The Times - 13.08.2026.pdf

企业对零小时合同改革感到愤怒

● 伯纳姆的提案预计将给企业增加 30亿英镑 成本 ● 酒店业和青年就业受影响最严重

奥利弗·赖特 (Oliver Wright) 政策编辑

政府承认，限制零小时合同的计划可能会给企业带来每年高达 30 亿英镑的“令人瞠目”的成本。

一份关于安杰拉·雷纳就业改革的官方影响声明发现，这些改革将迫使公司应对新的繁琐手续、额外的员工成本和收入损失，从而对公司产生负面影响。

政府分析发现，酒店业和零售业等部门已经承受了国民保险和最低工资上涨带来的沉重压力，将受到这些变化最严重的影响。

分析还警告称，这些计划将使雇主更难以应对需求的波动，并可能对收入和投资产生连锁反应。

政府目前正在就这些提案进行磋商，这些提案可能会赋予所有签署零小时合同的工人新的权利。目前，此类合同并未规定工人有权获得的最少工作小时数。

改革将强制公司根据员工目前的工作量，保证其每周的工作小时数。它还将要求公司向工人提供“合理的排班通知”，并为那些“在短时间内被取消、缩减或移动”的班次支付报酬。

在一项评估中，官员们计算出，如果所有签署零小时合同的员工都被纳入该计划，那么企业每年可能承担 29 亿英镑的成本。然而，如果部长们将新权利限制在工作时间较少的人员范围内，那么企业的成本可能会降至每年 11 亿英镑。报告补充称，如果仅将工作时间最少的工人纳入其中，该政策给企业带来的最低成本将是每年 £3.5 亿。

该文件表示，政府认为该计划将给经济带来更广泛的益处。

文件声称，这些措施将通过改善工人的福祉和参与度来支持增长，提高生产力，同时鼓励更好的劳动力规划，并为那些已经提供稳定且可预测工作的雇主创造一个更公平的竞争环境。然而，文件也提到这些益处难以量化。

商业团体对这些变化带来的成本反应愤怒，他们警告称，这将给陷入困境的公司增加进一步的压力。

他们还表示，这些计划将通过打击企业雇佣短期工以满足额外需求的意愿，从而损害年轻人的利益。

行业团体英国酒店业协会 (UK Hospitality) 主席凯特·尼科尔斯 (Kate Nicholls) 表示：“这些改革令人瞠目的成本出现在酒店业最糟糕的时机，此前两年中已经增加了超过 50 亿英镑的额外就业成本。”

“因此，酒店业已经失去了 100,000 个工作岗位，而极高的就业成本继续限制就业机会，尤其是对于年轻人。除此之外，酒店业还不成比例地受到了 [接下页 7]

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2

Thursday August 13 2026 / 《泰晤士报》

新闻

今日亮点

• 8am 技能部长 杰奎琳·史密斯 (Jacqui Smith)
• 10.30am 科技企业家 布莱恩·约翰逊 (Bryan Johnson)（见下文），谈论其永生使命
• 1.20pm 全国学生会副主席 刘易斯·威尔逊 (Lewis Wilson)，谈论学生贷款
• 1.40pm 《梦想机器》 (Dream Machine) 作者 彼得·伍德布里奇 (Peter Woodbridge)，谈论 AI 在电影制作中的应用
• 3.30pm 音乐录影带导演 蒂姆·波普 (Tim Pope) 讨论他与 Queen 乐队、The Cure 乐队以及大卫·鲍伊 (David Bowie) 的合作

英国迎来

全英国在经历自 1999 年以来最重大的天文事件时陷入停滞，Kaya Burgess 与 David Sharrock 报道

昨晚，英国陷入停滞，人们仰望天空，见证了这片海岸线一代以来最壮观的日食，太阳仅剩一弯新月，像一片火红的碎片悬在西方地平线上。

从城堡塔楼、教堂钟楼、足球场、屋顶酒吧、河上游轮、办公大楼到天文台，人们戴上日食眼镜，举起针孔相机和沥水篮，目睹太阳圆盘的 90% 以上被月球遮挡。

这是自 1999 年以来经过英国的最完整的一次日食，此类景象在未来几十年内将不再出现。英格兰大部分地区天空晴朗，观测条件极佳。此次部分日食的遮挡程度从彭赞斯的 95.7% 到诺里奇的 89.7% 不等。日食持续约两小时，在新月沿轨道移动前，于 7.05pm 和 7.16pm 之间达到最大遮挡程度。

在格陵兰东部、冰岛西部和西班牙部分地区，人们欣赏到了日全食，太阳的大气层——日冕以其全部的美丽展现在眼前；在马略卡等地的日落前不久，日冕勉强悬在地平线上。虽然仅持续了一分钟，但西班牙成为了天文界的中心。月球的阴影从加利西亚横跨至巴利阿里群岛，使半岛的一条地带陷入黑暗。

西班牙一个多世纪以来的首次日全食吸引了来自世界各地的科学家、游客和日食追逐者前往山坡、海滩和村庄，而这些地方已经花费数月时间为这次“入侵”做准备。

英国许多人设法购得了日食眼镜。其他人则使用针孔和沥水篮将图像投影到纸上。有些人使用手机的自拍模式来观察身后的日食，还有少数人无视医疗建议，仅戴着太阳镜直接直视太阳。

在斯特劳德上方的塞尔斯利公地（Selsley Common）路边，挤满了停放凌乱的汽车，人群聚集在科茨沃尔德陡崖上，以俯瞰塞文河口的全景。在干燥如tinder的草地上铺着野餐垫和露营椅，亲友团体聚集在一起喝酒、聊天，而且在这样的环境下，可能是不明智的，有人在抽烟。

伦敦东南部的塞文德鲁格城堡（Severndroog Castle）和诺森伯兰郡的班堡城堡（Bamburgh Castle）举办了观测活动。泰晤士河上运行着特殊的日食河上游轮。伯明翰的一家摇滚酒吧提供“日食鸡尾酒”，而伦敦的 Roof East 屋顶场所则在点饮品时免费发放日食眼镜。

七岁的塞拉菲娜·牛顿（Seraphina Newton）与父母卡米拉（Camilla）和戴夫（Dave）一起在伦敦东南部的电报山（Telegraph Hill）上。“很有趣，很有趣，它看起来像个月亮，而且感觉非常神奇，”她说，“我喜欢它。”在山的其他地方，有音箱、欢呼声，还有人用十副太阳镜叠在一起尝试观察太阳。

寻找日食眼镜的抢购一直持续到最后一刻。伦敦市中心的一位店主告诉 BBC，他卖出了 26,000 副。

周二，在斯皮塔佛德市场（Spitalfields Market）的一家弹出式摊位前，多达 300 人在排队购买每副 £5 的眼镜。其他卖家则在接近

数千名日食观测者聚集在慕尼黑的奥林匹克公园，欧洲各国享受着不同的景观。西班牙的人们欣赏到了日全食，而观测此次事件的最佳地点之一是位于瓦伦西亚附近阿尔科斯-德-拉斯-萨利纳斯（Arcos de las Salinas）的哈瓦兰布罗天体物理天文台（Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambro），见下图。

日食报道

那些在排队的人，以及有人以两倍以上的价格出售眼镜。

约翰刘易斯合伙公司表示，沥水篮的销量同比增长了 40%。这是因为没有日食眼镜的人们在遵循建议，将太阳光线通过沥水篮的孔洞，以便在纸上看到日食的投影。

博尔顿的一些人能够通过唯一几种安全的日食眼镜替代方案之一直接观察太阳：使用带有足够深色玻璃的焊接头盔。

阿森纳对阵科莫 1907 的季前友谊赛在日食期间于北伦敦开球。许多球迷为了观看日食而推迟进入体育场。

皇家天文台外排起了长队，人们在公园顶端俯瞰旧皇家海军学院的位置观看。格林威治皇家博物馆约 30 名员工正就薪资和条件举行一场小型抗议。抗议者举着写有“不要遮蔽你们最耀眼的明星”等口号的横幅。

在格林威治公园，Aja Lilit 的心情更为沉思，并开玩笑说这次日食“看起来像是来自宇宙的生日礼物”。

由 Will Humphries, Poppy Koronka 和 Alex Farber 参与报道

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THE TIMES / Thursday August 13 2026

1

新闻

世纪日食之月

CHRISTIAN HARTMAN / SEITERS: THEMA FARE / COST SEATING: WILL WALKER / MBP: JOEL GOODMAN / LAP: ERICH JAMPAKE / OLFA

傍晚的太阳意味着西班牙拥有观看日食的最佳视角，但此次事件也吸引了来自（从左起）盖茨黑德、博尔顿以及格陵兰岛附近一艘邮轮上的观察者。

最稀缺的景象？备用安全眼镜

在英国数十年来最壮观的日食发生前，许多大型零售商的防护眼镜已售罄。

便利店、国家公园以及位于伦敦东南部格林威治的皇家天文台都耗尽了库存。天文台表示，其在过去一个月内售出了全部约 15,000 副库存。

专家表示，只有经过 ISO 12312-2 认证、能提供最安全眼睛保护的眼镜才应被用于观看日食。观星者被警告不要依赖太阳镜，因为即使是短暂的暴露也可能对视力造成持久损害。

英国皇家眼科医师学会会长 Mohamed Elalfy 表示，享受此次事件最安全的方式是间接观察——包括观看现场直播。“在日食期间直接观察太阳

昨天在东伦敦，一名销售员以每副 £50 的价格出售眼镜

可能会导致视网膜受损，潜在地损害负责清晰中心视觉的细胞，”他说道。“视网膜没有痛觉感受器，因此人们在受损时不会感觉到。

“症状可能在几个小时后才显现，包括视力模糊、中心盲点或暗点、视觉扭曲、色彩感知降低以及对光线敏感度增加。

“虽然有些人会在数周或数月内恢复，但其他人可能会留下永久性的视力障碍。

在 1999, 的全食之后，皇家学会报告了约 70 例随后出现视力问题的人员。其中约 40 per cent 的受影响者观察日食的时间不足一分钟。

在昨天的事件发生数小时后，年度英仙座流星雨达到了峰值。这是由于地球穿过由斯威夫特-塔特尔彗星留下的尘埃流而产生的。每颗微小的颗粒以超过 130,000mph 的速度撞击大气层，在瞬间燃烧，呈现出流星的样子。

电网运营商就能源需求发出阴郁警报

负责维持英国电力供应的机构呼吁发电站协助应对昨天的部分日食，而就在几小时前，该机构还表示此次事件的影响将微乎其微。

国家能源系统运营商（Neso）周二表示，其已针对此次事件的影响进行了一年多的规划，并已准备好迎接挑战。

这家政府所有的机构表示，它与气象局密切合作，对阴影和光照水平对电力需求的影响进行了建模，并估算了对太阳能发电量的影响。然而，Neso 随后针对昨天下午 6 点至 8 点的峰值时段发布了电力边际通知。

这一正式措施在今年夏天记录的高温以及空调导致能源需求增加的背景下已多次发布，旨在预期的电力紧缺出现前，要求发电企业主动提供额外容量。Neso 在确保充足容量后，于下午 1 点左右取消了该通知。

该机构表示，此次日食的规划比 1999 年的上一次大规模日食更为复杂，因为它持续时间更长，且发生在高温环境下。虽然下午 6 点至 8 点被 Neso 称为“关键晚高峰”（此时人们返回家中），但由于人们外出观看，日食可能会降低电力需求。

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4

新闻

肯特郡伊登布里奇（Edenbridge）奇丁斯通城堡（Chiddingstone Castle）的策展人、刷刃专家娜奥米·科利克（Naomi Collick）在庄园湖泊水位下降后，检查一把被发现的 200 年历史的剑。

3,800多名公务员无需进入办公室工作

George Greenwood

调查记者

《泰晤士报》披露，在负责推动人员重返工作场所的部门中，数千名公务员自己却无需前往办公室。

负责政府就业政策的就业与养老金部披露，其 2,413 名员工无需前往办公室。

在对信息自由请求做出完整回应的八个政府部门中，共有 3,884 名官员享有类似的协议，其中包括环境、食品和农村事务部的 688 人，以及教育部 492 人。

在某些情况下，公务员已有两年多时间没有进入办公室。交通部记录了 82 起此类案例，而住房、社区和地方政府部的 71 名员工被记录为一年多未访问其办公室。原因尚不明确。

随着公务员系统在应对冠状病毒大流行长期影响时陷入苦战，人们对公共部门生产力的担忧日益增加。

根据国家统计局公布的数据，公共部门的生产力仍低于疫情前水平。

生产力增长依然疲软，今年第一季度比去年同期增长 0.1%。上一季度同比下降 0.3%。

在白厅（Whitehall）可见的这种出勤模式在地方政府中同样存在。信息自由请求（Fol）显示，一些议会确认他们正在提供类似的永久居家办公协议。

信息自由请求的回应显示，埃塞克斯郡的绍森德（Southend）议会有 197 名员工的聘用条款要求无需出勤。

永久居家办公员工

按政府部门划分

就业与养老金部

2,413

环境、食品和农村事务部

688

教育部

492

商业和贸易部

169

内阁办公室

104

交通部

18 数据来源：泰晤士报 FOI 请求

威尔士的布莱瑙格温特（Blaenau Gwent）议会表示，其 121 名员工无需到岗，德文郡的托贝（Torbay）议会记录了 65 起此类案例。

在回应信息自由请求的 297 个英国地方当局中，只有四分之一保留了某种形式的员工出勤频率集中记录。共有 204 个地方当局提供了与办公室出勤率相关的纪律处分活动信息，其中近 90% 表示没有记录在案的案例。

《泰晤士报》本周报道称，尽管规定要求他们至少 60% 的时间必须在办公桌前，但一些公务员每周在办公室的时间仍少于两天。

兰开斯特公国影子大臣亚历克斯·伯格哈特（Alex Burghart）表示：“灵活工作是一回事，但面对数千名员工从未出现在办公室的情况，纳税人有权询问他们是否获得了物有所值的服务。”

政府表示：“这些数据仅代表极小一部分员工，其中包括那些在全国各地奔波、努力运行公共服务的员工，以及那些因法律要求而获得工作调整许可的员工。”

托贝议会表示，提供包括永久居家办公在内的灵活性有助于留住专业技术人才。

苏格兰人均支出比英国其他地区高出 2,720 英镑

Greig Cameron 苏格兰商业编辑

由于创纪录的“联盟红利”，生活在苏格兰的人们每年比英国其他地区的人们富裕 2,720 英镑。

苏格兰政府作为《苏格兰政府支出与收入》（Gers）报告的一部分发布的官方数据显示，公共支出水平处于历史高位，导致苏格兰出现了 250 亿英镑 billion 赤字。尽管在威斯敏斯特政府提高国民保险缴款的部分助力下，税收收入也处于创纪录的高位。

苏格兰的人均支出为 22,281 英镑，而全英国的人均支出为 19,561 英镑。联盟派政治人物表示，这些数字凸显了留在联盟中的“显著”利益，但民族主义者则认为，这些数据不能被用来反映未来独立后的苏格兰经济状况。

年度 Gers 报告涵盖了截至 3 月底的 12 个月。2025-26 年度的收入增长速度快于支出增长速度，这有助于略微缩小赤字。

苏格兰民族党（SNP）部长决定冻结所得税最高税率，由此筹集了 15 亿英镑 billion，而威斯敏斯特政府提高雇主国民保险缴款为苏格兰增加了 24亿英镑。北海油气收入从 45亿英镑 下降到 39亿英镑；苏格兰的分成从 36亿英镑 下降到 32亿英镑。

苏格兰的净财政余额——即苏格兰筹集收入与支出的差额——为名义赤字，相当于国内生产总值的 10.9%。全英国的名义赤字为 4.2%，比前一年好了一个百分点。

以现金计算，苏格兰的赤字为 250 亿英镑.3 billion——比上一个财政年度减少了约 £6 亿。

Quintagram® 第 2645 号

使用下方每个字母仅一次，解答所有五个简短线索

1 雄性农场动物 (4)

2 灌溉 (5)

3 与 50 周年纪念有关的 (6)

4 背叛者，傀儡 (8)

5 泰恩赛德城镇 (9)

A / D / E

E / G / H / I / L M / N / O / R S / T / W

答案见 T2 MindGames 第 15 页 隐喻线索见 T2 MindGames 第 14 页

道路交通事故报告

一份报告称，道路交通事故死者的家属认为，警方在处理驾驶违规行为时，并未给予应有的重视。国家警察局长委员会的 Jo Shiner 表示，该组织将“详细”考虑受害者专员 Claire Waxman 报告中的调查结果和建议。

青蛙面临选择困难

发表在《iScience》杂志上的一项研究发现，当有太多雄性可供选择时，雌性树蛙会经历“选择过载”。田纳西大学的研究人员将青蛙放入房间中，发现更多的求偶鸣叫会导致雌蛙变得困惑，在某些情况下甚至“由于压力过大而无法做出任何选择”。

新版《哈利·波特》演员阵容

HBO 宣布，演员 Nicholas Hoult 已被选定出演即将推出的《哈利·波特》电视剧第二季。Hoult 将在 J.K. 罗琳原著的改编剧中饰演吉德罗·洛哈特教授。哈利·波特、罗恩·韦斯莱和赫敏·格兰杰分别由 Dominic McLaughlin、Alastair Stout 和 Arabella Stanton 饰演。

发现“黑洞之星”

詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜拍摄的显示宇宙早期的图像中，红色斑点可能是一颗比我们的太阳系还要大的“黑洞之星”。天文学家表示，这可能有助于解释超大质量黑洞是如何形成的，因为《自然》杂志上的分析表明，它是一个被气体包围的婴儿黑洞，气体在它生长过程中为其提供养分。

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THE TIMES / 2026年8月13日 星期四 11

5

新闻

“怪物”利维将在狱中死去

大卫·伍德 犯罪编辑

在法官对其下达终身监禁令后，一名暴力掠食者最后一名谋杀受害者的母亲表示，她的女儿“将无数女性从你可怖的行为中拯救了出来”。

西蒙·利维（Simon Levy）是一名登记在册的性犯罪者。在英国运输警察局（British Transport Police）、伦敦警察厅和英国皇家检察署（CPS）接连出现一系列失误后，他将目标锁定在那些有时以金钱或毒品交换性行为的女性身上。

40岁的利维于2025年1月21日在伦敦北部托特纳姆的一家B&M停车场强奸了一名不便透露姓名的女性，并将其弃之不顾，任其死亡。

在因涉嫌在伦敦地铁性侵女性通勤者而被保释期间，利维于3月16日在伦敦南部的沃尔沃斯谋杀了53岁的卡门扎·瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略（Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo）。

随着其犯罪行为升级，利维在治安法院两次获得保释，随后于8月24日在同一个托特纳姆停车场谋杀了四个孩子的母亲、39岁的谢丽尔·威尔金斯（Sheryl Wilkins）。

瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略和威尔金斯的尸体被发现时均面朝下，姿势“惊人地相似”。病理学家无法确定她们的死因。

患有部分失明的利维在老贝利法院经过审理后，于8月7日被判定两项谋杀罪、两项强奸罪，以及一项严重身体伤害罪和一项故意窒息罪成立。他此前否认了这些罪名。

昨天，伦敦记录官马克·卢克拉夫特（Mark Lucraft）KC法官告诉他，他“为了满足个人的性欲而残酷地剥削他人”。

当法官告诉利维他将永远无法出狱时，威尔金斯家族的一名成员大喊了一声“是的”。

针对两起强奸案，他被判处另外两项终身监禁，最低刑期为12年，与终身监禁令同时执行。

受害者的母亲玛丽·威尔金斯（Mary Wilkins）表示，他的行为让她的“整个家庭破碎了”。在代表她宣读的一份声明中，威尔金斯说：“你，西蒙·利维，彻底摧毁了我们的生活。你以前就这么做过，而且不会停止。”

“我们的谢丽尔终结了你伤害其他人的机会，她为此失去了生命，但我们深信，谢丽尔将无数女性从遭受你恶心且可怖的行为中拯救了出来。你是所有女性的威胁。”

“你夺走了我们美丽的女儿。谢丽尔的孩子们不仅失去了母亲，还失去了与她在一起的未来。谢丽尔的生命至关重要。你永远改变了我们的生活，但你无法夺走我们对谢丽尔的爱。”

当挤满人的法庭聆听这些悼词时，悲痛的家属们手牵着手低声啜泣。

纳迪·乔哈娜·富恩马约尔·瓦伦西亚（Nady Johana Fuenmayor Valencia）是瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略的女儿，她说她生活在一种“无法填补的空虚”之中。她那出生于哥伦比亚的母亲是一位“美丽的女性”，也是一位深受爱戴的祖母。她补充道：“我母亲来到这个国家是为了给孩子们更好的生活和安全。然而，她的生命却被如此残酷地夺走。我们不知道她为什么被从我们身边夺走。”

法官赞扬了那名强奸幸存者的勇气，她的证词帮助定罪了利维。这名女性是一名古典钢琴家，她表示自己在2012年被贩卖到英国并染上了毒瘾。

在代表她宣读的一份声明中，她说：“人们一生都在利用我。我之所以和他 [利维] 在一起是因为我的成瘾。那天晚上他夺走了我的灵魂和尊严。我无法忘记他满是汗水的手捂在我嘴上的气味。我以为我会死。”

这名女性批评了一名伦敦警察厅的女警，称在她透露利维在四天前强奸她时，该警员对她的语气“像对待孩子一样”。她说：“从来没有人听我说话。”

“她因违反社区保护通知而被逮捕，但她告诉警员她正前往医院治疗锁骨骨折。利维曾‘用全身重量压在她身上’。法庭获悉，她提供了利维的外貌描述和住址，但警方并未根据她令人信服的陈述采取行动。”

“他是个怪物，专门攻击那些他认为不会报警的女孩。他

谢丽尔·威尔金斯（Sheryl Wilkins）的家人在凶手西蒙·莱维（Simon Levy）昨日于中央刑事法院（Old Bailey）被判刑时，公布了她的童年照片。卡门萨·瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略（Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo，见右下图）的家人也表达了悼念，她于去年被莱维谋杀。

“他认为自己不会被阻止，”她说道。

法官表示，莱维对“性、强奸和犯罪有着病态的痴迷”。警方对其设备的分析显示，他浏览过关于“黑色出租车强奸犯”约翰·沃博伊斯（John Worboys）以及前出租车司机克里斯托弗·哈利韦尔（Christopher Halliwell）的新闻报道，后者因谋杀两名女性而被判处终身监禁。

他还保存了一个名为“我的性记录”的文件，详细记录了性爱姿势和性工作者。

伦敦警察局局长马克·罗利爵士（Sir Mark Rowley）表示，这是一个“整个系统的失效”，并补充说，警队对其在该案件中所扮演的角色表示道歉，该案件造成了“极其悲剧性的后果”。

他告诉 BBC：“我们看到太多此类案件，日复一日，[那些]携带刀具的性犯罪者被保释了，而几年前他们会被还押候审。”

英国运输警察局和英国皇家检察署（CPS）已承认其错误。伦敦警察局因对莱维作为注册性犯罪者的监控问题，已向警察监察机构提交了自我审查。

莱维攻击女性的历史可追溯至 2018 年。他被判定在 2022 年 4 月至 2025 年 5 月期间，在地铁上实施了十起性侵犯，以及另一起针对监狱管理人员的性侵犯。

他在伦敦内城刑事法院在媒体禁令下受审，被判处六年监禁。

家庭和公众理应就这些失效获得答案，社论，第 29 页

七年间的性侵行为

2018年7月19日： 西蒙·莱维（Simon Levy）在伦敦西北部卡姆登的一次户外派对上摸了一名女性。

2018年8月26日： 在诺丁山狂欢节（Notting Hill Carnival）期间，将手伸进一名女性的裤子，实施侵入性袭击。

2019–2021年： 莱维直到2019年10月才被逮捕。2021年8月被定罪并被判处三年监禁。法官未下达性侵害预防令——警方和检察官选择不对此决定提出上诉。

2022年4月14日： 性侵一名女性监狱管理人员。尽管有监控录像证据，伦敦警察厅直到他获释后才对其进行审讯。2025年被起诉。

2023年2月–10月： 假释出狱。10月24日，他在地铁上性侵一名女性。英国运输警察局（BTP）未能确认其身份。

2024年5月–8月： 因被指控强奸而被重新关押。未被起诉。提前获释。

2024年10月21日： 在地铁上性侵一名女性，该女性记录下他试图袭击另一名女性的过程。警方未能通过监控录像确认其身份。

2024年11月： 在火车上再次袭击两名女性后，莱维被英国运输警察局（BTP）逮捕。在未被起诉的情况下保释获释。

2024年年底： 保释期延长

西蒙·莱维：被判终身监禁

由于组织身份辨认程序的延迟。即便他仍在性侵女性，其风险等级也未被上调。英国运输警察局（BTP）允许他继续使用从一名巴士司机那里偷来的 Oyster 卡。

2025年1月21日： 暴力强奸一名性工作者，该女性向警方提供了陈述以及其住址的准确描述。9月被逮捕。

2025年3月16日： 谋杀 53 岁的卡门扎·瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略（Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo）。数周后被捕并获保释。她的死亡当时未被归类为谋杀。

2025年3月27日： 在地铁上性侵另一名女性。

2025年4月3日： 英国运输警察局（BTP）在得知他因涉嫌谋杀被捕后，推迟了对其交通违法行为的逮捕。将保释期延长至5月1日。

2025年5月2日： 被指控五起性侵案。出庭并获得保释。

2025年5月–6月： 仍在火车上袭击女性。再次获得保释。

2025年5月： 伦敦警察厅关闭了1月份的强奸案调查，理由是难以追踪无家可归的受害者。

2025年7月–8月： 缺席两次刑事法院（crown court）听证会。未发布逮捕令。

2025年8月24日： 谋杀 39 岁的谢丽尔·威尔金斯（Sheryl Wilkins）。直到此时，瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略的死亡才被视为谋杀案进行调查，监控录像显示莱维当时就在她附近。最终被指控谋杀及1月份的强奸案。

2025年11月25日： 被指控谋杀瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略。

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6

新闻政治

贫困地区的难民酒店导致

政治记者

一名工党议员警告称，一项将一千名寻求庇护者安置在约克郡一个小村庄旁边的计划将导致男女比例达到六比一，并称该计划“不合适”。

作为逐步淘汰使用难民酒店战略的一部分，政府计划在三个废弃的军事遗址安置约 1,750 名寻求庇护者，这些遗址均位于小村庄附近。

安迪·伯纳姆周二表示，不能出现“全国最贫困的社区”承担所有等待申请处理人员安置的情况，并主张英国更富裕的地区必须“发挥作用”。

边境安全与庇护大臣安娜·特利（Anna Turley）呼应了他的观点，并表示在英国贫困地区安置寻求庇护者已引发“社会动荡”，更富裕的地区需要承担其“公平份额”。

然而，约克中心区（York Central）议员雷切尔·马斯凯尔（Rachael Maskell）是几位向《泰晤士报》表示反对在其地区将前军营转换为安置点的工党政治人物之一，她敦促政府重新考虑将 1,200 名男性转移到北约克郡林顿-昂-乌兹（Linton-on-Ouse）皇家空军基地的计划。

类似的计划在 2022 年因当地的强烈反对而被取消。

马斯凯尔致信特利，并将于本月会见内政部官员以陈述其理由。她表示，各党派的政治人物都“非常清楚这里不是合适的地点”，并列举了水资源、污水处理能力和电力的短缺，这将给“基础设施带来巨大需求”。她表示，该基地位于一所小学和托儿所旁边，每天仅有四班巴士开往约克，且会导致这个拥有 600 人的村庄中男女比例达到六比一。

“这完全是错误的地点，”她说。“上届政府在深入了解细节后意识到了这一点。我们现在对本届政府所说的是，意识到这一点非常重要，因为该地点的现状比政府上次考察时更加糟糕。”

牛津郡皮丁顿（Piddington）是一个人口不足 400 人的村庄，当地居民为了抗议在未经咨询的情况下将 1,250 名单身成年男性寻求庇护者安置在附近一个废弃国防部仓库的计划，象征性地投票支持脱离英国。

新抵达者的安置

获得庇护安置的人数

992

数据截至 2026 年 3 月 31 日。来源：内政部

皮丁顿教区委员会主席蒂姆·麦克纳利（Tim McNally）承认，英国在安置寻求庇护者方面面临“巨大的问题”，并表示该村庄并非要求“免除国家责任”。

“这里真正的问题在于规模、位置和流程，”他告诉 BBC。“仅仅因为我们被认为是富裕地区，并不意味着我们有高承载能力。”

他补充说，居民们担心能够自由出入该地点的人数，而该地点就位于一个儿童游戏区旁边。

内政部正通过一项紧急的皇家规划程序来批准将前比斯特卫戍区（Bicester Garrison）进行转换，目前尚未发布正式的规划申请。比斯特和伍德斯托克（Bicester and Woodstock）的自由民主党议员卡勒姆·米勒（Calum Miller）坚持认为，“居民理应获得透明度以及一个表达意见的正当机会”。

截至今年 3 月，有 20,885 名寻求庇护者（占总数的 21%）在等待身份决定期间居住在酒店中，而 72,768 人（75%）居住在其他安置点。部长们已宣布关闭 13 家安置寻求庇护者的酒店，使总数降至 160 家以下——低于保守党执政期间近 400 家的峰值。

安迪·伯纳姆在访问史蒂夫尼奇（Stevenage）的椭圆社区中心期间，会见了担心生活成本的护理人员。

“我很害怕。我们住在皮丁顿是为了这里的宁静与安全”

Lara Wildenberg

在其他地方，针对寻求庇护者中心的抗议活动出现了高喊口号的人群、英格兰旗帜以及偶尔与警察发生的冲突；但在牛津郡的皮丁顿（Piddington）村，居民们举办了一场野餐，并就脱离英国进行了一次象征性的全民公投。

在其他筹款想法中，一些当地人建议举办一场狗狗展、摩托车或经典车巡游，以及围绕拟建场地周长进行一次赞助步行。

这个风景如画的村庄在《末日审判书》（Domesday Book）中有所记载，人口约为 350 人。这里没有商店、咖啡馆或酒吧，但有一座教堂和一个村委会大厅，每月举办一次快闪酒吧、咖啡早会和短垫保龄球活动。居民们习惯敞开后门，并让孩子们在村里跑腿。

然而，政府正考虑使用附近一个废弃的国防部（MoD）存储仓库——比斯特国防部仓库（MoD Bicester），来安置 1,250 名单身成年男性寻求庇护者。

前比斯特驻军（Bicester Garrison）的 A 场地就在村庄沿路，靠近皮丁顿的运动场——禧年保护区（Jubilee Reserve）。

居民们表示担心，寻求庇护者可能会因为无聊而进入村庄，从而引发麻烦。一些人认为他们可能会在运动场聚集并可能饮酒。许多女性表示，她们在夜晚单独行走时会感到不安全。

86 岁的德里克·乔伊（Derek Joy）是一名退休的资深马鞍匠，他在村里住了 52 年，过去 12 年一直与 73 岁的妻子凯伦（Karen）共同生活。凯伦说：“我对他说过，我觉得我们需要换一个更好的大门。他不让我养狗，但我正在考虑养一只。我不再是个年轻女士了，我真的很害怕。这让我心碎。我们住在这里是因为我们想要这种宁静、这种安全和这种社区感。”

她的丈夫说：“我明白，当你聚集 1,250 个男人、男孩——无论他们来自哪里——他们都会制造麻烦。我担心他们会利用女性——以及人们的财产。我 86 岁了，如果现在有个家伙闯进来，我对此无能为力。”

59 岁的梅莉丝·威特金（Melise Witkin）经营着一家马毯生意，她与她的四匹马和三只狗在由牛棚改造的房屋中独居了六年。

她说，在单独行走时会感到“脆弱”，因为关于寻求庇护者在埃塞克斯（Essex）和布赖顿（Brighton）犯下性犯罪的新闻标题一直“在她的脑海中挥之不去”。

“我会害怕的，”她说。“我们不知道这些人是谁。他们是罪犯还是真正友善的人，我们不知道。这带来了一种不确定性。我认为作为一名女性，一大群男人面对一个女人是很可怕的。”

42 岁的爱丽丝·韦斯特（Alice West）和埃德·韦斯特（Ed West）想出了在禧年保护区设立一个好莱坞风格的“皮丁顿”标志的主意，孩子们在抗议野餐期间用彩色手印装饰了这个标志。“我们想展示这个标志与 A 场地的距离之近，”从事物业维护工作的埃德说，并补充道，他们每天都会带着 11 岁、9 岁和 7 岁的三个女儿去保护区。他的妻子经营着一家纺织企业，她说如果该场地获得批准，她可能会犹豫是否要独自前往保护区。“因为你不知道在任何一天，那里会出现谁，”她说。

上个月，96% 的居民投票支持举行一次脱离英国的象征性全民公投。

安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）表示，他将研究“皮丁顿的好人们”提出的担忧，但补充说，英国更富裕的地区必须“发挥作用”来安置寻求庇护者。居民们昨天表示，他们的反对与村庄的财富无关，而是因为该地区不合适——这里地处偏僻，靠近繁忙公路，且缺乏路灯和生活设施。

支持寻求庇护者的团体也提出了担忧，包括“挺身反种族主义牛津分会”（Stand Up to Racism Oxfordshire）和“欢迎庇护者”（Asylum Welcome），后者表示，该场地的偏僻程度“使得成功的融合更加困难，并增加了社区紧张局势的风险”。

一份政府事实清单称，该场地将提供“功能性住宿”，且“旨在尽可能实现自给自足”。该场地将被设定为严格的“禁酒区”。清单还补充道，该场地将由一家配备闭路电视（CCTV）的“经验丰富的专业供应商”运营。所有进入或离开的人员均须办理签到和签退手续。

内政部已向住房、社区和地方政府部提交了一项紧急皇冠开发申请（Urgent Crown Development application）——这是一个针对“国家重要开发项目”而设立的快速通道流程，可绕过当地规划部门。6月，切尔韦尔（Chervell）区议会表示，内政部在未进行任何事先磋商或提供完整细节的情况下，将其告知了该申请。

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7

新闻

部长称这将导致社会动荡

詹姆斯·曼宁 / PA

赫特福德郡；经营马毯生意的梅莉丝·威特金反对在皮丁顿附近使用一个安置寻求庇护者的场地。

雷纳接受房地产游说团体支付的 £20k 费用

阿莉雅·艾哈迈德

安杰拉·雷纳被指在接受一家房地产中介游说团体支付的演讲费后，对租金管制态度转冷。

昨天，约 20 名抗议者聚集在住房、社区和地方政府部，为雷纳准备了一张 £20k 的支票——这是在暗示她在 6 月 12. 的一次会议上发表演讲时，由 Propertymark 支付给她的报酬。伦敦租房者联盟表示，他们正在通过“扩建”方式来吸引雷纳对房地产行业的关注，并敦促她会见租房者，考虑实施租金管制的理由。

雷纳在 7 月 20. 被重新任命为住房大臣之前，在这次活动中进行了两小时的演讲，并获得了 £20k 的报酬。四天后，她排除了租金管制的可能性，表示她不认为冻结或管制租金是解决租金上涨的答案。Propertymark 是一家租赁和房地产中介的行业机构，一直致力于反对租金管制；今年有报道称瑞秋·里夫斯在考虑采取该措施时，该机构也进行了反对租金冻结的游说。雷纳此前曾支持为私人租房者提供更强有力的保护，包括禁止无过错驱逐和不合理的租金上涨。

租金管制对房东可以收取或提高的租金金额设定了限制。它可以采取不同的形式，例如限制现有租户的租金涨幅，或在房产出租给新租户时设定租金上限。当《租房者权利法案》于 5 月生效时，它将租金上涨限制为每年一次，并允许租户对高于市场水平的涨幅提出质疑，但并未引入普遍的租金上限。

伦敦租房者联盟的活动人士杰·韦尔表示，该团体并非指控雷纳违反了任何规定，但该笔付款引发了政治问题。韦尔补充道：“在生活成本危机期间，雷纳必须回答她的忠诚所在——是倾向于房地产中介、房东和企业开发商，还是倾向于在日益恶化的负担能力危机中挣扎的租房者。”

该团体表示，希望政府在投资市政住房的同时，引入长期租金管制。

来自活动团体“租房一代”（Generation Rent）的霍莉·威廉姆森表示，政府的《租房者权利法案》是一个“良好的开始”，但在解决租房成本方面做得还不够。

她表示：“政府能够且必须采取进一步行动。引入租金涨幅限制将是一项重大的、无需成本的生活成本干预措施，这将有助于让全国数百万租房者的口袋里多出钱来。”

Propertymark 表示，演讲费是其年度会议运行成本的一部分，而雷纳受邀是因为她在影响房地产行业的决策中扮演的角色。当时她还不是部长。雷纳的一位发言人表示：“所有收入均已按照规定申报。”

哈珀警员之母告知伯纳姆：不要再次让我们失望

奥布里·阿莱格雷蒂 (Aubrey Allegretti) 首席政治记者

史蒂文·斯温福德 (Steven Swinford) 政治编辑

在首相表示将竭尽全力阻止杀害该警员的凶手被释放后，警员安德鲁·哈珀 (Andrew Harper) 的母亲告诉安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) “不要再次让我们失望”。

伯纳姆在周二表示，他有“责任”尽“我权力范围内的一切”来最大限度地降低阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯 (Albert Bowers) 和杰西·科尔 (Jesse Cole) 被提前释放的可能性。

这代表了伯纳姆立场的一次重大转变。就在几天前，他似乎承认无法将这两个人排除在提前释放计划之外，并表示他已经“将可能性推向了极限”。

昨天，哈珀警员的母亲黛比·阿德拉姆 (Debbie Adlam) 告诉 GB News，唐宁街直接给她打了电话，告知她首相立场的转变。她说她现在再次处于一种“希望的迷茫状态”。

她说：“[我想对安迪·伯纳姆说] 真的请不要再次让我们失望，因为我们经历了太多的起起伏伏，难道我们还得去接受他们被提前释放这个事实吗？

“无论如何，我们也只是在等待释放日期，而且日期已经很近了，但刑期的每一天都应该被服满。所以请不要再次让我们失望，因为我们将希望寄托在这次行动上，如果没能实现，我不知道我们该怎么办。如果 [安德鲁] 在天之灵看着，想到他会多么失望、多么心碎，这实际上非常痛苦。但对我来说，思考他会有什么感受，是非常痛苦的。”

哈珀曾是一名泰晤士河谷警察，2019 年在处理伯克郡的一起四轮摩托车盗窃案时被杀，年仅 28 岁。

在上周发表声明之前，伯纳姆曾收到两个可以阻止科尔和鲍尔斯被释放的方案，但并未采取。根据这两个提案，所有被判处 10 年以上或 7 年以上有期徒刑的囚犯将不具备提前释放的资格。科尔和鲍尔斯因过失杀人罪各被判处 13 年徒刑。

伯纳姆选择了第三个方案，该方案基于犯罪类型而非刑期长短。这一决定意味着被判定犯有强奸、严重儿童性犯罪和其他诱导犯罪的囚犯将继续被监禁。官员们明确表示，这一选择意味着哈珀的凶手将符合提前释放的条件。

伯纳姆现在已要求司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯 (Alex Norris) 寻找防止两人被释放的解决方案。目前尚不清楚具体方案为何，不过部长们已排除了通过主要立法来实现的可能性。

10 号唐宁街此前曾考虑尝试将杀害紧急工作人员的凶手排除在提前释放计划之外。

然而，随后政府承认，由于面临法律挑战的风险，如果不阻止所有过失杀人罪囚犯的释放，就无法单独实现这一点。

英格兰和威尔士的所有 43 位首席警长都表示担忧，认为如果不区分最严重的犯罪行为，将“面临破坏公共安全、受害者信心以及对刑事司法系统更广泛信心的风险”。他们敦促首相审查“所有合法选项”以防止鲍尔斯和科尔被释放。

缓刑首席监察官马丁·琼斯 (Martin Jones) 警告称，提前释放计划可能导致严重的性暴力和谋杀案发生。他在 BBC Radio 4 的《Today》节目中表示，缓刑服务机构正难以管理 258,000 起案件。

“最终，我不完全相信缓刑系统能够应对如此巨大的工作量，而且存在出错的风险，”他说道，并敦促部长们考虑应该履行哪些“必要”职责，而非“理想”职责。

企业对计划中的零小时合同禁令之巨额成本表示愤怒

商业税率以及我们的高增值税率。这些改革增加了更多成本，其规模远超员工所获得的成本收益。”

小型企业联合会表示，政府其“混乱的就业改革方式”面临着导致“失业率飙升”的风险；而英国零售业联合会（BRC）则表示，该计划给雇主带来的成本与“员工获得的收益相比极其不成比例”。

BRC首席执行官海伦·迪金森（Helen Dickinson）表示：“在青年失业率飙升之际，[给企业]增加进一步成本，可能会给年轻人的就业前景带来沉重打击。”

招聘与就业联合会的首席执行官尼尔·卡伯里（Neil Carberry）表示，他认为这些计划的真实合规成本被低估了。“即便如此，政府的数据表明，雇主每天将承担高达 £800 万 的成本，这大约相当于 18 至 20 岁之间领取国家最低工资的 1 名全职员工的年度工资单，”他说。“现在是时候重新考虑了。”

然而，英国工会大会（TUC）表示，企业的大部分成本仅在班次被最后一刻取消时才会产生。“这是一个极宽范围的上限估算——而且该数字近一半是基于雇主将继续在短时间内取消班次的假设，”该组织表示。

“这项立法的目的是停止这种做法，并给变动小时制工人提供安全感和稳定性。因此，优秀的雇主无需担心。”

政府表示：“我们绝对致力于结束剥削性的零小时合同，在这种合同中，当工时、班次和收入不可预测时，工人承担了所有的财务风险。”工党对企业提出了不合理的要求，朱丽叶·塞缪尔（Juliet Samuel），第 25 页

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8

新闻

顶尖猎手：标志着红松鸡狩猎季正式开始的“光荣十二日”（The Glorious Twelfth），让巴克莱·杜格尔（Barclay Dougall）、苏·欧文（Sue Irvine）和爱犬伊尔莎（Ilsa）前往苏格兰的安格斯峡谷（Angus Glens）访问

步步为营，延年益寿

埃莉诺·海沃德 (Eleanor Hayward) 健康编辑

一项研究表明，每天爬楼梯而不是乘坐电梯可以延长你的寿命。

一项针对 456,000 名成年人的数据分析发现，经常爬楼梯可将死于任何原因的风险降低 24%，而死于心脏病发作或中风的风险则降低了 39%。

科学家们赞扬了这项活动的“救命潜力”，并表示工作场所和公共建筑应鼓励使用楼梯，将其作为“减少心脏病的更广泛策略”。

每天爬大约六层楼梯似乎能带来最大的健康益处，但即使每周只有几分钟的少量“剂量”，也有助于保护心脏并降低胆固醇。

该研究的第一作者、东英吉利大学诺里奇医学院的索菲·帕多克 (Sophie Paddock) 博士表示：“与去健身房或进行锻炼不同，爬楼梯是你可以在家中、工作中或外出时轻松融入一天的活动。对于那些没有太多时间或无法方便地进行锻炼的人来说，这是一个很好的选择。”

“因此，如果你可以在走楼梯或乘电梯之间做出选择，请选择楼梯，因为这将对你的心脏有帮助。即使是短暂的体力活动也能产生有益的健康影响，而短时间的爬楼梯应该是可以融入日常生活的可行目标。”

这项发表在《美国心血管药物杂志》(American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs) 上的研究汇总了此前九项研究的数据。这些研究涉及 35 至 84 岁的人群，平均随访时间为 14 年。爬楼梯的人不仅死亡概率较低，而且患心血管问题的风险也较低。

共同作者瓦西里奥斯·瓦西里乌 (Vassilios Vassiliou) 教授表示：“心血管疾病是全球首位死因，病例在 1990 和 2019 之间几乎翻了一番，但通过健康的生活方式在很大程度上是可以预防的，包括规律的体力活动、心脏健康饮食、不吸烟、维持健康体重以及管理血压、胆固醇和糖尿病。”

“走楼梯是一种实用且经常被忽视的将体力活动融入日常生活的方式。我们希望更好地了解这种日常活动如何具有救命潜力。全球有超过四分之一的成年人未能达到建议的活动水平，选择走楼梯提供了一种现实且可扩展的干预手段。”

“鼓励人们在工作场所、公共建筑和家中走楼梯，可以成为在人群层面减少心血管疾病更广泛策略的一部分。”

该研究属于观察性研究，因此不能证明因果关系。结果可能会受到这样一个事实的影响，即爬楼梯的人可能本身就比那些坚持乘坐电梯或自动扶梯的人更健康。

尽管英国国民医疗服务体系 (NHS) 建议每周进行 150 分钟的锻炼，但即使是像每天爬一次楼梯这样短时间的活动，也被证明具有显著益处。

去年，悉尼大学的一项研究发现，与完全不运动相比，每天进行一分钟的高强度活动有助于降低死亡风险。

研究人员认为，对于那些身体状况已经不佳的人来说，将短时间的活动（包括爬楼梯）融入日常生活中能获得最大的收益。

为了降低受伤风险，带上你的新生儿去慢跑吧

Kaya Burgess 科学记者

看到新晋父母推着婴儿车慢跑，可能会引发许多想法。他们从哪里获得能量？他们难道没有受伤的风险吗？

事实上，一项研究发现，与没有推车的人相比，推着婴儿车跑步的人受伤风险较低。

宾夕法尼亚州立大学（Pennsylvania State University）的分校 Penn State Berks 的研究人员发现，婴儿车迫使慢跑者采取更短的步幅，身体更多地前倾，并以更慢且更稳定的速度跑步，同时保持躯干更直，扭转更少。这降低了过度使用损伤的风险，例如肌肉拉伤、背部和膝盖疼痛、胫骨压力综合征以及腱炎。

研究发现，在 1,000 英里以上的距离中，推着婴儿车跑步的人患这些损伤的风险降低了 55%。

Penn State 的 Allison Altman-Singles 博士表示，婴儿车几乎可以与助行架（Zimmer frame）相媲美。不过，她的研究主要关注肌肉损伤的风险，而非跌倒。

她说：“当你推着婴儿车（stroller 是 buggy 的美式说法）跑步时，你会减轻身体的重量，通过按压把手来抵消一部分向下的压力。这种生物力学的变化可能会减轻承重关节的一些压力，这或许可以解释为什么推车跑步者中受伤较少，尤其是膝盖损伤。”

该研究追踪了 196 名在孩子出生前三年经常推车跑步的父母，以及 55 名在孩子婴儿期经常跑步但不使用推车的父母。两组人在年龄、身高和体重方面相似。

这项发表在《PLOS One》杂志上的研究发现，在没有推车跑步的人中，有 30% 报告受伤，而使用推车的人中这一比例为 19%。

Altman-Singles 表示：“婴儿车还让人们在孩子 6 到 12 个月大时能更多地跑步，”并补充说，推着婴儿车跑步的人记录的里程增加了 34%。

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皇家空军飞行员被告知准备迎接……极端天气的挑战

查理·帕克 (Charlie Parker)

皇家空军 (RAF) 的飞行员被告知要“紧急适应”极端天气，因为飙升的气温正在导致跑道融化，产生严重的湍流并干扰导航系统。

官员们表示，更炎热且更不稳定的环境正给航空业带来重大变化。根据皇家空军安全中心的说法，全球变暖正在导致风向模式日益难以预测，“快速爆发”的风暴更加频繁，且山火烟雾和浓雾降低了能见度。

英国本周正经历今年夏季的第五次热浪。预计今天英格兰部分地区的温度将攀升至 38℃。

安全中心警告称，由于高温，跑道性能可能“受损”，高温会导致跑道表面软化或变形，从而增加飞机受损的风险。

在 10 月发布的一份报告中，该中心表示，“高温高海拔”条件可能会影响喷气式飞机、侦察机和运输机的性能，增加起飞距离并减少其可携带的载荷。

飞行员收到警告：“地表温度的升高将挑战飞机的性能……并使跑道、导航和控制系统等基础设施恶化。”

安全官员表示，反复无常的天气正给作战准备状态带来压力，并补充道：“新的天气现实将要求飞行员在这样一个环境中操作：增强的体力消耗、认知工作量以及对大气波动性的持续适应将成为常态。”

该中心解释说，暖空气含有更多水分，从而引发更强烈的雷暴、更持久的热浪和更沉重的降水。“这些演变中的条件不再是罕见的例外，”报告称，“它们正迅速成为常态。”

分析指出，“航空业必须紧急适应一个更严酷、更不稳定的环境”。

皇家空军官员总结道：“通过改进规划、保持警惕并尊重自然波动性，我们可以减少干扰，防止紧急情况并扩大我们的安全余量。我们无法祈求天气消失，但我们可以通过飞行技巧、思考能力和耐力来战胜它。”

NIT MEAN OF AGAINST COVERED AS OF 07 / 01 / 2025 RAF

布朗庄园：高温使伯克郡塔普洛的克利夫登 (Cliveden) 草坪变成了稻草，使德比郡高峰区的游泳池人满为患，并导致新森林的矮马在山火中逃亡。天气，第 55 页

历史花园或将迁往更凉爽的北方

Herbie Russell, Sian Bradley Eleanor Tait

由于热浪迫使全国各地的首席园艺师重新设计皇家花坛并剔除受损的灌木，英国皇家园艺学会（RHS）正考虑在英格兰北部建立稀有植物的“保险”收藏集。

由于其位于萨里郡的旗舰花园——威斯利皇家园艺花园（RHS Garden Wisley）温度达到 36℃，该慈善机构计划通过扦插并建立新种群，将其珍贵的绣球花收藏集复制到 200 英里以北的大曼彻斯特地区布里奇沃特皇家园艺花园（RHS Garden Bridgewater），或 190 英里西南方向的德文郡罗斯穆尔皇家园艺花园（RHS Garden Rose-moor），那里的降雨量更高。

与此同时，皇家公园（Royal Parks）慈善机构关闭了装饰性喷泉，这是自 2022 年以来持续时间最长的一次，并且正在重新设计白金汉宫外的红色花坛，因为那里的猩红天竺葵无法应对高温。

历史景观正被迫适应创纪录的高温。邱园（Kew Gardens）部署了土壤水分传感器以保护稀有物种，而历史皇家宫殿（Historic Royal Palaces）正在用耐旱植物替换汉普顿宫的传统床植植物。

植物遗产组织（Plant Heritage）的保护顾问露西·皮特曼（Lucy Pitman）表示，复制整个花卉收藏集是一个“相当新颖的概念”。

“搬迁是可以实现的，”她说，“但更好的办法是进行繁殖，用原植株培育新植物，并将它们分发到其他地方重新种植。”

在伦敦西部的奇斯威克房屋与花园（Chiswick House & Gardens），首席园艺师们正在评估拥有百年历史的杜鹃花和山茶花是否应该搬迁到更阴凉的地方，或者为了节约水资源而将其移除。花园负责人罗西·法伊尔斯（Rosie Fyles）表示，历史悠久的英式花园的整体愿景必须改变，包括其“色彩组合”。

热浪正将景观变为黄色，而非郁郁葱葱的绿色草坪，这迫使首席园艺师们思考哪些植物能在未来炎热干燥的花园中生存。

“现在的外部环境与他们在 17、18 或 19 世纪所想象的完全不同，”法伊尔斯说，并补充道，面对如此严酷的条件，她的工作现实已经发生了变化。“我现在考虑的是如何让植物生存，而不仅仅是如何让它看起来更美。情况已经变得严重得多。”

皇家公园的公园运营负责人达伦·谢尔（Darren Share）表示：“我们希望在白金汉宫正前方保留红、白、蓝三色的展示，但如果你现在去看那些花坛，它们的状态并不像预期的那样好。”

并非全是坏消息。观赏姜的生长情况“格外良好”，毛地黄也生长茂盛。

气候否认者突然沉默了，雨果·里夫金德（Hugo Rifkind），第 27 页

这是新常态，因此最好专注于如何适应，社论，第 29 页

热浪迫使 Boots 停止配送减肥针

Eleanor Hayward 健康编辑

由于在热浪期间配送车无法保持低温，Boots 已不得不暂时暂停 Wegovy 和 Mounjaro 等减肥注射剂的家庭配送服务。

这家药店连锁店表示，做出这一决定是为了确保药物在运输过程中的安全，因为英格兰周四的温度预计将达到 38℃。

减肥注射剂必须储存在冰箱中并保持在 8℃ 以下，因为它们含有脆弱的肽类蛋白质，在接触高温时会分解或降解。

然而， 发现，一旦室外温度超过 30℃，配送车中使用的冷链包装就无法可靠地保持减肥注射剂的低温。该公司建议患者前往当地的 门店领取药物。

公司表示，预计在未来几周内将引入新包装，使药物能够在高达 35℃ 的温度下发出。

在线医生减肥服务的首席药剂师 Mandeep Kaur 表示：“减肥注射剂对温度非常敏感。按照建议进行储存至关重要，因为暴露在建议范围之外的温度可能会影响药物的质量和疗效。”

英国接连出现的热浪对医疗服务产生了严重影响，并导致急诊部门（A&E）迎来了有记录以来最繁忙的夏天。

英国皇家护理学院的一份报告警告称，医院缺乏空调，这意味着在温度超过 35℃ 时，护士会出现晕厥或癫痫发作的情况。

英国皇家护理学院首席执行官 Nicola Ranger 表示：“这些证词应该是一个警钟。当护理人员晕厥、感到眩晕、恶心，甚至因为工作场所无法应对高温而被送入他们工作的医院时，这表明他们遭受的忽视程度是多么严重。”

政府的气候变化委员会已呼吁所有医院和护理院在未来十年内安装空调。

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10

Thursday, August 13 2026 / THE TIMES

新闻

TIMES PHOTO SHOPPER JULIE HEL

新闻快讯：为餐饮供应商 Genuine Dining 制定菜单的米其林两星主厨 Christian Faulkner 正在为《泰晤士报》的记者准备午餐

摩萨德负责人：MI5 因我们挫败英国境内阴谋而赞扬我们

Tom Newton Dunn

一名摩萨德前负责人表示，一名 MI5 局长曾告诉他，他的部门因挫败了在英国境内的多起恐怖主义阴谋而值得获得一座“奥斯卡奖”。

约西·科恩（Yossi Cohen）在披露此事的同时警告安迪·伯纳姆，他对比加沙战争的直率批评可能会导致与以色列的关系破裂，从而使英国人的生命陷入危险。在接受《泰晤士报》采访时，这位 2016 to 2021, 担任以色列对外情报局局长的科恩声称，摩萨德已“在英国土地上挽救了许多许多生命”，并坚持认为该国的新任首相应该记住这一点。

科恩在本周的《将军与记者》（The General and the Journalist）播客中说道：“我引用你们前 MI5 局长的话，他说：‘约西，你在这里所做的一切值得获得奥斯卡奖。你瓦解了英国境内大量的恐怖活动。非常感谢你这么做。’”

“我认为英国政府也应该这样做。我认为英国必须全力支持以色列国，就像你们在自己的土地上遭受恐怖主义袭击时我们支持你们一样。”

上个月，伯纳姆为工党在肯·斯塔默爵士（Sir Ken Starmer）领导下对以色列在加沙行动的反应表示道歉，并承诺他的政府将“做得更好”。这位新任工党领导人还支持

布莱尔顾问如何启发乌克兰的无人机市场

拉里莎·布朗 (Larisa Brown) 国防编辑

近二十年前，一场关于托尼·布莱尔政府公共服务改革的讲座，为乌克兰的首席采购官提供了灵感，促成了这个在饱受战争蹂躏的国家中现行的系统。

2009年，阿森·朱马迪洛夫 (Arsen Zhumadilov) 还是伦敦政治经济学院 (LSE) 的一名学生，当时他听了前唐宁街10号高级政策顾问朱利安·勒格朗爵士 (Professor Sir Julian Le Grand) 教授关于赋予患者和家长在治疗和教育方面更大选择权的优点讨论。

在一次从基辅进行的电话采访中（就在导弹袭击首都后不久），41岁的朱马迪洛夫表示：“勒格朗解释了公共服务中‘准市场’的概念。与其由政府挑选服务接收者或提供者并强加给他们，不如根据便利性、质量和声誉来进行选择。政府则充当付款方。这个想法在当时深深触动了我，并伴随了我很长时间。”

去年2月，当他被提升为乌克兰国防采购机构负责人时，他决定将同样的原则应用于军事领域，特别是无人机的采购。

通过这样做，他改变了该国前线部队购买无人机的方式，将接收时间从九个月缩短至九天。现在，英国国防部对他的经验产生了浓厚兴趣。

受过经济学训练的勒格朗表示，在英国的此类改革下，家长在选择学校时拥有更多选择，这激励了学校提高表现；而需要择期手术的患者则可以在由国民医疗服务体系 (NHS) 根据单次手术成本支付费用的医院中获得更多选择。

在 LSE 攻读公共管理与治理硕士学位的朱马迪洛夫发现，乌克兰的采购机构是一个自上而下、高度集权的机构。“我立即面临的关键问题之一就是无人机采购问题。等到无人机被送到前线时，它们已经过时了，”他说道。

冗长的合同程序和审批意味着，从订购设备到抵达前线有时需要六到九个月。部队收到的无人机有时也不适应他们作战的环境。

朱马迪洛夫带着勒格朗的想法，决定让士兵能够从数字市场中选择他们想要的设备并直接订购。他创建了 DOT-Chain Defence，这是一个武器市场，政府直接将预算分配给旅级单位（通常由数千名士兵组成）。

预算基于旅内营的数量。他们还可以根据在战场上的成功表现（以击毙俄罗斯士兵人数和摧毁敌方装备数量衡量）获得奖金。

这是一个重大转变，士兵们拥有了更多的选择，竞争也更加激烈。旅级单位可以在市场中使用其预算，为特定的任务订购所需的武器。

与此同时，制造商在无人机订单中展开竞争，该系统显著缩短了部队请求与交付之间的时间。公司也被迫根据真实的战场需求来开发技术。

朱马迪洛夫说：“制造商直接向旅级单位供应这些无人机，而无需交付至中央仓库。”

“完全由旅级单位选择他们喜欢的设备，他们每月根据特定公式获得预算。”

他表示，预算还通过基于“电子积分” (e-points) 系统的“激励预算”进行补充。部队可以通过经核实的战场打击赚取电子积分，然后利用这些积分通过 DOT-Chain Defence 获取设备。

一个单位获得的 e-points 数量取决于其月度效能。消除敌方人员、摧毁有人员在内的敌方阵地、摧毁设备以及摧毁敌方电子战天线均可获得 e-points。

Zhumadilov 曾是伦敦政治经济学院（LSE）的学生

以及许多其他类别。使一名俄罗斯士兵受伤可获得 8 个 e-points，12 个被授予死者，摧毁一辆摩托车可获得 4 个。为了获得更多积分，各单位必须提交更多关于如何完成任务的数据，以便进行核实和验证。

自去年 7 月以来，DOT-Chain Defence 已向乌克兰前线交付了超过 120 万 架无人机、无人地面车辆、无人机战斗部和无线电电子战设备。如果指挥官需要更快地获得武器，他们可以使用市场查看可用无人机的数量，以便快速下单。

Zhumadilov 表示：“他们拥有所有工具来加速这一进程，几乎可以立即获得他们想要的东西。”

属于“大宗商品”类别的弹药或其他武器不包括在内，因为集中采购以降低成本更为合理。

据 Zhumadilov 称，目前已有数百个旅使用该系统，用户表示这让他们在面对敌人时占据了“上风”。他说：“无人机仍在积聚势头。这一切最终将呈现出的程度和规模尚无法被完全理解。”

英国国防部（MoD）以采购流程冗长而臭名昭著，有许多需要学习的地方。虽然特种部队在购买装备方面拥有更大的自由度，但其他单位等待订单落实的时间长达 18 个月。

Zhumadilov 表示，他与国防部的国防、装备和支持部门保持着“密切联系”，目前英国官员对乌克兰正在做的事情更感兴趣，而不是他们能给基辅提供什么建议。

Yossi Cohen 在 2016 年至 2021 年期间担任摩萨德（Mossad）局长

针对参与定居者暴力的以色列高级人物采取进一步制裁。

Cohen, 64, 曾担任以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡（Binyamin Netanyahu）的国家安全顾问三年，他表示：“批评是可以的，但反对我们的做法是不可以的。以色列国从未发起这场加沙战争。是恐怖分子，是哈马斯和伊斯兰圣战组织发起的。”

Cohen 在暗示关键情报合作可能会被削减时解释道：“英国政府应该明白，我们了解他们的所作所为。而且今天的英国确实面临着巨大的本地问题。如果你是犹太人，在伦敦或曼彻斯特的街道上行走是不安全的。”

他还为摩萨德在行动中以冷酷著称的声誉进行了辩护。

虽然其秘密任务非常有效，但它也被指控进行法外处决并伤害平民。最近的一个例子是摩萨德如何渗透恐怖组织真主党（Hezbollah）的传呼机供应渠道并在其中植入炸药。数千名特工的设备在黎巴嫩和叙利亚同时爆炸，日期为 September 17, 2024, 导致数十人死亡，但据报道，也导致大量旁观者残疾或受伤。

Cohen 出版了一本关于其任职经历的书，名为《自由之剑》（The Sword of Freedom），他表示：“这类行动创造了一种非常重要的精神——不仅是我们敢于这样做，不仅是我们将采取一切必要措施保护我们的国家免受恐怖主义和未来潜在生存威胁的影响，而且我希望每个人都知道我们在这样做。”

本周请在您获取播客的任何平台收听《泰晤士报》的《将军与记者》（The General and the Journalist）节目中对 Yossi Cohen 的完整采访。

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11

11

News

财政部未能保护因“办公室八卦”而自杀的私人助理

乔治·奥德林（George Odling）与马修·杨（Matthew Young）报道：26岁的克洛伊·莫法特（Chloe Moffat）在一次“恶意”投诉后的第二天自杀身亡

一名在财政部工作且对工作感到满意的一名私人助理，在成为一项“恶意”投诉的对象后的第二天自杀身亡，其母亲如此表示。

安妮·莫法特（Anne Moffat）表示，她的女儿克洛伊·莫法特（Chloe Moffat），26岁，此前一直“非常开心”，在收到匿名投诉之前，她并不知道自己出色的表现将在即将到来的评估中为她赢得奖金。

去年5月19日，莫法特参加了一次与管理层的会议，会上她被告知有人指控她分享了关于同事的敏感机密信息，她对此予以否认。一名验尸官认定，英国财政部（HM Treasury）未能告知她通过纪律处分程序不太可能失去工作，这对她的死亡产生了“实质性影响”。

“她在那儿工作非常开心，绝对开心，”安妮·莫法特告诉《泰晤士报》。“她已经准备好晋升了，然后出现了一些指控，克洛伊否认了这些指控。”

“[这些指控是由]匿名证人提出的，据我们了解，他们将一直保持匿名，因此永远无法提供证词。”

“我们知道指控的内容——不过是办公室八卦，我敢肯定这完全是恶意的，令人遗憾。正如验尸官所说，这件事没有按照政策处理。”

在萨里郡验尸法院为期三天的调查审理中获悉，莫法特在财政部工作了近三年。她“热爱自己的工作”，并且拥有“模范的雇佣记录”。

“她深受好评，我们有她在三年多时间里为其工作的主管们发来的电子邮件，”她的母亲说。“财政部在年终绩效评估时会发放奖金——她实际上刚刚获得了一笔，但她对此并不知情。”

周一，助理验尸官安娜·克劳福德（Anna Crawford）记录了自杀的结论，并表示该政府部门由于未执行书面纪律政策，且未能解释最严厉的处罚可能是书面警告而非解雇，从而导致了莫法特的死亡。

在与两名管理者的会议中，莫法特流泪询问自己是否会失去工作，但资深管理者告诉她，目前“无法预测结果”。

莫法特发信息给一位朋友，表示她认为自己会被解雇，随后她给母亲打了电话，两人决定她回萨里郡戈达尔明（Godalming）的父母家中居住。她在第二天结束了自己的生命。

克劳福德表示，如果遵循正确的政策，莫法特本应收到一封列明细节的信函，并被告知可能的处罚。

她发布了一份防止未来死亡通知书，并表示：“我确信，指控带来的震惊与痛苦，以及认为自己将失去工作的想法，影响了她的心理状态。”

克洛伊·莫法特（上图及左图）在财政部工作了三年。

莫法特的母亲表示，家人对验尸官的调查结果感到满意。

62岁的尼基·迪克森（Nikki Dixon）是莫法特在伦敦南部布里克斯顿（Brixton）家中的邻居，她表示：“她不怎么谈论工作，但她每天出门上班以及晚上回来时总是打扮得精致无瑕——你能看出她对待工作非常认真。”

“这真的太、太令人难过了。她是一个拥有所有优势、前途无量的人。”

财政部表示：“我们继续为失去克洛伊这位同事和朋友而哀悼。我们的心与她的家人和朋友同在。我们极其严肃地对待验尸官的关切，并意识到迅速采取行动至关重要。我们目前正在仔细考虑调查结果。”

“我们已经对指导、支持和福祉安排进行了改进，但意识到我们必须继续采取行动，防止此类事件再次发生。”

可通过 116 123 匿名联系撒玛利亚人（Samaritans）或访问 chat.samaritans.org

教师因涉嫌与痴迷于她的男孩发生性关系受审

Mark Ludlow

法庭获悉，伦敦北部一所男子综合中学的一名女教师在 20 世纪 80 年代后期与一名“痴迷于她”的青少年学生发生了“20 到 30 次”性行为。

哈罗刑事法院的陪审团听取证词称，现年 64 岁的莎莉-安·鲍文（Sally-Anne Bowen）还被指控在 1986 年至 1988 年期间，允许另一名学生在学校附近的一家咖啡馆午餐时触摸她的乳房并亲吻她。

来自赫特福德郡赫梅尔亨普斯特德（Hemel Hempstead）的鲍文面临六项针对第一名男孩的猥亵袭击指控，以及两项针对第二名男孩的指控，当时两名男孩的年龄均在 14 到 15 岁之间。

鲍文在涉嫌犯罪时年仅 25 岁，她否认了这些指控。

检方代表玛德琳·沃尔夫（Madeleine Wolfe）表示，鲍文并未强迫这两名学生，学生们似乎愿意参与调情行为和性活动，但这显然是这位化学教师违背了信任。

“通过与他们调情并与其发生性行为，她利用自己的职位来满足个人的性快感，”沃尔夫说。“由于这些男孩是以这种方式被利用的，他们方面任何表面的同意都不是对性活动的真实同意。”

“问题不在于这些男孩当时是否显得受宠若惊或痴迷，而在于鲍文女士是否逾越了旨在保护他们的界限。”

尽管两名男孩都不是鲍文班上的学生，但她与他们都建立了友好关系。第一名学生（现年 50 多岁）表示，鲍文给予的额外关注让他“感觉很特别”，并承认自己被她吸引。他首次向现在的妻子透露了涉嫌受虐的情况，妻子告诉他去报警，于是他在 2014 年报了警。

在接受警方询问时，鲍文表示他曾“痴迷”于她并一直跟随她，但否认有任何不当行为，将其描述为“纯粹的幻想”。她在 2024 年再次接受询问，同样否认了这些指控。

由于这些指控，鲍文在 2022 年面临教学监管局（Teaching Regulation Authority）的听证会。第二名学生在读到关于该听证会的消息后，在妻子和家人的鼓励下站出来举报。

在询问过程中，鲍文告诉警方她不记得他了。

审判仍在继续。

一名女性在舞曲节死亡

Seren Hughes

在诺福克郡一座庄园内举办的一场音乐节上，一名女性在帐篷内被发现昏迷不醒，随后死亡。

霍顿音乐节（Houghton Festival）是在霍顿大厅（Houghton Hall）的 grounds 内举办的一场舞曲节，音乐在整个周末期间不间断地播放。2023年，威尔士王妃出席了该音乐节，该地距离威尔士亲王和王妃在桑德灵厄姆庄园的乡村住宅安默大厅（Anmer Hall）不到五英里。

诺福克郡警方表示，一名未透露姓名的女性在周日（音乐节最后一天）晚上 8.11 分被发现昏迷在帐篷内，随后死亡。急救人员赶到现场，但她已在现场死亡。

警方将此次死亡视为“原因不明”，但认为不具有可疑之处。

霍顿音乐节在的一份声明中表示：“我们深感悲痛地确认，一名人士在 2026 年霍顿音乐节期间去世。在这个困难时刻，我们的心与他们的家人和挚爱同在。”

“我们感谢现场医疗团队、活动响应团队以及诺福克郡警局，他们都立即做出了响应。”

“我们将继续与相关部门密切合作，在调查过程中尽一切可能提供支持。”

该音乐节于 8 月 6-9 日举行，约有 10,000 人参加。它由克雷格·理查兹（Craig Richards）于 2017 年创立，他长期担任伦敦 Fabric 夜总会的驻场 DJ 及周六晚上的音乐总监。

霍顿音乐节设在乔蒙德侯爵大卫（David）及其妻子罗斯·汉伯里（Rose Hanbury）住宅的林地中。

据称，威尔士王妃在 2023 年于霍顿大厅共进晚餐后，在安保人员和朋友的陪同下短暂出席了该音乐节。

诺福克郡警方的一位发言人表示：“我们在 8 月 9 日周日晚上 8.11 分接到报案，称一名女性被发现昏迷在帐篷内，对其安全表示担忧，于是前往霍顿音乐节。”

“警员与现场医疗团队一同赶到，但尽管做出了努力，该女性仍被宣布在现场死亡。其近亲已获通知。”

“此次死亡目前被视为原因不明，但认为不具有可疑之处。我们的调查正在进行中。”

威尔士酒吧发生“袭击”事件，102岁男子危殆

Seren Hughes

一名 102 岁的男子在南威尔士的一家酒吧涉嫌遭到袭击后，目前处于危殆状态。

格温特郡警方在 8 月 1 日周六晚上约 10.25 分接到报案，称库姆布兰（Cwmbran）的 Crow's Nest 酒吧发生了袭击事件。警员和医护人员赶到现场，该男子被送往医院治疗。据警方称，他目前仍处于危殆状态。

一名来自拉内利（Llanelli）的 56 岁男子因涉嫌袭击被捕，随后在调查期间被释放。

Llanyridon 社交俱乐部的经理凯西·史密斯（Casey Smith）表示，这名 102 岁的男子经常光顾。她说：“他在这里成了常客已经很久了，我们还为他举办了 100 岁生日派对。显然，我们希望他能康复——102 岁确实不是一个适合[受伤]的年纪。”

警方呼吁证人提供线索，表示希望与 8 月 1 日晚上 10 点至 11 点之间在酒吧内的任何人交谈。

Crow's Nest 酒吧表示：“如果有人在那天晚上在酒吧内并目击了此事，请与警方联系。”

格温特郡警方表示：“一名来自拉内利的 56 岁男子因涉嫌违反第 20 条款的袭击行为被捕，随后在调查期间被释放。”

任何掌握信息的人可以通过拨打 101 联系警方，并引用关键参考号 2600249432，或通过 0800 555 111 或其网站匿名联系 Crimestoppers。

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新闻

DAVID BROWN / STANFORD DAVID / STATES

[图片]

皇家同花顺：萨里郡蒂尔福德（Tilford）乡村生活生活博物馆中一个乡村商店的重建场景，展示了庆祝伊丽莎白二世女王 1953 年加冕的商品

海外学生在补录中更具优势

乔治亚·兰伯特 (Georgia Lambert)

《泰晤士报》的一项分析发现，在英国一些顶尖大学的补录（clearing）过程中，国际学生获得的选择机会远多于英国申请者。

申请者在未达到录取条件时，会通过补录来寻找大学名额。由于学费差异以及政府对英国学生入学人数的限制，许多英国大学在补录中向国际申请者提供的本科名额选择范围比国内候选人更广。海外学生支付的学费远高于国内本科生。

截至昨日，罗素大学集团（Russell Group）大学通过补录提供的本科课程共有 24,719 门。来自英格兰的学生可以选择 3,483 门课程，而苏格兰和威尔士学生每类可选择 3,296 门，北爱尔兰学生可选择 3,291 门，爱尔兰共和国学生可选择 3,572 门。海外申请者的选择范围更广，欧洲学生可选择 3,887 门课程，非欧盟学生可选择 3,894 门。

Ucas 首席执行官乔·萨克斯顿 (Jo Saxton) 最近预测，通过补录接受录取名额的人数以及直接申请补录的人数都将创下纪录。

占屋特使：我是在对抗军政府

大卫·布朗 (David Brown) 首席新闻记者

在过去的五年里，缅甸前驻英国大使一直拒绝离开其官方官邸，因为他认为自军事政变以来，其国家政府是“非法的”。

乔·佐瓦·明 (Kyaw Zwar Minn) 昨日在威斯敏斯特治安法院出庭，接受关于涉嫌非法侵入外交使团的审判。尽管在 2021 年被军事军政府解雇，他仍与家人一起住在伦敦北部汉普斯特德 (Hampstead) 的这座豪宅中。

法院获悉，在被解雇后，乔·佐瓦·明写信给当时的威尔士亲王（现任国王），并收到了查尔斯国王首席私人秘书的回信，后者“对其立场表示支持”。

法院还获悉，在乔·佐瓦·明呼吁释放缅甸受牛津大学教育的文职领导人昂山素季后，时任保守党外交部大臣的奈杰尔·亚当斯 (Nigel Adams) 也对他表示支持。

随后，亚当斯告知乔·佐瓦·明必须在 31 天内离开官方官邸，且其外交豁免权将被撤销。法院听证会获悉，亚当斯向这位外交官提供了 3 万英镑 以及警方的协助。

乔·佐瓦·明因涉嫌侵入缅甸外交使团而出庭

这位 68 岁的男子随后基于“有充分理由担心受到迫害”而被授予难民身份。

英国官方并不承认缅甸的军事军政府，并对高级军官和部分企业实施了制裁。

辩方律师大卫·佩里 (David Perry KC) 表示：

“明的观点是，缅甸政府是非法的，军方当局不能合法地终止他的任命……他们也不能合法地使用该财产。”

这位缅甸军队的前上校此前曾担任驻联合国大使。他于 2013 年移居伦敦，其管辖范围还包括爱尔兰、丹麦、挪威和瑞典，直到他被锁在位于梅费尔 (Mayfair) 的大使馆之外。

检方律师露易丝·奥克利 (Louise Oakley KC) 表示，当乔·佐瓦·明在 2021 年 4 月被召回时，他收到了一封信函，指示他离开外交场所，包括被称为“缅甸屋” (Myanmar House) 的官方官邸。“被告可能不承认政变的结果……我们认为，这无关紧要，”她补充道。

缅甸驻英临时代办温·泽亚·通 (Win Zeyar Tun)，49 岁，是缅甸在伦敦的最高级别外交官。由于英国不承认军政府，他无法以大使身份向国王递交国书。

他告诉法院，乔·佐瓦·明被解雇大使职务是因为他在未经外交部批准的情况下发表声明，违反了公务员条例。

审判延期至 9 月 25 日。

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新闻

剑桥大学副校长称 Arday 案例为异常情况

Nicola Woolcock 教育编辑

剑桥大学副校长称杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）的任命是一次“异常”，并宣布鉴于其作品引发的剽窃争议，将对高级学术任命进行审查。

德博拉·普伦蒂斯（Deborah Prentice）在给员工的一封信中表示，关于阿尔代任命的争议不应使其他少数族裔学者受到质疑。阿尔代在 2023 年被聘用时是该校最年轻的黑人教授。

教育学院将作为该审查过程的一部分接受调查。在被指控剽窃其博士论文及其他研究的部分内容后，阿尔代于上周三辞职，校方已开始对其学术资格和荣誉任命展开调查。

阿尔代声称自己在 11 岁之前无法说话，直到 18 岁才学会读写。他否认剽窃指控。

剑桥大学教育学院即将离任的负责人希拉里·克雷明（Hilary Cremin）曾对阿尔代被选举委员会一致任命表示欢迎，并称：“我们非常幸运能拥有你。”

心态转变

July 24 《泰晤士报》报道了针对 Arday 的剽窃指控。剑桥大学称这些指控“卑劣”。包括一名剑桥大学学院院长在内的多位学者支持 Arday。

July 31 自指控爆发以来， 首次接受《泰晤士报》采访，否认剽窃，但承认自己犯过错误。剑桥大学表示，校方“极其严肃”地对待学术不端指控，并补充说，投诉人应联系涉嫌剽窃行为发生时的相关大学。

August 3 剑桥大学沃尔夫森学院（Wolfson College）院长撤回了对他的支持。

August 4 《泰晤士报》就进一步的学术不端指控与剑桥大学及 取得联系。

** 5** 剑桥大学启动调查，并拒绝在程序结束前发表进一步评论。 曾担任研究员的耶稣学院（Jesus College）也启动了调查。剑桥大学和耶稣学院要求人们尊重 。 辞职，但继续否认有不当行为。

** 7** 剑桥大学的学者要求对 的任命进行独立调查。

** 12** 剑桥大学副校长宣布将审查高级学术人员的任命，并对 曾工作的教育学院进行调查。

在 7 月份首次报道剽窃指控时，剑桥大学曾为 辩护。一名发言人表示，这些指控毫无根据，且是“一场旨在破坏其信誉的卑劣活动”的一部分。该大学在 July 24 表示，已对指控进行了调查，未发现不当行为。

Prentice 承认此案“困难且具有破坏性”，并导致了愤怒和焦虑。其他大学将协助领导此次关于 如何被任命的最新调查。

“我知道这个具有破坏性且困难的案件引发了愤怒和焦虑，”Prentice 昨天表示。“我们现在将调查 2022 年教育学院任命他的情况，以及他近四年前被任命以来在剑桥大学期间的情况。”

表示，调查将是彻底、透明的，并由来自“剑桥大学内部及外部”的高级学者独立执行。她补充说，“工作必须尽快开始”，随后这将为审查高级学术职位的任命流程提供参考。

的信中补充道：“高级学术职位的任命，正如

Deborah 誓言将对 的任命进行独立调查

教育学院和 Jason 的案例一样，目前由部门层面主导。我注意到杜伦大学和格拉斯哥大学已宣布，它们也在调查 Jason 被任命的相关情况，且耶稣学院已接受他辞去研究员职务的申请。”

“此外，大学的研究政策委员会将审查研究不端行为政策。我们需要了解，当涉及剑桥大学自身学术标准的严重指控被提出时，我们是否还能做更多工作。”

补充道：“我想非常明确地表示，我们不需要等待调查结果，就能清晰且响亮地肯定，我们的有色人种员工因其学术造诣、成就以及他们对本机构和更广泛学术界的贡献而受到高度重视。”

“这个特定案例是一个特例，不应被用来诋毁他们的工作或他们在剑桥大学职位的合法性。”

她暗示审查过程不会很快，称：“我们需要让这些审查有效地完成工作，以便我们能从任何错误中学习，并在需要时改进我们的流程。”

对于一名持批评态度的剑桥大学学者来说， 的回应是不充分的，该学者表示员工们面临着一场副校长尚未处理的“风暴”。

北美历史教授兼耶稣学院研究员 Nicholas Guyatt 表示， 的信件

同学质疑“失语儿童”说法

在杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）从剑桥大学辞职后，关于他早年失语且直到 11 岁才学会说话的说法引发了质疑（艾玛·约曼斯撰文）。阿尔代的两名童年好友声称，他们记得他小时候会“聊天”并“开玩笑”。

然而，另外两名同学和一名家长则表示，他当时确实失语且需要大量帮助。

在被任命时，因涉嫌剽窃和学术不端而辞职的阿尔代描述了自己如何从伦敦南部克拉珀姆（Clapham）一个市政住宅区里一名患有严重自闭症且失语的儿童，成长为剑桥大学的一名教授。

他在回忆录《伟大而不幸之事》（Great and Unfortunate Things）中讲述了他的早年生活，以及学习说话，并最终在 18 岁时学会读写。

杰森·阿尔代在 2016 年利物浦约翰摩尔大学的博士学位授予仪式上

然而，乔纳森·斯图尔特（Jonathan Stewart）告诉《卫报》，他在希思布鲁克（Heathbrook）小学比阿尔代低一年级，他称阿尔代是班上的开心果，并表示：“他总是开玩笑。他是那个喜剧人物，甚至还会模仿各种声音。”

阿尔代是一名出色的守门员，目前仍在周日联赛球队巴特西公园游骑兵队（Battersea Park Rangers）效力，他那时会自带手套去学校，甚至在混凝土操场上做出扑救动作。

斯图尔特声称，当他们乘坐小型巴士去主日学校时，阿尔代会通过演唱广告歌曲来娱乐同伴。

另一名同样比阿尔代低一年级的同学表示：“我对他的记忆不多，但我肯定记得他是能说话的。”

然而，另外两名仍与阿尔代保持联系的朋友则表示，他的描述是真实的，并回忆起一个沉默且面临挑战的小学儿童，他经常被带离课堂以接受额外支持。

在回忆录中，阿尔代说他小时候接受了广泛的语言治疗，但由于进展太小，治疗几乎被放弃。他写道：“奇迹般地，就在我 12 岁生日前几天，我开口说话了。”

在提供给《泰晤士报》的一份声明中，一名朋友写道：“他经常因为教育需求而被带离课堂。”

“他严重的特殊需求并没有阻止他与我和其他人一起踢球和玩游戏，因为他依然很友好，可以通过游戏和行动进行交流。”

尼克·克拉克（Nick Clarke）在成年后也与他一起踢球，他在通过阿尔代提供给《卫报》的一份声明中表示，阿尔代当时是失语的。克拉克的母亲卡罗琳·罗素-克拉克（Caroline Russell-Clarke）也认识阿尔代并在托儿所期间帮助过他，她表示他有“严重的学习困难”。

是一次“进步”，但质疑为什么她还没有“公开发声”为剑桥大学更广泛的员工辩护。盖亚特（Guyatt）参与组织了一封上周发送给副校长（90）资深学者的信函，批评其对局势的处理方式。

盖亚特以个人身份表示，如果普伦蒂斯（Prentice）早些公开表态，或许能平息近几周激烈的媒体报道。盖亚特表示，调查的参数让他感到安心，并称调查需要独立运行。他建议信函的一两名签署人应当参与其中。他说：“这绝对必须在不畏强权、不徇私情的情况下进行。”

杜伦大学表示，其已对 2019 年阿尔代被任命为初级学术职位的过程进行了审查，并补充道：“他是通过标准的竞争性招聘流程被任命的，符合该职位的公开标准。他四年前就离开了杜伦大学，不再与我们有任何正式关联。关于其博士论文剽窃的指控在他离开杜伦大学之后才出现。”

高等教育法大律师丹尼尔·索科尔（Daniel Sokol）表示，围绕阿尔代学术能力的争论应促使大学“提出严肃的问题”，包括考官是如何选定和支付报酬的，以及学术不端指控是如何调查的。

Arday 于 2015 年获得利物浦约翰摩尔大学的博士学位，其论文篇幅 401 页，主题为学生教师之间的同伴指导。利物浦约翰摩尔大学此前对相关指控进行了调查，并未维持剽窃的认定，而将问题归结为“诚实且合理的错误”。

Sokol 在 15 年间一直代表挑战博士考试失败的学生，他声称博士学位授予过程存在“缺陷”，且“劣质论文可能通过，而优秀论文却可能失败”。他补充说，调查指控耗时过长，且考官与导师之间的专业关系可能会影响谁来评审论文。目前没有迹象表明这些问题影响了 Arday。

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新闻

绿色 JCB 创下令人艳羡的 406mph

一名退役英国皇家空军飞行员驾驶一辆氢动力车辆创下了新的陆地速度记录，就在他成为首位在陆地上突破音障的人近 20 年之后（劳伦斯·斯莱特撰文）。

64, 岁的安迪·格林（Andy Green）翼级指挥官在犹他州的邦内维尔盐滩（Bonneville Salt Flats）达到了 406 英里 / 小时的时速。之前的记录是 303mph，由俄亥俄州立大学的学生制造的 Buckeye Bullet 2 在 2009 年创下。

格林驾驶的是一辆双发动机、32 英尺长的 JCB Hydromax，综合制动马力为 1,600 匹。在邦内维尔的两次运行中，它记录的平均速度为 406.32mph。

格林持有多项陆地速度记录。在 1997. 年驾驶一辆喷气动力车辆以 763mph 的时速穿越内华达州的黑岩沙漠（Black Rock Desert）后，他至今仍是唯一在陆地上突破音障的人。2006 年，他驾驶 Dieselmax 在邦内维尔创下了柴油车辆的陆地速度记录，时速超过 350mph。

针对这次最新的记录，格林表示：“这辆车太棒了——稳定、强劲且快速……这次记录是一个世界级团队和卓越技术的巨大成就。”氢内燃机通常被认为是零排放的，因为不释放二氧化碳，主要副产品是水蒸气，尽管燃烧该气体也会释放微量的氮氧化物。在创纪录的运行中， Hydromax（其轮胎在高速行驶时会膨胀）预计将消耗略高于 2,kg 的氢气，并产生 18 升水。

主席巴姆福德勋爵（Lord Bamford）表示：“二十年前，我们带着 Dieselmax 来到邦内维尔，展示了英国工程在柴油动力方面能做到的成就。[现在] 我们再次做到了——这一次是使用氢动力发动机。”

“这次记录是由基于量产的发动机创下的，与目前驱动 挖掘机的发动机相同。这就是 Hydromax 的意义所在：它证明了氢能可行，并且在今天能以零排放实现最高水平的运行。”

领导该项目的 工程总监瑞安·巴拉德（Ryan Ballard）表示：“这次记录属于工程团队，他们将一台氢动力挖掘机发动机变成了地球上同类产品中最快的一台。从去年 2 月设定目标之初，这就是一项惊人的挑战。我们准备充分地来到这里，而这辆车也交出了答卷。”

安迪·格林创纪录运行后，团队在犹他州的邦内维尔盐滩庆祝（左）

政府对飞行噪音抗议置若罔闻

比尔·柯蒂斯 (Bill Curtis)

在部长们同意削弱噪音保护措施以缩短飞行时间并降低随之而来的碳排放后，位于飞行路径下的数千户家庭将面临更多的噪音污染。

根据新的法定指南，政府将优先考虑燃油效率和更短的航线，而非限制 5,000 英尺高度以上的飞机噪音，这一阈值低于目前的 7,000 英尺。这意味着较短的航线将比较长但较安静的航线更受青睐。

大机场附近的近 10,000 户家庭可能会受到影响，包括希思罗机场周边的 6,200 户、曼彻斯特机场周边的 1,600 户、爱丁堡机场周边的 1,500 户以及盖特威克机场周边的 400 户。

这项尚在咨询阶段的改革旨在解决飞行员长期以来对过时飞行路径的抱怨。英国的领空走廊大部分绘制于 20 世纪 50 年代，当时全国每年处理 200,000 趟航班，而去年这一数字为 250 万。

在目前的管制下，从西班牙飞往卢顿的航班经常被引导向北飞至剑桥大学附近，然后才转向南飞着陆。飞往希思罗机场的跨大西洋抵达航班经常在伦敦东部的等待区进行盘旋等待。

由航空部长基尔·马瑟 (Keir Mather) 签署的文件承认，在向民航局 (CAA) 发布的更新版航空导航指南下，“一些社区可能会经历航空噪音的增加”。

该文件称：“[这些变化] 可能会导致在某些高度区间内，空域设计优先考虑效率或减排而非噪音缓解……因此，一些社区可能会经历航空噪音的增加，特别是如果飞行路径为了优化燃油消耗或容量而进行调整。”

民航局 (CAA) 的模型显示，将阈值降低到 5,000 英尺，大机场周边受保护的家庭数量下降幅度相对较小——希思罗机场下降 2%，盖特威克机场下降 6%。

然而，政府分析警告称，如果将阈值进一步降低到 4,000 英尺，将导致希思罗机场周边的 38,000 多户家庭以及

音量调高

主要机场周边的近 10,000 户家庭将不再被纳入政府限制飞机噪音暴露的优先范围

爱丁堡被排除在官方噪音保护之外。

将噪音优先阈值降低至 5,000 英尺将允许飞机飞行更直接的航线，每年为航空公司节省约 £600 万 的燃油成本。预计每年将减少 37,000 吨二氧化碳排放。

官方估计承认，单次飞行的燃油收益将是微小的，因为飞机在通过新受影响的 5,000 英尺至 7,000 英尺区间时将花费几分钟攀升，但部长们坚持认为，累积的效率提升将带来长期利益。

一名交通部消息人士表示，“一个社区噪音的增加可能意味着另一个社区噪音的减少”，并补充说，不同局部地区之间影响的差异是不可避免的。他们还表示，由于起降速度加快，在机场盘旋的飞机产生的噪音将会减少。

“反对盖特威克噪音排放”活动小组的萨莉·佩维 (Sally Pavey) 表示：“研究表明，飞机飞行高度越低，噪音越大。我们已经争取到了让飞机升至 7,000 英尺，而现在想要降低这一高度，表明了对那些已受影响者的公然漠视。”

希思罗机场噪音控制协会的政策总监保罗·贝克福德 (Paul Beckford) 表示：“政府正在削弱对居住在飞行路径下的人们的保护。考虑到拟议中的希思罗机场扩建将每年增加 276,000 趟航班，这一点尤其令人担忧。”

交通部一名发言人表示：“我们的新指南……将创建更顺畅、更直接的机场进入航线。任何变更都将经过严格的咨询。”

删减登记册是给间谍的“礼物”

奥利弗·赖特 (Oliver Wright) 政策编辑

资深议员警告称，一项隐藏威斯敏斯特 2,000 名议员雇员姓名的决定，将使敌对国家更容易监视下议院。

中国议会联盟（Ipac）表示，通过议员工作人员的利益登记册，已经揭露了关于“中国间谍活动”的严重指控。然而，在下议院标准委员会做出决定后，该登记册从本月起被删减，删除了所有为议员工作的人员姓名。

Ipac 执行董事卢克·德·普尔福德（Luke de Pulford）表示：“议会工作人员长期以来一直是威权主义国家的软肋。删除工作人员姓名，是对那些意图监视并颠覆我们民主生活方式核心之人的礼物。”

委员会表示：“我们承认这代表了当前登记册所提供的透明度发生了变化，但考虑到向我们提出的安全担忧，我们认为这是一个适度的调整。”

知情权，Thunderer，第 26 页

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TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk / @timesdiary

改革党的高端新邻居

被定罪的诈骗犯乔治·科特雷尔（George Cottrell）与改革英国党（Reform UK）的关系现在更近了，至少在地理意义上是这样。在有消息称他的办公室现在与改革英国党位于米尔班克塔（Millbank Tower）的办公室在同一栋建筑后，该党仍然坚称它与“高端乔治”在政治上仅相当于好朋友。然而，虽然科特雷尔仅被描述为一名政党志愿者，但有人看到他与该党财政部发言人罗伯特·詹里克（Robert Jenrick）通电话，因此他似乎至少是一名兴趣浓厚的志愿者。虽然双方都不会喜欢这种类比，但科特雷尔让人想起杰里米·科尔宾（Jeremy Corbyn）。就改革英国党而言，我们应该相信他虽然在场但并未参与。

首相已经对国家的商业街产生了影响。周二，LBC 询问安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）最喜欢的 Greggs 订单，在他回答是“香肠、豆子和奶酪那个东西”后，这家面包店很快发现他们的香肠豆子奶酪融心三明治被抢购一空。“销量激增，”一名 Greggs 发言人说，“谢谢你，安迪。”面包店现在已根据伯纳姆的描述将其重新命名。因此，首相可以声称对增长产生了影响，尽管影响的是人们的腰围。

梅尔的 Goodie 2:2

祝所有在今天收到成绩的 A-level 学生好运，请记住最终一切都会好起来的。以喜剧演员梅尔·吉德罗伊克（Mel Giedroyc）为例，她在等待大学考试结果时压力极大，因为她根本没学习，最后写了“25 页关于 Goodies 和蒙提·派森（Monty Python）的绝对废话”。批改她试卷的剑桥大学教授们一定很困惑，因为她的学位专业是法语和意大利语。她在《如何失败》（How to Fail）播客中讲述，她甚至给自己画了一个黑眼圈，并考虑在“写字的手上造成轻微骨折，这样我就不用参加考试了”。尽管如此，她还是拿到了 2:2 学位。这个结果更令人印象深刻，因为正如我们现在深知的，当时的剑桥大学标准要高得多。

由于好莱坞演员瑞安·雷诺兹（Ryan Reynolds，左图）买下了当地足球队并拍摄了一部电视节目，雷克瑟姆市（Wrexham）的旅游业得到了显著提升。现在，一对德克萨斯州夫妇更进一步，因为这些报道而搬到了北威尔士。雷诺兹以他标志性的冷面风格回应了这一消息。在看到“一对夫妇在观看剧集后将从德克萨斯州搬到雷克瑟姆”的标题后，他评论道：“谢天谢地，他们没看《切尔诺贝利》。”

神圣的谦卑

在安·沃尔德科姆（Ann Waldecombe）这位前保守党议员安葬之际，更多关于她的故事被分享出来。其中一个故事讲述了她在就业部担任部长期间，坚持要求公务员称呼她为“安”。身为初级部长的亨利勋爵（Lord Henley）反对这种摒弃礼节的做法，但沃尔德科姆说：“我不明白，奥利弗。我的意思是，上帝都叫我安。”这位初级部长回答道：“真的吗？上帝叫我亨利勋爵。”

杰克·布莱克本（JACK BLACKBURN）

克拉珀姆枪击身亡男子身份公布

杰西卡·沙基（Jessica Sharkey）犯罪报道记者

一名在伦敦南部一家酒吧附近被枪杀的 25 岁休假巴士司机已被警方公布姓名。

奥古斯特-马里·比莱-阿卡·阿莫阿（Auguste-Marie Bile-aka Amoa），绰号“比利”，在周一晚上警方接到克拉珀姆（Clapham）威灵顿路（Willington Road）发生枪击事件的报告后，在现场死亡。

伦敦警察厅表示，一名 22, 岁的嫌疑人在不久后因涉嫌谋杀被捕，目前仍在医院接受警方看管。

邻居们形容阿莫阿是一个“冷静、礼貌且懂得尊重他人的人”。一位朋友表示，他是在“错误的时间出现在了错误的地方”。

35, 岁的桑莎·弗里茨（Sansha Fritz）周二告诉《泰晤士报》，事件发生时，阿莫阿正准备送女友回家。

住在威灵顿路的弗里茨说：“我从未见过他大吼大叫，或者做出反常举动，也没见他跟什么人混在一起。他就是个好人。他总是带着微笑，笑容很美。”

她说，在听到枪声后她赶到了现场，并见到了阿莫阿的女友，后者告诉她，在“枪响”之前，一名男子走向了他们。

另一位不愿透露姓名的邻居表示，阿莫阿担任巴士司机已一年多。他说：“他不是帮派成员；他很文明。他只是在做一份普通的工作，照顾家庭。”

这位邻居说，阿莫阿的母亲

警方公布了 25 岁的奥古斯特-马里·比莱-阿卡·阿莫阿的照片

和姐姐在事后立即赶到了现场，他的母亲大喊：“那是我的儿子！那是我的儿子！”

一位住在附近且不愿透露姓名的阿莫阿密友说：“他就是一个善良的人。”

兰多（Landor）酒吧旁的现场摆放了鲜花和蜡烛。

负责领导此次调查的首席侦探督察克莱尔·盖弗（Claire Guiver）表示，在受害者家属“面对这一悲剧”之际，她对他们表示慰问。

她补充道：“我们继续呼吁任何掌握信息的人提供线索。如果您在枪击发生时在该区域，目击了任何可疑情况，或拥有任何有助于我们调查的闭路电视（CCTV）、行车记录仪或门铃录像，我们恳请您与我们联系。”

烤肉串

艺术

祝贺今天收到成绩的所有人。为了让大学生活更有滋味，学生在开设 FlexStudent 银行账户时可获得 £100 现金和 £120 的 Just Eat 代金券。这是大学生活，但更懂美食。

nationwide

一种良好的银行服务方式

往来账户

账户转移

保证

英国居民，18+ 岁，持有无条件录取通知书或已确认获得为期 2+ 年的英国全日制 UCAS 课程名额。适用条款及资格标准。要获得 £100 现金及 12 个月每月 £10 的 Just Eat 代金券，需在 15 July 2026 或之后申请；在账户中存入 £500，在 11 December 2026, 前进行 5+ 次符合条件的借记卡支付，并保持账户开启状态。如果您处于学习的第 2 年（或之后），或此前曾获得过 FlexStudent 激励，则无法享受此优惠。限时优惠，可随时撤回。完整条款请见 nationwide.co.uk / flexstudent。信息准确至 13 August 2026。

Nationwide 建筑协会，Nationwide House, Pipers Way, Swindon, Wiltshire SN38 1NW

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Waitrose 香草哈罗米芝士烤肉串 2 串，240g，£5。 克里奥尔酱国王虾串 4 串，163g，£5。 橡木烟熏 BBQ 牛肉汉堡 4 个，545g，£5。仅限部分门店及产品线。视供应情况而定。优惠于 9 月 15 日结束。适用最低在线消费额及配送费。海峡群岛、Little & Partners 及特许经营店的价格可能有所不同。价格在印刷时准确。所示为建议食用方式。

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17

新闻

艾克本的玩笑在阿拉姆的喜剧大师课中升华

剧评 克莱夫·戴维斯

《另一半如何恋爱》（How the Other Half Loves）

伦敦 Old Vic 剧院（160分钟）

★★★★☆

无论他是简单地穿上雨衣，还是穿着内裤登场，你都无法将目光从罗杰·阿拉姆（Roger Allam）身上移开。尽管 Old Vic 剧院复排的《另一半如何恋爱》在某些时刻显得有些生硬——某些角色与其说是真实的人，不如说更像道具——但阿拉姆在喜剧节奏的掌控上献上了一场大师课。每一次停顿，每一次犹豫，每一句结结巴巴的话语都令人愉悦。

就像 70 年代的经典剧作《艾比盖尔的派对》（Abigail's Party）——该剧本周回到了伦敦舞台——艾伦·艾克本（Alan Ayckbourn）这部 1969 年的婚姻喜剧通过极其尴尬的场景构建幽默。其核心是一个极其巧妙的把戏，让我们同时偷听到两场晚餐派对。这种构思与迈克尔·弗雷恩（Michael Frayn）在《闹剧》（Noises Off）中呈现的闹剧幕后版本一样精妙。

在菲利普·布林（Phillip Breen）的圆形舞台复排版中，阿拉姆饰演贵族商业主管弗兰克·福斯特（Frank Foster），他完全没有意识到自己的妻子菲奥娜（Fiona）（想象一下如果《美好生活》中的玛戈有某种心痒难耐的渴望）正与他的一名年轻员工鲍勃·菲利普斯（Bob Phillips）偷情，而后者是一个陷入动荡婚姻的轻浮之徒。当这对情侣编造涉及弗兰克的另一名员工——沉闷的会计威廉·费瑟斯通（William Featherstone）及其极度胆小的妻子玛丽（Mary）的不在场证明时，他们无意中将网收得更紧了。艾克本在一个代表福斯特家和菲利普斯家重叠房屋的布景上堆砌误会。两对夫妇在彼此毫无察觉的情况下进进出出。布林让肢体幽默持续迸发，就像他在皇家莎士比亚剧团（RSC）执导的那个过度活跃的露天版《错误喜剧》中所做的一样。电话在情节中占据核心地位。

劳拉·埃尔斯沃西（Laura Elsworthy）和亚当·吉伦（Adam Gillen，最左侧）带来了极强的精准度，但抢走风头的是罗杰·阿拉姆和多萝西·阿特金森（Dorothy Atkinson，下方）

年轻的观众无疑会对提及某种名为“报时钟”的东西感到困惑。

随着费瑟斯通夫妇——由亚当·吉伦和劳拉·埃尔斯沃西以极强的精准度饰演——的到来，情节的机制开始发出令人分心的噪音。这对精神压抑的夫妻简直就像卡通人物。艾克本对菲利普斯夫妇的刻画也过于仓促：罗文·波隆斯基（Rowan Polonski）饰演的鲍勃似乎除了嗜酒之外没什么特点，而你很难相信艾莎·安托万（Ayesha Antoine）饰演的焦虑新妈特蕾莎（Teresa）会对《卫报》的读者信件页如此痴迷。不过这些都不重要，只要戴着眼镜的阿拉姆站在我们面前，像金斯利·艾米斯（Kingsley Amis）那个没出息的双胞胎兄弟一样喋喋不休即可。

他可能傲慢且啰嗦，但我们对这个被戴绿帽的人感到同情。多萝西·阿特金森饰演的菲奥娜也赢得了我们的同情。她说话干脆高效，但那些沉默的眼神和忍耐的目光告诉了我们更多、更多的信息。演出至 9 月 19 日；oldvictheatre.com

下任詹姆斯·邦德无需追求社交媒体名气

亚历克斯·法伯（Alex Farber）媒体记者 詹姆斯·德斯伯勒（James Desborough）

关于谁将接任詹姆斯·邦德的猜测已持续多年，但无论谁穿上那件著名的晚礼服，都不需要成为拥有“黄金”Instagram 账号的人。

负责选角下一任 007 的代理人表示，庞大的社交媒体影响力将不被纳入考虑范围。

亚马逊 MGM 工作室（Amazon MGM Studio）的高管和导演丹尼斯·维伦纽瓦（Denis Villeneuve）将在接下来的几周内为这位新的英国间谍举行试镜。他们上周承诺将在年底前选出这位令人“振奋”的候选人。

此次选角正值工作室老板们日益倾向于雇佣拥有庞大在线粉丝群的明星之际。

在过去几年中，电影制作人已转向选择拥有大量在线追随者的演员，例如道恩·强森（Dwayne Johnson），他们认为这有助于吸引更多的电影观众。

但负责为亚马逊 MGM 的邦德重启计划挑选男主角的选角代理人尼娜·戈尔德（Nina Gold）对现代趋势毫无兴趣。

Gold, 62, 曾参与《秘密会议》（Conclave）、《哈梅尔》（Hammel）以及 Netflix 的《王冠》（The Crown）等作品，她否认了亚马逊在关键角色雇佣上存在“社交媒体压力”的说法。

“对我来说没有。我不了解那些东西。我甚至在手机上找不到它们，”她说。“人们确实在讨论这件事，但通常是经纪人比[电影]制作人更在意。”

戈尔德承认她选角公司的员工会搜寻 TikTok 和 Instagram 来寻找演员，但她更倾向于经过验证的方法。“我绝对倾向于通过更传统的方法寻找人才，经常去很多戏剧学校和剧院，”她说。“在 TikTok 上我真的看不出谁是谁。”

接替丹尼尔·克雷格（Daniel Craig）成为超级间谍的领先候选人们，其粉丝数量差异巨大。

《健宁斯家族》（House of Guinness）的演员路易斯·帕特里奇（Louis Partridge）拥有 860 万 Instagram 粉丝，《子弹列车》（Bullet Train）的亚伦·泰勒-约翰逊（Aaron Taylor-Johnson）拥有近 200 万，而《金牌特工：国王之战》（The King's Man）的哈里斯·迪金森（Harris Dickinson）则拥有 772,000。

Apple TV《空战之王》（Masters of the Air）的明星卡勒姆·特纳（Callum Turner）没有在线个人资料，雅各布·埃洛迪（Jacob Elordi）也没有——这位《呼啸山庄》（Wuthering Heights）的明星在 2024 年注销了他的账号。

“我与社交媒体没有任何关系，”埃洛迪在 2 月告诉 CBS。“我的梦想是成为一名演员……我已经得到了我想要的一切。所以对我来说，这就是我能处理的全部了。”

戈尔德表示，尽管邦德预计将由一名英国人饰演，但仍有几位经纪人向她推荐了美国演员。“世界确实变得小了很多，所以每个人都在到处推荐任何人，”她说。

内部人士透露，亚马逊 MGM 工作室计划在 2027, 春季开始拍摄，但该片可能要到 2028. 才会进入电影院。上一部邦德电影《无暇赴死》（No Time to Die）于 2021 年上映。

这次六年的间隔，将与詹姆斯·邦德电影六十年历史上最长的间隔持平，甚至可能更长，具体取决于该片在 2028 年的何时上映。

尽管老板们对下一任邦德的社交媒体资料显然不感兴趣，但 007 的官方账号仍在发布更新。其最新更新的标题为“007：度假行程”，展示了一段在异域地点拍摄的邦德场景剪辑，涵盖了肖恩·康纳利（Sean Connery）、罗杰·摩尔（Roger Moore）和皮尔斯·布鲁斯南（Pierce Brosnan），以及布里特·埃克兰（Britt Ekland）和哈莉·贝瑞（Halle Berry）等邦德女郎，背景音乐是乔治·马丁（George Martin）为《活与死》（Live and Let Die）原声带创作的动感曲目《Fillet of Soul》。

女性优先？Bumble 不再如此

Mark Ludlow

Bumble 将取消其“女性优先”的发消息规则——这是该约会软件自 2014 年推出以来的一项标志性功能。

该公司此前表示，确保由女性采取主动是赋予女性权力，且“有助于在平等的基础上开启互动，并有望建立起更友善、更尊重的联系”。

然而，Bumble 首席执行官 Whitney Wolfe Herd 宣布，公司将废除必须由女性而非男性发起对话的规定，并将用户回复的时间从 24 小时延长至 72 小时。

她表示，这是为了响应用户对于“更多灵活性、更少压力以及更多创造真实且有意义联系的机会”的需求。

Wolfe Herd 表示：“虽然由女性采取主动是一个激进的想法，但‘女性优先’从未意味着规定只有一种联系方式。这次演变并非背离我们的创始愿景，而是对其的实现。”

Bumble 表示，在其调查的女性中，近三分之二更倾向于由男性发送第一条消息，称这将使约会“感觉压力更小”。但拟议的变更将使其与 Tinder 几乎完全相同，并可能疏远忠实客户。

约会教练 Cassandra Fleming 表示，一些女性希望男性能付出更多努力。她在接受 Inc.com 采访时表示：“Bumble 放开这一限制实际上可能会挖掘出更多这类男性，而不是奖励被动。”

全球各地的约会软件都在应对单身人士回归传统面对面社交方式的趋势。

罗德·斯图尔特在心脏手术后取消巡演

Herbie Russell

罗德·斯图尔特爵士（Sir Rod Stewart）在接受心脏手术后，取消了其 2026 年美国巡演的剩余行程。

其代表表示，这位 81 岁的歌手将休息四周以进行康复，从而缩短其在美国和墨西哥的行程。他们补充说，斯图尔特在冠状动脉支架手术后“情况非常好”，并且已经“恢复了正常的日常活动”。

他的“One Last Time”巡演原定于持续到下个月，但斯图尔特最近在一周内退出了两场演出。

斯图尔特在 Instagram 上写道：“我已经感觉好多了，正在迅速康复。”他表示，对于错过演出深感失望，并对辜负粉丝表示抱歉。这位拥有八个孩子的父亲原定在爱荷华州、伊利诺伊州和墨西哥的场馆演出，以及在拉斯维加斯凯撒皇宫酒店进行为期六晚的演出。

其代表的一份声明称：“根据医生的建议，[斯图尔特]将在接下来的四周内休养并恢复完全体能，然后重返舞台。遗憾的是，这意味着他将无法继续目前的巡演日期。”

罗德·斯图尔特在最近的一次演出中几乎晕倒

在此次宣布之前，斯图尔特因医疗问题推迟了在辛辛那提和克利夫兰的演出。5 月，他因鼻窦感染取消了在内华达州的演出；6 月，他以喉炎为由退出了圣迭戈的一场音乐会。一周后，他在犹他州的一场演出中几乎晕倒。

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满月

半月

来吧，说出来

MeVities Jatta Gkrs

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19

新闻

可可之巧

罕见本土种植 巧克力棒

安德鲁·埃尔森 (Andrew Ellson)

消费者事务记者

英国或许没有加纳、巴西或科特迪瓦那样的热带气候，但这并未能阻止伯克希尔郡生产出据称是近一个世纪以来该国首款本土种植的巧克力。

这款为庆祝雷丁大学百年校庆而制作的巧克力棒使用了当地的可可，以及英国的牛奶和糖，这意味着其原材料的运输里程比吉百利（Cadbury）的平均产品要短得多。

据信，这是自 1933 年约克市的罗威特（Rowntree's）公司生产以来，首款由英国种植可可制成的巧克力。当时该产品被赠送给了约克公爵六岁的女儿，她后来成为了伊丽莎白二世女王。

这款新巧克力棒的可可并非来自泰晤士河谷中某个不可思议的种植园，而是来自该大学的国际可可检疫

中心，那里在气候控制的玻璃温室中保存着数百个品种。

该中心充当一个安全的中转休息室。在可可种植区之间传输的植物材料可能会携带害虫和疾病，因此发往其他研究人员和育种者的品种会被带到雷丁，在那里进行种植、检查和检疫，然后再移交。

英国之所以适合提供这项服务，恰恰是因为它不商业化种植可可，从而降低了进口疾病逃逸到周围种植园的风险。

该大学表示，该中心处理了 97 per cent 的国际可可植物转移，并拥有 300 多种类型的收藏。

在温室中生产的可可荚通常会被移除且不被使用。然而，为了庆祝大学百年校庆，食品安全专业的硕士生马哈·汗（Maha Khan）获准使用这些可可荚。

她采摘了可可荚，取出可可豆

并执行了将其转化为巧克力的必要工艺，包括发酵、干燥、烘烤、破碎和研磨。随后，这些可可与该大学食品与营养科学系生产的英国种植糖和牛奶相结合。“能够不出雷丁就体验从可可荚到可可豆再到巧克力棒的整个制作过程，真是太神奇了，”汗表示。

她补充说，伯克希尔

马哈·汗与当地采购的可可荚以及为纪念大学百年校庆而制作的巧克力棒

巧克力的新颖性还承载着一个关于可可生产脆弱性的严肃信息，强调了食品供应的“不稳定性质”。

“可可植物对温度和降雨量的变化非常敏感，而气候变化已经在生产世界上大部分可可的国家引发了问题，”她说。

“如果农民需要能够应对气候变化的更强韧的植物，那么保护不同的品种至关重要。”

“我希望这能向人们展示，我们享用的巧克力背后凝聚了多少心血，以及保护全球可可农民和社区是多么重要。”

据该大学称，英国的巧克力市场价值超过 100 亿英镑 billion，但大多数可可生长在非洲、南美洲和亚洲，且通常由小规模农民种植。

根据目前拥有该品牌的雀巢（Nestlé）公司称，当年本土生产的罗威特巧克力棒不仅是英国产，而且是由“100 per cent 约克郡原材料”制成的。可可来自其约克工厂场地内的一个热带温室，那里还种植了香草荚、菠萝和香蕉。

该公司表示：“我们决定最合适的接收者是约克公爵的小女儿，当时从未梦想过她会成为女王。”

近一个世纪后，伯克希尔的作物不太可能将雷丁变成英国巧克力工业的新家园。该大学表示，目前没有计划将其本土种植的巧克力上市销售。不过，它计划向一名王室成员赠送一块巧克力——但尚未透露具体是哪一位。

Please provide the source text. The draft translation currently contains a placeholder stating that the original text was unreadable, and the auditor has flagged this as a complete omission.

