔夫利试图获得俱乐部股份的尝试中获益——因为这为他的股份提供了两名潜在买家：即斯塔夫利，以及皇家邮政的所有者、俱乐部的第二大股东兼共同主席、持有27 per cent股份的丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基。斯塔夫利同意以£1.5 亿的价格从已故的大卫·戈尔德家族手中购买25.1 per cent的股份。然而，根据此前协议中的一项条款，如果克雷廷斯基的持股超过50%，萨利文可能会获得一个更高的价格。

--- 《泰晤士报》 # 体育 # 橄榄球正陷入困境 脑损伤案件损害本已面临形象问题的运动 Alex Lowe，第60-61页

欧足联加大力度促使因凡蒂诺下台

欧洲足球管理机构表示，由于备受指责的主席拒绝辞职，对国际足联的抵制依然有效 马丁·齐格勒（Martyn Ziegler） 年度体育新闻记者

欧足联通过宣布继续抵制国际足联（Fifa）的赛事，向吉安尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）发出了挑战。这家欧洲管理机构表示，因凡蒂诺未能就未来提供必要的保证。在将世界杯股份出售给私人投资者的计划崩溃并引发后续影响后，这位国际足联主席拒绝辞职。

欧足联的立场可能会让因凡蒂诺的圈子感到不安，他们此前一直希望反对其留任的声音能逐渐平息。英格兰足协（FA）也表示，其对因凡蒂诺的立场没有改变——即他应该辞职——并已发信撤回此前对其明年连任的支持。

消息人士还透露，许多中北美及加勒比足联（Concacaf）成员国对因凡蒂诺最近的声明深感不满，并对他担任主席失去了信心。

欧足联的一份声明称：“欧足联各协会对于不参加国际足联赛事的附加条件非常明确。首先，必须撤回出售重大赛事的提案；其次，必须保证绝不再尝试以这种方式破坏这项运动。这些条件尚未达成。此外，欧足联在周六的声明中已明确表示，对其主席吉安尼·因凡蒂诺失去了信心。这一立场依然有效。昨天关于一些由国际足联主席雇佣[且其职业生涯依赖于其青睐]的人员同意他观点的公告，改变不了任何事情。”

周五，全部 55 个欧足联成员国投票决定抵制国际足联赛事，以抗议因凡蒂诺的计划。包括英格兰在内的欧洲球队原定于下个月参加在波兰举行的 Under-20 女足世界杯。

欧足联声明的最后一部分是指因凡蒂诺在周三于摩洛哥拉巴特召集高级管理层会议后，发给国际足联理事会成员的一封信。在国际足联首席运营官、组织内的 No.3 凯文·拉穆尔（Kevin Lamour）上周对出售计划发表批评评论后，因凡蒂诺没有邀请他参加会议；而国际足联全球足球发展主管阿尔塞纳·温格（Arsène Wenger）以及国际足联首席足球官吉尔·埃利斯（Jill Ellis）均未出席。

尽管面临广泛的下台呼吁，因凡蒂诺仍拒绝辞职，但他决定道歉并承认其计划中存在“错误”，这被视为其处境绝望的迹象，因为前盟友已拒绝支持他。为了增加对他施压，加拿大总理马克·卡尼（Mark Carney）表示，该出售计划“应该是致命的”。

接 62 页

巴塞罗那加入争夺罗德里之战

这位曼城球星在今年夏天的世界杯中代表西班牙队出战，并成为该赛事的最佳球员，目前正受到巴萨和皇马两家加泰罗尼亚及马德里俱乐部的追求。在面对阿森纳的兴趣时，马德里俱乐部昨日与维尼修斯（Vinicius Jr）签署了新合同，详见 62-63 页

萨利文计划访问西汉姆联

加里·雅各布（Gary Jacob）

大卫·萨利文（David Sullivan）预计将不顾建议，参加明天在伦敦体育场举行的西汉姆联本赛季揭幕战。由于他被指控存在性行为不端（他对此予以否认），可能引发球迷骚乱，体育场运营商曾建议这位俱乐部共同所有者不要出席主场比赛。西汉姆联的球迷咨询委员会也呼吁他不要参加对阵朴茨茅斯的联赛杯首轮比赛。

萨利文于 6 月辞去了西汉姆联董事及共同主席的职务，就在此后不久，《泰晤士报》与 BBC《全景》（Panorama）联合对其行为进行了调查并发布，揭露他已被禁止接触俱乐部的青年队和

接 65 页

考克斯接替受伤的贝塞尔

伊丽莎白·阿蒙（Elizabeth Ammon） 雅各布·贝塞尔（Jacob Bethell）因膝盖受伤将缺席英格兰对阵巴基斯坦的测试赛系列赛，由乔丹·考克斯（Jordan Cox）接替其在3号位的位置。22岁的贝塞尔在上个月对阵印度的最后一场一日国际赛中右膝受伤，随后被排除在“百球赛”（the Hundred）之外，且未能及时康复参加将于8月19日在海丁利（Headingley）开始的这场三场系列赛。英格兰队还出人意料地召回了奥利·波普（Ollie Pope）。这位萨里郡的击球手在灰烬杯（Ashes）竞逐后被从测试队名单中剔除，但在郡冠军赛（County Championship）中表现稳健，在8场比赛中场均得分43分。与他一同入选16人名单的还有萨里队的队友丹·劳伦斯（Dan Lawrence），他是得分最高的人员之二，详见第64页。

《泰晤士报》纵横字谜 29,615

横向

1 性别不平等的表现概括了当前的不满 (4) 3 因保释而可疑，阻碍所有人，不应受到赞扬 (10) 10 鞣制工开始奔跑，击败隐藏的坚硬 (9) 11 虚弱的国王收费，令人失望 (5) 12 担心动物围栏遭受侵害 (7) 13 液体被消费在经常光顾的饮酒场所 (6) 15 某些时间由你和一名学习者向西进入的路线 (4,11) 18 训练旧猎鹰不要变得具有攻击性 (15) 21 旅馆员工最初被忽视，推搡的人 (6) 23 圆顶，高处的13个避难所 (7) 26 拒绝局外人，拥有土地的家伙 (5) 27 派对中的骑手，我不确定是否应在公司中 (9) 28 半水生生物，臀部严重受损 (10) 29 灌木，雄性昆虫被冷落 (4)

纵向

1 伦敦地铁上几种类型的不良行为 (10) 2 体育酒吧中的攻击，犯罪同伙 (5) 4 也许看到女性表现出对歌剧的喜爱 (9) 5 商业广播中可见的热情 (5) 6 对法国烹饪的嘲讽，但没有权利 (7) 7 帮助护理大型病态外观的鸟 (5,4) 8 像被捕获在东安格利亚某地的鱼 (4) 9 建筑材料研究的伟大来源 (6) 14 巨大的猫蜷缩在圆形的七鳃鳗中，也许 (10) 16 安特里姆（Antrim）结案，其中一人获得赦免 (9) 17 困惑的绅士被禁止醉酒庆祝，脾气暴躁 (9) 19 维基拆开的圆柱形包裹是地毯 (7) 20 本质上单薄的白蜡木棍 (6) 22 随着速度增加跨越河流 (5) 24 说浪漫正在掌控主题 (5) 25 击打工具的一半钨，被强力击中 (4)

昨日答案 29,614 请在午夜前拨打 0905 757 0141 查询今日答案。通话费用为每分钟 £1，另加您的电话公司网络接入费。SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390。

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2 艺术

2 艺术专栏

理查德·莫里森 (Richard Morrison) 我第50次前往爱丁堡艺术节——这就是它所发生的变化

每个人都有自己喜爱的夏季仪式。我不擅长烧烤：我总是把香肠烤焦。在温布尔登看网球赛会让我的脖子感到疲劳。但明天，我将去做一件半个世纪以来每个夏天我都热爱的事情。我将在国王十字车站登上火车，向北前往爱丁堡艺术节——荒谬的是，这将是我作为一名记者连续报道的第50次。

这件事足以说明该活动的魅力，因为我仍然能感受到某种期待的悸动，就像1977年那样（当时我被一家不幸在今年破产的小型艺术杂志派去评论活动），在一个典型的苏格兰夏季早晨大约5.30am，我走下从伦敦开来的夜车：浓雾弥漫，温度计在零度附近徘徊，细雨绵绵。在失眠且被淋透的情况下，我蹒跚地走在王子街上，思考着在咖啡馆开门供应早餐前如何打发时间。

我本不必担心。在乐池附近，十几个诡异的身影似乎在表演着听起来像莎士比亚的剧作。那些标志性的短语，与当时的环境极其契合，在花坛间飘荡：“如此污浊而又如此美好的日子，我从未见过……这里太冷，不像是地狱。”就这样，我发现自己在评论我的第一个艺术节演出——由某所中西部大学的学生表演的《麦克白》全夜循环剧。如果我没记错的话，他们还上演了一部对欧里庇得斯的“幽默改编”，名为《带有臀部的酒神祭》。

我第一次意识到，每年八月是什么吸引人们聚集在爱丁堡，并使这个艺术节如此独特。不是海量的演出数量（今年超过50,000场），而是这种体验中纯粹的、疯狂的不协调感：一种感觉，即在每一个转角处都潜藏着某些至少能让你惊讶，甚至可能改变你生活的东西。

在第一天，我像个旋转的苦行僧一样在半打艺术节演出之间奔波。然后，在晚上，我去了古老的国王剧院（顺便提一句，今年得到了极好的修复），观看可能是有史以来最星光熠熠的《卡门》制作——由普拉西多·多明戈和特蕾莎·贝尔甘萨领衔主演，克劳迪奥·阿巴多指挥。

爱丁堡在艺术节期间那种古怪的时代精神，即使是对那些崇高的人物也产生了魔力。在参加艺术节期间，阿巴多和多明戈招募了一些歌剧圈的朋友，在草地（the Meadows）上挑战伦敦交响乐团进行一场足球赛。我不记得谁赢了，但我记得那些铲球非常凶狠。在其他什么地方，一名坐在后排的小提琴手能有机会给世界上薪酬最高的一位男高音来上一顿猛踢？

基于这些模糊的记忆，人们很容易认为现在的爱丁堡艺术节比50年前要枯燥。但你也可以反驳说恰恰相反。1977年的爱丁堡仍然是一个拘谨的地方，一个不可避免地被苏格兰媒体称为“麦克拉特利夫人案”的丑闻。现在看来这简直令人难以置信。

但主要改变艺术节特质的是金钱——具体来说，是你作为观众或艺术节表演者参加活动所需的巨额资金。也许我是带着玫瑰色的眼镜在看待过去，但我不记得20世纪70年代爱丁堡的酒店、房东和普通市民在敲诈艺术节游客方面像现在这样残酷。如今，如果你能找到一个每晚低于£200的扫帚橱柜睡觉，就算运气不错了。每天花钱看三四场艺术节演出，一周内你将再烧掉£500，而表演者在短期演出期间，即使租一个小型场地也可能轻松花费£5,000。

不可避免的结果是，除了极少数名气巨大的单口喜剧演员外，如今在爱丁堡边缘艺术节（Edinburgh Fringe）演出没有人能赚钱。事实上，绝大多数表演者将面临数百英镑的亏损。当然，有些人会将其视为对未来演艺事业的投资。无论如何，氛围已经改变了。1947年又是多么的不同。爱丁堡市长约翰·法尔科纳（John Falconer）在第一本艺术节手册中写道：“我可以向您保证，本次艺术节在任何方面都不是一项商业活动。”相反，他接着写道，其目的是推广“一种以艺术为中心的新生活方式”。在经历了世界大战的破坏与绝望仅两年后，观众们可以借此“刷新灵魂，并重新确认他们对物质之外事物的信念”。这些观点在今天看来可能过于天真。然而，尽管存在如此粗俗的商业方面，艺术节期间的爱丁堡仍然保留了一丝那种理想主义精神。每年有一个月，这座城市会将自己交给创意艺术以及那些热爱艺术的人。它欢迎来自世界各地的数十万人。在街头艺人周围拥挤街道上的人群绝大多数都是友善的。而且，无论表演是高雅的还是大众的，往往都能带来启示。这就是为什么你明天早上会在前往爱丁堡的火车上发现这个古板的老家伙，他在2026年依然像在1977年那个雾蒙蒙的黎明一样，渴望投入到“老烟城”（Auld Reekie）的节日乐趣之中。这座长老会的堡垒，即使在艺术节期间，酒吧也在晚上10.关闭，且周日完全不营业。而国际艺术节也同样死板得令人痛苦。它成立于1947年，旨在与萨尔茨堡那个傲慢的夏季艺术节竞争，到了20世纪70年代，它仍在追求那种精英主义的光环。相比之下，20世纪70年代的边缘艺术节绝大多数仍由学生和业余爱好者运营。是的，少数人正处于电视或戏剧成名的边缘。但在20世纪90年代之前，这个领域还没有像现在这样被商业推广商主导，他们运营着精良的场馆，为收取西区价格的大名鼎鼎的喜剧演员服务。当时的氛围更加随兴、无政府主义且真正具有挑衅性。在那些纯真的日子里，一名在艺术节上短暂裸体出镜的女演员实际上因猥亵而被起诉——一个我的第一篇评论是关于一部彻夜循环播放的《麦克白》

Tomdaya 如何打造十亿美元的夏天

夫妻档一线巨星汤姆·霍兰德（Tom Holland）和赞达亚（Zendaya）同时出演了《奥德赛》（The Odyssey）和《蜘蛛侠》（Spider-Man）。他们的统治力是前所未有的。 作者：Damian Whitworth

电影院老板在刚刚过去的周末并不需要特殊的“蜘蛛感应”就能察觉到，汤姆·霍兰德和赞达亚已经将数百万观众卷入了他们的网络。《蜘蛛侠：崭新之日》（Spider-Man: Brand New Day）在首个周末就创造了 $9.32 亿的票房收入，成为迄今为止全球第二大的开画周末。而同样由这对夫妇主演的《奥德赛》继续填满电影院（第三个周末票房为 $1.36 亿），Tomdaya 的“蜘蛛奥德赛”十亿美元周末让专家们宣布这是一个票房现象。

票房分析公司 Rentrack 的市场趋势主管保罗·德加拉贝迪安（Paul Dergarabedian）表示，由一对夫妻主演的两部连续夏季大片，在电影界相当于出现了哈雷彗星。这位常驻洛杉矶的德加拉贝迪安说：“行星的排列完美地创造了这个里程碑式的周末。对于电影院老板来说，汤姆·霍兰德和赞达亚就是超级英雄。这种情况非常独特且罕见。我认为我们不会再次看到完全相同的场景上演。”

许多夫妇在片场相识并将浪漫情缘转化为婚姻，有时——如汉弗莱·鲍嘉（Humphrey Bogart）和劳伦·巴科尔（Lauren Bacall）；伊丽莎白·泰勒（Elizabeth Taylor）和理查德·伯顿（Richard Burton）——这些成为了好莱坞魅力的标志。在霍兰德和赞达亚之前，拍摄《史密斯夫妇》（Mr & Mrs Smith）时相识的布拉德·皮特（Brad Pitt）和安吉丽娜·朱莉（Angelina Jolie）就曾拥有一个合成名——Brangelina。

“但《史密斯夫妇》并不是一部大片，”德加拉贝迪安说。“你见过其他已婚明星，但从未在连续两部夏季大片中出现。这完全是前所未有的。”（他指出，乔恩·伯恩撒（Jon Bernthal）也出演了这两部电影，分别饰演墨涅拉俄斯和惩罚者。）

自 2017 年以来的四部《蜘蛛侠》电影中，霍兰德饰演彼得·帕克，一个成为超级英雄的青少年，而赞达亚则饰演他的高中甜心 MJ。最新一部电影在英国的首个周末吸金 £2350 万，是英国第四大开画成绩。《泰晤士报》评论员凯文·马赫（Kevin Maher）写道，这对夫妇在场景中“注入了极高程度的酸楚与渴望”，将电影推向了如《短暂的邂逅》（Brief Encounter）这类“不可能之爱”经典作品的领域。

《银幕国际》（Screen International）的票房编辑查尔斯·甘特（Charles Gant）表示，认为《蜘蛛侠》电影最大吸引力在于蜘蛛侠这个角色（他是目前漫威宇宙中最受欢迎的角色）是不公平的。“如果没有一个真正优秀的蜘蛛侠，你就不会有一个成功的系列电影，而汤姆·霍兰德是一个出色的蜘蛛侠。他天生幽默，富有魅力，为这个角色带来了脆弱感和纤细感。”

好莱坞曾远离“演员驱动票房”的观念——票房是由超级英雄角色驱动的。

“我们也许正稍微向‘荧幕才华’的方向回归，而赞达亚和汤姆·霍兰德绝对处于这一趋势的最前沿。《奥德赛》和这部《蜘蛛侠》电影正吸引观众成群结队地回归。它们是‘独角兽’电影。”

如果说 Tomdaya 是《奥德赛》的主要吸引力，那可能有些牵强。霍兰德饰演的特勒马科斯（Telemachus）戏份较重，但赞达亚饰演的雅典娜女神仅有几分钟的荧幕时间。他们是支持马特·达蒙（Matt Damon）饰演的奥德修斯的高能配角阵容的一员，而最大的明星是导演。

“看看那份演员表——第一个脱口而出的名字就是克里斯托弗·诺兰（Christopher Nolan）。诺兰就是吸引力，”德加拉贝迪安说。

但诺兰也知道霍兰德和赞达亚能够触达 Z 世代观众。

“我在电影院看迈克尔·杰克逊的电影，这时《奥德赛》的预告片出现了，我旁边坐着一些年轻女性，”甘特说。“当汤姆·霍兰德出现在屏幕上时，她们立刻精神了起来。克里斯托弗·诺兰非常聪明。汤姆·霍兰德——原谅我用这个比喻——就是进入那个年轻群体的‘特洛伊木马’。”

30 岁的霍兰德在伦敦西南部的金斯顿长大，他是 ---

SHUTTERSTOCK times2 多米尼克是一名单口喜剧演员，尼基是一名摄影师。他在12岁时迎来了突破，当时他在西区音乐剧中饰演比利·艾略特，两年后，他与娜奥米·沃茨和伊万·麦格雷戈一起拍摄了电影处女作《不可能》（The Impossible），该片讲述了印度洋海啸的故事。来自加利福尼亚州奥克兰的赞达亚·科尔曼，29, 岁，是教师之女，在成为迪士尼系列剧《摇滚吧》（Shake It Up）的青少年明星之前，她曾是一名儿童模特和舞者，随后在2017. 年被选演《蜘蛛侠：英雄归来》。同年，她还出演了由休·杰克曼和扎克·埃夫隆主演的音乐片《伟大的传递者》（The Greatest Showman）。除了《蜘蛛侠》系列电影，她在丹尼斯·维伦纽夫的《沙丘》系列电影中担任主角，并据报道在心理色情网球剧《挑战者》（Challengers）中获得了 1000万美元 的片酬。凭借在HBO剧集《亢奋》（Euphoria）中饰演一名药瘾者的角色，她赢得了两项艾美奖。今年，她与罗伯特·帕丁森共同主演了一部广受好评的独立电影《戏剧》（The Drama）。她的荧幕外收入极其可观，包括担任普拉达美妆（Prada Beauty）和运动品牌On的品牌大使。她的Instagram经营达到了顶级联赛水平——她拥有 1.77 亿 粉丝且不关注任何人。她在红毯上的“方法论穿搭”涉及与她参演电影相关的服装，例如她最近在伦敦参加《蜘蛛侠：崭新之日》（Spider-Man: Brand New Day）首映式时穿着的一件带有网状丝线的象牙色礼服。霍兰德同样拥有普拉达香水的大使身份，并在戒酒后创立了一个无酒精啤酒系列Bero。他们在一次试镜中相识，以确认他们是否具备出演《蜘蛛侠：英雄归来》所需的化学反应。在很长一段时间里，他们对这段关系保持谨慎，直到事件发生一段时间后，才确认他们在今年早些时候结婚。他们是在何时何地结婚的仍不清楚。就目前所知，这场婚礼并未在西西里岛举行多日的庆祝活动（如卡勒姆·特纳和杜阿·利帕那样），也没有像泰勒·斯威夫特和特拉维斯·凯尔斯那样租下麦迪逊广场花园。霍兰德确实确认他的家人都在现场。随后在昨天有报道称，他们于周二在萨里郡的比弗布鲁克（The Beaverbrook）酒店举行了婚宴。

克里斯托弗·诺兰知道他们能够触及 Z 世代观众

当他们共同宣传电影时，他们看起来非常高兴能进行专业合作。在《蜘蛛侠》的红毯上，他称她为“Zee”和“我的 MZ”，而她则谈到他们是“最好的朋友”。他称她为“你所能遇到的最接地气、最普通、最随和的女孩”。在巴黎宣传《蜘蛛侠》时，他们被一群唱着大卫·盖塔（David Guetta）的《Titanium》的年轻孩子组成的快闪人群惊到了。“太可爱了，”赞达亚（Zendaya）似乎对着她的丈夫口型说道。

霍兰曾表示，一旦有了孩子，他将停止拍电影，这一定在电影制片厂的董事会中敲响了警钟。在今年接受《Esquire》采访时，他说：“拥有一个能够经受时间考验的关系基石真的很美好。我们可以用只有我们才能做到的方式支持彼此，因为只有我们才明白过这种生活是什么感觉。”他们很擅长进行一些不带明星光环的小告白，比如霍兰承认第一次见诺兰时感到“被震慑”，并且对于被选演《奥德赛》（The Odyssey）仍然感到“有点像在做梦”。

不拍戏时，他们过着低调的生活，主要住在霍兰几年前在伦敦西南部里士蒙（Richmond）买的一栋维多利亚式房子里。偶尔，人们会发现他们在 Waitrose 超市，或者带着他们的迷你雪纳瑞犬 Noon 在里士蒙公园散步。

“他们有一种真实感，”甘特（Gant）说。“他是你的邻家演员，”德加拉贝迪安（Dergarabedian）说道，引用了“邻家蜘蛛侠”这个流行语。“每个人似乎都喜欢这个家伙。她是一个非常优秀的演员。他们是‘四象限’电影明星：他们吸引小孩子、青少年、成年人以及爷爷奶奶。他们的吸引力是普适的。”

德加拉贝迪安称霍兰和赞达亚为“200 亿加元 billion couple”，因为他们共同参与的电影在票房上已经赚到了这么多。他们各自都是足够大的明星，不需要再次合作，但鉴于他们似乎很享受其中——而且制片厂也非常喜欢——没有人会认为他们不会再次合作。

他接下来的计划是一部弗雷德·阿斯泰尔（Fred Astaire）的传记片。她明年将有《史瑞克 5》（Shrek 5）上映，但表示希望能稍微休息一下。与此同时，有猜测称霍兰可能会在电影《复仇者联盟：末日》（Avengers: Doomsday）中客串，该片将于 12 月上映，与由其妻子主演的第三部《沙丘》（Dune）电影在同一天发行。“也许一年之内会发生两次如此巧合的事，”德加拉贝迪安说。

如果赫斯顿的“肥鸭”餐厅关闭，我会感到难过

这家主厨经营的三星米其林热门餐厅人均消费为£365，且预订爆满。托尼·特恩布尔（Tony Turnbull）询问：它是否正面临威胁？ 当你提前几个月预订一顿特别晚餐时——尤其是那种必须提前全额付款的晚餐——这些绝不是任何人想听到的话，但赫斯顿·布鲁门塔尔（Heston Blumenthal）的餐厅集团已发出警告，称其维持经营的能力仍存在“重大不确定性”。这意味着，抢到他那家三星米其林“肥鸭”（Fat Duck）餐厅的位子，可能不再是你所期待的“金票”。 尽管得到了新加坡女商人克里斯蒂娜·翁（Christina Ong）的资金注入，董事们仍警告称，“对于该集团或母公司作为持续经营实体的能力存在重大疑问”。对此，大多数人会问：一家人均收费至少£365且数月预订爆满的餐厅，怎么可能没有获得良好的回报？ 在如此高端的餐饮领域经营一直是一项冒险的生意，员工成本和食材成本可能会迅速失控。事实上，赫斯顿·布鲁门塔尔承认，在餐厅于2004年获得第三颗星之前，他的资金压力如此之大，银行里的钱仅够支付下一周的工资。 那第三颗星确实救了他。传统上，它允许主厨进入一个神奇的国际圈子，获得丰厚的赞助协议，帮助他们维持旗舰餐厅的运转。布鲁门塔尔被广泛报道的心理健康问题可能影响了他的赚钱能力。 此外还存在需求变化的问题。在“肥鸭”餐厅，从“旅程”到“正念体验”的“体验”通常延伸至14道菜；在这个减肥药流行和食欲下降的时代，这种大餐的吸引力将会受损。 我个人如果看到“肥鸭”关闭会感到难过。我最近将2002年（就在获得第二颗米其林星之前）第一次前往伯克郡布雷（Bray）的旅行评为人生中最美好的经历之一。布鲁门塔尔既是一位主厨，也是一位魔术师，而那些让我们像龙一样喷气的液氮速冻开胃菜带来的快感一直留在我的记忆中。 我几年前再次光顾，虽然惊喜减少了，但我仍然对他坚持呈现一场好戏的决心印象深刻。你支付费用，他们在四个小时内为你提供皇室级的款待。 这是地球上最伟大的表演吗？也许不是，但仍然是你能在餐厅里看到的最好的表演。

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4 # 封面故事

“我已尽兴——离开剧场并不令我难过” 希安·菲利普斯（Siân Phillips）向克莱夫·戴维斯（Clive Davis）讲述她在舞台上的 82 年、出演《我是克劳狄斯》（I, Claudius）、与彼得·奥图尔（Peter O'Toole）的婚姻——以及当她那“惊人的记忆力”失效时的震惊。

希安·菲利普斯在科文特花园的一家法式小馆共进午餐时宣布了这一消息。她的宣布毫无戏剧性；她只是简单地，几乎是顺便地解释道，时机已经到了。在经历了近 70 年之后，就大规模的现场演出而言，这确实是终点。这位女演员一直以自己的记忆力为傲，她说，今年早些时候的一次失误促使她做出了这个决定。

在奇切斯特节日剧院（Chichester Festival Theatre）排演伊恩·麦克尤恩（Ian McEwan）的小说《赎罪》（Atonement）时，她饰演主角布里奥妮·塔利斯（Briony Tallis）的老年版本，她发现自己再也记不住台词了。“这发生得很突然，”菲利普斯说。“我想，‘这很奇怪，记忆方式和往常不一样了。’导演 [亚当·彭福德（Adam Penford）] 是个可爱的人。我们对此付之一笑。”

“所以我们想尝试用耳麦，我听说演员们都用这个。但耳麦脱落了。当时我正处于一段长达四五页的巨长独白之中，我想，‘接下来是什么？’我看向那个准备给我提示的女孩。我听不见她的声音。我看向导演，而他——”

希安·菲利普斯与她的第二任丈夫彼得·奥图尔，1964 年。右侧顺时针从主图起：菲利普斯在 2005 年的《远大前程》中；1976 年在《我是克劳狄斯》中与布莱恩·布莱塞德（Brian Blessed）同框；1997 年在《玛琳》（Marlene）中与露·吉什（Lou Gish）同框。

“——说道，‘这行不通，对吧？’”

菲利普斯表示，她仍计划演出《全是希腊语》（It's All Greek），这是她关于古希腊人的精致小秀。现年 93 岁且依然精神矍铄的她，还计划明年为迈克尔·辛（Michael Sheen）的新建威尔士国家剧院演出萨缪尔·贝克特（Samuel Beckett）的微型剧《摇篮曲》（Rockaby）（她将提前录制大部分时长约 15 分钟的独白）。哦，此外，她仍将继续在导演理查德·迪格比·戴（Richard Digby Day）主持的偶尔举办的回忆之夜中巡演。

所以这本可以是一个创伤性的时刻，但菲利普斯似乎淡然处之。或许与彼得·奥图尔——那位极致放纵、酗酒的演员——结婚的二十年，赋予了她额外的一层韧性。

“我一点也不沮丧，”她回忆道。“我的意思是，我们对此大笑不止。但我认为，不，这太傻了，责任太重了。情况可能会好转，但我不能冒险。我一点也不难过，这让我自己都感到惊讶。我觉得我已尽兴。”

对于一个从《歌舞厅》（Cabaret）到《日历女孩》（Calendar Girls）、涵盖了《海达·加布勒》（Hedda Gabler）和《圣女贞德》（Saint Joan）的主角，以及在音乐剧《玛琳》（Marlene）中饰演玛琳·黛德丽（曾因此获得奥利维尔奖和托尼奖提名）并在《远大前程》中饰演哈维森小姐（Miss Havisham）的职业生涯来说，这种说法太保守了。

“我一直拥有惊人的记忆力，”她继续说道。“这就是为什么这有点令人震惊。我读一遍就能记住。我从未坐下来刻意学习过任何东西。甚至在孩提时代，我母亲会给我一些东西，比如在礼拜堂要读的一段圣经，我读一遍就能背出来。”

很难相信菲利普斯已经九十多岁了。她看起来至少年轻 15 岁——这在一定程度上可能是因为她花费大量时间练习普拉提的结果。在庆祝她 90 岁生日的 BBC 纪录片中，镜头记录了她穿着紧身衣与教练一起锻炼，承受着那种会让 60 岁的人畏缩的关节操纵。

忘词是所有演员都恐惧的事情。话题转向了菲利普斯的另一位同事，伟大的莎士比亚剧演员迈克尔·彭宁顿（Michael Pennington），一位拥有严谨理性的演员，他于5月去世，享年82岁。在封锁结束不久后，我曾在西区极小的杰明街剧院（Jermyn Street Theatre）看过他饰演《暴风雨》中的普罗斯佩罗。彭宁顿当时看起来虚弱得令人心惊，需要手持剧本，但依然贡献了一场令人深感触动的表演。

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5 艺术

菲利普斯后来在登维尔大厅（Denville Hall，一家面向演艺专业人士的退休之家）为莎士比亚传统生日庆典切蛋糕时遇到了他。“我当时正在分发蛋糕，”她回忆道，“突然，房间另一端的一个身影站起来向我走来。是迈克尔。他开始朗诵一段莎士比亚的剧作，我说：‘噢我的天，见到你真是太好了。’”

“他又朗诵了一段，一段很长很长的片段，我说：‘噢，太精彩了。’他的记忆力突然全部恢复了。然后他说：‘我很想留下，但他们在城里等着我回去。’这太糟糕了。这就是他住在登维尔大厅的原因——他记不起自己午饭吃了什么。”

在职业生涯早期，菲利普斯似乎注定要生活在另一位伟大的莎士比亚诠释者的阴影之下。她和奥图尔在皇家戏剧艺术学院（Rada）曾是一对光彩照人的情侣，但尽管菲利普斯凭借自身能力在舞台上取得了早期的成功，但这似乎激发出她第二任丈夫最糟糕的一面（她于 1959 年与第一任丈夫唐纳德·罗伊离婚），他持有关于女性地位的落后观点。有一次，当一名记者来到他们家中采访她时，奥图尔坐在房间的角落里，对妻子拥有自己事业的想法嗤之以鼻。

酒精让情况变得糟糕得多。菲利普斯在禁酒的礼拜堂环境下长大，她不得不让自己习惯于看到心爱的男人在一次次醉酒狂欢中踉跄。正如她在自传第二卷《公共场所》（Public Places）中所写，她如此渴望维持婚姻的完整（他们有两个年幼的女儿），以至于她成了“一个旨在保护奥图尔免受其行为带来痛苦后果的巨大阴谋的一部分”。他在《阿拉伯劳伦斯》中的主演角色可能为他带来了国际名声，但他始终受困于内心的心魔。这对夫妇最终于 1979 年离婚。（不久后，她与第三任丈夫，演员罗宾·萨克斯结婚；两人于 1991 年离婚）。

几年前，全身心投入电视角色扮演的菲利普斯主演了《我，克劳狄斯》。她将利维亚——一个一边带着酸涩微笑一边分发毒药的家族女家长——演绎得家喻户晓。德里克·雅各比在讲述荧幕轶事时回忆道，菲利普斯“即使在我们都知道大家都在演戏时，也能让人感到非常恐惧”。

当她拍摄该剧集时，奥图尔也在拍摄一部罗马史诗，即由《顶棚》（Penthouse）色情大亨鲍勃·古乔尼资助的臭名昭著的《卡利古拉》版本。菲利普斯的回忆录中记录了一次令人难忘的片场访问，当时海伦·米伦、马尔科姆·麦道尔和约翰·吉尔古德被困在这个注定失败的项目中：“约翰·吉尔古德站在那里，看起来气宇轩昂，假装没注意到身边的女孩们赤裸上身且拿着假阳具……离开《我，克劳狄斯》的片场（成本应该不高），这部剧在拍摄前按照旧的 BBC 风格进行了为期一年的研究，然后走进这个有《顶棚》巨额资金支持的庞大片场，那里的演员薪酬远高于我们国内的任何人，却看到这一切正走向糟糕的结局，这种感觉太奇怪了。”

阅读是菲利普斯的另一个伟大热情。（“有些人对我说：‘你应该试着去生活一下。’”）她沉思道，在巴比肯住宅区家中利用新获得的空闲时间的一种方式，就是写另一本书，这次专注于表演艺术。她坦承，她那两卷优雅的回忆录，部分写作目的是为了抢在那个著名的前夫之前发声。

“我知道奥图尔打算为他与那家美国出版社签署的精彩合同写第三本书，”她说。[即便第三卷最终从未面世。] “我想，他写第一本书就花了十年时间。所以我知道他迟早会把我们的婚姻写进去，而且我知道他根本不记得其中的任何事情，他没有保留任何记录，他会全部凭空捏造。所以我想，好吧，我得抢先一步。”令人难以置信的是，距离她第一次演出已经过去了 80 多年。她在黑山地区由讲威尔士语的父母抚养长大，11 岁时赢得了国家埃斯特旺德节（National Eisteddfod）的奖项，这为她带来了在英国广播公司（BBC）威尔士分台的表演机会。后来，她在卡迪夫演播室担任新闻播报员和衔接播报员。“那责任重大，”她说，“尤其是因为我实际上根本看不懂时间。我母亲一次也没听过我的话，因为她觉得我肯定会出错。”像她那个时代的许多演员一样，她担心年轻的表演者过于依赖麦克风，不知道如何通过发声来增强穿透力。在我们见面的前一天晚上，她说她去一家小型工作室剧院看了一场演出，演员们表现得非常好；即便如此，其中一半的人说话听不清。她还讲述了许多关于英国广播公司（BBC）电视中心黄金时代的往事，在早年间，电视剧是现场直播的，所有的失误都原样播出。后来，在参与《俄瑞斯忒亚》（The Orestela）的一个版本时，菲利普斯找到了一个让自己看起来更可怕的方法。“我们戴着有几缕头发的秃头帽，”她说。“但后来我发现，如果你从早餐盘里拿一块培根皮，稍微清理一下然后贴在头发上，它会以一种极其、极其恐怖的方式摆动。于是我们不断添加各种东西，直到我们被要求使用一个单独的餐厅，因为那太令人作呕了。”培根皮？即使是机智过人的利维亚，在面对这种特定食材时可能也会犹豫。

不，邦德先生，我希望你与众不同！随着制片人们对下一任007透露线索，多米尼克·麦克斯韦尔给出了一些建议

博彩公司最看好的卡勒姆·特纳是否足够“令人心潮澎湃、令人兴奋且与众不同”，足以成为新任詹姆斯·邦德？雅各布·埃洛迪如何？《慢马》（Slow Horses）中的杰克·洛登？《林利》（Lynley）中的利奥·苏特？那么老面孔亚伦·泰勒-约翰逊呢，或者说自从他第一次被预测将接任以来时间太久，以至于他已经感觉像是个过时的热门人选了，尽管他才36岁——比丹尼尔·克雷格2005年被选中出演该角色时还小一岁？

无论如何，美国制片人艾米·帕斯卡承诺，我们的新超级间谍将是“令人心潮澎湃、令人兴奋且与众不同”的。她目前与英国人大卫·海曼（同时也执导了《哈利·波特》系列电影）共同管理该系列电影。她暗示，屏幕测试将于本月进行，并可能在年底前公布结果。

那么，谁能让你心潮澎湃，谁能让你兴奋，而“与众不同”到底意味着什么？帕斯卡这段话很巧妙，她成功地让这一切听起来相当惊险且充满希望，却没透露任何实质内容。这是否是指同样36岁的特纳？杜亚·利帕的先生并不太符合我对邦德的想象，但或许我们确实需要摆脱皮尔斯·布罗南那种极其夸张却又传统英俊的形象。（那么，比如艾丹·特纳，就不会算作“与众不同”，对吧？）

当克雷格在年轻的亨利·卡维尔之前赢得这个角色时，他确实被视为“与众不同”。直到他在《皇家赌场》的一场戏中，穿着蓝色泳裤从海中走出，露出精壮肌肉的照片出现后，全世界才开始发出“噢”的赞叹，而不是问“他是谁？”。

显然，本周有一波赌注押在了卡维尔身上，但他的年龄（43岁）很可能会让他失去资格。同样，53岁的伊德里斯·艾尔巴现在更像是个M而非邦德。这也应该排除48岁的汤姆·哈迪，尽管他与新电影的编剧、《浴血之都》（Peaky Blinders）的创作者史蒂文·奈特很熟，但自克雷格时代起他就一直被传言将接任该角色。

奈特最近一直在赞美伊恩·弗莱明原著小说是如何被“低估”的：既有“触手可及的真实感”，又具有“梦幻感”。嗯，这观察得很到位，但对缩小候选范围没什么帮助。银幕上的邦德一直是一种“阿尔法男性粗犷型帅哥”的变体，但除此之外，这个角色存在于书页内容与演员个人特质之间。

对于一个始于1953年《皇家赌场》出版，并暂时结束于2021年《无暇赴死》结尾将其杀掉的廉价悲剧感的原型，什么样的更新才算更新？什么样的改变才算稀释？他当然不必是英国人，但他必须能让人信服他是英国人。

《盐浴》（Saltburn）和《呼啸山庄》（Wuthering Heights）的主演埃洛迪可以加入澳大利亚籍詹姆斯·邦德俱乐部，与乔治·拉曾比为伍。但他会“令人心潮澎湃、令人兴奋且与众不同”吗？这是否是某种暗号，指代“一个你没怎么听说过的人”，或者“一个你听说过但从未真正考虑过让他演邦德的人”？

记住，克莱夫·欧文曾是接替皮尔斯·布罗南的热门人选，而来自《急诊室的故事》（ER）的戈兰·维斯尼奇和澳大利亚演员朱利安·麦克马洪也曾是顶级竞争者。或者，那些绝对不丑且演技极佳的优秀演员如何？比如乔什·奥康纳。他在《披露日》（Disclosure Day）中的表现与在最新的《玻璃洋葱》（Knives Out）中一样可信。无论如何，他8月会在伦敦市中心，在北伦敦的阿尔梅达剧院排练一部戏，而且……好吧，这里的推测程度已经进入红区了。

其他名字也被提及：汤姆·弗朗西斯，他在伦敦和纽约的舞台剧《日落大道》中与妮可·谢尔辛格对戏，表现极佳；路易·帕特里奇（《健宁斯家族》，《艾诺拉·福尔摩斯》），他年仅23岁，如果这是人们想要的，他甚至可以一直演这个角色到2050年代。

一旦由丹尼斯·维伦纽瓦（《沙丘》）执导的第一部电影上映，我们的新主角是否也必须参与电视衍生剧的拍摄？

作为一个可能有点过于热爱邦德的人，我认为劳登会很棒——但他在《慢马》（Slow Horses）中饰演的角色里弗·卡特赖特，是否意味着他已经演够了间谍？而且，坦白说，我对特纳的不确定更多是因为最近在报纸上看到他，而不是在银幕上看到他。我们在做出这些判断时，会带入一些超出演员在镜头前炸毁东西、亲吻女性、刺杀反派、对世界命运表现得严肃、在硫酸河中风筝冲浪时说着半开玩笑的话并让这一切看起来自然而然的能力之外的想法。我想被愉快地惊艳到，你难道不想吗？

希安·菲利普斯在伦敦的Tabard剧院于9月27日，在剑桥大学艺术剧院于10月4日，以及在伊普斯威奇的新沃尔西剧院于10月8日演出《It's All Greek》--- 6

影评 ## 您要配一份谋杀吗？是的，但还要有点幽默感

埃德·波顿表示，在这部轻飘飘的恐怖片中，邪恶的冰淇淋将孩子们变成了疯子

公平地说，这个前提非常精彩：一个邪恶的冰淇淋贩子，其冷冻甜点将孩子们变成了杀人僵尸。就像在现实生活中一样，冰淇淋车的音乐会触发一种巴夫洛夫反应，只不过在这里，这种反应与其说是“我得缠着妈妈给我买个甜筒”，不如说是“我得用钢锯砍掉妈妈的头”。你再也不会用同样的方式看待 Mr Whippy 和草莓分层冰淇淋了。

这部最终显得甜腻得发齁的血腥作品由伊莱·罗斯执导并参与共创，他是《青年旅舍》（Hostel）和《cabin fever》（Cabin Fever）系列的恐怖大师。他和他的一群小怪物们在将一个色彩绚丽的美国郊区小镇变成杀戮场时玩得正欢。校长的头顶被切开，大脑被挖进一个蛋筒里；而那些身材娇小的疯子们则将受害者的肠子巧妙地用作翻绳和跳绳。“我们不能欺负人！”一位母亲告诉她那个散播死亡的儿子，而该名儿子则用锤子将她的脸砸烂。现在的孩子……之后，他们通过跳“刷舞”并在地板上制作“血天使”来庆祝。

观众会对这部电影像演员们那样感兴趣吗？大概率不会。它几乎完全不恐怖，而且部分演技比肢体残毁场面还要糟糕，但 Ari Millen 饰演的沉默冰淇淋贩子和 Charlie Zeltzer 饰演的勇敢少年 Jared 除外，后者的乳糖不耐症救他免于同学们的命运。这类电影需要犀利的剧本来搭配血腥场面，但这里的金句并不足够。最令人难忘的一句台词（有些人可能会觉得过火）出现在一个女孩试图呕出恶魔冰淇淋以避免变成僵尸时。她说：“我是一个 12 岁的女孩——我当然知道怎么让自己呕吐。”

你还会对儿童出现在一部 18 级评级电影中的伦理问题感到好奇。罗斯在接受 Polygon 网站采访时表示，年轻演员及其父母都是“疯狂的恐怖片粉丝”。

饰演沉默冰淇淋贩子的 Ari Millen 提供了少数出色的表演之一

《冰淇淋人》（Ice Cream Man） 18, 86分钟 ★★☆☆☆

“他们看过《行尸走肉》（The Walking Dead）的每一集。”如果你熟悉野蛮的《行尸走肉》，你就会知道这根本算不上什么辩护。与此同时，讽刺性的潜台词十分模糊。是高糖、高脂肪的甜点是敌人？还是屏幕是敌人，毕竟冰淇淋贩子用诡异的黑白动画片感染了孩子们的手机？罗斯曾表示，这部电影讲述的是“想要保护孩子免受外界邪恶侵害的原始恐惧，并意识到最终你根本无法做到这一点”。这至少可以解释那个令人满足的虚无主义结局。

在电影院上映

经典电影

《实用魔法》(Practical Magic) (1998) 12, 104分钟 ★★★☆☆ 这部甜腻的超自然浪漫电影在上映时遭到了糟糕的评价。但此后，黑魔法（以及TikTok）使其成为了邪典经典。其影响力之大，以至于主演——桑德拉·布洛克、妮可·基德曼、黛安·威斯特和斯托卡德·钱宁——将于9月在《实用魔法 2》中重聚。第一部电影捕捉到了布洛克在《生死时速》突破之后、但在《绝美小姐》成为超级巨星之前的黄金时期。她饰演萨莉·欧文斯，基德曼饰演叛逆的吉莉安，两人是女巫家族的姐妹，在父母死于诅咒后由古怪的姨妈（威斯特和钱宁）抚养长大。萨莉放弃了魔法，直到在处理吉莉安那个虐待人的男友（戈兰·维斯尼奇）时才不得不重新使用。格里芬·邓恩执导的这部电影是喜剧与惊悚片的坎普风大杂烩，为了增加效果还加入了一具复活的尸体。布洛克和基德曼看起来玩得很开心。在摆脱《大开眼界》之后，基德曼准备放松自我，在“午夜玛格丽特”那场戏中还自带了龙舌兰酒。男人在片中只是推动情节的工具，真正的浪漫存在于姐妹之间以及她们由女性主导的圈子中。而现在，正如我的大拇指在发痒，续集即将到来……预告片看起来很糟糕，所以它很有可能再次大获成功。 LI-Z 重制版，现正上映

桑德拉·布洛克和妮可·基德曼

《温柔爱我》(Love Me Tender) 15, 134分钟 ★★★★☆ 薇琪·克里普斯身上有一种迷人且不可知的东西。这位卢森堡女演员在与丹尼尔·戴-刘斯对戏的《幻影之线》中成名，据报道后者曾说：“她让我感到害怕。”她像一本打开的书，却总能将角色核心的秘密保留在心中。正是这种神秘感让你在《温柔爱我》中无法移开视线，这是安娜·卡泽纳夫·坎贝特根据康斯坦斯·德布雷的半自传小说改编的、节奏缓慢的法语电影。克莱门斯（克里普斯 饰）与洛朗结婚 20 年，后者由安托万·雷纳茨饰演，他最著名的角色是《坠落的审判》中的检察官，而那部电影在此处投下了阴影。在分居后的三年里，他们友好地共同抚养儿子保罗。因此，当克莱门斯在阳光明媚的咖啡馆里告诉洛朗她开始与女性约会时，她认为不会有太大的困难。她大错特错了。很快，克莱门斯陷入了一场卡夫卡式的法律监护权之争，其中洛朗反复的违规行为被容忍，而她最轻微的失误却受到了不成比例的惩罚。她离开了婚姻和律师职业，成为一名作家、一名女同性恋，并更完整地成为了自己，而真正被审判的是她拒绝留在父权边界之内的态度。

薇琪·克里普斯在卡夫卡式的法律监护权之争中饰演的母亲一角通常极具吸引力 为了成为一名母亲，她必须放弃多少自我？许多女性会产生强烈的共鸣。片中也有令人沮丧之处。考虑到克莱门斯的法律训练和特权，她的被动感可能显得不真实，而对酷儿电子舞曲夜生活的描写则可以适当删减。然而，克里普斯依然让角色极具吸引力。随着克莱门斯那肢体舒展的自信逐渐收缩成一种剃光头且近乎圣徒的状态，她同时是战士、受害者和逃避情感的逃亡者。母子之间原始的爱令人心碎地生动。这部剧作温柔且含蓄，直到其不可预测且具有挑衅性的结局，都能让你保持关注。 LI-Z 现正上映

《我的孩子》(A Child of My Own) 15, 96分钟 ★★★☆☆ 这部色彩绚丽、难以捉摸的纪实剧基于一起臭名昭著的真实犯罪案件。2009年，墨西哥健康管理人员埃莱奥诺尔·“艾尔”·亚历杭德拉·马林·门多萨（Eleonor "Ale" Alejandra Marin Mendoza）伪造怀孕，从她工作的医院偷走了一名新生儿。艾尔（由眼神如小鹿般纯真的安娜·塞莱斯特饰演，见右图）假装自己要去分娩，随后将那个小女孩塞进一个礼品袋中带走。几小时后，她在好莱坞酒店被捕，一同被捕的还有她的丈夫阿尔图罗（Arturo，由阿曼多·埃斯皮蒂亚饰演），后者显然相信妻子已怀孕九个月。这类比小说更离奇的故事是Netflix的吸睛利器。但这部智利--- 7 # 电影评论

到1972年，托芙·扬松（Tove Jansson）古灵精怪的姆明（Moomins）漫画和儿童书已风靡全球。然而，同年出版的《夏日之书》（The Summer Book）为这位芬兰作家带来了一批全新的成年读者，并迅速成为一部从未绝版的现代经典。该书写于其母亲去世一年后，灵感源自扬松与家人在芬兰湾一个小岛上度过的夏天，其体裁难以定义：部分是小说，部分是回忆录，部分是冒险故事，部分是哲学思考。或许可以将其视为北欧版的《小王子》，尽管它更深地植根于现实世界。在由查理·麦克道尔（Malcolm之子）执导的这部英语改编电影中，并没有发生太多事情。九岁的索菲亚（Sophia，由艾米莉·马修斯饰演）在母亲近期去世后，乘船与她那处于悲痛之中、工作狂的插画师父亲（由安德斯·丹尼尔森·利饰演，他是约阿希姆·特里尔“奥斯陆三部曲”的主演——表现出色）以及年迈的祖母（由年长的格伦·克洛斯饰演）一起回到了家族的避暑小屋。他们所在的偏远群岛小岛几乎就是一块长有棚屋和苔藓“魔法森林”的岩石。他们游泳、争吵、喝汤，并收养了一只不理会他们的猫。“天哪，我简直无聊透顶，”索菲亚在祈祷时说道，这可能表达了那些缺乏耐心的观众的挫败感。“让点什么发生吧。比如一场风暴什么的！阿门。”尽管如此，《夏日之书》向观众提出了一项日益罕见的要求：让我们慢下来去感受它——并保持专注。这绝对不是一部适合一边刷手机一边观看的电影。就像扬松的姆明故事一样，它对童年不持感伤态度，接纳古怪，并尊重自然。这个小岛是一个微缩世界，包含了爱、死亡、艺术、幽默、环境责任，甚至还有绅士化现象。自然世界不仅仅是风景如画，而是一种活生生的、变幻的力量：冰川融化，芦苇弯曲，海藻在水下吸附，大海的情绪在变化。麦克道尔必然地平滑了 # 格伦·克洛斯的北欧度假 # 大电影 # 这位女演员在一部根据姆明创作者原著改编的精美电影中饰演一名濒死的芬兰祖母，拉鲁什卡·伊万-扎德（Larushka Ivan-Zadeh）写道

《夏天之书》(The Summer Book) 片长95分钟 ★★★★☆

扬松（Jansson）片段式的观察被转化为一个更适合电影的叙事弧线。然而，核心事件依然是祖孙之间那段棘手的爱。“我不喜欢你就这样躺在那儿，”索菲亚（Sophia）烦躁地说，“你什么时候才会死？”她奶奶不带感情地回答道：“不用你操心。快了。”

克洛斯（Close）饰演的奶奶虽然步履蹒跚、脾气古怪、闪烁其词，并正处于缓慢而艰难的死亡过程中，但她同时也展现出惊人的生命力。她将头发扎成紧凑的白色辫子，烟嘴里夹着一支卷烟，在岛上凶猛地走来走去，享受着野泳和在野外小便的快感。这位八次奥斯卡提名者贡献了一场光彩夺目且毫无虚荣心的表演，为了追求北欧的真实感，她甚至主动提出拍摄裸体戏，据报道她非常享受其中，以至于“不想把衣服穿回去”。

与此同时，新人马修斯（Matthews）虽然比书中的六岁索菲亚年龄大，但她拥有一张可爱且开朗的面孔，以及必要的傲慢。她的问题，例如“天堂里有蚂蚁吗？”，并非可以用一秒钟谷歌搜索就打发的孩子气琐事，而是需要与一个认真对待这些问题的人一起大声思考的谜团。

电影在触感细节的拍摄上十分考究——帆布鞋、松垮的泳衣、簇绒羊毛衫、苔藓和风化的木头——使其勉强没有像成了一本Toast服装目录。麦克道尔（McDowell）的处理方式敏感且充满爱意，尽管几乎过于礼貌。像安德里亚·阿诺德（Andrea Arnold）这样更具本能的作者导演，或许能在岩石和海湾中发现更狂野的东西。此外，解释性的钢琴配乐也太多了。不过，只要顺其自然，你就会得到回报。就像浸在清冷透明的湖水中，这次电影式的“清凉假期”让我感到纯净、焕发活力且内心极其平静。

院线上映

故事的核心围绕着阿莱（Ale）版本的事件展开，但这样做使得其他受害者在很大程度上被忽视了。导演迈特·阿尔伯迪（Maite Alberdi）模糊了事实与虚构、现实与幻想、档案素材、独家采访以及光鲜的telenovela风格重建，她用这种模糊边界的手法处理这部作品，此前这种风格曾为她赢得了《鼹鼠特工》(2020) 和 《永恒的记忆》(2023) 的奥斯卡提名。

《我的孩子》(A Child of My Own) 试图在不原谅的前提下寻求理解，将一个肮脏的八卦新闻人性化。阿莱结婚时年仅17岁，怀孕且“充满希望”，但很快经历了三次流产。在丈夫家庭要求她生育继承人的巨大压力下，她在一次婴儿超声波检查的候诊室里遇到了一位怀孕但并不快乐的女性迈拉（Mayra），并达成协议接管她不想要的婴儿。然而，根据现实生活中的迈拉（她的出场过于短暂且太迟）的说法，并没有发生过这样的相遇或交易。

电影以选拔饰演阿莱的演员的试镜场景开篇。但当真实的阿莱在入狱13年后出狱，面对其行为的现实时，阿尔伯迪这种诡谲的形式主义所带来的进一步洞察力却令人失望地少。事实上，你会怀疑这样做是否完全必要。

LI-Z 现已在院线上映；8月13日起在Netflix上线

Bouchra IS, 82分钟 ★★★★☆ 说话的动物可能是动画片的常客，但摩洛哥的首部动画长片主角并非普通的会唱歌的兔子或调皮的小老鼠。Bouchra 是一只 35 岁的女同性恋郊狼，生活在纽约文青区较为破旧的一侧。她抽烟、喝酒，穿着机车夹克，并与各种可爱的生物（偏好熊和牛）发生露骨的性关系。她还在努力拍摄一部关于她与远在卡萨布兰卡的艺术家母亲 Aicha 之间复杂关系的电影。在 Bouchra 出柜近十年后，她的父母仍然不承认她的性取向。他们的沉默让她在情感和创作上都陷入了停滞。这部由艺术家 Meriem Bennani 和 Orian Barki 执导的处女作，《Bouchra》是动画、纪录片和自传体小说的大胆混合体，其多层次的形式反映了主角矛盾的身份。即便如此，将真实人物的自然嗓音放入动画动物的口中并非什么新技巧。《Creature Comforts》在三十多年前就这么做过了。这些大眼睛的 3D 动物生活在近乎写实的城市景观中：闪烁的红色霓虹灯、鸣笛的交通、阴暗的公寓和被雨淋湿的街道。而且，出人意料的是，它还具有色情意味。动画身体以惊人的触感滑动和亲昵。谁能想到看一只郊狼舔牛的脖子能如此性感？然而，这种片段式的叙事方式虽然适合电影制作者在 2020 年推出的 Instagram 热门系列《2 Lizards》（一个超现实主义的蜥蜴视角看待新冠时代），但在 82 分钟的篇幅中显得过于牵强。“这就像是我没有进行的心理治疗，”Aicha 说。确实如此。而处理他们未解决的个人戏剧对观众来说则显得没那么吸引人。LI-Z 现正上映 --- 8 # 音乐评论 # 这是来自灵魂的词曲创作 # Will Hodgkinson 表示，Phoebe Bridgers 六年来的首张专辑静谧而令人心碎

一位来自加利福尼亚州帕萨迪纳的低调创作歌手，在不经意间成为了现代流行音乐的主要影响者之一。Taylor Swift、Lorde 以及——以一种尤为大胆的方式——Gracie Abrams 都借鉴了 Phoebe Bridgers 那种轻柔嗓音、歌词亲密的风格。然而，在聆听 自 2020 年《Punisher》以来的首张专辑时，你会意识到歌曲中许多微妙之处依然是她独有的。那些效仿 的光彩夺目的流行明星中，没有一个人能写出像 在《Kill Me》中所写的那样静谧而心碎的句子：“他吻我打招呼。他尝起来像一朵带有化学物质的花。”

《Punisher》的成功一定给 带来了很大压力：一个来自通常被忽视的另类摇滚世界的人物，发现自己被推到了更广泛公众的聚光灯下。在专辑发行后，她通过两种方式应对这种突然的曝光：要么在群体中寻找安全感，与志同道合的词曲作者 Lucy Dacus 和 Julien Baker 组成名为 Boygenius 的超级组合；要么为更大的名号提供服务，其中包括 Swift、SZA 和 Paul McCartney。现在，我们听到了这种意外的关注给这类人带来的困惑——你怀疑，这样的人最快乐的时候应该是穿着褪色的 T 恤，在某个简陋的后院小酒吧里，与少数几个人聊天讨论 Elliott Smith 的天才之处。在《The Governor's Waltz》中，她伴随着轻柔的原声吉他拨奏和忧郁的和声唱道：“我是州长舞会的焦点，” # 流行

菲比·布里杰斯 (Phoebe Bridgers) 《Lost Weekend》 Dead Oceans ★★★★★

文中提到了一场她曾在 2021 年以及 2025 年参加的大型纽约音乐节。为了防止这被误认为是在吹嘘，布里杰斯接着唱道：“像谢莉·杜瓦尔一样躲在浴室里”——这唤起了《闪灵》中一个发疯的杰克·尼科尔森拿着斧头向她冲来的画面。接着是《The Outside》，在歌曲中，布里杰斯的声音通过声码器被赋予了一种机器人般的距离感，她回忆起在演出时在人群中冲浪，并意识到自己不再是人群的一员。然而，在《Lost Weekend》中，布里杰斯并没有创作一张关于名声压力的标准成名后专辑。她是站在一个发现自己出名了的普通人的视角来写作的；因此，日常生活的点滴故事并不缺乏。《Bobby》是一幅关于爱与欲望最初闪现的独立摇滚肖像，其中包含了穿着名为 Bobby 的那个人的衬衫，而他正在淋浴间唱歌的回忆。然后是《Still Standing》，这是一首关于布里杰斯父亲去世的、带有某种脱离感（disembodied）的歌曲，它避开了通常的悲痛情绪，而选择了冷漠、愤恨和愧疚。事实上，这一切与主流流行音乐没什么关系。从《Never Going Back Again!》（另一首关于她父亲的歌）中松散且不和谐的拨弦，到赞美纯真的《Lost Boys》的明亮旋律，这种音乐承袭了从尼尔·杨（Neil Young）到库尔特·科本（Kurt Cobain）那些不安灵魂的血统。在管风琴的嗡鸣声中，《Lost Weekend》详细描述了她与爱尔兰演员保罗·梅斯卡（Paul Mescal）关系的破裂，而后者现在正与——讽刺的是——艾布拉姆斯（Abrams）交往。在《The Governor's Waltz》中，布里杰斯在谈到前男友的新女友时承认：“她可以假装是我。”“自从她在我的床上、在那个舞台上取代了我的位置，我没有因此失眠。”“假装”这个词很关键：如此精湛且具有艺术性的深度个人化创作是无法被模仿的。

Man / Woman / Chainsaw 《Cannonball Fiction》 ★★★★☆

他们的名字让人联想到一支对 70 年代血腥电影有病态痴迷的死亡金属乐队。但这个团体实际上提供了一些更肯定生命的东西。Fleetwood Mac 的软摇滚方式与一些奇特的点缀——这里的一把小提琴，那里的一阵噪音——相结合，产生了一些原创且易于接受的作品。《Only Girl》是一首令人振奋的独立摇滚经典，而《Lighter》则是一首温柔的爱情民谣，但在名为《Goddamn, Lizard Man!》的失真摇滚狂欢中，你不能一直这么严肃。这支六人组在 16 岁时相识，在接下来的几年里在一家改建的牧师住宅中安家，此后他们被誉为目前最优秀的现场新晋乐队之一。尽快去现场感受他们吧。

The Anchoress 《As We Once Were Last Night From Glasgow》 ★★★★☆

以一首名为《Da Temps Perdu》的歌曲开启一张专辑，可能会面临被重新命名为《我很自负吗？》的风险。但 The Anchoress（又名出生于威尔士的凯瑟琳·安妮·戴维斯 Catherine Anne Davies）随后展现了她处理真挚流行摇滚的方式，这让人同时想起克里西·海恩德（Chrissie Hyndé）的情感表达和卡伦·卡朋特（Karen Carpenter）那忧郁而纯净的特质。戴维斯自 2021 年以来的首张专辑部分录制于皮特·汤普森（Pete Townshend）庞大的模拟键盘收藏中，探讨了愧疚、母亲身份以及对 Manic Street Preachers 乐队持久的热爱，以至于 Manics 乐队的詹姆斯·迪恩·布拉德菲尔德（James Dean Bradfield）在现代力量情歌《Throw Over Your Man》中与其合唱。最出色的是《All I Really Want Is Peace》，这是一首关于争吵风暴后平静的甜美史诗。

错位之恋在被遗忘的歌剧中闪耀

在 1950 年代和 1960 年代，业界巨头们曾沉溺于完整的歌剧录音。然而，惊喜依然会出现，即便这部歌剧仅持续 52 分钟：那就是翁贝托·乔尔达诺（Umberto Giordano）在 20 岁时创作的《玛丽娜》（Marina）。它被遗忘了一个多世纪，直到最近才首演。它并非杰作，但依然具有听觉上的享受，女高音埃莱奥诺拉·布拉托（Eleonora Buratto）和男高音弗雷迪·德·托马索（Freddie De Tommaso）带领我们穿梭于这部热情且旋律优美的真实主义（verismo）情节剧中，讲述了一段以黑山与塞尔维亚战争为背景的错位之恋。“我感到难以呼吸，”受伤的塞尔维亚英雄如此唱道，紧接着便进入一段忧伤的咏叹调，而长呼吸和持续的高音在其中至关重要。下方的德·托马索以一种极具亲和力的意大利式华彩演绎了这一切，而布拉托则凭借略显成熟的嗓音，充分地诠释了一位似乎在首次敞开心扉的压抑女性。在其他方面，男中音米哈伊·达米安（Mihai Damian）在饰演那个渴望将布拉托据为己有的战士时气势汹汹，合唱团充满活力，文琴佐·米莱塔里（Vincenzo Milletari）和米兰音乐之午管弦乐团（Orchestra i Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano）则确保了充足的器乐活力。唯一一个奇怪的缺陷是：触发预期悲剧结局的那声枪响几乎听不见。# 古典 # Eleonora # Buratto / Freddie # De Tommaso # Marina Decca # Kenneth Woods # John McCabe

Signum Classics 推出一张庆祝约翰·麦凯布（John McCabe）交响作品的专辑，令人欣慰。麦凯布于 2015 年去世，是众多如今被忽视和低估的英国作曲家之一。肯尼斯·伍兹（Kenneth Woods）和英国广播公司苏格兰交响乐团（BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra）凯旋般地向我们展示了我们所缺失的东西：在色彩、纹理和流动性方面始终具有启发性的音乐。独特的是，他的第 2 号交响曲灵感来自山姆·佩金帕（Sam Peckinpah） 1969 年电影《野帮》（The Wild Bunch）的形式设计，明确表示并非来自其枪战场景。副标题为《致敬》（Hommages）的第 3 号交响曲，将麦凯布最喜爱的一些作曲家的回响编织成一块持续吸引人的音乐拼布。我们还能听到他 2007 年的《大提琴协奏曲》，这是我所知道的最令人愉悦的作品之一，由拉斐尔·沃尔菲施（Raphael Wallfisch）极具说服力地演奏。约翰·麦凯布万岁！Geoff Brown

FLO # Therapy at the Club

EMI ★★★★☆ 回溯到 TLC、天命同步（Destiny's Child）以及其他嗓音圆润、充满光彩魅力的 90 年代 R&B 女团黄金时代，总部位于伦敦的三人组 FLO 在自动调音流行歌手的时代，为真正的演唱实力撑起旗帜。层叠的和声随处可见，而歌词则聚焦于思念男友、感觉性感以及好奇为什么有人不喜欢你等陈旧主题。在出色的《Cry Ugly》中，她们抱怨道：“你知道如何让一个漂亮的女孩哭得如此难看”，而《Sober》则处理了一个只有在烂醉如泥时才能表达情感的男友问题。这一切都非常熟悉，且过于圆滑而难以真正触动人心，但执行得很好。 --- 9 篇音乐评论

“我是史上最著名的海地人” Wyclef Jean 向 Will Hodgkinson 讲述他的新专辑——以及他试图成为海地总统的尝试

在今天，凭借巨大的名气来竞选一个国家的总统似乎不再是一个离谱的想法。然而，早在 2010 年，Wyclef Jean 认为自己应该成为海地总统，因为他是开创性的新泽西说唱三人组 Fugees 中极其成功的一员，但这一主张并未获得认可。“我是这个星球上存在过的最著名的海地人，”Jean 说道。他八岁时离开家乡前往纽约，当时他的父亲是一名牧师，得罪了让-克洛德·“宝贝独裁者”·杜瓦利埃（Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier）的独裁政权以及代表杜瓦利埃工作的马库特（Macoute）秘密警察。“所以你打算怎么处理这个事实？但他们试图诋毁我的名声，我觉得这是一种‘安分守己’之类的狗屁逻辑，你懂我的意思吗？一个说唱歌手可以说，‘哟，多喝酒，多吸毒，’他们不会找你麻烦。但一旦你说你要竞选总统，他们就会攻击你。”

正如 Jean 所指出的，他的家族拥有政治背景。他的叔叔雷蒙德·约瑟夫（Raymond Joseph）在 2005 年至 2010 年期间担任海地驻美大使，在反对杜瓦利埃政权的反对运动中发挥了重要作用。“他们试图杀掉他，”他随口说道。“在那个年代，你要么为秘密警察工作，要么与之对抗，所以我有一个叔叔在对抗马库特，而另一个则是马库特的一员。我的父母为了更好的生活离开了那里。”

政治既关乎政策，也关乎人格魅力。Jean 在纽约的一辆车后座接受采访，此前他刚与爵士音乐家罗伯特·格拉斯珀（Robert Glasper）完成了一场录音。他是一个极具魅力的人物：既像个快口且精明的投机者，又像个街头哲学家。在《Clef Notes (Quantum Leap)》这张充满 70 年代灵魂乐和放克采样、充满活力且生机勃勃的老派嘻哈专辑中，他回顾了迄今为止人生中的一些起伏。

专辑以 1990 年开始——《Intro: Memory Lane》，这标志着来自新泽西州南奥兰治（South Orange）的三位朋友组成 Fugees 的年份。六年之后，他们发行了《The Score》，这部电影般的杰作此后成为了最畅销的嘻哈专辑之一。“我们从未想过能达到那个高度，你懂我的意思吗？”Jean 说道。

Wyclef Jean（中），与 Pras 和 Lauryn Hill 在 1997 年组成 Fugees “如果你不能控制你的资本，你就没有国家” 他戴着一副大号太阳镜，深深地陷在后座的皮革座椅中，讲述着他的成名故事。

“出生在海地，在布鲁克林长大，在新泽西遇到劳伦 [Hill，Fugees 的歌手]，这张唱片上的所有事情都真实发生过，”他说。“我八岁从海地来到这里，15 岁时我就进入了录音室。我的第一位制作人是 [说唱先驱] Kurtis Blow，所以现在我感到很不可思议，我在想，‘天呐，我真的做了这个，做了那个？’而且我当时甚至还没正式开始呢。”

《The Score》是一次启示：一部悠闲且具有社会意识的史诗之作，在帮派说唱 era 的暴力之后，它改变了这个流派。“每个时代都有它的天才，”Jean 说。“我是一个加勒比天才，[劳伦] Hill 小姐是一个拥有像 Nina Simone 那样嗓音的美国天才，Pras 则是个纯粹的大投机者，我们就像一支准备参加世界杯的最强足球队。这么说吧：我不记得还有哪个来自贫民窟的 16 岁少年会听 Pink Floyd 的《The Wall》并心想，‘哟，我想象中的专辑就是那个样子’。”

Jean 表示，《Ready or Not》这首来自《The Score》的放克且撩人的热门单曲，是基于费城灵魂乐团体 Deffonics 的采样构建的，其灵感来自 Roger Waters 的“灵魂暗夜”。“我们当时在地下室做工程，我一遍又一遍地播放《The Wall》，我一直使用的词是‘视听’。通过《The Score》，我们要带听众走进那个社区。那是一个捕捉到灵光的瞬间。”

让的经历是一个美国梦的故事。“我在贫民窟长大，”他在谈到在太子港的日子时说道，“那是草帽房，如果下雨我们就会被淋湿。但当你还是个孩子时，你会尽可能地享受其中，而且动物们很友好，你明白我的意思吧？就像《丛林之书》一样。但偶尔会有卡车停下来，深夜里你会听到一声尖叫。那是有人被马库特（Macoute）抓走了，你知道他们再也不会回来了。”海地的政治并没有太大改善，2018年发生了抗议活动，2021年莫伊塞总统被刺杀，而自2024年公民基础设施崩溃以来，该国陷入了帮派战争。“太子港已经失控了。在太子港之外，正常生活还在运行，”让说道，“但如果你不能控制你的首都，你就没有一个国家；海地想要生存，海外侨民必须做出改变。我回到了家乡。我没有只是在这里坐以待毙。我尝试竞选总统。甚至在他们试图除掉我的时候！”在Fugees组合崛起之时，让正在处理更普遍的问题。“生活如此简单，直到我遇到了那个伤心人，”他在关于1994年的歌曲——《Boom Rap》中这样说唱道。考虑到这首歌提到了Fugees发行首张专辑《Blunted on Reality》的年份，且让和希尔当时处于恋爱关系，认为这首歌是关于她的似乎是合理的。他对此建议付之一笑。“我说的是高中时的一个女孩，她说要和我一起去参加舞会，”他说，“我在等她，伙计。我穿着西装，像拿破仑·动力（Napoleon Dynamite）那样，但她没出现，兄弟。我到了舞会，她却和那个球运动员在一起，伙计。她选择了篮球运动员而不是说唱歌手！”这一切发生在让不得不适应美国生活仅几年之后。“你从棚屋搬到了砖房，”他在谈到从太子港搬到布鲁克林，然后搬到新泽西时说道，“你从骑驴上学变成了坐公交车。”他说，学习说唱是一种生存方式。“在廉租房区长大，我参与了很多打架，我妈认为我走错了方向。有一天我看到两个人在斗唱，周围围着一大群人，全是‘你妈’之类的词，我以为他们会开枪打对方，但后来有人告诉我他们是在用文字对决。我想：我可以学习成为一名文字大师。”当然，生活本可能走向完全不同的方向。“我可能会在ICE（美国移民及海关执法局）面前失足并面临驱逐，”让在关于1991年的歌曲——《Devil’s a Lie》中说唱道，“我看到这么多人被驱逐，我也可能成为其中之一，”他说，“社区里发生点什么，你卷入一场持刀斗殴，法官看看你的护照，你就出局了。”在特朗普政府领导下，移民及海关执法局（ICE）继续成为新闻焦点，7月中旬，ICE官员在缅因州和德克萨斯州造成了两起致命枪击事件。让对美国移民政策的看法如何？“ICE并不是什么新鲜事，所以我不会被那些辞令所欺骗。我们可以看看奥巴马时期的数字，”他说，“特朗普总统只是放大了它，他并不对此保密，但我确实觉得现在的案例更加极端，而且当出现伤亡时，必须承担责任。你需要法律和秩序，但你必须承担责任。”与此同时，让一直让自己保持忙碌。在经历了《Quantum Leap》的自传式旅程后，他正在创作一个庞大的计划：涵盖七个流派的七张专辑，分别是：嘻哈、福音、乡村、R&B、爵士、雷鬼和新奥尔良狂欢节街头派对音乐。此前，计划在2024年举行的Fugees重聚巡演崩溃，普拉斯（Pras）在被判定将一名马来西亚亿万富翁的数百万加元资金转移至美国政治影响力计划后，被判处14年监禁。那么Fugees重聚就此结束了吗？“劳伦是我的姐妹，兄弟，”让坚持道，“我们是家人，我们仍然一起巡演，我们要去英国。对她的孩子们来说，我是克莱夫叔叔。至于普拉斯，我现在不能对他那个案子发表评论，但我一直向他传递爱。你明白我的意思吧？”

“这场斗争并不容易，”他继续说道。“我来到这里是为了提醒人们，在斗争中总有一条出路，因为当年我听鲍勃·马利（Bob Marley）和彼得·托什（Peter Tosh）时就是这样。我听了他们的歌，心想：‘噢，该死。我会没事的。’”Clef Notes (Quantum Leap, Vol I) 已在 SodoMoodLab 发行；Wyclef Jean 和 Lauryn Hill 将于今日在米尔顿凯恩斯碗（Milton Keynes Bowl）参加 Diaspora Calling! 活动 --- 10

首演之夜 # 古典音乐 # NYO / Adès 伯明翰交响音乐厅 ★★★★★

国家青年管弦乐团（NYO）将于本周末在BBC促音乐会（BBC Proms）上演出——在刚刚听完他们在伯明翰交响音乐厅演奏同一套曲目后，我预言这次演出将极其精彩。这群才华横溢的青少年——全部160人——以一场与梅菲斯特的共舞、一次炼狱之旅以及一次走向断头台的行进开启了他们的夏季巡演。这并非作曲家兼指挥托马斯·阿德斯（Thomas Adès）第一次回到他青少年时期曾作为打击乐手参与其中的乐团进行指挥，但我不记得他曾像这次一样显得如此享受。不过，面对李斯特那部略显荒诞但无疑极具娱乐性的《梅菲斯特华尔兹 No 1》，人们很难不露出微笑，而该曲的演奏充满了活力与才情。大胆的弦乐音色美妙至极，而从甜美的小提琴到令人眼花缭乱的竖琴，所有的乐器独奏都展现出了极佳的风采。

李斯特对阿德斯的芭蕾舞剧《但丁》产生了重大影响，尤其是《地狱》的开篇。在这里，我们直接进入了第二乐章《炼狱》，管弦乐团营造出一阵凉风徐徐吹来。该乐谱的一个独特之处是使用了来自耶路撒冷阿德斯犹太会堂的预录诵经声，作曲家是通过他哥哥的一张录音发现这些声音的。阿德斯将这些声音描述为“灵魂之群”，它们在音乐厅后方隐形地、但响亮地升起。管弦乐团呼应着这些极具感染力的轮廓，将这些晨祷转化为万花筒般的色彩，有时则变成一场酒神节般的狂欢。这是令人心潮澎湃的音乐，足以让专业人士也感到压力，但国家青年管弦乐团完全能够胜任这一挑战。

中场休息后等待他们的是天堂吗？柏辽兹的《幻想交响曲》包含鸦片噩梦和女巫的安息日，所以并非如此——但这出波涛汹涌的爱情故事被证明是结束这场音乐会的恰到好处的作品。国家青年管弦乐团的音质以及对阿德斯指挥的响应度令人赞叹，但最重要的是，他们对音乐情感生活的理解使这次演出如此扣人心弦。在此之前，我可能会争辩说这首经典曲目被演奏得太频繁了。而现在，我想全部重新听一遍——幸运的是，我可以做到。

丽贝卡·弗兰克斯（Rebecca Franks） 明天，伦敦皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅，BBC Radio 3 直播；周日 BBC4 播出

Ladysmith Black Mambazo是领衔之星，拥有惊人的唱功和令人眼花缭乱的表演技巧

像久别重逢的老友般的歌曲

斯蒂芬·道尔顿（Stephen Dalton）表示，一场庆祝保罗·西蒙（Paul Simon）热门专辑发行 40 周年的促音乐会评价褒贬不一

逍遥音乐会 《非洲天空下——格雷斯兰之歌》 皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅 ★★★★☆

这场深夜的BBC逍遥音乐会旨在纪念保罗·西蒙（Paul Simon）那张虽充满争议但极具成功、融合全球元素的专辑《格雷斯兰》（Graceland）发行40周年。演出汇聚了众多才华横溢的艺术家，尽管音乐有时显得过于沉稳。演出的骨干是Nu Civilisation管弦乐团，他们是逍遥音乐会的常客，曾重新演绎过马文·盖伊（Marvin Gaye）、查尔斯·明格斯（Charles Mingus）、妮娜·西蒙（Nina Simone）和大卫·鲍伊（David Bowie）的经典专辑。但这场座无虚席的皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅演出的头号明星是南非资深男声合唱团Ladysmith Black Mambazo，正是凭借《格雷斯兰》让他们一举成名并获得格莱美奖。该合唱团由约瑟夫·沙巴拉拉（Joseph Shabalala）于1960年创立，目前的阵容由其儿子Msizi、Sibongiseni、Thulani和Thamsanqa领导。除了Ladysmith，当晚轮番登场的歌手还包括R&B歌手劳拉·姆武拉（Laura Mvula），她带来了极具爆发力的灵魂乐风格，尤其是在活泼的非洲流行舞曲《Gamboots》和灵动的《I Know What I Know》中表现出色。软摇滚创作歌手詹姆斯·贝（James Bay）和民谣流行组合Flyte也在整场演出中担任主唱。他们的贡献，如《The Boy in the Bubble》和《Crazy Love, Vol II》，是当晚最弱的部分，或许是因为他们在听感上最接近西蒙的原作，但缺乏西蒙那种节奏上的灵活性以及纯净、精准的和谐度。

这场氛围极其正面的生日派对刻意淡化了《格雷斯兰》背后充满争议的政治背景——西蒙曾因打破对种族隔离时期南非的文化抵制而广受谴责，此外还伴随着关于剽窃、殖民主义和文化挪用的指控。这场风暴很快平息，部分原因得益于流亡海外的南非音乐传奇人物米里亚姆·马凯巴（Miriam Makeba）和休·马塞凯拉（Hugh Masekela）的认可，他们曾在1987年与西蒙一同巡演。甚至连纳尔逊·曼德拉最终也对这张专辑表示赞许。事实上，当晚的亮点之一便是Ladysmith为曼德拉创作的无伴奏合唱致敬曲《Halula South Africa (Long Walk to Freedom)》。

一些拙劣的选择削弱了演出的效果，尤其是那段多余的器乐晚餐俱乐部爵士乐串烧。管弦乐团许多过于礼貌的编曲缺乏那种让《格雷斯兰》如此具有感染力的、汹涌且强劲的重低音摇摆感。但《Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes》和《You Can Call Me Al》证明了他们的魅力并未减弱。不过，最重要的是，这是一场展示Ladysmith惊人唱功的演出。低调的音乐天才与耀眼的表演技巧相结合，永远是一种不可抗拒的组合。

在BBC Sounds播出 # 剧院

《名声》音乐剧 普利茅斯皇家剧院 (155分钟) ★★★★☆ 名声或许转瞬即逝，但《名声》（Fame）这部讲述一群虚构的美国青少年在纽约市真实的表演艺术高中追求梦想的拼贴式故事却并非如此。它首先是1980年的一部奥斯卡获奖电影，随后是一部六季的美国电视剧。到那个年代结束时，它已登上了舞台。这部被冠名为《名声音乐剧》（Fame the Musical）的作品在1995年于普利茅斯皇家剧院举行了欧洲首演。现在，通过该剧院副艺术总监兼编舞汤姆·杰克逊·格里夫斯（Tom Jackson Greaves）的新制作，它回到了原点。其结果是节奏始终轻快且令人愉悦的复古风格，但又充满了一种能让我们投入到角色中的即时感。这在很大程度上归功于出色的选角。它可能不是最伟大的音乐剧之一，但它确实经久不衰且极具可演性。何塞·费尔南德斯（Jose Fernandez）的剧本涵盖了四年的时间，讲述了在曼哈顿中城这所戏剧、舞蹈和音乐学校就读的几位希望之星的起伏经历。围绕着年轻主角们展开的主题——野心与低自尊的对抗、种族偏见、经济障碍、性身份、剥削和药物滥用——在英国艺术教育持续不稳定的现状下，可能会产生额外的尖锐感。不过，这部剧从未过度强调这个当代观点。共同服装设计师索特拉·吉尔莫尔（Soutra Gilmour）设计的三层建筑场景被安置在一个旋转台上，既美观又灵活。群舞片段活泼且流畅。由雅克·列维（Jacques Levy）和史蒂夫·马戈什（Steve Margoshes）主要创作的配乐是快节奏流行乐和抒情曲的极佳结合。高光时刻是那些像戏剧独白一样的独唱歌曲：乔·博伊尔（Joe Boyle）动人的《我想创造魔法》（I Want to Make Magic）、梅根·埃利斯（Megan Ellis）令人愉悦且热切的《想想梅丽尔·斯特里普》（Think of Meryl Streep），以及哈里森·怀尔德（Harrison Wilde）极具吸引力且充满欲望的《无法压抑》（Can't Keep It Down）。在所有歌曲中最为出众的是沙奈·霍姆斯（Shanay Holmes）的《这些是我的孩子》（These Are My Children），她的声音在挖掘歌曲情感深度时高亢激昂。此外，还有迪恩·皮奇福德（Dean Pitchford）和迈克尔·戈尔（Michael Gore）创作的极具感染力的同名主题曲——理所当然地演唱了两次。所以，翻出你的护腿袜，前往普利茅斯吧。唐纳德·胡特拉（Donald Hutera） 直至8月15日 # 喜剧

戴夫·查普尔（Dave Chappelle） Eventim Apollo, 伦敦 ★★☆☆☆

戴夫·查普尔非常小心地防止任何人录制他的单口喜剧表演，他像许多美国大牌喜剧演员一样，坚持要求观众将手机锁在他提供的安全袋中。然而，从这次草率的伦敦演出来看，他对演出本身的用心程度则较低。他确实提醒过我们。这位52岁的演员在Eventim Apollo这座拥有3,500个座位的剧院开始这两场售罄演出中的首场时说道：“我有一段时间没做这个了。”接近尾声时他承认：“我得想个结尾，但我现在没想好。我能在这儿磨蹭一会儿吗？”他通过从一个想法漂移到另一个想法来“磨蹭”，或者回应一两个起哄的人，其中一个起哄是关于他参加去年的利雅得喜剧节。 “你是想说我像其他白人一样去参加吗？”

查普尔在Netflix的特辑中能赚到数千万美元，因为他是一个真正的喜剧天才，而当他将那种简洁的表达方式应用于一个结构完整的讲述时，整个夜晚可以从漫无目的变得令人兴奋。在谈到他计划在2022年威尔·史密斯在奥斯卡奖上掌掴克里斯·洛克后在《周六夜现场》（Saturday Night Live）中表演的一段独白时，他讲述了一个打电话试图让他们在屏幕上握手的故事，令我们听得入迷。当他的叙事找到焦点时所展现的技巧，反而让占据主导地位的离题部分显得更加令人沮丧。

演出的很大一部分是由他的名声和争议驱动的。他一边抽烟一边说他不会讨论跨性别问题。随后他提到一个笑话，暗示凯特琳·詹纳（Caitlyn Jenner）的性别转变在美国比穆罕默德·阿里（Muhammad Ali）的改名更容易被接受，并解释了为什么他将其视为一个关于种族主义而非性别的笑话。“我认为我是在‘向上出击’（punching up），但他们认为我是在‘向下出击’（punching down）。”他建议，试着把这类问题带到非洲，你就会发现这不过是第一世界的问题。“非洲人将那玩意儿视为殖民主义的延伸。”

在其他地方，他会开始探讨一些看似很有前景的大想法——“西方生活不再关于任何事情”；“国际货币基金组织（IMF）的幻象正在破灭”——但随后这些想法迅速地熄灭了。对于如此高昂的价格来说，内容太单薄了。我在池座Z排的座位花费了£120。有争议是一回事，毫无方向则是另一回事。

多米尼克·麦克斯韦尔（Dominic Maxwell） --- 11 电视与广播

惊吓瞬间与宏大主题：牙买加哥特惊悚剧 James Jackson 电视评论

Possession Sky Atlantic ★★★★☆

提到加勒比地区的黑魔法咒语、女祭司、神秘诅咒等超自然事物时，人们可能会用“巫毒”（Voodoo）这个词来概括宗教仪式，但真正涉及这些内容的其实是“奥比亚”（obeah）。在过去，殖民者非常担心其颠覆性会煽动奴隶起义，因此将其定为非法（至今依然如此）。在Sky电视台这部不同寻常的五集牙买加哥特新剧《Possession》中，奥比亚无疑是一个核心关注点，在这里你绝对不想被蚊子叮咬——至少不是被施了奥比亚诅咒的蚊子。你很快就会明白原因。

故事始于一部法律剧。由古古·姆巴塔-罗（Gugu Mbatha-Raw）饰演的克劳迪娅（Claudia）是一位聪明且坚韧的伦敦律师，她被派往该岛，旨在挖掘一名牙买加神秘男子的黑料，此人出人意料地继承了一位白人贵族价值£5000 万的遗产。这笔财富是建立在奴隶贸易之上的。

考虑到《Possession》这个在片头火焰中显现的标题，当剧情开始转向疯狂且令人不安的方向时，并不完全出乎意料。首先，为什么克劳迪娅在抵达牙买加之前就会梦到霍普庄园（Hope Estate）？我们最初看到她为了适应其白人主导的律师事务所而将头发理顺；而到最后，她通过这种诡异且异域风情的路径重新连接了自己的文化遗产，开始接纳玉米辫（cornrows）。

贵族之子奥利弗（Oliver，由乔尼·李·米勒饰演）刚刚失去了父亲，现在很可能失去了全部遗产，他就像是白人愧疚感的化身——在为克劳迪娅准备茶和吐司时显得极其英伦——在各方面都与即将接管父亲遗产的当地人库乔·伊斯特（Cudjoe East）形成鲜明对比。

空气中弥漫着明显的超自然气息，房屋卧室里那个不详的箱子也是如此。但这里还穿插了1700年代的闪回场景：当时霍普山（Hope Hill）种植园那位戴着假发、暴虐的白人主人割掉了奴隶的舌头。目睹这一切的是他惊恐的女儿，由眼神空洞的贝尔·波利（Bel Powley）饰演，而她很快也会变得相当可怕。

我不完全确定这部剧是否需要这段闪回情节，但编剧卡拉·克罗恩（Karla Crone）希望明确表达殖民过去如何塑造现在的这一主题。在不剧透太多的情况下，伊斯特与过去的联系比克劳迪娅想象的要直接得多。

她在四处探听时（前糖厂、街道狂欢节）所营造的当地氛围令人愉悦，而夜晚潜行的氛围则充满狂热（狂喜的仪式、更多的噩梦）。这几乎像是对《我与僵尸同行》（I Walked with a Zombie）的现代演绎，在某些地方让我想起了被低估的1989年电影《蛇与彩虹》（The Serpent and the Rainbow）。

毫无疑问，初次尝试编剧的克罗恩并不缺乏新鲜想法，剧本雄心地将种族、身份和殖民遗产等宏大主题结合在一起，但随着标题变得字面化，角色们在被附身的状态下踉跄行走，这些主题最终在一定程度上迷失了方向。

公平地说，你大概可以肯定地说，这是你今年能看到的唯一一部试图将惊吓瞬间（是的，确实有那么几个）与关于赔偿的发人深省的评论相结合的惊悚剧。因为奥比亚虽然在制造混乱，但它在这里并不是真正的敌人，而是一种回荡数个世纪的文化正义力量。

Nick Grimshaw 6 Music, 7am

作为英国广播公司（BBC）“音乐是黑色的”（The Music Is Black）季度的组成部分，并与 V&A East 同名展览合作，该电台将在 8 月的每个周五庆祝过去 40 年的英国黑人音乐。今天的节目回顾 20 世纪 80 年代，首先由 Grimshaw 与 lovers rock 先驱 Janet Kay（见上图）和 Caroll Thompson 对话，随后是 Lauren Laverne（上午 10 点）与 DJ Norman Jay 深入探讨 rare groove。下午 2 点，Craig Charles（下午 1-4 点）将与 Specials 乐队的 Neville Staple 对话，而接替 How Stephens（下午 4 点）的 Emily Pilbeam 将开启 acid house 之门。Clair Woodward

Times Radio 数字端、网页、智能扬声器、应用程序 5.00am Tom Nunan 主持 Early Breakfast 6.00 Rosie Wright 和 Calum Macdonald 主持 Times Radio Breakfast 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm Ayesha Hazarika 4.00 Carolyn Quinn 主持 Times Drive 7.00 Dom Joly 10.00 Henry Bonsu。当日关键事件 1.00am The Best of Times ## 2 FM: 88-90.2 MHz 6.30am The Sara Cox Breakfast Show 9.30 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Joel Dominic 7.00 Michelle Visage 8.30 Michelle Visage's Handbag Hits 9.00 Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Kitchen Disco 11.00 The Rock Show with Rick Astley 12.00 Romesh Ranganathan: For the Love of Hip-Hop (r) 1.00am Tony Blackburn's Sounds of Soul 2.00 Pick of the Pops (r) 4.00 2 in Concert: Deacon Blue (r) ## 3 FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live Highlights from the BBC Proms，包含来自 Ryndale 节日的演出以及来自弗里堡（Fribourg）的巴洛克音乐，门德尔松（E小调小提琴协奏曲）；舒伯特（C小调钢琴奏鸣曲，D:958）；德沃夏克（D小调第 7 交响曲）；舒伯特（《死神与少女》四重奏）；以及齐默尔曼（《童话组曲》— Märchen-Suite） 4.00 Composer of the Week: 莫扎特 (1756-1791) Kate Molleson 探讨共济会兄弟会如何影响莫扎特的晚年 5.00 In Tune 7.00 Live BBC Proms Petroc Trelawny 在皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅主持一场由 BBC 交响乐团及合唱团演出、指挥 Nil Venditti 及明星独唱家参与的音乐会，演出曲目包括雷斯皮基（《教堂之窗》）和罗西尼（《圣母安魂曲》）。在中场休息期间，歌剧导演 Julia Burbach 与 Petroc 讨论罗西尼《圣母安魂曲》中的歌剧元素，以及舞台艺术在罗西尼和其他意大利歌剧作曲家作品中的重要性 10.00 Lyle Junction Dan Gilmore 在 Know I've Been Here Before 中重新审视被遗忘的硬盘录音，并预告波兰的 Sanatorium of Sound 音乐节。由 Verity Sharp 主持 11.30 'Round Midnight 由 Alice Zawadzki 主持 12.30am Through the Night ## 4 FM: 92-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 The Briefing Room (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Desert Island Discs (r) 10.00 Woman's Hour 11.00 The Food Programme 11.45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (5 / 5) (r) 12.04pm AntiSocial 1.00 The World at One 1.45 The Bare Necessities (5 / 5) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Drama: Central Intelligence 由 Greg Haddrick 创作。1966, 年，随着对苏联核威胁的担忧增加，CIA 开始利用卫星和监视手段刺探 KGB。主演 Kim Cattrall 和 Johnny Flynn (5 / 10) 2.45 Living on the Edge (6 / 10) (r) 3.00 Gardeners' Question Time 3.45 Short Works Fflar Dafydd 的 Parys, Anglesey 4.00 Last Word 4.30 Sideways (4 / 8) (r) 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.30 Current-ish Lucy Porter 和嘉宾讨论大家都在谈论的故事。本系列最后一集： 7.00 The Archers Keira 有了一个惊人的发现 7.15 Screenshot 探讨屏幕上关于男性气概不断变化的观念 (6 / 6) 8.00 Any Questions? Alex Forsyth 在开放大学（Open University）米尔顿凯恩斯分校主持这场政治论坛节目 8.55 This Week in History (r) 9.00 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics Christopher Biggins 和 Llewelyn Morgan 了解罗马的少年皇帝尼禄 (2 / 7) (r) 9.30 Breakin' the Cycle Colin 和 d 开始生产，但仍被他们利润丰厚的毒品生意所诱惑 (2 / 6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: The Vicar of Wakefield 由 Oliver Goldsmith 创作 (5 / 10) 11.00 Americast 11.30 The Ocean within Us (r) 12.00 News and Weather 12.30am Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (5 / 5) (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.00 As BBC World Service

Radio 4 Extra

仅限数字频道 8.00am The Confessional 8.30 Following Pappano 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Olga Koch: OK Computer 9.30 Behind the Taverna

9.45 Daily Service 10.00 Soul Music 10.30 The Forum 11.00 The Waiting Game 11.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 12.00 Little Blighty on the Down 12.30pm Beyond Our Ken 1.00 The Confessional 1.30 Following Pappano 1.45 Small Island 2.00 The Museum of Curiosity 2.30 MilSport 3.00 Berlin 4.00 Soul Music 4.30 The Forum 5.00 The Waiting Game 5.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 6.00 Little Blighty on the Down 6.30 Beyond Our Ken 7.00 The Confessional 7.30 Following Pappano 7.45 Small Island 8.00 The Museum of Curiosity 8.30 MilSport 9.00 Berlin 10.00 Olga Koch: OK Computer 10.30 Njambi McGrath: Becoming Njambi 10.45 Rhys James Is Wise 10.55 The Comedy Club Interview 11.00 Vent 11.30 Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking

