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Max Kendix 华盛顿 哪些国家的强迫劳动行为监管更为严格。
特朗普总统已重启与包括英国在内的数十个国家的贸易战，计划重新征收 10% 至 12.5% 的关税。
60 个受影响国家进行了数月激烈的游说和外交努力，呼吁取消关税率，但似乎毫无成效，尽管一些接近总统的人士呼吁在 11 月的中期选举前降低物价。
特朗普首次在去年 4 月的“解放日”演讲中征收这些税项，但它们在 2 月被最高法院推翻，这意味着它们无法在今天之后延长。
美国贸易代表署建议征收与“解放日”几乎相同的关税，理由是相关国家未能遏制强迫劳动商品的贸易。
在 60 个国家中，有四分之三将被征收 12.5% 的关税，其余国家（包括加拿大和英国）将被征收 10%。
政府声称，这两者之间的区别是基于
查理·帕克 (Charlie Parker) 高级军事消息人士告诉《泰晤士报》，理论上足够摧毁一座建筑的导弹可以到达英国，但在到达之前可能会被击落。
政府表示，在德黑兰威胁要攻击美国使用的英国皇家空军基地后，英国武装部队已准备好保护国家免受伊朗导弹的袭击。
一名政府发言人表示，英国皇家海军、英国陆军和皇家空军已具备处理任何攻击的能力，“无论该攻击是在我们的领土上还是来自海外”。
伊朗昨天警告称，在美国空军利用格洛斯特郡的费尔福德皇家空军基地发动 B1 轰炸机袭击后，该基地是一个“合法目标”。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队 (IRGC) 特别指出，“英国君主制”是“我们地区人民不幸的主要原因”。
首相安迪·伯纳姆延续了基尔·斯塔默爵士的政策，允许美国使用英国基地对伊朗进行防御性打击。
伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队发表声明，威胁如果“英国政权”继续支持美国对伊朗的战争，将对其发动攻击。据国防分析师称，此类攻击可能涉及破坏活动或直接的无人机和导弹袭击。这并非空洞的威胁。伊朗导弹
在进入议会之前，法恩布勒领导的一个智库曾敦促工党阻止罗斯班克，但她本周在《泰晤士报》广播电台中表示：“我认为这是关于实用主义的问题。”
抗议者周三聚集在她部门外，举着写有“高温杀人，罗斯班克助燃”、“米亚塔，停止罗斯班克”以及“前两次热浪导致 2,700 人死亡”的标牌。示威者高喊：“安迪，不要烧掉他们，罗斯班克是气候炼狱。”
最后一轮关税已于昨晚确认，并将于今夜午夜生效，与此同时，前一轮关税到期。
在今年国王和王后对美国进行国事访问后达成的威士忌关税协议，以及英国去年作为与美国贸易协议的一部分所谈判的豁免条款，均不受影响。
专家表示，英国在这次公告中处于相对有利的位置。保险公司安联贸易 (Allianz Trade) 预测，今年英国的出口损失为 $200 million，较去年的 $1.5 billion 有显著改善。
美国贸易代表詹米森·格里尔 (Jamieson Greer) 表示：“特朗普总统意识到，几十年的道德劝诫并未能从全球供应链中根除强迫劳动。美国实施强迫劳动进口禁令已有近一个世纪，并严格执行；我们的贸易伙伴现在也该这样做。
“今天的行动将开始纠正这种既是侵犯人权又是扭曲贸易的行为，以改善各地工人的福利。我对贸易伙伴感到鼓舞”
今年 3 月，德黑兰向位于印度洋、距离伊朗约 3,800km (2,360 miles) 的英美共同军事基地迭戈加西亚发射了两枚弹道导弹。第一枚飞行物被一艘美国军舰发射的导弹拦截，而第二枚在飞行 1,990 miles 后坠落，距离查戈斯群岛的基地约 400 miles。
专家认为，最可能使用的导弹是 Khorramshahr-4s，如果伊朗人使用较轻的弹头以增加射程，该导弹可以到达英国部分地区。该武器宣称的射程为 2,000km，配有 1.5-tonne 弹头。
皇家联合军种研究所 (Rusi) 的高级研究员 Sidharth Kaushal 博士估计，如果从伊朗东北部发射，需要 450kg-550kg 的载荷才能将其射程增加一倍至 4,000km 并击中英国的目标。这样的载荷可以摧毁一座建筑。
美国重型轰炸机用于打击伊朗的费尔福德皇家空军基地距离德黑兰约 4,350km。
关于这些方案的批准意见称，全球局势的波动以及通过关键航道（如霍尔木兹海峡）的能源供应风险，使得批准在这些地点钻探变得更加重要。
预计安迪·伯纳姆在今天访问曼彻斯特的 10 号北区 (No 10 North) 期间，将更多地谈论生活成本问题。
在他入主唐宁街 10 号的第一周，他发起了一波政策浪潮：取消电费中的增值税 (VAT)、将巴士票价上限设定为 £2，并大幅削减酒吧的营业税 (business rates)。然而，关于这些承诺将如何获得资金支持，他面临着质疑。
“……迅速采取行动采取禁止强制劳工进口的措施。”
该政府一直在寻找其他路径，以便在法律层面获得施加更高关税的空间。
特朗普总统多次威胁要撕毁所有贸易协定，并对征收“数字服务税”（该税种针对美国大型科技公司收费）的国家征收 100% 的关税。如果特朗普履行这一承诺，将给安迪·伯纳姆及其新内阁带来严峻挑战。该税种通过抽取大型搜索引擎、社交媒体和在线市场的 2% 营收，为财政部创造了近 £1 billion 的收入。
格里尔 (Greer) 未回应置评请求。扩大 10% 关税的举措表明，尽管有证据显示这提高了美国消费者的价格，但特朗普总统仍不愿放弃这一杠杆。
周一，特朗普总统对某些加拿大商品设定了 50% 的关税，以报复他所谓的对美国制造汽车的“不公正待遇”；上周，他则对巴西进口商品征收了 25% 的税。
……旨在在成本压力中提供“喘息空间”的措施。
财政大臣约翰·希利 (John Healey) 昨天告诉企业领袖，他“对企业成本的担忧与对生活成本的担忧一样深”。他补充道：“我对英国企业的信息很简单……作为你们的财政大臣，我会支持你们。”
财政部首席秘书艾玛·雷诺兹 (Emma Reynolds) 坚持认为，尽管资金源于处于审查或磋商阶段的项目，但酒吧政策已获得充分资金支持。
保守党党魁凯米·巴德诺克 (Kemi Badenoch) 表示，安迪·伯纳姆“需要排除通过加税来支付其挥霍开支的可能性”。
营业税的公布在很大程度上得到了该行业的欢迎。音乐场所信托基金会 (Music Venue Trust) 称其为“令人鼓舞的第一步”，而英国工业联合会 (CBI) 则表示，工党必须“推进对整个崩溃的营业税体系进行改革”。
财政研究所 (Institute for Fiscal Studies) 的高级经济学家斯图尔特·亚当 (Stuart Adam) 批评这是一套“变幻莫测且杂乱无章的政策”，而英国独立电子烟贸易协会 (Independent British Vape Trade Association) 则表示：“今天，全国范围内负责任、专注的电子烟企业惊讶地发现，帮助成年人戒烟习惯竟然可能被视为‘反社会’。”
……颁发任何新的油气许可证，且安迪·伯纳姆表示他将坚持竞选宣言。杰克daw (油气田) 和罗斯班克 (油气田) 分别在 2022 和 2023 年获得批准，这意味着它们不计入新许可证。
格伦罗斯和中费夫 (Glenrothes & Mid Fife) 的工党议员、苏格兰议会党团主席理查德·贝克 (Richard Baker) 表示：“推进杰克daw (油气田) 和罗斯班克 (油气田) 的开发，既符合我们在能源方面的竞选宣言承诺，也将为能源技术岗位提供关键助力。”
阿伯丁和格兰皮安商会 (Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce) 的罗素·波思威克 (Russell Borthwick) 表示：“确保 [杰克daw (油气田) 和罗斯班克 (油气田)] 获得批准……将是对安迪·伯纳姆政府及其在能源安全和投资方面使命感的第一次重大考验。”
T
扮演主角
(凯特·曼西 Kate Mansey 撰文) 迎接一位君主匆匆前往某地的方式有很多。如果宾利国家礼车不在，可以迅速安排一支由警察护送的 4x4 越野车车队。否则，直升机也总是触手可及。
然而，当国王昨天在前往格拉斯哥主持英联邦运动会开幕式的途中时间紧迫时，一种截然不同的交通方式被紧急启用：《神秘博士》中的 TARDIS。
在 Hydro 体育场举行的运动会开幕式上，播放了一段视频，视频中出现了苏格兰自行车运动员克里斯·霍伊爵士 (Sir Chris Hoy) 和演员格雷格·麦克休 (Greg McHugh)。
将这位战争英雄塑造为 一名“骄傲的瑰宝” 而非古怪的孤独者， 作者：Rhys Blakely
好莱坞将数学家艾伦·图灵（Alan Turing）描绘成一个孤独、古怪的天才：精通数字，却不擅社交。
但一名帮助破解纳粹 Enigma 密码的剑桥大学同性恋教授所写的一篇短篇故事，似乎揭示了一个截然不同的形象——一个爱玩、具有文学气息，并且用那位首次对其进行深入研究的学者的原话来说，“非常热衷于性”的人。
这部未完成的故事名为《普赖斯的浮标》（Pryce’s Buoy），由图灵在 70 年前写就。虽然部分片段曾出现在传记中，但直到现在，他那份潦草的手写六页原稿才被完整转录并作为文学作品进行评估。
故事描述了两名同性恋男子的邂逅，其中一人似乎就是图灵本人的化身，且可能受到了某次会面的启发，而那次会面最终导致他被判定犯有严重猥亵罪。
在格拉斯哥漫步，随后听到一个地标性 20 世纪 60 年代警察电话亭内响起电话，该电话亭由苏格兰建筑师吉尔伯特·麦肯齐·特伦奇（Gilbert Mackenzie Trench）设计。他们发现自己接到了来自“宫殿”的电话，在通话期间，他们被委派协助国王和王后从巴尔莫拉城堡出发。
当陛下最终登场，微笑挥手时，看来 TARDIS 的神奇力量甚至能够减轻飞行给王后带来的影响，因为王后不喜欢乘坐飞机。
查尔斯确实对博士的机器有一些之前的经验。他之前
强烈暗示这位预见到 AI 兴起的现代计算之父图灵患有自闭症。她说，该片将他塑造为“一个二维的刻板印象”。“它将他呈现为一个孤独、好斗，完全关注逻辑和数字的人。这部剧非常好看，但完全是错误的。从历史角度看，这是一次歪曲。”
相比之下，她认为他的小说让人得以一窥真实的图灵。在他生前，他拥有建立友谊的天赋，而他在 Enigma 密码方面的工作核心正是他作为团队的一员在协作。
她说，在故事中，“你看到的是一个外出寻找乐趣、自信、好社交，且不对自己的性取向感到羞耻的人”。
图灵在承认与另一名男子有性关系后，于 1952 年被判定犯有严重猥亵罪。面对入狱或以接受激素治疗为条件的缓刑，他选择了后者。他于 1954 年 6 月死于氰化物中毒，享年 41 岁。死因研讯裁定其为自杀，尽管有人认为，如果是在今天，证据将无法支持自杀裁决。
这篇短篇故事可能写于 1952 年底或 1953 年初，围绕两个角色展开。亚历克·普赖斯（Alec Pryce）是一名同性恋科学家，对他 20 多岁时提出的一种被称为“普赖斯的浮标”的想法感到自豪。
在 2013 年访问卡迪夫 BBC 工作室时，从 TARDIS 走出时拍下的照片。
虽然这部科幻剧可能是在威尔士拍摄的，但英联邦运动会的组织者们热衷于利用
与“博士”的苏格兰联系，博士拥有格拉斯哥大学的医学学位，且由多位苏格兰演员饰演——西尔维斯特·麦考伊（Sylvester McCoy）、大卫·特南特（David Tennant）、彼得·卡帕尔迪（Peter Capaldi）和恩库蒂·加特瓦（Ncuti Gatwa）。
艾伦·图灵在 20 世纪 50 年代初写了《普赖斯的浮标》。萨拉·迪伦（Sarah Dillon）一直在剑桥大学研究这份原稿。
长 20 分钟的开幕式从苏格兰流行文化中汲取灵感，例如 Tunnock’s 茶点心。交通锥也扮演了主角——一个交通锥
性取向，并且在合适的陪伴下，亚历克会假装这个词（sexuality）在拼写时没有‘u’。”
迪伦认为，亚历克显然是以图灵本人为原型的。
第二个角色罗恩·米勒（Ron Miller）饥肠辘辘，失业且出身工人阶级。他在想，是否能通过寻找一个愿意“带他去拱桥下待十分钟”的人来赚几个先令。
Alec 刚刚完成了一篇重要的科学论文，并决定他已经“赢得了一个年轻人”。Ron 注意到他在四处寻觅，报以鼓励的微笑，并以要一支烟作为开场。
不久，他们便向一家餐厅走去，两人都在试图揣摩对方想要什么。
这些细节呼应了图灵自己的生活。在 1951 年底，他在曼彻斯特遇到了 Arnold Murray，当时他刚刚提交了一篇关于形态发生（morphogenesis）的有影响力的论文，该论文探讨了生物图案（如斑马纹）是如何发育的。在图灵的家被盗后，他们的关系引起了警方的注意，并导致他在次年被起诉。
图灵本人已经意识到了这段经历的文学潜力。在审判之前，他写信给他的朋友 Norman Routledge，提到这个故事
Greg McHugh 和 Sir Chris Hoy 担负起 确保国王与 王后以风采 之姿抵达典礼的 任务，而典礼上 有一些相当甜美的点心
几十年来一直 淘气地被放置在 格拉斯哥的 威灵顿公爵 骑马像的头上。
国王在接收到 已经在英联邦 国家中传递了 一年多、并附带 保护海洋信息的 接力棒后， 正式宣布运动会 开幕。
他表示：“我们 赞美每一位运动员 和团队的奉献 与天赋。你们的 毅力激励着我们。
“在本次运动会中， 接力赛还传递了 另一个信息： 帮助清除危害 我们海洋和水道的 塑料污染。”
国王与王后的 主场亮相为运动会 注入了动力，此前 该赛事面临一系列 顶尖运动员的退赛。 Katarina Johnson-Thompson 和 Dina Asher-Smith 均在
英格兰田径队的 九名在最后一刻 退出成员之列。
当原定主办方 澳大利亚维多利亚州 因开支升级而退出 后，苏格兰接手 主办了此次运动会。
Alec 想要性、娱乐和陪伴。Ron 想要钱、温暖和食物。两人分别审视对方的衣着、阶级、自信心和意图。
Dillon 在发表于《英语研究评论》（The Review of English Studies）的一项研究中认为，这表明博览群书且热爱戏剧的图灵在写作方面很有潜力。
她认为他的短篇小说受到了《 Hemlock and After》的影响，这是 Angus Wilson 在 1952 年写的一部关于同性恋生活的坦率小说。两部作品都描写了来自不同社会阶层的男性之间的邂逅，并在他们的内心想法之间切换。图灵似乎借用了姓名、短语，甚至场景的顺序。
Wilson 并没有将同性恋角色写成怪物、殉道者或喜剧化的刻板印象。他将他们置于平凡的社会生活之中，允许他们拥有缺陷、欲望且复杂。
Dillon 认为，图灵的故事有类似的氛围。它将同性恋呈现为具有风险，但同样是愉悦且平凡的。
她指出，Alec 欢快的心情颠覆了这样一种观点，即图灵被一个将其性倾向刑事化的社会所击垮。他被法院强制执行的激素治疗在 1953 年结束，在他去世前一年多。
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秘密花园：长期的干旱揭示了位于北约克郡里彭附近的纽比庄园 (Newby Hall) 遗失已久的维多利亚式花坛轮廓，该花坛通常隐藏在草坪之下。
康斯坦斯·坎普夫纳 (Constance Kampfner) 政治记者
加里·莱尼克 (Gary Lineker) 呼吁安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) 对百万富翁征收更多税，并告诉这位新任首相：“我们负担得起。”
这位前足球运动员加入了 100 多名常驻英国的百万富翁的行列，其中包括编剧理查德·柯蒂斯 (Richard Curtis)、小说家瓦尔·麦克德米德 (Val McDermid) 以及前城市交易员加里·史蒂文森 (Gary Stevenson)，他们签署了一封信，敦促伯纳姆对超过 £10 million 的财富征收 2 per cent 的税。
伯纳姆此前已暗示他打算通过改革税制来为其政策雄心提供资金，并在本月接受莱尼克的播客采访时，拒绝排除征收财富税的可能性。他告诉这位前《今日比赛》(Match of the Day) 主持人，他的政府可能会“要求多出一点”，并补充道：“我确实认为我们需要更强烈的公平感。”
包括负责监督新设立的 No 10 North 的露易丝·海格 (Louise Haigh) 在内的亲信顾问们则主张将资本利得税与所得税保持一致。国防大臣韦斯·斯特里廷 (Wes Streeting) 将此称为一种“行之有效的财富税”。
故事背后
大约 100 名百万富翁签署了给安迪·伯纳姆的财富税信函（由康斯坦斯·坎普夫纳撰写）。然而，根据国家统计局的数据，英国拥有 3. 9m 个百万富翁家庭，这在很大程度上归功于财产财富和私人养老金。
这次活动始于一封将总统的举措称为“巨大的背叛”的信函，随后迅速发展成为一个在美国、加拿大和英国设有分支机构的组织。
该运动于 2010 年在美国发起，旨在回应巴拉克·奥巴马 (Barack Obama) 决定延长乔治·W·布什 (George W Bush) 时期引入的减税政策。
在美国，该团体由莫里斯·珀尔 (Morris Pearl) 担任主席，他曾任贝莱德 (BlackRock) 的董事总经理，为了倡导税收公平而离开了华尔街。英国分会于 2021, 年启动，得到了包括音乐家布赖安·伊诺 (Brian Eno)、投资者朱莉娅·戴维斯 (Julia Davies) 和 Hacked Off 董事会成员斯蒂芬·金塞拉 (Stephen Kinsella) 等人物的支持，后者致力于推动对自由新闻进行更严格的控制。
与美国分会不同，“英国爱国百万富翁” (Patriotic Millionaires UK) 不是一家慈善机构，而是一家担保有限公司。这意味着它没有股份，也不以盈利为目的。然而，根据其最新的公司注册处 (Companies House) 申报文件，其账户状况良好，银行存款为 £350,000。目前该机构有六名员工。
“我们负担得起。我们谈论的不是对那些每天起床工作以获取收入的人征收更高的税，而是对那些收入源于其持有财富的最富有的人征税。”
这些百万富翁是一群“爱国者”，他们“热爱这个国家，并希望它取得成功”。
“还剩下少数几个持有过时经济思维的人，以及少数几个极力想抓住每一分钱的人。但他们是少数。那些看不见自身利益之外的人，在设计未来的英国时没有位置。”
“当我们拥抱这条新道路时——请考虑正确地向我们征税，作为我们的贡献。我们热爱这个国家。现在是建立一个更好的英国的时候了，”信中补充道。 120 位签署者认为，对超过 £10 million 的财富征收 2 per cent 的税每年可筹集 £24 billion，而将资本利得税提高至与所得税相同税率的改革可进一步筹集 £12 billion。
去年的 YouGov 民意调查发现，75 per cent 的英国人支持征收财富税，而 13 per cent 的人反对这一举措。
财富税的批评者表示，此类税收难以征收，会打击对英国的投资，并最终损害经济增长。
管理智库税收政策协会 (Tax Policy Associates) 的丹·奈德尔 (Dan Neidle) 认为，筹集到的收入金额将具有高度不确定性，并称财富税是一个“极其糟糕的想法”。他表示，预计的收益将取决于一小部分超富裕人群，而这些人可以轻易地转移或重组其资产。他转而支持提高资本利得税率的想法。
财政部首席秘书艾玛·雷诺兹（Emma Reynolds）在回应这封信时告诉《泰晤士报》电台（Times Radio）：“如果他们想多交税，gov.uk 上有相关链接。”在 2021 年 1 月至 2024 年 3 月期间，税务海关总署（HM Revenue & Customs）通过该链接收到的 82 笔独立捐款总额不足 £200,000。
这封“自愿纳税”（Proud to Pay）的信被英国改革党（Reform UK）斥为超级富豪的“美德信号”（virtue signalling）。
一名保守党人士表示：“加里·莱因克尔（Gary Lineker）推动此类古怪政策固然很好，但这些政策最终总会通过将投资和就业机会赶出我国，从而损害最贫困人群的利益。”
Quintagram® 第 2628 号
利用下方每个字母仅一次，解答所有五个简短线索
1 将……视为己出 (5)
2 气味 (5)
3 惰性气体 (5)
4 可爱的，讨人喜欢的 (8)
5 包容（可疑行为）(9)
A A A A B C D D
D D D E G I L N
N N N O O O O O
O O P R R R T U
答案请见 T2 MindGames 第 15 页 加密线索请见 T2 MindGames 第 14 页
强奸指控记录
数据显示，在过去 12 个月中，被指控强奸的人数达到了 20 年来的最高点。皇家检控局（The Crown Prosecution Service）表示，在过去一个财政年度中，警方移交了 9,500 宗以上的涉嫌强奸案件，占其全部案件量的 25 分之 1。该局补充称，其中有 5,600 宗以上以起诉告终，最终导致 2,900 人被定罪。
家庭的双重悲剧
据其家属称，一位祖母在前往确认其儿子遗体的途中死于车祸，而她的儿子在数小时前刚刚去世。 70 岁的卡罗尔·廷斯利（Carol Tinsley）当时正从默西赛德郡开车前往北威尔士，她的儿子 46 岁的安德鲁·廷斯利（Andrew Tinsley）于 7 月 11 日在天气炎热期间从兰戈伦桥（Llangollen Bridge）跳入河中身亡。当时同在车内的三个孩子受伤。
被涂色的刺猬死亡
一只被故意涂成蓝色和黄色（利兹联足球队的颜色）的刺猬在出现呼吸问题且背刺被“粘”在一起后死亡。这只被救援人员命名为“蜂蜜”（Honey）的雌性刺猬是在西约克郡利兹的一个花园里被发现的，身上覆盖着厚厚的油漆。警方正在调查。
“雪人”作者藏书出售
由知名插画师兼作家雷蒙德·布里格斯（Raymond Briggs）私人图书馆提供的 1,000 多本书籍，现已在乐施会（Oxfam）的霍夫（Hove）书店及在线平台出售。布里格斯最著名的作品是 1978 年的绘本《雪人》（The Snowman）。这批藏书由布里格斯的遗产管理机构在他在 2022 年以 88 岁高龄去世后捐赠，涵盖了插画、漫画、漫画书和社会历史。
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“试图救男孩时” 不幸身亡
Lara Wildenberg, Seren Hughes
一名孟加拉国政治家的妻子和女儿在埃塞克斯郡的一处海滩海域不幸身亡。
Shelina Rahman，41 岁，及其 15 岁的女儿 Samia Rahman 于周三晚上在西默西亚 (West Mersea) 的海景大道 (Seaview Avenue) 附近海域遇险后死亡。
Rahman 曾是一名教师，她是 Monsur Rahman 博士的妻子。后者是孟加拉国国民党在英国的海外青年翼组织——英国青年党 (Jubo Dal UK) 的领导人。
埃塞克斯郡警方的首席督察 Al Pitcher 表示：“在现阶段，我们认为她们当时正试图帮助一名陷入困境的七岁男孩。该男孩被送往医院，目前仍处于危重状态，但该名女性和少女不幸身亡。此次事件涉及的所有人员均互为亲属。”
应急服务部门于周三下午 5.35 分接到通知并随即抵达。目击者描述，当时有旁观者试图在“湍急”的水流中帮助这组遇险人员。
海滩旁海景餐厅 (Seaview diner) 的四名年龄在 17 到 19 岁之间的员工迅速跑出提供帮助。
在那儿工作了四年的 19 岁女孩 Leonie Powling 说道：“有人跑到咖啡馆里大喊‘我们需要帮助’，于是我们三人跑向海滩查看情况。我们看到一名被救起的女士躺在沙滩上，失去了意识，然后
Charlie Parker
一项死因研讯指出，一名沙特王子在伦敦的一家豪华酒店被发现死亡，原因是将酒精与多种派对药物混合服用。
在他饮用了酒精、娱乐性药物GHB及其他物质后死亡。
内西伦敦验尸官法院的一项研讯获悉，他于11月19日入住该酒店，计划停留一周。在他去世前的前一天晚上，闭路电视（CCTV）最后一次拍到他走到室外抽烟。
萨米亚·拉赫曼（Samia Rahman），15岁，与她的父亲蒙苏尔·拉赫曼医生（Dr Monsur Rahman）合影；她和母亲谢琳娜（Shelina）试图在埃塞克斯郡西默西亚海岸附近救助一名亲戚。
急救服务人员被召至现场，但未能将其复苏，随后被宣布死亡。
毒理学报告发现，该王子的血乙醇浓度为每100毫升血液含222毫克酒精，远高于80毫克的饮酒驾驶限制，且处于可能导致昏迷的范围内。此外，他体内还含有可能致命剂量的抑制剂GHB，以及痕量的大麻、娱乐剂量抗焦虑药物Xanax和其他抗
克里斯·怀特黑德（Chris Whitehead），66岁，一名退休学校秘书，在与儿媳斯蒂芬·菲利普斯（Steph Phillips，33岁，一名教师）及其 ba- 度假期间访问该海滩。怀特黑德估计，该群体当时在海中约100-150米处。菲利普斯在意识到他们陷入困境后拨打了海岸警卫队的电话，并表示该事件持续了五到七分钟。
“水势在涨，速度极快。看起来很危险，”怀特黑德说。“突然之间，[水中的] 某人失去了气垫床，随行的人大喊：‘救命，他不会游泳’。气垫床就那样被水流冲走了。他们原本是一起出发的紧凑小团体，结果就这样[散开了]。”她表示，有几个人
试图下海救援。
她补充道：“一名男子进入水中，呼喊游泳者，说：‘快来帮忙，那是我的家人，我的家人。’ 有一个人游了出去，但水流太强，他又被冲回来了。那名男子对他大喊：‘那是我的家人！’ 但那个人说：‘我够不到他们。’” 怀特黑德说，海岸警卫队乘船抵达并将两人救出水面。
另一名不愿透露姓名的女性表示，事件发生在涨潮时。“潮水比现在涨得高得多，他们当时在那个沙洲上，然后潮水涌上来了，”她坐在海边小屋里说道。“潮水涨得很快，必须非常小心。对于这样一个安静的小地方来说，这相当惊人，我想这就是为什么这么多人感到震惊的原因，”她补充道。“我的意思是，海滩上挤满了人，他们都跑来看发生了什么。”
我认为另一位女士从水中走出来，她呼吸困难，肺里进了大量的水。
“我不得不跑回咖啡店，拨打紧急电话，告诉他们来哪里，怎么走。我看到了海岸警卫队，指引他们前往的方向。
“我们试图寻找皮划艇、桨板或任何能漂浮的东西，以便划到水面上把他们拖到船上。几分钟后，RNLI（皇家全国救生艇协会）的船来了，并将伤员救出。”
她说，面对这次事件，她感到“震惊”且“不知所措”，并于周四请假。她说：“知道有两个人都去世了，真是令人心碎。”
昨天，当警方进行调查时，人们在海滩上摆放了鲜花。
蒙苏尔的朋友贾马尔（Jamal）说，谢琳娜当时与家人及其姐姐的家人一起在海滩上“一日游”。他说，谢琳娜和萨米亚试图救助的那个男孩是萨米亚的表亲。蒙苏尔没有参加这次家庭旅行，贾马尔描述了蒙苏尔在得知消息并开车前往科尔切斯特（Colchester）期间，旅途中“多次昏厥”的情况。
“有一次他们不得不停下车，拨打救护车，救护车赶到了他身边，”贾马尔说。
来自西默西亚 (West Mersea) 的海滩小屋所有者，60 岁的贝弗利·史密特 (Beverly Smit) 表示，一名来自邻近小屋的一日游游客进入水中试图提供帮助。“我想他游出去三次。他救回来的两个孩子情况不太好，”她说道。“涨潮时游泳并不容易——你是在逆流而泳，而且昨天的水温相当冷。”
警方请求当时在现场且拥有可能有助于调查的信息或影像资料的人员拨打 101 电话与警方联系，并报出事件编号 1090。
治疗剂量的抗焦虑药物。
法院获悉，该王子一直难以应对酒精和处方药的使用问题。他于去年 8 月被送往伦敦西南部的普赖厄里 (Priory) 诊所，在那里接受了针对酒精、苯二氮卓类药物和抗焦虑药物普瑞巴林 (pregabalin) 的脱毒治疗。
杀手被移至 精神病院
Constance Kampfner 政治记者
索斯波特杀手 Axel Rudakubana 在经过临床评估后，已从监狱被移至一家精神病院，而其受害者的家属担心他正试图“操纵系统”。
受害者的家属本周获悉，19 岁的 Rudakubana 已从 A 类监狱贝尔马什 (Belmarsh) 转移至布罗德摩尔 (Broadmoor) 高安全级别医院。
《卫报》率先报道称，在得出 Rudakubana 无法在监狱环境中被安全管理结论后，此次转移已经发生。尽管他在去年 1 月被评估为适合出庭受审，但现在他将被视为一名患者而非囚犯。一名白厅消息人士表示，安全医院单元的患者每年费用超过 £300,000，而囚犯的费用约为 £60,000。
司法部强调，此次转移不会改变该杀手的刑期。Rudakubana 因在 2024 年 7 月 29 日于索斯波特杀害了 6 岁的 Bebe King、7 岁的 Elsie Dot Stancombe 和 9 岁的 Alice da Silva Aguiar，以及企图谋杀其他 8 名儿童和 2 名成年人，被判处终身监禁，最低刑期为 52 年。由于他在 18 岁生日前的几天犯下这些罪行，他不适用终身监禁令 (whole-life order)。
代表受害者家属的 Bond Turner 律师事务所的 Chris Walker 表示：“在我们看来，此次变动发生在我们将迎来第二周年之际，是 [Rudakubana] 的又一次举动，他似乎在试图再次操纵系统。我们得到的细节极少。”
代表监狱、矫正及安全精神病工作人员的 POA 工会全国主席 Mark Fairhurst 表示，他的成员认为 Rudakubana 在“利用系统漏洞”。
Rudakubana 被诊断出患有自闭症谱系障碍，但在袭击发生时并未被发现患有严重的精神疾病。
布罗德摩尔的患者仍被监禁，并接受 24 小时闭路电视 (CCTV) 监控，同时必须参加治疗和康复计划。根据 1983 年《精神健康法》，如果罪犯不再需要在医院接受治疗，他们将返回监狱。
司法部表示：“那些在索斯波特被谋杀和受伤的人的家人们将永远铭刻在这个国家的心中，我们的心与他们同在。实施这些卑劣罪行的罪犯将被理所应当地在 52 年的监禁刑期内全部被关押，且不太可能被释放。”
他在没有身体副作用的情况下进行了治疗”。 “他对同龄人很支持且友善，结交了朋友，”她说。“当他出院时，他被认为没有自杀风险。”
助理验尸官 Jean Harkin 表示，她不认为他打算自杀。也没有证据表明有第三方参与。
F
减税“创可贴”并不足够
Geraldine Scott 政治副编辑 Ben Clatworth 白厅编辑
餐饮业企业家批评 安迪·伯纳姆宣布从明年 4 月起降低酒吧商业税率的举措，认为面对该行业更广泛的财务压力，这一措施微不足道。
首相昨日宣布将降低 20 per cent 的税率，并表示酒吧、俱乐部和音乐场所是“我们社区的核心”。
然而，反应在很大程度上较为冷淡。业内人士表示，对于一个在过去两年中流失了约 100,000 个工作岗位的行业来说，这几乎无法减轻压力。
“这些改变不过是在巨大的伤口上贴了几层多余的胶带，”在格拉斯顿伯里经营 Queen of Cups 酒吧的 Ayesha Kalaji 说道。“我们需要的是止血带，而不是一个水泡创可贴。”
在伦敦及东南部经营四家酒吧的 Heath Ball 表示，这项折扣仅相当于约 150 品脱啤酒的成本。“这不是退税，这是一个被伪装成救援计划的四舍五入误差，”他说道。
与许多餐饮业人士一样，他支持一项要求将场所的增值税 (VAT) 税率从 20 per cent 降低至 10 per cent 的运动。
经营四家酒吧的 Heath Ball 表示，工党应该引入增值税改革，以与欧洲同行保持一致。“增值税在全年每笔酒吧消费的一英镑中仍抽取 20 便士。修正税率体系当然没问题，但如果只在细节上修补……而对增值税不作改动，就像是用茶匙给沉船排水并将其称为航海技术一样。”
这项由名厨 Tom Kerridge 等人支持的增值税运动，被描述为在多年成本上涨后减轻行业压力的一种方式。
最低 工资 上涨、 Rachel Reeves 决定提高雇主国民保险缴费以及能源价格上涨，都增加了成本。企业一直对转嫁
Ben Clatworthy
安迪·伯纳姆的市政房屋建设承诺面临每年 8 亿英镑 (£800 million) 的资金缺口，并面临每年减少 5,000 栋房屋的风险。
首相已承诺开展“战后以来规模最大的建设规划”，并表示国家正处于住房危机的掌控之中。
根据现有计划，部长们已为社会及可负担房屋计划 (SAHP) 拨款 390 亿英镑 (£39 billion)，旨在到 2036 年交付 300,000 栋房屋。其中，60% 被指定为社会住宅。
伯纳姆明确表示，他希望这些房屋是——由地方当局建设的——“市政房屋”，且《泰晤士报》获悉，目前关于转移资金的讨论正在进行中。目前，这笔资金被分配给了包括住房协会和私人开发商在内的多个机构。
分析
对于安迪·伯纳姆来说，“酒吧冠军”这一角色既关乎政治身份，也关乎政策平台（Geraldine Scott, Jessica Newman 和 James Hurley 撰文）。
在竞选首相的整个过程中，他一直塑造自己作为地方及社区聚集空间守护者的形象。
他昨天通过宣布，从明年 4 月起，英格兰全境的酒吧、俱乐部和现场音乐场所的商业税率将降低 20%。而他表述得不够清晰的是，他打算如何将这一每年耗资约 1 亿英镑 (£100 million) 的承诺与英国公共财政的现状相协调。
那么他打算如何支付这笔费用？资金取决于两件尚未实现的事情：一项针对政府定义的“反社会企业”（如电子烟店）的商业地产税审查，以及一项关于让在线市场对卖家的未缴增值税负责的咨询。
零售商和税务专家已经指出，伯纳姆希望将商业税的成本负担从商业街转移到仓库。税务公司 Ryan 的分析发现，即使将仓库的最高税率提高一倍，也无法筹集到足够的资金来支持 20% 的税率削减。
尽管历届政府都承诺要对商业税进行彻底改革，但对系统进行边缘微调一直是常态。该税项预计将在 2026-27 财年为政府产生 370 亿英镑 (£37 billion) 的收入，使其成为财政部第七大收入来源。
伯纳姆现在面临着一项令人尴尬的任务：在财政部难以承受减税的时期，实现真正的税率改革——这是前几届政府承诺过但最终未能实现的。
这 390 亿英镑 (£39 billion) 将需要增加到 470 亿英镑 (£47 billion)。如果不增加，房屋建设量将减少 51,000 栋——相当于每年减少约 5,000 栋。
对于市政房屋——或社会房产——租户支付约 50% 的当地市场价格，这使得此类建筑的融资成本相当昂贵，且需要更高额的政府前期拨款才能可行。
由 Resolution Foundation 智库发布的报告称，鉴于“社会租金房屋比其他‘可负担’住房需要更多前期补贴，建设更多社会租金单元意味着支出更多或交付更少”。
报告补充道：“如果所有 390 亿英镑 (£39 billion) 的 SAHP 资金都分配给社会租金房，到 [2036] 年可交付近 250,000 栋房屋，这远高于我们自 2011-12 年以来看到的社会租金房数量，但远低于 20 世纪 90 年代中期。但这意味着在未来十年中，整体可负担房屋将减少 50,000 栋。为了实现 300,000 栋社会租金房的目标，我们估计”
将所有这些成本转嫁给在停滞经济中承受压力的客户。
考虑到这将耗费财政部 100 亿英镑 (£10 billion) 或更多，全行业范围的增值税削减可能性较低，但行业人士希望，一个针对独立企业的规模较小的方案在政治和财政上可能是可行的。
那些被排除在折扣之外的人对此更为不以为然。尽管餐厅面临着许多同样的成本上涨，但仍被排除在外。
“餐厅对于我们的商业街、当地经济和社区的重要性与酒吧和酒馆完全一样，”伦敦一家炸鱼薯条店 Mayfair Chippy 的联合创始人杰米·琼斯 (Jamie Jones) 表示。“我们雇佣了数十万名员工，为进入职场的年轻人创造机会，支持英国农民、渔民和供应商，并吸引游客前往英国各地的城镇和城市。”
与此同时，西萨塞克斯郡阿伦德尔 (Arundel) Town House 的联合创始人马修·普莱斯 (Matthew Price) 和詹妮弗·普莱斯 (Jennifer Price) 表示，部长们优先考虑的是“有利于公关的形象，而非实质性的支持”。
“醒来听到减税的消息让我们产生了一瞬间的希望，但细则明确显示，小型、独立且具有特色的款待场所再次被排除在外，”他们说道。
“我们经营着一家自费且仅有 17 个座位的餐厅，配备四个房间，并在 4 月份看到我们的营业税上涨了 25%，从每年 £28,000 增加到 £35,000。在理解独立款待业的经济现状方面，依然存在根本性的失败。”
款待业企业在近年来获得了大量支持，包括支持员工工资的疫情期间休假计划，以及紧急贷款和补贴。
Adam Handling Collection 餐厅和美食酒吧的厨师兼所有者亚当·汉德林 (Adam Handling) 表示：“我感谢政府让我们预知从 4 月起可以期待什么样的支持。这对 2027 年的预算制定很有帮助。然而，感觉政府试图让它向款待业提供的支持听起来比实际情况更好。关于‘我们将降低营业税’的版本已经出现了太多，但现实地看，我们真正感受到益处的唯一一次是在新冠疫情后的支持期间。”
“我也不太明白为什么餐厅似乎被冷落了，而酒吧却得到了青睐。”
……估计在该计划 10 年的生命周期内，每年还需要额外 £800 百万。
据了解，重新担任住房部长的安吉拉·雷纳 (Angela Rayner) 参与了关于资金的讨论。目前的 SAHP 规定，20% 的住房将为可负担租赁房——租户支付最高 80% 的市场价格——且 20% 将用于共享所有权。
人们对议会的执行能力存疑，其中许多议会自 20 世纪 70 年代以来就没盖过一栋房子。最新数据显示，由于地方当局依赖住房协会，在截至 2025, 年的五年中，议会每年仅建造了 2,000 栋住房。
在昨天被问及这项战后以来最大规模的建筑计划时，雷纳拒绝设定具体目标。在 20 世纪 50 年代，议会每年交付 200,000 栋住房。
……我们目前所处的位置。因此两者之间存在巨大的鸿沟。我们希望尽可能地接近那个目标。作为政府，我们已经投入了更多投资，即我们希望尽快拨付的用于社会和可负担住房拨款资金的 £39 十亿。
决议基金会 (Resolution Foundation) 表示，可以通过放宽立场，允许开发商同时也建造可负担租赁住房，并“利用尚未开发”的国家住房银行（一家新的公共金融机构）中 £2.5 十亿的低成本贷款额度来解决缺口。
该智库的高级研究与政策分析师汉娜·奥尔德里奇 (Hannah Aldridge) 表示：“通过谨慎地利用社会和可负担住房计划、私人开发商的贡献以及国家住房银行，新政府可以增加社会租赁住房的供应，并从整体上建设更多可负担住房。”
在辱骂法拉奇后 遭遇“现世报”
Peter Chappell
在经历了政治上极其艰难的几周后，奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）终于迎来了一些好运。
在克拉克顿（Clacton），一名司机减速开车辱骂这位英国改革党（Reform UK）领袖，但由于她没意识到前方的车辆正在红灯前停车，导致自己陷入困境。
就在她大喊法拉奇是个“废物”（wanker）时，她未能及时刹车，撞上了前方的一辆宝马（BMW）汽车。此次碰撞似乎没有造成人员受伤。
W
以遏制房东的损失
安迪·伯纳姆与约翰·希利（John Healey）昨天在埃塞克斯郡哈洛（Harlow, Essex）的 The Hare 酒馆与饮酒者及当地商业领袖进行了交流。首相表示，“酒吧需要知道援军即将到来”。希利随行的人员还包括右侧的该地区工党议员克里斯·文斯（Chris Vince）。
在克拉克顿的这名女性大声辱骂，随后撞上了前方的一辆宝马车
他对法拉奇说：“她短时间内不敢再这么做了。”
在 X 平台的一篇帖子中，这位改革党领袖表示：“这位女士对我大肆辱骂，然后撞了自己的车。这就是你们所谓的现世报！”
法拉奇在克拉克顿的竞选之路上并不陌生，他在本月辞去议员职务后，正寻求在此重新当选。2024, 年，他在一家酒吧外被泼了奶昔。一名女性因此被判处缓刑。
一个月。在安·威德科姆（Ann Widdecombe）去世后，他的议员们正获得由政党资助的全天候保护，威德科姆曾是改革党的移民与司法发言人。
法拉奇在成为一项议会调查的对象后引发了这次补选，调查涉及一笔他声称是礼品的未登记 £5 million 捐款。如果标准专员做出不利裁决，他可能会面临被撤销议员资格，并有可能再次参加补选。
《泰晤士报》摄影师 RICHARD POHLE
人物档案 鲍威尔度过了她的青少年晚期。尽管她后来表示很高兴能体验大学生活，但她承认自己在那里“完全没有发挥出潜力”。一年后，她离开牛津大学，在伦敦国王学院完成了学业。
当新任教育大臣露西·鲍威尔（Lucy Powell）作为本科生进入牛津大学时，她在那些“梦幻尖顶”之间感到自己像一只“离水的鱼”（Georgia Lambert 和 Nicola Woolcock 撰文）。
新任教育大臣露西·鲍威尔将小学的拼写测试贴上了“严苛”的标签。
这位接受国家教育的曼彻斯特人赢得了在萨默维尔学院（Somerville College）学习化学的机会。然而，尽管她为进入该校付出了艰苦的努力，但这个沉闷的机构与年轻的她在 Haçienda 俱乐部度过的挥汗如雨的夜晚截然不同。
审查将给学生带来麻烦
Nicola Woolcock 教育编辑 Georgia Lambert
专家担心，安迪·伯纳姆和露西·鲍威尔将撕毁近期完成的课程审查，并引入更多职业资格认证，这将给学校和学院带来混乱。
新任教育大臣鲍威尔此前曾呼吁采用更多实践性和基于课业（coursework）的评估方式。
另外，在伯纳姆担任大曼彻斯特市市长期间，他推出了曼彻斯特国际文凭（MBacc），这是一套针对雇主量身定制的、与GCSE同等水平的资格认证。他表示，这一模板可以在其他地区实施。
政治内幕人士预计，在新政权下，16岁后教育将更加注重技能，且教育权力将下放到地方，赋予各地区更多权力。这让人们对布里吉特·菲利普森（时任教育大臣）在通用选举后数日内委托开展的课程与评估审查的未来产生了疑问。
该审查的建议正处于在英格兰实施的边缘，但据称鲍威尔认为该审查“尚未完全收官”，她仍有空间留下自己的印记。
据称，伯纳姆和鲍威尔在方法上完全一致，两人都希望更加强调高质量的技术和职业教育。自2012年以来，在职的十几位教育大臣中已有数人表达过类似的抱负。
预计鲍威尔将在未来几周内公布更多细节，但她希望提供一个更广泛的课程，使更多年轻人能够通过不同的路径在教育中停留更长时间。
本周，教师和批评者对鲍威尔之前的言论反应担忧。在2018年的Twitter上，她表示：“如果新的‘严苛’GCSE是如此的黄金标准，为什么顶尖私校都在避之不及？答案是，基于实践课业的资格认证能让学生更好地应对未来。”
鲍威尔随后在工党政治中心建立了事业，从政党活动家升至教育影子大臣、副党魁，现在成为了教育大臣。
她重返教育领域，是回到了长期定义其政治身份的职责领域。一名接近鲍威尔的来源告诉《泰晤士报》，这是她的“激情政策领域”之一，并补充道：“在看着三个青少年经历这个过程后，这件事变得很个人化。”
鲍威尔的政治生涯伴随着对音乐和文化的终身热爱。
她告诉《Vogue》：“我在八十年代和九十年代的曼彻斯特长大，那是一个极具政治色彩的时代。对于孩子来说，那是最好的地方——我们有俱乐部文化、文化艺术和创造力。”
她的政治身份根植于曼彻斯特。鲍威尔 1974年出生于莫斯赛德（Moss Side），她通过自己周围看到的各种不平等来界定自己的童年。在 2009年的一本传记中（写于她 34岁并被选为国会候选人时），她表示她的“学校资源匮乏，而且……”
被告知课业评估有利于父母能够提供帮助的孩子，且考试更为公平时，她回答道：“证据表明并非如此。最坚韧的学生在密集的新考试体制下表现最好。雇主们也非常明确地表示，他们需要实践性和基于项目的技能，而他们认为目前这些技能正处于匮乏状态。”
教师们表示，鲍威尔的言论“令人担忧”，且人工智能（AI）的兴起将使回归课业评估变得“极其有问题”。其他人则认为，课业评估无法展现真实的学术水平，且使中产阶级孩子获益。
教育影子大臣劳拉·特罗特表示：“在 AI 时代回归课业评估将是一场绝对的灾难，而承受后果最严重的将是最弱势群体。我希望她能尽早否认 [之前的言论]。”
自由学校的联合创始人、曾在唐宁街 10 号战略部门工作的乔纳森·西蒙斯表示：“目前尚不清楚……为什么一位新任大臣会觉得有必要或有愿望去推翻 [该审查] 沉甸甸且明智的结论。”
鲍威尔此前将小学的拼写测试贴标签为“严苛”且“荒谬”，声称这些测试被用来对孩子们进行“微观管理”。
伯纳姆的 MBacc 被宣传为该国首个由雇主驱动的、替代英国高中教育证书 (English Baccalaureate) 的方案。它由七个通往当地经济支柱行业的“门户”组成，包括医疗与社会护理，以及建筑业和绿色经济，并与核心学术 GCSE 课程同步进行。去年的分析表明，该方案的实施进展缓慢。
“我的许多朋友和学校同窗在撒切尔政府时期被抛弃，沦为社会废材”。
鲍威尔将自己描述为拥有一份“中产阶级的工作”，但她强调了自己家庭的工人阶级根源。
她在 1997 年的选举活动期间加入了工党的伦敦总部，随后在公共事务和竞选活动中工作了近十年。
她在 2010 年的大选中作为工党在曼彻斯特威廷顿 (Manchester Withington) 的候选人进入一线政治舞台，并迅速在党内晋升。
退还 £17k 离职金
Daisy Eastlake 政治记者
安吉拉·雷诺（Angela Rayner）拒绝退还她在因未能缴纳正确的印花税而辞去政府职务时收到的离职金。
这位前副首相本周被重新任命为住房大臣。她在去年 9 月辞职，此前独立法律建议发现她缴纳的税款不足。
去年 5 月有报道称她在南海岸购买了一套公寓，她最初否认有任何不当行为。雷诺将该房产申报为主要居所而非第二故乡，这使她仅支付了 £30,000 的较低税额，而非 £70,000。
然而，当时由工党出资聘请的法律顾问结论认为，她本应支付更高的税率。
她在离开该职位时获得了 £16,876 的离职金。
雷诺告诉 BBC，她不会退还这笔钱。“不，我的离职金是在当时发放给我的，”她说道。“我在政府工作了一段时间，然后离开政府的时间大约不到一年，我想时间表是这样的，而现在我将再次在政府中开展工作。至于那些领取离职金的保守党人，我们谈论的时间单位是周。”
自 1991 年以来，被解职的部长可以申请最高相当于三个月薪资的冗余补偿金。这导致一些仅在职数周的部长也领取了款项，包括在莉兹·特拉斯（Liz Truss）短暂的首相任期期间。
Jonathan Ames 法律编辑 Matt Dathan 内政编辑
《泰晤士报》获悉，由于治安法官和法官自动暂停一年或一年以下的监禁刑期，被判犯有严重罪行的罪犯正逍遥法外。
在英格兰和威尔士法院工作的资深律师表示，治安法官和刑事法院法官将一项新的“推定 12 个月或更短的监禁刑期应被暂停”的规定，解读为在大多数案件中都应暂停执行刑期的指示。该推定是作为 2026 年《量刑法》（Sentencing Act 2026）的一部分于今年实施的。
这一披露引发了反对党政治家的指责，他们指责部长们允许“暴力罪犯”在“没有受到真正惩罚”的情况下回到社会。
安迪·伯纳姆在周三宣布，他将暂停政府的囚犯提前释放计划，这意味着该计划将不再于 9 月生效。
他表示，在政府审查计划并“尽一切可能将公众风险降至最低”之前，没有任何囚犯将根据该计划被释放。
根据新的“获益晋升模式”（earned progression model），超过 5,000 名囚犯原定将被提前释放。该模式允许被判固定刑期的囚犯在狱中表现良好的情况下，仅服刑三分之一的刑期即可获释。
凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch），保守党党魁，昨日在伦敦工程技术学会发表了演讲。
汤姆·斯金纳（Tom Skinner），前科学、创新与技术部（DSIT）特别顾问，称这次白厅的大洗牌为一次“国家自残行为”。
杀害警察安德鲁·哈珀（PC Andrew Harper）及其妻子利西（Lissie）的凶手原定将被释放。
在人们得知 2019 年 8 月在处置犯罪活动时被杀害的警察安德鲁·哈珀的责任人将从这些变更中获益后，引发了强烈的愤怒，随后计划被暂停。
哈珀的母亲德比·阿德拉姆（Debbie Adlam）表示，伯纳姆暂停囚犯提前释放计划的决定是一个“良好的开始”，但“还不够”。
家庭暴力专员尼古尔·雅各布斯女爵士（Dame Nicole Jacobs）呼吁政府将家庭暴力实施者排除在提前释放的资格之外。
……学校，而且他们将不择手段地控制、胁迫并造成伤害。”
司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯（Alex Norris）表示，政策的暂停将使政府能够考虑哪些个人将从该政策中获益，以及是否可以延迟他们的释放，或采取“控制措施”以保护受害者和广大公众。
伯纳姆表示：“保障公众安全将始终是我的首要任务……在我们进行紧急审查并尽一切可能将公众风险降至最低之前，不会有任何囚犯根据这项政策被释放。在需要做出改变的地方，我们将毫不犹豫地进行修改。”
预计政府的这一举措不会影响关于暂停 12 个月或以下监禁刑期的新推定。某些情况下，使用武器（包括刀具）的威胁行为以及对急救人员的袭击等严重罪行，可能会被判处一年以下的监禁。
部长们引入这项立法是为了减轻监狱压力，因为近年来囚犯人数剧增。
保守党批评了该立法以及传闻证据表明正被采用的解读方式。
“我们曾警告劳工党，废除短期刑期意味着被关押的持刀罪犯将进一步减少，”影子司法大臣尼克·蒂莫西（Nick Timothy）表示。他称该立法为“灾难性的”，并导致“暴力罪犯……在没有受到真正惩罚的情况下重返街道。就像他们的提前释放计划一样，劳工党拒绝将危险罪犯关在他们应在的铁窗之后。”
影子内政大臣克里斯·菲尔普（Chris Philp）表示，关于暂停刑期推定的规定是政府犯下的“又一个灾难性错误”。
“严重的罪犯现在被释放，完全不需要入狱，”菲利普（Philp）说道，并补充称，其结果是“极其频繁的商店窃贼永远不会进入监狱，而那些在我们的街道上携带刀具并威胁他人的人也永远不会被监禁”。
前保守党大法官兼司法大臣罗伯特·巴克兰爵士（Sir Robert Buckland KC）呼吁法官密切关注该法案的措辞。“他们必须利用这些指南来实现每个个案的充分公正，”他说道，并补充称，法官必须注意到，法律“并未强制执行缓刑”。
刑事律师协会副主席安德鲁·托马斯爵士（Andrew Thomas KC）表示，对 12 个月以下刑期推定缓刑具有积极影响，因为它可以作为“激励被告在诉讼早期认罪的手段，从而减少进入审理阶段的案件数量，并有助于减轻治安法院和刑事法院的积压案件”。他认为，缓刑并非一种“软弱”的选择，因为它们“总是伴随着严苛的条件”。
指责首相 AI 机构重组
马克·塞曼 (Mark Sellman) 技术记者
凯米·巴登诺赫 (Kemi Badenoch) 批评了安迪·伯纳姆决定关闭科学、创新与技术部，并将其替换为“内阁中的一个人”的决定。
这位保守党领袖表示，在一名来自 OpenAI 的违规 AI 代理自主入侵软件平台 Hugging Face 之后，此次重组出于国家安全原因尤其令人担忧。
首相已将科学、创新与技术部 (DSIT) 的职能转移至其他三个部门。不过，他给了 AI 部长卡尼什卡·纳拉扬 (Kanishka Narayan) 一个内阁席位。
巴登诺赫表示：“关于 AI 这一话题，我认为发生了这样的事情非常令人担忧。他只在内阁中安排一个人来负责 AI。这需要远远不止一个人的力量。”
政府方面表示，撤销 DSIT 是为了“承认技术与创新并非经济的独立部门——它们是所有未来产业、文化和公共服务交付的基石”。
然而，游说团体 techUK 和初创企业联盟 (Startup Coalition) 表示，将 [DSIT] 的权力“分散在白厅各处”的决定是“在错误的时间做出的错误改变”。
在 10 号北区 办公
奥布里·阿拉格雷蒂 (Aubrey Allegretti) 首席政治记者
内阁部长们将被要求在安迪·伯纳姆的新“10 号北区”办公，此时他正准备在曼彻斯特庆祝该办公室的开业。
在就职第五天，首相将加入大约 30 名已经驻扎在该建筑内的官员，该建筑被誉为白宫风格的“增长情境室”。他计划召集内阁同事和市长，在重启的国家经济委员会 (NEC) 框架下举行会议；该委员会由戈登·布朗 (Gordon Brown) 在 2008 年设立，旨在应对金融危机的紧急响应。据称计划在那里办公的人员包括第一国务大臣路易丝·海格 (Louise Haigh) 和教育大臣露西·鲍威尔 (Lucy Powell)。
此举旨在通过在海伦大厦 (Heron House) 建立权力基地，展示伯纳姆对权力下放的承诺，该大厦目前已设有 GCHQ 的西北枢纽。然而，一些观察家质疑新部门的权力有多大，以及它是否具有签署权力下放协议的能力，或者是否能将其强加给不希望接受这些协议的地区。
NEC 的内阁部长们将于今日在 10 号北区举行会谈，地区市长也将受邀参加。
首相预计还将咨询来自小企业联合会 (Federation of Small Business)、英国商会 (British Chambers of Commerce) 和英国工业联合会 (Confederation of British Industry) 的商业代表。
乔纳森·艾姆斯 (Jonathan Ames) 法律编辑 于 2010 年购入并在 2016. 年出售。该公寓楼的居民声称，格罗夫诺 (Grosvenor) 非法修改了他们的租赁合同，结果“强加给他们过高的服务费”，而这些费用本应由该公司承担。
一名高等法院法官在涉及一家与国王教子（该教子是全国第 18 位富豪）有关联的房地产公司的案件中，支持了租客的立场。
在一场关于住宅服务费的“大卫与歌利亚”式争端中，75 岁的退休会计师彼得·帕森斯 (Peter Parsons) 说服了约翰逊法官，驳回了格罗夫诺开发公司 (Grosvenor Developments) 在这场持续十年的法律战最新阶段中提出的上诉。
35 岁的威斯特敏斯特公爵休·格罗夫诺 (Hugh Grosvenor) 是格罗夫诺信托基金的主席，而该信托基金是这家开发公司的所有者。
争议集中在剑桥一个名为 Parkside Place 的“高端”开发项目上，该项目由格罗夫诺公司
被特朗普的 ICE 从孩子 身边强行带走
乔治·格里尔斯 (George Grylls) 报道
一名英国男子在被强行从其美国妻子和三岁双胞胎儿子身边带走，并作为特朗普总统移民打击行动的一部分被空运至美国境内后，已在路易斯安那州的一家 ICE（美国移民海关执法局）拘留设施中被关押超过七周。
29 岁的康纳·里德 (Connor Read) 自九岁起就住在佛罗里达州。国土安全部目前正试图将这名两个孩子的父亲驱逐出境，理由是他近十年前在未成年时携带一背包啤酒前往湖边派对而被捕，以及其他轻微罪行。
他已在路易斯安那州的一家拘留中心被监禁一个多月，与那些因贩毒和家庭暴力犯罪而入狱的男子关在一起。
“我觉得自己是一个现在正在服刑的无辜之人，”他在一家容纳 1,160 人的设施中说道，他睡在一个约有 70 张上下铺的宿舍里。“这快让我疯了。”他补充道：“我爱美国。美国给我带来的全是好事。我的成年生活全部在美国度过。我所知道的一切都是在美国学到的。我的妻子是美国人。我的孩子们也是美国人。”
里德原籍肯特郡的查塔姆 (Chatham)，童年时由母亲和继父带到美国。6 月 3 日，他在受邀前往坦帕 (Tampa) 参加绿卡面试后被 ICE 代理人逮捕。在移民中心，他与 25 岁的妻子杰琳 (Jaelin) 以及 3 岁的双胞胎儿子赖德 (Ryder) 和奥齐 (Ozzie) 分开，理由是需要单独面试。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 威斯敏斯特公爵 休·格罗斯文诺 (Hugh Grosvenor) 是该公司所有者的主席
他们逮捕了他，并将其赶出大楼。当移民官员回到候诊室时，他们告知他的妻子，他不会回家了。
“奥齐就那样坐在那里，说：‘不，我在等爸爸，’在他们把我们分开后，他就重新坐在了候诊室里。赖德则朝着金属探测器跑去。场面非常混乱。候诊室里有 150 个人。简直是一场噩梦。感觉就像是个骗局，”杰琳·里德说。
被捕后，里德被送往佛罗里达州的皮内拉斯县监狱 (Pinellas County Jail)，在那里他度过了八天，住在极其“糟糕”的合用牢房里，每天凌晨 2 点被叫醒吃早餐。他说条件很“肮脏”，淋浴间长满了黑霉。
他被双手被绑、脚踝被缚地空运到路易斯安那州的一家 ICE 拘留中心。“你会以为他们是在押运一群杀人犯，”他说。
从那时起，里德一直住在路易斯安那中央处理中心。他正针对最终的驱逐令提出上诉，但被告知决定可能需要长达六个月的时间才下达。其他囚犯在那里的关押时间已达八个月。他说很多人感染了类流感疾病。“我病得很重，”他说。“头痛，发抖，非常冷。我以前从未像那样生过病。真的很痛苦。”
租赁持有者认为，他们被要求分摊社会住宅租户的服务费，而该公司此前已同意承担这部分费用，作为寻求剑桥市议会规划许可尝试的一部分。
格罗斯文诺 (Grosvenor) 的官员在整个争议期间一直否认有任何不当行为。公爵并不拥有 Parkside Place，也不参与其日常管理或服务费的运作。
去年，县法院法官凯伦·沃尔登-史密斯 (Karen Walden-Smith) 做出有利于帕森斯 (Parsons) 及其妻子安妮·冯·拉本诺 (Anne von Rabenau) 的裁决，认定他们有权向格罗斯文诺追回服务费付款。
格罗斯文诺对该判决提出上诉，本周高等法院的约翰逊 (Johnson) 支持了这对夫妇，称沃尔登-史密斯做出了“正确”的决定。
在对该裁决做出回应时，帕森斯与妻子一同出庭...
笑。6 月，美国移民与海关执法局（ICE）的逮捕人数升至特朗普第二任期内的最高水平，共有 43,000 人被捕。根据美国人口普查数据，佛罗里达州居住着超过 100,000 名英国公民。
里德在克勒蒙特经营一家名为“刷新佛罗里达”（Refresh Florida）的高压清洗公司，他表示，由于童年时期就被带到美国，他与英国几乎没有联系。“我不了解英格兰，我了解佛罗里达，”他说道。
他在 2007 年随英国籍母亲和继父前往佛罗里达州，随后就读于美国学校，仅回过一次英国。
在没有法律代表的情况下出庭，并表示“尽管困难重重，但小人物赢得了一场真正的‘大卫挑战歌利亚’式的胜利”。
《泰晤士报》两年前报道称，曾在一家“四大”国际会计师事务所工作的帕森斯指控，格罗夫纳（Grosvenor）的一名官员曾警告他，他们的法律纠纷可能会变得“难看”。
然而，在上诉听证会获胜后，帕森斯将这次法律行动描述为这对夫妇“始终坚持的原则问题”。
“尽管我们深信正义在自己这一边，且在这次极具挑战性的任务中坚持决心并投入了大量时间和精力进行自我辩护，但我们感到极大的宽慰和欣慰，因为尽管对方如此抵制”
里德自九岁起就住在佛罗里达州。他在 6 月 3 日与妻子杰琳（Jaelin）以及双胞胎儿子莱德（Ryder）和奥齐（Ozzie）分离，目前与暴力犯罪者一同被关押。
他的家人被一名假律师“诈骗”了。该家庭表示，他们配合了 FBI 的调查并获得了举报人的受保护身份，但里德在 2011 年仍被签发了遣返令。
“我当时未成年，所以我母亲怎么说我们就怎么做，”他说道。
在 16 岁时，里德获得了“童年抵达暂缓遣使”（Daca）身份，此后每两年更新一次，直到他 22 岁。当他的母亲与一名美国男子再婚后，她和里德的两个兄弟姐妹都被授予了绿卡。家人表示，他们得到了错误的法律建议，被告知里德必须独立于家人之外单独申请绿卡，
以及格罗夫纳能够投入的看似无限的资源，正义最终战胜了这一切，”他说道。
帕森斯指出，当格罗夫纳获得对原判决提起上诉的许可时，法院命令双方各自承担费用，这意味着即使公司获胜，这对夫妇也不必承担其法律账单。
该公爵在今年的《星期日泰晤士报》富豪榜中排名第 18 位，较去年下降了四名。据估计，他的资产价值 £9.68 billion，并且是国王 33 位教子之一。据说他与国王的两个儿子都是好友。
针对高等法院的裁决，格罗夫纳的一位发言人表示：“我们承认法院的决定。”
因为他已经超过 18 岁。事实上，即使在那个年龄，他可能依然能获得绿卡，因为在法律上他仍被视为受抚养人。
作为一名拥有 Daca 身份的年轻人，里德犯了一些轻微罪行，导致他被特朗普政府认定为“刑事非法外籍人士”。在 18 岁时，他参加了一个除夕家庭聚会，该聚会被警方驱散。他承认自己当时处于醉酒状态，在一名警员询问姓名时开了一个愚蠢的玩笑，说“我的名字叫迈克尔·菲尔普斯”，指的是那位奥运游泳运动员。三名警员将其抓住并将其逮捕。
“我确实变得沮丧了，我提高了嗓门，我当时很慌张，”他说道。他被指控阻碍公务。两年后，里德前往佛罗里达州一个著名的湖泊游泳并饮用啤酒。他被指控为未成年人持有酒精饮料，并缴纳了罚金。
里德不记得自己被逮捕时是 19 岁还是 20 岁，当时他因持有少于 20 克的玛利简（大麻）而被捕，且身上携带一副电子秤，这被视为吸毒器具。
由于这项指控，当 Read 在 22 岁申请续签其 Daca 身份时，他收到了一份拟拒绝通知，告知其移民身份可能会被拒绝。
随后，他在 2020 年通过一个约会软件结识了 Jaelin，当时 Read 的移民身份似乎尚未稳定。婚后，这对夫妇开始尝试为他争取绿卡。据他们估计，他们在法律费用上花费了超过 $10,000。
“我身边有很多家伙，要么是在被 ICE 扣留时身在监狱，要么是在无证驾驶被拦下。而我是在参加移民面试时被带走的。我一直试图按正规程序办理。这太糟糕了，”他说道。
从未出过国的 Jaelin Read 现在在考虑，如果她的丈夫被驱逐出境，她将在英国开始新生活。“我以前从未离开过美国。但我愿意这样做，”她说道。
一名 ICE 发言人表示：“Connor Michael Read，一名来自英国的犯罪非法外籍人士，于 2026 年 6 月 3 日被佛罗里达州坦帕市的 ICE 执法部门逮捕。他的犯罪记录包括持有麻醉设备、持有烈酒以及抗拒执法人员。他被执行了一项由佛罗里达州奥兰多一名移民法官于 2011 年 1 月起发布的最终遣返令。
“Read 于 2007 年 11 月 21 日通过奥兰多国际机场以 F-2 签证非移民身份进入美国，作为一名 F-1 非移民学生的家属。Read 的身份取决于其父母的学生身份。在违反签证条款后，Read 被纳入遣返程序。”
短小精悍：在布尔斯威尔斯附近的皇家威尔士展会上，参赛者们参加了设特兰矮马大国家赛 (Shetland Pony Grand National)
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Duncan Gardham
在一名杀手同伙因计划在六周前袭击士兵而被判终身监禁后，一名警察局长为未能抓住阻止曼彻斯特犹太会堂袭击的“机遇”而道歉。
在量刑过程中透露，警方在会堂袭击发生前就掌握了两部手机，其中包含对话详情，杀手在对话中讨论要进入“战争状态”，并称自己已经“受够了这个世界”。
警察行为独立监督办公室 (IOPC) 已启动调查，预计该问题也将被纳入针对此次袭击的死因研讯 (inquest) 范围。
大曼彻斯特警察局局长斯蒂芬·沃特森爵士 (Sir Stephen Watson) 在量刑后发表了道歉。
“毫无疑问，这些设备中所包含的信息本应引发进一步的调查行动，”他表示。“显然，我们在袭击发生前未能审查可用数据的行为，构成了一个错失的机遇。”
曼彻斯特刑事法院获悉，希顿公园犹太会堂的袭击者，来自大曼彻斯特普雷斯托威奇的 35 岁男子吉哈德·阿尔-沙米 (Jihad al-Shamie)，在去年 10 月 2 日将他的黑色起亚 Picanto 撞向会堂外一名安保人员时，受到了 2023 年 10 月 7 日哈马斯对以色列袭击的启发。亚德里安·道尔比 (Adrian Daulby)，53 岁，和梅尔文·克拉维茨 (Melvin Cravitz)，66 岁，在袭击中丧生。沙米在现场被警方击毙。
随后对其手机的检查显示，在袭击发生前两个月，住在曼彻斯特奇瑟姆山的 Mohammad Bashir (31 岁，一名快递司机，与父母同住)曾开车搭载该恐怖分子前往牛津郡的希夫雷纳姆英国国防学院执行侦察任务。法庭被告知，两人计划将目标对准以色列国防军的士兵，他们认为这些士兵在该地接受培训。
法庭还获悉，沙米在袭击发生前八个月曾因涉嫌违反-
Matt Dathan 内政事务编辑 Jessica Sharkey 犯罪记者
在过去的一年里，超过四成的人经历了反社会行为——回到了新冠疫情时期的水平——但商店窃盗、刀具犯罪和谋杀案有所下降。
国家统计局表示，在截至3月的这一年中，41 per cent的人经历或目击了反社会行为，高于前一年的 36 per cent。英国运输警察记录了 1 million 起反社会行为事件。
然而，其他形式的犯罪有所下降，包括商店窃盗案件数量在数年内首次下降。截至 2026, 3月，商店窃盗案件为 507,086 起，比前一年创纪录的 530,324 起下降了 4 per cent。
了一项禁止骚扰令。他在 9月 21, 日因涉嫌强奸再次被捕；这两次警方均没收了他的手机。在希顿公园袭击事件后，反恐警察对手机进行了检查，警方获得了搜查 Shamie 的 iCloud 存储空间的搜查令。相关信息揭露了 Bashir 和 Shamie 之间的 WhatsApp 消息和语音笔记交换，以及一个名为“志在跻身精英之列”的 WhatsApp 聊天群组，两人均为该群成员。
Bashir 向该群发送了 2,000 多条消息。控方大律师 Jonathan Polnay KC 表示，这些消息表明 Bashir 是一名“长期且坚定的圣战分子”。
Bashir 对准备恐怖袭击罪名表示认罪。关于他在 WhatsApp 上传播鼓励殉道的恐怖主义材料的指控则被保留在案。在判处其最低 17 年监禁时，Cheema-Grubb 法官表示，他对该计划的“参与度和热情”与 Shamie 相当，他的判决“必须作为一种警告”。
在 Mohammad Bashir 被判刑后，该警队的总警司 Sir Stephen Watson 表示道歉
独立警察行为投诉委员会 (IOPC) 的一名发言人表示，该委员会正在调查 10月 2 日袭击发生前，该警队与 Shamie 之间所有的接触。据了解，该监督机构已通知一名警员，其在处理针对 Shamie 的强奸及其他性犯罪指控时的潜在不当行为正处于调查之中，但这并不一定意味着随后会采取纪律处分程序。
Melvin Cravitz 的家人通过其律师 Hogan Lovells 发表声明，呼吁定于春季举行的死因研讯检查大曼彻斯特警方掌握的“重要信息”。
2025-26 年各警队的记录，比前 12 个月的 204 起下降了 14 per cent。
英格兰和威尔士的警队在 2025-26 年记录了 499 起谋杀罪案，比前一年的 539 起下降了 7 per cent。所有刀具犯罪的总数也有所下降，在截至3月的 12 个月内，警方记录了 48,774 起，比之前的 53,096 起下降了 8 per cent。
犯罪与警务大臣 Sarah Jones 表示，这些数字表明政府正在“扭转那些困扰社区的犯罪趋势”。
然而，保守党表示，自工党执政以来，整体犯罪率上升了近 10 per cent。影子内政大臣 Chris Philp 表示，工党“大幅削减”了警员人数。
为一名缓慢 失明的女孩 带来希望
Eleanor Hayward
一名正逐渐失明的 11 岁女孩，成为了首位接受创新基因疗法治疗某种罕见疾病的英国患者，该疾病会导致儿童失去视力。
这种治疗方法在全球范围内仅在另一名患者身上实施过，其原理是将健康基因的副本直接注入眼睛，以阻止视力进一步恶化。
来自伦敦北阿克顿 (North Acton) 的凯瑟琳·莱斯特兰奇 (Catherine L’Estrange) 希望这项疗法能让她继续阅读书籍——这是“我最喜欢做的事情之一”。
凯瑟琳在婴儿时期被诊断患有巴德-比德尔综合征 (Bardet-Biedl syndrome, BBS)，在英国约每 100,000 名儿童中有一人患此病，患者在十几岁后期或二十岁初期会失明。
该病是由 20 种不同基因中的一种发生突变引起的，并且还可能导致
波比·科隆卡 (Poppy Koronka) 健康记者
一项新研究表明，长期经历经济困难可能会使大脑衰老速度加快。
研究发现，这种影响在男性、童年时期处于劣势的人群以及具有较高阿尔茨海默病遗传风险的人群中更为显著。
伦敦大学学院 (UCL) 的研究人员分析了来自英国 2,759 人的数据，这些人参加了 MRC 国家健康与发展调查，该调查也被称为 1946 英国队列研究。
这项研究结果发表在《老龄化创新》(Innovation in Aging) 期刊上，参与者被询问了他们在 26, 43 和 53 岁时的收入情况。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 凯瑟琳·勒斯特兰奇 (Catherine L’Estrange) 患有 Bardet-Biedl 综合征，这是一种罕见的遗传病，可能导致成年后失去视力。
他们还衡量了“困苦程度”，将其定义为难以维持收入生活或在支付账单时遇到困难。
在 53 岁时，那些在早年和中年时期持续面临经济困难的人在认知测试中的表现较差。
根据脑部扫描结果，他们在七十多岁时的脑健康状况也更差。
UCL 终身健康与老龄化研究部门的雅克·韦尔斯 (Jacques Wels) 博士表示：“大多数关于认知衰老的研究仅关注单一时间点的财务困境。”
“我们的研究使用了数十年的数据，使我们能够发现，是多年累积的困苦与最糟糕的认知健康结果相关，而非偶尔发生的逆境。”
这种关联可能是由于经济问题影响了大脑中处理注意力、决策等功能的“带宽”，研究表明。这些问题可能会给涉及认知处理的系统带来慢性压力，从而导致随着时间的推移而出现更严重的损害。
研究团队得出结论，“在当前生活成本危机的环境下，创纪录数量的家庭报告了财务逆境”，这些发现“进一步阐明了支持弱势家庭的重要性”。
肾脏问题、学习障碍和肥胖。
由生物技术公司 MeiraGTx 开发的基因疗法在 3 月份于伦敦西区温布尔登附近的圣海利尔医院 (St Helier Hospital) 通过一项持续一小时的手术实施在凯瑟琳身上。外科医生移除了一只眼睛内部的胶质，并将健康的基因副本注入视网膜（眼睛后部的感光层）。在 BBS 患者体内，视网膜中的小细胞会死亡，导致失明。
埃普瑟姆与圣海利尔大学医院 NHS 信托基金会 (Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust) 的顾问眼科医生内鲁班·库马兰 (Neruban Kumaran) 表示：“通过提供一个健康的基因副本，有助于挽救这些细胞，希望能够稳定或改善视力。”
凯瑟琳的父亲蒂莫西·勒斯特兰奇 (Timothy L’Estrange) 牧师表示，BBS 很少在儿童进入小学年龄前被发现，但凯瑟琳在出生仅几周时就得到了诊断，这使得家庭能够规划她的未来。他说：“我们的策略是尽可能培养她的独立性和韧性，为必然的视力丧失做好准备。这始于她出现夜盲，随后是色盲，然后继续失去周边视力。”
“我们被告知可能的基因疗法还需要很多很多年才能实现，而且很可能在凯瑟琳完全失去视力后才会到来——因此，当我们得知这种治疗已可用，且凯瑟琳将成为世界上首批接受该治疗的患者之一时，我们感到十分惊讶和高兴。”
该治疗仅在凯瑟琳的一只眼睛上进行，以减轻可能出现错误时的风险，团队目前正在等待结果。
圣海利尔医院正与格雷特奥蒙德街医院 (Great Ormond Street) 和穆尔菲尔兹眼科医院 (Moorfields Eye Hospital) 的专家合作，以确定更多符合条件的患者，因为患有 BBS 的儿童需要进行基因检测，以确定其哪些携带某种增加阿尔茨海默病风险的遗传变异。
53,
数据显示，过去一年中，用于治疗注意力缺陷多动障碍 (ADHD) 的处方药数量增加了四分之一。
接受药物治疗的人数也增加了近三分之一，其中成年患者的处方量在 12 个月内增长了 40%。
由 NHS 商业服务局 (NHSBSA) 发布的最新年度《精神健康用药》数据显示，在 2025-26 年期间，共开出了 4.2 million 份中枢神经系统兴奋剂或 ADHD 药物。
外科医生移除眼内的玻璃体，并将健康的基因副本注入视网膜
功能正常的基因有助于挽救正在恶化的细胞，从而稳定或改善视力
根据其症状，有 20 个基因发生了突变。在凯瑟琳之前，只有另一人（一名来自加拿大的 17 岁女孩）接受了该治疗。她的手术同样在圣海利尔 (St Helier) 进行，时间是在去年 8 月。
该加拿大女孩的父母（不愿透露姓名）表示：“这次治疗给了我们的女儿一个保留视力的宝贵机会，我们希望它能成为全球所有患有 BBS10 [其中一种基因突变] 儿童的一项改变生活的疗法。”
接受治疗后，患者会在诊所就诊并进行各种视力测试，例如阅读视力表和辨别不同的颜色深浅。
库马兰 (Kumaran) 表示，在全面结果出炉前还需要数年时间。 “人们希望这能稍微改善视力，但这很难说。
“它不会让一个人的视力变得完美。但希望是能够稳定和/或改善视力。只有时间能给出答案。来自患者及其家属的综合反馈非常积极，表明他们的视力可能有所改善。
“家属的早期报告非常乐观，给了我们很多希望。但在实践中，需要很多年我们才能确定。
“目前没有其他治疗方法，因此能够保护视力、改善视力，或者给他们一个不会失明并能保持独立生活的希望，这真的意义重大。”
圣乔治、埃普瑟姆和圣海利尔医院组 (St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Group) 首席执行官马特·肖 (Mat Shaw) 表示：“作为一名父亲，我无法想象看着孩子慢慢失明是什么感觉。我为我们的团队能给这些孩子及其家庭带来希望而感到自豪，我们的目标是在儿童失明之初就将其阻断，并改变这些患有毁灭性疾病儿童的未来可能性。”
根据数据，在该期间，估计有 267,000 名 18 岁以上的患者被开具了 ADHD 药物。这比之前的 12 个月增长了 40%。
在儿童中，估计的患者人数增加了 17%，达到 158,000 人。
NHS 英格兰 (NHS England) 指出，大约有 2,492,000 人可能患有 ADHD，包括那些尚未确诊的人。在这之中，估计有 741,000 名是 24 岁以下的儿童和青少年。
12 月，政府启动了一项针对 ADHD、自闭症和精神健康服务的审查，以研究不断增长的需求。报告称，这些疾病的诊断“越来越多地被用于争取支持”，而且教育系统“不仅是在应对诊断，而且也在塑造需求”。
面临清算 ……但我已经 多年没去了
Graham Ruddick
埃隆·马斯克表示，英国将迎来一场“清算”，但承认他已经“几年”没去那个国家了。
在一次采访中，当被问及此前关于英国因穆斯林人口增加而正走向“内战”的言论时，这位 SpaceX 创始人兼特斯拉掌门人表示：“如果你有一个庞大且快速增长的人群，而他们的信仰与西方信仰背道而驰，那么在某个时间点，必然会迎来一场清算。”
马斯克说他去过英国“足足一百次”。当被问及最后一次是什么时候，他回答道：“真的是几年前了。”
关于他为何驱动自己发表此类声明，马斯克说：“我的伴侣是印度裔，我与她有四个孩子。其中一个孩子的名字是以一位著名的印度物理学家命名的。所以我想说我不是种族主义者。”马斯克与希冯·齐利斯 (Shivon Zilis) 的双胞胎儿子之一 Strider，其中间名 Sekhar 是为了向诺贝尔奖得主苏布拉马尼安·钱德拉塞卡尔 (Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar) 致敬。
出生于南非的马斯克（55 岁）还地引用了他的员工情况：“看看在我公司工作的员工，我们的高级管理人员涵盖所有种族。我认为那里不存在任何种族主义。”当被问及他是否反穆斯林时，他表示：“如果人们带着截然相反的观点来到一个国家，我是反对的。我反对强奸和谋杀，我反对强加那些与我们在西方所接受的准则相反的规则和法律。我认为传统媒体不承认这一点，真是太遗憾了。”
在接受《经济学人》采访时，马斯克被问及了一系列问题，包括人工智能以及他与特朗普总统的合作。
马斯克暗示，人工智能“可能在大约五年左右的时间里超过人类智慧的总和”。他表示，这场技术革命最可能的结果是一个“惊人富足的时代”，并誓言要“享受这段旅程”。
马斯克此前曾警告说，人工智能和机器人有 10-20% 的可能性会抹杀人类，他表示：“我仍然认为人工智能和机器人存在相关风险。概率不是零。[但]我的哲学结论是看向光明的一面……有时我想，‘嗯，即使有一个停止按钮，我们可能也不应该按下它，因为最可能的结果是对所有人而言都难以想象的富足’。人工智能和机器人的进步似乎是不可阻挡的，即使我想停止，我也做不到。”
尽管如此，他表示领先的人工智能公司应定期会面以“讨论任何安全与保障问题”，并补充道：“我认为这就是竞争对手能让彼此保持诚实的地方。我认为，对于政府中缺乏深厚技术理解且没有推动人工智能前沿的人来说，很难知道某个东西是否应该发布。然而，我认为竞争对手如果被给予一两周时间来审查一个新模型，是可以指出问题的。”
马斯克还对他参与特朗普政府期间（当时他领导政府效率部）的经历表示遗憾。他说：“我认为我过于介入政治了，坦白说，有点得意忘形了。”
Matt Dathan 内政编辑
一艘载有估计 165 名移民的“巨型橡皮艇”穿越了英吉利海峡，刷新了单艘小型船只载人数量的最高记录。
这些移民于昨日被边境管理局（Border Force）的一艘船只在海峡中截获，并被带回多佛。这艘巨大的临时橡皮艇是为此次穿越而量身定制的。
法国救生服务机构表示，船上约有 150 名移民，并称这一情况令人“震惊”。据 GB News 报道，其他目击者计数为 165, 人。这是自 2018 年小型船只危机开始以来，单次航行穿越海峡的移民人数最多的一次，轻松打破了 7 月 12 日创下的 128 人的前纪录。
RNLI（英国皇家救生艇协会）表示：“我们对船上的人数感到震惊。”
由于走私者利用风平浪静的天气，这是海峡移民穿越的第二天；此前因强风横扫水道，穿越活动中断了 11 天。周三约有 172 人抵达——这是安迪·伯纳姆就任首相后的首日穿越活动。
幸运之作 由 18 世纪苏格兰艺术家 Katherine Read 创作的一幅肖像画在被发现后被认为价值 £100,000。这幅画是由退休会计师 Mary-Louise Wedderburn 发现的，她 20 年前在叔叔的遗嘱中继承了这件物品，当时画作被包裹在一个睡袋里。在 Wedderburn 寻求 BBC 节目《Fake or Fortune?》的帮助后，该作品被证实是欧洲女性艺术家记录的最早的一幅印度模特绘画作品。
政府数据分析显示，在基尔·斯塔默爵士担任首相期间，共有 77,183 名海峡移民抵达。
根据内政部的数据，今年已记录 12,641 人抵达。这比去年同期的记录人数低 46 百分比。
另有消息，一名 21, 岁的阿富汗人 Basir Ramatullah（亦名 Baseer Ahmad）昨日在坎特伯雷皇冠法院被判处 2 年监禁，原因是其在海路穿越期间危及他人安全。
Ramatullah 承认在 5 月 2 日驾驶一艘在海峡中过度拥挤的移民橡皮艇。
一名拥有名人客户名单的高级裁缝正起诉要求赔偿 £550,000，声称其价值 £1 million 的法国葡萄酒藏品因专业冷藏柜故障而“发霉”（Jonathan Ames 报道）。
Tom Reimer 的客户包括卢恰诺·帕瓦罗蒂（Luciano Pavarotti），他在伦敦和德国的家中收藏了 20,000 瓶顶级葡萄酒。
他告诉法官，五年前在他位于玛丽波恩（Marylebone）价值 £8 million 的公寓中安装了三台葡萄酒冷藏柜，随后他伦敦家中约 1,500 瓶藏酒的价值被毁。
Reimer 出身于一个富有的德国家庭，在汉堡成为一名顶尖裁缝并建立了利润丰厚的职业生涯。在 20 世纪 90 年代，他的公司以给帕瓦罗蒂量身定制白色丝绸燕尾服而闻名，与后者习惯穿着的黑色燕尾服配白领结形成对比。
作为一名热衷于葡萄酒的收藏家，Reimer 积累了大量藏品，包括罕见波尔多和罗讷河谷的红酒。
在法律诉讼中，Reimer 声称一个 1 厘米宽的缝隙导致了...
Rajan 位列 BBC 兼职记者收入榜首
Mary Downer, George Willoughby
根据该广播公司的此类活动登记簿，在截至 2026, 3 月的 12 个月里，BBC 的记者在外部活动中至少获得了 £657,000 的收入。
该机构每季度都会公布其记者在小组讨论、颁奖典礼和演讲活动中的出席记录，以及每场活动收取的费用。
Amol Rajan，曾任《今日》(Today) 节目的主持人（他于 1 月离开了该 Radio 4 节目），在该名单中名列前茅，在 13 场活动中至少获得了 £115,000，其中仅有一场活动的报酬低于 £10,000。这是在他约 £320,000 的年薪之上的额外收入。他目前仍主持《大学挑战赛》(University Challenge)，该节目由一家独立制作公司为该机构制作。
报表是以区间形式而非具体金额显示收到的费用。这些区间为“低于 £1k”（即 £1）、“£1k–£5k”（即 £1 至 £5）、“£5k–£10k”（即 £5 至 £10）以及“超过 £10k”（即 10 以上）。
上周，该机构主席 Samir Shah 告诉《星期日泰晤士报》，外部活动收到的费用可以在记者的年度薪资审查中予以考虑。他表示：“在我看来，他们通过在 BBC 主持节目赚了很多钱。也许在他们看来不是这样。但他们利用……在 BBC 主持节目的事实[来获得]外部工作。”
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额外内容
2025 年 4 月至 2026 年 3 月期间，BBC 新闻员工/主持人预计外部活动收入排名前 10 的名单： 1 Amol Rajan（右图） £115,000+（单一数值基于 11 场每场支付超过 £10k 的活动） 2 Justin Webb £52,000 至 £111,000 3 John Simpson £43,000+ 4 Clive Myrie £41,000+ 5 Maryam Moshiri £31,000+ 6 Katya Adler £25,000+（并列） 7 Nick Robinson £25,000+（并列） 8 Dharshini David £22,000 至 £50,000 9 Naga Munchetty £21,000+ 10 Jeremy Bowen £20,000+
伦敦冷藏柜的门允许暖空气进入，导致标签上出现冷凝水和霉菌，而且部分葡萄酒本身“可能”出现了“软木塞污染”(corked)。
因此，Reimer 声称其伦敦收藏品的价值大幅降低。
他认为专家维持的观点是，一旦标签损坏，稀有葡萄酒的价值会大打折扣，因为买家担心葡萄酒本身已被毁。
Reimer 现在起诉安装冷藏柜的公司——总部位于伦敦南部的 International Food Services Equipment——索赔约 £500,000 的收藏品贬值损失，以及另外 £50,000 的其他成本和损失。
该公司辩称，仅存在一个“发丝般”的间隙，这符合“行业标准”。
该公司将酒瓶标签的任何损坏归咎于 Reimer，认为他在邻居抱怨噪音时多次关闭冷藏柜。
Reimer 告诉中伦敦郡法院
（此处文本中断）... 在其约 £245,000 的年薪之上。
在所有活动中获得至少 £10,000 收入的 16 名员工中，共参与了 126 场活动。最常见的角色是演讲者（47%）、主持人（21%）和协调员（9%）。
Rajan 收到来自皇家工程院的超过 £10,000 的费用担任评委，而 Justin Webb 从管理咨询协会 (Management Consultancies Association) 收到了一笔巨额资金，同样是担任评委。活动管理公司 Fane 向世界事务编辑 John Simpson 支付了九笔大额款项，用于演讲者和主持人工作。
总额第二高的是 Webb，他曾与 Rajan 共同主持《今日》节目。他在 13 场活动中赚了高达 £111,000，尽管没有任何单场活动支付超过 £10,000。他的基本工资约为 £365,000。《今日》节目的更多成员在该收入榜中名次较高。Nick Robinson 在三场活动中至少获得了 £25,000，而 Emma Barnett 在一场活动中获得了超过 £10,000 的报酬。
可能会乘坐 $50m 游艇逃离美国
特朗普总统的司法部强烈敦促法官将泰特兄弟继续羁押，直到对其引渡至英国的决定做出为止，担心他们可能会躲在价值 $50 million 的超级游艇上。
在向佛罗里达州法院提交的关于安德鲁（Andrew）和特里斯坦（Tristan）案件的陈述中，检察官认为，如果在引渡程序完成前两人被释放出狱，他们将有“强烈的动机逃离”美国。
“安德鲁·泰特及其兄弟似乎拥有财务能力和意愿来继续逃避司法公正，”检察官在一份新解封的文件中表示。
他们指出，持有英国和美国双重国籍的泰特兄弟“拥有可观的资金资源”，尽管英国政府此前因欠税和涉嫌洗钱从其账户中扣押了近 £3 million。英国的一家法院在 2024 年获悉，这对兄弟未能就 2014 年至 2022 年间通过在线业务赚取的约 £21 million 缴纳税款。文件称：“除了其有据可查的世界旅行外，2026 年 7 月 [安德鲁·泰特] 在社交媒体上发布了一段关于一艘价值 $50 million、长 41 米的超级游艇‘黑曜石之刃’（Obsidian Blade）的视频导览，据报道该游艇正在土耳其博德鲁姆建造。”
汤姆·赖默（Tom Reimer）正在起诉为其公寓安装冷藏机的公司，称这些设备有缺陷，导致他的葡萄酒收藏发霉
法院称，“冷热空气的不断交换”产生了温度波动，严重损坏了旨在维持 12-13C 恒温的冷藏机。
“为了维持所需温度，冰箱不得不超负荷运转，”代表赖默的大律师奥洛拉德·萨罗米（Ololade Saromi）说道。
他补充道：“冰箱门的缝隙导致了环境控制的丧失，导致冷凝器过度运行、震动、过热、结露，并随之损坏了原告的葡萄酒收藏。”
据该大律师称，酒瓶上的结露“导致了葡萄酒标签的发霉和分解。这可能还导致了软木塞分解以及葡萄酒内容的损坏”。
代表该公司的大律师马修·温-史密斯（Matthew Winn-Smith）表示，公司并未设计门系统，并辩称该系统“仅仅是一个标准单元的一部分，且被投诉的空气间隙是滑动门系统正常运行的必要元素”。
听证会仍在继续。
安德鲁（Andrew，39 岁）和特里斯坦·泰特（Tristan Tate，38 岁）持有英国和美国双重国籍
针对指控者的协调攻击活动。
如果法院最终维持英国的引渡令，该案件将提交给国务卿马可·鲁比奥（Marco Rubio）签字批准。特朗普政府表示，其无意阻止将其引渡至英国，他们在那里面临性犯罪指控。
兄弟俩的律师约瑟夫·麦克布莱德（Joseph McBride）表示，他打算论证这对兄弟没有潜逃风险，因为他们一直出席在罗马尼亚进行的一项持续刑事调查的相关法庭审理。兄弟俩否认了在英国和罗马尼亚案件中的指控。
噪音艺术：孩子们在伦敦育婴堂博物馆（Foundling Museum）的法庭画廊中玩耍，参加由国家艺术通行证（National Art Pass）发起的“Kids Aloud”活动，旨在推广博物馆中免费且打折的夏季活动
捐赠调查为“政治抹黑”
George Greenwood, Gabriel Pogrund Emanuele Midolo, Venetia Menzies
《泰晤士报》披露，英国改革党（Reform UK）已指示其数千名议员，将警方对其成员乔治·科特雷尔（George Cottrell）母亲所提供捐赠的调查，描述为建制派的蓄意陷害。
在分发给该党地方政府代表的内部泄露简报文件中，包含了在应对大都会警察局（Metropolitan Police）调查相关质询时的指示，要求回答：“现在很明显，建制派将尝试任何手段来阻止我们。”
议员们还被指示在回答质询时称：“英国人民已经厌倦了建制派媒体采取一切手段来阻止改革党。这种每日例行的抹黑和中伤，不会阻挡我们赢得下一次大选并修复破碎的英国。”
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肯尼亚因犯罪指控封杀英国陆军
大都会警察局已就菲奥娜·科特雷尔（Fiona Cottrell）向改革党提供的至少 £500,000 捐赠启动刑事调查。菲奥娜是加密货币赌徒及被定罪的诈骗犯“奢华乔治”（Posh George）的母亲，一项 Insight 调查发现，此人一直在秘密资助奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）。据报道，乔治·科特雷尔在调查过程中接受了警方的警告讯问。
议会标准专员对科特雷尔对法拉奇的支持，以及此前加密货币亿万富翁克里斯托弗·哈本（Christopher Harborne）一项未申报的 £5 million 捐赠展开了调查。在法拉奇辞职并在其所在的埃塞克斯郡克拉克顿（Clacton）选区发起补选后，这些调查被中止。
简报中包含详细指令，指导议员如何应对媒体对该党及法拉奇财务状况及其与科特雷尔关系的审查。
其中一个章节告知议员如何应对《泰晤士报》揭露的关于科特雷尔发放印有其名字的改革党品牌名片的报道。简报写道：“如果乔治·科特雷尔在党内没有任何角色，为什么他会分发印有奈杰尔·法拉奇电子邮件地址的名片？”
议员们被告知应回答：“乔治·科特雷尔是一名无薪志愿者，在改革党内没有正式职务，就像数千名党员一样。该名片旨在帮助捐赠者或其他公众成员轻松联系奈杰尔·法拉奇的办公室。它并非暗示任何正式的职位或权力。”
关于法拉奇为何让公众承担补选成本的质询，他们被告知应说：“议会补选给地方当局带来的成本由财政部报销。改革党已提出承担补选的全额费用，无论是通过直接支付 £5 ...
Charlie Parker
肯尼亚已停止英国陆军在该国训练军队，原因是其士兵被指控涉嫌谋杀和性侵。
当地立法者在寻求修改条款以赋予肯尼亚当局更大权力起诉犯罪士兵后，拒绝批准与英国的双边国防协议。
据当地媒体报道，肯尼亚拒绝续签现有协议并保留对在肯军队的司法管辖权。
这一争端迫使英国陆军在最后时刻取消了一次演习。此次训练涉及兰开斯特公爵团（Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment）第一营，原定于 9 月开始，但现在将在另一个国家进行。
去年 12 月，一个肯尼亚议会委员会指控英国营地的部队数十年来一直对当地人实施犯罪，包括谋杀和“广泛的性暴力”。报告描述了 Batuk 内部“根深蒂固的免责文化和体制性失职”。
成本由滕德林区议会承担，或向英国税务海关总署（HMRC）进行自愿捐赠。克莱克顿的民众将评判奈杰尔·法拉奇的记录和政治诚信，而不是由主流媒体或议会里的“袋鼠法庭”（形式主义法庭）来评判。媒体和反对党不能充当法官、陪审员和执行者。”
科特雷尔的律师表示，他不会就其财务状况或具体交易发表评论。
一名改革党发言人表示：“英国人民已经厌倦了建制派媒体不择手段地试图阻止改革党。每日例行的政治打击和抹黑不会阻止我们在下次大选中获胜并修复破碎的英国。现在很明显，建制派将尝试任何手段来阻止我们。”
一名军人于11月在英国被捕，面临被引渡至肯尼亚，被指控谋杀她。他否认相关指控，并正致力于对抗引渡。
一名国防部发言人表示：“英国高度重视与肯尼亚的关系，这种关系是以互利、尊重和合作为基础的……我们将继续与肯尼亚政府密切接触，支持在该国恢复培训。”
赢得 MI5 及 警方赔偿
一名曾被 MI5 非法获取通信数据的前 BBC 记者，被法庭裁定获得 £20,000 的损害赔偿金。
安全局（Security Service）此前承认，在获取数据时侵犯了文森特·基尼（Vincent Kearney）的权利，他目前是 RTÉ 的北部编辑。
在基尼向调查权力法庭（IPT）发起的诉讼过程中，北爱尔兰警察局（PSNI）和伦敦警察厅也做出了让步。
IPT 的三位法官裁定，PSNI 需向基尼支付 £10,000 的损害赔偿金，MI5 同样被判处该金额的赔偿。
基尼在 2006 和 2019 之间担任 BBC 北爱尔兰内政记者，他对该判决表示欢迎，称其为“新闻业的巨大胜利”。他表示，这是 MI5 首次被命令向一名记者支付赔偿金。
他在纪录片制作人巴里·麦卡弗里（Barry McCaffrey）和特雷弗·伯尼（Trevor Birney）案件披露的文件显示，包括警方在内的公共机构曾对其进行监视后，发起了法律行动。
在 2 月的一次听证会上，代表基尼和 BBC 的 Jude Bunting KC 表示，在 2006 和 2018 之间，共有七次独立的警方或 MI5 行动中，情报部门或警力非法获取了该记者或广播员的机密通信数据。
Bunting 表示，基尼应当获得“巨额”赔偿。
Kaya Burgess 科学记者 说道。这一时期可以被视为“语言多样性的黄金时代”，但随后“在过去的两千年中经历了异常迅速的崩塌，因为扩张的社会越来越多地取代了较小的语言群体”。
一项哈佛大学的研究发现，在语言多样性的顶峰时期，全球范围内有数万种不同的语言在被使用，随后开始了至今仍在持续的大规模语言灭绝。
如今全球范围内有 7,000 到 7,500 种不同的语言在被使用，但其中近一半由于母语使用者匮乏而处于濒危状态，且每年至少有四种语言完全消亡。
此前曾有观点认为，语言数量在 12,000 年前上一次冰河时代结束之后达到顶峰，当时每个狩猎采集部落可能都有自己的沟通方式。
一项新的哈佛大学研究挑战了这一观点，并估计在该冰河时代结束时，所使用的语言数量比今天还要少。
“相反，语言的数量似乎随着人类人口的增长而增加，在 1,000 到 3,000 年前达到顶峰，当时世界可能支撑着数万种语言，”他们
diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary
“绿色埃德”大发雷霆，鲍尔斯称
埃德·米利班德确实拥有“绿色”资历，但现在他是否在觊觎 11 号府（首相府）？这位前工党党魁的得力助手埃德·鲍尔斯表示，米利班德在未能出任财政大臣后会感到“愤怒且失望”，因为他觉得对方曾“承诺给他这个职位”。鲍尔斯认为，米利班德不仅是因为得到了切文宁庄园的馈赠而得到安抚，还因为其在能源部接替者的选择——米亚塔·法恩布勒，后者的绿色议程让米利班德的方案看起来像变成了品红色。内阁大洗牌总有输家——包括鲍尔斯，他的妻子伊薇特·库珀从外交部调任至卫生部。“她今天本该在菲律宾，结果却去了雷丁，”鲍尔斯在他的《政治货币》（Political Currency）播客中说道，随后他被这位前外交大臣在“厨房里乒乓作响”的声音分散了录音注意力。他说，当她在马尼拉时，日子要简单得多。
蓝色特权
本周，听到这么多前部长告诉我们，能为政府服务是他们一生的荣幸，这绝非我们生命中最光荣的时刻。瑞秋·里夫斯、大卫·拉米、基尔·斯塔默爵士和赫默勋爵都承认拥有“特权”，而史蒂夫·里德和娜塔莉·弗利特则是“荣誉”之士。这些词汇如此泛滥，以至于有人怀疑在起草辞职信时使用了人工智能，尽管这是否属实属于“特权信息”。这让人渴望回到保守党时代。他们的部长很少有人会告诉我们这是他们一生的特权，尽管有些人可能将其说成了“特权的生命”。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 这次崩溃并非如之前所认为的那样是由过去几个世纪的殖民主义触发的，而实际上是在几个世纪前随着更古老帝国的扩张而开始的。
一些人类学家认为，早期语言在智人出现后不久就出现了，这表明语言至少有 150,000 到 200,000 年的历史。其他人则将日期定得更晚，约为 40,000 年前。
另一个问题是，语言是出现一次后随着迁徙在全球以不同形式传播，还是在各地独立且自发地出现。“词汇和语法等特征变化过于迅速，无法将世界上所有语言与一个共同的原始母语联系起来，”之前的研究指出。
圣经中有关于人类如何开始说这么多语言的故事。
足球并没有“回家”，但它在外交关系中扮演着角色。安迪·伯纳姆邀请了他的加拿大同行马克·卡尼（见下图）来观看一场埃弗顿队的比赛，因为两人都是“太妃糖”队的球迷（卡尼在利物浦有表亲）。两人的共同忠诚使这次外交之行成为一个“空门得分”的机会，但世界领导人一起看球的历史一直起伏不定。2010 年的 G20 峰会曾被一场世界杯比赛中断，期间安格拉·默克尔不得不向大卫·卡梅伦道歉：尽管球明显越过了球线，英格兰队仍被拒绝了扳平德国队比分的一次机会。这很尴尬，不过在英德外交史上，这在尴尬时刻的排名中仅处于“中游水平”。
极佳的缴费方式
工党贵族布里克斯顿的戴维斯勋爵敦促那些仅通过邮寄方式进行选举的工会进行现代化。坚持使用电子投票难道不是在抢邮递员的饭碗吗？但时代在进步，戴维斯指出，他现在使用电脑支付所有费用，从税款到一些不那么合法的活动：“遗憾的是，我可以在线支付超速罚单。”
有些梦想被迫中断。音乐剧演员伊莱恩·佩吉说，她从未想过要成为《艾薇塔》、《猫》和《棋局》的主角，而更向往中央球场。“我真的很想成为一名网球运动员，”她在《经验即一切》（Experience is Everything）播客中告诉听众。
但这并未实现。“我以为这就是我想做的事情……直到我的校长在办公桌后面透过眼镜盯着我看，说道：‘但是，亲爱的伊莱恩，你甚至看不见桌子那边’”
“网”。” 身高 5 英尺的佩吉后来成为了西区的一个“微型巨人”，所以也许这次残酷的评论让她免于犯下一个不必要的错误。
巴别塔的故事讲述了诺亚的后代在一次大洪水的幸存者仍说着通用语言时的反叛。他们决定建造一座直通云霄的塔，以此来“成名”并为自己建立一个永久的文明。上帝决定终结他们的计划，采取行动来“混乱他们的语言，使他们不能明白彼此的话”，然后将他们“分散在全地之上”。
哈佛大学的研究人员查看了 171 个现代狩猎采集社会的资料，将它们作为早期人类部落的替代指标。他们表示：“由于这些规模较小且文化凝聚力强的群体通常只说一种语言，该模型利用这些群体的规模，结合对古代全球人口的估算，来推断全新世（Holocene）早期的可能语言数量。”哈佛的模型表明
【巴别塔的故事探讨了傲慢以及人类为何说着不同的语言】
大规模的语言灭绝至少始于一到两千年前。 “语言多样性的巨大损失并非始于近期的殖民扩张，而是在多国帝国首次传播其语言、病原体和文化时开始的。因此，语言灭绝在塑造语言和文化多样性方面可能发挥了比人们想象中大得多的作用。”
河畔隐秘之所以 £1.65 出售
Sasha Nugara 房产记者
一对曾被爱德华八世国王和华丽·辛普森用作秘密避风港的小岛即将以 £1.65 million 的价格进行拍卖——这几乎只有之前要价的一半。
这两座岛屿名为 Holm 岛和 Hollyhock 岛，位于斯坦内斯（Staines）附近的泰晤士河上，将于周二由房产中介 Savills 拍卖。
它们最初于 2025, 8 月由 Kai Carter Estates 以 £3 的价格挂牌出售，两岛总面积约 2.9 英亩，由一座便桥相连。
Hollyhock 岛是这对岛屿中 0.2 英亩的小妹妹，这里曾有一处名为“巢”（The Nest）的隐居地，是当时的爱德华王子与华丽·辛普森在恋爱期间使用的场所。虽然该房屋已不复存在，但遗迹仍可见。
Holm 岛是两座岛中较大的一座，拥有 2.5 英亩土地，并拥有 1,200 英尺的独立河岸线。岛上有一栋 5,000 平方英尺的五卧室独立房屋，配备四个浴室、宽敞的环绕式阳台空间及车库，以空置状态出售。此外，还有 1, 英亩的古老林地，且在符合规划的情况下具有进一步开发的潜力。
这些岛屿由同一所有者持有超过 30 年，可通过一条由门禁控制的私人车道进入，该车道从 Wraysbury 路延伸而出，连接大陆。
Holm 岛和 Hollyhock 岛曾是现代王室最大丑闻的中心。 1931 年，爱德华王子在华丽·辛普森仍处于婚姻状态且他身为威尔士亲王时，与这位美国社交名媛建立了关系。他在父亲乔治五世国王去世后，于 1936 年 1 月继承王位，但统治不到一年，这段关系就让他陷入了王室丑闻。
当时的英格兰教会立场禁止与有在世前配偶的人结婚，而辛普森曾两次离婚。爱德华于 12 月 10, 1936 签署了《退位文书》，并于次日生效。随后，这对夫妇于次年 6 月 3 在法国蒙（Monts）的坎德城堡（Château de Candé）结婚，英国王室没有任何成员出席。
他的弟弟继位成为乔治六世国王，而爱德华被授予温莎公爵爵位。
Savills 总监 Ralph Mendes da Costa 表示：“能够购得两座且非一座、且在伦敦通勤距离内的私人岛屿，机会极其罕见。Holm 岛和 Hollyhock 岛提供了隐私、绿地和未来潜力的独特结合，为寻求真正独特之物的买家创造了非凡的机会。”
“该房产经过谨慎定价以吸引市场，预计在拍卖前将引起极大关注。其卓越的河畔环境、宽敞的比例以及”
[[IMG_XXXX]] 位于泰晤士河 Holm 岛上的 5,000 平方英尺五卧室房屋拥有时尚的室内设计和环绕式阳台。下图：华丽·辛普森与爱德华
工具在官方 安全测试中 均出现“作弊”
SAVILLS/SWNS
Lara Bowman
接受英国安全专家测试的每一款先进 AI 模型在黑客挑战中都采取了作弊手段，试图突破为其设定的限制。
政府的 AI 安全研究所对 OpenAI 和 Anthropic 生产的五款系统进行了审查，发现每一款系统都使用了至少一种禁用的快捷方式。
这些挑战是在数字版的“密室逃脱”（即所谓的“沙箱”）中进行的。研究人员将一个秘密代码隐藏在一系列锁之后，并要求 AI 寻找该代码。模型被允许通过技术手段开锁，但被禁止逃出房间或在网上搜索答案。然而，部分模型在网上搜寻解决方案，而其他模型则试图诱导测试软件泄露代码，或攻击练习之外的计算机。
研究人员记录了每款模型 475 次尝试。尽管所有模型都试图规避规则，但 ChatGPT-5.4 违规最频繁，比例达 14.1%，而 Claude Mythos Preview 的作弊率最低，为 7.8%。
最令人担忧的事件发生在研究人员不小心创建了一个无法完成的挑战之后。
一个未具名模型并没有放弃，而是表现得“如此执着”，以至于它编写了代码并访问公共互联网，运行了一个针对该研究所自身系统的计算机程序，从而触发了安全警报。
虽然没有信息被获取，也没有造成损失，但该研究所表示，如果其系统在设计之初不够安全，这次尝试“本可能成功”。研究人员还发现，这些模型并不诚实地承认作弊行为。
该物业将作为 61 号拍品在 7 月 28 日的在线直播拍卖中推出。
在 OpenAI 的一个系统从一个据称安全的测试环境中逃逸并黑进美国科技公司 Hugging Face 之后，人们对 AI 代理（agents）的担忧日益增加。
OpenAI 将该系统放置在沙箱中，但它找到了一条出路，并在寻找其认为有助于通过另一项网络安全测试的信息时闯入了 Hugging Face。
称大多数 污染溢出 可能为非法
Rhys Blakely 科学编辑
一名已退休的科学家，其研究工作启发了备受赞誉的关于水务行业失效的电视纪录剧集《肮脏生意》(Dirty Business)，他得出结论，全国数百个地点的污水溢出事件中，多达九成似乎是非法的。
彼得·哈蒙德 (Peter Hammond) 在 Channel 4 的该剧中由 Jason Watkins 饰演。他分析了 2024 和 2025 年间由英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士的水务公司运营的 482 个雨水溢流口的排放情况。
这些溢流口旨在异常潮湿的天气期间充当应急泄压阀，将稀释后的污水排放到河流或沿海海域，以防止污水倒灌进家中。然而，哈蒙德的分析表明，80 到 90 比例的溢出事件并非发生在应有的“强降雨”期间（强降雨定义为 24 小时内降雨量在 25 毫米至 30 毫米之间）。
环境署在对南方水务公司 (Southern Water) 进行调查时也使用了相同的强降雨定义。该调查最终导致该公司在承认数千次非法排放污水后，于 2021 年被处以创纪录的 £90 million 罚款。
哈蒙德表示：“环境署在起诉南方水务公司期间成功依赖了这一方法论，法院也认可该方法是确定未经处理的污水排放是否合法的一种稳健方式。如果它足够稳健到可以起诉一家水务公司，那么就应该在整个行业中一致地应用。”
他呼吁不仅要对水务公司，而且要对环境署以及环境、食品和农村事务部进行更严厉的审查，并表示：“两者似乎在允许这种行为在全国范围内泛滥的过程中扮演了至关重要的合伙人角色。”
哈蒙德是反污水污染活动团体 Windrush Against Sewage Pollution 的成员，他将记录的溢出时间与当地的降雨数据进行了对比。
环保人士表示，英国目前正处于罕见的“彩蛱蝶之夏”，大量迁徙蝴蝶抵达此处并在此繁衍。
野生动物慈善机构“蝴蝶保护协会”（Butterfly Conservation）正敦促公众参与其年度的“大蝴蝶计数”（Big Butterfly Count），统计所见到的彩蛱蝶数量，旨在帮助专家评估这些昆虫每年的生存状况。
该慈善机构表示，今年春季欧洲全境的温暖天气促使数十万只彩蛱蝶（学名：Vanessa cardui）——它们拥有标志性的橙色、黑色和白色翅膀——飞向英国，在某些地点可见大群蝴蝶在觅食和交配。据称，它们的后代现在正陆续在全国各地出现。
这一现象发生在蝴蝶从撒哈拉以南的非洲迁徙到欧洲期间。彩蛱蝶的生命周期为五到八周，因此完成年度迁徙可能需要多达六代蝴蝶：它们在春季离开非洲向北进发，并在欧洲天气转凉后返回。
他的研究覆盖了一个人口约为 39 million 的地区。
结果并未证明每一次排放都是非法的。然而，他认为这些结果表明，潜在的违法规模远比目前承认的要大。
例如，根据分析，在 64 处泰晤士水务（Thames Water）处理厂中，雨水溢流排放的违规率似乎达到了 95.5 per cent。
该分析检查了六处排放至英格兰最大淡水湖温德米尔湖（Windermere）及其支流的联合实用公司（United Utilities）溢流口。即使采用了被认为更适合坎布里亚郡（Cumbria）的较高降雨量阈值，整体违规率仍在 68 per cent 至 77 per cent 之间。
“抗污水污染风暴”（Windrush Against Sewage Pollution）的创始人艾什·史密斯（Ash Smith）表示：“温德米尔湖被当作露天下水道对待的时间太长了。”
相关水务公司已被请求就此发表评论。
环境署（Environment Agency）的一位发言人表示：“雨水溢流口只能在降雨和积雪融化时运行——除此之外的任何情况均属违规，我们将始终采取行动。然而，为了满足寻求刑事定罪所需的严格法律要求，我们必须考虑广泛的因素，包括特定场地和许可证条件，以及总降雨量。”
行业协会 Water UK 的一名发言人表示：“排放仅应在异常情况下发生，或者在防止排放技术上可行但成本过高的情况下发生。无论如何，我们希望终止所有排放，并正努力以物理上最快的速度地终止它们。”
苏格兰水务（Scottish Water）的一位女发言人表示：“由于我们尚未收到由‘抗污水污染风暴’确认的任何非法污水溢流报告，苏格兰水务无法就相关数据、分析、方法或结果发表评论。”
来自“冲浪者抗污水组织”（Surfers Against Sewage）的独立数据显示，自 5 月 15 日以来，水务公司向游泳场所排放污水的时长已达 116,000 小时。70 per cent 的污水溢流排放量超过了环境署认为可接受的范围。F
气泡以 确保 深度睡眠
在波浪之下 垂直漂浮， 头部 要么指向 上方，要么指向 深海，抹香鲸的 睡眠习惯长期以来 令科学家们感到 困惑（卡雅·伯吉斯 Kaya Burgess 撰文）。
让专家们感到 棘手的疑问之一是， 它们在睡眠时如何 保持位置，而不会 漂浮到水面或漂移 成水平状态。
海洋生物学家现在 有了答案。一项研究 表明，鲸鱼在打盹时 会小心地释放气体 气泡以调节浮力。
整个抹香鲸群在 海面下静止地睡眠， 头部向上， 尾部向下，这种行为 曾令科学家们感到困惑。
与此形成对比的是， 座头鲸在捕捉猎物 和嬉戏时会吹气泡， 而南极海豹在 上升时会连续 释放气泡——但两者 都不是为了调节浮力。
这项发表在《实验 生物学杂志》(Journal of Experimental Biology) 上的研究指出：“这种 姿势被认为能让它们 通过缓冲水面波浪 的影响而有效睡眠， 同时避免了迁移到 更深水域的成本。” 圣安德鲁斯大学 的研究人员表示，能够 精确地调节浮力是 “至关重要的，因为由于 头部含有大量的 蜡质油，抹香鲸天生 具有正浮力”。
“此外，抹香鲸是 屏息潜水者，如果它们 在休息时缓慢上升， 肺部的气体将缓慢 膨胀。释放气泡使 它们能够抵消膨胀的 潜水气体，从而实现 中性浮力。”
这些鲸鱼每次小睡 通常不超过 15 分钟，保持在距离 水面 9 米范围内， 并以 5 或 6 头 为群进行睡眠。
该团队与瑞士的 纽夏特尔大学合作， 利用吸盘在 42 头 鲸鱼身上贴上了标签。 这些标签被用来记录 在 17 头鲸鱼休息 时的动作和声音。 研究人员表示：“标签 记录到了清晰的气泡 声，且动物的运动 数据被用于创建一个 基于组织密度、水中 阻力以及体内气体 体积的模拟方案。
“模拟结果证实， 释放气泡的作用是 降低鲸鱼的正浮力， 使它们在休息时 能够保持在水下。”
目前仅有两种其他 鲸类被证明将气泡 用作浮力调节器： 灰鲸和弓头鲸， 它们在潜水过程中 释放气泡以控制浮力。
painted lady（小红蛱蝶）的数量在 1996 和 2009, 之后 迎来了大年，但这将 取决于未来几周的 数量。
在去年的年度统计中， 英国各地的报告显示 共有 15,856 只小红蛱蝶， 但上一次出现“小红蛱蝶 之夏”是在 2019, 年， 总数超过了 420,000 只。
蝴蝶保护组织（Butterfly Conservation） 表示，今年的数量 已经明显高于去年， 且高于 2019 年的同期 水平，这表明今年 的夏天可能会让之前 的规模相形见绌。
“小红蛱蝶的跨洲 迁徙是自然界的奇迹， 也是地球上昆虫 最长的旅程之一。
“我们目前看到的 数量已经让去年的 总数相形见绌，我们 对此感到非常高兴。
“它们拥有美丽的粉橙色、 黑色和白色相间的花纹 翅膀，是我们最受欢迎 的物种之一。”
Theatre Clive Davis
《猜火车》音乐剧 (Trainspotting: The Musical) 皇家海马基特剧院 (Theatre Royal Haymarket), SW1 (140分钟) HHHII
丹尼·鲍尔 (Danny Boyle) 在电影版《猜火车》中唤起的是一个由毒品、碎玻璃和小规模犯罪组成的肮脏领域。然而，他将这种愿景包裹在一种真正独特的风格感之中。他完全没有将海洛因浪漫化，而是创造了一个由失范状态主宰的平行宇宙。
小说家欧文·威尔士 (Irvine Welsh) 为皇家海马基特剧院带来的音乐剧改编版，在视觉上的才情远不及电影版。卡罗琳·杰·兰杰 (Caroline Jay Ranger) 的导演手法——她的执导经历包括西区改编剧《福尔蒂塔》(Fawlty Towers) 和音乐剧版《只有傻瓜和马》(Only Fools and Horses) ——经常显得犹豫不决，而最后那段充满街头狡诈的巅峰戏份处理得如此匆促，以至于似乎缺失了一两个场景。
而且通过将更多情节设定在当地的一家社交俱乐部中，威尔士（Welsh）给了我们一个机会去获得
尽管如此，演出和新歌中蕴含着毫不掩饰的能量，
Charlotte Alt 7 The Lees 将处于许可开发范围内。
马尔文学院（Malvern College）因一项关于建筑以及重新开发作曲家爱德华·埃尔加（Edward Elgar）故居的计划，正与当地居民陷入争论。
这家每学期学费为 £20,000 的寄宿学校已提交提案，计划在一片杰出自然风景区内、距离住宅仅数米远的地方建造一栋预备学校建筑。它计划在该 9.6 英亩的场地上建设一个多用途运动区、一个网球场、游乐区、停车场和步道。
此次争论正值该校准备迎接来自唐斯马尔文（Downs Malvern）学生的到来。后者是一家关联的预备学校，在面临包括私立学校学费引入增值税（VAT）在内的“逆风”后，已宣布计划于明年夏天从附近的科尔沃尔（Colwall）村搬迁至马尔文。
54 岁的工程师斯蒂芬·法默（Stephen Farmer）表示，这座伍斯特郡小镇的居民对在保护区内建设的计划感到担忧。他表示：“他们显然试图绕过正规的规划程序。人们还担心他们也在马尔文的保护土地上施工。那里有大量的自然景观和遛狗的人。如果这是一个保护区，为什么会被允许建造一座巨大的现代建筑？”
其他人则担心停车场对交通的影响，以及是否进行了充分的调查。73 岁的退休工程师迈克·温索普（Mike Winthrop）住在学院林荫道（College Grove），紧邻拟建场地。他表示：“在我们的路尽头，他们要建一个停车场。我们将看到大量车辆停在路边，而这里的停车压力已经很大了。噪音和人们往来的增加也将影响我们的生活。”
“这里的周围全都是杰出的自然风景区。该地区还生活着一些相对稀有的动物和鸟类——道路使用者和人数越多，造成的干扰就越大。我认为没有人反对学校本身，但反对的是他们采取的方式，以及他们改变了最初的规划。”
学校的计划称，这座单层学校建筑的高度将不超过 6 米（近 20 英尺），内部楼面面积为 1,525 平方米。它将包括对 7 The Lees 的外部工程，那里是埃尔加在 1889 年与妻子共同居住的地方，工程包括拆除一个小型天文台、一个双车库和三座小型储藏室。
由威尔士（Welsh）与舞曲制作人斯蒂芬·麦格伊尼斯（Stephen McGuinness）共同创作，这几乎支撑起了整个夜晚。诚然，这是一个粗粝的尝试，不会吸引音乐剧的传统主义者。
说实话，我进去时担心情况会很糟，但这出剧即便永远无法取代电影，至少提供了
群体激情的时刻。
在原主演罗比·斯科特（Robbie Scott）于演出开始前不久受伤后，刘易斯·基德（Lewis Kidd）接替了伦顿（Renton）这一主角——一个自称是“狡黠的观察者和狂热的参与者”的角色。（他预计将在秋季巡演时回归。）没有人能比肩伊万·麦格雷戈（Ewan McGregor）那种坚毅的
针对该工程。如果委员会裁定不需要评估，那么学校表示计划在许可开发（permitted development）下进行开发，而不是通过完整的规划申请。
其他居民也向委员会提交了对该计划的反对意见。
艾德里安·皮尔逊（Adrian Pearson）写道：“这是一次重大的新建设，位于目前是一片开放绿地的区域，将在许多方面对当地地区和邻居产生不利影响。”
马尔文学院已提交提案，计划在杰出自然风景区内的住宅附近建造一栋预备学校建筑。计划包括对 7 The Lees 的外部工程，下方所示的爱德华·埃尔加在 1889 年与妻子曾居住于此。
屏幕显示，但 Kidd 的人格中 有足够的 傲慢魅力。
“我的理解是，在保护区内， 允许开发权 (permitted development rights) 要严格得多， 尤其是任何改变建筑外观的 行为；此外， 拟建场地内的一座新校舍 将完全改变该地区的 特质，并对野生动物 产生不利影响。”
马尔文学院 (Malvern College) 的一位发言人表示，自去年 6 月 首次公布方案以来，学院一直与 居民保持对话，并补充道：“ 拟议的开发项目代表了对 马尔文教育未来的 长期投资。作为 该镇最大的雇主 之一，马尔文学院 在当地社区中 发挥着重要作用。
在许多独立学校 面临 重大 挑战之际， 我们认为 继续投资于 教育、就业 以及马尔文的未来 至关重要。” 该发言人表示，学院 已与规划、环境、监管及法律 顾问密切合作，且环境因素 “将继续得到仔细评估”。
弗兰基·奥康纳 (Frankie O’Connor) 在这部改编自 欧文·威尔士 (Irvine Welsh) 小说的作品中 与刘易斯·基德 (Lewis Kidd) 搏斗时 散发出威胁气息， 下方为其在首演之夜与妻子 艾玛·库里 (Emma Currie) 的合影
弗兰基·奥康纳 (Frankie O’Connor) 散发出威胁气息
以便了解那些看着后代 陷入成瘾和犯罪的 长辈。戈登·库珀 (Gordon Cooper) 饰演的 Renton 父亲尤其令人动容， 他必须面对另一个儿子的 死亡，那是一个在北爱尔兰服役的 士兵。
至于新歌，它们的风格覆盖面 比你预期的要广。 我们听到了一阵摇滚乐 (rockabilly) 和一小段令人打响指的爵士乐， 以及《青年机会》(Youth Opportunities) 那种 激昂的情绪。其他曲目 则充满了朋克能量。 遗憾的是，音量水平 导致歌词并不总是清晰。
由于浓重的口音， 甚至有相当一部分 对话让我没听清， 而电影版则没有这种情况。
Begbie，这个终其一生 都在寻找可以 殴打的面孔的暴徒。 芬莱·保罗 (Finlay Paul) 饰演的 Tommy 在生活分崩离析时 赢得了我们的同情。 如果你是电影迷， 你会很高兴地听到 卢·里德 (Lou Reed) 的经典曲目 《完美的一天》(Perfect Day) 也在剧中出现。 而且你可能也会 宽心地发现， 那个臭名昭著的厕所 场景这次并没有 那么露骨。
至 9 月 5 日，trh.co.uk
曾是 暴力强奸犯
马克·霍恩 (Marc Horne)
一名今年自杀的警察被揭露为一名强奸犯，他在 14 年间袭击并试图谋杀多名女性。
艾伦·格里尔 (Alan Greer) 于 5 月在住所被发现死亡，享年 47, 岁。在警方发现其有“严重性犯罪”证据后，相关部门对其展开调查。
BBC Scotland 的一项调查发现，格里尔的第一名受害女性是在 2012 年于格拉斯哥家中被其强奸的，当时该女性刚刚报案。她于去年底举报了格里尔，引发了内部调查。此后，侦探们又追踪到了 8 名受害者。
格里尔出生于澳大利亚，于 2009, 年加入斯特拉斯克莱德警察局 (Strathclyde police)，拥有 17 年看似无瑕疵的服役记录。他于 4 月 24 日被逮捕，警方搜查了他位于北拉纳克郡 (North Lanarkshire) 威肖 (Wishaw) 附近的住所。警方缴获了 7 部手机和一台笔记本电脑。
格里尔在搜查后被停职，但随后在等待进一步调查期间被无罪释放。当他在家中被发现死亡于 5 月 6, 时，未发现可疑情况。
从格里尔的设备中恢复了数千段暴力且露骨的视频和图像，揭露他在整个警察职业生涯期间雇佣了数百名性工作者。据了解，他使用假名来组织性接触。
警员们尚未完成所有文件的审查，但已确认 5 名性工作者遭到了严重的性 assaulted。据了解，如果格里尔还活着，警方将在部分案件中寻求以谋杀未遂罪名起诉。
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帕特里克·马奎尔 (Patrick Maguire)
@patrickkmaguire
安东尼娅·罗密欧 (Antonia Romeo) 有了一张新办公桌。尽管这位内阁秘书对英国国家体制的宏伟设计远超办公家具的范畴，但这一微小的组织调整向我们透露了关于安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) 执政初期政府的不少信息。截至本周，罗密欧在 10 的外办公室拥有了自己的席位：这是唐宁街上最顶级的行政地产区域。公务员体系的负责人可以——并且将会——在任何她想的时间，就在首相书房外的办公区工作。
正如一名白厅的资深人士所指出的，即使是近代历史上最令人生畏的内阁秘书杰里米·海伍德 (Jeremy Heywood)，也从未采取过这样的举措。但罗密欧在 10 的办公桌正是这届新政府的精髓，以及它打算如何夺回在基尔·斯塔默爵士 (Sir Keir Starmer) 办公室中缓慢流失了两年的权力。关于我们的新统治者希望国家如何运作的第一条且最重要的原则现在已经足够简单了：一切都围绕着伯纳姆。
你在本周政府机制的变动中可以看到这一点。伯纳姆与他的前任不同，他现在由一个“首相与内阁办公室”支持，而非两个独立的办公室。在全国范围内，他希望下放权力和去中心化。然而，在白厅，直接目标则是强化 10. 的权力。由于缺乏一个正式的部门来处理...