[注：译文超长截断]

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21

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政客因“无畏”的信仰受到赞誉

在昨天举行的私人葬礼上，安·威德科姆（Ann Widdecombe）因其“无畏”的宗教信念以及“不随党派政治而转移的友谊”而被人们缅怀（Ed Halford 撰文）。巴克法斯特修道院（Buckfast Abbey）的院长大卫·查尔斯沃思（David Charlesworth）右主教在向这位前保守党议员致敬时，称她是一个“在你与她进行过一场激烈的辩论并幸存下来之后，会更喜欢你的人”。大约 100 位威德科姆的近亲及好友聚集在达特穆尔国家公园（Dartmoor National Park）边缘的修道院，她在 1993. 皈依天主教后，经常在这里参加周日庄严弥撒。威德科姆上个月被发现死在德文郡海托尔谷（Haytor Vale, Devon）的家中。约书亚·克里（Joshua Kerry），28, 已被指控谋杀她。本周，《泰晤士报》报道称，警方正在调查克里是否与一起向改革英国党（Reform UK）领导人奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）家中信箱投递点火装置的事件有关。从清晨起，在仪式开始前，修道院 grounds 区域可见大量警力。大约 20 名警察在警犬的陪同下巡逻该区域，并检查了花坛和垃圾桶内部。在灵车抵达后，威德科姆的私人助理

安魂弥撒

安·奈廷·威德科姆 18th October 1947 – 8th July 2026

威德科姆 12th AUGUST 2026 Mary L. Sting 博士，布莱克菲尔德（Blackfield）

昨天，约 100 位亲密好友和家人参加了在德文郡巴克法斯特修道院举行的安·威德科姆的葬礼

陪伴这位政客 31 年的哈丽雅·巴斯蒂德（Harriet Bastide）迎接了吊唁者。

查尔斯沃思在讲道中表示：“在围绕她之死的震惊、喧嚣以及有时是不合理的评论之中，我们的回应是为她的灵魂安息祈祷，感谢她的坚韧，并在安将其称为避风港的这座修道院教堂中举行圣弥撒。”

他暗示威德科姆可能会被视为一名殉道者。

他说：“毫无疑问，安无畏地维护了天主教会的道德和社会教义。她针对这些问题的发声确实让一些人感到不安。”

“在过去的几个世纪，以及当今世界的其他地方，男女人们为了坚守基督教信仰而付出生命。正如 2 世纪的基督教作家特图良（Tertullian）所宣称的，‘殉道者的血是教会的种子’。”

影子财政大臣兼中德文选区（Widdecombe 居住的选区）议员梅尔·斯特赖德爵士（Sir Mel Stride）是唯一出席的议员。吊唁者向一位具有独特原则的女性致敬，社论，第 29 页

人脸识别摄像头将部署于牛津街

马克·卢德洛 (Mark Ludlow)

伦敦警察厅预计将很快在英国最繁忙的购物大道牛津街（Oxford Street）使用人脸识别摄像头，以打击犯罪。

实时人脸识别（LFR）技术已在首都苏豪区（Soho）和西区的部分地区投入使用。伦敦市长萨迪克·汗爵士（Sir Sadiq Khan）表示，该技术预计将在10月前扩展至牛津街，其中一部分街道将被改为行人专用区。

这些摄像头将安装在灯柱等街道设施上，扫描路过行人的面部，并将其与监视名单上的人员进行比对。

在市政厅，汗市长被问及在西区引入该技术的情况，他似乎确认该技术将用于牛津街一段长 0.6 英里的区域，该区域将成为行人通道。

他说：“伦敦警察厅正与牛津街发展公司密切合作，研究在我们将该街道改为步行街时，如何以合理的方式使用 LFR，并利用安装新闭路电视（CCTV）的机会来部署 LFR。”

“让公众知道 LFR 正在被使用是正确且恰当的。伦敦警察厅在全面推广前非常擅长在个别地点进行测试。我们不会采取‘大爆炸’式的一次性全面铺开，因为那将是一场灾难。我相信我们在西区的推广将会很顺利。”

每天约有 500,000 人访问牛津街，使其成为了街头犯罪和商店窃贼的聚集地。

LFR 技术在中国被广泛使用，中国政府安装了数以亿计的摄像头（被称为“天网”），用于监控公民和进行“预测性警务”。

人权组织 Liberty 的露丝·埃利希（Ruth Ehrlich）表示，这些摄像头将标志着“公共空间监控的显著扩张”。她补充道：“这项技术会扫描每一个经过的人的面孔，无论他们是否被怀疑有任何不当行为。如果实时人脸识别要部署在全国最繁忙的购物和旅游目的地之一，那么必须在如何使用、有哪些保障措施以及如何监测其对人们权利的影响方面保持完全透明。”

埃利希表示，应首先建立法律框架。

Liberty 最近委托进行的一项民意调查发现，在没有疑似迫在眉睫的威胁时，近一半的人反对扫描商业街行人的面孔。活动团体“老大哥观察”（Big Brother Watch）的贾斯琳·查加尔（Jasleen Chaggar）敦促汗市长放弃该计划，称这将是一个错误。她说：“没有被警方怀疑犯罪的无辜伦敦人，应该能够在公共空间自由走动，而无需向当局表明身份。”

伦敦警察厅首次在伦敦南部的克罗伊登（Croydon）进行了为期六个月的固定监控摄像头试点，时间为 2025 年 10 月至 2026 年 5 月。这导致 173 人被捕，其中包括一名被通缉 20 多年的女性。

伦敦警察厅局长马克·罗利爵士（Sir Mark Rowley）表示，自 2024 年初以来，该警队利用固定摄像头逮捕了 2,000 多人。

该技术本月也开始在地铁站部署。

汗市长的一位发言人表示，他致力于将牛津街打造为一个“世界级、行人友好且安全的目的地”，而 LFR 技术将有助于实现这一目标。该发言人说：“在威斯敏斯特，社区犯罪率有所下降，过去一年犯罪案件减少了 14,000 起，伦敦警察厅在西区和苏豪区推广实时人脸识别将有助于进一步降低犯罪率。”

新婚夫妇在婚礼之夜寻找丢失的爱犬

卡拉·詹金斯 (Carla Jenkins)

一对新婚夫妇在婚礼之夜花费了七个小时在苏格兰茂密的林地中寻找他们心爱的爱犬，此前这只宠物在他们的第一支舞曲中被音乐惊吓。

詹姆斯·普林格 (James Pringle) 和维多利亚·普林格 (Victoria Pringle) 周六在邓弗里斯郡莫法特 (Moffat, Dumfriesshire) 附近的奥肯城堡 (Auchen Castle) 结婚，四岁的西班牙猎犬-梗类混血犬皮亚 (Pia) 在婚礼中担任戒指承递员。

然而，当这对新人在 95 位客人的簇拥下步入舞池时，音乐惊吓到了这只狗，它随即冲出城堡敞开的前门，消失在夜色中。

这对夫妇在当晚剩余的时间里搜寻周围的庄园。

“她是我们的宝贝，我们简直心碎了，在那之后几乎没回过屋里，”28 岁的维多利亚说道。“我把婚纱卷起来，在灌木丛中爬行寻找她。我的裙子被撕裂了，腿上布满了割伤和荨麻刺伤。我不信教，但我开始祈祷。”

这对来自南拉纳克郡汉密尔顿 (Hamilton, South Lanarkshire) 的夫妇宁愿在车里过夜，也不愿放弃搜寻。29 岁的詹姆斯表示，由于附近有湖泊和 M74 高速公路，他们对爱犬的担忧进一步增加。

他的叔叔通知了“邓弗里斯与加洛韦丢失犬组织” (Lost Dogs Dumfries & Galloway)，该志愿者搜寻小组的负责人李·赫伦 (Lee Herron)

[图片]

詹姆斯和维多利亚·普林格在长时间搜寻后与皮亚团聚

带着热成像双筒望远镜、实时追踪摄像头和罐装沙丁鱼赶到了现场。她指示这对夫妇在湖边铺设一条鱼迹以引导爱犬返回，因为她怀疑一旦活动安静下来，皮亚就会回来。

凌晨 2 点，就在这对夫妇终于回到房间几分钟后，赫伦使用热成像瞄准镜发现这只狗在沙丁鱼迹的引导下正向城堡入口靠近。

“他们原本在庆祝人生中最美好的一天，突然间却不知道自己的小姑娘在哪里，”她说。“能看到他们团聚是一种荣幸，那是一个非常感人的时刻。”

维多利亚补充道：“我真的无法描述那种解脱感……我们的悲伤之泪变成了喜悦之泪。”

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25

那些气候否认者现在都去哪了？

Hugo Rifkind

评论

AI 将意味着更少的枯燥工作，而非更少的就业机会

未来可以拥有大量涉及实验和精简繁文缛节的职业，但这在工党目前的政策下无法实现

朱丽叶·塞缪尔 (Juliet Samuel)

@CITYSAMUEL

一个流行的观点——一个旨在让你听起来紧跟时代潮流的观点——是所有那些笑容灿烂、留着拖把头的年轻人都完蛋了。很快，他们将撕开 A-level 的成绩单，欢呼大笑，然后前往大学；但几年后，他们将被抛入一个被人工智能摧毁的就业市场，随后他们会意识到，最好的选择是申请一项关于“心理健康”的残疾津贴。所有那些体面且令人向往的工作？全部消失。我对此一个字也不信。我并不是说外界环境轻松，或者说我们在婴儿潮一代所谓的“经济”——那种由推行文书工作的行会所掌控的窒息状态下——正处于繁荣之中。但这正是关键所在。一个将劳动者引导至法律审查、影响评估、咨询、人力资源流程、保险档案等领域的系统，究竟有什么了不起的？我们为什么会对这些东西产生怀旧之情，就像怀念牛拉犁、巫医、银行出纳员和洗衣女工一样？技术对它们的取代是否终结了就业市场并让我们变得更穷？还是恰恰相反？AI 时代将充满涉及实验、开拓专业领域、获取新知识以及规避（或取代）官僚主义的职业。当然，我们可以选择那些会导致“就业大屠杀”的政策，而许多年长的专业人士似乎很热衷于预测这种结果。但 本身不会废除工作，就像图书馆没有废除学校一样。

在美国， 的采用最为领先，目前还没有证据表明出现了就业末日。几乎每个行业的从业人数都比 2022 年（ChatGPT 发布前）更多。除去新冠疫情的影响，失业率在九年间一直维持在 4% 左右。但资源重新配置正在发生。美国数据公司 Revelio 的一项新追踪研究发现，总体而言，现在的就业人数比 2022 年略多，但招聘“ 相关”岗位的公司其员工人数增加了近五分之一。招聘人数最多的公司正是那些采用 最快的公司。

硅谷的大亨们正在改变口风。去年，Anthropic 的负责人达里奥·阿莫代伊 (Dario Amodei) 告诉我们所有人，要准备迎接一场魏玛共和国规模的专业阶层大清洗。萨姆·奥特曼 (Sam Altman) 声称所有入门级

在美国，几乎每个行业的就业人数都高于 2022 年

白领工作将会消失。马克·扎克伯格曾表示，AI 将成为“某种中级工程师”，这在 Meta 的中级工程师中并不受欢迎。

但由于几乎没有迹象表明会出现就业大屠杀，他们缓和了立场。争论的另一方现在占据上风，芯片设计公司英伟达（Nvidia）的负责人黄仁勋描述了现实：“你不会因为 AI 而失去工作，但你会因为一个使用 的人而失去工作。”

如果这听起来仍然有些阴森，那可能是因为你还没有意识到

你很快也将使用 ，如果你现在还没有开始的话。一度，我对 将使作家变成车轮匠（wainwrights）的想法感到沮丧。但随后我开始使用它，并意识到我并不是在取代自己，而是在剔除枯燥的苦差事。比如谷歌搜索、滚动浏览、交叉引用、管理实验室、创建时间线、寻找产品、定位高度特定的信息。我剔除的并不是高质量的创意工作，而是摩擦力以及行政上的冗余。

我发现我可以利用 编译一份目前在上议院的相关前监管者名单；它可以快速给我提供某个特定政策领域立法的一系列链接，并指出随时间推移而产生的变化，以便我能向专家提出更好的问题；它可以找到那篇记忆模糊的、十年前关于撒哈拉走私路线的文章；它可以重新排列格式糟糕的报告以方便阅读；它可以帮我挖掘出关于电磁学的 GCSE 物理知识，或者列出一份新闻链接清单，显示有多少领导人承诺要“重构国家”。

我可以用它来生成适合年龄的拼写测试，寻找 90 分钟以下的喜剧片，比较新的电脑选项，排除应用程序故障，在特定价格范围内寻找合适的葡萄酒，或者为一次漫长的多阶段旅行制定一份近乎完美的家庭打包清单。是的，我仍然需要亲自打电话、布置拼写测试、阅读链接、进行打包，并亲自听法律学者讨论立法。但大部分的苦活累活都消失了。

我不像现在的 A-level 学生那样是入门级员工。但 让我更有可能产出更多，也更有可能雇佣某人来帮助我，尤其是如果

Anthropic 负责人达里奥·阿莫代（Dario Amodei）之类的人正在改变他们的调子

他们知道如何设置代理（agents）来执行我现在突然想要完成的各种新任务。

安迪·伯纳姆针对 能够“起草合同或制作幻灯片”这一威胁的回答，是推崇“实用技能”而非“办公桌工作”，因为 仍然“造不出火车”。我完全支持培养贸易和工程技术，而不是培养拥有四个 A-level 成绩和戏剧学学士学位的咖啡师。但毫无疑问， 将使工人更擅长制造火车，正如它已经在维护、工业流程、产品测试等方面所做的那样。面对席卷而来的技术变革，我们需要敏捷性和积极面对风险的态度。相反，我们得到的却是让雇佣年轻人变得更困难的政策。

国民保险的增加、将全额就业权利扩展至新员工、最低工资的上涨，以及工党威胁要废除较低的青年工资，所有这些都使得雇佣年轻人变得极其没有吸引力。为什么要给一个 20 岁的人提供她的第一份工作，而六个月后你就无法解雇她，且支付的工资和税金与雇佣一名资深员工相同？如果今天的毕业生看来市场前景暗淡，那并不是因为 ，而是因为

我并非在取代自己，而是在减少行政冗余

工党对企业提出了不合理的要求。

我通常不是一个技术爱好者。苹果的新产品无法让我兴奋。我阅读书籍；我厌恶智能手机对日常生活的这种影响；我并不希望我的冰箱联网，而且在内心深处，我依然希望能够骑马旅行。我想，AI 也许最终会杀死我们所有人。但这绝不会是因为它消灭了就业市场。

人类总能发现并创造需要解决的问题，自然永远无法被完全驯服，世界拥有无限的探索地平线，从极微小到难以想象的宏大。经济依然需要人们去做出发现、验证主张、相互教学与照顾、进行表演、对权衡做出判断、就人们之间权利的平衡进行争论、建立关系以及交易新想法。如果这些人能花更少的时间去撰写规划文件、阅读咨询回复和填写数据库，那么我想说，尽管让它来吧。反正从来没有人想做那些事情。

THE TIMES THE SUNDAY TIMES

联合举办 netwealth

演讲嘉宾包括

Charlotte Ransom Netwealth 创始人兼首席执行官

Lord Willetts 经济学家、政治家及《The Pinch》作者

Selina Flavins Black Girl Finance 创始人

Tom McPhail 《泰晤士报》专栏作家

财富管理论坛

平衡生活、家庭与金钱

2026年9月23日，星期三

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警惕朝鲜的西进之势

金氏政权目前正为普京在乌克兰战场提供优势——并在欧洲获得新的立足点

@EDWARDLUCAS

朝鲜远在 5,000 英里之外。但平壤的个人崇拜却威胁着我们英国。它运行着一个全球网络犯罪网络，使每位英国公民都面临欺诈和诈骗的风险。这些收益被用于资助核武器计划，独裁者金正恩称该计划正以“指数级速度”推进，且处于一条“完全且绝对不可逆转”的道路上。

其中一些可能是夸大之词，就像将那个奴隶劳动国家（其收入仅为资本主义韩国的 50 分之一）描绘成天堂那样。但事实是，遏制这个流氓国家核计划的国际努力已完全失败。朝鲜正在制造更多、更好的导弹，配备更大的弹头，并研究新的发射方式。根据澳大利亚智库 Aspi 的一篇新论文，其海军曾被视为笑话，现在正变成一种“核胁迫工具”。

原因之一是混乱的白宫缺乏关注。另一个原因是俄罗斯和中国——这两个国家曾经至少在口头上支持国际制裁——现在正在纵容平壤政权。在弗拉基米尔·普京 2024, 6月访问那里之后，朝鲜开始向克里姆林宫在乌克兰的战争提供弹药和士兵，以换取技术和经济援助。

朝鲜最初提供的数百万发炮弹和迫击炮弹制造质量如此之差，以至于俄罗斯人也觉得风险惊人。它们损坏了炮管，并导致使用它们的士兵伤亡。供应的导弹精度极差。被派往俄罗斯的 14,000 名士兵准备不足，装备糟糕且训练不足。伤亡率超过 50%。

第二轮情况将有所不同。泽连斯基总统表示，未来几个月将部署多达 50,000 名朝鲜士兵。他们，或许再加上数百名

遏制该流氓国家核计划的努力已宣告失败

数以千计新动员的俄罗斯人，将试图以绝对的人数优势淹没乌克兰的防御。朝鲜的武器制造商已经见证了其产品在严苛战场环境下的表现，并提高了标准。俄罗斯的建议和技术援助也起到了作用。朝鲜的瞄准精度日益提高。据乌克兰情报部门称，一支由 90 名朝鲜人组成、配备多达 120 枚弹道导弹和 6 个发射器的精锐部队已开始部署到俄罗斯，可能是在南部的沃罗涅日地区。

俄罗斯正将已供应的 40 枚导弹用于致命攻击。本周，一次朝鲜的袭击导致扎波罗热一家钢厂的 7 名平民工人死亡，那里距离英国不到两天的车程。另一次袭击最近摧毁了拉杜什内村的一栋房屋，导致沃罗诺夫一家 5 人死亡；另有 5 人失踪，目前正等待对身体碎片进行 DNA 检测。这仅仅是又一个统计数字：

来自平壤的援助对乌克兰来说是一个战略隐忧，目前的乌克兰正面临防空系统严重短缺，且在保护其遭受重创的工业、基础设施和城市免受攻击方面苦苦挣扎。重要桥梁是一个特别令人担忧的问题。这对韩国同样重要。在上个月于安卡拉举行的北约峰会上，我从韩国消息人士那里了解到，他们对于北方政权在现代战争中积累的经验感到多么惊恐。几十年来，其武装部队在训练和装备方面都深受国家国际孤立之苦。韩国情报部门表示，在 2024 年后返回国内的经验丰富的战士在无人机、电子战和现代战场战术方面获得了至关重要的战斗经验。此后，另有 9,500 名士兵留在俄罗斯。他们似乎参与了排雷和其他非战斗任务。但他们仍在获得有用的经验。

依赖朝鲜的帮助是俄罗斯弱点的耻辱标志。但这正在削弱乌克兰赢得泽连斯基所谓的“天空之战”的最佳机会，而这场战斗将决定战争的结果。对俄罗斯内部的远程打击正给其经济，尤其是能源系统带来毁灭性打击。在中程方面，乌克兰对补给线的轰炸正使被占领的克里米亚半岛变得难以维持。但在导弹防御方面，用“导弹事务”（Missile Matters）时事通讯的评论员法比安·霍夫曼（Fabian Hoffmann）的话来说，乌克兰面临着一场“结构性”危机。它缺乏拦截弹。即使盟友加大力度捐赠，这些武器的成本也比它们击落的导弹高出许多倍。即使特朗普总统停止犹豫，并授权乌克兰制造已被证明最有效的“爱国者”拦截弹，确定细节并开始生产也将需要数年时间。国内创新会有所帮助，但在接下来的危险月份里无法奏效。

盟友们可以做得更多：任何填补缺口的努力都比没有好。但整个欧洲都缺乏防空系统（尤其是英国）；没有哪个国家能够防御像乌克兰所遭受的那种猛烈攻击。俄罗斯也知道这一点。改变局面的答案是在其他战线上帮助乌克兰。军事重点应该是打击“弓箭手”而非“箭矢”：即俄罗斯境内的导弹生产和发射场。这意味着要提高乌克兰的深层打击生产能力并进一步提高其效能。

更有力的手段将是利用俄罗斯的政治弱点：使用公开和秘密手段，针对对该政权的信心发动认知战。一个目标应该是与朝鲜的联盟。许多俄罗斯人对此感到不安，因为镇压正使他们的国家走向相同的方向。

俄罗斯针对西方的认知战利用贪婪来削弱制裁，并散布虚假信息以煽动分歧、恐惧和愤恨。现在是我们反击的时候了。

公众有权知道我们的国会议员雇佣了谁 George Greenwood

进入议会大厦是一项独特的特权。“游说”（lobbying）这个词本身就源于那些试图影响政治人物的人在投票室外的“大厅”（lobby）中进行活动的做法。因此，那些代表付费客户试图影响政治人物的人，可能会寻求获得议会通行证，以便能够毫无限制地进入，这也就不足为奇了。

正是因为这种准入权限存在被滥用的风险，使得了解谁持有通行证变得如此重要，也使得议会掩盖这一信息的决定在根本上是错误的。这一举措是由标准委员会在闭门状态下且未经咨询而做出的，此前工会进行了广泛的游说，他们认为这可能会减少议员工作人员遭受的虐待。

毫无疑问，此类工作人员确实遭受了严重的骚扰，有时甚至达到了刑事犯罪的程度。然而，那些决心虐待工作人员的人，不太可能因为需要多进行几次谷歌搜索来查明对方身份而就此打消念头。他们也可能简单地继续通过议员的收件箱进行虐待，而工作人员将依然暴露在其中。

讽刺的是，这一举措将加剧议会工作人员面临的威胁，而这种威胁并非来自匿名的网络喷子，而是来自议员本人。这些工作人员的薪资极低，在面对虐待他们的议员时，缺乏令人满意的就业保护；如果议员威胁称，一旦他们提出问题，就将毁掉其未来的政治生涯，他们也没有真正的人事部门可以求助。通过其行为，工会刚刚摧毁了那些希望在议会工作的人避开此类议员的一条途径，因为公共登记册原本可以显示哪些议员的人员流动率极高。

此外，登记册意味着议员可以被追究责任。《泰晤士报》曾利用该登记册揭露一名中国律师的儿子在为当时工党影子国际贸易大臣巴里·加德纳（Barry Gardiner）工作，而此人后来被发现对国家安全构成威胁。该报还利用登记册查明，瑞秋·里夫斯（Rachel Reeves）在担任影子财政大臣期间，雇佣了一名从游说公司借调的工作人员。公共登记册曾是对议员随意将通行证交给亲信的强力威慑，而现在此类活动可以避开公众视线，这无疑将成为一个更严重的问题。

掩盖谁能进入议会的决定是一场等待发生的政治丑闻。阳光是最好的消毒剂。议员们应该推翻这一决定。如果他们选择不这样做，那么当公众对政治的信心进一步下降时，他们不应感到惊讶。

George Greenwood 是《泰晤士报》的调查记者

Hilary Rose 笔记本

让我们给一种令人恼火的酒吧趋势敲响终结之钟

我们的酒吧里正在发生一些奇怪的事情，这让我的男性朋友们感到极其困惑：排队。上周末在一家河边酒吧，一位朋友被那些从吧台一直延伸到门口、单排纵队站立的 Z 世代年轻人惊呆了，以至于他坚持要求我们离开。他说这是一种新型且阴险的趋势，是由那些不懂规矩的年轻人以及不知道如何制止这种行为的年轻吧台员工共同推动的，但该怎么办呢？我们是否应该介入干预？

社会人类学家凯特·福克斯（Kate Fox）在她 2004 年出版的《观察英国人》（Watching the English）一书中，解码了酒吧中那些心照不宣的规则，包括她所谓的“隐形队列”。她写道：“每个人都知道谁是下一个。在你之前到达吧台的人会先于你获得服务，任何明显试图插队的行为都会被员工忽略，并受到其他顾客的严厉鄙视。”福克斯指出，这促进了社交，因为“这是英格兰极少数在社交上被接受与完全陌生的人攀谈的地方之一”。而这与，比如说，站在队列中盯着手机截然相反。

一些最惬意的酒吧布局太乱，不适合排队，而且无论如何，接下来会发生什么？像护照检查一样，在休息室里蜿蜒盘旋的排队隔离带？于是我们去了 The Hound，我新发现的家门口酒吧，那里没人排队，而且路边风景绝佳。宁静的乡村酒吧或河景固然很好，但我是个伦敦人。我选择街道。只要别让我为此排队就行。

丑陋的伯恩

趁着《奥德赛》（The Odyssey）还在大银幕上映就赶紧去看，因为如果在飞机上观看（我通常在飞机上看电影），那就毫无意义了。我预感到自己不会喜欢它，因为评论家们喜欢，而这通常是一个危险信号，无论是书籍、电影还是艺术。事实证明确实如此。他们还得拍多少次“回到船上！”并在海滩上奔跑？又来？真的吗？至于马特·达蒙（Matt Damon），我从他的胡须推测，他是在期待一座奥斯卡奖杯，同样的情况也发生在即将上映的《挖掘者》（Digger）中那个让人认不出来的老头汤姆·克鲁斯（Tom Cruise）身上，参考布兰登·费雷尔（Brendan Fraser）在《鲸》（The Whale）中的表现以及查理兹·塞隆（Charlize Theron）在《怪物》（Monster）中的表现。丑陋——得奖。就我个人而言，我会给达蒙在《伯恩》系列中的表现颁奖，而不是这部片子。也许这就是为什么我不是一名评论家的原因。

没那么简单...

同一份政府调查问卷在一周内两次掉进我的信箱。健康改善与差异办公室（Office for Health Improvement and Disparities）如此渴望我完成其“活跃生活调查”（Active Lives Survey），以至于它提供了一笔贿赂：一张 15 英镑的礼品券，可用于“包括百货公司、服装店和餐厅在内的一系列零售商”。这是对纳税人资金的一种有趣利用，但同时，看着这份调查，礼券还不够。40 个问题，超过 16 页，要求填写从事某项活动的确切小时数和分钟数，并提供了一个“有帮助”的示例：“在过去的四周里，我踢了八天足球。在过去的四周里我没有打板球，但在过去 12 个月内这两项我都参加过……”额？

关于什么构成社区参与活动、演奏乐器、甚至步行，都有复杂的脚注（“排除在商店周围走动。登山 / 山地徒步应记录在第五页”）。你在过去四周内是否进行过创意或艺术舞蹈？参加过？多少分钟？出汗了吗？而我们现在才到第三页。这个浪费时间和金钱的糟糕主意是谁出的？谁会无聊到去回答这些问题？还有，这张礼券在 Selfridges 百货公司通用吗？

巴黎之行或成泡影

《泰晤士报》上周的一篇令人震惊的报道称，在环法自行车赛的男子组和女子组中，胸部都能提供空气动力学优势。报道写道：“无论是男性还是女性，增加胸部区域的尺寸并改变其形状……都能改变身体周围的气流方向。”因此，在胸罩里塞袜子或囤积鸡胸肉是被禁止的，因为这可能决定胜负。天呐。这些年来我对自己的胸部有过很多想法，大多是苦涩的，但我从未想过它能让我赢得环法自行车赛。

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从我们的打印画廊 timescartoons.com 购买《泰晤士报》漫画的打印版或签名版，或致电 0800 912 7136

那些气候否认论者现在都去哪儿了？

不久前，到处都是贬低人为全球变暖这一观点的人声，但他们突然间安静了。

雨果·里夫金德 (Hugo Rifkind)

@HUGORIFKIND

那些气候怀疑论者都去哪儿了？还记得他们吗？也许在天气已经如此炎热的时候，我不该再火上浇油，但我敢发誓以前这里曾有大量这样的人。在过去的 20 年里，只要你写关于气候变化的内容，他们就会突然地向你袭来，就像我们每次煮鱼时从花园里飞进来的那些奇怪的蓝瓶蝇一样。政治家、专家、异见专家，没完没了。怎么回事？他们是像我们的法律一样萎缩消失了？还是被回收了？在棕色垃圾桶里吗？伙计们，为什么这么安静？

我这里指的不是那些仅仅对净零排放的经济效益不信服的人。甚至不是那些认为无论我们做什么都只是毫无意义的道德标榜的人，因为我们规模太小，而中国则不然。不，我指的是那些曾经告诉你这一切都是垃圾的声音。那些认为人为全球变暖根本不存在，而假装它存在的人其实是秘密

共产主义者的人。因为现在，英国气温预计将连续前所未有地四个月至少有一次达到 35℃，我确实在想，他们中是否有人想说点什么。

诚然，他们并没有全部消失。唐纳德·特朗普依然在。不到两年前，他称气候科学是“世界上有史以来最大的骗局”。此外，他补充道，“联合国和许多其他机构做出的所有这些预测，通常是出于不良动机，而且都是错误的”。嗯，真的错了吗？去海德公园走走吧，唐纳德。感受脚下像魔术贴一样干脆的草地，以及顺着衬衫衣领流下的假晒黑油。现在还确定吗？

在职级上稍微向下移动，有奈杰尔·法拉奇，他也称全球变暖为“骗局”，并表示将二氧化碳称为污染物是“绝对疯狂的”。同样，他的伙伴理查德·泰斯去年抨击了“那种傲慢的想法，认为我们可以阻止太阳的力量，阻止火山的力量”。根据美国国家航空航天局（Nasa）的数据，火山产生的二氧化碳不到人类活动产生的 1%。话虽如此，他们只是 Nasa。他们能知道什么？竟然敢不同意理查德·泰斯，真是太傲慢了。

如果我的性格更刻薄一些，我现在就会开始点名报出那些报纸专栏作家的名字。但我不会，部分原因是由于我

担心听起来像特德神父（“……现在我们转向骗子”），但也因为他们很多人有我的手机号码。不过，那些坚持认为气候变化是胡说八道的专栏文章曾是英国新闻业的主力，时间并不久远，一些作者在完全没有任何科学专业知识的情况下，说着诸如“温室效应可能并不存在”之类的话。与此同时，《旁观者》（The Spectator，我曾为其撰稿十年，在那里我几乎垄断了“嘿伙计们，也许这东西是真的？”这一类体裁）在 2009 年发表了一篇封面故事，标题为“放松：全球变暖

我没有预见到这种缺乏羞耻感……没有道歉。什么都没有

全是神话”。嗯，真的是吗？

这类事情在那一年随着所谓的“气候门”丑闻达到了顶峰。由于篇幅限制以及近乎自杀般的倦怠，我无法对其进行详尽回顾，但基本上这是一个源自气候科学家之间泄露邮件的故事，他们在邮件中对数据使用了随意的语言，尽管他们对数据的使用依然完美无缺。对于怀疑论者来说，这证明了整个气候学科是一场骗局，无论那些科学家当时以及现在都是完全正确的。类似的还有围绕

“曲棍球棒”图表的争论，该图表被用于阿尔·戈尔的气候纪录片《一次方便的真相》中，它不知为何被宣布为气候科学造假的标志，尽管它当时没有错，现在依然没错。

或许，如果说如果没有这些轻率且缺乏诚意的叙事污染全球话语，世界绝对会采取更早、更聪明、更有效的行动来避免气候变化，这可能有些言过其实。但可以肯定的是，这些叙事在很大程度上促成了一种政治格局，在这种格局中，不采取行动成了右翼阵营中许多人的强力号召，而非一种明显的不负责任。也许你还记得大卫·卡梅伦，他负责保守党“投蓝色，走绿色”的环保主义，他在下议院宣布，他同意英国气象局的观点，即气候变化可能加剧了 2014. 年的洪水。据《卫报》报道，他自己的后座议员们对此发出了“一片呻吟声”。

公平地说，如果寻找反派，各方都能找到。如果近年来的 Cop 气候会议已经演变成一场结结巴巴的闹剧，那么至少部分原因是许多发展中国家愿意拖延进展，以便敲诈富裕国家支付“赔偿金”。与此同时，可再生能源的倡导者承诺过多而交付不足，本周关于风电场运营商因生产的电力超过被忽视的国家电网所能承受的量而获得补偿的故事就证明了这一点。如果气候怀疑论现在正被气候宿命论所取代，那么也就不足为奇了

在我职业生涯的大部分时间里都在撰写关于气候变化的文章，但其中有两个方面是我在天真之时没有预料到的。第一，是不采取行动竟然会获胜，并且看起来将继续获胜，即便气候学家的预测在每一个汗流浃背的夏天都被证明是正确的。

第二，是没有羞耻感。没有道歉。什么都没有。因为你预期至少会有一些，不是吗？当人们激烈且好斗地宣称某件事，而这件事最终被证明是错误的时候。上帝知道我在这些版面中犯过很多错，上帝保佑，我希望未来还能被宽容地犯更多错。在糟糕的一周里，这会导致漫长的灵魂之夜。在顺利的一周里，这则是下一篇专栏的素材。但就这样溜走？即便赌注如此之高，仍假装这一切从未发生？你怎么能这样做？他们怎么能这样做？他们都去哪里了？

TIMESRadio 收听 Hugo Rifkind 周一至周四，上午 10 点至下午 1 点

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读者来信

提前选举的赌注

先生：詹姆斯·约翰逊对安迪·伯纳姆可能提前举行大选的后果所作的观察颇为引人入胜（《首相必须抓住"金发姑娘"时刻》，8月12日）。虽然提前选举可能符合伯纳姆的政治利益——尤其是如果改革党赢得超过100个席位并导致保守党几近消亡——但这种结果是否符合国家的更广泛利益尚不明确。改革党成为正式反对党，并随后赢得大选组建政府，将代表英国政治的深刻变革。

然而，正如约翰逊所指出的，克拉克顿的第二次补选——如果奈杰尔·法拉奇落败——可能成为决定性的转折点。这样的结果可能导致改革党崩溃，并回归更传统的两党制。

尽管约翰逊进行了计算，但当前的民调数据似乎至少同样可能产生悬浮议会。在这种情况下，伯纳姆最谨慎的做法可能是等待议会当局对法拉奇的调查结果。如果随后在克拉克顿举行第二次补选，法拉奇的落败可能对改革党的前景及未来政治格局产生严重影响。 约翰·格罗斯曼 米德尔塞克斯郡，诺斯伍德

议员辞职

先生：我同意科卡尔·格雷戈里（8月1日来信）的观点，即应提高议会选举的参选门槛，以遏制克拉克顿补选中出现的大规模参选现象。但我认为还应进一步审视整个补选程序。特别是，议员无法直接辞职，而必须向财政大臣申请担任奇尔特恩百户长或诺斯泰德庄园管理人的这一过时程序，实在荒谬。现任诺斯泰德庄园管理人的奈杰尔·法拉奇，加入了包括戴维·卡梅伦、格里·亚当斯、彼得·曼德尔森和鲍里斯·约翰逊在内的前任持有人名单。克拉克顿补选尘埃落定后，首相应要求选举委员会审查《人民代表法》——包括补选程序——并就系统的全面改革和现代化提出建议。 阿伦·埃文斯 伦敦 SE10

更正与说明

《泰晤士报》 严肃对待有关编辑内容的投诉。我们致力于遵守独立新闻标准组织（"IPSO"）的规则和条例，以及IPSO执行的《编辑行为准则》。更正或说明请求可通过电子邮件发送至feedback@thetimes.co.uk，或邮寄至：伦敦 SE1 9GF，伦敦桥街1号，《泰晤士报》反馈部。

关于部分全科医生合伙人高薪的分析

先生： 贵报（8月12日）发表的《十分之一的全科医生合伙人年薪至少达 £250k》一文，凸显了重新审视国民医疗服务体系（NHS）对全科诊所资金支持的必要性，因为这些诊所本质上是私营企业。此前，当一名合伙人退休时，通常会由另一人接替。而现在，剩余的合伙人往往选择以低得多的成本聘请一名薪资制全科医生、一名护士、一名药剂师、一名物理治疗师，甚至一名医生助理（助手），从而增加了诊所的利润以及每位合伙人的分红。

我的两个女儿都是医生，担任薪资制全科医生。其中一个在为一家全科医生合伙诊所工作时，每节课获得的报酬仅为她在另一家没有合伙人的诊所从当地卫生局获得的报酬的三分之一。另一个则在一家由少数几位剩余合伙人经营的大型诊所工作，而这些合伙人在周一或周五并不工作。

目前的安排存在牟利和滥用的空间。

达菲德·托马斯 (Dafydd Thomas) 退休神经内科医生及帝国理工学院名誉教授，白金汉郡切舍姆

先生： 贵报关于十分之一的全科医生合伙人年薪达 £250k 的报道引发了愤怒。但算术结果却导向相反的结论。英格兰仅有不到 18,000 名全科医生合伙人，其中年薪在 £250k 以上的一千人仅占 5 / 6%。相比之下，四大会计师事务所的 3,000 名权益合伙人在去年的平均年薪在 £250k 和 1105 万 之间，几乎所有人都超过了 £250k。按照会计和法律行业的标准，这种规模和资历的职业群体所产生的此类高薪者数量将是现在的数倍。您的标题并未证明家庭医生薪酬过高，反而证明了相反的情况。

威廉·J·特纳博士 (Dr William J Turner) 金斯顿医院麻醉科顾问医生，萨里郡

先生： 贵报关于部分全科医生合伙人年薪至少达 £250k 的报道，忽略了全科医生经营场所的融资成本。部分全科医生能够获得合理利润，这证明了他们的商业管理能力。任何企业的首要任务都是创造利润和增长，全科诊所也不例外。合伙人承担了房产融资（这一成本未包含在您的标题数字中）、合同服务的交付，以及员工的招聘、培训和管理。他们还面临着一个始终存在的风险，即反复无常的政府可能会突然决定改变模式。他们还必须满足不断变化的合同义务和目标，且在退休时面临可能没有继任者来承担债务负担的风险。我祝贺那些能够获得丰厚利润的少数全科医生，并赞赏这些诊所在不确定的政治环境下继续提供安全且具有成本效益的患者护理。

尼克·甘博 (Nick Gamble) 威尔特郡小索默福德

先生： 正如全科医生合伙人或其雇佣的医生一样，社区药剂师也不直接受雇于 NHS。但一个非常不公平的区别是，虽然所有全科诊所员工都有资格加入 NHS 的定额给付养老金计划，但社区药房员工则没有。难怪这么多药剂师避开社区药房，而更倾向于在医院、当地卫生局、初级保健信托基金和全科诊所工作。

罗伯特·埃文斯 (Robert Evans) 药剂师，雷克瑟姆

电动滑板车安全审查早已逾期

先生：劳伦斯·斯莱特（Laurence Sleator）在《电动滑板车导致儿童受伤和死亡》（8月12日）一文中强调，政府对动力交通工具进行审查的需求早已逾期。我看到行人被自行车、滑板车、残疾人代步车和电动轮椅挤出人行道，而一些速度快得惊人的电动轮椅使用者则倾向于在道路上行驶，完全不顾交通状况。我日益觉得电动自行车就像我年轻时的轻便摩托车一样大且快，但却不需要驾驶员登记、车辆登记、保险或头盔。许多新型交通方式对于我们这些公共交通服务不足的人来说具有极大的潜在帮助，但它们需要整合与监管，以保护使用者和广大公众。我不明白为什么我们还没有修订后的指南和立法。如果交通部在处理此事上遇到困难，我大约一小时就能起草一份草案。 戴安·切里曼（Diane Cherryman） 莱斯特郡，梅尔顿莫布雷

先生：在所有关于将限速降低至 20 英里 / 小时的讨论中（信件，8月1日和12日），我能否指出，行人只有在道路上时才会被汽车伤害，那么为什么我们停止将教授道路安全作为预防事故的最佳方式了？现在看来，所有的责任都被认为属于驾驶员。

萨拉·布莱克摩尔（Sara Blackmore） 汉普郡，惠特利

A-level 成绩公布日

先生，艾米莉·福姆斯通（Emily Formstone）的故事让我想起了我女儿收到 A-level 成绩时的情景（《我没达到 A-level 成绩要求，但我依然进入了牛津大学》，8月12日）。说那些成绩令人失望简直是轻描淡写。她立即联系了她心仪的大学，校方根据她的面试表现确认了她在所选课程中的名额。三年后，她以 21 学位毕业，并随后获得了硕士学位。在艺术领域工作几年后，她决定转换职业，并获得了一等助产学学位。现在的她早已忘记了 A-level 的成绩。 迪安·克莱（Deanne Clay） 沃里克郡，斯图尔河畔希斯顿

树木的降温效果

先生：《泰晤士报》强调城市树木在保持城市凉爽方面的作用（《在阴凉处》，社论，8月11日），这很好。然而，你们忽略了城市土壤在保持城市凉爽方面发挥的关键作用。土壤储存水分，随后由植被将水分泵入大气，从而产生降温效果。这需要水分储存在土壤中，而这反过来要求我们的城市变得更具渗透性，使城市土壤能够与雨水和径流相连，而不是被埋在混凝土和沥青之下。随着我国城市化程度提高，干旱和洪水更加频繁，我们需要确保尽可能维持土壤与大气之间的联系。 约翰·昆顿（John Quinton） 兰开斯特大学土壤科学荣休教授，坎布里亚郡，安赛德

致《泰晤士报》的信件必须为独家投稿，且可能会被编辑。请提供详细地址和日间联系电话。

驱蚊油畅销

摘自《泰晤士报》1926年8月13日

目前，居民和游客对埃平森林（Epping Forest）及其周边地区蚊子数量增加的抱怨相当多。由于许多前往该森林的游客被叮咬，当地已形成一种习惯，即通过涂抹“驱蚊油”来保护面部和手臂。据报道，这种油在钦福德（Chingford）、劳顿（Laughton）和埃平（Epping）等邻近地区的销量非常大。在这些地区发现的蚊子与大多数地方一样，是库蚊（Culex），幸好不是那种带有疟原虫的毒性按蚊（Anopheline），战争期间曾发现过其中几种类型。虽然被库蚊叮咬的结果很少严重，但曾出现过大面积水疱和肿胀的情况，被比作鸡蛋的小端。草地网球运动员经常遭受这些昆虫的叮咬，女性则声称丝袜会吸引蚊子。钦福德的一位药剂师昨天表示，自5月初以来，他每周平均销售190瓶乳液和油，且有几位似乎特别敏感的人不得不反复前来寻求缓解。在埃平森林以及该国其他地区，人们在早春期间采取了许多措施来对抗这一麻烦，例如在池塘中喷洒原油和石脑油，以防止幼虫获得生存所需的空气。然而，要系统地覆盖所有池塘和可能的滋生地是不切实际的。在埃平森林，必须注意不要干扰牲畜的饮水设施，但森林委员会不时与当地机构合作，显著减轻了这一麻烦。

劳顿城市区的医疗官员巴特勒·哈里斯（Dr Butler Harris）医生昨天表示，他认为目前的麻烦程度处于该年度时段的平均水平。库蚊在潮湿的叶子、水池和地下室中繁殖，大多数被叮咬的人通过常规治疗能迅速缓解。

英国蚊虫控制研究所（British Mosquito Control Institute）正在海林岛（Hayling Island）开展一项针对蚊子的普遍防治运动。

建筑之美

先生：政府竟有胆量将自己塑造为商业街美学的捍卫者（见8月12日社论《建设美学》）。它在执政后的首要行动几乎就是拿着红笔审阅《国家规划政策框架》，删除了所有提及“美”这个词的地方。虽然我们可以悄悄欢迎这一小小的忏悔之举，但我们需要做的不止是让电子烟店的招牌震颤。安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）可以从撤销基尔·斯塔默（Sir Keir Starmer）爵士造成的破坏开始，重新将美学作为规划系统中的实质性考量因素。这样一来，我们每年庆祝英国新建筑之美的“建筑美学奖”在未来可能会有更长的潜在获奖名单。 罗伯特·伯格斯（Robert Burgers） 皇家美术委员会信托基金

艺术资助

先生，特里斯坦·汉布尔顿（Tristan Hambleton）（8月12日来信）建议建立一个模仿艺术基金（Art Fund）的表演艺术基金。事实上，一个类似的基金自1948年起就已存在：在经历了27个月的罢工后，美国音乐家联邦会赢得了每张售出唱片的版税，这些资金被汇入后来的音乐表演信托基金，此后该基金一直雇佣音乐家举办免费的公开音乐会。它并非由政府或公众捐款资助，而是由取代音乐家的那个产业为音乐买单。 英国无需发明一个表演艺术基金。自1914年起，它就拥有了表演权利协会（Performing Right Society）这一征收机制。它只是从未决定向谁开具发票。 大卫·伍德德（David Woodard） 指挥家，芬兰坦佩雷

可转换的家

先生，考虑到我的雪铁龙 2CV 软顶车是多么容易被撬开（见 8 月 12 日来信），当我搬到爱丁堡时，我决定最安全的做法就是不锁车，我也确实这么做了。由于爱丁堡是一座非常适合步行前往各处的城市，过了几周我才回到车边——结果发现一名无家可归者似乎已经搬了进来，车里到处都是外卖包装纸和饮料罐。 大卫·约翰斯顿 (David Johnston) 东洛锡安郡，阿塞尔斯坦福德

电影奥德赛

先生，我对萨特纳姆·桑格拉 (Sathnam Sanghera)（8 月 10 日）对《奥德赛》的 Imax 投影感到失望这一点很感兴趣。我在当地的 Imax 也有类似的经历。英国只有三家电影院能够投影真正的 70mm Imax 胶片：BFI、科学博物馆和曼彻斯特的 Printworks。我们大多数人看到的都是原片的数字化或激光传输版本，因此导致了质量下降。此外，画面边框被缩小了，失去了完整的宽屏效果。克里斯托弗·诺兰是用 70mm 胶片拍摄的。只有我们中的极少数人才能真正享受看到他实际拍摄内容的沉浸式体验。

基思·希瑟 (Keith Sheather) 布里斯托

先生，我们勇敢地忍受了近两小时备受赞誉的《奥德赛》（见 8 月 11 日来信）。一旦我听到“把他们的盔甲留在后面”这句台词，我就崩溃了，然后我们离开了。没有要求退款，只是上了一课：不要太急于相信炒作。 菲尔·普劳德夫人 (Mrs Phil Proud) 莱斯特

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社论

每日通用登记

英国：克拉克顿补选举行；公布 2026 年第二季度英国 GDP 预估值及贸易统计数据。

自然笔记

贵报自然笔记的作者在橡树下工作时，发现自己与一只好奇的昆虫共用了他的临时办公室。这个不请自来的访客用一种咔哒咔哒的、震耳欲聋的噪音宣告了它的到来，然后砰的一声落在笔记本电脑上。其身体形状像一面盾牌，揭示了这个新来者是一只盾蝽，而其橙色的腿和小盾片上的橙色斑点表明这是一只红腿盾蝽。红腿盾蝽通常生活在橡树冠层的高处（它们有时也偏好桦树、赤杨和榛树），但也会降到地面寻找食物。当树液或蜜露匮乏时，这些昆虫会变成肉食性，啃食毛虫和蚜虫。乔纳森·图洛克 (JONATHAN TULLOCH)

今日生日

Madhur Jaffrey（如图），演员兼烹饪作家，《咖喱国家》（Curry Nation，2012），93岁；Shoaib Akhtar，板球运动员，巴基斯坦（1997-2007），51岁；Martyn Brabbins，指挥家，英国国家歌剧院音乐总监（2016-23），67岁；Domenico Dolce，时装设计师，Dolce & Gabbana，68岁；Ken Friar，终身主席，阿森纳足球俱乐部，92岁；Divina Galica，四次参加奥运会（oking）且为一级方程式赛车手（1976, 1976），82岁；Kristalina Georgieva，经济学家，国际货币基金组织总裁，73岁；Paul Greengrass，电影导演，《杰森·波恩》系列电影，71岁；Marie Helvin，模特，74岁；Scott Kirby，首席执行官，联合航空，59岁；Stuart Maconie，作家，《希望与荣耀》（Hope and Glory，2012）及 BBC Radio 6《怪诞地带》（Freak Zone）电台主持人，65岁；Christopher Nourse，创始人兼执行董事，弗雷德里克·阿什顿基金会（芭蕾舞慈善机构），80岁；Sir David Payne，光子学教授，南安普顿大学光电子研究中心主任（1995-2023），82岁；Simon Peckham，共同创始人兼首席执行官（2012-24），Melrose（投资公司），64岁；Philippe Petit，高空钢丝艺术家，77岁；José Pizarro，厨师兼餐厅经营者，55岁；Christopher Raeburn，时装设计师，44岁；Baroness (Minouche) Shafik，校长兼副校长，伦敦政治经济学院（2017-23），64岁；Feargal Sharkey，歌手，The Undertones 乐队（1975-83），《一颗善良的心》（A Good Heart，1993），68岁；Alan Shearer，足球运动员，英格兰（1992-2000）及评论员，56岁；Joe Simpson，制造商兼作家，《触碰虚空》（Touching the Void，1988），66岁；Tomasa Starzewski，时装设计师，65岁；Phil Taylor，飞镖选手，16次世界冠军得主，66岁；Heidi Thomas，电视编剧，《呼叫助产士》（Call the Midwife，2012年起），64岁；Lt Gen Sir Philip Trousdell，北爱尔兰指挥官（2003-05），78岁；Janet Yellen，经济学家，美国财政部长（2021-25），80岁。

历史上的今天

1912年，国民信托（National Trust）的三位创始人之一、社会改革家 Octavia Hill 在 73 岁时去世。国民信托（全称：历史遗迹或自然美景国民信托）于 1895 年 1 月 12 日由律师 Sir Robert Hunter 和牧师 Hardwicke Rawnsley 共同创立。

每日金句

“种树之人，除爱己亦爱他人，”——Thomas Fuller，作家兼医生，《格言集》（Gnomologia，1732）

Catastrophic Failure

警方与检察机关错失了多次阻止杀人犯兼强奸犯西蒙·利维（Simon Levy）的机会。受害者家属和公众理所当然地要求尽快得到答案

人类邪恶的深渊不可测。西蒙·利维已将其探底。昨日在中央刑事法院（Old Bailey），利维因在 2025 年谋杀卡门扎·瓦伦西亚-特鲁希略（Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo）和谢丽尔·威尔金斯（Sheryl Wilkins）两名女性，以及暴力强奸另一名不便透露姓名的女性，被判处终身监禁——这意味着他将在监狱中度过余生。

利维本可以被阻止。然而，英国交通警察局（BTP）、伦敦警察厅（Metropolitan Police）和英国皇家检察署（CPS）的一系列错误，使他得以自由地实施这些令人发指的罪行。公众，尤其是利维受害者的家属，有权得到答案。内政大臣沙哈娜·马哈茂德（Shahana Mahmood）必须迅速确保获得这些答案，以慰女性受害者的在天之灵，并平息公众的愤慨。无需经过漫长的调查就能明白，这些旨在保护公众的机构在集体失职方面是多么严重。

利维在因其他罪行被保释期间实施了这些罪行。记录在案的他对女性的袭击可追溯到近十年前。伦敦警察厅早在 2017 年就收到了针对他的投诉。次年，他继续袭击了两名女性，并因此在 2021 年被定罪。在服刑期间，他性侵了一名女警员。获释后，他在火车和伦敦地铁上再次袭击了十名女性。

令人难以理解的是，作为一名受警方监控的登记在册性犯罪者，利维竟然有机会实施袭击、强奸和谋杀。他的倾向及其构成的危险是显而易见的。然而，警方错失了多次干预机会。英国交通警察局最初未能识别出利维，导致他在获释后不久就有在地铁上摸女性的视频证据，却在六个多月的时间里未被起诉。在被指控强奸后，利维返回监狱服完剩余的短暂刑期，但伦敦警察厅随后将其状态从高风险犯罪者降级为中风险犯罪者。在他随后所有在公共交通工具上袭击女性的行为中，他都被准予保释。

警方将这些罪行视为某种程度上的“不那么危险”，认为其并未表现出对女性致命的敌意。然而，这正是这些行为所预示的，也是其本质。令人震惊的是，伦敦警察厅竟然轻信利维的谎言，接受了他关于在谋杀受害者的那几周里一直待在家里看电影的说法。而当利维因谋杀卡门扎·瓦伦西亚-Trujillo 被保释时，英国皇家检察署莫名地未能告知治安法院——尽管其已从英国交通警察局获悉——他“对公众构成危险”且“完全无视保释条件”。伦敦警察厅局长马克·罗利爵士（Sir Mark Rowley）

昨日正确地指出，利维被多次带到法院，但一直被准予保释。然而，马克爵士对于伦敦警察厅自身应承担的责任则远没有那么坦诚。独立警察行为监察局（IOPC）已向一名伦敦警察厅警员发出严重失职通知，并向一名侦查警佐发出失职通知。但利维案中的失败显然比个别警员的失职更为深层。

问题不胜枚举。为什么利维被提前释放？为什么他被反复允许保释？为什么警方和英国皇家检察署没有察觉到危险？此外，由于利维的三名受害者有时都通过街头性工作来筹集毒资，警方是否因此而不太倾向于严肃对待这些女性的困境？

由于这种偏见，长期以来一直存在着一种令人沮丧的制度性漠视，而且情况更为糟糕。就在五年前，一名在职的伦敦警察厅警员韦恩·库森斯（Wayne Couzens）谋杀了一名年轻女性莎拉·埃弗拉德（Sarah Everard）。他的仇恨在之前的性犯罪记录中显而易见，但这些记录并未影响他的就业。这种文化必须结束。针对女性的暴力是一种致命的社会恶疾。现在必须不仅针对个人的失职，而且针对公共生活中看似系统性的弊病，追究真正的责任。

冷静思考

温暖的夏季已成为新常态，因此更好的做法是专注于如何适应

1976年是英国经历一场异常漫长热浪的夏天——此后的所有热浪都将以此作为衡量标准。与50年前打破纪录的高温相比，2026年的热浪爆发时间更短，但强度更高。今年的夜晚更温暖，湿度更高，但其他许多方面则大抵相同：广泛的禁用水管令、干涸的田野，以及气象局一波接一波的严厉警告。

如果说76年的酷暑被认为是罕见现象，那么2026年可能标志着新常态的到来。气候变化正在发生这一点是不争的事实；随之而来的更炎热的夏季就是我们周围随处可见的证据。问题在于如何应对：我们是屈服于这种恐慌，认为我们所熟知的正常生活已走到尽头？例如，BBC在发布天气预报时，似乎很难不附带一段关于全球变暖的教诲。还是我们寻找最佳的适应方式并继续前行？

伦敦的一场热浪必然会提高政治温度，安迪·伯纳姆也理所当然地就天气问题召开了他首相任期内的首次危机会议。对于身处国家较凉爽地区的人来说，这种紧迫感可能显得奇怪。部长们针对可避免的死亡采取紧急行动是完全正确的。但气候挑战与公共卫生领域的许多问题一样，关键在于视角。英国需要在城市中种植更多树木，以更好地应对城市热岛效应。更多家庭和公共交通工具需要安装空调。英国迫切需要建设更多水库，以更好地应对更长时间的无雨期。

事实是，我们的星球正在变暖，但它同时也变得更富裕，使我们能够适应。这就是为什么现在极端天气事件导致的全球死亡人数比一个世纪前要少。对于在缺水中挣扎的农民和在酷暑中工作的劳工来说，这可能是冷冰冰的（或者说并不那么温暖的）安慰。但我们不应忽视在适应方面取得的成就：美国增长最快的经济体正是酷热的德克萨斯州和亚利桑那州。

去年夏天，英格兰约有 1,500 例死亡被归因于高温，而典型的冬季中，低温每年导致至少 20,000 例死亡。几十年来，英国的“超额冬季死亡”人数有所下降，但按人均计算，其伤亡情况仍比挪威等寒冷得多的国家更严重。在这些岛屿上，寒冷是更大的杀手。2006年的《斯特恩全球变暖回顾》引用政府模型指出，到 2050 年，与热相关死亡人数将增加 2,000 人，而与冷相关的死亡人数将减少 20,000 人。

可悲的事实是，一名养老金领取者在冬季死亡在政治上的显著性，低于在酷暑中死亡的人。英国每年约有 140,000 例可避免的死亡——最贫困地区的发生率比最富裕地区高出三倍多。这一差距仍在继续扩大。

伯纳姆先生无法对天气做太多改变。在气候变化方面，英国的排放量下降速度快于几乎所有 G20 国家，目前处于维多利亚时代以来的最低水平。排放量必须进一步下降，但一个仅占全球排放量 1% 的岛国不能指望能直接控制全球气候。英国人死于可避免原因（高温、寒冷、肥胖或其他任何原因）的人数，是首相可以调节的旋钮。这才是他应该集中精力的地方，以及更好地让国家适应环境。像他昨天那样，仅仅劝阻使用一次性烧烤炉是不够的。

英文原著

安·威德库姆葬礼上的吊唁者们向这位原则坚定且独一无二的女性致敬

安·威德库姆（Ann Widdecombe）的议会生涯在许多方面不仅是对她卓越才干的证明，也是对英国选民的理智以及直到近期为止英国政治包容性的致敬。她古怪但显然真实，因此人们对她心生好感。她自承并不圆滑，也不擅长外交或面对镜头。她直言不讳，厌恶术语或模棱两可。她持有某些尖锐且极不合时宜的观点。然而，保守党以及后来的改革英国党（Reform UK）都为她留有空间，公众也钦佩她。

她的许多对手亦然。正如她的朋友且同样是震惊暴力事件受害者的戴维·艾姆斯爵士（Sir David Ames）一样，许多强烈反感她社会保守主义的人也对威德库姆女士十分尊重。这是因为，支撑其伦理绝对主义的虔诚基督教信仰，教会她以同样的尊重、礼貌、尊严以及经常可见的感人个人善意来对待对手和盟友。当今的政治家们应当从中吸取教训。

威德库姆女士在晚年转型为演艺界战士、真人秀明星、小说家、回忆录作者、演员和专栏作家，这表明她同样乐观、坚韧且充满乐趣。她严肃对待自己的信仰，但对待自己则较为随和。那些信仰总是经过仔细审视和深思熟虑，而非懒惰地从某个方便的意识形态货架上随意攫取。她支持死刑，但反对将同性恋者强行送入精神病院（foshunting）：这并非一种常见的组合。这种严谨延伸到了个人廉洁问题上，以至于她是少数在 2009 年开支丑闻中保持荣誉而脱身的议员之一。

她死亡时那可怕的方式不应定义安·威德库姆的一生。她长期的公共服务记录依然完好。她的成就依然屹立。她对信念的勇气将作为给所有人的教训而长存。人们将深切怀念她。

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10

世界

阿亚图拉召回压迫大师

法蒂玛·贾马尔普尔（Fatemeh Jamalpour）写道，这位新任安全主管即便在德黑兰政权看来，也被认为过于执迷且不稳定。

很少有人见过侯赛因·塔耶布（Hossein Taeb）微笑。他的老友阿亚图拉·穆吉塔巴·哈梅内伊（Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei）或许是其中之一。在的一张张照片中，这位 63 岁的神职人员头戴白色头巾，银色的胡须勾勒出同样令人畏惧的阴沉面孔。塔耶布在过去四年中一直处于隐匿状态。在此之前，他的职业生涯以执行国内镇压，以及领导一个多次被以色列渗透而蒙羞的情报部门 13 年而定义。

现在，在有说法称新领导人的父亲在统治最后几年试图将其边缘化之后，哈梅内伊最古老且最信任的盟友之一已重返伊朗指挥链的顶端。

伊朗官方媒体本周宣布，哈梅内伊已任命塔耶布指挥巴斯基（Basij），即伊斯兰共和国庞大的准军事力量。一名出于安全原因要求匿名的德黑兰政治分析人士表示，塔耶布的回归可能会产生立即的影响。

“伊斯兰共和国可能正在准备新一轮的对抗，而这些对抗可能会在街头层面产生后果，”该分析人士说。“我们可能会看到整个社会的逮捕行动，且可能与另一场战争的成型同步发生。”

华盛顿智库 Dawn 的高级伊朗分析师奥米德·梅马里安（Omid Memarian）表示：“任命侯赛因·塔耶布领导巴斯基尤其具有揭示意义，因为他本质上是一个安全和情报人物。”

巴斯基是伊斯兰革命卫队（IRGC）的一部分，渗透在伊朗的社区、大学、工作场所、工厂、部门和清真寺中。它声称能够动员 600,000 名志愿者支持政权，成员可获得包括优先获得大学名额、公共部门就业和晋升在内的福利。

他们参加政府集会和宗教活动，但在危机时刻，也可以被武装并部署以对抗抗议者。该部队在镇压接连不断的起义中发挥了核心作用，从 2009 年的绿色运动到今年 1 月的全国性抗议。梅马里安说：“巴斯基是政权最广泛的基层安全网络。让塔耶布执掌该机构，可以将情报收集、监视和街头动员紧密结合在一起。”

塔耶布与哈梅内伊的关系可追溯到四十年前。在两伊战争期间，两人都曾在伊斯兰革命卫队的哈比巴营（Habib Battalion）服役，哈梅内伊在 17 岁时作为志愿者加入该营。

这段经历建立了一个友谊网络，随着成员在军事和安全机构中升迁，这种关系得以延续。议长穆罕默德·巴盖尔·加利巴夫（Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf）是另一位长期合作伙伴。

塔耶布出生在德黑兰，原名哈桑（Hassan），据说在哥哥侯赛因在战争中牺牲后，他采用了哥哥的名字。在库姆、德黑兰和马什哈德的神学院学习后，塔耶布于 1982 年加入伊斯兰革命卫队。他后来转入情报部，在 20 世纪 90 年代从事反情报工作。

他最终被情报部除名。前总统马哈茂德·艾哈迈迪内贾德（Mahmoud Ahmadinejad）形容他心理不平衡，且执迷于捏造针对反对者的案件。艾哈迈迪内贾德说：“他在情报部工作，但他们把他踢了出去，因为他挑拨人们互相攻击。然后他们把他带到另一个地方，给了他不受任何法律约束的无限权力。”

离开情报部后，塔耶布（Taeb）回到了伊斯兰革命卫队（IRGC）。他在2007年成为巴斯基（Basij）的副指挥官，并在次年接任指挥权。2009, 当数百万伊朗人抗议艾哈迈迪内贾德（Ahmadinejad）存在争议的连任时，巴斯基成为了被用来镇压该运动的主要力量之一。时任保守派议员的阿里·莫塔哈里（Ali Motahari）写道：“当我们把危机管理交给像塔耶布这样的人时——他们对警棍比对思考、理性和谨慎更熟悉——结果就是这样。”

美国在2010, 对塔耶布实施了制裁，理由是他指挥下的部队参与了殴打、杀害和任意拘留和平抗议者的行为。欧盟在一年后也实施了制裁。

大约在此时，卫队的情报部门被提升为一个独立组织，塔耶布成为其首任负责人。在接下来的13年里，伊斯兰革命卫队情报局的影响力日益掩盖了情报部。它以定义宽泛的间谍活动和外国“渗透”指控，逮捕了政治活动人士、记者、环保主义者和双重国籍人士。

尽管塔耶布以冷酷的执行者著称，但他担任

去年在德黑兰举行的一场据报道有110,000名巴斯基和伊斯兰革命卫队部队参加的阅兵式中，准军事组织成员参与其中。侯赛因·塔耶布（Hossein Taeb，左）回归担任巴斯基领导人，被视为镇压可能会增加的信号

伊斯兰革命卫队情报局负责人的最后几年，是以一系列安全失败为标志的。以色列从德黑兰的一个仓库中移走了一份核档案，刺杀了伊朗核计划的高级人物莫森·法赫里扎德（Mohsen Fakhrizadeh），并在该国境内对军事和核能人员进行了行动。

2022年6月23, 塔耶布被撤职。德黑兰的分析人士表示，塔耶布的被撤职是最高领袖阿里·哈梅内伊（Ali Khamenei）试图减少穆吉塔巴（Mojtaba）及其安全圈影响力的一部分。“年长的哈梅内伊开始撤掉塔耶布，实际上是在削弱穆吉塔巴在领袖办公室内的影响力，”他说。“如果阿里·哈梅内伊一直活着并最终自然死亡，而不是在战争期间去世，穆吉塔巴肯定不会成为领袖。”

据该分析人士称，一些官员私下将这次继任描述为“选出穆吉塔巴·哈梅内伊为领袖的政变”。

他认为，美以的轰炸、阿里·哈梅内伊的去世以及高级指挥官和潜在竞争对手的被清除，创造了让穆吉塔巴圈子能够掌控局面的条件。

该分析人士将塔耶布置于一个与高度政治化的“马赫迪主义”（Mahdism，什叶派关于第十二伊玛目最终现身的信仰）解读相关的圈子中。“马赫迪主义在伊斯兰共和国内部是一个极其重要且严肃的问题，”他说。“他们相信世界必须为马赫迪的现身做好准备。”

他认为，这种世界观在接近新领导层的人物中具有影响力，包括穆吉塔巴·哈梅内伊和塔耶布，并指出哈梅内伊经常使用“我们的主人，时代的守护者”这一短语。

在分析人士描述为该信仰最极端的解读中，基于伊斯兰共和国肩负神圣使命的信念，大规模的牺牲是可以被证明正当的。“他们认为，即使必须牺牲6000 万伊朗人，那就这样吧——马赫迪将会现身，”他说。

《泰晤士报》无法独立证实这一断言，也无法确定塔耶布个人是否持有如此极端的解读。然而，塔耶布的兄弟梅赫迪（Mehdi）曾公开将伊斯兰共和国描述为第十二伊玛目政府的前身，并将伊朗在地区间的干预与为他的回归准备世界联系起来。

在这种世界观中，该分析人士

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31

糟糕的道路和桥梁使印度处于慢车道

戴高乐家族就出售前住所的计划产生分歧

HUGEN KING / 277T, MAJEL ALIAP

说道，伊斯兰共和国不仅仅是一个负责公民安全与繁荣的国家。“它是一个扩大神职人员监护、构建伊斯兰文明并为马赫迪（Mahdi）的出现准备社会的工具，”他说道。“因此，政权的生存可以优先于民众的日常需求。”

他补充说，这种世界观的信奉者将伊朗视为神圣认可的“真理阵线”的一部分，而美国、以色列和西方文明则代表了“谎言阵线”。因此，与西方的对抗被视为一场历史斗争的一部分，而非可以通过谈判解决的普通争端。

华盛顿近东政策研究所的伊朗军事与安全政策分析师法尔津·纳迪米（Farzin Nadimi）表示，塔耶布（Taeb）的回归以及更广泛的任命既反映了战争时期的必要性，也反映了接替者的短缺。“在领导层遭受重大损失后，对资深强硬派的严重依赖，以及对内部动员和紧急结构性改革的同时关注，表明了对外部和国内阵线脆弱性的焦虑，”他说道。

最近几天宣布的其他任命包括穆赫森·雷扎伊（Mohsen Rezaei）的回归，他是一名伊斯兰革命卫队（IRGC）资深成员，曾在两伊战争期间领导该部队，并一直担任哈梅内伊的顾问。他已被任命为伊朗最高国家安全机构的负责人。

梅马里安（Memarian）表示：“任命塔耶布传递出的信息是，政权正在同时为两个阵线做准备：海外的另一次对抗以及国内潜在的动荡。”他补充说，这次任命是“焦虑的迹象，而非信心的体现”。

尽管特朗普总统多次声称伊朗的新领导人比前任更理性，但像塔耶布这样的人员回归则表明情况并非如此。

一名来自德黑兰、要求化名为玛丽亚姆（Maryam）的政治记者告诉《泰晤士报》：“塔耶布不是被选中的，塔耶布才是那个做出选择的人。实际上，是他选择了最高领袖。他是一个压制性的、教条的人，反对发展，反对自由和民主。伊斯兰革命卫队的镇压此前已变得较为平静，他们有所退缩，但现在预计镇压将会升级。”

梅马里安表示：“让一名资深情报首脑负责巴斯基（Basij），表明德黑兰日益将海外战场和国内街道视为同一个安全挑战的两个阵线。”

塔耶布的权力回归表明，伊朗的新领导层正在准备其对策：在海外部署更多导弹，在国内实施更多监控和镇压。

梅洛尼的极右翼对手感叹缺乏“强人”

意大利

汤姆·金顿 (Tom Kington) 罗马报道

意大利极右翼政治的明日之星罗伯托·万纳奇（Roberto Vannacci）在挑战该国首位女性总理乔治亚·梅洛尼（Giorgia Meloni）之际，通过赞美“强人”在社会中的作用，进一步向右倾斜。

万纳奇目前的民调支持率为 7%，威胁到了梅洛尼明年连任的机会。本周，万纳奇发布了他的首份宣言，进一步升级了竞争态势，他在宣言中赞美了一个他称之为“地中海父权制”的概念。

他解释说，在他理想中的意大利，必须给“能够控制自己的情绪和激情并保护女性的强人”留出空间。

为万纳奇助选的朱塞佩·巴博尼（Giuseppe Barboni）告诉《泰晤士报》：“这关乎于用生命捍卫自己女人的南方男人。”

这位前特种部队将军此前已尝试在移民问题上比梅洛尼更右。万纳奇不仅主张将移民拒之门外，还呼吁进行“重新移民”——促使已经在意大利的移民离开。

这吸引了 100,000 人加入他新成立的“国家未来党”（National Future party），并迫使梅洛尼做出回应，加强了她的反移民言论。上个月，当移民涌入休达（Ceuta）时，欧洲大部分国家向西班牙提供支持，而梅洛尼则暂停了意大利与马德里的开放边境协议，以此作为惩罚。

但据中左翼反对党民主党参议员菲利波·森西（Filippo Sensi）称，随着 57 岁的万纳奇涉足一种极具男性气概的性别政治，他显然是在针对梅洛尼，并迫使她与其对抗。森西表示：“作为一名男性，万纳奇认为自己作为右翼领导人更具真实性。”

梅洛尼本周对此表示反对，声称她可以在治理国家的同时抚养九岁的女儿，并带着女儿出席峰会以证明这一点。梅洛尼告诉《Chi》杂志：“如果这能向女孩传递一个信息，即她不需要在成为母亲和拥有事业之间做出选择，那么我很开心。”

万纳奇在网上发布了一系列由 AI 生成的自己身着军装的照片，他在宣言中反而支持一个由男性主导的社会，声称当“父权制”被推翻、性别平等盛行时，针对女性的暴力实际上会增加，因为男性不再觉得有必要保护女性。

他说，意大利遭受的针对女性的暴力比女性主义主导的斯堪的纳维亚地区要少。

这一观点遭到了意大利慈善机构“女性差异”（Differenza Donna）负责人的质疑，该机构运行着一条针对女性暴力受害者的求助热线。埃莉萨·埃尔科利（Elisa Ercoli）表示：“瑞典记录的性别暴力更多，是因为女性相信能够获得帮助而选择举报。在意大利，只有 10% 的暴力行为被举报。”

她补充道：“万纳奇试图吸引‘男性圈’（manosphere）的年轻男性粉丝，并拆除意大利宪法保障的女性权利。”

在阿富汗、索马里和伊拉克参战后，万纳奇因其反“觉醒”书籍《颠倒的世界》（The World Upside Down）而成为名人，他在书中赞美“仇恨和不尊重”的权利，该书在 2023. 年成为畅销书。这为他赢得了加入联盟党（League party，梅洛尼执政联盟的伙伴）的邀请，该党党魁马泰奥·萨尔维尼（Matteo Salvini）希望万纳奇能增强他自身的极右翼民粹主义吸引力，结果万纳奇在今年决定独立发展，并在民调中超过了萨尔维尼。

民调专家安东尼奥·诺托（Antonio Noto）表示：“萨尔维尼的支持率为 6%，万纳奇为 7%，其中 3% 是之前支持梅洛尼政府的选民，其余则是近期未投票的更右翼人士，以及一些前五星运动党选民。”

梅洛尼的意大利兄弟党在民调中占据 26% 的领先地位，但由于万纳奇分走了选票，该党在预计最早于明年春季举行的选举中，可能难以获得多数席位。

梅洛尼可能仍会寻求将凡纳奇纳入她的联盟，但双方将在她去年大力支持的一项法律上产生激烈冲突，该法律加重了对被判定谋杀女性的男性（通常是其伴侣）的判刑。这位前将军在自己的竞选宣言中誓言要废除该法律，并认为该法律是不公正的。他写道：“谁能向一个杀人犯儿子的父母解释，他的生命价值低于一个女儿？”“如果一个有女同性恋倾向的女性因为被拒绝而杀死一名异性恋女性，这算不算女性杀戮？”

凡纳奇声称，意大利 25% 的女性杀戮案件是由外国人实施的，而外国人仅占人口的 9%。他写道：“因此，任何想要挽救女性生命的人都应该支持遣返。”

民主党的资深国会议员瓦伦蒂娜·吉奥称凡纳奇的论点“疯狂且不负责任”，并补充道：“我们每年平均发生 100 起女性杀戮事件，我们需要的是与凡纳奇所谈论的方向截然相反的教育。”

她补充说：“他的言论违背了女性为创造平等而奋斗数十年的努力。在意大利的法西斯时期，女性被期望操持家务并受男性保护，而凡纳奇是在迎合那些相信这种男性主导地位的选民的直觉。如果这件事不是这么严重，那简直就是一个荒谬的笑话。”

德国间谍获准采取报复行动

德国

奥利弗·穆迪（Oliver Moody）发自柏林

柏林的情报机构将被授予权限，以报复外国的网络攻击并破坏敌对国家的武器生产，这将是本世纪其权力规模最大的一次扩张。

这项由内阁于昨日批准的情报改革酝酿已久，但将在莱比锡机场疑似遭到俄罗斯无人机攻击的阴影下提交议会投票；此次攻击被认为是对该国开展的“每日”混合侵略行动的一部分。

德国联邦情报局（BND，大致相当于英国军情六处 MI6）及其国内姐妹机构 BN 长期以来一直抱怨，严格的法律限制使它们无法与欧洲其他大国的同行相匹敌。

该立法的核心是

授权进行“反击”（hackbacks），即报复性网络攻击。直到最近，这些行为仍被视为令人不安。

预计该法案将于下月由联邦议院通过。一旦生效，当被认为存在“对特别重要的法律保护利益的紧迫危险”时，BND 的 IT 专家将能够采取攻势。

他们将被允许更改或删除敌对政府机构的数据，包括尝试关闭其计算机系统或拦截其金融交易。

该法案还规定了在外国领土上采取其他“积极措施”，例如利用外勤人员或特工使敌对国家的武器失效或破坏其生产。

在德国战后安置之后，这些机构传统上被限制在“观察者”角色，仅限于收集情报，

而将积极干预留给警察、军队和公共检察官。

德国部长和情报界人士认为，采取这一新步骤对于确保 BND 能成为盟友情报机构的合格合作伙伴至关重要，因为那些机构并未受到如此高水平繁文缛节的束缚。

内政部长亚历山大·多布林特（Alexander Dobrindt）表示，这将最终赋予德国“真正的秘密服务机构”。

一些民权组织对扩大后的职权感到不安，部分原因是这模糊了国内和国外情报机构职责之间的界限，赋予了 BND 监视德国境内某些目标的授权。

左翼党和极右翼的德国选择党（Alternative for Germany）警告称，此次改革可能会损害德国公民的基本权利，特别是由于这些机构将被允许获取并存储更多数据，并使用某些 AI 工具对其进行处理。

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12

Thursday August 11 2026 / THE TIMES

World

糟糕的道路工程毁掉莫迪的快车道希望

印度

Amrit Dhillon 德里

人们说，那些拼命试图修复数英里新铺沥青路面的工人们自己也偷了懒。这条路被飙车族用来往返于德拉敦和德里之间。在季风雨后，建筑商没有使用燃气轮机来干燥新的路面，而是使用了原本为德里客厅通风设计的风扇。这证明了在印度，廉价工程往往成本更高。

由于不可避免的崩溃，在道路建成三个月后，路面出现了如此宽的坑洞，以至于威胁到要将整辆汽车吞没。

对于纳伦德拉·莫迪这个新兴的经济超级大国来说，这又是一次“新的一天，新的基础设施灾难”。这个国家在快速建设，在高耸建设，但经常搞砸。然而，德拉敦至德里的灾难甚至在那些早已习惯基础设施项目发生灾难性故障的在狱印度人中也成为了头条新闻。

这条道路于 4 月在花环、旗帜和莫迪的演讲中正式启用，这位总理喜欢向世人展示其国家的繁荣。据估计，每米的成本约为 5,185 英镑 —— 这还是在上个月大段路面必须重建之前。

去年，在德里的一个新机场航站楼，顶篷和屋顶在暴雨期间坍塌，导致一名停在下面的 Uber 司机死亡。

一座桥梁在巴加尔布尔坍塌进入恒河，这是许多失效桥梁中的一座。

在勒克瑙的新机场，人们使用水桶来处理屋顶漏水。此外，古吉拉特邦的拉杰科特机场和中央邦的贾巴尔普尔机场的顶篷在 2024 年雨季期间均发生坍塌。

基础设施问题最明显的迹象或许是桥梁。当中国和其他亚洲经济强国在建设最长且最安全的桥梁，征服地理环境并展示卓越工程能力时，莫迪的桥梁则倾向于坍塌。去年，古吉拉特邦现有的 Gambhira 桥的一段坍塌进入 Mahi 河，导致至少 20 人死亡。

博帕尔 Aishbagh 的一座立交桥成为了网络热门，因其 90 度转弯而被戏称为“毕达哥拉斯杰作”。Newslaundry 新闻门户网站计算出，在 2021 年至去年之间，印度全境多达 120 座桥梁坍塌，导致 200 人死亡。

地下工程的情况也好不到哪里去。在 2023 年德里 G20 峰会之前，为了缓解交通流量而修建的一条地下通道在完工 11 周后变成了一个游泳池。

反对党国大党表示，由于“猖獗的腐败和贪污”，印度全境的基础设施正在崩溃。莫迪领导的印度人民党（BJP）在 2014 年强势上台，这得益于公众对国大党执政期间接连不断的腐败丑闻的愤怒。

选民将希望寄托在莫迪关于廉洁政府的承诺上。他当选时表示：“我不会接受贿赂，也不会让任何人接受贿赂。”

美国布朗大学当代南亚研究中心主任 Ashutosh Varshney 表示，“腐败并非新鲜事”。他说：“国大党也很糟糕。但现在腐败的规模具有显著意义，尤其是当 BJP 承诺不会有腐败的时候。”

莫迪政府以史无前例的速度建设基础设施。国家高速公路扩张了 60%；地铁线路扩张了四倍；机场数量从 74 个增加到 164 个，增加了一倍多。

但随着坑洼的新路、坍塌的桥梁和掉落的机场屋顶不断出现，批评者指责德里为了急于产出光鲜的新项目图像以给选民留下深刻印象，而匆忙赶工并牺牲了质量。

道路部长尼廷·加德卡里（Nitin Gadkari）最喜欢吹嘘的一点是，印度的公路将能与美国相媲美。然而，在由印度人民党（BJP）执政的北阿坎德邦德拉敦，一条通往托恩斯河新桥的路段在7月28日完工16天后便坍塌了。该邦首席部长普什卡尔·辛格·达米（Pushkar Singh Dhami）在面对记者时轻描淡写地表示：“是的，我知道这件事。维修工作正在进行中。”

《印度时报》（Hindustan Times）最近的一篇社论谴责这些项目“执行粗劣”，是以“第一世界的价格提供第三世界的道路”。

一些政治分析人士认为，基础设施的崩塌正在损害印度人民党的形象。瓦什尼（Varshney）感觉到人们更愿意谈论腐败问题，而阿约提亚喇嘛庙的丑闻进一步加剧了这种情绪。数百万普通且贫穷的印度教信徒为该庙的建设捐赠了小额资金，该庙于2024年由莫迪主持落成。

今年6月，有消息披露数千万卢比以及金银被贪污。一名举报人迫使印度人民党政府逮捕了寺庙官员并启动调查。

瓦什尼表示，由青年领导的“蟑螂人民党”（Cockroach Janata Party）打破了此前压制批评的“恐惧氛围”。该党对印度人民党和莫迪不敬的嘲讽，削弱了该党周围那种不容置疑的权威光环。“大坝已经崩溃，”瓦什尼说，“多亏了蟑螂抗议活动，一场洪水被释放了出来，现在我们将看到更多的批评之声。”

“Baby Shark男孩”回归，开启成年人的大合唱

从某个指标来看，朴建荣（Park Geon-roung）已经比艾德·希兰（Ed Sheeran）、泰勒·斯威夫特（Taylor Swift）、BTS和披头士（the Beatles）更出名了（约书亚·瑟斯顿 Joshua Thurston 撰文）。他那首洗脑的热门歌曲在YouTube上的播放量已超过172 亿美元次，成为史上观看次数最多的视频。如今，随着他步入成年，

这位“Baby Shark男孩”正致力于追求个人音乐事业。该视频背后的韩国公司Pinkfong——这家公司在十年间证明了其作品对幼儿具有不可抗拒的吸引力，同时也让无数父母抓狂——在周一宣布，朴建荣将于下周发行他的首支单曲。这首韩语曲目名为《Www》，由Baby Shark Boy演唱，据称歌词由他共同创作，并邀请了

K-pop组合Monsta X的31岁成员Joohoney参与。17岁的朴建荣在提到《Baby Shark Dance》视频片段时表示：“我一直很感激人们仍然记得我小时候出演的视频。”在那个片段中，他

朴建荣现年17岁，在出演Pinkfong的Baby Shark视频十多年后，希望开启个人事业（见下图）

在动画鲨鱼一家面前做动作，并唱着重复的“doo doo ”。

“十年前，我在Baby Shark身边跳舞。现在，我想分享我自己的声音和我自己写的故事。我很高兴能与一直记得我的人们一起开始新尝试，我想继续展示我从这里开始的成长。”

有人认为，《Baby 》的成功在很大程度上归功于K-pop更广泛的全球影响力。它在另一首极具感染力的洗脑神曲《Psy's Gangnam Style》发行四年后推出，并得到了Twice和Blackpink等人气组合在舞台和社交媒体上表演该舞蹈的推动。

Pinkfong成立于2010年，已推出了超过4,000部其他儿童视频和歌曲，以及玩具和周边商品。去年，该公司在韩国Kondag市场上市，估值为760 亿美元韩元（£4040 万）。

Pinkfong表示，在Baby Boy的单曲发行后，还将发布一部记录他“与《Baby 》共同成长之旅”的幕后纪录片。

“Baby Boy是一个与全球粉丝共享特殊回忆的人物，”

Pinkfong表示。“这个项目不仅具有意义，因为它让视频中的男孩回归，更因为他将讲述自己的故事。”

与朴建荣共同出演《Baby Dance》的女孩伊莱恩·金·约翰斯顿（Elaine Kim Johnston）目前与家人住在新西兰，并未开始音乐事业。

总理“甜瓜”玩笑争议被移交警方

澳大利亚 罗杰·梅纳德（Roger Maynard） 悉尼

澳大利亚总理因其对日本同行赠送的甜瓜所发表的言论和做出的手势，面临更大的道歉压力。

安东尼·阿尔巴尼斯（Anthony Albanese）在上个月的一次播客采访中，就来自 Sanjar Takacchi 的官方礼品发表了上述言论，但他拒绝表示遗憾，称东京方面并未感到被冒犯。

63岁的阿尔巴尼斯昨天在议会再次面对关于该采访的质询。在采访中，他在将甜瓜描述为“有趣”时，双手在胸前做出了手势。他补充道：“她带来了两个。”

反对党政治人物指责工党政府泄露了一份私人日本外交电报，试图平息这场风波，并将此事移交警方。

自由党参议员詹姆斯·帕特森（James Paterson）声称，该信息指出报道存在“煽情化”，但结论是没有恶意；他认为该信息被泄露给记者是为了试图“为总理洗清嫌疑”。

他与外交事务影子大臣泰德·奥布赖恩（Ted O'Brien）已致信联邦警察，要求“对显然是非法披露日本政府机密通信的行为进行调查”。

他补充说：“这是一件严肃的事情。重要的是，我们的最亲密盟友必须有信心，当他们与我们分享机密通信时，这些内容不会出现在媒体上。”

警方确认已收到该信函，但不会发表进一步评论。政府则将其斥为一场“噱头”。

住房部长克莱尔·奥尼尔（Clare O'Neil）指责自由党失去了理智。她说：“将播客言论移交给澳大利亚联邦警察，太荒谬了。”她补充道：“这绝对是一场噱头，从一开始就是这样。”

反对党领袖安格斯·泰勒（Angus Taylor）再次发起攻击，要求阿尔巴尼斯“像个男人一样”道歉。

日本驻澳大利亚大使铃木一弘（Kazuhiro Suzuki）表示，日方获悉阿尔巴尼斯的言论并非如报道所言，并强调了“两国领导人之间的个人信任关系”。

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荷兰的阿玛莉亚公主（Princess Amalia of the Netherlands）身着绿白相间的服装，与德国技术部长多萝西·贝尔（Dorothee Bär）在德国西部亚琛举行的国际马联（FEI）世界马术锦标赛开幕式上向人群挥手。该赛事包括盛装舞步、综合马术和障碍赛，将持续到August 23

特朗普在关键时刻失去利维特

乔治·格里尔斯（George Grylls） 华盛顿

卡罗琳·利维特（Karoline Leavitt）将卸任白宫新闻秘书，这使得特朗普总统在11月中期选举前失去了一位最具战斗力的沟通人员。

28岁的利维特在第二个孩子出生后宣布了这一“苦乐参半”的离职决定。她在X上表示：“事实是，在女儿出生后回到白宫以来，我内心觉得，在投入白宫新闻秘书所需的持续时间、精力和关注的同时，我无法成为两个年幼孩子所值得拥有的最好的母亲。”

利维特在2024年总统竞选期间担任特朗普的发言人，随后成为被任命为白宫该职位的最年轻人士。

她以好斗的新闻发布会而闻名，经常与CNN首席白宫记者凯特兰·柯林斯（Kaitlan Collins）等记者发生争执，并赢得了特朗普的赞赏。

自5月维维安娜（Viviana）出生后产假回归以来，利维特仅主持了一次新闻发布会。她与丈夫、61岁的房地产开发商尼古拉斯·里乔（Nicholas Riccio）还有一个儿子——尼科（Niko），出生于2024年7月。

利维特的离职正值共和党在期中选举中努力捍卫其在众议院和参议院多数席位的关键时刻。

特朗普表示，在她继续作为“共和党内部一个有影响力的声音”的同时，“我们将努力挑战历史并赢得中期选举”。

冻卵引发 MAGA 内部裂痕

凯蒂·鲍尔斯（Katy Balls）写道，这位 36 岁的民主党人的举动，让美国右翼的“亲家庭”资历受到了考验。

当亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯（Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez）在周末通过社交媒体透露她决定冻卵时，这位 36 岁的民主党人向关注者发出了一项简单的请求：“对此不要表现得太奇怪，尽管我知道你们所有人都会这么做。”

在接下来的几天里，关于这位名人国会议员及其真实动机的争论没完没了。是因为她想竞选总统吗？仅仅是为了让人们讨论她？还是这与她与交往四年多的未婚夫赖利·罗伯茨（Riley Roberts）的分手有关？

AOC 对此类关注并不陌生。她在当选国会议员时年仅 29 岁，在 2018 年中期选举最大的冷门之一中，她在民主党初选中击败了国会议员乔·克劳利（Joe Crowley）。一部 Netflix 纪录片记录了她的崛起。她已成为国会山最广为人知的面孔之一：不仅因为她在社交媒体上的影响力，还因为她的政治权力。

她说，分享这段视频是希望能够帮助并激励其他正在考虑进行冻卵所需的“艰巨”激素治疗的人。

仅凭一段社交媒体短片，她就在 MAGA 运动内部引发了一场关于母亲身份和婴儿的热烈讨论。对其决定的负面反应也引起了特朗普政府部分人士的警觉，该政府希望通过鼓励更多美国人生育孩子来解决低出生率问题。

然而，这并没有阻止右翼评论员对她的批评。“到我 50 岁时，我会在 [他们的] 20 岁时生孩子，”右翼评论员马特·沃尔什（Matt Walsh）说道，“AOC 显然想在那个年纪养个幼儿。完全是本末倒置且荒谬的。”特朗普的心腹、本身没有孩子的劳拉·卢默（Laura Loomer）则称 AOC “作为女性失败了”。

一些政府官员一直心惊地关注着事态的发展。一个据称致力于自由的政党，真的应该批评女性对其生活的选择吗？这难道不是非常亲家庭的吗？总统在女性中获得的支持率和认可度往往低于男性，人们担心保守派运动可能会疏远那些他们本应争取加入阵营的人。

“这又是‘无子猫女’那一套，”一名接近政府的人士说道。正是 JD 万斯（JD Vance）在 2021 年声称美国是由民主党人——如奥卡西奥-科尔特斯和卡玛拉·哈里斯（Kamala Harris）——运行的，他们是“一群对自己的生活及其所做选择感到痛苦的无子猫女，而且很多人想让这个国家的其他部分也同样痛苦”。即便来自保守派的强烈反弹也相当剧烈，万斯现在认为这些言论是

亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯与赖利·罗伯茨

“我说过最愚蠢的话之一”。

正如 MAGA 顾问亚历克萨·亨宁（Alexa Henning）所言：“保守派男性因为 AOC 冻卵而对其进行嘲讽，这在女性选民中并不是一个能赢的信息……我有许多保守派朋友，因为决定事业优先而冻卵，并在晚年有了孩子和家庭。”

特朗普政府的观点是，这场争论是一个毫无帮助的干扰项。白宫副办公厅主任斯蒂芬·米勒（Stephen Miller）的妻子凯蒂·米勒（Katie Miller）通常不会错过攻击左翼的机会，但即便她也为 AOC 辩护。“全球范围内的出生率处于历史低位，”她说，“如果一个女性想要保留生育孩子的权利，这意味着比完全没有孩子要好——我们应该为此庆祝。” 34 岁的米勒上个月生下了她的第四个孩子。不过，她警告说，“太多的女性信奉女权主义的谎言，在生育年限中花费时间攀爬职业阶梯”。

其他人认为这是“典型的 AOC”：为右翼设下陷阱，并看着他们上钩。这就是为什么她的盟友认为她有可能竞选白宫：她能够设定辩论的条款并激怒右翼，就像特朗普激怒左翼那样。考虑到推迟生育的女性人数，这是下一任共和党候选人在 2028 年之前需要妥善处理的问题。

左翼人士在“取消感恩节”争议后落败

凯蒂·鲍尔斯 (Katy Balls) 华盛顿编辑

在一名温和派击败一名社会主义者，成为民主党威斯康星州州长候选人后，民主党内部的左翼起义遭遇了阻碍。

大卫·克劳利 (David Crowley) 在这个关键摇摆州以微弱优势击败了弗朗西斯卡·洪 (Francesca Hong)；在 2024 年，特朗普总统在该州的胜出票数不足 30,000 票。

洪在民调中曾一度领先两位数，但近几周因早期的社交媒体帖子而面临负面宣传，这些帖子声称应该取消感恩节、削减警察经费并废除参议院。

这一结果受到了建制派民主党人的欢迎，他们担心洪的参选会影响该党在 11 月中期选举以及 2028 年总统大选中的前景。

克劳利此前曾退出竞选，但随后重新加入，试图阻止洪，理由是她过于左翼，无法在该州获胜，且会对其他民主党候选人构成风险。

克劳利的领先幅度非常小，不足 1 个百分点，洪本可以要求重新计票。然而，她的竞选团队必须为此付费，因此她拒绝了。

作为美国民主社会主义者的一员，洪被视为左翼起义浪潮的一部分，这股浪潮始于去年纽约的佐兰·马姆达尼 (Zohran Mamdani)，近期则出现在主要为蓝色州（民主党主导州）针对建制派现任者的初选中。

然而，她的竞选活动一直被其过去的言论争议所困扰，从声称“警察的存在是为了维护白人至上主义”到表示她理想的世界将是一个“没有监狱的世界”。甚至像伯尼·桑德斯 (Bernie Sanders) 和亚历山德里娅·奥卡西奥-科尔特斯 (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 这样的一些进步派人士也拒绝为她背书。洪最终只能邀请民主党国会议员、特朗普的死对头伊尔汉·奥马尔 (Ilhan Omar) 担任客座演讲嘉宾。

洪试图将焦点保持在生活成本问题上，上个月她告诉《泰晤士报》：“我认为民主社会主义是为了给工人阶级带来实惠，提供真正有助于改善生活的解决方案。全民医疗是他们的梦想。为公立学校提供充足资金，普及学校餐饮。这些民主社会主义政策对人们来说非常有意义。”

然而，她过去关于警务和身份问题的言论主导了新闻周期。随着媒体审查的增加，洪确实试图收回部分承诺。她表示废除参议院是不切实际的，并指出如果当选州长，她无法削减警察经费。

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拒绝在戴高乐故居问题上妥协

战时领导人的孙子正致力于反对将其故居出售给法国政府的计划，David Chazan 撰文报道

查尔斯·戴高乐经常逃离巴黎的喧嚣，前往科隆贝-莱-德-埃格利斯（Colombey-les-Deux-Églises）寻求宁静，那是他思考问题的避风港。他说，通过凝视“地平线或广袤的天空”，他能恢复内心的平静。

如今，他在 1934 年购买的这座村屋——拉博瓦西里（La Boisserie），已成为这位战时领导人的国家圣地。他曾在伦敦代表“自由法国”发声，随后回国重建法兰西共和国。1939 年，这位将军在此接到了宣战的消息；1958 年，他在此接待了西德总理康拉德·阿登纳，进行战后和解谈判。

然而，这里依然保留着将军那简朴的精神风貌。它并非一座宏伟的城堡，而是一座严肃的、覆盖着常春藤的

拉博瓦西里已成为查尔斯·戴高乐的圣地。根据其孙子皮埃尔（下图及其妻子）的说法，这里应当留在家族手中

以资助维护工作，但据报道，该运营每年亏损近 €200,000。

自 6 月份一部关于戴高乐在伦敦战时流亡及其领导自由法国的两部曲大片上映以来，访客人数激增。

当地访客达米安（Damien）告诉《巴黎人报》：“国家，无论是独立地还是与省政府一起，都应该负责管理这座故居。它非常美丽且不张扬，与将军的为人相符。它是我们国家历史的一部分。”

他说，戴高乐（孙子）筹集资金的呼吁让他感到愤怒：“给一个培养亲俄关系的人哪怕一分钱（centime）也是绝不可能的。如果需要资金，应该成立一个基金会。那样的话，我可能会捐 €50 或 €100。”

科隆贝-莱-德-埃格利斯的市长帕斯卡·巴布斯特（Pascal Baboust）表示，他不理解戴高乐（孙子）的突然反悔。“两周前我跟他通了电话，他向我索要证明书和城市规划文件以敲定出售事宜，”巴布斯特说，“我不明白他为什么现在又呼吁筹款。如果三个孙子真的想把房子留在家族里，他应该能毫不费力地找到一位富有的赞助人。”

政府已开始采取行动，旨在将拉博瓦西里强制列为历史古迹。戴高乐家族将保留所有权，但对房产的任何改动都需要文化部的许可。

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揭秘丝绸之路： 乌兹别克斯坦与吉尔吉斯斯坦

2027 年 10 月至 2028 年 10 月

在这场全包式旅行中，舒适地穿行于中亚两个最迷人的国家，感受古老丝绸之路的浪漫气息。探索乌兹别克斯坦传奇的城市——撒马尔罕、布哈拉和希瓦，欣赏那里令人惊叹的清真寺、宏伟的经学院和热闹的巴扎；随后进入吉尔吉斯斯坦狂野而辽阔的自然景观，那里有雪山、高山湖泊和广袤的开放草原在等待着您。

每一个细节都经过精心安排，您只需尽情沉浸其中：温暖的款待、深厚的传统、绝佳的美食，以及这个世界非凡角落里那令人屏息的壮阔规模。

在舒适中体验游牧生活，入住带有私人卫浴的毡房营地。在伊塞克湖畔醒来，周围环绕着绝美的山景。

所列价格基于两人共用一间双床房 / 大床房。单人入住补价请洽询。提前 12 个月以上预订的假期航班，在航空公司公布票价时可能需要支付补价。由 Wendy Wu 运营并受其预订条件约束，ABTA W7994 6700, 6619，该公司完全独立于 News UK。优惠视供应情况而定，Wendy Wu Tours 保留更改或撤回优惠的权利。折扣已适用，优惠于 2026 年 9 月 1 日结束。

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这座家庭住宅的房间装饰简朴，家具素雅，可俯瞰广阔的香槟平原。

附近耸立着一座高达 43 米的洛林十字架，它是自由法国和抵抗运动的象征。

拉博瓦西里（La Boisserie）经历的动荡远超其应承受的份额。

亲纳粹的维希政权在 1940 年将其挂牌出售，随后德国军队占领、洗劫并焚烧了这里。解放后，戴高乐对其进行了重建和扩建，增加了一座六角形塔楼，其中设有他的书房，他在此撰写了回忆录。

如今，这座房子成为了新争端的中心。国家和上马恩省（Haute-Marne département）提议将其买下并作为国家遗产地予以保护，但这位将军的一名孙子公开反对该计划。

63 岁的皮埃尔·戴高乐（Pierre de Gaulle）是一个充满争议的人物，他曾表达过对普京总统的支持，他坚持认为拉博瓦西里应留在家族手中。

他在社交媒体上发起了一项呼吁，其措辞呼应了这位将军 1940 年向法国人民发表的著名 BBC 演说。

他的帖子写道：“法国女性，法国男性，请帮我拯救戴高乐将军的家庭住宅！拉博瓦西里自 1934 年起就是我家族的财产，现在它正受到政治利益和贪欲的威胁，而这些并非我祖父所希望的。”

此前，身为日内瓦商业顾问的戴高乐并未公开反对出售这座拥有 14 个房间的房子。自从发出寻求捐款的呼吁以来，他拒绝解释其明显的心态转变，且未对评论请求做出回——

应。他表示，这座房子“见证了法国的伟大变革 [且] 必须代代相传给我们的子孙”。

皮埃尔是将军四个孙子中最年幼的一位，他拥有拉博瓦西里的一半所有权，因为他买下了其兄弟查尔斯（Charles）拥有的四分之一份额。另一半由他的兄弟伊夫（Yves）和让（Jean）平分，后者支持将其移交给公共所有。

任何出售行为都需要共同所有者达成可行的协议。皮埃尔·戴高乐的反对可能会使交易脱轨。

国家对该房产的估值为 €800,000，其家具和内部物品另估 €400,000。私人估价则高得多，高达数百万欧元。目前尚未确定，如果存在公共买家，该买家将是法国国家还是上马恩省。

目前，该地由省政府管理。拉博瓦西里、查尔斯·戴高乐纪念馆和洛林十字架的联票价格为 €16.50。所得收益用于帮助

ICE 订购电击手套用于逮捕

美国 移民执法局（ICE）计划花费高达 2000万美元 购买电击手套，使特工能够对被拘留者实施电击。G.I.O.V.E（低输出电压发射器）通过开关操作。美国公民自由联盟的珍·罗尔尼克·博切塔（Jenn Rolnick Borchetta）表示：“在接触过程中引入如此容易造成剧烈疼痛的手套，是给公众带来伤害的祸根。”ICE 已被要求就此发表评论。

大使被指在官邸从事性活动

法国 一名大使因涉嫌邀请约 36 名年龄在 20 到 30 岁之间的女性前往其官邸从事性活动而接受调查。针对法国驻中非共和国大使布鲁诺·富舍（Bruno Foucher，56, 岁）的指控时间集中在 2024 年 1 月至今年 3 月之间。据《鸭鸣报》（Canard Enchaîné）报道，部分女性曾在其 Bangui 官邸过夜。外交部已确认正在对此进行调查。

特朗普在收到“导弹”威胁后更换飞机

美国 据《纽约时报》采访的两名美国官员透露，在土耳其举行的北约峰会附近，有人被发现持有便携式地对空导弹发射器，随后特朗普总统被秘密地从“空军一号”上转移走。国务卿马可·鲁比奥（Marco Rubio）与其他官员及记者一同留在总统专机上，而特朗普则被秘密安置在一部餐饮车中，转移至另一架飞机，于 7 月 8 日从安卡拉飞往英国。

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35

商业

世界市场（当日涨跌）

大宗商品

货币

塔塔集团董事长钱德拉在与家族信托负责人发生争执后辞职

罗伯特·利（Robert Lea）、马丁·斯特里多姆（Martin Strydom）

作为英国工业界最有权势的人物之一，捷豹路虎（Jaguar Land Rover）和波特塔尔博特（Port Talbot）钢厂的掌门人，在印度庞大企业集团塔塔之子（Tata Sons）内部一场明显的权力斗争中失去了他的职位。

纳塔拉詹·钱德拉塞卡兰（Natarajan Chandrasekaran，63, 岁）在与诺埃尔·塔塔（Noel Tata，68, 岁）陷入僵局后辞去董事长职务。诺埃尔·塔塔是拉坦·塔塔（Ratan Tata）的同父异母兄弟，后者将家族企业打造成为英国工业的巨头之一。

作为英国最大汽车雇主捷豹路虎以及英国最大钢铁制造商、国家关键战略工业资产之一的塔塔钢铁的董事长，钱德拉（他在印度被如此称呼）对英国经济的重要性不亚于 BAE 系统公司或罗尔斯-罗伊斯公司的老板。

作为塔塔帝国工作 40 年的资深人士，钱德拉在 2 月的一次会议后未能获得主董事会的一致支持。显然，领导控制该集团的家族信托的诺埃尔·塔塔，正阻碍钱德拉重新获得这个他在九年前首次接手的职位。

他在前任赛勒斯·米斯特里（Cyrus Mistry）被撤职后成为了塔塔之子的董事长。钱德拉的领导能力受到了审查，尤其是去年一架从艾哈迈达巴德飞往伦敦的印度航空航班坠毁，造成 260 人死亡。该航空公司是塔塔集团的瑰宝之一。

捷豹路虎在过去一年经历了危机。一场针对路虎汽车制造商的、具有商业破坏性的网络攻击导致其英国工厂停产近两个月，这次挫折对公司及其供应链产生了如此巨大的影响，以至于拖慢了英国的 GDP，并使该公司需要政府支持的贷款担保。

与此同时，捷豹路虎将捷豹品牌重塑为全电动豪华汽车业务的转型进程陷入停滞，原因是其设计遭到嘲讽且缺乏对零排放

Morrisons 的私募股权债务达 750亿英镑

租赁负债上升拖累超市

Isabella Fish, Guy Taylor

在被私募股权公司收购后，由于面临新的租赁负债，Morrisons 超市面临的债务大幅上升。

Wm Morrison Supermarkets 的母公司 Market Topco 在截至 10 月底的一年里，净债务扩大至 7520 亿英镑 billion，高于前一年的 70.7 亿英镑 billion，原因是租赁负债的增加拖累了其资产负债表。

这家拥有 497 家超市和 1,700 家便利店的食品零售商，其总租赁义务在该期间从 17.5 亿英镑 上升至 19.7 亿英镑 。

Morrisons 表示，这一增长“主要反映了对业务未来增长的投资，特别是我们的车辆车队以及在海峡群岛新增的 39 家门店”。

此外，部分增长是由一项涉及“少数”门店且尚未公开宣布的“小规模”售后回租交易驱动的。

这家在首席执行官 Rami Baitish 领导下进行转型的零售商，已经执行了多次售后回租交易以释放资金并降低债务。新文件显示，去年通过售后回租交易获得了 £2300 万 的利润。

但一名发言人补充道：“我们在年内并未进行大量售后回租交易，我们的超市地产仍有 80% 以上为永久产权，在行业中处于最高水平。”

Morrisons 曾是英国四大食品零售集团之一，企业价值超过 90 亿英镑 ，但在一次背负沉重债务的私募股权收购后，其财务状况崩溃。这家零售商在 2021 年被美国私募股权集团 Clayton DuBiller & Rice 收购，该交易为其资产负债表增加了 66 亿英镑 的债务。在此之前，其净债务义务约为 32 亿英镑 。在 2021, 后，在收购之后，Morrisons 的母公司净债务水平达到峰值，约为 85 亿英镑 。

因此，在通货膨胀期间，该超市无法与主要竞争对手进行价格匹配，导致其市场份额迅速被侵蚀。

随着优先股负债从 17.9 亿英镑 上升至 20 亿英镑 ，Market Topco 的净债务在去年有所增加。优先股相当于向 CD&R 发行的利息极高的 IOL，锁定了随时间复利的固定年回报。

扣除例外项目后的持续经营税前亏损从前一年的 £6.12 亿 上升至 £629 万。这反映了例外成本，“主要是非现金减值损失，其中一个重要因素是对收购的 McColl's 业务价值的减记”。公司决定关闭若干亏损的前 McColl's 门店。

营收从 152.3 亿英镑 上升至 157.7 亿英镑 ，而集团同店销售额增长了 2.8%。

公司首选的指标——持续经营的底层收益（Ebitda）持平，为 85 亿英镑 million。该零售商表示，尽管面临“2024 年预算带来的成本压力 [年化成本为 20 亿英镑.00 million]、第一季度网络安全事件的影响以及高于预期的通货膨胀”，但仍实现了这一结果。

在截至 4 月底的三个月里，集团同店销售额增长 2.2%，低于今年第一季度报告的 2.8% 的增长。

一名 Morrisons 发言人表示：“全年的底层表现强劲，公司继续产生健康的底层 Ebitda 和强劲的经营现金流。”

威尔士王妃钟爱的时尚品牌 Boden 正将加拿大作为其下一个目标市场。这个由 Johnnie Boden（见上图）与 Trinny Woodall 共同创立的品牌表示，在经历了美国市场的增长后，计划采取这一行动

美国通胀下降减轻美联储压力

杰克·巴内特 (Jack Barnett)

美国通胀率在过去一个月略有下降，这使得美联储在 9 月维持利率不变的可能性增加。

美国劳工统计局昨日公布的数据显示，截至 7 月的一年期消费者价格指数（CPI）年率为 3.4%，低于 6 月的 3.5%。

数据表明，在 9 月 16 日的下一次会议上，美联储将把借贷成本维持在 3.5% 至 3.75% 的当前区间，该区间自 12 月以来一直保持不变。根据 CME 的 FedWatch 工具，在通胀数据公布后，近 58% 的交易员押注利率不会变动，而 42.1% 的人预计将上涨 0.25 个百分点。

分析师此前预计 7 月的年通胀率为 3.4%。该月价格上涨了 0.1%，同样符合预测，且高于 6 月月度通胀率 0.4% 的跌幅。

受通胀预期下降的影响，基准十年期美国国债收益率下降 0.04 个百分点至 4.65%，而衡量加元兑六种主要货币的加元指数下跌 0.09%。通胀数据公布后，华尔街股市高开。

凯投宏观（Capital Economics）北美首席经济学家斯蒂芬·布朗（Stephen Brown）表示：“正如我们此前预测的那样，9 月加息的前景现在完全取决于该会议前几日公布的 8 月 CPI 和 PPI 数据。” Pantheon Macroeconomics 则表示，通胀数据“足以让 [美联储] 在 9 月不采取任何行动”。

上周公布的统计数据显示，美国经济在 7 月出人意料地减少了 23,000 个就业岗位，这促使交易员降低了对今年加息的预期，尽管中东战争导致价格大幅上涨。美联储更青睐的通胀衡量指标——个人消费支出（PCE）指数——将于 8 月 26 日公布。

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16

商业

必读要闻

1 Morrisons 面临的债务在被私募股权公司收购并产生新的租赁负债后大幅上升。其母公司 Market Topco 在截至 10 月底的一年中的净债务扩大至 7520 亿英镑 billion，高于一年前的 70.7 亿英镑 billion。第 35 页

2 英国工业界最有权势的人物之一，即捷豹路虎（Jaguar Land Rover）和波特塔尔博特（Port Talbot）钢厂的负责人，在庞大的印度企业集团塔塔之子（Tata Sons）内部一场明显的权力斗争中失去了他的职位。Natarajan Chandrasekaran, 61, 在与 Ratan Tata 的同父异母兄弟 Noel Tata, 68, 陷入僵局后辞任董事长。第 35 页

3 美国通胀在过去一个月略有下降，这使得美联储在 9 月维持利率不变的可能性增加。截至 7 月的一年里，消费者价格指数的年率为 3.4 per cent，低于 6 月的 3.5 per cent。第 35 页

4 在安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）推动权力下放的进程中，预计未来五年内，多达 90,000 名常驻伦敦的银行家、律师和会计师的工作岗位将被转移到英国其他地区。第 38 页

5 房地产经纪人担心，关于房产税可能变动的新一轮猜测将使他们再次错过住房市场通常在秋季出现的反弹。过去一个月，新买家咨询量、销售额和房价再次下跌。第 40 页

6 受中东冲突影响，谨慎的度假者导致欧洲最大的旅游公司 Tui 报告的第三季度利润跌幅超出预期。第 41 页

7 对美国数据中心的需求以及英国能源基础设施的转型，带动了 Balfour Beatty 的利润和订单激增，并将其股价推至历史最高点。这家建筑公司股价的上涨增加了其重新进入 FTSE 100 的可能性。第 42 页

科技领袖的随笔应在 AI 竞赛的垄断战争背景下阅读

Louisa Clarence-Smith，第 39 页

如需专业的商业分析，请订阅商业时事通讯 thetimes.com / newsletters

ASML 如何成为欧洲之最

詹姆斯·阿什顿（James Ashton）撰文：这家荷兰公司的突破使其在更强大芯片的竞赛中处于领先地位

作为欧洲最大的货运机场之一，阿姆斯特丹的史基浦机场（Schiphol）擅长处理各种贵重物品，包括用于捐赠移植的器官、用于灾难响应的应急食品，以及在附近的阿尔斯梅尔（Aalsmeer）花卉拍卖会上出售的鲜切花。

它还经常处理一种巨大但精密的物品，该物品被拆分为 150 个板箱，装载在三架波音 747 飞机上。这些飞机配备了防止碰撞的隔振技术、维持 20℃ 恒温的温度控制系统，以及通过管道注入内部包装以保持清洁的氮气流。

这并非什么古老的传家宝，而是处于现代技术前沿、在美亚两地需求旺盛的产品。生产这些机器使总部位于荷兰费尔德霍芬（Veldhoven）的 ASML 成为了欧洲市值最高的上市公司。

在该头衔上与其竞争最激烈的对手是法国时尚巨头 LVMH，后者习惯于通过克里斯汀·迪奥（Christian Dior）或芬迪（Fendi）那些必须拥有的手袋和手表来激发消费者的热情。然而，其奢侈品在面对人们对 ASML 光刻机（AI 热潮背后的工具）的狂热需求时，完全无法与之匹敌。

该公司顶级的极紫外（EUV）设备体积相当于一辆小型巴士，拥有 100,000 个精密组件和 2 公里的电缆。它历时 20 多年开发，成本超过 €100 亿加元。在进入商业生产近十年后，ASML 将全力以赴在今年生产 65 台，且目前看不到任何竞争对手。

这些价值 2亿美元 的机器将复杂的图案投影到硅晶圆上，其精度约为人类 DNA 链宽度的两倍。随后，晶圆像照片底片一样通过化学药剂进行显影，从而刻蚀出连接和隔离数十亿个晶体管所需的导体和绝缘体图案。

在晶圆被小心地切割成芯片并安装到巨型数据中心之前，这一过程在同一块晶圆上会重复多达 100 次。

尽管夏季股价因担心凶猛的 AI 支出热潮可能转为崩盘而出现下滑，但以 7000 亿加元 billion 的市值计算，ASML 的价值仍是去年同期的两倍多。

其首席执行官克里斯托夫·富凯（Christophe Fouquet）表示：“我们的客户正与他们自己的客户达成长期协议，这实际上促使他们做出长期承诺。”他补充说，这给购买者提供了“关于市场未来走向前所未有的可见度”。

2027 年的 EUV 机器订单簿几乎已满，且 2028, 年也已有大量订单。作为回应，ASML 明年将扩大 30% 的产能，后年可能再次扩大相同比例。

要理解该公司如何走到今天，需要将时间追溯到 1984. 年。在史蒂夫·乔布斯（Steve Jobs）自豪地揭晓苹果麦金塔（Macintosh）电脑，以及史蒂夫·弗伯（Steve Furber）和索菲·威尔逊（Sophie Wilson）思考后来成为首个 Arm 芯片设计的同年，ASML（在不再展开拼写前，代表 Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography）作为两家荷兰公司的合资企业诞生。

知名度较低的 ASML 是欧洲首家向英特尔（Intel）、摩托罗拉（Motorola）等公司提供芯片制造设备的主要供应商，其中包括在制造过程中将薄化学膜沉积在硅晶圆上的设备。

根源可追溯至 1891, 年的著名电子巨头飞利浦（Philips）开发了一种“步进机”（stepper），这是步进重复相机的简称，后来演变成了光刻机。该设备最初用于其位于德国边境附近奈梅亨（Nijmegen）的微芯片工厂内部，该工厂在当时是欧洲同类设施中规模最大的。

为了向晶圆行业供货，飞利浦意识到其步进机必须被置于一家独立公司中。50 名科学家被指派执行此任务，最初在埃因霍温（Eindhoven）厂区的一个木棚中设立，随后搬迁至沿路而下的费尔德霍芬。

巨大的开发成本令 ASML 撤出，光刻机供应商市场随之萎缩，演变成一场三方之战，其中两家是更以相机专业技术闻名的日本公司——佳能（Canon）和尼康（Nikon）。

ASML 的突破发生在 20 世纪 90 年代初，其 PAS 5500 机型成为首款能够可靠生产——使用更大的 8 英寸硅晶圆——且完全符合 IBM 等微芯片制造商要求的步进机。

为了追求能够以更小规模、更高效率生产更强大芯片的更先进机器，这个以残酷竞争著称的行业最终在推动进步的最佳机会面前达成了一致。从使用汞蒸汽灯作为光源开始，其梦想是延长摩尔定律（即性能——

ASML 首席执行官克里斯托夫·富凯（Christophe Fouquet）在公司位于费尔德霍芬（Veldhoven）的总部。

投资动态

欧洲最强企业

应用构建平台 Lovable 氛围良好

Isabella Fish 零售编辑

在 AI 驱动的编程工具热情高涨的浪潮中，一个允许用户使用纯英语构建应用和软件的平台将其估值翻了一番，达到 133 亿加元。

欧洲领先的“氛围编程”（vibe coding）平台 Lovable 昨日表示，其 C 轮融资已筹集 $400，本轮融资由风险投资公司 Menlo Ventures 和由 EQT 管理的 Scaloup Europe Fund 领投。

新投资者包括来自欧洲的 Balderton Capital 和 Carmignac，来自亚洲的腾讯（Tencent）和 World Innovation Lab，以及来自美国的 Regent。

Lovable 由其联合创始人、首席执行官 Anton Osika 和首席技术官 Fabian Hedin 拥有，他们于 2023 年创立了这家总部位于斯德哥尔摩的软件公司。

该平台提供的软件允许用户通过简单的提示词（prompts）创建应用程序，这一过程被称为“氛围编程”。在去年 12 月的上一轮融资中，该公司的估值为 66 亿加元。

该公司表示，其年度经常性收入在 6 月份超过了 $500，高于 3 月份的 $400。

Osika 在 6 月份表示，“人们自然对我们在全球范围内看到的实际经济影响非常感兴趣”。其目标是在瑞典创建一家 $100 规模的公司。

“氛围编程”一词由 AI 先驱 Andrej Karpathy 创造，描述了一种由人类引导应用程序的“氛围”和架构，而由 AI 处理实际执行的工作流。这个最初作为病毒式传播的技术概念，在专业开发工具和全栈部署平台的推动下，迅速膨胀为一个价值数十亿加元的市场。