Radio 5 Live

中波: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 5 Live Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Chiles on Friday 1.00pm Elis James and John Robins 2.00 Matt Chorley 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport 8.00 足球：米德尔斯堡 对阵 雷克瑟姆（8.00 开球）。英格兰足球联赛（EFL）杯第一轮对决 10.00 Johnny TAnson 1.00am Edward Adoo

talkSPORT

中波: 1053, 1089 MHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 talkSPORT Breakfast with Alan Brazil 10.00 Sam Matterface & Alex Crook 1.00pm Hawksbee and Jacobs 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 Kick Off 8.00 Kick Off: 米德尔斯堡 对阵 雷克瑟姆 10.00 The Sports Bar Weekender 1.00am Extra Time with Ben Fletcher

Talk

仅限数字频道 6.00am Ian Collins 10.00 Alex Phillips 1.00pm Mark Dolan 4.00 Kevin O'Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 9.00 What Just Happened? (主持：Kevin O'Sullivan) 10.00 Andre Walker ft. Ash 1.00am Ben Fletcher

6 Music

仅限数字频道 5.00am The Remix with Chris Hawkins 5.30 Chris Hawkins 7.00 Choice Nick Grimshaw：音乐、访谈与专题，开启新的一天 10.00 Lauren Laverne 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 Emily Pilbeam 7.00 The People's Party with Femi Koleoso 9.00 6 Music's Indie Forever 10.00 6 Music's Indie Forever 11.00 The 6 Mix with Mary Anne Hobbs 12.00 6 Music's Rave Forever 1.00am 6 Music's Forever Dark 2.00 Focus Beats 4.00 Ambient Focus

Virgin Radio

仅限数字频道 6.30am Steve Denyer on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Moneybox 10.00 Emma 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Phil Taggart 10.00 Goldsorocks 2.00am Jen Thomas

Classic FM

调频: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Classic FM Breakfast with Dan Walker 9.00 The Classic FM Hall of Fame Hour with Dan Walker 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 6.00 Classic FM at the Movies with Jonathan Ross 8.00 Classical Spotlight with Alexander Armstrong 10.00 Calm Classics 2.00am Katie Breathwick

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电视

今日推荐

托尼·班尼特之夜 BBC4, 9.45pm起

弗兰克·辛纳屈曾称托尼·班尼特为“业内最优秀的歌手”，但他从未真正成为“鼠帮”（Rat Pack）的一员，而是一位更接近杜克·埃灵顿和考特·贝西的纽约爵士风格音乐人。他比他们所有人都长寿，凭借其敏锐的感悟力和持久的生命力，通过与艾米·怀恩豪斯和 Lady Gaga 著名的二重唱，将《伟大的美国歌曲集》带入了21世纪。今晚 BBC4 庆祝他诞辰一百周年，大部分内容来自他 1979 年《Tony Bennett Sings》的鼎盛时期，涵盖电影、百老汇、锡盘巷（Tin Pan Alley）的歌曲以及他自己的热门曲目（选集从 10.45pm 开始）。这些内容的开头和结尾分别是 2011 年的《伦敦帕拉第姆：BBC录音》（9.45pm）和一部关于他的家乡纽约的 1996 年纪录片（1.55am）——无论旧金山可能提出什么主张，这座城市才是他倾注心血的地方。 Helen Stewart

托尼·班尼特（BBC4, 9.45pm起）

我们的生活：NaNaz —— 机器之龄 (Age Against The Machine) BBC1, 7.30pm

萨莉·温赖特（Sally Wainwright）的BBC剧集《暴乱女性》（Riot Women）并非纯粹的虚构：这部《我们的生活》（Our Lives）纪录片讲述了NaNaz的故事，这是一个由 6. 名在 50. 岁以上女性音乐工作坊相识的威尔士朋克乐队。对于有些人来说，这是回归一生之热爱；而对于另一些人，这是她们第一次接触乐器。课程结束时，这些女性之间不可否认的化学反应促成了NaNaz的诞生。她们建立了一批忠实的粉丝群并发行了一张EP（《NaNafesto》）。这部令人振奋的电影记录了她们准备在纽约一个音乐节上演奏关于不公正和更年期愤怒的快节奏且极其激烈歌曲的过程。在没有经纪人的情况下，她们必须在复杂忙碌的生活与摇滚欲望之间寻找平衡。维多利亚·西格尔 (Victoria Segal)

BBC1 - 6.00am 早报 (Breakfast) - 9.30 动物公园 (Animal Park) (r) (AD) - 10.15 追踪、寻找、找回我的车 (Trace, Track, Get My Car Back) (r) - 10.45 专家证人 (Expert Witness) (r) - 11.15 锤下之屋 (Homes Under the Hammer) (r) - 12.15pm 淘宝猎人 (Bargain Hunt)：《One Show》 20 年周。由《One Show》主持人组成的两支队伍在Bialth Wells展开较量 (AD) - 1.00 BBC一点钟新闻；天气 - 1.35 BBC地区新闻；天气 - 1.45 BBC一点钟新闻；天气 - 2.00 理发师谜案 (The Hairdresser Mysteries)。莉莉发现自己在村子里既要处理发型紧急情况，又要解决一起谋杀案 (AD) - 2.45 逃往乡村 (Escape to the Country)。一对夫妇在康沃尔郡寻找具有商业潜力的住宅 (r) - 3.45 竞拍室 (The Bidding Room)。交易商们看到了一些不寻常的角色，包括骷髅伯特叔叔和一只木兔 - 4.30 答案奔跑 (The Answer Run)。杰森·曼福德主持 - 5.15 无用之题 (Pointless)。问答节目 (r) - 6.00 BBC六点钟新闻；天气 - 6.30 BBC地区新闻；天气

BBC2 - 6.30am 免费之财 (Money for Nothing) (r) - 7.15 竞拍室 (The Bidding Room) (r) - 8.00 手语区 (Sign Zone)：马库斯·沃明《纯粹普罗旺斯》(Simply Provence)。合集版 (r) (SL) - 9.00 BBC新闻 - 1.00pm 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏屋 (Richard Osman’s House of Games)。肖恩·弗莱彻、路易丝·明钦、克里斯·华盛顿和金伯利·怀亚特参加 (r) - 1.30 终点线 (The Finish Line)。问答节目 (r) - 2.15 你知道你的位置吗？ (Do You Know Your Place?) (r) - 2.45 毛茸茸骑手烘焙 (The Hairy Bikerz Bakeston)。这对组合的烘焙奥德赛在西班牙结束 (r) (AD) - 3.45 农民乡村对决 (The Farmers’ Country Showdown)。牛农在坎布里亚郡的西摩兰德郡展上竞争最高奖项 (r) - 4.30 复古古董路演 (Vintage Antiques Roadshow)。 2003 年对兰开夏郡克利瑟罗的访问 (r) - 5.15 把它卖了！ (Flog It!)。德比郡哈登大厅 (r) - 6.00 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏屋 (Richard Osman’s House of Games)。盖辛·琼斯、蒂芙·史蒂文森、凯特·桑顿和加里·威尔莫特参加问答 (r) - 6.30 仅此一事 (Just One Thing)。探讨食用甜菜根的好处。本系列最后一集 (r) (AD)

ITV1 - 6.00am 英国早安 (Good Morning Britain) - 10.00 此刻 (This Morning) - 1.30pm ITV新闻；天气 - 2.00 迪金森的真实交易 (Dickinson’s Real Deal)。大卫·迪金森和团队访问纽波特。凯伦·达尔梅尼花大价钱买了一枚胸针，劳里·斯库利指挥一支男声合唱团 (r) (AD) - 3.00 成交或不成交 (Deal or No Deal)。斯蒂芬·穆尔赫恩主持，另一名参赛者尝试按正确顺序打开 22 个红盒子，与臭名昭著的银行家对决，以争取赢得改变生活的现金大奖 (r) (AD) - 4.00 倾斜点 (Tipping Point)。本·谢泼德主持这场以街机为主题的问答赛，参赛者将代币投入四个选定滑道之一，希望能赢得 £10,000 大奖 (r) - 5.00 追击 (The Chase)。布拉德利·沃尔什主持这场问答赛，另外四名参赛者回答常识问题并团队协作，挑战一名冷酷的追击者，尝试赢得现金奖 (r) - 6.00 地区新闻；天气 - 6.30 ITV新闻；天气

Channel 4 - 6.30am 《女王之王》(The King of Queens) (r) (AD) - 7.45 《大家都爱雷蒙》(Everybody Loves Raymond) (r) (AD) - 9.10 《弗雷泽》(Frasier) (r) (AD) - 11.10 《拉姆齐的厨房噩梦美国版》(Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA)。为新奥尔良的一家餐厅提供帮助 (r) - 12.05pm Channel 4 新闻摘要 - 12.10 《寻找、修复、出售》(Find It, Fix It, Flog It)。在诺福克发现的物品包括一台拖拉机 (r) (AD) - 1.10 《伟大的房屋赠送》(The Great House Giveaway)。在利兹购买、翻新并出售一套房屋 (r) - 2.10 《倒计时》(Countdown)。电视主持人 Ade Adeptan 是本期的“词典角”嘉宾 - 3.00 《阳光之所》(A Place in the Sun)。来自曼彻斯特的购房者在加的斯寻找住所 (r) - 4.00 《与 Penelope Keith 共救乡村住宅》(Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith)。在 Treberlydd House，年度规模最大的婚礼正在进行 (r) (AD) - 5.00 《城堡 DIY》(Château DIY)。Lalacelle 城堡的所有者开始尝试让他们的花园恢复生机 (r) (AD) - 6.00 《美国拾荒者》(American Pickers)。Mike Wolfe 和 Frank Fritz 发现了一本罕见的《超人》漫画，以及第一本《蜘蛛侠》漫画 (r) (AD)

5 - 6.00am Milkshake! - 9.15 Jeremy Vine - 11.30 Storm & Alexis - 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime - 12.50 Matt Allwright - 2.20 电影：《读书会谋杀案》(PG, TVM, 2024) 当读书会的成员在收到揭露其最深秘密的威胁信后相继死亡，组织者开始寻找凶手，以保护她的女儿不成为下一个受害者。由 Brittany Underwood 主演的悬疑片 - 4.00 《Castle》。两部分中的第二部分。纽约市警察局（NYPD）和 Castle 在寻找 Beckett，同时试图阻止连环杀手组合 Nieman 和 Tyson 将这名侦探变为他们的下一个受害者 (r) - 4.55 Love Nature。为何卑微的狐狸应当被赞美而非被诋毁 (r) - 5.00 Dan Walker 主持的 5 News - 6.00 《梅诺卡：阳光之年》。两部分中的第二部分。本集探讨梅诺卡的饮食、艺术和建筑修复 (r) - 6.55 5 News Update - 7.00 《The One Show》Alex Jones 和 Roman Kemp 启动该节目的 20 岁生日庆祝活动 - 7.30 《Our Lives》关注威尔士朋克乐队 NaNaz，六位女性正在打破关于变老的常规。见当日精选 (AD) - 8.00 《Granite Harbour》随着案件接近尾声，在长期隐藏的秘密终于揭晓之际，Lindo 和 Bart 展开了一场与时间的赛跑，以寻找真正的凶手。本系列最后一集 (AD) - 9.00 《Would I Lie to You?》Cush Jumbo, Judi Love, Grayson Perry 和 Tim Vine 加入常驻嘉宾阵容 (4 / 9) (r) - 9.30 《Ann Droid》Sue 邀请 Michael 和 Renee 共进一次美好的家庭晚餐，但当他们前来真正的动机被揭露时，Sue 感到很沮丧 (4 / 6) (AD) - 10.00 BBC 10.00 新闻 - 10.30 BBC 地区新闻和天气预报 - 10.45 电影：《28天后》(18, 2002) 一个男人从昏迷中醒来，发现英国遭受了一种恐怖的实验性病毒袭击，该病毒使受害者陷入杀人狂暴状态。他与少数其他幸存者一起前往曼彻斯特，那是最后一个未受疫情影响的前哨站——但他意识到病毒并非唯一的威胁。由 Cillian Murphy 和 Naomie Harris 主演的恐怖片 (AD) - 7.00 《Iolo’s Anglesey》Iolo Williams 探索安格尔西岛的动植物，并前往一片绝美的红松鼠林 (2 / 4) (r) - 7.30 《Beechgrove Garden》Calum Clunie 开始在他家族的地块中播种冬季作物，而 Brian Cunningham 则收获他的春季蔬菜 - 8.00 《Gardeners’ World》Frances Tophill 回到巴斯的 Damson 农场，与业主 Alison 和嘉宾 Mary Berry 共度一天，同时 Arit Anderson 参观了伦敦的一座城市花园。见当日精选 - 9.00 《Bergerac》Chloe 发现了 John Blakely 的指控可能是真实的证据，一项进展导致团队怀疑泽西岛最臭名昭著的罪犯之一 (4 / 6) (AD) - 9.45 《QI XL》Sandi Toksvig 主持扩展版，Ria Lina, Eshaan Akbar, Jimmy Carr 和 Alan Davies 就“诡计与款待”这一主题回答问题 (r) - 10.30 《Newsnight》由 Paddy O’Connell 主持 - 11.05 电影：《Hoard》(18, 2023) 在搬离她囤积症母亲身边多年后，一名寄养青少年重新审视她的童年记忆和被压抑的创伤。由 Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Joseph Quinn, Hayley Squires 和 Lily-Beau Leach 主演的剧情片 - 7.30 EFL 杯直播：米德尔斯堡 v Wresham（8.00 开球）。Mark Pougatich 在 Riverside 体育场为您带来这场首轮对决的所有精彩瞬间。米德尔斯堡将力求避免重复上赛季该阶段的惨剧，当时他们在此被唐卡斯特罗孚斯 4-0 击败。Wresham 在该项赛事中表现更好，一路闯入第四轮，随后在 2-1 负于威尔士对手卡迪夫城后被淘汰。由 Tommy Smith 和 Steven Fletcher 分析，Seb Hutchinson 和 Lucy Ward 评论。见当日精选

• 10.25 ITV十点新闻；天气预报；随后是地区新闻 - 11.15 电影：《杰克·里彻：永不回头》(12, 2016) 这位私刑者试图营救一名被阴险阴谋陷害成谋杀犯的陆军少校。由汤姆·克鲁斯和科比·斯穆尔德斯主演的动作惊悚续集 - 7.00 第4频道新闻 - 8.00 超富阶层的手术秘密 一位准新娘进行了非手术性的液态隆鼻，一位两个孩子的母亲利用激光技术解决多年的日晒损伤，而一名房地产投资者正在研究一项长期的微整形计划 (4 / 6) (AD) - 9.00 《8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown》吉米·卡尔主持这场喜剧词汇与数字竞猜赛，队长罗布·贝克特和乔恩·理查森将与凯瑟琳·瑞安和法塔·埃尔-戈里共同参与。特邀嘉宾为杰克·兰伯特和Brett Domino Trio - 10.00 《Big Fat Quiz: Best Bits》在绝望中反败为胜，包括萨拉·帕斯科、詹姆斯·阿卡斯特以及杰米和纳塔西亚·德米特里乌在内的喜剧演员们在重重困难中品尝到了成功的甜蜜 - 11.05 莎拉·米利坎：Home Bird 在纽卡斯尔的泰恩剧院及歌剧院进行的现场脱口秀，喜剧演员在其中分享了对生活的见解，包括现在有了猫之后需要安定下来的想法 (r) - 7.00 汤姆·里德·威尔逊的大旅行 主持人重新演绎了贵族们曾经在欧洲大旅行中所经历的成年礼，旅程从巴黎开始 (1 / 3) (r) - 7.55 5 News 更新 - 8.00 科西嘉岛：地中海之珠 镜头聚焦于这座法国岛屿，这里拥有600英里迷人的海岸线、郁郁葱葱的绿色森林和雄伟的山脉。亮点包括前往东北海岸的港口城镇巴斯蒂亚的一次旅行 - 9.00 亚历山大·阿姆斯特朗在韩国 主持人穿越韩国，这是地球上最具影响力且最成功的国家之一，以其制造业实力和文化出口而闻名。他在深夜抵达繁华的首尔市中心，并在江南区开启了他的史诗冒险，该区因Psy的《江南Style》视频而永载史册 (r) - 10.30 皮尔斯·摩根：无审查 以观点为导向的新闻和辩论节目，由皮尔斯·摩根主持。皮尔斯将新闻报道与毫不掩饰的直接文化评论相结合

12.35am-6.00 BBC News - 1.00am Sign Zone: Britain’s Strictest Schools — Panorama 深入报道头条新闻背后故事的时事报告 (r) (SL) 1.30-2.30 The Rapture. Gabs和Dick发现了Leonard在隐瞒某些事情的证据，而印度的洪水与Bethany的画作相吻合 (r) (AD, SL) - 1.10am Shop on TV 3.00 Force of Nature. 倾盆大雨考验着三位母亲，洪水改变了栖息地，摧毁了家园，并带来了危险的机会 (r) (AD, SL) 3.50 Long Lost Family. 包含的案例包括一名想要寻找哥哥的女性 (r) (, SL) 4.45-6.00 Unwind with ITV - 12.10am Greg Davies: The Back of My Mums Head 《Man Down》主演带来的单口喜剧，演出地为索尔福德的Lowry (r) () 1.05 Ramy () 2.15 电影：Theater Camp (12, 2023) 由Ben Platt, Molly Gordon和Noah Galvin主演的喜剧 3.50 Sunday Brunch (r) 4.00-6.10 Four in a Bed (r) - 12.00 Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law (r) - 1.00am Cruise TV with LovelBook (r) 2.00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 2.50 Castle (r) - 3.40 Friends (r) 4.30 Jane McDonald’s Yorkshire: No Place Like Home (r) (SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5.35 Milo (r) (SL) - 5.45-6.00 Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL) --- 13 电视 # 英格兰足球联赛杯直播 ITV1, 7.30pm 随着世界杯落下帷幕，平淡的足球赛（不仅是季前友谊赛）回归，本场比赛是3月由曼城夺冠的赛事中的一场早期赛程。参赛的是两家冠军联赛俱乐部，他们在去年遗憾失利后，将在2026-27赛季竞争升级。由电影明星Ryan Reynolds和Rob McElhenney拥有的雷克瑟姆队（Wrexham）此前仅差一步未能进入附加赛区，而米德尔斯堡队则在冠军联赛附加赛决赛中落败。 John Dugdale Gardeners' World BBC2, 8pm Mary Berry是今晚的特别嘉宾，她与Frances Tophill在巴斯附近的Damson农场共度一天。这位深受喜爱的电视厨师证明了她的专业知识不仅限于厨房，她提供了实用的园艺建议，回忆起在巴斯的青年时代，并协助庆祝自家种植的水果和蔬菜丰收。此外，节目还访问了伦敦的一个城市可食用花园、一个旁遮普人分配地社区以及一个城市野生动物保护区。 VS # 流媒体选择 Alley Cats Netflix Ricky Gervais赞扬了Netflix愿意根据一个简短的提案就委任他的最新项目：“就是关于猫，而且它们会说脏话。”这群汉纳-巴伯拉风格的刻薄卡通猫由他偏好的演员阵容配音。事实上，人们相当怀疑整部剧只是一个借口，好让他聚集自己喜欢的人，在简陋的剧本基础上尽情地胡说八道，其基调类似于1990年代后期的post-pak。加入Gervais并为Gus配音的演员有Kerry Godlman (Lara), Diane Morgan (Olive), Tom Basden (Ponce), David Earl (Puke)和Andrew Brooke (Fang)。 Helen Stewart # 电影选择 Heretic (15, 2024) Sky Cinema Premiere / Now, 8pm 出色的Hugh Grant饰演反派Mr Reed，他邀请两名年轻的传教士进入他巨大的房子里讨论他们的宗教教义。突然之间，他告诉他们：“墙壁和天花板里有金属。希望没问题。”随后，情况变得糟糕得多。(Illmin) Ed Potton

(Numeric Anchors: 12. 6.00 1. 1.30 2.30 3.00 3.50 4.45 1.05 2.15 12, 2023 4.00 6.10 12.00 2.00 2.50 3.40 4.30 5.25 5.35 5.45 13 7. 2026 27 15, 2024)

BBC4 7.00pm 普罗姆音乐会：Also Sprach Zarathustra。包含三首受天空奇观启发的作品 8.05 普罗姆音乐会：拉威尔的《波莱罗》 8.20 TOTP: 2000. 包含 NOYNC, All Saints, Kells 等人的音乐 8.45 TOTP: 1984. 演出嘉宾包括 Frankie Gnes to Hollywood 9.15 TOTP: 1988. 包括 Kim Wilde 和 Fairground Attraction 的歌曲 9.45 托尼·班奈特在伦敦帕拉第姆剧院：BBC Sessions。一场来自 2011. 的音乐会。见当日帖子 10.45 托尼·班奈特演唱。系列节目，涵盖这位情歌王子从 1979, 开始的表演，首播为精选电影歌曲 11.15 托尼·班奈特演唱。这位歌手自己最喜欢的一些歌曲 11.50 托尼·班奈特演唱 12.20am 托尼·班奈特演唱。三集 1.55 托尼·班奈特的纽约 3.20am-3.45 TOTP: 2000 # Sky Arts 6.00am 太阳马戏团：Varekai 8.00 绘画之乐 (AD) 9.00 出人意料的故事 (AD) 10.00 阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克呈现 11.00 探索：迪恩·马丁 () 12.00 阿加莎·克里斯蒂的《苍白的马》 2.00pm 阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克时间 (黑白) 3.00 The Eighteen () 4.00 探索：彼得·塞勒斯 () 5.00 年度肖像画家 2022 () 6.00 出人意料的故事 () 7.00 阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克呈现 8.00 鲍勃·迪伦：镜子的另一面。这位创作歌手在 1963 至 1965 年间参加纽波特民谣节的演出 () 9.35 我曾是个青少年性手枪 11.20 经典专辑 12.20am The Jam: Live at Rockpalast 1.50 Pretenders Live and Loose in 1.5.45 Sky Arts 书友会 4.45am-6.00 迈克尔·凯恩：成为好莱坞之星 () # More4 8.55am 继承人猎人 10.00 四人同床 12.40pm 来我家吃饭 () 3.20 四人同床 5.50 汽车救援。车辆修复 () 7.55 宏伟设计。凯文·麦克劳德揭秘一对在北德文郡悬崖上建造装饰艺术风格灯塔塔楼的夫妇 (B11) () 9.00 及时行乐。新系列。法国法律剧，由 Samuel Le Bikan 主演，讲述一名被冤枉入狱的男子，现在成为一名律师，为其他被诬告的人辩护 (1 / 6) () 10.05.24 急诊室小时。一名七岁男孩在从树上掉下来后被送入医院 (7 / 8) () 11.10.24 急诊室小时。一名退休建筑工在从女儿家的屋顶掉下来后接受治疗 (8 / 8) () 12.15am 999: On the Front Line 1.15 24 Hours in A&E () 3.25am-3.55* A Place in the Sun

Wrexham 队长 Dominic Hyam 现场 欧洲女子巡回赛高尔夫 Sports Golf, 2pm-4 报道在圣奥尔本斯 Centurion Club 举行的伦敦锦标赛团队赛第二天 现场网球 Sports Tennis, 4pm-4am 报道在蒙特利尔举行的 ATP 加拿大公开赛第六日赛事以及在多伦多举行的 WTA 赛事 The Hundred：伯明翰凤凰队男子组 v 太阳神利兹队男子组 Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (开始时间 6.30)。报道在 Edgbaston 举行的比赛 现场 EFL 杯：米德尔斯堡 v Wrexham Main Event, Football, 7pm-10.45 (开球 8.00)。在 Riverside Stadium 举行的第一轮比赛 现场超级联赛：韦克菲尔德三一队 v 利兹犀牛队 v, Action, 7.30pm-10.15 (开球 8.00)。报道在 DIY Kitchens Stadium 举行的比赛

Talking Pictures 6.00am What's on IPTV with Noel 6.10 电影：《Command Performance》(U, 1937) (黑白) 7.30 电影：《Serious Charge》(PG, 1959) (黑白) 9.55 电影：《Sherlock Holmes: Terror By Night》(PG, 1946) (黑白) 11.10 The Lucy Show 11.45 电影：《The Steel Key》(PG, 1953) (黑白) 1.00pm The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (黑白) 2.15 The Adventures of Robin Hood (黑白) 2.45 电影：《My Brother's Keeper》(PG, 1948) (黑白) 4.30 The Cheaters (黑白) 5.00 A Family at War 6.00 Rumpole of the Bailey 7.00 2 Cars (黑白) 8.00 Public Eye 9.10 Supernatural (6 / 8) 10.15 Tales of Tomorrow (黑白) 12.05am 电影：《The Thirty-Nine Steps》(PG, 1978) 由Robert Powell主演的惊悚片 2.10 电影：《The Appointment》(15, 1981) 4.00 The Vise (黑白) 5.00am-6.00 Railway Murders # Film4 11.00am 《奥利弗！》(U, 1968) 由Ron Moody主演的音乐剧 (AD) 1.55pm 《福尔摩斯与秘密武器》(PG, 1942) 由Basil Nolteone主演的悬疑惊悚片 (黑白) 3.15 《Buchanan Rides Alone》(U, 1958) 由Randolph Scott主演的西部片 4.50 《The True Story of Jesus James》(PG, 1957) 由Robert Wagner主演的传记片 6.40 《星际探索》(12, 2019) 由布拉德·皮特主演的科幻剧 (AD) 9.00 《火星救援》(12, 2015) 一名被困在火星上的宇航员必须想办法利用匮乏的资源生存多年。由Ridley Scott执导，马特·达蒙和杰西卡·查斯坦主演的科幻剧 () 11.50 《最后之夜在苏豪》(18, 2021) 由Thomas McKenzie和Anya Taylor-Joy主演的悬疑恐怖片 () 2.05am-4.00 《Sick of Myself》(15, 2023) 由Kristine Kujath Thorp主演的挪威剧 # BBC3 7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 I Am Darren (r) () 7.20 电影：《博物馆奇妙夜：史密森尼之战》(PG, 2009) 夜间看守Larry和他的活生生的博物馆展品朋友们必须阻止一个复活的法老统治世界。由本·斯蒂勒、艾米·亚当斯和欧文·威尔逊主演的奇幻喜剧 () 9.00 Death in Paradise. 一名蒸馏厂老板在一次朗姆酒集体品鉴期间被下毒 (4 / 8) (r) () 10.00 Ghosts Australia. Kate的母亲自请搬进来居住 (r) 10.20 Ghosts Australia. Kate和Sean的约会之夜被中断 (r) 10.45 The Golden Cobra. 这部设定在Elbow Vale外卖店的动画喜剧全部八集 () 12.45am Ideal. 喜剧系列 3.35am-3.50 Calamity James (r) # ITV2 6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 8.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 9.20 The Only Way Is Essex 10.20 Dawson's Creek 11.20 Charmed 12.15pm Deal or No Deal () 1.15 Supermarket Sweep 2.15 The Floor USA () 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. 重聚继续 5.00 The Real Housewives of Orange County 6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase () 7.00 The Floor USA () 8.00 The 1% Club () 9.00 电影：《疾速追杀》(15, 2014) 由基努·里维斯主演的动作片 () 11.05 Family Guy. 双片连播 () 12.05am American Dad! () 1.05 Bob's Burgers 1.55am-2.20 Deal or No Deal: Banker's Best Battles # ITV3 6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale () 8.10 Classic Coronation Street () 9.10 Agatha Christie's Poirot () 11.30 Heartbeat () 1.35pm Midsomer Murders () 3.35 Classic Emmerdale () 4.40 Classic Coronation Street () 5.50 Heartbeat. 乡村剧系列 () 8.00 Doc Martin. Penhale决定举办警察开放日 (6 / 8) () 9.00 Doc Martin. Portwem与Port Carran的年度演出日再次到来 (7 / 8) () 10.00 Grantchester. 在Vic健身房的一次慈善拳击赛中隐藏着一个出人意料的转折 (5 / 6) () 11.00 Grantchester (6 / 6) () 11.50 Trial & Nentbolion (7 / 10) 12.55am Agatha Christie's Poirot. 悬疑剧系列 () 2.00am-2.30 George and Mildred

ITV4 6.00am 马格努姆侦探 (AD) 8.05 邓普西与梅克皮斯 (AD) 9.10 邦恩 10.15 专业人士 () 11.20 舍伍德的罗宾 12.25pm 马格努姆侦探 () 2.35 邓普西与梅克皮斯 () 3.45 邦恩 4.50 专业人士 () 5.50 护卫。亚瑟和特里被两名农民雇佣运送一个球 () 6.55 夏普。这位坚毅的军官出发营救被西班牙反叛者 El Casco 俘虏的英国逃兵 9.00 电影：《机器人警官》(18, 1987) 一名被杀的警察被重建为赛博格，但他对人类生活的记忆引导他反击腐败的创造者。由彼得·韦勒和南希·艾伦主演的科幻惊悚片 11.10 全精英摔角：Dynamite。强力且高飞的动作表演 1.30am 护卫 (, SL) 3.30am-3.00 两个半男人 # ITV4 # U&Drama 6.00am 远程制图 7.20 警局 (The Bill) 8.15 医生 9.25 经典霍比城市 (Classic Holby City) 10.45 急救 () 11.45 警局 (The Bill) 12.50pm 经典东区人 (Classic EastEnders) 2.00 邻居 3.00 惠特斯泰尔珍珠 () 4.05 洛夫乔伊 5.20 岁月静好。喜剧剧集 6.00 夏日之末 8.00 布朗神父。一名原健康水疗中心员工被发现遇害 () 9.00 布朗神父。费利西塔女士奢华的新年舞会因一名 VIP 嘉宾遇害而被毁 () 10.00 新花样。史密斯菲尔德市场的一起谋杀案导致了一个令人震惊的揭露 (8 / 8) () 11.20 路特。总警司怀疑自己被出卖了 (5 / 6) () 12.45am 洛夫乔伊。一对丧亲夫妇雇佣了洛夫乔伊 1.50 邦尼法斯修女谜案 () 2.50am-4.00 Hotel Portofino (SL) # Variations BBC1 It Ireland 12.35pm 艾伦·卡尔的图片大比拼。由来自兰开夏郡、伯明翰和卡迪夫的参赛者参加 (r) 1.15am-6.00 BBC 新闻 ITV1 Wales 7.00pm-7.30 海岸与乡村。包括关于孩子们在 Aberglasney 学习食品知识的报告，以及在非洲拯救生命且参与保护的搜救犬 STV 7.00pm-7.30 STV 足球电台接管计划。由 Ewen Cameron, Ronnie Charters 和 Gideon Bell 主持。1.15am-3.00 TV 上的船 4.45am-6.00 在 STV 放松 UTV 7.00pm-7.30 UTV 生活。与 Pamela Ballantine 一起分享最佳本地聊天 BBC Scotland 7.00pm 报道苏格兰：七点新闻 7.25 体育现场直播：Particle Thistle 对阵 Livingston (开球时间 7.30)。在 Firhill 进行的苏格兰冠军联赛 9.30 《仅仅是个借口？》精选。素描喜剧秀 (r) 10.00 依然在比赛 (r) 10.30 两门之隔 (r) 11.00pm-12.00 尽情舞动 (r) S4℃ 6.00am Cyw 9.30 Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol。早间活动 12.00 新闻 12.05pm Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol。Soliosis over 25 complete for a place to try for the David Ellis Memorial Award 2.00 新闻 2.05 Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol。下午活动 7.30 新闻；天气 7.50 Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol。诵读合唱团和 Cerdd Dant 的报道 10.30 V Babell Lén 2026 11. 00pm-12.05am Gwesty Adunial (r) # PBS America 8.00am 风化：地球之极 8.35 征服者：兴衰录 9.35 真相 10.40 罗森伯格夫妇：原子间谍 11.50 猎杀 KGB 杀手 1.00pm 风化：地球之极 1.35 征服者：兴衰录 2.45 真相 3.45 罗森伯格夫妇：原子间谍 4.55 猎杀 KGB 杀手 6.05 征服者：兴衰录。其他欧洲统治者如何传播反西班牙叙事。该系列最后一集 7.05 真相。揭露科学背后真相的纪实系列，从糖开始 (1 / 6) 8.15 罗森伯格夫妇：原子间谍 9.30 猎杀 KGB 杀手 10.40 真相 (1 / 6) 12.00 罗森伯格夫妇：原子间谍。纪录片 1.15am-2.00 风化：地球之极

Sky Atlantic

6.00am 理查德·E·格兰特的酒店秘密 (r) (AD) 8.00 亿万 (r) (AD) 10.20 激烈竞争 (r) (AD) 12.30pm 谋杀：街头生活 (r) 2.30 亿万 (r) (AD) 4.40 最后的生还者 (r) (AD) 7.00 企鹅人。在初创业务面临危机之际，Oz试图扭转局面 (5/8) (r) (AD) 8.00 企鹅人。Oz继续扩大影响力，供应商数量创历史新高 (6/8) (r) (AD) 9.00 第十一站。伊丽莎白、泰勒和克拉克面临更加不确定的未来 (5/10) 10.00 第十一站。基尔斯滕离开巡回交响乐团去追踪先知 (6/10) 11.00 最后的生还者。乔尔和艾莉接近旅程的终点 (9/9) (r) (AD) 12.00 真探：夜之国 (r) (AD) 1.30am 亿万 (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 城市秘密 (r)

Sky Docs

6.00am 2000年代 (r) (7.00 探索梅尔·吉布森 (r) (AD) 8.00 导演们 (r) (AD) 9.00 百英尺巨浪 (r) (AD) 10.00 喜剧之店 (r) (AD) 11.05 城市秘密 (r) 12.00 电影：《兰开斯特》(PG, 2022) (AD) 2.00pm 电影：《埃弗顿：霍华德之路》(12, 2019) (AD) 4.00 导演们 (r) (AD) 5.00 探索梅尔·吉布森。讲述该演员的生平与职业生涯 (r) (AD) 6.00 大卫·弗罗斯特对决 (r) (AD) 7.00 外星人尸检丑闻。关于骗局的指控不断增加 (r) (AD) 8.00 索尔兹伯里中毒事件：身边的间谍。针对谢尔盖·斯克里帕尔的神经剂袭击 (r) 9.40 电影：《波佛柯伦拜恩》(15, 2002) 美国的枪支文化 12.00 英超360 —— “大萨姆”的博尔顿 (r) (AD) 2.00am 飞镖之王 (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 探索：梅尔·吉布森 (r) (AD)

UK Yesterday

6.10am 被遗弃的工程 (AD) 8.00 旧车与现金：修复经典车 (AD) 10.00 纳粹秘密基地 11.00 第一次世界大战故事 (AD) 12.00 古董路演 2.00pm 旧车与现金 (AD) 4.00 纳粹秘密基地 5.00 第一次世界大战故事 (AD) 6.00 古董路演 7.00 绿色星球。关于在人类主导环境中茁壮成长的植物指南 (AD) 8.00 运河船日记。从温斯福德到韦斯顿角 (4/10) (AD) 9.00 运河船日记。从朗科恩到米德尔威奇的旅程 (5/10) (AD) 10.00 旧车与现金 (AD) 11.00 旧车与现金 (AD) 12.00 旧车与现金：修复经典车。一辆1969年的MGB汽车 (AD) 1.00am 寻找、修复、出售 (AD) 2.00 被遗弃的工程 (AD) 3.00am-6.10 电视购物

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14

心智游戏 (MindGames)

双陆棋 克里斯·布雷 (Chris Bray)

WBGF 世界锦标赛

自 2019 年在黑山举行首届赛事以来，一直设有世界团体锦标赛。每支队伍由五名球员（及一名候补）组成。比赛最初分为小组赛，顶尖队伍将晋级淘汰赛阶段。到目前为止，已有 26 个国家报名参加今年的比赛。该赛事由世界双陆棋联合会（WBGF）组织。在过去的几年里，人们对蒙特卡洛世界锦标赛的成本和组织工作日益不满，因此今年 WBGF 在赛程中增加了一项世界个人锦标赛。比较这两项竞争赛事的出席人数将会很有趣。WBGF 的赛事每年在不同的地点举行，今年由伦敦主办，锦标赛将于 8 月 24 日至 30 日举行。地点位于 Earls Court 的 Mercure 酒店。详细信息可见：ukbgf.com / wtc2026。今年我将暂停参赛，并与我的美国同事 Kent Goulding 共同领导评论团队。比赛将在整个星期内通过 YouTube 进行直播。欢迎在线和现场观众。这将是一个漫长但迷人的双陆棋七日盛会，世界上大多数顶尖球员都将出席，其中一些人将在方便时加入 Kent 和我。我们对这款游戏的理解在不断演进。如果你是黑方，面对 32 这一掷你会如何操作？20 世纪 70 年代那种激进的风格可能会选择 II / 6 或 II / 9, II / 8。而如今，黑方尽管看到 19 点上的单子（blot），但会对白方强大的主阵地保持警惕，并寻求安全地走法。唯一不是失误的走法是极其难看的 4 / 2, 4 / 1。在白方所有外阵地（outer board）点都被清空的情况下，黑方希望白方成为第一个打破点并留下被击中机会的一方。Dirk Schiemann 提出了“难看走法”的概念，他会对发现 4 / 2, 4 / 1 感到非常自豪。我们 70 年代的球员只会发笑并指责黑方胆小，但那时他处于计算机介入游戏并从根本上改变部分基础理论之前的时代。chrisbrupbg@gmail.com

胜招

白方走。此局面来自 Ivanchuk-Liu，2026 年香港站。在 20 世纪 90 年代，特级大师 Vasyl Ivanchuk 的排名处于世界前 10，经常被视为未来的世界冠军。Ivanchuk 拥有惊人的战术想象力，但人们普遍认为，他在关键时刻糟糕的心理素质限制了他的发展。如本局所示，他依然保持着敏锐的战术眼光。他是如何收官的？

Top Twenty Conventions 2. 负面（第三次叫牌）加倍

这种加倍是一种特殊的强迫叫出（take-out double），保证持有另一种大牌花色。它的命名（虽然不尽准确）是为了将其与正面加倍或惩罚性加倍区分开来。由于它总是出现在第三次叫牌（在搭档开叫 1 级某花色且右侧对手抢叫某花色之后），我更倾向于将其称为“第三次叫牌加倍”。请看以下常见叫牌序列：

(a) 1♣ / ♣ (1♣)-Dbl。此次加倍保证持有红心，通常为四张，在这种情况下，你可以持有任何值得叫牌的强度（叫 2♥ 则保证有第五张红心）。然而，你可能在不值得（强迫性）叫 2♥ 的手牌中持有第五张红心，大约 6-9 分。注意，此次加倍没有提及另一种小牌花色，也没有提及在对方的黑桃花色中是否短缺，因此它并不完全是传统意义上的强迫叫出。例如 ▲ 8642, ▼ KJ72, ▲ KJ2, ▲ 972。

(b) 1♥-(2♣ / ♦)-Dbl。此次负面加倍保证持有黑桃，通常为四张，但如果大约有 6-9 分，可能会更多。例如 ▲ 28643, ▼J2, ▲ A72, ▲K65。

(c) 1♣ / ♦-(1♥)-Dbl。此次负面加倍保证恰好持有四张黑桃，绝不会更多，因为如果你有 6 分和第五张黑桃，你可以叫 1♣。例如 ▲ 9842, ▼J52, ▲K2, ▲KJ65。

(d) 1♣-(1♦)-Dbl。此次负面加倍——唯一地——提供了关于两种花色的保证，显示在未叫出的两种大牌花色中均为恰好 4, 4 张。例如 ▲ Q842, ▼AQ52, ▲9842, ▲ 5. 因此请注意，在 1♣-(1♦)-1♥ / ♣ 的叫牌中，响应者可能仅在她的大牌花色中持有四张。将 1♣-(1♦)-1♣（响应者可以有四张黑桃）与 1♣-(1♥)-1♣（她必须有第五张黑桃）的序列进行对比。

(e) 1♦-(2♣)-Dbl。此次负面加倍的定义要宽泛得多。因为响应者叫 2♥ / ♣ 将保证持有第五张，所以负面加倍必须涵盖广泛的手牌，例如 4♣ / ♣ 3♥, 1♣-4♥。（提醒自己，在 1♦ 之上大胆抢叫 2♣，因为这对下一个玩家来说非常困难。）例如 ▲ J7532, ▼AJ2, ▲Q32, ▲J5。

(f) 1♣-(4♦)-Dbl。这是最高级别的负面加倍，在如此高的级别上，它更像是一般性的强迫叫出而非负面加倍。例如 ▲ K9712, ▼K32, +2, ▲AJ93。——将搭档对 4♣ 的 4♥ 回应拉至 4♣，暗示有第五张黑桃，但也有一些梅花支持。

(1) 保证有第五张黑桃，因为加倍将显示四张黑桃。 (2) 到达（十张）配合级别的契合度。 (3) 知道搭档有第五张黑桃。

风向叫牌 ♥3 到 ♥4，你用 ▲2 弃将东家的 ♥2 回传。在第三轮戏中，你尝试 ▲2 到 ▲Q。风向赢得 ▲K 并转换到 #10. 你赢得 +A，跨到 ▲AK，兑现 ▲A，弃将 ▲3 并让步给 ▲Q。然后你可以通过 +K 到达哑手以兑现梅花，从而完成 10. 轮戏。

andrew.robsin@thetimes.co.uk

大脑训练器

多边形

从这些字母中，组成 4 或更多字母的单词，且必须包含中心字母。答案必须在《牛津简明词典》中，不包括大写单词、复数、变位动词（过去式等）、以 LY 结尾的副词、比较级和最高级。

你的评分标准：12 个单词，平均：16, 良好；20, 非常好；25, 优秀

昨天的答案 metro, moor, moot, mope, moper, more, mort, mote, motor, orme, perm, poem, porre, proem, prom, promo, promote, promote, romer, romp, room, roomer, temp, tempo, term, tome, tremor, tromp 单元格区块 No 5796 将网格划分为正方形或长方形区块，每个区块仅包含一个数字。每个区块包含的单元格数量必须与其中的数字一致。正方形设置 No 4415 在网格中填入 1 到 9 的每个数字，使六个算式成立。我们已经放置了两个数字以供开始。每个算式应从左到右或从上到下计算。请注意，BODMAS 运算顺序不适用 杀手数独 中等 No 10,864 杀手数独 极难 No 10,865 与标准数独一样，填充网格，使每列、每行和每个 3x3 宫格包含数字 1 到 9。由虚线连接的每组单元格之和必须等于其左上角的目标数字。在由虚线连接的每组单元格内，数字不能重复。Charlines 数独、杀手数独或 KenKen 没思路？请在午夜前拨打 0901 293 6263，获取今日任何谜题的四个线索。通话费用为 £1 加上您电话公司的网络接入费。SP：Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (周一至周五 9am-5:30pm)。答案 快速隐写 3373 密码字 5912 Kakuro 4411 数独 13004 Tetonor 698 铁轨 2937 数独 13005 单元格区块 5795 正方形设置 4414 Lexica 9037 数独 13006 Futoshiki 5452 KenKen 6904 Lexica 9038 杀手数独 10,862 简明五字谜 1 At ease 2 Uncles 3 Change 4 Extent 5 Eye level 隐写五字谜 1 David 2 Splash 3 Pop art 4 Hockney Sakura 4814 问答 1 Shark 2 Nashville 3 Seven 4 Margaret Thatcher 5 Ireland 6 Notre-Dame de Paris 7 Blithe Spirit 8 René Magritte 9 Mary Bennet 10 Katharine Hammett 11 Brazil 12 Special purpose acquisition company 13 Lindy Morrison, formerly of the Go-Betweens of the Go-Betweens 14 Women's British 15 Prince George (of Wales) 词汇观察 Macrology (c) Verbiose but consistigless (adj. (collec)) Darghatliion (a) The act of swallowing (Chambers) Remotade (b) A horse's hoof ointment (OED) 国际象棋 — 胜招 1 Ku89 is a lovely demonstration of the power of rock and knight when their corporate effectively. 1...cu(1)1...ku89 2 Qa89- Ku7 3 Qa89- KJ66 4 QA67 mate on gi is unstoppable 问答 1 Shark 2 Nashville 3 Seven 4 Margaret Thatcher 5 Ireland 6 Notre-Dame de Paris 7 Blithe Spirit 8 René Magritte 9 Mary Bennet 10 Katharine Hammett 11 Brazil 12 Special purpose acquisition company 13 Lindy Morrison, formerly of the Go-Betweens 14 Women's British Open 15 Prince George (of Wales) --- THE TIMES 07.08.26 # 心智游戏 # 词汇观察 David Parditt # Macrology a 英语和拉丁语的混合短语 b 任何统一的领域研究 c 冗长但毫无意义的谈话 # Deglutition a 吞咽行为 b 粘合键的断裂 c 多余物质的去除

拥有还是租赁：哪个更便宜？房贷成本高企且房价停滞。我们通过数据分析，旨在找出在哪些地区租房者和买房者的处境更好。作者：David Byers

你应该继续租房，还是现在是买房的好时机？如果你正纠结于这个问题，你绝非孤身一人。在租房者和买房者面临的成本压力方面，近年来发生了许多变化。

一方面，在新冠疫情之后，随着工作人员纷纷返回城市，许多城市的租房成本飙升。这导致在截至2023年11月的一年里，租金创纪录地增长了10.2%。此后这一趋势明显冷却，房产门户网站 Zoopla 记录显示，在截至6月的一年里，新租房的平均成本上涨了2.1%。然而，有证据表明，税收增加和新的租客权利规定导致房东抛售租赁房产。这导致某些地区出现供应短缺，可供出租的房屋比疫情前减少了25%。

对于买家来说，挑战同样很多。自2022年以来，抵押贷款利率的上涨让低于1%的住房贷款成为了遥远的记忆。自2月伊朗战争开始以来，这种情况几乎没有缓解的迹象；根据 Moneyfacts 的数据，平均两年期和五年期固定利率维持在5.52%。买家的成本也增加了——尤其是自印花税折扣结束且“购房助手”（Help to Buy）计划终止后的首次购房者。

除了广泛的国家趋势外，还存在显著的地区差异。超本地化因素，如学校、面包店和公共交通的距离，以及住房存量的质量，导致买房和租房成本出现巨大波动。那么，在所有这些动荡之中，哪里买房更便宜，哪里租房更便宜？我们询问了 Connelly Group 的专家，该公司是英国最大的高街房地产和租赁代理机构，拥有超过1,200家分店以及全国最广泛的销售和租赁数据库。他们为我们分析了数据，并制定了一份权威指南。

当然，众所周知，买房有一个巨大的优势，那就是拥有一种可能增值的资产。但由于在过去五年中，许多地区的房价有所下降（如果考虑通货膨胀，降幅高达五分之一），通过房产积累财富已不再有保证。

富裕地区对业主而言最昂贵

在英格兰和威尔士最富裕地区的主要发现是，尽管疫情后租金上涨，但每月拥有房产的成本仍然高于租房。

在伦敦西南部

的肯辛顿-切尔西区，租房的成本优势最为明显。平均购买价格为£128 万，平均每月房贷为£5,391，而租金为£3,611——差额为£1,780。（这可以说是异常值，因为该皇家自治市的许多买家是全款购房。）

在富裕的萨里郡埃尔姆布里奇区，买房同样更贵（房贷£3,092，租金£1,833，平均购买价格£735,722），在西南郊区的里士满-泰晤士区也是如此（房贷£3,332，租金£2,289，平均价格£792,844）。

考虑到肯辛顿房产的高昂成本，在支付完相当于当地平均房价的租金之前，需要花费29.6年；而在埃尔姆布里奇则需要33.4年，在里士满则需要28.9年。其他租房比买房更实惠的地方包括

租房还是买房？租房更便宜的三个地区

地方当局 / 购买价格 / 抵押贷款还款 / 租金*

肯辛顿和切尔西 (Kensington and Chelsea) / £1,282,637 / £5,391 / £3,611 埃尔姆布里奇 (Elmbridge) / £735,722 / £3,092 / £1,833 泰晤士河畔里士满 (Richmond upon Thames) / £792,844 / £3,332 / £2,289

买房更便宜的三个地区

塔勒姆莱茨 (Tower Hamlets) / £459,208 / £1,930 / £2,401

布里斯托 (Bristol) / £350,164 / £1,472 / £1,888 泰恩河畔纽卡斯尔 (Newcastle upon Tyne) / £206,715 / £869 / £1,201

*数据为价格、每月抵押贷款和租金支付的平均值。来源：Connelly Group

赫特福德郡的圣奥尔本斯（租金 £1,915 对比抵押贷款成本 £2,639）以及德比郡戴尔斯（租金 £792 对比平均抵押贷款成本 £1,455）也是租房比买房更实惠的地方。

赛理尔 (Savills) 伦敦西南区区域租赁主管 Rory Wallace 表示，潜在买家在首都依然犹豫不决——这不仅是因为成本，还因为政治上的不确定性。“虽然经济的不确定性以及对未来房价增长的持续质疑是影响因素，但决定在很大程度上正越来越多地由简单的经济账驱动。对于一些家庭来说，抵押贷款成本、房产维护费用以及支付巨额首付款的压力可能超过了拥有房产带来的好处，尤其是如果这只是一个短期居住计划的话。”

来自 BuiltPlace 的数据支持了这一观点，显示借款人支付的抵押贷款利息首次在十多年来超过了本金偿还额（£65.9 亿对比 £63.1 亿）。

Arlington Residential 是一家覆盖伦敦北部部分富裕社区的房产中介公司，其董事 Marc Schneiderman 表示，在首都的大部分地区，很少有租房者能在没有父母帮助的情况下负担得起房产，这使得许多人别无选择，只能留在租赁市场。他说：“我们的研究显示，潜在买家中只有不到 5% 的人在财务状况上能够无需父母或祖父母的帮助而买房。”

价格下跌将至——这会改变局面吗？

在房价高到让买家望而却步的地方，供需法则将起主导作用，随着卖家变得更加焦虑，价格必然会下跌。Zoopla 上周表示，7 月达成的交易量比去年下降了 9%，而挂牌出售的房屋数量增加了 3%。

与此同时，《泰晤士报》最近的研究表明，考虑到通货膨胀，2021 年 10 月至今年 3 月期间，房价在实际条款上下跌了 17.8%。

来自 Stacks Property Search 的 Sara Ransom 表示，例如肯辛顿和切尔西的价格在过去一年中下跌了 10%。她补充道：“短期内价格可能会继续走软。”

目前，东南部市场依然低迷。Rightmove 上周发布的数据显示，在伦敦，从达成交易到完成交易需要 174 天——接近六个月，这是有记录以来的最长时间。如果价格继续下跌，速度可能会加快。

向北寻找最便宜的房屋

与此同时，除伦敦（以及首都最实惠的地区）之外的城镇和城市在名单中占据主导地位 --- 3

Bricks&Mortar

£650,000 在这里能买到什么...

格洛斯特郡 (Gloucestershire)

这座名为“旧学校之家” (The Old School House) 的房屋面积超过 2,200 平方英尺，是斯特劳德 (Stroud) 中心最引人注目的住宅之一。古朴的魅力和石制窗棂窗是最初的吸引力，而内部设有四间卧室，外加一个独立的侧翼，包含一个 16 英尺的客厅、一间浴室和一间卧室。室外设有路外停车位、一个大小适中的花园和一个独立的车间。

斯特劳德是一个深受喜爱的波希米亚风格小镇，拥有优质的商店和学校，且近在咫尺便是科茨沃尔德 (Cotswolds)。

EPC E（潜力 C）——等级范围从 A（最好）到 G（最差）

优势：设有独立附件，可用于出租、员工居住或亲属居住。 劣势：需要进行美容翻新。

联系方式：hamptons.co.uk

剑桥郡

Blackberry Farm 由同一家族拥有近三十年，在半英亩的土地上拥有 2,287 平方英尺的居住空间。Friday Bridge 村位于 Wisbech 以南三英里，Wisbech 是一座历史悠久的集镇，被誉为低地沼泽地（the fens）的首府。该房屋设有三个接待室，外加一个 20英尺 x 15英尺的厨房 / 餐厅以及一个温室。楼上设有五间卧室和一个浴室。此外还有草坪花园和成熟的树木，以及包括车库、车棚和储藏室在内的广泛附属建筑。EPC E（潜力 B） 优势：无后续交易链。 劣势：卧室与浴室比例较低。 联系方式 sowetbys.com

在某些地方，每月的持有成本比租房更便宜——房价更低，抵押贷款也更可负担。在伦敦最便宜的两个区，塔村哈姆莱茨（Tower Hamlets）和纽汉（Newham）（平均房价分别为 £459,208 和 £390,057），由于新建筑房源的存在，买房比租房更便宜——每月成本分别低 £471 和 £275。这种情况也出现在一系列北方城镇和区域中心，包括纽卡斯尔（Newcastle upon Tyne，每月买房便宜 £332）、曼彻斯特（每月便宜 £293）和诺丁汉（每月便宜 £195）。

如果你在塔村哈姆莱茨租房，需要 15.9 年的租金支付才能达到该地区的平均房价——这仅为在肯辛顿支付租金所需年限的一半——而在布里斯托尔则需要 15.5 年，在纽卡斯尔则需要 14.3 年。

然而专家表示，这种计算结果在不同邮编之间往往有所不同。Ryder & Dutton（一家隶属于 Leaders Roman Group 的曼彻斯特房地产中介公司）的销售总监 Jake Rowson 表示：“在曼彻斯特北部，买房是否比租房更便宜，实际上取决于你在价格阶梯上的位置。以大约 £125,000 的房产为例——比如 Blackley 的一套两居室公寓——即使是存款不多的人，也能发现每月的持有成本远低于同一套公寓的租金。但如果价格上升到 £300,000 左右，这个差距就会迅速缩小，因此这并不是该区普遍适用的规则。”

Connells Group 的首席分析师 Nick Maud 表示，伦敦以外的城市以及较便宜郊区的住房可负担性，意味着租房者正以越来越多的数量迁往这些地区。“仍然有一些地方，拥有房产比租房更具价值，在伦敦塔村哈姆莱茨区、布里斯托尔、纽卡斯尔和朴次茅斯，平均每月支付额便宜 £300 以上。虽然这些地区在地理上各异，但它们的共同点是通常具有更强的城市特征，且房价较低。”

“然而对许多人来说，积攒首付款仍然是实现这一跨越的重大挑战。经常占据租客收入相当一部分的定期租金支付增加了这一难度。印花税也构成了一道障碍，尤其是在伦敦，前期成本非常高。这使得租房在首都成为了更具吸引力的选择。”

北方城市（房价更可负担）买房大多比租房便宜的事实也体现在苏格兰。Connells 一份涵盖边境以北的独立数据集显示，在这里，只有两个地方政府区域租房比买房便宜——珀斯与金罗斯（Perth and Kinross，便宜 £92——即 £917 的抵押贷款成本与 £825 租金之间的差额）和东邓巴顿郡（East Dunbartonshire，便宜 £6——£1,118 对比 £1,111）。这些地区的房价——分别为 £218,187 和 £265,936——远高于苏格兰 £188,548 的平均水平。

达勒姆郡 (Co Durham) Middlestone Lodge，一座覆盖着常春藤的爱德华时代石造住宅，拥有可直视克利夫兰丘陵 (Cleveland Hills) 和北约克郡谷地 (North Yorkshire Dales) 的无遮挡乡村景观。屋内设有门厅、图书馆、餐厅和起居室，此外还设有工作室和实用空间。楼上设有四间卧室、一间浴室和一间书房。该住宅保留了原始特征，包括高天花板、天花板装饰花盘和石制壁炉。它位于柯克·梅里顿 (Kirk Merrington) 的边缘，该村庄距离达勒姆 (Durham) 15 分钟车程。EPC F（潜力 D） 优点：漂亮的南向花园，配有露台、草坪、车库和温室。缺点：由于 EPC 评级原因，无法将其出租。联系方式 finest.co.uk

或者……康沃尔郡的两套公寓

这两套一卧室公寓位于帕德斯托 (Padstow) 中心，步行至港口仅需片刻。其中一套设有阳台，另一套则设有可欣赏码头景观的遮蔽式屋顶露台。两套公寓均设有开放式起居 / 烹饪 / 用餐区，且装修时尚。这些房产是热门的度假租赁房，其租赁期限还剩 988 年。EPC D / D（潜力 C / C） 优点：在这个美食天堂中一个极具吸引力的投资机会。缺点：警惕度假租赁房面临的沉重税收增长。联系方式 johnbrayestates.co.uk

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4 # 砖瓦房产 (Bricks&Mortar) # 搬迁故事

“我搬到了德文郡的蓝色地带”

水上运动、海滩瑜伽、新鲜食物和社区氛围，让生活变得更平静、更幸福。德文郡是我们一直热爱的地方，它以全国最宜居的健康之地之一而闻名，类似于你听过的著名的“蓝色地带”：即像撒丁岛或日本冲绳那样，人们经常能活过 100 岁的地方。官方认定的热门区域在东德文郡，距离我们沿海约 40 英里，但住在南哈姆斯（South Hams）这里，临水而居且拥有同样缓慢的生活节奏，我明白为什么整个郡都建立了这样的名声 [Faye Bosley，50 岁说]。我们的女儿，22 岁和 26 岁，大学毕业后都找到了工作。我们成了空巢父母，知道现在是时候考虑人生下一个篇章了。在将生命奉献给做母亲、担任保姆和照顾家庭之后，我们希望专注于自己的健康和幸福。我们卖掉了在萨里郡坎伯利（Camberley）的房子，在没有找到另一处房产的情况下就卖了——在完成交易仅剩六周时，我们面临着无家可归的局面。于是我启动了德文郡计划。我以金斯布里奇（Kingsbridge）为基地，不知疲倦地寻找了一处又一处租赁房产。我们最终在镇上租到了地方，并迅速适应了临水的生活。这是一个拥有所有必需品和许多独立商店的集镇，由于位于金斯布里奇河口之首，生活围绕着海岸和乡村展开。水具有一种抚平一切的力量，对于住在水边的人来说，有一种平静感。这里的一切立即各就各位。邻居们很热情，用咖啡和蛋糕迎接我们。我们本想在金斯布里奇买一套房子，尤其是当我们开始结交好朋友之后，但这是一个昂贵的城镇，而且深受第二套房所有者的欢迎。我们的预算是 £500,000，所以我们选择了一栋位于奇灵顿（Chillington）的平房，那是一个开车 10 分钟路程的村庄。最近的海滩在托克罗斯（Torcross），距离 5 分钟路程。大多数日子里，在早餐前去海边已经成了一种习惯。

顶部：德文郡的金斯布里奇。上方：Faye Bosley 在玩桨板。

我们绝对热爱这里，而且因此变得健康得多。我在这里做的几乎所有事情都围绕着水展开。我加入了一个冷水游泳小组。我们进去游大约 20 分钟，然后在暖身时聊天。我还参加 Waterborn 每周一次的女性桨板课程，地点在南哈姆斯的各个不同地点——有时在河口，有时出海，取决于潮汐。这是开启一天绝佳的方式，与一群女性一起在水面上滑行，大家聊天大笑，从一个完全不同的角度欣赏风景。我也喜欢在班瑟姆（Bantham）做海滩瑜伽，那是德文郡最美丽的海滩之一——在海浪翻滚的沙滩上伸展身体，这就是健康生活的极致体验。我们有很多拥有船只的朋友，所以夏天经常出海旅行，我还和金斯布里奇的老邻居们一起划皮划艇。虽然我们搬离了镇中心，但那些友谊依然延续，一起在河口划桨是叙旧的完美借口。我们热爱这里非商业化的生活——我们享受在海里游泳和缓慢的生活节奏。这里有这么多令人惊叹的海岸步道：要么沿着河的金斯布里奇一侧，要么在水对岸的萨尔科姆（Salcombe），在那里你可以一直走到波尔特角（Bolt Head）及更远的地方。其中许多活动是免费的，所以我们在经济上更加宽裕。这里每个人似乎都有时间停下来聊天。感觉人们对竞争不感兴趣，而我们发现这曾是萨里郡生活的一部分。

我们的饮食也很好，家门口就有这么多新鲜的当地农产品，从鱼贩到农场商店，我觉得这是拼图的另一块碎片。这其实就是“蓝色地带”的秘密：它并非由单一因素组成，而是每天在不知不觉中活动身体（而从未将其视为锻炼）、健康饮食、拥有目标感以及与他人建立联系的综合结果。我觉得自己平静得多，更快乐，也更健康。新鲜的空气、在海中游泳和划桨板都让我重新充满活力，而这里深厚的社区感也帮助我们在心理上变得更强大、更快乐。我们在萨里郡时没有这种感觉——而现在 50 岁，我觉得自己才刚刚开始。采访人：安妮·海耶斯 (Annie Hayes)

COUNTY HALL KINGSTON

一个值得生活的故事，由您拥有

CHK 坐落在距离泰晤士河仅咫尺之遥的地方，周围环绕着里士满公园、汉普顿宫以及伦敦西南部一些最顶尖的学校。这座二级级（Grade II）上市地标建筑，旨在适应现代家庭的生活方式，并确保在漫长的岁月之后依然卓越非凡。 1, 2 和 3 卧室公寓及复式公寓 秋季末入住 价格 £450,000 起 预约看房 0330 029 9140 / CHK.LONDON 全生成模型。

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FINE & COUNTRY

本地专业知识，全国影响力，国际受众

HEMINGFORD GREY 剑桥郡

一座坐落在真正独特水岸地块上的时期住宅，拥有一个河畔草地岛，可便捷前往剑桥大学和伦敦。 EPC 免除 / 市政税：H / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：0330 333 1060 £2,000,000

CHICHESTER 西萨塞克斯郡

奇切斯特最显赫的地址之一——一座屡获殊荣的二级（Grade II）上市 15 世纪联排别墅，经过全面翻新与重新设计。 EPC：C / 市政税：H / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01243 908077 £1,850,000

SOUTHPORT 默西赛德郡

一座装修标准极高的豪华家庭住宅，配备水疗风格的休闲套房和宏伟的娱乐空间。 EPC：C / 市政税：F / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01704 205021 £1,600,000

GREAT HORMEAD 赫特福德郡

一座惊艳的四卧室独立住宅，坐落在约 1.5 英亩的地块内，配有独立谷仓和美丽的景观花园。 EPC：D / 市政税：G / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01920 443898 £1,500,000

BRANDON 萨福克郡

一座卓越的七卧室独立住宅，坐落在 3.5 英亩的正式花园和林地中，拥有包括泳池、娱乐室和酒吧在内的室内休闲设施。 EPC：D / 市政税：H / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01284 718822 £1,500,000

NEWBURY 伯克郡

Malt Cottage 是一处宽敞的四卧室、两浴室、三个接待室的二级（Grade II）上市 10 世纪房产，极具特色。 EPC：E / 市政税：G / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01635 30303 £1,100,000

FURNESS VALE 德比郡

Yorkshire Hall 是位于 High Peak 的一座二级（Grade II）上市杰作，提供 1.09 英亩土地、三间卧室、四间浴室、两个接待室，且无后续交易链。 联系电话：01298 808082 £995,000

CROWLAND 林肯郡

坐落在乡村环境中的卓越乔治亚风格乡村住宅，提供 3 英亩土地、四间卧室、附属住宿设施、马厩、三车位车库和远眺景观。 EPC：B / 市政税：F / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01780 750200 £900,000

STAINFORTH 北约克郡

独特的二级（Grade II）上市 17 世纪农舍，拥有四间卧室、一间单卧室 airview、一座谷仓和宽敞的花园，兼具时期魅力与卓越潜力。 EPC：E / 市政税：F / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01200 420747 £795,000

SAUL 格洛斯特

宽敞的村庄住宅，拥有四间双人卧室、一个定制农舍厨房、多功能生活空间、成熟花园、环保特性以及便捷的交通连接。 EPC：C / 市政税：G / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01453 751661 £740,000

WEST DRAYTON 中塞克斯郡

一座二级（Grade II）上市住宅，占据西德雷顿历史绿地对面显要的位置。 EPC：D / 市政税：D / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：0203 912 3425 £725,000

MYTHOLMROYD 西约克郡

一座规模宏大的二级登录建筑家庭住宅，将时代特色与优雅的现代生活相结合，坐落在俯瞰考尔德河谷（Calder Valley）的专属鹅卵石庭院内。 EPC：豁免 / 市政税：F / 产权：永久产权 联系电话：01422 410723 £695,000

总部 119-121 Park Lane, London W1 / 44 (0)20 7079 1515 parklane@fineandcountry.com / fineandcountry.com 扫描二维码预约志愿者 全球 300 个地点 F&C --- 6

砖瓦之间 (Bricks&Mortar)

这座四层高的意大利风格维多利亚式别墅是一道引人注目的风景，它耸立在费尔法克斯路（Fairfax Road）的尽头，距离伦敦西北部的主要干道芬奇利路（Finchley Road）仅两分钟步行路程。凭借新古典主义圆柱、双前门和彩色玻璃窗，这座宏伟的建筑看起来更像是出现在贝尔格莱维亚（Belgravia）某个僻静角落的产物，而非位于瑞士小屋（Swiss Cottage）地铁站附近、四周被公寓和运动场包围的密集建筑区。但这座房子的华丽，结合其地理位置的隐秘性，或许正是吸引英国创作歌手林赛·德保罗（Lynsey de Paul）在1990年代中期全款购入它的原因。德保罗出身于附近克里克尔伍德（Cricklewood）一个充满创伤的家庭，期间曾遭受父亲的残酷殴打，但她随后在1970年代达到了音乐超级巨星的地位，于1972年录制了全球热门单曲《Sugar Me》，并凭借1973年的《Won't Somebody Dance With Me》成为首位获得伊沃·诺韦洛奖（Ivor Novello award）的女性。在1972年至1977年之间，她为自己及他人创作或共同创作了14首进入英国前40名的热门歌曲，以及九部英国黄金时段的电视系列剧。1977年，她与迈克·莫兰（Mike Moran）共同表演的《Rock Bottom》险些让英国连续第二次赢得欧洲歌唱大赛的胜利。在1980年代，德保罗在伦敦北郊的海格特（Highgate）买了一处哥特式房产，她将其命名为“Moot Grange”（No Mortgage的字母易位词），以象征她的成功。到1995年，当她全款支付£640,000买下费尔法克斯路这座4,000平方英尺的建筑时，人们认为她想要一个远离媒体关注的地方，因为她曾卷入多段情史，对象包括词曲作者伯尼·陶平（Bernie Taupin）、足球运动员乔治·贝斯特（George Best）、演员肖恩·康纳利（Sean Connery）以及披头士乐队的林戈·斯塔尔（Ringo Starr）。尽管收到多达五次求婚，但她未婚且没有孩子，她将瑞士小屋的家作为写作的避风港。Goldschmidt & Howland公司的董事尼布斯·拉卡尼（Nibs Lakhani）表示，德保罗非常注重隐私——该公司负责了德保罗随后在2001年将房子卖给格罗夫斯（Groves）家族的交易，官方记录显示成交价为£100 万。中介文件多次记录，她要求此次出售必须“非常谨慎”且“不得做广告”，且她不应被识别为卖家。卖掉房子后，这位歌手搬到了米尔希尔（Mill Hill）的小房子里，与一只名叫“三脚架”（Tripod）的三腿猫生活在一起，直到2014年因脑出血去世，享年66岁。“她是个很有个性的人，”拉卡尼说道，他回忆起在米尔希尔地址与她多次打交道的经历，而他已故的Goldschmidt前任则处理了费尔法克斯路的交易。在2001年德保罗出售该房产后，Goldschmidt在2003年再次将其以£160 万的价格卖给了电台主持人乔纳森·“乔诺”·科尔曼（Jonathan "Jono" Coleman）及其家人。科尔曼是英国多个广播网络中的家喻户晓的人物，他于2006年与家人移居澳大利亚，随后中介再次将房子以£260 万的价格卖给了印度金融家阿洛克·巴拉（Alok Bhalla）及其妻子安贾莉（Anjali），两人育有两个年幼的孩子。正是时尚设计师安贾莉在2013年主导了这座房子的惊人改造，并与高端室内设计师沙利尼·米斯拉（Shalini Misra）合作。要定义这座四卧房产装饰的精确风格是

维多利亚式别墅曾由林赛·德保罗（最右侧）拥有六年。下方：餐桌由一块澳大利亚化石木手工制成

琳赛·德·保罗价值£4.85的伦敦避世之所

这位创作歌手的前居所被现任业主重新改造，成为了部分是灵性圣殿、部分是现代主义联排别墅的空间。David Byers 进行了参观。

这几乎是不可能的——而且根据 Anjali 的说法，这正是她的意图。“我凭直觉行事。我选择对我而言感觉正确的东西，”她说。

在将房屋内部改造为某种可以被描述为部分是马哈拉贾宫殿、部分是灵性圣殿且部分是现代主义联排别墅的空间，以及 Anjali 所说具有“特殊能量”的地方时，不计成本。例如，在底层的餐厅里，有一张由一块澳大利亚化石木手工制成的桌子。这个房间以及走廊对面的客厅，依然保留着原有的维多利亚时代顶角线、高耸的天花板和推拉窗，并摆放着巨大的艺术作品，描绘着佛教、印度教和基督教的符号，并与现代概念作品相融合。

厨房里有一个来自大英博物馆的殖民时代档案柜。

“我认为定义是具有局限性的——灵性没有限制，”身为印度教徒的 Anjali 说道。

在地下室是这座房子的亮点——一个带有熔岩石台面和休息区的巨大开放式厨房。木地板上嵌入了蓝色几何图案的瓷砖，那是 Anjali 在与两个女儿进行家庭度假时，从一位八十多岁的比利时艺术家那里买来的。与此同时，侧面是一个设计精巧的英国殖民时代储物柜，带有多个滑动抽屉，此前曾被用于大英博物馆，Anjali 是从一家名为 Retrouvius 的回收店购买的，同时还购买了许多其他物品。

“有些东西是古老的，有些东西是当代的，”她解释道，并补充说她受到了在印度、新加坡和香港生活期间的影响。

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7 Bricks&Mortar

在室外，通过厨房的双扇门，是一个被绿植环绕的景观花园。Anjali 大约在十年前种植了这个花园，这里有季节性的粉色玫瑰、含羞草以及一棵现已成熟的桦树。一条隐秘的小径在房子周围之字形延伸，通向前方的车道和入口大门。这家人们使用一间外屋进行冥想。

随着 Alok 接近退休，这对拥有两个成年女儿的夫妇打算在汉普斯特德（Hampstead）买一套较小的房子，同时保留在意大利和葡萄牙的其他房产。

然而，出售位于 Fairfax Road 的这栋房子并非易事。大约一年前，他们将房产挂牌价定为£535 万，随后大幅降价至485 万英镑 million，由 Aston Chase 和 Goldschmidt & Howland 共同代理销售。

为什么如此困难？Aston Chase 的联合创始人 Mark Pollack 承认，出售这栋房子的困难令人困扰，部分原因是考虑到高端市场的放缓，最初的定价过于激进。这是由取消非定居居民（non-dom）身份、印花税上涨、昂贵的抵押贷款以及全球不稳定造成的。

“整个市场的动态已经发生了显著变化，”他说。“真的是一个接一个的意外。”

尽管如此，赛理尔 (Savills) 发现，£500 万-plus 市场的销售额较今年前三个月经历的历史低点略有回升。但 Beauchamp Estates 认为，这在很大程度上是自伊朗战争爆发以来，海湾地区买家取代离开伦敦的人员的结果。

另一个困难是房子的位置。Pollack 低声承认，如果房子能向南汉普斯特德方向再移动几百码，远离芬奇利路（Finchley Road）且处于一个建筑较少的区域，将会引起更大的兴趣。此外，他补充道，如此张扬的设计——无论看起来多么不可思议——并不会吸引所有人。

“要找到一个能欣赏这种折衷主义特质所有细节的买家，可能相当具有挑战性，”他说。对此，Anjali 开玩笑地回答道：“好吧，我不会把那些东西卖掉的！”

然而，来自 Goldschmidt & Howland 的 Lakhani 表示，这些艺术品和设计特色对于许多具有折衷主义或艺术品味的买家来说具有巨大的吸引力。“我昨天向人们展示时，他们立刻问的第一句话就是，他们会留下这些艺术品吗？”你猜测，德保罗（De Paul）一定会认可这种风格感。

有些东西是古老的，有些东西是现代的

园艺：为气候更炎热的英国选择具有韧性的植物。详见《星期日泰晤士报》家居版及在线网站 thetimes.com

最安静的热泵（也可用于制冷）——专家精选

无论您的房屋是大是小，是新建还是改造，使用这些经过认证的无噪音型号，让您的居家环境既温暖又凉爽。

作者：Poppy Szkiler

根据 Quiet Mark 委托 YouGov 进行的一项调查，三分之二的人表示噪音会影响他们安装热泵的决定——而且近四分之一的人会因此完全放弃安装。

我在 Quiet Mark（一个针对全球最安静产品的认证计划）的声学团队将市场上超过 850 款令人眼花缭乱的热泵进行了筛选，以找出今年的无噪音型号。所有热泵中竟有 60% 未能达到我们的标准 1。

15 年前，我与母亲 Gloria 共同创立了 Quiet Mark，延续了我祖父 John Connell 的工作。他于 1959 年创立了噪音削减协会（Noise Abatement Society），并游说议会在 1960. 年将噪音列为法定干扰。

我们建立了全市场数据库，并使用标准化测试来审查制造商关于噪音水平的声明，据此我们认证噪音水平最低的型号。我们会综合考虑每台热泵的声学性能与其 kW 输出功率。

与锅炉相比，热泵在为房屋供暖时排放的二氧化碳更少（通常噪音也更小）——其中许多型号在热浪期间还能为房间制冷。如果安装得当，空气源热泵的噪音不应超过冰箱或中雨，范围在 40 和 60 分贝 (dB) 之间。

在我们的调查中，57% 的人表示，如果购买热泵时有独立的噪音认证，将增加他们的信任感，因此这里是 Quiet Mark 精选的 14 款超安静型号。我们的价格指南仅为热泵本身的基准价，不包括安装费和更大尺寸散热器的费用。

最适合公寓及小型住宅

Daikin 4 口多分体空调 6.8kW 仅室外机 £1,923 可通过一套系统为最多三个房间供暖和制冷，并供应热水。它可将最多三个独立控制的室内机和一个 120 升热水箱连接到一个室外机，该室外机可提供 5.2kW 的制冷量和 6.8kW 的制热量。

Trianco Activair Pro 6kW £4,336 旨在帮助中小型住宅业主转向更可持续的供暖方式。该产品还提供 12kW 和 17kW 版本，由一家拥有 165 年历史的供暖供应商提供。

Grant Aerona 290 6. £3,339 单风扇热泵单元，非常适合小型至中型住宅和公寓，无论是以新建还是改造形式。由 GI 安装人员（GI 是一项认证计划）安装时，具有极高的效率并提供七年保修。

Bosch Compress CS5800i AW 5kW £3,744 专为英国住宅打造。它可以通过散热器以高达 75℃ 的出水温度运行，使其能够

替代漏风房屋中的燃气锅炉。该产品超安静且高效，并承诺安装便捷。

中型住宅最佳选择

Panasonic Aquarea M Series T-CAP 9kW (WH-WXG09ME8) £5,276 适用于中型家庭住宅，尤其是那些从燃气或燃油锅炉转换为热泵的住宅。它可以与现有散热器有效配合工作，运行极其安静，并提供可选的冷却功能，以确保全年的舒适度。

Vaillant aroTHERM 7kW £4,039 最适合空间有限的住宅。该改进型号具有一项名为“灵活空间功能”的特性，使其能够比其他热泵（包括其前代产品）更靠近门窗进行安装。

Windhager AeroWIN Deluxe 2.6 — 7kW £13,103 包含控制装置、首个加热回路的分配系统以及远程访问功能。提供主动加热和冷却，以及“静音”模式和具有远程访问功能的直观触摸屏控制界面。

Insta Group IG6-MPI-AI £1,818 适用于最多四个卧室的新建住宅，或三卧室的老旧半独立式住宅。它提供空间加热、通过储水罐提供热水以及冷却功能。建议通过风机盘管进行冷却，风机盘管可以通过在热水（或冷水）盘管上吹风来实现加热和冷却。

Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan 8.5kW £3,452 属于一个知名系列，功率范围从 5kW 到 14kW。其网站提供一个工具，通过回答一些问题来估算适合您住宅的热泵尺寸。

大型物业最佳选择

LG THERMA V R290 Monobloc 16kW £6,420 起 专为大型住宅、保温性能较差的住宅以及配备传统散热器的建筑设计，这类建筑需要性能效率卓越的热泵，以便在现有系统中以更高温度泵水。在炎热天气中，它可以反转循环，通过在兼容的地暖管道系统中循环冷水来提供冷却。

Ideal 10kW Logic Air £3,589 为大型物业提供高效加热和快速热水。Logic Air 与 Ideal 预铺管和预布线的储水罐搭配使用，是最容易安装的热泵系统之一，且与 Halo Air 结合后，是最容易控制的系统之一。得益于其低噪音水平和较小的安装间距，室外机几乎可以安置在任何地方。

旧房改造最佳选择

NIBI: S2060-6 通过 NIBE Home 购买 £6,150 起，包括缓冲罐、安装和材料，但不包括散热器。适用于中小型住宅的改造项目，或小型至大型的新建低能耗建筑。它使用天然制冷剂，有助于减少对环境的影响，并内置 wifi 和智能技术，可通过智能手机调节室内气候。

Midea M Thermal Nature Plus Series 8kW £3,400 可以在高温下运行，且与传统散热器完全兼容，显著降低改造成本。是空间受限且时间紧迫的改造项目的理想解决方案。

Solax 5kW Allure series £3,250 起 适用于小型旧房或中型新房，具体取决于热损失情况。它提供高效的低温加热、生活热水，并可进行冷却（在安装了兼容发射器的环境下）。与 Solax 逆变器、电池、电动汽车充电桩和 X-Hub 智能能源管理系统的集成，意味着您可以通过一个简单的应用程序控制整个生态系统。

Poppy Szkiler 是 Quiet Mark 的首席执行官 --- 8. 8 Bricks&Mortar 拥有与租赁

我们分开了，但没有搬走

凯特·圣希尔（Cate St Hill）不再与丈夫维持夫妻关系，但他们仍然住在一起，一起举办生日派对和“披萨星期五”——为了给他们五岁的女儿提供一个稳定的家。

在我三岁的时候，我的母亲——一位 20 世纪 80 年代后期的单身母亲——给我的父亲打电话问他：“你想怎么做？她开始问起你了。”他的回答是：“等她 18 岁的时候可以来找我。”而这正是我后来所做的，在虚假的保证变成破碎的承诺之前，我与他见过几次面。他没有出过一分钱，而我心中始终留下了一个巨大的问号。

我从小就意识到，婚姻，以及父母永远在一起，那是童话故事里的情节。我明白，人们选择成为父母是通过爱，而不一定是因为基因。我确实有一个父亲般的人物，尽管是一个出人意料的人：一位教父，虽然他与我的母亲没有浪漫关系，但他一直是一个积极的榜样，帮助我成为了今天的我。我对家庭的看法并不局限于传统的单位——它比那更灵活。重要的是谁在身边。

我一直希望我的女儿能有一个简单得多的故事。因此，在命运一个令人惊讶的转折下，我发现自己处于一种略显不寻常的情况：我仍然与前夫住在一起——也就是说，离婚程序尚未完成。这完全是出于选择，即便这并非我梦寐以求的选择。

三年前，当我的女儿两岁半时，我们友好地分开了，结束了一段 12 年的关系，没有戏剧性的喧闹。并没有一个巨大的时刻让我们分崩离析——虽然坦白说，房屋装修从来没有起到过帮助作用。我们只是停止了沟通，直到我们之间慢慢出现了一道裂缝，我们发现彼此已经漂离得太远，无法再次将我们粘合在一起。

我们基本上变成了室友——像深夜里两艘擦肩而过的船——在很多方面我们现在依然如此，尽管我们都成了更快乐的自己。因为现在我们友好地共同抚养孩子，并并肩居住在伦敦东南部同一个家庭住宅中。

这就是所谓的“筑巢”（nesting），一种共同抚养的安排，孩子留在同一个地方——家庭住宅保持为一个安全的基地——而成年人则根据需要往返。这为孩子创造了稳定性和连续性——他们不会有不断往返的感觉，并且为家庭过渡到独立生活提供了一种更缓慢、更温和的方式。

三年过去了，我们进入了一种感觉出奇正常的节奏，尽管这仍然引起朋友和家人的好奇。我的前夫在伦敦和巴黎之间分配时间，一周在这里，一周在那里。当他在家时，我也在。我们在房子的两端有各自的卧室，但我们会一起用餐，并确保以家庭成员的身份共度时光。我们有“披萨星期五”，偶尔会一起去学校接孩子，如果正好是我们的生日，我们三个会举行一个小小的庆祝活动。

问题在于，我们仍然将自己视为一个家庭单位，即使我们不再是一对情侣。我们不认为浪漫关系的结束必须意味着家庭的结束。我们违背了一个誓言，但我们仍然被绑定在终身的育儿责任中，所以我们不妨尽可能地让这个过程减轻痛苦。不仅是为了我们的女儿，也是为了我们自己。

我们在二十岁出头时相识。我刚从建筑学校毕业，他来到伦敦一个月。这与我想象中的爱情感觉不完全一样，但他是法国人，浪漫得不可思议，第一次约会时就带了一盒马卡龙。我的母亲陪我走在

走过走道，我的教父发表了演讲。2016年，我们买了第一套房，那是赫恩希尔（Herne Hill）的一栋不受欢迎的维多利亚时代排屋，给人一种典型的“最棒街道上最破的房子”的感觉。房子的布局很尴尬，唯一的浴室在底楼，与楼上的两间卧室分开。在忍受了五年寒冷刺骨、漏风的浴室以及一群常驻的 9 Bricks&Mortar 住户后，我们在2021年办理了重新抵押，并获得了建设两层扩建部分的规划许可，当时我正准备为女儿分娩。在为期六个月的施工期间，我们将底层空间向侧回转区开放，并将浴室移到了应在的位置，在此过程中增加了一间卧室。我一直梦想着亲手打造自己的房子，于是我全身心地投入到瓷砖的选择、油漆颜色的确定、木工细节以及整个项目的管理中，而我丈夫对此仅是以一副毫无波澜的耸肩表示反应。就在我开始适应新空间，油漆几乎还没干的时候，我们的婚姻结束了。

当我们决定分开时，我找不到关于“嵌套式居住”（nesting）的案例或信息。我只知道我们必须采取不同的方式。作为一名室内设计师，我的整个生活都与家相关——我的家就是我的工作，而我的工作就是我的家。那么，如果我能找到一种方法，保留这个对我来说意义最深的东西呢？当你离婚时，你们问自己的第一个问题是：“我们要住在哪里？”我们不再思考“应该”怎么做，而是开始考虑什么才真正适合我们。他不希望成为一个“周末父亲”，而我不希望重复过去。随着前夫在法国度过更多时间，在伦敦这样一个昂贵的城市拥有两个住所是没有意义的。我一个人无法负担一套只有一半好或一半大的房子，而且我们不希望女儿在他处于冲突期间时不得不一家酒店一家酒店地跑。

我们灵活且心态开放——如果其中一个人忘了在日程表上记录某事，这没关系；如果计划在最后一刻发生变化，我们总能解决。我的女儿五岁，她明白我们不在一起。这一切对她来说似乎完全正常，我也确信没有造成伤害——她是快乐的，满足的，并且经常微笑。上周她对我说：“爸爸有个女朋友和很多朋友，也许他可以帮你找个男朋友，也许我们可以一起出去找。”

我们是一个大家庭。没有你的我的区分，没有我的这周与你的那周之分。这是在扩大她的世界，而不是压缩。当格温妮丝·帕特劳（Gwyneth Paltrow）和克里斯·马汀（Chris Martin）“自觉解绑”时，他们受到了公众的嘲笑——这个想法看起来就像用奇亚籽洗澡一样愚蠢。但也许与朋友一起抚养孩子并不是一个坏主意。我是通过实例学到这一点的。我们似乎将抚养孩子与浪漫关系混淆到了如此程度，以至于伴侣在家庭中失去了自我，或者当伴侣分开时你失去了家庭。还有另一种做事方式，不需要导致双输的局面。

在分手时，我记得前夫对我说：“但我以为我们会一起慢慢变老，”而我回答道：“我们依然会，只不过是以父母的身份。”我们不是一个破碎的家庭，我们是一种不同类型的家庭，虽然有点混乱，是的，有点不寻常，但在尽最大努力抚养孩子这一点上是统一的。对于我们来说，这不是一个结局，而是一个章节的结束和另一个章节的开始——是对可能性的重新定义。我们没有失败。事实上，我认为我们正成功地让这一切运转起来。

凯特·斯蒂尔（Cate St Hill）是一位常驻伦敦东南部的室内装饰作家和设计顾问。您可以在 catesthill.substack.com 阅读她的 Substack 专栏，或在 Instagram 上关注 @catesthill

“当他没把马桶盖放下，或者洗手池里堆满盘子时，我发现自己在这里抓狂。我们共同支付抵押贷款并分摊账单。”

当然，与前任同住并不理想，尤其是当你试图约会并重新开始生活的时候。当他没把马桶盖放下，或者水槽里堆满了碗碟时，我发现自己在内心感到绝望并抓狂。但总的来说，这是我必须做出的妥协，为了让我的女儿能拥有一个我从未拥有过且一直梦寐以求的在身边陪伴的父亲。她永远不会记得我们拥抱或彼此浪漫的样子，但她也永远不会看到我们争吵或打架。让她看到我们团结一致很重要。我们悄悄地将自尊心搁在一边，并尽量减少

租赁健康 Sasha Nugara，房产记者

我们的房东不让我们选择新的室友

从不靠谱的房东到室友间的戏剧冲突，我们的专栏作家为您解答疑问。

问 我和另外两个女孩合租一套公寓，我们相处得非常好。不幸的是，其中一人要搬出去和男朋友同居，所以我们需要另一个人来填补她的房间。我们想在 SpareRoom 或 Facebook 页面上发布广告并亲自面试，但房东说他想在不让我们参与的情况下处理这件事。我们是一个联系非常紧密的合租群体，我很希望保持类似的氛围。我们经常在客厅里闲逛，并且共用一个浴室。我有点洁癖，而且我们一直把房子维持得非常整洁。我们有任何影响力或抗议的权利吗？

答 房东更换租客的方式各异，但对他们来说，记住谁住在房子里——而不仅仅是谁拥有它——是很重要的。我在克拉珀姆（Clapham）的房东处理得非常正确。他会询问我们所有人哪个晚上有空，然后安排一两个晚上的面试：15-minute slots，30 分钟间隔。这很完美，因为我们不仅省去了发布房间广告和筛选回复的行政麻烦，而且他还能对我们选中的租客进行审核。那是一栋住四个女孩的房子，他明白维持和谐有多重要。多年来，由于生活方式冲突，我们有过几次提前搬离的情况，寻找新租客让每个人都得花精力。家应该是你的避风港，所以我想在得知下一个室友是谁之前至少得到一个预告，对此我并不责怪你。我发现房东参与过程越深，他们往往就越在意。我经历过最糟糕的搬迁是由那些不费吹灰之力的租赁代理处理的，他们给我的关于家庭成员构成的信息不超过一句话。我曾经花了一周时间才意识到我住在一栋有四个男人而没有其他女性的房子里，我不想再次陷入那种境地。

我向合租网站 SpareRoom 的总监马特·哈钦森（Matt Hutchinson）寻求建议。

“在新的《租客权利法案》下，一些房东已经从共同租赁转向按房间出租，部分原因是为了避免空置期，”哈钦森解释道。“这是因为从 May 1, 2026, 起，如果共同租赁中的一个人希望离开并发出通知，这将终止所有租客的租赁合同。”

“在你的情况下，听起来是你的室友离开了并终止了她自己的合同，这意味着你的房东有权自行填补该房间。然而，这本身也带有风险：如果你不喜欢新室友，你最终可能也会离开。”

“对于房东来说，理想的情况是低流转率且没有空置期。给你的房东打个电话并与他沟通可能是值得的。最可能的情况是他无法在你们寻找完美人选期间一直等待。他需要尽快填补那个房间。”

“所以，如果你能向他保证，你意识到速度对他来说至关重要，并强调需要找到一个合适的室友，以便你们在可预见的未来能继续快乐地住在那里，他可能会更有可能允许你们自行寻找替代室友。”

遗憾的是，你在法律上没有选择替代租客的权利，但绝对值得与你的房东进一步沟通。如果你一直是一个良好、可靠的租客，我看不到他为什么不给你最终决定权——尤其是如果氛围的改变让你考虑自己离开的话。你的房东不再能发出 section 21 无过错驱逐通知，所以不必担心因为维护自己的权益而遭到反弹。

你现在可以在任何想要终止租约的时候提前两个月发出通知。因此，如果你的房东最终招到了一个噩梦般的租客，那么你和你朋友可能需要寻找新住所了。有疑问？请发送电子邮件至 sasha.nugara@the-times.co.uk --- 10

Bricks&Mortar

MORA SIEMON FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES / SWIRTSPOKER FOR LINGUETTY BRAKES

“我作为养老金购买的公寓现在毫无价值”

在丈夫去世后，74岁的戴安娜·奥德尔（Diana Odell）购买了三处房产以资助她的退休生活。而现在，格伦费尔塔火灾后安全法规中的一个古怪规定，意味着她必须继续工作。

[戴安娜·奥德尔，74岁，表示] 我原以为我已经规划好了退休生活，并为我和孩子们做了最好的打算。但现在我生活在恐惧之中。我从未想过自己会陷入这种境地。

2000年1月，我住在赫特福德郡——已婚，有两个孩子，从事兼职工作。我结婚快20年了。但后来我的丈夫在48岁时死于一场事故。那是一个巨大的冲击。当时我47岁，被留下独自抚养两个孩子。我在35岁时回到了大学并取得了心理治疗师资格，但我当时是自雇人士，正试图建立自己的诊所。我没有职业生涯，也没有养老金。幸运的是，我的房子没有抵押贷款，但我有一个女儿即将上大学，另一个还在上学。那是一段可怕的时光。

丈夫去世时，有一笔人寿保险金。当时，政府在鼓励人们自行解决养老问题。我认为利用他的保险金购买三套公寓可以为我提供一些收入和未来的养老金。

2003年和2004年，我在曼彻斯特购买了两套新建公寓——一套一居室约£100,000，一套两居室£217,000。此外，我在诺丁汉购买了一套翻新的一居室公寓，约£100,000。在那套曼彻斯特的两居室公寓上，我有近£200,000的抵押贷款，至今仍在偿还。当时的想法是获得一份收入来抚养女儿们，等我退休时，我会把它们卖掉并靠收益生活。

然后，2017年发生了格伦费尔事件。[这场火灾夺走了伦敦西部一座塔楼的72条生命，并暴露了全英国公寓的火灾风险。] 那正是我考虑退休的时候。我发现我无法出售任何一套公寓，因为存在外墙覆层和安全问题。我惊呆了。

幸运的是，在所有三个案例中，开发商最终都采取了行动。公寓正在进行修复。所以我的处境远没有许多人那么糟糕。其中一套公寓我每月在亏钱——租金不足以覆盖抵押贷款和服务费，而服务费在过去几年里几乎翻了一番。另外几套则有少量利润。

我的问题在于：尽管我的公寓终于在进行修复，但没人愿意购买。所有公寓都被认为价值为£0。

由于我是非合格租赁持有者，我的成本没有法律上限。

政府将我标记为“非合格租赁持有者”。让我解释一下。2020年，政府创建了一个建筑基金，以帮助租赁持有者支付外墙覆层修复费用。但在2022年，政府决定——大概是因为基金规模不足以支付所有人——将租赁持有者分为不同等级：合格和非合格。

其初衷实际上是帮助那些住在自己家中的人们，而非企业房东。因此，如果你除了自住房外还拥有三处房产，你就会被视为非合格租赁持有者——这意味着政府认定该租赁持有者需永久负责因历史火灾安全缺陷而产生的任何建筑修复费用。

合格租赁持有者受到法律保护——他们无需支付修复外墙覆层的费用，而对于其他火灾风险，支付的金额设有上限（通常为£10,000）。

作为一名非合格租赁持有者，我的成本没有法律上限。如果未来发现火灾安全缺陷，建筑业主可以向我发送一张金额不限的账单——£50,000、£100,000或更多——而我在法律上有义务支付。

这一沉重的条件实际上被附加在了房产的所有权上，从而使其无法出售。因此，尽管我的公寓现在正在进行修复，但当所有建筑工程完工后，如果我想出售，这种“非合格”的认定仍会随房产租赁协议而存在。这意味着任何买家在未来的任何时间，只要发现历史遗留的消防安全缺陷，都必须承担维修责任。没有人愿意购买带有这种风险的房产。除了以大幅降低的价格卖给现金买家外，它们根本无法出售。房产中介和律师告诉我，他们不会处理非合格租赁持有者的房产销售。这完全是不合逻辑且不公平的。所有租赁持有者在购买房产时都是出于诚信。然而，一些制造商撒谎并销售他们明知不安全的材料，许多开发商偷工减料且违反规则，而政府没有修正错误的规则或糟糕的检查——他们才是该被责备的人。政府试图在未来的索赔中自我保护。但在任何建筑中，他们未来都可能发现问题。我的房产所有权实际上在事后被更改了，在我看来这甚至是不合法的。此外，如果开发商已经支付了我的修复费用，为什么还要给房产附加一个非合格状态？你会认为这些建筑的风险应该更低。所以这不合逻辑。我的目标不是为了赚很多钱，而是为了养老金。我原以为我现在已经退休了，但我仍在工作。我在 2005 年再婚，但我的丈夫 79 岁，已经领取养老金退休了。我们太老了，无法获得抵押贷款。我的公寓开发商现在可能正在修复它们，但如果签署验收报告的检查员发现仍有不安全的地方——例如没有防火分隔——我可能要为这些维修负责。我生活在对数千英镑账单的恐惧之中。而且我无法出售任何一套公寓。我担心当我去世时，我的孩子们会继承这个问题。我意识到我很幸运，我的房子没有抵押贷款。但如果我需要退休金，我就得办理房屋净值释放（equity release）。我不知道我是否能负担得起家里新窗户的费用。我们刚刚支付了 £2,000 来修理汽车，但当那辆车报废时，我还能负担得起另一辆车吗？我必须继续工作，以防我需要增加收入。一个解决方案是修改规则，这样当房产出售时，如果买家名下没有三套公寓和一套住宅，他们就可以成为合格者。这样，“非合格”状态就随着房产的出售而结束。我还认为他们应该取消租赁持有者的不同等级。当工党在反对党期间，它宣布所有租赁持有者都是无辜的。现在它执政了，显然它赞同保守党的观点，即某些租赁持有者比其他人更无辜。我们对安迪·伯纳姆寄予厚望。他是我们事业的支持者。所以还有一线微小的希望。另一方面，我们看到一旦进入政府，你的承诺并不一定会实现。在过去的十年里，这一直是一个持续的担忧。主要是我感到被辜负了。你以为你在规划养老金，然后却因为不是你的错的事情而被责备。我原以为我做的是正确的事。

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DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

THE

TIMES

Friday August 7 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75105

£3.20 £2.35 to subscribers

(based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription)

Mortgage v Rent

Which is cheaper?