首相缺乏专属部门一直是英国治国术中一个持久的批评点——而现在，这个问题得到了解决。
正如安迪·伯纳姆的首席私人秘书丹·约克-史密斯（Dan York-Smith）本周告诉唐宁街的同事那样，通过 10 号楼和 70, 号楼之间的连接门，白厅已成为一个比旧时的庞大臃肿机构规模更“小”的部门。内阁办公室现在的控制范围比以往少得多，其部分官僚职能已分拆至一个新的政府机构，而目前开展的工作则“集中在支持首相和内阁的政策与秘书处职能上”。
这是一个为新政治而设计的全新机器。而这种政治及其优先级，简单来说就是安迪·伯纳姆的。在周一对 10 号楼工作人员发表的首次讲话中，首相谈到了他希望改变政治文化的愿望，主张像“一个团队”那样团结一致，关注“北极”而不仅仅是“南极”。他说，这些是他“作为首相”的优先级——这再次提醒人们，这个国家的权力现在掌握在谁手中。
周二轮到了安迪·伯纳姆的幕僚长詹姆斯·普内尔（James Purnell）发言，他开玩笑说自己正从“政治荒原”回归。他也谈到了政治文化，并向 10 号楼透露了他的管理格言：“达成一致，否则上报”。而当这些官员看向新政府的最高指挥层时，他们将看到非常清晰的优先级。正如普内尔所言，安迪·伯纳姆的首批公告为这个工党政府的新时代奠定了基调。没有什么比缓解生活成本问题更紧急或更重要了。
2026年11月10, 星期二
如果英国公众在这位新首相就职 100 天结束时对他产生某种印象，他的团队希望那是：安迪能把事情办成。这是 10 号楼的任务宣言，而且很明显他知道自己想做什么。上周我在安迪·伯纳姆进入唐宁街前夕见到他时，他谈到了铺设一条通往新经济模式的“长路”——以实现对“生活必需品”更强的公共控制。他知道，这将比 7 天甚至 100 天需要长得多。
目前，重点是创造“喘息空间”，通过“重新排列”政府支出优先级，在当下提供一点帮助。这更多是示范性的而非变革性的。正如他告诉我的那样，本周宣布的任何措施都无法“以每个人希望的即时方式”解决英国的负担能力危机。相反，其重点在于“向他们表明，我的举措认可”他们日常的沮丧感：“周五不能出去喝杯啤酒，不能带孩子出去玩，不能去度假”。
换句话说，安迪想要把事情办成，而且是你们真正关心的事情。本周观察首相工作的人报告称，他对公众情绪——或者至少是媒体对其的呈现——具有一种敏锐的、近乎痴迷的敏感度，最显著的体现在他立即叫停了提前释放囚犯的计划。
因此，我们知道新首相想要什么。对于他的前任，并不总是能这样说。我们也大致知道安迪·伯纳姆打算如何实现这一切。因此才有了这个由 10 号楼驱动，而不仅仅是由 10 号楼协调的白厅新机器。但这里还涉及文化问题。而根据过去一周的情绪证据来看，
请访问 thetimes.com/events 或使用二维码登记您的意向
幕僚长詹姆斯·普内尔 (James Purnell) 为 No 10 的团队设定了基本准则。
要实现这一点，事实证明可能比预期的更为棘手。此时的工党并非一个快乐且团结的政党。对于这场无血政变的失败者来说，情况并不像安迪·伯纳姆周一在 No 10 内部所说的那样——所有人都在作为一个团队共同努力。
先看内阁。伯纳姆的核心圈子认为他们已经组建了一支能够落实其优先事项的团队。事实上，他的部长人选让这些重点更加明确。帕特·麦克法登 (Pat McFadden) 在工作与养老金部门的留任，反映出他希望推进实质性福利改革的愿望。当新内阁周二首次会议时，伯纳姆非常明确地表示，他并不认为丽莎·南迪 (Lisa Nandy) 权力扩大的文化部仅仅是一个“娱乐部”，而是一个旨在帮助英国人生活得更好的部门之引擎——这衡量了本届政府对人们所享受之事物的重视程度。
但从外部看来，情况完全不同。他们认为这是一场惩罚性的打击。他们不满意有这么多内阁部长被解雇，也不满意布里奇特·菲利普森 (Bridget Phillipson) 被降职。尽管初级部长的任命分布在党内各处，且在变动与延续之间取得了平衡，但仍有一些天生的伯纳姆支持者感到
被辜负和被坑了。他们觉得没有义务保持沉默，在面对本周公开且艰苦地敲定并辩论的政策资金等难题时，给 No 10 预留信任空间。政府中来自旧体制的幸存者们感到焦虑且被排挤。他们知道首相想要什么，就像我们都知道的一样，但他们不确定是否有合适的答案能解释如何实现、如何出资以及由谁把控。
目前的感觉有点像在斯托蒙特 (Stormont) 的强制性联合政府，在冷漠和相互猜忌中运行，而“伯纳姆团队”对此心知肚明。他的政治秘书海登·门罗 (Hayden Munro) 向本周留任的人员表示敬意。“我想就这一点明确表示，”他在发给同事的短信中写道，“我唯一关心的是让这个政府再次当选。如果你是这项使命的一员，你就是我的战友，让我们开始行动吧。”
这是一个体贴的姿态，很像本周的政策：真诚、出于好意且对每个人的焦虑敏感。但要将其变为现实，还有很多工作要做。
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D
艾玛·邓肯 (Emma Duncan)
去年，当我们准备对房子进行一些建筑工程时，我们认为应该在屋顶安装太阳能电池板。这个想法既显得高尚，且在能源成本上涨的情况下，也显得审慎。
帮助我们处理极其复杂的规划流程的顾问说，申请是没有意义的。我们屋顶上唯一阳光充足到能让投资获益的部分（刚好）从路边可见，而他的经验告诉他，由于我们住在保护区，委员会（我不敢告诉你们是哪个，因为我们正准备升级车库，因此仍受制于他们）不会批准。我们已经在担心其他想做的改动无法获得许可，所以决定不再冒险。
由于安迪·伯纳姆正在寻找无需政府出资即可在财务上帮助人们的方法，他应该审视规划规定。放宽这些规定将为房主省钱、创造就业，增加能源安全，减轻气候变化影响，并减少因规划流程导致的不必要成本和对生活的无理干扰而引起的烦恼。
我并不是建议我们应该允许人们拆除乔治亚时期的
再见，我们 沉默、睿智的 毛茸茸家庭 治疗师
社会允许我们 为猫哀悼吗？如果允许，该如何进行？ 我们亲爱的老 Squeaky， 狸猫之后，已经离世。 两周前的一个炎热周四早晨， 我将她埋在我们的花园里，并附上了一封感谢信， 感谢她非凡的服务，其中包括“捕鼠能手”—— 这正是我们在 22 年前养她的真正原因。
值得感激的远不止于此，因为在我们家中， 她的使命远高于简单的狩猎职责。 多年来，她承担起“氛围经理” 以及最重要的“悲伤吸收器”的角色。 家里的每个人都曾在某个时刻一边哭泣一边抚摸她： 悲恸、分手、健康危机——我们沉默的毛茸茸治疗师 见证了这一切，并且准确地知道何时潜入忧伤之中。 当然，在两次戏剧性事件之间， 她会回到那种若无其事的休息状态。 面对任何形式的热情， 她的态度就像是在说：“抱歉，我认识你吗？”
牧师住宅，并随心所欲地将它们 替换成达拉斯风格的牧场住宅。 如果你去过像中国或罗马尼亚这样 在盲目现代化时期失去了大量建筑遗产的国家， 你就会感激我们对自身遗产的保护更为细致。 规划系统以及法定建筑保护系统 在保护这些美好场所方面做得很好。 但在保护的冲动与我们作为国家所共同拥有的 其他野心和价值观（例如发展经济 以及允许人们随意处置自己的财产）之间， 存在着一种权衡。
我们赋予这些价值观的相对权重随着时间在改变。 维多利亚时代的人们拆除了 17 个
而且这种干预 似乎过于严重了
不仅仅是成本，在我看来，这种干预似乎过于严重了。议会将我们的规划许可设定为一项条件：必须拆除由前业主安装的所有嵌入式射灯（就是那些嵌入天花板的小圆灯）。在我看来，吊灯电灯并不比嵌入式电灯更具“维多利亚时代风格”，而且我们那并不怎么具有历史意义的天花板已经受损了；既然公众不会成群结队地穿过我们的房子，我看不出要求我们将所有射灯拆除、修复天花板并花数千英镑将其更换为吊灯或壁灯，能给国家带来什么益处。
克里斯托弗·雷恩爵士（Sir Christopher Wren）在进行那些令人惊叹的开发建设时，对保护过去的重视程度较低。而我们则对此过于重视，而对经济增长和业主的权利关注太少。
规划制度强加的成本过高。如果你住在挂牌建筑、保护区或公寓大楼中——这几乎涵盖了三分之一的人口——在进行广泛的房屋改进时（例如将单层玻璃窗更换为双层玻璃窗），你必须申请规划许可。申请本身就很昂贵。除了 548 英镑的标准规划申请费外，那些不熟悉如何操作该系统的人通常会雇佣规划顾问，花费数千英镑。而且，他们很可能会被拒绝许可。对某些人来说，这不仅仅是令人恼火，而且在经济上是一个大问题。乡村地区的许多农民和其他小企业拥有附属建筑，在这些建筑上安装太阳能电池板可以产生额外收入。
当然，我们没有争辩：规划和保护官员拥有太大的自由裁量权，让人不敢与他们起冲突。这就是该制度的问题所在之一：不同地区的不同官员执行标准各异。我打过交道过几位，发现埃克斯穆尔国家公园（国家公园拥有规划权）的官员比较理智且务实，能平衡业主对舒适度和效率的追求与保护古建筑的需要；但在其他地方，则并非如此。
那些阻碍或防止人们进行此类投资的规定不仅令人厌烦，而且还——
尤其是来自那只比她小 17 岁的狗。我们最后一次抚摸她，可能也是第一次抚摸完全是为了她自己的利益。
我知道她确切的位置——在一块铺路石下三英尺深处，包裹在一件她最喜欢的 T 恤里（是我的，不是她的，你懂的），就像被木乃伊化了的埃及王室一样。然而，我总期待她会出现在猫洞口，或者在正门前留一小滩尿——这是一个令人沮丧但可以原谅的习惯，因为如果换算成人类年龄，她已经 104 岁了。这是对猫的哀悼吗？感觉像是一种奇怪的空虚感。我的意思是，现在我们家谁说了算？绝对不是那条狗。
卑劣之举
如果你认为英国剧院的观众行为很糟糕，那就试试百老汇。在最近的一次纽约之行中，我看了大卫·奥伯恩（David Auburn）的剧作《证明》（Proof），由两位名人主演——阿约·埃迪比里（Ayo Edibiri，你可能通过热门电视剧《熊店》 The Bear 认识她）和好莱坞资深演员唐·钱德尔（Don Cheadle）。我不知道这些才华横溢的演员是如何在观众在著名表演者登台瞬间就开始欢呼鼓掌的情况下，依然能保持“第四面墙”不被打破的。
“他们欢呼是因为他们上过电视，”我的纽约朋友低声说道。与此同时，引导员在表演过程中进进出出，每次开门都会将街道的噪音引入礼堂。
简直是野蛮人。希望这些规范不会向我们这里渗透。
面包更换者 “我
“改变了我们的生活”； “我希望我们多年前就这么做了”；“没有它我们怎么活啊？！” 猜猜这些评论者——我的几个朋友——在谈论什么？不，不是 GLP-1 减肥针，而是一套花园沙发——这种东西现在在许多中产阶级城市庭院中随处可见，尤其是自近期的热浪袭击以来。我的朋友们在舒适、耐候的座椅上度过夜晚，盯着太阳能串灯的样子，就像不久前我们盯着 Netflix 的样子。我趁着夏季促销买了一套能改变生活的三人座沙发，现在它已经送达。我也在把我的后院当成一家美食酒吧（gastropub）的花园，在那里慵懒地度日，一路吃零食、啜饮直到就寝。当然，我们之前没想到的原因是气候变化还没如此剧烈，以至于我们在晚上 10 点以后还能穿着 T 恤在户外。但更大的问题是，究竟大家都把靠垫存放在哪里了？在雨季到来之前，我至少需要一个孩子搬出去。
宏伟的成就 我挑不出克里斯托弗·诺兰的《奥德赛》任何毛病，到目前为止也没人能挑出——至少没有令人信服的。评论家们在刻意找茬。例如，《The Cut》杂志的主要观点是“《奥德赛》里难道没有人感到心痒吗？”我唯一真正的问题（除了可怜的汤姆·霍兰戴的那顶像克莱尔饰品店买的皇冠，以及 327 次对宙斯法则的引用）是我离开电影院时感到的一种个人失败感。诺兰那部获得多项大奖的《奥本海默》直到 2023 年才上映，对于任何 50 岁以上的人来说，这感觉就像在六个月前。
在他将荷马史诗变成一部三小时好莱坞大片期间，你都在做什么？去了办公室，从亚马逊订了更多东西，遛了狗，读了几本书。没什么成就？我也是。
削弱了两个重要的国家目标，这体现在能源性能证书 (EPC) 计划中：提高能源安全和削减碳排放。通过安装双层玻璃窗和太阳能电池板，房主可以提高其 EPC 评级，但规划法规意味着有些人不被允许这样做，而成本则意味着有些人不愿费心。
这产生了可衡量影响。根据伦敦政治经济学院 (LSE) 几年前开展的一项研究，保护区内的家庭投资节能措施的可能性低于保护区外的家庭。这对他们能源账单的影响以今天的货币计算，平均每年 £400。
放开规划系统应该是一个容易实现的胜利。委员会可以自行修改规则，或者——更好的做法是——政府可以通过立法来解放各地的房主。肯辛顿-切尔西区已经示范了可行路径。该区议会规定，只要新窗户看起来像旧窗户，房主在安装双层玻璃窗时无需规划许可；只要屋顶不面向道路，安装太阳能电池板也无需许可。我相信这是唯一这样做过的议会，不过如果读者是类似宽松体制的受益者，我很乐意被指正。
“我们只是认为规划需要让人们感到更简单，”该委员会规划首席成员约翰尼·萨拉希特斯 (Johnny Thalassites) 表示。“当你想要进行一些改变以提高房屋性能时——让我们闪边站。”我想把这句话印在海报上，然后游行到唐宁街。
肯·科斯塔 (Ken Costa)
国际足联 (Fifa) 存在形象问题。 很少有球迷会注意到，但在周日观看世界杯决赛的 80,000 名观众中，有一个显著的缺席者。欧足联 (Uefa) —— 欧洲足球管理机构 —— 的主席亚历山大·切费林 (Aleksander Ceferin) 抵制了此次活动，以抗议他认为国际足联（该项运动的管理机构，负责运营世界杯）缺乏诚信。
虽然这并没有妨碍该赛事取得成功（全球 1.5 billion 观众共同享有），但如果一个管理机构被广泛认为不称职，对这项运动是有害的。但情况不必如此。国际足联应该通过成为一家上市公司来改善其形象，让自己处于一个更透明的治理结构的净化之光下。将国际足联在股市上市将筹集巨额资金以投资于全球比赛。
我知道许多足球迷会对国际足联成为一家公司的想法感到反感。英国足球俱乐部的企业所有者曾被指责导致票价上涨。但目前，国际足联服务的是运行它的不透明寡头，而非球迷。自 1904 年成立以来，国际足联一直是一家由 211 个国家足球协会拥有的非营利组织。无论是否公平，其家长式结构使其容易产生腐败，少数官员负责将财富分配给全球范围内受宠的项目。
英国在公司及其他全球所有实体（包括路透社，路透社曾由世界新闻协会所有）的非互助化（demutualising）进程中处于领先地位。作为一名投资银行家，我近距离见证了这些公司化带来的益处。在世界杯年，国际足联的收入超过 $16 billion。作为一家公司，国际足联的市值将达到数百亿美元。一部分股份可由 211 个国家足球协会和个别俱乐部持有，为他们提供可靠的股息流 —— 这些资金可以由他们自行选择如何使用。他们将不必像现在这样去讨好国际足联官员。
另一部分股份可以分配给全球球迷购买，由一位全球球迷冠军（例如由大卫·贝克汉姆爵士领衔）来引导。这将使国际足联对支持者的反应更加迅速，并为立即注入现金筹集数十亿资金。作为一家公司，国际足联将受公司法约束，且更不容易受到偏袒的指控。
总的来说，世界杯在场上展现了极高的专业水准。国际足球在场外也该是时候变得更加专业了。
对人工智能的敌意正将美国左右翼团结在一起
Gerard Baker
@gerardtbaker
德克萨斯州和纽约州的州长之间达成共识的事情寥寥无几。Lone Star State（孤星之州）的格雷格·阿博特（Greg Abbott）是一位坚定的保守派共和党人，他支持严厉的移民管控，希望州立学校在建筑内张贴《十诫》，并签署了立法使德克萨斯州成为一个“第二修正案避风港州”，以保护德克萨斯人在大致希望的时间和地点携带枪支的权利免受过度负担的限制。
Empire State（帝国州）的凯西·霍楚尔（Kathy Hochul）则是一位进步派民主党人，她使自己的州成为了任何寻求堕胎女性的避风港，支持通过立法阻止州警察与特朗普总统政府的移民执法代理人员合作，并签署了具有激进可再生能源指令的法律，旨在到 2035 年消除汽油驱动汽车。
德克萨斯州自 1976 年以来就没选过民主党人。但在过去的一个月里，有一件事让这些最深红和最深蓝的州党派支持者立场一致：对现代史上增长最快的技术建筑计划持有敌意。
6 月下旬，阿博特在切罗基县（Cherokee County）向一群支持者发表讲话，该县在 2024 年大选中 80% 的选民投票给了唐纳德·特朗普，他表示，德克萨斯州将不容忍在州内大面积地区建设支撑人工智能繁荣的数据中心。
“我们必须禁止他们在德克萨斯州的农村社区建设人工智能数据中心，”阿博特在谈到建设这些设施的技术公司时这样说，并补充道，这一问题“恰恰契合了为东德克萨斯价值观而战”。
上周，霍楚尔宣布，纽约州将成为全美第一个对建设“超大规模”数据中心实施暂停禁令的州。“纽约一直处于创新和变革的前沿，但我们也一直确保纽约州民从中获益，”她说。“随着数据中心开发威胁到推高公用事业账单、耗尽我们的自然资源并给纽约州民带来不确定性，采取行动并引领方向是我的责任。”
阿博特和霍楚尔今年都在各自的州竞选连任，虽然两人看起来都没有受到政治对手的特别威胁，但在一个几乎是唯一能让极化国家团结在一起的问题上，他们不会冒险。
最近的一项盖洛普（Gallup）民意调查发现，71% 的美国人反对在他们所在的地区建设支持人工智能技术的数据中心。从表面上看，这似乎只是一个典型的“邻避主义”（nimbyism）案例，即人类天生反感在上帝之国中自己的那一小块角落里建设大型、造成不便且外观不佳的设施。就像电力线、最高安全级别监狱或污水处理设施一样，每个人都希望这些地方提供服务，但很少有人希望它们在离自己居住地很近的地方运行。
但对人工智能数据中心的敌意似乎格外激烈且广泛。同一项盖洛普调查发现，相比之下，只有 53% 的美国人反对在他们的社区建设核电站。
这种广泛的反对是由——但不仅限于——像谷歌（Google）、亚马逊（Amazon）和 Meta 这样公司建设的数据中心的特定影响所驱动的，而且不仅仅是因为对当地环境影响的不安。过去几年中，美国全境数据中心建设的激增给水资源和能源使用带来了日益增长的压力，导致当地客户的公用事业成本通常更高。一份 2024 年的能源部报告估计，这些中心占全国用电量的 4% 以上，预计到 2028 年这一比例将上升至 12%。
许多州已经通过法律，要求大型科技公司为其巨型建筑所带来的额外社区成本买单。而这些公司则声称，凭借大量的土地和房产税义务以及创造的当地就业机会，他们在许多地方所提供的补偿已远超其运营产生的影响。但即便公众最终无需承担这些工厂相关的额外成本，这些设施仍在引发更广泛的抵制情绪，针对的是那些如今在如此之深地支配着美国经济与社会的科技巨头——其程度在历史上罕有企业能与之比拟。
AI 恐慌论正成为民粹主义政治的养料。华尔街的一位金融巨头最近告诉我，他担心 AI 将大幅增加美国的收入和财富不平等。有效利用 AI 所需的技能和能力将集中在极少数美国人手中。对科技公司本身以及将从 AI 驱动的快速生产力提升中获益的更广泛企业部门的投资回报，将为资本持有者带来巨额奖励。与此同时，数千万个普通工作岗位将消失，被机器取代。
这可能过于悲观。AI 最初引发的破坏性可能比之前的技术创新浪潮更强，但历史表明，此类创新带来的生产力提升最终会让每个人受益。
然而，其直接的政治影响可能是巨大的。美国人已经对科技公司深感不信任，认为它们对沉迷社交媒体的孩子产生了恶劣影响，并且其技术的普及对人类精神造成的“注意力水力压裂” (attention-fracking) 产生了更广泛的影响。
事实上，AI 恐慌论似乎与当今时代的民粹主义精神契合得很好，它加深了公众对极富权势者权力的怀疑，并激化了对掌控商业、政治和文化精英的敌意，而这些精英的技术正在迅速改变无权势者的生活。正如一位政治学家最近对我所说的：“科技公司传达给普通美国人的信息是双重的：‘我们创造了一种将取代上帝的技术，然后它将夺走你的工作。你觉得怎么样？’”
棘手问题
先生，索尼娅·索达（Sonia Sodha）对老年社会护理供应的现状进行了出色的调研（见 7 月 23 日评论，“社会护理改革是安迪·伯纳姆最大的考验”）。然而，她本可以建议将遗产税扩大化，将其作为资助国家护理服务的一种公平且公正的手段。遗产税并非由死者支付，而是由其继承人支付。扩大遗产税并使其不易被规避，将在那些死者无需动用遗产资助护理的继承人，与那些继承了因资助护理成本而严重缩减的遗产的继承人之间，更公平地分担负担。或许可以考虑对价值在 £100,000 到目前 £325,000 起征点之间的遗产征收 10 或 20% 的税。与此同时，或许可以重新审视对继承农场和其他家族企业的征税，也许仅在继承人出售企业而非继续经营时才征税。 艾伦·费尔斯 (Alan Fairs) 伍斯特郡，比德利
先生，继索尼娅·索达出色的专栏之后，我回想起我作为一名年轻记者时，第一次听到一位国会议员告诉我，他的政府需要紧急掌控成人社会护理危机。那是 1989. 年。就像现任首相一样，那位议员的父母患有认知障碍症。他当时正努力用议员的薪水来支付这笔费用。天真地我认为，这意味着我父母的问题也会得到解决。而今天，我怀疑这个问题在我身上是否能得到解决。 凯特·艾恩赛德 (Kate Ironside) 贝德福德郡，比登汉姆
先生，我们长期以来都知道社会护理供应需要关注，但索尼娅·索达的文章强调了一个尤为显著的不公平现象：自费者与由地方当局支付护理费者之间的差异化定价。当这么多自费者的遗产价值在迅速缩减时，为什么他们实际上要为那些未能规划或无法为自己护理存钱的人救急，从而支撑国家供应？要么应将差异化定价定为非法，要么应设立独立的护理院。 斯图尔特·索瑟尔 (Stuart Southall) 萨里郡，东霍斯利
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澄清
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先生，安迪·伯纳姆正确地将酒吧和音乐场所视为其社区的核心（《安迪·伯纳姆削减酒吧和俱乐部商业税率》，7月 23日）。但剧院同样如此，而它们再次被排除在外。当地剧院支撑着市中心，提供教育和社区项目，并为酒吧、餐厅和商店带来观众。每在剧院门票上花费 £1，当地经济就会增加 £1.40 的支出。剧院也是高度劳动密集型的，且深受雇主国民保险缴款增加的影响。如果商业税率改革的目的是支持人们重视且能增强其居住地的机构，那么在给酒吧和音乐场所进一步减税的同时排除剧院，在经济或公民意义上都毫无道理。 Patrick Gracey 剧院制作人，伦敦 W6
先生，安迪·伯纳姆在主张酒吧需要帮助以挽救“工人阶级文化”时（thetimes.com，7月 23日），使用的是过时且具有分裂性的语言。诚然，酒吧的数量不如以前多，但酒吧实际上雇佣了更多的人员。
引导国家 在当年的那次选举中，投票者需要年满 21 岁。因此，那些至今仍生活在世并参与投票的人必须至少 100 岁，而且很可能更年长。 Timothy Straker KC 伦敦 WC1
先生，丹尼尔·芬克尔斯坦的文章提醒我们，20世纪90年代新民主党曾主张国家应当“掌舵而非划桨”——即确保供应并设定标准，而非成为服务的提供者——这非常及时（《“新自由主义”对布莱尔来说已经足够好》，7月 22日）。这正是大多数欧洲医疗保健系统遵循的模型。它们并不遵循 NHS 的垄断供应模式，因为它们正确地认识到，与多个供应商相比，医疗保健的垄断供应必然更昂贵、效率更低，且容易被工会利益所掌控。如果安迪·伯纳姆希望社会护理遵循 NHS 模式，这并非好兆头，伊薇特·库珀应当对此引起注意。 Marion Brown 东约克郡，Swanland
先生，丹尼尔·芬克尔斯坦实际上在说，安迪·伯纳姆不可能打算回归 1945 年的工党，因为一个人必须快 100 岁才能在当年的大选中投票。这是错误的。如果要投票
摘自《泰晤士报》1926年7月24日
电影在 日本 的发展异常迅速。 在数十个城市和城镇中都可以找到电影院，大多数较小的地区也同样如此。在这些电影院放映的影片中，似乎有 90% 以上源自美国。即使在西方影响较少的地方——汽油和电灯便是其中之一——也能找到电影院。观众众多且热情，充满好奇。一些报纸出版的华丽电影增刊进一步激发了他们的兴趣。
比以前更广泛。原因之一是大多数酒吧现在提供食物以及桌边服务。由于酒吧现在更像餐厅，这需要更多的人员，这使得首相关于不对餐厅提供帮助的论点显得非常无力。现在是时候让他平等地看待每个人，而不是针对特定的人口群体或特定地区了。我不是鲍里斯·约翰逊的崇拜者，但如果他决定在伯恩茅斯或诺里奇开设政府办公室，人们一定会感到愤怒。为什么是曼彻斯特，而不是纽卡斯尔或伯明翰？首相似乎认为自己是个总统。 克里斯·凯塞尔 (Chris Kessell) 约克
先生，关于 安迪·伯纳姆 宣布的经济措施——降低电费增值税、将巴士票价上限设为 £2 以及将酒吧商业税率降低 20% ——其资金来源的细节（往好里说）极其简略。如果这些措施如此容易实施，那么 基尔·斯塔默爵士 究竟为什么不亲自授权实施，以挽救他自己的首相之位？
伯纳姆 似乎在走莉兹·特拉斯 的老路，后者在她的任期内选择了一系列缺乏资金支持的减税措施。
先生：彼得·海恩关于三重保障机制（Triple Lock）的观察（见《雷鸣》，7月22日；读者来信，7月23日）非常及时，事实上，他本可以指出改革迟到地其他原因。三重保障机制为最年轻的养老金领取者提供了最佳保护，但对于75岁以上的人群保护力度则小得多，且完全没有覆盖最贫困人群。对于2016年以后达到退休年龄的人来说，每周£241.30的全额新国家养老金受到三重保障的覆盖，但对于更年长者，只有每周£184.90的基础国家养老金涵盖在内，而经过 means-tested（资产调查）的养老金信贷仅与收入挂钩。当然，国家养老金的价值必须得到保障，但如果政治家们承认现有系统运行不佳，那么改革将为未来开启一个成本更低且更公平的体系。 阿尔特曼男爵夫人 前养老金大臣
对于那些对东方事物仍抱有某种感性情怀的人来说，电影不受限制且显然无法阻止的入侵是一个令人悲伤的景象。日本大多数规模较大的城镇都有一条被称为“剧院街”的街道。夜晚，这些街道是所有游客追寻的地方，当地人也使其拥挤不堪，因为日本人永远不会厌倦他的剧场；他也不应当厌倦，因为其传统根基深厚，艺术精湛。然而，无论是传统还是本土艺术都未能抵御胶片卷的入侵。因此，如今许多剧院街实际上变成了电影街。灯光依然存在，在电力的帮助下变得更加璀璨，数量也更多。红白相间的奇幻灯笼依然像以前那样从门廊、栏杆和竹竿上摇曳，但其内部的光源性质已经改变。那些用巨大且极具装饰性的红色和黑色书写的剧院海报……
2022年的灾难性迷你预算。唯一的区别在于，特拉斯坚持认为，没有资金支持的减税将通过更高的增长来实现自我偿付。结果并不理想，金融市场迫使她下台。对于安迪·伯纳姆来说还处于早期阶段，但经济史有一个重复自身的坏习惯。 科斯塔斯·米拉斯教授 利物浦大学管理学院
先生：我们每天读到款待业（hospitality sector）陷入困境并需要政府支持。最近，我尝试组织一场十名成年人的家庭午宴来庆祝我的生日，预算约为£1,000。我联系了几家设有小型私人包间的场所。许多场所没有回应。其中一家建议最低消费为£3,500，另一家仅预订房间就要求£6,000，且不含餐饮费用。一家当地酒店看起来很热情，但当我尝试确认预订并提出支付押金时，我没有收到任何回复，尽管我曾两次亲自前往该场所。该行业陷入挣扎难道令人惊讶吗？ 布伦丹·罗素 萨里郡，埃舍
先生：显然，早晚有一天，三重保障机制必须取消。考虑到经济的危险状态，绝对应该是越快越好。然而，如果政府能增加养老金领取者的免税额度，这至少能为我们这些有少量额外收入但发现自己需要缴纳更多税款的人提供一些补偿。 杰里·菲利普斯 东萨塞克斯郡，伊斯菲尔德
先生，杰里米·克莱顿（Jeremy Claydon）（7月23日信函）正确地指出，提前释放严重罪犯的原因是监狱建设的失败。即便如此，40% 的囚犯是因为非暴力犯罪而被监禁，那么为什么暴力和性犯罪者的刑期会被削减？为了维持纪律，给予一定的良好行为减刑显然是必要的，但如果量刑交给法官——他们会充分考虑重新犯罪的可能性以及对受害者的公正对待，而不是交给冲动的政治家——公众会感到安全得多。 巴林顿·布莱克阁下 (His Honour Barrington Black) 伦敦 NW3
白色棉布长条上的文字在温暖的夜风中依然飘动，但它们显示的标题已有所不同。
费尔班克斯 (Fairbanks) 在银幕上饰演达达尼昂。穿着木屐的观众嘈杂地走回座位。有些人坐在椅子上，有些人则以当地方式坐在地板上。可能还有某种形式的管弦乐队。食物非常充足，电影院里飘逸的女孩们四处传递着甜点、水果和弹珠汽水 (ramune)，这些东西的销售速度远快于伦敦电影院里的巧克力。被高度浓缩的生活片段和奇异字符的字幕在屏幕上交替追逐。天气可能极其炎热，除非穿着当地服装，否则几乎无计可施。
先生，贵报的社论（《大姑妈》，“Big Auntie”，7月22日）完全正确：BBC 不应再依靠公共资金来与商业利益竞争。为了公平对待该机构的决策者，长期以来的信念是，公共广播机构应迎合广泛的口味，以“证明占用公共资金的合理性”。但这些决策者在意识到世界已经改变方面迟缓得令人遗憾。随着娱乐内容的家庭交付从少数几个来源碎片化为数以千计，显而易见的是，目前缺失的是足够多且值得信赖的、经过深度研究且没有商业偏见的新闻和时事报道。BBC 应当被要求停止在错误的类型中竞争，并利用精简后的执照费（可能辅以自愿订阅）来专注于深度和质量。经常引导其走向错误方向的是竞争年轻观众的任务；它无法赢得那场战斗。 朱利安·蒙特 (Julian Mounter) 新西兰电视局 (TVNZ) 前局长，澳大利亚第七频道 (Channel Seven) 及香港星空传媒 (Star TV) 前董事总经理
先生，贵报关于 BBC 电视执照费的社论忽略了观众的利益。数百万人最近观看了温布尔登网球锦标赛和世界杯的报道而无需忍受广告干扰，在足球决赛的选择中，这种倾向极为明显。在整个逍遥音乐会 (Proms) 季度，他们仍将如此选择。 乔纳森·马丁 (Jonathan Martin) 前 BBC 电视体育主管；彭布罗克郡，卡斯尔莫里斯 (Castlemorris, Pembrokeshire)
先生，加里·莱因克 (Gary Lineker) 和他的百万富翁同僚们肯定最好在悠久的慈善传统中捐出他们的钱，而不是恳求提高税率，因为后者会干扰其他百万富翁随意处理自己财产的自由（“加里·莱因克恳请伯纳姆：向我们超富人群征收更多税”，thetimes.com，7月23日）。 彼得·英斯 (Peter Ince) 剑桥郡，斯特奇沃思 (Stetchworth, Cambs)
先生：
作为一名最近搬到肯特郡东部乡村的新居民，我注意到在我们村庄周围的巷道上，绝大多数人的驾驶速度都非常保守，维持在 20mph 到 25mph 之间，即使限速是 60mph。相比于强制执行限速，我更倾向于这种自我克制。我们地区这种礼貌且务实的驾驶文化令人心旷神怡。即便经常被诋毁为鲁莽驾驶者的年轻人，在降低车速以及在狭窄的避让点通行时展现出的大方，也体现了对其他道路使用者的极大尊重。也许福格尔一家（《泰晤士报》7月 22日报道；7月 23日信件）是搬错了郡。
Will Holdaway 肯特郡，古德内斯通
先生：
几周前，在挑战《泰晤士报》的隐喻十字字谜时，我请求 AI（信件，7月 23日）提供帮助——结果它向我保证，“nationsmen 的完美字母易位词是 sentimental”。我认为它还有很长的路要走。
Jenny Kenyon 伦敦 SW9
每日通用登记簿
英国：贸易统计数据，包括按国家划分的出口和进口明细；月度零售销售数据。
自然笔记
许多植物的名字充满了民俗意义。 Ragged-Robin（绒毛草）被认为是不安分的小精灵的最爱；Robin Goodfellow 是莎士比亚笔下 Puck 的另一个名字。Foxglove（毛地黄）可能是 folkglove 的误传，其中 folk 指的是精灵。更接地气的植物名称也同样具有诗意。以 common restharrow（普通休耕草）为例。它拥有轻盈的粉色花朵和看起来纤细的茎，乍一看，这种豆科植物似乎很容易被连根拔起。但它的名字揭示了其内在的强度。common restharrow 的根极其坚韧，以至于会让农民的除草耙陷入停滞。另一种拼法 wrestharrow 讲述了一个更为戏剧性的故事——这种植物会从农民手中“夺走”（wrest）耙子。
jonathan tulloch
今日生日
Danny Dyer（照片中），演员，《福亚尔战争》(2002)，《东区》(2013-23)，《竞争者》(2024-26)，49岁；Sir John Bond，董事长，格伦科资源 (2011- 13)，85岁；Julia Bradbury，播音员，《乡村生活》(2004-14)，56岁；Sir Julian Brazier，预备役部长 (2014-16)，73岁；Nayib Bukele，萨尔瓦多总统，45岁；Lynda Carter，女演员，《神奇女侠》(1975-79)，75岁；Carol Chell，电视节目主持人，《PlaySchool》(1966-88)，85岁；Sir Trevor Chinn，董事长，汽车协会 (2004-07)，91岁；Prof Frank Close，理论物理学家，《无穷谜题》(2012)，81岁；Catherine Destivelle，首位独自攀登艾格峰北壁的女性，66岁；Lynval Golding，音乐家，The Specials 乐队和 Fun Boy Three 乐队，75岁；Lord (Jonathan) Hill of Oareford，欧洲金融稳定专员 (2014-16)，66岁；Martin Keown，足球运动员，阿森纳 (1984- 86, 1993-2004) 和英格兰国家队 (1992-2002)，60岁；Jennifer Lopez，歌手、女演员，57岁；Lt- Gen HR McMaster，美国国家安全顾问 (2017-18)，64岁；Madeline Miller，小说家，《喀耳刻》(2018)，48岁；Tim Montgomerie，社会公正中心联合创始人，《泰晤士报》评论编辑 (2013-14)，56岁；Richard Morrison，《泰晤士报》首席文化撰稿人，72岁；Elisabeth Moss，女演员，《广告狂人》(2007-15)，44岁；Anna Paquin，女演员，《真实血族》(2008-14)，44岁；Lord (David) Simon of Highbury，BP 首席执行官 (1992-95)，欧洲贸易与竞争力部长 (1997-99)，87岁；Josh Simons，工党 Makerfield 选区议员 (2024- 2026)，33岁；Lord (Chris) Smith of Finsbury，剑桥大学校长，剑桥大学彭布罗克学院院长 (2015- 25)，75岁；Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill，伊丽莎白二世加冕典礼上的侍女，97岁；Quinlan Terry，建筑师，布伦特伍德大教堂 (1989-91)，89岁；Lawrence Tomlinson，LNT 养老院集团创始人，62岁；Gus Van Sant，电影制作人，《心灵捕捉》(1997)，74岁。
历史上的今天
1959年，苏联领导人尼基塔·赫鲁晓夫与美国副总统理查德·尼克松在莫斯科的美国国家展览会上进行了激烈的辩论。
最后之言
政府为了缓解监狱拥挤而实施的提前释放计划，现在给受害者带来了太大的压力。暂停并重新审查该计划是正确的。
警员安德鲁·哈珀（Andrew Harper）于 2019 年在执行公务时遇害，年仅 28 岁。他当时在响应一起发生在伯克希尔农村地区的四轮摩托车盗窃报案，但被卷入了窃贼逃逸车辆的牵引绳中。这名年轻的警员随后被拖行在乡村道路上，导致致命伤。这三名有犯罪前科的青少年杀手声称他们不知道他被挂在车上，但法官否认了他们的说法，称其“显然是谎言”。三人均被判过失杀人罪。
哈珀警员结婚仅四周。他的遗孀利西·哈珀（Lissie Harper）成功发起并推动了“哈珀法案”（Harper’s Law），该法案对任何被判杀害执勤应急工作人员的人员引入了强制性终身监禁。由于该法不能溯及既往，其杀手的刑期保持不变。但这个家庭的煎熬并未就此结束。哈珀警员的母亲黛比·阿德拉姆（Debbie Adlam）最近收到了一封来自司法部的信函：信中告知她，她的儿子被杀害的凶手中的两人，阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯（Albert Bowers）和杰西·科尔（Jessie Cole），可能会根据一项新的提前释放计划，在刑期仅过半时就被释放出狱。来自该家庭及更广泛公众的强烈抗议，现已迫使首相安迪·伯纳姆推迟从 9 月 2 日起在英格兰和威尔士实施的囚犯提前释放准备工作。
在中东这个火药桶中应避免进行战术博弈
特朗普总统意在封死伊朗获取核弹的路径，正提议与德黑兰的死对头之一——沙特阿拉伯合作达成一项协议，但许多人担心这最终将允许沙特自行浓缩铀。美国总统构思这一计划可能是为了在中东创造一种新的权力平衡，建立一道阿拉伯威慑之墙，以对抗那些诵经者（mullahs）的恶意算计。然而，他反而拉开了该地区新一轮动荡与紧张局势的序幕。
与往常一样，总统试图通过一条未能完全说明情况的社交媒体帖子来化解批评。他表示，该协议“仅限于非军事用途”，且将“完全取决于沙特阿拉伯加入备受推崇且极其成功的《亚伯拉罕协议》”。特朗普先生指的是将亲西方的中东国家与以色列联系在一起的协议，双方共同认可伊朗及其众多代理军队是对周边地区的威胁。亚伯拉罕联盟的基石将是富裕且有影响力的沙特阿拉伯的参与：这已成为美国外交的重点。但只要以色列仍...
日本首相需要给自己安排一些高质量的睡眠
高市早苗，日本首位女性首相，是一位非常有成就的女性。她曾担任过鼓手、摩托车骑手、车迷、潜水员、电视节目主持人、作家、行政人员和看护者，尽管睡眠时间极少，高市女士依然保持着高水平的执行力。本周她透露，自去年 10 月就职以来，她每晚仅维持“零到三小时”的睡眠。不过在周一（日本的公众假期），她纵情享受了一次奢侈的五小时睡眠，并通过补洗积压的衣物来庆祝这次赖床。
安迪·伯纳姆先生应与新任司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯（Alex Norris）共同紧急重新审查该政策的细节。拟于 9 月实施的提前释放计划版本，与 2024 年在监狱容量匮乏的灾难性程度首次变得清晰后所采取的应急响应相比，已产生了令人担忧的偏差。
当时，男性囚犯的可用空间数量首次跌至 100 以下。司法系统正冲向全面瘫痪，届时警方可能无法进行逮捕，法院也无法将危险罪犯送入监狱。面对如此可怕的可能性，时任司法大臣沙巴纳·马哈茂德（Shabana Mahmood）实施了一项紧急提前释放计划，将因性犯罪、严重暴力、家庭虐待或恐怖主义而被监禁的囚犯排除在外。这些保障措施被认为是与不安的公众达成的一项艰难协议的必要部分，公众被要求接受极难接受的方案，以避免发生完全不可想象的情况。
在今年的《量刑法》出台之前，根据应急容量措施，有超过 56,000 名囚犯被提前释放。但该法案——其遵循了前保守党司法大臣大卫·高克（David Gauke）的建议——
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否认巴勒斯坦人的完全独立国家地位。美国在民用核计划上协作的提议，以及暗示这将为国防保证铺平道路，旨在引导利雅得与其他“亚伯拉罕协议”国家保持一致，并可能授予其特殊地位。现有的亚伯拉罕协议成员国之一，阿拉伯联合酋长国，接收来自美国的核技术，且近四分之一的电力来自核反应堆。阿联酋的协议严格基于相关承诺，即禁止阿联酋人自行浓缩铀或重新处理核燃料废料：这两者都是制造炸弹的可能路径。关于沙特协议的细节较为模糊，但利雅得似乎距离加入亚伯拉罕俱乐部还有一段距离，并且可能尚未准备好签署类似阿联酋风格的承诺书。加沙未来的治理和重建仍然是穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼王储关注的中心，利雅得的考量可能会受到 10 月以色列大选结果的影响。
与此同时，特朗普总统的核策略似乎是一个不成熟的想法。阻止伊朗获得核弹的强有力理由是
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在一个与过度工作文化作斗争的国家，高市女士树立了一个坏榜样。在这个“旭日之国”（首相本人肯定见过不少日出），因工作时间极其漫长而获得死亡或疾病赔偿的人数刚刚创下新高。去年有 145 例“过劳死”（karoshi），通常表现为自杀。日本就业环境的艰苦程度在几十年前就被认定为严重的健康问题。许多旨在缓解该问题的计划都失败了。高市女士对自己睡眠不足的生活方式感到自豪，这并无帮助。
— 在符合提前释放条件的囚犯类别上包含的保障措施较少。在安迪·伯纳姆先生按下暂停键之前，一些暴力或性犯罪被定罪者的释放计划原定为在刑期的二分之一处，而非三分之二，且需接受监控和佩戴电子脚镣。正是这一点引发了受害者团体和反家庭暴力活动人士的强烈警告。其中包括前保障部长杰西·菲利普斯，她认为此前承诺的受害者支持措施尚未落实。陷入程序僵局的政府似乎在很大程度上对他们的担忧充耳不闻。
英国司法系统处于一种“永久危机”状态。几十年的惯性使其不断衰退，这体现在未能建设足够监狱床位的失职上，并期间穿插着制度性的破坏，例如克里斯·格雷林那次命运多舛的假释改革。英国迫切需要更多、建设速度更快的监狱；为囚犯提供更好的康复治疗；以及更高效的假释服务。尽管部分工作已经在进行，但如此巨大的转型需要时间。然而，公众对杀害哈珀警员之凶手的愤怒，正当地提醒了政府，受害者的容忍度并非无限。安迪·伯纳姆先生现在必须在政治余波中寻找一条艰难的应对之路。
这样的结果可能会导致并使中东地区更大规模的核军备竞赛合法化。提供民用核能路径——即使它们仅仅是为了使海湾国家的经济多样化——也会为俄罗斯、中国甚至巴基斯坦的介入打开大门。如果某些国家（如阿联酋）被禁止在国内浓缩铀，而沙特阿拉伯却不受此限，那么将会形成一个两级的中东联盟，这将使任何统一遏制伊朗的努力变得复杂化。以色列本身是一个未公开的核国家，但在与沙特的谈判中被边缘化了。尽管以色列昨天发表了一些支持声明，但显而易见的是，它并没有感到更安全。如果沙特的核计划将伊朗推向极端，而非威慑德黑兰的核武器制造者，或者如果美国向土耳其供应 F-35 战斗机，那么以色列将陷入被动。
但对于特朗普总统操纵之举最核心的担忧在于核不扩散的未来。它曾是全球秩序的基准，衡量一个国家良好行为的尺度，也是外交艺术的最高目标。而现在，它看起来正为了短暂的战术利益而被搁置。
显而易见，长期缺乏睡眠会对身体、心理和情绪健康造成损害。失眠会增加患心脏病、type 2 糖尿病和抑郁症的风险。免疫功能和情绪调节能力会受损。记忆力、警觉性和判断力也会下降。除了这些损害，大量医学证据表明，中年时期睡眠不足与晚年认知能力下降之间存在联系。高市女士崇拜的英雄是不倦的玛格丽特·撒切尔，她每晚仅 4 小时的睡眠可能导致了她在最后十年患上痴呆症。65 岁的高市女士应该早点休息。
26 Friday July 24 2026 | 《泰晤士报》 World
在余波中 挣扎 一个月后
搜寻遗体的挫败感日益增加 Stephen Gibbs 发自拉瓜伊拉报道
当 6 月 24 日双重地震袭击委内瑞拉时，哈维尔·纳瓦罗的世界崩塌了。那天晚上，他的九名家人都住在拉瓜伊拉一座被称为 OPP 26 的公共住房大楼里。下午 6 点刚过，地面开始震动，建筑物内部的支撑柱断裂——这座 12 层高的建筑以及旁边的五座相同塔楼在几秒钟内被夷为平地。
“我失去了母亲、祖母、妹妹、女儿、孙子、继父和三个侄子，”纳瓦罗在灾难发生一个月后，坐在被摧毁的建筑群阴影中告诉《泰晤士报》，这次灾难导致 5,300 多人死亡，另有 21,000 多人无家可归。
这位建筑工人在地震当天在加拉加斯工作，现在他的使命是在政府推土机平整现场之前，从大楼深处寻回遗体。“最糟糕的事情就是生活在没有勇气救出他们的愧疚之中，”他说，“我们不会丢下任何人。”
他的工作极其危险。在没有任何安全设备，且除了借来的锤子和镐子外几乎没有工具的情况下，他和他的团队——其中许多是瘦骨嶙峋的青少年——在瓦砾深处的黑暗中挖掘隧道，向他亲人所在的两套公寓遗址前进。纳瓦罗目前已经找回了母亲、祖母和继父的遗体。
在仍然聚集在瓦砾周围的幸存者中，类似的拼死寻找死者的故事重复了数百次。所有人都坚持在任务完成之前绝不离开。许多人抱怨他们已经工作了数周，却没有任何政府援助。
加布里埃拉·洛佩兹，36 岁，身材瘦弱。这位前公务员在静静地应对她自己那几乎无法言说的悲剧。
6 月 24 日，她失去了母亲和四个年幼的孩子。通过她自己的努力和邻居的帮助，她在过去一个月里找到了三具遗体。她轻声念出他们的名字，使用了现在时：“安东妮塔，4 岁；安东尼，6 岁；以及加布里埃尔，15 岁。”她 8 岁女儿的遗体仍在瓦砾之下。“我没有时间哭泣，没有时间悲伤，”她说。
OPP 26 遗迹每个角落可见的破坏，与十年前的氛围形成了鲜明对比。当时，这座大楼的最后一批公寓钥匙在公共电视台上交给了一脸幸福的新业主。那时，官员们和心存感激的受益者们对他们眼中仁慈的国家赞不绝口。“这就是查韦斯带着爱与热情想要交给人民的东西，”一位部长在 2016 年提到已故的民粹主义总统雨果·查韦斯时说道。
但就像查韦斯的社会主义计划本身被根深蒂固的腐败所掏空一样，这些建筑似乎也是建在摇摇欲坠的基础之上。这两次地震强度极大——第一次为 7.2 级，第二次在不到一分钟后发生，为 7.5 级——这再次引发了人们对政府和私营开发商失职的质疑，因为他们是在拉瓜伊拉海岸线葱郁山脚下臭名昭著的淤泥地上进行建设的。
2016 年，委内瑞拉工程师学院院长抱怨说，在查韦斯及其继任者尼古拉斯·马杜罗疯狂扩张公共住房期间建造的政府住房单元，其结构完整性简直像是一个“国家秘密”，政府拒绝公开其塔楼背后的模糊合同或工程细节。他以及其他在网上传播的投诉被当时的住房部长斥为“在公众中制造混乱”。
周三，在居民所说的之后
死者已经去世，她愤怒地说道：“你们会杀掉那些在隧道里寻找尸体的人。”
但随后她被另一群同样失去孩子的女性围攻。她们大声地压制她的声音，认为回收剩余遇难者的唯一可行方法是使用重型机械，并称她应该心存感激。
这种持续的混乱标志着委内瑞拉国家权力的严重削弱，两次地震残酷地暴露了这一现实。几十年来，对全球最大的已探明石油储量地带的腐败和管理不善，使得这个债务沉重的政府在应对危机时显得极其匮乏。
该政府目前的化身由德尔西·罗德里格斯 (Delcy Rodríguez) 领导。她的政府正成为近期拉丁美洲政治史上最不可能的同盟之一的一方。
在今年一月美国通过一次大胆的特种作战突袭抓获了她的前上司马杜罗 (Maduro) 之后，华盛顿选择将民主反对派边缘化，转而与前副总统、据称是马杜罗忠实追随者的罗德里格斯合作。
特朗普总统此后多次赞扬她的合作，并吹嘘她是在其国务卿马可·鲁比奥 (Marco Rubio) 的命令下代表他“管理”委内瑞拉，而鲁比奥据称扮演着事实上的总督角色。
这种局面在今年最初的几个月里似乎运作良好。北德克萨斯大学政治学教授奥兰多·佩雷斯 (Orlando Pérez) 在《负责任的国家治理》(Responsible Statecraft) 杂志的一篇文章中写道：“特朗普需要罗德里格斯来维持一个‘干预成功’的故事；而罗德里格斯需要特朗普来维持权力。”
直到地震发生。现在，美国面临的是一个截然不同的命题：根据联合国及其他机构的评估，一旦重建和恢复成本被核算，该国的 GDP 将遭受数百亿美元的打击。
“……这种尝试需要数年的重建，而这恰恰是 1 月份的协议旨在避免的长期纠葛，”佩雷斯（Pérez）表示。
与此同时，特朗普对罗德里格斯（Rodríguez）的赞赏，可能会削弱他在大多数委内瑞拉人中所享有的支持，这些人此前支持通过突袭行动来逮捕马杜罗（Maduro）。即便美国援助受到了欢迎，但也暴露了美国官员与委内瑞拉当局之间极其密切的合作，而就在去年，他们还在指责这些当局虐待民众。
JUAN BARRETO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; STEPHEN GIBBS 为《泰晤士报》供图
地震使特朗普获得了 50% 的支持率。而对罗德里格斯的支持率则维持在 10% 到 25% 之间。
该联盟的未来将取决于罗德里格斯政府在与特朗普政府协作下，在未来几个月内从这场灾难中恢复的能力。加拉加斯当局已承诺为流离失所者建造数千套半永久住房。
在拉瓜伊拉（La Guaira）的母亲加布里埃拉·洛佩兹（Gabriela López）并不信服。地震及其后果以及她所遭受的惨痛损失让她确信，委内瑞拉目前掌握权力的是“危险”且“具有破坏性”的力量。她说，一旦埋葬完所有的孩子，她就会离开。
拉瓜伊拉在 6 月 24 日的两场地震中受到严重打击，导致 5,300 多人死亡，21,000 人无家可归。遗体仍在被挖掘，左图显示政府已承诺为流离失所者建造数千套房屋。左下方加布里埃拉·洛佩兹在灾难中失去了她的母亲和四个孩子。她已经找到了其中三个孩子的遗体。
美国 Samer Al-Atrush 中东特派员 David Charter 华盛顿
特朗普总统在一项与沙特阿拉伯的数十亿美元核协议签署不到 24 小时后便将其推翻，白宫表示，除非该王国将与以色列的关系正常化，否则该协议将“取消”。
特朗普在社交媒体上发帖称，利雅得必须签署《亚伯拉罕协议》（该协议已在多个阿拉伯国家与以色列之间建立了正式关系），作为美国在周三签署的为沙特提供并运行核反应堆协议的条件。
该协议在国会遭到批评，因为它没有禁止该王国浓缩铀和重新处理核燃料，而且它可能会使与伊朗就结束其核野心进行的谈判复杂化。
白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·利维特（Karoline Leavitt）表示：“就总统而言，这项与沙特阿拉伯的协议……取决于这一条件。因此，我们将继续与沙特同行沟通以敲定协议，并希望很快看到他们加入《亚伯拉罕协议》。”
利雅得长期以来一直要求在建立巴勒斯坦国方面取得进展，将其作为签署协议的条件，这使得特朗普的新条件实际上成为了一个破坏性条款。
在被问及为何在周三由美国能源部长克里斯·赖特（Chris Wright）与沙特能源部长阿卜杜勒阿齐兹·本·萨勒曼王子（Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman）签署协议时未提及此条件时，利维特补充道：“如你所知，总统始终是最终的交易达成者，而且这是他在多次场合中提到过的事情……他已经说过，如果他们不加入《亚伯拉罕协议》，协议就取消。”
特朗普在 Truth Social 上的帖子称，该协议“将被批准，但完全取决于沙特阿拉伯加入备受尊敬且成功的《亚伯拉罕协议》”。
帖子还提到，“将不会有核材料的浓缩”，并且在外界担心利雅得有发展核武器野心的情况下，该协议将“仅用于……非军事用途”。
日本 Tim Hornyak 报道于东京
就像她的偶像玛格丽特·撒切尔一样，日本首相以不需要太多睡眠而自豪。
65 岁的高市早苗在位于东京的官邸（Kantei）保持着极其紧凑的日程安排，同时还从事一系列广泛的课外活动，从重金属音乐到空手道和水肺潜水不等。
但这种帮助她在去年于男性主导的自由民主党中脱颖而出的职业操守，现在面临适得其反的危险。本周，她表示自 10 月就职以来，每晚睡眠时间在 3 小时或以下，这在一个过度劳累已被视为公共卫生问题的国家引发了抗议。
“每天睡眠 0 到 3 小时已成为我的常态，”高市在 X 上发布道，并补充说她一直“忙于工作直到今天凌晨，重新阅读文件的最终草案并处理数千封积压的电子邮件”。
她在周一确实睡了 5 个小时，那是公众假期，许多公民在热浪中前往海滩消暑。高市则在下午“一次性处理了大量积压的熨烫工作，包括洗净的手帕和内衣，以及缝纫活”。
Leavitt 告诉记者，特朗普在撰写该帖子后，尚未与沙特阿拉伯王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼交谈。
沙特核电站的谈判始于乔·拜登时期，他将其构想为一个更广泛协议的一部分，该协议还包括与该王国的安全协议，以换取其与以色列建立关系。在以色列拒绝承诺承认巴勒斯坦国后，这些谈判陷入僵局。
此前，特朗普曾公开呼吁沙特阿拉伯加入他的《亚伯拉罕协议》，根据该协议，阿联酋和其他一些穆斯林国家已承认以色列。然而直到现在，他似乎接受了沙特的观点，即该王国将等到以色列出现一个更温和的政府。
以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡在 2022 年重新就职，并承诺与该王国达成协议，以色列官员将该王国描述为穆斯林世界的“皇冠上的明珠”。
根据其办公室的一份声明，内塔尼亚胡昨天表示，使与沙特阿拉伯的关系正常化“将是中东和平的一次历史性飞跃”。
沙特阿拉伯拥有伊斯兰教最神圣的遗址，并视自己为穆斯林世界的领导者，该王国对以色列的承认将为其他国家效仿铺平道路。但沙特已排除在以色列承认巴勒斯坦国之前采取此类行动的可能性。
利雅得似乎对特朗普周四的声明感到意外。一名熟悉周二签署协议之谈判的消息人士表示，沙特阿拉伯并没有暗示它将以承认以色列来换取核电协议。
华盛顿智库战略与国际研究中心的 Jon Alterman 表示：“如果打算将其包含在内，在公告中将其省略是很奇怪的。这让人怀疑整个流程。一种可能性是（特朗普）试图撤回，另一种是总统误解了沙特在未来某个时间点的模糊承诺，另一种则是他从未完全了解内情。”
根据协议，美国公司将协助建设该电站并向沙特阿拉伯提供核技术。该王国坚持自行浓缩铀，但协议将这一问题推迟到一项可能需要 3 年时间完成的可行性研究中。
随后，美国可能在自己的领土上或在沙特阿拉伯，在沙特的帮助下浓缩铀。
昨日，特朗普总统还表示，在经历了连续 12 个夜晚的美国空袭和伊朗报复之后，他正在考虑升级对伊朗的战争。也门胡塞武装还声称袭击了红海中的沙特船只，导致油价上涨至每桶 100 美元以上。
“我正在考虑一次大规模攻击。规模将比以往任何时候都大。我即将做出决定。我们已经准备就绪，”总统告诉 Axios。“他们还没有感受到足够的痛苦。”
国民民主党（Democratic Party for the People）的 Tamaki 认为，她“应该将她的宝贵时间花在只有首相才能完成的工作上”。
在政府通过一系列具有争议的法案（包括一项实际上禁止女性继承日本皇位的法律）后，高市（Takaichi）的支持率有所下降。
日本内阁官房长官木原实（Minoru Kihara）在表示首相明白工作与生活平衡的重要性时，暗示这些言论触及了敏感神经。
特朗普总统是穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼（Mohammed bin Salman）王储的亲密盟友，但他提出的新条件似乎让沙特阿拉伯感到意外。
池塘女孩 Padma Lakshmi，一位美国电视主持人，在为 Sylve Sundsby 和 Raghu Rai 与 Avani Rai 拍摄的 2027 年倍耐力日历（Pirelli Calendar 2027）印度大片时摆出姿势
俄罗斯 Marc Bennetts
据总统泽连斯基称，俄罗斯精英阶层已告知乌克兰，普京总统应对这场战争以及俄罗斯不断增加的损失负全部责任。
这位乌克兰领导人表示，基辅对克里姆林宫占领部队以及俄罗斯境内的无人机和导弹袭击，在普京周围制造了一种“有毒的氛围”。
“他一个人就是这场战争爆发且至今未能结束的原因。普京一个人就是俄罗斯人遭受损失的原因。他的核心圈子明白这一点，并向我们以及我们的合作伙伴发出了信号。俄罗斯社会也越来越多地开始感受到这一点，”泽连斯基在一次全国演说中说道。他没有提供其他细节。
尽管一些此前忠于克里姆林宫的知名博主，在近期因乌克兰袭击俄罗斯石油设施引发全国性燃料危机的背景下，公开对普京表示反对，但到目前为止，精英阶层内部尚未出现明显的裂痕。
一名在不久前发出警告的俄罗斯士兵
乌克兰 Marc Bennetts
统计数据显示，在今年上半年，乌克兰的死亡人数是出生人数的三倍多，这个被战争蹂躏的国家的人口继续下降。
一名士兵因威胁称，除非被允许向普京报告军队内部的酷刑情况，否则部队将哗变，结果他因极端主义指控被监禁了 11 天。此后他放弃了相关要求，显然是因为被一辆新车收买了。
普京的亲信圈由志同道合的安全部门人员（他自克格勃官员时期起就相识的强硬派）以及具有影响力的寡头（如 Yury Kovalchuk）组成，据称这些人怂恿他对乌克兰及其西方盟友的仇恨。
除石油设施外，乌克兰还袭击了 Wildberries 的仓库。这是一家领先的俄罗斯在线零售商，基辅方面称该公司向普京在乌克兰的部队提供设备。
据福布斯（Forbes）报道，自周末以来，在对该公司枢纽的袭击中已有 8 人死亡，摧毁了价值至少 150 billion 卢布（£1.4 billion）的商品，这些商品属于小型企业。损失引发了愤怒，但克里姆林宫对异议人士的残酷镇压意味着，这些损失不太可能导致俄罗斯商界对战争提出批评。
泽连斯基的评论发表之时，美国和俄罗斯外交官正举行自九月以来的首次会晤。华盛顿方面表示，此举旨在重启与莫斯科的关系，并确保乌克兰达成和平协议。
美国国务卿马可·鲁比奥（Marco Rubio）与俄罗斯外交部长谢尔盖·拉夫罗夫（Sergei Lavrov）在菲律宾主办的东南亚峰会期间，于马尼拉进行了仅 30 多分钟的交谈。
鲁比奥暗示，尽管俄罗斯对乌克兰进行了已持续四年多的全面入侵，但华盛顿准备在某些不具体指明的领域与莫斯科合作。
他说：“我认为，乌克兰战争在很多方面阻碍了俄罗斯和美国在其他话题上寻找共识的能力。”
“但这并不意味着我们不会寻求寻找其他潜在合作领域。但同样地……我们希望看到这场战争结束。”
然而，莫斯科和基辅在会谈后均表示，短期内达成停止战斗协议的希望渺茫。克里姆林宫警告不要“过度乐观”，而鲁比奥则表示，试图说服基辅以割让土地换取和平的尝试“对乌克兰而言是不可接受的”。
他补充道：“当和平到来时，那将是因为某些新想法和新概念。如果机会出现且条件成熟，我们准备在合适的场合和形式下提供其中一些方案。”
特朗普总统并不掩饰他希望恢复与俄罗斯之间有利可图的商业联系，这些联系在莫斯科 2022 发起对乌克兰全面入侵后被切断。
莫斯科在马尼拉会议后表示，拉夫罗夫再次重申俄罗斯的警告，即欧洲国家向基辅发送武器是“不可接受的”。在特朗普领导下，华盛顿已停止向乌克兰提供武器，而是将其出售给北约盟友，随后由盟友将弹药转发给基辅。
根据 CIA 世界概况（World Factbook），乌克兰拥有全球最低的出生率和最高的死亡率。根据国家科学院人口统计学家的数据，其人口已从 2022 俄罗斯全面入侵前的 42 million 下降到 36 million 以下。
政府数据显示，前线地区的情况更为糟糕，顿内茨克地区的出生人数与死亡人数之比为 1:19，而赫尔松地区为 1:14。
出生人数最多的是首都基辅，共有 8,352 名新生儿。在 2019, （即泽连斯基总统上台之年）的前六个月，该市有 15,000 名以上的新生儿。
拉夫罗夫还表示，俄罗斯并未放弃要求乌克兰割让整个顿巴斯地区的呼吁。克里姆林宫暗示，特朗普在去年与普京于阿拉斯加会晤期间同意了这一要求。特朗普则表示并未做出 such 承诺。
据联合国称，自战争开始以来，约有六百万人逃离该国。 6 迈克洛·费多罗夫（Mykhailo Fedorov）上周被泽连斯基解任国防部长，此举引发了全国范围的抗议；他表示自己拒绝了政府提供的一个新职位。“我不会接受除国防部长以外的任何职位，”他说道，并补充称，该职位将使他能够打击腐败，发起改革，并“对敌人执行不对称行动”。
“蟑螂”活动人士号召全国集会
印度 抗议者今日号召举行全国性示威，而政府则敦促所谓的“蟑螂人民党”（Cockroach Janta Party）坐下来进行谈判。该运动的年轻成员要求教育部长辞职，原因是医学类学校入学考试试卷泄露，影响了 5 月份约 200 万名学生。此次考试不得不被取消，这一举动被认为与学生因压力而自杀有关。 这是对总理纳伦德拉·莫迪自 2014 年上台以来面临的最大挑战，德里的地铁站和移动互联网服务已被关闭。尽管政府昨天再次呼吁年轻抗议者参与对话以解决危机，但他们的回应是号召今日举行全国和平抗议，以声援那些在周一数万人向议会进军过程中指称遭到警察暴行的学生。昨天下午，数千名示威者在严密安保部署下回到同一处詹塔·曼塔（Jantar Mantar）抗议地点，携带反政府海报并高喊口号。据当地媒体报道，抗议活动还蔓延到其他城市，包括兰契、浦那、特里凡得琅和加尔各答。
20,000 人逃离山火
法国 昨天，随着 700 名消防员在扑救一系列山火中的最新一起，大西洋沿岸城镇、度假胜地和露营地的约 20,000 人被撤离。这场火灾始于波尔多西部的莱日-卡普-费雷（Lège-Cap-Ferret）镇附近的一片森林，过火面积超过 8,400 英亩。目前未收到人员受伤报告。
王全英身穿制服
最后一名长征者逝世
中国 一名被认为毛主席“长征”中最后一名幸存女性的女士已逝世，享年 105 岁。据国家媒体报道，三周前，王全英在四川省的家中庆祝生日，期间她穿了一套复刻的 1930 年代红军服装。在 1934-35 年内战激烈期间，100,000 名部队从江西退至陕西，行程 6,200 英里。仅有 8,000 人到达目的地。
地拉那抗议导致受伤
阿尔巴尼亚 警方使用了催泪瓦斯和水炮，驱散在地拉那议会大厦外聚集的抗议者。“火烈鸟革命”运动呼吁阿尔巴尼亚总理埃迪·拉马辞职，原因是对旅游项目的环境担忧，其中包括由贾里德·库什纳（Jared Kushner）发起的一项项目。至少一名警察和一名抗议者受伤。
法国 查尔斯·布雷姆纳 (Charles Bremner) 巴黎
一名市长收到死亡威胁，以及一名真人秀明星遭到纵火袭击，这引发了法国国内对“DZ黑手党”（DZ Mafia）势力范围扩张的担忧。这是一个总部位于马赛的残暴帮派，被认为是对国家安全的威胁。
周二，内政部长洛朗·努涅斯（Laurent Nuñez）在深夜派遣一支武装精良的战术警察部队前往南部城市阿尔莱斯（Alès）的克里斯托夫·里文克（Christophe Rivenq）家中，紧急将市长及其家人转移至安全地带。
国内安全情报局（DGSI）接获情报，称一枚汽车炸弹即将爆破——
新的歌利亚： 版权侵犯
作者：James Imam
米开朗基罗的《大卫》是世界上最著名的艺术品之一，每年吸引数百万人前往佛罗伦萨的学院美术馆 (Galleria dell’Accademia) 参观。但当博物馆馆长得知附近的一家外卖店利用该雕像的形象来为冰激凌做广告时，她迅速采取了行动。
“停止并终止函已经发出，”安德烈娜·孔特萨 (Andreina Contessa) 表示，“这是一种通常有效的威慑手段。”
这家位于佛罗伦萨历史中心的违规外卖店贴出了一张海报，画面中大卫正在吃冰激凌。文字写道：“觉得热吗？冰激凌 €1。”
孔特萨表示，这种对这座17英尺高雕像的使用——其形象出现在围裙以及全球销售的纪念小雕像上——等同于对西方身份基石的剥削和操纵。她目前正在加强打击未经授权的使用行为。
她说道：“正因为这个形象属于每一个人，所以它不能被用于其他目的，特别是不能用于商业、广告或政治目的。”
尽管欧盟法律规定经济权利在艺术家去世 70 年后失效，但意大利文化遗产法将自由使用限制在特定用途内，包括学习、研究和文化推广。
在 2017 年的一起案件中，佛罗伦萨的一家法院命令一家当地旅游公司将其广告材料和网站中大卫的图像删除。
在帮派的命令下，他在收到包括邮寄 9 毫米手枪子弹在内的死亡威胁后，离开了他的住所。
努涅兹 (Nuñez) 表示，位于尼姆 (Nîmes) 附近塞文山 (Cévennes hills) 边上的前矿业小镇阿莱斯 (Alès) “显然是一个 DZ 黑手党试图建立据点的地方”。
然而，并没有车辆爆炸，而且一段据称来自该犯罪组织的视频在昨天否认了其参与。
网红卡拉·莫罗 (Carla Moreau) 的车被点燃
针对该雕像的未经授权图像，给违规者五天时间做出回应。所有人都已配合。
最近的案例包括一辆排水服务油罐车和一辆商业货车，其车身贴有大卫的图像。后者已在周一收到警告信。
今年 4 月，前陆军将领、现成为意大利极右翼之星的罗伯托·万纳奇 (Roberto Vannacci) 在佛罗伦萨的一次集会上，将大卫的形象放在其政党标志旁边。他最终同意删除该图像。
《大卫》由米开朗基罗在 16 世纪初用纯卡拉拉大理石雕刻而成，是自古典时代以来创建的第一座巨型雕像。它凭借艺术家的精湛技艺和所传达的情感深度，持续引发人们的敬畏。
去年到访学院美术馆综合体的 300 万名游客中，许多人是被《大卫》吸引而来的，该市的领主广场 (Piazza della Signoria) 设有其复制品。
一些法律案件带来了丰厚回报。康泰纳斯特 (Condé Nast) 出版公司在 2023 年因在《GQ Italia》杂志的一期封面上使用一张特制的《大卫》图像而被强制支付 €50,000。法院引用意大利宪法裁定，该出版商损害了该国的“国家文化认同”。
意大利文化部在 2023 年为国有遗产的授权图像使用引入了最低资费。其他国家对于文化图标的使用态度则较为宽松，例如，卢
这一事件尽管如此，还是凸显了该帮派——其首字母缩写是阿尔及利亚的国家代码——如何从毒品分销扩展到武器走私、敲诈勒索和政治恐吓，其方式类似于意大利黑手党和墨西哥贩毒集团。
“我从未收到过这种级别的威胁，” 60, 岁的里文克 (Rivenq) 说道。
“这表明我们针对 DZ 和毒品走私采取的行动正在产生效果。我不会被吓倒。”
昨天，一封署名为“DZ Mafia”的信被送到卡拉·莫罗（Carla Moreau）位于马赛的家中。莫罗是一位 29 岁的真人秀明星和影响力者，在 Instagram 上拥有三百万粉丝。此前，她的车辆在夜间被大火焚毁。事发时她不在家。
检察官表示，由于信中包含死亡威胁且随信附带了一部手机，他们已启动敲诈勒索调查。该帮派习惯于留下此类预付费的“临时手机”（burners），要求受害者通过 Signal 或 Telegram 等加密消息应用程序与他们联系。
DZ Mafia 依托社交媒体生存，监控影响力者对其的报道，威胁那些被其认为具有敌意的人，并要求缴纳保护费。
在过去的三年里，政府为了遏制这个被定义为安全威胁的组织，发起了一系列规模宏大的警务行动和监狱严打。前内政部长布鲁诺·勒泰约（Bruno Retailleau）表示，由 DZ Mafia 领导的毒品帮派网络不断扩张，已使法国“墨西哥化”。
该帮派被指控在过去三年中造成了 100 多起谋杀案，主要集中在南部——但由于有模仿帮派为了利用其悍然暴力地名声而使用“DZ”品牌，因此该数据仅为近似值。
ALAMY; CORRIERE FIORENTINO
列奥纳多·达·芬奇的《蒙娜丽莎》，现藏于巴黎卢浮宫。
意大利政策的批评者包括巴里大学的考古学教授、前文化部顾问朱利亚诺·沃尔佩（Giuliano Volpe），他认为意大利文化和创意产业中陷入困境的企业应当被允许利用营销机会。
他补充说，在自由民主制中，图像的使用应该是免费的，并补充道：“这必须是每个人的权利；而不应交给博物馆馆长来决定。”
保险箱内珠宝 为“个人礼物”
西班牙 大卫·沙罗克 (David Sharrock) 巴塞罗那
前总理何塞·路易斯·罗德里格斯·萨帕特罗 (José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero) 声称，反腐官员在他办公室保险箱中发现的价值 €1.3 百万的珠宝是“一份个人礼貌礼品”。
这批珠宝包括项链、手镯、戒指和耳环，是上个月国家警察经济与财政犯罪部门在搜查期间查获的。
在接受国家电视台 TVE 采访时，这位前社会工人党领导人坚称自己没有做错任何事情。
“这些是多年前赠送的个人礼貌礼品。它们没有特定的用途或目的，我们也不知道它们的价值，”萨帕特罗在昨日发表了自该收藏品被查获以来的首次公开言论。
萨帕特罗，65 岁，在 2004 年至 2011 年期间担任西班牙领导人，他表示不认同法院指定的专家所设定的价值，并暗示他的家人将就这些珠宝的价值寻求第二方意见。
西班牙媒体在发现时报道，这些物品包括黄金、蓝宝石和祖母绿，且起源于赞比亚或泰国。
萨帕特罗在采访中拒绝透露是谁赠送了这些贵重物品，但坚称其中不存在“经济动机”。他补充说，这些珠宝与其他的家庭珠宝（他本人及其妻子的）以及其他礼物一起保存在保险箱中，且“我们从未谈论过它们”。
在解释为何不透露捐赠者时，他表示：“出于对法律程序的尊重，我想并必须在法院面前澄清所有情况。我想向法官解释所有细节。”
上个月，在一次关于新冠疫情期间政府向一家航空公司提供 €53 百万救助金的持续调查中，他首次在调查法官面前作证，萨帕特罗当时表示他将在一周内澄清珠宝的来源。
官员们正就洗钱、税收欺诈、权钱交易和走私的指控对他进行调查。
他表示他“绝无意图实施欺诈”。
在萨帕特罗发声之前的 48 小时，他的朋友胡利奥·马丁内斯·马丁内斯 (Julio Martínez Martínez) 表示，这位前总理是一家活动正处于调查中的公司的管理人。
W
就环礁在海上发生冲突
理查德·斯宾塞 (Richard Spencer) 中国特派员
中国和菲律宾的船只在南中国海发生了冲突，这起冲突源于关于争议海域、岛屿和环礁的持续争端。
一艘中国海警船向一艘向斯卡布罗浅滩（一个环礁）附近渔民运送物资的菲律宾船只发射水炮。北京声称对几乎整个南中国海拥有领土管辖权。
此次冲突正值东盟（Association of Southeast Asian Nations）在菲律宾首都马尼拉举行会议之际，中国外交部长王毅在会上会见了美国国务卿马可·卢比奥 (Marco Rubio)。卢比奥称此次事件具有“升级性”，并提到美国与菲律宾的密切关系。他表示，与中国的“分歧领域” “需要被管理，因为 [一场] 美国和中国之间的冲突将产生剧烈的全球影响”。
在过去的 18 个月里，中国一直处于两种状态之间：一方面寻求改善与邻国的关系，以利用特朗普总统政府不受欢迎的政策；另一方面继续主张地区主导地位。
见证大克鲁格国家公园中令人惊叹的野生动物，横穿风景如画的花园大道，欣赏其迷人的自然景观与小镇，最后让自己沉浸在开普敦的国际大都市魅力之中，在那里，文化、历史与自然之美将与您相遇。这场令人难忘的冒险将展现南非多元化景观与体验的最佳面貌。
*所列价格基于两人共用一间双床房/大床房。单人房差价可应要求提供。提前 11 个月预订的假期航班在航空公司票价公布时可能会产生附加费。由 Wendy Wu 运营并受其预订条件约束，ABTA W7994 ATOL 6639，该公司完全独立于 News UK。^该优惠视供应情况而定，Wendy Wu Tours 保留更改或撤销优惠的权利。折扣已应用，优惠于 2026 年 7 月 31 日结束。
去年，由于其保守派首相高市早苗建议东京可以使用武力防御台湾，该国与日本发生了言语冲突。
然而，北京方面此前也曾一度减少在台湾周围举行军事演习的规模和强度，并减少了旨在限制菲律宾船只在南海行动自由的活动。
然而，昨天中国海警拦截了两艘菲律宾船只——“Datu Dumangsil”号和“Datu Paiburong”号，向第一艘船发射水炮，并在第二艘船面前横切。
中国外交部发言人表示，尽管已尝试“发出警告”，但菲律宾船只仍“侵入了中国黄岩岛的管辖海域”。
周三，王毅在两年来首次与其菲律宾同行玛丽亚·特蕾莎·拉扎罗会面，以“消除误会”。
鲁比奥否认伊朗的战争分散了美国对亚太地区的注意力，并补充说白宫希望与中国保持良好关系。
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Flying V 游客在瑞士维拉尔滑雪胜地之上的 Grand Chamossaire 尝试 BalancAIR（一种巨型秋千）
无法沉没库克号渡轮
新西兰 Lisa Creffield
新西兰将其连接主要岛屿的新渡轮命名为库克船长（Captain Cook）号，并告知那些“啜泣的觉醒派（snivelling wokesters）”接受这一决定。
外交部长温斯顿·彼得斯（Winston Peters）表示，那些认为这位英国皇家海军军官及探险家是“殖民化先驱”的人，应该更清楚地意识到这个国家的过去。
“一个成熟的国家不会逃避自己的历史。一个严肃的国家不会为了迎合最新的‘抱怨政治’时尚而破坏其记忆，”彼得斯在惠灵顿的议会中说道。
据毛利传统，另一艘新渡轮将被命名为库佩（Kupe），以纪念第一位抵达新西兰的波利尼西亚航海家。
这些渡轮目前正在中国建造，预计将于 2029 年抵达，将在新西兰北岛和南岛之间的库克海峡运输乘客和货物。
奥塔哥大学（University of Otago）的历史学教授托尼·巴兰泰因（Tony Ballantyne）承认，将这两个人物并列存在“根本性的紧张关系”。
他在《对话》（The Conversation）中写道：“将库佩和库克等同地视为海洋之子和伟大的航海家，掩盖了‘发现’无人居住的岛屿与在帝国建设背景下‘重新发现’已被占领的土地之间极其真实的差异。”
近年来，澳大利亚和新西兰的许多地点和建筑物已将殖民 era. 时期的名称替换为原住民名称，或采用了双重名称。
库克船长本人也失去了几项命名权，或者被迫共享。
新西兰的最高峰原名为库克山（Mount Cook），现在名为奥拉基/库克山（Aoraki/Mount Cook）；而达尼丁（Dunedin）库克船长酒吧的所有者将其更名为 Dive，以取代一个“压迫与苦难”的象征。
在澳大利亚，北领地的库克船长购物中心（Captain Cook Shopping Centre）已被更名为古马特零售区（Gumatj Retail Precinct）。
古马特公司（Gumatj Corporation）董事迈克尔·尤努平古（Michael Yunupingu）表示，原名代表了一个逝去的时代。“从某种意义上说，正是因为一家约尔古（Yolngu，当地澳大利亚原住民）公司能够摘掉招牌、更改名称并展望未来，才让这个故事变得更美好，”他在接受广播公司 ABC 采访时说道。
目前还有将澳大利亚的库克河（Cooks River）更名为 Goo-lay’yari 的提案，以及周期性要求重新命名昆士兰州的詹姆斯·库克大学（James Cook University）的呼吁。
两国境内多处纪念库克的纪念碑和纪念场所也遭到破坏。
2019, 英国就库克船长的船员在 1769 年 10 月登陆新西兰时杀害毛利人正式表达了遗憾。
在库克的首次登陆中，包括当地酋长 Te Rakau 在内的 9 名毛利人被杀或受伤。当他向北航行时，在水星湾（Mercury Bay）和卡瓦利群岛（Cavalli Islands）的冲突中有更多人死亡，不过库克本人并未杀害任何人。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 两艘预计连接新西兰南北岛的新渡轮之一将以库克船长命名，尽管大洋洲目前倾向于使用原住民名称的趋势——例如下方的艾尔斯岩（Ayers Rock），现在被称为乌鲁鲁（Uluru）。
《泰晤士报》| 星期五 July 24 2026 31 商业
世界市场
FTSE 100 10,639.17 (-77.80)
3,500 6月25日 9 7月2日 23 16 6月25日 9 7月2日 23 16 6月25日 9 7月2日 23 16 6月25日 9 7月2日 23 16 6月25日 9 7月2日 23 16
Isabella Fish 预测。英特尔首席执行官 Lip-Bu Tan 表示，人工智能正“驱动前所未有的需求”，并补充道：“随着我们继续执行，英特尔已处于有利位置以捕捉可持续增长。”
在对其数据中心和个人电脑组件的巨大需求下，英特尔报告了其 15 年多来最强劲的销售增长。
在第二季度营收同比增长 25% 至 $16.1 billion（高于分析师预期的 $14.4 billion）的消息传出后，该芯片制造商的股价在盘后交易中上涨了 9%，此前收盘价为 $99.78。
$
该公司预测第三季度营收将在 $15.8 billion 至 $16.8 billion 之间，同样高于
导致油价再次突破 $100
Mehreen Khan 经济编辑
原油价格自5月以来首次突破每桶 $100，推高了政府借贷成本，并引发人们对中东冲突升级将导致全球经济再次遭受通货膨胀冲击的担忧。
全球基准布伦特原油昨日上涨近 7%，触及两个月高点每桶 $100，原因是美国与伊朗的停火协议破裂，且地区冲突升级至邻国也门和沙特阿拉伯。
油价抹去了6月份记录的跌幅，当时美国和伊朗表示将延长停火，以开放霍尔木兹海峡这一关键通道，全球五分之一的石油和天然气供应通过该通道运输。油价已回升至 5月 22 日的交易水平。
在也门胡塞武装昨夜袭击红海两艘沙特阿拉伯油轮后，交易员推高了能源价格。这些受伊朗支持的叛军表示，他们将对沙特阿拉伯实施海上封锁，中心点位于红海入口的曼德海峡，该海峡此前一直被用于运输沙特石油出口以避开霍尔木兹海峡。冲突的扩大导致六个月后的布伦特原油价格上涨至一个月高点每桶 $81.74。欧洲天然气价格同样上涨，期货合约升至每兆瓦时 €62.54，创三年来新高。
（当日涨跌）
道琼斯指数 51,711.65 (-506.93)
11,000 10,800 10,600 10,400 10,200 10,000 9,800
54,000 53,000 52,000 51,000 50,000 49,000 6月 24日 9 23 7月 1日 16
5,000
4,000
该公司在数据中心和 AI 部门（该部门已成为其向华尔街推介的核心）的营收增长 59%，达到 $6.3 十亿。这高于分析师预期的 $5.6 十亿。
毛利率高于 39% 的预测值，增长至 40.4%。
……在美方恢复对霍尔木兹海峡内伊朗油轮的袭击一个月后，特朗普总统威胁要轰炸其发电厂，以报复美国军人被杀之仇。
油价跳涨推高了政府借贷成本，因为人们担心今年能源进口国的通货膨胀将会加速。
作为英国政府借贷成本衡量指标的十年期国债收益率自5月以来首次触及 5.11%。在华盛顿和德黑兰宣布一项谅解备忘录后，该收益率在6月曾下降至 4.67%。更高的市场借贷成本增加了政府的债务利息账单，并将削弱新财政大臣约翰·希利在其首次秋季预算中满足英国财政规则的余地。
德国基准十年期债券收益率昨日升至 3.23%——这是自 15 年前欧元区处于主权债务危机以来最高水平。在美国，十年期国债收益率触及 4.71%，是自去年1月特朗普总统就职以来的最高水平。
华尔街股市也收盘下跌，其中特斯拉跌幅最大，在第二季度盈余未达预期后下跌 15%。谷歌母公司 Alphabet 因投资者对 AI 投资的担忧而下跌 7%。科技股权重较大的纳斯达克指数收盘下跌 2.15%，标普 500 指数下跌 1.21%。
大宗商品 货币
布伦特原油 (18:00) $100.67 (+7.08) $ 英镑/$ $1.3310 (-0.0062)
黄金 $4,090.66 (-66.56)
4,500
虽然英特尔 (Intel) 的调整后净收益增加到 $2.2 十亿，但该公司报告称，根据 GAAP（通用会计准则），其净亏损为 $11 十亿。
这家总部位于加利福尼亚州的公司曾是无可争议的硅谷之王，在落后于英伟达 (Nvidia) 等芯片制造商之后，正试图在 AI 竞赛中追赶。英伟达率先开发了用于驱动大语言模型的图形处理单元 (GPU)。
英特尔的落后是由于自满情绪与制造延迟共同导致的。
点击量不会撒谎。世界杯由西班牙队夺冠（哥伦比亚球星夏基拉在半场时进行了表演），这帮助提供 Telemundo 西班牙语报道的流媒体服务 Peacock 实现了自 2020 年推出以来的首次季度盈利，金额为 $189 million (£141 million)。它由康卡斯特 (Comcast) 拥有，而康卡斯特计划剥离其在英国的权益 Sky。
Tom Howard 通过兑现其股份获利。其中约四分之一将以现金支付，其余部分则以 Prologis 股票支付。
如果这家仓库出租商以 £14 billion 的价格出售给一家美国竞争对手的交易达成，Segro 的首席执行官将有望获得高达 £23 million。
在拒绝了全球最大工业房地产公司的三次报价后，Segro 的董事会于周三晚上表示，其“倾向于推荐”Prologis 的第四次提案。接管小组（Takeover Panel）已给予双方四周时间来敲定细节。
110 100 90 80 70 60
以及建立其定制代工业务带来的财务压力。然而，在经历了动荡的几年后，在特朗普政府的支持下，该公司已经开始复苏，并正发起一项雄心勃勃的努力，旨在夺回其作为美国顶级世界级半导体制造商的地位。
前所未有的 AI 基础设施需求以及激烈的地缘政治竞争正驱动着巨大的资本支出。全球各国政府都在竞相将制造业迁回本国，而科技巨头
Sleath（今年 3 月满 65 岁）在 2025, 年底持有 1.06 million 股 Segro 股票，此外通过其长期激励计划还持有近 1.2 million 份未行权的股票期权。收购方通常没有义务履行未行权的股票期权，但通常会将其作为收购的一部分进行支付，或将其纳入自身的激励计划中。
Segro 前首席财务官 Soumen Das 拥有 700,000 股以上的 Segro 股票，以及约 280,000 份未行权的股票期权。他可能获得高达 £10.2 million。然而，任何款项都将被课税，这意味着受益人可能会将一半的资金交给税收
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以及供应商们正在挑战物理极限，以打造更快、更小且更节能的硅片。
上个月，英特尔（Intel）宣布准备在年底前发布一款新 AI 芯片，该芯片围绕低成本内存和改进的热管理技术构建。
AMD 昨天宣布了一系列用于数据中心的产品，称其性能将超越竞争对手英伟达（Nvidia），后者上个月宣布正准备为个人电脑推出一款新的“超级芯片”。
ANDRE RICARDO/SPP/SHUTTERSTOCK
人。Segro 是欧洲最大的数据中心和仓库所有者，拥有价值 £12 billion 的投资组合，其中包括因 Ricky Gervais 的情景喜剧《办公室》（The Office）而闻名的斯劳贸易园区（Slough trading estate）。
在纽约上市的 Prologis 在美国、南美、欧洲和亚洲拥有约 £175 billion 的资产（主要是仓库），其最大客户包括亚马逊、福特和联邦快递（FedEx）。
公司收购对管理团队来说可能非常获利。本周披露，如果 Mitie 的出售给一家私募股权支持的竞争对手的 £3.1 billion 交易获得股东批准，其老板 Phil Bentley 将因持有这家外包公司的股份而获得约 £51 million。
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油价自五月以来首次突破每桶 $100，推高了政府的借贷成本，并引发人们担心，随着中东冲突升级，全球经济将再次面临通货膨胀激增。全球基准布伦特原油上涨近 7%，达到两个月高点，每桶 $100.90。 2
如果仓库业主 Segro 将其以 £14 billion 出售给美国竞争对手的交易达成，其首席执行官有望获得高达 £23 million 的奖金。在拒绝了全球最大工业房地产公司的 3 份报价后，Segro 董事会表示，“倾向于建议”接受 Prologis 的 4 次提案。 3
欧盟委员会对 Google 处以 €890 million 的罚款，理由是在搜索中给予其自身服务优惠待遇，并阻止开发者在其应用商店中自由推广产品。 4
在一名美国资深参议员要求就其获得这家英国银行最高职位之过程给出答复后，巴克莱银行 (Barclays) 在处理前任老板杰斯·斯塔利 (Jes Staley) 与杰弗里·爱泼斯坦 (Jeffrey Epstein) 友谊的问题上，面临新的质疑。 5
欧洲中央银行将借贷成本维持在 2.25 per cent 不变，但警告称，可能需要应对威胁到通货膨胀的油价激增。 6
瑞士食品公司雀巢 (Nestlé) 已同意将其水和饮料业务的一半以 €3.32 billion 的价格出售给一家美国私募股权公司。 7
easyJet 在夏季首半季的利润下降了 70 per cent，原因是度假者的需求疲软，导致该航空公司无法通过提高票价来覆盖上涨的燃料成本。 8
British Gas 的所有者 Centrica 正在裁员 1,300 人，称由于客户现在通过在线管理能源账户，许多职位已不再需要。
Toby 的切肉工如何能始终保持每份 160g？秘诀是使用非常锋利的刀。 欧盟委员会昨天对 Google 处以 €890 million (£759 million) 的罚款，理由是在搜索中给予其自身服务优惠待遇，并阻止开发者在其应用商店中自由推广产品。
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在担任财相的第一周里，约翰·希利 (John Healey) 的起步方式与他的前任蕾切尔·里夫斯 (Rachel Reeves) 非常相似，通过一场针对金融城名流的“烟熏三文鱼魅力攻势”展开。
昨天上午，英国领先公司的首席执行官们在伦敦市中心共进早餐，听取 11 号街的新居民概述他对经济的规划。
他的抱负无疑带有工党社会民主主义的色彩，谈到了“每个邮政编码区域的增长”和“抑制生活成本”。
然而，对于在场的老板们来说，有一个优先级是脱颖而出的：创造利润，且要创造更多利润。
在彭博社伦敦市中心办公室参加早餐会的一家富时 100 (FTSE 100) 公司的负责人表示，他们对希利承诺提高英国公司的盈利能力感到“惊讶”——这竟然是一位工党财相给出的承诺。他们补充说，这是一个“重大声明”，并将其描述为“一个有帮助的起点”。
金融巨头劳埃德银行 (Lloyds Bank)、巴克莱银行 (Barclays)、国民西敏寺银行 (NatWest)、Aviva 和摩根大通 (JP Morgan) 以及科技公司 Quantexa、ElevenLabs 和 Kraken 均出席了会议。据一名熟悉该活动的人士透露，Aviva 首席执行官 Amanda Blanc 和巴克莱银行老板 C S Venkatakrishnan 受邀发言。国民西敏寺银行负责人 Paul Thwaite 和 Phoenix 联合创始人 Saul Klein 也在场。
欧盟因搜索和应用商店问题对谷歌罚款 £759m
该联盟根据欧盟的《数字市场法案》（DMA）开出了两笔单独的罚单。
其中一项罚款为 €460 million (£392 million)，与谷歌在购物、酒店预订、交通和体育赛事结果方面的服务有关，这些服务在谷歌搜索中比第三方服务更具显著地位。这违反了该公司在 DMA 下的义务，该法案要求提供“透明、公平且非歧视的条件”。
Court 是一家风险投资公司，该公司也被要求发表评论。
希利的魅力策略确实与里夫斯和基尔·斯塔默爵士有相似之处，后者在 2024 年大选前的几个月里经常与金融城高管共进早餐，以向他们保证自己不会搞砸经济。
希利告诉高管们：“我们在政府中经常谈论生活成本，这是正确的。人们一直面临着越来越大的压力。他们感到生活中缺乏喘息的空间。但你们所有人也是如此。我对企业成本的关注与我对生活成本的关注一样。
“税收、能源、供应链成本、劳动力——我知道无论规模大小，企业都感到压力巨大。”
游说团体对财政大臣承认近年来企业受到高成本沉重打击，以及尝试通过削减酒吧、俱乐部和演出场所的商业税来减轻这一负担表示欢迎。
英国董事会协会（The Institute of Directors）表示：“企业是社会的正能量。除了推动增长和就业外，它们还支持社区福祉，培养地方自豪感，并有助于创造人们想要居住、工作和投资的地方。”
小企业联合会（The Federation of Small Businesses）表示：“在重大财政事件之外，针对酒吧和现场音乐场所的初步方案是受欢迎的，但这必须是一项铺垫，旨在采取涵盖整个小企业社区的行动，从而在所有当地社区产生积极且持续的影响。”
希利在早餐会上还重申，没有计划更改财政规则，即在三年内利用税收收入支付日常政府支出。对于这一目标的缓冲空间可能已从 £23.7 billion 降至仅剩 £10 billion，左翼智库决议基金会（Resolution Foundation）的经济学家表示。
近期美国与伊朗之间敌对行动的重启导致油价螺旋式上升，国际油价基准布伦特原油价格在周四再次突破 $100 一桶。
十年期英国政府债券收益率回升至 5% 以上，仅在过去一个月内就上升了 0.30 个百分点以上。所有这些都强调了这样一个日益增长的可能性，即为了补充财政缓冲而非帮助公共服务，可能必须提高税收。希利曾被
结果页面或增强的视觉元素，而这些优势并未延伸至其竞争对手。
欧盟委员会在发现谷歌未遵守所谓的“引导义务”（steering obligations）后，开出了另一项 €430 million (£367 million) 的罚单。该义务要求大型科技平台允许应用开发者将用户引导至更便宜的方案。
欧盟委员会负责技术主权、安全与民主的执行副主席 Henna Virkkunen 表示，这些罚款“传递了一个明确的信号——我们将毫不犹豫地使用我们的工具，来维护 DMA 所开辟的商业和创新机会”。
约翰·希利（John Healey）昨天在伦敦与首席执行官们共进早餐。其中一人说
准备开始测试其在搜索结果中呈现服务方式的更改。
谷歌全球事务总裁 Kent Walker 表示：“我们不得不剥离欧洲用户喜爱的实时搜索功能——例如酒店、航班和餐厅的即时价格和直接预订情况——并拆除 Google Play 上的安全防护措施。这不是公平竞争，而是由一小群自私的投诉者驱动的产品降级，而承担损失的是欧洲企业和消费者。监管应该是为了改进产品，而不是让产品变得更糟。”
该委员会去年 3 月首次告知谷歌，其初步观点认为该公司违反了《数字市场法》(DMA)。其在此一年前就已针对相关事项展开调查。
在有关内阁第二大职位将交给仍任内政部长的 Shabana Mahmood 或现任外交部长的 Ed Miliband 的报道之后，[他]成为了接替 Reeves 出任财政大臣的出人意料的人选。
Healey 曾任国防大臣，因基尔·斯塔默爵士不愿满足其在军事支出方面的要求而辞职。他在托尼·布莱尔担任首相期间曾担任数年财政部初级部长，被金融城视为一个稳健的操盘手。国防投资计划目前仍缺少约 £1 的额外年度资金。
上任不到一周，Healey 已经监督了财政[政策]的转变。
之前的裁决结果对 Meta 和 Apple 不利。
包括众议院贸易小组委员会主席在内的 25 位美国立法者本周致函特朗普总统，声称欧盟在不公平地针对美国公司，并敦促他采取行动。
他们的信中写道：“我们致信是为了提醒您关注欧盟继续采取反竞争行为、政策和做法，将其作为针对美国公司的经济榨取和监管胁迫工具。我们鼓励您的政府在欧盟进一步巩固这一反美体制之前采取果断行动。”
他关于税收和其他成本的评论提供了一个“有益的切入点”
政策 旨在 直接 应对 生活成本问题。从10月起取消电费单中的增值税（VAT）将耗资 £850 百万英镑，并为家庭每年节省约 £45 英镑。已有超过 £500 百万英镑用于将英格兰大部分单程巴士票价上限设定为 £2 英镑，且从明年4月起，针对酒吧、俱乐部和演出场地的商业税率降低 20 百分比，将使财政部损失约 £100 百万英镑。
这些是面向选民的零售式方案，有些人会说它们近乎于噱头。提高个人免税额将是一次真正的减税，但将耗资数十亿英镑。
这种早期的财政慷慨，来自
Helen Cahill 财经特派员 针对其与 Epstein 的关系提供了一个令人满意的答复。
在一名美国资深参议员要求就 Staley 获得这家英国银行最高职位之过程给出答复后，巴克莱银行在处理前首席执行官 Jes Staley 与 Jeffrey Epstein 的友谊问题上再次面临质询。
资深民主党参议员 Elizabeth Warren 及其两名同事已致信巴克莱银行董事长 Nigel Higgins，询问该贷款机构在任命 Staley 为首席执行官之前是否对其进行了充分的尽职调查。
Warren 表示，巴克莱银行必须给出答案，因为其在调查 Epstein 关系方面的“明显失败”引发了“关于该银行能否让高级管理人员为其不当行为负责的重大治理问题”。该参议员还询问 Higgins，为什么巴克莱银行认为 Staley 已经
伯纳姆-希利团队与 2024, 年夏天斯塔默和里夫斯所采取的低迷基调形成了鲜明对比。当时，时任财政大臣取消了向老年人发放用于支付能源账单的现金补贴——尽管后来有所反转，但从政治角度看，该团队可以说从未从中恢复过来。
昨天 下午， 有照片显示，在商业税率公告发布后，伯纳姆和希利在埃塞克斯郡哈洛（Harlow）的 The Hare 酒吧共饮啤酒。而斯塔默和里夫斯在周一晚上，在伦敦肯蒂什镇（Kentish Town）的 The Grafton 餐厅里，在他们正式被罢免后不久，肯定也需要喝一杯。
她写道：“Staley 和 Epstein 在近二十年间保持着紧密的职业和私人关系，包括他在巴克莱银行任职期间。目前非常不明确巴克莱银行在
Jes Staley 在 近二十年间 与 Jeffrey Epstein 保持 职业和私人关系
杰克·巴尼特 (Jack Barnett) 经济记者
近三年来消费者信心的最大幅上涨被归因于“伯纳姆反弹”以及英格兰队进入世界杯半决赛。
由 GfK 自 20 世纪 70 年代起发布的消费者信心指数在 7 月上涨了 6 个点至 -17，这主要受人们对英国未来一年经济前景乐观情绪的推动。这是自 2023 年 11 月以来最大的一次环比增长。
一个衡量消费者对未来 12 个月经济预期的子指数跳升了 8 个点至 -28。另一个追踪过去一年经济感知情况的子指数也大幅上涨了 10 个点至 -39。
GfK 消费者洞察总监尼尔·贝拉米 (Neil Bellamy) 表示：“新任首相任命后带来的重新开始之感，无疑在一定程度上促成了这次反弹。7 月初人们还希望中东冲突能够趋于稳定，从而降低英国的燃料价格。国际足联世界杯带来的愉悦感也加强了这种情绪。” GfK 在 7 月 1 日至 14 日期间对 2,012 名消费者进行了调查——而 14 日正是英格兰队败给阿根廷的前一天。
7 月初美国和伊朗迹象表明双方正趋向于持久和平，这可能也支撑了市场情绪。然而，在过去两周内，双方几乎每天都在进行相互打击，促使油价再次触及每桶 $100，并重新引发了对更高通胀的担忧。
国家统计局本周发布的数据显示，6 月份年度通胀率从前一个月的 2.8% 下降至 2.6%。这一数字低于预期，但仍高于英格兰银行 2% 的目标。
预计英格兰银行货币政策委员会成员在下周四开会时，将把利率维持在 3.75% 不变。
贝拉米表示：“为了让‘伯纳姆反弹’具有可持续性并提振消费者信心，新组建的英国政府在面对深重的生活成本挑战和持续低迷的经济增长时，需要拿出一致的执行力。”
允许 Staley 在 2021 年 11 月辞职，此后他直到 2022 年底一直继续从该公司领取数百万美元的补偿金和其他福利。”
这封最早由《卫报》报道的信函还由国会议员罗·康纳 (Ro Khanna) 和拉贾·克里希纳穆蒂 (Raja Krishnamoorthi) 共同签署。这三人给了巴克莱银行两周的时间做出回应。
69 岁的 Staley 于 2015 年从摩根大通加入巴克莱银行，他昨日在众议院委员会出席了一次闭门访谈，就其与亿万富翁金融家及儿童性犯罪者爱泼斯坦 (Epstein) 的关系接受询问，后者于 2019 年在羁押期间自杀。
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商业评论 Alistair Osborne
并非所有在空中发生的斗殴都受到 easyJet 的欢迎：本周两家英国家庭在飞机上的争执，迫使一架飞往利物浦的航班返回特内里费岛。
尽管如此，由 Stephen Hester 爵士领导的董事会依然希望在空中看到一场激烈的“较量”。较量双方是谁？两家美国竞标者。在 Apollo 本月初以传闻中 £5.7 billion 的价格抢先一步，且董事会表示“倾向于建议”接受该报价后，所有目光都集中在其竞争对手的下一步行动上。Castlelake 是否仍有意参与这场争夺？
这家管理着 $38 billion 资金的资产管理公司已经五次尝试收购 easyJet。目前，它对于是否会进行第六次尝试保持缄默。它在 8 月 3 日的“put up or shut up deadline”之前必须决定是否提出更高的报价，而且毫无疑问，它意识到在 Apollo 面前，它面对的是一个管理资产达 $1 trillion 的巨头。
然而，从账面上看，即便出价比 715 便士更高，仍能获得丰厚利润。Apollo 的顾问公司巴克莱银行（Barclays）的分析师上月计算出，easyJet 每股的“净资产价值为 £10.81”，且这还不包括其不断增长的度假业务板块。董事会面临的问题是？目前现实情况并不支持这一论点——easyJet 最新的季度数据便凸显了这一点。
在截至 6 月的 3 个月中，税前利润下降 70 per cent，至 £85 million。首席执行官 Kenton Jarvis 看到的市场环境，与本早 Ryanair 的同行 Michael O’Leary 所描述的极其相似。伊朗战争推高了燃料价格——以 easyJet 为例，上季度增加了 £105 million——同时也打击了“消费者需求”。而敌对行动的重启也毫无帮助，油价自 5 月以来首次突破每桶 $100 ——尽管 easyJet 在夏季季度的燃料套期保值比例为 79 per cent，价格比今天的市场价低超过三分之一。
诚然，easyJet 将每座航空收入的跌幅控制在仅 1 per cent 的 £86.03, 而 Ryanair 的票价则下降了 6 per cent。但正如 Jarvis 所指出的，这主要是由于不同的商业模式：Ryanair 通过降低票价来填充客舱，而 easyJet 则试图维持票价，代价是客座率下降 1.3 percentage points，至 88.9 per cent。此外，在 easyJet 每年 £1 billion 的中期利润目标方面，Jarvis 承认这是个“损失之年”，花旗银行（Citi）的分析师预计会下调 £126 million 的共识预测。
尽管如此，没有人会为了今年的收益而竞购 easyJet。将去年的 £665 million 利润与逐步淘汰旧款 A319 飞机并更换新机队所带来的 £250 million 成本节约相加，到 2028, 你可能已经接近 £1 billion 的目标。
即便如此，在一个利润波动如过山车般的周期性行业中，这可能并不是竞标者的核心关注点。他们将瞄准一个经过 30 年打造、位于欧洲核心繁忙机场的航线网络；287 份空客订单（其价格在今天已无法获得新款 A320neo 和 A321neo 喷气机）；以及该航空公司预计到 2028. 将“增长至超过 £7.5 billion”的资产。是的，这伴随着一些巨额成本。但是，对于一家拥有 £661 million 净现金的企业来说，有充足的资产支撑来证明一项超过 £5.7 billion 的报价是合理的。
在飞机租赁领域实力雄厚的资产专家 Castlelake 是否会再次尝试，让这场竞标变成一场真正的“狗斗”？easyJet 的股价在 601 便士，且近期因（过度）担忧欧盟所有权规则而受到惊扰，这并未给出积极信号。不过，只要你放眼长远，依然可以为此寻找理由。
无法阻止马斯克 H
真是令人安心。在“大约五年内”，除了“也许是作为人类本身”之外，将“真的不再有任何事情是 AI 做不到比人类更好的”；在 10 年后，像我们这样“进化的黑猩猩形式”仍能掌控局面是“不太可能”的；而且可能存在“10 到 20 比例的概率，杀手机器人会抹除人类”，但嘿，我的“哲学结论是看向光明的一面”，并希望以此迎来一个“令人惊叹的富足时代”。
这些话是谁说的？当然是埃隆·马斯克。他暂时撇开他的 SpaceX 股价——目前每股比 $135 的上市价低 $20，走势如火箭般升起又如木棍般坠落——以及主持特斯拉最新的利润车祸现场。
在接受《经济学人》采访时，这位世界首富幸运地有一个制约机器人的计划：所有顶尖 AI 负责人每隔几周进行“某种形式的通话”，以“讨论任何安全和保障问题”，并在任何“新模型”发布前对其进行审查。当然，这意味着要与 OpenAI 负责人萨姆·奥尔特曼交谈，而马斯克在输掉一场高调的诉讼后，“并不欣赏”对方——这并不令人意外——但他愿意“为了世界的利益……搁置个人分歧”。
说认真的，我们是不是正走向这样一个方向：依赖那些通过 AI 个人大发横财的技术大佬们，来监管这个新世界并击退杀手机器人？用马斯克的话说：“即使有停止按钮，我们也可能不应该按下它，因为……最可能的结果将是难以置信的。”那么，这就没问题了。
充满希望的希利
在我们的新财政大臣约翰·希利与企业领袖的第一次重大洽谈中，他迅速地对他前任进行了抨击。或者至少看起来是这样：“我对商业成本的担忧与我对生活成本的担忧一样深。税收、能源、供应链成本、劳动力——我知道无论规模大小的企业都感到了巨大的压力。”
如果说不是蕾切尔·里夫斯在施压，那么谁在施压呢？她正是每年 £25 亿英镑额外工资成本的策划者。是的，希望希利能撤销她所有关于雇主国民保险（NI）的惨剧，这可能太乐观了。尽管如此，听到一名工党财政大臣承诺提高英国企业的盈利能力，正如一名 FTSE-100 公司的老板所言，这是一个令人欢迎的“惊喜”。
Y
尽管近期油价飙升，欧央行仍维持利率不变
Mehreen Khan 经济编辑
Mehreen Khan 经济编辑
欧洲中央银行维持借贷成本不变，但警告称，面对可能引发通胀的油价飙升，可能需要采取应对措施。
欧洲中央银行行长克里斯蒂娜·拉加德表示，美国与伊朗冲突的升级增加了通胀上升的风险，并可能恶化欧元区的增长前景，因为油价自5月以来首次达到每桶 100 美元。
“我们并未忽视能源冲击，”拉加德说，“我们没有预先承诺特定的[利率]路径。”
欧央行成为第一个应对上述能源冲击的主要货币当局，在6月将利率从 2% 上调至 2.25%，以遏制通胀。
本月维持利率不变的决定已在市场中获得广泛预期，但交易员仍押注在年底前至少会有两次进一步加息。
拉加德表示，上个月维持利率不变的决定是一致通过的，但欧央行管理委员会的部分成员提出了通过提高借贷成本来应对油价上涨的可能性。
“通胀前景的风险倾向于上行，”拉加德说，“能源冲击可能会进一步加剧，其对其他价格和工资的影响可能会比目前预期的更强。能源价格维持高位的时间越长，就越有可能通过间接和第二轮效应推高整体通胀。”
在本周美国与伊朗之间的停火协议破裂，且冲突扩大至也门和沙特阿拉伯后，油价从战前低点跳升。欧元-
加速了通货膨胀，并推高了中央银行的利率，而这些银行原本计划在今年维持甚至降低借贷成本，但现在该计划可能会被干扰。欧洲中央银行昨天没有改变其借贷成本，但警告称，中东地区的“爆发”可能会刺激直到 6 月为止一直处于下降趋势的通货膨胀。
德意志银行（Deutsche Bank）的策略师吉姆·里德（Jim Reid）表示：“能源价格的最新上涨引发了人们对更持久的滞胀冲击的新担忧，导致投资者据此将更多的通货膨胀预期计入价格。由于市场预期通货膨胀将增加且利率将进一步提高，这意味着大西洋两岸的主权债券也遭受了新的打击。”
英国央行和美国联邦储备委员会都将在下周做出货币政策决定，预计本月仍将不对利率做出调整。这两个经济体的通货膨胀率此前一直记录为下降，这与劳动力市场的疲软相吻合。
欧洲中央银行行长克里斯汀·拉加德（Christine Lagarde）表示，她并不致力于任何“特定的利率路径”。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 欧洲天然气供应也跳升，昨天触及三年高点。
在伊朗人与美国人宣布签署一份允许船舶通过霍尔木兹海峡的谅解备忘录导致油价下跌后，欧元区的平均通货膨胀率上月从 3.2 per cent 下降至 2.8 per cent。欧洲央行有一个 2 per cent 的通胀目标，在 2 月底中东冲突爆发前已实现该目标。欧元区工作人员的预测表明，到今年年底，年价格涨幅将加速近 3 per cent。
油价还推高了欧元区政府的借贷成本，将德国十年期国债收益率推至 3.2 per cent 的十年高点。
欧元兑美元稳定在 $1.14，兑英镑略微贬值至 €1.17。
欧洲股市全部下跌，其中德国 Dax 指数下跌 1.3 per cent，意大利 FTSE MIB 下跌 2.4 per cent，法国 Cac 40 下跌 1.6 per cent。经济学家和交易员预计欧洲央行将在 9 月的下次会议上提高借贷成本，将利率提高至 2.5 per cent。
“在 [9 月] 之后，前景变得更加不确定，”RSM 首席经济学家托马斯·普（Thomas Pugh）表示。“欧洲央行是否需要进一步收紧，将取决于能源价格攀升至多高，以及至关重要的——它们在高位维持多久。”
分析
胡塞反抗军已开始对来自沙特阿拉伯的红海石油运输实施封锁，但交通数据表明，发往中国等某些国家的供应可能被豁免（Samer Al-Atrush 撰文）。
胡塞武装表面上是在 2022 ceasefire 最近几周瓦解后对沙特阿拉伯实施海上封锁，但其实际目标可能是为了在美国升级对其基础设施的袭击之际，迟到地援助伊朗。
这些什叶派反抗军控制着也门北部的大部分地区，包括首都萨那，并独立于伊朗运行，尽管伊朗为其提供武器和建议。由于他们能够干扰一条占据全球约三分之一集装箱流量的水道，他们被认为是伊朗地区“抵抗之弧”中最强大的军事力量。
昨天，两艘载有约 4 million 桶原油的中国油轮通过了曼德海峡，而就在一天前，胡塞武装声称他们袭击了两艘沙特油轮。已知这些反抗军在 2023 和 2025 年间支持哈马斯的红海反舰运动期间曾达成协议；目前尚不清楚中国是否为其船只谈判了通行权。
恢复对航运的袭击已经减少了交通量并推高了油价，在伊朗关闭霍尔木兹海峡后，完成了对区域石油运输的掌控。
“我们的核心观点是，欧元区疲软的经济和疲软的劳动力市场，应能防止能源成本上涨在中期内转化为更广泛的通胀压力。”
将大部分石油出口转向红海的延布港（Yanbu port）。
但胡塞武装坚称他们仅针对往返于沙特阿拉伯的船只，同时他们也极力避免去年由美国领导的攻势再次上演，那次攻势导致其数百名指挥官和士兵丧生。特朗普总统昨天在谈到红海袭击时表示：“如果他们再次这样做，美国将追究伊朗的责任，因为胡塞武装是一个代理人……伊朗以及当然还有胡塞武装，都将受到严重的军事惩罚。”
一位特朗普总统的前任顾问表示，由于 2008 年金融崩溃后对银行部门的监管，英国经济的表现低于美国。
泰勒·古德斯皮德（Tyler Goodspeed）曾在 2020 到 2021 年间担任白宫经济顾问委员会主席，现为埃克森美孚（Exxon Mobil）的首席经济学家。他表示，强制银行持有更多资本是增长缓慢的主因。
“15 年来，英国的政策制定者一直告诉自己，缓慢的复苏仅仅是深度衰退的代价。事实并非如此，”古德斯皮德在右翼智库经济事务研究所（Institute of Economic Affairs）的一篇论文中写道。
“历史表明，深度衰退之后通常伴随着强劲的反弹。英国在 2009 年后的经历背离了这一模式，因为监管机构出于最好的意愿，在结构上增加了银行向英国企业放贷的难度。这是一个选择，而且至今仍在执行。”
他表示，自金融危机以来的近二十年里，英国银行对企业的贷款一直落后于美国。美国对小型公司的信贷增长在 2013 年达到了 2008 年的水平，而英国的信贷规模仍比危机前低 15%。
古德斯皮德表示，英国贷款机构削减了对实体经济的贷款，转而采取“向政府提供低风险贷款”的方式。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 泰勒·古德斯皮德在 2020 到 2021 年间担任白宫经济顾问委员会主席
与美国同行相比，英国企业更依赖银行融资，而美国企业则受益于更发达的资本市场，以及通过私人信贷、私募股权和风险投资形成的非银行资本池。
“这很重要，因为寻求扩张的小型、初创企业可能难以通过传统银行贷款获得信贷，因为它们缺乏信用记录以及可用作抵押的实物资产，”古德斯皮德说。“为了说明这一点，可以考虑科技公司，它们的主要资产是无形的，即创意。如果没有非银行信贷来源，许多此类公司可能无法获得外部融资，而被迫依赖现金流和留存收益。”
脱欧后，英国放宽了一些危机后的规则。英格兰银行放宽了对银行家奖金的监管，并表示将减轻部分贷款人的资本要求（即要求银行针对其贷款持有现金和资产）。此前在基尔·斯塔默爵士领导下的工党政府也表示，将放宽 2008, 年后的“隔离”（ringfencing）规则，该规则强制银行将其零售银行业务与投资银行等高风险活动分开——这一措施得到了业界的支持。
古德斯皮德表示，英国银行向企业贷款的下降是“对过去 15 年英国金融政策的严厉谴责。在 2008 年之前，英国中小企业新银行贷款申请的批准率通常在 80 到 90 百分比之间。到 2024, 年，这一比例已下降至不足一半，”他说道。
关于供应链最前沿的情况
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有些编辑派遣记者前往战争地带；而我则被派往酒吧。出于某种难以解释的原因，整天在小酒馆里消磨时间已成为我的专长之一。然而，作为一种新闻报道的构思，这很奏效：与建筑工人、不满的商人、预算有限的学生以及醉醺醺的单身女派对成员交谈，你会发现很多关于英国的情况。或者至少是关于其酒吧的情况。
这就是为什么我上周整天待在一家 Toby Carvery 餐厅的原因。这家由 Mitchells & Butlers 拥有的品牌，尽管有着 Alan Partridge 式的刻板形象，但凭借其“无限量”供应的优惠而大获成功。在生活成本危机中，谁不想在周一下午 4 点花 £11.49 买一份巨大的周日烤肉？
当然，只有配菜、肉汁和蔬菜是无限量的。肉类是定量供应的。标准盘提供 160 克，升级到特大号盘则可获得 216 克。可爱的经理 Iain 告诉我，在一天结束时，他们通过将剩余肉类的重量与售出份数进行核对来审计准确性。令人难以置信的是，切肉员的误差在 5% 以内。
在没有电子秤的情况下，这怎么可能实现？切肉员会被送去参加为期一天的培训课程。更重要的是，他说是因为使用了非常锋利的餐刀。我询问他们使用什么品牌，以为是某家著名的日本或德国制造商。结果是 Nella —— 这是一个我此前从未听说过的名字 —— 一家英国公司。关键在于，该公司每周至少两次来到 Toby 餐厅，将所有餐刀更换为新鲜磨好的，并将旧刀带走进行研磨。然后重复这一过程。
餐饮集团经常吹嘘为他们提供农产品的农民或奶酪商。但烹饪设备、玻璃器皿甚至抹布的供应商同样重要。KFC 成功的秘诀不在于鸡肉，而在于哈兰德·桑德斯 (Harland Sanders) 采用了 Collectramatic 压力锅，这极大地缩短了烹饪时间，使炸鸡成为了快餐。对于 Toby 来说，保持盈利的秘诀是“产量管理” (yield management) —— 这是一个高级说法，其实就是指将牛肉切成薄片 —— 而这需要一种不同类型的供应商：餐刀服务。
我对此非常感兴趣，以至于联系到了 Nella Cutlery Services 的董事长 Mark Nella。这家公司是由他的曾祖父 Emilio 创立的，Emilio 来自现今意大利的特伦蒂诺地区（当时曾属于奥地利），他于 1901 年推着一辆装有磨石研磨器的手推车离开故土，最终来到了南伦敦。现在，该公司为英国 42,000 家厨房供应餐刀，包括 Wagamama、Dishoom 和 Marston’s，以及无数的员工食堂。餐厅每次获得一把新鲜磨好的餐刀需花费 £2 到 £3，而购买一把 Victorinox 的优质新刀则需花费约 £35 到 £45。对于大多数餐厅来说，使用 Nella 的服务稍微便宜一些，而且方便得多。
在米其林星级餐厅，厨师会自己磨刀。但即使在这里，Nella 也找到了市场空白：那些彩色的、符合食品安全标准的切菜板。食品检验员对有划痕的菜板非常紧张，因此 Nella 可以回收菜板，将两边各削去 2 毫米，消毒后归还。一块 25 毫米厚的菜板在变得太薄之前可以进行六次维护。Claridge’s 酒店就是其客户。
这个利基市场帮助 Nella 达到了 £18.5 million 的营业额。
更令人印象深刻的是，市场上已经存在一家巨大的餐饮供应商，在全国范围内运输数以百万计的咖啡杯、保鲜膜、乳胶手套、垃圾桶和卷装蓝色餐饮纸：这就是目前价值近 £9 billion 的 Bunzl 公司。而 Nella 凭借其 200 名员工和分布在全国的四个研磨中心，在利基市场中又开辟了一个更细分的领域。
【赞助商】 从初创公司到科技巨头，从市场推动者到城市 CEO，我们的每周播客与亲历其中的企业家一起，剖析商业领域最大的故事。 我们是 The Business
去年，剑桥大学学者 Tim Minshall 写了一本很棒的书， 名为《你的生活是制造出来的》(Your Life is Manufactured)， 在该书中，他极力主张 制造实物的重要性。他强调了 大多数日常用品所经过的 极其复杂的供应链。一台 iPhone 内部的 组件在被组装成你手中那个 成品、闪亮的设备之前， 大约 traveled 155,000 英里； 一架空中客车 A350 的 20 吨、 30 米长的机翼是在威尔士的 Broughton 制造，然后被空运到 德国的不来梅安装襟翼， 最后被运往法国的图卢兹 进行最终组装。
这种网络的复杂性在传统的 制造业中已为人所知。当捷豹路虎 (Jaguar Land Rover) 去年遭受网络攻击时， 处于风险中的不仅是 34,000 名 JLR 员工——该公司供应链中的 120,000 人也纷纷请求政府救助。 但我好奇，在服务经济中， 这种复杂性是否得到了足够的重视—— 在服务经济中，供应的对象 不再是小部件，而是一项实用服务。
诚然，雀巢 (Nestlé) 是全球最大的食品 公司，它依赖于 165,000 家直接供应商和全球 695,000 名农民。即使是极小的 公司也依赖于供应商网络。 Sofie Rooney 共同创立了 Chimac Sauces，该公司生产非常美味的 烹饪酱料。它仅生产六款产品， 采用两种不同的包装。 她告诉我，她依赖 80 多个供应商， 其中一家公司专门负责校准她的 温度计，以确保每次温度读数 在食品安全审计中都足够准确。
从纸面上看，这些并不是 令人兴奋的公司。作为一台巨大机器中 一个小齿轮，并不是一种 光鲜的赚钱方式。但如果一家公司 能提供一项非常具体的服务， 且比你亲手操作稍好或稍便宜， 这其中就有一种美妙之处。 下次你在路上看到 Nella 货车时， 请想想那些帮助著名 品牌保持 盈利的数千家公司—— 并且记得 磨好你的刀。''
Harry Wallop 是一位消费者 记者和广播员。在 X 上关注他 @hwallop
在酷暑中 对酒吧美食 失去胃口
Charlotte Bend
由于热浪降低了顾客对牛排晚餐和烤肉套餐的胃口，酒吧集团 Mitchells & Butlers 的食品销售出现放缓。
该公司运营 Toby Carvery 和 Miller & Carter 牛排馆连锁店，其股价下跌 14 便士，即 5.1 百分比，收于 261 便士。此前该公司报告称，与去年同期相比，7 月季度的总销售额持平。
食品销售约占该 FTSE 250 集团总收入的四分之三，此次下降了 2.4 百分比。这抵消了其以饮品为主的场所（包括 All Bar One、O’Neill’s 和 Nicholson’s）销售额 2.6 百分比的增长，后者得到了国际足联世界杯关键日期强劲交易的支持。
季度业绩持平反映出贸易的放缓，此前在其财政年度上半年的增长率为 3.3 百分比，当时得益于更强劲的食品销售。
该集团运营 1,700 家酒吧和餐厅，雇佣 50,000 名员工，预计年度成本将增加约 £120 million，这在很大程度上是因为雇主国民保险缴款和国家最低工资的提高。
该公司加快了投资计划，完成了 181 个场地的转换和改造，并在英国收购了 8 个永久产权场地，在德国收购了另外 2 个。
首席执行官 Phil Urban 表示：“在一个以异常天气模式为特征的季度中，我们的业务表现出了韧性。我们多元化投资组合的优势缓解了外部因素的影响，加上投资计划的持续成功……我们对于实现全年预期充满信心。”
投资银行 Jefferies 预计，政府关于营业率减免的公告将“仅产生非常有限的益处”，但认为“从长期来看，M&B 正在赢得市场份额，在成本压力巨大的背景下，该公司有能力延续这一趋势”。Peel Hunt 的分析师重申了对该股票的“买入”评级，目标价为每股 375 便士。
Mitchells & Butlers 由一个通过 Odyzean Limited 持股的投资者财团控股，该机构持有 57 百分比的股份。其中包括货币交易商 Joe Lewis（其家族拥有托特纳姆热刺足球俱乐部），以及爱尔兰投资者 John Magnier 和 JP McManus。
Isabella Fish 零售编辑
Isabella Fish
瑞士食品公司雀巢 (Nestlé) 已同意将其一半的水和饮料业务以 €3.32 billion 的价格出售给一家美国私募股权公司。
这家 Perrier 和 San Pellegrino 的销售商表示，它已与亿万富翁 Tom Gores 的 Platinum Equity 联手，为其水和高端饮料部门创建一家名为 Peranel 的 50:50 合资企业。Peranel 将涵盖 30 多个品牌，产品销往 120 个国家。
此举旨在“建立一个具有增强聚焦能力的专业参与者，以推动在动态环境中的增长”。
根据雀巢（Nestlé）的说法，属于该“类别”。KitKat 制造商的首席执行官 Philipp Navratil 表示：“通过与 Platinum Equity 合作，Peranel 将能够以更强的灵活性执行其战略。
“通过额外的关注，它将能够通过加强这一独特的国际和本土品牌组合，并持续投入于创新、高端化、卓越运营和可持续发展，从而为其长期增长目标提供有力支持。”
Platinum Equity 是一家总部位于美国的全球投资公司，专门从事合并、收购和运营，特别是专注于各行业的公司分拆和复杂交易。该公司由 Gores 于 1995, 年创立，投资的企业包括 Singer 缝纫机制造商 SVP Worldwide、高尔夫球车制造商 Club Car，以及制造和销售防护箱及先进便携式照明设备的 Pelican Products。
雀巢由德国出生的药剂师 Henri Nestlé 于 1867 年在瑞士韦韦（Vevey）创立。他发明了一种名为 Farine Lactée 的突破性婴儿食品，以解决婴儿死亡率高的问题。该公司于 1905. 年与英瑞浓缩牛奶公司（Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company）合并。雀巢于 1905 年公开上市并在苏黎世证券交易所挂牌。
这家食品巨头表示，这项水业务交易预计将在明年上半年完成，并将经过员工咨询流程及相关的监管批准。
在报告今年上半年净利润下降 31 per cent 至 CHF3.5 billion 瑞士法郎（主要受重组成本增加和待售资产减值影响）后，雀巢股价下跌 8 per cent，至 CHF79.29 瑞士法郎。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 莉莉·柯林斯（Lily Collins），这位出生于吉尔福德的《艾米丽在巴黎》主演，是 Maison Perrier 的全球品牌大使，后者是由雀巢创建的高端气泡饮料品牌。
交易将为伦敦注入活力
香料及调味品制造商麦考密克 (McCormick) 正寻求在伦敦进行二次上市，作为与联合利华 (Unilever) 食品业务一项价值 $44.8 billion 的合并交易的一部分。
这家总部位于美国的 French’s 芥末酱和 Frank’s RedHot 辣酱制造商表示，此次二次上市将在其目前纽约证券交易所上市的基础上进行，旨在增加资本流动并提高股东的流动性。
此举将为伦敦股票市场提供助力。此前，随着 Flutter Entertainment 和 Ferguson 等公司将其上市地点完全转移至北美，伦敦市场面临了一波企业撤离潮。
麦考密克董事长、总裁兼首席执行官布伦丹·福利 (Brendan Foley) 表示：“此次上市，结合我们在荷兰的国际总部以及对联合利华世界领先研发设施的承诺，以及我们在马里兰州亨特谷的全球总部，加强了合并后业务的全球性质，并为我们持续的成功奠定了基础。”
债务在 6 月底升至 563 亿瑞士法郎，而去年年底为 514 亿瑞士法郎。
今年 2 月，纳夫拉蒂尔 (Navratil) 概述了一项扭转计划，重点关注四个核心部门、成本削减和创新，试图成为一家“更简单、更快速、更具竞争力且更具创新精神”的企业。纳夫拉蒂尔于去年 9 月被任命为该职位，此前其前任劳伦特·弗雷克塞 (Laurent Freixe) 突然离职，原因是一项内部调查显示他与一名直接下属存在未披露的浪漫关系，违反了公司的商业行为准则。
与麦考密克的业务交易将使其获得一个食品帝国的多数控制权。这构成了该集团更广泛计划的一部分，即优先专注于其价值超过 €13 billion 的个人护理部门以及 €12.8 billion 的美容与健康业务。
麦考密克于 1889, 年在巴尔的摩成立，起初通过上门销售根啤 (root beer) 和风味提取物起家。如今，该公司在 Billy Bee、Ducros 和 Old Bay 等品牌下销售香料、草药、调味混合物和调味品，估值约为 $15 billion (£11 billion)。
这家总部位于马里兰州的公司表示，拟议的合并预计将创建一个企业价值接近 $66 billion 且年收入为 $20 billion 的食品巨头，应在 2027 年中期前完成。
联合利华的股东将获得相当于新集团 65% 的股份。交易完成后，麦考密克将保留其名称、位于美国的全球总部以及纽约证券交易所的上市地位，并在荷兰设立国际总部。
INSTAGRAM/LILYJCOLLINS
汤姆·霍华德 (Tom Howard) 物业记者 尼克·罗迪蒂 (Nick Roditi)，这家富时 250 指数 (FTSE 250) 公司的最大股东。
Saba Capital 试图罢免 Workspace 大部分董事会成员（包括该房东公司的董事长）并任命其提议的董事的努力已失败。
在 Workspace 昨天的年度会议上，股东们投票支持连任所有 6 位现任非执行董事，并否决了 Saba 提议用 6 张新面孔取代他们的方案。
由博阿兹·温斯坦 (Boaz Weinstein) 经营的美国对冲基金 Saba 获得了一些 Workspace 小股东的支持，但未能说服
燃料成本上涨 以及夏季伊始 需求疲软的影响， 罗伯特·利亚 (Robert Lea) 报道
easyJet 在夏季第一半年的利润下降了 70%，由于度假者的需求疲软，导致该航空公司无法通过提高票价来覆盖不断上涨的燃料成本。
这家航空公司目前正处于两家私募股权公司之间一场价值 £5.5 billion 的收购战之中。该公司表示，在今年财年的第三个交易季度（4月至6月），利润降至 £85 million，而去年同期为 £286 million。
由于中东局势紧张导致油价上涨，这家短途承运商在燃料账单上承受了 £105 million 的损失。
该季度的乘客人数略微下降至 25.8 million，这意味着春季每位乘客的利润相当于 £3.30，低于前一年的每人 £11。
在令人失望的数据之前，冬季损失已达 £552 million。这意味着在今年的九个月阶段，easyJet 处于严重亏损状态，亏损额达 £467 million，而 2024/25 年同期损失为 £108 million —— 这是自新冠疫情结束以来迄今为止最糟糕的业绩。这在一定程度上解释了为什么 easyJet 董事会似乎如此热衷于推荐最高达 £5.5 billion 的收购报价。该航空公司曾讨论在十年结束前成为一家年利润 £1 billion 的企业，但目前与该目标相去甚远。
在过去 18 个月担任首席执行官的肯顿·贾维斯 (Kenton Jarvis) 没有就传统上利润丰厚的 7 月至 9 月季度（以及整个财年）的预期结果提供指导。他承认，载客率（即飞机起飞时的满载程度）仍然较低，且需要通过“价格刺激”（即降低票价）来吸引乘客乘坐 easyJet 的航班及其度假套票。
他表示，对于一年中的这个时间点来说，“预订窗口”仍然异常之短，度假者仅在计划飞行前四周内才支付座位费用。
罗迪蒂 (Roditi) 通过经营乔治·索罗斯 (George Soros) 的对冲基金积累了财富，他持有 Workspace 约 29 per cent 的股份，而 Saba 在近几个月建立的持股比例为 28 per cent。对于 Saba 的部分提案，其他股东中只有不到 2 per cent 的人投票支持。
“我们的绝大多数股东已果断投票支持董事会和我们现有的战略，”Workspace 董事长、同时也是 Saba 试图将其驱逐的人员之一邓肯·欧文 (Duncan Owen) 表示，“我们感谢他们的支持，并全力专注于在查理·格林 (Charlie Green) 领导下的战略交付。”欧文补充说，他将考虑对董事会进行“刷新”，暗示可能仍会有新面孔加入。
Workspace 在伦敦及东南部拥有 56 栋建筑，被 4,000 家企业客户使用，这些客户通常是中小企业，这些建筑不仅被用作办公室，还用作工作-
easyJet 由下方的斯特利奥斯·哈吉-约安努爵士 (Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou) 于 1995. 年创立。尽管三个季度亏损 £467 million，但它仍是这场 £5.5 billion 收购战的目标。
故事背后
当 瑞安航空 (Ryanair) 报告利润 暴跌 34 per cent 时，你就知道 天空中有情况发生了。而且 当瑞安航空打喷嚏时，
easyJet 就会感冒。
尽管两者都处于 短途、
主要是
欧洲市场， 但两者的 商业模式 截然不同。瑞安航空 在严格且 毫不掩饰地 采取低成本策略， 当 业务 良好时，它能 大获全胜；而当 情况艰苦时， 其表现 比同行要好一些。在 easyJet 的转型之后
2% 除 Saba 之外，支持其部分提案的股东比例
进入套票度假市场——在已破产的 Monarch 和 Thomas Cook 留下的空白之后——其参照对象现在更准确地应为快速增长的 Jet2。衡量 easyJet 处境之艰难的一个方式是，其套票度假业务在 4 月至 6 月期间赚取了 £84 million 的利润，因为该业务享有更高的利润率，并利用了那些可能难以填满的飞行时段的座位。这意味着，如果仅作为一家点对点运输乘客的航空公司，easyJet 在这三个月内的利润仅为 £1 million。
航空公司为何不得不降低票价以刺激需求，其背后可能隐藏着市场的根本性结构变化。据广泛报道，由于担心最近海湾冲突带来的后果，度假者一直处于观望状态。
关于燃料短缺可能导致今年夏天飞机停飞的恐慌，事实证明仅仅是危言耸听，航空业的供应链比担心的要更加多样化且具有韧性。
是的，燃料价格大幅上涨，但票价几乎没有变动，因为乘客一直没有预订。
英国度假者在英国退出单一市场以及机场和护照检查处增加的摩擦中承受了最严重的后果。此外，欧盟推行的生物识别注册出入境系统的混乱也叠加在其中。
如果度假机场的麻烦还不够，人们至少在考虑是否要将年度假期改为向南迁移，因为南欧 7 月和 8 月 40 摄氏度以上的高温已不再被证明是极端天气，而相当正常。
然后是度假成本。业界坚持认为，英国人最后才会放弃的是假期，但在经历了两到三年的大流行封锁及其长期的旅行干扰，并进行了两到三年的激烈度假之后，高昂的生活成本也许终于影响到了家庭的可支配支出预算。
店铺、工作室和仓储。其股票交易价格比其物业组合的潜在价值低近 50 per cent。这种折价的部分原因是目前股市投资者对英国房东的反感，但 Workspace 自身也带来了一些问题。
今年 2 月就任首席执行官的 Green 承认，公司没有“按照需要的方式对建筑进行投资，因此未能达到 [客户] 的预期”。结果，自疫情以来，该公司在重建入住率和租金方面一直很吃力。今年 1 月，Saba 告知 Workspace 应该出售所有建筑并将收益返还，称在经历“多年的价值破坏”后，这将是对股东最有利的事情。今年初夏，该公司随后要求撤换 Workspace 的所有非执行董事。
两家有影响力的股东咨询机构 ISS 和 Glass Lewis 支持 Saba 的部分提案。
目前尚不清楚 Saba 是否将继续推动 Workspace 进行“管理式清算”。Saba 的发言人拒绝发表评论。Workspace 股价下跌 1¾p，即 0.5 per cent，至 351p，使该公司的估值达到 £676 million。
ake（由加拿大的 Brookfield 支持）和纽约的 Apollo，根据城市收购规则，他们需要在 8 月初前发出正式报价。
在欧盟官员表示将严格执行欧洲所有权规则后，这些收购方案似乎也陷入了动荡。
Castlelake 和 Apollo 都表示，他们将构建交易结构，使 51 per cent 的航空公司股份继续由欧洲国民控制，以符合所有权规定。然而，欧盟已声明，相关规定不仅关乎数学上的所有权，还关乎少数投资者如何通过行使控制权而违反规定。
据信，此次干预是为了防止美国私募股权公司在认为规则存在漏洞的情况下，竞相抢购欧洲航空公司，从而引发一场混战。
该消息以及关于 easyJet 财务业绩即将崩溃的预期，导致该航空公司的股价在周三大跌 15 per cent，收于 585¼p。此前，Apollo 曾提出 715p 每股的指示性报价。随着投资者对 easyJet 的业绩并未比预期更糟而感到满意，该股最终上涨 15¾p，即 2.7 per cent，收于 601p。
STEVE GILLETT / LIVEPIX
Jupiter Asset Management 的税前利润增长 67%，达到 £50.7 百万，股息增长 76%，达到 3.7便士。
造纸热爱树木 造纸热爱树木
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来源：Two Sides 对 FAO 数据的分析，2005-2020 欧洲森林：EU27 + 挪威、瑞士和英国
一家伦理基金之后
Helen Cahill
随着英国顶级资产管理公司之一继续推进转型工作，该公司报告了更高的利润。
Jupiter Asset Management 表示，截至 6 月 30, 日的六个月内，其收入增长 39%，达到 £213.3 百万，而税前利润增长 67%，达到 £50.7 百万。
由于收购了专注于伦理投资的投资公司 CCLA，该公司的资产管理规模增长 36%，达到 £73.7 十亿。该期间内实现了 £700 百万的净流入，并将股息提高了 76%，至 3.7便士。
这家 FTSE 250 资产管理公司在 2024 年失去 Ben Whitmore 后一直在推进转型工作。Whitmore 在该公司工作了 18 年，管理着 £10 十亿的资产，离职后创办了自己的公司。
Jupiter 的回归在去年似乎取得了成果，那是该公司近十年来首次实现年度净流入。总额为 £1.3 十亿，而前一年为 £10 十亿的净流出。
然而，Peel Hunt 的分析师表示，今年上半年的资金流速下降幅度比预期更剧烈。Jupiter 的股价收盘下跌 7½便士，即 4.5%，至 156便士。
尽管面临“地缘政治挑战”和“显著的市场波动”，该资产管理公司报告称其零售、批发和投资信托产品取得了明显进展，贡献了 £1.5 十亿的净流入。
Jupiter 首席执行官 Matthew Beesley 表示：“我们再次实现了正向净流量，投资业绩保持强劲，且大多数关键财务指标均有实质性改善。我们在另一个六个月的周期内实现了正向净流入，总流入量比去年同期高出 45% 以上，尽管面临更”
达到 £3bn
《泰晤士报》商业记者
投资平台 AJ Bell 在截至 6 月底的三个月内，客户数量大幅增加，净流入资金创下纪录。
据报告，该季度客户数量增加了 39,000 人，最终达到 762,000 人，比去年增长 23%，比上一季度增长 5%。总咨询客户人数同比增长 6%，达到 191,000 人，而总直接消费者客户人数增长 30%，达到 571,000 人。
管理资产规模与去年同期相比增长 26%，达到 £121.5 billion，而本季度净流入资金增长 43% 至 £3 billion，去年同期为 £2.1 billion。
®
首席执行官迈克尔·萨默斯吉尔 (Michael Summersgill) 表示，本季度的增长已达到创纪录水平。他表示：“我们以强劲的势头进入最后一个季度。随着更多个人开始为自己的长期财务未来负责，英国平台市场将继续受益于结构性增长驱动因素。我们对品牌和产品方案的持续投资，结合双渠道战略的优势，使我们能够很好地继续增加在这个快速增长市场中的份额。”
该公司还将核心管理投资组合系列的费用从每年 0.15 per cent 降低至 0.12 per cent。公司表示，此次降价体现了其致力于与客户分享规模效益的承诺，确保其定价保持竞争力。
萨默斯吉尔说：“我们的业绩凸显了我们低成本、易于使用产品方案的吸引力，以及我们在持续的品牌和营销投资中所取得的卓越回报。”
在 5 月的中期业绩报告中，AJ Bell 表示，预计全年税前利润将高于此前指引。公司表示，强劲的业绩使其有信心在下半年投入比原计划更多的资金。
第二季度面临挑战性的地缘政治环境。
Jupiter 今年以 £100 million 收购了服务于非营利组织的 CCLA。CCLA 代表慈善机构、宗教机构和地方当局管理价值超过 £15 billion 的资产，预计合并后的集团到 2027. 年底将实现至少 £16 million 的成本协同效应。CCLA 是所谓的“目标导向型投资”的关键参与者，回避烟草、生物武器和其他有争议的资产，其超过五分之一的资产是代表英格兰教会管理的。Jupiter 已承诺将维持该公司的伦理哲学。
比斯利 (Beesley) 表示：“CCLA 的整合进展顺利，我们在识别和实现成本协同效应方面取得了实质性进展。在整个业务过程中，我们正在以多元化且盈利的方式构建规模，这使我们对客户渠道的持续增长充满信心。”
两年前，曾为 Jupiter 管理 £10billion 资金的本·惠特莫尔 (Ben Whitmore) 离职
Peel Hunt 表示，Jupiter 的业绩结果“好坏参半” (something of a curate’s egg)，因为该集团虽然实现了“亮眼的标题利润，但资金流入低于预期”。该公司补充道：“资产负债表的强韧性为业务提供了选择空间，但资金流入对市场情绪的影响极不成比例……这组结果展现了关于 Jupiter 乃至更广泛行业的争论的所有方面。业绩费表明基金投资者获得了价值，但往往导致市场给予较低的估值。”
Centrica 削减 1,300 个工作岗位
Emily Gosden 能源编辑
Emily Gosden
英国天然气公司（British Gas）的所有者正在削减 1,300 个工作岗位，理由是随着客户开始在线管理能源账户，许多岗位已不再需要。
Centrica 上个月披露了其中 500 个岗位的削减，但昨天表示，通过自然减员和裁员相结合的方式，另有 800 个岗位将被取消或已经取消。
该公司报告上半年利润下降，息税前及其他费用调整后收益从 2025. 同期的 900 百万英镑降至 £737 million。这主要是由于其 Spirit Energy 石油天然气业务的大部分资产被出售，标志着其作为北海天然气生产商的角色终结。首席执行官 Chris O’Shea 表示，这也反映出“中东的地缘政治紧张局势创造了一个更具挑战性的贸易环境”。
北海
Centrica 还警告称，其 2027 年的贸易表现可能低于市场预期。股价收盘下跌 18½便士，即 10.2%，至 161½便士。
这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）成份公司在发电、天然气存储、能源贸易以及客户供应与服务领域拥有业务。其在英国的天然气和电力供应业务 British Gas 拥有超过 7 million 客户。
英国
英国
Centrica 表示，其正在追求一项“技术主导的转型”，不仅是为了削减成本，还要“通过定向部署人工智能，解决客户联系的根本原因并简化流程”。该公司称，此举已减少了客户投诉并提高了评价分数。
O’Shea 坚持认为，并非“人工智能驱动”了裁员，裁员反映了“客户行为的改变”。他补充道：“大约 90 per cent 的客户实际上首先使用数字渠道，我们看到客户电话量减少了 20 per cent。”
Centrica 表示，除了上个月宣布的“在客户运营团队中减少约 500 个基于接触的岗位”之外，公司一直在“通过自然减员管理资源水平”。该公司还表示，正在削减“离岸外包支持”，并补充称这些举措约占其“客户运营总员工人数”的 14 per cent。
花旗银行（Citi）分析师 Jenny Ping 将 Centrica 的业绩描述为“不尽如人意”，并表示市场将“希望了解为什么 Centrica 已经下调了 2027 年的贸易指引”。
该公司不再公布其 British Gas 家庭能源供应业务的具体业绩，但表示其更广泛的零售部门（还包括锅炉护理和智能能源产品）利润从 £338 million 略微上升至 £346 million。
British Gas 已被 Octopus Energy 超越，成为英国最大的家庭能源供应商，不过当 E.On 完成对 Ovo 的收购后，这两家供应商都将被 E.On 超越。
Helen Cahill
一家荷兰折扣零售商的强劲复苏，助力英国历史最悠久的私募股权公司在今年早些时候经历股价抛售之后继续恢复。
3i Group 报告称，其关键投资项目之一 Action 在截至 6 月 28 日的六个月内，净销售额增长 14 per cent 至 €8.3 billion，扣除额前收益增长 13 per cent 至 €1.1 billion。这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）成份公司表示，Action 还扩大了其门店组合，净新增 121 个站点，使其……
Centrica 首席执行官 Chris O’Shea 正前往约克郡海岸外的 Rough 设施。该公司最终希望对其进行重新开发以存储氢气。
Centrica 表示，除非新政府介入予以挽救，否则英国最大的天然气储存站计划在 4 月前关闭。
该公司一直在从位于北海的 Rough 设施中提取残余天然气，同时游说政府支持一项耗资 £2 billion 的项目，以将其扩建并恢复为一个更大的储存站。
Centrica 首席执行官 Chris O’Shea 表示，Rough 将在今年冬天“接近耗尽”，其生产许可将于 4 月底到期。
“我们不打算申请延长许可，因为虽然在很长时间内仍能获得少量天然气，但这在经济上没有意义，”他说道。
O’Shea 表示，只有在政府干预，或者天然气价格飙升至 2022 年俄罗斯全面入侵乌克兰后出现的那种极端高点时，Centrica 才会改变主意。英国
将其总储存规模提升至 3,423。Action 还向股东支付了 €450 百万（£384 百万）的股息，其中 £254 百万流向了 3i。
由于投资者对 Action 在截至 5 月 10 日的 19 周内销售额增速回升表示认可，这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）上市投资公司的股价上涨了 122 便士，即 4.8%，至 £26.74。
的天然气储存水平远低于大多数欧洲邻国，转而依赖进口来弥补国内产量的萎缩。
Centrica 在 2017 年关闭了位于约克郡海岸线外 18 英里处的 Rough 站，当时该公司认为继续运行不具经济效益；但 2022 年为了利用俄罗斯入侵乌克兰引发的能源危机，该公司以较低的容量重启了该站。
该公司此前一直与基尔·斯塔默爵士及其政府讨论“一项短期协议，以便在今年冬天将 Rough 填满用于储存”。
其长期希望是以增加天然气以及最终氢气储存容量来重新开发该站点，目前正在敦促政府达成一项由账单支付者资助的财务支持协议。这可能包括一个受监管的“上限与下限”系统，以保证最低收入，但同时也限制最高收入。“我们经常听到人们说
在该公司表示季节性商品销售因天气较冷以及德国和法国（Action 两大最大市场）消费者信心下降而陷入困境后，其市场估值下跌。
德国
法国
Action 的业绩已成为 3i 成功的核心决定因素，因为它是该公司的最大投资项目，占其私募股权投资组合总价值的三分之三以上。
Rough (Centrica) 天然气储存设施 1,500mcm*
赫尔 (Hull)
诺里奇 (Norwich)
*百万立方米
英国对比情况 天然气储存 容量（天数）
118 117
荷兰
来源：Energy UK 对 2025. 年相关天然气储存清单的分析。基于各国的年度天然气消费量。
在第二季度取得了良好的结果。自从公布全年业绩以来，Action 的表现良好，在季节性产品的推动下交易量强劲增长，且在[快消品]类别的销售持续良好。”
“我们的私募股权投资组合公司继续展现出韧性，在运营方面取得进展并产生了良好的现金流。”
这纯粹是 Centrica 的商业决定。这显然是不真实的，”O’Shea 说道。
“我认为这对于英国的能源安全至关重要。我认为如果允许其关闭将不利于局势，这就是为什么现在这实际上是一个政府决定。
“Rough 可以加强英国的能源安全，减少对波动剧烈的国际天然气市场的依赖，支持氢气储存，并在建设阶段为英格兰东部带来重大投资和数千个技术岗位。”
由于霍尔穆兹海峡重新爆发敌对行动，批发天然气价格在过去一个月上涨了约 50%。
天然气目前的交易价格约为每therm 150便士，接近美伊冲突高峰期3月份出现的高点。然而，价格仍远低于俄罗斯全面入侵乌克兰后出现的所有每therm 600便士以上的高点。
比利时
英格兰银行。该集团在 1983 年将其重点转向管理层收购，并于 1994. 在伦敦证券交易所上市。3i 最大的投资项目是 Action，截至 6 月底其估值为 £24.2 billion；以及 Royal Sanders，一家欧洲个人护理和化妆品制造商及分销商，其最近的估值为 £1.2 billion。
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John Finecec Tempus 买入、卖出还是持有：今日最佳股票提示 装瓶巨头拥有明显优势
C
coca-cola hbc
市值 £18 billion
可口可乐 HBC 的股价在本月飙升至新高，因为新兴市场的销售额加速增长。这些股票是一个有趣的选项，因为它们既具备销售全球最大品牌之一带来的防御性属性，又拥有来自新兴市场的更快增长。
正是这种在新市场的增长，将成为 8 月 5. 日公布的上半年业绩焦点。随着国际足联世界杯落下帷幕，可口可乐希望这一关键营销事件（它已担任官方赞助商近 50 年）能助力销售。
可口可乐 HBC（代表 Hellenic Bottling Company，希腊装瓶公司）是一家有些特殊的公司，总部位于瑞士楚格，并以欧元报告财务状况。它是美国亚特兰大母公司的装瓶分支机构，母公司很久以前就决定，专注于生产浓缩糖浆，而将装瓶、销售和充气交给他人会更有利可图。可口可乐仍持有 21 per cent 的股份，与通过 Kar-Tess Holding 持股 23 per cent 的希腊塞浦路斯 Leventis 家族并列。
新兴市场是该业务的最大组成部分，贡献了约 49 per cent 的收入，其中最重要的国家是尼日利亚和埃及。其余部分包括在意大利、希腊和
因发出利润预警
市场报告
过去几年对 Videndum 来说像是一场“视频噩梦”，而昨天，这家电影和电视行业的首选供应商再次遭遇重击。
该公司自 2023, 年被剔出富时 250 (FTSE 250) 指数以来，股价已大幅下跌，在一次意外的利润预警后，股价又下跌了 44 per cent。
中东冲突增加了物流成本，延长了交付时间，并推迟了对其高端相机三脚架、提词器和灯光设备的采购决策。意大利费尔特雷 (Feltre) 的生产故障也未能帮上忙。
全年潜在利润预计在 £15 million 和 £18 million 之间，低于预期。
在发出预警的同时，公司宣布 Jan Peter Tewes 将于下月加入并担任首席执行官，领导这家根源可追溯至 20 世纪初电影黎明时期的公司的“下一阶段”。
Tewes 在进入商界之前，曾代表德国曲棍球队在 1992 年巴塞罗那奥运会上获得金牌。在 2024 年该公司被陶瓷品牌 Villeroy & Boch 收购时，他担任卫浴配件公司 Ideal Standard 的首席执行官，并主导了整合过程。
回报丰厚
可口可乐罐装饮料 日饮量 2.1bn
收入 税前利润 股价
来源：FactSet
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 15
建议 持有 理由 可口可乐的定价权和出色的分红记录，使其成为任何投资组合中的强力选项。
爱尔兰等成熟市场的 30 per cent 收入，以及波兰、匈牙利和捷克等东欧发展市场的 20 per cent 收入。
正是尼日利亚和埃及的增长驱动了业务。他们的饮料销量增长 11.2 per cent，且价格上涨 3.6 per cent，推动截至 3 月 28. 日的第一季度区域收入增长 15.2 per cent。这是由于可口可乐、雪碧 (Sprite) 和芬达 (Fanta) 等碳酸饮料的强劲销售，以及更出色的
美国股市指数下跌，由于大型科技公司首轮财报引发了对其人工智能支出担忧的重启。特斯拉和 Alphabet 均出现下跌，投资者对其数十亿美元的资本支出计划感到不安。海湾地区新爆发的敌对行动也使达成协议的希望化为泡影。道琼斯工业平均指数微跌 0.97% 至 51,711.65，标普 500 指数下跌 1.21% 至 7,408.30，纳斯达克综合指数下跌 2.15% 至 25,137.69。
当日波动最大者
£55
€9.2bn €0.62bn
€10.2bn €0.91bn
€10.8bn €1.13bn
€11.6bn €1.31bn
€12.4bn €1.43bn
*德意志银行（Deutsche Bank）估算
Monster Energy 饮料的销售情况。
在去年推行价格上涨后，目前销售额正在加速增长。在成熟市场，价格仅上涨 1%，但销量增加了 6.8%，使收入增长 7.8%；而在发展中市场，第一季度价格上涨 2.8%，销量增长 7.4%，收入增长 11.2%。这导致总收入上升 11.6%。
随着业务运行良好，管理层在去年年底花费 $2.6 billion 购买了 Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) 75% 的股份，其余部分将在未来六年内补齐。该交易预计将在 12 月底前完成，从而消除在尼日利亚等现有市场中的竞争。这将填补另一块拼图，增加在肯尼亚、埃塞俄比亚、莫桑比克等非洲东海岸地区的覆盖率，
Videndum 的高端相机三脚架面临采购决策延迟
在 Videndum 最近的公开市场表现之后（这导致了 3 月份 £85 million 的救援融资以及 1 比 200 的反向股票拆分），一些投资者可能会从其私募股权经验中读到信号。Videndum 的股价在 2022, 曾达到 £15 以上，最终收盘下跌 180 便士，至 225 便士。
在其他方面，美国与 伊朗 之间不断升级的紧张局势导致布伦特原油价格在 5 月以来首次回升至每桶 $100 以上。
乌干达，以及最大的市场——南非。
新兴市场的复苏迹象是去年 1 月推动股价飙升的原因，而 5 月的交易更新表明这并非昙花一现。对新兴市场的敞口始终是一把双刃剑：这里有增长更快且更年轻的人口，可以说正是软饮料的目标市场，但同时也伴随着与大宗商品价格挂钩的更剧烈的货币波动。尼日利亚的复苏得益于美元贬值和油价上涨，此前极端的贬值导致三年前实施了货币管制。
另一个值得称赞的是股息，预计全年将增长 17% 至 €1.27，并在每次年度股东大会后支付。它拥有令人印象深刻的记录，已从 2003 年的 €0.12 逐步增长。
在过去十年中，该股在 £20 至 £30 的区间内波动，但自去年年初以来已上涨 80%。目前价格略低于 £50，远高于 Tempus 在去年 4 月给出的买入建议。德意志银行的分析师预计全年的每股收益为 €2.88 (£2.45)，这意味着该股的市盈率为预测收益的 20 倍。对于一家同时拥有可口可乐定价能力和新兴市场敞口的公司来说，这看起来是一个合理的价格。 伊朗 的冲突将增加成本压力，但世界杯为期一个月的营销活动以及今年晚些时候完成的收购也将带来收益，因此有充分理由继续持有这一经过验证的赢家。
打击：BP 上涨 16.6 便士，或 3.1%，至 556 便士；而壳牌（Shell）上涨 52 便士，或 1.6%，收于 £33.44。
Segro 在富时 100 指数中领先，上涨 58¼ 便士，或 6.5%，至 953 便士，此前其董事会最终表示倾向于支持来自美国竞争对手 Prologis 的一份“最终且最佳”的 £14 billion 收购方案，该方案对其估值为每股 £10.32。
简讯
Relx 缓解对 AI 的担忧
数据公司 Relx 报告其科学和法律部门增长加速，尽管其上半年营收低于预期，但重申了全年展望。
2026, 年前六个月的营收为 £4.9 billion，与去年同期相比增长 7%。税前利润从 £1.5 billion 略微上升至 £1.6 billion。
首席执行官 Erik Engstrom 表示：“人工智能的持续演进使我们能够为客户创造更多价值，以更快的速度开发并推出更高附加值的产品，并继续将成本增长控制在营收增长之下。”
“十多年来，这种演进一直是我们业务的关键驱动力，并在未来许多年里继续成为我们业务中客户价值和增长的关键驱动力。”
首席财务官 Nick Luff 表示，Relx 正将其生成式 AI 能力应用于其受信且经策划的数据，以帮助法律、科学和金融服务部门的客户。他表示，数十万专业人士正在使用诸如 Lexis+ with Protégé 之类的工具。
业绩公布后，Relx 股价下跌 3p，即 0.1%，至 £24.51。
在 Relx 及其竞争对手的股价受到 Anthropic 等 AI 公司进军法律领域担忧的影响后，其业绩表现给投资者带来了宽慰。
希思罗机场向安迪·伯纳姆发出请求
希思罗机场表示，随着其公布上半年客流量达到 40 million 的纪录，它将向安迪·伯纳姆的新政府再次申明建设第三条跑道的理由。首席执行官 Thomas Woldbye 表示，其计划“不仅仅是建设第三条跑道——这个项目是一个真正的机会，能为全国每个地区和国家提供经济推动力”。截至 6 月底的六个月内，营收增长 0.3%，至 £1.7 billion。希思罗机场表示，这一数字是“枢纽机场在地缘政治逆风中韧性的证明”。
Serica 签署融资协议
一家北海油气生产商签署了一项 $750 million 的银行协议。Serica Energy 表示，这项为期六年的协议涵盖了一项 $500 million 的基于储量的贷款额度，以及一项单独的 $250 million 循环信用额度。条款包括这两项额度规模都有潜力增加一倍的选项。新的银团由 11 家银行组成，它们此前均是 $525 million 协议下的贷款方。Serica 表示，由于今年上半年产量强劲且大宗商品价格较高，截至 6 月底，其资产负债表上有 $26 million 的净现金。
制造商承压
英国工业联合会（CBI）最新的季度工业趋势调查显示，由于成本上升和需求疲软挤压利润空间，英国制造商报告 7 月新订单量在六年内出现最剧烈下降。新订单的加权平衡值为 -24%，低于 4 月的 -22%。CBI 高级首席经济学家 Ben Jones 表示，制造商正受到两方面的“挤压”。“成本继续攀升，而需求疲软限制了它们提高价格的能力，导致企业不得不通过缩减利润空间、削弱投资以及进一步削减就业来吸收压力。”
无线 清洁组合！ 无需插电，即可拥有 屡获殊荣的动力与性能。
发明人兼所有者，Nick Grey “AirRAM 和 Multi 是完美的搭档。它们共同构成了一个轻量级组合，旨在应对整个家庭、汽车及更多场景……”
统一的无线 居家清洁 体验。
轻松移动 AirRAM 的轻量化设计和低剖面把手让您可以触及家具下方，而 Multi 则提供手持清洁解决方案。 便捷清空尘桶 AirRAM 和 Multi 在吸尘时都会将污垢和毛发压缩成团。只需取出尘桶并滑动即可。 AirLOC 技术 推时吸走大碎片，拉时吸走微细灰尘。 LED 前照灯 在清洁时揭示隐藏的污垢。 长续航时间 综合运行时间可达 60 分钟*。没有节能模式，每次都是全功率运行。 工具在手 缝隙吸头储存在 Multi 的把手中，在需要时触手可及。或切换至除尘刷以应对更精细的区域。
现在订购系统及车载套件组合仅需 £249.98（建议零售价 £449.98） 若在 9 月 30 日前订购可节省 £200。请立即在 www.gtech.co.uk 订购（结账时输入代码 MS39）或扫描二维码：
£449.98
“这个组合对我来说非常理想……” “……作为一名新宠物主人。易于使用，推起来足够轻便。手持款非常适合在车内和楼梯使用。我每天都用它。立式吸尘器在地毯、木地板和厨房之间移动自如。性价比很高。” Anne S
43 商业
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2026 年 7 月 24 日 星期五 | 《泰晤士报》 商业
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12 个月 价格 预测 最高 最低 公司 (p) +/- 收益率% 市盈率
Markets LLC. 保留所有权利。禁止重新分发； 此处包含的 Tradeweb FTSE 国债收盘价 信息为 Tradeweb 专有；不得 复制，且不保证 准确、完整或 及时；不构成 投资建议。Tradeweb 不对因使用 此信息而可能导致的 任何损失或损害负责。
45 商业
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12个月 价格 预测 高 低 公司 (p) +/- 收益率% 市盈率
12个月 价格 预测 高 低 公司 (p) +/- 收益率% 市盈率 12个月 价格 预测 高 低 公司 (p) +/- 收益率% 市盈率 12个月 价格 预测 高 低 公司 (p) +/- 收益率% 市盈率
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基准利率结算银行：3.75% 欧洲央行再融资利率 2.40% 美联储基金利率 3.5-3.75% 哈利法克斯抵押贷款利率 (SVR) 7.24%
创新、创意与解决问题 简·汉密尔顿 (Jane Hamilton) 撰文
在一个有三分之一的雇主使用 AI 筛选工作申请的世界里，英国创意产业的招聘人员正采取相反的做法，通过面对面的展览和传统的面对面面试来招聘新人才。
最新的行业数据显示，73% 的毕业生使用 AI 来润色他们的简历，但尽管该技术擅长扫描关键词和之前的职位名称，它却无法评估该行业最看重的特质——创新、创意以及以真正原创的方式处理问题的能力。
“定义该行业成功的许多品质在纸面上很难评估：判断力、沟通能力、文化意识以及将想法与人员联系起来的能力，”时尚咨询公司 Eco Age 的执行董事马尔瓦·扎马雷 (Marwa Zamaray) 解释道。“有时，在纸面上看起来不那么显而易见的人选，反而是能为组织带来下一步所需视角的人。”
由于设计师的大部分成功取决于对庞大网络的管理——涵盖零售与贸易、营销、产品开发、制造、物流和可持续发展——扎马雷指出，面对面会议对于评估使这一切运转所需的人际交往能力具有重要价值。
而使其运转对于英国未来的成功至关重要。设计经济是一个主要的动力源，雇佣了 1.97 million 人，为英国经济贡献了 £97.4 billion 的总增加值。在 2010 和 2019, 年之间，其增长速度还是整个英国经济的两倍，经济贡献扩大了 73%。
设计委员会 (Design Council) 将于今年 9 月公布的数据显示，该劳动力的年龄低于英国平均水平，37% 在 35, 岁以下，而全国平均水平为 25%。面对面招聘可能有助于那些在新冠疫情期间失去工作经验和职业支持的学生。
设计委员会首席执行官马特·亨特 (Mat Hunter) 表示：“对于毕业生来说，这些活动提供了建立人脉、获得反馈以及获取可能难以触及的职业机会的宝贵机会。面对面交流也让雇主能更丰富地了解年轻设计师的思考方式。”
参加毕业生展示会的人数证明了这一点。今年的年度“新设计师” (New Designers) 展会吸引了超过 15,000 名访客，来自 100 个课程的 2,500 名毕业生在时尚、纺织、家具、产品设计和插画领域进行展出。
活动总监萨莉·本特 (Sally Bent) 表示：“尽管我们看到了所有这些进步……”
工作周
生活成本压力
由于仅有 22% 的雇主计划提供高于通胀率的加薪，工人面临生活成本压力。兰开斯特大学的 Work Foundation 发现，对于员工人数少于 50 人的公司，这一比例下降到仅 16%。虽然 82% 的公司在向员工提供某种支持以应对成本上涨（其中扩展福利选项是最常见的方法），但仍有 15% 的雇主完全没有提供任何支持。
灵光一现的 时刻” J
打造创意职业生涯的顶端技巧
在展示作品集的同时，也要展现你的个性。技术能力很重要，但好奇心、热情以及与他人协作的能力同样重要。
能够讲述作品背后的故事。雇主希望了解你的思考方式和创意过程。
量身定制你的作品集。质量总是比数量更有影响力。选择最能体现你希望加入的职位或工作室的项目。
自信地建立人脉。介绍你自己，提出深刻的问题，并在事后进行跟进。
对进入该行业的不同路径保持开放态度。自由职业、实习、安置计划和协作项目都可以带来长期机会。
保持好奇心并持续学习。雇主在寻找那些具有适应能力、乐于学习并对变革感到兴奋的毕业生。
保持真实。不要专注于复制趋势或他人的成功。最令人难忘的作品源于对自身视角的理解。
创意职业进入路径
年轻人可以利用“Discover! Creative Careers”计划。该计划面向 11 至 24 岁人群，重点关注代表性不足的背景和服务欠缺的地区。discovercreative.careers 网站将年轻人与雇主联系起来，通过工作经验、信息网络研讨会和社交活动，提供一条清晰的创意职业路径。
领导者倍感悲伤与孤独
根据盖洛普（Gallup）的职场报告，高级领导者比其员工更容易感到孤独，在孤独感评分上高出 10 分，在悲伤感评分上高出 11 分。《顶峰寂寞》（It’s Lonely at the Top）的作者南希·麦凯（Nancy MacKay）表示：“真正的领导力从根本上说就是自我领导。它是关于如何每天激励自己的。如果你自己已经精疲力竭，你就无法有效地激励他人。”
案例研究
在博恩茅斯大学学习产品设计的 Jake Leach-Perry 凭借其毕业设计获奖，并获得了一个为期三个月的安置机会。这直接促使他获得了一个设计创新家用产品的永久职位。
来自伦敦南部巴勒姆（Balham）、现年 26 岁的 Leach-Perry 表示：“工业设计旨在识别日常生活的挫败感，并用实实在在的产品来解决这些问题——旨在提供有意义的用户体验。没有什么比拿起一个你可以追溯到灵光一现时刻的产品更令人满足的了。”
“展览是练习自信地展示自己的绝佳机会……大学会教会你技术技能，但与更广泛的设计社区互动所拓宽的技能将超出你的想象。”
在数字化招聘、在线作品集和人工智能辅助招聘的背景下，创意依然是一个极具人性化的行业。雇主招聘的不仅仅是一个作品集，而是一个人。”
对于剑桥视觉与表演艺术学院院长卡琳·阿斯卡姆（Karin Askham）教授来说，创意招聘回归面对面面试，可能预示着其他行业的招聘也将重新思考。
她说：“我越来越多地看到，职业生涯是通过与行业的互动而建立的，而非通过单一的申请流程。那些参加活动、参加比赛、参与实际项目、寻求反馈并建立专业关系的 student，在正式申请职位之前很久就在创造机会了。”
职场母亲备受煎熬
随着工作与家庭之间界限的模糊，高成就的职场母亲越来越多地经历职业倦怠。三分之一的人表示，为人母对其职业发展产生了负面影响，63% 的人仍承担主要的家务和育儿责任，同时还要兼顾工作。Bupa 临床心理健康主管沙兹娜·卡诺姆（Shazna Khanom）表示：“可持续的绩效取决于支持灵活性的文化。”
六强之选
安迪·伯纳姆最紧迫的关注点之一，就是确保公共部门机构能够为纳税人的资金提供价值。作为一个旨在将政府与创新相结合的新型技术服务公司的联合创始人，来自 Arcus Global 的 Denis Kaminskiy 分享了他关于该部门现代化建设的建议。
有时，对挑战缺乏经验反而是一种超能力。经验固然宝贵，但它也可能形成固有观念。通过以全新的视角看待问题，你可以获得更有效的解决方案。
目标和指标并非战略。战略在于做出明确的选择，理解权衡，并坚持自己的立场。
不要害怕颠覆一个既有的行业。真正的进步源于对公认规范的质疑并采取不同的方法，即便这让你感到不适。
“不”是一个完整的答案。对所有事情都说“好”会分散团队精力，降低标准。有选择性地行动才能创造专注力并赋予团队权力。
快速且频繁地失败。失败迫使你检查哪里出了问题，随着时间的推移调整并提高判断力——前提是你愿意诚实地面对它。
一致性至关重要。领导者每天的行为比他们偶尔说的话更能设定标准，而且人们会注意到其中的差异。
本周任命
WWF-UK 招募影响委员会志愿者 全球环保慈善机构 WWF 正在为其影响委员会（Impact Committee）招募新成员。这是一个战略性志愿者机会，供新成员协助应对当今的全球环境挑战。
WWF-UK 影响委员会在支持信托委员会方面发挥着关键作用。他们评估、质疑并帮助塑造 WWF-UK 在科学、项目、合作伙伴关系、政策、倡议和传播方面的对外工作。
现征集在国际贸易、国际政治或政策、国际发展或自然保护等领域拥有专业知识和新颖视角的个人申请。申请人还应坚定致力于 WWF 的使命。
这些职位不提供薪酬，但报销相关费用。任期为四年，每年参加四次混合形式会议。具备董事会经验会有所帮助，但并非必需，因为 WWF 将提供战略和治理方面的引导，并提供委员会内部的伙伴互助系统。
加入美丽的马恩岛检察长办公室
我们正在寻找一位经验丰富且具有战略眼光的法律领导者，加入高级领导团队担任公诉局局长。这是一个领导该岛公诉服务的绝佳机会，负责监督高质量刑事公诉服务的交付，并在广泛的复杂且高关注度的案件工作中提供领导力。通过与皇家检察官及刑事司法合作伙伴密切合作，您将在塑造马恩岛公诉服务的未来方向中发挥关键作用。
作为一个备受尊重且独立的法律机构的一部分，您将领导一支经验丰富的法律专业团队，为刑事司法政策和标准的制定做出贡献，并帮助推动整个司法系统的服务改进与现代化。该职位提供在一个支持性的专业环境中从事有意义且多样化工作的机会，同时为马恩岛的司法管理和法治做出重大贡献。
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NHS 商业服务局非执行董事 部门部长正寻求为 NHS 商业服务局 (NHSBSA) 任命最多 3 名非执行董事，其中一名将兼任审计与风险委员会 (ARC) 主席。NHSBSA 负责为医疗和社会护理系统提供广泛的高容量国家商业服务，重点是交付和转型这些服务并最大化效率。作为 NHSBSA 董事会的非执行董事，您将在塑造组织战略方向、推动持续改进、支持高质量服务交付，以及通过审查、质疑、公平性和有效的公司治理提供强有力的监管和问责方面发挥关键作用。您将负责监督并质疑 NHSBSA 执行管理层的绩效，要求其对战略愿景、组织优先级、业务计划目标及更广泛的政府要求的达成负责。您还将与医疗和社会护理系统中的关键合作伙伴建立并维护具有影响力的关系，发展战略联盟以提高效率，并支持交付满足服务用户需求的增值服务。申请人需在私营、公共或志愿部门的高级层级拥有显著的交付记录，能够作为董事会的一部分有效运作，提供支持、挑战和保证。申请人应展现出良好的判断力，能够批判性地分析复杂信息并做出基于证据的战略决策。您应具备卓越的沟通和人际交往能力，能够建立有效的关系并
获得同事和利益相关者的信任。我们欢迎在以下一个或多个领域拥有技能和经验的申请人： • 风险管理 • 养老金计划管理 • 公共部门的大规模转型项目 • 大型组织的技术运营
对于审计与风险委员会主席一职，候选人还应具备高级财务经验（最好拥有会计师资格），以及在审计与风险委员会任职的经验。报酬为每年 £7,883，其中 ARC 主席每年领取 £13,137，每月的时间投入为 2 到 3 天。卫生与社会关怀事务大臣决定任期长度，最长可达 3 年。欲了解更多信息，请访问公共任命网站：http://publicappointments.cabinetoffi ce.gov.uk/8952 如果
您需要其他格式，请致电 Jessie Rourke (0113 254 5321) 或 Rachael Gingell (0207 484 9424)，并引用参考号 VAC- 8952。申请截止日期为 01 September 2026.（星期二）中午。卫生与社会关怀部重视并促进多样性。我们鼓励来自全英国各背景的优秀人才申请。当公共机构的董事会能够反映其所服务社会的观点多样性时，其效率最高。
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the times | Friday July 24 2026 49 注册
帕迪·麦克纳利 (Paddy McNally)
帕迪·麦克纳利（Paddy McNally）成为赛车手的梦想因天赋平平而破灭。他转而成为一名赛车记者，并短暂担任过三届世界冠军车手尼基·劳达（Niki Lauda）的经纪人。这些经历以及更多其他因素，使他进入了伯尼·埃克莱斯顿（Bernie Ecclestone）的社交圈，而后者在20世纪70年代已经掌控了一级方程式赛车（Formula 1）。
在《并非天使：伯尼·埃克莱斯顿的秘密生活》（No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone, 2011）一书中，汤姆·鲍尔（Tom Bower）讲述了这位赛车大亨与中产阶级的麦克纳利并非天生的灵魂之友。麦克纳利的赛车经验仅限于废车贸易和拉力赛驾驶。然而，在埃克莱斯顿的支持下，他开始组织并改进全球顶级赛道的广告看板和接待设施，包括引入了奢华的特权服务“围场俱乐部”（Paddock Club）。这些 venture 证明极其获利，在 2005, 年豪赌 €30 million 救起英国大奖赛后，麦克纳利于 2006 年以 €372 million 的价格出售了总部位于日内瓦的 Allsport Management 公司，并于 2011 年从商界退休。
虽然对于低调的麦克纳利财富的估计不一，但这足以让他地在英国、法国和瑞士购置房产。他在瑞士专属的阿尔卑斯滑雪胜地韦尔比耶（Verbier）展现出了性格的另一面。在这里，他主导着一群享乐主义的对冲基金经理和英国上流社会中不端成员的社交活动，其中包括比他小 22 岁的莎拉·弗格森（Sarah Ferguson），他在她嫁给安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎（Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor）之前与她约会了三年。
弗格森回忆道，麦克纳利住在“一座巨大的山顶别墅……俯瞰全镇，经常举办派对和商务晚餐，且都配有顶级的葡萄酒”。这就是 Les Gais Lutins，一座拥有八个卧室的住宅，在英国小报中更常被称作“可卡因城堡”（Cocaine Castle）。根据安德鲁·洛尼（Andrew Lownie）在《特权：约克家族的兴衰》（Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, 2025）中的记载，Les Gais Lutins 是各种派对的场所，除了弗格森及其朋友，经常光顾的人员还包括艺术商尼格尔·“老鼠”·波利策（Nigel “the Rat” Pollitzer，讣告见 March 21, 2024）。许多夸张的故事由此而生，包括一名客人将车停在麦克纳利的车库前，他没有要求对方挪车，而是直接开车撞过去。
麦克纳利经常在韦尔比耶的高端 Farm Club 俱乐部中掌握主导权，与一群常客彻夜狂舞，这些客人们用马克笔在昂贵的伏特加瓶子上标好姓名缩写，并将其存放在吧台后面。每晚在DJ台正下方都为他保留一张桌子，与这个位置的距离定义了该俱乐部的社交等级。弗格森和摩纳哥的斯蒂芬妮公主（Princess Stéphanie of Monaco）通常坐在最靠近的位置。
在洛尼的叙述中，麦克纳利是一个秃顶、戴眼镜、有两个年幼儿子的鳏夫，对于称呼他为“蟾蜍”的弗格森来说，他显然不是一个理想的男朋友。然而，她觉得他有趣、慷慨、迷人，且最重要的是，富有。“帕迪就像我的父亲一样，”她说。但他也成了她父亲最可怕的噩梦。“年龄不对，不在皇家卫队，仅仅是个叫麦克纳利的搞赛车的人。”
“但我爱帕迪正是因为他所缺失的一切，因为他拒绝那些虚伪的优雅，因为即使在事业成功之后，他依然拒绝摆出架子，”罗纳德·弗格森（Ronald Ferguson）说道。
与此同时，麦克纳利（McNally）是个无赖。 他眼神飘忽，与其他女人潜过床，并用关于她体重的评论来打击弗格森（Ferguson）的自信心。“帕迪（Paddy）常告诉我我又胖又丑，没人对我感兴趣，而我也信了他的话，”她说。有一次，在发现他与一名迷人的访客调情后，她在他头上浇了一桶冰水。 劳尼（Lownie）讲述了麦克纳利带着另一个女人回家，并给弗格森提供两个选择：要么睡在客房里，要么进行三人行。 与此同时，弗格森花大量时间照顾他的儿子们。“很快我们就表现得像家人一样；我是他们的保姆，也是他们的朋友，”她说。
麦克纳利唯一不愿做的事就是娶她。在暗示多次之后，弗格森在一次意大利大奖赛上发出了最后通牒：如果他不在她手指上套上戒指，她就会离开。 麦克纳利无视了她的要求。他甚至开车送她去温莎城堡参加皇家Ascot房屋派对，在那里
她被介绍给了蒙巴顿-温莎（Mountbatten-Windsor），两人在孩童时期曾有过短暂的相识。一年之内，她嫁入了王室，结果极其惨烈。与此同时，麦克纳利继续赚钱并享受财富。
帕特里克·肖恩·麦克纳利（Patrick Sean McNally）1937年出生于肯特郡的格雷夫森德（Gravesend），是集团上校帕特里克·麦克纳利（一名英国皇家空军医生）及其妻子玛丽（Mary，原姓Outred）六个孩子中的第五个。他的兄姐是 查尔斯（Charles）、 彼得（Peter）、 约翰（John） 和 罗斯玛丽（Rosemary），他还有一个妹妹 玛丽安（Maryanne）。
在战争宣布后不久，全家决定爱尔兰的莫纳汉郡（Co Monaghan）——他们父亲的祖宅所在地——会比肯特郡更安全的避风港。后来成为伦敦周末电视台（London Weekend Television）董事的彼得回忆道，在穿过爱尔兰海时，他们在深夜被惊醒，被匆忙赶到甲板上，并被命令戴上防毒面具和救生衣。“在远处，我们可以看到一架飞机正在海中投弹，”他在其回忆录《我的生命时光》（The Time of My Life, 2013）中写道。
SUTTON MOTORSPORTS/SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL; DAVID PHIPPS/GETTY IMAGES
兰开夏郡的一所学校，然后进入邻近的由耶稣会经营的斯通赫斯特学院（Stonyhurst College）。“学校的制度极其严苛，体罚被肆无忌惮地使用。其理念是‘不打不教，孩子就废’，”彼得写道。“我们绝对没有被‘废’掉。”
麦克纳利与 萨拉·弗格森在 1997年 英国大奖赛上。 尽管他有外遇， 她仍与他在一起。 左图，麦克纳利 与赛车手 詹姆斯·亨特（James Hunt） 在玩双陆棋。
离开学校后，麦克纳利放弃了会计学习，在黑池（Blackpool）和威根（Wigan）通过分期付款的方式挨家挨户推销吸尘器，随后在伦敦波托贝洛路（Portobello Road）的一个摊位上出售旧货。1963年，他加入了《Autosport》杂志，在不开赛车时，他给人一种严肃记者的印象。在他的一篇专栏中，他指出仅 1 次严重的事故就可能危及这项运动的商业支持。“现代赛车在很大程度上依赖于赞助，但如果发生某种全国性的灾难——比如一辆一级方程式赛车冲出赛道，以180英里/小时的速度冲向人群——大公司们一定会三思而行，”他在1970年6月写道。
被许多人称为“可卡因城堡”
到那时，他正开发一项利润丰厚的副业：在杂志送达读者之前研究“汽车出售”广告，为自己挑选最优惠的交易。随后，为了追求更高的声望，他迁至罗马的火石轮胎公司（Firestone tyres），并在 1973 年被菲利普莫里斯公司（Philip Morris）雇佣，在全球各地的赛车场推广万宝路（Marlboro）香烟。在鲍尔（Bower）的叙述中，麦克纳利对赛场的简陋环境和外观感到失望，并向埃克尔斯通（Ecclestone）建议采用国际足联（Fifa）世界杯的模式。他提议从赛道购买独家广告和款待权，然后以更高价格转售，并分给埃克尔斯通一部分抽成。
这一概念于 1984 年在法国、比利时和奥地利初步成型，尽管埃克尔斯通起初并不感冒。“那个牌子在那儿干什么？”在一次早期比赛中，他对着麦克纳利大吼。辱骂接踵而至，一年后，麦克纳利宣布辞职，称自己损失太多钱。此时埃克尔斯通才放缓了语气，说麦克纳利投入了这么多，应该再努力尝试一下。据鲍尔称，“温顺的麦克纳利服从了”，而 1985 年起，他的 fortunes 迎来了转机。赞助商被日益奢华的款待所吸引，广告收入呈指数级增长。
1967 年，麦克纳利娶了安妮·“特维斯特”·唐宁（Anne “Twist” Downing），她是蒙特卡洛的一位继承人，也是赛车手肯·唐宁（Ken Downing）的女儿。他们住在日内瓦湖畔，与包括杰基·斯图尔特（Jackie Stewart）在内的赛车手邻居们社交，但在她 1980 年死于癌症之前，两人已经分居。他的儿子罗洛（Rollo）在世。另一个儿子肖恩（Sean）于四月早逝。
麦克纳利在对待与弗格森（Ferguson）的关系上始终保持着绅士般的沉默，尽管在她与蒙巴顿-温莎（Mountbatten-Windsor）结婚前不久（他出席了婚礼），他的度假屋里有几张照片失踪了。这些照片后来出现在一家周日报上，该报为这些描绘手工卷烟的图像留出了大量篇幅。在失去她的心碎之苦中，贝基·费尤·布朗（Becky Few Brown）帮助他走出阴影，她当时是一名年轻的金发度假屋女孩，后来成为了布兰福德侯爵（Marquess of Blandford）的前妻，而麦克纳利曾担任该侯爵婚礼的伴郎。麦克帕林勋爵（Lord McAlpine）的侄女露露·麦克帕林（Lulu McAlpine）也享受了他的多年款待，但他此后从未再婚。
到 2017 年，麦克纳利在《星期日泰晤士报》爱尔兰富豪榜上排名第 20（英国榜单排名第 206），估计财产为 €718 百万。他在英国的房产包括沃恩福德庄园（Warneford Place），这是一座位于威尔特郡的 18 世纪乡村住宅及地产，曾是詹姆斯·邦德作者伊恩·弗莱明（Ian Fleming）的故居。每年在银石赛车场举办英国大奖赛后，他都会在那里举办烧烤派对。据其兄弟彼得（Peter）称，麦克纳利在“翻修乔治亚风格房屋方面具有卓越的专业知识。他是个真正的完美主义者。” 2005 年 10 月，沃恩福德庄园被臭名昭著的约翰逊家族（Johnson family，一个爱尔兰旅居者的大家族）洗劫，被盗古董价值 £750,000。
尽管两人关系动荡，麦克纳利最终成为了弗格森最忠实的朋友之一。 2000 年，他花费 £500,000 在日内瓦郊区购买了一栋 19 世纪的别墅，显然是代表她购买的。在过去一年中，随着她因与美国恋童癖者杰弗里·爱泼斯坦（Jeffrey Epstein）的关系而面临压力增加，人们认为他为她提供了一个潜伏之所。正如她曾说的那样：“每当我需要建议时，我都会向他求教，因为他如此见多识广。他似乎经历过并做过所有事情。” 看来他确实如此。
在《西区故事》中，Sharks 是波多黎各帮派，但在现实生活中，存在着一个名为“青年领主”（Young Lords）的激进反资本主义组织，他们在纽约组织占领行动、焚烧垃圾抗议活动以及社区服务计划。其领导者包括一位无畏且口才出众的女性，名叫丹尼斯·奥利弗-维莱兹（Denise Oliver-Velez），她顶着巨大的爆炸头，用她自己的话来说，“从不掩饰自己的想法”。
“青年领主”于 1960 年代从芝加哥的一个波多黎各街头帮派演变而来。在民权运动和更为激进的黑豹党（Black Panthers）的启发下，他们通过直接行动，在一定程度上成功地结束了波多黎各移民的二等公民地位。1969 年，奥利弗-维莱兹等人 在东哈林区成立了“青年领主”纽约分会，东哈林区被认为是纽约波多黎各人的非官方之都，被称为 el barrio（街区）。在接下来的几年里，“青年领主”组织了多次占领行动，包括对林肯医院（Lincoln Hospital）进行 12 小时的接管——该医院是臭名昭著的“南布朗克斯屠宰场”——以抗议其恶劣的环境。
他们占领了东哈林区的首个西班牙卫理公会教堂，将其用作社区计划中心，并用焚烧的垃圾封锁主要道路交叉口，以抗议垃圾清理不力。他们为儿童提供免费早餐计划，为贫困母亲提供免费服装计划，运行结核病及其他常见疾病的监测计划，建立社区巡逻队以监督警察的镇压，发起反对在公寓墙壁使用有毒铅漆的运动，以及许多其他活动。
但作为该运动报纸《前进》（Palante）的创始人兼编辑，奥利弗-维莱兹也致力于推动“青年领主”内部的变革，其中最
在尼尔·基诺克和托尼·布莱尔领导下的工党党鞭看来，反叛的特里·刘易斯（Terry Lewis）是他们的“惯犯”之一——这绝非褒义词。尽管他不像杰里米·科尔宾（Jeremy Corbyn）、约翰·麦克唐纳（John McDonnell）和丹尼斯·斯金纳（Dennis Skinner）那样激进，但他也是所谓的左翼反叛者“尴尬小分队”（awkward squad）的常客，这群人聚集在议会前排的走道下方。
毫不奇怪，在党的领导层选举中，他在 1992 年投票支持布莱恩·古尔德（Bryan Gould）而非约翰·史密斯（John Smith），在 1994. 年投票支持玛格丽特·贝基特（Margaret Beckett）而非托尼·布莱尔。他倾向的候选人都惨败。当他在 2005, 年卸任大曼彻斯特郡沃斯利（Worsley）的议员时，他抱怨布莱尔政府采取的是“撒切尔主义”政策。2010, 年，在不再担任议员后，他在一名当地记者面前撕毁了党籍，宣布工党已经“丢失了灵魂”。2015, 年，当他曾经的反叛同志科尔宾被选为党魁时，他重新加入了该党。
作为 1983, 年的一名新任议员，他很快就通过反对国防预算投票而违抗党鞭，并在随后关于该问题的投票中采取同样行动。在布莱尔的第一任期内，他反对削减单亲父母福利、对伤残津贴进行财产审查、空中交通管制的部分私有化以及取消学生生活补助金。他反对伊拉克战争，认为这场战争“无可辩护”。
奥利弗-维莱兹（Oliver-Velez），同样位于中心右翼，她在之前由男性主导的抗议运动中提升了女性的地位
特别是针对男性主导的波多黎各文化中的性别平等问题。她说，起初“几乎没有姐妹”， “我们在会议上很难被听到，我们所做的大部分工作都是秘书工作。”
该运动按照准军事化路线运行，成员们戴着紫色贝雷帽，接受国防训练并服从严格纪律。奥利弗-维莱兹全职工作且没有薪水，以“社会主义方式”生活，依靠捐赠和销售报纸的收入生存。她晋升为首位当选为“青年领主”（Young Lords）中央委员会的女性，随后成为该组织的财政“部长”和经济发展“部长”，成为运动中最高级别的女性。
刘易斯在公开场合痛斥约翰·梅杰
从失败中挽救。刘易斯从未认同基诺克和布莱尔对党的结构和政策所做的改变，但他在工党反叛者中的排名随时间而下降。在 1992-97 届议会期间，他是第六个最频繁的反叛者。到了 2001-2005 届议会，他已掉至第 23 位。
部分原因是党内的反叛氛围变得更加浓厚，部分原因是他的出席率降低。2003 年有报道称，他是工党议员中唯一一个在前一年未在下议院辩论中做过任何发言的人之一。
丹妮丝·奥利弗-维莱兹（Denise Oliver-Velez，原名丹妮丝·罗伯茨·奥利弗 Denise Roberts Oliver） 1947, 年出生于布鲁克林，是乔治和马乔里·奥利弗（George and Marjorie Oliver）的女儿。在第二次世界大战期间，她的父亲曾是一名塔斯基吉飞行员（Tuskegee Airman），是组成第332战斗机群的非白人战斗机和轰炸机飞行员先驱群体之一。后来他尝试在纽约成为一名演员，但最终成为了长岛拿骚学院（Nassau College）的戏剧文学教授。
奥利弗-维莱兹继承了父母的政治承诺，他们的朋友包括活动家歌手保罗·罗伯逊（Paul Robeson）。在民权时代的青少年时期，她加入了全国有色人种促进协会（National Association for the Advancement of Colored People），并在一个……拦截了推土机
无论是出于深思熟虑的野心、寻求关注，还是纯粹的古怪。但很少有人怀疑刘易斯是一个有信念的人，尤其是关于他所关心的工党类型。他对布莱尔领导下的政党方向感到太过于失望，以至于不在意自己是否能获得晋升。一位仰慕他的利兹西区自由党议员迈克尔·美多克罗夫特（Michael Meadowcroft）将他描述为“一个拥有左翼良心的天主教徒”。工党议员的组成也在发生变化。当他在1983年首次当选时，有一半的人上过大学。而22年后他卸任时，这一比例上升到了三分之二。
刘易斯 1935 年出生于索尔福德（Salford），父亲安德鲁·刘易斯（Andrew Lewis）是一名码头工人，母亲是玛丽（Mary，原姓红费恩）。尽管他在学业上并不出众，但学校的老师对他自信和聪颖的特质印象深刻。在英国陆军医疗团服完国民服役后，他担任发电厂工程师，并成为一名活跃的工会成员。1958 年，他与奥黛丽·克拉克（Audrey Clarke）结婚。他们有两个儿子：在金融业工作的大卫（David），以及 1975 年去世、年仅 10 岁的安德鲁（Andrew）。
他的政治生涯始于 1971 年被选为基尔斯利（Kearsley）的工党议员。五年后，他当选为博尔顿（Bolton）自治市议会议员，成为该党的副党魁，并短暂担任教育委员会主席。在朋友的鼓励下，他将目标定为成为国会议员。当法恩沃思（Farnworth）的工党议员约翰·罗珀（John Roper）背离该党加入新
LEE ROMERO/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX/EYEVINE; DAVID FENTON/GETTY IMAGES
建筑工地，要求为非白人工人提供更多就业机会。当她在哈莱姆区一家黑人知识分子常去的咖啡馆担任服务员时，马尔科姆·X 曾一次在她与一名挥舞枪支的愤怒顾客之间挺身而出。
1965 年，她从纽约一所白人占据绝对主导的学院转学到华盛顿特区的霍华德大学（Howard University），该校以黑人为主。在那里，她参与了各种激进活动，并因拒绝表现得“像一个体面的霍华德淑女”而被保守的校方领导层停学。此后，她回到纽约，加入了“年轻之狮”（Young Lords），并在 1970 年该运动的芝加哥分支与纽约分支的分裂中发挥了关键作用。
社会民主党时，刘易斯被选为接替他的工党候选人。与亲欧派的罗珀相反，刘易斯是一个坚定的欧洲怀疑论者。到 1983 年大选时，该选区已被撤销，取而代之的是新成立的沃斯利（Worsley）选区。
1983 年的大选让保守党取得了压倒性胜利，但刘易斯以仅 4,000 多票的微弱优势保住了议席。他与当地党员保持密切联系，并在随后的多次大选中稳步扩大领先优势。2001 年，在他参加的最后一次选举中，他的领先票数超过了 11,000 票。
尽管刘易斯通常沉默且谦逊，但他的观点非常坚定。而且一旦被激怒，他的言辞可能会非常激烈。当首相约翰·梅杰（John Major）在 1993 年关于欧盟社会章程的下议院投票中失败时，刘易斯在议会大厅面对他说道：“你为什么不辞职，你这个笨蛋（plonker）？”他曾对他同宗的保守党就业部长安·威德科姆（Ann Widdecombe，讣告见 2026 年 7 月 10 日）大吼道：“快点，你的扫帚被夹住（锁车）了。”当自己的政党在 1997 年起执政时，他对该党的批评甚至更加刻薄。
刘易斯经常呼吁采取行动打击他所谓的色情聊天线，主要理由是孩子们正对此产生依赖。作为一名年轻的运动员，他不吸烟，并主张在公共场所实施更严格的禁烟限制。1995 年，他提出了一项私人议员法案，该法案
次年，当“青年之主”（Young Lords）试图在波多黎各本土建立基地但未获成功时，她不顾自己的建议而选择了离开。她短暂地加入了黑豹党，在该组织的报纸工作，随后前往饱受战争摧残的安哥拉以及新成立的刚果人民共和国——非洲第一个马克思列宁主义国家。奥利弗-韦莱兹在余生中一直是一名政治活动人士，尽管随着民权时代的结束，其形式不再那么激进。
回到美国后，她成为华盛顿一家具有开创性的少数族裔控制广播电台的节目总监。随后，她在现已解散的公共广播公司（Corporation for Public Broadcasting）负责一个针对少数族裔和女性的培训项目，并担任黑人电影制作人基金会（Black Filmmaker Foundation）的董事。1983年，她写了一部名为《颜色》（Color）的短片，由她当时的丈夫沃灵顿·哈德林（Warrington Hudlin）执导，探讨了美国黑人群体内部对深肤色女性的歧视。
在与哈德林离婚后，她于1997年与同样是波多黎各裔的纽约人菲利普·韦莱兹（Philip Velez）结婚。在2002至2018年期间，她在哈得逊河谷的纽约州立大学纽帕尔茨分校担任女性、性别与性研究的兼职教授，并定期为进步派博主论坛 The Daily Kos 撰稿。
在回顾年轻时的激进活动时，她在2021年告诉一名采访者：“现在也许没有‘青年之主’了，但你猜怎么着？我们很多人还活着，并且正将这种精神传递给将要继承这场斗争的年轻一代。”
丹妮丝·奥利弗-韦莱兹出生于1947年8月1日。她于2026年7月15日因脑肿瘤去世，享年78岁。
要求烟草公司在产品上附上警告语。
他是多个委员会的成员，包括标准与特权委员会。然而，此前他因出勤率低而被移出教育遴选委员会。他的优先事项不是服从党鞭，而是正如他所言，“为那些将我送来这里的人服务”。在1989年的一项调查中，他被描述为“最关注选区利益的国会议员”。1983年，他对玛格丽特·撒切尔（Margaret Thatcher）关于ITV电视剧《 Coronation Street》中方言的“冒犯性”言论表示不满，该剧背景设定在他所在的大曼彻斯特选区。
在2005年，大量工党反叛议员宣布退职，刘易斯（Lewis）也在其中。他以典型的直率风格表示，他将像“屁股上的疖子”一样想念政治生活，这对于接替他成为工党候选人的芭芭拉·基利（Barbara Keeley）来说，绝非热情的欢迎。
2020年，84岁的刘易斯不幸中风，在住院期间感染了新冠肺炎但随后康复。作为曼联的忠实支持者，他于1999年前往巴塞罗那观看球队参加欧洲冠军杯决赛。由于门票被盗，他错过了曼联击败拜仁慕尼黑的著名胜利，随后又因为信用卡被盗而不得不露宿街头。“我挺过来了，而且我们赢了，”他说。
法院驳回 Bolt 申请旅行社增值税优惠的请求
针对旅行社和旅行社经营者的特殊增值税 (VAT) 免税规定并未排除其他纳税人，但前提是他们必须提供相似或至少具有可比性的服务。Bolt 提供的按需叫车服务与通常意义上的旅行社和旅行社经营者的服务既不相同，也不具有相关可比性。
上诉法院在支持税务海关总署 (HMRC) 针对高级审理庭裁决 ([2025] UKUT 100 (TCC); [2025] STC 724) 提出的上诉时做出了上述裁定，并确认了初级审理庭 ([2023] UKFTT 1043 (TC)) 的决定。此前两级审理庭均判定 Bolt Services UK Ltd 胜诉，认为从“高层级”来看，其服务在适用 2006 年 11 月 28 日第 2006/112/EC 号指令（《增值税指令》）中第 306 至 310 条所列的旅行社特殊计划时，可被视为与旅行社经营者或旅行社的服务相似；该计划在 1994 年《增值税法》第 53 条以及 1987 年《增值税（旅行社经营者）令》（SI 1987 No 1806）第 2 条和第 3 条中得以实施。
Eleni Mitrophanous KC 和 Charlotte Brown 代表 HMRC；Valentina Sloane KC 和 Jenn Lawrence 代表纳税人。
法官 LADY JUSTICE FALK 在宣读法院判决时表示，Bolt 的平台允许客户使用智能手机应用程序请求私人租赁车辆将其从 A 点接送到 B 点。该服务每周 7 天、每天 24 小时可用。此外，用户还可以选择车辆类型，例如标准型或豪华型
桑德灵厄姆，诺福克 2026年7月23日 国王（英联邦体育协会赞助人）与王后今晚抵达格拉斯哥展览路 Scottish Event Campus 的 Hydro 场馆，并由格拉斯哥市陛下委任的副州长（Jacqueline McLaren 议员）、英联邦体育协会主席（Donald Rukare 博士）及 2026 年格拉斯哥运动会主席（George Black 先生）迎接。
右荣安迪·伯纳姆 MP（首相兼财政大臣）、右荣 John Swinney MSP（苏格兰政府首脑）以及荣 Shirley Botchwey（英联邦秘书长）。
随后，国王宣布第二十三届英联邦运动会开幕。
在今天于爱丁堡圣吉尔斯大教堂为 Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT（前蓟花骑士勋章最高古老且高贵勋章大法官）举行的葬礼及追思会上，蒂利欧恩的 Wilson 勋爵 KT 代表国王与王后出席。
查尔斯·里奇夫人代表皇家公主出席。
圣詹姆斯宫 2026年7月23日 爱丁堡公爵（爱丁堡公爵国际奖基金会信托主席）今天下午在希尔顿酒店举行了一次会议，
或“XL”。该平台接受请求并提供预计费用和到达时间。它还将行程分配给一名司机，通常基于距离远近。司机可以选择是否接单，如果他们不接单，Bolt 将把该行程分配给下一位可用司机。
Bolt 曾寻求英国税务海关总署 (HMRC) 的裁定，认为其可以依赖旅行代理商的特殊计划，仅就其利润部分缴纳增值税 (VAT)，而非就整个车费缴纳。Bolt 主张其具备传统旅游运营商的许多特征，无法与后者区分开来。HMRC 驳回了该主张，Bolt 随后提起上诉。
双方一致认为，在这些词汇的通常含义下，Bolt 并非旅行代理商或旅游运营商。然而，初审法庭决定，在考虑 Bolt 的服务是否属于旅游运营商或旅行代理商通常提供的一种服务时，采取一种“高层面”的方法是适当的。
在审查 Bolt 提供的证据后，很明显 Bolt 提供的是乘客运输服务，这是一种与旅游运营商或旅行代理商在提供飞机、火车和巴士运输时所提供的供应类型相对应的旅游服务。
上诉法庭同意初审法庭的结论，理由是该结论得到了权威依据的支持，并认定在涉案服务与旅行代理商及旅游运营商提供的服务之间进行详细的可比性演练，既非案例法所要求，也不可行，因为这将十分困难且耗费资源。
上诉法院审理的主要问题是，上诉法庭在认定采取一种宽泛的高层面方法来决定 Bolt 提供的服务（即提供按需叫车服务）是否属于该计划范围时，是否出现了错误。
综合来看，法院承认对 Bolt 有利的一点是，该计划并不限于旅行代理商或旅游运营商；只要与行程相关（包括国内供应的行程），该计划即可适用于单一服务；且该计划已被广泛应用，包括不考虑旅行目的或停留时长，以及适用于企业对企业的供应。
然而，从其基本原理解析，该计划针对的是旅行代理商和旅游运营商，因为该行业“最频繁”地提供跨国多项服务，而在这种情况下，普通的增值税规则会带来实际操作上的困难。
此外，相关的欧盟案例法一致强调，该计划必须“仅在实现其目标所必需的范围内”应用，且非旅行代理商和旅游运营商必须进行“相同或至少可比”的交易。
后者的要求是为了确保不会基于交易者的“正式分类”产生偏见，此外还为了防止扭曲竞争以及损害该计划的统一实施。这反映了一个显而易见观点，即类似的供应应得到相同对待。
因此，Bolt的挑战理应失败。相关服务既不相同，也不具有相关的可比性。欧洲法院将该计划范围扩展到旅行社和旅行团操作商之外的理由，并不适用于事实上与此类企业提供的供应不相似的供应。