像 Replit、Cursor 和 Lovable 这样受欢迎的平台，允许非技术创始人以及开发者一样即时生成全栈应用程序。像 Lovable 这样公司的迅速崛起，加剧了投资者对传统软件公司未来的不安。

自今年年初以来，全球软件公司的市值被削减了数万亿加元，分析师将这次抛售称为“SaaSoccalypse”（SaaS 启示录），指的是软件即服务（SaaS）。

自 Lovable 推出以来，全球范围内已创建了超过 6000 万 个项目。

思科乘 AI 利润之风

思科系统（Cisco Systems）昨晚公布的 2027 财年预测收入高于华尔街预期，表明其对人工智能网络设备的强劲需求将继续推动增长充满信心。

这家总部位于加利福尼亚州的科技公司预计年收入在 $72.2 和 $73.4 , 之间，而分析师的平均预测值为 $68.69 。

在第四季度，思科报告的收入为 $17.3 和净利润为 $3.9 。2026 年的总收入为 $63.3 , ，增长了 12 %，而年度净利润为 $11.3 , ，增长了 30 %。

在盘后交易中，股价下跌 $124, ，即 25 %，至 $121.32 ，使该公司的估值为 $2.5 万亿。

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17

商业

最具价值的公司

荷兰方面表示，EUV光刻机的2027年订单几乎已满。

（性能每隔几年翻一番）是通过构建比可见光所能实现的更小的晶体管来实现的。

为此投入了巨大的资源。ASML曾多次从破产边缘走回，就在2012, 年，该公司还向包括英特尔（Intel）、台积电（TSMC）和三星（Samsung）在内的行业预期参与者发出呼吁，请求他们贡献数十亿加元，以在最后的冲刺中推动EUV标准的落地。

早在美中“芯片绞杀”之前，就存在需要应对的国家敏感性。EUV建立在20世纪70年代俄罗斯的镜面研究基础之上，其成像技术最早于20世纪80年代在日本日本电报电话公司（Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation）的研究部门以及由美国能源部支持的实验室中被提出，后者在20世纪90年代与一个商业财团达成协议。由于美日存储芯片战争的记忆依然清晰，美国国会更倾向于选择ASML而非其两家竞争对手。

即便如此，这也没能保证ASML在2000年以16 亿加元 billion收购硅谷集团（Silicon Valley Group）——美国光刻工业最后的残余——能够顺利通过。“我从未接触过那种程度的地缘政治影响和言论，但我们从未选择放弃，因为我们意识到多年后获得的收益将是巨大的，”时任ASML首席执行官道格·邓恩（Doug Dunn）说道。

如今EUV的工作原理读起来像是一段科幻小说。ASML像波音公司一样，扮演着系统集成商的角色，管理着5,100家专业供应商。利用他们的集体专业知识，ASML设计了自己的光源，波长为13.5纳米，从而能够缩小芯片特征的尺寸并增加密度。该系统使用二氧化碳激光器将熔融锡滴加热到比太阳表面高100倍的温度。

每秒产生约50,000个液滴，每个液滴必须被激光快速连续轰击两次。由此产生的等离子体（一种由离子和自由电子组成的气体）发射出EUV辐射，该辐射在世界上六面最平滑的镜子之间反弹；如果将这些镜子扩大到德国的大小，其凸起部分也不会超过1毫米。

在最后的收尾阶段，光束击中硅晶圆的精度相当于从地球射出一支箭，击中放在月球上的一个苹果。

难怪中国渴望部署这种技术——而美国则渴望其无法获得。在美国持续限制中国获取前沿知识产权的努力中，一项计划向中国客户出售EUV设备的交易在2018, 年未能达成，据报道是在时任荷兰首相马克·吕特（Mark Rutte）访问白宫之后。

此类交易目前仍被禁止，尽管中国占ASML销售额的20%，因为该公司被允许向该市场销售旧型号。

这是一个受到密切监控的潜在销售渠道。美国商务部长霍华德·卢特尼克（Howard Lutnick）最近引起了轰动，他警告称该公司的一台EUV机器可能已进入中国，ASML对此予以强烈否认。

该公司正努力保持领先。去年在研发上花费了约647 亿加元，是五年前支出的两倍多。

其最新创新——高数值孔径（High NA）EUV设备，已在英特尔位于俄勒冈州的工厂进入量产阶段。英特尔最初在采用EUV方面犹豫不决，从而在竞争中输给了台湾对手台积电（TSMC）。

在这场微小差距至关重要的持续战斗中，如果再次推迟接收来自这家荷兰芯片冠军的特别交付，那将是非常愚蠢的。

AI需求推动富士康利润激增

盖伊·泰勒 (Guy Taylor)

从组装苹果 iPhone 及时扩展到构建驱动人工智能数据中心的服务器，助力富士康的利润增长超过三分之一。

这家总部位于台湾的科技集团表示，4月至6月期间的利润达到 600 亿新台币（19 亿加元 billion），同比增长 35%，高于市场共识预期。营收增长 40%，达到 390 亿加元 billion。

该公司股价在过去一年中上涨了约 37%，将其市值提升至约 1200 亿加元 billion。最新的业绩在亚洲的隔夜交易中又带来了 2.7% 的涨幅。

富士康由亿万富翁商人、台湾政治人物郭台铭于 1974 年创立，正式名称为鸿海精密工业。富士康是全球最大的电子代工厂。进军 AI 领域帮助其实现了从消费电子产品的多元化转型。它还成为了英伟达（Nvidia）最大的服务器供应商。

科技巨头们正投入数千亿加元建设支撑 AI 热潮所需的基础设施，而富士康已成为支持该行业快速扩张的关键供应商。

与此同时，智能手机和游戏机制造商则被迫提高价格以维持竞争力。

富士康表示，其涵盖 服务器的云端与网络部门在第二季度首次贡献了公司营收的 50% 以上。

包括 iPhone 在内的消费电子产品约占 29%。

富士康首席执行官 Chiang Michael 表示，他预计美国云服务提供商在未来几年将继续推动公司的营收增长。

他还强调了 基础设施需求的稳定性，并将其与波动较大的消费电子行业进行了对比。

该公司不提供具体数值预测，但由于“ 服务器的强劲需求以及智能消费电子产品的增长”，维持了 2026 财年的业绩指引。

富士康为苹果制造的大部分 iPhone 在中国组装，但目前在美国销售的大部分产品是在印度生产的。

该公司还在墨西哥和德克萨斯州建设工厂，为英伟达制造 服务器。

安迪，购房帮计划并非个坏主意

商业评论 阿利斯泰尔·奥斯本 (Alistair Osborne)

提到“购房帮”（Help to Buy）计划，人们通常会想到两件事。第一，杰夫·费尔本（Jeff Fairburn）：那位因 £7600 万 奖金而闻名的前 Persimmon 公司老板。第二，该政策唯一的作用就是推高房价，从而坑了它本应帮助的首房买家——尽管并没有真实证据表明确实如此。

因此，你可以理解在政治上，为什么安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）的新政权传出的消息是“没有计划”重启购房帮计划。按照传统思维，英国的核心问题是长期的供应短缺。那么，引入一项刺激需求的措施有什么用，而且还增加了像费尔本这样的人利用其牟利的风险？

这在理论逻辑上是成立的。但这个论点有一个巨大的缺陷。回到现实世界，它是错误的——正如工党在试图于本届议会期间建成 150 万 套住房的幻想目标中所发现的那样。事实上，按照目前的进度，甚至可能难以达到 100 万套。

前首相和财政大臣正确地意识到规划是增加住房的障碍。但他们未能掌握另一个问题：无论是否愿意，英国都依赖私人房屋建筑商；他们只会建造能盈利销售的房屋；如果没有需求，他们就不会建造；而需求的最大驱动力是首房买家。事实上，雷切尔·里夫斯（Rachel Reeves）一如既往地尽其愚钝之能，在她的首次预算案中，通过将首房买家必须缴纳印花税的起购价从 42.5 万英镑 降低到 30 万英镑，试图扼杀需求。

再加上因伊朗战争导致的抵押贷款利率上升，近期行业负责人们发出的信号很明确。Persimmon 公司的迪恩·芬奇（Dean Finch）看到了“负担能力限制”；Barratt Redrow 公司的戴维·托马斯（David Thomas）指出了“客户需求低迷”。Taylor Wimpery 公司的珍妮·戴利（Jennie Daly）提醒注意“吃紧”的负担能力，并补充道：“房屋建设驱动着全英国的增长、就业和机遇，让首房买家进入住房阶梯对于一个运作良好的住房市场至关重要。”至于 Bellway 公司的杰森·霍尼曼（Jason Honeyman），他刚刚呼吁撤销里夫斯在印花税上的低级错误，并建立一个“帮助年轻人的存款支持计划”。当然，愤世嫉俗者可能会将这一切斥为行业的自说自话。但面对低迷的需求，该行业近期一直在保留现金，而非增加新房建设。结果如何？年轻人无法进入住房阶梯所带来的社会损害在不断累积：代际不平等、劳动力流动性缺乏，官方统计数据显示，首房买家的平均年龄现在是 34 岁。

因此，关键问题是：现在是否应该重新推出某种形式的购房帮计划，只不过是一个设计更好的版本？首先，旧版本并不像传闻中那么糟糕，至少根据英格兰住房局（Homes England）的数据来看是这样。数据显示，该计划在 2013 年至 2022, 年间运行，帮助了 387,278 名买家购房，且迄今为止已为国库带来了 17.4 亿加元 billion 利润（含利息）。很难想象，在购房帮计划仅占所有住宅物业交易 5% 或更低比例的情况下，它真的能成为房价上涨的原因。

尽管如此，仍有改进空间，房屋建筑商联合会（Home Builders Federation）在自己拟定的修订版购房帮计划中也承认了这一点：该计划将仅限于首房买家，且房屋建筑商必须支付费用才能参与。首房买家在筹集 10% 首付款方面面临巨大问题：在 32,890 英镑 的平均工资水平下，根据 HBP 的计算，全英国的平均买家需要 7 年时间，而在伦敦则需要多达 18 年。然而，即便如此，基于工资 4.5 倍的抵押贷款，仍存在巨大的负担能力缺口：全英平均缺口接近 7 万英镑，而对于伦敦二十多岁的买家，这一缺口高达 27.5 万英镑。

它提出的解决方案是什么？一项政府股权贷款，比例为 15%，前五年免息，其中 1% 由房屋建筑商作为加入该计划的费用提供，随着交易量的增加，该比例将上升至 3%。这将把买家的首付款降低至 5%，并缩小负担能力差距，而纳税人最终也将获利。当贷款偿还时，政府将获得房产价值的 15%，尽管有时仅投入了 12% 的股权。

也许伯纳姆能找到方法来完善这个计划。但他应该认真审视一下：这个市场显然需要一些帮助。

Capricorn 胜出

三人混战可能更令人兴奋。因此，这或许就是挪威 DNO 公司的老板 Bjøn Mossavar-Rahman 提出以每股 69 便士的价格，对 Genel Energy 发起 £2.02 亿 现金收购提案的原因——尽管该提案迅速被其董事会拒绝，且当时他的目标公司已经对 Capricorn Energy 提出了一个获得推荐的 £2.71 亿 收购报价。

Mossavar-Rahman 非常了解 Genel。 是 DNO 在库尔德斯坦 Tawke 油田的少数股东合作伙伴，而 在该油田 25 per cent 的股份是其唯一的运营资产。然而，他采取行动的时机值得关注。当 DNO 上周提出提案时，他引起了人们对 Samos Energy 和沙特阿拉伯 Calani 集团旗下某部门可能对 Capricorn 发起两项竞争性报价的关注。而且，如果这两家公司出价高于 ，那么根据《收购守则》第 21.1 条， 将面临一个问题。 任何提高报价的举动都可能被解读为旨在挫败 DNO 的“受限行为”——即便监管小组可能会允许这样做。

诚然，DNO 表示其拟议的对 的收购并不以 Capricorn 的报价为“前提条件”。但 Mossavar-Rahman 的算盘是否是这样： 在争夺 Capricorn 时会被他人出价更高而击败，从而使其在 Tawke 油田重启出口、使其更具盈利能力之时，变得容易被 DNO 收购？

如果真是这样，那么这招就适得其反了，因为其他竞争 Capricorn 的竞标者已经退出，使得交易价格为 65.9p 的 必须完成其报价。DNO 今天将发布交易更新。他可能会花很长时间来假装他知道接下来会发生什么。

alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk

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18

商业

权力下放“将导致伦敦就业岗位流失”

汤姆·霍华德 (Tom Howard) 专业服务记者

在安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）推动权力下放的进程中，据预测，未来五年内将有多达 90,000 名常驻伦敦的银行家、律师和会计师的工作岗位被转移到英国其他地区。

根据上市招聘公司罗伯特·沃尔特斯（Robert Walters）的分析，白领职位的迁移预计将为利兹、曼彻斯特和伯明翰等地区经济带来 90 亿英镑 billion 的增长。

在计入这些迁移人员在迁入地的消费以及由此给当地供应链带来的额外工作量后，这一数字可能会上升到 150 亿英镑 billion。

罗伯特·沃尔特斯表示，由于在首都经营企业的成本不断攀升，越来越多的公司寻求将部分团队迁出伦敦。由于“优质”办公空间的短缺，伦敦的办公租金已被推至历史高点。

此次预测的搬迁也符合伯纳姆以及首相的权力下放雄心，后者曾承诺实现“每个邮政编码区都有良好增长”。

虽然 90,000 个岗位仅占伦敦总劳动力的极小部分——2.5%，但这表明了英国经济更广泛的结构重组。

罗伯特·沃尔特斯市场情报团队的乔尼·博汉（Jonny Bohane）表示：“我们的预测表明，随着商业活动大规模从伦敦转移，天平将向更强劲的地区就业增长倾斜。”

该分析利用英国大型雇主过去的岗位迁移情况来建立基准，然后将罗伯特·沃尔特斯自身的安置量与 LinkedIn 的流动数据相结合，以创建地区招聘需求的预测。该模型还分析了办公容量、混合办公水平、当地人才库的深度、地区发展计划以及政府的去中心化项目。

罗伯特·沃尔特斯预测，到 2027 年底，将有多达 12,000 个岗位迁出首都，预计到 2029 年流出人数将达到 45,000 人。高级领导团队可能会留在伦敦，而公司预计将通过“当地人才”来加强初级职员队伍。

罗伯特·沃尔特斯英国区总经理丹尼尔·哈里斯（Daniel Harris）预计，随着“成本考量依然处于高位，且混合办公允许组织构建地理分布更广泛的团队”，这种搬迁趋势将会加速。

安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）（图中与安杰拉·雷纳（Angela Rayner）同行）承诺实现“每个邮政编码区都有良好增长”。

包括曼彻斯特和利物浦在内的英格兰西北部城镇和城市预计将成为此次转移的最大受益者，预计到 2031 年将有 22,500 个岗位迁至该地区。

博汉及其团队估计，到 2031 年，这可能为该地区经济注入高达 22.5 亿英镑 billion，从而“巩固其作为英国第二大增长与创新中心的地位”。

报告称，所有迁移岗位中约有五分之一（多达 18,000 个）可能会流向中英地区，主要是伯明翰，这将带来 18 亿英镑 billion 的经济增长。

约克郡有望吸引约 13,500 名离开伦敦的人员，为当地经济增加 13.5 亿英镑 billion。

哈里斯表示：“曼彻斯特、利兹和伯明翰是活动的发动机。在过去十年中，这些地区中心已成为英国白领工作者的关键职业目的地。与首都相比，它们拥有大量知名跨国雇主、充满活力的文化氛围和休闲机会，且生活成本较低。”

例如，伯明翰拥有四大会计事务所之一德勤（Deloitte）在英国的第二大办公室；德国工业巨头西门子（Siemens）在 2019 年将其英国总部从萨里郡迁至曼彻斯特；英格兰银行已承诺，从 2027 年起，其十分之一的员工将驻扎在利兹。

在 Robert Walters 认为未来五年将离开伦敦的剩余 16,000 个左右的岗位中，大多数预计将迁移到其他大型区域城市，包括布里斯托、爱丁堡、格拉斯哥、剑桥、纽卡斯尔、利物浦、雷丁和加的夫。

“这些区域城市的吸引力不应被低估。但增长并非仅由企业的迁移或创造新岗位决定，”Bohane 表示。

“当专业人士迁入一个地区时，其带来的益处会波及当地经济。需求的增加将支撑从交通、住房到咖啡馆、共享办公空间，以及维持这些城市运行的更广泛的当地商业网络等方方面面。”

如果这些预测被证明是准确的，Burnham 将会对此表示欢迎。他希望减少国家对伦敦的依赖，因为伦敦约占英国经济产出的四分之一，这使得英国成为财政最集权的发达经济体之一。

作为首相关于扩大政治权力下放和区域经济增长计划的一部分，上个月他开设了唐宁街的北方分支机构——No 10 North。

汇丰全球保险主管将离职

本·马丁 (Ben Martin) 金融编辑

一名负责该银行保险业务的汇丰高级高管将离职，这是这家富时 100 贷款机构最新一轮人事变动的一部分。

爱德华·蒙克雷夫 (Edward Moncreiffe) 花了20年时间逐步晋升，但在被任命为全球保险业务首席执行官仅两年多后便辞职。

他的即将离职正值该银行在首席执行官乔治·埃尔赫德里 (Georges Elhedery) 领导下进行更广泛的调整。自 2024 年 9 月就任以来，埃尔赫德里迅速采取行动重组这个庞大的集团。

埃尔赫德里的改革包括一次内部重组，旨在加强对香港和英国这两个主要市场的关注，以及一次全面的简化，导致数千人失业。近期，包括汇丰美国业务负责人在内的几位高级高管也相继离职。

埃尔赫德里的改革还包括对其保险部门的重塑，汇丰上个月达成了一项 $2.1 亿美元的协议，将其在新加坡的人寿和健康保险业务出售给安联保险 (Allianz)。

在此之前，汇丰在一年多前达成协议，将其在英国的专业人寿保障和投资债券业务以 £2.6 亿的价格出售给行业整合者 Chesnara。

其法国人寿保险部门在 2024, 年底宣布的一项交易中，以 €9.25 亿的价格出售给了 Matmut Société d’Assurance Mutuelle。

蒙克雷夫的离职正值他所在地香港的保险市场普遍感到不安之际。一周前，由于担心前英国殖民地将面临税务打击，汇丰股价大幅下跌，此前有消息称中国大陆当局正在对离岸保险单赚取的股息和利息征税。

尽管总部设在伦敦，但汇丰将亚洲视为其增长的主要驱动力，在 80 年前于香港成立后，该行在该地区建立了巨大的影响力。

与其他银行一样，汇丰试图通过扩大基于费用的业务（包括隶属于集团财富管理部门的保险业务）来降低对波动利率的风险敞口。

汇丰在 2024 年 4 月任命蒙克雷夫管理保险业务时曾表示，“保险是我们增长最快的业务之一，是我们成为领先全球财富管理公司的战略中不可或缺的一部分”。

该银行的一位发言人拒绝就蒙克雷夫的离职发表评论。

塔塔首席执行官辞职并呼吁明确领导层

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车辆的价格将超过 10 万英镑。

塔塔钢铁 (Tata Steel) 的波特塔博特 (Port Talbot) 工厂可以说在过去十年中一直处于危机之中，且始终处于亏损状态。该工厂依赖英国政府的补贴，在从高污染、高能耗的高炉炼钢向电弧炉转型过程中，已裁员数千人。

钱德拉 (Chandra) 与诺埃尔·塔塔 (Noel Tata) 之间产生分歧的起因尚不明确，但有报道指出，两人之间的分歧是他离职的唯一原因。

塔塔之子 (Tata Sons) 的年度会议定于 8 月 18 日举行。

在提到 2 月份的僵局时，钱德拉在声明中表示：“距离那次董事会会议已经过去了六个月，但仍未达成决议。”他补充说，塔塔之子是一个“非常庞大的机构，有许多战略项目”处于“关键的执行阶段”。他补充道：“不仅需要一名领导者来领导集团……而且领导层的明确性对于员工、投资者、合作伙伴和其他利益相关者同样重要。”

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19

商业

Louisa Clarence-Smith

不要被扎克伯格在人工智能方面的立场所蒙蔽

Meta Platforms 那个变幻莫测的首席执行官马克·扎克伯格，在特朗普总统时代和先进人工智能时代完成了他最新的形象更新。一名华尔街分析师将这位 Facebook 创始人描述为在特朗普第二任期内表现得像一个“不同的 CEO”；他本周以更粗犷的外表和对“男性能量”的推崇，以一个反垄断者的姿态表现出明显的性格转变，令其追随者感到惊讶。

在一篇阐述其人工智能哲学的 6,500 字文章中，扎克伯格写道：“我们这个时代决定性的问题是，谁将拥有超级智能的访问权限，以及我们将引导它走向何方。它是会被集中并限制在少数机构手中，还是会成为一个赋予每个人能力的工具？”

虽然有些人可能会将其解读为向美国政府发出的诚恳恳求，以确保这种新型且强大的技术的传播存在公平竞争，但另一种解读则是，这篇文章是对 Meta 的新兴竞争对手 OpenAI 和 Anthropic 的 thinly-veiled（掩饰拙劣的）攻击。这两家前沿实验室在模型能力方面处于领先地位，而扎克伯格通过暗示它们潜在的权力集中存在问题来攻击它们。周一，Meta 发布了一个新的“开放”人工智能模型，开发者可以下载并修改，并表示很快会有更多模型推出，同时攻击了由 Anthropic 和 OpenAI 推崇的“封闭”模型。

扎克伯格对 Anthropic 首席执行官达里奥·阿莫代（Dario Amodei）进行了并不含蓄的讽刺。在人工智能开发者中，阿莫代对技术进步带来的社会风险发声最激烈。扎克伯格表示，“许多开发人工智能的人所发表的言论如此充满末日论，这令人惊讶”。他带着一丝狡黠地补充道：“我不明白，为什么任何相信人工智能将消除大多数工作并削弱人类大部分重要性的人，会急于构建那样一个未来。”

但不要被误导，认为扎克伯格已经重生为一名反垄断冠军。美国科技领袖的声明和文章应当在人工智能竞赛中展开的垄断战争背景下阅读。

美国最大的科技公司多年来一直舒适地享受着近乎垄断的地位。互联网

CARLOS BARRA / VEUTRES

马克·扎克伯格表示，人工智能应该是一个“赋予每个人能力”的工具

革命改变了我们的生活方式，并催生了在搜索和搜索广告领域占据主导地位的 Google；拥有 Instagram、Facebook 和 WhatsApp 的社交媒体巨头 Meta；以及全球最大的在线市场亚马逊。

即便这些科技巨头在美国和欧洲遭受了一系列拜登时代的反垄断调查，似乎也没有什么能严重危及它们的崛起。但先进人工智能的到来对它们来说是一次令人谦卑的经历。

人工智能拉平了竞争环境，因为这项技术威胁要颠覆我们体验技术媒体的方式。（撰写 Sources 通讯的科技记者亚历克斯·希斯（Alex Heath）表示，扎克伯格在周末钓鱼时，通过其 AI 驱动的 Meta Ray-Ban 眼镜给他打电话讨论他的文章）。先进人工智能将以我们目前还无法完全预见的方式，改变用户与技术提供商之间的界面，从而为新的初创公司创造机会，在从搜索、数字通信到企业软件和在线购物的各个领域取代现有巨头。

Anthropic 是那些焦虑的技术巨头们的主要目标。该公司由前 OpenAI 高管于 2021 年创立，此后凭借其被广泛认为是领先工具的 Claude 智能体，实现了对 ChatGPT 制造商的超越。据报道，企业对其编程工具的需求导致其销售额飞速增长，使其有望在今年第二季度实现盈利，预计 2028 年在营收 700 亿美元 billion 的基础上，实现 170 亿美元 billion 的正向现金流。人们担心，随着竞争推低模型价格，Anthropic 将寻求通过颠覆其他商业模式来增加收入。

今年计划中的一次巨型 IPO 也可能给技术巨头的股票带来压力，因为围绕 AI 的投资者狂热正进入过载状态。

在硅谷的传说中，竞争是给失败者准备的。风险投资家及 Facebook 早期投资者彼得·蒂尔（Peter Thiel）在其 2014 年出版且至今仍是志向远大的科技创业者之圣经的《从 0 到 1》（Zero to One）一书中，推广了垄断的概念。他说：“创造性垄断意味着能让每个人受益的新产品，以及为创造者带来可持续的利润。而竞争则意味着没有人能获利，没有实质性的差异化，且是一场生存之战。”

他在书中还指出，“垄断者为了保护自己而撒谎”。他说：“他们知道，吹嘘自己的伟大垄断会招致审计、审查和攻击。由于他们非常希望自己的垄断利润能不受干扰地持续下去，因此他们倾向于尽一切可能掩盖其垄断地位——通常是通过夸大（并不存在的）竞争对手的力量。”

那么，在 AI 时代，Meta 的最终目标是什么？目前，每天已有 36 亿美元 人使用其至少一款应用程序。AI 算法正帮助提高用户推送内容的关联度，导致人们在 Meta 平台上的停留时间更长。

与此同时，扎克伯格正投入数千亿美元用于 AI 基础设施，其公开目标是主导个人“超智能”AI 智能体市场。或者，正如他上个月在一次业绩电话会议上告诉分析师的那样：他预测五年后，数十亿人将拥有一个“能够理解你的目标，并且 24 / 7 全天候代表你工作以实现目标的个人智能体”。他说，这些目标可以是“在健康、爱好、个人财务或生产力方面为你提供帮助，或者更好地管理家庭，或改善和增强人际关系，在职业发展方面提供帮助，就像帮助处理所有这些不同的事情一样”。

扎克伯格在本周的文章中写道，他希望这些个人智能体能够免费提供。然而，就像他的社交媒体平台一样，如果被数十亿人采用，它们大概率会通过数据收集和定向广告开启巨大的营收机会。

在我看来，这听起来像是另一种形式的垄断。

Louisa Clarence-Smith 是《泰晤士报》美国商业编辑

库什纳与艾格将收购洛杉矶湖人队

据报道，近期将国际足联世界杯股份出售给私人投资者的混乱事件中的关键人物之一，正以超过 120 亿美元 billion 的价格收购洛杉矶湖人队篮球队（罗伯特·米勒撰文）。

风险投资公司 Thrive Capital 的创始人兼负责人、41, 岁的约书亚·库什纳（Joshua Kushner），以及华特迪士尼前首席执行官、75, 岁的鲍勃·艾格（Bob Iger），将从马克·沃尔特（Mark Walter）手中收购股份。沃尔特去年从巴斯家族手中购买了该球队的控股权，当时的特许经营权估值约为 100 亿美元 billion，创下纪录。

库什纳是特朗普总统女婿贾里德的兄弟，他还经营着 Thrive Eternal 投资基金，国际足联此前希望以 42 亿美元 billion 的价格向该基金出售少数股权，以运营其世界杯赛事。

“作为终身 NBA 球迷，我们深感荣幸能有机会成为洛杉矶湖人队的管理人，它是世界上最标志性的体育特许经营权之一。”库什纳和艾格在的一份声明中表示，“我们对杰里·巴斯和珍妮·巴斯的领导力与远见深表敬意。”

“我们的长期承诺是在此基础上继续发展，在最高水平上竞争，并为这支非凡的球队、其球迷以及洛杉矶市服务。”

这一消息出现在库什纳成为卷入国际足联（全球足球管理机构）私募股权丑闻的关键人物几周之后。上个月，《泰晤士报》披露了国际足联计划创建一家子公司来运营未来世界杯赛事的计划。

国际足联计划将其广播、赞助、票务和赛事商业权利分拆成一个独立的营利实体，估值为 200 亿美元 billion。此举引发了广泛愤怒，并使国际足联主席吉安尼·因凡蒂诺的未来陷入不确定之中。

洛杉矶湖人队刚刚失去了球星勒布朗·詹姆斯，现正被出售给约书亚·库什纳。其比赛吸引了诸如蒂莫西·查拉梅和凯莉·詹娜等明星。

此次湖人队的出售最早由 ESPN 报道，将需要获得美国职业篮球联赛（NBA）理事会的批准。下一次理事会会议定于下个月在纽约举行。

120 亿美元.50 亿美元 的价格不仅创下了美国职业体育的纪录，而且延续了 NBA 特许经营权价值大幅上涨的趋势。

仅在三年前，迈克尔·乔丹以 30 亿美元 billion 的估值出售了夏洛特黄蜂队的多数股权；而波士顿凯尔特人队去年以略高于 60 亿美元 billion 的估值出售，在当时创下了纪录。

追溯到球队在明尼阿波利斯的早期岁月，湖人队共赢得了 17 次冠军——在 NBA 历史上排名第二，仅次于波士顿的 18 次。

这次创纪录的出售价格发生在联赛历史总得分王勒布朗·詹姆斯在湖人队效力八个赛季后离开并成为自由球员的几周之后。詹姆斯最终决定加盟费城 76 人队。

税收担忧与预算案抑制住房市场

汤姆·霍华德 (Tom Howard) 房产记者

房产中介担心，关于房产税可能变动的新一轮猜测，将导致他们再次错过住房市场通常在秋季出现的反弹。

根据皇家特许测量师学会（Rics）对全国 430 名房产中介的调查数据，过去一个月，新买家咨询量、成交量和房价再次下降。

由于买家和卖家在度假，住房市场在夏季总是会放缓，但伊朗战争、抵押贷款利率上升、新任首相、热浪以及世界杯等因素共同作用，使得今年夏天格外冷清。

Rics 表示，市场“依然低迷，目前几乎没有看到势头回升的迹象”，且中介认为，关于潜在税收变动的不确定性也开始影响市场活动。

他们担心，由于购房者在等待 10 月的预算案，以观察安迪·伯纳姆及其新任财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）将采取什么措施，他们将连续第三年无法享受“秋季销售季”。

房屋建筑商一直在游说恢复“购房帮扶”（Help to Buy）计划并削减印花税，而议会税（council tax）的改革也引发了广泛猜测。本周，资本经济学（Capital Economics）的经济学家警告称，即将出台的预算案在提高税收方面“可能与上一次几乎一样规模巨大”。

“人们似乎对税收猜测给市场带来的影响缺乏足够认识，”Knight Frank 房产中介的爱德华·罗克（Edward Rock）表示，“不确定性使市场停滞，而近期的政策信号加剧了这种情况。”

“我们迫切需要稳定性，”康沃尔郡 DJR 房产中介公司的总监大卫·罗宾逊（David Robinson）表示，“[虽然有] 传统的学校假期活动低谷，但随着新首相的就任以及房产市场可能面临的税收压力增加，一种明显的不确定性暗流正在涌动。”

纽卡斯尔 London & City Estates 的西蒙·霍布斯（Simon Hobbs）补充道，“关于增税的政治不确定性正导致买家犹豫不决”。

德比 Alexander Bruce Estates 的詹姆斯·奥特韦尔（James Ottewell）对此表示赞同，认为“销售市场依然充满挑战，政治不确定性和潜在的地税变动使情况雪上加霜”。

在 Rics 调查的房产中介和测量师中，净 28% 的受访者报告过去一个月潜在买家的咨询量有所下降。尽管这比美国和以色列首次袭击伊朗后的立即反应有所改善，但“依然处于明显的负值区间”。

净 30% 的受访者看到已达成交易的销售量下降，同样比例的受访者报告房价再次下跌。跌幅较大的是伦敦和英格兰南部，那里的房价最高，因此受抵押贷款利率变动的影响最大。

即使在苏格兰，房价“现在似乎也在趋于平缓”。然而，北爱尔兰继续逆势而行，当地中介报告过去一个月房价进一步上涨。

Rics 首席经济学家西蒙·鲁宾逊（Simon Rubinsohn）表示：“住房市场依然低迷，虽然这在夏季并不罕见，但从季节性调整后的数据来看，地缘政治、国内政治气候以及抵押贷款融资成本的结合，正持续压制市场情绪。”

他补充说，更具前瞻性的住房市场活动指标“同样保持低迷”。

大多数房产中介预计，房价和销售量在未来三个月将继续下滑。

Winkworth家族同意暂停父子之争

Tom Howard

英国最古老房产中介公司之一的背后的家族已同意将其父子对立的法律纠纷搁置至少一个月。

由 46 岁的多米尼克·阿加斯（Dominic Agace）经营的 M Winkworth 上周五宣布，该公司正向高等法院提起法律诉讼，起诉其董事长、也是多米尼克的父亲 83 岁的西蒙（Simon），以阻止他公开其他董事会成员的信息。

在伦敦及其周边拥有约 100 家分店的 Winkworth 昨日表示，西蒙已同意进行为期四周的停火，且各方正“继续讨论，旨在解决彼此之间的分歧”。

一份证券交易所声明称：“承诺限制 [西蒙] 阿加斯在未事先提供七天书面通知的情况下，且在任何情况下于 2026 年 9 月 10 日之前，采取或鼓励采取撤换或任命公司董事的步骤。”

随着临时协议的达成，Winkworth 表示其申请临时禁令救济的请求已推迟至 10 月 5 日。受此消息影响，该公司在 Aim 市场的股价上涨 2½便士，即 1.5%，至 1725便士，使公司估值达到 £2300 万。

上周，多米尼克向员工和加盟商发送了一份备忘录（《泰晤士报》已查阅），他在其中透露，他的父亲“最近要求对董事会进行更改，并表示如果这些要求得不到满足，随后将提出要求撤换某些董事会成员，并由他提议的人员接替”。

他补充说，公司董事认为西蒙寻求的这种大改“不符合公司的最佳利益”，因此已向法院起诉以“保护”这家房产中介公司，并防止其董事长对董事会进行大范围变动。

根据公司网站，西蒙是 Winkworth 最大的股东，持有 41% 的股份，即 530 万 股。

在 5 月份的 Winkworth 年度会议上，除了对西蒙连任的投票（仅有 9,714 股弃权）外，在对公司所有其他董事连任的投票中，有 509 万 股被扣除未参与投票。

这些进展表明该公司正陷入一场控制权之争。尽管该公司成立于 1875 年，但西蒙在 1974 年买下了这家公司，并经营了三十年，随后在 2004 年成为非执行董事长。多米尼克于 2009 年出任首席执行官，并领导公司在同年于 Aim 市场上市。

Winkworth 表示，公司“继续正常运营”，且由多米尼克领导的执行团队“依然专注于公司战略的实施”。

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41

商业

Tui 表示，其夏季计划的大部分已售出，其中对斯基亚索斯（Skiathos）等短途和中途目的地的需求是预订的主要驱动力

Tui 利润受损，全球冲突冲击度假计划

杰西卡·纽曼 (Jessica Newman) 休闲产业记者

受中东冲突影响，谨慎的度假者导致这家欧洲最大的旅游公司报告的第三季度利润跌幅超出预期。

Tui 在截至 6 月的季度中，基础利润下降 27% 至 €2.346 亿，低于分析师预测的 €2.74 亿；税前利润则下降 43% 至 €1.534 亿。

营收也低于伦敦金融城的预期值 €60 亿加元，同比下降 5.6% 至 €58.5 亿加元。

这家拥有五家航空公司以及酒店连锁店、旅行社和邮轮公司的德国公司表示，该时期的特点是“挑战性的市场环境和持续的地缘政治不确定性，特别是伊朗战争，这推高了航空燃料价格，且欧洲核心市场经济疲软，许多行业的消费者心态谨慎”。

Tui 透露，由于断断续续的美国-伊朗战争以及牙买加的梅丽莎飓风（Hurricane Melissa），在本财年的前九个月中，其利润已遭受 €8100 万 的损失。

首席执行官塞巴斯蒂安·埃贝尔（Sebastian Ebel）承认，2026 年并非一个“平凡之年”。他表示：“战争和地缘政治紧张局势、消费者的谨慎、欧洲核心市场的经济疲软以及通货膨胀上升——所有这些因素都影响了消费者的情绪和购买决策的时间。”

尽管面临这些不利因素，埃贝尔表示公司的商业模式具有韧性，旅游业对于“人们的生活依然高度相关”。

Tui 的市场与航空业务（包括其传统的旅行社部门）在该季度转为 €1.74 亿 的基础亏损，而去年同期为 €4970 万 的利润；公司将其归咎于地缘政治不确定性导致的需求减弱以及价格压力的增加。

其酒店和度假村部门的利润下降 6.2% 至 €1.227 亿，由于东地中海、墨西哥和加勒比海地区的需求减少，入住率下降 5 个百分点至 77%。

度假体验部门（包括其差异化邮轮线、酒店以及旅游活动部门 Tui Musement）表现出更强的韧性，基础利润小幅下降 5.6% 至 €2.778 亿。其邮轮业务在受到伊朗战争带来的 €2000 万 一次性冲击后，利润下降 7.2%。3 月，Tui 被迫将两艘停泊在阿布扎比的邮轮上的约 5,000 名乘客遣返回国，这些邮轮直到 5 月中旬才离开海湾港口。

前九个月的预订总量为 1220 万，自 5 月上次更新以来增加了 430 万。Tui 表示，其夏季计划的大部分现已售出，短途和中途目的地的需求是预订的主要驱动力。希腊和西班牙是最受欢迎的目的地，而东地中海地区的销售在最近几周也开始回升。

埃贝尔表示，伊朗战争带来的初步影响已经减轻，并补充道：“尤其是过去四周显示出预订行为正在回升。人们仍在旅行，但做出决定的时间更短。”他表示，法国和西班牙的山火没有对 Tui 的预订产生任何影响。

该公司重申了全年利润预期，预计将在 €110 亿加元 至 €140 亿加元 之间，“假设地缘政治紧张局势没有显著升级”。

Tui 此前预测利润将在前一年的 €140 亿加元 基础上增长 7% 至 10%，但该公司并未恢复其在 4 月份暂停的销售指引。

伯恩斯坦（Bernstein）分析师理查德·克拉克（Richard Clarke）表示，Tui 的更新表明，整体交易情况似乎比管理层对后期预订周期的预期更为疲软。

他指出，虽然公司确实重申了全年利润预期，但管理层“删除了5月份关于力争达到该区间上限的措辞”。

克拉克继续说道：“考虑到本财年仅剩六周，且大多数夏季旅行已预订完毕，€3 亿 的指导区间仍然异常宽泛，尤其是在缺乏任何营收指导的情况下。”

该股在法兰克福收盘下跌 1.2 per cent，报 €72.8。

Evoke 将营收下降归咎于博彩税

Jessica Newman

William Hill 的负债累累的所有者将半年利润受损归咎于更高的博彩税。

在可能是 Evoke 作为一家上市公司公布的最后一份业绩报告中，该公司透露，在计入 £1.46 亿 的博彩税上涨损失后，截至 6 月底的六个月中，其潜在营业利润下降 12 per cent 至 £4.428 亿。在税前层面，亏损从一年前的 £7770 万 扩大至 £8000 万。

去年的预算包括将远程游戏税从 21 per cent 提高到 40 。此外，还设立了一项 25 的新在线体育博彩税，涵盖除英国赛马以外的所有体育项目。

预计到 2029-30 年，这些征税每年将为财政部增加 11 亿英镑 billion 的收入。

Evoke 估计，在采取任何缓解措施之前，一旦这些措施从明年 4 月起全面实施，税收增加每年将高达 £1.35 亿。

该公司通过“较低但更有效的营销投资、提高促销效率以及运营成本削减”，抵消了超过一半的游戏税上涨。

该公司在 5 月关闭了约 200 家高街店铺以削减成本。

首席执行官 Widerström 表示：“上半年证明了业务的韧性，在一些核心市场（尤其是英国）引入大幅提高的游戏税后，运营环境变得极具挑战性。”

两个月前，Evoke 建议由希腊彩票和赌场公司 Bally's Intralot 以 £2410 万 的价格将其收购。两家公司当时表示，英国博彩税的增加和竞争的加剧导致出现了“整合机会”。Evoke 预计该交易将在今年第四季度或 2027 年第一季度完成。

今年上半年，Evoke 的营收持平，为 £8.875 亿，因为 William Hill 在英国和爱尔兰较高的在线销售额被 888 营收的下降所抵消。

由于西班牙和罗马尼亚的贸易疲软，国际销售额下降 2 ，掩盖了意大利 21 和丹麦 13 的增长。

Evoke 的股价自 2006 年上市以来已下跌超过 70 ，目前上涨 5 便士，或 0.9 ，至 46 便士。

亚洲科技股推动挪威财富基金增长

Charlotte Bend

亚洲半导体股票估值的飙升，以及其在 SpaceX 拥有的 120 亿加元 billion 持仓，助力挪威主权财富基金实现了六年来最强劲的季度表现。

这支全球最大的主权基金由挪威银行（Norges Bank）管理，价值 $2.3 trillion，第二季度回报率为 11.5%。这使得上半年利润达到了创纪录的 1.75 万亿挪威克朗（1370 亿英镑 billion）。

股票投资推动了增长，回报率为 16%，而固定收益贡献了 1.1%。非上市房地产和基础设施投资的回报率均为 1.8%。该基金的回报率比其基准指数高出 22 个基点。

挪威银行投资管理公司首席执行官尼古莱·坦根（Nicolai Tangen）表示：“这一结果是由股票市场的良好回报驱动的，尤其是来自亚洲科技股的回报。”

挪威银行拥有全球约 1.5% 的所有上市股票，在 7,200 多家公司中持有少量股份。

截至上半年末，其最大持仓是价值 620 亿加元 的英伟达（Nvidia），其次是 520 亿加元 的苹果（Apple）和 500 亿加元 的 Alphabet。它还持有特斯拉（Tesla）1% 的股份，据报道截至上半年末价值约 157 亿加元 。它通过近 1,000 项投资持有约 900 亿英镑 的英国股票。

7,200

挪威银行持有股份的全球公司数量

该主权财富基金由挪威政府在 20 世纪 90 年代设立，用于管理石油和天然气收入的利润。Since 1998, it has generated an average annual return of 6.86 per cent. 它约占挪威公共支出的四分之一。

尽管如此，坦根警告称，考虑到全球市场面临的极端威胁，该基金存在失去全部价值的风险。

本周在挪威南部阿伦达尔（Arendal）的一次政治会议演讲中，他表示：“我想通过提出一个问题来为我们的心理应急准备做出贡献：石油基金会消失吗？这个问题的答案是肯定的，而最糟糕的是，在我们现在生活的这个世界里，这并非完全不可能。历史上没有任何一个国家能够长时间保留如此巨大的财富。财富最终总是会消失的。”

他强调了几个可能威胁基金价值的极端场景，包括核战争和生物恐怖主义行为，并警告称，由于多种因素的结合（包括“AI 泡沫”破裂以及美国和中国之间的贸易战），可能会导致长期的经济萧条。

不过，他补充道：“有趣的是，现在的经济比过去更具韧性。”

“显然，公司已经在供应链上下功夫，他们建立了不同的备份系统，总体而言，他们的供应状况似乎更加灵活。如果你回到两年前，如果你预测到了关税和贸易壁垒，你不会想到市场和经济能像现在这样强劲。”

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42

商业

数据中心与可再生能源助力 Balfour 重塑辉煌

Robert Lea 工业编辑

美国数据中心的需求以及英国能源基础设施的转型，带动了 Balfour Beatty 的利润和订单激增，并将其股价推至历史最高点。

这家建筑公司的股价上涨使其集团估值接近 45 亿英镑 十亿，这使其有望自 2009 年短暂进入后，首次重新进入富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）。

对于一家在 2014 年陷入如此严重危机，以至于收到来自 Carillion 收购报价的公司来说，这无疑是一个巨大的转折；而 Carillion 是一家规模较小的竞争对手，在三年多后破产。

在今年前六个月中，Balfour 报告的税前利润跃升 46% 至 £1.39 亿，营收增长 8% 至 55.6 亿英镑 十亿。

这些业绩的驱动因素包括：在国家网络脱碳进程中，大量英国能源传输项目进入建设阶段；以及美国土木工程部门恢复盈利，该部门约占集团营收的 40%。

除此之外，Balfour 将全年的预测从高个位数百分比增长上调至低两位数百分比增长。

盈利并非唯一令投资者兴奋的指标。该公司将中期股息提高至

注入动力

12% 至 4.7p，并报告其订单簿已膨胀至 £22.9 亿，比一年前高出 17%。更重要的是，该公司目前拥有 £1.7 亿的现金可用资金。

这意味着该公司的 £2 亿股票回购计划可能会延长。在美国长期停滞的收购战略也可能重启。

这一切使得 Balfour 的股价上涨 61p，即 7%，收于 9265p。去年此时，该股价格为 550p。在疫情最严重时期，其价格仅略高于 200p。

“这是一个强劲的运营和财务表现，”首席执行官 Philip Hoare 在报告他自去年从加拿大土木工程咨询公司 Atkins Réalis 加入该公司后，首份由他主导的业绩数据时表示。

Hoare 接替了 Leo Quinn，后者是在 Carillion 事件的耻辱之后被请来拯救 Balfour Beatty 的高管。Quinn 基于一个简单的方案重建了该集团：仅接受能够赚到可观利润的合同，并确保在执行过程中不出差错。Quinn 目前正致力于领导零售商 WH Smith 的复兴。

“我们前景乐观，且处于强劲增长的市场中，”Hoare 表示。“我们正为股东寻求显著且具有吸引力的未来回报。”

Balfour Beatty 是英国能源和交通市场的关键参与者——参与了 Hinkley Point 和 Sizewell 核电站，并为海上风电场建设电网连接；同时参与了 HS2 铁路项目以及全国公路网络的升级。

该公司认为，仅英国电网连接一项就将带来 20% 的复合年增长率，并声称占据了 25% 的市场份额。

然而，Balfour 认为巨大的机遇在于美国，包括为人工智能热潮建设数据中心以及机场的翻新计划。该公司表示，未来四年数据中心市场的价值达 $250 亿。

该行业的独立分析师 Stephen Rawlinson 表示：“该公司面临一个‘高质量的问题’，即如何处理其年终 £1.7 亿的现金。”

“近年来该公司实现了有机增长，对合并与收购表现出的兴趣有限——这也不奇怪，因为其目前的内核业务和相关技能拥有充足的增长空间。但这是一个值得探索的领域。”

股票经纪商 Peel Hunt 将该股的目标价从 960p 上调至 £10.50，并指出：“我们预期会有强劲的表现，而 Balfour Beatty 再次兑现了预期。在不断增长且竞标良好的订单簿支持下，前景依然乐观。”

Vestas 业绩远超预期，上调前景展望

敌对行动重启增加石油供应压力

西蒙·弗里曼 (Simon Freeman)

全球能源监管机构警告称，由于中东地区敌对行动重启，使全球陷入更深层的石油市场短缺，今年全球石油供应将减少 430 万 桶 / 日 (bpd)，约 4%。

为工业化国家提供建议的国际能源署 (IEA) 表示，针对霍尔木兹海峡油轮的重启攻击，以及这场近六个月的冲突扩展至红海，给本已紧张的供应增加了进一步的干扰。预计的供应降幅比上月停火谈判期间预测的 370 万 bpd 减幅更为剧烈：这将使全球供应低于需求约 127 万 。

IEA 表示，中东石油装载量在 7 月初已恢复至 2000 万 ，大致与战前霍尔木兹海峡的流量持平，但在本月晚些时候回落至 1200 万 。IEA 补充道，7 月中东产量比战前水平低 830 万 ，而危机高峰期的产量损失为 1400 万 。“从 5 月中旬开始的初步复苏在 6 月缩小了供应缺口，但敌对行动的重启破坏了贸易流，”该机构表示。

对于 2027, 该机构认为，假设未来几个月局势降温，全球供应将超过总需求 461 万 。这一盈余可能使库存到明年年中恢复至 2026 年 2 月的水平。

IEA 目前预计今年全球需求将收缩 160 万 ，比上月看到的约 100万 的降幅更为剧烈。

IEA 表示，精炼燃料供应受限和价格上涨抑制了需求，其中石脑油和气油（红柴油）受影响最严重，亚洲和中东地区承受了同比下降的主要压力。

布伦特原油作为国际基准价格，在过去几个月里在 $70 和 $120 之间波动，本周初开盘价为 $80，昨日交易价格略低于 $85。

凯特琳·莫兰谈如何保持希望

欢迎参加一个极其幽默且令人振奋的夜晚，《泰晤士报》专栏作家凯特琳·莫兰 (Caitlin Moran) 将在她的全国巡演伦敦站登台。凯特琳将与她的朋友兼同事——《泰晤士报》电台主持人雨果·里夫金德 (Hugo Rifkind) 展开对话，解读她那本至关重要的新书《如何保持希望：尝试减轻对世界糟糕感的一年》(How to be Hopeful: A Year of Attempting to Feel Less Awful About the World) 的主题。

圣玛丽教堂，布赖恩斯顿广场，伦敦，W1H 1PQ

请在 thetimes.com / events 预订门票

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43

商业

HENRIK GUSTAFLIN / OCO UNIVERSAL IMAGES

亨里克·安德森 (Henrik Anderson)，维斯塔斯 (Vestas) 首席执行官，该公司利润是分析师预测的两倍

欧洲最大的风力涡轮机制造商之一宣布，其第二季度利润超过预测的两倍，启动了股票回购计划，并表示转型计划已取得成功（夏洛特·本德撰文）。

维斯塔斯在 1 月份获得了一笔 £2000 万 的拨款，以保障怀特岛一家工厂的 300 多个工作岗位，该公司提高了全年预期。该公司表示，

4 月至 6 月季度剔除特殊项目后的营业利润增长至 €4.46 亿，而去年同期为 €5700 万，平均预测值为 €2.05 亿。

这家丹麦公司预计全年剔除特殊项目后的营业利润率将从 6 per cent 至 8 per cent 提高到 7 至 9 。销售额将在 €200 亿加元 和 €220 亿加元 之间。2025, 营收为 €188 亿加元。

怀特岛该基地的 600 名员工在年初被告知，由于离岸涡轮机叶片需求不足，他们的工作岗位面临风险。其中约一半的岗位通过政府提供的支持得以保留。

首席执行官亨里克·安德森表示：“增长是由陆上和海上电力解决方案驱动的，而订单量同比增长 67 。我们提高了 2026 年的盈利预期。”

截至第二季度末，维斯塔斯的订单和服务协议价值 €769 亿加元，高于一年前的 €96 亿加元。在哥本哈根上市的股票收盘上涨 DKr34.80，或 19.66 ，收于 DKr211.80。

用房屋交换店来振兴我们的商业街

斯图尔特·利普顿评论

英国的高街并非因为人们停止购物而衰落。它们正在发生变化，是因为我们的生活、工作、社交和时间分配方式已经改变。

几十年来，我们一直试图通过吸引更多商店来拯救高街。但我们无法在亚马逊的领域击败亚马逊。在线零售提供了便利、价格和选择，而高街几乎无法实现这一点，而且停车位甚至像样的厕所早已不复存在。停止试图重建过去，去打造一些更具雄心的东西：一个人们因为它能让生活变得更好而愿意造访的地方。

未来的高街应该是英国现代的“村庄绿地”——一个居住、工作、学习、锻炼、创作、会友、寻找伴侣、创业并感受到社会归属感的地方。它不再是一个零售场所，而是一份社会契约。

新冠疫情加速了几代以来城镇规模最大的变革之一。数百万人发现他们可以在家工作——随后又发现了其局限性，比如在厨房餐桌前建立友谊或结识未来的伴侣。人们重新发现了共处在一起的价值。办公室将集中在大城市，导致许多次级城镇仅剩下本地企业。这并非问题，而是一个非凡的机会。

冗余的办公室和停车场可以转化为住房、花园和公共空间。那些最初构成街道、很久以前被改为商店和办公室的精美房屋，应该被重新改为住宅。

商店上方数以千计的空置楼层应该变成具有吸引力、可负担且无障碍的住宅，或者重新开发为带有社区设施的新高密度建筑——

特别是针对老年人，住在靠近商店、交通、医疗设施和其他人的地方，能让他们在更长时间内保持独立生活。

更多的居民意味着更多的顾客、更多的企业和更安全的街道。住房不是高街之旁的附属品。住房本身就是高街。

一条成功的高街需要一种新的组合。大约三分之一可以保留为零售——应该是独立、专业且具有创新力的，而非千篇一律的连锁店，并通过规划执法确保街道没有杂乱的附属物（将电子烟店移出 E 类用途将是一个简单的开始）。三分之一应该是服务业和款待业：咖啡馆、餐厅、健身房、维修店——这些能让人们停留而非仅仅是进行交易的事物。

最后三分之一应该是市政基础设施：全科医生诊所、诊断诊所、图书馆、托儿所、教育机构、工作空间和文化设施。医疗和教育能产生零售业曾经带来的每日人流量。一个提供预防性检查的健康中心可能是现代街道最重要的锚点——而那些身体状况足以出院但没有合适去处的人，可以搬到无障碍的市中心公寓，靠近护理和陪伴，而不是占用病床。不要把人们留在昂贵的医院里，当他们真正需要的是一个合适的居住地时。

每个城镇的中心应该有一个美丽的广场——社区的客厅，那里的社区咖啡馆以 11 [货币单位缺失] 的价格售卖一杯优质卡布奇诺，因为与人见面应该是负担得起的。而且我们必须重新发现乐趣。这里应该始终有活动在举行：现场音乐、街头剧场、午间喜剧演员、美食节、集市。人们会被那些他人享受快乐的地方所吸引。一条成功的高街会让人们说：我们进城吧——那里总有活动。

增加互联网无法提供的东西。一个 AI 和创新中心

提供关于改变我们生活的技术的实惠课程；将图书馆改革为创意中心；创客空间、“男性工坊”（Men's Shed）、教授家庭如何用 £5 准备晚餐的社区厨房；板式网球、乒乓球和草地滚球；一个灵活的礼堂，早晨是会议场所，夜晚则是剧院或电影院；以及让年轻创业者测试想法的实惠单元——并采用公平的商业税率，不再让实体店在面对在线仓库时处于劣势。美感通过公共绿地建筑、树木、水景、座椅和灯光来体现。每一条商业街都应该被视为一件公民艺术品。

其社会红利将是巨大的。一个不在教育、就业或培训中的年轻人（Neet）可以走进这个中心，学习编程、烹饪或建筑，找回童年爱好的乐趣，并发现能引导其走向就业的天赋。如果年轻人有去的地方，且有人相信他们，犯罪团伙就很难利用他们。孤独感会降低：身心健康得到改善；国民医疗服务体系（NHS）的压力随之减轻。

最重要的是，我们提升了国家的精神面貌，而信心和乐观并非“软经济学”，而是增长的原材料，并且我们能节省数十亿英镑的福利开支。

这需要一项国家使命：政府和地方领导人在权力下放的帮助下，协助城镇收购并改造闲置建筑，修复房屋，创建广场，并资助公民设施——其评判标准不在于开设了多少家商店，而在于创造了多少住房、就业、健康和幸福。

开发的目的不是为了建造房屋，而是为了改善人们的生活。如果我们创造出人们喜爱的地方，他们就会到来。如果他们到来，企业就会繁荣。而如果人们有去的地方、有事可做且有人可会，我们不仅能重建英国的商业街，还能重建英国的信心。

斯图尔特·利普顿爵士（Sir Stuart Lipton）是 Lipton Rogers Developments 的联合创始人。

为什么值得投资这家航空公司

IAG

市值 / 上半年营收 161亿欧元

国际航空集团（IAG）的半年报凸显了航空业所面临的挑战规模。由于地缘政治风险升高导致燃料成本增加，这家英国航空的母公司报告称，营业利润同比下降 6%。

考虑到其关键市场短期内消费者前景不明、本年度财务预期低迷，以及股价在过去五年中上涨了 162%，投资者是否应该避开这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）成份股公司？

IAG 成立于 2011 年英国航空与西班牙国家航空公司伊比利亚航空（Iberia）合并之时。它还拥有廉价航空公司 Vueling 和 Level，以及爱尔兰的国家航空公司 Aer Lingus，并经营货运和度假套餐业务。

虽然该公司的 628 架飞机共飞往 93 个国家的 285 个目的地，但 IAG 的客户群高度集中在英国、西班牙和美国。这三个市场在今年前六个月的营收中占比 71%，而其短期经济前景的不确定性将导致 IAG 今年的每股收益（EPS）下降 5%。

事实上，持续的粘性通胀和可能的利率上升可能会抑制消费者对航空旅行等可选消费的需求。然而，随着通胀逐渐下降以及降息进入央行议程，这种艰难的局面将在

飙升

建议 买入 理由 宽阔的安全边际意味着长期来看具有巨大的资本增长空间

中期内让位于更乐观的前景。

例如，预计明年 IAG 的每股收益将增长 17%。这意味着，尽管今年收益预计下降，但其 2027 年的净利润将比 2025 年高出 11%。

由于 2 月份宣布的 €150 亿加元 股票回购计划仍在继续，且仅完成 50% 以上，其每股盈利能力将因此得到提升。鉴于该公司较低的市场估值，股票回购是对公司多余现金的一种极其合理的利用。

即便在过去五年中股价大幅上涨（相当于跑赢英国大盘指数 112 个百分点），IAG 的股票市盈率也仅为 7.4。这显著低于富时 100 指数的 18.1 倍收益倍数，表明该股不仅具有大幅上调估值并获得随后资本收益的空间，还提供了宽阔的安全边际，以应对持续高涨的地缘政治风险。

值得注意的是，中东冲突的持续（目前看来极有可能）可能会促使 IAG 取消更多航班。该领域的行动已导致今年上半年座位容量下降 0.1%，且该集团预计全年座位容量将持平，而此前预测为增长 2 到 4%。

中东地区高涨的地缘政治风险还可能导致航空燃料价格进一步上涨。燃料价格已比年初水平上涨 6.3%，尽管 IAG 在半年报中表示，预计能通过提高价格和提高效率回收约 60% 的燃料成本增量，但这仍将拖累公司的财务表现。

不过，IAG 拥有克服行业相关挑战的财务手段：例如，其半年报显示，其净负债权益比为 54%，而在这六个月期间，营业利润可覆盖净利息成本 5.9 次。此外，公司的总流动资金同比增加了 €9.25 亿，目前已超过 €118 亿加元。

显然，无论拥有多少现金，都无法阻止 IAG 的股价在未来几个月出现剧烈波动。事实上，随着经济前景和地缘政治风险的演变，其股价很可能会表现出显著的波动性。

然而，投资者应对该公司在长期内提供足以令富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）感到“灼热”的资本收益能力感到乐观。其宽阔的安全边际、稳健的基本面以及多年时间跨度内乐观的行业前景，意味着它提供了极具吸引力的投资前景。

简讯

Whitbread 将出售 53 个站点

Whitbread 已达成协议，将出售更多餐厅，以专注于其利润率更高的酒店业务。这家富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）成分股公司、Premier Inn 的所有者将以未公开的价格，将其 53 个站点出售给总部位于纽卡斯尔的酒店业公司 Queensway Inns。

首席执行官多米尼克·保罗（Dominic Paul）在两年前首次宣布了削减部分经营困难餐厅的计划。他的初步计划是关闭 238 家餐厅，这些餐厅主要以 Beefeater 和 Brewers Faye 品牌运营。在这 238 家餐厅中，112 家将被改造为额外的客房，126 个站点将被出售。

Whitbread 在 3 月份表示，目前已出售 51 家。与 Queensway 的交易使该公司在完成处置计划方面又向前迈进了一步。

4 月份，Whitbread 宣布将关闭其剩余的 197 家餐厅组合，其中 110 家作为持续经营企业出售，87 家改造为新客房。最新的关闭计划预计将影响 3,800 个工作岗位。Queensway 的收购可能会挽救 900 个工作岗位。

Premier Inn 是英国最大的酒店品牌，其带来的高利润和回报是餐厅部门未能企及的。

剩余餐厅站点的未来仍不确定。Queensway 计划将这些站点重新品牌化并重新推出为经济型酒吧，但品牌名称、菜单和开业日期尚未确认。

EasyJet 空乘人员罢工

工会昨日表示，EasyJet 在法国的飞行乘务员将于 8 月 15 日和 16 日举行罢工，以要求改善工作条件。工会表示：“这些行动日所导致的任何航班取消或中断将完全由 承担，因为该公司选择不对过去几个月里重复发出的警告做出严肃回应。” 表示，公司已提出一项方案以解决员工的顾虑，并要求工会取消罢工，因为 9 月份还安排了更多谈判。 将为乘客提供免费改签和退款等选项。

银行卡支付诈骗警报

消费者组织 Which? 对一种“危险”的诈骗行为提出了担忧，受害者在其中被诱导批准银行卡支付。该组织警告称，犯罪分子可能会使用与授权推送支付（APP）诈骗类似的手段，在这种诈骗中，人们被操纵进行银行转账。许多“授权”诈骗涉及人们直接从银行账户向诈骗者发送资金。Which? 表示，人们可能难以就其授权给合法公司的款项申请索赔，即使这笔钱最终落入了犯罪分子的手中。

Ancora 坚持其报价

激进投资者 Ancora Holdings 表示，其提议以高达 12 亿美元 billion 的现金收购 HB Fuller 的建筑粘合剂部门。Ancora 表示，其在 7 月初就一项交易与 HB Fuller 的首席执行官和董事长进行了私下接触，但尚未收到实质性的回应。这位激进投资者在信中写道：“我们担心你们集体倾向于固守现状，这再次损害了你们的判断力。”今年早些时候，HB Fuller 同意通过一项现金交易收购英国医疗供应商 Advanced Medical Solutions，包括债务在内的估值约为 £1.75 亿。

摩根大通助力 Ocado 股价上涨

市场报告

与阿斯顿·马丁（Aston Martin）一样，Ocado 集团是富时 250 指数（FTSE 250）中交易最活跃且波动最大的股票之一（Robert Miller 撰文）。

昨日，在美国重量级投资银行摩根大通（JP Morgan）发布一份有利报告后，该公司的股价轻松登顶这一更侧重于英国市场的指数排行榜，上涨 34½p，即 15.6%，至 25½p。

“我们继续认为风险 / 回报比极具吸引力（尽管波动性可能会持续），并重申我们的‘增持’评级，”分析师 Marcus Diebel 在一份研究报告中表示。摩根大通将 Ocado 的新目标价设定为 29½p，高于之前的 24½p。记录显示，阿斯顿·马丁上涨 ½p，即 1.7%，至 35½p，但其股价在过去一个月仍下跌了 4.6%。

这些涨幅助力富时 250 指数再次收高，上涨 15.13 点，即 0.1%，至 24,814.88，与周五创下的 24,854.86 历史收盘纪录相差无几。而在更高一级的富时 100 指数（FTSE 100）表现则不尽如人意，连续第三个交易日收跌，下跌 11.04 点，即 0.1%，至 10,833.15。

超市板块在下跌中扮演了角色，特易购（Tesco）在一份低迷的

华尔街报告

尽管温和的通胀数据强化了美联储将维持利率不变的预期，且 AI 相关股票重新受到青睐，但各大指数表现不一。云服务公司 CoreWeave 的乐观业绩使其股价上涨 19.3%，而同样投资于 CoreWeave 的芯片制造商英伟达（Nvidia）上涨 3%。标准普尔 500 指数上涨 20.30 点，即 0.3%，至 7,248.50；纳斯达克指数上涨 143.04 点，即 0.5%，至 26,588.49。道琼斯工业平均指数下跌 21.58 点，即 0.04%，至 53,770.27。

今日最大波动股

Company / Ours

Admiral Group / 2.9% InterContinental Hotels Group / 2.7% Xi Group / 2.6% Endurance Mining / 2.5% Fresello / 2.3% Italy / -2.6% IG Group / -2.6% Reckitt Bendisier / -2.8% Marks & Spencer / -4.0% Barberry / -4.2%

在银行发布正面报告后，Ocado 成为富时 250 指数中涨幅最大的股票

Shore Capital 消费者研究主管 Clive Black 的报告。这位资深零售分析师在报告开头给予了肯定，称赞其“一个出色的管理团队，以极高的一致性和强大的资本纪律执行零售交付……从而带来了极具吸引力的股东总回报”，随后他将该股评级从“买入”下调至“持有”，并承诺在稍后日期重新审视。

特易购的评级下调无疑给该股带来了打击，但由于食品和饮料联合会（Food and Drink Federation）周二警告称作物短缺和价格上涨“不可避免”，整个超市行业无论如何都笼罩在阴云之中。竞争对手 J Sainsbury 下跌 6½p，即 1.9%，至 338p。在食品市场同样拥有巨大影响力的马莎百货（Marks & Spencer）是富时 100 指数中跌幅第二大的股票，下跌 16½p，即 4%，至 385½p，但这其中可能包含获利了结的因素，因为该股自年初以来已上涨近 17%。

表现最佳的是 Admiral Group，上涨 108p，即 2.9%，至 £38.28，因瑞银（UBS）重申“买入”建议，目标价为 £43。

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46

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49

墨尔本犯罪家族的独眼女家长 凯丝·佩廷吉尔

登记

讣告

爱德华·霍夫塞皮安-梅尔牧师

一位极具魅力的伊朗新教牧师，因信仰在故乡遭受迫害，并建立了一座地下教会。

爱德华·霍夫塞皮安-梅尔（Edward Hovsepian-Mehr）无视停止将伊朗穆斯林转化为基督徒的最后通牒，继续领导着世界上增长最快的教会之一。

他的兄长海克（Haik）是一位主教，因拒绝遵守伊朗政府要求的一系列限制措施，于 1994 年被谋杀。尽管面对确认兄长血染尸体的痛苦回忆，被称为“爱德华弟兄”的他依然没有退缩。

这对亚美尼亚裔兄弟花费数十年时间建立起五旬节神会（Assemblies of God）的伊朗分会，但到 1990 年代中期，显然在伊朗公开崇拜未经国家认可的基督教已不再可行，教会必须转入地下。

从 1990 年代中期直到 2003 年被迫流亡伦敦，霍夫塞皮安-梅尔协助在整个伊朗建立了家庭教会，小规模团体在其中聚集学习圣经、祷告和唱赞美诗。集会地点在不同房屋之间不断变换，以降低被突击搜查的机会，而信徒们则在几个小时内分批进入，以免引起怀疑。对于拥有优美男中音、能纵情高唱赞美诗的霍夫塞皮安-梅尔来说，最令人心碎的是，赞美和崇拜必须低声进行。

在他组织秘密集会期间，他遭受了无休止的骚扰、恐吓、威胁和反复的审讯。2003 年起，他在伦敦开展工作，继续为伊朗的基督徒皈依者组织牧养支持。

爱德华·霍夫塞皮安-梅尔 1950 年出生于德黑兰一个亚美尼亚裔贫困家庭。他的父亲纳扎尔·霍夫塞皮安（Nazar Hovsepian）是一名厨师，母亲塔玛尔·哈奇基（Tamar Khachiki），两人在他幼年时离婚。他与哥哥由名义上信仰基督教的母亲抚养长大。早年生活笼罩在忧伤之中，但霍夫塞皮安-梅尔在 13 岁时生活发生了改变，当时他受邀聆听莱昂·海拉佩蒂安（Leon Hairapetian）牧师的讲道。当牧师问道：“你们当中谁想在今晚将生命交给耶稣？”时，霍夫塞皮安-梅尔发现自己站了起来。他在 16 岁时发表了第一次讲道，在完成神学研究后，于 17 岁被任命为牧师。20 岁时，他被任命为伊斯法罕五旬节神会教会的牧师，随后搬到了该国西北部的乌尔米亚市，在那里建立了一座新教会并培训了新领导者。

对基督徒的迫害在伊朗革命后几乎立即开始，圣公会牧师阿拉斯图·赛亚（Arastoo Sayyah）于 1979 年 2 月 19 日在设于设拉子的教会办公室被谋杀。在接下来的几年里，强硬的神权政权明确表示，它仅容忍古老的基督教社区，例如拥有 2010 / 00 名成员的亚美尼亚使徒教会和东方亚述教会，前提是它们必须使用自己的语言进行礼拜，且不得向穆斯林传教。

1986 年，霍夫塞皮安-梅尔被任命为德黑兰五旬节神会教会（伊朗最大的新教教会）的高级牧师，与他的哥哥海克密切合作。两人都拒

霍夫塞皮安-梅尔拥有浑厚的男中音，令他心碎的是，在伊朗的地下家庭教会中，赞美和崇拜必须低声进行。

绝向对教会更严格的监管低头，迫害在 1990 年代初期升级。伊朗圣经协会被关闭，波斯语译本的圣经被禁。使用波斯语举行教会礼拜被宣布为非法，且法令规定所有教会成员必须向当局提供姓名和地址，以及人们

他遭受了无情的威胁和反复的审讯

只有在被发放官方身份证件的情况下，人们才能去教堂。

在 1994 年海克（Haik）被谋杀后，霍夫塞皮安-梅尔接任了伊朗神召会（Assemblies of God）教堂的主管，尽管他必须非正式地承担这一角色，因为当局不承认他的身份。此后，由于面临被绑架的威胁，在全国范围内旅行变得十分困难。

自革命以来，伊朗至少有八位基督教领袖因信仰而牺牲。1996 年，被人们称为拉万巴赫（Ravanbakhsh，在波斯语中意为“灵魂给予者”）的穆罕默德·巴格尔·尤塞菲（Mohammad Bagher Yusefi）被发现被吊死。八年前，他从伊斯兰教改信基督教，并在伊朗北部的戈尔甘（Gorgan）经营神召会教堂。他被国家特工谋杀的事实促使霍夫塞皮安-梅尔加速推进家庭教会运动，培训并指导家庭教会领袖。

2003 年移居伦敦后，霍夫塞皮安-梅尔经营了三家教堂，其中包括在芬奇利（Finchley）创立的北伦敦伊朗教堂，该教堂后来成为全球离散伊朗人中规模最大的伊朗教堂。

2008 年，伊朗试图将针对“背教”的死刑写入民法——以符合沙里亚法（sharia）——但在国际外交压力下，国家撤回了该提案。任何被发现从伊斯兰教改信基督教的人仍可能被判处 5 到 15 年监禁，并被禁止申请工作。

霍夫塞皮安-梅尔争取到了全球 99 家伊朗教堂的支持，共同反对伊朗《伊斯兰刑法典》的拟议修正案。他还是联合伊朗教会 Hamgam 委员会的主要创始人，这是一个由欧洲和加拿大各地的波斯语教堂组成的伙伴关系组织，连接了许多教派的 20 多家教堂。

“以前存在很多不信任，”总部位于伦敦的伊朗基督徒人权组织 Article 18 的执行主任曼苏尔·博尔吉（Mansour Borji）说。“他通过让人们坐在一起、吃在一起，打破了这些障碍。”

霍夫塞皮安-梅尔身材魁梧，声音洪亮，眉头深锁，他利用波斯语的抒情性，通过卫星频道 SAT-7 PARS 向全世界的伊朗人传道。来到他教堂的新人有时会对他的要求感到惊讶——他会在没有被邀请的情况下要求访问他们的家。“人们会认为有什么问题，但这只是他想要了解他们及其家人的愿望，”博尔吉说。“后来大家都知道了，他很喜欢吃冰淇淋。”

然而，支持伊朗的家庭教会仍然是首要任务，他与 200 多名家庭教会领袖保持联系，与他们一起运行圣经学习小组并提供培训。在伊斯兰革命法院于 2013 年关闭神召会教堂后，他加强了努力。伊朗境内剩下的三家圣公会教堂——伊斯法罕的圣路加教堂、设拉子的西门·热尔教堂和德黑兰的圣保罗教堂——自新冠疫情以来一直处于关闭状态。

Article 18 表示，他们掌握了革命法院发布的判决书，这些判决书将基督徒定罪，“仅仅是因为他们与爱德华牧师保持联系，或参与与他及家庭教会运动相关的牧养事工”。该组织补充道：

“这些法院判决无意中证明了他的事工具有显著的成效和持久的影响。”

霍夫塞皮安-梅尔的第一任妻子安娜希德（Anahid）于 2001 年死于癌症。他的四个孩子罗阿-塔（Roa-ta）、安妮塔（Anita）、塔莉（Tali）和霍万（Hovan）在世。

2003 年，霍夫塞皮安-梅尔与纳西（Nassi）结婚。纳西在之前的婚姻中有一个女儿艾娃（Ava），他们还收养了一个女儿莉迪亚（Lydia）。霍夫塞皮安-梅尔出身于音乐世家，热爱唱歌和弹钢琴，将许多著名的赞美诗翻译成波斯语。他的所有孩子都会演奏一种乐器，家庭聚会总是离不开歌声。

唯一能与他对传教的热情相媲美的就是足球，但说到最近的世界杯，他支持巴西队。他说，不支持伊朗队让他心碎，因为伊朗国家队是宣传的工具。他身高超过6英尺，喜欢与教会社区的年轻人一起踢球。博尔吉（Borji）说：“你不会想在球队中成为他的对手。”

霍夫塞皮安-梅尔原计划在今年年底退休。他当时依靠助行架行走，并致力于完成他的第四本书；今年 Article 18 的最新报告提交时，他出席了在威斯敏斯特宫举行的活动。Article 18 声称，在针对伊朗政权的大规模抗议以及 2025, 6 月与以色列之间为期 12 天的战争之后，基督徒成为了“替罪羊”。

2025 年因宗教信仰或活动而被逮捕的基督徒人数几乎是前一年的两倍——254 人对比 139. 人。被判处监禁、流放或强迫劳动的人数增加了一倍多，且 2025 年至少有 11 名基督徒被判处十年或更长时间的监禁。

然而，尽管持续遭到激进的镇压，伊朗的地下教会仍在继续增长。据估计，其信徒人数已达 800,000 人。博尔吉说：“压迫程度已经达到了让人们觉得没有什么可失去的地步。”霍夫塞皮安-梅尔的榜样激励了他们中的许多人。

伦敦西区奇奥威克（Chiowick）亚美尼亚教会的牧师查尔斯·戈法希安（Charles Gophashian）说：“正是因为他的谦卑，他才能迎接任何挑战，因为他知道是上帝开启了这项工作。”他补充道：“他知道无论上帝开启了什么，他都会将其完成。”

伊朗牧师爱德华·霍夫塞皮安-梅尔（The Rev Edward Hovsepian-Mehr）出生于 5 月 9, 1950. 他于 6 月 26, 2026, 因心脏病发作去世，享年 76 岁

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50

注册

凯丝·佩廷吉尔

墨尔本最臭名昭著的地下王朝之独眼女家长，曾主掌一个毒品与色情帝国

凯丝·佩廷吉尔（Kath Pettingill）是一位身材矮小、只有一只眼睛、被称为“邪恶奶奶”的祖母，她是墨尔本最臭名昭著的犯罪家族的女家长。她监管着一个建立在毒品、武装抢劫和色情之上的帝国，该帝国在 20 世纪 80 年代达到鼎盛，且经常受到腐败警察的保护。

佩廷吉尔身上带着一生行走在社会底层留下的伤痕。她曾在翻墙捡球时撞碎了门牙，但一直没有治疗。1978 年，在一次因 300 美元债务与一名妓女发生争执的过程中，她的右眼被射穿。她开玩笑说，这带来了一个好处，就是过量饮酒后不会看到重影。警方也加入了这个玩笑，将针对她家族的一次监视行动命名为“独眼巨人”行动（Operation Cyclops）。

她的十个孩子中有几个继承了她的犯罪之路。在一次访问儿子丹尼斯（Dennis）的家中时，她发现一名年轻男子赤裸地躺在地上，头上插着一把肉劈刀。在看到对方丢弃的衣服后，她对丹尼斯喊道：“别烧掉那套运动服。我会把它洗干净给杰米（Jamie [丹尼斯的异母兄弟]）穿，”随后她开始刷洗墙上的血迹。

“甚至连奈德·凯利也没在警队中激起过同样的仇恨”

作为一名年轻且资金匮乏的母亲，佩廷吉尔接受了丹尼斯的邀请，在一家按摩院工作。“后来我开始为了钱与一些客户发生关系。这并不让我担心，毕竟一周能赚 $1,500，”她回忆道。当老板的车被炸毁后，她接管了这家生意，并获得了比该市其他按摩院经理更好的名声。“她为人正直，如果出了麻烦，她会照顾你，”她的员工之一“Talking Bone”说道。

曾经有一对土耳其夫妇带着他们十几岁的儿子出现，母亲在哭泣，佩廷吉尔推测这是一种成年礼。另一次，她到达时发现一个男人戴着围兜，正在被喂婴儿食品。当一名年长的客户猝死时，当时仍拿她工资的警察帮着给死者穿衣服，并将尸体拖到附近的一条街道上，随后告知其家属死者是在那里被发现的。“我敢打赌他死的时候脸上带着微笑，”她打趣道。一名性工作者走出房间，脸色惨白。“他想让我把他的睾丸切掉，”她说，“我不介意这么做，但我不想因为过失杀人而被判十年。”

多年来，佩廷吉尔及其家人似乎不受维多利亚州警察的管辖。这种情况在她的两个儿子卷入 1988 年 10 月的沃尔什街谋杀案后发生了改变，在那起案件中，两名警察被枪杀。“我恨警察，但那几个孩子没做过，”她坚称，“我们家不会那样做。我们没有参与。你不会杀掉两个无辜的警察。”

尽管她的儿子们和另外两名男子被宣判无罪，但佩廷吉尔家族与警方之间的关系再也未能恢复。正如艾德里安·泰姆在 1996 年出版的她的传记《女家长》（The Matriarch）中所写：“即使是奈德·凯利及其团伙，在州警队中激起的仇恨也不如凯丝的儿子们那样深。”

凯瑟琳·肯普 1935 年出生于墨尔本的布伦瑞克东郊，是木材工人阿尔伯特·肯普及其十几岁的妻子格拉迪丝（原姓李）的三个女儿中最大的一个。格拉迪丝经营着一家糖果店，年幼的凯丝经常在那里偷硬币。她的姐妹分别是死于小儿麻痹症的芭芭拉，以及避开了犯罪生活的威尔玛。六岁时，凯丝走进一个房间，那里停放着一名刚去世亲属的棺材。她伸手伸进死者的口中，将假牙拧了出来，试戴了一下。

第二次世界大战爆发时，阿尔伯特参军，随后在中东自杀。此后，格拉迪丝为了“主要为了领取养老金”而进行了多达六次重婚，忽略了她的孩子们。她们幸存的女儿们由她们的曾祖母（也叫凯瑟琳）照顾。

佩廷吉尔就读于普林斯山高中，15 岁辍学在一家服装厂工作。不久后，她遇到了 19 岁的丹尼斯·赖安，他骑着一辆闪亮的凯旋摩托车出现。为了避免被指控为非婚同居，他在她满 16 岁时与她结婚。那时她已经生下了他们的第一个孩子，也叫丹尼斯，后来成为了一个连环杀手，在地下世界享有“死亡博士”的绰号。他在 1987 年等待审判期间死于心脏病。他的母亲非常愤怒，因为他用她的新吸尘器清理地毯上其中一名受害者的脑浆碎片。“如果给我机会，我自己就会开枪打死他，”她愤怒地说道。他们的第二个孩子彼得曾被贴上维多利亚州最危险罪犯的标签，因武装抢劫被判入狱 28 年。

当瑞安在朝鲜战争中战斗时，佩廷吉尔开始与小规模罪犯比利·皮尔斯交往。“他长得帅，而且热爱喝酒和打架，”她说道。他们育有六个孩子：维基在沃尔什街审判中提供不利于家人的证词后隐姓埋名；维克多在该案中被判无罪，但于 2002 年被枪杀；莱克斯是一名轻微罪犯。另外三个孩子被送去领养。皮尔斯于 1968 年去世。那时，她与吉米·佩廷吉尔又生了两个儿子，后者是一个神秘人物，当时已有妻子和情妇。杰米在 21 岁时死于海洛因过量。特雷弗在沃尔什街案中同样被判无罪，但随后仍留下了长长的犯罪记录。她于 1967 年与佩廷吉尔分手，但继续使用他的姓氏。当时，她是布林（Bulleen）情感之辈酒店（Sentimental Bloke Hotel）的一名酒吧女服务员，经常给休假警察提供免费饮料。当她意识到这无法让她的儿子们获得宽大处理时，用一名警官的话说，她变成了“一个彻头彻尾的警察憎恨者”。

尽管与地下世界有长期联系，但佩廷吉尔直到 41 岁才获得首次定罪，罪名是将场所用于卖淫。随后她又因袭击、靠不道德收入生活、无证驾驶以及持有枪支和海洛因而被定罪。“是的，我可能打过警察，但他们反正都会把这些写进去，”她说道。她很享受监狱中相对平静的生活，时而痛斥监狱长，时而把欺凌者打成黑眼圈，还曾为了支持一名被单独监禁的囚犯而进行绝食抗议。

她的生活引起了电影制片人的兴趣，但她对《动物王国》（2010）并不感冒，尤其是杰基·韦弗饰演的电影中家族女家长“蓝精灵”那个获得奥斯卡提名的表演。“杰基·韦弗和我只有一点共同之处，”她冷哼道，“我们两个都不会演戏。”

到 20 世纪 80 年代后期，佩廷吉尔退休到了维纳斯湾（Venus Bay）一个安静的海滨隐居地，那里距离墨尔本向东南行驶两小时车程。1993 年，由于孩子们的父母被监禁，她回到市区照顾三个孙辈。由于无法抵御犯罪的诱惑，她因贩毒再次被判处 18 个月的监禁。她对自己的最终归宿毫无疑问。“我现在做任何事情都无法改变那个结果，”她在 1996 年说道，“反正，我的死去的孩子们就在那里，在地狱里。我想和他们在一起。我不介意。天堂听起来很无聊，不是我那种地方。”

犯罪家族女家长凯丝·佩廷吉尔于 1935 年 3 月 27 日出生。她于 2026 年 8 月 1 日去世，享年 91 岁

普拉斯·约翰逊 (Plas Johnson)

这位精湛的录音室萨克斯风演奏家曾与弗兰克·辛纳屈合作，他那令人难忘的独奏定义了《粉红豹》的主题曲。

对于普拉斯·约翰逊来说，那不过是又一次录音工作。在他漫长的职业生涯中，他参与了数以千计的录音，从弗兰克·辛纳屈、艾拉·费兹洁拉到 B.B. King 和海滩男孩 (the Beach Boys)，所有人都抢着邀请他。

在作曲家兼管弦乐团指挥亨利·曼西尼 (Henry Mancini) 的召唤下，他前往录制一部电影主题曲的次中音萨克斯风部分。他在一个冬日的早晨 8 点抵达录音室，并像往常一样迅速精准地完成了自己的部分。正当他准备收拾乐器前往下一个录音现场时，一件非同寻常的事情发生了。“我们只录了两遍，但当我们结束时，所有人都鼓掌了——甚至包括弦乐手，”他回忆道，“他们从不鼓掌，所以当他们鼓掌时，你就知道自己真的做成了某些了不起的事情。”

在约翰逊那俏皮且充满玩味的萨克斯风摇摆律动引领下，他们刚刚录制完成的是 1963 年电影《粉红豹》的主题曲，该片由彼得·塞勒斯饰演笨拙可爱的克鲁索督察。

当时没有人预料到这会成为电影史上最令人难忘的主题曲之一。“但我确实感觉到它很特别，”约翰逊回忆道，“那是一个伟大的编曲，拥有庞大的管弦乐团、爵士乐队、弦乐和法号。效果非常出色。”

曼西尼对此早有预料。“音乐中的所有重音都与屏幕上的动作同步，”这位作曲家在 1989 年的自传中写道，“我心中有一个特定的萨克斯风演奏人选——普拉斯·约翰逊。我几乎总是预先选定演奏者，并为他们量身定制曲目，而普拉斯拥有我想要的音色和风格。”该主题曲作为单曲发行后大获成功，并赢得了三项格莱美奖，包括最佳器乐编曲奖。

当 2006 年由史蒂夫·马丁主演的《粉红豹》翻拍版在制作时，约翰逊被邀请重新演绎他最初的独奏，他很乐意配合。“能延续这么久的东西一定是经典，”他说。他继续在夜总会演出中演奏这首主题曲，并在去世前一个月，在他居住的社区养老院进行了最后一次表演。“当我告诉人们原版曲子是我吹的时候，他们的眼睛会睁得很大，”他说。

普拉斯·约翰逊于 1931 年出生在路易斯安那州的唐纳森维尔，位于新奥尔良以西 60 英里，地处密西西比河畔。他的母亲格蕾丝会弹钢琴和唱歌，而他的父亲普拉斯·约翰逊长辈（其名字源自法语“plaisant”，意为令人愉悦或有趣的）是一名萨克斯风演奏家。“无论我们住在哪里，他们都在工作，”他们的儿子回忆道，“周末我们会沿着河湾四处旅行。只要有机会，他们就会在酒吧、餐厅和舞会上演奏。”

他在很小的时候就加入了家庭组合唱歌，但当他 12 岁时，父亲从一家当铺为他买了一把高音萨克斯风。“是我父亲带我入门的，但大部分时间我是自学的，靠听音演奏，”他说。随后，他在自己的曲目库中增加了中音、次中音和上低音萨克斯风，以及单簧管和长笛。到十几岁中期，他开始在新奥尔良的俱乐部演出，与弹钢琴的哥哥雷组成“约翰逊兄弟组合” (Johnson Brothers Combo)，有时还由妹妹格温担任主唱。

他们还为到访的 R&B 歌手伴奏。1951 年，当蓝调歌手查尔斯·布朗 (Charles Brown) 来到这座城市时，邀请约翰逊加入他的乐队。接下来的几年里，他一直“在各地的俱乐部奔波，学习了 5,000 次，为脱衣舞女郎和舞者伴奏”，直到他被征召入美国陆军。

在加利福尼亚州驻军期间，他在军乐队演奏。退伍后，他搬到了洛杉矶，在那里被国会唱片公司 (Capitol Records) 聘为录音室乐手，该公司的艺人名单包括辛纳屈、佩吉·李 (Peggy Lee) 和纳特·金·科尔 (Nat King Cole)。

约翰随后与所有这些人合作，并以乐队领队的身份录制了自己的专辑，他的多才多艺意味着工作机会非常充足。在平凡的一天里，他可能要参加三到四场录音 session，他可能会先加入一个管弦乐团录制电影原声带，接着为西纳特拉或李提供伴奏，最后与杜安·艾迪或吉恩·文森特一起吹奏一些喧闹的摇滚乐。他于 1958 年首次与曼奇尼合作，为电视侦探剧《彼得·冈》录制主题曲，他们共同录制的原声专辑赢得了首届格莱美年度专辑奖。

他的遗属包括结婚 60 年的妻子卡罗尔，以及他们的三个孩子：埃里克·约翰逊、斯特凡妮·奥利弗和菲利普·南恩；此外还有他与第一任妻子伊丽莎白·约翰逊（两人最终离婚）所生的三个孩子：谢丽尔·约翰逊、大卫·约翰逊和丹妮丝·赫利。

在整个 20 世纪 60 年代，他是“破坏者之组”（Wrecking Crew）的成员，这是一个由洛杉矶顶尖录音室乐手组成的团体，以能够适应任何风格且无需排练即可快速工作而闻名。他们的作品涵盖了电视节目的主题曲，以及从鲍比·达林到海滩男孩乐队《宠物之声》的摇滚和流行乐录音；而到了晚上，他则带着自己的乐队在爵士俱乐部演出。

1970 年，约翰成为了由梅里·格里芬主持的长期播映综合电视节目的驻场乐队成员。他在该节目工作了 15 年，但同时继续担任高产的录音室乐手，他那浑厚的萨克斯演奏点缀在斯蒂利·丹、马文·盖伊、埃尔顿·约翰、琳达·朗斯塔特、汤姆·威茨和罗德·斯图尔特的热门专辑中。

他自豪地宣称，每次接活他都能带来新鲜感。“你必须切入音乐的风格，以及歌手和编曲，”他说，“你的音符就是你的词汇，如果你一遍又一遍地使用相同的形容词，那就非常枯燥了。”

萨克斯演奏家普拉斯·约翰逊（Plas Johnson）出生于 1931 年 7 月 21 日。他于 2026 年 7 月 15 日因高龄去世，享年 94 岁

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《泰晤士报》 / 2026 年 8 月 11 日，星期四

51

法律报告

套餐中的蘸酱杯适用增值税零税率

上级法庭 发布日期：2026年8月13日

Queenscourt Ltd 诉 英国税务海关总署（Revenue and Customs Commissioners）

Bethes Wm Justice James Smith 与上级法庭法官 Mark Baldwin (2026) UNOT 199, FCCJ 判决日期：2026年5月19日

除非属于少数允许偏离该基本原则的例外情况，否则每一项供应（包括多元素交易中若单独提供将被视为供应的每一个元素），在增值税（VAT）目的下必须被视为独立且分开的。

在本案中，“套餐”（meal deal）的整体供应属于多项供应，而非单一的复合食品供应，且套餐中包含的蘸酱杯在增值税目的下属于单独的零税率供应。

上级法庭（税务与衡平法分庭）在允许纳税人 Queenscourt Ltd 就一项增值税评估提出上诉时做出了上述裁定，并维持了初级法庭（FTT）关于其在英国 KFC 门店提供的最后一份外卖套餐中，调味蘸酱杯供应部分的裁决。

纳税人代表：Charlotte Brown，税务机关代表：Dilpreet Dhanoa

上级法庭表示，初级法庭在审理此案时得出结论，认为作为外卖套餐一部分的蘸酱杯供应，是热食和蘸酱这一单一标准税率供应的一部分。

初级法庭注意到，由纳税人经营的快餐店销售的一份外卖炸鸡属于热食，在增值税目的下适用标准税率，而销售的蘸酱杯属于食品，适用零税率。因此，初级法庭确定需要解决的问题是：当这两项物品与其他物品一起作为外卖套餐购买时，情况是否依然如此。

初级法庭指出，根据欧洲判例法，虽然

出发点应该是每一项供应通常应被视为独立且分开的，但在某些情况下，单次交易中供应的一项或多项物品可能会被视为单一供应，其增值税处理方式取决于该供应中占主导地位的部分。

初级法庭得出结论，单次交易中的某些元素可能是主供应或附属供应，从而构成单一供应；而同一交易中的其他元素，基于所有供应元素均相互独立这一出发点，由于其具有独立性，并不构成该单一供应的一部分。

鉴于每项供应元素均相互独立这一出发点，必然得出结论：必须分别审查供应的每个元素，以便根据权威机构制定的原则来确定，该元素是独立存在，还是应与交易中的一个或多个（但不一定是全部）其他元素一起被视为单一供应的一部分。

尽管初级法庭承认，其所参考的权威案例支持交易的所有元素要么构成独立的主供应，要么被视为一个单一供应，但初级法庭观察到，在所有这些案例中，都没有迹象表明法院被要求考虑这样一种可能性：即交易中的两个或多个元素可能共同构成单一供应，而其他元素则被视为单独供应。初级法庭进一步认为，考虑到商业运作的多样性，不可能就如何在所有案例中正确处理该问题提供详尽的指导。

初级法庭得出结论，在原则上没有理由认为两个或多个元素

单次交易中的两个或多个要素不能构成单一供应，而与此同时，同一交易中的其他要素却构成了单独供应，这在原则上是没有理由的。在此基础上，初级法庭（FTT）判定，蘸酱锅的供应是随附于其所供应的热食的附属项，因此应按增值税（VAT）的标准税率征税。

纳税人提出了多项上诉理由，包括初级法庭在判定“原则上没有理由认为单次交易中的两个或多个要素不能构成单一供应，而与此同时，同一交易中的其他要素可能构成单独供应”时，犯了根本性的原则错误。

纳税人主张，相关权威案例将包含多个要素的供应视为单一供应或多项供应，且在交易属于多项供应的情况下，除非立法另有具体规定，否则每个组成要素必须按其自身的税率征税。纳税人进一步主张，税务机关此前已承认该套餐（meal deal）属于多项供应，因此，每个组成部分必须按其自身的税率征税。

高级法庭（Upper Tribunal）判定，源自权威案例的原则应在交易层面应用，以决定该交易应被视为单一复合供应，而非针对交易中的特定要素。若要将一项交易视为单一复合供应，该供应必须涵盖交易中的所有要素。没有任何迹象表明该原则在整个交易层面之下运行。

关于“单一要素的独立供应可能与该要素与其他要素结合供应时截然不同”的观察是非常重要的。如果某个特定要素的增值税分析会根据它是独立供应还是与其他要素结合供应而改变，那么必然可以得出结论：如果不根据其实际供应的基础来分析该要素，将会是人为的且可能产生误导。

高级法庭得出结论，除非属于允许偏离该基本原则的少数例外情况，否则每项供应（包括多要素交易中如果独立提供则构成供应的每个要素）必须被视为独立且分开的。除立法覆盖外，这些例外情况要求单次交易中的所有要素必须构成单一的经济供应。

因此，初级法庭在得出“原则上没有理由认为单次交易中的两个或多个要素不能构成单一供应，而与此同时，同一交易中的其他要素可能构成单独供应”这一结论时，犯了法律错误。

双方达成共识，套餐的整体供应属于多项供应，而非单一复合供应。在此背景下，如果初级法庭正确地判定多项供应的每个要素必须为了增值税目的而分别分析，那么它只能得出结论：作为外卖套餐一部分供应的蘸酱锅属于单独的零税率供应。

在本案中，初级法庭的错误是实质性的；如果它没有犯这个错误，初级法庭必然会得出相反的结论。因此，高级法庭重新制定了初级法庭的决定，以反映其在没有该法律错误的情况下必然会达成的结果。

律师：Price / Waterhouse-Congress LLP，税务海关总署专职律师。

缅怀逝者

安东尼·肯尼爵士 (Sir Anthony Kenny)

西蒙·詹金斯爵士写道：在生命的最后阶段，托尼·肯尼（讣告见 8 月 7 日）经常与已故的理查德·哈里斯主教、我以及其他人一起在奇尔滕丘陵进行强健的徒步旅行。那些徒步之旅的荣幸令人难忘。没有任何话题是被禁忌的。对于深受威尔士背景影响的哈里斯（讣告见 4 月 30 日）来说，我们对景观之美的提及是上帝存在的恒久证明。而对于肯尼来说，这种证明就像宗教本身一样，是不可解释之物的隐喻。这既令人振奋又令人疲惫。但托尼相比于无神论更倾向于一种具体定义，这让我感到困惑——而哈里斯则略占上风。

罗伯特·伍尔弗写道：感谢您对安东尼·肯尼爵士撰写的详尽且深刻的讣告，他是我的本科学院一系列优秀人物之一。然而，关于提及鲍里斯·约翰逊的那段旁注，我必须指出，Bullingdon 俱乐部远非“学院生活”的一个方面，它与贝利奥尔学院毫无关系——而且事实上，它与该学院特质的背离程度几乎超出了想象。

克里斯·奇弗斯写道：继您出色的讣告之后，安东尼·肯尼爵士众多具有启发性的互动中，较少为人知的一项是南非高等教育项目，该项目由他与《观察家报》前编辑大卫·阿斯特共同创立。

从 1985 年到 1995 年，该项目使非洲国民大会的成员能够获得培训机会——包括导师指导、在地方当局或领先公司实习——以便他们在民主黎明到来时准备好进入高级治理岗位。

大约 700 人从为期三个月到两年的定制机会中获益。我知道曼德拉总统认为这是对第一代领导人的至关重要贡献，而且确实极大地体现了安东尼爵士所做出的贡献。

拉明勋爵 (Lord Laming)

凯文·曼塞尔写道：赫伯特（讣告见 7 月 31 日）出生于纽卡斯尔，是一名热情的纽卡斯尔联队球迷。当我还是在他手下工作的社会服务监察局的一名卑微督察时，在纽卡斯尔客场挑战西汉姆联的两场比赛中，我两次提出帮他买票，他欣然接受。于是他与我和我 14 岁的儿子一起去了 Chicken Run 看台。第一场纽卡斯尔以 4-2 漂亮地获胜，但这不足以赢得英超冠军。第二场西汉姆联 2-0 获胜，帮助他们避免了降级。他是个真正的球迷，没有半点架子。

如果您想为已发表的讣告添加个人观点或回忆，可以通过电子邮件将您的投稿发送至 thlunes@thetimes.co.uk

在登记册中刊登出生、结婚或死亡公告的简便方法。全天 24 小时可用。请访问：newsukadvertising.co.uk

出生、结婚与死亡

如需在登记册中预订出生、结婚或死亡公告，请访问 newsukadvertising.co.uk

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平安（我将平安留给你们，我将我的平安赐给你们，不是照世人所赐的，我将平安赐给你们。你们心不要忧愁，也不要胆怯。John M.27 (AP)）

圣经经文由圣经协会提供

出生

GUBBINS 2026 年 8 月 6 日 在切希尔（西班牙之一）和尼古拉斯，一个女儿，Spitfirek 布莱恩·马吉尔，karen 给 Chtike，在切尔西和威斯敏斯特医院

讣告

BARRY (citizens (one MacKenzie) 2026年8月9日昨日在威尔特郡 Broad Holton 的家中，在家人陪伴下去世，享年 79 岁。Black-lined 妻子，前任及祖母。

BIRDM (a man Elizabeth (one Plummer) 2020年7月1日在家人陪伴下安详去世，享年 79 岁。已故 Peter Lohy 之挚爱妻子，深受爱戴的母亲和祖母。葬礼服务将于 2026年8月11日星期一在 Cheshire 举行。随后在 Serburthy Village Hall 举行聚会。仅限家属献花。捐款将用于 MC Society。相关事宜请联系 F&W Centre Funeral Directors, 19 Eakin Street, Reesden, CM2 4RD 电话：0576857 22246

FITZINGER (Married-Brookland, 2025年7月29日去世，享年 79 岁。Dirk 之挚爱妻子，Richard、James 和 Christian 之母，Davis、and、Arturo 以及最近的 Reeves 之祖母。追思礼将于 2026年8月2日星期五上午 31am 在 Salop, 1718 BPW, Shifnal, Trmg 的 St Bartholomew's Church 举行。Breakdown for Congress (and the Lord's Con), 请通过 www.brooklandcoms.co.uk 联系 RA Brooks & Son Funeral Directors

FORBES (Cecin (one Whitchurch) 2026年8月10日安详离世。Dennis Nording 之挚爱妻子，Jojo 及已故 Nick 之母（Jack, Luke, Georgia 和 Isolde 之祖母）。葬礼将于 8月28日星期五下午 2:30 在 East Lotham Convalescent, Bruce (spitfall, Edinburgh) 举行。请仅限家属献花。

FYFE (Peter Matthew 2026年6月30日在短时间患病后安详去世。Caroline 的挚爱丈夫，Alissa, Nick 和 Toby 的骄傲父亲，以及一位尽职的祖父。

HARRIS (David 2026年8月1日安详去世，享年 89 岁。Simon, Robert 和 Toby 深受爱戴的父亲，Lly 的丈夫，以及 Sir 的祖父。葬礼服务将于 2026年8月26日星期三下午 2:45 在西伯克셔 Northern 的 St Mary's Church 举行。请勿献花，如愿捐款请捐至 Debbiee UK

HILL (David 2026年7月28日去世，享年 87 岁。Anna 的挚爱丈夫，Caroline 和 Dean 的父亲。David 是一位人类学家、资深商人、强大的谈判者、忠实的朋友和值得信赖的贡献者。他将被许多人深深怀念。私人葬礼后将举行 whole initial hill 的庆祝活动，详情请见 archeopithec.com。

JONES (Matthew Shaw 2026年8月8日在葡萄牙度假期间突然去世。享年 90 岁，以及 90 岁，Amelia 及其家人的丈夫。Isadora, Eleventh Public 和 Vishov 的朋友父亲。Michael 和 Patricia 的 Cleveland 收藏，以及 Simon 的兄弟。私人葬礼后将举行追思礼，日期另行公布。

MCKWAY (in Andrew (one Deacon) 2026年7月6日安详去世，享年 92 岁。Dr Thomas McEach (Chelwood) 的妻子，Tom, Robert 和 Gregor 的母亲。

SANDFORD (David Mary (one Farlan de los Gontos) 2026年8月2日在家中安详去世，享年 91 岁。已故 Alexander George Sandford 之妻。

WOOD (Son, 2026年7月17日去世，享年 101 岁。一个来自不同 era 的各方面都无可挑剔的绅士，一个 104th / 26th 俱乐部的 Bing Crosby 风格的验尸官，一个在任何能找到的地方都能发挥作用的工匠。体贴、善良、充满爱心。全家人将深深地怀念他。

8月12日星期三没有宫廷通报 (Court Circular)

法律公告

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该公司无共同清算，在分配至其条件之前未成立任何外国共同办事处。上述邮寄日期为 18 September 2026，且公司的行为应为公司发布日期及其实际订单详情的收到日期。来自 Notice of Direct & Young (L6) 区号，144 Northern Street, Bethesda, MD 20816. 的索赔。根据英格兰和威尔士 1995, 年临时法规则第 14(4)(e)(i) 条，我们此后可进行拟议分配，而无需考虑任何人士就有效风险延期所提出的索赔。 共同管辖权： Hall, Hyang 2F, & Young (L6) 编号 08151, 4th Floor, 144 Northern , Bethesda, MD 20816 以及 Physical Branch 2F, & Young (L6) 编号 07102, 4th Floor, London Place, London, SE1 2AF。任命日期：August 2026. 如需进一步信息，请联系：Harri Brown, 分机 13 1482 0386。

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塞浦路斯 1919 年检查法通知（修订） 机会地位通知 CENTERAL LITIGATION LIMITED （注册号 19999） CENTER LITIGATION INC. （注册号 19973） CENTER LITIGATION UNIT (SERIE I 联合失效编号 19997) （注册号 19999） （生效日期 1st August 2026） （统称“公司”）

1943 年通知已发送至公司会议的 3 位负责人，地点在 Rote (202) Consolidated（由 Company Services Ltd. 做出决定的公司债权人志愿者会议，地址为 48 Park , George Town , 2nd Avenue, Newark, NY 10, 1st , 1st 1st , 1st 1st , 1st

为了让债权人参加上述会议，如果他们尚未办理，请要求其携带日期证明参加 2026 年会议。 公司事务事项参加会议，以通知公司完成并恢复 30 2026 年的决定，这是一份代理表，也可以通过联系 2026 年参加，可由 2026. 年通过的同意书办理。

两种形式的必要工作均需在 3 / 8 / 26 4 / 8 / 27 2026年8月11日星期一之前提交给 2026 年管理部门。

直接编号：14 August 2026 由官方公报发送新闻稿 联系方式：1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100.