'Tomdays!

The billion dollar couple

Times2

You're the best in world, boss told professor in plagiarism row

Tom Ball

Professor Jason Arday's boss at Cambridge described him as "the best in the world" in his field and gave him her "full support" when two academics raised detailed concerns about his work shortly after his appointment.

Professor Hilary Cremin, head of the faculty of education at Cambridge, was

presented with evidence of Arday's alleged plagiarism in May 2023 by two academics.

Two months earlier Cremin had welcomed Arday to his new role in a BBC programme about his achievement in becoming Cambridge's youngest black professor, saying: "We are so lucky to have you. You are the best in the world in terms of the research that you do."

The concerns were raised by Dr David Harris, an academic at Plymouth Marjon University who had been reviewing Arday's work as part of a research project, and Professor Martyn Hammersley, a sociologist at Open University whom Harris had asked to review.

Emails seen by The Times show that Cremin responded to them by stating that she had held a meeting with Arday

regarding the article in question, which had been published in 2018, and that after the meeting Arday had decided to "take the article down from the journal online platform in order to address concerns and re-upload it".

She went on to write that during the meeting "Arday spoke movingly about his ongoing experiences of direct and indirect racism, and the conditions that

he was living in whilst the 2018 article was being prepared (in 2016). At this time he was early career and living away from home whilst dealing with significant health issues."

She said that though the university took allegations of plagiarism seriously, "we remain immensely proud of Arday's achievements and scholarship, Continued on page 5

Fraud alert

over loans to foreign students

• Fifth are now taken by non-UK citizens
• British taxpayer on hook for unpaid billions

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

About one in five student loans are now being given to non-British citizens, which risks costing the taxpayer billions of pounds a year in unpaid debt.

Research has found that in the past year foreign students received about £4 billion in tuition fees and maintenance loans, about 20 per cent of the total lending under the scheme.

The vast majority went to EU citizens, with one in 20 of all first-time student loans going to Romanians alone, amid concerns within the government that the scheme is open to fraud.

Critics have warned that the increase will fuel unpaid student loan debt with figures showing that foreign students are about 25 per cent less likely to repay their loans than their British counterparts, meaning that UK taxpayers face losing between £1.2 billion and £2.2 billion each year.

Student loans are not normally available to citizens of other countries studying in the UK — instead they are expected to fund their fees and living accommodation themselves. But there are exemptions for EU citizens or their relatives who qualify under the post-Brexit citizenship deal struck after the UK left the European Union.

This means that those with settled status are entitled to claim student finance. In the past 12 months more than 36,000 people have successfully applied for settled status, along with

30,000 family members of those already granted it.

Figures from the Student Loans Company show that of the 239,000 foreign citizens in receipt of loans, about 195,000 have settled status under the citizenship scheme. In the past decade the percentage of student loans being given to non-UK students has increased from 10.2 to 19.3 per cent.

The Conservative MP Neil O'Brien, who collated the figures from parliamentary questions and freedom of information requests, said he was concerned that the post-Brexit scheme was being exploited. He said, despite the deadline to apply for settled status passing five years ago, the Home Office was continuing to grant late applications.

"In the past 12 months alone, around 66,000 completely new applicants gained residency via this scheme, five years after the deadline," he said.

"Why is the Home Office allowing these implausibly late claims, and on what basis are they still being granted?"

O'Brien, who is head of policy for the Conservatives, said he believed there was a link between the rise in the number of student loans being handed out to foreign students and the continuing claims for settled status.

"My worry is that too many of these people will leave and not repay, or are getting the loan to top up their income while mainly working and doing a bit of studying," he said. "If we stop the flow of Continued on page 2

Family's tribute Relatives of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, the Edinburgh charity worker whose body was found in a suitcase in Athens, said they would remember her as a kind and selfless person who dedicated her life to helping people. Page 7

No 10 aides

show blokey Burnham the red card

Ben Clatworthy Whitehall Editor

Andy Burnham has been told to tone down his "blokeish" videos by No 10's social media experts.

Team Burnham are receiving daily reports from the unit, which includes experts in data and social media analytics. Last week they advised the prime minister to limit the number of references to football and the pub in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience.

The team, which was created under Sir Keir Starmer's premiership, monitors Burnham's personal accounts, including the sentiment of replies.

A video of Burnham and John Healey, the chancellor, rating bar snacks to highlight a business rates cut for hospitality venues, was viewed more than five million times on X. Burnham has also regularly referenced football, his love of Everton and pints in his social media content. A source told The Times that the team "have cautioned against some of the content, advising to tone down some of the blokiness, such as the bar snacks stunt. He is a strong communicator but it's about balance."

The Cabinet Office is recruiting about 50 social media staff for the Government Media Unit (GMU). The unit is overseen by David Dinsmore, the civil service director for government communications and former editor of The Sun. A source familiar with his plans said he wanted to drive users towards central UK government social media accounts in an attempt to increase overall engagement.

Content produced by the GMU has been seen by 25 per cent of the population in the past 18 months. Departmental accounts reach just 2 per cent. The Cabinet Office said no decision had been made on the final size of the GMU.

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2

News

Friday August 7 2026 | THE TIMES

Today's highlights

7am Anna Turley, minister for border security and asylum

7:45am Helen Whately, shadow work and pensions secretary

8:35am Jim Boyce, former senior vice-president of Fifa

10:45pm The comedian Dom Joly, right, on his

new tour and the 25th anniversary of Trigger Happy TV

2pm Sally Alington, a close friend of the

Kercher family, who has started

a petition to cancel Amanda

Knox's Edinburgh Fringe show

TODAY'S EDITION

NEWS

BOILING OVER

Sacked Bake Off boss suing for breach of contract

PAGE 11

SPORT

CATALAN CALLING

Barcelona enter race to lure Rodri from the Etihad

PAGE 63

TIMES2

BOWING OUT

Sáin Phillips on why she's decided to quit the stage at 93

COVER

COMMENT 23

LETTERS 26

LEADING ARTICLES 27

WORLD 28

BUSINESS 31

REGISTER 51

SPORT 58

CROSSWORD 60

TV & RADIO TIMES2

The Ukrainian plot to sink the Russian economy

Kyiv is facing escalating missile attacks and the country is out of interceptor missiles to stop them. But behind the scenes, Ukraine has been plotting to bring down the Russian economy by targeting its largest online shop.

Available on the Times Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts

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Switch-off may leave millions in countryside without TV

Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor

Labour has been warned that ending the terrestrial television network with in the next decade could leave millions of rural households paying more to watch TV, or unable to watch it at all.

Campaigners have urged ministers to delay any decision to end Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), which delivers Freeview to homes via rooftop aerials, until at least 2044. They argue that the government's figures show broadband and mobile coverage in the countryside is too weak to support the move.

The government's Future of Rural England report, published last month, promised to place rural communities "at the heart" of policymaking by requiring Whitehall departments to assess the impact of policies on the countryside from the outset.

Broadcast 2040+, a coalition campaigning to retain universal free-to-air television, has written to Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, a minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and former chair of Labour's Rural Research Group, urging her to make the future of DTT an early test of the government's commitment to

rural-proofing. The group wants ministers to retain the terrestrial television network until at least 2044, and carry out a formal rural impact assessment before deciding whether to end the service as early as 2034.

The government is consulting on whether to close DTT at the end of 2034 and deliver television over broadband or retain the network until 2044.

Campaigners argue that large parts of rural England are not yet equipped for the transition. They said government figures showed only 66 per cent of rural residential premises have access to gigabit-capable broadband, compared with 93 per cent in urban areas.

About 21,000 rural properties in England still lack access to a decent broadband connection, while only 63 per cent of rural premises receive indoor 4G coverage from every mobile operator, compared with 96 per cent in urban areas. About 2 per cent have no indoor 4G coverage from any operator.

Broadcast 2040+ said ending the terrestrial television network before those issues are solved would force many households to potentially buy expensive broadband subscriptions, replace functional televisions or buy additional

equipment to continue receiving channels currently available for free via an aerial. Others living in poorly connected areas could lose access to television altogether, they warned.

The group also pointed to the demographics of rural England, where 27 per cent of people are aged 65 or older, compared with 18 per cent in urban areas outside London.

A spokesman for Broadcast 2040+ said: "Ending digital terrestrial television before universal connectivity exists would embed the digital divide into the future of television."

A government spokesperson said "there is a strong case for a long-term transition to IPTV [internet protocol television], but no decisions have been made. The purpose of the media green paper is to gather views from across the sector and the public before any final decisions are taken. We are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind as TV viewing increasingly moves online. Any future transition would only proceed once we are confident the right safeguards, infrastructure and support are in place so that everyone can continue to access television affordably and with confidence."

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Loans to foreign students

new EU settled status claims, the flow of EU student loans is likely to dry up."

This year Bridget Phillipson, then education secretary, promised to crack down on franchised colleges that had the power to award degrees on behalf of universities. Experts say the colleges are being exploited by students who sign up for the courses to claim the loans before dropping out with no intention of repaying the money.

There has also been growing pressure on the government to relax the repayment terms facing UK graduates amid growing anger at punitive interest rates. This week more than 120 MPs and peers wrote to the chancellor asking him to carry out an "urgent review" of the student loan repayment system.

They say that the system under which graduates have to repay 9 per cent of their income above a certain threshold is an "unsustainable and unfair financial burden". Lucy Powell, the education secretary, said last week that the issue was at the "top of my in-tray".

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: "We have strict eligibility requirements for student loans — nobody who lives outside of the UK can apply for or receive a loan. Anyone leaving the UK must continue to repay what they owe."

Lending to the world

% of UK student loans given to foreign applicants, 2024-25 academic year

Neil O'Brien

Comment

A fifth of all the money lent by the Student Loans Company last year went to people who are not British nationals — £4 billion a year of British taxpayers' money. Five pence in every pound lent went to nationals of Romania alone.

Much of this will not be repaid, so taxpayers are subsidising people who may well end up living in other countries. Given the justified outrage over how much British students are being charged, and the brutally unfair interest rates they are having to pay, this is utterly perverse.

Why is this happening? We stopped having to treat EU nationals like British students five years ago when we left the EU, and although Labour is thinking of conceding this as part of ongoing negotiations, at least at present we don't have to give EU nationals student loans any more.

And yet, the share of student loans going to non-UK nationals has gone up, not down. Why? As part of the withdrawal agreement, we agreed to maintain the rights of EU citizens who

were already living here before we left, through the EU settlement scheme.

That was reasonable, but the deadline to apply passed five years ago. So surely, you'd expect it to be over now. No. In the past 12 months, around 66,000 new applicants gained residency via this scheme, five years after the deadline. Instead of tailing off, the number of new applicants given settled status actually spiked in the past quarter. Over 160,000 "late applicants" have been granted settled status since the deadline of June 30, 2021, along with a further 54,000 family members joining them — so about 220,000 people. And 124,000 people applying after the deadline got pre-settled status, with 202,000 family members joining them.

Why is the Home Office allowing these late claims, and on what basis are they still being granted?

I've asked, but it refuses to answer. If you missed the deadline by a week, I would understand. But five years late is another matter.

Romanian nationals are five times more likely to apply than other EU nationals — and at least one in every 20 Romanian citizens now has settled or pre-settled status in the UK.

While the amounts borrowed by Polish people has barely changed in five years, the amount borrowed by Romanians has doubled to £1.25 billion.

The government seems asleep at the wheel. It does not publish data on lending to non-UK nationals or any estimates of repayment rates. I have had to drag this information out of the government via parliamentary questions. These have revealed a much lower rate of repayment for non-UK nationals, with 51 per cent making a repayment last year, compared with 68 per cent for British students. Less than half of Romanians, just 45 per cent, are repaying.

British taxpayers are probably going to be losing a bit over £2 billion a year on loans to non-UK nationals.

The EU scheme was a reasonable way to protect the rights of EU nationals here and Britons in Europe. But it was supposed to be a one-off.

We cannot afford to be handing out settlement when it means entitlements to benefits and student loans.

Neil O'Brien is the Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby & Wigston and the shadow minister for policy renewal and development.

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THE TIMES | Friday August 7 2026

3

News

Mamma mia! It's the beast of Brescia

Sightings of a giant reptile have captivated an Italian town — and led to a host of memes, writes James Imam

The beam of a torch cut through the darkness of a northern Italian field, revealing a sight no one had expected. A large reptile, of a species more accustomed to the tropics, stared back at its pursuer with a beady, unblinking eye.

The creature was not a native species, but a 1.5 metre-long Papuan monitor — a powerful predator from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea that had somehow found its way to the countryside near Montichiari, near Brescia in Lombardy. The photograph prompted a lizard hunt that has captivated this rural town for almost a month.

Rumours had been swirling about the lizard ever since a worker reported seeing it at the farm in the first week of July. A fortnight later, on July 12, the same farmhand succeeded in photographing the creature.

"I didn't initially believe it could be true," Marco Togni, the mayor of Montichiari, told The Times. "But we have now verified the image and we can say that it is absolutely real." There have now been three reported sightings in the space of two weeks.

Papuan monitors — also known as crocodile monitors — are fast runners with powerful claws and can react aggressively if frightened or cornered, inflicting serious bites, scratches and forceful tail

strikes. Like their heavier cousins Komodo dragons, the reptiles are venomous and typically feed on eggs, birds and small mammals like rats and bandicoots, but have also been known to take down pigs, deer and hunting dogs. One human fatality was reported in 1983, when a Papuan woman was bitten by a Papuan monitor and died from an infection.

Keeping the species in Italy is illegal, although it is also protected, meaning the lizard cannot be killed,

The lizard photographed in Montichiari, in the Brescia region. Left, the local mayor, Marco Togni, in AI-generated videos

except in self-defence.

"We don't know how it got here," Togni said, suggesting that a resident must have been keeping it illegally. "It either escaped or was abandoned."

To protect residents, the council has banned walking and cycling in the area where the lizard was seen, while farm workers have been told to keep the doors of their cabins closed.

A search operation has also been launched, using drones equipped

with thermal cameras and night vision, which so far have been sent out at dawn and during the evening for ten days. Two cage traps containing chicken have also been set up.

"The reptile is cold-blooded," Togni explained. "It warms itself in the sun, so we hope the thermal cameras will detect a difference in temperature."

Other sightings of creatures alien to Italy this year have generated intense media interest.

A reported crocodile sighting in the Tuscan

Not to be trifled with

The creature roaming Montichiari appears to be a crocodile monitor, also known as a Papuan monitor. It is the largest lizard native to New Guinea, the world's second largest island, and usually lives among swamps and rainforests.

It is one of the longest lizards in the world, growing up to 100in (2.54m) in length, mainly because of its long whip-like tail, and can weigh up to 90kg. It is carnivorous, feeding mainly on birds, small mammals and eggs.

Though not known to prey on larger animals such as humans, the creatures can be aggressive if cornered or threatened. The Encyclopaedia Britannica says it is "considered risky to hunt them".

village of Masiano in May triggered search operations and inspired a local amateur football club to rename itself the Masiano Crocodiles. The village was given the tongue-in-cheek nickname "the Loch Ness of Tuscany", despite doubts over whether a photograph of the reptile was genuine or AI-generated.

A very real infestation of peacocks in the spring also wreaked havoc in Punta Marina, near Ravenna, with the screeches of more than 100 exotic birds keeping locals awake at night and

prompting some to demand that they be culled.

The lizard has so far evaded capture but Togni's campaign has inspired a flood of memes and transformed the mayor into an unlikely social media star.

One AI-generated video portrays him as a sunglasses-wearing lizard ranger. The lizard lounges beside a swimming pool with a cocktail, before fleeing from the ranger and escaping in a light aircraft. The pair are also been seen on stage together performing a specially composed song, Beware of the Lizard.

The video was created by Michele Sanguinetta, a local high school teacher and musician. He said the idea came to him after a night out. He first recorded the melody and keyboard accompaniment into one AI program before using another to generate the video from text prompts.

"I didn't know the mayor but he later called to thank me," Sanguinetta said. "I wanted to ease people's fears with a bit of humour."

If the lizard is eventually captured, it will be handed over to wildlife specialists, who will donate it to an approved facility such as a zoo.

Togni is taking the memes in good spirit, having reposted the lizard ranger video on his social media.

"It's a lot of fun and I showed support with a bit of humour, but it's important to also maintain an official tone," the mayor said. "The situation afflicting this town is serious."

Argentina dedicates national day to World Cup win over England

Stephen Gibbs

Latin America Correspondent

Argentina is a country replete with national commemoration days: it has one for tango, one for mate — its grassy national brew — and another for "friendship". Now there is one more. As of next year, July 15 will be "National Football Teams Day", marking the date its football squad defeated England in the World Cup.

"The date was chosen to commemorate the great and historic victory of the national team against England in the

2026 World Cup semi-final," the Argentina football association said in a statement. It stressed the decision to mark the occasion had been approved by its board "unanimously".

"The team, led by Lionel Scaloni, was losing to the English side by a single goal, but with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, managed to turn the result around and send the entire country into a frenzy of celebration," said the association.

The day, it said, would honour all the national squads, from the youth teams to the beach soccer side that train at the

Lionel Messi complex in Buenos Aires, "with the hope, joy, and responsibility of defending the sky blue and white".

Marking July 15 as a day of celebration perhaps diverts attention from what happened four days later, when Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in the final.

Argentina's deep football rivalry against England goes back, at least, to the 1966 tournament when Antonio Rattin, Argentina's captain, was sent off in the key quarter-final played at Wembley for "verbal dissent", after he protested a foul. The bitterness was consolidated in Argentina's quar-

Players held a banner saying the

Falkland Islands belong to Argentina

ter-final victory at the 1986 tournament, four years after the Falklands conflict, and Diego Maradona's infamous "hand of God" goal.

The football association's designation of the national day made no mention of the controversy after this year's match, when some of the Argentine players celebrated by unfurling a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", which translates as "The Falklands are Argentine".

Fifa has opened formal disciplinary proceedings against the Argentine Football Association.

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4

News Plagiarism row

Arday claims publisher paid

Charlotte Alt

Jason Arday, who quit as a professor at Cambridge University following accusations of plagiarism, claimed he was paid “1.4 million” for his memoir, which is due to be published this month.

The book, Great and Unfortunate Things, which charts how he became the university’s youngest black professor, is set to be published by Simon & Schuster on August 11 in the United States and August 27 in the UK.

The publisher has stood by Arday despite allegations of plagiarism, questions over his academic qualifications and accusations that he exaggerated his sporting and fundraising achievements.

Cambridge University, which had said that an investigation into allegations of plagiarism found no evidence of wrongdoing, announced on Wednesday that it had launched a fresh inquiry. Arday resigned shortly afterwards.

It has emerged that in an interview with The Guardian, Arday said Simon & Schuster had offered “1.4 million” for the book in a “pre-empt”, a type of deal in which a publisher is so keen to snap up a manuscript that they make a high offer before it can go to auction.

Publishing sources told The Guardian that a book such as Arday’s would normally be expected to sell about 5,000 copies, which, at £2 in royalties per copy, would equate to an advance of £10,000.

Arday did not specify whether the 1.4 million figure was in pounds or dollars. Simon & Schuster did not respond to a request for comment on the sum.

The Guardian had planned to serialise Great and Unfortunate Things before its publication in the UK but The Times understands there are no longer any plans to do so. A spokesman for The Guardian said: “We don’t comment on editorial planning.”

Simon & Schuster confirmed shortly before Arday’s resignation that it would proceed with publication as planned. A spokesman said on Wednesday: “We are proud to publish Professor Jason Arday. We have worked closely with him on Great and Unfortunate Things since acquiring it in April 2024 and can speak to the professionalism and integrity he has brought to every stage of the publication. At Simon & Schuster, we have robust editorial and legal processes in place that we apply to the books we publish. Great And Unfortunate Things is Jason Arday’s memoir, told through his

Resignation ‘AI-written’

Tom Ball

Jason Arday appears to have used artificial intelligence to help write his resignation letter after days of scrutiny over allegations of plagiarism, according to three separate detection tools.

On Wednesday night Arday released a 600-word statement in which he announced that he would be stepping down from his position as a professor of sociology at Cambridge University.

When The Times ran the letter through four market-leading detection tools, three assessed that it had been written either entirely or almost entirely by AI. Pangram and Winston AI both deemed the text 100 per cent AI-generated, while Humalingo assessed it at 94 per cent AI-generated. Turnitin gave it a mark of 68 per cent AI.

AI detectors analyse the patterns that large language models often leave behind when composing texts. No detection tool claims to be totally accurate.

Arday wrote in his letter that the years since his appointment had been “marked by an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack.” He added: “While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement.”

Arday did not respond to any of the allegations of plagiarism, nor address any of the other claims he is said to have made.

He was contacted for comment.

own recollections and those of the people closest to him. He worked closely with his co-writer, as well as our editorial and legal teams, to carefully research, write and corroborate the narrative.”

The publisher said that no allegations of plagiarism had been made regarding the memoir, which was written in collaboration with Eve Claxton, a London-born writer based in New York. Simon & Schuster did not respond to requests for comment.

The memoir recounts Arday’s life,

from his diagnosis with autism and global development delay at the age of three to speaking his first words at 11. In the book, he claims to have learnt to write at 18.

A manuscript indicates that several claims disputed in recent days are not in the book’s final version. Arday’s claim to have personally raised up to 53.5 million for 70 charities does not feature. He has defended this claim but clarified that the money was raised over 20 years by a syndicate of 100.

The memoir makes no mention of his claim to have run 600 miles in six days, an achievement that would have placed him among the world’s most gifted endurance runners. Arday now says it actually took him 12 days.

On Wednesday, it emerged that Arday appeared to have falsely claimed to have published a book titled Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse. According to The Telegraph, Palgrave Macmillan accepted the proposal but did not proceed with publication.

Simon & Schuster was at the centre of a controversy three years ago when a book by Dr David Agus, a prominent American oncologist, was found to contain numerous instances of plagiarism. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2023 that it had found 95 passages in The Book of Animal Secrets that were not credited but resembled text that first appeared elsewhere. A review of three previous books by Agus revealed another 120 passages, the paper said.

The publisher said at the time: “We take these matters seriously, as does the author, and regret that these errors were included in the initial editions of the book.”

In 2022 Simon & Schuster came under fire over “hand-signed” special editions of Bob Dylan’s book The Philosophy of Modern Song, which were sold for $600 but actually featured the singer’s autopsy signature. The publisher eventually offered full refunds. Professor’s resignation, letters, page 26 Case has put spotlight on academic vetting and rigour, leading article, page 27

Great and Unfortunate Things

Jason Arday’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, will publish his memoir, left, as planned. His former boss, Hilary Cremin, below right, told Arday in a BBC report when he was taken on as a professor, right: “You are the best in the world in terms of the research that you do.” Baroness Morgan of Huyton, below, was on the board of electors that appointed him

I was doing my job as a reporter, and then he went to the police

Behind the story

Scribbling down shorthand notes at a hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice on February 3 this year, my phone began to silently buzz — a call from an unknown mobile number (Jack Grove writes).

Rushing to file copy, however, I decided to take the voicemail at my desk, about ten minutes away.

I was shocked to hear it was from the Metropolitan Police, asking me to call them back. Why? Nothing remarkable had happened to me in the previous year. When I rang back,

the officer explained a complaint had been made against me regarding the University of Cambridge professor Jason Arday, but the matter was now closed. But it was important, the officer explained, that I not contact him again, because it was affecting his mental health. I hadn’t emailed Arday in four months — my last had been in September, offering a formal right of reply to allegations that he had plagiarised his PhD.

That allegation was not made lightly. I had assembled a 63-page report which detailed how he had apparently used, without proper citation, huge chunks from a thesis written in 2009 by another student,

Paula Zwoudiak-Myers, now a highly respected education academic at Brunel University of London. Further checks found passages that seemed to be lifted from the work of researchers based in the US. Australia, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the UK, in total, I submitted 97 pages of evidence to Cambridge and Arday’s awarding institution, Liverpool John Moores University, for their investigation.

Serious allegations, certainly. Deeply embarrassing and distressing, definitely. Although Arday was eventually cleared of plagiarism after a review by Liverpool John Moores, a frenzy of coverage led to Cambridge

opening an investigation into Arday’s academic record and CV, followed shortly afterwards by Arday announcing his resignation.

But were my enquiries grounds for a criminal complaint? At Times Higher Education (THE), we cover stories of this sort frequently.

Maybe my pursuit of this story was too “incessant”, as Arday has claimed, hounding him about details in his personal biography that had little bearing on his academic role? In fact, prior to the letter that garnered a response from his solicitors, I submitted only three polite emails directly to Arday over the course of two months, asking about suspicions raised by multiple professors about plagiarism or odd data in his paper for the journal Social Sciences in 2018, then a further one about discrepancies in his CV and, finally, when and where his much-vaunted running achievements and charity activities took place.

These emails were factual: there

was almost no evidence, I said, that he had completed any of these runs, particularly the “600 miles in six days” slog. That feat, according to one YouTube talk, took place in 2013 but there was no record of it, despite lesser runs gaining acres of publicity. I received no response from Arday, with all subsequent responses coming via the Cambridge press office.

I believe these were all legitimate enquiries to put to Arday — particularly regarding the concerns around his prior papers, which had been the basis of his rise from a PhD student to professor within six years.

I explained to the Scotland Yard officer that I was a journalist looking into a story with a public interest dimension, and asked him whether he realized that he was calling a journalist. He told me Arday had said I’d been making online posts against him. But I hadn’t made any online posts about Arday, so what was the complaint? He didn’t really respond, simply repeating his request that I

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THE TIMES | Friday August 7 2026 19

5

News

'1.4 million' for his memoir

BBC, ALAH BONNET

Serious questions for sector's soft bigotry

Sonia Sodha Comment

The tale of Jason Arday is one of meteoric rise to the high echelons of academia followed by an even more spectacular fall from grace. His imploding star leaves behind a debris of serious questions for the university sector.

How on earth did someone who claimed to have done things it turns out he did not — such as publishing a particular book — get elevated to such heights by Cambridge University? Why did internal investigations into plagiarism clear him of any academic wrongdoing, when investigations by journalists and academics have generated so many serious allegations of borrowed material and fabricated data? How did he get past his academic seniors, supposedly some of the cleverest among us?

Some are already trying to boil this down purely to a lack of academic quality control. This narrative goes: there will always be chancers and grifters out there. Safeguards such as peer review rely on good faith and some of them get through. This has nothing to do with Arday's race or his autism diagnosis. It's a coincidence he was dripping in protected characteristics.

Such thinking is a product of stunning levels of intellectual dishonesty. Setting aside the plagiarism and fabrication allegations, I'm struck by just how ... had Arday's work is. It makes me cringe to watch video of Professor Hilary Cremin, head of Cambridge's faculty of education, fawning over him: "We're so lucky to have you. You're the best in the world in terms of the research you do." I'm gobsmacked that she didn't think it might be worth trying to read the book he'd claimed to have written before offering him a plum job.

But then, why should she? Arday

wasn't hired for his brain. He was hired because he is a diversity poster child: a black man with dreadlocks who claims to have been non-verbal until he was 11. The American academic John McWhorter puts it brutally: those who hired him "think black people are dumb". This is the easy route to diversity — of shortcuts and saviours. I don't think the faculty wanted a smart black academic such as McWhorter to challenge them on their lazy notions of equity. Too much risk of wrong-think. They didn't want to do the hard graft of making sure the best black and working class minds have just as much opportunity to become professors as anyone else. No, they wanted to show off to the world how progressive and cool they are.

Unfortunately this is now ingrained in some chunks of modern academia, places where midwitted groupthink is prized and people parrot idiotic ideologies in order to remain in with their mates. Of course it doesn't make any difference to women if men are permitted to self-identify into their changing rooms and rape crisis centres. Women sticking up for their rights are such transphobic bigots!

This can now go one of two ways. If the establishment goes down the "it's just our quality systems" road, they will provide succour to academics such as Nathan Cofnas, who uncovered some of Arday's plagiarism but was motivated by what I regard as his racist belief that under a true meritocracy black people "would disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment".

Or there could be a healthy reset on diversity, prompting genuine reflection on the sector's soft bigotry of low expectations and mushy groupthink. Academia could move towards policies that prioritise genuine equality of opportunity over virtue-signalling appointments that only serve to undermine academics. Is the sector capable of this though?

the fact that Arday had written for THE on several occasions.

Arday's resignation is unlikely to be the end of this extraordinary story.

Cambridge's position up until now had been that it was for Liverpool John Moores to investigate Arday's PhD. This may have been technically correct, but given Arday's profile, and the seriousness of the allegations against him, many in the sector found Cambridge's response to be inadequate for too long.

To my mind, using an arcane technicality within Cambridge's byzantine research procedures to prevent further scrutiny of questions about Arday's academic track record risked bordering on the farcical. Cambridge may have put this right but in the minds of many in academia and wider society, it is the Arday case that now demands the sector regulator's attention.

Jack Grove is a reporter and deputy features editor at THE, where this piece was originally published

Head of faculty at Cambridge gave 'full support'

Continued from page 1

and ... he has our full support". Cremin concluded her email by saying "we very much hope that this matter has been addressed to your satisfaction".

Hammersley responded by saying he did not feel the matter had been dealt with satisfactorily and said he believed an investigation of Arday's other publications should be undertaken. That Arday had decided to withdraw his article from the online journal, he added, showed that the plagiarism claims were not "mere allegation but a proven case". He did not receive a reply.

Arday, 41, was appointed to Cambridge after applying for a vacant professorship in the faculty of education. He was selected by an independent panel of nine members, known as the board of electors, chaired by Baroness Morgan of Huyton, a Labour peer and master of Fitzwilliam College.

Other members of the panel were: Professor Anoop Nayak, of Newcastle

University; Professor Louise Archer of University College London (UCL); Professor Jo-Anne Dillabough of the University of Cambridge; Professor Tim Harper, fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge; Professor Michalinos Zembylas, from the Open University of Cyprus; Professor Karen Coats of Homerton College, Cambridge; Professor Martin Mills from UCL; and Professor Paul Ramchandani of Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Harris and Hammersley brought their concerns to Cremin after Harris wrote to Arday directly asking him to clear up "certain oddities and confusions". In particular Harris highlighted a number of similarities between a 2018 paper published by Arday and a study by a renowned epidemiologist.

Arday did not initially respond, but wrote back a week later after Harris sent a follow-up message. He did not engage with Harris's critiques and instead accused him of acting "without

any reflexivity or humility whatsoever". Arday wrote: "Instead of spending your time trying to dismantle racism and ableism, you have spent what I assume is hours combing through my work looking for mistakes and then reporting them to various institutions. I have no problem with constructive criticism, but the tone of your emails are unkind and hostile."

He asked him not to write to him again. When Harris did so, prefacing his email by stating his admiration for him, Arday reported him to the police for harassment. Devon and Cornwall police later declined to pursue the case.

Arday made a similar complaint last year against Jack Grove, a journalist at Times Higher Education magazine. Yesterday Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, admitted the force "dropped the ball" when it spent four months investigating Grove.

Speaking to the BBC in 2023, Cremin said that the board of electors had been

"unanimous" in their support for Arday's application. Arday resigned from his position on Wednesday after days of scrutiny over allegations of plagiarism, which he has denied.

Neither Morgan nor any other of the panel members responded to a request for comment as to the basis on which they chose Arday. An email sent to Cremin asking for comment received an automated out-of-office response.

Senior academics at Cambridge have said that leaders deserve blame for the "grotesque racism which this whole business has unleashed", The Guardian reported. A joint letter was said to have been circulated at the university calling for an inquiry into Arday's appointment, with many suggesting the university had wanted a "quick fix" to improve diversity. Priyamvada Gopal, professor of postcolonial studies at the English faculty, told the newspaper: "This requires accountability now from those responsible, not a cover-up."

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6

News

PHIL WILKINSON

Soft focus The felt-artist Moy Mackay's exhibition features landscapes using merino fleece fibres and stitch. It runs at Dundas St Gallery, Edinburgh, until August 13

Chemo after surgery could help combat brain cancer

AI designs viruses for first time

Poppy Koronka Health Correspondent

Blasting aggressive brain cancer with chemotherapy minutes or hours after surgery could improve the effectiveness of the treatment, research has found.

Scientists at the University of Manchester have discovered two new windows of opportunity for chemotherapy, which are 15 minutes and 48 to 72 hours after surgery. Typically there is a delay of four to six weeks to allow a patient to recover.

Their study shows that the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from harm but can also limit drug concentrations, is disrupted during the two windows in the immediate and early periods after surgery.

The findings are in early stages but could potentially lead to changes in treatment for glioblastoma patients, who have poor prognoses at present.

About 3,200 people are diagnosed with glioblastoma, a fast-growing type of brain cancer, each year in the UK. The average survival time with the disease is 12 to 18 months, and fewer than 5 per cent of patients survive for longer than five years. Standard NHS treatment for the cancer has not changed substantially since 2005.

The authors of the new study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, performed mice studies to mimic the clinical procedure of removing a tumour and used a formulation that does not typically enter the brain — unless there is disruption to the blood-brain barrier. The team found the surgery disrupted the blood brain barrier, “revealing the opportunity for early treatment within specific temporal windows”.

On Tuesday the swimmer Archie Goodburn appealed to Andy Burnham

to put more money and resources into tackling brain cancer.

The 25-year-old, who was diagnosed with brain cancer when he was 22, described how trials around the world were not being seen in the UK which he said was “unfair and unjust”.

Goodburn was in tears as he told the BBC's Breakfast programme: “Please invest and make the difference. I'm on my knees begging for not just my own life but those who are affected and the families all around the country.”

The prime minister agreed to meet the swimmer after his plea.

Dr Thomas Kisby, who helped lead the study, said: “For the first time, we've shown glioblastoma surgery briefly exposes a vulnerability we can exploit.

“We suggest that the hours and days after surgery may hold the key to stopping glioblastoma from returning.”

Motherhood's link to a longer life

Kaya Burgess Science Correspondent

Raising children can be an exhausting and expensive business, but mothers across the animal kingdom, including humans, tend to live longer despite the extra physical toll and costs. Scientists now think they understand why.

Mothers are not only set up by evolution to have the extra strength and resilience to bear offspring. They also benefit from additional protection that is triggered when they become pregnant and start lactating, while the ovaries act as a “hub” that sends signals to keep organs functioning healthily

around the body. These are the conclusions of a new, in-depth review of scientific studies examining the link between motherhood and longevity, conducted by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California.

The study in the journal Cell notes that in some “eusocial” species, such as those which have a queen that produces most of the offspring for a colony, “extraordinary fecundity is coupled with exceptional longevity”.

Bearing offspring could boost her ability to withstand stresses. In many species, mothers need this strength to raise and protect children.

In human mothers, timing is key. Women who reach puberty early or have children at a younger age seem to suffer adverse consequences, linked to higher rates of “cardiometabolic diseases, cognitive decline, frailty, and premature mortality”. However, those who have their first child later in life appear to have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic heart failure and biological ageing.

Research analysed by the Buck Institute's review found that each additional year of breastfeeding over a woman's life is linked with a 14 to 15 per cent reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Kaya Burgess

Completely new viruses not found in nature have been designed using artificial intelligence for the first time.

Researchers at Stanford University created 16 bacteriophages, which attack bacteria but cannot directly harm human or animal cells. They set a cocktail of these viruses loose in petri dishes to feast on two strains of E. coli bacteria that had developed a resistance to naturally occurring viruses.

It is also the first time that an entire functional genome has been designed from scratch by AI.

The AI systems used, called Evo1 and Evo 2, are known as genome language models. They were trained on genetic data from millions of bacteriophages.

The systems designed thousands of genomes for the viruses and 302 of the most promising were picked for testing, but only 16 were ultimately able to successfully infect the bacteria.

The findings were published in the journal Science. In an accompanying article, Professor Tom Inglesby and Dr Moritz Hanke warned: “Although this is promising for life sciences applications, it also raises urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions.”

© AI models regularly go behind their human overseers' backs to conduct cyberattacks, companies have admitted. At the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, researchers from the ChatGPT creator OpenAI said a “swarm” of bots left hacking tips for one another before one broke into the website of the tech firm Hugging Face. Facebook's owner, Meta, said yesterday that one of its AI models was able to hack into another organisation's systems during tests.

Quintagram® No 2640

Solve all five concise clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Relaxed (2,4)

2 Childcare facility (6)

3 Clear (a riverbed) of sediment (6)

4 Range (6)

5 Height of one's line of sight (3,5)

A	A	C	C	D	D	E	E
E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E
E	E	G	H	L	L	N	R
R	S	T	T	T	V	X	Y

Solutions see T2 MindGames p15 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p14

London scissor attack

A woman accused of stabbing four men in the back with a pair of scissors in Covent Garden, London, has appeared in Highbury magistrates' court. Stella Gollovera, 47, of no fixed address, was charged with four counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. She will next appear at Snaresbrook crown court on September 3.

Priest failed to report

A priest was “neglectful in his duties” in failing to investigate a report that John Smyth, a Christian barrister, was beating young men, a tribunal has ruled. It heard that the Rev Canon Andrew Cornes believed people at the camps had confronted Smyth. It added Cornes should have taken steps to share the report with his superiors.

E-scooter injury risk

E-scooter riders face a significantly higher risk of severe brain and organ injuries than cyclists or motorcyclists, an NHS study of major trauma data has found. Researchers also warned the vehicles may be biased toward male body proportions, placing women at greater risk, while highlighting that fewer than 6 per cent of riders wear helmets.

Marmots uncensored

Professor Daniel Blumstein, a biologist in Colorado, has found an unusual way to support his wildlife research by offering “uncensored marmot content” on the OnlyFans website favoured by pornstars. His “OnlyMarms” channel, featuring the large, squirrel-like rodents in their natural habitat, helps to generate funding for the research project.

TIMES Radio Breakfast: 6am to 10am

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7

News

Mob tries to storm asylum homes

Mark Ludlow, Herbie Russell, Geraldine Scott

Police evacuated five men from a house in Norfolk after a rush of 100 people attempted to force their way into three properties which they claimed housed asylum seekers.

Tensions were high in the market town of Thetford after the government's proposal to use the nearby RAF base to house up to 1,000 asylum seekers. Police said they were called to a property on St John's Way in the town after 8pm on Tuesday as a group of people attempted to gain entry to a house. A window was smashed and a fence and letter box damaged.

"The group were shouting and preventing a workman from leaving. A resident of the same property reported a group of between 30 and 50 people trying to get into the house," police said.

Police later attended a second property where the same group smashed windows and a third where people entered a property, forcing the resident out and allegedly stealing their phone.

Police said a man in his thirties was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of a public order offence.

Two officers were taken to hospital after a second night of disorder in Thetford on Wednesday. A male officer was struck with a rock while a female officer was "seriously bitten", breaking the skin. A third officer was spat at.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, harassment and possession of an offensive weapon.

Police said that "significant resources" were deployed to Thetford on Wednesday night to maintain public safety after a large group of people gathered on Clover Way. Before this, a large crowd had gathered outside the police station for an anti-immigration protest, which was largely peaceful.

The unrest began after the group of five men were seen being moved into the St John's Way property on Tuesday. A neighbour told local media they had been told in May that people were moving into the house, but the landlord had not said they might be asylum seekers.

Word spread on social media on Tuesday afternoon and people began arriving at the estate after 7pm.

Yesterday afternoon, dozens of police officers, including riot police, gathered outside a property on the Abbey Estate.

They were met by more than 100 people, many residents, who were aware of rumours on social media that

Police stand guard outside a house in Thetford after a mob gathered suspecting asylum seekers were being housed there

a property on the road was housing asylum seekers. At 9.30pm, with about half the crowd having dissipated, there were shouts of "get them out" and "deport, deport, deport the motherf***ers".

Police arrested two men including one on suspicion of inciting racial hatred, relating to offences allegedly committed on Wednesday night. A second was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

Officers also issued ten dispersal orders under Section 35 powers, ordering individuals to leave the area to prevent further disorder and protect public safety, police said.

Emma, an estate resident, said she "does not condone the violence" of previous nights. Police have put in public safety measures in Thetford, including

requiring people to remove face coverings if asked to by police, or risk arrest.

Officers were also given powers to direct people away from areas if they are committing, or are suspected of planning to commit, antisocial behaviour.

Terry Jermy, the Labour MP for South West Norfolk, condemned the harassment of people in the properties in Thetford, saying the "ugly scenes over the past few days have been difficult to watch and are deeply concerning". He posted on X: "Mob rule and vigilantism is not acceptable".

Jermy said he was concerned that the latest incidents could undermine legitimate opposition to the Home Office's plans to turn RAF Barnham into accommodation for asylum seekers.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader,

said the proposed use of RAF Barnham to house asylum seekers would leave locals living near the site "very worried and very scared". The base is about a mile from Thetford.

A Home Office official said they were committed to working with local authorities to house up to 3,750 asylum seekers in basic accommodation, including ex-military sites such as RAF Barnham.

"The concerns of communities are central to our immigration reforms," the official said. "The population of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen by 35 per cent in the last year and by 63 per cent from the peak of 56,000 in 2023. Overall asylum costs have already fallen by nearly £1 billion since the general election."

Immigration battleground of Norfolk

Behind the story

Norfolk has become one of the country's most significant immigration battlegrounds, with a series of protests against asylum accommodation and a growing shift towards parties advocating tougher border controls (Geraldine Scott writes).

The county has seen repeated demonstrations over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, including protests outside the Brook Hotel in Norwich and opposition to the Home Office's plans to accommodate up to 1,000 asylum seekers at the former RAF Barnham site, a mile from Thetford. Norwich also saw anti-immigration demonstrations this year after seven Afghan refugees were charged as part of a child sexual exploitation investigation.

In May, Reform UK emerged as the largest party on Norfolk county council, while Great Yarmouth is represented by Restore Britain MP Rupert Lowe. Lowe has campaigned for mass deportations and stricter immigration controls.

Norwich has long stood apart from the rest of Norfolk, traditionally returning at least one Labour MP. More recently, the city has become increasingly fertile ground for the Greens, whose success has been fuelled in part by the large student population.

But even in Norwich protests have erupted — Unite the Right attempted a march in the city this year, while Britain First held a "march for remigration" in July, which was met by anti-fascist counterprotests.

Family pays tribute to Athens victim

Lara Wildenberg, George Odling

The family of the woman whose body was found in a suitcase in Greece have remembered her as "kind, honest and selfless".

Elisabeth-Jane Ross, known as Lisa, 38, was a charity worker from Edinburgh volunteering in Athens.

Her body was found in an abandoned building in the Kypseli district on July 18 — several days after she was reported missing.

Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, a competitive boxer from Afghanistan, has been charged with killing her and stealing thousands of euros from her bank accounts. Greek media reported the testimony of Ahmadzai's wife describing the moment she became suspicious of her husband.

Her family released a photo and paid tribute to her, saying in a statement: "Following our recent tragic loss, we are making this brief statement as Lisa's family ... Lisa will forever be remem-

bered as a kind, honest, and selfless person. Her integrity was uncompromising and she dedicated her life to helping people in need ... We are in deep pain and ask for time and respect for our privacy as we try to cope with our loss."

The photo shows Ross sitting cross legged on what appears to be a mountain. She had arrived in Athens on June 26. Ross had travelled regularly to Greece to volunteer with non-governmental organisations. One group she worked with provides medical support to refugees, including those from Afghanistan and Iran.

Ahmadzai will face trial within 18 months after refusing to enter a plea at a Greek court yesterday to the alleged murder of Ross.

Ahmadzai is said to have admitted dumping Ross in the suitcase and stealing her bank cards, but is understood to deny killing her, claiming he found her already dead. He declined to comment during a brief hearing at the city's Evetipidon law courts, and his lawyer said he

would not do so until toxicology and medical reports were submitted.

An emotional testimony said to have been given by his wife, Alaina Hall, to Greek police has emerged, in which the US-born NGO worker described how her husband aroused her suspicions.

Hall, who ran the organisation Love Every Nation alongside Ahmadzai, said she first met the victim in February through shared volunteering and Christian church gatherings, the Greek news outlet Proto Thema reported.

She said that on the evening of July 15 at about midnight, she awoke to find her husband was not at home and saw via a locator app that he was at the flat where Ross was staying.

When she called her husband, he claimed to have been watching a football match near by and had gone to the flat to use the lavatory.

By July 29, Hall said she became concerned that her friend may have been the same woman whose body had been found in a suitcase in Kypseli.

Coroner rules convicted fraudster 'did murder wife'

A convicted fraudster who was cleared in court five years ago of killing his wealthy heiress wife murdered her, a coroner has ruled.

Donald McPherson, 53, was ordered to be found not guilty of the murder of

Donald McPherson was cleared in court of killing his wife Paula Leeson

his wife Paula Leeson, 47, on a judge's direction to the jury halfway through his trial at Manchester crown court in 2021.

He had taken out £3.5 million life insurance on the mother-of-one shortly before her death on June 6, 2017, and within hours of her "accidental drown-

ing" McPherson was emptying her accounts of thousands of pounds to pay off his debts.

Two years ago Leeson's family blocked him from inheriting his wife's £4.4 million estate.

A judge in civil proceedings brought by the Leeson family at the High Court ruled McPherson had unlawfully killed his wife for money by throttling her unconscious then drowning her in a swimming pool in Denmark in 2017.

At the inquest into the death of Leeson, delayed until yesterday by the murder trial and civil hearings, a coroner ruled she agreed with the unlawful killing verdict. Alison Mutch, senior coroner for Manchester South, told Stockport coroner's court McPherson was heavily in debt and was the only person to benefit from his wife's death. She added: "I am therefore satisfied he did murder his wife."

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8

News Politics

'Summer of sex' MP in row over trans guidance

A war of words has erupted between Labour women after the MP who called for a “summer of sex” accused supporters of single-sex spaces of hating transgender people.

Samantha Niblett, the Labour MP for South Derbyshire, attacked the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) statutory code on single-sex spaces, which came into force on Wednesday.

In a video posted on social media on holiday, Niblett said: “This new guidance protects nobody. All it does is cause more division and hatred towards trans people that just want to have their life, like minding their own business, and protects no cis woman who is gender critical — let’s call it what it is, hates trans people, like, because if you didn’t, why would you fear trans people?”

The MP, who this year encouraged people to enjoy a “summer of sex” as part of a push for lifelong education, said she was “so unbelievably ashamed” of politicians’ responses and said: “I will continue to use my platform as an MP to fight for the rights of trans people.” She added: “Don’t kid yourself, ladies. They’re coming for you after they come for the rest of the LGBT community. They’re coming for you. They’re coming for us. Stop pretending this is about protecting women’s rights. It’s nothing of the sort.”

Niblett’s intervention prompted Tonia Antoniazzi, the Labour MP for Gower and one of parliament’s most prominent advocates of single-sex protections, to accuse her of lying.

In a post that later appeared to

have been deleted, Antoniazzi said on X: “You’ve lied about me in the media. I have receipts. Have a good break, MPs deserve it. Today, we have clarification, not more confusion. Women and girls need protection from men, stop using trans people as an argument for your pro-sex work, pro-poen agenda.”

Niblett helped to launch an event last week for her Yes, Sex Please, We’re British’ campaign. She has said she wants to push for more education around consent, respect and healthy relationships and has pledged to bring a sex toy display to parliament. She said: “Now, in times gone by, being referred to as a ‘sex MP’ would’ve been something quite sleazy and seedy. But thankfully, and hopefully, I’m helping to change that.”

The clash with Antoniazzi exposed divisions within Labour over last year’s Supreme Court ruling, which found that, for the purposes of the Equality Act, sex meant biological sex. The EHRC’s 342-page code of practice sets out how organisations should implement that judgment when providing single-sex services and facilities.

The Times reported yesterday that left-wing councils had launched a coordinated effort to defy the code and some had refused to make staff run services on the basis of biological sex. Meanwhile, NHS England refused to set out a timetable for updating policies allowing transgender patients to choose which ward they are treated on. The National Union of Students has produced guidance to help students “resist” the code.

Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, told Times Radio yesterday that the NHS

Tonia Antoniazzi hit out at the comments by her Labour colleague

would follow the law when implementing single-sex provision. Asked whether trans women would be accommodated according to their biological sex, she said detailed guidance would be published shortly, but added: “The law’s the law. All of us need to follow the law. The law’s been very clear on this.”

Several Labour MPs continued to campaign publicly against the code, however. Dawn Butler, the MP for Brent East, described the guidance as unworkable and backed an early day motion seeking to block it. She said: “This debate is still dominated by people who don’t understand the realities of trans people’s lives.”

Nadia Whittome, the MP for Nottingham East, called Wednesday “a dark day for trans people” and argued it would exclude them from everyday public life. Others welcomed the guidance. Tracy Gilbert, the Labour MP for Edinburgh North & Letth, said the guidance brought welcome clarification, adding: “The law remains unchanged. No existing rights have been removed, and no new rights have been created under the Equality Act.”

The government said that ministers expected public bodies and service providers to comply with the law and the statutory code. A spokesperson said: “The code provides the clear, workable guidance [organisations] need and if organisations are still unclear, they should get specialist legal advice.

“The government is committed to upholding single-sex spaces while also protecting the rights of trans people. There are clear laws in place to protect trans people from discrimination and harassment, which we continue to uphold. We have strengthened protections for trans people against hate crime and just a month ago published our trans-inclusive conversion practices ban.”

Letters, page 26

Call out this destructive grandstanding, leading article, page 27

Urgent review will exclude grooming gangs from early release

Daisy Eastlake Political Reporter

Andy Burnham will “urgently” identify any grooming gang perpetrators who may still be eligible for early release after The Times revealed some were not excluded.

The Times found a number of cases where men who were convicted of assaulting children in Bradford as part of historical investigations into Asian grooming gangs were not excluded from the early release scheme.

As many of the cases took place before anti-grooming laws were introduced in 2003, the men were charged with indecent assault, which does not fall within the exemptions to the early release scheme announced by the prime minister this week.

Burnham has now asked the Ministry of Justice to conduct a review of all grooming offenders — including those charged with indecent assault — by trawling through paper records and

excluding those cases from the early release scheme. A spokesman for the prime minister said yesterday: “As part of the review...the prime minister asked the Ministry of Justice to conduct an in-depth review of cases to ensure that grooming cases were identified.

“This work is happening urgently. This is extremely important to the PM and he has personally intervened to ensure everything possible is being done so that vile groomers are dealt with in the way their victims deserve.”

It is unclear what the government can do, within the law, to prevent those groomers and child sex offenders who were not convicted under the specific offences from being released early. A senior government source said they would look to “recategorise” them but could not say how that would happen.

Manslaughter is another charge not included in the exemption. This means two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole,

will still be eligible for early release.

The Conservatives will attempt to block their release with a parliamentary vote by tabling an amendment to the Sentencing Act 2026 that would exclude criminals convicted of the manslaughter of an emergency worker from the scheme.

Matthew Barber, the Tory police and crime commissioner in Thames Valley, has drafted the amendment for senior Tories to submit to the speaker for consideration by MPs when parliament returns from its summer break next month. He discussed plans with Chris Philip, the shadow home secretary, and Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, according to The Telegraph.

Burnham announced a rapid review of the previous Labour government’s early release scheme when he became prime minister.

On Tuesday he announced he was scaling back the programme and excluding anyone who had been found

guilty of “rape, serious child sex and other grooming offences”.

However, the announcement has since unravelled as it emerged that historical child abusers who committed their offences before 2003 would not be covered by the exemption.

On Wednesday night Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, wrote to Burnham to highlight the loophole in the law, describing it as “yet another betrayal of victims”. She has called on him to build more prisons and rent jail cells overseas to house offenders.

“I wrote to Andy Burnham last night warning that his policy was going to let rape gangs perpetrators out of prison early,” she said yesterday. “In response, the prime minister has commissioned yet another review. How many more reviews do we need before Andy Burnham does the common sense thing and bans all of these monsters from early release? The brave survivors have been put through hell by this process. They

deserve so much better.”

Among those who could be eligible having served only half their sentence are five men jailed in connection to a grooming gang in Bradford. They were jailed last October for abusing a girl from the age of 13 while she was in care. They were found guilty on various counts of indecent assault and each sentenced to between six and eight years in jail last year. That could mean some will be freed by the end of 2028.

Claire Waxman, the victims’ commissioner, said those who had suffered abuse had been left “enduring weeks of stress and uncertainty” after the announcement. She said: “Many have been re-traumatised by poor communication over the summer, which caused many great distress and provided little clarity about what these changes could mean for them or when they might happen.”

No early release from Burnham’s first big test, Patrick Maguire, page 23

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9

GIF BELLIN,ARY

The annual London Trans Pride demonstration in Trafalgar Square last month. Left: the Labour MP Samantha Niblett posts a video criticising the new code of conduct on single-sex spaces

Foreigners could lose their council homes, Tories say

Geraldine Scott

Foreigners would be barred from social housing and existing tenants stripped of their homes under plans unveiled by the Conservatives.

Restricting eligibility would free up about 230,000 homes for families, the party said, and those who no longer qualified would be expected to leave within six months.

The plan is Kemi Badenoch's latest attempt to draw a dividing line with Labour on immigration and welfare, and follows calls from Reform UK to reserve social housing for Britons.

Currently, foreign citizens with settled status, refugee status or certain forms of humanitarian protection can qualify for social housing, while asylum seekers are generally excluded except in limited circumstances, such as cases involving domestic abuse.

Under the proposals, anyone living in social housing who is neither a British, Irish nor EU citizen would lose their entitlement, regardless of whether they have children. Those with EU settled status would be exempt.

For future tenancies, only British citizens and those with EU settled status would be eligible, meaning that arrivals from the EU without settled status would no longer qualify. Couples would lose their entitlement if neither partner was a British or EU citizen and neither held EU settled status.

Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said: "Making Britain your home should be earned by working, paying tax and integrating. It should not come with a free ride on the benefits system. Britain cannot be a cash machine for the world.

"The next Conservative government will make foreign nationals ineligible for social housing. Nearly 230,000 homes could go to British families."

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, announced a similar policy in June when he pledged to evict all foreign citizens from social housing if his party entered government. He said Britain had become a "two-tier state against white people".

Zia Yusuf, Reform's home affairs spokesman, said: "The Tories are trying

to copy Reform UK policy, but they still end up betraying their instincts to prioritise foreigners. Incredibly, Kemi Badenoch's new policy is to allow tens of thousands of foreign nationals from the EU to occupy British social housing funded by British taxpayers.

"Reform UK will ensure British social housing is strictly for British citizens. The Tories say they will continue to give it to foreign nationals while our own people and veterans are left to fend themselves."

Government statistics suggest that the overwhelming majority of social housing is occupied by British and Irish citizens. According to the English Housing Survey, 88.5 per cent of main householders in social housing in England in 2024-25 were UK or Irish nationals, while 11.5 per cent were not.

Separate estimates suggest that there are about 470,000 non-UK and non-Irish citizens living in social housing in England, although not all would be affected by the policy because many have EU settled status or fall into categories that would remain eligible.

A Labour spokesman said: "This is an unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform, that does nothing to tackle the housing crisis the Tories themselves created.

"People without Indefinite Leave to Remain are already ineligible for social housing, so this policy would primarily affect refugees and long-term UK residents who have contributed to this country but are not British citizens, including NHS staff.

"It would also leave more families at risk of homelessness, while driving up the use of temporary accommodation at the taxpayers' expense. No amount of headline-chasing, or following Reform to the extremes, can hide the damage the Tories did to our housing system. The least they could do is acknowledge their failures."

Andy Burnham, the prime minister, has promised to bring the "biggest council house building programme since the post-war period". However, The Times previously revealed how his plan faces an £800 million-a-year funding hole and risks resulting in 5,000 fewer homes a year.

Starmer critic to sue Labour over mental health claims

Stefan Boscia

A suspended Labour MP is going to sue Andy Burnham's business secretary over "disability discrimination" claims.

Karl Turner, who had the Labour whip suspended in March, is set to sue Jonathan Reynolds and the party in search of a six-figure claim.

He will argue that Reynolds, when he was chief whip earlier this year, told MPs that Turner was mentally ill and that this constitutes a breach of the Equality Act. A source close to Turner said that the claim will accuse Reynolds of "disability discrimination on the grounds of his mental health".

Reynolds and the party will be listed as separate defendants, but neither has received a legal notification of the tribunal, The Times understands.

Turner claimed in an interview with

The Times in April that Labour's whips used his past mental health issues to undermine him after he had turned to them for support.

He also repeated the accusation in a session of PMQs on May 20, which saw Turner tell MPs that he had a nervous breakdown after his nephew Matty killed himself in 2015.

Reynolds denies the claims made against him. A party source said: "Labour takes seriously its duties of care towards all its elected representatives as well as its legal duties."

Turner began a campaign against Sir Keir Starmer's proposed jury reforms last year. He had the whip suspended after an interview with a journalist accused of antisemitism.

The Hull East MP is in talks over his return. A government source said he would need to apologise to Reynolds.

Greens threaten Burnham's bounce

Aubrey Allegretti

Chief Political Correspondent

Labour risks having its membership figure overtaken by the Greens as Andy Burnham faces a more than £2.5 million black hole in the party's coffers.

New figures show that Labour's membership fell over the course of a year from 333,235 to 264,754 at the end of last year. Meanwhile, Zack Polanski's party said its total stood at 230,000 in May — about 34,000 short.

A spokesperson for the Greens said its figure had "quadrupled" since Polanski became leader in September last year.

Its membership has continued rising in recent months, having stood at 186,441 at the end of December.

The increase has been

credited with some electoral successes including winning the Gorton & Denton parliamentary by-election in February and narrowly coming second in the projected national vote share in the May elections.

Labour sources said the party had lost further members since the number was submitted as part of its annual accounts, with some quitting because of Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.

However, numbers are said to have risen again since the new prime minister took over as leader in July — with one insider calling the change a "Burnham bounce".

Reform UK claims that it has 270,000 members, which — if accurate — could make it the largest political party in the UK.

Zack Polanski became the Green leader in September

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat membership fell by nearly 3,000 at the end of the last calendar year.

Labour raised more money than any other party — £44.6 million — however, it spent £473 million.

This year has been a bumper elections year for Labour, which sought to defend the highest number of council seats and its grip on the Welsh Parliament, as well as aiming to capture control of Holyrood.

It was also forced to unexpectedly pay for campaign costs in the Greater Manchester mayoralty by-election after Burnham stepped down to become the MP for Makerfield.

The Times has been told that Labour has not had a director of fundraising this year after the previous holder of the role stepped down in December.

One party source said: "Andy has promised to change the culture in the party; he may need to prioritise the finances first."

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CHEERS TO BEER

"Let's grab a beer." No matter who you are, or what you do, or where you live, whenever you hear those four magic words, you know it means so much more than just drinking a cold one. It's an invitation – to talk, to celebrate, to reconnect or to just complain about your boss.

Say it right now to your friend, your new co-worker, your grandfather, hell, even your boss, and watch their response. Whether 100 years ago or 100 years from now, saying "let's grab a beer" to anyone signifies making a memory together with the people you care about the most.

That's as real as it gets. But how?

Let's start with what's in the glass. Beer is made from simple ingredients found in nature: grains, hops, yeast, and water. It's spectacular in its simplicity.

Beer is local. Its ingredients are grown and harvested by local farmers, and every beer supports those farmers and their communities. A beer is at its absolute best when it's done this way, no doubt.

And above all, Beer is social. It's the beverage of experiences. Whether it's in a beer garden, down your local pub, at home with friends, at a music festival, or cheering on your team at the match, a beer fits any occasion. Actually, when you think about it, "grabbing a pint" is usually the occasion.

Beer is shaping how we drink. As the beverage for moderation, with a growing range of low- and no-alcohol beer options, you can say "cheers" more than ever before. And we keep innovating to give people what they're looking for, without changing what they love most.

So, the next time you're thinking about what to hold when you say "Cheers," remember this: Beer is special. Grabbing one brings people together like nothing else.

Here's to a future with more Cheers!

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11

News

Bunfight over sacked Bake Off boss

Managing director says she was dismissed after raising concerns about Sky's plans for hit show, Alex Farber writes

A former Great British Bake Off boss is suing Sky amid claims that it considered taking the show from Channel 4.

Letty Kavanagh has begun High Court legal proceedings against the pay-TV broadcaster and Love Productions, her former employer and the producer of the hit baking show, alleging a breach of contract. She is also pursuing an employment tribunal.

Sky has rejected all claims that it has acted inappropriately.

Kavanagh has alleged that she is owed money after being sacked in November, having worked at the business for 18 years, rising through the ranks to become managing director.

Kavanagh believes she was unfairly dismissed by Sky, which bought Love Productions in 2014 in a deal valued at £35 million, after she raised concerns about the way in which it was seeking to influence the business.

Chief among her fears was a plan mooted by Sky in 2024 to remove The Great British Bake Off from Channel 4 to run on its own channels, which she believed would damage the show.

Sky, Netflix and Disney are all understood to have coveted the show for their own channels two years ago, when Channel 4's broadcast deal expired.

But Sky bosses ultimately opted against the move and went on to renew the agreement with Channel 4 for its most popular show, which attracts audiences of up to seven million viewers.

Kavanagh is said to have raised concerns that a move to Sky would not have been in the show's best interests and was also potentially problematic due to its detailed confidential knowledge about the Channel 4 deal.

Sky insiders disputed the suggestion that it would have been inappropriate

Letty Kavanagh, left, and the Bake Off stars Noel Fielding, Alison Hammond and Paul Hollywood

for it to pick up a show that it ultimately owns. Kavanagh's other fears were understood to include that Sky sought to axe dozens of shows in the Bake Off series

and cut hundreds of jobs for staff and freelancers, which she again felt would damage the brand and Love Productions's business.

A source with knowledge of the case believes that Kavanagh may have been unfairly "scapegoated" by Sky for raising genuine concerns of mismanage-

ment of Love Productions. "She was looking out for staff and freelancers at the production company, who risked losing their jobs because of bad management decisions, and was trying to protect the public service broadcasting content which Love Productions is so famed for producing," they said.

They added that Sky's handling of the situation raised questions about its £1.6 billion deal to buy ITV's broadcast and streaming channels.

Kavanagh has also alleged that her attempts to raise concerns with Sky's senior management were dismissed and that she was advised against bringing legal representatives to a meeting to discuss the future of the show — at which she was summarily dismissed.

She also considers that she was discriminated against because of her gender and that male colleagues were treated more favourably, including receiving payments which were withheld from her.

A Sky spokesman said it did not recognise Kavanagh's account.

"We reject the possibility of a conflict of interest in relation to assets we control and wholly own and refute her allegations of discrimination and retaliation in the strongest possible terms," they added. "Regrettably, this matter is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, in which we intend to vigorously defend our position."

Sky is in the process of selling Love Productions to ITV's production arm, ITV Studios, for £200 million as part of a wider deal with the broadcaster.

The case has emerged weeks ahead of the launch of the latest series of The Great British Bake Off in September in which Nigella Lawson will join Paul Hollywood as a judge after the departure of Prue Leith.

One veteran TV producer said that Love Productions has a "strong foundation" with a raft of high-profile shows including BBC Two's Great British Sewing Bee, The Great Pottery Throwdown and Channel 4's The Piano.

But they added that the relationship between Kavanagh and Sky had become increasingly acrimonious after Richard McKerrow, the chief executive of Love Productions, left last year and that her departure was "inevitable".

Kieran Smith, another former Love Productions boss, who left at the same time after nearly two decades at the company, is also understood to have started proceedings with Acas employment arbitration service.

Cécile Frot-Coutaz, the chief content officer for Sky, paid tribute to Kavanagh after her departure. "Letty has played a huge role in the success of Love Productions and on behalf of Sky and myself. I'd like to take this moment to thank her for her passionate and dedicated leadership," she said.

Winemakers predict 'landmark' year

Seren Hughes

Mark Driver jokes that his vines in Sussex think they are back in the Mediterranean thanks to this year's sweltering summer. The founder of Rathfinny Wine Estate believes this year will be a "landmark" year for English sparkling wine, and other winemakers agree that it could be "one of the best vintages English wine has ever seen" as their grapes thrive in the long, dry, hot summer.

It could help boost the standing of English sparkling wine over bubbly from the Champagne region of France, which has announced their lowest-ever yield this year after being crippled by severe droughts and heatwaves that have pushed temperatures beyond optimal conditions.

England has already had four heatwaves this summer. Driver told The Times: "Vines grow in hot countries and England is now a warmer country than it was. So the vines are thriving, the quality is amazing." He is expecting

"great flavours, good ripeness, and good sugar levels". He explained: "Vines essentially transform sun into sugars and the grapes hold the sugars and create these beautiful flavours."

The vineyards in the Champagne region have said that they will be picking earlier than usual, in mid-August, a month before most English vineyards expect to pick. Mid-September is also earlier than usual for the English harvest but that longer ripening time still allows "the accumulation of beautiful ripened flavours" that "sets England apart", Driver said.

The quality of this year's wines is on track to be exceptional, but yields could be down due to a late spring frost.

Vineyards such as Balfour in Kent suffered from a frost in May. But after a "fabulous summer", the "quality promises to be quite extraordinary", according to Fergus Elias, the head winemaker. "This has all the hallmarks of one of the best vintages English wine has ever seen."

However, with harvest still a month away, the outlook could change. "A wet September could prove a real problem in terms of disease and crop quality," Elias acknowledged.

Brad Greatrix, the senior winemaker at Nyetimber, said the biggest challenge facing English wine was the "variability" in conditions each year. The last two summers have been favourable but 2024 was cool.

The dry conditions are also stressing some vines. Water stress can encourage vines to concentrate their energy into developing flavour, but too dry conditions can affect berry size.

The winemaker Dermot Sugrue, of Sugrue South Downs in West Sussex, said: "We've had the warmest June on record, the driest July on record, and the vineyards desperately need rain — the vines are extremely stressed. It's very challenging to say the least. We'll make great wines this year for sure, but volumes will be down, and the cost of production will be very high as a result."

Ynyshir awarded top mark after inspectors call again

Seren Hughes

Ynyshir, the celebrated two Michelin-star restaurant in West Wales, has had its food hygiene rating raised to the top mark after it was downgraded to a one out of five last year.

The restaurant, near Machynlleth, treats diners to a 30-course tasting menu served over five hours to the custom soundtrack of an in-house vinyl DJ for £450 per person plus VAT.

The Michelin guide has described Ynyshir as a "truly unique experience", but food hygiene inspectors gave it a one-star rating out of five in November after an inspection the previous month.

In the full food hygiene report, which was released by Ceredigion county council after a freedom of information request from The Times, Ynyshir was found not to have had the right checks in place to serve raw lobster and had a

rug hanging on the kitchen wall that could not be properly cleaned.

The restaurant's plans for safe management of ingredients such as foraged birch tree sap, wild garlic, and aged pigeon were also found to be inadequate, while kitchen staff were found not to be cooking their sous vide cod, where the fish is cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag in a water bath, at the right temperature for the right amount of time.

Gareth Ward, chef and owner, accused the inspectors of not understanding his restaurant, insisting what he did was "different" rather than wrong. But he put the required measures in place "immediately" and after a reinspection in February the council's officers raised Ynyshir's rating to five in March.

The council said the business "had addressed all matters identified during the original inspection". The Times approached Ynyshir for comment.

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12

News

Historic roots Final tweaks are made for today's opening of the Taunton Flower Show at Vivary Park. The UK's oldest running flower show was first held in 1831

MARK PASSIONA FILM COMPANY

Army plea to victims after abuse claims

Reports of rape and sexual abuse against female recruits at a military training college for teenagers are extremely distressing and unacceptable, the army has said.

Four young women told the BBC that they had suffered sexual abuse and harassment while they were at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, which provides basic training to under-19s.

The army has called for victims and witnesses of criminal behaviour at the college to come forward. It said yesterday: "Unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our armed forces and these reports are extremely distressing and serious. People join the army in the hope of having a fantastic career and any such reports are unacceptable and go completely against everything the army stands for."

A woman whom the BBC called Tilly told them she had been raped aged 17 at the college by fellow soldiers. Another woman whom the BBC called Monica said she was sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier who trapped her in a room before touching her without her consent. Another woman was allegedly sexually assaulted and subjected to sexual harassment during her training.

The army said changes had been made in recent years to support victims in coming forward.

Neck massage is RAF's latest weapon

Charlie Parker

British fighter pilots are receiving neck massages between missions to keep them flying for longer as Russia increasingly violates Nato airspace.

Typhoon jets can pull up to 9Gs while scrambling to intercept enemy aircraft, causing 86 per cent of aviators to experience flight-related neck pain, according to RAF research. Conducting such demanding sorties while wearing heavy high-tech helmets can lead to serious injuries that prevent pilots from completing objectives or flying at all.

To avoid sending pained pilots back to the UK for musculoskeletal treat-

ment, military physiotherapists have been deploying on overseas operations, most recently to Poland and Romania.

The RAF's cadre of 26 physios are considered unsung heroes who keep aviators airborne and ground crews in top condition as they work to deter Russian incursions along Nato's 1,500-mile eastern flank.

Nato revealed yesterday that its fighter jets were scrambled 250 per cent more last month than the same period last year. "The reason? Russian military aircraft repeatedly flew close to Nato airspace without a flight plan and transponder signal, leaving our fighters to launch, intercept and identify them,"

the alliance's Eastern and Central Europe command said. Last week RAF Typhoon pilots from 3 (Fighter) Squadron concluded a four-month operation in Romania. They scrambled seven times, including to engage Russian drones that flew from Ukrainian airspace close to the Nato border, although they did not open fire.

Deploying on roughly 19 operations and exercises a year, the physios' job is to assess, diagnose and deliver early interventions, including physical rehabilitation, "to optimise recovery from injuries sustained whilst deployed".

Between missions, physios assigned to Typhoon squadrons may assess a

pilot's fitness to fly as they sit in their cockpits, so they can quickly take off again. Treatment typically takes place elsewhere in the squadron building and includes more substantial mobility sessions targeting the neck, upper and lower back and hips.

A flight lieutenant recently won praise for keeping all RAF personnel deployed in Poland operational, including one "acutely injured" pilot tasked with intercepting Russian aircraft. The physio, named only as Flight Lieutenant Harrison, was deployed last year with Typhoon teams on Operation Chessman, the RAF's contribution to Nato Air Policing at Malbork air base,

in Poland. During the four-month operation, British fighters scrambled 20 times to defend Nato airspace from Russian jets and spy planes.

Harrison delivered treatment tailored around an increase in flying frequency, night flying and pilots using the Mk4 helmet and night vision goggles, a heavier combination. She provided interventions to 32 per cent of the deployed personnel in a range of occupations, from Typhoon pilots and engineers to mission support staff and augmentees. All of her patients completed their treatment programmes in theatre and came back to the UK fit and ready for the next tasking.

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I was chased by stalker at Sandringham, says Andrew

Kate Mansey Assistant Editor

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has said that he came face-to-face with an alleged stalker “wearing a balaclava face covering” who began to “sprint” after his vehicle on the Sandringham estate.

The King’s brother provided an eye witness account to the police after a confrontation with a man near his home in Norfolk.

Westminster magistrates’ court heard that Mountbatten-Windsor had been walking his dogs when he saw a man who looked “out of place”.

Alex Jenkinson, 39, is charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6. Jenkinson is

Alex Jenkinson, above, is accused of causing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to “fear unlawful violence”

accused of causing Mountbatten-Windsor to “fear unlawful violence” during the confrontation in Wolferton, close to his Marsh Farm property.

Suffolk police are also applying for a civil Stalking Protection Order against Jenkinson, relying on evidence from Mountbatten-Windsor and searches on Jenkinson’s phone.

Parts of Mountbatten-Windsor’s statement, which is central to the legal proceedings, were read out in court yesterday.

Tan Ikram, deputy chief magistrate,

said that Mountbatten-Windsor had been out for a walk with his dogs on the King’s estate when he spotted a car which he assumed to belong to press photographers. Mountbatten-Windsor then got into a car with his private security guards and “drove past the car”.

In his statement, Mountbatten-Windsor said that the man “turned and faced me — he was wearing a balaclava face covering”. He provided a description of the “out-of-place” man, and added in his statement: “I then saw a loose dog running towards him, then he realised who I was and began to sprint after my vehicle.”

Jenkinson has pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of blood while in custody on May 6. However, he denies the public order offence against Mountbatten-Windsor and has also pleaded not guilty to a further charge of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence against another man, Stephen Terry, in King’s Lynn, on May 5.

Jenkinson, who is homeless, was not in court after being denied entry to the building because he insisted on staying with his dog, Indie.

Claire Howell, Jenkinson’s lawyer, told the court he had been found temporary accommodation where he could leave the dog for future hearings.

Mountbatten-Windsor is due to give evidence by video link at the criminal trial, which is set for December 21.

Jenkinson, who comes from Stowmarket, Suffolk, is also fighting the making of the Stalking Protection Order. Judge Ikram ruled yesterday that Mountbatten-Windsor, as well as Terry and an eyewitness to the Norfolk incident, must give evidence for a second time at the hearing to determine the Stalking Protection Order application.

“I am persuaded that fairness demands the respondent to these proceedings be allowed to call and cross-examine these witnesses,” he said.

The judge has extended the interim Stalking Protection Order.

Burnham hails local church’s elevation

Achurch in Andy Burnham’s constituency of Makerfield has had its listing upgraded to recognise it as “one of the finest early 20th-century churches in England” (Jack

Blackburn writes). The Roman Catholic Church of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith is a prominent site in the prime minister’s constituency and is also connected to the Catholic school that his children attended.

“I am delighted that St Oswald’s Church is being recognised by Historic England,” Burnham said. “It’s a beautiful building which I know well and I know how treasured it is by the local community.”

The Roman Catholic Church of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith is now Grade II* listed

The church was listed on the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II building in 1988, the bottom rank. It has now been elevated to Grade II*, which places it among the top 8 per cent of listed buildings. The upgrade process began last December, months before it could even have been conceived that Burnham would become the local MP, let alone the prime minister.

The church was completed in 1930 and is considered a masterwork of its architect, John Sydney Brocklesby. It was inspired by the French Romanesque style and is distinctive for its use of pink and buff Darley Dale and Parbold stone. It also has the most extensive collection of stained glass by the Dublin-born artist Harry Clarke.

The church is also notable for its connection to a local martyr, St Edmund Arrowsmith. It was built to house the Jesuit priest’s preserved hand, a relic of the man who was born in 1585 and, after his clandestine work as a Catholic priest was executed in 1628.

The church now has the second-highest level of protection, with the decision to upgrade the listing made in late May, a few weeks before Burnham became the MP.

Burnham grew up in Culcheth, a seven-mile drive from the church, and is widely regarded as Britain’s first Catholic prime minister. Boris Johnson was the first baptised Catholic to become prime minister, but he was confirmed as an Anglican. Burnham has spoken openly about his faith and confirmed to The Times last month that, while he was not a regular Massgoer, he still professed the faith. “My mother would never forgive me if I answered no to that question,” he said.

Prince Philip foresaw how internet could help royal family

Kate Mansey

Prince Philip set out an early “vision” to courtiers about how the internet could promote the monarchy around the world after the death of Princess Diana, a former palace aide has revealed.

The late Duke of Edinburgh’s interest in technology is well known. However, it has emerged that he foresaw how, in the early days of the internet, the worldwide web could help the royal family engage with the public at a delicate time for the institution.

Simon Lewis, who was hired as the first communications secretary at the palace in 1998, spoke to The Royals

podcast, produced by The Times, about managing the reputation of the monarchy after the death of Princess Diana in August 1997.

He said: “I think the Queen did an amazing job. The Queen, first of all, held her nerve on behalf of the institution, the family, and the Queen got out there and did what she always did best, which was just connecting with people in a very Queen-like way.

“The other thing I feel that was really important and great credit to Prince Philip is, in 1998, there were only around 100 million people who used the internet. And I sat with him once, and he laid out for me a vision for using

the web, the internet, to make the royal family much more accessible globally.

“This was 1998. A lot of people thought, ‘It’s another one of his ideas. We’ll pop it in the bottom drawer.’

“But he was right. Wow. And the royal website, which I oversaw when I was there, was really the start of the fundamental rebasin of the relationship, so people could get their information about the family institution, not just from great papers but also to reach out to people in different ways. So that was incredibly important.”

The royal family launched its first website in March 1997. The number of people who use the internet today

stands at more than six billion people. Data from the royal household shows that there were 2.1 billion social media impressions on its posts in 2025-26, up from 1.3 billion the year before. There were 432 million views of official royal videos in the same period, up from 397 million the year before.

According to Lewis, Prince Philip was the first person at the palace to recognise the power of the internet to promote the monarchy.

Lewis, a PR executive who worked at the palace on secondment from Centrica, the energy company, from 1998-2000, was hired amid criticism of the royal family over the handling of the

death of Diana when it was thought that the Queen had taken too long to address the public.

After being awarded the job, Lewis was given a piece of advice from Lord Janvrin, the incoming principal private secretary to the Queen: don’t start on Princess Diana’s first anniversary.

Lewis said: “The date I was due to join was August 31, 1998, which was the year after the Princess of Wales [died]. The anniversary. And Robin said a quiet word. He said, ‘If I was you, I wouldn’t come until the September 1, because anything that happens on that day, you’ll be held responsible for.’ And that was very clever and wise advice.”

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High risk Walkers pose for pictures at Seaford Head in Sussex apparently oblivious to the dangers beneath their feet. Large cracks have appeared in the chalk cliff and a rockfall recently took place nearby

Right-wing extremism drives increase in Prevent referrals

Chief Political Correspondent

Nearly 10,000 people were reported to the government's anti-terror scheme last year. A sharp increase in concerns about right-wing extremism drove figures to a ten-year high.

A record 10,293 referrals were made to Prevent for 9,957 people in the year to September 2025, which included 393 children aged ten or under.

The increase marks the continuation of a trend after the Southport attack in July 2024 when Axel Rudakubana killed Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Officials noted a significant increase in referrals. He was referred to Prevent three times but his case was closed over a lack of clear ideology.

Extreme right-wing ideology reports jumped from 1,480 to 2,103 — making

up a fifth of all those included in official statistics released yesterday. Islamist extremism referrals were lower by nearly 9 per cent, falling from 945 cases to 860, prompting claims by the Tories that the issue was being "ignored".

However, the number identified as vulnerable to radicalisation on Islamist extremism grounds and supported through a voluntary service known as Channel did increase.

Referrals for fascination with extreme violence or mass casualty attacks was 818 — 8 per cent of the total.

Some 95 reports related to "Incel" (involuntarily celibate) extremism. More than half of referrals were for no identified ideology.

Where age was known, 11 to 15-year-olds made up the largest proportion of Prevent referrals (3,655), followed by 16 to 17-year-olds (1,379), while 393 were for children aged ten or under.

The collection of data on ethnicity is

not mandatory and figures cover just over half made over the past year. Of these, 3,600 were white, 949 Asian, 401 black and 365 "other".

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: "Prevent is ignoring Islamist extremism, despite it remaining the deadliest terror threat ... the failure to address this and intervene is putting the public in danger.

"Prevent's role is vital to national security, but it must be fit for purpose. Labour do not have the backbone to confront this reality, and that is a national security failure."

Home Office insiders said that the number of Prevent referrals for Islamist extremism was still higher than it was in the period covered by statistics published two years ago, which they added partly overlapped with when the Conservatives were in power.

Dan Jarvis, the security minister, said: "The record number of referrals to

Prevent and the increase in the threat level underlines the scale of the challenge we face in protecting the public from terrorism. We will continue to improve Prevent to ensure it has the tools it needs to do its job."

The Home Office said that the UK faces an "enduring and evolving threat from terrorism". The national threat level is severe, meaning that a terrorist attack is highly likely.

Tim Jacques, the government's independent Prevent commissioner, told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "The increased number of referrals, particularly those believed not to have a terrorist ideology, does create a danger of them missing something that does have a terrorist element to it, because Prevent was not created for the type of threat we are seeing today."

Jacques added: "I completely share that concern", when asked about cuts to Prevent spending.

Law chief's reference for paedophile

Jonathan Ames Legal Editor

A law chief has been sacked from a human rights quango after he gave a character reference in court for his paedophile cousin.

David Lavery, 69, was removed from the Human Rights Commission of Northern Ireland amid growing uproar that he had described his cousin, William Lloyd-Lavery, as being "happily married", having "a Christian faith" and "a person of sound judgment and good character".

Judge Patrick Lynch KC sentenced Lloyd-Lavery, 77, to two years in prison at Belfast crown court in April, after he was found guilty on six counts of

David Lavery is the chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland

Solicitor struck off over sexual WhatsApps

Jonathan Ames

A self-described "horny bastard" has been thrown out of the solicitors' profession and must pay a £75,000 bill for legal costs after he bombarded three women with "sexualised messages".

Michael Alexander, a senior litigation specialist, sent a string of lewd and unwanted messages to female professionals. A disciplinary tribunal found that the 63-year-old made one woman barrister feel uncomfortable by repeatedly referring to her "big bad ass" and asking for descriptions of what she was

wearing. Alexander was said to have described himself as a "horny bastard" to colleagues and was found to have sent a string of sexualised gifts to a potential assistant while asking whether she was "pert or peachy".

He also messaged a heavily pregnant woman on the social media site LinkedIn, inviting her to lunch, to which she replied by suggesting that Alexander use an online dating site.

After his behaviour was reported to the solicitors' watchdog, Alexander, who qualified as a lawyer in 1988, was brought before a tribunal that has now

struck him off the roll after finding him guilty of "deliberate, repeated, and persistent" misconduct.

Between 2020 and 2022 Alexander was employed by Harwood Solicitors in Blackburn when the misconduct took place. In 2022, Alexander sent a female barrister a string of "sexually motivated" WhatsApp messages he described as "banter". Alexander was repeatedly told his comments were inappropriate.

Alexander's other messages were said to have included quizzing the barrister over whether she was wearing a thong. The senior solicitor was also

found to have sent a message asking whether the barrister was in bed and whether she was "commando", slang for not wearing underwear.

At the hearing he accepted that his messages were "highly inappropriate and offensive" but argued he had made no sexual advances in person.

The tribunal noted "repeated disregard of clear requests to stop, the continuation of misconduct while regulatory investigations were ongoing, victim-blaming responses, and a lack of genuine insight demonstrated over a sustained period".

indecent assault on four schoolgirls at a Belfast school where he was teaching in the 1970s.

It is understood that after Sir Chris Bryant, the Northern Ireland secretary, was made aware that Lavery had given the character reference, he moved to sack him from the commission.

Lavery, the chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, published an apology for his "serious error in judgment". He also apologised for "any hurt and distress that I caused the victims in this case".

The Law Society of Northern Ireland said that it had conducted "an internal process" around the incident and would make no comment regarding Lavery's position.

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News

Misery for passengers as power failure halts trains

Laurence Sleator

Transport Correspondent

A power failure disrupted trains yesterday across the north and Midlands with "do not travel" notices issued to some passengers.

A lunchtime power cut at the Network Rail Manchester operating centre meant that all signalling and communications on the railway temporarily went down. Train drivers were unable to receive instructions or information about the routes ahead.

The issue affected passengers travelling into and out of Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds.

The operators affected included Northern, Avanti West Coast, Trans-Pennine Express, Transport for Wales, East Midlands Railway and Cross-Country. Northern and TransPennine Express issued notices advising customers not to travel on their services.

No trains could run from Manchester Piccadilly through to Manchester Victoria and Bolton, affecting services across the northwest network.

Power eventually returned but

stranded trains needed to be taken into the nearest stations to allow passengers to get off.

Rail and train operators urged everyone planning to travel by rail today to check before they set off on their journey, either by using National Rail Enquiries or visiting their specific train operator's website for the latest travel advice.

Chris Wright, Network Rail's north west route director, said last night: "I'm extremely sorry for the disruption today and the very difficult journeys many people have experienced. Our engineers are working tirelessly to restore the signalling systems impacted by the power cut at lunchtime.

"With this work continuing this evening we're warning people to expect further disruption tomorrow morning. I'd urge people to ensure they check National Rail Enquiries before they set off on any planned journeys tomorrow, with further cancellations and delays likely."

Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said that she was sorry to hear passengers were affected by cancella-

Rail trouble in north

tions or delays and that she was receiving regular updates while Network Rail worked to resolve the issue.

In April, an electrical fault at Manchester Piccadilly also halted trains. An extended 12-hour closure of the railway was needed for repairs because of the "complex area where this took place, with more than 400 metres of damaged lines", National Rail said at the time.

It was reported that a fault at a distribution transformer was the cause of that power cut.

Manchester Rail Operating Centre controls all train movements over a huge area, ranging between Crewe,

Carlisle, Todmodern in West Yorkshire and the border with Wales.

The Manchester facility that experienced the failure was one of 12 operating centres built to eventually manage the entire rail network, Network Rail said when it opened in 2014.

These facilities replaced 800 signal boxes and other operational locations that used to control trains.

A National Energy System Operator spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident affecting electricity supplies to parts of the Network Rail network. The national electricity transmission system is operating normally and securely."

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary

Thoroughly entitled choice

Louise Haigh's accumulation of titles has become a mouthful. As chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, minister for the Cabinet Office and first secretary of state, she doesn't need a business card so much as a medieval scroll. She has told civil servants that in official papers she wants to be known by the latter title (though round the office it's just "Lou"). It's an interesting choice. First secretary of state is her most senior title, but CDL is the more historic by some 600 years. However, it has had a mixed record among Labour holders. On the one hand you have Clement Attlee, but on the other you have Oswald Mosley. Then again, first secretary of state doesn't have an unblemished record either. The last Labour holder was Peter Mandelson.

Lately we reported that the former minister Ed Balls was suffering from the reshuffle as his wife Yvette Cooper's removal from the Foreign Office meant she was suddenly at home more. This no doubt has its delights, but it has disrupted his podcast recordings when she is "banging about in the kitchen". The new health secretary has now responded to her husband publicly. "Why is he broadcasting anywhere near the kitchen in the first place?" she said. It doesn't seem likely that Cooper's review of her husband's work is going to be used in promotional material. She also said: "Seriously, why does anybody listen to Ed?"

RAISE THE WHITE FLAG Rupert Lowe, the leader of Restore Britain, has somehow managed to anger both monarchists and republicans. On the Today programme, he was asked whether the

King is a white Briton, a question which he dodged as Lowe's favoured definition of having two white, British-born parents is not one which His Majesty meets. Without irony, Lowe accused the BBC's Nick Robinson of a "whitewash". However, on the other side of the constitutional divide, the Cromwell Association has had to issue a clarification distancing itself from Restore. The society which celebrates the life of the 17th century Lord Protector has been confused with Restore's exclusive Cromwell Club. There is one easy way to tell them apart: there are no prizes for guessing which one has annual subs of £2,500 and which one charges £27.

BLOND BOMBSHELL

The reason why British actors are admired across the world is that they know exactly the right amount of scenery to chew. Jason Isaacs, below, tells Kermode on Film that he noticed an air of competition on the sets of the Harry Potter films, as seasoned thesps milked everything out of their five minutes of screentime. He was sitting next to Kenneth Branagh in the make-up room one day and, as Isaacs was having a Vanessa Feltz-style blonde hairdo applied to his head, he confessed to a worry. "I think I'm being very big," Isaacs said. "Darling!" replied Branagh. "Look up and you'll see the soles of my shoes."

Some busybody at Westminster council truly uncovered hell's own dictionary when they looked at the concept of someone having a pint while stood-up and described it as "vertical drinking". The implications of this phrase are scarcely believable. As a journalist, I have come across some exceptionally heavy boozers in my time, but even they stopped drinking once they became horizontal.

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Dark art of being totally ready for the partial eclipse

Rhys Blakely Science Editor

Next Wednesday, Britain will experience the most spectacular solar eclipse in a generation. As much as 96 per cent of the solar disc will be obscured by the moon, turning the sky eerily dim.

The next partial eclipse won't be until 2050. For the next total eclipse visible from mainland Britain, when the sun will be completely hidden, you must wait until September 23, 2090.

There will be an astronomical encore. A few hours after the partial eclipse ends, the Perseid meteor shower will approach its annual peak beneath skies left dark by the new moon.

The International Meteor Organisation predicts maximum activity next Thursday, making the night of August 12-13 one of the most promising observing nights of the decade — provided, as ever, that the clouds co-operate. So how should you watch it?

WHAT TIME IS THE SOLAR ECLIPSE? It will begin shortly after 6pm on Wednesday, August 12, with the precise time varying by location.

It starts at about 6.08pm in Edinburgh and Glasgow, 6.10pm in Belfast,

6.13pm in Manchester and Liverpool, 6.15pm in Birmingham, and 6.17pm in London. Further southwest, first contact will be at about 6.18pm in Cornwall.

Maximum eclipse follows roughly an hour later: about 7.05pm in Edinburgh, 7.08pm in Belfast, 7.10pm in Manchester, 7.11pm in Birmingham and about 7.12pm in London and Cardiff. It will largely be over shortly after 8pm.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE ECLIPSE IN THE UK?

The southwest will experience the greatest eclipse: about 95.8 per cent of the sun will be covered at Land's End, 95.6 per cent at Lizard Point and 96.5 per cent at Bishop Rock in the Isles of Scilly. Cardiff and Belfast will see about 93 per cent, while London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh will see roughly 91 per cent. Even Shetland should receive a deep eclipse, although the obscuration there will be nearer 88 per cent.

Professor Catherine Heymans, the astronomer royal for Scotland, says the difference between 91 and 96 per cent is far less important than whether you have clear skies. "My plan is going to be to watch the Met Office cloud-cover

forecast to see where the clouds are going to be, and to go to where they are not," she said. "I will be ready in my car to drive north, south, east or west."

WHERE SHOULD YOU WATCH?

The eclipse will be low in the evening sky, taking place as the sun descends towards the west or northwest horizon.

A line of buildings, woodland or even a gentle hill could hide the final stages completely. "The sun is going to be setting, getting closer to the horizon as the eclipse occurs," Heymans said. "If you've got houses in your way, then you're not going to be able to see it."

Her advice, if you can, is to hold a rehearsal. Visit a location on the previous evening between 6pm and 8pm. If the setting sun is plainly visible, it should work. The sun's position will alter only slightly from one evening to the next.