将该计划应用于Bolt的供应，既没有必要为了确保该计划的目标及其统一实施，也无法
1 William Street, Glasgow.
圣詹姆斯宫 2026年7月23日 皇家公主今晨访问了布鲁克之家健康与福祉中心（Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre），位于 Colebrooke Park, 26 Colebrooke Park Road, Brookeborough，并由费马纳郡（County Fermanagh）的陛下委任副主事（布鲁克伯勒子爵 KG）接见。
殿下随后访问了位于圣蒂格纳克教堂（St Tighernach’s Church）和教堂街（Church Street, Irvinestown）圣心教堂（Sacred Heart Church）英联邦战争墓地委员会遗址的英国皇家空军（Royal Air Force）航空学员，以纪念该部队成立八十五周年，并由肖恩·彭德里先生（Shaun Pendry，费马纳郡副主事）接见。
也不能防止竞争扭曲。作为旅行社和旅行团操作商经营的企业在提供小型出租车服务方面并不存在竞争。
初级法庭对“高层级”方法的依赖，未能充分关注服务必须与旅行社和旅行团操作商提供的服务“相同或至少具有可比性”的需求。这种“可比性”必须参考将计划扩展至旅行社和旅行团操作商之外的理由来确定。
高级法庭对一项被认为将是困难且资源密集的工作表示了特别担忧，即区分涉案服务与旅行社和旅行团操作商提供的服务。虽然任何边际测试总会存在困难，但这种担忧并不能证明将涉案供应视为在该计划范围之内的方法是合理的。
“旅行社”和“旅行团操作商”的普通含义，以及它们所提供的供应种类和方式虽然随时代而演变，但不能得出一个严肃的建议，即旅行社和旅行团操作商通过应用程序或其他方式提供按需小型出租车服务或任何与其相当的服务。
即使发现某家旅行社提供往返于其他地点的司机服务，且该服务作为被认可为属于该计划范围内的业务的一部分而存在，也不能由此得出Bolt的服务与通常理解的旅行社或旅行团操作商的服务相同或具有可比性。
因此，该计划不适用于Bolt的按需小型出租车服务，英国税务海关总署（HMRC）的上诉应获准许。
代表律师： HMRC 法律组；德勤会计师事务所（Deloitte LLP）。
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耶和华看顾你—— 耶和华在你右手遮蔽你； 白日太阳不能伤害你， 夜晚月亮也不能害你。诗篇 121.5-6 (NIV)
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即将结婚
T. A. E. HILL 先生 与 S. C. MANNING-RODAO 小姐 在此宣布订婚：Thomas，怀特岛 (Isle of Wight) Seaview 的 Richard Hill 先生与夫人之幼子，与 Sofia，赫特福德郡 (Hertfordshire) 希钦 (Hitchin) 的 Kevin Manning 先生与 Virginia Rodao-Arcos 女士之女。
R. H. CALVER 先生 与 H. E. F. MCNICOL 博士 在此宣布订婚：Richard，萨里郡 (Surrey) Limpsfield 的 Paul Calver 先生与夫人之次子，与 Hannah，澳大利亚墨尔本的 Suzanne McNicol 博士 AM KC 与已故 Andrew McNicol 先生之幼女。
C. M. A. MARLOW-THOMAS 先生 与 E. L. TURNER 女士 在此宣布订婚：Charlie，莱斯特郡 (Leicestershire) Tugby 的 Piers Marlow-Thomas 之次子，以及 Flintshire Mold 的 Julia Marlow-Thomas，与 Lizzie，赫特福德郡 (Hertfordshire) Orwell 的 William 和 Dorothy Turner 之长女。
结婚 S. S. A. HEMANI 先生 与 E. G. CLEGG 小姐 Shameel 与 Elizabeth 于 2026 年 7 月 15 日在爱丁堡市政厅 (City Chambers, Edinburgh) 举行婚礼。
纪念日 CLARKE-DAVIES : LEMMY 致我亲爱的妻子，值此我们结婚一周年纪念日，2026 年 7 月 26 日。我的心，我的家，我的诗。爱你的 Lauren。
KIELY : VICKERY Abigail Louise Kiely 与 Maisy May Vickery。一周年快乐，Babi，我更爱你 xox
死亡 ABBEY Gloria 于 2026 年 7 月 3 日去世，享寿 90 岁。Miranda 挚爱的姑姑/姨妈，Jemima、Alice 和 Katie 的曾姑姑/曾姨妈，Delfina 和 Mariella 的高祖姑姑/高祖姨妈。追思会将于 2026 年 9 月 17 日星期四下午 3 点在 Ryme Intrinseca 的 St Hippolytus 教堂举行。
DONALD Pamela Ann，来自白金汉郡 (Buckinghamshire) 的 Penn，于 2026 年 7 月 6 日安详去世，享寿 90 岁。一位深受爱戴的母亲、姐妹、祖母和朋友。葬礼将于 7 月 31 日星期五上午 10.15 在 Chilterns 火葬场的 Hampden 礼拜堂举行。请仅限家属献花。捐款可通过 Beacon Funeral Services (27 Rose Avenue, Hazlemere, HP15 7PH, 01494 818181) 捐赠给 Cruse 丧亲支持中心 (Cruse Bereavement Support) 和/或 Dogs Trust。
GWYNNE Peter 于 2026 年 7 月 5 日安详去世，享寿 80 岁。James 和 Georgina 的父亲，Angela 的伴侣，以及深受爱戴的祖父。所有认识他的人都会深切缅怀 Peter，他的家人、朋友以及许多牙科患者都非常爱戴他，在漫长且充实的一生中，他们非常享受他的友善与陪伴。感恩礼拜将于 10 月 1 日上午 11 点在 Odiham 的 All Saints 举行。
PARKHOUSE Sally (原姓 Squires) 于 2026 年 7 月 19 日在格洛斯特郡 (Gloucestershire) Tetbury 的家中安详去世，享寿 83 岁。她是艺术（尤其是音乐）的慷慨支持者，是已故 Peter Parkhouse 深爱的妻子。在世期间，Sally 向作曲家委约作品，并且是许多表演者的坚定好友。
SHELDON Pamela (原姓 Watney) 于 2026 年 7 月 19 日去世，享寿 96 岁。已故 Rodney 的忠诚妻子，Tom、Polly、Kate、Eliza 和 Rebecca 的母亲。他们、她的 15 个孙辈、17 个曾孙辈以及她的许多朋友将深切缅怀她。私人火化。感恩礼拜将于 8 月 11 日星期二上午 11.30 在肯特郡 (Kent) Stansted 的 St Mary’s 举行。
任命 皮带制造者崇敬公司 (THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF GIRDLERS) 2026 年 7 月 23 日，皮带制造者公司选出了下一年度的下列官员。会长 (Master)：Sara Kaye Drake 女士；上级监事 (upper warden)：Anthony Mark James 先生；中级监事 (middle warden)：Matthew Charles Robertson 先生；下级监事 (renter warden)：Edward Charles Mackaness 先生。Nicholas Archer MVO 先生继续担任公司文员。
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DAVID JOHN PASS
曾居住于多塞特郡博恩茅斯 于 30/11/2024 在多塞特郡普尔去世 JOHN BARRIE CULPAN
曾居住于北约克郡斯卡伯勒 于 18/11/2021 在当地去世
请上述人员的亲属向 Treasury Solicitor (BV), HMRC Croydon Regional Centre, 1 Ruskin Square, Croydon, CR0 2WF, United Kingdom 申请，或访问 www.gov.uk/bonavacantia；否则，财政局法律顾问（Treasury Solicitor）可能会采取措施管理该遗产。
关于 PARKER HANNIFIN MANUFACTURING (UK) LIMITED（公司编号 03503896）此前公司名称为：Parker Hannifin (U.K.) Limited（至 01/07/2011 为止），Huxdale Limited (02/04/1998)；以及 COMMERCIAL INTERTECH HOLDINGS LIMITED（公司编号 01745069）此前公司名称为：Commercial Hydraulics Holdings Limited（至 28/11/1991 为止），Ovalmarsh Limited（至 28/09/1983 为止）注册地址：c/o Interpath Ltd, 10 Fleet Place, London, EC4M 7RB（此前为 2nd Floor Suite 2a, Breakspear Park, Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 4TZ）主要营业地址：2nd Floor Suite 2a, Breakspear Park, Breakspear Way, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 4TZ（两家公司均处于成员自愿清算状态）（以下简称“公司”），以及关于 1986 年《破产法》和 2016 年《破产（英格兰和威尔士）规则》的事宜。根据 2016 年《破产（英格兰和威尔士）规则》第 14.28 条，现通知如下：
公司共同清算人拟在 2026 年 9 月 4 日后的两个月内向公司的债权人宣布分配。尚未证明债务的债权人必须在 2026 年 9 月 4 日（证明截止日期）之前，将其全名、地址、债务详情以及其律师（如有）的姓名和地址发送至共同清算人：Interpath Ltd, 5th Floor, 130 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5HF。拟议的分配为唯一分配，且在分配时无需考虑任何未在 2026 年 9 月 4 日前证明其债务的人员的索赔。任何未在该日期前证明其债务，或在该日期后增加其证明债务金额的债权人，将无权干扰拟议的唯一分配。共同清算人拟在向已证明债务的债权人支付或预留唯一分配款项后，将唯一分配后的所有余额绝对分配给公司的股东。公司能够全额支付其所有已知负债。共同清算人：Nicholas James Timpson (IP 编号 20610) 和 Howard Smith (IP 编号 9341)，均通过 c/o Interpath Limited, 10 Fleet Place London EC4M 7RB 联系。任命日期：2024 年 9 月 16 日。如需进一步详情，请联系 Rebecca Woolston，电话 +44 203 989 2855 或发送电子邮件至 rebecca.woolston@interpath.com。日期：2026 年 7 月 20 日。Nicholas James Timpson，共同清算人
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温度 C 降雨 mm 日照小时* 昨日正午 昨日至今日下午5点（24小时）
阿伯丁 (Aberdeen) 阿伯波思 (Aberporth) 安格尔西 (Anglesey) 阿维茅尔 (Aviemore) 巴恩斯塔普尔 (Barnstaple) 贝德福德 (Bedford) 贝尔法斯特 (Belfast) 伯明翰 (Birmingham) 伯恩茅斯 (Bournemouth) 布里德灵顿 (Bridlington) 布里斯托 (Bristol) 坎伯恩 (Camborne) 卡迪夫 (Cardiff) 爱丁堡 (Edinburgh) 埃斯克代尔缪尔 (Eskdalemuir) 格拉斯哥 (Glasgow) Hereford 赫斯特蒙叙 (Herstmonceux) 伊普斯威奇 (Ipswich) 曼岛 (Isle of Man) 怀特岛 (Isle of Wight) 泽西岛 (Jersey) 凯斯威克 (Keswick) 金洛斯 (Kinloss) 利兹 (Leeds) 勒威克 (Lerwick) 洛查斯 (Leuchars) 林肯 (Lincoln) 利物浦 (Liverpool) 伦敦 (London) 莱纳姆 (Lyneham) 曼彻斯特 (Manchester) 马盖特 (Margate) 米尔福德港 (Milford Haven) 纽卡斯尔 (Newcastle) 诺丁汉 (Nottingham) 奥克尼群岛 (Orkney) 牛津 (Oxford) 普利茅斯 (Plymouth) 波特兰 (Portland) 圣玛丽岛 (Scilly, St Mary’s) 肖勒姆 (Shoreham) 什鲁伯里 (Shrewsbury) 斯诺多尼亚 (Snowdonia) 绍森德 (Southend) 南尤伊斯特 (South Uist) 斯托诺韦 (Stornoway) 提里岛 (Tiree) 怀特黑文 (Whitehaven) 威克 (Wick) 叶维尔顿 (Yeovilton)
ney
ney
伯明翰 (Birmingham)
牛津 (Oxford)
19 C 0.6 1.2 17 C 0.0 4.7 19 PC 0.0 8.3 21 C 0.0 4.5 26 PC 0.0 ** 24 C 0.0 ** 19 C 0.0 5.5 22 PC 0.0 ** 23 PC 0.0 10.2 20 C 0.0 ** 25 S 0.0 11.3 20 S 0.0 3.9 22 PC 0.0 9.1 20 C 0.0 6.8 20 C 0.0 4.6 19 PC 0.0 10.4 24 PC 0.0 ** 22 C 0.0 5.9 23 C 0.0 0.8 19 S 0.0 10.1 24 PC 0.0 ** 24 PC 0.0 13.4 21 B 0.0 ** 20 ** 0.0 1.5 20 C 0.0 ** 15 D 0.2 8.7 20 C 0.0 2.5 25 PC 0.0 3.6 20 C 0.0 ** 26 C 0.0 7.7 24 S 0.0 11.3 21 C 0.0 3.0 21 PC 0.0 6.5 22 S 0.0 ** 20 C 0.0 ** 24 PC 0.0 2.9 16 B 0.6 ** 26 PC 0.0 ** 23 S 0.0 ** 21 PC 0.0 ** 21 PC 0.0 ** 24 C 0.0 5.8 21 PC 0.0 4.1 19 C 0.0 ** 21 PC 0.0 8.1 15 C 0.6 ** 16 C 0.0 0.0 16 C 0.0 3.8 21 PC 0.0 8.5 18 C 0.0 ** 25 PC 0.0 12.4
世界天气 所有读数均为昨日当地正午
36 PC 19 B 28 PC
43 S 33 PC 30 PC 29 S
26 S 20 PC 30 PC 33 S 20 PC 23 B 24 S
36 S 30 ** 13 PC 14 R 22 PC 21 PC 33 S 33 B 41 S 19 B 25 S 32 PC 21 PC 27 S 31 S 19 SH 33 PC
27 B 33 S 18 S 29 SH
26 PC 28 PC 22 DU 27 S 24 PC 40 S
阿利坎特 (Alicante) 阿姆斯特丹 (Amsterdam) 雅典 (Athens) 奥克兰 (Auckland) 巴林 (Bahrain) 曼谷 (Bangkok) 巴巴多斯 (Barbados) 巴塞罗那 (Barcelona) 北京 (Beijing) 贝鲁特 (Beirut) 贝尔格莱德 (Belgrade) 柏林 (Berlin) 百慕大 (Bermuda) 波尔多 (Bordeaux) 布鲁塞尔 (Brussels) 布加勒斯特 (Bucharest) 布达佩斯 (Budapest) 布宜诺斯艾利斯 (Buenos Aires) 开罗 (Cairo) 加尔各答 (Calcutta) 堪培拉 (Canberra) 开普敦 (Cape Town) 芝加哥 (Chicago) 哥本哈根 (Copenhagen) 科孚 (Corfu) 德里 (Delhi) 迪拜 (Dubai) 都柏林 (Dublin) 法鲁 (Faro) 佛罗伦萨 (Florence) 法兰克福 (Frankfurt) 日内瓦 (Geneva) 直布罗陀 (Gibraltar) 赫尔辛基 (Helsinki) 香港 (Hong Kong) 檀香山 (Honolulu) 伊斯坦布尔 (Istanbul) 耶路撒冷 (Jerusalem) 约翰内斯堡 (Johannesburg) 吉隆坡 (Kuala Lumpur) 基辅 (Kyiv) 兰萨罗特 (Lanzarote) 拉斯帕尔马斯 (Las Palmas) 利马 (Lima) 里斯本 (Lisbon) 洛杉矶 (Los Angeles) 卢克索 (Luxor)
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星期日
《泰晤士报》和《星期日泰晤士报》是独特且值得信赖的旅行灵感来源。现在，您也可以信任我们带您前往目的地。
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未来五天预报 北部地区天气不稳定，有雨。 南部地区主要为干燥且温暖或炎热。
风速
34 海况
明天
最初，苏格兰西部和爱尔兰有一带云雨，随后向东移至威尔士西部和英格兰北部。英格兰南部干燥，伴有晴间多云。 最高 29C，最低 10C
晴间多云，分散的阵雨在英国和爱尔兰全境向东扩散。英格兰南部在阳光照射下感觉温暖。 最高 25C，最低 9C
周一
苏格兰和爱尔兰北部大部分时间阴天，伴有阵雨。英国和爱尔兰其他地区保持干燥和炎热，阳光充足，伴有少量云层。 最高 27C，最低 10C
概况：北部地区主要为多云，时有降雨风险。南部地区干燥且温暖或炎热，伴有晴间多云。 苏格兰西北部、苏格兰东北部、格拉斯哥、中部高地、阿盖尔、北群岛：多云，有轻雨或毛毛雨，随后降雨将变得更持久且更剧烈。西风轻至中等，沿海和高地附近可能较强。 最高 16C (61F)，最低 11C (52F)。
26 PC 34 S 34 S 32 PC 32 PC 11 PC 25 PC 33 PC 28 S 28 B 21 B 20 PC 28 R 21 PC 20 B 33 PC 30 C 30 PC 29 PC 36 S 19 S 22 B 16 S 15 B 12 C 19 B 31 S 44 S 32 PC 22 PC 12 B 19 B 29 B 29 PC 30 SH 17 B 16 PC 19 PC 33 S 27 PC 34 PC 26 PC
18 T 15 PC 30 B
周二
英格兰和威尔士主要干燥，感觉炎热，伴有晴间多云。爱尔兰南部和苏格兰东部阳光充足且有阵雨。其他地区较多云，伴有降雨。 最高 31C，最低 12C
潮汐 潮汐预测。 高度以米为单位。所有时间均为当地时间
今天 高 高 阿伯丁 埃文茅斯 贝尔法斯特 卡迪夫 德文波特 多佛 都柏林 法尔茅斯 格林诺克 哈罗威奇 霍利黑德 赫尔 利斯 利物浦 伦敦桥 洛威斯特夫特 米尔福德港 莫克姆 纽黑文 纽基 欧班 彭赞斯 朴茨茅斯 肖勒姆 南安普顿 斯旺西 蒂斯 韦茅斯
周三
爱尔兰和苏格兰部分地区有阳光，但全天大部分时间阴天并伴有阵雨。英格兰和威尔士大部分时间干燥且炎热，伴有晴间多云。 最高 36C，最低 14C
《泰晤士报》天气页面 由以下机构提供
格拉斯哥 爱丁堡
卡莱尔 纽卡斯尔
24 17
曼彻斯特 利物浦 赫尔
什鲁伯里 诺丁汉
普利茅斯 埃克塞特 南安普顿
爱尔兰共和国
北爱尔兰、爱尔兰共和国：北部较多云，有零星降雨，但南部干燥且阳光充足。西风轻至中等。最高 23C (73F)，最低 13C (55F)。 北威尔士、英格兰西北部、湖区、马恩岛、苏格兰西南部、边境地区、莫雷峡湾、爱丁堡和邓迪、阿伯丁：最初有较厚云层，有小概率阵雨，其余时间为干燥的一天，阳光充足。西风轻至中等。
10:26 3.3 22:58 3.4 03:04 9.8 15:42 9.7 07:37 2.9 20:25 2.9 02:49 9.1 15:30 9.0 01:17 4.2 14:15 4.3 07:45 5.2 20:10 5.3 08:31 2.4 21:12 2.5 01:05 3.9 14:00 4.0 08:11 2.8 21:14 2.8 08:02 3.2 20:35 3.2 07:10 4.3 19:51 4.4 02:37 5.7 15:14 5.7 11:32 4.3 23:53 4.3 07:43 7.3 20:21 7.4 10:08 5.8 22:44 5.9 06:37 2.1 18:39 2.1 02:25 5.2 15:09 5.2 07:57 7.0 20:34 7.1 07:46 4.9 20:17 5.1 01:24 5.0 14:07 5.0 01:48 2.8 15:09 2.9 --:-- -- 13:42 4.3 08:12 3.7 20:38 3.8 07:34 4.6 20:06 4.8 06:47 3.4 19:20 3.6 02:21 7.0 15:05 6.9 --:-- -- 12:37 4.4 01:53 1.3 15:22 1.3
天气形势 一个高压脊将普遍给不列颠群岛带来干燥条件，伴有晴间多云及云层覆盖区。由于一个弱锋面边界，不列颠北部和爱尔兰北部将出现较厚云层，或许伴有毛毛雨。冰岛上空的低压将在周末将更多锋面向不列颠群岛推进。
ney ney
奥克尼群岛 设得兰群岛
谢菲尔德
风力。最高 23C (73F)， 最低 12C (54F)。 英格兰东北部、中部、英格兰西南部、英格兰中南部、 南威尔士、英格兰东部：干燥，阳光充足，局部有云。西风轻至中等。最高 27C (81F)，最低 15C (59F)。 东英吉利、伦敦、英格兰中南部、英格兰东南部： 干燥，体感温暖或炎热，伴有阵阵阳光，但有时有较厚云层。风轻且方向多变。最高 29C (84F)， 最低 16C (61F)。
黑夜时长 阿伯丁 (Aberdeen) 贝尔法斯特 (Belfast) 伯明翰 (Birmingham) 卡迪夫 (Cardiff) 埃克塞特 (Exeter) 格拉斯哥 (Glasgow) 利物浦 (Liverpool) 伦敦 (London) 曼彻斯特 (Manchester) 纽卡斯尔 (Newcastle) 诺里奇 (Norwich) 彭赞斯 (Penzance) 谢菲尔德 (Sheffield)
22:08-04:23 22:09-04:53 21:42-04:47 21:43-04:56 21:41-05:01 22:09-04:39 21:51-04:47 21:31-04:44 21:48-04:43 21:53-04:33 21:30-04:33 21:46-05:11 21:45-04:41
最热：萨默塞特郡，Yeovilton，27.6C 最冷：Aonach Mor，6.0C 最湿：萨瑟兰郡，Resallach，5.2mm 最晴：泽西岛，13.4hrs*
太阳与月亮 格林威治 日出： 日落： 月出： 月落：
05.12 21.00 17.48 00.43 周六
满月：7月 29日
保罗·西蒙斯 (Paul Simons)
如今当你走在草地上，听起来就像在踩薯片袋子一样。英国这片绿色宜人的土地，现在看起来像是一团枯黄色的、被数周酷暑烤干的焦灼植被。但好消息是，天气即将发生变化，本周末的降雨将给许多地区带来极大的缓解。坏消息是，雨量不会很大，尤其是在那些最需要雨水的地区，主要集中在东部和南部。
主导这个夏季的高压系统带来了蓝天、烈日和三波酷暑热浪。由于喷流（jet stream）大幅向北偏移，远离英国（除少数次侵入苏格兰北部外），典型的英国阴雨天气及其雨带被推向了遥远的绕道方向。但现在高压系统正在消退，喷流正沿着天气前线携带雨水返回，尽管降水量较小，且主要以零星阵雨形式出现，集中在北部和西部。不过，英国各地气温都将略有下降，这将结束热浪，并带来更清爽、更宜人的环境。
英国的热浪通常在巨大的暴雨中戛然而止，且往往伴随雷暴，最著名的是 1976 年 8 月下旬恰逢银行假日周末而来的特大暴雨。但本周末的降雨将是细雨蒙蒙而非轰鸣而至，这让许多渴望雨水的园艺爱好者感到十分失望。仅仅几场阵雨不足以复苏被烤干的土地、水位低陷的水库和河流，也无法解除目前许多地区执行的禁用水管令。下周的前景是，南部地区将短暂回归高压，气温回升，随后在周晚些时候可能会有另一个大西洋系统抵达。关于 8 月会带来什么仍存在很大不确定性，尽管再次出现热浪的可能性依然存在。
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Ineos 团队 因放弃特立独行者 而深感遗憾
David Walsh
奥西耶尔-梅莱特 (Orcières-Merlette)
在前往奥西耶尔-梅莱特的最后一次攀爬中，激烈的角逐开始了。一组由六人组成的突围集团拥有领先优势，这意味着其中一人将赢得该赛段。是谁？为荷兰 Visma-Lease a Bike 车队效力的美国选手马特奥·乔根森 (Matteo Jorgenson) 在距离终点 11 公里处发起进攻，但被为 Education First-Easy Post 车队效力的厄瓜多尔选手理查德·卡拉帕斯 (Richard Carapaz) 追上。乔根森再次尝试，结果相同。
这位美国选手深知，当接近山顶坡度变得更陡时，他将无法与其他人抗衡。他的加速让 Movistar 车队的劳尔·加西亚 (Raúl Garcia) 和 Uno-X Mobility 车队的托比亚斯·约翰森 (Tobias Johannessen) 无法跟上。六人变成了四人。乔根森、卡拉帕斯、Jayco Alula 车队的毛罗·施密德 (Mauro Schmid) 以及 Soudal 车队的瓦伦丁·帕雷特-潘特雷 (Valentin Paret-Peintre) 展开了决胜。
在还剩四公里半时，乔根森再次进攻。卡拉帕斯掐灭了那团火焰，随后点燃了自己的。虽然卡拉帕斯更强、更有爆发力，但帕雷特-潘特雷拒绝投降。这位法国车手挖掘出前所未有的潜能，起身脱离车鞍，猛踩踏板，缩小了与卡拉帕斯的差距，随后进入了他的尾流区。
由于在最初的进攻中被拉开距离，乔根森和施密德利用卡拉帕斯短暂恢复的时间反击。他们再次回到了四人的局面。在距离山顶三公里半处，乔根森、施密德和帕雷特-潘特雷在道路右侧骑行，将卡拉帕斯单独留在左侧。这很危险，因为这是一个卡拉帕斯绝不会拒绝的邀请。
与其说他是在进攻，不如说他是在以迅雷之势瞬间甩开对手。他们看着他离去；那是力量、速度和侵略性的体现。没有一个人做出反应。没有人看向另外两人。他们都知道。
Uttoxeter Rob Wright
1.40 新手跨栏赛 (£5,281: 2英里) (13)
最强的人将赢得该赛段。而其他人则在争夺第二名。在短短三公里多的距离里，卡拉帕斯领先施密德和乔根森 45 秒。尽管帕雷特-潘特雷最终获得第四名，但在最后几公里中，他落后卡拉帕斯 1分14秒。
考虑到他拉开的距离之远，看到卡拉帕斯在最后冲线前回头看，简直有些滑稽。他拍了几次手，挥拳庆祝，将手指放在太阳穴上，然后张开手指，再次挥拳庆祝。
卡拉帕斯现在 33 岁，但他的职业生涯已进入秋季，却没有任何一片叶子飘落。他在 2019 年赢得了环意赛 (Giro d’Italia)，在 2021 年赢得了奥运公路赛，而这次是他在大赛中的第九次赛段胜利。尽管这些成就都至关重要，但有理由认为他会将这次胜利视为特别。他的车队迫切需要一些成绩，以证明自己是这里最出色、最具进攻性的车队之一。
每当有任何获得成功的机会出现在某个赛段时，他们的粉色队服总能出现在突围集团中。本·希利 (Ben Healy)、亚历克斯·鲍登 (Alex Baudin)、肖恩·奎因 (Sean Quinn)、迈克尔·瓦尔格伦 (Michael Valgren) 以及卡拉帕斯本人。有时他们运气不佳，有时被更强大的对手击败，但他们从未停止信念。即使在前往奥西耶尔-梅莱特的第 18 个赛段中，他们似乎错过了突围机会，但尤其是希利，他竭尽全力帮助卡拉帕斯重新追上领先者。
对于卡拉帕斯来说，这次胜利是在一个悲剧之年到来的。1月，他 73 岁的母亲安娜·路易莎·蒙特内格罗 (Ana Luisa Montenegro) 突然去世。队里每个人都知道理查德与母亲的关系多么亲近，他立即返回厄瓜多尔地办理丧事。尽管他主要在欧洲比赛，但卡拉帕斯是个顾家的人，抓住每一个机会陪伴在厄瓜多尔的家人和亲戚身边。
在 Ineos Grenadiers 车队度过三年后，卡拉帕斯在 2023. 年加入了 Education First。他们的老板乔纳森·沃特斯 (Jonathan Vaughters) 长期以来一直是他迷。沃特斯当时表示：“他一直是我最喜欢的车手之一。不仅仅是因为他能赢。卡拉帕斯的获胜方式……
2.10 让磅跨栏赛 (£3,248: 2英里) (11)
2.40 让磅跨栏赛 (£3,248: 2英里) (10)
卡拉帕斯在一次力量、速度和侵略性的绝佳展现中，以 45 秒的优势率先冲线，赢得了第 18 赛段。
第 19 赛段
2 2
Bayard 山口 1,246m
Noyer 山口 1,661m
圣朱利安- 蒙丹尼斯 584m
127.9km
加普 (Gap) 907m 阿拉普迪埃兹 (Alpe d’Huez) 1,850m
智慧、时机、侵略性和毅力。他赢得环意赛是因为他非常聪明，并在恰好的时机发起了进攻。他愿意为此冒险，并且成功了。
“对于我们车队的风格，理查德完美契合，因为我们需要一个能利用巧妙战术而非仅凭蛮力来赢球的领骑者。这就是理查德带给我们的。”
沃特斯当时的说法在现在依然适用。卡拉帕斯能改变一支车队在环法赛中的叙事。他在 2024 年环法赛中做到了，现在再次实现了。Ineos 车队现在比以往任何时候都更欣赏这一点。他们在这个环法赛中为了赢下一个赛段地如此努力，许多车手表现出色，但始终未能如愿。他们需要一个
3.15 让磅追逐赛 (£3,248: 3m) (14)
3.50 让磅障碍赛 (£4,066: 2m 7f) (16)
第 18 赛段结果
(沃伊龙-奥西耶尔-梅莱特，185.2km) 1 R 卡拉帕斯 (厄瓜多尔, EF Education–EasyPost) 4hr 26 min 21 sec; 2 M 施密德 (瑞士, Jayco–AlUla) 落后 45secs behind; 3 M 乔根森 (美国, Visma–Lease a Bike) same time; 4 V 帕雷特-潘特雷 (法国, Soudal Quick-Step) 1:14 behind; 5 T 约翰森 (挪威, Uno-X Mobility) 1:57 behind. 总成绩：1 T 波加查 (斯洛文尼亚; UAE Emirates-XRG) 64hr 35min 13sec; 2 R 埃文波尔 (比利时; Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 4:32 behind; 3 I 德尔托罗 (墨西哥; UAE Emirates-XRG) at 6:51; 4 P 塞克萨斯 (法国; Decathlon CMA CGM) at 7:11; 5 J 阿尤索 (西班牙; Lidl-Trek) at 9:22.
Ornon 山口 1,371m
卡拉帕斯。那么，为什么他们在 2023 年放他走？原因与他们允许汤姆·皮德考克在 2025 年加盟竞争对手的原因相同。
卡拉帕斯和皮德考克都极具天赋，但他们需要被视为个体对待。Ineos 更倾向于统一性，即能够轻易融入车队计划的车手。他们会私下告诉你，皮德考克很难对付。在卡拉帕斯离队时，Ineos 当时的总经理罗德·埃林沃思表示：“这是一门生意，我们正带领车队前进。我们依然雄心勃勃，而有时你必须为不同的人腾出空间。”
车队为不同的人腾了空间，但最终失去了阵地。如果卡拉帕斯和皮德考克现在效力于 Netcompany Ineos，该车队将在本次环法赛中享受一个极其出色的赛季。皮德考克在奥西耶尔获得第十名，安全地处于总冠军黄色领骑组中，落后于卡拉帕斯 4min 35sec。这位约克郡车手目前总成绩排名第八。
4.25 让磅障碍赛 (£4,066: 2m 4f) (11)
由于接下来的两个赛段将在阿拉普迪埃兹结束，总成绩竞争者们很高兴能度过相对平静的一天，尤其是赛会领跑者塔代伊·波加查所在的 UAE Emirates XRG 车队——他在总成绩中领先 4min 32sec。他们一直被一种胃部病毒困扰，至少有三名车手受到影响。受影响最严重的是布兰登·麦克纳尔蒂，他在赛段早期掉队，被迫单独骑行 50 公里。随后他无法继续并选择了退赛。
亚当·耶茨和蒂姆·韦伦斯也受到了影响，在过去的两天里，他们无法像平时那样为车队做出贡献。人们有理由怀疑波加查本人是否也受到了影响。他的车队依然承担了一部分领骑工作，但在最后阶段，排名第二的雷姆科·埃文波尔所在的 Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe 车队明显显得更加强劲。
在赛后新闻发布会上，波加查要求将问题限制在三个以内。他被问到关于生病的队友、山地波点衫的争夺，以及他对即将到来的两个阿拉普迪埃兹赛段是否有信心。在面对信心问题时，他回答道：“是的。”当他说话时，你看着他，觉得他比平时苍白，然后你开始怀疑是不是自己的幻觉。
除了卡拉佩兹（Carapaz）的胜利，当天另一个表现出色的是马兹·佩德森（Mads Pedersen），在中间冲刺环节获得最高积分后，他现在牢牢掌控着绿衫。
5.00 障碍赛让分赛 (£4,700: 2英里) (9)
5.35 平地赛 (£3,921: 2英里) (14)
雅士谷 (Ascot) Rob Wright
2.20 新手赛 (Novice Stakes) (2岁马: £13,500: 6弗隆) (8)
2.55 锦标赛 (Stakes) (2岁马: £36,862: 7弗隆) (10)
3.30 让赛 (Handicap) (£15,462: 2英里) (4)
4.05 让赛 (£23,193: 1英里 4弗隆) (9)
4.40 让赛 (£13,425: 7弗隆) (13)
5.12 让赛 (£13,425: 5弗隆) (9)
昨日赛果
桑当 (Sandown)
场地情况：好至坚实（部分路段坚实）
场地情况：好至坚实
场地情况：好至坚实
场地情况：好至坚实
1.55 (5弗隆 10码) 1, Arry Up (L Edmunds, 9-4 热门); 2, Nogo’s Dream (11-4); 3, Brave Nation (16-1). 7 匹参赛. 2长度, 1长度. B R Millman. 2.25 (7弗隆) 1, Zero Error (J P Spencer, 6-1); 2, Thunder Home (14-1); 3, Somerton (5-1). 9 匹参赛. 颈差, 3长度. J & T Gosden. 2.55 (7弗隆) 1, Aperoll (P J Dobbs, 13-8 热门); 2, Bayside View (9-4); 3, Tall Trees (9-2). 8 匹参赛. 颈差, 1 长度. R Hannon. 3.30 (1英里 1弗隆 209码) 1, Tawajjah (J Peate, 2-1); 2, Assail (5-1); 3, Percival (28-1). 6 匹参赛. 1 长度, 头差. Oli Rix. 4.07 (1英里 6弗隆) 1, Probation (A Egan, 3-1); 2, My Ballyquinn (13-8); 3, Alma Latina (5-4 热门). 17 长度, 6长度. K P De Foy. 4.42 (1英里 1弗隆 209码) 1, We Ride At Dawn (R P Downey, 13-2); 2, Shirakawa (11-4 热门); 3, Albertini Star (12-1). 7 匹参赛. 2 长度, 1长度. Robert Edwards. 5.17 (1英里) 1, Marsh Benham (B D L Sayette, 20-1); 2, Amused (25-1); 3, Billy Mill (13-2).
12 匹参赛. 1长度, 27 长度. George Baker. Placepot: £214.60 Quadpot: £20.70
瑟斯克 (Thirsk) Rob Wright
2.00 新手赛 (Novice Stakes) (2岁马: £7,020: 7弗隆) (7)
2.30 新手赛 (Novice Stakes) (2岁马: £5,940: 6弗隆) (9)
3.05 幼马赛 (Nursery) (2岁马: £3,402: 6弗隆) (12)
3.40 让赛 (£4,187: 1英里 6弗隆) (5)
4.18 让赛 (£4,187: 6弗隆) (9)
4.53 让赛 (£3,402: 1英里 4弗隆) (5)
5.27 让赛 (£3,140: 5弗隆) (9)
唐卡斯特 (Doncaster)
2.10 (7弗隆 6码) 1, Jassas (W Buick, 6-4 热门); 2, Narrjoo (4-1); 3, Night Star (7-4). 9 匹参赛. 17 长度, 1长度. C Appleby. 2.40 (1英里 2弗隆 43码) 1, Round The Table (D Egan, 2-7 热门); 2, Interstate (5-2); 3, Dancingondiamonds (150-1). 4 匹参赛. 颈差, 11长度. Tom Clover. 3.10 (6弗隆 111码) 1, Shadow King (S M Levey, 10-1); 2, Jumeirah Storm (6-4); 3, Ten Clarets (11-8 热门). 5 匹参赛. 1长度, 3长度. R Hannon. 3.45 (6弗隆 2码) 1, Ay Up Duck (M Paetel, 11-1); 2, Alfa Duplicate (9-2); 3, Frio (9-1). 8 匹参赛. 颈差, 17 长度. M Appleby. 4.15 (7弗隆 6码) 1, Commander Of Life (S M Levey, 7-4); 2, Farandaway (11-4); 3, Al Muqdad (9-2). 6 匹参赛. 未出赛(NR): Evocative Spark, War Howl. 1 长度, 1 长度. Jessica Macey. 4.48 (7弗隆 213码) 1, Theme Park (Faye
约克 (York) Rob Wright
5.32 让赛 (£12,885: 7弗隆) (18)
6.05 让赛 (£12,885: 2英里) (14)
6.40 新手赛 (Novice Stakes) (2岁马: £12,885: 7弗隆) (8)
7.15 让赛 (£12,885: 6弗隆) (22)
7.50 雌马锦标赛 (Fillies’ Stakes) (£39,697: 1英里 2弗隆) (6)
McManoman, 13-2); 2, Chilly Breeze (7-1); 3, Boubyan (13-2). 8 匹参赛. 1 长度, 颈差. N Tinkler. 5.23 (1英里 2弗隆 43码) 1, Shadow Brigade (L Wright, 10-1); 2, Saxophonist (3-1); 3, Brighlee (5-2). 6 匹参赛. 1长度, 1长度. George Scott. Placepot: £91.90 Quadpot: £62.10
雅茅斯 (Yarmouth)
5.04 (5弗隆 42码) 1, Evenfall (B Loughnane, 4-6 热门); 2, Minster Man (10-1); 3, Anchiano (9-4). 4 匹参赛. 17 长度, 17 长度. G Boughey. 5.39 (1英里 3码) 1, Drifts Away (T Marquand, 7-1); 2, Rogue Dynasty (5-2); 3, Distinct Spirit (9-4). 6 匹参赛. 未出赛(NR): Man Of Desert. 3长度, 1长度. T Kent. 6.14 (7弗隆 3码) 1, Three Non Blondes (M Ghiani, 7-2); 2, Hardy’s Hero (10-11 热门); 3, Starfinch (14-1). 4 匹参赛. 短头差, 1长度. Hayley Burton. 6.49 (7弗隆 3码) 1, Rogue Allegiance (H Davies, 2-1 热门); 2, North View (10-1); 3, Campani (2-1 热门). 6 匹参赛. 1长度, 27 长度. James Owen. 7.24 (1英里 3弗隆 104码) 1, Mr Bollinger (B Loughnane, 4-1); 2, Caraway (10-11 热门); 3, Gretna Dreams (9-4). 5 匹参赛. 1长度, 4 长度. M L W Bell. 7.59 (6弗隆 3码) 1, Rianka (M Ghiani, 8-1); 2, Chasing Gold (11-2); 3, Havana Jag (7-2 热门). 7 匹参赛. 1长度, 1长度. Martin Dunne. 8.34 (1英里 3码) 1, Celtic Chariot (B Loughnane, 5-2); 2, Roi De Coeur (2-1 热门); 3, Guest House (2-1 热门). 4 匹参赛. 1长度, 短头差. K Frost. Placepot: £408.30 Quadpot: £78.50
纽伯里 (Newbury)
8.25 让赛 (3岁马: £12,885: 5弗隆) (12)
桑当 (Sandown) Rob Wright
5.15 让赛 (£4,449: 1英里 2弗隆) (7)
5.47 未胜马锦标赛 (Maiden Stakes) (2岁马: £5,940: 5弗隆) (9)
6.20 让赛 (£6,019: 1英里 6弗隆) (6)
6.55 让赛 (3岁马: £6,019: 1英里 2弗隆) (5)
7.30 让赛 (£6,019: 1英里) (6)
8.05 让赛 (3岁马: £4,449: 7弗隆) (6)
Silver Wraith (9-2); 3, Raffles Angel (8-1). 8 匹参赛。NR：Jimmy Knocker, Just Jump。2l, nk。 R Burdon。 7.40 (2m) 1, Campeona (L Morris, 2-7); 2, Diamond Bay (8-1); 3, Golden Flame (5-1)。 NR: The Craftymaster。1 l, 5l。Sir Mark Prescott。 8.15 (1m 4f) 1, Sarangpur (D Probert, 5-4); 2, Nowshesdancing (10-3); 3, Into Battle (9-4)。4 匹参赛。NR: Port George。l, 3 l。R Hughes。 8.48 (1m 2f) 1, Raintown (Scarlett Dorricott, 15-2); 2, Caph Star (3-1); 3, Just An Hour (13-8)。8 匹参赛。l, 3l。J S Moore。 Placepot:£32.00 Quadpot:£9.10 Southwell
Chepstow Rob Wright
5.18 Nursery (2-Y-O: £3,454: 6f) (7)
5.52 Maiden Stakes (2-Y-O: £4,320: 6f) (10)
6.26 Handicap (£3,454: 7f) (7)
7.01 Handicap (£4,187: 1m) (7)
7.36 Classified Stakes (£3,454: 1m) (10)
8.11 Handicap (£3,454: 5f) (7)
8.46 Handicap (£3,454: 1m 2f) (9)
8.46 (1m 2f) 1, Race Winner (Jockey, 15-8). 12 匹参赛。nk, 3 l。R Varian。 6.01 (7f 14yd) 1, Gran Ventura (K Stott, 5-2); 2, Dovecote (6-5 fav); 3, Conspiracist (3-1)。13 匹参赛。3 l, 2 l。J Channon。 6.36 (6f 16yd) 1, Rlasthope (T Eaves, 15-8); 2, Beresford Gap (11-10); 3, Dreamlighter (15-2)。12 匹参赛。NR: Harry Who。2l, 1 l。T Coyle & K Wood。 7.11 (6f 16yd) 1, Too Many Spirits (T Eaves, 4-1); 2, Time And Effort (28-1); 3, Bella Lucia (18-1)。12 匹参赛。2l, nk。T Coyle & K Wood。 7.46 (1m 4f 14yd) 1, Belle Of Kt (Millie Wonnacott, 15-2); 2, Koko Blue (9-1); 3, Urban Warrior (5-4)。9 匹参赛。NR: Night Bear。3 l, 27 l。J S Moore。 8.21 (1m 3f 23yd) 1, Si White (D Hogan, 9-2); 2, Hansteen (8-15); 3, Smoker Bellamy (11-1)。10 匹参赛。1 l, 2 l。Sir Mark Prescott。 8.56 (4f 214yd) 1, Havin A Flyer (T Kiely-Marshall, 5-1); 2, My Mate Mackley (9-4 fav); 3, Golden Harvest (9-1)。7 匹参赛。1 l, 17 l。R Menzies。 Placepot:£7.80 Quadpot:£5.10
Molly Hudson 赛车记者，布达佩斯
Molly Hudson
由于继续应对受中东冲突影响的赛历，一级方程式赛车 (Formula 1) 可能在本赛季重返马来西亚。
原定于 4 月在巴林和沙特阿拉伯举行的分站赛因该地区的冲突而无法进行。当时，F1 明确表示这些赛事并非被取消，只是不会在原定月份按计划进行。
最初的计划是，F1 将在 10 月第一周巴库站与新加坡站之间的赛历空档期重返巴林。
速度问题的答案
乔治·罗素 (George Russell) 表示，梅赛德斯已确定了动力单元内部导致其直线速度下降的问题。
与队友基米·安东内利 (Kimi Antonelli) 相比，罗素在直道上一直丢失时间，但车队在银石 (Silverstone) 和斯帕 (Spa) 的分站赛期间未能通过赛道测试找到具体问题。
2026, 年的一级方程式动力单元在电能和内燃能之间几乎采取 50-50 的分配，极其复杂，且能量部署本身由算法而非赛车手控制。
在工厂进行的分析似乎现在已经找到了问题根源，罗素对此充满信心，认为本周末的匈牙利大奖赛不会再次出现该问题。“我感觉很好，很高兴能得到一些积极的答案，现在我们要向前看，”罗素在布达佩斯告诉英国媒体。
“这些新的动力单元确实异常复杂，在代码的校准中深埋着一些东西，除非……你已知，否则几乎不可能发现。”
罗素目前落后安东内利 50 分
计划获批
Joe Harston
水晶宫国家体育中心 £130 million 的翻新计划于昨晚获得批准，其中包括一座 25,000 个座位的体育场。
该项目计划振兴这座被誉为“英国田径精神家园”的场馆，得到了伦敦市长萨迪克·汗爵士的大力支持，并在布罗姆利议会会议上获得绿灯。
目前是非比赛周。在 美国 和 伊朗 之间一次不成功的停火后，中东冲突再次恶化，此前情况看起来原本是乐观的。现在几乎肯定无法返回巴林，但 F1 的领导层仍希望在那个时间窗口内举行比赛。
据了解，最受欢迎的方案是回归马来西亚及其雪邦国际赛道，该赛道自 2017 年以来未曾举办过 F1 比赛，考虑到其与新加坡的距离较近，这意味着物流动荡较小——但其他可能性仍摆在桌面，利益相关者将在未来几天继续讨论该话题。
准确地寻找目标。因此，我很庆幸我们找到了它。斯帕和银石赛道之所以暴露出这个问题，大概是因为赛道本身的特性 [对动力依赖度极高]。”
在车手积分榜上，拉塞尔落后于排名榜首的安东内利 50 分——在斯帕赛道比赛过程中，这一差距扩大了一倍，安东内利赢得了该场比赛，而拉塞尔在首圈就发生了碰撞退出比赛。他与刘易斯·汉密尔顿的碰撞部分原因是由于在肯梅尔直道上缺乏动力而丢失位置。汉密尔顿在锦标赛排名中超越拉塞尔升至第二，落后安东内利 45 分。
拉塞尔在撞车后在车队无线电中带有脏话的愤怒咆哮并未在主信号中播出，但他说： “我出局了。直道上的 SOC [电量状态] 到底发生了什么该死的状况？我在直道上根本没有该死的电量。伙计们，不可接受，整个周末简直太他妈不可接受了。”
虽然这段信息是在情绪激动时发出的，但很明显， 28, 岁的拉塞尔希望坚持自己的立场，并确保此事得到认真对待。“我的措辞本可以稍微温和一点，”他承认道。“在斯帕赛道之前和比赛期间，我对这个问题表达得相当激烈，而最终，我们在发现存在问题这方面达到了预期目标。”
“如果你坐在那里不表达任何观点，也许你能发现问题，也许不能——这样你就无法前进。”
自该中心 1964. 年开放以来。它还将允许该场馆举办其他体育赛事，计划建设一个六场规模的板式网球中心、3x3 篮球场、五人制足球场以及一个全尺寸的人工多功能运动场。
重新开发将包括对这座二级登录建筑（Grade II listed building）的大规模翻新，该建筑内设有奥林匹克标准的游泳池和跳水板，已于 2020 年关闭。
汗市长已承诺为该项目出资数百万英镑，这将为顶尖田径赛事（包括直到 2012. 年一直在水晶宫举办的钻石联赛）提供除伦敦体育场之外的替代方案。翻新后的中心预计将于 2028 年开放。
马来西亚从赛历中消失，是因为组织者无法与其他市场能够提供的主办费竞争。
它不是永久重新进入赛程的竞争者，因为在体育竞技如此激烈的时代，这么多国家都希望举办比赛，在马来西亚举行比赛在财务或商业上没有意义。
兰多·诺里斯 去年在阿布扎比 锁定了冠军，但 2026 年比赛尚不确定
在千禧体育场 (Principality Stadium) 见证威尔士对阵英格兰之战，这是一场吉尼斯赞助的六国锦标赛 (Men’s Six Nations) 赛事，历史、宿敌之争与决定胜负的压力在此交汇。
此专属套餐包含官方比赛门票，以及两场由传奇评论员斯图尔特·巴恩斯 (Stuart Barnes)、《泰晤士报》的查理·摩根 (Charlie Morgan) 及一位名人嘉宾主持的活动，为您提供超越开球瞬间的极致体验。入住市中心优质四星级酒店，让您紧邻体育场、餐厅和赛后讨论区。哨响前的深刻洞察，哨响后的热烈氛围 —— 从始至终，每一个细节都为您妥帖处理。
由斯图尔特·巴恩斯主持 自脱下十号位球鞋以来，斯图尔特成为了《泰晤士报》的专栏作家和比赛分析师，是英国最犀利的橄榄球评论员之一。
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以及新加坡。MotoGP 仍在雪邦赛道举行比赛。
关于该系列赛事的决定必须立即做出，可能最快在下周。
另外两场中东赛事（卡塔尔和阿布扎比），原定为赛季收官战，若冲突持续，仍存在不确定性，但目前尚未对其做出决定。
一个被考虑的应急方案是在 11月 22 日拉斯维加斯大奖赛后返回欧洲，在波尔蒂芒 (Portimão) 举行一场比赛。位于葡萄牙的该赛道已经准备就绪，且已承诺在 2027 和 2028 年重返赛历。它最后一次举办比赛是在 2021 年。
其他赛道也提出，如果卡塔尔和阿布扎比站被取消，愿意承办比赛，但决定将在接近赛季末时才做出，以期比赛能够正常进行。
如果马来西亚和葡萄牙站如期举行，本赛季将以 22 场比赛结束（原定 24 场）—— 如果中东局势平息，卡塔尔和阿布扎比站得以举行，该数量可能会增加到 23 场。
世界耐力锦标赛 (WEC) 在本赛季早前推迟了卡塔尔站，但现在预计该站也不会举行， 11 月的巴林站亦然。WEC 将立即做出决定，随后 F1 将据此做出决定。
• 在卡迪夫湾 Future Inn 酒店入住两晚四星级住宿（含早餐）
• 与传奇评论员斯图尔特·巴恩斯、《泰晤士报》资深橄榄球记者查理·摩根及一位名人嘉宾进行赛前问答
• 周五获准进入队长训练赛 (Captain’s Run)
• 官方 A 类门票（下层看台，试跑线区域）
• 主办方欢迎饮品
• 巡回赛周边商品
可选升级：
• 银色款款待升级（含饮品和午餐）
T
迈克·布莱尔 (Mike Blair) 告诉马克·帕尔默 (Mark Palmer) 他正瞄准世界杯的荣耀
当一名 45 岁的苏格兰人被任命为 All Blacks（全黑队）首位外籍助理教练时，注定会有一些质疑者。尤其是当职责涉及进攻端时——那是新西兰橄榄球骄傲的长期象征。
迈克·布莱尔清楚自己的想法，更关键的是，他清楚自己的优势——毕竟，他曾从家乡球队爱丁堡队 (Edinburgh) 的主帅之位上辞职，因为他足够自觉地意识到，自己并不享受担任主教练所带来的广泛且繁重的额外职责。然而，即便如此，他也会好奇，世界上最天才、最直觉且最具创造力的才干们，在被一个来自地球另一端的“外来者”指点时会有什么反应。
“首先，我在第一天就专门跟进攻组的人说，这不是‘我的’进攻，而是‘我们的’进攻，”他解释道。“我不想成为那个进来就想改变一切的人，因为之前已经有很多很棒的尝试在进行了。”
“我没有那么自大，认为我的方法永远是对的。如果我们进行讨论，并且你证明了有更好的方法，我完全没问题转身说：‘好的，那我们就改用那个方法’。”
“我热爱这种协作和对话——在被挑战‘我们正在做什么’以及‘为什么要这么做’中成长。我知道我必须时刻保持顶尖状态。”
“你可以想象，我最初来到这里时相当忐忑，但每一次经历都让我感到更加自在。在与所有管理层见面后，我很高兴地意识到每个人其实都很普通。在与球员见面时也是一样：每个人都很普通，且每个人都在朝着同一个目标努力，那就是进步并获胜。”
布莱尔深知自己所获得职位的荣幸。这是在斯科特·罗伯逊 (Scott Robertson) 离任后的重组计划的一部分，该计划任命了戴夫·伦尼 (Dave Rennie) 为直到明年世界杯结束的主教练，布莱尔曾在格拉斯哥勇士队 (Glasgow Warriors) 以及随后在日本的神户钢业队 (Kobe Steelers) 期间在伦尼麾下工作。
“伦尼非常了解我，并且信任我，”布莱尔说。“他知道能从我这里得到什么。外面的世界一定有比我更优秀的进攻教练，但我正是那个获得了这次机会的人，所以现在我想真正把握住它。”
“我在 2009 年参加狮队 (Lions) 的经历是，我被选中了，但可能没有足够努力地去争夺 1 号 [接球手] 的位置。那是一个错失的机会，所以我现在的心态是，我不希望仅仅满足于在 Instagram 上写我是 All Blacks 的进攻教练。我想写我是一名带领 All Blacks 赢得世界杯的进攻教练。”
“有时说起来容易做起来难，但总的来说，我觉得我能够将这份工作的影响力与实际执行它分开。”
布莱尔 17 年前在南非的狮队经历，可能也将有助于他应对在新西兰的下一个挑战。在新政权的第一系列赛中，All Blacks 刚刚击败了法国、爱尔兰和意大利，场均得分 40 分，现在他们准备在 Springbok 领土上进行四场测试赛，此外还将面对该国家的四支 URC 球队。
结果
板球
The Hundred 男子组：伦敦精神队 (London Spirit) 对阵 曼彻斯特超级巨人队 (Manchester Super Giants) Lord’s (London Spirit 赢得抛币并选择先击球)：曼彻斯特超级巨人队以 7 分胜出。 曼彻斯特超级巨人队 (球数) *A Markram lbw b Milne 1 (10) T Seifert c Willey b Coles 67 (45) †J Buttler b Zampa 16 (11) H Klaasen c Livingstone b Willey 17 (11) L du Plooy b Zampa 6 (4) T Moores 跑出界 (Brevis/Rew) 0 (2) L Dawson b Livingstone 9 (9) G Atkinson c Overton B Livingstone 6 (4) N Ahmad 未出局 2 (3) J Tongue 跑出界 (Coles/Livingstone) 1 (1) 额外分 (lb 10, w 3) 13 总分 (9wkts, 100 balls) 138 S Baker 未击球。
距离世界杯仅剩一年多时间，这次访问将充满悬念，且无疑会伴随着不少喧嚣与闹剧。在极其淡定的伦尼 (Rennie) 身上，布莱尔 (Blair) 相信新西兰队拥有理想的向导。
“伦斯 (Rens) 最大的优势之一就是他似乎对任何事情都不感到局促。他对自己的眼光、思想和信念非常有信心。他也很擅长心理战——在面对媒体讲话时，他的眼神中不时闪烁着光芒。但他也非常聪明。他知道在当今的社交媒体时代，闲谈能为比赛创造讨论点和关注度。”
“到目前为止，我们做出了一些不错的成绩，但前往南非将是完全不同的局面。他们一直令人印象深刻，可能拥有三支可以挑选的队伍，但正如戴夫 (Dave) 已经说过的，他们一次只能派一支队上场。这与狮子队 (Lions) 的情况非常相似，因为你同样有四场周中比赛。你得奔波在旅途中，球员们必须通过轮换比赛来支撑，所以这将非常艰苦。”
“但这将加速我们比赛中的学习和发展，对此我们感到非常兴奋。我们将看到球员们在一段较长时间内的能力如何；他们作为一名球员以及一个人的运作状态如何。”
伦尼和布莱尔一直非常依赖飓风队 (Hurricanes) 后卫线的化学反应和凝聚力，例如卡姆·罗伊加德 (Cam Roigard)、鲁本·洛夫 (Ruben Love)、乔迪·巴雷特 (Jordie Barrett) 和乔什·穆尔比 (Josh Moorby)。到目前为止，尚未看到 2015 年世界杯冠军博登·巴雷特 (Beauden Barrett) 的身影，
击球顺序/失分点 (Fall of wickets) 1-16, 2-65, 3-105, 4-116, 5-116, 6-122, 7-135, 8-136, 9-138。 投球 Willey 20-7-23-1; Milne 15-9-11-1; Overton 10-5-15-0; Mills 5-1-14-0; Zampa 15-6-27-2; Coles 15-4-24-1: Livingstone 20-10-14-2. 伦敦精神队 (London Spirit) (球数) L Pretorius c du Plooy b Atkinson 12 (13) K Carlson b Dawson 19 (19) †J Rew c Atkinson b Tongue 0 (2) *L Livingstone b Baker 69 (40) D Brevis c & b Atkinson 22 (23) J Coles c Moores b Baker 1 (3) J Overton 未出局 1 (1) 额外分 (lb 2, nb 1, w 4) 7 总分 (6 个三柱门, 100 个球) 131 D Willey, A Milne, A Zampa 和 T Mills 未击球。 击球顺序/失分点 1-14, 2-14, 3-51, 4-119, 5-130, 6-131。 投球 Atkinson 20-12-15-2; Baker 20-9-29-2; Tongue 20-6-26-1; Ahmad 20-6-36-0; Dawson 20-9-23-1。
布莱尔的职业球员生涯包括 2009 年的狮子队南非之旅（右上图），随后他转入教练工作，首先在格拉斯哥 (Glasgow) 与伦尼合作（右图），现在则与全黑队 (All Blacks) 合作。他说巴雷特（主图）对近期未被选入队中的心态很平和，
这位拥有 144 场出场记录的飞翼后卫 (fly half) 最近刚庆祝了 35 岁生日。
“他会获得机会，我们知道当他获得机会时，他能非常迅速地进入状态，”布莱尔说。“他在球队环境中的表现非常好，一直在帮助参赛的球员，他处于进攻组中，作为……”
女子组：伦敦精神队 (London Spirit) v 曼彻斯特超级巨人队 (Manchester Super Giants) 洛德球场 (Manchester Super Giants 赢得抛硬币并选择先投球)：曼彻斯特超级巨人队以 7 个三柱门的优势击败伦敦精神队。 伦敦精神队 (球数) G M Harris c Ecclestone b Ballinger 4 (5) †A E Jones c Ghosh b Brown 0 (1) M Kelly c Scholfield b MacDonald-Gay 1 (4) M Kapp c Lanning b MacDonald-Gay 17 (12) N de Klerk b MacDonald-Gay 10 (18) D J S Dottin b Ecclestone 4 (9) C R Pavely st Ghosh b Villiers 13 (9) *C E Dean 被跑杀 14 (17) K L George c Ghosh b MacDonald-Gay 8 (9) J P Groves 被跑杀 2 (3) H Rainey 未出局 1 (4) 额外分 (lb 2, w 4) 6 总分 (18.1 局) 80 击球顺序/失分点 1-4, 2-5, 3-22, 4-23, 5-28, 6-48, 7-68, 8-73, 9-78。 投球 Ballinger 4-1-9-1; Brown 4-0-28-1; MacDonald-Gay 3.1-0-17-4; Ecclestone 4-0-
7-1; Villiers 3-0-17-1。 曼彻斯特超级巨人队 (Manchester Super Giants) (球数) S S Mandhana lbw b Kapp 17 (14) *M M Lanning c Harris b Rainey 21 (24) G E Scrivens b Kapp 0 (1) P J Scholfield 未出局 22 (15) †R M Ghosh 未出局 15 (5) 附加分 (lb 6, w 5) 11 总计 (3 wicket, 11.4 轮) 86 M K Villiers, K E Bryce, M J Brown, R L MacDonald-Gay, S Ecclestone 和 G Ballinger 未击球。 丢球顺序 1-33, 2-33, 3-57。 投球 Kapp 4-0-18-2; Dottin 2-0-18-0; Dean 2-0-8-0; de Klerk 2-0-14-0; Rainey 1-0-5-1; Groves 0.4-0-17-0。
方法转变 在 Scott Robertson 执教期间 (2024-26)
实战踢球 踢球保留率 % 横向位移 30+ 米的阶段 % 传至第二接球手之后的阶段 % 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0
10.0 12.0
表现出色，他的一些投入确实非常有益。一个非常、非常令人印象深刻的人。
“我们试图从特许经营队中吸取精华，并结合我的一些
沃里克郡队 (Warwickshire) (球数) V Jani c †Verreynne b Hutton 1 (14) R Yates c McCann b Hutton 19 (14) Z Malik c Farhan Ahmed b James 29 (25) A Davies b Pocklington 20 (31) K Smith b James 6 (14) G Garton c Martindale b James 117 (101) J Lintott c †Verreynne b Farhan Ahmed 5 (13) E Bamber c McCann b Pocklington 50 (53) T Chaudry Ali lbw b Pocklington 9 (13) J Garlick 未出局 9 (6) O Hannon-Dalby c McCann b Hayes 9 (15) 附加分 (w 3, lb 5) 8 总计 (49.5 轮) 282 丢球顺序 1-2, 2-36, 3-54, 4-86, 5-93, 6-121, 7-242, 8-252, 9-263, 10-282。 投球 Hutton 10-2-35-2, Hayes 7.5-0-57-1, 8-0-41-3, James 8-0-41-3, Pocklington 10-0-40-3, Hatton-Lowe 7-0-49-0, Ahmed 7-0-55-1。
在 Dave Rennie 执教期间 (2026-至今)
25.2 19.0 12.0 19.0
在 Rennie 手下，新西兰队的踢球次数有所减少
13.3 15.1
想法。飓风队在后卫进攻方面做了一些非常不错的事情，因此 Ruben 和 Jordie 等人一直在帮助推动这一方面的发展。
诺丁汉出局者队 (Notts Outlaws) (球数) B Slater c Jani b Yates 52 (52) F McCann b Lintott 62 (64) B Martindale c Hannon-Dalby b Yates 35 (37) H Hameed b Lintott 2 (7) K Verreynne 未出局 68 (66) L James c Garlick b Lintott 11 (9) J Pocklington c Bamber b Garlick 31 (45) F Ahmed c Garlick b Ali 3 (6) B Hatton-Lowe 未出局 5 (6) 附加分 (lb 7, nb 1, w 6) 14 总计 (7 wkts, 48.3 轮) 283 B Hutton, J Hayes 未击球。 丢球顺序 1-103, 2-130, 3-138, 4-169, 5-190, 6-272, 7-277。 投球 Bamber 7-0-35-0, Hannon-Dalby 8-1-39-0, Yates 10-0-54-2, Garlick 4.3-0-36-1, Chaudry Ali 9-0-57-1, Lintott 10-0-55-3。
“如果你能将每个特许经营企业的超强优势结合起来，就意味着你不需要从零开始。
“这是格雷格 [Townsend] 做得非常出色的一点 [在布莱尔协助执教的 2016 年至 2021 年期间执教苏格兰队]。在苏格兰队可能会稍微容易一些，因为你真正能选择的球队只有寥寥几支，但这仍然是我一直关注的一点。
“在国际水平上，你拥有更高的橄榄球智慧和更好的球员，因此重点是创建一个让他们能够在其中发挥自己的框架。不要过度指导：在任何给定情况下，给他们提供可以选择的方案。”
目前，布莱尔不可能不关注南非，但自他就职之日起，他的日历上 11 月 7 日就被用红笔圈了起来。那天 All Blacks 将来到默里菲尔德球场，面对一个他曾为其出战 85 场的国家。如果两队在国家锦标赛基于半球的分组赛中保持目前的排名，他们可能会在该月月底的决赛中再次相遇。
网球
ATP 千禧埃斯托里尔公开赛，葡萄牙 男子单打：16强赛 L Van Assche (法) 击败 P Carreno Busta (西) (8) 6-3 4-6 6-2；J Faria (葡) 击败 G Bueno (秘鲁) 6-2 6-4；A Rublev (俄) (1) 击败 T Skatov (哈萨克斯坦) 6-1 6-1；L Darderi (意) (2) 击败 P Martinez (西) 6-0 6-1。 ATP 忠诚公开赛，奥地利 男子单打：四分之一决赛：Q Halys (法) 击败 M Navone (阿根廷) 7-5 6-3；Y Hanfmann (德) 击败 S Baez (阿根廷) 6-3 6-1；T Etcheverry (阿根廷) (4) 击败 I Buse (秘鲁) (5) 6-2 7-5；A Bublik (哈萨克斯坦) (1) 击败 A Molcan (斯洛伐克) 6-3 6-2。
“他们最近的几次交手竞争非常激烈，而且两队都喜欢打类似的橄榄球风格，”布莱尔说。
“我已经有一些支持工作人员在询问那场比赛我需要多少张票，但我告诉他们不用担心，我父亲仍然持有他愿意付费的优先认购票。这将是一项巨大的荣誉——我只需要确保记得走进正确的更衣室就行！”
这是一个不错的玩笑，但现实是布莱尔已经在他的新环境中感到非常自在。
WTA 布拉格公开赛 女子单打：16强赛 L Tararudee (泰) 击败 N Bartunkova (捷) (4) 7-6 (3 4) 3-6 7-6 (8-6)；L Tagger (奥地利) 击败 M Hontama (日本) 6-4 6-4；S Bejlek (捷) (3) 击败 M Timofeeva (乌兹别克斯坦) 6-1 6-1；B Krejcikova (捷) (2) 击败 L Havlickova (捷) 6-4 6-2。 高尔夫
LIV 高尔夫 英国个人赛，JCB 高尔夫乡村俱乐部，罗切斯特：首轮领先成绩（除非另有说明，否则均为美国人）61 L Herbet (澳)。64 B DeChambeau。66 T Hatton (英), H Varner III。67 B-H An (韩国), R Lee (加)。68 A Ancer (墨), A Lahiri (印度), M Leishman (新西兰), S Vincent (津巴布韦), L Masaveu (西), C Howell III, I Poulter (英), C Surratt, B Hellgren。69 C Smith (澳), T Detry (比), P Uihlein。70 C Ortiz (墨), D Burmester (南非), A Meronk (波兰)。71 B Watson, B Grace (南非) T Gooch,
板球
汉班托塔（斯里兰卡赢得掷币并选择先击球）：巴基斯坦队以 5 个 wicket 击败斯里兰卡队。 足球
欧联杯 第二轮资格赛 喀拉巴赫 0 索非亚中央陆军 0；基辅迪纳摩 2 塞萨洛尼基 PAOK 3；哈马比 1 安德莱赫特 1；谢里夫 0 特拉维夫马卡比 5；特隆索 0 赫拉德茨克拉洛韦 1；贝西克塔斯 1 中日得兰 0；圣加仑 2 本菲卡 1；特温特 1 费伦茨瓦罗斯 2；海杜克分快 2 帕福斯 0。 欧会杯 第二轮资格赛（精选比分）Malisheva 2 希伯尼安 0；Alashkert 1 克卢日 CFR 1；利耶帕亚 0 维也纳奥地利 2；伏伊伏丁那 1 亚甲 4；马瑟韦尔 2 哈夫纳尔球会 0；里耶卡 1 德里城 0；谢尔本 5 诺梅卡柳 2；弗洛拉 1 新圣徒 0；波利西亚 3 哥本哈根 3。
(Note: 0 6, 1 6, 2 6, 3 6, 4 6, 5 6, 6 6)
将他们推向了“悬崖边缘”
PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES
Kit Shepard
因脑损伤而起诉体育管理机构的橄榄球运动员们目前仍不确定其诉求是否会被驳回，因为法官在昨天决定不立即做出裁决。
高级法官 Jeremy David Cook 宣布他将保留判决——由于本案具有重大意义且缺乏先例——不过他确实告诉法庭，原告方的律师在比喻意义上将他们推向了“悬崖边缘”。
球员们上周决定更换 Richard Boardman，此前由他及其所在的 Rylands Garth 律师事务所代表，而 Boardman 已在法庭上遭到 Cook 法官和被告方的谴责。目前尚不清楚 Cook 何时将宣布裁决，尽管法院将于 7 月 31 日进入夏季休庭期。
橄榄球管理机构正推动驳回这些诉求，理由是球员律师未能披露必要的医疗记录。原告方否认不合规的指控，并于本周主张，更换法律代表的可能性将解决相关问题。然而，在昨天——本周两天听证会之中的第二天——被告方对新律师可能产生的影响提出了质疑。
英格兰 2003 年世界杯冠军 Steve Thompson 和 Phil Vickery 是 1,000 多名原前球员中的一员，他们指控世界橄榄球联合会 (World Rugby)、英格兰橄榄球协会 (RFU)、威尔士橄榄球联合会 (WRU) 和橄榄球联盟 (Rugby Football League) 违反了保护他们免受神经系统损伤的关照义务。管理机构否认有任何不当行为。
这一具有潜在里程碑意义的案件始于 2020 年，此前因医疗记录披露不足而被迫延迟。在诉讼早期，双方达成一致，球员和管理机构将各自选择一组具有代表性的测试案件，在审判中代表整个群体。管理机构需要球员的医疗细节才能选出其负责的半数测试案件。
昨天确认，由于披露问题，377 名橄榄球联盟 (rugby union) 原告和 153 名橄榄球联赛 (rugby league) 原告面临被驳回的风险。如果被驳回，将对
Thompson 是前球员诉讼群体的一员
J Kokrak, T Pieters (Bel), Y-H Song (S Korea), L Westwood (Eng), T Smyth (Aus) R Bland (Eng). 72 S Garcia (Sp), M Kaymer (Ger), M La Sasso, M Wolff, G McDowell (N Ire), J Ballester (Sp), M Vorster (SA). 73 P Casey (Eng), J Rahm (Sp), D Puig (Sp), D Johnson, A Kim, J NIemann (Chile), L Canter (Eng), D-Y Mun (S Korea), M Tabuena (Phil), S Horsfield (Eng), M-Y Kim (S Korea), T McKibbin (N Ire), C Schwartzel (SA), B Steele. 自行车赛
总成绩 1, T Pogacar (Slvn; UAE Emirates-XRG) 64小时 35分 13秒; 2, R Evenepoel (Bel; Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) 落后 4:32; 3, I Del Toro (Mex; UAE Emirates-XRG) 落后 6:51; 4, P Seixas (Fr; Decathlon CMA CGM) 落后 7:11; 5, J Ayuso (Sp; Lidl-Trek) 落后 9:22. 橄榄球联赛
超级联赛 Hull FC 20 Hull Kingston Rovers 34.
赛程
环法自行车赛：领先位置：第 18 赛段 (Voiron-Orcières-Merlette, 185.2km)：1, R Carapaz (Ec, EF Education–EasyPost) 4小时 26 分 21 秒; 2, M Schmid (Switz, Jayco–AlUla) 落后 45秒; 3, M Jorgenson (US, Visma–Lease a Bike) 同时间; 4, V Paret Peintre (Fr, Soudal Quick-Step) 落后 1:14; 5, T Johannessen (Nor, Uno-X Mobility) 落后 1:57.
地位产生重大影响。Boardman 在法庭上多次受到批评，据称其提供的披露信息迟到、矛盾且不完整。昨天，Cook 将原告比作三辆巴士上的乘客：一辆车是那些信任 Boardman 披露必要证据的人；另外两辆车分别属于橄榄球联盟 (rugby union) 和橄榄球联赛 (rugby league) 的原告，由于加入案件太晚，无法成为初始测试案件样本的一部分。
“第一辆车，司机将他们开下了悬崖边缘，结果他们无法到达目的地，”Cook 说道。
(Note: 7, 11, 14, 21, 22, 26, 32 are not present in the source text provided).
正如前威尔士橄榄球联盟前锋、也是最著名的原告之一的 Alix Popham 在周三透露的那样，球员们已一致决定更换 Boardman，并“任命一家拥有所需资源和专业知识的律所”。Popham 代表所有球员发表的声明中，赞扬了 Boardman 投入的“大量时间、承诺和专业知识”。
辩方对原告计划由 Leigh Day 接替 Rylands Garth 的方案提出了质疑。代表橄榄球联盟机构的 William Audland KC 告诉法庭，Leigh Day “在案件进行多年后才介入，将不得不完成巨大的工作量”，并对他们是否能在不导致诉讼再次延期的前提下掌控这些索赔表示怀疑。另一次听证会定于 11 月举行。
Audland 强调了原告承诺的“完全不同的体制”与有报道称 Boardman 将以顾问身份留任之间的矛盾。
Leigh Day 自 2 月起一直为原告提供咨询服务。“如果他们打算介入此案，他们已经有五个月的时间去研究了，”Aud-
一名 Leigh Day 发言人表示，该所“还没有机会正式考虑是否能以事务律师的身份记录在案”，并且“目前正在审查”。
Cook 将在接下来的时间里考虑提交的材料，他认为原告人数之多使得此案史无前例。“在进入未知领域时，人们本能地会非常谨慎地行动和操作，”他说道。
Rockets（埃奇巴斯顿）。 男子一日杯赛 (Men’s One Day Cup)：A 组 肯特 v 诺丁汉郡 Steelbacks（坎特伯雷），萨里 v 莱斯特郡 Foxes（吉尔福德），萨默塞特 v 格洛斯特郡（汤顿）。 B 组 格拉摩根 v 约克郡（尼思），汉普셔 v 密德尔塞克斯（Utilita Bowl），伍斯特郡 Rapids v 德比郡 Falcons（伍斯特），达勒姆 v 萨塞克斯 Sharks（切斯特-勒-斯特里特）。
自行车赛
环法自行车赛 Stage 19, Gap-Alpe D’Huez (127 km)。
橄榄球联盟
作者：约翰·韦斯特比 (John Westerby)
凯蒂·马钱特 (Katy Marchant) 对那种让她在第二个孩子出生不到 11 个月后就重返英联邦运动会起跑线的痴迷心态，有一个简洁的描述。
在长子亚瑟 (Arthur) 出生仅两年多后，她在巴黎奥运会的团体竞速赛中摘得金牌。她的次子沃尔特 (Walter) 直到 8 月 25, 才会满周岁，而到那时，这位母亲希望自己的收藏中能再增加一枚金牌。
“作为骑手，我们有点‘疯癫’，不是吗？”33, 岁的马钱特笑着说。“但我绝对热爱这项运动，我还没准备好离开。我在训练中发挥出的水平与[奥运]会前六个月时的表现一致，这让我确信，不选择退休、继续挑战并看看能走到哪里，是正确的决定。”
她的复出将在下周的格拉斯哥 Sir Chris Hoy 室内自行车馆实现，届时她将代表英格兰队出战。四年前，由于亚瑟出生，她错过了英联邦运动会。此次她将再次与索菲·凯普韦尔 (Sophie Capewell) 组队，两人均是曾在巴黎三圈比赛中令人难忘地夺得金牌的竞速“三巨头”成员。而第三名成员艾玛·菲努凯恩 (Emma Finucane) 这次将成为对手，代表威尔士队出赛。在巴黎，马钱特骑行在 P1 位置，作为力量型运动员引领竞速车队。在格拉斯哥，她将骑行在 P3 位置，在最后一圈提供速度。
自行车运动历史上不乏女性骑手在成为母亲后重返赛场的先例，最著名的是劳拉·肯尼 (Laura Kenny) 和莎拉·斯托里 (Sarah Storey)。但那两位骑手是耐力型运动员，而对于作为力量型竞速运动员的马钱特来说，产后回归的情况有所不同。在她为巴黎奥运会准备复出的过程中，没有人完全确定会发生什么。
“我想第一次的时候我有点像个小白鼠，”她说。“我可能有点谨慎，因为我们并不真正清楚自己在面对什么。”
“是的，过去有人这样做过，但我是第一个短跑竞速运动员，而且我们的训练与劳拉·肯尼的训练非常不同，例如，健身房的负荷更高，赛道上的力量冲击也更大。所以我觉得我们只是”
游泳 Craig Lord
对于 Glasgow 2026 来说，没有什么比让奥运历史上获得奖牌最多的英国游泳运动员邓肯·斯科特 (Duncan Scott) 在名为他名字的看台前，在“格子军团” (Tartan Army) 的呐喊助威下卫冕冠军，更能开启这场盛会的方式了。
在本次运动会上，没有人能像斯科特那样获得如此之多的看台支持，他曾 13 次登上英联邦运动会的领奖台——其中包括三枚金牌。今天，他将在托尔克罗斯国际游泳中心 (Tollcross International Swimming Centre) 准备起跳——这里的“B看台”已被重新命名为“斯科特看台”——以卫冕冠军的身份参加 200 米个人混合泳比赛，他将旨在成为第三位成功卫冕该项目的游泳运动员。
测试了第一次，然后让一切自然而然地发生。”
短跑运动员的生活涉及大量在健身房进行的力量训练，为他们在赛道上进行短暂且爆发性的发力做准备。
“我们不会出去骑四小时车，我们会进行 6 秒冲刺和 20 秒冲刺，而峰值功率是最后才恢复的，”马钱特 (Marchant) 说道。“但你可以通过所有这些积累来获得那个峰值功率。当我阅读自己的峰值功率数据时，它可能不是最好的，但我能够自信地感觉到它最终会出现。我享受挑战，也享受挑战我们能力极限的过程。”
虽然她在巴黎赛前的经历让她在回归的身体方面有了更大的信心，但作为两个孩子的母亲并兼顾家庭
两届奥运冠军、八枚奖牌得主斯科特最强劲的对手可能是汤姆·迪恩 (Tom Dean)。五年前在东京奥运会上，这位英国人以 0.04 秒之差领先于斯科特，夺得 200 米自由泳金牌。
今天这个日期为比赛增添了额外的深情色彩：7 月 24 日是苏格兰人大卫·威尔基 (David Wilkie) 在 1976 年蒙特利尔奥运会上 200 米蛙泳以标志性的世界纪录夺冠 50 周年纪念日，他是那届奥运会游泳项目中唯一一位夺金的非美国男性。
苏格兰队将在今晚决赛前举行一次纪念 2024 年去世的威尔基的集会。大卫的儿子亚当·威尔基 (Adam Wilkie) 将作为嘉宾出席，他正致力于为 SportsAid 慈善机构筹款，该机构当年资助了他的父亲前往蒙特利尔，他希望尽可能接近那次
围绕一名精英运动员训练计划的家庭生活则是另一个完全不同的挑战。她的丈夫罗布 (Rob) 在家族农场工作，马钱特在农场里有自己的健身房，但她需要沿着 M62 高速公路通勤前往曼彻斯特自行车赛道进行赛道训练。
“这不是给胆小者准备的，”她说。“身体上我觉得非常好，但两个孩子的后勤安排和心理压力是巨大的。我的丈夫不能直接放弃工作一直照顾两个孩子。如果我离开五天去参加比赛，罗布就得处理这些事情，而且他的工作不能等，现在正值农场夏季最繁忙的时期。
“我们非常幸运能有家庭网络的支撑，如果没有他们，我们根本无法做到。但没错，这绝对是我做过的最困难的事情。此外还有睡眠不足的问题，那也糟糕透了。
“但我发现，在孩子们闹腾导致我只有 4 小时碎片化睡眠的情况下，我反而经历了一些最好的训练日。有时你的能力比你想象的要强得多。”
当年为英国夺金的先驱性成绩 2 分 15.11 秒。小威尔基一直从斯科特那里获取经验。
对于这里的游泳运动员来说，本国之间的竞争也是乐趣的一部分。周日的 4x200 米自由泳接力赛将有五位在巴黎奥运会上为英国夺冠的冠军，分别代表四个不同的国家/地区参赛：斯科特代表苏格兰，迪恩和詹姆斯·盖伊 (James Guy) 代表英格兰，盖伊在曼彻斯特的训练伙伴马特·理查兹 (Matt Richards) 代表
除了作为两个孩子的母亲回归赛场，Marchant 在第二次怀孕前的最后一次赛道经历极其痛苦：2024 年 12 月，她在伦敦自行车赛道场的一次竞速赛（keirin race）中高速冲出，自行车翻过车把撞入观众席。
她的右前臂两根骨头骨折，两根手指脱臼——她身上至今仍留有提醒她的伤疤，手臂里还植入了金属板。“我离开了赛场 18 个月，我当时
威尔士，以及与他们在一起的奥运会和世界冠军、代表北爱尔兰参赛的 Jack McMillan。他们将在接下来的周三参加 200 米自由泳单项的对决。
不确定自己是否会感到有些谨慎或恐惧，”她说。
“但这是场地赛的一部分，这些年来我的事故并不多。这为我的回归增加了一个额外的挑战维度，但我不会让它击败我。我很热爱重新发现再次比赛的感觉。”
英联邦运动会为她提供了一个让赛车重返赛场的早期机会。但她在回归之余有着一个明确的长期目标：参加两年后的洛杉矶奥运会，这将是她的第四次奥运会。
“这都是旅程的一部分，”Marchant 说。“巴黎是我最成功的奥运会，没有理由 LA 不能再次取得同样的成就。
我就是热爱奥运会，我绝对希望能在另一届奥运会上进行最后一次舞动。”
本土游泳选手必须抵御始终存在的澳大利亚威胁，同时还将面临来自 Chad Le Clos 的最后挑战。这位 34 岁的南非选手在 2012 年伦敦奥运会上赢得了 200 米蝶泳金牌。凭借 18 枚奖牌，他是英联邦运动会历史上获得奖牌最多的男性运动员之一（与射击选手 Mick Gault 和 Phillip Adams 并列）。他将在 50 米和 100 米蝶泳中尝试打破绝对纪录。
McMillan 参加他的首届英联邦运动会，渴望获得 LA 2028 奥运代表团的一个席位。29 岁的 Scott 表示，他“很高兴看到 Jack 和其他人脱颖而出并竞争席位……这让我们保持警觉”。
巴黎奥运会的两颗明星——加拿大的 Summer McIntosh 和澳大利亚的 Kaylee McKeown 选择了缺席。但其他大牌选手在此，尤其是三届奥运冠军 Adam Ramsay-Peaty（在与 Gordon Ramsay 的女儿 Holly 结婚后改名），他将于今日参加 100 米蛙泳预赛。
ED SYKES/SWPIX.COM/SHUTTERSTOCK
且背叛了这项运动的传统
Mike Atherton
首席板球记者
现在竟然在忽视北方，真是时机巧妙。 就在一位来自北方的专业人士搬进唐宁街 10 号，并承诺将部分政府机构移至北方之时，英格兰和威尔士板球委员会（ECB）宣布，明年在该地区将不举行男子灰烬杯测试赛。正如 New Order 乐队在那首歌里唱的：这样对待我们，你们感觉如何？
男子组
事实上，我们三年前就知道诺丁汉以北不会有男子灰烬杯测试赛，但昨天上午，ECB 公布了 2027 年男子和女子国际赛的详细计划，这确认了这一忽视。尽管他本质上是个足球迷——如果支持埃弗顿可以被这么定义的话——但这位“北方之王”不太可能对此感到满意。
女子组
事实上，在 2023 年 7 月，安迪·伯纳姆作为曼彻斯特市长，与西约克郡市长共同致信 ECB 表示抗议，敦促其重新考虑：“我们了解到，ECB 分配测试赛的标准包括最大化观众人数并确保地理分布。因此，一个拥有超过 15 million 人口且对板球如此热情的地区，在 2027 年竟然无法举办一场男子灰烬杯测试赛，而南部却举办三场，这让人觉得更加不可思议。”那时他的影响力还没有现在这么大。
根据 Richard Gould 三月份的说法，无论年龄组和人口统计特征如何，测试赛在英国仍然是排名 1 的赛制。包括对阵孟加拉国的一场单次测试赛和世界测试锦标赛决赛（在椭圆球场，而非勋爵板球场），明年将有七场男子测试赛可供观赏，但其中四场将在伦敦举行，一场在南安普敦举行。勋爵板球场和椭圆球场是伟大的历史地标，但海丁利球场和老特拉福德球场同样如此。
对于男子组，灰烬杯将从其最北端——诺丁汉开始。考虑到诺丁汉与埃德巴斯顿等地的温差（在埃德巴斯顿，Hollies 看台的人们会给澳大利亚人一点颜色看看），选择诺丁汉本身就很奇怪；随后系列赛向南移至勋爵板球场（当然）喝 Pimm's 鸡尾酒；然后（稍微）回到伯明翰；接着前往南海岸，如果大家都能及时离开 Utilita Bowl 球场，最后将在伦敦的椭圆球场（再次）结束。一次美妙的小环游。
北方在女子灰烬杯方面的待遇更好。单次测试赛在海丁利球场举行，老特拉福德球场则获得一场 T20 比赛。不过，伦敦和中部的待遇同样不错：七场比赛中有五场是在举办男子测试赛的球场进行的。没关系，毫无疑问，在大不列颠铁路公司 (Great British Railways) 领导下的铁路网络改造
[[IMG_XXXX]] 海丁利球场在 2027 年将无法再次经历像斯托克斯那样的时刻，因为史密斯（见插图）及其队友将留在南方
将鼓励人们大规模南迁观看男子测试赛——尽管我们可能赶不上第一球。
三年前我在抱怨此事写文章时，评论区的一位机智读者精辟地问道：Giles Coren 是否选择了
不再如此。如果澳大利亚未能进入世界测试锦标赛决赛，他们可能会在老特拉福德球场与 Lions 队进行一场热身赛，但即便如此。
北方居住着约 15 million 人。在板球地理分布问题上，这次忽视地伤得更深，因为全国没有任何一个地区的板球传统或对这项运动的热爱比这里更深厚。约克郡的板球俱乐部数量比整个澳大利亚还要多。它是我们最伟大的郡，传统最丰厚，培养的优秀板球运动员比其他任何地方都多。兰开夏郡的表现也不差。
球员们热爱在海丁利球场对阵澳大利亚队，尤其是那里。这座球场见证了一些我们最难忘的 灰烬杯 (Ashes) 时刻：杰夫·博伊考特的第 100 个百分；1981 年的伊恩·波塞姆和鲍勃·威利斯，以及 2019. 年的本·斯托克斯和杰克·里奇。当斯托克斯在那天将可怜的帕特·库明斯击出四分赢得比赛时，英国球场是否曾有过更好的氛围？或者当马克·伍德在 2023, 年将乌斯曼·考瓦贾的离柱击飞时，他的球速无疑与任何一名英格兰板球运动员一样快？没有。
GARETH COPLEY /GETTY IMAGES
无论我们去哪里，支持总是惊人的；无论走到哪里，我们都得到了 100 成百分之百的支持。但北方总是更好，不是吗？”Burnham 应该会同意。也许他会给伍德颁个奖——如果他能在这个圈子待得足够久。如今首相随处可见；但真正快球手却不多。
顺便说一下，不要忘记达勒姆郡和诺森伯兰郡，这些郡在从俱乐部和公立学校培养板球运动员方面非常有特色，因此至关重要。前者目前不在测试赛名单上，但这些郡培养了近年来我们一些最优秀的板球运动员，而对于东北部的人来说，约克郡和兰开夏郡勉强可行。南安普敦则不那么方便。
公平地说，作为 2025-2031. 年重大赛事整体分配的一部分，北方的表现相当不错，而且在重大赛事分配方式的调整方面有很多值得赞赏之处。在那个时期的测试赛中，老特拉福德和海丁利得到了充分考虑，并重新回到了 2031. 年的灰烬杯赛程表中。但到那时澳大利亚队会很糟糕（他们可能仍然会击败我们）：没有库明斯，没有乔什·黑兹尔伍德，没有米切尔·斯塔克，最重要的是，没有史蒂夫·史密斯。
2027 年英格兰主场赛程
英格兰 对阵 巴基斯坦 5月 15 第一场 ODI (Utilita Bowl) 5月 19 第二场 ODI (老特拉福德) 5月 21 第三场 ODI (海丁利) 5月 23 第四场 ODI (切斯特莱街) 5月 26 第五场 ODI (卡迪夫)
5月 28 测试赛：英格兰 对阵 孟加拉国 (勋章球场/Lord’s) 6月 7-10 测试赛：英格兰雄狮 对阵 澳大利亚 (老特拉福德) 6月 9-13 世界测试锦标赛决赛 (椭圆球场/Oval)*
英格兰 对阵 澳大利亚 6月 18-22 第一场灰烬杯测试赛 (特伦特桥) 6月 30-7月 4 第二场灰烬杯测试赛 (勋章球场/Lord’s) 7月 8-12 第三场灰烬杯测试赛 (埃德巴斯顿) 7月 21-25 第四场灰烬杯测试赛 (Utilita Bowl) 7月 29-8月 2 第五场灰烬杯测试赛 (椭圆球场/Oval)
英格兰 对阵 新西兰 9月 7 第一场 T20 (切斯特莱街) 9月 9 第二场 T20 (老特拉福德) 9月 11 第三场 T20 (卡迪夫)
9月 第一场 ODI (埃德巴斯顿) 9月 16 第二场 ODI (勋章球场/Lord’s) 9月 19 第三场 ODI (布里斯托) 9月 22 第四场 ODI (特伦特桥) 9月 25 第五场 ODI (海丁利)
英格兰 对阵 澳大利亚 6月 24-27 第一场灰烬杯测试赛 (海丁利)
7月 3 第一场灰烬杯 T20 (特伦特桥) 7月 6 第二场灰烬杯 T20 (椭圆球场/Oval) 7月 9 第三场灰烬杯 T20 (老特拉福德)
7月 13 第一场灰烬杯 ODI (Utilita Bowl) 7月 16 第二场灰烬杯 ODI (勋章球场/Lord’s) 7月 20 第三场灰烬杯 ODI (埃德巴斯顿)
英格兰 对阵 孟加拉国 9月 8 第一场 T20 (北安普顿) 9月 10 第二场 T20 (汤顿) 9月 12 第三场 T20 (伍斯特)
9月 17 第一场 ODI (霍夫) 9月 21 第二场 ODI (坎特伯雷) 9月 24 第三场 ODI (切姆斯福德)
伊恩·惠特尔 他本赛季希望如何将 西班牙的“团队至上”精神 带到利物浦
在过去的 12 个月里，安多尼·伊拉奥拉在芝加哥市中心的物理位置仅移动了几个街区，但他以及他的西班牙教练同行在足球界的地位，却像这座城市标志性的摩天大楼一样，在他上次以伯恩茅斯主教练身份到访之后，经历了令人眩晕的飞速攀升。
周日在新泽西州发生的事件延续了伊比利亚半岛主导的趋势。这意味着在最近一届世界杯、欧洲杯、欧冠联赛、欧联杯以及英格兰三项国内赛事中夺冠的教练全部来自西班牙。事实上，大多数成功是由像伊拉奥拉一样来自巴斯克地区的教练们主导的。
他开启了一场战役，带领伯恩茅斯在英超联赛中获得第六名，从而赢得了欧联杯的参赛资格。如果我们用足球相对论来看，这一成就可能与路易斯·德拉富恩特率领西班牙队进入世界杯相当。
这也解释了为什么在安菲尔德经历了一个令人失望的赛季后，伊拉奥拉成为利物浦取代阿尔内·斯洛特出任主教练的显然之选。在我们的对话中，这位 44 岁的教练有机会尝试解释，为什么巴斯克地区以及更广泛的西班牙国家在教练成功方面拥有如此强大的掌控力。
“很多人问我，为什么尤其是很多巴斯克教练能达到这个水平，以及为什么很多西班牙球队能赢得这么多荣誉，”他说。
“我总是说，集体意识非常重要。西班牙从未拥有过最顶尖的运动员。如果你分析一下游泳、田径，他们通常并不赢得奖牌。”
“但在集体运动中，他们非常出色。在足球、篮球、手球、曲棍球中，他们通常有很强的球队。我们总是将团队放在首位。”
“‘团队至上’一直融入在我们的成长方式中。”
“西班牙的执教风格有很多种。提到国家队，人们总是说‘tiki-taka’、传球，但即便是在世界杯上，你也能看到他们压迫得非常好，高位压迫。是的，他们用球控制比赛，但另一部分则是每个人都在履行自己的职责。这就是在没有球时保持主动。”
伊拉奥拉曾是一名从毕尔巴鄂竞技青训体系走出的后卫，他所倡导的“集体主义”将引起利物浦支持者的共鸣。虽然他没有直接将这种公民凝聚力与 20 世纪 30 年代撕裂其国家的内战联系起来，但他的分析对于那些认为社区意识至关重要的新支持者来说，绝对是契合的。
“我没有勇气在这个层面上[内战]讨论这个问题，但我认为社会中一定存在某种因素，”他说。“这不能仅仅关乎足球。”
“我认为，当我们不再仅仅自私时，事情才会成功，不是吗？当最终你优先考虑那些弱势者的处境时。这在足球中同样适用。那些没有上场的人，那些来自学院的人，那些薪水较低的人。这可以作为一个参考，你可以将其与社会相类比。”
“I see a lot of similarities [between Liverpool and Bilbao]. This sense of belonging, of being a little bit different. This connection, also, with players from the academy. The atmosphere of Anfield. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and, in some way, the comparison [to Athletic Bilbao] probably isn’t fair. But in a lot of ways I see a lot of things [that are] similar.”