电子邮件：contact@opense2026.gov.ore 送达地址 直接发送 2026年8月11日，星期四，12:00am, 17:00am, 18:00am, 19:00am, 20:00am, 21:00am, 22:00am, 23:00am, 24:00am, 25:00am, 26:00am, 27:00am, 28:00am, 29:00am, 30:00am, 31:00am, 32:00am, 33:00am, 34:00am, 35:00am, 36:00am, 37:00am, 38:00am, 39:00am, 40:00am, 41:00am, 42:00am, 43:00am, 44:00am, 45:00am, 46:00am, 47:00am, 48:00am, 49:00am, 50:00am, 51:00am, 52:00am, 53:00am, 54:00am, 55:00am, 56:00am, 57:00am, 58:00am, 59:00am, 60:00am, 61:00am, 62:00am, 63:00am, 64:00am, 65:00am, 66:00am, 67:00am, 68:00am, 69:00am, 70:00am, 71:00am, 72:00am, 73:00am, 74:00am, 75:00am, 76:00am, 77:00am, 78:00am, 79:00am, 80:00am, 81:00am, 82:00am, 83:00am, 84:00am, 85:00am, 86:00am, 87:00am, 88:00am, 89:00am, 90:00am, 91:00am, 92:00am, 93:00am, 94:00am, 95:00am, 96:00am, 97:00am, 98:00am, 99:00am

根据 1925 年信托法发布的通知

Alcoholic Limited 退休与死亡福利计划

特此通知 1925 年信托法第 27 (1) 条的秘书，Alcoholic Limited 退休与死亡福利计划的受托人，以 Limited 退休与死亡福利计划受托人的共同合伙人身份（以下简称“受托人”），正在对该计划（以下简称“本计划”）进行清算。如果您在 30 天内收到了来自受托人的沟通，则无需采取任何行动。本通知仅针对 Limited 退休与死亡福利计划的成员，且仅限于您无法为 Ltd 员工提供其他当前计划的人员，那些

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日期：2026 年 8 月 12 日 Robert Ling Limited 退休与死亡福利计划受托人之 Sir John

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当欧佩克 (Opec) 石油生产国在 1973 年削减供应时，油价几乎翻了两番，引发了一场全球能源危机。

这场危机后来启发了格拉纳达电视台 (Granada Television) 拍摄了一部名为《未来的房子》(A House for the Future) 的系列剧，讲述了一个在切希尔郡麦克尔斯菲尔德 (Macclesfield, Cheshire) 将一座废弃的旧马车房改造成节能家庭住宅的项目。

该项目始于 1974 年，首先使建筑结构稳固，然后安装高水平的隔热设施。外砖墙覆盖了木板和隔热材料，屋顶、天花板和地板也进行了良好的隔热处理。一个朝南的温室收集阳光的热量，温暖的空气通过管道输送到屋内的卧室。项目使用了热泵来提高能源效率，这在当时是一个具有前瞻性的发展。在 20 世纪 70 年代，安装太阳能屋顶面板来发电过于昂贵，因此改为在屋顶安装一组大型太阳能集热板来收集热水，并在花园里竖起了一台自制的风力涡轮机。

房子完工后，一个四口之家搬入并记录了他们的能源使用情况。他们发现，到目前为止，最显著的节能效果来自隔热设施和热泵。太阳能热水系统的贡献小得令人失望，而风力涡轮机则倒塌了且未被更换。

在许多方面，这个项目领先于时代。如今，可再生能源通过廉价的太阳能电池板和风力涡轮机阵列得到了极大的改善并广泛普及，但建筑隔热仍然是节约能源、降低取暖费用和减少碳排放的基石。

至于气候变化，20 世纪 70 年代的一些科学家认为世界气候正在变冷，这获得了大量宣传，尽管事实证明这只是一个暂时的区域性影响。大多数气候科学家意识到全球气候正在变暖，50 年后，其后果已日益清晰。

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56

体育

赛程混乱——球员必须在三天内从“百球赛”转入“测试赛”

迈克·阿瑟顿 (Mike Atherton)

首席板球记者

去年夏天转入秋季时，那些支付了高昂票价观看 9 月初首场单日国际赛的人，可能还记得当时的经历。那天英格兰队在海丁利 (Headingley) 对阵南非队的表现，是近期最糟糕的比赛之一。就这一点而言，类似的糟糕表现不在少数，但当天在场的人都无法否认那场比赛是多么惨不忍睹。

简要回顾一下，英格兰队在不足 25 个回合（换句话说，仅用了规定时间的一半）内就被全部出局，仅得 131 分——而起初他们是以 44 分失去一名球员的开局。在艾登·马克拉姆 (Aiden Markram) 将球击向球场各个方向，让索尼·贝克 (Sonny Baker) 经历了一场难以忘怀的处女秀后，南非队在第 21 个回合以 7 个三柱门之差获胜。这场比赛原定为 100 个回合，但总共仅持续了 44 个回合。付费入场的观众在离开时感到彻底失望且觉得自己被坑了——这绝不是约克郡人所乐见的感觉。

很难将全部责任归咎于球员。他们打得极其糟糕，这一点必须承认，但背景情况很重要。“百球赛” (The Hundred) 在两天前刚刚结束——乔·鲁特 (Joe Root) 参加了决赛，哈里·布鲁克 (Harry Brook) 和阿迪尔·拉希德 (Adil Rashid) 参加了淘汰赛——这意味着球队成员是零散地抵达利兹的。他们的表现就像一支心不在焉的球队，未能从特许经营模式切换到国际赛模式，未能从 100 球赛切换到 50 回合板球赛。

今年，从“百球赛”过渡的挑战进一步加剧。对阵巴基斯坦的第一场测试赛同样在海丁利举行，将在“百球赛”决赛三天后开始（如果出现罕见的下雨情况，则为两天后）。显然，从 100 球赛适应到测试赛的对比度比从 50 回合赛更高；毫无疑问，人们会从去年的混乱安排中吸取教训，但挑战依然存在。

在第一场测试赛的 16 人名单中，除了奥利·罗宾逊 (Ollie Robinson)、埃米利奥·盖伊 (Emilio Gay) 和肖艾布·巴希尔 (Shoaib Bashir) 之外，其余人都参加了“百球赛”。在这些人中，盖伊肯定会参赛（如果身体健康且肩伤痊愈）。罗宾逊很可能会参赛，尽管他预计在测试赛期间再次成为父亲，而巴希尔则可能缺席——在记忆中最炎热、最干燥的夏天出现这种可能性，实在令人惊讶。其余球员必须迅速适应测试赛的要求。

对于投球手来说，这首先是一项身体挑战。在过去的一个月里，他们在大约八场比赛中每场最多投 20 个球——换句话说，这大约相当于他们在单场测试赛的一次投球回合中所承担的量。一旦他们必须显著且突然地增加工作量，就存在受伤的危险。为了减轻这一风险，他们被要求在参加“百球赛”竞争的同时，每周使用 Dukes 球投 190 个球。这应该有助于保持他们所谓的“负荷”。

协调这一切的是英格兰和威尔士板球委员会 (ECB) 的首席投球教练特洛伊·库利 (Troy Cooley)。库利是一位优秀且知识渊博的教练，早在 2005 年的灰烬杯 (Ashes) 期间就加入了英格兰队，他最近的经历是在印度板球控制委员会 (BCCI) 担任类似职务。由于印度超级联赛 (IPL) 的时长以及印度广泛的国际赛计划，他在准备快球手在参加 IPL 的同时应对测试赛方面拥有丰富经验。这并不容易，但至少在库利身上，他们拥有一个熟悉门道的人。

除了身体上的调整，还需要在战术上进行微调。在过去的一个月里，投球手主要处于防御模式，试图通过利用慢球和约克球 (yorkers) 等多样化技巧让击球手难以捉摸，从而防止对方得分。现在，他们必须恢复到更具进攻性、以夺取三柱门为目标的心态，并迅速重新熟悉如何稳定地投出空回合 (maidens)。

对于击球手而言，挑战在于技术和心理。前南非击球手达里尔·库利南（Daryll Cullinan）在最近一篇为 ESPNcricinfo 撰写的文章中认为，由于不同赛制的特殊要求，想要在三种赛制中同等程度地达到精通是不可能的。这可能稍微夸大了挑战，但毫无疑问，从一种赛制转换到另一种赛制是很困难的，尤其是考虑到这些赛制之间分化的速度。

一级板球（First-class cricket），特别是当球在摆动（swinging）或接缝偏移（seaming）时，要求击球手在球处于视线下方时延迟击球，保持更偏向侧向的姿势，以领先肩

昨晚为威尔士之火队（Welsh Fire）出战的鲁特（Root），必须迅速将心态转换为测试赛（Tests）

和身体前侧为主。T20 板球则要求尽早击球，以便越过内场或击出边界，且力量来自髋部的扭矩，身体后半部分更加活跃。这完全是不同的技术。

而且，显然，心态也截然不同。虽然现在的比赛比以前少了很多防守，但在测试赛中，防守和生存元素仍然是必需的；你需要能够留在场上才能得分，而且比赛时间越长，一个三柱门（wicket）的价值就越高，因此保护它至关重要。显然，在最短的

赛制中，快速得分是唯一的事情——正如奥利·波普（Ollie Pope）最近发现的那样，他成为了英格兰首位被判“牧羊人之杖”（shepherd's crook）并被判定为“退场出局”（retired out）的击球手。

当丹·劳伦斯（Dan Lawrence）上周被选入阵容时，国家选拔员马库斯·诺斯（Marcus North）注意到他是郡冠军赛（County Championship）第一组的领先得分手之一。先撇开我的同事史蒂夫·詹姆斯（Steve James）会对潜在英格兰球员需要在其所属郡队中担任前四位击球手而产生的（合理的）抱怨（劳伦斯今年在萨里队主要担任 5 号击球手，偶尔担任 4 号），思考一下他本赛季的结构。

他在早期状态极佳，在 4 月和 5 月连续的冠军赛期间。在萨里队，他的得分分别为 5, 161*, 31, 0, 125, 13, 104, 21, 1, 218, 101, 8 和 0。自从最后一场比赛以来，他参加了 Blast 赛和 Hundred 赛，在两个月内获得了一个半世纪得分（half-century）并面对了 139 个球。在一级板球中，担任 5 号击球手是一个舒适的位置，但在 Hundred 赛中，该位置的机会有限。现代球员习惯于在不同赛制之间切换，但这并不能减轻挑战。

可以想象，在下周的第一场测试赛期间，英格兰和威尔士板球委员会（ECB）的高管们会有一定程度的紧张。毕竟，赛程是由他们决定的。正是他们以 5 亿英镑（£5 亿）的价格卖掉了夏季三分之一的时间；正是他们为了换取这笔资金而保证，他们新的特许经营合作伙伴将在该月份拥有垄断权，并在此期间完全控制与英格兰签约的球员。

去年，在海丁利（Headingley）的惨败之后，ECB 主席理查德·汤普森（Richard Thompson）承认了这个问题。“没有简单的答案，”他说。“我们不能既要又要。我们希望英格兰球员参加 [Hundred 赛]。这是我们最高级别的白球赛事，我们希望英格兰球员参加。我们要做的就是找到一种方法，确保 [该赛事] 前后的赛程更加合理。以 [2025] 年为例：间隔只有一天或两天，这肯定不对。”

“我们在版权计划的中途达成了这项协议。到了 2028 年，当我们为接下来的四年签署下一份协议时，我们可以用不同的方式来切分。我们在这里可能会有一个短期问题，但我们可以克服它，”他说。考虑到 Hundred 赛不会缩短，他们究竟会如何用不同的方式切分，仍有待观察。所有者是否会要求他们的投资获得更多回报（比赛）？这是否意味着测试赛会减少？

所有者的野心与这项运动的整体发展并不一定一致，未来很可能会出现紧张局势。这就是在下一个版权周期中将要展开的更深层次的问题——与此同时，英格兰的球员们正准备去发现，他们能否比去年夏天更顺畅地在一种比赛形式与另一种形式之间进行转换。

鲁特表示，麦卡勒姆表现出色，斯托克斯可能会回归

体育 橄榄球最伟大的宿敌

当跳羚队引发新西兰最严重的动荡时

在本系列第二篇中，Elgan Alderman 回顾了 1981 年巡回赛期间的反种族隔离示威活动

作为业余 era, 的一名支撑球员，加里·奈特（Gary Knight）对艰苦环境并不陌生。这位来自马纳瓦图（Manawatu）的奶农兼英联邦运动会摔跤手，在首次代表全黑队出场时被对方抠眼，并在 1981 年在伊登公园球场对阵跳羚队的比赛中被面粉炸弹击中。基思·奎恩（Keith Quinn）在解说中说：“我想那一定是一次沉重的打击。”

第三场测试赛是这次巡回赛的最后一场比赛，此次巡回赛引发了新西兰历史上最深刻的动荡，比赛于当年 9 月 12 日举行。球场中央被白色条纹覆盖。马克斯·琼斯（Marx Jones）和格兰特·科尔（Grant Cole）驾驶一架塞斯纳飞机在奥克兰的体育场上空反复飞翔，俯瞰着那些在他们以及数千名其他人士看来，正参与一项支持种族主义种族隔离政权的丑陋事业的当事人。这是这次“铁丝网巡回赛”的最后一幕，20 年后，一部纪录片的标题将其描述为《1981: A Country at War》。

1921 年至 1976 年间，全黑队与跳羚队的竞争是一场非正式的橄榄球世界锦标赛，同时伴随着政治侧戏，而毛利球员被排除在外以及“停止所有种族主义巡回赛”运动则推波助澜。南非的访问不再平静，并在 1981 年跳羚队为期八周的新西兰巡回赛中达到了最高潮。公认的数据是，有超过 150,000 人参加了 200 多次示威活动，导致大量人员受伤和被捕，反映出一个分裂国家并似乎破坏了一个平静国家社会结构的议题。

全黑队在承认南非方面并非橄榄球界的异类，尽管《格伦伊格尔斯协议》（Gleneagles Agreement）不鼓励英联邦国家进行体育接触。1980, 跳羚队两次接待了南美 XV 队（分别在英国及爱尔兰狮队巡回赛前后），并在洛夫图斯·费尔德球场（Loftus Versfeld）与法国队比赛结束该年度，随后在 1981. 年初在主场与爱尔兰队进行了两场系列赛。尽管被视为被排斥者，但他们比全黑队更忙碌，后者在 1980 年仅有四场测试赛，且全部在海外进行。

这两个世界领先橄榄球国家之间的第十次双边巡回赛定于 1981, 年举行。八年前，时任总理诺曼·柯克（Norman Kirk）因担心引发社会动荡，阻止了跳羚队来到新西兰。1981 年的总理罗伯特·马尔多恩（Robert Muldoon）暗示会予以劝阻，但仅止于此，称在民主国家他不会屈服于海外压力。许多支持巡回赛的人认为体育与政治不应混为一谈，但当年晚些时候举行了议会大选。马尔多恩失去了普选票，但（勉强）维持了多数席位。

格雷厄姆·莫里（Graham Mourie），全黑队

托比亚斯（Tobias），首位黑人跳羚队球员，参加了此次巡回赛，并在 1981–84 年间获得了六次国家队出场机会

南非 对阵 新西兰

巡回赛结果 风暴队 21 新西兰 38 鲨鱼队 9 新西兰 54

赛程 公牛队 对阵 新西兰 周六，比勒陀利亚 第一场测试赛 8月22日，约翰内斯堡 狮队 对阵 新西兰 8月25日，约翰内斯堡 第二场测试赛 8月29日，开普敦 第三场测试赛 9月5日，约翰内斯堡 第四场测试赛 9月12日，美国巴尔的摩

侧翼球员，决定不参加此次系列赛。南非侧翼球员罗布·卢（Rob Louw）是埃罗尔·托比亚斯（Errol Tobias）的室友——以及他未来孩子的教父——托比亚斯是第一位黑人跳羚队球员，也是此次巡回赛的参与者。托比亚斯后来表示，跳羚队不应该前往，但当时的反应表明了世界对南非政府的看法。“作为橄榄球运动员，我们的全部梦想就是前往对面与全黑队比赛，他们中的大多数人也是如此，”卢在《泰晤士报》和《星期日泰晤士报》的播客节目 The Ruck 中说道，“这并不容易。我们承受了巨大的压力。”

在跳羚队抵达之前，抗议和罢工已经动员起来，由于工会的反对，球队无法经由悉尼飞行。7月22日，在吉斯本对阵波弗蒂湾（Poverty Bay）的揭幕战中，双方抗议者面对面僵持。组织了“耻辱日”游行的反巡回赛人士试图冲入球场（此前已有针对酒店的逮捕行动）。比赛照常进行，跳羚队以 24-6 获胜。由于冲场、投掷物品以及被盗飞机在球场上空飞行的威胁，三天后在汉密尔顿对阵怀卡托（Waikato）的比赛被迫取消。

在第三场对阵塔拉纳基（Taranaki）的比赛当天，马尔多恩在伦敦参加查尔斯和戴安娜的婚礼。外国观察员意识到了地球另一端的冲突。《泰晤士报》的头条是“新西兰陷入无政府状态”和“新西兰自我撕裂”，英国下议院也讨论了此事。

在新西兰，抗议和暴力成为了此次巡回赛的潜流与主调，例如在惠灵顿莫尔斯沃思街（Molesworth Street）的战斗中，多达 2,000 名抗议者遭到了警察警棍的对待。这里存在着熟悉的分歧：支持示威的人在当局身上看到了法西斯主义，而一群警察妻子则公开反对新闻中对她们丈夫的刻画。亲巡回赛和反巡回赛阵营的领袖人物成为了目标。对于像“停止所有种族主义巡回赛”（Halt All Racist Tours）全国组织者约翰·明托（John Minto）这样的人来说，这不仅仅是抗议南非的种族主义，更是抗议新西兰对毛利人的歧视。

跳羚队继续获胜，在第一场测试赛之前击败了马纳瓦图（Manawatu）、旺加努伊（Wanganui）、南地（Southland）和奥塔哥（Otago）。比赛前两天，兰开斯特公园（Lancaster Park）的看台起火，在《泰晤士报》中，大卫·埃利亚斯（David Elias）描述了访队是如何“几乎被秘密地偷运进基督城”的。尽管场馆周围有数千名抗议者，比赛仍举行了，新西兰以 14-9 获胜。

三天后，由于安全顾虑，下一场对阵南坎特伯雷（South Canterbury）的周中赛被取消，这让跳羚队得以休息，随后以 83-0 大胜尼尔森湾（Nelson Bays）。接下来，在第二场测试赛的最后一次热身赛中，是在内皮尔与新西兰毛利队进行的一场周中遭遇战。在麦克林公园（McLean Park）的泥泞和水洼中，毛利队一度以 12-0 领先，直到最后时刻的一记掉球得分（drop-goal）确保了平局，尽管关于科林·贝克（Colin Beck）的这次进攻是否在球门柱之间仍存在相当大的疑问。看起来并没有进去。

随后是惠灵顿的第二场测试赛，斯图·威尔逊（Stu Wilson）在那里体会到了此次巡回赛如何撕裂忠诚。威尔逊的亲人与其他成员一起站在抗议阵线中，而威尔逊本人则在全黑队阵中。“赛后我们喝了很多啤酒，他说他的全家人都在抗议他，但他想对阵南非，”卢在 The Ruck 中说道。

跳羚队以 24-12 获胜，随后击败了丰盛湾、奥克兰和北奥克兰队，最后迎来与全黑队的系列赛决定战。第三场测试赛当天的冲突是此次巡赛中最激烈的几次之一。由于球场周围设有安全警戒线，比赛在飞机常规飞越的情况下进行。“在上半场，我们基本上是在看着飞机打球，”卢（Louw）说道。雷·莫特（Ray Mordt）为跳羚队上演帽子戏法，跳羚队的队员们当晚住在球场内，睡在坚硬的地板上，在全场比赛接近结束时，比分为 22-22。威尔士裁判克莱夫·诺林（Clive Norling）判给全黑队一次点球，由艾伦·休森（Allan Hewson）主罚命中。全黑队最终以 2-1 赢得了系列赛。

这就是迈克尔·布伦森（Michael Brunson）两个月后在《泰晤士报》中对当时场面的总结：“将正常时期的纽西兰人描述为温顺，可能是一种轻描淡写。例如，大多数澳大利亚人似乎一直更倾向于使用‘沉闷’这个词。但今年并不正常。纽西兰那慵懒的形象已被关于跳羚队巡赛争论的暴力行为所粉碎。”

跳羚队的波折并未结束。他们在美国经历了最后一次动荡，当时示威者试图阻止一架飞机起飞，误以为跳羚队在飞机上，导致肯尼迪（JFK）机场的警察受伤。在威斯康星州和纽约州的这三场比赛是在近乎秘密的情况下进行的，以避免抗议。

他们为什么要费这个劲？也许跳羚队感觉到他们的国际橄榄球时代已进入倒计时。在接下来的 11 年里，他们没有面对过全黑队，仅与南美 XV 队、英格兰队和世界 XV 队交手。不过，确实有一支与全黑队惊人相似的队伍。尽管 1985 年的巡赛被取消，但在 1986 年出现了一次反叛的例外，许多人至今对此闭口不谈。

一架塞斯纳飞机对第三场测试赛进行俯冲轰炸

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《泰晤士报》 / 2026年8月13日，星期四

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体育

COLORPORT / OUTERSTOCK ASSOCIATES PRESS, AP PHOTOMER (DELAIDE HERALD)

以及（插图），在其他飞行航次中，飞机上投下了面粉炸弹。左图，支持者在汉密尔顿将一名示威者拖走

米切尔质疑小号球试用

Elgan Alderman

约翰·米切尔担心，使用较小的球可能会导致女子橄榄球中的踢球次数增加，并削弱其与男子比赛之间的一个关键区别点。

世界橄榄球联合会（World Rugby）已将 4.5 号球的试用范围从精英七人制比赛扩大到 WXV 全球系列赛。4.5 号球比 5 号球约小 3%，但重量相同。

作为重新调整后的赛程的一部分，英格兰队将在 9 月 12 日起连续两个周末主场迎战澳大利亚、加拿大和新西兰，随后于 10 月 16 日起前往北美，两次面对加拿大，一次面对美国。

英格兰队飞翼（fly half）佐伊·哈里森在 5 月得知此事时，称这次试用是“有人做出的最糟糕的决定”。哈里森从 14 岁起就使用 5 号球，在今年的六国赛中，她的 31 次位置踢球（place-kicks）成功了 29 次。红玫瑰队在赢得 2025 年世界杯后，凭借一次大满贯将不败纪录延长至 38 场测试赛。

米切尔表示，英格兰队的踢球手在休赛期已经得到了这个较小的球进行练习，并认为对其熟悉程度将完全取决于教练指导。英格兰队主教练说：“现在我们只是用它训练，它已经成了我们训练计划的一部分。我们不再讨论它。公平地说，这甚至不是什么显而易见的事情。我相信每个个体在适应使用它进行比赛的过程中会有不同的感受。”

部分理由是为了让卸球（off-loading）更容易，效仿篮球和板球中使用较小球的做法，因为女性的平均手型较小。鉴于英格兰队是世界霸主，米切尔表示这可能有助于其他球队通过技术缩小差距。

“现在对我来说还太早地断定它是否会帮助我们的卸球比赛，或者是否会对传球有所帮助，”他说。“我相信同样会有后果。可能会出现更多可争抢的踢球，这可能是我们希望在比赛中避免的，因为这是我们的比赛与男子比赛的一个区别点。”

“传球会减少吗？踢球能踢得那么远吗？所有这些问题都需要

哈里森称这次试用是“史上最糟糕的决定”

得到解答。目前的样本量太小。一旦我们进入主场的前三场测试赛，你们的很多好奇心都会得到解答。”

出生于新西兰的米切尔在休赛期成为了英国公民，他在面试期间大声唱起国歌，就像他在担任英格兰橄榄球联合会（RFU）员工的三次任期中多次做的那样。他将对阵加拿大的三场测试赛（加拿大在去年的世界杯决赛中输给了英格兰）比作即将到来的全黑队（All Blacks）与跳羚队（Springboks）之间的男子系列赛。

“（今年秋天）没有可以赢得的锦标赛，所以我们可以非常有耐心地处理事情，”米切尔说。“归根结底，这就像是在为 2029 年的澳大利亚之行进行试镜，因为在 WXV 赛程中，我们在地理上需要长途跋涉。”

柯尔斯和奥波库-福乔获得英格兰合同

接续背面

圣徒队的前锋，在过去一年中稳固了在队中的地位。他参加了全部 12 场英格兰测试赛，并在 7 月份对阵南非、斐济和阿根廷的国家锦标赛中担任锁锋首发。

自从在六国赛末尾遗憾输给法国队以来，博思威克在组建拥有更多边线球选项的球员群时，更倾向于让奥利·切萨姆担任盲侧翼锋。科尔斯的晋升反映了这一选人重心转移，他与乔治·马丁在 7 月份形成了互补的第二排组合。

22, 岁的奥波库-福乔至今仅获得 8 次出场机会，其中 4 次是在上个赛季，但他是作为柱锋的宝贵资产，因为他既能担任左柱，也能担任右柱。博思威克渴望为明年的世界杯阵容选择多功能球员，因此奥波库-福乔符合这一要求。

他在 6 月份对阵法国队的非正式国际赛中担任英格兰队的左柱首发，但在接下来的国内赛季中，他在俱乐部该位置上的出场时间可能不多。赛尔鲨鱼队在左柱位置上储备充足，包括新签约的尼基·史密斯、英格兰国脚贝万·罗德以及经验丰富的西蒙·麦金泰尔。埃利斯·根格、乔·海耶斯、芬·巴克斯特、威尔·斯图尔特和奥波库-福乔现在是五名签约的英格兰柱锋。尽管巴克斯特和斯图尔特在 2026 年全年都处于受伤状态，但仍被留用。

威利斯已经离开英格兰队和萨拉森队，加入了冠军杯冠军

波尔多贝格莱队，他因在中心合同期间一次测试赛都没有参加而掉队。由于他是去年 8 月加入名单的，他获得了全额薪酬，但由于他在上个国内赛季开始时宣布前往法国，他被从所有英格兰队阵容中剔除。

罗巴克在今年的六国赛中失去了在队中的位置，现在必须努力争取重返竞争行列。他排在两名签约翼锋汤米·弗里曼和伊曼纽尔·费维-瓦博索之后，且最近在比赛日阵容中被卡丹·默利和诺亚·卡卢里取代。后两名翼锋均未获得合同，本-哈德·詹斯·范·伦斯堡也没有获得。

相反，博思威克选择奖励阿特金森，并留用亨利·斯莱德作为两名纯正的中锋，但剔除了劳伦斯。33 岁的多功能后卫戴利是另一个牺牲品。

阿特金森的入选很有意思，因为 29, 岁的詹斯·范·伦斯堡的出现使得他的位置变得不确定。阿特金森在过去三场测试赛中担任 12 号首发，但博思威克渴望在其中场看到更多布里斯托中锋詹斯·范·伦斯堡的表现。

范·波特弗利特确认了其作为英格兰队第二半卫的地位，排在亚历克斯·米切尔之后。本·斯宾塞和阿奇·麦克帕兰未获得合同。

通过选择 25 名球员获得 RFU 合同，博思威克实际上揭示了他对明年世界杯的构想。对于在澳大利亚举行的锦标赛，他将选择 33 名球员，因此在没有伤病且状态允许的情况下，这组人将成为他阵容的基础。

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60

体育 欧洲田径锦标赛

夺冠后，哈德森-史密斯大吼：“现在让我当市长吧”

马特·劳顿 (Matt Lawton) 首席体育记者，伯明翰

在衡量一名国际运动员所承受的压力与期待时，或许可以试着穿上马修·哈德森-史密斯 (Matthew Hudson-Smith) 的钉鞋走上四分之一英里。

在本次欧洲锦标赛开赛前两个月，组织者决定在伯明翰这里以他的名字命名一个看台。他们邀请这位现居美国的 31 岁运动员回到他的主场跑道，并在亚历山大体育场 (Alexander Stadium) 北端的临时扩建区域揭幕了一幅印有他名字的巨幅横幅。

因此，这位本土英雄昨晚并没有压力；作为一名伯奇菲尔德哈里尔 (Birchfield Harrier) 成员、历史上第五快的 400 米跑者，且此前曾两次获得欧洲个人金牌，人们期待他跑过自己的专属看台，并在连续三个夜晚为领跑奖牌榜的英国队夺得第三个短跑冠军。

但这并不像成绩单所暗示的那样简单。他在半决赛中决定放慢速度，将胜利让给荷兰运动员乔纳斯·普鲁弗斯 (Jonas Pluffers)，这使得哈德森-史密斯在本次决赛中被分在第九道。但这位奥运会和世界赛银牌得主在比赛中的执行力，意味着他从未看到过对手——除非他快速瞥了一眼大屏幕，目睹他们徒劳地在后方追赶。

哈德森-史密斯像往常一样进攻，在起跑加速阶段和后直道全力冲刺，随后利用那巨大的、跨步极大的步幅带他绕过顶端弯道。

在出弯时，他领先了大约三到四米，虽然内道运动员开始缓慢缩小差距，但他依然领先 0.2 秒以上

并在冲线夺冠时跑出了 44.17sec 的惊人成绩。

在体育场的广播系统中，评论员凯瑟琳·梅里 (Katharine Merry)——她是哈德森-史密斯俱乐部的主席，也是前奥运会 400 米奖牌得主——毫不掩饰地表达了爱国情怀。“这位出生于伍尔弗汉普顿的伯奇菲尔德哈里尔成员做到了，”她宣布道，“在自己的后花园里，没人能阻挡他。”

在自己的看台前拍完照后，哈德森-史密斯表达了同样的情绪。“今晚没人能追上我，”他说，“说实话，这不仅仅需要一个村庄的帮助——而是需要一整座城市的支持，所以谢谢伍尔弗汉普顿，谢谢伯明翰。”随后，他宣布了有一天要成为这座第二大城市市长的野心。

“我无法描述这对我的意义，”他说，随后轻微地吐槽了 BBC，“我在看 BBC 的新闻报道。伙计们，你们得讲事实。居然说我受伤了之类的话。”

“预赛的全部意义就在于生存并晋级。我试图节省体力。我和我的教练全程都在笑。我知道我是世界上最强的。我知道这一点。从数据上看，我比这些人快一秒。我的教练说，‘一旦你确定能赢，就确保把它拿下来。这是你的主场，捍卫它。’”

“我知道要超过我需要付出极大的努力。每次有人击败我，我基本上就终结了他们的职业生涯。我知道他们得经历一个超自然时刻才能赢我。在这条跑道上没人能赢我。这是我的家。我九岁起就在这里了。我对这条跑道了如指掌。我已经有了自己的看台。现在我要竞选伯明翰和伍尔弗汉普顿的市长。”

这对英国来说又是成功的一夜，艾米莉·纽纳姆 (Emily Newnham)

哈德森-史密斯以领先冲金，令伯明翰观众感到震撼

英国400米冠军

Matthew Hudson-Smith 2022, 2024 和 2026 Martyn Rooney 2014 和 2016 Iwan Thomas 1998 Du'aine Ladejo 1994 Roger Black 1986 和 1990 David Jenkins 1971 Robbie Brightwell 1962 John Wrighton 1958 Derek Pugh 1950 Godfrey Brown 1938

在女子400米栏比赛中夺得银牌，个人最好成绩为 51.13秒。

但随着日食的到来，出现了一位让所有人黯然失色的运动员。这是自 1938, 年的 Godfrey Brown 以来，英国男运动员第 14 次赢得欧洲 400 米冠军，但只有 Hudson-Smith 拥有三枚金牌，总共获得八枚欧洲锦标赛奖牌。这使得他的看台大部分处于空置状态这一事实显得更加令人失望，也成为了组织者又一个尴尬的来源。

有些人将其归咎于票价，但

当该场次该特定区域的座位票价低至 £26 —— 儿童票价仅为其一半 —— 时，这种论点很难成立。

英国田径界的高层对前三个晚上的出席人数感到沮丧，尽管他们现在指出，13 个场次中 80% 的门票（总计约 200,000 张）现已售出。他们还预计本周晚些时候将出现满场情况。

也许某些区域的定价稍微偏高。有些票价高达 £150，而两年前罗马最贵的门票大约在 £80 左右，部分晚上决赛的门票仅为 £20。

但这里有大量较便宜的门票，而其中许多区域的销售情况并不理想。

组织者对此感到有些困惑，因为上个月的伦敦钻石联赛 60,000 张门票全部售罄，而两年前的意大利东道主在奥林匹克体育场每场比赛大约有 40,000 名观众。

交通便利性可能是一个问题，且不仅仅是指公路和铁路。与其他主要机场相比，飞往伯明翰的国际航班可能较为有限，而城市本身可能也是一个因素。伯明翰人可能热爱公牛环购物中心（Bullring），但可以合理推测，国际球迷会发现参观罗马斗兽场或在威尼托大街（Via Veneto）散步更具吸引力。

考虑到比赛如此精彩，这确实令人遗憾。欧洲田径协会的一位发言人表示：“当然，我们希望每个场次都能看到满场观众，因为没有什么能比得上亚历山大体育场满员时的能量以及它给运动员带来的支持。但我们很高兴锦标赛后半段的门票需求强劲，我们希望鼓励人们亲自来体验这一令人难以置信的盛会。”

接下来的两个晚上肯定同样精彩。明天的女子 800 米决赛长期以来被认为是本次锦标赛最关键的比赛；这是 Keely Hodgkinson 与身材高挑的瑞士选手 Audrey Werro 之间的一场决斗，后者在 6 月的斯德哥尔摩击败了她。

但今晚的女子 200 米比赛有望同样精彩。Amy Hunt 在周一 300 米比赛中表现惊人之后，正追求她的第二枚个人金牌；她在半决赛中以 22.37秒 获胜，表现令人印象深刻，而且她在距离终点线约 30米 处就减速了。在 2019 年世界冠军 Dina Asher-Smith 身上，她面临着激烈的竞争。Asher-Smith 同样轻松赢得了她的半决赛。这预示着将是一场激烈的较量。

埃文斯在拉姆齐-皮蒂的帮助下勇夺欧洲金牌

游泳 克雷格·洛德（Craig Lord）发自巴黎

昨晚在巴黎，英国队找到了他们的女性版皮蒂——安加拉德·埃文斯（Angharad Evans）强势夺冠，赢得了英国历史上首个欧洲女子100米蛙泳冠军。

在这一两个泳池长度的比赛中，欧洲冠军在英国男子选手中并不罕见。英国在历史总榜上排名第一，共获得七个冠军；奥运冠军艾德里安·穆尔豪斯（Adrian Moorhouse，三金）和亚当·拉姆齐-皮蒂（Adam Ramsay-Peaty，四金）是欧洲历史上获得奖牌最多的人。多年来，女子选手中虽然获得过相当数量的银牌和铜牌，但从未获得过金牌。直到现在，埃文斯打破了这一僵局，并为 2028 年在洛杉矶举行的奥运会带来了真正的乐观情绪。

这位来自苏格兰斯特灵的 23 岁选手在三轮比赛中全部创造了锦标赛纪录，引起了广泛关注，最终以 1分 04.87秒的英国纪录夺金。两周前在格拉斯哥获得英联邦冠军的她，目前拥有今年全球最快的前七个成绩。

在格拉斯哥，100米和200米的胜利来之不易，对主场夺冠的期待让她感到紧张，使其未能发挥出最佳水平。这次教训“非常重要……我现在知道，即使非常紧张，我依然可以发挥并获胜。”

在“英国反弹”（The Britain Bounce）的鼓舞下——正如这里的团队将他们从被澳大利亚人主导的英联邦运动会中崛起所称的那样。埃文斯精准地完成了斯特灵性能中心（Stirling Performance Centre）教练本·希格森（Ben Higson）的要求。

“本在每场比赛前都会告诉我三件事：走好我的线路，保持[控制]泳姿，以及主导比赛，”埃文斯笑着说。

她完美地执行了指令。在转身时排名第四，在距离终点 25 米时，她追平了两年前在巴黎获得奥运铜牌的爱尔兰选手莫娜·麦克沙里（Mona McSharry），随后以极强的自信发起冲刺，导致麦克沙里及其他选手均无法应对。麦克沙里获得银牌，落后 0.54秒；意大利 50米世界冠军贝内代塔·皮拉托（Benedetta Pilato）获得铜牌，落后埃文斯 1.02秒。

她现在将在今天的 200米预赛中与世界纪录保持者——

埃文斯在夺得 100米蛙泳金牌的过程中创造了新的英国纪录

叶夫根尼娅·奇库诺娃（Evgenia Chikunova）同场竞技，随后参加明天的决赛。

那么，我们看到的是女性版皮蒂，还是仅仅是一个非凡的埃文斯？

这位冠军表示，两者兼有。“人们把我与亚当·皮蒂（Adam Peaty）相比，这是一种极大的荣幸。在我年轻地从事游泳的那些年里，他一直是我仰慕的人，但我也想闯出自己的名堂。我想我的故事与他完全不同。”

埃文斯曾前往美国上大学，试图在游泳的“狮穴”中寻求进步，但她说那里并不适合她。她几乎要放弃，随后回到英国并选择了斯特灵。尽管她的母亲是美国人，父亲是威尔士人，但她选择代表苏格兰参赛，以回报斯特灵“为我所做的一切”。

“我去美国的时候，正值亚当 [皮蒂] 打破世界纪录的时期，而我却在远离泳池，”她回忆道。

“所以如果你看这两个旅程，是的，我们游的是同一种泳姿，但方式完全不同，经历的事情也完全不同。他经历了很多低谷，但也有很多高峰。我面对的困难与他截然不同，我认为我们虽然同为国家顶尖，但来自如此不同的背景，这很美好。”

随后她透露，拉姆齐-皮蒂帮助她克服了之前阻碍她的紧张情绪。“他告诉我，在面对紧张和应对这段旅程时，他一直是我可以学习的榜样。现在我已经处于这项运动的高端水平，而几年前我还处于第一阶段。有像他这样经验丰富的人在背后支持我，让我感到非常安心。”

类似的支持也来自教练和资深队友，他们正给予 Amalie Smith 支持。这位来自肯特郡的 16 岁女学生两周前在格拉斯哥为英格兰队赢得了个人混合泳银牌和铜牌，而在此之前的两周，她刚在慕尼黑的欧洲青少年锦标赛上摘金。

在巴黎的欧洲成年组首秀中，在 Evans 夺金的激昂氛围中，Smith 在 400 米个人混合泳中获得银牌。在这场全泳姿、全泳道长度的比赛中，Ellen Walshe——一位经验丰富的 23 岁奥运会决赛选手——在最后一圈之前一直落后于年轻的 Smith，但她凭借强有力的最后一圈反超，最终领先于这位英国对手。

“我对我的比赛、我的成绩以及整个赛事都非常满意，”由肯特郡 Monson SC 的 Karen Bradbury 指导的 Smith 表示，“观众简直疯了！我在每一场比赛中都在学习。”

在巴黎经过三天的比赛后，英国在泳池中日益增强的女性力量目前已获得三枚金牌和一枚银牌。

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61

足球 体育

蒂莱曼斯表示，曼联对他而言是天作之合

保罗·赫斯特，都柏林

在基尔代尔郡曾深受维多利亚女王青睐的五星级酒店卡顿庄园（Carton House），青年蒂莱曼斯解释了曼联对他意味着什么。

他身着红色训练服，戴着一块银色腕表，在周二谈到了这家俱乐部的“不懈追求”以及他们“极高的要求”。他说：“这是一个伟大的机构。”

当天的训练可能已经结束——这是曼联季前训练营的第三天——但这位 29 岁的中场球员的下午尚未结束。在与国家媒体交谈后，这位比利时人接受了里奥·费迪南德为其播客进行的采访。

在此期间，一名亚马逊摄像师和三名杀手一直跟在他身边，并要求在场人员签署一份同意书，以允许他们出现在即将推出的纪录片中。

曼联尚未公开透露将从这部纪录片中获利多少，但知情人士估计该数字约为 £20，在如今动荡的中场市场上，这笔钱大约只能买到半个蒂莱曼斯，因为 £100 似乎已成为天才职业球员的基准价。

根据他与阿斯顿维拉的合同条款，蒂莱曼斯在今年夏天的身价为 £35，对于一个参加过 244 场英超联赛并在世界杯上获得第 90 次比利时国家队出场机会的人来说，这个金额似乎并不高。

“我原本没预料到今年夏天会转会，因为在维拉我们成就了惊人的事情，比如赢得了欧联杯，但仍然有比维拉更顶级的俱乐部，曼联就是其中之一。尤其是现在，俱乐部内部及周边有一种非常积极的氛围，一种非常积极的情绪。所以我只是希望我们能共同创造一个伟大的故事。当我年轻时，观看 the

蒂莱曼斯对曼联的积极氛围印象深刻

巴塞罗那被告知需支付 7000万英镑 才能签下曼城的罗德里

西蒙·马洛克 (Simon Mullock)，保罗·赫斯特 (Paul Hirst)

在收到针对这位西班牙世界杯冠军队长的第二次报价后，曼彻斯特城已告知巴塞罗那，他们必须出资 7000 万英镑 million 才能签下罗德里。

这家西甲冠军俱乐部已被告知，第二次报价的 £5130 万 加上 £500 万 的附加费是不可接受的。巴塞罗那的首次报价为 £38.500 万。

曼城目前已设定了价格，而巴塞罗那是在回到谈判桌前，还是等待罗德里明天返回曼彻斯特参加季前训练后观察其情况的发展，仍有待观察。

曼城对切尔西的中场球员恩佐·费尔南德斯（Enzo Fernández）感兴趣，将其视为 2024 年金球奖得主的直接替代者，但他们意识到这家伦敦俱乐部对这位阿根廷人的估值为 £1.2 亿。

在花费俱乐部纪录的 £1.16 亿 从诺丁汉森林引进埃利奥特·安德森（Elliot Anderson），以及筹划一项 £8500 万 的交易以签下里尔和摩洛哥的青少年球员艾尤布·布阿迪（Ayyoub Bouaddi）之后，曼城不愿在未能获得理想价格的情况下失去他们最具影响力的球员之一。

英超比赛中，曼联总是占据上风。那种赢球的心态一直存在，而这正是我们试图带回俱乐部的。”

蒂莱曼斯（Tielemans）在曼联的旅程将于本赛季开始，这让此前两次（分别在 2019 年和 2022 年）拒绝签下这位比利时人的前任管理层显得很糟糕。

“我有两次与俱乐部沟通，但都没有结果。对此我很淡定，”他说。“我只是继续努力，在场上做好我的工作，然后这件事就发生了。”

他的名字可以被加入到一份长长的名单中，这些球员在亚历克斯·弗格森 era, 之后太晚加入了曼联（晚了五年），例如埃丁森·卡瓦尼（Edinson Cavani）、卡塞米罗（Casemiro）、兹拉坦·伊布拉希莫维奇（Zlatan Ibrahimovic）、拉达梅尔·法尔考（Radamel Falcao）、克里斯蒂安·埃里克森（Christian Eriksen）和拉斐尔·瓦拉内（Raphaël Varane）。

即便如此，蒂莱曼斯的能力尚未下降。尽管上赛季遭遇了小腿和脚踝伤势，但他仍在维拉成功的欧联杯征程中发挥了关键作用。不过，有两个明显的问题需要解决：首先，在后卡塞米罗 era, 迈克尔·卡里克（Michael Carrick）希望蒂莱曼斯及其余中场球员做到什么；其次，蒂莱曼斯的身体能否承受？自 16 岁起，他每赛季都参加 30 场以上的一线队比赛，用他自己的话来说，在比利时世界杯四分之一决赛负于西班牙之前的热身过程中，他的身体“由于某种原因突然罢工了”。

“我不认为我是一个绝对需要休息的球员，”他说。“显然，比赛很多，主教练需要管理球队，但当我状态好时，我就是状态很好，你知道的。不幸的是，当我的身体出现问题时，我会立刻知道并提醒主教练，但这并不经常发生。”

在竞争对手花费巨资加强中场时，曼联在蒂莱曼斯和从切尔西加盟的 22 岁巴西人安德烈·桑托斯（Andrey Santos）身上总共仅花费了 £8500 万。这是否是一个信号

加拉塔萨雷出价 3800万英镑 求购马丁内利

加里·雅各布（Gary Jacob）

阿森纳收到了来自加拉塔萨雷关于加布里埃尔·马丁内利（Gabriel Martinelli）的 3800 万英镑 million 报价，但目前尚不清楚这位边锋是否愿意前往土耳其。

这位 25 岁的球员在本赛季被认为在酋长球场已非必需，主教练米克尔·阿尔特塔（Mikel Arteta）正寻求引进一名左边锋。

马丁内利的合同还剩一年，周薪约为 18 万英镑，但英超冠军球队拥有将其合同延长一年的选项，这将保护他的价值，因为这能防止他在明年夏天以自由身离队。

马丁内利在今年夏天的世界杯上代表巴西队出战，他于 2019 年以 £600 万 从巴西球队伊图阿诺（Ituano）加盟阿森纳。他共出场 191 次，打入 41 球。上赛季他参加了 30 场英超比赛，但仅打入一球。

杰德·斯彭斯（Djed Spence）即将离开托特纳姆热刺加盟国际米兰，转会费最高可达 £3000 万。这家意甲冠军球队正在洽谈支付约 £25.600 万，外加 £430 万 的附加费，以及 10% 的二次转会分成条款。

这究竟是过度谨慎还是明智之举，仍有待观察，但曼联在球场的那个区域确实显得有些单薄，除非卡里克（Carrick）确信梅森·芒特（Mason Mount）能够胜任双后腰（double pivot）位置，就像他在季前赛中与桑托斯（Santos）搭档那样。

科比·曼索（Kobbie Manso）和蒂莱曼斯（Tielemans）是另外两名可用的中场球员，不过人们对达伦·弗莱彻（Darren Fletcher）的双胞胎儿子杰克（Jack）和泰勒（Tyler）寄予厚望。这四名成年球员都是技术型球员，而非能够拦截比赛的强力身体型中场，这表明卡里克希望他的球员能更好地控球，并更快速、高效地将球向前推进。上赛季曾有几次，曼联在攻防转换时显得过于急躁。他们缺乏一名头脑冷静的技术型球员，而这正是蒂莱曼斯的经验可以发挥作用的地方，他可以在双后腰体系中与一名位置更深的后腰搭档。

“我觉得我最擅长的角色是连接防守与进攻，但如果我需要更多地留在防线前方，或者需要扮演 10 号角色并拥有更多进攻自由度，我也能轻松做到，”蒂莱曼斯说。“我只是尽量尽可能多地向前传球，无论是传给布鲁诺·费尔南德斯（Bruno Fernandez）还是前线，他是一个能轻松找到空间的人。到目前为止，与他配合感觉非常自然。”

卡里克显然对蒂莱曼斯寄予厚望

从他在签约前与该球员的对话来看。

“他希望我能发挥出我的最佳特质，希望我在场上能够自由，尽可能地组织球队，”他补充道。

“显然，他有自己的原则。他希望控球，希望以特定的方式进行压迫。这可能与我之前的习惯不同，但它是合逻辑的。这就是对足球的直觉，也是我从小就在做的事情。你可以在不过度投入且保持防线位置的情况下，增加你的进攻能力，尤其是在最后三分之一区域，这样我们就能做出成绩。”

六国赛：威尔士 vs 英格兰 2027

March 5, 2027

前往普林西帕利体育场（Principality Stadium）观看威尔士对阵英格兰的比赛，这是一场吉尼斯男子六国赛赛事，历史、宿敌之争与决定赛季走向的压力在此交汇。

此专属套餐包括官方比赛门票以及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）和一位名人嘉宾主持的两场活动，为您提供超越开球瞬间的体验。入住市中心顶级的四星级酒店，您将紧邻体育场、餐厅和赛后讨论区。哨响前的洞察，哨响后的氛围——每一个细节都将由我们全程打理。

由斯图尔特·巴恩斯主持

自从挂靴离开飞翼（fly-half）位置后，斯图尔特成为了《泰晤士报》的专栏作家和比赛分析师，也是该国最犀利的橄榄球评论员之一。

虽败犹荣，迹象积极

夏洛特·邓克 (Charlotte Duncker)

萨尔茨堡

巴黎圣日耳曼

克瓦拉茨赫利亚 30, 杜埃 61

阿斯顿维拉

马乔 45

巴黎圣日耳曼再次夺得超级杯冠军，但乌奈·埃梅里在返回伯明翰时，可能带回了一些比季前赛奖杯更有意义的东西：对新赛季的乐观态度。

维拉作为弱势方来到奥地利，在首发阵容中，只有五名球员参加了今年 5 月的欧联杯决赛。由于克里恰·克瓦拉茨赫利亚和德西雷·杜埃打入两粒精彩进球，他们输掉了比赛，但他们依然奋力拼搏，试图与欧洲最强球队的水准相匹配。

这支巴黎圣日耳曼队仅进行了两场季前赛，尚未处于最佳状态，但其球星之名依然点缀在球场上。虽然是那些身着蓝红球衣的熟面孔带领球队走向胜利，但现在轮到维拉的新人们崭露头角了。

布赖恩·马乔在半场结束前用一次漂亮的凌空抽射为维拉扳平比分，成为了该项赛事中进球最年轻的球员。虽然这不足以让他们捧杯，但在距离赛季开始仅剩一周之际，维拉的表现足以让埃梅里感到满意。

在比赛初期的交锋中，维拉展现出了一些希望的瞬间。约翰·麦金在禁区内送出一次精妙传球，但被威廉·帕乔解围。19 岁的乔治·海明斯在场上找到了有用的位置，布巴卡尔·卡马拉的一次远射擦柱而出。但随着欧洲冠军球队迅速掌控局面，维拉在最后一传的质量上缺乏突破能力。

15 分钟后，巴黎圣日耳曼开始发力。像杜埃这样的人员在 25 天前参加了对阵英格兰队的第三名争夺战（出场 45 分钟）后，才刚刚从世界杯任务中回归。然而，这支球队的肌肉记忆很快就发挥了作用，他们流畅的传球穿透了维拉的中场并进入禁区。

由于埃米利亚诺·马丁内斯因世界杯任务未随队，拦截所有进攻的任务落在了马尔科·比佐特身上。

比佐特顽强地挡住了杜埃的进攻，但 20 秒后，巴黎圣日耳曼的开局之球无可阻挡。

埃梅里的欧洲决赛

球队 v 对手 (年份) / 赛事 / 胜 / 负

塞维利亚 v 本菲卡 (2014) / 欧联杯 / 冠军 塞维利亚 v 皇家马德里 (2015) / 超级杯 / 亚军 塞维利亚 v 第聂伯罗 (2015) / 欧联杯 / 冠军 塞维利亚 v 巴塞罗那 (2016) / 超级杯 / 亚军 塞维利亚 v 利物浦 (2016) / 欧联杯 / 冠军 阿森纳 v 切尔西 (2019) / 欧联杯 / 亚军 比利亚雷亚尔 v 曼联 (2021) / 欧联杯 / 冠军 比利亚雷亚尔 v 切尔西 (2022) / 超级杯 / 亚军 阿斯顿维拉 v 弗赖堡 (2026) / 欧联杯 / 冠军 阿斯顿维拉 v 巴黎圣日耳曼 (2026) / 超级杯 / 亚军

维廷尼亚无需多言便在球场中路断掉了马乔的球，随后迅速传给杜埃，再次让对方获得机会。

这位法国球员找到了左侧的克瓦拉茨赫利亚，这位格鲁吉亚球员盘球进入禁区，确保马蒂·卡什没有机会阻止他，随后以一记惊艳的抽射越过比佐特入网。

这种终结能力让俱乐部在去年 1 月支付的 €7200 万（约 £6100 万）转会费看起来像是一笔廉价交易。但由于财务规则和条例，维拉无法在同一个市场购物。相反，他们希望马乔能创造属于自己的魔法时刻。

这位 17 岁的球员在 1 月以 £1000 万 从梅斯加盟——但在体育仲裁法庭的一项裁决后才被允许参赛——并在他为俱乐部首次参加的正式比赛中领衔进攻线。

马乔不断获得机会，但接连错失。麦金两次为他送上绝佳机会，而他——

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63

体育

FRIENDS / STUDY / TIMES: ANGELA NARROW / STUDY

为埃梅里

游戏播客

现在请前往《泰晤士报》官网收听最新一集的《The Game》播客

他两次射门偏出，随后又击中门柱。在他把握住此前出现的最困难的一次机会并得分时，他的坚持终于得到了回报。

在麦金（McGinn）再次将球精准传向后点后，他顶住了帕乔（Pacho）的压力，在近角将球射过马尔维·萨福诺夫（Malvey Safonov）身侧入网。

维拉在半场结束前占据主动，麦金沿着边线快速推进，试图发起又一次进攻。

但对方是欧冠冠军，随着路易斯·恩里克（Luis Enrique）寻求第三次赢得这座奖杯，奥斯曼·登贝莱（Ousmane Dembélé）被换上场。维拉创造了更多机会，但对方的替补球员仅凭一次高质量的发挥就传球给杜埃（Doué），后者用一记精美的弧线球将球卷入远角。

起初该进球被旗示越位，但在 VAR 介入后，索马里籍裁判奥马尔·阿尔坦（Omar Artan）将其改判为有效。阿尔坦此前在入境美国时被拒绝入境，并因此被禁止在世界杯执裁。

维拉继续施压，海明斯（Hemmings）、若昂·戈麦斯（João Gomes）以及替补登场的阿里森（Alysson）和塔米·亚伯拉罕（Tammy Abraham）均获得机会，但他们始终无法破门。巴黎圣日耳曼保持冷静并守住领先优势，再次捧起奖杯。

但或许，尽管场内场外发生了所有这些变化，这个“新阿斯顿维拉”的未来终究看起来并没有那么糟糕。

巴黎圣日耳曼 (4-3-3)：M Safonov – A Hakimi, Marquinhos, W Pacho, Nuno Mandas (L'Hemanded 75min) – João Neves (F Ruiz 75), Viseina, Ziaro-Emery – M Aleksuche (D Dembélé 46), D Doué (S Mopaju 87), K Krasniakhelia (L Beraide 98)。

阿斯顿维拉 (4-2-3-1)：M Bizot – M Cseh, V Lindelot, P Torres (T Minge 79), I Mautner – J Gomes (R Barkley 79), B Zamora (L Bogarde 72) – J McGinn (Alysson 73), E Bumdia, O Hemmings – B Madjo (T Abraham 72)。黄牌：Torras, Gomes, McGinn。裁判：O Artan (Sion)。

给赖斯自由——这样他才能成为地球上最强的球员

马修·赛义德 (Matthew Syed)

德克兰·赖斯 (Declan Rice) 是一名出色的球员，是个好伙计，一名领导者，曾随阿森纳赢得英超冠军，并且在过去六年里，他所在的英格兰队两次闯入欧洲杯决赛并进入一次世界杯半决赛；这位 27 岁的球员完全有理由自称是其一代球员中最顶尖的一员。但我在想，他是否能更进一步。

你可能还记得政治学中的“明朝瓷瓶”比喻，这个观点（我想最初是由罗伊·詹金斯提出的）认为，反对党在接近执政时，往往表现得就像在水泥地上搬运一件稀有且昂贵的瓷器。

他们不想绊倒，不想失足。因此，他们极其谨慎地防止犯任何错误——而这往往才是最大的错误。

赖斯几乎无所不能：角球、任意球、拦截，凡是你能想到的。他的多才多艺程度之高，以至于在世界杯对阵刚果（金）的比赛后期，他担任了右后卫——而且表现得相当不错。他的适应能力是一项巨大的优势。

但如果说他在某种程度上受困于这种“瓷瓶心态”，是否公平？他讨厌犯错，讨厌传球失误，讨厌让队友失望。这些都令人钦佩。但这意味着我们很少看到赖斯进入“表现模式”——以我认为他能够做到的方式，撕开对方防线、尝试射门、改变比赛的几何格局。

当然，部分原因在于教练，他们经常指示他采取“安全第一”的打法。但如果能获得更多一点的自由，他就能跨出那小而难以捉摸的一步，从“极其优秀”变为“伟大”，从金球奖的陪跑者变为赢家。成为那种既能拦截进攻，又能迅速前插，并在禁区外射门得分的球员，就像他在（虽然并不重要）对阵法国队的第三名争夺战中所做的那样，脸上带着灿烂的笑容。

这与我们在对阵加纳等球队时看到的那种刻板、战战兢兢的表现截然不同。

而且，这种转变在世界体育的最高水平上并非闻所未闻。罗杰·费德勒在巅峰时期意识到，他永远无法通过切削反拍击败拉斐尔·纳达尔。起初，训练一种更平击的新技术是很尴尬的。

夺冠是赖斯迄今为止职业生涯的巅峰，但他可以达到更高的高度

这种感觉很奇怪——事实上，几乎觉得是不道德的——因为他犯了如此多的错误，不仅是在练习中，在比赛中也是如此。

但这是获得回报的必要步骤。诚然，他犯的错误更多了，但他也创造了更多的制胜球，改变了比赛的几何格局和心理博弈。费德勒在赢得 2012 年和 2018 年澳大利亚公开赛之间夺得了温网冠军，重新回到了世界第一——这或许是他职业生涯中最辉煌的成就。

出色的 NBA 球员戈兰·德拉季奇 (Goran Dragic) 也有类似的经历，尽管起点较低。他在进入 NBA 时是一名极度厌恶风险的运动员。对于一名渴望在世界最大联赛中保住位置的斯洛文尼亚球员来说，这或许可以理解，但这同时也意味着他未能产生最大的影响力。

“我不够激进，”他在当时的一次采访中说道。他的教练阿尔文·根特里 (Alvin Gentry) 激励他采取不同的方法，并给了他这样的建议：“孩子，犯多少个错误并不重要。尽管去尝试。尽管去比赛。做你自己。”

特雷弗·邦斯特德 (Trevor Bumstead) 讲述了一个关于赖斯的动人故事，邦斯特德在赖斯被切尔西（极其痛苦地）解约后，成为了西汉姆联的青年队教练。他要求年轻人进行一项包含传球、射门和盘带等一系列任务的训练。然而，这项练习的真正目的是测试球员的态度。每次他们失误时，都必须去捡球。他们是会迅速捡球以继续任务，还是会不情愿地、缓慢地，带着某种忏悔的心情去捡球？

“他在那方面表现得非常出色，因为他一旦失误，就会把球捡回来再次尝试，”邦姆斯特德在接受 BBC 采访时说道。“他能非常迅速地评估自己的错误并做出调整。这关乎‘你能不能坚持下去？谁会是最坚韧的人？’而德克兰总是能在这方面胜出。”

这充分说明了赖斯的态度，以及将他带到今天这个高度的职业道德。这就是为什么队友们钦佩他，教练们赞美他的原因。这是一个懂得回馈、会帮忙收拾标志锥、且愿意付出额外努力的人。

一名英格兰队助教告诉我：“他是一个真正无私的人。”他指的不只是赖斯在场下乐于帮助年轻队友，还包括在场上让他们大放异彩。

再次强调，这极其令人钦佩。但问题在于：对于你最天才的球员，难道你不希望他自己发光，而不是让别人发光吗？希望他尝试射门，而不是总是给别人机会？希望他敢于冒险尝试那些能导致进球的致命高难度传球（尤其是凭借他的视野和精准度），而不是在离开球场时始终保持着毫无瑕疵的传球成功率？

简而言之，这位最无私的球员是否应该表现出多一点点自私，从而为他的球队贡献更多？

我希望，这正是米克尔·阿尔特塔（他曾谈到要解放赖斯，但从未完全付诸实践）在接下来的赛季中，通过他所签下的球员（包括从纽卡斯尔联加盟的巴西中场布鲁诺·吉马良斯）所计划的。这是一个让赖斯更频繁地“打破常规”的机会，从而将自己重塑为或许是世界上最顶尖的球员。

去年《卫报》的一篇人物特写中，一位非常了解赖斯且每天与他交流的人表示，“他还有更高的档位”。我希望这个优秀、令人钦佩且彻底体面的家伙能找到那个档位——并且尽快找到。

“参加世界杯是父亲的愿望”

接前页

经纪人。今年夏天的世界杯期间，关于豪尔赫（Jorge）健康状况的猜测不断。在阿根廷队的小组赛首场比赛中，梅西在打入首球后激动落泪。

他解释称，这是因为在经历了“几天困难且复杂的时间”后，发生了“与足球无关的事情”，但随后透露，他的父亲在赛事开始前病情恶化。

在世界杯决赛中，阿根廷队在加时赛中 1-0 负于西班牙。赛后，梅西在回到其俱乐部国际迈阿密参加 MLS 赛事之前，在家中陪伴了豪尔赫。在周末的联赛杯中，国际迈阿密 2-1 负于蒙特雷，他缺席了这场比赛。

此前人们曾怀疑梅西是否会参加世界杯，但他透露，他选择参赛是因为这是他父亲的愿望。这是豪尔赫第一次无法陪同儿子参加世界杯。

在致敬词中，梅西描述了这段时间参加赛事的艰辛。“我的双腿再也支撑不住了。这一次我试图挑战自己的身体极限，但我做不到。我一直感觉状态不佳，”他在提到决赛时说道。“我们没有夺冠，但你不知道我们多么享受每一场比赛。再一次，你是对的。我必须在那里参赛。”

他补充道：“我会非常想念你，但你将永远在我的身边，尤其是在我抚养孩子的时候，因为我会用你抚养我的方式来教导和养育他们。”

---

THE TIMES

体育

一个夜晚，英国斩获两金

马修·哈德森-史密斯（Matthew Hudson-Smith）强势夺得 400 米冠军，安加拉德·埃文斯（Angharad Evans）在泳池夺金 报道见第 60 页

鲁特在取消宵禁后表示：请像成年人一样行事

英格兰和威尔士板球委员会（ECB）反悔，球员午夜禁令终结

Elizabeth Ammon

乔·鲁特（Joe Root）表示，在饮酒文化引发指责后，他将取消由英格兰管理层实施的午夜宵禁，但他要求球员们“像成年人一样行事”。

ECB 上个月向所有球员发布了更新后的指南，该指南由英格兰男子队总经理罗布·基（Rob Key）签署，并重申在所有系列赛期间执行午夜宵禁，且不允许球员在公共场合出现醉酒状态。

指南还规定，球员如果在晚上 10 点后离开球队酒店应通知管理层。但仅仅一个月后，ECB 做出了一次极不寻常的转向，确认将取消宵禁规定。

鲁特在本·斯托克斯（Ben Stokes）宣布从国际赛场退役后被重新任命为测试赛队长，他表示球员需要为自己的行为负责。

“不会有宵禁了。坦白说，我认为这不需要被大肆讨论，”35 岁的鲁特在 Sky Sports Cricket 的播客节目中说道。“我对宵禁的看法是，球员们在履行自己的职责，如果你希望球员在场上承担责任，那么他们必须感觉到自己在场下可以像成熟的成年人一样做出坚定的决定。对我以及斯蒂芬·弗莱明（Stephen Fleming，新任测试赛主教练）来说，这是我们需要作为一支球队去良好管理和监督的。”

在过去的一年里，英格兰队一直受到深夜饮酒相关事件的困扰。哈里·布鲁克（Harry Brook）因在 11 月惠灵顿的一场 ODI 赛前夜与一名保安发生打架而被罚款并受到谴责；而测试赛球队在冬季那场不幸的 Asher 系列赛期间前往昆士兰州努萨（Noosa）的行程也招致了严厉批评。随后在 6 月，在对阵新西兰的第一场测试赛后，切尔西一家夜总会发生的事件导致古斯·阿特金森（Gus Atkinson）和斯托克斯被禁赛一场。随后，板球监管机构在关于球员是否被告知比赛结束后仍执行宵禁的混乱局面中，判定两名球员没有违规。

“我们应该以打球的方式和在场上的表现而闻名。我们应该出现在报纸的背面，”鲁特说。“像成年人一样，照顾好自己，照顾好彼此。我们需要创造一种良好、强大的文化，让你知道什么时候是庆祝胜利或适量喝杯啤酒的正确时机，但要记住你是在为英格兰队效力。我不希望人们觉得因为想喝杯啤酒，或者在正确的时间放松一下，就不能享受赢得测试赛的快乐，那样绝对没问题。”

“归根结底，我们是人类。你知道自己的责任，你知道如何为测试赛做准备以及需要付出什么，以及这些事情会对你产生的影响。所以请聪明点，理智点，像个成年人一样。”

ECB 的一份声明确认撤销宵禁，称：“我们拥有测试赛队长和教练，他们正在研究如何设定球队标准 接 56 页

新赛季，老样子 PSG

欧冠冠军巴黎圣日耳曼（Paris Saint-Germain）通过 2-1. 击败由乌奈·埃梅里（Unai Emery）率领的欧联杯冠军阿斯顿维拉，保住了超级杯冠军头衔。报道见第 62-63 页

梅西可能很快停止比赛

乔·哈斯顿 (Joe Harston)

利昂内尔·梅西表示，在父亲去世后，他不确定自己还能继续踢多久足球。

梅西的父亲豪尔赫上周在阿根廷家乡罗萨里奥因长期患病去世，享年 68 岁。

在 Instagram 的一份悼词中，梅西写道：“我不知道没有你我该怎么做。我不知道如何前行。我只踢过足球，而现在我对是否要继续踢下去产生了相当多的疑虑。”

“你从一开始就陪伴在我身边；距离终点只剩那么一点点了。为什么你不能再坚持久一点，好让我们一起完成它？”

39 岁的梅西在整个职业生涯中都有父亲的陪伴，他的职业生涯始于 13 岁加入巴塞罗那。豪尔赫还担任他的 （）

劳伦斯和戴利被剔除

查理·摩根 (Charlie Morgan) 高级橄榄球撰稿人 威尔·凯勒 (Will Kelleher) 副橄榄球记者

英格兰主教练史蒂夫·博思威克 (Steve Borthwick) 在距离世界杯还有一年之际，将亚历克斯·科尔斯 (Alex Coles)、阿舍尔·奥波库-福乔 (Asher Opoku-Fordjour)、盖·佩珀 (Guy Pepper)、杰克·范·普特弗利特 (Jack van Poortvliet) 和塞布·阿特金森 (Seb Atkinson) 加入了他的中央合同球员组。

从 25 人球员组中被剔除的是汤姆·威利斯 (Tom Willis)、本·库里 (Ben Curry)、汤姆·罗巴克 (Tom Roebuck)、埃利奥特·戴利 (Elliot Daly) 和奥利·劳伦斯 (Ollie Lawrence)。因此，博思威克引入了三名前锋和两名后卫，同时释放了两名前锋和三名后卫。

这个“增强精英球员阵容”中的核心球员组每人每年领取约 35 万英镑，而不是领取单场测试赛费用。相应地，他们受到英格兰橄榄球联合会 (RFU) 更密切的管理。

科尔斯，这位 26 岁的北安普顿 （）

泰晤士报纵横字谜 29,620

横向

1 法国厨师搞砸了，去掉了甜点 (11) 7 10-礼貌的人，轻蔑的简短信号 (3) 9 令人厌恶的西装，查理离开后被打包存放 (9) 10 交付最后承载酿酒师的必须 (5) 11 想要武器？弓是安全的 (7) 12 街道上的乡下人，时不时被杀死的马基 (7) 13 参加会议，也许领导者的初始形式下降 (5) 15 在地下旅行，首先，到达高巴内特的人？ (4,5) 17 艾伦·希雷尔缺失了一次奇特的练习课 (9) 19 印度人冰冻，没有碎片衣服 (5) 20 考古学家研究迦太基的地方，可能在大学 (7) 22 信件集，以约翰交换元音结束 (7) 24 像屏幕上的奥利弗一样瘦？ (5) 25 关系破裂，本质上由国际谈判修复 (2,7) 27 为尼日利亚总理回归而寻找根源 (3) 28 特朗普以隐晦的方式呈现粗糙 (5-6)

纵向

1 小心，门边漏水 (3) 2 体育场定期粉刷后方看台 (5) 3 棕色大鼠主要被房车里的动物吃掉？ (7) 4 反制代理人驻扎在革命国家 (9) 5 在温尼巴格车里，做人们长期期待的事情 (5) 6 设计师笔目录 (7) 7 犯罪书籍需要保护覆盖 (9) 8 尚未支付，罢工 (11) 11 财产使用损坏了建筑的一部分 (5,6) 14 文章，被接管的巡访布鲁塞尔机构的家伙 (9) 16 裸露的地区不再被作物覆盖？ (4,5) 18 谁可能会在 QE2 号上进行测试？ (7) 19 代演，反思后，抨击即将上映的电影 (3,4) 21 移民口中用金子卷起来的东西？ (5) 23 可能会终止集会的声波检查 (5) 26 国家设定者？ (3)

昨日答案 29,619

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%

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TIMES 2

8月13日

2026年

谁能比这更“裙带”！

辛迪·克劳福德的 女儿和 理查德·基尔的儿子 是如何达成共识的

VOGUE

独家

辛迪·克劳福德（Cindy Crawford）

与理查德·基尔（Richard Gere）

谈论抵押贷款

灵感

以及 MW

冬季穿搭

完整指南

完整指南

尖顶：MARGIN M.

谈论土耳其

以最佳方式

作者：杰弗里·斯坦加滕（Jeffrey Steingarten）

JULIE

1

JULIE

冬季穿搭

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2

凯特琳·莫兰（Caitlin Moran）的

名人

观察

6

Ejae

亲爱的《泰晤士报》读者，日安！也许你正处于假期——你的八月假期——并享受着一个“更宽松”的日程安排。也许你才刚醒半小时，沉浸在人类不可剥夺的权利中，任由夏季的时光以一种日益随意的态度流逝。也许你正处于深度度假状态，以至于所谓的“忙碌的一天”仅由在花园里喝一杯冰咖啡、花两小时盯着天空（天空阴沉得像装满脚趾的盒子一样）组成，然后你才鼓起勇气去完成当天最艰巨的任务：切开并吃掉一些西瓜。

如果是这样，请给全世界的 K-pop 明星们一点同情的思考。对于那些还没完全跟上 K-pop 潮流的人，简而言之就是 K- 规模巨大。韩国音乐是一股巨大的全球力量：似乎有数以千计的 K- 乐队，它们统治着排行榜，让英国和美国的音乐看起来像是古老的 20 世纪产物。

但是！这种全球统治力似乎是有代价的。本周在《星期日泰晤士报》中，《KPop Demon Hunters》的明星 Ejae 分享了成为 K- 明星训练过程中“残酷现实”的见解，而其中完全不包括任何愉快的八月假期。

Ejae 在青少年时期被其唱片公司签约，接下来的 11 年由唱歌、舞蹈、媒体采访、拍照训练组成——此外还包括一些更为冷门的技能。

“我们学习中文，因为他们知道中国将是一个巨大的全球受众群体，”Ejae 开始说道，这听起来相当合理。“我们不能打耳洞。绝对不能喝汽水，不能吃油腻食物，要保持身体不浮肿且健康。我不会说这很健康。”

这听起来确实极其无趣，并且可能会让青少年女孩对自己的身体形象产生痛苦程度的执念。然而，到目前为止，这不过是典型的父权制度。接下来的“训练”部分似乎……更加离谱。

“我们不能嚼口香糖，因为这会让你的下颌变大，”Ejae 透露。此外还有撅嘴课程。“我们必须在镜子前对着一支润唇膏微笑，”她说道，并演示了一个可以在上唇和鼻子之间夹住一支口红的撅嘴动作，“因为这能让你的肌肉生长，让你的脸型 [更好]。”

最后，也是最随机的一点，她不能做深蹲，“因为这会让你的膝盖变丑”。在 50 岁这个年纪，我以为我已经听过了所有关于年轻女性“变美”的各种离谱言论，所以我对 K- 发明了一个新项目而感到敬畏：对膝盖变丑的恐惧。

每一天都是学习日！或者说：如果你想成为一名 K- 明星，11 年都是学习日。

3

贝林厄姆一家

世界杯虽然结束了，但英国人依然能感受到一种自豪感，因为“我们的伙计们”表现出色，而朱德·贝林厄姆（Jude Bellingham）的进球技巧在整个赛事期间使他成为了一个全球现象。

或许更重要的是，这让我意识到他究竟是谁——考虑到我对足球世界的极度缺乏兴趣，这绝非易事。现在贝林厄姆进入了我的视线，我开始痴迷于他家族的命名仪式。因为本周我得知他有一个同样是足球运动员且效力于多特蒙德队的兄弟——而他的名字是……乔布·贝林厄姆（Jobe Bellingham）。

朱德（Jude）……和乔布（Jobe）。感觉这里面似乎有什么规律。某种引导贝林厄姆家孩子命名的神秘规则。这就像《Only Connect》节目中的那些环节，你必须猜测逻辑序列中的下一个项目是什么。我觉得我快要破解它了！如果有人关于贝林厄姆家族命名逻辑的进一步信息，请与我联系。

2

安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎

他是一个挥之不去的麻烦。这位“非王子”安德鲁，前约克公爵，虽然可能已经从官方职责中消失，被隔离在诺福克郡某个不会冒犯公众视线的地方，但对于王室来说，他依然存在，其形式是“一堆摆在某人办公桌上，让对方生活变成噩梦的王室礼节文书”。

本周我们得知，尽管他与已故恋童癖杰弗里·爱泼斯坦（Jeffrey Epstein）有联系，但“非王子”安德鲁依然有权获得王室礼仪葬礼。《星期日邮报》（The Mail on Sunday）透露，他仍被列在政府的“桥梁”计划中，该计划旨在为王室成员的去世做准备。虽然具体细节尚不清楚，但他的葬礼可能会在温莎的圣乔治礼拜堂或弗罗格莫尔的皇家墓地举行，后者是其他搞砸了的王室成员（例如前国王爱德华八世）选定的安息之地。

“桥梁”是给重要王室成员去世计划的代号。“福斯桥行动”（Operation Forth Bridge）是为菲利普亲王去世制定的计划，而“伦敦桥行动”（Operation London Bridge）则是指伊丽莎白二世女王。我们还不知道安德鲁的计划是以哪座桥命名的。考虑到处理他的问题似乎是一项无止境的任务，或许再次使用“福斯桥”比较合适？或者，安德鲁最终应该被完全从这些计划中删除，因为这一切都已经“过分”了（a bridge too far）。

谢谢。谢谢你们听我的笑话。

5

《早餐俱乐部》

好莱坞传来了一个诱人的消息，我们得知编剧兼导演约翰·休斯（John Hughes）在去世前，已经开始着手创作他 1985 年青少年电影《早餐俱乐部》（The Breakfast Club，由莫莉·林沃德主演）的续集。虽然没有更多细节，但人们推测它可能叫作《午餐》（Lunch），随后还会有一部续集《午餐 2：晚餐》（Lunch 2: Dinner）。我们只能希望休斯留下了足够的笔记，好让有人能将整个“重要餐食”三部曲搬上银幕。

4

杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）

现在正式进入了“幸灾乐祸之夏”，各大新闻机构和网络平台正同步地对杰森·阿尔代指指点点。这位剑桥大学教授在否认所有指控后最终辞职，而这些指控称他——用操场上的俚语来说——是个“满口胡言的骗子”（Billy Bullshitter）。

在癫痫发作且腿骨折的情况下完成了30场马拉松；被一名未被监控拍到的持刀陌生人威胁；为慈善机构筹集了550万英镑（£550 万），但由于签署了保密协议（NDA），无法透露任何实际细节——阿尔代那些未经证实的主张涵盖范围之广令人印象深刻。直到11岁才开口说话，直到18岁才识字，患有脑瘤，且即将出版的回忆录将获得“140万”（140 万）的报酬——不过，方便地没有注明币种：你不能指责阿尔代的涉猎范围不够广。这是野心勃勃的胡说八道，是极其肆无忌惮的瞎扯。

但他也面临着不成比例的强烈反弹：毕竟，唐纳德·特朗普每天在白宫里就说这种话——而且没有人暗示他是靠多样性、公平性和包容性（DEI）计划获得职位的，也没有人说他那种自我吹嘘的屁话意味着白人男性不应该从政。

此外，感觉这里似乎遗漏了一些显而易见的事情。阿尔代应该继续担任剑桥大学的教授，但只需转而教授小说写作即可。他在这一方面显然有着巨大的天赋。

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3

times2

1M

佩雷斯·希尔顿 (Perez Hilton)

我很遗憾地告诉大家，本周的头条内容并非你们习惯的那种精彩的笑料集。但这是一个涵盖了 21 世纪几乎整个“名人文化”的故事，涉及厌女症、残酷行为、身材羞辱、多次精神崩溃和自杀企图，而且——最重要的是——这一切都是由互联网这个新的“西部蛮荒之地”所驱动的，它赋予了少数意识到其潜力的早期使用者前所未有的权力。

而这个故事以难以想象的恐怖收场。上周，八卦博主佩雷斯·希尔顿——曾是“好莱坞最被憎恨的人”，但现在仅仅是一个他曾经会因事业走下坡路而嘲讽的那种没落的 D 级名人——在 TikTok 上开启直播并在镜头前用厨房刀自残后被送往医院。

在 21 世纪初，希尔顿是演艺圈最有权力的人之一。他的网站 perezhilton.com 是第一个对新一代非常年轻、且主要是女性的名人提供 24 / 7 全天候报道的平台：帕丽斯·希尔顿 (Paris Hilton)、布兰妮·斯皮尔斯 (Britney Spears)、艾米·怀恩豪斯 (Amy Winehouse)、克里斯蒂娜·阿奎莱拉 (Christina Aguilera)、琳赛·罗韩 (Lindsay Lohan)、Lady Gaga、麦莉·赛勒斯 (Miley Cyrus)、亚莉安娜·格兰德 (Ariana Grande)。

尽管对于他青睐的名人来说，希尔顿被视为某种程度上的造星者——他的网站每天访问量超过 800 万次，其财富飙升至估计 2000万美元，并且出现在所有大型派对的嘉宾名单上——但他的核心业务是表演性的残酷。

现在读起他那些最“臭名昭著”的时刻仍会令人倒吸一口凉气：他会在他不喜欢的女名人脸上画上可卡因或精液。对明星的身材羞辱（经常带有讽刺意味）——比如米莎·巴顿 (Mischa Barton)、莉莉·艾伦 (Lily Allen) 等人——从未停止。他在麦莉·赛勒斯年仅 17, 岁时发布了一张狗仔队拍摄的“偷拍裙底”照片，许多人认为这在技术上属于传播儿童性虐待图像。

但他对此毫无悔意。他给赛勒斯的绰号是“淫荡的赛勒斯 (Slutty Cyrus)”。名单还在继续：他暗示斯皮尔斯的孩子患有唐氏综合征。他声称演员亚当·桑德勒 (Adam Sandler) 的孩子太胖了，应该节食；那个孩子当时只有 14 个月大。或许最令人不安的是，他会详细描述他想象中女名人的生殖器长什么样，以及他认为它们有多么肮脏。哦，而且他经常威胁要“曝光”同性恋名人。最终，九十年代男子组合 NSYNC 的兰斯·巴斯 (Lance Bass) 承认自己是同性恋，原因就是希尔顿不断的纠缠。

而且还有周边商品，极其恶劣的周边商品。当演员希斯·莱杰 (Heath Ledger) 在 28, 岁去世时，希尔顿开始贩卖印有莱杰面孔的 T 恤，配文是：“为什么不能是布兰妮？”当时斯皮尔斯经历了严重的精神崩溃，并在现场新闻报道的镜头前被强制医疗。

然而，就在他被称作“好莱坞最被憎恨的人”前后，他巨大的权力开始衰落。2010 年代社交媒体的到来意味着名人突然意识到，佩雷斯怎么评价他们已经不再重要了：他们可以直接通过 Instagram、Twitter 或后来的 TikTok 与公众对话。这些闪闪发光、打着肉毒杆菌的从业者夺回了生产资料。

希尔顿的事业开始迅速下滑。随着网站访问量的减少，他走上了进入暮年阶段的名人们通常会走的所有路线——参加《名人老大哥 (Celebrity Big Brother)》但没能获胜；写了一本不成功的儿童书；转向慈善事业——矛盾的是，其中一项是反霸凌运动。这恰恰是他以前在看到其他挣扎中的名人尝试此类行为时，会进行毒舌攻击的事情。

到今年，他经历了健康危机，医疗账单堆积如山，找到了信仰，并试图将自己重塑为一个更具“伦理”的名人记者，但回报非常微小。

上周，希尔顿显然陷入了心理健康危机，他开启了 TikTok 直播——并开始自残。故事到这里开始带上了一抹黑暗寓言或希腊神话的色彩。这个曾对他人外貌发起如此多言语攻击的人——在别人的头部照片上乱涂乱画，毁掉他们的嘴巴和眼睛——如今却被驱使着在自己身上残暴地重演这一切。关于这一切将会被拍成电影——一部关于那些成为名人寄生虫之阴暗面的现代恐怖寓言——似乎在所难免。同样不可避免的，是对表演式网络残酷行为最终代价的清算，而这次清算已经迟到了十年。我们认为这并不重要——“只要不看就行！”——或者认为这种非人性行为真正影响的只有那些被针对的人。但事实当然并非如此。你不可能在伤害他人的同时，而不让这种伤害在某一天反噬自身。

是时候享受一个“随它去吧”的夏天了。你们支持我吗？ Deborah Ross

如果你现在能看到我（谢天谢地你看不见），你会注意到我脚踝和膝盖后面凝结成团的假晒黑油。我不怪那个假晒黑品牌（Dove），因为很可能是我在操作过程中哪里搞错了。

那款去角质霜，我是像建议的那样用“圆周运动”按摩进去的吗？我是不是画得太像椭圆了？天哪，我是否在分心的一瞬间，竟然画成了正方形？如果我的犹太血统发作，让我下意识地遵循大卫之星的形状该怎么办？在如此混乱的情况下，你难道不会凝结成团吗？你难道不会发疯（meshuga），然后就那样挂在膝盖和脚踝上，等待进一步的指令吗？

我想说的是：这太过了。一次短暂而剧烈的热浪还好，大多数女性能够应对预期的美容标准，但如果像这次这样持久呢？我再也受不了了。我的愤怒程度已经达到了《网络》（Network）中霍华德·比尔的水平。（我正期待着冬天，然后把这一切都收进……袜子。还记得袜子吗？）

这件事如此令人心力交瘁，以至于我已经达到了这个阶段：如果这件事不能让男人操心，那它就不应该让我操心。女士们，是时候接纳你们的死皮细胞了！女士们，是时候挣脱枷锁，解放时间，享受一个“随它去吧”（Gone to Pot）的夏天了。

你们支持我吗？我已经领先一步了，因为由于我拙劣的去角质尝试，根据上次统计，我身上 95 per cent 都是死皮细胞。你们可能还需要追赶一下，但我相信你们能做到的。

最终，我们可能会向议会进军（要求所有人享有平等的美容标准！），在行进过程中优雅地掉皮。人们很可能会以为在下雪。随他们去吧。

今天，我发布“随它去吧夏天”宣言，虽然我尝试过了，但它并未刊登在《Elle》、《Vogue》或《Grazia》上。他们只说了：“走开”。不过，在进入正式宣言之前，你们是否同意我天生就是领导“随它去吧夏天”运动的人选？

考虑到我身上已经 95 per cent 都是死皮细胞，而且我的头发一旦遇到潮湿就会炸毛，看起来像个蒲公英的种头？考虑到路过的孩子想对着我吹气并许愿？这事儿定了吗？话虽如此，如果你也有类似的头发，我深表同情——但同时：请大胆尝试竞争。顺便问一下，你有帽子吗？我想，帽子可能会很有用。除非你不想在街上被某个许愿想要三轮车和 Action Man 玩具的小男孩对着吹气。

现在进入“随它去吧夏天”宣言的核心内容，该宣言指出

我们，即签名者，有比以下事情更重要的事情要做：● 在终于鼓起勇气进行居家比基尼脱毛前，把自己锁在浴室里三天（用力按压蜡纸，惨叫，检查粘在上面的那一根卷曲的小毛，然后把包装袋扔到墙上）。● 自己涂脚趾甲油，好让美甲店里那些被人口贩卖的越南女孩休息一下，然后赶紧冲向药店买洗甲水，因为涂出来的效果看起来像个发抖的醉汉画的。● 刮毛、脱毛、除毛、挥霍在电离脱毛和激光上。就像当年的女权主义者一样，如果她们不同意对腋毛感到极度羞耻，她们将一事无成。● 放弃假晒黑，去晒个真的，但提醒你们：不要独占所有的皮肤癌。给别人留一点。● 通过阅读“打造性感背部的十个技巧”，同时考虑用填充剂来丰盈你的“Ozempic 足”，来纠结最新被厌恶的身体部位。同意吗？还是不同意？我们的投票结果是“同意”，但结果发现他们是在开玩笑。● 最后，你必须接纳你丑陋的双脚，就像那个看着自己增厚、发黄、长真菌的脚趾甲，看了看自己的凉鞋，然后说：“行吧，这样也可以。”我们在“随它去吧”大游行上见？我现在 98 per cent 都是死皮细胞了，所以我想你们能认出我是谁。（我相信，达到 100 per cent 时，人会崩塌成一堆灰尘。）

安杰拉，给你点思考的（嚼劲）

我对安杰拉·雷纳（Angela Rayner）深表同情，她说她无法放弃电子烟，因为尼古丁成瘾让她陷入了“终身炼狱”。我之所以同情，是因为我的尼古丁成瘾也让我陷入了终身炼狱。我每天早晨醒来时的第一个念头就是：“啊，炼狱，又开始了。”

我不抽电子烟。我嚼尼古丁口香糖，自从 15 年前戒烟以来，我每天全天如此。雷纳说她开始抽电子烟是为了戒烟，你不得不佩服那些现在掌控着许多电子烟品牌的烟草公司。还有比这更典型的例子吗：既然我们把你割伤了，那么我们可以卖给你一块创可贴吗？

我不停地嚼。我现在就在嚼。但她的炼狱比我的炼狱要好。嚼口香糖的人待遇很差。在商业街上，嚼口香糖的人被冷落了。那里没有在土耳其理发店之间交替出现的口香糖专卖店。在口味方面，嚼口香糖的人也被冷落了。我们的蓝树莓、西瓜、泡泡糖、芒果口味在哪里？雷纳女士知道“原味”和“薄荷味”会变得多么令人厌倦吗？

我尝试过戒掉，但总是失败，这很遗憾，因为这很麻烦。有一次我在吐出它之前睡着了，我的伴侣醒来时发现它粘在他的胸毛上。“至少这不是我的激素替代疗法（HRT）贴片，”我对他说，但他并没有因此而高兴。他用剪刀把它剪掉，而我当时正期待着能用力拽一下，好对他说道：“朋友，这就是脱毛的感觉。”但可惜，他不配合。

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凯亚·格伯与霍默·格尔：

他们的生活轨迹截然不同，但有一点共同之处：他们的 A 级名流父母曾有过一段婚姻。作者：克莱尔·科恩 (Claire Cohen)

在洛杉矶洛斯费利斯（Los Feliz）社区的一家酒吧初次见面 20 分钟后，霍默·格尔（Homer Gere）决定与凯亚·格伯（Kaia Gerber）开诚布公地谈谈。“我想，‘我们要不要直接承认我们父母曾经结婚过这个事实？’”他在接受《美国版 Vogue》封面采访时说道，“她说，‘好啊，没问题。’就这样就解决了。”

原本这可能会很尴尬。格伯的母亲辛迪·克劳福德（Cindy Crawford）和格尔的父亲理查德（Richard）曾是 90 年代初最炙手可热的一对情侣——超模、电影明星，以及 17 岁的年龄差。他们在 1991 年的奥斯卡红毯上正式公开关系，同年 12 月在拉斯维加斯用一枚锡箔戒指结婚，并于 1995 年分手（在此之前，他们曾在本报刊登广告，以平息关于他们婚姻状况以及理查德性取向的传闻）。

广告中写道：“我们是异性恋且忠于彼此，非常认真地对待对对方的承诺。不存在且从未有过任何形式的婚前协议。关于离婚的报道完全是虚假的。我们都期待拥有一个家庭。”

他们确实拥有了家庭，只不过不是在一起。格伯是克劳福德与商人丈夫兰德·格伯（Rande Gerber）之间 24 岁的女儿，长相与母亲极其相似；而格尔的母亲是演员凯莉·洛威尔（Carey Lowell），理查德与她的婚姻持续到 2016 年。

如今，这对前权力夫妇的孩子们正共同走在红毯上。在一次天才般的选角中，凯亚·格伯和霍默·格尔将主演布雷特·东顿·艾利斯（Bret Easton Ellis）的小说《碎片》（The Shards）改编的电视剧，讲述一群生活奢靡的精英私立学校孩子的的故事。你可能会认为，对于好莱坞名门之后这些“nopo babies”来说，这并不需要太多演技上的跨越。但正如《Vogue》所揭露的，这两人的成长环境截然不同。

在阅读任何文字之前，这一点就已经很明显了。在杂志的写真照中，格伯精准地掌控着拍摄角度——正如一个从 10 岁起就开始模特生涯的人所表现出的那样——看起来完全就是一名巨星。而格尔呢？他对着镜头傻傻地微笑，就像在拍全家福一样。

这是他的第一次采访，他很紧张。“我只想让自己看起来讨人喜欢，”他承认道，“考虑到我父亲的身份，我在尽可能正常的情况下长大，完全没有在演艺圈环境中成长。直到去年夏天之前，我从未进过专业的拍摄现场。”

真是单纯。可以说，

理查德·格尔在儿子出生时 50 岁（他用父亲的名字为儿子命名，其祖父是一名保险代理人），他非常小心地让儿子远离好莱坞的聚光灯——直到他的传奇经纪人埃德·利马托（Ed Limato）开着豪华轿车停在他们家门口时，这种光环才开始侵入。

那是他在纽约州北部威斯特彻斯特（Westchester）度过的“田园诗般”的童年，尽可能地模仿理查德的中产阶级成长经历。家庭是首位，如果这意味着要长时间离开儿子，这位演员会拒绝接戏。据推测，这种平静唯一的破坏是父母的离婚，由于双方在争夺洛威尔在《一个漂亮的女人》主演理查德财产中的份额，离婚手续花了四年才最终完成。

“我整个童年时期一直被问，‘你长大后要当演员吗？’而我的反应是，‘绝对不要。’我在学校成绩很好，父母也没有给我压力。表演一直被我视为遥远的事，”年轻的格尔告诉《Vogue》，“那是别人做的事情。”

他上了大学，在确定主修艺术之前尝试了多个专业。2022 年，一位朋友邀请他出演一部学生电影，他发现自己很享受其中。但这并非他的“天职”，在 2024 年毕业后，他选择休学一年，开车横跨全国，不确定下一步该走向何方。

机遇在一名恰好看到了他的学生电影的经纪人身上降临（毕竟，演员名单上有一个相当引人注目的名字）。

“我想，好吧，也许这是一个信号，”盖尔说道，语气中似乎没有一丝讽刺。他试镜了两部剧集

顶部，从左至右：1993年的理查德·盖尔和辛迪·克劳馥；2024年的盖尔与儿子霍默；2025年的克劳馥与女儿凯雅·格伯。上方，从左至右：2012年的霍默、理查德·盖尔与凯瑞·洛威尔；本月的霍默·盖尔与凯雅·格伯

——《亢奋》（Euphoria）和《碎片》（The Shards）——当他随父亲在印度（为了庆祝达赖喇嘛的生日——我没在编故事）时，接到了要求他进行试镜的电话。他赢得了这两个角色。

他说，他的父亲并没有在表演艺术方面给他建议，但就片场政治和应对名声给了他指导。顺便一提，克劳馥也认为在婚姻期间是他在教她这些。

格伯此时是否在轻轻地翻白眼？毕竟，虽然男性在较晚时期成名完全有可能——理查德在凭借《美国舞男》（American Gigolo）成名时已经30岁了——但人们仍然觉得，作为女性，如果25岁之前还没有成功，可能就太晚了。

克劳馥在18岁时开始起步，在此之前，她在中西部度过了童年，在当地农场剥玉米以帮助她的单身母亲（她的父母在儿子杰弗里因白血病去世，年仅三岁后离婚），随后她辍学放弃了化学工程学位，转而追求模特事业。

“名声是我天生就拥有的，所以我没有经历过成名是什么感觉，”格伯

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名门之子

她告诉《Vogue》：“我一度认为，在那种环境下，我的成长方式已经是尽可能地低调了，直到我遇到了 Homer。比如，网上根本找不到他小时候的照片，而我的整个童年和青少年时期都在互联网上。我只能想象（那种感觉）。我 24 岁，但……被采访得太多了。”

她在马里布的童年充满了海滩时光，由父母开车送她去参加派对，并且努力做一个好女孩，以免让他们丢脸。

尽管如此，她一直有着“宏大的梦想”——10 岁时为 Versace 担任模特，在满 16. 岁四天后就为 Calvin Klein 走秀。到 17 岁时，她在通过高中毕业同等学历考试后，已经在纽约拥有了自己的公寓。

从那时起，她参加了数十场时装秀、拍摄了广告并担任了演员。她曾与喜剧演员 Pete Davidson、演员 Jacob Elordi 约会，目前与 Bill Pullman 的儿子 Lewis（同样是一名演员）交往。“我认为我被贴上了相当厌女的标签：连续约会者、荡妇、贪婪，”她告诉《Vogue》。

基本上，她在 9500 万 位 Instagram 粉丝的注视下，不得不快速成长。Gere 去年在 Hinge 上结识了他的女友，他没有社交媒体。这意味着他并没有完全意识到，人们在网上对他出演的《亢奋》（Euphoria）剧照中仅着内裤的“奶爸身材”（dad bod）如此痴迷。

当然，只有男性才能拥有自然的身材并因此受到赞美。“人们一直评论我的身体，这很艰难，”Gerber 向《Vogue》坦言。“我的生活中曾出现过饮食失调。人们会说，‘你看上去糟糕透了’，这并不 exactly 会让你觉得，‘噢，太好了。那让我赶紧摆脱这种精神疾病吧！’”

然而，尽管成名之路截然不同，Gere 和 Gerber 最终来到了同一个地方，并且显然关系亲密——他们一起派对直到《Vogue》采访的前一天晚上。当 Gerber 处于全速前进的状态时，Gere 却没有任何在计划中的项目，除了可能再次参加他最喜欢的十天静修。啊，所以也并非完全脱离好莱坞。

《碎片》（The Shards）的创作者 Ryan Murphy 说：“他对出名毫无兴趣。我认为他会保持纯真，”而“Kaia 则如此世故……她见多识广。”

事实上，她已经将自己的经验分享给了他。“Homer，不幸的是，这部剧的情况是，你不能仅仅被当作一个无名演员，人们会以无名演员的标准来评判你。但这对我来说，反而让我想要更加努力工作，”她回忆起对他说的话。

毕竟，在好莱坞，肯定没有人比另一个“星二代”（nepo baby）更能理解你了——即便你们的父母曾经结过婚。

44岁依然单身且没有孩子？我从未想过我会变成这样

在28岁时，克莱尔·麦高文（Claire McGowan）的生活似乎已然定型。随后，接踵而至的是一段段失败的关系和失望……

我从未想过自己在44岁时，会处于单身且没有孩子的状态。然而，就像许多女性一样，我正步入中年且没有孩子。根据英国国家统计局的数据，2025, 年英格兰和威尔士的出生人数连续第四年下降，跌至近半个世纪以来的最低水平。

那么，我的生活是如何演变成这样的？直到二十多岁中期，我从未将生育视为一种选择。我在北爱尔兰的农村长大，那里有六个甚至九个孩子的家庭并不罕见（我家有四个，相对较小）。尽管北爱尔兰是英国的一部分，但在六年前之前，堕胎仍是非法的，而我就读的天主教学校教导我们避孕是有罪的。我的许多朋友在大学毕业后立即结婚并怀孕。我的表妹比我大两周，她在18岁时就生了孩子，而现在44, 岁已经成了祖母。我觉得自己太年轻，还没到考虑这些的时候——当时我满脑子都是上大学和搬到英格兰的想法。

在二十多岁时，在经历了数月的腹胀和消化不良后，我被诊断出患有巨大的卵巢囊肿。因为我还年轻，腹肌将囊肿顶在里面，直到病情相当严重时才变得明显。我被紧急送入手术室，当时我非常恐惧，担心自己可能无法挺过来。手术切除后，我被告知那是早期癌症。

我记得在医院里消化这个震惊消息时的情景。他们告诉我不用担心——即使只有一个卵巢仍然可以怀孕，而且我的生育能力最多可能降低约15%。我不确定他们是如何得出这个数字的，但听到这个消息时我感到很欣慰。

我花了很长时间才从手术中恢复，那是一道从肚脐到腹股沟的正中切口，让我好几个月几乎无法行走。那个夏天，我一直躺在父母家的沙发上观看《海岛之战》（Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands）。在身体脱离危险后，我发现心理上的恢复更具挑战性。但至少我在好转，而且不需要化疗。重新站起来后，我搬到了伦敦，开始了一份新工作，并与一名同事约会，在28. 岁时与他结婚。生活似乎已经定型。

然而，我没有怀孕。我们当时并不太担心——时间还充裕。一年过去了，我们做的检测结果都正常，包括我的。但无论如何，我们的关系已经在分崩离析，在寻求治疗之前我们就分手了。

那时我31, 岁，尽管被生活破碎的残骸所击垮，但我认为自己仍有时间组建家庭。

快进七年，我处于另一段关系中，我们讨论过要孩子。但在经历了近两年的检查和等待后，我被告知，手术留下的瘢痕组织

阻塞了我仅剩的一侧输卵管，并且我患上了痛苦的子宫内膜异位症。如果我想要孩子，就需要进行试管婴儿（IVF）。

从那时起，事情变得越来越复杂且令人抓狂。在经历了漫长得令人痛苦的NHS生育预约等待、子宫内膜异位症手术、结果令人困惑的大量检测、被错误告知问题出在伴侣身上、医疗记录丢失，以及在年满40, 岁前的最后关头勉强赶上之后，我被告知，由于我曾患有卵巢癌，可能根本不被允许进行试管婴儿手术。

我震惊了——而且愤怒至极。在18个月的预约过程中，没有人提到过这一点。而且这也不是事实，但两个月后新冠疫情爆发，诊所关闭了。随后，那段关系也结束了。

大约一年后，有一天早晨我醒来，意识到我需要冻结卵子。我之前几乎没想过这件事，但我已经39岁了，时间已经相当晚了。我私下进行了三轮采集，得到了14颗卵子，结果还不错。我感到压力减轻了，终于松了一口气。

[...OMITTED...]

我当时正与一名在 Bumble 上认识的男人开始另一段感情，随着我们深深陷入爱河，这段关系进展得很快。42 岁时我订婚了，我们讨论过在接下来一年左右的时间里使用我的卵子。然后，在筹备婚礼期间，我的未婚夫离开了我也再次变回单身。我在很多方面都感到心碎，

尤其是因为我觉得他在孩子的问题上误导了我，结果却说他从未想要过孩子。

这就是一个人如何到了 44 岁依然没有孩子。在我的新小说《The Quickening》中，我描写了一个女性生育能力受到严格监控，且避孕和堕胎被禁止的英国。对我来说，这并非抽象之谈。它是基于一辈子的检测与痛苦，以及生育失败和不确定性。这是 2026 年世界上许多女性面临的现实。

我从未渴望过拥有孩子——我觉得如果我渴望，多年前我就已经采取更果断的行动了。我发现这种矛盾的心情有时相当痛苦。当我抱起朋友的孩子或牵着侄子们的手时，我会想到自己没有孩子，而且可能永远不会有。但当我旅行并完全按照自己的意愿度过时光时，我意识到我拥有绝对的自由，可以随时去参加静修、在合唱团唱歌或做瑜伽。

我一直非常清楚，我需要决定是否要孩子——但我无法决定。我经常担心一旦太晚我会后悔，但我无法做出前进的选择。于是我等待，处于一种悬而未决的状态。有可能生活已经替我做出了选择，而最终，那将是正确的选择。

当我抱起朋友的孩子时，我会想到自己没有任何孩子

《The Quickening》，作者 Claire McGowan (Little, Brown £22)。如需订购，请访问 timesbookshop.co.uk 或致电 020 3176 2935。在线订单满 £25 免英国标准邮费。Times+ 会员可享受特别折扣

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JEFF KRAVITZ, DOGO CHODOGO / BEN / GETTY IMAGES

C罗最艰难的比赛是踢结婚这门课

本·马切尔（Ben Machell）表示，与攀登足球的最高巅峰相比，成为一名 41 岁的已婚男人简直不算什么

周二，克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多（Cristiano Ronaldo）与他的长期女友乔治娜·罗德里格兹（Georgina Rodriguez）举行了民事婚礼。《每日邮报》将其描述为“亲密且私密”，路透社称其为“民事且私密”，而《¡Hola!》则称其为“私密”。你懂我的意思。我们没被邀请。

名人婚礼的细节通常不能引起我的兴趣。然而，像许多人一样，我长期着迷于罗纳尔多脑海中发生的事情：那种自我意识、虚荣心、强迫性的控制欲，以及对他决定去做的一切事情——从进球、奖杯到孩子、腹肌——所持有的极致主义态度。一个来自马德拉的瘦弱男孩，父亲死于酒精性肝衰竭，母亲贫穷且勤劳，他竟然能通过意志力将自己转化为世界上最伟大的球员之一以及一个价值十亿英镑的品牌，这简直……极其有趣。对于任何对弗洛伊德分析感兴趣的人来说，他就像圣诞节一样令人兴奋。

这就是为什么他的婚礼对于任何像我一样一直试图理解这个家伙的人来说至关重要。谁出席了？显然，罗德里格兹在场，他十年前在马德里的一家古驰（Gucci）店工作时与她相识。如果她当时接受了 Wickes 的那份工作，她的生活可能会截然不同，但他们的相遇标志着罗纳尔多“放纵” era 的结束。

这段时间值得简短地探讨一下。2007 年，在效力曼联的第一段时期，罗纳尔多与《Hollyoaks》的女演员杰玛·阿特金森（Gemma Atkinson）约会。她对他们第一次约会的描述是：“我们只是去了我家，喝了几杯茶，看了《只有傻瓜和马》，”这是我听过最吸引人的“亲密细节披露”。后来的一个女友，意大利模特拉法埃拉·菲科（Raffaella Fico）回忆说，他在晚餐后做腹肌训练，这表明他对身体完美的痴迷在加深，尽管他做这些动作时可能在看《Minder》。再后来，当他与俄罗斯模特伊莉娜·谢克（Irina Shayk）分手时，据报道她因此在社交媒体上失去了 1100 万 粉丝。这与其说是反映了罗纳尔多，不如说是反映了他那些极其忠诚的粉丝——他们关注 Instagram 上的美女并非因为她们漂亮，而是因为她们与他们的偶像交往。这很健康。

总之，回到婚礼嘉宾名单。有趣的是，没有报道称前队友出席。曾在曼联与他共事的帕特里斯·埃夫拉（Patrice Evra）描述过一次被邀请到罗纳尔多家吃午餐的经历，结果发现正餐只是白煮鸡、沙拉和水，而且他的主人期望他们

在餐后立即进行足球训练，然后去游泳。“这就是为什么我建议任何人，当克里斯蒂亚诺邀请你去他家吃午餐时，直接说不，不要去。他是一台机器，”他说。

当里奥·费迪南德（Rio Ferdinand）在公开场合乒乓球击败罗纳尔多时，后者愤怒到立即买了一张乒乓球桌，连续练习了两周，然后确保在重赛中击败他。韦恩·鲁尼（Wayne Rooney）描述了罗纳尔多如何站在镜子前告诉自己他很“美”，而他——鲁尼——则告诉他，不，事实上他很丑。所有这些综合起来，也许就是为什么这些前队友都没有出席婚礼的原因。也许他们担心在蛋白质奶昔欢迎酒会和生蔬菜晚餐之间，他们都得做引体向上。

罗纳尔多真的像鲁尼暗示的那样虚荣吗？嗯，当一座滑稽得离谱的青铜胸像在马德拉机场揭幕时——那座胸像让他看起来像个在酸旅（acid trip）中剃净胡须的直立人（Homo erectus）——他的粉丝们愤怒了。但他仅仅要求雕塑家去掉眼睛周围的一些线条。这让我觉得，他的幽默感比人们认为的要强。

上方：乔治娜·罗德里格兹与克里斯蒂亚诺·罗纳尔多。左图：罗德里格兹出席五月的 Met Gala。右图：罗纳尔多去年为葡萄牙队出战。下方：与他们的四个孩子在一起

然而，他的五个孩子都出席了婚礼，但罗纳尔多对待父亲这一角色的方式……耐人寻味，绝对值得深思。2010年，他有了克里斯蒂亚诺二世，孩子在美国出生。其母亲的身份至今仍是个秘密。随后在2017年，他通过代孕在美国有了双胞胎。此时他已与罗德里格兹在一起，五个月后，他们有了一个孩子，阿拉娜·马蒂娜。那么……这是怎么回事？大多数处于他这种地位的年轻富豪会尽其所能地逃避为人父的责任。而罗纳尔多却在刻意且系统地追求这种责任。

我能想到的最好的理论是，这个男人一生都在将自己的职业生涯变成一个高度受控、高度管理的工程。而他对待为人父母的态度也完全一样。我敢肯定他的母亲也管了很多。母亲们总是如此。

不过，有一件事你只能控制一段时间，

那就是时间。罗纳尔多现在 41 岁，任何观看葡萄牙队参加世界杯的人都会被他在前场踢球时那种略显尴尬的凄凉感所触动。并不是说他踢得差，只是他……变慢了，变得僵化了，不再是那种自然界中原始的破坏力。

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走起！

那种将自负、固执以及病态的勤奋相结合的特质，曾让他与利昂内尔·梅西竞争那个（诚然极其令人厌烦的）“GOAT”——史上最伟大球员——的称号，而现在这些特质却在起反作用。

听听任何周日业余联赛的苦干球员怎么说吧。当你的腿不行了，那就是不行了，就像你只能在一段时间内掩盖眼角的皱纹一样。在某个时刻，即使是马德拉岛的青铜铸造师也会告诉你，听着……你就是长这样。你四十多岁了。时间在发挥它的作用。

“他是个彻头彻尾的怪人——但却有着无穷的魅力”

所以，也许这场低调的婚礼是一个信号，表明那个变成了 CR7 的男孩正准备从舞台左侧退场。无论用什么标准衡量，他都是一个彻头彻尾的怪人，但却有着无穷的魅力，当他不再出现在球场上时，我会想念他的。他一直是一个在面对挑战时显得最快乐的人。进球最多。出场次数最多。赢得奖杯最多。做仰卧起坐最多。所以，也许他终于找到了勇气去应对目前最大的挑战。那就是，做一个四十多岁、有妻子和孩子的男人。加油吧，克里斯蒂亚诺。让我们看看你的本事。

就像露西·戴维斯一样，我的继发性乳腺癌发生了转移

53岁的《办公室》主演表示她的病情已进入终末期。莱斯利·斯蒂芬知道被告知这种情况是什么感觉。作者：安娜·麦克斯泰德

令人震惊且悲痛的消息是，53岁的露西·戴维斯（Lucy Davis）宣布她患有无法治愈的乳腺癌。这位在《办公室》（The Office）中饰演秘书道恩（Dawn）并悄然抢尽风头的女演员在 Instagram 的一篇帖子中告诉追随者，她在一年半前被诊断出患有四期乳腺癌。该疾病已转移至她的骨骼，“具体来说，转移到了我的脊柱、右髋部和肋骨”。她补充道：“化疗已经太晚了。”

她提到，“最初的肿块……我觉得并不像是一个‘肿块’，而更像是一个硬点。非常小。我几乎没打算去检查。所以我想我是想说，不要忽视任何事情——要把所有情况都检查清楚。”

戴维斯不希望被当作病人对待——幽默至关重要——但她说，“疼痛真的可能非常剧烈。站立和行走太长时间会很困难”，而且她有时需要轮椅。令人心碎的是，贾斯珀·卡罗特（Jasper Carrott）之女戴维斯补充说，她将比“预期更早”地再次见到她在 2024 年去世的爱犬格雷西（Gracie），并且内心平静。“我正努力以尽可能有趣的方式，度过我生命中可能剩下的任何时光。”

她的措辞表明她已经接受了自己时日无多的事实。来自爱丁堡的莱斯利·斯蒂芬（Lesley Stephen）在被诊断出继发性乳腺癌时 48 岁，她说：“继发性乳腺癌的五年生存率约为 22%。”

12 年后，现年 60 岁的斯蒂芬情况良好，尽管尚未完全根除癌症。

她回忆说，她的主要症状是持续性的咳嗽。

“英国的乳腺 X 光检查是在 50 岁时进行的，所以我之前没做过乳腺 X 光检查，”她说。“我只是有一种挥之不去的咳嗽。”由于有四个 12 岁以下的孩子，且是自雇人士，她感到“精疲力竭”。她以为自己是胸部感染。

四个月后，她多次就诊于全科医生（GP）。“我被开了抗生素。”由慈善机构 Make 2nds Count（斯蒂芬是其受托人）列出的继发性乳腺癌的其他症状包括：头痛、呼吸困难、腹部肿胀、药物无法缓解的骨痛、视力模糊、失去平衡或四肢无力、食欲不振，以及腋下、乳房或锁骨下出现肿块或肿胀区域。

然而，斯蒂芬当时“没有肿块，没有分泌物，也没有疼痛”。她说：“我最终做了胸部 X 光检查，然后进行了紧急 CT 扫描，结果显示

我的咳嗽是[由]乳腺癌引起的，而且癌症已经转移到了我的肺部、肝脏和骨骼。那是一个通过我的淋巴结转移过来的微小肿瘤。”

这次诊断“就像被人在胃上打了一拳。那种悲痛难以置信。”她问：“我还能活多久？”并看到“握着我的手的护士在流泪，这感觉糟透了”。

现在，斯蒂芬谈到戴维斯时说：“我非常同情她。听起来她已经认命，接受了自己无法像希望那样长寿的事实，而情况确实如此。”

然而，身为一名被授予 MBE 勋章的患者倡导者，斯蒂芬发出了一丝谨慎的希望之声。她也经历过那个“可怕”的诊断，一年后癌症

莱斯利·斯蒂芬。上方：露西·戴维斯；下方：与她的父亲贾斯珀·卡罗特合影

转移到了她的脑部——这是“最可怕的事情”。她说：“在那个诊断 12 年后，我绝不会相信我依然能在这里。”

她补充道：“我知道很多患有骨‘转移’（mets，他们如此称呼）的女性——她们处于痛苦之中，骨转移真的非常、非常痛苦，但我认识一个人在十年后依然状态良好，生活愉快。所以，我想给[戴维斯]传递的信息是不要放弃。”

“人们根本不知道——晚期乳腺癌是无法治愈的”

尽管如此，在斯蒂芬被诊断出疾病 18 个月后，“我被告知要处理好我的后事，因为我已经没有其他治疗方案了。”在经历了“我以为是最后一次去纽约的家庭度假”之后，她说，“我那出色的肿瘤科医生说，‘你还可以进行更多的化疗，或者你可以参加一项临床试验。’”斯蒂芬立刻选择了临床试验，并参与了

七年之久。这“非常罕见，但如果没有它，我不会在今天站在这里。”

她说：“仅仅是拥有希望就非常重要。”随后，斯蒂芬和 Make 2nds Count 启动了一项免费服务，旨在帮助乳腺癌转移患者在治疗路径中探索临床试验的可能性。

她感谢戴维斯提高了人们的意识。“大多数人根本不知道晚期乳腺癌是无法治愈的。他们会想，‘哦，乳腺癌，那是种比较好治的病。’事实并非如此。每月有 1000 名女性死于这种疾病。它是 50, 岁以下女性最大的死因之一，如果不是最大死因的话。”

许多人没有意识到这种疾病会复发。“你可能认识一些患过原发性乳腺癌的人。但它可能会在 20 年后才复发，并扩散到其他器官。”她举了奥利维亚·牛顿-约翰（Olivia Newton-John）的例子。

“治疗的目标是在尽可能长时间内控制并减缓癌症的扩散，同时希望能为你提供更高的生活质量。现在有各种各样的不同疗法，”斯蒂芬说。在化疗之后，她尝试了一种新药（花费了巨额资金），但失败了，随后她抢到了临床试验的最后一个名额。在那之后，她的肺部生长了一些癌细胞，需要切除一个肺叶并进行放射治疗，但她说：“目前我体内没有活跃的癌细胞。”

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8

艺术

在狱中拯救我的乐队——随后带我参加巡演

当克里斯·阿特金斯（Chris Atkins）因欺诈被监禁时，他沉溺于 James 乐队的音乐。现在，他正通过一部新电影讲述这支资深独立乐队的故事。

在我成年后的绝大部分时间里，我都在抵制 James 的音乐。大学时，走廊里有个令人厌烦的曼彻斯特人是他们的狂热粉丝，他随时随地大声播放《Laid and Sit Down》，所以我决定我不喜欢这支乐队，因为我不喜欢他。如果不是因为我在 2016. 年因税务欺诈而被监禁，我可能永远不会注意到 的作品。当时我卷入了一个可疑的避税计划以筹集电影资金，结果被关了两年半。

在伦敦的万兹沃斯女王陛下监狱（HM Prison Wandsworth）里，我最想念的东西之一就是 Spotify。监禁的残酷让我渴望在播放列表中寻找逃避之所，但唯一的音乐来源是一台微小的数字收音机，永久调频在 BBC Radio 6 Music。我不断地听新歌，这是我自青少年时期以来从未做过的事。没有 Shazam，没有 Google，也没有 BBC Sounds 的回放按钮，我很少知道自己听到的是哪首曲子，因此我必须在当下享受音乐。这可能令人兴奋，让我细细品味每一个音符，因为它们很快就会永远消失，但我也常因试图弄清歌曲名称而感到愤怒。我当时在写一本关于监狱生活之疯狂的日记，所以每当我听到一首劲歌，我就会在页边空白处潦草地写下一句歌词：“We're gonna miss you when you're gone... Do everything you fear... Getting away with it”。

直到一年后我进入开放式监狱，才完全想起了这个模拟存档。白金汉郡的斯普林希尔女王陛下监狱（HMP Spring Hill）允许我日间外出，前往牛津布鲁克斯大学学习心理学，在那里我开始翻阅我的万兹沃斯日记。剥开那些沾满咖啡渍的 A4 纸，我发现了这些在几个月前触动过我的歌曲片段。我终于能够通过 Google 搜索这些神秘的歌词——并发现其中许多曲目出自 90 年代的 乐队。

我勉强承认自己在 25 年前鲁莽地误判了他们，并为了弥补这个过错而听完了他们所有的过往作品。这花了好几天时间，因为他们

仍在不断产出优秀的音乐，且在当时已经积累了 16 张专辑。我感到震惊。现在重新用上 Spotify，出于某种潜意识里担心再也听不到这些歌的恐惧，我本能地开始保存曲目，并创建了一个包含所有触动我灵魂的 歌曲的宏大播放列表。最终，这个列表的时长超过了 7 小时。

监狱的生活如此混乱，以至于让你不得不依赖僵化的常规，而这个宏大的 播放列表成了我一天的基石。每天早上 8.15am 进入图书馆时，我会把它播放起来，在打字整理监狱日记时将其完整播放一遍。近一年时间里，我几乎每天如此。 的歌曲不仅没有分散我的注意力，反而释放了一种创造性的心流状态，让我我在编辑堆积如山的潦草笔记时完全忘记了时间。回读日记时，我有时会被长期压抑的创伤性监狱经历所触发，但总有一首 的歌能将我托起。多年来我一直想成为一名作家，但自我怀疑总是摧毁之前的所有努力。感谢 ——以及在万兹沃斯度过的九个疯狂月份——我终于能写出一些值得阅读的东西。

我在 2019 年出狱并出版了我的书《A Bit of a Stretch》。我通过在温布利体育馆观看我最喜爱的乐队的演出来庆祝。

克里斯·阿特金斯（中），与 乐队的吉姆·格伦尼（Jim Glennie）和蒂姆·布斯（Tim Booth）。主图：布斯在 2024. 年的格拉斯顿伯里音乐节。右图：1987 年的 乐队

的现场演出与我之前见过的任何演出都不同。他们具有号召力的主唱蒂姆·布斯在演出的一半时间里都待在观众席中，与欣喜的粉丝们对唱，而乐队的其他成员则爆发出了无政府主义般的能量。

大约在同一时间，我偶然开始执导音乐纪录片。在我发布了《谁杀了 KLF？》（Who Killed the KLF?）之后

我那份史诗级的监狱播放列表成了我一天的基石

2021年，最早看到它的人之一是詹姆斯·布朗特（James Blunt），他随即请我拍一部纪录片。《詹姆斯·布朗特：英国奇才》（James Blunt: One Brit Wonder）反响不错，我那饱经风霜的制片人伊恩·尼尔（Ian Neil）问我们接下来该关注谁。那时我已经完全痴迷于 乐队了。20世纪80年代和90年代的“疯狂曼彻斯特”（Madchester）场景在纪录片中被过度覆盖，但还没有人将镜头对准 —— 而事实证明，他们拥有所有乐队中最离奇的故事。

我将我的监狱书籍寄给了蒂姆·布斯（Tim Booth）和吉姆·格伦尼（Jim Glennie），他们于1982年在曼彻斯特的后朋克场景中组建了 乐队。我向他们解释了我如何在服刑期间不经意间成了超级粉丝，这似乎引起了他们的共鸣。他们接受了一些极其坦诚的采访，透露了他们如何在1984年加入了一个邪教，该邪教强迫他们每天冥想12小时，导致他们拒绝了与 The Smiths 乐队一起进行的一次突破性的美国巡演。他们在莫斯赛德（Moss Side）的一个童军小屋里开发了一种独特的团体即兴表演形式，在没有约定曲目（unspoken）的情况下演奏数小时，并从错误中锻造出歌曲。

但与此同时，他们拒绝学习乐器，最初也不愿录制歌曲，甚至愚蠢地避开了伟大的工厂唱片公司（Factory Records）。乐队内部充满了内斗，为了支付账单而接受医学实验，并根据一名通灵者的建议雇佣了鼓手。我不再好奇他们为什么花了这么长时间才成名，而是开始好奇他们是怎么撑过五分钟的。

在他们开启一场混乱的40周年庆典巡演时，我随团同行。 很少提前计划任何事情，而且即便计划了，很快也会被扔进垃圾桶。这创造了令人惊叹的独特表演，但让该乐队成为了拍摄的噩梦。在演出前，我总是愚蠢地询问他们计划表演哪些歌曲，结果只得到了困惑的笑声。

他们获得了在雅典卫城演出的罕见荣誉，

---

JM 01 / 15 / 2027 8:04:03 STENNIS WRIGHT / 2077 8:04:03

9

而我疯狂地同意用16台摄像机进行拍摄。考虑到这座古代露天剧场的脆弱性，演出的每一个细节都必须由面无表情的希腊建筑师以书面形式预先批准，对于一支四十年来从未遵守过曲目单的乐队来说，这极具挑战性。

在一次热浪中，一半的设备失效了，拍摄团队几乎不会说英语，我们还因为飞无人机而面临被逮捕的威胁。天知道我们是怎么逃过一劫的。这次制作带给我的噩梦比在旺兹沃思（Wandsworth）监狱时还要糟糕。但这绝对是一场终生难忘的演出。

总是选择向左而不是向右，但在我看来，这种快乐的执拗使他们能够坚持至今，且现在正处于巅峰状态。他们那些近乎宗教般虔诚的粉丝会追随他们直到月球。我能给出的最好的解释是，不知为何，他们那种美丽的无政府状态让你愿意随他们一起跃入未知。

《: Getting Away with It》将于周一在英国全境电影院上映，包括曼彻斯特首映礼的现场表演，以及由加里·内维尔（Gary Neville）主持的乐队采访，将同步直播到每家电影院。

艺术

降低古典音乐的门槛？不，我是在打破壁垒

Radio 3 主持人乔治亚·曼（Georgia Mann）解释了为什么听众需要一种新的接触方式——包括 DJ 演出

Shy FX 的鼓打贝斯（drum'n'bass）试音有多大可能掩盖我 15 世纪的多声部音乐？我该如何防止乔·威克斯（Joe Wicks）的大规模健身操比我的巴赫改编曲声音更大？我在尝试让我的雅纳切克（Janacek）作品“掉拍（drop the beat）”时，是否会被黄蜂蜇到？这些都是我在担任古典音乐 DJ 期间问过自己的问题。

这个职位名称听起来可能是音乐史上最大的矛盾修辞法，虽然我还不能自称拥有像 Fatboy Slim 那样的崇拜度，但人们对我那些涵盖了巴赫、斯特拉文斯基和安娜·梅雷迪斯（Anna Meredith）的 DJ 演出所产生的反应表明，人们想要体验古典音乐的方式发生了巨大的转变。

我的正职是主持 BBC Radio 3 的《Essential Classics》节目，从发给节目的信件中，我可以察觉到一群对古典音乐充满好奇的新听众正在出现。最近的研究显示，古典音乐的流媒体播放量在年轻人中激增：35 岁以下的听众占全球古典音乐流媒体用户的三分之一以上。

并非所有人都喜欢我谈论古典音乐的方式，我会将这种方式定义为不羁且口语化的。我倾向于关注传记细节而非音乐学细节——例如，我觉得谈论贝多芬的肠道问题比谈论他对奏鸣曲式处理方式更有趣。我还试图减少那些作为古典音乐命名惯例而不可或缺的、没完没了的调号和作品编号。幸好，如今这些细节在网上都能查到，因为在广播中把这些话完整说出来往往需要痛苦地耗费很长时间。

这激怒了一些人。《旁观者》（The Spectator）的一位编辑在 X 上指责我是在胡言乱语。《每日电讯报》（The Daily Telegraph）最近刊登了一篇标题为“Radio 3 真的在降低门槛吗？”的文章，下面配了一张我脸的大照片。我把它装裱起来挂在了我的厕所里。

但对于那些热爱贝多芬钢琴奏鸣曲的声音，却完全不知道可怜的老路德维希是谁的人，我们该如何打破壁垒？于是，“古典 DJ（Classical DJ）”项目应运而生。这是我和一名叫罗布·温特（Rob Winter）的音频工程师的共同创业项目。温特实际上会操作一对唱盘，而我连插一对耳机都费劲。我们共同创作无缝衔接的古典曲目序列，由我在其中穿插极少量的解说，以便观众能感受到塑造他们所听音乐的人物和地点。

我生命中最超现实且最温暖的一些时刻，就源于我们在格拉斯顿伯里（Glastonbury）的古典 DJ 演出。我承认，当我们演出到播放冰岛钢琴家维金古尔·奥拉夫松（Víkingur Ólafsson）演奏的一首

一对近乎全裸的伴侣在狂喜中聆听

激昂的巴赫《管风琴奏鸣曲第 4.》改编曲时，我几乎失控。突然，在巴赫的音乐中穿插进来了威克斯对着山坡下方几百个健身爱好者大喊“快点，继续坚持！”的声音，那是大规模健身操的一部分。

每一场伟大的 DJ 演出都需要让你感觉到自己是某个比个体更宏大之物的一部分，而古典音乐领域确实非常适合这种群体性的超越。在目前为止的所有古典演出中，我们都演奏了史蒂夫·赖克（Steve Reich）的《18 位音乐家的音乐》。我总是鼓励观众闭上眼睛，聆听赖克所描述的音乐中的“脉冲”。我永远不会忘记格拉斯顿伯里的一对伴侣，他们闭着眼睛站立聆听，脸上带着狂喜的表情，两人几乎全裸且大汗淋漓（我敢肯定一定是音乐的作用？）。当我们从赖克切换到亨德尔的《永恒的神圣之光》（Eternal Source of Light Divine）时，云层恰好散去，远处的金字塔舞台显现，伴随着附近面馆日益浓烈的香味，那一刻感觉像奇迹一样。

更多活动即将到来。九月，我们邀请大家加入我们的“哈利路亚家庭派对”（Hallelujah House Party），将亨德尔的巴洛克辉煌与吉米·亨德里克斯（Jimi Hendrix）相结合，地点就在这两位相隔两个世纪居住在伦敦布鲁克街（Brook Street）的同一地址：亨德尔-亨德里克斯故居（Handel Hendrix House）。为了纪念该故居向公众开放 25 周年，我们将用现场 DJ 演出填满每一个房间，在三天的时间里用亨德尔和亨德里克斯的音乐让这里焕发生机。想象一下，《永恒的光源》（Eternal Source of Light Divine）以迷幻的方式融入《嘿，乔》（Hey Joe），而每个人则以 1700 年代的亨德尔风格和 1960 年代后期的亨德里克斯风格尽情饮食欢娱。