HOW SHOULD YOU SAFELY WATCH THE ECLIPSE AND DO YOU NEED GLASSES?

Don't look at the sun with the naked eye, because you can severely and permanently burn your retina.

The simplest method to stay safe is to use eclipse glasses bearing the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. You can order

them online. Check your eclipse glasses before you use them. Discard them if the filters are scratched, torn or punctured. Check children are wearing them properly; look away from the sun before removing them. Ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass, exposed photographic film and improvised filters should not be used.

For families without glasses, indirect projection is another option. Stand with the sun behind you and allow sunlight to pass through the holes in a kitchen colander onto a piece of white paper. Each hole will project a tiny image of the eclipsed sun.

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Dismay at Amanda Knox comedy show

Carla Jenkins

The sister of Meredith Kercher has backed a petition calling for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to cancel a show by Amanda Knox.

Stephanie Kercher said she "could not fathom" how rape and murder could be the subject of a comedy gig.

A petition launched by a friend of the Kercher family claims that Knox's show, which is due to debut at the Gilded Balloon Teviot venue this weekend, turns the student's death in 2007 into entertainment.

Knox was convicted in 2009 of the murder of the 21-year-old in Perugia, Italy, before her acquittal two years later. She has written books and appeared in documentaries about her

experience. Stephanie Kercher said "Imagine 20 years after Meredith's death, your pain is turned into someone else's laughter. My sister's tragedy is being used to debut a comedy show this weekend in Edinburgh of all places by the very person who was questioned and taken to the legal system by Italian prosecution.

"I'm very aware that in high-profile cases everyone has their own opinions on guilt and innocence and I also agree with freedom of speech.

"However, when someone is still using Meredith's name to support themselves, and furthermore, when a comedy is linked to an individual case and individual person, I cannot fathom how rape and murder can be laughed about and I cannot understand how

one person's behaviour at the police station can be the subject of the comedy show."

Knox defended the performance on Instagram, releasing a statement that said the petition made "false assumptions and mischaracterises the show".

Sally Alington, who has known the Kercher family for many years, started a petition on Change.org calling on the Gilded Bal-

Amanda Knox says a petition calling for the cancellation of her Edinburgh Fringe show has mischaracterised it

loon and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to withdraw

Cartwheel — a show billed as stand-up comedy with "adult" themes, which is centred around the case. The petition has been signed by more than 4,000 people.

In an interview this week, Knox said she believed that her former flatmate would have found the show "funny".

Now living in rural Washington with her husband and two children, Knox, 39, said the show was about her wrongful imprisonment and how she would explain her past life to her daughter.

The show is named Cartwheel after media reports at the time that said Knox had "turned cartwheels" in the police station when she was taken in for questioning. She denies this was the case.

Alington said: "This isn't just wholly inappropriate and hurtful to family and friends of Meredith, this goes far beyond that. It normalises and trivialises violence against women."

Gilded Balloon said it had no comment beyond a statement given last month in defence of hosting the show.

It said: "The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is an open-access festival. As a Fringe venue, we provide a platform for a wide range of voices, in line with the Fringe's long-standing commitment to freedom of expression."

Acosta still dancing up a storm at 53

Dance Debra Craine

Myths and Modern Masters Royal Opera House (160 min) ★★★★★

This is Carlos Acosta's night. And what a night! Yes, Myths and Modern Masters may be a chance to see him back on the Royal Opera House stage at the age of 53. But it's more than that. With help from the two companies he directs — Birmingham Royal Ballet and Acosta Danza — the Cuban star has curated an outstanding, wonderfully diverse and hugely entertaining showcase for dance.

We begin with the man himself, in striking purple, making his debut in an American modern dance classic. José Limón's The Moor's Pavane (1949) cleverly distils Shakespeare's Othello into 20 minutes, styling it as an Elizabethan courtly dance for the four central characters and setting it to music by Purcell (played by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, conducted by Paul Murphy).

Acosta's stature and charisma were undimmed on opening night, as the Moor's dangerous passions lurked beneath his polite surface. Beatrice Parma's innocent wife Desdemona

suffered quietly. Max Maslen relished his victory as the schemer Iage; Miki Mizutani was his seductive wife Emilia.

Acosta's The Nutcracker in Havana Suite is a chance for his Cuban-based Acosta Danza to light up Covent Garden. The ballet's national dances are reimagined in his spirited, Latin-flavoured choreography; plus there's a conga, even a clog dance (a nod to La Fille mal gardée ). Acosta orchestrated the fun as Drosselmeyer,

accompanied by his 14-year-old daughter Aila Acosta Holland as Clara. A Birmingham Royal Ballet couple, Parma and Enrique Bejarano Vidal, danced the pas de deux for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her prince, very traditional and beautifully polished.

Another BRB couple — Katherine Ochoa and Yasiel Hodelin Bello — triumphed in Agrippina Vaganova's Diana and Actaeon duet. Bello was high-powered, while Ochoa was

phenomenal, not only delivering the virtuosic classical choreography with ease but daring it to go a step further.

Acosta partnered Amisaday Naara in Nosotros, a contemporary duet by Beatriz García and Raúl Reinoso in which emotions are on high alert. The erratic lighting took some of the edge off their fractured relationship but the years faded away in Acosta's little and poignant dancing.

Christopher Bruce's Rooster (1991)

closes the show in swaggering fashion. Set to songs by the Rolling Stones, Bruce's sexy, witty battle of the sexes parodies the preening vanity of the men and celebrates their long-suffering female partners. The ten-strong cast were a joy but it was a splendid Acosta, strutting like Mick Jagger and dancing up a storm, who stole the show. Royal Opera House, London, to Sunday, rho.org.uk

BBC advertising plan alarms rivals

Alex Farber Media Correspondent

Introducing adverts to BBC podcasts such as The Archers is a bad idea that would negatively affect audiences and commercial rivals, a coalition of media businesses has warned.

The group, which includes Gary Lineker's Goulhanger and publishers Guardian Media Group and News UK, owner of The Times, has written to Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, to warn her about the "damaging" impact of the government proposals.

The government raised the prospect of the broadcaster introducing adverts into digital products including its website and the streaming services BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds to improve its financial sustainability in a green paper about the future of the broadcaster published last year.

"[Consider] allowing the BBC to carry limited advertising on its online platforms where advertising revenues are growing," the paper said.

"The BBC could be allowed to carry advertising on certain parts of bbc.co.uk, such as entertainment and sport pages, or on older BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds content."

But the proposed change has alarmed rivals, which urged Nandy to rule it out. Matt Payton, chief executive officer of industry body Radiocentre, said: "Pressing ahead with this ill-conceived proposal in face of the evidence would only succeed in damaging home-grown audio businesses, while raising limited additional funds for the BBC. We urge the government to now rule out this proposal which would be deeply unpopular with audiences."

Radiocentre considers the move to

be a "high-risk, low-reward proposition", which would generate around £10 million a year according to estimates by analysts Compass Lesecon.

While the impact on the finances of the BBC, which generated revenues of almost £6 billion last year, would be "negligible", there are fears that it would have a material impact on smaller audio rivals.

Last year the BBC backtracked on plans to introduce adverts into some of its most popular podcasts after an outcry from the industry.

A BBC spokesperson said at the time that it had ruled out the proposals after a consultation.

"We will continue to support the audio sector and the wider market, investing in the best ideas and developing production capabilities across the UK," they said.

Victory in battle to save flag flown at Trafalgar

David Brown

Chief News Correspondent

A descendant of Admiral Lord Nelson's second-in-command at the Battle of Trafalgar has welcomed the saving of the ship's Union Flag, which will be displayed in Newcastle.

The flag was flown from HMS Royal Sovereign, flagship of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, at the battle in 1805. It was due to be sent abroad after being sold last year but an export ban was put in place due to its significance.

North East Museums has raised more than two-thirds of its £700,000 target to purchase the flag and create a permanent home for it at the Discovery Museum. Collingwood was born in

The flag will go on show in Newcastle

Newcastle and recruited many of his sailors there. Susan Collingwood-Cameron, a great-great-great niece, said: "This flag is said to have been made by sailors on board the ship, many of whom came from Tyneside and were affectionately referred to by him as his 'Tars of the Tyne'. It will be a tribute to them and the important role they played in one of our greatest moments."

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18

News

Only 14 per cent of rivers in good health

Clean it up

CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

Ben Cooke Environment Correspondent

Fewer rivers are in good ecological condition now than in 2019, as the government looks set to miss its target of improving their health by the end of next year.

The first assessment by the Environment Agency of the state of Britain's rivers, lakes and coastal waters since 2019 has revealed that only 14 per cent

of rivers are rated as being in good condition, a two percentage point decline.

The results show the government is almost certain to miss its target of bringing just over three quarters of rivers up to good ecological condition by the end of next year.

The government attributed the decline to changes in the way river health is assessed and argued that the new results show rivers are in roughly the same condition now as in 2019 — the last time it concluded a survey of the country's rivers and lakes.

The survey revealed the extent of the damage to England's rivers not only

Troubled waters

The ecological status of England's 4,658 surface water bodies

Source: Environment Agency

from sewage pollution but also pesticides and fertilisers from farmed fields and toxic “forever chemicals” found in flame retardants and cosmetics. The agency found that every water body in England was polluted with such chemicals and that phosphate — from farm run-off and sewage — is the biggest cause of river pollution in Britain.

Angela Eagle, the environment secretary, said the results underlined the need for “wholesale change” across the water sector. “Our local communities deserve to have clean local rivers and lakes. We’ve already introduced landmark legislation to hold water compa-

nies to account, secured record investment to help fix infrastructure, and are laser-focused on long term reforms that will prevent future failures,” she said.

But James Wallace, the chief executive of the campaign group River Action, said “despite successive governments’ promises, nothing has changed”.

Industry body Water UK said water firms were investing a record £22 billion in environmental improvements by 2030, the largest amount of money ever spent on the natural environment.

The Times' Clean It Up campaign calls for tougher regulation to improve Britain's waterways.

George Box, below right aged 13, took the bone and a piece of tile from Glastonbury Abbey

Abbot's kneecap returned 70 years after boy's theft

An abbot's kneecap which was stolen by an 11-year-old

boy on a school trip to Glastonbury Abbey 70 years ago has been returned to Somerset (Mark Ludlow writes).

George Box, from Brent Knoll, ducked under the ropes at an archaeological dig in 1956 and “helped himself” from an opened tomb. The bone was the kneecap of a 13th century abbot which Box later kept in pride of place in a glass cabinet at his home in

Australia, having emigrated in the 1970s.

Shortly before he died last year, Box confessed to his wife and they agreed that it should be returned.

Lucy Newman, from the abbey, said the date of the school trip matched that of a dig in which the tombs of several abbots had been opened.

The only hitch was that they had no idea to whom the bone belonged, and could only reunite kneecap and owner by “exhuming them all and seeing how many

knee bones they all have”, she said.

“The photographs we’ve got of the [excavated] tombs, we don’t know whether they were taken before or after a schoolboy climbed in and helped himself to a bone,” Newman told the BBC.

Exhumation could “disturb more archaeology than would benefit from an abbot being reunited with his kneecap” and end up “giving another abbot three kneecaps”.

Box's widow said her “scallywag” husband had “helped himself” and took a fragment of medieval floor tile too. “As a child he never told anyone what he had done,” she said.

The kneecap and the tile fragment are displayed in the abbey's museum.

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19

News

Vertical drinking curbs?

Pubgoers call it madness

Ed Halford, Hamish McCorriston

It's just after 2pm at The French House in Soho and word has reached drinkers that licensing proposals set out by Westminster council speak of clamping down on "vertical drinking" or, in non-official speak, standing up while nursing a pint.

As the news caused some to splutter out a few sips of beer, which the pub traditionally serves in half-pint glasses, Graham McPherson, better known as Suggs, the lead singer of Madness, was bemused. "Can this be real?" he asked. "What's the council going to do, then? Provide some benches or sofas when it's packed? Where are they going to make the space for horizontal drinking? Westminster council, I think, should be put horizontal."

The proposals have come as a surprise given that Soho's bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants are often full to bursting. They should, the council says, "discourage excessive drunkenness and encourage the provision of more seating in premises that serve alcohol for people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food by table service in place of open bar space that caters for high volume vertical drinking".

The opening of new pubs and bars in what the council calls the "cumulative impact zone", which cover Soho and large parts of the West End, is also set to be banned.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said the proposals were "more evidence that restrictive and anti-growth policies aren't working". A spokesperson said the government was giving

Khan new powers to call in licensing decisions "to protect London's vital nightlife and hospitality industries".

Lesley Helen Lewis, 71, who has been The French House's landlady for 37 years, said: "It's about sanitising Soho and making it the same as elsewhere in the world. Soho has always been about the feeling of freedom and there's never been any prejudice towards other people. If it comes to it then we will fight to the bitter end as British people don't really like being told what to do."

At The Ship & Shovell, Martin Kaufman, 78, said: "One of the great vibrant things about London pub life is the ability to be free to mingle and talk. Pubs are closing down every week so it seems silly to restrict people's ability to enjoy themselves." Harry Broomby, 26, said: "I think it's part of the culture and it's what people visit England for."

Jeremy Joseph, the owner of Heaven, closed his G-A-Y Bar in Soho last year, citing the council's restrictive licensing among the reasons.

On the new proposals, he said: "My immediate reaction is how much more damage can you try to create for hospitality?" Joseph estimated that were the council to require drinkers to be seated, out-

door capacity would drop by 70 per cent and "the pubs can't survive".

Gary Henshaw, 62, who has run the LGBT venue Ku for 30 years, said policies should be tailored to each establishment.

Michael Kill, of the Night Time Industries Association, said: "Standing

in a pub is not a licensing issue. It's part of British culture."

Tim Barnes, the council's deputy leader, said there had been a "wilful misreading" of the proposals. "Our guidance is simply about encouraging venues to manage their customers so people don't pack onto pavements or excessive drinking doesn't disturb others passing by."

Foolish puritans, leading article, page 27

Suggs, below, the Madness singer, was among Soho drinkers deriding the plans

University vice-chancellor sacked amid fraud inquiry

Sian Bradley

The long-serving vice-chancellor of the University of Greater Manchester has been fired, weeks after he was arrested under investigation for the alleged misuse of funds.

Professor George Holmes was arrested by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on July 8 in connection with a "significant and complex investigation" into the alleged misuse of up to £1.7 million in university funds.

Andrew Roberts, chairman of the board of governors, informed staff on Wednesday that "Dr George Holmes's contract as vice-chancellor has been ended by the governing body of the university", according to an email seen by the Manchester Mill. The email continued: "Dr Holmes is therefore no longer an employee of the university."

In the interim, Dr Greg Walker remains acting vice-chancellor and the board of governors will need to convene to appoint a permanent head of the institution.

The university confirmed Holmes's contract was terminated "earlier this week" in a statement to The Mill.

Holmes, who was appointed to the institution in 2005, when it was called

the University of Bolton, was suspended in May last year. The university apparently described his suspension as a "precautionary measure" that did not imply "any assumption of guilt".

Police say they opened their investigation a year ago after allegations from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the university's fraud response panel. Last year GMP said that officers had begun investigating "suspected fraud and brib-

Professor George Holmes had been vice-chancellor since 2005

ery". They carried out arrest warrants at two addresses in Bolton and three others in Lancashire, Humberside and West Yorkshire, arresting two men in their sixties and a woman in her fifties.

The investigation involves approximately £1 million worth of fraudulent activity between 2014 and 2025 across 60 transactions and more than a million emails.

It has not yet been made clear which potential offences apply to Holmes.

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Holt Heath in Dorset is still charred a year on from a devastating fire. Much of the land has not seen regrowth or recovery

Nature reserve is 'moonscape' a year after fire

Adam Vaughan Environment Editor

The majority of a Dorset nature reserve burnt by a wildfire last year has not recovered and is a scorched "moonscape", conservationists have found.

Surveys of Holt Heath by ecologists at the National Trust revealed about 70 per cent of the land was still charred one year on from the blaze.

The slow bounceback bodes ill for Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, a trust site which suffered a devastating wildfire last week. The heath was burnt after a fire ignited in the RSPB's neighbouring Minsmere reserve.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service still has a major live incident in place.

Despite no visible signs of fire, firefighters remain on site because of the risk from heat beneath the ground and smouldering vegetation.

This year's hot and dry weather, including the driest July on record in England, exacerbated the fire and is believed to be why the Dorset reserve has not recovered.

In the most heavily burnt areas the Dorset fire, believed at the time to have been started deliberately, did not just clear vegetation but also burnt through the fragile surface layer of soil. That left extensive areas of bare sand exposed, which are vulnerable to wind and rain erosion and lack the nutrients needed for plants to take root.

The recovery has been hampered by the weather, the trust said. With half of England in drought, the lack of rain means any fragile new growth has struggled to survive.

Ellie Egan, countryside manager for the National Trust at Holt Heath and the Kingston Lacy Estate, said: "While some areas are beginning to recover naturally, the damage was far more

severe in places than we would typically expect, and parts of the heath still look very much like a 'moonscape' and these will require careful, long-term management if they are to recover successfully."

The conservation and heritage charity is conducting a study on how to best kick-start the soil's recovery.

Holt Heath is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), representing a portion of lowland heathland, one of the UK's rarest habitats. Dunwich Heath is also lowland heathland, so the study could inform its restoration too.

The Dorset site has historically supported large populations of heathland birds, such as the Dartford

warbler, nightjar, stonechat, woodlark and curlew.

It is also famous for being home to all six native UK reptile species. This includes the very rare sand lizard and smooth snake, alongside the adder, grass snake, common lizard and slow worm.

The rare reptiles, Dartford warbler and stonechat suffered severely

from the loss of nesting and feeding grounds. However, nightjars are still present and have been heard making mating calls, known as "churring", in the area.

In 2023, a controlled burn on Holt Heath by the trust got out of control and destroyed about seven acres (three hectares) of land. It was the first time that had happened in two decades of intentional burning.

Last year was the UK's worst on record for wildfires, and the country experienced its first "megafire". This year has not been much better, as about 56,460 acres (22,850 hectares) have been burnt, making it currently the third worst on record.

Charlotte Church fights for her woodland school

David Brown Chief News Correspondent

Charlotte Church is appealing for permission to continue operating a woodland school for a "tribe" of children seeking an alternative education.

The Welsh singer's Awen Project charity runs an education centre for homeschooled children in a former piggery at Oaktree Farm in Wenvoe, Vale of Glamorgan.

Church, 40, founded the charity in 2019 after taking her own children out of mainstream schools in 2016. She has a daughter Ruby, 18, and a son, Dexter, 17, with Gavin Henson, the former Wales rugby player, and a daughter, Frida, six, with her present partner, Jonathan Powell, a musician.

Its website describes the "Awen Tribe" as a "self-directed, con-

sent-based learning community". It has been operating at Wenvoe since October 2024 and applied for planning permission to change its use from an agricultural to a non-residential institution last August. The application was refused over concerns about road safety, noise and a lack of ecological reports.

In its appeal, the project says: "The fact that children make sound when they are learning, whether that is singing and playing instruments or making excited cries at having discovered something that chimes with their passions, is a terrible reason to argue against them having a place to learn."

The appeal is due to be heard by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales.

The Welsh singer runs the Awen Project

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23

In an era of political needling,

Be More Bayeux

Laura Freeman

Page 24

No early release from Burnham's first big test

Can PM make a success out of Starmer's failure on prisoners? Unlike his predecessor he is trying to take voters with him

Patrick Maguire

@PATRICKKMAGUIRE

Last week, in a difficult meeting on the early release of prisoners, Andy Burnham gave officials a taste of his political essence. "I just don't think the public are going to believe that," he told them, emphatically, after yet another rehearsal of all of Whitehall's objections to his plans to keep some offenders inside. "They're just not going to thank me for that."

It is often said, derisively, that this prime minister's great weakness is his need to be liked. Here is an intractable crisis of public policy, of prisons at 98 per cent capacity, demanding impossible political choices. And there is Burnham fretting about his own reception as the architecture of state collapses around him.

Sir Keir Starmer, by contrast, took his cues from Harry Storer, Brian Clough's first mentor in football management. Storer told the young Clough that his vocation was lonelier than it looked: "Nobody ever says thank you." Rather like Enoch Powell's shopworn maxim on political careers and failure, it was a check on great expectations of gratitude and affirmation. Nobody on the terraces or in the polling booths ever says thank you, so don't act like you can force them to.

We saw that when Starmer confronted this same question two summers ago. One of his first meetings in office was with an emotional group of prison governors. They pleaded with him to go ahead

with early releases, however unpopular, because the alternative was collapse. Shabana Mahmood, then the justice secretary, said much the same. And so Starmer, to quote one adviser present for those discussions, "did the right thing". It was what the experts and the data said was necessary.

Nobody said thank you. In a few years, once the harsh medicine on prisons and much else had time to work, perhaps they might. But the opposite came to pass. Starmer's government was forced to take hard and unpopular decisions because of its inheritance, that much is true, but their unpopularity was no less of a political risk. He internalised too much of Storer's mantra too quickly. Nobody ever says thank you, so there's no point pretending I can do anything else.

"He'd have scoffed at saying we were going to stop it," says a former aide of Starmer on early release,

Close aides in No 10 speak of the PM's 'public conscience test'

"because, he'd say, we'll be back doing it very soon anyway." The result was a government that looked as if it had given up on itself. It promised change but too often delivered passivity.

On prison places, Burnham's inheritance is scarcely less grisly and the limited exemptions he has introduced to the early release scheme reflect that. Only rapists, "serious" child sex offenders and groomers will still have to serve two-thirds of their sentence while police killers and serious domestic abusers could still be freed after only half. What has changed is not so much the substance of the policy, which is

still as foul and sticky as ever, but the style of the leadership.

When Burnham has spoken in those meetings of the public's disbelief, or his fears for their reaction, the issue at stake is not popularity but trust and consent. Close aides in No 10 speak of his "public conscience test" on early releases. He first clocked this fight was coming when campaigning for Makerfield and, of everything that has crossed his desk in his first weeks as prime minister, it is this that has commanded most of his time and attention. Most days his schedule of meetings has run, to the concern of officials fearful of fatigue and diminishing returns, past 9pm.

But the alternative was to tell the public that government could do nothing to stop early releases that many consider a moral outrage. As he has sought to show on the cost of living, this early phase of Burnham's premiership is self-consciously demonstrative: that he is listening, that he has tried, that he has managed, despite nothing much having changed, to do something, however modest and however difficult the supplementary questions and edge cases thrown up. It is the opposite of fatalistic — some on Whitehall would say naively, self-defeatingly so. It assumes, actually, that somebody, somewhere, might end up saying thank you.

The contrast with Labour's last go at this is instructive for, on the substance, it isn't a sharp contrast at all. Starmer's government ended up exempting several categories of sex offenders, domestic abusers and stalkers from early release. They had initially been included in the scheme but, at a testy Cobra meeting after the 2024 election, Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, argued that public consent would collapse if offences

JEFF J MITCHELL/GETTY MAKES

Releasing prisoners early wins no friends, as the prime minister knows

against women were deemed insufficiently serious to warrant exclusion. And nobody, she said, had sought to explain to the public why early releases were necessary — or that the Tories had been planning to do similar.

And so nobody said thank you: not for the action to save the prison system from anarchy, nor for the exclusion of the offenders still locked up. It was reactive, piecemeal, all imposed upon the prime minister behind closed doors. A year later, in May 2025, Cooper again sought to deny serious sex offenders, child sex offenders and the worst domestic abusers from eligibility for release. She sent a nine-page memo making the case to Starmer and Mahmood on the eve of a cabinet committee meeting, but this time it was no use. The prime minister deferred to the

people in charge of the prisons, and here we are now.

What comes next is the first big test case for Burnhamism. The new style has collided with the old substance. As the prime minister himself says, he has not kept anywhere near as many criminals inside as he, or the public, would have liked. Starmer's own preference, incidentally, was to authorise the early releases himself before leaving office. He thought it

Survivors of the last government say it's prolonging his pain

might make his successor's life a little easier, and help save Labour's face come inevitable disappointment. The offer was declined because Burnham, as he told me the day before he entered No 10, is "going to try to do things in a different way".

He admits he has not entirely succeeded and is sensitive to public outrage on the things he has not yet fixed: hence why, at Burnham's instruction this week, Ministry of Justice officials are now trawling through old paper records of child sex offences to identify grooming gang members who could go free under an unforeseen loophole.

Burnham is pushing officials to find new solutions and new answers to the questions that defeated his predecessor. This week has shown he may end up landing in the same territory. But he is trying to take the voters with him. Survivors of the last government say it's prolonging his pain unnecessarily — that he's made it his problem, and his failure, and that nobody ever says thank you. On this and every other legacy battle to come Burnham's bet is he can prove them wrong.

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24

Comment

In an era of political needling, Be More Bayeux

Tapestry embodies magnanimity over triumphalism: a lesson for today's baying mobs and ghouls

Laura Freeman

There are only, as any schoolboy knows, two dates in English history. The first is 55BC, in which year Julius Caesar landed at Thanet. The second is 1066, when William, Duke of Normandy, conquered England at the Battle of Hastings. If your knowledge extends a little, but only a little, beyond all that you will know that the battle is commemorated in the Bayeux Tapestry and that Harold gets one in the eye from the French. Biff, baff, boff. Or even biffe, baffe, bouffe.

This person of little knowledge, schooled in Sellar and Yeatman and not much else, is not entirely hypothetical. A few weeks ago, it was me. Good on the Georgians, not so hot on the 18th century.

In anticipation of the exhibition of the millennium, I have been mugging up on the Bayeux Tapestry, already in situ, but not yet in public sight, at the British Museum.

Like most things one knows little about, the little I knew was wrong. A month ago, I would have told you that the tapestry (an embroidery, really, as any schoolgirl who has sewn a sampler would know) is a 70-metre exercise in Norman propaganda. A yah-boo-sucks to the defeated English. A stitched staking-of-the-chain to the English throne. Normans I, Anglo-Saxons O. The English just as weeny, weedy and weaky as the last

bloke to conquer us thought.

How boring 70 metres of that would be. The story is, of course, far more complicated, as coiling as the trees that divide the scenes. The tapestry was, in modern parlance, an Anglo-French co-production. Commissioned by the winners, almost certainly stitched by the losers. Sympathies lie now with one side, now the other.

One of the themes modern scholars like to stress is magnanimity over triumphalism. Well, they would, wouldn't they, when the loan is a diplomatic as well as a curatorial coup. It's certainly there; though, even-handedness, grief for the fallen enemy, respect for his achievements. The English may drink too much.

I shrink from the witch hunt and exultation at Jason Arday's downfall

(look at those drinking horns) but they are pious, pray in splendid churches, build magnificent abbeys, and are tactical in battle. The English shield wall, impenetrable until it wasn't, is given a fine showing.

Harold is not the great betrayer who deserves his sticky, pointy end, but a complicated man, now heroic, now duplicitous, a brother-in-arms to William, a man caught between two kings.

In the little King Penguin book on the Bayeux Tapestry I bought in a secondhand bookshop years ago, on the principle that you should always pick up a Penguin, the author Eric Maclagan writes of Harold: "It is not as a Judas that he fills the stage,

though perhaps as a Macbeth; a brave man led by ambition into disloyalty".

When two of Harold's brothers are killed on the battlefield, the birds in the border above seem to cry out. Some of the English flee; others bravely defend their redoubt. By the time we reach the final stretch of the battle, the fallen Norman and English soldiers are indistinguishable, manned and equally mourned.

It is thrillingly cinematic, ingeniously suspenseful and rich in twists and turns. The exhibition opens on September 10. Only 34 sleeps to go.

I hesitate to use a 1,000-year-old wonder of western art as a modern motivational mantra, but "Be More Bayeux" isn't a bad message. Magnanimity is in short supply in our age of cheap shots and screengrab gotchas. The enemy stumbles, misspeaks, comes a crooper on the morning news round, and troops bay for their blood.

When I heard earlier this week that the Sunday Times and Spectator columnist Rod Liddle had died, my first thought was "how they'll be crowing online". And they were, on X and on Bluesky; gleeful, vengeful, hoping it was a painful death, threatening anyone who posted tributes or acclamations. The same grave-dancing ghoulishness we saw with Ann Widakcombe a month ago.

Do I warm to Jason Arday, the discredited Cambridge professor with his tall tales and eye-stretching lies? Not particularly. But I also shrink from the spectacle of the witch-hunt and the exultation at his downfall.

Politics increasingly seems to be a series of sour skirmishes and petty victories fought on an online

battlefield. The president of the US would not recognise magnanimity if it cantered towards him in chainmail. Elsie Musk calls the editor of the Economist, Zanny Minton Beddoes, a "traitor to the West". (She, restrainedly, says she is "bemused" by his response.) Treachery is a popular theme. Reform's Zia Yusuf has called Labour and Conservative politicians "traitors to their country".

Zack Polanski, meanwhile, reposed a photograph of a man wearing a T-shirt showing a guillotine and the slogan: "We're only making plans for Nigel". Spits and quits, tit for tat, axe against axe. None of them better than my three-year-old daughter who, reaching the top of any climbing frame, announces: "nerr-nerr, nerr, nerr-nerr, can't catch me-ne!". Playground triumphalism is now the grown-up norm.

You might say: magnanimous the tapestry may be, but it is still a smooth bit of broadcasting. After the Battle of Hastings, there was a certain amount of laying waste to the countryside and marching on Berkhamsted. But never let the wider historical context get in the way of the general sword thrust of a column.

My husband, who takes a wenkish interest in US politics, likes to cite the example of John McCain at a Republican rally in 2008, courteously but insistently defending Barack Obama. "He's a decent family man and citizen," said McCain, "that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues." Less than two decades ago, but such magnanimity seems a relic of the distant past.

Laura Freeman is chief art critic

Torture is wrong in any circumstances — I should know John McCarthy

Almost 35 years ago to the day, I came home after spending more than five years as a hostage in Lebanon. During that time I was beaten, blindfolded and chained up in darkened underground rooms. I was held in solitary confinement and subjected to torture.

As a survivor of torture, I became a member of a club no one wishes to join. I know what it does to a person, how it denies humanity and strips away dignity. While physical scars may fade, the memory is impossible to erase. And that is why the latest YouGov polling commissioned by the human rights organisation Freedom from Torture troubles me so deeply.

One in five British people who expressed a view believe there are some circumstances in which torture can be acceptable. I find that difficult to understand.

The UK has long stood, rightly and proudly, against torture. The absolute ban is one of our clearest moral lines: a recognition that there are some things we must never do to another human being, whatever the circumstances. Its global evolution is in no small part down to leadership by the UK that stretches back hundreds of years. It makes it all the more shocking that some people in this country believe this principle can be negotiable.

Most people cannot imagine what it is like to be powerless in the hands of another person, to have your agency stripped away and to believe you may not survive. Like most torturers, my kidnappers believe they had good cause. That's why the absolute ban must remain untouchable. The moment any exception is contemplated, we are all at risk.

It is easy to condemn torture when thinking about the actions of a distant dictator. It is harder when we are frightened, angry or convinced that exceptional circumstances, closer to home, demand exceptional measures. But the moment fundamental human rights are treated as politically inconvenient we stand on the brink of losing our humanity.

The UK does not have a perfect record but for generations Britain has been a leading voice against torture on the global stage. Now there are more conflicts around the world than since the Second World War, we must continue to be vigilant. I jabselling the absolute ban reflects some of the best qualities of our country. We must protect and preserve it at all costs. I know where the other side of that line leads. I have lived there. It is unbearable and it can never be justified.

I urge anyone who thinks torture is acceptable in certain circumstances to reconsider. There are no right circumstances for torture.

John McCarthy is a patron of Freedom from Torture

James Marriott Notebook

Sorry, Mum, my report card still says: needs work

Back up in Newcastle for the weekend my mum presents me with a bulging grey ringhinder. It is full of school reports gathered over my teenage years. A dossier of maternal pride. She remembered her son (as mums tend to) as an angelic straight-A student. To her consternation the first thing that fluttered out of the folder when she opened it was a detention slip. "Would James Marriott please report to Mr Clarke after school?" There were some encouraging comments (my dad, who taught me English, tended to take a positive view of my character). But the tone of the reports was far from universally adulatory: disorganised, distracted, unbildable. "Needs to rein in his tendency to write flamboyantly," comments one teacher.

The disturbing thing is how aptly these adjectives still apply to me. Though I am not as chaotic as I was at 17, when I bungled around school

turning up at the wrong lessons with bits of paper flying out of my pockets, I still have a hard time remembering what I am supposed to be doing or focusing on any task that doesn't interest me. A decade and a half later I fear my report card would read: still no improvement.

I increasingly believe that as we age we change less than we might hope or believe. Thinking about my schoolfriends, I can't bring to mind anyone I know at 15 whose adult life has turned out to be anything like an unforeseeable shock. Indeed, my sense is that after your early twenties — when you have the energy and self-doubt to try to be someone other than you are — most people lapse back into something more like their teenage habits and interests. This doesn't bode well for me.

Gull power

My poor mum. Not only is she coming to terms with this disillusioning revelation about her work character, she is also being held hostage by a seagull. The problem started when

she began feeding Nelson (as the seagull has been christened) sachets of cat food. He now patrols the garden waiting for his next dinner. When he becomes impatient around dinnertime (and he has little sense of moderation in gastronomic matters) he waddles up the patio and taps his beak incessantly on the French windows. The effect is intimidating. The only way to stop him doing this is to draw the curtains. We ate dinner in the dark.

Chilled northerners

After weeks of punishing London heat it is blissfully cool in Newcastle. I vowed in my teens that I would never move back up north but gazing at the lowering clouds and gun-metal seas I wonder if I was overhasty. Temperatures are so much more civilised in the northeast. How many Londoners, broiling alive in tiny oven-like flats, are beginning to think of a chiller life in Newcastle or Edinburgh or Leeds? When Andy Burnham is thinking about how to revive the north, I wonder if he might factor in global warming. All those well-remunerated London bankers, management consultants and lawyers

retreating to a more bearable climate. I don't think this is wholly fanciful.

English original

I am reading what must be one of the most eccentric classic novels of the 1,200th century, Wolf Solent by John Cowper Powys. I first read this book in my early twenties and had an abiding memory of wretches. I was right. The sensibility of the author is unlike anything else I have encountered. How to describe it? His world is erotic, gothic and grotesque, full of incestuous booksellers, deprived country squires and innocent maidens. And (the best feature of his writing) he has a visionary and mystical sense of the Dorset countryside. This is mixed with an almost twee appreciation of the cosy comforts of English life. Slightly against my better judgment, I find myself swept up by all this.

It also means Powys regularly produces unexpected sentences like this one: "It was the memory of [the old bookseller's] obsessed expression — that expression of concentrated erotic insanity, directed towards universal matter, as he had caught it from under the man's wrinkled forehead across the blue tea-cray." In the age of A1 we hear a lot about the importance of "originality" in human intelligence. ICF passes with flying colours. You could run a large language model for centuries before it produced a phrase like that.

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25

Comment

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Dr Fauci is the fall guy for a nation's ills

A vicious political reckoning over Covid has the self-regarding virologist in its crosshairs — and left all sides furious

Justin Webb

@JUSTINONWEB

Two pandemics, two journals. From Samuel Pepys during the great plague in London in 1665: "This day, much against my Will, I did in Drury-lane see two or three houses marked with a red cross upon the doors, and 'Lord have mercy upon us' writ there."

And this from Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as Covid was taking a hold in 2020: "Multiple editorials (print news Washington Post, etc.) and opinion pieces (Newsweek) written about me. Cannot keep up or even read all of them. Country needs someone to look up to in the face of Trump presidency. Interesting psychodynamics."

The contrast between the empathy and sobriety of Pepys and the frequent giddy self-indulgence of Fauci was noted by the veteran Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan last week. "The sweep and detail of Pepys's diary captures the spirit of his age, the Restoration," she

wrote. "Let's hope the flatness and self-adulation of Anthony Fauci's doesn't capture ours."

The flatness and self-adulation are certainly present in the journal of Dr Fauci, which he seems rather foolishly to have saved on a government server, only to see it publicised by his enemies on the eve of his appearance before Congress. But another aspect of the spirit of the modern age was captured by last week's congressional hearing and the threat by the Senate's homeland security and governmental affairs committee to recommend he is prosecuted for contempt.

It's the hatred. Total hatred. Peggy Noonan's cool appraisal of Dr Fauci's reappearance on the national stage is

Flatness and self-adulation are certainly present in his journal

unusual, even unique. In every other corner of the mainstream media, in every corner of the social media, in every corner of the whole nation, everyone has a view about Fauci and everyone is angry.

The indecorous mood was led from the Senate committee room itself: the Republican senator from Ohio, Bernie Moreno, asked, "Who the f*** do you think you were?", and, "It is a total

disgrace what you did to this country."

That was in response to Fauci pleading the Fifth Amendment, the constitutional get-out that allows people not to incriminate themselves if they face possible prosecution. This despite Fauci already having a pardon for all crimes he might have committed, issued by President Biden as one of his last acts. And also despite some of the questions not being difficult, such as: "What colour is the carpet in front of you?" The senators now argue that Fauci needed to answer the committee because he was protected by his pardon, so the Fifth does not apply.

That is not the view of the doctor or his advisers. In his opening statement before, on the advice of counsel, he clammed up, Fauci addressed the behaviour of the committee chair Rand Paul directly: "The only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something — anything — that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars."

Fauci is 85. He has a long history of service to American health. His supporters — roughly half the nation — see this as McCarthyism reborn; a show trial that illustrates the demonic madness of the modern American right. His opponents — roughly the other half of the nation

— believe Fauci suppressed discussion of the causes of Covid in order to protect scientists who were doing dirty deals with Chinese labs — or at the very least that he was responsible for encouraging the lockdowns and vaccine mandates that were in their view unnecessary and harmful.

It is as if all the pent-up fury from Covid is landing on his shoulders. Was it right that people lost their jobs because they would not have

There would always be an explosion and Fauci is feeling its full force

the vaccine? Was it right that schools in some states stayed closed for much longer than seemed fully justified?

The Covid pandemic ripped America apart every bit as much as the financial crisis of 2008, and with all the more force because it opened fault lines that the crash had previously exposed. It pitted the rich, the privileged, the lanyard-wearing classes with their Ivy League haughtiness, against the poor folk who had to cover their faces, take their medicine and try as best they could to look after their kids at home. There was always going to be an explosion and Fauci

is now feeling its full force.

The Senate committee split along party lines on Thursday as it voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress, the Republican majority getting its way. The next stop is President Trump's justice department, which will consider whether to charge him. There are plenty of lawyers who think the eventual success of such a prosecution is highly questionable but it is a simple fact that people convicted of contempt go to prison. Just ask the president's former right-hand man Steve Bannon. Jail or not, the Senate hearing was one of the most unpleasant and vicious sights Congress has seen in recent years.

You could, were you an optimist, point out that back in 1856, in a row about slavery, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts referred to another member as a "noise-some, squat, and nameless animal... not a proper model for an American senator". At the close of business an ally of the criticised gentleman beat Senator Sumner to within an inch of his life with a metal cane. So there has been actual violence in the Senate and the nation survived.

If you're a pessimist, you might point out that, before that longer term survival there was a civil war.

Justin Webb presents the Americast podcast on BBC Sounds

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26

Letters to the Editor

Single-sex spaces

Sir, Further to your report "Defiant councils pledge to ignore new rules on single-sex spaces" (Aug 6), I hope the Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance on female spaces will finally be applied. As a woman who often travels solo, I rely on female dorms, yet there is no transparency over what "female" means. It has become increasingly problematic. Women are not told what the criteria are, and even asking is fraught. Various hostel chains offered a jumble of definitions: self-identification, biology, passport markers, Equality Act references or even "consent from other travellers". Several gave different answers depending on who I asked. None had information on their websites.

When I raised this lack of transparency with regulators, both the Advertising Standards Authority and Competition and Markets Authority said it fell outside their remit. In brief, even asking about "female only" spaces has been met with obstruction and silence. Enforcing those spaces is likely to be a similar battle, one that will require women to be awkward, articulate, persistent and even litigious. I am sure we will be. Eveline Powell Hastings

Ending the drought

Sir, It is something of a surprise that the record-breaking dry spell has not revived talk of a pipeline connecting the well-supplied north with the rainkies south. The received wisdom is that it is too difficult and too expensive to excavate through the uneven English terrain. However, most water companies maintain connections with their neighbours for cost-effective "topping up" at the extremities of their territory; water could be moved in this way or possibly via the canal system. A nationwide pipeline would capture the interest and support of the electorate, but it would require the support of successive governments, whatever their colour. A successful project completed on time and within budget, admittedly over many years, might serve to eradicate any memory of the debacle that is HS2. John Newton Wittersham, Kent

Letters to The Times must be exclusive and may be edited. Please include a full address and daytime telephone number.

Corrections and clarifications

Regulated The Times takes complaints about editorial content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation ("IPSO") rules and regulations and the Editors' Code of Practice that IPSO enforces. Requests for corrections or clarifications should be sent by email to feedback@thetimes.co.uk or by post to Feedback, The Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

Resignation of plagiarism row professor

Sir, In his article "Arday affair is an own goal for Cambridge" (Aug 6), Roger Mosey tells us that, in 2013, Cambridge University's student body was "disproportionately white compared with modern Britain". This he judged to be "a problem", presumably because he assumed it was unjust. Thirteen years later, he reports with enthusiasm that 35 per cent of Cambridge's new UK undergraduates come from ethnic minorities, including 58 per cent of economics students and 66 per cent of medics. And yet the black and ethnic minority proportion of the total population is 18 per cent, according to government statistics. If the current disproportion is not also unjust, it must be because non-white Britons are generally far better educated than white ones. But if it is unjust, it can only be because non-white applicants have been unfairly preferred to better white ones.

Lord Biggar House of Lords

Sir, Roger Mosey reflects in his excellent article on his experience when elected to Cambridge University's equality, diversity and inclusion committee. Most notable

was his plea to his colleagues that focus should not only be on ethnic minorities but also those who are also known to be missing out in admissions: young white working-class children, especially boys. His attempt at highlighting this concern was apparently met with scorn and an instant, lazy labelling as "the language of Farage". His experience resonates perfectly with my own over many years, where even raising that issue was "taboo" and apparently seen as "hard-right political thinking".

Now is surely the time for both Jesus College and Cambridge University to highlight their most recent admissions statistics, not only of the intake from ethnic minorities but also the data for one of the largest groups of British disadvantaged young people: white working-class boys. Professor Peter P Edwards FRS Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos

Sir, It is no surprise that Professor Jason Arday was a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. Jesums have become increasingly concerned about the direction our alma mater has taken in recent years. The Benin Bronze that used to grace the dining hall was sent to Nigeria; the college's

China Centre came to be regarded by some as a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party; and alumni were forced to take legal action to stop the removal of the Rustat Memorial from the college chapel. The present college leaders have made this ancient and glorious institution a byword for virtue-signalling wokery. Unless they are replaced, many of us will be changing our wills.

Francis Bown London E3

Sir, You report (news, Aug 6) that Cambridge University is to investigate Professor Jason Arday's qualifications and honorary appointments. Having done this elementary duty before his appointment might have saved Cambridge a great deal of embarrassment and ridicule. Professor Peter Lantos London NW1

Sir, If the publication of Professor Jason Arday's memoir does go ahead it will present a dilemma for librarians at Cambridge University and elsewhere. Should it be catalogued as fiction or non-fiction? David Stanley London SW6

Citizens' gallery

Sir, Michael Daley calls the National Gallery's citizens' assembly "harking mad" ("Gallery citizens don't know their art from their elbow, say critics", Aug 4). A randomly selected, demographically representative group of 50 people, briefed thoroughly and given time to deliberate, does not sideline expertise. Rather, a citizens' assembly puts the knowledge of all relevant experts — including curators, and indeed art critics such as Mr Daley — in dialogue with the people the gallery exists to serve.

As your article notes, Birmingham Museums Trust has also convened a citizens' assembly to reboot its strategy. It has been a success. The trust's co-chief executive, Sara Wajid, says the £65,000 investment led directly to strong new ideas, higher visitor numbers and greater funder confidence. If £250,000! to widen who shapes our National Gallery strikes critics as extravagant. I would suggest pricing up what it costs not to ask the public at all — in dwindling relevance and dwindling visitors.

Lucy Reid Chief strategy officer, DemocracyNext

Early release flaw

Sir, While the government U-turn on the category of prisoners to be released after serving half their sentence is welcome, excluding those in prison for the manslaughter of emergency personnel is not ("Killers but not rapists to be given early release", Aug 4; letters, Aug 5). I doubt excluding the number of prisoners serving a sentence for the manslaughter of an emergency worker is so great that it would greatly exacerbate the prison estate's capacity problems. The decision to exclude this small category was either a lack of imagination by the government or ministers' contempt towards police officers and other emergency workers who, to quote various ministers in the past, "Run towards danger when others run away from it". Further, twice (at least) during the 1990s some Home Office prisoners (ie those who should be held in prison) were lodged in police cells. We, and other police forces, closed a number of police cell complexes for people we had detained and instead lodged Home Office prisoners who were deemed to be low risk or were on remand. I am surprised

this option has not been investigated to assist with the capacity problems. Bob Pattison Chief superintendent (ret'd), Northumbria Police, Bedlington, Northumberland

Nonna-maxxing

Sir, Jack Burke is right that we should celebrate our grandmothers, just as Italians appreciate their nonnas ("Nonna-maxxing! Why aren't we celebrating British nans?", Times2, Aug 5). My grandmother, Marie, was born in 1900 and named after Marie Lloyd, a star of music hall. She was, by contrast, serious and sometimes scary. Although she was wealthy owing to her father's career in banking, she remained thrifty her whole life. For example, when the collar of a shirt wore thin she would remove it, reverse it and sew it back on using a needle-driven Singer. She also showed me the knife she used to decapitate chickens, which were kept in the back garden. She did this because her sons and husband couldn't bring themselves to do it. Graham Ashen Horsham, W Sussex

OUR BEACHES, WOODS, LANES — ALL FILTHY

FROM THE TIMES AUGUST 7, 2026

It is satisfactory that a fine should have been inflicted this week for the offence of strewing torn paper in Finsbury Park, but the problem of London in this respect is relatively small and simple. During last weekend the litter scattered about the English sea beaches and other resorts of the holiday-maker was a disgrace to a country that claims to be civilised. Shyer spots, woods and lanes and fields, were left in a condition equally disgusting to decent people who know and love the country. And in these places, which have neither the tide nor a set

of official scavengers to clean it up, the offence will linger on. For charity's sake let us try to believe that the people who commit this outrage on what they profess to enjoy are not by nature either dirty or malicious. Suddenly, by means of the motor-coach and the motor-car, they have been made free of the country; and they cannot perhaps be expected to know how to behave there. They would be very angry if a passing stranger struck a match on the varnish of their new motor-car or emptied a pail of foul water through their parlour window. They take a proper pride in their own belongings. It is only through the crass selfishness born of ignorance that they degrade with their litter what they share with others. The evil is growing so fast that it must be struck at the root, and without delay. Little can be hoped from legislation. It would probably be impossible to punish the leavers of

litter — except in such places as the London parks — because they are clearly so large a section of the population. The adults among them must be given up as hopeless. The real hope lies in the children. The education authorities spare no pains in inculcating personal cleanliness into their pupils: care for the cleanliness of the land they should be proud of is no less important. If the children in the elementary schools were taught this kind of cleanliness, it is just possible that they might teach a little of it to their parents by the practical method of cleaning up some of their litter. And if the parents are past learning, there might still be hope of a coming generation which would be ashamed to accept beauty and happiness and to leave filth and befoulment in return.

THETIMES.COM/ARCHIVE

Young women's use of walking sticks

Sir, As a recently retired GP with 42 years of medical experience, I congratulate Kathleen Stock on her insight ("Why are young women using walking sticks?", comment, Aug 6). Clearly, the conditions she describes, such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, are affected by a multitude of physical, psychological and social factors.

Something that stuck in my mind was the comment made by a Romanian GP trainee about 20 years ago, when we were discussing the aforementioned conditions. He said: "These conditions don't exist in Romania." In his opinion that was because sickness benefits were more or less non-existent, and the fact of having to work prevented the symptoms from snowballing. It is certainly fairly widely accepted that part of the problem with fibromyalgia is deconditioning, where inactivity creates a situation where activity is painful, leading to a vicious circle of decline. Maybe he had a point?

Graham Weese Broadstone, Dorset

Sir, I would hazard a guess that much of what Kathleen Stock describes in her article has to do with a feeling of missing out. A society that pays and demonstrates attention to some marginalised cohorts (often admirable) leaves others feeling they are missing out. Those that deem themselves to be missing out choose to develop their own disability, in this case young women with walking sticks. The sooner people realise they can aspire to and master their own destiny they will feel less inclined to self-diagnose ailments in the hope that they will be rewarded for having them.

Katharine Barton Hampton, Middx

Sir, Perhaps Kathleen Stock should not be too quick to criticise young women with walking sticks. An estimated two million people are living with long Covid, a large proportion of whom are women, and which affects, among dozens of other symptoms, balance and energy levels. Good for them if they are trying to fire something approaching a normal life, and treat their mobility aid as a fashion accessory rather than a purely functional item.

Catherine Hickman London W8

Care home subsidy

Sir, Further to Ian Hepworth's letter (Aug 6), my mother has been expertly looked after in a care home for the past two years. She is entirely self-funding, having sold her house to pay for her care. It is her money, and I can think of few better ways of spending it than being safe, warm and well-fed in her old age (she is 95). To read that the money she has worked and saved so hard for is probably being used to subsidise those who do not pay for their care is heartbreaking.

Sharon Tanton Fonbush, Kent

Star attraction

Sir, Further to the subject of reissuing Star Wars in Welsh (news, Aug 5), the sequel to The Empire Strikes Back (letter, Aug 6) could be Return of the Aid (3x).

Gary Rumfitt Durham

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Leading articles

Daily Universal Register

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo begins, until August 29; the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe open.

Nature notes

The world's largest tern species is enjoying a Yorkshire holiday. With its huge red bill, shaggy black crest and wingspan

of more than four feet, the Caspian tern is causing quite a stir at the Nosterfield Nature Reserve. Hovering high over the water, the fish eater waits until it spots a fin or a flash of scale and then plunges. A stunningly graceful dive ends in an almighty splash. As its name suggests, the Caspian tern was a long way from home: these birds do indeed nest on the Caspian Sea. Actually they have a wide distribution. With an estimated global population of between only 240,000 and 470,000 individuals, the species can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Very few nomadic individuals visit the UK, usually in summer. JONATHAN TULLOCH

Birthdays today

Dominic Cork, pictured, cricketer, England (1995-2002), 55; Roger Boyes, diplomatic editor and columnist, The Times, 74; Greg Chappell, cricketer, captain of Australia (1975-77, 1979-84), 78; Brian Conley, entertainer, host, The Brian Conley Show (1992-95, 2000-02), actor, EastEnders (2021-25), 65; Bruce Dickinson, singer, Iron Maiden, Piece of Mind (1983), and airliner pilot, 68; David Duchovny, actor, The X-Files (1993-2002, 2015-16, 2018), 66; Giorgetto Giugiaro, designer, Volkswagen Golf MkI and DMC DeLorean, 88; Sigfried Held, footballer, West Germany (1966-73), 84; Lauren Hemp, footballer, Manchester City WFC and England, 26; Harry Hyman, founder and chairman of Primary Health Properties, founder of the International Opera Awards, 70; Garrison Keillor, writer, Lake Wobegon Days (1985), and broadcaster, 84; Sir Andrew Large, deputy governor, Bank of England (2002-06), 84; Zane Lowe, radio and TV presenter, 53; Dame Sarah MacIntosh, UK ambassador and permanent Representative, UK Mission to the UN, New York, 57; Seema Malhotra, Labour (Co-op) MP for Feltham & Heston, 54; Matthew Parris, Times columnist, broadcaster and Conservative MP (1979-86), 77; Dame Anne Richards, chairwoman, Coults and Evelyn Partners (private bank and wealth management), 62; Alain Robert, free solo climber known as 'the French Spider-Man', 64; Nick Ross, presenter, Crimewatch (1984-2007), 79; Alexei Savle, comedian, The Young Ones (1982-84), 74; Michael Shannon, actor, Nuremberg (2025), 52; Sir Michael Smurfit, chairman, Smurfit Kappa Group (2005-07), 90; Sir Richard Sykes, microbiologist, chairman, Royal Institution (2010-22), 84; Charlize Theron, actress, The Odyssey (2026), 51; Jimmy Wales, co-founder (2001) of Wikipedia, 60; Adam and Simon Yates, road and track racing cyclists, 34.

On this day

In 1947 Kon-Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl's raft, landed in Polynesia, demonstrating the possibility of pre-1854 South American vessels having reached the islands.

The last word

'If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.' Carl Jung, Swiss psychologist, Vom Werden der Persönlichkeit (The Development of Personality) (1932)

University Challenge

The case of Jason Arday, who resigned as a Cambridge professor after allegations of plagiarism and false assertions, has put a spotlight on academic vetting and rigour

There's an old joke that academic politics are so vicious because the stakes are so low. Yet while the quip might raise a wry smile in after-dinner speeches, it is not strictly true. And it is especially untrue in the case of Jason Arday, the Cambridge University sociology of education professor, who resigned on Wednesday after both the authenticity of his scholarship and the extravagance of his personal claims came under intensifying scrutiny.

Here, the stakes are very high indeed. When Mr Arday was appointed to the chair by Cambridge in 2023, the university publicised the move with great fanfare. He was, its website said, 'a highly respected scholar of race, inequality and education' who was now the 'youngest Black person ever appointed to a professorship at Cambridge'. The announcement emphasised the numerous obstacles he overcame in order to reach the summit of academia, including economic disadvantage, racial prejudice and an autism diagnosis. In the modern era, fuelled by social media, a powerful personal story is often deployed by individuals and employers as a route to success — but it should never outrank the work itself.

When claims arose in July that Mr Arday had plagiarised portions of his PhD thesis, Cambridge at first described them as a 'vile campaign to un-

undermine his credibility'. Further back, in February, Jack Grove, a reporter on Times Higher Education, had been warned by the Metropolitan Police to stop contacting Mr Arday. His inquiries — amounting to three polite emails and a letter — were said to be affecting the professor's mental health. Mr Grove had not only sought clarification over plagiarism allegations, prompted by tip-offs from other academics, but also over Mr Arday's striking assertions about charity activities. These included a claim to have run 600 miles in six days, a feat unverified elsewhere. Since then, far more has emerged that seems to lay bare the professor's hazy relationship with objective truth, including false claims of visiting professorships and authorship of a book that was in fact never published.

Both Cambridge University and Jesus College, to which Mr Arday was affiliated, have now promised investigations. But a troubling picture is already emerging. It is of a university which seemingly jettisoned rigour in vetting a candidate for one of its top posts while broadcasting a personal narrative which — even at the outset — had elements which bore further investigation. What was there in Mr Arday's verified body of work, for example, which genuinely supported the 2023 accolade from Prof Hilary Cremin, the head of Cam-

Cambridge's Faculty of Education, that 'you are the best in the world in terms of the research that you do'? These academics with concerns apparently had nowhere to voice them without risk to their own careers, relying instead on briefings to a journalist who was himself subjected to investigation by the police. So much for the spirit of fearless inquiry that is meant to illuminate our universities.

The phenomenon in which objective truth is disregarded in favour of a compelling narrative is one which increasingly dogs the political landscape, on both left and right. It has previously caused scandals in the publishing industry, too, but in this instance the institutional implications are even more serious. This case has damaged the world-class reputation of Cambridge University. By promoting Mr Arday so swiftly and uncritically while trumpeting his race, it has also dented the reputation of sociology of education and made life harder for the many black academics with solid and admirable bodies of work. And as students leave university with an average debt of £50,000, it has raised worrying questions about the quality of the teaching to which they are exposed. Any investigation must not stop at establishing the facts about Mr Arday. It must also take a long, hard look at the people and processes that elevated him.

Courting Trouble

Public bodies cannot refuse to enforce the Supreme Court's ruling on biological sex

Samantha Niblett, the Labour MP for South Derbyshire, drew attention earlier this year with an educational campaign that enjoined the public to take part in a 'summer of sex'. Despite embracing her moniker as the so-called 'sex MP', Ms Niblett shows a disconcertingly poor grasp of the biological underpinnings of her chosen subject. In a video posted to social media, recorded while sunning herself on a poolside lounge, the backbencher railed against guidance produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) which is designed to protect women in single-sex spaces. That guidance, she said, only caused 'more division and hatred': 'all it does is dismiss the lived experience of trans people'.

Ms Niblett's remarks show her in a remarkably poor light. The EHRC's code of practice, which finally came into force on Wednesday, provides public-facing organisations with practical advice about how to comply with the law. It was the Supreme Court that confirmed in April last year that the interpretation of UK equality law requires terms such as 'man' and 'woman' to be read with their ordinary biological meanings. That means

that toilets, changing rooms, rape crisis centres and hospital wards reserved for women must not be open to men, whatever their gender identity. In seeking to discredit the EHRC's code, Ms Niblett is positioning herself at odds not merely with women's entitlements but with the law of the land as the UK's highest court interprets it.

Unfortunately, Ms Niblett is not alone in her grandstanding. Many of Labour's more left-leaning MPs have found it hard to digest the Supreme Court's decision. Dawn Butler, MP for Brent East, has tried to block the EHRC's code with an early day motion in parliament, and Nadia Whitmore, MP for Nottingham East, has backed a judicial review, led by the ill-named Good Law Project, which aims to frustrate the law's implementation. Bridget Phillipson, the minister charged with ensuring the EHRC's guidance is enforced, herself vacillated for far too long in presenting it to parliament. That women are entitled to female-only spaces should be a settled issue now that the law has been clarified. Labour's MPs need to catch up. Unfortunately, residence to the EHRC's guidance extends far beyond parliament. Yesterday,

this paper reported that several left-wing councils are engaged in co-ordinated attempts to resist implementing equality law. In a joint letter, representatives of six London boroughs branded the EHRC's code 'harmful' and said their staff would not be made to enforce it. Bristol city council, too, has said that its women's services will continue to operate on the illegal basis that trans-identified males may access them. Scandalously, NHS England has yet to update its internal policies on single-sex services or to say when it will do so. The National Union of Students has gone further in producing literature advising members about how to 'resist' the law.

The government must call out this destructive grandstanding. Sadly, as Baroness Falkner, the commission's former chair, has recently emphasised, the EHRC's meagre funds mean that it cannot ensure its own guidance is properly followed. That responsibility tends to fall to grassroots organisations of ordinary women, who band together at their own expense to challenge rogue public bodies and councils. These campaigners may have hoped the struggle to enjoy their rights was over; they should not have to wait any longer.

Pleasures of Drinking

Restricting alcohol sales to customers who are seated would be foolish puritanism

'The plain fact,' wrote Christopher Hitchens years ago, 'is that it makes other people, and indeed life itself, a good deal less boring.' He was referring to the pleasures of social drinking, in which he was an expert practitioner. These pleasures sadly appear unknown to Westminster council, whose draft licensing policy proposes 'the introduction of measures to reduce the extent of, or remove opportunities for, vertical drinking'.

By this curious neologism, the council means drinking while standing up. In keeping with the puritan ethos through the ages, this draft policy supposedly serves the public good, by discouraging

drunkenness. In practice, it is an unnecessary edict. It would stymie innocent enjoyment that harms no one, damage business, and make central London a less appealing place for visitors.

The council's jurisdiction includes the West End. The area is a magnet for tourism, famed for culture and cuisine. It was not always thus. A generation ago, Soho — a stone's throw from the National Gallery and English National Opera — was a byword for squalor, sex shops and prostitution. The area is transformed. Its narrow streets now house outstanding restaurants and welcoming bars. The notion that it would be further

enhanced by preventing customers from freely mixing bias, to put it politely, no evidential support.

No one doubts the leisure sector must operate within a framework of rules. If adopted sensitively, regulation can make a night out a more pleasurable experience for everyone. Less than 20 years ago, smoking was permitted in bars and restaurants in England and Wales; few lament its demise.

Shepherding social drinkers to table service is not that type of approach. By design, it would segregate parties rather than integrate them. It is a penalty for pleasure, conceived as a bureaucratic idée fixe. This is emphatically not the British way.

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World

Ukrainian soldier lured to death

Mykyta Orlykivskyi's online romance ended with a 'gift' of poisoned whisky, writes Jack Clover in Zhytomyr

The young soldier was found slumped on the balcony of his flat with a faint pulse. A bottle of liquor and a Swiss army knife lay on his table. In hospital the doctors said he had tried to take his own life. With his final ounce of strength he tried tell them they were wrong.

"I went up to [his bed] and asked him, 'Why did you do this to yourself?'" his aunt recalled in tears.

"He heard me. He could not speak. But he shook his head. It was like he wanted to tell me something."

At the behest of Russian spies, a woman who the soldier called his beloved had lured him to his death.

It was in April that Mykyta Orlykivskyi first told his family he had met someone. His aunt Tetiana Apalko, 53, told his story on a park bench in Zhytomyr, a city hundreds of miles from the front line, clutching photos of her dead nephew.

A woman had reached out to him directly through the Telegram messaging app. She said that she had seen a Mykyta from Zhytomyr on a dating app and liked what she saw, asking if he was the same man. Orlykivskyi, 23, was not on any dating apps but he was flattered and continued the conversation.

The pair exchanged messages and photos. She told him that they were "so similar" and that she had taken a fancy to him. When asked whether he was a soldier, Orlykivskyi uploaded a photo of himself in uniform, wearing

a patch bearing the New Zealand flag on his shoulder. It was taken when he was undergoing military training in the UK at the start of 2024, like thousands of Ukrainian soldiers before him. "For the Russian security services it was proof that he was really a soldier," Apalko said. "They didn't need anything else."

The woman, who was saved on Orlykivskyi's phone only as "Rodnaya", meaning "dear one" or "darling" in Russian, responded with AI-edited images in which she appears in the same British forest to embrace him.

The woman had built a compelling backstory. She was 30 years old and lived in Kharkiv. Her flat had been shelled and she had been in and out of hospital. Her brother was even fighting for Ukraine. "When he first told us about her I said, 'Look if she's a nice girl then why not talk to her?'" Apalko recalled.

"I [even] said, 'If the shelling's that bad why doesn't she come and live with us for a bit'." The woman claimed that she could not leave Kharkiv while she sorted out paperwork connected to the bombing of her flat. Meanwhile, Apalko watched her nephew fall in love. The pair chatted for two months, over messages and video calls, and they would talk at length about how much they both loved animals and cooking. "I even noticed a change in him for the better," Apalko recalled. "She [seemed] to be a good influence on him."

Apalko witnessed some of their video calls. At the time nothing seemed to be suspicious. The dark-haired woman was certainly real, she spoke Russian not Ukrainian, but that is common in Kharkiv. Yet, behind her, the backdrop was always the same white wall.

By the end of May, they had arranged a meeting. "I will soon come to you," the woman wrote.

Yet on the designated date she said she had to delay her travel due to a problem with her documents. For now, she would send a present instead.

At 10am on Wednesday, June 3, Apalko received a phone call out of the blue. A woman purportedly from "law enforcement" — most probably

the Ukrainian intelligence services — asked whether she had seen her nephew recently as she feared he may already be dead.

By 1pm Apalko, with help from friends, had broken the door down to her nephew's flat.

"We rushed in. He was sitting on the balcony, already unconscious, and I started screaming," she said. He was given CPR and taken to

hospital. Doctors told her he had ingested poison. "I didn't understand. I thought perhaps he had poisoned himself," Apalko said. "Then I thought perhaps it was a drug overdose ... but he didn't do drugs at all."

That evening a woman who called herself "Mykyta's girl from Kharkiv" rang Apalko. Her voice seemed coarser than the woman she had heard on video calls with her nephew, and she did not give a name. She claimed she was concerned about Orlykivskyi's welfare as he had not replied to her messages. She pretended to be shocked to hear of his condition and rang again the next day.

On Friday a report on local television about a separate case seemed to shed some light on what could have happened to Orlykivskyi. A 17-year-old girl from the nearby town of Berdychiv had been detained on suspicion of poisoning a 27-year-old Ukrainian soldier at the behest of the Russian security services. She had been recruited after searching for "quick money" jobs on Telegram, the Ukrainian authorities said.

Her handler had tested her as a drug courier to start with, then asked her to get close to a Ukrainian soldier. She found one online and they ended up renting a flat in the centre of Zhytomyr. "He left her to go to the shop to buy some liquor," Oleh Lakyziuk, a senior investigator from the city's police told The Times. "She called [her handler] on Telegram and explained the situation. The soldier came back with two bottles of cognac." They raised their glasses and drank together. "But in one she had already added methadone," Lakyziuk said. The soldier died.

Having seen the news, Apalko's daughter called her. "She said, 'Mum, it can't be suicide ... something's not right. Go to the police'."

On Saturday detectives searched Orlykivskyi's flat and discovered the string of messages on his laptop. They showed that his "darling" had called him over video at around the time he is thought to have drunk the poison, his aunt said. The woman left the call before he became ill but he soon texted a friend with a photo of the whisky and a message: "What is this stuff? I have only had three shots and ... I'm dead."

The detective told Apalko that the case had hallmarks of the Russian FSB. His laptop, phone, the bottle of whisky, a suspicious knife and a gift bag were taken as evidence. "I was in shock," she said. Her phone rang again, "Mykyta's

Mykyta Orlykivskyi in an AI-edited image with the woman he met online who was part of a plot to murder him; above, Orlykivskyi in uniform and below, photos of the poisoned Ukrainian soldier. Below left, Tetiana Apalko, who still has unanswered questions about her nephew's death

girl" checking in. This time, the detective told her not to pick up. She was calling for confirmation for her handlers that the job was complete, he said.

Orlykivskyi died at around 6am on Tuesday, June 9.

Mykyta's "darling" did not send him

the poisoned whisky herself, detectives surmised. Instead, a 19-year-old man from Poltava, in central Ukraine, had been recruited on Telegram to inject poison into the bottle and post the package to Orlykivskyi's flat in return for 5,000 hryvnia — about £80. "A

Kremlin disinformation 'smearing French election candidates'

France

Charles Bremner Paris

France has accused Russia of staging disinformation smear campaigns against two contenders for next spring's presidential election.

Security officials said cyberwarfare units of the GRU military intelligence agency were behind false news reports intended to discredit Edouard Philippe, a former centre-right prime minister, and Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of the Place Publique Party, which is aligned with the centre-left Socialists.

Philippe, 55, was targeted in a coordinated social media campaign by French-language accounts falsely claiming that he was suffering from a

brain disease. In a more elaborate operation, a counterfeit version of a French news site, a deepfake video and a battery of French social media accounts emerged over the past week to push a claim that the partner of Glucksmann, 46, was offering bribes to left-wing media outlets to support him.

Philippe, the mayor of Le Havre, is polling second behind Marine Le Pen, leader of the hard-right National Rally. He is so far the only candidate who could beat her, according to some early polls. The election will be held in April.

Glucksmann, the preferred candidate of moderate left-wing voters, is in third place in presidential voting intentions, although he is only expected to formally declare his candidacy this

month. President Macron and Sébastien Lecornu, the prime minister, have warned that Russia's intelligence services, led by the GRU, are stepping up a hybrid warfare campaign that they have been waging in France since 2017 with the aim of

influencing elections and destabilising the country.

Gabriel Attal, 37, a former prime minister who is vying for the

centre-right mantle in the election, has

been subject to "foreign interference operations originating from Russia and from bodies linked to the Russian central government," his team said it was told. No further details were given but the security service said the attack was relatively low impact.

Ministers last week ordered the deportation of Xenia Fedorova, a Russian propagandist who has become a star commentator on the right-wing news outlets owned by Vincent Bolloré, a billionaire industrialist turned

Caught up: Léa Salamé and Raphaël Glucksmann

media tycoon. The government said she was not a journalist but an "agent of influence working for the Kremlin".

The false reporting on Glucksmann on the counterfeit version of the Blast news site included a fake email supposedly from Léa Salamé, Glucksmann's partner, who is the main news presenter on France 2 television. The email offered €50,000 to Edwy Plenel, editor of the Mediapart investigative website.

France has become unusually explicit in identifying the Russian agencies it said were trying to destabilise the country by fuelling divisions, both through disinformation and physical operations. "The Russian manipulation threat to the presidential campaign will be major," Lecornu said in June.

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Met museum honour for designer who 'loved Hitler' Page 31

Trump 'berates Hegseth' for missile crisis Page 32

in Russian 'honeytrap'

human life for 5,000 hryvnia," Apalko said. "If only he just called me, I'd have given him 10,000 [on the spot]."

The woman is thought to have contacted Orlykivskyi not from Kharkiv, but from the Russian-occupied Donetsk region. Apalko was told by investi-

gators that she was thought to have been a prison inmate, which would explain the wall backdrop. Police could not confirm this and said the investigation was ongoing.

When The Times called the phone number of Mykyta's "darling", the line

was dead. Mysteries remain. Why did Orlykivskyi, three days before he was poisoned, post a photo on his Instagram story showing a bottle of whisky, a knife stuck upright in a table, his open laptop screen and an AI-generated song called I am the Imperatrix playing in the back-

ground? Why did, according to Apalko, a man arrive at his flat moments before she came to break down the door asking neighbours whether a "drug addict" lived there? Why is the FSB recruiting in women's prisons and what do the women get in return?

Ukraine has thwarted 50 attempts to kill its soldiers through fake dates this year, according to the SBU security service. The number of successful assassination attempts is unknown.

"The SBU has recorded a significant increase in the Russian special services' attempts to eliminate Ukrainian servicemen using the so-called 'honeytrap' method," the service announced this week.

Improvised explosives are the most popular method of choice. In January, a woman invited a soldier on a date in an industrial area of Zaporizhzhia. But a man in a halaclava jumped out and stabbed him six times before the SBU arrived on the scene. In other cases poisoning is common.

Two teenage girls are accused of poisoning a soldier with methadone in January, then filming his death for their FSB handler. In April, in Uzhhorod, western Ukraine, a 26-year-old woman from Zaporizhzhia was accused of stealing information from a soldier's phone, poisoning him and making the death appear to be of natural causes, in exchange for $1,000 from Russian spies.

There have also been cases of civilian Ukrainian women or intelligence operatives seeking to "catfish" Russian soldiers on dating apps such as Tinder to give away their positions or lure them into drone fire.

Orlykivskyi's mother died when he was 14, and his father died a few years later. He lived with Apalko and her husband for a while, then moved to live with his grandmother in Odesa. He volunteered to fight after finishing college. Apalko tried to convince the recruitment officers not to take him. "He has no parents. He is still a child," she said. The officers replied that he was an adult and had made his choice.

He was killed while on leave, trying to organise documents to exit the army and become a carer for his grandmother, who was by then unwell.

"His whole life was ahead of him. He always wanted to have children," she said. "It's just so cynical. How is it possible that she could confess her love to him ... while all the time knowing that she was going to murder him?"

Leipzig drone 'targeted plane carrying ammunition'

Germany Tom Parfitt

A Ukrainian plane that was the suspected target of a kamikaze drone at Leipzig airport was carrying a cargo of military ammunition, it emerged yesterday, heightening concerns that Moscow was behind the incident.

News outlets including Süddeutsche Zeitung revealed the nature of the plane's load, adding to Germany's assertion that the incident on Wednesday represented a "new level of threat".

Saxony police said earlier that a robot was deployed at Leipzig-Halle airport after an employee discovered a quadcopter drone overnight on the ground in a restricted area near Ukrainian

Antonov cargo planes. Flights were halted and the detonator was removed from an explosive device attached to the drone. Police later carried out a controlled explosion.

Peter Neumann, professor of security studies at King's College London, described it as an escalation. "We've known about suspicious drone flights over Germany for years," he said. "However, a drone equipped with an explosive device and detonator represents a new level of severity."

While scores of suspected Russian drone incursions have been reported across Europe since President Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most were connected to surveillance and general

disruption rather than an apparent attempt to strike a military target.

In a separate but possibly linked incident on Wednesday, a DHL cargo plane hit an object as it diverted from Leipzig airport as a result of the drone discovery. Police were searching for debris from that collision yesterday. The plane was lightly damaged and landed safely at another airport.

Leipzig airport's freight terminal is one of the largest in Europe and it plays a significant role in supplying Ukraine. Nato's Strategic Airlift International Solution (Salis) programme uses Antonov aircraft based there to transport weapons and other heavy equipment.

Charlie Edwards, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic

Studies (IISS), a security think tank, said it was "highly likely the site was chosen for what it does", and the fact the drone was armed marked a departure from spying or disruption activities by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"A UAV carrying a charge with a detonator that failed is a different proposition, and it is likely, though not yet certain, that this was intended to function rather than to be found," he said.

"Almost always affected are the Bundeswehr [armed forces], the arms industry, and logistical hubs — in other words, precisely the infrastructure that is central to supporting Ukraine," Neumann said, adding that the drones were hard to detect. "Autonomous flying systems cannot simply be jammed."

Colombia prepares for right-wing president

Stephen Gibbs

Latin America Correspondent

Leaders of the Latin American right will gather in Cali, Colombia's third largest city, today for the presidential inauguration of the ultra-conservative Abelardo de la Espriella.

More than 11,000 security personnel have been deployed across the city to prevent violence. On Wednesday, the authorities intercepted a bus laden with 450kg of explosives heading towards Cali on the pan-American highway. Colombian officials believe it was part of a planned attack by a local guerrilla group on military and police facilities, timed to take place during the inauguration.

De la Espriella, a self-made multi-millionaire lawyer, has promised to restore security to Colombia with a zero-tolerance attitude toward drug cartels. One of his election pledges was to capture or kill ten drug kingpins within 90 days of taking office. "I'll hunt

Abelardo de la Espriella has promised a zero-tolerance attitude to cartels

them like rats," he said. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the right has won all seven presidential elections held in Latin America and the guest list for today's ceremony mirrors this political shift. The presidents expected to attend include Javier Milei of Argentina, Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Santiago Peña of Paraguay, José Antonio Kast of Chile, José Raúl Mulino of Panama, Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic and Nasıy Asfura of Honduras.

A US delegation representing President Trump will be led by the attorney-general, Todd Blanche. Also expected is the director of the US office of national drug control policy, Sara Carter.

The choice of Cali for the ceremony, rather than the capital, Bogota, is itself a statement. Cali and its environs form one the regions of Colombia most afflicted by organised crime.

One notable absentee from the inauguration will be the outgoing president, Gustavo Petro. He has claimed the election in which his preferred candidate lost was marred by fraud, without providing evidence. Under Petro, the country's first leftist president, cocaine production reached record highs.

De la Espriella, who has no previous political experience, has been a supporter of the US "Shield of the Americas" initiative, a political-military coordination framework launched by Trump in March. The US military began airstrikes against alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in September last year.

Replying to a congratulatory message after his election from Pete Hegseth, the US war secretary, De la Espriella said: "Colombia will no longer be governed by a government complacent toward narcoterrorism; we will combat it as it deserves."

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World

Exam leak was final straw for our terrified and exhausted daughter

The scale of the crisis in India's school system is reflected in the suicide numbers, writes Arjuna Keshvani-Ham

At 7am on May 3, Rema Begum left her family home in Goalpara, a town in the Indian state of Assam, to sit her medical college entrance test.

Begum, 20, was terrified. She had worked 16-hour days for two years, living in a hostel nearly 124 miles from home in order to take private classes. Nothing scared her more than exams.

She had dreamt since childhood of becoming a doctor. Her mother, who worked in a nursery, had been chronically ill for years and Begum wanted to cure her.

One thing stood in her way: the notoriously difficult medical college entrance test covering physics, chemistry and biology. Known as the Neet, it is taken by more than two million students across India every year. Only 129,000 pass. To get a place at medical school, Begum would need to come in the top 5 per cent.

Begum came home to her father and mother with her head held high. The exam, she told them, had gone well. "I'll get a place somewhere," she reassured her father. But nine days later, a notice from the National Testing Agency (NTA) appeared on the news. The test paper, it said, had been leaked. All 2.3 million students would need to rest the exam.

Begum was in the kitchen with her father. Rajaut Islam, 43, when she heard. "Her face fell," Islam said. "She didn't think she'd be able to pass it a second time round." Three days later, Begum's mother, Romina Khatum, 39, returned home from work to find that her daughter had taken her own life.

She was one of 21 students reported to have killed themselves after the leak.

Last month 50,000 protesters from the "cockroach movement" swamped the Jantar Mantar site in Delhi to demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, the education minister, over the exam leak and rising number of student suicides.

The protests were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth movement founded by Abhijeet Dipke, 30, a Boston University graduate, after India's chief justice compared some of the nation's unemployed youth to "cockroaches".

The peaceful protest turned violent on July 20 after police in Delhi fired tear gas and beat protesters with sticks known as lathis. On July 25, after talks with CJP members, Pradhan was forced to resign.

The protests were called off after the CJP's demands were met, but it has since threatened to resume them after reports that students, who had been promised amnesty, were being detained or harassed by police.

Begum's father, Islam, a fish trader, wept as he said: "I never put any pressure on her. I tried to explain to her that the exam leak had happened to all the students. But it was really traumatic for her the first time round. She didn't want to study for it again."

Islam had spent up to 10 lakh (£7,800) on exam coaching for his daughter — all the money he had. "I told her to rest

Rema Begum had dreamt of becoming a doctor but was distraught after a leak caused the cancellation of her exams, her parents said. The cockroach protests were the result of the government's dismissive attitude to student suffering

parents' financial sacrifices and the weight of social expectation.

Thousands take their own lives every year due to the stress of studying or failure to get good enough results. In 2024, India recorded 14,488 student suicides, 8.5 per cent of all deaths by suicide. The Supreme Court said this was a "disturbing pattern" and warned against treating the deaths as isolated incidents.

The crisis of exam leaks is rooted in systemic corruption. Police investigations indicated that the Neet leak originated with some internal NTA panel members and subject experts directly

involved in translating and preparing the paper. Local media reported that to avoid leaving a digital trail, tutors with access to exam questions had dictated them to a small group of students in private coaching sessions in exchange for large sums of money.

The leak spread after a beautician in Pune was reported to have asked students to recall the questions they had memorised, writing them down to reconstruct the exam paper. She then sold copies, local media said.

Narendra Modi, the prime minister, has promised reform. On July 26 he announced on social media that Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder of Infosys, the IT consultancy, would lead a "high-powered task force" on exam reform.

On July 29, the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, introduced harsher punishments for exam leakers.

Reform is vital but will not be easy

Analysis

In a country of extreme inequality, corruption and nepotism, the Neet exam is one instance in which people are supposedly judged on merit alone, not on who their family knows or who can be bribed (Amrit Dhillon writes).

Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as education minister over the latest leak of the exam paper was merely symbolic. The real issue is how to change the system. The government has appointed a panel of experts to find ways of using technology to prevent exam leaks. This alone will be a herculean task.

From the academics who set the questions to the people who translate it into 13 Indian languages, pack it into ostensibly sealed trunks, load it onto trucks and distribute it all over India, the opportunities for corruption and leaks are numerous. Criminal gangs make money from selling the questions either to parents or to coaching centres.

Tackling the deeper, structural problems will be even more difficult. Economic growth under Narendra Modi has been impressive and steady but largely jobless. After spending several years and precious family savings pursuing higher education, surveys show that about 60 per cent of the unemployed in India are graduates.

With too few private sector jobs the Indian middle class obsession with careers in medicine, engineering and law as the only path to security and status has become pronounced. For entry to engineering colleges, about 1.5 million students appear every year for the JEJ entrance exam, competing for about 67,000 places. More than two million sit the Neet each year.

The government has built more medical colleges, tripling the number to 844 since 2014. Yet the competition for heavily subsidised government colleges is brutal because their fees are much lower than private counterparts. Total tuition fees at a government medical college can run to £7,800, compared with £118,000 at private colleges.

Education experts agree India must decentralise the exam, with colleges setting individual entrance tests, and move towards continuous assessment. The medical and engineering entrance exams are multiple choice, largely a test of memory.

The result is a vast pool of unemployable graduates who lack the problem-solving skills that the marketplace needs.

the exam. I told her it didn't matter if she got selected or not. But she kept saying, "What will people think of me if I don't get selected?"

"The kids work so hard and they have such innocent and admirable dreams. They work for them day and night. They live far away from their parents. But when the system fails them, it breaks their trust and makes them feel like their dreams will never come true. It breaks their body and spirit."

The day after news of the exam leak surfaced, another student, Ritik Mishra, 21, asked his mother to make him parathas and vegetables before going out. When he did not return, his family went looking for him; they found his body in a second house the family owned down the road.

"If we'd known what he was going through, we never would have let him leave," his father, Anup Mishra, said; he is still paying interest on the loan he took out for his son's exam coaching. "The system and the government

killed my son," he said.

India's college entrance exam system is one of the most competitive in the world. Students compete for a tiny number of places at top-tier medical or engineering institutions, seen as a golden ticket to join the middle classes.

Standard schooling is considered insufficient to pass these tests and so hundreds of thousands of students move to "coaching cities", such as Kota in Rajasthan, which have turned into exam preparation hubs — and lucrative businesses. Many live away from their parents for years, studying for up to 18 hours a day. At Kota, children can be enrolled at 11, though most will not sit entrance exams until they are 17. The pressure is compounded by their

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World

Forget bloated blockbusters, surprise cinema hit shows less is more

France Charles Bremner Paris

While filmgoers are proving happy this summer to spend nearly three hours watching Odysseus get home, the French are flocking to a surprise seasonal hit that shows that sometimes less is more.

De la Comédie-Française, a spritely backstage farce set in the august French national theatre, has earned enthusias-

tic reviews and is expected to sell some two million tickets despite it running for only 75 minutes.

The gag-filled story of a disastrous opening night of Macheth is being praised as an antidote to blockbuster bloat from Hollywood and also a trend of lengthening French releases.

Often criticised even by domestic critics as too slow and talky, French films have been creeping up from their recent average of about 100 minutes.

France's summer blockbuster, La Bataille de Gaulle, a two-part epic about Charles de Gaulle, runs 160 minutes for each episode.

Martin Darondeau and Bertrand Unclat, directors of De la Comédie-Française, said they made a virtue of the conditions imposed on them when they were given an opportunity to shoot in the Salle Richelieu, home of the 345-year-old company by the Palais-Royal. "Right from the start, we knew we were

going to make a short film," Darondeau told Le Parisien newspaper.

A low budget of about €2 million and the short shooting time helped produce a tight, fast-paced comedy more akin to a play. The film critic of France Info radio said: "The two directors wrapped up the scenario in two months and shot it in three weeks. The film is infused with that energy and sense of urgency."

AlloCiné, a leading film site, concurred: "The very short running time

leaves virtually no room for lulls and keeps the story focused throughout."

While the brevity has been greeted as a plus by the critics, some fans have complained of being shortchanged by a thin screenplan.

However, the short length is being turned to commercial advantage as word of mouth and media praise are generating packed looses. Cinemas are squeezing in extra screenings, with some offering up to eight a day.

The British designer John Galliano with Anna Wintour at a Dior show in Paris in January, left. Galliano with Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell at a 2007 Parisian Dior show, right, before his public fall from grace

Met museum honour for designer who 'loved Hitler'

United States Olivia Empson New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is a mecca for the fashion and art glitterati, with a show there being the highest accolade in a designer's career.

Next year it will host a retrospective focusing exclusively on the work of John Galliano, the third living designer to have a solo exhibition at the Met Costume Institute.

For some, the retrospective is a long-overdue celebration of Galliano's talent. Known for his theatrical, romantic, even whimsical garments, he bounced into the London fashion scene in the 1990s, disrupting traditional couture and consecutively winning British designer of the year.

For others, his show is an unforgivable platform for an artist whose career has been marred by scandal. Galliano's reputation collapsed in 2011 after he made racist and antisemitic comments that forced his exile from the fashion world.

Dana Thomas, the author of Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano also criticised the show in a recent opinion piece headlined "The Metropolitan Museum of Art is Making a Very Bad Mistake".

"Not all great creators deserve a retrospective," she wrote. "Someone as incendiary as Mr Galliano certainly

shouldn't be the subject of one during his lifetime, when he stands to profit from the honour personally."

She added to The Times: "A museum retrospective is supposed to be an act of scholarship, not a collaboration with its subject. When the designer is helping shape the exhibition, overseeing the installation and standing there to celebrate the opening, it's difficult to argue that the museum is offering an objective assessment rather than participating in a rehabilitation."

The retrospective, which opens on May 9 next year promises not to neglect the controversies that have defined Galliano's career. Before its announcement, organisers met rabbis and Jewish leaders in New York.

"We had frank conversations about this challenging moment for the Jewish community with the spike in antisemitism which is the painful backdrop to this proposed exhibition," said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, who was involved in the discussions. "But I saw that he recognised his harm to the Jewish community and that the gala organisers were committed to addressing his past in a meaningful way."

For many critics, however, these consultations don't go far enough. The only other designers to be given solo shows were Yves Saint Laurent in 1983 and Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons in 2017. Neither arrived with Galliano's level of contention.

Among the most prominent backers of the retrospective is former Vogue editor Anna Wintour, a longtime champion of Galliano. "There is no one more deserving of an exhibition of this scale than John Galliano," she wrote on Vogue.com. "The exhibition won't shy away from any of the darkness in John's past. It's part of what has shaped him."

Galliano, who was born in Gibraltar and raised in England, was appointed head designer at Givenchy in 1995. In 2011, he was captured on video making a series of racist and antisemitic comments, causing him to step down from

his then position as creative director at Dior. In one of these videos, he was heard saying, "I love Hitler".

Still, he made a controversial comeback in the fashion world in 2014, becoming the creative director of Maison Margiela. Galliano's closing show at Maison Margiela in 2024 was seen as an industry milestone and this September, he is launching a fashion collaboration with Zara.

The Met retrospective might be the final proof that he's made it back into mainstream fashion. Whether his critics will accept that is another matter.

BMW drivers discover they can't escape Spider-Man

Susie Coen New York

Between billboards, TV channels and social media platforms, one might assume production companies have ample avenues to promote their latest film releases.

But the promotion for the latest Marvel film Spider-Man: Brand New Day expanded into new territory last week, with adverts displayed on BMW control screens across the United States.

Since July 27, drivers getting into BMW's newer models have been greeted with a banner on the touchscreen reading "Surprise! Spider-Man just dropped into your BMW!" If users clicked the icon, an animation showed Spider-Man jumping over a BMW being driven through New York.

The campaign is part of a partnership with BMW and Sony Pictures, and is set to run until August 10. But the advertising strategy enraged some BMW owners, some of whom had paid $160,000 (£139,000) for a luxury car. Drivers filled online forums with comments that called the scheme "insanely dystopian" and vowed not to buy another car from the German manufacturer.

Car product placement in action films is nothing new, the most notable example being James Bond and Aston Martin, and a BMW features in the latest Spider-Man release. But placing Spider-Man adverts inside the vehicles themselves marks a significant shift from the car manufacturer's previous claims that it would not allow its dashboards to be sold as advertising space.

Beth Donnelly Egan, an advertising professor at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications, said it was likely that the campaign was part of a brand negotiation rather than something BMW was paid for.

Egan said in-car advertising was a "logical next step" for the industry, which could see manufacturers charge advertisers between $5 million and $10 million to show adverts.

BMW will be able to track data on the number of drivers who saw the banner, those who clicked through on the advert and, potentially, which of those customers then went to see the film.

Drivers had a visit from Spider-Man

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World

Trump 'berates Hegseth' for missile crisis

United States

George Grylls Washington

President Trump raged at Pete Hegseth over a shortage of American missiles that in part forced him to cancel airstrikes on Iran, according to reports.

The president announced on Monday he had called off the 'biggest attack since World War II', claiming that he had shown clemency to Iran because of progress in peace talks.

However, another rationale was that the Pentagon is running out of precision weapons, having fired 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 1,300 tactical ballistic missiles at Iran since February 28, according to The Washington Post. More than 1,000 air defence missiles — Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (Thaad) and Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target (Patriot) interceptors — have been fired in the same period.

Learning of the shortages, Trump vented his frustration at Hegseth, the war secretary, at a Camp David meeting last week, believing that the munitions issue 'had been fixed', sources told the paper.

Hegseth is said to have blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for the lack

of munitions and for not informing the president.

In a post on Truth Social the president denied the shortages and said anyone who leaked 'treasonous statements' would be 'hunted down', adding: 'Long-term jail sentences will be sought!' Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a post on X that the story was 'BS' and 'FAKE NEWS'.

Stockpiles of the most important weapons in the Pentagon's arsenal have been severely depleted by the five-month war, according to reports. Reuters reported this week that the Pentagon has used 'virtually all' of the US Army's surface-to-surface weapons — Army Tactical Missile Systems (Atacms) and Precision Strike Missiles.

When it comes to air defence interceptors, the US has fired 80 per cent of its Thaal missiles and about 50 per cent of its Patriots to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones across the Middle East, according to CNN. The shortage comes at a time when Ukraine is desperately low on interceptors and is virtually unable to defend itself from Russian ballistic-missile attacks.

The squeeze on air defence missiles

President Trump is said to have confronted his war secretary, Pete Hegseth, at Camp David as a shortage of munitions led him to call off an attack on Iran

has forced US commanders to adjust their criteria for shooting down incoming attacks, choosing whether to intercept based on the projected target, according to NBC News.

It will be a struggle for American defence companies to rebuild stockpiles quickly. The US can manufacture about 600 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (Pac-3) missiles a year. The lead time for the Pac-3 interceptor is two years while the solid rocket motor takes 30 months to build, according to the Foreign Policy Research Institute. That

means a Patriot missile ordered now might not arrive until 2029. The Trump administration has been trying to speed up manufacturing and the Pentagon signed a deal with Lockheed Martin this year to make 2,000 Patriot missiles a year by 2030. However, progress has been slow and Lockheed produced only 620 Pac-3 missiles last year.

A single Thaal missile costs between $12 million and $15.5 million and a Patriot interceptor costs between $37 million and $4 million. An Atacm costs $1 million to $2 million and a

Tomahawk cruise missile costs between $2 million and $2.5 million.

Hegseth recently claimed that the Iran war had cost $375 billion, but he is requesting $67 billion in emergency funding to fix a deficit in the Pentagon's budget.

In addition to this, Hegseth wants Congress to approve a $1.5 trillion defence budget for 2027, a 40 per cent increase on the previous year.

There are signs that Iran is edging towards a deal with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, paving the way for a longer-term ceasefire. Under the agreement, Tehran would be able to supervise commercial vessels transiting the narrow waterway, but would not charge tolls.

Inbound ships would hug the Iranian coastline, while outbound vessels would go through Omani waters.

Esmail Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said the agreement was in the 'final stages of review and drafting' provided that 'no external party obstructs this process'.

It came as Israel's Channel 12 reported that Roman Gofman, the director of Mossad, fired the agency head of intelligence and the head of the Iran desk over failures related to the war.

This all-encompassing tour not only showcases Vietnam's highlights but fully absorbs you in the rich history and culture too. Spend more time interacting with locals and visiting lesser-known places alongside the usual highlights.

Fly to Saigon to explore historic colonial landmarks, the Cu Chi Tunnels, and the Mekong Delta's winding waterways. Journey through Dalat's highlands down to Nha Trang's turquoise coast, visiting charming Hoi An and Hue's imperial citadel. Fly to Hanoi to ride a cyclo through the Old Quarter, sample egg coffee, and discover tribal history at the Ethnology Museum. Next, cruise through Halong Bay's iconic limestone karsts, kayaking and exploring hidden caves. Return to Hanoi for 'The Quintessence of Tonkin' live show before flying home with unforgettable memories.

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Writing on the wall? The Unesco world heritage site at Meroe in Bejrawiya, Sudan, is under threat from the civil war in the country. The site's pyramids, 120 miles north of Khartoum, were tombs for the rulers of the Kushite empire

Settler charged over killing of Palestinian

Israel Prosecutors charged an Israeli settler in the killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the occupied West Bank, the first such indictment since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, activists said. Israel's ministry of justice said on X that Yinon Eliya Levi, 31, from Maron, had been charged with allegedly firing toward an area where people were present in Umm Al-Khair, in the southern West Bank, causing the death of Hathaleen. He is charged with reckless manslaughter, trespassing, and willful property damage. Hathaleen, who took part in the production of the Oscar winning documentary No Other Land, was killed in July 2025.

Fine of 53 million eggs for producers who fixed price

United States Three large US egg producers will have to donate 53 million eggs to food banks as part of a legal settlement. A coalition of 17 states sued the producers, alleging they secretly co-ordinated to influence daily egg price quotes widely used in supply contracts. Letitia James, the New York attorney general, said: 'Price-fixing of any kind is not tolerated in New York, or across our nation.' James said Cal-Maine Foods, Versova and Hickman's Egg Ranch began colluding as early as 2022. The price of a dozen eggs reached an average of $8.47 (£6.30) in New York in February 2025, according to figures the US Department of Agriculture.