“我看到了很多相似之处[利物浦与毕尔巴鄂之间]。这种归属感，这种觉得自己有点与众不同的感觉。此外，与青训球员的联系。安菲尔德的氛围。这是世界上最伟大的俱乐部之一，在某种程度上，[与毕尔巴鄂竞技]的比较可能并不公平。但在很多方面，我看到了很多相似之处。”
这种集体哲学在利物浦上赛季的更衣室中可能有时有所缺失，但显然，新任主教练将予以强调，而伊拉奥拉本人将以身作则。
在喝咖啡时，他被要求讲述关于 2013. 年拒绝加盟利物浦的事件版本，该事件在上个月初由《泰晤士报》披露。利物浦的追求最终以伊拉奥拉给追求者写的一封长信而告终，信中解释了为什么他选择留在心爱的毕尔巴鄂竞技，而不是签约布伦丹·罗杰斯。
他沉默了几秒钟，然后——应当说，是以谦虚且礼貌的态度——拒绝了讲述那个故事的机会。
“我从一开始就不喜欢这样做。我只是不想这样做。这看起来就像是在自我推销。我们需要一些时间，去赢得一些比赛。”
“我们能交付的最重要的事情是我们的表现。无论我是否口才好，无论我是否说了正确的话，这都不重要。最终，人们只想看到球队踢得好并取得好成绩。我知道这就是我工作的 90%。”
“而且（作为球员加盟利物浦）并没有那么接近，因为我从未真正想离开竞技俱乐部。对我来说，竞技俱乐部就是我应该在的地方。唯一离开的方式就是去 MLS（纽约城）尝试一些完全不同的东西。”
“在离开之前，我不想成为俱乐部的麻烦。当你已经在那里很多年，并且开始变成一个不怎么上场的人，你扮演的角色就不同了，所以我想，好吧……那是唯一一次我想过离开的时候。”
这种忠诚也将引起他的新球迷群体的共鸣，他们已经开始构思新的看台赞歌来对他进行礼赞。至少根据社交媒体上的数百万次观看量来看，领先的“参赛作品”是一首基于《Viva La Quinta Brigada》的欢呼曲，那是民谣歌手克里斯蒂 (Christy) 在 20 世纪 80 年代创作的一首歌。
关于在西班牙内战中战斗过的爱尔兰人的更多故事。
“不，我没听说过，”伊拉奥拉说道。“他们在伯恩茅斯有一个，但这是一个新的吗？对我来说这是一个奇怪的情况，因为我一直认为足球是关于球员的。你知道，刚到英格兰的时候，我记得前几场比赛我没有和球员一起去向支持者鼓掌 [赛后]，而这是 [教练] 汤米 [埃尔菲克] 和肖恩 [库珀] 告诉我要参与的事情。
“在西班牙，你会明白通常情况下你会让球员先行，因为他们才是比赛的参与者，是他们经历了比赛，而通常我们是留在后面的人。
“而在英格兰，通常是主教练去面对球迷，所以我每次都这么做。这些是文化差异，当你进入一个新联赛时，你必须去学习。现在情况不同了，我更能理解人们的想法。
“但我始终认为我们是球员的助手。他们才是主体。我们的主要工作是帮助他们，而他们是唯一能带给我们成功的人。我们不像他们那样重要，这一点非常明确。”
[[IMG_XXXX]] 伊拉奥拉在利物浦队的美国季前巡回赛期间与球员们（左图）相识，并在芝加哥街头会见球迷（上图）。在5月带领伯恩茅斯队获得英超联赛第六名并重返欧洲赛场后，他正准备在安菲尔德俱乐部开启他的首次执教赛季。
本赛季，教练席中缺乏一个具有统治力的、larger-than-life 的领军人物。就在大约五年之前，若泽·穆里尼奥、佩普·瓜迪奥拉和尤尔根·克洛普可以说是英格兰足球赛场内外最具影响力的三个人物。无论是巧合还是刻意，伊拉奥拉标志着人们正逐渐远离这种个人崇拜。
“我始终认为球员才是这其中的主体，”他说。“教练的重要性在于尝试最大限度地挖掘每个球员的潜力，并努力创造一个能让他们发挥更好环境，但事实是，当你像尤尔根和佩普那样连续多年保持如此稳定时，显然他们成为了主角。”
至于伊拉奥拉自己的偶像，首当其冲的是他曾在毕尔巴鄂竞技共事的教练埃内斯托·巴尔韦德，巴尔韦德在今年夏天结束了他在该队的第三次执教任期。伊拉奥拉列举的从他那里继承的特质，似乎将有助于他尝试带领利物浦重返巅峰。
“我认为那是他的常识，”他说。“他从不把问题扩大化。他总是能理解球员。在他坚信的事情上，他非常坚定。但我非常喜欢他对待球员的方式，无论是上场比赛的人还是没上场的人。”
交易以签下水晶宫的 Lacroix
转会观察 Gary Jacob, Peter Rutzler
切尔西与水晶宫就签下法国后卫 Maxence Lacroix 一事已接近达成协议。
水晶宫对这位 26 岁球员的估值高于 Jan Paul van Hecke——后者是今年夏天从布莱顿（Brighton & Hove Albion）以 £52 million 身价加盟托特纳姆热刺的中后卫，因此此次转会费可能会在 £55 million 左右。相关讨论仍在继续，交易尚未最终敲定。
Lacroix 在 2024 年以 £18 million 从沃尔夫斯堡（Wolfsburg）加盟水晶宫，其合同还剩三年。他是去年赢得足协杯以及今年 5 月赢得欧协联冠军球队中的关键成员。
切尔西将加强中后卫线作为今年夏天的重要优先事项。他们希望处理掉 Axel Disasi 和 Benoît Badiashile，而 Trevoh Chalobah 在受到意甲俱乐部科莫（Como）的关注后也可能被出售。这家西伦敦俱乐部已经以 £47 million 从亚特兰大（Atalanta）签下了右后卫 Marco Palestra，并以 £117 million 签下了 Morgan Rogers。他们还想要光照马德里（Rayo Vallecano）的边后卫 Pep Chavarría。
水晶宫目前正与 24 岁的奥格斯堡（Augsburg）中后卫 Chrislain Matsima 进行高级谈判，以接替 Lacroix。
利兹联正试图签下詹姆斯·特拉福德（James Trafford），这位英格兰门将被曼城估价为 £50 million。这位 23 岁球员在去年夏天最初以 £27 million 从本菲尔德（Burnley）回归曼城，结果佩普·瓜迪奥拉（Pep Guardiola）出人意料地签下了吉安路易吉·多纳鲁马（Gianluigi Donnarumma）。
Trafford 上赛季为曼城出场 17 次，大部分时间是在这位意大利首选门将之后作为替补。
接替瓜迪奥拉出任主教练的恩佐·马雷斯卡（Enzo Maresca）希望继续使用多纳鲁马，后者是一名出色的扑救者，但在脚下控球方面不如这位英格兰人那样舒适。纽卡斯尔联已经放弃了对 Trafford 的兴趣。
利兹联有两名门将在今年夏天离开俱乐部。Illan Meslier 通过自由转会加盟阿森纳，而 Karl Darlow 则加盟了曼联。Lucas Perri 仍留在俱乐部。
在加泰罗尼亚俱乐部昨日宣布签下 Karim Adeyemi 后，马库斯·拉什福德（Marcus Rashford）回归巴塞罗那的希望几乎破灭。据报道，这位多特蒙德（Borussia Dortmund）前锋的转会费为 €29million（约 £25million），其中包括潜在的附加条款。
这位多才多艺的 24 岁球员是巴塞罗那今夏签下的第二名球员，此前他们买入了这位英格兰国脚
伊恩·惠特尔 (Ian Whittell)
由于传出可能需要手术治疗背部伤势的消息，罗德里在曼城短期内的前景陷入了不确定性。
这位西班牙中场在周日捧起了世界杯冠军奖杯，并凭借赛事最佳球员荣获金球奖。他的曼城合同将于明年 6 月到期，且长期以来一直与潜在转会皇家马德里的传闻联系在一起。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 左侧的加纳乔以赛季租借形式加入埃梅里执教的球队，此次租借来自切尔西，明年夏天可能会转化为一次 £43 million 永久转会。
（接后页） 阿森纳 £70m 布鲁诺报价
转会至利物浦。阿森纳愿意为顶级球员斥巨资，但前提是要价符合其估值。然而，部分球迷在看着俱乐部在转会问题上犹豫不决，而竞争对手却在加强实力的过程中，感到愈发沮丧。阿森纳已完成了两项签约——一名是花费 £34 million 签下的希腊边锋克里斯托斯·措利斯 (Christos Tzolis)，他将接替离队的利安德罗·特罗萨德 (Leandro Trossard)；另一名则是替补门将伊兰·梅斯利埃 (Illan Meslier)。
米克尔·阿尔特塔 (Mikel Arteta) 的主要目标一直是马德里竞技的前锋胡利安·阿尔瓦雷斯 (Julián Alvarez)。阿森纳愿意提供一项涉及维克托·约克雷斯 (Viktor Gyokeres) 的部分交换方案。
冠军球队在威廉·萨利巴 (William Saliba) 遭遇背伤并将缺阵数月后，还需要一名中后卫。自从在欧冠决赛中点球负于巴黎圣日耳曼后，摩根·罗杰斯 (Morgan Rogers) 是阿森纳已经进行过谈判但因价格、经纪人费或工资问题而未签下的第四名球员。
此前，在帮助西班牙赢得 2024, 欧洲杯后，他在曼城的国内赛季起步较晚，且几乎立即遭遇了困扰他近两年的膝盖伤势。然而，在今年夏天的世界杯中，他完全恢复了赢得 2024 年金球奖时的状态，并带领西班牙在决赛中战胜阿根廷。
目前没有关于罗德里潜在手术的公开时间表，也没有关于他可能在场边缺席多久的迹象。尽管接替佩普·瓜迪奥拉 (Pep Guardiola) 的马雷斯卡 (Maresca) 显然希望长期留住他，但近期与这位中场的合同谈判并未取得进展。
NEVILLE WILLIAMS/ASTON VILLA FC/GETTY IMAGES
以 £70 million 的价格从纽卡斯尔联签下安东尼·戈登 (Anthony Gordon)。随着西甲冠军同样在寻找马德里竞技的前锋胡利安·阿尔瓦雷斯，28 岁的拉什福德 (Rashford) 在上赛季租借至诺坎普后，希望能重返该球场的任何希望似乎已经破灭。
阿斯顿维拉已完成从切尔西租借亚历杭德罗·加纳乔 (Alejandro Garnacho) 的签约，租期为一整个赛季。这位 22 岁球员的这次转会很可能在明年夏天变为永久转会，球员已同意一份为期四年的合同。
“他非常有才华，很年轻，并且向我们表达了希望帮助我们实现目标的愿望，”维拉主教练乌奈·埃梅里 (Unai Emery) 在谈到加纳乔时说道。
纽卡斯尔联已就一项价值最高 £34 million 的交易与摩纳哥 20 岁中场阿拉吉·班巴 (Aladji Bamba) 达成一致。他将与从阿贾克斯以最高 £23million 身价签下的 18 岁中场肖恩·斯图尔 (Sean Steur) 共同效力。班巴在上赛季的首个赛季中，其对抗和拦截能力被评级很高。
诺丁汉森林在哈弗·施拉格 (Xaver Schlager) 离开 RB 莱比锡后，以自由转会将其签下，合同期为两年。这位 28 岁球员曾在沃尔夫斯堡在主教练奥利弗·格拉斯纳 (Oliver Glasner) 麾下效力，并成为了格拉斯纳在森林队的首笔签约。
在 2024 年 9 月对阵阿森纳的比赛中（那是他整个赛季唯一一次首发）遭遇前十字韧带断裂后，罗德里在上赛季还饱受腿后腱和腹股沟问题的困扰，仅在 17 场联赛中首发。
罗德里在周日捧起世界杯奖杯后，在谈到自己的伤病问题时反思道：“对我来说，这是一段非常艰难的时光，”他说道，“我希望新一代人将我的经历视为一个机会。当你跌倒时，你可以重新站起来。”
Friday July 24 2026 | the times 体育
去年夏天，亚历山大·伊萨克（Alexander Isak）通过拒绝登上飞往远东的飞机前往纽卡斯尔在新加坡和韩国的巡回赛，实际上发起了罢工。随后，这位瑞典前锋前往西班牙独自训练，再也没有为该俱乐部出场，迫使了一笔 £125 million 的——
大牌球员在赛事前夕出走
Mark Palmer
在格拉斯哥举行规模缩减后的英联邦运动会开幕式期间，组织者昨晚遭遇了一批大牌运动员退赛的打击。
卡塔里娜·约翰逊-汤普森（Katarina Johnson-Thompson）和迪娜·阿舍-史密斯（Dina Asher-Smith）是英国田径队中宣布退出的九名成员之一，这对一个已经在争取影响力与信誉方面苦苦挣扎的赛事来说是一个重大打击。两位的
Times 填字游戏 29,603 横向 纵向 昨日答案 29,602
同为奥运奖牌获得者的马修·哈德逊-史密斯（Matthew Hudson-Smith）和达里尔·内塔（Daryll Neita）也宣布退出，随之退出的还包括安伯·安宁（Amber Anning）、扎克·斯内登（Zac Sneddon）、安娜·珀恰斯（Anna Purchase）、埃利奥特·盖尔斯（Elliot Giles）和乔纳·埃福洛科（Jona Efoloko）。
事实证明，该运动会对运动员和支持者来说都缺乏吸引力，几乎看不到 2014 年该赛事上次在格拉斯哥举办时所伴随的整个城市的积极氛围。
尽管像乔什·克尔（Josh Kerr）这样刚刚打破了记录的本土热门选手——
忽略灰烬杯并非对待这一体育运动核心地带的方式
一英里世界纪录——以及获得诸多荣誉的游泳运动员邓肯·斯科特将在接下来的 10 天内参赛，但在这些最新的缺席者出现之前，本届运动会的星光就已经不足了。
为了控制成本，格拉斯哥组织者将项目数量从 4 年前伯明翰赛事的 20 个减少到了 10 个。当最初的主办方澳大利亚维多利亚州因成本攀升而放弃时，苏格兰挺身而出填补了空白。
英联邦 运动会 官员
1 西方地区部分由伦敦立法覆盖？(5) 4 评分低且准备被解雇的副手 (8) 9 领导者在战斗冲锋指令中混乱，以重新部署部队 (5,4) 10 给某人涂上碎屑的棒棒糖！(5) 11 柑橘糖果没剩多少，全部售罄 (5) 12 看一个盒子完全裂开 (9) 14 单身汉说，如果性别重置，可能缺失睾丸？(14) 17 挖掘者在奖牌的终点冲线中落败，压力显现 (7,7) 20 著名的版画家在为绘画保存画框 (9) 21 骑行后你终于归还了羊毛制品 (5) 23 躺在薄薄的织物上 (5) 24 重载困扰在高速公路上以 100 mph 行驶的欧洲人 (9) 25 在喧闹的节日后达成修订日期 (5,3) 26 速率模型在职业生涯早期开始 (5)
DAVID RAWCLIFFE/PROPAGANDA FOR THE TIMES
希望精简后的形式能为这项在更广泛体育版图中经常难以找到定位的赛事建立一个新模式，但如此多顶尖选手的缺席将损害这些抱负。
此前人们预期约翰逊-汤普森将冲击连续第三个英联邦七项全能冠军。她表示自己感到“非常失望”，但选择退出是为了让自己“有最好的机会准备下个月在伯明翰举行的欧洲锦标赛”。
1 可疑的巴德穿上了每套服装 (8) 2 输入账户品牌名称的细节 (3,2) 3 现在喝醉了，无论愿不愿意 (2,5) 4 尝试捕捉三文鱼，也许熊在受冻 (11) 5 审计员注意到随后的收购 (3) 6 有趣的漫画家也许揭露了她的雪貂 (7) 7 修改男性基因以限制 alpha 元素 (9) 8 宽阔的螺旋旋转部分在每个星系中 (4) 13 在被左翼利用的静坐抗议后进行交火 (11) 15 得体的平原圆圈在敲钟人的范围之内，几乎 (9) 16 北好莱坞居民无法进入的某个阶段？(8) 18 可能只困扰第 14 个横向项的姿势？(7) 19 回到部长那里——那是真的吗？(7) 20 确定指控给重刑犯留下深刻印象 (4) 22 下方有宝座的暗室
卡拉帕斯表明，团队将统一性置于特立独行之上是错误的
Gary Jacob
将被拒绝
阿森纳表示他们将出价 £70 百万签下布鲁诺·吉马良斯，但纽卡斯尔联在私下表示他们将拒绝该金额的报价。
该报价金额是通过吉马良斯的中间人传达的，他的合同还剩两年，并且希望加入阿森纳。
纽卡斯尔预计这位 28 岁球员将在下周末报到，参加俱乐部在拉曼加（La Manga）的季前训练营。这位巴西中场在参加完世界杯决赛后获得了三周的假期。
纽卡斯尔在 5 月以 £69.3 百万将安东尼·戈登卖给了巴塞罗那，并在本月以最高 £100 百万的价格将桑德罗·托纳利卖给了托特纳姆热刺。他们一直坚称不想失去他们的队长。
繁忙的赛程给许多顶尖运动员带来了困境，包括奥运冠军基莉·霍奇金森，她决定不寻求参赛选拔。
开幕式在克莱德河畔的 Hydro 室内娱乐场所举行，首个正式比赛日为今天。在 BBC 连续 18 届拥有版权之后，大部分现场报道现由 TNT Sports 订阅频道播出。
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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。
报纸 支持回收 2024 年英国报纸的再生纸含量为 34.7%
喜剧演员的猫薄荷
W
回收再利用 —— 我们需要在舞台上看到一些 新故事
我们生活在 一个多媒体 时代。 任何事物， 甚至是 YouTube 上的 青少年恶作剧， 都可以被转化为 企业的“内容”， 几乎每部好莱坞浪漫喜剧 都能被改编成音乐剧。 因此，舞台剧制作人 被那些已经在电影院 大获成功的创意所吸引， 也就不足为奇了。
在这些充满不确定性的时代， 人们比以往任何时候都更难 被诱导离开沙发， 改编就成了一种可靠的 挖掘既有观众群体的方法。 正如克里斯托弗·诺兰 在全球每家多厅电影院 所展示的那样， 即使是最古老的故事 也可以用大胆的新方式来探索。
但剧场是否变得过于 沉溺于回收再利用了？ 在看完《猜火车：音乐剧》 回家后，我提出了这个问题。 虽然它并没有像 某些人预言的那样成为一场灾难， 但在我看来，这仍然是一个 世界并不真正需要的翻拍之作。 西区（West End）的场地数量 是有限的。 塞进太多翻新的旧作， 会让新剧作 越来越难以接触到观众。 我对尝试将《博士异闻录》 变成史蒂夫·库根的 个人秀也有同样的感受。 他是一位拥有 非凡喜剧天赋的表演者。 为什么要让他站在 独一无二的彼得·塞勒斯 的阴影之下？
提醒大家： 还有很多翻拍作品即将推出。 在秋季，基拉·奈特莉将主演 罗伯特·艾克版本 的《他人生活》， 这部德国电影讲述了一名 史塔西特工精神崩溃的暗夜，曾引起轰动。 在此之前， 当舞台版的《沉默的羔羊》 在下个月开幕的全国巡演中 迎来全球首演时， 你可以重新认识那位 温和的食人连环杀手 汉尼拔·莱克特（可惜， 安东尼·霍普金斯并未在主角中饰演）。
在西区， 这里一如既往地充斥着 对游客友好的电影
厌倦了 特朗普电视节目
布伦丹·科伊尔和莉莉·艾伦 出演《海达·加布勒》
音乐剧衍生剧之后，亚伦·索金对哈珀·李小说《杀死一只知更鸟》的才智改编版再次回归上演。而当恐怖电影《灵异现象》的舞台剧版在大使剧院再次登场时，将会出现大量的惊吓场景，该剧院就位于西区最具代表性的经典之作《捕鼠器》隔壁。皇家莎士比亚公司 (RSC) 也在参与其中。《权力的游戏：疯王》刚刚开始预演，编剧邓肯·麦克米伦在剧中深入挖掘了乔治·RR·马丁的小说。它会成为该公司的下一个《马蒂尔达》——一部为公司带来巨额资金的剧目吗？还是会成为另一个《キャリー》(Carrie) —— 20 世纪 80 年代最著名的失败之作之一？（关于该剧如何溃败并化为灰烬的故事，甚至激发了一部备受赞誉的播客和书籍《渴血》(Out for Blood)。）
在更高端的艺术领域，也有一种类似的既视感。我们看到了一系列令人质疑的易卜生剧作现代改编版，包括莉拉·赖塞克的《我的建筑师》，在剧中，伊万·麦格雷戈勇敢地尝试去理解一个被移植到经过美化的
找到受众
为了改变我一些终身养成 的文化习惯。你看，美国 文化自我在一个小小的 黑白电视机前观看 《比佛利山庄之丘》和 原版《不被触碰的人》 起，就被深深植入了我的 潜意识。在那些罕见的 不去剧院的夜晚， 一集《赛恩菲尔德》 依然是我最喜欢的
娱乐形式。
在汉普顿。马特·史密斯在 托马斯·奥斯特迈尔导演的 一部过热的《人民之敌》改编版 中弹奏着波西米亚风格的吉他， 该剧在下半场邀请观众 以一种僵硬的“质询时间” 风格的辩论来发表意见。 与此同时，莉莉·艾伦在 现代版《海达·加布勒》中 饰演一名唱片公司老板的 骄纵女儿，但这个反英雄 角色缺乏说服力。我们 能不能让这位挪威圣贤 休息一会儿？外界还有 其他值得倾听的声音。
话又说回来，也许是我 担心太多了。是谁说过 整个宇宙中只有三四个 故事情节，而我们一生 都在一遍又一遍地回顾 它们？上周我在奇切斯特 节日剧场复排的《窈窕 淑女》中度过了辉煌的时光 （初出茅庐的凯齐亚·伊贝 完美诠释了伊莉莎）， 当时我并没有被“勒纳和 勒伟的这部经典剧目不过是 乔治·萧伯纳作品的歌舞 升级版”这种想法所折磨。
而且作为约翰·戈尔斯沃西 的忠实粉丝，我对肖恩·麦肯纳 和林·科格兰去年带到 皇家莎剧公司（RSC）天鹅剧场 的两部精简版《福赛尔家族 之史诗》爱不释手。在伦敦 公园剧场原演该剧的制作公司 Troupe，即将于9月将西蒙·里德 改编自帕特里克·汉密尔顿 三部曲《天空下的两万条街道》 带到萨瑟克剧院。汉密尔顿 是我最喜欢的小说家， 所以我迫不及待想观看。
真正具有启发性的改编 是真正的想象力之作。 我在剧院度过的最愉快 夜晚之一，是观看谢里丹的 《对手》在理查德·宾和 奥利弗·克里斯的喜剧《杰克· 绝对再次飞翔》中披上了 新的“不列颠之战”色彩。 一部经典剧作在国家剧院 重生。你可能记得，宾在 《一个人，两个老板》中 也玩过类似的把戏。 如果作者运用足够的巧思， 旧作翻新也能成为原创。 理查德·莫里森在休假中
我们正好处于 观看埃斯彭·桑德伯格关于 探险家罗尔德·阿蒙森的 传记片时最合适的心情。 最后一部是塔里克·萨莱赫 非凡的政治惊悚片《共和之鹰》， 讲述了一名演员被卷入 埃及独裁统治的故事。 外面的世界如此广阔， 我们只需去寻找。
尽管如此，现在是时候 接受美国现在只不过是 另一个国家了。我需要 戒掉我的旧习惯。 因此，我和我的伴侣 制定了一条新规则： 我们观看的所有电影和 电视节目中，50 百分之多少必须是非美国 作品。在上个月在挪威 度过了一个惬意的假期后，
乔治都在游艇上。 我有建议
尺寸至关重要，水上摩托车已过时，且请留意水母。作者：Simon Mills
名流航海季 现已全面启动； 手持 Loewe 包的船员们 乘坐着超级游艇， 正全速驶向热闹的 海滩俱乐部，或适合 裸泳的隐秘海湾。 在圣特罗佩、伊比萨岛、阿马尔菲海岸 和希腊群岛，流行巨星、 设计师和足球运动员们在追求 终极的夏季炫富：谁乘坐的船最大， 与最顶级的 A 级名流团队同在，谁就获胜。 一张像戴安娜王妃那样从船舷 跳入水中的照片，或者在船头 悬下一条晒成古铜色的长腿，将锁定胜局。
这是埃林·哈兰德，刚在挪威 在世界杯中表现可爱， 将虚拟的、模仿划桨的 维京长船换成了现实生活中的奢华游艇 ——在西西里水域乘坐动力游艇 Elis Et Mar 进行为期几天的季前休息与放松。
他还带上了女友 Isabel Haugseng Johansen，队友 Sander Berge 和其女友 Julie Karlsen。Elis Et Mar 可容纳 12 人睡眠，其 拉斯维加斯风格的内饰采用黄色大理石 地板。甲板上有足够的空间 让埃林练习他的高尔夫挥杆 和任意球。该船每周租金为 $300,000，全长 57 米。正如圣特罗佩的人所说，只要能飞、能欢好或能漂浮，就租下来。
在摩纳哥，卡戴珊家族—— 克洛伊和金——正舒适地坐在 动力游艇 Naia 上，观看金的 男友刘易斯·汉密尔顿在蒙特 卡洛 F1 练习赛期间在街道上疾驰——租金每周 $150,000，外加其他费用。Naia 全长 73.6 米。
本月在卡普里岛， 乔治和阿 amal·克鲁尼被 拍到与一群朋友一同走下游艇。
我们可能很快就会在演员/ 模特莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥和他最喜欢的 远洋船 Rising Sun 上看到他， 该船由音乐大亨大卫·格芬所有： 里奥可能会与保罗·麦卡特尼、布鲁斯·斯普林斯汀 和奥普拉·温弗瑞在一起，或者使用船上的 健身房、篮球场、酒窖和 电影院。“我是世界之王，在船上，就像里奥一样，” 这是 Lonely Island 的网络cult热门歌曲《I’m on a Boat》中的歌词。
但目前赢得 2026 年“世界之王夏季”冠军的是阿黛尔。且领先之多。这位在托特纳姆长大的女歌手是 设计师/导演汤姆·福特在 极其英俊、现代主义风格的 Moonrise 号上的客人——该船可容纳 16 位客人 （最初由 WhatsApp 联合创始人 Jan Koum 所有）， 全长近 100 米。目前人们看到她正乘快艇在游艇旁划皮划艇。
在地中海，长度非常重要。在爱琴海和 亚得里亚海，尺寸至关重要。任何超级游艇所有者和 超级游艇租赁者都会告诉你这一点。 可悲且令人沮丧的是，在自己的船甲板上， 你看不出自己的船有多大， 你只能看到其他巨大的，甚至可能 更大的船。这将破坏你在阳光下的好心情。 即使你是招待阿黛尔的汤姆·福特。
如何在船上度过其余时间
首字母缩略词：“ 再掏出一万块”
在你那花费惊人的名流租赁船上（超级游艇爱好者会告诉你 Boat 是一个首字母缩略词：“break out another ten thousand”，意为再掏出一万块）。让船员打开货舱里的水上和水下玩具柜。
在米科诺斯水域，简单的水上摩托车已经不再吃香了，因为它的形象在 2001 年 P Diddy 穿着浴袍在圣特罗佩港口危险驾驶水上摩托后受到了一定影响。相反，可以尝试更适合在 Instagram 上拍照（且环保）的电力驱动水翼冲浪板、Aqua Jump 水上蹦蹦床，或者那些飞板/垂直喷射设备。
你将像儒勒·凡尔笔下的超级英雄一样升至水面上方，并吸引媒体的关注。或者来一艘高速“追逐船”（此前被称为“接驳艇”），它可以牵引水上滑雪板和尾波板，并将你送到拉马图埃勒的 LouLou 海滩酒吧。
I
（今年夏天吸引了数百万游客前往地中海）？别担心，因为你的船员就在这里提供帮助。几年前的一个夏天，我在菲利普·格林 (Philip Green) 那艘价值 £100 million 的“狮心号” (Lionheart) 游艇上共进午餐，当时这位名声扫地的 Topshop 零售巨头建议在餐后尝试一下该船那批涂成豹皮色的水上摩托车探险。
女士们担心会被水母 (les méduses) 蛰到。“别担心，它们不是那种会蛰人的种类，”一名甲板员保证道。他怎么能如此确定？结果发现，在午餐派对抵达之前，一名船员被说服将其钓出来，并将它的胶质涂在手臂上以检查蛰刺强度。哇。
左图：阿黛尔 (Adele)，她是设计师兼导演汤姆·福特 (Tom Ford) 游艇上的客人。右图：埃林·哈兰德 (Erling Haaland)。下方：阿迈尔 (Amal) 和乔治·克鲁尼 (George Clooney)。
即使你花费数十万美金租赁，也有规则需要遵守。应该给小费吗？这是一个棘手的问题。大船上的工作人员人数通常至少是客人的两倍，所以如果你打算留下小费，你必须给每个人小费。8 名客人 = 16 x $500。
厕所——或者像我们这些游艇爱好者所称的“the heads”——对大型且意外的物品很敏感。所以请尊重它们。如果你造成了堵塞，请立即告诉船员。他们会礼貌且谨慎地采取迅速行动。不要因为尴尬而保持沉默，因为这可能会导致航行中的灾难和社会耻辱。
当船主规定甲板上禁止穿鞋时，你必须在登船梯处脱掉你的 Louboutin 高跟鞋。除非你恰好是名为 Linh Goben 的航海爱好者，她在其家人 43 英尺的双体船“萨凡纳号” (Savannah) 甲板上铺了地毯，这样她就可以舒适地穿着高跟鞋走来走去，而不会受到航海界的审视。
事先做足趾甲护理大概是个好主意。记得在《继承之战》(Succession) 中，当肯德尔·罗伊 (Kendall Roy) 欢迎表弟格雷格 (Greg) 登上家族拥有的 85.1m 豪华巨型游艇“Solandge”号时吗？“起帆，亮甲，兄弟，”肯德尔说。“如果你的趾甲没那么美观怎么办？”格雷格反问道。这是一个大胆的猜测，但我认为哈兰德的趾甲可能还没准备好出现在船尾甲板上。
如果你租赁游艇的自己恰好遇到了船主，不要像莱昂纳多 (Leo) 那样对他大肆抨击该船缺乏环保资质（填满一艘巨型游艇的油箱可能花费 $200,000 到 $1 million 之间；一艘 180 英尺的巨型游艇在以 14-22 节速度巡航时，每小时油耗在 160 到 1,120 加仑之间）。但请毫无羞耻地赞美该船优雅的建筑风格、令人印象深刻的速度和典范般的室内设计。
在伊比萨岛那次菲利普·格林/“狮心号”的午餐会上，我无意中听到大卫·威廉姆斯 (David Walliams) 正在与格林进行一场激烈的交谈。这位《小英国》(Little Britain) 的明星正处于极其顽皮的状态。“菲利普，”他说道，目光真诚地倾斜地扫过那块网球场大小的甲板和通往电影院的楼梯，“这绝对是我去过的前十大游艇之一。”
员工可以 选择不 在视频 会议中 露面。 作者：Hilary Rose
我不知道是谁发明了Zoom，但我知道他们该死，而本周一个雇佣法庭认同了我的观点。某种程度上是这样。该法庭认定，强迫人们在摄像头前露脸可能构成一种残疾歧视。作为居家办公的旅游顾问，劳拉·泰特（Laura Tait）表示，想到要开启摄像头参加会议就让她感到“不知所措”，而当被要求尝试时，她“无法应对”。
现在，我们先要把内心的焦虑排解掉。焦虑是一件可怕的事，歧视则是令人厌恶的。仅仅因为想到视频会议就感到不知所措，并且因为“无法应对”而下线，这，嗯……好吧，言归正传，关键在于这次
裁决触及了每一个
不得不穿着睡衣在
早上7点进行视频通话的人。它触及了我们所有人，如果再有一篇杂志文章告诉我们，只要戴上夸张的耳环和涂上大胆的口红，就能在Zoom上看起来专业，我们可能会疯掉。相信我，根本不是那么回事。简而言之，这触及了女性。
Zoom通话是一种诅咒。如果你的手指从未在“关闭摄像头”选项上徘徊，那么你要么是个模特，要么是个男人。其余所有人都在挣扎，因为在视频通话中看起来体面既是一门科学，也是一门艺术。这和上电视完全一样，只不过你没有任何专业支持：没有灯光，没有导演，没有化妆师，也没有摄像师。只有你一个人在厨房里，对着笔记本电脑和模糊的摄像头镜头。40岁以下的人在这方面更擅长，但这并不能带来安慰，因为当你看向镜头时，你会意识到，即便在最好的状态下，你也看起来像个僵尸。
这是因为要在Zoom上看起来有生气，需要全套化妆和合适的设备。环形灯据说能改变局面，但我愿意花 20 英镑买另一个占地方的小玩意儿放在角落里吗？我不愿意。据说还有各种聪明的滤镜可以使用，可以柔化边缘并突出颧骨。太棒了！我怀疑即使我知道怎么找，最后我也会用上一个给我加上小狗耳朵和胡须的滤镜。
Zoom通话在疫情期间是一个必要的恶，但我当时太“模拟”了，我在厨房桌子上堆了好多书，试图将iPad摄像头调整到显瘦的高度。不用说，我失败了，并学会了与双下巴和眼袋共存。（现在我其实不在乎了。我在现实生活中可以长得和在Zoom上一样糟糕，所以随便吧。）
话虽如此，我的低谷期是那天与超模克里斯蒂·布林克利（Christie Brinkley）进行Zoom通话。我不是超模，或者说至少现在还不是。她的背景是汉普顿的一个花园。而我的背景是我厨房的墙，在我头顶正上方有一个巨大的缺口。她看起来有点困惑，但掩饰得很好。
我们都知道，理论上你可以选择任何喜欢的背景。你可以在克罗伊登主持一场以富士山为背景的会议，但你知道怎么操作吗？你足够在意到愿意尝试吗？还是你的手指正渴望地在“仅限音频”选项上徘徊？或者，也许，
T
安迪·伯纳姆的 段子吗？ 喜剧演员们 对新任首相 的看法
周二晚上在一家伊比萨岛的夜总会里，有人对他在舞池中的出现感到惊讶。“不敢相信你上任第二天就在外面派对，”对方对他说。罗素·凯恩 (Russell Kane) 觉得很有趣。这是当晚第二个要求他模仿安迪·伯纳姆的人。
这就是营销人员所说的“突破力”。两个月前，凯恩在社交媒体频道上发布了一段视频，假装成伯纳姆在泡茶。“我也做很多非常普通的事情，”他用安迪的口音说道。“我准备烤吐司。当然是用白面包。我甚至不知道酸种面包怎么拼。”视频接着展示他谈论穿袜子、上厕所和喜欢肉汁。“我和你们一样，”他说。
喜剧演员和讽刺作家们正深感欣慰。在经历了僵硬且刻板的基尔·斯塔默和圆滑的技术官僚里希·苏纳克之后，在伯纳姆
买一赠一票
每周三，Times+ 会员可与好友一同前往 Everyman 观影。 在全英 49 个网点享受最完美的电影体验：豪华沙发、完整吧台及优质美食。访问 mytimesplus.co.uk 查看我们影评人的推荐及最新上映影片的评论。
伊恩·希斯洛普 (Ian Hislop)，《私人眼》(Private Eye) 编辑
身上，他们发现了一个在言语、肢体和心理上都有独特癖好的人，可以据此塑造一个极具辨识度的讽刺形象。而他利用 Instagram 接触选民的热情，本身就是一个无尽的喜剧素材库。
对于凯恩来说，伯纳姆的“表演性平民化”最令他瞩目。他觉得这位工党党魁候选人太努力地想要让自己看起来像个普通人了。这显然引起了共鸣，因为凯恩的视频在 TikTok 和 Instagram 上都获得了 50 万次的观看量。
“这让我很惊讶，”凯恩说。“我只是想找一个能由我掌控的笑点，就像我以前做过的那样。观察他时，我觉得他在‘就像你一样’这件事上做得太过火了，于是我拍了自己在厨房走动并指着东西的视频。”一段在梅克菲尔德 (Makerfield) 补选期间的走访视频也获得了相似的关注度。
“我开始担心他会不会赢不了，而这（过于刻意）会成为事后分析的原因。”
但这并不意味着他是伯纳姆的支持者。“我不支持也不反对任何人，”他说。“我是宫廷小丑。我的表演里没有恶意。”他又发布了八段伯纳姆视频 —— 包括去房车度假、谈论锡浴缸之类的话题 —— 他表示，在 9 月开始在 New Vic 剧院出演《罗密欧与朱丽叶》男主角期间，他将继续制作这些视频。“做喜剧就像拳击，”他说。“一旦停止，就很难重新开始。我有一种开玩笑的强迫症。”
马特·福德 (Matt Forde) 也在准备自己的伯纳姆模仿秀，计划在下个月的爱丁堡艺穗节上演出。“作为一名模仿者，你会注意到他们所有的抽搐、动作以及习惯性使用的词组，”他说。“伯纳姆的肢体语言相当活泼，他经常挥动手臂，身体上下晃动，并频繁挑眉。”
他还察觉到一种羞怯感，这体现在伯纳姆不断自我提问的方式中。“我们需要提升司法公正的水平，不是吗？”福德说着，切换到一种相当地道的口音。“这听起来既像是在对话，又带有一点不确定感。但他的声音确实与我们之前经历过的领导人截然不同。”
另一个福德可能会在脱口秀演出中，或者在采访蕾切尔·里夫斯 (Rachel Reeves) 时使用的伯纳姆特质是
爱丁堡，是他担心自己表现得太有趣。 “当政治家们在玩得开心，然后突然意识到世界上存在不公正，必须转而变得严肃时，你几乎能看到他们脸上的倒计时，”他说，再次切换回他那种伯纳姆式的足球腔调：“你看墨西哥那场比赛了吗？我简直疯了，喝得酩酊大醉。第二天早上头疼欲裂……但如果伊朗人真的使用核武……”
福特还将为《讽刺镜像》(Spitting Image) 模仿伯纳姆，并希望他能长期担任首相。“那些木偶造价极其昂贵，”他说，“所以你得确保他们能在那儿待上一段时间。”
乔恩·卡尔肖自约翰·梅杰以来一直在模仿历任首相，并表示要让人物性格脱颖而出需要时间。 “比尔·戴尔 [卡尔肖在 Radio 4 频道主持的系列节目《死敲》(Dead Ringers) 的制片人，该节目将于年内回归] 的伟大之处之一在于，他能够从平庸之物中挖掘喜剧元素，”他说。“这就是我们如何塑造基尔·斯塔默的：在于他说话时那种僵硬的方式。他在面对可怕的决定时，坐得太舒服了 [他在说‘COM-fortably’（舒服地）这个词时，使用了典型的斯塔默式短促的鼻音强调]。”
卡尔肖是对研究对象极尽投入的学者。“我会录下他们的演讲，观看 YouTube 剪辑，”他说。每个人都有一个能揭示其本质的致命弱点。“莉兹·特拉斯就像一座过度自信的大山，摇摇欲坠地支撑在一个政治大脑的针尖上，”他说。“鲍里斯就像一个——”
一些安迪·伯纳姆的社交媒体帖子。由上至下： Paddy Young 在《周六夜现场》英国版中饰演伯纳姆； Russell Kane 饰演首相。下方是上周的一幅彼得·布鲁克斯漫画。
对 你的 想法 闭口不谈 时， 你 会被 整得很惨
以至于你如果能避免 画他，就会避免
“一个脱离了固定装置、在街道上被风吹走的充气城堡。”当他模仿伯纳姆时，语气中充满了亲昵的语气词——“不错啊……你知道的”——以及一种乐观的跳跃感。“我认为这将是肥沃的土壤，”他说。
漫画家们同样在寻找能辅助其讽刺画的特征。彼得·布鲁克斯最近为《泰晤士报》创作了一幅名为《那么，计划是什么，安迪？》的漫画，画中安迪·伯纳姆摘下眼镜，将他巨大的睫毛和鼻子一起带了下来，留下了一张空白的脸。“当你对自己的想法保持沉默时，你会被人修理，”他说。
布鲁克斯回忆起安迪·伯纳姆在戈登·布朗内阁任职期间，他将对方画成《雷鸟》中的一个傀儡，而操纵绳索的人是工会负责人伦·麦克拉斯基。他现在可能会嘲笑伯纳姆随意的举止和宽松的时尚感——“那些糟糕的短裤”——但很感激伯纳姆的眼镜、睫毛和头发让他具有某种辨识度。“他会比斯塔默曾经的样子更生动，”他说。“斯塔默实在太无趣了，以至于你如果能避免画他，就会避免。”
莫滕·莫兰德也关注到了那对“迷人”的睫毛——他在为《泰晤士报》创作的一幅漫画中，画了一只巨大的眼睛透过唐宁街 10 号的窗户窥视，而斯塔默则蜷缩在窗帘后面。安迪·伯纳姆在 2024 年意识到这一特点，当时他对《泰晤士报》说：“我每次参加《问题时间》(Question Time) 节目，如果不收到至少 100 条关于睫毛膏的推文就没完。我可以诚实地说，我从未涂过睫毛膏。”我曾在《泰晤士报》的日记专栏中开玩笑说，像许多工党议员一样，他决心支持眼线产品产业。
“摸清一个人需要时间，”莫兰德说。“大卫·卡梅伦上台时我们也遇到了同样的问题，起初我们能画的只有他极其光滑的皮肤。”他认为自己将聚焦于安迪·伯纳姆的自信——“我觉得他的自信心惊人”——以及他的亲和力。“如果他到处拥抱每个人，那就会成为性格的一部分，”他说。“斯塔默变得越来越死板。这一切都取决于他如何塑造自己。”
这引发了一个担忧：嘲讽他如此具有“北方特色”是否合适？莫兰德警惕地认为，使用刻板印象可能会被视为傲慢。“读者们似乎愿意给他一个机会，如果我们让他们觉得我们在普遍嘲讽北方人，他们会责备我们，”他说。“但如果他自己就顺此地势地表现，那么这就是方向所在。”毕竟，这个男人在被 Mumsnet 问到“你最喜欢的饼干是什么？”时，回答道：“给我来啤酒和配肉汁的薯条就行。”
我记得安迪·伯纳姆在 2015 年竞选党魁时，他的竞选视频中充满了他属于北方且很接地气的信号：穿着埃弗顿队的球衣，与工会成员一起游行，谈论英式橄榄球联盟。
“他很真诚，且根基深厚，”一名被标注为“查理，安迪的朋友”的工人阶级小农说。但正如我在《泰晤士报》的速写中所注的，“他看起来极其像索罗顿的法尔科纳勋爵，PC，QC，前司法大臣，以及一名爱丁堡市长的孙子”。顺便提一下，查理的儿子现在在内阁中。
《私家眼》(Private Eye) 已经决定在呈现安迪·伯纳姆的方式上走“北方路线”。最新一期有一个名为《街道 the Coronation Street》的短剧，在剧中，安迪·伯纳姆和朋友们接管了一家名为“选民回归”(Voters Return) 的酒吧。伊薇特·库珀戴着像埃娜·夏普尔斯那样的发网，而约翰·希利发现“收银机里什么也没有，只有一堆欠条”。
注意到顾客们已经去到由奈杰尔·法拉奇经营的“老牛与屎”(Old Bull and Shit) 酒吧用苦啤酒淹没忧愁后，安迪·伯纳姆誓要为他的酒吧恢复乐观气氛，然后打开了点唱机，播放起 The Smiths 乐队的《天知道我现在很悲惨》(Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now)。
主编伊恩·希斯洛普（Ian Hislop）不确定这是否会成为一个常设栏目，就像托尼·布莱尔（Tony Blair）的圣阿尔比恩（St Albion’s）或卡梅伦（Cameron）的自由学校通讯那样。 “如今，做一个关于首相的连载专栏有点冒险，因为下一期换的人可能是另一个，”他说，“我们对他了解不多，但我们很确定他来自北方。一部北方肥皂剧可能会奏效——对我们来说是这样，尽管对英国来说不一定。”
与印象派画家和漫画家一样，希斯洛普觉得需要时间来发现，伯纳姆身上究竟有哪些是可以被讽刺的特质。 “我们会尝试几种方法，看看哪个有效，”他说，“这基本上就是伯纳姆的政策，不是吗？”
特朗普总统的女性
凯文·马赫 (Kevin Maher) 撰文
这部关于冈佐记者（gonzo journalist）兼女性主义斗士 E·简·卡罗尔 (E Jean Carroll) 的纪录片既及时又引人入胜。该片上映时，距离唐纳德·特朗普在 2023 年的一场关于性虐待和诽谤的诉讼败诉后，最终向卡罗尔支付所欠的 $5.6 百万美元仅过了数周。然而，由于 2024 年的第二次诽谤诉讼获胜，特朗普仍欠卡罗尔 $83.3 百万美元。根据该片的营销宣传，这让她成为“唯一在法庭上击败唐纳德·特朗普的人。而且是两次”。
导演艾薇·米罗波尔 (Ivy Meeropol)（曾执导《咬后》/After the Bite）通过巧妙的结构设计，并穿插富有诗意的闪回，勾勒出一位来自中西部的无畏进取者的复杂画像。在她的职业生涯大部分时间里，她的政治立场难以捉摸，且是对传统女性主义的一种挑战。
卡罗尔曾是美国啦啦队小姐 (Miss Cheerleader USA, 1964) 且曾担任《花花公子》的撰稿编辑，她咆哮道：“那又怎样，（《花花公子》里的）女性没穿衣服！没什么大不了的！快跳过这个话题！”作为一名共和党政治家的女儿，她成为了一名著名的情感咨询师（agony aunt），活跃在印刷品和电视屏幕上，因其犀利的观点而令人畏惧，且在奥普拉·温弗瑞 (Oprah Winfrey) 的委婉描述中被定义为“不讲情面”。一段 1990 年代初的新闻片段显示，卡罗尔将性骚扰幸存者安妮塔·希尔 (Anita Hill) 斥为“懦夫”，并要求所谓的弱势女性：“停止畏缩。不要给对方让你成为受害者的权力。”
米罗波尔从未磨平这些棱角，而是让素材自行发声，尤其是当卡罗尔在面对特朗普团队时展现出非凡的勇气。在 2019 年的初步宣誓证词中，她描述了 20 世纪 90 年代如何遭到特朗普的性侵，而总统的律师则猥琐地问道：“那有色情感觉吗？”
面对诉讼后接踵而至的、可信的死亡威胁，卡罗尔平静地说：“每天早上醒来，我都会想，‘我能撑过今天吗？’”
片中穿插了卡罗尔与同行作家丽莎·比恩巴赫 (Lisa Birnbach) 在格林威治村一次古灵精怪的、《欲望都市》风格的午餐，以及卡罗尔在行动中的档案片段，还有她与好友亨特·S·汤普森 (Hunter S Thompson) 共度的喧闹时光的轶事（她撰写了传记《亨特：亨特·S·汤普森奇异而野蛮的一生》）。
海之上的故事 (On the Sea) 15, 111分钟 {{{{(
Wham! 中国之行 10 日 (Wham! 10 Days in China) 12A, 90分钟 {{{{(
1985 年 4 月，Wham! 乐队前往中国。这是一次为期 10 天、包含两场演出的巡演，由他们的经理西蒙·纳皮尔-贝尔 (Simon Napier-Bell) 设计。这是一个反直觉的宣传计划，旨在通过先将乔治·迈克尔 (George Michael)（当时 21 岁）和安德鲁·里奇利 (Andrew Ridgeley)（22 岁）带到中国，从而向美国媒体介绍他们——此前没有其他西方流行音乐艺人在那里演出。获奖导演林赛·安德森 (Lindsay Anderson)（代表作《如果...》/If...）被聘请来记录这次旅行。他的电影《如果你在那里...》(If You Were There...) 冗长且罕见，被乐队厌恶，随后被重新剪辑成传统的演唱会电影《Wham! 在中国：异国天空》(Wham! in China: Foreign Skies)。
这段纪录片汇集了里奇利、纳皮尔-贝尔等人的大量新回忆，且效果极佳。
一部摇滚纪录片中所有你想要的东西都具备了。在某些部分，它令人惊恐地像《脊椎拍档》(This Is Spinal Tap)，特别是当 Wham! 被带到北京英国大使馆参加一次“VIP 接待会”，而里奇利面临关于他上次打板球时的尴尬提问时。或者是迈克尔在一家挤满了不知所措的当地人的高保真音响店里，气愤地离开拍照机会。或者是暴躁的安德森在滔滔不绝地讲述他将这个项目变成一部反资本主义史诗檄文的计划。或者是共产党官员们惊恐地看着迈克尔在北京工人体育场的舞台上宣布，下一首歌名为《自由》(Freedom)。
[[IMG_XXXX]] E·简·卡罗尔 2024 年在纽约法院外 LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
米罗波尔在不经意间捕捉到了一种感觉：现年 82 岁的卡罗尔，因 30 年前被这位美国总统兼首席粗俗之辈所造成的伤害而永远地改变了。
院线公映 询问 E·简 (Ask E Jean) 未分级, 91分钟 {{{{(
由导演迈克·克里斯蒂（Mike Christie，《吉尔伯特与乔治的朝圣》）巧妙地整理，他手中拥有极其丰富的素材。令人动容的是，在片中能重新看到那些年迈的北京人，他们讲述了自己的生活是如何被两位活泼的赫特福德郡帅哥所改变的，而那两人的歌词唱道：“但你知道我会原谅你，就这一次，两次，直到永远。”这是近年来的第 N 部 Wham! 纪录片（另见《Wham!》、《乔治·迈克尔：一个不同的故事》、《乔治·迈克尔：自由》等），而且绝对是其中最好的一部。
为什么没给五星？因为它太短了。它需要像彼得·杰克逊那样用三小时的顶级规格来处理。当匆忙的结尾在 90 分钟时到来，给人的感觉是失望的。我们想要什么？更多的 Wham! 我们想在哪里看到？就在这部电影里！
周二电影院上映；8 月 BBC2 播出
《海滩上的日子》(On the Beach, 1959) PG级，129分钟 {{{{( 在充斥着末日电影的电影世界里，很难想象这部改编自内维尔·舒特 (Nevil Shute) 小说的斯坦利·克雷默 (Stanley Kramer) 惊悚片在上映之初是多么激进。这是一部星光熠熠的作品，敢于描绘全球核毁灭的残酷细节。
格里高利·派克 (Gregory Peck) 饰演潜艇指挥官德怀特·陶尔斯 (Dwight Towers)，他在逃离核钴弹带来的毁灭星球的辐射尘。他抵达墨尔本，在那里，最后一批惊恐且半酗酒的人类被告知仅剩五个月的生命。在逃避现实的过程中，他爱上了酗酒的莫伊拉 (Moira, 艾娃·加德纳 饰)，而莫伊拉是朱利安·奥斯本 (Julian Osborn, 弗雷德·阿斯泰尔 饰) 的前女友，后者是一位同样酗酒且抑郁的科学家。
当时的影评人讨厌这部电影，认为它太过火。然而，人们的感触已经发生了变化，现在看来它仅仅是令人不安。片中还包含无意间的AI预言，当奥斯本解释道：“我们所谓的文明，被少数几个真空管和晶体管光荣地摧毁了。”
这是克雷默的“社会讯息”系列电影之一，也是最悲观的一部。导演在整部电影中穿插了澳新军团第一次世界大战的赞歌《华尔兹马蒂尔达》(Waltzing Matilda)，暗示人类的毁灭已成定局且迫在眉睫。 流媒体播放；蓝光光盘周一发行
格里高利·派克与艾娃·加德纳
在这个关于威尔士艰苦渔村中禁忌同性之爱的深思故事中，可以看到《上帝之国》(God’s Own Country) 和《断背山》(Brokeback Mountain) 的影子。事实上，人们可能很快会质疑，我们还能制作多少部关于禁忌同性之爱的剧集——为了营造可信的紧张感，这些剧集需要那种更适合1960年代怀俄明州而非2026年英国的、激进的恐同情绪。
但尽管如此，“同性恋恐慌”在这个未具名的小村庄里依然根深蒂固。在这里，男人被教导要像个男人，人们动起拳头，而一名心地善良的贻贝采集者杰克 (Jack, 盖里·沃德 饰) 对一名放荡不羁的临时工丹尼尔 (Daniel, 洛恩
一部电影的价格看两部，这就是这部由艾德·哈里斯 (Ed Harris)、玛丽·斯汀伯根 (Mary Steenburgen) 和本·斯蒂勒 (Ben Stiller) 主演的喜剧片给人的印象。但问题在于？其中一部电影简直糟糕透顶。这是一部痛苦地套用公式的闹剧，其精神内核类似于《躲避球》(Dodgeball)、《保龄球之王》(Kingpin) 和《球场风云》(Caddyshack)；由电视剧《新女孩》(New Girl) 中的杰克·约翰逊 (Jake Johnson) 饰演一名名为达斯汀·博伊德 (Dustin Boyd) 的落魄网球职业选手，他不情愿地进入了皮克球 (pickleball) 的竞争世界——这是美国增长最快的运动。
达斯汀讨厌皮克球，因为它节奏缓慢且细腻，而他是快速且愤怒的：他的绰号是“锤子”，而他那易怒且幼稚的人设似乎是从亚当·桑德勒 (Adam Sandler) 的《快乐高尔夫》(Happy Gilmore) 中搬过来的。达斯汀被强推入这个更柔软、更友好的世界，是因为他受了手腕伤，而这个伤势的存在主要是为了让他的医生（本·斯蒂勒 饰）能够制造一些令人厌烦的手淫笑话，作为对斯蒂勒在《玛丽有个秘密》(There’s Something About Mary) 中那场臭名昭著的自慰灾难的敷衍致敬。
编剧肖恩·克莱门茨 (Sean Clements，曾参与电视剧《不稳定》(Unstable)) 为此构思了一个貌似剧情的框架：达斯汀需要赢得一场皮克球锦标赛，并融化他父亲查克（哈里斯 饰）的冰冷之心，同时与他的双打搭档——一位“泼辣”的七旬离异女性坎代斯（斯汀伯根 饰）建立联系。然而，在最后的关键比赛到来之前，这基本上只是由一系列毫无笑意的铺垫组成的碎片化旅程。
与此同时，那部“好电影”就潜伏在这部“坏电影”的中间，并在决赛开始前戛然而止。它展现了达斯汀对坎代斯逐渐产生的情愫，并如《天允许的一切》(All That Heaven Allows)、《哈罗德与莫德》(Harold and Maude)、《母亲》(The Mother) 以及《你好，我叫多丽丝》(Hello, My Name Is Doris) 那样，细腻地挖掘了“老少配”的领域。最后一部电影由莎莉·菲尔德 (Sally Field) 饰演一名 69 岁的女性，她爱上了一名由马克斯·格林菲尔德 (Max Greenfield) 饰演的三十多岁艺术总监，而奇怪的是，格林菲尔德正是约翰逊在《新女孩》中的共演演员。难道约翰逊和格林菲尔德都得到了同样的建议——通过拍摄古怪的年龄差距浪漫剧来摆脱热门剧集的既有形象？
尽管如此，约翰逊与斯汀伯根之间那种轻松的化学反应依然迷人且讨喜，就像一部
麦法登 (MacFadyen)）。接下来的内容是对压力下男性气概的细致刻画：沉默寡言的杰克在多重脆弱的身份中地周旋——他既是一个担心其叛逆青春期儿子汤姆 (Tom, 亨利·劳夫尔 Henry Lawfull 饰) 的父亲，也是一个尽职的丈夫，面对着长期忍耐的妻子玛吉 (Maggie, 莉兹·怀特 Liz White 饰)。
杰克唯一能完全做回真实自我的地方，是在一艘渔业拖网船上，在丹尼尔的怀抱中。这部电影由小说家海伦·沃尔什 (Helen Walsh) 编剧并导演，她让这段核心浪漫关系以诱人的节奏展开。她的拍摄手法也极为精湛，经常让室内空间笼罩在浓稠如墨的阴影中。
关于杰克这个角色是否需要一个“双重”秘密生活（他还隐瞒了一场重病）尚无定论。然而，沃德 (Ward) 在此展现出了如此强大且令人心碎的共情存在感，以至于他能轻松地驾驭任何古怪的设定。
达斯汀（Dustin）与坎蒂丝（Candace）之间最初冷淡的伙伴关系，很快便在调情的短信、互相关怀的对话以及一次突然且含蓄地表达情感的掌掴中变得活泼起来。在此场景中，在一场异常激烈的皮克球赛后，达斯汀随意的且粗鲁地无视了坎蒂丝对
《断线皮诺曹》（Pinocchio Unstrung） 18, 82分钟 {((((
太棒了！这是所谓的“扭曲童年宇宙”恐怖系列的最新作品！你知道的，就是那个本土低成本特许经营系列，将儿童经典作品转化为愚蠢且血腥的砍杀电影，以制造网络狂热和微薄的票房回报。到目前为止，我们已经看到了《小熊维尼：血与蜜》、《彼得潘的永无岛噩梦》以及《小鹿斑比：清算》，所有这些作品都难以突破它们那令人沮丧且极其有限的推销词：“就像 X [插入儿童经典作品]，但有血腥场面！”
《丁克》（The Dink） 12, 102分钟 {{(((
嗜血的心理变态者，折磨着北伦敦的市民。
这个皮诺曹是由朱德-埃文·劳埃德（Jude-Evan Lloyd）配音的机械傀儡，他如此渴望成为真正的男孩，以至于闯入一家健身房，用杠铃将一名女性的头骨砸得粉碎。随后，他用锤子击落另一名女性的牙齿，并用马球杆将另一名女性的脸砸成碎片，然后潜入洗手间，那里有一个“性感女人”正在洗澡，他站在她的胸部上并暴力地撕掉她的头皮，而由罗伯特·英格兰（Robert Englund）配音的助手蟋蟀则兴奋地低语，在致命一击之前说道：“走吧，你这个肮脏的贱货！”
乡村音乐。坎蒂丝愤怒但同时引导着一种日益增长的亲密感，突然发难。这是导演乔什·格林鲍姆（Josh Greenbaum，曾执导极具疯狂色彩的《芭比和星去维斯塔德尔马》）一个精准且判断极佳的瞬间，它揭示了这对潜在情侣的一切：他们的挫败感、脆弱以及内在的绝望。
可惜的是，格林鲍姆几乎立即转向一个笨拙且刻意讽刺的片段，坎蒂丝邀请达斯汀一起观看——呵呵——由与他同名的达斯汀·霍夫曼（Dustin Hoffman）主演的《毕业生》。这段关系的所有希望，包括一个冲动且绝对纯洁的吻，随着体育类型的需求重新回归视野而消散，格林鲍姆回到了那大部分
卡梅隆·贝尔（Cameron Bell）饰演 詹姆斯，皮诺曹的朋友
枯燥乏味的嘲讽皮克球及其球员的戏码中。
电影结尾处有约翰·麦肯罗（John McEnroe）的一次精彩客串。当一名惊呆了的粉丝询问他是否真的是约翰·麦肯罗时，这位 67 岁的运动员巧妙地化解了这次质疑：“是什么暴露了我？我的脸和身体吗？”而安迪·罗迪克（Andy Roddick）的另一个顶尖网球客串则没那么流畅（别放弃你的正职），这反映出这部电影是如此平庸且缺乏灵感，以至于现实生活中配角的相对质量竟能为整个项目的娱乐价值做出贡献。哈里斯（Harris）在扮演社会病态的家长方面一如既往地高效，但这是一种熟悉的表演，如果说不是在敷衍，那几乎可以通过 Zoom 远程完成。 Apple TV
这种做法极其退步，且与恐怖电影领域任何有趣的趋势都脱节（参见《强迫症》、《后室》、《罪人》和《武器》）。由编剧兼导演里斯·弗雷克-沃特菲尔德（Rhys Frake-Waterfield）撰写的剧本充斥着不连贯的跳跃，表演极其僵硬，而且一种在更优秀的《活死人娃娃》（Child’s Play）和《梅根》（M3gan）系列中已经见过的既视感压倒了一切。 尽管如此，它可能是“扭曲童年宇宙”系列电影中最优秀的一部，这就像是在说淋病是最好的性传播感染一样。 电影院上映
T
忘掉“顽童夏天”吧——摇滚回来了
转向独立吉他， 结果褒贬不一。作者： Will Hodgkinson
Charli XCX 抵制住了尝试去匹配 2024 年那个定义时代的《Brat》的诱惑。在那张专辑中，她将千禧一代的不安全感融入前卫的舞曲，将一个亚文化符号推向了主流核心。相反，在《Music, Fashion, Film》中，她走向了另一个极端，放弃了巨大的流行记忆点，转而采用失真吉他，由其长期合作者 AG Cook 和 Finn Keane 打造的粗粝制作，以及一种直接到近乎讽刺的歌词手法。
正如专辑封面出现了 John Cale、Marc Jacobs 和 Martin Scorsese 的照片（他们无疑分别来自音乐、时尚和电影领域），歌曲处理所选主题的方式也同样直白。在这些短小、与其说是精心打磨的作品不如说像两分钟重复轰炸的曲目中，整个 30 分钟的体验感觉不像是目前最灵动的英国流行巨星的最新专辑，更像是一个为了自我娱乐和疗愈而拼凑起来的奇珍异宝。
John Cale、Marc Jacobs 和 Martin Scorsese 出现在封面艺术中
对于 Charli XCX（即 33 岁的 Charlotte Aitchison）来说，在经历了《Brat》这种一生一次的现象级成功后，竟然带着一件听起来像是喝了几杯玛格丽塔后随手拼凑的作品回归，这种非功利主义的态度令人耳目一新。但这也可能感觉像是一个时尚的内部笑话，且在关注独立摇滚的复兴——至于这给听众留下了什么感受，就没人知道了。
尽管有许多时髦的触笔，《Music, Fashion, Film》听起来很像 Sucker，
被吸入布鲁克纳的美学世界
《Rock Music》，首首发布的歌曲
出生于法国的指挥家、前女低音 Nathalie Stutzmann 并非通过演唱这位作曲家的歌剧而产生对布鲁克纳的热爱，因为他根本没写过歌剧。真正让她沉迷的是他的九部史诗级交响曲：在她的职业生涯新阶段，她很乐意指挥并录制这些作品。她是亚特兰大交响乐团的音乐总监——这个团体此前并不被认为天生适合演绎布鲁克纳，尽管 Stutzmann 坚信其乐手在演奏布鲁克纳方面具有“真正的天赋”。
在这张第四交响曲（被冠以“浪漫”之名）的录音中，有些片段确实证明了这一点。我会特别指出那充满魔力的开头，在颤抖的……之中响起那融化般的圆号号角声。
音乐、时尚、 电影 Atlantic {{{((
字符串，将我们直接吸入一个属于作曲家自身的自然之美与庄严的世界。我同样推荐这部交响曲令人振奋的最后几分钟，其顶峰是一个由指挥家精心打造的巨大渐强音，而这位指挥家的演唱专业知识让她掌握了关于深呼吸和长乐句控制的所有技巧。
随后是中间的部分。在这里，听众并不总是那么幸运。一些强有力的高潮听起来不够强力；也许是录音的问题。在交响曲较为民俗化的片段中，不能指望亚特兰大管弦乐团拥有维也纳爱乐乐团那样天生的轻快律动，但其音乐家们处理得谨慎且纯净，这使得当 Stutzmann 的织体和速度偶尔变得有些古怪时，没有任何借口可寻。
来自这张专辑的，就是一个典型的例子。“我和我的朋友们……有时我们会哭泣，我们亲吻彼此，真实的乱伦氛围，”她在代表“摇滚”且仅此而已的吉他伴奏下声称——这种戏谑的方式显得有些自鸣得意，尤其是在被广泛引用的一句词中：“我认为舞池已死，所以现在我们要制作摇滚乐。”不过，在其他地方，这一切有着更明确的目的。
《Magic Metal Montana》是如今流行乐中不常听到的：一首献给朋友的赞歌。“喜欢你的发型，喜欢你的舞步，喜欢你的女友，”她在带有电子元素的动听独立流行乐背景下对 AG Cook 说道。亮点是《Camera》，她在其中反思公众目光的扭曲滤镜，坦言：“即使我表现得很糟糕，我也并不觉得尴尬。”这就是她最擅长的：清晰地审视自己的处境并创造出新鲜之物。
Stutzmann 布鲁克纳 Warner Classics {{{((
交响 乐团 Williams/ Herrmann Pentatone {{{{(
Charli XCX 在 2014 年与 Cook 合作并以艺术学院的视角诠释俱乐部文化之前制作的朋克流行专辑。这里有幽默感和自觉性，《Sucker》中也有：在严重失真的吉他伴奏下，《Card Declined》地在寻找“一种个性，一整套背景故事”，而而在充满焦虑的《I’m Afraid》中，她承认：“所有这些痛苦让我相信我是一个更好的艺术家。”
专辑以《No One Lasts Forever》结束，这是一种对自己在宏大计划中微不足道的接纳，尽管她利用自己巨大的明星影响力请来了一位著名的电影导演来帮助表达这种微不足道。“他们死了，他们离开了，没有人能永恒，”大卫·柯南伯格（David Cronenberg）无限地重复着。
Charli XCX 正在审视她的处境，以及名声带来的“自我意识的剧烈起伏”。你只是希望她能深入一点：去探索独立摇滚而非仅仅是引用它，在歌词中注入诗意而非仅仅以日记形式将其全部铺陈开来。
这部由木管独奏者和新加坡交响乐团演出的迷人发行版中的第一部作品，将是“猜测作曲家”游戏的绝佳候选者。一部现代主义作品，20 世纪后期，倾向于异域音色，略带日本风格——也许是武满彻（Takemitsu）？不，这是电影作曲家约翰·威廉姆斯（John Williams）的《长笛协奏曲》（1969），由独奏者 Jin Ta 以清澈流畅的技巧演绎。威廉姆斯的《弦乐随笔》（Essay for Strings）证明了其与《星球大战》同样相去之远。
伯纳德·赫尔曼（Bernard Herrmann）的《Souvenirs de Voyage》原为单簧管五重奏，更加直观且亲切，由 Ma Yue 的单簧管演绎的一些渴望的乐句放在《迷魂记》（Vertigo）中也不违和。专辑以另一位好莱坞作曲家雨果·弗里德霍夫（Hugo Friedhofer）创作的一首令人完全费解的微型管乐五重奏结束。将这张专辑归类为“值得收藏的怪作”。 Geoff Brown
I Hope You Don’t Remember Me Insanity Records {{{{(
鉴于开篇曲目《Abigail》以标准的忧伤钢琴和弦开场，Bella “Baby Queen” Latham 看起来似乎是后拉娜·德雷（Lana Del Rey）时代那一长串注定失败的抒情歌手中的最新一名。但随后局势骤变，Latham 证明了自己是一个比第一印象更具原创性的人物。这次心碎经历激发了这位出生于德班、定居伦敦的歌手创作出第二张专辑，带来了如《Permanently Obsessed》这样朗朗上口的流行歌曲，其中包含这样一句歌词：“当你拒绝我时，我反而兴奋了。”在其他曲目中，Latham 将否认的情绪融入到制作精良且紧凑的流行曲《That’s Fine》中，而《Word Vomit》则捕捉了分手后随之而来的自我厌恶。
The Strokes Reality Awaits RCA {{(((
The Strokes 乐队因为在 2001 年推出了完美的出道专辑《Is This It》而让自己陷入了某种“诅咒”：那张专辑包含 11 首充满反叛与活力的歌曲，由多年来最酷的纽约人演绎。此后他们尝试了各种方向，但在最新专辑中，你不得不好奇为什么一支魅力在于即时感的乐队，会决定让主唱 Julian Casablancas 的人声被 AutoTune 效果器厚厚地覆盖。这意味着，痛苦抒情曲《Psycho Shit》中的戏剧冲突变得像一台故障笔记本电脑一样令人动容；而《Falling Out of Love》听起来就像一首极佳的、具有地下丝绒（Velvet Underground）风格的曲调，被一个患有被遗弃恐惧症的机器人屠杀了。并非专辑中的每一首歌都被这种人声病毒感染，但它主导了整体基调，且不适合一支建立在粗犷魅力和杀手级旋律（见《Going Shopping》）而非数字效果之上的摇滚乐队。
Robyn Hitchcock The Confuser Tiny Ghost {{{{(
英国最顶尖的 Syd Barrett 粉丝已经搬到了纳什维尔，这有助于解释为什么在他第 25 张个人专辑中，其标志性的田园迷幻风格中加入了一个新元素：美国活力。“我说出文字。我热爱 Byrds 乐队的音乐，”他在《I Am This Thing》中宣称，这首歌听起来更像 70 年代的强力流行（power-pop）传奇 Big Star。于是，一张来自社会边缘的绝佳专辑就此展开，而 Hitchcock 已经在那里生活了 73 年。从老年浪漫的温柔（《The Vanishing Kind》）到关于吸引力的巴洛克式思考（《Breathless》），Hitchcock 对严肃主题采取了一种不敬的视角，尤其是他在接受生命自然展开的方式时。在《Monday for Me》中他坦言：“我几乎没走到哪里，但我知道自己的立场。”
纽约的格林威治村在过去的几十年里发生了很大变化。律师和对冲基金经理已经取代了大多数旧时的波希米亚人。但诺姆·德沃曼（Noam Dworman）经营俱乐部的麦克道格尔街（MacDougal Street）看起来仍然像是一个失落 era. 的缩影。
在这里你可以找到喜剧地窖（Comedy Cellar），业内最犀利的喜剧演员喜欢在这里表演或单纯地聚集。杰里·赛恩菲尔德（Jerry Seinfeld）在他 2002 年的纪录片《喜剧演员》（Comedian）中在该地拍摄了大量场景，演员兼导演布拉德利·库珀（Bradley Cooper）在拍摄灵感来自英国喜剧演员约翰·毕晓普（John Bishop）的电影《这东西开了吗？》（Is This Thing On?）时也使用了这家俱乐部。
戴夫·查佩尔（Dave Chappelle）、克里斯·洛克（Chris Rock），以及最臭名昭著的 Louis CK 都曾是这里的常客。在我前往会见德沃曼的那天晚上，我还能绕到拐角处，在德沃曼的另一个场地——Village Underground 观看阿齐兹·安萨里（Aziz Ansari）进行一场轻松且即兴的演出。现在拉斯维加斯也开了一家喜剧地窖。
但幽默并非我们今晚谈话的焦点。德沃曼仍然喜欢与喜剧演员共度时光，通常是在他位于地窖上方拥有的 Olive Tree Cafe 餐厅后方的 VIP 桌，他和朋友们在那里把持局面。
那张桌子同时也是一个发人深省且完全不可预测的播客的背景地。十年前的早期版本中，《来自桌边的现场》（Live from the Table）理所当然地聚焦于让人们发笑的商业运作细节。随着岁月流逝，德沃曼越来越多地转向谈论政治。
作为一名带有自由意志主义倾向的老派自由主义者，他希望抵制觉醒政治（woke politics）的过度倾向。这种冲动在 October 7, 2023. 之后进一步加深。德沃曼是一名毫不掩饰的锡安主义者，他绝望地看着支持巴勒斯坦的营地在市中心的哥伦比亚大学举行抗议，而关于加沙“种族灭绝”的讨论成了曼哈顿进步派晚餐聚会的常谈话题。
上方：诺姆·德沃曼与妻子胡安妮塔（Juanita）及儿子曼尼（Manny）。下方：Louis CK
我对我在捍卫的原则有着非常、非常强烈的感受
德沃曼的一些深度访谈，主题涵盖从人工智能到伊朗以及爱泼斯坦文件，确实变得非常激烈，但它们往往比你在 CNN 或 BBC 上看到的任何内容都更具启发性。他与肯尼思·罗斯（Kenneth Roth）的交锋是一场真正的硬仗，后者是以色列的领先批评者及人权观察组织（Human Rights Watch）的前负责人。最近，德沃曼与学者欧默·巴托夫（Omer Bartov）进行了一次气氛紧张的交流，后者是《以色列：哪里出了错？》（Israel: What Went Wrong?）的作者。
“他以为自己是来和一个经营喜剧俱乐部、对历史一窍不通的人谈话，”德沃曼回忆道，“这些人已经太习惯于不被问任何棘手的问题，以至于变得自满。在当今世界，每个人都有自己的信息茧房。他们不再像以前那样受到挑战。”
被敌对势力包围的国家。 “既然以色列是由人类组成的，那么就一定会存在暴行、欺骗和令人羞愧的事情，”他说。“但我认为以色列没有任何办法能结束这场冲突。”
“如果有一位巴勒斯坦领导人能像 [前埃及总统] 萨达特那样，来到议会（Knesset）发表演讲，并且是真诚的，那么整个冲突局面将会扭转。这就是我的信念。”
2018年，德沃曼 (Dworman) 上了一堂关于如何应对媒体争议和“取消文化”的课，当时他被卷入了围绕路易斯·CK (Louis CK) 的激烈冲突中。在媒体报道了多起不恰当性行为后，这位喜剧演员的职业生涯陷入低谷。然后，有一天晚上，路易斯·CK 在没有预先通知的情况下出现在 Cellar 俱乐部，表演了一场 15 分钟的节目。德沃曼当时不在那里；当记者开始给他打电话时，他正在家里睡觉。
他的批评者指责他为一名惯犯虐待者提供了平台。 德沃曼基于言论自由的立场，为该喜剧演员继续表演的权利进行辩护，并引用了理查德·普莱尔 (Richard Pryor) 作为一个早期的例子——普莱尔曾承认过家庭暴力，但并未被“取消”。俱乐部的女服务员站在了德沃曼这一边，但他的反对者远未被安抚。
“那非常可怕，”德沃曼回忆道。“我们收到了肢体暴力威胁，但那其实并不是我担心的问题。我们并不真正知道后果会是什么。是否会影响生意？我们是否在自毁前程？但我对我所捍卫的原则持有非常、非常坚定的信念。”
“如果快进到现在，全世界在某种程度上已经认同了我的观点，我简直无法想象，如果当时我把路易斯推出去顶罪，我还能有任何自尊。我的妻子胡安妮塔 (Juanita)，愿上帝保佑她，她一直支持我。我对她说：‘亲爱的，你知道吗，如果这让我们破产了怎么办？如果我们得搬回 Olive Tree 上方的那个公寓怎么办？’而她说：‘我以前过得比那更糟糕。’”
德沃曼说，他一直避免与任何表达政治分歧的喜剧演员（无论是左翼还是右翼）发生肢体冲突。让他感到惊讶的是，人们现在对像塔克·卡尔森 (Tucker Carlson) 倡导的那种阴谋论式民粹主义产生了新的胃口。“我没预料到这一点，”
这是我应该获得称赞的地方。我不介意别人怎么想。我有一个朋友，我们会对着彼此大吼大叫，然后我会说：‘得了，我开车送你回家。’我父亲也是这样的人。这里有些喜剧演员在推特上发布关于以色列的非常难看的言论。我不在乎。”
当我们走回 Olive Tree 时，他换上了另一个身份：音乐家诺亚姆·德沃曼 (Noam Dworman)。作为一名优秀的吉他手，他在该场所的驻场乐队中演奏了多年。今晚，在一年左右的时间里第一次，他拿起了乐器，脸上带着幸福的微笑，加入了乐队，演奏了一系列歌曲，包括披头士乐队的《Blackbird》。
如果说他对生活中的什么感到失望，那就是格林威治村 (the Village) 失去了一些灵气。“我小时候，街道上挤满了人，”他说。“人行道上人山人海，酒吧和咖啡馆此起彼伏地传出音乐声。凌晨3点，即使是在周中，这里也依然活跃。”
“现在的夜生活只是过去的一个影子。社区委员会将限制每家新酒吧在凌晨1点关闭视为己任，只有少数几个现场音乐场所依然营业 —— 而且它们在艰难支撑。” comedycellar.com 《Live from the Table》可在所有播客平台收听
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《永不抵达的午夜》(Midnight at the Never Get) 伦敦，梅尼尔巧克力工厂剧院 (100分钟) {{{((
您是否走错了路，结果来到了罗尼·斯科特爵士俱乐部 (Ronnie Scott’s)？在马克·森嫩布里克 (Mark Sonnenblick) 创作的这部带有音乐的非百老汇剧作《永不抵达的午夜》中，设计师斯科特·帕斯克 (Scott Pask) 将梅尼尔巧克力工厂剧院变成了一个极具说服力的 20 世纪 60 年代格林威治村卡巴烈t酒吧的复制品。桌上的灯光闪烁，一支乐队挤在狭小的舞台上。披头士乐队刚刚开始在电波中走红，民谣音乐家在每两家咖啡馆中就有一家在演奏，而男同性恋者聚集的俱乐部仍经常遭到警察突击搜查。
这是一个在大卫·克罗默 (David Cromer) 的制作中通过精准细节唤起的失落世界：一部大胆且非传统的戏剧。它并未过多关注两位恋人特雷弗 (Trevor) 和亚瑟 (Arthur) 的内心生活，他们靠着在一家名为“永不抵达 (Never Get)”的夜总会演唱歌曲来维持生计。
故事以单一布景的形式展开，没有中场休息。其中，特雷弗（由《亲爱的埃文·汉森》明星本·普拉特 [Ben Platt] 精彩演绎）在演唱歌曲并谈论浪漫、忠诚以及边缘生活时，倾诉了他的心声。Netflix 热门剧集《K-Pop 恶魔猎手》的共同编剧森嫩布里克创作了极其精良的曲目。旋律和轻快的节奏中带着一丝赛·科尔曼 (Cy Coleman) 的风格。当特雷弗演唱一首讲述在爱达荷州偏远地区度过童年的小曲时，很难相信你听到的不是一首真正的经典标准曲。
格雷戈尔·米尔恩 (Gregor Milne) 整个晚上大部分时间都在钢琴前，带来了自信的表演。亚瑟这个角色显得如此难以捉摸并不是他的错：我们从未能充分了解他对自己伴侣的感受。
剧末还有一个奇怪且缺乏说服力的尾声，其中第三位演员巴里·詹姆斯 (Barry James) 尽力演绎了一些过于激烈的对话。尽管如此，普拉特的粉丝们仍会享受近距离聆听他的快感。他倾注情感的演唱，配以细腻的假声，堪称完美。他也精准地捕捉到了一个表演者的内心绝望，而我们逐渐意识到，这个表演者并不是一个完全可靠的叙述者。 克莱夫·戴维斯 (Clive Davis) 至 9 月 12
《在脑海中》(In the Brain) 伦敦，伊丽莎白女王大厅 (55分钟) {{{{(
解放思想（以及身体）
波折， 九十年代 R&B 女王们仍散发 冠绝全球的 气场， Stephen Dalton S 评
En Vogue O2 Forum Kentish Town, 伦敦 {{{{(
在这样一部如黑洞般沉重的作品旁，你该如何安排其他曲目？库尔塔格（Kurtág）的《石碑》（Stele）是一个明智的选择，即便它的简短意味着在音乐会开始不到 20 分钟时就进入了中场休息。这位匈牙利百岁老人将庞大的编制转化为具有强力集中度和迷人色彩的音乐，在马勒式的风暴前营造出一种强烈的平静。 Rebecca Franks 于 BBC Sounds
我们生活在 一个充满 毒害性 绝望的 宇宙中， 唯一的出路 就是舞至 极乐之境。 在霍费什·谢克特（Hofesh Shechter）的新作《在大脑中》（In the Brain）中，情况似乎正是如此。这部作品被描述为部分是狂欢派对，部分是仪式，部分是集体觉醒，其在伊丽莎白女王大厅（Queen Elizabeth Hall）的伦敦首演，深刻地聚焦了当代青年的恐惧与挫败感。
作品基调阴郁且低沉——在谢克特的掌控下，怎么可能 otherwise？——并由标志其风格的律动身体感、流畅的感官魅力和原始能量所驱动。但这里展示的创伤之解药，并不不仅仅是暂时的
通过调制一杯由快感与怀旧组成的浓烈鸡尾酒，灵魂流行乐的幸存者 En Vogue 将肯特镇（Kentish Town）的 O2 Forum 变成了伦敦最大规模的单身女派对，而这是她们在英国的一次难得演出。
成员缩减为由创始成员组成的铁三角——辛迪·赫伦（Cindy Herron）、特里·埃利斯（Terry Ellis）和马克辛·琼斯（Maxine Jones）。这些资深的 R&B 女王虽然快到了退休年龄，但依然没有失去多少当年那股不可一世的自信。此次演出展现了精准的声部和谐、高能量的舞蹈动作以及令人愉悦且强劲的律动。
En Vogue 成立于与 Destiny’s Child 相近的时期，她们为碧昂丝（Beyoncé）的巨星生涯奠定了蓝图，尽管她们比后者年长 20 岁，且从未达到过同样持久的成功水平。自九十年代中期的商业巅峰以来，该组合的记录在分崩离析与休整、阵容重组以及法律诉讼之间波动不定。
但尽管有这些后台剧集，凭借 20 million 张唱片销量，En Vogue 依然是史上最畅销的女子团体之一。她们在伦敦确实散发出冠绝全球的歌后气场，摆出像极了性感版《查理的天使》那样夸张且同步的姿势。
极乐状态，而是一种对人类连接的本能渴求。谢克特在表达：如果我们身处一个混乱的世界，那么我们最好共同面对。
演出的前半部分充满了大合唱的热门金曲，包括《My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)》，与 Salt-N-Pepa 合作的极具感染力和弹性的《Whatta Man》，以及挑逗且强力的《Free Your Mind》，演出在 En Vogue 做了一个看似复古的“黑人权力”（Black Power）敬礼中结束。
随后，她们向自己在加利福尼亚州奥克兰的根源致敬，将来自旧金山地区其他乐队的歌曲编成了一个混音组曲。这在很大程度上证明有效，迷幻放克流行偶像 Sly and the Family Stone 的《Dance to the Music》与 Journey 乐队的软摇滚点唱机金曲《Don’t Stop Believin’》交相辉映。
一个华美版本的柯蒂斯·梅菲尔德（Curtis Mayfield）作品《Giving Him Something He Can Feel》带有汹涌的嘟喔普（doo-wop）风味。三人组将歌曲延伸成一段漫长的即兴演奏，并邀请观众上台分享他们的浪漫往事。其中一对庆祝在一起 30 年的混血伴侣赢得了热烈的欢呼。这类插曲虽带有一丝俗气的歌舞剧氛围，但反应却是纯粹的狂欢。尽管数十年来经历坎坷，但 En Vogue 依然能提供大量令人愉悦、赤诚的派对氛围。
起初听起来 像坠落的岩石。 最开始， 表演者更像 野兽而非人类 ——一只庞大笨重的 动物——直到 编舞展开， 将他们作为 个体分开。
他们的独舞激昂不安， 整体合奏愤怒地律动， 动作节奏狂乱。但并非 全是对过热绝望的渲染。 在自我毁灭的俱乐部文化 之烈焰中，仍留有抒情 表达与精神反思的空间。 《In the Brain》基于《CAVE》创作， 后者是 Shechter 四年前为纽约的 玛莎·格雷厄姆舞团 (Martha Graham Company) 创作的作品，而此次将其扩展为一场完整的 晚间演出。该剧由 Shechter II 的八名成员 表演，这是该编舞家的培养项目
BBC SO/Oramo 伦敦，皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅 {{{{(
人们很容易将 BBC 交响乐团视为理所当然，而将兴奋之情留给像洛杉矶爱乐乐团这样光彩夺目的逍夏音乐节访客。然而，就在一个平凡的周中夜晚，这支中流砥柱般的管弦乐团将其努力发挥到极致，呈献了一场气势磅礴的马勒交响曲，提醒每个人它究竟拥有怎样的实力。
所指的交响曲是第六号：悲剧性的、嘈杂的、冗长的。听众和演奏者都必须集中精力并鼓起能量才能全盘吸收，而马勒式风格的观众干扰让这一任务变得更加艰巨（当然有手机，但还有一些不寻常的情况：有人不知疲倦地跟着指挥，不明物体在楼梯上滚动，以及走廊里播放的响亮视频片段）。
尽管如此，真正的指挥家萨卡里·奥拉莫 (Sakari Oramo) 依然掌控全局，他快速地推进第一乐章中不详的进行曲（是否偏快了？），但其力度之强，以至于第二天早上，那无情的脚步声仍在我的脑海中跳动。与马勒后来的愿望相反，奥拉莫将谐谑曲 (Scherzo) 放在了第二顺位，从而保持了高度的紧张感和压抑的情绪，并增强了由极其出色的 Andante moderato（中速 Andante）所带来的情感释放，而他将这一部分塑造得极其温柔细致。
马勒不允许我们在安全地带停留太久。我们很快又回到了史诗般规模的终曲之动荡中，一场结局不妙的与命运的清算。马勒最终在最终乐谱中仅设定了两次锤击，迷信地担心第三次锤击可能代表什么。而在这里，没有缓解。我们听到了全部三次。
计划，该计划支持 18 至 25. 岁之间的年轻舞者。来自 49 个国家的 1,200 多名舞者参与了这些席位的试镜。最终脱颖而出的 8 位舞者组成了一个极佳的组合，以青春的热情和令人印象深刻的风格技巧进行表演。
是的，这部作品也有令人不快之处。古怪的灯光低得离谱——这些舞者需要被看见！——而且由打击乐驱动的、机械重复的 techno 配乐（由 Shechter 作曲，并由 Ame 补充催眠音乐）显得过于执拗而非灵感迸发。
但《在脑海中》(In the Brain) 不仅仅是对破碎世界的单调抨击。它颂扬了舞蹈诱人的力量，能让我们超越日常的烦恼——即便只有短暂的一刻——并将我们凝聚在一起，或许是为了寻找一个更好的前行方向。 Debra Craine 《直到明天》(To tomorrow)，9 月 9 至 11 月 4 巡演
W
电视评论
《斯图尔特未能拯救宇宙》 HBO Max {{{((
当末日降临，一个相当合理的赌注是，继承——并可能拯救——地球的将是那些极客。他们熟悉灾难，并能迅速理解在毁灭袭来时如何勉强生存。漫画书能教会人们的东西，以及那个坐在角落里用胶带把眼镜粘在一起的沉默小伙子所具备的能力，令人惊讶。
这就是 HBO 的科幻衍生剧《斯图尔特未能拯救宇宙》(Stuart Fails to Save the Universe) 背后的构思。
Current-ish Radio 4, 6.30pm
上图的 Lucy Porter 是该电台访谈类节目的热门参赛者，她将在周五晚间的喜剧时段拥有自己的系列节目，届时将有另外三位喜剧演员加入，共同讨论当周最重大的新闻，该节目将分三周在伦敦和爱丁堡录制。Porter 还有一部名为《手指在按钮上》(Fingers on Buzzers) 的问答节目播客，与《追击》(The Chase) 的 Jenny Ryan 共同主持。两人在节目中讨论问答节目历史上的关键时刻，指出问答节目与游戏节目的区别，并采访包括《大学挑战赛》(University Challenge) 的幕后之声 Roger Tilling 在内的参赛者和关键人物。 Clair Woodward
这部剧出自《理论大爆炸》/《少年谢尔顿》的喜剧世界——这进一步证明，为了赚钱，美国流媒体平台会将任何一部成功的电视节目过度开发至死——剧中一台奇怪的量子机器为温和的漫画书店老板斯图尔特 (Stuart，由 Kevin Sussman 饰演) 呈现了不同的平行现实。他是原剧中的配角，也是粉丝心中的宠儿，而且，这可能是最令人惊讶的情节转折：经过这些年，他竟然交到了女朋友：由 Lauren Lapkus 饰演的 Denise。
你不需要了解原剧也可以看，但了解会有帮助。斯图尔特作为一个角色相当平淡，不过这意味着他可以成为其伙伴们的有效陪衬。这些人包括 Barry Kripke，即 John Ross Bowie 饰演的那个讨厌的物理学家，他的反派形象通过任何大荧幕或小荧幕上可见的最极端的言语障碍来体现。我也在发 R 音时有困难，但与 Barry 不同，我不会把 “dollop” 发音成 “dowwop”。他在第一集中扮演狂妄自大的法西斯分子，是对《回到未来 2》的一种巧妙改编，效果不错。与他在一起的还有 Bert (Brian Posehn)，一个冷幽默的地质学家，他在 “filk”——科幻民谣——乐队 “月球足迹”(Footprints on the Moon) 中弹吉他，他们的歌曲中有一首是从《夺宝奇兵：法库之弧》中追逐印第安纳·琼斯的巨石视角出发的小曲。你大概明白我的意思了。
创作者们毫不犹豫地采取
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5.00am Tom Nunan 6.00 Rosie Wright and Calum Macdonald Breakfast 10.00 Ed Vaizey 1.00pm Ayesha Hazarika 4.00 Cathy Newman with Drive 7.00 Geoff Norcott 10.00 Henry Bonsu 1.00am The Best of Times Radio
Radio 2 FM: 88-90.2 MHz 6.30am Sara Cox. 与歌手 Sam Smith 9.30 Vernon Kay 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Angela Scanlon 7.00 Michelle Visage 9.00 Sophie Ellis-Bextor 11.00 The Rock Show with Shaun Keaveny 12.00 Romesh Ranganathan (r) 1.00am Tony Blackburn 2.00 Pick of the Pops (r) 4.00 Concert: Joni Mitchell and James Taylor (r)
Radio 3 FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live 小提琴手 Sueye Park 将与 BBC 皇家爱乐乐团在西贝柳斯的小提琴协奏曲中完成她的 Proms 首演。来自 BBC Proms：西贝柳斯（D小调小提琴协奏曲，作品 47）；来自 Schubertiade Schwarzenberg：李斯特（朝圣之年——第一年，瑞士——第 7-10 部分）；来自 Leitheim 城堡音乐会：莫扎特（C大调第三号弦乐五重奏，K. 515）；来自 BBC Proms：法雅 (Fantasía Bética — 由 Francisco Coll 改编)；来自莱比锡巴赫音乐节：Scheidemann (Benedicam Dominum)；以及来自 BBC Proms：理查德·斯特劳斯 (Also Sprach Zarathustra)
[[IMG_XXXX]] 极客领袖 Kevin Sussman 与 Lauren Lapkus 及 Brian Posehn
4.00 本周作曲家： 乔治·弗里德里希·亨德尔 (George Frideric Handel) 唐纳德·麦克劳德 (Donald Macleod) 在都柏林结束本周节目，在那里亨德尔与赞助人的关系发生了决定性的转变。邀请他的人并非传统的雇主，而是德文郡公爵 (Duke of Devonshire) 5.00 In Tune 7.00 经典混音带 (Classical Mixtape) 7.30 Live BBC Proms 2026 约翰·威尔逊 (John Wilson) 指挥伦敦交响乐团 (Sinfonia of London) 演出威尔第、沃尔顿及雷斯皮吉的《罗马三部曲》。由伊恩·斯凯利 (Ian Skelly) 主持，在皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅现场直播。威尔第 (《命运之力》— 序曲) 沃尔顿 (大提琴协奏曲) 8.10 中场休息。雷斯皮吉 (《罗马节日》；《罗马之泉》；以及《罗马之松》) 10.00 Late Junction 维里蒂·夏普 (Verity Sharp) 介绍多乐器演奏家兼木偶师亚拉·阿斯玛尔 (Yara Asmar) 与苏格兰歌手兼诠释者奎尼 (Quinie) 的合作 11.30 ’Round Midnight 索韦托·金奇 (Soweto Kinch) 分享新星 Knats 的表演亮点 12.30am Through the Night (r)
Radio 4 FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am 新闻摘要 5.04 简报室 (The Briefing Room) (r) 5.34 航运预报 5.43 今日祷告 5.45 今日农业 6.00 Today 由阿莫尔·拉詹 (Amol Rajan) 和贾斯汀·韦伯 (Justin Webb) 主持 9.00 荒岛唱片 (Desert Island Discs) 莎妮娅·唐永远 (Shania Twain) 挑选八首最喜爱的录音 (r) 10.00 女性小时 (Woman’s Hour) 由阿尼塔·拉尼 (Anita Rani) 主持 11.00 食品计划 (The Food Programme) 莱拉·卡齐姆 (Leyla Kazim) 回顾过去的故事，以了解接下来的进展
11.45 本周之书： 《泥土沉思录》(A Meditation on Mud) 作者：丽贝卡·斯托特 (Rebecca Stott) (5/5) 12.04pm AntiSocial (4/6) 1.00 一点钟的世界 (The World at One) 1.45 死兔子 (Dead Rabbit) 丹·阿什比 (Dan Ashby) 调查一次对农场的袭击 (5/10) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 剧集：中央情报 (Central Intelligence) 美国在越南的未来在一场战争游戏中展开 (3/10) 2.45 边缘生活 (Living on the Edge) 理查德·金 (Richard King) 访问法夫的一座安斯特鲁瑟港口 (4/10) (r) 3.00 园艺问题时间 (Gardeners’ Question Time) 3.45 短篇作品 《池藻》(Pondweed)，作者：罗斯·比金 (Rose Biggin) 4.00 最后的话 (Last Word) 4.30 Sideways (2/8) (r) 5.00 PM 6.00 六点新闻 6.30 Choice Current-ish 露西·波特 (Lucy Porter) 及嘉宾讨论每个人都在谈论的故事 (1/3) 7.00 The Archers 法隆 (Fallon) 因一项发现而震惊 7.15 屏幕截图 (Screenshot) 将动作限制在单日内的电影 (4/6) 8.00 任何问题？ (Any Questions?) 来自伯明翰大学埃尔加音乐厅 (Elgar Concert Hall) 8.55 本周历史 (r) 9.00 Radio 4 档案：陌生人的简史 乔·奎南 (Joe Queenan) 讨论成为陌生人的体验 (r) 10.00 今夜世界 (The World Tonight) 10.45 荒野暗岸 (Wild Dark Shore) 作者：夏洛特·麦康纳希 (Charlotte McConaghy) (5/10) 11.00 Americast 11.30 佳作推荐 (A Good Read) (1/9) (r) 12.00 新闻与天气 12.30am 本周之书： 《泥土沉思录》(A Meditation on Mud) (r) 12.48 航运预报 1.00 As BBC World Service
COLIN REMAS BROWN
Radio 4 Extra 仅限数字广播 8.00am 忏悔室 (The Confessional) 8.30 无处之讯 (News from Nowhere) 8.45 漫步摇滚 (Promenade Rock) 9.00 教区事务 (Parish Matters) 9.30 庭院狂野 (Wild in the Garden) 9.45 每日礼拜 (Daily Service) 10.00 灵魂音乐 (Soul Music) 10.30 发胶与和声 (Hairspray and Harmonies) 11.00 Bolt 11.30 高桌，低阶 (High Table, Lower Orders) 12.00 没落的小英格兰 (Little Blighty on the Down) 12.30pm 超出认知 (Beyond Our Ken) 1.00 忏悔室 (The Confessional) 1.30 无处之讯 (News from Nowhere) 1.45 漫步摇滚 (Promenade Rock) 2.00 好奇心博物馆 (The Museum of Curiosity) 2.30 米尔波特 (Millport) 3.00 绿山墙的安妮 (Anne of Green Gables) 3.30 温驯的瞪羚 (Some Tame Gazelle) 4.00 灵魂音乐 (Soul Music) 4.30 发胶与和声 (Hairspray and Harmonies) 5.00 Bolt 5.30 高桌，低阶 (High Table, Lower Orders) 6.00 没落的小英格兰 (Little Blighty on the Down) 6.30 超出认知 (Beyond Our Ken) 7.00 忏悔室 (The Confessional) 7.30 无处之讯 (News from Nowhere) 7.45 漫步摇滚 (Promenade Rock) 8.00 好奇心博物馆 (The Museum of Curiosity) 8.30 米尔波特 (Millport) 9.00 绿山墙的安妮 (Anne of Green Gables) 9.30 温驯的瞪羚 (Some Tame Gazelle) 10.00 喜剧俱乐部：教区事务 (Parish Matters) 10.30 恩詹比·麦格拉斯：成为恩詹比 (Njambi McGrath: Becoming Njambi) 10.45 Rhys James Is Privileged 11.00 Vent 11.30 劳拉·索隆：谈话与不谈话 (Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking)
Radio 5 Live MW: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 Breakfast 9.00 尼基·坎贝尔 (Nicky Campbell) 11.00 Chiles on Friday 1.00pm 埃利斯·詹姆斯 (Elis James) 和约翰·罗宾斯 (John Robins) 2.00 马特·乔利 (Matt Chorley) 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 Glasgow 2026 10.00 劳拉·麦基 (Laura McGhie) 1.00am 乔尔·米切尔 (Joel Mitchell)
这简直是一次向“内部梗”的量子飞跃， 从片头字幕就开始了， 他们在其中给观众发送一些像哥们儿一样的信息， 告诉人们不要跳过片头， 以及《辛普森一家》的作曲家丹尼·艾尔夫曼 (Danny Elfman) 操刀配乐是多么酷。 甚至每周还有一个剧透：第一个告诉我们其中一个角色会死亡， 下一个则说“扎克出现在这一集里”。 有一条信息是以“anyhoo”（总之）开头的。 这本意应该是明快且新鲜的，某种程度上确实如此， 但你在这种强行营造的亲近感中，能感觉到一种书呆子卧室里的陈腐气息。 人们试图让自己看起来很酷，但并未完全成功。
有些笑话比其他的要好。 丹尼斯在她的平行现实中交了一个笨拙的男朋友，这是一个很巧妙的贯穿笑话。 魔术师彭和泰勒 (Penn and Teller) 的客串则带有一种心领神会的意味， 在后末日时代，他们沦落到通过表演动物杂耍来换取食物 （单名 Teller 长期以来一直与《大爆炸理论》的宇宙相关联）。
书呆子试图变得幽默有时会令人厌烦且略显凄凉， 但看到他们沉浸在自己痴迷的那种怪人冒险中，却有一种吸引力。 这还不错，尽管这让我好奇我们英国人能想出什么。 也许是《大卫·布伦特的外星交换计划》，或者《巴兹尔·福尔蒂的宇宙尽头酒店》？ 或者也许不合适。
10.00 Alex Crook & Darragh MacAnthony 1.00pm Hawksbee and Jacobs 4.00 Andy Goldstein 7.00 Commonwealth Games Live. Commentaryon the event 10.00 The Sports Bar Weekender 1.00am Extra Time with Ben Fletcher
Talk 仅限数字平台 6.00am Mark Dolan 10.00 Alex Phillips 1.00pm Ian Collins 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 仅限数字平台 5.00am The Remix with Chris Hawkins 5.30 Afrodeutsche 7.00 Nemone 10.00 Jamz Supernova 1.00pm Chris Hawkins 4.00 Emily Pilbeam 7.00 The People’s Party with Femi Koleoso 9.00 Indie Forever 11.00 Mary Anne Hobbs 12.00 Rave Forever 1.00am Forever Dark 2.00 Focus Beats 4.00 Ambient Focus
Virgin Radio 仅限数字平台 6.30am Geoff Lloyd 10.00 Emma B 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Goldierocks 10.00 Jen Thomas 2.00am Vicki Blight
Classic FM FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Dan Walker 9.00 The Hall of Fame Hour 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 6.00 Jonathan Ross 8.00 Alexander Armstrong 10.00 Calm Classics 2.00am Katie Breathwick
今日精选
鲍里斯·约翰逊：进入乌克兰的 杀戮区 5 频道, 晚上 9 点
“嗨！我是来自伦敦的鲍里斯·约翰逊，” 这位前首相如此自我介绍， 随后上前与疲惫的步兵握手， 他摘下了在俄罗斯对乌克兰 发起的战争前线用于伪装的 巴拉克拉法帽。 一名士兵说：“我认识他。” 另一名士兵说，她原本希望
| BBC1 | BBC2 | ITV1 | Channel 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.00am 早安英国 (Breakfast) | 6.30am 动物公园 (Animal Park) (r) (AD) | 7.15 竞价室 (The Bidding Room) (r) | |
| 9.30 动物公园 (Animal Park) (AD) | 8.00 标志区：马库斯·沃林 纯粹普罗旺斯 (Sign Zone: Marcus Wareing Simply Provence) (r) (SL) | ||
| 10.15 证明时刻 (The Moment of Proof) (r) (AD) | 9.00 BBC 新闻 | ||
| 10.45 专家证人 (Expert Witness) (AD) | 12.30pm 政治思考，尼克·罗宾逊主持 (Political Thinking with Nick Robinson)。对话录 | ||
| 11.15 房屋拍卖 (Homes Under the Hammer) (r) (AD) | 1.00 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏之屋 (Richard Osman’s House of Games) (r) | ||
| 12.15pm 淘货猎手 (Bargain Hunt)。纽瓦克站 | 1.30 终点线 (The Finish Line)。问答节目 (r) | ||
| 1.00 BBC 一点钟新闻；天气预报 | 2.15 闪电 (Lightning)。由佐伊·莱昂斯主持的问答节目 (r) | ||
| 1.35 BBC 地区新闻；天气预报 | 2.45 农民乡村对决 (The Farmers’ Country Showdown) (r) | ||
| 1.45 BBC 一点钟新闻；天气预报 | 3.15 酒店业的隐藏世界，汤姆·凯里奇主持 (The Hidden World of Hospitality with Tom Kerridge)。探讨该行业如何大规模提供卓越服务 (r) (AD) | ||
| 2.00 理发师谜案 (The Hairdresser Mysteries)。一名名气颇大的天气预报员被发现死亡 (AD) | 4.15 狂野巴西 (Wild Brazil)。动物们在寻找交配伙伴 (r) (AD) | ||
| 2.45 瑞克·斯坦的澳大利亚 (Rick Stein’s Australia)。瑞克沿他最喜欢的海岸线向北旅行 (AD) | 5.15 把它卖了！(Flog It!) 诺维奇大教堂站 (r) | ||
| 3.15 逃往乡村 (Escape to the Country)。一对夫妇在什罗普郡乡村寻找新家 (r) | 6.00 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏之屋。前参赛者 Fern Britton, JB Gill, John Kearns 和 Sally Lindsay 参加 (r) | ||
| 3.45 竞价室 (The Bidding Room)。一名女性希望她的椅子能引发一场竞价大战 | 6.30 仅此一事 (Just One Thing)。罗马·肯普建议一种“反向运动”锻炼法，例如走下坡路而非上坡路 (r) (AD) | ||
| 4.30 巡回拍卖师 (The Travelling Auctioneers)。伊齐·巴尔默和萨夫·法基尔清理一座切斯特菲尔德平房中的古怪收藏品 (r) (AD) | |||
| 5.15 无解 (Pointless)。问答节目 (r) | |||
| 6.00 BBC 六点新闻；天气预报 | |||
| 6.30 BBC 地区新闻；天气预报 |
地区新闻
7.00 猎捕巨型蓝鳍金枪鱼：我们的 生活。大西洋蓝鳍金枪鱼重返北爱尔兰 (AD)
7.30 巡回拍卖师 (The Travelling Auctioneers)
伊齐·巴尔默和罗宾·约翰逊筹集资金 帮助一名女孩获得特殊治疗 (r)
8.00 花岗岩港 (Granite Harbour) 新剧集。一起 失踪人口案件演变为双重谋杀 调查，而吉普赛人与传统的 阿伯丁 (Aberdeen) 社区之间根深蒂固的 紧张关系面临爆发威胁。 见今日精选 (1/3) (AD)
9.00 你在对我撒谎吗？(Would I Lie to You?) 嘉宾包括 Nabil Abdulrashid, Lucy Beaumont, Gethin Jones 和 Francesca Mills。 Rob Brydon 主持 (2/9) (r)
9.30 安·德罗伊德 (Ann Droid) 建议在 慈善商店工作，但由于琳达 (Linda) 的 关系，结果是一场灾难 (2/6) (AD)
10.00 BBC 十点新闻
10.30 BBC 地区新闻和天气预报
10.45 奥斯汀 (Austin) 英格丽德发现是谁 在秘密撰写《大熊》(Big Bear) (5/8) (AD)
11.10 奥斯汀 (Austin) 面临家庭 干预 (6/8) (AD)
11.40 电影：《爱乐之城》(La La Land) (12级, 2016)
一名奋斗中的女演员和一名挣扎中的 爵士钢琴手坠入爱河，试图在洛杉矶 实现各自的梦想。然而，在不妥协 信仰的前提下维持生计，事实证明 比预想的要困难。由艾玛·斯通 (Emma Stone) 和瑞安·高斯林 (Ryan Gosling) 主演的音乐剧 (AD)
访问者可能是伊薇特·库珀 (Yvette Cooper)；他对此表示歉意。 在离开唐宁街四年后，他回归了 记者的本行，但身上承载着 前任职务中获得的知识。他依然 对所见到的乌克兰人的英勇感到 钦佩，他们保卫家园的决心激起 了深厚的情感，但他们已在残酷的 消耗战中精疲力竭。“我觉得我从未 见过如此清晰的对错之分，善恶 之别，”他说。Helen Stewart 报道
7.00 苏格兰湖泊大巡游 (Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs)
保罗·默顿 (Paul Murton) 邂逅了波尼 查理王子 (Bonnie Prince Charlie)、 詹姆斯党历史以及战争的遗产 (3/6) (r)
7.30 榉树园 (Beechgrove Garden) 布莱恩 坎宁安 (Brian Cunningham) 和克斯蒂·威尔逊 (Kirsty Wilson) 在整理花园的边界
8.00 《园艺世界》(Gardeners’ World) Arit Anderson,
Jamie Butterworth 和 Frances Tophill 探索首届 RHS 桑德灵厄姆花展 (Sandringham Flower Show)， 展示令人惊叹的花园、花卉 陈列及园艺建议
9.00 《贝尔杰拉克》(Bergerac) 新剧集。现代
重新构思的泽西岛背景犯罪 剧集，由 Damien Molony 主演。 见今日精选 (1/6) (AD)
9.45 《贝尔杰拉克》(Bergerac) 警方急于
在为时太晚之前找到被绑架的婴儿。 Bergerac 再次让他的女儿 Kim 失望， 并引起了岳母的愤怒。 见今日精选 (2/6) (AD)
10.30 《新闻之夜》(Newsnight) 头条分析
由 Matt Chorley 主持
11.05 电影：《贾内特·普拉内特》(Janet Planet) (12, 2023)
一名 11 岁的女孩漂浮在 幻想世界中，而三位访客 对她的母亲产生了兴趣。 由 Zoe Ziegler 和 Julianne Nicholson 主演的 成长剧
12.50am 手语区 (Sign Zone)：《我公寓里有个歹徒》(There’s a Gangster In My Flat) —— 《全景》(Panorama) 探讨犯罪分子利用 租赁市场监管宽松的情况 (r) (SL) 1.20 Natalie Cassidy：《共同关怀》(Caring Together)。Natalie 照顾老年人 (r) (AD, SL) 1.50-2.15 斯塔默：哪里出错了 (Starmer: What Went Wrong)。纪录片 (r) (SL)
根据原版泽西岛 侦探 John Nettles 的说法，20 世纪 80 年代的犯罪 剧需要三样东西：一个强有力的地点、一个 极具魅力的主角和一辆好车。去年在 UKTV 观看 这部重启剧的观众会记得这些条件都已具备—— 尽管，正如这部双剧集所示， Damien Molony 饰演的 Jim Bergerac 更像北欧阴郁风格 (Scandi-noir) 而非频道 阳光风格。在这里，他调查自妻子去世后的 首起案件：
鲍里斯·约翰逊：进入乌克兰杀戮区 (Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill Zone) (5, 9pm)
6.00am 《早安英国》(Good Morning Britain) 10.00 《今晨》(This Morning) 1.30pm ITV 新闻；天气 2.00 《迪金森的真实交易》(Dickinson’s Real Deal)。David Dickinson 和团队身在纽卡斯尔赛马场， 那里有一条钻石金项链让 Henry Nicholls 投入了大量精力 (r) (AD) 3.00 《交易或不交易》(Deal or No Deal)。Stephen Mulhern 主持，另一位参赛者尝试按正确顺序打开 22 个红色盒子，与臭名昭著的银行家对赌， 以赢取足以改变生活的现金大奖 (r) (AD) 4.00 《平衡点》(Tipping Point)。Ben Shephard 主持 这场以游艺厅为主题的问答赛，参赛者 在四个滑道中选择一个投入代币， 希望能赢得 £10,000 奖金 (r) 5.00 《追击》(The Chase)。Bradley Walsh 主持， 四名参赛者回答常识性问题并协作 挑战一名冷酷的“追击者”， 以赢取现金奖金 (r) 6.00 地区新闻；天气 6.30 ITV 新闻；天气
7.30 Abbey Clancy：《名人豪宅》(Celebrity Homes)
Abbey 访问了 Lorna Luxe 和 Jo Wood 的住宅 (3/6)
8.00 《艾默代尔》(Emmerdale) Cain 被困，而
Dawn 对 Billy 与 Gabby 约会感到不快， 当一个旧面孔出现时，Kev 陷入了担忧 (AD) 8.30 《街道冠冕》(Coronation Street) Maria 为 Gary 的参与 而苦恼，同时 Sarah 承认杀了 Theo (AD)
9.00 《阿曼达·诺克斯的扭曲故事》(The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox)
随着 Amanda, Raffaele, 和 Patrick Lumumba 进入监狱，他们的检察官 Giuliano Mignini 继续构建针对他们的起诉， 而媒体的报道将 Amanda 塑造成了一个怪物 (3/8) (AD)
10.05 《阿曼达·诺克斯的扭曲故事》(The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox)
Mignini 的案件出现意外转折， 寻找新嫌疑人的工作随之开始。 随着审判展开， Amanda 的选择继续受到新闻界的审视 (4/8) (AD)
11.00 ITV 新闻；天气；随后是
11.50 《朗廷酒店内幕：英国第一 顶级酒店》(Inside the Langham: Britain’s First Grand Hotel) 记录这家伦敦酒店生活的纪录片 (1/6) (r) (AD)
12.15am 电视购物 3.00 《没人是傻瓜》(Nobody’s Fool)。 结局临近，同盟关系收紧， 背叛似乎不可避免 (r) (AD, SL) 3.50 《久别重逢的家人》(Long Lost Family)。一名男子发现了一个 他从未知道的兄弟姐妹，另一人 在 58 年后渴望再次见到他的兄弟 (r) (AD, SL) 4.45-6.00 与 ITV 一起放松 (Unwind with ITV)
《贝尔杰拉克》(Bergerac) BBC2, 9pm/9.45pm
7.00 Channel 4 News
8.00 Surgery Secrets of the Super Rich
一位商业主管在午休时间进行隆胸手术，一位品牌主管的任务是去除眼袋 (2/6) (AD)
9.00 Celebrity Gogglebox The best
近期剧集的精彩瞬间，名人们对《 Coronation Street》、《Open House: The Great Sex Experiment》和《Match Me Abroad》发表看法。本系列最后一集 (AD)
10.00 Big Fat Quiz: Best Bits Shocking,
节目中令人震惊、惊讶和惊人之刻，嘉宾包括 Miranda Hart, David Mitchell, Rob Beckett, Sue Perkins, Romesh Ranganathan 和 Sarah Millican
11.05 Sarah Millican: Outsider
在布莱顿圆顶剧场 (Brighton Dome)，这位说话直率的乔治亚人脱口秀演员分享了她关于搬到乡村、收养救援犬以及与肠激惹综合征斗争的看法 (r)
12.05am 电影：Polite Society (12, 2023) 由 Priya Kansara 和 Ritu Arya 主演的动作喜剧 1.55 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA. 宾夕法尼亚州一家由关系恶劣的兄妹经营的意大利餐厅 (r) 2.45 Britain’s Most Expensive Houses (r) (AD) 3.40-6.00 Come Dine with Me (r)
一名富有的岛屿家庭成员被谋杀。Victoria Segal
Granite Harbour BBC1, 8pm
喜欢 2000 年代初那部温馨喜剧剧集《Monarch of the Glen》的粉丝们将很高兴看到 Glenbogle 的一对失之交臂的恋人 Lexie 和 Archie (Dawn Steele 和 Alastair Mackenzie) 重聚。她以强悍的 DCI Cora MacMillan 身份回归，而他则扮演一名地主，在得知一名年轻人谋杀案时感到震惊
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：Fatal Flatshare (PG, TVM, 2023) 一名年轻专业人士在经历一次糟糕的分手后，与一名新室友合租，但发现自己成了对方致命痴迷的对象。由 Camila Senna 主演的惊悚片 (AD) 4.00 Castle. 当一名网络名人被谋杀，且凶手将犯罪现场的照片发布在照片共享网站上时，Beckett 和 Castle 进入了网络成名的世界 (r) 4.55 Love Nature. 威尔士首次发现完整的兽脚类恐龙骨架 (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Jersey and Guernsey. 在根西岛，一对航海夫妇在首次将其新购置的退休 Tyne Class 救生艇作为巡洋舰航行时进行测试 (r) 6.55 5 News Update
7.00 Tour de France 2026 Rebecca
Charlton 为您带来环法自行车赛第 19 赛段的精彩回顾，这是一条从 Gap 到 Alpe d’Huez 的 127. 9km 山地路线
7.55 5 News Update
8.00 Michael Palin in Venezuela Michael
飞往加勒比海一个名为 Los Roques 的珊瑚岛群，并在群岛间展开旅程 (2/3) (r) (AD)
9.00 Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill
在离开唐宁街四年后，鲍里斯·约翰逊前往乌克兰前线，以了解在普京入侵该国四年后发生了什么。详见 picks of the day
10.30 Commonwealth Games 2026
格拉斯哥运动会开幕日的精彩回顾，设有残疾人举重、竞技体操、游泳和残疾人游泳等奖牌争夺赛
11.30 Piers Morgan: Uncensored
由 Piers Morgan 主持的大胆、观点导向的新闻与辩论节目
1.am 游轮电视 (重播) 2.00 汽车罚金警察。 萨里郡警方在一名摩托车学员在他们面前进行危险驾驶时感到惊讶 (重播) 3.45 朋友 (重播) (广告) 4.35 惊人的铁路冒险 (重播) (字幕) 5.25 娱乐新闻 5.35 米洛 (重播) (字幕) 5.45-6.00 帕丁顿的冒险 (重播) (字幕)
一名女性在他的财产上被谋杀了，无论那个地方在哪里。这部警匪剧的设定在三季以来变得越来越混乱，它设定在阿伯丁，但那里几乎完全由发音干脆的苏格兰中部演员填充，并且在显而易见是格拉斯哥的地点拍摄。尽管如此，这部剧正发展成为一个时尚的品牌，由 Romario Simpson 和 Hannah Donaldson 分别饰演 Lindo 和 Bart，而近期签约的 John Gordon Sinclair 可能会带来一些花岗岩般的坚韧质感。HS
7.00pm Prog Rock at the Proms。从 Genesis 和 ELP 到 Jethro Tull 的经典曲目，以管弦乐规模呈现。见今日推荐 9.00 TOTP: 2000. Jamie Theakston 主持流行音乐排行榜节目 9.30 TOTP: 1982. Featuring the Belle Stars, Madness 和 Irene Cara 10.00 TOTP: 1986. Featuring Sinitta, Audrey Hall, Robert Palmer, Haywoode 和 Madonna 10.30 Prog Rock at the BBC。包括 Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Genesis, Caravan 和 Family 的表演片段 11.30 Genesis: Old Grey Whistle Test。Annie Nightingale 介绍一场 1980 年的 Genesis 演唱会 12.10am Jethro Tull: The Lively Arts 1.10 Sight & Sound in Concert: Supertramp 1.40 TOTP2: Genesis 2.25 TOTP: 2000 2.55 TOTP: 1982 3.25am-3.55 TOTP: 1986
U&Drama
7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall 寻找巨型食蚁兽 7.30 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall 访问巴西的热带雨林 8.00 FILM: Horrible Histories — The Movie (PG, 2019) 由 Sebastian Croft 主演的家庭喜剧 (AD) 9.30 Ludwig。当 John 调查一名校长的可疑死亡时，他面对了学校时代的糟糕回忆；而 Lucy 在她的秘密任务将她带到威尔士时，追踪到了一个新的线索 (AD) 10.30 Fleabag (AD) 10.55 Fleabag。被男友甩后，Fleabag 试图重新点燃浪漫之火 (AD) 11.25 Fleabag (AD) 11.50 Fleabag (AD) 12.20am Fleabag (AD) 1.10 Ideal 3.35am-3.50 Funboys (AD)
Variations
BBC1 Scotland 7.00pm River City。Mulvaney 对 Harry 即将到达的前景感到担忧 (r) 7.30pm-8.00 Hunting the Giant Bluefin Tuna: Our Lives
BBC1 Wales 7.00pm Best of Weatherman Walking 7.30pm-8.00 Our Lives: The Big Cat Investigator
ITV1 Wales 7.00pm-7.30 Coast & Country
STV 7.30pm-8.00 What’s on Scotland 12.15am-3.00 Shop on TV 4.45am-6.00 Unwind with STV
The Proms: Prog Rock BBC4, 7pm
本次 prom 向英国前卫摇滚致敬，包含 Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Fanfare for the Common Man)、Moody Blues (Nights in White Satin)、Pink Floyd (The Great Gig in the Sky)、Genesis (A Trick of the Tail)、Mike Oldfield (Tubular Bells Pt 1) 等作品的新古典编曲。Guy Garvey, Jane Weaver 和 Gruff Rhys 与 BBC Concert Orchestra 共同演出，由 Stuart Maconie 主持。VS
Sky Arts 8.00am The Joy of Painting (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Barbara Stanwyck (AD) 12.00 The Myth of Marilyn Monroe 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (b/w) 3.00 Discovering: Gregory Peck (AD) 4.00 Guy Garvey: From the Vaults 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2021 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 Guy Garvey: From the Vaults 9.00 Live from Abbey Road 10.00 Live from Abbey Road 11.00 Siouxsie and the Banshees: Nocturne。该乐队在 1983 年演出 12.20am Poly Styrene — I Am a Cliché 2.20 Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Hold on to Your Structure。一场演出 3.35-4.00 Discovering: Elvis Costello
6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.25 Deal or No Deal (AD) 7.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 8.30 Olivia and Alex: Parenthood (AD) 9.30 The Only Way Is Essex 10.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 11.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 12.15pm Dinner Date (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 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 Love Island. 恋爱岛。真人秀 10.05 Love Island: The Debrief 10.35 Family Guy (AD) 11.35 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bob’s Burgers (AD) 1.30-2.20 Deal or No Deal (AD, SL)
BBC Scotland 7.00pm Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 Scotland’s Greatest Escape (r) 8.00 Paramedics on Scene (r) 9.00 Ooh the Banter (r) 10.00 Still Game. Winston needs a home help (r) 10.30 Two Doors Down (r) 11.00pm-12.00 Rip It Up (r)
S4C 6.00am Cyw 12.00 News 12.05pm Heno o’r Sioe (r) 12.35 Ralïo+ (r) 1.10 News; Weather 1.15 Seiclo: Tour de France 4.50 Og y Draenog Hapus (r) 5.00 Stwnsh: Byd Rwtsh Dai Potsh (r) 5.15 Y Doniolis (r) 5.25 Taclo’r Tywydd (r) 5.45 Y Smyrffs (r) 6.00 Gerddi Cymru (r) 6.30 Garddio a Mwy (r) 6.59 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News; Weather 8.00 Eigra 8.30 Gemau’r Gymanwlad 2026. 新系列 10.30 Seiclo: Tour de France. Stage 19 11.00pm- 12.05am Gwesty Aduniad (r)
流媒体之选 (STREAMING CHOICE)
Supergirl (超女) ITVX
针对克雷格·吉莱斯皮 (Craig Gillespie) 最近拍摄的《超女》电影的评论大多是负面的，评论者认为这部作品浅薄且令人沮丧。如果您在寻找一个更充满希望和积极的关于卡拉·佐-艾尔 (Kara Zor-El) 冒险故事的诠释，那么这部在 2015 到 2021 年间播出的青少年版剧集非常值得一看，尤其是
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 George Clarke’s Old House, New Home (AD) 6.55 Location, Location, Location 7.55 Grand Designs. 安特里姆郡一个拥有100年历史的铁匠铺 (5/9) (AD) 9.00 The Sommerdahl Murders. 一家武术学校的业主被发现背部中刀，此前他与一名业务合作伙伴发生争执，后者的丈夫需要投资资金 11.00 24 Hours in A&E. 一名 72 岁老人的家人面临重大决定，因为她被发现脑部有血栓 (2/7) (AD) 12.05am 24 Hours in A&E. 一名 74 岁男子在从楼梯上摔下后被送入院内 (AD) 1.05 999: On the Front Line 2.10 24 Hours in A&E (AD) 3.15am-3.55 A Place in the Sun
6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.05 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 A Touch of Frost (AD) 11.20 Heartbeat (AD) 1.30pm Midsomer Murders (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat (AD) 8.00 Doc Martin. Louisa 和 Martin 寻找托儿所 (2/8) (AD) 9.00 Doc Martin. 当 Ken 宣布 关闭酒吧时，Al 的职业计划 被干扰 (3/8) (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. 一名男子 承认袭击并杀害了他的 房东 (3/6) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester (4/6) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. 第一部分 （共两部分）。团队调查一名 妓女的死亡 (1/2) 1.25am-2.30 Wycliffe
8.00am America the Bountiful 8.35 Treasures Decoded 9.35 Waco: The Longest Siege 10.50 Titans of the Cold War 11.55 Messages Home: Lost Films of the British Army 1.00pm America the Bountiful 1.35 Treasures Decoded 2.35 Waco: The Longest Siege 3.50 Titans of the Cold War 4.55 Messages Home: Lost Films of the British Army 5.55 America the Bountiful 6.30 Treasures Decoded 7.35 Waco: The Longest Siege 8.40 Titans of the Cold War. 里根 和戈尔巴乔夫面对冷战最 决定性的阶段 9.50 Messages Home: Lost Films of the British Army. 关于 第二次世界大战期间英国士兵 拍摄的讯息的纪录片 10.50 Waco: The Longest Siege 12.00 Titans of the Cold War 1.10am-2.00 America the Bountiful
对于 Melissa Benoist 的表演， 她让你相信她既是一个 全能的外星生物，又是一个 仍在世界上寻找方向的 不确定的年轻女性。 Andrew Male
电影选择
Velvet Goldmine (15, 1998) Film4, 11.25pm
Todd Haynes 向 1970 年代的 华丽摇滚歌手致敬，由 Jonathan Rhys Meyers 饰演 Brian Slade，一个自-
今日 体育 直播
直播 欧洲女子巡回赛高尔夫 Sky Sports Main Event, 9.30am-12noon, Sky Sports Golf, 9.30am-1.30pm The ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open。报道该 赛事第二天的比赛， 比赛在 Ayrshire, Irvine 的 Dundonald Links 举行
直播 联邦运动会 — 竞技体操 TNT Sports 3, 5.15pm-9 报道该赛事第一天 第二节的比赛， 比赛在格拉斯哥的 The Arena 举行
直播 The Hundred: Birmingham Phoenix 男队 v Trent Rockets 男队 Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Cricket, 6pm-9.30 (开始时间 6.30)。报道 来自 Edgbaston 的比赛
直播 Betfred 超级联赛: Wigan Warriors v St Helens Sky Sports +, 7.30pm-10.15 (开球 8.00)。报道第 20 轮赛事的比赛， 比赛在 The Brick Community Stadium 举行
6.00am Richard E Grant’s Hotel Secrets (r) (AD) 8.00 Deadwood (r) 10.00 Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 12.00 Billions (r) (AD) 2.15pm The White Lotus (r) (AD) 4.40 Gomorrah (r) 6.50 The Gilded Age. 歌剧之战 达到高潮 (r) (AD) 7.55 The Gilded Age. Bertha 为公爵即将抵达做准备 (1/8) (r) (AD) 9.00 Station Eleven. 由 Mackenzie Davis 主演的 后末日剧 (1/10) (r) 10.00 Station Eleven. Kirsten 遇到 一名神秘男子 (2/10) (r) 11.00 Prisoner. 随着更广泛的威胁 开始出现，Amber 向 Tibor 寻求帮助 (r) (AD) 12.00 The Last of Us (r) (AD) 2.15am The White Lotus (r) (AD) 4.35 Sort Of (r) (AD) 5.05am-6.00 The Guest Wing (r) (AD)
6.00am 电影：《门外之人》 (Someone at the Door) (U, 1950) (黑白) 7.15 电影：《海默 the Toff》 (Hammer the Toff) (U, 1952) (黑白) 8.45 电影：《乞力马扎罗的雪》 (The Snows of Kilimanjaro) (PG, 1952) 11.00 《露西秀》 (The Lucy Show) 11.30 星级演出 (Star Performance) (黑白) 12.00 铁路谋杀案 (Railway Murders) 1.00pm 1950s 厨房卫生 —— 掠影 (Kitchen Hygiene — Glimpses) 1.05 埃德加·华莱士神秘剧场 (The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre) (黑白) 2.15 罗宾汉历险记 (The Adventures of Robin Hood) (黑白) 2.45 电影：《恶毒的圈子》 (The Vicious Circle) (U, 1957) (黑白) 4.25 电影盒记忆 (Cinebox Memories) 4.30 《骗子》 (The Cheaters) (黑白) 5.00 战争中的家庭 (A Family at War) 6.00 汉内 (Hannay) 7.00 Z 警车 (Z Cars) 8.00 公共之眼 (Public Eye) 9.05 麦克斯韦 (Maxwell) 11.00pm 超自然 (Supernatural) (4/8) 12.05am 电影：《恶魔的伙伴》 (Devil’s Partner) (18, 1960) (黑白) 1.45 电影：《杀手鱼》 (Killer Fish) (15, 1979) 3.45 TPTV 节目预告 4.00am-4.30 命运的转折 (Turn of Fate) (黑白)
ITV4 6.00am 《马格南，私家侦探》 (Magnum, PI) 8.05 《登普西与梅克皮斯》 (Dempsey and Makepeace) (AD) 9.10 《布恩》 (Boon) 10.15 《冠军们》 (The Champions) 11.20 战斗机器人 (BattleBots) 12.25pm 《马格南，私家侦探》 (Magnum, PI) 2.35 《登普西与梅克皮斯》 (Dempsey and Makepeace) (AD) 3.45 《布恩》 (Boon) 4.50 《冠军们》 (The Champions) 5.50 《保镖》 (Minder) (AD) 6.55 《夏普》 (Sharpe)。一名旧敌的回归给夏普带来了一系列麻烦。由肖恩·宾主演的军事冒险剧 9.00 《冰路卡车司机：最险路段》 (Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads)。卡车司机在喜马拉雅山脉最高行驶至 13,000 英尺 (6/10) 10.00 《全精英摔角：Dynamite》 (All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite)。来自全精英摔角世界的强力动作对决 —— 选手阵容包括乔恩·莫克斯利和克劳迪奥·卡斯塔尼奥等世界级天才 12.05am 《擂台阴暗面》 (Dark Side of the Ring) 1.00 《保镖》 (Minder) (AD) 2.05-3.00 《两个半男人》 (Two and a Half Men) 3.30-4.00 汽车世界 (Auto Mundial)
Sky Docs 6.00am 《九十年代》 (The Nineties) (r) 7.00 《发现：汤姆·汉克斯》 (Discovering: Tom Hanks) (r) (AD) 8.00 《导演们》 (The Directors) (r) (AD) 9.00 《地球边缘》 (Edge of the Earth) (r) (AD) 10.00 《外星人尸体解剖丑闻》 (The Alien Autopsy Scandal) (r) (AD) 11.00 《城市秘密》 (Urban Secrets) (r) 12.00 《速度女王》 (Queen of Speed) (r) (AD) 2.00pm 《OJ：美国制造》 (OJ: Made in America) (r) (AD) 4.00 《导演们》 (The Directors) (r) (AD) 5.00 《发现：汤姆·汉克斯》 (Discovering: Tom Hanks) (r) (AD) 6.00 电影：《热门之城 —— 摩城记录的诞生》 (Hitsville — The Making of Motown) (12, 2019) 记录该唱片公司的历史与起源 8.00 电影：《蒂娜》 (Tina) (15, 2021) 对蒂娜·特纳一生的致敬 (AD) 10.10 《真相 vs 亚历克斯·琼斯》 (The Truth vs Alex Jones)。探讨桑迪胡克小学枪击案家长对亚历克斯·琼斯发起的诽谤诉讼 (r) (AD) 12.20am 《OJ：美国制造》 (OJ: Made in America) (r) (AD) 2.10 《埃塞克斯谋杀案》 (The Essex Murders) (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 《发现：汤姆·汉克斯》 (Discovering: Tom Hanks) (r) (AD)
一位虚构的摇滚之星伪造了自己的舞台自杀，非常像大卫·鲍伊在 1973 年将齐格在舞台上“杀死”那样。尤恩·麦克格雷格共同主演，饰演根据伊基·波普塑造的狂放美国摇滚歌手库尔特·怀尔德，而克里斯蒂安·贝尔则饰演多年后调查斯莱德“之死”的记者。原声带包含由电台司令 (Radiohead)、Pulp 及其英伦流行乐同行翻唱的一系列华丽摇滚时代曲目。部分原因是鲍伊拒绝允许使用他的歌曲，尽管这部电影是以他的一首歌命名的。(124分钟) 凯特·穆尔 (Kate Muir)
11.00am 《神奇乐园》 (Wonder Park) (PG, 2019) 动画家庭冒险片，由米拉·库尼斯配音 (AD) 12.45pm 《安娜塔西亚》 (Anastasia) (U, 1956) 由英格丽·褒曼和尤尔·布林纳主演的历史剧 (AD) 2.55 《暴力之徒》 (The Violent Men) (PG, 1955) 由爱德华·G·罗宾逊主演的西部片 4.50 《伊阿宋与金羊毛》 (Jason and the Argonauts) (U, 1963) 由托德·阿姆斯特朗和奥诺尔·布莱克曼主演的奇幻冒险片 (AD) 6.55 《地球停转之日》 (The Day the Earth Stood Still) (12, 2008) 由基努·里维斯和乔·汉姆主演的科幻翻拍片 (AD) 9.00 《四象限》 (Quadrophenia) (18, 1979) 由菲尔·丹尼尔斯和莱斯利·阿什主演的摩德族与摇滚族剧 (AD) 11.25 《天鹅绒金矿》 (Velvet Goldmine) (15, 1998) 由克里斯蒂安·贝尔主演的华丽摇滚剧。见电影推荐 1.50am-3.35 《蓝色房间的亮片》 (Sequin in a Blue Room) (18, 2021) 由科诺·利奇主演的澳大利亚剧
6.00am 电视购物 7.20 《法案》(The Bill) 8.15 《医生》(Doctors) 9.25 《经典霍比城市医院》(Classic Holby City) 10.40 《急诊中心》(Casualty) (AD) 11.40 《法案》(The Bill) 12.40pm 《经典东区》(Classic EastEnders) 2.00 《邻居》(Neighbours) 3.00 《天空之派》(Pie in the Sky) 4.05 《洛夫乔伊》(Lovejoy) 5.20 《等待上帝》(Waiting for God) 6.00 《夏日最后的酒》(Last of the Summer Wine) 8.00 《布朗神父》(Father Brown)。神父与弗兰博联手寻找失踪的宝藏 (AD) 9.00 《布朗神父》(Father Brown) (AD) 10.00 《新线索》(New Tricks)。一名垂死之人请求该团队为其儿子洗清冤屈，他的儿子是一名天才青少年高尔夫球手，在卷入一起 10 岁男孩谋杀案后自杀 (5/7) (AD) 11.20 《沉默的证人》(Silent Witness)。莱尔团队调查一起在河边野餐时被枪杀的家庭谋杀案 (AD) 1.35am 《洛夫乔伊》(Lovejoy) 2.40 《等待上帝》(Waiting for God) 3.10-4.00 《达比与琼》(Darby and Joan) (SL)
6.10am 被遗弃的工程 (Abandoned Engineering) (AD) 8.00 破车大改造 (Bangers & Cash) (AD) 10.00 秘密纳粹基地 (Secret Nazi Bases) 11.00 俯瞰第二次世界大战 (World War Two from Above) 12.00 古董路演 (Antiques Roadshow) 2.00pm 破车大改造：修复经典 (Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics) (AD) 4.00 秘密纳粹基地 (Secret Nazi Bases) 5.00 俯瞰第二次世界大战 (World War Two from Above) 6.00 古董路演 (Antiques Roadshow) 7.00 亚洲。环绕大陆海岸线的海洋 (Asia. The oceans that surround the continent’s coastline) (AD) 8.00 史密斯公民 (Citizen Smith) 8.40 某些母亲确实拥有他们 (Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em) 9.20 某些母亲确实拥有他们 (Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em) 10.00 破车大改造：修复经典。一辆带有电路问题的 90 年代阿尔法·罗密欧符合其刻板印象 (Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. A 90s Alfa with electrical issues lives up to its stereotype) (AD) 11.00 破车大改造：修复经典。一辆希尔曼 GT (Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. A Hillman GT) (AD) 12.00 破车大改造 (Bangers & Cash) (AD) 1.00am 寻找、修理、出售 (Find It, Fix It, Flog It) (AD) 2.00 伟大的英国铁路之旅 (Great British Railway Journeys) 3.00am-6.10 电视购物 (Teleshopping)
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双陆棋 Chris Bray
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来自瑞典的故事 (Tales from Sweden)
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英国最顶尖的两名选手是 Sebastian Wilkinson 和 Oliver Squire。 他们在瑞典举行的顶级双陆棋锦标赛 (UBC) 地区赛决赛中相遇。 Sebastian 在性能评分方面略胜 Oliver 一筹，但骰子之神站在了 Oliver 这一边，最终由他胜出。因此，他与 Michihito Kageyama, Marc Olsen 和 Hideaki Ueda 一起成为了 UBC 挑战赛项目的决赛入围者。这四个人将在本月晚些时候于蒙特卡洛进行决出胜负，以决定谁能在年底挑战现任 UBC 冠军 Zdenek Zizka。
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Oliver 在斯德哥尔摩本可以获得更好的结果，因为他进入了瑞典公开赛的半决赛，并在那里与 Radu Ciortan 对阵。当我们介入时，Oliver（黑棋）以 14-8 领先于 15（克劳福德局 Crawford），并且有一个看似无关紧要的 21 待走。你会选择 5/3, 4/3 还是 5/3, 1/off？
或许是担心 53 或 63 在他的下一次投掷中，这两者都会暴露两个单子，Oliver 选择了执行
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KenKen 困难级 No 6893
5/3, 1/off。在下一回合中，他投出了双数，导致在 4-pt 留下了一个单子。Radu 击中了该单子并最终赢得了比赛。随后他赢得了一局单胜，紧接着是一场大胜 (gammon)，两局的倍数骰 (cube) 均在 2, 最终获得胜利，令 Oliver 颇感沮丧。
那么那个 21 怎么说？我们被告知在收子 (bear-off) 阶段，我们应该在最高点保留偶数个棋子，并且在最高的两个点总计保留偶数个棋子。这指引我们选择 5/3, 4/3, 事实证明这是最佳走法。5/3, 1/off 是一个小错误。它比 5/3, 4/3 能赢得更多的大胜，但这在这里无关紧要，因为这是克劳福德局。
双陆棋中有一句古老格言：清掉的点无需担忧 (a point cleared is a point not to be feared)。5/3, 4/3 准备在下一回合中，只要投掷结果不包含 3, 就清掉 5-pt。如果 Oliver 听从了这句格言，他本可以进入瑞典公开赛的决赛。然而 Radu 最终赢得了该赛事。在双陆棋中，微小的错误可能会导致非常不利的后果。
chrisbraybg@gmail.com
黑方走子。 该局面来自 Yeletsky-Kononenko, chess.com 2026。
这个混乱的局面中，双方国王都处于严重暴露状态，看起来更像 19 世纪的咖啡馆对局而非现代棋局。黑方实际上拥有巨大优势，因为他拥有更多的子力且出子状况略好。他有若干强力招法，但只有一个能立即决定胜负。你能发现那个绝杀吗？
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Codeword No 5901
在这个十字字谜风格的网格中，每个字母都由 1 到 26 的数字代表。 字母表中的每个字母在网格中至少出现一次。利用已提供的字母来推导其他字母的身份。在主网格和较小的参考网格中填入字母，直到字母表中的所有 26 个字母都被 accounted for。专有名词除外。昨天的答案，正确
Cluelines 陷入 Codeword 难题？如需接收 4 个随机提示，请致电 0901 293 6262 或发送短信 TIMECODE 至 64343。通话费用为 £1 加上您电话公司的网络接入费。短信费用为 £1 加上您的标准网络费用。如需完整答案，请致电 0905 757 0142。如果您持有旧报纸且需要过去 7 天的提示，请致电 0905 624 0024。拨打 0905 电话每分钟费用为 £1 加上您电话公司的网络接入费。SP：Spoke，0333 202 3390（周一至周五，上午 9 点至下午 5.30 点）。
Lexica 简单 No 9011 困难 No 9012
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将字母水平或垂直地滑回网格中，以完成一个完整的十字字谜。允许字母滑过其他字母。
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No 4400
Train Tracks No 2926
© PUZZLER MEDIA
铺设轨道，使火车能从 A 村旅行到 B 村。数字表示每行和每列中有多少段轨道。只有直线段和曲线段。轨道不能自我交叉。
解决所有五个隐晦线索，每个下方的字母仅使用一次
1 Family initially built lodge over old ditch (5)
2 Extremely distinctive father is fancy (6)
3 Fair, noble Democrat getting corrupted (6)
4 Different part of Canada, not here (7)
5 Fetching piece of jewellery in container — good! (8)
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thetimes.com/puzzles 以及 Live 应用程序 解决 Ponder 十字字谜
No 2628
仅使用数字 1 到 9 填充网格。 每个水平或垂直 白色方格连续区域 中的数字之和等于 其左侧或上方 三角形中的总数。 同一个数字在 一行或一列中 可以出现多次， 但不能在同一个 白色方格连续区域内出现。
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横向 1 养育（孩子） (8,2) 8 药膏 (7) 9 加薪 (5) 10 抚养（例如小马） (4) 11 接触/参与 (8) 13 吸气 (6) 15 阿基米德在顿悟时的呐喊 (6)
纵横拼字游戏 10,216 解答
L E V E L S E I Z U R E C H I E F U N R E H F L S E T T O R O O K E R Y C C L I E N C I R C L E D I N N P L A Y I N G T E E T E E N A G E R S I A G T B E R G M A N O M E G A L O I O N Y R E L F I N D I A L E C T F I E L D
需要今天的谜题帮助吗？请拨打 0905 757 0143 查询答案。 通话费用为每分钟 £1，另加您电话公司的网络接入费。SP：Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (周一至周五 9am-5.30pm)。
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答案
桥牌 安德鲁·罗布森
废纸堆里的二十个 (20) “总是”与“绝不” 桥牌不是一个关于“总是”和“绝不”的游戏。事实上，只有三个“总是”。(1) 总是出比前一次更高的叫分。(2) 总是跟随花色。(3) 总是对搭档和对手保持礼貌。 人们说，“绝不要在持有K时出小牌（underlead）。”真的吗？你持有 ♠KJ42, ♥74, ♦J72, ♣9742, 并听到（无争抢的）叫标从右方开始，1♥-2♣-2♦-3♦-3♠(询问叫标)-4♥-结束。显然，对手选择 5-2 的红心配合而不是 3NT，是因为他们担心黑桃。出 ♠2 —— 搭档很可能持有 ♠Q 和/或 ♠A。 好吧，“绝不要在持有A时出小牌”更有道理，前提是必须理解这个“绝不”仅适用于针对王牌合约的第一轮出牌。即便如此，专家也会选择时机，如果叫标过程需要，他们不排除在第一轮出A小牌。你持有 ♠A742, ♥85, ♦872, ♣7542, 并听到（无争抢的）叫标从左方开始，1♠-2♥-2NT-3♠-4♥-结束。明手标记有四张黑桃，庄家有三张；因此，搭档有两张。尝试用黑桃吃C（ruff）显然是可行的。为什么不出 ♠A 小牌？也许搭档持有 ♠Qx —— 肯定地，庄家不会用明手的 ♠K 来吃（假设是）♠KJxx；或者也许搭档持有 ♥A，并能赢得第一轮红心从而出她的第二张黑桃。 人们说，“当你持有四张黑桃时，绝不要响应 1NT。”嗯，是的，这是另一个“几乎绝不”。然而，假设你
N O T
E E A
17 织壁毯 (8) 18 渴望 (4) 21 天真信任的 (5) 22 邪恶的，令人厌恶的 (7) 23 害虫防治员 (3-7)
纵向 2 收到消息！ (5) 3 法语中的“圣诞节” (4) 4 单调地朗诵 (6) 5. 极具吸引力的 (8) 6 大主教 (7) 7 食肉动物 (4-6) 8 无节制的，慷慨的 (10) 12 帐篷外层 (8) 14 更愉快 (7) 16 印度神 (6) 19 挑选的 (5) 20 重要的膳食金属元素 (4)
持有 ♠9752, ♥5, ♦82, ♣KQJ942, 且搭档开叫 1♥。如果你响应 1♠ 且搭档再叫 2♦ (或 2♥)，你将无法叫出“决定性”的 3♣ (在 2♦ 之后将变成第四花色强迫叫标)。然而，如果你响应 1NT 然后再叫 3♣ (在 2♦/2♥ 之后)，这将显示持有六/七张梅花且其他花色无可用性；搭档通常会过叫，而你将处于你想要的位置。 我并不是在给你开绿灯让你打破所有“规则”。但我想让你明白，它们是指导方针，是小写的“规则”(rules)，而不是大写的“规则”(RULES)。你玩得越多，就越能理解何时该打破这些指导方针。 在我们的这局牌中，南家出了你见过的最吝啬的 3♠ 开叫之一，“总是用大牌盖大牌”成为了东家的败笔。实际上，只有当你认为可以为自己或搭档提升一张较低的牌时，才应该用大牌盖大牌。
N K
♠Q3 ♥8543 ♦AK74 ♣AK6
西家出 ♦Q 对阵 4♠，庄家赢得明手的 ♦K 并出 ♠Q。东家认为“我总是用大牌盖大牌”，出了 ♠K，结果……糟糕。 andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk
庄家 S
♠A ♥KJ2 ♦QJ109 ♣108532
♠K85 ♥AQ109 ♦653 ♣QJ9
N W E S
♠J1097642 ♥76 ♦82 ♣74
S W N E
3♠(1) 过叫 4♠ 结束
(1) 非出自任何教科书。
EASY 72 ÷ 8 SQUARE (平方)
EASY
IT – 51 ÷ 3 DOUBLE (两倍)
MEDIUM 22 x 3 ÷ 9 – 2 ÷ 5 CUBE (立方)
IT + 7 x 4 2 1/ OF IT
HARDER 293 + 688 x 5 ÷ 8 – 59 4 1/ OF IT – 86 – 85 10 7/ OF IT + 3 2/ OF IT
正方形填色 No 4403
杀手数独（温和版） No 10,840
杀手数独（致命版） No 10,841
与标准数独一样，填充网格，使每一列、每一行以及每个 3x3 宫格都包含数字 1 到 9。每组由虚线连接的单元格之和必须等于其左上角的数字。在每组由虚线连接的单元格内，数字不能重复。
IT ÷ 5 + 4 x 12 4 1/ OF IT
利用这些字母，组成四个或四个以上字母的单词，且必须包含中心字母。答案必须收录于《牛津简明词典》，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。 评分标准：14 个单词为一般；19 个为良好；25 个为非常好；31 个为卓越
昨日答案 afire, fain, fair, fairness, fane, fare, fear, feria, fern, fess, fine, fire, frae, fraise, frass, infer, naïf, rife, safe, sanserif, seif, serf, serif, snarf
快速加密字谜 3361
数独 16,968
数独 16,969
数独 16,970
杀手数独 10,838
杀手数独 10,839
单元格区块 No 5784
© PUZZLER MEDIA
© PUZZLER MEDIA
请注意，不适用 BODMAS 运算顺序
密码词 5900
Tetonor 694
4 x 50 5 x 10 20 + 12 20 x 12
31 189 34
7 + 33 11 + 20 21 x 9 25 + 9
30 225
10 + 5 11 x 20 21 + 9 9 x 25
231 26
8 x 18 4 + 50 33 x 7 8 + 18
词汇 9009 单元格区块 5783 正方形填色 4402
不等式数独 5440
肯肯数独 6892
今日答案
简明 五角星词谜
加密 五角星词谜
1 Adopt 2 Odour 3 Radon 4 Adorable 5 Condoning
1 Blood 2 Desire 3 Blonde 4 Another 5 Bringing
词汇观察
问答
1 香槟 2 英国皇家空军 (RAF) 3 苏伊士运河 4 农民起义 5 18 6 梅尔文·布拉格 7 (波特) 斯坦利 8 新工党 9 金·马什 10 拉德洛 11 分析机 12 尼古拉·Six 13 蒙特阿尔吉都斯之战 14 莱斯特老虎队 15 哈里·杜鲁门
Ligne (a) 纽扣直径的度量单位 (Collins) Wulfrunian (b) 沃尔弗汉普顿的居民 (OED) Mora (c) 不正当的延迟 (Chambers)
国际象棋 — 胜招
1 ... Be6+! 象进入攻击阵线后迅速决定胜负。关键点在于 2 Qxe6（白方实际上尝试了 2 c4，但 2 ... Nc5+ 立即致命） 2 ... Nc5+ 赢得白方皇后
将网格划分为正方形或矩形区块，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内部标注的数字一致。
在网格中填入 1 到 9 的每个数字，使六个算式成立。我们已经填入了两个数字为你引导。每个算式应从左到右或从上到下计算。
Kakuro 4399
火车轨道 2925
L A T E N T
C R O T C H
词汇 9010
M A S T E R
E A S I L Y
Z O
C O U P O N
Sakuro 4802
简单 13 中等 125 较难 113
自 2023 年以来安全安装量增加， 平均花费 £3,500 —— 增长了五分之一
来源：Hiscox
由于建筑成本上升和人员短缺， 近年来的建设率持续下降
地方当局 私营企业 住房协会
1950 60 70 80 90 00 10 20
来源：英国议会
使用 AI 进行 DIY 工作， 随后不得不请人来修理的人员比例
来源：Checkatrade
新买家购房的平均每月支出额 与他们支付的租金对比
租金 抵押贷款还款 (10% 定金)
£1,400 £1,300 £1,200 £1,100 £1,000 £900 £800 £700 9月 2019 12月 2020 3月 2022 5月 2023 8月 2024 11月 2025
来源：Rightmove
Hayes 住在距离曼彻斯特机场 15 分钟路程的地方，并且自认是一个航空极客。“在花园里你可以看到飞机上的字样，很容易就能判断出是什么型号。有时飞机直接从头顶飞过。在烧烤时玩这个很有意思，你可以猜测飞机的目的地。”Hayes 使用 Plane Finder 应用程序追踪航班。
苏格兰 22.6%
在花园派对上，他学会了在飞机飞过导致声音被淹没时停止说话十秒钟。“你会养成在话说到一半时暂停的习惯。你可能会收到客人们奇怪的目光。”
就在我们交谈时，每分钟都有一架不同的飞机飞过。Hayes 可以通过听声音来猜测飞机的机龄。他打开 Plane Finder 应用程序并举起手机。“刚刚飞过的那架比前一架安静得多……它是飞往开罗的埃及航空，是一架空中客车 A321。这架飞机的机龄是三年零两个月。”
英格兰东部 2.6%
他停顿了一下。“现在有趣的是，有一架 Tui 航空即将飞过。这是一架飞往塞浦路斯的波音 737。这架飞机 18 岁了。而且声音大得多。”
Hayes 说，噪音只有在夏天所有窗户都打开时才会成为问题。“我们可能在看电视，大概每十架飞机中就有一架——较旧的机型——会让人更难听清声音，但你会习惯的。”
他并不担心飞机对其房产价值的影响：事实上，根据 Hamptons 的数据，克纳茨福德（Knutsford）的平均房价自 2001 年以来实际上涨了 217%。那是曼彻斯特机场第二条跑道开放的时候，增加了该地区的噪音水平。“在切夏郡‘金三角’的三座城镇中，克纳茨福德承受了大部分的飞机噪音，但它的价格增长也是最快的，”Hamptons 首席分析师 David Fell 表示。
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 000s
但这绝非所有地方的情况。在某些情况下，飞机噪音损害了房产价格，出于显而易见的原因，使得这些地区变得不那么受欢迎。当然，对于希望房屋能迅速售出的卖家来说，这是一个打击，但对于那些考虑买房的人来说，这则提供了机会——只要他们能忍受噪音。
飞行路径折扣 乘客数量在 2025 年打破了记录，共有 302 million 名旅客通过英国机场。此外，进一步扩大盖特威克、希思罗、布里斯托尔和伦敦城市机场的规模及飞行路径的计划，引发了担心噪音和空气污染——以及自然而然地，担心房产价值——的居民的抗议。
如果你住在飞行路径下方，房价究竟会下跌多少，这仍有争议。各项学术研究表明，住在机场附近嘈杂的飞行路径下方会降低房产价值——从 2018 年一项关于贝尔法斯特机场的研究中显示的 5.5% 到 2008 年一项美国亚特兰大研究中显示的 21%。2014 年一项关于柏林-勃兰登堡机场的研究显示，如果飞机在 3,280 英尺以下飞过，房价会下跌 12.8%。麻省理工学院斯隆管理学院 2026 年的一项研究发现，当飞机噪音上升 1 分贝时，受影响的房屋平均损失 0.6% 至 1% 的价值。
Richard Hayes 热爱在切夏郡克纳茨福德家中花园度过的夏天。不是为了安静地沉思，而是为了一个相当刺激的爱好：记录飞机。
封面插图：NINA KRAUSE
飞行航线下的 房子里，也不愿 住在主干道旁。 十个买家中 有九个表示同意
机场，由环境、食品和农村事务部 (Defra) 汇总，该部门追踪机场周边暴露在 55 至 100 分贝 (dB) 飞机噪音区域的地区。（根据 DecibelPro 应用程序，55dB 的噪音等同于电水壶或电动牙刷；而可达 100dB 的声音包括割草机、风镐或吹叶机。）
2012 年，直接处于飞行航线最嘈杂部分（55dB 及以上）的房屋折扣为 16%，而同一邮编内较安静区域的房屋则没有此折扣；但到 2026 年，这一差距已经缩小：同样的房屋现在仅便宜 9%。“我的假设是，这主要是由更安静的现代飞机驱动的，”费尔 (Fell) 表示。“我实际上住在萨里郡的霍利 (Hawley)，靠近盖特威克机场 (Gatwick)，我认为飞机确实变得更安静了。”
折扣下降
飞行航线下的房屋与同一邮编内其他房屋之间的价格差异正在缩小
2012 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 0
基于英国 10 个最繁忙机场的 Defra 数据 来源：Hamptons & Land Registry
根据航空业贸易团体可持续航空 (Sustainable Aviation) 2025 年的一份报告，它们正在取代的旧飞机 [此处原图文字缺失]。该报告预测：“尽管空中交通量增加，但预计到 2035 年，英国航空噪音输出量将比 2019 年减少约 35%。”
根据民航局的一份新报告，人口中 10% 表示对飞机噪音感到“非常困扰”的阈值已从 2014 年的 54dB 下降到 2024 年的 43dB。
苏·卡特赖特 (Sue Cartwright) 是一位 69 岁的退休活动经理，她于 2010 年在伦敦西南部的普特尼 (Putney) 购买了一套两居室公寓，但此后一直考虑搬家，因为距离 12 英里的希思罗机场传来的飞机噪音变得更大了。“毫无疑问，情况变得更糟了。大飞机非常吵。它们的飞行高度更低。我打开飞机追踪软件，看到它们在 2,500 英尺的高度进入。可以说起落架已经放下来了。我在想，它们真的能飞到希思罗机场吗？”
这损害了她的生活质量。“你没法打电话，也没法听电视。”她非常恐惧窗户敞开的炎热夏夜。“噪音似乎永无止境。如果我睡在客房里，你会明显感觉到它们在凌晨 4.30 分进入，那些是从远东飞来的长途航班。”
当风向改变时，她能获得短暂的喘息。“它们现在向东着陆，所以今天很安静。飞行路径改变时的那种解脱感是非常巨大的，但很短暂。”
根据 2026 年的一份政府简报，商业飞机的污染每年在全球导致 16,000 人过早死亡，其中三分之一的死亡发生在居住在机场 20km 范围内的民众中。飞机噪音污染被认为与较高的心血管疾病和中风风险相关。
‘我从不在这一带跑步’ 45 岁的敏里特·考尔 (Minreet Kaur) 并没有注意到噪音，但她一生都住在距离希思罗机场五分钟路程的哈灵顿 (Harlington)。她的父母在 1977 年买下了这栋两居室排屋。全家人喜欢坐在前卧室里，端着一杯茶，看着飞机起飞和降落。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 希思罗机场附近的房屋
（她并）没有注意到噪音。但她担心空气质量，尤其是如果希思罗机场的扩建计划得以实施。“我是一名跑步者，但我从不在这一带跑步。我们以前经常散步，现在我不会这么做了。我确实能感受到污染。”
然而，考尔确信有人会买他们的房子——该地区正处于一种“以租养房”的繁荣期，房东们正四处寻找目标。她这条路上的 20 栋房子中有 15 栋现在是出租房，深受希思罗机场工作人员的欢迎。
在伦敦西南部富裕的里士满 (Richmond)，飞机噪音是一个常态，艾米·雷诺兹 (Amy Reynolds) 就住在那里。她讨厌飞机，但不想住在其他任何地方；大多数买家也有同样的感觉。最嘈杂的区域在市中心附近的河流边——然而在里士满绿地 (Richmond Green)，房价起步价为 £2 million。
一个绝佳的机会 根据高端地产中介 John D Wood 的乡村房屋经理克莱尔·卡特 (Claire Carter) 的说法，飞行路径似乎并不影响伦敦的房价，因为许多富裕社区都有低空飞行的飞机。“在伦敦，我去过邱园 (Kew Gardens)，你可以看到人们在飞机的窗户下喝着橙汁，但该地区依然极其抢手……你住在城里，就有飞机，你还期待什么？”
但在乡村，买家总是会问起这个问题。卡特表示，他们担心盖特威克机场 (Gatwick) 的扩建计划。“买家说我们现在可以接受噪音，但如果每年增加数万架飞机，我们就不能接受了。这会如何影响我们的转售价值？”
卡特不会就飞机噪音与买家讨价还价——她会在估价时将其考虑在内。如果非要给出一个数字，她会说是 10% 的折扣。“但如果房子在繁忙的主干道上，你面对的可能是 25%，甚至 30% 的折扣……我宁愿住在飞行路径上的房子里，也不愿住在主干道上。十个买家里有九个同意。至少飞机的声音会变成白噪音。如果是主干道，你可能会遇到摩托车、警车和警笛。”
如果飞机飞得如此之低，看起来就像要碰到烟囱一样，那么房屋就更难出售。卡特说，折扣可能会达到 20%。 “但那时只要遇到合适的买家就行。有些人觉得这很有趣。很多人愿意为此做出妥协。”
对于买家来说，这可能是一个用更少的钱买到更多东西的好机会。几年前，卡特在萨里郡林菲尔德（Lingfield, Surrey），靠近盖特威克（Gatwick）的地方，卖掉了一栋带有两英亩土地和网球场的五卧室维多利亚式房屋。 “在其他任何地方，它都能卖到 £2 million，但这个伦敦家庭仅用大约 £1.4 million 就买下了它。他们在其他地方绝不可能买到这样的房子。”
安静时刻 对于那些愿意妥协的人来说，这里并非一直嘈杂。飞行路线会根据风向进行轮换。大约 70 per cent 的时间里，希思罗机场和盖特威克机场执行“向西运行”；其余 30 per cent 的时间，飞机向东起飞和降落。降落的飞机比起飞的飞机更安静。
“在看房之前，请检查主导风向，”Buying Agents 创始人亨利·谢伍德（Henry Sherwood）表示。“仅仅因为你看房时的 30 minutes 很安静，并不意味着一直都是这样。”
随着机场的持续扩张，买家可能需要更加警觉。回到克纳茨福德（Knutsford），海耶斯对此没有遗憾。他非常喜欢能在 15 minutes 内到达曼彻斯特机场的便利，并认为飞机噪音在未来可能成为一个无关紧要的问题。“十年后，飞机噪音可能会降低 50 per cent……我们从未想过不会住在克纳茨福德或不再在这里买房。”
Ficerdy庄园建于 1886 年，曾是一座牧师住宅，拥有华丽的石砌外墙。浴石窗框的窗户可俯瞰成熟的花园以及兰迪比 (Llandybie) 村周围的乡村景色。这座五卧室住宅拥有三个接待室（配有高天花板、壁炉和镶板凸窗），以及一个可以在Aga炉旁用餐的厨房。宽敞的阁楼房间和一座已获得规划许可的马车房提供了更多空间。斯旺西 (Swansea) 位于南边 20 英里处。 EPC F（潜力 D）—— 评级范围从 A（最佳）到 G（最差） 优点：优雅的家庭生活环境。 缺点：地处繁忙的 A483 公路旁，尽管设有电动门将其隔开。 联系方式：countrylivinggroup.co.uk
Rose Cottage（玫瑰小屋）名副其实，在经典的小屋花园中被攀援玫瑰环绕。这座位于温伯里 (Whinburgh) 村的五卧室住宅非常适合多代同堂居住，也可以将其部分区域独立出来，通过度假附属房获取额外收入。主厨房连接着两个客厅、三个卧室、一个浴室和一个洗衣房。在第二个翼楼中，配有独立的小厨房和客厅，以及另外两个卧室和一个浴室。它距离集镇德雷厄姆 (Dereham) 四英里，位于诺里奇 (Norwich) 以西 17 英里处。 EPC E（潜力 B） 优点：极其迷人。 缺点：两个厨房的布局对某些人来说可能不方便。 联系方式：sowerbys.com
位于林内湖 (Loch Linnhe) 岸边的科兰灯塔小屋 (Corran Lighthouse Lodge) 拥有可远眺威廉堡 (Fort William) 和格伦科 (Glencoe) 的全景视野——花园里还矗立着一座灯塔。该房产于 1860 年作为科兰角灯塔 (Corran Point Lighthouse) 的守灯人住宅而建，被列为 C 级建筑，拥有 2,537 平方英尺的居住空间，包括五个卧室、五个浴室和三个接待室。威廉堡距离 9.5 英里，有定期的渡轮往返，交通便捷。这座目前仍在运行的灯塔由北灯塔委员会 (Northern Lighthouse Board) 所有并维护。 EPC D（潜力 C） 优点：设有可俯瞰湖景的高架日光露台。 缺点：并不拥有灯塔的所有权。 联系方式：savills.com
收购由纽巴特尔高尔夫俱乐部 (Newbattle Golf Club) 租赁的土地。这是一个成熟的 18 洞球场，占地 105 英亩，并被 50 英亩的林地环绕。该球场由著名的球场设计师哈里·S·科尔特 (Harry S Colt) 于 1933 年规划，包含林荫球道并横跨埃斯克河 (River Esk)。球场位于米德洛地安郡 (Midlothian) 达尔基斯 (Dalkeith) 镇的东南部，距离爱丁堡八英里，并经营着一家成功的会员俱乐部。其靠近埃斯克班克 (Eskbank) 铁路站，可乘坐火车前往苏格兰首府。 EPC 不适用 优点：有更多可用土地，包括田地、林地和牧场。 缺点：小心飞行的高尔夫球。 联系方式：drurral.co.uk
T
搬迁故事
纯素烹饪学校
大流行带来的影响促使我在两年前搬到欧德（Aude），与我的叔叔团聚 [海伦·劳伦斯，48 岁，说道]。
我在十岁时开始吃素。在温彻斯特（Winchester）成长，正值绿色和平（Greenpeace）和动物权利运动的时代，我们十个人达成协议一起吃素。
高中毕业后，我参加了一个将一年的厨师课程压缩在一个月内完成的培训，随后在一家美食酒吧（gastropub）、一家位于温彻斯特的法国小馆以及盖特威克（Gatwick）的假日酒店工作。当时素食主义正日益普及，我也得以在菜单上设计素食菜肴。
我搬到多伦多住了两年，我叔叔安东尼当时住在那里，我在“小印度”区工作。在开发无蛋无奶食谱的同时，我做了两年的厨师和保姆。那里的纯素食品风气非常盛行，我知道我的未来应当在烹饪领域。
我在巴斯（Bath）由蕾切尔·德穆思（Rachel Demuth）经营的素食餐厅兼烹饪学校 Demuths 找到了一份工作。我在那里担任了七年的主厨，随后成为一名教师。当她在 2019. 年退休时，我买下这家公司是非常合理的选择。遗憾的是，几个月后新冠疫情爆发，导致一切关闭，尽管我努力尝试了四年，但从未真正有机会将其重新建立起来。
在那段时间里，我住在威尔特郡（Wiltshire）斯劳特福德（Slaughterford）附近的一个农场里，在接纳了一位朋友当时 15, 岁的女儿作为自己的孩子后，我成为了父母。我们一起在布里斯托（Bristol）住了八年，她在那里学习随后工作，但法国在召唤我。
我的祖母是巴黎人——我曾和她一起在法国度过了许多快乐的假期——在她去世后，一份遗产
探索北诺福克（North Norfolk）的永恒魅力 或萨福克（Suffolk）壮丽的遗产海岸
在同一个美丽之地，享受无尽的假期。您的度假屋。您的静谧之所。您家庭的永恒回忆。现在就将其变为您的专属。探索在 Aldeburgh 的 Marsh View 以及 Burnham Market 的 The Poplars 拥有豪华度假屋的机会。
专属生活方式房产 | 全家具配备，现已供应 专属生活方式房产：显著的租赁机会 | 全家具配备，现已供应：无需缴纳印花税
海伦·劳伦斯（中）， 在她的烹饪学校 Melusine 与学生们在一起
20 世纪 80 年代的 英国 素食界
LUXURYLODGEESCAPES.CO
允许她的儿子安东尼在勒索马伊（Le Somail）购买了一座美丽的传统农舍，该村位于米迪运河（Canal du Midi）沿线，计划将其经营为一家 B&B 旅馆。
非常幸运的是，多年前我曾在相邻的文特纳克-昂-米内瓦（Ventenac-en-Minervois）村参加过烹饪假期，并深爱那里葡萄园、橄榄树、中世纪山顶村庄和运河边城镇交织的风景。这里拥有绝佳的地中海气候且临海，但不像普罗旺斯那样精致。
我一直与 70 岁的安东尼关系密切，他没有孩子，但喜欢热闹的家庭氛围，因此他建议我搬进阁楼，并在院子的大谷仓里开设纯素和植物基烹饪课程 —— 于是，我的烹饪学校 Melusine 诞生了。
我每年春季和秋季各运行一个为期六周的密集文凭课程，并为那些希望开设纯素餐厅或晚餐俱乐部的人、游艇主厨以及热衷于探索如何用腰果或大豆制作里科塔（ricotta）或马苏里拉（mozzarella）奶酪的美食爱好者提供培训。
我的学员中有英国人、美国人、澳大利亚人、印度人、土耳其人和爱尔兰厨师。这非常有趣，我们还会去逛村庄集市、访问橄榄油生产商以及品鉴有机葡萄酒。然而，这里并非纯素食者的自然栖息地。当地人仍然猎杀野猪和禽类，而且当地人总会困惑地问我，纯素食者能吃什么。
两年来，我只遇到过两个法国纯素食者。法国有点像 20 世纪 80 年代的英国素食界，而且这一地区没有一家纯素餐厅。等我的法语提高后，我希望能够吸引一些当地人参加我的课程。这里越来越多的种植者开始转向有机耕作，这与纯素主义相契合。
由于我有法国血统，持有欧盟护照，免去了签证带来的头疼问题，因此搬到法国在手续上并不困难 —— 但我的法语远不到流利程度。我加入了附近村庄的一个业余戏剧组，以帮助自己沉浸其中。
因为我想念现在 25 岁的女儿，以及在英国的社交生活和朋友们，我经常回去。在这里很难找到志同道合的人，因为大多数外派人员都像安东尼一样已经退休或半退休。但我意识到，我需要全身心地投入到建立新生活的过程中 —— 而这需要时间。 采访者：Liz Rowlinson
产品设计师兼内容创作者劳拉·特纳 (Laura Turner) 对她花园的尽头感到有些尴尬。那里紧邻着由邻居创建的共享分配地，邻居们在那儿倾注心血地种植蔬菜水果。“而与此同时，我们那里有一根被塑料布盖住的、又大又丑的树桩，”劳拉解释道，“我真的觉得我们让这里丢脸了。”
33 岁的劳拉在 Instagram 上分享个人理财技巧，并兼职担任眼镜设计师，拥有自己的儿童太阳镜产品线。2022 年，她与丈夫乔治 (George) 从伦敦搬到格洛斯特郡 (Gloucestershire) 的切尔滕纳姆 (Cheltenham)，以寻求更多的空间来安家并组建家庭。他们在租住新居两年后，房东给了这对夫妇购买该房产的机会。“我们在我的预产期前两周完成了房屋交易，”劳拉解释道，“但幸运的是，我们当时已经住在那里，所以在迎接女儿卢埃拉 (Luella) 出生之前不需要做太多准备工作。”
突然之间，他们租住的房子变成了自己的房产。他们开始着手布置卢埃拉的卧室，并在对屋顶进行一些维修后，觉得室内不需要再做太多改动。但花园则是另一回事。作为租客，特纳夫妇不想花钱去整理花园，但现在作为拥有一个——“非常喜欢托儿所户外游戏屋”——幼儿的房主，他们很想将其修整好。
“我丈夫尝试把树桩挖出来，但根部扎得非常深，”劳拉说，“他在挖掘根部及其周围土壤时，可能反而让情况变得更糟了。现在那里成了一块死空间，女儿在里面玩也不安全。”
劳拉估计，她需要大约 £1,000 才能打造出他们想要的花园。这将包括彻底清除树桩、铺设天然地被植物、为卢埃拉安装一个泥巴厨房以及增加一些种植槽。
“我们真的很希望让它变得对她可用，”她说，“这听起来可能有点傻，但由于目前有这么多其他支出，我们确实需要为此攒钱。”
这对夫妇开设了一个定期储蓄账户，开始积攒资金以支付费用，并希望在明年春天前全部搞定。在正式开始为花园项目存钱之前，他们需要先处理婚礼季的事宜。“我们今年有五场婚礼，这很美好，但这也花掉了我们很大一部分闲钱，”劳拉说。
她目前每月存 £200，用于支付婚礼的旅费、住宿和礼物。花园储蓄账户则用于存放更多随机的金额——比如额外的现金，或者出售二手衣物的钱。一旦婚礼季结束，劳拉将把每月 £200 的资金转入花园基金。
“我发现循序渐进地为事情存钱非常有帮助，否则压力会很大，”她说，“而且为每个目标设立不同的‘钱罐’很棒，因为我可以看着它们全部增长。”
尽管她预计大部分工作将在冬季进行，但劳拉已经在憧憬她用种植槽能实现什么样的目标了。
“这些年来，邻居们给了我们很多新鲜农产品——如果能从我们自己的花园里回馈一些东西，那将很美好。而且我们等不及要给卢埃拉提供一个正式的户外玩耍空间了。”
“需要比其他产品更频繁地清理，”Rose 表示。它无法清除地板缝隙中的污垢，且通过过滤器将细小尘粒泄回房间，并且没有配备用于沙发或汽车的可拆卸手持清洁器。
Vax Pace Plus CLSV-PAKA
69 per cent，超值，£119.99. 提供显著更好的电池续航力，在地毯和硬质地板上清洁效果良好，且相对安静。
该机器难以洗净餐具，几乎在每个清洗周期后，盘子、杯子和餐具上都会留下干结的食物残渣。虽然它能效较高，但 Which? 发现其噪音极大，使其成为开放式厨房的糟糕选择。
博世 (Bosch) SMS26AW08G Series 2
76 per cent，环保之选，£379. 虽然价格较高，但在本例中你得到了与其价格相符的品质。这款替代方案提供了“卓越”的清洁性能和良好的干燥能力，且运行成本低。
避开低价标签：Which? 的测试认为这款洗衣机无法去除基本衣物污渍的情况令人“震惊”。缓慢的脱水周期导致衣物仍然湿透。
胡佛 (Hoover) HBR 411BL9G-80
72 per cent，超值，£329. 请选择胡佛的这款全能产品，它在整体清洁、能效和易用性方面均获得了四星评价。 4. 耳机
Soundcore by Anker C40i
37 per cent，£39.99
Which? 对 Soundcore 这款“糟糕”的开放式耳机几乎没有什么正面评价。它们通过将外部噪音与你听的内容混合，让你能够意识到周围环境，而不是将其抵消。Which? 的测试员将音质比作“带有严重漏音且滋滋作响的旧电话线”。电池续航力弱，麦克风通话效果差。
Soundcore by Anker AeroClip
70 per cent，£79. 这是同一品牌提供的更好的——尽管更昂贵——产品。AeroClip 开放式耳机音色平衡，低音适中。“电池续航力尚可，我们在拨打和接听电话方面的评分较高，”Rose 表示。
E
飞利浦 (Philips) 50PUS8000 50英寸电视
33 per cent，£249 电视购买者应注意，这款“全方位的失望之作”是 Which? 近年来测试过最差的型号之一。负面评价包括“设置繁琐，画质糟糕，且扬声器声音尖锐刺耳，能让最温馨的时代剧听起来更像低预算恐怖片”，Rose 说道。
LG 50NANO81A6A
68 per cent，超值，£299. 令人印象深刻的高清画质和整体声音平衡，意味着这款 LG 被评为“预算有限的情况下，50英寸电视最舒适的最佳选择”。
Waitrose Essential 洗洁精，原味
39 per cent，80p Which? 的一篇严厉评论将这款洗洁精称为“绝非必需品”。任何泡沫消失得都太快，在 45C 的水温测试中，它只能清洗 21 个盘子上的油脂，而下方的替代产品可清洗 43 个。
Aldi Magnum 洗洁精，原味
78 per cent，最佳购买/超值，62p. Which? 发现 Aldi 的洗洁精在清洗餐具方面的效率是 Waitrose 版本的两倍。Magnum 价格低廉，且在高温和低温下均能有效去油。
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技巧与 窍门
亨特·戴维斯与他的驳船（见下图），位于怀特岛。该船售价 £325,000
大家都说这是最愚蠢的行为：在完全不懂船且绝对不是个巧活能手的情况下，买一艘巨大的古董荷兰驳船。更傻的是，买船时我已经 88 岁高龄了。没错，在 2024 年的时候，我还如此年轻且鲁莽。我被那些即便在年老糊涂时也能将人淹没的浪漫、幻想和冲动冲昏了头脑。
我没听他们的。我这一辈子一直做冲动的事。我无法等待，我想要现在就拥有。对于不得不与我生活在一起的亲人们来说，这有点辛苦。
此前六年我在怀特岛上有一栋度假小屋，但没有海景。在岛上度过最后的岁月，如果看不见大海，那还有什么意义？有一天，我开车经过贝姆布里奇港（Bembridge Harbour）旁的一些船屋。我觉得它们看起来不错。但那条路太嘈杂了。
随后在港口的另一边，我们发现了一个叫杜佛码头（Duver Marina）的地方，那里非常安静且隐蔽，一个长长的浮桥伸入港中，拥有 150 个游艇和船只的泊位。右侧的第一艘船是一艘极 stunning 的 1898 年荷兰驳船——而且它正在出售。简直是一见钟情。
它旁边有一个在港口来回穿梭的水上出租车，我可以直接跳上去，游览港口周围的两个村庄：贝姆布里奇村本身和圣海伦斯（St Helens）。或者在可爱的漂浮餐厅“盛装螃蟹”（the Best Dressed Crab）用餐。噢，太浪漫了。
船有点大，长 110 英尺，但设备非常齐全——甚至可以说是奢华——拥有三个舱室、一个巨大的沙龙、保留的原始特征和一个巨大的甲板。想象一下我们可以举办多少场派对。在顶层，沿着台阶上去是驾驶室，位置很高，可以 360 度俯瞰整个贝姆布里奇港。我可以想象我和米兰达在傍晚坐在那里，喝着长相思白葡萄酒，看着游艇从奇切斯特（Chichester）或跨过英吉利海峡驶入——当然不能忘记欣赏所有的鸟类和海洋生物。噢，真是极乐。
VICKI COUCHMAN 为 《星期日泰晤士报》撰写
它的售价是 £350,000。我问当地代理商 Spence Willard 是否接受 £325,000 的现金，业主立即答应了。我提议在秋天气候依然宜人时，在两周内完成交易。是疯了吗？而且更傻的是，我没有做房屋检验（survey）。
在我漫长的人生中，我拥有过好几处度假屋——在牛津郡、湖区、葡萄牙——我一直只相信自己的眼睛。我闻不到潮湿味。那个屋顶看起来没问题。
那个秋天真的是极乐：坐在驾驶室里，在码头游泳，在沙丘上长距离散步。然后，到了冬天，事情开始出错。舱底水满溢了——别问我什么是舱底——电路失效了，中央供暖锅炉坏了，两个洗手间无法使用。一个泵必须从德国运来，结果在圣诞节的邮寄过程中丢失了。我们搬出去住了几周，我回到了伦敦的家，米兰达回到了她在岛上格纳德（Gurnard）的家。但到了春天，我们回来了，再次陷入了欢快地边走边口哨的状态。
我们计划举办一场驳船派对，以此开启我们的驳船生活，并列了一份 60 人的宾客名单。然后港口管理部门的人说我们只能请 30 人。他们不希望浮桥上有太多人，也不希望停车场太拥挤。真扫兴。我雇了一个年轻人负责安保，以限制一次抵达的人数。
最后，大约有 80 人到场，包括三名餐饮人员、一个由六人组成的船夫乐队、以及两个演奏小提琴和吉他的人。噢，那真是个美妙的场合。我的一个家人用无人机拍了一段精彩的视频，我会永远观看这段视频，以此唤回所有神奇的瞬间。
然后，在夏天，其他事情也出了问题。我们不得不更换遮阳帘（dodgers），显然就是船甲板周围围的那些帆布单。一根支撑腿（spud leg）需要修理。天哪，那到底是什么？就是为了固定驳船而插进海床里的杆子。接着，阳极（anodes）需要更换——我觉得是指贴在钢制船体上的锌块，用来防止海水腐蚀。
米兰达确实有航海经验——她年轻时曾和丈夫乘坐一艘自制的三体船横跨大西洋——但我不能指望她去修理污水系统或兰博基尼发动机。没错，这艘驳船确实有一个可以运行的发动机，但我们从未航行，只是在喝了几杯酒后按按喇叭。那声音一直能传到考斯（Cowes）。
我一直没意识到，因为我没在听，任何类型的船都是个金钱黑洞。你得不断地往里砸钱。它们就像汽车一样，价值不会上涨。不像房子。
所以你要么得有钱，要么得手巧，或者把它看作一个项目。或者得是个彻头彻尾的浪漫主义者。奇怪的是，我不后悔，尽管我觉得有点难过。我们度过了最美妙、最刺激、最给人启发的一两年。在我年老之时的这场意外冒险。我还是分不清左舷和右舷，但遇到了一些迷人的船员。而且我还会因此写出一本书。
但我现在 90 岁了，身体在衰退。除非我缓慢地沿着驾驶室狭窄的金属楼梯向后走，否则米兰达就会对我大吼大叫。她在布置内部方面做得非常出色，还在我们的小浮桥上创建了一个可爱的花园。
每当我靠近它时，心依然会怦怦跳，因为它实在太美了，充满艺术感，且独一无二。它可以被航行或移动，用作博物馆、艺术画廊、瑜伽静修所或宾馆。或者由另一个浪漫主义者来享受。或者由一个比我更有技能和知识的人来接手。
因此，我下周将通过我当初买船的代理商将其挂牌出售，价格为 £325,000，只需要完成最后一个小活儿：更换通往驳船的小木梯。在那 80 位客人登船时，有些人喝得有点嗨。我也是……
亨特·戴维斯（Hunter Davies）的下一本书《回归：成为披头士的男孩们》（Get Back: The Boys Who Became the Beatles，Ebury 出版，£17）将于 9 月 17 日出版。请在 timesbookshop.co.uk 订购或致电 020 3176 2935。Times+ 会员可享折扣。随后，明年由 History Press 出版《吵闹的驳船：我们在驳船上冒险生活的一年》（Argy Bargy: Our Adventurous Year Living on a Barge）。
‘I
翻新
Adlington 养老生活社区为晚年生活进行了精心设计，每套高端现代公寓都连接着丰富的设施和景观花园，且靠近繁华的当地商店和服务中心。因此，无论您是在私人公寓中享受安静时光，在餐厅*款待家人和朋友，还是与敬业的团队聊天，您的新篇章都能真正让生活达到最佳状态。
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全英范围内有的一房、两房及三房养老公寓可供购买，价格从 £199,950 到 £894,950* 不等。
@AdlingtonLife
The Spindles, Menston, West Yorkshire, 01943 660530 Riverside Gardens, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, 01423 222478 Brookfields House, Newcastle, Staff ordshire, 01782 958850 Broadleaf House, Wylde Green, West Midlands, 0121 817 8680 The Newells, Kempston, Bedfordshire, 01234 988200 Radford House, Exeter, Devon, 01392 341515
“我是在不知不觉中成了开发商的，”玛塔·诺维茨卡承认。作为两名波兰难民——一名建筑师父亲和一名时尚设计师母亲（他们在第二次世界大战后作为学生来到英国）的女儿，生活在建筑工地长期以来一直是她的常态。在她七岁父母离婚后，她的母亲在十年内将家庭住宅买卖翻新了五次。
诺维茨卡在 20 世纪 80 年代就读于金斯顿大学 (Kingston University)，在建筑师弗雷德·斯科特 (Fred Scott) 和室内设计师本·凯利 (Ben Kelly)（他设计了曼彻斯特的 Haçienda 夜总会）的指导下，学习一个专注于既有建筑改造利用的课程。十年后，她经营着一家名为 Nowicka Stern 的成功设计事务所，客户包括伦敦的视觉效果公司 Framestore、Fabric 夜总会以及 《AnOther》杂志，她为后者创建了一个创新的办公室室内设计，采用了链条悬挂的拖拉机座椅，并铺设了由邱园 (Kew Gardens) 安装的真草坪。“人们回忆道，早上刚浇完水后坐在上面，屁股会有点湿，”她笑着回忆道。
1999 年，她和她的丈夫、所谓“年轻英国艺术家”(YBA) 团体成员的艺术家肖恩·金伯 (Sean Kimber) 在伦敦市中心 Old Street 附近买了一座破旧的 19 世纪仓库。当时该地区是艺术家工作室和私占房屋的聚集地：他们的邻居包括同为 YBA 成员的加文·特克 (Gavin Turk) 和加里·休姆 (Gary Hume)。诺维茨卡和金伯开始将这座建筑改造为生活/工作空间，在工业厨房单元上焊接轮子，并切开孔洞以容纳气罐。
但悲剧在 2001 年发生。金伯在 36 岁时突然去世，当时诺维茨卡正怀着他们的儿子卢卡斯 (Lucas)，卢卡斯在三个月后出生。他的去世“彻底改变”了诺维茨卡的生活。
“我一直在工作，早上八点在现场开始会议，工作到晚上八点，”她说。“我想，我无法在维持事务所运行的同时还做一个单亲母亲。我必须重新思考——我想尽可能地多花时间陪伴[我的儿子]。”
她卖掉了在 Nowicka Stern 的股份，通过在伦敦都会大学 (London Metropolitan University) 讲授室内建筑学来支付账单；她还断断续续地担任了 20 年的导师。然而，诺维茨卡的一次豪赌是购买了查尔斯广场 16 号 (No 16 Charles Square)，这是一栋位于霍克斯顿 (Hoxton) 的破旧 II* 级上市乔治亚风格房屋。没有其他开发商敢接手，但诺维茨卡在 2005 年抵押了她的仓库，并申请了一笔巨额过桥贷款将其买下。
“那是一次真正的信念之跃，”她说。
“我环顾四周，立刻就爱上了这里。我还能有什么选择？我已经失去了太多。就这么决定了。”
查尔斯广场（Charles Square）在 1950 年代进行了重新开发，而 16 号是自 18 世纪开发以来唯一幸存的建筑。（诺维茨卡最喜欢的当地传闻：据传 1684 年，演员内尔·格温与查理二世在该地块之前的房产中开始了他们的情事。）
目前的建筑在 1842 年进行了扩建，成为了肖尔迪奇郡法院（Shoreditch county court）的所在地，随后在 1847 年成为一名治安法官的住宅。在 1900 年代初，这里成为了一个致力于针线业者的行会总部，并在 1997 年被用作托尼·布莱尔成功赢得大选的工党基地。随后，它被捐赠给肯·利文斯通，作为他 2000 年竞选市长的总部。
此后，16 号因严重渗水而陷入失修，外墙饰面和丑陋的隔断遮住了护壁板，电缆沿着楼梯延伸。“我最初的规划申请被拒绝了，但我没有放弃。我与乔治亚小组（Georgian Group，一个保护协会）密切合作，[将这座建筑] 改造成了五个单元，”诺维茨卡说道。
在修复后的中央走廊中，原有的铺路石被重新挖掘出来。对于无法挽救的地板，则被更换成了做旧的烟熏橡木。厨房安装了白色的 Rotpunkt 橱柜，
MARK COCKSEDGE; FELIX SPELLER
上图：玛塔·诺维茨卡在克勒肯韦尔（Clerkenwell）的家中，左侧为原维多利亚时代仓库。 左上图：霍克斯顿（Hoxton）查尔斯广场 16 号待售公寓之一，配有现代 Rotpunkt 厨房。
浴室则采用了镜面面板和镶嵌大理石的树脂地板。
“在完成查尔斯广场改造的那一刻，我们就搬进了其中一套公寓，”诺维茨卡说。其他公寓则出租给了租客——其中一名租客已经在那里住了 19 年。“这给了我足够的稳定性，让我能供儿子读完中学和大学。”
随后，她将查尔斯广场再次抵押，回到了重新开发其老街（Old Street）仓库的工作中，但这次有一个新计划，将其分割成三个两居室
你必须透过所有 的问题来看……你想要 保护历史
单元——一个作为她和 卢卡斯 (Lucas) 的住所，其他则出租。在经历了 两年的规划许可申请之战后，Nowicka 最终胜诉。最终 的结果是在旧结构顶部建起了一个现代的锌质玻璃盒子。
“我迷上了这个。我从一个项目跳到下一个，”她说道。随后在东萨塞克斯郡 (East Sussex) 开展了两个项目：一个位于赖 (Rye) 的 1950 年代前圣约翰救护协会 (St John Ambulance) 大楼，以及一个俯瞰坎伯沙滩 (Camber Sands) 的扩建海岸警卫队小屋。 此外，在伦敦道尔斯顿 (Dalston) 一个破旧车库的原址上，还建有一栋三层高的雪松木瓦覆盖的新建筑。
Nowicka 没有出售完工的项目，而是将其作为长期租赁房、拍摄场地或度假出租屋（她本人在这些房产之间居住），同时还为部分客户承担设计项目，其中包括两对艺术家夫妇：迈克尔·兰迪 (Michael Landy) 和吉莉安·韦林 (Gillian Wearing)（在肖尔迪奇 (Shoreditch)），以及加里·休姆 (Gary Hume) 和乔治·霍普顿 (Georgie Hopton)（在布鲁姆茨伯里 (Bloomsbury) 的工作室）。
这些项目都归在 Nowicka 的设计驱动型房产品牌 DOMstay 旗下（dom 是波兰语中“家”的意思）。这个名称灵感来自 Nowicka 与她的伴侣 Voytek Ketz 共同前往华沙的一次令人动容的旅行，在那里，她发现自己距离母亲出生地的房子仅有两条街之遥。
“我们在仓库里拍过不少东西：Rag’n’Bone Man 的[音乐]视频和[BBC 剧集]《沉默的证人》(Silent Witness)，”她补充道。“我花很多时间在现场。这确实让建筑工人快疯了，因为我经常改变主意，比如‘不，这样不行，我们得重做’。这就像挖掘——当你开始拆除时，你就在进行挖掘。”
Nowicka 是如何挑选项目的？“我不做勘测。你必须透过所有的问题来看。”相反，她会问：“核心是什么？这个地方的种子是什么？我喜欢做的一切都关乎重新利用，将商业建筑改为住宅用途。我看过数百栋建筑。当我们度假去某个地方时，我会让每个人都抓狂——‘我们去房产中介看看吧’。我觉得挖掘潜力非常令人兴奋。”
至于她的室内风格？“我非常强调场地特定性，”她表示，尽管她确实有自己的标志性触感，例如多层次的纹理和“非常高质量的材料”：无多余修饰、天然原木、石材和镜子，从而创造出一种“双重景观”。在工作室铺设皮革地板的约瑟夫·博伊斯 (Joseph Beuys) 和密斯·凡·德·罗 (Mies van der Rohe) 给了她很大影响。 Nowicka 沉思道，她的成长经历是她勤奋工作精神以及渴望拯救那些宏伟但被冷落的空间的驱动力：“你想要保护历史并使其适应现状。充分利用某样东西。绝不浪费。始终循环、重新定位、重复利用。”
受《Die with Zero》（尽情享受）一书的启发——该书主张投资于体验而非积累资产——Nowicka 将查尔斯广场 16 号 (No 16 Charles Square) 的两套公寓投放市场（通过 The Modern House 出售：3 号公寓价格为 £895,000，4 号公寓价格为 £535,000）。“你不能永远拥有所有东西，”她说。“现在是时候传递下去了。”
Sasha Nugara，房产记者
窗户打不开， 而且热得要命
室友闹剧，我们的专栏作家
我和我的朋友在今年早些时候搬进了一处租住房，当时房产中介告诉我们窗户不能打开。我们本以为有其他形式的通风，且当时急于找地方居住，但现在我们知道事实并非如此。
屋内出现了潮湿和霉菌。除湿机有所帮助，但水箱很快就满了，而且霉菌依然存在。在热浪袭击期间，我们非常痛苦，因为没有办法让新鲜空气进入公寓——由于窗户不能打开，我们无法使用便携式空调。我的卧室温度一度没有低于 30℃。
我们是否有权要求更换新窗户？或者因为搬进来时已经被告知过，所以这就不算数吗？
我在伦敦看的第一间房是一个没有窗户的盒子，位于一个八人间合租房的厨房旁边。在广告中宣传一个没有窗户的房间，感觉像是违法的。带我看房的是当时的租客，他们解释说没有合同，押金将转交给退租的租客，而那个人之前也是从前任租客那里接过押金的。
当时我很年轻，天真且感到绝望，所以缺少窗户感觉只是个小不便，于是我要求入住。幸运的是，他们拒绝了我。虽然这打击了我的自尊心，但现在回想起来，这绝对是最好的结果。
我们刚刚经历了第三波热浪，当温度逼近 30℃ 时，即使在通风最好的房产中也让人感到难以忍受。我请教了 Slater Heelis 律师事务所的合伙人丹尼尔·斯特恩 (Daniel Stern) 的建议。他说：“听到您所经历的困难，尤其是在最近的热浪背景下，我深表遗憾。”
“虽然您在承租前已被告知窗户不能打开，但这并不一定意味着房东没有责任，因为房东有责任确保房产适合人类居住。”
“如果缺乏可开启的窗户且没有任何替代通风方案，导致了持续的霉菌、潮湿以及室内温度过高，那么您可能会采取一些措施”
“……对抗房东。”
根据《2018年住房（人类居住适宜性）法案》(Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018)，房东在法律上有义务确保租赁物业在整个租期内适合人类居住，无论合同中如何约定或双方进行过何种对话。
同样，根据《1985年房东与租户法案》(Landlord and Tenant Act 1985)，房间内的通风被明确列为决定是否适合人类居住的关键因素。同样，潮湿、霉菌和过热均属于重大危害。
“我建议首先以书面形式向您的房东提出该问题，”斯特恩 (Stern) 补充道，“列出各项问题并询问他们计划如何补救。这并不一定意味着您有权要求安装可开启的窗户，但房东可能会愿意采取措施为您提供更舒适的环境。
“如果这不起作用，您可以联系当地政府的环境健康团队，他们可以评估这些情况是否构成住房危害。如果他们认定为严重危害，可以采取一系列强制执行行动；否则，他们可以要求房东进行维修。”
拍摄照片并记录霉菌情况，并考虑购买一个廉价的数字温度计来记录温度日志，这将对您的申诉有所帮助。
“简而言之，虽然可以说您在租房时已经得到了关于缺乏通风的公平提醒，但这并不能抵消房东持续履行的义务，”他继续说道。
请确保在白天最热的时候关闭百叶窗和窗帘，并考虑使用隔热遮光窗帘。您也可以尝试使用一些粘贴式太阳窗膜，例如 Purlfrost；您的房东可能会愿意承担这笔费用。他们也可能能够正确安装一个便携式空调机，或者至少为您买几个风扇以保持凉爽。
不幸的是，在发出通知后，您将被锁定在租期内两个月，这将贯穿整个夏天，但我强烈建议您开始寻找新住处。
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调查
约翰·佩克（John Peck）的母亲艾里斯（Iris）在购买那套两居室公寓时 82 岁，价格为 £265,000。那是位于北安普顿郡金斯索普（Kingsthorpe）的 Wardington Court 的示范房，该项目由养老住房供应商 McCarthy & Stone 开发，她是第一个搬进去的人。
开发项目
“我对转售价值有点担心，”佩克说。他读到过关于养老公寓售价低于买入价的消息。“但销售人员[向我保证]大多数转售在公寓挂牌后四个月内就会发生，且价格在买入价或高于买入价。这给了我一点信心，所以我们就决定购买。”
艾里斯从 2017 年一直住在那里直到 2021 年，但她的失智症开始恶化，McCarthy & Stone 表示将无法再支持她的护理需求。
为了支付每年约 £60,000 的护理费用，该家庭需要出售这套公寓，因此他们以原买入价格将其挂牌出售。两年过去了，没有人感兴趣，佩克意识到他最担心的事情成真了。
佩克一家只是一个惊人统计数据背后的一个典型案例：土地登记处（Land Registry）的数据显示，在 2010 年至 2019 年间建造的 McCarthy & Stone（原名 McCarthy Stone）房产中，有 59% 亏本出售，平均业主损失 £41,000。
佩克一家实际上损失了 £225,000。两年后，他们降低了价格，为了吸引潜在买家，McCarthy & Stone 提出提供帮助并为他们布置了公寓家具。
“这对家里来说是一段非常艰难的时期，因为存款快用完了，我们很担心如何支付护理费用，”佩克说。由于没有买家出现，佩克决定将公寓交给当地的房产中介出售。
在当地房产中介再次尝试失败后，佩克一家通过 McCarthy & Stone 的转售团队将公寓重新挂牌，价格为 £100,000。“妈妈当时病得很重，我们认为这个价格至少能为她提供一些收入。最终，我们以 £95,000 的价格卖掉了公寓。”
但私人销售的养老公寓是租赁产权（leasehold），因此业主还必须支付服务费，以涵盖人员配置和公共维护费用。在出售后，佩克一家收到了一张 £50,000 的账单，用于支付公寓空置期间的维护费用。“我们最后只剩下了 £45,000，”佩克说。《泰晤士报》开展的研究表明，服务费较高的养老院更容易亏本出售。
McCarthy & Stone 表示，其并不从服务费中获得经济利益。一名发言人表示：“服务费受法律管辖，涵盖了运营安全开发项目的当前和未来成本。我们没有添加任何加价。”
《泰晤士报》的研究还显示，2010 年代建造的 McCarthy & Stone 住宅的平均损失为 16%，但每 50 套房中就有一套损失了其价值的一半以上。而且这些还是能卖掉的房子。Hamptons 的数据显示，大约一半的养老公寓在第一次挂牌时无法找到买家。
西伦敦，尽管她已于 2023. 年去世。约翰逊（Johnson）的母亲丽塔·菲利普斯（Rita Phillips）在 82 岁时花费了 £479,950 买下这套公寓，当时她的丈夫已经去世十年。
47%
“（在 McCarthy & Stone 开发项目中的）生活方式无可挑剔，” 69 岁的约翰逊说。“这是辅助生活模式，所以有值班经理，有餐厅，有理发师，还有足科医生定期来访。非常完美。”
2010 年代 McCarthy & Stone 住宅的平均损失
在为母亲哀悼的同时，约翰逊对公寓进行了估价，并被建议以 £325,000 的价格出售——一个
损失 £154,950。
巧合的是，一位朋友的岳父当时正在英国寻找临时住所，于是他们通过当地的租赁机构将该房产租给了他，月租金为 £1,600。他很享受在那里的生活，直到今年 2 月，他的孩子们决定将他安置在养老院会更合适。
肯特郡 Laurel Court 的损失规模
“所以我们觉得应该再次尝试出售，”已退休的约翰逊（Johnson）说道。“到那时，我们震惊地发现价格已经跌至 £150,000。总的来说，与我母亲当年支付的价格相比，它失去了约 68% 的价值。”
福利陷阱
提供以下购房销售激励措施的综合养老社区百分比——暗示需求不足
以旧换新
服务费补贴
先租后买 搬迁费用补贴
印花税（SDLT）减免
部分养老社区提供一项以上的购房激励措施 来源：莱坊 (Knight Frank)
JESSIE CASSON/GETTY IMAGES
40%
36%
月租金与之前的租客相同。至少租金覆盖了服务费，该费用每月为 £889，但最近已上涨至 £922 —— 即每年 £11,064。
“McCarthy & Stone 告诉我们，他们有一个非常成功的专门转售团队。我们看过几次房，但仅此而已，”约翰逊说道。“他们简直毫无用处。比起转售，他们更感兴趣的是销售新房产。”
购买退休住宅时需要注意的事项
服务费 即使住户搬走或去世，您是否仍有义务支付？要求查看过去五年内服务费（和地租）上涨了多少。 短期租赁 租赁期限是否为 999 年？ 退出费 注意那些收取转售价百分比的条款，该费用最高可达 30%。 他们是否有转售团队？ 退休住宅可能很难出售。开发商会为您提供帮助还是增加难度？要求查看类似二手单位的成交价格，或查询土地登记局 (Land Registry)。 应谨慎对待激励措施 优惠可能会推高购买价格。如果他们提出购买您目前的房屋，通常开价低于市场价。不要过快签署任何协议。
该公司称，其转售团队去年帮助客户出售了 800 处房产。一名发言人表示：“我们为新房买家和转售客户提供同样高标准的服务。我们不会优先考虑其中任何一方。”
克里斯·朗利 (Chris Longley) 花费了 £35,000 的积蓄来偿还他已故父亲的公寓在尝试出售期间累积的服务费和地租。他的父亲罗纳德 (Ronald) 在肯特郡福克斯通 (Folkestone) 的 Laurel Court 购买了一套一居室租赁公寓，该项目由 McCarthy & Stone 开发。
罗纳德在那里住了近十年后去世，随后朗利在 2015 年继承了这套房产，以及每月 £500 的服务费和必须将其出售的负担。罗纳德在 2007 年以 £161,950 的价格购买了该公寓，随后 McCarthy & Stone 将所有权出售给了 FirstPort，这是一家长久以来在议会中因对待租赁持有者方式而受到审查的物业管理公司。
朗利在四年时间里艰难地尝试出售父亲的公寓。他甚至雇佣了一名专业的退休房产中介，对方建议将价格降至 £135,000。“为了能尽快处理掉，我接受了，”朗利说。“然而，我很快发现 McCarthy & Stone 在这些公寓刚推出时以 £99,000 的价格销售 —— 而他们之前告诉我的父亲，他获得了‘早鸟’折扣。”
58%
2020 年，由于新冠疫情导致房产市场关闭七周，朗利不确定何时能再次获得出售公寓的机会，因此他接受了一份 £30,000 的报价。该成交价远低于该地区的市场价，以至于土地登记局在计算官方房价时将其排除在数据之外，因为这会扭曲数据。
根据土地登记局的成交价格数据集（该数据集未包含朗利的损失），Laurel Court 至少产生了 £3.2 million 的损失。今年 6 月，该项目的一套两居室公寓在 Rightmove 上的挂牌价为 £26,500。
McCarthy & Stone 表示，在其 560 个开发项目中，22,500 名住户中的“绝大多数”对该服务“非常满意”。
一名发言人表示：“市场在过去十年中一直在演变，疫情加剧了这一进程。我们正在研究如何加大力度支持那些希望出售房屋的现有业主。
“我们还为新客户提供更多选择 —— 直接购买、共有产权或向我们租房 —— 这意味着他们在为自己及其家人做出最佳选择时具有更大的灵活性。”
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B
价格包含 开启一段非凡的逃离之旅，从斯里兰卡的古老奇迹和雾气缭绕的茶山，前往马尔代夫晶莹剔透的海水和纯净的沙滩。
从探索斯里兰卡的亮点开始，从轻松的海滨度假胜地尼贡波 (Negombo) 出发，前往文化三角区的核心地带。在这里，您将惊叹于古老的西吉里亚 (Sigiriya) 狮子岩堡垒，并在明内里亚 (Minneriya) 国家公园的荒野中开启一场冒险之旅。在康提 (Kandy) 沉浸于当地文化，然后乘坐风景优美的火车前往凉爽的、被茶园覆盖的高地，入住努沃勒埃利耶 (Nuwara Eliya)。
返回科伦坡并飞往马尔代夫，在那里，纯净的沙滩、晶莹剔透的海水和丰富的海洋生物正等待着您放慢生活节奏。在精心挑选的全包式度假村中，在热带海岸度过五个极致放松之日：静卧在沙滩上，在充满生机的海水中潜水，或享受水疗护理。带着焕然一新的身心和充满惊喜的冒险故事返回家中。
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12 晚四星级住宿
12 份早餐，11 份午餐 及 12 份晚餐
探索联合国教科文组织列入名录的 600 英尺高西吉里亚 (Sigiriya) 狮子岩堡垒顶端遗迹并欣赏美景
在明内里亚 (Minneriya) 国家公园进行吉普车野生动物之旅，观看大象、懒熊等
参观斯里兰卡茶叶工厂和种植园
含导游陪同及景点门票
任何 Wendy Wu 行程均可享受免费的行前延伸服务，含酒店、早餐和私人接送 —— 仅限《泰晤士报》读者专属
0808 258 2786 thetimes.com/ww- srilankaandmaldives 引用代码 TIMES-ON
B
价格包含
从壮丽的纪念碑和皇家宫殿到金色的海滩和迷人的海岸线，在一次令人难忘的逃离之旅中，尽情享受印度的最佳之美。
从探索“金三角”开始，在那里您可以游览印度一些最标志性的景点。您将乘坐人力车穿梭于繁忙的德里香料市场，欣赏新旧交替的建筑；在阿格拉停留，凝视泰姬陵空灵之美，
我们热爱之处 探索印度金三角的标志性景点，凝视泰姬陵并尝试文化工艺，随后在果阿梦幻的海滩上度过五天——还有什么比这种探索与放松的结合更完美的呢？
随后在“粉红之城”斋浦尔的宏伟宫殿和热闹集市中欣赏珍宝。
当冒险结束，就是时候在果阿的海岸天堂放松身心了。在那里，
金色的沙滩、摇曳的棕榈树和阿拉伯海的波涛，共同营造出纯粹放松的氛围。在由导游带领游览旧果阿的历史景点后，您将拥有四天时间随心而愿地度过，无论是在海滩上，还是进行进一步的探索。
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12 晚四星级住宿
12 份早餐，7 份午餐 和 7 份晚餐
在德里探索新旧建筑杰作
欣赏印度最著名地标 泰姬陵的美景
在斋浦尔尝试版画印刷
含导游陪同及 景点门票
任何 Wendy Wu 团队旅游均可提供 免费的行前延展服务，含酒店、 早餐及私人接送—— 仅为《泰晤士报》读者专属
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W
价格包含 在六个壮丽的哥斯达黎加国家公园和保护区中，与不受拘束的自然世界重新建立联系，领略高耸的火山、沿海潟湖和郁郁葱葱的热带雨林。
通过对一系列国家公园的从容访问，展示哥斯达黎加的自然空间和生物多样性生态系统。旅程的起止点设在国家首都圣何塞，那里拥有19世纪的建筑。前往附近的波阿斯火山国家公园，初识哥斯达黎加最震撼人心的一些景观，并探索多卡咖啡庄园（Doka Coffee Estate）的历史。
在前往大西洋海岸的旅途中，将首先游览圣何塞，随后穿过布劳利奥·卡里略国家公园（Braulio Carrillo National Park）的林地。入住位于沿海托尔图格罗（Tortuguero）核心地带的帕奇拉旅馆（Pachira Lodge）沉浸式生态度假村，有机会与当地社区交流，并通过访问海龟保护中心了解该国的保护工作。沿着托尔图格罗国家公园的后水域进行野生动物观测巡游，随后驱车前往萨拉皮基（Sarapiqui）。在这里，揭秘哥斯达黎加最独特作物之一——棕心（Heart of Palm）的种植技术，并拥抱该地区的雨林。在著名的鬣蜥桥（Puente de las Iguanas）拍照留念，圆满完成在国家北部地区的行程。
哥斯达黎加，利蒙港
随后前往壮丽的阿雷纳尔（Arenal），入住其国家公园郊区私人保护区内的度假村。漫步于火山口，惊叹于阿雷纳尔火山，并在其温泉中放松身心。通过参观当地巧克力种植园并学习巧克力制作，探索可可豆的文化意义。在前往西部蒙特韦尔德（Monteverde）及其迷人的云雾森林保护区（Cloud Forest Reserve）之前，您可以在阿雷纳尔度假村选择一系列可提前预订的自选游览项目。
通过行走在当地的吊桥上，从高处探索哥斯达黎加的自然奇观，穿梭于被迷雾笼罩的林冠层。随后游览卡拉拉国家公园（Carara National Park），这是中美洲唯一的过渡林，有机会进一步寻找一些最难以捕捉的物种和迁徙候鸟。在哥斯达黎加太平洋海岸做最后停留，探索该国最小的国家公园——曼努埃尔安东尼奥（Manuel Antonio），为这段难忘的野生动物观测之旅画上句号。最后，在曼努埃尔安东尼奥享受海滩住宿，随后返回圣何塞搭乘回程航班。
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往返圣何塞的机票
全程舒适的空调大巴旅行及接送服务
14 晚三星或四星级混合膳食住宿：圣何塞（两晚）、托尔图格罗（两晚）、萨拉皮基（两晚）、阿雷纳尔（三晚）、蒙特韦尔德（两晚）以及曼努埃尔安东尼奥（三晚），另含一晚飞机上住宿
领略波阿斯火山国家公园的自然壮丽与卡拉拉国家公园的生物多样性
享受蒙特韦尔德云雾森林保护区的导览徒步
参观阿雷纳尔热力温泉
由友善且经验丰富的旅行经理全程陪同
当地税费及适用费用
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导览之旅与河川巡游 欧贝罗伊-菲莱尼罗河游轮 (Oberoi Philae Nile Cruise)
2027年1月至8月
这次由 Cox & Kings 定制的行程将开罗的三晚住宿与从卢克索 (Luxor) 到阿斯旺 (Aswan) 的四晚巡游相结合。旅程始于开罗，您将在登上享有盛誉的 MS Oberoi Philae 游轮之前探索标志性的金字塔。在尼罗河沿岸享受一段充实的巡游，通过导览行程前往一系列传奇历史遗迹，包括卡纳克神庙 (Karnak) 和卢克索神庙、国王谷 (Valley of the Kings) 以及门农巨像 (Colossi of Memnon)。您还将参观保存完好的埃德富 (Edfu) 和库姆翁博 (Kom Ombo) 的荷鲁斯神庙，以及阿斯旺高坝和美丽的菲莱神庙 (Temple of Philae)。行程最后将飞回开罗，随后返回家中，全程提供五星级豪华住宿。
您的行程 埃及开罗（三晚）– 卢克索 – 埃斯纳 (Esna) – 埃德富 – 库姆翁博 – 阿斯旺 – 开罗
致电 0808 303 3072 或访问 thetimes.com/th-oberoiphilaenile
包含项目
• 国际及国内往返机票
• 开罗三晚五星级酒店住宿（含早餐）
• 四晚全包式河川巡游
• 吉萨一日游，参观大金字塔、狮身人面像和埃及大博物馆
• 参观卡纳克神庙、标志性神庙、阿斯旺高坝和国王谷
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秋季葡萄收获季
2026年10月13日
这个专属套餐将 11 晚的 Silversea 豪华航程（穿越法国、西班牙和葡萄牙的葡萄酒产区）与里斯本的五星级住宿及私人导览相结合。
在葡萄收获的高峰期起航前往波尔多 (Bordeaux)，并在港口停留两晚。旅程将继续穿越粗犷而优雅的巴斯克地区 (Basque country) 和加利西亚 (Galicia)，最后抵达葡萄牙阳光斑驳的海岸线上的波尔图 (Oporto) 和里斯本。随后在里斯本放松两晚，并通过私人导览行程探索葡萄牙的皇家遗产。在风景如画的卡斯凯什 (Cascais) 享受海滨休闲之前，探索洛可可风格的克鲁兹国家宫 (National Palace of Queluz)、辛特拉 (Sintra) 神秘的雷加莱拉庄园 (Quinta da Regaleira) 以及色彩绚丽的山顶佩纳宫 (Pena Palace)。
您的行程 英国南安普敦 – 泽西岛圣海利尔 (St. Helier) – 法国圣马洛 (Saint-Malo) – 法国波尔多（两晚）– 西班牙毕尔巴鄂 (Bilbao) – 桑坦德 (Santander) – 维戈 (Vigo) – 葡萄牙波尔图 – 里斯本（两晚）
致电 0808 239 1452 或访问 thetimes.com/th-harvestcruise
包含项目
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• 在 Silver Dawn 游轮的 Vista 套房中享受 11 晚全包式巡游
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T
J
自然奇观与 北极光
3, 2027
3 2027
冰岛，地球上最年轻的国家，展现了最纯粹的自然之美。在前往冰岛广袤荒原与偏远地带之前，先探索迷人的首都雷克雅未克。亲眼见证欧亚板块与北美板块缓慢分离的景象。惊叹于壮丽的黄金瀑布 (Gullfoss Waterfall)，体验翻滚的泥浆与喷发间歇泉的奇观。漫步于雄伟的瀑布之后，凝视黑沙滩。如果这还不够，冰岛也是观测壮丽北极光的绝佳之地；与那些身处光污染较严重地区的行程不同，我们有机会在舒适的酒店内守候光芒。
对于希望深入了解北极光与星空，或掌握拍摄震撼照片技巧的旅客，来自 BBC《夜空》(The Sky at Night) 节目的皮特·劳伦斯 (Pete Lawrence) 将与我们同行并提供专业指导。
本世纪持续时间最长的日食、历史最伟大文明之一的亮点、沿着神话般的尼罗河航行、一次难忘的卧铺火车之旅以及传统的费卢卡 (felucca) 帆船体验：这场史诗般的埃及奥德赛之旅涵盖了一切！2027 年加入我们，开启一段绝无仅有的假期，行程始于开罗，参观期待已久的大埃及博物馆以及标志性的吉萨金字塔和狮身人面像。接下来是访问这个美好国家时的必选项目——乘坐前往阿斯旺的过夜火车，在那里我们将探索这座城市的古老瑰宝，并登上下游尼罗河至卢克索的 MS Coral 2 号游轮。我们将追随法老、古埃及人和黄金时代探险家的足迹，参观众多寺庙和陵墓，包括帝王谷；感受喧闹市场中飘散的芳香香料；在月光下凝视发光的古代奇迹，以及在波光粼粼的尼罗河上滑行的木制费卢卡船。在迎来此次冒险的主演——我们私人观测点上的日全食之前，我们将尽情享受这一切。在中心线上，预计将有惊人的 6 分 23 秒。
加入我们，开启一段难忘的北冰岛之旅，那里有自然奇观和迷人的北极光在等待。从探索迷人的米湖 (Lake Myvatn) 到享受观鲸巡航，再到见证北极海岸线的粗犷之美，每一刻都承诺将是非凡的。在天文摄影专家的指导下，并拥有观察令人敬畏的北极光的绝佳机会，这次冒险对于自然爱好者和观星者来说都是梦想成真。
每人
每人
每人
费用包含
费用包含
• 雷克雅未克指定酒店一晚住宿（含早餐）
• 赫拉 (Hella) Lækur 酒店 2 晚住宿（含晚餐和早餐）
• 凯夫拉维克机场 Konvin 酒店一晚住宿（含早餐）
• 由英语导游带领的黄金圈全天之旅
• 由英语导游带领的南冰岛全天之旅
• 由皮特·劳伦斯提供的 2 次讲座及天文摄影指导
• 格洛斯特 (Gloucester) Hatton Court 酒店的停车位免费提供，最近的火车站为格洛斯特站（距离 4 英里）。
• 行程经理的服务
• 开罗往返机票 • 埃及境内机场接送 • 开罗诺富特酒店 (Novotel) 两晚住宿，含早餐 • 阿斯旺 Gloria Aqua Park 酒店一晚住宿，含晚餐及早餐 • MS Coral 2 号游轮三晚巡航，含早餐、午餐、晚餐及一次下午茶 • 日食观测体验（包括安全观测眼镜、烧烤午餐和软饮），在精心选择的日食观测点进行 • 包含开罗金字塔和埃及大博物馆的参观游览、尼罗河航行，以及从阿斯旺到卢克索之间令人难忘的古代遗址参观 • 旅行团经理服务
• 阿库雷里往返机票
• 机场税及行李额度
• 冰岛境内机场及酒店接送
• 阿库雷里 Hotel Natur 酒店四晚住宿，含晚餐及早餐
• 米湖 (Lake Myvatn) 全天游览
• 阿库雷里全天游览，含观鲸巡航
• 北极海岸线全天游览
• 两场讲座、天文摄影指导，以及由 Pete Lawrence 带领的两晚北极光守候观测
£1,349*
请立即致电 0808 303 8871 thetimes.com/jg-iceland 优惠码 TIMU
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£4,499*
£1,699*
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D
D
• 可选择两次半日游或 Levada 徒步之旅，含接送服务 立即致电 0808 258 4460 thetimes.com/ td-luxurymadeira 引用代码 TIMES 2026年8月至2027年4月
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立即致电 0808 258 4460 thetimes.com/td-puglia 引用代码 TIMES
在优雅的温泉小镇蒙特卡蒂尼泰尔梅 (Montecatini Terme) 停留，探索托斯卡纳永恒的魅力。这里被起伏的葡萄园、中世纪山城和美丽的乡村所环绕，是体验意大利最负盛名地区的理想基地，将深厚的遗产、著名的葡萄酒与悠闲的生活节奏完美结合。
入住四星级普契尼酒店 (Hotel Puccini)，您可以尽情探索蒙特卡蒂尼优雅的林荫大道和新艺术风格建筑，或乘坐历史悠久的缆车前往山顶村庄蒙特卡蒂尼阿尔托 (Montecatini Alto)，俯瞰托斯卡纳的壮丽景色。您的四晚住宿
其他日期可选
其他日期可选
其他日期可选
2026年8月起每人 £299 • 2026年9月、10月、11月起每人 £339 • 2027年3月起每人 £299 • 2027年4月、5月、6月、7月起每人 £339 • 2027年8月起每人 £389
在迷人的海滨小镇加利波利 (Gallipoli) 停留，探索普利亚 (Puglia) 的纯正之美。这里以阳光明媚的海滩、蜂蜜色的建筑和充满活力的古城而闻名，这个迷人的南意大利角落将历史、卓越的饮食和热情好客完美融合。
入住加利波利历史中心的中心地带，您可以尽情探索充满氛围的小巷、优雅的巴洛克教堂、繁忙的广场和晶莹剔透的伊奥尼亚海岸线。除了每日的早餐和晚餐，这次精心策划的度假之旅还包括当地体验，例如在历史悠久的阿拉贡城堡 (Aragonese Castle) 品酒，乘坐传统三轮车 (ape calessino) 游览古城，以及在当地
• 每日早餐和晚餐
2026年8月起每人 £489 • 2026年9月起每人 £469 • 2026年10月起每人 £369 • 2026年11月起每人 £399 • 2027年3月起每人 £399 • 2027年4月起每人 £429 • 2027年5月起每人 £429 • 2027年6月起每人 £469
通过前往该岛美丽的首都丰沙尔 (Funchal) 开启一段轻松的度假之旅，探索马德拉 (Madeira) 的魅力。这里被郁郁葱葱的花园、风景优美的山丘和大西洋海景环绕，这次出行将宁静与探索完美结合。漫步于鹅卵石街道，品尝美味的当地美食，感受该岛全年的阳光，获得一次难忘的度假体验。
这次精致的度假之旅将优雅的五星级舒适度与精心策划的岛屿时刻相结合，从全景海岸线景观到导览徒步之旅
2026年8月起每人 £869 • 2026年9月起每人 £1,049 • 2026年10月起每人 £1,049 • 2026年11月、12月起每人 £799 • 2027年1月起每人 £829 • 2027年2月起每人 £869 • 2027年3月起每人 £899 • 2027年4月起每人 £899
还包括每日早餐和晚餐、托斯卡纳品酒活动、欢迎饮品、抵达时的一瓶葡萄酒，以及从英国各机场出发的往返航班和机场接送。
• 从英国各机场出发的往返航班
• 从英国各机场出发的往返航班 • 在 Centro Storico Hotel Diffuso 住宿四晚 • 每日早餐和晚餐 • 抵达时房间内提供一瓶葡萄酒 • 在历史悠久的阿拉贡城堡品酒，品鉴萨伦托 (Salento) 地区葡萄酒 • 参观 Tenuta Ferrario 农业庄园，包括日落餐前酒和接送服务 • 乘坐传统三轮车 (ape calessino) 游览加利波利古城 • 从布林迪西 (Brindisi) 或巴里 (Bari) 机场往返接送
价格包含
价格包含
价格包含
• 在蒙特卡蒂尼泰尔梅四星级普契尼酒店住宿 4 晚
• 每日早餐和晚餐
• 抵达时提供欢迎饮品
• 抵达时房间内提供一瓶葡萄酒
• 往返蒙特卡蒂尼阿尔托的缆车票
• 在蒙特卡蒂尼阿尔托的托斯卡纳品酒环节
庄园，并包含往返航班和机场接送。
穿梭于马德拉岛著名的灌溉渠（levadas）之间。 日子在悠闲的节奏中铺展， 将文化遗产的魅力、壮丽的自然景观与惬意的餐饮体验融合在一起，这一切都坐落在富尚尔最著名的山顶度假胜地之一。
• 从英国指定机场往返的航班
• 在五星级 Quinta da Bela Vista 酒店的花园景观房中入住七晚
£299*
每人
每人
每人
£399*
£799*
Geraldine Scott Ben Clatworthy Whitehall Editor
The prime minister has announced tax cuts for pubs, clubs and live music ven- ues and said the move was an attempt to protect Britain’s “working-class culture”.
Andy Burnham said the 20 per cent reduction in business rates across Eng- land from April next year was a “first
eager to get drilling in North Sea
Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor Constance Kampfner, Aubrey Allegretti
Andy Burnham is ready to “move quickly” to scale up North Sea oil and gas production, as a decision on drilling at Britain’s biggest undeveloped sites is due within weeks.
Industry sources told The Times they had received indications that the prime minister wanted to ensure that new supplies, if approved, could help drive down the cost of living this winter.
Burnham and Miatta Fahnbulleh, his energy secretary, are considering whether to give the green light to drill- ing at Rosebank, the biggest undevel- oped oil and gasfield in the UK, and Jackdaw. Both are off Scotland.
A source close to the projects said: “Once we are past the consultation phase, the ball is in their court. From the sounds of it, there is willingness to move quickly this time around. An August approval would allow production to commence by October 1. Everything is constructed, the platform is in place; it’s just a piece of paper standing in the way.”
Another source anticipated Burn- ham would want to “reap the benefits” of the schemes quickly as part of his cost-of-living policy blitz.
£3.20 £2.35 to subscribers (based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription) Adele, here’s what to do on a yacht
step” in helping businesses, adding that pubs “need to know the cavalry is coming”.
Gambling arcades and vape shops will see their rates go up to raise the £100 million a year needed to fund the move, alongside a planned crackdown on online firms that fail to pay VAT.
Visiting The Hare in Harlow, Essex, which he said sat “right in the heart of
formal decision on the projects until the public consultation, due to end in the coming weeks, has concluded.
Approval of Rosebank and Jackdaw would have no direct impact on energy bills, but some ministers have argued that increasing domestic oil and gas production could strengthen the pound and lower costs across the economy, providing greater leeway for further interventions on the cost of living.
Burnham is understood to be “open- minded” about the projects and was previously said to have asked his team to draw up plans for approving drilling at both sites, as well as an expansion of so-called tiebacks, pipelines that allow further drilling on or near existing sites.
President Trump claimed at the weekend that Burnham was going to be “opening up [the North Sea] all the way” and that the people of Aberdeen would be “dancing in the streets”. However, new drilling is understood to be confined to Rosebank and Jackdaw and tiebacks.
Before his move from the Department for Energy to the Foreign Office, Ed Miliband had been minded to approve the Jackdaw gasfield, 150 miles off Aberdeen, which could begin supplying gas to more than a million homes this winter. He opposed Rosebank, which predominantly contains oil reserves.
Friday July 24 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75093
the community”, Burnham said some businesses “do real good” while others could cause social harm.
“So adult gaming centres on high streets can often bring real harm to communities. Then people will see the vape shops that often don’t add much to community life and cause other issues too,” he said. “They will obviously pay higher rates to give the ability then to
like no other
fixing up properties saved me Times2 Bricks &Mortar
cut business rates for pubs and other venues that bring people together.”
The discount, which comes on top of a 15 per cent cut announced in January, will apply to 32,000 hospitality busi- nesses and is expected to save a typical pub about £1,100 a year. The very larg- est live music venues will not qualify.
Asked why he had not gone further with a wider tax cut covering cafés and
restaurants, Burnham said: “This is to me our heritage. It’s working-class culture. Once pubs are gone, they don’t come back.”
Since entering Downing Street on Monday, Burnham has announced plans to remove VAT from electricity bills and reinstate a £2 cap on single bus fares across England, part of a series of
JAMES FEARN/GETTY IMAGES
on security as police busy with ex-PMs
Kate Mansey Assistant Editor Matt Dathan Home Affairs Editor
The Duke of Sussex is being forced to wait for a decision about his security arrangements in Britain while officials grapple with protecting an unprece- dented nine former prime ministers at once, The Times has learnt.
Prince Harry was told he would be granted a risk management board at the end of last year to reassess whether he should receive automatic police protection every time he visits the UK.
The review was due to be carried out in March by the royal and VIP execu- tive committee (Ravec), an independ- ent body that decides which public figures should be given armed protec- tion and at what level. However, it had still not taken place by the end of June.
The Ravec backlog was due, in part, to the need for top-level security for a high number of VIPs, most notably politicians. Former prime ministers are automatically granted round-the-clock security for life upon leaving office. It is understood that to cope with demand, officials placed a temporary pause on risk management board reviews.
A source familiar with the process said: “Harry’s case is not all about Harry. It’s about a much wider situation within the police about the number of former premiers they are now protect- ing and fewer armed officers available.”
In the 20th century, there were never more than five living former prime ministers at any one time.
Harry lost his right to automatic police security when he stopped being a working royal, with a new security assessment done each time he returns to Britain. He lost a court battle against that decision last year.
The demand to protect politicians has been coupled with a fall in the num- ber of firearms officers. In 2019 there were 6,621 deployable officers in Eng- land and Wales, falling to 5,917 in 2026.
Sally Jameson, the housing minister The comedian and broadcaster Terry Christian, right, on No 10 North Katie Sadleir, chief executive of Commonwealth Sport The Ladder with Eshita Kabra-Davies, of the fashion rental platform By Rotation The comedians Isy Suttie and Dan Skinner discuss the new series of their podcast Great Escapes
7.05am 8.35am
2.20pm
6.15pm
9.20pm
T O DAY ’ S E D I T I O N
REGISTER
SPORT TIMES2
EYES ON GLORY
Playboy who revolutionised F1 advertising
The Scotsman reigniting the All
Blacks’ attack
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COMMENT 21
WORLD 26 BUSINESS 31 REGISTER 49
LETTERS 24 LEADING ARTICLES 25
Can Burnham learn from his
predecessor’s mistakes?
The prime minister has torn up Sir Keir Starmer’s playbook, swapping grim warnings for cost-of-living giveaways. Josh Glancy joins Luke Jones to ask whether this is smart repositioning — or a sugar rush that won’t survive the autumn budget.
Available on the Times Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts
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Why Andy Burnham is catnip
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SPORT 55 CROSSWORD 64 TV & RADIO TIMES2
allies threatened with tariffs
Max Kendix Washington which countries had stricter regula- tions against forced labour practices.
President Trump has renewed his trade war with dozens of countries, including the UK, with a plan to reimpose tariffs of between 10 per cent and 12.5 per cent.
Months of intense lobbying and diplomacy by the 60 affected countries calling for the tariff rate to be lifted seemingly came to no avail, despite calls from some close to the president to bring down prices before midterm elec- tions in November.
Trump first imposed the levies dur- ing his “liberation day” speech in April last year, but they were struck down by the Supreme Court in February, meaning that they cannot be extended beyond today.
The Office of the US Trade Repre- sentative proposed levying almost identical tariffs to the ones from “liber- ation day”, using the justification that countries had failed to curb trade in goods made with forced labour.
Three quarters of the 60 countries would be hit with 12.5 per cent tariffs, and the remainder, including Canada and the UK, would be on 10 per cent.
The administration claimed the dis- tinction between the two was based on
down Iranian missiles’
Charlie Parker large enough to destroy a building could theoretically reach Britain, but would probably be shot down before reaching it, senior military sources told The Times.
Britain’s armed forces are ready to pro- tect the country from Iranian missiles, the government has said after Tehran threatened to target a Royal Air Force base used by the US.
The Royal Navy, British Army and RAF are equipped to handle any attack “whether it’s on our soil or from abroad”, a spokesman for the govern- ment said.