我们的下一场演出将在白厅的宴会厅（Banqueting House）播放一些詹姆斯一世时期的曲调，届时大家可以惬意地躺下，仰望新修复的鲁本斯天顶画。这里曾是发生过一些严重放纵行为的空间，因此我们通过播放曾作为詹姆斯一世版“狂欢派对”——宫廷假面剧（masque）背景音乐的曲目，来重现当年的派对氛围。当你仰望鲁本斯笔下在上方嬉戏的天界生物时，预计会听到像亨利·普赛尔（Henry Purcell）的《钟鸣赞美诗》（Bell Anthem）这样 17 世纪的劲曲。

当我第一次参观宴会厅，凝视天顶中央詹姆斯一世抵达天界的画作时，我不禁在内心短暂地回响起了 1998 年 Faithless 乐队那首经典作品《上帝是个 DJ》（God Is a DJ）。舞池见？

伦敦宴会厅的古典 DJ 活动将于本周六和周日举行。“哈利路亚家庭派对”将于 9 月 18-20 日在伦敦的亨德尔-亨德里克斯故居举行。

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10

谋杀审判

BBC2 ★★★★☆

法庭纪录片很少像我们在电视剧中看到的那些充满戏剧性的法庭场景。它们总是更扣人心弦——是真实的犯罪剧场。

《谋杀审判：一名遛狗者的死亡》（Murder Trial: Death of a Dog Walker）也不例外，它还为观众提供了一份有用的教程，告诉你在被指控谋杀时，在警察审讯中不该如何表现。No 1 课：尽量不要傲慢。或者在女侦探面前表现得令人不安。

大卫·坎贝尔（David Campbell）在这方面对自己毫无益处。警察审讯视频显示，被怀疑在苏格兰阿伯费尔迪（Aberfeldy）一条偏僻小巷中枪杀布莱恩·洛（Brian Low）的坎贝尔表现得傲慢且自以为是，他对房间里的女警员说：“我喜欢美女的陪伴。”男警员提醒他，她已经“尴尬得快要钻进地缝里了”。这对我们其他人来说是一项公共服务，万一我们处于这种境地，请反其道而行之。

更糟糕的是，在被告席上观看这段录像时，曾任猎场看守的坎贝尔似乎在嘲笑自己的行为。这非常耐人寻味。这部电影没有使用任何噱头，因为没有必要。法庭就是人类心理的轻歌剧。

但针对坎贝尔的控方证据并不充分，法医证据很少。谋杀武器从未被找到。这种情况在很大程度上可以归咎于警方，他们在 2024 年发现洛的尸体当天犯了一个巨大的错误。

第一批到达现场的警员之一说，他看到了尸体，并认为对方是在散步时摔倒的。这起死亡事件在几天内被视为非可疑死亡，导致可能至关重要的证据丢失，直到在准备尸检时，一颗散弹枪弹丸竟然从尸体袋中掉出来，这个细节简直令人难以置信。如果这种情况发生在电视剧里，我会因为情节太离谱而扣掉一颗星。

这部纪录片（两集均可观看）之所以能够拍摄，是因为

大卫·坎贝尔在被指控谋杀布莱恩·洛的审判期间

苏格兰在被认为符合公众利益时允许法庭安装摄像机（显然你看不到陪审团）。我不确定当我在提供证词时——无论是作为证人还是被告，这都是人生中最压力巨大的时刻之一——是否希望镜头对着我。我为帕梅拉（Pamela）感到难过，她是洛相伴 23 年的悲痛伴侣，她在极度震惊的状态下，就其在发现尸体当天向警方提供陈述中的矛盾之处接受了交叉质询。但话又说回来，揭开法庭程序的神秘面纱是有好处的，这样正义才能被看见。在这里，我们看到了陪审团必须如何审视碎片化的证据，并观察它们作为一个整体是否能说服他们。

坎贝尔，77, 与洛，65, 一名地面维护员，之间一直存在不和。在谋杀发生当天，坎贝尔篡改了他的闭路电视（CCTV）和 Ring 门铃，这行为很奇怪，并且他更换了妻子自行车上的轮胎。他过去还曾随口威胁要开枪射击他人。

当陪审团回来宣布裁决的那一刻（对于不知道结果的人，我们将允许第二部分揭晓），其悬念比任何惊悚片都要多。法庭上没有叫喊，没有愤怒的爆发，只有一个老人蹒跚离去，这比任何舞台剧都更有力量。

伟大的生命 Radio 4 Extra, 上午 10 点

为了纪念德国剧场创作者兼作家贝尔托·布莱希特（Bertolt Brecht，见上图）逝世 70 周年（日期为明天），剧作家约翰·戈德伯（John Godber）与马修·帕里斯（Matthew Parris）一起参加了该系列节目的一期充满活力的讨论，将其提名其最大的灵感来源之一。两人都渴望将戏剧带给那些处于常规文化圈之外的人，并让生活的平凡之处看起来像艺术。德国戏剧专家迈克尔·帕特森（Michael Patterson）教授也加入了讨论，探讨布莱希特的作品如何既愉快又具有娱乐性，这位作家在 1933 年逃离纳粹德国后甚至还为好莱坞写过剧本。克莱尔·伍德沃德（Clair Woodward）

Times Radio

数字端、网页、智能扬声器、应用程序 5.00am Tom Nunan 6.00 Salma El-Wardany and Stig Abeil 10.00 Hugo Rifkind 1.00pm Stephen Sackur 2.00 Fi Glover and Roya Nikkhah 4.00 Sebastian Payne with Drive 7.00 Albie Amankona 10.00 Henry Bonsu 1.00am The Best of Times Radio

Radio 2

FM: 88-92.2 MHz 6.30am Sara Cox 9.30 Vernon Kay 11.25 Piano Room 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm Clara Amfo 4.00 Joel Dommett 7.00 Edith Bowman 8.45 Piano Room 9.00 Country Show 10.00 The Good Groove 12.00 OJ Borg 3.00am Dance Sounds of the 90s (r) 4.00 Owain Wyn Evans

Radio 3

FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live BBC Proms — Liszt（《梅菲斯特》#M2）No 1；哥本哈根节与友人，Smetana（g小调钢琴三重奏，Op 15）；格拉纳达节 — Monteverdi（《O Tesco》, 《Tesso mio》, 《阿里安娜的哀歌》, SV 107, 《牧歌》, 《第六册》. 1614）；韦尔班节 — Debussy（小提琴奏鸣曲）；Finzi（《牧歌》）；BBC Proms — Vivaldi（Rhian Davies 和 Ellen O'Brien 改编，《四季》选段）；Florence Price（Rhian Davies 改编）（第一交响曲，《Juba 舞曲》，第三乐章）；Oliver Cross（Liam Taylor-West 改编）（《障碍》）；Michael Betteridge（Julia Koelmans 改编）（《穿梭火花》— 单簧管协奏曲）；Charlotte Harding（Liam Taylor-West 改编）（《管弦乐团 — 青少年指南》）；以及 Berg（小提琴协奏曲）

4.00 本周作曲家：Montgersoll (1764-1836) Donald Macleod 探讨 Hélène 的私生活 (r) 5.00 In Tune 7.00 Live BBC Proms 2026 BBC 交响乐团指挥 James Gaffigan 演奏 Wynton Marsalis 和 Barber 的作品，并与独奏家 Yeol Eum Son 共同演奏 Gershwin 极具魅力的钢琴协奏曲。来自皇家阿尔伯特音乐厅的现场直播。Wynton Marsalis（管弦乐协奏曲 — BBC 共同委约：英国首演）；Gershwin（F调钢琴协奏曲）；以及 Barber（单乐章第一交响曲） 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 Round Midnight 12.30am Through the Night (r)

Radio 4

FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am 新闻摘要 5.04 Sideways (5 / 8) (r) 5.34 航运预报 5.43 Payne for the Day 5.45 今日农业 6.00 Today 9.00 Natalie Haynes 为古典文学发声：关于利用神谕回答人生重大问题的指南 (3 / 7) 9.30 吉他故事：探讨该乐器如何驱动文化变革 (2 / 4) 10.00 女性时间：Anita Rani 主持杂志节目 11.00 儿童三个阶段：Guddi Singh 探讨青春期的心理健康 (3 / 3) (r) 11.45 本周之书：《广岛，8.15：失落的回忆录》，由 Kiyoshi Tanimoto 和 Koko Kondo 撰写 (4 / 5) 12.04pm 骗局秘密 (3 / 8) 12.32 Sliced Bread (7 / 8) 1.00 One 点世界

1.45 人类智能：中国最伟大的女诗人 — 李清照的思想 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 戏剧：《Security》，由 Kelly Jones 创作 3.00 这种自然生活：Phoebe Smith 向 Martha Kearney 展示她最喜欢的地方之一。本系列最后一集 3.27 Radio 4 呼吁 (r) 3.30 Feedback 4.00 简报室 4.30 BBC 内部科学 5.00 PM 6.00 六点新闻 6.30 Icklewick FM：广播团队在农业节现场 (3 / 6) (r) 7.00 The Archers：David 面临选择 7.15 Front Row 艺术节目 8.00 风险自担：风险的历史 (4 / 5) (r) 8.15 媒体秀：最新新闻 (r) 9.00 Loose Ends：Stuart Maconie 在贝尔法斯特主持，该市正在举办 Fleadh Cheoli na hÉireann (r) 9.45 疯狂的牛：一位母亲开始寻找答案的探索 (6 / 10) (r) 10.00 今夜世界 10.45 睡前书：《韦克菲尔德的牧师》，由 Oliver Goldsmith 撰写 (9 / 10) 11.00 Radical：重塑世界的力量 11.30 佳作：Sophie Raworth 和 Patrick Ness 讨论书籍 (7 / 9) (r) 12.00 新闻与天气 12.30am 本周之书：《广岛，8.15：失落的回忆录》 (4 / 5) (r) 12.48 航运预报 1.00 接入 BBC 全球服务

Radio 4 Extra

仅限数字广播 8.00am 《4号站台的火车》 8.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 8.45 《小岛》 9.00 《Icklewick FM》 9.30 《跟随火星入侵》 9.45 《每日礼拜》 10.00 《伟大的生活之选》 10.30 《从象牙到塑料》 11.00 《远方的狼》 11.30 《高级合伙人》 12.00 《资本收益》 12.30pm 《伯基斯之路》 1.00 《4号站台的火车》 1.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 1.45 《小岛》 2.00 《困境》 2.30 《变革》 3.00 《夏季之书》 3.45 《短篇作品》 4.00 《伟大的生活》 4.30 《从象牙到塑料》 5.00 《远方的狼》 5.30 《高级合伙人》 6.00 《资本收益》 6.30 《伯基斯之路》 7.00 《4号站台的火车》 7.30 《艾德里安·莫尔：卡布奇诺岁月》 7.45 《小岛》 8.00 《困境》 8.30 《变革》 9.00 《夏季之书》 9.45 《短篇作品》 10.00 《喜剧俱乐部：Icklewick FM》 10.30 《回顾九十年代》 10.55 《喜剧俱乐部访谈》 11.00 《马克斯与伊万的案卷》 11.30 《索菲·威兰的常态指南》 11.45 《故事是什么，艾希莉·斯托里？》

Radio 5 Live

中波 (MW): 693, 909 5.00am 《金钱觉醒》 6.00 《早餐节目》 9.00 尼基·坎贝尔 (Nicky Campbell) 11.00 戈登·斯马特 (Gordon Smart) 2.00pm 马特·乔利 (Matt Chorley) 4.00 《通勤时段》 7.00 《5 Live 体育》 7.30 田径：伯明翰报道 10.00 强尼·兰森 (Johnny l'Anson) 1.00am 查理·泰勒 (Charlie Taylor)

talkSPORT

中波 (MW): 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am 《早间体育早餐》 6.00 《杰夫·斯特林早餐秀》

10.00 Aaliyah Ahmed 与 史蒂夫·布鲁斯 (Steve Bruce) 1.00pm 霍克斯比与贝克 (Hawksbee and Baker) 4.00 《通勤时段》 7.00 《转会内幕》 10.00 《体育酒吧》 1.00am 《保罗·罗斯的额外时间》

Talk

仅限数字广播 6.00am 伊恩·柯林斯 (Ian Collins) 10.00 朱莉娅·哈特利-布鲁尔 (Julia Hartley Brewer) 1.00pm 大卫·布尔 (David Bull) 4.00 凯文·欧苏利文 (Kevin O'Sullivan) 7.00 彼得·卡德韦尔 (Peter Cardwell) 10.00 安德烈·沃克 (Andre Walker) 与 Ash 1.00am 保罗·罗斯 (Paul Ross)

6 Music

仅限数字广播 5.00am 克里斯·霍金斯 (Chris Hawkins) 7.00 尼克·格里姆肖 (Nick Grimshaw) 10.00 劳伦·劳伦斯 (Lauren Lawrene) 与 詹姆斯·埃利斯-福特 (James Ellis Ford) 1.00pm 克雷格·查尔斯 (Craig Charles) 4.00 休·斯蒂芬斯 (Huw Stephens) 7.00 《每日新音乐速递》 9.00 赖利与科 (Riley & Coe) 11.00 《6 Music 驻场艺术家：Wolf Alice》 12.00 《新音乐速递播放列表》 1.00am 《新专辑速递》 2.00 《6 Music 点唱机》 3.00 《6 Music 永远的 90 年代》 4.00 《6 Music 永远的 00 年代》

Virgin Radio

仅限数字数字广播 6.30am 《克里斯·埃文斯早餐秀》 10.00 艾玛 (Emma) 2.00pm 本·琼斯 (Ben Jones) 6.00 杰夫·劳埃德 (Geoff Lloyd) 10.00 Goldierocks 2.00am 史蒂夫·丹耶 (Steve Denyer)

Classic FM

调频 (FM): 100-102 MHz 6.30am 《蒂姆·利豪早餐秀》 9.00 《名人堂之小时》 10.00 亚历德·琼斯 (Aled Jones) 1.00pm 安妮-玛丽·明霍尔 (Anne-Marie Minhall) 4.00 玛格丽塔·泰勒 (Margherita Taylor) 7.00 《约翰·布伦宁的放松之夜》 9.00 《Classic FM 的作曲家轮播，由约翰·布伦宁主持》 10.00 《宁静古典》 1.00am 比尔·欧弗顿 (Bill Overton) 4.00 《早间早餐》

---

12

电视

今日推荐

《时光之屋》(A House Through Time) BBC2, 晚上 9 点

在之前的播出中往返于伦敦和柏林之后，大卫·奥卢索加（David Olusoga）的系列节目回归，通过一个四集系列探索爱丁堡的一栋房子。该房子建于 1765 年，就在新城（New Town）开工建设之前，它从卡尔顿山（Calton Hill）俯瞰这座苏格兰首府，且曾是志向远大的中产阶级而非精英阶层的居所。这位历史学家再次被政治、经济和社会发展如何塑造个人生活所吸引，首先关注的是那些在 18 世纪 80 年代和 90 年代支持或反对激进运动的居民——一名帮助法国囚犯从爱丁堡城堡逃脱的牧师，以及一名监视罢工织工的特工。同样受到关注的是 Steells 父子，他们以不同方式利用自己的工艺技能；约翰是一个无能的商人，而小约翰则是一位著名的雕塑家。约翰·达格代尔 (John Dugdale)

大卫·奥卢索加 (BBC2, 晚上 9 点)

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern BBC2, 8pm

斯特凡·麦戈文（Steph McGovern）致力于揭秘艺术贸易并向局外人开放，她主持了一场为期 6. 集的竞赛（奖品：价值 5 万英镑 的艺术品），其中七组业余搭档尝试推销画作。在“系列总专家”科德莉亚·德·弗雷塔斯（Cordelia de Freitas）及其特邀助手的指导下，这些渴望成功的参与者面临的第一项挑战是在一场毕业展中挑选出四件具有商业潜力的作品。随后，他们必须诱导学生艺术家们接受那些对此一窍不通的交易商（这感觉很虚假），然后在拍卖预展上大谈艺术废话，并希望他们在拍卖会上选对了作品，并为每件作品设定了正确的“底价”。略带喜剧色彩的是，第一部分以一个升级版的日间古董节目高潮结束；价格更高，但在出价（或不出价）时，主持人以及沮丧或欣喜的参赛者的特写镜头与那些节目如出一辙。JD

BBC1

• 6.00am 早安节目 (Breakfast)
• 9.30 动物公园 (Animal Park) (重播) (音频描述)
• 10.00 追踪、寻找，找回我的车 (Trace, Track, Get My Car Back) (重播)
• 10.30 欧洲田径锦标赛直播：伯明翰 2026. 珍妮特·夸利（Jeanette Kwaley）主持第四天开幕赛事的报道，包括女子 800 米和 400 米半决赛
• 1.15pm BBC News at 1.；天气预报
• 1.40 BBC 地区新闻；天气预报
• 1.50 BBC News at 1.；天气预报
• 2.00 废物利用 (Money for Nothing)。莎拉·摩尔（Sarah Moore）在萨里郡的威利回收中心搜寻
• 2.45 逃往乡村 (Escape to the Country)。一对夫妇正在伍斯特郡或华威克郡寻找新家 (重播) (音频描述)
• 3.30 修理铺 (The Repair Shop)。专家修复一件复古橄榄球衫、一个盛盘、一张地图和一台手风琴 (重播) (音频描述)
• 4.30 答案冲刺 (The Answer Run)。杰森·曼福德（Jason Manford）主持
• 5.15 无用之题 (Pointless)。问答节目 (重播)
• 6.00 BBC 六点钟新闻；天气预报
• 6.30 BBC 地区新闻；天气预报

BBC2

• 6.30am 出价室 (The Bidding Room) (重播)
• 7.15 废物利用 (Money for Nothing) (重播)
• 8.00 手语区：园丁的世界 (Gardener's World) (重播) (音频描述, 手语)
• 9.00 BBC 新闻
• 10.30 古董公路旅行 (Antiques Road Trip) (重播)
• 11.15 锤下之屋 (Homes Under the Hammer) (重播) (音频描述)
• 12.15pm 淘宝猎人 (Bargain Hunt) (重播)
• 1.00 理查德·欧曼的游戏屋 (Richard Ooman's House of Games) (重播)
• 1.30 终点线 (The Finish Line)。问答 (重播)
• 2.15 你了解你的位置吗？布里斯托尔 (Do You Know Your Place? Bristol) (重播)
• 2.45 大裂谷：非洲的狂野之心 (The Great Rift. Africa's Wild Heart)。东非大裂谷的形成 (重播) (音频描述)
• 3.35 海洋间谍 (Spy in the Ocean)。海洋生物必须克服的挑战 (4 / 4) (重播) (音频描述)
• 4.35 复古古董路演 (Vintage Antiques Roadshow)。来自苏格兰的杜罗伊西安城堡 (重播)
• 5.15 把它卖了！(Flog It!)。来自巴纳德城堡 (重播)
• 6.00 理查德·欧曼的游戏屋 (Richard Ooman's House of Games)。克里斯·比森（Chris Bisson）、丹妮尔·哈罗德（Danielle Harold）、凯瑟琳·梅里（Katharine Merry）和罗伯特·韦伯（Robert Webb）参加 (重播)
• 6.30 贝尔·格里尔斯：狂野清算 (Bear Grylls. Wild Reckoning)。一名想要修复与女儿破裂关系的女性 (重播) (音频描述)

ITV1

• 6.00am 英国早安 (Good Morning Britain)
• 10.00 此刻 (This Morning)
• 1.30pm ITV 新闻；天气预报
• 2.00 迪金森的真实交易 (Dickinson's Real Deal)。纽卡斯尔赛马场作为举办地，几把手枪吸引了海伦·加德纳（Helen Gardiner）的注意，亨利·尼科尔斯（Henry Nicholls）花大钱买了一张罕见的圣诞单曲 (重播) (音频描述)
• 3.00 成交或不成交 (Deal or No Deal)。斯蒂芬·穆尔恩（Stephen Mulhern）主持，一名参赛者尝试按正确顺序打开 22 个红盒子，与臭名昭著的“银行家”对决，以争取赢得改变生活的现金大奖 (重播) (音频描述)
• 4.00 敲击点 (Tapping Point)。本·谢泼德（Ben Shephard）主持这场以街机为主题的问答赛，参赛者将代币投入 4 个选定的滑道中，希望赢得 1 万英镑 奖金 (重播)
• 5.00 追击 (The Chase)。布拉德利·沃尔什（Bradley Walsh）主持，来自北安普顿、唐卡斯特、曼彻斯特和卢顿的参赛者与一名冷酷的专家比拼智慧 (重播)
• 6.00 地区新闻；天气预报
• 6.30 ITV 新闻；天气预报

Channel 4

• 6.30am 《女王之王》(The King of Queens) (r) (AD)
• 7.45 《大家都爱雷蒙》(Everybody Loves Raymond) (r) (AD)
• 9.10 《弗雷泽》(Frasier) (r) (AD)
• 11.10 《拉姆齐的厨房噩梦：美国篇》(Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA) (r)
• 12.05pm Channel 4 新闻摘要
• 12.10 《寻找、修复、出售》(Find It, Fix It, Flog It) (r) (AD)
• 1.10 《大屋赠礼》(The Great House Giveaway)。一名房产估价师和一名教学助理在默西赛德郡共同购买了一栋房子 (r)
• 2.10 《倒计时》(Countdown)。由 Pauline McLynn 主持
• 3.00 《阳光之所》(A Place in the Sun)。Jasmine Harman 帮助一对夫妇在西班牙穆尔西亚的乡村寻找度假屋 (r)
• 4.00 《与 Penelope Keith 共救乡村住宅》(Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith)。在北安普敦郡，Nova Guest 决定着手处理 Ashby Manor 广阔的公园绿地 (r) (AD)
• 5.00 《城堡 DIY》(Château DIY)。在令人印象深刻的 Trois Cloches 城堡，酒店式卧室和浴室的工程正式开始 (r) (AD)
• 6.00 《美国拾荒者》(American Pickers)。Mike Wolfe 和 Frank Fritz 在一个 40 英亩的废料场中搜寻，挖掘到了几件失传的宝藏 (r) (AD)

5

• 6.00am Milkshake!
• 9.15 Jeremy Vine
• 11.30 Storm & Alexis
• 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime
• 12.50 Matt Allevright
• 2.20 电影：《替代女儿》（The Replacement Daughter）（PG级，TVM，2024年）。当杰西卡的母亲遭遇肇事逃逸后，她被一名富有的女性照顾，但并非一切都像表面那样。由 Stacy Haduk 主演的惊悚片
• 4.00 《Castle》。当一名人身伤害律师被谋杀时，贝基特和卡斯尔面临着一份长长的潜在嫌疑人名单，而一个令人震惊的秘密加深了围绕里奇之死的谜团 (r)
• 4.55 Love Nature。位于中威尔士中心地带的一个红鸢喂食中心 (r)
• 5.00 Dan Walker 主持的 5 News
• 6.00 《克里特：地中海之珠》。乔安娜·鲁姆利（Joanna Lumley）讲述这次对希腊最大岛屿的探索，涵盖海龟测试点、美食和文化 (r)
• 6.55 5 News Update

7.00 《The One Show》由 Alex Jones 和 Roman Kemp 主持 7.30 《东区东街》（EastEnders）艾米向一个出人意料的来源倾诉，尼古拉和伊芙建立了联系。与此同时，伊恩发现自己陷入了令人担忧的境地 (AD) / 7.00 欧洲田径锦标赛现场直播：伯明翰 2026。来自亚历山大体育场的第 4 日晚间赛报道，包括女子三级跳远和撑杆跳高决赛的开始。报道在 BBC1 继续 / 7.30 Tom Kerridge 烹饪意大利。Tom 探索意大利的山区，揭开栗子和面食的烹饪秘密 (5 / 6) (AD) / 7.00 第 4 频道新闻 / 7.00 《头等舱环游世界》Josie Gibson 前往芬兰和瑞典的旅游胜地，探索斯德哥尔摩，并享受一次飞越群岛的直升机之旅 7.55 5 News Update / --- / 8.00 欧洲田径锦标赛现场直播：伯明翰 2026

Gabby Logan 继续报道来自亚历山大体育场的第 4 日晚间赛，包括女子 200 米决赛。十项全能也将以 1500 米结束，女子三级跳远、撑杆跳高和 3,000m，以及男子掷圆盘和 800 米将颁发奖牌。由 Greg Rutherford 和 Jessica Ennis-Hill 分析，Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson 和 Paula Radcliffe 评论 / 8.00 《The Big Deal》，由 Steph McGovern 主持。新剧集。Steph McGovern 主持，有抱负的艺术交易商竞争发掘人才、协商交易并获利，以获得赢得价值 5 万英镑 英国艺术品的机会。见当日精选 (1 / 6) (AD) / 8.00 《艾默代尔》（Emmerdale）Kev 非常激动，Billy 情绪坚定，Dylan 向 April 承认他一直很挣扎 (AD) 8.30 《加冕街》（Coronation Street）Tim 在未咨询 Sally 的情况下接纳了里奇的女儿露西 (AD)

8.00 《Renovation Rescue》Vogue Williams 和 Luke Mabbott 帮助一名寡妇终于为她承载着许多珍贵回忆的心爱家庭住宅注入新生命 (AD) / 8.00 《约克郡兽医特辑：彼得之梦》。新剧集。镜头跟随 Peter Wright，他在萨塞克斯宠物牧师和教堂的启发下，创建了一个约克郡宠物纪念花园。见当日精选 / 9.00 《A House Through Time》。新剧集。David Olusoga 通过一座房子的历任居民记录更多英国历史，这次是一处位于爱丁堡的房产。见当日精选 (1 / 4) (AD) / 9.00 《The Chase Around the World》。团队抵达苏黎世，挑战 Governess 和 Dark Destroyer。玩家必须通过解答问题在城市中穿行，并在终点线找到 Bradley Walsh (5 / 6) (AD) / 9.00 《隔壁的间谍：安娜·查普曼的故事》。FBI 透露安娜·查普曼仅仅是其中一

在美国境内潜伏的俄罗斯特工庞大网络（2 / 2）（AD） / 9.00 《贝尼多姆谋杀案》在她的单身派对上，伴娘梅根在揭晓一栋豪华别墅之前，羞辱了害羞的新娘莱奥娜及其朋友们。当她们拒绝她的计划时，她愤而独自离去。到了早晨，一起谋杀案震惊了度假胜地。由约翰·汉纳主演的犯罪剧（3 / 6）（AD） / 10.00 BBC 十点新闻 10.30 BBC 地区新闻与天气 10.40 电影：《昨日》（12, 2019）杰克是一名挣扎中的音乐人，在一次神秘事件中被巴士撞击。当他恢复意识时，发现自己是唯一记得披头士乐队的人，于是他决定利用这个机会，将他们的热门歌曲冒充为自己的作品。由希梅什·帕特尔和莉莉·詹姆斯主演的喜剧。丹尼·博伊尔执导。见电影选择（） / 10.00 《红矮星》里默拼命尝试被调到一艘由全息投影人员组成的飞船上（1 / 6）（r）10.30 《新闻之夜》由凯蒂·拉扎尔主持的头条分析 / 10.00 ITV 十点新闻；天气；随后是地区新闻 10.45 电影：《量子之刃》（12, 2008）詹姆斯·邦德执行一项私人复仇任务，并揭露了一场在拉丁美洲国家发动政变的计划。由丹尼尔·克雷格、奥尔加·库里连科、朱迪·登奇、杰玛·阿特顿和马修·阿马里克主演的间谍惊悚续集（） / 10.00 《女学生恐怖分子？》探讨导致里安南·鲁德在 2020 年年仅 15 岁时成为英国被指控恐怖主义罪行的最年轻女孩的事件（） / 10.00 《犯罪现场的杀手》调查水疗中心老板伊尔迪科·克拉皮亚克的死亡，她在加利福尼亚州橙县自己的美容水疗中心的一场爆炸中被杀（r） / 11.05 《谋杀审判》前猎场看守大卫·坎贝尔被指控蓄意谋杀布莱恩·洛，后者是一名 65 岁的 groundsman，两人曾在同一个庄园工作（1 / 2）（r）（） / 11.05 《社交媒体怪物》一名跟踪者如何利用 LinkedIn、Instagram 和 X 来毁掉前老板的名誉以寻求报复。当骚扰活动未能产生结果时，她将注意力转向了其他目标（2 / 10）（r）（） / 11.05 《泰晤士河中的尸体》关于亚当的故事——这个无名男孩被肢解的尸体于 2001, 9 月在泰晤士河中被发现，由此引发了一场让警员奔波全球的调查（r） / 12.30am 《艾伦·卡尔的图片大比拼》艾伦·卡尔主持这场游戏节目，参赛者必须识别满板的图像，有机会赢得高达 1 万英镑 的奖金。本次参赛者包括来自考文垂的朋友、来自伦敦的兄弟姐妹，以及一对来自格拉斯哥的父子（r）1.20-6.00 BBC 新闻 / 12.05am 《家庭中的恶魔：露比·弗兰克的陨落》随着弗兰克一家被隔离，外界试图查明发生了什么。本系列最后一集（r）（）12.55 《手语区：救护车》。一名男子从 20 英尺高的梯子上摔在混凝土上。本系列最后一集（r）（, SL）1.55-2.55 《进化》（r）（, SL） / 12.35am 电视购物 3.00 《巅峰》。山之守护者让小组中的一人做出艰难决定，选择一个人离开大山，而当他们必须在野外露营时，紧张局势升级（r）（, ）3.50 ITV 舒缓时光 5.05-6.00 《交易或不交易：名人特辑》（r）（, ） / 12.10am 《犯罪现场清理员》（r）（, ）1.05 《吉普赛妻子的秘密生活》（r）（, ）1.55 《拉姆齐的酒店噩梦》（r）（, ）2.45 《独裁者：希特勒访谈录》（r）（, ）3.40 《毛孩子》（r）（, ）4.35 《克斯特的工艺之家》（r）4.55 《情侣来我家吃饭》（r）

5.50-6.30 《倒计时》（r） / 12.05am 《街头警察：抓捕混混》（r）1.00 LovettBookit 的邮轮电视（r）2.00 5 频道的娱乐新闻 2.10 《全科医生：闭门之后》（r）3.05 《Castle》（r）3.50 《老友记》（r）（）4.35 《与苏珊·卡尔曼一起巡航》（r）（, ）5.25 5 频道的娱乐新闻 5.35-6.00 儿童节目（r）（）

---

13

电视 12.

《约克郡兽医》特别节目：彼得的梦想 Channel 5, 8pm

兽医彼得·赖特（Peter Wright）的梦想是建立一些让动物爱好者能够缅怀已故宠物的场所。他首先前往萨塞克斯郡，拜访英国首位指定的动物牧师玛丽亚·布雷特（Maria Brett）及其教堂的宠物纪念花园，随后返回约克郡创建类似的场所。赖特还前往霍华迪安丘陵国家景观区（Howardian Hills National Landscape），计划在那里放置宠物纪念长椅，并参加了杰里米·Vine（Jeremy Vine）在 Channel 5 的节目，以提高人们对宠物丧亲之痛的关注。Joe Clay

科恩兄弟故事 BBC4, 9pm

1984年，科恩兄弟凭借《血色简单》（Blood Simple）崭露头角，这部充满反转的黑色电影为他们未来的经典之作，如《法戈》（Fargo，1996）和《老无处可逃》（No Country for Old Men，2007）奠定了基调。这部对莎拉·阿斯皮纳利（Sarah Aspinalli）2000年纪录片的更新版本，探讨了孕育出这种独特视觉风格的历程，并邀请了曾与他们合作的演员参与，包括乔治·克鲁尼（George Clooney）、杰夫·布里吉斯（Jeff Bridges）和蒂尔达·斯文顿（Tilda Swinton）。JC

流媒体选择

《我的灿烂职业》 Netflix

继《绿山墙之安妮》和《草原上的小房子》之后，Netflix 又推出了一部关于一个在文明与荒野之间挣扎的年轻女孩冒险故事的剧集。在三本原著中最阴郁的一部，迈尔斯·富兰克林（Miles Franklin）讲述的关于19世纪90年代澳大利亚农村成长经历的故事，可以说得到了最出色的改编。菲莉帕·诺斯伊斯特（Philippa Northeast）将倔强的西比拉·梅尔文（Sybylla Melvyn）演绎得淋漓尽致，前两集充满了充满泥土气息的三角恋感官刺激。现代风格的插曲非常糟糕，但除此之外的一切都感觉完美无缺。Andrew Male

电影选择

《昨日》（Yesterday (12, 2019)） BBC1, 10.40pm

希梅什·帕特尔（Himesh Patel）饰演杰克·马利克（Jack Malik），一名街头艺人。在一次全球停电后，他发现自己进入了一个披头士乐队从未存在过的世界。但杰克记得那些曲调并录制了其中一部分，从而成名并受邀前往洛杉矶。一直以来，这个新世界的谜团在不断加深。这一切意味着什么？(H3min) Kevin Maher

BBC4

7.00pm 《海边村庄》。本·罗宾逊（Ben Robinson）探索卡莱尔港（Port Carlisle）一座失落港口的遗迹 (2 / 10) 7.30 《温赖特徒步》。朱莉娅·布拉德伯里（Julia Bradbury）攀登斯卡费尔峰。本系列最后一集 (AD) 8.00 《拟饵行动》。本·曼宁（Ben Manning）揭秘英国如何欺骗希特勒，使其认为盟军计划在1943年入侵希腊 (AD) 9.00 《科恩兄弟故事》。关于这两位电影制作人的纪录片。见今日精选 () 10.00 FILM: Inside Llewyn Davis (15, 2013) 由奥斯卡·艾萨克（Oscar Isaac）主演的科恩兄弟剧情片 () 11.40 FILM: Skull (15, 1971) 由理查德·朗德里（Richard Roundtree）主演的黑人剥削电影风格侦探惊悚片 1.15am 《温赖特徒步》 () 1.45 《拟饵行动》 () 2.45am-3.15 《海边村庄》 (SL)

BBC3

7.00pm 《快讯》 7.05 《致命60》 7.30 《致命60》 8.00 《与斯泰西·索罗门一起整理生活》 (4 / 7) () 9.00 《与其永不约会，不如尝试一次》。新剧集。人们尝试踏入约会领域 (1 / 7) () 9.30 《与其永不约会，不如尝试一次》。杰克希望遇到一个能让他做真实自我的人 (2 / 7) () 10.00 《与其永不约会，不如尝试一次》。杰克在约会中与紧张情绪作斗争 (3 / 7) () 10.30 《Ruffus's Drag Race UK：遇见皇后》。介绍皇后们 10.55 FILM: Bridget Jones's Baby (15, 2016) 由蕾妮·齐薇格（Renée Zellweger）主演的喜剧续集 () 12.50am 《金·卡戴珊钻石抢劫案》 () 1.35 《Kianje 的麻烦》 () 2.50am-3.50 《与其永不约会，不如尝试一次》 (, SL)

Sky Arts

6.00am The Wiz Live 8.00 年度艺术家：大师课 (AD) 9.00 出人意料的故事 (AD) 10.00 希区柯克呈现 11.00 探索：尤尔·布林纳 () 12.00 电影艺术（主持人：伊恩·内森） () 1.00pm 出人意料的故事 () 2.00 希区柯克小时 3.00 八十年代 () 4.00 探索：克劳德·雷恩斯 () 5.00 年度肖像画家 2022 () 6.00 出人意料的故事 () 7.00 山谷之声 8.00 探索：米歇尔·菲佛。美国女演员简介 () 9.00 克林特·伊斯特伍德：电影人生 10.50 电影：《我是阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克》(15, 2021) () 12.30am 卓别林：流浪汉的诞生 () 1.45 劳雷尔与哈吉特：他们的生活与魔力 () 3.30 艺术内幕 4.00-5.00 斯金纳与米娜的文学公路旅行：波普与斯威夫特 ()

ITV2

6.00am 后院建造 (SL) 6.30 穿出惊艳 (, SL) 7.30 波托马克真实主妇 8.20 比弗利山真实主妇 9.15 埃塞克斯唯一方式 10.15 道森之丘 11.10 魔女 (Charmed) 12.10pm 成败在此一举 () 1.10 超市大抢购 2.10 地板游戏 (The Floor) () 3.10 埃塞克斯唯一方式 4.10 波托马克真实主妇 5.00 比弗利山真实主妇 6.00 名人猜词 () 7.00 地板游戏 (The Floor) () 8.00 1%俱乐部 () 9.00 罗姆森特·兰加纳森的家长会 10.00 改变终点 () 10.35 格里芬一家 () 11.35 美国爸爸！ () 12.35am 比什的汉堡 () 1.30am-2.20 成败在此一举 (, SL)

More4

8.55am 寻找、修复、出售 () 10.00 四人同床 12.40pm 来我家吃饭 () 3.20 四人同床 5.50 汽车救援。蒂姆和法兹修复一辆 1990s 日本超级豪华轿车 () 6.50 汽车救援。一台 Ferguson TCDI 拖拉机 () 7.55 宏伟设计。在伦敦一个仅 38 平方米的微小地块上建造房屋 (9 / 10) () 9.00 回收者。萨福克制造。海莉致力于季节性野生动物项目并制作了一块明信片钉板 (5 / 5) () 10.00 急诊 24 小时。医生试图救治一名在家中停止呼吸的婴儿 () 11.05 急诊 24 小时。一名 74 岁男子因疑似中风被送入急诊室 () 12.10am 999：在前线 1.15 急诊 24 小时 () 3.25am-3.55 阳光之所

ITV3

6.00am 乔治与米尔德里德 7.05 经典《艾默代尔》() 8.10 经典《街道冠冕》() 9.10 阿加莎·克里斯蒂的波洛 () 11.30 心跳 () 1.35pm 谜案集 () 3.35 经典《艾默代尔》() 4.40 经典《街道冠冕》() 5.50 心跳：戏剧 () 8.00 薇拉。侦探调查一名渔民的谋杀案 (4 / 4) () 10.00 格兰切斯特。阿尔菲发现他认识的一名年轻女性失踪了 (7 / 8) () 11.00 格兰切斯特。迪赛德和拉里调查一名隐居男子的神秘死亡 (8 / 8) () 11.50 审判与惩罚。第二部分（共两部分）。本系列最后一集 1.25am-2.35 阿加莎·克里斯蒂的波洛。大卫·苏切特主演 ()

Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports v, 12.45pm-5 报道在田纳西州孟菲斯 TPC Southwind 举行的联邦快递圣朱德锦标赛第一天，这是联邦快递杯季后赛的第一场赛事

Live Tennis Sky Sports v, 5pm-4am 报道在俄亥俄州梅森林德纳家族网球中心举行的辛辛那提公开赛第一天，这是一项硬地赛事

Live MLB: New York Yankees v Seattle Mariners TNT 1, 6.30pm-9.30 (开始时间 6.35)。报道在洋基体育场举行的美国联盟比赛

Live Belfred Super League: Leeds Rhinos v Leigh Leopards Sky Main Event, Sky Action, 7.30pm-15.15 (开球时间 8.00)。报道在 AMT Headingley 体育场举行的比赛

Live CPL: Jamaica Kingsmen v Guyana Amazon Warriors TNT 1, 12.30am-4.45 报道在牙买加萨比纳公园举行的第 720 场比赛

Talking Pictures

6.00am 电影：《枪手逃脱》(PG, 1948) (黑白) 7.05 电影：《面具之后》(U, 1958) 9.05 ：《极度危险》(U, 1950) (黑白) 10.30 ：《小后室》(PG, 1948) (黑白) 1.00pm 《兰诺廷爵士的冒险》(黑白) 1.30 ：《蝴蝶梦》(, 1940) (黑白) 4.05 ：《拼图》(, 1962) (黑白) 6.10 《审视生活》 6.20 《离奇但真实》 6.55 《兄弟》 8.00 《马克·盖伯》(黑白) 8.30 《轮转工与调度员社交俱乐部》 9.20 ：《大海不会带走他们》(U, 1955) 剧情片 (黑白) 11.10 ：《喜剧演员》(, 1969) 喜剧剧情片，迪克·范·戴克主演 1.05am ：《未知之X》(, 1956) (黑白) 2.40 《马奇上校调查》(黑白) 4.00 《伯克法》(黑白) 5.00am-6.00 黑色电影

ITV4

6.00am 《历年德比》 6.20 《河中巨兽》 6.50 《马格努姆，PI》(AD) 7.50 《谢伍德的罗宾》 9.00 《布恩》 10.10 《专业人士》(AD) 11.15 《谢伍德的罗宾》 12.20pm 《马格努姆，PI》() 2.25 《夏洛克·福尔摩斯案卷》() 3.30 《杜恩》 4.35 《专业人士》() 5.45 《保镖》() 6.50 《夏普》。英雄被派往夺取法军防线后的一座堡垒 9.00 《贝尼多姆》。该喜剧系列的首集 () 9.35 《贝尼多姆》。马丁和凯特在市中心迷路 () 10.00 《贝尼多姆》() 10.30 《贝尼多姆》() 11.00 《黑帆》。亚恩觉得弗林可能是一个威胁 12.15am 《地狱厨房》 1.10 《专业人士》() 2.15am-2.45 《世界汽车》

Film4

11.00am 《地心之旅》(U, 1959) 科幻冒险片，帕特·布恩主演 () 1.40pm 《夏洛克·福尔摩斯与秘密武器》(, 1942) 悬疑惊悚片，巴兹尔·拉斯本主演 (黑白) 3.00 Film4 访谈节目：对话 3.10 《杰西·詹姆斯的真实故事》(, 1957) 传记片，罗伯特·瓦格纳主演 5.00 《托尔金》(12, 2019) JMC Tolkien：传记片，尼古拉斯·霍尔特主演 7.10 《男性》(15, 2009) 科幻剧情片，萨姆·洛克威尔主演 () 9.00 《女人王》(15, 2022) 一群全女性战士试图保护一个西非王国。剧情片，维奥拉·戴维斯主演 () 11.40 《安娜》(15, 2019) 动作惊悚片，萨莎·卢斯主演 2.00am-3.55 《贝尔贝里安录音室》(15, 2012) 惊悚片，托比·琼斯和托妮亚·索利诺普鲁主演

UKDrama

6.00am 电视购物 7.15 《比尔》 8.05 《医生》 9.20 《经典好利城》 10.40 《伤急》() 11.40 《比尔》 12.40pm 《经典东区》 2.00 《经典邻居》 3.00 《惠特斯塔布尔珍珠》() 4.10 《洛夫乔伊》 5.20 《岁月如梭》 6.00 《夏日之末的葡萄酒》 8.00 《马洛谋杀俱乐部》。当市长在会议中途去世时，朱迪斯、贝克斯和苏齐展开调查 (1 / 6) () 9.00 《击中点》。新剧集。浪漫惊悚片，尼克·布鲁德和萨弗伦·霍金主演 (1 / 6) () 10.00 《新线索》。重新调查三起强奸案 (4 / 10) () 11.20 《路德》(3 / 4) () 12.35am 《洛夫乔伊》。交易商访问威尼斯 1.45 《博尼法斯修女谜案》() 2.45 《波托菲诺酒店》(SL) 4.00am-6.00 电视购物

节目变动

BBC1 爱尔兰 11.40pm The Come I Can't Forget (r) 11.30pm-1.20am 电影：《Yesterday》(2019) 喜剧

BBC1 苏格兰 7.00pm-7.30 River City (r) 12.30am Scotland (r) 1.00 Alan Carr's Picture Slam (r) 1.45 下周天气预报 1.50am-6.00 BBC新闻

BBC2 威尔士 11.05pm-12.05am Eisteddfud 2026，主持人 Huw Stephens (r)

STV 12.35am-3.00 电视购物 3.50am-5.00 Unwind with STV

BBC 苏格兰 7.00pm 新闻 7.30 Hidden Lives (r) 8.00 Beechgrove Garden 8.30 Scotland's Greatest Escape (r)

9.00 Martin Compotents Scottish Fling (r) 10.00 Scot Squad (r) 10.30 Edinburgh Unlocked。新剧集。爱丁堡艺术节精华 11.00 Scotland 11.30pm-12.00 Growing Up Scottish (r)

S4℃ 6.00am Cyw 12.00 新闻；天气 12.05pm Cain Quinnell (r) 12.30 Hems (r) 1.00 Cod Hwyf (r) 1.30 Spwrs Dan y Llor (r) 2.00 新闻；天气 2.00 Pyehown Da 3.00 新闻；天气 3.05 Sioe Món 2026 (r) 4.00 Awr Faw 15.00 Stwns: Byd Rondo Dai Pwde (r) 5.15 Larla (r) 5.20 Dyffryn Mwmin (r) 5.45 Cuddio (r) 6.00 Cywfin (r) 6.59 新闻 7.00 Hems 7.20 新闻；天气 8.00 Pobol y Cwm 8.25 Gwal y Basg: Gwilym Bowen Rhyu (r) 8.55 新闻；天气 9.00 Fairbourne: Y Mor Wrth y Drws (r) 10.00 Taclo1 Ty (r) 10.30-11.35pm Yr Afon (r)

PBS America

8.00am Weathered: Earth's Extremes 8.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 9.35 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 10.45 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 11.55 Inside Japar's War 1.00pm Weathered: Earth's Extremes 1.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 2.35 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 3.45 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 4.55 Inside Japar's War 6.00 Digging Up Britain's Past 7.00 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 8.10 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 9.15 Inside Japar's War 10.20 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 11.30 Weathered: Earth's Extremes。干旱和洪水对农业的严重影响 (4 / 6) 12.00 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 1.15am-2.00 Weathered: Earth's Extremes

Sky Atlantic

6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.15 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 12.35pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.30 Billions (r) () 4.40 The Last of Us (r) () 6.40 House of the Dragon。Daemon 拜访他在山谷的妻子 (r) () 7.45 House of the Dragon。Rhaenyra 处理关于她孩子的持续猜测 (r) () 9.00 Possession。Oliver 意外变得暴力 () 10.00 Possession。Claudia 寻求她的 Mercy 姨妈帮助她击败 Charlotte，并陷入一种由他们祖先引导的类似色调的状态 () 11.00 All Her Fault。关于 Carrie 藏身处的新闻让所有嫌疑人受到怀疑，而 Brian 发现了来自 Peter 的背叛 (r) () 12.05am House of the Dragon (r) () 2.45 Billions (r) () 5.00am-6.00 The Guest Wing (r) ()

Sky Docs

6.00am The 2010s (r) 7.00 Discovering: Kevin Costner (r) () 8.00 The Directors (r) () 9.00 100 Foot Wave (r) () 10.00 Juan Carlos: Downfall of the King (r) 10.55 Celtics City (r) () 12.00 Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America (r) 2.00pm Premier League 360 – Big Sam's Bolton (r) () 4.00 The Directors (r) () 5.00 Discovering: Kevin Costner (r) () 5.55 Burden of Proof: Who Killed Jennifer' Symbol? (r) () 8.00 The Essex Murders: Who Killed Goldfinger? 纪录片 (r) () 11.00 电影：《Touching the Void》(15, 2003) 导演 Kevin Macdonald 的纪录片 1.00am King of Lies: Football's Greatest Con (r) () 2.50 Faye (r) 4.40 My Icon: Rachel Yankey (r) () 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Kevin Costner (r) ()

英国昨日回顾

6.10am 废弃工程 (AD) 8.00 旧车换现：经典修复 (AD) 10.00 柏林墙：铁幕落下之夜 () 11.00 世界大战 12.00 古董路演 2.00pm 旧车换现 () 4.00 柏林墙：铁幕落下之夜 () 5.00 世界大战 6.00 古董路演 7.00 完美的星球 () 8.00 旧车换现：一辆 1968 年的 Mini 和一辆海盗风格的 Flat 2TA () 9.00 旧车换现：经典修复。一辆初代 Escort Mexico () 10.00 旧车换现。《助产之歌》明星 Cliff Paris：送来他的 Belfred CA (未提供) () 11.00 旧车换现 () 12.00 旧车换现：经典修复 () 1.00am 寻找、修复、出售 2.00 废弃工程 () 3.00am-6.10 电视购物

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14

心智游戏

Tetonor 极难题 No 700

25 / 135 / 49 / 60

156 / 14 / 324 / 32 45 / 221 / 19 / 500 84 / 48 / 468 / 30

6 / 7 / 12 / 13 / 17

完成后，网格下方的条带可以分成八组数字对。每一对数字之和等于网格中的 16 个数字之一，其乘积等于网格中的另一个不同数字。例如，条带中的 4 和 6 可以配对得出网格中的 10 (4+6) 和 24 (4x6)。请将每个和填写在网格中对应数字的下方。条带中的空格必须推导得出，请注意数字是以升序排列的。

下一个 Tetonor 谜题将于周二出现

欲获取更多谜题，包括迷你数独、额外填字游戏、火车轨道和不等式数独，请参阅第 10 页

胜手

黑方走子。 此局面出自 2026 年香港 Nihal-Zhao 对局。

当你进攻时，有时很容易找到惊人的妙手——肾上腺素激增，你一直在寻找它们。而防守时则更困难。你倾向于关注对手能做的所有事情，从而产生不同的心态。黑方的处境看似绝望，但他发现了一个惊人的反击机会。那是什么？

桥牌 Andrew Robson

在最近的欧洲桥牌国家队锦标赛的公开组系列赛中，比利时在对阵赛前热门瑞士队的比赛中取得了一场大胜。而第 22 局则是一个奇闻。

在 1 号桌，瑞士队的南北向达到了 5♠，西家出其单张红心，庄家打出明手的 K。东家赢得 A 并给西家一个将牌吃掉似乎是最佳选择，但庄家现在可以通过赢得西家的梅花回出（最佳），然后打出所有梅花和红心，在残局中让西家在 Q98 和 +♠ 之间陷入挤压而获胜。然而，东家巧妙地避开了明手的红心 K —— 于是庄家现在必须输 1 墩。

在 2 号桌，比利时的南北向达到了更高的 6♠。Steven De Donder 利用了瑞士西家不幸出方块 A 的领先出牌。

庄家吃掉领先牌，跨到梅花 Q 并吃掉第二张方块。随后他拔掉将牌（弃掉明手的低红心），并出红心到 K。东家赢得 A（避开并无好处），然后转换到黑桃 10。

庄家赢得 A，跨到红心 Q，然后打出方块 K 并吃掉第四张方块，从而带下 Q。他现在可以跨到红心 J，将他的第三张黑桃弃在明手已升值的方块 J 上，从而完成他的 6♠。

瑞士（第 34 名）和比利时（第 35 名）都没有获得明年百慕大杯的资格。那 8 个

侧面（切换 8♂）

S / N / E

2♠(1) / Pass / 2♠(2) 3♠ / Pass(6) / 3♠(4) 5♠(5) / end

(1) 令人生畏的 Maith，显示大牌花色的 Bleak Two。

(2) 过牌或修正（至红心 —— 在更高水平上）。 (3) 会在有红心的情况下继续叫牌。

(4) 确认叫牌（已知西家有黑桃）。 (5) 可能叫 3NT（黑桃已覆盖）。

合同：6♠。首攻：♦ 6

侧面（比利时 8♂）

Side (buster) / N / E

2♠(1) / 3N(2) / 2♥(2) 3N(5) / 2♠ 4♠(5) / end

(1) 更多 Multifarious 活动 ... (2) 显示约 13-25, 点，一种自由进入叫牌的方式。

(3) 过牌或修正，无需宣传红心（如 1 号桌的 2♥ 叫牌那样）。 (4) 捕捉显示（正如他们不神圣地所说）。 (5) 最佳猜测。

入围者（按排名顺序）为：挪威、丹麦、以色列、瑞典、荷兰、英格兰、冰岛和法国。

andrew.robsm@thetimes.co.uk

大脑训练

多边形

利用这些字母，组成四个或更多字母的单词，且必须包含中心字母。答案必须出自《牛津简明词典》，不包括大写单词、复数、动词变位（过去式等）、以 LY 结尾的副词、比较级和最高级。评分标准：12 个单词为平均；12 个为良好；21 个为非常好；28, 为优秀

昨日答案

cell, cell, cees, cost, cite, citole, close, closet, clot, coil, cote, colt, coset, cosset, cossie, cost, cote, cotise, loessic, ossicle, otic, scot, sect, sice, slice, socle, solstice, stoic, telco, telc

单元格区块 No 5801

将网格划分为正方形或长方形区块，每个区块仅包含一个数字。每个区块包含的单元格数量必须与其中标注的数字一致。

正方形集 No 4420

在网格中填入 1 到 9 的每个数字，使六组求和成立。我们已经放置了两个数字以供开始。每组求和应从左至右或从上至下计算。

请注意，不适用 BODMAS（四则运算优先级）

杀手数独（简单）No 10,874

杀手数独（困难）No 10,875

与标准数独一样，填充网格使每列、每行和每个 3x3 宫格都包含数字 1 到 9。由虚线连接的每组单元格之和必须等于其左上角的目标数字。在由虚线连接的每组单元格内，数字不能重复。

数独、杀手数独或 KenKen 没思路？请在午夜前拨打 0901 293 6263 获取今日任何谜题的四个线索。通话费用为 £1 加上您电话公司的网络接入费。SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (周一至周五 9am-5:30pm)。

答案

快速隐喻谜题 3378

代码字 5917

加库罗 (Kakuro) 4416

轨道追踪 2942

数独 17019

数独 17020

数独 17021

杀手数独 10,872

杀手数独 10,873

单元格区块 5800

福式数独 (Fukushiki) 5457

正方形集 4419

KenKen 6909

词汇 9049

词汇 9050

今日答案

简明词典

五字母词

1 Rarm 2 Water 3 Sudden 4 Trainers 5 Gatechand

词汇观察

Rackin (6) The shaft of a busher (Colina)

Mariner (a) An influential person (Chambers)

Support (a) A clone (1M23)

国际象棋 —— 胜招

1. Qq5v1 是一次巧妙的防御，利用了白方的局面。在 2 Qq6v1（而非 2-bq6，因为 2... Bq6v1 黑方获胜）之后，2... Bq6v1 3-bq6 局面平衡。黑方多出一个子，但白方拥有两个兵且车非常活跃

Sakuro 4819

问答

1 阿维尼翁 (Avignon) 2 马，如 Uffington 的白马 3 苹果 4 意大利 5 乔·拜登 (Joe Biden) 6 杜兰杜兰 (Duran Duran) 7 维多利亚与阿尔伯特博物馆 (V&A) 8 约翰·斯通豪斯 (John Stonehouse) 9 [霍利·哈维] 克里彭 (Crippen) 博士 10 佛蒙特州 11 特种舟艇部队 (SBS)。他死于博峰峰雪崩 12 阿尔温德·阿迪加 (Arvind Adiga) 13 路易莎·奥米兰 (Luisa Omielan) 14 曼彻斯特城 15 杰克罗素梗

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THE TIMES

13.08.26

心智游戏

更多谜题 请参阅第 10 页

词汇观察

David Perfitt

Rachis

• a 用于拉伸皮革的装置
• b 羽轴
• c 一首艰深的钢琴曲

Macher

• a 有影响力的人
• b 超音速飞机的飞行员
• c 沿海的牧场

独立可靠的旅行建议

我们提供 365 / 24 / 7 全天候服务，在提供广泛精选的高质量产品的同时，提供完全公正的建议

无与伦比的关怀与保障

独特的 ATOL 认证信托账户

您所有的旅行安排 在此一站式搞定

请致电 TRAILFINDERS：020 7368 1364，

或前往您当地的 Trailfinders 旅行中心

ATOL 许可证 1458

欢迎致电

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《泰晤士报》

2026年8月13日，星期四

倒计时

大学之行

学生 指南及 补录特辑： 您在高等教育中的 下一步行动

插图：CAROL GEORGE PARK 《泰晤士报》

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2

学生指南及 补录特辑

2026年8月13日，星期四 《泰晤士报》

启动 B 计划 ——

补录攻略

不要恐慌，做好准备 并拿起电话 —— Ucas 负责人 Jo Saxton 为您提供建议

作为大学和学院招生服务中心（Ucas）的首席执行官，以及一名曾经的学校领导者，我有幸见证了无数年轻人庆祝他们的考试成绩，并为他们至关重要的下一步行动做准备。同时，我也是一名成年子女的家长，他们曾经历过通往高等教育之路上起起伏伏的酸甜苦辣。

虽然每年大多数年轻人都能获得他们的第一选择（即 Ucas 的“坚定”选择），但通过补录（clearing）成功获得名额的人数正在增加。这是 Ucas 录取流程的最后阶段，申请人可以在此阶段搜索、选择并申请仍有空位的课程。

成绩公布日为许多人带来了兴奋，但对某些人来说，这可能会带来失望。无论一名年轻人是在寻找可用名额，还是在重新思考计划并考虑不同的课程或院校，甚至是在首次提交申请，补录阶段都将有许多选择。

对于今年支持年轻人申请高等教育的家长和监护人，或者对于正在为未来做准备的学生来说，了解补录的运作方式将有助于您在做出明智决定时感到自信。

准备工作

补录开放时间为 7 月 2 日至 10 月 19 日，但最顶尖院校最热门课程的名额往往消失得很快 —— 补录最繁忙的一天就是成绩公布日当天。

学生在成绩公布日早晨能做的最有帮助的事情之一，就是列出一份他们希望考虑的大学和课程清单，以备在需要探索替代方案时使用，并就“B 计划”可能是什么样子进行公开讨论。

您还需要准备好 Ucas Hub 账户登录信息、补录编号和个人 ID。

成绩公布时

对于今天考虑使用补录的人来说，重要的是要知道，官方空缺名额仅在 Ucas 搜索工具中提供，并根据大学和学院需要填补的名额进行更新。请根据这些官方来源做出决定，而不要依赖 AI 工具，因为 AI 工具提供的信息可能是错误或过时的。

在补录过程中，学生还可以考虑那些他们之前可能拒绝过录取通知的院校。学生还可以使用 Clearing Plus，该功能会根据其 Ucas 申请情况，将其与他们可能感兴趣的课程空缺进行匹配。

补录过程的一个关键环节是直接联系大学和学院讨论可用名额。将相关的成绩和个人详细信息写下来以便在讨论中参考，有助于让学生和家长都保持冷静。

我交谈过的一些学生表示，提前准备一份清单并在事前练习打电话，也帮助他们在当天感到更加自信。

一旦学生联系了大学或学院并获得了名额，他们应该将其添加到 Ucas Hub 的补录选择中。

可提供的支持

今年，成绩公布期和补录（clearing）正处于关于高等教育成本与价值的广泛讨论背景之下。通过与全国各地的学生及其教师和顾问交流，我特别意识到财务考量在多大程度上影响着他们的选择。

每个年轻人都应该有机会基于抱负而非经济能力来做出决定，Ucas 正致力于打破晋升障碍。

这就是为什么我们推出了一个新的预算计算器，学生可以在其 Ucas Hub 账户中使用。这使得申请者能够首次对比英国 100 个地点的生活成本，并制定个性化的预算。他们还可以通过 Ucas 的奖学金和助学金工具，查看学院和大学提供的各类财务方案。

每个年轻人 都应该基于抱负 而非经济能力 做出选择

除了财务援助，Ucas 在其网站上还提供其他工具以支持知情决策，包括学科试听和虚拟工作体验。

仍有申请时间

我坚信高等教育的力量，并致力于确保所有能从高等教育中获益的人都有机会这样做。对于那些尚未申请今年秋季入学大学或学院，但认为自己可能有兴趣的人来说，现在还不晚——对于成熟学生（mature students）而言尤其如此，他们通常比离校学生申请得晚得多。

事实上，任何面对“空巢”并思考如何利用新获得的空闲时间的父母或看护人，甚至可能会被诱导去探索现有的选择。

无论接下来发生什么，我祝愿每位学生——以及他们的父母和看护人——在成绩公布日一切顺利。

未来 离校者和 分析师 在 A-level 成绩公布日 已经到来

大学教育

是否依然值得？ 支持与反对的论点

教育编辑 Nicola Woolcock 探讨 高等教育在职业和 个人方面的益处

今年秋天，告别校园生活 并准备前往大学就读的 高中六年级学生，如果感到 比平时更加焦虑，也是 可以理解的。除了从 A-level 跨越到学位的个人飞跃—— 以及对部分学生而言，从家中 搬到校园——关于就读大学的 价值以及不断攀升的学生 贷款债务，也引发了巨大的 不安与争论。

再加上对 AI 取代毕业生 职位的担忧、关于校园言论 自由的争端、大学合并、 课程关闭以及讲师被裁员， 一些家庭可能会因此质疑 是否还值得费心就读。

英格兰的学费今年将 增加至每年 9,790 英镑， 高于之前的 9,535 英镑 上限。 对于一个三年的课程， 这将使成本达到 29,370 英镑 —— 比去年的学生多出 £765。 最高生活费贷款增加了 2.71%， 伦敦学生的每年贷款额为 14,135 英镑， 伦敦以外的学生为 10,830 英镑，

毕业生 总体而言 仍享有 薪资 溢价

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9,118 英镑 则是针对与父母同住的学生。这很容易导致学生在毕业时欠款超过 7 万英镑。学费和生活费贷款从学位开始即计息，还款期为 40 年。

生活补助金正在重新引入，但要到 2026 年才会实施。对于这一届学生来说太晚了，但对于刚参加 GCSE 考试的学生及其家人来说，这一点值得了解。

在许多人看来，这些数字仍然值得支付。虽然大学有替代方案——主要是直接参加工作或学徒制——但总体而言，毕业生在整个职业生涯中仍享有薪资溢价。财政研究所（Institute for Fiscal Studies）最近的分析发现，平均而言，这一溢价累计达到 10 万英镑，而学习医学或经济学的学生，其薪资提升幅度最高可比未就读大学的人高出 40 万英镑。

遗憾的是，这并不适用于每个机构的每门课程。例如，在毕业五年后，学习创意艺术专业的男性，其平均收入低于具有相似 GCSE 成绩但未就读大学的同龄人。

大学大臣 Jacqui Smith 在谈到该分析时表示：“上大学并获得学位是年轻人能做的最具变革性的事情之一。但这并不是成功的普遍保证，而且并非所有学位都是等同的。”

话虽如此，一些大学毕业生需要花费数年时间才能在所选领域找到毕业生工作，因此过早收集的数据可能无法

“收入并非就读大学的唯一原因”

提供完整的情况。代表副校长的英国大学协会（Universities UK）首席执行官 Vivienne Stern 声称，证据很明确，大学学位对于“绝大多数人来说仍然有巨大的回报”。

她最近表示：“尽管最低工资在增长，且经济整体表现不佳抑制了工资增长，但毕业生溢价依然维持在较高水平。”

对于想要进行研究的人来说，一个很好的起点是政府的纵向教育成果（Longitudinal Educational Outcomes）数据，该数据将税务记录中的毕业生收入与其就读机构和学位课程进行交叉匹配。用户可以按大学、课程、之前的 GCSE 成就、性别、种族以及毕业年限进行搜索。他们可以看到就业毕业生的比例和薪资范围。

当然，收入并不是就读大学的唯一原因。今年的一项 Ucas 调查发现，约三分之一的申请者选择该学位是因为对该学科的热爱。更多的人提到在所选职业中需要特定的资格证书，但对学习的热爱对许多人来说也是强大的动力。

斯特恩补充道：“虽然并非所有毕业生在经济上都能获得同等程度的收益，但值得指出的是，一些薪水较低的毕业生为社会做出了巨大贡献，包括那些成为艺术家和表演者的人，他们的选择可能并非出于金钱的驱动。

“我们应该认识到，这些

£400

这种薪资提升使得那些学习医学或经济学的人在职场生活上，与如果不上大学相比

这些学科也为创意产业提供了养分，而创意产业是英国巨大的经济驱动力。作为一名人文科学专业的毕业生，我敢打赌，在人工智能时代，未来我们对人类如何思考和行动的理解将更加重视，而非降低。”

对眼前生活成本的担忧导致越来越多的学生在学习期间兼职工作。人们对来自大学内部和外部的助学金及慈善支持的意识也在增强。Ucas 创建了一份奖学金、拨款和助学金清单，以展示有哪些机会以及面向哪些人群。

学位学徒制在工程、法律、金融和其他领域提供了极佳的机会，它能提供学位级别的资格认证、工资，并有机会在没有学费债务的情况下毕业。

提供的名额在一年内增加了 10,000 个，在 2024-25, 年度达到 60,000 个，但其中只有一半给了年轻人，且最顶尖名额的竞争极其激烈。

今年秋季，申请传统大学或学院路径的中学毕业生人数创下纪录，院校向 18 岁青年发放了 130 万 份录取通知书，比去年增加了 100,000 份。在 1 月前提交申请的中学毕业生中，99% 的人已收到至少一份录取通知书。

但今天早晨考虑通过“补录”（clearing）申请的申请者不必恐慌：许多大学的外国学生人数有所下降，因此将热衷于填补课程空缺。然而，灵活性取决于入学要求以及学位和院校的受欢迎程度。

为您选择合适的课程：内部指南

科恩·兰伯茨（Koen Lamberts），谢菲尔德大学副校长

选择大学往往感觉像是在寻找“最佳”选项。如今的潜在学生拥有比以往任何时候都更多的信息，从大学排名、毕业生薪资到学生满意度和就业数据，这并非坏事。毕竟，如果你正在做出人生中最重要的决定之一，尽可能多地获取信息是正确的。

但有一个问题比任何排名都更重要：你在哪里最有可能取得成功？

在高等教育领域工作 30 多年后，这就是我鼓励每位申请者从一开始就思考的问题。答案对每个人来说都不同，因为并非所有大学都在尝试做同样的事情，学生们追求的体验也各不相同。毕业结果很重要，卓越的教学、世界领先的研究与创新，以及大学在课程之外创造的机会同样重要。

在谢菲尔德大学，我们很自豪地看到我们的学生从这些方面中获益，这在我们大学排名的位置和最近的国家学生调查（National Student Survey）得分中得到了证明。它们是质量的重要指标，当然，每所大学都应该在实现这些目标方面抱有雄心。然而，仅凭这些指标无法单独告诉你，某所特定的大学是否是你能够茁壮成长的地方。

这是因为最能塑造你的大学体验的因素，往往隐藏在头条数据之外。最大的误区之一是认为声誉相似的大学都提供大致相同的体验，事实并非如此。在排名表中相邻的机构，其文化和期望可能截然不同。

有些学校特别强调研究，有些则侧重于专业培训，而包括谢菲尔德大学在内的许多学校则寻求将学术卓越与丰富的学生体验相结合。这些方向没有哪个天生比另一个更好。但它们各不相同，理解这些差异对于找到适合你的学校至关重要。

即使是名称相同的课程，其教学方式、实习机会、对世界领先研究的贡献或就业前景也可能有所不同。

因此，请花时间考虑。参观校园，与在校学生交流，了解你将如何被教学，你与学术人员的接触时间有多少，以及如果事情没有按计划进行，有哪些支持可用。询问关于实习、出国留学机会、志愿服务、学生

“名称相同的课程可能会以不同的方式教授”

学生社团以及大学与雇主之间的联系。

最重要的是，想象一下自己在那里生活的情景。大学远不止于你毕业时拿到的资格证书。它是你获得信心以迈出人生下一步的地方，是你结识具有不同观点和来自不同背景的人，并培养独立能力的地方。

此外，值得抵制快速做出决定的诱惑，尤其是如果你已经收到早期录取通知书（early offer）的情况。选择大学是对你未来的长期投资，因此给自己机会妥善考虑你的选择。

当然，大学并非每个人的正确选择。首相安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）最近制定了计划，帮助年轻人从 10 年级起探索技术教育路径，让学生在更早的阶段拥有多种选择，无论是学术、技术还是职业路径。

但至关重要的是，这些计划不应该是让技术、职业和学术路径相互竞争，仿佛其中一个更优越——它们都是有价值的选择，关键在于找到适合你的那条道路。

这提出了一个关于学生能更广泛地获取哪些信息，以及政府在此过程中扮演的重要角色等关键问题。年轻人理应获得关于所有可用路径的清晰、诚实的信息，并确信任何未能提供高质量服务或对其提供内容进行误导的机构都将受到追责。

为此，我们需要明确“质量”究竟意味着什么。例如，在高等教育领域，一些大学课程目前被贴上“低价值”的标签，即便在全国范围内还没有关于这一概念具体含义的统一定义。我们需要退一步，首先就高等教育中所谓的“高价值”达成全国共识。

对价值达成共同理解，而不是依赖那些可能将复杂领域过度简单化的标签，将为决策提供更坚实的基础。

目标不应仅仅是将大学分类得更整齐，而应让潜在的学生更清晰地了解不同机构所扮演的角色及其提供的机会。

归根结底，不存在单一的“最佳”大学定义，因为不存在单一的“最佳”学生定义。合适的大学是能够挑战你、支持你，并为你提供发挥潜能机会的大学。每位申请者都理应获得能让他们对自己的决定充满信心的信息。

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结果公布日将定义你

并非如此

一个瞬间可以改变一切

有一件事是肯定的

没有第二次机会的希望

我们永远不会相信

最好的旅程并不总是计划好的

补录（Clearing）是 everything shifts（一切发生转变）的时刻。

视角决定一切。

现在请从下往上阅读。

南安普顿大学 University of Southampton

改变思想， 改变世界

罗素大学集团（RUSSELL GROUP） 创始成员

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成绩公布日感到失望？

振作起来——我也经历过

艾米莉·福姆斯通（Emily Formstone）曾将目标定在间隔年和牛津大学，直到一次令人震惊的结果迫使她改变计划

在 A-level 成绩公布日的早晨，我从一夜的噩梦中醒来，每当重要消息公布的前夕，这些噩梦总会困扰我。但这一次，醒来时我并没有感到如释重负。

我几乎立即打开了令人恐惧的 Ucas 网站，输入密码，等待页面加载。“妈——”，当我看到自己被第一志愿大学拒绝时，我对着走廊缓缓喊道。我的心沉了下去。我被预测将获得三个 A*，并计划在间隔年后申请牛津大学。我填写的第一个志愿仅仅是一个占位选项——而连它都不要我。

我当时还不知道自己的具体分数，只知道如果连占位选项都拒绝了我，那么我的成绩一定远低于预测值。对于一个来自高压语法学校、且身处勤奋朋友圈的人来说，这简直是毁灭性的。我开始计算最好的情况，但脑海中想象的却是最糟的。也许，就像我哥哥常说的那样，我开着 U 型潜艇沉没了，拿了三个 U（不及格）。

不过，我现在还不能把自己埋进洞里——我得去学校领取成绩单。我想，也许我就不去好了。也许我就让薛定谔的猫留在盒子里——把我的成绩单当成它的猫砂盆。但我还是不情愿地在睡裤短裤上套了一件宽大的套头衫，看起来远谈不上体面，然后像个被拖去上学第一天的害羞幼儿一样，坐进了我母亲车的副驾驶座。

在开车前往的整个过程中，我一直在哭。当我们把车停在当地的 Sainsbury's 超市时，我抽泣不止。走上熟悉的学校楼梯时，我泪流满面。在图书馆里，我呜咽着，几乎无法向那个分发棕色 A4 信封的女士报出我的名字。在我变成的一团哭泣的乱麻之下，我希望 Ucas 犯了错。但它没有。将纸张从信封中滑出，我看到了我的物理成绩：这是我收到过的最低分。它就像成绩单上的一个黑洞，是我星光熠熠的学术记录上的一块焦油，是即将毁掉我未来的东西——至少我 18 岁时的自己是这么认为的。

我感到非常尴尬，因为我如此努力，结果在自己眼中却成了一个失败者。我对物理分数产生了隧道视野，没有花一秒钟去庆祝我在英语和数学中取得的好成绩，也没有感激我所享有的特权教育。

在我（勉强）止住眼泪后，我被引导进了英语老师的办公室。我们沉重地讨论了如何让我的牛津之梦延续下去。当那些可怕的词语从她口中说出时，我畏缩了一下：“你可以复读。”这让我想到了

艾米莉·福姆斯通（Emily Formstone），《泰晤士报》的一名研究生实习生，在经历令人失望的 A-level 成绩后生存了下来并取得了成功。下图：毕业典礼当天

你的“不要恐慌”清单

如果事情没有按计划进行，可以采取的步骤

庆祝 花时间回顾你已经取得的成就。

与老师沟通 他们可以就分数线、重新评分和补考为你提供建议。

拨打补录（Clearing）电话 很多朋友通过这条途径进入了非常优秀的课程，但不要为了补录而匆忙做出决定。

与经历过的人交流 虽然在成绩公布日，大多数人看起来都欣喜若狂，但实际上很多人感到失望。与兄弟姐妹、朋友以及高年级学生交谈会非常有帮助。

写下你的选择 在那个混乱的一天，这确实帮我理清了思路。

聚焦于一个新的现实：我的间隔年（gap year）毁了，得额外花一整年时间复习。我为自己的旅行计划感到悲哀——它们似乎在瞬间烟消云散——并想象着当我告诉最好的朋友她必须独自前往时的表情。我的老师很支持我，鼓励我尝试申请重新评分以防万一。但实际上，我知道我正在为补考做准备。

在之前的所有兴奋之后，我不确定接下来的时间是怎么度过的。家庭群聊里没有庆祝消息，没有与朋友们的微笑合影，没有祝贺午餐。日历上

“ 我的 A-level 物理成绩是我拿过最低的分数

原定用于庆祝的空白处成了一个我不想填补的悲伤空洞。

最终，我坐在浴室里，厌倦了自己的悲伤，我想：“我想象中的最坏情况已经发生了，但我依然在呼吸，生活与之前几乎没有变化。浴室没变，我的家没变，我的父母也没变。”这并不是什么深刻的想法，但却令人宽慰。我回到卧室，注意到一张牛津大学拉德克利夫相机（Radcliffe Camera）的照片象征性地从墙上掉了下来。我坚定地把它捡起来并重新贴好——这是我雄心未泯的标志。

然后我迅速行动起来。我拿了一张闪卡（因为我当时有很多），规划了一年的时间表：申请截止日期的具体日期、入学考试、潜在的面试和补考。我在空白处填入了可以旅行、赚钱和复习的时间段。所有内容都用颜色标注——毕竟，我仍然处于复习模式。为了保险起见，我还穿插了一些励志名言，然后放下笔。我想，也许这仍然有可能，并开始感到异常乐观。那张闪卡现在应该还在某个地方。

我的朋友们说服我加入他们参加成绩公布日的夜店狂欢。“无论通过还是失败，喝酒的感觉都一样，”推广员如此承诺。那个夜晚很艰难。我在白天哭了太多，以至于我的视线就像在透过两朵云看东西。那个晚上最官方的问候语似乎是：“你开心吗？”我不开心。

最终能让我露出笑容的是偶遇了当年《爱岛》（Love Island）的一名演员。当我摆姿势拍照时，我想起从统计学上讲，进入那个真人秀节目的难度比进入牛剑（Oxbridge）还要大。我想，至少我们之中有一个做到了。

我一步步遵循闪卡上的时间表，令我绝对欣喜的是，我收到了一份牛津大学的录取通知书，条件是重新参加物理考试。我和最好的朋友一起去了印度，在卧铺火车上、在条件堪忧的旅舍里，以及在食物中毒发作期间，利用碎片时间复习并填写往年试卷。剧透一下：成功了。

如果你是在成绩公布日读到这段文字且处于和我相似的境地，我很遗憾。我知道你的感受——为成绩感到难过是合理的。但你应该知道，分数本身没有任何意义，它们仅仅是通往人生下一个阶段的垫脚石。

我的成绩公布日经历，以及随后的那一年，让我不再那么害怕失败，并在我最终进入牛津大学时减轻了压力。失败是具有解放意义的，对我而言，这是一次受欢迎的现实审视。正如我母亲有时所说，完美是非常无聊的。

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6

实习与工作经验：你需要了解的一切

在竞争激烈的就业市场中，在学习期间丰富你的简历至关重要。 作者：William Milne

今年，曼彻斯特大学宣布，所有本科生无论其学位如何，都将获得一次工作实习机会。原因何在？因为学生需要“有意义的现实世界经验”，才能在等待他们的激烈竞争的就业市场中脱颖而出。

毕业生的过度供应、停滞的经济以及人工智能带来的潜在威胁，意味着仅凭一个学位已无法像以前那样提供竞争优势。根据社会正义中心（Centre for Social Justice）的研究，目前有超过 700,000 名失业毕业生在领取救济金。

虽然曼彻斯特大学是第一所宣布为所有学生提供工作实习的英国大学，但许多学生已经意识到了实践技能的重要性。根据 Sutton Trust 慈善机构的数据，在 2018 和 2024, 之间，表示自己至少完成过一次实习的学生比例从 39% 上升到 51%。

获取经验可能会让人感到压力巨大且令人生畏。以下是一些需要记住的事项。

工作经验旨在帮助你探索自己的优势并尝试不同的行业。即使你完成了一次与未来职业规划不符的实习，你仍然学到了可迁移的技能，这将帮助你脱颖而出。

实习的形式多种多样，其中许多旨在让你进行“试水”，以查看你是否感兴趣。一年级或二年级的学生应该留意“洞察日”（insight days）和“春季周”（spring weeks），这些通常由大型企业提供。这些项目旨在让你了解公司，并向你介绍该公司通常涉及的行业和技能。它们通常可以引导至夏季实习。

申请通常在 8 月下旬开放，并在 12 月或 1 月关闭，因此即使你刚刚进入大学，也要留意任何有趣的机会。

“51% 的学生完成了实习”

如果条件允许，出国一年或选择实习年是一个绝佳的选择。这些机会通常提供给现代语言或商业专业的学生，但许多其他课程也可以选择。

在未来的申请中，讲述你何时搬到一座新城市或国家、如何适应专业环境以及如何获得独立，将对你大有裨益。另一个额外优势是，根据学生雇主协会（Institute of Student Employers）的数据，44% 的实习学生在毕业后回到了他们的实习单位。

对于那些无法休学一年的人，许多公司提供夏季实习。对于某些行业——例如金融服务业——招聘在提前九到

工作实习可以提供可迁移的技能

十二个月时就开始，因此开始留意永远不会太早。工作经验往往让人觉得难以触及。由于学生过多而岗位太少，公司利用这一点提供无薪或低薪职位。在 2025, 35% 的毕业生完成了“无薪或低薪”实习，高于 2018 年的 27%。

虽然较富裕的学生可以依赖“父母银行”，但那些没有这种支持的人可能会感到被排除在机会之外。但来自低收入背景的学生通常可以向大学申请实习奖学金和差旅补助。这些奖学金有时没有广泛宣传，因此请咨询你的职业服务部门，看看可以获得什么支持。

除了“父母银行”，还有“父母的人脉”——例如，父母的一位老朋友提供为期一个月的工作机会。

但礼貌地发送冷邮件（cold-emailing），即使与收件人没有任何联系，也是一条经常被忽视的途径。虽然这看起来可能令人畏缩，但只要你提出请求，很多公司愿意提供一两周（甚至更久！）的实习体验——尤其是在那些企业文化没那么死板的行业中。

同时，充分利用 LinkedIn。你几乎肯定能在许多行业中找到来自你大学的校友——当你访问公司主页时，LinkedIn 会突出显示你们的共同联系人。这些联系人可以提供一个极佳的切入点。

此外，虽然这看起来显而易见，但请确保及时更新你的简历，量身定制每一次申请，并在每封求职信中投入时间和精力，突出你的最佳特质。

“2026年毕业生就业结果调查 成就你的潜力。 让你。 职场就绪。 英格兰地区毕业生年薪达到 4.5 万英镑 或以上的比例排名前 20%。* a.r.u. / 安格利亚鲁斯金大学 (Anglia Ruskin University) 立即申请 九月入学 ARU.AC.UK / CLEARING

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7

我愿意再次这样做 —— 为“室友禁忌恋”辩护

每个人都会告诉你不要和室友谈恋爱，但偶尔这样做是值得的。作者：Annie McNamee

在进入大学后，你会收到关于学习、饮酒、交友和洗衣服的各种建议，但有一条忠告比其他所有建议都更持久：不要和你的室友上床。或者用俗语来说，就是避免“室友禁忌恋”（flatcest）。

这被视为一种极其严重的罪过，以至于人们在谈论时会用“犯下”室友禁忌恋这样的措辞。根据学生折扣公司 Student Beans 的数据，四分之一的学生在学习期间确实会这样做。但当你把十几个刚满 18 岁、第一次真正体验自由的年轻人，放在集体宿舍里，再加上一点（有时是很多）酒精时，你还能期待发生什么？

尽管如此，反对室友禁忌恋的宣传年复一年地无人挑战 —— 直到现在。是时候有人勇敢地站出来支持这一古老传统，并对抗这种恐慌宣传了，因为尽管存在风险，室友间的浪漫关系其实可以非常有趣。

不要以为我是在轻率地对待这件事。事实上，我是一名资深人士。我经历过这段时光。我见证了美好的、糟糕的，以及几乎导致辍学的短暂情缘，并且我自己也曾在其中挣扎。

我第一次那段离谱的、甚至称不上是“暧昧期”的关系发生在我在布里斯托大学的第一学期。它在凌晨 3 点戛然而止，当时我打电话给我妈妈，哭着说我想回家。随后是两个月令人困惑且心碎的日子。与让我彻夜难眠的人共享生活空间简直太糟糕了。我经常在夜店的洗手间里向朋友哭诉。

我尽量避免使用公共区域，以免我们被迫在煮面锅前进行尴尬的对话。我没有任何可以安静地悲伤的空间。我曾威胁要搬回家，还缺席了电影和英语课程的讲座。有一段时间，我的世界变得非常狭小。

我的经历并不罕见。在网络论坛 The Student Room 上寻求建议时，一名用户简单地写道：“如果我和他住在一起，我该如何忘记他？”

此外还有你的其他室友 —— 那些“附带损害”的人。凯瑟琳·霍奇（Catherine Hodge），22, 岁，在爱丁堡大学的第一年里陷入了一个尴尬的境地，当时她宿舍的一名学生从另一名住户那里感染了传染性单核细胞增多症，也就是所谓的“接吻病”。走廊随即进入封锁状态以防止进一步传播。“这其实挺好笑的，因为没有人对此感到惊讶，这被认为是很正常的事，”她说。

在学生宿舍里，人们很少感到惊讶，因为每个人都被自己混乱的决定分散了注意力。我很清楚这一点 —— 在大学的第二学期，我做了唯一一件比尝试与室友恋爱更愚蠢的事：再次尝试。

带着第一次灾难留下的新鲜伤口，我确实努力尝试不再与任何同住的人约会。但在室友内森（Nathan）的房间里熬夜到凌晨 3 点看了三个月的美剧《河谷镇》（Riverdale）之后，

下方：Annie McNamee 和她的男友 Nathan 曾合租一套公寓

我们彼此相吸引的事实已无法忽视。第二次尝试的情况好得多，这段关系成功地走出了大一这个“压力锅”。四年半后，我们依然在一起，不用说，我很庆幸我给了室友禁忌恋第二次机会。

像我这样成功的室友禁忌恋故事很多。布里斯托大学 20 岁的学生埃琳（Erin）也有类似的温馨经历，她与现在的女友（前室友）开始了恋爱关系。“我确实担心过如果结局糟糕会发生什么 —— 我们当时和九个人一起住，”她承认。他们即将庆祝两周年纪念日。

内尔·罗登（Nel Roden），23岁，自从在一年级宿舍相遇后就一直与男友在一起。“近距离接触意味着你能非常快速地深入了解彼此，”她说。“如果你能像成年人一样，同意将那些不应涉及屋里其他人的事情留在

四年半后，我们依然在一起

你们两人之间，那么这种情况其实相当轻松。”

她补充说，共同生活的紧凑环境减轻了约会初期的压力。“在迎新周让某人目睹你狼狈不堪的样子，似乎有利于建立一段幸福的关系。”

即使没有童话般的结局，“室友之恋”（flatcest）也不必是一次负面经历。23岁的前电影系学生尼娅姆（Niamh）曾与她的室友——一位好友兼初出茅庐的纹身师——共度一夜。“这只发生过一次，现在我们对此付之一笑。很多年后，她依然是我的纹身师，”她说。

虽然我没有纹身可以证明，但我并不后悔我在第一学期那次灾难性的浪漫尝试。我从中吸取了教训，而大学应该是一个沙盒，让你在后果相对较小时，可以做出并不完美的决定。

所以，不要害怕“室友之恋”。如果它以一个迷人的室友形式敲开你的门，请行使你偶尔犯傻的权利。从我的错误中学习，然后去犯同样的错吧。

不喝酒？你在大学里依然可以获得很多乐趣。方法如下

Waseem Mohamed 研究生培训生

“去酒吧？”——这个单字问题几乎每个学生都熟悉。对于英国 286 万 名学生中的许多人来说，前往小酒馆是一项最重要的仪式。

我记得 19 岁在达勒姆大学成为一名新生时，第一次被邀请出去喝酒。我刚加入的学生报纸每周在市中心的一家酒吧举行会后社交活动，在前两个学期里我都没有参加。

我觉得没有理由强迫自己去酒吧，或者喝酒。出于宗教原因，我从未（且至今仍未）接触过酒精。我的这一代人似乎也在选择清醒、待在家里以及从事“无聊”的爱好，所以我并不觉得我会错过什么。但在任何一个夜晚走在镇上，很快就打破了 Z 世代不喝酒的迷思。这让我开始质疑不喝酒是否在限制我的社交圈，而数据表明我的担忧是有根据的。今年 5 月发布的年度《学生、酒精与药物调查》发现，73% 的学生饮酒，78% 的学生认为饮酒和醉酒是大学文化的一部分。许多人表示，这对其社交能力产生了积极影响：64% 的学生表示他们在饮酒期间或之后结交了新朋友。

Z 世代学生与酒精的关系远非简单。不同的大学采取不同的方法：虽然

布拉德福德大学在 2024 年将其一家学生酒吧替换成了无酒精咖啡馆，但其他大学如伯明翰大学、圣安德鲁斯大学和萨里大学最近则迎来了校园内的 Wetherspoons 酒吧。

因此，期待今年秋天充满酒精的新生周的学生可能会找到自己的圈子，但如果你是四分之一不喝酒的人之一，该怎么办呢？

在第一年过半时，我得出结论：如果我不尝试融入喝酒的大多数人，我毕业时可能几乎没有朋友。所以最终，在一个寒冷的夜晚，我接受了去喝一杯的邀请，并勇敢地为自己点了一品脱自来水。

令我欣慰的是，无论是当时还是之后，没有一个人

Z 世代对选择软饮料的人更加理解

因为我不喝酒而评判我——我的社交生活因此变得更好了。事实是，虽然大多数 Z 世代仍然热爱饮酒，但我们对于那些选择不喝酒的人也更加理解。

“好奇清醒”（sober curious）已成为许多人的增长趋势。在严重的生存成本危机期间，经常喝几品脱啤酒的费用增加速度惊人——我的许多朋友在陷入更深的透支时意识到了这一点。此外还有健康方面的原因，包括身体和心理健康。

大学最棒的事情之一就是它允许你塑造你想成为的人，这也适用于你对待酒精的方式。想要被认为很酷就必须让自己酩酊大醉，这已不再是必然——如果非要说有什么不同的话，保持清醒并能记住你的夜晚之行是一项更令人印象深刻的成就。

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莱斯特大学

你的未来。

你的选择。

请致电 0116 373 6000，在英国前 25 名大学*的补录（Clearing）中确保你的名额。

每个本科学位都包括保证 100 小时的由雇主指导的、与工作相关的学习。现在了解更多并探索我们的可用课程。

le.ac.uk / clearing

*2026 年泰晤士高等教育世界大学排名

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9

学生住房：来自我们租赁专家的建议

Sasha Nugara 表示，选择合适的室友，核查你的房东，并了解你的法律权利。

住在大学宿舍让租赁变得简单，因为所有账单都已包含且有现场管理。但寻找大二的住所则会带来一次现实的冲击。

大多数学生最终会对大二住宿的至少一个方面感到后悔，无论是房子、房东、位置还是同住的人。虽然一些抱怨在所难免，但让自己尽可能获得幸福至关重要。

今年的一个新考量因素是 5 月 1 日生效的《租客权利法案》（Renters' Rights Act）。该法案彻底改革了租客的权利——但涉及学生时，情况会变得更加复杂。

请参考我们的学生住房建议，确保你了解自己的权利，不要仓促决定。

确定你的底线和优先级

在开始寻找大二住所时，有很多需要考虑的事情，无论你是社交达人只需要一个房间，还是性格内向想要一个带有独立设施的一室公寓。

如果你已经和新朋友组成了团体并希望一起居住，选择私人租赁的多人占用房屋（HMO）是最佳选择，但请确保你们在预算、位置和社交边界方面达成共识。

如果你想要一种与高端大学宿舍更类似的体验（包含设施、安保和账单），专门的学生公寓（PBSAs）供应商可能更适合你——只要准备好多付一点钱即可。如果你在适应环境或建立稳固的朋友圈方面遇到困难，这可能是完美的选择——PBSAs 通常设有社交公共区域并举办活动。

知道去哪里寻找

从你的学生会网站开始，那里应该有推荐的中介机构、PBSAs、值得信赖的私人房东名单，以及针对你所在大学城镇或城市的建议。查看 Facebook 页面和 SpareRoom 等网站也是个好主意。

NUS England 的高等教育副主席 Lewis Wilson 建议进行深入研究。他说：“如果你在考虑专门的学生公寓，请务必检查它们是否通过了由 Unipol 或 Cubo 等组织运行的国家准则认证。”

Unipol 是一个非营利组织，旨在确保学生住房的高标准；而 Cubo（学院与大学业务主管协会）是一个代表大学住宿管理人员和其他校园服务领导者的专业协会。

核查你的房东是否可靠

虽然通过社交媒体和第三方供应商提供的选择可能更灵活且能适应较低的预算，但它们可能也较不可靠，更容易导致糟糕的房东体验。Wilson 表示：“你的学生会可能有认证房东计划、合同审核服务或租赁建议——请利用这些资源。这些服务的存在是为了确保你在大学期间拥有最好的时光，而这正是其中非常有价值的一项。”

如果你确实需要对房东提出投诉，作为《租客权利法案》的一部分，一项强制性的监察员服务计划于 2028 年上线。这将是一个免费、独立的法院诉讼替代方案，并拥有法律约束力。

不要给错误留空间

“当你搬进去时，给所有东西拍照，并确保你的财产清单是最新的——尤其是要确保记录下磨损情况，这样在租期结束时，房东就不会因此向你收费，”威尔逊说道。他建议将押金存入租房押金计划中进行保护。“不要害怕在租期结束时对扣款提出质疑。”

如果你搬进了 HMO（多人合租房），请确保你和你的室友拥有独立的合同，并且每个人都单独向房东或中介支付房租。同样，应事先约定，如果有人退出，填补该房间是其自身的责任。记住，你们才刚刚认识，你最不希望看到的就是一个不可靠的人让你承担额外费用并造成不必要的压力。

搬入时拍摄磨损情况的照片

了解你的权利

《租客权利法案》对学生的影响取决于你居住的地方以及你的合租对象——主要是该房产是 HMO 还是 PBSA（专业学生住宿），以及你是与学生还是非学生同住。

“由于学生的抗争，房东不能要求预付超过一个月房租，也不能要求学生在搬入前近一年就签署住房协议，”威尔逊说道。

过去，学生会签署固定期限合同，但现在所有 HMO 都已改为周期性滚动租赁。这意味着你需要在离开前两个月提交通知。这也意味着你不再被锁定在与你讨厌的人同住——你可以在一年中的任何时间离开。

然而，为了保持学生住房市场的周期性，该法案中的 Ground 4A 条款允许房东在 6 月 1 和 9 月 30. 之间驱逐学生住户。前提是房东需提前四个月通知，且意图重新将其出租给学生。

该法案还禁止竞价大战和不合理的租金上涨，并对预付房租设定了上限。

如果你住在大学自有住宿或 PBSA 中，你将不受该法案约束，因此你将被锁定在固定期限合同中，并且可以预付房租。

下方：Sasha Nugara

贷款丑闻对新生意味着什么？

财经记者

今年，英格兰的学生贷款问题引发了激烈的争论，由《泰晤士报》财经版（Times Money）发起的“结束毕业生被宰”运动（End the Graduate Rip-Off campaign）引领了这场讨论。那么，究竟发生了什么，以及这是否会影响今天入学的大学生？

近期的讨论集中在 Plan 2 贷款上。这类贷款在 2012 年 9 月至 2023, 6 月期间在英格兰发放，目前在威尔士仍在发放。Plan 2 贷款在学费从 3,000 英镑 增加到 9,000 英镑（增加至三倍）的同年推出，部分由于高利率的影响，导致毕业生的平均债务达到 5.3 万英镑。

2 的利率设定为零售价格指数（RPI）加上最高 3 个百分点，具体取决于毕业生的收入水平。在大学就读期间，将适用完整的 3 个百分点利率。

所有本科生贷款都有一个还款门槛，这意味着你只需偿还超过特定水平收入的 9%。对于 2, 这个门槛曾被承诺将随毕业生的平均收入而上涨，以确保毕业生在感受到学位的经济收益后才开始还款。

但在去年的预算案中，财政大臣瑞秋·里夫斯（Rachel Reeves）宣布 2 的门槛将在 29,385 英镑 冻结三年。这是该贷款推出以来的第三次此类冻结。如果最初的 2.5 万英镑 门槛随平均收入上涨，现在应该在 3.8 万英镑 左右。相反，毕业生被迫比承诺的更早还款，且通常是在他们还负担不起的时候。

毕业生们感到被误导销售了。许多人不知道条款会被更改，因为学生贷款——包括今天新生办理的贷款——是法定性质的，而非合同性质的。因此，任何政府都可以追溯性地更改条款。

教育部（Department for Education）的资料告诉潜在的学生，还款感觉就像支付电话费或购买电影票一样。他们反复承诺门槛将随平均收入上涨，却未解释该门槛可能会被冻结。

这种情况成为了跨党派的政治焦点。今年 2 月，现任安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）教育大臣的露西·鲍威尔（Lucy Powell）称该利率“令人震惊”。她最近表示，这个问题处于她“待办事项的最顶端”。一个跨党派议会委员会在 3 月启动了调查。该委员会得出结论，如果政府是一家私营公司，其行为将构成误导销售。

今天入学的学生将办理更新的 5 贷款。虽然利率固定为 RPI，但还款门槛仅为 2.5 万英镑 —— 大约相当于最低工资。与 2 类似，借款人将偿还超过此水平收入的 9%。

2 的借款人占据了头条新闻，因为他们现在正步入三十岁。他们试图买房并组建家庭，却发现自己被债务拖累。对于今天的 5 学生来说，历史很可能会重演。

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10

《泰晤士报》作者们的感悟

无视那些自负—— 夏洛特·艾弗斯 (Charlotte Ivers) 表示，仅仅因为某人说自己聪明，并不意味着他们真的聪明。

我哲学学位中最重要的一堂智力课，最终证明并不是关于“缸中之脑”的寓言，也不是关于冲向无辜平民的电车难题，而是在有一天排队等食堂时我产生的一次感悟。

在准备二年级考试前的那个不愉快的早晨，我正与一名同级男生一起复习形式逻辑。逻辑是我去年考试中成绩最低的一门，我当时有点恐慌。然而，那个年轻人坚定地向我保证，这是他的专业科目。因此，我一直期待着在这个早晨能潜移默化地从他的见解中获益。

复习情况并不理想。直白地说，我几乎无法理解那个人在说什么。在对着教科书瞪了几个绝望的小时后，我们承认失败，决定去吃午餐。当我们等待那份相当乏味的炸鱼和薯条时，我们的对话转向了去年的考试。

我的同伴自豪地告诉我，他在逻辑考试中实际上得到了 57 分。这比我的分数整整低了 4 个百分点，而我此前一直认为我的分数是对我能力的可耻指控。然而，我的复习伙伴解释说，他并不认为这个分数特别重要。他真的、真的非常擅长逻辑，只是那张试卷太愚蠢了，所有的问题都问错了，方式也全错了。

真是令人大开眼界。我之前从未想到一个人可以用这种方式看待世界。在我的认知里，考官是智能的最终裁决者，如果我没达到他的标准，那么我一定是个白痴。然而，我的复习伙伴却将自尊心源自于某种深层的内心自信。

当然，从中吸取的教训并不是说，一个人在面对压倒性的相反证据时仍必须坚信自己的天才之能。但这是一个很好的教训，告诉我们不要让学术生活中的挫折和磕碰摧毁你对一个学科的热情。

更重要的是，这是一个学会忽视周围人的吹嘘和自负的教训。在大学的前两年，我大部分时间都在为他人看似天才的能力而恐慌。但在食堂的那一天，一切都改变了。我学到了一课，至今仍对我有所帮助：仅仅因为有人告诉你他们很聪明，并不意味着他们真的聪明。

我的母亲也谈到过她在 20 世纪 80 年代攻读数学学位时有类似的经历。她进入大学后发现自己被一群极度自信的男性包围，随即认定自己是个笨蛋。随后，她在一年级考试中击败了他们所有人。她的结论是，她的同学在进行自我评估时，关注的是他们能做到的 90% 的事情，而她关注的是她不能做到的 10% 的事情。当然，这两种做法都并非完全健康。在两者之间存在着一个完美的平衡点。如果运气好的话，我希望有一天能找到它。

不要让 学术生活的 挫折 摧毁 你对 学科的 热爱

夏洛特·艾弗斯 现在（上图）以及 在大学期间（下图）

走出校园，在你的新家接触真实生活

外面有一个完整的世界。本·马切尔 (Ben Machell) 表示，请利用你的时间和自由，现在就开始探索它。

成为一名大学生的绝妙之处在于，除了学术工作，生活变得非常简单。一切都为你准备好了：住宿、每周时间表、社交活动、校友连帽衫、政治观点……这就像加入了一个温和的邪教，你和数千个与你非常相似的人生活在高度制度化、近乎相同的生活中，与主流社会保持着显著的距离。

我并不是说这是一件坏事。事实上，在最初的几周或几个月里，这对于适应环境非常有帮助。在又一个周二晚上，通过假装对福音书有初步兴趣，从学生宿舍的基督教联盟那里骗取更多免费披萨，或者参加大规模的变装酒吧巡游，或者为学生联赛组建五人制球队，这些事情能给人带来某种慰藉。这就是你应该做的事。你会结交好朋友。你甚至可能会意外地找到上帝。

但随后，大概在第二学期中期，你会经历一个“矩阵”时刻。就像科幻经典电影中的基努·里维斯一样，你会开始怀疑你所生存的现实或许根本不是真实的，而只是一个令人舒适的模拟。当这一时刻到来时，我敦促你睁开眼睛——吃下那颗红色药丸——并看到在你的校园之外，存在着一个庞大、充满活力、有些令人生畏但最终令人兴奋的世界，去探索它，而不是让自己在本科生活的舒适惯性中随波逐流。

事实是，当你上大学时，你拥有巨大的自由和大量的时间，尤其是如果你就读于艺术类专业。不要在接下来的三年里将自己禁锢在学生贫民窟中而浪费这些时间。

相反，通过尝试那些没有人要求你做的事情，开始为高等教育之后的生活做练习。组建糟糕的手部组织。举办并推广那些绝对没有人光顾的俱乐部之夜。在你所在的这座新城市建立与大学无关的人脉。

对政治感兴趣？去找志同道合的当地人，而不是

本·马切尔 (Ben Machell)，左图，以及上图与大学友在一起

寻找同学。没能进入大学篮网球队？去找一支当地球队。有特定的职业抱负？现在就开始寻找实习经验或暑期工作。想成为，我不知道……一名记者？既然在你居住地几英里外可能就有当地报纸在出版，为什么还要为你的学生刊物写稿？仅仅因为你在上大学，并不意味着你必须一直扮演一个“学生”。

但你会注意到，越接近毕业，你的许多同龄人就会变得越有“学生气”。他们会变得绝望地、颓废地充满学生气，因为他们害怕接下来的生活，也就是说，害怕缺乏结构、需要个人主动性、责任感和经验。换句话说，他们害怕即将到来的现实。但你呢？你不会。因为那时你已经生活在现实之中了。

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11

大学 —— 在讲座之外

SAME SEVEN, CENA HOFSMAN 为《泰晤士报》拍摄

不要太认真对待学生政治——享受其中就好

免费避孕套、激光对战和终身好友：塞巴斯蒂安·佩恩 (Sebastian Payne) 回顾他在学生会（JCR）任职期间最令他自豪的胜利

众所周知，有两个词永远不应该放在一起：学生和政治。然而，当我 2007 年抵达达勒姆时，对竞选公职的渴望牵动着我的 Topman 衬衫领口。我没有加入保守党协会——那里全是傲慢之气和拍桌子的喧闹——而是选择了更具市政色彩的选项：学生会（JCR）。这是一个由学生运行的机构，负责我所在的范米尔德特学院（Van Mildert College）内部的服务，该学院是一座粗野主义风格的建筑。我想，能为学生体验带来真正的改变，没有比这更崇高的追求了。

我的第一次尝试以失败告终，当时我竞选的是 JCR 秘书这个显赫的职位，也就是首席记录员。第二次竞选副主席则取得了胜利，因为没有人反对我。与罗伯特·詹里克 (Robert Jenrick) 不同，我没有遭受被常年候选人 Ron（重新开放提名）击败的耻辱。按照范米尔德特学院的传统，胜利是通过“kazu”来庆祝的：将一罐满的可口可乐踢下学院楼梯，然后将其淋在头上，接着喝掉一码（yard）酒精饮料。选择伏特加汤力水而不是，比如说，一码淡啤酒，是我早期的一个错误。

在最后一年开始时就任职，我的职责相当灵活。我担任主席的代理，而主席是一名拿薪水的毕业生。但我负责学院的纪律，这包括了对调皮学生处以罚款的诱人权力。第一次尝试行使这项权力时，是在一次体育协会的正式晚宴上，我遇到了一位体格魁梧的橄榄球队长，他正带着 25 杯烈酒进入餐厅。“你知道你拦不住我，我也知道你不会拦，所以哥们，你能不能让开？”他笑着说道。

塞巴斯蒂安·佩恩（左）。上方：2009 年在达勒姆地区值勤

我对另一组人的处理则更成功，他们在一次极其喧闹的狂欢之夜后，用沙发撞毁了一面内墙。当我把他们带到高级导师面前时，他们的借口是“达勒姆的夜店关门太早，我们精力太旺盛了”。他们随后都被禁止再次入住学院。

每周，我们这些当选人员都要参加冗长得令人难以忍受的执行委员会会议。讨论的政策问题很严肃。有一次会议专门讨论避孕套问题，以及 JCR 是否应该增加免费供应以鼓励更安全的性行为——对此，一名执行委员回应道：“我不需要那些东西，我像个真正的男人一样做爱。”

执行委员会的工作经常被成员之间受 Fleetwood Mac 乐队启发的错综复杂的关系所干扰。会议经常因为谁在和谁睡觉而偏离方向；竞争情敌之间会发生尖叫争吵。在 WhatsApp 出现之前的日子里，发现谁在出轨的最佳方法就是看谁看起来最疲惫。再加上大多数时候每个人都处于宿醉状态，我们竟然能就任何事情达成一致，简直是个奇迹。出席率很不稳定，因为有些人将执行委员会视为简历的润色，而另一些人则将其视为逃避学习的有用手段。

最睿智的话语曾由学院酒吧的管事之口说出。其他人在某种程度上都是书呆子，而他则是个彻头彻尾的运动健将——一个会带着几品脱啤酒去深夜健身的人。在一次关于 JCR 是否应该注册为慈善机构的长谈之后，他突然爆发道：“听着，两年后我们都会离开这里，没人会记得我们，也不会记得我们做过什么。所以我们能不能全部闭嘴，直接去做点实事？”我们没有照做，而他是对的。

这一切值得吗？JCR 让我结识了生命中最优秀的一些朋友：我担任副手的那位主席成了我的伴郎，反之亦然。我们也确实做了一些好事：我们举办了该学院多年来最精彩的舞会，现场配备了激光对战、B*Witched 乐队和一名 Radio I 的 DJ。我们为学院员工及其子女举办了一场狂欢式的圣诞派对。我们将 Kronenberg 啤酒的价格维持在 £1.60 一品脱。我们让范·米尔德特学院（Van Mildert）成为了最有趣的学院。而且，我们从未、绝对没有讨论过 2010 年的大选。我学到的最大教训是：不要认真对待大学里的政治。只要享受快乐就好。

黏腻、闷热且无聊……夜店有什么好喜欢的？

每个人都热爱它，那么我错过了什么？Cindy Yu 讲述她在舞池之外寻找自我节奏的经历

我曾努力尝试喜欢去夜店，真的尝试过。在我上大学的城镇，每晚都有足够的夜店可以去。周二去 Cellar，周三去 Parhend，周四去 Bridge，以此类推。从迎新周开始，一种预期似乎就此确立：在每个晚上的社交活动之后，都要去夜店为这一夜画上句号。我忠实地跟随新结识的朋友们一同前往。

但我发现这是一种折磨人的收尾方式。阴暗的场馆不可避免地黏腻且闷热，而几十个汗流浃背的陌生人像沙丁鱼一样挤在一起，让情况变得更糟。我们女生如果没遇到一只不请自来的手伸过来揩油，就算运气好了。音乐可能很不错——如果你选对了日子——但更多时候，一个自以为是 David Guetta 的 DJ 会用一段不和谐的混音毁掉一切。

因此在这些夜晚，没过多久我就会寻求吸烟区的庇护。我甚至不抽烟，但至少在那里可以呼吸到新鲜空气，聊天，并且真正地认识一些和你一起跳舞的人。我觉得那里比舞池是一个更文明的环境。

我不明白为什么其他人似乎如此痴迷于夜店。这真的是千禧一代社交的巅峰吗？作为一名社会科学专业的学生，我开始构建一个理论，认为这是一个“皇帝的新衣”案例——同辈压力足以让每个人加入并狂欢，但我怀疑不享受其中的人比愿意承认的人更多。

Cindy Yu。上图：在牛津大学就读期间

无论情况如何，最终我觉得为了在吸烟区待着而专门去夜店这件事太傻了，于是我去的次数越来越少。这种感觉很好——简单地接受这样一件事：仅仅因为某件事是主流且是“大家都在做的事”，并不意味着我也必须喜欢它，或者也得去做。

我的一些朋友继续去夜店，这没问题，但我们也开始探索其他活动。我们用一个在商业街上发传单的人给的代金券去玩了彩弹射击。我们参加了一场卡丁车比赛。我们尝试了冰球。我们给葡萄酒品鉴协会带了些劣质奶酪，并且没有把它们吐出来。回想起来，那时在场的人至今仍是我大学时期最亲密的朋友。

所以，为了充分利用大学时光，尝试那些古怪的爱好，结识那些古怪的人。这是一个了解你是谁以及你喜欢什么的时期。无论是否喜欢夜店，最重要的教训就是做你自己。

我会寻求吸烟区的庇护。我甚至不抽烟

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智力 + 经验 =

实用信息

林肯大学 （UNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN）

补录名额 现正开放

立即致电 0808 164 4444

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13

关于财务你需要知道的事

如何在不倾家荡产的情况下度过大学生活。资深财经记者 Megan Harwood-Baynes 撰文

距离我参加迎新周已经过去十多年了，但身为学生的财务后遗症可能会持续很久。令人惊讶的是，考虑到我作为财经记者的职业，我在二十多岁时并不擅长理财。即便预算方案直接甩在我脸上，我也认不出来，而且我和当地 Domino's 的外送员熟到能直呼其名。我的财务状况全靠运气，以及通过多份兼职工作没日没夜地奔波才勉强维持。

这是一份我希望有人在第一天就告诉我的财务生存指南——尽管 19 岁的我可能会对此不屑一顾。

你的学生贷款无法覆盖所有开支

你能获得的学生生活费贷款金额将在 4,013 英镑 到 14,135 英镑 之间。具体金额取决于你是否住在家里（住家里获得的贷款较少）、你来自英国哪个地区（每个国家都有自己的资助机构）、你的家庭收入（如果你的父母收入较高，你获得的贷款就较少，反之亦然）以及你就读学位的地点（如果在伦敦就读，获得的贷款较多）。

2024-25 年度（目前可获得的最新数据）的平均生活费贷款为 7,678 英镑。这笔钱通常分三期支付，每学期开始时支付一次，因此当它进入你的账户时看起来很多，但平均到每月大约只有 £640。

根据 Save the Student 的数据，学生的平均每月基本生活成本支出为 1,142 英镑，这意味着在你还没踏入学生酒吧之前，就已经面临 £502 的资金缺口。一些学生可以依靠父母来填补这个缺口，但许多人需要找一份兼职工作才能维持生计。提前意识到存在缺口是有帮助的，这样你就可以提前规划，避免依赖信用卡或贷款。

你必须偿还借款

一些银行账户会向学生提供免息透支，这意味着如果你的余额低于零，你不会产生任何费用。这可能看起来很有诱惑力，而且很像免费的钱 ——

但事实并非如此。陷入赤字只会让你未来的生活更加艰难。虽然它是免息的，但它仍然是债务。

毕业后，银行通常会将你的账户转换为毕业生账户，给你最多三年的时间来清偿债务，之后才会产生费用和利息。但你毕业时面对的是一个棘手的就业市场，租金昂贵且起薪低于平均水平。在偿还数千英镑债务的同时应对这一切，会让你生活得更辛苦。

信用卡、短期和长期贷款以及“先买后付”也是如此。这些全部都是真金白银，避免偿还这些钱最廉价的方法就是一开始就不要借。

制定预算很枯燥，但没钱花同样枯燥

你的学生贷款会在 9 月底到账，突然之间，你的账户里有了比以往任何时候都多的钱。多点一次外卖、多喝一轮酒或者在 TikTok Shop 下一个订单又怎么了？

在 10 月的阅读周之前，很容易就把这些钱花光，但这只会让你在学期末陷入痛苦。当学生贷款到账时，将总额除以你需要维持生活的时间（月数，或者如果按周计算更方便的话）。将大部分贷款转移到另一个独立账户中，并分期给自己发“工资”（像 Monzo 和 Starling 这样拥有多个“资金池”功能的数字银行非常适合这样做）。

制定一份基础预算以计算

精通二手店购物与“伪外卖”的艺术

你花在房租、食物、大学用品上的金额 —— 但别忘了给自己留一些娱乐资金。制定预算很枯燥，但一个月只吃白面条同样枯燥。

寻找优惠

你现在是一名节俭的学生了，所以是时候开始这样行动了。慈善商店和 Vinted 有一些最划算的商品，或者如果你对自己的衣橱感到厌倦，可以和室友组织一次衣服交换。这对

“

预算管理很枯燥，但吃白面条也一样枯燥

地球更有利，对你的钱包也更有利。学生折扣是你获得一些绝佳免费赠品的门票。仅举几例：Boots 和 Asos 有 10% 的折扣，还有免费的 Microsoft Office 和 Prime Student。在进行大宗购买之前，花 24 小时深思熟虑。首先检查是否有可用折扣，然后给自己时间决定是否真的想要某样东西。

你还可以使用 Olio 等应用程序从附近商店获取免费食物，或者在当地 Facebook 群组中寻找廉价家具。Too Good to Go 是一款旨在减少浪费的应用程序，可以成为在一天结束时获取廉价食物的一种方式。我曾经用一个 £2.99 的 Toby Carvery 购物袋喂饱了三个人，但这确实伴随着你可能会拿到三盒卷心菜沙拉的风险，所以请谨慎选择你的惊喜袋。

精通“伪外卖”且不要轮流请客

我们都这么做过，但不要轮流请客，尤其是在与新室友共度最初的几个夜晚时。这很快会变得昂贵，而且在还不熟悉彼此的早期阶段，很少有人会回请。

热爱咖啡？投资一套优质的居家方案和一个结实的外带咖啡杯。并在冷冻库里储备一些冷冻披萨，以备夜晚狂欢结束时之用——我向你保证，在喝了那么多 Jägerbombs 之后，它的味道和外卖一样好，价格却只有外卖的一小部分，而且烹饪时间与 Domino's 送到你门上的时间一样长。只要别在披萨在烤箱里时睡着就行。

生活费贷款导致支出缺口

平均提供的生活费贷款与平均所需资金之间的缺口，取决于英格兰学生就读大学的地点

不要满足于

次优选择

A level 和 GCSE 重考

• 每科平均提高两个等级
• 极佳的罗素大学集团（Russell Group）大学升学率
• 以考试为中心的课程，小班教学

预约学术咨询

伦敦 020 7835 1355

伯明翰 0121 454 9637

剑桥 01223 350 158

mpw.ac.uk / retakes

MPW

Arjun 的成绩从 BD 提高到 AA，从而确保了他在利物浦大学就读医学的席位。

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14

如何在一年级学生宿舍生存

保持整洁，不要把自己关在房间里，并且就任何问题进行沟通，近期毕业生卡勒姆·马丁（Callum Martin）如此建议

这是大学生活中最美好、最令人生畏，且在许多方面最离奇的部分。一群此前从未离开家独立生活、完全互不相识的人，被随机地凑在一起，被迫共同生活一年。

如果你是以一名即将入学的一年级新生身份阅读本文，那么在一个多月后，你可能会第一次打开学生宿舍的房门。兴奋之情毋庸置疑，紧张之情肯定存在。好消息是，每个人都会有这种感觉。我当时确实如此。而我去年夏天刚从埃克塞特大学（University of Exeter）毕业，就在短短几年前，我还和你处于同样的情况。