Politician admits 'my job is boring' text in meeting

Australia A politician who leads the opposition Liberal Party in the Australian Capital Territory has admitted that he texted '*** my job is boring. Wanna swap' during a budget estimates hearing. Mark Parton was subject to a complaint alleging that he sent the message to a sex worker. After initially denying the complaint as a 'smear', he admitted he did send the text but denied that it was to a sex worker. He did not say who the message was sent to and argued he had still been holding the government to account. He added: 'I understand that most people's perception of budget estimates hearings is that they're pretty boring.' An official complaint has been dismissed.

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Business

WORLD MARKETS (Change on the day)

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Diageo boss: $1bn shot of cost cuts will revive ailing drinks company

Jessica Newman

Leisure Industries Correspondent

Sir Dave Lewis secured backing from the City yesterday as Diageo's $1 billion cost-cutting scheme restored investors' hopes that the struggling drinks group can return to growth.

Shares in the FTSE 100 company closed up 91½p, or 5.6 per cent, at £17.33, their highest level since February, after it revealed plans to generate $850 million in savings over the next three years as it continues to restructure, plus a

further $150 million of savings through supply chain initiatives. Restructuring costs will total about $1.2 billion, the Johnnie Walker maker said, made by overhauling the operating model, with the loss of thousands of jobs.

Lewis said that Diageo would be "activating our wider portfolio", such as Smirnoff and Captain Morgan, to cater for customers looking to save money.

"The savings will allow us to invest in innovation selectively where we need to improve our competitiveness, but they also allow us to do so without

needing to reduce profit", Lewis said.

The market has put its faith in the former Tesco boss to turn around Diageo, which has been weakened in recent years by boardroom turmoil, tariffs, slow growth in key markets such as the United States and shifting consumer drinking patterns.

Lewis's strategy reset was announced alongside Diageo's latest results, which showed organic sales growth contracted 2 per cent to $19.6 billion over the 12 months to the end of June, after its key North American region continued

to be problematic. The region, which accounted for 37 per cent of the group's overall sales, saw underlying sales drop 8.4 per cent last year, which it blamed on "increased competitive pressure and further category softness, particularly in tequila".

Lewis admitted that "there is hard work ahead, particularly in North America, where improving performance is a clear priority".

Sales in Asia Pacific also suffered, down 6.3 per cent due to persistent weakness in Chinese spirits, particular-

ly a traditional spirit known as baijiu. Europe delivered growth of 3.4 per cent, buoyed by consumers stocking up before the World Cup, as well as solid growth of Guinness in the UK. Its Latin America and Caribbean region saw growth of 7.7 per cent.

Operating profit fell 27.2 per cent to $3.15 billion, while pre-tax profit fell to £2.56 billion, from £3.5 billion last year.

Diageo's full-year dividend was halved to 50 cents a share in a effort to "create more financial flexibility".

Sober days ahead, pages 34-35

EasyJet says yes to £5.7bn US takeover

Apollo triumphs after airline founder backs deal

Ben Martin Financial Editor

EasyJet is set to be taken private following more than a quarter of a century on the stock exchange after its founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou backed a £5.7 billion buyout.

The budget airline's board said yesterday that it had agreed to a 71½p-a-share offer from Apollo Capital Management, the US private equity firm that has been in talks about a deal at that price for a month.

Haji-Ioannou, whose family still own 15.3 per cent of the airline, making them its biggest shareholder and a crucial player in a sale, helped to pave the way for a takeover by coming out in favour of Apollo's terms.

However, rather than selling out to the New York-based buyout house, Haji-Ioannou, 59, and his family plan to remain invested in easyJet by flipping their stake into a private vehicle that will own the airline once it is delisted. They can do this because Apollo's terms include two proposals: investors can either accept 71½p in cash for each easyJet share they own, or swap their stock for so-called "rollover shares".

It draws a line under months of speculation about the FTSE 250 airline's future and is the latest in a series of takeovers of London-listed companies, stoking concerns about the UK's shrinking stock market.

EasyJet was founded by the British-Cypriot Haji-Ioannou in 1995 and listed in London at 310p-a-share in 2000.

It emerged in May that Castlelake,

another US investment firm, was eyeing the Luton-based airline.

EasyJet has been left vulnerable to a bid because of its languishing share price which had failed to recover after the Covid pandemic caused chaos for aviation. This year's war in the Middle East, which sent jet fuel costs soaring and prompting travellers to make later bookings, also knocked its shares.

The easyJet board, led by its chairman Sir Stephen Hester, reached a tentative agreement last month with Castlelake that valued the airline at 690p-a-share.

That deal was upended days later when it emerged that the board had reached an "agreement in principle" with Apollo pitched at 71½p.

Throughout all of this, however, the intentions of Haji-Ioannou were unknown. He broke his silence yesterday when he said he was "pleased with Apollo's strategic intentions for the easyJet business, which aim to create more growth". His family's continued investment will help Apollo meet European Union rules requiring airlines with EU operating licences to be majority-owned by European investors.

Some City analysts have suggested that easyJet's net assets are worth £11.75 a share. While Castlelake said yesterday that it was scrapping its bid, it reserved its right to come back. The Haji-Ioannou family can also withdraw its support for Apollo's offer if a real bid that is 9 per cent higher is made, easyJet and Apollo said.

EasyJet shares were up 2.8 per cent at 670p at the close yesterday.

Final results Rebecca Lowe hosting World Cup coverage for Fox Sports, whose fourth-quarter revenues of $4.21 billion, aided by the tournament, beat forecasts

Doubts over future of Fat Duck chain

Isabella Fish Retail Editor

Heston Blumenthal's restaurant group has warned that "material uncertainty" lingers over its ability to continue as a going concern despite new funding.

Christina Ong, one of Singapore's most successful businesswomen, made a strategic investment in the celebrity chef's restaurant businesses in May to help prop up its balance sheet and fuel potential expansion.

However, accounts signed off this week for SL6 Limited, the holding company for Blumenthal's group, flagged that there was "uncertainty that still exists in the business while it transitions".

Directors warned that a "material uncertainty exists at the year end date that may cast significant doubt on the group's or the parent company's ability to continue as a going concern."

Blumenthal's award-winning restaurants include the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, the restaurant with three Michelin stars that put British "molecular gastronomy" on the map in 1995 by applying scientific principles to cooking. It serves quirky dishes like snail porridge and bacon and egg ice cream. Blumenthal also runs the Hinds Head pub, also in Bray, near Maidenhead.

Turnover rose to £9.1 million in the year to the end of May last year, up from £8.9 million the year before. Losses before tax narrowed to £1.7 million, compared with £2.1 million.

At the year-end, it had £203,932 cash in bank and in hand, against £697,605 the year before. Net debt rose to about £2.6 million from £1.8 million.

Directors said the hospitality industry continued to be a tough environment in which to operate. They said that the group was "not immune to the challenges the sector faces and has experienced inflation in both supply chain and people costs. Against this backdrop the decision was taken to not pass on the price increases whilst recognising that this would affect the Continued on page 34

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Business

Need to know

1 Budget airline easyJet is set to be taken private after its founder Sir Stellos Hajr-loannou backed a £5.7 billion buyout. The carrier's board announced yesterday that it had agreed to a 75p-a-share offer from Apollo Capital Management, the US private equity firm. Page 33

2 Sir Dave Lewis secured backing from the City yesterday as Diageo's $1 billion cost-cutting scheme restored investors' hopes that the struggling drinks group can return to growth. Shares in the FTSE 100 company closed up 91Up, or 5.6 per cent, at £17.33, their highest level since February. Page 33

3 Heston Blumenthal's restaurant group warned that "material uncertainty" lingers over its ability to continue as a going concern despite new funding. The company said the latest accounts "only represent the period until May 2025 and do not capture the progress the business has made since". Page 33

4 The owner of Raleigh, the £39-year-old based bikemaker, is on the verge of collapse after takeover talks fell through. Accell Group, the private equity-owned Dutch bicycle manufacturer, entered court-supervised insolvency proceedings earlier this week.

5 One of Britain's biggest housebuilders has defied the housing slowdown to build more homes in the first six months of the year. Persimmon delivered 5,189 homes in the six months to end of June, a rise of 13 per cent year-on-year. Page 36

6 The slide in revenue has eased at WPP in a boost for efforts by its new boss to turn around the embattled advertising group. It reported a 2.8 per cent decline in underlying revenue for the June quarter, easing from 6.7 per cent during the first three months of the year. Page 38

7 John Whittaker's Peel Group has offered close to £583 million for Harworth Group, a land and property company, to take it private. Peel already has a near 30 per cent stake. Page 39

On perfect sunny days, loan approval rates rose; on overcast days, they fell

Harry Wallop, page 37

For expert business analysis subscribe to the business newsletter thetimes.com/newsletters

Drinks giant prepares for sober days of reckoning

Boss plans to give Diageo's cabinet a good dusting down as well as making drastic cuts, Jessica Newman writes

Not so long ago, Diageo was dangling before investors the prospect of between 5 and 7 per cent medium-term organic sales target, an aim that has proved to be as disconnected from reality as it was ambitious.

Less than two years later, the FTSE 100 spirits company reckons "low-single-digit" organic sales growth is more achievable over the next few years, with operating profits expected to grow by "mid-single" digits.

The guidance, shaped by weakness in the United States, its largest market, was part of a much broader sobering reality check delivered by Sir Dave Lewis, who yesterday unveiled a $1 billion cost-cutting plan in order to reset performance, a significant step up from its previous target of 3625 million.

Diageo expects to save the amount over three years, with $850 million from restructuring its outdated and overly complex operating framework.

Another $150 million of savings will come through supply-chain reforms. The cost of

The King opened a Guinness brewery. The Johnnie Walker distillery, right

both these programmes is expected to total $1.2 billion, with 70 per cent of its expenses already incurred.

The overhaul will result in the loss of thousands of jobs. Lewis, who earned the nickname Drastic Dave from his time at Unilever, before moving on to head Tesco, said the restructuring would have "very significant impacts" on Diageo's workforce, but declined to say how many jobs would be affected. The company's severance costs last year rose sharply to $514 million from $73 million a year earlier.

"One of the things that's been very strong for me coming into Diageo is people have been very clear that things needed to change," he said, adding that much of the business had been suffering from a "very large amount of duplication. The consequences of that are not great for everybody".

Although the City had largely anticipated Lewis would increase Diageo's cost savings target, Edward Mundy, an analyst at Jefferies, pointed out that the savings were greater than even the market had expected.

Lewis said Diageo's turnaround would be "organic", focused on fixing structural internal issues. "We're not thinking about M&A, and I want people to be really clear about that", he said. "We have what we need to turn our business around".

A key part of the Diageo reorganisation will be implemented on a category-by-cat-

Pints then points

egory approach, such as looking at whisky as a whole, rather than by individual brands.

Lewis also used the strategy update to provide some insight on his plans for Diageo to renew focus on some of the more neglected brands in its 200-strong drinks cabinet.

Under the leadership of the late Sir Ivan Menezes, Diageo was transformed into a globally diversified drinks behemoth, moving upmarket by adding celebrity-backed tequilas and premium whiskies to its portfolio.

One of the most high-profile deals was with Casamigos, the tequila brand co-founded by George Clooney. The $1 billion deal brought a shot of star power to Diageo, helping to modernise

its image and tap into one of the fastest-growing categories in global spirits at the time.

While Lewis is steadfast in his defence of Diageo's historical focus on premium labels, describing the strategy as a "great value creator", he also acknowledged the business could not just cling to past successes and must start to cater to what customers actually wanted to drink.

"When I look at the US business I've seen some weakness in core brands for a number of years that has been covered up by the growth of tequila," he said.

Lewis picked out Captain Morgan rum and Smirnoff vodka as a couple of "very big, very important brands,

Raleigh bike owner close to collapse

Isabella Fish, Retail Editor

The owner of Raleigh, the £39-year-old Nottinghamshire-based bikemaker, is on the verge of collapse after takeover talks fell through.

Accell Group, the private equity-owned Dutch bicycle manufacturer owning brands including Raleigh, Haibike, Lapierre and Ghost, entered court-supervised insolvency proceedings earlier this week.

Jonas Nilsson, chief executive, said it was a "deeply sad and frustrating situation" and that it had "tirelessly explored" every option for the future of the cycling business.

Accell, bought Raleigh, one of Britain's best-known bicycle brands, in 2012 for about $100 million.

Raleigh was founded in Nottingham in 1887 and grew to be the largest bike manufacturer in the world. It created

the Chopper, with extended handlebars and seat with a backrest, in the 1970s. The company no longer makes bikes in Nottingham and has moved to Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, while it has shifted to selling electric bikes.

KKR, the US private equity company, acquired Accell in 2022 for €1.56 billion using a mix of equity and debt, assuming pandemic-era cycling demand would persist. By saddling Accell with hundreds of millions in debt just before the bike boom collapsed, cash flow was severely squeezed by interest payments and falling revenues.

Accell went through a restructuring in February, resulting in a substantial debt reduction and transfer of majority control from KKR to its syndicate of lenders. In January, Accell sold its titanium specialist brand Van Nicholas to the Italian manufacturer Velo-ce.

Accell said it had "explored every

possible avenue" for its future, including discussions with potential buyers. A takeover by Singapore-based DuTech Group fell through despite receiving prior regulatory approvals in Germany, Austria, and Poland.

The company has now begun insolvency proceedings in the Netherlands, known as suspension of payments.

Raleigh reported a pre-tax loss of £30.1 million for 2023 in accounts filed in January 2025, compared with a £6.8 million loss in 2022. This was despite a 3.5 per cent rise in turnover to £57.7 million, driven by post-pandemic market overstock and high price pressures.

Nilsson said: "This is a deeply sad and frustrating situation. Every realistic option for the future of the business has been tirelessly explored and none have resulted in a solution to continue the group in its current form."

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

Fat Duck Group sees progress

profitability of the group". The company said the latest accounts "only represent the period until May 2025 and do not capture the progress the business has made since".

It said: "The Fat Duck has achieved its highest annual profitability to date, while the Hinds Head has delivered three consecutive years of double-digit growth. This progress has been achieved with a strengthened leadership team, significant operational efficiencies, and a renewed focus on our two core businesses, the Fat Duck and the Hinds Head."

After the year-end, the group refinanced its two 10-year bank loans — a £680,000 loan repayable at maturity and a £1.4 million loan repayable monthly — through an external agreement with Como Holdings Limited. Como Group is controlled by the billionaire Ong family.

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35

Business

which quite frankly we've not done a great job with."

At the heart of Lewis's strategy lies a belief that lower price tags on cheaper drinks will successfully stimulate enough additional demand to offset any margin compression.

He said there were already signs this shift was working among some products such as Bell's, with a litre bottle of the blended whisky now being sold for £18.50 in some supermarkets, down from £25 last year.

Another growth lever he believes Diageo has been slow to pull is ready-to-drink canned cocktails, which is the one sector of the spirits market that is experiencing significant global growth.

Diageo's ready-to-drink portfolio

consists mainly of extensions of its established labels, such as Smirnoff Ice, a 27-year-old brand that has effectively been left alone at the back of the cupboard.

Management is also bullish on plans to capitalise on the Guinness label, revealing plans to spend almost $1 billion until 2030 on increasing capacity and expanding the Irish stout globally.

Meanwhile, in the US where it has struggled with persistently sluggish sales, the company will prioritise three brands it admitted have been in long-term decline: Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Crown Royal whisky by improving packaging, launching trademark campaigns and introducing smaller, cheaper bottle sizes.

The company is also confident it can restore consumer's love affair with premium tequila brands including Don Julio and Casaminos by utilising the platforms of content creators and bringing in smaller bottle sizes so budget-conscious consumers can access the brand.

The market clearly saw Lewis's highly anticipated strategy update as a turning point, with shares rising 5.6 per cent to a five-month high of £17.32's. But they are a long way off their £41 high of 2022.

Lewis may have set the course, but sentiment is fragile, and investors will need proof in the execution if he is to achieve another turnaround triumph.

Paramount wins British backing for Warner deal

Louisa Clarence-Smith

US Business Editor

Paramount Skydance has promised to ensure that Channel 5 News maintains its editorial independence and pledged to continue commissioning content in Britain in order to stop the UK government blocking its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery.

Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, wrote to the companies in June to inform them she was "minded" to intervene in the transaction on public inter-

est grounds. These included the need for "sufficient" plurality of views in news in the UK, as well as media ownership. However, yesterday she said she had decided not to intervene after receiving assurances and legally binding commitments from Paramount.

In the UK, the merger will see Paramount combine television channels including Channel 5, TNT Sports and Nickelodeon with Warner Bros's CNN International, Cartoon Network and HBO Max, as well as bringing together the streaming services Paramount and HBO Max.

Channel 5 would continue as a public service broadcaster until its licence expires in 2034 and remain editorially separate from CNN International and CBS News. Paramount has also agreed that its UK services would retain distinct editorial identities for five years.

Paramount, led by David Ellison, offered legally binding guarantees on British commissioning for five years, promising no reduction in the number of commissioning staff, or the quality

and range of content. It has committed itself to providing government officials with annual statements of compliance that will be monitored.

Separately, the Competition and Markets Authority, the UK's competition watchdog, also said yesterday that it would not take further action.

EU regulators have already passed the deal, leaving 12 US states that are seeking to block it on antitrust grounds as the final big hurdle. Paramount has agreed to pause the deal until June 2027, while a federal trial is set for March.

Warner Bros reported revenue of $8.72 billion in the second quarter, well below forecasts of $9.29 billion, after lacklustre box-office performance and soft advertising sales. Studio revenue fell 39 per cent to $2.3 billion.

Warner's streaming business performed better: HBO Max's revenue up 10 per cent to $3.1 billion.

Warner Bros shares advanced $0.47, or 1.8 per cent, to $26.44 in morning trading in New York. Paramount rose $0.39, or 4.5 per cent, to $9.16.

Whizzy plane lease idea is up in air

BUSINESS COMMENTARY Alistair Osborne

Some airlines look trickier to fly than others. Take Wizz Air, where its founder and chief executive Jozsef Varadi has, like his rivals, been navigating an "extremely volatile" June quarter — three months punctuated by the "conflict in the Middle East, elevated fuel prices and changes in booking patterns".

The main difference for him? He's flying what looks like an accounting puzzler with wings: a business racking up debt that would arguably be making vast losses if it wasn't for some nifty financial engineering selling and leasing back its planes.

This is not to suggest Wizz is in financial trouble. It says it has tons of "liquidity", with a "strong cash position of €2.21 billion". But, it's not for nothing that Wizz is one of the most shorted stocks on the London market, with those betting against it holding 9.1 per cent of the shares.

It's not only short-sellers who are asking the question: is Wizz's business model sustainable? Already, its net debt, up 3.9 per cent in the last quarter to €5.13 billion, is four times its market cap: £1.15 billion after a 3 per cent share price fall to £11.10 on the quarterly results. And it's hard to see why those metrics will improve any time soon.

It's a point that Varadi's opposite number at Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, has been loudly making. Last month, in a quarterly earnings call, he declared: "Wizz will just blow their brains out this winter". Varadi, who co-founded the eastern European-focused carrier in 2003, has greeted it with wry humour. He told the Hungarian media outlet G7: "I think we've gone bankrupt at least ten times according to him. Look at our figures: we have two billion euros in cash".

Yet, O'Leary made a key point. As he put it, the only way Wizz is preserving a veneer of profitability is "to keep taking aircraft and then doing sale and leasebacks and recognising that through the P&L" (profit and loss account). It is a point that the Panmure Liberum analyst Gerald Khoo has been making, noting that Wizz's full-year figures came with "the usual tailwind from low-quality earnings sources".

The crucial line at the full-year accounts was €542 million of "other income", up from €496 million the previous year. Wizz said €256 million of that, up from €121 million, was "gains from sale and leaseback transactions" on 33 planes: all part of a fleet renewal programme — mainly Airbus A321neo aircraft — that still sees Wizz awaiting 244 firm deliveries.

Indeed, it wasn't just the planes Wizz was selling and leasing back but 18 engines. Most of the rest of the "other income" was Pratt & Whitney compensation for the grounding of aircraft due to mandatory checks on its engines.

Airlines can make a profit on sale and leasebacks by selling in lessors at the market price aircraft that they bought at a wholesale discount from Airbus or Boeing. Yet they have a choice over what to do with that profit — use it to cut future lease liabilities or take it upfront through the P&L to boost short-term profits.

Wizz is taking the latter approach.

One result? Without such sale and leaseback gains last year, Wizz's tiny €1.3 million net profit would have been a €255 million loss. Worse, don't such deals raise future leasing costs at a group already lugging around €5 billion of net debt?

The latest figures include €53 million of sale and leaseback gains in a quarter where ebtda halved to €347 million and Wizz had a €198 million net loss. In Khoo's view, such gains on aircraft sales are becoming Wizz's key route to generating cash. The problem? "They can't stop taking new aircraft because their source of finance disappears".

To all this, Wizz says: "Sale and leasebacks take the residual value risk of the asset away from Wizz, allowing us to focus on flying and not managing legacy aircraft," adding it only books "a third" of the upfront gains through the P&L. It admits that this "does add costs in terms of higher lease payments". But it says "modelling on a net present value basis suggests that sale and leasebacks can be value accretive".

Well, maybe. But to judge by a share price down from £52 in five years, the market seems to be taking a different view.

Tonic for Diageo

What a shock: it's more fun working your way through the Diageo drinks cabinet than listening to Sir "Drastic" Dave Lewis bang on about it. After an interminable capital markets day, starring its newish boss and team, analysts would have been forgiven for mixing a big cocktail of Johnnie Walker whisky, Don Julio tequila, Tanqueray gin, Captain Morgan rum and Baileys and downing it in one.

Still, the shares went up 5.6 per cent to £17.32's, as Lewis at least brought more forensics to the Diageo revamp than has been seen for years, with the welcome message that he'd turned away the bankers urging idiotic brand sales to bring a wholly "organic" fix. It comes with $1 billion of cost cuts; a big push for Guinness; the launch of "stunning" ready-to-drink cocktails in cans; and everything from new price points to packaging in its key North American wing, where two thirds of the brands including Crown Royal, Smirnoff and Captain Morgan have been losing share. Who knows if it'll actually work. But Lewis passed the early taste test.

Castlelake circles

Technically, Castlelake could yet come back. Its exit from the easyJet bid battle came with the caveat that it "reserved the right" to have another go if anyone announced a "first" offer, including Apollo. But that's a long shot, not least with Sir Stelios Haji-Joannes irrevocably rolling over his family's 35.3 per cent stake behind Apollo's £5.7 billion offer at 71½p unless someone else bids "at least nine per cent" more. At 60½p, easyJet shares imply a nice smooth Apollo landing.

alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk

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Business

Housing ladder missing rungs as more owners opt to stay put

David Byers Deputy Property Editor

Homeowners are hanging on to their properties for longer because of the higher costs involved in a move.

Research from Connells Group, the UK's largest high street estate and lettings agency with more than 1,200 branches, found that only 5 per cent of those who sold this year in England and Wales had owned their home for three years or less. This is the lowest share of short-term owners on record, down from 15 per cent in 2006.

Meanwhile, the share of owners selling up within five years has halved over the past 20 years, from 29 per cent in 2006 to 14 per cent so far this year.

Analysts said a combination of high moving costs, particularly stamp duty, expensive mortgages and longstanding affordability issues were encouraging families to move less frequently.

"Homeowners are finding that moving no longer pays," Aneisha Beveridge, research director at Connells Group, said. "The result is that homeowners are less likely to make small, incremental steps up or down the housing ladder. When they move, it increasingly needs to be a bigger, longer-term decision."

The average property costs seven times the average wage, according to the Office for National Statistics — almost double the level in 1995 — while landlords facing higher taxes are investing less frequently, with 25 per cent fewer homes available to rent compared with before the Covid pandemic.

The typical mover in England spent £5,950 on stamp duty this year, rising to £23,000 in London, before legal, estate agency, mortgage or removal costs were taken into account, according to Connells. Beveridge said families were stuck in homes that no longer suited

Share of homes sold within 10 years or less of purchase across England & Wales

them. "Whether it's having children, changing jobs or downsizing, households need flexibility to adapt housing to their circumstances. Instead, we're seeing growing financial barriers make those moves harder to justify."

Owners are getting stuck for longer in homes in the southeast, where prices

Share of homeowners selling at a loss within 3 and 5 years of buying

are most expensive and moving costs prohibitive. In London, 9 per cent of sellers this year owned homes for five years or less and 12 per cent in the southeast, but in the northeast the number of short-term owners was 17 per cent and in Yorkshire and the Humber, 15 per cent. "If homeowners were

moving as frequently as in 2006, we would see around 439,000 additional transactions each year," Beveridge said.

The data also showed how sluggish price growth has hit a number of homeowners' bank balances upon selling, with a rising proportion of sellers now having to stomach a loss on their homes when they sell them compared with the boom years of the 2000s.

In England and Wales 20 per cent of owners who sold in five or less years and 23 per cent of those selling within three years took a loss, up from 6 per cent and 10 per cent respectively in 2006. Londoners are hardest-hit by price depreciation, with an estimated 21 per cent of homes in the capital worth less than their owner paid, compared with a 79 per cent average in England and Wales. Meanwhile, 32 per cent of homes bought for £1 million or more are worth less than the purchase price.

Persimmon defies sector slowdown as builds up 13%

Homes target in doubt with construction in doldrums

Martin Strydom

One of Britain's biggest housebuilders has defied the housing slowdown to build more homes in the first six months of the year.

Persimmon delivered 5,189 homes in the six months to the end of June, a rise of 13 per cent year-on-year, and expects full-year completions to be at the upper end of its guidance of about 12,500 as the company weathers a difficult market better than rivals.

Average sales prices rose 1 per cent to £285,752, helped by strong demand at its premium Charles Church brand, where completions increased 25 per cent to 555 homes. Strategic partnerships led deliveries to housing associations to increase by 50 per cent to 928 units.

The strong performance lifted pre-tax profits by 15 per cent to £168 million on revenue up 15 per cent to £1.73 billion. Persimmon shares rose 2.9 per cent, or 32½p, to £11.56 at the close yesterday, despite the FTSE 100 company cautioning that global trade frictions and the Middle East conflict could add between £40 million and £50 million in costs over the next 18 months.

Dean Finch, the chief executive, said that despite a challenging market, "with affordability constraints and build cost pressures", the company remained on track to deliver full-year underlying pre-tax profits of £454 million.

The builder's in-house manufacturing capabilities in bricks, roof tiles and timber frames have allowed it to cope with rising costs better than rivals.

Rival housebuilder Taylor Wimpey has halved the amount of money it returns to shareholders each year amid a "prolonged market downturn" that it fears will persist for a while longer yet. Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Redrow and Berkeley have also reduced land bank targets, but Persimmon has continued to invest.

However, the company said buyer inquiries softened in July and open market sales, excluding bulk deals, slipped below the previous year's levels in the five weeks to early August.

The housing market has gone into reverse since the war in Iran started, which drove up mortgage rates and knocked already fragile consumer confidence. More recently, estate agents and other developers have said that a

combination of the World Cup, the heatwave and a new prime minister have further slowed the market over the past couple of months.

Finch said that the "housing market continues to experience both a long-term undersupply of housing and affordability challenges for new homeowners, which is a key focus for the

Persimmon said the Middle East conflict could add up to £50 million in costs

new government". Andy Burnham, the prime minister, plans to spend £39 billion on "the biggest council

housebuilding programme since the postwar period" and prioritise brownfield sites to protect green spaces and regenerate urban land.

The construction of council houses has fallen sharply across England since the 1980s, with many local authority homes sold off under the right-to-buy policy.

Sir Keir Starmer's government was on track to miss its five-year target to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 662,500.

Analysts at Jefferies said: "Compared to others, this trading update from Persimmon appears confident. Management is comfortable with market forecasts for the full year 2026, albeit we note this has slipped mildly in the past two months — current underlying profit before tax of £454 million vs £462 million previously."

Zaim Beekawa, executive director of equity research at JP Morgan, said it was "a good set of results", adding that the guidance upgrade should reassure investors at a time when some rivals have cut targets for building new homes.

Jack Barnett

Andy Burnham may be at risk of missing the Labour manifesto target of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029 across the current parliament after figures showed that housing construction continued to contract sharply.

The S&P Global purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the UK's construction industry climbed to 44.7 in July from 38.4 in the previous month, above the consensus forecast but still well below the 50-point threshold that separates growth from contraction.

Although the housebuilding sub-index rose to its highest level since October last year, it remained deeply in contraction territory at 41.8. The dire housing PMI readings suggest the Labour government will struggle to meet its manifesto commitment.

Analysts said builders were wary about taking on new staff and cautious about future trading conditions owing to uncertainty over how long construction costs will remain high amid the indefinite closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Tim Moore, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: "Construction companies commented on fuel surcharges and higher raw material prices due to the war in the Middle East, but the overall rate of cost inflation was the lowest for five months."

Kiran Raichura, chief commercial real estate economist at Capital Economics, said: "Although we expect another reopening of the [Hormuz] Strait soon, the uncertainty caused by this second wave of hostilities is likely to keep any recovery in construction ... subdued."

Some pointed out that PMI readings were being driven by sluggish sentiment rather than a steep drop in output.

Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: "The PMI has been far too downbeat for an extended period, so we take the depressing mood music with a pinch of salt. Miserable sentiment suggests output is hardly likely to rise quickly, but ... further falls aren't on the cards either."

Construction represents a small share of UK economic output, which is mainly driven by the services industry. The services PMI signalled a return to growth in July, with the index rising above the 50-point threshold to 52.1 from 48.8 in June.

The manufacturing survey dipped to 51.9 from 52.5 over the same period.

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Business

Harry Wallop

How do you avoid market blunders? By recognising you could be wrong

“Allbirds was an achingly right-on footwear brand. The shoes were made of eucalyptus, wool and sugar cane; Leonardo DiCaprio was an investor and early fans included Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Watson and Barack Obama. When shares were listed on Nasdaq in 2021, Allbirds was valued at over $4 billion.

There was a flaw, however. The shoes were expensive and sometimes fell apart in a matter of months. By earlier this year the value had fallen to just $39 million.

Then something remarkable happened. In April it announced it was ditching its shoe business to become an “AI compute infrastructure” firm (no, me neither) and changing its name to NewBird AI. The shares jumped 580 per cent in a day.

Investors — without knowing anything about the strategy — rushed to buy the shares of this whizzy new AI venture.

This is not the first time that a company name change has caused investors to behave idiotically. In 1999, a chain of boring Californian bookshops, Computer Literacy, rebranded as Fathrain.com — its shares jumped 36 per cent in a single day. Indeed, between 1998 and 1999, the height of the dotcom boom, 95 publicly traded companies added com, net or internet to their names and their shares jumped by an average of 74 per cent in the ten days after the rebrand, even if there was no change to the business, according to a study by Purdue University.

This study is cited in an entertaining book, out in September, The Madness of Markets. It is written by Alex Edmans, a professor of finance who made a name for himself 20 years ago for a frivolous — though fascinating — bit of research; a stock market goes down the day after the corresponding national team loses at football. Why? Because traders feel despondent and are more prone to sell shares than buy them.

Ever since then, he has been fascinated at how individual investors and entire markets behave irrationally. Those who work in the City like to claim that they know how to value shares and get a better than average return for their clients. In many cases they are clueless, failing

to understand that humans are prone to terrible biases, fluctuating hormones and even the vicissitudes of the weather.

American academics analysed the relationship between morning sunshine and stock markets across 26 countries from 1982 to 1997: when the skies darkened, the market did too, when it was sunnier than normal, stock markets went up.

This has nothing to do with pub companies and ice-cream makers doing well when the sun shines, this was the entire market.

If you are sceptical, clear blue skies also have a noticeable effect on home loans. One study looked at three million mortgage applications in the United States, looking at the cloud cover in each county on the exact day a decision was made. On perfect, sunny days, loan approval rates rose,

on overcast days they fell. This equated to $150 million extra credit approvals — on a single day.

It’s not “the computer says no”; the human got out of the right side of the bed, opened their curtains and had a spring in their step. Whether we get the money to buy a house, it would seem, doesn’t just come down to our credit scores, but the mood of the person making the decision.

The question is whether you can capitalise on these human foibles. Luckily, Edmans’s book is filled with plenty of advice on how to spot buy and sell signals.

Possibly my favourite is when you can tell the chief executive is more interested in lining their own pocket, rather than that of their shareholders. It’s not their eyewatering pay nor their bonus — which, to be fair, is often linked to share price

performance — it’s their use of corporate jets.

Back in the 1980s, notoriously, RJR Nabisco had 36 pilots flying ten private planes that carried not only executives but also the chief executive’s dog Rocco, (listed as passenger G Shepherd) to golf tournaments.

This prompted David Yermack, of the Stern Business School, to dig further and discover that the shares of companies that use corporate jets underperform the market by 4 per cent a year, wiping an average of $300 million off the company’s value — more than a jet costs. His conclusion was that the management had a reckless disregard for costs which was unhealthy to the long-term profitability of the company.

The most compelling investment strategy, based on psychology, is the power of momentum. Shares that have gone up recently will continue to go up, those that have done badly will continue to fall — not because they are intrinsically good or weak companies, but because the market is slow to react, investors are prone to confirmation bias and it moves as a herd. According to a study in the Journal of Finance, this was true across 58 markets — equities, bonds, commodities, currencies, gold, oil. Buy if the instrument has been positive for 12 months, sell if it has been negative and then hold this position for a month. You will make a stunning 15 per cent return a year.

We all like to think we are terribly clever, or that our stockbroker must be — otherwise why are they charging such big fees? But let’s not kid ourselves. Many of us are like the fools who — in the early days of Covid — sent the share price of Zoom Technologies, a semi-dormant Chinese company, up 1,500 per cent, because they mistook it for Zoom, the video conference company.

And the imbeciles who rushed to buy New Birds AI? Shares are below where they were before the name change. The trick is to recognise that you are a fool and avoid others’ greater foolishness. Edmans’s book is a very useful primer.

Harry Wallop is a consumer journalist and broadcaster. Follow him on X @hwallop

SoftBank given $8bn boost from Intel stake

Chris Dorrell

Profit at the world’s largest technology investor fell by less than expected after the company booked a gain of more than $8 billion on its stake in Intel, the US chipmaker.

SoftBank reported a net income of ¥347.3 billion ($2.2 billion) for the three months to June, 127 per cent lower than the same period last year, but well ahead of market expectations.

The Japanese tech group, led by chairman and chief executive, Masayoshi Son, invested $2 billion in Intel last year, when its shares were trading at $23 per share. Intel stock has made significant gains over the past 12 months amid the wider semiconductor rally, and now trades at over $100.

SoftBank also reported a ¥358.4 billion gain on its investment in ByteDance, the TikTok owner. This helped to offset a weaker performance at SoftBank’s vision funds, which invest in high-growth tech companies. The vision funds reported a ¥255.8 billion gain on investment in the period, nearly 65 per cent lower than last year.

SoftBank has notched some spectacular successes, including early bets in Alibaba and Arm Holdings, alongside the odd implosion, such as WeWork.

Son previously described SoftBank’s “ultimate mission” as supporting evolution through the development of artificial superintelligence, and the company has built stakes in a range of companies central to the AI economy, such as the British semiconductor company Arm Holdings — by far SoftBank’s largest holding — and OpenAI.

SoftBank’s cumulative investment in the ChatGPT-maker is expected to surpass $60 billion by year-end, which would give it a stake of 13 per cent. OpenAI is looking to go public, but reports suggested that any potential initial public offering might be pushed back, delaying the potential payoff.

Some investors have grown concerned that SoftBank has taken on substantial debt to finance its investments without a timeline for monetisation. It agreed a one-year $40 billion bridge loan in March to finance investments.

Its exposure to AI has also contributed to volatility in its share price. The company briefly became Japan’s most valuable public company in early June, after its shares gained over 80 per cent. However, investor concerns about the sustainability of the AI boom have weighed more recently, and the stock has fallen by about a third from its peak.

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38

Business

WPP stems revenue slide under new boss

Emma Powell Media and Telecoms Editor

The slide in revenue has eased at WPP in a tentative boost for efforts by its new boss to turn around the embattled advertising group.

Britain's largest advertising group reported a 2.8 per cent decline in underlying revenue for the June quarter, easing from 6.7 per cent during the first three months of the year. Over the first six months of the year, like-for-like revenue was 4.7 per cent lower.

WPP shares closed more than 28 per cent higher at 395p yesterday.

The company had guided towards

underlying revenue falling in the “mid to high single-digits” in the first half and being on an “improving trajectory” in the latter six months of the year.

City analysts had forecast a 6 per cent decline in revenue on an underlying basis for the second quarter and 6.5 per cent for the half-year.

Cindy Rose, who was appointed to lead the FTSE 250 constituent in September, said that while “legacy account losses” continued to weigh on its performance, plans to stabilize the business were on track.

WPP has been grappling with a series of high-profile client losses and a mac-

Early rebound

Share price

roeconomic downturn that has prompted brands to cut advertising spending.

However, Rose said: “Clients are definitely facing into headwinds for sure, but we haven’t seen a noticeable pullback on marketing investment.”

In February, Rose set out a structural overhaul intended to simplify the advertising group’s sprawling operations and save £500 million in costs by 2028. It is on track to make £100 million in savings this year, the company said.

Hundreds of operating units are being combined into just four — creative, production, media and enterprise solutions — and bonus structures have been unified, in an effort to break down sloed ways of working, Rose said

“It used to be in the old world that you could do very well within your agency P&L even if WPP wasn’t doing very well. And that is no longer possible,” she said.

The former Microsoft executive is aiming to return the group to organic growth at some point next year. Staff numbers were cut by almost 6,700 to just under 97,400 over the 12 months to the end of June.

The company is expected to sell low-growth businesses and use the proceeds to help strengthen its balance sheet. Proceeds of about £200 million are expected this year from non-core disposals, the company said.

Adjusted net debt was £2.9 billion at the end of June, down from £3.3 billion a year earlier.

The Times previously reported that advisers at Goldman Sachs were exploring strategic options for the communications agency Burson, which could pave the way for an eventual sale. Burson was formed via the merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton, WPP’s two largest communications agencies, in 2024 and employs about 6,000 people globally.

Rose has made some early new business wins, including the global media account for Estée Lauder, the beauty company, and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as the European media work for Henkel Consumer Brands.

Statutory revenue at WPP declined by 4.4 per cent to £6.4 billion, while pretax profits rose by 8 per cent to £106 million, on the back of lower staff and restructuring costs.

News Corp growth beats expectations

Louisa Clarence-Smith

News Corporation beat Wall Street’s fourth-quarter sales expectations after strong growth at its Dow Jones news and data intelligence platform, higher book sales and increased revenues from digital real estate services.

The multimedia group, which owns The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun as well as The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and The Australian, said overall revenue for the three months to the end of June grew 11 per cent to $2.3 billion, beating analysts’ estimates of $2.2 billion on average. Net income from continuing operations rose 167 per cent to $230 million.

Robert Thomson, chief executive, said: “Our record performance is a product of sustained focus on, and reinvestment in, News Corp’s core growth engines and our transformation to a digital-first company underpinned by insightful and trusted content.”

He said that artificial intelligence “is only as useful and only as trustworthy as the quality of its inputs”, making News Corp “an absolutely critical participant in the emerging AI ecosystem”. He added: “Without our journalists, our authors, our data, our brands and our professional expertise, users would be drowning in a slimy sea of AI slop.”

The Dow Jones division, which includes The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily, reported a 7 per cent rise in revenues to $644 million, with circulation and subscription revenues and digital advertising revenues all up.

Revenues from digital real estate services climbed 19 per cent to $553 million, driven by increased sales at REA Group and Move, the digital media businesses specialising in property.

The book publishing unit, which owns HarperCollins, saw its revenue up 15 per cent to $566 million.

The Times and The Sunday Times, including the Times Literary Supplement, recorded 681,000 digital subscriptions at the end of June, compared with 640,000 in the previous year.

Kantar’s Levings to lead YouGov

Charlotte Bend

YouGov, the research data and analytics group, has appointed Kantar’s Wayne Levings to succeed Stephan Shakespeare as chief executive.

Levings, 56, has held senior roles at the market research company including country leader for North America and chief executive officer of Kantar retail. He will join as chief executive officer elect on November 1, assuming the full job role by February 1, 2027, to coincide with Shakespeare stepping down from his executive responsibilities in six months time to remain on the board as non-executive director.

Shares in YouGov, which trade on the AIM market, closed up 13p, or 5 per cent, at 274p yesterday.

In February, the former ITV executive Ian Griffiths was appointed as chairman, leading the search for a chief executive after Steve Hatch left abruptly at the start of 2025. His departure came months after a warning over the company’s performance which sent the shares down 40 per cent in one day.

YouGov was co-founded by Shakespeare in 2000, alongside Nadhim Zahavi, the former Conservative chancellor. Shakespeare was brought back in to lead the company during the search for a permanent successor to Hatch.

With operations in the Americas, mainland Europe, the UK and Asia Pacific, YouGov claims to have one of the world’s largest research networks. It has millions of members across 64 markets allowing it to run “panels” that inform companies about the consumer perception of their brands. Its data is the most quoted market research brand by the world’s media, according to media intelligence company, Meltwater.

The group also announced that it expected to deliver its full-year performance in line with previous guidance.

YouGov said it was contending with a slowdown in advertising spending as companies reassessed budgets.

The group agreed to amended terms for its loan facility, giving it more flexibility to continue the review of its Shopper division, launched in March.

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Business

ALAMY/GETTY IMAGES

Regeneration firm's biggest shareholder wants it all

James Hurley Assistant Business Editor

John Whittaker's Peel Group has offered close to £583 million to acquire Harworth Group, a land and property regeneration company and take it private.

Peel is already the largest shareholder in Harworth with a nearly 30 per cent stake. Part of the group, Peel Pepper, has offered 1725p in cash per Harworth share for the remainder of the shares, a premium of about 20.1 per cent to its closing share price on August 5.

Peel Holdings said it believed Harworth's assets would be "best owned, managed and developed" under full private ownership. In response, Harworth said its board has "had no substantive engagement with Peel about any offer before their announcement yesterday. The board is reviewing the terms of the offer with its advisers and

a further announcement will be made as appropriate."

Shares in Harworth closed up 34½p, or 24 per cent, at 178p, the highest in almost a year.

Harworth owns and manages about 15,000 acres across 100 sites

in the north of England and the Midlands, with the potential to build industrial space and allow 29,000 homes to be built.

It oversaw the redevelopment of the former Ironbridge power station in Shropshire, which was sold to Taylor Wimpey for £20 million in 2023, and has been shifting its focus more towards indus-

Harworth oversaw redevelopment of the former Ironbridge power station in Shropshire, which it sold in 2023. Peel Group, founded by John Whittaker, below, was involved in the regeneration of Salford Quays and is Harworth's largest shareholder

trial and logistics developments. It sold a data centre development to Microsoft for £106.6 million in 2024 and has identified a second site that it believes is suitable for an artificial intelligence data centre. It said this week it was in "ad-

vanced negotiations with several counterparties for the sale of the site" which is expected to sell for a higher price than the Microsoft deal. It has also said there were similar "data centre opportunities" in its portfolio.

Peel Group, which has been private since de-listing in 2004, has investments in land and property, transport and logistics,

low-carbon energy and other infrastructure. It has a focus on regeneration projects in the north of England.

It was founded in the early 1970s by Whittaker, a billionaire who has been described as one of the most influential business leaders in Greater Manchester and the northwest.

Peel said it believed that its offer "represents a compelling opportunity for Harworth's shareholders to realise full liquidity for their shareholding at fair value".

According to AJ Bell, the bid represents a 20 per cent discount to Harworth's last stated net asset value per share while the average discount to net asset value per share across the real estate sector is 24 per cent.

Peel asked shareholders to take into consideration several factors when weighing up the offer.

It said that "Harworth's cashflow

profile is increasingly becoming less sustainable driven partly by Harworth's increasing administrative cost base and increasing net interest expense, which are significantly higher than its recurring rental income".

It also questioned the returns it was delivering and said its growth target was "highly unlikely to be achieved".

It also said the offer addressed the "structural valuation discount" to net asset value that Harworth had "faced for many years" and that its stock market listing provided "limited benefit".

"Harworth has not raised new equity in the last nine years, and [Peel] believes Harworth would not be able to raise new equity [effectively] today given its consistent discount," it added.

In 2025 Harworth reported revenue of £129.7 million and profit after tax of £9.5 million.

Google faces trial in £5bn class action

Chris Dorrell

A British court has certified a £5 billion class-action lawsuit against Google, allowing hundreds of thousands of British businesses to take the tech giant to trial.

The case, brought forward by Dr Or Brook, a competition law academic, accuses Google of abusing its dominant position in the search market to drive up prices for search advertising for almost 900,000 businesses and organisations in the UK. Google called the claim "speculative and opportunistic".

The claim alleges that Google had required device manufacturers to pre-install its search app and Chrome browser to access the Play Store. Google was also alleged to have offered financial incentives to device manufacturers to pre-install its search engine.

As a result of its strength in the search market, the claimants argued

The company is accused of abusing its dominance in search advertising

that "Google was able to charge supra-competitive prices for search advertising and reduce the value obtained from such advertising."

After a hearing last month, the Competition Appeal Tribunal granted a so-called collective proceedings order on an opt-out basis. This means that businesses that were overcharged for Google ads will automatically be repre-

sented at trial. "These are not weak claims," Justice Meade said.

Google had argued that the case should only proceed on an opt-in basis, which would probably have dramatically decreased its potential liability. It argued that the claimants had not shown that it was impractical to proceed on an opt-in basis.

Meade said that those arguments reflected a "nit-picking" approach, with "almost nothing to be said in favour of opt-in". Although the ruling allows the case to proceed to a trial, it does not imply that Google broke the law.

A Google spokesman said: "This is a speculative and opportunistic case—and we will argue against it vigorously. Consumers and advertisers use Google because it is helpful, not because there are no alternatives."

Geradin Partners and KP Law, two law firms, are backing the claim, which is being funded by Burford Capital.

Nintendo revenues powered up by Trump tariffs refund

Simon Freeman

Nintendo's revenues gained a multi-million-dollar power-up from the refund of President Trump's tariffs.

The Japanese videogame maker's operating profit jumped more than £50 per cent to just over $900 million in the three months to June 30, despite a 9.5 per cent drop in total net sales.

Much of the increase was driven by a reduction in cost of sales relating to refunds of Trump's "liberation day" tariffs, which were ruled unlawful by the US Supreme Court in February. Nintendo produces most of its hardware in Asia, with major manufacturing operations in China and Vietnam, which were subject to rates of up to 46 per cent.

The company says it had mostly absorbed the extra costs since their intro-

duction in April last year, but is facing a potential class action demanding that a portion of the refund is passed back to customers. "We recorded approximately $300 million as a reduction of cost of sales in connection with refunds of tariffs," it said. "The tariffs related to the refunds were primarily borne by the company rather than passed on to consumers through product prices."

Beyond the tariff impact, Nintendo said sales of its Switch 2 console, which was released last summer, "maintained strong sales momentum" totalling 3.8 million units. Analysts suggested the figure was buoyed by buyers getting ahead of international price rises, due to come in next month to counter the soaring price of memory chips.

Nintendo's Tokyo-listed shares were up 2.9 per cent yesterday.

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Business

Loan notes failed investors but

Some lost everything buying slickly marketed products that have been branded Ponzi schemes, reports James Hurley

Thousands of people have lost life-changing sums in failed loan note investment schemes.

The operators of these schemes are being pursued by insolvency practitioners and, in one case, examined by criminal authorities. But there are also a collection of individuals and organisations who have got rich from this scandal that are, as it stands, facing few consequences.

This newspaper has established that in two examples of such schemes, 79th Group and Godwin Capital, it is estimated that third-party promoters made more than £100 million in commission. Both 79th and Godwin are alleged Ponzi scams, according to insolvency practitioners.

Ordinary investors are drawn in to loan note investments by slick marketing and smooth sales techniques. Assets supposedly underlying such schemes range from property developments to litigation funding, gold, whisky, art and cryptocurrency.

The combined value of investors' exposure to these high-risk, and sometimes allegedly fraudulent, loan notes is estimated to add up to several billion pounds.

This 'epidemic', as one critic has called their rapid rise, is a source of growing alarm among UK regulators, insolvency practitioners and the banking industry, and is prompting calls for greater scrutiny of third-parties helping them to thrive.

The City of London Police has launched an criminal investigation into 79th Group over suspected 'widespread fraud' and its operators have been bankrupted. The Times has learnt that about £70 million of its investors' money went to third-party promoters. Several individual consultants each made millions of pounds from promoting 79th.

According to records seen by The Times, one individual promoter alone allegedly made close to £4 million in commission. 79th's operators have denied wrongdoing.

Anne Chamberlain and her husband, both in their late-70s, are among those counting the

cost of an encounter with what the Financial Conduct Authority has called the 'enticing' marketing of such investments.

The retired Spain-based expats had saved more than £150,000 towards their future living and care costs. In July 2024, they invested this sum, their 'entire life savings', into Godwin Capital.

Like 79th, Godwin told investors their money was secured against commercial property investments, while it claimed of having a track record of working with brands including McDonald's and Lidl. It collapsed last year and insolvency practitioners have alleged it was a £175 million Ponzi, an investment scam that repays investors with new-backers' money. Investors are expected to recover only about 5p for every £1 they put in.

'It is devastating,' says Chamberlain, who worked as a catering manager in England before her retirement. 'It has destroyed our plans. We don't know what the future holds.'

She claims she was sold the scheme by a promoter called Remy Hart, partner at a firm called Holborn Assets. She claims Hart convinced the couple to put their savings into a two-year Godwin loan note paying 12 per cent.

'My husband was against putting all our money in one product but Remy said the money was 100 per cent guaranteed, there was a charge over the assets and an FCA-regulated company was holding the security. We'd never put our savings into just one thing before but he convinced us. We put our trust in Holborn and Remy. It is devastating.'

Godwin's investments are expected to realise only about £6 million, meaning investors are facing enormous losses, while it is understood an estimated £35 million went to third-party promoters in commission payments.

Hart is described on Holborn's website as being 'committed to providing exceptional service and expertise to our

Charlie Hasberry and Remy Hart, below left, promoted 79th Group before its collapse. Below right: Adam Davis, founder of Capital 3PM

clients' and his LinkedIn profile says his 'favourite way to do business' is 'on a golf course on the Costa del Sol'. He did not respond to Chamberlain's allegations or a series of questions, including about how much commission he made from selling Godwin.

Holborn, a Dubai-based firm whose associates played a key role in helping to promote Godwin, has blamed a business called Capital 3PM for its involvement in the alleged scam, to which about 2,500 people are exposed.

Capital 3PM was a 'distributor', acting as a bridge between Godwin and those who sold the notes to the public. It was paid a commission from loan note providers, and then split that with networks such as Holborn, which sold, or 'introduced', the notes. Capital 3PM would also sometimes sell loan notes directly to investors.

A Capital 3PM document appears to show that Holborn advisers competed on a leaderboard to sell Godwin, with 'incentives' including a 'supercar tour through Tuscany, Italy' for the 'top three' performers. Cars on offer for people who sold the most loan notes to drive on the 'four-day, three-night' tour through 'rolling hills, beautiful

lakes and stunning vineyards' included a McLaren 720s, which retails new for about £190,000, and a Lamborghini Huracán Performance Spyder, which costs more than £200,000. 'Runner-up' incentives included Apple products.

Ryan Moore, whose social me-

dia describes him as an 'award-winning financial adviser' based in Abu Dhabi 'under Holborn Assets network', is listed as the top-seller of Godwin in the document, dated 2020. A Ryan Moore is recorded in a June 2020 online review claiming that he had invested his 'own wealth' into Capital 3PM deals as well as 'introducing many of my clients'. Moore did not respond to invitations to comment.

In voice notes heard by this newspaper, Adam Davis, the founder and managing partner of Capital 3PM, appears to tell a promoter why Godwin is a good bet, stating it was '100 per cent asset-backed, 100 per cent secured'.

He explains it has 'never defaulted' and had made 'tens of thousands of coupon payments'. In the voice notes, which he says should be shared with investors, he says 'the most common objective that we receive' is that it sounds 'too good to be true'. However, he said funds invested were '100 per cent protected' via a 'detenture held by a security trustee' over funds in a Lloyds account.

'Should Godwin go bust all of the capital is secured therefore in the bank account of Godwin ... and secured by way of the deenture,' he is heard to claim. 'We're very bullish on the confidence and the security element of the product.'

These statements proved to be inaccurate. Insolvency practitioners have established that no fixed charges were granted in favour of the trustee, investor funds were unsecured and Godwin had no assets beyond intercompany balances.

Capital 3PM folded shortly after Godwin's collapse and Davis could not be reached for comment. Davis has previously said in an interview that backing such 'fixed-income' products could help him and clients 'sleep well at night'.

Lawsons Network, based in Switzerland, says it helps independent 'advisers' sell investments including loan notes by providing 'infrastructure, systems and operational support'.

A Lawsons spreadsheet entitled 'providers & gross commission rates at Lawsons Network' seen by The Times describes generous commission that consultants will receive for promoting loan notes.

They include 79th Group; Woodville, a recently collapsed £250 million litigation funding group; Alderley Group, a social housing investment scheme that went bust in June, and HJ Collection, a £120 million property scheme owned

Anne and Russell Chamberlain put all

by Reece Mennie, whose other company, Hunter Jones, mis-sold investments, including to a 90-year-old woman.

Last week, the City regulator censured Equity for Growth (securities), the firm that used to provide Hunter Jones with regulatory cover to market loan notes. It said that it

approved promotions by firms including Hunter Jones, which 'failed to disclose very high commission fees'

High fuel costs clip Wizz Air's wings

Charlotte Bend

Wizz Air has swung to a quarterly loss in an 'extremely volatile' period following the Middle East conflict which has sent jet fuel costs sharply higher.

The budget airline sank to a loss before income tax of €251.9 million in the three months to the end of June compared with a profit of €48 million in the same period a year ago. This was despite 211 million passengers flying with the carrier in the quarter, up 251 per cent against a year ago.

The FTSE 250-listed company said the loss largely reflected the fact that its fuel expenses jumped by 39 per cent compared with last year, to €60.0 million.

Wizz previously said it took a €50 million hit from the Iran war after having to cancel flights to Tel Aviv in Israel and other routes to the Middle

East and Cyprus in March. Looking ahead, the airline said it that had hedged 76 per cent of its full-year jet fuel needs.

While many flights have resumed, the company said it was reallocating flying from longer-haul Middle East routes to shorter European markets.

The results yesterday followed a shareholder revolt on Wednesday when 26 per cent of those who voted were against the company's pay report while 25 per cent were opposed to the re-election of Barry Eccleston, who also chairs the remuneration committee, as a director.

Jesse! Varadi, Wizz Air chief executive, said: 'The industry has been extremely volatile over the June quarter due to conflict in the Middle East, elevated fuel prices, and changes in booking patterns.

'While we continue to see the build-up of forward bookings, the rest of the

year is expected to present both industry challenges and strategic opportunities.'

Varadi added that Wizz Air continued to recover from aircraft groundings mainly related to powder metal defects with Pratt & Whitney engines. The impact continues to lessen, with 27 aircraft grounded as of June 30, compared with 41 last year. The plan to return the affected fleet to service by the end of 2027 remains on track.

Net debt was recorded as €5.1 billion compared to €4.9 billion at March 31 after the delivery of ten aircraft.

Wizz Air said it would have five aircraft permanently in Spain to support the launch of 15 new domestic and three international routes from bases in Valencia, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela.

Wizz Air shares were down 3.23 per cent, or 37p, to £11.10 at the close yesterday.

App helping low-income staff ponders going public

Richard Tyler

Editor, Entrepreneurs Network

Stream, the employee benefits firm that provides four million low-income workers with cheaper financial services, is considering a stock market listing after lifting revenues 81 per cent to £66.8 million.

The loss-making company, which is understood to be 'valued at more than $1 billion, operates under a legally binding social charter to 'do good' and supports 900,000 NHS staff to access wages early, save and borrow.

Stream said it planned to list 'in the foreseeable future'. Peter Briffett, co-founder and chief executive, said a listing was a natural next step after Stream had raised over £170 million in venture capital since its launch in 2018. 'We are definitely going to have a public market listing. As a British business it makes sense for us to very much consider the London market,' he said.

However, a final decision on the choice of stock exchange has not yet been made as the company's shareholders include major international financial institutions and it has recently expanded in the United States, where it now serves one million people at companies including the retailers Dollar General and Albertsons.

Briffett said the choice of listing was 'a shareholder decision' and that Stream had 'optionality' because of its success in the US. It has not appointed City bankers to advise on its initial public offering. 'They are still courting us but those decisions will be made in the next weeks and months,' he said.

The company makes its money from

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Business

promoters made £100m

their savings in Godwin Capital, whose salesmen included Ryan Moore, right

or disclose that these fees would be deducted from investors' money. Equity for Growth has been shut down by the FCA over the issue.

The promotions were 'unfair, unclear and misleading', the regulator said. Hunter Jones declined to comment.

Citywire has reported that brothers Charlie and Joseph Hasberry owned Lawsons Network. Charlie Hasberry, now director of Jura Capital, a

'boutique introducer', was one of the key salesmen for 79th Group. Lawsons, Jura and Charlie Hasberry did not respond to questions or invitations to comment.

A conventional regulated financial adviser usually charges between 1 and 3 per cent of the amount invested and about 0.8 per cent a year for continuing advice, and there are strict restrictions on receiving commissions from providers of underlying investments.

employers such as Next and Asda paying to use its platform, as well as a £1.95 transaction fee it charges employees accessing their wages early, interest on loans and from brands paying to target discount offers at specific occupations, such as nurses or chefs.

In accounts to be filed at Companies House shortly, the company reported its pre-tax losses narrowing in 2025 to £18.5 million from £22.2 million previously. A source close to Stream said that it achieved unicorn status after a £67 million fundraising last autumn.

The business was set up by Briffett and Portman Wills to tackle the use of predatory payday lenders by working families with few savings. Briffett said the company's mission was to 'impact 100 million people' in the long term.

In the UK, it has helped families typically earning less than £35,000 a year to save £100 million. Briffett said, by rounding down earnings and moving small, regular sums into savings accounts, Stream's loans are cheaper than others available to employees with little credit history, he added.

Directors face ban in filing crackdown

James Hurley

Directors who fail to file company documents on time are facing greater enforcement action from Companies House, including bans from running businesses for the worst offenders.

In the first six months of this year, 23 people were disqualified for a combined total of 70 years for 'persistent or serious non-compliance' with their duties. The UK's corporate register also said it had prosecuted and fined 360 directors for filing offences in the first quarter of this year as it stopped up scrutiny of those who fail to file documents such as accounts and shareholder information on time.

Companies House did not provide equivalent figures from a year ago but it is understood that there has been a significant increase in its enforcement activity in this area, with an average of about 12 disqualifications a year in the

The Lawsons spreadsheet describes commissions of up to 15 per cent of what consultants convince people to invest. This is before any cut taken by Lawsons, third-party distributors such as Capital 3PM or the loan note provider itself.

Extremely high commissions passed to promoters in unregulated loan note schemes betray the impossible maths at their heart. Such payments can leave investors' capital drastically, and in many cases fatally, depleted before it has gone into any underlying investment.

In the case of Godwin, it is understood that insolvency practitioners have calculated that the scheme would have needed a return of at least 234 per cent — and perhaps as high as 400 per cent — to simply repay capital and interest.

While loan notes often rely on a regulatory loophole that allows the marketing of such schemes to people who self-certify as 'sophisticated' investors, financial experts warn that no financially literate investor would think that such a high return on debt products was realistic. The commissions are allegedly often undisclosed.

Networks such as Lawsons and Holborn are unregulated and say they rely on distributors such as Capital 3PM to conduct due diligence on underlying investments.

Roy Thomas, a lawyer for victims of the 79th collapse, recalls attending a 'horrendous' meeting in Spain where one introducer was said to have received 'over £200,000 in commission from introducing over 35 victims to 79th'. Many of the people he met were frail and Thomas believes many were vulnerable and unsophisticated. 'It was heartbreaking as investors realised they might not get their money back,' he said.

Martin Richardson, senior partner at Richardson Hartley Law, a firm that pursues recoveries from loan note schemes, said: 'Lives are being ruined. It is leading to financial devastation for many, causes relationship break-ups and leaves many people in a deep state of depression.

'We estimate that in the past few years, hundreds of millions of pounds have been paid out

to introducers who have put their clients into schemes that went on to fail.

'It is not uncommon for us to see introducers recommend three, four or even five schemes that all go on to fail. When you compare the rate of commissions being paid to unregulated introducers and those who have to abide by regulatory rules the difference can be tenfold plus.'

Andrew Stoneman, managing director of the Kroll restructuring practice, which is investigating the collapse of 79th Group, said: 'These schemes prey on ordinary people, lured by slick marketing and promising unrealistic returns. Regulatory reform to crack down on the mis-selling should be considered.'

Holborn did not answer a series of questions, including how much it and its consultants made from selling Godwin. In a statement, the firm said it did not wish to comment on 'individual allegations' while insolvency work and civil litigation are in progress.

It said its role in Godwin was 'limited to that of an introducing firm', adding: 'Investors were introduced to Capital 3PM pursuant to a formal agreement. Holborn was neither the issuer nor the promoter of the Godwin investment and did not control the underlying assets, security arrangements or the deployment of investor funds.'

It said Capital 3PM was 'responsible for providing product information, marketing materials and the product-level due diligence upon which introducing firms were expected to rely' and that Holborn 'conducted the level of review appropriate to its role' and inaccurate claims about Godwin 'originated from information supplied by Capital 3PM'. It had 'no information'

suggesting such claims were 'false or fraudulent'. It added that it 'recognises the significant financial and personal impact' of Godwin's collapse.

Hunter Jones has said it has 'learnt lessons' from past mistakes and that complying with the rules was 'fundamental to how we run our business'. The former operators of Godwin could not be reached.

Tax breaks 'essential' to revive UK oil and gas

Emily Gosden Energy Editor

Tax breaks are 'essential' to revive the UK North Sea oil and gas industry, the boss of Harbour Energy has said, even as it enjoyed a surge in profits on the back of higher prices.

Harbour is the third biggest producer in the North Sea, which is in renewed focus after BP announced it was quitting the basin after more than 60 years.

The UK North Sea is subject to a 78 per cent effective tax rate thanks to the 'energy profits levy', introduced as a windfall tax by the Conservatives after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and increased and extended under Labour.

Linda Cook, Harbour's chief executive, told analysts: 'The North Sea continues to have a vital role and can play an even bigger role when it comes to UK energy security. It also means investment and jobs. The key to realising that is going to continue to be the fact that we need a more supportive fiscal framework. That's essential if projects are to compete for capital with companies that have opportunities outside the UK.'

Harbour reported a 37 per cent jump in adjusted net profits for the first six months of the year, to $562 million, boosted by record production and higher prices stemming from the US war on Iran. Earnings before interest, taxation, exploration costs and other charges rose by 15 per cent to $4.5 billion. Shares jumped 11½p or 4.9 per cent to close at 2435p as it announced a $250 million share buyback.

Harbour started out as a UK North Sea-focused player with former Shell

© Serica Energy, the FTSE 250 North Sea group, has reported a jump in profits as the US war on Iran boosted commodity prices. The company reported first-half earnings before interest, taxation, exploration costs and other charges of $301 million, up from $118 million a year earlier. Profit after tax swung to $6 million from a $43 million loss in the same period of 2025. Serica, which recently made its first international acquisition with a deal for Pharos Energy, said it that continued 'to seek further opportunities to deliver shareholder value via M&A both in the UK and internationally'.

and Premier Oil assets but has expanded overseas through a string of acquisitions so that the UK now accounts for 29 per cent of its production. Its biggest presence is in Norway but it also has operations in the Americas and Asia.

Its production in the first half rose to the equivalent of 509,000 barrels of oil per day, up from 488,000 barrels a day a year earlier, boosted by the acquisition of LLOG, a Gulf of Mexico producer. It expects to produce 490,000 barrels per day on average for the full year, up from guidance of at least 480,000.

Andy Burnham, the prime minister, has said he will be 'pragmatic' about the North Sea and is reviewing the energy profits levy. Meg O'Neill, the boss of BP, said this work that the UK industry was not able to compete with opportunities elsewhere in the world.

'Cook said she was 'encouraged' by the new government's comments. She added: 'What BP have said makes sense. It's the same reason why Harbour has decreased investment in the UK in favour of acquisitions and investments elsewhere, such as the US.'

past. It has also been successful in persuading courts to take the offences more seriously, and longer bans have been handed out.

Martin Swain, director of intelligence and law enforcement engagement at Companies House, said: 'Limited liability encourages enterprise, giving businesses the confidence to start, invest and grow. In return, they are expected to be transparent and accountable. We encourage and support companies to comply with their legal obligations to file accounts and confirmation statements. Prosecution ensures that where there has been a serious breach of the law, individuals are held to account.'

After years of criticism that it is too open to abuse, Companies House is in the midst of changes designed to clean up the register and help tackle economic crime.

From April 2028, two million small

companies will be obliged to file information on their profits and losses for the first time, although after a backlash over the plans they will be able to opt to have the information hidden. The changes affect small and micro companies — businesses with up to 50 employees or revenues of up to £15 million.

The government has said the profit and loss statements would be available for review by 'law enforcement and HMRC' to tackle 'fraud, economic crime and tax evasion'. About 60 per cent of the UK's £47 billion tax gap is attributed to underpayment by SMEs.

The implementation of separate measures which require new directors and beneficial owners of companies to verify their identity was followed by a drop in company registrations. The rules were introduced after longstanding concerns that the UK register was being abused to facilitate financial crime and money laundering.

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Business

Trump has US Fed chief on speed dial for advice on war

OSB Group's margins feel squeeze from rival lenders

Jack Barnett

President Trump frequently calls Kevin Warsh, the head of the US Federal Reserve, for information on how the war in the Middle East is affecting the American economy.

Trump tends to call the Fed chairman in bursts, sometimes several times a day, in a move that breaks from decades of convention aimed at keeping politics and monetary policy separate. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter.

In response to the article, Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, posted on X that the reporters were "stenographers posing as journalists... reporting Fed backroom gossip because they're incapable of performing real economic or monetary policy analysis without being spoon-fed".

Although the sources did not confirm whether the president had discussed interest rates with Warsh, they said that Trump sought advice on how the jump in global energy prices stemming from the Gulf conflict could impact US consumers.

He also wanted to know how the economy was coping with the rise of artificial intelligence.

Trump's regular communications with Warsh come after a fractious relationship with Jerome Powell, the previous Fed chairman.

Typically in posts on his Truth Social site, the president would call on Powell to slash interest rates to as low as 1 per cent, refer to him as a "numbskull" and "Too Late" Powell.

The strained relationship culminated in Powell disclosing that federal prosecutors had launched an investigation into him over testimony he gave to a Senate committee in relation to renovations to the Fed's headquarters.

The disclosure prompted the heads of the world's foremost central banks to come out in support of Powell, who was replaced by Warsh in May.

Trump's approval ratings have taken a hit since the US-Israeli war with Iran ignited in February.

Petrol prices have topped the $4 a gallon mark owing to the rise in wholesale oil prices since fighting started.

Analysts claim that Trump will want to strike a peace deal with Tehran before the November mid-terms. Inflation in the US has gathered momentum in recent months and is well

Kevin Warsh was appointed by President Trump and succeeded Jerome Powell, below, as the US Fed chairman in May

above the Fed's 2 per cent target at 3.5 per cent.

The central bank left rates unchanged at a range of 3.5 per cent to 3.75 per cent at its latest meeting in July.

A White House spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal: "President Trump has repeatedly stressed that he is giving chairman Warsh the space he needs to restore confidence and competence in Fed decision making."

According to sources, Trump often compliments the Fed chair on

his looks after watching him on TV. There was a move towards transferring decisions on monetary policy from politicians to independent central bankers in the 1990s to avoid interest rates being set for political gain rather than for the good of the wider economy. The Bank of England was granted independence in 1997.

The move was hailed as a success following low levels of inflation over the past 25 years.

However, global prices have risen sharply in the wake of the pandemic. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the war in the Middle East, resulting in central banks facing accusations

that they kept rates too low after the 2008 financial crisis and did not raise them fast enough when inflation crept up in late 2021.

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has criticised the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey and his decision making on rates and quantitative easing. Farage has previously suggested that he would look to replace Bailey if he became prime minister.

Liz Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, has frequently claimed that the Bank was part of an establishment coup to bring her down, despite her mini-budget triggering a crisis in UK financial markets.

Ben Martin

A warning from OSB Group that fierce competition for deposits will squeeze its margins this year sparked a stock market sell-off that knocked more than £200 million from the value of the FTSE 250 bank.

Shares in OSB, one of Britain's biggest buy-to-let mortgage lenders, slid by 61p, or 10.7 per cent, to 508p yesterday after it cut its guidance for its net interest margin, the difference between what it charges for loans and pays for deposits, to a range of 2.15 per cent to 2.2 per cent. It had previously forecast that it would post a margin of about 2.25 per cent for 2026 and blamed "strong competition in the retail savings market and elevated retail funding costs so far this year" for the downgrade, adding that it had "made the conservative assumption that these pressures will not ease".

OSB also cut guidance for its expected return on tangible equity this year to about £2.5 per cent, from the "low teens" forecast it had given in March.

These cuts and the subsequent share price fall, which left OSB valued at £1.7 billion, are another blow to Andy Golding, the long-serving chief executive who is stepping down at the end of the month. Golding, 57, has spent the past two years trying to restore shareholder confidence after a profit warning in 2023 and margin forecast downgrades in 2024 caused investors to panic and sent its shares sharply lower.

He said yesterday that "markets are very sensitive to a net interest margin number in the short-term, I don't think that's the be-all and end-all. The medium-term outlook for this organisation is incredibly strong, it's just a bit of a bumpy market right now."

Golding, who will be succeeded by Enrique Alvarez Labiano, a Santander UK executive, said the market for deposits was "pretty hot" and that OSB's ability to compete had been hampered by an internal project to migrate savings accounts from a third-party service to a new platform, which meant "we are having periods where we haven't got products for sale".

OSB was created in 2019 when One-Savings Bank, run by Golding since 2012, acquired Charter Court Financial Services, and the group is behind brands including Kent Reliance and Precise Mortgages.

Its decision to lower its margin guidance was disclosed in its half-year results, in which OSB posted a 3 per cent year-on-year decline in pre-tax profits to £187.2 million for the six months to the end of June and slightly shy of the £191 million expected by City analysts.

CAB Payments counts cost of fighting off hostile takeover

Ben Martin

The private equity siege of CAB Payments Holdings has left the company footing a bill of more than £3 million and rising as it battles to fight off an unwanted takeover by its former owner.

London-listed CAB disclosed yesterday that it was spending millions of pounds on investment bankers and lawyers in its efforts to defend itself against Helios Investment Partners, the private equity house that is trying to buy CAB back with a lowball bid.

The cross-border payments business also announced that Ann Cairns, 69,

the board chair who has been leading its fight against Helios, planned to stand down by the end of year. While a CAB spokesman said she was leaving to focus on "personal priorities", the timing of her exit is nevertheless likely to draw attention in the City.

Helios, the biggest shareholder with a 45 per cent stake, is effectively besieging the business. It went hostile with its bid in February, proposing to buy CAB for $1.15 (about 85p) a share, to value the company at £216 million.

While the board argued this was too low, Helios has backing for its bid from Bhairav Trivedi, a former boss of CAB

Ann Cairns, chair of the cross-border payments business, is stepping down

who owns a 2.2 per cent stake, and another shareholder, meaning more than 52 per cent of its stock is behind the takeover plan.

This is despite the bid being significantly below the £851 million valuation put on CAB when Helios listed it at 335p a share in July 2023, a flotation that within months proved disastrous after CAB sounded a huge profit warning that caused its stock to tumble.

Helios is seeking permission from regulators, including the Bank of England, to take control of CAB before making a firm offer. The firm also used its stake to effectively block StoneX, a

financial services company, from trying to buy CAB with a rival bid of 101p a share; StoneX walked away in May.

CAB said in first-half results yesterday it had booked £3.6 million in "non-underlying items" in the six months to end of June that related "primarily to advisory costs in relation to the unrecommended offer" from Helios.

However, pre-tax profits still jumped to £14.6 million from £3.1 million a year earlier, reflecting a turnaround storered by Neeraj Kapur, 60, who replaced Trivedi as chief executive in 2024.

CAB shares closed up 3p, or 3.9 per cent, at 80p.

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Markets Business

John Ficenec Tempus

Buy, sell or hold: today's best share tips

Mobile group's hopes rest on Africa

VODAFONE

Market cap £35.4bn Worldwide customers 280m

Are we nearly there yet? Vodafone investors have been waiting over a quarter of a century for a turnaround in the telecom giant's fortunes and while the latest update offered a glimmer of hope, it is still difficult to make a compelling case for the shares.

The bright spot was Africa, where mobile phone use is spreading and people are paying more for the privilege. The young are also eschewing standard bank accounts and going straight to managing their finances on a mobile phone through M-Pesa. Service revenue for the African business, which contributes 21 per cent of the group total, was up 14.8 per cent in the three months ended May, the first quarter of the financial year.

The FTSE 100 company is confident about the outlook for Africa and paid €1.8 billion for an additional 20 per cent stake to take effective control of Safaricom, Kenya's largest mobile operator.

The problem is that the core of the business is incredibly tough. The largest region by far is Germany, responsible for 32 per cent of service revenue. Here performance was less spectacular, rising 2.2 per cent in the first quarter. Selling more services to businesses helped to offset losing mobile and broadband customers, and that halted last year's 6 per cent revenue fall.

The UK, responsible for 23 per cent of service revenue, is also

Signal strength

ADVICE Avoid WHY. Restructuring has shown progress but one quarter isn't enough to convince just yet

sluggish with service revenue up just 0.6 per cent in the first quarter once you adjust for last year's merger with Three. Vodafone paid £4.3 billion for the remaining 49 per cent of Vodafone/Three held by CK Hutchison to take full ownership.

The rest of Europe and Turkey grew and helped revenue for the group to go 9.7 per cent higher. Decent trading and flurry of deals meant management is confident they can hit the upper end of adjusted underlying profit guidance of €13 billion to €13.3 billion for the full

year to the end of March. The problem is that Germany and the UK, which make up more than half of the business, are difficult. The amount the average person spent on mobiles in the UK, or average revenue per user, when adjusted for inflation, fell from £19 to £10 in the decade ended 2025, according to government research.

Increasingly, in a mobile contract we're paying more for the phone and less for network access, making data more of a commodity. Painful if you own the network and have to cover the £11 billion bill agreed with regulator Ofcom to improve 5G service levels as part of the Three deal. While 2G and 3G, launched in 1991 and 2001 respectively, have begun to be switched off, 5G was launched in 2019, meaning 6G is on the horizon for 2030.

In a world of harsh pricing, big spending, high debt levels and a return on capital of 6.6 per cent at the end of March, down from 7 per cent, where does the shareholder sit? The answer is rather uncomfortably on that 26-year journey of creating a European telecoms colossus. Against a backdrop of fierce competition, squeezed household finances and rapidly changing technology it is difficult to see how that will change. True, a fifth of the business in Africa is motoring on nicely, but can that pull the whole group along?

The shares have gained almost 40 per cent during the past 12 months as the restructuring under its chief executive, Margherita Della Valle, begins to deliver. The Spanish and Italian operations are gone along with a Dutch joint venture and mobile masts business, with proceeds reducing net debt to €25.4 billion for the year ended March, from €41.6 billion four years earlier.

It has been a sorry time for UK investors, as shares have been going sideways for the past five years and have halved in value over the past decade. The dividend increased 2.5 per cent to 4.61 euro cents, or 3.9lp, this year, giving a yield of 3.5 per cent. But that's cold comfort for those who were planning a retirement on the 15 euro cents paid back in 2019.

Xavier Niel, the French entrepreneur and shareholder of Le Monde, has clearly seen something he likes, acquiring a stake of 16 per cent. But with new low-cost providers such as Digi from Romania and Lidl expected to launch a mobile service, any gains come with too much risk.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Admiral 'in right place'

The boss of Admiral has insisted that the motor insurer is 'well-positioned' despite posting a fall in first-half pre-tax profits to £429.2 million from £521 million a year earlier.

Profits at the FTSE 100 company's core UK car insurance division were down 18 per cent year-on-year 'as a result of lower earned premiums following rate reductions' a year ago, Admiral said yesterday.

However, Milena Mondini de Focatis, its chief executive, said the insurer was now set to benefit because it has this year 'increased rates earlier than the market', with prices for car cover at Admiral up by mid to high single digits.

She suggested that other motor insurers were likely to follow suit and lift premiums because 'we tend to be the first ones to move, in both directions'.

It comes after EY, the professional services group, forecast last month that premiums for car cover will rise by 4 per cent this year and then jump by 12 per cent in 2027 as insurers across the industry lift prices to offset the increasing cost of handling claims.

Overall group turnover at Admiral was flat at £3.1 billion in the six months to the end of June. It cuts its interim dividend to 70½p a share, from 11½p a year earlier.

The shares closed up 194p, or 5.2 per cent, at £39 in London yesterday.

Equity fund exodus grows

Equity fund outflows picked up in July as the transition to a new prime minister added uncertainty over the direction of economic policy and taxation, according to the latest Fund Flow index from Calastone, the global funds network. UK investors took out a net £1.61 billion, the highest level of selling since October and November 2025 in the run up to the autumn budget. Last month was the fifth worst month for equity funds on Calastone's 11-year record. The 12-month run rate of outflows has now reached a record £13.9 billion. Multi-asset funds saw their first outflows, £463 million, since October 2022.

Spire offer extended again

Spire Healthcare said yesterday that the deadline for Toscafund Asset Management to make a formal takeover offer for the private hospital operator had been extended for a fourth time, to August 12. Toscafund tabled its 250p per share proposal on May 14, a 66 per cent premium to Spire's closing price the previous day, valuing the company at about £1 billion. A successful deal would give Toscafund, already Spire's second-largest shareholder, control of Britain's largest provider of hip and knee operations, at a time when record NHS waiting lists have fuelled demand for private healthcare.

Serco boosts buyback

Serco Group increased its share buyback programme yesterday as it reported a jump in first-half profit and revenue, after a particularly strong performance from the defence arm. The company, which also lifted the interim dividend 10 per cent to 1.60p a share, said the buyback would increase to £150 million for the year from £75 million. Revenue in the six months was up 4 per cent at £2.5 billion, with the defence business contributing organic growth of 10 per cent. Pre-tax profit rose to £121.5 million from £112.1 million a year ago. The shares closed up 17½p, or 7.2 per cent, at 260p.

FTSE 250 pushes higher despite PZ Cussons fall

MARKET REPORT

It says something for the robustness of the FTSE 250 that it withstood a sharpish drop in the shares of PZ Cussons and still managed a second consecutive record close (Robert Miller writes).

It was unfortunate, though, for investors in the Imperial Leather maker as the company reported that revenues totalled £541 million for the year to the end of May, up 5.8 per cent compared with the previous year while pre-tax profit rose 22 per cent to £50 million.

And, at a time when many companies are cutting back on promotional spending, PZ Cussons actually raised its marketing budget by £3.5 million. It also promoted brand-building partnerships such as the use of The Gruffalo and Zog animated characters and celebrity ambassador Spencer Matthews.

Investors, however, still baled out leaving the shares down 6p, or 5.6 per cent, to 10½p but then there was likely to have been a bit of profit-taking too as the stock has risen 38.5 per cent since the start of the year.

The FTSE 250 closed up 62.79 points at 24,695.42, a fresh high following its mid-week record. It was helped by outstanding gains from the table-topping WPP, up 67½p, or 28.6 per cent, at 395p

Wall Street report

Indices retreated after a set of mixed company earnings, Honeywell Aerospace fell 23.2 per cent after failing to match forecasts, and Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 3.8 per cent to $82.49 a barrel after the latest developments in talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Dow Jones industrial average fell back from a midweek record by 464.02 points or 0.9 per cent to 53,885.10 as the Nasdaq shed 15.09 points or 0.1 per cent, to 26,348.35. The S&P 500 slid 13.59 points or 0.2 per cent, to 7,709.96.

The day's biggest movers

Company	Change
Diageo	5.6%
Admiral Group	5.2%
Vodafone Group	4.3%
Metton Energy & Metals	3.4%
Persimmon	2.9%
Compass Group	-2.1%
Melrose Industries	-2.8%
IG Group	-2.8%
Ratx	-4.1%
Tritax Big Box Reit	-4.2%

Spencer Matthews, with wife Vogue Williams, is an ambassador for PZ Cussons

after the ad agency's half-year results showed signs of improvement, followed by Harworth Group, 34½p, or 24 per cent, higher at 17½p, following an offer from Peel Group of close to £583 million to acquire the land and property regeneration company and take it private.

The FTSE 100, however, snapped a two-day winning streak to close down 20.41 points at 10,867.89. Tritax Big Box Reit shares suffered the biggest fall, down 7½p, or 4.2 per cent, to 164½p.

The real estate investment trust that specialises in developing logistics and data centres said it had successfully

raised about £350 million through an equity issue of new ordinary shares at 164p, with net proceeds intended for its data centre development pipeline.

Falls on London's main index were cushioned by gains from the energy companies as oil prices rose sharply after Iran-aligned Hoathis said they attacked 'Saudi deployments' in Yemen, ramping up concerns about Red Sea shipping. BP was up 45½p, or 0.9 per cent, at 519½p and Shell was 34½p, or 1.1 per cent, higher at £33.15 as Brent crude, the global benchmark, gained 4.2 per cent to $82.78 a barrel.

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BARBADOS, D.T.I. 1000	01254 7327ST
BYNAB, M.T. 3600, 4000, 4000	01317 2281757
BYNAB, M.T. 4000, 4000, 4000	01317 7771243
BYNAB, M.T. 4000, 4000, 4000	01317 7771243
BRISTOL, M.S. 4000	01354 3427ST
BRUNSWICK, M.S. 4000	01374 1999ST
BRISTOL, M.S. 500	01374 1999ST
BRISTOL, M.S. 500	01374 7001 5444
CARIBBEAN, M.S. 4000	01382 5424ST
CARIBBEAN, M.S. 4000	01382 5424ST
CAROLIS, D.S. 1000	01394 4645ST
CAROLIS, D.S. 1000	01394 4645ST
CAROLIS, D.S. 1000	01394 4645ST
CAROLIS, D.S. 1000	01394 4645ST

CHESTER, OXY. 1001	01344 5112SS
COLLINGTON, OXY. 1001	01344 5162ST
CONCORD, OXY. 1001	01344 5162ST
CRUSHUA, OXY. 1001	01344 5162ST
EAQUINSTON, OXY. 1000	01344 5162ST
REAL EDGE, C.T.I. 4000	01344 5254ST
ROYAL, OXY. 1000	01344 5254ST
SONN, OXY. 1000	01344 5254ST
SONN, OXY. 1000	01344 5254ST
SONN, OXY. 1000	01344 5254ST
SONN, OXY. 1000	01344 5254ST

EASTMANIA, WEN. 4000	01391 4951 5555
ALAMAZAR, W.P. 4000	01391 5551 5555
ALGONQUISTON, W.P. 4000	01391 5571 5555
AMHERST, W.P. 4000	01391 5571 5555
AVILA, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
BATONIA, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
BRUNSWICK, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
BRUNSWICK, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
BRUNSWICK, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
BRUNSWICK, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555

CARIBBEAN, EASTMANIA, WEN. 4000	01391 4951 5555
CARIBBEAN, EASTMANIA, WEN. 4000	01391 5551 5555
CARIBBEAN, EASTMANIA, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
CATINA, LION 4000	01391 5571 5555
CARNEGIAN, WEN. 4000	01391 5571 5555
PAT APPROXIMATE, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
CHAMBER, W.P. 1000	01391 5571 5555
CHONGJIANG, WEN. 4000	01391 5571 5555
CHONGJIANG, WEN. 4000	01391 5571 5555
CHONGJIANG, WEN. 4000	01391 5571 5555

COOK, WEN. 5444	PATRODERSBURG, P.O. 1000	01391 5571 5555
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STOKE, TOBACCO	PATRODERSBURG, P.O. 1000	01391 5571 5555

ORANGEL, OXY. 1000	01391 5571 5555
ORANGEL, OXY. 1000	01391 5571 5555
TRINCEDONIAN, OXY. 1000	01391 5571 5555
WARRENSTON, OXY. 1000	01391 5571 5555
WISLA, WEN. 1000	01391 5571 5555
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45

Business

The Times unit trust information service

	Self	Buy	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )
ALLIANCE GLOBAL INVESTORS
Inv Serv: 020 7001 1400 Helpline: 0000 317 573
Strategic Bond Fund	159.66		0.00	0.07
UK Equity A	601.5		-2.19	3.93
UK Growth A	10418.39		-18.09	2.22

ARTERNS FUND IMSIS

0000 092 2055

Authorized Inv Funds

Global Income Fund B Acc	1379.57	-0.12
Global Income Fund B Inc	1378.66	-0.07
Global Cash Flows A B	137.06	-0.97
High Income Fund B Inc	66.09	-0.32
Income Fund B Acc	818	-1.79
Income Fund B Inc	111.53	-1.44
Monthly Debt A B Inc	91.9	-0.82
SmartGaps Corp Equity A	1450.83	-4.96
SmartGaps Global Equity A	600.95	-0.60
SmartGaps UK Equity A	4303.7	-18.04
Strategic Income A B Inc	93.85	-0.13
Strategic Income A B Inc	116.6	-0.02
Strategic B&I B Inc	52.72
Strategic B&I B Inc	116.4	-0.02
Strategic B&I B Inc	52.58	-0.04
UK Select B Acc	1394.85	-11.03
UK Smaller Co B Acc	2368.42	-12.04
UK Special Sits A Acc	1112.96	-4.97

AAA FRANKINGTON UNIT MGMT

Dimp 0004 602 1952 Pro Clients:0004 777 9311

Health I	3296	-35.06	—
UK Select Dipp Inc I	3166	-9.98	1.19
UK Smtl Inc Inc I	3074	-2.00	0.35
UK Smtl Equity B Inc I	3397	-1.20	1.25

AAA FUND MANAGERS

Admin & Eng 0217 989 0000

UK/Global Investment Companies

Global Earth Acc B I	288.1	-0.52
Japan Acc A I	162.3	-1.51

CIS UNIT MANAGERS

00457 94 46 46

European Growth I	299.1	-0.67	1.34
Sun Leaders I	1391	-0.77	1.40
UK Growth I/II	887.1	-0.76	1.71
UK Income I/II	268.8	-0.38	3.92

CLOSE FUND MANAGEMENT

Dealing 020 7626 6232

Windisation I	5662.32	-139.64	0.60

COLUMBIA THREADMEEDLE INVESTMENTS

Enqu:0879 601 6183 Dealing: 0870 6003

Share Class 2-Retail

Euro Earth & Inv I	1629	-0	0.30
FTSE 00 (Inv Fund I)	600.1	-4	2.70
Global Equity A	903.1	-0.1	—
Strategic Bd I	228.9	-0.1	3.90

IDENTIFIED INV MGMT

0000 350 3010

Smtl Eur Expy A (Inc I)	499.3	-1.30	1.77
Smtl Gbl Expy A (Inc I)	961	-1.40	0.70
Smtl Depr Income I/II	102.6	-5.20	4.23
Smtl Smoking Bond A (Inc I)	15.47	-	4.90
Smtl UK Equity A (Inc I)	257.5	-6.30	1.63
Smtl UK Expy Depr A (Inc I)	1529.1	-1.30	1.42

FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL

Private Cnto:0000 454161 Broker Dipp:0000 454161

Amer Spec I	2950
American I	3091
New Orgn I	744.9
European I	3447
Global Fund I	3447
Global High Income Bond A (Inc I)	12.37
Global Special Sits I	3950
Japan I	989.8
Monopolies Bd I	49.1
Monopolies Inv I	85.33
Monopolies UK Inv I	202.15
Special Sits I	74%

	Self	Buy	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )
UK Opportunities Fund A (Inc I)	107.1		1.41

HALIFAX INVESTMENT FUND IMSIS

01296 306 306

Authorized Inv Funds

Share Class C

Corporate Bond I	37.49	-	4.50
Intl Earth I	216.2	-	0.60
UK FTSE 100 (F I)	29.1
UK FTSE 60 S (F I)	121.1

HSBC GLOBAL ASSET MGMT (UK)

Enq:0049 745 6123 Dlp:0049 745 6126 Mon-Fri:0.6

HSBC Index Tracker Investment Funds (OEC)

Amer Ind Acc I	1630	-5	0.77
Euro Ind Acc I	1070	-7	2.27
Euro Ind Inc I	1084	-5	2.31
FTSE 100 Ind Acc I	843.8	-1.2	2.40
FTSE 100 Ind Inc I	109.1	-0.4	2.63
FTSE 250 Ind Acc I	410.1	-1.9	2.67
FTSE 250 Ind Inc I	222.4	-1.1	2.83
FTSE 60 S Acc I	112.7	-0	2.64
FTSE FTSE 60 S Acc I	562.2	-3.6	2.76
Japan Ind Acc I	235.2	-0.1	3.49
Japan Ind Inc I	179.6	-0.1	3.47
Pacific Ind Acc I	1030	-29	3.59
Pacific Ind Inc I	567.6	-10.9	3.62

HSBC Investment Funds (OEC)-Retail Share Class

Corp Bd Inc I/II	312.9	-0.1	0.20
Income Acc I	3962	-	2.10
Income Inc I/II	403.6	-3.3	1.30
Monthly Inv Acc I/II	312.4	-	3.71
Monthly Inv Inc I/II	335.9	-	4.02
UK ExHy & Inv Bnf B Inc I/II	1026.3	-1.0	2.97
UK ExHy & Inv Bnf B Inc I/II	1057.72	-0.69	3.03

HSBC Specialist Investment Fds (OEC)

American Index Retail Inc I (26)	-4	0.76

INVESCO FUND IMSIS LTD

Dimp:0000 003 0571 Inv Serv:0000 003 0677

Erkr Serv:0000 020 2121

Invesco Funds

Corp Bond I	232.6	-	4.00
High Income Dis I	435.86	-	5.13
Income & Growth Dis I	936.22	-	3.66
Income Inc I	1601.85	-	2.83
Money Acc I	163.8	-	3.61
Monthly Inv Phia Dis I	92.5	-	5.70
UK Dipp (UK Acc I)	1404.26	-	5.46
UK Smtl Cos Expy Acc I	1379.63	-	1.40

INVESTEC FUND MSIS LTD

Broker Support and Dealing: 020 7997 2900

OEC Series I, I, I/II & IV

American A Acc I	872.85	-2.50	—
Cardiacs Managed A Acc I	4472.35	-0.25	2.61
Cardiacs Managed B Inc I	2255.17	-0.25	2.40
Diversified Growth A Acc I	1330.83	-0.14	0.21
Diversified Growth Inv I	121.76	-0.12	0.90
Diversified Income A Inc I	1577.13	-0.11	0.70
Diversified Income A Inc I	67.91	-0.02	0.19
Investig With Divest/Debt I	6.58	-0.11	5.96
Investig With Debt/Debt I	16.56	-0.05	7.66
Investig With Equity A Ac I	1289.43	-1.0	0.04
Investig With Liabilities A	1328.8	-14.99	—
Global Equity A Acc I	304.64	-0.49	—
Global Franchise A Acc I	404.5	-0.34	—
Global First Deposits A	2120.69	-2.3	—
Global Gold A Acc I	533.17	-13.04	—
Global Special Situations A Ac I	1322.75	-4.57	—

	Self	Buy	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )
Debit Special Situations A Inc	958.71		-3.5	-
UK Special Situations A Inc	2755.12		-2.25	2.03
UK Special Situations A Inc	996.33		-0.75	1.09

For GUS Asset Mgmt use FSC FX Mgmt Ltd (OEC)

JANUS HENDERSON INVESTORS

Investor Serv: 0000 032 031 Dmp:0049 946 4646

UK Debt (Smtl A Inc)	1251	-	6.40
Asset Bor Inc B Trust Inv I	55.38	-	5.40
Cardiacs Managed B A Ac I	1354.2	-	5.80
Cardiacs Managed A Ac I	104.4	-	5.90
China Dpp Fund A Ac I	1325	-17	0.33
Enq 0000 Dipp (Smtl A Inc)	1295.2
FTSE 100 Ind Inc I	1295	-19	0.30
Fin 100Mktng Inv B A Ac I	33.23		-6.10
Global Equity Fund A I	6574
Global Equity Income A B I	6574	-0.09	2.40
Global Tech A Acc I	3963
Intl UK Int Dipp A Ac I	1083.0		2.30
W Asset (Aby Dll) A Ac I	1167.1		2.70
W Make Action B A Ac I	1263.2	-0.7	0.70
W Mkt Inc (Smtl A Inc)	162.9		2.30
W Mkt Inc (Smtl A Ac I)	1255.2		2.30
Trading Bond A Ind Ac I	1261		4.40
Trading Bond A Ind Inc I	92.5		5.40
Trading Bond A Ind Inc I	90.3		5.80
UK Only Debit A Ac I	2061.1		2.30
UK(Abty Fund A Ac I)	992	-1.5	1.30
UK Growth Fund A Ac I	3045	12

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT

O

UK Equity (smt I) Bal Inc I/252,000	-4,3000	2.51

AWRTER GT TRUST MANAGERS LTD

020 7901 9020

Distributor & Growth I	125.13	-0.3226	2.55
Euro Special Sits I	601.80	-0.6131	0.71
European I	4089.7	-0.6362	2.70
Financial Dipp I	1344.74	-1.2912	1.01
Global Micro Vol I/IIF 001 920.74	-0.2612	3.39
Marble Bal Acc I	348.22	-0.7630	2.26

	Self	Buy	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )
Sterling Class A Investment Funds 2
Extra Income Inc I	332.35	-0.5072169	5.07
UK & Fed Int Inc I	67.33	-0.5120291	5.27
U & Sftl Bn Inc I	30.72		5.73
Index Limited Bn Inc I	106.32	-0.5159152	1.96
Index Debt Inc I	105.27	-0.6094802	2.09
Short Retail Corp Bn Inc I	25.36		4.29
UK Select A Inc I	1300.96	-0.5609458	2.63

Sterling Class A Investment Funds 3

Corp Bd A Inc I	23.93	-0.6009875	5.09
Dividend Inc I	16.95	-0.7434067	5.18
Revenues A Inc I	1.0000749	2.64
Seri Cos Inc I	367.72	-0.7150000	2.79

Sterling Class A Investment Funds 4

Episode Allocation A Inc I/162.23	-0.0233464	3.90

MARKS & SPENCER UNIT TRUST

0000 005 5505

High Income	67.22	-	4.66
High Income Acc I	297.6	-	2.64
UK 100 Gross Acc I	736.1	-	1.11
UK 100 Gross Acc I	1.06	-	2.10
UK Selects Revs I	405.1	-	2.90
UK Selects Revs I	1135.1	-	2.95
W Parity Med Acc I/II	1.04	-	0.30
Worldwide Med Acc I	796.0	-	0.50

MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MGMT

Enquiries: 0000 0951 962

The Morgan Stanley Funds (UK)

Class A Shares

Equity

Gold Bal Inc F A Ac I	1049.40	-	1.94
Gold Bal Inc F F Inc I	930.65	-	1.25
Gold Bal Inc F F Inc I	936.49	-	1.49
Gold Bal Inc F F Inc I	1006.53	-	2.37
Gold Bal Inc F F Inc I	2258.60	-	2.63
Gold Bal Inc F F Inc I	949.00	-	2.66
Gold Bal Inc F F Inc I	3104.24	-	1.57
Gold Bal Inc F F Inc I	989.95	-	2.63
Gold Bi Ka Fund F Inc I	1336.39	-	5.31
Gold Bi Ka Fund F Inc I	1742.97	-	4.26
Gold Bi Ka Fund F Inc I	1139.7	-	4.46

Tistemor

free now

TIMES LTD

Marble Growth Acc I	335.43	-0.2075	0.20
Marble Inv Acc I/II	471.37	-0.2317	3.67
Marble Woods Inv I	612.93	-0.7335
UK (Income), Equity I, Inc I/IV/III	-0.6450	1.75
UK Growth I/II	206.97	-0.7637	0.64
UK Income Trust I	1035.41	-0.8096	4.56

LEGAL & GENERAL (UT MANGRS) LTD

Enquiries: 0870 000 0970 Dealing: 0870 050 0956

Euro Ind Inc I/II	520.3000	-500.0000	290.00
Euro Ind Inc I/II	459.9000	-750.0000	200.00
Fund Ind Acc I	316.0000		360.00
Fund Fund A/c I	62.3000		360.00
Global Fund A/c I	1.0000	-0.1	1.00
Gold Tech Acc I	236.2	-3.6
High Inv Inc I/II	216.3000	-10.0000	360.00
Japan Ind Acc I	112.9000		130.00
Pacific Ind Acc I	469.9000	-600.0000	240.00
UK Index Trust Acc I	542.1000	-500.0000	250.00
UK Index Trust Fdn I	216.7000	-175.0000	250.00
US Ind Acc I	1420	-11	0.50
Worldwide Acc I	474.7000	-100.0000	90.00

MAC SECURITIES

Exq:0000 399 390 Dealing Line: 0000 320 3396

Authorized Inv Funds

Char/Eurd Inc I	2909.12	-0.5974101	5.03

Gold Bi Fund I (As) (9%)	1422.8	-2.32
Gold Bi Fund I (As) (9%)	1266.64	-2.00
Gold Bi Fund I (As) (9%)	1749.65	-6.65
Gold Bi Fund I (As) (9%)	1927.11	-5.11
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1292.2	-5.49
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1316.93	-5.51
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1742.32	-5.39
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1337.97	-8.39
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1348.73	-5.51

Org Corp Bond F F Inc I 149.97 - 4.74

Org Corp Bond F F Inc I	98.33	-2.76	-0.69

Org Corp Bond F F Inc I 306.53 - 4.69

Org Corp Bond F F Inc I	1072.2	-2.07
Gold Bi Fund I (As) (9%)	1349.65	-2.00
Gold Bi Fund I (As) (9%)	1749.65	-6.65
Gold Bi Fund I (As) (9%)	1927.11	-5.11
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1292.2	-5.49
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1316.93	-5.51
Gold Equity Fund I (As)	1349.65	-5.51

GASF A/C (As) (9%)

Gold Bi Fund A (As) (9%)	-0.6	-2.43

GASF A/C (As) (9%)

GASF A/C (As) (9%)

GASF A/C (As) (9%)

GASF A/C (As) (9%)

GASF A/C (As) (9%)

SCOTTISH MUTUAL INV MNGRS LTD

0141 244 4100

For System Inc	612.3700	649.4700

For System Inc ACI (0000 649.4700

Mutual For System	1375.2000	1951.4000	0.29

Mutual For System 1375.2000 1951.4000 0.29

	Self	Buy	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )	( \uparrow )
Mutual UK Eq	1629.4900	1500.7000		7.01
UK Equity Inc	562.2000	593.0000		7.01

SCOTTISH WINDOWS UNIT TRUST MNGRS

0049 300 2244

Overseas Growth Investment Funds

Trades & Special Investment Funds

UK Net A Acc I	685.4	-2.00	2.59
UK Net A Inc I	275.5	-1.38	2.56

UK & Income Investment Funds

---

46

Business

EQUITY PRICES

Dividend yields Please note dividend yields are supplied by L/C Data Services. The yield is the sum of a company's annual 12-month dividend payments divided by the last day's closing share price.