Iran warned yesterday that RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, is a “legiti- mate target” for strikes after the US Air Force used the base to launch a B1 bomber raid. The Islamic Revolution- ary Guard Corps (IRGC) singled out the “British monarchy” as “the main cause of the misfortunes of the people of our region”.
Andy Burnham, the prime minister, has continued Sir Keir Starmer’s policy of allowing the US to use British bases for defensive strikes on Iran.
The IRGC issued a statement threat- ening the “British regime” with attacks if it continues to support America’s war against Iran. Such attacks could involve sabotage or direct drone and missile strikes. It is no empty threat, according to defence analysts. Iranian missiles
think tank that Fahnbulleh led before entering parliament previously urged Labour to block Rosebank, but she told Times Radio this week: “I think it is about pragmatism.”
Protesters gathered outside her de- partment on Wednesday holding plac- ards reading, “Heat kills, Rosebank fuels it”, “Miatta stop Rosebank” and “2,700 dead in first two heatwaves”. Demon- strators chanted: “Andy, don’t burn them, Rosebank is a climate inferno.”
The latest round of tariffs was con- firmed last night and will come into force at midnight tonight, at the same time as the last ones expire.
A whisky tariff deal agreed after the King and Queen’s state visit to the United States this year and exemptions negotiated by the UK as part of a trade deal with the US last year are unaffected.
Experts said the UK came out of the announcement relatively well positioned. Allianz Trade, the insurance company, has forecast UK export losses of $200 million this year, a significant improvement on $1.5 billion last year.
Jamieson Greer, the US trade repre- sentative, said: “President Trump rec- ognises that decades of moral suasion have not eradicated forced labour from global supply chains. The United States has had a forced labour import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enfor- ces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same.
“Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere. I am encouraged by the trading partners
In March Tehran launched two bal- listic missiles towards the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, about 3,800km (2,360 miles) from Iran. The first projectile was intercepted by a missile fired from a US warship, while the second fell after travelling 1,990 miles, some 400 miles from the base in the Chagos islands.
Experts believe the most likely mis- siles used were Khorramshahr-4s, which could reach parts of the UK if the Iranians used a lighter warhead to increase the range. The weapon’s ad- vertised range was 2,000km with a 1.5-tonne warhead.
Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), estimated it would need a 450kg-550kg payload to double its range to 4,000km and hit tar- gets in Britain if launched from north- east Iran. Such a payload could destroy a building.
RAF Fairford, the base that US heavy bombers are using for strikes against Iran, is about 4,350km from Tehran.
approval of the schemes said global vol- atility and the risk to energy supplies through key routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz, made it even more important to approve drilling at the sites.
Burnham is expected to speak more about the cost of living during a visit to No 10 North in Manchester today.
In his first week in No 10 he em- barked on a policy wave, removing VAT from electricity bills, capping bus fares at £2 and slashing business rates for pubs. He has, however, faced questions over how the pledges will be funded.
who have moved quickly to adopt forced labour import prohibitions.”
The administration has looked at other routes that could give it the legal bandwidth to impose even higher duties.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to rip up all trade agreements and apply a 100 per cent tariff on countries that have a “digital services tax”, which charges big US tech companies. If Trump follows through on that pledge, it will pose a serious challenge for Andy Burnham and his new cabinet. The charge generates almost £1 billion for the Treasury by taking 2 per cent of rev- enues from big search engines, social media and online marketplaces.
Greer did not respond to a request for comment. The move to extend 10 per cent tariffs signals Trump’s unwilling- ness to back away from the lever despite evidence that it has raised prices for consumers in the US.
On Monday Trump set out tariffs of 50 per cent on certain Canadian goods, in retaliation for what he called “une- qual treatment” of American-made cars, and last week he hit Brazilian imports with a 25 per cent levy.
measures aimed at providing “breath- ing space” amid cost pressures.
John Healey, the chancellor, told business leaders yesterday that he was “just as concerned about the cost of business as I am about the cost of liv- ing”. He added: “My message to British businesses is quite simple ... I will back you as your chancellor.”
Emma Reynolds, the chief secretary to the Treasury, insisted that the pubs policy was fully funded despite the money being drawn from projects that are under review or consultation.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said Burnham “needs to rule out tax rises to pay for his spending spree”.
The business rates announcement was largely welcomed by the sector. The Music Venue Trust called it “an en- couraging first step”, while the Confed- eration of British Industry said Labour must “press ahead with reform of the whole broken business rates system”.
Stuart Adam, senior economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, criticised an “ever-changing mish-mash of policies”, and the Independent British Vape Trade Association said “it has come as a surprise to responsible, dedicated vape businesses across the country today that helping adults quit their smoking habit might be seen as ‘anti-social’”.
to issue any new oil and gas licences and Burnham has said he will stick by the manifesto. Jackdaw and Rosebank were given the go-ahead in 2022 and 2023 respectively, meaning they would not count as new licences.
Richard Baker, the Labour MP for Glenrothes & Mid Fife and chairman of the Scottish parliamentary party, said: “Progressing with Jackdaw and Rose- bank would both be in line with our manifesto commitments on energy and be a vital boost for energy skills jobs.”
Russell Borthwick, of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “Ensuring [Jackdaw and Rose- bank] are approved ... will be the first major test for Andy Burnham’s govern- ment and their sense of purpose on energy security and investment.”
T
for a starring role
here are plenty of ways in which a monarch might be fetched in a hurry (Kate Mansey writes). If the Bentley State Limousine is not around, a convoy of 4x4s with police outriders can be hastily arranged. Otherwise a helicopter is never far away.
When the King was stuck for time on the way to open the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow yesterday, however, a rather different mode of transport was scrambled: the Doctor Who Tardis.
The opening ceremony of the Games, at the Hydro stadium, showed a video of Sir Chris Hoy, the Scottish cyclist, and Greg McHugh, an actor,
shows wartime hero as a ‘jewel of pride’ rather than an awkward loner, writes Rhys Blakely
Hollywood depicted the mathemati- cian Alan Turing as a lonely, awkward genius: brilliant with numbers, baffled by people.
But a short story written by the gay Cambridge don who helped to break the Nazis’ Enigma code appears to have revealed a very different figure — one who was playful, literary and, in the words of the scholar who has studied it in depth for the first time, “really liked sex”.
The unfinished story, known as Pryce’s Buoy, was written by Turing more than 70 years ago. While frag- ments have appeared in biographies, only now has his scruffy, handwritten six-page manuscript been transcribed in full and appraised as literature.
It describes an encounter between two gay men, one of whom appears to be a version of Turing himself, and may have been inspired by a meeting that ultimately led him to plead guilty to gross indecency.
walking through Glasgow before hearing a phone ringing in one of the landmark 1960s police boxes, which were designed by the Scottish architect Gilbert Mackenzie Trench. They found themselves on a call to “the palace”, during which they were enlisted to help the King and Queen travel from Balmoral.
When Their Majesties finally emerged on stage, smiling and waving, it seemed that the magical powers of the Tardis were even able to mitigate the effects that flying usually has on the Queen, who does not like travelling by plane.
Charles does have some prior experience of the Doctor’s machine. He was previously
strongly implies that Turing, a father of modern computing who foresaw the rise of AI, was autistic. It portrays him as “a two-dimensional stereotype”, she said. “It presents him as a loner, antag- onistic, entirely concerned with logic and numbers. It is highly watchable but totally false. Historically, it is a travesty.”
By contrast, she believes his fiction gives a glimpse of the real Turing. Dur- ing his life, he had a gift for friendship and his work on the Enigma codes pivoted on him working as part of a team.
In the story, “you get someone who’s going out and looking for fun, who’s proud, who’s sociable, who is not ashamed of his sexuality”, she said.
Turing pleaded guilty to gross inde- cency in 1952 after acknowledging a sexual relationship with another man. Faced with imprisonment or probation conditional on hormonal treatment, he chose the latter. He died from cyanide poisoning in June 1954, aged 41. An inquest ruled that he had taken his own life, although it has been argued that the evidence would not support a sui- cide verdict today.
The short story, probably written in late 1952 or early 1953, centres on two characters. Alec Pryce is a homosexual scientist, proud of an idea he proposed in his twenties, known as “Pryce’s buoy”.
snapped while emerging from the Tardis while on a visit to BBC studios in Cardiff in 2013.
While the sci-fi series may have been filmed in Wales, organisers of the Commonwealth Games were keen to draw on
the Scottish connection to the Doctor, who has a medical degree from Glasgow University and has been played by many Scottish actors — Sylvester McCoy, David Tennant, Peter Capaldi and Ncuti Gatwa.
Alan Turing wrote Pryce’s Buoy in the early 1950s. Sarah Dillon has been studying the manuscript at Cambridge
The 20-minute opening ceremony drew inspiration from Scottish popular culture such as Tunnock’s Tea Cakes. There was also a starring role for traffic cones — a cone has
sexuality, and in suitable company Alec would pretend that the word was spelt without the ‘u’.”
Dillon believes that Alec is clearly based on Turing himself.
The second character, Ron Miller, is hungry, unemployed and working- class. He wonders whether he can make a few shillings by finding someone who will “take him under the arches for ten minutes”.
Alec has just finished an important scientific paper and decides that he has “earned another young man”. Ron noti- ces him cruising, offers an encouraging smile and opens with a request for a cigarette.
Soon they are heading towards a res- taurant, each trying to work out what the other wants.
The details echo Turing’s own life. At the end of 1951 he met Arnold Murray in Manchester, shortly after submitting an influential paper on morphogenesis, which explored how biological pat- terns, such as a zebra’s stripes, develop. Their relationship later came to the attention of the police after Turing’s home was burgled and led to his prose- cution the following year.
Turing himself had already recog- nised the episode’s literary potential. Before his trial, he wrote to his friend Norman Routledge that the story of
Greg McHugh and Sir Chris Hoy were tasked with ensuring the King and Queen arrived in style at the ceremony, which had some rather sweet treats
been mischievously placed on the head of the Duke of Wellington equestrian statue in Glasgow for decades.
The King officially opened the Games after receiving the baton that has travelled through countries of the Commonwealth for more than a year along with a message to protect the oceans.
He said: “We celebrate the dedication and talent of every athlete and team. Your perseverance inspires us.
“For these Games, the relay has carried another message: to help remove the plastic pollution that harms our oceans and waterways.”
The King and Queen’s starring role is a boost for the Games, which have faced a series of withdrawals among star athletes. Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith were
among nine members
of the England
athletics team to drop
out at the last minute.
Scotland stepped in to host the Games when the original host, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled out due to escalating expenditure.
Alec wants sex, amusement and com- panionship. Ron wants money, warmth and food. Each examines the other’s clothes, class, confidence and inten- tions.
Dillon argues, in a study published in The Review of English Studies, that it shows Turing, who read voraciously and loved the theatre, had promise as a writer.
She believes his short story was influ- enced by Hemlock and After, Angus Wilson’s candid 1952 novel about homosexual lives. Both depict an en- counter between men from different social classes and move between their thoughts. Turing appears to have borrowed names, phrases and even the sequence of the scene.
Wilson did not write homosexual characters as monsters, martyrs or comic stereotypes. He placed them within ordinary social life and allowed them to be flawed, desiring and compli- cated.
Turing’s story, Dillon argues, has a similar feel. It presents homosexuality as risky but also as pleasurable and ordinary.
She suggests that Alec’s buoyant mood upends the idea that Turing had been crushed by a society that crimi- nalised his sexuality. His court-ordered hormone treatment ended in 1953, more than a year before his death.
A
Secret garden The extended dry spell has revealed the outline of Newby Hall’s long-lost Victorian parterre, usually hidden under lawns, near Ripon, North Yorkshire
millionaires call for wealth tax
Constance Kampfner Political Correspondent
Gary Lineker has called on Andy Burnham to tax millionaires more, telling the new prime minister: “We can afford it.”
The former footballer joined more than 100 British-based millionaires including the screenwriter Richard Curtis, the novelist Val McDermid, and the ex-City trader Gary Stevenson who signed a letter urging Burnham to impose a 2 per cent levy on wealth over £10 million.
Burnham has previously signalled his intention to overhaul the tax system to fund his policy ambitions and re- fused to rule out a wealth tax when speaking on Lineker’s podcast this month. He told the former Match of the Day presenter that his govern- ment may “ask for a little more”, adding: “I do believe we need a greater sense of fairness.”
Close advisers, including Louise Haigh, who will oversee the new No 10 North, have argued in- stead for capital gains tax to be brought in line with income tax. Wes Streeting, the defence secretary, has dubbed it a “wealth tax that works”.
Behind the story
bout 100 millionaires signed the wealth tax letter to Andy Burnham (Constance Kampfner writes). Yet the UK has 3.9m millionaire households, according to the Office for National Statistics, thanks largely to property wealth and private pensions.
What started as a letter calling the president’s move “an enormous betrayal” soon grew into an organisation with branches in the US, Canada and the UK.
In the US, the group is chaired by Morris Pearl, a former managing director at BlackRock who left Wall Street to advocate for tax equity. The British chapter, which launched in 2021, is backed by figures including the musician Brian Eno, the investor Julia
The campaign was founded in the US in 2010 in response to Barack Obama’s decision to extend tax cuts introduced under George W Bush.
can afford it. We’re not talking about higher taxes on those who get up and go
to work for their in-
come every day, but
on the very richest
whose income is derived from the
wealth they hold.” It tells the
Davies and Stephen Kinsella, a board member of Hacked Off, which pushes for greater control of the free press.
Unlike the US branch, Patriotic Millionaires UK is not a charity but a company limited by guarantee. This means it does not have shares and is not run for profit. Its accounts, however, are healthy, with £350,000 in the bank, according to its latest Companies House filings. It currently has six employees.
aires are a “patriotic bunch” who “love this country and we want it to succeed”.
“There are a few people left with outdated economic thinking and few others desperate to hold onto every penny they can. But they are a minority. Those that can’t see past the end of their own self interest have no place in de- signing a Britain for the future.
“As we embrace this new road — please consider taxing us properly as our contribution to it. We love this country. It’s time for a better Britain,” it adds. The 120 signatories argue that a 2 per cent tax on wealth over £10 million could raise £24 billion a year, while re-
forms to impose capital gains tax at the same rate as income tax could raise a further £12 billion.
YouGov polling last year found 75 per cent of Britons would be in favour of a wealth tax, while 13 per cent opposed the move.
Critics of wealth taxes say they would be difficult to collect, would discourage investment in the UK and ultimately damage economic growth.
Dan Neidle, who runs the think tank Tax Policy Associates, has argued that the amount of revenue raised would be highly uncertain and has called wealth taxes a “truly terrible idea”. Projected yields would depend on a small pool of ultra-wealthy individuals who could easily relocate or restructure their as- sets, he has said. He instead backed the idea of higher capital gains tax rates.
Emma Reynolds, the chief secretary to the Treasury, told Times Radio in response to the letter: “There’s a link on gov.uk if they want to pay more tax- es.” HM Revenue & Customs received less than £200,000 from 82 separate donations made via that link between January 2021 and March 2024.
The Proud to Pay letter was dis- missed by Reform UK as “virtue signal- ling” by the super-rich.
A Conservative source said: “It’s all very well for Gary Lineker to push wacky policies like this but they always end up harming the worst-off by driving investment and jobs out of our country.”
Quintagram® No 2628
Solve all five concise clues using each letter underneath once only
1 Take on as one’s own (5)
2 Smell (5)
3 Noble gas (5)
4 Cute, endearing (8)
5 Accepting (dubious behaviour) (9)
A A A A B C D D
D D D E G I L N
N N N O O O O O
O O P R R R T U
Solutions see T2 MindGames p15 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p14
Record rape charges
The number of people charged with rape hit a 20-year high over the past 12 months, figures show. The Crown Prosecution Service said more than 9,500 alleged rape cases were referred by police over the past financial year, adding up to one in 25 of its entire caseload. Of those, more than 5,600 ended in a charge, which resulted in 2,900 convictions, it added.
Family’s double tragedy
A grandmother was killed in a car crash while on her way to identify her son’s body hours after he died, her family said. Carol Tinsley, 70, was driving from Merseyside to north Wales where Andrew Tinsley, 46, died after jumping into a river from Llangollen Bridge during hot weather on July 11. His three children, who were also in the car, were injured.
Painted hedgehog dies
A hedgehog that was deliberately painted blue and yellow, the colours of Leeds United, has died after suffering breathing problems and having her spines “glued” together. The female hedgehog, named Honey by rescuers, was found covered in thick, oil-based paint in a garden in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Police are investigating.
Snowman author’s sale
More than 1,000 books from the personal library of Raymond Briggs, the illustrator and author best known for his 1978 picture book The Snowman, have gone on sale at Oxfam’s Hove bookshop and online. Donated by Briggs’s estate after his death aged 88 in 2022, the collection spans illustration, cartoons, comic books and social history.
Breakfast: 6am to 10am Our free radio station has all the latest headlines, interviews and debates every morning Listen seven days a week On DAB, app, website and smart speaker
daughter die ‘while trying to save boy’
Lara Wildenberg, Seren Hughes
The wife and daughter of a Bangladeshi politician have died in the water off a beach in Essex.
Shelina Rahman, 41, and her 15-year- old daughter Samia Rahman died after getting into trouble in the water near Seaview Avenue, West Mersea, on Wednesday evening.
Rahman, who was a teacher, was the wife of Dr Monsur Rahman, the leader of Jubo Dal UK, the overseas youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in Britain.
Detective Chief Inspector Al Pitcher, of Essex police, said: “At this stage we believe they were trying to help a seven-year-old boy who had got into difficulties. The boy was taken to hospi- tal, where he remains in a critical condi- tion, but the woman and teenage girl sadly died. All the people involved in this incident are related to each other.”
The emergency services were con- tacted at 5.35pm on Wednesday and arrived soon after. Witnesses described onlookers attempting to help the group in trouble in the “fast” water.
Four staff members aged between 17 and 19 from the Seaview diner next to the beach rushed out to help.
Leonie Powling, 19, who has worked there for four years, said: “We had people come to the caff, shouting, ‘We need help’, so three of us ran to the beach to see what was going on. We saw the lady on the beach that got rescued, who was lifeless on the floor, and then
Charlie Parker
A Saudi prince was found dead in a lux- ury London hotel after mixing alcohol with a cocktail of party drugs, an in- quest has been told.
I think another lady came out of the water walking and she was struggling to breathe and had loads of water in her lungs.
“I had to run back to the caff, spoke to the emergency number, told them where to come, where to go. I saw the coastguard, pointed them in the direc- tion of where to go.
“We were trying to find either a kay- ak or a paddle board or something that could float to get over the water to get to them to drag them on the boat. A few minutes later the RNLI boat came along and got the casualties out.”
She said that she was feeling “shocked” and “overwhelmed” at the incident and had taken Thursday off. “It’s heartbreaking to know that two people have died,” she said.
Yesterday flowers were laid on the beach while officers made inquiries.
Jamal, a friend of Monsur, said that Shelina was at the beach with her family and her sister’s family for a “day out”. He said that the boy who Shelina and Samia were trying to save was Samia’s cousin. Monsur did not join his family on the trip and Jamal described how when Monsur found out and drove to Colchester, he “fainted many times” during the journey.
“There was a time when they had to stop the car, call the ambulance, the ambulance came to him,” Jamal said.
Chris Whitehead, 66, a retired school secretary, was visiting the beach while on holiday with her daughter-in-law Steph Phillips, 33, a teacher, and her ba-
after consuming alcohol, the recrea- tional drug GHB and other substances.
An inquest at Inner West London coroner’s court heard that he checked into the hotel on November 19 for a one-week stay. He was last seen on CCTV going outside to smoke a ciga- rette the evening before his death.
Samia Rahman, 15, with her father Dr Monsur Rahman; she and her mother Shelina tried to help a relative off the coast of West Mersea, Essex
by granddaughter. Whitehead estimat- ed the group was about 100-150 metres out at sea. Phillips called the coastguard after realising they were in trouble and said the incident lasted between five and seven minutes.
“The water was in. It was super fast. It looked dangerous,” Whitehead said. “All of a sudden, somebody [in the water] lost their airbed, and somebody with them said, ‘Help, he can’t swim’. The airbed just went with the current. Where they all started together as a tight group, they all just went [got sepa- rated].” She said a number of people
vice were called but were unable to re- suscitate and he was pronounced dead.
The prince had a blood ethanol con- centration of 222mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, well above the drink- drive limit of 80mg, and in a range where it could possibly cause a coma, a toxicology report found. He also had potentially fatal levels of the depressant GHB, as well as traces of cannabis, a recreational dose of the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and other anti-
tried to enter the sea to help.
She added: “A man got into the water and he was calling for swimmers and said, ‘Come and help, it’s my family, my family.’ There was one guy who went out but it was so strong he came back. The man was shouting at him, ‘That’s my family.’ But he said, ‘I can’t reach them.’” Whitehead said the coastguard arrived by boat and took two people out of the water.
Another woman, who did not give her name, said the incident occurred at high tide. “The tide was a lot further in than it is now and that sandbank, they were on there and the tide came in,” she said, sitting at a beach hut. “It comes in very quickly and you have to be careful. That was quite alarming, for a small place like this, I think that’s why so many people are shocked,” she added. “I mean, the beach was packed with people, they were coming down to see what was going on.”
Beverly Smit, 60, a beach hut owner from West Mersea, said a daytripper from a neighbouring hut entered the water to try to help. “He swam out, I think, three times. Two of the children he brought back were not in good con- dition,” she said. “It’s not an easy swim when the tide’s coming in — you’re swimming against the tide, the water yesterday was particularly quite cold.”
The police asked for anyone who was in the area at the time and has informa- tion or footage that may assist their in- vestigation to contact them on 101 and quote incident 1090.
anxiety medicines in therapeutic doses.
The court was told that the prince had been struggling with the use of alcohol and prescription drugs. He was admitted to the Priory clinic in south- west London in August last year, where he underwent detox treatments for al- cohol, benzodiazepines and the anti- anxiety drug pregabalin.
killer moved to psychiatric hospital
Constance Kampfner Political Correspondent
The Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been moved from prison to a psychiatric hospital after a clinical assessment as his victims’ families fear he is attempting to “manipulate the system”.
Families of the victims were in- formed this week that Rudakubana, 19, had been transferred from the category A prison Belmarsh to Broadmoor high- security hospital.
The Guardian first reported that the move had taken place after it was con- cluded that Rudakubana could not be managed safely in a prison environ- ment. Although he was assessed as fit to stand trial in January last year, he will now be treated as a patient rather than a prisoner. Patients in secure hospital units cost more than £300,000 a year, compared with about £60,000 for pris- oners, a Whitehall source said.
The Ministry of Justice stressed that the move would not alter the killer’s sentence. Rudakubana was jailed for life with a minimum term of 52 years for the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, as well as the attempted murders of eight other children and two adults, in Southport on July 29, 2024. He was ineligible for a whole-life order, having committed the offences days before his 18th birthday.
Chris Walker of Bond Turner, the lawyers representing the bereaved families, said: “The fact that this has occurred as we approach the second anniversary, in our view, is another move by [Rudakubana], who would appear to be attempting, once again, to manipulate the system. We have been given the barest of details.”
Mark Fairhurst, the national chair of the POA union, which represents pris- on, correctional and secure psychiatric workers, said his members believed Rudakubana was “playing the system”.
Rudakubana, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, was not found to have a severe mental illness at the time of the attack.
Broadmoor patients, who remain locked up and are monitored with 24-hour CCTV, also receive mandatory therapeutic and rehabilitative pro- grammes. Under the 1983 Mental Health Act, if offenders no longer re- quire treatment in hospital, they return to prison.
The Ministry of Justice said: “The families of those murdered and injured in Southport will be in this country’s heart for ever and our thoughts remain with them. The offender who carried out these vile crimes will rightly spend the entirety of his 52-year custodial sentence locked up, and is unlikely to ever be released.”
ceeded without physical side effects”. “He was supportive and kind to his peers, making friends,” she said. “When he was discharged he was considered not to be at risk of suicide.”
Jean Harkin, assistant coroner, said that she did not believe he had intended to take his life. There was also no evi- dence of third-party involvement.
F
Tax cut ‘plaster’ won’t be enough
Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor Ben Clatworth Whitehall Editor
Hospitality entrepreneurs criticised Andy Burnham’s announcement that he would discount business rates on pubs from next April as insignificant against the wider financial pressures on the industry.
The prime minister announced the 20 per cent reduction yesterday, saying pubs, clubs and music venues were at the “heart of our communities”.
However, the reaction has been largely muted. Industry figures say it will do little to relax the pressure on a sector that has shed about 100,000 jobs in the past two years.
“These changes are simply superflu- ous tape on a gaping wound,” Ayesha Kalaji, who runs the Queen of Cups pub in Glastonbury, said. “We need a tour- niquet, not a blister plaster.”
Heath Ball, who runs four pubs across London and the southeast, said the discount would amount to the cost of about 150 pints. “That’s not a rebate, it’s a rounding error dressed up as a rescue plan,” he said.
Like many in hospitality he backed a campaign for venues to have their VAT rate cut from 20 per cent to 10 per cent
Heath Ball, who runs four pubs, said Labour should bring in VAT reforms
to align with European peers. “VAT still takes 20p of every pound they take at the bar, all year, on everything. Fix the rates system, sure, but tinkering ... while leaving VAT untouched is like bailing out a sinking boat with a teaspoon and calling it seamanship.”
The VAT campaign, backed by the celebrity chef Tom Kerridge among others, is described as a way to alleviate the pressures on the industry after years of cost increases.
Minimum wage rises, Rachel Reeves’s decision to increase employ- ers’ national insurance and more ex- pensive energy have all increased costs. Businesses have been wary of passing
Ben Clatworthy
Andy Burnham’s council house- building pledge faces an £800 million- a-year hole and risks resulting in 5,000 fewer homes annually.
The prime minister has promised the “biggest building programme since the postwar period” and said the country was in the grip of a housing crisis.
Under present plans, ministers have allocated £39 billion to the social and affordable homes programme (SAHP), which aims to deliver 300,000 homes by 2036. Of these, 60 per cent are ear- marked for social housing.
Burnham has been explicit in his de- sire for the homes to be “council houses” — built by local authorities — and The Times understands discussions are under way about diverting the funds. At present the money is allocated to a number of bodies, including housing associations and private developers.
Analysis
or Andy Burnham, the role of “pub champion” is as much about political identity as it is a policy platform (write Geraldine Scott, Jessica Newman and James Hurley).
Throughout his campaign to become prime minister, he has cultivated a reputation as a defender of the local and spaces that bring communities together.
He demonstrated his support yesterday by announcing that 20 per cent will be knocked off business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues across England from April next year. What he has been less clear about is how he intends to square that pledge, which will cost about £100 million a year, with the state of the UK’s public finances.
So how is he going to pay for it? The funding depends on two things that do not yet exist: a review of the commercial property tax for what the government labels “anti-social businesses” such as vape shops, and a consultation on making online marketplaces liable for sellers’ unpaid VAT.
Retailers and tax experts have already called out Burnham’s wish to shift the cost burden of business rates from the high street to warehouses. Analysis by Ryan, a tax firm, found that even a doubling in the top rate on warehouses would not raise sufficient sums to fund the 20 per cent rate cut.
Despite promises of an overhaul of business rates by successive governments, tinkering around the edges of the system has been the norm. The tax is due to generate £37 billion for the government in the 2026- 27 financial year, making it the seventh-largest source of revenue for the Treasury.
Burnham now faces the unenviable task of delivering genuine rates reform — something previous governments have promised but ultimately failed to produce — at a time when the Treasury can ill afford to reduce the tax take.
the £39 billion would need to be in- creased to £47 billion. Without an in- crease, 51,000 fewer homes would be built — a drop of about 5,000 a year.
For council homes — or social prop- erties — tenants pay about 50 per cent of the local market rate, making the buildings considerably more expensive to finance and requiring greater up- front government grants to be viable.
The report, published by the Resolu- tion Foundation think tank, says that given “social rent homes need more up- front subsidy than other ‘affordable’ ten- ures, building more social rent units means spending more or delivering less”.
It adds: “If all the £39 billion SAHP funding were allocated to social rent, just under 250,000 homes could be de- livered [by 2036], much higher than the social rent numbers we have seen since 2011-12, though a lot lower than in the mid-1990s. But that would mean build- ing 50,000 fewer affordable homes overall in the next decade. To reach 300,000 homes for social rent, we esti-
all those on to customers, who are under pressure in a stagnant economy.
An industry-wide VAT reduction is unlikely, given it would cost the Trea- sury £10 billion or more, but industry sources hope that a smaller package targeted at independent businesses could be politically and fiscally feasible.
Those who were cut out of the dis- count were even more unimpressed. Restaurants were excluded, despite fac- ing many of the same cost increases.
“Restaurants are every bit as impor- tant to our high streets, local economies and communities as pubs and bars,” Ja- mie Jones, co-founder of the Mayfair Chippy, a London fish and chip shop, said. “We employ hundreds of thou- sands of people, create opportunities for young people entering the work- force, support British farmers, fisher- men and suppliers, and attract visitors to towns and cities across the UK.”
Matthew and Jennifer Price, co- founders of the Town House in Arun- del, West Sussex, meanwhile, said that ministers were prioritising “PR-friend- ly optics over meaningful support”.
“Waking up to news of a rates reduc- tion gave us a brief flash of hope, but the fine print made it clear that small, inde- pendent and nuanced hospitality out- lets have been excluded once again,” they said.
“We run a self-funded 17-cover res- taurant with four rooms and saw our business rates jump 25 per cent in April — from £28,000 to £35,000 a year. There is still a fundamental failure to grasp the economic reality of the inde- pendent hospitality sector.”
Hospitality businesses have received substantial support in recent years, in- cluding the pandemic furlough scheme supporting staff wages, and emergency loans and grants.
Adam Handling, chef-owner of the Adam Handling Collection restaurants and gastropubs, said: “I appreciate the government giving us an idea of what support we can expect from April. This is helpful for 2027 budgeting. However, it feels like the government is trying to make the support it’s giving hospitality sound better than it actually is. There have been so many different versions of ‘we’re reducing business rates’ but, real- istically, the only time we’ve really felt the benefit was with the support that came after Covid.
“I also don’t really understand why restaurants seem to be getting left out in favour of pubs.”
mate that another £800 million would be needed each year over the pro- gramme’s ten-year lifespan.”
Angela Rayner, who has returned as housing secretary, is understood to be involved in the discussions about the funding. The present SAHP dictates that 20 per cent of homes will be afford- able rent — where tenants pay up to 80 per cent of market rate — and 20 per cent will be for shared ownership.
There are questions over the capabil- ity of councils, many of which have not built a single house since the 1970s. The latest figures show that councils have built only 2,000 homes a year in the five years to 2025, as local authorities have relied on housing associations.
Asked yesterday about the biggest building programme since the postwar period, Rayner refused to set a specific target. In the 1950s councils were deliv- ering 200,000 homes a year.
where we are today. So there is a huge gulf between that. We want to aspire to get as far as possible. What we’ve done as a government is put more invest- ment in that, the £39 billion for social and affordable housing grant funding that we want to get out the door.”
The Resolution Foundation said the shortfall could be addressed by weak- ening the stance and allowing develop- ers to also build affordable-rent hous- ing and “utilising the as yet untapped” £2.5 billion low-cost loan facility in the National Housing Bank, a new public finance institution.
Hannah Aldridge, the senior re- search and policy analyst at the think tank, said: “By making careful use of the social and affordable homes pro- gramme, private developer contribu- tions and the National Housing Bank, the new government can boost the supply of social rent housing and build more affordable housing overall.”
gets ‘instant karma’ after Farage abuse
Peter Chappell
After a torrid few weeks in politics, Ni- gel Farage has finally had some luck.
A driver who slowed down in her car to swear at the Reform UK leader in Clacton got into difficulty when she failed to realise that the car in front of her was stopping at a red light.
As she shouted that Farage was a “wanker”, she did not brake soon enough and drove into the back of the BMW ahead of her. It appeared that no- body was injured in the crash.
W
to stem bleeding for landlords
Andy Burnham and John Healey spoke to drinkers and local business leaders at The Hare in Harlow, Essex, yesterday. The prime minister said that “pubs need to know the cavalry is coming”. Healey was also joined by Chris Vince, right, the Labour MP for the area
The woman in Clacton yelled the insult but then drove into a BMW ahead of her
telling Farage: “She won’t be doing that again in a hurry.”
In a post on X, the Reform leader said: “This lady shouted abuse at me and then crashed her own car. That’s what you might call instant karma!”
Farage is no stranger to drama on the campaign trail in Clacton, where he is seeking re-election after resigning as MP this month. In 2024, he was hit with a milkshake outside a pub. A woman was handed a suspended sentence.
a month. His MPs are being given party-funded, round-the-clock protec- tion after the death of Ann Widde- combe, who was Reform’s spokes- woman for immigration and justice.
Farage triggered the by-election after becoming the subject of a parlia- mentary investigation into an unregis- tered £5 million donation he claims was a gift. He could face being recalled as an MP and the prospect of fighting another by-election if the standards commissioner rules against him.
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Profile Powell spent her late teenage years. Although she later said that she was glad to have experienced life at the university, she admitted that she “didn’t thrive there at all”. After a year she left Oxford and completed her degree at King’s College London.
hen Lucy Powell, the new education secretary, arrived at Oxford University as an undergraduate, she found herself feeling like a “fish out of water” among the dreaming spires (Georgia Lambert and Nicola Woolcock write).
Lucy Powell, the new education secretary, has branded primary school spelling tests “draconian”
The state-educated Mancunian had won a place to study chemistry at Somerville College. Yet, despite her hard-fought efforts to get there, the stuffy institution was a far cry from sweat-soaked nights out at the Haçienda club where the young
review spells trouble for pupils, critics say
Nicola Woolcock Education Editor Georgia Lambert
Experts fear Andy Burnham and Lucy Powell will rip up the recent curriculum review and introduce more vocational qualifications, leading to disruption for schools and colleges.
Powell, the new education secretary, has previously called for more practical and coursework-based assessment.
Separately, when Burnham was the mayor of Greater Manchester, he launched the Manchester Baccalaur- eate (MBacc), a suite of GCSE- equivalent qualifications tailored to employers, saying this template could be implemented in other regions.
Political insiders expect greater focus on skills at post-16 and the devolution of education, giving more power to re- gions, under the new regime. It raises questions about the future of the review of curriculum and assessment commi- ssioned by Bridget Phillipson, then the education secretary, within days of the general election.
The review’s recommendations are on the cusp of being implemented in England, but Powell is said to believe it is “not quite closed off” and that there is space for her to make her own mark.
Burnham and Powell are said to be perfectly aligned in their approach, both wanting more emphasis on high- quality technical and vocational educa- tion. It is an ambition that has been heard several times from the dozen education secretaries in post since 2012.
Powell is expected to set out more de- tails in the coming weeks but wants a broader curriculum offered that ena- bles more young people to continue in education for longer on different paths.
Teachers and critics reacted with concern this week to previous comments by Powell. On Twitter in 2018, she said: “If the new ‘tough’ GCSEs are such a gold standard, why are top private schools avoiding them? Answer, practical coursework-based qualifications equip students for the
Powell went on to build a career at the centre of Labour politics, rising from party activist to shadow education secretary, deputy leader and now education secretary.
Her return to education is a move back to a brief that has long defined her political identity. A source close to Powell told The Times that it was one of her “passionate policy areas”, adding: “Having
three young teenagers go through the process, it feels personal.”
Powell’s political career has run alongside a lifelong attachment to music and culture.
She told Vogue: “I grew up in Manchester in the Eighties and Nineties in a very political time. It was the best place as a kid — we had clubbing, culture and creativity.”
Her political identity is rooted in Manchester. Born in Moss Side in 1974, Powell has framed her childhood through the inequalities she saw around her. In a 2009 biography, written when she was 34 and picked as a parliamentary candidate, she said her “school was starved of resources, and
future better.” Told that coursework favoured children whose parents could help them and that exams were fairer, she replied: “The evidence suggests otherwise. The most resilient perform best in the intensive new exam regime. Employers are also very clear they want practical and project-based skills, which they believe are now lacking.”
Teachers said Powell’s comments were “worrying” and that the rise of AI would make a move back to course- work “extremely problematic”. Others said coursework did not show real aca- demic performance and benefited middle-class children.
Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said: “Returning to course- work in the age of AI would be an abso- lute disaster and it will be the most dis- advantaged who suffer the consequen- ces. I hope she disavows [her previous
comments] at the earliest opportunity.”
Jonathan Simons, the co-founder of a free school who worked in No 10’s strat- egy unit, said: “It’s not clear why ... a new secretary of state would feel the need or the desire to unpick [the review’s] weighty and sensible conclusions.”
Powell previously branded primary school spelling tests “draconian” and “ridiculous”, claiming they were being used to “micromanage” children.
Burnham’s MBacc was billed as the country’s first employer-driven alter- native to the English Baccalaureate. It consists of seven “gateways” to indus- tries that make up the local economy including health and social care, and construction and the green economy, taken alongside core academic GCSEs. Analysis last year suggested the imple- mentation had been sluggish.
many of my friends and school peers were left on the scrapheap by Thatcher’s government”.
Powell describes herself as having a “middle-class job”, but has stressed her family’s working-class roots.
She joined Labour’s London headquarters during the 1997 election campaign and later spent almost a decade in public affairs and campaigning.
She entered frontline politics as Labour’s candidate for Manchester Withington at the 2010 general election and quickly rose through the party’s ranks.
not return £17k payout
Daisy Eastlake Political Reporter
Angela Rayner has refused to hand back the severance pay received when she resigned from the government over failing to pay the correct stamp duty.
The former deputy prime minister, who was reappointed as housing secre- tary this week, quit in September last year after independent legal advice found that she had not paid enough tax.
She had initially denied any wrong- doing when reports surfaced that she had bought a flat on the south coast in May of last year. Rayner declared it as her primary residence instead of her second home, allowing her to pay a low- er levy of £30,000 instead of £70,000.
However, legal advice paid for by La- bour at the time concluded that she should have paid the higher rate.
She was paid £16,876 as severance pay upon leaving the role.
Rayner told the BBC that she would not return the money. “No, my sever- ance payment was given to me at the time,” she said. “I’d worked in govern- ment for a period of time, and then I came out of government for just under a year, I think is the timetable, and I’ll be delivering in government again. But on the Conservatives who took their sev- erance, we’re talking weeks.”
Since 1991, sacked ministers can claim redundancy pay worth up to three months’ salary. This led to pay- ments for ministers who stayed in the job for just a few weeks, including dur- ing Liz Truss’s short-lived premiership.
offenders from jail, Labour told
Jonathan Ames Legal Editor Matt Dathan Home Affairs Editor
Criminals convicted of serious offences are walking free as magistrates and judges automatically suspend jail sen- tences of up to a year, The Times has been told.
Senior lawyers working in courts across England and Wales said that magistrates and crown court judges have interpreted a new “presumption that custodial sentences of 12 months or less be suspended” as an instruction to suspend sentences in most cases. The presumption was implemented this year as part of the Sentencing Act 2026.
The revelation prompted opposition politicians to accuse ministers of allow- ing “violent offenders” to return to society “without real punishment”.
Andy Burnham announced on Wednesday that he would pause the government’s early release scheme for prisoners, meaning it will no longer come into effect in September.
No prisoners would be freed under the scheme until the government had reviewed the plans and “done every- thing we can to minimise risk to the public”, he said.
More than 5,000 prisoners were due to be released from jail early under the new “earned progression model” that would allow inmates serving fixed sen- tences to be freed after serving as little as a third of their sentence if they be- have well behind bars.
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, gave a speech yesterday from the Institute of Engineering and Technology in London
Tom Skinner, a former special advis- er at the DSIT, called the Whitehall shake-up an “act of national self-harm”.
The killers of PC Andrew Harper, with his wife Lissie, are set to be released
plans after an outpouring of anger at the revelation that those responsible for the death of PC Andrew Harper, a police constable who was killed while responding to a crime in August 2019, were due to benefit from the changes.
Debbie Adlam, Harper’s mother, said that Burnham’s decision to pause plans for the early release of prisoners was a “good start” but “not enough”.
Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, has called on the government to exclude domestic abus- ers from qualifying for early release.
school and they will stop at nothing to control, coerce and harm.”
Alex Norris, the justice secretary, said that the pause in the policy would enable the government to consider which individuals were set to benefit from the policy and whether they could either delay their release or put in place “control measures” to protect victims and the wider public.
Burnham said: “Keeping the public safe will always be my top priority ... No prisoners will be let out under this policy until we have conducted an ur- gent review and done everything we can to minimise risk to the public. Where changes are needed, we will not hesitate to make them.”
The government’s move is not ex- pected to affect the new presumption of suspending prison sentences of up to 12 months. Serious offences such as threatening behaviour with a weapon, including knives, and assaults on emer- gency workers can in some cases gener- ate jail sentences of less than a year.
Ministers brought in the legislation in an effort to reduce pressure on pris- ons as inmate numbers have swelled over recent years.
The Conservatives criticised the legislation and the interpretation that anecdotal evidence suggested was being adopted.
“We warned Labour that abolishing short sentences would mean even few- er knife criminals being locked up,” said Nick Timothy, the shadow justice sec- retary. He branded the legislation as “disastrous” and resulting in “violent offenders … being let back on the streets without real punishment. Just like with
their early release scheme, Labour refuse to keep dangerous criminals be- hind bars where they belong.”
Chris Philp, the shadow home secre- tary, said the provision regarding a pre- sumption of suspended sentences was “yet another catastrophic mistake” from the government.
“Serious criminals are now being let off without any jail time at all,” Philp said, adding that the result was that “hyper-prolific shoplifters will never see the inside of a prison and those carrying knives and threatening people on our streets will never be jailed”.
Sir Robert Buckland KC, the former Conservative lord chancellor and jus- tice secretary, called on judges to pay close attention to the wording of the act. “They must use these guidelines to meet the full justice of each individual case,” he said, adding that judges must note that the law “does not impose a mandatory suspended sentence”.
Andrew Thomas KC, the vice-chair- man of the Criminal Bar Association, said that the presumption to suspend sentences of up to 12 months had a ben- eficial effect in that it acted as an “in- centive for defendants to plead guilty earlier in the proceedings, which will in turn lead to a reduction of cases that go to trial, and help to reduce case back- logs across both the magistrates’ and crown courts”. He argued that suspend- ed sentences were not a “soft” option as they were “invariably accompanied by tough conditions”.
pans PM over AI shake-up
Mark Sellman Technology Correspondent
Kemi Badenoch has criticised Andy Burnham’s decision to close down the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and replace it with “one guy in cabinet”.
The Conservative leader said the shake-up was particularly worrying for national security reasons after it emerged a rogue AI agent from Open- AI autonomously hacked the software platform Hugging Face.
The prime minister has moved the functions of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to three other departments. He has, however, given Kanishka Narayan, the AI minister, a seat in cabinet.
Badenoch said: “On the subject of AI, I think it is very worrying this has hap- pened. He’s put one guy in cabinet to look at AI. This is going to take much more than one person.”
The government said scrapping the DSIT “recognises technology and in- novation are not separate sectors of our economy — they are the foundation of all future industry, culture and public service delivery”.
However, the lobby groups techUK and Startup Coalition said the decision to “scatter [DSIT’s] powers across Whitehall” was “the wrong change at the wrong time”.
No 10 North, ministers told
Aubrey Allegretti Chief Political Correspondent
Cabinet ministers will be asked to work from Andy Burnham’s new “No 10 North” as he prepares to mark the office’s opening in Manchester.
On his fifth day in office, the prime minister will join roughly 30 officials already stationed in the building billed as a White House-style “situation room for growth”. He is set to convene cabinet colleagues and mayors under the re- vived National Economic Council (NEC), a committee set up by Gordon Brown in 2008 to oversee an emer- gency-like response to the financial cri- sis. Among those said to be planning to work from there are Louise Haigh, the first secretary of state, and Lucy Powell, the education secretary.
The move is designed to show Burn- ham’s commitment to devolution by es- tablishing a power base at Heron House, which already holds GCHQ’s northwest hub. However, some observ- ers have questioned how powerful the new department will be and whether it will have the ability to strike devolution deals or impose them on areas that do not want them.
Cabinet ministers on the NEC will hold talks at No 10 North today, with regional mayors invited as well.
The prime minister is also expected to consult business representatives from the Federation of Small Business, British Chambers of Commerce and Confederation of British Industry.
Jonathan Ames Legal Editor quired in 2010 and sold in 2016. Resi- dents of the block claimed that Gros- venor had unlawfully amended their leases and as a result “foisted them with excessive service charges” that should have been the company’s liability.
A High Court judge has backed a tenant over a property company linked to the King’s godson, who is the country’s 18th richest person.
In a “David and Goliath” row over residential service charges, Peter Par- sons, 75, a retired accountant, persuad- ed Mr Justice Johnson to reject an ap- peal by Grosvenor Developments in the latest stage of a decade-long legal battle.
Hugh Grosvenor, 35, the Duke of Westminster, is chairman of the Gros- venor trustees, the development com- pany’s owner.
The dispute centred on a “prestige” development in Cambridge called Parkside Place, which Grosvenor ac-
dragged from children by Trump’s ICE
detained since attending a green card interview seven weeks ago, George Grylls writes
A British man has been held in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana for more than seven weeks after he was dragged away from his American wife and three-year-old twin sons before being flown across the US as part of President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Connor Read, 29, has lived in Florida since he was nine years old. The Department of Homeland Security is now trying to deport the father of two, citing his arrest almost a decade ago for bringing a backpack of beers to a lake- side party while underage, along with other minor crimes.
He has spent more than a month and a half incarcerated in a Louisiana detention centre alongside men who went to prison for drug trafficking and domestic violence offences.
“I feel like I’m an innocent person who is serving time right now,” he said, speaking from a 1,160-person facility where he sleeps in a dormitory of about 70 bunks. “It drives me crazy.” He added: “I love America. It’s done me nothing but good things. I’ve lived all of my adult life in America. I learnt every- thing I know from America. My wife is American. My kids are Americans.”
Originally from Chatham in Kent, Read was brought to the US as a child by his mother and his stepfather. He was seized by ICE agents after he was invited to a green card interview in Tampa on June 3. At the immigration centre he was separated from his wife, Jaelin, 25, and his twin sons Ryder and Ozzie, three, under the pretence that he needed to be interviewed alone.
The leaseholders argued they were being asked to contribute to service charges of social housing tenants that the company had agreed to meet as part of the attempt to obtain planning con- sent from Cambridge city council.
Officials at Grosvenor have through- out the dispute denied any wrongdoing. The duke does not own Parkside Place and is not connected with its day-to- day management or the running of the service charge.
In the county court last year Judge Karen Walden-Smith ruled in favour of
rested him and bundled him out of the building. When immigration officials came back to the waiting room, they in- formed his wife that he would not be coming home.
“Ozzie just planted his butt and was like: ‘No, I’m waiting for Daddy,’ and sat back down in the waiting room after they separated us. Ryder took off to- wards the metal detectors. It was a mess. There were 150 people in this waiting room. It was a genuine night- mare. It felt like such a ruse,” said Jaelin Read.
After his arrest Read was brought to Pinellas County Jail in Florida, where he spent eight days in a “horrible” shared cell and was wok- en at 2am every day for breakfast. He said conditions were “dirty” with showers full of black mould.
He was flown to an ICE detention centre in Louisi- ana with his hands bound and his an- kles tied together. “You’d think they were transporting a bunch of murderers,” he said.
Read has lived in the Central Louisi- ana Processing Center ever since. He is appealing against his final removal or- der but has been warned a decision may not come for up to six months. Other inmates have been housed there for eight months. He said many people had caught a flu-like illness. “I got pretty sick,” he said. “Headache. The shivers. Really cold. I’ve never really gotten sick like that before. It was pretty rough.”
Parsons and his wife, Anne von Raben- au, saying that they were entitled to claim service charge payments back from Grosvenor.
Grosvenor appealed against the
Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, is chairman of the company’s owner
judgment and in the High Court this week Johnson backed the couple, say- ing that Walden-Smith had reached the “correct” decision.
Responding to the ruling, Parsons, who along with his wife appeared in
laughing. In June the number of ICE ar- rests rose to their highest level in Trump’s second term, with 43,000 people seized. There are more than 100,000 British citizens living in Flor- ida, according to US census data.
Read runs a pressure-washing busi- ness called Refresh Florida in Clermont and says he has few connections to the UK after being brought to the US as a child. “I don’t know England, I know Florida,” he said.
Having accompanied his British mother and stepfather to Florida in 2007, he attended American schools and returned to the UK only once.
court without legal representation, said that “against all odds, the small person won a real David v Goliath victory”.
The Times reported two years ago that Parsons, who had a career with one of the “big four” international account- ancy firms, had alleged that an official at Grosvenor warned him that their legal dispute could turn “nasty”.
However, on emerging victorious from the appeal hearing, Parsons de- scribed the legal action as “always a matter of principle” for the couple.
“Despite being utterly persuaded that justice was on our side, sustaining our determination and the time and energy required to represent ourselves in this enormously challenging under- taking, we are hugely relieved and grat- ified that in spite of all their resistance
Read, who has lived in Florida since he was nine years old, was separated from his wife, Jaelin, and twin sons, Ryder and Ozzie, on June 3 and is being held alongside violent offenders
his family was “scammed” by a bogus lawyer. The family said they co-operat- ed with an FBI investigation and were granted protected status as informants, but Read was nevertheless issued with a removal order in 2011.
“I was underage so whatever my mum said is what we did,” he said.
At 16, Read was awarded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) status, something he renewed every two years until he was 22. When his mother remarried an American man, she was awarded a green card along with Read’s two siblings. The family say they were given bad legal advice and were told, incorrectly, that Read would have to make a separate green card ap- plication from the rest of the family
and the seemingly limitless resources Grosvenor were able to throw at us, right prevailed,” he said.
Parsons noted that when Grosvenor was given permission to appeal against the original ruling, the court ordered that each party would bear their own costs, meaning that even if the com- pany had won, the couple would not be liable for its legal bills.
The duke was 18th on this year’s Sun- day Times Rich List, having fallen four places over the past year. He was esti- mated to be worth £9.68 billion and is one of the King’s 33 godchildren. He is also said to count both the king’s sons among his friends.
Reacting to the High Court ruling, a Grosvenor spokesman said: “We ac- knowledge the court’s decision.”
because he was over the age of 18. In fact, he may have got a green card even at that age because he was still legally considered a dependent.
As a young man with Daca status, Read committed minor offences that led to him being deemed a “criminal il- legal alien” by the Trump administra- tion. As an 18-year-old, he attended a New Year’s Eve house party that was broken up by police. He admits he was drunk and made a silly joke when asked for his name by an officer, saying “my name is Michael Phelps”, a reference to the Olympic swimmer. Three officers grabbed him and he was arrested.
“I did get frustrated, I raised my voice, I was panicking,” he said. He was charged with resisting an officer. Two years later, Read went to a popular lake in Florida to swim and drink beers. He was charged with possession of liquor as a minor and paid a fine.
Read cannot recall if he was 19 or 20 when he was arrested for possession of marijuana under 20 grams and had a set of scales on him, which was consid- ered drug paraphernalia.
Because of this charge, when Read went to renew his Daca status at the age of 22 he received a notice of intent to de- ny, informing him that his immigration status was likely to be rejected.
He then met Jaelin on a dating app in 2020, a time when it appears Read’s im- migration status was unsettled. Having married, the couple set about trying to secure him a green card. They estimat- ed they had spent more than $10,000 in legal fees.
“I’m surrounded by a lot of guys who were either in jail when they got an ICE hold placed on them, or they got pulled over driving without a licence. I was at my immigration interview when I was taken. I was trying to do it properly. It sucks,” he said.
Jaelin Read, who has never been abroad, is now contemplating a new life in the UK if her husband is deported. “I’ve never left the United States before. But I’m willing to,” she said.
An ICE spokesman said: “Connor Michael Read, a criminal illegal alien of the Unit, ed Kingdom, was arrested on June 3, 2026 by the ICE law enforce- ment in Tampa, Florida. His criminal history includes convictions for posses- sion of narcotic equipment, possession of liquor and resisting an officer. He was issued a final order of removal issued by an Orlando, Florida, immigration judge from January 2011.
“Read entered the United States on Novmber 21, 2007, through the Orlan- do International Airport as a nonimmi- grant with an F-2 visa, as a dependent of an F-1 nonimmigrant student. Read’s status was contingent upon his parent’s status as a student. After a violation of the terms of their visa, Read was placed into removal proceedings.
Short and sweet Competitors take part in the Shetland Pony Grand National at the Royal Welsh Show near Builth Wells
missed by police
Duncan Gardham
A chief constable has apologised for a “missed opportunity” to stop the Manchester synagogue attack after an associate of the killer was jailed for life for planning an attack on soldiers six weeks earlier.
It emerged during the sentencing that police had two phones before the synagogue attack that had held details of conversations in which the killer discussed getting “war ready” and said he had “had enough of this world”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an inquiry and the issue is also expected to be ex- amined by the inquest into the attack.
Sir Stephen Watson, chief constable of Greater Manchester police, issued an apology after the sentencing.
“There can be little doubt that the information contained within these devices would have inspired further investigative action,” he said. “It is clear that our not having reviewed the data available to us prior to the attack constitutes a missed opportunity.”
Manchester crown court heard that the Heaton Park synagogue attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, 35, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, was inspired by the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel when he drove his black Kia Picanto into a security guard outside the synagogue on October 2 last year. Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died in the attack. Shamie was killed by police at the scene.
An examination of his phones later revealed that, two months before the attack, Mohammad Bashir, 31, a delivery driver who lived with his parents in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, had driven the terrorist on a reconnaissance mission to the UK Defence Academy at Shrivenham in Oxfordshire. The court was told that the pair planned to target soldiers from the Israel Defence Forces, whom they believed were being trained there.
The court also heard that Sham- ie had been arrested eight months before the attack for allegedly breach-
anti-social behaviour on rise
Matt Dathan Home Affairs Editor Jessica Sharkey Crime Correspondent
More than four in ten people experi- enced anti-social behaviour over the past year — a return to Covid-era levels — but there was a fall in shoplifting, knife crime and homicides.
The Office for National Statistics said 41 per cent of people experienced or witnessed anti-social behaviour in the year to March, up from 36 per cent the previous year. There were 1 million incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded by British Transport Police.
However, other forms of crime fell, including the first decrease in the num- ber of shoplifting offences for several years. There were 507,086 shoplifting offences to March 2026, a 4 per cent fall from the record 530,324 offences the previous year.
ing a non-molestation order. He was arrested again on September 21, for alleged rape; on both occasions police seized his mobile phones. They were examined by counterterrorism police after the Heaton Park attack and the police obtained a warrant for Shamie’s iCloud storage. The information re- vealed WhatsApp and voice note ex- changes between Bashir and Shamie, and a WhatsApp chat group called “Aspiring to the Ranks of the Elite”, of which they were both members.
Bashir sent more than 2,000 messa- ges to the group. Jonathan Polnay KC, for the prosecution, said that the messages showed that Bashir was a “long-standing, committed jihadist”.
Bashir pleaded guilty to preparing a terrorist attack. Charges that he dis- seminated terrorist material encourag- ing martyrdom in WhatsApp were left to lie on file. Sentencing him to a mini- mum jail term of 17 years, Mrs Justice
Sir Stephen Watson, the force’s chief constable, apologised after Mohammad Bashir was sentenced
Cheema-Grubb said he had been “equally engaged and enthusiastic” as Shamie about the plan and his senten- cing “must stand as a warning”.
A spokesman for the IOPC said it was investigating all previous contact between the force and Shamie before the October 2 attack. It is understood the watchdog has advised one officer they are under investigation for potent- ial misconduct in relation to their hand- ling of allegations of rape and other sexual offences against Shamie, al- though that does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow.
The family of Melvin Cravitz issued a statement through their lawyer, Hogan Lovells, calling on the inquest, which is due to take place in the spring, to exam- ine the “significant information” held by Greater Manchester police.
by forces in 2025-26, down 14 per cent from 204 in the previous 12 months.
Forces in England and Wales record- ed 499 homicide offences in 2025-26, down 7 per cent from 539 in the previ- ous year. The total number of all knife offences has also fallen, with 48,774 logged by police in the 12 months to March, down 8 per cent from 53,096.
Sarah Jones, the crime and policing minister, said the figures showed the government was “turning the tide on the crimes that blight communities”.
However, the Conservatives said overall crime had risen by nearly 10 per cent since Labour entered power. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said that Labour had “slashed” the number of police officers.
gives hope to girl slowly going blind
Eleanor Hayward
An 11-year-old girl who had been going blind has become the first British patient to receive innovative gene ther- apy for a rare condition that robs child- ren of their sight.
The treatment, which had only been performed on one other person in the world, involves injecting healthy copies of a gene directly into the eye to stop sight from deteriorating.
Catherine L’Estrange, from North Acton in London, hopes it will allow her to continue reading books — “one of my favourite things to do”.
When Catherine was a baby she was diagnosed with Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), which affects about one in 100,000 children in the UK, leaving them blind by their late teens or early twenties.
It is caused by a mutation of one of 20 different genes and can also result in
Poppy Koronka Health Correspondent
Persistently experiencing money troubles could make your brain age faster, a new study has suggested.
The effect was found to be more pronounced among men, people who had disadvantaged childhoods and people with a greater genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at University College London (UCL) looked at data from 2,759 people in the UK who took part in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, which is also known as the 1946 British cohort study.
Participants in the research, which was published in the journal Innova- tion in Aging, were asked about their income at age 26, 43 and 53.
kidney problems, learning difficulties and obesity.
The gene therapy, developed by the biotechnology company MeiraGTx, was given to Catherine as part of an hour-long procedure at St Helier Hos- pital near Wimbledon, west London, in March. Surgeons removed the jelly in- side one eye and injected healthy copies of a gene into the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. In people with BBS, small cells in the retina die, leading to blindness.
Neruban Kumaran, consultant eye surgeon at Epsom and St Helier Uni- versity Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “By giving a healthy copy of the gene it helps save those cells, and the hope is to either stabilise or improve vision.”
Catherine’s father, the Rev Timothy L’Estrange, said BBS was rarely spotted before a child reaches primary school age but Catherine had been diagnosed at just a few weeks old, allowing the
They also measured hardship, which was defined as struggling to manage on their income or having trouble paying their bills.
At the age of 53, those who persist- ently struggled with money in early and middle adulthood did worse on cogni- tive tests.
They also had worse brain health by their seventies, according to their brain scans.
Dr Jacques Wels, of the unit for life- long health and ageing at UCL, said: “Most studies on cognitive ageing look at financial hardship at only a single point in time.
“Our study using several decades of data allows us to see that it is the accu- mulation of hardship over many years that is linked to the worst cognitive health outcomes, rather than occasion- al episodes of adversity.”
Catherine L’Estrange has Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a rare genetic condition that can lead to loss of vision in adulthood
family to plan her future. “Our policy was to develop her independence and resilience as much as possible, ready for the inevitable loss of her sight, which began with her becoming night-blind, then colour-blind, and continued with her losing her peripheral vision,” he said.
“We were told that possible gene therapy was many, many years away, and was likely to arrive after Catherine had entirely lost her sight — so we were surprised and delighted when we
with a genetic variant which raises the risk of Alzheimer’s.
The association could be due to money troubles impacting the “band- width” in parts of the brain that process the likes of attention and decision- making, the study suggests. These problems may place chronic stress on the systems involved in cognitive proc- essing, which could lead to greater im- pairments over time.
The team concluded that, “given the current climate of cost-of-living crisis where a record number of households are reporting financial adversity”, the findings “further illustrate the import- ance of supporting vulnerable house- holds”.
learned this treatment had become available, and that Catherine would be one of the first patients in the world to receive it.”
The treatment was performed on just one of Catherine’s eyes to mitigate the risk should anything go wrong, and the team is waiting for the results.
St Helier is working with experts at Great Ormond Street and Moorfields Eye Hospital to identify further eligible patients as children with BBS have genetic tests to pinpoint which of the
prescribed to treat ADHD
The number of drugs prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased by a quarter in the last year, figures show.
The number of people being given medication was also up by almost a third, with prescriptions for adult patients rising by 40 per cent in 12 months.
The latest annual Medicines Used in Mental Health figures, published by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), show there were 4.2 million central nervous system stimulants or drugs for ADHD prescribed in 2025-26.
Surgeons remove the jelly inside the eye and inject healthy copies of the gene into the retina
The working genes help save the deteriorating cells, which can stabilise or improve vision
20 genes is mutated, based on their symptoms. Only one other person, a 17-year-old girl from Canada, received the treatment before Catherine. Her procedure, which was also performed at St Helier, took place last August.
The parents of the Canadian girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “This treatment has given our daughter a precious chance to preserve her vi- sion, and we hope it will become a life-changing therapy for children with BBS10 [one of the genetic mutations] all over the world.”
After having the therapy, patients are seen in a clinic and take various sight tests, such as reading from a chart and identifying different shades of colours.
Kumaran said it would be years before the full results were known. “There is a hope that it may improve vi- sion slightly, but it’s difficult to say.
“It’s not going to leave someone with perfect vision. But the hope is to stabi- lise and/or improve vision. Only time will tell. There’s been some very posi- tive feedback from a mixture of the patients and the families that suggest their vision may be better.
“Early reports from the families have been very promising and it gives us lots of hope. But in practice, it will take many years before we’re sure.
“There’s no other treatment for this, and so the opportunity to protect vision or improve vision, or give them hope that they won’t lose their vision and can maintain that independence, it really means a lot.”
Mat Shaw, chief executive of St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Group, said: “As a father, I can’t imagine how it feels to watch your child slowly go blind, and I’m so proud that our teams are offering hope to these children and their families, which aims to stop childhood blindness in its tracks and change what’s possible for the future of children with this devastating condition.”
cording to the data. There were an esti- mated 267,000 patients over the age of 18 prescribed drugs for ADHD during the period. This was up by 40 per cent in the previous 12 months.
In children, the estimated number of patients rose by 17 per cent to 158,000.
NHS England suggests about 2,492,000 people may have ADHD including those without a diagnosis. Of this number, an estimated 741,000 are children and young people under 24.
In December the government launched a review into ADHD, autism and mental health services to examine rising demand. The report said the dia- gnosis of conditions was “increasingly being used to secure support”, and education systems were “not merely responding to diagnosis, but are also shaping demand”.
faces reckoning ... but I haven’t visited for years
Graham Ruddick
Elon Musk has said there will be a “reckoning” in the UK but admitted he has not been to the country for “a few years”.
When questioned in an interview about previous comments that the UK was heading for a “civil war” due to the rising Muslim population, the founder of SpaceX and the boss of Tesla said: “If you have a large and growing, rapidly growing, group of people whose beliefs are antithetical to western beliefs, at some point there will be a reckoning.”
Musk said that he had been to the UK “literally a hundred times”. Asked when the last time was, he said: “It’s literally a few years ago.”
On why he was motivated to make
Elon Musk said he still thought AI could possibly wipe out humanity
such pronouncements, Musk said: “My partner is half-Indian and I have four children with her. One of them was named after a famous Indian physicist. So I would say I’m not racist.” Strider, one of Musk and Shivon Zilis’s twin sons, has the middle name Sekhar in tribute to Subrahmanyan Chandrase- khar, a Nobel laureate.
Musk, 55, who was born in South Africa, also cited his workforce: “Look at the people that are employed at my companies, we have senior executives of all races. I don’t think there’s any racism there.” He was asked if he was anti-Muslim. “If people are coming to a country with antithetical views, I am against that,” he said. “I’m against rape and murder, I’m against the imposition
of rules and laws that are contrary to what we’ve come to accept in the West. I think it’s a crying shame that the tradi- tional media don’t recognise this.”
In the interview with The Economist, Musk was asked about a range of issues, including artificial intelligence and his work with President Trump.
Musk suggested that AI “may exceed the sum of human intelligence in about and around five years”. The most likely outcome from the tech revolution was an “age of amazing abundance”, he said, vowing to “enjoy the ride”.
Musk, who has previously warned there is a 10-20 per cent chance that AI and robots could wipe out humanity, said: “I still think there’s risk associated with AI and robots. It’s not zero. [But] my philosophical conclusion is to look on the bright side ... At times I think, ‘Well, even if there was a stop button, we probably shouldn’t press it because the most likely outcome is incredible abun- dance for all’. There seems to be inexo- rable progress in AI and in robots that even if I wanted to stop it, I couldn’t.”
Nonetheless, he said leading AI companies should meet regularly to “discuss any safety and security issues”, adding: “That’s where I think the com- petitors can keep each other honest. I think it’s quite difficult for someone in the government who doesn’t have a deep technical understanding and isn’t driving the frontier of AI to know whether something should be released or not. However, the competitors I think can, if given a week or two to re- view a new model, highlight issues.”
Musk also expressed regret at his in- volvement with the Trump administra- tion, when he led the Department of Government Efficiency. He said: “I think I got a little too involved in politics, got carried away, frankly.”
Matt Dathan Home Affairs Editor
A “mega-dinghy” carrying an estimat- ed 165 migrants has crossed the Chan- nel, setting a record for the most people crammed into a single small boat.
The migrants were picked up by a Border Force vessel in the Channel yes- terday and brought into Dover with the huge makeshift rubber dinghy, which had been tailor-made for the crossing.
The French lifeboat service said that there were about 150 migrants on board, which it described as “astonish- ing”. Other witnesses counted 165, ac-
cording to GB News. It is the largest number of migrants to have crossed in a single vessel since the small boats cri- sis began in 2018, comfortably beating the previous record of 128 set on July 12.
The RNLI said: “We are astonished by the number of people on board.”
It was a second day of migrant cross- ings in the Channel as people smug- glers took advantage of calmer condi- tions, following an 11-day hiatus when high winds swept the waterway. Some 172 people arrived on Wednesday — the first day of crossings since Andy Burnham became prime minister.
Fortunate find A portrait by the 18th-century Scottish artist Katherine Read is thought to be worth £100,000 after being found wrapped in a sleeping bag by Mary-Louise Wedderburn, a retired accountant who was left it in her uncle’s will two decades ago. It was verified as the earliest recorded painting of an Indian sitter by a European female artist after Wedderburn turned to the BBC’s Fake or Fortune? for help
Analysis of government data shows that 77,183 Channel migrants arrived during Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
According to Home Office figures, 12,641 arrivals have been recorded this year. This is 46 per cent lower than the number recorded by this time last year.
Separately Basir Ramatullah, also known as Baseer Ahmad, 21, an Afghan, was jailed for two years at Canterbury crown court yesterday for endangering others during a sea crossing.
Ramatullah admitting steering an overcrowded migrant dinghy in the Channel on May 2.
A
collection ‘ruined’ by chillers
master tailor with a celebrity client list is suing for £550,000 over claims that his £1 million French wine collection went “mouldy” because of a fault with specialist chillers (Jonathan Ames writes).
Tom Reimer, whose clients include Luciano Pavarotti, had a 20,000- bottle collection of fine wines at his homes in London and Germany.
He told a judge that the value of his London collection of some 1,500 bottles was ruined after three wine chillers were installed five years ago at his £8 million flat in Marylebone.
Reimer is a scion of a wealthy German family, who built a lucrative career as a leading tailor in Hamburg. In the 1990s, his company was renowned for dressing Pavarotti with a white silk tailcoat as a contrast to his customary black tails and white tie.
An avid wine collector, Reimer amassed a large collection including rare bottles of Bordeaux and Rhone Valley reds.
In his legal action, Reimer has claimed that a 1cm-wide gap on the
Rajan heads list of BBC’s moonlighting journalists
Mary Downer, George Willoughby
Journalists at the BBC received at least £657,000 for external engagements in the 12 months to March 2026, accord- ing to the broadcaster’s register of such events.
Each quarter the corporation pub- lishes a record of its journalists’ appear- ances at panels, awards ceremonies and speaking engagements, and also the fee received for each event.
Amol Rajan, former presenter of the Today programme who left the Radio 4 show in January, topped the roster, receiving at least £115,000 from 13 events, only one of which paid less than £10,000. This sat on top of his annual salary of some £320,000. He still presents University Challenge, which is made for the corporation by an inde- pendent production company.
The statements show the fees re- ceived in bands, rather than specific amounts. These ranges are “below £1k”, “£1k–£5k”, “£5k–£10k” and “Over £10k”.
Last week Samir Shah, the chairman of the corporation, told The Sunday Times that the fees received for external events could be taken into considera- tion for the journalists’ annual pay re- views. He said: “They make a lot of money out of presenting for the BBC, in
doors of the chillers in London allowed warmer air to enter, creating condensation and mould on the labels as well as some of the wines themselves “probably” becoming “corked”.
As a result, Reimer has claimed that the value of his London collection was
Extra, extra
Top 10 BBC news staff/presenters ranked by their estimated earnings from external events for the period between April 2025 and March 2026: 1 Amol Rajan, right £115,000+ (single figure based on 11 events paying more than £10k each) 2 Justin Webb £52,000 to £111,000 3 John Simpson £43,000+ 4 Clive Myrie £41,000+ 5 Maryam Moshiri £31,000+ 6 Katya Adler £25,000+ (Tied) 7 Nick Robinson £25,000+ (Tied) 8 Dharshini David £22,000 to £50,000 9 Naga Munchetty £21,000+ 10 Jeremy Bowen £20,000+
my view. Maybe their view is they don’t. But they leverage ... the fact that they present on the BBC [to get] gigs outside.”
significantly reduced.
He has argued that experts maintain that rare wines are much less valuable once labels are damaged as purchasers are wary that the wine itself has been ruined.
Reimer is now suing the company that installed the chillers — International Food
Services Equipment, based in south London — for about £500,000 for the reduced value of his collection, as well as another £50,000 in other costs and losses.
The company argued that no more than a “hairline” gap existed which conformed with the “industry standard”.
ces on top of her annual salary of some £245,000.
There were 126 events among the 16 staff who earned a minimum of £10,000 across all engagements. The most com-
mon roles were speaker (47 per
cent), host (21 per cent) and
moderator (9 per cent).
Rajan received over £10,000 from the Royal
Academy of Engineer-
ing to be a judge, while Justin Webb received a sizable sum from the Management Consult- ancies Association, also for judging duties. The events management company Fane made nine large donations to John Simpson, the world affairs editor, for speaker and presenter jobs.
The second biggest total went to Webb, who was a co-presenter with Rajan on Today. He earned up to £111,000 across 13 events, even though no single event paid more than £10,000. His base salary is some £365,000. More figures from the Today programme sat high in the list of earnings. Nick Robin- son received at least £25,000 for three events, while Emma Barnett was paid more than £10,000 for one event.
It blamed any damage to the bottles’ labels on Reimer, arguing that he repeatedly turned the chillers off when his neighbours complained about the noise.
Reimer told the Central London county
could flee US on $50m yacht
President Trump’s Department of Jus- tice has strongly urged a judge to hold the Tate brothers in custody until a de- cision is made on their extradition to the UK, fearing they may hide out on their $50 million superyacht.
In a submission to a Florida court hearing Andrew and Tristan’s case, prosecutors suggested the pair would have a “strong incentives to flee” the US should they be released from jail before their extradition proceedings play out.
“Andrew Tate and his brother appear to have the financial means, and the will, to continue evading justice,” prose- cutors said in a newly unsealed filing.
They note the Tates, who hold British and American citizenship, “have access to considerable financial resources” de- spite the UK seizing nearly £3 million from accounts due to unpaid taxes and alleged money laundering. A court in the UK was told in 2024 how the broth- ers failed to pay tax on about £21 million earned from online businesses between 2014 and 2022. The filing said: “In addi- tion to his well-documented world travels, in July 2026 [Andrew Tate] posted a video tour on social media of a $50 million, 41-metre superyacht, ‘Ob- sidian Blade’, which he is reported to be having built in Bodrum, Turkey.”
Tom Reimer is suing the firm that installed the chillers in his flat, saying they were faulty and made his wine collection mouldy
court that a “constant exchange of warm and cold air” produced a temperature fluctuation that severely damaged the chillers, which were designed to maintain a constant 12-13C.
“To maintain the required temperature, the fridges had to work harder,” said Ololade Saromi, a barrister representing Reimer.
He added: “The gaps in the fridge doors caused the loss of environmental control, excessive condenser operation, vibration, overheating, condensation and consequent damage to the claimant’s wine collection.”
According to the barrister, condensation on the wine bottles “caused the moulding and disintegration of the wine labels. This probably also resulted in
cork disintegration and
damage to the wine
content”.
Matthew Winn- Smith, a barrister
representing the company, said that it had not designed the door system, arguing that it was “simply part of a standard unit and the air gap complained of is a
necessary element of a properly functioning sliding door system”.
The hearing continues.
Andrew, 39, and Tristan Tate, 38, hold dual British and American citizenship
dinated campaign to target accusers.
If the courts ultimately uphold Brit- ain’s extradition order the case will go to Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, for sign-off. The Trump administration suggested it had no intention of block- ing the extradition to the UK, where they face sex-offence charges.
Joseph McBride, the brothers’ law- yer, said he intended to argue the broth- ers were not a flight risk, as they had consistently attended court in Roma- nia in connection to a continuing crimi- nal investigation there. The brothers have denied the allegations in the UK and Romanian cases.
Art of noise Children play in the Court Room Gallery at the Foundling Museum, London, at the launch of “Kids Aloud” by National Art Pass, highlighting free and discounted summer activities at museums
donation inquiry is a ‘hit job’
George Greenwood, Gabriel Pogrund Emanuele Midolo, Venetia Menzies
Reform UK has instructed its thou- sands of councillors to describe a police inquiry into donations from the mother of George Cottrell as an establishment stitch-up, The Times can reveal.
Leaked internal briefing documents circulated to the party’s representatives in local government included instruct- ions to respond to questions about the Metropolitan Police investigation with: “It is now clear that the establishment will try anything to stop us.”
Councillors were also instructed to respond to questions with: “The British people are tired of the establishment media doing anything they can to stop Reform. A daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning the next general election and fixing broken Britain.”
If you have information to share, you can write to us at insight@sunday- times.co.uk, call us or message us on WhatsApp at +442077825959. Kenya blocks British Army over crime claims
The Met launched a criminal investi-
Charlie Parker
Kenya has stopped the British Army from training troops in the country over allegations that its soldiers have committed murder and sexual assault.
Local lawmakers have refused to ratify a bilateral defence agreement with the UK after seeking changes that would give Kenyan authorities greater powers to prosecute troops who com- mit serious offences.
gation into at least £500,000 of dona- tions made to Reform UK by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of the crypto-gam- bler and convicted fraudster “Posh Ge- orge”, whom an Insight investigation found has secretly been funding Nigel Farage. George Cottrell was reportedly questioned under caution by police in relation to the investigation.
The parliamentary commissioner for standards opened an investigation into Cottrell’s support for Farage, as well as into a previous undeclared £5 million donation from the crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne. The investiga- tions were halted after Farage resigned and called a by-election in his consti- tuency, Clacton, in Essex.
The briefing includes detailed instructions on how to challenge media scrutiny of the party and Farage’s fi- nances, and his relation to Cottrell.
One section told councillors how to address Times revelations about Cot-
renew the existing deal and retain jurisdiction over troops in the country, according to local media.
The dispute has forced the British Ar- my to cancel an exercise at the eleventh hour. The training involved 1st Battal- ion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and was due to begin in September, but will now take place in another country.
trell handing out Reform UK-branded business cards with his name on. “If Ge- orge Cottrell has no role in the party, why does he give out business cards with Nigel Farage’s email address?” the briefing read.
Councillors were told to respond by saying: “George Cottrell is an unpaid volunteer with no formal role at Re- form UK, like many thousands of party members. The business card was de- signed to help donors or other mem- bers of the public easily get in touch with Nigel Farage’s office. It was not in- tended to suggest any formal position or authority.”
In relation to questions about why Farage was inflicting the costs of a by- election on the public, they were told to say: “The cost of a parliamentary by- election to local authorities is reim- bursed by the Treasury. Reform has of- fered to cover the full cost of the by- election, either by directly covering the
In December, a Kenyan parliament- ary committee alleged that troops at the British camp had for decades com- mitted crimes against local people in- cluding murder and “widespread sexual violence”. The report described “an entrenched culture of impunity and institutional negligence” at Batuk.
costs for Tendring district council or by making a voluntary donation to HMRC. The people of Clacton will be the judge of Nigel Farage’s record and political integrity, not the mainstream media or a kangaroo court in parlia- ment. The media and opposition par- ties don’t get to be judge, jury and exe- cutioner.”
Cottrell’s lawyers said he would not comment on his financial affairs or on specific transactions.
A Reform spokesman said: “The Brit- ish people are tired of the establishment media doing anything they can to stop Reform. A daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning the next general election and fixing bro- ken Britain. It’s now clear that the estab- lishment will try anything to stop us.”
serviceman, was arrested in the UK in November and faces extradition to Kenya accused of her murder. He denies the charges and is fighting extra- dition.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The UK highly values its relationship with Kenya, which is un- derpinned by mutual benefit, respect and co-operation ... We will continue to engage closely with the Kenyan government to support the resumption of training in-country.”
wins MI5 and police payouts
A former BBC journalist whose com- munications data was unlawfully ob- tained by MI5 has been awarded £20,000 in damages by a tribunal.
The Security Service previously ad- mitted it breached the rights of Vincent Kearney, now the northern editor at RTÉ, when obtaining the data.
The Police Service of Northern Ire- land (PSNI) and Metropolitan Police also made concessions during proceed- ings brought by Kearney at the Investi- gatory Powers Tribunal (IPT).
Three judges at the IPT awarded Kearney £10,000 in damages from the PSNI and the same award against MI5.
Kearney, who worked as BBC North- ern Ireland’s home affairs correspond- ent between 2006 and 2019, welcomed the judgment, as “a tremendous victory for journalism”. He said the ruling was the first time MI5 had been ordered to pay damages to a journalist.
He began legal action after papers disclosed in the case of documentary- makers Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney had suggested that public bodies, including police forces, had spied on him.
At a hearing in February, Jude Bun- ting KC, for Kearney and the BBC, said there were seven separate police or MI5 operations where the intelligence ser- vices or forces unlawfully obtained the journalist’s or broadcaster’s confiden- tial communications data between 2006 and 2018.
Bunting said Kearney should receive “substantial” damages.
Kaya Burgess Science Correspondent said. This period can be seen as a “gold- en age of linguistic diversity”, but it was “followed by an exceptionally rapid collapse over the past two millennia, as expanding societies increasingly re- placed smaller language communities”.
Tens of thousands of different langua- ges were spoken across the globe at the peak of linguistic diversity, before a great extinction of tongues began that continues to this day, a Harvard study has found.
Between 7,000 and 7,500 different languages are spoken globally today, but almost half of these are endangered due to a paucity of native speakers and at least four die out entirely each year.
It had previously been suggested that the number of languages peaked after the end of the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago, at a time when each hunter-gath- erer tribe may have had its own way of communicating.
A new Harvard study has challenged this view and estimated that there were fewer tongues spoken at the end of that Ice Age than there are today.
“Instead, the number of languages appears to have increased alongside growing human populations, peaking between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago, when the world may have supported tens of thousands of languages,” they
diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary Green Ed saw red, says Balls
Ed Miliband certainly has green credentials, but does he now have green eyes for No 11? The former Labour leader’s right-hand man Ed Balls has said that Miliband would have been “furious and let down” after not becoming chancellor, feeling he had been “promised the job”. Balls thinks Miliband was assuaged not just by the gift of Chevening but also by the choice of his replacement at Energy, Miatta Fahnbulleh, whose green agenda makes Miliband’s look magenta. There are always losers in reshuffles — including Balls, whose wife Yvette Cooper went from the Foreign Office to Health. “She was supposed to be in the Philippines today. Instead she went to Reading,” Balls said on his Political Currency podcast, before he was distracted from the recording by the former foreign secretary “banging about in the kitchen”. He said it was easier when she was in Manila.
blue privilege It has hardly been the honour of our lives this week to hear so many ex-ministers tell us that it has been the privilege of theirs to serve in government. Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Sir Keir Starmer and Lord Hermer all confessed to privilege, while Steve Reed and Natalie Fleet were people of honour. So ubiquitous have these phrases been that some suspect AI was used in drafting resignation letters, although whether that is true or not is privileged information. It makes you yearn for the Tories. Few of their ministers would tell us it has been the privilege of their lives, though some may have
This collapse was not, as previously thought, triggered by the last few centuries of colonialism, but actually began centuries earlier with the spread of more ancient empires.
Some anthropologists believe that early language emerged shortly after the emergence of Homo sapiens, sug- gesting that language is at least 150,000 to 200,000 years old. Others put the date later, at about 40,000 years ago.
Another question is whether language emerged once and spread in different forms across the globe with migration, or whether it emerged inde- pendently and spontaneously in places. “Features such as vocabulary and grammar change too rapidly to be able to link all of the world’s languages to a common original mother tongue,” previous research has noted.
The Bible has stories of how humanity came to speak so many languages. The
said it had been the life of their privilege.
Football is not coming home, but it is playing a role in foreign relations. Andy Burnham has invited his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, below, to come and enjoy an Everton game as both are fans of the Toffees (Carney has cousins from Liverpool). The pair’s shared loyalty makes this a diplomatic open goal, but there is a bumpy history of world leaders watching games together. The 2010 G20 summit was interrupted by a World Cup game, during which Angela Merkel had to apologise to David Cameron: England had been denied an equaliser against Germany despite the ball clearly going over the line. This was awkward, although in the history of Anglo-German diplomacy it was firmly mid-table in the league of tricky moments.
fine way to pay Lord Davies of Brixton, the Labour peer, has urged trade unions that only conduct elections by post to modernise. Surely insisting on an e-ballot is scabbing on posties? But times move on and Davies notes that he now uses his computer to pay for everything from his taxes to less legitimate activities: “I can, regrettably, pay my speeding fines online.”
Some dreams are cut short. Musical theatre actress Elaine Paige says she never wanted to be the star of Evita, Cats and Chess, but rather Centre Court. “I really wanted to be a tennis player,” she tells the Experience is Everything podcast.
It was not to be. “I thought that’s
what I wanted to do ... until my headmistress peered at me across her desk and over her glasses and said, ‘But Elaine
dear, you can’t even see over
the net’. ” The 5ft Paige went on to be a tiny titan of the West End, so perhaps this cruel remark saved her from an unforced error.
Tower of Babel tale recounts a rebellion by Noah’s descendants at a time when all the survivors of the great flood still spoke a common language. They decided to build a tower that reached to the heav- ens to “make a name” and a permanent civilisation for themselves. God decides to put an end to their plans, taking action to “confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech” and then “scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth”.