我在宿舍度过了一段美好的时光，但有很多事情是我希望在入学前就能知道的。在这里分享这些经验，我希望你们不必通过吃亏来吸取教训。

建议……尽早搬入

大多数宿舍在迎新周之前的那个周末开放。早到有明显的实际好处，比如可以优先挑选橱柜或冰箱空间，但主要优势在于社交。搬入宿舍本身就足够令人紧张了，你肯定不想成为那个

住在垃圾填埋场里的 新鲜感很快就会消失

许多人在前六周就签署了合同，结果不久后才意识到他们并不喜欢那些同意共同居住的人。

显然，你不想等待太久，但也不应该为了签约而签约。如果你能忽略那些嘈杂的声音，一些最划算的房源可能会在第二学期进入市场。

建议……保持整洁

人们对学生公寓像个垃圾场这种想法有一种奇怪的浪漫主义色彩，而且事实上，到第三周时，大多数公寓看起来就像被飓风袭击，随后又遭到了酒精蝗虫的侵袭。但住在垃圾填埋场里的新鲜感很快就会消失。没有人喜欢那个把脏盘子放任腐烂好几天，或者堵塞水槽后就溜之大吉的人。

像许多公寓一样，我们选择了制定清洁轮值表，这起到了很大作用。但起码，请在弄脏后自行清理。

不要……认为你的室友必须成为你的挚友

虽然那样会很棒，但负责安排大学住宿的管理人员并不是根据性格来匹配人员的。事实上，我曾经和其中一位交流过，他告诉我，当他们感到无聊时，曾尝试让一整间公寓全部住进名叫约翰（John）的男人。

这完全像一场抽奖，虽然我运气不错，但并非每个人都如此。这没关系。你应该以开放的心态对待每个人，但如果经过几周时间发现你与

大学住宿管理人员 并非根据性格 来匹配人员

某人合不来，不要试图强行将方榫塞进圆孔。

保持文明，保持友好，不要让这件事让你心情低落。在你的公寓门外还有一个广阔的世界。

建议……正面解决问题

即使你的室友关系极好，也会出现冲突。在如此近距离地生活，一些冲突是无法避免的：你的室友从不倒垃圾；他们醉酒回家且没关前门；他们在房间里抽烟，在凌晨4点触发了火警报警器。

根据我的经验，处理问题的最佳方式是迅速、冷静且（理想情况下）面对面地沟通。没有什么比在群聊中发送一条阴阳怪气的消息更糟糕的了。

不要……（立即）与室友发生关系

你的许多年长朋友会给你这个建议。你会点头，并告诉他们你绝不会那么愚蠢。然后你还是会这么做。相信我。

那种“没什么大不了，现在是迎新周”的态度确实有其吸引力，但第一年是一场马拉松而非短跑，你肯定不想在接下来的几个月里，在早餐桌旁经历尴尬的邂逅。

我听过无数恐怖故事。有人因为环境太乱被强迫搬走。有人背叛了自己的室友……对象还是另一个室友。甚至有一间学生公寓在租期内发生了结婚事件（随后又离婚了）。虽然情况恶化到那种地步需要运气很差，但这类地方还是应该避开。

在周日晚上最后出现，对于一个面对已经利用周末互相认识了一组人的新人来说，是最糟糕的。

在我公寓的十名学生中，我是周五搬入的三个人之一，并迅速与同样早到的同伴建立了联系，在其他人到达之前缓解了紧张情绪。如果你有选择余地，请尽可能早地到达，直接投身其中。

不要……躲在房间里

这不应该被解读为“你必须出去社交”。如果喝酒和去夜店不是你的爱好，那完全没问题。我认识很多在宿舍期间滴酒不沾且过得很愉快的人。但即使你不是个爱派对的人，也要走出房间，尽可能多地与人聊天——越早越好。是的，起初可能会感到害怕，但一年级学生建立感情的速度很快，如果你不这样做，以后会后悔的。

要……明智地打包

除了显而易见的打包清单，我认为有几样东西是必备的。一个门垫，用来表明你很友好且乐于聊天；一个舒适的床垫垫层，考虑到前任住户可能对其造成的损耗；出于同样的原因，降噪耳机也是明智的选择。但同样重要的是不要过度打包。学生宿舍的空间有限，用没用的杂物填满厨房是让自己不受欢迎的好方法。如果你不太可能每天使用某样东西，请慎重考虑是否携带。说认真的，你不需要面包机。

不要……匆忙签署二年级合同

这是一个常见的错误，尤其是在那些学生人数激增的不可抗力与住房存量低之不可撼动之物相遇的小城市。

在锁定二年级住宿方面存在一种恐慌文化，相关讨论往往早在迎新周就开始了。

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15

“人们会对我口音指指点点”

研究表明，一些精英机构在接纳弱势群体方面出现倒退。作者：Marieta Marinova

“关于大学生活的神话是，一旦学生获得了入学名额，每个人都在一个公平的起跑线上竞争，”埃克塞特大学社会流动性教授李·埃利奥特·梅杰（Lee Elliot Major）表示。他补充道，现实情况是，“许多来自弱势背景的学生会遇到由文化、社会和财务障碍交织而成的密集网络”，这些因素决定了谁能脱颖而出，谁会掉队。

作为英国该领域的首位教授，梅杰认为在“文化流畅度”方面存在着一些“隐藏的阶级代码”，学生必须在从未被教授的情况下自行应对。在社交网络慈善机构“93%俱乐部”（The 93% Club）去年对 10,000 名接受公立教育的学生进行的调查中，近十分之九的人表示，校园内公立教育学生与私立教育学生之间存在隔阂。

在最具选拔性的机构中，来自较低社会经济背景的人员参与率下降，使这种隔阂进一步加剧。《泰晤士报》对学生办公室（Office for Students）提供的英格兰数据分析发现，在 2021 年至 2024 年间，在 120 所拥有可比数据的机构中，有 82 所机构来自“低参与地区”（高等教育人数较少地区）的学生比例有所增加。但在英格兰的罗素大学集团（Russell Group）——一个自选的精英机构团体——中，20 所大学中有 13 所记录到来自低参与地区的入学人数比例在下降。

社会流动性慈善机构萨顿信托基金会（Sutton Trust）的凯蒂·汉普郡（Katy Hampshire）表示，虽然在全国范围内，来自较低社会经济背景的人员参与度有所扩大，但在最顶尖的精英机构中，几乎没有取得任何进展。

对于那些成功从较低社会经济背景进入大学的人来说，这种经历带来了自身的挑战。根据“93%俱乐部”的调查，51% 的学生表示他们面临着关于其口音或举止的贬低性评论或玩笑，而来自北方的学生这一比例上升至 71%。

去年，卡拉·埃文斯（Kara Evans）从华威大学毕业，2024 年该校仅有 4.2% 的入学学生来自低参与地区。“大学对我来说是一个转折点，我意识到我的背景将在我未来的生活中扮演重要角色，”她说。22 岁的埃文斯在伯明翰附近的达德利一个单亲家庭长大。作为家族中第一个上大学的人，她曾对开始政治与国际研究课程感到兴奋。但她很快发现自己的口音成了被嘲笑的对象。虽然她的讲座表现良好，但研讨会环境感觉很糟糕，且“被人们对我口音的评论所主导。我提出的一些观点被忽略了，”她说。“但随后一个背景不同的人提出同样的观点，他们却会因此获得掌声。”

21 岁的莫雷尼克·奥德托因博（Morenike Odetoyinbo）即将进入布里斯托大学三年级。同样学习政治学的她经常注意到同行在研讨会期间表现出一种特权感，并表示这是“体制的本质”。“私立学校男生的声音往往更大一些。并不是说他们打断你的话，而是他们认为自己的观点是对的，因为他们可能一直被告知就是这样。”

虽然这从未阻止奥德托因博充分参与，但埃文斯的处境更为艰难。她记得被要求重复自己的话，或者被纠正某些单词的发音。埃文斯在第一年停止参加部分研讨会，并考虑过完全退学。

根据 The 93% Club 的数据，在罗素大学集团（Russell Group）的大学中，42% 的工人阶级学生曾考虑过辍学，这并非因为学业挑战，而是因为他们感到格格不入。埃文斯表示：“考虑到我的背景，我觉得自己在那个大学没有自己的位置。”一些导师和讲师“相当明确地让我感觉到我是个异类”。

在伦敦南部长大的奥德托因博表示，她在大学里结交了许多朋友，但她注意到“不同的社交圈子和

“私立学校男生的声音往往会更大一些”

最大增幅

约克大学 / 9.4% / ▲ 0.2

利物浦大学 / 6.9% / ▲ 0.5 曼彻斯特大学 / 5.8% / ▲ 0.7

来源：学生办公室 (Office for Students)

群体并不真正融合”。她补充说，机构试图解决这些问题的尝试有时并不见效。她的大学曾尝试通过定向邮件列表将背景相似的学生联系起来，“但我并不真的想见面讨论我是[家里]第一个上大学的人。”

虽然种族和性别在《平等法》（Equality Act）中受到保护，但口音和阶级并非如此，这使得学生无法正式地解决这些问题。

埃文斯从未报告过她的挣扎，因为担心自己看起来太“戏剧化”。相反，她改变了穿着和说话方式——在“93%俱乐部”（The 93% Club）调查的人员中，56%的人也表示他们感到有压力去改变自己的口音以融入环境。她说这些改变损害了她的身份认同，并使她与家乡朋友的关系变得紧张，因为学校的同龄人嘲笑她听起来“更像上流社会”。

梅杰认为，需要更多的员工培训来识别阶级偏见。与此同时，汉普郡指出了已经取得的进展，即大学拥有更多样化的学生大使和榜样。

奥德托因博和许多学生一样，在听说有人通过父母或父母的人脉获得实习机会后，也担心在学习期间能否获得工作经验。在“93%俱乐部”的调查中，88%的人表示他们目睹了在决定谁获得实习和工作机会时的裙带关系。

“让我担心的是，因为没有这些人脉，我正在掉队，”奥德托因博说。

对于即将进入大学的人，汉普郡说：“会有且应该有支持你茁壮成长的网络和场所。你和在那里的任何其他人一样，理应在大学中占有一席之地。如果你来自低收入背景，像萨顿信托基金（Sutton Trust）这样的组织将提供资源和支持，帮助你思考如何获得实习、如何建立人脉以及你需要哪些技能。”

埃文斯就读的华威大学的一位发言人表示，他们“很遗憾听到这名学生的经历”，并强调了其社会包容战略。“我们的目标是创造一个环境，让每位学生无论其背景或情况如何，都能自信地参与和贡献。”

布里斯托大学表示：“我们的首要任务是确保所有学生在大学里感到受欢迎、受尊重、得到支持，并被赋予成功的力量。”

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16

插图：MARK COMPTON 为《泰晤士报》绘制

九名学生告诉我们 他们真正用到了什么， 以及哪些东西 其实可以没有。 作者：Mashaal Hussain

新生季即将到来，随之而来的是每年的那个问题：去大学到底需要带什么？在塞得过满的行李箱、最后一刻的购物行程以及父母出于好意的建议之间，第一次准备搬出去住可能会让人感到不知所措。

必需品的清单差异也极大——从空气炸锅和其他厨房小电器，到你真正需要多少衣服。一个学生的必备品可能很快变成另一个学生橱柜里没用过的杂物。

因此，我们询问了英国的学生，他们真正用到了什么，希望自己带了什么，以及如果能重新来过，他们会把什么留在家里。以下是他们的顶级建议。

带上 耳塞。多带一些。学生宿舍的墙很薄，生活环境很嘈杂。无论是你的室友在凌晨3点回来，还是宿舍位于繁忙的街道上。

不要带 昂贵的马克杯和碗。所有东西都会碎。我带了一套有图案的餐具，因为很容易识别，不像标准的银色餐具，容易混淆或丢失。

最好的建议 参加社团活动和体验课，参加所有的学术迎新研讨会，并抽出时间去健身房。不要害怕给你的室友发短信，看看他们是否想去喝杯咖啡或喝杯啤酒。情况会好起来的。我保证。

罗伯特·梅德赫斯特（Robert Medhurst），25岁，曾在诺丁汉特伦特大学学习商业

要带 止痛药和药物（你会生病的）。在迎新周期间，扑热息痛是我最好的朋友。

不要带 夏季服装、植物或过多的装饰品。

最佳建议 尽可能多地社交。交朋友需要付出努力。与你课程上的同学以及在校园里看到的人们交谈。不要紧张——赞美他们的穿着或一些简单的事情，然后开始对话。

朱莉娅·加姆里德（Julia Gamryd），20岁，在伦敦大学城市圣乔治学院学习心理学和犯罪学

要带 你的护照，尤其是如果你计划找一份工作。如果你忘了带，回家旅行会很麻烦——这就是发生在我身上的事！

不要带 每个季节的衣服。你可以在圣诞节和复活节假期期间更换，而且你在学期期间会买更多。

最佳建议 想家是正常的，但情况会好转。每个人都是新人，并且在共同摸索。

如果你和室友合不来也不要担心——有些人会在其他地方找到最亲密的朋友。

索亚娜·德维·萨普科塔（Soyana Devi Sapkota），19岁，在布里斯托大学学习医学

要带 纸牌或饮酒游戏，这是在最初几周打破僵局的好方法。

不要带 你最好的夹克——它们很可能会在夜店的衣帽间或外出狂欢时丢失。

最佳建议 永远不要在卧室里吃晚餐。与室友之间最好的时刻和对话通常发生在厨房里。

扎拉·麦金托什（Zara McIntosh），22岁，曾在爱丁堡纳皮尔大学学习大众传播（含广告、品牌推广和公关）

要带 电池和床垫垫层。 不要带 空气炸锅——先等等看是否有人带了一个！

耳塞！门挡！

大学带什么 （以及舍弃什么）

最佳建议 多拍照片。你永远不会后悔拥有可以回首的记忆和瞬间。 Sajay Nanu Jr. Sukumaran，21岁，在赫尔大学学习医学

带上 来自家乡的照片和小饰品，让你的空间更有个人气息。

不要带 不好用的锅具。在购买厨具之前，先确认你的住宿区是否使用电磁炉。

最佳建议 不要觉得必须去做任何你不想做的事情。我在迎新周期间没有去夜店，但依然过得很愉快。这是你自己的旅程，所以做你认为正确的事。 Ellie Louise，22岁，在伦敦国王学院学习社会科学

带上 一个门挡、延长线和房间香薰（或插电式空气清新剂）。

不要带 打印机——你可以改用大学图书馆——或者熨衣板。

最佳建议 记得和室友建立一个群聊。这对于组织清洁轮值表

不要带空气炸锅，先看看是否有人带了一个

以及规划像游戏之夜这样的社交活动非常有用。

Rafa Yusuf，21岁，在肯特大学学习药学

带上 室内鞋，例如洗澡和在公寓内走动时穿的人字拖或拖鞋（地板可能会很脏）。

不要带 过多的厨具。三套盘子、碗和餐具就足够了。

锅具也是如此：两个锅和一个煎锅就能搞定大多数餐食。

最佳建议 尽早与室友制定基本准则，并学会何时忽略小问题，以避免不必要的紧张关系。

Thea Loth，24岁，在亚伯里斯特威斯大学学习电影与电视、戏剧与剧场

带上 洗衣机洗衣凝珠、小型可堆叠收纳盒和衣架。

不要带 过多的衣服（尤其是那些你只会穿一次的单品）或过多的鞋子。

最佳建议 勇敢地接触他人，即使你不是个外向的人。要勇敢。不要只依赖室友来交友，尝试与每个人交谈——并且保持你的空间整洁。

Blythe Eling，19岁，在布赖顿大学学习时尚传播与商业研究

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17

--。

指南的编制方法

我们的大学排名由八项关键指标组成。

教学质量 教学质量衡量指标反映了教学、学习机会、评估与反馈以及学术支持等主题的平均得分。学生在 1（最高）到 4（最低）的量表上进行评分，表中的得分基于正面回答（选项 1 和 2）的百分比。来源：NSS, 2025

学生体验 学生体验衡量指标取自组织与管理、学习资源以及学生发声等主题的 NSS 平均得分。学生在 1（最高）到 4（最低）的量表上进行评分，表中的得分基于正面回答（选项 1 和 2）的百分比。来源：NSS, 2025

研究质量 A 《泰晤士报》对 2021 年研究卓越框架（REF）的分析，该框架对研究工作的质量和数量给予奖励。白金汉大学在此类别中没有得分（作为一所私立大学，它选择不提交 REF 2021）。来源：REF 2021

入学标准 21 岁以下一年级首学位学生的平均入学 Tariff 分数，基于 A-level、AS-level、Higher、Advanced Higher 以及其他同等资格证书（例如国际文凭）。使用了两年的数据以部分抵消因疫情干扰而导致的 Tariff 分数上涨。来源：Hesa, 2019-20（双倍权重）和 2023-24

毕业生前景 毕业 15 个月后，从事高技能或研究生级别工作，或从事研究生级别学习的学生比例。来源：Hesa, 2021-22 学生群体，2024 年发布

优秀荣誉学位 以 first-year 2-3 学位毕业的比例。未分类学位被排除在外。来源：, 2023-24

留校率 在英国定居的全日制本科生在一年后仍处于高等教育阶段的百分比，包括继续在同一机构就读或转学至英国另一所机构。今年的计算使用了两年的数据，以平衡因疫情干扰而导致的留校率变化。疫情前的一年（2018-19）被赋予双倍权重。来源：, 2023-24

人类与地球 (People and Planet) 大学根据 14 项伦理和环境标准进行评估。约 40% 的分数来自大学在环境指标上的表现，该数据取自 2022-23 资产管理记录。其余分数基于对机构可持续发展政策的分析。来源：People and Planet

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18 学生指南与补录特刊

学界警告作弊危机

更多学生在评估中依赖人工智能，且检测难度增加。作者：Jennifer Kennedy

资深学者警告称，学生在评估中猖獗地使用生成式人工智能进行作弊已成为一场“危机”，而大学未能有效应对。

安迪·汉密尔顿（Andy Hamilton）于 6 月辞去了达勒姆大学哲学考评委员会主席一职，理由是对学生在评估中使用 AI 表示担忧。他表示，由于该技术能力的快速提升，现在已经无法检测出

何时使用了该技术。

他说：“这是一场紧急情况，因为我们正在颁发学位，而且在许多情况下，我们有充分理由认为，我们正将一等学位授予一名可能并非独立完成该作品的学生。”

在 2024-25 学年，罗素大学集团（Russell Group）大学有 2,000 多名本科生因缺失而受到处罚。根据《泰晤士报》收集的数据显示，据信在 2023-24 学年有约 700 人被抓获。

自 2022 年 ChatGPT 发布后生成式 AI 被广泛采用以来，剑桥大学对学术不端行为的调查数量增加了四倍。

安迪·汉密尔顿

杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）曾是剑桥大学历史上最年轻的黑人教授，在上周大学宣布将调查其学术资格及研究不端指控后，他宣布辞职——他否认了剽窃指控。在过去的一个学年中，剑桥大学调查了 78 名学生的学术不端行为（包括与 相关的违规和剽窃行为），并发现了 67 起违规情况。该大学在 2024 年正式记录了首例涉及 的学术不端案件。

大多数罗素大学集团（Russell Group）大学允许学生参加在线开卷考试，这种形式是在疫情期间为了在遵守社交距离规则的同时进行评估而引入的。

这是一场紧急情况，因为我们正在颁发学位

斯旺西大学学术条例委员会主席、学术诚信专家迈克尔·德雷珀（Michael Draper）表示，大学继续使用这种形式令人惊讶。

他表示，他看到大学在 问题上表现出“更强的紧迫感”，并预计在未来一年将看到更多机构转向“更安全的评估形式”，包括口试。然而，曼彻斯特大学的高级教育讲师安德鲁·冈恩（Andrew Gunn）表示，虽然该领域在适应这项技术的“早期阶段”，但大学并未对威胁掉以轻心，并且正在“相互学习”。

他说：“大学可以而且应该将 整合到其评估中。 已经存在，我们不能假装它不存在。”

Student guide and university clearing special

20-PAGE PULLOUT

DAILY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

THE TIMES

Thursday August 13 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75110

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(based on a 7 Day Print and Digital Subscription)

9

W.B.A. 01/01/2026

The darkest hour

Yesterday evening's total solar eclipse as seen from Spain. Millions of Britons also benefited from clear skies to watch as up to 90 per cent of the sun was covered by the moon in Europe's most significant eclipse in more than 25 years. Reports, pages 2-3

Barbecue ban to help stub out wildfires

Adam Vaughan Environment Editor

Disposable barbecues could be banned every year during the summer months to prevent wildfires. Andy Burnham said, as he urged retailers to withdraw them from sale immediately.

The prime minister yesterday chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee to address the impact of Britain's summer of heatwaves. Temperatures are due to rise as high as 38C in parts of the country today.

Burnham warned that the hot weather could last 'for some weeks yet' and urged retailers to withdraw disposable barbecues from sale in an effort to prevent wildfires from breaking out. England and Wales have seen as many wildfires in 2026 so far as there were in the whole of last year.

'We are seeing multiple serious incidents across the country,' Burnham said after the Cobra meeting.

'There is advice to the public here not to use disposable barbecues. We have today confirmed ... the voluntary framework restricting the retail sale of those disposable barbecues is being extended. I would ask all retailers big and small to adhere to that framework.'

He added: 'Longer term, we will look at whether a temporary ban in the summer months is justified.'

There have been 1,017 wildfires in England and Wales this year, according to data from the National Fire Chiefs Council — as many as last year's record-breaking total.

Environmental policies that encourage rewilding were criticised last night for exacerbating the wildfires. Andrew Gilruth of the Moorland Association told the Daily Mail: 'We simply have far, far too much vegetation covering our landscape.'

Heatwave reports, page 9

Firms' fury at zero hours reform

● Burnham's proposals predicted to pile £3bn costs on businesses ● Hospitality trade and youth employment hit hardest

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

Plans to restrict zero hours contracts could impose 'eye-watering' costs of up to £3 billion a year on business, the government has admitted.

An official impact statement for Angela Rayner's employment reforms found that they would have a negative impact on companies by forcing them to contend with new red tape, extra staffing costs and lost revenue.

The government analysis found that sectors such as hospitality and retail, that have already borne the brunt of increases in national insurance and the

minimum wage, would be worst affected by the changes.

It also warned that the plans would make it harder for employers to respond to changes in demand, with potential knock-on impacts on revenue and investment.

The government is consulting on the proposals, which could give new rights to all workers on zero hours contracts. At present such contracts do not specify a minimum number of hours to which workers are entitled.

The reforms would force companies to give staff a guaranteed number of hours a week, reflecting their current workload. It would also require firms to

give workers 'reasonable notice of shifts' and to pay them for shifts that have been 'cancelled, curtailed or moved at short notice'.

In an assessment, officials calculated that if all employees on zero hours contracts were included in the scheme then it could cost the businesses £2.9 billion a year. However, if ministers restricted the new rights to those working fewer hours, then the cost to business could fall to £1.1 billion a year. It added that the minimum cost of the policy to business would be £350 million a year if only those workers on the fewest hours were included.

The document said the government

believed there would be wider benefits of the scheme to the economy.

It claimed the measures would support growth through improved worker wellbeing and engagement, increasing productivity, while encouraging better workforce planning and creating a more level playing field for employers who already provide secure and predictable work. However, it said these benefits were hard to quantify.

Business groups reacted with anger at the cost of the changes, which they warned would pile further pressure on struggling companies.

They also said the plans would hurt young people by discouraging firms

from taking on short-term workers to meet additional demand.

Kate Nicholls, chair of UK Hospitality, the trade body, said: 'The eye-watering cost of these reforms comes at the worst possible time for hospitality businesses, arriving on the heels of more than £5 billion in additional employment costs in the past two years.'

'More than 100,000 jobs have already been lost in hospitality as a result, and the extraordinarily high cost of employment continues to restrict job opportunities, particularly for young people. This is on top of hospitality being disproportionately hit by Continued on page 7

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Thursday August 13 2026 | THE TIMES

News

Today's highlights

• 8am Jacqui Smith, the skills minister
• 10.30am Tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, below, on his mission to live for ever
• 1.20pm Lewis Wilson, a vice-president of the National Union of Students, on student loans
• 1.40pm Peter Woodbridge, author of Dream Machine, on the use of AI in film-making
• 3.30pm Music video director Tim Pope discusses his work with Queen, the Cure and David Bowie

TODAY'S EDITION

STEP COUNT Taking the stairs adds years to your life, a study finds

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ROOT REFORM England's Test captain to scrap curfew regime

PAGE 56

INSIDE TRACKS How the music of James got me through prison

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COMMENT 25 LETTERS 28 LEADING ARTICLES 29

WORLD 30 BUSINESS 35 REGISTER 49

SPORT 56 CROSSWORD 64 TV & RADIO TIMES2

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Britain goes over the

Whole nation stopped for the most significant celestial event since 1999, write Kaya Burgess and David Sharrock

Britain ground to a halt to gaze at the skies last night to witness the most spectacular eclipse to be seen from these shores in a generation, leaving only a crescent of sun as a fiery sliver above the western horizon.

From castle turrets, church towers, football stadiums, rooftop bars, river cruises, office blocks and observatories, we put on eclipse glasses and held up pinhole cameras and colanders to see more than 90 per cent of the sun's disc blocked out by the moon.

It was the fullest eclipse to pass over Britain since 1999, the likes of which will not be seen again for several decades. Most of England had clear skies and perfect viewing conditions. The partial eclipse ranged from 95.7 per cent coverage of the sun in Penzance to 89.7 per cent in Norwich. It lasted about two hours, reaching its fullest extent between 7.05pm and 7.16pm before the new moon moved on in its orbit.

In eastern Greenland, western Iceland and parts of Spain, people were treated to a total eclipse revealing the corona, the sun's atmosphere, in all its beauty, as it barely hung above the horizon shortly before sunset in places such as Mallorca. It was only a minute, but Spain became the centre of the astronomical world. The moon's shadow crossed the country from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, turning a band of the peninsula dark.

Spain's first total solar eclipse in more than a century drew scientists, tourists and eclipse chasers from across the world to hillsides, beaches and villages that had spent months preparing for the invasion.

Many people in Britain had managed to acquire eclipse glasses. Others were using pinholes and colanders to project images on to paper. Some were using their phones in selfie mode to watch the eclipse behind them, and a few were defying medical advice by looking directly at the sun with only sunglasses.

The verges of Selsley Common, above Stroud, were crammed with awkwardly parked cars as crowds gathered in the Cotswold escarpment for a panoramic view over the Severn estuary. Picnic rugs and camping chairs were spread out on the tinder-dry grass as friends and family groups gathered to drink, chat and, perhaps unwisely in the conditions, smoke.

Severndroog Castle in southeast London and Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland hosted viewing events. Special eclipse river cruises ran along the River Thames. A rock bar in Birmingham was offering 'eclipse cocktails' and the Roof East rooftop venue in London was handing out free eclipse glasses with drink orders.

Seraphina Newton, seven, was with her parents, Camilla and Dave, on Telegraph Hill in southeast London. 'It's fun, it's fun, and it looks like a moon, and also, it feels really magical,' she said. 'I love it.' Elsewhere on the hill there were boom boxes, heers and people attempting to see the sun with a stack of ten sunglasses.

A scramble to find eclipse glasses continued until the 11th hour. One central London shopkeeper told the BBC he had sold 26,000 pairs.

Up to 300 people were queueing to buy pairs for £5 each from a pop-up seller in Spitalfields Market on Tuesday. Other sellers were approaching

Thousands of eclipse-watchers gathered at the Olympic Park in Munich as countries across Europe enjoyed

differing views. People were treated to a total eclipse in Spain, where one of the best places to view the event was

the Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambro, below, in Arcos de las Salinas, near Valencia

Eclipse coverage

those in the queue and offering pairs for more than double the price.

John Lewis said colander sales were up by 40 per cent year-on-year. That was because people without eclipse glasses were following advice to direct the sun's rays through the holes of a

colander to see a projection of the eclipse on a piece of paper.

Some people in Bolton were able to look directly at the sun through one of the only safe alternatives to eclipse glasses: using welding helmets with glass of a sufficiently dark shade.

Arsenal's pre-season friendly against Como 1907 kicked off in north London during the eclipse. Many fans had delayed entering the stadium to see it.

A long queue formed outside the Royal Observatory to watch from its position at the top of the park overlooking the Old Royal Naval College. A small protest of about 30 staff from Royal Museums Greenwich over pay and conditions was taking place. Protesters held banners with slogans including 'Don't eclipse your biggest stars'.

From Greenwich Park, Aja Lilit was in a more reflective mood and joked that the eclipse 'looked like a birthday present from the universe'.

Additional reporting by Will Humphries, Poppy Koronka and Alex Farber

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THE TIMES | Thursday August 13 2026

1

News

moon for eclipse of the century

CHRISTIAN HARTMAN/SEITERS: THEMA FARE/COST SEATING: WILL WALKER/MBP: JOEL GOODMAN/LAP: ERICH JAMPAKE/OLFA

The late evening sun meant Spain had some of the best views of the eclipse, but the event also drew watchers in, from left, Gateshead, Bolton and a cruise ship off Greenland

The rarest sight? Spare safety specs

Many big retailers had sold out of protective glasses before Britain's best solar eclipse in decades.

Convenience stores, national parks and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, southeast London, all exhausted their supplies. The observatory said it had sold its entire stock of about 15,000 pairs in the last month.

Experts said only glasses that were ISO 12312-2 certified for the safest eye protection should be used to view the eclipse. Skygasers were warned against relying on sunglasses for an event that could cause lasting damage to one's vision after even brief exposure.

Mohamed Elalfy, president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, had said the safest way to enjoy the event was to observe it indirectly — which included watching a live broadcast. "Looking directly at the sun

One salesman offered glasses for £50 per pair in east London yesterday

during a solar eclipse can cause damage to the retina, potentially damaging the cells responsible for sharp central vision," he said. "The retina has no pain receptors, so people will not feel the damage as it happens.

"Symptoms may only become apparent several hours later and can include

blurred vision, a central blind or dark spot, distorted vision, reduced colour perception and increased sensitivity to light.

"While some people recover over weeks or months, others can be left with permanent visual impairment.

After the total eclipse in 1999, the royal college reported about 70 cases of people experiencing vision problems afterwards. About 40 per cent of those affected had looked at the eclipse for less than a minute.

Hours after yesterday's event came the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower, which is produced as the planet ploughs through a stream of dust left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Each tiny grain strikes the atmosphere at over 130,000mph, burning up in a flash that takes the appearance of a shooting star.

Grid operator's gloomy alert over energy demand

The body responsible for keeping Britain's lights on called for power stations to help it cope with yesterday's partial solar eclipse, hours after saving the event's impact would be minimal.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso) said on Tuesday that it had been planning for the impact of the event for more than a year and was ready for the challenge.

The government-owned body said it had worked closely with the Met Office to model the effect of shadows and light levels on electricity demand, as well as estimating the impact on the amount of solar power generated. However, Neso subsequently issued an electricity

margin notice for the peak period of 6pm to 8pm yesterday.

The formal measure, issued several times this summer amid record heat and increased energy demand from air conditioning, asks electricity generators to come forward offering extra capacity before an anticipated crunch. Neso then cancelled the notice at about 1pm after securing sufficient capacity.

It said planning for this eclipse was more complicated than the last big one in 1999 because it would last longer and was happening in high temperatures. While 6pm to 8pm is known by Neso as the "critical evening peak", when people return home, the eclipse could have reduced electricity demand as people went outdoors to watch.

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4

News

Flushing blade Naomi Collick, curator at Chiddingstone Castle in Edenbridge, Kent, inspects a 200-year-old sword found in the estate's lake after water levels fell

More than 3,800 civil servants never have to go into the office

George Greenwood

Investigations Reporter

Thousands of civil servants at the department tasked with getting people back into the workplace never have to attend the office themselves, The Times can reveal.

The Department for Work and Pensions, which is responsible for government employment policies, has disclosed that 2,413 of its staff members are not required to attend the office.

Across eight government departments that provided full responses to freedom of information requests, 3,884 officials enjoy similar deals, including 688 at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and 492 at the Department for Education.

In some cases, civil servants had not attended the office in more than two years. The Department for Transport recorded 82 such cases, while 71 staff members at the Ministry of Housing,

Communities and Local Government were not recorded as visiting its offices for over a year. It is not known why.

There are growing concerns about public sector productivity as the civil service struggles to deal with the long tail of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to figures published by the Office for National Statistics, public sector productivity still lies below pre-pandemic levels.

Productivity growth remains anaemic, rising by 0.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year. Productivity contracted by 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter year-on-year.

The same pattern of attendance seen in Whitehall is repeated in local government. Fols show, with some councils confirming they are offering similar, permanent, work from home deals.

Fol responses showed that Southend council in Essex employed 197 of its staff on terms that required no office

Permanent work-from-home staff

By government department

Department for Work and Pensions

2,413

Department for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs

688

Department for Education

492

Department for Business and Trade

169

Cabinet Office

104

Department for Transport

18 Source: Times FOI requests

attendance. Blaenau Gwent council in Wales said 121 of its staff were free never to come in, and Torbay council in Devon recorded 65 of these cases.

Of the 297 UK local authorities who responded to Fol requests, only a quarter kept some sort of centralised record of how often staff were attending the office. A total of 204 local authorities

provided information about disciplinary activity related to levels of office attendance, with almost 90 per cent saying they had no cases recorded.

The Times reported this week that some civil servants were still spending fewer than two days a week in the office, despite rules requiring them to be at their desks at least 60 per cent of the time.

Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: "Flexible working is one thing, but with thousands of staff never turning up at the office, taxpayers have a right to ask if they're getting value for money."

The government said: "This data represents a tiny fraction of staff, including those who travel across the country working hard running public services, and those with legally required adjustments that allow them to work."

Torbay council said offering flexibility, including permanent home working, helped retain skilled professionals.

Scotland spends £2,720 more per head than rest of UK

Greig Cameron Scottish Business Editor

People living in Scotland are £2,720 better off a year than those in the rest of the UK due to a record "Union dividend".

Official data from the Scottish government, published as part of the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) report, also shows historically high levels of public spending that has left Scotland with a £25 billion deficit. That is despite tax revenues also

being at a record high, aided in part by the Westminster government increasing national insurance contributions.

Spending per person in Scotland was £22,281, against £19,561 for the UK as a whole. Unionist politicians said the figures highlighted the "significant" benefit of being in the Union, but nationalists suggested the data could not be taken to reflect the state of the economy of a future independent Scotland.

The annual Gers report covers the

12 months to the end of March. The pace of revenue growth for 2025-26 was quicker than the rise in spending, which helped to slightly narrow the deficit.

Decisions by SNP ministers to freeze the upper rates of income tax raised £1.5 billion, and Westminster's increase in employer national insurance added a further £2.4 billion in Scotland. North Sea oil and gas revenue fell from £4.5 billion to £3.9 billion; Scotland's share fell from £3.6 billion to £3.2 billion.

Scotland's net fiscal balance — the difference between revenue raised in Scotland compared with spending — was a notional deficit equivalent to 10.9 per cent of gross domestic product. The UK as a whole had a notional deficit of 4.2 per cent, which was one percentage point better than the previous year.

In cash terms, the Scottish deficit was £25.3 billion — about £600 million less than in the previous fiscal year.

Quintagram® No 2645

Solve all five concise clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Male farm animals (4)

2 Irrigate (5)

3 Relating to a 50th anniversary (6)

4 Turncoats, quislings (8)

5 Tyneside town (9)

A	A	A	A	A	D	D	E
E	E	E	G	G	H	I	L
M	N	O	O	R	R	R	R
S	S	S	T	T	T	T	W

Solutions see T2 MindGames p15 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p14

Road accidents report

Families of people killed in road accidents believe police are not treating driving offences with the seriousness that they deserve, a report said. Jo Shiner of the National Police Chiefs' Council said that the organisation would consider the findings and the recommendations of the report by Claire Waxman, the victims' commissioner, "in detail".

Frogs spoilt for choice

Female treefrogs experience "choice overload" when there are too many males to choose from, a study published in the iScience journal has found. Researchers from the University of Tennessee placed frogs in a room and found that more mating calls led to females becoming confused and in some cases "so overwhelmed that they didn't make any choice".

New Harry Potter cast

The actor Nicholas Hoult has been cast in series two of the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series, HBO announced. Hoult will play the professor Gilderoy Lockhart in the adaptation of the JK Rowling books. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are played by Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton.

'Black hole star' found

Red spots in images from the James Webb telescope showing early parts of the universe may be a "black hole star" that is bigger than our solar system. It could help to explain how supermassive black holes formed, astronomers have said, as analysis in the journal Nature suggests it is an infant black hole surrounded by gas that feeds it as it grows.

TIMESRadio Breakfast: 6am to 10am

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THE TIMES | Thursday August 13 2026 11

5

News

‘Monster’ Levy will die in prison

David Woode Crime Editor

The mother of a violent predator’s final murder victim said that her daughter had “saved countless women from your horrendous acts” after a judge handed him a whole-life order.

Simon Levy, a registered sex offender, targeted women who sometimes traded sex for money or drugs after a series of errors by the British Transport Police, the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Levy, 40, raped a woman, who cannot be named, and left her for dead in a B&M car park in Tottenham, north London, on January 21, 2025.

While on bail for sexually assaulting female commuters on the London Underground, Levy murdered Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53, in Walworth, south London, on March 16.

As his offending intensified, Levy was bailed twice at a magistrates’ court and went on to murder Sheryl Wilkins, 39, a mother of four, in the same Tottenham car park on August 24.

The bodies of Valencia-Trujillo and Wilkins were found face down in “strikingly similar” positions. Pathologists were unable to establish how they died.

Levy, who is partially blind, was convicted of two murders, two rapes and single charges of grievous bodily harm and intentional suffocation on August 7 after a trial at the Old Bailey. He had denied the offences.

Yesterday Judge Mark Lucraft KC, the recorder of London, told him that he had “ruthlessly exploited others for your own personal sexual satisfaction”.

A member of Wilkins’s family shouted “Yes” as the judge told Levy he would never be freed from prison.

He received two further life sentences, with minimum terms of 12 years, for the two rapes, to be served alongside the whole-life order.

Mary Wilkins, the victim’s mother, said that her “whole family has been shattered” by his actions. In a statement read on her behalf, Wilkins said: “You, Simon Levy, have completely destroyed our lives. You have done this before and wouldn’t have stopped.

“Our Sheryl has ended your chances of hurting anyone else, she lost her life to do this, but we truly believe Sheryl has saved countless women from being subjected to your disgusting and horrendous acts. You are a threat to all women.

“You took away our beautiful daughter. Sheryl’s children have been robbed not only of their mother but their future with her. Sheryl’s life mattered. You have changed our lives for ever but you cannot take away our love for Sheryl.”

The bereaved families held hands and wept as the packed courtroom listened to their tributes.

Nady Johana Fuenmayor Valencia,

Valencia-Trujillo’s daughter, said she lived with an “emptiness that can’t be filled”. Her Colombian-born mother was a “beautiful woman” and a beloved grandmother. She added: “My mum came to this country to give her children a better life and for safety. Instead her life was taken so cruelly. We don’t know why she was taken from us.”

The judge commended the courage of the rape survivor whose evidence helped to convict Levy. The woman, a classical pianist, said she was trafficked to Britain in 2012 and turned to drugs.

In a statement, read on her behalf, she said: “People have taken advantage of me all my life. I was with him [Levy] because of my addiction. He took my soul that night, and my dignity. I can’t

forget the smell of his sweaty hands on my mouth. I thought I would die.”

The woman criticised a female Metropolitan Police officer for speaking to her “like a child” when she disclosed how Levy had raped her four days earlier. “Nobody ever listened to me,” she said.

“She was arrested for breaching a community protection notice but told officers that she was travelling to hospital for treatment for a broken collar bone. Levy had “jumped on her with all of his weight”. She provided a description of Levy’s appearance and his address but they did not act on her compelling account, the court heard.

“He’s a monster who attacks girls who he thinks won’t go to the police. He

Sheryl Wilkins’s family released childhood photos of her as her killer Simon Levy was sentenced at the Old Bailey yesterday. Tributes were also paid by the family of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, below right, who was murdered by Levy last year

thinks he won’t be stopped,” she said.

The judge said Levy had a “morbid fascination with sex, rape and crime”. A police analysis of his devices showed that he viewed news stories about John Worboys, the “black cab rapist”, and Christopher Halliwell, a former cab driver serving a whole-life sentence for murdering two women.

He also kept a file of documents entitled “My sex record” which detailed sexual positions and sex workers.

Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, said there had been a “whole system failing” and added that the force had apologised for its part in the case which had “really tragic consequences”.

He told the BBC: “We are seeing far

too many cases, day in and day out, [of] knife carrier sex offenders who have been bailed when a few years ago they have been remanded in custody.”

The British Transport Police and CPS have acknowledged their errors. The Met referred itself to the police watchdog over its monitoring of Levy as a registered sex offender.

Levy, whose history of attacking women dates to 2018, was convicted of ten sexual assaults on the Tube, and a separate sexual assault on a prison officer, between April 2022 and May 2025.

He stood trial at Inner London crown court under a media blackout and was jailed for six years.

Families and public deserve answers on these failings, leading article, page 29

Seven years of sexual assaults

July 19, 2018: Simon Levy gropes a woman at an outdoor party in Camden northwest London.

August 26, 2018: Puts his hands down a woman’s trousers at Notting Hill Carnival, assaulting by penetration.

2019–2021: Levy is not arrested until October 2019. Convicted in August 2021 and jailed for three years. Judge does not impose a sexual harm prevention order – police and prosecutors choose

not to appeal against the decision.

April 14, 2022: Sexually assaults female prison officer. The Metropolitan Police did not interview him until after his release despite CCTV evidence. Charged in 2025.

Feb–Oct 2023: Freed on licence. On October 24, he sexually assaults a woman on the Tube. British Transport Police (BTP) fail to identify him.

May–August 2024:

Recalled to prison after being accused of rape. Not charged. Freed early.

October 21, 2024: Sexually assaults a woman on the Tube, and she records him trying to assault another woman. Police fail to identify him from CCTV footage.

Nov 2024: After assaulting two more women on trains, Levy is arrested by BTP. Freed on bail without charge.

Late 2024: Bail extended

Simon Levy: jailed for life

due to delays in organising ID parade. Risk status not upgraded even after he still sexually assaults women. BTP lets him keep Oyster card

stolen from a bus driver.

Jan 21, 2025: Violently rapes a sex worker, who gives police an account and accurate description of his address. Arrested in September.

March 16, 2025: Murders Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, 53. Arrested weeks later and bailed. Her death is not classified as murder.

March 27, 2025: Sexually assaults another woman on the Tube.

April 3, 2025: BTP delays arrest for transport offences after learning he has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Extends bail to May 1.

May 2, 2025: Charged with five sex assaults. Appears in court and receives bail.

May–June 2025: Still attacking women on trains. Granted bail again.

May 2025: The Met closes January rape inquiry, citing difficulties

tracing homeless victim.

July–August 2025: Misses two crown court hearings. No arrest warrants are issued.

August 24, 2025: Murders Sheryl Wilkins, 39. Only then is Valencia-Trujillo’s death looked at as murder, revealing CCTV placing Levy near her. Finally charged with murder and January rape.

November 25, 2025: Charged with murder of Valencia-Trujillo.

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6

News Politics

Asylum hotels in poor areas led

Political Correspondent

A Labour MP has warned that a plan to move a thousand asylum seekers next to a small Yorkshire village will create a ratio of six men to every woman, branding the plans “unsuitable”.

The government is planning to accommodate about 1,750 asylum seekers at three disused military sites, all of which are near small villages, as part of its strategy to phase out the use of asylum hotels.

Andy Burnham said on Tuesday that it could not be the case that “only the poorest communities in the country” should house people waiting for their applications to be processed and argued that more affluent areas of the UK would have to “play their part”.

Anna Turley, the minister for border security and asylum, echoed his comments and said that housing asylum seekers in deprived parts of the UK had caused “civil unrest” and more affluent areas needed to take their “fair share”.

However, Rachael Maskell, the MP for York Central, is one of several Labour politicians who told The Times she opposed proposals to convert former barracks in their areas and urged the government to reconsider plans to move 1,200 men to RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire.

Similar plans were scrapped in 2022 after fierce local opposition.

Maskell wrote to Turley and will meet Home Office officials this month to make her case. She said that politicians from all parties were “absolutely clear that this is not the right site”, citing shortages of water, sewage capacity and electricity that would put a “huge demand on infrastructure”. She said the base was situated next to a primary school and nursery, was served by only four buses into York a day and would result in a ratio of six men to every woman in the 600-person village.

“It’s just the wrong site,” she said. “The last government realised that, once they got into the detail. All we’re saying to this government is that it’s really important that they recognise that too, because the site is in a worse state now than it was when the government last looked at this.”

Residents of Piddington, an Oxfordshire village of fewer than 400 people, symbolically voted in favour of seceding from the UK in protest against plans to rehouse 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers in a nearby disused Ministry of Defence storage depot

Housing new arrivals

Number of people given asylum accommodation

992

Figures as of March 31, 2026. Source: Home Office

without consultation. Tim McNally, chair of Piddington parish council, acknowledged the UK had a “massive problem” when it came to housing asylum seekers and said that the village was not asking to be “exempt from the national responsibility”.

“The real issue here is about the scale, location and process,” he told the BBC. “Just because we are what you might consider an affluent area it doesn’t mean high capacity.”

Residents were concerned, he added, about the number of people being able to freely enter and leave the site, which is next to a children’s play area.

The Home Office is proceeding through an urgent Crown planning process to approve converting the former Bicester Garrison and has not yet published a formal planning application. Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, has insisted that “residents deserve transparency and a proper chance to have their say”.

As of March this year, 20,885 asylum seekers — 21 per cent of the total number — were living in hotels while awaiting decisions on their status and 72,768 (75 per cent) were in other accommodation. Ministers have announced the closure of 13 hotels housing asylum seekers bringing the total number below 160 — down from a peak of nearly 400 under the Conservatives.

Andy Burnham met carers concerned about the cost of living during a visit to the Oval Community Centre in Stevenage,

‘I’m scared. We live in Piddington for its peace and safety’

Lara Wildenberg

Elsewhere, protests against asylum seeker centres have featured chanting crowds, England flags and occasional clashes with police but in the Oxfordshire village of Piddington residents have hosted a picnic and voted for a symbolic referendum to secede from the UK.

Among other fundraising ideas, some locals have proposed a dog show, a motorbike or classic car ride-out, as well as a sponsored walk around the circumference of the proposed site.

The picturesque village, mentioned in the Domesday Book, has a population of about 350. It has no shops, cafés or pub but does have a church and village hall with a pop-up-pub once a month, coffee mornings and short-mat bowls. Residents leave back doors open and send children on errands around the village.

However, the government is considering using a nearby disused Ministry of Defence storage depot, MoD

Bicester, to house 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers.

Site A of the former Bicester Garrison is down the road from the village and close to Piddington’s playing field, the Jubilee Reserve.

Residents have voiced concerns that asylum seekers — venturing into the village out of boredom — could cause trouble. Some suggested that they would gather and potentially drink at the playing field. Many women said that they would not feel safe to walk alone at night.

Derek Joy, 86, a retired master saddler, has lived in the village for 52 years and with his wife, Karen, 73, for the past 12. Karen said: “I’ve said to him I think we need to get a better gate. He won’t let me get a dog but I’m thinking I will. I’m not a young lady any more, I’m scared really. It breaks my heart. We live here because we want this peace, this safety, this community.”

Her husband said: “I understand that when you get 1,250 men, boys —

wherever they’re from — they’re going to cause trouble. I’m worried they will take advantage of women — and people’s properties. I’m 86, if a bloke comes in now, I can’t do anything about it.”

Melise Witkin, 59, who runs a horse rug business, has lived alone in her cattle barn conversion for six years, with her four horses and three dogs.

She said that she would feel “vulnerable” walking around alone, with headlines about asylum seekers committing sexual offences in Essex and Brighton “in the back of her head”.

“I would be scared,” she said. “We don’t know who these people are. Whether they’re criminals or whether they’re really lovely guys, we don’t know. That leaves an uncertainty. I think as a woman, a large group of men against one woman is frightening.”

Alice and Ed West, both 42, came up with the idea of a Hollywood-style “Piddington” sign in the Jubilee Reserve, which children decorated with colourful

handprints at the protest picnic. “We wanted to show the proximity of the sign to Site A,” Ed, who works in property maintenance, said, adding that they took their three daughters, aged 11, 9 and 7, to the reserve every day. His wife, who has a textile business, said she might hesitate to go to the reserve on her own if the site were approved. “Because you don’t know on any given day who’s going to be there,” she said.

Last month 96 per cent of residents voted in favour of having a symbolic referendum to secede from the UK.

Andy Burnham said that he would look into the concerns raised by “the good people of Piddington” but added that more affluent areas of the UK had to “play their part” to house asylum seekers. Residents said yesterday that their objections were unrelated to the wealth of the village but instead to the unsuitability of the area, which was isolated, near a busy road, and lacked streetlights and amenities.

Campaigns supporting asylum

seekers also raised concerns, including Stand Up to Racism Oxfordshire and Asylum Welcome, which said that the site’s isolation “makes successful integration harder and increases the risk of community tensions”.

A government factsheet said that the site would provide “functional accommodation”, “designed to be as self-sufficient as possible”. The site would be a strict “no alcohol zone”. It added that it would be run by an “experienced, specialist provider” with CCTV. Everyone entering or leaving would be required to sign in and out.

The Home Office has submitted an Urgent Crown Development application to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government — a fast-track process which bypasses local planning authorities for a “nationally important development”. In June Chervell district council said that the Home Office had informed it of the application without any previous consultation or providing full details.

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7

News

to civil unrest, minister claims

JAMES MANNING/PA

Hertfordshire; Melise Witkin, who runs a horse rug business, is against using a site near Piddington for asylum seekers

Rayner paid £20k by property lobbyists

Aaliyah Ahmed

Angela Rayner has been accused of going cold on rent controls after accepting a £20,000 speaking fee from an estate agent lobby group.

About 20 protesters gathered at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government yesterday with a £20,001 cheque for Rayner — a nod to how much she was paid by Propertymark for her speech at a conference on June 12. The London Renters Union said it was “outbuilding” the property industry for Rayner’s attention and urged her to meet renters and consider the case for rent controls.

Rayner was paid £20,000 for a two-hour speaking engagement at the event held before she was reappointed housing secretary on July 20. Four days later, she ruled out rent controls, saying she did not believe freezes or controls were the answer to rising rents. Propertymark, an industry body for letting and estate agents, has campaigned against

rent controls and lobbied against a rent freeze when it was reported that Rachel Reeves was considering the measure this year. Rayner had previously backed stronger protections for private renters, including a ban on no-fault evictions and unreasonable rent rises.

Rent controls put limits on how much landlords can charge or raise rents by. They can take different forms, such as limiting rent increases for existing tenants or capping rents when a property is let to a new tenant. When the Renters’ Rights Act came into force in May, it limited rent increases to once a year and allowed tenants to challenge above-market rises but it did not introduce a general rent cap.

Jae Vail, a campaigner for the London Renters Union, said the group was not alleging that Rayner had broken any rules, but that the payment raised political questions. “During a cost of living crisis, Rayner has questions to answer about where her allegiances lie — with the estate agents, landlords and

corporate developers, or with renters struggling with an ever-worsening affordability crisis,” Vail added.

The group said that it wanted the government to introduce long-term rent controls alongside investment in council housing.

Holly Williamson from the campaign group Generation Rent, said the government’s Renters’ Rights Act was “a good start” but did not go far enough to address the cost of renting.

She said: “The government can and must go further. Introducing a limit on rent increases would be a major, free cost of living intervention that would help put more money in the pocket of millions of renters across the country.”

Propertymark said speaker fees were part of the cost of running its annual conference and that Rayner was invited because of her role in decisions affecting the property sector. She was not a minister at the time. A spokesperson for Rayner said: “All earnings have been declared in line with the rules.”

PC Harper’s mother tells Burnham: Don’t let us down again

Aubrey Allegretti

Chief Political Correspondent

Steven Swinford Political Editor

The mother of PC Andrew Harper has told Andy Burnham “don’t let us down again” after the prime minister said he would do everything in his power to stop the release of the officer’s killers.

Burnham said on Tuesday that it was “incumbent” on him to do “everything within my power” to minimise the possibility of Albert Bowers and Jesse Cole being released early.

It represented a significant shift by Burnham, coming days after he appeared to concede he could not exempt the two men from the early release scheme, saying he had “pushed to the very limits of what is possible”.

Yesterday, Debbie Adlam, PC Harper’s mother, told GB News that Downing Street called her directly to inform her about the prime minister’s change in position. She said she was now in a “limbo of hope again”.

She said: “[I would say to Andy Burnham] really just to not let us down again because we’ve had so many ups and downs, and is it going to be that we’ve got to get our heads around this release being early?

“We’re only waiting till the release date anyway, which isn’t that far off, but every day of a sentence should be served. So just please don’t let us down again, because we are pinning our hopes on this happening, and if it doesn’t, I don’t quite know where it leaves us. If [Andrew] is looking down [it] is actually really painful to think about how disappointed and how gutted he would be. But it’s very painful for me to think and consider, what would he be feeling?”

Harper was a Thames Valley police officer who was killed in 2019 aged 28 when responding to a quad bike theft in Berkshire.

Before making his announcement last week, Burnham was presented with two options that would have prevented

Cole and Bowers’s release, but did not pursue them. Under the two proposals, all prisoners sentenced to either more than ten years or more than seven years would not have been eligible for early release. Cole and Bowers were each sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter.

Burnham chose a third option, based on the type of offence rather than on length of sentence. The decision means that prisoners convicted of rape, serious child sex and other grooming offences will remain behind bars. Officials made it clear that this choice meant Harper’s killers would qualify for early release.

Burnham has now asked Alex Norris, the justice secretary, to find a solution to prevent the pair’s release. It remains unclear what that will be, although ministers ruled out primary legislation.

No 10 had been looking at attempting to exempt the killers of emergency workers from the early release scheme.

However, it subsequently conceded that it would be unable to do so without blocking the release of all those convicted of manslaughter because of the risk of a legal challenge.

All 43 chief constables in England and Wales raised concern that an approach that did not distinguish the most grave offending “risks undermining public safety, victim confidence and wider confidence in the criminal justice system”. They urged the prime minister to examine “every lawful option” to prevent the release of Bowers and Cole.

Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, warned that the early release plans risked leading to serious sexual violence and murders being committed. He told Today on BBC Radio 4 that the probation service was struggling to manage 258,000 cases.

“Ultimately, I’m not fully confident that the probation system will be able to cope with this massive work and there’s a risk that things will go wrong,” he said, urging ministers to consider what “essential” responsibilities it should conduct rather than “what’s desirable”.

Business anger over huge cost of planned zero hours ban

Continued from page 1

business rates and our high rate of VAT. These reforms add yet more cost at a scale that far outweighs the cost benefits for employees.”

The Federation of Small Businesses said the government risked “soaring unemployment” from its “chastic approach to employment reform”, while the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the cost to employers of the scheme was “hugely disproportionate to the benefits for employees”.

Helen Dickinson, the BRC chief executive, said: “Adding further costs [on businesses] when youth unemployment is soaring risks being a hammer-blow to young people’s job prospects.”

Neil Carberry, the chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said he believed the true compliance cost of the plans had been underestimated. “Even so, the government’s data suggests it will cost

employers up to £8 million every day, or roughly the annual wage bill for £37,000 full-time workers between 18 and 20 on national minimum wage,” he said. “It is time to think again.”

However, the TUC said much of the cost to business would come only if shifts were cancelled at the last moment. “This is an upper estimate of a very wide range — and nearly half of this figure is based on the assumption that employers will continue to cancel shifts at short notice,” it said.

“The aim of this legislation is to stop this practice and give variable-hours workers security and stability. So good employers have nothing to fear.”

The government said: “We are absolutely committed to ending exploitative zero hours contracts, where workers hear all the financial risk when hours, shifts and earnings are unpredictable.” Labour is making unreasonable demands of business, Juliet Samuel, page 25

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8

News

Top guns The Glorious Twelfth, the official start of the grouse hunting season, brought Barclay Dougall, Sue Irvine and Ilsa the dog to visit the Angus Glens, Scotland

Living longer, one step at a time

Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

Climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift every day could add years to your life, according to a study.

Regularly walking up flights of stairs cut the risk of dying from any cause by 24 per cent, while the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke was down by 39 per cent, an analysis of data from 456,000 adults found.

Scientists hailed the “life-saving potential” of the activity, and said that workplaces and public buildings should encourage stair use as a “wider strategy to reduce heart disease”.

Climbing about six flights of stairs a day appeared to have the greatest health benefit, but even a small “dose” of a few minutes a week helped to protect the heart and lower cholesterol.

Dr Sophie Paddock, from the University of East Anglia’s Norwich

Medical School, the lead author, said: “Unlike going to the gym or doing a workout, climbing the stairs is something you can easily fit into your day at home, at work or when you’re out. It’s a good option for people who don’t have much time or easy access to exercise.

“So if you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs, as it will help your heart. Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair-climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines.”

The research, published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs, pooled data from nine previous studies. These had involved people aged 35 to 84 who were followed for an average of 14 years. As well as being less likely to die, people who climbed the stairs were also at lower risk of developing cardiovascular problems.

Co-author Professor Vassilios Vassiliou said: “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with cases nearly doubling between 1990 and 2019, but it is largely preventable through a healthy lifestyle including regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and managing blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

“Taking the stairs is a practical and often overlooked way to build physical activity into daily life. We wanted to better understand how this everyday activity could have life-saving potential. With more than a quarter of adults worldwide failing to meet recommended activity levels, choosing to take the stairs offers a realistic, scalable intervention.

“Encouraging people to take the stairs in workplaces, public buildings and homes could form part of a wider

strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease at population level.”

The study was observational, and therefore cannot prove cause and effect. The results may be influenced by the fact that people who climb stairs are likely to already be healthier than those who stick to lifts or escalators.

Although the NHS recommends 150 minutes of exercise a week, even short bursts of activity such as climbing the stairs once a day have been shown to have meaningful benefits.

Last year a University of Sydney study found that doing one minute a day of vigorous activity helped to cut the risk of death compared to doing none at all.

Researchers believe that people who are already unfit have the most to gain from integrating short bursts of activity — including climbing the stairs — into their daily routine.

To reduce the risk of injury, take your new baby for a jog

Kaya Burgess Science Correspondent

Seeing a new parent out for a jog while pushing a baby in a buggy can spark a number of thoughts. Where do they find the energy? And are they not at risk of hurting themselves?

In fact, people who run with a pushchair are at lower risk of injury compared with those who jog without one, a study has found.

The buggy forces a jogger to take shorter strides, lean forward more and run at a slower and more consistent pace, while keeping their torso straighter with less twisting. This reduces the risk of overuse injuries such as muscle strain, back and knee pain, shin splints and tendonitis, researchers from Penn State Berks, a campus of the Pennsylvania State University, found.

Over 1,000 miles, those who ran with a pushchair had a 55 per cent lower risk of these injuries, the study found.

A pram can almost be compared to a Zimmer frame, Dr Allison Altman-Singles of Penn State said. However, her study focused mainly on the risk of muscular injuries rather than falling.

“When you run with a stroller [the American term for a buggy], you unweight the body a little bit, taking away some of the downward force by pressing on the handlebar,” she said. “This change in biomechanics may relieve some of the stress on weight-bearing joints, which may explain why we see fewer injuries among stroller runners, particularly knee injuries.”

The study followed 196 parents who regularly ran with a stroller during the first three years of their children’s lives, and 55 parents who frequently ran during their child’s infancy but without a pushchair. The two groups were similar in terms of age, height and weight.

The study, published in the journal PLOS One, found that 30 per cent of those who ran without a pushchair reported an injury, compared with 19 per cent of those who ran with one.

“The stroller also allowed people to run more when their child was between six and 12 months old,” Altman-Singles said, adding that those who ran with buggies logged 34 per cent more miles.

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RAF pilots told to prepare for battle ... against extreme weather

Charlie Parker

RAF pilots have been told to “urgently adapt” to extreme weather as soaring temperatures melt runways, create severe turbulence and scramble navigation systems.

Hotter and more volatile conditions are making significant changes to aviation, officials have said. Global warming is creating increasingly unpredictable wind patterns, more frequent

“rapid-onset” storms and reducing visibility via wildfire smoke and fog, according to the RAF Safety Centre.

Britain is enduring its fifth heatwave of the summer this week. Temperatures are expected to climb as high as 38C in parts of England today.

The safety centre warned of “compromised runway performance” due to heat, which can soften or buckle runway surfaces, increasing the risk of damage to aircraft.

In a report published in October the centre said that “hot and high” conditions could affect the performance of jets, spy planes and transporter aircraft, lengthening take-off distances and reducing the payloads they could carry.

Pilots were warned: “Rising surface temperatures will challenge aircraft performance ... and deteriorate infrastructure such as runways, navigation and control systems.”

Erratic weather is putting pressure

on operational readiness, the safety officials said, adding: “The new weather reality will demand that aircrew operate in an environment where heightened physical strain, cognitive workload and constant adaption to atmospheric volatility become routine.”

Warm air holds more moisture, fuelling stronger thunderstorms, prolonged heatwaves and heavier precipitation, the centre explained. “These evolving conditions are no

longer rare exceptions,” it said. “They are fast becoming the norm.”

The analysis said that “aviation must urgently adapt to a harsher, more volatile atmosphere”.

The RAF officials concluded: “With improved planning, vigilance and respect for nature’s volatility, we can reduce disruption, prevent emergencies and widen our safety margins. We can’t wish the weather away, but we can outfly it, outthink it and outlast it.”

NIT MEAN OF AGAINST COVERED AS OF 07/01/2025 RAF

Brown estate The heat has turned lawns to straw at Cliveden in Taplow, Berkshire, packed swimming pools in High Peak, Derbyshire, and sent ponies fleeing wildfires in the New Forest Weather, page 55

Historic gardens may cut and run to cooler north

Herbie Russell, Sian Bradley Eleanor Tait

The Royal Horticultural Society is considering creating “insurance” collections of rare plants in northern England as heatwaves force head gardeners across the country to redesign royal flowerbeds and cull suffering shrubbery.

Concerned by temperatures of 36C at its flagship RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, the charity plans to duplicate its prized hydrangea collection by taking cuttings and establishing new stocks 200 miles north at RHS Garden Bridgewater in Greater Manchester or 190 miles southwest at RHS Garden Rose-moor in Devon, where rainfall is higher.

Meanwhile, the Royal Parks charity has turned off its ornamental fountains for the longest stretch since 2022 and is redesigning the red flowerbeds outside Buckingham Palace, where scarlet geraniums are failing to cope with the heat.

Historic landscapes are being forced

to adapt to the record heat. Kew Gardens has deployed soil moisture sensors to protect rare species and Historic Royal Palaces is replacing traditional bedding at Hampton Court with drought-hardy flora.

Lucy Pitman, a conservation adviser at Plant Heritage, said duplicating entire collections of flowers was “quite a new concept”.

“Moving them can be done,” she said. “But you’d be better off propagating them, producing new plants from the original ones and distributing them to re-establish them in other places.”

At Chiswick House & Gardens, west London, head gardeners are reviewing whether century-old rhododendrons and azaleas should be relocated to shadier spots or removed to conserve water resources. Rosie Fyles, head of gardens, said that the entire vision of a historic English garden had to change, including the “palette of colours”.

Instead of lush green lawns, heatwaves are turning landscapes yellow

and forcing head gardeners to consider what plants can survive in the hot, dry gardens of the future.

“It’s really, really different out there to what they would have imagined it to be in the 17th, 18th or 19th century,” Fyles said, adding that the reality of her job had changed in the face of such stark conditions. “I am now thinking of how to keep things alive and not just how to make it look better. It has gotten a lot more serious.”

Darren Share, the head of park operations at the Royal Parks, said: “We want to keep that display of red, white and blue right in front of Buckingham Palace, but if you go and look at the beds at the moment, they’re not as good as they should be.”

It is not all bad news. Ornamental ginger is doing “particularly well” and foxgloves are thriving.

Climate deniers have suddenly gone quiet, Hugo Rifkind, page 27

It’s the new norm so better to focus on how to adapt, leading article, page 29

Heatwave forces Boots to stop delivering weight jabs

Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

Boots has had to temporarily pause home delivery of weight-loss injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro as the jabs cannot be kept cool in vans during the heatwave.

The pharmacy chain said it had made the decision in order to keep the medication safe in transit, with temperatures set to reach 38C in England on Thursday.

Weight-loss injections must be stored in a fridge and kept below 8C as they contain delicate peptide-based proteins that break down or degrade when exposed to heat.

However, Boots found cold chain packaging used in delivery vans could not reliably keep weight-loss injections cool once outdoor temperatures exceeded 30C. It is advising patients to collect their medication from a local Boots shop instead.

It said new packaging was expected to be introduced in the coming weeks, enabling the medication to be sent out at temperatures of up to 35C.

Mandeep Kaur, pharmacist lead for

the weight-loss service at Boots Online Doctor, said: “Weight-loss injections are sensitive to temperature. It’s important to store them as recommended, since exposure to temperatures outside the recommended range may affect the medicine’s quality and effectiveness.”

Successive heatwaves in the UK have had a serious impact on health services and contributed to the busiest summer on record for A&E units.

A report by the Royal College of Nursing has warned that the lack of air conditioning in hospitals means nurses are collapsing or suffering seizures as temperatures have exceeded 35C.

Nicola Ranger, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “These testimonies should be a wake-up call. When nursing staff are collapsing, feeling dizzy, sick or even being admitted to the very hospitals they work in because their workplaces cannot handle the heat, it shows just how badly they are being failed.”

The government’s climate change committee has called for all hospitals and care homes to have air conditioning within the next decade.

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Thursday, August 13 2026 | THE TIMES

News

TIMES PHOTO SHOPPER JULIE HEL

News feed The two Michelin-starred chef Christian Faulkner, who works on creating menus for the caterers Genuine Dining, prepares lunch for Times journalists

Mossad chief: MI5 praised us for foiling plots in UK

Tom Newton Dunn

A former Mossad chief has said an MI5 director-general told him that his service deserved “an Oscar” for thwarting multiple terrorist plots in the UK.

Yossi Cohen’s disclosure came as he warned Andy Burnham that his blunt criticism of the Gaza war risked a rift with Israel that could put British lives at risk. In an interview with The Times, Cohen, director of Israel’s foreign intelligence service from 2016 to 2021, claimed that Mossad had “saved many, many lives on British soil” and insisted that the country’s new prime minister should remember that.

Cohen told this week’s The General and the Journalist podcast: “I quote your former director of MI5 who said, ‘Yossi, you deserve the Oscar for what you did here. You have disrupted a huge quantity of terror activity inside the UK. Thank you very much for doing it.’

“I think that the UK government should do exactly the same. I think that the UK has to be super supportive to the state of Israel, as we had been to you when you had suffered terrorism on your lands.”

Last month Burnham apologised for Labour’s response to Israel’s actions in Gaza under Sir Ken Starmer and promised his government would “do better”. The new Labour leader also backed

How adviser to Blair inspired Ukraine’s drone marketplace

Larisa Brown Defence Editor

It was a lecture on public service reforms under Tony Blair’s government nearly two decades ago that gave Ukraine’s chief of procurement inspiration for the system that exists in the war-torn country today.

Arsen Zhumadilov was a student at the London School of Economics in 2009 when he heard Professor Sir Julian Le Grand, a former senior policy adviser in No 10, discuss the merits of giving patients and parents greater choice in treatments and education.

In an interview over the phone from Kyiv, shortly after missiles hit the capital, Zhumadilov, 41, said: “Le Grand explained the idea of a ‘quasi-market’ in public services. Rather than imposing a service on a recipient or provider picked by the government, it can be selected based on convenience, quality and reputation. The government acts as the payer. That idea struck me at the time. It has been with me a long time.”

When he was promoted in February last year to become the director of the defence procurement agency in Ukraine, he decided to apply the same principles to the military and, in particular, drone purchases.

By doing so, he transformed the way the country’s frontline units bought drones, reducing the time to receive them from nine months to nine days. Now, the UK’s Ministry of Defence is interested in what he has to teach them.

Le Grand, an economist by training, said that under such reforms in the UK, parents were given a greater choice of schools, which incentivised them to perform better, while patients for

elective surgery got a greater choice of hospitals that were paid by the NHS according to the cost per operation.

Zhumadilov, who studied a master’s degree in public management and governance at LSE, found Ukraine’s procurement agency to be a top-down, heavily centralised institution. “One of the key problems that I was immediately confronted with was the problem of drone procurement. By the time drones were delivered to the front line, they were becoming obsolete,” he said.

Lengthy contracting procedures and approvals meant that it would sometimes take six to nine months after the devices were ordered to reach the front line. Units were also receiving drones unsuited for the environments in which they were fighting.

Zhumadilov, taking Le Grand’s ideas with him, decided that soldiers should be able to choose the equipment they wanted from a digital marketplace and order it directly. He came up with DOT-Chain Defence, a weapons marketplace in which the government allocated budgets directly to the brigades, typically made up of several thousand troops.

Budgets are based on the number of battalions within the brigades. They can also receive bonus money based on their successes on the battlefield, measured by the number of Russian kills and damage to enemy equipment.

In a significant shift, soldiers have much more choice and there is greater competition. The brigades can use their budgets in the marketplace to order the weapons they need for their specific missions.

Manufacturers, meanwhile, compete for drone orders, and the system significantly shortens the time between a unit’s request and delivery. Companies are also pushed to develop the technology based on real battlefield demands.

Zhumadilov said: “Manufacturers supply those drones to brigades without delivering to central warehouses.

“It is totally on brigades to select what they like, they have the budgets revealed every month based on a certain formula.”

He said that the budget was supplemented with a “motivational budget” based on an “e-points” system. Units can earn e-points for verified battlefield strikes which they can then use to get equipment through DOT-Chain Defence.

The number of e-points a unit gets is based on its monthly effectiveness. E-points are awarded for eliminating enemy personnel, destroying enemy positions with personnel inside, destroying equipment, destroying enemy electronic warfare antennas

Zhumadilov was a student at LSE

and many other categories. Wounding a Russian soldier is worth eight e-points, 12 are awarded for a dead one, with four for a destroyed motorcycle. To get more, the units must submit more data about how they completed missions so they can be verified and validated.

Since July last year, DOT-Chain Defence has delivered more than 1.2 million drones, unmanned ground vehicles, warheads for drones and radio electronic warfare devices across Ukraine’s front lines. If commanders need weapons faster, they can use the marketplace to see what quantities of drones are available for a quick order.

“They have all the tools to speed up the process to get what they want pretty much immediately,” Zhumadilov said.

Munitions or other weapons that fall under the “commodity” bracket are not included, as it made more sense to buy them centrally to lower costs.

Hundreds of brigades now use the system, which users have said has given them the “upper hand over the enemy”, according to Zhumadilov. “Drones are still gaining momentum. The extent and scale of how it will all look is yet to be comprehended,” he said.

The UK’s MoD, notorious for its lengthy procurement process, has a lot to learn. While special forces troops have greater freedom when it comes to buying kit, other units wait as long as 18 months for orders to materialise.

Zhumadilov said he was in “close touch” with the MoD’s defence, equipment and support unit, with British officials now more interested in what Ukraine is doing, rather than what wisdom they can offer Kyiv.

Yossi Cohen was the director of Mossad from 2016 to 2021

further sanctions against senior Israeli figures involved in settler violence.

Cohen, 64, who was national security adviser to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister for three years, said: “Criticism is OK, but opposing what we’re doing is not OK. The state of Israel never initiated this war in Gaza. The terrorists did, Hamas and Islamic Jihad did.”

In a veiled suggestion that key intelligence co-operation could be curtailed, Cohen explained: “The UK government should understand that we read what they do. And you do have a huge local problem in the UK today. It is not safe to walk on London streets or in Manchester if you’re Jewish.”

He also defended Mossad’s reputation for ruthlessness in its operations.

While its clandestine missions have been highly effective, it has also been accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings and hurting civilians. A recent example was how Mossad penetrated the terror group Hezbollah’s supply of pagers and inserted explosives into them. Thousands of its operatives’ devices exploded simultaneously across Lebanon and Syria on September 17, 2024, killing dozens of them but also, according to reports, leaving scores of bystanders maimed and wounded.

Cohen, who has published a book about his service entitled The Sword of Freedom, said: “This kind of operation creates a very important ethos — not only that we dare, not only that we’ll do everything that it takes to protect our country from terrorism and existential future potential threats, but I want everyone to know we are doing it.”

Listen to the full interview with Yossi Cohen on The Times’s The General and the Journalist this week wherever you get your podcasts.

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Treasury failed PA who took her life over 'office gossip'

Chloe Moffat, 26, died by suicide the day after a 'vexatious' complaint, George Odling and Matthew Young write

A personal assistant at the Treasury happy in her job killed herself the day after being made the subject of a 'vexatious' complaint, her mother has said.

Anne Moffat said her daughter, Chloe Moffat, 26, had been 'happy as Larry' and unaware that her strong performance was about to earn her a bonus in a forthcoming review before the anonymous complaint.

On May 19 last year, Moffat attended a meeting with managers where she was told about an allegation that she had shared sensitive confidential information about colleagues, which she denied. A coroner has found that HM Treasury 'materially contributed' to her death by failing to inform her that she was unlikely to lose her job through the disciplinary process.

'She was so happy working there, absolutely happy,' Anne Moffat told The Times. 'She was ready for a promotion and then there were some allegations made and Chloe denied them.

'[They were made by] anonymous witnesses and, as far as we understand, they were always going to be anonymous, so they could never have given a statement.

'We know what the allegations were about — it was no more than office gossip, I'm sure it was all vexatious, sadly. It wasn't dealt with according to policy, as the coroner said.'

Moffat worked at the Treasury for almost three years. She 'loved her job' and had an 'exemplary employment record', a three-day inquest at Surrey coroners' court heard.

'She was well thought of and we have emails from directors who she worked

for over the three years,' her mother said. 'They do bonuses in the Treasury at the end-of-year performance review — she'd actually just been awarded one, but she didn't know about it.'

On Monday, the assistant coroner, Anna Crawford, recorded a conclusion of suicide and said the government department contributed to Moffat's death by not applying a written disciplinary policy and failing to explain that the strictest penalty was likely to be a written warning, not a dismissal.

In the meeting with two managers, Moffat tearfully asked whether she would lose her job but was told by the more senior manager that she 'could not predict the outcome at this stage'.

Moffat tested a friend to say she thought she would be fired, then called her mother and it was decided she

would go to stay at her parents' home in Godalming, Surrey. She took her own life the next day.

Crawford said that had correct policy been followed, Moffat would have been sent a letter setting out the details and would have been advised of the probable penalty.

She issued a prevention of future deaths notice and said: 'I am satisfied that the shock and distress of the allegations and thinking she was going to lose her job contributed to her state of mind.'

Chloe Moffat, above and left, was at the Treasury for three years

Moffat's mother said the family was pleased with the coroner's findings.

Nikki Dixon, 62 Moffat's neighbour at her home in Brixton, south London, said: 'She didn't talk much about her job but she was always immaculately turned out when she would leave for work and get back in the evenings — you could tell it was something she took very seriously.

'It is just so, so sad. She was someone with everything going for her, with her whole life ahead of her.'

The Treasury said: 'We continue to

mourn Chloe's passing as a colleague and friend. Our thoughts remain with her family and friends. We take the coroner's concerns extremely seriously and recognise it is important to act quickly. We are now considering the findings carefully.

'We have introduced improvements to guidance, support and wellbeing arrangements but recognise we must continue to take action to prevent this happening again.'

Contact the Samaritans anonymously on 116 123 or chat.samaritans.org

Teacher on trial over claim of sex with besotted boy

Mark Ludlow

A female teacher at a north London comprehensive school for boys had sex with a 'besotted' teenage pupil '20 to 30 times' in the late 1980s, a court has been told.

Sally-Anne Bowen, 64, has also been accused of allowing another student to touch her breasts and kiss her during lunch at a cafe near the school between 1986 and 1988, a jury at Harrow crown court heard.

Bowen, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, faces six charges of indecent assault against the first boy and two against the second when both were aged between 14 and 15 years old.

Bowen, who was 25 at the time of the alleged offences, denied the charges.

Madeleine Wolfe, for the prosecution, said Bowen did not force herself on either of the students, who appeared willing to engage in flirty behaviour and sexual activity, but it was a clear breach of trust from the chemistry teacher.

'By flirting with them and engaging in sexual activity with them she exploited her position for her own sexual gratification,' Wolfe said. 'As these boys were exploited in that way, any apparent agreement on their part was not genuine consent to the sexual activity.

'It's not whether the boys appear flattered or besotted at the time, it's whether Ms Bowen crossed the boundaries which exist to protect them.'

Bowen became friendly with both boys even though neither of them was in her classes. The first pupil, who is now in his fifties, said extra attention from Bowen made him 'feel special' and admitted he was attracted to her. He first disclosed the alleged abuse to the woman who is now his wife and she told him to go to the police, which he did in 2014.

When Bowen was interviewed by police, she said he had been 'besotted' with her and followed her around but denied any inappropriate behaviour, describing it as 'pure fantasy'. She was interviewed again in 2024 when she also denied the claims.

As a result of the claims, Bowen faced a Teaching Regulation Authority hearing in 2022. The second pupil read of the hearing and came forward after encouragement from his wife and family.

During interviews, Bowen told police she could not remember him.

The trial continues.

Woman dies at dance music festival

Seren Hughes

A woman died after being found unconscious inside a tent at a music festival in the grounds of a stately home in Norfolk.

Houghton Festival is a dance music festival held in the grounds of Houghton Hall where the music continues non-stop throughout the weekend. In 2023, the Princess of Wales attended the festival, which is less than five miles away from Anmer Hall, the Prince and Princess of Wales's country home on the Sandringham estate.

Norfolk police said that a woman, who was not named, died after being found unconscious inside a tent at 8.11pm on Sunday, the final day of the festival. Emergency services attended but she died at the scene.

The death is being treated by police

as 'unexplained' but is not believed to be suspicious.

In a statement, Houghton Festival said: 'We are deeply saddened to confirm that a person has passed away at Houghton 2026. Our thoughts are entirely with their family and loved ones at this difficult time.

'We are grateful to our on-site medical team, event response team and to Norfolk constabulary, who all responded immediately.

'We continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to support in any way we can with their investigations.'

The festival took place on August 6-9 and was attended by about 10,000 people. It was founded in 2017 by Craig Richards, a long-running resident DJ and Saturday night musical director at the London nightclub Fabric.

Houghton Festival is set in the woods in the grounds of the home of the Marquess of Cholmondeley, David, and his wife, Rose Hanbury.

The Princess of Wales is said to have briefly attended the festival, accompanied by security guards and friends, after having dinner at Houghton Hall in 2023.

A spokesperson for Norfolk police said: 'We were called to Houghton Festival at 8.11pm on Sunday, August 9, following concerns for the safety of a woman found unconscious inside a tent.

'Officers attended with the on-site medical team, but despite efforts she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her next of kin have been informed.

'The death is currently being treated as unexplained but is not believed to be suspicious. Our inquiries are ongoing.'

Man, 102, in critical state after 'assault' at Welsh pub

Seren Hughes

A 102-year-old man is in a critical condition after allegedly being assaulted in a pub in south Wales.

Gwent police were called to a report of an assault at the Crow's Nest pub in Cwmbran at about 10.25pm on Saturday, August 1. Officers and paramedics attended, and the man was taken to hospital for treatment. He remains in a critical condition, according to police.

A 56-year-old man from Llanelli was arrested on suspicion of assault and later released under investigation.

Casey Smith, manager of the Llanyridon Social Club, said the 102-year-old man visited often. She said: 'He's been a regular in here for ages, we did

his 100th birthday party. Obviously, we hope he's on the mend — 102 isn't exactly the best age to be [hurt].'

Police have appealed for witnesses, saying they wanted to speak to anyone who was at the pub between 10pm and 11pm on August 1.

The Crow's Nest said: 'If anyone was in the pub that night and witnessed this please get in contact with the police.'

Gwent police said: 'A 56-year-old man from Llanelli was arrested on suspicion of section 20 assault and has since been released under investigation.'

Anyone with information can contact the police by calling 101, quoting key reference 2600249432, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through its website.

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DAVID BROWN/STANFORD DAVID/STATES

Royal flush A recreation of a village shop at the Rural Life Living Museum in Tilford, Surrey, displays merchandise celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation

Overseas students get clearing edge

Georgia Lambert

International students are offered far more choice than British applicants at some of the country's leading universities through clearing, a Times analysis has found.

Applicants use clearing to find a university place if they have not met their offer. Many UK universities offer a broader selection of undergraduate places through clearing to international applicants than to domestic candidates, driven largely by tuition fees and government enrolment caps on British students. Overseas students can pay substantially higher fees than domestic undergraduates.

There were 24,719 undergraduate courses available through clearing at Russell Group universities yesterday. Students from England could choose from 3,483 courses, compared with 3,296 each for Scottish and Welsh students, 3,291 for those from Northern Ireland and 3,572 for those from the Republic of Ireland. The choice was wider for overseas applicants, offering 3,887 courses to European students and 3,894 to those from outside the EU.

Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, recently predicted record numbers both accepting a place through clearing and applying directly to clearing.

Squatter envoy: I'm sticking it to junta

David Brown Chief News Correspondent

For the past five years Myanmar's former ambassador to the UK has refused to leave his official residence as he believes his nation's government is "illegitimate" since a military coup.

Kyaw Zwar Minn appeared in the dock at Westminster magistrates' court yesterday at the start of his trial for alleged criminal trespass of a diplomatic mission. He continues to live with his family at the mansion in Hampstead, north London, despite being sacked by the military junta in 2021.

After his dismissal, Kyaw Zwar Minn

wrote to the then Prince of Wales, now King, and received a response from Charles's principal private secretary, who "offered his support for his position", the court was told.

The former ambassador was also supported by Nigel Adams, then a Tory Foreign Office minister, after calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's Oxford-educated civilian leader, the court was told.

Kyaw Zwar Minn was then told by Adams that he must leave the official residence within 31 days and that his diplomatic immunity was being revoked. Adams offered the diplomat £30,000 and the assistance of the

Kyaw Zwar Minn was in court for alleged trespass of Myanmar's diplomatic mission

police, the court heard. The 68-year-old has since been granted refugee status on the basis of a "well-founded fear of persecution".

The UK does not officially recognise Myanmar's military junta and has imposed sanctions on senior military officers and some businesses.

David Perry KC, for the defence, said:

"Mr Minn's case is the government of Myanmar is illegitimate and the military authorities could not lawfully terminate his appointment ... and nor could they legitimately use the property".

The former colonel in the Myanmar army was previously the ambassador to the United Nations. He moved to London in 2013 and his position also covered Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden until he was locked out of the embassy in Mayfair.

Louise Oakley KC, for the prosecution, said when Kyaw Zwar Minn was recalled in April 2021 he was sent a letter instructing him to leave diplomatic premises, including the official

residence, which is known as Myanmar House. "This defendant may not recognise the outcome of the coup ... That, we submit, is irrelevant," she added.

Win Zeyar Tun, Myanmar's chargé d'affaires, 49, is its highest ranking diplomat in London. He is not able to present his credentials to the King as an ambassador because the UK does not recognise the military regime.

He told the court that Kyaw Zwar Minn was sacked as ambassador because he broke civil service rules by issuing a statement without the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The trial was adjourned until September 25.

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13

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Arday case was an aberration, says Cambridge vice-chancellor

Nicola Woolcock Education Editor

The vice-chancellor of Cambridge University has called Jason Arday's appointment an 'aberration' and announced a review of senior academic appointments in light of the plagiarism row over his work.

In a letter to staff, Deborah Prentice said the row over Arday's appointment should not cast aspersions on other academics from ethnic minorities. Arday was the university's youngest black professor when he was hired in 2023.

The Faculty of Education will be investigated as part of the process. Arday resigned last Wednesday and the university has already begun an investigation into his academic qualifications and honorary appointments, after allegations that he plagiarised parts of his PhD thesis and other research.

Arday claimed to have been non-verbal until age 11 and only learnt to read and write at 18. He denies the plagiarism allegations.

Hilary Cremin, the outgoing head of Cambridge's Faculty of Education, had welcomed Arday as a unanimous appointment by the board of electors, saying: 'We are so lucky to have you.'

Change of heart

July 24 The Times reports on claims of plagiarism against Arday. Cambridge calls the allegations 'vile'. Several academics, including the head of a Cambridge college, back Arday.

July 31 Arday gives his first interview to The Times since the allegations broke, denying plagiarism but admitting he had made mistakes. Cambridge says it takes allegations of academic misconduct 'incredibly seriously', adding that complainants should contact the universities where the alleged plagiarism took place.

August 3 The head of Wolfson College, Cambridge, withdraws her support.

August 4 The Times contacts Cambridge and Arday over further alleged academic misconduct.

August 5 Cambridge begins an investigation and declines to comment further until the process ends. Jesus College, where Arday was a fellow, also starts investigation. Cambridge and Jesus ask for Arday to be treated with respect. Arday resigns but continues to deny wrongdoing.

August 7 Cambridge academics demand an independent inquiry into Arday's appointment.

August 12 Cambridge vice-chancellor announces review of appointment of senior academics, as well as inquiry into education faculty where Arday worked.

Cambridge defended Arday when the plagiarism allegations were first reported in July. A spokesperson said the claims were unfounded and part of 'a vile campaign to undermine his credibility'. The university said on July 24 that it had investigated the claims and found no wrongdoing.

Prentice admitted the case was 'difficult and damaging' and had led to anger and anxiety. Other universities will help lead the latest investigation into how Arday was appointed.

'I know there is anger and anxiety around this damaging and difficult case,' Prentice said yesterday. 'We will now investigate the circumstances around his appointment by the Faculty of Education back in 2022 and his time here in Cambridge since his appointment nearly four years ago.'

Prentice said the investigation would be thorough, transparent and carried out independently by senior academics from 'within and beyond Cambridge'. She added that the 'work must begin as soon as possible' and it would then inform a review of the process for appointing senior academic roles.

Prentice's letter added: 'Appointments to senior academic roles, as in

Deborah Prentice has vowed to hold an independent investigation into the Arday appointment

the case of the Faculty of Education and Jason Arday, are currently led at department level. I note that Durham and Glasgow universities have announced that they are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Jason Arday, and that Jesus College has accepted his resignation from his fellowship.

'In addition, the university's research policy committee will review the misconduct in research policy. We need to understand if there is more we could do when serious allegations are raised in relation to our own academic standards at Cambridge.'

Prentice added: 'I want to be very clear that we do not need the outcomes of an investigation to clearly and loudly affirm that our staff of colour are highly valued, for their scholarship, their achievements, and the contributions they make to the institution and the wider academic community.

'This particular case is an aberration and should not be used to cast aspersions on their work or the legitimacy of their roles at Cambridge.'

She suggested the review would not be swift, saying: 'We need to allow these reviews to complete their work effectively so we can learn from any mistakes and, where needed, improve our processes.'

Prentice's response was insufficient for one critical Cambridge academic, who said staff faced a 'fizestorm' that the vice-chancellor had not dealt with.

Nicholas Guyatt, a professor of North American history and fellow at Jesus College, said the Prentice letter

Schoolmates question 'non-verbal child' claims

Questions have been raised over Jason Arday's story that he was non-verbal during his early

childhood and only learnt to speak at age 11, after his resignation from the University of Cambridge (Emma Yeomans writes). Two childhood friends of Arday's have claimed that they remembered him 'chatting' and 'cracking jokes' as a child.

However, another two classmates and a parent said that he was non-verbal and needed significant help.

At the time of his appointment, Arday, who resigned after allegations of plagiarism and academic misconduct, described his rise from a severely autistic, non-verbal child in a council estate in Clapham, south London, to a professor at Cambridge.

His memoir Great and Unfortunate Things recounts his early life, learning to speak and finally learning to

Jason Arday during his PhD ceremony in 2016 at Liverpool John Moores University

read and write aged 18. However, Jonathan Stewart, who said he was in the year below him at Heathbrook primary school, told The Guardian that Arday was the class clown, saying: 'He was always cracking jokes. He was the comedian guy, he would even put on voices.'

Arday, a talented goalkeeper who still plays in the Sunday league team Battersea Park Rangers, would bring his own gloves to school and even dive on the concrete playground.

When they were picked up by minibus for Sunday school, Stewart claimed Arday would entertain his peers by singing an advertising jingle.

Another schoolmate, who was also in the year below Arday, said: 'I don't remember too much about him but I certainly recollect him being able to speak.'

However, two other friends who are still in touch with Arday, said that his account was true and recalled a silent and challenged primary school child, who was frequently taken out of class for additional support.

In his memoir, Arday said that he had extensive speech therapy as a child but this was almost dropped as he had made so little progress. He wrote: 'Miraculously, just a few days shy of my 12th birthday, I spoke.'

In a statement provided to The Times, one friend wrote: 'He was regularly taken out of class for his educational needs.

'His severe special needs didn't stop him playing football and games with me and others as he was still friendly and could communicate through play and actions.'

Nick Clarke, who also plays football with him as an adult, said Arday was non-verbal, in a statement provided to The Guardian via Arday. Clarke's mother,

Caroline Russell-Clarke, who also knew Arday and helped him at nursery, said he had 'serious learning difficulties'.

was a 'step forward' but questioned why she had yet to 'speak publicly in defence' of Cambridge's wider staff. Guyatt co-organised a letter sent to the vice-chancellor (90) senior academics last week that criticised its handling of the situation.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Guyatt said if Prentice had spoken publicly earlier it might have quelled the intense media coverage of recent weeks. Guyatt said he was reassured by the parameters for the investigation and said it needed to be run independently. He suggested that one or two of the letter's signatories should be involved. 'It absolutely has to proceed without fear or favour,' he said.

Durham University said it had looked into the appointment of Arday to a junior academic role in 2019, adding: 'He was appointed following a standard, competitive recruitment process in which he met published criteria for the role. He left Durham over four years ago and no longer has any formal association with us. Allegations about plagiarism in his PhD did not surface until after he had left Durham.'

Daniel Sokol, a barrister in higher education law, said the row over Arday's academic abilities should prompt universities to 'ask hard questions', including about how examiners were selected and paid, and how allegations of academic misconduct were investigated.

Arday was awarded his PhD by Liverpool John Moores University in 2015 for a 401-page thesis on peer mentoring among student teachers. Liverpool John Moores previously investigated the allegations and did not uphold a finding of plagiarism, attributing the issues to 'honest and reasonable error'.

Sokol, who has represented students challenging failed PhD examinations for 15 years, claims the PhD process is 'flawed' and 'that poor theses can pass, and good ones fail'. He added that investigating allegations took too long and professional links between examiners and supervisors could influence who assessed a thesis. There is no suggestion these issues affected Arday.

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14

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Green JCB hits enviable 406mph

A retired Royal Air Force pilot has set a new land speed record in a hydrogen-powered vehicle, nearly 20 years after becoming the first person to break the sound barrier on land (Laurence Sleator writes).

Wing Commander Andy Green, 64, achieved 406 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The previous record of 303mph was set in 2009 by Buckeye Bullet 2, a student-built vehicle from the Ohio State University.

Green was driving a twin-engine, 32 foot JCB Hydromax with a combined 1,600 brake horsepower. It recorded an average speed of 406.32mph across two runs at Bonneville.

Green holds multiple land speed records. He is still the only person to break the sound barrier on land after driving a jet-powered vehicle across the Black Rock Desert in Nevada at 763mph in 1997. He set a land speed record in 2006 for a diesel vehicle at Bonneville in the JCB Dieselmax, at over 350mph.

Reacting to his latest record, Green said: "The car was terrific — stable, strong and fast ... This record is a huge achievement by a world-class team and superb technology." Hydrogen combustion engines are generally considered to be

emission-free as no carbon dioxide is released and the main by-product is water vapour, although burning the gas does also release trace amounts of nitrogen oxides. On its record run, JCB Hydromax — which has tyres that

grow at high speed — was expected to consume just over 2kg of hydrogen and produce 18 litres of water.

Lord Bamford, the chairman of JCB, said: "Twenty years ago we came to Bonneville with JCB Dieselmax and

showed what British engineering could do with diesel power. [Now] we have done it again — this time with engines powered by hydrogen.

"This record was set by production-based engines, the same engines powering JCB diggers right now. That

is the point of JCB Hydromax: it shows hydrogen works, and it works today at the highest level with zero emissions."

Ryan Ballard, the engineering director of JCB who has led the project, said: "This record belongs to the

The team celebrates at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah after the record run by Andy Green, left

engineering team which took a hydrogen digger engine and made it the fastest of its kind on earth. This has been an amazing challenge from the outset of it being set in February last year. We came here fully prepared, and the car delivered."

Government turns a deaf ear to protests against flight noise

Bill Curtis

Thousands of households under flight paths face more noise pollution after ministers agreed to weaken sound protections in a bid to reduce flight times and subsequent carbon emissions.

Under new statutory guidance the government will prioritise fuel efficiency and shorter routes over limiting aircraft noise from an altitude of 5,000ft, down from the present threshold of 7,000ft. It means shorter routes will be favoured over longer but quieter ones.

Nearly 10,000 households near big airports could be affected, including 6,200 homes around Heathrow, 1,600 around Manchester, 1,500 around Edinburgh and 400 around Gatwick.

The reform, which is subject to consultation, addresses longstanding complaints from pilots over outdated flight paths. Britain's airspace corridors were largely mapped in the 1950s, when the country handled 200,000 flights a year, compared with 2.5 million last year.

Under current controls, a flight from Spain to Luton is frequently routed as far north as Cambridge before turning

south to land. Transatlantic arrivals into Heathrow are regularly held in stack patterns east of London.

Documents signed off by Keir Mather, the aviation minister, admit "some communities could experience increased aviation noise" under the updated air navigation guidance issued to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The document said: "[These changes] may lead to airspace designs that prioritise efficiency or emissions reductions over noise mitigation in certain altitude bands ... As a result, some communities could experience increased aviation noise, particularly if flight paths are adjusted to optimise fuel-burn or capacity."

Modelling by the CAA shows that reducing the threshold to 5,000ft cuts the number of households protected around big airports by relatively small margins — dropping by 2 per cent at Heathrow and 6 per cent at Gatwick.

However, government analysis warns that lowering the threshold further to 4,000ft would leave more than 38,000 households around Heathrow and over half the affected population in

Volume up

Nearly 10,000 households around major airports would no longer be included in the government's priority to limit aircraft noise exposure

Edinburgh excluded from official noise protections.

Lowering the noise priority threshold to 5,000ft will save airlines roughly £6 million a year in fuel costs by letting planes fly more direct routes. It is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 37,000 tonnes annually.

Official estimates acknowledge that per-flight fuel gains will be marginal, as aircraft will spend a few minutes climbing through the newly affected 5,000ft to 7,000ft band, but ministers maintain that cumulative efficiency savings will deliver long-term benefits.

A Department for Transport source said that "increased noise for one community will likely mean reduced noise for another", adding that impact variation across local areas was inevitable. They also said less noise would be produced by planes circulating airports thanks to quicker landing and take-off.

Sally Pavey, of the Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions campaign group, said: "Studies have shown the lower the aircraft, the greater the noise. We have already fought to get aircraft up to 7,000ft, and wanting to lower it shows a blatant disregard for those already impacted."

Paul Beckford, policy director at the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise, said: "The government is weakening protection for people living under flight paths. This is particularly concerning given the extra 276,000 flights a year the proposed Heathrow expansion would bring."

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "Our new guidance ... will create smoother and more direct routes into airports. Any changes will be subject to robust consultation."

Redacted register is a 'gift to spies'

Oliver Wright Policy Editor

A decision to hide the names of 2,000 people employed by MPs in Westminster will make it easier for hostile states to spy on the House of Commons, senior parliamentarians have warned.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) said that serious allegations of "Chinese espionage" had been exposed through the Register of Interests of MPs' staff. Yet from this month the register was redacted to remove the names of all staff working for MPs, after a decision by the Commons standards committee.

Luke de Pulford, executive director of Ipac, said: "Parliamentary staff have long been a soft underbelly for authoritarian states. Removing staff names is a gift to those who mean to spy on and subvert the very heart of our democratic way of life."

The committee said: "We accept that this represents a change in the transparency provided by the current register, but we consider it a proportionate one in light of the safety concerns raised with us."

A right to know, Thunderer, page 26

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15

News

TMS

diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary

Reform's posh new neighbour

The convicted fraudster George Cottrell's relationship with Reform UK is now closer, at least in a geographical sense. After news broke that his offices are now in the same building as Reform's at Millbank Tower, the party still insisted that it and "Posh George" are the political equivalent of just good friends. However, while Cottrell is merely described as a party volunteer, he has been seen having a phone call with the party's Treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, so he does seem to be at least a deeply interested volunteer. It's not a comparison either will like, but Cottrell is reminiscent of Jeremy Corbyn. So far as Reform UK is concerned, we are supposed to believe he is present but not involved.

The prime minister is already having an impact on the nation's high streets. On Tuesday Andy Burnham was asked for his favourite Greggs order by LBC and, after he said the "sausage, bean and cheese thing", the bakers soon saw that their sausage, bean and cheese melt was flying off the shelves. "Sales have gone through

the roof," a Greggs spokesman said. "Cheers, Andy." The bakers have now rechristened it à la Burnham's description. So the PM can claim an impact on growth, albeit of people's waistlines.

MEL'S GOODIE 2:2

Good luck to all A-level students as they receive their results today and please know that it will be all right in the end. Take the comedian Mel Giedroyc, who was immensely stressed when waiting for her university exam results because she had done no work and had ended up writing "25 pages of absolute guff" about the Goodies and Monty Python. The Cambridge dons who were marking her paper must have been bemused as her degree was in French and Italian. She tells the How to Fail podcast that she had even painted on a black eye and contemplated causing "a minor breakage on my writing hand so

that I couldn't do the exam". Despite all this, she got a 2:2. That result is all the more impressive because, as we are now well aware, Cambridge had much higher standards back then.

The city of Wrexham has received a significant tourism boost as a result of the Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds, left, buying the local football team and then making a TV show about it. Now a Texas couple have gone the extra mile and have moved to north Wales as a result of the coverage. Reynolds greeted the news in his characteristically deadpan style. After seeing the headline "Couple to move from Texas to Wrexham after watching series", he remarked: "Thank God they didn't watch Chernobyl."

DIVINE DEFERENCE

As she was laid to rest, more stories about the ex-Tory MP Ann Waldecombe were shared. One concerned her time as a minister at the Department for Employment, where she insisted that her civil servants call her Ann. Lord Henley, a junior minister, objected to this dropping of deference, but Waldecombe said: "I don't understand, Oliver. I mean, God calls me Ann." The junior replied: "Really? God calls me Lord Henley."

JACK BLACKBURN

Man shot dead in Clapham is named

Jessica Sharkey Crime Correspondent

An off-duty bus driver aged 25 who was shot dead near a south London pub has been named by police.

Auguste-Marie Bile-aka Amoa, known as Billy, died at the scene after emergency services were called to reports of gunfire in Willington Road, Clapham, on Monday night.

A suspect aged 22, who was arrested on suspicion of murder shortly afterwards, remains in hospital under police guard, the Metropolitan Police said.

Neighbours described Amoa as a "calm, polite and respectful man". A friend said he was in the "wrong place [at the] wrong time".

Sansha Fritz, 35, told The Times on Tuesday that Amoa had been about to take his girlfriend home when the incident took place.

Fritz, who lives in Willington Road, said: "I've never even seen him shout, get out of character, hang around no one. He's just a good person. He's always smiling. He's got a beautiful smile."

She said she went to the scene after hearing gunshots and saw Amoa's girlfriend, who told her a man approached them before "shots were fired".

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said Amoa had been working as a bus driver for more than a year. He said: "He wasn't a gang member; he was just civil. He was just working a normal job, looking after the family."

The neighbour said Amoa's mother

Police released this photograph of Auguste-Marie Bile-aka Amoa, 25

and sister were on the scene immediately afterwards and his mother shouted: "That's my son! That's my son!"

A close friend of Amoa who lives nearby and did not want to be named said: "He was just a good soul."

Flowers and a candle were laid at the scene by the Landor pub.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire Guiver, who is leading the investigation, said her thoughts were with the victim's family "as they come to terms with this tragic incident".

She added: "We continue to appeal for anyone with information to come forward. If you were in the area at the time of the shooting, witnessed anything suspicious or have any CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage that could assist our investigation, we urge you to get in touch."

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17

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Ayckbourn's jape raised by Allam's comic masterclass

Theatre Clive Davis

How the Other Half Loves

Old Vic, London (160min)

★★★★☆

Whether he's simply putting on his raincoat or making an entrance in his underpants, you can't take your eyes off Roger Allam. If there are moments when the Old Vic's revival of How the Other Half Loves grinds through the gears — some characters are closer to props than real people — Allam delivers a masterclass in comic timing. Every pause, every hesitation, every bumbled phrase is a delight.

Like that Seventies classic Abigail's Party — which returned to the London stage this week — Alan Ayckbourn's 1969 marital comedy builds humour out of excruciatingly awkward set pieces. At its heart is an extraordinarily clever sleight of hand in which we eavesdrop on two dinner parties simultaneously. The conceit is as ingenious as the behind-the-scenes version of a farce in Michael Frayn's Noises Off.

In Phillip Breens in-the-round revival, Allam plays patrician business

executive Frank Foster, who is blissfully unaware that his wife, Fiona (imagine if The Good Life's Margo had an itch to scratch), is having an affair with one of his young employees, Bob Phillips, a Jack-the-lad trapped in a tempestuous marriage. When the lovers concoct

alibis involving another of Frank's staff, dreary beancounter William Featherstone and his ultra-timid wife, Mary, they inadvertently draw the net tighter around themselves. Ayckbourn piles up the misunderstandings on a set that represents the overlapping homes of

the Fosters and the Phillipses. The two couples flit in and out, oblivious of each other. Breen keeps the physical humour sparking along, just as he did in his hyperactive, open-air version of The Comedy of Errors at the RSC. Telephones occupy a central role in

Laura Elsworthy and Adam Gillen, far left, bring ferocious precision but it is Roger Allam and Dorothy Atkinson, below, who steal the show

the plot. Younger audience members will no doubt be baffled by the reference to something called the speaking clock.

It's with the arrival of the Featherstones — played with ferocious precision by Adam Gillen and Laura Elsworthy — that the mechanism of the plot begins to make distracting noises. This psychotically repressed husband and wife are little more than cartoons. Ayckbourn's portrayal of the Phillipses is brisk too: Rowan Polonski's Bob seems to have little more to him than a taste for boozing, while you can't believe that Ayesha Antoine's harassed new mum, Teresa, would be quite so obsessed with the letters page of The Guardian. None of that matters, though, as long as the bespectacled Allam stands before us, chuntering on like the underachieving twin brother of Kingsley Amis.

He may be pompous and long-winded, yet we feel for this cuckold. Dorothy Atkinson's Fiona wins our sympathy too. She speaks crisply and efficiently, yet those silent looks and long-suffering glances tell us much, much more. Until September 19; oldvictheatre.com

Next James Bond won't need quantum of social media fame

Alex Farber Media Correspondent James Desborough

Speculation has swirled for years about the next actor to play James Bond, but whoever wears the famous dinner jacket will not need to be the man with the golden 'gram.

The agent casting the next 007 has said a huge social media profile will not be a consideration.

Amazon MGM Studio chiefs and Denis Villeneuve, the director, are holding auditions for the new British spy in the next few weeks, having promised last week to have chosen their 'stirring' candidate by the end of the year.

The search is under way against a growing drive from studio bosses to hire stars with huge online fanbases.

In the past few years movie-makers have shifted towards selecting actors with large numbers of online followers, such as Dwayne Johnson, adopting the

view that they can help to draw in bigger cinema audiences.

But Nina Gold, the casting agent tasked with selecting the leading actor for Amazon MGM's Bond revamp has no interest in modern trends.

Gold, 62, whose credits include Conclave, Hammel and Netflix's The Crown, dismissed the suggestion there was 'social media pressure' from Amazon over hiring on key roles.

'Not with me. I don't know about that stuff. I can't even find it on my phone,' she said. 'People do talk about it, but it's normally the agents more than the people making [the film]'

Gold admitted staff in her casting company scoured TikTok and Instagram to find actors, but she preferred proven methods. 'I definitely tend to find people through more traditional methods and go to a lot of drama schools and theatre,' she said. 'I can't really tell on TikTok what's what.'

The frontrunners to succeed Daniel Craig as the super spy have hugely varying follower counts.

Louis Partridge, the House of Guinness actor, has 8.6 million Instagram followers, Bullet Train's Aaron Taylor-Johnson has nearly two million and Harris Dickinson, of The King's Man, has 772,000.

Callum Turner, star of Apple TV's Masters of the Air, has no online profile and neither does Jacob Elordi — the Wuthering Heights star deactivated his accounts in 2024.

'I have no relationship with social media,' Elordi told CBS in February. 'My dream was to be an actor ... I've been given exactly what I wanted. So for me, that's about all I can handle.'

Gold said several agents had pitched American actors for the role, even though Bond is expected to be portrayed by an Englishman. 'The world has definitely got a lot smaller so

everybody's pitching everyone all over the place,' she said.

Insiders say Amazon MGM Studios plans to begin filming in spring 2027, but the film is unlikely to hit cinemas until 2028. The last Bond film, No Time to Die, was released in 2021.

The six-year break would match or possibly exceed the longest gap yet between James Bond films in its six-decade history, depending on when in 2028 the film is released.

Despite the apparent lack of interest from bosses in the social media profile of the next Bond, the official 007 account still posts updates. Its latest update, captioned '007: holiday itinerary', shows a montage of Bond scenes shot in exotic locations featuring Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan and Bond girls such as Britt Ekland and Halle Berry over George Martin's funky Fillet of Soul from the Live and Let Die soundtrack.

Ladies first? Not any more on Bumble

Mark Ludlow

Bumble is to scrap its women-first messaging rule — a defining feature of the dating app since its launch in 2014.

The firm had said ensuring women made the first move was empowering and 'helps dynamics start on an equal footing, and hopefully leads to kinder, more respectful connections'.

Yet Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble's chief executive, has announced it will abolish the rule that women, not men, must initiate conversations, and will extend the time that users have to reply from 24 hours to 72 hours.

She said this was a response to user demands for 'more flexibility, less pressure and more opportunities to create real, meaningful connections'.

Wolfe Herd said: 'While women making the first move was a radical idea, being women-first was never about prescribing just one way to connect. This evolution isn't a departure from our founding vision, but the realization of it.'

Bumble said nearly two thirds of women it surveyed preferred men to send the first message, saying this would make dating 'feel less pressured'. But the proposed changes will make it virtually identical to Tinder, and could alienate loyal customers.

Cassandra Fleming, a dating coach, said some women were looking for men to make more effort. 'Bumble opening this up could actually surface more of these men, rather than rewarding passivity,' she told Inc.com.

Dating apps around the world are grappling with a trend for singletons to return to traditional, in-person methods of meeting.

Rod Stewart cancels tour after heart operation

Herbie Russell

Sir Rod Stewart has cancelled the remainder of his 2026 US tour after undergoing heart surgery.

The singer, 81, will take four weeks off to recover, cutting short his US and Mexico itinerary, his representatives said. Stewart was 'doing very well' after the coronary stent procedure and he had 'returned to his normal daily activities', they added.

Performances of his One Last Time

tour were due to stretch into next month but Stewart had recently pulled out of two gigs in the space of a week.

Stewart wrote on Instagram: 'I'm already feeling better and very much on the mend.' He said he was deeply disappointed to miss the shows and sorry to let his fans down. The father of eight was scheduled to perform at venues in Iowa, Illinois and Mexico, and a six-night run at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.

A statement by his representatives

said: 'On the advice of his doctors, [Stewart] will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage. Unfortunately, this means he will be unable to continue his current tour dates.'

Rod Stewart almost fainted during a recent performance

The announcement came after Stewart postponed shows in Cincinnati and Cleveland after medical concerns. In May he cancelled gigs in Nevada because of a sinus infection, and in June he pulled out of a concert in San Diego, citing laryngitis. A week later, he almost fainted during a show in Utah.

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19

News

Cocoa nut crafts

rare homegrown bar of chocolate

Andrew Ellson

Consumer Affairs Correspondent

Britain may not have the tropical climate of Ghana, Brazil or the Ivory Coast, but that has not stopped Berkshire from producing what is being claimed as the country's first homegrown chocolate for almost a century.

The bar made to celebrate the centenary of the University of Reading uses local cocoa, along with British milk and sugar, meaning its ingredients travelled rather fewer food miles than the average offering from Cadbury.

It is believed to be the first chocolate produced from British-grown cocoa since one made by Rowntree's in York in 1933. It was presented to the six-year-old daughter of the Duke of York, who went on to become Queen Elizabeth II.

The cocoa for the new bar came not from an unlikely plantation in the Thames Valley but rather the university's International Cocoa Quarantine

Centre, where hundreds of varieties are kept in climate-controlled glasshouses.

The centre acts as a secure transit lounge. Plant material sent between cocoa-growing regions can carry pests and diseases, so varieties destined for researchers and breeders elsewhere are brought to Reading, where they can be grown, checked and quarantined before being passed on.

Britain is suitable for this service precisely because it does not grow cocoa commercially, reducing the risk that an imported disease could escape into surrounding plantations.

The university said the centre handled 97 per cent of the international movements of cocoa plants, and had a collection of more than 300 types.

The pods produced in its glasshouses are typically removed and go unused. For the university's centenary, however, Maha Khan, a master's student in food security, was allowed to make use of them.

She harvested pods, removed beans

and carried out the processes needed to transform them into chocolate, including fermentation, drying, roasting, crushing and grinding. The cocoa was then combined with British-grown sugar and milk in the university's

Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences. "It has been amazing to follow the entire chocolate-making process, from pod to bean to bar, without leaving Reading," Khan said.

She added the novelty of Berkshire

Maha Khan with a locally sourced cocoa pod and the bar made to mark her university's centenary

chocolate carried a more serious message about the vulnerability of cocoa production by highlighting the "precarious nature" of food supplies.

"Cocoa plants are very sensitive to changes in temperature and rainfall, and climate change is already causing problems in countries that produce most of the world's cocoa," she said.

"Protecting different varieties is vital if farmers need hardier plants that can cope with a changing climate.

"I hope this shows people just how much work goes into the chocolate we enjoy, and how important it is to protect cocoa farmers and communities around the world."

Britain's chocolate market is worth more than £10 billion, according to the university, but most cocoa is grown in Africa, South America and Asia, often by small-scale farmers.

The homegrown Rowntree's bar was not just British but made from "100 per cent Yorkshire ingredients" according to Nestlé, which now owns the brand. The cocoa came from a tropical greenhouse in the grounds of its York factory where it also grew vanilla pods, pineapples and bananas.

The company said: "We decided that the most appropriate recipient was the little daughter of the Duke of York, never dreaming then that she would become queen."

Nearly a century later, the Berkshire crop is unlikely to turn Reading into the new home of the British chocolate industry. The university said it had no plans to put its homegrown chocolate on sale. It does, however, plan to offer a bar to a member of the royal family — but is yet to say which one.

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Politician praised for 'fearless' faith

Ann Widdecombe was remembered for her 'fearless' religious conviction and 'friendship [that] did not follow party political lines' at her private funeral yesterday (Ed Halford writes). The Right Rev David Charlesworth, the abbot of Buckfast Abbey, paid tribute to the former Conservative MP as someone who 'liked you better once you had survived a vigorous debate with her'. About 100 close family members and friends of Widdecombe, who was Reform UK's immigration and justice spokeswoman, gathered at the abbey on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, where she regularly attended Sunday Solemn Mass

after converting to Catholicism in 1993. Widdecombe was found dead last month in her home in Haytor Vale, Devon. Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged with her murder. This week, The Times reported that police were investigating whether Kerry was linked to an incident when a fit incendiary device was pushed through the letterbox of the home of Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader. A large police presence was visible at the abbey's grounds from early in the morning before the service. About 20 police officers, accompanied by dogs, patrolled the area and checked inside flower beds and bins. After the arrival of the hearse, Widdecombe's personal assistant

REQUIEM MASS

for the space of the rest of ANN NIGHTEN WIDDECOMBE 18th October 1947 – 8th July 2026

WIDDECOMBE 12th AUGUST 2026 Dr Mary L. Sting, Blackfield

About 100 close friends and family members attended the funeral of Ann Widdecombe at Buckfast Abbey in Devon yesterday

Harriet Bastide, who was by the politicians side for 31 years, greeted mourners.

Charlesworth said in his homily: 'In the midst of the shock, clamour and sometimes unwarranted comment surrounding her death, our response is to pray for the repose of her soul, to give thanks for her fortitude and offer Holy Mass in this abbey church which Ann called her safe haven.'

He suggested that Widdecombe might be viewed as a martyr.

'There is no doubt that Ann fearlessly upheld the moral and social teachings of the Catholic church,' he said. 'Her voice regarding these issues certainly upset some.'

'In past centuries, and elsewhere in the world today, men and women pay with their lives for holding fast to the Christian faith. As Tertullian, a Christian writer of the 2nd century, declared, 'The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.'

Sir Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor and MP for Central Devon — the constituency in which Widdecombe lived — was the only MP in attendance. Mourners honoured a uniquely principled woman, leading article, page 29

Face-recognition cameras set to watch Oxford Street

Mark Ludlow

Facial recognition cameras are expected to be used soon by the Metropolitan Police to target crime on Oxford Street, the UK's busiest shopping thoroughfare.