12-month high and low High/low prices for UK equities and investment trusts are based on intra-day figures.

12-monthHigh Low	Company	PriceSpl +1	ForecastYof%	Yrd%

Automobiles & Part

661	101, Xylem Martin Leg	34( \frac{1}{2} )	—	( \frac{1}{2} )	—	( \frac{1}{2} )	—	( \frac{1}{2} )

Banking & Finance

269	1771	Alberdeen Group	25( \frac{1}{2} )	—	25	5.6	11.6
	51	By Avda NYA	0( \frac{1}{2} )				—
3963	2263	Admiral	3968	+	194	1.7	31.0
4625	1965	Chill	3995	+	61	2.0	21.0
20425	1337	Alfa Cray	26603	+	45	6.9	—
6139	799	Almahoun	3971	+	75	6.6	7.7
2954	1345	Alderton Group	2395	+	25	7.7	33.0
21361	1487	Aurich & N	19925	+	25	5.7	39.6
1141	1492	Avba	7301	+	9	5.9	16.4
1121	663	Asan Gerbader	1108	+	4	1.3	14.1
3545	1621	Bareham	530	+	75	2.2	11.9
275	4	Van Der Gade	4( \frac{1}{2} )				—
710	613	BP Bond & Pte	676			5.4	5.1
3632	212	Bridgeport Go	1975	+	45	2.2	67.5
952	2043	Chicora	342			6.6	47.7
492	249	Cly of London Go	406	+	6	6.0	16.3
5425	1362	Chow Bros	4325	+	35	—	6.5
753	200	CNC Markets	499	+	4	2.0	25.2
29475	2087	Deutsche Bank	20845	+	95	5.1	10.4
39	1451	Ella-Roman Hldg	392	+	5	6.9	—
2405	116	JPL Special Bgs	211				—
88	52	Fairle	671			1.7	5.9
92	88	Incorporated Santeau	927	10		4.5	21.5
4700	2210	Georgia Capital	4295	+	30	—	2.7
137	145	General Estate	51			6.7	35.2
230	194	Helios S/N	229			4.5	7.7
1900	1297	Worcester	1011	+	30	2.2	13.5
2669	927	MSMC	33155	+	105	2.7	16.9
1956	1064	IG Group	1312	+	30	2.2	9.0
304	90	Imperial Bond West	1121	+	25	6.9	7.1
2300	1430	ICSL	2020	+	30	4.3	12.2
1451	1175	Intl Exch. Pldg	144	+	5	4.1	12.4
690	499	Immobil	622	+	35	5.7	6.7
76	88	Investment Co	75				—
731	48	IP Group	495	+	5	1.0	9.6
27	45	Jones Securities	8			42.0	2.9
2141	1131	Krafton Fund Mgmt	3621	+	2	2.7	8.4
760	549	Leicesters Hldg	990			2.6	6.6
1125	1125	Legal & General	112	+	65	5.0	11.2
1125	1000	Lion Finance Group	1125	+	100	5.0	0.3
282	220	General Asset Mgmt	200	+	3	4.2	19.7
61	35	University Serv Go	375	+	5	6.4	16.8
1171	771	Libyola Banking	1141	+	25	5.5	16.4
23	14	UHS Bank	231			20.7	—
3500	6669	London Stock Exchange	79	+	122	1.3	36.7
3641	247	Mobil	3641	+	5	5.4	37.9
1571	1341	Wan Group	111	+	4	4.1	27.3
591	28	Mass Financial Go	28			2.1	4.4
18	15	Manufakt Capital	45	+	5	—	13.3
1031	90	Metro Bank	1755	+	45	—	22.3

12-monthHigh Low				Company	PriceSpl	Y	ForecastYof%	Yrd%
26231	2840	National Australia	23325	+	6	4.0	19.3
730	5001	Northwest Group	1111	+	2	4.9	13.5
6422	4501	Hufford	4021	+	45	4.6	30.2
1236	9101	Prudential	1627	+	2	1.9	6.0
	51	By Banman Bletchke	45				5.9
209	1901	Balbir	396	+	45	3.2	22.0
2500	1500	Baltimore Group	1500	+	12	5.9	22.0
120	199	National Exchange	110				6.0
24001	1629	J & B	19925	+	25	5.9	10.0
	51	By Green Lending	11				7.2
391	421	Jones B	4				6.0
1991	1001	Advance BGT	445				6.0
1991	1001	Advance BGT	505	+	3	1.1	17.1
35751	10301	St. James's Place	11175	+	10	1.6	11.2
1239	1200	Standard Chart	1139	+	27	2.3	31.1
941	620	Standard Life	104	+	9	5.9	19.0
63471	4166	Sun Life Canada	60021	+	121	3.3	—
1111	21	Churchill Inv	35			5.2	6.6
5200	3619	TIC Bank Grp	4090	+	12	3.3	6.0
11	81	Terry	11				—
68	401	Time Finance	931	+	5	—	4.1
81	81	Turner	35				—
8	81	Trentle	35				—
112	771	Yonpao Banking Gr	31				25.3
2000	2000	Volcan	2110				—
72991	54501	Wells Fargo	45405	+	392	2.3	—
22791	16271	Western Bay Corp	20145	+	25	4.0	19.2
151	23	Warsley Investors	201				—
1750	49471	Exxon Insurance	57607	+	1407	5.1	10.4
Construction & Property
900	100	Resilace	2375	+	8	5.1	0.4
81	41	Asana Properties	81				—
51	11	Chill & Intercontin	51				—
900	100	Balfour Realty	6701	+	1	1.6	16.7
4101	2301	Barratt Bodner	1191	+	45	5.2	23.5
2000	1753	Bolton	2090	+	14	3.9	25.8
4661	2796	Berkeley	1992	+	8	—	10.0
1200	8001	Big Valley Grp	907	+	25	5.2	—
460	233	Billingson Hldgs	420	+	10	2.6	40.4
237	1331	Bank (Honey)	194				5.1	6.0
1001	2751	Bowden	3491	+	15	4.4	14.3
4631	5101	British Land	4411	+	45	5.2	—
2500	2500	Cardiff Property	2750				2.1	20.7
2304	1400	Broward London	2004	+	88	6.0	—
51	41	BCS Select	45				—
191	11	First Property	121				2.0	6.9
75	29	Flatstar Corp	321				1.4	22.0
42	31	Fortune Group	361				5.1	0.5
610	4071	Galliford Try Hldg	611	+	8	3.2	10.4
4001	106	Gerald Group	3001	+	45	4.5	16.4
435	225	Glosses (Rtl)	276				4.0	10.2
30471	7001	Surfsun Grp Bnrs	10295	+	5	3.7	14.7
213	1091	Sunbury	119	+	5	4.0	6.9
377	270	Great Portland Co	356	+	2	2.3	0.0
3901	3601	Beaverson	3791	+	25	4.9	—
191	1141	Harwell Group	170	+	392	1.0	61.4
600	220	North Central	200				5.1	0.7
2411	1001	Alchol	200	+	2	1.2	42.0

12-monthHigh Low		Company	PriceSpl +1	ForecastYof%	Yrd%
2591	671	Rebels	91( \frac{1}{2} )	2.2
3611	112	James Holbrook	115		7.1 12.9
3910	1250	Keller	8000		2.6 20.2
7391	6912	Stuygun Group	3980( \frac{1}{2} )		0.7 22.4
730	5255	Land Services	713	+	9.0
2341	1751	LondonMorris Prop(35)		+	25.4 4
1201	45	Rhone Pte Star	91		— 0.5
2091	124	Manifakt	175	+	5.0 36.7
8001	66	Wilhelmsch-Svlar	75		35.1 31.7
1	81	MacKite	45		— 5.9
5730	7903	Merger Install	4460		4.6 12.0
2000	8358	Westcott Union	6000		6.0 36.9
29	619	Needham (RST)	811	+	5.2
230	1500	Coast Capital	197	+	6.6 38.9
320	261	Further Securities	296		4.1 12.1
2012	9071	Persimmon	11031	+	325.5 12 12.9
24	13	Place Estates	141		— 4.1
1095	1571	Prince Health Prop(7)			7.6
301	28	Red Earth Inv	301	+	5.4 41.0
3491	5701	Scholars	4201		4 4.9
5326	7951	Smith	936		3.0 10.0
51	81	Jones Pte Box & Inv	45		— 4.1
9971	405	Segars	962	+	35, 13
5631	1291	Northwest Capital	1991	+	15, 19 7.7
191	45	NR	45		— 5
1200	100	Hyundai	1331	+	30.1
113	561	Strike Red Estate	1031	+	5, 5.6 7.0
100	108	Smart (2)	1121		2.9 18.1
231	131	Skype General	22		— 29.6
1161	791	Tyler Winery	84	+	11, 4.9 36.0
160	104	Yuen Centre	130	+	1.1 1.2
7231	4001	Yuen Robins	661	+	35, 1.7 4.0
175	1321	Triton Big Bear	1445	+	5, 5.0
7601	4421	Delta Group	5341	+	45, 71.1
2601	1207	Orley Group	2021	+	45, 4.7
4341	312	Washupco Group	3601	+	25, 7.2
920	730	Wyoming Prop	895	+	13 2.2 12.5

Consumer Goods
229	98	AFP Portofolms	180
30	117	Alcoa	261
2299	1370	All Foods	7
7331	509	Barr (GS)	610
5326	3677	British Amer Pab	6276
11761	976	Barberry Group	1190
2011	101	C&C Group	995
51	25	Capital Metals	95
460	271	Churchill Disco	390
9399	3279	Coca-Cola HBC	4916
1533	321	Celidow	1455
5810	4775	Convehri	5250
2347	1299	Diagpo	17325
42	8	Richl	4
2910	1160	Essex (R.P.)	1674
2511	1141	Feora	1375
2600	1007	Games Workshop	1956
11001	1020	Gordia	20221
3071	1301	Genovese	2691
691	41	Heather	131
362	4071	Elmo Food	421
2626	2626	Imperial Brands	2759
5646	5567	Kerry Group	7161
139	1081	Jellison	5615
179	88	McAule	2040
1199	258	Marine	185
259	108	Injury (rck)	366
1	81	PACUs	45

12-monthHigh Low		Company	PriceSpl +1	ForecastYof%
2591	671	Rebels	91( \frac{1}{2} )	2.2
3611	112	James Holbrook	115
3910	1250	Keller	8000	2.6 20.2
7391	6912	Stuygun Group	3980( \frac{1}{2} )	0.7 22.4
730	5255	Land Services	713	+ 9.0
2341	1751	LondonMorris Prop(35)		+ 25.4 4
2001	45	Rhone Pte Star	91
2091	124	Manifakt	175	+ 5.0 36.7
8001	66	Wilhelmsch-Svlar	75
1	81	MacKite	45
5730	7903	Merger Install	4460	+ 2.6 12.0
2000	8358	Westcott Union	6000
29	619	Needham (RST)	811	+ 5.2
230	1500	Coast Capital	197	+ 6.6 38.9
320	261	Further Securities	296
2012	9071	Persimmon	11031	+ 325.5 12 12.9
24	13	Place Estates	141
1095	1571	Prince Health Prop(7)
301	28	Red Earth Inv	301	+ 5.4 41.0
3491	5701	Scholars	4201
5326	3677	Trentle	5
1	81	Marine	1051
1	81	Essex (R.P.)	1674	+ 14 2.6 20.2
2511	1141	Feora	1375	+ 35.1 7.6 0.5
2600	1007	Games Workshop	1956	+ 5.0 36.4
11001	1020	Gordia	20221	+ 45.1 19 37.2
3071	1301	Genovese	2691	+ 1.0 39.7
691	41	Heather	131	+ 2
362	4071	Elmo Food	421	+ 5.5 7.5 0.5
3622	2626	Imperial Brands	2759	+ 12 6.0 11.0
5646	5567	Kerry Group	7161	+ 45.1 7 28.9
139	1081	Jellison	5615	+ 35.1 8.6
179	88	McAule	2040	+ 20 12 12.7
1379	250	Marine	185	+ 15 3.5
259	108	Injury (rck)	366
1	81	PACUs	45

Consumer Goods
229	98	AFP Portofolms	180
30	117	Alcoa	261
2299	1370	All Foods	7
7331	509	Barr (GS)	610
5326	3677	British Amer Pab	6276
11761	976	Barberry Group	1190
2011	101	C&C Group	995
51	25	Capital Metals	95
460	271	Churchill Disco	390
9399	3279	Coca-Cola HBC	4916
11071	1221	Gelidow	1455
2311	1251	Alcoa	1455
5000	1007	Games Workshop	1956
1	81	Rebels	4
2361	1160	Essex (R.P.)	1674
5000	1007	Games Workshop	1956
1	81	Rebels	4
2000	2004	Wals	2646
2000	600	HP Front	1792

---

47

Business[{"[{"[{"box_2d": [351, 91, 500, 715], "label":

1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1

1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Q monthHigh	Low	Company	Price(p)	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

Exchange rates

Australia $	1.91316 (-0.00612)
Canada $	1.88787 (-0.0839)
Denmark Kr	0.72751 (-0.00371)
Euro	1.1671 (-0.0021)
Hong Kong $	10.951 (-0.000)
Company	425.27 (-0.02)
Indonesia	24137.2 (-26.74)
Israel	4.0527 (-0.0079)
Japan Yen	213.092 (-0.75)
New Zealand $	2.29102 (-0.00801)
Norway Kr	12.0576 (-0.0577)
Poland	0.01895 (-0.01793)
Russia	199.666 (-0.67)
S Africa	21.90794 (-0.00146)
Sweden Kr	12.7092 (-0.0239)
Switzerland Fr	1.09371 (-0.00756)
Turkey Lira	44.0289 (-0.0234)
USA $	1.3454 (-0.001)

Gold/precious metals

(85 dollar, per ounce)
Bullion: Open $4248.8
Close $4249.096 High $4304.15
Low $4230.72
AM $4201.10 PM $4267.85
Platinum $3729.9
Silver $61.2425
Palladium $1376.401

Money rates %

Base Rates Clearing Banks: 3.75%
ECB Ref: 2.40%
Fed Fund 3.5-3.75%
Halifax Mortgage Rate (SVM) 7.24%

Sterling spot and forward rates

Mkt Rates for	Range	Close	1 month	3 month
Copenhagen	0.7275	0.7009	-149.736	-421.529
Euro	1.1671	1.1651	-15.02	-42.33
Montreal	1.0079	1.0056	-25.25	-76.9
New York	1.3454	1.3464	-0.59	-0.05
Oslo	12.0576	12.0265	44.68	156.2
Tokyo	213.0920	212.2520	-52.87	-154.8
Zurich	1.0937	1.0863	-36.79	-110.12

Other sterling

Argentine peso	2013.20125-2013.20109
Australian dollar	1.91316-1.91345
Bahrain dinar	0.56708-0.50908
Brazilian real	6.06690-6.06890
Euro	1.16730-1.16790
Hong Kong dollar	10.55100-10.55500
Indian rupee	120.10150-120.10150
Indonesian rupiah	24117.29923-24137.29922
Karachi dinar	0.42640-0.42640
Malaysian chught	5.50010-5.50010
New Zealand dollar	2.29102-2.29222
Singaporean dollar	1.72659-1.72730
South African rand	21.90794-21.90794
UAE ditham	4.94060-4.94260

Dollar rates

Australia	1.42579-1.42250
Canada	1.40344-1.40346
Denmark	6.40759-6.40762
Euro	0.86768-0.86808
Hong Kong	7.04450-7.04550
Japan	158.39000-158.39700
Malaysia	4.00708-4.00208
Norway	9.55752-9.56036
Singapore	1.20355-1.20366
Sweden	9.50713-9.50995
Switzerland	0.01295-0.01290
Data provided by ICE. Data as shown is for information purposes only. No offer is made by ICE or this publication

---

48

Business Recruitment

A degree of work experience, please

Fears over jobs means that employability can often outrank course content for many, writes Jane Hamilton

Despite concerns about the state of the graduate job market, the latest figures from Ucas suggests that taking a degree remains highly desirable. British universities and colleges have made a record 1.3 million offers to school-leavers, up from 1.2 million last year.

But as A-level results day approaches, a distinct change is underway in how students select their degree. Instead of opting for three years of dreaming spires, monetary concerns and fierce competition for jobs are pushing thousands of students to choose courses offering work experience.

A recent study by City St George's, University of London, found that 97 per cent of prospective students said work experience was an important aspect of course content, while 87 per cent now rank employability skills training among their top five criteria for choosing a university.

"We're seeing a clear shift in the early careers world. Work experience isn't a nice-to-have any more, it's becoming crucial to most young people's entire trajectory," Ollie Sidwell, co-founder of Higherin, the student jobs site, said. "Employability now outranks course content itself for many students when choosing where to study."

With the average level of student debt at £53,000, would-be students are assessing their degree's "return on investment" — and it is an area where former polytechnics with strong links to industry are flourishing.

The East London University was recently ranked second in the UK for graduate employability by the annual graduate outcomes survey, an achievement that its vice-chancellor, Professor Amanda Broderick, attributes to its employability programmes.

Its Careers Guarantee offers work experience with a London employer while its Mental Wealth and Professional Fitness course develops the essential soft skills that employers often complain are lacking.

Academic knowledge remains essential, but knowledge alone is no longer enough. Employers need people who can communicate, collaborate, adapt and keep learning," Broderick said.

Meanwhile Kingston University's Future Skills programme connects students with major businesses including Adobe, Coca-Cola, Unilever, the John Lewis Partnership and IBM. Undergraduates work on live briefs, helping develop innovative solutions to tackle problems around sustainability and supplier relationships.

Professor Steven Spier, vice-chancellor of Kingston University, said: "By supporting our students to treat career

'Don't be too picky over where you want to work'

Case study

Lois Davies studied fashion brand marketing at Huddersfield University while undertaking a placement in sports business and retailing with Huddersfield Town Football Club.

Davies, originally from Wrexham, said: "Being a first-generation student from a working-class

background, I wanted to get the most employability out of my education, so I did a lot of research on universities and their course structures.

"While my placement was very different to my degree, I was given a lot of autonomy and trust over projects from a very early stage, pushing my independence in my work.

"I also found that my course was very

adaptable in terms of transferring across industries, and realised I loved working in sports.

"The world of employment is so competitive now. So, whatever experience or work opportunity you are offered as a student, take it.

"Don't be picky with where you want to work when you're building your experience — be open to different things as you might love it."

Top tips when seeking a degree with work experience

Chris Webb, a career consultant at the University of Huddersfield, explains how to make the right choice.

• Understand what an industry placement year/sandwich placement is, how it works and what support your target universities can provide to help you secure a placement.
• Read the module overview for the degree courses you are

interested in and check where work experience features in the course content. Are there specific work experience modules? Will there be live briefs or consultancy projects? Can you go on industry visits or connect with employers?

• Use graduate job sites like Gradcracker, TargetJobs and Bright Network to assess internships and placements so you see

the range of potential opportunities.

• Be open-minded about different forms of work experience.

• Research how each course helps you to prepare and reflect on your work experience, and use your careers service.

• If you are interested in a particular sector or specific employer, find out which businesses universities already partner with.

preparation as an essential part of their studies rather than an optional activity, we are creating a cohort of graduates with the skills businesses have told us they value."

The types of work experience on offer range from complete sandwich years and full summer internships with a single company to multiple, shorter placements, or live projects and industry challenges.

Some, including Huddersfield, support students to develop portfolio careers alongside study, encouraging entrepreneurship. According to Jane Owen-Lynch, pro vice-chancellor: "Work experience and academic studies should be seen as complementary activities for university students, not isolated pursuits."

Six from the best

Charlotte Bosworth began life on a West Midlands council estate before taking a legal apprenticeship and rising to a senior role at OCR Exam Board. With 25 years' experience in skills development, she's now CEO

of the apprenticeship provider Lifetime Training and focuses on helping employers remove barriers to progression.

1 Don't wait for permission to lead: You don't need to be invited into the room to contribute. Show up,

ask questions and make sure your voice is heard.

2 Focus matters more than size: You don't need scale to succeed. Focus and execution matter more.

You don't need to be the biggest organisation in your sector if you're clear on where you add value.

3 Don't be afraid to challenge the system: Even if you work closely with regulators and government,

you won't always agree and you shouldn't be afraid to say so.

4 Don't over-plan your career: Some of the most important moves you make will be reactive. What

matters is recognising when you're in an environment that offers growth and then throwing yourself into it.

5 Create psychological safety: Inclusive leadership is about creating space for different

perspectives, especially from those newest to an organisation.

6 Great leaders design on ramps, not hurdles: Recognise that not everyone starts from the

same place. By offering stepping stones and structured support, you will build more resilient teams.

Appointment of the week

TrustMark not-for-profit seeks chief executive

TrustMark is seeking a chief executive. As the only UK government-endorsed quality scheme for home improvements and a not-for-profit organisation, TrustMark exists to drive quality, confidence and consumer protection across the industry while supporting the long-term development of a safer, more sustainable built environment.

Reporting to the board, and as TrustMark's principal ambassador, the appointee will build trusted relationships across government, industry, regulators and commercial partners, ensuring the organisation remains influential, relevant and positioned for future growth.

Interest is encouraged from candidates from construction, retrofit, energy efficiency, home improvement, the wider-built environment or another regulated, consumer-focused sector.

The salary range is £160,000 to £160,000 with an executive benefits package, discretionary bonus and car allowance. The role is based in Basingstoke, with regular office presence required.

Apply by August 23 at: appointments.thetimes.com

Working week

Pirates threaten work data

Employees could be putting sensitive business data at risk. Over two thirds of people who pirate sports, TV shows and films do so using company smartphones, but more than half say their device has been infected with malware in the past 12 months — more than three times the national rate. James Bore, a consultant at BeStreamWise, said: "Malware can be an entry point into company networks."

Esports a new ball game

Almost half of Gen Z believe professional gaming is a legitimate career path, and 52 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds support the addition of esports to the school curriculum. Over a third of people are unaware of careers such as tournament organisers, team managers and coaches, and esports commentators and strategist. "Esports is a major cultural phenomenon," Derek Perez at Logitech G, said.

Careers support shunned

Some 35 per cent of A-level students did not use their school or college careers service in the last 12 months and those considering apprenticeships were the least likely to engage. Chris Rea from Prospects, the early careers expert, said: "Careers support can play an important role in helping students feel more confident about their future plans, yet too many miss out on advice and guidance that could help them make informed decisions."

Gifts given under pressure

The average employee spends £200 a year on gifts for colleagues, including birthdays and leaving presents. While 25 per cent are happy to contribute, a further 17 per cent do not like giving towards gifts for people they barely know. Another 10 per cent feel "under pressure" to contribute, with 11 per cent paying in even when personal circumstances meant they could not afford to, according to Thortful, the card and gift company.

---

UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER

Your future.

Your choice.

Take control of your next steps with a Top 25 UK University.*

Every undergraduate degree includes a guaranteed 100 hours of employer-informed, work-related learning. Find out more, and access support and guidance, on our Clearing Hub.

le.ac.uk/clearing

*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026

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51

Cousin of Queen Elizabeth accused of manslaughter Elizabeth Wise Page 52

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Obituaries

Sir Anthony Kenny

Philosopher whose brilliant but doubting mind led him away from the Roman Catholic church and into the groves of academe

As outstanding philosopher, master of Balliol and pro-vice chancellor of Oxford University, Anthony Kenny was, like his hero St Thomas More, "a man for all seasons".

In writing, teaching and public debate that ranged from Aristotle to Wittgenstein, from nuclear deterrence to the legal definition of murder, the former Catholic priest was a giant of Oxford academe for some five decades.

His philosophical life pivoted on the existential uncertainty that led to him leaving the Catholic priesthood in 1963. Sceptical of the Aristotelian proofs of faiths, formalised by Thomas Aquinas, that the Catholic Church holds so dear, he wrote The Five Ways (1969), which examined Aquinas's proofs of the existence of God, and The God of the Philosophers (1979), in which he systematically worked his way through the doubts that had assailed him as a young Catholic priest. He showed that none of Aquinas's proofs was sound, and argued persuasively that the concept of an omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent God was not coherent.

Kenny was also a first-rate historian of philosophy, writing with sensitivity, exegetical sympathy and critical acumen. In 1968 he published Descartes, a book that remained a standard text for the next three decades. In it he paid due homage to Descartes's genius and to the tightly woven texture of his reasoning, while exposing the incoherence of his conception of the human mind and of its relation to the body. In effect, he pitted what he had learnt from the study of Wittgenstein against Cartesian dualism and the Cartesian conception of consciousness and self-consciousness.

In 1973 he published Wittgenstein, in which he gave a lucid survey of the main contours of Wittgenstein's philosophy. From Wittgenstein he turned to Aristotelian ethics and philosophy of mind. His book The Aristotelian Ethics (1978) was followed by Aristotle on the Will (1979) and Aristotle on the Perfect Life (1992) and Aquinas on Mind (1993). In 1998 he published a popular A Brief History of Western Philosophy. This was later followed by his masterwork on the history of philosophy, the four-volume A New History of Western Philosophy (published in 2004-07), which many felt supplanted Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy.

Arriving on the philosophical scene when Oxford analytic philosophy was at its zenith, he lived to see and to mourn its sunset. Kenny established himself as the most distinguished philosopher of mind working within the Wittgensteinians tradition. His primary preoccupation was with the nature of the will, of intentional action, and of practical reasoning. A sequel to his first work was Will, Freedom and Power (1975), in which he explored the logical character of power and ability, and defended with great originality a comparabilist view of determinism and free will.

Contrary to received tradition, he argued that human freedom requires both liberty of spontaneity and liberty of indifference. What is distinctive of humanity, he claimed, is the power to act for reasons, and he proceeded to explore the nature, presuppositions and consequences of this distinctive capa-

Kenny in 1998. He arrived on the scene when analytic philosophy was at its zenith and was the most formidable figure of his day in public debate while at Oxford

city. These investigations duly led to Freiwill and Responsibility (1978), which in turn branched into reflections on legal responsibility, on the legal definition of murder, the limits of the excuse of duress, and the nature of mens rea (guilty mind). With characteristic rigour, Kenny acquired the legal expertise he thought necessary by studying for the Bar examinations, which he sat successfully in 1981-82.

His writings on these themes, and his exchanges with leading legal figures of the day, including the lord chancellor, were influential in subsequent law reforms. His The Metaphysics of Mind (1989) gave a masterly overview of the philosophy of mind in the analytic tradition established by Wittgenstein and Ryle.

Able to unfurl his analytic acumen lightly with humour and wit, Kenny was captivating and lucid from the lectern. In public debate he was the most formidable figure of his day in Oxford, impeccably courteous, ruthless in exposing error and confusion and able to discern the heart of a philosophical problem and to sketch the outline of a solution, although he lacked the patience to paint a broad canvas with all the necessary detail.

For all his gifts as a philosopher, he viewed the subject as a propaedeutic to life, and, like his hero More, he believed in the complementarity of the vita con-

templativa (contemplative life) and the vita activa (active life). Despite his rather solemn and Rodinish mien, that of a deep thinker, Kenny was a robust and persuasive man, steeped in the public affairs of university life, and dedicated to protecting and furthering the causes of academia during a period of ever-increasing governmental intervention in academic freedoms.

Known for his integrity and administrative efficiency, Kenny was a steadying master of Balliol from 1978 to 1989, during a turbulent period, and he gave of his prodigious energy to other academic causes, from the project to com-

He gave extra tuition to Boris Johnson who still failed to achieve a first

puterine all of Oxford University's libraries, to helping to steer the troubled scheme to build a British Library to completion.

One of his few failures in academe pertained to the ambition of Boris Johnson to leave Balliol with a first-class degree in 1987 after a somewhat chequered four years during which the undergraduate had tasted all that college life had to offer, including the notorious Bullingdon Club. Kenny acceded to Johnson's request for extra tuition

before his viva, but the future prime minister still ended up with an upper second. The intellectual giant, unlike the peeved Johnson, was philosophical.

Anthony John Patrick Kenny was born in Liverpool in 1931 the only child of John Kenny, an engineer in the merchant navy, and Margaret (née Jones). He was a sickly baby who was not expected to survive beyond a few days. As a result, according to family lore, Anthony was baptised three times: by his grandmother who feared he might die before a priest could confer the sacrament, then by a priest who turned up at the hospital shortly afterwards, and then at a formal baptism in church. His mother later joked that her son would become "the best Catholic in Liverpool".

His parents separated when Anthony was a small child and then his father died early in the Second World War. Struggling with sadness and existential angst, he was inspired by his uncle, Alexander Jones, a Roman Catholic priest and biblical scholar, to pursue his own religious vocation. After leaving Upholland College in Lancashire, he trained for the priesthood from 1949 at the English College of the Gregorian University in Rome.

After ordination in 1955, he remained in Rome to continue his doctorate on "The philosophy of linguistic analysis and the language of religion". While still

working on his doctorate for the Gregorian University, he registered for an Oxford DPhil at St Benet's Hall on "The intentionality of psychological verbs". While at Oxford, he was befriended by Elizabeth Anscombe, who introduced him to the works of Wittgenstein. Her seminars on Wittgenstein, he later wrote, were the most formative educational experience of his life, and exposure to Wittgenstein's ideas altered his modes of thought profoundly. He completed his Rome doctorate in 1958, and his Oxford doctorate in 1961.

Kenny became a curate in Liverpool in 1959, where he served in various parishes until 1963. Doubts about the logical justification of faith and about the intelligibility of the doctrine of transubstantiation of the Eucharist had plagued him at various stages of his religious studies. These came back to haunt him. Wittgenstein's philosophy undermined his confidence that religious experience could justify assertions of natural theology, and he came to doubt whether faith could be a substitute for proofs of the existence of God. His doubts could neither be resolved nor suppressed, but he clung on to his vocation. The coup de grace was delivered by the Archbishop of Liverpool, John Heenan (later Cardinal Heenan), who censured Kenny for writing in the Catholic Pictorial that Catholics could Continued on page 52

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52

Register

Elizabeth Wise

Cousin of Queen Elizabeth and 'wonderful mother' accused of manslaughter over the death of her brain-damaged daughter

On September 2, 1973, Elizabeth Wise, a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth, gave birth to Emma Charlotte, a beautiful ash-blonde daughter with vivid blue eyes. 'She was the baby I had longed for and prayed for,' Wise said. Nine days later Emma was struck down by a viral infection. 'First she went very sleepy. Then I could not waken her. In 24 hours she went into a deep coma,' she said. Tests at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford revealed that she had serious brain damage caused by encephalitis.

Wise, who was living with friends near Newbury, in Berkshire, devoted every waking moment of the next nine months to Emma, hoping and praying that her condition would improve. 'Her eyes and ears were normal, but there was no brain to interpret the messages they sent, or to tell the limbs what to do,' she said. She recalled her daughter's incessant screams of pain because of the pressure in her skull. Feeding was desperately slow because the child had no control of her throat or stomach muscles and was vomiting constantly.

She consulted countless specialists and read every available book on disabled children. She also made arrangements to take her daughter to an institution for brain-damaged children in Australia, where she had once lived. But by the summer of 1974 she had to accept that Emma was never going to recover. In fact, she was more seriously ill than her mother had imagined, having lost three quarters of her brain to the infection. 'It was heartbreaking to see her,' she said.

On June 3, Wise gave Emma an overdose of Mandrax sleeping tablets crushed in milk. 'I laid her on her face so she would not swallow her tongue. I wrapped her in a blanket so she would not get cold... My intention was that she would die quickly, peacefully and painlessly,' she said. Police who attended Battle Hospital in Reading found her cradling her dead daughter in her arms. 'It was a happy relief. The only thing she really knew was pain,' she said. 'From her point of view, I feel what happened was for the best.'

Appearing at Reading crown court four months later, a tearful Wise admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. There was

much sympathy for her predicament, with the prosecution describing her as a 'wonderful mother.' Sentencing her to a year's probation, the judge Mr Justice Kenneth Jones said: 'The doctors are genuinely puzzled as to how this child lived so long. I have little doubt it was your devotion which kept her alive. I regard this as an extreme case even among exceptional cases. In my judgment you have suffered enough for the wrong, according to the law, you did.'

Days later she appeared on the BBC Radio programme The World This Weekend questioning whether doctors should artificially prolong the lives of severely disabled children. She also called for greater support for parents facing intolerable difficulties. 'One never knows one has done the right

'The Queen has been very kind, sympathetic and understanding'

thing,' she said. 'I think there should be more help for mothers in my situation. Possibly when children are so badly deformed and one knows they are severely handicapped, one should not make great efforts for them to live.'

Wise's proximity to the royal family brought the private tragedy to the front pages, especially when she revealed that she had discussed the situation with Queen Elizabeth in whose courts the case against her was heard. 'The Queen has been very kind, sympathetic and understanding. We are still good friends,' she said. 'She did not know anything about my daughter until after she died and my arrest was reported in the newspapers. But while I was on remand, we talked at some length.'

Elizabeth Alice Abel Smith was born at Kensington Palace, London, in 1936, the youngest of three children of Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith DSO of the Royal Horse Guards and his wife, Princess May of Teck; her grandmother was Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, a grandchild of Queen Victoria. She is survived by her sister Anne, a Christian charity worker; her brother, Richard, predeceased her. A nephew, Ian Liddell-Granger, was Conservative MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset until 2024. Her godmother was the Duchess

Wise married in London in 1965 with members of the royal family in attendance

of York (later Queen Elizabeth and eventually the Queen Mother) who, according to the Royal Musings blog, she regarded as a 'dreadful gossip'.

The family became 'war guests' in Ottawa thanks to her grandfather, the Earl of Athlone, being appointed governor-general of Canada in 1940. Elizabeth returned to England in July 1945 and attended the wedding of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and the coronation in 1953. From

Heathfield School, Ascot, she went to a finishing school in Switzerland and was pictured in Country Life magazine in 1954. The Tatler and Bystander declared that she 'made an outstanding success of her first season' as a debutante, though she had little love for formal presentation parties, telling one interviewer: 'I think that sort of snob thing is rather a pity.'

The 'blonde and petite' Elizabeth worked at the Dr Barnardo's home in

Tunbridge Wells before accompanying her parents to Australia in 1958 when her father was appointed governor of Queensland. There she gained a reputation as a free spirit, travelling around the country with her husky-blue cattle dog Sebastian. She learnt bush cooking, worked in a flower shop and became governess to two children on the Yararbola sheep station, 850 miles north of Perth.

She returned to Brisbane to take tea on her grandmother's visit to the country in May 1959. However, when Princess Alexandra, an old school friend, sent word that three months later she too would be on a tour of Australia. Government House in Brisbane could only say that Elizabeth was 'somewhere in the outback' where 'we understand she is enjoying herself'.

In 1965 she married Peter Wise, a P&O shipping executive, at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, having first sought permission of the Queen under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772. The ceremony was attended by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, as well as princesses Sybilla and Margaretha of Sweden. As the couple drove away from their reception at St James's Palace the boot of their Daimler opened a couple of inches and a hand appeared waving a white handkerchief. The guests roared with laughter, but the car was well down. The Mall before the newlyweds realised anything was amiss. When they stopped to investigate, one of their 16-year-old guests emerged.

By the time of Emma's birth the couple had separated and after Wise's court appearance their marriage was dissolved. Thereafter she withdrew from public life though not family life; living latterly at Leyburn, in North Yorkshire, and continuing to exchange correspondence with Queen Elizabeth. Asked if she felt any guilt about killing her daughter, Wise replied: 'No. It is such a personal problem. It is something one would never consider doing to anyone else, or to anyone else's child. I feel she is better off where she is. But I would never encourage anyone to do what I did.'

Elizabeth Wise, cousin of Elizabeth II, was born on September 5, 1936. She died on August 2, 2026, aged 89

Continued from page 51 Sir Anthony Kenny

not in conscience work at a shipyard building a nuclear submarine. He left the priesthood in 1963.

The same year Kenny was appointed to a joint college lectureship by Trinity and Exeter Colleges, Oxford, during which time his Oxford doctoral dissertation was published as Action, Emotion and the Will in 1963, and received acclaim. He was elected to a tutorial fellowship at Balliol in 1964, where he remained for the next quarter of a century.

In 1965 he met Nancy Gayley, an American-born music teacher whom he married the following year. Balliol was quick to recognise his talents. In 1971-72 and again in 1976-77 he was senior tutor and in 1978 he was elected to succeed the Marxist historian Christopher Hill as master of Balliol. Relationships between the radical junior college and the pipe-smoking senior dons were somewhat fractured. Kenny would bring them back together and preside over the admission of women to Balliol.

As public funding was squeezed, Balliol, like other Oxford colleges, was placed under increasingly intolerable financial pressures. In 1984, to provide

Kenny raised funds for Balliol College

money for the funding of fellowships that would otherwise have been abolished, for overseas students whose fees had been trebled, and for the building of new accommodation for junior members, Kenny initiated the Dervorguilla Appeal for Balliol College, which raised £1 million — much of it from alienated alumni whom he had effectively brought back into the fold. In the same year he was appointed pro-vice-chancellor of Oxford University, in which

capacity he would serve until 2001. As master of Balliol be struggled, with only moderate success, to mitigate the consequences of what he saw as governmental intrusions upon academic autonomy and of the subordination of university research to an economic agenda set by governmental authorities. As president of the British Academy from 1989 until 1993, he strove to ameliorate the consequences of government policy on graduate studies throughout the university system.

In 1985 he was appointed chairman of the Oxford University Libraries' Board, establishing a programme for setting up and computerising a unified catalogue of all Oxford libraries. He was at the same time a delegate and member of the finance committee of Oxford University Press (1986-93), and played a crucial role in obtaining funding for the new Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

His knighthood in 1992 was in recognition of his many services to the causes of higher education and the intellectual culture of Britain. From 1993 to 1996 he served as chairman of the British Library Board, taking over at a time of acute crisis in the building pro-

programme of the British Library. Under his guidance this fraught enterprise was completed to the benefit of scholars for centuries to come.

In 1989 Kenny retired from the mastership of Balliol and became the warden of Rhodes House and secretary to the Rhodes Trust, posts he occupied until 1999. He travelled the world in the service of the trust. By improving the selection procedures, he ensured a rise in the academic achievements of the Rhodes scholars in Oxford from close to the bottom of the Norrington Table to fourth from the top. He was instrumental in directing substantial Rhodes Trust funds to educational projects in post-apartheid South Africa and to a variety of projects in Oxford, most notable the new Institute of American Studies.

He wrote an admiring small biography of More, and a book on the 19th-century Balliol poets, Arthur Hugh Clough and Gerard Manley Hopkins, entitled God and Two Poets (1988). He greatly admired both, but felt a special sympathy for Clough and his crisis of faith. He also edited Clough's Oxford diaries. Mountain climbing of a not too hazardous nature, and later mountain

walking with his beloved wife and two sons, were a favourite vacation pastime, and he edited a collection of writings on the subject: Mountains: An Anthology (1991). In addition, he wrote a two-volume autobiography, A Path from Rome (1985) and A Life in Oxford (1997). He is survived by Nancy and their sons, Charles and Robert.

In retirement he returned to the vesting, and for him deeply personal, question of philosophy of religion. The Unknown God (2004) is a book of essays that gives his final view on the questions of the existence of God and the expressibility of religious belief. In it he defended agonisticism against the strictures of atheism and the demands of faith alike.

He now argued that if there was a divine being, nothing non-metaphorical can be said about it, and no metaphor applying to such a being can be unpacked in non-metaphorical terms. Religious discourse, he argued, has to be understood in non-literal terms. Poetic terms, in other words.

Sir Anthony Kenny, philosopher, was born on March 16, 1931. He died on August 3, 2026, aged 95

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53

Sir Robin Gill

Visionary television executive who prepared ITN for colour broadcasting

When Border Television launched on September 1, 1961, Robin Gill was the second face to appear after the presenter Mary Marquis. He took the opportunity to pledge "truly local programmes, reflecting your interests and way of life". It did not, however, stop him jumping ship only three years later to work for the demanding Lew Grade at Associated Television (ATV).

In December 1961 he fronted a second launch for Border, when the much delayed 229m (752ft) Selkirk transmitter came on stream so that southern Scottish viewers could finally watch the same programmes as their northern England counterparts. Gill controversially apologised to the lowlands viewers who until then had had to make do with "Newcastle, Glasgow and even Aberdeen television". Border was taken over by Granada in 2001 and is now part of ITV.

Gill navigated ATV through the Independent Television Authority 1968 franchise shake-up, playing a central role in winning the seven-day-a-week Midlands territory, then the most lucrative single contract. He promoted the international syndication of British television so successfully that ATV became the first television producer to win the Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement. He was also responsible for such programmes as the This is Tom Ames variety show and the Emmy-winning play Male of the Species, as well as the groundbreaking documentary The Tribe that Hides from Man filmed in the Amazon basin.

The tall, imposing Gill chaired Independent Television News (ITN) from 1968 to 1970, where he guided the news operation from the 405-line broadcasting system - the number of horizontal lines drawn across the screen on an old analogue TV picture - to 625 lines, the precondition for colour, backed by a new 11.5 million London studio complex.

From 1968 to 1969 he was on a little-known committee, chaired by Prince Philip, that supervised the making of the fly-on-the-wall television film Royal Family, afterwards locked away because Queen Elizabeth had second thoughts about how revealing it was. Although the committee had the right to censor what was shown, the director, Richard Cawston, gave little cause for concern and the committee's main role was to smooth access to the royal residences. Even so, the palace contacts proved valuable.

While Gill insisted that his relations with Carale were entirely amicable, in 1969 he quit

Gill devoted himself to philanthropy after leaving the commercial world and promoting education was his crowning achievement

ATV and television to start 1970 Trust, an early private-equity fund backed by City institutions that wanted an alternative to the Labour government's Industrial Reorganisation Corporation. Its best-known investment was the computer firm Hewlett-Packard.

The trust was wound up in 1993, and Gill left the commercial world altogether to devote himself to philanthropy. In 1990 he set up the Royal Anniversary Trust to organise the official celebration of the 40th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession in 1992. The theme was education, which led to him running the Queen's Anniversary

Is set up the trust that organised the 40th anniversary of the Queen's reign

Per Prizes, now the Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education, the highest national honour available to UK universities and colleges.

Nobuka Tasker, the Royal Anniversary Trust's present chief executive, said Gill "was the original convener-in-chief, whose charm and conviction inspired support from government, philanthropists, the education sector and the royal household."

Robin Denys Gill was born in Hastings, New Zealand, in 1927, to Thomas Gill and Marjorie (see Butler). His father, a land and estate agent, was killed in the 1931 Napier earthquake after running into his office building in a vain attempt to rescue an employee.

Marjorie, who was born in England and studied at the

Royal College of Music, returned to Britain with Robin and his older brother, Harry Initially she was a buyer at the Peter Robinson store on London's Oxford Circus but went on to open a dress shop, which she turned into a sandwich shop at the outbreak of the Second World War as she believed people would buy fewer clothes but would still need to eat. Harry served with the Intelligence Corps in Asia during the war, afterwards emigrating to Canada and going into commercial property.

Robin attended Fan Court (now Claremont Fan Court), a preparatory school in Surrey that had been founded by teachers of Christian Science, which Marjorie had been introduced to by a colleague at Peter Robinson. Robin remained a Christian Scientist for the rest of his life, and became a governor of the school.

After Christ's Hospital and then Dulwich College, which was hit by two V-I flying bombs within a fortnight in summer 1944, he went up to Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1945 to read law but switched to PPE. He was a keen cricketer and won a rugby blue, and played in the 1947 and 1948 Varsity matches, when Oxford lost 6-0 and won 14-8 respectively. He scored a try as an associate flanker in the 1948 game.

In 1951 he married Mary Hope Alexander, whom he had met at Oxford. They founded the Robin and Mary Gill Charitable Trust, which supports education, community welfare and religious projects, particularly for the young and elderly, and had three sons: Stephen, a haiku poet who lectures at Kyoto University's engineering faculty; Richard, a School company director, and Jonathan, who died

in 1991 of natural causes. Mary died from a terminal disease five years earlier. On the North West Regional Advisory Council for Higher Education, Gill met Denise Spencer, the niece of the journalist Keith Waterhouse, and they married in 1991.

Gill's first job was with Unilever's Van den Berghe Zeb and oils arm, selling margarines: Stork, Summer County, Echo and Blue Band. In 1954 he moved to British International Paper, owned by Canadian International Paper, which indirectly took him into the media industry. The firm was an importer of newsprint for UK publications, including Cumberland Newspapers, led by John Burgess, Cumberland's deputy lieutenant, Burgess assembled a Border TV consortium that included Norman Leyland, the Brasenose barua, who invested for the college. Leyland recommended Gill, who fittingly had family links to the Scottish borders.

At ATV he became a director of Stolt Moss Theatres, ITC and Pye Records, and was chairman of the Independent Television Companies Association from 1966 to 1967. He joined the boards of 1970 Trust's investee firms, including Anavar Insurance, a charities specialist, and Hewlett-Packard. He later joined the national advisory board for higher education, the Oxford University Appointments Committee and LAESTE (UK), an association of academic, industrial and student national committees. He was president of the Brasenose Society and served on the college's fundraising advisory committee. Gill was appointed CVO in 1993, and KCVO on retiring in 2010, for his contribution to the Royal Anniversary Trust.

His interests included rugby, cricket, golf, swimming and windsurfing. He taught his grandchildren to fly-bait and sail, and was an accomplished needlepoint enthusiast, making cushions, bookmarks and foot-shool covers. He was a member of the Vincent's, St George's Hill and Five Foresters clubs.

Promoting education was Gill's crowning achievement, unobtrusted in January this year when an exchange programme was launched between Queen Elizabeth Prizes for Education alumni and those from leading U.K academic institutions. "Robin had an amazing vision," said Dame Shelagh Legrave, a former Further Education Commissioner.

Sir Robin Gill, television executive, was born on October 7, 1927. He died on May 26, 2026, aged 98

Births, Marriages and Deaths

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I HAVE chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. Psalm 119.30 (901)

Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society

Births

FARON On 29th July 2008 to Stephanie (née Jones) and James, a son, Oscar Anthony.

Forthcoming Marriages

MR W. D. AMBIGGE AND MRS H. V. CRUZ The engagement is announced between William, elder son of Mr and Mrs Stephen Ambridge of Exter, and Holly, into daughter of Mr and Mrs Simon Cruz of Gibraltar.

MRS P. EVANS AND MR S. HALLATT

The engagement is announced between Polly, daughter of Mr and Mrs Alexander Evans of Chiswick, London, and Samuel, son of Mr and Mrs James Hallatt of Penn, Buckinghamshire.

MR I. W. M. TRICE AND MRS K. E. STANTON

The engagement is announced between Ius, son of Jeremy and Victoria Trice of Keenington, London, and Katherine, daughter of Mark and Sara Stanton of Lawnton, Gloucestershire.

MR C. SAMUELSON AND MRS L. THORNTON

The engagement is announced between Charlie, youngest son of Mr and Mrs Gordon, Gideon of Beilworth, Cambridge, and Lucy, youngest daughter of Mrs Alexandra Thornton of Thakertown, West Sussex and Mr James Thornton of Gideon, Switzerland.

Deaths

ACKROYD (Robert) Peter MBE, DL Peter, chairman of the Campaign for Wool and Wrists Campaign for British wool textiles around the world, died suddenly of a heart attack on 18th July. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and colleagues across the globe. A funeral service will be held at Bradford Cathedral, 1 Stott Hill, Bradford, B21 4EH, at Rlam on Thursday 1st September. Family flowers only but donations in Peter's memory may be made to Craig, colouring, and/orance and the British Heart Foundation, 1st.org.uk

COONWELL (Christopher Edward on 1st August 2026, aged 80), died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family in Somerset West, South Africa. Much loved husband, father and friend.

OGILVIC Sylvia (née West), aged 87, of St Andrews, passed away peacefully at St Andrews House Care Home on Monday 25th July 2026. A National wife of the late Gordon. A much loved mother to Anna and Alastair, sister to Anna West, and Jeremy to Benjamin and Ellen. Funeral service to be held at St Andrews Episcopal Church on Thursday 12th August at Rlam. Interment thereafter at St Andrews Western Cemetery at 13 Share, to which all family and friends are responsible. Honest Family flowers only please, although donations may be given, if so desired, in aid of Alzheimer Scotland.

PELHAM The Lark Lucy (née Egerton) died peacefully at home on Saturday 1st August after a short illness, aged 88. Much loved sister, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Funeral in Winchester on Thursday 20th August at 230pm. Steels 0Y6Q 862333 or www.steelsfuneral.co.uk

WILLIAMS Anita Emily died on 25th July 2026, aged 90. Funeral service at Reading Commission on 17th August at Rlam. Donations to NOMAD food bank may be made at a wide-ranging welfare environment on or until 1st-7am-8pm. 6 Son, Henley.

YEOMAN Gordon, passed away peacefully on Friday 24th July 2026. Much loved father to Gregor and Sarah and grandfather to Isabelle, Rory, Charlie, Florence and Ede, His integrity, warmth and humour will be missed by all who knew him. Funeral service at Rlam on 18th August at St Columba's Church, Pont St, London SW1 Family flowers only. Donations to Mrs Wooden Spoon Society.

Thanksgiving Services

LOMAX-SIMPSON A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Rosemary Lomax-Simpson will be held at 3pm on Friday 9th October at St James's Church Piccadilly and afterwards at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Legal Notices

TRACKIN TRAVEL COMPENSATION SERVICES LIMITED Company No. 1099176 TRACKIN RETAIL AND OPERATIONS LIMITED Company No. 9433339 SAFETY INFORMATION SYSTEMS LIMITED Company No. 6339819 (UK) is Member/ Member's Leadership) Principal Trading Address: UK1 Novus, Discovery Way, Lords, L53 1AA As joint Liquidator of the Companies, we hereby give notice that you should contact their third party or third party members of the Company. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of the Company's Board of Directors. The Company is a member of

CLAIM FOR 25-31/6-0497 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF THIS AND AND WHILE IN THE PART OF THE IS DELAY FOLLOWED P.C.

IN THE MATTER OF THE COMMUNIST 2016 NOTICE OF COURT MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN Any, by an Order dated 1st August 2026, or by the High Court of Justice of England and Wales in the above notices, the Court has given permission for a meeting this Court Meeting The be convened at the borders of Gilmore Shores 26.00 and in the scheme of arrangement referred to below for the purpose of considering and of daughter to, approving oath or without making a scheme of arrangement, the Scheme of Arrangement is entered in by order pursuant to Part 26 of the Commission's 2016 Schedule 26.00 for the Holding on 10th Company I set the holders of the Gilmore Shores 26.00 and in the Scheme of Arrangement. The Court is hereby notified that the Holding of Thursday 1st 26th December, 2016, at 10 am, 6.00, and on 3 September 2026, in which place and time of holders of Gilmore Shores are requested to attend.

Being on the resolution to approve the Scheme of Arrangement will be by and with which shall be conducted in the Chair of the Court Meeting may determine. Holder of Gilmore Shores entitled to attend and vote on the Chair of the Court Meeting in person at such meeting as they may if they are entitled to do so against another person or persons whether a member of the Court Meeting is of their proxy or proxies, to exercise at or any of their rights to attend, speak and vote at the Court Meeting.

In holder of the Commission's 2016, the non received a copy of the circular relating to the said Scheme of Arrangement can request this same from the Court Meeting. The Commission is hereby notified that the circular has been signed confirmation (reference/transferable) (REFINED/REPROVED/POSTED)

The Commission is not a copy of the circular relating to the said Scheme of Arrangement can request this same from the Court Meeting. The Commission is not a copy of the circular has been signed confirmation (reference/transferable) (REFINED/REPROVED/POSTED) The Commission is not a copy of the circular has been signed confirmation (REPROVED/REPROVED/POSTED)

NOTICE UNDER THE PROOF OF ACT 1935 The 1997 UK Retirement Plan (the 1994-1995) Notice to Creditors and Beneficiaries under Section 97 of the Trustee Act 1935

Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 97 of the Trustee Act 1935, that, following the said transfer of member of the Board of Directors, the 1997 UK Retirement Plan (the 1994-1995) is entitled to the 1,453, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500, 1,500

Any employee or former employee of T. Reese Price International Limited or Gabriel Vancore (U.K. Services) Limited, the 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

PAO and Moot Warwick Court 5 Paternoster Square London

EC4M 7SW to make a claim Claimants should provide their full name, any former name by which they may have been known, addressed to the Company's Board of Directors, which is when they worked for an employer named above. If any other person believes they have a claim against or be entitled to a claim, the Company may be entitled to the same address setting out full particulars of their claim. Please quote the Pain name in all correspondence.

All claims must be received by 9 October 2026. After this date, the Trustee will proceed to complete the amount of the Pain and database benefits for any remaining beneficiaries, having regard only to the claims and interests of which they have prior notice on the expiry of the claim. The Trustee shall not be liable to any person of whose claims and demands they have not had come by the expiry date of this notice.

Any person who has been contacted by the Trustee at their current address or has already made a claim and received a response need not to apply to the Trustee.

Issued on behalf of T. Reese Price Retirement Plan Trustee Limited at the Trustee of the 1997 UK Retirement Plan

Dated 7th August 2026

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Chums Ltd., (Dept. T3226), P.O. Box 94, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1FG. Please send me items indicated PLEASE USE BLOCK LETTERS

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1. 2017年，公司与上海浦东发展银行股份有限公司签订了《关于使用部分闲置募集资金进行现金管理的协议》。

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50 UNIWORLD

✓ 5★ SERVICE, WE'RE HERE WHEN YOU NEED US ✓ UNBEATABLE VALUE ✓ ABTA & ATOL PROTECTED ✓ THE UK'S NO.1 INDEPENDENT CRUISE SPECIALIST

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Day 1 Fly from London to Ljubljana, Slovenia Upon arrival, be greeted by your Uniworld representative and be transferred to the InterContinental Ljubljana* for your FREE three night stay

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Day 3 Ljubljana, Slovenia ★Lake Bled★ A popular day trip destination from Ljubljana, Lake Bled offers a beautiful natural landscape with unique character. Surrounded by forest- covered mountains – upon which the imposing Bled Castle is perched – the expansive, strikingly blue lake feels preserved from the outside world ★Featured Excursion*: Lake Bled with Bee Farm Visit

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CASH/ROUTE	15TH JUL 2027	12TH AUG 2027	2ND SEP 2027
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57

Weather

Today Showery rain in northern and western Scotland. Sunny spells elsewhere. Max 27C (81F), min 7C (45F)

Around Britain

Max of the year, in Britain, in the year, are earthly cloudy, the dust, in the, for the, in that, overcast, in rains, in the water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water, in water

	Temp. C		Rain mm	Sun hr( ^{1} )
	miles, average		litres in feet	min
Aberdeen	18	4	2.0	4.7
Allegorid	17	4	0.0	9.2
Andernes	17	4	0.0	7.6
Andernes	14	4	9.2	2.8
Barnclayle	19	PC	0.0	---
Bedford	20	4	0.0	---
Bedford	19	4	0.0	8.6
Birmingham	21	PC	0.0	---
Beavenworth	22	PC	0.0	5.8
Bridlington	16	4	0.0	---
Bristol	19	PC	0.0	10.2
Camberne	18	4	0.0	8.8
Cardiff	19	4	1.4	10.4
Edinburgh	19	4	0.0	2.3
Edinburgh	14	4	1.4	8.3
Glasgow	17	PC	0.2	8.0
Horsford	17	4	0.0	---
Hertfordshire	14	PC	0.0	8.3
Horsfield	14	4	0.0	6.2
Isle of Man	17	4	0.2	2.5
Isle of Wight	17	4	0.0	---
Jersey	17	PC	0.0	11.0
Knoxick	17	4	0.0	---
Kittles	14	4	0.0	5.6
Leeds	14	4	0.0	---
Lincoln	14	4	0.0	6.0
Lincoln	14	4	0.4	6.7
Lincoln	14	4	0.0	5.8
Liverpool	17	M	1.0	---
London	20	4	0.0	6.7
Lowdown	20	4	0.0	6.5
Manchester	17	4	2.4	5.2
Maryala	17	4	0.0	1.9
Milford Haven	20	PC	0.0	---
Newcastle	17	4	0.0	---
Nottingham	17	4	0.0	4.5
Orkney	11	D	1.4	---
Oxford	20	4	0.0	---
Plymouth	21	4	0.0	---
Portland	19	PC	0.0	---
Scilly, St Mary's	21	4	0.0	---
Shenham	21	PC	0.0	4.9
Shrensbury	16	4	0.0	6.5
Snowdenia	14	D	1.0	---
Southend	20	4	0.0	8.7
South Hitt	15	4	7.2	---
Stowoway	20	4	1.4	8.0
Trent	20	4	1.4	8.0
Wickhaven	19	4	0.2	2.3
Wick	20	4	1.4	---
Yewellton	20	PC	0.0	6.6

The world

All readings have been a yesterday

Alicante	21 PC	Madeira	28 PC
Beckingham	22 PC	Master	30
Althens	21 S	Malaga	26 S
Auckland	—	Mallory	31 PC
Baknala	20 S	Malta	31 PC
Bangkok	21 PC	Melbourne	31
Barbados	21 PC	Mexico City	31
Barcelona	32 PC	Miami	29
Beijing	—	Milan	30
Beirut	—	Mombasa	28 PC
Belgrade	37	Montreal	27 PC
Berlin	—	Moscow	26
Bermuda	30 PC	Munibud	27
Bonhoux	26	Munich	21
Brussels	25	Nairobi	22
Bucharest	25	Naples	34
Budapest	26	New Orleans	32
Buenos Aires	—	New York	27
Cairo	—	New York	27
Calcutta	—	Nicosia	33 PC
Cameron	13 PC	Oslo	19 PC
Cape Town	15	Perth	23
Chicago	27	Perth	20
Copenhagen	23 PC	Prague	20
Corky	26 PC	Rockland	17
Delhi	—	Riga	17
Dubai	45	Rio de Janeiro	5
Dublin	13	Riyadh	—
Fara	27	Rome	—
Florence	36	San Francisco	2
Frankfurt	27	Santiago	—
Geneva	30 PC	São Paulo	27
Gibraltar	28	Seoul	30
Helsinki	22	Southfield	29 PC
Hong Kong	25 PC	Singapore	31
Hongkong	—	St Petersburg	31
Istanbul	32	Stockholm	—
Jerusalem	23 PC	Sydney	—
Johannesburg	25	Tel Aviv	33 PC
Kuala Lumpur	30 PC	Swanella	29 PC
Kyiv	—	Tokyo	29
Laecyra	28 PC	Vancouver	20
Las Palmas	29 PC	Vienna	—
Lima	22 Oct	Vienna	35
Lisbon	30	Viarese	31
Los Angeles	24 PC	Washington	26
Luxor	30	Zurich	—

Five days ahead

Showers or longer spells at times in the north and west. Dry and very warm or hot in the southeast

Tomorrow

Outbreaks of rain in northern and western Scotland and Ireland, heavy at times. Dry earth sunny spells in northeastern Scotland, England and Wales. Wet in southwest England.

Sunday

Methy rains in northern England, Wales and Ireland through the morning. Turning brighter with showers in the afternoon. Dry in southern England, Szechline and plaster on Scotland. Max 10C, min 8C

Monday

Showers or longer spells of rain in northern and western Scotland, northern Ireland and the far eastmost of England. Dry elsewhere with spells of sunshine.

Tuesday

Clouds in the far west of Ireland and the far northwest of Scotland with the chance of some light rain. Dry in other areas with plenty of sunshine.

Max 10C, min 39C

Wednesday

Earthy clouds in Ireland and western Scotland with the chance of a showers. Sunny spells with the chance of a founders afternoon shower in Wales and northern England. Dry elsewhere. Max 34C, min 10C

The Times weather page is provided by

WeatherQuest

General situation: Showery rain in northern and western Scotland. A small chance of an isolated shower in northern England and the north of Ireland. Sunny spells elsewhere. London, SE Eng, E Anglia, S Wales, SW Eng, Midlands, Channel ts, E Eng: A dry day with lengthy spells of sunshine. Light and variable winds. Maximum 27C (81F), minimum 7C (45F).

N Wales, NW Eng, Cen N Eng, IsM, Lake District, NE Eng: Sunny spells

with the chance of an isolated shower, especially in northwestern England. Gentle to moderate west or southwesterly winds. Maximum 25C (73F), minimum 7C (45F). N Ireland, Republic of Ireland: Sunny spells with the chance of a shower in the north. Dry with plenty of sunshine elsewhere. Gentle to moderate southwesterly winds. Maximum 23C (73F), minimum 9C (48F). SW Scotland, Borders, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee: Sunny spells

with the chance of an isolated shower in the morning. A cloudier afternoon with the chance of one or two showers, especially in Aberdeenshire and Fife. Gentle to moderate southwesterly winds. Maximum 20C (68F), minimum 10C (50F).

Glasgow, Cen Highland, NW Scotland, NE Scotland, Mocay Feth, Argyll, N Isles: Mostly cloudy with outbreaks of showery rain. Moderate to strong southwesterly winds. Maximum 19C (66F), minimum 11C (52F).

Tides

Total predictions. Heights in metres, 4M times in local time

Today		HI	HC
Aberdeen	38.12	3.7	21.04
Arsennooth	41.24	10.8	13.52
Bedford	35.39	3.1	10.29
Cardiff	31.48	10.1	11.56
Davenport	—	—	12.93
Dover	35.25	5.6	10.07
Dublin	36.21	3.6	19.07
Edinburgh	—	—	12.03
Greenock	36.40	3.1	19.08
Hornock	36.35	3.4	10.39
Hollywood	34.93	4.8	17.42
Hull	—	—	12.08
Leith	39.21	4.8	22.13
Liverpool	35.34	3.1	10.13
London Bridge	38.03	5.9	20.44
Lowestoft	34.15	2.2	16.21
Milford Haven	—	—	13.03
Morecambe	35.47	5.8	10.39
Newbanes	35.34	5.5	10.09
Newquay	—	—	12.01
Okan	—	—	12.28
Penzance	—	—	—
Portsmouth	36.13	4.0	10.53
Shenham	35.36	5.1	10.54
Southampton	35.09	3.9	17.42
Seacoosa	—	—	13.04
Tees	33.32	4.8	22.23
Weymouth	—	—	13.23

Synoptic situation

A series of thesis associated with an area of low pressure centred to the south of Ireland will bring showery rain to northern and western Scotland and the north of Ireland. An area of high pressure situated over the Celtic Sea will bring a largely dry day with plenty of sunshine to England, Wales, southern Ireland and southeastern Scotland.

Hights and lows

24hrs to 5pm yesterday Warnock: Thorney Street, West Sussex, 24,70 Caldwell: Carrington, 3,90 Whitfield: From Castle, Aberdeenshire, 45,2mm Sunnivolt: Jervsey, 12,8hrs

Sun and moon Far Greenwich Sun rises: 35.33 Sun sets: 21.92 Moon rises: 23.45 Moon sets: 17.57 Sat New moon: August 12

Hours of darkness

Aberdeen 21:39-06:51 Bedford 23:43-05:17 Birmingham 21:19-05:09 Cardiff 23:26-05:17 Exeter 21:19-05:21 Glasgow 21:42-05:05 Liverpool 21:37-05:10 London 21:00-05:05 Manchester 21:24-05:06 Newcastle 21:27-04:58 Newnich 21:07-04:55 Penzance 21:25-05:31 Sheffield 21:20-05:04

Weather Eye

Paul Simons

July had record heat and drought across England and Wales, and there was also another remarkable feature of the weather — it was the sunniest July on record in England and Wales. In fact, it was also the sunniest of any month of the year, an astonishing statistic.

The sun blazed down in largely blue skies, very often with hardly a wisp of cloud. This raises a question which many parents must dread from their children, "What makes the sky blue?"

Strangely, sunlight is actually white, a mixture of all the colours of the spectrum. But as the light passes through the Earth's atmosphere it becomes scattered by tiny particles in the air and even by the gas molecules of the air itself. When the atmosphere is very clean, the air only scatters the short wavelengths of light, giving blue and violet colours, while the other colours of the spectrum pass straight through without hindrance. As for the violet colour, that remains invisible to us because our eyes are not sensitive enough to see violet in the sky.

And what about the yellow, orange and red in the sky at dawn and sunset? That is when the sun is low in the sky and the sunlight has to travel through a far thicker slice of atmosphere. The blue light becomes so scattered that only the longer wavelengths of light pass through, giving the yellow, orange and red colours.

Interestingly, the blueness of the sky varies according to location. So, for example, the sky in the Greek islands is famously a deep blue, but skies over much of Europe are paler because of more dust particles and pollution, which scatters not only the blue light but also many of the other wavelengths of the spectrum, tending to make the sky appear a milky shade of blue.

On the other hand, from the tops of mountains the sky appears to be a deep blue because there is far less atmosphere there, and less scattering. Eventually, if you climb higher, all the blues in the sky disappear leaving only the blackness of space itself.

Speak directly to one of our forecasters on 09065 777675

Bam to 5pm daily (calls are charged at £1.55 plus network extras)

WeatherQuest

weatherquest.co.uk

Enjoy a spectacular concert like no other courtesy of the Dutch maestro, André Rieu, in his idyllic hometown of Maastricht. Joined by his Johann Strauss Orchestra, choir and soloists - as well as celebrity guests - André takes to the stage for a series of his famous summer shows on Vrijthof Square.

Board the Eurostar from London St. Pancras to Brussels, then by coach into the Netherlands for a three-night stay in Eindhoven, Veldhoven or Helmond. Admire Utrecht's marvellous architecture and captivating museums, explore historic Maastricht at your own pace or cruise the Meuse River ahead of an extraordinary evening with André Rieu at Vrijthof Square.

• Save 10% discount applies to select André Rieu Maastricht tour packages backed by August 31, 2026 and cannot be applied with space limits to bookings already confirmed. Office applies to select town only and cannot be combined with any office office. Exclusions apply. Prices shown include discount. Single supplement, apply. Prices cannot at time of print. These holidays are organized and operated by Newsmarkt Notdays Ltd, a company wholly independent of News UK. AEROT 5509. ATSL protected 2525. ARTA 67012. Standard phone charges apply.

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58

Sport

Muirhead aims for Olympic gold at 40

Former Team GB skip retired in 2022 after reaching 'rock bottom' but is ready to return, writes Elgan Alderman

Eve Muirhead is back in the house. The skip of the 2022 Olympic women's curling champions has reversed her retirement with a view to winning a second gold in 2030, in mixed doubles with Bobby Lammie.

Muirhead became only the third person, after Willie Jackson and Rhona Martin, to lead a British rink to Olympic victory. Team GB's only gold in Beijing marked an astonishing turnaround for Muirhead, who had reached 'rock bottom' in the build-up to the Games.

In her autobiography, Ice Queen, Muirhead explained how eighth place at the 2021 World Championships in Canada made her uncharacteristically candid with a doctor, on speakerphone, in her car, at Forthview Golf Range. 'I was at my lowest ebb, unrecognisable from the athlete talked about as a generational talent,' Muirhead wrote. She ended her prologue with her assertion to the doctor that she 'didn't want to be here'.

That result in Canada left Team GB at risk of not qualifying for Beijing. Muirhead's team had to come through a second event in the Netherlands in December. They did so and two months later they were Olympic champions. Given how Muirhead had felt nine months earlier, the final was a relief and a blur. She continued competing, becoming

Muirhead initially had 'zero regrets' about her decision to retire four years ago but will be competing in the mixed doubles

world mixed doubles champion with Lammie, and retired that summer at 32. 'I knew it was by far the right thing to do,' Muirhead, now 36, says. 'I have zero regrets in retiring.'

It was not quite Steve Redgrave granting the nation permission to shoot him if they saw him in a boat, only to win a sheepish fifth Olympic gold in Sydney. Muirhead sat out one cycle, though she was in Milano Cortina this year as Team GB's chef de mission. That role sounds like a shady side character in a James Bond novel, but involves tasks like letting the Olympic village

know the sink is leaking in the figure skaters' room.

Muirhead was on hand and in charge to witness Team GB's most golden Winter Olympics, with Matt Weston a double skeleton champion (singles, and doubles with Tabitha Stoecker) supported by the snowboarding team of Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale. 'I'm an expert now at skeleton,' Muirhead says. 'I was there when they won the gold. It was phenomenal.'

From the brink to the rink, Muirhead is an athlete again, dragged back to bonspiel life, her competitive edge rekindled. She has relocated from Scotland to England and will be able to train 'decentralised', as well as at the National Curling Academy in Stirling. Without the Flower Bowl in Preston — an entertainment centre

that offers crazy golf, shuffleboard and tenpin bowling as well as curling — Muirhead's return would not have been viable.

In retirement, Muirhead has been around curling but has barely played. 'I've played the odd club game, the odd charity event, but in the grand scheme of things, not much at all, which is absolutely fine with me,' she says. 'My body needed a break.'

That break has come in the form of Hyrox. A series of indoor fitness competitions that last over an hour, plus a penchant for marathons, doesn't seem like much of a break, but it means Muirhead is fitter than ever. She always was a woman of many talents: moving to England has weakened her prowess as a formerly scratch handicaper in golf, and she hasn't played bagpipes (she has

competed at world championships) since her brother's wedding in October.

Relocation has also taken her away from St Johnstone FC, though she keeps tabs on their results. Last season the Saints won the Championship and they beat Kilmarnock 4-3 last weekend in the opening round of the Premiership. Of more interest to Muirhead is the possibility of the chairman, Adam Webb, financing a new ice arena on the club's site at McDiarmid Park, after the facility at Dewars Centre was put under threat of closure.

As Britain endures another heatwave, it seems incongruous to be discussing curling, a sport most Britons believe exists on BBC for a week in February every four years. The World Curling Tour has a men's event in Switzerland next week. The national championships are in October, so Muirhead will quickly be able to test herself in a year that is not about 'chasing results and numbers'.

There is also the Rock League, which held its inaugural season in Toronto in April. Muirhead is the general manager of Team Alpine. Could she be more? 'I actually had a funny message from Alina Pätz, she's the captain of the team,' Muirhead says. 'She was like, 'Manager/player?''

As she announced her return in a string of media engagements, Muirhead's Olympic success was never far from a TV montage in the BBC studios. They are a reminder of the past, and a spur for 2030. 'Winning the Olympic Games is something that it's very hard to see what it's like until you've experienced it,' Muirhead says. 'It is something, of course, you would give anything to do again. Me being as determined, as competitive as I am, that's my ultimate goal.'

'I'm stepping into British curling when it's at a very, very high standard. The calibre of players within British curling just now is amazing. European, world champions, Olympic medallists. So it's going to be tough for me, but that's the way I want it.'

talkSPORT GREAT WREXPECTATIONS TWO CHAMPIONSHIP RIVALS KICK OFF THE NEW SEASON IN THE CARABAD CUP MIDDLESBROUGH WREXHAM TONIGHT 20:00 K.O talkSPORT ON RADIO ONLINE ON THE APP

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THE TIMES I Friday August 7 2026

59

Racing Sport

Haydock Park Rob Wright

5.42	Ancaster	7.26	Arthurban
6.18	DirectX Section	8.03	Valier Sovereign
6.33	Dean A. Ng (map)	8.38	Morton
Going: good
Drawn: 7m, low, low numbers best Racing TV
5.43	Havock Stakes (2 S(20: 1m 2f) (3)
(1)	C. ANESTER 10 (3) 9 Ragas 3-9 (1) Rhenpant
(2)	V. GOLDEN JACKET (1) T115 9-9 (4) H. Smith
(3)	C. TROPICAL SAMS (1) T1 9-9 (4) C. Lee
(4)	R. KNOX 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(5)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(6)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(7)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(8)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(9)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(10)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(11)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(12)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(13)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(14)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(15)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(16)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(17)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(18)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(19)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(20)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(21)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(22)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(23)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(24)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(25)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(26)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(27)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(28)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(29)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(30)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(31)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(32)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(33)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(34)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(35)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(36)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(37)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(38)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(39)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(40)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(41)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(42)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(43)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(44)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(45)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(46)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(47)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(48)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(49)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(50)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(51)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(52)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(53)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(54)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(55)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(56)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(57)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(58)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(59)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(60)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(61)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(62)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(63)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(64)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(65)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(66)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(67)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(68)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(69)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(70)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(71)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(72)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(73)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(74)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(75)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(76)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(77)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(78)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(79)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(80)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(81)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(82)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(83)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(84)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(85)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(86)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(87)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(88)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(89)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(90)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(91)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(92)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(93)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(94)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(95)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(96)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(97)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(98)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(99)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)
(100)	R. NIGHTS (1) 1-1 (1) 1-1 (1)

1.50	Hancock (2 S664: 1/1 1f)
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5.00	Hancock (2 S664: 1/1 1f)
6.00	Hancock (2 S664: 1/1 1f)
7.00	Hancock (2 S664: 1/1 1f)
8.00	Hancock (2 S664: 1/1 1f)
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60

Sport Rugby union

Collapsing case a bad look for sport already in trouble

Alex Lowe

Rugby Correspondent

Richard Boardman was the good guy. The former television producer rode into town in charge of his own law firm, promising brain scans for vulnerable former rugby players and a class action litigation to seek compensation from the RFU, WRU and World Rugby. Hundreds of players signed up, accus-

ing the governing bodies of negligence in their handling of concussion.

But six years later, the case is on the brink of collapse. Boardman has been ousted by the players as 430 of them — including Steve Thompson, Phil Vickery and Alix Popham — face the prospect of being struck out after

a judge criticised “widespread non-compliance” and “misleading evidence” provided by their solicitor.

The managing judge Senior Master Jeremy David Cook said that there was no legal precedent and he would consider the matter over the summer break, with a decision due by October.

World Rugby, the RFU and the WRU deny the claims against them and say that the court case prevents them from offering direct help, support or sympathy for the players involved. They never offered any great assistance before the process began so their present position feels a little convenient.

For a long time the governing bodies denied any causal link between concussion and brain injuries; a position that was informed and influenced by the discredited Australian scientist Paul McCrory, who was chairman of the Concussion In Sport Group (CISP). And critics question the independence of the research.

The NFL settled a billion-dollar concussion case in 2015, after which the RFU was asked whether rugby faced its own ticking time bomb. The governing body in England was adamant in 2014 that the “landscape of risk in retired players is not something we believe is a ticking time bomb in rugby union”.

Many of the players involved felt discarded by the game once their careers were over. “Who was there for me when I was stood on the edge of a cliff?” Neil Clark, the former Exeter Chiefs hooker, said. The stories are heart-rending. The players shared the same collection of symptoms: depression, relationship breakdowns and forgetfulness; often drinking too much and prone to losing their temper at the slightest provocation.

Scans and neurological tests arranged by Boardman confirmed brain damage with a range of diagnoses including early onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the progressive brain condition.

Popham, Thompson and Michael Lipman were the first high-profile players to go public. Jason Hobson, the one-cap England prop, was told he had six irreparable lesions on his brain. His involvement in the litigation is to try to secure any payment possible that would help to cover the costs when he ends up in a home.

Clark, Hobson’s childhood friend, received his diagnosis on the same day as his old mate. “I have a constant screaming in my ears. What the hell have we done?” he said. “I love what rugby gave me. But I hate what it has left me with.”

CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death. Last weekend Vickery, the warrior prop from England’s World Cup-winning team, talked about ending his own life so that his brain could be examined. It was a gut-punch of an interview in The Observer, giving a harrowing glimpse into the daily challenges of living with such a condition.

Vickery’s interview prompted Paul Pook, another former player involved in the litigation and the founder of Tackle Suicide, to

issue a reminder that the most important battle is not being fought in the courtroom. “This isn’t about who wins or loses in court. It’s about whether we lose more players,” Pook wrote. “While this case is being fought in the courtroom, another battle is being fought in the minds of some of the people at its centre.”

There are players involved in the litigation who still see Boardman as the good guy, a solicitor with noble intent who just became swamped by so many cases. He was drowned by the work as a small enterprise against an army of defence lawyers.

Popham thanked him for his “important” contribution — but also admitted that the case was too big and too complex for Boardman. Leigh Day, a company with greater experience and resources, is undertaking due diligence before deciding whether to take on the case.

Others are more sceptical about Boardman. There have been multiple red flags and it is a surprise that the players did not act earlier in seeking new representation. “They should have lost confidence a year ago,” Nina Goolamali, KC, representing World Rugby, said in court last month. “They should not have waited until the last moment.”

Brian Moore, the former England hooker and a qualified solicitor, questioned the players’ choice of representation. He wrote in The Telegraph: “Whether they like it or not, the claim-

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61

Sport

ANDREW MCCAREN FOR THE TIMES

Thompson, top, and Popham, left, are among those who were represented by Boardman, above, with the case on the verge of collapse after his exit

ants are in charge of this litigation and they instruct the lawyers, not the other way around."

Except, in this case, it has always felt like the other way around. Advertisements were placed encouraging players to sign up in a bid to grow the litigation.

Will Green, the former Wasps prop, was sued by Boardman's firm Rylands Garth after refusing to sign up. Green's initial scan, arranged by Boardman, indicated further investigation was required. Green visited a second expert on Harley Street who cleared him of early onset dementia. Rylands Garth sued Green for the costs of the first scans and lost.

That should have been a red flag to the players. The Times has spoken to another high-profile player who was in the same situation as Green and chose to pay about £12,000 to leave the litigation, rather than get entangled in a legal battle.

There were warning signs in every court hearing. In December 2023 Senior Master Cook denied an application from the claimants for a group litigation order (GLO), citing "a gaping hole" in the evidence.

The GLO requires that full medical records be shared with the defence so both sides can select their lead claimants to represent the whole group, allowing the case to proceed to trial.

Rylands Garth said it had provided reams of material. However, Senior Master Cook stated that sharing all records is crucial for the integrity of the process.

That was 2½ years ago. It has still not happened. Leigh Day's decision about taking over the case will be critical. If the case continues, there is the potential for unedifying scenes in which lawyers representing the sport grill former players on the stand, challenging them to prove that rugby caused their symptoms and not drinking or fighting or drugs or genetics or sheer bad luck.

The whole case has cast a shadow over rugby. Professional players play too many matches and there is merit in Popham's argument that contact training should be limited, as it is in the NFL.

But rugby schools are starting to introduce football into their programmes after listening to concerned parents. Steve Lancaster, the New Zealand Rugby chief executive, told The Times recently that the sport is not doing enough to counter a narrative of negativity as rugby strives to keep youth participation high.

Boys and girls do not play the same game as the professionals. The laws are different. The sport is not nearly as physical. After years of campaigning, concussion education in youth rugby is strong. And the kids all benefit from all that rugby has to offer — community, teamwork, friendship, confidence, fitness and discipline.

The perception of danger in youth rugby will linger, even if the players fail to win their case. And there are serious doubts now about whether they will.

Knowles buys into Pirates as they eye Prem

Will Kelleher

Television presenter Nick Knowles has invested in Champ Rugby side Cornish Pirates, who have designs on making the top flight in the next decade.

Knowles, inset, who made his name presenting the home improvements show DIY SOS, is a rugby fan and periodically attends Pirates matches at Mennaye Field. The club were bought by Welsh-Cornish pharmaceutical millionaire Richard Westnage in May and secured seven-figure funding from United States firm Stonewood Capital Management soon after. Now Knowles has joined and has pledged funds.

Sally Pettipher, the Pirates chief executive, told the BBC the investments will help get the club to a position where they can consider applying for a franchise spot in the Gallagher Prem. The top flight will be open to expansion teams in 2029-30, which may come too soon for Pirates, but they are ambitious.

"[This investment] is important, but it's not a lottery win," Pettipher said. "The ten-year development plan is a series of investments that gets us to be a top-of-Prem club."

In the Prem the Pirates would have to spend a minimum of £5 million on their squad, way above their present £800,000 a year. They have doubled their commercial revenue to £1.2 million in the past year.

All Blacks must be tested if old school tours are to survive

Will Kelleher

Deputy Rugby Correspondent

This week in Cape Town, the spirit of Llanelli — and Max Boyce — is alive and well. John Dobson, the Stormers head coach, is a historian of the game — inspired by his father, Paul, the late author and journalist — and so in typical fashion is rousing his team for their shot at the All Blacks on Friday with tales of 1972 and 1976.

This week he played his squad Boyce's 9-3 ditty, commemorating the day Llanelli beat New Zealand by that score 54 years ago, "and how the pubs ran dry".

Western Province had their own day of lore against the All Blacks in 1976, when they came back from 11-0 down to win 12-11 in the last minute thanks to tries from Bossie Clarke and Chris Pope, with Robbie Blair kicking a conversion from the right at Newlands to seal the win. An All Blacks team featuring greats like Ian Kirkpatrick and Bryan Williams were downed by a club side — could that feat really be repeated in the modern age?

Dobson invited Peter Whipp, the iconic '76 Western Province centre, and Clarke to present jerseys to the Stormers team this week and hammer home the importance of these traditions, as they prepare for the first match of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour against New Zealand in Cape Town tonight.

1976 was an evocative year in South Africa. We had the Soweto riots and an All Blacks tour that shouldn't have gone ahead [due to the apartheid regime in South Africa]," Dobson tells The Times, before his attempt to make fresh history, half a century later. "We [Western Province] didn't play them in 1996. To go from 50 years to a few hours away is remarkable."

At The Times we are preparing a special Rack podcast series tracking the history of South Africa-New Zealand clashes — through racism, rebellion and readmission — to launch before the Test series, which begins at Ellis Park on August 22. We have called it Rugby's Greatest Rivals, a play on the official, trademarked name for this back-to-the-future tour, which itself has been borrowed from a fantastic book written by Dobson Sr, the historian, titled Rugby's Greatest Rivalry, tracking the story from 1921 to 1995.

How well matches like tonight's go is vital.

Money is why we are really here. New Zealand and South Africa are envious of the British & Irish Lions, which props up their, and Australia's, rugby economy once every 12 years when the touring side visits.

They wanted to find a way of milking that cash cow for themselves, so they struck out on their own, to print "the biggest ticket that hadn't been sold for 30 years", as one executive puts it.

Talk of reviving tours between the countries once every four years began in 2023. To make it happen, the Rugby Championship has been mothballed

this year, and for 2030, when South Africa will tour New Zealand.

With both rivals on the breadline thanks to "galloping" costs and a disparate rugby landscape, the fees became commercial friends.

"We've been accused of greed, but greed is defined as wanting more of something you have — we both have debt, we want less of it," a South African source says.

The old-school touring has sponsors falling over themselves to be involved. The fourth Test in Baltimore — that hotbed of All Blacks-Springbok history — will sell out easily, and put both countries front of the queue when World Rugby is handing out profits from the 20/31 World Cup in the United States. When the All Blacks played in Chicago against Ireland in November, it brought them their highest match-day revenue outside a Lions game.

They want to keep massaging their brand Stateside, and for Baltimore to beat that. Neither New Zealand nor South Africa can get near the circa £15 million the RFU makes out of a top men's Test at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, so this tour is one way of keeping step.

Yet sport lives and dies by its on-field competitiveness. Jeopardy and intrigue is practically guaranteed by the Test series but, as we are finding with Lions tours, the realities of professionalism and player welfare mean that midweek

touring matches can become increasingly difficult sells. The hosts protect their Test players, the touring squad hammers the hapless club side and learns little. Big sponsors will drift if half of these weeks on tour are not special.

Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and the Lions must, by this year's touring agreement, pick their "strongest possible" line-ups. Tonight's Stormers team is good, despite being shorn of ten Springboks — including fly half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who starts at No.10 for South Africa in Argentina tomorrow.

Beauden Barrett is a star name in the All Blacks team, but the captain, Ardie Savea, is being saved for the Tests.

Tickets at DHL Stadium will cost three times more than they would for a URC match, but 40,000 are expected to go. There will be far fewer at Kings Park, in Durban, for the Sharks match next Tuesday and it could be sparse at Ellis Park when the Lions have their go between the first and second Tests.

"This tour will help define who New Zealand are next year at the World Cup," Joel Stransky, the South African 1995 World Cup winner, tells The Times. "They are not physically able to stand up to South Africa week in, week out, because they're not accustomed to playing at that physical level in Super Rugby. This tour will help them, and I hope it does because world rugby needs the All Blacks to be strong."

There are pressures on the South African franchise teams to make this whole thing sing.

"If we get this right it'll be really good for this model, but if the midweek games become like the British & Irish Lions ones in 2021 and we all take 40, 50 points — if someone doesn't topple the All Blacks, or the tour doesn't have a few scares — then I think it's the end of this touring concept," Dobson says.

Stormers v New Zealand Cape Town tonight, 6pm TV: Sky Sports Mix

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62

Sport Football

Infantino refuses to resign – how will he be brought down?

Leadership of Fifa still a concern for Jordan's FA

Fifa president may try to ride out the anger directed at him but his opponents have options, writes Martyn Ziegler

Is it a surprise that Gianni Infantino is refusing to resign as Fifa president?

Not really. The amount of criticism of him and his World Cup sell-off plan from within football is unprecedented in Fifa's history, but he believes he still has a small chance of turning his fortunes around. It is also the case that without the Fifa presidency, and his $6 million [about £4.5 million] annual salary and bonus, Infantino is a nobody: no private jet, no mingling with world leaders and celebrities, no one desperate to please him; no police escort when he is driven in a limousine to meetings. It is likely that in Infantino's mind, he will think that it is worth bearing all the anger and venom directed at him, and the humiliation of his failed scheme, if it means he can continue in his role.

How will L'afa's insistence on boycotting Fifa's competitions play out?