Harvard researchers looked at data for 171 modern hunter-gatherer socie- ties, using them as a proxy for early human tribes. “Because these small, culturally cohesive groups typically
spoke a single language, the model used their sizes, together with esti- mates of ancient global population, to infer the likely number of lan- guages in the early Holocene [period],” they said. The Harvard models suggested
The Tower of Babel tale tackles pride and why humanity speaks different languages
the great linguistic extinc-
tion began at least one or
two millennia ago. “Great loss of linguis-
tic diversity did not
begin with recent
colonial expansion
but as multina- tional empires first spread along with their languages, pathogens and cul- tures. Thus, extinc- tion has likely played a much greater role in shaping linguistic and cul- tural diversity than thought.”
river hideaway on sale for £1.65m
Sasha Nugara Property Reporter
A pair of islands once used as a secret hideaway by King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson are to go to auction for £1.65 million — almost half the previ- ous asking price.
Going under the hammer with the estate agent Savills on Tuesday, Holm and Hollyhock Islands are situated on the River Thames near Staines.
They were originally put on sale with Kai Carter Estates for £3 million in August 2025, and span a total of about 2.9 acres linked by a footbridge.
Hollyhock Island, the 0.2 acre little sister of the pair, was once home to a hideaway called The Nest which was used by the then Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson during their courtship. The house no longer exists but the re- mains can be seen.
Holm Island, the larger of the two islands, has 2.5 acres of land, with 1,200ft of its own river frontage. There is a 5,000 sq ft five-bedroom detached house with four bathrooms, extensive wraparound balcony space and garag- ing, sold with vacant possession. There is an acre of ancient woodland and scope for further development, subject to planning.
The islands have been in the same ownership for more than 30 years and can be accessed via a gated private driveway, which runs off Wrays- bury Road, which links the mainland.
Holm and Hollyhock were at the centre of the biggest royal scandal of modern times. In 1931 Prince Edward struck up a relationship with the American socialite while she was still married and he was the Prince of Wales. He succeeded to the throne in January 1936 after the death of his father King George V and ruled for less than a year before the relationship threw him into a royal scandal.
The Church of England’s stance at that time prohibited marriage to a person who had a living former spouse, and Simpson had been divorced twice. Edward signed the Instrument of
Abdication on December 10, 1936, which came into effect the next day. The couple then wed at the Château de Candé in Monts, France, on June 3 the following year, which was not attended by any member of the British royal family.
His younger brother took the throne as King George VI, and Edward was granted the title Duke of Windsor.
Ralph Mendes da Costa, a director at Savills, said: “Opportunities to acquire not one but two private islands within
The 5,000 sq ft five-bedroom house on Holm Island, on the River Thames, has smart interiors and a wraparound balcony. Below: Wallis Simpson and Edward
commuting distance of London are extraordinarily rare. Holm Island and Hol- lyhock Island offer a unique combination of privacy, green space and future potential, creating an exceptional oppor- tunity for buyers seeking something truly distinctive.
“Carefully priced to engage the market, the property is expected to attract significant interest ahead of auction. Its exceptional riverside setting, generous proportions and
tool ‘cheated’ in official security test
SAVILLS/SWNS
Lara Bowman
Every advanced AI model tested by British security experts cheated in hacking challenges, attempting to breach the limits set for them.
The government’s AI Security Insti- tute examined five systems produced by OpenAI and Anthropic, and found that every one used at least one for- bidden shortcut.
The challenges were in the digital equivalent of an escape room, known as a “sandbox”. Researchers hid a secret code behind a series of locks and told the AI to find it. The model was allowed to pick the locks but forbidden to break out of the room or search online for the answer. However, some models hunted online for solutions, while others tried to make the testing software reveal the code or attacked computers outside the exercise.
Researchers recorded 475 attempts by each model. Although all the models attempted to skirt the rules, ChatGPT-5.4 flouted them most fre- quently at 14.1 per cent, whereas Claude Mythos Preview had the lowest cheat- ing rate at 7.8 per cent.
The most alarming incident came after researchers accidentally created an impossible challenge.
Rather than give up, an unnamed model “was so persistent” that it wrote code and accessed the public internet to run a computer program targeting the institute’s own systems, prompting a security alert.
scope for enhancement
are likely to appeal to
owner-occupiers, de-
velopers and inves-
No information was obtained and no damage was caused, but the institute said the attempt “could have succeed- ed” if its systems had not been securely designed. Researchers also found that the models did not reliably own up to cheating.
tors alike, subject to
securing the rele-
vant consents.”
The prop- erty will be
offered as lot
61 in an on-
Concerns over AI agents have been raised after an OpenAI system escaped from a supposedly secure test environ- ment and hacked into the US techno- logy company Hugging Face.
line, live- streamed auction on July 28.
OpenAI had placed the system in a sandbox, but it found a way out and broke into Hugging Face while hunting for information that it believed would help it pass another cybersecurity test.
claims most pollution spills may be illegal
Rhys Blakely Science Editor
The retired scientist whose work inspired Dirty Business, the acclaimed television docudrama about the water industry’s failings, has concluded that as many as nine in ten sewage spills at hundreds of sites across the country appear to have been illegal.
Peter Hammond, who was portrayed by Jason Watkins in the Channel 4 drama, analysed discharges from 482 storm overflows operated by water companies across England, Scotland and Wales in 2024 and 2025.
These overflows are intended to act as emergency relief valves during un- usually wet weather, releasing diluted sewage into rivers or coastal waters to prevent it backing up into homes. How- ever, Hammond’s analysis suggests between 80 and 90 per cent of the spills did not occur, as they should, during periods of “heavy rainfall”, defined as 25mm to 30mm within 24 hours.
The same definition for heavy rain- fall was used by the Environment Agency during its investigation of Southern Water, which culminated in the company being fined a record £90 million in 2021 after admitting thousands of illegal sewage discharges.
Hammond said: “The Environment Agency successfully relied upon this methodology during the Southern Water prosecution, where it was accepted by the court as a robust way of determining whether untreated sewage discharges were lawful. If it is robust enough to prosecute one water company, it should be applied consist- ently across the entire industry.”
He called for tougher scrutiny not only of the water firms but also of the Environment Agency and the Depart- ment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, saying: “Both appear to have been essential partners in allowing this behaviour to flourish nationally.”
Hammond, who is part of the cam- paign group Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, compared the timing of re- corded spills with local rainfall figures.
The UK is enjoying a rare “painted lady summer” when huge numbers of the migratory butterflies arrive and breed here, conservationists have said.
Butterfly Conservation, the wildlife charity, is urging members of the public to count the painted ladies they see as part of its annual Big Butterfly Count, which helps experts assess how the insects are faring each year.
The charity said that warm weather across Europe this spring had prompt- ed hundreds of thousands of paint- ed lady (or Vanessa cardui) butterflies — with their distinctive orange, black and white wings — to flock to the UK, with clouds of the insects seen feeding
His study covers an area with a popula- tion of about 39 million people.
The results do not establish that every discharge was unlawful. How- ever, he argues they indicate potential illegality on a far greater scale than so far acknowledged.
For instance, across 64 Thames Water treatment works, the non-com- pliance rate for storm overflow spills appeared to be 95.5 per cent, according to the analysis.
The analysis examined six United Utilities overflows discharging to En- gland’s largest freshwater lake, Winder- mere and its feeder rivers. Even when applying higher rainfall thresholds considered more appropriate for Cum- bria, overall non-compliance ranged from 68 per cent to 77 per cent.
Ash Smith, the founder of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, said: “Wind- ermere has been treated as an open sewer for far too long.”
The water companies have been approached for comment.
An Environment Agency spokesper- son said: “Storm overflows must only operate in rainfall and snowmelt — anything outside of that is a breach and we will always take action. However, to meet the strict legal requirements needed to pursue a criminal conviction we must consider a wide range of fac- tors including specific site and permit conditions, as well as rainfall totals.”
A spokesperson for the trade asso- ciation Water UK said: “Discharges should only occur in exceptional cir- cumstances or if preventing them is technically possible but would involve excessive cost. In any case, we want to end all discharges and are working to end them as fast as we physically can.”
A Scottish Water spokeswoman said: “Scottish Water is unable to comment on the data, analysis, approach or find- ings as we have not received any reports of illegal sewage spills identified by Windrush Against Sewage Pollution.”
Separate data from Surfers Against Sewage show that water companies have discharged sewage into bathing sites for 116,000 hours since May 15. Seventy per cent of the sewage over- flows discharged more than the Envi- ronment Agency says is acceptable. F
and mating in some spots. Their off- spring are now said to be emerging around the country.
The phenomenon happens when the butterflies migrate from sub-Saharan Africa to Europe. Painted ladies com- plete their life cycle in five to eight weeks, so it can take up to six genera- tions to make the annual migration, leaving Africa in the spring to head north and returning once cooler wea- ther settles in Europe.
bubbles to ensure a deep sleep
loating vertically beneath the waves, with their heads pointing either
upwards or down towards the deep, the sleeping habits of sperm whales have long puzzled scientists (Kaya Burgess writes).
Among the questions to have stumped experts is how they maintain their position without floating to the surface or drifting to become horizontal as they sleep.
Marine biologists now
year for painted lady numbers, after 1996 and 2009, but that will depend on the numbers over the com- ing weeks.
Last year in the annual count, people around the UK reported a total of 15,856 painted ladies, but the last time there was a “painted lady sum- mer”, in 2019, the total was more than 420,000.
Butterfly Conservation said this year’s numbers were already signifi- cantly higher than last year, and higher than the same point in 2019, suggesting this year’s summer could dwarf the last one.
Entire pods of sperm whales sleep motionlessly below the ocean’s surface with their heads up and tails down, a behaviour that has puzzled scientists
deeper depths.” Being able to precisely regulate their buoyancy is “crucial as sperm whales are positively buoyant naturally due to the large amounts of spermaceti oil in their heads”, said researchers from the University of St Andrews.
“Additionally, sperm whales are breath-hold divers, if they slowly drift up while resting, the gas in their lungs will slowly expand. Releasing bubbles enables them to counteract the expanding diving gas and achieve neutral buoyancy.”
The whales tend to take naps of no more than 15 minutes at a time, staying within nine metres of the surface and sleeping in pods of five or six.
Working with the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, the team affixed tags to 42 whales using suction cups. These were used to record movement and sound while 17 of the whales were resting. The researchers said: “Clear bubble sounds were recorded by the tags, and animal movement data was used to create a simulation based on tissue density, drag through the water and gas volumes in their body.
“Results from the simulation confirmed that release of bubbles functioned to reduce the whales’ positive buoyancy, enabling them to remain submerged while resting.”
Only two other whale species have been shown to use bubbles as buoyancy regulators: grey and bowhead whales, which release them to control their buoyancy during dives.
have an answer. A study has shown that the whales carefully release bubbles of gas while they snooze to regulate buoyancy.
Humpback whales, by contrast, blow bubbles while capturing prey and during play, while Antarctic fur seals release bubbles continuously as they ascend — but neither uses them for buoyancy regulation.
The study, in the Journal of Experimental Biology, noted: “This position is thought to enable them to sleep effectively by buffering them from surface wave action, while avoiding the costs of transiting to
“The intercontinental migration of painted lady butterflies is a wonder of the natural world and one of the longest insect journeys on the planet.
“The numbers we’re seeing here at the moment have already dwarfed the total number of painted ladies we saw last year, and we’re absolutely delighted.
“With their beautiful pinky-orange, black and white patterned wings, they are one of our most popular species.
Theatre Clive Davis
Trainspotting: The Musical Theatre Royal Haymarket, SW1 (140min) HHHII
It was a squalid realm of drugs, broken glass and petty crime that Danny Boyle evoked in the film version of Trainspotting. Yet he wrapped that vision in a truly distinctive sense of style. Without glamorising heroin in the slightest, he created an alternative universe where anomie ruled.
The musical adaptation that the novelist Irvine Welsh has brought to the Theatre Royal Haymarket doesn’t have anywhere near as much visual panache. The direction by Caroline Jay Ranger — whose credits include the West End adaptation of Fawlty Towers and the musical version of Only Fools and Horses — often seems hesitant, and the climactic piece of streetwise skulduggery is dispatched so briskly that it almost seems as if a scene or two have gone missing.
to school’s plan for Elgar home
And by setting more of the action in a local social club, Welsh gives us an opportunity to get
Still, there is unabashed energy to the performance and the new songs,
Charlotte Alt 7 The Lees would be within permitted development.
Malvern College is embroiled in a row with residents over plans for a building and a redevelopment of a former home of the composer Edward Elgar.
The £20,000-a-term boarding school has submitted proposals to build a pre- paratory school building metres from residential homes in an area of out- standing natural beauty. It plans to build a multi-use games area, a tennis court, play areas, car parking and foot- paths across the 9.6-acre site.
The row comes as the school pre- pares for the arrival of pupils from the Downs Malvern, a linked prep school that has announced plans to move next summer from the nearby village of Colwall into Malvern after facing “headwinds” including the introduc- tion of VAT on private school fees.
Stephen Farmer, 54, an engineer, said residents in the Worcestershire town were concerned about the plans to build in a conservation area. He said: “They clearly seem to be trying to bypass the proper planning procedures. There’s al- so concerns they’re building on Malvern conservation land too. There’s lots of nature and dog walkers. If it’s a conser- vation area why would you be allowed to build a giant modern building?”
Others were concerned about the effect of a car park on traffic and whe- ther adequate surveys had been con- ducted. Mike Winthrop, 73, a retired engineer, lives on College Grove, next to the proposed site. He said: “At the end of our road they’re going to build a car park. We’re going to see a lot of cars parking on the road and it’s already busy for parking. The noise and the in-
co-written by Welsh and the dance music producer Stephen McGuinness, that just about keeps the evening aloft. True, it’s a rough-hewn venture that won’t appeal to musical theatre traditionalists.
I went in fearing the worst, in all honesty, but this is a production that, even if it is never going to supplant the film, at least delivers
creased footfall in people is going to im- pact our lives too.
“All around here is an area of natural outstanding beauty. There’s some rela- tively rare species of animals, of birds in the area too — the more road users and people, the more disruption this causes. I don’t think anyone is against schools per se, but it’s the process of how they are going about it and have altered what was originally planned.”
The school’s plans say the single- storey school building will not exceed six metres (nearly 20ft) in height and will have an internal floorspace of 1,525 sq m. It will include external work to 7 The Lees, where Elgar lived with his wife in 1889, including the demolition of a small observatory, a double garage and three small storage buildings.
moments of communal intensity.
Lewis Kidd had taken over the lead role of Renton — the self-styled “sly observer and rabid participant” — after the original star, Robbie Scott, suffered an injury shortly before the run began. (He’s due to return when the production goes on tour in the autumn.) No one is going to match the steeliness of Ewan McGregor’s
for the works. If the council rules an assess- ment is not required then the school has said it plans to carry out the develop- ment under permit- ted development, rather than via a full planning application.
Other residents have submitted objec- tions to the plans to the council. Adrian Pearson wrote: “This is a major, new con- struction in what is currently an open green space and will have a detrimental impact in many ways on the local area and neighbours.
Malvern College has submitted proposals to build a prep school building near homes in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The plans include external work to 7 The Lees, where Edward Elgar, below, lived with his wife in 1889
screen display, but there’s enough insolent charm to Kidd’s persona.
“My understanding is that in conser- vation areas permitted development rights are much more restrictive, espe- cially anything that changes the exter- nal appearance of a building; moreover, a new school building within the pro- posed site would totally change the character of that area and have a dele- terious effect on wildlife.”
A spokesperson for Malvern College said it had maintained a dialogue with residents since the proposals were first shared in June last year, adding: “The proposed development represents a long-term investment in the future of
education in Malvern. As one
of the town’s largest em-
ployers, Malvern Col-
lege plays an impor-
tant role in the
local community.
At a time when
many independ-
ent schools are facing signifi- cant challenges, we believe it is important to con- tinue investing in education, employ- ment and the future of Malvern.” The spokesperson said it had worked closely with planning, envi- ronmental, regulatory and legal advis- ers, and environmental considerations “will continue to be assessed carefully”.
Frankie O’Connor exudes menace as he grapples with Lewis Kidd in the adaption of the novel by Irvine Welsh, below with his wife Emma Currie on press night
Frankie O’Connor
exudes menace as
to know the elders who watch their offspring descend into addiction and delinquency. Gordon Cooper is particularly affecting as Renton’s father, who has to contend with the death of another son, a soldier serving in Northern Ireland.
As for the new songs, they cover a broader palette than you might have expected. We get a blast of rockabilly and a sliver of finger-snapping jazz as well as the tub-thumping sentiments of Youth Opportunities. Other numbers fizz with punk energy. It’s a pity, though, that the sound levels
mean lyrics aren’t always clear.
Even a fair chunk of the
dialogue escaped me, thanks
to the strong accents, which wasn’t the case with the film.
Begbie, the thug who
spends his life
looking for faces to
punch. Finlay Paul’s
Tommy wins our sympathy as his life falls apart. If you’re a fan of the movie, you’ll be glad to hear that Lou
Reed’s anthem Perfect Day makes the cut. And you may also be
relieved to learn that the infamous toilet scene isn’t quite as graphic this time around.
To Sep 5, trh.co.uk
officer was violent rapist
Marc Horne
A police officer who took his own life this year has been unmasked as a rapist who attacked and attempted to murder women over a 14-year period.
Alan Greer, who was found dead at his home in May aged 47, is being investigated after the force identified evidence of “serious sexual offending”.
A BBC Scotland investigation found that Greer’s first victim was a woman he raped at her home in Glasgow in 2012, after she had reported a crime. She re- ported him late last year, prompting an internal investigation. Detectives have since traced eight more victims.
Greer, who was born in Australia and joined Strathclyde police in 2009, had 17 years of apparently unblemished service. He was arrested on April 24 and officers searched his home near Wish- aw in North Lanarkshire. Seven mobile phones and a laptop were seized.
Greer was suspended after the raid but released without charge, pending further investigation. When he was found dead at home on May 6, no suspi- cious circumstances were identified.
Thousands of violent and explicit videos and images were recovered from Greer’s devices, revealing that he had hired hundreds of sex workers throughout his police career. It is un- derstood that he used pseudonyms to organise sexual encounters.
Officers are not halfway through the files but have identified five sex workers who were seriously sexually assaulted. It is understood that if Greer were alive police would have sought charges of at- tempted murder in some of the cases.
A
Patrick Maguire
@patrickkmaguire
ntonia Romeo has a new desk. And while the cabinet secretary’s grand designs for the British state go well beyond office furniture, this small point of reorganisation tells us quite a bit about Andy Burnham’s young government. As of this week, Romeo has her own seat in No 10’s outer office: the most exclusive patch of administrative real estate on Downing Street. The head of the civil service can work — will work — from just outside the prime minister’s study, whenever she pleases.
As one grand old man of Whitehall notes, not even Jeremy Heywood, the most formidable cabinet secretary of recent history, ever pulled a move like this. But Romeo’s desk in No 10 is the very essence of this new administration and how it intends to reclaim the power that bled slowly from Sir Keir Starmer’s office over two torturous years. The first and most important principle of how our new rulers want the state to work is now simple enough. It’s all about Burnham.
You see it in this week’s changes to the machinery of government. Burnham, unlike his predecessors, is now supported by an Office for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, rather than two separate offices. Out there in the country, he wants to devolve and decentralise. On Whitehall, however, the immediate objective is to empower No 10. The lack of a proper department for the
department for the PM has been answered
prime minister was a perennial criticism of British statecraft — now it has been answered.
As Dan York-Smith, Burnham’s principal principal private secretary, told Downing Street colleagues this week, through the link door between No 10 and 70, Whitehall is a “smaller department” than the unwieldy behemoth of old. The Cabinet Office now controls much less than it once did, some of its bureaucratic functions have been hived off to a new government agency, and what work it now does is “focused on the policy and secretariat functions which support the PM and cabinet”.
It’s a new machine, designed for a new politics. And the politics, and priorities, are just straightforwardly Burnham’s. In his first remarks to No 10 staff on Monday, the prime minister spoke of his desire to change the culture of politics, to pull together as “one team”, to focus on the “North Pole” and not just the
“South Pole”. Those were his priorities, he said, “as prime minister” — another reminder of where the power in the land now lies.
On Tuesday, it was the turn of James Purnell, Burnham’s chief of staff, who joked of returning from “the political wilderness”. He too spoke of the culture of politics and told No 10 of his management mantra: “Agree or refer up”. And when those officials look up to the commanding heights of the new administration, they will see very clear priorities. As Purnell said, Burnham’s first announcements have set the tone for this new era of Labour government. Nothing is
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
more urgent or important than relief on the cost of living.
If the British public is to think anything of its new prime minister at the end of his first 100 days in office, his team want it to be this: Andy gets stuff done. That’s the mission statement in No 10 and it’s clear he knows what he wants to do. When I saw Burnham last week, on the eve of his arrival in Downing Street, he spoke of laying a “long path” to a new economic model — to greater public control of “life’s essentials”. That, he knows, will take a lot longer than seven or even 100 days.
For now the emphasis is on “breathing space”, on “reprioritising” government spending to help a little in the here and now. It’s demonstrative rather than transformative. As he told me, nothing announced this week will solve Britain’s affordability crisis “in the way that everyone wants straight away”. Instead, the point is “showing them that my moves recognise” their everyday frustrations: “Can’t go out for a pint on Friday, can’t go out with the kids, can’t have a holiday”.
Andy wants to get stuff done, in other words, and it’s the stuff you really care about. Those who have observed the prime minister at work this week report an acute, almost obsessive sensitivity to public mood — or at least its representation in the media — most notably on the early release of prisoners he has summarily put on ice.
So we know what the new prime minister wants. It wasn’t always possible to say that of his predecessor. We also know a little of how Burnham intends to realise it all. Hence that new Whitehall machine powered from, and not merely refereed by, No 10. But there’s also the question of culture. And on the past week’s emotional evidence,
Go to thetimes.com/events or use the QR code to register your interest
Chief of staff James Purnell set out the ground rules for the team in No 10
nailing that may yet prove trickier than expected. This is not a happy, united Labour Party. To the losers of this bloodless coup, it does not really feel like — as Burnham said inside No 10 on Monday — they are all pulling together as one team.
Start with the cabinet. Burnham’s inner circle believe they have built a team to make good on his priorities. Indeed, his ministerial choices make them even clearer. Pat McFadden’s survival at work and pensions reflects his desire to press on with meaningful welfare reform. When the new cabinet met for the first time on Tuesday, Burnham said, quite pointedly, that he did not see Lisa Nandy’s beefed-up culture department as a mere Ministry of Fun, but an engine room for the sectors that help Britain live well — a measure of the value this
government places on the things people enjoy.
But from the outside it all looks different. They think it’s a punishment beating. They don’t like that so many cabinet ministers were sacked, or that Bridget Phillipson was demoted. Even though junior ministerial appointments were spread across the party, with as much continuity as change, there are some natural Burnham supporters who feel
old regime are feeling anxious and excluded
let down and screwed over. They feel no obligation to hold their tongues and give No 10 the benefit of the doubt over the difficult questions of policy funding hammered out and debated publicly with some difficulty this week. Survivors from the old regime across government feel anxious and excluded. They know what the prime minister wants, as we all do, but are unsure there are proper answers on how to make it happen, how to pay for it, who’s gripping it.
Right now it feels a little like a mandatory coalition at Stormont, running on froideur and mutual suspicion, and Team Burnham do know it. Hayden Munro, his political secretary, paid tribute to those who have stayed on this week. “I want to be really clear about this,” he texted colleagues. “The only thing I care about is getting this government re-elected. If you’re part of that mission, you’re my comrades and let’s do this.”
It was a nice gesture, much like this week’s policy: sincere, well- meaning, sensitive to everyone’s anxieties. But there’s a lot more to do to make it real.
L
D
Emma Duncan
ast year, as we were gearing up to do some building work on our house, we thought we should put solar panels on the roof. The idea felt both virtuous and, when energy costs are rising, prudent.
The consultant who was helping us through the infinitely complex planning process said it wasn’t worth applying. The only parts of our roof sunny enough to make the investment worthwhile are (just) visible from the road, and his experience told him that since we live in a conservation area, the council (I daren’t tell you which, since we’re about to upgrade the garage and are therefore still at their mercy) would not approve it. We were already worried that we wouldn’t get permission for the other changes we wanted to make, so we decided not to push our luck.
As Andy Burnham seeks ways to help people financially without spending government money, he should look at the planning rules. Loosening them would save householders money, create jobs, increase energy security, mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce the irritation caused by the unnecessary costs and unwarranted intrusion in their lives that the planning process leads to.
I’m not suggesting we should allow people to rip down Georgian
Farewell, our silent, wise furry family therapist
oes society allow us to grieve cats? If so, how? Our dear old Squeaky, queen of tabbies, has gone. I buried her in our garden on a hot Thursday morning a couple of weeks ago with a thank-you note for her extraordinary service, which included “slayer of mice” — the real reason we got her 22 years ago.
There was far more to be grateful for as she was destined for higher office in our house than mere hunting duties. Over the years, she assumed the role of “manager of vibes” and, most importantly, “absorber of sorrows”. Everyone in the family has cry-stroked her at some point: grief, break-ups, health scares — our silent furry therapist saw it all, and knew exactly when to slink into the sadness. Of course, she would return to her resting state of nonchalance between the dramas. “Sorry, do I know you?” was how she would meet any form of enthusiasm,
rectories and replace them with Dallas-style ranch houses at will. If you’ve travelled in countries such as China or Romania that lost much of their architectural heritage in periods of thoughtless modernisation, you’ll be grateful that we have taken more care of ours. The planning system, along with the listed buildings system, has done a good job of protecting lovely places. But there is a trade-off between the urge to preserve and the other ambitions and values that we share as a nation, such as growing the economy and allowing people to do as they please with their property.
The relative weight that we accord these values has changed over time. The Victorians, who demolished 17 of
it’s also the intrusion that seems excessive
It’s not just the costs, it’s also the intrusion that seems to me excessive. The council made our planning permission conditional on our removing all the recessed downlighters (those little round jobs embedded in the ceiling) that a previous owner had installed. Electric lights on pendants don’t seem to me much more Victorian than recessed electric lights, and the damage to our not-very-historic ceiling has already been done; so, given that the public won’t be trooping through our house, I can’t see how the nation benefits from requiring us to take them all out, repair the ceilings and replace them with pendants or wall lights at a cost of thousands of pounds.
Sir Christopher Wren’s churches in the course of the staggeringly impressive developments they undertook, placed too little weight on preserving the past. We place too much on it, and too little on economic growth and householders’ rights.
The costs the planning system imposes are excessive. If you live in a listed building, a conservation area or a block of flats — that’s nearly a third of the population — you have to apply for planning permission for a wide range of home improvements, such as replacing single-glazed windows with double-glazed ones. Applying is itself expensive. As well as the standard £548 planning application fee, people who are not experienced in navigating
especially from the dog, 17 years her junior. The last time we stroked her might have been the first time the stroking was entirely for her benefit.
I know exactly where she is — three feet under a paving stone, wrapped in a favourite T-shirt (mine, not hers you understand) like mummified Egyptian royalty. Yet, I keep expecting her to appear at the cat flap, or leave a small pee puddle by the front door — a frustrating but forgivable habit since she was 104 in human years. Is this cat grief? It feels like a strange sense of vacancy. I mean, who’s at the helm in our house now? It’s definitely not the dog. Playing dirty I
f you think audience behaviour in British theatres is bad, try Broadway. During a trip to New York recently I saw David Auburn’s play Proof, starring two celebrities — Ayo Edibiri (you’re most likely to know her from the hit television show The Bear) and veteran Hollywood actor Don Cheadle. I don’t know how these brilliant actors keep the fourth wall intact
the system often employ planning consultants, at a cost of thousands of pounds. They may well be refused permission. For some, that’s not just an irritation, but a big deal financially. Plenty of farmers and other small businesses in the countryside have outbuildings on which solar panels could generate extra income.
We did not, of course, argue: planning and conservation officers enjoy too much discretion for one to want to tangle with them. That’s part of the trouble with the system: it’s applied differently by different officers in different places. I’ve dealt with a few, and found those in Exmoor National Park (national parks have planning powers) to be sensible and pragmatic, balancing householders’ desire for comfort and efficiency with the need to protect old buildings; elsewhere, not so much.
Rules that discourage or prevent people from making these investments aren’t just annoying, they also
when the audience whoops and claps the moment a famous performer steps on stage. “They’re cheering because
they’re on telly,” my New York
friend whispered. Meanwhile,
the ushers wandered in and
out during the performance,
allowing street sounds into the auditorium every time
they opened a door.
Absolute beasts. Let’s
hope these norms are not heading our way. Loaf changer ‘I
t changed our life”; “I wish we’d done it years ago”; “How did we exist without it?!” Guess what these reviewers — various friends of mine — are talking about? No, it’s not GLP-1 jabs, it’s the acquisition of a garden sofa — something you now see on many middle-class urban patios, especially
since the recent
heatwaves. My friends spend evenings on comfortable, weather- resistant seating, staring at solar-powered festoon lights the way we looked at Netflix not so long ago. I took advantage of the summer sales and my own life-changing
undermine two important national goals, embodied in the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) scheme: to improve energy security and to cut carbon emissions. By installing double-glazed windows and solar panels homeowners can improve their EPC rating, but planning regulations mean that some people aren’t allowed to and the costs mean that some don’t bother.
This is having a measurable impact. According to a study the LSE carried out a few years ago, households inside conservation areas were less likely to invest in energy-saving measures than those outside. The impact on their energy bills was an average of £400 a year in today’s money.
Freeing up the planning system should be an easy win. Councils can change the rules themselves, or — far better — the government could legislate to liberate householders everywhere. Kensington and Chelsea has shown the way. Its council has ruled that householders don’t need planning permission either to fit double-glazed windows, so long as the new ones look like the old ones, or to install solar panels, so long as their roofs don’t face the road. I believe it’s the only council that has done so, though I am happy to be corrected by readers who are the beneficiaries of similarly liberal regimes.
“We just think planning needs to be easier for people,” says Johnny Thalassites, the council’s lead member for planning. “Where there are changes you want to make to improve the performance of your home — let’s get out of the way.” I feel like putting that sentiment on a poster and marching to Downing Street.
three-seater has arrived. I too am acting like my backyard is a gastropub garden where we languish, snacking and sipping all the way to bedtime. Of course the reason we didn’t think of it before is that climate change hadn’t kicked in so hard that we could be outside in T-shirts past 10pm. But the bigger question is, where the heck is everyone storing the cushions? I need at least one child to move out before the rain comes. Epic achievements I
can’t fault Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey, and nor has anyone so far — not convincingly. Critics are clutching at straws. The Cut magazine’s big take, for example, was “Is no one horny in The Odyssey?” My only real issue (apart from poor Tom Holland’s Claire’s Accessories crown and the 327 referrences to Zeus’s law) was the sense of personal failure I felt as I left the cinema. Nolan’s multi-awardwinning Oppenheimer only came out in 2023, which feels like six months ago to anyone over 50.
What have you been up to while he has been turning Homer into a three-hour Hollywood epic? Been to the office, ordered more stuff from Amazon, walked the dog, read some books. Not much? Me neither.
stock market would be good for football Ken Costa F
ifa has an image problem. Few fans will have noticed, but among the 80,000 spectators who watched the World Cup final on Sunday was a notable absence. Aleksander Ceferin, the president of Uefa, European football’s governing body, boycotted the event in protest at what he sees as a lack of integrity on the part of Fifa, the sport’s governing body, which runs the World Cup.
While it didn’t prevent the tournament from being a success, enjoyed by 1.5 billion viewers globally, it is harmful to the game to have a governing body that is widely perceived to be unfit for purpose. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Fifa should improve its image by becoming a publicly listed company, bringing itself under the cleansing light of a more transparent governance structure. Floating Fifa on the stock market would raise large sums to invest in the global game.
I know many football fans will recoil at the idea of Fifa becoming a company. Corporate owners of English football clubs have been blamed for increasing ticket prices. But at present Fifa is not serving fans, only the opaque oligarchy that runs it. Since it was founded in 1904, Fifa has been a not-for-profit organisation owned by 211 national football associations. Whether fair or not, its paternalist structure has opened it up to corruption, with a small number of officials charged with distributing its riches to favoured projects around the world.
The UK led the way in demutualising companies and other globally owned entities, including Reuters, which was once owned by the world’s press associations. As an investment banker I have seen at close hand the benefits of these incorporations. In World Cup years Fifa’s revenue exceeds $16 billion. As a company, Fifa would have a market value of tens of billions of dollars. A tranche of shares could be retained by the 211 national football associations and individual clubs, giving them a reliable stream of dividends — money they themselves could choose how to spend. They wouldn’t have to curry favour with Fifa officials as they currently have to do.
Another tranche of shares could be allocated to be sold to fans around the world, with a global champion of fandom led, say, by Sir David Beckham. This would make Fifa more responsive to supporters and raise billions for an immediate cash injection. As a company, Fifa would be subject to corporate law and less open to accusations of favouritism.
The World Cup was, in the main, a fine display of professionalism on the field. It is about time that international football became more professional off the field too.
T
Hostility to AI is uniting US left and right
Gerard Baker
@gerardtbaker
here are few things the governors of Texas and New York agree on. The Lone Star State’s Greg Abbott is a rock-ribbed conservative Republican, who likes tough immigration controls, wants state schools to post the Ten Commandments in their buildings and has signed legislation to make Texas a “second amendment sanctuary state”, to protect Texans from overburdensome restrictions on their right to carry firearms more or less as and where they wish.
The Empire State’s Kathy Hochul is a progressive Democrat who has made her state a safe haven for any woman seeking an abortion, has backed legislation to block state police from co-operating with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agents and has signed laws with aggressive renewable energy mandates to eliminate petrol- powered cars by 2035.
Texas hasn’t picked a Democrat since 1976. But in the past month, one thing has brought these deepest of red and blue state partisans to the same place: hostility to the most rapidly growing technology building programme in modern history.
In late June, Abbott told an appreciative audience in Cherokee County, which voted 80 per cent for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, that Texas would not tolerate the construction of the data centres that power the artificial intelligence boom in large swathes of the state.
“We must prohibit them from building AI data centres in rural Texas neighbourhoods,” Abbott said of the technology companies building the facilities, adding that the issue “dovetails right into fighting for East Texas values”.
Last week, Hochul announced that New York would become the first state in the country to impose a moratorium on the construction of “hyperscale” data centres. “New York has always been at the forefront of innovation and change but we’ve also always guaranteed that New Yorkers benefit,” she said. “As data centre development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead.”
Abbott are running for re-election in their states this year, and while neither looks particularly threatened by their political opposition, they are not taking any chances on an issue that — almost uniquely — unites a polarised country.
A recent Gallup poll found that 71 per cent of Americans oppose the construction of data centres in their area to support AI technology. On its face this looks simply like a case of classic nimbyism, the natural “not in my back yard” human aversion to having large, inconveniencing and unprepossessing facilities built in your own little corner of God’s country. As with electric power lines, maximum security prisons or sewage treatment facilities, everyone wants the services provided by these places, but few want them operating anywhere near where they live.
But the AI data centre hostility seems especially virulent and widespread. That same Gallup poll found that, by comparison, only 53 per cent of Americans oppose the construction of a nuclear power plant in their neighbourhood.
The popular opposition is driven by — but goes well beyond — the particular impact of the data centres being built by the likes of Google, Amazon and Meta, and it’s not just because of unease at the local environmental impact. The explosion of data centre construction across the
US in the past few years has placed a growing strain on water and energy usage, with typically higher utility costs for local customers. A 2024 Department of Energy report estimated that these centres accounted for more than 4 per cent of nationwide electricity usage, a share expected to rise to as much as 12 per cent by 2028.
Many states have already passed laws requiring the big tech companies to pay for the additional community costs of their giant constructions, and with significant land and property tax obligations and local employment opportunities, the companies claim they are in many places more than covering the impact of their operations. But even if the public are ultimately spared the additional costs associated with these plants, they are serving to generate a much wider backlash against the tech giants that now dominate the US economy and society like few businesses have in history.
AI alarmism is becoming the grist for populist politics. One of Wall Street’s financial titans told me recently he fears that AI will vastly increase income and wealth inequality in the US. The skills and capabilities needed to use AI effectively will be concentrated among a tiny subset of Americans. The returns on investment in tech companies themselves and in the
wider corporate sector that will benefit from rapid AI-driven productivity improvements will accrue massive rewards for the owners of capital. Meanwhile, tens of millions of regular jobs will be lost, replaced by machines.
This may be too bleak. AI may initially be more disruptive than previous waves of technological innovation but history suggests that the productivity enhancements of such innovation end up benefiting everyone.
The immediate political impact, however, is likely to be huge. Americans already deeply mistrust tech companies over what is seen as their baleful influence in the lives of children hooked on social media and the wider impact of “attention- fracking” of human minds caused by the ubiquity of their technologies.
AI alarmism in fact seems to fit well with the populist spirit of the age, entrenching public suspicion of the power of the richest and intensifying hostility to the elites who control business, politics and culture, and whose technology is rapidly transforming the lives of the powerless. As one political scientist put it to me recently: “The message from tech companies to regular Americans is twofold: ‘We have created a technology that is going to replace God, and will then take your job away. How do you like that?’”
social care reform
Sir, Sonia Sodha provides an excellent survey of the state of social care provision for the elderly (“Social care reform is Burnham’s biggest test”, comment, Jul 23). However, she could also have suggested extensions to inheritance tax as a fair and just means of funding a national care service. Inheritance tax is not paid by the deceased. It is paid by their heirs. Extending inheritance tax and making it less easily avoidable would share the burden more equitably between the heirs of people who died without delving into their estates to finance their care, and those who inherit estates severely depleted by having funded care costs. Perhaps a tax of 10 or 20 per cent on estates worth between £100,000 and the present threshold of £325,000 might be considered. At the same time there might be a fresh look at taxing inherited farms and other family businesses, perhaps only applying the tax if the business were sold by heirs rather than carried forward. Alan Fairs Bewdley, Worcs
Sir, Further to Sonia Sodha’s excellent column, I recall the first time, as a young reporter, that an MP told me his government needed to get an urgent grip of the adult social care crisis. It was in 1989. Like the new prime minister, that MP had a parent with dementia. He was struggling to meet the cost on an MP’s salary. Naively I thought this meant it would be sorted for my parents. Today I doubt it will be fixed for me. Kate Ironside Biddenham, Beds
Sir, We have long known that social care provision is in need of attention, but Sonia Sodha’s article highlights a particularly glaring inequity: the differential pricing for self-funders and those whose care is paid for by local authorities. When so many of the former see the value of their estates rapidly reduced, why should they in effect bail out state provision for those who have failed to plan, or been unable to save, for their own care? Either differential pricing should be made illegal, or there should be separate care homes. Stuart Southall East Horsley, Surrey
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clarifications
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Sir, Andy Burnham is right to recognise pubs and music venues as being at the heart of their communities (“Andy Burnham cuts business rates for pubs and clubs”, Jul 23). But so are theatres, and they have once again been left out. Local theatres support town centres, provide education and community programmes, and bring audiences into pubs, restaurants and shops. For every £1 spent on a theatre ticket, another £1.40 is spent in the local economy. Theatres are also highly labour-intensive and have been hit particularly hard by the increase in employer national insurance contributions. If the purpose of business-rates reform is to support the institutions that people value and that strengthen the places in which they live, excluding theatres while giving pubs and music venues a further cut makes little economic or civic sense. Patrick Gracey Theatre producer, London W6
Sir, In arguing that pubs need help to save “working-class culture” (thetimes.com, Jul 23), Andy Burnham is using outdated and divisive language. It is true that there are not as many pubs as there used to be but pubs actually employ more people
Steering the state in that election one needed to be 21. Consequently, those who are living and did so must be at least 100 but more likely older. Timothy Straker KC London WC1
Sir, Daniel Finkelstein’s article reminding us of the argument of the New Democrats in the 1990s that the state should “steer, not row” — ie, ensure provision and set standards but not be the provider of services — is timely (“ ‘Neoliberalism’ was good enough for Blair”, Jul 22). This is precisely the model that most European healthcare systems follow. They don’t follow the monopoly provision model of the NHS, since they, quite rightly, recognise that monopoly provision of healthcare is bound to be more expensive, less efficient and captured by union interests compared with multiple providers. If Andy Burnham wants social care to follow the NHS model, that does not bode well and Yvette Cooper would do well to take note. Marion Brown Swanland, E Yorks
Sir, Daniel Finkelstein says, in effect, that Andy Burnham cannot intend a return to the Labour Party of 1945 because one would have to be nearly 100 to have voted in that general election. This is wrong. To have voted
from the times july 24, 1926
The progress of the cinematograph in Japan has been remarkably rapid. Cinemas are to be found in scores of cities and towns, and most smaller places have them too. The films that are shown in them appear to be more than 90 per cent American in origin. Even where the signs of Western influence are few — petrol and electric lighting among them — there is to be found a cinema. Audiences are large, enthusiastic, wondering. Their appetites are sharpened by the flamboyant cinema supplements that some of the newspapers publish.
overall than they used to. One of the reasons is that most pubs now offer food, along with table service. This requires more staff as pubs are now more like restaurants, which makes the prime minister’s argument for not helping restaurants very weak. It is about time that he looked at everyone equally rather than particular groups of the population or specific regions. I’m not an admirer of Boris Johnson, but if he decided to open government offices in Bournemouth or Norwich, there would have been an outrage. Why Manchester, and not Newcastle or Birmingham? The prime minister seems to think he is a president. Chris Kessell York
Sir, Details of how the economic measures announced by Andy Burnham — a VAT cut on electricity, a £2 cap on bus fares and a 20 per cent cut in business rates for pubs — will be funded have been (at best) extremely sketchy. If these were so easy to implement, why on earth did Sir Keir Starmer not authorise them himself to save his own premiership?
Burnham appears to be following the path of Liz Truss, who opted for a series of unfunded tax cuts in her
Sir, Peter Hain’s observations about the triple lock (Thunderer, Jul 22; letters, Jul 23) are timely, and indeed he could have pointed to other reasons that reform is overdue. The triple lock offers the best protection to the youngest pensioners, but much less for the over-75s, and doesn’t cover the poorest at all. The full £241.30-a-week new state pension, for those who reached pension age after 2016, is triple-locked, but for older people only the £184.90-a-week basic state pension is covered, and means- tested pension credit is tied only to earnings. Of course the state pension’s value must be safeguarded, but if politicians admit that the present system does not work well, reform could herald a less expensive and fairer system for the future. Baroness Altmann Former pensions minister
To those who still retain some sentimental regard for things eastern in the East the unchecked and apparently uncheckable inroad of the film is a saddening sight. Most towns of any size in Japan have a theatre street that is known by that name. By night these streets are among the places sought by all tourists and thronged to overcrowding by natives, for the Japanese never wearies of his theatre; nor should he for its traditions are well founded, and its art is superb. Yet neither tradition nor native art has withstood the invasion of the reel. Thus to-day many a theatre street is in fact a film street. The lights remain and with the aid of electricity have become more brilliant and more numerous. The fantastic lanterns of red and white swing from porch and balustrade and bamboo pole as before, but the nature of the illuminant within them has changed. The theatre bills, written in huge and most decorative red and black
disastrous mini-budget of 2022. The only difference is that Truss insisted that unfunded tax cuts would pay for themselves through higher growth. This did not end well as financial markets forced her out of office. It is early days for Burnham but economic history has the bad habit of repeating itself. Professor Costas Milas University of Liverpool Management School
Sir, Each day we read that the hospitality sector is on its knees and needs government support. I recently attempted to organise a family lunch for ten adults to celebrate my birthday, with a budget of about £1,000. I contacted several venues with small private rooms. Many didn’t respond. One suggested a minimum charge of £3,500 and another asked for £6,000 just to reserve a room, with food and drink costs to be added. One local hotel appeared enthusiastic but when I tried to confirm a booking and offered to pay a deposit, I received no response, despite visiting the venue in person on two occasions. Is it any wonder the sector is struggling? Brendan Russell Esher, Surrey
Sir, It is clear that, sooner or later, the triple lock will have to go. In view of the parlous state of the economy, it should most definitely be sooner. However, if the government were to increase the tax-free allowance for pensioners, this would at least provide some compensation for those of us with small extra incomes who find ourselves paying more tax. Jerry Phillips Isfield, E Sussex
Sir, Jeremy Claydon (letter, Jul 23) rightly says the reason for the early release of serious offenders is the failure to build prisons. That said, 40 per cent of inmates are in prison for non-violent offences, so why are violent and sexual offenders having their sentences reduced at all? Some discount for good behaviour is clearly necessary for discipline, but the public will feel much safer if sentencing is left to the judges, who will have given full consideration to the propensity to reoffend, as well as justice for victims, rather than to impulsive politicians. His Honour Barrington Black London NW3
characters on long strips of white cotton, still flutter in the warm night wind, but the titles they display are different.
Fairbanks is on the screen in the part of D’Artagnan. The wooden- shod audience clatters to its places. Some of the people sit in chairs, some on the floor in native fashion. There may be an orchestra of sorts. There is food in plenty, and the fluttering girls in the cinema carry hither and thither sweetmeats and fruit and bottles of ramune that are sold much more swiftly than chocolates in the London movie theatre. Life in highly seasoned slices and captions in strange characters chase one another across the screen. The heat is probably terrific, and there is very little to be done about it unless one is dressed in the manner of the country.
Sir, Your leading article (“Big Auntie”, Jul 22) is entirely right: the BBC should no longer be publicly funded to compete with commercial interests. In fairness to the corporation’s policymakers, it has long been the belief that a public broadcaster should cater for a wide range of tastes to “justify the taking of public money”. But those same policymakers have been lamentably slow in recognising that the world has changed. As delivery of entertainment to homes has fragmented from a handful of sources to literally thousands, it has become clear that what is missing is enough trustworthy news and current affairs, deeply researched and free of commercial bias. The BBC should be required to step away from competing in the wrong genres and use a slimmed-down licence fee, possibly topped up with voluntary subscriptions, to concentrate on depth and quality. What has often led it in the wrong direction is a mission to compete for young viewers; it will not win that battle. Julian Mounter Former director-general, TVNZ, and managing director, Channel Seven, Australia, and Star TV, Hong Kong
Sir, Your leading article on the BBC licence fee overlooks the interests of viewers. Millions have recently watched coverage from Wimbledon and the World Cup without the intrusion of advertisements, by a large margin when given the choice on the football final. They will do so again throughout the Proms season. Jonathan Martin Former controller of BBC TV sport; Castlemorris, Pembrokeshire
Sir, Gary Lineker and his fellow millionaires would surely be better advised to give their money away within the long tradition of philanthropy rather than pleading for higher taxation, which would interfere with other millionaires’ freedom to deal with their own money as they wish (“Gary Lineker begs Burnham: Tax us super-rich more”, thetimes.com, Jul 23). Peter Ince Stetchworth, Cambs
Sir, As a recent arrival in the east Kent countryside I have noted that, in the lanes around our village, the vast majority of people drive at a very conservative 20mph to 25mph, even when the speed limit is 60mph. I prefer such self-restraint to the imposition of limits. There is something very uplifting about the courteous and practical driving culture in our area. Even young people, who are frequently slandered as careless drivers, show huge respect for other road users by cutting their speed and by being generous when navigating tight passing points. Perhaps the Fogles (Times2, Jul 22; letter, Jul 23) are in the wrong county. Will Holdaway Goodnestone, Kent
Sir, Struggling with the Times cryptic crossword a few weeks ago, I asked AI (letters, Jul 23) for help — only to be assured that “the perfect anagram for nationsmen is sentimental”. I think it has some way to go. Jenny Kenyon London SW9
Daily Universal Register
UK: Trade statistics, including breakdown of exports and imports by country; monthly retail sales figures.
Nature notes
Many plant names are full of folkloric significance. Ragged-Robin was thought to be a favourite of mischievous hobgoblins; Robin Goodfellow was another name for Shakespeare’s Puck. Foxglove is probably a corruption of folkglove; the folk being fairies. More down-to-earth plant names can be just as poetic. Take common restharrow. With its floaty pink flowers and delicate-looking stems, at first glance this member of the pea family might seem easy to uproot. But its name shows its inner strength. The roots of common restharrow are so tenacious that the plant would bring the farmer’s weeding harrow to a standstill. The alternative spelling wrestharrow tells an even more dramatic tale — the plant would wrest the harrow from the farmer’s hands. jonathan tulloch
Birthdays today
Danny Dyer, pictured, actor, Foyle’s War (2002), EastEnders (2013-23), Rivals (2024-26), 49; Sir John Bond, chairman, Glencore Xstrata (2011- 13), 85; Julia Bradbury, broadcaster, Countryfile (2004-14), 56; Sir Julian Brazier, minister for Reserves (2014-16), 73; Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, 45; Lynda Carter, actress, Wonder Woman (1975-79), 75; Carol Chell, TV presenter, PlaySchool (1966-88), 85; Sir Trevor Chinn, chairman, Automobile Association (2004-07), 91; Prof Frank Close, theoretical physicist, The Infinity Puzzle (2012), 81; Catherine Destivelle, first woman to make a solo ascent of the north face of the Eiger, 66; Lynval Golding, musician, the Specials and Fun Boy Three, 75; Lord (Jonathan) Hill of Oareford, European commissioner for financial stability (2014-16), 66; Martin Keown, footballer, Arsenal (1984- 86, 1993-2004) and England (1992-2002), 60; Jennifer Lopez, singer, and actress, 57; Lt- Gen HR McMaster, US national security adviser (2017-18), 64; Madeline Miller, novelist, Circe (2018), 48; Tim Montgomerie, co-founder, Centre for Social Justice, comment editor, The Times (2013-14), 56; Richard Morrison, chief culture writer for The Times, 72; Elisabeth Moss, actress, Mad Men (2007-15), 44; Anna Paquin, actress, True Blood (2008-14), 44; Lord (David) Simon of Highbury, chief executive, BP (1992-95), minister for trade and competitiveness in Europe (1997-99), 87; Josh Simons, Labour MP for Makerfield (2024- 2026), 33; Lord (Chris) Smith of Finsbury, chancellor of the University of Cambridge, master, Pembroke College, Cambridge (2015- 25), 75; Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill, a maid of honour to Elizabeth II at her coronation, 97; Quinlan Terry, architect, Brentwood Cathedral (1989-91), 89; Lawrence Tomlinson, founder, LNT care home group, 62; Gus Van Sant, film-maker, Good Will Hunting (1997), 74.
On this day
In 1959 the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and the US vice-president Richard Nixon engaged in a heated debate during the American National Exhibition in Moscow.
The last word
The government’s early release scheme to ease overcrowding in the prison estate is now asking too much of victims. It is right that the plan is paused and re-examined
PC Andrew Harper was killed in 2019, aged 28, in the line of duty. He had responded to a report of a quad bike theft in rural Berkshire, but got caught up in the tow rope of the thieves’ getaway car. The young police officer was then dragged along a country road, sustaining fatal injuries. His teenage killers, who had a history of criminality, claimed they did not know he was attached to the vehicle, but the judge rejected their denials as “clearly false”. All three were convicted of manslaughter.
PC Harper had been married for only four weeks. His widow, Lissie Harper, successfully cam- paigned for “Harper’s Law”, introducing mandato- ry life sentences for anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker who is on duty. Given that it could not be applied retrospectively, it left the sen- tences of his killers unchanged. But the family’s or- deal did not end there. Debbie Adlam, PC Harper’s mother, recently received a letter from the Minis- try of Justice: it informed her that two of her son’s killers, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, could be let out of prison just halfway through their sentences under a new early release scheme. The outcry from the family, and the wider public, has now compelled Andy Burnham, the prime minister, to stall preparations for the early release of prisoners across England and Wales from September 2.
Tactical games should be avoided in the tinderbox of the Middle East
President Trump, intent on blocking Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb, is offering to co-operate with one of Tehran’s arch-rivals, Saudi Arabia, on a deal that many fear would eventually allow it to enrich its own uranium. The US president may have conceived this plan with an eye to creating a new balance of power in the Middle East, an Arab wall of deterrence against the malign calculations of the mullahs. Instead, he has raised the curtain on a new act of turmoil and tension in the region.
As usual, the president sought to fend off criti- cism with a social media post that did not quite tell the whole story. The deal, he said, “pertains only to non-military use” and would be “totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords”. Mr Trump was re- ferring to accords linking western-leaning Middle Eastern states and Israel in a mutual recognition that Iran, with its multiple proxy armies, is a threat to the neighbourhood. The cornerstone of the Abraham alliance would be the participation of the wealthy and influential Saudi Arabia: this has become a focus of American diplomacy. But Riyadh has resisted signing up as long as Israel de-
The Japanese prime minister needs to treat herself to some quality shut-eye
Sanae Takaichi, the first female prime minister of Japan, is a very accomplished woman. Variously a drummer, motorcyclist, petrolhead, scuba diver, TV host, author, administrator and caregiver, Ms Takaichi performs at a high level despite the remarkably minimal time she spends asleep. This week she revealed that since taking office last October, she had been getting by on “zero to three hours per night”. Although on Monday, a public holiday in Japan, she indulged herself with a luxurious five-hour kip, celebrating the lie-in by catching up on accumulated laundry.
It is right that Mr Burnham, in conjunction with the new justice secretary, Alex Norris, should ur- gently revisit the detail of this policy. The version of the early release scheme set to be enacted in September has travelled a worrisome distance from the emergency response undertaken in 2024 after the catastrophic extent of the lack of capacity in the prison estate first became clear.
At that point the number of available spaces for male prisoners had fallen below 100 for the first time. The justice system was hurtling towards total gridlock, in which the police could have been unable to make arrests, or the courts to send dangerous offenders to jail. Faced with such a dire possibility, Shabana Mahmood, the justice secre- tary at the time, enacted an emergency early re- lease scheme that excluded prisoners jailed for sexual offences, serious violence, domestic abuse or terrorism. Such safeguards were considered a necessary part of a difficult pact with an uneasy public, who were being asked to accept the deeply unpalatable to avert the utterly unthinkable.
More than 56,000 prisoners were released early under emergency capacity measures before the Sentencing Act came in this year. But the act — which followed recommendations from David Gauke, the former Conservative justice secretary
nies full independent statehood to Palestinians. The offer of US collaboration on a civilian nuclear programme, and the hint that it would open the way for defence guarantees, were calculated to bring Riyadh into alignment with other Abraham states and perhaps award it special status. One existing Abraham member, the United Arab Emirates, receives nuclear technology from the United States and generates almost a quarter of its power from nuclear reactors. The UAE deal was strictly underpinned by pledges that stopped the Emiratis enriching their own uranium or reproc- essing nuclear fuel waste: both possible pathways to a bomb. The details are vague on the Saudi agreement, but it seems Riyadh is still some way from joining the Abraham club and may not be ready to sign UAE-style undertakings. The future governance and rebuilding of Gaza remain central to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Riyadh’s calculus could be affected by the out- come of Israeli general elections in October.
In the meantime, Mr Trump’s nuclear ploy seems a half-baked idea. The compelling reason for stopping Iran getting a nuclear bomb is that
a country grappling with a culture of overwork, Ms Takaichi is setting a bad example. The Land of the Rising Sun (and the PM must have witnessed a fair few of those) has just recorded a new high in the number of people receiving compensation for death or illness related to working excruciatingly long hours. Last year there were 145 instances of karoshi, or death from overwork, often by suicide. The gruelling nature of employment in Japan was recognised as a major health issue decades ago. Numerous initiatives to alleviate the problem have failed. Ms Takaichi’s pride in her own sleep- deprived lifestyle isn’t helping.
— contains fewer safeguards on the categories of prisoner eligible for early release. Before Mr Burn- ham pressed the pause button, those convicted of some violent or sexual offences were on track for release halfway through their sentences rather than two thirds, subject to monitoring and tagging. It is this that prompted strong warnings from victims’ groups and domestic abuse cam- paigners. They included the former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, who argued that promised victim support measures had not yet been put in place. The government, locked in process, appeared largely deaf to their concerns.
The British justice system inhabits a form of permacrisis. It has been steadily degraded by decades of inertia, reflected in the culpable failure to build enough prison places, punctuated by bursts of institutional vandalism, such as Chris Grayling’s ill-fated probation reforms. The UK badly needs more prisons, built faster; better re- habilitation for inmates; and more efficient proba- tion services. Although some such work is under way, the monumental turnaround will take time. Yet outrage over PC Harper’s killers has rightly re- minded the government that the tolerance of vic- tims is not infinite. Mr Burnham must now navi- gate a testing path through the political fallout.
such an outcome could result in and legitimise a broader nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Pro- viding civilian nuclear pathways — even if they do no more than diversify Gulf economies — opens the way for the involvement of Russia, China and even Pakistan. And if some states, such as the UAE, are going to be bound by prohibitions against domestic uranium enrichment while Sau- di Arabia may not be, a two-tier Middle East alli- ance will be created, complicating any unified containment of Iran. Israel, itself an undeclared nuclear state, has been marginalised in the Saudi negotiations. Despite some supportive statements from Israel yesterday, it is plain that it does not feel safer. If a Saudi nuclear programme pushes Iran over the edge, rather than deterring bombmakers in Tehran, or if the US supplies F-35 fighters to Turkey, then Israel will be on the back foot.
But the overriding concern about the Trump manoeuvring is over the future of nuclear non- proliferation. It was once the benchmark of the global order, a measure of a state’s good behaviour, and the higher goal of statecraft. Now it looks as if it is being set aside for fleeting tactical gain.
To state the obvious, persistent lack of sleep is injurious to physical, mental and emotional well- being. Insomnia increases the risk of heart dis- ease, type 2 diabetes and depression. Immune functions and mood regulation are impaired. Memory, alertness and good judgment suffer. Be- sides these detriments, a wealth of medical evi- dence suggests a link between a lack of sleep in middle age and cognitive decline in later life. Ms Takaichi’s heroine is the tireless Margaret Thatch- er, whose meagre four hours of sleep a night may have contributed to dementia in her final decade. Ms Takaichi, 65, should get her head down.
26 Friday July 24 2026 | the times World
reels from aftershocks a month on
government bulldozers threaten the search for bodies, Stephen Gibbs reports from La Guaira
When twin earthquakes struck Venez- uela on June 24, Javier Navarro’s world collapsed. That evening, nine members of his family were in the same public housing block in La Guaira known as OPP 26. As the ground began to shake just after 6pm, the supporting pillars in- side the building snapped — and the 12-storey construction, as well as five identical towers alongside it, were flat- tened in seconds.
“I lost my mother, grandmother, sis- ter, daughter, grandson, stepfather and three nephews,” a still-dazed Navarro told The Times as he sat in the shadows of the destroyed complex, one month after the disaster that has left more than 5,300 dead and another 21,000-plus people homeless.
The builder, who was working in Car- acas on the day of the quakes, is now on a mission to retrieve bodies from the bowels of the building before govern- ment bulldozers level the site. “The worst thing would be to live with the guilt that I didn’t have the courage to get them,” he said. “We are not leaving anyone behind.”
His work is staggeringly dangerous. With no safety equipment and barely any tools beyond borrowed ham- mers and pickaxes, he and his team — many of them rake- thin teenagers — have carved out tunnels in the dark deep under the rubble as they head towards the ruins of the two apartments where his relatives lie. Navarro has so far recovered the bodies of his mother, grandmother and stepfather.
Similar stories of des- perate efforts to retrieve the dead are repeated hun- dreds of times among the survivors still swarming around the rubble. All in- sist they will not leave until their task is done. Many complain they have been working for weeks without any government help.
the frail figure of Gabriela López, 36. The former civil servant was quietly coping with her own, almost unspeaka- ble, tragedy.
On June 24, she lost her mother and all four of her young children. Through her own efforts and those of her neigh- bours, she has found three bodies over the past month. She softly gave their names, using the present tense. “Anto- nieta, who is four, Anthony, who is six, and Gabriel, who is 15.” The body of her eight-year-old daughter was still under the rubble. “I haven’t had time to cry, I haven’t had time to grieve,” she said.
The devastation found in every cor- ner of the ruins of OPP 26 is in stark contrast to the mood a decade ago, when the final apartment keys of this same block were handed over to their happy new owners on public television. Then, officials and the grateful benefi- ciaries heaped praise on what they saw as a benevolent state. “This is what Chávez, with love and enthusiasm, wanted to give to the people,” said a minister in 2016, referring to the late populist president Hugo Chávez.
But like Chávez’s socialist project, it- self hollowed out by endemic corrup- tion, the buildings appear to have been built on shaky foundations. The earth- quakes, intensely powerful though they were — the first was 7.2 magnitude and the second, less than a minute later, was 7.5 — have raised renewed questions of negligence on the part of both the gov- ernment and private developers who built on notoriously silty ground at the foot of the verdant mountains of the La
Guaira coastline.
In 2016, the president of the Ven- ezuelan College of Engineers
complained that the structural
integrity of the government- built units, constructed in a fe- verish expansion of public hous- ing by Chávez and his successor
Nicolás Maduro, appeared to
be nothing short of “a state
secret”, with the govern-
ment refusing to make public the obscure con- tracts or engineering be- hind its tower blocks. His and other complaints that spread online were dis-
missed as “sowing confu-
sion among the public” by the then housing minister.
On Wednesday, after what residents said was
ren had died, was furious. “You are going to kill the people in the tunnels trying to find the bodies,” she said.
But she was then set upon by another group of women who had also lost children. They shouted her down, argu- ing that the only practical way to re- trieve the remaining dead was with the use of heavy machinery, and that she should be grateful.
This ongoing chaos is emblematic of a severely weakened Venezuelan state, a reality that the twin earthquakes bru- tally exposed. Decades of corruption and mismanagement of the largest proven oil reserves anywhere in the world has left the heavily indebted gov- ernment woefully ill-equipped to cope.
rent incarnation of that government, led by Delcy Rodríguez. Her adminis- tration is emerging as one half of one of the most improbable alliances in recent Latin American political history.
After the United States, in January, captured her former boss Maduro in a brazen special operations raid, Wash- ington chose to sideline the democratic opposition and instead work with Rod- ríguez, the former vice-president and a purported Maduro loyalist.
Trump has since repeatedly praised her co-operation, while boasting that she “runs” Venezuela on his behalf under the orders of his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who supposedly operates as a de facto viceroy.
might seem, appeared to be working for the first months of this year. “Trump needed Rodríguez to make the story of a successful intervention hold together; Rodríguez needed Trump to stay in power,” wrote Orlando Pérez, professor of political science at the University of North Texas in an article in Responsi- ble Statecraft magazine.
That was until the earthquakes struck. Now the US is saddled with a very different proposition: a country whose GDP will be hit to the tune of tens of billions of dollars once the cost of rebuilding and recovery are assessed, according to the United Nations and others.
try that needs years of reconstruction, facing exactly the long-term entangle- ment the January arrangement was de- signed to avoid,” Pérez said.
Tied to that, Trump’s praise of Rodrí- guez risks undermining the support he has so far enjoyed among the majority of Venezuelans who supported the raid to capture Maduro. Even US aid, while welcomed, has exposed how closely American officials are working with the Venezuelan authorities, who just last year they were accusing of abuses against the population.
JUAN BARRETO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; STEPHEN GIBBS FOR THE TIMES
earthquake gave Trump 50 per cent support. Support for Rodríguez stands at about 10 per cent to 25 per cent.
The future of the alliance will depend on the ability of the Rodríguez govern- ment, in league with the Trump admin- istration, to recover from the disaster in the coming months. The Caracas authorities have promised to build thousands of semi-permanent homes for the displaced.
Gabriela López, the mother in La Guaira, is not convinced. The earth- quake, its aftermath and her terrible loss has convinced her that “danger- ous” and “destructive” forces are in power in Venezuela. She said that once she had buried all her children, she would leave.
La Guaira was badly hit in the twin earthquakes of June 24 that killed more than 5,300 and left 21,000 homeless. Bodies are still being recovered, left, and the government has pledged to build thousands of homes for displaced, far left. Gabriela López, below left, lost her mother and her four children in the disaster. She has found three of their bodies
deal is off, US tells Saudis
United States Samer Al-Atrush Middle East Correspondent David Charter Washington
President Trump upended a multi- billion-dollar nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia less than 24 hours after it was signed as the White House said it would be “off” unless the kingdom normalised relations with Israel.
Trump posted on social media that Riyadh had to sign the Abraham Ac- cords, which have established formal ties between several Arab nations and Israel, as a condition to the deal signed on Wednesday for the US to supply and run nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia.
The deal had been criticised in Con- gress because it does not prohibit the kingdom from enriching uranium and reprocessing nuclear fuel, and because it could complicate negotiations with Iran on ending its nuclear ambitions.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said: “This deal with Sa- udi Arabia ... is contingent on this con- dition as far as the president is con- cerned. So we’ll continue to talk with our Saudi counterparts to get the deal finalised and hopefully see them join the Abraham Accords very soon.”
Riyadh has long demanded progress towards a Palestinian state as a condi- tion for it to sign the accords, making Trump’s new condition effectively a dealbreaker.
Asked why this condition was not mentioned when the deal was signed on Wednesday by Chris Wright, the US energy secretary, and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, his Saudi counterpart, Lea- vitt added: “The president is always the final dealmaker, as you know, and this is something that he has mentioned on numerous occasions ... He has said if they don’t join the Abraham Accords, the deal is off.”
Trump’s post on Truth Social said the agreement “will be approved, but it is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords”.
It also said that “there will be no en- richment of nuclear material” and that the deal would be “only ... non-military use” amid concerns about Riyadh’s am- bitions to develop a nuclear weapon.
Japan Tim Hornyak Tokyo
Like her heroine Margaret Thatcher, Japan’s prime minister prides herself on needing very little sleep.
Sanae Takaichi, 65, maintains a re- lentless schedule at the Kantei, her offi- cial residence in Tokyo, as well as pur- suing an exotic range of extracurricular activities ranging from heavy metal music to karate and scuba diving.
But the work ethic that helped her rise to the top of the male-dominated Liberal Democratic Party last year is now in danger of backfiring. This week she said she had slept three hours or less a night since taking office in October, prompting protests in a country where overwork is a public health problem.
Leavitt told reporters that Trump had not spoken to Mohammed bin Sal- man, the Saudi crown prince, since writing his post.
Negotiations for a Saudi nuclear power plant began under Joe Biden, who envisaged it as part of a broader deal that would also include a security pact with the kingdom in return for it establishing ties with Israel. Those talks foundered after Israel refused to com- mit to recognising a Palestinian state.
Previously Trump has publicly called on Saudi Arabia to join his Abraham Accords, under which the UAE and some other Muslim countries have rec- ognised Israel. Until now, however, he appeared to have accepted the Saudi ar- gument that the kingdom would wait until a more moderate government came to power in Israel.
Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, returned to office in 2022 with a pledge to reach a deal with the kingdom, which has been described by Israeli officials as the “crown jewel” of the Muslim world.
Netanyahu said yesterday that nor- malising relations with Saudi Arabia “would be a historic leap forward for peace in the Middle East”, according to a statement from his office.
Saudi Arabia contains Islam’s holiest sites and views itself as the leader of the Muslim world, and the kingdom’s re- cognition of Israel would open the way for other countries to follow suit. But it has ruled out such a move until Israel recognises a Palestinian state.
Riyadh appeared to have been taken by surprise by Trump’s statement on Thursday. A source familiar with the
“Getting zero to three hours of sleep a day has become my norm,” Takaichi posted on X, adding that she had been “swamped with work until early to- day, rereading the final drafts of docu- ments and processing several thousand accumulated emails”.
She did snatch up to five hours on Monday, a public holiday when many citizens took to the beaches to cool off amid a heatwave. Takaichi spent her afternoon dealing “all at once with a large amount of untouched ironing, in- cluding washed handkerchiefs and un- dershirts, as well as sewing”.
talks that led to the signing on Tuesday said there had been no suggestion from Saudi Arabia that it would recognise Israel in exchange for the nuclear deal.
Jon Alterman, of the Washington think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said: “It’s a strange thing to have left out of the an- nouncement if it was intended to be in- cluded. It makes you wonder about the process. One possibility is that [Trump] is trying to walk it back, one is that the president misunderstood a vague Saudi promise sometime in the future, another is that he was never completely in the loop.”
Under the agreement, American companies would assist in building the plant and provide nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom had in- sisted on enriching its own uranium, but the agreement deferred the ques- tion to a feasibility study that could take three years to complete.
The US could then possibly enrich the uranium, with Saudi help, on its own soil or in Saudi Arabia.
Yesterday Trump also said that he was considering escalating the war on Iran, following 12 consecutive nights of American airstrikes and Iranian retali- ation. Yemen’s Houthi rebels also claimed attacks on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, causing oil prices to rise to more than $100 per barrel.
“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” the president told Axios. “They haven’t received enough pain yet.”
chiro Tamaki of the Democratic Party for the People, said she “should use her precious time for the jobs that only the prime minister can do”.
Takaichi’s approval rating has dipped after the government passed a series of controversial bills, including a law that effectively bars women from succeed- ing to Japan’s imperial throne.
Minoru Kihara, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, signalled that the remarks had touched a nerve when he said that the prime minister understood the im- portance of a work-life balance.
President Trump is a close ally of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but his new condition appeared to have caught Saudi Arabia by surprise
Pond girl Padma Lakshmi, an American TV host, strikes a pose during a shoot in India for the Pirelli Calendar 2027 by Sylve Sundsby and Raghu Rai with Avani Rai
him for losses, says Zelensky
Russia Marc Bennetts
Members of the Russian elite have told Ukraine that President Putin is solely responsible for the war and Russia’s mounting losses, according to Presi- dent Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader said that Kyiv’s drone and missile strikes on the Krem- lin’s occupying forces, as well as inside Russia itself, had created a “toxic at- mosphere” around Putin.
“He alone is the reason this war started and still hasn’t ended. Putin alone is the reason for the losses the Russians are suffering. His inner circle understands this, signals it to us and sig- nals it to our partners. Russian society is increasingly starting to feel it too,” Zel- ensky said in an address to the nation. He gave no other details.
Although some well-known bloggers who were previously loyal to the Krem- lin have spoken out against Putin in recent weeks amid a nationwide fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities, there are so far no obvious signs of a rift within the elite.
A Russian soldier who warned last
Ukraine Marc Bennetts
Ukraine saw more than three times as many deaths as births in the first six months of the year, statistics show, as the war-ravaged country’s population continues to fall.
month that troops would mutiny unless he was allowed to report to Putin on torture within the army was jailed for 11 days on extremism charges. He has since dropped his demands, apparently after being bought off with a new car.
Putin’s inner circle is made up of like- minded security service personnel — hardliners he has known since his days as a KGB officer — and influential oli- garchs such as Yury Kovalchuk who are said to encourage his hatred of Ukraine and its western allies.
Besides oil facilities, Ukraine has also struck warehouses belonging to Wild- berries, a leading Russian online retail- er that Kyiv says provides equipment to Putin’s forces in Ukraine.
Eight people have been killed in attacks on the company’s hubs since the weekend, destroying goods worth at least 150 billion roubles (£1.4 bil- lion) that belonged to small businesses, according to Forbes. The losses have sparked anger, but the Kremlin’s ruth- less crackdown on dissent means it is unlikely they will lead to criticism of the war by Russia’s business community.
Zelensky’s comments came as Amer- ican and Russian diplomats held their
ernment figures. The situation in front- line regions was far worse, resulting in one birth for every 19 deaths in the Donetsk region and one to 14 in the Kherson region.
The largest number of births occured in Kyiv, the capital, where there were 8,352 newborns. In the first six months of 2019, the year President Zelensky came to power, there were more than 15,000 births in the city.
first meeting since September, part of what Washington said was a bid to re- boot relations with Moscow and secure a peace deal in Ukraine.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, and Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, spoke for just over half an hour in Manila on the sidelines of a southeast Asia summit hosted by the Philippines.
Rubio signalled that Washington was prepared to work with Moscow in un- specified areas despite Russia’s full- scale invasion of Ukraine, which has now lasted more than four years.
“The war in Ukraine, I think, has in many ways impeded the ability of Russia and the United States to find areas of agreement on other topics,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean we won’t seek to find other areas of potential co- operation. But by the same token ... we’d like to see that war come to an end.”
However, both Moscow and Kyiv said after the talks that there was little hope of an imminent deal to stop the fighting. The Kremlin warned against “excessive optimism”, while Rubio said that attempts to convince Kyiv to sur-
birth rate and highest death rate in the world, according to the CIA World Factbook. Its population has fallen from 42 million before Russia’s full- scale invasion in 2022 to below 36 mil- lion, according to demographers at the National Academy of Sciences.
render land in exchange for peace were “not acceptable to Ukraine”.
He added: “When peace comes, it’ll be because of some new idea and some new concepts, and we’re prepared to of- fer some of those in the right setting and form if the opportunity presents itself and the conditions are right.”
President Trump has made no secret of his hopes of restoring lucrative busi- ness ties with Russia that were ruptured after Moscow launched its full-scale in- vasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Moscow said after the meeting in Manila that Lavrov had reiterated Russia’s warning that it was “unaccept- able” for European countries to send weapons to Kyiv. Under Trump, Wash- ington has stopped providing weapons to Ukraine and instead sells them to its Nato allies, who in turn forward the munitions to Kyiv.
Lavrov also said that Russia had not backed down on its call for Ukraine to surrender the entirety of its Donbas re- gion. The Kremlin has suggested that Trump agreed to the demand during his meeting with Putin in Alaska last year. Trump has said no such promise was made.
Around six million people have fled the country since the start of the war, according to the United Nations. 6 Mykhailo Fedorov, whose dismissal last week by Zelensky as defence chief sparked nationwide protests, said he had rejected a new role in government. “I will not accept a position other than defence minister,” he said, adding that it would allow him to fight corruption, in- stigate reform and “execute asymmet- ric operations against the enemy”.
Cockroach activists call for nationwide demos
India Protesters are calling for nationwide demonstrations today as the government urged the so-called Cockroach Janta Party to sit down for talks. Young members of the movement are demanding the resignation of the education minister over leaks of medical school entrance test papers that affected some two million students in May. The exam had to be cancelled in a move that has been linked to student suicides due to stress. The challenge to Narendra Modi, the prime minister, is the biggest since he came to power in 2014, with metro stations and mobile internet services in Delhi being shut down. Despite a fresh appeal yesterday to the youthful protesters to join talks to resolve the crisis, they responded by calling for nationwide peaceful protests today in solidarity with students who alleged police brutality during a march on parliament on Monday by tens of thousands of people. Thousands of demonstrators returned to the same Jantar Mantar protest site yesterday afternoon, carrying anti-government posters and chanting slogans amid a heavy security deployment. Protests have also spread to other cities, among them Ranchi, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata, local media reported.
20,000 flee wildfires
France About 20,000 people were evacuated from towns, resorts and campsites along the Atlantic coast yesterday as 700 firefighters tackled the latest in a series of wildfires. The blaze, which began in a forest near the town of Lège-Cap-Ferret, west of Bordeaux, spread across more than 8,400 acres. No injuries have been reported.
Wang Quanying in her uniform
Last Long Marcher dies
China A woman thought to be the last female survivor of Chairman Mao’s “Long March” has died, aged 105. Three weeks earlier, Wang Quanying had enjoyed birthday celebrations at her home in Sichuan province, during which she wore a recreation of a 1930s Red Army outfit, state media reported. Between 1934-35, as the civil war raged, 100,000 troops retreated 6,200 miles from Jiangxi to Shaanxi. Just 8,000 reached their destination.
Tirana protest injuries
Albania Police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protestors assembled outside the parliament building in Tirana. The “Flamingo Revolution” movement has called for Edi Rama, Albania’s prime minister, to resign due to environmental concerns over tourist projects, including one by Jared Kushner. At least one police officer and a protestor were injured.
France Charles Bremner Paris
Death threats to a mayor and an arson attack on a reality TV star have raised fears in France over the expanding reach of the “DZ Mafia”, a brutal Mar- seille-based gang deemed a menace to national security.
On Tuesday, Laurent Nuñez, the in- terior minister, sent a heavily armed tactical police unit in the middle of the night to the home of Christophe Riv- enq, in the southern city of Alès, to rush the mayor and his family to safety.
The internal security service, the DGSI, had been tipped off that a car bomb was about to explode out-
a new goliath: infringement of copyright
letter over unauthorised use of the statue’s image to sell ice cream, writes James Imam
Michelangelo’s David is one of the world’s most famous works of art and draws millions of visitors a year to the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. But when the museum director learnt that a nearby takeaway was using the statue’s likeness to advertise ice cream, she took swift action.
“The cease and desist letter has already been sent,” Andreina Contessa said. “It is a deterrent that usually works.”
The offending takeaway in the historic centre of Florence had put up a poster showing David eating an ice cream. “Feeling hot?” read the text. “Ice cream at €1.”
Contessa said such uses of the 17ft statue — whose image appears on aprons and as souvenir statuettes sold around the world — amounted to the exploitation and manipulation of a cornerstone of western identity. She is now intensifying a crackdown on its unauthorised use.
She said: “It is precisely because the image belongs to everyone that it can- not be used for other purposes, espe- cially not for commercial, advertising or political purposes.”
Although EU law provides that eco- nomic rights expire 70 years after an artist’s death, the Italian cultural heri- tage code restricts free use to specific purposes, including study, research and cultural promotion.
In a case in 2017, a Florence court or- dered a local tourism company to re- move images of David from its advertis- ing materials and website.
side his house on the orders of the gang after he received death threats, including 9mm pistol rounds in the post.
Alès, a former mining town by the Cévennes hills near Nîmes, “is clearly a place where the DZ Mafia is trying to establish a foothold”, Nuñez said.
No car exploded, how- ever, and a video pur- porting to come from the crime organisation yesterday denied its in- volvement.
Influencer Carla Moreau’s car was set ablaze
unauthorised images of the statue, giv- ing offenders five days to respond. All have complied.
Recent cases include a drainage services tanker and a commercial van with David plastered on its bodywork. The latter was sent a warning letter on Monday.
In April Roberto Vannacci, the former army general turned star of the Italian hard right, used David’s image next to his party logo at a rally in Flor- ence. He eventually agreed to remove the image.
Carved from pure Carrara marble by Michelangelo at the start of the 16th century, David was the first colossal statue created since classical antiquity. It continues to inspire awe for the art- ist’s technical mastery and the emo- tional depth he conveyed.
Many of the three million visitors who came to the Accademia museum complex last year were drawn by David, a replica of which stands in the Piazza della Signoria in the city.
Some legal cases have been lucrative. The Condé Nast publishing company was forced to pay €50,000 in 2023 after using a spe- cially made image of David on the cover of an edition of GQ Italia. Re- ferring to the Italian consti- tution, the court ruled that the pub- lisher had damaged the country’s “national cul- tural identity”.
The Italian culture minis- try introduced minimum tariffs in 2023 for authorised image use for state- owned heritage. Other countries have a more relaxed stance towards the use of cultural icons such as, for example, Le-
The incident nevertheless un- derlined the way that the gang,
whose initials are the country
code for Algeria, has expanded
from drug distribution into arms trafficking, protection rackets and political intimida-
tion in the manner
of Italian mafia and
Mexican cartels.
“I’ve never re- ceived threats on
this level,” Riv-
enq, 60, said.
“This shows the actions we’re taking against DZ and drug
trafficking are paying off. I will not be intimidated.”
Yesterday a letter signed “DZ Mafia” was delivered to the Marseille home of Carla Moreau, a 29-year-old reality TV star and influencer with three million Instagram followers, after her car was destroyed by fire during the night. She was not at home.
Prosecutors said they had opened an extortion investigation because the message contained death threats and was delivered along with a mobile phone. The gang likes to leave such pre- paid “burners”, asking their victims to contact them via encrypted messaging apps such as Signal or Telegram.
DZ Mafia, which thrives on social
onardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Lou- vre in Paris.
Critics of Italy’s policies include Giuliano Volpe, an archaeology profes- sor at Bari University and a former cul- ture ministry adviser, who argued that struggling businesses from Italy’s cultural and creative industries should be enabled to capitalise on marketing opportunities.
He added that image use should be free in a liberal democracy, adding: “It must be a right for everyone; it shouldn’t be left to the director of a museum to decide.”
media, monitors its coverage by influ- encers, threatening those it deems hos- tile and demanding protection money.
The government has staged a series of spectacular police operations and prison clampdowns over the past three years to curb the rise of an organisation it classifies as a security threat. Bruno Retailleau, the last interior minister, said the spreading web of drug-gang operations, led by DZ Mafia, has “Mexi- canised” France.
The clan is blamed for 100-plus mur- ders in the past three years, mainly in the south — but the figures are approxi- mate because the “DZ” brand is used by copycat gangs seeking to benefit from its reputation for brazen violence.
ALAMY; CORRIERE FIORENTINO
says jewels in his safe were ‘personal gift’
Spain David Sharrock Barcelona
Former prime minister José Luis Rodrí- guez Zapatero has claimed that €1.3 million worth of jewellery found in his office safe by anti-corruption offi- cers was “a personal courtesy gift”.
The jewellery, a collection of neck- laces, bracelets, rings and earrings, was seized last month during a search by the National Police’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit.
In an interview with state-owned TVE, the former Socialist Workers’ Party leader insisted he had done noth- ing wrong.
“They were a personal courtesy gift, given many years ago. They had no spe- cific use or purpose, nor did we know their value,” Zapatero said yesterday , in his first public remarks since the seizure of the collection.
Zapatero, 65, who was Spanish leader between 2004 and 2011, said he dis- agreed with the value set by court- appointed experts and indicated his family would get a second opinion on how much the jewellery was worth.
Spanish media reported at the time of the discovery that the items included gold, sapphires and emeralds, and origi- nated from either Zambia or Thailand.
Zapatero refused during the inter- view to reveal who gave him the valua- bles but insisted that there was no “fi- nancial motive” involved. He added that they were kept in the safe alongside other family jewellery — his own and his wife’s — as well as other gifts, and “we have never spoken about them”.
Justifying why he was not revealing the donor, he said: “I want to, and must — out of respect for the legal process — clarify all the circumstances before the court. I want to explain all the details to the judge.”
Last month, when he first gave evi- dence before an investigating judge in an ongoing investigation into the €53 million government bailout of an airline during the Covid pandemic, Za- patero said he would clarify the origin of the jewellery within a week.
Officers are investigating him on claims of money laundering, tax fraud, influence peddling and smuggling.
He said he “had absolutely no inten- tion of committing fraud”.
Zapatero spoke out 48 hours after his friend Julio Martínez Martínez said the former prime minister was the manag- er of a company whose activities were under investigation.
W
clash at sea over atoll
Richard Spencer China Correspondent
Vessels from China and the Philippi- nes have clashed in the South China Sea in an ongoing row over disputed waters, islands and atolls.
A Chinese coastguard vessel di- rected its water cannon at a Philip- pine ship bringing supplies to fisher- men off Scarborough Shoal, an atoll. Beijing claims territorial jurisdiction over almost all the South China Sea.
The clash coincided with a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Philippine capital, Ma- nila, where Wang Yi, the Chinese for- eign minister, met the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio. Rubio called the incident “escalatory” and referred to the close US relationship with the Philippines. He said “areas of disa- greement” with China “need to be managed, because [a conflict] between the US and China would have a dramatic global impact”.
China has been caught in the past 18 months between seeking better relations with its neighbours to take advantage of unpopular policies by the Trump administration, and con- tinuing to assert regional dominance.
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Last year it engaged in a war of words with Japan over suggestions by its conservative prime minister, Sa- nae Takaichi, that Tokyo could use military force in defence of Taiwan.
However, Beijing also reduced the scale and intensity of military exer- cises around Taiwan for a time, and reduced activities designed to limit the freedom of movement for Philip- pine vessels in the South China Sea.
However, yesterday the Chinese coastguard intercepted two Philippi- nes ships, the Datu Dumangsil and the Datu Paiburong, firing its water cannon at the first and crossing in front of the second.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokes- man said that despite “attempts at warnings” the Philippine ships had “intruded into the jurisdictional waters of China’s Huangyan Island”.
On Wednesday Wang Yi met his Philippine counterpart, Maria Ther- esa Lazaro, for the first time in two years to “clear the air”.
Rubio denied that the war in Iran had distracted US attention from Asia-Pacific, adding that the White House wanted a good relationship with China.
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Flying V Tourists try out the BalancAIR, a giant swing on the Grand Chamossaire above the ski resort of Villars in Switzerland
can’t sink Cook ferry
New Zealand Lisa Creffield
New Zealand has named a new ferry linking its main islands after Captain Cook — and told “snivelling wokes- ters” to accept the decision.
Winston Peters, the foreign minis- ter, said those who considered the British Royal Navy officer and ex- plorer to be a “harbinger of colonisa- tion” should be more aware of the country’s past.
“A mature country does not run from its history. A serious country does not vandalise its memory to sat- isfy the latest fashion in whinger poli- tics,” Peters told parliament in Wel- lington.
The other new ferry will be named Kupe after the Polynesian navigator who first reached New Zealand, ac- cording to Maori tradition.
The ferries, which are being built in China and are due to arrive in 2029, will carry passengers and freight across the Cook Strait between New Zealand’s North and South islands.
Tony Ballantyne, professor of his- tory at the University of Otago, acknowledged the “fundamental tension” in placing the two figures side by side.
“This equivalence between Kupe and Cook as men of the sea and great navigators glosses over the very real differences between ‘discovering’ un- inhabited islands and the ‘rediscov- ery’ of already occupied lands in the context of empire building,” he wrote in The Conversation.
In recent years many places and buildings in Australia and New Zea- land have replaced colonial-era names with indigenous ones, or adopted dual names.
Captain Cook has also lost out on several naming rights himself — or been forced to share.
New Zealand’s highest mountain, formerly known simply as Mount Cook, is now Aoraki/Mount Cook, while the owners of the Captain Cook pub in Dunedin changed its name to Dive to re- place a symbol of “oppression and suffering”.
In Australia, Cap- tain Cook Shopping Centre in the North- ern Territory has been renamed the Gu- matj Retail Precinct.
The Gumatj Corporation director, Michael Yunupingu, said the former name represented a by- gone era. “It’s what makes this story sweeter, in a sense, that a Yolngu [local Indigenous Australian] corpo- ration was able to take the sign down, change the name and is looking to-
One of two new ferries due to connect New Zealand’s North and South islands will be named after Captain Cook, despite the trend in Australasia to favour indigenous names — such as Ayers Rock, below, now being known as Uluru
wards the future,” he told the broad- caster ABC.
There are also proposals to rename Cooks River in Australia to Goo- lay’yari, as well as periodic calls to re-
name Queensland’s James
Cook University.
Several monuments and memorials to
Cook in both coun-
tries have also been
vandalised.
In 2019, Britain issued a formal ex- pression of regret that Cook’s crew killed Maori when they landed in New Zealand in October 1769. Nine Maori, including the local chief Te Rakau, were killed or wounded on Cook’s first landing. When he headed north more died in confrontations at Mercury Bay and the Cavalli Islands, though Cook himself did not kill anyone.
the times | Friday July 24 2026 31 Business
WORLD MARKETS
FTSE 100 10,639.17 (-77.80)
3,500 Jun 25 9 Jul 2 23 16 Jun 25 9 Jul 2 23 16 Jun 25 9 Jul 2 23 16 Jun 25 9 Jul 2 23 16 Jun 25 9 Jul 2 23 16
Isabella Fish predictions. Lip-Bu Tan, Intel’s chief executive, said artificial intelligence was “driving unprecedented demand”, adding: “As we continue to execute, Intel is well-positioned to capture sustainable growth.”
Intel has reported its strongest sales growth in more than 15 years amid massive demand for its data centre and personal computer components.
Shares in the chipmaker, which had closed at $99.78, rose 9 per cent in after- hours trading on news of a 25 per cent year-on-year second-quarter increase in revenue to $16.1 billion, ahead of analysts’ estimates of $14.4 billion.
$
It forecast third-quarter revenue of $15.8 billion to $16.8 billion, also above
put oil past $100 again
Mehreen Khan Economics Editor
Oil prices have topped $100 a barrel for the first time since May, dragging up government borrowing costs and stok- ing fears that the world economy will suffer another surge in inflation on the escalation of the Middle East conflict.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, gained nearly 7 per cent to hit a two- month high of $100 a barrel yesterday on the unravelling of the US-Iran ceasefire and an escalation of the re- gional conflict to neighbouring Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Oil prices have wiped out the falls re- corded in June, when the US and Iran said they were extending a ceasefire to open up the Strait of Hormuz choke- point, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies is transport- ed. Oil prices have returned to levels they traded at on May 22.
Traders pushed up energy prices after Yemen’s Houthi forces attacked two Saudi Arabian oil ships in the Red Sea overnight. The Iranian-backed rebels have said they will impose a na- val blockade on Saudi Arabia centred on the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea which has been used to ship Saudi oil exports and avoid the Strait of Hormuz. A widening of the conflict led to six-month-ahead Brent crude price rising to a one-month high of $81.74 a barrel. European gas prices were also up, with futures contracts rising to €62.54 per megawatt hour, the highest in three years.
(Change on the day)
Dow Jones 51,711.65 (-506.93)
11,000 10,800 10,600 10,400 10,200 10,000 9,800
54,000 53,000 52,000 51,000 50,000 49,000 Jun 24 9 23 Jul 1 16
5,000
4,000
Revenue in the company’s data centre and AI segment, which has become the centrepiece of its pitch to Wall Street, rose 59 per cent to $6.3 billion. This was above the $5.6 bil- lion analysts expected.
Gross margins were above the 39 per cent forecast, at 40.4 per cent growth.
month after the US resumed strikes against Iran’s tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and President Trump threat- ened to bomb its power plants in retali- ation for the killing of US servicemen.
The jump in oil prices pushed up gov- ernment borrowing costs over con- cerns that inflation will accelerate in energy-importing countries this year.
The ten-year gilt yield, a proxy for the UK government’s borrowing costs, hit 5.11 per cent for the first time since May. The yield had declined to 4.67 per cent in June after Washington and Tehran announced a memorandum of under- standing. Higher market borrowing costs add to the government’s debt in- terest bill and will erode the headroom that John Healey, the new chancellor, will have to meet the UK’s fiscal rules at his first autumn budget.
Germany’s benchmark ten-year bond yield rose to 3.23 per cent yester- day — the highest since 15 years ago, when the eurozone was in its sovereign debt crisis. In the US, ten-year Treasury yields hit 4.71 per cent, the highest level since President Trump’s inauguration in January last year.
Wall Street stocks also closed lower, led by steep falls for Tesla, which shed 15 per cent after missing its earnings es- timate for the second quarter. Alpha- bet, the parent company of Google, was down 7 per cent over investor worries about investment in AI. The tech- heavy Nasdaq closed 2.15 per cent low- er, with the S&P 500 down 1.21 per cent.
COMMODITIES CURRENCIES
Brent crude (6pm)
$100.67 (+7.08)
$
£/$
$1.3310 (-0.0062)
Gold $4,090.66 (-66.56)
4,500
While Intel’s adjusted net income increased to $2.2 billion, the company reported an $11 billion net loss under GAAP (generally accepted ac- counting principles).
Once the undisputed king of Silicon Valley, the California-based company is trying to catch up with rivals in the AI race after falling behind chipmakers such as Nvidia, which pioneered graph- ic processing units (GPUs) used to power large language models.
Intel fell behind due to a combination of complacency, manufacturing delays,
Clicks don’t lie The World Cup, won by Spain after a half-time performance by the Colombian star Shakira, helped the streaming service Peacock — which offered Telemundo’s Spanish-language coverage — to a first quarterly profit of $189 million (£141 million) since its launch in 2020. It is owned by Comcast, which plans to spin off its UK interest, Sky
Tom Howard lion from cashing in his shares. About a quarter of that would be paid in cash, with the rest in Prologis shares.
The chief executive of Segro is in line to receive up to £23 million should the warehouse landlord’s £14 billion sale to an American rival go through.
After rejecting three offers from the world’s largest industrial real estate company, Segro’s board said on Wednesday night it was “minded to re- commend” Prologis’s fourth proposal. The Takeover Panel has given the par- ties four weeks to thrash out the details.
110 100 90 80 70 60
and financial strains from building its custom foundry business. However, after a turbulent few years, it has mounted a comeback with backing from the Trump administration, driv- ing an ambitious effort to reclaim its position as America’s premier world- class semiconductor manufacturer.
Huge capital expenditure is being driven by unprecedented demand for AI infrastructure and intense geopolitical competition. Govern- ments worldwide are racing to reshore manufacturing, while tech giants
Sleath, who turned 65 in March, owned 1.06 million Segro shares at the end of 2025, plus almost 1.2 million un- vested share options through his long- term incentive plan. Acquirers are gen- erally not obliged to honour unvested share options, but often pay them as part of the acquisition or roll them into their own incentive plans.
Soumen Das, Segro’s former chief fi- nancial officer, has just over 700,000 Segro shares plus about 280,000 un- vested share options. He could receive up to £10.2 million. However, any pay- outs would be taxed, meaning the bene- ficiaries are likely to lose half to the tax-
£/€ €1.1704 (-0.0011) ¤
1.360
1.340
1.320
1.300
and suppliers push the limits of physics to build faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient silicon.
Last month, Intel announced that it was preparing to release a new AI chip before the end of the year, built around lower-cost memory and improved thermal-management technology.
AMD announced a raft of products for data centres yesterday that it said would outperform those from rival Nvidia, which announced last month that it was preparing to launch a new “superchip” for personal computers.
ANDRE RICARDO/SPP/SHUTTERSTOCK
man. Segro is the largest owner of data centres and warehouses in Europe with a £12 billion portfolio, including the Slough trading estate made famous by Ricky Gervais’s sitcom The Office.
Prologis, listed in New York, owns about £175 billion of mostly warehouses in the US, South America, Europe and Asia and counts Amazon, Ford and FedEx among its biggest customers.
Company buyouts can be lucrative for management teams. This week it emerged that the boss of Mitie, Phil Bentley, will receive about £51 million for his shares in the outsourcer if its sale £3.1 billion to a private-equity backed ri- val is approved by shareholders.
1.180
1.160
1.140
1.120
Oil prices have topped $100 a barrel for the first time since May, dragging up government borrowing costs and stoking fears that the world economy will suffer another surge in inflation on the escalation of the Middle East conflict. Brent crude, the global benchmark, gained nearly 7 per cent to hit a two-month high of $100.90 a barrel. 2
The chief executive of Segro is in line to receive up to £23 million should the warehouse landlord’s £14 billion sale to an American rival go through. After rejecting three offers from the world’s largest industrial real estate company, Segro’s board said it was “minded to recommend” Prologis’s fourth proposal. 3
The European Commission fined Google €890 million for giving preferential treatment to its own services in searches and preventing developers from freely promoting offers in its app store. 4
Barclays faces fresh questions over its handling of its former boss Jes Staley’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after a leading US senator demanded answers about the process that led to him securing the top job at the British bank. 5
The European Central Bank has kept borrowing costs unchanged at 2.25 per cent but warned that it may need to respond to a surge in oil prices that threatens to stoke inflation. 6
Nestlé, the Swiss food company, has agreed to sell half its water and drinks business to a US private equity firm for €3.32 billion. 7
Profits fell by 70 per cent at easyJet in the first half of the summer season as soft demand from holidaymakers left the airline unable to push through fare rises to cover the rising cost of fuel. 8
Centrica, the owner of British Gas, is cutting 1,300 jobs, claiming many of the roles are no longer needed as customers manage energy accounts online.
How do Toby’s carvers consistently stick to 160g per serving? By using very sharp knives The European Commission fined Google €890 million (£759 million) yesterday for giving preferential treat- ment to its own services in searches and preventing developers from freely promoting offers in its app store.
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to ease the squeeze on businesses
chancellor’s charm offensive lasts longer than his predecessor’s, Jack Barnett writes
In his first week as chancellor, John Healey has started in very similar fash- ion to Rachel Reeves, his predecessor, with a “smoked salmon charm offen- sive” of the City’s great and good.
Yesterday morning, over breakfast, chief executives of Britain’s leading companies convened in central London to hear the new resident of No 11 sketch out what he wants to do with the economy.
His ambitions certainly had a La- bour-social-democrat gloss to them, with talk of “growth in every postcode” and “curbing the cost of living”.
However, one priority would have stood out to the bosses in the room: making profit, and more of it.
One head of a FTSE 100 company present at the breakfast in Bloomberg’s central London office said they were “surprised” by Healey’s commitment to make British firms more profitable — a promise from a Labour chancellor, no less. It was a “big statement”, they added, describing it as “a helpful start- ing point”.
The finance giants Lloyds Bank, Bar- clays, NatWest, Aviva and JP Morgan as well as the tech firms Quantexa, Elev- enLabs and Kraken were in attend- ance. Amanda Blanc, chief executive of Aviva, and C S Venkatakrishnan, boss of Barclays, were invited to speak, accord- ing to someone familiar with the event. Paul Thwaite, head of NatWest, and Saul Klein, co-founder of Phoenix
EU fines Google £759m over searches and app store
The bloc issued two separate fines under the European Union’s digital markets act (DMA).
One, of €460 million (£392 million), related to Google’s services for shop- ping, hotel bookings, transport and sports results, which were given promi- nence over those of third parties in Google searches. This breached the company’s obligations under the DMA, which requires “transparent, fair and non-discriminatory conditions”.
Court, a venture capital firm, were also asked to deliver remarks.
Healey’s charm strategy certainly has echoes of Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer, who routinely met City executives over breakfast in the months leading up to the 2024 election to assure them that they would not mess up the economy.
Healey told executives: “We talk a lot in government about the cost of living, and that’s right. People have been fac- ing increasing pressures. They’ve been feeling that lack of breathing space in their life. But so have all of you. And I’m just as concerned about the cost of busi- ness as I am about the cost of living.
“Tax, energy, supply-chain costs, la- bour — I know that businesses large and small have felt really squeezed.”
Lobby groups welcomed the chan- cellor’s recognition that businesses have been hit hard by higher costs in recent years and attempts to ease this burden with a cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and gig venues.
The Institute of Directors said: “Busi- nesses are a force for good in society. As well as driving growth and employ- ment, they support community wellbe- ing, foster local pride and help create places where people want to live, work and invest.”
The Federation of Small Businesses said: “Outside of a major fiscal event, [the] initial package for pubs and live music venues is welcome but must be a downpayment on action that reaches across the small business community to make a positive, sustained difference in all our local communities.”
Healey also reiterated at the break- fast that there were no plans to change the fiscal rules, namely, paying for daily government spending with tax reve- nues within three years. The headroom against this target may have dropped to
results page or with enhanced visual elements — benefits which were not extended to its rivals.
The commission issued another fine of €430 million (£367 million) after finding that Google did not comply with so-called steering obligations, which require big tech platforms to allow app developers to direct users to cheaper offers.
Henna Virkkunen, the commission’s executive vice-president for tech sover- eignty, security and democracy, said the fines “send a clear message — we will not hesitate to use our tools to safe- guard business and innovation oppor- tunities opened up by the DMA”.
John Healey had breakfast with chief executives in London yesterday. One said
just £10 billion from £23.7 billion, econ- omists at the Resolution Foundation, a left-leaning think tank, have said.
The resumption of hostilities between the US and Iran of late has sent oil prices on an upward spiral, with the price of a barrel of Brent crude, the international oil price benchmark, top- ping $100 yet again on Thursday.
The yield on the ten-year UK gov- ernment bond is back above 5 per cent having risen by more than 0.30 per- centage points in the past month alone. All this underscores the growing proba- bility that tax rises may be necessary just to replenish the fiscal buffer rather than help public services. Healey was a
posed to begin testing changes to how it presents its services in search results.
Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, said: “We are having to strip away real-time search features Eu- ropeans love — like instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights and restaurants — and dismantle safety protections on Google Play. This isn’t fair competition, it’s product degrada- tion driven by a small group of self- serving complainants, with European businesses and consumers taking the hit. Regulation should improve prod- ucts, not make them worse.”
The commission first informed Google of its preliminary view that the company was in breach of the DMA in March last year. It had opened investi- gations into the matters a year earlier.
surprise pick to succeed Reeves as chancellor following reports that the second top job in the cabinet would be given to either Shabana Mahmood, who remains as home secretary, or Ed Miliband, who is now foreign secretary.
Healey, the former defence secretary who resigned over Starmer’s reluctance to meet his demands on military spend- ing, spent several years as a junior Trea- sury minister during Tony Blair’s premiership and is seen as a safe pair of hands in the City. The defence invest- ment plan still lacks about £1 billion of extra annual funding.
Less than a week into the job Healey has already overseen a shift in fiscal
Previous rulings have gone against Meta and Apple.
A group of 25 US lawmakers, includ- ing the head of the House of Represent- atives’ trade sub-committee, wrote to Trump this week claiming that the EU was unfairly targeting US firms, and urging him to act.
“We write to bring to your attention to the many ways the EU continues to pursue anti-competitive acts, policies and practices as a tool of economic ex- traction and regulatory coercion against American firms and to encour- age your administration to take deci- sive action before the EU further en- trenches this anti-American regime,” their letter said.
his comments on taxation and other costs provided a “helpful starting point”
policy towards directly tackling the cost of living. The removal of VAT from electricity bills from October will cost £850 million and save families around £45 annually. More than £500 million has been spent on capping most single bus fares in England at £2 and a 20 per cent reduction in business rates from next April for pubs, clubs and gig venues will swipe about £100 mil- lion from the Treasury.
These are retail offers for voters, and some would say they verge on gim- micks. Raising the personal allowance would be a proper tax cut, but would cost billions.
The early fiscal generosity from the
Helen Cahill Financial Correspondent provided a satisfactory answer to que- ries about his ties to Epstein.
Barclays faces fresh questions over its handling of its former boss Jes Staley’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after a leading US senator demanded answers about the process that led to him secur- ing the top job at the British bank.
Elizabeth Warren, a senior Demo- cratic senator, and two colleagues have written to Nigel Higgins, the chairman of Barclays, to ask whether the lender did sufficient due diligence on Staley before making him chief executive.
Warren said Barclays must provide answers because its “apparent failure” to investigate the Epstein connection raised “significant governance ques- tions regarding the bank’s ability to hold senior executives accountable for wrongdoing”. The senator also asked Higgins why Barclays felt Staley had
Burnham-Healey team is in stark con- trast to the downbeat tone struck by Starmer and Reeves in the summer of 2024, when the then chancellor ditched cash payments to the elderly to help them pay their energy bills — a move the team arguably never recovered from politically despite a U-turn.
Yesterday afternoon, pictures emerged of Burnham and Healey shar- ing a pint in The Hare pub in Harlow, Essex, after the business rates an- nouncement. Starmer and Reeves cer- tainly needed their drinks on Monday evening, at The Grafton in London’s Kentish Town, shortly after they were formally thrown out.
She wrote: “Staley and Epstein main- tained a close professional and person- al relationship for nearly two decades, including during his tenure at Barclays. It is deeply unclear how Barclays, in
Jes Staley had professional and personal ties with Jeffrey Epstein for nearly two decades
bounce’ for consumer confidence
Jack Barnett Economics Correspondent
The biggest rise in consumer confi- dence for nearly three years has been attributed to a “Burnham bounce” and England reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup.
An index of consumer confidence published by GfK since the 1970s rose by six points in July to minus 17, driven by optimism about the UK’s economic prospects in the coming year. It was the largest month-on-month rise since November 2023.
A sub-index that measures consum- ers’ expectations for the economy over the next 12 months jumped by eight points to minus 28. Another sub-index that tracks perception of the economy over the last year also increased sharply by ten points to minus 39.
Neil Bellamy, consumer insights di- rector at GfK, said: “The sense of a fresh start following the appointment of a new prime minister surely accounts for some of this bounce. There were also hopes at the start of July that the Middle East conflict might stabilise and bring UK fuel prices down. The feel- good factor of the Fifa World Cup will have reinforced sentiment too.” GfK carried out the survey of 2,012 consum- ers between July 1 and 14 — the day before England’s defeat to Argentina.
Sentiment is also likely to have been supported by signs that the United States and Iran were edging closer to- ward a lasting peace at the beginning of July. However, the sides have since traded strikes almost daily for the past two weeks, prompting oil prices to hit $100 a barrel again and reigniting fears of higher inflation.
Data released this week by the Office for National Statistics showed that in- flation dropped to 2.6 per cent on an annual basis in June from 2.8 per cent in the previous month. The figure was lower than expected but is still above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target.
Members of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee are ex- pected to leave interest rates un- changed at 3.75 per cent when they meet next Thursday.
Bellamy said: “For the ‘Burnham bounce’ to be sustainable and boost consumer confidence, it will require consistent delivery by the refreshed UK government against deep cost of living challenges and persistent low eco- nomic growth.”
allowed Staley to resign from his posi- tion in November 2021, and he thereaft- er continued to collect millions of dol- lars in compensation and other benefits from the firm through the end of 2022.”
The letter, which was first reported by The Guardian, was also signed by the congressmen Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi. The trio have given Barclays two weeks to respond.
Staley, 69, who joined Barclays in 2015 from JPMorgan Chase, appeared before a House committee yesterday for a closed-door interview on his ties to Epstein, the billionaire financier and child sex offender, who committed sui- cide in custody in 2019.
journey isn’t over N
business commentary Alistair Osborne
ot all mid-air brawls are welcome at easyJet: a dust-up this week between two British families forced a Liverpool-bound flight to return to Tenerife.
Still, even that won’t have stopped the board, chaired by Sir Stephen Hester, hoping for a nice punch-up in the skies. Who between? Two US bidders. After Apollo gazumped Castlelake earlier this month with a mooted £5.7 billion bid at 715p a share that the board is “minded to recommend”, all eyes are on its rival’s next move. Is Castlelake still up for the scrap?
The asset manager sitting on $38 billion of funds has already had five goes at landing easyJet. And, for now, it’s keeping shtum about whether there’ll be a sixth. It has until August 3’s “put up or shut up deadline” to decide on a higher bid, aware no doubt that, in Apollo, it’s taking on a beast with $1 trillion of assets under management.
Yet, on paper, there’s a case that you could top 715p and still make a packet. Analysts from Apollo’s own adviser, Barclays, calculated last month that easyJet had “a net asset value of £10.81” per share, even excluding its growing holidays wing. The problem for the board? Just now the real world isn’t helping to make that case — as easyJet’s latest quarterly figures have underlined.
For the three months to June, profits were down 70 per cent at £85 million pre-tax, with chief executive Kenton Jarvis seeing much the same market conditions as outlined earlier this week by his opposite number at Ryanair, Michael O’Leary. The Iran war has jacked up fuel prices — by £105 million last quarter in easyJet’s case — while also hitting “consumer demand”. And the resumption of hostilities is hardly helping, with oil topping $100 a barrel for the first time since May — even if easyJet is 79 per cent hedged on fuel for the summer quarter at more than a third below today’s market price.
True, easyJet held the fall in airline revenue per seat to a mere 1 per cent at £86.03, while Ryanair saw fares drop 6 per cent. But as Jarvis points out, that’s mainly due to different business models: Ryanair takes a hit on fares to fill the planes, easyJet tries to hold ticket prices at the expense of load factors: down 1.3 percentage points to 88.9 per cent. And, when it comes to easyJet’s medium-term profits target of £1 billion annual profits, Jarvis admits to a “lost year”, with Citi analysts expecting cuts to the £126 million consensus forecasts.
All the same, no one is bidding for easyJet for this year’s earnings. Add last year’s £665 million profits to the £250 million cost savings to come from phasing out older A319 planes and replacing them with newer fleet and, by 2028, you could be most of the way to the £1 billion target.
Even so, in a cyclical industry with rollercoaster profits, that is probably not the bidders’ key focus. They’ll be homing in on a route network 30 years in the making at prime, chocka European airports; 287 orders with Airbus at prices you couldn’t get today for new A320neo
and A321neo jets; and assets that the airline expects “to grow to more than £7.5 billion” by 2028. Yes, that comes with some chunky costs. But, at a business with £661 million net cash, there’s plenty of asset backing to justify a bid topping £5.7 billion.
Will Castlelake, an asset whizz big in aircraft leasing, have another go, making this bid a proper dogfight? Easyjet shares at 601p, and lately spooked by (overdone) fears about EU ownership rules, aren’t exactly signalling that. Still, you could make a case for it — as long as you look beyond the immediate horizon. No stopping Musk H
ow reassuring. In “roughly five years”, there “really won’t be anything that AI can’t do better than humans, apart from being human, perhaps”; it’s “unlikely” that “an evolved form of chimpanzee” like us will still be in control in ten years’ time; and there may be a “10 to 20 per cent chance of killer robots wiping out humanity” but, hey ho, “my sort of philosophical conclusion is to look on the bright side” and hope for “an age of amazing abundance” instead.
Who’s saying all of this? Elon Musk, of course, breaking off from bringing us his up-like-a-rocket- down-like-a-stick SpaceX float — now $20 a share below its $135 listing price — and presiding over the latest profits car crash at Tesla.
Talking to The Economist, the world’s richest man luckily had a plan for keeping the robots in check: “Some sort of call once every few weeks” between all the top AI bods to “discuss any safety and security issues”, plus review any “new model” before it got released. Sure, that would mean talking to the OpenAI chief Sam Altman who Musk is “not a fan of” — not surprisingly after losing a high-profile lawsuit — but he’d “set aside... personal differences for the good of the world”.
Seriously, is that where we’re heading: relying on tech bros, who are minting it personally from AI, to police this new world and see off the killer robots? In the words of Musk: “Even if there was a stop button, we probably shouldn’t press it because… the most likely outcome is incredible.” So, that’s all right then. Hopeful Healey A
swift crack at his predecessor from our new chancellor John Healey in his first big chinwag with business leaders. Or at least it seemed that way: “I’m just as concerned about the cost of business as I am about the cost of living. Tax, energy, supply-chain costs, labour — I know that businesses large and small have felt really squeezed.”
And who did most of the squeezing, if not Rachel Reeves: the architect of £25 billion a year of extra payroll costs? Yes, it’s probably too much to hope that Healey reverses all her employer NI fiasco. Still, to hear a Labour chancellor pledge to make UK businesses more profitable was, as one FTSE-100 boss put it, a welcome “surprise”.
Y
ECB leaves interest rates on hold despite latest oil spike
Mehreen Khan Economics Editor
Mehreen Khan Economics Editor
The European Central Bank has kept borrowing costs unchanged but warned that it may need to respond to a surge in oil prices that threatens to stoke inflation.
Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, said the flare- up in the US-Iran conflict had raised the risk of higher inflation and could worsen the eurozone’s growth prospects as oil prices reached $100 a barrel for the first time since May.
“We are not oblivious to the energy shock,” Lagarde said. “We are not pre- committing to a particular [interest] rate path.”
The ECB became the first major monetary authority to respond to said energy shock by raising interest rates in June from 2 per cent to 2.25 per cent to contain inflation.
The decision to keep interest rates on hold this month was widely expected by markets, but traders are still betting on at least two further increases before the end of the year.
Lagarde said the decision to hold rates last month was unanimous but there were some members of the ECB’s governing council who raised the possi- bility of increasing borrowing costs to respond to a rise in oil prices.
“The risks to the inflation outlook are to the upside,” Lagarde said. “The energy shock could intensify fur- ther and its effects on other prices and wages could be stronger than currently expected. The longer energy prices stay high, the more likely they are to drive up broader inflation through indirect and second- round effects.”
Oil prices jumped from pre- war lows this week after a ceasefire between the United States and Iran broke down and the conflict widened to Ye- men and Saudi Arabia. Future prices for Euro-
accelerating inflation and higher inter- est rates from central banks whose plans to maintain or even cut borrow- ing costs this year could be derailed. The European Central Bank made no change to its borrowing costs yesterday but warned that the “flare-up” in the Middle East could stoke inflation which had been falling until June.
Jim Reid, a strategist at Deutsche Bank, said: “The latest rise in energy prices led to fresh concerns about a more prolonged stagflationary shock, with investors pricing in more inflation as a result. With markets expecting more inflation and more rate hikes, that meant sovereign bonds took a fresh hit on both sides of the Atlantic as well.”
The Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve both make mone- tary policy decisions next week and are still expected to make no change to interest rates this month. Both economies had been recording a fall in inflation, which has coincided with weak labour markets.
The European Central Bank’s president Christine Lagarde said it was not committed to any “particular rate path”
pean gas supplies also jumped, hitting a three-year high yesterday.
Average inflation in the eu- rozone had declined from 3.2 per cent to 2.8 per cent last month after a slide in oil prices caused by
the announcement of a memo-
randum of under- standing between
the Iranians and
Americans to al-
low shipping to
pass through the Strait of
Hormuz. The
ECB has a
Analysis
emen’s Houthi rebels have begun to enforce a blockade on Red Sea oil shipments from Saudi Arabia, but traffic data suggests supplies to some countries such as China may be exempt (Samer Al-Atrush writes).
Sea between 2023 and 2025 in support of Hamas; it was not immediately clear whether China had negotiated passage for its vessels.
The resumption of attacks on shipping has already reduced traffic and raised oil prices, completing Iran’s chokehold on regional oil shipments after it closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Two Chinese tankers carrying roughly 4 million barrels of oil crossed the Bab Al- Mandeb strait yesterday, a day after the Houthis said they had attacked two Saudi tankers. The rebels were known to cut deals during a campaign against ships in the Red
The Houthis are ostensibly enforcing a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia after their 2022 ceasefire unravelled in recent weeks, but the real objective is likely to be a belated effort to aid
2 per cent inflation target which it hit before the Middle East conflict erupted at the end of February. Eurozone staff projections suggest annual price rises will accelerate by nearly 3 per cent by the end of the year.
Oil prices have also sent the borrow- ing costs for eurozone governments higher, pushing the yields on Ger- many’s ten-year debt to a decade-high of 3.2 per cent.
The euro was stable against the dollar at $1.14 and weakened marginally against the pound to €1.17.
European stocks all lost ground, with Germany’s Dax losing 1.3 per cent, Italy’s FTSE MIB declining 2.4 per cent,
Iran as the US escalates attacks on its infrastructure.
The Shia rebels control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, and operate autonomously of Iran, which arms and advises them. They are considered the most potent military force in Iran’s regional axis of resistance due to their ability to disrupt shipping in a waterway that accounts for about a third of global container traffic.
and France’s Cac 40 losing 1.6 per cent. Economists and traders expect the ECB to raise borrowing costs at its next meeting in September, to take interest rates to 2.5 per cent.
“Beyond [September], the outlook becomes much less certain,” Thomas Pugh, chief economist at RSM, said. “Whether the ECB needs to tighten further will depend on how high energy prices climb and, crucially, how long they remain elevated.
“Our central view is that the euro- zone’s weak economy and soft labour market should prevent higher energy costs from feeding into broader infla- tion pressures in the medium term.”
divert much of its oil exports to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea.
But the Houthis, who insist they are targeting only shipping destined to and coming from Saudi Arabia, are also keen to avoid a repeat of a US-led offensive last year that killed hundreds of their commanders and soldiers. President Trump said of the Red Sea strikes yesterday: “If they do this again, the US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a surrogate ... major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis.”
Trump: Bank curbs after 2008 hurt UK
The British economy has underperformed compared with the US due to regulation of the banking sector after the 2008 crash, a former adviser to President Trump has said.
Tyler Goodspeed, who chaired the White House’s council of economic ad- visers from 2020 to 2021 and is now chief economist at Exxon Mobil, said forcing banks to hold more capital was the main cause of poor growth.
“For 15 years, British policymakers have told themselves that a slow recov- ery was simply the price of a deep reces- sion. It isn’t,” Goodspeed said in a paper for the Institute of Economic Affairs, a right-wing think tank.
“History shows deep recessions are usually followed by strong rebounds. Britain’s experience after 2009 depart- ed from this pattern because regulators, with the best of intentions, made it structurally harder for banks to lend to British businesses. That was a choice, and it is still being made today.”
He said bank lending to UK business- es has lagged behind the US for nearly two decades since the financial crisis. Credit growth to smaller companies reached 2008 levels in the US in 2013 but remains 15 per cent below pre-crisis volumes in the UK.
UK lenders have cut back on lending into the real economy and switched to “low-risk lending to governments” instead, Goodspeed said. British
Tyler Goodspeed chaired the White House’s council of economic advisers from 2020 to 2021
businesses are also more reliant on bank funding than peers in the US, which benefit from more developed capital markets and pools of non-bank capital through private credit, private equity and venture capital.
“This matters because smaller, younger enterprises looking to expand may struggle to access credit through conventional bank loans because they lack credit history and physical assets that they might pledge as collateral,” Goodspeed said. “To illustrate this point, one might consider tech compa- nies, whose primary assets are intangi- ble, namely, their ideas. Without non- bank sources of credit, many such firms may be unable to access external financing, and instead be forced to rely on cash flow and retained earnings.”
The UK has weakened some post- crisis rules after Brexit. The Bank of England has loosened regulations on banker bonuses and has said it will ease some of the capital requirements for lenders, which require banks to hold cash and assets against their lending. The previous Labour government, under Sir Keir Starmer, said it would also relax the post-2008 “ringfencing” rules that forced banks to separate their retail banking from riskier activities like investment banking — a measure supported by the industry.
Goodspeed said the decline in bank lending to firms in the UK was a “searing indictment of UK financial policy over the past 15 years. Before 2008, approval rates for new bank loan applications by small and medium- sized UK businesses were often 80 to 90 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to fewer than half,” he said.
about the sharp end of supply chains
‘‘
Some editors send journalists to war zones; I get sent to the pub. For some inexplicable reason, spending all day in a boozer has become one of my specialities. As a journalistic conceit it works, however: speak to construction workers, disgruntled businessmen, students on a budget and drunken hen parties and you discover a lot about Britain. Or at least its pubs.
Which is how I ended up all day in a Toby Carvery last week. Owned by Mitchells & Butlers, the brand is enjoying success despite its Alan Partridge image thanks to its “unlimited” offer. In a cost of living crisis, who doesn’t want an enormous Sunday roast at 4pm on a Monday for £11.49?
Of course, it is the sides, gravy and veg that are unlimited. The meat is rationed. On a standard plate you get 160g, trade up to a king size plate and you get 216g. Iain, the lovely manager, told me that at the end of the day they audit the accuracy by tallying the weight of leftover meat with the portions sold. Incredibly, the carvers are accurate to within 5 per cent.
How is that possible without weighing scales? The carvers get sent off on a day’s training course. More importantly, it’s very sharp knives, he said. I asked what brand they used, presuming it was a famous Japanese or German manufacturer. They are Nella — a new name for me — a British company that, crucially, comes to Toby at least twice a week to replace all the knives with freshly sharpened ones, take the old ones away and sharpen them. It then repeats the process.
Restaurant groups often boast about the farmers or cheesemongers that supply them with produce. But the suppliers of cooking equipment, glassware, even dishcloths are just as important. The secret to KFC becoming a success was not the chicken, it was Harland Sanders alighting on the Collectramatic pressure cooker, which dramatically shortened the cooking time, allowing fried chicken to become fast food. For Toby, the secret to staying profitable is “yield management” — a fancy way of saying thin slices of beef — and that requires a different type of supplier: a knife service.
I was so intrigued that I got in
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touch with Mark Nella, the chairman of Nella Cutlery Services. It was started by his great-grandfather, Emilio, from the Trentino area of what is now Italy but was once Austria, which he left in 1901 with a grindstone sharpener in a barrow, ending up in south London. It now supplies knives to 42,000 kitchens in the UK, including those of Wagamama, Dishoom and Marston’s, as well as countless work canteens. It costs restaurants between £2 and £3 every time they get a freshly sharpened knife compared with about £35 to £45 for a good new one from Victorinox. For most restaurants, it works out marginally cheaper — but much more convenient — to use the Nella service.
At a Michelin-starred restaurant,
chefs will sharpen their own knives. But even here, Nella has found a gap in the market: those coloured, food- safety chopping boards. Food inspectors get very nervous about a scuffed board, so Nella can collect, shave 2mm off both sides, sanitise and return the board. A 25mm board can be serviced six times before it gets too thin. Claridge’s is a customer.
This niche market has helped Nella reach a turnover of £18.5 million.
What makes its business more impressive is that there is already a giant catering supplier that ferries millions of coffee cups, clingfilm, latex gloves, bins and rolls of that blue catering paper around the country: Bunzl, now worth nearly £9 billion. Nella, with its 200 staff and four sharpening centres around the
country, has found a niche within a niche.
Last year, the Cambridge academic Tim Minshall wrote a great book, Your Life is Manufactured, championing the importance of making stuff. In it, he highlighted the hugely complex supply chains most everyday items go through. The components inside an iPhone have travelled about 155,000 miles before they are assembled into the finished, shiny thing in your hand; the 20- tonne, 30-metre long wings of an Airbus A350 are made in Broughton, Wales, before being flown to Bremen, Germany, to be fitted with flaps, before being shipped to Toulouse, France, for final assembly.
The complexity of this network is understood in old-fashioned manufacturing. When Jaguar Land Rover was hit by a cyberattack last year, it was not just the 34,000 JLR workers at risk — it was the 120,000 in the firm’s supply chain calling for a government bailout. But I wonder if it is appreciated enough in the service economy — where the thing being supplied is not a widget but a utility.
Nestlé, admittedly the biggest food company in the world, relies on 165,000 direct suppliers and 695,000 farmers worldwide. Even tiny companies rely on a web of suppliers. Sofie Rooney co-founded Chimac Sauces, which makes very tasty cooking sauces. It makes just six products in two different types of packaging. She tells me she relies on more than 80 suppliers, including one that does nothing but calibrate her thermometers to make sure every temperature reading is accurate enough for food safety audits.
These are not, on paper, exciting companies. Being a small cog in a bigger machine is not a glamorous way to make money. But there’s something wonderful about a firm that provides a very specific service slightly better or slightly cheaper than you can do yourself. Next time you see a Nella van on the road, think of the thousands of companies helping famous brands stay profitable — and remember to sharpen your knives.’’
Harry Wallop is a consumer journalist and broadcaster. Follow him on X @hwallop
lose appetite for pub grub in the heat
Charlotte Bend
Food sales slowed at the pubs group Mitchells & Butlers as the heatwave dented customers’ appetites for steak dinners and carvery deals.
Shares in the company, which runs the Toby Carvery and Miller & Carter steakhouse chains, fell 14p, or 5.1 per cent, to close at 261p after it reported that total sales were flat in the July quarter, compared with a year earlier.
Food sales, which account for about three-quarters of the FTSE 250 group’s total revenue, fell by 2.4 per cent. That offset a 2.6 per cent rise in sales at its drink-led venues, which include All Bar One, O’Neill’s and Nicholson’s, sup- ported by strong trading on key days during the Fifa World Cup.
The flat quarterly performance re- flected a slowdown in trading following a 3.3 per cent increase over the first half of its financial year, which had been buoyed by stronger food sales.
The group, which operates 1,700 pubs and restaurants and employs 50,000 staff, expects costs to rise by about £120 million for the year, largely because of increases to employer national insurance contributions and the national living wage.
It has speeded up its investment pro- gramme, completing 181 site conver- sions and remodels and acquiring eight freehold sites in the UK and another two in Germany.
Phil Urban, chief executive, said: “Our business has performed with re- silience during a quarter characterised by unusual weather patterns. The strength of our diversified portfolio has moderated the impact of external fac- tors and together with the continued success of our investment programme ... we remain confident in delivering our full-year expectations.”
Jefferies, the investment bank, ex- pects the government announcement on business rates relief to have “only a very modest benefit” but believes that “longer term, M&B is gaining market share and is well-placed to continue in that vein given the cost-pressured backdrop”. Analysts at Peel Hunt reiter- ated their buy rating on the stock, with a target price of 375p a share.
Mitchells & Butlers is majority owned by a consortium of investors through Odyzean Limited, which holds 57 per cent of the shares. These include the currency trader Joe Lewis, whose family own Tottenham Hotspur foot- ball club, and the Irish investors John Magnier and JP McManus.
Isabella Fish Retail Editor
Isabella Fish
Nestlé, the Swiss food company, has agreed to sell half its water and drinks business to a US private equity firm for €3.32 billion.
The Perrier and San Pellegrino seller said it had joined forces with the billion- aire Tom Gores’s Platinum Equity to create Peranel, a 50:50 joint venture for its water and premium beverages arm. Peranel will span more than 30 brands with products sold in 120 countries.
The move was designed to “establish a dedicated player with strengthened focus to drive growth in a dynamic
with The Times.
source of travel inspiration. Now you can trust us to take you there too.
category”, according to Nestlé. Philipp Navratil, chief executive of the KitKat maker, said: “By partnering with Plati- num Equity, Peranel will be better posi- tioned to execute its strategy with en- hanced agility.
“Through additional focus, it will be well equipped to drive its long-term growth ambitions by strengthening this unique portfolio of international and local brands, with continued investments in innovation, premium- isation, operational excellence and sus- tainability.”
Platinum Equity is a US-based global investment firm that specialises in
mergers, acquisitions and operations, particularly focusing on corporate carve-outs and complex transactions across various industries. The firm, founded by Gores in 1995, backs busi- nesses including SVP Worldwide, the maker of Singer sewing machines, Club Car, the manufacturer of golf cars, and Pelican Products, which makes and sells protective cases and advanced portable lighting.
Nestlé was founded in Vevey, Switz- erland, in 1867 by the German-born pharmacist Henri Nestlé. He created a breakthrough infant food called Farine Lactée to tackle high infant mortality
rates. The company merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Com- pany in 1905. Nestlé went public and was listed on the Zurich Stock Ex- change in 1905.
The food conglomerate said the water deal, which is expected to complete in the first half of next year, would be sub- ject to a staff consultation process and applicable regulatory approvals.
Shares in Nestlé shed 8 per cent to CHF79.29 after it reported a 31 per cent decline in net profits to CHF3.5 billion in the first half of the year, driven by increased restructuring costs and the writedown of assets held for sale. Net
Lily Collins, the Guildford-born Emily in Paris star, is the global brand ambassador for Maison Perrier, the premium sparkling beverages brand created by Nestlé
deal set to spice up London
McCormick, the spice and seasoning maker, is seeking a secondary listing in London as part of a $44.8 billion merger deal with Unilever’s food business.
The US-based maker of French’s mustard and Frank’s RedHot sauce said the secondary float would be in addi- tion to its present listing on the New York Stock Exchange, and sought to raise capital flows and improve liquidi- ty for shareholders.
The move will offer a boost to London’s equity markets which have faced a wave of departures as compa- nies such as Flutter Entertainment and Ferguson shifted their listings entirely to North America.
Brendan Foley, the chairman, presi- dent and chief executive of McCor- mick, said: “This, in combination with our international headquarters and commitment to Unilever’s world-lead- ing research and development facilities in the Netherlands and our global headquarters in Hunt Valley, Mary- land, reinforces the global nature of the combined operations and positions us for ongoing success.”
debt rose to CHF56.3 billion at the end of June, compared with CHF51.4 billion at the end of last year.
In February, Navratil outlined a turn- around plan focused on four core divi- sions, cost savings and innovations, in an attempt to become a “simpler, faster, more competitive and innovative” business. Navratil was appointed to the role last September following the ab- rupt departure of Laurent Freixe, his predecessor, after an internal investi- gation revealed he had had an undis- closed romantic relationship with a di- rect subordinate, which violated the company’s code of business conduct.
business with McCormick in a deal that will give it majority control of a food empire. It forms part of the group’s wider plan to prioritise focusing on its more than €13 billion personal care di- vision and €12.8 billion beauty and wellbeing businesses.
McCormick, founded in Baltimore in 1889, began by selling root beer and fla- vouring extracts door-to-door. Today the company, which sells spices, herbs, seasoning mixes and condiments under brands such as Billy Bee, Ducros and Old Bay, is valued at about $15 billion (£11 billion).
The Maryland-based company said the proposed merger, expected to create a food conglomerate with a com- bined enterprise value of almost $66 billion and annual revenues of $20 billion, should close by mid-2027.
Unilever shareholders will receive shares equal to 65 per cent of the new group. After the transaction, McCor- mick will retain its name, global head- quarters in the US and New York Stock Exchange listing, with international headquarters in the Netherlands.
INSTAGRAM/LILYJCOLLINS
Tom Howard Property Correspondent Nick Roditi, the FTSE 250 company’s biggest shareholder.
W
Saba Capital’s efforts to oust most of Workspace’s board, including the land- lord’s chairman, and install its proposed directors have failed.
At Workspace’s annual meeting yesterday, shareholders voted in favour of re-electing all six incumbent non- executive directors and rejected Saba’s proposal to bring in six new faces in their place.
Saba, the American hedge fund run by Boaz Weinstein, won some support from Workspace’s smaller investors, but it was unable to convince
buffeted by fuel costs and weak demand at the start of summer, Robert Lea reports
Profits fell by 70 per cent at easyJet in the first half of the summer season as soft demand from holidaymakers left the airline unable to push through fare rises to cover the rising cost of fuel.
The airline, which is the subject of a £5.5 billion takeover battle between two private equity firms, said profits from April to June, the third trading quarter of its financial year, fell to £85 million, compared with £286 million in that period a year earlier.
The short-haul carrier took a £105 million hit on its fuel bill due to the elevated oil price resulting from hostili- ties in the Middle East.
Passenger numbers in the quarter were down slightly at 25.8 million, meaning spring profits equated to £3.30 per passenger, down from £11 per passenger in the prior year.
The disappointing numbers follow losses that hit £552 million over the winter. That meant that at the nine- month stage this year easyJet was deep- ly in the red to the tune of £467 million compared with losses at the same stage in 2024/25 of £108 million — by far its worst performance since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. That may go some way to explaining why the easyJet board appeared to be so keen to re- commend takeover offers of up to £5.5 billion. The airline had been talk- ing about becoming a £1 billion annual- profit business by the end of the decade but is missing that goal by a mile.
Kenton Jarvis, the chief execu- tive of the past 18 months, gave no guidance on how the traditional- ly lucrative July-to-September quarter, and therefore the full fi- nancial year, would turn out. He admitted that load factors — how full aircraft were when they flew — remained down and that “price stimulation”, the cut- ting of fares, would be needed to woo passen- gers on to easyJet flights and its package holidays.
He said the “booking window” remained un- usually short for this time of year with holidaymak- ers only paying for seats within four weeks of their planned flight.
Roditi, who made his fortune running George Soros’s hedge funds, owns about 29 per cent of Workspace shares, com- pared with the 28 per cent stake Saba has built up in recent months. For some of Saba’s proposals, less than 2 per cent of other shareholders voted with it.
“The majority of our shareholders have voted decisively to back the board and our existing strategy,” Duncan Owen, the chairman of Workspace and one of those Saba wanted to oust, said. “We are grateful for their support and are fully focused on the delivery of our
EasyJet was founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, below, in 1995. It is the subject of a £5.5 billion takeover battle, despite a loss of £467 million over three quarters
Behind the story
hen Ryanair is reporting a 34 per cent dive in profits you know
something is up in the skies. And when Ryanair sneezes,
easyJet catches a cold.
Though both are in the short-haul,
predominantly
European market, the business models of the two
are significantly
different. Ryanair
is rigorously and
shamelessly
low-cost and
when business is good it cleans up and when things are tough its performance is less bad than its peers. After the segue of easyJet
2% The portion of shareholders other than Saba that backed some of its proposals
strategy under Charlie [Green’s] leader- ship.” Owen added that he would con- sider a “refreshment” of the board, sug- gesting some new faces may yet arrive.
Workspace owns 56 buildings in London and the southeast that are used by 4,000 corporate customers, typically small and medium-sized com- panies, not just as offices but as work-
into the package holiday market — following the gaps left by the deceased Monarch and Thomas Cook — its reference point is now more accurately the fast- growing Jet2. One way of looking at how tough easyJet is finding things is the £84 million profits it made between April and June in its package holiday business, where it enjoyed higher margins and used seats at flying times that might be more difficult to fill. That meant that being just an airline, flying passengers, point to point, easyJet made profits of only £1 million in the three- month period.
Quite why airlines are having to drop fares to stimulate demand may be hiding fundamental structural changes in the market. It has been well
reported that holidaymakers have been sitting on their hands because of fears from the fallout of the latest Gulf conflict.
The scaremongering around fuel shortages potentially grounding aircraft this summer has proved to be just that, with the aviation industry’s supply chains proving more diverse and resilient than feared.
Yes, the price of fuel has risen sharply, but fares have barely moved because passengers have not been booking.
British holidaymakers have had the worst of the UK’s withdrawal from the single market and the added friction at airports and passport control. And that has been overlaid by the chaos of the European Union’s rollout of its
shops, studios and storage. Its shares trade at a near-50 per cent discount to the underlying value of its property portfolio. That discount has opened up in part because of the unpopularity of UK landlords with stock market inves- tors at present, but Workspace has also brought some of the problems on itself.
Green, who joined as chief executive in February, acknowledged that the company had not “invested in the buildings the way it needed to and therefore it’s fallen short of [customers’] expectations”. As a result, it has strug- gled to rebuild occupancy and rents since the pandemic. In January, Saba
biometric registration entry/exit system.
If the holiday airport hassle is not enough, people are at least thinking twice about their annual holidays migrating south when the extreme weather of 40C- plus temperatures in July and August in southern Europe is no longer proving to be extreme but pretty normal.
And then there is the cost of holidays. The industry insists the last thing Britons give up is their holidays, but after two to three years of vigorous holidaying following the two to three years of pandemic lockdowns and its long tail of travel disruption, maybe the elevated cost of living has finally caught up with the size of households’ discretionary spending budgets.
told Workspace to sell all of the buildings and return the proceeds, which it said would be the best thing for shareholders after “years of value de- struction”. Earlier in the summer, it fol- lowed up with its call to remove all of Workspace’s non-execs.
ISS and Glass Lewis, two influential shareholder advisory groups, support- ed some of Saba’s proposals.
It is unclear whether Saba will con- tinue to push for a “managed wind- down” of Workspace. A spokesman for Saba declined to comment. Workspace shares fell 1¾p, or 0.5 per cent, to 351p, valuing the business at £676 million.
ake, backed by Brookfield of Canada, and Apollo of New York, which under City takeover rules need to make for- mal offers by early August.
Those bids appear to have run into turbulence too after European Union officials let it be known that they would be strictly enforcing European owner- ship rules.
Both Castlelake and Apollo have in- dicated they will structure their deals so that 51 per cent of the airline will con- tinue to be controlled by European na- tionals, as per the ownership regula- tions. However, the EU has stated that the regulations are not just about math- ematical ownership but how control might be wielded by minority investors in breach of the regulations.
The intervention is believed to be an attempt to head off a free-for-all among American private equity firms coveting European airlines if they think there may be loopholes in the rules.
That news and the impending doom around easyJet’s financial results had sent shares in the airline — under an in- dicative offer at 715p a share from Apol- lo — tumbling 15 per cent on Wednes- day, to 585¼p at the close. With inves- tors happy that easyJet’s performance was no worse than feared, the shares closed up 15¾p, or 2.7 per cent, at 601p.
STEVE GILLETT / LIVEPIX
Pre-tax profit rose by 67 per cent to £50.7 million, and the dividend by 76 per cent to 3.7p, at Jupiter Asset Management
PAPER LOVES TREES PAPER LOVES TREES
Discover the story of paper www.lovepaper.org Scan for paper facts, activities, blogs and much more!
Source: Two Sides Analysis of FAO data, 2005-2020 European Forests: EU27 + Norway, Switzerland and the UK
an ethical fund
Helen Cahill
One of Britain’s top asset managers has reported higher profits as it continues to progress with turnaround efforts.
Jupiter Asset Management said reve- nues increased by 39 per cent to £213.3 million over the six months to June 30, while pre-tax profit increased 67 per cent to £50.7 million.
The firm’s assets under management rose by 36 per cent to £73.7 billion on the back of its acquisition of CCLA, an ethi- cally focused investment firm. It deliv- ered net inflows of £700 million over the period and increased its dividend by 76 per cent to 3.7p.
The FTSE 250 asset manager has been progressing with turnaround ef- forts after it lost Ben Whitmore in 2024. Whitmore, who managed £10 billion at Jupiter, left to set up his own venture after working at the firm for 18 years.
Jupiter’s return to form appeared to be bearing fruit last year when it deliv- ered its first year of net inflows in al- most a decade. These totalled £1.3 bil- lion and followed net withdrawals in the prior year of £10 billion.
However, analysts at Peel Hunt said the flows for the first half of this year had slowed more sharply than antici- pated. Jupiter’s shares closed down 7½p, or 4.5 per cent, to 156p.
The asset manager reported parti- cular progress in its retail, wholesale and investment trust products, which contributed net inflows of £1.5 billion, despite “geopolitical challenges” and “significant market volatility”.
Matthew Beesley, chief executive of Jupiter, said: “We have again delivered positive net flows, investment perform- ance remains strong and most of our key financial metrics have materi- ally improved. We have delivered another positive six-month period of net inflows, with gross inflows more than 45 per cent higher than the same period last year, despite a more
£3bn inflows for the quarter
Times Business Reporter
AJ Bell, the investment platform, saw a sharp increase in customer numbers and record net inflows in the three months to the end of June.
It reported customer numbers up 39,000 in the quarter to close at 762,000, an increase of 23 per cent over the past year and up 5 per cent on the quarter. Total advised customers were up 6 per cent on the year to 191,000 while total direct to consumers custom- ers rose 30 per cent to 571,000
Assets under administration rose 26 per cent compared with the same period last year to £121.5 billion while net inflows in the quarter rose 43 per cent to £3 billion compared with £2.1 billion for the same period last year.
®
Chief executive Michael Summers- gill said the quarter’s growth had hit record levels. He said: “We have en- tered the final quarter with strong mo- mentum. The UK platform market continues to benefit from structural growth drivers as more individuals take responsibility for their long-term fi-
challenging geopolitical environment in the second quarter.”
Jupiter bought CCLA, which serves non-profit organisations, this year for £100 million. CCLA manages assets worth more than £15 billion on behalf of charities, religious institu- tions and local authorities, and the combined group is expected to deliver cost synergies of at least £16 million by the end of 2027. CCLA is a key player in so-called purpose-led investments, shunning tobacco, biological weapons and other controversial assets, and more than a fifth of its assets are man- aged on behalf of the Church of En- gland. Jupiter has pledged to maintain the firm’s ethical philosophies.
Beesley said: “The integration of
Ben Whitmore, who managed £10billion for Jupiter, left two years ago
CCLA is proceeding well and we have made material progress on identifying and realising cost synergies. Throughout our business, we are building scale in a diversified and profitable way which gives us confi- dence in our continued growth across our client channels.”
Peel Hunt said Jupiter’s results were “something of a curate’s egg” as the group delivered “good headline profits but weaker-than-anticipated flows”, adding: “Optionality in the business from balance sheet strength remains but flows have a disproportionate im- pact on sentiment … this set of results displays all sides of the arguments with respect to Jupiter and indeed the sector more broadly. Performance fees show that value is being delivered to fund in- vestors, but tend to attract a low valua- tion from the market.”
nancial futures. Our continued invest- ment in brand and propositions, com- bined with the strength of our dual- channel strategy, positions us well to continue increasing our share of this fast-growing market.”
The company also reduced charges for its core managed portfolio range to 0.12 per cent per annum from 0.15 per cent. It said the reduction reflected its commitment to share the benefits of scale with its customers, ensuring it re- mains competitively priced.
“Our performance highlights the at- tractiveness of our low-cost, easy-to- use propositions and the excellent re- turns we are delivering on our con- tinued brand and marketing investment,” said Summersgill.
At its interim results in May, AJ Bell said it expected full-year pre-tax profit to be higher than previously guided. It said its strong performance gave it the confidence to invest more than origi- nally planned in the second half.
Centrica siphoning off 1,300 jobs
Emily Gosden Energy Editor
Emily Gosden
The owner of British Gas is cutting 1,300 jobs, claiming many of the roles are no longer needed as customers manage energy accounts online.
Centrica had disclosed 500 of the cuts last month but said yesterday that a further 800 posts were going or had already gone through a combination of natural attrition and redundancies.
The company reported a drop in first-half profits, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxation and other charges falling to £737 million from £900 million in the same period of 2025. This was driven by the sale of most of the assets of its Spirit Energy oil and gas business, marking the end of its role as a North Sea gas producer. It also reflected that “geopolitical tensions in the Middle East created a more chal- lenging trading environment”, Chris O’Shea, the chief executive, said.
North Sea
Centrica also warned that its trading performance in 2027 may be lower than market expectations. Shares closed down 18½p, or 10.2 per cent, at 161½p.
The FTSE 100 group has interests in power generation, gas storage, energy trading and customer supply and ser- vices. British Gas, its UK gas and elec- tricity supply business, has more than 7 million customers.
UK
UK
Centrica said it was pursuing a “tech- nology-led transformation” to not only cut costs but also “address the root causes of customer contact and simpli- fy journeys, supported by the targeted deployment of artificial intelligence”. It said this had reduced customer com- plaints and increased review scores.
O’Shea insisted that “AI is not driv- ing” job cuts, which reflected “a change in customer behaviour”. He added: “About 90 per cent of our customers ac- tually use digital channels in the first in- stance and we’ve seen a 20 per cent re- duction in customer calls.”
Centrica said it had been “managing resource levels through natural attri- tion” in addition to the loss of “around 500 contact-based roles across our cus- tomer operations team”, announced last month. It was also making reduc- tions in “offshore outsource support”, it said, adding that the initiatives repre- sent about a 14 per cent reduction in its “total customer operations workforce”.
Jenny Ping, an analyst at Citi, de- scribed Centrica’s results as “under- whelming” and said the market would “want to understand why Centrica is already guiding down 2027 trading”.
The company no longer divulges spe- cific results for its British Gas home energy supply business, but said that profits for its wider retail division, which also includes boiler care and smart energy products, had edged up to £346 million, from £338 million.
British Gas was overtaken by Octo- pus Energy as Britain’s biggest house- hold energy supplier, though both sup- pliers are set to be overtaken by E.On when it completes its takeover of Ovo.
Helen Cahill
A sharp recovery at a Dutch discount retailer has helped Britain’s oldest pri- vate equity firm continue its recovery from a share sell-off earlier this year.
3i Group reported that net sales at Action, one of its key investments, rose by 14 per cent to €8.3 billion over the six months to June 28, with earnings before deductibles increasing by 13 per cent to €1.1 billion. The FTSE 100 group said Action had also expanded its store portfolio with 121 net new sites, bring-
Chris O’Shea, Centrica’s chief executive, approaches the Rough facility off the Yorkshire coast. The company ultimately hopes to redevelop it to store hydrogen
Britain’s largest gas storage site is set to close by April unless the new government intervenes to save it, Centrica has said.
The company has been producing remnant gas from the Rough facility in the North Sea while it lobbies the government for support for a £2 bil- lion project to revive it as an enlarged storage site.
Chris O’Shea, Centrica chief execu- tive, said that Rough would be “close to exhausted” by this winter and its production licence would expire at the end of April.
“We don’t intend to seek an exten- sion for that, because although you can still get a trickle of gas for a long time it makes no economic sense,” he said.
Centrica would only change its mind if the government intervened or if gas prices spiked to the extreme highs seen after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, O’Shea said. Britain
ing its total store estate to 3,423. Action also paid out a dividend of €450 million (£384 million) to its shareholders, of which £254 million went to 3i.
Shares in the FTSE 100-listed invest- ment firm gained 122p, or 4.8 per cent, to £26.74 as investors rewarded the bounce back from a sales slowdown at Action in the 19 weeks to May 10.
has far lower levels of gas storage than most of its European neighbours, rely- ing instead on imports to make up for dwindling domestic production.
Centrica closed down Rough, which lies 18 miles off the coast of Yorkshire, in 2017 after concluding that it was uneconomic to keep running, but revived it with a reduced capacity in 2022 to cash in on the energy crisis caused by Russia’s inva- sion of Ukraine.
The company had been talking to Sir Keir Starmer and his administration about “a short-term deal to fill Rough up for storage for this winter”.
Its longer-term hope is to redevelop the site with an increased capacity for gas and ultimately hydrogen storage and it is pushing the govern- ment for a deal that would provide fi- nancial support, funded by billpayers. This could comprise a regulated “cap and floor” system to guarantee minimum revenues but also limit maxi- mum revenues. “What we hear a lot is
market valuation fell after it said sales of seasonal goods had struggled owing to the cooler weather and a drop in con- sumer sentiment across Germany and France, two of Action’s biggest markets.