The live facial recognition (LFR) technology is already in use in parts of Soho and the West End in the capital, with Sir Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, indicating that the technology is expected to be expanded to Oxford Street, part of which will be converted to pedestrian-only use, by October.

The cameras, which would be attached to street furniture such as lampposts, scan the faces of people walking past and cross-check them against those on a watchlist.

At City Hall Khan was asked about the introduction of the technology in the West End and appeared to confirm it would be used on the 0.6-mile stretch of Oxford Street that will become a pedestrian thoroughfare.

'The Met is working really closely with the Oxford Street Development Corporation about how, when we pedestrianise that street, we use LFR in a sensible way, using the opportunity of new CCTV to use LFR,' he said.

'It is right and proper we should let the public know LFR is being used. The

Met is very good at testing on individual sites before rolling out. What we do not do is a big bang as it would be a disaster. I am confident that we will have a good rollout in the West End.'

About 500,000 people visit Oxford Street every day, making it a magnet for street crime and shoplifters.

LFR technology is widely used in China where the government has set up hundreds of millions of cameras, known as Skynet, to monitor citizens and for 'predictive policing'.

Ruth Ehrlich, of the human rights organisation Liberty, said the cameras would mark a 'significant expansion of surveillance in public spaces'. She added: 'This technology scans the faces of everyone who passes by, regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing. If live facial recognition is to be deployed in one of the country's busiest shopping and tourist destinations, there must be full transparency about how it will be used, what safeguards are in place, and how its impact on people's rights will be monitored.'

Ehrlich said a legal framework should be put in place first.

Recent polling commissioned by Liberty found that almost half of people opposed scanning faces of pedestrians on high streets when there was

no suspected imminent threat. Jasleen Chaggar, from the campaign group Big Brother Watch, urged Khan to abandon the plan, saying it would be a mistake. 'Innocent Londoners who are not suspected of any crime by the police should be able to wander around public spaces without identifying themselves to the authorities,' she said.

The Met first used fixed surveillance cameras during a six-month period in Croydon, south London, between October 2025 and May 2026. It led to 173 people being arrested including a woman wanted for more than 20 years.

Sir Mark Rowley, the Met's commissioner, said the force had made more than 2,000 arrests using the fixed cameras since the start of 2024.

The technology also started to be deployed at Tube stations this month.

A spokesperson for Khan said he was committed to transforming Oxford Street into a 'world-class, pedestrian-friendly and safe destination', something which the LFR technology would help to achieve. 'In Westminster, neighbourhood crime has fallen, with 14,000 fewer offences in the past year, and the Met's rollout of live facial recognition in the West End and Soho will help drive down crime rates even further,' the spokesperson said.

Couple spend wedding night searching for their lost dog

Carla Jenkins

A newly married couple spent seven hours of their wedding night searching dense Scottish woodland for their beloved dog after the pet was spooked by the music during their first dance.

James and Victoria Pringle married on Saturday at Auchen Castle, near Moffat, Dumfriesshire, where four-year-old Pia, a spaniel-terrier cross, had acted as ring-bearer.

However, as the newlyweds took to the dance floor surrounded by 95 guests, the music startled the dog, which bolted through the castle's open front door into the night.

The couple spent the rest of the evening scouring the surrounding estate.

'She's our baby and we were absolutely distraught and barely went back inside for the rest of the night,' Victoria, 28, said. 'I howled up my dress and crawled through undergrowth looking for her. My dress was ripped and my legs covered in cuts and nettle stings. I'm not religious, but I started to pray.'

The couple, from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, were prepared to sleep in their car overnight rather than abandon the hunt. James, 29, said their fears for the dog were raised due to the proximity of a lake and the M74 motorway.

His uncle alerted Lost Dogs Dumfries & Galloway, and Lee Herron, who runs the volunteer search group,

James and Victoria Pringle were reunited with Pia after a long search

arrived with thermal binoculars, live tracking cameras and tins of sardines. She instructed the couple to lay a trail of fish around the lake to guide the dog back, suspecting Pia would return once the event quietened down.

At 2am, minutes after the couple had finally gone to their room, Herron spotted the dog using a thermal imaging scope as it approached the castle entrance, guided by the sardine trail.

'They had gone from celebrating the best day of their lives to suddenly not knowing where their little girl was,' she said. 'It was a privilege to see them reunited, a really emotional moment.'

Victoria added: 'I really can't describe the relief ... Our tears of sadness turned to tears of joy.'

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25

Where are all those climate deniers now?

Hugo Rifkind Page 27

Comment

AI will mean less drudgery, not fewer jobs

The future can be rich in careers that involve experimenting and cutting red tape, but not with Labour's current policies

Juliet Samuel

@CITYSAMUEL

The popular claim, the one that's meant to make you sound up-to-date, is that all those smiling, mop-haired young people are buggered. Soon, they'll be tearing open their A-level results and jaging and grinning and off they'll go to university, but in a few years they'll be spat out into a job market decimated by artificial intelligence, and then they'll realise their best option is a disability claim for 'mental health'. All the good, aspirational jobs? Gone. I don't believe a word of it. I'm not saying it's easy out there or that we're thriving under the stranglehold of paper-pushing guilds the boomers call an economy. But that's just the point. What is so great about a system funneling workers into legal reviews, impact assessments, consultations, HR processes, insurance files and so forth? Why should we be any more nostalgic for this stuff than for ox-drawn ploughs, witch doctors, bank tellers and washer women? Did their replacement with technology end the job market and make us poorer? Or did it do the opposite? The AI age will be rich with careers that involve experimenting, tearing open specialist fields, gathering new knowledge and circumventing (or replacing) bureaucracy. We can of course choose policies that generate the 'jobs massacre' a lot of ageing professionals seem to get a kick out of predicting. But AI itself isn't going

to abolish work any more than libraries abolished schools.

In the US, where AI adoption is furthest along, there is no evidence of a jobs apocalypse. Nearly every sector employs more people than in 2022, before the launch of ChatGPT. Aside from the Covid blurb, unemployment has stayed around 4 per cent for nine years. But there is a reallocation going on. A new tracker by the US data company Revelio has found that overall, there are slightly more people in jobs now than in 2022, but companies hiring for 'AI-related' roles have increased their headcount by nearly a fifth. The firms hiring the most are those adopting AI the fastest.

The barons of Silicon Valley are changing their tune. Last year the head of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, was telling us all to prepare for a bonfire of the professional classes on the scale of Weimar. Sam Altman claimed all entry-level

In the US nearly every sector employs more people than in 2022

white collar jobs would disappear. Mark Zuckerberg said that AI would become 'a sort of mid-level engineer', which didn't go down terribly well with Meta's mid-level engineers.

But with few signs of the jobs massacre, they have watered down their positions. The other side of the argument is now in the ascendant and it's Jensen Huang, head of the chip designer Nvidia, who's describing reality: 'You're not going to lose your job to an AI, but you're going to lose your job to someone who uses AI.'

If that still sounds a bit grim, that may be because you haven't realised

that you too will soon be using AI, if you aren't already. At one point, I felt down in the dumps about the idea that AI will make writers into wainwrights. But then I started using it and realised I wasn't replacing myself, I was cutting out drudgery. The googling, scrolling, cross-referencing, managing labs, creating timelines, finding products, locating highly specific kinds of information. I wasn't cutting out high-quality, creative work. I was cutting friction and administrative dross.

I discovered that I could use AI to compile lists of relevant former regulators now in the Lords; that it could quickly give me a series of links to legislation in a particular policy area and point me to changes over time so that I could ask an expert better questions; that it could find that half-remembered, decade-old article about smuggling routes through the Sahara; that it could rearrange a badly formatted report for easier reading; that it could help me dredge up GCSE physics on electromagnetism or make a list of news links showing how many leaders have promised to 'rewire the state'.

I could use it to generate age-appropriate spelling tests, to find comedies under 90 minutes, to compare new computer options, to troubleshoot apps, to find a suitable bottle of wine at a particular price or to make an almost-perfect family packing list for a long, multistage trip. Yes, I still needed to make the calls, set the spelling test, read the links, do the packing and hear a legal scholar discuss the legislation for myself. But much of the grind was gone.

I'm not an entry-level worker like today's A-level students soon will be. But AI makes me likely to produce more, and more likely to hire someone to help me, especially if

The likes of Dario Amodei, head of Anthropic, are changing their tune

they know how to set up agents that will perform all sorts of new tasks it has now occurred to me to want done.

Andy Burnham's answer to the threat of AI being able to 'draft a contract or make a slide deck' is to tout 'practical skills' over 'desk jobs' because AI still 'can't make a train'. I'm all in favour of nurturing trades and engineering over baristas with four A-levels and a BA in drama. But AI will without doubt make workers better at building trains, as it is already doing for maintenance, industrial processes, product testing and so forth. In the face of sweeping technological change, we need agility and a positive attitude to risk. Instead, we're getting policies that make it harder to employ the young.

The increase in national insurance, the extension of full employment

rights to new staff, the rising minimum wage and Labour's threat to abolish the lower youth wage have all made it extremely unattractive to hire young people. Why give a 20-year-old her first job when six months later you'll be unable to fire her and paying the same wage and taxes as you would for a seasoned worker? If the market looks grim for today's school leavers, it's not because of AI, but because

I wasn't replacing myself, I was reducing administrative dross

Labour is making unreasonable demands of businesses.

I am not generally a tech enthusiast. New Apple products do not thrill me. I read books; I loathe the effect of smartphones on daily life; I have no desire for my fridge to go online and I quietly still wish I could travel by horse. And I suppose AI might yet kill us all. But it won't be because it has done away with the job market.

Humans will always find and create problems that need solving, nature will never be fully tamed, the world has boundless horizons to explore, from the infinitesimally small to the incomprehensibly vast. And economies will still need people to make discoveries, to verify claims, to teach and care for one another, to perform, to exercise judgment about trade-offs, to argue about the balance of rights between peoples, to build relationships and to trade new ideas. If those people have to spend less time writing planning documents, reading consultation responses and filling in databases, then I say, bring it on. No one ever wanted to do that stuff anyway.

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Comment

Be afraid of North Korea's move westwards

Kims regime is now giving Putin an edge in Ukraine — and gaining a new foothold in Europe

@EDWARDLUCAS

North Korea is 5,000 miles away. But the personality cult in Pyongyang threatens us here in Britain. It runs a global cybercrime network that puts every British citizen at risk with fraud and scams. The proceeds pay for a nuclear weapons programme, which the dictator Kim Jong-un says is progressing "at an exponential rate", on a path that is 'completely and absolutely irreversible'.

Some of this may be bombast, of the kind that depicts life in the slave labour state (where incomes are one 50th of the capitalist South Korea's) as paradise. But the truth is that international efforts to curb the rogue state's nuclear programme have failed completely. North Korea is building more and better missiles, with bigger warheads, and working on new ways of firing them. Its navy, once a joke, is turning into an "instrument of nuclear coercion" according to a new paper from Aspi, an Australian think tank.

One reason is inattention from a shambolic White House. Another that Russia and China, which once paid at least lip service to international sanctions, are now coddling the Pyongyang regime. After Vladimir Putin's visit there in June 2024, North Korea started supplying munitions and soldiers to the

Kremlin's war in Ukraine, in return for technical and economic help.

The millions of artillery and mortar rounds North Korea initially provided were so badly made that even Russians found them alarmingly risky. They damaged gun barrels and killed or injured the soldiers using them. Missiles supplied were wildly inaccurate. The 14,000 soldiers sent to Russia were ill-prepared, badly equipped and undertrained. Casualty rates were over 50 per cent.

Round two will be different. President Zelensky says that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed in coming months. They, perhaps coupled with hundreds of

Efforts to curb the rogue state's nuclear programme have failed

thousands of newly mobilised Russians, will try to swamp Ukraine's defences by sheer numbers. North Korean arms manufacturers have seen how their products work in demanding battlefield conditions, and have raised their standards. Russian advice and technical assistance have helped too. North Korean aim is increasingly accurate. An elite unit, staffed by 90 North Koreans and equipped with up to 120 ballistic missiles and six launchers, has begun deploying to Russia, probably to the southern Voronezh region, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Russia is making deadly use of the 40 missiles already supplied. This week a North Korean strike killed

seven civilian workers in a steelworks in Zaporizhia, less than two days' drive from Britain. Another recently destroyed a home in the village of Radushne, killing five members of one family, the Voronovs; five more are missing pending DNA tests on body fragments. Just another statistic:

The help from Pyongyang is a strategic worry for Ukraine, now graciously short of air defences and struggling to protect its battered industry, infrastructure and cities from attack. Important bridges are a particular concern. It matters for South Korea too. At the Nato summit in Ankara last month I heard from South Korean sources how alarmed they are at the experience that the northern regime is gaining in modern warfare. For decades, its armed forces suffered from their country's international isolation, in terms of both training and equipment. South Korean intelligence says that the seasoned fighters who returned home after 2024 gained vital combat experience in drones, electronic warfare and modern battlefield tactics. A further 9,500 troops have remained in Russia since then. They appear to be involved in mine-clearing and other non-combat tasks. But they are still gaining useful experience.

Dependence on North Korean help is a humiliating sign of Russia's weakness. But it is blunting what could be Ukraine's best chance of winning what Zelensky calls "the battle in the sky" that will determine the war's outcome. Long-range strikes inside Russia are dealing devastating blows to the economy and particularly the energy system. At medium range, Ukraine's bombardment of supply

lines is making the occupied Crimean peninsula unsustainable. But in missile defence, Ukraine faces a "structural" crisis, in the words of Fabian Hoffmann, a pundit who runs the "Missile Matters" newsletter. It is short of interceptors. Even if allies step up and donate them, these weapons cost many times more than the missiles they shoot down. Even if President Trump stops dithering and licenses Ukraine to make the Patriot interceptors that have proved most useful, it will take years to nail down the details and start production. Domestic innovation will help, but not for the perilous coming months.

Allies could do more: any efforts to plug the gap are better than none. But all of Europe is short of air defences (notably Britain); no country could defend itself against the kind of onslaught inflicted on Ukraine. Russia knows that too. The game-changing answer is to help Ukraine on other fronts. The military priority should be to hit not the arrows but the archers: the missile production and launch sites in Russia. That means boosting Ukraine's deep-strike production and further improving its effectiveness.

Even more powerful would be to exploit Russia's political weaknesses: using overt and secret means to wage cognitive warfare on confidence in the regime. One target should be the alliance with tinput North Korea. Many Russians find it troubling, as repression takes their country in the same direction.

Russian cognitive war against the West has leveraged greed to weaken sanctions, and spread disinformation to stoke division, fear and resentment. It is high time we turned the tables.

The public have a right to know who our MPs employ George Greenwood

Access to the Houses of Parliament is a unique privilege. The very term 'lobbying' originates from the practice of those seeking to influence politicians doing so from the 'bobby' outside the voting chamber. It is no wonder that those with an interest in influencing politicians on behalf of paying clients might seek to obtain parliamentary passes that grant them unfettered access.

It is the risk of this access being misused that makes knowing who has passes so important, and makes the decision by parliament to cover up this information so fundamentally wrong. The move, made by the standards committee behind closed doors with no consultation, came following extensive lobbying from unions who argued it might reduce the abuse that MPs' staff receive.

There is no doubt that such staffers receive significant harassment, which sometimes reaches criminal levels. However, those determined to abuse staff are unlikely to be put off by having to make a few extra google searches to find out who they are. They may also simply continue to abuse them through MPs' inboxes, to which staff will remain exposed.

Ironically, the move will worsen the threats parliamentary staff face, not from anonymous trolls but from MPs themselves. Staff, who are abysmally paid, have appalling employment protections from abusive MPs, with no real HR function to call upon should an MP threaten to destroy future political careers if they raise a problem. Through their actions, the unions have just destroyed one route by which such MPs could be avoided by those wanting to work in parliament, with the public register showing which of them have very high turnovers of staff.

Separately, the register meant MPs could be called to account. It was used by The Times to reveal that the son of a Chinese lawyer, who was later found to be a threat to national security, was working for Barry Gardiner, Labour's then shadow international trade secretary. It was also used by the paper to identify how Rachel Reeves, when shadow chancellor, employed a member of staff who had been seconded from a lobbying company. The public register served as a powerful deterrent against MPs simply handing passes to their cronies, something that will no doubt become a greater problem now such activities can be concealed from public view.

The decision to cover up who has access to parliament is a political scandal waiting to happen. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. MPs should overturn this decision. If they choose not to, they cannot be surprised when public faith in politics drops yet further.

George Greenwood is investigations reporter at The Times

Hilary Rose Notebook

Let's call last orders on an infuriating pub trend

Something strange is happening in our pubs and it confuses the hell out of my men friends: queueing. At a pub by the river last weekend, a friend was so appalled by the line of Gen Z-ers stretching in single file from the bar to the door that he insisted we leave. He says this is a new and insidious trend, driven by young people who know no better, and young bar staff who don't know how to stop it, but what is to be done? Should we stage an intervention?

In her 2004 book Watching the English, the social anthropologist Kate Fox decoded the unspoken rules of pubs, including what she called "the invisible queue". "Everyone knows who is next," she wrote. "The person who reached the bar before you will be served before you, and any obvious attempt to get served out of turn will be ignored by staff and severely frowned upon by

other customers." Fox noted that this encourages sociability, because "it is one of the very few places in England where it is socially acceptable to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger". As opposed to, say, standing in a queue looking at your phone.

Some of the nicest pubs are too higgedynggledy for queueing and anyway, whatever next? Queue dividers snaking round the saloon, like passport control? So we went to The Hound, my new local, where nobody queues and the view of a road is second to none. Peaceful country pubs or a river view are all very well, but I'm a Londoner. I'll take the road. Just don't ask me to queue for it.

Bourne ugly

To The Odyssey while it's still on the big screen, because watching it on a plane, where I usually watch films, would be pointless. I suspected I wouldn't love it, because the critics do and that's usually a red flag, be it books, films or art. So it proved. How many more times must they shoot "Back to the boat!" and

pelt along a beach? Again? Really? As for Matt Damon, I assume from his beard that he's hoping for an Oscar, ditto Tom Cruise as an unrecognisable old man in the forthcoming Digger, see also Brendan Fraser in The Whale and Charline Theron in Monster. Ugly - gong. Personally, I'd have gonged Damon for Bourne, not this. Maybe that's why I'm not a critic.

No sweat ...

The same government survey drops through my letterbox twice in a week. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities is so keen for me to complete its Active Lives Survey that it's offering a bribe, a 15 gift voucher for "a range of retailers including department stores, fashion stores and restaurants". It's an interesting use of taxpayers' money and yet also, looking at the survey, not enough. Forty questions, over 16 pages, requesting exact hours and minutes spent doing whatever it is, with a helpful example: "I have played football on eight

days in the past four weeks. I have not played cricket in the past four weeks but I have played both within the last 12 months..." Eh?

There are complex footnotes about what constitutes a community engagement activity, or playing a musical instrument, or even walking ("Exclude walking round the shops. Mountain/hill walking should be included on page five"). Have you done creative or artistic dance in the past four weeks? You have? How many minutes? Did you sweat? And we're still only on page three. Whose idea was this terrible waste of time and money? Who's so bored they'll respond? And is the voucher valid for Selfridges?

Paris or bust

A startling report in The Times last week claimed that breasts can provide an aerodynamic advantage in both the men's and women's Tour de France. "Increasing the size and changing the shape of the chest area, for both men and women ... redirects the airflow around the body," it read. Stuffing a sock down your bra or stocking up on chicken fillets is therefore banned, as it can make the difference between winning and losing. Wowzers. I've thought many things about my bust over the years, most of them bitter, but I never thought it could win me the Tour de France.

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Where are all those climate deniers now?

Not long ago, you couldn't move for voices rubbishing the idea of man-made global warming but they're suddenly quiet

Hugo Rifkind

@HUGORIFKIND

Where have all the climate sceptics gone? Remember them? Perhaps I shouldn't take over the coals when it is already so hot but I could swear there used to be loads. For 20 years you couldn't write about climate change without them all abruptly descending on you, like those weird bluebottles we now get coming in from our garden whenever we cook fish. Politicians, pundits, dissident experts, on and on. What happened? Have they just shrivelled away, like our laws? Have they been recycled? Are they in the brown bin? Guys, why so quiet?

I'm not talking here about people merely unconvinced by the economics of net zero. Nor even those who feel that anything we might do would be pointless virtue signalling, because we're small and China isn't. No, I mean the voices who used to tell you that it was all rubbish. That man-made global warming wasn't really a thing, and that people who pretended it was were secretly

communists. Because now, with UK temperatures set to hit 35C at least once for an unprecedented four months in a row, I do find myself wondering if there is anything that any of them would like to say.

True, they haven't all disappeared. Donald Trump is still around. Less than two years ago, he called climate science "the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world". What's more, he added, "all of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong". Um, were they? Take a walk in Hyde Park, Donald. Feel the Velcro-like grass crunch under your feet and the fake tan trickle down your shirt collar. Still sure about that?

Slaloming down the pay grades somewhat, there's Nigel Farage, who also called global warming "a scam" and said it was "absolutely nuts" to call CO2 a pollutant. Likewise his buddy Richard Tice, who last year hit out at "the idea that, arrogantly, we think we can stop the power of the sun, stop the power of volcanoes". According to Nasa, volcanoes produce less than 1 per cent of the CO2 that human activity does. That said, they're only Nasa. What would they know? Pretty arrogant of them to disagree with Richard Tice.

Were I of a more bitter disposition, I would now start naming newspaper columnists. I won't, partly because I'm

wary of sounding like Father Ted ("... and now we move on to liars") but also because a lot of them have my mobile number. It's not so long, though, since columns insisting climate change was bunkum were a mainstay of British journalism, with writers, on the back of no scientific expertise at all, saying stuff like "the greenhouse effect probably doesn't exist". Meanwhile, The Spectator (for which I wrote for a decade, and where I had the whole "hey guys, maybe this stuff is real?" genre pretty much to myself) ran a cover story in 2009 headlined "Relax: Global Warming

I did not foresee the lack of shame ... No mea culpas. Nothing

Is All A Myth". Hmm. Was it?

This sort of thing probably had its heyday that year with the so-called "Climategate" scandal. Both space and borderline suicidal ennui prevent me from recapping it extensively, but it was basically a story derived from leaked emails between climate scientists, in which they used casual language about data, which they nonetheless used flawlessly. For the sceptics this proved the whole climate discipline to be a fraud, no matter that the scientists were, and remain, dead right. Similar was the fight over the

"hockey stick" graph used in Al Gore's climate documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which was also somehow declared totemic of dodgy climate science, even though it also wasn't wrong and still isn't.

It would be overkill, perhaps, to suggest that the world would definitely have acted sooner, smarter and better to avert climate change without these blithe and ill-faith narratives polluting global discourse. Certainly, though, they contributed hugely towards a political landscape in which inaction became a powerful rallying cry for much of the right, rather than a sign of blunt unseriousness. Perhaps you remember David Cameron, responsible for the "vote blue, go green" environmentalism of the Conservatives, declaring in the House of Commons that he agreed with the Met Office that climate change had probably worsened the floods of 2014. According to The Guardian, his own backbenchers offered up "a backdrop of groans".

A hunt for villains, to be fair, will find them on all sides. If the Cop climate conferences of recent years have descended into a stuttering farce, then at least a part of that is due to the willingness of many developing nations to stall progress in order to blackmail richer countries into paying "reparations". Advocates of renewable energy, meanwhile, have overpromised and

underdelevered, as seen by stories this week about wind farm operators being compensated for producing more electricity than the neglected national grid can handle. If climate scepticism is now being replaced by climate fatalism, no wonder

Having written about our changing climate for most of my career, there are two aspects of all this that I did not, in my naivety, see coming. The first is that inaction would win, and look set to keep winning, even while the predictions of the climatologists were proven true, day after sweaty summer day.

The second is that there would be no shame. No mea culpas. Nothing. Because you expect at least some, don't you? When people say a thing, fiercely and combatively, and that thing turns out to be wrong. God knows I've got a lot wrong on these pages, and God willing I'll be indulged to get plenty more wrong in the future. In a bad week, that makes for a long night of the soul. In a good one, it's grist for the mill of the next column. But to just slink away? To pretend it never happened, even when the stakes were so high? How could you? How can they? Where have they all gone?

TIMESRadio Listen to Hugo Rifkind Mon-Thurs, 10am-1pm

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Letters to the Editor

Early election bet

Sir, James Johnson's observations on the possible consequences of Andy Burnham calling an early general election are fascinating ("PM must seize his Goldilocks moment", Aug 12). Although an early election might be in Burnham's political interest — particularly if it resulted in Reform winning more than 100 seats and the near-extinction of the Conservative Party — it is far less clear that such an outcome would be in the wider interests of the country. The prospect of Reform becoming the official opposition, and subsequently winning a general election and forming a government, would represent a profound change in British politics.

As Johnson points out, however, a second by-election in Clacton, were Nigel Farage to be defeated, could prove a decisive turning point. Such a result might lead to the collapse of Reform and a return to the more traditional two-party system.

Despite Johnson's calculations, the present polling figures appear at least as likely to produce a hung parliament. In these circumstances, Burnham's most prudent course might be to await the outcome of the investigation by the parliamentary authorities into Farage. If this were followed by a second by-election in Clacton, Farage's defeat could have a serious effect on Reform's prospects and on the future shape of politics. John Grossman Northwood, Middx

MP resignations

Sir, I agree with Cocal Gregory (letter, Aug 1) that the bar for standing in parliamentary elections needs to be set higher to discourage mass candidacies, as in the Clacton by-election. But I would go further and review the whole process of by-elections. In particular, the archaic process whereby MPs cannot resign their seats but have to apply to the chancellor to be appointed either the steward of the Chiltern Hundreds or of the Manor of Northstead is absurd. Nigel Farage, the present steward of Northstead, joins a long list of former holders of that title including David Cameron, Gerry Adams, Peter Mandelson and Boris Johnson. Once the Clacton by-election is done and dusted the prime minister should ask the Electoral Commission to review the Representation of the People Act — including the process for by-elections — and to make recommendations for an overhaul and modernisation of the system. Alun Evans London SE10

Corrections and clarifications

Bites Regulated The Times takes complaints about editorial content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation ("IPSO") rules and regulations and the Editors' Code of Practice that IPSO enforces. Requests for corrections or clarifications should be sent by email to feedback@thetimes.co.uk or by post to Feedback, The Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

Analysis of the high pay of some GP partners

Sir, Your article "One in ten GP partners earn at least £250k a year" (Aug 12) highlights the need for a rethink on NHS funding of general practices, which are essentially private businesses. Previously when a partner retired, he/she would have been replaced by another. Now the remaining partners often choose a salaried GP, a nurse, a pharmacist, a physiotherapist or even a physician's associate (assistant) at a much lower cost, thereby increasing the practice's profits and each partner's share.

My two medical daughters work as salaried GPs. One, when working for a GP partnership, is paid one third of the rate she receives per session from the local health board at another surgery, without partners. The other works in a large practice run by a few remaining partners, who do not work on Mondays or Fridays.

The present arrangements are open to profiteering and abuse.

Dafydd Thomas Ret'd neurologist and professor emeritus, Imperial College, Chesham, Bucks

Sir, Your report that one in ten GP partners earns £250,000 a year invites outrage. The arithmetic invites the

opposite conclusion. There are just under 18,000 GP partners in England, and a thousand of them above £300,000 is 5/6 per cent. Compare the Big Four accountancy firms, whose 3,000 equity partners averaged between £787,000 and 11.05 million last year, almost all of them more than £300,000. At the rates seen in accountancy and law, a profession of this size and seniority would produce several times as many such earners. Your headline does not show that family doctors are overpaid. It shows the opposite.

Dr William J Turner Consultant anaesthetist, Kingston Hospital, Surrey

Sir, Your report that some GP partners earn at least £250,000 a year overlooks the cost of financing the properties in which the GP operates. The fact that some GPs manage to make a reasonable profit is a tribute to their business management skills. The priority of every business is to generate profit and growth; GP practices are no exception. The partners take on the financing of their property (a cost that is not included in your headline figure), the delivery of the contracted service and the

recruitment, training and management of staff. They have the ever-present risk that an erratic government may suddenly decide to change the model. They also have to meet their ever-changing contractual obligations and targets and, on retirement, have the risk that they may not have a successor to take on the debt burden. I congratulate the small percentage of GPs managing to turn a handsome profit and applaud these practices for continuing to provide safe and cost-effective patient care in an uncertain political environment.

Nick Gamble Little Somerford, Wilts

Sir, Just like GP partners or their employee doctors, community pharmacists are also not directly employed by the NHS. But one very unfair distinction is that while all GP surgery staff are eligible to join the NHS defined benefit pension scheme, community pharmacy staff are not. No wonder so many pharmacists steer clear of community pharmacy and instead prefer to work in hospitals, for local health boards, primary care trusts and GP surgeries.

Robert Evans Pharmacist, Wrexham

Overdue review of e-scooter safety

Sir, Laurence Sleator ("Children hurt and killed by e-scooters", Aug 12) highlights a long overdue need for a government review of powered transport. I see pedestrians driven off the pavements by cycles, scooters, disability scooters and electric wheelchairs, while some impressively fast electric wheelchair users prefer to use the road, regardless of traffic. I increasingly see electric cycles as big and as fast as the moped of my youth but with no requirement for driver registration, vehicle registration, insurance or helmet. Many newer forms of transport have the potential to be of invaluable assistance to those of us who remain poorly served by public transport but they require integration and regulation to protect the users and the wider public. I cannot understand why we have no revised guidance and legislation. Should the Department for Transport be struggling with this, I could produce a draft in about an hour. Diane Cherryman Melton Mowbray, Leics

Sir, In all the conversations about reducing speed limits to 20mph (letters, Aug 1 & 12), can I point out that a pedestrian can only be hurt by a car if they are in the road, so why have we stopped teaching road safety as the best way to prevent accidents? It seems that all the fault nowadays is deemed to belong to the driver.

Sara Blackmore Whitley, Hants

A-level results day

Sir, Emily Formstone's story took me back to when my daughter received her A-level results ("I missed my A-level grades. Here is how I still got to Oxford", Aug 12). To say they were disappointing is an understatement. She immediately contacted her university of choice, which confirmed her place on her chosen course based on her interview. Three years later, she left with a 21 degree and went on to achieve a masters degree. After working in the arts for several years, she decided to change career and achieved a first-class midwifery degree. The A-level results are now forgotten. Deanne Clay Shyston on Stour, Warks

Tree-cooling effect

Sir, It was good to see The Times highlighting the role of urban trees in keeping cities cooler ("In The Shade", leading article, Aug 11). However, you overlooked the vital role that urban soils play in keeping cities cooler. Soils store water, which is then pumped up into the atmosphere by vegetation, which has a cooling effect. This requires water to be stored in the soil, which in turn requires our cities to become more permeable so that urban soils are connected to rainfall and run-off rather than being buried beneath concrete and tarmac. As our country becomes more urban and droughts and floods more frequent, we need to ensure that we maintain the connection between the soil and the atmosphere wherever possible. John Quinton Emeritus professor of soil science, Lancaster University, Arnside, Cumbria

Letters to The Times must be exclusive and may be edited. Please include a full address and daytime telephone number.

MOSQUITO OIL FLIES OFF THE SHELVES

FROM THE TIMES AUGUST 13, 1926

There is at present considerable complaint, from residents and visitors, of the increase in the numbers of mosquitoes in and about Epping Forest. So many visitors to the forest have been bitten that it has become the custom locally to protect the face and arms by applying an "anti-mosquito oil", the sale of which, according to reports, has been very large in neighbouring districts like Chingford, Laughton and Epping. The mosquito found in these parts, as in most localities, is the Culex, and not, happily, one of the

poisonous malaria-carrying Anopheline, some types of which were found during the war. Although the results of being bitten by the Culex are seldom serious, there have been cases of large blisterings and swellings, likened to the small end of an egg. Lawn tennis players have frequently suffered from the bites of these insects, and women declare that silk stockings attract the mosquitoes. A chemist in Chingford stated yesterday that he had been selling on an average 190 bottles of lotion and oil every week since the early part of May, and several persons, who appeared to be particularly susceptible, had had to call repeatedly for relief. In Epping Forest, as in other parts of the country, much has been done towards combating the nuisance in early spring by the spraying of ponds with crude oil and paraffin, which prevent the larvae from getting the air necessary to their existence. An effort

systematically to cover all the ponds and likely breeding places, however, would be impracticable. In Epping Forest care is necessary not to interfere with the drinking facilities for cattle, but the Forest Committee has from time to time cooperated with local bodies and minimized the nuisance materially.

Dr Butler Harris, the medical officer of the Laughton Urban District, stated yesterday that he thought the trouble was of about the average extent for the period of the year. The Culex goat bred in damp leaves and pools and cellars, and most people who were bitten found rapid relief from the ordinary treatment.

A campaign against mosquitoes generally is being carried on by the British Mosquito Control Institute at Hayling Island.

THETIMES.COM/ARCHIVE

Beauty in building

Sir, The government has some nerve, posing as a champion of beauty in the high street ("Building Beautiful", leading article, Aug 12). Pretty much its first act on coming to power was to go through the National Planning Policy Framework with a red pen, striking out every reference to the word "beauty". While we can quietly welcome this small act of repentance, we need to go further than vibrating the fascias of vape dope. Andy Burnham might start by undoing the damage done by Sir Kair Starmer, and go back to making beauty a material consideration in the planning system. Then our Building Beauty Awards, which annually celebrate beauty in new British architecture, might in due course have a longer list of potential winners. Robert Burgers Royal Fine Art Commission Trust

Funding the arts

Sir, Tristan Hambleton (letter, Aug 12) suggests a Performing Arts Fund on the model of the Art Fund. One has existed since 1948: after a strike of 27 months, the American Federation of Musicians won a royalty on every record sold, paid into what became the Music Performance Trust Fund, which has employed musicians to give free public concerts ever since. It was not endowed by government or by public subscription. The industry that displaced the musicians was made to pay for the music instead. Britain need not invent a Performing Arts Fund. It has had the collecting machinery since 1914, in the Performing Right Society. It has never decided whom to invoice. David Woodard Conductor, Tampere, Finland

Convertible home

Sir, Conscious of how easily my soft-top Citroën 2CV was to break into (letter, Aug 12), when I moved to Edinburgh I decided that the safest course of action was to leave it unlocked, which I did. As Edinburgh is a great city for walking everywhere, it was a few weeks before I returned to the car — only to find that a homeless person appeared to have moved in, and that it was littered with takeaway wrappers and drinks tins. David Johnston Athelstaneford, East Lothian

Cinematic odyssey

Sir, I was interested that Sathnam Sanghera (Aug 10) was disappointed with the Imax projection of The Odyssey. I had a similar experience at my local Imax. There are only three cinemas in the UK capable of projecting true 70mm Imax film: the BFI, the Science Museum and the Printworks, Manchester. What most of us are seeing is a digitised or laser transfer from the original film, with a consequent loss of quality. Moreover the picture frame has been narrowed, losing the full widescreen effect. Christopher Nolan shot 70mm film. Only a few of us can actually enjoy the immersive experience of seeing what he actually filmed.

Keith Sheather Bristol

Sir, We bravely endured nearly two hours of the lauded Odyssey (letter, Aug 11). Once I heard the line "Leave their armour out back" I caved, and we left. No request for a refund, just a lesson in listening, too eagerly, to hype. Mrs Phil Proud Leicester

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29

Leading articles

Daily Universal Register

UK: Clacton by-election is held; estimate of UK GDP for the second quarter of 2026 and trade statistics published.

Nature notes

The writer of your nature notes was working under an oak when he found himself sharing his improvised office with an inquisitive

insect. The gatecrasher announced its presence with a rattling, deoning noise, then landed with a clunk on the laptop. The body, shaped like an escutcheon, revealed the newcomer as a shield bug, the orange legs and orange spot on its scutellum specified that this was the red-legged shield bug. Often living high up in the canopy of oaks (they sometimes favour benches, alders and hazel), red-legged shield bugs can come down to earth to look for a meal. When tree sap or honeydew is scarce, these insects can be carnivorous, munching on caterpillars and aphids. JONATHAN TULLOCH

Birthdays today

Madhur Jaffrey, pictured, actress and cookery writer, Curry Nation (2012), 93; Shoaib Akhtar, cricketer, Pakistan (1997-2007), 51; Martyn Brabbins, conductor, music

director, English National Opera (2016-23), 67; Domenico Dolce, fashion designer, Dolce & Gabbana, 68; Ken Friar, life president, Arsenal Football Club, 92; Divina Galica, four-time Olympian (oking) and Formula I driver (1976, 1976), 82; Kristalina Georgieva, economist, managing director, International Monetary Fund, 73; Paul Greengrass, film director, the Jason Bourne film series, 71; Marie Helvin, model, 74; Scott Kirby, chief executive, United Airlines, 59; Stuart Maconie, writer, Hope and Glory (2012), and radio presenter, Freak Zone, BBC Radio 6, 65; Christopher Nourse, founder executive director, Frederick Ashton Foundation (ballet charity), 80; Sir David Payne, professor of photonics, director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton (1995-2023), 82; Simon Peckham, co-founder and chief executive (2012-24), Melrose (investment company), 64; Philippe Petit, high-wire artist, 77; José Pizarro, chef and restaurateur, 55; Christopher Raeburn, fashion designer, 44; Baroness (Minouche) Shafik, president and vice-chancellor, London School of Economics (2017-23), 64; Feargal Sharkey, singer, the Undertones (1975-83), A Good Heart (1993), 68; Alan Shearer, footballer, England (1992-2000), and commentator, 56; Joe Simpson, manufacturer and writer, Touching the Void (1988), 66; Tomasa Starzewski, fashion designer, 65; Phil Taylor, darts player, winner of 16 world championships, 66; Heidi Thomas, TV scriptwriter, Call the Midwife (since 2012), 64; Lt Gen Sir Philip Trousdell, general officer commanding, Northern Ireland (2003-05), 78; Janet Yellen, economist, US secretary of the Treasury (2021-25), 80.

On this day

In 1912 the social reformer Octavia Hill, one of the three founders of the National Trust, died aged 73. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty was formed on January 12, 1895, with the solicitor Sir Robert Hunter and clergyman Hardwicke Rawnsley.

The last word

"He that plants trees loves others besides himself," Thomas Fuller, writer and physician, Gnomologia (1732)

Catastrophic Failure

Police and prosecutors missed numerous opportunities to stop the killer and rapist Simon Levy. The victims' families and the public rightly demand answers fast

The depths of human wickedness are fathomless. They have been plumbed by Simon Levy. At the Old Bailey yesterday, Levy was sentenced to a whole-life tariff — meaning he will die in prison — for murdering two women, Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins, in 2025, and violently raping another woman, who cannot be named.

Levy might have been stopped. Yet a catalogue of errors by the British Transport Police (BTP), Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) left him free to commit heinous crimes. The public, and above all the families of Levy's victims, are owed answers. Shahana Mahmood, the home secretary, must swiftly secure them, to do justice to the women's memories and assuage public dismay. It cannot require a protracted inquiry to grasp how great is the collective failure of institutions whose purpose is to protect the public.

Levy committed these crimes while on bail for other offences. His documented attacks on women date back almost a decade. The Met received a complaint against him as early as 2017. He went on to assault two women the following year, for which he was convicted in 2021. While in prison, he sexually assaulted a female officer. On release, he committed further assaults against ten women on trains and the London Underground.

It defies comprehension that, as a registered sex offender being monitored by the police, Levy had the opportunity to commit assault, rape and murder. His proclivities and the dangers he posed were obvious. Yet police missed numerous opportunities to intervene. The BTP initially failed to identify Levy, who was not charged for more than six months — despite there being video evidence of him groping a woman on the Tube shortly after his release. Accused of rape, Levy then returned to prison to serve the brief remainder of his sentence, yet the Met then downgraded his status from a high-risk to a medium-risk offender. In all his subsequent attacks on women on public transport, he was granted bail.

The police treated these offences as somehow not so dangerous as to show a deadly hostility to women. Yet that is what they presaged, and what they were. Astonishingly, the Met accepted at face value Levy's pretence to have been watching films at home in the weeks when he murdered his victims. And when Levy was on bail for the murder of Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo, the CPS unaccountably failed to tell the magistrates' court, as it knew from the BTP, that he was "a danger to the public" and had a "total disregard for bail conditions". Sir Mark Rowley, the Met chief commissioner,

correctly noted yesterday that Levy was repeatedly put before the courts yet kept on being bailed. Sir Mark was far less forthcoming, however, about the Met's own culpability. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has issued a gross misconduct notice on a Met police constable, and a misconduct notice on a detective sergeant. But the failings in Levy's case clearly run deeper than those of individual police officers.

The questions are legion. Why was Levy released early? Why was he repeatedly allowed bail? Why did the police and the CPS not spot the dangers? And were the police less minded to take seriously the plight of women who engaged in sex work on the streets, as each of Levy's three victims did on occasion to fund drug habits?

There is a long and dismal history of institutional insouciance, and much worse, due to such prejudice. It is just five years since Wayne Couzens, a serving Met officer, murdered a young woman, Sarah Everard. His hatreds were evident in a history of sexual offences, yet these did not count against his employment. This culture must end. Violence against women is a lethal social evil. There must now be real accountability not only for individual failings but for what appears to be systemic malaise in public life.

Cooler Heads

Warmer summers are the new norm so it is better to focus on how to adapt

Nineteen seventy-six was the British summer of an unusually long heatwave — the one against which others will be forever measured. Compared with the record-breaking temperatures of 50 years ago, 2026 has had shorter, more intense bursts of heat. The nights are warmer and the humidity higher this year, but much else is the same: widespread hosepipe bans, arid fields and wave after wave of dire warnings from the Met Office.

Whereas the hot summer of 76 was judged to be a rarity, 2026 may mark the new norm. It is beyond dispute that climate change is happening; the evidence is all around us with the hotter summers that come with it. The question is how to respond: do we succumb to hysteria that this is the end of normal life as we know it? The BBC, for example, struggles to issue a weather report without an accompanying lecture about global warming. Or do we find the best ways to adapt and carry on?

A heatwave in London is guaranteed to raise the political temperature, and, Andy Burnham has duly called the first crisis meeting of his premiership over the weather. The urgency may seem odd to those in the cooler parts of the country. It is

quite right that ministers act with urgency on avoidable deaths. But the challenge on the climate, as with much in public health, is perspective. The UK needs to plant more trees in its cities to better deal with urban heat. Air conditioning needs to be installed in more homes and on public transport. It urgently needs to build more reservoirs to better cope with longer periods without rain.

The truth is that our planet is warming but it is also becoming wealthier, allowing us to adapt. That is why extreme weather events claim fewer global deaths now than they did a century ago. This may be cold (or not so cold) comfort to farmers struggling with the lack of hydration and labourers working in the heat. But we should not overlook achievements in adaptation: the fastest-growing economies in the United States are those of sweltering Texas and Arizona.

Some 1,500 deaths were attributed to England's heat last summer, while cold temperatures are linked to at least 20,000 a year in a typical winter. The UK's number of "excess winter deaths" has fallen over the decades but the toll is still worse, per capita, than far colder countries such as

Norway. Cold is the bigger killer on these islands. The 2006 Stern Review into global warming quoted government modelling to the effect that, by 2050, heat-related mortality would rise by 2,000 but cold-related deaths would fall by 20,000.

The sad truth is that a pensioner dying in winter has less political salience than those in the heat. There are some 140,000 avoidable deaths a year in the UK — more than three times as common in the poorest areas than the richest ones. That gap continues to grow.

Mr Burnham cannot do much about the weather. On climate change, Britain's emissions have fallen faster than almost any G20 country and now stand at the lowest since Victorian days. They must fall further still, but an island that accounts for 1 per cent of global emissions cannot expect to exert direct control over the global climate. The number of British people who die from avoidable causes — heat, cold, obesity or anything else — is a dial the prime minister can move. This is where he should focus his efforts, as well as better adapting the nation. Discouraging the use of disposable barbecues, as he did yesterday, is not enough.

An English Original

Mourners at Ann Widdecombe's funeral honoured a uniquely principled woman

Ann Widdecombe's parliamentary career was in many ways a tribute not only to her formidable talents, but to the good sense of the British electorate and, until recently, the inclusive nature of British politics. She was eccentric yet also palpably authentic, so people warmed to her. She was not, by her own admission, smooth, diplomatic or telegonic. She said what she thought, abhorning jargon or equivocation. She held some trenchant, deeply unfashionable views. Yet the Conservative Party, and latterly Reform UK, found room for her, and the public admired her.

As did many of her opponents. As with Sir David

Ames, her friend and fellow victim of shocking violence, Ms Widdecombe was held in high regard by many who vehemently disliked her social conservatism. That was because the same devout Christianity that underpinned her ethical absolutism taught her to treat adversaries as well as allies with equal respect, good manners, dignity and, often, touching personal kindness. Current politicians would do well to take note.

Ms Widdecombe was also, as seen in her later-life transformation into, variously, showbiz trooper, reality TV star, novelist, memoirist, actress and columnist, upbeat, feisty and great fun. She took

her beliefs seriously, herself less so. Those beliefs were always well-examined and thought through, never lazily plundered off a convenient ideological shelf. She supported capital punishment while opposing foshunting: not a common combination. This rigour extended to matters of personal probity, such that she was one of few MPs to emerge with honour from the expenses scandal of 2009.

The ghastly manner of her death should not define Ann Widdecombe's life. Her long record of public service remains intact. Her achievements stand. Her courage in her convictions will endure as a lesson to all. She will be much missed.

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10

World

Ayatollah brings back master of oppression

New security chief was seen as too obsessed and unstable even for Tehran's regime, writes Fatemeh Jamalpour

Few people have seen Hossein Taeb smile. His old friend Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei might be among them. In photograph after photograph, the cleric, 63, appears beneath a white turban, his silver beard framing the same forbidding scowl. Taeb has spent the past four years in the shadows. Before that, his career was defined by implementing domestic repression, and by 13 years leading an intelligence service repeatedly humiliated by Israeli infiltration.

Now one of Khamenei's oldest and most trusted allies has returned to the top of Iran's command chain after claims that the new leader's father sought to marginalise him during the final years of his rule.

Iranian state media announced this week that Khamenei had appointed Taeb to command the Basij, the Islamic Republic's vast paramilitary force. A political analyst in Tehran, speaking anonymously for security reasons, said Taeb's return could have immediate consequences.

"The Islamic Republic is probably preparing for a new series of confrontations, and these could have consequences at street level," the analyst said. "We are likely to see arrests across society, possibly at the same time as another war begins to take shape."

Omid Memarian, a senior Iran analyst at Dawn, a Washington-based think tank, said: "Hossein Taeb's appointment to lead the Basij is particularly revealing because he is fundamentally a security and intelligence figure."

The Basij is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is embedded in Iran's neighbourhoods, universities, workplaces, factories, ministries and mosques. It claims to be able to mobilise 600,000 volunteers in support of the regime, and members receive benefits that can include preferential access to university places, public sector employment and promotion.

They attend government rallies and religious events but, in moments of crisis, can also be armed and deployed against protesters. The force has played a central role in suppressing successive uprisings, from the Green Movement of 2009 to the nationwide protests this January. "The Basij is the regime's most extensive grassroots security network,"

Memarian said. "Putting Taeb at its head can bring intelligence gathering, surveillance and street-level mobilisation much closer together."

Taeb's relationship with Khamenei dates back four decades. In the Iran-Iraq war both served in the Habib Battalion of the IRGC, which Khamenei joined as a 17-year-old volunteer.

The experience created a network of friendships that endured as its members rose through military and security institutions. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliamentary speaker, is another longstanding associate.

Born Hassan in Tehran, Taeb is said to have adopted the name of his brother Hossein after he was killed during the war. After studying at seminaries in Qom, Tehran and Mashhad, Taeb joined the IRGC in 1982. He later moved to the intelligence ministry, where he worked in counterintelligence during the 1990s.

He was eventually removed from the ministry. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president, described him as unbalanced and obsessed with fabricating cases against opponents. "He was at the intelligence ministry, and they threw him out because he set people against one another," Ahmadinejad said. "Then they took him somewhere else and gave him unlimited powers, without any law."

After leaving the intelligence ministry, Taeb returned to the IRGC. He became deputy commander of the Basij in 2007 and assumed command the next year. When millions of Iranians protested against Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009, the Basij became one of the principal forces used to crush the movement. Ali Motahari, then a conservative member of parliament, wrote: "When we place the management of a crisis in the hands of people such as Taeb, who are more familiar with the baton than with thought, reason and prudence, this is the result."

The United States sanctioned Taeb in 2010, citing the involvement of forces under his command in the beating, killing and arbitrary detention of peaceful protesters. The European Union imposed sanctions a year later.

At about this time, the Guards' intelligence division was elevated into an independent organisation, with Taeb as its first chief. Over the next 13 years, IRGC intelligence increasingly overshadowed the intelligence ministry. It arrested political activists, journalists, environmentalists and dual nationals on broadly defined allegations of espionage and foreign "infiltration".

For all Taeb's reputation as a ruthless operator, his final years as the head of

Paramilitaries take part in a parade of a reported 110,000 Basij and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces in Tehran last year. The return of Hossein Taeb, left, as the leader of the Basij is seen as a signal that repression is likely to increase

IRGC intelligence were marked by a series of security failures. Israel removed a nuclear archive from a warehouse in Tehran, assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a senior figure in Iran's nuclear programme, and conducted operations against military and nuclear personnel inside the country.

On June 23, 2022, Taeb was removed from his post. The Tehran analyst said Taeb's removal formed part of an attempt by the supreme leader Ali Khamenei to reduce the influence of Mojtaba and his security circle. "The elder

Khamenei began removing Taeb and, in effect, reducing Mojtaba's influence within the leader's office," he said. "If Ali Khamenei had remained alive and eventually died of natural causes, rather than during a war, Mojtaba certainly would not have become leader."

According to the analyst, some officials privately described the succession as "the coup that selected Mojtaba Khamenei as leader".

He argued that the US-Israeli bombardment, Ali Khamenei's death and the elimination of senior commanders

and potential rivals created the conditions in which Mojtaba's circle could take control.

The analyst placed Taeb within a circle associated with a highly politicised interpretation of Mahdism, the Shia belief in the eventual appearance of the Twelfth Imam. "Mahdism is a profoundly important and serious matter within the Islamic Republic," he said. "They believe the world must be prepared for the appearance of the Mahdi."

He argued that this worldview was influential among figures close to the new leadership, including Mojtaba Khamenei and Taeb, and pointed to Khamenei's frequent use of the phrase "our master, the Guardian of the Age".

In what the analyst described as the most extreme interpretation of this belief, sacrifice on a vast scale could be justified by the conviction that the Islamic Republic had a divine mission. "They believe that even if 60 million Iranians have to be sacrificed, then so be it — the Mahdi will appear," he said.

The Times could not independently substantiate that assertion or establish that Taeb personally shared such an extreme interpretation. Taeb's brother, Mehdi, however, has publicly described the Islamic Republic as a precursor to the government of the Twelfth Imam and linked Iran's regional interventions to preparing the world for his return.

Within this worldview, the analyst

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Botched roads and bridges keep India in the slow lane Page 32

De Gaulle clan split over plans to sell former home Page 34

HUGEN KING/277T, MAJEL ALIAP

said, the Islamic Republic was not merely a state responsible for its citizens' security and prosperity. 'It is an instrument for expanding clerical guardianship, building an Islamic civilisation and preparing society for the appearance of the Mahdi,' he said. 'The survival of the regime can therefore take precedence over the everyday needs of the population.'

Adherents of this worldview regard Iran as part of a divinely sanctioned 'front of truth', he added, while America, Israel and western civilisation represent a 'front of falsehood'. Confrontation with the West is therefore seen not as an ordinary dispute that can be resolved through negotiation, but as part of a historical struggle.

Farzin Nadimi, an analyst of Iranian military and security policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Taeb's return and the wider appointments reflected both wartime necessity and a shortage of replacements. 'The heavy reliance on veteran hardliners after significant leadership losses, the simultaneous focus on internal mobilisation and the urgent structural reforms indicate anxiety about vulnerabilities on both the external and domestic fronts,' he said.

Other appointments announced in recent days included a return for Mohsen Rezaei, an IRGC veteran who led the force during the Iran-Iraq war and

had been serving as an adviser to Khamenei. He has been named head of Iran's highest national security body.

Memarian said: 'The message of Taeb's appointment is that the regime is preparing for two fronts at once another confrontation abroad and potential unrest at home.' The appointment, he added, was 'a sign of anxiety, not confidence'.

While President Trump has repeatedly claimed that Iran's new leaders are more reasonable than their predecessors, the return of men such as Taeb suggests otherwise.

One political journalist from Tehran, who asked to be identified as Maryam, told The Times: 'Taeb wasn't chosen, Taeb is the one who chose. In reality, he selected the supreme leader. He is a repressive, dogmatic person, anti-development and anti-freedom and democracy. The IRGC's crackdowns had become calmer and they stepped back a bit, but now it is expected that the crackdowns will intensify.'

Memarian said: 'Putting a veteran intelligence chief in charge of the Basij suggests that Tehran increasingly sees the foreign battlefield and the domestic street as two fronts of the same security challenge.'

Taeb's return to power suggests Iran's new leadership is preparing its answer: more missiles abroad, and more surveillance and repression at home.

Meloni's hard-right rival laments lack of 'strong men'

Italy

Tom Kington Rome

The rising star of hard-right politics in Italy, Roberto Vannacci, has lurched further to the right by praising the role of 'strong men' in society as he challenges Giorgia Meloni, the country's first female prime minister.

Now polling at 7 per cent and threatening Meloni's chances of re-election next year, Vannacci upped the stakes this week with the release of his first manifesto in which he praises a concept he calls 'Mediterranean patriarchy'.

In his ideal Italy, he explains, there must be room for 'strong men who are able to control their emotions and passions and protect women'.

Giuseppe Barboni, who campaigns for Vannacci, told The Times: 'This is about the southern man who defends his woman with his life.'

The former special forces general has already tried to move to the right of Meloni on migration. Rather than just keeping them out, Vannacci has called for 'remigration' — pushing migrants already in Italy to leave.

That encouraged 100,000 to sign up to his new National Future party and pushed Meloni to ramp up her anti-migrant rhetoric in response. While much of Europe offered Spain support when migrants poured into Ceuta last month, Meloni suspended Italy's open border deal with Madrid as punishment.

But as Vannacci, 57, ventures into a very macho version of sexual politics, he is clearly targeting Meloni and forcing her to take him on, according to Filippo Sensi, a senator with the centre left opposition Democratic Party: 'As a man, Vannacci feels he is more authentic as a leader of the right,' he said.

Meloni begged to differ this week, claiming she could raise her nine-year-old daughter while running the country, and showed up at summits with her daughter to prove it. 'If that sends a message to a girl that she does not need to choose between being a mother and having a career, I am happy,' Meloni told Chi magazine.

In his manifesto, Vannacci, who has posted a string of AI-generated images of himself dressed as a soldier online, instead stuck up for a mule-run society, alleging that when the 'patriarchy' is overturned and gender equality prevails, violence against women actually increases as men no longer feel the need to protect women.

Italy experienced less violence against women than Scandinavia, where feminism dominates, he said.

He was challenged by Elisa Ercoli, the head of the Italian charity Differenza Donna, which runs a helpline for female victims of violence. 'Sweden has more recorded gender violence

Roberto Vannacci, a former general, has moved to the right of Giorgia Meloni, below, on immigration

because women report it in the belief they can get help. In Italy, only 10 per cent of violence is reported,' she said.

'Vannacci is trying to appeal to the young male fans of the 'manosphere' and dismantle rights for women guaranteed by the Italian constitution,' she added.

After fighting in Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq, Vannacci became a celebrity when his anti-woke book The World Upside Down, in which he praised the right to 'hate, and to disrespect', became a bestseller in 2023. That earned him an invitation to join the League party — a partner in Meloni's coalition — by the party's boss Matteo Salvini, who hoped that Vannacci would boost his own hard right, populist appeal, only for Vannacci to go solo this year and overtake Salvini in the polls.

'Salvini is on 6 per cent, Vannacci is on 7, of which 3 per cent are

voters who formerly backed Meloni's government and the remainder are people further to the right who have not voted recently, as well as some former Five Star party voters,' the pollster Antonio Noto said.

Meloni's Brothers of Italy party holds a commanding 26 per cent in the polls, but may struggle to reach a majority at elections expected as early as next spring, thanks to Vannacci stealing votes.

Meloni may yet seek to bring Vannacci on board her coalition, but sparks will fly over a law she keenly backed last year which beefed up sentencing for men — often spurred partners — who are found guilty of murdering women. Vowing to overturn the law in his manifesto, the ex-general argued the law was unjust. 'Who will explain to the parents of a murderer son that his life is worth less than a daughter?' he wrote. 'If a woman with lesbian leanings kills a heterosexual woman because she turned her down, is that femicide?'

Vannacci claimed that 25 per cent of femicides in Italy were carried out by foreigners, who only make up 9 per cent of the population. 'Therefore, whoever wants to save the life of women should back remigration,' he wrote.

Valentina Ghio, a senior MP with the Democratic Party, called Vannacci's arguments 'delirious and irresponsible', adding, 'We are averaging 100 femicides a year and we need education heading in the opposite direction to what Vannacci is talking about.'

She added: 'What he says goes against decades of struggle by women to create equality. During Italy's fascist years women were expected to run the family, protected by men, and Vannacci is talking to the gut of voters who believe in that kind of male dominance. If it wasn't so serious, it would be a ridiculous joke.'

German spies licensed to retaliate

Germany

Oliver Moody Berlin

Berlin's spy agencies will be granted permission to retaliate against foreign cyberattacks and disrupt weapons production in hostile states in the largest expansion of their powers this century.

The intelligence reform approved by the cabinet yesterday has been long in the making but will be put to a parliamentary vote in the shadow of a suspected Russian drone attack on Leipzig airport, which is thought to be part of a campaign of 'daily' hybrid aggression against the country.

The German Foreign Intelligence Service (BND), which is roughly equivalent to MI6, and its domestic sister agency, the BN, have long complained that tight legal restrictions leave them unable to match peers from other big European countries.

The centrepiece of the legislation is

authorisation for 'hackbacks', or retaliatory cyberattacks. Until recently these were regarded with trepidation.

It is expected to be passed by the Bundestag next month. Once it comes into force, the BND's IT specialists will be able to go on the offensive when there is deemed to be an 'immediate danger to a particularly important legally protected interest'.

They will have permission to change or delete the data of hostile government agencies, up to and including attempts to shut down their computer systems or block their financial transactions.

The bill also provides for other 'active measures' on foreign territory, such as using field officers or agents to disable the weapons of hostile states or sabotage their production.

After Germany's postwar settlement the agencies had traditionally been confined to an 'observer' role, limiting themselves to gathering intelligence

and leaving active intervention to the police, military and public prosecutors.

German ministers and intelligence figures argue that the new step is necessary to ensure that the BND can be a capable partner to allied spy agencies that are not hampered by anything like the same level of red tape.

Alexander Dobrindt, the interior minister, said it would finally give Germany 'true secret services'.

Some civil rights groups are queasy about the expanded remit, partly because it blurs the distinction between the responsibilities of the domestic and foreign services, giving the BND a mandate to surveil some targets in Germany.

The Left party and the hard-right Alternative for Germany have warned that the reform may compromise German citizens' fundamental rights, particularly since the agencies will be allowed to obtain and store more data, and use certain AI tools to process it.

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Thursday August 11 2026 | THE TIMES

World

Botched road projects ruin Modi's hopes of a fast track

India

Amrit Dhillon Delhi

They say the workmen desperately trying to repair miles of freshly laid tarmac used by boy-racers to get from Dehradun to Delhi cut a few corners themselves. Instead of using gas turbines to dry the new road surface after a monsoon, builders turned to fans designed to freshen up a Delhi drawing room which offered a demonstration that, in India, cheap work tends to cost more.

With crushing inevitability the road collapsed, leaving potholes so wide they threatened to swallow cars whole, three months after the road had been built.

It was a case of 'another day, another infrastructure disaster' for Narendra Modi's emerging economic superpower, which is building fast, building tall and, often, botching it. Yet the Dehradun-to-Delhi disaster made headlines even among jailed Indians well used to infrastructure projects going catastrophically wrong.

The road had been inaugurated in April with garlands, flags and speeches from Modi, a prime minister who likes to make a show of his country's boom. Estimates suggest it cost about £5,185 per metre — even before large stretches had to be rebuilt last month.

Last year, at a new airport terminal in Delhi, the canopy and roof collapsed

A bridge collapses into the Ganges in Bhagalpur, one of many to have failed

during heavy rain, killing an Uber driver who had parked underneath.

At Lucknow's new airport, buckets were used to deal with a leaking roof. Then there were the canopies of Rajkot airport in Gujarat and Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh, which both collapsed in 2024 during rain.

Perhaps the most obvious sign of the infrastructure problems is bridges. While China and other Asian economic powers build the longest and safest bridges, taming geography and demonstrating engineering excellence, Modi's tend to fall down. Last year at least 20 people died when a portion of the existing Gambhira Bridge collapsed into the Mahi river in Gujarat.

A flyover in Aishbagh, Bhopal, became a viral sensation, dubbed a 'Pythagorean masterpiece' for its 90-degree turn. The Newslaundry news portal calculated that between 2021 and last year as many as 120 bridges collapsed across India, causing 200 deaths.

Work underground fares little better. Before the G20 summit in Delhi in 2023 an underpass was built to ease the traffic flow but it turned into a swimming pool 11 weeks after completion.

The opposition Congress Party said infrastructure was collapsing across India because of 'rampant corruption and embezzlement'. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed to power in 2014 helped by public fury over the endless corruption scandals that dogged Congress in government.

Voters pinned their hopes on Modi's promise of a clean government. He said when elected: 'I will not accept bribes, nor will I let anyone else accept them.'

There is 'nothing new about corruption', according to Ashutosh Varshney, the director of the Centre for Contemporary South Asia at Brown University in the United States. 'The Congress was also bad,' he said. 'But it's the scale of the corruption now that is significant, particularly when the BJP pledged there would be no corruption.'

Modi's government has built infrastructure at an unprecedented pace. National highways have expanded by 60 per cent; metro lines have expanded fourfold; airports have more than doubled, from 74 to 164.

But with a constant catalogue of pot-holed new roads, collapsing bridges and falling airport roofs, critics have accused Delhi of rushing deadlines and compromising on quality in its eagerness to churn out images of shiny new projects with which to impress voters.

A favourite boast of Nitin Gadkari, the roads minister, is to say that India's highways will be comparable to America's. Yet when a section of road leading to a new bridge over the Tons river in Dehradun, in BJP-ruled Uttarakhand, collapsed 16 days after completion on July 28, Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state's chief minister, dismissively told reporters: 'Yes, I know about it. Repairs are under way.'

A recent editorial in the Hindustan Times condemned the 'shoddy execution' of projects delivering 'third world roads at first world rates'.

Some political analysts say the disintegrating infrastructure is damaging the BJP. Varshney senses a greater willingness to talk about corruption, intensified by the scandal at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Millions of ordinary and poor Hindu devotees gave small donations towards the construction and it was inaugurated by Modi in 2024.

In June it emerged that tens of millions of rupees, plus gold and silver, had been embezzled. A whistleblower forced the BJP government to arrest temple officials and start an inquiry.

Varshney said the 'climate of fear' that stifled criticism has been smashed by the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party. Its irreverent mockery of the BJP and Modi has dented the aura of unquestioned authority around the party. 'The dam has broken,' Varshney said. 'A flood has been unleashed thanks to the cockroach protests and now we will see more criticism.'

Baby Shark boy back for a grown-up singalong

By one metric, Park Geon- roung is already bigger than Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, BTS and the Beatles (Joshua Thurston writes). His earworm hit has had more than 17.2 billion views on YouTube, making it the most-watched video of all time. Now, as he comes of age,

'Baby Shark Boy' is pursuing a solo music career. Pinkfong, the South Korean company behind the video — which has, for a decade, proved irresistible to young children and driven parents mad — announced on Monday that Park would release his first single next week. The Korean-language track, Www by Baby Shark Boy, has lyrics which he is said to have co-written, and features

Joohoney, 31, of the K-pop group Monsta X. 'I've always been grateful that people still remember a video I appeared in as a kid,' Park, 17, said, referring to the Baby Shark Dance clip in which he

Park Geon-roung is now 17 and wants a solo career more than a decade after appearing in the Pinkfong video for Baby Shark, below

performed actions in front of an animated shark family and sung the repetitive 'doo doo doo doo doo'.

'Ten years ago I was dancing next to Baby Shark. Now, I wanted to share my own voice and a story I wrote myself. I'm happy to start something new with the people who've remembered me all this time, and I want to keep showing how I grow from here.'

Some say that Baby Shark owes a huge part of its success to the global appeal of K-pop more generally. It was released four years after another infectious earworm, Pey's Gangnam Style, and was buoyed by popular groups like Twice and Blackpink performing the dance on stage and social media.

Founded in 2010, Pinkfong has pumped out more than 4,000 other children's videos and songs, as well as toys and merchandise. Last year it floated on the South Korean Kondag market, valued at 76 billion won (£40.4 million).

Pinkfong said that after the release of Baby Shark Boy's single, a behind-the-scenes documentary 'capturing his growth journey

alongside Baby Shark' would be released.

'Baby Shark Boy is a figure who has shared special memories with fans around the world,'

Pinkfong said. 'This project is meaningful not only for bringing back the boy from

the videos but also for him to tell his own story.'

The girl who starred alongside Park in Baby Shark Dance, Elaine Kim Johnston, is based in New Zealand with her family and has not started a music career.

PM's melons 'joke' row referred to police

Australia

Roger Maynard Sydney

Australia's prime minister is under more pressure to apologise for comments and gestures he made about a gift of melons from his Japanese counterpart.

Anthony Albanese made the remarks about the official gift from Sanjar Takacchi during a podcast interview last month but has refused to express regret, saying Tokyo did not take offence.

Albanese, 63, faced renewed questions in parliament yesterday over the interview in which he gestured with his hands in front of his chest while describing the melons as 'interesting'. 'She brought two,' he added.

Opposition politicians accused the Labor government of leaking a private

Japanese diplomatic cable in an attempt to contain the furore, and referred the matter to police.

James Paterson, a Liberal Party senator alleged the message, which noted the 'sensationalised reporting' but concluded there had been no ill intention, had been released to journalists to try to 'exonerate the prime minister'.

He and Ted O'Brien, shadow foreign affairs minister, had written to the federal police asking 'that there be an investigation into the apparent unlawful disclosure of confidential correspondence from the government of Japan'.

'This is a serious matter. It is important that our closest allies have confidence that when they share confidential correspondence with us that it will not find its way in the media,' he added.

Police confirmed that they had received the letter but would not make any further comment. The government dismissed it as a 'stunt'.

Clare O'Neil, the housing minister, accused the Liberals of losing the plot. 'Referring podcast comments to the Australian Federal Police, how ridiculous,' she said. 'This is an absolute stunt and it was from the very beginning,' she added.

Angus Taylor, the opposition leader, renewed his attack, demanding that Albanese 'man up' and apologise.

Kazuhiro Suzuki, Japan's ambassador to Australia, said it had been informed that Albanese did not make the comments in the way they had been reported, and highlighted the 'personal trust relationship between the two leaders'.

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13

World

Dutch carriage Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, in green and white, and Dorothee Bär, the German technology minister, wave to the crowd at the opening of the FEI world equestrian championships in Aachen, western Germany. The event, including competitions in dressage, eventing and showjumping, runs until August 23

Trump loses Leavitt at crucial time

George Grylls Washington

Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as the White House press secretary, depriving President Trump of one of his most combative communicators in the run-up to November's midterms.

Leavitt, 28, announced the 'bittersweet' decision to leave after the birth of her second child. 'The truth is since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy and attention required of the White House press secretary,' she said on X.

Leavitt was Trump's spokeswoman during the 2024 presidential campaign before becoming the youngest person appointed to the White House role.

She became known for her pugnacious press conferences, often sparring with journalists such as Kaitlan Collins, CNN's chief White House correspondent, and earning Trump's admiration.

Leavitt has hosted just one press conference since returning from maternity leave after the birth of Viviana in May. She also has a son — Niko, born in July 2024 — with her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 61, a real estate developer.

The departure of Leavitt comes at a time when Republicans are battling to defend their majorities in the House and the Senate in the midterms.

Trump said she would continue as 'an influential voice within the Republican Party as we work to defy history and win the midterm elections'.

Egg-freezing opens up cracks in Maga

The American right's pro-family credentials have been tested by 36-year-old Democrat's move, writes Katy Balls

When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to social media over the weekend to reveal she'd decided to freeze her eggs, the 36-year-old Democrat had a simple plea to those watching: 'Don't be weird about this, even though I know all of you will be.'

In the days that followed, there has been endless debate about the celebrity congresswoman and her real motives. Is it because she wants to be president? Is it simply to get people talking about her? Or might it have something to do with her separation from her fiancé of more than four years, Riley Roberts?

AOC is no stranger to such attention. She was just 29 when she was elected to Congress, defeating congressman Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary in one of the biggest upsets of the 2018 midterm elections. A Netflix documentary covered her rise. She has become one of the most recognisable faces on the Hill: not just for her social media prowess but her political clout.

She said she shared the video in the hope it would help and inspire others considering the 'daunting' hormone treatment required to freeze eggs.

With a single social media clip, she has sparked a lively debate within the Maga movement about motherhood and babies. A negative response to her decision has also alarmed some in the Trump administration, which wants to

address low birth rates by encouraging more Americans to have children.

Yet that hasn't stopped right-wing commentators from criticising her. 'I'll have kids in [their] 20s by the time I turn 50,' said Matt Walsh, a right-wing commentator. 'AOC apparently wants to have a toddler at that age. Totally backwards and ridiculous.' Laura Loomer, the Trump confidante who herself does not have children, said AOC had 'failed as a woman'.

Some administration figures have been watching this unfold with alarm. Should a party supposedly devoted to freedom really be criticising the choices women make over their lives? Isn't this all quite pro-family? The president tends to receive lower support and approval ratings from women than from men and there are fears the conservative movement risks alienating those they should be bringing into the tent.

'It's childless cat lady all over again,' said one figure close to the administration. It was JD Vance who in 2021 claimed the US was run by Democrats — such as Ocasio-Cortez and Kamala Harris — who were 'a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so many want to make the rest of the country miserable, too'. The backlash — even from conservatives — was quite something and Vance now regards these comments as

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Riley Roberts

'one of the dumbest things I ever said'.

As Alexa Henning, a Maga consultant, put it: 'Conservative men dunking on AOC for freezing her eggs is not a winning message with women voters ... I have many conservative friends who, because they decided to put careers first, froze their eggs and had babies and families later in life.'

The view in the Trump administration is that the row is an unhelpful distraction. Katie Miller, the wife of the White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, is usually not one to miss a chance to attack the left, but even she has ridden to AOC's defence. 'We have historically low birth rates worldwide,' she said. 'If one woman wants to preserve her right to have children, which means more than having none — we should celebrate that.' Miller, 34, gave birth to her fourth child last month. However she cautioned that 'too many women buy into the feminist lie and spend their childbearing years climbing the career ladder'.

Others feel this is 'classic AOC': setting a trap for the right and seeing them rise to the bait. This is why her allies think she could run for the White House: her ability to set the terms of debate and trigger the right just as Trump does the left. Given the number of women delaying having children, it's an issue the next Republican candidate will need to get on top of by 2028.

Leftwinger defeated after 'cancel Thanksgiving' row

Katy Balls Washington Editor

The Democrats' left-wing insurgency has hit a roadblock after a moderate beat a socialist to be the party's candidate for the governor of Wisconsin.

David Crowley narrowly beat Francesca Hong in the battleground state that President Trump won by fewer than 30,000 votes in 2024.

Hong had held a double-digit lead in the polls but in recent weeks faced negative publicity over historical social

David Crowley won by a small margin after re-entering the Wisconsin race

media posts claiming that Thanksgiving should be cancelled, the police defunded and the Senate abolished.

The result was welcomed by establishment Democrats who feared that Hong's candidacy would hit the party's prospects in November's midterms and the 2028 presidential election.

Crowley had dropped out of the race before re-entering in an attempt to stop Hong on the grounds she was too left wing to win in the state and posed a risk for other Democratic candidates.

Crowley's margin of victory was so narrow, at less than 1 percentage point, that Hong could have requested a re-

count. However, her campaign would have had to pay for it and she declined.

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Hong was seen as part of a wave of left-wing insurgents, starting with Zohran Mamdani in New York last year and more recently in primaries in largely blue states against establishment incumbents.

However, her campaign was beset by controversy over her past comments, ranging from claiming that 'police exist to uphold white supremacy' to saying her perfect world would be a 'world without prisons'. Even some progressives such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had declined to endorse her. Hong had to settle for Ilhan Omar, a Democratic congresswoman and Trump nemesis, as a guest speaker.

Hong tried to keep the focus on affordability, telling The Times last month: 'I think democratic socialism is about delivering for working-class people, with solutions that actually help improve lives. It's their dream for healthcare for everyone. Fully funding public schools, universal school meals. These are democratic socialist policies that make a lot of sense to people.'

However, her past comments on policing and identity issues dominated the news cycle. As media scrutiny grew, Hong did try to row back on some of the pledges. She said that abolishing the Senate was impractical and pointed out that as governor — if elected — she could not defund the police.

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14

World

No surrender over De Gaulle's retreat

Grandson of wartime leader is fighting plans to sell his former home to the French state, writes David Chazan

Charles de Gaulle often escaped the clamour of Paris for the tranquillity of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, a retreat where he went to think. He recovered his serenity, he said, by contemplating "the horizon of the earth or the immensity of the sky".

Today La Boisserie, the village house he bought in 1934, is a national shrine to the wartime leader who spoke for Free France from London before returning to remake the French Republic. It is where the general received news of the declaration of war in 1939, and where he hosted Konrad Adenauer, the West German chancellor, for postwar reconciliation talks in 1958.

Yet it remains faithful to the general's austere cast of mind. Not a grand château, it is rather a stern, ivy-clad

La Boisserie, which has become a shrine to Charles de Gaulle, should stay in the family, according to his grandson Pierre, below with his wife

to finance the upkeep but the operation reportedly runs at an annual deficit of nearly €200,000.

Visitor numbers have soared since the release in June of a two-part blockbuster film on De Gaulle's wartime exile in London and his leadership of Free France.

Damien, a local visitor, told Le Parisien: "The state, either on its own or together with the département, should be in charge of this home. It is very beautiful and unpretentious, in keeping with what the general was. It is part of the history of our country."

He said de Gaulle's appeal for funds had angered him: "It is out of the question to give a single centime to a man who cultivates pro-Russian connections. If money is needed, a foundation should be created. Then I might give €50 or €100."

Pascal Baboust, the mayor of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, said he did not understand de Gaulle's volte-face. "I spoke to him on the phone two weeks ago and he asked me for certifi-

cates and town planning documents to finalise the sale," Baboust said. "I don't understand why he has appealed for funding. He would have had no trouble finding a wealthy patron to keep the house in the family if that is what the three grandsons had wanted."

The government has begun action to obtain a compulsory listing of La Boisserie as a historic monument. The De Gaulle would retain ownership, but alterations to the property would require the permission of the culture ministry.

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family home with modestly decorated rooms, unadorned furniture and a view across the broad Champagne plains.

Nearby rises a huge, 43-metre high Cross of Lorraine, the emblem of the Free French and the Resistance.

La Boisserie has suffered more than its fair share of turmoil.

The collaborationist Vichy regime put it up for sale in 1940 and German troops later occupied, looted and burnt it. After the liberation, De Gaulle rebuilt and enlarged it, adding a hexagonal tower containing his study, where he wrote his memoirs.

Now the house is at the centre of a fresh dispute. The state and the Haute-Marne département have proposed buying and preserving it as a national heritage site, but one of the general's grandsons has spoken out against the plan.

Pierre de Gaulle, 63, a controversial figure who has voiced support for President Putin, insists that La Boisserie should remain in family hands.

He has launched an appeal on social media that echoes the language of the general's famous BBC address to the French people in 1940.

His posts read "Françaises, Français, help me save the family home of General de Gaulle! The property of my family since 1934, La Boisserie is now threatened by political interests and cravings that are not those my grandfather would have wanted."

Previously de Gaulle, a Geneva-based business consultant, had not publicly opposed the sale of the 14-room house. Since issuing his appeal, in which he solicited donations, he has declined to explain his apparent change of heart and has not respond-

ed to requests for comment. The house, he has said, "saw the grandeur of France reform [and] must be handed down to our children from generation to generation".

Pierre, the youngest of the general's four grandsons, owns half of La Boisserie, having bought the quarter share owned by his brother, Charles. The other half is divided between his brothers Yves and Jean, who favour a transfer to public ownership.

Any sale requires a workable agreement by the co-owners. Pierre de Gaulle's opposition risks derailing the transaction.

The state has valued the property at €800,000 with a further €400,000

for its furniture and contents. Private estimates have been far higher, running into several million euros. It has yet to be determined if the public buyer, if there is one, would either be the French state or the Haute-Marne département.

For now, the département manages the site. A combined ticket for La Boisserie, the Charles de Gaulle Memorial and the Cross of Lorraine costs €16.50. The proceeds help

ICE orders electric shock gloves to use in arrests

United States ICE, the immigration enforcement agency, is planning to spend up to $20 million on electric gloves that will allow agents to deliver shocks to detainees. The G.I.O.V.E — Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter — is operated by a switch. Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, of the American Civil Liberties Union, said: "Introducing gloves that can so easily be used to deliver terrible pain in encounters is a recipe for harm to the public." ICE was approached for comment.

Ambassador accused of sex in official residence

France An ambassador is under investigation over allegations that he invited about three dozen women aged 20 to 30 into his official residence for sex. The accusations against Bruno Foucher, 56, the French ambassador to the Central African Republic, date to between January 2024 and this March. Some of the women stayed overnight at his Bangui residence, according to the Canard Enchaîné newspaper. The foreign ministry confirmed that it was investigating.

Trump switched planes after threat from 'missile'

United States President Trump was secretly hurried off Air Force One after someone was seen holding a portable surface-to-air missile launcher near the Nato summit in Turkey, according to two US officials spoken to by The New York Times. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, stayed on the presidential plane along with other officials and journalists while Trump was smuggled in a catering truck to a separate aircraft to fly to Britain from Ankara on July 8.

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WORLD MARKETS (Change on the day)

COMMODITIES

CURRENCIES

Tata chairman Chandra resigns after row with head of family trusts

Robert Lea, Martin Strydom

One of the most powerful men in British industry, the boss of Jaguar Land Rover and the Port Talbot steelworks, has lost his job in the midst of an apparent power struggle at the sprawling Indian conglomerate Tata Sons.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, 63, has resigned as chairman in a stand-off with Noel Tata, 68, the half-brother of

Ratan Tata who made the family business into one of the powerhouses of British industry.

As chairman of JLR, Britain's largest automotive employer, and Tata Steel, the UK's biggest steelmaker and one of the country's key strategic industrial assets, Chandra, as he is known in India, has been as important to the British economy as the bosses of BAE Systems or Rolls-Royce.

Chandra, a 40-year veteran of the Tata empire, had failed to gain the unanimous support of the main board after a meeting in February. It became apparent that Noel Tata, who heads the family trusts which control the group, was standing in the way of Chandra's re-appointment to a job he was first handed more than nine years ago.

He became chairman of Tata Sons after the removal of his predecessor,

Cyrus Mistry. Chandra's leadership has come under scrutiny, not least after an Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London crashed last year, killing 260 people. The airline is one of the jewels in the Tata group's crown.

JLR suffered a crisis in the past year. A commercially debilitating cyber-attack on the maker of Range Rover cars halted production for nearly two months at its UK plants, a reverse that

had so much impact across the company and its supply chains that it slowed Britain's GDP and left the business in need of a government-backed loan guarantee.

That came as JLR's transition to recreating the Jaguar marque as an all-electric luxury car business stalled amid the lampooning of its designs and a lack of demand for zero-emission

Morrisons' private equity debt at £75bn

Rising lease liabilities weigh on supermarket

Isabella Fish, Guy Taylor

The debt facing Morrisons has risen sharply after the supermarket chain was left with fresh lease liabilities following its private equity takeover.

Net debt at Market Topco, the parent company of Wm Morrison Supermarkets, widened to £752 billion in the year to the end of October, up from £7.07 billion the previous year, as rising lease liabilities weighed on its balance sheet.

Total lease obligations at the grocer, which has 497 supermarkets and 1,700 convenience stores, rose to £1.97 billion from £1.75 billion over the period.

Morrisons said the increase 'primarily reflected investment in the future growth of the business, specifically in our vehicle fleet and the addition of 39 new stores in the Channel Islands'.

It was also driven in part by a 'small' sale-and-leaseback transaction that related to a 'handful' of stores and had not been publicly announced.

The grocer, which is in a turnaround under chief executive Rami Baitish, has executed several sale-and-leaseback transactions to unlock capital and drive down debts. New filings showed £23 million in profit was made from sale and lease-back-deals last year.

But a spokesman added: 'We did not undertake a significant number of sale-and-leaseback transactions during the year and our supermarket estate remains over 80 per cent freehold, among the highest in the sector.'

Once one of the UK's top four grocery groups with an enterprise value of over £9 billion, Morrisons' financial standing unravelled after a heavily debt-laden private equity takeover. The grocer was bought by Clayton DuBiller & Rice, the US private equity group, in 2021 in a deal that added £6.6 billion of debt to its bal-

balance sheet. Before that, it had net debt obligations of about £3.2 billion. In late 2021, after the takeover, Morrisons' parent company reached a peak net debt level of about £8.5 billion.

As a result, the supermarket has been unable to price-match key rivals during a period of inflation, leaving it vulnerable to rapid erosion of its market share.

Market Topco's net debt rose last year as preference share liabilities rose to £2 billion from £1.79 billion. Preference shares act as high-interest IOL's issued to CD&R, locking in a fixed annual return that compounds over time.

Losses before tax from continuing operations before exceptions rose to £6.29 million, up from £612 million the year before. This reflected exceptional costs, 'primarily non-cash impairment charges, with a significant factor being the writedown in the value of the acquired McColl's business.' A decision to close a number of loss-making former McColl's stores was made.

Revenue rose to £15.77 billion from £15.23 billion, while group like-for-like sales increased by 2.8 per cent.

Underlying earnings (Ebitda) from continuing operations, the company's preferred metric, was flat at £835 million. The grocer said this was despite 'cost headwinds from the 2024 budget [which represent an annualised cost of £2.00 million], the impact of a cybersicident in the first quarter and higher than expected inflation'.

Group like-for-like sales rose 2.2 per cent in the three months to the end of April, down from 2.8 per cent growth reported in the first quarter of the year.

A Morrisons spokesman said: 'The underlying performance was robust in the year, with the company continuing to generate healthy underlying Ebitda and strong operating cashflow.'

Label's new leaf Boden, a fashion favourite of the Princess of Wales, is targeting Canada as its next market. The brand founded by Johnnie Boden, above, alongside Trinny Woodall, said it planned the move after US growth

US inflation fall eases load for Fed

Jack Barnett

American inflation edged lower over the past month, making it more likely that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates on hold in September.

The consumer price index figure was at an annual rate of 3.4 per cent in the year to July, down from 3.5 per cent in June, figures released yesterday by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.

The data suggested that at its next meeting on September 16, the Fed will keep the cost of borrowing in the current range of 3.5 to 3.75 per cent, where it has been since December. After the release of the inflation data, nearly 58 per cent of traders were betting on no movement in rates, while 42.1 per cent reckoned on a quarter-point rise, according to CMEs FedWatch tool.

Analysts had expected an annual inflation reading of 3.4 per cent in July. Over the month, prices rose by 0.1 per cent, also in line with forecasts and up from a 0.4 per cent decline in the monthly inflation rate in June.

The yield on the benchmark ten-year US government bond fell by 0.04 percentage points to 4.65 per cent in response to the expected decline in inflation, while the dollar index, which measures the greenback against six comparable currencies, fell by 0.09 per cent. Wall Street opened higher following the inflation numbers.

'The prospect of a September hike – as we've been forecasting – now rests firmly on the August CPI and PPI data in the days before that meeting', Stephen Brown, chief North America economist at Capital Economics, said. Pantheon Macroeconomics said the inflation data was 'good enough for the [Fed] to do nothing in September'.

Statistics published last week showed that the American economy unexpectedly shed 23,000 jobs in July, prompting traders to scale back their expectations for rate rises this year despite the war in the Middle East sending prices sharply higher. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation — the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index — is released on August 26.

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Need to know

1 The debt facing Morrisons has risen sharply after the supermarket chain was left with fresh lease liabilities following its private equity takeover. Net debt at Market Topco, its parent company, widened to £752 billion in the year to the end of October, up from £7.07 billion a year earlier. Page 35

2 One of the most powerful men in British industry, the boss of Jaguar Land Rover and the Port Talbot steelworks, has lost his job in the midst of an apparent power struggle at the sprawling Indian conglomerate Tata Sons. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, 61, resigned as chairman in a stand-off with Noel Tata, 68, the half-brother of Ratan Tata. Page 35

3 American inflation edged lower over the past month, making it more likely that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates on hold in September. The consumer price index figure was at an annual rate of 3.4 per cent in the year to July, down from 3.5 per cent in June. Page 35

4 As many as 90,000 bankers, lawyers and accountants based in London are forecast to have their jobs moved to other parts of the country over the next five years amid Andy Burnham's devolution drive. Page 38

5 Estate agents are fearful that renewed speculation about potential changes to property taxes will see them miss out, once again, on the usual autumn bounce in the housing market. New buyer inquiries, sales and house prices fell again in the past month. Page 40

6 Cautious holidaymakers unsettled by the conflict in the Middle East have led Tui, Europe's largest travel company, to report a larger-than-expected fall in third-quarter profit. Page 41

7 Demand for US data centres and the transition of Britain's energy infrastructure has sent profits and orders surging at Balfour Beatty, and pushed its shares to a record high. The rise in the construction company's stock raised the prospect of its re-entry to the FTSE 100. Page 42

Essays from tech leaders should be read in the context of monopoly wars in the AI race

Louisa Clarence-Smith, page 39

For expert business analysis subscribe to the business newsletter thetimes.com/newsletters

How ASML became Europe's

A breakthrough by the Dutch company put it ahead in the race for more powerful chips, James Ashton writes

As one of Europe's largest cargo airports, Amsterdam's Schiphol is expert at handling a variety of precious goods, including organs for donor transplants, emergency food supplies for disaster response and fresh-cut blooms sold at the nearby Aalsmeer flower auction.

It also regularly handles a giant but delicate item disassembled into 150 crates and loaded on to three Boeing 747s that are equipped with vibration isolation technology to prevent knocks, a temperature control system that maintains a steady 20C, and a flow of nitrogen piped into the inner packaging to preserve cleanliness.

This is no ancient heirloom, but something at the forefront of modern technology, in hot demand in America and Asia. And producing these machines has made ASML, based in Veldhoven in the Netherlands, into Europe's most valuable listed company.

Its closest rival for that title, the French fashion house LVMH, is used to driving consumer excitement for its must-have handbags and watches from Christian Dior or Fendi. Yet its luxuries have nothing to match the clamour for ASML's lithography machines, the tools behind the AI boom.

The company's top-of-the-range extreme ultraviolet (EUV) device is the size of a small bus, with 100,000 precision components and 2km of cabling. It was developed over more than 20 years at a cost in excess of €10 billion. And, almost a decade after entering commercial production, ASML will pull out all the stops to make 65 of them this year without any competition in sight.

These $200 million machines project intricate designs on to silicon wafers about twice the width of a human DNA strand. The wafers are then developed like a photographic film with chemicals that etch into place the pattern of conductors and insulators required to connect and isolate billions of transistors.

The process is repeated, on the same wafer, up to 100 times, before they are carefully sliced up into chips and installed in giant data centres.

Even after a summer share slide on fears that the ferocious AI spending boom could turn to bust, at $700 billion, ASML is still worth more than twice what it was a year ago.

"Our customers are getting long-term agreements with their own customers, which really invites them to commit for the long term," its chief executive, Christophe Fouquet, said. He added that this gave purchasers "a quite unprecedented visibility on what will happen to the market".

The 2027 order book for EUV machines is just about full, with a large number of orders placed for 2028, too. In response, ASML is expanding capacity by 30 per cent next year, and perhaps the same again the year after.

To understand how the company got here requires rewording to 1984. In the same year that Steve Jobs proudly unveiled Apple's Macintosh computer and Steve Furber and Sophie Wilson pondered what would become the first Arm chip design, ASML — which stands for Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography until it was no longer spelt out — began life as a joint venture between two Dutch companies.

The lesser known, ASML was Europe's first major supplier of chip-making equipment to Intel, Motorola and others, including kit that deposited thin chemical films on the silicon wafer during the manufacturing process.

Philips, the famous electronics giant that traced its roots back to 1891, had developed a "stepper", the shorthand name for a step-and-repeat camera that evolved into a lithography machine. It was for internal use at its microchip factory in Nijmegen near the German border, at the time Europe's largest facility of its kind.

To supply the wafer industry, Philips recognised that its steppers must be placed into an arms-length company. Fifty scientists were assigned to the task, set up in a wooden shed on its site in Eindhoven before later moving down the road to Veldhoven.

The fearsome cost of development meant ASML withdrew and the market for lithography tool suppliers thinned to a three-way battle with two Japanese firms better known for their expertise in cameras — Canon and Nikon.

ASML's breakthrough came in the early 1990s when its PAS 5500 machine became the first stepper to reliably produce — using larger, eight-inch silicon wafers — precisely what microchip makers such as IBM had called for.

In pursuit of better machines producing more powerful chips at ever-smaller scale and more efficiently, an industry known for cut-throat competition eventually aligned behind their best chance of driving progress. From using mercury vapour lamps as their light source, the dream was to extend the life of Moore's law (the idea that perform-

Christophe Fouquet, ASML's chief executive, at the company's HQ in Veldhoven,

Chipping in

Europe's biggest hitters

Good vibes at app builder Lovable

Isabella Fish Retail Editor

A platform that lets users build apps and software using plain English has doubled its valuation to $13.3 billion amid a growing wave of enthusiasm for AI-powered coding tools.

Lovable, Europe's leading "vibe coding" platform, said yesterday that it had raised $400 million in a Series C funding round led by the venture capital companies Menlo Ventures and Scaloup Europe Fund, which is managed by EQT.

New investors included Balderton Capital and Carmignac from Europe, Tencent and World Innovation Lab from Asia, and Regent from the United States.

Lovable is owned by its co-founders, Anton Osika, the chief executive, and Fabian Hedin, the chief technology

officer, who created the Stockholm-based software company in 2023.

The platform offers software that allows users to create applications using simple prompts, a process known as vibe-coding. The company was valued at $6.6 billion at its previous funding round in December.

It said its annual recurring revenue surpassed $500 million in June, up from $400 million in March.

Osika said in June that there was "naturally a lot of interest in the real economic impact we're seeing across the world". The goal was to create a $100 billion company based in Sweden.

Coined by the AI pioneer Andrej Karpathy, the term "vibe coding" describes a workflow where humans guide the "vibes" and architectures of an application while AI handles the actual execution. What started as a viral tech

concept has quickly ballooned into a multibillion-dollar market driven by specialised developer tools and full-stack deployment platforms.

Popular platforms such as Replit, Cursor, and Lovable allow non-technical founders and developers alike to generate full-stack applications instantly. The rapid rise of companies like Lovable has contributed to investor unease about the future of established software companies.

Since the start of the year, trillions of dollars have been knocked off the market capitalisation of software companies around the world, a sell-off that analysts have called the "SaaSoccalypse", referring to software-as-a-service (SaaS).

More than 60 million projects have been created around the world since Lovable was launched.

Cisco rides the AI profits wave

Cisco Systems' forecast revenue for the financial year 2027 above Wall Street expectations last night, signalling confidence that strong demand for its artificial intelligence networking equipment will continue to power growth.

The California-based tech company expects annual revenue of between $72.2 billion and $73.4 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $68.69 billion.

In the fourth quarter, Cisco reported revenue of $17.3 billion and net income of $3.9 billion. Total revenue for 2026 was $63.3 billion, an increase of 12 per cent, while annual net income was $11.3 billion, a rise of 30 per cent.

The shares were $124, or 25 per cent, lower at $121.32 in after-hours trading, valuing the business at $2.5 trillion.

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most valuable firm

Netherlands, said that the 2027 order book for EUV machines is just about full

ance doubles every couple of years) by building transistors smaller than could be achieved with visible light.

To do so has involved huge resources. ASML has come back from the brink of bankruptcy several times, and, as recently as 2012, appealed to expectant industry players, including Intel, TSMC and Samsung, to contribute billions of dollars in a final push to get the EUV standard over the line.

Long before the US-China 'chip choke', there were also national sensitivities to navigate. EUV is built on Russian mirror research from the 1970s, im-

amgery first projected in the research department of Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation in the 1980s and laboratories supported by the US Department of Energy, which struck an agreement with a commercial consortium in the 1990s. With recollections of the US-Japan memory-chip wars still fresh, the US Congress favoured ASML over its two competitors.

Even that did not guarantee easy passage for ASML's $1.6 billion acquisition in 2000 of Silicon Valley Group — the last vestiges of the US lithography industry. 'I've never been exposed to

that level of geopolitical influence and rhetoric, but we never opted to walk away because we recognized that over the years the gain would be tremendous,' Doug Dunn, ASML's chief executive at the time, said.

How EUV works today reads like a passage from a science-fiction novel. ASML, like Boeing, plays the role of systems integrator, managing 5,100 specialist suppliers. Capitalising on their collective expertise, it has devised its own light source, with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers, so it can shrink the size and increase the density of a chip's features. The system heats droplets of molten tin with a carbon dioxide laser to a temperature 100 times greater than the surface of the Sun.

Some 50,000 droplets are generated per second, each must be blasted twice by the laser in quick succession. The resulting plasma, a gas of ions and free electrons, emits EUV radiation that is bounced between six of the world's smoothest mirrors which, if enlarged to the size of Germany, would not have a bump higher than a millimeter.

For its grand finale, the beam hits the silicon wafer with the precision equivalent to shooting an arrow from Earth to hit an apple placed on the Moon.

No wonder China is eager to deploy such technology — and the US is eager for it not to. In its ongoing efforts to restrict Chinese access to leading-edge intellectual property, a planned EUV sale to a Chinese customer did not go through in 2018, reportedly after the Dutch prime minister at the time, Mark Rutte, paid a visit to the White House.

Such transactions are still banned, although China accounts for 20 per cent of ASML's sales because it is permitted to sell older models into that market.

It is a potential sales channel that is closely monitored. The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, caused a stir recently, warning that one of the company's EUV machines may have reached China, something ASML strongly denied.

The company is striving to stay ahead. Some 64.7 billion was spent on research and development last year, more than twice the expenditure of five years earlier.

Its latest innovation, a High NA (numerical aperture) EUV tool, has gone into volume manufacturing at Intel's facility in Oregon. Intel initially held back on using EUV, losing ground to its Taiwanese rival TSMC.

In this ongoing battle where the smallest of margins matter, it would be foolish to delay a special delivery from the Netherlands' chip champion a second time.

Foxconn profits surge on AI demand

Guy Taylor

A timely expansion from assembling Apple iPhones to building the servers that power artificial intelligence data centres helped to drive Foxconn's profits up by more than a third.

The Taiwan-based tech group said profits between April and June reached TS60 billion ($1.9 billion), up by 35 per cent year-on-year, and ahead of consensus forecasts. Revenue rose by 40 per cent to $39 billion.

The company's stock has risen by about 37 per cent during the past year, lifting its market valuation to about $120 billion. Its latest results added another 2.7 per cent in overnight trading in Asia.

Founded in 1974 by the billionaire businessman and Taiwanese politician Terry Gou and formally called Hon Hai

Precision Industry. Foxconn is the world's largest contract electronics maker. Pushing into AI has helped it to diversify away from consumer electronics. It has also become Nvidia's biggest server supplier.

Tech giants are spending hundreds of billions on the infrastructure needed to underpin the AI boom, and Foxconn has emerged as a critical supplier supporting the sector's rapid expansion.

Meanwhile, manufacturers of smartphones and games consider are being forced to raise prices to compete.

Foxconn said that its cloud and networking division, which encompasses AI servers, contributed more than 50 per cent of the company's revenue for the first time in the second quarter.

Consumer electronics products, which include iPhones, accounted for about 29 per cent.

Michael Chiang, Foxconn's chief executive, said he expects US cloud providers to continue to fuel the company's revenue growth for the next couple of years.

He also highlighted the steady nature of demand for AI infrastructure, contrasting this to the fluctuating consumer electronics industry.

The company, which does not provide numeric forecasts, maintained guidance for the 2026 financial year due to 'strong demand for AI servers and growth in smart consumer electronics.'

Most of the iPhones that Foxconn makes for Apple are assembled in China, but it now produces the bulk of those sold in the US in India.

The company is also building factories in Mexico and Texas to make AI servers for Nvidia.

Help to Buy isn't a bad idea, Andy

BUSINESS COMMENTARY Alistair Osborne

Mention Help to Buy and people typically say two things. First, Jeff Fairburn: the former Persimmon boss of £76 million bonus fame. Second, that all the policy ever did was jack up house prices, so doing over the first-time buyers it was meant to be helping — even if there's no real evidence that it did.

So, you can understand, politically, why the word from Andy Burnham's new regime is that 'there are no plans' for a rerun of Help to Buy. As conventional thinking goes, Britain's key problem is a chronic supply shortage. So what use is it bringing in a measure that pumps up demand, with the added risk that chances like Fairburn come along to abuse it?

It has a theoretical logic, too. But this argument also has one big flaw. Back in the real world, it's wrong — as Labour is discovering with its fantasy target of getting 1.5 million homes built this parliament. Indeed, at the present run rate, it may even struggle to get to a million.

The former PM and chancellor correctly spotted that planning was an obstacle to more houses. But they failed to grasp another issue: that, like it or not, Britain is reliant on private housebuilders; that they'll only build what they can sell at a profit; that, if there's no demand they won't build, and that the biggest driver of demand is first-time buyers. In fact, true to form, Rachel Reeves did her idiotic best to kill off demand by using her first budget to cut the purchase price at which first-timers must pay stamp duty from £425,000 to £300,000.

Lob in rising mortgage rates due to the Iran war and the recent message from industry chiefs is clear. Persimmon's Dean Finch saw 'affordability constraints': Barratt Redrow's David Thomas pointed to 'subdued customer demand'. Taylor Wimpery's Jennie Daly flagged 'stretched' affordability, adding that 'Housebuilding drives growth, jobs and opportunity across the UK, and getting first-time buyers onto the housing ladder is essential for a functioning housing market'. As for Bellway's Jason Honeyman, he's just called for a reversal of Reeves's stamp duty howler and a 'deposit support scheme to help young people'. Sure, cynics could dismiss all this as an industry talking its book. But, faced with sluggish demand, it's lately been preserving cash rather than ramping up the newbuilds. The upshot? The societal damage from young people not getting onto the housing ladder keeps racking up: intergenerational inequality, a lack of labour mobility, official stats showing the average age of a first-time buyer is now 34.

Hence, the key question is it time to bring back some sort of Help to Buy, only a better built version? For starters, the old one wasn't as bad as billed, at least on figures from Homes England. They show that the scheme, running between 2013 and 2022, helped 387,278 buyers to purchase a home and has so far delivered a $1.74 billion profit, including interest, to the exchequer. It's hard to think, too, that with Help to Buy accounting for 5 per

cent or less of all residential property deals that it really could be the reason for rising prices.

Still, there is room for improvement, as the Home Builders Federation accepts with its own plan for a revamped Help to Buy: one restricted to first-time buyers and with housebuilders having to pay a fee to access it. First timers face a big problem in getting together a 10 per cent deposit: a task off a £32,890 general salary that, on HBP maths, would take an average buyer seven years across the UK and as many as 18 in London. Yet, even then, based on a mortgage of 4.5 times salary, there is a vast affordability gap: a UK average of almost £70,000 rising to as much as £275,000 for a buyer in their twenties in London.

Its proposed fix? A government equity loan of 15 per cent, interest free for the first five years, with 1 per cent provided by the housebuilder as a fee for accessing the scheme, rising to 3 per cent as transactions increase. That would cut the buyer's deposit to 5 per cent and shrink the affordability gap, while the taxpayer should end up quids in too. It would get 15 per cent of the value of the property when the loan was paid off, despite sometimes putting up only 12 per cent of the equity.

Maybe Burnham could find ways to spruce up that plan. But he should have a proper look at it: this market clearly needs some help.

Capricorn won

Three-way bunk-ups can be more exciting, So, maybe that was what attracted the boss of Norway's DNO, Bjøn Mossavar-Rahman, to propose a £202 million cash bid for Genel Energy at 69p a share, swiftly rejected by its board, when his target had already made a recommended £271 million offer for Capricorn Energy.

Mossavar-Rahman knows Genel well. It is DNO's minority partner in the Tawke field in Kurdistan, where Genefs 25 per cent stake is its only operating asset. Yet, the timing of his tilt is notable. When DNO made it last week, he drew attention to two mooted rival bids for Capricorn from Samos Energy and a part of Saudi Arabia's Calani Group. And, had they outbid Genel, it would have left it with a problem under rule 21.1 of the Takeover Code. Any move by Genel to up its bid could have been construed a 'restricted action' to frustrate DNO — even if the panel may have allowed it.

Yes, DNO said its proposed Genel bid was 'not conditional' on the Capricorn offer. But was this Mossavar-Rahman's calculation: that Genel would get outbid for Capricorn, leaving it vulnerable to a DNO takeover just when a restart of exports from the Tawke field made it more of a money-spinner?

If so, it's backfired because the rival Capricorn bidders have pulled out, leaving Genel, trading at 65.9p, obliged to complete its offer. DNO has a trading update today. He may spend quite a long time pretending that he DNO what happens next.

alistair.osborne@thetimes.co.uk

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Business

Devolution ‘will cost London jobs’

Tom Howard Professional Services Correspondent

As many as 90,000 bankers, lawyers and accountants based in London are forecast to have their jobs moved to other parts of the country over the next five years amid Andy Burnham’s devolution drive.

The migration of white-collar jobs is estimated to bring with it a £9 billion boost to regional economies such as Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham, according to analysis by Robert Walters, the listed recruitment company.

That figure could rise to £15 billion after factoring in the transplants’ spending in their new home towns and the extra work it would bring for local supply chains.

Robert Walters said more companies were looking to move some of their teams out of London because of the spiralling costs of running a business in the capital. A shortage of ‘prime’ office space has pushed up London office rents to record highs.

The forecast relocations also fit in with the devolution ambitions of Burnham, the prime minister, who has promised to deliver ‘good growth in every postcode’.

While the 90,000 jobs represent only a fraction — 2.5 per cent — of London’s overall workforce, it demonstrates the wider rewiring of the UK economy.

‘Our forecast indicates a rebalancing of the scales towards stronger regional jobs growth over a widespread shift of business activity away from London,’ Jonny Bohane, of Robert Walters’ market intelligence team, said.

The analysis used past job relocations from big UK employers to establish a baseline, then combined Robert Walters’ own placement volumes with LinkedIn movement data to create projections of regional hiring demand. The model also analysed office capacity, hybrid working levels, the depth of local talent pools, regional development initiatives and government decentralisation programmes.

By the end of 2027, Robert Walters predicts that up to 12,000 jobs will have moved out of the capital, with the outflow expected to reach 45,000 by 2029. Senior leadership teams are likely to remain in London, and companies are instead expected to bolster junior ranks with ‘local talent’.

Daniel Harris, the UK managing director at Robert Walters, expects the relocation trend will accelerate as ‘cost considerations remain high, and hybrid working allows organisations to build more geographically diverse teams’.

Andy Burnham, seen here with Angela Rayner, promised ‘good growth in every postcode’

Towns and cities in northwest England, including Manchester and Liverpool, are forecast to be the biggest beneficiaries of the shift, with 22,500 jobs forecast to move there by 2031.

Bohane and his team estimate this could inject up to £2.25 billion into the region’s economy by 2031, ‘reinforcing

its status as the UK’s second hub for growth and innovation’.

About a fifth of all the relocated positions, up to 18,000, could end up in the Midlands, principally Birmingham, the report claimed, which would bring a £1.8 billion economic boost.

Yorkshire stands to attract about

13,500 London leavers, adding £1.35 billion to the local economy.

‘Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham are the engine rooms of activity,’ Harris said. ‘Over the last decade, these regional centres have become key career destinations for UK white-collar workers. They offer a significant presence of high-profile, multinational employers, vibrant cultural scenes and leisure opportunities, as well as a lower cost of living compared to the capital.’

Birmingham, for example, is home to the second-largest UK office of Deloitte, the Big Four accounting firm; Siemens, the German industrial giant, moved its UK headquarters to Manchester from Surrey in 2019; and the Bank of England has pledged to have one-in-ten of its workforce based out of Leeds from 2027.

Of the remaining 16,000 or so jobs that Robert Walters thinks will leave London over the next five years, most are set to relocate to other large regional cities including Bristol, Edinburgh,

Glasgow, Cambridge, Newcastle, Liverpool, Reading, and Cardiff.

‘The appeal of these regional cities shouldn’t be underestimated. But growth isn’t determined by businesses relocating or creating new jobs alone,’ Bohane said.

‘When professionals move into an area, the benefits ripple through the local economy. Increased demand supports everything from transport and housing to cafes, co-working spaces and the wider network of local businesses that keep these cities running.’

The forecasts, if they prove accurate, will be welcomed by Burnham, who wants to reduce the country’s reliance on London, which accounts for about a quarter of the UK’s economic output, making the UK one of the most fiscally-centralised developed economies.

As part of the prime minister’s plans for wider political devolution and regional economic growth, last month he opened a northern branch of Downing Street, No 10 North.

HSBC’s global insurance boss to leave

Ben Martin Financial Editor

A senior HSBC executive who runs the bank’s insurance business is leaving in the latest shake-up at the FTSE 100 lender.

Edward Moncreiffe spent two decades rising through the ranks but has resigned a little more than two years after being appointed chief executive of its global insurance operations.

His impending exit comes amid a wider shake-up at the bank under its chief executive Georges Elhedery, who has quickly moved to reorganise the sprawling group since taking charge in September 2024.

Elhedery’s revamp has encompassed an internal reorganisation that has sharpened focus on its main markets of Hong Kong and the UK, as well as a sweeping simplification that has led to thousands of job losses. Several senior

executives have also gone recently, including the head of HSBC’s business in the United States.

Elhedery’s overhaul has also included a reshaping of its insurance arm, with HSBC last month striking a $2.1 billion deal to sell its life and health insurance operations in Singapore to Allianz.

This followed an agreement by HSBC a year ago to offload its specialist life protection and investment bond business in the UK to Chesnara, an industry consolidator, for £260 million.

Its French life insurance unit was sold to Matmut Société d’Assurance Mutuelle in a €925 million transaction announced at the end of 2024.

The departure of Moncreiffe comes at a time of broader nervousness in the insurance market in Hong Kong, which is where he is based. Shares in HSBC fell sharply a week ago over concerns

about a tax crackdown in the former British colony after it emerged that authorities in mainland China were taxing dividends and interest earned from insurance policies offshore.

While based in London, HSBC looks to Asia as its main driver of growth, having built a huge presence in the region after it was founded in Hong Kong 80 years ago.

Like other banks, HSBC has sought to reduce its exposure to volatile interest rates by expanding its fee-based businesses, including insurance, which sits within the group’s wealth arm.

HSBC had said when Moncreiffe was appointed to run insurance in April 2024, that ‘insurance, one of our fastest-growing businesses, is integral to our strategy to become a leading global wealth manager’.

A spokesman for the bank declined to comment on Moncreiffe’s exit.

Tata chief quits with call for clarity on leadership

Continued from page 35

vehicles that would be priced in excess of £100,000.

Tata Steel’s Port Talbot works has arguably been in crisis for a decade and invariably loss-making. Dependent on UK government handouts, it has laid off thousands of workers as it transitions from its polluting and high-energy-use blast-furnace steelmaking to electric arc furnaces.

The origins of the fallout between Chandra and Noel Tata are not immediately clear, though reports indicated that disagreements between the two are the sole reason for his departure.

The annual meeting of Tata Sons is scheduled to take place on August 18.

In reference to the February impasse, Chandra said in a statement: ‘It has

been six months since that board meeting and no resolution has been reached.’ He added that Tata Sons is a ‘very large institution and there are many strategic projects’ at ‘critical

Chandra, left, resigned after disagreements with Noel Tata

stages of execution’ He added: ‘It is not only necessary to have a leader in place to lead the group ... but also clarity on leadership is important for employees, investors, partners and other stakeholders.’

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Business

Louisa Clarence-Smith

Don't be fooled by Zuckerberg's stance on artificial intelligence

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Platforms' shape-shifting chief, has completed his latest profile update in the age of President Trump and advanced AI. The Facebook founder, whom a Wall Street analyst described as acting like a 'different CEO' during Trump's second term, with his more rugged appearance and promotion of 'masculine energy' this week surprised his followers with an apparent personality change as an anti-monopolist.

In a 6,500-word essay espousing his philosophy on AI, Zuckerberg wrote: 'The defining questions of our age are who will have access to superintelligence, and what will we direct it towards. Will it be centralized and restricted to a few institutions, or will it be a tool that empowers everyone?'

While some may interpret this as an earnest plea to the US government to ensure there is fair competition for the dissemination of this new and powerful technology, an alternative reading would be that the essay is a thinly-veiled attack on Meta's upstart rivals OpenAI and Anthropic, the frontier labs that are leading in model capabilities, by suggesting their potential power concentration is problematic. On Monday, Meta released a new 'open' AI model that can be downloaded and modified by developers and said more would follow soon, while attacking 'closed' models which are promoted by Anthropic and OpenAI.

In a not-so-subtle dig at Dario Amodei, Anthropic's chief executive, who has been the most outspoken of the AI developers about the societal risks of technological advances, Zuckerberg said it was 'surprising that the discourse from many developing AI is so filled with doom'. With a touch of catliness, he added: 'I do not understand why anyone who believes that AI will eliminate most jobs and much of humanity's relevance would rush to build that future.'

But don't be fooled that Zuckerberg has been reborn as an antitrust champion. Statements and essays from US tech leaders should be read in the context of the monopoly wars being played out in the AI race.

America's biggest tech companies have comfortably enjoyed near-monopolies for years. The internet

CARLOS BARRA/VEUTRES

Mark Zuckerberg said that AI should be a tool that 'empowers everyone'

revolution transformed the way we live and gave rise to Google, with its dominance over search and search advertising; Meta, the social media giant that owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, and Amazon, the world's biggest online marketplace.

Even as the tech giants were subjected to a series of Biden-era antitrust investigations in the US and Europe, it seemed like nothing could seriously jeopardise their rise. But the arrival of advanced AI has been a humbling experience for them.

AI has levelled the playing field as the technology threatens to upend how we experience technological media. (Alex Heath, a tech journalist who writes the Sources newsletter, said that Zuckerberg called him over the weekend to discuss his essay via his AI-powered Meta Ray-Ban glasses while fishing). Advanced AI will transform the interface between users and providers of technology in ways we cannot yet fully foresee, creating opportunities for new start-ups to replace the incumbents in areas ranging from search and digital

communication to enterprise software and online shopping.

Anthropic is the principal target of the nervous tech incumbents. Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives, it has since leapfrogged the ChatGPT maker with its Claude agent, widely considered to be the leading tool. Demand from businesses for its coding tools has led to meteoric sales growth, putting it on a path to profitability in the second quarter of the year, according to reports, with projected positive cash flow of $17 billion in 2028 on $70 billion in revenue. There is a fear that, as competition pushes the price of models down, Anthropic will look to grow revenues by disrupting other business models.

A planned mega-IPO this year could also put pressure on the stocks of tech incumbents, as investor frenzy around AI goes into overdrive.

In Silicon Valley lore, competition is for losers. The venture capitalist and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel, in his book, Zero to One, published in 2014 and still a bible for

aspiring tech entrepreneurs, promoted the concept of monopolies. 'Creative monopoly means new products that benefit everybody and sustainable profits for the creator,' he said. 'Competition means no profits for anybody, no meaningful differentiation, and a struggle for survival.'

He also noted in the book how 'monopolists lie to protect themselves'. He said: 'They know that bragging about their great monopoly invites being audited, scrutinised and attacked. Since they very much want their monopoly profits to continue unmolested, they tend to do whatever they can to conceal their monopoly — usually by exaggerating the power of their (non-existent) competition.'

So what is the end game for Meta in the age of AI? Already, 3.6 billion people are using at least one of its apps each day. AI algorithms are helping to improve the relevance of content on users' feeds, leading to people spending more time on Meta's platforms.

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg is ploughing hundreds of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure with his stated ambition of dominating the market for personal 'superintelligent' AI agents. Or, as he told analysts on an earnings call last month: in five years' time, he predicts that billions of people will have a 'personal agent that understands your goals and that is just working on your behalf 24/7 to achieve your goals'. He said those goals could be 'helping you with your health or your hobbies or your personal finances or your productivity and running your home better or improving and enhancing your relationships, helping with your career, helping like just all these different things'.

Zuckerberg wrote in his essay this week that he wanted these personal agents to be delivered for free. However, much like his social media platforms, if adopted by billions of people, they would presumably open up huge revenue opportunities from data collection and targeted advertising.