The Fifa Under-20 women's World Cup is due to take place in Poland in September, while the women's World Cup qualifiers involving European sides are due to take place in October. If those two are threatened, that would be a huge problem for Fifa to deal with, and would certainly trigger a new crisis for Infantino.

What if he still refuses to resign?

There is a presidential election in March and if he survives until then he is sure to face a challenger — until this crisis it had been assumed he would be re-elected unopposed. The challenger would be someone seen as a unifying force across the opposition to Infantino, but is unlikely to be European as there is a strong feeling that in Infantino, and previously Sepp Blatter, Europe has had its chance and failed.

Are there any likely candidates?

Victor Montagliani, the Canadian who is the president of Concacaf, which represents federations in north and central America and the

Infantino, right, with Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom, left, during a women's Afcon game in Morocco this week

Caribbean, is a possibility. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, senior figure in beIN Sport and chairman of European Football Clubs is another. Some figures in football would support Kevin Lamour, the Frenchman who is No.3 in Fifa and who last week distanced himself from Infantino, or Lise Klaveness, the campaigning head of the Norwegian FA.

Do players have a view on Infantino?

Fifpro, the international players' union, has very strong views despite signing a new memorandum of understanding with Infantino during the World Cup. It has said in a

statement: "Fifa Forward Enterprise [the sell-off plan] is gone. The abuse of power that produced it is not. Governance reforms, not a cover-up, are urgently needed. It is a profound abuse of presidential power."

The statement adds: "We also note Fifa's warning that it 'will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity'. Let us be clear: scrutiny of football's governance is not an attack. It is the duty of everyone who sustains the game."

Where does Infantino's support lie now?

Africa has been his traditional powerbase and where he hopes to recover lost ground. It is no

coincidence that he arranged to have next year's presidential election in Rabat — Morocco are perhaps his greatest supporters. Indeed, last night, the Confederation of African Football threw its weight behind the embattled president. A statement read: "The CAF EXCO also unanimously reconfirmed its support for Fifa president Gianni Infantino and thanked him for his support for African football over the years."

What else could trigger his resignation?

If the sponsors start getting cold feet — and they will be very concerned by all the negative publicity around Fifa — then that could prove telling.

CONTINUED FROM BACK

for his future as Fifa president — Canada was one of the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, the president of Jordan's FA and one of the most influential figures in Asian football, has said "serious concerns" around Fifa's leadership remain despite overdue funds suddenly being sent by Fifa.

Prince Ali said money that the association should have received eight months ago mysteriously appeared 48 hours after he criticised Fifa for "blackmail".

The prince — the half-brother of Jordan's king Abdullah II — said this week that Infantino's aides had suggested during the World Cup the funds would be paid if he endorsed the Fifa president for re-election.

The funds, due from the Fifa Arab Cup in December, have now been paid but Prince Ali, who ran against Infantino for the Fifa presidency in 2016, said: "This was funding that should have been received eight months ago.

"While this is a good development for our players, it does not change the serious concerns we in the football world have regarding the Fifa leadership, nor does it change what our FAs have been subjected to in the past.

"It is symptomatic of those exact difficulties that we all face, and that are usually linked to the Fifa presidential elections. And it does not change my clear position concerning the leadership of Fifa: my FA and I will not endorse president Infantino, nor will we vote for him."

In a letter to Fifa Council members, Infantino said he wanted to "restore confidence in the organisation".

He added: "We acknowledge mistakes were made in the process of the proposed establishment of Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE).

"We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to media. We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again."

Infantino also issued veiled threats about criticism of Fifa.

The letter adds: "With the project withdrawn, Fifa will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity, good governance and due process and will take all necessary measures to protect and safeguard its name and reputation."

Blow for Arsenal as Vinícius Jr will be staying in Madrid

Gary Jacob

Arsenal will have to go back to the drawing board to sign a top left winger after Vinícius Jr agreed a new six-year deal with Real Madrid.

The Premier League champions had been attempting to exploit Vinícius's contract with the Spanish club, which he had run down to its final year.

However, at a meeting on Wednesday the Brazil forward accepted a salary increase, after tax, from £12.8 million to about £20.5 million with bonuses, despite it being less than the £25.7 million he initially wanted. The contract extension should be finalised this week.

"Vinícius Jr has become one of the

most important players in one of the most successful periods in our history," Real said in a statement.

Arsenal offered a similar financial package to encourage the 26-year-old to reject Real's proposal, which would likely have forced the Spanish club to sell him this month.

Instead, he becomes the second winger Arsenal have missed out on in the summer window, having been unwilling to pay £117 million for Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea from Aston Villa last month.

Arsenal have been willing to spend big on elite players to support Mikel Arteta's desire to go to "a different dimension". Arteta wants to close the gap to European rivals such as

Vinícius Jr has agreed a six-year deal to stay with Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated them on penalties in the Champions League final.

Vinícius was the calibre of player Arteta had in mind and would have joined Bruno Guimarães, his Brazil team-mate, who is expected to be announced by Arsenal within 48 hours.

Vinícius has won two Champions Leagues with Real and was runner-up in the Ballon d'Or two years ago. He

scored 22 goals and claimed 14 assists across all competitions last season. He scored four goals in five matches at the World Cup.

Arteta has been trying to strengthen Arsenal's left flank for two years, making unsuccessful moves for Raphinha, Nico Williams and Leroy Sané. This summer, they have explored a deal for France winger Bradley Barcola but, with Liverpool also interested, PSG have dug their heels in over their £128 million valuation.

Arsenal are also searching for a centre back and potentially a forward. Arteta's main target has been Julian Alvarez, hoping that Atletico Madrid refuse to sell the Argentina forward to Barcelona.

Rangers pay price for poor defending in European loss

Rangers paid the price for sloppy defending as they let slip an early lead to lose 2-1 to Jagiellonia Bialystok in Poland in the first leg of their Europa League qualifying tie.

Derek McInnes's first European tie as Rangers manager got off to a dream start when Guilherme Montóia turned a Tour Rommens cross into his own net after four minutes. Kajetan Szmyt levelled in the 13th minute with a preventable goal before adding a second eight minutes later after more defensive slackness from the Scottish side.

Rangers dominated the second half, with substitute Findlay Curtis crashing a shot off the post in stoppage time, but will have to turn the tie around at Ibrox next week.

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63

Sport

'It's like speed dating' – on tour with new boss Jaissle

Martin Hardy

Northern Sports Correspondent, La Manga

Pitchside in sweltering 36C heat in southeast Spain, Matthias Jaissle looks ready to model Newcastle United's new grey Adidas training range: immaculately groomed, perfectly coiffed hair and, without doubt, gymnasium-familiar.

It is officially day two in the job for the 38-year-old German coach after the announcement on Wednesday evening that the endless paperwork sent through from Al-Ahli, his former (and bitter) club, had been worked through by Newcastle's lawyers and signed off.

To his left on the training fields of La Manga are a group of athletes that he has to bring together, after a summer of huge change, and prepare to face Liverpool at St James' Park on the first weekend of the Premier League season in less than three weeks.

In front of him at that moment, however, at 10.30am local time is a sweating, slightly flustered gaggle of about a dozen journalists from northeast England. The contrast is stark.

Welcome to Newcastle.

Jaissle, a 6ft 2in former defender who retired early because of injury, addresses the group. "It's been intense for the players," he says. "It will be high energy, we have done double sessions each day. It's been tough. Today will be calmer."

Beside him is a member of the club staff with grey hair. "Yours will go that colour in two years in this job," he is told, jocularly.

"I'm more worried about it falling out," he replies. It appears one of few concerns.

Perhaps we should rewind here.

Three weeks ago the idea, here at the Grand Hyatt La Manga Golf Club & Spa, was to spend time with and then interview Eddie Howe. Yet that ship, unbeknown to just about everybody at Newcastle, was setting sail. Howe agreed to stay on as head coach until his successor was in place. He told those at the club that there would probably be an uplift in training when he left; five years is a long time at a club.

Still, the confidence of those employed to keep Newcastle's players

at peak fitness is noticeable. "The early signs are amazing," James Bunce, Newcastle's respected performance director, says. "The staff integration, everyone standing up together. You've got no time to waste, so every moment counts. It's like speed dating.

"We spoke when we introduced Matthias and his staff about how the Liverpool game is not moving. We all need to be on the same path, get to know each other, ask questions, collaborate and integrate."

Jaissle's real work on the training ground comes after an increasingly perspiring press pack leave, and a football club keen to show their new head coach at work begin to release videos. Then it is business.

"Guys, that's the rules," Jaissle tells a group of players he first met on Saturday, "understand it straight away."

Players race one another, tackles fly in. "If it is a sliding tackle that is needed to block, block," the head coach says, before clapping his hands together. "Don't lose!" A stopwatch hangs around his neck. Liverpool are 17 days away.

Newcastle sources insist they had tracked Jaissle for a month. It was a surprise when he moved to Saudi Arabia, having won two league titles in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg. This move was not foreseen either. Al-Ahli had just signed Francisco Trincko and Eduard Spertsyan after finishing third in the Saudi Pro League last season. Jaissle leaving now was not part of their programme, but ambition drips from the German.

He played for Thomas Tuchel as a teenager in Stuttgart's youth teams and then for Ralf Rangnick at Hoffenheim. When he had to retire in his mid-twenties because of knee and achilles injuries, he began coaching, starting as an assistant at Leipzig. His style as a coach is about high, intense pressing and now he is a man in a hurry to get Newcastle playing his way.

"Always front foot, really aggressive, intense, vertical in our approach of how we want to play football and I think that is the perfect fit for Newcastle," he says in a club video after his appointment.

Bruno Guimarães, Newcastle's club captain, confirmed to Jaissle at the start of the week that he no longer felt

committed to the club and wanted to move to Arsenal. Guimarães said his farewells to his team-mates before flying to London on Wednesday. The Brazil midfielder was in tears at the end of his leaving speech and the players started singing his name. His transfer will be confirmed when Arsenal say so.

Jaissle will talk about Guimarães later, at The Last Green Tapas & Cocktail Bar, when perched on a stool. There are no chairs. It feels claustrophobic. It lasts ten minutes.

"One day I met him [Guimarães] quickly, but the decision was already made," Jaissle says. "It was a nice conversation, a fantastic player, but also a great human being. It's tough. We trust the players who are here already, but... when the season starts we will see some more new faces."

He uses the phrase "transition phase"

five times, but is mystified that Newcastle are now spoken about as being in a potential relegation fight. "Many players [have] left, big, big players, legends for the club left, but we need to see it as a chance, not having too many excuses now, just thinking forward [of] what we can influence," he says.

He is asked if the target is ultimately to break into the Premier League's big six, a group it feels Newcastle are slipping away from, nearly five years after they were bought by the richest owners in world football. "You asked that already once before," he replies, laughing. "So it's a long, long journey, right?"

"It's for me the most important thing that you just do your best every day and get the best out of the players, try to improve them, support them, give them also the courage to grow, and that's now the phase where we're in."

Age of PL managers

Fabian Hürzeler
	33
PL games* 76	Senior games* 76
Matthias Jaissle
	38
PL games* 0	Senior games* 248
Álvaro Arbeloa
	43
PL games* 0	Senior games* 47
Gary O'Neil
	43
PL games* 88	Senior games* 127
Andoni Iraola
	44
PL games* 114	Senior games* 341
Mikel Arteta
	44
PL games* 248	Senior games* 353
Xabi Alonso
	44
PL games* 0	Senior games* 272
Michael Carrick
	45
PL games* 19	Senior games* 156
Keith Andrews
	45
PL games* 38	Senior games* 45
Enzo Maresca
	46
PL games* 57	Senior games* 159
Roberto De Zerbi
	47
PL games* 77	Senior games* 470
Pierre Sage
	47
PL games* 0	Senior games* 96
Frank Lampard
	48
PL games* 104	Senior games* 278
Sergej Jakirovic
	49
PL games* 0	Senior games* 290
Daniel Farke
	49
PL games* 87	Senior games* 684
Marco Rose
	49
PL games* 0	Senior games* 403
Régis Le Bris
	50
PL games* 38	Senior games* 169
Oliver Glasner
	51
PL games* 89	Senior games* 503
Unai Emery
	54
PL games* 190	Senior games* 1,122
David Moyes
	63
PL games* 754	Senior games* 1,211

as manager *as manager, all clubs

Barcelona ready to rival Real Madrid in race to sign Rodri from City

Charlotte Duncker

Barcelona have entered the race to sign Rodri as they look to beat their rivals Real Madrid to a deal for the Manchester City midfielder.

Real had been confident they would be able to land the 30-year-old for £40 million but they now face competition from their La Liga rivals for the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner.

Rodri would like to move back to his home country for family reasons and while he was open to a transfer to

Madrid, a switch to Barcelona has not been ruled out after they made contact to confirm their interest.

Barcelona are pushing to sign the striker Julián Álvarez from Atletico Madrid but would look to strengthen in midfield, especially given the knee injury picked up by Frenkie de Jong a couple of weeks ago.

While there has been no formal offer made to the player, or to City, the Spanish champions are keeping a close eye on the situation and are ready to rival Real for Rodri's signature.

While City would like the linchpin of their midfield to stay, he has only one year left on his deal, so they risk losing him on a free transfer next summer if he fails to agree fresh terms before then.

After his World Cup-winning exploits with Spain, including being named player of the tournament, Rodri has been recovering from minor back surgery, which he underwent a couple of weeks ago. He had the procedure to address persistent discomfort and is expected back in Manchester next

week to begin his pre-season and join up with the rest of the squad, who are on tour in Asia.

Enzo Maresca has already signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a club-record £116 million and City are working on a deal to bring the Morocco star Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, to the Etihad Stadium from Lille.

In addition to Rodri, there is a chance that both Tijjani Reijnders and Nico González could leave City, with Forest having already registered their interest in Reijnders. It is likely that City would

look to strengthen in the middle of the pitch should there be more departures in that area.

Meanwhile, James Trafford, the England goalkeeper, has become Leeds United's record signing after joining from Manchester City in a deal worth £40 million, plus add-ons.

Trafford, 23, has signed a five-year deal to become Leeds' third significant signing of the summer, after the arrival of free agent Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic, the Bosnia-Herzegovina centre back.

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64

Sport Cricket

This squad reflects the troubled state that England are in

Mike Atherton

Chief Cricket Correspondent

The squad for the opening two Tests of the Pakistan series is a reminder that upheaval rarely accompanies a settled and successful team. Had England been winning, no doubt Brendon McCullum would still be in situ, and possibly Ben Stokes, but results had run away from them and they left England's Test team in a troubled state, as this enlarged 16-man squad suggests.

England are a lowly seventh in the World Test Championship, one place above Pakistan. The table is a reminder of the scheduling challenges that are particular to England, given the amount of Test cricket they play, and how much store England supporters set by the Test team. Compare the 13 matches played by England so far, for example, with second-placed South Africa's four.

Test cricket, for England at least, remains the biggest driver of finances, reputation and standing. In the past few months, every match had become a referendum on Bazball, which is why a change to a new coach was welcome; it should enable a little more breathing space to allow players to develop without the accompanying drama that had developed around the two alpha males, McCullum and Stokes.

There is plenty to do. Naming 16 players, usually the size of a touring party, reflects partly on the challenges for the quicker bowlers transitioning out of the Hundred, but also on the uncertainty around the Test team. In a nod to the first of those issues, there are a lot of seam bowlers selected, with Brydon Carne's return and places for Matthew Fisher and Sam Cook, all of whom are likely to miss out on final selection.

Root's presence in the middle order is one of this England side's strengths

Whatever combination they put out, it will have an unproven opening pair, a new No 3, an unproven No 6 and either a specialist spinner picked on hope or a part-time option. The strengths are Joe Root and Harry Brook in the middle order, and a decent fast-bowling cohort. Sam Curran, once fit, is certain to return.

The headline selections first of all. There is an opportunity at No 3 for Jordan Cox because of the knee injury to Jacob Bethell that will keep him out of the series. Cox is a very talented player for whom untimely injuries have limited his opportunities. He has rarely batted in that position in first-class cricket, though, just twice in one match seven years ago, though he opened far more frequently than that for Kent before his move to Essex.

England are well placed for attacking middle-order players and fast bowlers, but proven top-order batsmen and spinners are much scarcer. Given the

England squad for Test series v Pakistan

	Age	Tests	Runs	Bat ave	100s	Wkts	Bowl ave
Jofra Archer (Sussex)	31	20	293	10.10	0	71	28.97
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)	28	18	513	19.73	1	79	23.27
Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire)	22	21	106	7.57	0	71	39.42
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)	27	38	3,395	53.04	10	1	123.00
Brydon Carne (Durham)	31	14	357	17.85	0	58	30.18
Sam Cook (Essex)	29	1	0	0	0	1	119.00
Jordan Cox (Essex)	25	1	52	26.00	0	-	-
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)	31	46	3,320	40.00	7	-	-
Matthew Fisher (Surrey)	28	2	50	50.00	0	6	31.83
Emilia Gay (Durham)	26	3	139	23.16	0	-	-
Dan Lawrence (Surrey)	29	14	671	26.84	0	3	44.33
Ollie Pope (Surrey)	28	64	3,732	34.55	9	-	-
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)	32	21	440	14.66	0	83	21.91
Joe Root (Yorkshire, captain)	35	166	14,114	50.58	41	74	48.09
1 Jamie Smith (Surrey)	26	22	1,087	39.62	2	-	-
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)	28	12	68	4.85	0	57	29.56

First Test: Aug 19-23 (Headingley). Second: Aug 27-31 (Lord's). Third: Sept 9-13 (Edgbaston).

injuries that have limited his chances so far, Cox will be eager to take his opportunity wherever it comes. He will hope to make a better fist of it than Dan Lawrence did when miscast as an opening batsman against Sri Lanka in 2024, inadvertently demonstrating just how difficult batting against the new ball can be.

Lawrence now gets a welcome opportunity at No 6, as someone who can also bowl serviceable spin. The first two matches, at Headingley and Lord's, will be played at venues where spin has had little effect in recent years and Lawrence is likely to be the main spin option as well if conditions turn out as expected. He is a far better batsman than his brief, skittish appearance as an opener against Sri Lanka suggested. He may have felt the pressure to play in a certain way too, which should subside under the new coaching set-up.

Lawrence is the second leading runscorer in Division One of the County Championship, having made nearly 800 runs for Surrey, with five centuries. But the schedule dims a little of that relevance: he has not played a first-class match since mid-June, when he made 8 and 0 against Glamorgan (he

made a double hundred the game before) and has made one half-century in short-form cricket since then. Like everyone else, he will have to adjust rapidly back to first-class cricket after a month of the Hundred.

That Lawrence may end up as the principal spinner if four seamers are wanted suggests the state

England are in with spin. Lawrence has nine wickets at an average of 71 this campaign for Surrey, numbers that are skewed by the general freshness of the pitches at the Oval for first-class cricket this year, while Shoaib Bashir, retained here, has bowled ten overs for Derbyshire since the last Test against New Zealand. It is telling if England's first-choice spinner is struggling to get in Derbyshire's 50-over team.

That match against Sri Lanka in 2024, Lawrence's last in England colours, was when the Bazball project started to go wrong: it was three days before that game that McCullum's brief was extended to take in the white-ball role; the inclusion of Josh Hull suggested a selection environment that had become too carried away with its own cleverness, and defeat by eight wickets, having been 140 for one on the first day, demonstrated a lack of due care and attention.

Ollie Pope was captain in that match and scored the sixth of his nine Test hundreds so far. His decline since the last of those hundreds coincided with ten Tests against India and Australia and resulted in his dropping after the Ashes. Now he has been brought back, albeit as a spare batsman/wicketkeeper. Pope's return gives a clue to what they are thinking as back-up to Jamie Smith with a winter tour to South Africa looming.

Pope's return is not good news for James Rew, who fluffed his opportunity

against New Zealand. There were two routes into this squad for Rew, as No 3 (taken by Cox) or the spare batsman-cum-wicketkeeper (Pope), but he has been ignored after a poor match with gloves and bat on debut. No player should ever be judged on one match alone — Cook's return to the squad after one poor Test against Zimbabwe is a reminder of that — but first impressions count and Rew did not make a good one.

Although Stephen Fleming, the new coach, does not take up his responsibilities until the autumn, he joined these selection meetings remotely and had a little input. Many have expressed a degree of unhappiness that he does not start sooner, although taking some time to get his feet under the table, to watch and then consider what needs to be done with the team and the coaching staff is no bad thing. As this squad suggests, he has a lot of work to do.

Curran is in line for recall – when fit

CONTINUED FROM BACK

championship this season with 788, at an average of 65.66.

Lawrence has not played a Test since September 2024 and was not part of England's Ashes squad but his inclusion gives England an option for a spinning all-rounder to bat in the lower middle order as they look at how they balance the side after the retirement of Ben Stokes. The 29-year-old will bat at No 6, with the wicketkeeper Jamie Smith returning to No 7, having batted

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65

Sport

one spot higher during the New Zealand series.

Cox, 25, made his Test debut batting at No.7, coming into the side for the second Test against New Zealand when Stokes and Gus Atkinson were both suspended after the late-night incident at a Chelsea nightclub.

He was supposed to make his debut in 2024 when he was due to keep wicket in New Zealand with Smith on paternity leave, only to break his finger in the nets on the eve of the first Test, which allowed Bethell to come in to make his debut at No.3. Cox has batted at No.3 in only one first-class match, having opened in 30 innings.

Marcus North, England's head selector, has revealed that the Surrey all-rounder Sam Curran is in line for a Test recall for the third match of the Pakistan series, and only missed out on selection for the first two Tests because of concerns around his fitness.

Curran, 28, has not played a Test match since 2021.

"With the retirement of Ben Stokes, it's quite clear that he provided us with a certain balance in the team," North said. "Sam Curran is certainly a player of interest for us. Sam has had a really heavy workload this summer, playing a tremendous amount of cricket. We don't feel physically he's quite right there, and I think it would be unfair to put him into these first two Tests."

The Essex seam bowler Sam Cook has also earned a recall, having made his debut against Zimbabwe last summer but not featured since. Durham's Brydon Carse has also been included.

The squad has been named for the first two Tests against Pakistan, at Headingley and Lord's, and this will be Joe Root's first series in charge since being reappointed as red-half captain. Marcus Trescothick, England's assistant coach, will take the reins for this

series because the new permanent head coach, Stephen Fleming, has family commitments in New Zealand. North said that Fleming had been fully involved in the selection decisions.

Brendon McCullum, the man Fleming replaced as Test head coach, has backed the appointment of his former team-mate.

"I think Flem will be excellent," McCullum, speaking for the first time since Fleming's appointment, said. "He's a little bit like me but better."

Ollie Robinson, who returned to the Test side for the first time in two years at the start of the New Zealand series, keeps his place in the squad. Jofra Archer, Matthew Fisher, Atkinson and Josh Tongue — along with Cook, Carse and Robinson — gives England plenty of options and North confirmed that they were likely to pick a four-man seam attack. Rehan Ahmed, the leg-spinning all-rounder, has been omitted.

West Ham agreement clears path for World Championships bid

Athletics

Matt Lawton

Chief Sports Correspondent

London has submitted its bid for the World Athletics Championships in September 2029, having resolved issues with West Ham United over stadium access and the possible disruption of fixtures.

The bid was in jeopardy over an apparent impasse when West Ham cited London Stadium legal agreements that they argued gave them priority during the football season.

But The Times understands an agreement has been reached that is acceptable to West Ham as well as an understanding that the championships can take place with minimal impact on the club's fixtures, such as the speed with which the stadium seating can now be modified for athletics.

They believe it would mean no more than two consecutive away games in the Premier League or three in the EFL. There is also a commitment to enhance the long-term stadium experience for West Ham fans with certain improvements made.

Every possible scenario has been considered with regard to fixture disruption, whether West Ham are still in the Championship or back in the Premier League and competing in Europe.

Discussions involving the club, key figures at Athletics Ventures (AV), the joint organisation that acts for elite British athletics, stadium officials, government officials and the London mayor's office, have been going on for well over a year.

But significant progress has been made in more recent months, with West Ham keen to be good stadium partners while recognising the government's desire to hold a high-profile international event that will provide a massive boost to the economy. The 2017 championships were a significant financial success, with 60,000 sell-outs for every session. It should put the London proposal ahead of rival bids from Rome and Munich and a possible bid from India, with German officials already citing concern around costs.

Lord Coe, the president of World

Athletics, wants the championships to bring the curtain down on the athletics season, and staging the event in September presented a problem to London.

That, however, has now been resolved, with a statement from West Ham reading: "West Ham United can confirm it has reached an agreement with London Stadium LLP and Athletics Ventures for London Stadium to be included as a host venue as part of a UK government-backed bid to hold the 2029 World Athletics Championships in London.

"Any impact on the football schedule will be confirmed once it is known which division and other competitions West Ham United will be competing in during the 2029-30 season. Further discussions with the relevant football governing bodies can then take place to review and mitigate against any potential impact on the fixture schedule."

A statement from Athletics Ventures confirmed that "the final documents to World Athletics for its bid to bring the World Athletics Championships to London in 2029" had been submitted.

Jack Buckner, the chief executive of UK Athletics and co-founder of AV, said: "We're delighted that we have reached agreement with the London Stadium and West Ham United and our sincere thanks for their commitment in making this happen."

Hugh Brasher, the chief executive of London Marathon Events and co-founder of AV, added: "The 2029 World Athletics Championships in London would drive more than £400 million in economic and social benefit in the capital and nationwide."

A spokesman for Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said: "The mayor believes that hosting the World Athletics Championships at the London Stadium in 2029 would build on the city's long history of hosting the most prestigious sporting events.

"Sadiq is determined that, should London's bid be successful next month, this opportunity delivers long-term benefits for Londoners."

World Athletics is scheduled to announce the host city for the 2029 World Athletics Championships in September.

Sullivan to defy advice and attend first game of season

CONTINUED FROM BACK

women's teams for three years over safeguarding concerns.

West Ham have been told that Sullivan will attend tomorrow's game, the club's first since the investigation was published, and also since supporters turned on him after relegation from the Premier League on the final day of the season. He left the directors' box early that day during a victory over Leeds United that was not enough to keep them up. He has regularly attended home matches since he first obtained a stake in 2010.

The supporters' group said it had raised concerns that Sullivan's presence would be unwelcome by many fans and could require increased security at a time when the club and stadium face financial pressures. It said that his attendance risked reigniting tensions.

This week the stadium operator said

that it had sought information to ensure it could fulfil its own safeguarding responsibilities and that West Ham had told the operator that "it does not consider there to be an ongoing safeguarding risk associated with Mr Sullivan attending the stadium".

Sullivan, West Ham's largest shareholder, is open to selling his 38.8 per cent stake — which may lead to a take-over of the club. He has benefited from Amanda Staveley's attempts to obtain a stake in the club — as it has provided him with two potential buyers for his stake: Namely, Staveley and Daniel Kretinsky, the Royal Mail owner and the club's second-largest shareholder and co-chairman with 27 per cent.

Staveley agreed to buy a 25.1 per cent stake from the late David Gold's family for £150 million. However, Sullivan may be due an inflated price if Kretinsky surpasses a 50 per cent stake, under a clause in a past agreement.

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THE TIMES

Sport

Rugby's heading for trouble

Brain injury case harming sport that already has image problem

Alex Lowe, Pages 60-61

Uefa doubles down to get Infantino out

European governing body says Fifa boycott still stands as under-fire president refuses to resign

Martyn Ziegler

Sports News Reporter of the Year

Uefa has laid down the gauntlet to Gianni Infantino by saying its boycott of Fifa tournaments still stands.

The European governing body said Infantino had not provided necessary assurances about the future. The Fifa president is refusing to resign after the fallout from the collapse of his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

Uefa's position is likely to cause some alarm among Infantino's circle, who had hoped opposition to him remaining in power would die down. The English FA has also said that nothing has changed in relation to its position on Infantino — that he should resign — and has sent a letter withdrawing its previous endorsement of his re-election next year.

Sources also said many Concacaf federations — countries in north and central America and the Caribbean — have been deeply unimpressed with Infantino's latest statement and have lost confidence in his presidency.

A Uefa statement said: "Uefa's associations were very clear about the conditions attached to the non-participation in Fifa competitions.

"First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.

"These conditions have not been

met. In addition, Uefa made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino's presidency. That position holds.

"Yesterday's announcement that some people employed by the Fifa president [and whose careers depend on his favour] agree with him changes nothing."

All 55 Uefa member nations voted on Friday to boycott Fifa competitions in protest against Infantino's scheme. European teams, including England, are due to feature in the Under-20 Women's World Cup in Poland next month.

The final part of the Uefa statement refers to a letter sent by Infantino to Fifa Council members after he called a meeting of his senior management in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday. He did not invite Fifa's chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, the No.3 in the organisation, after his critical comments last week about the sell-off plan, while Arsène Wenger, Fifa's head of global football development, did not attend and neither did Jill Ellis, Fifa's chief football officer.

Infantino is refusing to resign despite widespread calls for him to quit, but his decision to apologise and admit there were "mistakes" in his scheme is seen as a sign of his desperate situation with former allies refusing to endorse him.

To add to the pressure on him, Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, said the sell-off plan "should be fatal" Continued on page 62

HAPPY LANDER/OUTDO IMAGES/DETTY IMAGES

Barcelona enter race for Rodri

Manchester City star, the player of tournament at this summer's World Cup with Spain, is being courted by both Catalans and Real. The Madrid club tied Vinicius Jr to a new deal yesterday amid Arsenal interest, pages 62-63

Sullivan plans West Ham visit

Gary Jacob

David Sullivan is expected to defy advice and attend West Ham United's opening match of the season at the London Stadium tomorrow.

The stadium's operators had recommended that the club's co-owner not be at home matches because of the potential for fan unrest after allegations made against him of sexual misconduct, which he denies.

West Ham's fan advisory board also called for him to stay away from the Carabao Cup first-round tie against Portsmouth.

Sullivan resigned as director and joint chairman of West Ham in June, shortly before the publication of the joint Times and BBC Panorama investigation into his behaviour, which revealed he has been banned from contact with the club's youth and Continued on page 65

Cox replaces injured Bethell

Elizabeth Ammon

Jacob Bethell will miss England's Test series against Pakistan because of a knee injury and will be replaced at No.3 by Jordan Cox.

Bethell, 22, picked up an injury to his right knee during the final one-day international against India last month and was ruled out of the Hundred but has not recovered in time for this three-match series, which begins on August 19 at Headingley.

England have also given a surprise recall to Ollie Pope. The Surrey batsman was dropped from the Test squad after the Ashes bid has had a solid season in the County Championship, averaging 43 in eight matches. He is joined in the 16-man squad by his Surrey team-mate Dan Lawrence, who is the second-highest runscorer in the Continued on page 64

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August 7 | 2026

2 ARTS

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2

the arts column

Richard Morrison

It's my 50th time going to the Edinburgh Fringe — this is how it's changed

Everyone has a favourite summer ritual. I'm no good with barbecues: I always burn the sausages. And my neck gets tired watching the tennis at Wimbledon. But tomorrow I will do something I have loved doing every summer for half a century. I will board a train at King's Cross station and head north to the Edinburgh festival — which, ridiculously, will be the 50th in a row that I have covered as a journalist.

It says something about the event that I still feel something of the anticipatory tingle I had in 1977 when (sent to review events by a tiny arts magazine that sadly went bust this year) I stepped off the night train from London at about 5.30am on a typical Scottish summer morning: thick mist, thermometer hovering around zero, steady drizzle.

Sleepless and soaked, I staggered along Princes Street wondering how to kill time until a café opened for breakfast. I need not have worried. Down by the bandstand a dozen eerie figures seemed to be performing what sounded strangely like Shakespeare. Unmistakable phrases, bitingly apt for the conditions, came drifting across the flowerbeds. 'So foul and fair a day I have not seen... this place is too cold for hell.'

And thus I found myself reviewing my first Fringe show — an all-night continuous loop of Macbeth done by students from some Midwestern university. They were also, if memory serves, putting on a 'hilarious rewrite' of Euripides called The Bacchae with Buttocks.

For the first time I realised what draws crowds to Edinburgh each August and makes the festival unique. Not the vast number of performances (more than 50,000 this year). It's the sheer crazy incongruity of the experience: the feeling that around every corner is something that would at least surprise you and maybe even change your life.

On that first day I dashed around half a dozen Fringe shows like a whirling dervish. Then in the evening I went to the old King's Theatre (wonderfully restored this year, incidentally) to see probably the most star-studded staging of Carmen assembled — Placido Domingo and Teresa Berganza heading the cast, with Claudio Abbado conducting.

The wacky zeitgeist of Edinburgh at festival time worked

its magic even on those exalted figures. While they were at the festival Abbado and Domingo recruited some operatic chums and challenged the London Symphony Orchestra to a football match out on the Meadows. I can't remember who won, but I do remember the tackles were vicious. Where else would a back-desk violinist get the chance to give the world's highest-paid tenor a good kicking?

Based on those hazy memories it's tempting to say that festival time in Edinburgh is duller now than 50 years ago. But you could argue the opposite. In 1977 Edinburgh was still a prim

scandal inevitably dubbed the 'Lady McClatterley case' by the Scottish press. It seems unbelievable now.

But what has chiefly changed the festival's character is money — specifically the enormous amount you need to attend either as a spectator or a performer on the Fringe. Perhaps I am viewing the past through rose-tinted spectacles, but I don't recall the hotels, landlords and ordinary citizens of 1970s Edinburgh being anything like as ruthless as they are now about fleecing festival visitors.

These days you are doing well if you can find a broom cupboard in which to sleep for under £200 a night. Pay to see three or four Fringe shows a day and you will burn through another £500 in a week, while performers can easily spend £5,000 renting even a small-scale venue for a short run of performances.

The inevitable consequence is that, apart from that tiny minority of big-name stand-ups, nobody makes money appearing on the Edinburgh Fringe today. Indeed, the vast majority of performers will be many hundreds of pounds out of pocket. Some, of course, will write that off as an investment in the future showbiz careers they hope to have. Either way, it has changed the atmosphere.

How different it all was in 1947. 'May I assure you,' wrote John Falconer, lord provost of Edinburgh, in the first festival brochure, 'that this festival is not a commercial undertaking in any way.' Rather, he went on, it aimed to promote 'a new way of life centred round the arts'. Just two years after suffering the destruction and despair of world war, audiences could 'refresh their souls and reaffirm their belief in things other than material'.

Such sentiments may seem naive today. Yet for all its crass commercial aspects, Edinburgh at festival time still retains a sliver of that idealistic spirit. For one month each year a city does turn itself over to the creative arts and those who delight in them. It welcomes hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world.

The crowds on the packed streets around the buskers are overwhelmingly good-natured. And whether highbrow or populist, the performances are often revelatory. That's why you will find this ancient hack on the Edinburgh train tomorrow morning, as eager to plunge into the festive pleasures of Auld Reekie in 2026 as on that foggy dawn in 1977.

Presbyterian fortress where, even during the festival, the pubs shut at 10.30pm and didn't open at all on Sundays. And the International Festival was also painfully staid. It had been set up in 1947 to rival Salzburg's snotty summer festival, and in the 1970s it still strived for that elitist aura.

By contrast, the Fringe in the 1970s was still overwhelmingly run by students and amateurs. Yes, a few were on the verge of TV or theatrical fame. But until the 1990s the scene wasn't dominated, as it is now, by commercial promoters running slick venues for big-name comedians charging West End prices. The atmosphere was more happy-go-lucky, anarchic and genuinely provocative.

One actress who briefly appeared nude at the festival in those innocent days was actually prosecuted for indecency — a

My first review was of an all-night loop of Macbeth

How Tomdaya pulled off a billion-dollar summer

Husband and wife A-listers Tom Holland and Zendaya are in both The Odyssey and Spider-Man. Their dominance is unprecedented. By Damian Whitworth

Cinema owners didn't need special spidey senses last weekend to detect that Tom Holland and Zendaya had caught millions of filmgoers in their web. Spider-Man: Brand New

Day produced $932 million in ticket sales on its first weekend, the second-biggest global opening weekend yet.

And with The Odyssey, which also stars the married couple, continuing to fill cinemas ($136 million on its third weekend) Tomdaya's billion-dollar Spidyssey weekend led experts to declare a box office phenomenon.

Two back-to-back summer blockbusters starring a husband and wife is the cinematic equivalent of Halley's comet, says Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrack, a box office analytics company.

'The planets aligned perfectly in a way that created this monumental weekend. To movie theatre owners Tom Holland and Zendaya are the superheroes,' says Dergarabedian, who is based in Los Angeles. 'It's so unique and unusual. I don't think we'll see this exact scenario play out again.'

Plenty of married couples have met on set and turned romances into marriages, and sometimes — Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall; Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton — these become landmarks of Hollywood glamour.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who met filming Mr & Mrs Smith, were a portmanteau name — Brangelina — long before Holland and Zendaya.

'But Mr & Mrs Smith wasn't a blockbuster,' Dergarabedian says. 'You've had other married stars but never in back-to-back summer blockbusters. It's totally unprecedented.' (He notes that Jon Bernthal is also in both films, as Menelaus and The Punisher.)

In four Spider-Man films since 2017, Holland has played Peter Parker, the teenage boy who becomes the superhero, opposite Zendaya, his high-school sweetheart, MJ. The latest film raked in £23.5 million in its first

weekend in the UK, the fourth-biggest opening here.

The Times critic Kevin Maher wrote that the couple 'inject extraordinary levels of ache and longing' into scenes, nudging the film into the realm of 'impossible love' classics such as Brief Encounter.

Suggestions that the biggest draw of a Spider-Man movie is the character of Spider-Man, who is by far the most popular in the Marvel universe, is unfair, says Charles Gant, box office editor at Screen International.

'You haven't got a franchise without a really good Spider-Man and Tom Holland is a brilliant Spider-Man. He's naturally funny. He's charismatic. He brings a vulnerability and fragility to the role. Hollywood had moved away from the notion that cast drove box office — it was driven by the superhero characters.

'We are maybe moving a little bit back towards the direction of the on-screen talent and Zendaya and Tom Holland are absolutely at the forefront of that. The Odyssey and this Spider-Man film are bringing audiences back in droves. They are unicorn films.'

It would be a stretch to say that Tomdaya are the main draw of The Odyssey. Holland has a chunky role as Telemachus, but Zendaya has just a few minutes on screen as the goddess Athena. They are members of a high-powered ensemble of supporting characters to Matt Damon's Odysseus and the biggest star is the director. 'Look at that cast — and the first name rolling off the tongue is Christopher Nolan. Nolan is a draw,' Dergarabedian says.

But Nolan also knew that Holland and Zendaya could reach a Gen Z audience. 'I was in the cinema watching the Michael Jackson film and The Odyssey trailer came on and there were these young women sitting next to me,' Gant says. 'When Tom Holland came on the screen they absolutely perked up. Christopher Nolan's so smart. Tom Holland was, forgive the pun, a Trojan horse into that younger demographic.'

Holland, 30, grew up in Kingston, southwest London, the son of

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Dominic, a stand-up comic, and Nikki, a photographer. His break came at the age of 12 when he played Billy Elliot in the West End musical and then two years later he shot his film debut with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor in The Impossible, about the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Zendaya Coleman, 29, from Oakland, California, is the daughter of teachers, and was a child model and dancer before becoming the teen star of a Disney series, Shake It Up, and then being cast in Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017.

That year she also appeared in the musical The Greatest Showman, with Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron. As well as the Spider-Man films she has a main role in Denis Villeneuve's Dune franchise and was paid a reported $10 million for Challengers, the psychosexual tennis drama.

For her role as a drug addict in the HBO series Euphoria, she won two Emmy awards. This year she starred opposite Robert Pattinson in a well-received indie film, The Drama. Her off-screen earnings are formidable, including brand ambassadorships with Prada Beauty and On, the sportswear brand. Her Instagram game is premier league level — she has 177 million followers and follows no one.

Her “method dressing” on red carpets involves outfits that reference the films she is in, such as the ivory gown she wore to the recent London premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day that had web-like threads. Holland also has a Prada fragrance ambassadorship and has founded a non-alcoholic beer line, Bero, after giving up booze.

They met at a reading to see if they had the right chemistry for Spider-Man: Homecoming. For a long time

they were discreet about their relationship and it was not confirmed that they had got married earlier this year until some time after the event.

Where and when they got married remain unclear. As far as anyone can tell, the wedding did not involve a multi-day celebration in Sicily (Callum Turner and Dua Lipa style), or hiring Madison Square Garden, like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Holland did confirm that his family were all there. Then yesterday it was reported they had a wedding reception on Tuesday at The Beaverbrook hotel in Surrey.

Christopher Nolan knew that they could reach a Gen Z audience

When they promote movies together they appear delighted to be collaborating professionally. On the red carpet for Spider-Man he called her “Zee” and “my MZ” and she spoke of them being “best friends”. He has called her “the most down to earth, regular, easygoing girl you’ll ever meet”.

In Paris to promote Spider-Man, they were surprised by a flashmob of young kids singing Titanium by David Guetta. “So adorable,” Zendaya seemed to mouth at her husband. Holland has said that once he has children he will stop making films, which must have set off alarm bells in studio boardrooms.

In an interview this year with Esquire he said: “It’s really nice to have a bedrock of a relationship that will stand the test of time. We can support each other in ways that only we can,

because only we understand what it’s like to live this life.”

They do a good line in un-starry mini confessions, such as Holland’s admission that he was “intimidated” to meet Nolan for the first time and was still “kind of pinching myself” that he had been cast in The Odyssey.

When not filming, they live a low-key life, mostly at the Victorian house in Richmond, southwest London, that Holland bought some years ago. Occasionally, they are spotted in Waitrose or walking in Richmond Park with Noon, their miniature schnauzer. “They have an authenticity,” Gant says.

“He’s your family neighbourhood actor,” Dergarabedian says, referencing the “family neighbourhood Spider-Man” catchphrase. “Everybody seems to love the guy. She’s a really good actor. They’re four-quadrant movie stars: they appeal to little kids, teenagers, adults, and grandma and grandpa. Their appeal is universal.”

Dergarabedian calls Holland and Zendaya the “$20 billion couple” because they have jointly been involved in movies that have earned that much at the box office.

They are each big enough stars that they don’t need to work together again, but given they seem to enjoy it — and the studios love it — no one would bet against it. Next for him is a biopic of Fred Astaire.

She has Shrek 5 out next year but has said she hopes to take a tiny breather. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Holland could make a cameo in the film Avengers: Doomsday, which will be released in December on the same day as the third Dune movie, starring his wife. “Maybe lightning could strike twice in the same year,” Dergarabedian says.

If Heston’s Fat Duck closes I shall be sad

The chef’s three-Michelin-star hotspot is £365 a head and solidly booked. Is it under threat, asks Tony Turnbull

They are not the words anyone wants to hear when booking a table for a special meal several months hence — especially not one where you have to pay in full in advance — but Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant group has warned that “material uncertainty” lingers over its ability to keep trading. Which means that bagging a table at his three-Michelin-star Fat Duck may not be quite the golden ticket you had hoped.

Despite a cash injection from the Singaporean businesswoman Christina Ong, directors have warned that there is “significant doubt on the group’s or the parent company’s ability to continue as a going concern”.

To which most people will ask: how can it possibly be that a restaurant that charges a minimum of £365 a head and which has solid bookings for months is not making a good return?

Operating in this elevated stratosphere of dining has always been a precarious business, one where staffing and ingredient costs can rapidly spiral out of control. Indeed,

LOLA LAURENT

Heston Blumenthal

Blumenthal admitted that before the restaurant was awarded its third star in 2004, he was so stretched that he had enough money in the bank only to cover the following week’s wages.

That third star well and truly saved him. It traditionally allows chefs to enter a magical international circuit, taking on lucrative sponsorship deals that help them to keep the lights on at the flagship restaurant. Blumenthal’s widely reported

When I first went he was as much a conjuror as a chef

mental health issues have likely affected his earning power.

There is also the question of changing desires. The “experiences” at the Fat Duck, from the Journey to the Mindful Experience, typically stretch to 14 courses; this age of weight-loss drugs and reduced appetites will dent the appeal of such a blow-out.

I for one would be saddened to see the Fat Duck close. I recently rated my first trip to Bray, Berkshire, back in 2002, just before the second Michelin star, as one of the best of my life. Blumenthal was as much a conjuror as a chef and the thrill of nitro-poached aperitifs that had us snorting like a dragon has always stayed with me.

I went back again a couple of years ago and while there were fewer fireworks I was still impressed by how determined they were to put on a good show. You pay your money and they entertain you royally over four hours. The greatest show on earth? Maybe not, but still the best one you will see in a dining room.

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'I've had a good innings — I'm not sad to quit the theatre'

Siân Phillips tells Clive Davis about 82 years on the stage, I, Claudius, marriage to Peter O'Toole — and the shock when her 'phenomenal memory' failed her

Siân Phillips breaks the news over lunch at a French bistro in Covent Garden. There's nothing dramatic about her announcement; she simply explains, almost in passing, that the time has come. After almost 70 years, as far as full-scale live performances are concerned, it really is the end of the road. The actress has always prided herself on her memory, and it was, she says, a lapse earlier this year that prompted her decision.

At rehearsals for Chichester Festival Theatre's staging of the Ian McEwan novel Atonement, in which she played the elderly version of the central character, Briony Tallis, she found she could no longer remember her lines. "It happened quite suddenly," Phillips says. "I thought, 'This is odd, it's not going in the same way that it usually does.' The director [Adam Penford] is a lovely man. We laughed about it.

"So we thought we'd try a bud in the ear, which I've heard actors have used. But it came undone. I was halfway through this enormous speech of four, five sides and I thought, 'What comes next?' I looked at the girl who was going to prompt me. I couldn't hear her. I looked at the director, and he

Siân Phillips with her second husband, Peter O'Toole, in 1964. Right, clockwise from main: Phillips in Great Expectations in 2005; with Brian Blessed in I, Claudius in 1976; with Lou Gish in Marlene in 1997

said, 'This isn't going to work, is it?'"

Phillips says she still plans to give performances of It's All Greek, her bijou show about the ancient Greeks. A spry 93, she is also scheduled to perform a Samuel Beckett miniature, Rockaby, for Michael Sheen's new Welsh National Theatre next year (she'll record most of the monologue, lasting 15 minutes or so, in advance). Oh, and she'll still go on the road with her occasional evenings of reminiscences hosted by the director Richard Digby Day.

So it could have been a traumatic moment, but Phillips seems to have taken it in her stride. Perhaps the two decades she spent married to Peter O'Toole, the ultimate hard-living, hard-drinking actor, endowed her with an extra layer of resilience. "I wasn't a bit depressed," she recalls. "I mean, we laughed and laughed about it. But I thought, no, this is silly, it's too much responsibility. It might have gone right again but I couldn't take a chance. I'm not sad at all, which surprises me. I figure I've had a good innings.

That's an understatement for a career that has ranged from Cabaret to

Calendar Girls, encompassing lead roles in Hedda Gabler and Saint Joan, and playing Marlene Dietrich in the musical Marlene (for which she was nominated for an Olivier and a Tony award) and Miss Havisham in Great Expectations.

"I've always had a phenomenal memory," she continues. "That's why it was a bit of a shock. I would read something once and it was there. I never sat down to learn anything. Even as a child, my mother would give me something, a piece of the Bible to do in chapel, and I would read it, and I could do it."

It's hard to believe Phillips is in her nineties. She looks at least 15 years younger — partly the result, perhaps, of the many hours she has spent

practising Pilates. In the BBC documentary made to mark her 90th birthday she was shown working out in her leotard with her coach, enduring the kind of joint manipulation that might make a 60-year-old flinch.

Forgetting lines is something that all actors dread. Conversation turns to another of Phillips's colleagues, the great Shakespearean Michael Pennington, an actor with a forensic intellect who died in May, aged 82. Not long after lockdown I had seen him play Prospero in The Tempest at the tiny Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End. Pennington, who looked alarmingly frail, had needed a script in his hand, yet still gave a deeply moving performance.

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arts

Phillips encountered him later when she cut the cake for the traditional birthday celebration of Shakespeare at Denville Hall, the retirement home for stage professionals. "I was handing out bits," she recalls, "and suddenly a figure from the other end of the room got up and walked towards me. It was Michael. He launched into a page of Shakespeare, and I said, 'Oh my God, how lovely to see you.'"

"He recited another one, a long, long piece, and I said, 'Oh, that's wonderful.' His memory was suddenly all there. And then he said, 'I'd love to stay but they're expecting me back in town.' It was awful. That was why he was in Denville Hall — he couldn't remember what he'd had for lunch."

In the early part of her career Phillips seemed destined to live in the shadow of another towering

interpreter of Shakespeare. She and O'Toole had been a glamorous couple at Rada, but while Phillips had early stage success in her own right, it seemed to bring out the worst in her second husband (she divorced her first husband, Donald Roy, in 1959) with retrograde views about a woman's place. Once, when a journalist arrived at the family home to interview her, O'Toole sat in a corner of the room and pooh-poohed the idea that a wife would have a career of her own.

Booze made things much, much worse. Phillips, brought up as a chapel teetotaler, had to accustom herself to seeing the man she loved lurch from one drunken binge to another. As she wrote in Public Places, the second volume of her autobiography, she was so desperate to keep the marriage intact (they had two young daughters) that she became "part of a huge conspiracy directed towards protecting O'Toole from the painful consequences of his behaviour". His starring role in Lawrence of Arabia may have brought him international stardom, but he was always at the mercy of his demons.

The couple finally divorced in 1979. (She married her third husband, the actor Robin Sachs, soon after; they divorced in 1991). A few years before, Phillips, who had thrown herself into roles on TV, had starred in I, Claudius. Her portrayal of Livia, a matriarch who doles out poison along with an

acid smile, made her a household name. Derek Jacobi in his screen anecdotes recalls how Phillips "could be very frightening, even when we knew we were all acting".

While she was working on the series O'Toole, too, was working on a Roman epic, the notorious version of Caligula financed by the Penthouse porn baron Bob Guccione. Phillips's memoir contains a memorable account of a visit to a studio where Helen Mirren, Malcolm McDowell and John Gielgud were marooned on a doomed venture: "John Gielgud stood there looking grand and pretending not to notice that the girls flanking him were bare-breasted and carrying dildo... It was so strange to leave the set of I, Claudius (which can't have cost much), which had been researched, old BBC-style, for a year before shooting began and to walk onto this huge set with all that Penthouse money behind it and where the actors were paid vastly more than any of us at home and to see it all going horribly wrong."

Reading is Phillips's other great passion. ("Some people say to me, 'You should try a bit of living.'") One way of using her newly acquired free time in her Barbican home, she muses, would be to write another book, this time focusing on the craft of acting. Her two elegant volumes of memoirs were, she confesses, written partly as a way of pre-empting that famous ex-husband of hers.

"I knew that O'Toole was going to write book three of his wonderful contract with this American publishing house," she says. [In the event a third volume never appeared.] "It had taken him ten years to write book one, I think. So I knew that he was due to come to our marriage, and I knew also he wouldn't remember anything about it, he wouldn't have kept anything, and he would just make it all up. So, I thought, right, I'd better get in quick."

It is, unbelievably, more than 80 years since she gave her first performance. Raised by Welsh-speaking parents in the Black Mountains, she won the National Eisteddfod at the age of 11, which led to acting roles at BBC Wales. Later she was a newsreader and continuity announcer at the Cardiff studios. "It was a lot of responsibility," she says, "especially as I couldn't actually tell the time. My mother never listened to me once because she thought I was going to make a mistake."

Like many actors of her generation she worries that younger performers have become too dependent on microphones and don't know how to project. The night before we meet, she says, she had been at a show at a small studio theatre where the cast were very good; even so half were inaudible. And she has many a tale of the golden age of the BBC's Television Centre where, in the early years, dramas went out live, stumbles and all. Later, working on a version of The Orestela, Phillips found a way of making herself look even more fearsome.

"We had bald caps with wisps of hair," she says. "But then I found out that if you took bacon rind from your breakfast tray, cleaned it off a bit and stuck it on your hair, it would move in a horrid, horrid way. So we kept adding various things until we got a request to use a separate dining room because it was too revolting."

Bacon rind? Even the ever resourceful Livia would have hesitated to use that particular ingredient.

No, Mr Bond, I expect you to be different!

As producers drop hints about the next 007, Dominic Maxwell makes some suggestions

Is bookies' favourite Callum Turner "stirring and exciting and different" enough to be the new James Bond? Is Jacob Elordi? Jack Lowden from Slow Horses? Leo Suter from Lynley? How about good old Aaron Taylor-Johnson, or is it so long since he was first tipped that he already feels like yesterday's favourite, despite being only 36 — a year younger than Daniel Craig was when he was cast in the role in 2005?

Anyway, "stirring and exciting and different" is what we are promised from our new superspy by the American producer Amy Pascal, who is now running the franchise alongside the Brit David Heyman (who did the Harry Potter films too). Screen tests are happening this month and an announcement is likely, she suggested, by the end of the year.

So who stirs you, who excites you and what does "different" mean anyway? This is good stuff from Pascal, who has managed to make it all sound rather thrilling and hopeful without giving away anything at all. Does it mean Turner, who is also 36? Mr Dua Lipa isn't quite my idea of Bond, but then we probably need to get away from the Pierce Brosnan image of an outlandishly yet traditionally good-looking man. (So Aidan Turner, say, wouldn't be "different", would he?)

And Craig was certainly seen as "different" when he won the role ahead of the youngster Henry Cavill. It was not until the photographs emerged of him stepping out of the sea, ripped in his blue swimming trunks for a scene in Casino Royale, that the world started going "ooh" instead of "who?"

There has apparently been a run of bets on Cavill this week but his age, 43, may well disqualify him. Likewise the 53-year-old Idris Elba is now more the stuff of M than Bond. That should also rule out Tom Hardy, 48, who has been rumoured for the role since the Craig era, even if he's well known to the new film's writer, Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders. Knight has been cooing recently about how "underrated" Ian Fleming's original

books are: "tangibly real" yet "dreamlike" too.

Which, um, is well observed but doesn't help to narrow things down. The screen Bonds have always been a kind of variant on an alpha-male rugged smoothie but beyond that it's a role that exists halfway between what's on the page and what the actor brings to it. What counts as updating an archetype that began with the publication of Casino Royale in 1953 and which ended, for now, with the cheap pathos of killing him off at the end of No Time to Die in 2021? What counts as diluting it? He certainly doesn't have to be British but he does have to convince as British. Elordi, co-star of Saltburn and Wathering Heights, could join George Lazenby in the Australian James Bonds club.

But would he be "stirring and exciting and different"? Is that code for either "someone you haven't really heard of" or "someone you have heard of but never really considered for Bond"? Remember that Clive Owen was once the favourite to succeed Pierce Brosnan and that Goran Visnjic from ER and the Australian actor Julian McMahon were also top contenders. Or how about excellent actors who are certainly not ugly and can really flaming act? Josh O'Connor, say. He is as plausible in Disclosure Day as he was in the latest Knives Out. He's in town in August anyway to rehearse a play at the Almeida in north London and er... OK, conjecture levels are heading into the red here.

Other names are being flung around: Tom Francis, so good in Sunset Boulevard on stage in London and New York opposite Nicole Scherzinger; Louis Partridge (House of Guinness, Enola Holmes), who at only 23 could still be playing the role into the 2050s, if that's what's wanted. Will our new guy also have to take part in TV spin-offs once the first film, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Dune), comes out?

As someone who likes Bond maybe a bit too much, I think Lowden would be great — but does his Slow Horses character, River Cartwright, mean he's all spied out?

And, I'll be honest, my being unsure about Turner is more about seeing him in the papers lately than it is seeing him on screen. We bring to these judgments ideas that are outside an actor's ability to be in front of the cameras blowing things up, kissing women, stabbing faddies, looking serious about the fate of the world, saying semi-funny things while kitesurfing his way across a river of sulphuric acid and making it all look natural. I want to be pleasantly surprised, don't you?

Sián Phillips performs It's All Greek at the Tabard, London, on Sep 27, Cambridge Arts Theatre on Oct 4 and New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, on Oct 8

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THE CRITICS

Would you like a murder with that? Yes, but also some wit

Evil ice cream turns children into psychos in this flimsy horror, says Ed Potton

It is, to be fair, a cracking premise: an evil ice-cream man whose frozen delights turn children into homicidal zombies. As in real life, the ice-cream van's music triggers a Pavlovian response, except here it's less "I must hassle Mum to buy me a cornet" and more "I must decapitate Mum with a hacksaw". You'll never think about Mr Whippy and strawberry splits in the same way again.

This ultimately cloying sundae of gruesomeness was directed and co-written by Eli Roth, the horror maestro behind the Hostel and Cabin Fever franchises. He and his horde of little monsters have a ball turning a candy-coloured suburban American town into a killing field.

The school principal has the top of his skull sliced off and his brain scooped into a cone, and the pint-sized psychos make enterprising use of their victims' intestines as cat's cradles and skipping ropes. "We do not bully!" a mother tells her death-dealing son, who responds by smashing her face in with a hammer. Kids these days... Afterwards they celebrate by doing floss dances and making "blood angels" on the floor.

Will viewers enjoy the film as much as the cast? Probably not. It's hardly scary at all and some of the acting is worse than the maiming, with the exceptions of Ari Millen as the silent ice-cream man and Charlie Zeltzer as

the plucky Jared, whose lactose intolerance saves him from his classmates' fate.

This kind of thing needs a sharp script to go with the gore and there aren't enough zingers here. The most memorable line, which some will find too much, comes when a girl is trying to heave up the demonic ice cream to avoid turning into a zombie. "I'm a 12-year-old girl — of course I know how to make myself vomit," she says.

You also wonder about the ethics of children appearing in a film with an 18 certificate. The young actors and their parents were all "crazy horror fans", Roth told the Polygon website.

Ari Millen, as the silent ice-cream man, gives one of the few decent performances

Ice Cream Man 18, 86min ★★☆☆☆

"They've seen every episode of The Walking Dead." If you're familiar with The Walking Dead, which is barbaric, you'll know that's no kind of defence.

The satirical subtext, meanwhile, is vague. Are sugary, high-fat desserts the enemy? Or is it screens, given that the ice-cream man infects the kids' mobiles with creepy black-and-white cartoons? Roth has said the film is about the "primal fear of wanting to protect your child from the evils of the outside world and knowing that ultimately there's no way you can do that". That would at least explain the satisfyingly nihilistic finale.

In cinemas

the classic film

Practical Magic (1998)

12, 104min ★★★☆☆

This syrupy supernatural romance was greeted with stinking reviews on its release. Since then, dark arts (and TikTok) have made it into a cult classic. So much so that its stars — Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing — are reuniting in Practical Magic 2 in September.

The first film caught Bullock at a sweet spot after her breakthrough in Speed but before the mega-stardom of Miss Congeniality. She plays Sally Owens, Kidman the tearaway Gillian, sisters from a line of witches, raised by eccentric aunts (Wiest and Channing) after a curse claims their parents. Sally quits magic until dealing with Gillian's abusive boyfriend (Goran Visnjic) requires it.

Griffin Dunne's film is a camp hotchpotch of comedy and thriller, with a reanimated corpse for good measure. Bullock and Kidman look like they're having a riot. Freed from Eyes Wide Shut, Kidman was ready to let her hair down, bringing her own tequila to the "midnight margaritas" scene. Men are plot devices and the true romance lies between the siblings and their female-led circle.

And now, by the pricking of my thumbs, a sequel this way comes... The trailer looks awful so it may well be another smash. LI-Z

Remastered and in cinemas

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman

Love Me Tender

15, 134min ★★★★☆

There is something bewitchingly unknowable about Vicky Krieps. The Luxembourgish actress found fame in Phantom Thread opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, who reportedly said, "She scares me." She remains an open book who somehow keeps her character's essential secret to herself.

That mystery is what keeps you transfixed by Love Me Tender, Anna Cazenave Cambet's meandering French-language adaptation of Constance Debré's semi-autobiographical novel. Clémence (Krieps) spent 20 years married to Laurent, played by Antoine Reinartz, best known as the prosecutor in Anatomy of a Fall, a film that casts a

shadow here. For three years after separating, they amicably shared custody of their son, Paul. So when Clémence informs Laurent, over a sunny café drink, that she has begun seeing women, she expects no great difficulty. She is catastrophically wrong.

Soon Clémence is trapped in a Kafkaesque legal custody battle in which Laurent's repeated transgressions are tolerated while her slightest misstep is disproportionately punished. She had left her marriage and her career as a lawyer to become a writer, a lesbian and more fully herself, and what's really on trial is her refusal to remain within patriarchal boundaries. How much of

Vicky Krieps is typically compelling as a mother in a Kafkaesque legal custody battle

that must she surrender to be a mother? Many women will acutely relate.

There are frustrations. Given Clémence's legal training and privilege, her passivity can feel implausible, while the excursions into queer techno nightlife could do with a good snip.

Yet Krieps keeps it compelling. As Clémence's loose-limbed confidence gradually contracts into something shaven-headed and almost saint-like, she is at

once warrior, victim and fugitive from feeling. The primal love between mother and son is heartbreakingly vivid. Tender and elliptical, this drama keeps you hooked right up to its unpredictable, provocative ending. LI-Z

In cinemas

A Child of My Own

15, 96min ★★★☆☆

This slippery, candy-coloured docudrama is based on a notorious true crime. In 2009 Eleonor "Ale" Alejandra Marin Mendoza, a Mexican health administrator who had faked her pregnancy, stole a newborn baby from the hospital where she worked.

Pretending that she was going in to give birth herself, Ale (the Bambi-eyed Ana Celeste, right) walked out with the little girl stuffed inside a gift bag. She was arrested hours later at the Hotel Hollywood, alongside her husband, Arturo (Armando Espitia), who had apparently believed that his wife was nine months pregnant.

Such stranger-than-fiction stories are Netflix catnip. But the Chilean

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7

film reviews

By 1972 Tove Jansson's whimsical Moomins comics and children's books were a worldwide sensation. Yet The Summer Book, published that year, brought the Finnish writer a whole new adult readership and became an instant modern classic that has never been out of print.

Written a year after her mother's death and inspired by the summers Jansson spent with her family on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland, it is impossible to categorise: part fiction, part memoir, part adventure, part philosophy. A Scandi equivalent of The Little Prince, perhaps, though more firmly rooted in the real world.

Not that much happens in this English-language adaptation directed by Charlie (son of Malcolm) McDowell. Nine-year-old Sophia (Emily Matthews), whose mother has recently died, returns by boat to the family's summer home with her grieving, workaholic illustrator father (Anders Danielsen Lie, the star of Joachim Trier's Oslo trilogy — excellent) and her elderly grandma (an aged-up Glenn Close).

Their remote archipelago island is little more than a rock with a shack and a mossy "magic forest". They swim, quarrel, slurp soup and adopt a cat that ignores them. "Dear God, I'm as bored as beef," Sophia says while praying, possibly voicing the frustration of less patient viewers. "Let something happen. Like a storm or anything! Amen."

Still, The Summer Book asks something increasingly unusual of its audience: that we slow down to meet it — and pay attention. This is emphatically not a second-screen scrolling watch. Like Jansson's Moomins stories it's unsentimental about childhood, accepting of eccentricity and respectful of nature.

The tiny island is a microcosm containing love, death, art, humour, environmental responsibility and even gentrification. The natural world is not simply picturesque but a living, shifting force: ice melts, reeds bend, seaweed sucks beneath the water and the sea changes mood.

McDowell has necessarily smoothed

Glenn Close's Nordic getaway

the big film

The actress plays a dying Finnish grandma in a gorgeous take on a book by the Moomins creator, writes Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

The Summer Book

PG, 95min

★★★★☆

Jansson's episodic observations into a slightly more movie-friendly narrative arc. However, the main event remains the thorny love between grandmother and granddaughter. "I don't like it when you just lie there," Sophia says, irritably. "When are you going to die?" Her granny's unsentimental reply: "Never you mind. Soon."

Hobbling, cranky, evasive and embarking on the slow, hard business of dying, Close's grandmother is also wonderfully alive. Hair bound in tight white plaits, a roll-up clamped in her cigarette holder, she stomps ferociously around the island, enjoying a wild swim and a wild wee.

It's a gloriously unvain performance from the eight-time Oscar nominee, who proposed her own nude scene for Nordic authenticity and reportedly enjoyed it so much that she "didn't want to put my clothes back on".

Meanwhile, the newcomer Matthews, although older than the book's six-year-old Sophia, has a lovely open face and the necessary imperiousness. Her questions such as "Are there ants in heaven?" are not childish quibbles to be

dispatched by a one-second Google search but mysteries to be contemplated aloud with someone who takes them seriously.

Shot in tactile detail — plimsolls, sagging swimsuits, tufted wool jumpers, moss and weathered wood — the film only just avoids resembling a Toast clothing catalogue. McDowell's approach is sensitive and loving, if almost too polite. A more instinctive auteur such as Andrea Arnold might have found something wilder in the rocks and coves. There is also way too much explanatory piano.

Surrender to its flow, though, and you'll be rewarded. Like a dip in a clear, cold lake, this cinematic "cool-cation" left me cleansed, revived and blissfully peaceful.

In cinemas

The heart of the story inhabits Ale's version of events, yet in doing so leaves its other victims largely unseen. Blurring fact and fiction, realism and fantasy, archive footage, exclusive interviews and glossy

director Maite Alberdi treats this one with the boundary-blurring approach that earned her Oscar nominations for The Mole Agent (2020) and The Eternal Memory (2023).

Seeking to understand without excusing, A Child of My Own humanises a sordid tabloid tale. Just 17, pregnant and "full of hope" when she married, Ale quickly suffered three miscarriages. Under intense pressure to produce an heir from her husband's family, she encounters an unhappily pregnant woman called Mayra in a waiting room for baby scans and strikes a deal to take her unwanted baby. Except that, according to the real-life Mayra, who appears too briefly and belatedly, no such encounter, or deal, took place.

telenovela-style reconstructions, it opens with auditions for the actress who will play Ale.

But when, released after 13 years in prison, the real Ale confronts the reality of her actions, Alberdi's tricksy formalism yields disappointingly little further insight. In fact, you wonder whether it was entirely necessary. LI-Z In cinemas now; Netflix from Aug 13

Bouchra

IS, 82min

★★★★☆

Talking animals may be a cartoon staple but Morocco's first animated feature doesn't star your average singing bunny or cheeky little mouse.

Bouchra is a 35-year-old lesbian coyote living on the scuzzier side of hipster New York. She smokes, drinks, wears a biker jacket and has explicit sexual with a range of cute creatures (bears and cows preferred). She is also struggling to make a film about her complex relationship with her artist mother, Aicha, back in Casablanca.

Nearly ten years after Bouchra came out as gay, her parents still won't acknowledge her sexuality. Their silence has left her stuck, emotionally and creatively.

The directorial debut of the artists Meriem Bennani and Orian Barki, Bouchra is an audacious hybrid of animation, documentary and autofiction whose multi-layered form reflects its protagonist's conflicted

identities. That said, placing the naturalistic voices of real people into the mouths of animated animals is hardly a new trick. Creature Comforts did it more than three decades ago.

These big-eyed 3D animals inhabit near-photorealistic urban landscapes: blinking red neon, honking traffic, shadowy apartments and rain-slicked streets. It's also, unexpectedly, erotic. Animated bodies slide and nuzzle with startling tactility. Who knew watching a coyote lick a cow's neck could be so sexy? However, the episodic narrative that suited the film-makers' viral 2020 Instagram series 2 Lizards (a surrealist lizard's-eye view of the Covid era) feels stretched across 82 minutes.

"This is like the therapy that I did not do," Aicha says. Too true. And processing their unresolved personal dramas proves somewhat less absorbing for the audience. LI-Z In cinemas

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8

music reviews

This is songwriting from the soul

Phoebe Bridgers's first album in six years is quietly devastating, says Will Hodgkinson

An unassuming singer-songwriter from Pasadena, California, has unwittingly become one of the main influences on modern pop. Taylor

Swift, Lorde and — in a particularly brazen fashion — Gracie Abrams have all borrowed from Phoebe Bridgers's soft-voiced, lyrically intimate approach. Listening to Bridgers's first album since 2020's Punisher though, you realise how much of the subtleties in the songs remain hers alone. None of the more glittering pop stars taking a leaf out of Bridgers's book has come up with a line of such quiet devastation as "He kissed me hello. He tasted like a flower with chemicals" as Bridgers does on Kill Me.

The success of Punisher must have put a lot of pressure on Bridgers: a figure from the generally ignored world of alternative rock finding herself thrust into the glare of a wider public. After its release she dealt with the sudden exposure either by finding safety in numbers, forming a supergroup called Boygenius with the similarly minded songwriters Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, or by lending her services to bigger names with Swift, SZA and Paul McCartney among them. Now we're hearing about the discombobulation such unexpected attention brought on the kind of person who, you suspect, would be happiest chatting about the genius of Elliott Smith to a handful of people in faded T-shirts at some gritty backyard dive.

"I was the belle of the Governor's Ball," she sings over gently picked acoustic guitar and haunted harmonies on The Governor's Waltz,

pop

Phoebe Bridgers Lost Weekend

Dead Oceans

★★★★★

citing a massive New York festival where she appeared in 2021 and again in 2025. In case this could be taken as a boast, Bridgers continues, "Hiding in the bathroom like Shelley Duvall" — evoking the image of a crazed Jack Nicholson coming at her with an axe in The Shining. Then there is The Outside, on which Bridgers, her voice given robotic distance by a vocoder, remembers crowdsurfing at a gig and realising she's no longer a part of the crowd.

With Lost Weekend, however, Bridgers hasn't made the standard post-breakout album on the pressures of fame. She has written from the perspective of a normal person who has found herself famous; as such there is no shortage of stories from everyday life. Bobby is an indie rock portrait of the first flashes of love and lust, complete with memories of wearing the titular Bobby's shirt while he sings in the shower. Then there is Still Standing, an oddly disembodied

song about the death of Bridgers's father, which eschews the usual sentiments of grief for indifference, resentment, guilt.

In truth, none of this has much to do with mainstream pop. From the loose, discordant strum of Never Going Back Again! (another song about her dad) to the bright melody of the ode to innocence Lost Boys, this is music in the lineage of troubled souls from Neil Young to Kurt Cobain. Over an organ hum, Lost Weekend details the breakdown of her relationship with the Irish actor Paul Mescal, who is now going out with — irony of ironies — Abrams. "She can pretend to be me," Bridgers accepts of her former boyfriend's new girlfriend on The Governor's Waltz. "Since she took my place in my bed, on that stage, I have not lost any sleep."

Pretending is the word: deeply personal songwriting of such craft and artistry as this is impossible to emulate.

Man/Woman/Chainsaw Cannonball

Fiction

★★★★☆

Their name suggests a death metal band with an unhealthy fixation on Seventies gore movies. But this group actually offer something rather more life-affirming. Fleetwood Mac's soft-rocking approach combines with odd touches — a violin here, a blast of noise there — to produce something original and accessible. Only Girl is an uplifting indie rock classic, and Lighter is a tender love ballad, but you can only be so serious on a distorted rock dinge called Goddamn, Lizard Man!. The six-piece got together when they were 16, set themselves up in a converted vicarage for the next few years and have since developed a reputation as one of the best new live bands out there. Catch them soon.

The Anchoress As We Once Were

Last Night From Glasgow

★★★★☆

Starting an album

with a song

called Da

Temps

Perdu could

risk it being

retitled:

Pretentious,

Moi?. But the

Anchoress, aka

Wales-born

Catherine Anne

Davies, moves on to reveal a way with heartfelt pop rock that recalls both Chrissie Hyndé's emotional delivery and Karen Carpenter's sad-eyed purity. Recorded in part on Pete Townshend's vast collection of analogue keyboards, Davies's first album since 2021 takes on guilt, motherhood and an abiding love of the Manic Street Preachers, so much so that the Manics' James Dean Bradfield duets on modern power ballad Throw Over Your Man. Best of all is All I Really Want Is Peace, a sweet epic about the calm after the storm of an argument.

Star-crossed lovers shine in a forgotten opera

The industry giants used to feast on complete opera recordings in the 1950s and 1960s. Yet surprises still turn up, even if the opera

lasts only 52 minutes:

Umberto Giordano's

Marina, written when he

was 20. It was forgotten

for well over a century,

premiered only recently.

It's not a masterpiece

but it's still enjoyable

listening as the soprano

Eleonora Buratto and the

tenor Freddie De Tommaso

whisk us through this ebullient and

melodious verismo melodrama about

star-crossed lovers set against war

between Montenegro and Serbia.

"I'm finding it hard to breathe," the

wounded Serbian hero sings, only to

launch into a sorrowful aria where long breaths and sustained high notes are essential. De Tommaso, below, delivers everything with a most

likeable Italianate flourish, while

Buratto, armed with a slightly

older voice, fully convinces

as a repressed woman

seemingly opening up

her heart for the first

time. Elsewhere, the

baritone Mihai Damian

barrels through his role

as the warrior desperate

to claim Buratto for

himself, the chorus is lusty,

and Vincenzo Milletari and the

Orchestra i Pomeriggi Musicali di

Milano ensure plenty of instrumental

pep. One odd flaw: the almost

inaudible gunshot that triggers the

expected unhappy ending.

classical

Eleonora

Buratto/Freddie

De Tommaso

Marina

Decca

Kenneth Woods

John McCabe

Signum Classics

It's heartening to find an album celebrating the symphonic output of John McCabe, who died in 2015, one of many British composers now neglected and undervalued. Kenneth Woods and the BBC Scottish

Symphony Orchestra triumphantly show us what we've been missing: music always stimulating in its colours, textures and flow. Uniquely, his Symphony No 2 was inspired by the formal design of Sam Peckinpah's 1969 film The Wild Bunch, explicitly not its gunfire. Symphony No 3, subtitled Hommages, spins echoes of some of McCabe's favourite composers into a constantly attractive musical quilt.

We also get his 2007 Cello Concerto, one of the most enjoyable I know and persuasively played by Raphael Wallfisch. Long live John McCabe!

Geoff Brown

FLO

Therapy at the Club

EMI

★★★★☆

Harking back to the Nineties R&B girl group golden age of TLC, Destiny's Child and other smooth-voiced singers of glossy glamour, London-based three-piece FLO are flying the flag for real vocal prowess in the age of autotuned pop stars. Layered harmonies abound while the lyrics stick to such well-worn subjects as missing boyfriends, feeling sexy and wondering why someone doesn't fancy you. "You know how to make a pretty girl cry ugly," they complain on the standout Cry Ugly, while Sober deals with the problem of a boyfriend who can only express his emotions when he's blind drunk. It's all very familiar and rather too slick to really hit home, but well executed.

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9

music reviews

‘I’m the most famous Haitian ever’

Wyclef Jean tells Will Hodgkinson about his new album — and his attempt to become president of Haiti

Becoming president of a country on the grounds of being massively famous may not seem like an outrageous idea today. Back in 2010, however, Wyclef Jean’s argument that he should become president of Haiti because he was the hugely successful one third of the pioneering New Jersey rap trio Fugees fell on deaf ears.

“I’m the most famous Haitian that ever existed on the planet,” says Jean, who left the country for New York when he was eight, with his pastor father falling foul of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier’s dictatorship and the Macoute secret police working on Duvalier’s behalf. “So what are you gonna do with that? But they tried to slander my name and I felt some stay-in-your-place type shit, you know what I’m saying? A rapper can say, ‘Yo, drink more alcohol, do more dope,’ and they don’t f*** with you. Once you say you’re gonna run for president, they’ll come at you.”

As Jean points out, his family has political ties. His uncle Raymond Joseph, who from 2005 to 2010 served as the Haitian ambassador to the US, was instrumental in the opposition

movement against the Duvalier regime. “They tried to kill him,” he says, casually. “In those days you either worked for the secret police or you fought against it, so I had one uncle fighting against the Macoute and another who was a Macoute. And my parents got out for a better life.”

Politics is about personality as much as policy and Jean, speaking from the back of a car in New York after recording a session with the jazz musician Robert Glasper, is a charismatic figure: equal parts fast-talking hustler and street philosopher. On Clef Notes (Quantum Leap), a dynamic, vivacious old-school hip-hop album rich in Seventies soul and funk samples, he runs through a few highs and lows of his life so far. The album begins with 1990 — Intro: Memory Lane, which marks the year Fugees, three friends from South Orange, New Jersey; came together. Six years later they released The Score, a cinematic masterpiece that has since become one of the bestselling hip-hop albums.

“We never thought we’d get there, you know what I’m saying?” Jean says,

Wyclef Jean, centre, with Pras and Lauryn Hill in Fugees in 1997

“If you can’t control your capital you don’t have a country”

oversized sunglasses in place, as he leans deep into the leather of the back seat and runs through his origin story. “Born in Haiti, raised in Brooklyn, meeting Lauryn [Hill, the Fugees singer] in Jersey, and everything on this record actually happened,” he says. “I came from Haiti when I was eight and by 15 I was in the

studio. My first producer was [rap pioneer] Kurtis Blow, so now I’m tripping out because I’m thinking, ‘Holy shit, I did this, I did that?’ And I ain’t even started yet.”

The Score was a revelation: a laid-back, socially conscious epic that, after the violence of the gangster-rap era, transformed the genre. “Every era has its geniuses,” Jean says. “I was a Caribbean genius, Miss [Lauryn] Hill was an American genius with a voice like Nina Simone, Pras was just a big hustler, and it was like the best football team getting ready for the World Cup. Put it this way: I don’t know of any other 16-year-old from the projects who was listening to Pink Floyd’s The Wall and going, ‘Yo, I’m envisioning my album like that.’”

Jean says that Ready or Not, a funky, sultry hit from The Score built around a sample of the Philadelphia soul act the Deffonics, was inspired by Roger Waters’s dark night of the soul. “We were in the basement, engineering, I was playing The Wall over and over, and the word I kept using was ‘audio-visual’. With The Score, we were going

to take the listener to the neighbourhood. It was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment.”

Jean’s is an American dream story. “I grew up in a shanty town,” he says of his days in Port-au-Prince. “It was straw-hat houses and if it rained we got wet. But when you’re a kid you make the most of it and the animals were friendly, you know what I’m saying? It was like The Jungle Book. But once in a while the trucks would pull up and late at night you would hear a scream. That was someone being taken away by the Macoute and you knew they ain’t coming back.”

Haitian politics have not improved a great deal, with protests in 2018, the assassination of President Moïse in 2021, and the country descending into gang warfare since the collapse of civic infrastructure in 2024. “Port-au-Prince is out of control. Outside of it, normal life is functioning,” Jean says. “But if you can’t control your capital you don’t have a country, and for Haiti to survive, the diaspora have to make a difference. I went back home. I didn’t just sit here on my ass. I tried to be president. Even when they tried to take me out!”

As Fugees were on their way up, Jean was dealing with more commonplace problems. “Life was so simple until I met the heartbreaker,” he raps on 1994 — Boom Rap. Given that the song references the year Fugees released their debut album, Blunted on Reality, and Jean and Hill were in a relationship at the time, it seems reasonable to assume it’s about

her. He laughs off the suggestion.

“I’m talking about a girl in high school who said she was going to the prom with me,” he says. “I’m waiting for her, man. I’ve got my suit on, like Napoleon Dynamite, and she didn’t turn up, bro. I get to the prom and she’s with the ball player, man. She took the basketball player over the rapper!”

All this only a few years after Jean had to adapt to life in America. “You go from a hut to bricks,” he says of moving from Port-au-Prince to Brooklyn and then to New Jersey. “You go from riding a donkey to school to taking the bus.” Learning to rap, he says, was a form of survival. “Growing up in the projects, I got into a lot of fights and my mum thought I was going in the wrong direction. One day I saw two guys battle-rapping with a big crew around them, it was all ‘yo mama’ and I thought they would shoot each other, but then someone told me they were battling with words. I thought: I can learn to be a wordsmith.”

Of course, life could have turned out very differently. “I could have slipped on the ICE and faced deportation,” Jean raps on 1991 — Devil’s a Lie. “I saw so many get deported and I could have been one of them,” he says.

“Something happens in the neighbourhood, you get into a knife fight, the judge looks at your passport and you’re out.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to be in the news under the Trump administration, with two fatal shootings in Maine and Texas by ICE officers in mid-July. Where does Jean stand on US immigration policy? “ICE is not a new thing so I don’t fall for the rhetoric. We can look at the numbers under Obama for that,” he says. “President Trump just amplifies it, he don’t keep it a secret, but I do feel the cases are more extreme now, and you have to take fault when casualties happen. You need law and order but you gotta take responsibility.”

Meanwhile, Jean is keeping busy. Following the autobiographical journey of Quantum Leap he’s working on a mammoth seven albums in seven genres: hip-hop, gospel, country, R&B, jazz, reggae and New Orleans mardi gras street party music. This comes after a planned Fugees reunion tour in 2024 collapsed, with Pras serving a 14-year jail sentence after being found guilty of funnelling millions from a Malaysian billionaire into US political influence schemes. So is that it for a Fugees reunion?

“Lauryn is my sister, bro,” Jean insists. “We’re family, we still tour together, we’re coming to the UK. To her kids I’m Uncle Clef. With Pras, I can’t really speak on his case right now but I’m always sending love. You know what I’m saying?”

“The struggle is not easy,” he continues. “I’m here to remind people there is a way through the struggle, because that’s what happened when I listened to Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. I heard their songs and thought: ‘Oh shit. I’m gonna be all right.’”

Clef Notes (Quantum Leap, Vol I) is out on SodoMoodLab; Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill are at Diaspora Calling!, Milton Keynes Bowl, today

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10

first night

classical

NYO/Adès

Symphony Hall, Birmingham ★★★★★

The National Youth Orchestra appears at the BBC Proms this weekend — and having just heard them play the same programme at

Birmingham's Symphony Hall, I predict it will be devilishly good. These talented teenagers — all 160 of them — kicked off their summer tour with a dance with Mephistopheles, a trip to purgatory and a march to the scaffold.

It is not the first time the composer-conductor Thomas Adès has returned to conduct the orchestra he once played in as a teenage percussionist, but I don't remember him ever looking as if he was enjoying it quite so much. But then it is hard not to smile at the slightly ridiculous yet undoubtedly entertaining Mephisto Waltz No 1 by Liszt, played with vigour and flair. The gutsy string sound was deliciously good, while all the instrumental solos, from honeyed violin to dazzling harp, were delivered with great panache.

Liszt was a big influence on Adès's Dante ballet, particularly the Inferno opening. Here we jumped right in at the Purgatorio second movement, which blows in with a cool wind conjured by the orchestra. One of the score's distinctive elements is the use of pre-recorded chants from the Adès Synagogue in Jerusalem, which the composer came across thanks to a recording from his brother.

Adès describes the voices as 'hosts of souls' and they rise unseen, but loudly, from the back of the hall. Echoing their evocative contours, the orchestra transforms these morning prayers into a kaleidoscope of colours and, at times, a bacchanalian whirl. It is thrilling music that would put the pros through their paces, but the NYO was more than up to the challenge.

Did paradise await after the interval? Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique features opium nightmares and a witch's sabbath, so not exactly — but this tumultuous tale of love proved just the right piece to end the concert. The quality of the NYO's sound and responsiveness to Adès's conducting were wonderful, but above all it was their understanding of the music's emotional life that made this such a compelling performance. Beforehand, I might have argued this warhorse was overplayed. Afterwards, I wanted to hear it all again — and luckily I can. Rebecca Franks

Royal Albert Hall, London, tomorrow, live on BBC Radio 3; BBC4 on Sun

Ladysmith Black Mambazo were the headline stars, with stunning vocals and dazzling showmanship

Songs like long-lost pals

A Prom to celebrate 40 years of Paul Simon's hit album was a mixed bag, says Stephen Dalton

proms

Under African Skies — The Songs of Graceland

Royal Albert Hall ★★★★☆

Marking the 40th anniversary of Paul Simon's scandalous but hugely successful global-fusion album Graceland, this late-night BBC Prom featured a rich gallery of talents, even if the music sometimes felt a little too sedate. The backbone was the Nu Civilisation Orchestra, Proms veterans who have reworked classic albums by Marvin Gaye, Charles Mingus, Nina Simone and David Bowie. But the headline stars of this packed Royal Albert Hall show were the veteran South African male voice choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who were catapulted to Grammy-winning fame by Graceland. Founded in 1960 by Joseph Shabalala, the choir's present line-up is led by his son's Msizi, Sibongiseni, Thulani and Thamsanqa.

Alongside Ladysmith, the evening's revolving cast of vocalists included the R&B singer Laura Mvula, who lent a belting soul edge, notably on the bouncy Afropop gallop of Gamboots and a sparkling I Know What I Know. The soft-rock singer-songwriter James Bay and the folk-pop duo Flyte also shared lead vocals across the set. Their contributions, such as The Boy in the Bubble and Crazy Love, Vol II, were some of the weakest of the night, perhaps because they were sonically closest to Simon's originals but lacked his rhythmic

dexterity and pristine, pin-sharp, harmonic precision.

This overwhelmingly positive birthday party carefully played down the controversial political hinterland to Graceland, in which Simon was widely vilified for breaking the cultural boycott on apartheid-era South Africa, compounded by arguable allegations of plagiarism, colonialism and cultural appropriation. That storm soon passed, partly thanks to endorsements from the exiled South African musical legends Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela, who toured with Simon in 1987. Even Nelson Mandela eventually gave the album his blessing. Indeed, one of the evening's highlights was Ladysmith's self-penned a cappella tribute to Mandela, Halula South Africa (Long Walk to Freedom).

A few gauche choices weakened the show, notably a superfluous medley of instrumental supper-club jazz. Many of the orchestra's overly polite arrangements lacked the surging, propulsive, bass-heavy swing that made Graceland so infectious. But Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes and You Can Call Me Al proved they've lost little of their charm. Most of all, though, this was a showcase for Ladysmith's stunning vocals. Understated musical genius combined with dazzling showmanship will always be an irresistible combination.

On BBC Sounds

theatre

Fame the Musical

Theatre Royal Plymouth (155min) ★★★★☆

Fame may be fleeting, but Fame, the collage-like story of a fictional group of American teenagers pursuing their dreams at New York City's real-life High School of Performing Arts, is not. First it was an Oscar-winning 1980 movie, then a six-season US TV series. By that decade's end it had found its way to the stage.

The European premiere of Fame the Musical, as it was billed, occurred at Theatre Royal Plymouth in 1995. Now it has come full circle via a new production by the venue's associate artistic director Tom Jackson Greaves, who choreographs. The result is unflaggingly pacey and enjoyable retro but charged with an immediacy that invites us to invest in the characters. This is in large part thanks to excellent casting. It may not be one of the great musicals, yet it certainly is durable and highly playable.

Covering a four-year period, Jose Fernandez's book follows the ups and downs of a handful of hopefuls enrolled at the Midtown Manhattan school for drama, dance and music.

The themes swirling round the young protagonists — ambition versus low self-esteem, racial prejudice, economic barriers, sexual identity, exploitation and drug abuse — could take on an extra edge by the continuingly precarious state of arts education in the UK. Not that the show ever belabours that contemporary point.

Placed on a revolve, the co-costume designer Soutra Gilmour's three-storey building setting is handsome and flexible. The ensemble dance numbers are lively and fluid. The score, mainly by Jacques Levy and Steve Margoshes, is a very workable mix of upbeat pop and ballads.

The high spots are solo songs that function like theatrical monologues: Joe Boyle's lovely I Want to Make Magic, Megan Ellis's delightfully avid Think of Meryl Streep and Harrison Wilde's winningly priapic Can't Keep It Down. Towering above them all is Shanay Holmes's These Are My Children, her voice soaring as she plumbs the song's emotional depths. Then there is Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore's irresistibly catchy title tune — quite rightly delivered twice. So, dig out the legwarmers and get down to Plymouth.

Donald Hutera To Aug 15

comedy

Dave Chappelle

Eventim Apollo, London ★★☆☆☆

Dave Chappelle takes care to avoid anyone recording his stand-up shows, insisting — like many big American comics —

that audiences lock away their phones in the secure pouches he provides. On the evidence of this slapdash London appearance, though, he takes less care with the shows themselves.

He did warn us. The 52-year-old began this first of two sold-out nights at the 3,500-seat Eventim Apollo by saying: 'I haven't done this for a while.' Towards the end he admitted, 'I've got to think of a closer

and I don't have one. Can I hang out for a minute?' He hung out by drifting from one idea to another, or he responded to a heckle or two, including one about appearing at last year's Riyadh Comedy Festival. 'Are you getting at me for doing it like all the other whites?'

Chappelle earns tens of millions for his Netflix specials because he is a genuine comic genius, and when he brought his

laconic delivery to bear on a fully formed story the night could go from rambling to thrilling. Talking about a monologue he planned to do on Saturday Night Live in 2022 after Will Smith had slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, he held us rapt with a tale about phoning them to try to get them to come on screen and shake hands.

His skill when his storytelling found its focus only made the digressions that dominated more frustrating. Much of the show was motored by his fame and infamy. Cigarette on the go, he said he wouldn't talk about transgender issues. He then touched on a joke suggesting Caitlyn Jenner's change of gender had been more easily accepted in America than

Muhammad Ali's change of name, and explained why he meant it as a joke about racism rather than gender. 'I thought I was punching up, they thought I was punching down.' Try taking such issues to Africa, he suggested, and you'd see it for the first-world problem it is. 'Africans see that shit as an extension of colonialism.'

Elsewhere he would start on promisingly big ideas — 'western life is not about anything any more'; 'the illusion of the IMF is dying' — that then fizzled out fast. This was thin stuff for big prices. My seat in row Z of the stalls cost £120. Contentious is one thing, directionless is another. Dominic Maxwell

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11

television & radio

Jump scares and big themes in Jamaican-gothic thriller

James Jackson TV review

Possession Sky Atlantic ★★★★☆

Voodoo may be the byword for religious juju, but it's obeah that deals in the kind of supernatural stuff you're thinking of when it comes to Caribbean black magic spell-casting, high priestesses, occult curses and so on. Back in the day colonialists so feared that its subversive nature would incite slave rebellion it was outlawed (and still is).

It's certainly a going concern in Possession, Sky's unusual new slice of Jamaican gothic in five parts, where you really don't want to be bitten by a mosquito — not an obeah-cursed one anyway. You soon find out why.

It begins as a legal drama. Gugu Mbatha-Raw's smart, tough-minded London solicitor Claudia has been sent to the island to dredge up muck on a Jamaican mystery man who, out of nowhere, has been left the £50 million estate of a white aristocrat. A fortune built on slave money.

With a title such as Possession — revealed over flames in the title credits — it's not wholly unexpected when things start to take mad, unsettling turns. For a start, how come Claudia is dreaming of the Hope Estate before she has arrived in Jamaica? We first see her taming her hair for her conspicuously white law firm; by the end she's embracing cornrows, having reconnected with her heritage via the macabre-exotica route.

The aristocrat's son Oliver (Jonny Lee Miller), who has just lost his father and now quite possibly his entire inheritance, is like the embodiment of white guilt — so very English as he makes tea and toast for Claudia — a contrast in every way to Cudjoe East, the local guy about to take his dad's estate. The distinct whiff of the supernatural hovers in the air, as well as in the ominous trunk in the house's bedroom. But here, too, are flashbacks to the 1700s when the tyrannical, bewigged white owner of the Hope Hill plantation cuts out the tongue of his slave. Watching on is his appalled daughter, played by wide-eyed Bel

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a solicitor settling an inheritance dispute

Powley, who'll soon become pretty appalling herself.

I'm not wholly sure the drama needed this flashback plotline, but the writer Karla Crone wants to make overt the theme of how the colonial past shapes the present. Without wishing to give too much away, East has a more direct link to the past than Claudia could have imagined.

There's a pleasingly evoked local feel to her snooping about (former sugar plantations, street carnivals) and a feverish vibe creeping around at night (ecstatic rituals, more nightmares). It's almost like a contemporary take on I Walked with a Zombie, and reminded me in places of the underrated 1989 film The Serpent and the Rainbow.

Certainly the debut screenwriter Crone isn't short of fresh ideas, the script ambitiously tying together big themes of race, identity and colonial legacy which eventually somewhat lose their way as the title becomes literal and characters stagger about with possessed minds.

In fairness, you could probably safely say this is the only thriller you'll see this year that attempts to combine jump scares — and yes, there are a few of those — with a thought-provoking comment on reparations. Because obeah may be creating havoc, but it's not really the enemy here, rather it's a cultural force of justice echoing down the centuries.