Germany
France
Action’s performance has become a central determinant of 3i’s success because it is the firm’s largest invest- ment, representing more than three quarters of the total value of its private equity portfolio.
Rough (Centrica) gas storage facility 1,500mcm*
Hull
Norwich
*Million cubic metres
How the UK compares Gas storage capacity in days
118 117
Netherlands
Source: Energy UK analysis of Associated Gas Storage Inventory 2025. Based on each country’s annual gas consumption
good result in its second quarter. Since the announcement of our full-year re- sults, Action has seen good perform- ance with strong growth in transac- tions driven by seasonal products and continued good sales in [fast-moving consumer goods] categories.
“Our private equity portfolio compa- nies continue to demonstrate resil- ience, delivering operational progress and good cash generation.”
that this is a commercial decision for Centrica. That is patently not true,” O’Shea said.
“I think this is essential for the UK energy security. I think it would not be good if this was to be allowed to close and that’s why it’s really a decision for government now.
“Rough could strengthen the UK’s energy security, reduce exposure to volatile international gas markets, support hydrogen storage and bring significant investment and thousands of skilled jobs in the construction phase to the east of England.”
Wholesale gas prices have risen by about 50 per cent over the past month on renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz.
Gas is now trading at about 150p per therm, close to the highs seen in March at the height of the US-Iran conflict. Prices, however, remain far below the highs in excess of 600p per therm seen in the wake of Russia’s full-scale inva- sion of Ukraine.
Belgium
the Bank of England. The group shifted its focus to management buyouts in 1983 and was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1994. 3i’s largest in- vestments are Action, which was val- ued at £24.2 billion at the end of June, and Royal Sanders, a European manu- facturer and distributor of personal care and cosmetic products, which was most recently valued at £1.2 billion.
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John Finecec Tempus Buy, sell or hold: today’s best share tips Bottling behemoth has clear advantage
C
coca-cola hbc
Market cap £18 billion
oca-Cola HBC’s shares bubbled up to a new high this month as sales in emerging markets accelerated. The shares are an interesting option as they offer the defensive attributes that come from selling one of the biggest brands in the world, with the faster growth from emerging markets.
It is that growth in new markets that will be the focus of the results for the first half due on August 5. As the curtain was brought down on the Fifa World Cup, Coca-Cola hopes that the crucial marketing event, of which it has been the official sponsor for nearly 50 years, will help sales.
Coca-Cola HBC, which stands for Hellenic Bottling Company, is a somewhat odd fish being based in Zug, Switzerland, and reporting in euros. It is the bottling offshoot of the Atlanta-based parent company in the United States, which long ago decided it was more profitable to just focus on making the thick sugary syrup and leave the bottling, sales and carbonation to somebody else. Coca-Cola still retains 21 per cent, alongside the Greek Cypriot Leventis family with a 23 per cent stake through the Kar-Tess Holding.
The emerging markets are the largest part of the business, contributing about 49 per cent of revenue, with the most significant countries being Nigeria and Egypt. The balance is made up of 30 per cent of revenue in established markets such as Italy, Greece and
after warning on profits
market report
The past few years have been a video nasty for Videndum, and yesterday the film and TV industry’s go-to supplier suffered another shocker.
Shares in the company, which have collapsed in value since its relegation from the FTSE 250 in 2023, dropped by another 44 per cent after an unexpect- ed profit warning.
The Middle East conflict has in- creased logistics costs, extended deliv- ery times, and delayed purchasing deci- sions for its high-end camera tripods, autocues and lighting gear. Production snags in Feltre, Italy, have not helped.
Full-year underlying profits are ex- pected to come in between £15 million and £18 million, below expectations.
The warning came alongside the an- nouncement that Jan Peter Tewes will next month join as chief executive to lead the “next phase” of a company whose roots date back to the dawn of cinema in the early 20th century.
Tewes won gold with Germany’s hockey team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before entering business. He was chief executive of the bathroom fit- tings company Ideal Standard at the time of its 2024 sale to ceramics brand Villeroy & Boch, leading its integration.
Returns runneth over
Coca-Cola cans drunk daily 2.1bn
Revenue Pre-tax profit Share price
Source: FactSet
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 15
ADVICE Hold WHY The pricing power of Coca-Cola and an excellent dividend track record mean this has a strong case for any portfolio
Ireland, and 20 per cent from developing markets in eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
It is the growth in Nigeria and Egypt that is driving the business. They are shifting more cans of drink with volumes up 11.2 per cent, and at higher prices, up 3.6 per cent, pushing regional revenue up 15.2 per cent in the first quarter that ended March 28. It was a mix of strong sales of sparkling drinks like Coke, Sprite and Fanta and even better
US stock indices fell as the first round of earnings from Big Tech companies renewed concerns over their spending on artificial intelligence. Tesla and Alphabet both sank, with investors spooked by their multibillion-dollar capital spending plans. Fresh hostilities in the Gulf also threw hopes for a settlement into reverse. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.97 per cent to 51,711.65, the S&P 500 fell 1.21 per cent to 7,408.30 and the Nasdaq Composite dipped 2.15 per cent to 25,137.69.
The day’s biggest movers
£55
€9.2bn €0.62bn
€10.2bn €0.91bn
€10.8bn €1.13bn
€11.6bn €1.31bn
€12.4bn €1.43bn
*Deutsche Bank estimates
sales of Monster Energy drinks.
Having pushed through price increases last year, there is now an acceleration in sales. In established markets, prices were up just 1 per cent, but volumes increased 6.8 per cent, taking revenue up 7.8 per cent, and developing markets saw prices up 2.8 per cent, volumes up 7.4 per cent and revenue up 11.2 per cent during the first quarter. That resulted in revenue rising 11.6 per cent.
With the business ticking along nicely, management spent $2.6 billion at the end of last year buying 75 per cent of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), the balance being added over the next six years. The deal is expected to complete before the end of December, removing competition in existing markets like Nigeria. It will add another piece of the puzzle, increasing exposure down the east coast of Africa in places such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique,
Videndum faced delayed purchasing decisions for its high-end camera tripods
After Videndum’s recent showing on the public markets, which led to an £85 million rescue raise and a one-for- 200 reverse stock split in March, some investors might read signals from his experience in private equity. Shares in Videndum, which peaked above £15 in 2022, closed down 180p at 225p.
Elsewhere, escalating tensions between the US and Iran sent the price of Brent crude back above $100 a barrel for the first time since May.
Uganda, and the largest market, South Africa.
Signs of a recovery in emerging markets are what put a rocket under the shares last January, and the trading update in May demonstrated it was no flash in the pan. Exposure to emerging markets is always a double-edged sword: there is a faster- growing and younger population that is arguably the target market for soft drinks, but also more extreme currency movements linked to commodity prices. The recovery in Nigeria is being helped by a weaker dollar and rising oil prices after an extreme devaluation resulted in currency controls three years ago.
The other thing to like here is the dividend, which is forecast to increase 17 per cent to €1.27 for the year and paid after each annual general meeting. It has an impressive track record that has seen it rise from €0.12 in 2003.
The shares have bounced around a range of £20 to £30 during the past decade, but have enjoyed an 80 per cent jump since the start of last year. At a shade under £50 they are well up on the Tempus recommendation to buy last April. Analysts from Deutsche Bank expect €2.88 (£2.45) in earnings per share for the full year, leaving the shares on 20 times forecast earnings. That looks a fair pricefor a company with both the pricing power of Coca-Cola and exposure to emerging markets. The conflict in Iran will add cost pressure but there is also the benefit from the month-long marketing exercise at the World Cup and the acquisition completing later this year, so there is reason enough to stay put with this proven winner.
blow: BP gained 16.6p, or 3.1 per cent, to 556p, while Shell advanced 52p, or 1.6 per cent to close at £33.44
Segro led the way on the FTSE 100, gaining 58¼p, or 6.5 per cent, to 953p after its board finally said it was minded to support a “best and final” £14 billion takeover proposal from Prologis, a US rival, valuing it at £10.32 per share.
news in brief
Relx allays fears over AI
Relx, the data company, reported accelerating growth in its scientific and legal division as its first half revenue missed estimates but reaffirmed its full year outlook.
Revenue was £4.9 billion for the first six months of 2026, up 7 per cent compared to the same period last year. Pre-tax profits rose slightly from £1.5 billion to £1.6 billion.
Erik Engstrom, chief executive, said: “The ongoing evolution of artificial intelligence is enabling us to add more value to our customers, to develop and launch higher value-add products at a faster pace, and continue to manage cost growth below revenue growth.
“This evolution has been a key driver of our business for well over a decade, and will remain a key driver of customer value and growth in our business for many years to come.”
Nick Luff, chief financial officer, said Relx was applying generative AI capabilities to its trusted and curated data to help its customers in the legal, scientific, and financial services sectors. He said hundreds of thousands of professionals were using tools such as Lexis+ with Protégé.
Shares in Relx fell 3p, or 0.1 per cent to £24.51 following the results.
Its performance provides relief to investors after shares in Relx and rivals have been hit by concerns about AI companies, such as Anthropic, pushing into the legal sector.
Heathrow plea to Burnham
Heathrow airport has said it will reiterate its case to Andy Burnham’s new government for a third runway as it posted a record of 40 million passengers in the first half of the year. Thomas Woldbye, chief executive, said its plan was “much more than just building a third runway — this project is a real opportunity to provide an economic boost to every region and nation of the country”. Revenue was up by 0.3 per cent to £1.7 billion in the six months to the end of June. Heathrow said the figure was “a testament to the resilience of hub airports in geopolitical headwinds”.
Serica signs finance deal
A North Sea oil and gas producer has signed a $750 million banking deal. Serica Energy said the six-year agreement covers a $500 million reserves-based loan facility as well as a separate $250 million revolving credit one. The terms include options for both of those facilities to potentially be doubled in size. The new syndicate is made up of 11 banks which were all lenders under the previous $525 million agreement. Serica said it ended June with $26 million of net cash on its balance sheet because of strong production and higher commodity prices in the first half of this year.
Manufacturers squeezed
UK manufacturers reported the sharpest fall in new orders in six years in July as rising costs and weak demand squeezed margins, the latest quarterly industrial trends survey from the Confederation of British Industry showed. New orders had a weighted balance of -24 per cent, down from -22 per cent in April. Ben Jones, a senior lead economist at the CBI, said manufacturers were “being squeezed” from both sides. “Costs continue to climb while weak demand limits their ability to raise prices, leaving firms to absorb the pressure through shrinking margins, weaker investment and further cuts to employment.”
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Friday July 24 2026 | the times Business
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Base Rates Clearing Banks: 3.75% ECB Refi 2.40% Fed Fund 3.5-3.75% Halifax Mortgage Rate (SVR) 7.24%
creative sector’s values: innovation, creativity and problem solving, Jane Hamilton writes
In a world where a third of employers use AI to screen job applications, re- cruiters in the UK creative sector are turning the opposite way, embracing in- person exhibitions and traditional face- to-face interviews to hire new talent.
The latest industry figures show that 73 per cent of graduates use AI to polish their CVs, but while the tech is adept at scanning for keywords and previous job titles, it cannot assess what the sector values most — innovation, creativity and the ability to approach problems in a truly original way.
“Many of the qualities that define success in the industry are difficult to assess on paper: judgment, communi- cation, cultural awareness and the abil- ity to connect ideas with people,” ex- plained Marwa Zamaray, executive di- rector at fashion consultancy Eco Age. “Sometimes the person who looks like the less obvious choice on paper is the person who brings the perspective an organisation needs next.”
With much of a designer’s success hinging on managing a vast network — spanning retail and merchandising, marketing, product development, man- ufacturing, logistics and sustainability — Zamaray points to the value of in- person meetings to assess the people skills needed to make this all work.
And making it work is critical for the UK’s future success. The design eco- nomy is a major powerhouse, employ- ing 1.97 million people and contributing £97.4 billion in gross value added to the UK economy. It also grew at twice the rate of the UK economy as a whole between 2010 and 2019, expanding its economic contribution by 73 per cent.
Figures to be released by the Design Council this September show the work- force is younger than the UK average, with 37 per cent under 35, against 25 per cent nationally. Face-to-face recruit- ment may help students who lost out on work experience and careers support during the Covid pandemic.
Mat Hunter, chief executive of the Design Council, said: “For graduates, these events provide invaluable oppor- tunities to build networks, gain feed- back and access career opportunities that might otherwise be difficult to reach. Meeting in-person also gives employers a much richer understand- ing of how young designers think.”
This is borne out by the numbers at- tending graduate showcases. This year’s annual New Designers show saw more than 15,000 visitors, with 2,500 graduates from 100 courses exhibiting across fashion, textiles, furniture, pro- duct design and illustration.
Sally Bent, the event director, said: “For all the advances we’ve seen in
Working week
Cost of living squeeze
Workers face a cost of living squeeze as just 22 per cent of employers plan inflation-beating pay rises. For firms with fewer than 50 staff, this falls to just 16 per cent, the Work Foundation at Lancaster University found. While 82 per cent are providing some support to staff to help deal with rising costs, with extending benefits options the most common method, 15 per cent of employers are not providing any support at all.
back to lightbulb moment’ J
Top tips for crafting a creative career
Show your personality as well as your portfolio. Technical skills matter but so do curiosity, enthusiasm and the ability to collaborate with others.
Be able to tell the story behind your work. Employers want to understand your thinking and creative process.
Tailor your portfolio. Quality will
Leaders sad and lonely
Senior leaders are far more likely to be lonely than their staff , scoring ten points higher on loneliness and 11 points more for sadness, according to Gallup’s workplace report. Nancy MacKay, author of It’s Lonely at the Top, says: “True leadership is fundamentally about self-leadership. It’s about figuring out how to inspire yourself every single day. You cannot effectively inspire others if you yourself are running on empty.”
Case study
ake Leach-Perry, who studied product design at Bournemouth University, won an award for his final-year project, which came with a three-month placement. This led directly to a permanent
always have more impact than quantity. Select projects that best reflect the role or studio you’re hoping to join.
Network with confidence. Introduce yourself, ask thoughtful questions and follow up afterwards.
Be open to different routes into the industry. Freelance work, internships, placements and collaborative
Route into creative careers
Young people can take advantage of the Discover! Creative Careers programme Careers programme. It is aimed at 11 to 24-year-olds, with a focus on under-represented backgrounds and underserved regions. The discovercreative.careers website will connect young people with employers and provide a clear route into creative careers, through work experience, informative webinars and networking events.
role designing innovative household products.
Leach-Perry, 26, from Balham in south London, said: “Industrial design identifies everyday frustrations and solves them with tangible products — aiming to deliver meaningful user experiences. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of picking up
projects can all lead to long-term opportunities.
Stay curious and keep learning. Employers are looking for graduates who are adaptable, willing to learn and excited by change.
Be authentic. Don’t focus on replicating trends or other people’s success. The most memorable work comes from understanding your own perspective.
a product that you can trace all the way back to a lightbulb moment.
“Exhibitions are a great opportunity to practise presenting yourself confidently ... University will teach you the technical skills, but engaging with the wider design community will broaden your skills more than you realise.”
digital recruitment, online portfolios and AI-assisted hiring, creativity re- mains an incredibly human industry. Employers aren’t just recruiting a port- folio, they’re recruiting a person.”
For Professor Karin Askham, rector of Cambridge School of Visual and Per- forming Arts, the return to in-person interviews for creative recruitment could herald a rethink of hiring in other sectors, too.
“I increasingly see careers being built through engagement with industry rather than through a single applica- tion process. Students who attend events, take part in competitions, work on live projects, seek feedback and build professional relationships are creating opportunities long before they formally apply for a role,” she said.
Working mothers suffer
High-achieving working mothers are increasingly experiencing burnout as the boundaries between work and home blur. A third said motherhood had negatively affected their career progression, with 63 per cent still primarily responsible for household and childcare responsibilities as well as work. Shazna Khanom, head of clinical mental health at Bupa, said: “Sustainable performance depends on cultures that support flexibility.”
Six from the best
One of Andy Burnham’s most pressing concerns is ensuring public sector organisations deliver value for taxpayer money. As co-founder of a new breed of tech services aligning government and innovation, Denis Kaminskiy of Arcus Global shares his advice for modernising the sector.
Sometimes being naive to a challenge is a superpower. Experience can be valuable but it can also create set ideas. By coming at a problem fresh you can get more effective solutions.
Goals and targets are not strategy. Strategy is about making clear choices, understanding trade-offs and sticking to your guns.
Don’t be afraid to disrupt an established industry. Real progress comes from questioning accepted norms and taking a different approach, even when it feels uncomfortable.
“No” is a complete answer. Saying yes to everything spreads teams too thin and lowers standards. Being selective creates focus and empowers your team.
Fail fast and often. Failure forces you to examine what went wrong, adjust and improve your judgment over time — if you are willing to face it honestly.
Consistency is crucial. What leaders do every day sets the standard far more than what they say occasionally, and people notice the difference.
Appointment of the week
WWF-UK seeks volunteers for Impact Committee The global environmental charity WWF is seeking new members for its Impact Committee. This is a strategic volunteering opportunity available for new members to help address today’s global environmental challenges.
The WWF-UK Impact Committee plays a critical role in supporting the board of trustees. They assess, challenge and help shape WWF-UK’s externally facing work across science, programmes, partnerships, policy, advocacy and communications.
Applications are sought from individuals who bring expertise and fresh perspectives in areas including international business, international politics or policy, international development or conservation. Candidates should also have a strong commitment to the WWF mission.
The positions are unremunerated but expenses are paid. The commitment is four hybrid meetings annually with an initial term of four years. Previous board experience is helpful but not essential as WWF will offer induction into strategy and governance and provide a buddy system from within the committee.
Join the Attorney General’s Chambers on the beautiful Isle of Man
We are seeking an experienced and strategic legal leader to join the Senior Leadership Team as Director of Prosecutions. This is a unique opportunity to lead the Island’s prosecution service, overseeing the delivery of high-quality criminal prosecution services and providing leadership across a wide range of complex and high-profile casework. Working closely with the Crown Officers and criminal justice partners, you will play a key role in shaping the future direction of prosecution services within the Isle of Man.
As part of a highly respected and independent legal office, you will lead an experienced team of legal professionals, contribute to the development of criminal justice policy and standards, and help drive service improvement and modernisation across the justice system. This role offers the opportunity to undertake meaningful and varied work in a supportive professional environment while making a significant contribution to the administration of justice and the rule of law in the Isle of Man.
We offer a competitive salary (£95,955 - £111,929 + 12% market rating per annum)
Annual leave entitlements of up to 30 days plus 10 public holidays
Hybrid and flexible working is encouraged to support a great work/life balance
Access to diverse range of training and development opportunities
To find out more and to apply, visit our website https://tinyurl.com/bdd7yr6d
Non-Executive Directors of the NHS Business Services Authority Ministers are seeking to appoint up to 3 Non-Executive Directors to the NHS Business Service Authority (NHSBSA), one who will also Chair the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC). NHSBSA is responsible for delivering a wide range of high-volume, national business services for the health and social care system, with a focus on delivering and transforming those services and maximising effi ciencies. As a Non-Executive Director on the NHSBSA Board, you will play a key role in shaping the organisation’s strategic direction, driving continuous improvement, supporting high-quality service delivery, and providing strong governance and accountability through scrutiny, challenge, fairness and effective corporate governance. You will be responsible for monitoring and challenging the performance of the NHSBSA’s executive management, holding it to account for the delivery of the strategic vision, organisational priorities, business plan objectives and wider government requirements. You will also build and maintain infl uential relationships with key partners across the health and social care system, developing strategic alliances that improve effi ciency and support the delivery of value-added services that meet the needs of service users. Applicants will have a strong track record of signifi cant delivery at a senior level within the private, public or voluntary sectors, with the ability to operate effectively as part of a Board, providing support, challenge and assurance. They will demonstrate sound judgement, with the ability to critically analyse complex information and make evidence-based strategic decisions. You will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships and gain the confi dence of colleagues and stakeholders. We would welcome applicants with skills and experience in one or more of the following areas: • Risk management • Pension scheme administration • Large-scale transformation programmes in the public sector • Technology operations in large organisations For the Audit and Risk Committee Chair role, candidates should also have senior fi nance experience, preferably with an accountancy qualifi cation, and experience of serving on an audit and risk committee. Remuneration will be £7,883 per annum, with the ARC Chair receiving £13,137 per annum, for a time commitment of 2 to 3 days per month. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care determines the length of appointment, which may be for up to a maximum of 3 years. For more information, please visit the Public Appointments website: http://publicappointments.cabinetoffi ce.gov.uk/8952 If you require an alternative format please call Jessie Rourke on 0113 254 5321 or Rachael Gingell on 0207 484 9424 quoting the reference VAC- 8952. The closing date for applications is midday on Tuesday, 01 September 2026. The Department of Health and Social Care values and promotes diversity. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they refl ect the diversity of views of the society they serve.
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Paddy McNally
Paddy McNally’s dreams of becoming a racing driver were thwarted by modest talent. He instead became a motorsport journalist and was briefly manager to Niki Lauda, the three-times world champion driver. All these and more brought him into the orbit of Bernie Ecclestone, who by the 1970s was asserting his grip on Formula 1.
In No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone (2011), Tom Bower tells how the motor-racing mogul and the mid- dle-class McNally were not natural soulmates. McNally’s motor experi- ence was limited to the scrap car busi- ness and rally driving. However, with Ecclestone’s blessing he began organis- ing and improving advertising hoard- ings and hospitality facilities at the world’s leading circuits, including intro- ducing the swanky premium-service Paddock Club. These ventures proved astonishingly lucrative and, having taken a €30 million gamble to rescue the British Grand Prix in 2005, McNal- ly sold his Geneva-based Allsport Management in 2006 for €372 million, retiring from the business in 2011.
While estimates of the publicity-shy McNally’s fortune varied, it was sufficient for him to accumulate homes in Britain, France and Switzerland, where another side to his character was on display at Verbier, the exclusive Alpine skiing resort. Here he presided over hedonistic hedge funders and louche members of the great British upper class, including Sarah Ferguson who was 22 years his junior and whom he dated for three years before her marriage to Andrew Mountbatten- Windsor.
Ferguson recalled that McNally lived in “an immense chalet … overlooking the town and hosted a continual round of parties and business dinners, all with superb wine”. This was Les Gais Lutins, an eight-bedroomed house more com- monly known to the British tabloids as Cocaine Castle. According to Andrew Lownie in Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York (2025), Les Gais Lu- tins was the scene of parties frequented by a crowd that besides Ferguson and her friends included the art dealer Ni- gel “the Rat” Pollitzer (obituary, March 21, 2024). Many a tall story emerged, in- cluding that when a guest parked in front of McNally’s garage he drove straight through the offending vehicle rather than ask for it to be moved.
McNally frequently held court at the upmarket Farm Club in Verbier, danc- ing the night away with a coterie of reg- ulars whose individual bottles of ex- pensive vodka, initialled with a marker pen, were stashed behind the bar. A table was reserved for him every night, just below the DJ booth, with proximity to this perch defining the club’s social hierarchy. Ferguson and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco were often the closest.
In Lownie’s telling McNally, a bald- ing and bespectacled widower with two young sons, was not an obvious boy- friend for Ferguson, who called him “the toad”. However, she found him fun, generous, charming and, most impor- tantly, rich. “Paddy was my father figure,” she said. He was also her father’s worst nightmare. “Not the right age, not in the Household Cavalry, just a man named McNally in motor racing.
But I loved Paddy for all the things he wasn’t, for the phony graces he rejected, the airs he refused to put on, even after he had done quite well for himself,” Ronald Ferguson said.
At the same time McNally was a cad. He had a roving eye, slept with other women, and undermined Ferguson’s confidence with comments about her weight. “Paddy used to tell me I was fat and ugly and no one was interested in me, and I believed him,” she said. On one occasion she poured a bucket of iced water over his head after finding him flirting with an attractive visitor. Lownie tells of McNally arriving home with another woman and giving Fer- guson the option of sleeping in the spare room or having a threesome. Meanwhile, Ferguson spent a lot of time caring for his sons. “Soon we were acting like family; I was their nanny and their friend,” she said.
The one thing McNally would not do was marry her. After dropping many hints, Ferguson issued an ultimatum at an Italian Grand Prix: if he would not put a ring on her finger, she would leave. McNally ignored her demands. He even drove her to the Royal Ascot house party at Windsor Castle where
she was introduced to Mountbatten- Windsor, whom she had known briefly when they were children. Within a year she had married into the royal family, disastrously. Meanwhile, McNally con- tinued to make and enjoy money.
Patrick Sean McNally was born in Gravesend, Kent, in 1937, the fifth of six children of Group-Captain Patrick McNally, an RAF doctor, and his wife Mary (née Outred). His older siblings were Charles, Peter, John and Rosemary and he had a younger sister, Maryanne.
Shortly after war was declared the family decided that Co Monaghan, their father’s ancestral home in Ireland, would be a safer haven than Kent. Peter, who became a director of London Weekend Television, recalled that while crossing the Irish Sea they were awakened in the dead of night, bustled on deck and ordered to put on gas masks and life jackets. “In the distance we could see an aircraft dropping bombs in the sea,” he wrote in his mem- oir, The Time of My Life (2013).
SUTTON MOTORSPORTS/SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL; DAVID PHIPPS/GETTY IMAGES
school in Lancashire and then to the neighbouring Stonyhurst College, run by Jesuits. “The school regime was ex- tremely strict, with physical punish- ment being liberally dispensed. The concept was that ‘to spare the rod was to spoil the child’,” Peter wrote. “We cer- tainly were not spoiled.”
McNally with Sarah Ferguson at the 1997 British Grand Prix. She stayed with him despite his affairs. Left, McNally playing backgammon with the driver James Hunt
From school McNally abandoned his accountancy studies to peddle vacuum cleaners on hire purchase door-to-door in Blackpool and Wigan before selling bric-a-brac from a stall in Portobello Road, London. In 1963 he joined Autosport magazine where, when not racing cars, he came across as a serious journalist. In one column he pointed out how only one serious accident could jeopardise the sport’s commer- cial backing. “Modern motor racing depends very much on sponsorship, but major companies are going to think twice if there is ever the sort of national catastrophe which would occur if a Formula 1 car left the circuit and went into the crowd at 180mph,” he wrote in June 1970.
in Verbier was known by many as Cocaine Castle
By then he was developing a lucrative sideline in studying the “motors for sale” advertisements before the maga- zine reached its readers, picking out the best deals for himself. Now seeking greater prestige, he moved to Firestone tyres in Rome before being hired in 1973 by Philip Morris to promote Marlboro cigarettes at motor-racing circuits around the world. In Bower’s telling McNally was dismayed by the venues’ crude environment and appearance and suggested to Ecclestone that they adopt Fifa’s World Cup model. He pro- posed buying exclusive advertising and
hospitality rights from the circuits, sell- ing them at a higher price and paying a cut to Ecclestone.
The concept took shape in 1984 in France, Belgium and Austria, though Ecclestone was at first unimpressed. “What’s that sign doing there?” he screamed at McNally during one early race. The abuse continued and after a year McNally announced that he was quitting, saying he was losing too much money. Ecclestone now softened his tone, saying that McNally had put so much into it he should just try a little harder. According to Bower, “the mild- mannered McNally obeyed” and in 1985 his fortunes took an upward turn. Sponsors were increasingly drawn to the lavish hospitality, while advertising revenues grew exponentially.
In 1967 McNally had married Anne “Twist” Downing, a Monte Carlo heir- ess and daughter of the racing driver Ken Downing. They lived by Lake Geneva and socialised with their mo- tor-racing neighbours including Jackie Stewart, but had separated by the time she died from cancer in 1980. He is sur- vived by their son Rollo. Another son, Sean, predeceased him in April.
McNally remained chivalrously silent about his relationship with Ferguson, though shortly before her marriage to Mountbatten-Windsor, which he attended, several photo- graphs disappeared from his chalet. They surfaced in a Sunday newspaper, which gave generous space to those images depicting cigarettes being rolled by hand. He was helped to get over the heartbreak of losing her by Becky Few Brown, a young blonde cha- let girl and later to be the ex-wife of the Marquess of Blandford, for whom McNally was best man. Lulu McAlpine, Lord McAlpine’s niece, also enjoyed his hospitality for several years, though he never remarried.
By 2017 McNally was at No 20 on The Sunday Times Irish Rich List (No 206 in the UK list), with a fortune estimated at €718 million. His British properties included Warneford Place, an 18th- century country house and estate in Wiltshire that was once home to Ian Fleming, the James Bond author. Each year he hosted a barbecue there after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. According to his brother Peter, McNal- ly had a “remarkable expertise in reno- vating Georgian houses. He is a real perfectionist.” In October 2005 Warne- ford Place was burgled by the notorious Johnson family, an extended clan of Irish travellers, who stole antiques worth £750,000.
Despite their turbulent relationship, McNally turned out to be one of Fer- guson’s most loyal friends. In 2000 he spent £500,000 on a 19th-century villa in the suburbs of Geneva, apparently on her behalf, and in the past year as pres- sure mounted on her over her links to Jeffrey Epstein, the American paedo- phile, he is thought to have provided her with a place to lie low. As she once said: “Whenever I wanted advice, I turned to him because he was so world- ly wise. He seemed to have seen and done everything.” Seemingly he had.
The Sharks were the Puerto Rican gang in West Side Story, but in real life there were the Young Lords, a radical anti- capitalist organisation that organised occupations, garbage-burning protests and community service programmes in New York. Its leaders included a fear- less and articulate woman named Den- ise Oliver-Velez who sported a huge Af- ro and had, in her own words, “never been known to bite my tongue”.
The Young Lords emerged in the 1960s from a Puerto Rican street gang in Chicago. Inspired by the civil rights movement and the more militant Black Panthers, they fought with some success to end the second-class citizen status of Puerto Rican immigrants through direct action. In 1969 Oliver- Velez and others founded a New York chapter of the Young Lords in East Har- lem, the unofficial capital of Puerto Ri- can New York, which was known as el barrio (the neighbourhood). Over the next few years the Young Lords staged numerous occupations including a 12- hour takeover of Lincoln Hospital — the notorious “butcher shop of South Bronx” — to protest against its appall- ing conditions.
They seized East Harlem’s First Spanish Methodist Church for use as a centre for community programmes and blocked major road junctions with burning garbage to protest against poor rubbish collection. They ran free break- fast programmes for children, free clothing programmes for poor moth- ers, ran monitoring programmes for tu- berculosis and other common diseases, a neighbourhood watch to monitor police repression, a campaign against the use of toxic lead paint on apartment walls and much else.
But as a founder and editor of the movement’s newspaper, Palante (For- ward), Oliver-Velez also fought for change within the Young Lords, most
The Labour whips under Neil Kinnock and Tony Blair regarded the rebellious Terry Lewis as one of their “usual sus- pects”, not a term of affection. Although not as rebellious as Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Dennis Skinner, he was a regular member of the so- called “awkward squad” of left-wing rebels, gathered on the front bench be- low the gangway.
It was no surprise that in the party’s leadership elections, he voted for Bryan Gould over John Smith in 1992 and for Margaret Beckett over Tony Blair in 1994. Both of his preferred candidates lost decisively. When he stepped down as MP for Worsley in Greater Man- chester in 2005, he complained about the “Thatcherite” policies of the Blair government. In 2010, no longer an MP, he tore up his party membership in front of a local reporter, declaring that Labour had “lost its soul”. He rejoined in 2015, when his old fellow-rebel Cor- byn was elected as party leader.
As a new MP in 1983, he soon defied the whips by voting against the defence estimates and did the same in future votes on the issue. In Blair’s first term he rebelled against the cuts to benefits for lone parents, means-testing of incapac- ity benefits, part privatisation of air traffic control and abolition of student maintenance grants. He opposed the Iraq war, finding it “indefensible”.
Oliver-Velez, also right centre, promoted the role of women within her previously male-dominated protest movement
notably for gender equality in a male- dominated Puerto Rican culture. Ini- tially “there were very few sisters”, she said. “We had a hard time being heard at meetings, and most of the work we did was secretarial work.”
The movement was run on quasi- military lines, with members wearing purple berets, receiving defence train- ing and subject to strict discipline. Oliv- er-Velez worked full-time for no pay, living “socialistically” and surviving on donations and income from selling newspapers. She rose to become the first woman elected to the Young Lords central committee, and later its “minis- ter” of finance and “minister” of eco- nomic development, the most senior woman in the movement.
Lewis berated John Major in public
it from defeat. Lewis was never recon- ciled to the changes that Kinnock and Blair made to the party’s structure and policies, but his ranking among Labour rebels declined over time. During the 1992-97 parliament he was the sixth most frequent rebel. By the 2001-2005 parliament, he had fallen to 23rd.
In part, the decline was a mark of how more rebellious the party had become and in part because his attendance was less frequent. In 2003 it was reported that he was one of the Labour MPs who had not made a single contribution to debates in the House of Commons the previous year.
Denise Oliver-Velez (née Denise Roberts Oliver) was born in Brooklyn in 1947, the daughter of George and Marjorie Oliver. During the Second World War her father had been a Tus- kegee Airman, one of the pioneering group of non-white fighter and bomber pilots who formed the 332nd Fighter Group. Later he tried to become an ac- tor in New York, but ended up as a pro- fessor of dramatic literature at Nassau College on Long Island.
Oliver-Velez inherited her political commitment from her parents, whose friends included the activist singer Paul Robeson. As a teenager in the civil rights era she joined the National Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Col- ored People and blocked bulldozers at a
trated ambition, attention-seeking or sheer awkwardness. But few doubted that Lewis was a man of convictions, particularly about the kind of Labour Party he cared about. He was too disen- chanted with the direction of the party under Blair to bother that no prefer- ment came his way. An admirer, the Liberal MP for Leeds West, Michael Meadowcroft, described him as “a Catholic with a left conscience”. The composition of Labour MPs was chang- ing too. When he was first elected in 1983, half had been to university. When he stepped down 22 years later, the figure was two thirds.
Lewis was born in Salford in 1935 to Andrew Lewis, a dockworker, and Mary (née Redfern). Teachers at his school were impressed with his confi- dence and intelligence although he did not shine academically. After his National Service with the Royal Army Medical Corps, he worked as a power- station engineer and was an active trade unionist. In 1958 he married Aud- rey Clarke. They had two sons, David, who works in finance, and Andrew, who died in 1975, aged ten.
His political career started with election as a Labour councillor in Kearsley in 1971. Five years later he was elected for Bolton borough council, be- came the party’s deputy leader and served briefly as chairman of the edu- cation committee. Encouraged by friends, he set his sights on becoming an MP. When John Roper, the Labour MP for Farnworth, defected to join the new
LEE ROMERO/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX/EYEVINE; DAVID FENTON/GETTY IMAGES
construction site to demand more jobs for non-white workers. While she was working as a waitress at a coffee shop frequented by the black intelligentsia in Harlem, Malcolm X once interposed himself between her and an angry cus- tomer brandishing a gun.
In 1965 she switched from an over- whelmingly white college in New York to Washington DC’s predominantly black Howard University, where she engaged in various radical activities and was suspended by the conservative hierarchy for refusing to behave “like a nice Howard lady”. Thereafter she re- turned to New York, joined the Young Lords and was instrumental in the split of the movement’s Chicago and New York branches in 1970.
Social Democratic Party, Lewis was se- lected to replace him as the Labour can- didate. In contrast to the pro-European Roper, Lewis was a firm Eurosceptic. By the time of the general election in 1983, the seat had been abolished and re- placed by the new Worsley one.
The 1983 election gave the Conserva- tives a landslide victory, but Lewis held his seat with a majority of just over 4,000. He kept close to his local party members and steadily increased his majority in further general elections. In 2001, when he fought his last election, his majority was more than 11,000.
Although Lewis was usually quiet and unassuming, his views were deeply held. And if roused, his language could be intemperate. When the prime minis- ter John Major lost a Commons vote on the EU’s social chapter in 1993 he was confronted in the chamber by Lewis, who said, “Why don’t you resign, you plonker?” He once bawled at his co-re- ligionist, Ann Widdecombe, a Tory em- ployment minister (obituary, July 10, 2026), “Make it quick, your broom- stick’s been clamped.” He would be even more vitriolic about his own party when it was in power from 1997.
Lewis regularly called for action to be taken against what he called porno- graphic chat lines, largely on the grounds that children were becoming addicted to them. As a young sports- man he was a non-smoker and cam- paigned for more restrictions on smok- ing in public places. In 1995 he intro- duced a private member’s bill that
The following year she left when, against her advice, the Young Lords sought unsuccessfully to establish a base in Puerto Rico itself. She briefly joined the Black Panthers, working on the group’s newspaper before travelling to wartorn Angola and the newly formed People’s Republic of the Congo, Africa’s first Marxist-Leninist state. Ol- iver-Velez remained a political activist for the rest of her life, albeit in less radi- cal form as the civil rights era wound down.
Returning to the US, she became the programme director for a ground- breaking minority-controlled radio station in Washington. She later ran a training programme for minorities and women at the now-defunct Corpora- tion for Public Broadcasting and served as a director of the Black Filmmaker Foundation. In 1983 she wrote a short film, Color, which was directed by her then-husband, Warrington Hudlin, and explored discrimination against darker-skinned women within Amer- ica’s black community.
After divorcing Hudlin, she married Philip Velez, a fellow New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, in 1997. Between 2002 and 2018 she worked as an adjunct professor of women’s, gender and sexu- ality studies at the New Paltz campus of New York State University in the Hud- son River Valley, and regularly contrib- uted to The Daily Kos, a progressive bloggers’ forum.
Reflecting on the activism of her youth, she told an interviewer in 2021: “There may not be a Young Lords right now, but guess what? A lot of us are not dead, and we’re communicating this to a young generation that’s going to carry that struggle forward.”
Denise Oliver-Velez was born on August 1, 1947. She died of a brain tumour on July 15, 2026, aged 78
required tobacco companies to attach warnings to their products.
He was a member of various commit- tees, including the standards and privi- leges committee. Earlier, however, he had been removed from the education select committee because of poor at- tendance. His priority was not to obey the whips but, as he put it, “serving the people who sent me here”. In a 1989 sur- vey he was described as “The Most Constituency Motivated MP”. In 1983, he complained about Margaret Thatcher’s “offensive” remarks about the dialect in ITV’s Coronation Street, set in his Greater Manchester seat.
A substantial number of Labour rebel MPs stepped down in 2005, Lewis among them. In typically blunt style, he said that he would miss political life “like a boil on the bum”, hardly a warm welcome for Barbara Keeley, his suc- cessor as Labour’s candidate.
In 2020, aged 84, Lewis suffered a stroke and, while in hospital, caught Covid but recovered. A keen supporter of Manchester United, he travelled to Barcelona in 1999 to see the team play in the European Cup Final. He missed United’s famous victory against Bayern Munich because his ticket had been stolen and then had to sleep rough because his credit card had also been taken. “I coped and we won,” he said.
Court rejects Bolt’s claim to VAT concession for travel agents
The special VAT exemption for travel agents and tour operators did not exclude other taxpayers, but only if they supplied similar or at least comparable services. The on-demand mini-cab ser- vices provided by Bolt were nei- ther identical nor relevantly comparable to those of travel agents and tour operators in their ordinary meaning.
The Court of Appeal so held when allowing the appeal of HMRC from the decision of the upper tribunal ([2025] UKUT 100 (TCC); [2025] STC 724), af- firming the decision of the first- tier tribunal ([2023] UKFTT 1043 (TC)), by which both had held in favour of Bolt Services UK Ltd that, on a “high level”, its services could be viewed as sim- ilarly to those of tour operators or travel agents for the purposes of relying on the special scheme for travel agents set out in arti- cles 306 to 310 of the Directive 2006/112/EC of November 28, 2006 (the VAT Directive), as im- plemented under section 53 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 and articles 2 and 3 the Value Added Tax (Tour Operators) Order 1987 (SI 1987 No 1806).
Eleni Mitrophanous KC and Charlotte Brown for HMRC; Valentina Sloane KC and Jenn Lawrence for the taxpayer.
LADY JUSTICE FALK, giv- ing the judgment of the court, said that Bolt’s platform enabled customers to use a smartphone app to request a private hire vehicle to take them from point A to point B. The service was available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. There was al- so an option to select the type of vehicle, such as standard, luxury
Sandringham, Norfolk 23rd July, 2026 The King, Patron, Commonwealth Sport, and The Queen this evening arrived at the Hydro, Scottish Event Campus, Exhibition Way, Glasgow, and were received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Glasgow (Councillor Jacqueline McLaren), the President of Commonwealth Sport (Dr Donald Rukare) and the Chairman of Glasgow 2026 (Mr George Black).
or “XL”. The platform accepted the request and provided an es- timated fare and arrival time. It also allocated the journey to a driver, generally on the basis of proximity. Drivers might choose whether or not to accept the work, and if they did not Bolt would allocate the ride to the next available driver.
Bolt had sought a ruling from HMRC that it could rely on the special scheme for travel agents to charge VAT only on its margin, as opposed to the entire fare. Bolt submitted that it carried many of the hallmarks of traditional tour operators and could not be distinguished from them. HMRC rejected the claim and Bolt appealed.
It was common ground that Bolt was not a travel agent or tour operator within the normal meaning of those terms. How- ever, the first-tier tribunal de- cided it was appropriate to adopt a “high-level” approach when considering whether Bolt’s ser- vices were of a kind commonly provided by tour operators or travel agents.
On examination of Bolt’s evi- dence, it was clear that Bolt sup- plied passenger transport, which was a travel service that corresponded to the kind of sup- plies made by tour operators or travel agents when they sup- plied transport by planes, trains and coaches.
The upper tribunal agreed with the conclusion of the first- tier tribunal, on the basis that it was supported by the author- ities, and concluded that a de- tailed comparability exercise between services in issue and those provided by travel agents and tour operators was neither required by the case law nor de- sirable because it would be diffi- cult and resource-intensive.
The main issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the upper tribunal had erred in holding that a broad, high-level approach was appropriate to decide whether Bolt’s supplies,
Rt Hon Andrew Burnham MP (Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury), the Rt Hon John Swinney MSP (First Minister of the Scottish Government) and the Hon Shirley Botchwey (Commonwealth Secretary-General).
The King subsequently opened the XXIII Commonwealth Games.
The King and Queen were represented by the Lord Wilson of Tillyorn KT at the Funeral and Memorial Service for the Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT (former Chancellor of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle) which was held in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, today.
The Princess Royal was represented by Mrs Charles Ritchie.
St James’s Palace 23rd July, 2026 The Duke of Edinburgh, Chairman of Trustees, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, this afternoon held a Meeting at the Hilton Hotel,
of providing on-demand mini- cab services, fell within the scheme.
On balance, it was acknowl- edged in Bolt’s favour that the scheme was not restricted to travel agents or tour operators; that it could apply to a single ser- vice, provided it related to a journey, including one supplied domestically; that it had been applied broadly, including irre- spective of the purpose of travel or duration of stay, and to busi- ness-to-business supplies.
However, on consideration of its basic rationale, the scheme targeted travel agents and tour operators because it was the sec- tor that “most frequently” pro- vided multiple services across borders, where normal VAT rules entailed practical difficul- ties.
Further, the relevant EU case law had consistently empha- sised that the scheme must be applied “only to the extent nec- essary to achieve its objective”, and that non-travel agents and tour operators had to effect “identical or at least compara- ble” transactions.
The latter requirement was to ensure that no prejudice would come based on a “formal classi- fication” of the trader, in addi- tion to distorting competition and compromising uniform ap- plication of the scheme. This re- flected the obvious point that similar supplies should be treat- ed in the same way.
Therefore, it should have fol- lowed that Bolt’s challenge fail- ed. The relevant services were neither identical nor relevantly comparable. The European court’s rationale for extending the scope of the scheme beyond travel agents and tour operators had no application to supplies that were not in fact similar to supplies made by those sorts of businesses.
Applying the scheme to Bolt’s supplies was neither necessary to secure the aims of the scheme nor its uniform application, nor
1 William Street, Glasgow.
St James’s Palace 23rd July, 2026 The Princess Royal this morning visited Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre, Colebrooke Park, 26 Colebrooke Park Road, Brookeborough, and was received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of County Fermanagh (the Viscount Brookeborough KG).
Her Royal Highness later visited Royal Air Force Air Cadets at Commonwealth War Graves Commission sites at St Tighernach’s Church and at Sacred Heart Church, Church Street, Irvinestown, to mark the Corps’ Eighty-Fifth Anniversary and was received by Mr Shaun Pendry (Deputy Lieutenant of County Fermanagh).
prevent a distortion of competi- tion. Businesses that operated as travel agents and tour operators did not compete in the provision of mini-cab rides.
The first-tier tribunal’s reli- ance on a “high-level” approach paid insufficient attention to the need for the services to be “iden- tical or at least comparable” to those provided by travel agents and tour operators. That “com- parability” must be determined by reference to the rationale for extending the scheme beyond travel agents and tour opera- tors.
The upper tribunal had ex- pressed particular concern about what it considered would be a difficult and resource-in- tensive exercise to distinguish between services in issue and those provided by travel agents and tour operators. While there would always be difficulties with any test at the margins, this con- cern did not justify the approach of treating the supplies in issue as within the scheme.
The ordinary meanings of “travel agent” and “tour opera- tor”, and the kinds of supply they made and the ways in which they made them, had moved with the times but no serious suggestion could be made that travel agents and tour operators offered on-demand mini-cab rides, or anything comparable to them, whether through apps or otherwise.
Even if a travel agent were to be found to offer chauffeur ser- vices to and from other loca- tions and did so as part of a busi- ness accepted as falling within the scheme, it did not follow that Bolt’s services were either iden- tical or comparable to those of a travel agent or tour operator as those terms were ordinarily un- derstood.
Accordingly, the scheme did not apply to Bolt’s on-demand mini-cab services and HMRC’s appeal should be allowed.
Solicitors: HMRC Legal Group; Deloitte LLP.
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died there on 18/11/2021
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In the matter of
PARKER HANNIFIN MANUFACTURING (UK)
LIMITED
(Company Number 03503896)
Previous Name of Company: Parker Hannifin (U.K.)
Limited (until 01/07/2011), Huxdale Limited
(02/04/1998)
COMMERCIAL INTERTECH HOLDINGS LIMITED
(Company Number 01745069)
Previous Name of Company: Commercial
Hydraulics Holdings Limited (until 28/11/1991),
Ovalmarsh Limited (until 28/09/1983)
Registered office: c/o Interpath Ltd, 10 Fleet Place,
London, EC4M 7RB (previously 2nd Floor Suite
2a, Breakspear Park, Breakspear Way, Hemel
Hempstead, HP2 4TZ)
Principal trading address: 2nd Floor Suite 2a,
Breakspear Park, Breakspear Way, Hemel
Hempstead, HP2 4TZ
(Both in MembersVoluntary Liquidation) (the
‘Companies’) and in the matter of the
Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency
(England andWales) Rules 2016
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Rule 14.28 of
the Insolvency (Englandand Wales) Rules 2016,
that the Joint Liquidators of the Companies intend to
declare a distribution to the creditors of the
Companies within two months of 4 September
2026.
Creditors who have not yet done so must prove their
debts by sending their full names and addresses,
particulars of their debts and the names and
addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the Joint
Liquidators at Interpath Ltd, 5th Floor, 130 St
Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5HF by no later than 4
September 2026 (the last date for proving).
The intended distribution is a sole distribution and
may be made without regard to the claim of any
person in respect of a debt not proved by 4
September 2026. Any creditor who has not proved
his debt by that date, or who increases the debt in
his proof after that date, will not be entitled to disturb
the intended sole distribution. The Joint Liquidators
intend that, after paying or providing for a sole
distribution in respect of creditors who have proved
their debts, all funds remaining in the Joint
Liquidators hands following the sole distribution to
creditors shall be distributed to the shareholders of
the Companies absolutely.
The Companies are able to pay all their known
liabilities in full.
Joint Liquidators: Nicholas James Timpson (IP
number 20610) and Howard Smith (IP number
9341) both of c/o Interpath Limited, 10 Fleet Place
London EC4M 7RB. Date of Appointment: 16
September 2024.
For further details contact Rebecca Woolston on
+44 203 989 2855 or at rebecca.woolston@
interpath.com
Dated: 20 July 2026
Nicholas James Timpson, Joint Liquidator
y
W
Key: b=bright, c=cloud, d=drizzle, pc=partly cloudy du=dull, f=fair, fg=fog, h=hail, m=mist, r=rain, sh=showers, sl=sleet, sn=snow, s=sun, t=thunder =previous day *=data not available
Sh
Sh
Temp C Rain mm Sun hr* midday yesterday 24 hrs to 5pm yesterday
Aberdeen Aberporth Anglesey Aviemore Barnstaple Bedford Belfast Birmingham Bournemouth Bridlington Bristol Camborne Cardiff Edinburgh Eskdalemuir Glasgow Hereford Herstmonceux Ipswich Isle of Man Isle of Wight Jersey Keswick Kinloss Leeds Lerwick Leuchars Lincoln Liverpool London Lyneham Manchester Margate Milford Haven Newcastle Nottingham Orkney Oxford Plymouth Portland Scilly, St Mary’s Shoreham Shrewsbury Snowdonia Southend South Uist Stornoway Tiree Whitehaven Wick Yeovilton
ney
ney
Birmingham
Oxford
19
C
0.6
1.2
17
C
0.0
4.7
19
PC
0.0
8.3
21
C
0.0
4.5
26
PC
0.0
**
24
C
0.0
**
19
C
0.0
5.5
22
PC
0.0
**
23
PC
0.0 10.2
20
C
0.0
**
25
S
0.0 11.3
20
S
0.0
3.9
22
PC
0.0
9.1
20
C
0.0
6.8
20
C
0.0
4.6
19
PC
0.0 10.4
24
PC
0.0
**
22
C
0.0
5.9
23
C
0.0
0.8
19
S
0.0 10.1
24
PC
0.0
**
24
PC
0.0 13.4
21
B
0.0
**
20
**
0.0
1.5
20
C
0.0
**
15
D
0.2
8.7
20
C
0.0
2.5
25
PC
0.0
3.6
20
C
0.0
**
26
C
0.0
7.7
24
S
0.0 11.3
21
C
0.0
3.0
21
PC
0.0
6.5
22
S
0.0
**
20
C
0.0
**
24
PC
0.0
2.9
16
B
0.6
**
26
PC
0.0
**
23
S
0.0
**
21
PC
0.0
**
21
PC
0.0
**
24
C
0.0
5.8
21
PC
0.0
4.1
19
C
0.0
**
21
PC
0.0
8.1
15
C
0.6
**
16
C
0.0
0.0
16
C
0.0
3.8
21
PC
0.0
8.5
18
C
0.0
**
25
PC
0.0 12.4
The world All readings local midday yesterday
36 PC 19 B 28 PC
43 S 33 PC 30 PC 29 S
26 S 20 PC 30 PC 33 S 20 PC 23 B 24 S
36 S 30 ** 13 PC 14 R 22 PC 21 PC 33 S 33 B 41 S 19 B 25 S 32 PC 21 PC 27 S 31 S 19 SH 33 PC
27 B 33 S 18 S 29 SH
26 PC 28 PC 22 DU 27 S 24 PC 40 S
Alicante Amsterdam Athens Auckland Bahrain Bangkok Barbados Barcelona Beijing Beirut Belgrade Berlin Bermuda Bordeaux Brussels Bucharest Budapest Buenos Aires Cairo Calcutta Canberra Cape Town Chicago Copenhagen Corfu Delhi Dubai Dublin Faro Florence Frankfurt Geneva Gibraltar Helsinki Hong Kong Honolulu Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg Kuala Lumpur Kyiv Lanzarote Las Palmas Lima Lisbon Los Angeles Luxor
Madeira Madrid Malaga Mallorca Malta Melbourne Mexico City Miami Milan Mombasa Montreal Moscow Mumbai Munich Nairobi Naples New Orleans New York Nice Nicosia Oslo Paris Perth Prague Reykjavik Riga Rio de Janeiro Riyadh Rome San Francisco Santiago São Paulo Seoul Seychelles Singapore St Petersburg Stockholm Sydney Tel Aviv Tenerife Tokyo Vancouver Venice Vienna Warsaw Washington Zurich
Sunday
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Five days ahead Staying unsettled in the north with rain. Mainly dry and warm or hot in the south
Wind speed
34 Sea state
Tomorrow
A band of cloud and rain in western Scotland and Ireland at first, before moving east into western Wales and northern England. Dry with sunny spells in southern England. Max 29C, min 10C
Sunny spells and a scattering of showers spreading eastwards across Britain and Ireland. Feeling warm across southern England in any sunshine. Max 25C, min 9C
Monday
Mostly overcast with outbreaks of rain in Scotland and the north of Ireland. The rest of Britain and Ireland remains dry and hot with sunshine and some cloud. Max 27C, min 10C
General situation: Mainly cloudy in northern areas with the risk of rain at times. Dry and warm or hot in the south with sunny spells. NW Scotland, NE Scotland, Glasgow, Cen Highland, Argyll, N Isles: Mostly cloudy with some light rain or drizzle, before turning more persistent and heavier later. Light to moderate westerly winds, perhaps fresh near the coast and over high ground. Maximum 16C (61F), minimum 11C (52F).
26 PC 34 S 34 S 32 PC 32 PC 11 PC 25 PC 33 PC 28 S 28 B 21 B 20 PC 28 R 21 PC 20 B 33 PC 30 C 30 PC 29 PC 36 S 19 S 22 B 16 S 15 B 12 C 19 B 31 S 44 S 32 PC 22 PC 12 B 19 B 29 B 29 PC 30 SH 17 B 16 PC 19 PC 33 S 27 PC 34 PC 26 PC
18 T 15 PC 30 B
Tuesday
Mainly dry and feeling hot with sunny spells over England and Wales. Sunshine and showers over the south of Ireland and eastern Scotland. Rather cloudy elsewhere with rain. Max 31C, min 12C
Tides Tidal predictions. Heights in metres. All times in local time
Today Ht Ht Aberdeen Avonmouth Belfast Cardiff Devonport Dover Dublin Falmouth Greenock Harwich Holyhead Hull Leith Liverpool London Bridge Lowestoft Milford Haven Morecambe Newhaven Newquay Oban Penzance Portsmouth Shoreham Southampton Swansea Tees Weymouth
Wednesday
Some sunshine over Ireland and Scotland but most of the day will be overcast with showery rain. Mostly dry and hot with sunny spells over England and Wales. Max 36C, min 14C
The Times weather page is provided by
Glasgow Edinburgh
Carlisle Newcastle
24 17
Manchester Liverpool Hull
Shrewsbury Nottingham
Plymouth Exeter Southampton
Republic of Irela
N Ireland, Republic of Ireland: Rather cloudy with some spots of rain in the north but dry further south with plenty of sunshine. Light to moderate westerly winds. Maximum 23C (73F), minimum 13C (55F). N Wales, NW Eng, Lake District, IoM, SW Scotland, Borders, Moray Firth, Edinburgh and Dundee, Aberdeen: Some thicker cloud around at first with the small risk of a shower, otherwise it will be a dry day with plenty of sunshine. Light to moderate westerly
10:26 3.3 22:58 3.4 03:04 9.8 15:42 9.7 07:37 2.9 20:25 2.9 02:49 9.1 15:30 9.0 01:17 4.2 14:15 4.3 07:45 5.2 20:10 5.3 08:31 2.4 21:12 2.5 01:05 3.9 14:00 4.0 08:11 2.8 21:14 2.8 08:02 3.2 20:35 3.2 07:10 4.3 19:51 4.4 02:37 5.7 15:14 5.7 11:32 4.3 23:53 4.3 07:43 7.3 20:21 7.4 10:08 5.8 22:44 5.9 06:37 2.1 18:39 2.1 02:25 5.2 15:09 5.2 07:57 7.0 20:34 7.1 07:46 4.9 20:17 5.1 01:24 5.0 14:07 5.0 01:48 2.8 15:09 2.9 --:-- -- 13:42 4.3 08:12 3.7 20:38 3.8 07:34 4.6 20:06 4.8 06:47 3.4 19:20 3.6 02:21 7.0 15:05 6.9 --:-- -- 12:37 4.4 01:53 1.3 15:22 1.3
Synoptic situation A ridge of high pressure will generally bring dry conditions across the British Isles with sunny spells and areas of cloud. An area of thicker cloud and perhaps some drizzle in northern Britain and the north of Ireland due to a weak frontal boundary. Low pressure over Iceland will push further fronts over the British Isles during the weekend.
ney ney
Orkney Shetland
Sheffield
winds. Maximum 23C (73F), minimum 12C (54F). NE Eng, Midlands, SW Eng, Cen S Eng, S Wales, E Eng: Dry with plenty of sunshine and some patchy cloud. Light to moderate westerly winds. Maximum 27C (81F), minimum 15C (59F). E Anglia, London, Cen S Eng, SE Eng: Dry and feeling warm or hot with some sunny spells but areas of thicker cloud around at times. Light and variable winds. Maximum 29C (84F), minimum 16C (61F).
Hours of darkness Aberdeen Belfast Birmingham Cardiff Exeter Glasgow Liverpool London Manchester Newcastle Norwich Penzance Sheffield
22:08-04:23 22:09-04:53 21:42-04:47 21:43-04:56 21:41-05:01 22:09-04:39 21:51-04:47 21:31-04:44 21:48-04:43 21:53-04:33 21:30-04:33 21:46-05:11 21:45-04:41
Warmest: Yeovilton,
Somerset, 27.6C
Coldest: Aonach Mor, 6.0C
Wettest: Resallach,
Sutherland, 5.2mm
Sunniest: Jersey, 13.4hrs*
Sun and moon For Greenwich Sun rises: Sun sets: Moon rises: Moon sets:
05.12 21.00 17.48 00.43 Sat
Full moon: July 29
Paul Simons
hen you walk on grass these days it sounds like treading on bags of crisps. Britain’s green and pleasant land is looking like a yellowy-brown mass of frazzled vegetation baked dry by weeks of scorching heat. But the good news is that a change in the weather is on the way with rain this weekend that will come as a blessed relief for many areas. The bad news is that there will not be that much rain, especially in those parts of the country that need it most, largely in the east and south.
The high pressure that has dominated this summer has given blue skies, blazing sunshine and three scorching heatwaves. The typical British wet weather with bands of rain was sent on a wide detour as the jet stream swung far to the north, well away from the UK apart from a few incursions into northern Scotland. But that high pressure is sliding away and the jet stream is returning bearing rain along a weather front, although the rainfall is weak and will come in largely scattered showers, mostly in the north and west. But everywhere in the UK will see a slight drop in temperatures, bringing an end to heatwaves and introduce fresher, more bearable conditions.
Heatwaves in Britain typically end with a big bang in great downpours, often from thunderstorms, most famously the deluges that came in late August 1976 just in time for the bank holiday weekend. But this weekend’s rains will come with more of a whimper than a bang, much to the disappointment of many gardeners desperate for rain. It will take a lot more than a few showers to revive ground baked dry, reservoirs and rivers running low and the hosepipe bans now in force in many regions. And the outlook for next week is a brief return of high pressure in the south with warmer conditions before another Atlantic system may arrive later in the week. There is a good deal of uncertainty about what August could bring although there is a potential threat of hot spells again.
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S
Ineos left to rue ditching mavericks
David Walsh
Orcières- Merlette
On the final climb to Orcières-Mer- lette, the jousting began. A group of six breakaways had a lead that meant one would win the stage. Which one? Mat- teo Jorgenson, the American who rides for the Dutch Team Visma-Lease a Bike, attacked 11 kilometres out but was chased down by the Ecuadorian Rich- ard Carapaz, who rides for the Educa- tion First-Easy Post team. Jorgenson went again. Same result.
The American knew that when the gradients got steeper closer to the sum- mit, he wouldn’t be able to match the others. His accelerations were too much for Movistar’s Raúl Garcia and Uno-X Mobility’s Tobias Johannessen. Six became four. Jorgenson, Carapaz, Mauro Schmid from Team Jayco Alula and Soudal’s Valentin Paret-Peintre had it between them.
Four and a half kilometres to go, Jor- genson attacked again. Carapaz snuffed out that flame and then lit his own. Stronger, more forceful but Paret- Peintre refused to surrender. Asking as much as he’s ever asked of himself, the French rider got out of the saddle, stamped on the pedals and closed the gap to Carapaz. He then settled in his slipstream.
Distanced by the original attack, Jor- genson and Schmid took advantage of Carapaz taking a moment to recover. They were four again. Three and a half kilometres from the top, Jorgenson, Schmid and Paret-Peintre rode on the right-hand side of the road, leaving Carapaz alone on the left. Dangerous. Because that was an invitation Carapaz wasn’t going to turn down.
He didn’t so much attack as blast clean away. They saw him go; the power, the speed, the aggression. Not one of them reacted. Not one of them looked to the other two. They all knew.
Uttoxeter Rob Wright
1.40 Novices’ Hurdle (£5,281: 2m) (13)
The strongest was going to win the stage. They were riding for second. In a little over three kilometres, Carapaz stretched 45 seconds clear of Schmid and Jorgenson. Though he still finished fourth, Paret-Peintre lost 1min 14sec to Carapaz in those last kilometres.
Given how far he’d pulled clear, it was almost funny to see Carapaz look be- hind in the last pull to the line, he clapped his hands a number of times, punched the air, put his fingers to his temples before spreading them wide and then punched the air again.
Carapaz is now 33 but has reached the autumn of his career without any of the leaves falling. He won the Giro d’Italia in 2019, the Olympic road race in 2021 and this was his ninth stage vic- tory in a grand tour. As much as they are all important, there are reasons for thinking he will regard this one as spe- cial. His team desperately needed something to show for being one of the brightest, most attacking teams here.
Every time there was a stage that of- fered any chance of success, their pink jerseys were visible in the breakaways. Ben Healy, Alex Baudin, Sean Quinn, Michael Valgren and Carapaz himself. Sometimes they were unlucky, other times outdone by a stronger rival and still they never stopped believing. Even on this 18th stage to Orcières-Merlette, they seemed to have missed the break but Healy, especially, dug deep to help Carapaz rejoin those in front.
For Carapaz, this victory came in a year that started tragically. In January his 73-year-old mother, Ana Luisa Montenegro, died suddenly. Every one in the team knew how close Richard was to his mum and he returned imme- diately to Ecuador to arrange the funer- al. Though he races predominantly in Europe, Carapaz is a home boy, taking every opportunity to be with his own family and extended family in Ecuador.
Having spent three years with Ineos Grenadiers, Carapaz joined Education First in 2023. Their boss Jonathan Vaughters had long been a fan. “He has always been one of my favourite riders,” Vaughters said at the time. “And not just because he wins. Carapaz wins with
2.10 Handicap Hurdle (£3,248: 2m) (11)
2.40 Handicap Hurdle (£3,248: 2m) (10)
Carapaz stormed clear to win the 18th stage by 45 seconds in a magnificent display of power, speed and aggression
Stage 19
2 2
Col Bayard 1,246m
Col du Noyer 1,661m
Saint-Julien- Mont-Denis 584m
127.9km
Gap 907m Alpe d’Huez 1,850m
intelligence, timing, aggressiveness and grit. He won the Giro because he was really smart and he attacked at exactly the right moment. He was willing to take a risk to do it, and he pulled it off.
“For the style of our team, Richard fits in perfectly, because we need a leader who can win races using crafty tactics and not just raw horsepower. That is what Richard brings to us.”
What Vaughters said then remains the case now. Carapaz can change a team’s narrative at the Tour. He did it in the 2024 Tour and has now done it again. Ineos will appreciate this now more than ever. They have tried so hard to win a stage in this Tour, many of their riders have performed well but it hasn’t happened for them. They needed a
3.15 Handicap Chase (£3,248: 3m) (14)
3.50 Handicap Hurdle (£4,066: 2m 7f) (16)
Stage 18 results
(Voiron-Orcières-Merlette, 185.2km) 1 R Carapaz (Ec, EF Education–EasyPost) 4hr 26 min 21 sec; 2 M Schmid (Switz, Jayco–AlUla) at 45secs behind; 3 M Jorgenson (US, Visma–Lease a Bike) same time; 4 V Paret Peintre (Fr, Soudal Quick- Step) 1:14 behind; 5 T Johannessen (Nor, Uno-X Mobility)1:57 behind. Overall: 1 T Pogacar (Slvn; UAE Emirates- XRG) 64hr 35min 13sec; 2 R Evenepoel (Bel; Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 4:32 behind; 3 I Del Toro (Mex; UAE Emirates-XRG) at 6:51; 4 P Seixas (Fr; Decathlon CMA CGM) at 7:11; 5 J Ayuso (Sp; Lidl-Trek) at 9:22.
Col d’Ornon 1,371m
Carapaz. So why did they let him go in 2023? The same reason they allowed Tom Pidcock go to a rival in 2025.
Carapaz and Pidcock are hugely tal- ented but they needed to be treated as individuals. Ineos preferred uniformity, riders who easily fit in with the team plan. Pidcock, they would quietly tell you, was hard work. At the time of Car- apaz’s departure, Ineos’s then general manager Rod Ellingworth said: “It’s a business and we’re moving forward with the team. We’re still very ambi- tious and you’ve sometimes got to make way for different people.”
The team made way for different people and, ultimately, they lost ground. If Carapaz and Pidcock were now at Netcompany Ineos, the team would be enjoying an outstanding Tour de France. Pidcock finished tenth in Orcieres, safely in the yellow general classification group, 4min 35sec behind Carapaz. The Yorkshire rider remains eighth overall.
4.25 Handicap Hurdle (£4,066: 2m 4f) (11)
With the next two stages ending at Alpe d’Huez, the general classification contenders were happy to have a rela- tively quiet day, especially the UAE Emirates XRG team of race leader Ta- dej Pogacar — who is 4min 32sec clear in the general classification. They have been dealing with a stomach bug that has affected at least three of their riders. Most affected was Brandon McNulty, dropped early in the stage and forced to ride on his own for 50 kilometres. Then he could go no further and abandoned.
Adam Yates and Tim Wellens are al- so affected and for the past two days ha- ven’t been able to contribute to the team in the manner they usually do. It is reasonable to wonder if Pogacar him- self could be affected. His team still did a share of the pacemaking but at the end it was noticeable how much strong- er the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team of second-placed Remco Evenepoel seemed.
For his post-race press conference, Pogacar asked that the questions be re- stricted to just three. He was asked about his sick team-mates, the race for the polka dot jersey and if he was confi- dent going into the two Alpe d’Huez stages. “Yes,” he replied to the confi- dence question. You looked as he spoke, thinking he looked paler than normal and then you wondered if you were im- agining things.
Apart from Carapaz’s victory, the day’s other outstanding performance was delivered by Mads Pedersen, who now has the Green Jersey firmly in his possession after taking maximum points on the intermediate sprint.
5.00 Handicap Chase (£4,700: 2m) (9)
5.35 Flat Race (£3,921: 2m) (14)
Ascot Rob Wright
2.20 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £13,500: 6f) (8)
2.55 Stakes (2-Y-O: £36,862: 7f) (10)
3.30 Handicap (£15,462: 2m) (4)
4.05 Handicap (£23,193: 1m 4f) (9)
4.40 Handicap (£13,425: 7f) (13)
5.12 Handicap (£13,425: 5f) (9)
Yesteday’s results
Sandown
Going: Good to Firm (firm in places)
Going: Good to Firm
Going: Good to Firm
Going: Good to Firm
1.55 (5f 10yd) 1, Arry Up (L Edmunds, 9-4 fav); 2, Nogo’s Dream (11-4); 3, Brave Nation (16-1). 7 ran. 2l, l. B R Millman. 2.25 (7f) 1, Zero Error (J P Spencer, 6-1); 2, Thunder Home (14-1); 3, Somerton (5-1). 9 ran. ns, 3l. J & T Gosden. 2.55 (7f) 1, Aperoll (P J Dobbs, 13-8 fav); 2, Bayside View (9-4); 3, Tall Trees (9-2). 8 ran. nk, 1 l. R Hannon. 3.30 (1m 1f 209yd) 1, Tawajjah (J Peate, 2- 1); 2, Assail (5-1); 3, Percival (28-1). 6 ran. 1 l, hd. Oli Rix. 4.07 (1m 6f) 1, Probation (A Egan, 3-1); 2, My Ballyquinn (13-8); 3, Alma Latina (5-4 fav). 17 l, 6l. K P De Foy. 4.42 (1m 1f 209yd) 1, We Ride At Dawn (R P Downey, 13-2); 2, Shirakawa (11-4 fav); 3, Albertini Star (12-1). 7 ran. 2 l, l. Robert Edwards. 5.17 (1m) 1, Marsh Benham (B D L Sayette, 20-1); 2, Amused (25-1); 3, Billy Mill (13-2).
Thirsk Rob Wright
2.00 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £7,020: 7f) (7)
2.30 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £5,940: 6f) (9)
3.05 Nursery (2-Y-O: £3,402: 6f) (12)
3.40 Handicap (£4,187: 1m 6f) (5)
4.18 Handicap (£4,187: 6f) (9)
4.53 Handicap (£3,402: 1m 4f) (5)
5.27 Handicap (£3,140: 5f) (9)
12 ran. l, 27 l. George Baker. Placepot:£214.60 Quadpot:£20.70 Doncaster
2.10 (7f 6yd) 1, Jassas (W Buick, 6-4 fav); 2, Narrjoo (4-1); 3, Night Star (7-4). 9 ran. 17 l, l. C Appleby. 2.40 (1m 2f 43yd) 1, Round The Table (D Egan, 2-7 fav); 2, Interstate (5-2); 3, Dancingondiamonds (150-1). 4 ran. nk, 11l. Tom Clover. 3.10 (6f 111yd) 1, Shadow King (S M Levey, 10-1); 2, Jumeirah Storm (6-4); 3, Ten Clarets (11-8 fav). 5 ran. l, 3l. R Hannon. 3.45 (6f 2yd) 1, Ay Up Duck (M Paetel, 11- 1); 2, Alfa Duplicate (9-2); 3, Frio (9-1). 8 ran. nk, 17 l. M Appleby. 4.15 (7f 6yd) 1, Commander Of Life (S M Levey, 7-4); 2, Farandaway (11-4); 3, Al Muqdad (9-2). 6 ran. NR: Evocative Spark, War Howl. 1 l, 1 l. Jessica Macey. 4.48 (7f 213yd) 1, Theme Park (Faye
York Rob Wright
5.32 Handicap (£12,885: 7f) (18)
6.05 Handicap (£12,885: 2m) (14)
6.40 Novice Stakes (2-Y-O: £12,885: 7f) (8)
7.15 Handicap (£12,885: 6f) (22)
7.50 Fillies’ Stakes (£39,697: 1m 2f) (6)
McManoman, 13-2); 2, Chilly Breeze (7-1); 3, Boubyan (13-2). 8 ran. 1 l, nk. N Tinkler. 5.23 (1m 2f 43yd) 1, Shadow Brigade (L Wright, 10-1); 2, Saxophonist (3-1); 3, Brighlee (5-2). 6 ran. l, l. George Scott. Placepot:£91.90 Quadpot:£62.10
Yarmouth
5.04 (5f 42yd) 1, Evenfall (B Loughnane, 4-6 fav); 2, Minster Man (10-1); 3, Anchiano (9-4). 4 ran. 17 l, 17 l. G Boughey. 5.39 (1m 3yd) 1, Drifts Away (T Marquand, 7-1); 2, Rogue Dynasty (5-2); 3, Distinct Spirit (9-4). 6 ran. NR: Man Of Desert. 3l, 1l. T Kent. 6.14 (7f 3yd) 1, Three Non Blondes (M Ghiani, 7-2); 2, Hardy’s Hero (10-11 fav); 3, Starfinch (14-1). 4 ran. sh, l. Hayley Burton. 6.49 (7f 3yd) 1, Rogue Allegiance (H Davies, 2-1 fav); 2, North View (10-1); 3, Campani (2-1 fav). 6 ran. l, 27 l. James
Owen. 7.24 (1m 3f 104yd) 1, Mr Bollinger (B Loughnane, 4-1); 2, Caraway (10-11 fav); 3, Gretna Dreams (9-4). 5 ran. l, 4 l. M L W Bell. 7.59 (6f 3yd) 1, Rianka (M Ghiani, 8-1); 2, Chasing Gold (11-2); 3, Havana Jag (7-2 fav). 7 ran. l, 1l. Martin Dunne. 8.34 (1m 3yd) 1, Celtic Chariot (B Loughnane, 5-2); 2, Roi De Coeur (2-1 fav); 3, Guest House (2-1 fav). 4 ran. l, sh. K Frost. Placepot:£408.30 Quadpot:£78.50 Newbury
8.25 Handicap (3-Y-O: £12,885: 5f) (12)
Sandown Rob Wright
5.15 Handicap (£4,449: 1m 2f) (7)
5.47 Maiden Stakes (2-Y-O: £5,940: 5f) (9)
6.20 Handicap (£6,019: 1m 6f) (6)
6.55 Handicap (3-Y-O: £6,019: 1m 2f) (5)
7.30 Handicap (£6,019: 1m) (6)
8.05 Handicap (3-Y-O: £4,449: 7f) (6)
Silver Wraith (9-2); 3, Raffles Angel (8-1). 8 ran. NR: Jimmy Knocker, Just Jump. 2l, nk. R Burdon. 7.40 (2m) 1, Campeona (L Morris, 2-7); 2, Diamond Bay (8-1); 3, Golden Flame (5-1). NR: The Craftymaster. 1 l, 5l. Sir Mark Prescott. 8.15 (1m 4f) 1, Sarangpur (D Probert, 5-4); 2, Nowshesdancing (10-3); 3, Into Battle (9- 4). 4 ran. NR: Port George. l, 3 l. R Hughes. 8.48 (1m 2f) 1, Raintown (Scarlett Dorricott, 15-2); 2, Caph Star (3-1); 3, Just An Hour (13-8). 8 ran. l, 3l. J S Moore. Placepot:£32.00 Quadpot:£9.10 Southwell
Chepstow Rob Wright
5.18 Nursery (2-Y-O: £3,454: 6f) (7)
5.52 Maiden Stakes (2-Y-O: £4,320: 6f) (10)
6.26 Handicap (£3,454: 7f) (7)
7.01 Handicap (£4,187: 1m) (7)
7.36 Classified Stakes (£3,454: 1m) (10)
8.11 Handicap (£3,454: 5f) (7)
8.46 Handicap (£3,454: 1m 2f) (9)
(15-8). 12 ran. nk, 3 l. R Varian. 6.01 (7f 14yd) 1, Gran Ventura (K Stott, 5- 2); 2, Dovecote (6-5 fav); 3, Conspiracist (3- 1). 13 ran. 3 l, 2 l. J Channon. 6.36 (6f 16yd) 1, Rlasthope (T Eaves, 15-8); 2, Beresford Gap (11-10); 3, Dreamlighter (15-2). 12 ran. NR: Harry Who. 2l, 1 l. T Coyle & K Wood. 7.11 (6f 16yd) 1, Too Many Spirits (T Eaves, 4-1); 2, Time And Effort (28-1); 3, Bella Lucia (18-1). 12 ran. 2l, nk. T Coyle & K Wood. 7.46 (1m 4f 14yd) 1, Belle Of Kt (Millie Wonnacott, 15-2); 2, Koko Blue (9-1); 3, Urban Warrior (5-4). 9 ran. NR: Night Bear. 3 l, 27 l. J S Moore. 8.21 (1m 3f 23yd) 1, Si White (D Hogan, 9- 2); 2, Hansteen (8-15); 3, Smoker Bellamy (11-1). 10 ran. 1 l, 2 l. Sir Mark Prescott. 8.56 (4f 214yd) 1, Havin A Flyer (T Kiely- Marshall, 5-1); 2, My Mate Mackley (9-4 fav); 3, Golden Harvest (9-1). 7 ran. 1 l, 17 l. R Menzies. Placepot:£7.80 Quadpot:£5.10
Molly Hudson Motor Racing Correspondent, Budapest
Molly Hudson
Formula 1 could return to Malaysia this season as it continues to grapple with a calendar affected by the conflict in the Middle East.
Races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which should have taken place in April, could not go ahead because of the con- flict in the region. At the time Formula 1 specifically did not say the events were cancelled, only that they would not go ahead in that month as scheduled.
The initial plan was that F1 would return to Bahrain in the gap in the cal- endar between the races in Baku and Singapore in the first week of October,
finally have answers on speed problem
George Russell says Mercedes have identified the issue within the power unit that was causing him to lose straight-line speed.
Russell had been losing time down the straights compared with his team-mate Kimi Antonelli, but the team were unable to find the specific issue at the track during races at Silver- stone and Spa.
Formula 1 power units in 2026, with a near 50-50 split between electrical energy and internal combustion, are particularly complex, with deployment itself controlled by an algorithm rather than the drivers.
Analysis back at the factory appears to have now found the source of the problem and Russell is confident it should not reoccur at the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. “I’m feeling good and glad there are some positive answers that have come back and it’s eyes forward now,” Russell told the British media in Budapest.
“These new power units are just exception- ally complex, and there was something deeply embedded in the calibration of the code that was almost impossible to see unless . . . you knew
Russell has fallen 50 points adrift of Antonelli
plan approved
Joe Harston
Plans for the £130 million renovation of the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace, including a 25,000-seat sta- dium, were approved last night.
The project, which plans to revive the venue that became known as “the spiritual home of UK athletics” has been strongly backed by Sir Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, and was given the green light at a Bromley council meeting.
which is at present a non-race week. This had looked likely until the conflict in the Middle East worsened again after an unsuccessful ceasefire between the United States and Iran. It will now al- most certainly not be possible to return to Bahrain, but F1’s leaders are still keen for a race to be held in that window.
It is understood the favourite option would be a return to Malaysia and the Sepang International Circuit, which has not hosted an F1 race since 2017, given that its proximity to Singapore would mean less logistical upheaval — but there remain other possibilities on the table and stakeholders will continue to discuss the topic in the coming days.
exactly what to look for. So, I’m glad we have found it. Spa and Silverstone prob- ably exposed the issue just because of the nature of the track [being so power dependent].”
Russell is 50 points behind Antonelli at the top of the drivers’ standings — that gap doubled over the course of the race in Spa, which Antonelli won after Russell crashed out on the opening lap. His collision with Lewis Hamilton was party caused by losing positions due to a lack of power down the Kemmel straight. Hamilton leapfrogged Russell into second in the championship, 45 points behind Antonelli.
Russell’s expletive-laden rant on team radio after his crash was not broadcast on the main feed, but he said: “I’m out. What the f happened with the SOC [state of charge] down the straight? I had no fing battery down the straight. Guys, unacceptable, un-f***ing-acceptable this whole weekend.”
While that message came in the heat of the moment, it is clear that Russell,
28, was keen to stand his ground
and ensure the matter was taken
seriously. “My words could
have been slightly different,”
he admitted. “I felt quite vo-
cal about this issue pre-Spa
and during Spa, and ulti- mately, we have achieved what we wanted to in the sense
of finding there was an issue.
“If you sit there and not ex- press any views, maybe you find an issue, maybe you don’t — you don’t move forward.”
since the centre opened in 1964. It would also allow the venue to host other sporting events, with plans to build a six-court padel centre, 3x3 bas- ketball courts, five-a-side football pitches and a full-size artificial multi-sports pitch.
The redevelopment will include a major refurbishment of the Grade II listed building which houses an Olym- pic-sized swimming pool and diving boards, which closed in 2020.
Khan has pledged millions of pounds for the project which would offer an alternative to the London Stadium for elite athletics events — including the Diamond League, which was held in Crystal Palace until 2012. The redevel- oped centre is expected to open in 2028.
Malaysia fell off the calendar because the organisers could not compete with the hosting fees that other markets could provide.
It is not a contender to permanently re-enter the schedule because in such a competitive time for the sport, when so many countries wish to host a race, it does not make financial or commercial sense to hold races in both Malaysia
Lando Norris sealed the title in Abu Dhabi last year, but the 2026 race is in doubt
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and Singapore. MotoGP still races in Sepang at the circuit.
The decision on that series of races must be made imminently, probably as soon as next week.
The further two Middle East races, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, which are sched- uled to be the season finale, are still un- certain if the conflict continues, but no decision will be made on them yet.
One possible contingency option that has been considered is to return to Europe after the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22 and hold a race at Por- timão. The circuit, in Portugal, would be ready, having already committed to returning to the calendar in 2027 and 2028. It last hosted a race in 2021.
Other circuits have also offered to host a race if Qatar and Abu Dhabi were cancelled, but a decision will be made much closer to the season’s end in the hope that the races can go ahead.
If the races in Malaysia and Portugal went ahead, the season would end with 22 races out of a possible 24 — that number could rise to 23 if the tensions calm in the Middle East and the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi go ahead.
The World Endurance Champion- ship postponed its race in Qatar earlier in the season but this is also now not ex- pected to go ahead, and neither is the Bahrain round in November. The WEC is set to make its decision imminently, which will then allow F1 to make theirs.
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T
coach Mike Blair tells Mark Palmer he has eyes on World Cup glory
here were always going to be a few doubters when a 45-year-old Scotsman was appointed as the first foreign assistant coach of the All Blacks. Particularly when the remit was attack, that long-standing symbol of Kiwi rugby pride.
Mike Blair knows his own mind and, crucially, his own strengths — this, after all, is the guy who stepped down from the helm of his hometown team, Edinburgh, after being self- aware enough to acknowledge that he did not enjoy the vast gamut of additional responsibilities that come with being a head coach. Yet even he did wonder what some of the world’s most talented and intuitively creative talents might make of being told what to do by a blow-in from the other side of the globe.
“Well, for a start, I made a point of saying to the attack group on day one that it’s not my attack, it’s our attack,” he explains. “I didn’t want to be the guy who came in and wanted to change everything because there was lots of good stuff already going on.
“I’m not so egotistical to think that my way is always right. If we have a conversation and you prove there’s a better way to do it, I’ve no issue with turning around and saying, ‘Yeah, let’s do that instead’.
“I’ve loved the collaboration and the conversation — getting challenged on what we’re doing and why. I know I have to be at the top of my game at all times.
“As you can imagine, I was quite apprehensive about coming over but each and every experience I’ve had has made me feel more comfortable. Meeting all the management, it was great to realise how normal everyone is. It was the exact same meeting the players: everyone’s normal and everyone’s working towards the same goal, which is to get better and win.”
Blair is in no doubt as to the privilege of the position he has been afforded as part of a post-Scott Robertson overhaul that led to Dave Rennie, under whom he worked at Glasgow Warriors and then in Japan with Kobe Steelers, being installed as head coach until the end of next year’s World Cup.
“Rens knows me really well and he trusts me,” Blair says. “He knows what he’s going to get from me. There will be much better attack coaches than me out there, but I’m the one that’s been given this opportunity, so now I want to really take it.
“My experience with the Lions in 2009 was that I got selected and
Results
Cricket
The Hundred Men: London Spirit v Manchester Super Giants Lord’s (London Spirit won toss and elected to bowl): Manchester Super Giants beat London Spirit by seven runs. Manchester Super Giants (balls) *A Markram lbw b Milne 1 (10) T Seifert c Willey b Coles 67 (45) †J Buttler b Zampa 16 (11) H Klaasen c Livingstone b Willey 17 (11) L du Plooy b Zampa 6 (4) T Moores run out (Brevis/Rew) 0 (2) L Dawson b Livingstone 9 (9) G Atkinson c Overton B Livingstone 6 (4) N Ahmad not out 2 (3) J Tongue run out (Coles/Livingstone) 1 (1) Extras (lb 10, w 3) 13 Total (9wkts, 100 balls) 138 S Baker did not bat.
probably didn’t push hard enough to be the No 1 [scrum half]. That was a missed opportunity, so my mindset now is that I don’t want to just be happy that I can write on my Instagram that I’m attack coach for the All Blacks. I want to write that I’m a World Cup-winning attack coach for the All Blacks.
“It’s easier said than done sometimes, but in general I feel I’ve been able to disconnect the magnitude of the job from just trying to actually do it.”
Blair’s Lions experience in South Africa 17 years ago may also help inform his next challenge with New Zealand. Having just beaten France, Ireland and Italy in the new regime’s first series and scored an average of 40 points a game, the All Blacks are now set for four Tests on Springbok soil in addition to facing the country’s four URC sides.
Little more than a year out from the World Cup, the visit will be packed with intrigue and, doubtless, more than a little noise and nonsense. In the endlessly phlegmatic Rennie, Blair believes New Zealand possess the ideal tour guide.
“One of Rens’ biggest strengths is that he never seems fazed by anything. He’s very confident in his own eye, his own mind and his own beliefs. He can play a mind game too — he gets a glint in his eye from time to time when he speaks to the press. But he’s also very smart. He knows that in these days of social media, chat creates talking points and interest around the games.
“We’ve done some good stuff, up to now, but going to South Africa is gonna be a different kettle of fish. They’ve been really impressive and they’ve probably got three teams they can pick, but as Dave has already said, they can only put one team on the pitch. It’s going to be very similar to the Lions, in the sense that you’ve got the four midweek games as well. You’re travelling and guys are going to have to back-up games, so it’s going to be really tough.
“But it will accelerate the learning and development in our game, which we’re really excited about. We’ll see what guys are capable of over an extended period; how they operate as players and as people.”
Rennie and Blair have been leaning heavily on the chemistry and cohesion of Hurricanes backs such as Cam Roigard, Ruben Love, Jordie Barrett and Josh Moorby. There has thus far been no sighting of the 2015 World Cup winner Beauden Barrett,
Fall of wickets 1-16, 2-65, 3-105, 4-116, 5- 116, 6-122, 7-135, 8-136, 9-138. Bowling Willey 20-7-23-1; Milne 15-9-11-1; Overton 10-5-15-0; Mills 5-1-14-0; Zampa 15- 6-27-2; Coles 15-4-24-1: Livingstone 20-10- 14-2. London Spirit (balls) L Pretorius c du Plooy b Atkinson 12 (13) K Carlson b Dawson 19 (19) †J Rew c Atkinson b Tongue 0 (2) *L Livingstone b Baker 69 (40) D Brevis c & b Atkinson 22 (23) J Coles c Moores b Baker 1 (3) J Overton not out 1 (1) Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 4) 7 Total (6 wkts, 100 balls) 131 D Willey, A Milne, A Zampa and T Mills did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-14, 2-14, 3-51, 4-119, 5-130, 6-131. Bowling Atkinson 20-12-15-2; Baker 20-9- 29-2; Tongue 20-6-26-1; Ahmad 20-6-36-0; Dawson 20-9-23-1.
Blair’s playing career included the 2009 Lions tour to South Africa, top right, before he moved into coaching, working with Rennie first at Glasgow, right, and now with the All Blacks. He says that Barrett, main, has taken his recent omission from the team well
the 144-times capped fly half who recently celebrated his 35th birthday.
“He will get his opportunity and we know that when he does, he’ll get up to speed really quickly,” Blair says. “He’s been so good around the environment, helping the guys who are playing, he’s in the attack group as
Women: London Spirit v Manchester Super Giants Lord’s (Manchester Super Giants won toss and elected to bowl): Manchester Super Giants beat London Spirit by seven wickets. London Spirit (balls) G M Harris c Ecclestone b Ballinger 4 (5) †A E Jones c Ghosh b Brown 0 (1) M Kelly c Scholfield b MacDonald-Gay1 (4) M Kapp c Lanning b MacDonald-Gay17 (12) N de Klerk b MacDonald-Gay 10 (18) D J S Dottin b Ecclestone 4 (9) C R Pavely st Ghosh b Villiers 13 (9) *C E Dean run out 14 (17) K L George c Ghosh b MacDonald-Gay8 (9) J P Groves run out 2 (3) H Rainey not out 1 (4) Extras (lb 2, w 4) 6 Total (18.1 overs) 80 Fall of wickets 1-4, 2-5, 3-22, 4-23, 5-28, 6- 48, 7-68, 8-73, 9-78. Bowling Ballinger 4-1-9-1; Brown 4-0-28-1; MacDonald-Gay 3.1-0-17-4; Ecclestone 4-0-
7-1; Villiers 3-0-17-1. Manchester Super Giants (balls) S S Mandhana lbw b Kapp 17 (14) *M M Lanning c Harris b Rainey 21 (24) G E Scrivens b Kapp 0 (1) P J Scholfield not out 22 (15) †R M Ghosh not out 15 (5) Extras (lb 6, w 5) 11 Total (3 wkts, 11.4 overs) 86 M K Villiers, K E Bryce, M J Brown, R L MacDonald-Gay, S Ecclestone and G Ballinger did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-33, 2-33, 3-57. Bowling Kapp 4-0-18-2; Dottin 2-0-18-0; Dean 2-0-8-0; de Klerk 2-0-14-0; Rainey 1-0- 5-1; Groves 0.4-0-17-0.
Change in approach Under Scott Robertson (2024-26)
Kicks in play Kick retention % Phases played 30+ metres laterally % Phases played past second receiver % 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0
10.0 12.0
well and some of his inputs have been really beneficial. Just a really, really impressive bloke.
“We’ve tried to take the best bits from the franchises, along with a few
Warwickshire (balls) V Jani c †Verreynne b Hutton 1 (14) R Yates c McCann b Hutton 19 (14) Z Malik c Farhan Ahmed b James 29 (25) A Davies b Pocklington 20 (31) K Smith b James 6 (14) G Garton c Martindale b James 117 (101) J Lintott c †Verreynne b Farhan Ahmed 5 (13) E Bamber c McCann b Pocklington 50 (53) T Chaudry Ali lbw b Pocklington 9 (13) J Garlick not out 9 (6) O Hannon-Dalby c McCann b Hayes 9 (15) Extras (w 3, lb 5) 8 Total (49.5 overs) 282 Fall of wickets 1-2, 2-36, 3-54, 4-86, 5-93, 6- 121, 7-242, 8-252, 9-263, 10-282. Bowling Hutton 10-2-35-2, Hayes 7.5-0-57- 1, 8-0-41-3, James 8-0-41-3, Pocklington 10- 0-40-3, Hatton-Lowe 7-0-49-0, Ahmed 7-0- 55-1. Notts Outlaws (balls) B Slater c Jani b Yates 52 (52) F McCann b Lintott 62 (64)
Under Dave Rennie (2026-present)
25.2 19.0 12.0 19.0
New Zealand are putting boot to ball less under Rennie
13.3 15.1
of my ideas. The Hurricanes have done some really good things with their backs attack, so the likes of Ruben and Jordie have been helping drive that side of things.
B Martindale c Hannon-Dalby b Yates 35 (37) H Hameed b Lintott 2 (7) K Verreynne not out 68 (66) L James c Garlick b Lintott 11 (9) J Pocklington c Bamber b Garlick 31 (45) F Ahmed c Garlick b Ali 3 (6) B Hatton-Lowe not out 5 (6) Extras (lb 7, nb 1, w 6) 14 Total (7 wkts, 48.3 overs) 283 B Hutton, J Hayes did not bat. Fall of wickets 1-103, 2-130, 3-138, 4-169, 5- 190, 6-272, 7-277. Bowling Bamber 7-0-35-0, Hannon-Dalby 8- 1-39-0, Yates 10-0-54-2, Garlick 4.3-0-36-1, Chaudry Ali 9-0-57-1, Lintott 10-0-55-3.
“If you can take the super strengths of each franchise and amalgamate it all together, it means you’re not starting everything from scratch.
“That was something Gregor [Townsend] did really well [with the Scotland team that Blair helped coach between 2016 and 2021]. It’s probably a little bit easier with Scotland because you’ve only really got a couple of teams you’re choosing from, but it’s still something I’ve been conscious of.
“At international level, you’ve got more rugby intellect and better players, so it’s about creating a
Hambantota (Sri Lanka won toss and elected to bat): Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five wickets. Football
Europa League Second qualifying round Qarabag 0 CSKA Sofia 0; Dynamo Kyiv 2 PAOK 3; Hammarby 1 Anderlecht 1; Sheriff 0 Maccabi Tel Aviv 5; Tromso 0 Hradec Kralove 1; Besiktas 1 Midtjylland 0; St.Gallen 2 Benfica 1; Twente 1 Ferencvaros 2; Hajduk Split 2 Pafos 0. Conference League Second qualifying round (selected scores) Malisheva 2 Hibernian 0; Alashkert 1 CFR Cluj 1; Liepaja 0 Austria Wien 2; Vojvodina 1 Ajax 4; Motherwell 2 Havnar Boltfelag 0; Rijeka 1 Derry City 0; Shelbourne 5 Nomme Kalju 2; Flora 1 The New Saints 0; Polissya 3 Copenhagen 3.
framework that they can express themselves within. Don’t over-coach: give them options to choose from in any given situation.”
Right now, it’s impossible for Blair to look beyond South Africa, but November 7 has been circled in red pen on his calendar from the day he took the job. That’s when the All Blacks will come to Murrayfield to face a country for whom he won 85 caps. If the sides retain their present standings in the Nations Championship hemisphere-based conferences, they could meet again in the finals at the end of that month.
Tennis
ATP Millennium Estoril Open, Portugal Men’s singles: Round of 16 L Van Assche (Fr) bt P Carreno Busta (Sp) (8) 6-3 4-6 6-2; J Faria (Por) bt G Bueno (Peru) 6-2 6-4; A Rublev (Russ) (1) bt T Skatov (Kaz) 6-1 6-1; L Darderi (It) (2) bt P Martinez (Sp) 6-0 6-1. ATP Generali Open, Austria Men’s singles: Quarter-finals: Q Halys (Fr) bt M Navone (Arg) 7-5 6-3; Y Hanfmann (Ger) bt S Baez (Arg) 6-3 6-1; T Etcheverry (Arg) (4) bt I Buse (Peru) (5) 6-2 7-5; A Bublik (Kaz) (1) bt A Molcan (Slovakia) 6-3 6-2.
“Recent games between them have been really competitive, and there’s a similar style of rugby that the teams like to play,” Blair says.
“I’ve already had some of our support staff asking just how many tickets I’ll need for that game, but I’ve said not to worry about it, my dad’s still got his debenture tickets that he likes to pay for. It will be such an honour — I just need to make sure I remember to walk into the right changing room!”
It’s a decent quip, but the reality is that Blair is already feeling very much at home in his new surroundings.
WTA Prague Open Women’s singles: Round of 16 L Tararudee (Thai) bt N Bartunkova (Cz) (4) 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 7-6 (8-6); L Tagger (Austria) bt M Hontama (Japan) 6-4 6-4; S Bejlek (Cz) (3) bt M Timofeeva (Uzb) 6-1 6-1; B Krejcikova (Cz) (2) bt L Havlickova (Cz) 6-4 6-2. Golf
LIV Golf United Kingdom Individual, JCB Golf & Country Club, Rocester: Leading first- round scores (US unless stated) 61 L Herbet (Aus). 64 B DeChambeau. 66 T Hatton (Eng), H Varner III. 67 B-H An (S Korea), R Lee (Can). 68 A Ancer (Mex), A Lahiri (India), M Leishman (NZ), S Vincent (Zim), L Masaveu (Sp), C Howell III, I Poulter (Eng), C Surratt, B Hellgren. 69 C Smith (Aus), T Detry (Bel), P Uihlein. 70 C Ortiz (Mex), D Burmester (SA), A Meronk (Pol). 71 B Watson, B Grace (SA) T Gooch,
drove them ‘off the edge of cliff’
PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES
Kit Shepard
Rugby players with brain injuries who are suing their sport’s governing bodies remain unsure if their claims will be struck out after the judge elected not to make a decision yesterday.
Senior Master Jeremy David Cook announced he is reserving judgment — with the case holding substantial meaning and lacking precedent — although he did tell the court that the claimants’ solicitor had metaphorically driven them “off the edge of a cliff”.
The players decided last week to replace Richard Boardman, the solici- tor who has represented them through his firm, Rylands Garth, and has been condemned by Cook and the defence in court. It is unknown when Cook will announce his verdict, although the court breaks for summer on July 31.
The rugby bodies are pushing for the claims to be struck out because of the failure of the players’ lawyers to disclose the necessary medical records. The claimants reject allegations of non-compliance, and have argued this week that the possibility of fresh representation will resolve matters. However, the potential impact of new lawyers was questioned by the defence yesterday, the second of two days of hearings this week.
England’s 2003 World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery are among more than 1,000 former players who have accused World Rugby, the RFU, the WRU and the Rugby Football League of breaching a duty of care to protect them from neurological injuries. The governing bodies deny any wrongdoing.
The potentially landmark case, which began in 2020, had been delayed because of the inadequate disclosure of medical records. It was agreed early in proceedings that the players and governing bodies would each select a sample of test cases that would represent the whole group in a trial. The governing bodies need players’ medical de- tails to select their half of the test cases.
It was confirmed yester- day that, because of the dis- closure issue, 377 rugby union claimants and 153 rugby league claimants are at risk of being struck out. Dismissal would have a significant impact on the
Thompson is part of the ex-players’ lawsuit
J Kokrak, T Pieters (Bel), Y-H Song (S Korea), L Westwood (Eng), T Smyth (Aus) R Bland (Eng). 72 S Garcia (Sp), M Kaymer (Ger), M La Sasso, M Wolff, G McDowell (N Ire), J Ballester (Sp), M Vorster (SA). 73 P Casey (Eng), J Rahm (Sp), D Puig (Sp), D Johnson, A Kim, J NIemann (Chile), L Canter (Eng), D-Y Mun (S Korea), M Tabuena (Phil), S Horsfield (Eng), M-Y Kim (S Korea), T McKibbin (N Ire), C Schwartzel (SA), B Steele. Cycling
Overall 1, T Pogacar (Slvn; UAE Emirates- XRG) 64hr 35min 13sec; 2, R Evenepoel (Bel; Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 4:32 behind; 3, I Del Toro (Mex; UAE Emirates- XRG) at 6:51; 4, P Seixas (Fr; Decathlon CMA CGM) at 7:11; 5, J Ayuso (Sp; Lidl- Trek) at 9:22. Rugby League
Super League Hull FC 20 Hull Kingston Rovers 34.
Fixtures
Tour de France: Leading positions: Stage 18 (Voiron-Orcières-Merlette, 185.2km): 1, R Carapaz (Ec, EF Education–EasyPost) 4hr 26 min 21 sec; 2, M Schmid (Switz, Jayco–AlUla) at 45secs behind; 3, M Jorgenson (US, Visma–Lease a Bike) same time; 4, V Paret Peintre (Fr, Soudal Quick- Step) 1:14 behind; 5, T Johannessen (Nor, Uno-X Mobility)1:57 behind.
position”.
remaining claimants. Boardman has repeatedly been criticised in court for allegedly providing late, contradictory and incomplete disclosure. Yesterday, Cook likened the claimants to passengers on three buses: one bus for those who have trusted Boardman to disclose the necessary evidence, and one bus each for the claimants in rugby union and rugby league that joined the case too late to be part of the initial sam- ple of test cases.
“The first bus, the driver takes them off the edge of a cliff, with the result they do not get to their destination,” Cook said.
As revealed on Wednesday by Alix Popham, the former Wales rugby union forward who is among the most prominent claimants, the players have unanimously decided to replace Board- man and “appoint a firm with the re- sources and specialist expertise re- quired”. Popham’s statement, on behalf of all players, praised Boardman for his “considerable time, commitment and expertise”.
The defence questioned the claimants’ plan for Leigh Day to take over from Rylands Garth. William Audland KC, representing the rugby league bodies, told the court that Leigh Day “would have to do an enormous amount of work, coming in years down the road” and cast doubt over whether they could get on top of the claims without another delay in proceedings. Another hearing is scheduled for November.
Audland highlighted the disparity between the claimants’ promise of a “completely different regime” and re- ports that Boardman will stay on in a consultancy role.
Leigh Day has been consulting for the claimants since February. “If they
were going to leap into a case, they’ve
had five months to look at it,” Aud-
A Leigh Day spokesman
said it “has not had an op-
portunity to properly consider whether they
can come on record as
solicitors” and is “cur-
rently reviewing the
Cook, who will now go away and con- sider submissions, be- lieves the sheer number of claimants makes this case unprecedented. “When in uncharted terri- tory, one instinctively moves and operates very carefully,” he said.
Rockets (Edgbaston). Men’s One Day Cup: Group A Kent v Northamptonshire Steelbacks (Canterbury), Surrey v Leicestershire Foxes (Guildford), Somerset v Gloucestershire (Taunton). Group B Glamorgan v Yorkshire (Neath), Hampshire v Middlesex (Utilita Bowl), Worcestershire Rapids v Derbyshire Falcons (Worcester), Durham v Sussex Sharks (Chester-le-Street). Cycling
Tour de France Stage 19, Gap-Alpe D’Huez (127.9km). Rugby league
for Commonwealth gold less than a year after birth of second child, writes John Westerby
Katy Marchant has a neat description for the obsessive mindset that has taken her back to the start line at the Commonwealth Games, less than 11 months after giving birth to her second child.
She won an Olympic gold medal in the team sprint in Paris, just over two years after her first son, Arthur, had been born. His younger brother, Walter, will not turn one until August 25, by which time their mother is hoping to have added another gold to her collection.
“As riders, we’re a bit psychotic, aren’t we?” Marchant, 33, says with a smile. “But I just absolutely love it and I’m not ready to leave yet. I’ve been producing performances in training that I was producing within the six months lead- ing up to the [Olympic] Games, so that confirms to me that I’ve made the right decision not to retire, to keep pushing and just see where this takes me.”
Her return to competition takes her to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow next week, when she will line up for England. She missed the Commonwealth Games four years ago, having given birth to Arthur, and she will be teaming up again with Sophie Capewell, two of the sprinting triumvi- rate who memorably won gold over three laps in Paris. The third member, Emma Finucane, will be in opposition this time, representing Wales. In Paris, Marchant rode the P1 position, the power athlete leading the sprint train. In Glasgow, she will ride P3, supplying the speed on the final lap.
Cycling has a history of female riders returning to action after becoming mothers, most notably Laura Kenny and Sarah Storey. But those two riders are endurance athletes and the return after childbirth for Marchant, as a power-based sprint athlete, was differ- ent. On her comeback in the build-up to the Paris Games, nobody was quite sure what to expect.
“I guess I was a little bit of a guinea pig the first time,” she says. “I was maybe a bit cautious, because we didn’t really know what we were dealing with.
“Yes, people have done it in the past, but I was the first sprinter and our train- ing is very different to Laura Kenny’s training, for example. The higher loads in the gym, the bigger force and impacts on the track and stuff. So I think we just
Swimming Craig Lord
There is no better way for Glasgow 2026 to get the party started than with Duncan Scott, the most-decorated British swimmer in Olympic history, defending a title while the Tartan Army roars him on from a stand named in his honour.
No-one at these Games will get kilts on seats quite like Scott, with his 13 Commonwealth podium finishes — including three golds. Today, he takes to the blocks at the Tollcross Inter- national Swimming Centre — where “Stand B” has been renamed “the Scott Stand” — as defending champion in the 200m medley, where he will aim to become only the third swimmer to retain the crown.
tested it the first time and let it all naturally happen.”
The sprinter’s life involves a huge amount of strength work in the gym, preparing them for short, explosive efforts on the track.
“We don’t go out for a four-hour ride, we do six-second sprints and we do 20-second sprints, and peak power is the last thing to come back,” Marchant says. “But you can work on all the things that accumulate to get that peak power. And when I’m reading the numbers of my peak power, it may not be the best, but I’m able to feel confident that it will come eventually. I enjoy the challenge and I enjoy pushing the boundaries of what we can do.”
While her experiences before Paris have given her greater confidence in the physical aspects of her return, being a mother of two and managing family
The closest rival for the two-times Olympic champion and eight-times medallist is likely to be Tom Dean, the Englishman who took Olympic gold by finishing 0.04sec ahead of Scott in the 200m freestyle in Tokyo five years ago.
Adding extra poignancy is today’s date: July 24 marks the 50th anniversary of Scot David Wilkie’s iconic world-record victory in the 200m breaststroke at Montreal 1976 as the only non-American man to claim gold in the pool at those Games.
Team Scotland will host a gathering in honour of Wilkie, who died in 2024, before the finals this evening. David’s son, Adam Wilkie, will be among the guests in the midst of a mission to raise money for the SportsAid charity that funded his father’s journey to Montreal by getting as close as he can to the
life around the training programme of an elite athlete has been another chal- lenge altogether. Her husband, Rob, works on the family farm, where Mar- chant has her own gym, but she com- mutes along the M62 to the Manches- ter velodrome for track sessions.
“It’s not for the faint-hearted,” she says. “Physically I feel really good, but it’s the logistics of having two children and the mental load. My husband can’t just give up his job and look after the two children all the time. If I leave for five days to go to a race, Rob then has to deal with that and his job doesn’t wait, and we’re coming into the busiest period of time for him with the summer on the farm.
“We’re really fortunate that we have the family network around, we wouldn’t be able to do it if they weren’t. But yeah, this is all definitely the
pioneering 2min 15.11sec time that delivered gold for Great Britain. Wilkie Jr has been picking up tips from Scott.
The home-nation rivalry is all part of the fun for the swim- mers here. Sunday’s 4x200m freestyle relay will have five Olympic champions for Britain in Paris racing for four differ- ent nations: Scott for Scotland, Dean and James Guy for En- gland, Guy’s Man- chester training part- ner Matt Richards for
hardest thing I’ve ever done. And then there’s the lack of sleep involved, that’s not great either.
“But I’ve learnt that I’ve had some of my best training days off four hours’ broken sleep when the kids had been playing up. Sometimes you’re capable of a lot more than you think.”
Quite apart from returning to racing as a mother of two, Marchant’s last experience on the track before her second pregnancy was an incredibly painful one, as she crashed at high speed during a keirin race at the London velodrome in December 2024, her bike flipping over the bars and into the crowd.
She fractured two bones in her right forearm and dislocated two fingers — she still has the scars to remind her and the metal plates in her arm. “I’d had 18 months away from racing and I was
Wales, and the Olympic and World champion with them, Jack McMillan, racing for Northern Ireland. They all clash in the solo 200m freestyle next
unsure whether I was going to feel a bit cautious or scared,” she says.
“But it’s one of those things in track racing and I’ve not had too many accidents over the years. It’s added an extra element to coming back, but I won’t let that defeat me. I’ve loved re- discovering what it’s like to race again.”
The Commonwealth Games provide her with an early opportunity to take her racing bike back into competition. But she is making her return with a clear longer-term goal, to compete in Los Angeles in two years’ time, which would be her fourth Olympic Games.
“It’s all part of the journey,” Marchant says. “Paris was my most successful Olympics and there’s no reason LA can’t be the same again.
I just love an Olympics and I’d absolutely love to have one last dance at another Olympic Games.”
The home swimmers must see off the ever-present Australian threat, while there will be a last challenge from Chad Le Clos, the 34-year-old South African who won 200m butterfly gold at London 2012. On 18 medals, he is the joint most-decorated male athlete in the history of the Commonwealth Games (along with shooters Mick Gault and Phillip Adams). He will have two attempts at taking the outright record in the 50m and 100m butterfly.
Wednesday.
McMillan, in his first Com- monwealth Games, is hun- gry for a place on the LA 2028 Olympic team. Scott, 29, says he is “thrilled to see Jack and others coming through and challenging for places . . . it keeps us on our toes.”
Two stars of the Paris Olympics, the Canadian Summer McIntosh and Australian Kaylee McKeown, have opt- ed out. But other big names are here, not least the triple Olympic champion Adam Ramsay-Peaty (newly named after his marriage to Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly) who goes in the 100m breaststroke heats today.
ED SYKES/SWPIX.COM/SHUTTERSTOCK
and betrays the game’s heritage
Mike Atherton
Chief Cricket Correspondent
What a time to be snubbing the north. Just as a professional northerner moves into No 10, and promises to shift some of the machinery of government to the north, the ECB has announced that there will be no men’s Ashes Test match next year in the region. As New Order almost sang: how does it feel to treat us like you do?
Men
Actually, we have known that there will be no men’s Ashes Tests north of Nottingham for three years, but yesterday morning the ECB an- nounced the precise details of next year’s men’s and women’s internation- als for 2027, which confirmed the snub. The “King of the North” is unlikely to be impressed, even though he’s a football man, really — if supporting Everton can be so described.
Women
In fact in July 2023, as mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham wrote to the ECB to complain, along with the mayor of West Yorkshire, urging it to reconsider: “We understand that the ECB’s criteria for awarding Test match- es includes maximising attendances and ensuring a geographic spread. It feels even more remarkable therefore that an area so passionate about cricket with a population of over 15 million people misses out on a men’s Ashes Test in 2027, while the south holds three.” He didn’t have as much clout then.
According to Richard Gould in March, Test cricket remains the No 1 format in this country across age groups and demographics. Including the one-off Test against Bangladesh and the World Test Championship final — at the Oval, not Lord’s — there will be seven men’s Tests next year on which to feast, but four of those will be played in London and one in Southampton. Lord’s and the Oval are great, historic grounds, but so are Headingley and Old Trafford.
For the men, the Ashes begins at its most northern point, Nottingham — which is strange in itself given how gentle a destination it is compared to, say, Edgbaston, where those in the Hollies would really stick it to the Aus- sies; the series then wends south for Pimm’s at Lord’s (of course); back up (a little bit) to Birmingham; then to the south coast, and, if everybody has made it out of the Utilita Bowl in time, it will finish at the Oval in London (again). A nice little round trip.
The north is better served for the women’s Ashes. The one-off Test is at Heading- ley, and Old Traf- ford is granted a T20. Mind you, London and the Midlands do equally well: five of the seven matches are at the grounds that host the men’s Tests. Never mind, no doubt the transfor- mation of the rail- way network under Great British Railways
Headingley won’t get to experience another Stokes moment in 2027, as Smith, inset, and his team-mates stay in the south
will encourage a mass migration south for the men’s Tests — though we might not make the first ball.
When I wrote about this in complaint three years ago, one wag below the line asked, pithily: has Giles Coren chosen
from. That does not happen any more. Should Australia not make the World Test Championship final, they may play a warm-up match against the Lions at Old Trafford, but still.
Fifteen million people or thereabouts live in the north and when it comes to cricketing geography, the snub cuts even harder, because no region in the country has a stronger cricketing heritage or love for the game. Yorkshire has more cricket clubs than the entirety of Australia. It is our greatest county, the richest in tradition and has produced more great cricketers than any other. Lancashire hasn’t done too badly either.
The players love playing Australia at Headingley, especially. The ground has produced some of our most memorable Ashes moments: Geoff Boycott’s hundredth hundred; Ian Botham and Bob Willis in 1981 and Ben Stokes and Jack Leach in 2019. Has there ever been a better atmosphere in an English ground than when Stokes cut the hapless Pat Cummins for four that day to win the match? Or when Mark Wood uprooted Usman Khawaja’s off stump in 2023, having bowled as quickly, surely, as any England cricketer has ever done? No.
GARETH COPLEY /GETTY IMAGES
where we go, the support is always amazing; we are backed 100 per cent wherever we go. But it’s always better in the north, isn’t it?” Burnham would agree. Maybe he’ll give Woody a gong — if he’s around long enough. Prime ministers are ten a penny these days; genuinely fast bowlers not so much.
Let’s not forget Durham and North- umberland by the way, counties that are so distinctive in the way they are pro- ducing cricketers from clubs and state schools and, therefore, are so impor- tant. The former is off the Test list right now, but these counties have produced some of our best cricketers of recent times and Yorkshire and Lancashire are just about doable for those in the north- east. Southampton, not so much.
In fairness, as part of the overall allocation of major matches in 2025-31, the north has done pretty well and there is much to commend in the way the allocation for major matches has been changed. For Tests over that period, Old Trafford and Headingley are well catered for, and are back on the Ashes roster for 2031. But Australia will be rubbish by then (they will probably still beat us): no Cummins, no Josh Hazlewood, no Mitchell Starc and, above all, no Steve Smith.
England home fixtures 2027
England v Pakistan May 15 First ODI (Utilita Bowl) May 19 Second ODI (Old Trafford) May 21 Third ODI (Headingley) May 23 Fourth ODI (Chester-le-Street) May 26 Fifth ODI (Cardiff)
May 28 Test: England v Bangladesh (Lord’s) June 7-10 Test: England Lions v Australia (Old Trafford) June 9-13 World Test Championship final (Oval)*
England v Australia June 18-22 First Ashes Test (Trent Bridge) June 30-July 4 Second Ashes Test (Lord’s) July 8-12 Third Ashes Test (Edgbaston) July 21-25 Fourth Ashes Test (Utilita Bowl) July 29-August 2 Fifth Ashes Test (Oval)
England v New Zealand September 7 First T20 (Chester-le-street) September 9 Second T20 (Old Trafford) September 11 Third T20 (Cardiff)
September First ODI (Edgbaston) September 16 Second ODI (Lord’s) September 19 Third ODI (Bristol) September 22 Fourth ODI (Trent Bridge) September 25 Fifth ODI (Headingley)
England v Australia June 24-27 First Ashes Test (Headingley)
July 3 First Ashes T20 (Trent Bridge) July 6 Second Ashes T20 (Oval) July 9 Third Ashes T20 (Old Trafford)
July 13 First Ashes ODI (Utilita Bowl) July 16 Second Ashes ODI (Lord’s) July 20 Third Ashes ODI (Edgbaston)
England v Bangladesh September 8 First T20 (Northampton) September 10 Second T20 (Taunton) September 12 Third T20 (Worcester)
September 17 First ODI (Hove) September 21 Second ODI (Canterbury) September 24 Third ODI (Chelmsford)
Ian Whittell in Chicago how he wants to bring Spain’s team-first ethos to Liverpool this season
Andoni Iraola has shifted just a couple of blocks, in physical terms, across downtown Chicago in the past 12 months but the standing that he, and his fellow Spanish coaches, hold in the football world has soared as vertigi- nously as the multitude of skyscrapers that give this city its distinctive profile since he was last here as Bournemouth manager.
Sunday’s events in New Jersey con- tinued a trend of Iberian dominance that means the managers to win the most recent editions of the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, Europa League, and the three domestic English competitions, are all Spanish. Indeed, most of the successes were masterminded by coaches who hail, like Iraola, from the Basque Coun- try.
to embark on a campaign in which he led Bournemouth to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League that earned them a spot in the Europa League. If we are playing football relativism, that achievement may be on a par with Luis de la Fuente steering Spain to the World Cup.
It also explains why Iraola was Liver- pool’s obvious choice to replace Arne Slot as head coach after a disappointing season at Anfield, and our conversation presents the 44-year-old with the opportunity to try to explain why the Basque Country and the larger Spanish nation have such a stranglehold when it comes to managerial successes.
“They ask me a lot why a lot of Basque managers, especially, have arrived to this level and why a lot of Spanish teams are winning a lot of things,” he says.
“I always say that a sense of collec- tiveness is very important. Spain has never had the best athletes. If you analyse, in swimming, track and field, they don’t normally win medals.
“But in collective sports they are very good. In football, basketball, handball, hockey, normally they have good teams. We always put the team first.
‘Team first’ was always integrated in how we’re raised.
“There are a lot of different styles in Spanish coaching. With the national team, they always say tiki-taka, passing, but even in the World Cup you could see them pressing very well, pressing high. Yes, they controlled the game with the ball, but it’s the other part where everyone was doing their job. It’s being proactive without the ball.”
The “collectivism” espoused by Iraola, a former full back who came through the Athletic Bilbao youth system, will strike the right chord with Liverpool supporters and while he stops short of drawing a connection between that civic togetherness as a response to a civil war that tore his country apart in the 1930s, his analysis will definitely be on brand with new supporters for whom a sense of community is paramount.
“I wouldn’t be as brave to talk about it on these terms [the civil war] but I think there has to be something in society,” he said. “It cannot only just be about foot- ball.
“I think things work when we are not just selfish, no? When, in the end, you prioritise the situation of the one who has less. That happens also in football. The ones that don’t play, the ones who come from the academy, the ones who earn less. It could be a reference, you can compare it with society.
“I see a lot of similarities [between Liverpool and Bilbao]. This sense of belonging, of being a little bit different. This connection, also, with players from the academy. The atmosphere of Anfield. This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and, in some way, the com- parison [to Athletic Bilbao] probably isn’t fair. But in a lot of ways I see a lot of things [that are] similar.”
That collective philosophy may have been lacking at times in the Liverpool dressing room last season but it is one that will clearly be emphasised by the new head coach, with Iraola himself leading by example.
He is asked, over a cup of coffee, to give his version of events, revealed in The Times at the start of last month, about rejecting Liverpool as a player in 2013. Liverpool’s pursuit ended with Iraola sending a lengthy letter to his suitors, explaining why he was staying with his beloved Athletic Bilbao, not signing for Brendan Rodgers.
He pauses for a good few seconds before declining — with humility and politeness, it should be said — the opportunity to recount that story.
“I don’t like to do this from the begin- ning. I just don’t want to. It will look like I am selling myself. We need some time, to win some games.
“The most important thing that we can deliver is our performances. It doesn’t matter if I speak well, if I don’t speak well, if I say the right things or if I don’t say the right things. At the end, people just want to see the team play well and deliver good results. I know this is 90 per cent of my job.
“And it [joining Liverpool as a player] didn’t come that close because I never really wanted to leave Athletic Club. For me, Athletic Club was the place to be. The only way of leaving was to go to the MLS [New York City] and try some- thing completely different.
“Before I was going, I didn’t want to become a problem for the club. When you have been there for a lot of years and you start becoming someone who doesn’t play so much, you play a differ- ent role so I thought, OK … that was the only time I thought about leaving.”
Such loyalty will also resonate with his new fan base, who have already been workshopping new terrace anthems to serenade him. The leading “entry”, at least according to the millions of views it has attracted on social media, is a chant based on Viva La Quinta Brigada, a 1980s song by folk singer Christy
Moore about Irishmen who fought in the Spanish Civil War.
“No, I haven’t heard it,” Iraola says. “They had one in Bournemouth, but this is a new one? It’s for me a strange situation because I always understand that football is about the players. You know, at the beginning when I arrived in England, I remember the first few games I didn’t go with the players to clap the supporters [after games] and this was something [coaches] Tommy [Elphick] and Shaun [Cooper] said to join in.
“In Spain, you understand that nor- mally you leave the players, they are the ones who have played the game, they are the ones involved and normally we are the ones who stayed behind.
“Normally in England, managers are the ones who go to the fans, so I have done it every time. These are the cultur- al things and when you arrive in a new league, you have to learn. Now it is not the case, I understand better what people think.
“But I always say we are assistants to the players. They are the main part. Our main thing is to help them and they are the only ones who can give us success. We are not as important as they are, that is pretty clear.”
Iraola gets to know the Liverpool players, left, during their US pre-season tour and also meets fans on the streets of Chicago, above, as he prepares for his first campaign in charge of the Anfield club after guiding Bournemouth to Europe via a sixth-placed Premier League finish in May
season, lacks a dominant larger-than- life figurehead among its managers. Just five or so years ago José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp were, arguably, the three largest personalities in English football, on or off the field. By accident or design, Iraola is indicative of a move away from such a cult of per- sonality.
“I always consider the players the main part of this,” he says. “Coaches are important in terms of trying to maxi- mise the potential of every player and try to create the environment to per- form better but it’s true that when you have been so consistent for so many years in a row like Jürgen and Pep have been, obviously they are the main heroes.”
As for Iraola’s own heroes, they are led by his former Athletic Bilbao man- ager Ernesto Valverde, who ended his third spell in charge there this summer. The qualities Iraola lists as having inherited from him sound like they will stand him in good stead as he tries to return Liverpool to the top.
“I think it was his common sense,” he says. “He never made problems bigger than they were. He always understood the players. He was very firm with the things he believed in. But how he treat- ed the players, both those who were playing and those who weren’t, I liked it a lot.”
deal for Palace’s Lacroix
Window watch Gary Jacob, Peter Rutzler
Chelsea are close to an agreement with Crystal Palace for the France defender Maxence Lacroix.
Palace have valued the 26-year-old higher than Jan Paul van Hecke, the centre back who joined Tottenham Hotspur from Brighton & Hove Albion for £52 million this summer, so the fee is likely to be in the region of £55 million. Discussions are continuing and the deal is still to be finalised.
Lacroix joined Palace from Wolfsburg in 2024 for £18 million and has three years left to run on his contract. He was a key part of the teams that won the FA Cup last year and the Conference League in May.
Chelsea have made bolstering their central defence an important priority this summer. They are hoping to move on Axel Disasi and Benoît Badiashile, while Trevoh Chalobah could also be sold, after interest from the Serie A club Como. The west London club have already signed Marco Palestra, the right back, for £47 million from Atalanta, as well as Morgan Rogers for £117 million. They also want the Rayo Vallecano full back Pep Chavarría.
Palace are in advanced talks to sign the Augsburg centre back Chrislain Matsima, 24, to replace Lacroix.
Leeds United are trying to sign James Trafford, the England goalkeeper who is valued at £50 million by Manchester City. The 23-year-old rejoined City for an initial £27 million from Burnley last summer only for Pep Guardiola to spring a surprise by sign- ing Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Trafford made 17 appearances for City last season, mostly playing behind the first-choice Italian.
Enzo Maresca, who replaced Guardiola as head coach, wants to stick with Donnarumma, who is an outstanding shot-stopper but less com- fortable with the ball at his feet than the Englishman. Newcastle United have ended their interest in Trafford.
Two Leeds goalkeepers have depart- ed the club this summer. Illan Meslier went to Arsenal on a free transfer, while Karl Darlow joined Manchester United. Lucas Perri remains at the club.
Marcus Rashford’s hopes of a return to Barcelona are all but over after the Catalan club announced the signing of Karim Adeyemi yesterday. The Borus- sia Dortmund forward joins for a report- ed fee of €29million (about £25million), including potential add-ons.
The versatile 24-year-old is Barcelo- na’s second signing of the summer, after they bought the England international
Ian Whittell
Rodri’s short-term Manchester City future has been thrown into uncertain- ty by the news that he is likely to require surgery to deal with a back injury.
The Spain midfielder, who lifted the World Cup on Sunday and won the Golden Ball as the player of the tourna- ment, is out of contract with City next June and has long been linked with a potential move to Real Madrid.
Garnacho, left, joins Emery’s side in an initial season-long loan move from Chelsea, likely to become a £43 million permanent transfer next summer
continued from back Arsenal’s £70m Bruno bid
move to Liverpool. Arsenal are willing to spend big on an elite player, but only if the asking price fits their valuation. Yet some fans are growing frustrated watching the club labour over transfers while rivals strengthen. Arsenal have made two signings — a £34 million deal for Christos Tzolis, the Greece winger who replaces the departed Leandro Trossard, and Illan Meslier, a reserve goalkeeper.
Mikel Arteta’s main target has been the Atletico Madrid forward Julián Alvarez. Arsenal would be willing to offer a part swap deal involving Viktor Gyokeres.
The champions also need a centre back after William Saliba suffered a back injury that will sideline him for several months. Since losing on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, Morgan Rogers is the fourth player Arsenal have had talks with but not signed because of price, agent fees or wages.
before. After helping Spain win the Euros in 2024, he made a late start to City’s domestic campaign and almost immediately suffered a knee injury that has plagued him for the best part of two years. He was very much back to the form that won him the 2024 Ballon d’Or in this summer’s World Cup, however, and led Spain to victory over Argentina in the final.
There is no public timeline on Rodri’s potential surgery or an indication of how long he may remain on the sidelines and, while Maresca — who has replaced Pep Guardiola — is known to want to keep him long term, there has been no recent progress on contract talks with the midfielder.
NEVILLE WILLIAMS/ASTON VILLA FC/GETTY IMAGES
Anthony Gordon for £70 million from Newcastle United. With the Liga champions also in the market for the Atletico Madrid forward Julián Alvarez, any hopes that Rashford, 28, might have had of a Nou Camp return after his loan there last season appear to be at an end.
Aston Villa have completed the sign- ing of Alejandro Garnacho from Chel- sea on a season-long loan. The 22-year- old’s move is likely to become perman- ent next summer, with the player having already agreed a four-year deal.
“He is so talented, young and he showed us his wish to help our project,” Unai Emery, the Villa head coach, said of Garnacho.
Newcastle United have agreed a deal worth up to £34 million for Monaco’s 20-year-old midfielder Aladji Bamba. He would join Sean Steur, the 18-year- old midfielder who signed from Ajax for up to £23million. Bamba was ranked highly for duels and tackles last season in his first campaign.
Nottingham Forest have signed the midfielder Xaver Schlager on a free transfer on a two-year contract after leaving RB Leipzig. The 28-year-old played under head coach Oliver Glasner at Wolfsburg and becomes his first signing at Forest.
After rupturing his anterior cruciate knee ligament against Arsenal in September 2024 — his only start of that entire campaign — Rodri also struggled with hamstring and groin problems last season and started only 17 league games.
Speaking after lifting the World Cup on Sunday, Rodri reflected on his injury problems. “For me, it’s been a very tough time,” he said. “I just want the new generations to see my example as an opportunity. When you go down, you can rise again.
Friday July 24 2026 | the times Sport
Last summer Alexander Isak effec- tively went on strike by refusing to board a plane to the Far East for New- castle’s tour to Singapore and South Korea. The Sweden forward then went to train alone in Spain and never played for the club again, forcing a £125 million Big-name exodus on eve of Games
Mark Palmer
Commonwealth Games organisers were hit by a batch of big-name athlete withdrawals last night as the opening ceremony of the slimmed-down event took place in Glasgow.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith are among nine members of the England athletics team to pull out in a significant blow to an event which is already struggling for cut-through and credibility. The pair’s
Times Crossword 29,603 across down Yesterday’s solution 29,602
fellow Olympic medallists Matthew Hudson-Smith and Daryll Neita have also announced their withdrawals, alongside Amber Anning, Zac Sned- don, Anna Purchase, Elliot Giles and Jona Efoloko.
The Games have proved a tough sell to athletes and supporters alike, with little sign of the city-wide positive vibes that accompanied the previous staging of the event in Glasgow back in 2014.
Although home favourites such as Josh Kerr — fresh from breaking the
Ashes snub is no way to treat one of the game’s heartlands
world record for the mile — and the highly decorated swimmer Duncan Scott will be in action over the next ten days, the Games were already short on stardust before these latest no-shows.
To try to control costs, the Glasgow organisers have reduced the number of events to ten from the 20 in Birming- ham four years ago. Scotland stepped up to fill the gap when the original hosts, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled the plug because of escalating costs.
Commonwealth Games officials
1 Area partly covered by London
legislation to the west? (5) 4 Poorly rated deputy ready to be
fired (8) 9 Leaders muddled in battle rush
order to reorient troops (5,4) 10 Lolly somebody coated with
crumbs! (5) 11 Nothing left of citrus drops,
everything sold (5) 12 See one box splits quite apart (9) 14 Bachelor say, if gender reassigned,
probably missing balls? (14) 17 Grafter losing in photo finish for
medals, pressure showing (7,7) 20 Famous printmaker saving a frame
for painting (9) 21 Woolly you finally gave back after
cycling (5) 23 Lie on thin bit of fabric (5) 24 Heavy load troubles European on
motorway going around 100 mph (9) 25 Revised dates agreed after loud
festival (5,3) 26 Rate model making late start in
occupation (5)
DAVID RAWCLIFFE/PROPAGANDA FOR THE TIMES
hope the streamlined format can estab- lish a new model for a competition that has often struggled to find its place in the wider sporting landscape, but the absence of so many leading lights will dent these aspirations.
Johnson-Thompson had been ex- pected to target a third successive Com- monwealth heptathlon title. She said she was “gutted” but withdrew to give herself “the best chance of being ready for the European Championships”, which are in Birmingham next month.
1 Suspect Bard wore every costume
(8) 2 Enter details of account’s brand
name (3,2) 3 Drunk now, like it or not (2,5) 4 From attempt to catch salmon,
maybe bears suffer cold (11) 5 Later acquisition noted by auditor
(3) 6 Funny comic perhaps uncovered
her ferret (7) 7 Male genes modified to limit alpha
element (9) 8 Broad spiral rotating part of every
galaxy (4) 13 Exchange of shots after sit-ins
exploited by the left (11) 15 Decent plain rounds within
compass of bell-ringer, nearly (9) 16 A certain stage not available to
North Hollywood resident? (8) 18 Posers which may only trouble the
14 across? (7) 19 Come back to minister — can that
be true? (7) 20 Certain that charges impress a
felon (4) 22 Dark room with throne beneath
Carapaz shows team wrong to put uniformity over mavericks
Gary Jacob
to be rejected
Arsenal have indicated they will offer £70 million to sign Bruno Guimarães but Newcastle United have privately expressed that they would reject a bid for that amount.
The figure for the offer was commu- nicated via intermediaries for Guima- rães, who has two years remaining on his contract and wants to join Arsenal.
Newcastle are expecting the 28-year- old to report for training at the club’s pre-season camp in La Manga at the end of next week. The Brazil midfielder was given three weeks off after playing at the World Cup finals.
Newcastle sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69.3 million in May and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur for up to £100 million this month. They have been insistent that they do not want to lose their captain too.
The hectic schedule has presented a quandary for a number of leading athletes, including the Olympic cham- pion Keely Hodgkinson, who decided not to pursue selection.
The opening ceremony took place at the Hydro indoor entertainment venue on Clydeside, with the first full day of competition today. After 18 consecutive Games where the BBC had the rights, the bulk of the live coverage is on the TNT Sports subscription channel.
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Check today’s answers by ringing 0905 757 0141 by midnight. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390.
Newspapers support recycling The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2024 was 34.7%
catnip for comedians
W
recycling — we need some new stories on stage
e live in a multimedia age. Everything, even teenage pranks on YouTube, can be turned into corporate “content” and just about every Hollywood rom-com can be transformed into a musical. So it’s no wonder that stage producers are drawn to ideas that have already been winners at the box office.
In these uncertain times, when it’s harder than ever to tempt people to desert their sofas, an adaptation is a reliable method of tapping into an existing audience. As Christopher Nolan is demonstrating at every multiplex on the globe, even the most ancient of tales can be explored in a bold new way.
But is theatre becoming too hooked on recycling? I ask that question after getting home from seeing Trainspotting: The Musical which, while it wasn’t the disaster some had predicted, still struck me as a remake the world didn’t really need. There are only a fixed number of venues in the West End. Cram in too many updated oldies and you make it harder and harder for new writing to find a public. I felt much the same way about the attempt to turn Dr Strangelove into a star vehicle for Steve Coogan. He’s a performer blessed with extraordinary comic gifts. Why make him stand in the shadow of the utterly unique Peter Sellers?
Be warned: there are plenty more reworkings coming up. In the autumn Keira Knightley will star in Robert Icke’s version of The Lives of Others, that hit German film about a Stasi operative’s dark night of the soul. Before that you can get reacquainted with the genial, flesh-eating serial killer Hannibal Lecter when a stage version of The Silence of the Lambs gets its world premiere in a national tour that opens next month (alas, without Anthony Hopkins in the lead role).
In the West End, which as usual is awash with tourist-friendly film
enough of Trump TV
Brendan Coyle and Lily Allen in Hedda Gabbler
musical spin-offs, Aaron Sorkin’s intelligent rewrite of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is back for another run. And there will be jump-scares galore when the stage treatment of the horror flick Paranormal Activity returns for another stint at the Ambassadors, next door to that ultimate West End institution, The Mousetrap. The RSC is getting in on the act too. Previews have just begun on Game of Thrones: The Mad King, in which the playwright Duncan Macmillan delves into the novels of George RR Martin. Will it turn out to be the company’s new Matilda, a show that pumped no end of cash into its coffers? Or will it be another Carrie, one of the most notorious flops of the 1980s? (The story of how it crashed and burnt even inspired an acclaimed podcast and book, Out for Blood.)
At the more highbrow end of things there’s a similar air of déjà vu. We’ve seen a spate of dubious Ibsen updates including Lila Raicek’s My Master Builder, in which Ewan McGregor valiantly tried to make sense of a storyline transplanted to the airbrushed
harder for new writing to find a public
to change some of my lifelong cultural habits. American culture, you see, has been hard- wired into me since the days when I watched The Beverly Hillbillies and the original The Untouchables on a tiny black-and-white set. On the rare evenings when I’m not at the theatre, an episode of Seinfeld remains my favourite
Hamptons. Matt Smith strummed a boho guitar in an overheated rewrite of An Enemy of the People directed by Thomas Ostermeier, which invited the audience to have its say in a stilted Question Time-style debate in the second half. Meanwhile, Lily Allen made an unconvincing antiheroine in a modern-day vision of Hedda Gabler in which she played the spoilt daughter of a record label boss. Can’t we give the Norwegian sage a rest for a while? There are other voices out there that are worth listening to.
Then again, perhaps I worry too much. Who was it who said there are only three or four storylines in all creation and that we spend our lives revisiting them over and over? When I was having a glorious time at Chichester Festival’s revival of My Fair Lady last week (the debutant Keziah Ibe is a triumphant Eliza) I wasn’t tormented by thoughts that Lerner and Loewe’s vintage show is a song-and-dance update of George Bernard Shaw.
And as a huge fan of John Galsworthy, I couldn’t get enough of the two-part distillation of The Forsyte Saga that Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan brought to the RSC’s Swan Theatre last year. Troupe, the production company behind the original production at London’s Park Theatre, is about to take Simon Reade’s adaptation of Patrick Hamilton’s trilogy Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky to Southwark Playhouse in September. Hamilton is my favourite novelist so I can’t wait to see it.
Truly inspired adaptations are genuine works of the imagination. One of the most enjoyable nights I’ve had at the theatre was watching Sheridan’s The Rivals take on new Battle of Britain colours in Richard Bean and Oliver Chris’s comedy Jack Absolute Flies Again. A vintage play was reborn at the National. Bean, you’ll recall, pulled off a similar trick with One Man, Two Guvnors. If writers use enough ingenuity, a retread can become an original. Richard Morrison is away
form of entertainment.
were in just the right mood for Espen Sandberg’s biopic about the explorer Roald Amundsen. Last up was Tarik Saleh’s extraordinary political thriller Eagles of the Republic, the story of an actor caught up in Egypt’s dictatorship. There’s a whole world out there. We just have to go looking for it.
Still, the time has come to accept that the US is just another country now. I need to wean myself off my old habits. So my partner and I have a new rule: 50 per cent of all the films and TV that we watch has to be non- American. After a chilled holiday in Norway last month we
George are all on yachts. I have advice
Size matters, jet skis are passé and look out for the jellyfish. By Simon Mills C
elebrity Sailing Season is now in full flight; Loewe-toting matelots aboard megayachts arriving at the banging beach club or skinny- dip-friendly hidden coves at a rate of knots. In St Tropez, Ibiza, the Amalfi coast and the Greek islands, pop stars, designers and footballers chase the ultimate summertime flex: the person aboard the biggest boat, hanging with the richest, most A-listy crew, wins. A Princess Di-style photo of jumping off the side into the water, or dangling a long, tanned leg off the prow, will seal the victory.
Here’s Erling Haaland, fresh from Norway’s adorable run in the World Cup, swapping a pretend, mime-oared Viking longship for an IRL luxury boat — a few days’ pre-season R&R in Sicilian waters aboard the motoryacht Elis Et Mar.
He’s brought along his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen, his team- mate Sander Berge and his girlfriend Julie Karlsen. Elis Et Mar sleeps 12, its Vegas-style interior has yellow marble flooring. On deck there’s room for Erling to practise his golf swing and his free kicks. She costs $300,000 a week to rent and measures 57m. If it flies, fornicates or floats, rent it, as they say in St Trop.
Over in Monaco, the Kardashians — Khloe and Kim — are watching Kim’s boyfriend Lewis Hamilton scream around the streets during the Monte Carlo F1 practice from the comfort of the motoryacht Naia — $150,000 a week, plus expenses. Naia is 73.6m long.
And in Capri this month, George and Amal Clooney were spotted walking off a yacht with a group of friends.
We may soon spot the actor/ modeliser Leonardo DiCaprio on his favourite oceangoer, Rising Sun, owned by the music mogul David Geffen: Leo possibly hanging with Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen and Oprah Winfrey or using the boat’s gym, basketball court, wine cellar and cinema. “I’m the king of the world, on a boat, like Leo,” goes the line in the Lonely Island’s cult internet hit I’m on a Boat.
But it is Adele who is winning King of the World Summer 2026 right now. By some distance. The Tottenham-raised chanteuse is the designer/director Tom Ford’s guest on the impossibly handsome, modernist- styled Moonrise — built for 16 guests (and originally owned by the WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum) and almost 100m long. And has now been seen kayaking off the yacht.
Length is very important on the Med. Size matters on the Aegean and Adriatic. Any megayacht owner and superyacht charter will tell you this. The sad and frustrating thing is that from the deck of your own vessel you can’t see how big yours is, and all you can see is other big, possibly even bigger boats. This will spoil your day in the sun. Even if you are Tom Ford hosting Adele.
How else to spend your time aboard
acronym: ‘break out another ten thousand’
your crazy-money celebrity rental (megayachties will tell you that Boat is an acronym: “break out another ten thousand”). Ask the crew to open up the aquatic and subaquatic toy cupboard in the hold.
A simple jet ski will no longer cut it in Mykonos waters, its image slightly tainted by the bathrobed sex pest P Diddy dangerous-driving one around St Tropez port in 2001. Instead, try the infinitely more instagrammable (and eco-friendly) electric powered hydrofoil surfboard, an Aqua Jump water trampoline or one of those flyboard/vertical jet things.
You’ll rise above the water like a Jules Verne superhero and get the press’s attention. How about a high- speed “chase boat” (formerly known as a “tender”), which will pull water skis and wakeboards and ferry you to the LouLou beach bar at Ramatuelle.
I
attracted millions of them to the Med this summer)? Don’t worry because your crew is here to help. One summer a few years back I was having lunch on Philip Green’s £100 million yacht Lionheart when the disgraced Topshop retail giant suggested a post- prandial adventure on the boat’s leopardskin-liveried fleet of jet skis.
The ladies were worried about being
Left: Adele, who is a guest on the designer/ director Tom Ford’s yacht. Right: Erling Haaland. Below: Amal and George Clooney
stung by les méduses. “Don’t worry, they’re not the stinging kind,” assured a deck hand. How could he be so sure? Turned out that before the lunch party had arrived, a crew member had been persuaded to fish one out and rub its jelly on his arm to check for sting intensity. Wow.
There are rules to follow, even if you are forking out hundreds of thousands of bucks to rent. Should you tip? This is a tricky one. Staff on big boats tend to outnumber guests by at least two to one, so if you are going to leave a tip, you are going have to tip
everyone. Eight guests = 16 x $500.
The loos — or “the heads”, as we yachties like to call them — are
sensitive to large and unexpected
items. So respect them. If you
cause a blockage, tell the crew immediately. They will be polite and discreet and take speedy
action. Do not remain quiet out of embarrassment because this may lead to disaster and social shame on the voyage.
When the owner is stipulating no shoes on deck,
you have to kick off your
Louboutins at the
gangplank. Unless you
happen to be the
boating enthusiast
named Linh Goben,
who carpeted the
deck of her family’s
43ft catamaran
Savannah so she could comfortably strut around in her high heels without maritime judgment.
probably a good idea to have pre- pedicured first. Remember in Succession, when Kendall Roy is welcoming cousin Greg aboard the magnificent family-owned 85.1m megayacht Solandge? “Sails out, nails out, bro,” Kendall says. “What if your toenails are not that aesthetically pleasing?” counters Greg. It’s a wild guess but I reckon Haaland’s toenails
come off, it’s a good idea to have pre-pedicured
might not be poop deck ready.
And if your chartering self does happen to meet the boat’s owner, do not go all Leo on him and slag off said vessel’s lack of eco-credentials (running a megayacht’s full tank can cost between $200,000 and $1 million, hourly consumption for a 180ft megayacht cruising at 14-22 knots burning between 160 and 1,120 gallons an hour). But do gush unashamedly about the boat’s elegant architecture, impressive speed and exemplary interior design.
On that same Philip Green/ Lionheart lunch in Ibiza I overheard David Walliams having an intense conversation with Green. The Little Britain star was on wickedly playful form. “Philip,” he said, earnestly casting an admiring look across the tennis court-sized deck and the staircase leading down to the cinema. “This is definitely one of the top ten boats I’ve ever been on.”
tempted to turn off the Zoom camera
ruled that staff can opt out of appearing on video calls. By Hilary Rose
have no idea who invented Zoom, but I do know that they’re damned, and this week an employment tribunal agreed with me. Sort of. This one found that forcing people to show their faces on camera can be a form of disability discrimination. Laura Tait, who worked from home as a travel consultant, said she felt “overwhelmed” at the idea of joining a meeting with a camera on and was “not able to cope” when asked to try.
Now, we will first get any angst out of our systems. Anxiety is a terrible thing and discrimination is abhorrent. Feeling overwhelmed by the very idea of a video meeting, and logging off having been “not able to cope” is, um… well, moving on, the point is that this
ruling speaks to everyone who has
had to do a video call at 7am in their
pyjamas. It speaks to all of us who
may lose our minds if one more magazine article tells us that statement earrings and a bold lip are all we need to look professional on Zoom. Trust me, they are not. It speaks, in short, to women.
Zoom calls are a curse. If your finger has never hovered over the “camera off” option you are either a model or a man. Everyone else struggles, because looking good on a video call is a science and an art. It’s exactly the same as being on TV except you have no professional support: no lighting, no director, no make-up artist and no cameraman. It’s just you in your kitchen with a laptop and a smeary camera lens. The under-40s are better at this, but that is no comfort when you look into the camera, and realise that, at best, you look like the undead.
This is because looking alive on Zoom requires full make-up and proper kit. Ring lights are apparently game-changing, but do I want to spend 20 quid on another bit of clutter to sit in the corner? I do not. There are, I am told, all sorts of clever filters you can use that will soften the edges and highlight your cheekbones. Great! I suspect even if I knew how to find them I’d end up using one that gave me puppy ears and whiskers.
Zoom calls were a necessary evil during the pandemic, but I was so analogue that I used stacks of books on the kitchen table to try to get my iPad camera at a flattering height. Needless to say, I failed and learnt to live with the double chins and shadows under my eyes. (Now, I don’t really care. I can look as ropey in real life as I can on Zoom, so whatever.)
Having said which, a low point was the day I did a Zoom call with Christie Brinkley, who is a supermodel. I am not, or at least not yet. Her backdrop was a garden in the Hamptons. Mine was my kitchen wall, which had a big chip just above my head. She looked a little puzzled but masked it well.
We all know that theoretically you can pick any backdrop you like. You
can host a meeting in Croydon with
Mount Fuji, but do you know how?
Do you care enough to try? Or does your finger hover longingly over “audio only”? Or perhaps,
T
about Andy Burnham? The comedians’ take on the new PM
comic gift for stand-ups and satirists — especially after the bland Starmer and Sunak, says Patrick Kidd
uesday night in an Ibiza nightclub and someone was surprised by who they saw on the dancefloor. “I can’t believe you’re out partying on your second day in power,” they told him. Russell Kane was amused. It was the second person that evening who had asked him to do his Andy Burnham impersonation.
This is what the marketers call “cut through”. Two months ago, Kane posted a video on his social media channels pretending to be Burnham making a cup of tea. “I do loads of really normal things,” he said in the Andy accent. “I’m about to make toast. White bread, of course. I wouldn’t even know how to spell sourdough.” It went on to show him talking about wearing socks, going to the toilet and liking gravy. “I’m one of youse,” he said.
Comedians and satirists are heaving sighs of relief. After the stiff and wooden Keir Starmer and the smooth technocrat Rishi Sunak, in Burnham
tickets at Everyman
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Ian Hislop, the editor of Private Eye
they have someone who has verbal, physical and psychological tics that they can build a recognisable caricature upon. And his love of Instagram to reach voters is already an endless source of comedy.
For Kane it is Burnham’s “performative normalism” that stood out. He felt that the wannabe Labour leader was trying too hard to be an everyman. It must have struck a chord since Kane’s video has had half a million views on both TikTok and Instagram.