Nick Grimshaw 6 Music, 7am

As part of the BBC's The Music Is Black season, in collaboration with V&A East's exhibition of the same name, every Friday in August the station will celebrate British black music over the past 40 years. Today's shows look back at the 1980s, beginning with Grimshaw talking to the lovers rock pioneers Janet Kay, above, and Caroll Thompson, followed by Lauren Laverne (10am) with DJ Norman Jay taking a dive into rare groove. At 2pm, Craig Charles (1-4pm) speaks to Neville Staple of the Specials, and Emily Pilbeam, sitting in for How Stephens (4pm), opens the doors into acid house. Clair Woodward

Times Radio

Digital, web, smart speaker, app 5.00am Tom Nunan with Early Breakfast 6.00 Rosie Wright and Calum Macdonald with Times Radio Breakfast 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm Ayesha Hazarika 4.00 Carolyn Quinn with Times Radio Drive 7.00 Dom Joly 10.00 Henry Bonsu. The day's key events 1.00am The Best of Times Radio

Radio 2

FM: 88-90.2 MHz 6.30am The Sara Cox Breakfast Show 9.30 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Joel Dominic 7.00 Michelle Visage 8.30 Michelle Visage's Handbag Hits 9.00 Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Kitchen Disco 11.00 The Rock Show with Rick Astley 12.00 Romesh Ranganathan: For the Love of Hip-Hop (r) 1.00am Tony Blackburn's Sounds of Soul 2.00 Pick of the Pops (r) 4.00 Radio 2 in Concert: Deacon Blue (r)

Radio 3

FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live Highlights from the BBC Proms, performances from the Ryndale Festival and Baroque music from Fribourg, Mendelssohn (Violin Concerto in E minor); Schubert (Piano Sonata in C minor, D:958); Dvorák (Symphony No. 7 in D minor); Schubert (Death and the Maiden Quartet); and Zimmermann (Märchen-Suite — Fairy-Tale Suite) 4.00 Composer of the Week: Mozart (1756-1791) Kate Molleson explores how the brotherhood of Freemasons influenced Mozart's later years

5.00 In Tune 7.00 Live BBC Proms Petroc Trelawny presents a concert by BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, with conductor Nil Venditti and star soloists at the Royal Albert Hall, Respighi (Church Windows); and Rossini (Stabat mater). During the interval, opera director Julia Burbach discusses with Petroc the operatic elements of Rossini's Stabat Mater, as well as the importance of stage craft in the works of Rossini and other Italian operatic composers 10.00 Lyle Junction Dan Gilmore revisits forgotten hard-drive recordings on Know I've Been Here Before, and a preview of Poland's Sanatorium of Sound Festival. Verity Sharp presents 11.30 'Round Midnight Hosted by Alice Zawadzki 12.30am Through the Night

Radio 4

FM: 92-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 The Briefing Room (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Desert Island Discs (r) 10.00 Woman's Hour 11.00 The Food Programme 11.45 Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (5/5) (r) 12.04pm AntiSocial 1.00 The World at One 1.45 The Bare Necessities (5/5) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Drama: Central Intelligence By Greg Haddrick. In 1966, as Soviet nuclear fears grow, the CIA turns to satellites and surveillance to spy on the KGB. Stars Kim Cattrall and Johnny Flynn (5/10)

2.45 Living on the Edge (6/10) (r) 3.00 Gardeners' Question Time 3.45 Short Works Parys, Anglesey by Fflar Dafydd 4.00 Last Word 4.30 Sideways (4/8) (r) 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.30 Current-ish Lucy Porter and guests discuss the stories everyone is talking about. Last in the series: 7.00 The Archers Keira makes a surprising discovery 7.15 Screenshot Exploring changing ideas about masculinity on screen (6/6) 8.00 Any Questions? Alex Forsyth chairs the political forum programme from Open University, Milton Keynes 8.55 This Week in History (r) 9.00 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics Christopher Biggins and Llewelyn Morgan learn about the boy emperor of Rome, Nero (2/7) (r) 9.30 Breakin' the Cycle Colin and D begin production, but remain tempted by their lucrative drug business (2/6) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: The Vicar of Wakefield By Oliver Goldsmith (5/10) 11.00 Americast 11.30 The Ocean within Us (r) 12.00 News and Weather 12.30am Tony Hawks Is Giving Nothing Away (5/5) (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.00 As BBC World Service

Radio 4 Extra

Digital only 8.00am The Confessional 8.30 Following Pappano 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Olga Koch: OK Computer 9.30 Behind the Taverna

9.45 Daily Service 10.00 Soul Music 10.30 The Forum 11.00 The Waiting Game 11.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 12.00 Little Blighty on the Down 12.30pm Beyond Our Ken 1.00 The Confessional 1.30 Following Pappano 1.45 Small Island 2.00 The Museum of Curiosity 2.30 MilSport 3.00 Berlin 4.00 Soul Music 4.30 The Forum 5.00 The Waiting Game 5.30 Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? 6.00 Little Blighty on the Down 6.30 Beyond Our Ken 7.00 The Confessional 7.30 Following Pappano 7.45 Small Island 8.00 The Museum of Curiosity 8.30 MilSport 9.00 Berlin 10.00 Olga Koch: OK Computer 10.30 Njambi McGrath: Becoming Njambi 10.45 Rhys James Is Wise 10.55 The Comedy Club Interview 11.00 Vent 11.30 Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking

Radio 5 Live

MW: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 5 Live Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Chiles on Friday 1.00pm Elis James and John Robins 2.00 Matt Chorley 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport 8.00 Football: Middlesbrough v Wrexham (Kick-off 8.00). The EFL Cup first-round tie 10.00 Johnny TAnson 1.00am Edward Adoo

talkSPORT

MW: 1053, 1089 MHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 talkSPORT Breakfast with Alan Brazil 10.00 Sam Matterface & Alex Crook 1.00pm Hawksbee and Jacobs 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 Kick Off 8.00 Kick Off: Middlesbrough v Wrexham 10.00 The Sports Bar Weekender 1.00am Extra Time with Ben Fletcher

Talk

Digital only 6.00am Ian Collins 10.00 Alex Phillips 1.00pm Mark Dolan 4.00 Kevin O'Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 9.00 What Just Happened? with Kevin O'Sullivan 10.00 Andre Walker ft. Ash 1.00am Ben Fletcher

6 Music

Digital only 5.00am The Remix with Chris Hawkins 5.30 Chris Hawkins 7.00 Choice Nick Grimshaw. Music, chat and features to start off the day 10.00 Lauren Laverne 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 Emily Pilbeam 7.00 The People's Party with Femi Koleoso 9.00 6 Music's Indie Forever 10.00 6 Music's Indie Forever 11.00 The 6 Mix with Mary Anne Hobbs 12.00 6 Music's Rave Forever 1.00am 6 Music's Forever Dark 2.00 Focus Beats 4.00 Ambient Focus

Virgin Radio

Digital only 6.30am Steve Denyer on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Moneybox 10.00 Emma 9.2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Phil Taggart 10.00 Goldsorocks 2.00am Jen Thomas

Classic FM

FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Classic FM Breakfast with Dan Walker 9.00 The Classic FM Hall of Fame Hour with Dan Walker 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 6.00 Classic FM at the Movies with Jonathan Ross 8.00 Classical Spotlight with Alexander Armstrong 10.00 Calm Classics 2.00am Katie Breathwick

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12

television

PICKS OF THE DAY

Tony Bennett night BBC4, from 9.45pm

Frank Sinatra once called Tony Bennett “the best singer in the business”, but he was never quite part of the Rat Pack, instead a New York jazz stylist closer to Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He outlasted them all, possessed of a sensitivity and a staying power with which he carried the Great American Songbook into the 21st

century via his celebrated duets with Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga. Tonight BBC4 celebrates the centenary of his birth, most of it hailing from his 1979 Tony Bennett Sings heyday featuring songs from the movies, Broadway, Tin Pan Alley and his own hits (the selection runs from 10.45pm). These are bookended by his London Palladium: BBC Sessions from 2011 (at 9.45pm) and a 1996 documentary about his native New York (at 1.55am), the city where, whatever claim San Francisco

Tony Bennett (BBC4, from 9.45pm)

might make, he left his heart. Helen Stewart

Our Lives: The NaNaz — Age Against The Machine BBC1, 7.30pm

Sally Wainwright’s BBC drama Riot Women wasn’t pure fiction: this Our Lives documentary follows the NaNaz, a six-piece Welsh punk band who met at a music workshop for women over 50. For some it was a return to a lifelong passion; for others, it was the first time they had

even picked up an instrument. When the course ended, the chemistry between the women was undeniable and the NaNaz were born. They have built a loyal fanbase and released an EP (NaNafesto). This cheering film follows them as they prepare to play their fast-and-very-furious songs about injustice and menopausal rage at a New York festival. Having no manager, they must balance their complicated, busy lives with the desire to rock. Victoria Segal

BBC1

• 6.00am Breakfast
• 9.30 Animal Park (r) (AD)
• 10.15 Trace, Track, Get My Car Back (r)
• 10.45 Expert Witness (r)
• 11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (r)
• 12.15pm Bargain Hunt: 20 Years of The One Show. Two teams made of The One Show presenters battle it out in Bialth Wells (AD)
• 1.00 BBC News at One; Weather
• 1.35 BBC Regional News; Weather
• 1.45 BBC News at One; Weather
• 2.00 The Hairdresser Mysteries. Lily finds herself with both a hairstyle emergency and a murder to solve in the village (AD)
• 2.45 Escape to the Country. A couple seek a home with business potential in Cornwall (r)
• 3.45 The Bidding Room. The dealers see some unusual characters including Uncle Bert the skeleton and a wooden rabbit
• 4.30 The Answer Run. Jason Manford hosts
• 5.15 Pointless. Quiz show (r)
• 6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather
• 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather

BBC2

• 6.30am Money for Nothing (r)
• 7.15 The Bidding Room (r)
• 8.00 Sign Zone: Marcus Warming Simply Provence. A compilation edition (r) (SL)
• 9.00 BBC News
• 1.00pm Richard Osman’s House of Games. Sean Fletcher, Louise Minchin, Chris Washington and Kimberly Wyatt take part (r)
• 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz show (r)
• 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (r)
• 2.45 The Hairy Bikerz Bakeston. The duo’s baking odyssey ends in Spain (r) (AD)
• 3.45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown. Cattle farmers compete for top prizes at the Westmorland County Show in Cumbria (r)
• 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow. A visit to Clitheroe in Lancashire from 2003 (r)
• 5.15 Flog It! At Haddon Hall, Derbyshire (r)
• 6.00 Richard Osman’s House of Games. Gethin Jones, Tiff Stevenson, Kate Thornton and Gary Wilmot take part on the quiz (r)
• 6.30 Just One Thing. A look at the benefits of eating beetroot. Last in the series (r) (AD)

ITV1

• 6.00am Good Morning Britain
• 10.00 This Morning
• 1.30pm ITV News; Weather
• 2.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal. David Dickinson and the team visit Newport. Karen Dalmeny pays big bucks for a brooch, and Laurie Scully conducts a male voice choir (r) (AD)
• 3.00 Deal or No Deal. Stephen Mulhern hosts as another contestant tries to open the 22 red boxes in the right order, taking on the infamous Banker for the chance to win a life-changing cash prize (r) (AD)
• 4.00 Tipping Point. Ben Shephard hosts the arcade-themed quiz in which contestants drop tokens down a choice of four chutes in the hope of winning a £10,000 jackpot (r)
• 5.00 The Chase. Bradley Walsh presents the quiz show as four more contestants answer general knowledge questions and work as a team to take on one of the ruthless Chasers and attempt to win a cash prize (r)
• 6.00 Regional News; Weather
• 6.30 ITV News; Weather

Channel 4

• 6.30am The King of Queens (r) (AD)
• 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (r) (AD)
• 9.10 Frasier (r) (AD)
• 11.10 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. Help for a restaurant in New Orleans (r)
• 12.05pm Channel 4 News Summary
• 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It. Items uncovered in Norfolk include a tractor (r) (AD)
• 1.10 The Great House Giveaway. A house in Leeds is bought, renovated and sold (r)
• 2.10 Countdown. TV presenter Ade Adeptan is this edition’s Dictionary Corner guest
• 3.00 A Place in the Sun. House-hunters from Manchester seek a home in Cadiz (r)
• 4.00 Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith. At Treberlydd House, the biggest wedding of the year is underway (r) (AD)
• 5.00 Château DIY. The owners of the Château de Lalacelle begin an attempt to bring their garden back to life (r) (AD)
• 6.00 American Pickers. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz find a rare Superman comic, and the very first Spider-Man comic (r) (AD)

5

• 6.00am Milkshake!
• 9.15 Jeremy Vine
• 11.30 Storm & Alexis
• 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime
• 12.50 Matt Allwright
• 2.20 FILM: The Book Club Murders (PG, TVM, 2024) When members of a book club start dying after receiving threatening letters that reveal their darkest secrets, the organiser searches for the culprit to protect her daughter from becoming the next victim. Mystery starring Brittany Underwood
• 4.00 Castle. Part two of two. The NYPD and Castle search for Beckett as they try to stop serial killer duo Nieman and Tyson from claiming the detective as their next victim (r)
• 4.55 Love Nature. How the humble fox should be celebrated not vilified (r)
• 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker
• 6.00 Menorca: A Year in the Sun. Part two of two. An edition taking a look at Menorca’s food, art and architectural restorations (r)

• 6.55 5 News Update

• 7.00 The One Show Alex Jones and Roman Kemp kick off the show’s 20th birthday celebrations

• 7.30 Our Lives Following Welsh punk band the NaNaz, six women who are tearing up the rulebook on growing older. See picks of the day (AD)

• 8.00 Granite Harbour As the case reaches a conclusion, Lindo and Bart face a race against time to find the real killer as long-held secrets are finally revealed. Last in the series (AD)

• 9.00 Would I Lie to You? Cush Jumbo, Judi Love, Grayson Perry and Tim Vine join the regulars (4/9) (r)

• 9.30 Ann Droid Sue has invited Michael and Renee to a nice family dinner but is upset when their real motive for coming round is revealed (4/6) (AD)

• 10.00 BBC News at Ten

• 10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather

• 10.45 FILM: 28 Days Later (18, 2002) A man wakes from a coma to discover Britain has been struck by a terrifying experimental virus that sends victims into a homicidal rage. With a handful of other survivors, he heads for Manchester, the last outpost unaffected by the outbreak — but realizes the virus is not the only threat. Horror starring Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris (AD)

• 7.00 Iolo’s Anglesey Iolo Williams explores the flora and fauna of Anglesey, and also travels to a stunning red squirrel wood (2/4) (r)

• 7.30 Beechgrove Garden Calum Clunie begins sowing winter crops in his family plot, while Brian Cunningham harvests his spring vegetables

• 8.00 Gardeners’ World Frances Tophill returns to Damson Farm in Bath and spends the day with owner Alison and guest Mary Berry, while Arit Anderson visits an urban garden in London. See picks of the day

• 9.00 Bergerac Chloe finds evidence that John Blakely’s accusations may be true, and a development leads the team to suspect one of Jersey’s most notorious criminals (4/6) (AD)

• 9.45 QI XL Sandi Toksvig hosts an extended edition with Ria Lina, Eshaan Akbar, Jimmy Carr and Alan Davies answering questions on the theme of tricks and treats (r)

• 10.30 Newsnight With Paddy O’Connell

• 11.05 FILM: Hoard (18, 2023) Years after moving away from her hoarding mother, a foster teen revisits her childhood memories and the trauma she repressed. Drama starring Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Joseph Quinn, Hayley Squires and Lily-Beau Leach

• 7.30 Live EFL Cup: Middlesbrough v Wresham (Kick-off 8.00). Mark Pougatich presents all the action from the first-round tie at Riverside Stadium. Boro will be looking to avoid a repeat of this stage last season, when they were beaten 4-0 here by Doncaster Rovers. Wresham fared better in the competition, going on to reach the fourth round before they were eliminated by Welsh rivals Cardiff City following a 2-1 defeat. With analysis from Tommy Smith and Steven Fletcher, and commentary by Seb Hutchinson and Lucy Ward. See picks of the day

• 10.25 ITV News at Ten; Weather; followed by Regional News

• 11.15 FILM: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (12, 2016) The vigilante tries to save an army major who has been framed for murder by a sinister conspiracy. Action thriller sequel starring Tom Cruise and Cobie Smulders

• 7.00 Channel 4 News

• 8.00 Surgery Secrets of the Super Rich A bride-to-be has a non-surgical liquid nose job, a mother-of-two tackles years of sun damage with laser technology, and a property investor is looking into a long-term programme of tweakments (4/6) (AD)

• 9.00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Jimmy Carr hosts the comedy words-and-rumbers quiz, as team captains Rob Beckett and Jon Richardson are joined by Katherine Ryan and Fattha El-Ghori. With special guests Jake Lambert and the Brett Domino Trio

• 10.00 Big Fat Quiz: Best Bits Victory is snatched from the jaws of humiliation, as comedians including Sara Pascoe, James Acaster and Jamie and Natasia Demetriou taste sweet success against all odds

• 11.05 Sarah Millican: Home Bird Live Stand-up show at Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre & Opera House, in which the comedian shares insights into life, including the need to put down some roots now she has cats (r)

• 7.00 Tom Read Wilson’s Grand Tour The presenter reimagines the rite of passage once undertaken by aristocrats on their Grand Tours of Europe, beginning in Paris (1/3) (r)

• 7.55 5 News Update

• 8.00 Corsica: Jewel of the Mediterranean Cameras focus on the French island, which boasts 600 miles of stunning coastline, lush green forests and majestic mountains. Highlights include a trip to the port town of Bastia on the north-east coast

• 9.00 Alexander Armstrong in South Korea The presenter journeys across South Korea, one of the most influential and successful countries on earth, known for its manufacturing strength and cultural exports. He arrives late at night in bustling downtown Seoul, and kicks off his epic adventure in Gangnam, the district immortalised by Pey’s Gangnam Style video (r)

• 10.30 Piers Morgan: Uncensored Opinion-led news and debate show hosted by Piers Morgan. Piers blends journalism and cultural commentary that is unapologetically direct

12.35am-6.00 BBC News

• 1.00am Sign Zone: Britain’s Strictest Schools — Panorama In depth current affairs report covering a story behind the headlines (r) (SL) 1.30-2.30 The Rapture. Gabs and Dick uncover evidence that Leonard is hiding something, while floods in India match Bethany’s drawings (r) (AD, SL)

• 1.10am Shop on TV 3.00 Force of Nature. Slitting rains test three mothers as floods transform habitats, destroy homes, and bring perilous opportunity (r) (AD, SL) 3.50 Long Lost Family. Cases featured include a woman who wants to find her older brother (r) (AD, SL) 4.45-6.00 Unwind with ITV

• 12.10am Greg Davies: The Back of My Mums Head Stand-up comedy with the Man Down star, from the Lowry in Salford (r) (AD) 1.05 Ramy (AD) 2.15 FILM: Theater Camp (12, 2023) Comedy starring Ben Platt, Molly Gordon and Noah Galvin 3.50 Sunday Brunch (r) 4.00-6.10 Four in a Bed (r)

• 12.00 Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law (r)

• 1.00am Cruise TV with LovelBook (r) 2.00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 2.50 Castle (r)
• 3.40 Friends (r) 4.30 Jane McDonald’s Yorkshire: No Place Like Home (r) (SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5.35 Milo (r) (SL)
• 5.45-6.00 Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL)

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13

television

Live EFL Cup

ITV1, 7.30pm

With the World Cup now behind us, humdrum football (and not just pre-season friendlies) returns with an early fixture in the competition won in March by Manchester City. It features two Championship clubs who will be vying for promotion in 2026-27 after narrowly missing out last year. Wrexham, owned by the film stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, were just below the play-off places,

while Middlesbrough lost the Championship play-off final. John Dugdale

Gardeners' World BBC2, 8pm

Mary Berry is tonight's special guest, spending the day at Damson Farm near Bath with Frances Tophill. The beloved TV cook proves her expertise stretches beyond the kitchen as she offers practical gardening advice, reminisces about her youth in Bath

and helps to celebrate a harvest of homegrown fruit and vegetables. Elsewhere, there are visits to an urban edible garden in London, a Punjabi allotment community and a city wildlife sanctuary. VS

STREAMING CHOICE

Alley Cats Netflix

Ricky Gervais has complimented Netflix on their willingness to commission his latest project based

on a scant pitch: "It's cats, and they swear." The scabrous gang of Hanna-Barbera-style cartoon cats is played by his preferred ensemble. Indeed one rather suspects the whole show is a ruse to assemble his favourite people and enjoy riffing filthy off a skeleton script, and the tone is late 1990s post-pak. Joining Gervais, as the voice of Gus, are Kerry Godlman (Lara), Diane Morgan (Olive), Tom Basden (Ponce), David Earl (Puke) and Andrew Brooke (Fang). Helen Stewart

FILM CHOICE

Heretic (15, 2024) Sky Cinema Premiere/Now, 8pm

A superb Hugh Grant turns villainous as Mr Reed, a man welcoming two young missionaries into his cavernous house to discuss their religious doctrines. Out of nowhere, he tells them, "The walls and ceiling have metal in them. I hope that's OK." Then things get much, much worse. (Illmin) Ed Potton

BBC4

7.00pm Also Sprach Zarathustra at the Proms. Featuring a trio of pieces inspired by the wonders of the sky 8.05 Ravel's Bolero at the Proms 8.20 TOTP: 2000. With music by NOYNC, All Saints, Kells and more 8.45 TOTP: 1984. Acts include Frankie Gnes to Hollywood 9.15 TOTP: 1988. Including songs by Kim Wilde and Fairground Attraction 9.45 Tony Bennett at the London Palladium: BBC Sessions. A concert from 2011. See posts of the day 10.45 Tony Bennett Sings. Series featuring performances by the crooner from 1979, beginning with a selection of songs from movies 11.15 Tony Bennett Sings. Some of the singer's own favourite songs 11.50 Tony Bennett Sings 12.20am Tony Bennett Sings. Three editions 1.55 Tony Bennett's New York 3.20am-3.45* TOTP: 2000

Sky Arts

6.00am Cirque du Soleil: Varekai 8.00 The Joy of Painting (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Dean Martin (AD) 12.00 Agatha Christie's Pale Horse 2.00pm The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (b/w) 3.00 The Eighteen (AD) 4.00 Discovering: Peter Sellers (AD) 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2022 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 Bob Dylan: The Other Side of the Mirror. The singer-songwriter's appearances at the Newport Folk Festival from 1963 to 1965 (AD) 9.35 I Was a Teenage Sex Pistol 11.20 Classic Albums 12.20am The Jam: Live at Rockpalast 1.50 Pretenders Live and Loose in 1.5.45 Sky Arts Book Club 4.45am-6.00 Michael Caine: Becoming of a Hollywood Star (AD)

More4

8.55am Heir Hunters 10.00 Four in a Bed 12.40pm Come Dine with Me (AD) 3.20 Four in a Bed 5.50 Car SOS. Vehicle restorations (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. Kevin McCloud reveals a couple constructing an art deco lighthouse tower on a clifting in north Devon (B11) (AD) 9.00 Carpe Diem. New series. French legal drama starring Samuel Le Bikan as a man who was falsely imprisoned, and now works as a lawyer defending others who have been wrongfully accused (1/6) (AD) 10.05.24 Hours in A&E. A seven-year-old boy is brought in after falling from a tree (7/8) (AD) 11.10.24 Hours in A&E. A retired builder is treated after falling from his daughter's roof (8/8) (AD) 12.15am 999: On the Front Line 1.15 24 Hours in A&E (AD) 3.25am-3.55 A Place in the Sun

Wrexham captain Dominic Hyam Live Ladies European Tour Golf Sky Sports Golf, 2pm-4 Coverage of day two of the London Championship team competition staged at Centurion Club in St Albans

Live Tennis Sky Sports Tennis, 4pm-4am Coverage from day six of the ATP Canadian Open event in Montreal and the WTA staging of the tournament in Toronto

The Hundred: Birmingham Phoenix Men v Sunrisers Leeds Men Sky Sports Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (Start-time 6.30). Coverage of the match from Edgbaston

Live EFL Cup: Middlesbrough v Wrexham Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, 7pm-10.45 (Pick-off 8.00). The first round tie staged at Riverside Stadium

Live Super League: Wakefield Trinity v Leeds Rhinos Sky Sports v, Sky Sports Action, 7.30pm-10.15 (Pick-off 8.00). Coverage of the match at DIY Kitchens Stadium

Talking Pictures

6.00am What's on IPTV with Noel 6.10 FILM: Command Performance (U, 1937) (b/w) 7.30 FILM: Serious Charge (PG, 1959) (b/w) 9.55 FILM: Sherlock Holmes: Terror By Night (PG, 1946) (b/w) 11.10 The Lucy Show 11.45 FILM: The Steel Key (PG, 1953) (b/w) 1.00pm The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (b/w) 2.15 The Adventures of Robin Hood (b/w) 2.45 FILM: My Brother's Keeper (PG, 1948) (b/w) 4.30 The Cheaters (b/w) 5.00 A Family at War 6.00 Rumpole of the Bailey 7.00 2 Cars (b/w) 8.00 Public Eye 9.10 Supernatural (6/8) 10.15 Tales of Tomorrow (b/w) 12.05am FILM: The Thirty-Nine Steps (PG, 1978) Thriller with Robert Powell 2.10 FILM: The Appointment (15, 1981) 4.00 The Vise (b/w) 5.00am-6.00 Railway Murders

Film4

11.00am Oliver! (U, 1968) Musical starring Ron Moody (AD) 1.55pm Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (PG, 1942) Mystery thriller starring Basil Nolteone (b/w) 3.15 Buchanan Rides Alone (U, 1958) Western with Randolph Scott 4.50 The True Story of Jesus James (PG, 1957) Biopic starring Robert Wagner 6.40 Ad Astra (12, 2019) Sci-fi drama starring Brad Pitt (AD) 9.00 The Martian (12, 2015) An astronaut left stranded on Mars has to find a way to survive for years on meagre resources. Ridley Scott's sci-fi drama starring Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain (AD) 11.50 Last Night in Soho (18, 2021) Mystery horror starring Thomas McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy (AD) 2.05am-4.00 Sick of Myself (15, 2023) Norwegian drama starring Kristine Kujath Thorp

BBC3

7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 I Am Darren (r) (AD) 7.20 FILM: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (PG, 2009) Nightwatchman Larry and his living museum exhibit friends must stop a reanimated pharaoh from taking over the world. Fantasy comedy starring Ben Stiller, Amy Adams and Owen Wilson (AD) 9.00 Death in Paradise. A distillery owner is poisoned during a group tasting of his rum (4/8) (r) (AD) 10.00 Ghosts Australia. Kate's mother invites herself to move in (r) 10.20 Ghosts Australia. Kate and Sean's date night is interrupted (r) 10.45 The Golden Cobra. All eight episodes of the animated comedy set in an Elbow Vale takeaway (AD) 12.45am Ideal. Comedy series 3.35am-3.50 Calamity James (r)

ITV2

6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 8.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 9.20 The Only Way Is Essex 10.20 Dawson's Creek 11.20 Charmed 12.15pm Deal or No Deal (AD) 1.15 Supermarket Sweep 2.15 The Floor USA (AD) 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. The reunion continues 5.00 The Real Housewives of Orange County 6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase (AD) 7.00 The Floor USA (AD) 8.00 The 1% Club (AD) 9.00 FILM: John Wick (15, 2014) Action starring Keanu Reeves (AD) 11.05 Family Guy. Double bill (AD) 12.05am American Dad! (AD) 1.05 Bob's Burgers 1.55am-2.20 Deal or No Deal: Banker's Best Battles

ITV3

6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.10 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 Agatha Christie's Poirot (AD) 11.30 Heartbeat (AD) 1.35pm Midsomer Murders (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat. Rural drama series (AD) 8.00 Doc Martin. Penhale decides to have a police open day (6/8) (AD) 9.00 Doc Martin. The day of annual Portwem versus Port Carran gig now arrives once again (7/8) (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. An unexpected twist lies in store at a charity hosing match at Vic's gym (5/6) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester (6/6) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Nentbolion (7/10) 12.55am Agatha Christie's Poirot. Mystery drama series (AD) 2.00am-2.30 George and Mildred

ITV4

6.00am Magnum, PI (AD) 8.05 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 9.10 Boon 10.15 The Professionals (AD) 11.20 Robin of Sherwood 12.25pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.35 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD) 3.45 Boon 4.50 The Professionals (AD) 5.50 Minder. Arthur and Terry are hired by two farmers to transport a ball (AD) 6.55 Sharpe. The rugged officer sets out to rescue British deserters captured by Spanish rebel El Casco 9.00 FILM: RoboCup (18, 1987) A murdered police officer is rebuilt as a cyborg, but memories of his human life lead him to turn on his corrupt creators. Sci-fi thriller with Peter Weller and Nancy Allen 11.10 All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite. Hard-hitting, high-flying action 1.30am Minder (AD, SL) 3.30am-3.00 Two and a Half Men

ITV4

U&Drama

6.00am Telemapping 7.20 The Bill 8.15 Doctors 9.25 Classic Holby City 10.45 Casualty (AD) 11.45 The Bill 12.50pm Classic EastEnders 2.00 Neighbours 3.00 Whitstable Pearl (AD) 4.05 Lovejoy 5.20 As Time Goes By. Comedy series 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 Father Brown. An ex-health spa employee is found murdered (AD) 9.00 Father Brown. Lady Felicita lavish New Year ball is ruined when a VIP guest is murdered (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. A murder at Smithfield Market leads to a shocking revelation (8/8) (AD) 11.20 Luther. The DCI suspects he has been double-crossed (5/6) (AD) 12.45am Lovejoy. A bereaved couple hire Lovejoy 1.50 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD) 2.50am-4.00 Hotel Portofino (SL)

Variations

BBC1 It Ireland 12.35pm Alan Carr's Picture Slam. With contestants from Lancashire, Birmingham and Cardiff (r) 1.15am-6.00 BBC News

ITV1 Wales 7.00pm-7.30 Coast & Country. Including reports on the children learning all about food at Aberglasney, and the conservation dogs that are saving lives in Africa

STV 7.00pm-7.30 The STV Radio Football Takeover. Hosted by Ewen Cameron, Ronnie Charters and Gideon Bell. 1.15am-3.00 Ship on TV 4.45am-6.00 Unwind with STV

UTV 7.00pm-7.30 UTV Life. Join Pamela Ballantine for the best of local chat

BBC Scotland 7.00pm Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.25 Live Sportscene: Particle Thistle v Livingston (Kick-off 7.30). The Scottish Championship match at Firhill 9.30 Best of Only an Excuse? Sketch show (r) 10.00 Still Game (r) 10.30 Two Doors Down (r) 11.00pm-12.00 Rip It Up (r)

S4C 6.00am Cyw 9.30 Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol. The morning's events 12.00 News 12.05pm Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol. Soliosis over 25 complete for a place to try for the David Ellis Memorial Award 2.00 News 2.05 Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol. The afternoons events 7.30 News; Weather 7.50 Eisteddfod Geneكيفthol. Coverage of the Recitation Choirs and Cerdd Dant 10.30 V Babell Lén 2026 11.00pm-12.05am Gwesty Adunial (r)

PBS America

8.00am Weathered: Earth's Extremes 8.35 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall 9.35 The Real Truth 10.40 The Rosenbergs: Atomic Spies 11.50 Hunting the KGB Killers 1.00pm Weathered: Earth's Extremes 1.35 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall 2.45 The Real Truth 3.45 The Rosenbergs: Atomic Spies 4.55 Hunting the KGB Killers 6.05 Conquistadors: The Rise and Fall. How other European rulers propagated an anti-Spanish narrative. Last in the series 7.05 The Real Truth. Factual series uncovering the truth behind science, beginning with sugar (1/6) 8.15 The Rosenbergs: Atomic Spies 9.30 Hunting the KGB Killers 10.40 The Real Truth (1/6) 12.00 The Rosenbergs: Atomic Spies. Documentary 1.15am-2.00 Weathered: Earth's Extremes

Sky Atlantic

6.00am Richard E Grant's Hotel Secrets (r) (AD) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.20 Heated Rivalry (r) (AD) 12.30pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.30 Billions (r) (AD) 4.40 The Last of Us (r) (AD) 7.00 The Penguin. With his nascent operation at stake, Oz attempts to turn the tables (5/8) (r) (AD) 8.00 The Penguin. Oz keeps expanding his reach with more suppliers than ever (6/8) (r) (AD) 9.00 Station Eleven. Elizabeth, Tyler and Clark confront an even more uncertain future (5/10) 10.00 Station Eleven. Kirsten leaves the Traveling Symphony behind to track down the Prophet (6/10) 11.00 The Last of Us. Joel and Ellie near their journey's end (9/9) (r) (AD) 12.00 True Detective: Night Country (r) (AD) 1.30am Billions (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 Urban Secrets (r)

Sky Docs

6.00am The 2000s (r) (7.00 Discovering Mel Gibson (r) (AD) 8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00 100 Foot Wave (r) (AD) 10.00 The Comedy Store (r) (AD) 11.05 Urban Secrets (r) 12.00 FILM: Lancaster (PG, 2022) (AD) 2.00pm FILM: Evertown: Howard's Way (12, 2019) (AD) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering Mel Gibson. The life and career of the actor (r) (AD) 6.00 David Frost Vs (r) (AD) 7.00 The Alien Autopsy Scandal. Claims of a hoax grow (r) (AD) 8.00 The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door. The nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal (r) 9.40 FILM: Bowling for Columbine (15, 2002) America's gun culture 12.00 Premier League 360 – Big Sam's Bolton (r) (AD) 2.00am Dart Kings (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Mel Gibson (r) (AD)

UK Yesterday

6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash Restoring Classics (AD) 10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00 Great War Stories (AD) 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash (AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00 Great War Stories (AD) 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 The Green Planet. A guide to plants that thrive in human-dominated environments (AD) 8.00 Canal Boat Diaries. Winsford to Weston Point (4/10) (AD) 9.00 Canal Boat Diaries. A trip from Runcorn to Middlewich (5/10) (AD) 10.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 11.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. A 1969 MGB car (AD) 1.00am Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD) 2.00 Abandoned Engineering (AD) 3.00am-6.10 Teleshopping

---

14

MindGames

Backgammon Chris Bray

WBGF world championships

There has been a world team championship event since 2019, when the inaugural event was held in Montenegro. There are five players (and a reserve) in each team. Play is initially in groups, with the top teams qualifying for the play-off stages. So far 26 countries have registered for this year. The event is organised by the World Backgammon Federation (WBGF). Over the last few years, there has been growing discontent with the cost and organisation of the Monte Carlo world championship, so this year the WBGF is adding a world individual championship to the calendar. It will be interesting to compare the attendance figures for the two competing events.

The WBGF events are held in a different location each year and this year London is the host, with the tournaments running from August 24 to 30. The location is the Mercure Hotel in Earls Court. Full details can be found at: ukbgf.com/wtc2026. This year I am taking a break from playing and will be leading the commentary team with

my US colleague, Kent Goulding. Matches will be streamed on YouTube throughout the week. Spectators both online and live will be welcome. It promises to be a long but fascinating seven days of backgammon, with most of the world's top players in attendance, some of whom will join Kent and me when they can.

Our understanding of the game continues to evolve. How would you play this roll of 32 as Black? The gung-ho style of the 1970s would have come up with II/6 or II/9, II/8. Nowadays Black would be wary of White's strong home board despite the blot on the 19-pt and would seek to play safely. The only move that is not a blunder is the very ugly 4/2, 4/1. With all of White's outer board points stripped, Black wants her to be the first one to break a point and leave shots.

Dirk Schiemann coined the idea of ugly plays, and he would be very proud of finding 4/2, 4/1. Our 1970s player would just laugh and accuse Black of cowardice, but then he was playing in a time before computers got involved in the game and radically changed some of the basic theory. chrisbrupbg@gmail.com

Winning Move

White to play. This position is from Ivanchuk-Liu, Hong Kong 2026.

In the 1990s grandmaster Vasyl Ivanchuk was rated in the world's Top 10 and often spoken of as a future world champion. Ivanchuk has an amazing tactical imagination but has been held back – it is generally agreed – by poor nerves at critical moments. He retains his sharp tactical eye as can be seen here. How did he finish off?

Codeword No 5913

1	5	21	15	9	13		17	18	20	9	10	16
23		15		10				16		24		1
10	23	13	18	14	1	6		9	24	15	15	20
12		13		23		10		7		20		19
13	24	26	14	15		13	24	20	18	22	15
6				13		24				16
15	16	1	14	15	6		20	15	23	6	7	10
		5				2		25				10
	9	1	20	1	8	15		7	16	5	10	3
14		16		4		20		1		20		18
15	5	2	15	20		22	18	5	20	1	13	10
11		10		15				6		12		7
12	10	16	16	15	13		22	15	20	12	7	12

A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

Every letter in this crossword-style grid is represented by a number from 1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded. Yesterday's solution, right

Clautines Stuck on Codeword? To receive 4 random clues call 0901 293 6262 or text TREECODE to 64343. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. For the full solution call 0905 757 0142. If you have an old newspaper and need clues from the past 7 days, call 0905 624 0024. Calls to 0905 cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm).

Lexica Easy No 9039 Hard No 9040

Slide the letters either horizontally or vertically back into the grid to produce a completed crossword. Letters are allowed to slide over other letters

Train Tracks No 2938

Lay tracks to enable the train to travel from village A to village B. The numbers indicate how many sections of track go in each row and column. There are only straight sections and curved sections. The track cannot cross itself.

Quintagram® No 2640

Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Statue six collected by relative (5)

2 Wet edges of stump by large tree (6)

3 Soft start to opening section in movement (3,3)

4 Game interrupted by northern artist (7)

5 City supporter finally sold car (8)

A	A	A	A	B	C	D	D
D	D	E	F	H	H	I	K
L	N	O	O	O	P	P	P
R	R	R	5	5	T	V	Y

Challenge your mind with these fiendish word and number puzzles Timesbookshop.co.uk

Solve Ponder crossword on Wednesdays and Fridays at thetimes.com/puzzles and on the Live app

KenKen Difficult No 6905

30×	12×		4-		10+
	3÷		3-
	5-	15×	15+
11+			1-		3-
	4	10×
			5+		4

All the digits 1 to 6 must appear in every row and column. In each thick-line 'block', the target number in the top left-hand corner is calculated from the digits in all the cells in the block, using the operation indicated by the symbol.

Futoshiki No 5453

Fill the blank squares so that every row and column contains each of the numbers 1 to 5 once only. The symbols between the squares indicate whether a number is larger (>) or smaller (<) than the number next to it.

Kakuro No 4412

4	30		15	16				11	5
12			8					3
			12					12
			26			21	6
23					18			31	14
27					28			3
								23
30			5				12
21				10			24
11			42				14
			6
13	15				6
	4				14				16
13					6			8
					12			16

© PUCCEN MEDIA

Fill the grid using the numbers 1 to 9 only. The numbers in each horizontal or vertical run of white squares add up to the total in the triangle to its left or above it. The same number may occur more than once in a row or column, but not within the same run of white squares.

---

15

MindGames

times2 Crossword No 10,229

Across

1 Colossal ancient tomb with triangular sides (7)

5 US Mormon state (4)

7 Formal academic garment (4)

8 Convince otherwise (8)

9 Gait faster than a canter (6)

11 — Newton, polymath (5)

12 Equipment, kit (13)

Solution to Crossword 10,228

15 Ejects (matter) forcefully, guides out (5)

16 Hard deposit on teeth (6)

18 Giving more power or

encouragement to (8)

20 Arrive (4)

21 Some (1,3)

22 Crossbred dog (7)

Down

1 Uninspiring, pedestrian (7)

2 Of the kidneys (5)

3 Soft wet earth (3)

4 Rebellious citizen (9)

5 Howl rhythmically (7)

6 Early form of sonar (5)

10 Element whose chemical

symbol is K (9)

13 Supervised (7)

14 Hinder, constrain (7)

15 Eat gluttonously (5)

17 Speed competitor (5)

19 Blunderbuss, eg (3)

Need help with today's puzzle? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the answers. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm).

Bridge Andrew Robson

Top Twenty Conventions

2. Negative (Third Call) Double This is a special type of take-out double guaranteeing the other major. It's (poorly) named as such to distinguish it from the positive or penalty double. Because it's always the third call (after partner opens One-of-a-Suit and right-hand-opponent overcalls a suit), I'd like to resume it the "Third Call Double".

Take these common auctions.

(a) 1♣/♣ (1♣)-Dbl. This double guarantees hearts, typically four cards, in which case you could have any strength worth a call (a 2♥ bid would guarantee a fifth heart). However, you could have a fifth heart in a hand not worth a (forcing) 2♥ bid, about 6-9 points. Note, the double says nothing about the other minor, nor about being short in the opposing spades, so it's not really take-out as such. Eg ▲ 8642, ▼ KJ72, ▲ KJ2, ▲ 972.

(b) 1♥-(2♣/♦)-Dbl. This negative double guarantees spades, usually four cards but could be more with about 6-9 points. Eg ▲ 28643, ▼J2, ▲ A72, ▲K65.

(c) 1♣/♦-(1♥)-Dbl. This negative double guarantees precisely four spades, never more as you can bid 1♣ with six points and a fifth card. Eg ▲ 9842, ▼J52, ▲K2, ▲KJ65.

(d) 1♣-(1♦)-Dbl. This negative double — uniquely — gives guarantees about two suits, showing precisely four-four in the unbid majors. Eg ▲ Q842, ▼AQ52, ▲9842, ▲5. Note, therefore, that in the auction 1♣-(1♦)-1♥/♣, responder may have only four cards in her major. Contrast the sequence 1♣-(1♦)-1♣ (where responder can

have four spades) with 1♣-(1♥)-1♣ (where she must have a fifth spade).

(e) 1♦-(2♣)-Dbl. This negative double is far less specific. Because a 2♥/♣ bid by responder would guarantee a fifth card, the negative double has to cover a wide gamut of hands eg 4♣/♣ 3♥, 1♣-4♥. (Note to self, boldly overcall 2♣ over 1♦ as it's so hard for the next player.) Eg ▲ J7532, ▼AJ2, ▲Q32, ▲J5.

(f) 1♣-(4♦)-Dbl. This is the highest negative double and, at such a high level, it's more general take-out than negative. Eg ▲ K9712, ▼K32, +2, ▲AJ93. — pull partner's 4♥ reply to 4♣, implying a fifth spade but also some club support.

(1) Guarantees a fifth spade because double would show four spades.

(2) To the (ten-card) level of the fit.

(3) Knowing partner has a fifth spade.

Wind bid ♥3 to ♥4, you ruffing East's ♥2 return with ▲2. At trick three, you try ▲2 to ▲Q. Wind wins ▲K and switches to #10. You win +A, cross to ▲AK, cash ▲A, ruff ▲3 and concede to ▲Q. You can then reach dummy via +K to cash clubs, and that's ten tricks made.

andrew.robsin@thetimes.co.uk

Brain Trainer

Polygon

From these letters, make words of four or more letters, always including the central letter. Answers must be in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, excluding capitalised words, plurals, conjugated verbs (past tense etc), adverbs ending in LY, comparatives and superlatives. How you rate 12 words, average: 16, good; 20, very good; 25, excellent

Yesterday's answers

metro, moor, moot, mope, moper, more, mort, mote, motor, orme, perm, poem, porre, proem, prom, promo, promote, promote, romer, romp, room, roomer, temp, tempo, term, tome, tremor, tromp

Cell Blocks No 5796

Divide the grid into square or rectangular blocks, each containing one digit only. Every block must contain the number of cells indicated by the digit inside it.

Set Square No 4415

Enter each of the numbers from 1 to 9 in the grid, so that the six sums work. We've placed two numbers to get you started. Each sum should be calculated left to right or top to bottom.

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

Killer Moderate No 10,864

Killer Deadly No 10,865

As with standard Sudoku, fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Each set of cells joined by dotted lines must add up to the target number in its top-left corner. Within each set of cells joined by dotted lines, a digit cannot be repeated.

Charlines Stuck on Sudoku, Killer or KenKen? Call 0901 293 6263 before midnight to receive four clues for any of today's puzzles. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm).

Solutions

Quick Cryptic 3373

Codeword 5912

Kakuro 4411

Sudoku 13004

Tetonor 698

Train Tracks 2937

Sudoku 13005

Cell Blocks 5795

Set Square 4414

Lexica 9037

Sudoku 13006

Futoshiki 5452

KenKen 6904

Lexica 9038

Killer 10,862

Concise

Quintagram

1 At ease

2 Uncles

3 Change

4 Extent

5 Eye level

Cryptic

Quintagram

1 David

2 Splash

3 Pop art

4 Hockney

Sakura 4814

Quiz

1 Shark 2 Nashville 3 Seven

4 Margaret Thatcher

5 Ireland 6 Notre-Dame de

Paris 7 Blithe Spirit 8 René

Magritte 9 Mary Bennet

10 Katharine Hammett

11 Brazil 12 Special purpose

acquisition company

13 Lindy Morrison, formerly of the Go-Betweens

of the Go-Betweens 14 Women's British

15 Prince George (of Wales)

Word watch

Macrology (c) Verbiose but

consistigless (adj. (collec))

Darghatliion (a) The act of

swallowing (Chambers)

Remotade (b) A horse's hoof

ointment (OED)

Chess — Winning Move

1 Ku89 is a lovely demonstration of the power

of rock and knight when

their corporate effectively.

1...cu(1)1...ku89 2 Qa89-

Ku7 3 Qa89- KJ66 4 QA67

mate on gi is unstoppable

Quiz

1 Shark 2 Nashville 3 Seven

4 Margaret Thatcher

5 Ireland 6 Notre-Dame de

Paris 7 Blithe Spirit 8 René

Magritte 9 Mary Bennet

10 Katharine Hammett

11 Brazil 12 Special purpose

acquisition company

13 Lindy Morrison, formerly

of the Go-Betweens

14 Women's British Open

15 Prince George (of Wales)

---

THE TIMES

07.08.26

MindGames

Word watch

David Parditt

Macrology

a A mixed English and Latin phrase

b Any unified field of study

c Verbose but

meaningless talk

Deglutition

a The act of swallowing

b The breakdown of

adhesive bonds

c The removal of excess matter

Remodade

a A fulsome expression

of contrition

b A horse's hoof

ointment

c A planter cast of the back teeth

Answers on page 15

Sudoku Mild No 17007

Difficult No 17008

Fiendish No 17009

1	3			7			2	5
8	5		4		9		7	3
			9	4	1
		1				8
	2	9				5	4
		6				7
			6	8	7
9		8				1		6

				8			1
7	2				1
		8	7			6
	3	9	5	2	7			8
	8	2	1	9	6			3
		5	9			3
8	9				4
				3			2

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

	9		2		3		5
		8	9		6	4
		3		2		7
			8		4
	4	5				6	2
8								1
			6		1
4	1			7			9	3

The Times Daily Quiz Olav Bjontemt

1 The great white species of which predatory fish has 300 triangular, serrated teeth?

2 "Music City" and "Nash Vegas" are nicknames for which city in Tennessee?

3 In the Bible, how many books constitute the "Heptateuch"?

4 Which Tory prime minister said that the sitcom Yes, Minister had given her "hours of pure joy"?

5 The Easter Rising of 1916 took place in which modern-day country?

6 Distances are measured from Paris

Point Zéro, just outside which cathedral on the Île de la Cité?

7 Geisterkomödie ("Ghost Comedy") is a German title of which 1941 play by Noël Coward?

8 Not to be Reproduced (1937) is which Belgian

painter's portrait of the surrealist patron Edward James?

9 What is the name of the title heroine of Janice Hadlow's novel The Other Bennet Sister?

10 Which English fashion designer launched her

"choose life" slogan T-shirt in 1983?

11 Aracaju is the capital of Sergipe, the smallest state by area in which South American country?

12 In finance, SPAC is an acronym for which investment vehicle?

13 Which Australian drummer is the subject of Tracey Thorn's 2021 book My Rock 'n' Roll Friend?

14 In 1976, Jenny Lee Smith won the inaugural edition of which tournament at Fulford Golf Club in York?

15 Which prince is pictured?

Answers on page 15

Sakuro No 4B14

Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the spaces so that the number in each circle is equal to the sum of the four surrounding spaces, and each colour total is correct

For interactive puzzles visit thetimes.com

The Times Quick Cryptic No 3374 by Asp

Across

1 What contains books, fish and net? (9) 6 Mock company director's first letter (3) 8 Animal arrived then left (5) 9 Petulant move of uncle getting upset (7) 10 Bricks stop piercing winds (6,6) 12 Cut nails back (4) 13 I goofed up over operations (4) 17 Article less about instructive experience (6,6) 20 Send on attacker (7) 21 Give birth with assistance (5) 22 Crash into back of car in the morning (3) 23 Men in high places persecuting individual (9)

Down

1 Fire rifle (4) 2 Most valuable baseball hit in career (4,3) 3 Member of parliament's constituents from Cowley (3) 4 Lie about US agent's hit (6) 5 Fairness seems to follow virtue (4,5) 6 He thinks the worst of people in fancy niches (5) 7 Smart doctor starts to examine serious case of scurvy (6) 11 Suppose social worker, for example, is with child (9) 14 Professional sporting event in March? (7) 15 Sound of person expelling air from lungs and chest (6) 16 Small burger in new deli's range to begin with (6) 18 Joy failing to finish drink in large bowl (5) 19 Boom box (4) 21 You and I tilled with love and grief (3)

Yesterday's solution on page 15

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THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

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THE TIMES

FRIDAY AUGUST 7 2026

Bricks

&Mortar

Inside

I split with my ex three years ago — now we 'nest' together Page 8

Plus

My £400k flats were my pension — they're now worthless Page 10

Buy. Sell. Move. Improve. Your weekly property guide

Balancing act

Is it cheaper to pay rent each month or have a mortgage?

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Bricks&Mortar

Cover story

95%

Buyers in the UK who faced unexpected costs during their home move in the last year

Source: PEXA

Dear or dirt cheap

The most and least affordable student towns

Source: Accommodation for Students

23,000

Households expected to move house – four times the daily average – on Friday, August 28, the busiest moving day in 2026

Source: HomeOwners' Alliance

Time to sell and move home

Deals take far longer in England and Wales compared with Scotland, where the buying process is different

£4.1 billion

Annual cost to the rental sector of fraudulent tenancy applications

Source: Goodland

Planning push

Developers have applied to build 100,000 more homes in the year to June compared with last year

Totals are for England, in the year to Q2 Source: TorralQuest/Planning Portal

Owning v renting: which is cheaper?

Mortgage costs are high and property values are stagnating. We crunch the numbers to find out in which areas tenants and buyers are better off. By David Byers

Should you carry on renting, or is now a good time to buy a home? If you're wrestling with this question you're far from alone. When it comes to the cost pressures facing tenants and buyers, many things have changed in recent years.

On one hand, costs for tenants spiralled in many urban areas after Covid as workers flocked back to cities. This led to rents rising by a record 10.2 per cent in the year to November 2023. This trend has cooled significantly since, the property portal Zoopla recording a rise of 2.1 per cent in the average cost of new lets in the year to June. However, there's evidence that rising taxes and new renters' rights rules have led landlords to sell off rental properties. This is causing a shortage of supply in some areas, with 25 per cent fewer homes available to rent than before the pandemic.

There have been plenty of challenges for buyers too. Since 2022 mortgage interest rate rises have made the days of sub-1 per cent home loans a distant memory. This has shown little sign of easing since the Iran war began in February, with the average two and five-year fixed rates sitting at 5.52 per cent, according to Moneyfacts. Costs have risen for buyers too — particularly first-time buyers since stamp duty discounts ended and the Help to Buy scheme was wound up.

Beyond the broad national trends there are significant regional variations. Hyperlocal factors such as the proximity of schools, bakeries and public transport, as well as the quality of housing stock, cause huge fluctuations in the costs of buying and renting.

So, given all this turbulence, where is it cheaper to own a property and where is it cheaper to rent? We asked the experts at Connelly Group, the UK's largest high street estate and lettings agency, which has more than 1,200 branches and the country's most extensive sales and lettings database. They crunched the numbers for us and came up with a definitive guide.

Of course, as everyone knows, there is one big benefit to buying, and that's the ownership of an asset that may grow in value. But with house prices declining in the past five years in many areas (by as much as a fifth if inflation is taken into account), accumulating wealth in your property is no longer guaranteed.

Affluent areas are the priciest for owners

The main finding in England and Wales's most affluent areas is that the monthly cost of owning a property remains more expensive than renting one — despite the post-Covid rental increases.

Renting is cheaper by the greatest margin in the southwest London

borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The average purchase price is £1.28 million, and the average monthly mortgage is £5,391, compared with £3,611 rent — a £1,780 difference. (This is arguably an anomaly, since many in the royal borough are cash buyers.)

Buying is more expensive in the affluent Surrey borough of Elmbridge too (£3,092 for a mortgage versus £1,833 in rent, and an average purchase price of £735,722), as it is in the southwest suburb of Richmond upon Thames (£3,332 for a mortgage and £2,289 for rent, and an average price of £792,844).

Given the steep cost of property in Kensington, it would take 29.6 years of paying rent before you paid the average house price there, while in Elmbridge it would take 33.4 years and in Richmond it would take 28.9.

Other places where it is more affordable to rent than buy include

To rent or own?

Three areas where renting is cheaper

Local authority	Purchase price	Mortgage payment	Rent*
Kensington and Chelsea	£1,282,637	£5,391	£3,611
Elmbridge	£735,722	£3,092	£1,833
Richmond upon Thames	£792,844	£3,332	£2,289

Three areas where owning is cheaper

Tower Hamlets	£459,208	£1,930	£2,401
Bristol	£350,164	£1,472	£1,888
Newcastle upon Tyne	£206,715	£869	£1,201

*Data shows averages for price, monthly mortgage and rental payments. Source: Connelly Group

St Albans in Hertfordshire (£1,915 to rent versus £2,639 in mortgage costs) and the Derbyshire Dales (£792 to rent versus average mortgage costs of £1,455).

Rory Wallace, the head of regional lettings for Savills in southwest London, says would-be buyers remain hesitant in the capital — and this is because of political uncertainty as well as cost. "While economic uncertainty and ongoing questions around future house price growth are factors, the decision is increasingly being driven by simple economics. For some households the cost of a mortgage, maintaining a property and funding a significant deposit can outweigh the benefits of ownership, especially if it's a shorter-term move."

Data from BuiltPlace backs this up, showing that borrowers are paying more in mortgage interest than in repayments for the first time in more than a decade (£65.9 billion versus £63.1 billion).

Marc Schneiderman, a director at Arlington Residential, an estate agency covering some of the more affluent neighbourhoods in north London, says that few renters can afford property in swathes of the capital without parental help, leaving many with no choice but to remain in the lettings market. "Our research shows that less than 5 per cent of would-be buyers are in a financial position to buy without the help of their parents or grandparents," he says.

Price drops coming — could this change the picture?

Where homes are so expensive that buyers stay away, the rules of supply and demand take over, and price drops inevitably follow as sellers become more desperate. Zoopla said last week that sales agreed in July were down 9 per cent on last year, while the number of homes being put up for sale was up by 3 per cent.

Meanwhile, recent Times research suggests that, when taking inflation into account, there has been a real-terms fall in house prices of 17.8 per cent between October 2021 and March this year.

Sara Ransom from Stacks Property Search says that prices in Kensington and Chelsea, for example, have fallen by 10 per cent in the past year. "Prices may continue to soften in the short term," she adds.

For now, the market in the southeast remains sluggish. Rightmove data released last week shows that in London it takes 174 days — nearly six months — from a sale being agreed to completion, the longest since records began. Things may speed up if prices continue to fall.

Look north for the cheapest homes

Meanwhile, towns and cities other than London (and the capital's most affordable areas) dominate the list of

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Bricks&Mortar

What £650,000 buys you in ...

Gloucestershire

The Old School House spans more than 2,200 sq ft and is one of the most striking homes in central Stroud. Period charm and stone mullion windows are the initial draws, while inside there are four bedrooms plus a separate wing with a 16ft living room, a bathroom and a bedroom. Outside there is off-road parking, a good-sized garden, and a separate workshop. Stroud is a much-loved bohemian town, with good shops and schools and the Cotswolds on the doorstep.

EPC E (potential C) — on a scale of A (best) to G (worst)

Upside Self-contained annexe for lettings, staff or relatives.

Downside Cosmetic work needed.

Contact hamptons.co.uk

Cambridgeshire

Owned by the same family for almost three decades, Blackberry Farm has 2,287 sq ft of living space on half an acre of land. The village of Friday Bridge is three miles south of Wisbech, a historic market town known as the capital of the fens. The house has three reception rooms plus a 20ft x 15ft kitchen/dining room and a conservatory. Upstairs are five bedrooms and a bathroom. There are lawned gardens and mature trees, plus extensive outbuildings including a garage, a carport and stores.

EPC E (potential B)

Upside No onward chain.

Downside Poor bedroom-to-bathroom ratio.

Contact sowetbys.com

places where the monthly cost of owning is cheaper than renting — house prices are cheaper and mortgages more affordable.

In the two cheapest London boroughs, Tower Hamlets and Newham (average house prices £459,208 and £390,057 respectively), it is cheaper to own than to rent — by £471 and £275 in monthly costs — owing to the new-build housing stock. This is also true of a series of northern towns and regional centres, including Newcastle upon Tyne (£332 cheaper to buy per month), Manchester (£293 cheaper per month) and Nottingham (£195 cheaper per month).

If you rented in Tower Hamlets it would take 15.9 years before you paid the area's average house price in rental payments — half the years you'd spend paying rent in Kensington — while this would be 15.5 years in Bristol and 14.3 years in Newcastle.

Yet experts say that the calculation often varies between postcodes. Jake Rowson, a sales director at Ryder & Dutton, a Manchester estate agency that is part of the Leaders Roman Group, says: "In north Manchester, whether it works out cheaper to buy than to rent really comes down to where you are on the price ladder. At around £125,000 — a two-bedroom apartment in Blackley, say — a buyer with even a modest deposit can find the monthly cost of owning sits well below what the same flat would let for. Move up towards £300,000 and that gap narrows sharply, so it isn't a blanket rule across the borough."

Nick Maud, a lead analyst at Connells Group, says the affordability of homes in cities other than London and cheaper suburbs means that renters are moving to those areas in ever greater numbers. "There are still places where ownership represents better value than renting, with average monthly payments more than £300 cheaper in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, Bristol, Newcastle and Portsmouth. While these areas are geographically diverse, their common thread is that they tend to be more urban in character, with cheaper house prices.

"Yet for many, saving for a deposit remains a significant challenge to making that leap. Regular rental payments that often account for a meaningful share of a tenant's income add to this difficulty. Stamp duty also acts as a barrier, particularly in London, where the upfront cost is substantial. This can make renting the more appealing option in the capital."

The fact that northern cities — with their more affordable property prices — are mostly cheaper to own in rather than rent in is reflected in Scotland. A separate dataset by Connells covering north of the border shows that, here, renting is cheaper than buying in only two local authorities — Perth and Kinross (by £92 — the difference between a £917 mortgage cost and £825 in rent) and East Dunbartonshire (by £6 — £1,118 versus £1,111). These areas' property prices — at £218,187 and £265,936 respectively — are well above Scotland's average of £188,548.

Co Durham

Middlestone Lodge, an ivy-clad stone-built Edwardian home, has uninterrupted countryside views towards the Cleveland Hills and North Yorkshire Dales. It has an entrance hall, library, dining room and sitting room plus a workshop and utility spaces. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, a bathroom and study. It has original features including high ceilings, ceiling roses and stone fireplaces. It is on the edge of Kirk Merrington, a village a 15-minute drive from Durham.

EPC F (potential D)

Upside Pretty south-facing garden with a patio, a lawn, a garage and a greenhouse.

Downside You can't let it out because of the EPC rating.

Contact finest.co.uk

Or... two flats in Cornwall

These two one-bedroom apartments are in the middle of Padstow, a few moments' walk from the harbour. One has a balcony, while the other has a sheltered rooftop terrace with quay views. Both have open-plan living/cooking/dining areas and are stylishly decorated. The leases on the properties, which are popular holiday lets, have 988 years remaining.

EPC D/D (potential C/C)

Upside An attractive investment opportunity in this foodie paradise.

Downside Watch out for heavy tax rises on holiday lets.

Contact johnbrayestates.co.uk

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Bricks&Mortar

Moving stories

'I moved to Devon's blue zone'

Water sports, beach yoga, fresh food and community make for a calmer and happier life

Devon is somewhere we've always loved and it has a reputation for being one of the healthiest places to live in the country, similar to the famous "blue zones" you hear about: those pockets of the world, like Sardinia or Okinawa, Japan, where people regularly live past 100. The official hotspot is east Devon, about 40 miles up the coast from us, but living here in the South Hams, by the water and with the same slower pace of life, I understand why the whole county has built that reputation [says Faye Bosley, 50].

Our daughters, 22 and 26, left university and both got jobs. We became empty-nexters and knew this was the time to think about our next chapter. After dedicating my life to being their mum, working as a nanny and looking after the home, we wanted to focus on our wellbeing and happiness. We sold our house in Camberley, Surrey, without finding another property — with just six weeks until completion, it left us facing the prospect of homelessness.

I triggered the Devon plan. Basing myself in Kingsbridge, I looked tirelessly at rental property after rental property. We eventually took somewhere in the town and quickly settled into life by the water. It's a market town with everything you need and lots of independent shops, and being situated at the head of the Kingsbridge estuary, life revolves around the coast and the countryside. Water is such a leveller and there's a sense of calm for the people who live beside it.

Everything immediately slotted into place here. The neighbours were welcoming and greeted us with coffee and cake. We'd have loved to have bought a house in Kingsbridge, particularly as we began to make good friends, but it's an expensive town and very popular with second-home owners. Our budget was £500,000 so we opted for a bungalow in Chillington, a village ten minutes away by car. The nearest beach is five minutes away at Torcross. It's become a routine to go down to the sea before breakfast most days.

Top: Kingsbridge in Devon. Above: Faye Bosley paddleboarding

We absolutely love it and we're so much healthier for it. Almost everything I do here revolves around the water. I've joined a cold-water swimming group. We go in for about 20 minutes and then chat while warming up. I also do Waterborn's weekly women's paddleboarding session, at different spots around the South Hams — sometimes in the estuary, sometimes out to sea, depending on the tide.

It's a brilliant way to start the day, gliding along the water with a group of women, all chatting and laughing, taking in the scenery from a completely different angle. I also enjoy beach yoga at Bantham, one of the most beautiful beaches in Devon — stretching out on

the sand with the waves rolling in is about as good as wellness gets.

We have many friends who own boats, so there are regular trips out on the water in the summer, and I kayak with my old neighbours from Kingsbridge. We may have moved away from the town itself but those friendships have stuck and a paddle on the estuary together is the perfect excuse to catch up. We love that life here isn't commercial — we enjoy swimming in the sea and the slower pace of life.

There are so many amazing coastal footpaths: either along the Kingsbridge side of the estuary or over the water at Salcombe, where you can walk up to Bolt Head and beyond. Many of these activities are free too, so we're better off financially. Everyone seems to have time here to stop and chat. It feels like people aren't interested in competing, which we found was part of life in Surrey.

We eat well too, with so much fresh local produce on our doorstep, from the fishmongers to the farm shops, and that feels like another piece of the puzzle. It's part of the blue zone secret, really: it's not one thing, it's the combination of moving your body every day without ever thinking of it as exercise, eating well, having a sense of purpose and feeling connected to others.

I feel much calmer, happier and healthier. The fresh air, the sea swims and the paddleboarding all re-energise me and the deep sense of community here has helped us feel mentally stronger and happier too. We didn't have the same sense of that in Surrey — and at 50 I feel like I'm only just getting started. Interview by Annie Hayes

COUNTY HALL KINGSTON

A Story Worth Living

Yours to Own

CHK sits moments from the Thames, surrounded by Richmond Park, Hampton Court and some of South West London's finest schools. A Grade II* listed landmark, ready for the way families live today and built to remain extraordinary long after.

1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and duplexes

MOVE IN LATE AUTUMN

Prices from £450,000

BOOK YOUR VIEWING

0330 029 9140 | CHK.LONDON

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FINE & COUNTRY

Local expertise, national presence, international audience

HEMINGFORD GREY CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Period home set in a truly unique waterside plot, featuring a river meadow island and offering convenient access to Cambridge and London.

EPC Exempt | Council Tax: H | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 0330 333 1060 £2,000,000

CHICHESTER WEST SUSSEX

One of Chichester's most distinguished addresses – an award-winning Grade II Listed 15th century townhouse, fully refurbished and reimagined.

EPC: C | Council Tax: H | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01243 908077 £1,850,000

SOUTHPORT MERSEYSIDE

A luxury family home finished to an exceptional standard, featuring a spa-inspired leisure suite and magnificent entertaining spaces.

EPC: C | Council Tax: F | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01704 205021 £1,600,000

GREAT HORMEAD HERTFORDSHIRE

A stunning four bedroom detached home set within a plot of approximately 1.5 acres, with a detached barn and beautiful landscaped gardens.

EPC: D | Council Tax: G | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01920 443898 £1,500,000

BRANDON SUFFOLK

An outstanding detached seven bedroom home set in 3.5 acres of formal gardens and woodland, with indoor leisure facilities including a pool, entertainment room and bar.

EPC: D | Council Tax: H | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01284 718822 £1,500,000

NEWBURY BERKSHIRE

Malt Cottage is a spacious four bedroom, two bathroom, three reception, Grade II Listed 10th century property with a wealth of character.

EPC: E | Council Tax: G | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01635 30303 £1,100,000

FURNESS VALE DERBYSHIRE

Yorkshire Hall is a Grade II Listed masterpiece in High Peak, offering 1.09 acres, three bedrooms, four bathrooms, two reception rooms and no onward chain.

Contact: 01298 808082 £995,000

CROWLAND LINCOLNSHIRE

Exceptional Georgian-style country home in a rural setting offering 3 acres, four bedrooms, ancillary accommodation, stables, triple garage and forland views.

EPC: B | Council Tax: F | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01780 750200 £900,000

STAINFORTH NORTH YORKSHIRE

Unique Grade II Listed 17th century farmhouse with four bedrooms, a one bedroom airview, a barn and a generous garden, offering period charm and remarkable potential.

EPC: E | Council Tax: F | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01200 420747

£795,000

SAUL GLOUCESTER

Spacious village home with four double bedrooms, a bespoke farmhouse kitchen, versatile living spaces, mature gardens, eco-friendly features and excellent transport links.

EPC: C | Council Tax: G | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01453 751661 £740,000

WEST DRAYTON MIDDLESEX

Detective Grade II Listed residence occupying a prominent position overlooking the historic green in West Drayton.

EPC: D | Council Tax: D | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 0203 912 3425 £725,000

MYTHOLMROYD WEST YORKSHIRE

A substantial Grade II Listed family home combining period character with elegant modern living set within an exclusive cobbled courtyard overlooking the Calder Valley.

EPC Exempt | Council Tax: F | Tenure: Freehold

Contact: 01422 410723 £695,000

Head Office

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Bricks&Mortar

The four-floor Italianate Victorian villa is an arresting sight as it looms above you at the end of Fairfax Road, two minutes' walk from arterial Finchley Road in northwest London.

With neoclassical columns, double front doors and stained-glass windows, this grand pile looks like something you might find in a secluded corner of Belgravia rather than in a built-up area surrounded on all sides by flats and sports courts close to Swiss Cottage Tube station.

But the splendour of the house, combined with the anonymity of the location, is probably what attracted the British singer-songwriter Lynsey de Paul to buy it, paying cash, in the mid-1990s.

De Paul had emerged from a traumatic home life in nearby Cricklewood, during which she suffered brutal beatings by her father, to reach musical superstardom in the 1970s, recording the global hit Sugar Me in 1972 and becoming the first woman to collect an Ivor Novello award, for Won't Somebody Dance With Me in 1973. Between 1972 and 1977 she wrote or co-wrote 14 UK top 40 hits (for herself and others) and nine primetime British television series. In 1977 she narrowly missed out on a second consecutive Eurovision victory for the UK with Rock Bottom, performed with Mike Moran.

In the 1980s de Paul had bought a gothic-style property in the north London suburb of Highgate, which she had named Moot Grange (an anagram of No Mortgage) to symbolise her success.

By 1995, when she paid £640,000 in cash for the 4,000 sq ft pile on Fairfax Road, she was believed to want a place away from the gaze of the media, having been involved in a number of affairs, including with the songwriter Bernie Taupin, the footballer George Best, the actor Sean Connery and the Beatles' Ringo Starr. Unmarried without children despite receiving as many as five proposals, she used her Swiss Cottage home as a retreat in which to write.

Nibs Lakhani, a director at Goldschmidt & Howland — the agency that presided over de Paul's subsequent sale of the house in 2001 to the Groves family for what official records show to be £1 million — says de Paul guarded her privacy. Agency files record repeatedly that she requested the sale be carried out "very discreetly" with "no advertising", and that she should not be identified as the seller.

After selling the house the singer downsized to Mill Hill, living with a three-legged cat called Tripod, before she died of a brain haemorrhage in 2014 at the age of 66. "She was quite a character," Lakhani says, recalling dealing with her on several occasions at her Mill Hill address, while his late Goldschmidt predecessor handled the Fairfax Road sale.

After the 2001 de Paul sale Goldschmidt sold the property again in 2003 for £1.6 million to the radio presenter Jonathan "Jono" Coleman and his family Coleman, who was a household name in British broadcasting across multiple networks, moved to Australia in 2006 with his family, and the agency sold the house again to the Indian financier Alok Bhalla and his wife, Anjali, who had two young children, for £2.6 million. It was Anjali, a fashion designer, who spearheaded the remarkable transformation of the house in 2013, working with the high-end interior designer Shalini Misra.

Defining the precise genre of the decor in the four-bedroom house is

The Victorian villa was owned by Lynsey de Paul, far right, for six years. Below: the dining table is handmade from a slab of fossilised Australian wood

Lynsey de Paul's £4.85m London retreat

The singer-songwriter's former home has been revamped by its current owners into part spiritual sanctuary and part modernist townhouse. David Byers takes a tour

almost impossible — and, according to Anjali, that is exactly what she intended. "I go with my gut. And I go with what feels right for me," she says.

Zero expense has been spared in transforming the inside of the house into something that might be described as part maharajalis palace, part spiritual sanctuary and part modernist townhouse, and somewhere Anjali says has a "special energy".

For example, in the dining room on the ground floor is a table handmade from a slab of fossilised Australian wood. This room and the drawing room across the hallway, still with their original Victorian coving, towering ceilings and sash windows, have huge pieces of artwork depicting symbols from Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, mixed with modern conceptual pieces.

The kitchen has a colonial-era filing unit from the British Museum

"I believe definitions are limiting — there are no limitations to spirituality," says Anjali, who is Hindu.

In the basement is the house's showstopper — a huge open-plan kitchen with a lava-stone worktop and seating area. Cut into the wooden floor are blue geometric patterned tiles Anjali bought from a Belgian artist in her eighties when they were on a family holiday with their two daughters. To the side, meanwhile, is an intricately designed British colonial-era storage unit with multiple sliding drawers, previously used in the British Museum, which Anjali bought from Retrouvius, a salvage shop, along with numerous other items. "Some things are old, some things are contemporary," she explains, adding that she was influenced by her time living in India, Singapore and Hong Kong.

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Bricks&Mortar

Outside, through double doors from the kitchen, is a cocooning landscaped garden. Anjali planted the garden about ten years ago, and there are seasonal pink roses and mimosas and a now-mature birch tree. A secluded pathway zigzags around the house towards the front drive and entrance gates. The family use an outhouse for meditation.

As Alok approaches retirement the couple, who have two adult daughters, intend to buy a smaller home in Hampstead, while keeping other homes in Italy and Portugal. Selling the house on Fairfax Road, however, is not proving easy. Almost a year ago they listed the house for £5.35 million and have dropped the price significantly to £4.85 million, jointly selling through Aston Chase and Goldschmidt & Howland.

Why is it so tough? Mark Pollack, Aston Chase's co-founder, admits the difficulty in selling the house is troublesome, in part, because the original price was too ambitious given the slowdown at the top end of the market. This has been caused by the abolition of non-dom status plus a rise in stamp duty, expensive mortgages and global instability. "The whole dynamic of the market has significantly changed," he says. "It's been one curveball after another, really."

Despite this, sales in the £5 million-plus market have crept up slightly from the historic lows experienced in the first three months of the year. Savills has found, although Beauchamp Estates believes this is largely the result of Gulf buyers replacing departing Londoners since the start of the Iran war.

Another difficulty is the house's location. Pollack admits quietly that, were it a few hundred yards further in the direction of South Hampstead, away from Finchley Road and in a less built-up area, it would gather greater interest.

Plus, he adds, such flamboyant design — however incredible it might be to look at — won't appeal to everyone. "To find a buyer who appreciates everything of such an eclectic nature is probably quite challenging," he says, to which Anjali jokingly replies: "Well, I won't sell them!"

However, Lakhani, at Goldschmidt & Howland, suggests that the artwork and design features are hugely attractive to many buyers with eclectic or artistic tastes. "The people I showed yesterday, straight away their first question was, will they leave their art?" De Paul, you suspect, would have approved of such a sense of style.

Some things are old, some things are contemporary

Gardening: resilient plants for a hotter Britain

In The Sunday Times Home section and online thetimes.com

The quietest heat pumps (which can also cool) — picked by experts

Whether your home is large or small, new or retrofitted, keep it cosy and cool with these models that are certified to be no-noise. By Poppy Szkiler

Two thirds of people say noise would influence their decision to fit a heat pump — and it would stop almost a quarter from getting one altogether, according to a YouGov

survey for Quiet Mark.

My acoustics team at Quiet Mark — a certification programme for the world's quietest products — whittled down a bewildering choice of more than 850 heat pumps on the market to find this year's no-noise models. An extraordinary 60 per cent of all heat pumps fell short of our criteria

1 co-founded Quiet Mark 15 years ago with my mother, Gloria, continuing the work of my grandfather, John Connell, who started the Noise Abatement Society in 1959 and lobbied parliament to classify noise as a statutory nuisance in 1960. We have built market-wide databases and scrutinise manufacturers' claims on sound levels using standardised tests, from which we certify the models with the lowest noise levels. We take into account acoustic performance versus the kW output of each heat pump.

A heat pump emits less carbon dioxide (and usually also less noise) than a boiler to warm your home — many of them can also cool rooms in a heatwave. Properly installed, an air source heat pump should be no more noisy than a fridge or moderate rainfall, ranging between 40 and 60 decibels (dB).

In our survey, 57 per cent of people said independent noise certification would increase trust if they bought a heat pump, so here is Quiet Mark's pick of 14 super-quiet models.

Our price guides are a baseline for the heat pump only. It excludes costs such as installation and bigger radiators.

Best for flats and smaller homes

Daikin 4 Port Multi-Split Air Conditioner 6.8kW

£1,923 for outdoor unit only Can heat and cool up to three rooms and supply hot water through one system. It connects up to three individually controlled indoor units and a 120-litre hot water tank to one outdoor unit, which provides both 5.2kW cooling and 6.8kW heating.

Trianco Activair Pro 6kW £4,336 Designed to help owners of small to medium-sized homes switch to more sustainable heating. It is also available in 12kW and 17kW, from a heating supplier with a heritage spanning 165 years.

Grant Aerona 290 6.5kW £3,339 A single-fan heat pump unit, ideal for small to medium-sized homes and flats, whether newly built or retrofitted. It is highly efficient with a seven-year guarantee when installed by a GI installer (GI is an accreditation scheme).

Bosch Compress CS5800i AW 5kW £3,744

Built for UK homes. It can run at flow temperatures of up to 75C through your radiators, which enables it to

replace a gas boiler in a leaky home. Super-quiet yet efficient, it promises an easy installation.

Best for medium-sized homes

Panasonic Aquarea M Series T-CAP 9kW (WH-WXG09ME8) £5,276 Suits medium-sized family homes, especially those that switch from a gas or oil boiler to a heat pump. It can work effectively with existing radiators, is exceptionally quiet, and offers optional cooling for year-round comfort.

Vaillant aroTHERM 7kW £4,039 Best for homes with limited space. The improved model has a feature called "flexible space function", which enables it to be installed closer to doors and windows than other heat pumps, including its predecessor.

Windhager AeroWIN Deluxe 2.6 — 7kW £13,103 including control, distribution for first heating circuit and remote access. Offers active heating and cooling as well as "silent" mode and an intuitive touch-screen control interface with remote access.

Insta Group IG6-MPI-AI £1,818 Suits a newly built home with up to four bedrooms, or an older three-bedroom semi. It provides space heating, hot water via a cylinder, and cooling. Cooling is recommended via fan coils, which can both heat and cool through blowing air over a coil of hot (or cold) water.

Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan 8.5kW £3,452

Part of a well-known range, which runs from 5kW up to 14kW. Its website has a tool that asks some questions to give an estimate to correctly size a heat pump for your home.

Best for larger properties

LG THERMA V R290 Monobloc 16kW From £6,420

Designed for larger homes, less insulated homes, and buildings with traditional radiators requiring a heat pump capable of exceptional performance efficiency to pump water at higher temperatures through the existing system. In hot weather, it can reverse its cycle to provide cooling by circulating chilled water through compatible underfloor pipe systems.

Ideal 10kW Logic Air £3,589 Provides efficient heating and fast hot water to larger properties. Paired with the Ideal pre-plumbed and pre-wired cylinders, the Logic Air is one of the easiest heat pump systems to install and, with the Halo Air, one of the easiest to control. The outdoor unit can be sited almost anywhere thanks to its low sound levels and small installation clearances.

Best for retrofitted houses

NIBI: S2060-6

From £6,150 for purchases via NIBE Home, including buffer tank, installation and materials, but not radiators. Suits retrofit projects of small to medium-sized homes, or small to large new, low-energy buildings. It uses a natural refrigerant, helping to reduce its impact on the environment, and has built-in wifi and smart technology to adjust the indoor climate from your smartphone.

Midea M Thermal Nature Plus Series 8kW £3,400

Can run at high temperatures and is fully compatible with traditional radiators, significantly reducing renovation costs. An ideal solution for space-constrained and time-sensitive renovation projects.

Solax 5kW Allure series From £3,250 Suitable for small older homes, or a medium-sized newer home, dependent on heat loss. It delivers efficient low-temperature heating, domestic hot water, and can cool (where compatible emitters are installed). Integration with Solax inverters, batteries, EV chargers and the X-Hub intelligent energy management system means you can have an entire ecosystem under one simple app control. Poppy Szkiler is the CEO of Quiet Mark

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Bricks&Mortar

Owning and renting

We split up but didn't move out

Cate St Hill is no longer with her husband, but they still live together and have birthday parties and 'pizza Fridays' — to give their five-year-old daughter a secure home

When I was three years old my mum — a single mother in the late 1980s — called my father and

asked him: "What do you want to do? She's started asking about you." His response: "She can come and find me when she's 18." And that's exactly what I did, meeting him a handful of times before false assurances turned into broken promises. He didn't contribute so much as a penny and I was always left with this big question mark.

I learnt from a young age that marriage, and a mother and father who stayed together for ever, was the stuff of fairytales. I understood that people choose to be parents, through love, not necessarily as a result of genes. I do have a father figure, albeit an unexpected one: a godfather who, while not romantically involved with my mother, has been the positive role model who has helped to make me who I am today. My view of family is not limited to the traditional unit — it is more fluid than that. What matters is who shows up.

I was always hoping for a much less complicated story for my daughter. So it is in a surprising twist of fate that I find myself in the slightly unconventional situation where I still live with my ex-husband — that is, divorce pending. This is entirely by choice, even if it is not what I would have dreamt of choosing for myself.

We separated amicably three years ago when my daughter was two and a half, ending a 12-year relationship without dramatic fanfare. There wasn't

one big moment that broke us apart — although to be honest, a renovation never really helps. We simply stopped communicating until a fissure slowly opened between us and we found that we had drifted so far apart there was no way to glue us back together again. We essentially became flatmates — two passing ships in the night — and in many ways we still are, albeit much happier versions of ourselves. Because we now co-parent and cohabit amicably side by side in the same family home in southeast London.

This is what is called "nesting", a co-parenting arrangement where the child stays in one place — the family home remaining a secure base — while the adults come and go as needed. It creates stability and continuity for the child — they don't have the feeling of constant coming and going, and it offers a slower, more gentle way to ease a family into separate lives. Three years on, and we've settled into a rhythm that feels surprisingly normal, even if it is still met with curiosity from friends and family.

My ex splits his time between London and Paris, one week here, one week there. When he is in the house, so am I. We have separate bedrooms at opposite ends of the house, but we share meals together and make sure to spend time as a family. We have pizza Fridays, we'll do the occasional school pick-up together, and if it is one of our birthdays we'll have a little celebration just the three of us.

The thing is, we still see ourselves as a family unit, even if we're no longer a couple. We didn't feel that an ending to our romantic relationship had to mean an ending for our family. We broke one vow, but we are still tied together into a

Cate St Hill with her daughter at home, where she still lives, while her ex spends alternate weeks there

lifetime of parenting, so we may as well make it as pain-free as we can. Not just for our daughter but for ourselves.

We met in our early twenties. I was fresh out of architecture school, he had been in London for a month. It wasn't quite how I expected love to feel, but he was French and impossibly romantic, arriving on our first date with a box of macarons. My mum walked me down

the aisle, my godfather gave the speech. In 2016 we bought our first home, an unloved Victorian terraced house in Herne Hill that gave off the distinct vibe of "worst house on the best street". It had an awkward layout with the only bathroom on the ground floor, separated from the two bedrooms upstairs.

After five years living with a freezing cold, draughty bathroom and a resident

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Bricks&Mortar

family of mice we remortgaged and received planning permission for a double-storey extension in 2021, just as I was about to go into labour with our daughter. During a six-month build we opened up the downstairs into the side return and moved the bathroom to where it belonged, adding a bedroom in the process. I had always dreamt of building my own house, so I poured myself into tile choices and paint colours, joinery details and project managing the whole thing, to pretty nonplussed shrugs from my husband. Just as I was starting to settle into the new space, the paint hardly dry, our marriage ended.

When we decided to separate I couldn't find examples or information on nesting. I just knew we had to do things differently. As an interior designer my whole life is concerned with the home — my home is my work and my work is my home. So what if I could find a way to keep the very thing that means the most to me?

When you divorce the first question you ask yourselves is: "Where are we going to live?" Instead of thinking about what we "should" do we started considering what would actually work for us. He didn't want to be a weekend dad, I didn't wish to repeat the past. With my ex spending more time in France, it didn't make sense to have two places in an expensive city such as London. I wouldn't be able to afford a house half as nice or half as big on my own, and we didn't want our daughter to have to go from hotel to hotel when he was

conflict. We're flexible and open-minded — if one of us forgets to put something in the diary it's not a big deal; if plans change at the last minute we can always work it out.

My daughter is five, and understands we're not together. It all seems entirely normal to her and I'm confident there is no harm done — she's happy, content and constantly smiling. The other week she said to me: "Papa has a girlfriend and lots of friends, maybe he can help you to find a boyfriend, maybe we can all go out and look together." We're all one big family. There is no division of yours and mine, my week v your week. It is an expanding of her world, not a constriction.

When Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin "consciously uncouples" they were publicly mocked — the idea seemed as silly as bathing in chia seeds. But maybe it's not such a bad idea to parent with a friend. I learnt that by example. We seem to have conflated parenting with romance to such an extent that the couple loses itself within the family or you lose the family when the couple breaks apart. There's another way to do things that doesn't need to result in a lose-lose situation.

On breaking up I remember my ex saying to me, "But I thought we were going to grow old together," and I responded, "We still will, just as parents." We're not a broken family, we're a different kind of family, one that's a bit messy and, yes, a little unconventional, but united in bringing up a child as best we can. For us it's not an ending but the closing of one chapter and the start of another — a rewriting of what's possible. We didn't fail. In fact, I think we're succeeding in making it work. Cate St Hill is an interiors writer and design consultant based in southeast London. You can read her Substack at catesthill.substack.com or follow her on Instagram @catesthill

"

When he leaves the loo seat up or the sink is piled with dishes I find myself tearing my hair out

here. We both pay the mortgage and split the bills.

Of course, it's not ideal living with your ex, especially when you are trying to date and move on with your life. When he leaves the loo seat up or the sink is piled up with dishes I find myself inwardly despairing and tearing my hair out. But on balance it's a compromise I have to make, for my daughter to have the present father I never had and always dreamt about. She will never remember us hugging or being romantic with one another, but she will never have seen us argue or fight. It is important for her to see us united. We put our egos quietly to one side and try to minimise

Rental Health

Sasha Nugara, Property Reporter

Our landlord won't let us choose our new flatmate

From dodgy landlords to housemate dramas, our columnist answers your questions

Q I share a flat with two other girls and we get on really well. Unfortunately one of them is moving out to live with her boyfriend, so we need another person to fill her room.

We wanted to advertise it on SpareRoom or a Facebook page and do the interviews ourselves, but the landlord said he wanted to do it without us being involved.

We're a really close-knit houseshare and I'm keen to keep a similar dynamic. We're always hanging out in the living room and we share one bathroom. I'm a bit of a clean freak and we've always maintained a really tidy house. Do we have any sway or right to protest?

A Landlords approach replacing tenants in various ways, but it's important for them to remember who lives in the house — not just who owns it.

My Clapham landlord got it exactly right. He would ask us all which evenings we were free and line up a night or two of interviews: 15-minute slots, 30 minutes apart. It was perfect because not only did we miss out on the admin of advertising the room and sifting through replies but he was able to vet our chosen tenant.

It was a house of four girls and he understood how important it was to keep the peace. We'd had a couple of early departures over the years because of lifestyle clashes, and looking for a new tenant made work for everyone.

Your home is meant to be your sanctuary, so I don't blame you for wanting at least a heads-up on who your next housemate will be. I've found that the closer your landlord is to the process the more they tend to care. My worst moves have been handled by minimal-effort letting agents without me being given more than a sentence on the make-up of the household. It once took me a week to realise I was living in a house with four men and no other women, and I don't fancy finding myself in that situation again.

I asked Matt Hutchinson, director of the flatshare site

SpareRoom, for his advice. "Under the new Renters' Rights Act some landlords have shifted away from joint tenancies and towards renting by the room, partly to avoid void periods," Hutchinson explains. "This is because, from May 1, 2026, if one person in a joint tenancy wishes to leave and gives notice, it ends the tenancy for all the tenants.

"In your case it sounds like your housemate has left and ended their own contract, which means your landlord has the right to fill the room himself. However, this comes with a risk of its own: that if you don't like the new housemate, you could end up leaving too.

"The ideal situation for landlords is low turnover and no void periods. It could be worth giving your landlord a

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call and having a conversation with him. It's most likely the case that he cannot afford to wait around while you look for the perfect person.

He needs that room filled as fast as possible.

"So if you can reassure him that you're aware speed is of the utmost importance to him and stress the need to find a housemate who is the right fit so you can carry on living happily there for the foreseeable future, he might be more likely to allow you to find the replacement housemate yourselves."

Sadly you don't have any legal right to choose your replacement tenant, but it's definitely worth pushing the conversation with your landlord. And if you've been a good, reliable tenant I can't see why he would not give you a final say — especially if the change in dynamic is making you consider leaving yourself. Your landlord can no longer serve a section 21 no-fault eviction, so no need to worry about backlash for standing up for yourself.

You can now give two months' notice whenever you want to leave your tenancy. So if your landlord ends up recruiting a nightmare tenant, it may be time for you and your friend to look for a new place.

Get a query? Email sasha.nugara@the-times.co.uk

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Bricks&Mortar

MORA SIEMON FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES/SWIRTSPOKER FOR LINGUETTY BRAKES

'The flats I bought as my pension are worthless'

After the death of her husband, Diana Odell, 74, bought three properties to fund her retirement. Now, a quirk in post-Grenfell safety laws means she has to continue working

I thought I'd planned for retirement, and done the best for me and my kids [says Diana Odell, 74]. But now I'm living in fear. I never thought I'd be in this position. In January 2000 I was living in Hertfordshire — married with two children and working part-time.

I had been married almost 20 years. But then my husband was killed in an accident when he was 48. It was a shock. I was 47, and left to bring up two children alone. I'd gone back to university at 35 and qualified as a psychotherapist, but I was self-employed and trying to build up a practice. I didn't have a career, or a pension. I didn't have a mortgage on the house, which was lucky, but I had a daughter about to go to university and one still in school. It was a horrible time.

When my husband died, there was life insurance money. At the time, the government was encouraging people to sort out their own pension. I thought that using his life insurance to buy three flats would provide some income and a future pension for me.

In 2003 and 2004 I bought two new-build flats in Manchester — a one-bedroom for about £100,000 and a two-bedroom for £217,000. And I bought a one-bedroom refurbished flat in Nottingham for about £100,000. I had a mortgage of nearly £200,000 on the two-bedroom Manchester flat, which I'm still paying. The idea was to have an income to raise the girls and when I retired, I'd sell them and live off the proceeds.

Then in 2017 Grenfell happened. [The fire claimed 72 lives in a west London tower and exposed fire risks in flats across Britain.] That was around the time I was looking to retire. I found out I couldn't sell any of the flats, because of cladding and safety issues. I was horrified. Luckily, in all three cases, the developers eventually stepped up. The flats are being repaired. So my position is nowhere near as bad as many people.

I'm losing money each month on one flat — the rent isn't enough to cover the mortgage and the service charges, which have almost doubled over the last few years. And I'm making a little profit on the others.

My problem is different: even though my flats are finally being remediated, nobody will buy them. All are considered to be worth £0 as

As a non-qualifying leaseholder, there is no legal cap on my costs

the government has labelled me a "non-qualifying leaseholder".

Let me explain. In 2020 the government created a building fund to help leaseholders pay for cladding remediation. But in 2022 the government decided — presumably because the fund wasn't big enough to pay for everybody — to make different levels of leaseholder: qualifying and non-qualifying. The idea was really to help people who lived in their own homes, as opposed to corporate landlords. So if you owned three properties, as well as the property you lived in, you were deemed to be a non-qualifying leaseholder — that means that the leaseholder is deemed by the government to be responsible, in perpetuity, for any costs to remediate buildings due to historic fire-safety defects.

Qualifying leaseholders are legally protected — they pay no costs to fix cladding, and a capped amount (usually £10,000) for other fire risks. As a non-qualifying leaseholder, there is no legal cap on my costs. If a fire-safety defect is found in the future, the building owner can send me a bill for an unlimited amount — £50,000, £100,000 or more — and I'm legally obligated to pay it.

This onerous condition is effectively attached to the title of the property, thereby rendering it unsaleable. So even though my flats are now being remediated, when all the building work is done, if I want to sell, that designation of non-qualifying stays with the property lease. So any buyer is liable to repair any historic fire safety defects found at any time in the future.

No one will want to buy a property with this risk. They're unsaleable, except to cash buyers at a drastically reduced price. Estate agents and solicitors have told me they won't handle property sales for a non-qualifying leaseholder.

It's completely illogical and unfair. All leaseholders bought their properties in good faith. And yet some manufacturers lied and sold materials they knew were unsafe, many developers cut corners and broke rules, and the government did not fix faulty rules or poor inspections — they are the ones to blame.

The government is trying to cover itself against future claims. But on any building they could find something in the future. The title to my property is effectively being changed after the fact, which doesn't even seem legal to me.

Also, if the developer has paid for my remediation to be done, why have a non-qualifying status attached to the property? You'd think the risk would be less for those buildings. So that's illogical.

My aim wasn't to make lots of money. It was for a pension. I thought I'd be retired by now but I'm still working. I remarried in 2005, but my husband is 79 and retired on a pension. We're too old to get mortgages. The developers on my flats may be repairing them now, but if the inspector who signs it off finds stuff that is still unsafe — no firebreaks for instance — I could be liable for those repairs. I'm living in fear of a bill for thousands. And I can't sell any of the flats. I'm worried that my children will inherit this problem when I die.

I realise I'm lucky. My house has no mortgage on it. But if I need money to retire, I'd have to do equity release. I don't know if I can afford new windows in our house. We just paid £2,000 to get our car fixed, but when that goes, can I afford another car? I have to keep working in case I have to ramp it up.

One solution would be to change the rules so when the property is sold, if the buyer doesn't own three flats and a home, they can become qualifying. So non-qualifying ends with the sale of the property. I also think they should get rid of the different levels of leaseholders.

When Labour was in opposition it declared that all leaseholders are innocent. Now it is in power, it has evidently concurred with the Tories that some leaseholders are more innocent than others. We have high hopes for Andy Burnham. He is a supporter of our cause. So there's a tiny glimmer of hope. On the other hand, we've seen that once you get in government, your promises don't necessarily come to fruition.

For the past ten years it's been a constant worry. Mainly I feel let down. You think you're planning for your pension and then you're blamed for something that is not your fault. I thought I was doing the right thing.

Interview by Hugh Graham

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