“It’s taken me by surprise,” Kane says. “I was just looking for a joke that I could own, as I’ve done before, and watching him I thought he was overegging the ‘just like you’ thing, so I filmed myself walking round my kitchen pointing at things.” A walkabout video during the Makerfield
was overegging the ‘just like you’ thing
by-election got similar numbers.
“I became worried that he
wouldn’t win and that would
be in the post mortem.”
Not that he is a Burnham supporter. “I’m not for or
against anyone,” he says. “I’m
the court jester. There’s
nothing nasty in what I do.” He has posted eight more Burnham videos — going on a caravan holiday, talking about tin baths and suchlike — and says he will keep doing them once he begins a run as the male lead in Romeo and Juliet at the New Vic theatre in September. “Doing comedy is like boxing,” he says. “If you stop, it’s very hard to get back. I have a compulsion to joke.”
Matt Forde has been working on his
own Burnham act to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe next month. “As an impressionist you notice all their twitches and movements and phrases they fall back on,” he says. “Burnham has quite a bouncy body language, he moves his arms around, bobs and lifts his eyebrows a lot.”
He also detects a bashfulness, which comes out in the way Burnham keeps asking himself questions. “We need to level up the scales of justice, don’t we?” Forde says, slipping into a rather good accent. “It sounds both conversational and a bit uncertain. But he certainly has a different voice to what we’ve had.”
Another Burnham trait Forde might use in his stand-up gig, or perhaps when he interviews Rachel Reeves at
Edinburgh, is his fear of being too fun. “You can almost see the countdown on their face when politicians are having fun and then realise there is injustice in the world and have to pivot to serious,” he says, again breaking into his Burnham football voice: “You see the Mexico game? I went mad for it, got lashed. Had a sore head the next morn… but if the Iranians do use nuclear force…”
Forde will also be voicing Burnham for Spitting Image and hopes that he will last as PM. “The puppets cost a fortune,” he says, “so you want to be sure they will be around for a while.”
Jon Culshaw has been taking off prime ministers since John Major and
says it can take time for their character to come through. “One of the great skills of Bill Dare [producer of Culshaw’s Radio 4 series Dead Ringers, back later in the year] was that he was able to find the comedy in the humdrum,” he says. “That’s how we got how to do Keir Starmer: it was his rigid way of speaking. He sat far too comfortably [he says this with a Starmeresque clipped nasal emphasis as “COM-for- tably”] in the presence of awful decisions.”
Culshaw is a devoted student of his subjects. “I record their speeches and look at YouTube clips,” he says. Everyone has an Achilles’ heel that reveals their essence. “Liz Truss was the mountain of overconfidence, teetering on a pinhead of a political brain,” he says. “Boris was like a
Some of Andy Burnham’s social media posts. Right, from top: Paddy Young as Burnham on SNL UK; Russell Kane as the PM. Below: a Peter Brookes cartoon from last week
keep shtoom about what you think, you’re going to get done over
boring you avoided drawing him if you could
detached bouncy castle being blown along a street.” When he gives his Burnham impression it is full of matey punctuations — “nice one… you know” — and an optimistic bounce. “I think it will be fertile ground,” he says.
Cartoonists, too, are looking for signs to aid their caricature. Peter Brookes recently did one for The Times called “So What’s the Plan, Andy?” that showed Burnham removing his glasses and taking his huge eyelashes and nose with them, leaving a blank face. “When you keep shtoom about what you think, you’re going to get done over,” he says.
Brookes recalls doing Burnham when he was in Gordon Brown’s cabinet as a puppet in Thunderbirds with his strings being pulled by Len McCluskey, the union chief. He may now mock his casual manner and relaxed fashion sense — “those disgraceful shorts” — but is grateful that in his glasses, eyelashes and hair, Burnham has something distinctive. “He’s going to be more animated than Starmer ever was,” he says. “Starmer was so desperately boring you avoided drawing him if you could.”
Morten Morland has also focused on the “dazzling” eyelashes — one cartoon for The Times showed a giant eye poking through the No 10 window as Starmer cowered behind a curtain. Burnham recognised this attribute in 2024 when he said to The Times: “I couldn’t go on Question Time without getting at least 100 tweets about mascara. I can honestly say I have never worn mascara.” I once joked in the Times Diary column that, like many Labour MPs, he was determined to support the kohl industry.
“It takes time to work someone out,” Morland says. “We had the same issue when David Cameron came in and to start with all we had was his very smooth skin.” He thinks he will focus on Burnham’s cockiness — “I find his self-belief staggering” — and mateyness. “If he goes around hugging everyone, that becomes part of the character,” he says. “Starmer became stiffer and stiffer. It all depends on how he projects himself.”
This leads into a concern: is it right to tease him for being so northern? Morland is wary of being seen as condescending by deploying stereotypes. “Readers seem prepared to give him a chance and will tell us off if they feel we are mocking northerners generally,” he says. “But if he plays into it himself, then that is where it is going to go.” This, after all, was a man who, when asked, “What’s your favourite biscuit?” by Mumsnet, replied: “Give me a beer and chips and gravy any day.”
I remember when Burnham ran for leader in 2015, his campaign video was full of signposts that he was northern and normal: wearing an Everton strip, marching with trade unionists, talking about rugby league.
“He’s genuine and
rooted,” said a working-
class yeoman captioned as “Charlie, Andy’s friend”, but as I noted in my Times sketch, “he looked an awful lot like Lord Falconer of Thoroton, PC, QC, former justice secretary and grandson of a Lord Provost of Edinburgh”. Charlie’s son is now in the cabinet, by the way.
Private Eye has already decided to go northern in the way it presents Burnham. The latest issue has a skit called “Coronation Street”
in which
Burnham and
friends have taken over a pub called the Voters Return. It features Yvette Cooper in a hairnet like Ena Sharples, while John Healey finds there’s “nowt in the till, just a bunch of IOUs”.
Noting that the punters have gone to drown their sorrows in bitter at the Old Bull and Shit, run by Nigel Farage, Burnham vows to restore optimism to his pub, then puts on the jukebox, which plays the Smiths’ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.
Ian Hislop, the editor, is not sure if this will become a regular device, like Tony Blair’s St Albion’s or the Cameron Free School newsletter. “Nowadays doing a running feature on the PM is a bit of a risk as it might be someone else next issue,” he says. “We don’t know a lot about him but we are pretty sure he comes from the north. A northern soap opera might work — for us, if not necessarily for Britain.”
Like the impressionists and cartoonists, Hislop feels it will take time to discover what exactly it is about Burnham that they can satirise. “We’re going to try out a few things and see what works,” he says. “That’s pretty much Burnham’s policy, isn’t it?”
Donald Trump in court (twice)
documentary about a crusader facing up to power, says Kevin Maher A
s timely as it is compelling, this documentary about the gonzo journalist and feminist crusader E Jean Carroll arrives weeks after Donald Trump finally paid the $5.6 million owed to Carroll following her successful 2023 sexual abuse and defamation trial against him. Trump, however, still owes Carroll $83.3 million courtesy of a second successful defamation trial from 2024, one that makes her, according to the film’s marketing, “the only person to defeat Donald Trump in court. Twice”.
Smartly structured by the director Ivy Meeropol (After the Bite), and punctuated with lyrical flashbacks, this is a complex portrait of a fearless go-getter from the Midwest who for most of her career was politically elusive and a challenge to orthodox feminism.
Carroll is a former Miss Cheerleader USA (1964) and Playboy contributing editor who growls: “So what, the women [in Playboy] didn’t have their clothes on! Big deal! Get past it!” The daughter of a Republican politician, she became a celebrated agony aunt, in print and on TV, feared for her trenchant opinions and for being, according to a euphemistic Oprah Winfrey, “no nonsense”. A news clip
On the Sea 15, 111min {{{{( Wham! 10 Days in China 12A, 90min {{{{(
In April 1985 Wham! went to China. It was a ten-day, two-gig tour designed by their manager, Simon Napier-Bell, as a counterintuitive publicity scheme to introduce George Michael (then 21) and Andrew Ridgeley (22) to the US media by dragging them first to China — no other western pop act had played there. The award-winning director Lindsay Anderson (If...) was hired to document the trip. His film, the ponderous and rarely seen If You Were There..., was hated by the band and recut into the conventional concert movie Wham! in China: Foreign Skies.
from the early 1990s shows Carroll dismissing the sexual harassment survivor Anita Hill as a “wimp” and demanding of so-called vulnerable women: “Stop cowering. Do not give the other person the power to make you the victim.”
Meeropol never smooths these edges and lets the material speak for itself, especially when Carroll shows extraordinary courage when faced with team Trump. In her initial deposition in 2019, she describes how in the 1990s she was sexually assaulted by Trump and the president’s lawyer seedily asks, “Was it erotic?”
Contemplating the constant credible death threats that have
reassembled with a wealth of new recollections from Ridgeley, Napier- Bell et al. And it’s quite brilliant.
Everything you could want in a rock doc is there. It’s alarmingly This Is Spinal Tap in places, especially when Wham! are dragged to a “VIP reception” at the British embassy in Beijing and Ridgeley is faced with squirm- inducing questions about the last time he played cricket. Or Michael huffing out of a photo opportunity in a hi-fi shop filled with clueless locals. Or the tetchy Anderson, pontificating about his plans to turn the project into an epic anticapitalist screed. Or the Communist Party apparatchiks staring in horror as Michael announces, from the stage of the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, that this next song is called Freedom.
E Jean Carroll outside court in New York in 2024
Meeropol teases out, in unguarded moments, a sense that Carroll, 82, has been for ever changed by the damage inflicted upon her 30 years ago by the US president and vulgarian in chief. In cinemas Ask E Jean Unrated, 91min {{{{(
LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
resulted from the trials, Carroll says calmly, “Every morning I wake up, I think, ‘Will I make it through the day?’”
Interspersed is a quirky Sex and the City-style lunch between Carroll and her fellow writer Lisa Birnbach in Greenwich Village, plus archive clips of Carroll in action and anecdotes of her raucous times with her buddy Hunter S Thompson (she wrote the biography Hunter: The Strange and Savage Life of Hunter S Thompson).
smartly collated by the director Mike Christie (The Pilgrimage of Gilbert and George), who has an embarrassment of riches. It is moving to return to the
ageing Beijingers who recount how their lives were altered by two chirpy Hertfordshire hunks singing, “But you know that I’ll forgive you, just this once, twice, for ever.” This is the umpteenth Wham! documentary of recent years (see also Wham!, George Michael: A Different Story, George Michael: Freedom etc) and easily the best.
Why not five stars? It’s too short. It needed the three-hour prestige Peter Jackson treatment. When the rushed conclusion arrives at 90 minutes, the feeling is one of disappointment. What do we want? More Wham! Where do we want it? In this film! In cinemas on Tue; BBC2 in Aug
On the Beach (1959) PG, 129min {{{{( In a film world saturated with apocalyptic movies it’s difficult to imagine just how radical this Stanley Kramer shocker, adapted from the Nevil Shute book, was when it appeared. It’s a starry effort that dared to depict the nitty-gritty of global nuclear annihilation.
Gregory Peck is the submarine commander Dwight Towers, fleeing the planet-killing fallout from a nuclear cobalt bomb. He arrives into Melbourne, where the last vestiges of terrified and semi- alcoholic humanity have been given five months to live. In denial, he falls for the and boozy Moira (Ava Gardner), the ex-girlfriend of Julian Osborn (Fred Astaire), an equally sozzled and depressed scientist.
The critics hated the film. It was too much. Yet sensibilities have changed, and it now plays as merely disturbing. There is unintended AI foreshadowing too, when Osborn explains: “Our so-called civilisation was gloriously destroyed by a handful of vacuum tubes and transistors.”
It was one of Kramer’s “social message” films, but his most pessimistic. The director layers the Anzac First World War anthem Waltzing Matilda throughout the film, suggesting that humanity’s destruction is assured and imminent. Streaming; Blu-ray from Mon
Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner
There are shades of God’s Own Country and Brokeback Mountain in this thoughtful tale of forbidden gay love in a tough Welsh fishing village. Indeed, questions may soon be asked about how long we can keep making dramas of forbidden gay love that require, for credible tension, the kind of foam-flecked homophobia more suited to Wyoming in the 1960s than the UK in 2026.
But still, gay panic is alive and well in this unnamed hamlet where men are taught to be men, punches are thrown and a warm-hearted mussel picker, Jack (Barry Ward), has developed a secret crush on a rakish transient worker, Daniel (Lorne
T
wo films for the price of one is the takeaway from this comedy featuring Ed Harris, Mary Steenburgen and Ben Stiller. The catch? One of those films is genuinely awful. It’s a painfully formulaic farce in the spirit of Dodgeball, Kingpin and Caddyshack, starring Jake Johnson from TV’s New Girl as a washed-up tennis pro called Dustin Boyd who reluctantly enters the competitive world of pickleball, America’s fastest-growing sport.
Dustin hates pickleball because it’s slow and delicate, and he’s fast and angry: his nickname is the Hammer and his irascible, infantile persona seems to have been lifted from Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore. Dustin is railroaded into this softer, kinder world because of a wrist injury that mostly exists so his doctor (Ben Stiller) can make tiresome masturbation gags that serve as half-hearted callbacks to Stiller’s infamous onanistic disaster in There’s Something About Mary.
There’s a semblance of a plot from the screenwriter Sean Clements (of TV’s Unstable) about Dustin needing to win a pickleball tournament and melt the hard heart of his father Chuck (Harris) while bonding with his doubles partner, the “feisty” septuagenarian divorcee Candace (Steenburgen). Yet it’s mostly a join- the-dots journey through a series of unfunny set-ups until the final high- stakes match arrives.
The good film, meanwhile, sits in the middle of the bad one and ends just before the final match begins. It features Dustin’s slowly emerging feelings for Candace and delicately mines the May-to-December terrain as All That Heaven Allows, Harold and Maude, The Mother and Hello, My Name Is Doris. That last film stars Sally Field as a 69-year-old who falls for a thirtysomething art director played by Max Greenfield, who, curiously, is Johnson’s co-star in New Girl. Were Johnson and Greenfield both advised to escape the legacy of popular telly by making quirky age- gap romances?
Still, the easygoing chemistry between Johnson and Steenburgen is charming and endearing, as an
MacFadyen). What follows is a minutely observed portrait of masculinity under pressure: the mostly taciturn Jack juggles fragile identities as the worried parent of his wayward teenage son, Tom (Henry Lawfull), and the conscientious husband of the long-suffering Maggie (Liz White).
The only place where Jack can fully become his true self is out in a fishing trawler, in the arms of Daniel. The film was written and directed by the novelist Helen Walsh, who lets the central romance unfold with beguiling rhythms. She shoots the film exquisitely too, frequently bathing interiors in thick inky shadows.
The jury is out on whether the character of Jack required a “double” secret life — he’s also hiding a serious illness. Yet Ward here proves such a powerful, achingly sympathetic presence that he carries any quirks with ease.
formulaic pickleball comedy is a rather sweet May-December romance, writes Kevin Maher
initially frosty partnership between Dustin and Candace is soon enlivened with flirty texts, mutually supportive conversations and a sudden, slyly expressive slap across the face. Here, after an especially vigorous pickleball bout, Dustin casually and rudely dismisses Candace’s obsession with
Pinocchio Unstrung 18, 82min {((((
Yay! It’s the latest entry from the so- called Twisted Childhood Universe horror series! You know, the homegrown shoestring franchise that transforms children’s classics into gormless and gory slasher flicks to generate online hysteria and mild box- office return. So far we’ve had Winnie- the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare and Bambi: The Reckoning, all of which struggled to move beyond their depressingly limited elevator pitch: “It’s like X [insert children’s classic] but with gore!”
The Dink 12, 102min {{(((
bloodthirsty psychopath who torments the citizens of north London.
This Pinocchio, an animatronic puppet voiced by Jude-Evan Lloyd, wants to be a real boy so badly that he breaks into a gym and smashes a woman’s skull to pieces with a barbell. Then he bashes another woman’s teeth out with a hammer and smashes a different woman’s face into chunks with a polo mallet before sneaking into a bathroom, where a “sexy woman” is showering, stands on her breasts and violently scalps her while his sidekick cricket, voiced by Robert Englund, coos excitedly, before the coup de grâce, “Let’s go, you dirty bitch!”
country music. Furious yet channelling a growing sense of intimacy, Candace suddenly lashes out. It’s an acutely well-judged moment from the director Josh Greenbaum (who made the brilliantly deranged Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) and it tells you everything about this potential couple, their frustrations, frailties and inherent hopelessness.
Almost immediately, alas, Greenbaum swerves into a clunky and deliberately ironic set piece, where Candace invites Dustin over to watch, ho ho, The Graduate, starring his namesake Dustin Hoffman. All promise from the relationship, including an impulsive and decidedly chaste kiss, dissolves as the demands of the sports genre roar back into view, and Greenbaum returns to the mostly
Cameron Bell as James, who befriends Pinocchio
dull and tedious business of pillorying pickleball and pickleball players.
There’s a nice cameo from John McEnroe near the end. When asked by a gobsmacked fan if he really is John McEnroe, the 67-year-old makes smart work of the putdown: “What gave me away? My face and body?” Another top-tier tennis cameo from Andy Roddick isn’t quite so smooth (don’t give up the day job), reflecting poorly on a film so average and uninspired that the relative quality of real-life bit players can contribute to the entertainment value of the entire project. Harris is typically effective as the sociopathic paterfamilias but it’s a familiar performance that, if not quite phoned in, could almost have been delivered over Zoom. Apple TV
that’s profoundly regressive and out of sync with anything interesting that’s happening in horror (see Obsession, Backrooms, Sinners and Weapons). The screenplay by the writer-director Rhys Frake-Waterfield is littered with nonsequiturs, the performances are horribly stilted and the sense that this has been done before, in the
superior Child’s Play and M3gan franchises, is overwhelming. Still, it’s probably the best of the Twisted Childhood Universe films, which is like saying that gonorrhoea is the best STI. In cinemas
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Forget Brat summer — rock is back
left dance music for indie guitars, with mixed results. By Will Hodgkinson C
harli XCX has resisted the temptation to try to match 2024’s era- defining Brat, which took millennial insecurities and put them to edgy dance music, bringing a cult figure into the heart of the mainstream. Instead, with Music, Fashion, Film, she has gone the other way, rejecting big pop hooks for distorted guitars, an abrasive production from her regular collaborators AG Cook and Finn Keane, and a lyrical approach so direct it is practically sarcastic.
Just as the album cover features a photograph of John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese, who are undeniably from the worlds of music, fashion and film, so the songs deal with their chosen subjects in an equally on-the-nose manner. Within short tracks that are not so much crafted works as two-minute blasts of repetition, the whole 30-minute affair feels less like the latest album by the most dynamic British pop star out there, more a curio put together for her own amusement and therapy.
John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese feature on the cover art
It’s refreshingly non-careerist of Charli XCX, aka 33-year-old Charlotte Aitchison, to return after the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon of Brat with something that sounds as though it was thrown together over a few margaritas. But it can also feel like a fashionable in-joke with one eye on the resurgence of indie rock — where that leaves the listener is anyone’s guess.
For all its modish touches, Music, Fashion, Film sounds a lot like Sucker, Sucked into Bruckner’s world of beauty
Rock Music, the first song released
he French-born conductor and former contralto Nathalie Stutzmann didn’t develop her love for Bruckner by singing in the composer’s operas, since there aren’t any. It was his nine epic symphonies that did it: works that she’s happy to conduct and record in the new phase of her career. She is music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra — not a body previously regarded as a Bruckner natural, though Stutzmann, right, believes its musicians have “a real talent” for playing him.
There are stretches in this recording of his Fourth Symphony, the one tagged the Romantic, where that certainly seems true. I’d single out the magical beginning, with that melting horn call sounding over tremulous
Music, Fashion, Film Atlantic {{{((
strings, sucking us straight into a world of natural beauty and majesty that is the composer’s own. I’d equally recommend the symphony’s uplifting last minutes, crowned by a massive crescendo brilliantly engineered by a
conductor whose singing
expertise taught her all about
deep breathing and the
control of lengthy
phrases.
Then there are the bits in between. Here, the listener isn’t always so lucky. Some of the mighty climaxes don’t sound mighty enough; a recording quirk, perhaps. In the symphony’s folksier stretches, the Atlanta orchestra can’t be expected to have the inbuilt lilt enjoyed by the Vienna Philharmonic but its musicians are careful and clean, which allows for no alibis when Stutzmann’s textures and speeds occasionally turn a little odd.
from the album, is a case in point. “Me and my friends... sometimes we cry, we kiss each other, real incestuous vibes,” she claims against a guitar signifying “rock” and not much else — a tongue-in-cheek approach that comes across a bit self-congratulatory, not least in the much-quoted line: “I think the dancefloor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.” Elsewhere, though, there’s greater purpose to it all.
Magic Metal Montana is something you don’t hear that much of in pop these days: a tribute to a friend. “Love your haircut, love your dance moves, love your girlfriend,” she tells AG Cook against a catchy indie-pop backing with electronic touches. The highlight is Camera, on which she reflects on the distorting lens of the public eye, confessing: “I don’t feel embarrassed, even if I suck.” This is what she does best: look at her situation with clarity and make something fresh.
Stutzmann Bruckner Warner Classics {{{((
Symphony Orchesatra Williams/ Herrmann Pentatone {{{{(
the punk-pop album Charli XCX made in 2014 before hooking up with Cook and doing her art school take on club culture. There’s humour and awareness here, which Sucker had too: against a heavily distorted guitar, Card Declined finds her shopping for “a personality, a whole backstory”, while on angst-ridden I’m Afraid she admits: “All this pain makes me believe I’m a better artist.”
The album ends with No One Lasts Forever, an acceptance of one’s unimportance in the great scheme of things, even as she uses her massive star power to get a famous film director to help to articulate that unimportance. “They are dead, they are gone, no one lasts for ever,” David Cronenberg repeats ad infinitum.
Charli XCX is taking stock of her situation, of “the crushing highs and lows of egos” that fame brings. You just wish she had gone a bit deeper: to explore indie rock rather than simply reference it, to put poetry into the words rather than just lay it all out in diary form.
The first work on this intriguing release from woodwind soloists and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra would make an excellent candidate for the game of guess the composer. A modernist work, late 20th century, attuned to exotic sonorities, slightly Japanese — Takemitsu, maybe? No, it’s the film composer John Williams’s Flute Concerto (1969), dispatched here with a limpid flourish by the soloist Jin Ta. Williams’s Essay for Strings proves equally galaxies away from Star Wars.
Bernard Herrmann’s Souvenirs de Voyage, originally a clarinet quintet, is more immediately congenial, and some of the yearning phrases embraced by Ma Yue’s clarinet wouldn’t be out of place in Vertigo. The album ends with an utterly baffling miniature wind quintet piece by another Hollywood composer, Hugo Friedhofer. File this album under “collectably bizarre”. Geoff Brown
I Hope You Don’t Remember Me Insanity Records {{{{(
Given that the opening track, Abigail, begins with standard sad piano chords, it might seem as if Bella “Baby Queen” Latham is the latest in a long line of post-Lana Del Rey doomed balladeers. Then all hell breaks loose and Latham marks herself out as a more original figure than first impressions suggest. A heartbreak inspired this second album from the Durban-born, London-based singer, leading to the catchy pop of Permanently Obsessed, with the line: “It turns me on when you turn me down.” Elsewhere Latham puts expressions of denial into the tight, crafted pop of That’s Fine, while Word Vomit captures the self- hatred that comes after a break-up.
The Strokes Reality Awaits RCA {{(((
The Strokes cursed themselves by having a perfect debut album in 2001’s Is This It: 11 songs of rebellion and vivacity, delivered by the coolest New Yorkers in years. They have gone in various directions since, but on their latest you have to wonder why a band whose appeal lies in immediacy have decided their singer Julian Casablancas’s vocals should be slathered in AutoTune. It means the melodrama of the tortured ballad Psycho Shit becomes as moving as a malfunctioning laptop and Falling Out of Love sounds like a perfectly good Velvet Underground-style tune being massacred by a robot with abandonment issues. Not every track on the album is infected by the vocal virus, but it dominates the mood and doesn’t suit a rock band built on ragged charm and killer tunes (see Going Shopping) rather than digital effects.
Robyn Hitchcock The Confuser Tiny Ghost {{{{(
Britain’s foremost Syd Barrett fan has moved to Nashville, which helps to explain why a new element has been added to his trademark pastoral psychedelia on a 25th solo album: American vigour. “I say words. I love the music of the Byrds,” he declares on I Am This Thing, which sounds more like the 1970s power-pop legends Big Star. So begins a superb album from the margins of society, where Hitchcock has lived for 73 years. From the tenderness of romance in old age (The Vanishing Kind) to baroque reflections on attraction (Breathless), Hitchcock has an irreverent take on serious subjects, not least as he accepts life as it unfolds. “I kind of got nowhere,” he confesses on Monday for Me, “but I know where I stand.”
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reenwich Village in New York has changed a lot over the past few decades. Lawyers and hedge fund managers have displaced most of the old bohemians. But MacDougal Street, where Noam Dworman runs his club, still looks like a throwback to a lost era.
Here you will find the Comedy Cellar, where the sharpest comics in the business like to perform or simply hang out. Jerry Seinfeld shot much of his 2002 documentary, Comedian, there, and the club was also used by the actor-director Bradley Cooper for scenes from Is This Thing On?, the film inspired by the British comic John Bishop.
Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and, most notoriously of all, Louis CK have all been regulars. On the night I turn up to meet Dworman, I’m able to pop around the corner to catch Aziz Ansari perform a relaxed, impromptu set at another of Dworman’s venues, the Village Underground. There’s now a Comedy Cellar in Las Vegas as well.
But humour isn’t the focus of our conversation tonight. Dworman still loves spending time with comedians, usually at the VIP table where he and his friends hold court at the back of the Olive Tree Cafe, the restaurant he owns above the Cellar.
That table also serves as the setting for a thought-provoking and thoroughly unpredictable podcast. In its early incarnation a decade ago, Live from the Table focused, understandably enough, on the nuts and bolts of the business of making people laugh. As the years passed, Dworman shifted more and more to talking politics.
An old-school liberal with a libertarian streak, he wanted to push back against the excesses of woke politics. That impulse deepened after October 7, 2023. Dworman, an unabashed Zionist, watched in despair as pro-Palestinian encampments staged protests uptown at Columbia University and talk of “genocide” in Gaza became a staple of progressive Manhattan dinner parties.
Above: Noam Dworman with his wife, Juanita, and son Manny. Below: Louis CK I felt very, very strongly about the principles I was defending
Some of Dworman’s extended interviews, on subjects ranging from AI
to Iran and the Epstein files, get very heated indeed, but they’re often far more enlightening than anything you’ll see on CNN or the BBC. His encounter with Kenneth Roth, a leading critic of Israel and former head of Human Rights Watch, was a real bruiser. More recently Dworman had a testy session with the academic Omer Bartov, author of Israel: What Went Wrong?
“He thought he was coming in to talk to a guy who runs a comedy club who doesn’t know anything about the history,” Dworman recalls. “These people have gotten so used to not being asked any tough questions that they’ve become complacent. In today’s world everybody has a silo. They don’t get challenged as they used to.”
country surrounded by hostile powers. “Since Israel is made up of people of the human race, there are going to be atrocities and duplicity and things to be ashamed of,” he says. “But I don’t believe there’s anything Israel can do to end this conflict.
“If a Palestinian leader were to come and speak before the Knesset, like [the former Egyptian president] Sadat did, and mean it, the entire conflict would turn around. That’s what I believe.”
In 2018 Dworman had a lesson in coping with media controversy and cancel culture when he was caught up in the explosion of acrimony around Louis CK. After multiple reports of inappropriate sexual behaviour surfaced in the media, the comic’s career had gone into a tailspin. Then, one night, he turned up unannounced at the Cellar to deliver a 15-minute set. Dworman wasn’t there at the time; he was at home asleep when he started getting calls from reporters.
His critics accused him of giving a platform to a serial abuser. Dworman defended the comic’s right to keep performing on free speech grounds, citing Richard Pryor as an earlier example of a stand-up who had confessed to domestic abuse and hadn’t been cancelled. The club’s waitresses sided with Dworman, yet his detractors were far from appeased.
“It was very scary,” Dworman recalls. “We had physical threats of violence but that really wasn’t what worried me. We didn’t really know what the repercussions might be. Would it affect business? Would we cut ourselves off at the knees? But I felt very, very strongly about the principles that I was defending.
“If I fast-forward now, where the world has kind of come around to my position on things, I can’t even imagine how I’d have any self-respect if I had thrown Louis under the bus. My wife, Juanita, God bless her, stood by me. I said to her, ‘You know, honey, what if this ends us? What if we have to move back to the apartment above the Olive Tree?’ And she said, ‘I’ve had less before.’”
Dworman says he has avoided getting into fisticuffs with any of the comedians, from left or right,
who voice their disagreements
with his politics. What does
surprise him is that there’s a new
appetite for the kind
of conspiratorial populism
championed by the likes
of Tucker Carlson. “I
didn’t see that coming,”
something I should take credit for. I don’t mind what people think. I have a friend and we’ll be screaming at each other and I’ll say, ‘Come on, I’ll drive you home.’ My father was the same way. We have some comedians here who are tweeting very ugly stuff about Israel. I don’t care.”
After we have walked back to the Olive Tree, he acquires another guise: Noam Dworman the musician. An accomplished guitarist, he played in the venue’s house band for years. Tonight, for the first time in a year or so, he picks up his instrument and, a beatific smile on his face, joins the band to jam away on a string of songs including Blackbird by the Beatles.
If he’s disappointed about anything in life, it’s about how the Village has lost some of its spark. “When I was a kid the streets were so packed,” he says. “The sidewalks overflowed with people, and music could be heard wafting from bar and coffee house after bar and coffee house. At 3am, even on weeknights, it was active.
“Now nightlife is a shadow of what it used to be. Community boards make it their business to limit every new bar to 1am closing, and only a few live music places remain open — and they struggle.” comedycellar.com Live from the Table is available on all podcast platforms
I
H
Midnight at the Never Get Menier Chocolate Factory, London (100min) {{{((
ave you taken a wrong turning and ended up in Ronnie Scott’s? For Mark Sonnenblick’s off-Broadway play with music, Midnight at the Never Get, the designer Scott Pask has transformed the Menier Chocolate Factory into a convincing facsimile of a cabaret in Greenwich Village in the 1960s. Lamps shimmer on tables, a band is squeezed onto the small stage. The Beatles are just breaking onto the airwaves, folk musicians are playing in every other coffee shop, and clubs where gay men gather are still being raided by the police.
It’s a lost world evoked in immaculate detail in David Cromer’s production: a bold, unconventional drama that doesn’t pay quite as much attention to the inner lives of the two lovers, Trevor and Arthur, who eke out a living bringing their songs to a nightspot called the Never Get.
The story is told in the form of a single set, without an interval, in which Trevor (superbly played by Ben Platt, star of Dear Evan Hansen) pours out his soul as he sings his songs and talks of romance, loyalty and life on the margins. Sonnenblick — co- writer on the Netflix megahit KPop Demon Hunters — has created exquisitely crafted numbers. There’s a touch of Cy Coleman to the melodies and the insouciant rhythms. When Trevor delivers a ditty recounting a childhood in the boondocks in Idaho, it’s hard to believe you’re not listening to a genuine standard.
Gregor Milne, who spends most of the evening at the piano, gives an assured performance. It’s not his fault that Arthur’s character seems so elusive: we never quite learn enough about his feelings towards his partner.
There’s also an oddly unconvincing coda in which a third actor, Barry James, makes the best of some overheated dialogue. Still, Platt’s fans will enjoy hearing him close-up. His heart-on-sleeve singing, topped by a delicate falsetto, is flawless. He captures too the inner desperation of a performer who is, we begin to realise, a less than reliable narrator. Clive Davis To Sep 12
In the Brain Queen Elizabeth Hall, London (55min) {{{{(
Freed minds (and bodies)
dramas, the Nineties R&B queens radiated world-beating attitude, says Stephen Dalton S
En Vogue O2 Forum Kentish Town, London {{{{(
How do you programme anything else alongside this black hole of a piece? Kurtág’s Stele was a shrewd choice, even if its brevity meant an interval less than 20 minutes into the concert. The Hungarian centenarian channels his large forces into music of potent concentration and fascinating colours, an intense calm before a Mahlerian storm. Rebecca Franks On BBC Sounds W
e live in a universe of toxic despair where the only way out is to dance yourself into a state of euphoria. Or so it would seem in Hofesh Shechter’s new production In the Brain. Described as part rave, part ritual and part collective awakening, its London premiere at the Queen Elizabeth Hall casts a compelling spotlight on the fears and frustrations of today’s youth.
It’s dark and downbeat — how can it be otherwise with Shechter at the helm? — and driven by the pulsating physicality, fluid sensuality and primal energy that mark out his style. But the antidote to the trauma on display here isn’t just a temporary
erving up a heady cocktail of euphoria and nostalgia, the soul-pop survivors En Vogue turned the O2 Forum Kentish Town into London’s biggest hen party at this rare British show.
Slimmed down to a core trio of founding members — Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones — these veteran R&B queens may be nearing pensionable age but have lost little of their swagger. This performance featured precision-tooled vocal harmonies, high-energy dance moves and pleasingly punchy grooves.
Formed around the same time as Destiny’s Child, En Vogue helped to set the blueprint for Beyoncé’s superstar career, though they are 20 years older and never quite achieved the same sustained level of success. Since their mid-Nineties commercial peak, the band have had an erratic track record of splits and sabbaticals, line-up reshuffles and lawsuits.
But for all their backstage dramas, with 20 million record sales, En Vogue remain one of the bestselling girl groups of all time. They certainly radiated world-beating diva attitude in London, striking camp synchronised poses like a bootylicious Charlie’s Angels.
state of euphoria, it’s a visceral need for human connection. If we are in a world of mess, Shechter is saying, we had better be in it together.
The first half of this show was packed with huge sing-along hits, including My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It), the infectiously bouncy Salt-N-Pepa collaboration Whatta Man and the raunchy stomper Free Your Mind, which ended with En Vogue giving what looked like a vintage Black Power salute.
They later paid homage to their roots in Oakland, California, with a mixtape medley of songs from fellow San Francisco area bands. This mostly proved effective, with Dance to the Music by the psychedelic funk-pop icons Sly and the Family Stone nestled alongside Journey’s soft-rock jukebox anthem Don’t Stop Believin’.
A gorgeous version of Curtis Mayfield’s Giving Him Something He Can Feel had a surging, doo-wop flavour. Extending the song into a lengthy jam, the trio invited audience members on stage to share their romantic backstories. One, a mixed- race couple celebrating 30 years together, drew huge cheers. Interludes such as these had a whiff of cheesy cabaret, but the reaction was pure elation. They may have had a bumpy ride over the decades, but En Vogue still deliver feelgood, big-hearted party vibes by the bucketload.
initially sounds like falling rocks. At first the performers are more beast than human — a great lumbering animal — until the choreography opens up to separate them as individuals.
Their solos are agitated, the ensemble is angry, the pace of movement is frenetic. But it’s not all overheated doom and gloom. There’s room for lyrical expressiveness and spiritual reflection within the hot fever of a self- obliterating club culture. In the Brain is based on CAVE, which Shechter created for the Martha Graham Company in New York four years ago and here expands into a full evening. It’s performed by the eight members of Shechter II, the choreographer’s development
BBC SO/Oramo Royal Albert Hall, London {{{{(
t’s easy to take the BBC Symphony Orchestra for granted, with excitement saved for glamorous Proms visitors such as the LA Philharmonic. But then, on an unassuming midweek evening, this stalwart orchestra turns its efforts up to the max and delivers a towering Mahler symphony, reminding everyone just what it has to offer.
The symphony in question was the Sixth: tragic, noisy, long. Listeners as well as players must summon their energy and focus to take it all in, a task made harder by a Mahlerian range of audience disruption (phones, of course, but also the more unusual additions of someone tirelessly conducting along, unidentified objects rolling down stairs and a video clip playing loudly in the corridor).
Still, the actual conductor, Sakari Oramo, was very much in charge, pushing through the first movement’s ominous march at pace (erring on too fast?) but with such ferocity that its relentless tread is still pulsing in my mind the morning after. Against Mahler’s later wishes, Oramo placed the Scherzo second in the running order, thereby keeping the tension high, the mood fraught, and heightening the emotional release offered by a superlative Andante moderato, which he shaped with such tender care.
Mahler doesn’t allow us to sit too long in safety. We were soon back into the tumult with a finale of epic proportions, a reckoning with fate that doesn’t end well. Mahler eventually settled on just two hammer-blows in his final score, superstitiously worrying what the third might represent. Here, there was no let-up. We heard all three.
programme, which supports young dancers aged 18 to 25. More than 1,200 of them from 49 countries auditioned for these places. The eight who made it through are a terrific ensemble, performing with youthful zeal and an impressive stylistic finesse.
Yes, the production has its irritants. The perverse lighting is ridiculously low — these dancers need to be seen! — and the chugging, percussion- driven techno score (composed by Shechter with additional hypnotic music by Ame) is insistent rather than inspired.
But In the Brain is more than just a
one-note diatribe against a broken
world. It celebrates the alluring power
of dance to transcend our daily
troubles — even if for a brief
moment — and bring us together,
perhaps in the hope of finding a better
way forward.
Debra Craine
To tomorrow, touring Sep 9 to Nov 4
W
Dowell TV review
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe HBO Max {{{((
hen the apocalypse comes it’s a decent bet that it will be the geeks who inherit — and possibly save — the Earth. They’re the ones with a familiarity with disaster and a ready understanding of how to eke out an existence when doom strikes. It’s surprising what comic books can teach — and what the quiet bloke in the corner with the sticking plaster holding his spectacles together is capable of.
This is the idea behind Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, HBO’s sci-fi spin-off
Current-ish Radio 4, 6.30pm
Lucy Porter, above, a favourite contestant on the station’s panel shows, gets her own series in the Friday night comedy slot, in which she is joined by three other comedians to discuss the week’s biggest stories for a three-week run that will be recorded in London and Edinburgh. Porter also has a quiz show podcast, Fingers on Buzzers, co-hosted with The Chase’s Jenny Ryan, in which the pair discuss key moments in quiz show history, point out the difference between a quiz show and a game show, and meet contestants and key figures from shows including Roger Tilling, the unseen voice of University Challenge. Clair Woodward
from The Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon comedy world — further proof that there isn’t a successful TV show that US streamers will not flog to death in pursuit of money — in which a strange quantum machine presents alternative realities for the affable comic book store owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman). He’s the sidekick character from the originals and a fan favourite who, and this may be the most astonishing plot twist of all, has acquired a girlfriend over the years: Denise, played by Lauren Lapkus.
You don’t have to know the original but it helps. Stuart is fairly blank as a character, though this means he is an effective foil for his pals. They include Barry Kripke, John Ross Bowie’s obnoxious physicist, whose villainy is signalled by the most extreme speech impediment seen on any screen big or small. I too have trouble with my Rs, but unlike Barry I don’t pronounce “dollop” as “dowwop”. His turn as a megalomaniac fascist in the first episode, a clever sort of riff on Back to the Future Part II, worked nicely. He is joined by Bert (Brian Posehn), the dry geologist who plays guitar in the “filk” — sci-fi folk — band Footprints on the Moon, whose songs include a ditty from the perspective of the boulder that chased Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark. You get the gist.
The creators don’t hesitate to take
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6.30am Breakfast
9.30 Essential Classics
1.00pm Classical Live
The violinist Sueye Park makes her
Proms debut with the BBC
Philharmonic Orchestra in the
Violin Concerto by Sibelius. From
the BBC Proms, Sibelius (Violin
Concerto in D minor, Op. 47);
From the Schubertiade
Schwarzenberg, Liszt (Years
of Pilgrimage — 1st Year,
Switzerland — parts 7-10); From
the Leitheim Castle Concerts,
Mozart (String Quintet No. 3 in C,
K. 515); From the BBC Proms,
Falla (Fantasía Bética — arr.
Francisco Coll); From the Leipzig
Bach Festival, Scheidemann
(Benedicam Dominum); and
from the BBC Proms, Strauss
(Also Sprach Zarathustra)
Lead nerd Kevin Sussman with Lauren Lapkus and Brian Posehn
4.00 Composer of the Week:
George Frideric Handel
Donald Macleod ends the week
in Dublin, where Handel’s
relationship to patronage shifts
decisively. Invited not by a
traditional employer but by
the Duke of Devonshire
5.00 In Tune
7.00 Classical Mixtape
7.30 Live BBC Proms 2026
John Wilson conducts the Sinfonia
of London in Verdi, Walton and
Respighi’s Roman Trilogy.
Presented by Ian Skelly, live from
the Royal Albert Hall. Verdi (The
Force of Destiny — overture)
Walton (Cello Concerto) 8.10
Interval. Respighi (Roman
Festivals; Fountains of Rome;
and Pines of Rome)
10.00 Late Junction
Verity Sharp presents a
collaboration between multi-
instrumentalist and puppeteer
Yara Asmar and Scots singer
and interpreter Quinie
11.30 ’Round Midnight
Soweto Kinch shares performance
highlights from rising stars Knats
12.30am Through the Night (r)
Radio 4 FM: 92.4-94.6 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 With Amol Rajan and Justin Webb 9.00 Desert Island Discs Shania Twain selects eight favourite recordings (r) 10.00 Woman’s Hour Presented by Anita Rani 11.00 The Food Programme Leyla Kazim revisits past stories to find out what happened next
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3.00 Gardeners’ Question Time
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6.00 Six O’Clock News
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Lucy Porter and guests discuss
the stories everyone is talking
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Fallon is rocked by a discovery
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8.00 Any Questions?
From Elgar Concert Hall, University
of Birmingham
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Joe Queenan discusses the
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By Charlotte McConaghy (5/10)
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Talking and Not Talking
Radio 5 Live MW: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 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 Glasgow 2026 10.00 Laura McGhie 1.00am Joel Mitchell
quite a quantum leap into in-jokes, starting with the opening credits, where they offer matey messages to the viewer about not skipping the intro and how super-cool it is that the Simpsons composer Danny Elfman has done the music. There is even a spoiler a week: the first telling us that one of the characters dies, the next that “Zack’s in this one”. One message starts with “anyhoo”. It is meant to be bright and fresh, and it sort of is, but you do sense the mustiness of the nerd’s bedroom in the forced chumminess. People trying to be cool and not fully succeeding.
Some of the jokes are better than others. That Denise has acquired a doltish boyfriend in her alternative realities is a neat running gag. There’s a knowing cameo for the magicians Penn and Teller, now reduced postapocalypse to juggling animals in exchange for food (mononymous Teller has long been associated with the Big Bang universe).
Nerds trying to be funny can be wearisome and mildly tragic, but there is something engaging in seeing them immerse themselves in the kind of weirdo adventures they enjoy obsessing about. It’s fine, even if it made me wonder what we Brits could come up with. David Brent’s Alien Exchange Programme, or Basil Fawlty’s Hotel at the End of the Universe perhaps? Or maybe not.
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PICKS OF THE DAY
Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill Zone 5, 9pm
“Hi! Boris Johnson, from London,” is how the former prime minister steps forward to shake hands with exhausted infantry, removing the balaclava donned to disguise himself behind the front lines of the war Russia is waging on Ukraine. “I know him,” says one soldier. Another says she had hoped the
BBC1
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6.00am Breakfast
9.30 Animal Park (AD)
10.15 The Moment of Proof (r) (AD)
10.45 Expert Witness (AD)
11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (r) (AD)
12.15pm Bargain Hunt. In Newark
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. A celebrity
weather reporter is found dead (AD)
2.45 Rick Stein’s Australia. Rick travels north
along his favourite coastline (AD)
3.15 Escape to the Country. A couple look
for a new home in rural Shropshire (r)
3.45 The Bidding Room. A woman hopes
her chair will unfold into a bidding war
4.30 The Travelling Auctioneers. Izzie
Balmer and Saf Fakir clear a Chesterfield
bungalow of quirky collectibles (r) (AD)
5.15 Pointless. Quiz show (r)
6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather
6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather
Regional News
7.00 Hunting the Giant Bluefin Tuna: Our
Lives The Atlantic bluefin tuna’s return to Northern Ireland (AD)
7.30 The Travelling Auctioneers
Izzie Balmer and Robin Johnson
raise cash to help a girl get
special treatment (r)
8.00 Granite Harbour New series. A
missing persons case turns into a double murder investigation and age-old tensions between the traveller and traditional Aberdonian communities threaten to explode. See picks of the day (1/3) (AD)
9.00 Would I Lie to You? With panellists
Nabil Abdulrashid, Lucy Beaumont, Gethin Jones and Francesca Mills. Rob Brydon hosts (2/9) (r) 9.30 Ann Droid Sue offers to work at the
charity shop, but it is a disaster, thanks to Linda (2/6) (AD)
10.00 BBC News at Ten
10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather 10.45 Austin Ingrid discovers who is
secretly writing Big Bear (5/8) (AD)
11.10 Austin Austin faces a family
intervention (6/8) (AD)
11.40 FILM: La La Land (12, 2016)
A jobbing actress and a struggling jazz pianist fall in love and try to realise their respective dreams in Los Angeles. However, keeping the wolf from the door without compromising their beliefs proves harder than expected. Musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (AD)
visitor might have been Yvette Cooper; he offers his apologies. Four years after leaving Downing Street, he has returned to his journalistic roots, but loaded down with the knowledge gained from his former role. He’s still impressed by the derring-do of the Ukrainians he meets, their determination to defend their homeland stirring deep emotion, but they are exhausted by a war of vicious attrition. “I just don’t think I’ve ever seen such a clear case of right and wrong, good and evil,” he says. Helen Stewart
6.30am Animal Park (r) (AD) 7.15 The Bidding Room (r) 8.00 Sign Zone: Marcus Wareing Simply Provence (r) (SL) 9.00 BBC News 12.30pm Political Thinking with Nick Robinson. Conversations 1.00 Richard Osman’s House of Games (r) 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz show (r) 2.15 Lightning. Quiz hosted by Zoe Lyons (r) 2.45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown (r) 3.15 The Hidden World of Hospitality with Tom Kerridge. How the industry delivers exceptional service on a huge scale (r) (AD) 4.15 Wild Brazil. The animals look for breeding partners (r) (AD) 5.15 Flog It! From Norwich Cathedral (r) 6.00 Richard Osman’s House of Games. Former players Fern Britton, JB Gill, John Kearns and Sally Lindsay take part (r) 6.30 Just One Thing. Roman Kemp suggests a ‘reverse-moves’ approach to exercise, such as walking downhill instead of up (r) (AD)
7.00 Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs
Paul Murton encounters Bonnie Prince Charlie, Jacobite history and the legacy of war (3/6) (r) 7.30 Beechgrove Garden Brian
Cunningham and Kirsty Wilson
work on the garden’s borders
8.00 Gardeners’ World Arit Anderson,
Jamie Butterworth and Frances Tophill explore the first RHS Sandringham Flower Show, showcasing stunning gardens, floral displays and horticultural advice
9.00 Bergerac New series. Modern
re-imagining of the Jersey-set crime
drama starring Damien Molony.
See picks of the day (1/6) (AD)
9.45 Bergerac The police are desperate
to find a kidnapped baby before it is
too late. Bergerac disappoints his
daughter Kim again and incurs
the wrath of his mother-in-law.
See picks of the day (2/6) (AD)
10.30 Newsnight Headline analysis
presented by Matt Chorley
11.05 FILM: Janet Planet (12, 2023)
An 11-year-old girl drifts into a
fantasy world as three visitors
take an interest in her mother.
Coming-of-age drama starring Zoe
Ziegler and Julianne Nicholson
12.50am Sign Zone: There’s a Gangster In
My Flat — Panorama Criminals taking
advantage of lax security in the rental
market (r) (SL) 1.20 Natalie Cassidy:
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people (r) (AD, SL) 1.50-2.15 Starmer:
What Went Wrong. Documentary (r) (SL)
According to the OG Jersey detective John Nettles, 1980s crime drama needed three things: a strong location, a charismatic main figure and a good car. Viewers who caught this reboot on UKTV last year will recall those boxes being ticked — although, as this double-bill shows, Damien Molony’s Jim Bergerac is more Scandi-noir than Channel sunshine. Here, he investigates his first case since his wife’s death: the Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill Zone (5, 9pm)
6.00am Good Morning Britain
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and the team are at Newcastle racecourse,
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hosts as another contestant tries to open
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9.00 The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
As Amanda, Raffaele, and Patrick
Lumumba enter prison, Giuliano
Mignini, their prosecutor, continues
to build his case against them
while the media’s reporting turns
Amanda into a monster (3/8) (AD)
10.05 The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
A wrench is thrown in Mignini’s case and the search for a new suspect begins. As the trial unfolds, Amanda’s choices continue to be scrutinised by the Press (4/8) (AD)
11.00 ITV News; Weather; followed by
11.50 Inside the Langham: Britain’s First
Grand Hotel Documentary following life at the London hotel (1/6) (r) (AD)
12.15am Shop on TV 3.00 Nobody’s Fool.
The finale is looming and alliances tighten
and betrayals feel inevitable (r) (AD, SL)
3.50 Long Lost Family. A man discovers a
sibling he never knew he had and another is
desperate to see his brother again after 58
years (r) (AD, SL) 4.45-6.00 Unwind with ITV
Bergerac BBC2, 9pm/9.45pm
6.25am Cheers (r)
7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (r) (AD)
9.10 Frasier (r) (AD)
11.10 American Pickers (r) (AD)
12.05pm Channel 4 News Summary
12.10 Car SOS. A Lexus IS200 (r) (AD)
1.10 The Great House Giveaway.
Two strangers are given the opportunity
to buy a property in Oldbury (r)
2.10 Countdown. With Justin Moorhouse
3.00 A Place in the Sun. Now in retirement, a
couple want to find the perfect holiday home
on the Canary island of Fuerteventura (r)
4.00 Narrow Escapes. In Cheshire, the cast
rehearse the local panto on a boat (r) (AD)
5.00 Château DIY. At Château de Lalacelle
in Normandy a garden makeover
concludes, and in the Haute-Vienne a
guest bedroom gets a makeover (r) (AD)
6.00 Four in a Bed. The B&Bers have
complaints to make (r)
6.30 Come Dine with Me. An amateur
pilot serves a Mexican-inspired menu (r)
7.00 Channel 4 News
8.00 Surgery Secrets of the Super Rich
A business executive undergoes a
lunchtime boob job, and a brand
executive is on a mission to get rid
of his under-eye bags (2/6) (AD)
9.00 Celebrity Gogglebox The best
moments from the recent series, as famous faces cast their thoughts on Coronation Street, Open House: The Great Sex Experiment and Match Me Abroad. Last in the series (AD)
10.00 Big Fat Quiz: Best Bits Shocking,
surprising and scandalous
moments from the show, featuring
Miranda Hart, David Mitchell, Rob
Beckett, Sue Perkins, Romesh
Ranganathan and Sarah Millican
11.05 Sarah Millican: Outsider
At the Brighton Dome, the plain-
speaking Geordie stand-up shares
her thoughts on moving to the
countryside, getting a rescue
dog and her struggles with
irritable bowel syndrome (r)
12.05am FILM: Polite Society (12, 2023)
Action comedy starring Priya Kansara and
Ritu Arya 1.55 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares
USA. An Italian restaurant in Pennsylvania
run by warring siblings (r) 2.45 Britain’s
Most Expensive Houses (r) (AD)
3.40-6.00 Come Dine with Me (r)
murder of a member of a wealthy island family. Victoria Segal
Granite Harbour BBC1, 8pm
Fans of the sweet Noughties comedy drama Monarch of the Glen will enjoy the reunion of Lexie and Archie (Dawn Steele and Alastair Mackenzie), the star-crossed lovers of Glenbogle. She returns as the tough-talking DCI Cora MacMillan, while he plays a landowner horrified to learn that a young
6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: Fatal Flatshare (PG, TVM, 2023) Fresh from a bad break-up, a young professional moves in with a new flatmate, but finds herself the object of a deadly obsession. Thriller with Camila Senna (AD) 4.00 Castle. Beckett and Castle enter the world of online fame when an internet celebrity is murdered and the killer posts pictures from the crime scene on a photo-sharing site (r) 4.55 Love Nature. The discovery of the first complete theropod skeleton in Wales (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Jersey and Guernsey. On Guernsey, a sea-faring couple test out their newly acquired retired Tyne Class lifeboat on its maiden voyage as a cruiser (r) 6.55 5 News Update
7.00 Tour de France 2026 Rebecca
Charlton presents highlights from
the 19th stage of the Grand Tour
race, a 127.9km mountain route
from Gap to Alpe d’Huez
7.55 5 News Update
8.00 Michael Palin in Venezuela Michael
flies to a cluster of coral islands in
the Caribbean Sea called Los Roques
and is taken on a journey across
the archipelago (2/3) (r) (AD)
9.00 Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill
Zone Four years after leaving
Downing Street, Boris Johnson
travels to Ukraine’s frontline to
find out what is happening four
years into Putin’s invasion of the
country. See picks of the day
10.30 Commonwealth Games 2026
Highlights from the opening day
of the Games in Glasgow with
medals up for grabs in para
powerlifting, artistic gymnastics,
swimming and para swimming
11.30 Piers Morgan: Uncensored
The bold, opinion-led news and debate show hosted by Piers Morgan
1.00am Cruise TV (r) 2.00 Car Pound Cops.
Surrey Police are surprised when a learner
motorcyclist pulls a dangerous in front
of them (r) 3.45 Friends (r) (AD) 4.35
Amazing Railway Adventures (r) (SL) 5.25
Entertainment News 5.35 Milo (r) (SL)
5.45-6.00 Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL)
woman has been murdered on his property, wherever that is. The location of this cop show has become increasingly confused over three series, set as it is in an Aberdeen populated almost entirely by crisply spoken central Scotland actors and shot in recognisably Glaswegian spots. Despite this, the show is developing into a stylish brand with Romario Simpson and Hannah Donaldson at the helm as Lindo and Bart, and the recent signing of John Gordon Sinclair may provide some granite grit. HS
7.00pm Prog Rock at the Proms. Classic tracks on an orchestral scale, from Genesis and ELP to Jethro Tull. See picks of the day 9.00 TOTP: 2000. Jamie Theakston presents the pop chart programme 9.30 TOTP: 1982. Featuring the Belle Stars, Madness and Irene Cara 10.00 TOTP: 1986. Featuring Sinitta, Audrey Hall, Robert Palmer, Haywoode and Madonna 10.30 Prog Rock at the BBC. Including footage of performances by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Genesis, Caravan and Family 11.30 Genesis: Old Grey Whistle Test. Annie Nightingale introduces a Genesis concert from 1980 12.10am Jethro Tull: The Lively Arts 1.10 Sight & Sound in Concert: Supertramp 1.40 TOTP2: Genesis 2.25 TOTP: 2000 2.55 TOTP: 1982 3.25am-3.55 TOTP: 1986
U&Drama
7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall searches for giant anteaters 7.30 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall visits the rainforests of Brazil 8.00 FILM: Horrible Histories — The Movie (PG, 2019) Family comedy starring Sebastian Croft (AD) 9.30 Ludwig. John faces his bad memories from school as he investigates the suspicious death of a headmaster and Lucy follows a new lead as her covert mission takes her to Wales (AD) 10.30 Fleabag (AD) 10.55 Fleabag. Dumped by her boyfriend, Fleabag attempts to rekindle romantic fires (AD) 11.25 Fleabag (AD) 11.50 Fleabag (AD) 12.20am Fleabag (AD) 1.10 Ideal 3.35am-3.50 Funboys (AD)
Variations
BBC1 Scotland 7.00pm River City. Mulvaney is concerned at the prospect of Harry’s arrival (r) 7.30pm-8.00 Hunting the Giant Bluefin Tuna: Our Lives
BBC1 Wales
7.00pm Best of Weatherman
Walking 7.30pm-8.00 Our Lives:
The Big Cat Investigator
ITV1 Wales 7.00pm-7.30 Coast & Country
STV 7.30pm-8.00 What’s on Scotland 12.15am-3.00 Shop on TV 4.45am-6.00 Unwind with STV
The Proms: Prog Rock BBC4, 7pm
This prom salutes British prog rock, with new classical arrangements of work by Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Fanfare for the Common Man), the Moody Blues (Nights in White Satin), Pink Floyd (The Great Gig in the Sky), Genesis (A Trick of the Tail), Mike Oldfield (Tubular Bells Pt 1) and more. Guy Garvey, Jane Weaver and Gruff Rhys perform with the BBC Concert Orchestra, while Stuart Maconie presents. VS
Sky Arts 8.00am The Joy of Painting (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Barbara Stanwyck (AD) 12.00 The Myth of Marilyn Monroe 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (b/w) 3.00 Discovering: Gregory Peck (AD) 4.00 Guy Garvey: From the Vaults 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2021 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 Guy Garvey: From the Vaults 9.00 Live from Abbey Road 10.00 Live from Abbey Road 11.00 Siouxsie and the Banshees: Nocturne. The band perform in 1983 12.20am Poly Styrene — I Am a Cliché 2.20 Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Hold on to Your Structure. A performance 3.35-4.00 Discovering: Elvis Costello
6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.25 Deal or No Deal (AD) 7.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 8.30 Olivia and Alex: Parenthood (AD) 9.30 The Only Way Is Essex 10.30 The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City 11.20 The Real Housewives of Orange County 12.15pm Dinner Date (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 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 Love Island. Reality show 10.05 Love Island: The Debrief 10.35 Family Guy (AD) 11.35 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bob’s Burgers (AD) 1.30-2.20 Deal or No Deal (AD, SL)
BBC Scotland 7.00pm Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 Scotland’s Greatest Escape (r) 8.00 Paramedics on Scene (r) 9.00 Ooh the Banter (r) 10.00 Still Game. Winston needs a home help (r) 10.30 Two Doors Down (r) 11.00pm-12.00 Rip It Up (r)
S4C
6.00am Cyw 12.00 News 12.05pm
Heno o’r Sioe (r) 12.35 Ralïo+ (r)
1.10 News; Weather 1.15 Seiclo:
Tour de France 4.50 Og y Draenog
Hapus (r) 5.00 Stwnsh: Byd Rwtsh
Dai Potsh (r) 5.15 Y Doniolis (r)
5.25 Taclo’r Tywydd (r) 5.45 Y
Smyrffs (r) 6.00 Gerddi Cymru (r)
6.30 Garddio a Mwy (r) 6.59 News
7.00 Heno 7.30 News; Weather 8.00
Eigra 8.30 Gemau’r Gymanwlad
2026. New series 10.30 Seiclo: Tour
de France. Stage 19 11.00pm-
12.05am Gwesty Aduniad (r)
STREAMING CHOICE
Supergirl ITVX
Critical responses to Craig Gillespie’s recent Supergirl film were largely negative, reviewers dismissing the venture as shallow and depressing. If you are looking for a more hopeful and positive interpretation of Kara Zor-El’s adventures, this young adult iteration, which ran from 2015 to 2021, is one to check out, not least
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 George
Clarke’s Old House, New Home (AD)
6.55 Location, Location, Location
7.55 Grand Designs. A100-year-old
blacksmiths in Co Antrim (5/9) (AD)
9.00 The Sommerdahl Murders. The
owner of a martial arts school is
found stabbed in the back, after
an argument with a business
associate whose husband is in
need of investment money
11.00 24 Hours in A&E. A
72-year-old’s family faces a big
decision when she is found to have
a blood clot on her brain (2/7) (AD)
12.05am 24 Hours in A&E. A
74-year-old man is brought in after
falling down the stairs (AD) 1.05
999: On the Front Line 2.10 24
Hours in A&E (AD) 3.15am-3.55
A Place in the Sun
6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.05 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 A Touch of Frost (AD) 11.20 Heartbeat (AD) 1.30pm Midsomer Murders (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat (AD) 8.00 Doc Martin. Louisa and Martin search for a nursery (2/8) (AD) 9.00 Doc Martin. Al’s career plans are derailed when Ken announces he is closing the pub (3/8) (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. A man confesses to attacking and killing his landlord (3/6) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester (4/6) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. Part one of two. The team investigate the death of a prostitute (1/2) 1.25am-2.30 Wycliffe
8.00am America the Bountiful 8.35
Treasures Decoded 9.35 Waco: The
Longest Siege 10.50 Titans of the
Cold War 11.55 Messages Home:
Lost Films of the British Army
1.00pm America the Bountiful 1.35
Treasures Decoded 2.35 Waco: The
Longest Siege 3.50 Titans of the
Cold War 4.55 Messages Home:
Lost Films of the British Army
5.55 America the Bountiful
6.30 Treasures Decoded
7.35 Waco: The Longest Siege
8.40 Titans of the Cold War. Reagan
and Gorbachev confront the Cold
War’s most decisive stage
9.50 Messages Home: Lost Films of
the British Army. Documentary
about filmed messages from British
soldiers in the Second World War
10.50 Waco: The Longest Siege
12.00 Titans of the Cold War
1.10am-2.00 America the Bountiful
for Melissa Benoist’s performance, which made you believe she was both an all-powerful alien being and an uncertain young woman still finding her way in the world. Andrew Male
FILM CHOICE
Velvet Goldmine (15, 1998) Film4, 11.25pm
Todd Haynes’s homage to the glam rockers of the 1970s stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Brian Slade, a self-
Live sport today
Live Ladies European Tour Golf
Sky Sports Main Event,
9.30am-12noon, Sky Sports
Golf, 9.30am-1.30pm
The ISPS HANDA Women’s
Scottish Open. Coverage
of the second day of the
tournament, which takes
place at Dundonald Links in
Irvine, Ayrshire
Live Commonwealth Games —
Artistic Gymnastics
TNT Sports 3, 5.15pm-9
Coverage from the second
session on the first day of the
event, which takes place at
The Arena in Glasgow
Live The Hundred:
Birmingham Phoenix Men v
Trent Rockets Men
Sky Sports Main Event, Sky
Sports Cricket, 6pm-9.30
(Start-time 6.30). Coverage of
the match from Edgbaston
Live Betfred Super League: Wigan Warriors v St Helens Sky Sports +, 7.30pm-10.15 (Kick-off 8.00). Coverage of the match from the 20th round of fixtures, which takes place at The Brick Community Stadium
6.00am Richard E Grant’s Hotel
Secrets (r) (AD) 8.00 Deadwood
(r) 10.00 Homicide: Life on the
Street (r) 12.00 Billions (r) (AD)
2.15pm The White Lotus (r)
(AD) 4.40 Gomorrah (r)
6.50 The Gilded Age. The opera war
reaches its climax (r) (AD)
7.55 The Gilded Age. Bertha
prepares for the duke’s imminent
arrival (1/8) (r) (AD)
9.00 Station Eleven. Post-
apocalyptic drama starring
Mackenzie Davis (1/10) (r)
10.00 Station Eleven. Kirsten meets
a mysterious man (2/10) (r)
11.00 Prisoner. Amber turns to
Tibor for help as a wider threat
begins to emerge (r) (AD)
12.00 The Last of Us (r) (AD)
2.15am The White Lotus (r) (AD)
4.35 Sort Of (r) (AD) 5.05am-6.00
The Guest Wing (r) (AD)
6.00am FILM: Someone at the Door (U, 1950) (b/w) 7.15 FILM: Hammer the Toff (U, 1952) (b/w) 8.45 FILM: The Snows of Kilimanjaro (PG, 1952) 11.00 The Lucy Show 11.30 Star Performance (b/w) 12.00 Railway Murders 1.00pm 1950s Kitchen Hygiene — Glimpses 1.05 The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre (b/w) 2.15 The Adventures of Robin Hood (b/w) 2.45 FILM: The Vicious Circle (U, 1957) (b/w) 4.25 Cinebox Memories 4.30 The Cheaters (b/w) 5.00 A Family at War 6.00 Hannay 7.00 Z Cars 8.00 Public Eye 9.05 Maxwell 11.00pm Supernatural (4/8) 12.05am FILM: Devil’s Partner (18, 1960) (b/w) 1.45 FILM: Killer Fish (15, 1979) 3.45 What’s on TPTV 4.00am-4.30 Turn of Fate (b/w)
ITV4
6.00am Magnum, PI 8.05 Dempsey
and Makepeace (AD) 9.10 Boon
10.15 The Champions 11.20
BattleBots 12.25pm Magnum, PI
2.35 Dempsey and Makepeace (AD)
3.45 Boon 4.50 The Champions
5.50 Minder (AD)
6.55 Sharpe. The return of an old
enemy leads to a series of problems
for Sharpe. Military adventure
starring Sean Bean
9.00 Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest
Roads. The truckers drive up to
13,000ft in the Himalayas (6/10)
10.00 All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite.
Hard-hitting action from the world
of All Elite Wrestling — the roster
features world-class talent including
Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli
12.05am Dark Side of the Ring 1.00
Minder (AD) 2.05-3.00 Two and a
Half Men 3.30-4.00 Auto Mundial
Sky Docs
6.00am The Nineties (r) 7.00
Discovering: Tom Hanks (r) (AD)
8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00
Edge of the Earth (r) (AD) 10.00 The
Alien Autopsy Scandal (r) (AD)
11.00 Urban Secrets (r) 12.00
Queen of Speed (r) (AD) 2.00pm
OJ: Made in America (r) (AD) 4.00
The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00
Discovering: Tom Hanks (r) (AD)
6.00 FILM: Hitsville — The Making
of Motown (12, 2019) The history
and origins of the record label
8.00 FILM: Tina (15, 2021) A
celebration of Tina Turner’s life (AD)
10.10 The Truth vs Alex Jones.
Exploring the defamation lawsuits
brought by Sandy Hook parents
against Alex Jones (r) (AD)
12.20am OJ: Made in America (r)
(AD) 2.10 The Essex Murders (r)
(AD) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering:
Tom Hanks (r) (AD)
invented rock star who fakes his onstage suicide, much like David Bowie killed Ziggy in 1973. Ewan McGregor co-stars as Curt Wild, a riotous American rocker modelled on Iggy Pop, while Christian Bale is the reporter investigating Slade’s “death” years later. The soundtrack features a selection of glam-era tracks covered by Radiohead, Pulp and their Britpop peers. This was partly because Bowie refused to allow his songs to be used, even though the film is named after one of them. (124min) Kate Muir
11.00am Wonder Park (PG, 2019)
Animated family adventure with the
voice of Mila Kunis (AD) 12.45pm
Anastasia (U, 1956) Historical
drama starring Ingrid Bergman and
Yul Brynner (AD) 2.55 The Violent
Men (PG, 1955) Western starring
Edward G Robinson 4.50 Jason and
the Argonauts (U, 1963) Fantasy
adventure starring Todd Armstrong
and Honor Blackman (AD)
6.55 The Day the Earth Stood Still
(12, 2008) Sci-fi remake starring
Keanu Reeves and Jon Hamm (AD)
9.00 Quadrophenia (18, 1979)
Mods and rockers drama starring
Phil Daniels and Leslie Ash (AD)
11.25 Velvet Goldmine (15, 1998)
Glam rock drama starring
Christian Bale. See film choice
1.50am-3.35 Sequin in a Blue
Room (18, 2021) Australian
drama starring Conor Leach
6.00am Teleshopping 7.20 The Bill
8.15 Doctors 9.25 Classic Holby
City 10.40 Casualty (AD) 11.40 The
Bill 12.40pm Classic EastEnders
2.00 Neighbours 3.00 Pie in the Sky
4.05 Lovejoy 5.20 Waiting for God
6.00 Last of the Summer Wine
8.00 Father Brown. The priest
joins forces with Flambeau to
search for a lost treasure (AD)
9.00 Father Brown (AD)
10.00 New Tricks. A dying man asks
the team to clear the name of his
son, a talented teenage golfer who
committed suicide after being
implicated in the murder of a
10-year-old boy (5/7) (AD)
11.20 Silent Witness. The Lyell team
investigates the murder of a family
shot while picnicking by a river (AD)
1.35am Lovejoy 2.40 Waiting for
God 3.10-4.00 Darby and Joan (SL)
6.10am Abandoned Engineering
(AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash (AD)
10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00
World War Two from Above 12.00
Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm
Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics
(AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00
World War Two from Above
6.00 Antiques Roadshow
7.00 Asia. The oceans that surround
the continent’s coastline (AD)
8.00 Citizen Smith
8.40 Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em
9.20 Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em
10.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring
Classics. A 90s Alfa with electrical
issues lives up to its stereotype (AD)
11.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring
Classics. A Hillman GT (AD)
12.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 1.00am
Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD) 2.00
Great British Railway Journeys
3.00am-6.10 Teleshopping
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Backgammon Chris Bray
B
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Tales from Sweden
W
The two top UK players are Sebas- tian Wilkinson and Oliver Squire. They met each other in the final of the Ultimate Backgammon Cham- pionship (UBC) regional tourna- ment, which was held in Sweden. Sebastian marginally outplayed Oliver in terms of performance rating, but the dice gods were on Oliver’s side and it was he who tri- umphed. He thus joins Michihito Kageyama, Marc Olsen and Hide- aki Ueda as the finalists of the UBC Contenders event. Those four will play off in Monte Carlo later this month to decide who gets to chal- lenge the current UBC champion, Zdenek Zizka, at the end of the year.
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Oliver could have had an even better time in Stockholm as he reached the semi-final of the Swed- ish Open where he played Radu Ciortan. As we join it, Oliver (Black) is leading 14-8 to 15 (Craw- ford) and has a seemingly innocu- ous 21 to play. Would you choose 5/3, 4/3 or 5/3, 1/off?
Perhaps fearing 53 or 63 on his next roll, both of which would ex- pose two blots, Oliver chose to play
F E
KenKen Difficult No 6893
5/3, 1/off. On his next turn he rolled a double, which left a blot on his 4-pt. Radu hit the blot and went on to win the game. He then won a single game followed by a gam- mon, both with the cube on 2, to emerge victorious and leave Oliver somewhat crestfallen.
What about that 21? We are taught that in a bear-off we should leave ourselves with an even num- ber of checkers on our highest point and an even number of checkers on our two highest points combined. This points us towards 5/3, 4/3, which turns out to be the best play. 5/3, 1/off is a small error. It wins more gammons than 5/3, 4/3, but that is irrelevant here as this is the Crawford game.
There is an old adage in back- gammon that states: a point cleared is a point not to be feared. 5/3, 4/3 prepares to clear the 5-pt next turn with all the rolls that do not contain a three. If Oliver had heeded the adage, he would have reached the final of the Swedish Open. Instead Radu went on to win the tournament. In backgammon tiny errors can have very adverse consequences.
chrisbraybg@gmail.com
Black to play.
This position is from Yeletsky-
Kononenko, chess.com 2026.
This chaotic position with both kings badly exposed looks more like a coffeehouse encounter from the 19th century than a modern game. Black actually holds a great advantage, having extra material and somewhat better development. He has a number of strong moves but only one is immediately decisive. Can you spot the coup?
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No 5441
Y U
Codeword No 5901
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
Cluelines Stuck on Codeword? To receive 4 random clues call 0901 293 6262 or text TIMECODE 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 9011 Hard No 9012
A E
Slide the letters either horizontally or vertically back into the grid to produce a completed crossword. Letters are allowed to slide over other letters
C V
No 4400
Train Tracks No 2926
© PUZZLER MEDIA
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.
Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only
1 Family initially built lodge over old ditch (5)
2 Extremely distinctive father is fancy (6)
3 Fair, noble Democrat getting corrupted (6)
4 Different part of Canada, not here (7)
5 Fetching piece of jewellery in container — good! (8)
A B B B D D D E
E E E G G H I I
I L L N N N N O
O O O R R R S T
Wednesdays and Fridays at thetimes.com/puzzles and on the Live app
No 2628
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.
A M
M
Brain Trainer
W
Brain Trainer
1 2 3 4 5 6
8 9
10 11
13 14 15
17 18 19
21 22
Across 1 Rearing (a child) (8,2) 8 Ointment (7) 9 Salary increase (5) 10 Father (a foal, eg) (4) 11 Engage (with) (8) 13 Fill the lungs with air (6) 15 Archimedes’ cry of
enlightenment (6)
Solution to Crossword 10,216
L E V E L S E I Z U R E C H I E F U N R E H F L S E T T O R O O K E R Y C C L I E N C I R C L E D I N N P L A Y I N G T E E T E E N A G E R S I A G T B E R G M A N O M E G A L O I O N Y R E L F I N D I A L E C T F I E L D
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).
ANSWER
ANSWER
ANSWER
Bridge Andrew Robson
Twenty for the Scrapheap
(20) “Always” and “Never”
Bridge is not a game of “always”
and “never”. Indeed, there are only
three “always”. (1) Always make a
higher bid than the previous one.
(2) Always follow suit. (3) Always
behave courteously to partner and
opponents alike.
They say, “Never underlead a
king.” Really? You hold ♠KJ42,
♥74, ♦J72, ♣9742, and hear the
(uncontested) bidding proceed
from the right, 1♥-2♣-2♦-3♦-
3♠(asking bid)-4♥-end. Surely
the opponents have chosen their
5-2 heart fit rather than 3NT
because they are worried about
spades. Lead ♠2 — partner rates
to hold ♠Q and/or ♠A.
OK, “Never underlead an ace”
has more validity, provided it is
understood that this “never” relates
only to trick one v a trump con-
tract. Even then, experts will
choose their moment and won’t
rule out a trick-one ace-underlead
if the auction begs for it. You hold
♠A742, ♥85, ♦872, ♣7542, and
hear the (uncontested) bidding pro-
ceed from the left, 1♠-2♥-2NT-
3♠-4♥-end. Dummy is marked
with four spades, declarer with
three; therefore, partner has two. It
is clear to try for a spade ruff. Why
not underlead ♠A? Perhaps part-
ner has ♠Qx — for sure, declarer
won’t rise with dummy’s ♠K from
(say) ♠KJxx; or perhaps partner
has ♥A and can win the first heart
to lead her second spade.
They say, “Never respond 1NT
when you have a four-card spade
suit.” Well, yes, that’s another a
“nearly never”. However, say you
N O T
E E A
17 Woven wall hanging (8) 18 Restlessly long (for) (4) 21 Innocently trusting (5) 22 Evil, repugnant (7) 23 Pest controller (3-7)
Down 2 Message received! (5) 3 French word for
Christmas (4) 4 Recite monotonously (6) 5 Strikingly attractive (8) 6 Archbishop (7) 7 Carnivores (4-6) 8 Given without restraint,
generous (10) 12 Outer layer of a tent (8) 14 More cheerful (7) 16 Hindu god (6) 19 Picked (5) 20 Metallic element of dietary
importance (4)
hold ♠9752, ♥5, ♦82, ♣KQJ942,
and partner opens 1♥. If you
respond 1♠ and partner rebids 2♦
(or 2♥), you won’t be able to bid a
“drop-dead” 3♣ (it’ll be Fourth Suit
Forcing over 2♦). However, if you
respond 1NT then rebid 3♣ (over
2♦/2♥), it’ll show six/seven clubs
and no playability elsewhere; part-
ner will normally pass and you’ll be
where you want to be.
I am not giving you the green
light to break all “rules”. But I want
you to understand that they are
guidelines, rules with a small “r”,
not RULES. And the more you
play, the more you’ll understand
when to break these guidelines.
On our deal. in which South
made one of the skimpiest 3♠
openers you’ll ever see, “Always
cover an honour with an honour”
was East’s downfall. Actually, you
should cover an honour only when
you think you can promote a
lower card for you or your partner.
N K
♠Q3 ♥8543 ♦AK74 ♣AK6
West led ♦Q v 4♠, declarer win- ning dummy’s ♦K and advancing ♠Q. East, “I always cover an honour with an honour” played ♠K and ... oops. andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk
Dealer S
♠A ♥KJ2 ♦QJ109 ♣108532
♠K85 ♥AQ109 ♦653 ♣QJ9
N W E S
♠J1097642 ♥76 ♦82 ♣74
S W N E
3♠(1) Pass 4♠ End
(1) From no textbook.
EASY 72 ÷ 8 SQUARE
EASY
IT – 51 ÷ 3 DOUBLE
MEDIUM 22 x 3 ÷ 9 – 2 ÷ 5 CUBE
IT + 7 x 4 2 1/ OF IT
HARDER 293 + 688 x 5 ÷ 8 – 59 4 1/ OF IT – 86 – 85 10 7/ OF IT + 3 2/ OF IT
Set Square No 4403
Killer Moderate No 10,840
Killer Deadly No 10,841
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.
IT ÷ 5 + 4 x 12 4 1/ OF IT
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 14 words, average; 19, good; 25, very good; 31, excellent
Yesterday’s answers afire, fain, fair, fairness, fane, fare, fear, feria, fern, fess, fine, fire, frae, fraise, frass, infer, naïf, rife, safe, sanserif, seif, serf, serif, snarf
Quick Cryptic 3361
Sudoku 16,968
Sudoku 16,969
Sudoku 16,970
Killer 10,838
Killer 10,839
Cell Blocks No 5784
© PUZZLER MEDIA
© PUZZLER MEDIA
Please note, BODMAS does not apply
Codeword 5900
Tetonor 694
4 x 50 5 x 10 20 + 12 20 x 12
31 189 34
7 + 33 11 + 20 21 x 9 25 + 9
30 225
10 + 5 11 x 20 21 + 9 9 x 25
231 26
8 x 18 4 + 50 33 x 7 8 + 18
Lexica 9009 Cell Blocks 5783 Set Square 4402
Futoshiki 5440
KenKen 6892
Today’s solutions
Concise Quintagram
Cryptic Quintagram
1 Adopt 2 Odour 3 Radon 4 Adorable 5 Condoning
1 Blood 2 Desire 3 Blonde 4 Another 5 Bringing
Word watch
Quiz
1 Champagne 2 Royal Air Force (RAF) 3 The Suez Canal 4 Peasants’ Revolt 5 18 6 Melvyn Bragg 7 (Port) Stanley 8 New Labour 9 Kym Marsh 10 Ludlow 11 Analytical Engine 12 Nicola Six 13 Battle of Mount Algidus 14 Leicester Tigers 15 Harry Truman
Ligne (a) A measure of the diameter of buttons (Collins) Wulfrunian (b) A citizen of Wolverhampton (OED) Mora (c) Unjustifiable delay (Chambers)
Chess — Winning Move
1 ... Be6+! and the entry of the bishop into the attack is quickly decisive. The main point is 2 Qxe6 (White actually tried 2 c4 but 2 ... Nc5+ was instantly fatal) 2 ... Nc5+ winning the white queen
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.
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.
Kakuro 4399
Train Tracks 2925
L A T E N T
C R O T C H
Lexica 9010
M A S T E R
E A S I L Y
Z O
C O U P O N
Sakuro 4802
Easy 13 Medium 125 Harder 113
Sudoku Mild No 16,971 Difficult No 16,972 Fiendish No 16,973 Word watch
David Parfitt
Ligne a A measure of the diameter of buttons b A rigid substance in plant cell walls c Pasta in wavy sheets
Wulfrunian a Made from tungsten b A citizen of Wolverhampton c An ancient Celtic alphabet
Mora a An extinct emu-like bird b A layer of rich acidic topsoil c Unjustifiable delay
The Times Daily Quiz Olav Bjortomt
1 Frank Mannion’s 2021 documentary Sparkling tells the story of which French wine?
2 What was founded in 1918 as the world’s first independent air force?
3 Alberto Rieger’s 1864 painting L’Istmo di Suez is known by what English title?
4 Which 1381 rebellion is the subject of Paul Greengrass’s new film The Uprising?
5 In the UK, it is illegal to tattoo a person under what age?
6 Who created, wrote and presented the arts TV series The South Bank Show?
The Times Quick Cryptic No 3362 by Breadman
Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
7 Which town in the Falkland Islands was awarded city status in 2022?
8 Howard Brenton and Tariq Ali’s 1998 political satire Ugly Rumours mocked the rise of which political force?
BETTMAN ARCHIVE
11 Conceived by Charles Babbage in 1834, which calculating machine was designed to evaluate any mathematical formula?
12 Which female character is the self- appointed “murderee” in Martin Amis’s novel London Fields?
13 The Roman dictator Cincinnatus defeated the Aequi tribe at which battle in 458 BC?
9 Which former Hear’Say singer played Michelle Connor in Coronation Street from 2006 to 2019?
14 Welford Road has been the home of which rugby union club since 1892?
15 Which US president is pictured?
10 Which Shropshire market town is near the confluence of the rivers Corve and Teme?
Across
1
Dog barking around European
city (9)
6 Policeman’s constant work (3)
8 Mistake with chlorine leading
to irritation (7) 9 Doctor welcoming odd one
with complaint? (5) 10 Cheese Lee redirects wrongly
(3,9) 12 Hairstyle reflected in mirror
fabulous (4) 13 Long throw lacking power (4) 17 Manage what a joiner might
do (4,4,4) 20 Katrina regularly protecting
party dress (5) 21 Minor, uncovered, admitting
plant fire (7) 23 Weight not to be returned (3) 24 For that reason, the group of
soldiers watch out (9)
Sakuro No 4802
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
To try a digital subscription, visit thetimes.com/subscribe
3 Amount of work Etonian
recruit gets initially (3) 4 Scientist’s venture largely
secure (6) 5 Amusing rogue entertaining
English male element (9) 6 Vineyard associated with holy
man’s livelihood (5)
7
Father joining gym outwardly
reveals ID? (6)
11 Oscar succeeded getting
through Tolkien novel having tenuous connections (5-4) 14 I’m leaving food generally,
current and old (7) 15 Strongly affect this writer’s
agreement (6) 16 Daughter, six, overwhelmed by
excellent guidance (6) 18 King with northern individual
widely recognised (5) 19 Staff voting in auditorium (4) 22 Enemy of revolutionary
European (3)
© PUZZLER MEDIA
for more puzzles
• Puzzles updated daily
• Play against the clock
• Compete in our leaderboard
• Play off line and online
Bricks
&Mortar Buy. Sell. Move. Improve.Your weekly property guide
R
24%
BAROMETER
Fewer than one in seven homes have increased in value over the past five years
Northern Ireland 37.9%
Northeast 20.5% Northwest 29.7%
Yorks & Humber 22% West Midlands 19.6%
Wales 19.1%
Southwest 4.1%
London 4.6% Southeast 3.2% East Midlands 9.8%
Source: Zoopla
Increase in safe installations since 2023, with £3,500 spent on average – up by a fifth
Source: Hiscox
Construction rates have consistently fallen in recent years due to rising building costs and staff shortages
Local authorities Private enterprise Housing associations
1950 60 70 80 90 00 10 20
Source: UK Parliament
Proportion of those who used AI to do DIY work and then had to call someone to fix it
Source: Checkatrade
Average monthly amount spent on a new buyer’s home compared with the rent they paid
Rent Mortgage payment (10% deposit)
£1,400 £1,300 £1,200 £1,100 £1,000 £900 £800 £700 Sept 2019 Dec 2020 Mar 2022 May 2023 Aug 2024 Nov 2025
Source: Rightmove
Hayes lives 15 minutes from Manchester airport and is a self- confessed aviation geek. “From the garden you can see the writing on the planes, it’s easy to work out what kind it is. Sometimes it flies directly over. It makes for an interesting game when you’re having a barbecue, you can guess the destination of the plane.” Hayes tracks flights on the Plane Finder app.
Scotland 22.6%
At garden parties he’s learnt to stop talking for ten seconds when planes fly over, drowning him out. “You’re just in the habit of pausing, mid-flow. You might get a funny look from guests.”
As we speak, a different plane passes over every minute. Hayes can guess the age of the plane by listening. He opens his Plane Finder app and holds up his phone. “The one that’s just gone over now is much quieter than the previous one… It’s going to Cairo, Egypt Air, and it’s an Airbus A321. The age of the plane is three years and two months.”
East of England 2.6%
He pauses. “Now interestingly, we have a Tui about to come over. This is a Boeing 737 going to Cyprus. The plane is 18 years old. And it’s miles louder.”
Hayes says noise is only an issue in the summer when all the windows are open. “We might be watching TV and there might be one plane in ten, an older one, that makes it more difficult to hear, but you get used to it.”
He has no concern over the effect of planes on his property value: indeed the average price in Knutsford has actually risen 217 per cent since 2001, according to Hamptons. That is when the second runway opened at Manchester airport, increasing the noise levels in the area. “Knutsford gets the bulk of the plane noise in Cheshire’s three golden triangle towns but it has also seen the most price growth,” says David Fell, lead analyst at Hamptons.
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 000s
But this is far from the case everywhere. In some cases plane noise has harmed property prices, making areas less desirable, for obvious reasons. This is, of course, a blow for sellers hoping their homes will fly off estate agency shelves but it also gives wings to anyone thinking of buying. As long as they can stand the noise.
The flight path discount Passenger numbers broke records in 2025, with 302 million travellers passing through UK airports. Plus, further plans to expand airports and flight paths at Gatwick, Heathrow, Bristol and London City airports have sparked protests from residents worried about noise and air pollution — and, naturally, property values.
How much prices actually fall if you live under a flight path is debatable. Various academic studies show that living under noisy flight paths near airports lowers property values — from 5.5 per cent in a 2018 study of Belfast airport to 21 per cent in a 2008 study in Atlanta, in the US. A 2014 study of Berlin Brandenburg airport showed house prices fell by 12.8 per cent if planes flew over below 3,280 feet. A 2026 study by MIT Sloan School of Management found that when aircraft noise rises by 1 decibel, affected homes on average lose 0.6 per cent to 1 per cent of their value.
ichard Hayes loves summer in the garden at his home in Knutsford, Cheshire. Not for quiet contemplation but a rather more exciting hobby: plane spotting.
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY NINA KRAUSE
a flight path?
a house on a flight path than a main road. Nine out of ten buyers agree
airports, compiled by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which tracks areas around airports exposed to between 55 and 100 decibels (dB) of plane noise. (The noise equivalent of 55dB could be an electric kettle or toothbrush; sounds that can reach 100dB include a lawnmower, jack hammer or leaf blower, according to the DecibelPro app.)
In 2012 the discount for houses directly under the noisiest parts of the flight path (55dB and above) was 16 per cent compared with houses in the same postcode in quieter zones but in 2026 the gap had narrowed: those same houses are now only 9 per cent cheaper. “My assumption is this has been driven primarily by quieter, modern aircraft,” Fell says. “I actually live in Hawley, Surrey, close to Gatwick, and I think planes have definitely got quieter.”
Descending discounts
The price difference between homes under flight paths and others in the same postcode is shrinking
2012 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 0
Based on Defra data from the UK's 10 busiest airports Source: Hamptons & Land Registry
airplanes they are replacing, according to a 2025 report by Sustainable Aviation, a trade body for the aviation sector. The report predicts: “UK aviation noise output is forecast to reduce in the order of 35 per cent by 2035 compared with 2019, despite a rise in air traffic.”
which 10 per cent of the population report being “highly annoyed” by aircraft noise has fallen from 54dB in 2014 to 43dB in 2024, according to a new report by the Civil Aviation Authority.
Sue Cartwright, a retired events manager, 69, bought her two-bedroom flat in Putney, southwest London, in 2010 but has since considered moving because the plane noise from Heathrow, 12 miles away, has got louder. “There’s no doubt they’ve got worse. The big ones are very noisy. They’re flying lower. I get my plane apps out and they’re coming in at 2,500 feet. Literally the landing gear is down. I’m thinking, are they actually going to make it to Heathrow?”
It damages her quality of life. “You can’t speak on the phone, you can’t hear the television.” She dreads hot summer nights with the windows open. “They just seem to be never-ending. If I’m sleeping in the spare room you really notice them coming in at 4.30am, the long haul ones from the Far East.”
She has some respite when the wind changes direction. “They’re landing easterly so today is quiet. The relief when the flight path changes is enormous but short-lived.”
Pollution from commercial aircraft causes 16,000 premature deaths a year globally, with one third of those deaths occurring in people living within 20km of airports, according to a 2026 government briefing. Aircraft noise pollution has been linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
‘I never go running around here’ Minreet Kaur, 45, doesn’t notice the noise but she has lived in Harlington, five minutes from Heathrow, all her life. Her parents bought the two-bedroom terraced house in 1977. The family enjoy sitting in their front bedroom with a cup of tea, watching planes take off and land.
Houses near Heathrow airport
notice the noise. But she is worried about air quality, especially if the Heathrow expansion goes ahead. “I’m a runner but I never go for a run around here. We used to walk. I wouldn’t now. I do feel the pollution.”
Kaur is confident someone will buy their house, however — there is a buy- to-let boom in their area and landlords are circling. Fifteen of the twenty houses on her road are now rented, popular with Heathrow workers.
Plane noise is a constant in affluent Richmond, southwest London, where Amy Reynolds lives. She hates the planes but wouldn’t live anywhere else; most buyers feel the same. The noisiest area is by the river near the town centre — yet at Richmond Green houses start at £2 million.
A golden opportunity Flight paths don’t appear to affect house prices in London, where many affluent neighbourhoods have low-flying planes, according to Claire Carter, the country house manager at John D Wood, an upmarket estate agency. “In London I’ve been to Kew Gardens and you can see people drinking orange juice in the plane windows and yet the area is extremely desirable… You live in town, there are planes, what do you expect?”
But in the countryside buyers always ask about it. They are concerned about plans for Gatwick expansion, Carter says. “Buyers say we can accept the noise now but if there are an extra tens of thousands of planes a year, we’re not comfortable with that. How does it affect our resale value?”
Carter won’t negotiate with buyers over plane noise — she takes it into account in her valuation. If she had to put a figure on it, she’d say a 10 per cent discount. “But if it was a busy main road you’re looking at 25, maybe 30 per cent… I’d rather have a house on a flight path than a main road. Nine out of ten buyers agree. At least with flights it becomes white noise. If it’s a main road you could have motorbikes, police cars, sirens.”
It’s more difficult to sell houses where the planes fly so low it looks like they’ll touch the chimney. Discounts might get to 20 per cent, Carter says. “But then it just needs the right buyer. Some people find it fascinating. Lots of people will compromise on that.”
It can be a good opportunity for buyers to get more for their money. A few years ago Carter sold a five-bedroom Victorian house in two acres with a tennis court in Lingfield, Surrey, near Gatwick. “Anywhere else it would have sold for £2 million but this London family got it for about £1.4 million. They’d never have been able to buy that elsewhere.”
Quiet moments For those who compromise it’s not noisy all the time. Flight paths are rotated according to wind direction. About 70 per cent of the time, Heathrow and Gatwick operate “westerly operations”; the remaining 30 per cent of the time they take off and land facing east. Planes landing are quieter than taking off.
“Check the prevailing wind direction before you view a property,” says Henry Sherwood, founder of the Buying Agents. “Just because it’s quiet for 30 minutes when you view it, it won’t be like that all the time.”
Buyers may have to become more vigilant as airports continue expanding. Back in Knutsford, Hayes has no regrets. He loves the ability to get to Manchester airport in 15 minutes and thinks plane noise could be a moot point in the future. “In ten years’ time plane noise could be 50 per cent lower… There’s not a moment where we think we wouldn’t stay in Knutsford or buy here again.”
buys you in . . .
Built in 1886, Ficerdy Manor is a former vicarage with a handsome stone façade. Bath stone-framed windows look out onto its mature garden and the countryside around the village of Llandybie. The five- bedroom house has three reception rooms — with high ceilings, fireplaces and panelled bay windows — plus a kitchen where you can dine by the Aga. Generous attic rooms and a coach house with planning permission offer yet more space. Swansea is 20 miles south. EPC F (potential D) — on a scale of A (best) to G (worst) Upside Elegant family living. Downside It is directly on the busy A483, albeit set back behind electric gates. Contact countrylivinggroup.co.uk
Covered in rambling roses in a classic cottage garden, Rose Cottage lives up to its name. The five-bedroom house in the village of Whinburgh is perfect for multigenerational living, or can be partly closed off for extra income from a holiday annexe. The main kitchen links to two living rooms, three bedrooms, a bathroom and a utility room. In a second wing, with its own small kitchen and living room, are two further bedrooms and a bathroom. It is four miles from the market town of Dereham and 17 miles west of Norwich. EPC E (potential B) Upside Oodles of charm. Downside The two-kitchen layout may be awkward for some. Contact sowerbys.com
Corran Lighthouse Lodge, on the shores of Loch Linnhe, has panoramic views towards Fort William and Glencoe — and a lighthouse in the garden. Constructed as the keeper’s house for Corran Point Lighthouse in 1860, the C listed property has 2,537 sq ft of living space, including five bedrooms, five bathrooms and three reception rooms. Fort William is 9.5 miles away, with regular ferry crossings proving easy access. The lighthouse, which is still operational, is owned and maintained by the Northern Lighthouse Board. EPC D (potential C) Upside Elevated sun deck with views across the loch. Downside No ownership of the lighthouse. Contact savills.com
Acquire the land leased by Newbattle Golf Club, a well-established 18-hole course across 105 acres and bound by 50 acres of woodland. The golf course was laid out in 1933 by the renowned golf course architect Harry S Colt, involving tree-lined fairways and encompassing the River Esk. On the southeast of the Midlothian town of Dalkeith, the course is eight miles from Edinburgh and operates a successful members’ club. It is near Eskbank railway station, for trains to the Scottish capital. EPC N/A Upside Further land available, including fields, woodland and pasture. Downside Watch out for flying golf balls. Contact drurral.co.uk
T
Moving stories
vegan cookery school
a British chef is determined to bring them round
he impacts of the pandemic prompted a move to Aude two years ago to join my uncle [says Helen Lawrence, 48].
I became vegetarian when I was ten. Growing up in Winchester in the age of Greenpeace and animal rights campaigns, ten of us made a pact to be veggie.
After A-levels I did a year’s cheffing course packed into one month, then worked at a gastropub, a French bistro in Winchester and the Holiday Inn at Gatwick. Vegetarianism was growing and I was able to create the veggie dishes on the menus.
I moved to Toronto for two years, where my Uncle Anthony was living, and worked in Little India. I cheffed and nannied for two years while developing recipes without eggs and dairy. The
vegan food scene there was huge and I knew my future should be in cookery.
I took a job at Demuths, the vegetarian restaurant and cookery school in Bath run by Rachel Demuth. I was there for seven years as head chef, then a teacher, and it made total sense to buy the business when she retired in 2019. Unfortunately Covid hit a couple of months later, closed everything down and I never really had the chance to build it up again, although I did try for four years.
During that time I’d been living on a farm near Slaughterford in Wiltshire and became a parent after taking in a friend’s daughter, then 15, as my own. We moved together to Bristol for eight years, where she studied and then worked, but France was calling.
My grandmother was Parisian — I had many happy holidays in France with her — and when she died an inheritance
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Helen Lawrence, centre, with students at her cookery school, Melusine
bit like the vegetarian scene of the 1980s in the UK
LUXURYLODGEESCAPES.CO
allowed Anthony, her son, to buy a beautiful traditional farmhouse in Le Somail, a village on the Canal du Midi, with plans to run it as a B&B.
It was greatly serendipitous that I’d spent some time years before on cookery holidays in the very next village, Ventenac-en-Minervois, and loved the landscape of vineyards, olive trees, medieval hilltop villages and canalside towns. It has a great Mediterranean climate and is so close to the sea, but is much less polished than Provence.
I’d always been close to Anthony, 70, who never had children but who loves a social household, so he suggested I move into the attic and run vegan and plant- based cookery courses from the big barn
in the courtyard — so my cookery school, Melusine, was born.
I run a six-week intensive diploma course every spring and autumn, and give training to those hoping to open up vegan restaurants or supper clubs, yacht chefs and foodies keen to discover how ricotta or mozzarella can be made from cashews or soy.
I’ve had British, American, Australian, Indian, Turkish and Irish cooks. It’s been great fun, with trips to the village markets, olive oil producers and organic wine tastings. However, it’s not a natural place for a vegan. Here they still hunt boar and fowl, and locals ask me quizzically what a vegan can eat.
I have only met two French vegans in two years. France is a bit like the vegetarian scene of the 1980s in the UK, and there is not a single vegan restaurant in the area. When my French is better I hope to tempt some of the locals to take part in my classes. More food growers are turning organic here, which sits well with veganism.
Moving to France was not difficult due to paperwork — thanks to my French heritage I have an EU passport, which has spared me visa headaches — but my French is far from fluent. I have joined an amateur dramatics group in a nearby village to help immerse myself.
Because I miss my daughter, now 25, my social life and friends in the UK, I keep coming back. It’s trickier to find my kind of people here, as most expats are retired or semi-retired, like Anthony. But I realise I need to commit fully to build up a new life — and that it takes time. Interview by Liz Rowlinson
roduct designer and content creator Laura Turner is a little bit embarrassed about the end of her garden. It backs on to a shared allotment space created by her neighbours, which they maintain with love and grow fruit and vegetables in. “Meanwhile, we’ve got a big ugly tree stump covered with a plastic sheet,” Laura explains. “I really feel like we’re letting the side down.” Laura, 33, offers personal finance tips on Instagram and works part time as an eyewear designer, with her own line of kids’ sunglasses. She moved from London to Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, with her husband George in 2022 in search of a little more space to settle and start a family. They had been renting their new place for two years when the owner offered the couple a chance to buy the property. “We exchanged on the house two weeks before my due date,” Laura explains. “But luckily we already lived there, so didn’t have too much to do before we welcomed our daughter, Luella.” Suddenly the home they had been renting was theirs. They got to work decorating Luella’s bedroom, and after some repairs to the roof, felt they didn’t need to do much else inside. The garden was another story. As renters, the Turners hadn’t wanted to spend the money sorting it out, but now
as homeowners with a toddler – “who loves the outdoor playhouse at nursery” – they’re keen to fix it up. “My husband had a go at digging the stump up but the roots go down really far,” Laura says. “He probably made it a bit worse pulling out the soil in and around the roots. It’s a bit of a dead space now and not safe for our daughter to play in.” Laura estimates she’ll need around £1,000 to create the garden they want. This will involve properly getting rid of the tree,
other outgoings we do need to save up to make the space useable’
laying down some natural ground cover, putting in a mud kitchen for Luella and adding some planters. “We just really want to make it useable for her,” she says. “It sounds a bit silly but with so many other outgoings at the moment, we do need to save up for this.” The couple have set up a regular savings account to start building the
funds to pay for it, and they hope to have it all sorted by next spring. They just have wedding season to deal with first before they can start properly putting money away for the garden project. “We have five weddings this year, which is lovely but it’s where a lot of our spare income is going,” Laura says. She is currently putting away £200 a month to pay for wedding travel, accommodation and gifts. The garden savings account is where more ad hoc amounts go – extra cash, or money from secondhand clothing sales. As soon as the weddings are finished, Laura will divert the £200 per month into the garden fund. “I find it really helpful to save gradually for things, otherwise it can be quite stressful,” she says. “Also having a different pot for each goal is great because I can see them all grow.” While she expects most of the work to take place over winter, Laura is already dreaming of what she’ll be able to achieve with her planters. “Our neighbours have given us so much fresh produce over the years – it’ll be lovely to offer something back from our own garden. And we can’t wait to have a proper space for Luella to play outside too.”
Creating your perfect family home and a garden to inspire future green fingers is worth investing in. Whatever your savings goals, Coventry Building Society can help you reach them. Maybe you want to save for the short term or the long term – for life’s essentials or truly memorable moments. With a range of savings accounts including easy and limited access, fixed rate and cash Isas, there’s an option to suit your needs, and all supported by award winning customer service.
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I
t should be safe to assume that a well-known brand name or a premium price tag would be a guarantee of quality. But buyers, beware: in these days of ever tightening purse strings, incentivised reviews and a saturated marketplace it’s not always so simple to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Will that blood pressure monitor provide accurate readings? And is that cut-price baby car seat a bargain or an unsafe shortcut? Nobody should be wasting their hard-earned cash on products failing to fulfil their basic functions, let alone those posing a safety hazard.
Every year more than 3,500 products across 140 categories are put through their paces in the independent testing labs of the consumer guide Which?. The top performers are stamped with coveted “Best Buy” accolades, but a select few duds achieve a different award: a “Don’t Buy” or “Test Fail” rating. These are the products deemed inefficient, ineffective or outright dangerous.
Harry Rose, the editor of Which? magazine, says: “Our 2026 ‘Don’t Buy’ list proves that established brands and premium price tags are no guarantee of quality. From major appliances that leave dishes dirty and clothes soaking wet to TVs failing on basic picture and sound quality, household names are falling short on the absolute fundamentals.
“At a time when household budgets are stretched, consumers deserve products that perform. Whether it’s an everyday kitchen essential that can’t cut through grease or a vacuum that leaks dust back into your home, nobody should be left out of pocket by substandard products trading on a reputation they haven’t earned.”
household budgets are stretched, consumers deserve products that perform
The next batch of “Don’t Buy” products — “the ultimate dishonour in product reviews” — have been named and shamed for 2026. There’s one snag: you can see these anti- recommendations (and similarly priced alternatives to consider instead) only if you are a Which? subscriber. However, The Times has been given an exclusive sneak peek of six products to steer clear of (and six superior counterparts) from the full list of 12. Good luck shopping.
Shark Freestyle Pro Cordless SV2000U
41 per cent, £129.99 Which? tests claim this vac has a “pathetic” 14 minutes of cleaning in it on turbo mode, and the standard setting didn’t impress either. “We found that it dropped off even further as the container filled up, so it
needs to be emptied more regularly than others,” Rose says. It failed to lift dirt from between floorboards, leaks small dust particles back into the room via the filter and doesn’t come with a detachable handheld cleaner for sofas or cars.
Vax Pace Plus CLSV-PAKA
69 per cent, great value, £119.99. Offers significantly better battery life, effective cleaning on carpets and hard floors, and is relatively quiet.
machine struggled to clean dishes, consistently leaving dried-on food remnants on plates, cups and cutlery after almost every cycle. While it’s energy efficient, Which? found it to be extremely noisy, making it a poor choice for open-plan kitchens.
Bosch SMS26AW08G Series 2
76 per cent, eco buy, £379. While pricier, in this instance you get what you pay for. This alternative offers “superb” cleaning performance and good drying capability, and it is affordable to run.
Swerve the cheap price tag: Which? tests deem this washer’s inability to remove basic clothing stains “shocking”. The sluggish spin cycle leaves items soaking wet.
Hoover HBR 411BL9G-80
72 per cent, great value, £329. Opt for Hoover’s all-rounder instead, scoring four stars for overall cleaning, energy efficiency and ease of use. 4. Headphones
Soundcore by Anker C40i
37 per cent, £39.99
Which? had very little that was positive to say about Soundcore’s “dismal” open-ear headphones. They work by blending external noise with what you are listening to so you can remain aware of your surroundings rather than cancelling them out. Which? testers compared the sound quality to “a crackly old telephone line with severe sound leakage”. The battery life is weak and the microphone is poor for taking calls.
Soundcore by Anker AeroClip
70 per cent, £79. This is a much better — albeit more expensive — offering from the same brand. The AeroClip open-ear headphones have a balanced sound with modest bass. “The battery life is decent and we rated them well for making and receiving phone calls,” Rose says.
E
Philips 50PUS8000 50in TV
33 per cent, £249 Telly hunters should note that this “all-round disappointment” is one of the worst models Which? has tested in years. Negatives include “a fiddly set-up, shocking picture quality and shrill, harsh speakers that have the ability to make even the cosiest period romances sound more like a low-budget horror”, Rose says.
LG 50NANO81A6A
68 per cent, great value, £299. The impressive HD picture quality and overall sound balance mean this LG is named “comfortably the best option for a 50in TV if you’re on a budget”.
Waitrose Essential washing-up liquid, Original
39 per cent, 80p A scathing review from Which? dubs this washing-up liquid “anything but essential”. Any foam disappears far too quickly and in 45C water tests it could clean the fat from 21 dishes versus the 43 by the alternative below.
Aldi Magnum washing-up liquid, Original
78 per cent, best buy/ great value, 62p. Which? found that Aldi’s washing-up liquid is twice as effective as Waitrose’s version at cleaning dishes. Magnum is inexpensive and cuts through fat at high and low temperatures.
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lifestyle move to somewhere with fewer steps
Hunter Davies with his barge, also below, on the Isle of Wight. It is for sale at £325,000
verybody said it was the most stupid thing to do, buying a massive and ancient Dutch barge when I know nothing whatsoever about boats and I am certainly not a handyman. Even dafter, doing it at my great age, which was 88 at the time. Yes, I was so young and foolish back in 2024. I got carried away by the romance and fantasy and impulses that can flood over you even in your dotage.
I didn’t listen. I’ve gone through life doing impulsive things. I can’t wait. I want things now. Which is a bit hard on my loved ones, having to live with me.
I’d had a holiday cottage on the Isle of Wight for the previous six years but no sea view. What is the point, in my final years on an island, in not seeing the sea? One day I drove past some houseboats beside Bembridge Harbour. I thought they look nice. But the road was so noisy.
Then on the other side of the harbour we found something called the Duver Marina, very quiet and hidden away, with a long pontoon stretching out into the harbour, with berths for 150 yachts and boats. The first boat on the right was a most stunning 1898 Dutch barge — and it was for sale. Mad love at first sight.
Beside it was a water taxi going back and forward across the harbour, which I could just jump into and visit the two villages round the harbour, Bembridge village itself and St Helens. Or have a meal at the lovely floating restaurant, the Best Dressed Crab. Oh, so romantic.
A bit big, 110ft long, but so well — even luxuriously — equipped, with three cabins, a massive salon, original features and a huge deck. Just think of all the parties we could have. On top, up some steps, was the wheelhouse, high up, giving a 360-degree view of the whole of Bembridge Harbour. I could just see me and Miranda sitting up there in the evening, drinking sauvignon blanc, watching the yachts coming in from Chichester or across the Channel — not forgetting enjoying all the birdlife and sealife. Oh, bliss.
VICKI COUCHMAN FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
It was for sale at £350,000. I asked the local agent Spence Willard if they would take £325,000 in cash, and the owner immediately said yes. I offered to complete within two weeks while it was still nice autumn weather. Potty or what? And even dafter, I didn’t have a survey.
Over my long-legged life I’ve had several holiday homes — in Oxfordshire, the Lake District, Portugal — and just trusted my own eyesight. I can’t smell no damp. That roof looks fine.
That autumn it really was bliss: sitting up in the wheelhouse, swimming in the marina, long walks on the dunes. Then, in the winter, things started to go wrong. The bilge got flooded — don’t ask me what the bilge is — the electrics failed, the central heating boiler packed up, the two lavatories did not work. A pump had to come from Germany and got lost in the Christmas post. We moved out for a few weeks, me back to my London home and Miranda to her home in Gurnard on the island. But come the spring, we were back and it was tra-la-la again, whistling gaily as we go.
We made plans for a barge party, to launch our barge life, and made a list of 60 guests. Then someone from the harbour management said we should have only 30. They didn’t want too many people on the pontoon or parking in the car park. What a drag. I hired a youth to be security, to limit numbers arriving at any one time.
In the end we had roughly eighty people there, including three doing the catering, six in a shanty band, two people playing the fiddle and the guitar. Oh, it was a wonderful occasion. One of my family did a brilliant video using a drone, which I will watch for ever, to bring back all the magic moments.
Then, in the summer, other things went wrong. We had to renew the dodgers, which are apparently the canvas sheets you have round the deck on boats. A spud leg needed repairing. Oh God, what on earth is that? It’s the pole stuck into the sea bed to secure the barge. Then the anodes needed replacing — bits of zinc stuck against the steel hull to stop the sea water corroding it. I think.
Miranda does have yachty experience — she crossed the Atlantic, while young, with her husband in a homemade trimaran — but I could not expect her to mend the sewage system or the Lamborghini engine. Yes, the barge does have a working engine, but we never sailed it, just pressed the hooter after a few drinks. The sound could be heard all the way to Cowes.
What I never realised, because I did not listen, is that any sort of boat is a money pit. You are continually pumping money in. They are like cars. They don’t go up in value. Unlike houses.
So you have to have some money or be handy or see it as a project. Or be a total romantic. The strange thing is, I don’t regret it, though I do feel a bit sad. We have had the most wonderful, exciting, inspiring two years. What an unexpected adventure in my old age. I still don’t know port from starboard but have met some fascinating boaties. And I will get a book out of it.
But I am now 90 and I am failing. Miranda shouts at me unless I slowly walk backwards down the narrow metal stairs from the wheelhouse. She did a brilliant job furnishing it and created a lovely garden on our little pontoon.
My heart still leaps up when I approach it, as it is just so beautiful, artistic, unique. It could be sailed or moved, used as museum, art gallery, yoga retreat or guesthouse. Or just enjoyed by another romantic. Or someone with more skills and knowledge than me.
So I am putting it on the market next week for £325,000, with the agent I bought it from. Just one final little job to be done, replacing the dinky wooden steps up to the barge. Some of those 80 guests clambering aboard did get a bit jolly. As did I...
Hunter Davies’s next book, Get Back: The Boys Who Became the Beatles (Ebury £17), is out on September 17. Order from timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Discount for Times+ members. Then, next year, Argy Bargy: Our Adventurous Year Living on a Barge from the History Press
‘I
Renovations
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became a developer by default,” Marta Nowicka admits. For the daughter of two Polish refugees — an architect father and fashion designer mother — who arrived in England after the Second World War as students, living on a building site has long been her norm. After her parents divorced when she was seven, her mother flipped the family home five times in ten years.
Nowicka studied at Kingston University during the 1980s under the guidance of the architect Fred Scott and the interior designer Ben Kelly (who designed Manchester’s Haçienda nightclub), on a course focused on the adaptive re-use of existing buildings. A decade later she was running a successful design practice, Nowicka Stern, with clients such as Framestore, a London-based visual effects house, the nightclub Fabric and AnOther magazine, for whom she created an innovative office interior with tractor seats on chains and a real grass lawn installed by Kew Gardens. “People used to get a bit wet sitting on it in the morning after they irrigated,” she recalls, smiling.
In 1999 she and her husband, the artist Sean Kimber, part of the so-called Young British Artists (YBA) group, bought a derelict 19th-century warehouse near Old Street in central London. At the time the area was a hotbed of artist’s studios and squats: their neighbours included fellow YBAs Gavin Turk and Gary Hume. Nowicka and Kimber began turning the building into a live/work space, with wheels welded onto an industrial kitchen unit and holes cut out to accommodate gas canisters.
But tragedy struck in 2001. Kimber died suddenly, aged 36, while Nowicka was pregnant with their son, Lucas, born three months later. His death “totally changed” Nowicka’s life.
“I had been working all the time, starting meetings at eight in the morning on site and working until eight at night,” she says. “I thought, I can’t sustain running my practice and being a single
mother. I have to rethink this — I want to spend all the time I can with [my son].”
She sold her share in Nowicka Stern and paid the bills by lecturing on interior architecture at London Metropolitan University; she has also tutored on and off for 20 years. Yet Nowicka’s great gamble was buying No 16 Charles Square, a decrepit grade II* listed Georgian house in Hoxton. No other developer dared take it on but Nowicka remortgaged her warehouse and took a massive bridging loan to acquire it in 2005.
“It was such a leap of faith,” she says.
“I looked around and just fell in love with it. What else have I got? I’ve lost so much. Let’s go for it.”
Charles Square was redeveloped in the 1950s and No 16 is the only building to have survived since it was developed in the 18th century. (Nowicka’s favourite titbit of local hearsay: in 1684 the actress Nell Gwyn and Charles II were rumoured to have started their affair in the previous property on the site.)
The present building was extended in 1842 to become the home of Shoreditch county court, then a magistrate’s house in 1847. It became the headquarters of a guild devoted to haberdashers and needleworkers in the early 1900s, and was a Labour Party base used for Tony Blair’s successful general election campaign in 1997. It was then donated to Ken Livingstone as the HQ for his mayoral campaign in 2000.
No 16 then fell into disrepair due to considerable water ingress, with cladding and ugly partitions concealing the panelling and cables running along the stairs. “My initial planning applications were rejected but I just kept going. I worked closely with the Georgian Group [a conservation society] and [converted the building] into five units,” Nowicka says.
Original flagstones were uncovered in the restored central hallway. Where floorboards were beyond saving, they were replaced with distressed smoked oak. The kitchens have been kitted out with white Rotpunkt cabinetry and
MARK COCKSEDGE;FELIX SPELLER
Above: Marta Nowicka at home in Clerkenwell, which was a former Victorian warehouse, left. Above left: one of the flats for sale in No 16 Charles Square, Hoxton, with a modern Rotpunkt kitchen
bathrooms with mirrored panels and marble-studded resin floors.
“The minute I finished Charles Square, we moved into one of the flats,” Nowicka says. The other apartments were tenanted — one of the tenants has lived there for 19 years. “It’s given me stability to put my son through school and uni.”
Next, she remortgaged Charles Square and returned to the job of redeveloping her Old Street warehouse but with a new plan to carve it into three two-bedroom
You have to see past all the problems... You want to preserve history
units — one as a home for her and Lucas, the others to let out. A two-year battle to obtain planning permission ensued but Nowicka won out. The end result is a modern zinc-and-glass box atop the older structure.
“I got the bug. I hopped from one project to the next,” she says. Two projects in East Sussex followed: a 1950s former St John Ambulance building in Rye and an extended coastguard’s cottage overlooking Camber Sands. There was also a three-storey cedar shingle-clad new-build on the site of a
crumbling garage in Dalston, London.
Instead of selling the finished projects, Nowicka has kept them as long-term rentals, shoot locations or holiday lets (living between them all), as well as taking on selective design projects for clients including two artist couples: Michael Landy and Gillian Wearing (in Shoreditch), and Gary Hume and Georgie Hopton (a studio in Bloomsbury).
These projects all sit under Nowicka’s design-led property brand, DOMstay (dom is the Polish word for home). The name was inspired by a poignant trip to Warsaw that Nowicka took with her partner, Voytek Ketz, where she found herself two streets away from the house where her mother was born.
“We do quite a few shoots at the warehouse: a Rag’n’Bone Man [music] video and [the BBC series] Silent Witness,” she adds. “I spend a lot of time on site. It does drive builders mad because I change my mind and I’m like, ‘No, that’s not working. We have to redo it.’ It’s excavation — you’re excavating when you start demolishing.”
How does Nowicka pick her projects? “I don’t get surveys done. You have to see past all the problems.” Instead, she asks: “What is the core? What’s the seed of this place? Everything I like to do is about re-use, changing commercial buildings to domestic use. I’ve seen hundreds of buildings. When we arrive somewhere on holiday, I drive everyone mad — ‘let’s go to the estate agent’. I find the potential really exciting.”
As for her interiors style? “I’m very site-specific,” she says, although she does have trademark touches such as multilayered textures and “really good quality materials”: no frills, gnarly woods, stone and mirrors that create a “dual landscape”. Joseph Beuys, who laid a leather floor in his studio, and Mies van der Rohe are big influences. Nowicka muses that her upbringing is the driver behind her ferocious work ethic and desire to save magnificent, unloved spaces: “You want to preserve history and adapt it. Make the most out of something. Never wasting. Always recycling, repurposing, re-using.”
Inspired by the book Die with Zero, which advocates investing in experiences rather than asset hoarding, Nowicka has put two of No 16 Charles Square’s apartments on the market (Flat 3 for £895,000 and Flat 4 for £535,000, via The Modern House). “You can’t keep everything for ever,” she says. “Now it’s time to pass that on.”
Sasha Nugara, Property Reporter
windows won’t open and it’s horribly hot
housemate dramas, our columnist
My friend and I moved into a rental earlier this year, and we were told at the time by the estate agent that the windows don’t open. We had assumed there was some other form of ventilation, and were desperate for somewhere to live, but now we know that’s not the case.
There is damp and mould growing. A dehumidifier has helped, but it’s filling up so quickly and we still have mould. In the heatwaves, we have been struggling as there is no way to get air into the flat — we can’t use a portable AC because the windows don’t open. My bedroom did not drop below 30C.
Do we have any right to ask for new windows, or does it not count because we were told when we moved in?
The first room I viewed in London was a box with no windows, next to the kitchen in an eight-bedroom houseshare. It felt illegal to advertise a room without windows. I was shown around by the current tenants who explained that there was no contract and that the deposit would be transferred to the retiring tenant, who had transferred their deposit to the tenant before that.
I was young, naive and feeling desperate, so the lack of windows felt like a minor inconvenience and I asked to move in. Luckily, they rejected me. It hurt my ego, but looking back now, it was definitely for the best.
We’ve just experienced our third heatwave, and when the temperature pushes 30C, it feels unbearable in even the most ventilated properties. I asked Daniel Stern, partner at Slater Heelis Solicitors, for his advice. “I am sorry to hear about the difficulties you are experiencing, particularly given the recent heatwave,” he says.
“Although you were informed before taking the tenancy that the windows did not open, this does not necessarily mean the landlord has no responsibility, as landlords have a duty to ensure that a property is fit for human habitation.
“If the lack of opening windows and absence of any alternative ventilation is contributing to persistent mould, damp and excessive indoor temperatures, there may be steps you can take
against the landlord.”
Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, landlords are legally required to ensure rented properties are fit for human habitation throughout the entire tenancy, regardless of what is in the contract or any conversation you have had.
Similarly, under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, ventilation in a room is specifically listed as a key factor in determining fitness for human habitation. Similarly, damp, mould and excess heat are all significant hazards.
“I would suggest first raising the issue in writing with your landlord,” adds Stern, “setting out the various issues and asking how they propose remedying the situation. This may not necessarily entitle you to the installation of opening windows, but the landlord may be willing to take steps to make things more comfortable for you.
“If this doesn’t work, you can contact your local authority’s environmental health team, who can assess whether the conditions amount to a housing hazard. If they find them to be a serious hazard they can take a range of enforcement actions, otherwise they can require the landlord to carry out works.”
Take pictures and document the mould, and consider buying a cheap digital thermometer to keep a temperature log, which will help your case.
“In short, although arguably you had fair warning about the lack of ventilation, this does not override a landlord’s ongoing obligations,” he continues.
Make sure you keep the blinds and curtains closed during the heat of the day, and consider thermal blackout curtains. You could also try some stick-on solar window film, such as Purlfrost; your landlord may be willing to cover the cost. They may also be able to properly install a portable air conditioning unit, or at least buy you a couple of fans to keep it cooler.
Unfortunately, you’ll be locked into your tenancy for two months after giving your notice, and that will take you through the summer, but I strongly suggest you start looking for somewhere new.
J
24%
Investigation
ohn Peck’s mother, Iris, was 82 when she bought her two- bedroom flat for £265,000. It was the show home in Wardington Court, the retirement housing provider McCarthy & Stone’s development in Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, and she was the first to move in.
development
“I was a bit concerned about resale values,” Peck says. He had read about retirement flats selling for less than they were bought for. “But the salesperson [reassured] me that most resales occur within four months of putting a flat on the market at or above the purchase price. It gave me a little bit of confidence so we went ahead and bought.”
Iris lived there from 2017 until 2021 but her dementia began to get worse and McCarthy & Stone said it would no longer be able to support her care needs.
The family needed to sell the flat to pay for her care, which was around £60,000 a year, so they put it on the market for the same amount they had bought it for. Two years went by with no interest, and Peck realised his worst fears had come true.
The Pecks are just one family behind a startling statistic: Land Registry figures show that 59 per cent of McCarthy & Stone (formerly known as McCarthy Stone) properties built between 2010 and 2019 were sold at a loss, with the average owner being £41,000 worse off.
The Pecks effectively lost £225,000. After two years they reduced the price and, in a bid to drum up interest, McCarthy & Stone offered to help and furnished the flat for them.
“It was a really difficult time for the family because we were concerned about how we were going to pay for care costs because savings were running out,” Peck says. No buyers appeared so Peck decided to take the flat to local estate agencies to sell.
After further failed attempts with local estate agents, the Pecks relisted the flat with McCarthy & Stone’s reselling team at £100,000. “Mum was getting quite sick at the time and we thought that price would at least provide her with income. Eventually we sold the flat for £95,000.”
But private sale retirement flats are leasehold so owners also have to pay a service charge to cover the costs of staffing and communal maintenance. Once they sold, the Pecks were presented with a £50,000 bill to cover the cost of maintenance while the flat was empty. “We ended up with £45,000,” Peck says. Research carried out by The Times has shown that retirement homes with high service charges were more likely to be sold at a loss.
McCarthy & Stone said it does not financially benefit from service charges. A spokesman said: “Service charges are governed by legislation and cover the current and future costs of running a safe and secure development. We do not add any mark-up.”
The Times’s research also showed that the average loss on a McCarthy & Stone home built in the 2010s was 16 per cent, but one in fifty homes had lost more than half their value. And those are the homes that sell. Hamptons figures show that around half of retirement flats don’t find a buyer the first time they are listed.
west London, even though she died in 2023. Johnson’s mother, Rita Phillips, paid £479,950 for the flat aged 82, ten years after the death of her husband.
47%
“The lifestyle cannot be faulted
[at the McCarthy & Stone
development],” Johnson, 69,
says. “It’s assisted living so
there was an on-duty
manager, there’s a
restaurant, there’s hairdressers, a chiropodist comes in. It was perfect.”
Average loss on a 2010s McCarthy & Stone home
While grieving for his mother, Johnson had the
flat valued and was
advised to put it on
sale for £325,000 — a
£154,950 loss.
Coincidentally, a friend’s father-in- law was looking for a temporary place to live in the UK, so they rented the property to him through a local lettings agency for £1,600 a month. He enjoyed living there until February this year, when his children decided he would be better placed in a care home.
Volume of losses at
Laurel Court, a Kent
“So we thought we’d try and sell again,” says Johnson, who is retired. “By this time we were shocked to find out that the price had fallen to £150,000. Overall it’s lost about 68 per cent of its value from what my mum paid.”
Perk pitfalls
The percentage of integrated retirement communities that offer the following sales incentives to buyers – hinting at a lack of demand
Part exchange
Service charge subsidy
Rent before you buy Contribution towards moving expenses
SDLT relief
Some retirement communities offer more than one buyer incentive Source: Knight Frank
JESSIE CASSON/GETTY IMAGES
40%
36%
viewings but that’s about it. They’re about as much use as a chocolate teapot
monthly rent as their previous tenant. At least the rent covers the service charge, which was £889 a month but has recently risen to £922 — or £11,064 a year.
“McCarthy & Stone told us they’ve got a dedicated resale team that was very successful. We had a couple of viewings but that was about it,” Johnson says. “They’re about as much use as a chocolate teapot. They’re more interested in selling new properties than they are
What to watch out for when buying a retirement home
Service charges Are you still liable to pay even if the resident moves out or dies? Ask to see how much the service charge (and ground rent) has increased over the past five years. Short leases Is the lease term 999 years? Exit fees Watch out for clauses charging a percentage of resale value, which can reach 30 per cent. Do they have a resales team? Retirement homes can be hard to sell. Will the development aid you or make it harder? Ask to see how much similar second-hand units have sold for, or check the Land Registry. Incentives should be treated with caution Perks can inflate the purchase price. If they offer to buy your current house, they usually offer below market. Don’t sign anything too quickly.
that its resales team helped customers to sell 800 properties last year. A spokesman says: “We provide the same high standard of service to both our new home buyers and our resale customers. We do not prioritise one over the other.”
Chris Longley spent £35,000 of his savings to pay off the service charge and ground rent his late father’s flat had accrued while he was trying to sell it. His father, Ronald, bought a one-bedroom leasehold flat at Laurel Court, a McCarthy & Stone development in Folkestone, Kent.
Ronald lived there for almost a decade before he died, then Longley inherited it in 2015, along with the £500-a-month service charge and the burden of having to sell it. Ronald had bought the flat in 2007 for £161,950, then McCarthy & Stone sold the freehold to FirstPort, a property management company that has faced scrutiny in parliament regarding its treatment of leaseholders.
Longley struggled to sell his father’s flat for four years. He even hired a specialist retirement property agent who suggested dropping the price to £135,000. “I accepted that just to move on,” Longley says. “However, I soon discovered that McCarthy & Stone were selling the flats when they were new for £99,000 — after they told my dad he got an ‘early bird’ discount.”
58%
When the housing market closed for seven weeks in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Longley wasn’t sure when he would have another chance to sell the flat so he accepted an offer for it of £30,000. The sale was so far below market rate for the area that the Land Registry has excluded it from the figures it uses to calculate official house prices because it would distort the data.
According to the Land Registry’s price paid dataset, which does not include Longley’s loss, there have been at least £3.2 million worth of losses at Laurel Court. In June a two-bedroom flat there was listed for sale on Rightmove for £26,500.
McCarthy & Stone said that the “overwhelming majority” of its 22,500 residents in its 560 developments were “delighted” with its service.
A spokesman said: “The market has been evolving over the last decade, a process exacerbated by the pandemic, and we are looking at how we can do more to support existing owners who are looking to sell.
“We are also offering new customers greater choice — buying outright, shared ownership or renting from us — meaning that they have far greater flexibility in making the best choice for themselves and their families.”
hot water,
whenever
you need it.
chilled and sparkling water, all from one elegant tap.
Scan the QR code to find out more about our COMBI+ system
and to arrange a virtual demonstration or visit quooker.co.uk
Visit the Experience Centre to see a live demonstration Beaumont Buildings, Great Ducie Street, Manchester, M3 1PQ
More than just a boiling water tap, when you add a COMBI+ to your Quooker system, your tap delivers hot water instantly. Unlike conventional taps, with a Quooker COMBI+ you get instant immediate, comfortable hand-hot water straight away, even if your boiler is far from the kitchen. So you can say goodbye to spending minutes running the tap and waiting for the water to heat up. No more wasted time, no more wasted water, just instant hot water as soon as you need it.
Hot water on demand is just one of the benefits of installing a Quooker system. It also dispenses 100ºC boiling water for instant hot drinks, quicker cooking and faster cleaning and chilled, sparkling water for refreshing drinks anytime you like. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!
READING. ANYWHERE.
If your eyes are struggling to focus, causing strain and fatigue, the problem could be your light.
A HD ROAM light uses Daylight Wavelength Technology™, so text appears sharper and colours become truer. Its lightweight, cordless design means it gives you the freedom to read comfortably or perform close-focus tasks with ease, no matter where you are. • 4.5 hours of cordless light • Lightweight and portable design - just 500g
• Flexible neck directs light where you need it • Adjustable brightness setting • Small print sharpens, colours come alive
2026 Trusted Platinum Merchant 4.9/5 (11,625 Reviews)
with promo code A282
HD ROAM Table Light
Now £74.99
Use promo code A282 when ordering by phone or online
seriousreaders.com/A282 0800 085 1088
“I use it all the time to brighten my keyboard area and desk, or provide good lighting on myself for Teams video meetings.”
B
Price includes Embark on an extraordinary escape from Sri Lanka’s ancient wonders and misty tea-covered hills to the crystal-clear waters and pristine beaches of the Maldives.
egin by exploring the highlights of Sri Lanka, journeying from the relaxed, seaside resort of Negombo into the heart of the Cultural Triangle. Here you’ll marvel at the ancient Sigiriya Rock Fortress and take an adventurous safari through the wilds of Minneriya National Park. Soak up
What we love This is the ideal combination of destinations! Discover the many wonders of Sri Lanka, its culture, wildlife and scenic beauty, before hopping over to the Maldives for some all out relaxation on paradise beaches.
culture in Kandy before taking the scenic train up into the cool, tea-plantation-blanketed highlands, staying in Nuwara Eliya.
Return to Colombo and fly to the Maldives, where pristine beaches, crystal clear waters and abundant marine life await to slow
down the pace. Spend five days of ultimate relaxation on its tropical shores, in a hand- picked all inclusive resort, flat out on the sand, snorkelling in the life-filled waters, or indulging in spa treatments. Return home refreshed, rejuvenated and full of wonderful stories of your adventures.
Scan the QR code with your camera app to view more details.
12 nights in four-star accommodation
12 breakfasts, 11 lunches and 12 dinners
Explore the Unesco-listed ruins atop the 600ft Sigiriya Rock Fortress and admire the views
Jeep safari in Minneriya National Park to see elephants, sloth bears and more
Tour a Sri Lankan tea factory and plantation
Touring with guides and entrance fees
Free pre-tour extension with hotel, breakfast and private transfers available on ANY Wendy Wu tour - exclusively for Times readers
0808 258 2786 thetimes.com/ww- srilankaandmaldives QUOTE TIMES-ON
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Price includes From magnificent monuments and royal palaces to golden beaches and coastal charm, enjoy the best of India on one unforgettable escape.
egin by discovering the Golden Triangle, where you can explore some of India’s most iconic sights. You’ll ride a rickshaw through a bustling Delhi spice market and see architecture old and new, pause in Agra to gaze on the ethereal beauty of the Taj Mahal,
What we love Explore the iconic sights of India’s Golden Triangle, gazing on the Taj Mahal and trying your hand at cultural crafts, followed by five days on the dreamy beaches of Goa - what better combination of exploration and relaxation?
before admiring the treasures among the grand palaces and bustling bazaars of the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur.
When the adventure is done, it’s time to unwind in the coastal paradise of Goa, where
golden sands, swaying palms and the sounds of the Arabian Sea set the scene for pure relaxation. After a guided tour of the historic sights of Old Goa, you’ll have four days to spend as you wish, be that on the beach, or exploring further.
Scan the QR code with your camera app to view more details.
12 nights in four-star accommodation
12 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners
Discover architectural masterpieces in Delhi, Old and New
Enjoy views of India’s most famous landmark, the Taj Mahal
Try your hand at block printing in Jaipur
Touring with guides and entrance fees
Free pre-tour extension with hotel, breakfast and private transfers available on ANY Wendy Wu tour - exclusively for Times readers
0808 258 2786 thetimes.com/ww-indiaandgoa QUOTE TIMES-ON
W
Price includes Reconnect with the untamed natural world across six spectacular Costa Rican National Parks and reserves showcasing towering volcanoes, coastal lagoons, and lush rainforest stretches.
ell-paced visits to a collection of national parks showcase Costa Rica’s natural spaces and biodiverse ecosystems. Bookend your time with stops in the national capital, San José, with its 19th- century architecture. Take to nearby Poás Volcano National Park for an introduction to some of Costa Rica’s most dramatic landscapes and discover the history of Doka Coff ee Estate.
A tour of San José follows ahead of a journey, through Braulio Carrillo National Park’s woodland, to the Atlantic Coast. An immersive eco-lodge stay in Pachira Lodge, set in the heart of coastal Tortuguero, off ers opportunities to engage with local communities and learn about the nation’s conservation eff orts with a visit to the Sea Turtle Conservancy Centre. Follow a wildlife-spotting cruise along Tortuguero National Park’s backwaters with a drive to Sarapiqui. From here, uncover the farming techniques of one of Costa Rica’s most unique crops, the Heart of Palm, and embrace the region’s rainforest. A photo stop at the famous Puente de las Iguanas bridge completes your time in the country’s northern regions.
Puerto Limón, Costa Rica
Spectacular Arenal follows, with a resort stay in a private reserve on the outskirts of its national park. Marvel at the Arenal Volcano with a walk through its calderas and unwind in its thermal hot springs. Discover the cultural significance of the cacao bean with a visit to a local chocolate plantation and a chocolate-making lesson. An assortment of pre-bookable optional excursions is available at your Arenal-based resort ahead of a journey west to Monteverde for its enchanting Cloud Forest Reserve.
Explore Costa Rica’s natural wonders from above with a walk through the mist-covered canopy via the region’s hanging bridges. Then take in Carrara National Park, Central America’s only transition forest, for further chances to spot some of its most elusive species and migratory birds. Conclude an unforgettable wildlife-spotting experience with a final pause on the Costa Rican Pacific Coast, exploring the country’s smallest national park, Manuel Antonio. Lastly, relax with a beach stay in Manuel Antonio before heading back to San José for the return flight.
Scan the QR code with your camera app to view more details.
Return flights to San José
Comfortable, air-conditioned coach travel and transfers throughout
14 nights’ three or four-star mixed- board accommodation in San José (two nights), Tortuguero (two nights), Sarapiqui (two nights), Arenal (three nights), Monteverde (two nights) and Manuel Antonio (three nights) plus one night aboard the aircraft
Take in the natural splendours of Poás Volcano National Park and the biodiversity of Carara National Park
Enjoy guided walk into Monteverde’s Cloud Forest Reserve
Visit to Arenal Thermal Hotsprings
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager
Local taxes and applicable fees
0808 304 9809 thetimes.com/ nh-costarica
GUIDED TOUR AND RIVER CRUISE Oberoi Philae Nile Cruise
January to August 2027
This Cox & Kings tailor-made tour combines a three- night stay in Cairo with a four-night cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Begin in Cairo where you’ll explore the iconic pyramids before embarking on the prestigious MS Oberoi Philae. Enjoy an enriching cruise along the Nile, with guided excursions to a host of legendary historical sites, including the Karnak and Luxor temples, the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon. You’ll also visit the well-preserved temples of Horus at Edfu and Kom Ombo, as well as the Aswan High Dam and the beautiful Temple of Philae. The tour concludes with a flight back to Cairo before flying home, with five-star deluxe accommodation featured throughout.
Your itinerary
Cairo, Egypt (three nights) – Luxor – Esna – Edfu –
Kom Ombo – Aswan – Cairo
Call 0808 303 3072 or visit thetimes.com/th-oberoiphilaenile
What’s included
• Return international and domestic flights
• Three nights’ five-star hotel stay with breakfast in Cairo
• Four nights’ full board river cruise
• Day tour of Giza to see the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
• Visits to Karnak, iconic temples, Aswan
High Dam and Valley of the Kings
• Private chauffeur-driven overseas transfers
• Local fees and taxes
• Times+ members save £100^.
Get your unique code at thetimes.com/timesplus
Autumn Grape Harvest
October 13, 2026
This exclusive package combines an 11-night luxury
Silversea through the wine regions of France, Spain
and Portugal, before a five-star stay in Lisbon with a
private tour.
Set sail to visit Bordeaux during the height of the grape harvest with two overnights in port. The journey contin- ues across the ruggedly elegant Basque country and Gali- cia, before culminating along Portugal’s sun-dappled coast in Oporto and Lisbon. Then relax in Lisbon for two nights and explore Portugal’s royal heritage on your private guided excursion. Discover the rococo National Palace of Queluz, Sintra’s mystical Quinta da Regaleira, and the colourful, hilltop Pena Palace, before seaside relaxation in picturesque Cascais.
Your itinerary Southampton, UK – St. Helier, Jersey – Saint-Malo, France – Bordeaux, France (two nights) – Bilbao, Spain – Santander – Vigo – Porto, Portugal – Lisbon (two nights)
Call 0808 239 1452 or visit thetimes.com/th-harvestcruise
What’s included
• Flight from Lisbon to London
• 11 nights’ all-inclusive cruise aboard Silver
Dawn in a Vista Suite
• Onboard wifi, gratuities, fine dining and premium wines and spirits
• Two nights’ five-star hotel in Lisbon
• Private full day tour including National
Palace of Queluz, Sintra and Cascais
• Port fees and taxes associated with the cruise
• Save 40% when booked by September 8**
• Times+ members save £100^
Get your unique code at thetimes.com/timesplus
T
J
Natural wonders and the Northern Lights
March 3, 2027
March 3 2027
celand, the newest country on earth, is raw nature at its very best. Discover the fascinating capital of Reykjavík before heading into the great wilderness and remoteness of natural Iceland. See where the European and American Tectonic plates are slowly moving apart. Marvel at the spectacular Gullfoss Waterfall and experience the bubbling muds and spectacle of the exploding Geyser. Walk behind mighty waterfalls and gaze upon black sands. As if this is not enough, Iceland is also perfectly placed to witness the spectacular Northern Lights and, unlike tours based in more light-polluted areas, we have the opportunity of watching out for them from the comfort of our hotel.
For those wishing to learn more about the Northern Lights and the night sky or master the art of taking impressive photos of them, Pete Lawrence from the BBC’s The Sky at Night will be travelling with us to off er a helping hand.
For those wishing to learn more about the Northern Lights and the night sky or master the art of taking impressive photos of them, Pete Lawrence from the BBC’s The Sky at Night will be travelling with us to off er a helping hand.
he longest eclipse of the century, the highlights of one of history’s greatest civilisations, a cruise along the mythical Nile, a memorable sleeper train and a traditional felucca experience: this epic Egyptian odyssey has it all! Join us in 2027 for a holiday like no other, beginning in Cairo with the long- awaited Grand Egyptian Museum plus the iconic Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza. Next is a must-do while in this wonderful country, the overnight train to Aswan, where we discover the city’s ancient gems and board the MS Coral 2 and cruise down the Nile to Luxor. We follow in the footsteps of pharaohs, ancient Egyptians and Golden Age explorers at a whole host of temples and tombs, including the Valley of the Kings, aromatic spices drifting from bustling markets, illuminated ancient wonders glowing beneath the moonlight and wooden feluccas gliding along the shimmering Nile. We enjoy all of this before the main event
oin us on an unforgettable journey to North Iceland, where natural wonders and the mesmerising Northern ights await. From exploring the enchanting Lake Myvatn and enjoying a whale watching cruise to witnessing the Arctic Coastline’s rugged beauty, every moment promises to be extraordinary. With expert guidance in astrophotography and opportunities to observe the awe-inspiring Aurora Borealis, this adventure is a dream come true for nature enthusiasts and stargazers alike.
per person
per person
per person
Price includes
Price includes
• One night at a selected hotel in Reykjavík with breakfast
• Two nights at the Hotel Lækur, Hella with dinner and breakfast
• One night at the Konvin Hotel, Keflavík Airport with breakfast
• Full day Golden Circle Tour with an English-speaking guide
• Full day South Iceland Tour with an English-speaking guide
• Two presentations and astrophotography guidance by Pete Lawrence
• Car parking at the Hatton Court Hotel, Gloucester is complimentary and the nearest train station is Gloucester (four miles).
• Services of a tour manager
• Services of a tour manager
of our adventure, the total solar eclipse at our private viewing site, where an astonishing six minutes and 23 seconds is expected at the centreline.
• Return flights to Cairo • Airport transfers in Egypt • Two nights at the Novotel, Cairo with breakfast • One night at Gloria Aqua Park Hotel, Aswan with dinner and breakfast • Three-night cruise aboard MS Coral 2 with breakfast, lunch and dinner plus one afternoon tea • Eclipse viewing experience (includes safety viewing glasses, barbecue lunch and soft drinks) from our carefully chosen eclipse site • Included visits and tours of Cairo’s Pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum, Nile sailing, and unforgettable ancient sites from Aswan to Luxor • Services of a tour manager
• Return flights to Akureyri
• Airport taxes and luggage allowance
• Airport and hotel transfers in Iceland
• Four nights at the Hotel Natur, Akureyri with dinner and breakfast
• Full-day Lake Myvatn tour
• Full-day Akureyri tour with whale watching cruise
• Full-day Arctic Coastline tour
• Two presentations, astrophotography guidance and two nights watching for the Northern Lights with Pete Lawrence
£1,349*
CALL TODAY ON 0808 303 8871 thetimes.com/jg-iceland QUOTE TIMU
CALL TODAY ON 0808 303 8871 thetimes.com/jg-solare- clipse2027 QUOTE TIMU
CALL TODAY ON 0808 303 8871 thetimes.com/ jg-northerniceland QUOTE TIMU
£4,499*
£1,699*
D
D
D
• Choice of two and a half-day tours or Levada walks, with transfers CALL TODAY ON 0808 258 4460 thetimes.com/ td-luxurymadeira QUOTE TIMES August 2026 to April 2027
CALL TODAY ON 0808 258 4460 thetimes.com/ td-tuscanescape QUOTE TIMES
CALL TODAY ON 0808 258 4460 thetimes.com/td-puglia QUOTE TIMES
iscover the timeless appeal of Tuscany with a stay in the elegant spa town of Montecatini Terme. Surrounded by rolling vineyards, medieval hill towns and beautiful countryside, it’s an ideal base from which to experience one of Italy’s most celebrated regions, combining rich heritage, renowned wines and a relaxed pace of life.
Staying at the four-star Hotel Puccini, you’ll be perfectly placed to explore Montecatini’s graceful boulevards and Art Nouveau architecture, or take the historic funicular to the hilltop village of Montecatini Alto for sweeping Tuscan views. Your four-night stay
Other dates available
Other dates available
Other dates available
August 2026 from £299pp • September, October, November 2026 from £339pp • March 2027 from £299pp • April, May, June, July 2027 from £339pp • August 2027 From £389pp
iscover the authentic beauty of Puglia with a stay in the enchanting coastal town of Gallipoli. Famed for its sun- drenched beaches, honey-coloured architecture and vibrant old town, this charming corner of southern Italy off ers a relaxed blend of history, exceptional food and warm hospitality.
Staying in the heart of Gallipoli’s historic centre, you’ll be perfectly placed to explore atmospheric alleyways, elegant Baroque churches, bustling piazzas and the crystal-clear Ionian coastline. Alongside daily breakfast and dinner, this thoughtfully curated escape includes local experiences such as a wine tasting at the historic Aragonese Castle, a tour of the old town by traditional ape calessino and a sunset aperitif at a local
• Daily breakfast and dinner
August 2026 from £489pp • September 2026 from £469pp • October 2026 from £369pp • November 2026 from £399pp • March 2027 from £399pp • April 2027 from £429pp • May 2027 from £429pp • June 2027 from £469pp
iscover the charm of Madeira with a relaxing escape to the island’s beautiful capital, Funchal. Surrounded by lush gardens, scenic hills and Atlantic Ocean views, this getaway off ers the perfect blend of tranquillity and exploration. Wander cobbled streets, savour delicious local cuisine and soak up the island’s year-round sunshine for an unforgettable holiday experience.
This refined escape pairs elegant five-star comfort with curated island moments, from panoramic coastal views to guided walks
August 2026 from £869pp • September 2026 from £1,049pp • October 2026 from £1,049pp • November, December 2026 from £799pp • January 2027 from £829pp • February 2027 from £869pp • March 2027 from £899pp • April 2027 from £899pp
also includes daily breakfast and dinner, a Tuscan wine tasting, a welcome drink, a bottle of wine on arrival, return flights from various UK airports and airport transfers.
• Return flights from various UK airports
• Return flights from various UK airports • Stay four nights at the Centro Storico Hotel Diff uso • Daily breakfast and dinner • One bottle of wine in room on arrival • Wine tasting at the historic Aragonese Castle, featuring regional Salento wines • Visit to the Tenuta Ferrario agricultural estate, including a sunset aperitif and transfers • Tour of Gallipoli’s Old Town in a traditional ape calessino (three- wheeled vehicle) • Return airport transfers from either Brindisi or Bari Airport
Price includes
Price includes
Price includes
• Stay 4 nights at the four-star Hotel Puccini Montecatini Terme
• Daily breakfast & dinner
• Welcome drink upon arrival
• Bottle of wine in room on arrival
• Return funicular ticket to Montecatini Alto
• Tuscan wine-tasting session in Montecatini Alto
estate, with return flights and airport transfers included.
through Madeira’s famous levadas. Days unfold at a gentle pace, blending heritage charm, scenic landscapes and relaxed dining, all set within one of Funchal’s most distinguished hillside retreats.
• Return flights from selected UK airports
• Stay seven nights at the five-star Quinta da Bela Vista in a Garden View Room
£299*
per person
per person
per person
£399*
£799*
The, After Apollo, After Videndum, Against Mahler, Air Force, Al Muqdad, Alan Partridge, Alan Fairs Bewdley, Alastair Mackenzie, Albania Police - WARNING: source dates, money, or percentage tokens may be missing
结论： ❌ 存在严重质量问题 (Blocking Issues Found)
该翻译版本存在极严重的内容幻觉 (Hallucinations) 和 文本错位 (Mismatch)。翻译结果不仅在细节上出错，且在核心内容上与源文件完全不符，属于严重的交付缺陷。
[!WARNING] 质量评估警告块，这属于交付缺陷 (Delivery Defect)，应在最终交付前清理。20 per cent reduction (20% 削减)，译文在相关段落中将其与贸易战的 10% to 12.5% 混淆。审核总结： 该翻译件无法使用。译文在处理正文时出现了严重的“张冠李戴”现象，将其他来源的文本误植入本文件中，导致信息完全失真。建议重新翻译。