That sounds like another version of a monopoly to me.

Louisa Clarence-Smith is US Business Editor of The Times

UK 'risks spending a fifth of tax on debts'

Jack Barnett Economics Correspondent

One pound in every £5 of future generations' taxes could be spent on servicing Britain's debts unless more is done to tackle the problems of an ageing population, declining health and sluggish productivity.

A report published today by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said debt interest could consume just over a fifth of all government tax revenues by the 2020s.

Weak economic growth, negative demographic developments and too much focus on meeting short-term fiscal targets are set to make debt interest one the biggest burdens for future taxpayers, the think tank said.

The report called for Andy Burnham and John Healey to devise a new set of fiscal rules that place greater emphasis on the growth and societal benefits of public investment. Under the existing rules, Healey must ensure all daily public spending is funded by tax revenues in three years.

However, the think tank added that these changes should not be enacted now because of the UK's 'very real' exposure to bond vigilantes and the inflationary effects of the war in the Middle East. The yield on the UK's benchmark ten-year bond has traded at around 5 per cent since the conflict began almost six months ago.

The IPPR added that the overhaul should come in the next parliament once the global macroeconomic environment has improved to allow the UK to make the changes from 'a position of strength'.

It said: 'With the Iran shock continuing to affect the economy, the risk of even higher borrowing costs means the government should stick to its fiscal rules and only change the borrowing path for policies that are key for growth or help reduce inflation.'

The Times previously reported that the prime minister and chancellor have drawn up plans to increase government borrowing by £9 billion and channel that money through public financial institutions. Such a move would largely offset the extra borrowing if it involved the government acquiring assets, a change to the fiscal rules enacted by the previous chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

The Treasury announced last month that Healey's first budget will be delivered on October 28. The Resolution Foundation has warned that the fiscal headroom may have dropped to as low as £10 billion.

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Business

Kushner and Iger to buy the LA Lakers

One of the key figures in the recent debacle to sell off stakes in the Fifa World Cup to private investors is reported to be purchasing the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team for more than $12 billion (Robert Miller writes).

Joshua Kushner, 41, who founded and runs Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm, and Bob Iger, 75, the former chief executive of Walt Disney, will buy the stake from Mark Walter, who had purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year for a then-record franchise valuation of about $10 billion.

Kushner, the brother of President Trump's son-in-law, Jared, also runs Thrive Eternal, the investment fund to which Fifa wanted to sell a minority stake to run its World Cup tournaments for $4.2 billion.

"As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honoured for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports

franchises in the world. "We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss," Kushner and Iger said in a statement.

"Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team,

its fans, and the city of Los Angeles."

The news comes weeks after Kushner became a key figure in the private equity scandal that engulfed Fifa, the global governing body of football, after The Times revealed plans last month to create a subsidiary to run future World Cup tournaments.

Fifa planned to spin off its broadcasters, sponsorship, ticketing, and tournament commercial rights into a separate for-profit entity valued at $20 billion, in a move that sparked widespread outrage and

The LA Lakers, who just lost star LeBron James, are being sold to Joshua Kushner. Games attract stars such as Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner

put the future of Fifa president Gianni Infantino in doubt.

The Lakers sale, first reported by ESPN, will need approval from the board of governors at the National Basketball Association. The next board meeting is set for next month in New York.

The $12.5 billion price tag is not only record-setting for American pro sports, but it continues a trend of sharply rising NBA franchise values.

Only three years ago, Michael Jordan sold his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for a $3 billion valuation, and the Boston Celtics were sold last year at a valuation of just over $6 billion, then a record.

The Lakers have won 17 championships going back to the franchise's early years in Minneapolis — the second-most in NBA history behind Boston's 18.

This record sale price comes just weeks after LeBron James, the league's all-time leading scorer, left the Lakers after eight seasons to become a free agent. James ultimately decided to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Tax fears and the budget dampen housing market

Tom Howard Property Correspondent

Estate agents are fearful that renewed speculation about potential changes to property taxes will see them miss out, once again, on the usual autumn bounce in the housing market.

New buyer inquiries, sales and house prices fell once again in the past month, according to data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), which surveyed 430 estate agents around the country.

The housing market always slows over summer with buyers and sellers on holiday, but a combination of the war in Iran, higher mortgage rates, a new prime minister, heatwaves and the World Cup have combined to make this summer particularly quiet.

Rics said the market "remains sluggish, with minimal signs of momentum picking up as of yet" and agents believe that uncertainty about potential tax changes is also starting to weigh on activity.

They are concerned that they will not get to enjoy the "autumn selling season" for the third year in a row as housefounders wait for the budget in October to see what Andy Burnham and his new chancellor, John Healey, have in store.

Housebuilders have been lobbying

for a return of the Help to Buy scheme and cuts to stamp duty, and reforming council tax has also been much speculated upon. This week, economists at Capital Economics warned that the upcoming budget "may be almost as big as the last" in terms of raising taxes.

"There appears to be limited understanding of the impact that tax speculation has on the market," Edward Rock, of Knight Frank estate agents, said. "Uncertainty stagnates markets and recent policy signals have compounded this."

"We desperately need stability," David Robinson, director at DJR Estate Agents in Cornwall, said. "[There is the] traditional school holiday lull in activity but a definite undercurrent of uncertainty with the new PM and likely increased tax exposure for the property market."

Simon Hobbs, of London & City Estates in Newcastle, added that the "political uncertainty re tax increases is causing buyer reticence".

James Ottewell, of Alexander Bruce Estates in Derby, agreed that "the sales market remains challenging, not helped by political uncertainty and potential land tax changes".

Of the estate agents and surveyors polled by Rics, a net 28 per cent report-

ed a fall in inquiries from prospective buyers in the past month. Although an improvement from the immediate aftermath of the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran, it "remains firmly in negative territory".

A net 30 per cent of respondents saw a fall in agreed sales and a similar proportion reported another fall in house prices. The bigger declines were in London and south England, where prices are highest and so most affected by changes in mortgage rates.

Even in Scotland, prices "now appear to be flattening out". Northern Ireland continues to buck the trend, however, with agents there reporting further price increases over the past month.

Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at Rics, said: "The housing market remains subdued, and while that is not unusual over the summer months, it is clear from the seasonally adjusted data, that the combination of geopolitics, the domestic political climate and the cost of mortgage finance are continuing to weigh on sentiment."

He added that more forward-looking metrics of housing market activity "also remain downbeat".

Most estate agents expect prices and sales to continue to slide in the coming three months.

Winkworth family agrees to pause father-and-son feud

Tom Howard

The family behind one of Britain's oldest estate agents have agreed to park their legal dispute, which has pitted father against son, for at least a month.

M Winkworth, which is run by Dominic Agace, 46, announced last Friday that it was taking legal action in the High Court against its chairman and Dominic's father, Simon, 83, to stop him from outing other board members.

Winkworth, which has 100 or so offices in and around London, said yesterday Simon had agreed to a four-week ceasefire and that all parties were "continuing discussions with a view to resolving the matters between them".

A stock exchange statement read: "The undertakings restrict [Simon] Agace from taking or encouraging steps to remove or appoint company directors without first giving seven days' written notice and, in any event, before September 10, 2026."

With a temporary agreement in place, Winkworth said its application for interim injunctive relief had been adjourned to October 5. The company's Aim-quoted shares rose 2½p, or 1.5 per cent, to 1725p on the back of the news, valuing the business at £23 million.

Last week, Dominic sent a memo to employees and franchisees, seen by The Times, in which he disclosed that his father had "recently demanded

changes to the board and indicated that, if those demands were not met, a requisition would follow to remove certain board members and replace them with individuals he proposes".

He added that the directors of the business did not believe the overhaul sought by Simon "would be in the best interests of the company" and had gone to court to "protect" the estate agency and prevent its chairman from making sweeping changes to the board.

Simon is Winkworth's biggest shareholder with a 41 per cent stake, or 5.3 million shares, according to the company's website.

At Winkworth's annual meeting in May, 5.1 million shares were withheld from voting on the re-election of all of the company's directors, except for the re-election of Simon, when only 9,714 shares were abstained.

The developments suggest a battle for control of the estate agent. Although it was founded in 1875, Simon bought the business in 1974 and ran it for three decades before becoming non-executive chairman in 2004. Dominic became chief executive in 2009 and led it through its flotation on Aim that year.

Winkworth said it "continues to operate as normal" and that the executive team, led by Dominic, "remains focused on the delivery of the company's strategy".

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Tui said a large part of its summer programme had been sold, with demand for short and medium-haul destinations, such as Skiathos, the key driver of bookings

Tui profits suffer as global conflict hits holiday plans

Jessica Newman

Leisure Industries Correspondent

Cautious holidaymakers unsettled by the conflict in the Middle East have led Europe's largest travel company to report a larger-than-expected fall in third-quarter profit.

Tui's underlying profits fell 27 per cent to €234.6 million in the quarter to end of June, below analysts' forecast of €274 million, and at the pre-tax level dropped 43 per cent to €153.4 million.

Revenue was also behind City estimates of €6 billion, declining 5.6 per cent year-on-year to €5.85 billion.

The German company, which owns five airlines as well as hotel chains, travel agencies and cruise lines, said the period was characterised by a 'challenging market environment and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, in particular the war in Iran, which has pushed up jet fuel prices, economic weakness in Europe's core markets and consumer caution across many sectors'.

Tui revealed that so far it had suffered an €81 million hit to profits in the first nine months of its financial year because of the stop-start US-Iran war

and Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

Sebastian Ebel, the chief executive, admitted that 2026 had not shaped up to be an 'ordinary year'. He said: 'Wars and geopolitical tensions, consumer caution, economic weakness and rising inflation in Europe's core markets — all these factors have influenced consumer sentiment and the timing of purchasing decisions'.

Despite these headwinds, Ebel said the company's business model was resilient with travel remaining 'highly relevant to people's lives'.

Tui's markets and airline business, which includes its traditional tour operator division, swung to a €174 million underlying loss in the quarter, against a €49.7 million profit a year earlier, which it blamed on weakening demand because of geopolitical uncertainty and increased price pressure.

Profits at its hotels and resorts division dropped 6.2 per cent to €122.7 million, with occupancy down 5 percentage points to 77 per cent due to reduced demand in the eastern Mediterranean, Mexico and the Caribbean.

The holiday experiences arm, which includes its differentiated cruise lines,

hotels, and tour and activities division Tui Musement, proved more resilient, with underlying profits slipping 5.6 per cent to €277.8 million. Its cruise business recorded a 7.2 per cent decrease in profit after a one-off €20 million hit from the war in Iran. In March, Tui was forced to repatriate about 5,000 passengers from two cruise ships anchored in Abu Dhabi, which remained in the Gulf ports until mid-May.

Bookings in the first nine months totalled 12.2 million, with 4.3 million added since the last update in May. Tui said a large part of its summer programme had now been sold, with demand for short and medium-haul destinations the key driver of bookings. Greece and Spain were the most popular destinations, while sales in the eastern Mediterranean have also started to pick up again in recent weeks.

Ebel said the initial impact from the Iran war had eased, adding: 'The last four weeks in particular show booking behaviour is picking up again. People are travelling but are making their decisions at shorter notice.' He said wildfires in France and Spain had not had any impact on Tui's bookings.

The company reiterated its profit outlook for the full year, which is expected to come in between €11 billion and €14 billion, 'assuming that there is no significant escalation in geopolitical tensions'.

Tui, which had previously forecast profit to increase between 7 per cent and 10 per cent from the €14 billion made in the previous year, did not reinstate its sales guidance, which it suspended in April.

Richard Clarke, an analyst at Bernstein, said Tui's update implied that overall trading appeared weaker than management expected for the late booking cycle.

He noted that while the company did reiterate the full-year profit outlook, bosses had 'removed the May wording referencing an ambition to build towards the top end of the range'.

Clarke continued: 'Given there are only six weeks left in the financial year and most summer travel is booked, the €300 million guidance range remains unusually wide, particularly in the absence of any revenue guidance.'

The shares closed down 1.2 per cent at €72.8 in Frankfurt.

Evoke blames gambling taxes for fall in revenue

Jessica Newman

The debt-laden owner of William Hill has blamed higher gambling taxes for hurting half-year profits.

In what is likely to be Evoke's final results as a public company, it revealed underlying operating profits dropped 12 per cent to £442.8 million in the six months to the end of June after booking a £146 million hit from rising gambling taxes. On a pre-tax level, losses widened to £80 million from £77.7 million a year earlier.

Last year's budget included a rise in remote gaming duty from 21 per cent to

40 per cent. There is also a new online sports betting duty of 25 per cent to cover all sports except UK horse racing.

The levies are expected to raise an extra £1.1 billion annually for the Treasury by 2029-30.

Evoke estimates the tax rises, prior to any mitigation measures, will add up to £135 million a year once the measures are fully implemented from next April.

It has offset more than half of the rise in gaming duty through 'lower but more effective marketing investment, improved promotional efficiency and operational cost savings'.

The company shut about 200 of its

high street shops in May to cut costs.

Per Widerström, chief executive, said: 'The first half demonstrated the resilience of the business in a significantly more challenging operating environment following substantial increases in gaming duties introduced across some of our core markets, most notably in the UK.'

Two months ago Evoke recommended a £24.1 million takeover by the Greek lottery and casino company Bally's Intralot. The companies said at the time that increases in gambling taxes in the UK and heightened competition have resulted in an 'opportunity for

consolidation'. Evoke expects the deal to complete in the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2027.

In the first half of the year, Evoke generated flat revenues of £887.5 million as higher online sales at William Hill in the UK and Ireland were offset by declining revenues at 888.

International sales fell by 2 per cent due to weaker trading in Spain and Romania, overshadowing growth of 21 per cent in Italy and 13 per cent in Denmark.

Shares in Evoke, down more than 70 per cent since its 2006 listing, were up by 5p, or 0.9 per cent, to 46p.

Asian tech stocks drive Norwegian wealth fund

Charlotte Bend

The soaring valuation of Asian semiconductor stocks, and its $12 billion holding in SpaceX, helped Norway's sovereign wealth fund to its strongest quarter in six years.

The world's largest sovereign fund, worth $2.3 trillion and managed by Norges Bank, returned 11.5 per cent in the second quarter. That lifted first-half profit to a record NKr1.75 trillion (£137 billion).

Equity investments drove the gains, with a 16 per cent return, while fixed income contributed 1.1 per cent. Unlisted real estate and infrastructure investments both returned 1.8 per cent. The fund's return was 22 basis points higher than its benchmark index.

'The result is driven by good returns in the equity market, particularly from Asian technology stocks,' Nicolai Tangen, the chief executive of Norges Bank Investment Management, said.

Norges owns about 1.5 per cent of all listed stocks globally with a small stake in more than 7,200 companies.

Its biggest holding at the end of the first half was $62 billion of Nvidia, followed by $52 billion of Apple and $50 billion of Alphabet. It also holds a 1 per cent stake in Tesla that was reported to be worth about $15.7 billion by the end of the first half. It owns about £90 billion of UK shares through close to 1,000 investments.

7,200

Companies across the world in which Norges owns a stake

The sovereign wealth fund was set up in the 1990s by the Norwegian government to manage profits from oil and gas revenues. Since 1998, it has generated an average annual return of 6.86 per cent. It accounts for about a quarter of Norway's public spending.

Tangen has, nevertheless, warned that there was a risk of the fund losing its entire value, given the extreme threats facing global markets.

In a speech to a political conference in Arendal, southern Norway, this week he said: 'I want to contribute to our mental emergency preparedness by asking the question, can the oil fund disappear?' The answer to that question is yes and the worst is that in the world we live in now, it is not completely improbable. No country in history has managed to retain such a considerable fortune for any length of time. Fortunes always end up disappearing.'

He highlighted several extreme scenarios that could threaten the fund's value, including nuclear war and acts of biological terrorism and warned of the possibility of a prolonged economic depression caused by a combination of factors, including the bursting of an 'Al bubble' and a trade war between the United States and China.

However, he added: 'It is interesting how the economy is more resilient than what was the case in the old days.'

'And so clearly companies have worked on supply chains, they worked on different back-up systems, they seem to have a more flexible supply situation generally. If you were going back two years, if you had predicted tariffs, trade barriers, you would not have expected the market and the economy to be as strong as it is.'

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Data centres and renewable energy help rebuild Balfour

Robert Lea Industrial Editor

Demand for US data centres and the transition of Britain's energy infrastructure has sent profits and orders surging at Balfour Beatty, and pushed its shares to a record high.

The rise in the construction company's stock, valuing the group at nearly £4.5 billion, raised the prospect of its re-entry to the FTSE 100 for the first time since a short-lived appearance in 2009.

It is quite a turnaround for a company that was in such crisis in 2014 that it received takeover bids from Carillion, a smaller rival that would subsequently go bust a little over three years later.

For the first six months of this year, Balfour reported a 46 per cent leap in pre-tax profits to £139 million on revenues 8 per cent up at £5.56 billion.

The results were driven by the number of UK energy transmission projects in the decarbonisation of the national networks entering the construction phase, and a return to profit in the US civil engineering division which accounts for about 40 per cent of group revenues.

On top of that, Balfour upgraded forecasts for the year from high single-digit percentage growth to a low double-digit percentage increase.

The earnings were not the only line exciting investors. The company cranked up the interim dividend by

Plugged in

12 per cent to 4.7p and reported that its order book has swollen to £22.9 billion, 17 per cent higher than a year ago. More importantly it is sitting on access to £1.7 billion of cash.

That means the company's £200 million share buyback programme is likely to be extended. A long dormant acquisition strategy in the US could also be renewed.

All that sent shares in Balfour up 61p, or 7 per cent, to close at 9265p. This time last year, the shares were at 550p. In the depths of the pandemic they were just above 200p.

"This is a strong operational and financial performance," Philip Hoare, the chief executive, said as he reported the first numbers that he can call his

own after joining the company last year from Atkins Réalis, the Canadian civil engineering consultancy.

Hoare replaced Leo Quinn, the executive brought in to save Balfour Beatty after the ignominy of the Carillion approach. He built the group back up based on a simple recipe of accepting only contracts on which it could make decent money, and then executing them without mishap. Quinn is now leading attempts to restore WH Smith, the retailer.

"We have a positive outlook and are in strong growth markets," Hoare said. "We are seeking significant and attractive future returns for our shareholders."

Balfour Beatty is a key player in Britain's energy and transport markets

— at the Hinkley Point and Sizewell nuclear power stations and building the grid connections for offshore wind farms; and on the HS2 railways project and upgrades of the country's road networks.

The company believes that the UK grid connections alone will lead to compound annual growth of 20 per cent and is claiming a 25 per cent share of the market.

However, it is in the US where Balfour sees big opportunities in building data centres for the artificial intelligence boom and in renewal programmes at airports. It says the data centres market is worth $250 billion over the next four years.

Stephen Rawlinson, an independent analyst of the sector, said: "The company has a high-quality problem which is around what it might do with its £1.7 billion of year-end cash.

"It has grown organically in recent years and shows limited interest in mergers and acquisition — and why not as it has plenty of growth in its current core operations and the relevant skills. But that is an area to explore."

Peel Hunt, the stockbroker, upgraded its target price for the shares to £10.50 from 960p, stating: "We expected a strong performance and Balfour Beatty delivered again. The outlook remains positive, supported by the rising and well-bid order book."

Vestas raises outlook as it blows away forecasts

Renewed hostilities raise pressure on oil supplies

Simon Freeman

Global oil supply will fall by 4.3 million barrels a day (bpd), or about 4 per cent, this year as renewed hostilities in the Middle East push the world deeper into an oil-market deficit, the global energy watchdog warned.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises industrialised countries, said that renewed attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and the expansion of the near six-month conflict into the Red Sea, had added further

disruption to strained supplies. The expected supply drop is steeper than the 3.7 million bpd reduction if forecast last month when ceasefire talks were taking place: it would put global supply about 1.27 million bpd below demand.

Middle East oil loadings had recovered to 20 million bpd at the start of July, broadly in line with pre-war Hormuz traffic the IEA said, but dropped back to 12 million bpd later in the month. Middle East production was 8.3 million bpd below pre-war levels in July, the IEA added, compared with 14 million bpd of

lost output at the peak of the crisis. "The nascent recovery under way from mid-May narrowed the supply deficit in June, but renewed hostilities undermined trade flows," it said.

For 2027, the agency sees global supply outstripping total demand by 4.61 million bpd, assuming de-escalation in the coming months. That surplus could allow inventories to recover to their February 2026 level by the middle of next year.

The IEA now expects global demand to contract this year by 1.6 million bpd,

steeper than the roughly one million bpd drop seen last month.

Restricted refined fuel supplies and higher prices, have curtailed demand, the IEA said, with naphtha and gasoil (red diesel) the worst-hit products, and Asia and the Middle East bearing the brunt of the year-on-year declines.

The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark which has swung between $70 and $120 in the past few months, was trading at just below $85 yesterday having begun the week at $80.

Caitlin Moran on How to be Hopeful

Join us for a brilliantly funny and uplifting evening as Times columnist Caitlin Moran hits the stage for the London instalment of her nationwide tour. In conversation with her friend and colleague – Times Radio presenter Hugo Rifkind – Caitlin will unravel the themes of her essential new book, How to be Hopeful: A Year of Attempting to Feel Less Awful About the World.

St Mary's Church, Bryanston Square, London, W1H 1PQ

Book your tickets at thetimes.com/events

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43

Business

HENRIK GUSTAFLIN/OCO UNIVERSAL IMAGES

Henrik Anderson, chief executive of Vestas, which had profits double those forecast by analysts

One of Europe's largest wind turbine makers had second-quarter profits of more than double forecasts, announced a buyback programme and said turnaround plans had succeeded (Charlotte Bend writes).

Vestas, which in January received a £20 million grant to safeguard more than 300 jobs at a factory on the Isle of Wight, raised its full-year outlook. It said

operating profit before special items for the April to June quarter rose to €446 million against €57 million a year ago and an average forecast of €205 million.

The Danish company expects a full-year operating margin before special items of 7 per cent to 9 per cent, up from 6 per cent to 8 per cent. Sales would be between €20 billion and €22 billion. In 2025, revenue was €18.8 billion.

The 600-strong workforce at the site on the Isle of Wight were told at the start of the year their jobs were at risk due to a lack of demand for offshore turbine blades. About half of these roles were saved by the government-provided support.

Henrik Anderson, chief executive, said: "The improvement was driven by power solutions, both onshore and offshore, while order intake grew 67 per cent year-on-year. We raise the 2026 outlook on profitability."

Vestas' book of orders and service agreements was worth €76.9 billion at the end of the second quarter, up from €9.6 billion a year ago. The Copenhagen-listed shares closed up DKr34.80, or 19.66 per cent, at DKr211.80.

Swap shops for homes to revitalise our high streets

Stuart Lipton Comment

Britain's high streets are not failing because people have stopped shopping. They are changing because the way we live, work, socialise and spend our time has changed.

For decades we have tried to save the high street by attracting more shops. But we cannot out-Amazon Amazon. Online retail offers convenience, price, and choice, that's something the high street finds almost impossible with the days of parking or even a decent toilet long gone. Stop trying to recreate the past and build something far more ambitious: a place people visit because it makes their lives better.

The high street of the future should be Britain's modern village green — a place to live, work, learn, exercise, create, meet friends, find a partner, start a business, and feel part of society. It is no longer a retail pitch. It is a social contract.

Covid accelerated one of the biggest changes to our towns in generations. Millions discovered they could work from home — and then discovered its limits like discovering a friendship or meeting a future partner at a kitchen table. People have rediscovered the value of being together. Offices will concentrate in the big cities, leaving many secondary towns with only local businesses. That is not a problem; it is an extraordinary opportunity.

Redundant offices and car parks can become housing, gardens, and public spaces. The handsome houses that originally formed our streets, long ago converted to shops and offices, should be converted back into homes.

Thousands of empty upper floors above shops should become attractive, affordable, accessible homes or redeveloped into new higher-density buildings with community amenities —

particularly for older people, who stay independent longer living close to shops, transport, healthcare, and other people.

More residents mean more customers, more businesses, and safer streets. Housing is not something alongside the high street. Housing is the high street.

The successful street needs a new mix. Roughly one third can remain retail — independent, specialist and innovative rather than identical chains, with planning enforcement keeping the street free of paraphernalia (removing vape shops from Class E would be an easy start). One third should be services and hospitality: cafés, restaurants, fitness, repair — things that make people stay rather than merely transact.

The final third should be civic infrastructure: GP surgeries, diagnostic clinics, libraries, nurseries, education, workspace, and culture. Health and education generate the daily footfall that retail once did. A wellbeing centre offering preventative checks could be the modern street's most important anchor — and people fit to leave hospital but with nowhere suitable to go could move to accessible town centre apartments, close to care and company, instead of blocking beds. Do not keep people in expensive hospitals when what they need is somewhere appropriate to live.

At the centre of every town should be a beautiful square — the community's living room, where a community café sells a good cappuccino for 11, because meeting someone should be affordable. And we must rediscover fun. There should always be something happening, live music, street theatre, a lunchtime comedian, food festivals, markets. People are attracted to places where other people are having a good time. A successful high street makes people say: let's go into town — there's always something on.

Add the things the internet cannot supply. An AI and innovation centre

offering affordable courses in the technology changing our lives; a library reform as a centre for ideas; makers' spaces, a Men's Shed, a community kitchen teaching families to cook dinner for £5; padel, table-tennis and bowls; a flexible hall that is a meeting place in the morning and a theatre or cinema at night; and affordable units where young entrepreneurs test ideas — on fair business rates that no longer handicap the physical shop against the online warehouse. Beauty matters through public green space architecture, trees, water, seating, light. Every high street should be treated as a piece of civic art.

The social dividend would be enormous. A young person not in education, employment or training (Neet) could walk into that centre and learn coding, cooking, or construction and bring back the fun from childhood hobbies and discover a talent that leads to a job. Young people with somewhere to go and people who believe in them are far harder for criminal gangs to exploit. Loneliness falls: physical and mental health improves; pressure on the NHS eases.

Above all, we improve the nation's spirits and confidence and optimism are not soft economics but the raw material of growth and we save billions in welfare.

This needs a national mission: government and local leaders with the help of devolution helping towns acquire and convert redundant buildings, restore houses, create squares, and fund civic facilities — judged not by shops opened but by homes, jobs, health, and happiness created.

The purpose of development is not to construct buildings. It is to improve people's lives. If we create places that people love, they will come. If they come, businesses will thrive. And if people have somewhere to go, something to do and people to meet, we can rebuild not just Britain's high streets, but Britain's confidence.

Sir Stuart Lipton is the co-founder of Lipton Rogers Developments

NO-FLY SELF-GUIDED RAIL JOURNEY Classic Scandinavia

August 2026 to December 2027

Embark on the ultimate European rail adventure without the stress of the airport. Depart London St Pancras and glide through six incredible countries on this amazing flight-free journey.

Your itinerary

London, UK – Cologne, Germany (overnight) – Hamburg (overnight) – Copenhagen, Denmark (two nights) – Malmo, Sweden (two nights) – Gothenburg (two nights) – Oslo, Norway (two nights) – Sleeper cabin (overnight) – Hamburg, Germany (overnight) – Brussels, Belgium (overnight) – London, UK

What's included

• All train travel, including return Eurostar from London St Pancras
• Digital journey guide with tickets and personalised recommendations
• Seat reservations
• Specially selected hotels
• Save £300 when booked by September 30, 2026^
• Times+ members save an extra £100^
• For your unique code, go to thetimes.com/timesplus

Call 0808 231 1455 or visit thetimes.com/th-classicsscandinavia

TIMES Holidays

Terms and conditions apply. *Price shown is per person, based on February 9, 2027 departure and excludes mandatory local taxes/revert fees payable locally (amount varies by destination), these will be included in your quote. Price correct as of August 12, 2026 and subject to change and availability. ^£100 off Times+ offer applicable to each Times Holidays booking made by December 31, 2026 with a minimum speed of £2,000 when quoting your unique Times+ code. Visit thetimes.com/timesplus for full terms and conditions. £100 flyway offer on all Times Holidays bookings made by September 30, 2026. Offers and bookings are subject to availability, see supplier website for full T&L's. This holiday is sold by Times Holidays as an agent for flyway Travel and protected under ABTA P8770. For full booking conditions, visit thetimes.com/holidays/terms-and-conditions.

ABTA Agencies and Employers ABTA P&L P8770

---

44

Business

The Times unit trust information service

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
ALLIAR2 GLOBAL INVESTORS
Inv Serv 020 7800 1400 Hobbies: 0800 317 573
Strategy Bond Fund	139.17		-0.12	0.10
UK Equity A t	481.5		-1.03	3.93
UK Growth t	3643.74		-47.69	2.21

ARTEMIS FUND MGRS

0800 692 2051

Authorised Inv Funds

Global Income Fund A Inc	1304.06	-3.05
Global Income Fund B Inc	1224.05	-1.72
Global Income Fund C	227.78	-0.76
High Income Fund B Inc	16.91	-0.03
Income Fund A Inc t	608.00	-0.18
Income Fund B Inc t	309.72	-0.14
Monthly Bm A & Inc t	42.69	-0.32
SmartEasy Easy Equity A	4988.04	-3.56
SmartEasy Global Equity A	4973.91	-0.62
SmartEasy UK Equity A	4298.95	-13.62
Strategy Bond A & Inc t	96.69	-0.69
Strategy Bond B & Inc t	96.69	-0.21
Strategy Bond B & Inc t	52.66	-0.1
Strategy Bond B & Inc t	116.27	-0.23
Strategy Bond B & Inc t	52.52	-0.1
UK Select B & c t	1016.74	-18.35
UK Smaller Can B & c t	1373.24	-17
UK Special Slt A & Inc t	1112.6	-0.8

AXA FRANKINGTON UNIT MGMT

Dling: 0800 602 1951 Pro Clients:0845 777 9511

Health t	2396	-23.66
UK Select Dept Inc t	2568	-2.06
UK Select Inc Inc t	2325.9	-1.20
UK Spot Expt A Bm t	239	-0.98

AXA FUND MANAGERS

Admin A Box 8117 989 8000

UK Global Investment Companies

Global Fund A & C t	281.1	0.52
Japan A & C t	162.3	1.51

CFS UNIT MANAGERS

0507 46 46 46

European Growth t	294.26	1.14
Sec Limited t	1838	1.47
UK Growth t/IF	802.88	2.49
UK Income t/IF	259.28	3.03

CLOSE FUND MANAGEMENT

Dealing:020 7426 6232

Winchester t	5662.32	0.40

COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE INVESTMENTS

Expo:0679 601 6183 Dealing: 0570 6803

Share Class 2 Retail

Euro Exch A Inc t	1627	-7	0.10
FTSE All Sln Trust t	7492	-0.1	2.70
Global Fund A&C t	496.2	-1.5	-
Strategy B&I t	226.7	-0.5	3.90

EIGHTHSE INV MGMT

0800 350 3010

Said Zar Expts A Bm t/IF	495	-1.20	1.77
Said Zar Expts A Bm t	463.2	-0.90	0.55
Said Main Income t	142.8	-0.45	4.72
Said Sterling Bond A Bm t	59.35	-0.31	4.98
Said All Expts A Bm t/IF	256.5	-1.30	2.63
Said All Expts Bps A Bm t	238.7	-0.99	2.42

FIDELITY INTERNATIONAL

Private Ctrs:0800 414161 Broker Dlps:0800 424321

Amer Spec t	2958	-	-
American t	3899	-	-
East Expts t	1361.4	-	0.40
European t	4864	-	0.76
Global Focus t	5741	-	-
Global Fair Income Bond A Bm t	32.18	-	0.39
Global Special Slt t	9824	-	-
Japan t	994.7	-	0.33
Mannequiter B&I t	40.78	-	0.60
Mannequiter Inc t	20.28	-	5.02
Mannequiter All Slt t	202.46	-	2.47
Special Slt t	2548	-	1.64

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
UK Opportunities Fund A Bm t	180.8		-	3.81

HALIFAX INVESTMENT FUND MGRS

0176 386 386

Authorised Inv Funds

Share Class C

Corporate Bond t	37.42	-	-	4.50
Intl Exch t	23.6	-	-	8.40
UK FTSE 300 FT t	108.8	-	-	-
UK FTSE 424 617 t	122.6	-	-	-

HSBC GLOBAL ASSET MGMT (UK)

Exp:0845 745 6123 Exp:0845 745 6126 Mon-Fri:0 8-6

HSBC Index Trustee Investment Funds (IDEC)

Amer Ind A & t	1424	-7	0.77
Euro Ind A & t	1866	-4	2.27
Euro Ind Inc t	1882	-2	2.32
FTSE 100 Ind A & t	441.8	-0.5	2.49
FTSE 100 Ind Inc t	1793	-0.2	2.68
FTSE 250 Ind A & t	814.1	-4.0	2.84
FTSE 250 Ind Inc t	224.5	-2.2	2.83
FTSE 3015 A & t	1128	-5	2.65
FTSE FTSE 4015 Inc t	1013.1	-1.7	2.79
Japan Ind A & t	257.4	-2.3	2.42
Japan Ind Inc t	1721.3	-1.6	2.46
Pacific Ind A & t	1399	-13	2.56
Pacific Ind Inc t	599.5	-7.5	2.50

HSBC Investment Funds (IDEC) Retail Share Class

Cap All Inc t/IF	312.5	-1.1	4.20
Income Inc t	1462	-	3.20
Income Inc t/IF	482.7	-0.1	2.31
Monthly Inc A& t/IF	313.4	-	3.75
Monthly Inc Inc t/IF	135.9	-	4.02
UK A& B & Inc A& B Inc t	1020.8	-0.2	2.97
UK A& B & Inc A& B Inc t	1457.59	-0.07	3.84

HSBC Specialist Investment Fds (IDEC)

American Index Retail Inc t	1298	-5	0.75

INVESCO FUND MGRS LTD

Dling:0800 005 8371 Inv Serv:0800 003 8677

Btr: Serv:0800 020 3121

Invoice Funds

Cap Bond t	232.35	-	4.06
High Income Dm t	434.29	-	3.14
Income & Growth Dm t	505.68	-	3.09
Income Inc t	1677.56	-	2.05
Money Acc t	107.86	-	3.64
Monthly Inc Pm Dm t	92.39	-	5.73
UK Exps UK Acc t	1397.96	-	1.47
UK Services Exps Acc t	1319.59	-	1.19

INVESTEC FUND MGRS LTD

Broker Support and Dealing: 020 7597 2900

OGC Sector I, I, I & II

American A Acc t	302.68	-0.1	-
Cashless Manager A Acc t	475.52	-0.56	2.61
Cashless Manager A Inc t	1376.16	-0.3	2.46
Direct/Red Growth A & t	1331.29	-0.03	0.20
Direct/Red Growth Inc t	122.63	-0.31	0.59
Direct/Red Income A Acc t	576.73	-0.1	3.10
Direct/Red Income A Inc t	67.83	-0.02	5.30
Inverity Mtn Decile D&I A t	1463	-0.02	5.97
Inverity Mtn Decile D&I t	66.18	-0.01	7.67
Emerging Mtn Equity A & t	1893	-0.04	8.04
Emerging Mtn Cashm A Inc t	1234.0	-10.73	-
Global Equity A & c t	304.2	-0.63	-
Global Franchise A Acc t	436.96	-2.34	-
Global Fair Enterprise A & t	1522.27	-12.65	-
Global Gold A Acc t	579.2	-1.25	-
Global Social Structure A & t	1013.0	-8.29	-

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
Global Special Structure A Inc t	489.16	-	-0.22	-
UK Special Structure A Inc t	1756.07	-	-10.77	3.03
UK Special Structure A Inc t	441.21	-0.16	3.03	-

Far 15% Asset Mgmt: see FSC F3 Mgmt Ltd (IDEC) JAMES HERBDEESON INVESTORS

Inventor Serv: 0800 832 831 Dlng:0845 946 4646

All Smls Gold A & c t	1110	-4.50
Asian Sln Int Tl Trad A Inc t	1438	-5.60
Cashless Manager Fd A Inc t	1911	-1.00
Cashless Manager A & c t	1341	-3.00
China App Bond A & c t	1200	-0.10
Short Term Bank A & c t	1061	-0.10
Fin & Wmthrs Inc Fd A c t	312	-5.90
Global Equity Trad A c t	6420	-0.20
Global Equity Income A t	6421	-2.30
Global Fund A & c t	7120	-0.10
UK All Sln Expts A & c t	1384.47	-0.10
All Assets Mtn Mtn A & c t	1381	-2.30
All Main Income Fd A & c t	199	-0.6
All Main Inc Slt A & c t	1411	-2.00
All Main Inc Fd A & c t	1253.6	-2.30
Sterling Bond Tl Trad A c t	2781	-4.30
Sterling Bond Tl Trad A c t	35.61	-4.30
Emerging Bond A & c t	95.59	-5.70
UK A& B & C & A & c t	2917	-2.30
UK A& B & C & A & c t	2823	-1.30
UK Growth Fund A & c t	3037	-

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT

IDEC

UK Expts Gen B & Inc t	1732.000	-0.2000	2.51

JUPITER UT TRUST MANAGERS LTD

020 7581 3020

Brentford A & Growth t	125.51	-0.4579	2.93
Euro Special Slt t	696.24	-0.5167	0.71
Financial Mgt t	4568.52	-0.5312	0.61
Financial Mgt t	1562.69	-0.3157	1.01
Global Micro Slt t, GDP A/C t	437.77	-0.2812	2.67
Marble B & Inc t	348.29	-0.8566	2.26

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
Sterling Class A Investment Funds 2
Extra Income Inc t	227.64	-	-	5.69
GM A & Int Int Inc t	67.39	-	-	4.30
GM W & B & Inc t	94.2	-	-	6.25
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Index Fds Inc t	139.81	-0.0369	-	3.00
Short Retail Cap B& Inc t	25.36	-	-	4.25
UK Select A & Inc t	1018.51	-	-	2.64

Sterling Class A Investment Funds 3

Cap B & Inc t	22.07	-	-	5.01
Brentford Inc t	66.62	-	-	5.36
Brentford A & c t	243.89	-	-	3.04
Sat Gas Inc t	162.87	-	-	2.79

Sterling Class A Investment Funds 4

Episode Allocation A Inc t	1162.81	-	3.70

MARKS & SPONSOR UNIT TRUST

0800 005 9500

High Income t	87.34	-	-	4.60
High Income Acc t	297.1	-	-	4.60
UK S&P Expts Acc t	721.1	-	-	3.10
UK S&P Expts Acc t	324.4	-	-	3.10
UK Select Prof t	485.1	-	-	2.90
UK Select Prof Acc t	1141.1	-	-	2.90
UK A&B Mgt Acc t	1361	-	-	4.30
Worldwide Mgt Acc t	796.3	-	-	4.39

MORGAN STABLET INVESTMENT MGMT

Emu/Inc: 0800 0961 962

The Morgan Stanley Funds (UK)

Class A Shares

Equity

Gold B&I Inc F F Acc t	3049.86	-	-	3.54
Gold B&I Inc F F Inc t	930.65	-	-	3.55
Gold B&I Inc F F Inc t	936.69	-	-	3.49
Gold B&I Inc F F Inc t	3036.52	-	-	3.47
Gold B&I Inc F F F Acc t	3036.48	-	-	3.45
Gold B&I Inc F F F Acc t	949.88	-	-	3.46
Gold B&I Inc F F F Acc t	3039.12	-	-	3.57
Gold B&I Inc F F F Inc t	949.46	-	-	3.60
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Marble Growth Acc t	336.47	-0.3659	0.20
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Marble Wkrdle Inc t	613.67	-0.6342	-
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UK Growth t	265.93	-0.1336	0.64
UK Income Trad t	3021.84	-0.2632	4.50

LEGAL & GENERAL (UT MANAGS) LTD

Emu/Inc: 0870 008 0955 Dealing: 0870 050 0956

Euro Ind Acc t	820.7000	-0.0000	190.00
Euro Ind Inc t/IF	802.9000	-0.0000	190.00
Fixed Int Acc t	293.6000	-0.0000	360.00
Fixed Int Acc t	612.2000	-0.0000	360.00
Global Health t	125.2	-2.7	0.50
Gold Tech Acc t/IF	258.5	-0.3	-
High Inc Acc t/IF	291.5000	-0.0000	370.00
Japan Ind Acc t	112.9000	-0.0000	120.00
Pacific Ind Acc t	617.7000	-0.0000	140.00
UK Index Trust Acc t	945.5000	-	250.00
UK Main Trust Acc t	234.0000	-	250.00
UK Ind Acc t	1420	-4	0.50
Worldwide Acc t	653.0000	-0.0000	90.00

M&G SECURITIES

Exp:0800 390 390 Dealing Line: 0800 320 3196

Authorised Inv Funds

Chartered Inv t	3906.11	-0.1250992	5.12

Gold Dr Fund A & c t	1023.91	-	-	0.32
Gold Dr Fund A & c t	1941.91	-	-	0.45
Gold Dr Fund A & c t	1176.7	-	-	0.45
Gold Dr Fund A & c t	1024.76	-	-	0.32
Global Equity Fund A & c t	1056.74	-	-	0.49
Gold Equity Fund A & c t	1212.74	-	-	0.51
Gold Equity Fund A & c t	1339.4	-	-	0.54
Gold Equity Fund A & c t	1551.22	-	-	0.24
Gold Equity Fund A & c t	1576.37	-	-	0.51
Sty Cap Expts F t Inc t	144.75	-	-	0.67
Sty Cap Expts F t Inc t	98.18	-	-	0.09
Sty Cap Expts F t Inc t	1102.61	-	-	0.72
Sty Cap Expts F t Inc t	3062.87	-	-	0.72
US A& F F Acc t	1456.87	-	-	-
US A& F F Acc t	1477.51	-	-	-
US A& F F Acc t	2106.39	-	-	-
US A& F F Acc t	1529.8	-	-	-

Gold Dr Fund A & c t	1901.09	-	-	3.60
Gold Dr Fund A & c t	1616.0	-	-	2.02
Gold Dr Fund A & c t	1614.7	-	-	2.02
Gold Income Acc t	1630.76	-	-	-
Amer Exp Gln Acc t	295.06	-	-	0.32
UK A&ng Glt Acc t	203	-	-	1.57
Gold Equity Acc t	257.00	-	-	-

Myber Inc Acc t	106.85	-	-	-
Myber Inc Acc t	48.10	-	-	4.50
Myber Inc Inc t	526.4	-	-	3.00
UK D&I A&g A & c t	1.0	-	-	1.00

Far Resolution see bpris

TUFUND-MANAGERS LTD

FDL Exchange for E-FrUGRE 1830 t 121

* Yield expressed as GPC (Campanel Annual Balance)

* Ex-Dividend, 1900.00 (61%)	-	90.1 (0.47)	4.00 (0.61)	4.00
Female charge (reduction from capital) t/For change	-	1270.4000 (446.3900)	-25.50	4.20

	Soft	Buy	+/-	Y/N %
Merial Slt t	1429.4900	1928.7600	-	7.01
BP Equity Inc	562.2500	593.0000	-	7.01

SCOTTI SH WIDONS UNIT TRUST IMAGES

0800 380 2244

Overseas Growth Investment Funds

Tracker & Special Investment Funds

Stt Tntr A & c t	687.3	-1.00	2.93
Stt Tntr A Inc t	279.5	-0.46	2.95

UK & Income Investment Funds

---

45

Markets Business

Robert Stephens Tempus Buy, sell or hold: today's best share tips

Why it's worth investing in this flyer

IAG

Market cap | First-half revenue €16.1bn

International Airlines Group's half-year results highlight the scale of challenges faced by the airline industry. The British Airways owner reported a 6 per cent year-on-year decline in operating profits amid higher fuel costs prompted by elevated geopolitical risks.

When combined with an uncertain near-term consumer outlook across its key markets, downbeat financial prospects for the current year, and a share price that has risen by 162 per cent in the past five years, should investors avoid the FTSE 100 group?

IAG was formed when British Airways and Spain's national carrier, Iberia, merged in 2011. It also owns the budget airlines Vueling and Level, as well as Ireland's flag carrier, Aer Lingus, alongside its cargo and package holiday operations.

While the company's fleet of 628 aircraft fly to 285 destinations in 93 countries between them, IAG's customer base is heavily focused on the UK, Spain and the US. They accounted for 71 per cent of revenue in the first six months of the current year, with their uncertain near-term economic outlook set to contribute to a 5 per cent decline in IAG's earnings per share (EPS) this year.

Indeed, persistently sticky inflation and possible interest rate rises are likely to weigh on consumer demand for discretionary purchases such as air travel. However, this tough set of circumstances is set to give way to a more ebullient outlook during the

Soaring

ADVICE Buy WHY A wide margin of safety means there is scope for substantial capital growth over the long run

medium term as inflation gradually falls and interest rate cuts move onto central bank agendas.

Next year, for instance, IAG is expected to post a 17 per cent rise in EPS. This means that its bottom line is due to be 11 per cent higher in 2027 than it was in 2025, despite the forecast fall in earnings this year.

Its profitability on a per share basis is set to be boosted by the continuation of a €15 billion share buyback programme that was announced in February and is just

over 50 per cent complete. Share repurchases represent an extremely logical use of the company's excess cash, given its modest market valuation.

Even after their surge in the past five years, which equates to a 112 percentage point outperformance of the UK's large-cap index, IAG's shares trade on a price-to-earnings ratio of just 7.4. This is significantly lower than the FTSE 100's earnings multiple of 18.1 and shows that, as well as having scope for a material upward rerating and subsequent capital gains, the stock offers a wide margin of safety to factor in ongoing heightened geopolitical risks.

Notably, a continuation of the conflict in the Middle East, which presently seems highly likely, could prompt IAG to cancel additional flights. Its actions in this area have

already contributed to a 0.1 per cent decline in seat capacity in the first half of the year, and the group is anticipating that seat capacity will flattine, versus a previous forecast of a 2 to 4 per cent rise, in the full year.

Elevated geopolitical risks in the Middle East could also prompt a further rise in jet fuel prices. They are already up 6.3 per cent on their level from the start of the year and, even though IAG stated in its half-year results that it expects to recover about 60 per cent of the higher fuel cost via price increases and efficiencies, it would still act as a drag on the company's financial performance.

IAG, though, has the financial means to overcome a period of industry-related challenges: its half-year results, for instance, showed that it had a net debt-to-equity ratio of 54 per cent, while net interest costs were covered 5.9 times by operating profits in the six-month period. The company's total liquidity, moreover, increased by €925 million year-on-year so that it is now in excess of €11.8 billion.

Clearly, no amount of cash will prevent IAG's share price from moving erratically in the coming months. Indeed, it is likely to display a significant amount of volatility as the outlook for the economy and geopolitical risks evolve.

Investors, though, should feel optimistic about the company's capacity to deliver FTSE 100-heating capital gains in the long run. Its wide margin of safety, solid fundamentals and upbeat industry outlook over a multi-year time horizon mean that it offers highly favourable investment prospects.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Whitbread to sell 53 sites

Whitbread has struck a deal to sell off dozens more restaurants as it focuses on its higher-margin hotels business. The FTSE 100 owner of Premier Inn is to offload 53 esterses to Queensway Inns, a Newcastle-based hospitality business, for an undisclosed price.

Dominic Paul, the chief executive, first announced plans to hire off some of its struggling restaurants two years ago. His initial plan was to close 238 diners, which trade mainly under the Beefater and Brewers Faye brands. Of those 238 restaurants, 112 are being converted into extra bedrooms and 126 sites will be sold.

Whitbread said in March that 51 had been sold so far. The Queensway deal puts the company a step closer to completing the disposals programme.

In April, Whitbread announced it would shut the remainder of its 197-strong restaurant portfolio, with 110 sold as going concerns and 87 converted into new rooms. The latest closures are expected to affect 3,800 jobs. Queensway's acquisition could result in 900 jobs being saved.

Premier Inn is Britain's biggest hotel brand, delivering high margins and returns that the restaurant division had failed to match.

The future of the remaining restaurant sites remains uncertain. Queensway plans to rebrand and relaunch sites as affordable pubs but the brand name, menu and opening dates have not been confirmed.

EasyJet attendants strike

EasyJet flight attendants in France will go on strike on August 15 and 16 to demand better working conditions, their trade unions said yesterday. "Any flight cancellations or disruptions resulting from these days of action will be solely attributable to easyJet, which has chosen not to give a serious response to the repeated warnings over the past months," the unions said. EasyJet said it had made an offer to tackle the concerns of its staff and asked the unions to call off the strike as more talks were scheduled in September. EasyJet will offer passengers options such as free transfers and refunds.

Card payment scam alert

Concerns about a "dangerous" scam where victims are being tricked into approving card payments have been raised by Which? The consumer group warned that criminals may use similar tactics to those in authorised push-payment scams, where people are manipulated into making a bank transfer. Many "authorised" scams involve people sending money to fraudsters directly from their bank accounts. Which? said people may struggle to claim for payments they have authorised to a legitimate company, even if the money ultimately ends up in the hands of a criminal.

Ancora sticks to its offer

The activist investor Ancora Holdings said that it has proposed to buy HB Fuller's building adhesives division for as much as $1.2 billion in cash. Ancora said it had privately re-engaged with HB Fuller's chief executive and chairman in early July for a deal, but had not received a substantive reaction. "We fear your collective preference for entrenchment is once again impairing your judgment," the activist investor said in a letter. Earlier this year, HB Fuller agreed to buy Advanced Medical Solutions, the UK medical supplier, in a cash deal valuing it at about £175 million, including debt.

JP Morgan delivers a boost to Ocado's shares

MARKET REPORT

Along with Aston Martin, Ocado Group is one of the most heavily traded and volatile stocks on the FTSE 250 (Robert Miller writes).

Yesterday, shares in the company comfortably topped the leaderboard of the more UK-focused index with a rise of 34½p, or 15.6 per cent, to 25½p, after a favourable note from JP Morgan, the heavyweight US investment bank.

"We continue to view the risk/reward as highly attractive (although volatility is likely to remain) and reiterate our 'overweight' rating," Marcus Diebel, an analyst, said in a research note. JP Morgan has set a new price target for Ocado of 29½p, up from 24½p. For the record, Aston Martin rose ½p, or 1.7 per cent, to 35½p, but the shares are still down by 4.6 per cent in the past month.

Those gains helped the FTSE 250 to finish higher again with a rise of 15.13 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 24,814.88, not far off Friday's record close of 24,854.86. A tier above, the FTSE 100 did not fare so well, closing down for a third consecutive session with a fall of 11.04 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 10,833.15.

Supermarkets played their role on the negative side with Tesco, down 9p, or 2 per cent, at 452½p after a downbeat

Wall Street report

Indices were mixed despite mild inflation data reinforcing bets the Federal Reserve will hold rates steady and A1-related stocks being back in favour. Cloud company CoreWeave's upbeat results lifted the stock 19.3 per cent while chip maker Nvidia, also an investor in CoreWeave, was up 3 per cent. The S&P 500 rose 20.30 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 7,248.50 as the Nasdaq gained 143.04 points, or 0.5 per cent, at 26,588.49. The Dow Jones industrial average, fell 21.58 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 53,770.27.

The day's biggest movers

Company	Ours
Admiral Group	2.9%
InterContinental Hotels Group	2.7%
Xi Group	2.6%
Endurance Mining	2.5%
Fresello	2.3%
Italy	-2.6%
IG Group	-2.6%
Reckitt Bendisier	-2.8%
Marks & Spencer	-4.0%
Barberry	-4.2%

Ocado was the biggest riser on the FTSE 250 after a positive note from the bank

note from Clive Black, head of consumer research at Shore Capital. After a promising start in which the veteran retail analyst praised "an outstanding management team [that] has executed retail delivery with excellent consistency and strong capital discipline...making for attractive total shareholder returns" he downgraded the stock from "buy" to "hold" with a promise to return for a fresh look at a later date.

The Tesco downgrade was certainly a dampener on the stock but the wider supermarket was under a cloud in any case after the Food and Drink Federa-

tion warned on Tuesday that crop shortages and price increases are "inevitable". Rival J Sainsbury was down 6½p, or 1.9 per cent, at 338p. Marks & Spencer, which also has a big presence in the food market, was the second biggest faller on the FTSE 100, down 16½p, or 4 per cent, to 385½p, but then there might be an element of profit taking as the stock has risen nearly 17 per cent since the start of the year.

The top performer was Admiral Group, up 108p, or 2.9 per cent, at £38.28 as UBS reiterated a "buy" recommendation with a target of £43.

---

46

Business

EQUITY PRICES

Dividend yields Please note dividend yields are supplied by UCE Data Services. The yield is the sum of a company's annual 12-month dividend payments divided by the last day's closing share price.

12-month high and low High/low prices for UK equities and investment trusts are based on intra-day figures.

12-monthHigh Low Company		Price(£)	ForecastP/E, P/E

Automobiles & Part

831,	1921, Inter-Martin Lay	593,-	-	5, -	-0.7

Banking & Finance

203	1777, Alderman Group	2935,-	-	13, 52 11.6
	51, 81, North 20%	45,		-1.6
4968	2629, Admiral	8129	+	108, 17 25.5
6402	4005, 61 50%	613,-	-	2, 64 23.9
10342	10372, ACN Corp	26108	-	0.9
2139	799, Altschulz	839	-	29, 64 7.6
2762	1163, Alchemie Group	1155,-	-	5, 74 10.4
21162	14382, Australia & NZ	39645,-	-	95, 65 18.7
7132	1992, Bishak	784,-	-	7, 64 16.2
11211	6831, Gasco Sottoside	8390	+	4, 55 14.1
7549	2012, Barclayes	5199,-	-	30, 12 11.9
372	4, 8362, Star Capital	45,		-2.2
733	613, BP David & Pte Ltd	615	-	14, 54 5.1
9135	212, Bridgeport Inc	1992,-	-	10, 25 67.7
817	1949, Pincross	833	-	1, 62 40.9
442	349, City of London Inc	402	-	3, 63 36.2
7132	1042, Cross Bros	634	-	25, -4.3
753	292, CMC (Shelter)	694	-	6, 16 25.2
29373	2007, Deutsche Bank	2046,-	-	120, 16 10.5
24	14, USA Access (http)	74		0.9
2465	136, DTC Special Sign	111		-0.7
89	52, Fisher	672,-		1.7 5.9
92	86, Foresight Services NCT	107		4.5 35.5
4769	2213, Georgia Capital	4939	+	50, -2.0
57	4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
230	194, Helioc & NOK	2235,-	-	5, 65 7.7
2969	1757, Mhouse	1860	+	29, 12 13.5
3449	5020, M&E	10377,-	-	120, 16 13.2
2976	1016, IG Group	1154,-	-	36, 11 5.2
304	982, Impex Asset (Type 8)	116	+	4, 65 7.3
2304	14269, ICSI	2002		4.2 12.3
1892	1170, Ind. Public Policy	143		6.3 12.6
499	4999, Invescloc	6395,-	-	5, 57 0.7
76	58, Investment Co	766,-	-	5, -
735	48, IP Group	715,-	-	5, 10 9.9
24	62, Euro Securities	75,-	-	5, 40.2 3.4
2142	1132, Iusine Fund (Type 1)	1645,-	-	5, 17 8.4
304	549, Lancashire (App)	5992,-	-	1.0 6.6
3101	1175, Legal & General	3507,-	+	1, 72 36.1
11294	1008, Lim Finance Group (12)	4	-	0.5 0.9
809	1222, Contract Asset Mgmt (13)	4	-	0.6 20.6
61	39, Unwrewnt Ins Co	375,-		0.4 16.0
1175	175, Lloyds Bankhop	1155,-	-	15, 55 16.5
21	14, UBC (Unit)	19	-	5, 80.7
8104	4669, London Stock Exchange(1)	4	-	14, 36.7
6421	247, M&E	1931,-	-	5, 62 27.9
1175	1345, New Group	1145,-	-	15, 44 27.6
195	29, Mass Financial Co	34		2.1 4.4
10	52, Education Capital	5	-	5, -13.6
1895	982, Rebro Bank	1761,-	-	30, -25.6

12-monthHigh Low Company		Price(£)	ForecastP/E, P/E
26111	10645, National Australia	21665,-	166, 42 20.5
738	5000, NatWest Group	1195,-	-75, 49 12.4
8402	4000, Pindfield	7902,-	61, 67 40.9
1218	9136, Prudential	3612	-5, 19 0.9
15	45, Systems Blockade	45,-	-0.9
209	1500, Ballon	1995,-	-5, 32 22.4
2969	1500, Baltimore Group	1694	-8, 59 37.7
329	298, Statistical Strategy	316	-2, -0.6
24500	1629, 1 & 2	10372,-	-25, 59 9.9
1	45, Green Lumber	15,-	-7.2
995	403, Schroder BGT	495,-	-5, 59 -
1992	1000, Schroder	583	-5, 16 17.1
15791	10300, St James's Place	1119	-81, 15 11.8
2139	1209, Standard Court	1229	-7, 23 25.4
9492	612, Standard Life	934	-12, 41 19.1
63471	42462, San Ltr Canada	59592,-	-161, 14 -
45	25, Tactical Issue	3	-13, 2.6
5300	3613, TBC Bank Grp	4010	-19, 53 6.0
15	95, Farrar	15,-	-5, -1.5
64	482, Time France	525,-	-0.2
45	45, Farrar	45,-	-1.8
4	15, FactSet	35,-	-5, -4.9
132	771, Fawyer Banking Co	795,-	-15, -24.5
2800	2000, Valence	2110	-12.2
72300	54000, Wells Fargo	65500,-	-102, 2.3 -
15791	16451, Westland the Line	10341,-	-13, 44 17.6
15	29, Weston Investors	205,-	-
5768	40670, Zurich Insurance	527490,-	-422, 51 22.4

Constituent & Property

194	100, Pheasant	109	-1	5.0	0.5
65	40, Rouse Properties	45			-1.2
15	15, 1600, Intermature	15			-0.8
931	940, Balfour Realty	9361,-	-	61	16 17.6
4105	2295, Barnett Redman	111	-	15, 53 23.6
2890	1753, Bellway	1146	+	8	14 16.2
4442	2796, Gadsden	3548	-	8	16.7
1200	1000, Big Holter Grp	3040	-	8	5.3
460	210, Blibargee-Maya	4175			2.6 40.1
237	1330, Bank (Power)	196	+	1	5.0 0.9
3025	2751, Bowden	3500,-	+	15, 44 14.3
4111	3110, British Land	4165,-	-	5, 53 -
2969	2568, Credit Property	1759			2.2 20.7
2398	14000, Servant London	3075	+	8	3.9 -
15	45, 305, Salman	45,-			-2.0
195	11, First Property	125			2.0 6.9
75	29, Fletcher Group	425,-			5.3 20.7
62	25, Fletcher Group	375,-			1.1 5.7
612	4025, Gelfried Try Hlde	629			1.2 10.4
1961	296, Gomel Group	2000,-	-	45, 43 26.6
410	221, Glucose (M)	279	+	65, 59 20.3
20341	7000, Northern Bank	30900,-	-	15, 16 14.3
2081	1300, Gumpel	175	+	15, 44 6.4
177	276, Good Portland Ltd	2342,-	-	35, 22 0.6
9921	2630, Norsceman	889	+	15, 43 -
103	1110, Norwich Group	109	+	5, 10 42.1
460	225, North General	333	-	49, 12 30.3
2465	1300, Aelical	306	-	2, 12 42.4

12-monthHigh Low Company		Price(£)	ForecastP/E, P/E
1495	671, British	92	+ 25, 2.2
1615	112, James Baltimore	1315,-	-5, 63 22.6
3110	1258, Keller	1122	+ 79, 3.6 25.4
10020	37225, Simpson Group	10320,-	-0.9 27.8
136	1301, Land Development	938	+ 5.0
2141	1575, London/Deltris Prop(1)	5,-	-5, 63 -
735	45, Reine-Plus Exp (1)	65,-	-0.4
2690	124, Mandalls	173	+ 5, 40 30.4
104	66, McDermitt & Bral	75	+ 15, 41 20.9
1	85, Wind Star	95,-	-1.4
5750	2953, Always Smith	4502	+ 32, 54 11.1
2038	1999, Wood and Eckart (1)	1000,-	69 30.8
39	695, Northern BGT	32	-5, 9.2
230	104, Team Capital	183	+ 9, 82 40.7
320	261, Partner Investment	296	-4, 12 11
1932	9975, Parameen	11695,-	-61, 51 13.1
1201	19, Price Centre	345,-	-0.1
1000	1275, Neway Health Project	1000,-	-5, 7.7
1110	28, Radl-Drish (1)	205,-	-0.4 41.3
1440	1592, Sabiston	4100,-	-2, 5.6
1320	950, Castle	983,-	+ 7, 64 10.9
55	81, Union Proj Dev & Snd	35,-	-0.1
9875	665, Sargus	957	+ 3, 2.1
1150	1250, Staffordine Capital	1000,-	-45, 19 0.0
125	45, 146	35,-	-5,-1.6
110	130, Uppalot	1000,-	-15, 30.9
113	565, Silica Red Estate	965,-	-5, 56 3.5
109	104, Smart (1)	1125,-	2.9 5.6
235	16, Slope General	32	-29.7
1165	795, Taylor Whipps	895,-	-5, 49 30.4
199	104, Team Centre	1000,-	-15, 1.5
7225	4955, Trans Premis	6495,-	-111, 12 7.8
175	1125, Tritian Big Bear	1625,-	-5, 5.1
740	4902, John Group	518,-	-5, 7.2
7450	229, Hicks Group	2600,-	+ -6, -6.2
4340	312, Workspace Group	365	+ 7, 7.2
900	730, Blandone Project	925	+ 28, 11 12.7
Constituent Goods
229	1366, 4EP Phetalines	1750,-	+ 25, 54 20.3
39	175, Hira	250,-	-
1599	1795, AIB Foods	3500	+ 39, 51 14.4
7735	589, Sun (4)	650	+ 4, 11 14.2
5320	3677, British Amer Pub	4139	+ 92, 59 13.8
11550	976, Bankcorp Group	11100,-	-495,-
1015	895, CGC Group	960,-	-15, 5.1
55	25, Capital Markets	95,-	-20.5
460	275, Churchill China	105	+ 5, 55 5.7
5195	3279, Caca-Caca MBC	4604	+ 18, 12 20.0
10115	321, Gilchow	1450	+ 5, 64 20.3
5010	4175, Cornwich	5250	+ 18, 2.2 17.5
2142	1290, Stagpo	1752	-34, 21 30.0
55	4, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9
2910	1164, Cross (M.P.)	1602	+ 32, 56 10.4
2415	1134, Fowry	160	+ 1, 17 4.2
2104	1019, Harvey Workshop(2)	2999	+ 288, 10 30.0
21055	10205, Ghelin	20165,-	-515, 19 37.2
3075	1351, Genesore	2000,-	-25, 20 29.7
995	45, Nouben	100,-	-5,-0.1
881	4975, West Coast	100	+ 10, 9.8 4.8
8422	2589, Imperial Brands	2938	-30, 64, 10.5
16445	5567, Kerry Group	7100,-	-205, 17 20.0
1100	1186, Holborn	1600,-	-5, 12 6.4
310	88, Malvern Group	200	+ 15,-0.8
1225	888, McDermott	1665	+ 14, 12 10.2
194	252, Narvan	125	-1, 0.5
239	108, Orion (1)	366	-60, 0.6
1	81, PNC (1)	35,-	-0.0

12-monthHigh Low Company		Price(£)	ForecastP/E, P/E
130	675, Putnam Sea	580,-	-1,-1.1
15	81, Pancock	15,-	-0.8
110	695, PCF (Lewis)	806	+ 19, 23.6
130	92, SEA	111	+ 1,-0.7
210	110, Trauben	109	+ 15, 16 22.1
190	228, The Chancery (Lyn)	215	-2, 2.6 46.7
10	5, Brownell (1)	85,-	-0.1
5542	3649, Unilever	4550,-	-26, 16 12.4
86	139, Hutter	585,-	-5,-0.2
Engineering
590	10, San & Bt (L)	20	-6.9
2100	1000, Aves Technologies	2920	-14, 10 19.5
5517	4952, Balmoral	1200	+ 19, 64 20.6
2100	1269, K&E Systems	1200	+ 80, 17 33.0
2500	588, Balmer & N/A	1200	-1.4 5.4
2399	1376, Balmer Group	1500	-0.7 22.5
550	500, Gilchow	600	+ 40, 11 15.0
35	95, Ford (1)	95,-	-0.8
1370	4820, Sam & A. Kocayak	1220	-1.1 89.1
9000	9000, Sam & A. Kocayak	1000	-10, 60.9
4502	3194, Holborn	2560	+ 46, 67 30.2
1220	1296, McF. Smith	2920	-194,-20.6
25	1, Hemp (Low)	25,-	-12.4
1166	2156, BMI	3100	+ 24, 11 25.3
9000	9000, Kocay (1)	4550	-78, 2.8 56.2
99	94, OTA	325,-	-0.2
600	4890, Montrose	4995,-	+ 35, 13 17.9
261	1290, Kocay (A)	2920,-	+ 4, 43 33.7
400	200, Kocay	350	-10.4
2000	1120, McF. Smith	2160	-14, 25.5
3310	1642, United Instruments	2926	+ 4, 0.8 34.6
24115	11790, Phillips Elec	19665,-	-375, 17 46.8
1	1, Paphans	-	-0.9
5400	2900, Davidson	5250	+ 28, 1 15 45.9
2100	990, Radio-Skyper	2940	+ 13, 67 22.3
4595	2881, Bofich	400	+ 5, 17 35.3
100	60, 28 Group	90	-39.1
3101	146, Senter	3925	-0.7 28.0
20315	2989, Off Group	20200,-	-10, 30.3
25540	2000, Smiths	2667	+ 9, 18 30.9
210	120, Saiki (1)	1825,-	-35, 15 25.2
2407	1176, Samos (1)	240	+ 3, 11 17.4
20000	9990, Balmer Group	7225	+ 19, 2.8 32.5
75	35, Lufalute	45,-	-4,-4.1
100	246, Tappie Fell	250	+ 1, 22 11.9
1825	47, Tomason Tech	455,-	-5,-5.1
5075	500, Aramco	4015,-	-15, 59 39.9
710	220, Sano	560	+ 7, 63 21.8
2000	2294, Wier	2762	+ 32, 15 20.9
2000	300, Off Power	1762	-34,-42.9
Health
2590	107, Advanced Medicine	2031,-	-10, 40.9
125	5, Merga Therapeutics	45,-	-4.2
9	81, Unilab (1)	15,-	-0.2
500	3775, Impa (1)	510	-5, 2.5 12.7

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47

Business

| U/monthHigh | Low | Company | Price (p) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 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Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 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U	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1

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INVESTMENT COMPANIES

| U | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |[{"> 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 "}]

Exchange rates

Australia $	1.9(10) + 0.0(4.5)
Canada $	1.8(9) + 0.0(8.0)
Denmark Kr	0.7(27) + 0.0(3.0)
Euro	1.1(9) + 0.0(8.0)
Hong Kong $	10.3(9.1m)
Hungary	426.82 + 1.2(5)
Indonesia	24(18.6) + 76.52)
Israel	4.0(10) + 0.0(5.1)
Japan Yen	213.326 + 0.8(9)
New Zealand $	2.3(19) + 0.0(8.9)
Norway Kr	12.8(16) + 0.0(9.0)
Poland	1.84 + 0.0(5.5)
Belgium	113.700 + 0.1(9)
S Africa	21.0(16) + 0.0(7.0)
Sweden Kr	12.9(18) + 0.0(9.0)
Switzerland Fr	1.0(6.0) + 0.0(8.0)
Turkey Line	64.4(41) + 0.0(3.0)
USA $	1.0(6) + 0.0(8.0)

Gold/precious metals

(61 dollars per score)
Balloon: Open $4378,703
Close $4419.73 High $4441,394
Low $4362.7
AM $4413.20 PM $4426.65
Platinum $1771.5
Silver $65,689
Palladium $1374,342

Money rates %

Black Ropes Clearing Banks: 3.75%ECB Bell 2.40%Fed Fund 3.5.3.75%Halifax Mortgage Rate (SVR) 7.24%
Sterling spot and forward rates
Mkt Rates for	Range
Capenhagen	8.7527
Euro	1.1709 (+0.0008)
Montreal	1.0009
New York	1.3506
Oslo	12.0027
Tokyo	215.1260
Zurich	1.0969

Other sterling
Argentine peso	2017.40975-2017.49102
Australian dollar	1.9(10)1-1.9(12.4)
Bahrain diner	0.50(0.0-5.5)0.00
Brookton rent	6.97400-6.97600
Euro	1.17850-1.17130
Hong Kong dollar	18.99680-18.60000
Indian rupee	120.02130-120.98131
Indonesian rupiah	24(18) 69.039-24(17) 69.039
Kuwaiti diner	0.41660-0.41660
Malaysian rimpit	5.51690-5.51690
New Zealand dollar	2.30399-2.30406
Singaporean dollar	1.72306-1.72903
South African rand	21.80916-21.81750
UAE dirham	4.96810-4.96218

Other sterling

Australia	1.41460-1.41540
Canada	1.39277-1.39277
Denmark	6.40120-6.40142
Euro	0.86680-0.86720
Hong Kong	7.66740-7.66751
Japan	199.20408-199.20999
Malaysia	4.80300-4.80800
Norway	6.47890-6.48257
Singapore	1.27980-1.27987
Sweden	9.55490-9.56253
Switzerland	0.81123-0.81126
Data provided by ICE. Data as shown in for information purposes only. No offer is made by ICE or this publication

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49

One-eyed matriarch of a Melbourne crime family Kath Pettingill Page 50

Register

Obituaries

The Rev Edward Hovsepian-Mehr

Charismatic Iranian Protestant pastor who was persecuted for his faith in his home country and built up an underground church

Ignoring an ultimatum to stop converting Iranian Muslims to Christianity, Edward Hovsepian-Mehr continued to preside over one of the fastest-growing churches in the world.

Memories of identifying the bloodied body of his elder brother, Haik, a bishop who was found murdered in 1994 after refusing to comply with a list of restrictions demanded by the Iranian state, did not deter “Brother Edward”, as he was known.

The brothers, of Armenian heritage, had spent decades building up the Iranian branch of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, but by the mid-1990s it was clear that public worship of non-state sanctioned Christianity in Iran was no longer viable and the church would have to go underground.

From the mid-1990s until he was forced into exile in London in 2003, Hovsepian-Mehr helped to set up house churches throughout Iran, at which small groups would meet to study the Bible, pray and sing hymns. Meetings would keep changing from house to house to lessen the chance of being raided, and worshippers would stagger their entry over a few hours so as not to attract suspicion. Most heart-breaking of all for Hovsepian-Mehr, who would belt out hymns with a fine baritone voice, was that the praise and worship had to be low volume.

As he orchestrated the secret gatherings, he was subjected to relentless harassment, intimidation, threats and repeated interrogations. Operating from London from 2003 he continued to organise pastoral support for Christian converts in Iran.

Edward Hovsepian-Mehr was born in Tehran in 1950 into a poor family of Armenian heritage. His father, Nazar Hovsepian, a cook, and mother, Tamar Khachiki, divorced when he was little. He and his brother were brought up by their mother, who was nominally Christian. The early years were tinged by sadness, but Hovsepian-Mehr’s life changed at the age of 13 when he was invited to hear Pastor Leon Hairapetian preach. When the pastor asked, “Who among you would like to give his life to Jesus tonight?”, Hovsepian-Mehr found himself standing up. He preached his first sermon aged 16 and after completing his theological studies was ordained as a pastor at the age of 17. Aged 20 he was appointed pastor of the Assemblies of God church in Isfahan and later moved to the city of Urmia in the northwest of the country, where he planted a new church and trained new leaders.

Persecution of Christians started almost immediately after the Iranian revolution when the Anglican pastor Arastoo Sayyah was murdered at his church office in Shiraz on February 19, 1979. Over the next few years the hard-line theocratic regime would make it clear that it would tolerate only ancient Christian communities, such as the 2010/00-strong Armenian Apostolic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, provided they conducted services in their own language and did not evangelise to Muslims.

In 1986 Hovsepian-Mehr was appointed senior pastor of the Assembly of God church in Tehran, the largest Protestant church in Iran, working closely with his brother, Haik. Both re-

Hovsepian-Mehr had a booming baritone voice and was heartbroken that at the underground house churches in Iran the praise and worship had to be low volume

fused to bow to tighter regulation on the church and persecution intensified in the early 1990s. Iran’s Bible Society was closed down and Farsi translations of the Bible banned. Conducting church services in Farsi was outlawed and it was decreed that all church members must give their names and addresses to the authorities and people

He was subjected to relentless threats and repeated interrogations

could go to church only if they were issued with an official identity card.

After the murder of Haik in 1994, Hovsepian-Mehr succeeded him as superintendent of the Assemblies of God churches in Iran, although he had to assume the role unofficially as the authorities would not recognise him. Thereafter it was difficult to travel around the country because of the threat of abduction.

At least eight Christian leaders in Iran have died for their faith since the revolution. In 1996 Mohammad Bagher Yusefi, known as Pastor Ravanbakhsh (which means soul giver in Farsi), was found hanged. Eight years before, he had converted from Islam to Christianity and ran the Assemblies of God church in Gorgan, northern Iran. His murder by state operatives convinced Hovsepian-Mehr to accelerate the house church movement, training and mentoring house church leaders.

After moving to London in 2003, Hovsepian-Mehr ran three churches, including founding a church in Finchley, the North London Iranian Church, that would become the largest Iranian church of the global diaspora.

In 2008 Iran attempted to enshrine

the death penalty for “apostasy” into civil law — in line with sharia — but the state withdrew the proposal under international diplomatic pressure. Anyone found to have converted from Islam to Christianity could still be imprisoned for five to 15 years and banned from applying for jobs.

Hovsepian-Mehr mustered the support of 99 Iranian churches around the world to unite against proposed amendments to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code. He was also the principal founder of the Hamgam Council of United Iranian Churches, a partnership of Farsi-speaking churches across Europe and Canada that connected more than 20 churches in many denominations.

“There was a lot of distrust before,” said Mansour Borji, the executive director of Article 18, a London-based Iranian Christian human rights organisation. “He broke through those barriers through making people sit together and eat together.”

A bulking figure with a booming voice and beetling brows, Hovsepian-Mehr preached sermons to Iranians around the world on the satellite channel SAT-7 PARS, using the lyricism of the Farsi language. Any newcomers to his churches would sometimes be taken aback by his demand to visit their houses, without waiting to be invited. “People would think that there is something wrong, but it was just his desire to get to know them and their families,” Borji said. “Word got around that he loved ice cream.”

Yet supporting house churches in

Iran remained a priority and he kept in touch with more than 200 house church leaders, running Bible study groups with them and providing training. He intensified his efforts after the Islamic Revolutionary Courts closed down the Assemblies of God church in 2013. The three remaining Anglican churches in Iran, St Luke in Isfahan, Simon the Zealot in Shiraz and St Paul’s in Tehran, have been closed since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Article 18 said it was in possession of judgments issued by the Revolutionary Courts that criminalised Christians “simply for maintaining contact with Pastor Edward or participating in pastoral ministry connected to him and the house church movement”. It added:

“These court verdicts stand as an unintended testimony to the remarkable effectiveness and enduring impact of his ministry.”

Hovsepian-Mehr’s first wife, Anahid, died of cancer in 2001. He is survived by their four children, Roa-ta, Anita, Tali and Hovan.

In 2003 Hovsepian-Mehr married Nassi. She had a daughter, Ava, from a previous marriage and they adopted a daughter, Lydia. Coming from a musical family, Hovsepian-Mehr loved to sing and play the piano, translating a number of well-known hymns into Farsi. All his children played an instrument and family occasions never failed to break into song.

The only other thing that rivalled his passion for ministry was football, but when it came to the recent World Cup

he supported Brazil. It broke his heart not to support Iran, whose national team was, he said, an instrument of propaganda. Over 6ft tall, he loved to play alongside young adults in the church community. “You didn’t want to be on the team against him,” Borji said.

Hovsepian-Mehr was intending to retire at the end of this year. Walking with the aid of a Zimmer frame and working on completing his fourth book, he was present at the Palace of Westminster when Article 18’s latest report was presented this year. Article 18 claims that, after mass protests against the Iranian regime and the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, Christians were “scapegoated”.

Nearly twice as many Christians were arrested on charges related to their religious beliefs or activities in 2025 than in the previous year — 254 compared with 139. More than twice as many served sentences of imprisonment, exile or forced labour and at least 11 Christians received prison sentences of ten years or more in 2025.

However, despite continued aggressive crackdowns, the underground church in Iran continues to grow. It is estimated to have 800,000 adherents. “Levels of oppression have become so much people feel there is nothing to lose,” Borji said. The example of Hovsepian-Mehr inspired many of them.

“It was because of his humility that he could take on any challenge because he knew it was God who started the work,” Charles Gophashian, pastor of the Armenian church in Chiowick, west London, said. “He knew that whatever God had started he would finish.”

The Rev Edward Hovsepian-Mehr, Iranian pastor, was born on May 9, 1950. He died of a heart attack on June 26, 2026, aged 76

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50

Register

Kath Pettingill

One-eyed matriarch of Melbourne's most notorious underworld dynasty who presided over a drug and prostitution empire

A diminutive, one-eyed grandmother known as Granny Evil, Kath Pettingill was the matriarch of Melbourne's most notorious crime family. She oversaw an empire built on drugs, armed robberies and prostitution that reached its heyday in the 1980s, often protected by corrupt police officers.

Pettingill bore the scars of a lifetime on the wrong side of the tracks. Her front teeth were smashed after leaping over a wall to retrieve a ball, but remained untreated. Her right eye was shot out in 1978 during an argument with a prostitute over a $300 debt. That brought the benefit, she joked, of not seeing double after excess drinking. The police joined the humour, naming a surveillance exercise against her family Operation Cyclops.

Several of her ten children followed in her criminal footsteps. On a visit to her son Dennis's home, she found a young man lying naked with a meat cleaver in his head. Spotting his discarded clothing she called out to Dennis. 'Don't burn the tracksuit. I'll wash it out and give it to Jamie [Dennis's half-brother],' before scrubbing the blood from the walls.

'Not even Ned Kelly inspired the same hatred among the police force'

As a young, cash-strapped mother, Pettingill accepted a Dennis' offer of work at a massage parlour. 'Later I had sex with some of the clients for money. It didn't worry me, not for $1,500 a week,' she reflected. When the owner's car was blown up she took over the business, acquiring a better reputation than the city's other parlour managers. 'She was straight down the line and she looked after you if there was trouble,' said 'the Talking Bone', one of her workers.

A Turkish couple once turned up with their teenage son, the mother crying, for what Pettingill presumed was a rite of passage. Another time she ar-

rived to find a man wearing a bib and being fed baby food. When an elderly client dropped dead, the police, back then still on her payroll, helped to dress him and drag his body to a nearby street, where his family was told he had been found. 'Bet he died with a smile on his face,' she quipped. One sex worker came out of her room, her face ashen white. 'He wants me to cut his balls off,' she said. 'I don't mind doing it, but I don't want to do the ten years for manslaughter.'

For many years Pettingill and her family seemed immune to the reach of Victoria police. That changed when two of her sons were implicated in the Walsh Street murders of October 1988 in which two police officers were shot dead. 'I hate coppers, but those boys didn't do anything,' she insisted. 'Our family wouldn't do that. We were not involved. You don't kill two innocent coppers.'

Although her sons and two other men were acquitted, the relationship between the Pettingills and the police never recovered. As Adrian Tame wrote in The Matriarch (1996), his biography of her: 'Not even Ned Kelly and his gang inspired the same hatred among the state's police force as Kathy's boys.'

Kathleen Kemp was born in the Brunswick East suburb of Melbourne in 1935, the eldest of three daughters of Albert Kemp, a timber worker, and his teenage wife, Gladys (née Lee), who ran a sweet shop from where young Kath stole coins. Her sisters were Barbara, who died from polio, and Wilma, who avoided a life of crime. Aged six, Kath wandered into a room where a newly deceased relative had been laid out in his coffin. Reaching into his mouth she twisted out his dentures and tried them on for size.

Albert enlisted at the outbreak of the Second World War and took his own life in the Middle East. Thereafter Gladys neglected her children to embark on up to six bigamous marriages, 'largely for their pensions'. Their surviving daughters were cared

Pettingill at an exhibition of photographs of underworld figures, including of her

for by their great-grandmother, also Kathleen.

Pettingill attended Princes Hill High School, leaving at 15 to work in a clothing factory, she soon met Dennis Ryan, 19, who arrived on a gleaming Triumph motorcycle. To avoid charges of casual knowledge, he married her when she turned 16. By then she had given birth to their first child, also Dennis, who became a multiple murderer, basking in the underworld nickname Dr Death. He died from a heart condition in 1987 while awaiting trial. His mother was furious that he used her new vacuum cleaner to remove the splattered brains of one of his victims from the carpet. 'I

would have shot him myself if I'd been given the chance,' she fumed. Their second child, Peter, once branded Victoria's most dangerous criminal, served 28 years in jail for armed robbery.

While Ryan was fighting in the Korean War, Pettingill began a relationship with Billy Pierce, a small-time criminal. 'He was good looking and he loved a drink and a fight,' she said. They had six children Vicki, who went into hiding after giving evidence against the family in the Walsh Street trial. Victor, who was acquitted in that case and was shot dead in 2002, and Lex, a minor criminal. Three others were placed for adoption. Pierce died in 1968. By then she had

two more sons with Jimmy Pettingill, a mysterious figure who already had a wife and a lover. Jamie died of a heroin overdose aged 21. Trevor was also acquitted in the Walsh Street case but still acquired a long criminal record. She broke up with Pettingill in 1967 but continued using his name. By then she was a barmaid at the Sentimental Bloke Hotel in Bulleen, offering free drinks to off-duty policemen. When she realised this would not bring leniency for her boys, she became, in the words of one officer, 'an absolute police hater'.

Despite her long connection with the underworld, Pettingill was 41 before her first conviction, for using premises for prostitution. More followed assault, living off immoral earnings, driving without a licence and possession of firearms and heroin. 'Yeah, I probably hit the cops, but they throw that in anyway,' she said. She enjoyed the relative tranquillity of jail, haranguing the governor, dishing out black eyes to bullies and going on hunger strike in support of a prisoner in solitary confinement.

Her life attracted the interest of filmmakers, but she was unimpressed with Animal Kingdom (2010), especially Jacki Weaver's Oscar-nominated performance as Smurf, the film's matriarch. 'Jacki Weaver and I have only one thing in common,' she snorted. 'Neither of us can act.'

By the late 1980s, Pettingill had retired to a sleepy seaside hideaway in Venus Bay, a two-hour drive southeast of Melbourne. She returned to the city in 1993 to care for three grandchildren when their parents were jailed. Unable to resist her criminal ways, she received another 18-month jail sentence for drug dealing. She had no doubts about her final destiny. 'Nothing I can do now will change that,' she said in 1996. 'Anyway, that's where my dead children are, down there in Hell. I want to be with them. I don't mind. Heaven sounds boring, not my sort of place.'

Kath Pettingill, criminal matriarch, was born on March 27, 1935. She died on August 1, 2026, aged 91

Plas Johnson

Virtuoso session saxophonist who played with Frank Sinatra and whose unforgettable solo defined the Pink Panther theme

To Plas Johnson it was just another session, one of thousands he played over a long career in which his services were in demand with everyone from Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to BB King and the Beach Boys.

Summoned by the composer and orchestra leader Henry Mancini to play the tenor saxophone on a film theme, he turned up for the session at 8am on a winter's morning and nailed his part instantly, as he invariably did. He was getting ready to pack up his instrument and move on to his next session when something extraordinary happened. 'We only did two takes but when we finished, everyone applauded — even the string players,' he recalled. 'They never applaud so when they do, you know you've really done something.'

With the mischievous, playful swing of Johnson's sax to the fore, what they had just recorded was the theme for The Pink Panther, the 1963 movie starring Peter Sellers as the splendidly bumbling Inspector Clouseau.

Nobody could have known that it would become one of the most memorable theme tunes in movie history. 'But I did feel that it was something special,' Johnson recalled. 'It was a great arrangement, with a huge orchestra, a jazz band, strings and French horns. It just came off.'

As Mancini knew that it would. 'All the accents in the music were timed to actions on the screen,' the composer wrote in his 1989 autobiography. 'I had a specific saxophone player in mind — Plas Johnson. I nearly always precast my players and write for them and around them, and Plas had the sound and the style I wanted.' Released as a single, the theme became a hit and won three Grammy awards, including best instrumental arrangement.

When the 2006 remake of The Pink Panther starring Steve Martin was in production, Johnson was asked to reprise his original solo and was happy to oblige. 'Something that lasts that long has to be a classic,' he said. He continued to play the theme at nightclub gigs and gave his final performance at his community retirement home a month before he died. 'People's eyes get real big when I tell them that was me on the original,' he said.

Plas John Johnson was born in 1931 in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, 60 miles west of New Orleans on the banks of the Mississippi River. His mother, Grace, played piano and sang, and his father, Plas Johnson Snr, whose name derived from 'plaisant', French for pleasant or amusing, was a saxophonist. 'They hushed work everywhere we lived,' their son recalled. 'We would travel up and down the bayou on weekends. They would play wherever they could, in bars and restaurants, dances.'

At a young age he was singing with the family group but when he was 12 his father bought him a soprano saxophone from a pawn shop. 'My dad got me started but I was mostly self-taught, playing by ear,' he said. He later added alto, tenor and haritone saxophones plus clarinet and flute to his repertoire and by his mid-teens was performing in the clubs of New Orleans alongside his older brother Ray on piano as the Johnson Brothers Combo, sometimes with

their younger sister Gwen on vocals.

They also backed visiting R&B singers and when the blues singer Charles Brown came to town in 1951 he invited Johnson to join his band. The next few years were spent 'on the road in clubs, learning 5,000 times, playing behind strip-teasers and for dancers' until he was drafted into the US army.

While stationed in California he played in a military band and on his discharge he moved to Los Angeles, where he was hired as a session man for Capitol Records, whose roster included Sinatra, Peggy Lee and Nat King Cole.

Johnson went on to work with all of them as well as recording his own albums as a bandleader, and his versatility meant that work was plentiful. An average day could include up to three or four sessions and he might start by sitting in with an orchestra for a movie soundtrack, follow by backing Sinatra or Lee and end by blowing some raucous rock'n'roll with Duane Eddy or Gene Vincent. He first worked with Mancini in 1958 on the theme for the TV detective drama Peter Gunn and the soundtrack album they recorded together won the first Grammy award for album of the year.

He is survived by Carol, his wife of 60 years, and their three children, Eric Johnson, Stephanie Oliver and Philip

Nunn, and by three further children, Cheryl Johnson, David Johnson and Denise Hurley, from his first marriage to Elizabeth Johnson, which ended in divorce.

Throughout the 1960s he was a member of the 'Wrecking Crew', a group of A-list Los Angeles session musicians known for their ability to adapt to any style and work quickly without rehearsing. There were theme songs for TV shows, and rock and pop sessions ranging from Bobby Darin to the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, while at night he played at jazz clubs with his own group.

In 1970 Johnson became part of the house band on the long-running syndicated TV show hosted by Merry Griffin. He stayed for 15 years but continued as a prolific sessioner, his resonant sax playing grazing hit albums by Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits and Rod Stewart.

It was his proud boast that he brought something fresh to every booking. 'You have to key into the style of the music, and the singer and the arrangement,' he said. 'Your notes are your words and it's very boring if you use the same adjectives over and over again.'

Plas Johnson, saxophonist, was born on July 21, 1931. He died of old age on July 15, 2026, aged 94

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THE TIMES | Thursday, August 11 2026

51

Law Report

Dip pots in meal deal are zero rated for VAT

Upper Tribunal Published August 13, 2026

Queenscourt Ltd v Revenue and Customs Commissioners

Bethes Wm Justice James Smith and Upper Tribunal Judge Mark Baldwin (2026) UNOT 199, FCCJ Julyment May 19, 2026

Every supply, including every element in a multi-element transaction which would be treated as a supply if provided on its own, must be regarded as distinct and independent for value added tax (VAT) purposes, unless it fell within one of the few exceptional cases where a derogation from that fundamental principle was permitted.

In the present case, the overall supply of a 'meal deal' was a multiple supply, not a single composite supply of food, and dip pots included in the deal were separate zero-rated supplies for VAT purposes.

The Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber) so held when allowing the appeal of the taxpayer, Queenscourt Ltd, against an assessment for VAT upholding the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) in respect of supplies of condiment dip pots as part of its last takeaway meal deals from KFC outlets in the UK.

Charlotte Brown for the taxpayer, Dilpreet Dhanoa for the revenue

The UPPER TRIBUNAL said that in deciding the matter the First-tier Tribunal had concluded that the supply of dip pots as part of a takeaway meal deal was part of a single, standard rated supply of the hot food and dips.

Having noted that the sale of a portion of takeaway chicken by one of the taxpayer-operated fast-food outlets, being hot food, was standard rated for VAT purposes, while the sale of a dip pot, being sold food, was zero rated, the FTT identified the issue it needed to resolve as being whether this remained the case when the two items were purchased together, along with other items, as part of a takeaway meal deal.

The FTT noted that under European case law, while the

starting point was that every supply should normally be seen as distinct and independent, there were circumstances where the supply of more than one item in a single transaction might be treated as a single supply which took its VAT treatment from whichever part of the supply predominated.

The FTT concluded that it was possible for some elements of a single transaction to be principal or ancillary supplies, and therefore to constitute a single supply, while there were other elements of the same transaction which, based on the starting point that all elements of a supply were separate, did not form part of that single supply as they were distinct and independent.

Given the starting point that each element of the supply was separate, it must follow that, it was necessary to look separately at each element of the supply in order to determine, applying the principles developed by authority, whether that element stood alone or whether it should be treated as part of a single supply along with one or more, but not necessarily all, other elements of the transaction.

Although it acknowledged that the authorities it had been referred to are in support that either all elements of the transaction would constitute distinct principal supplies or would alternatively be treated as one single supply, the FTT observed that there was no suggestion in any of those cases that the court was being asked to consider the possibility that two or more elements of a transaction might together form a single supply while other elements are treated as separate supplies. The FTT went on to consider that, having regard to the diversity of commercial operations, it was not possible to give exhaustive guidance on how to approach the problem correctly in all cases.

The FTT had concluded that there was no reason in principle why two or more elements of a

single transaction could not constitute a single supply while, at the same time, other elements of the same transaction constituted a separate supply. Having done so, the FTT determined that the supply of dip pots was ancillary to the hot food with which they were supplied and accordingly standard rated for VAT.

The taxpayer raised a number of grounds of appeal, including that the FTT had made a fundamental error of principle when it held that there was no reason in principle why two or more elements of a single transaction could not constitute a single supply while, at the same time, other elements of the same transaction might constitute a separate supply.

The taxpayer contended that the authorities treated supplies containing multiple elements as either a single or a multiple supply and that where a transaction was a multiple supply each component element must be taxed at its own rate except where legislation specifically provided otherwise. The taxpayer further contended that the revenue had already accepted that the meal deal was a multiple supply and, accordingly, each component part must therefore be taxed at its own rate.

The Upper Tribunal determined that the principles derived from the authorities were to be applied at transaction level to decide whether the transaction should be regarded as a single composite supply, as opposed to specific elements of the transaction. For the transaction to be regarded as a single composite supply, this must absorb all the elements in the transaction. There was no suggestion that this principle operated below the level of the whole transaction.

The observation that a supply of one element on its own could be very different from a supply of the same element in combination with other elements was an important one. If the VAT analysis of a particular element

could change depending on whether it was supplied on its own or in combination with other elements, it must follow that it would be artificial and potentially distortive to analyse an element otherwise than on the actual basis on which it was supplied.

The Upper Tribunal concluded that every supply, including every element in a multi-element transaction which would be a supply if provided on its own, must be regarded as distinct and independent unless it fell within one of the few exceptional cases where a derogation from that fundamental principle was permitted. Leaving aside legislative overrides, these exceptions required all the elements in a single transaction to constitute a single economic supply.

Accordingly, the FTT had made an error of law when it concluded that there was no reason in principle why two or more elements of a single transaction could not constitute a single supply while, at the same time, other elements of the same transaction may constitute a separate supply.

It was common ground that the overall supply of a meal deal was a multiple supply, not a single composite supply. Against that background, had the FTT correctly concluded that each element of a multiple supply must be analysed separately for VAT purposes, it could only have concluded that dip pots supplied as part of a takeaway meal deal were separate zero-rated supplies.

In this case the FTT's error was a material one; if it had not made it, the FTT would inevitably have reached the opposite conclusion. Accordingly, the Upper Tribunal remade the FTT's decision to reflect the outcome it would inevitably have reached had it not made that error of law.

Solicitors: Price/Waterhouse-Congress LLP, Solicitor, Revenue and Customs Commissioners.

Lives remembered

Sir Anthony Kenny

Sir Simon Jenkins writes: Towards the end of their lives, Tony Kenny (obituary, August 7) would frequently join

the late Bishop Richard Harries, myself and others in sturdy walks through the Chilterns. The privilege of those walks was unforgettable. Nothing was off the agenda. To Harries (obituary, April 30), steeped in his Welsh background, our references to the beauty of the landscape were a constant evidence of Curl's presence. To Kenny this evidence, like religion itself, was a metaphor for the inexplicable. It was uplifting and exhausting. But Tony's preference for a specification over atheism left me puzzled — and Harries slightly on top.

Robert Wulfer writes: I thank you for your full and perceptive obituary of Sir Anthony Kenny, one of a series of fine matters of my undergraduate college. However, relating to the aside regarding Boris Johnson, I must point out that the Bullingdon Club, far from an aspect of 'college life'. had nothing whatsoever to do with Balliol — and was indeed pretty much as unrepresentative of the college's ethos as can be imagined.

Chris Chivers writes: Further to your excellent obituary, one of the lesser known of Sir Anthony Kenny's many telling interactions was the South African Advanced Education Project, which he founded with David Astor, the former editor of The Observer.

From 1985 to 1995, this enabled members of the African National Congress to eide to receive training opportunities — mentorships, work place-

ments with local authorities or leading companies — so that they would be prepared to enter senior governance positions when democracy dawned.

About 700 individuals benefited from bespoke opportunities lasting between three months and two years. I know that President Mandela thought this to be a vital contribution to the first generation of leaders, and indeed immensely the contribution that Sir Anthony had made.

Lord Laming

Kevin Mansell writes: Herbert (obituary, July 31), born in Newcastle, was a passionate Newcastle United fan. When I was a humble inspector working

under him in the Social Services Inspectorate, I offered to get him a ticket on two occasions when Newcastle were playing at West Ham and he readily accepted. So he joined myself and my 14-year-old son in the Chicken Run. Newcastle won the first 4-2 in fine style, but not enough to win the Premier League. In the second, West Ham won 2-0, helping them to avoid relegation. He was a proper fan. No airs and graces.

If you would like to add a personal view or recollection to a published obituary, you can send your contribution by email to thlunes@thetimes.co.uk

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PEACE (leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the word I given, I give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John M.27 (AP)

Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society

Births

GUBBINS on 6th August 2026 In Cheshire (one of Spain) and Nicholas, a daughter, Spitfirek Brian Magill, karen to Chtike, at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Deaths

BARRY (citizens (one MacKenzie) died yesterday on 9th August 2026, aged 79, at home surrounded by family in Broad Holton, Wiltshire. Black-lined wife, former and grandmother.

BIRDM (a man Elizabeth (one Plummer) died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on 1st July 2020, aged 79. Beloved wife of the late Peter Lohy, much-closed mother and grandmother. Funeral service at last Cheshire on Monday 11th August 2026. Followed by a gathering at Serburthy Village Hall. Family flowers only. Paradoxes in aid of the MC Society. Impanies to F&W Centre Funeral Directors, 19 Eakin Street, Reesden, CM2 4RD Tel: 0576857 22246

FITZINGER (Married-Brookland, died on 29th July 2025, aged 79. Much-closed wife of Dirk, mother of Richard, James and Christian, grandmother of Davis, and, Arturo and most recently Reeves Memorial service at St Bartholomew's Church, Trmg, Shifnal, Salop, 1718 BPW, at 31am on Friday 2nd August 2026. Breakdown for Congress (and the Lord's Con), on RA Brooks & Son Funeral Directors via www.brooklandcoms.co.uk

FORBES (Cecin (one Whitchurch) peaceable on 10th August 2026, Beloved wife of Dennis Nording, mother of Jojo and the late Nick (grandfather of Jack, Luke, Georgia and Isolde. Funeral at East Lotham Convalescent, Bruce (spitfall, Edinburgh) on Friday 28th August at 2:30pm. Family flowers only please.

FYFE (Peter Matthew died peacefully on 30th June 2026 after a short illness. Living husband to Caroline, proud father to Alissa, Nick and Toby and a devoted grandfather.

HARRIS (David died peacefully on 1st August 2026, aged 89. Much-closed father of Simon, Robert and Toby, husband of Lly and grandfather of Sir. Funeral service at St Mary's Church, Northern, West Berkshire, at 2:45pm on Wednesday 26th August 2026. No flowers please, donations if desired to Debbiee UK

HILL (David passed away on 28th July 2026, aged 87. Beloved-husband of Anna, and father to Caroline and Dean. David was an anthropologist, a veteran businessman, formidable negotiator, loyal friend and trusted contributor. He will be much-needed by many. A private funeral will be followed by a celebration of the whole initial hill, archeopithec.com for details.

JONES (Matthew Shaw died suddenly on 8th August 2026 while on holiday in Portugal. Aged 90, and 90, husband of Amelia and family. A friend father of Isadora, Eleventh Public and Vishov. Cleveland collection of Michael and Patricia and brother of Simon. Private funeral followed by a memorial service, date to be announced.

MCKWAY (in Andrew (one Deacon) passed away peacefully on 6th July 2026, aged 92. Wife to Dr Thomas McEach (Chelwood), mother to Tom, Robert and Gregor.

SANDFORD (David Mary (one Farlan de los Gontos) died peacefully at home on 2nd August 2026, aged 91. Wife of the late Alexander George Sandford.

WOOD (Son, on 17th July 2026, aged 101. A gentleman in every respect from a different era, a Bing Crosby style coroner on 104th/26th clubs, a craftsman for whatever he can be found to. Thoughtful, kind, loving. Will be clearly missed by the whole family.

There is no Court Circular for Wednesday, August 12

Legal Notices

Notice of Intended Distribution to Database EUROPEAN OPPORTUNITIES TRUST PLC UK Member: Ministry (speakers) (The Company) Regulation: Regulation Number: 0400269 Registered office address: Direct & Young (L6) New London Place, London SE1 2AF Principal trading address: 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE

No. Joint Liquidation of the Company, no foreign joint office having been formed under distribution to its condition. The said date for posting to 18 September 2026 and conduct of the Company should be the date of receipt for the company's publication and particulars of their order in claims to be. Claims from Notice of Direct & Young (L6) Area Code, 144 Northern Street, Bethesda, MD 20816. In accordance with Rule 14(4)(e) (i) of the Interim Law, England and Wales, Rules 1995, we may hereafter make the proposed distribution without regard to the claim of any person in respect of a valid risk postponed. Joint jurisdiction: Street Hall, Hyang 2F, number 08151 of Street & Young (L6), 4th Floor, 144 Northern Street, Bethesda, MD 20816 and Physical Branch 2F, number 07102 of Street & Young (L6), 4th Floor, London Place, London, SE1 2AF. Date of appointment: August 2026. For further information contact: Harri Brown, ext. 13 1482 0386.

Date of August 2026 Deeds Not Pending, Joint Liquidation

Cyprus Notice of Inspection Act 1919 (Amend) NOTICE OF POSITION OF OPPORTUNITIES CENTERAL LITIGATION LIMITED (registration number 19999) CENTER LITIGATION INC. (registration number 19973) CENTER LITIGATION UNIT (SERIE I UNITED inoperative number 19997) (Registration number 19999) (Effective date 1st August 2026) (Collectively "the Companies")

1943 NOTICE has passed to Chief of the 3 of the Companies Meeting at Rote (202) Consolidated (volunteer meeting of creditors of the Companies whose decision was made by the Company Services Ltd. 48 Park Street, George Town Street, 2nd Avenue, Newark, NY 10, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st Floor, 1st

In order for a creditor to attend the above meeting they are requested to attend the 2026 with a proof of date if they have not already done so. Corporate matters matter to attend the meeting to give notice of the decision of the Company to complete and resuming 30 the 2026 is a proxy form which can may also attend by contacting the 2026 can the consent passed by the 2026.

Both forms of required work to administer to the 2026 prior to 3/8/26 4/8/27 Monday, 11 August 2026

Direct No: 14 August 2026 Sent press, from Official Gazetteer Contact: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100.

Email: contact@opense2026.gov.ore Address for Service Direct Thursday, 11 August 2026, 12:00am, 17:00am, 18:00am, 19:00am, 20:00am, 21:00am, 22:00am, 23:00am, 24:00am, 25:00am, 26:00am, 27:00am, 28:00am, 29:00am, 30:00am, 31:00am, 32:00am, 33:00am, 34:00am, 35:00am, 36:00am, 37:00am, 38:00am, 39:00am, 40:00am, 41:00am, 42:00am, 43:00am, 44:00am, 45:00am, 46:00am, 47:00am, 48:00am, 49:00am, 50:00am, 51:00am, 52:00am, 53:00am, 54:00am, 55:00am, 56:00am, 57:00am, 58:00am, 59:00am, 60:00am, 61:00am, 62:00am, 63:00am, 64:00am, 65:00am, 66:00am, 67:00am, 68:00am, 69:00am, 70:00am, 71:00am, 72:00am, 73:00am, 74:00am, 75:00am, 76:00am, 77:00am, 78:00am, 79:00am, 80:00am, 81:00am, 82:00am, 83:00am, 84:00am, 85:00am, 86:00am, 87:00am, 88:00am, 89:00am, 90:00am, 91:00am, 92:00am, 93:00am, 94:00am, 95:00am, 96:00am, 97:00am, 98:00am, 99:00am

Notice under the Trustee Act 1925

Alcoholic Limited Retirement and Death Benefit Scheme

Notice is hereby given to the Secretary of the Section 27 (1) of the Trustee Act 1925 that the Trustees of the Alcoholic Limited Retirement and Death Benefit Scheme, for merit known as the Will Partner of the Trustees of the Alcoholic Limited Retirement and Death Benefit Scheme ("the Trustees") "the Scheme" is one winding up the Scheme. If you have received communication from the Trustees of the Trustees within 30 days of the Scheme, then you do not need to take any action. This notice concerns members of the Alcoholic Limited Retirement and Death Benefit Scheme only if you are not able to provide a other current scheme(s) for Alcoholic Ltd employees, those who

unaffected. The Secretary of the Scheme commended on 31 May 2024. Anyone who has been the above member of the Scheme, and has not otherwise received information of valid up of the Scheme, is requested to send the Trustees by emailing both (nephrologists) co.uk or in writing to this address: Robert Ling, 2nd Floor, Biddowson House, Conyers End Rd, Scarsport DE24 2G. Anyone who believes they have any other interest, claim or antiturnment in relation to the Scheme but have not received announcements from the Trustees. Whom it is requested to inform in the name way. Claimants should provide their full name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number, the period during which they worked for Alcoholic Limited or any associated company and any documents supporting their claim. Claims must be made within 2 months of the date of publication of this notice. In addition, the Trustees of Alcoholic have any other claims against or interest in the Scheme, they are expected to set out particular or such claims in writing within 2 months of the date of publication of this notice. Once two months have elapsed following the publication date of the notice, the Trustees of Alcoholic has the assets of the Scheme amongst the persons entitled (hereafter having regard only to the claims and interests of which they have prior notice and will not, as regards the assets so distributed, be liable to any person of whose claim they do not have notice. Please only get in touch if you are no longer a member of one of the schemes in the cut above, and you think that you might have transferred to the Scheme.

Dated 12 August 2026 Robert Ling Sir John of the Trustees of the Alcoholic Limited Retirement and Death Benefit Scheme

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THE TIMES | Thursday August 11 2026

55

Weather

Today Cloudy with spells of rain in the north and west, dry and very hot elsewhere. Max 37C (99F), min 13C (55F)

Around Britain

Max 37C (99F), 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30 days, 30

	Temp. E		Rain mm	Sun hr( ^{a} )
	coldite underlie		24°C to 36°C	overlie
Aberdeen	28	R	0.0	0.0
Manchester	27	S	0.0	12.6
Anderley	25	S	0.0	12.0
Anderley	25	S	0.0	3.9
Barnfroyle	33	PC	0.0	++
Bedford	29	S	0.0	++
Buffalo	24	PC	0.0	7.9
Birmingham	31	S	0.0	++
Beavenworth	30	S	0.0	13.8
Bridlington	23	S	0.0	++
Bristol	31	S	0.0	13.0
Camberley	27	S	0.0	12.6
Cardiff	29	R	0.0	10.8
Edinburgh	26	M	0.0	9.2
Edinburgh	22	R	0.0	9.0
Glasgow	32	C	0.0	9.9
Haverford	29	S	0.0	++
Northavenport	26	S	0.0	11.2
Ryomile	27	S	0.0	12.2
Isle of Man	20	PC	0.0	12.5
Isle of Midd	26	S	0.0	++
Jersey	31	S	0.0	12.6
Kentrick	25	PC	0.0	++
Midnes	++	++	0.0	2.9
Leeds	28	PC	0.0	++
Lancash	13	M	0.0	6.9
Liverpool	27	R	0.0	8.0
Lincoln	26	S	0.0	13.0
Liverpool	27	C	0.0	++
London	30	S	0.0	12.5
Lynchum	31	S	0.0	12.5
Manchester	29	S	0.0	12.1
Memphis	24	S	0.0	10.5
Milford Haven	26	S	0.0	++
Newcastle	26	S	0.0	++
Northampton	27	C	0.0	12.6
Orleans	21	C	0.0	++
Oxford	31	S	0.0	++
Plymouth	31	S	0.0	++
Portland	24	PC	0.0	++
Salby, St Mary's	23	PC	0.0	++
Shamlowe	26	S	0.0	12.6
Stroudbury	29	S	0.0	11.3
Somalawia	27	S	0.0	++
Southend	23	S	0.0	11.5
South End	19	S	0.0	++
Shrewsbury	18	PC	0.0	7.6
Stow	17	S	0.0	4.7
Wichitawan	23	R	0.0	12.5
Wick	++	S	0.0	++
Yewelton	32	S	0.0	13.5

The world

All hindsight and multiple sederates

Allicarba	34	PC	Madison	28	PC
Anchorage	26	S	Wichita	30	S
Athens	23	S	Malaya	31	PC
Avalisee	19	R	Madison	29	PC
Edinola	24	R	Wolfa	25	S
Elizabeth	32	PC	Melbourne	17	R
Barbados	18	PC	Mission City	22	PC
Barcelona	32	PC	Miami	33	PC
Buffalo	24	R	Milton	34	S
Bristol	++	S	Mombasa	29	PC
Edinburgh	31	S	Montreal	26	R
Berlin	24	R	Moncton	26	SH
Bermuda	21	SH	Mumbai	29	R
Bonham	12	S	Munich	26	S
Brussels	18	S	Nairobi	25	S
Budapest	28	S	Naples	26	S
Budapest	27	S	New Orleans	32	F
Buenos Aires	12	SC	New York	30	R
Calu	26	SC	Waco	31	PC
Calcutta	32	++	Nicosia	34	PC
Canberra	11	C	Oslo	19	S
Cape Town	22	S	Paris	32	S
Chicago	22	R	Perth	17	PC
Copenhagen	14	PC	Prague	22	S
Corfu	36	PC	Rodriguez	16	SH
Delhi	34	++	Ripe	19	SH
Dubai	44	PC	Rio de Janeiro	17	M
Dublin	24	PC	Riyadh	41	PC
Fort	26	S	Rome	34	S
Florence	24	PC	San Francisco	22	PC
Frankfurt	24	S	Stellman	4	R
Geneva	18	S	São Paulo	15	C
Gibraltar	25	PC	Seoul	30	S
Hatfield	17	SC	Southville	30	PC
Hong Kong	35	PC	Singapore	32	R
Hannikku	24	S	St Petersburg	16	R
Istanbul	32	S	Stockholm	17	S
Jerusalem	34	S	Turkey	24	S
Johannesburg	18	PC	Tol Aviv	38	S
Keala Lantana	31	PC	Tunelift	29	PC
Kyle	++	S	Tokyo	25	SH
Lancavale	18	PC	Tsimonyi	21	PC
Los Patinos	28	PC	Venice	34	S
Lima	22	S	Vienna	26	S
Lübeck	30	S	Warsaw	21	S
Los Angeles	26	PC	Washington	29	D
Luxor	41	S	Zurich	30	S

Five days ahead

Hot and manly dry for the rest of this week, unsettled with rain and showers into next week

Tomorrow

Maning the with sunny spells across most of England. Patchy cloud and outbreaks of rain in Ireland. Scotland and Wales.

Max 34C, min 13C

Saturday

Bright (January and patchy rain, pretty) partly of Ireland and Scotland. Dry elsewhere with the best of the sunshine in the panfrost.

Max 29C, min 9C

Sunday

Dry with sunny periods in southern Britain and Ireland. Cloudy with a few spots of rain elsewhere, heaviest in the afternoon.

Max 28C, min PC

Monday

Air-conditioned low across Britain and Ireland with thick cloud and widespread outbreaks of rain and showers.

Max 23C, min 9C

Tuesday

Barracking unsettled with bright periods and showers outbreaks of rain, heaviest in cutting England and western Ireland.
Max 23C, min PC

The Times weather page is provided by

WeatherQuest

General situation: Dry and hot with sunny spells for most, patchy cloud and rain in the far north and west. Republic of Ireland, N Ireland: A day of bright periods and patchy rain in the west, heaviest through the morning. Mainly dry with sunny spells elsewhere. Light to moderate south to southwesterly winds. Maximum 28C (62F), minimum 13C (55F). NW Scotland, SE Scotland, Aberdeen, Con Highland, Maray Firth, N Isles, Argyll: Patchy cloud and outbreaks of

rain and showers, most widespread in the northwest through late afternoon. Light to moderate south to southwesterly winds. Maximum 25C (79F), minimum 14C (55F). Edinburgh and Dundee, SW Scotland, Glasgow, Borders, Lake District, IofM, NE Eng: Largely dry with sunny intervals and a chance of the odd isolated shower in northeast England later. Light to moderate south to southwesterly winds. Maximum 31C (68F), minimum 14C (57F).

NW Eng, W Midc, Wales, Con S Eng, SW Eng, Channel fo: Dry and hot with sunny spells, perhaps turning a little hazy later. Light to moderate south to southwesterly winds. Maximum 35C (95F), minimum 15C (99F). London, E Anglia, E Midc, Con N Eng, SE Eng, E Eng: A dry and hot day with the best of the sunshine across Kent and East Anglia through the afternoon. Light to moderate south to southwesterly winds. Maximum 37C (99F), minimum 13C (99F).

Tides

Tidal predictions. Weight is in metres, 40 times in local time

Tides		HI		HI
Aberdeen	82±3	4.4	14±5	4.5
Aronmouth	69.30	11.0	20.40	10.0
Buffalo			12.20	3.3
Cardiff	90.22	12.2	20.40	12.7
Deanport	87±9	3.3	14.57	5.7
Dover	+++		12.07	6.0
Dublin	90±12	4.2	12.40	4.0
Edinburgh	86.30	5.6	12.40	5.4
Greenock	81.12	3.5	14.84	3.3
Havrech	+++		12.50	4.1
Hollywood	111.37	5.6	22.00	5.9
Hull	87.16	2.7	19.99	7.6
Leeds	83.28	5.7	19.99	5.7
Liverpool			12.00	9.4
London Bridge	82±9	7.2	15.18	7.0
Lowestoft	93.22	2.7	23.12	2.5
Milford Haven	87.26	7.1	19.47	7.4
Monrovia	+++		12.00	9.5
Newbanes	+++		12.50	6.0
Newquay	86.10	7.0	18.97	7.4
Olas	87.14	3.9	15.18	4.2
Pequeno	89.51	5.4	18.38	5.0
Portsmouth			12.42	4.0
Shenham	+++		12.42	6.5
Southampton	81.23	4.3	12.54	4.6
Swansea	87.35	9.4	19.52	9.8
Toxt	84.39	5.6	17.33	5.6
Weymouth	80.20	2.9	20.24	2.3

Synoptic situation

An occluded front associated with a low-pressure system over Ireland will bring patchy cloud and showers outbreaks of rain over parts of Scotland, heaviest in the north. A cold front will bring bright periods and a few spots of rain to western Ireland. High pressure in the far east will lead to a dry day elsewhere with plenty of sunshine.

Highs and lows

24hrs in Spm yesterday
Warrnam: Ross-on-Bron, 45.1c
Colford: South Newington, Oxfordshire, 5.0f
Worham: Marsh Rarick, 3.6mm
Swansea: Ewartwreath, Devon, 13.8m*

Sun and moon

For Greenwich
Sun (June) 25.31
Sun (Dec) 20.29
Moon (June) 24.55
Moon (Dec) 20.29
First quarter: August 20

Hours of darkness

Aberdeen	23:35-05:00
Buffalo	23:30-05:20
Birmingham	23:07-05:18
Cardiff	23:05-05:27
Leeds	23:00-05:30
Glasgow	23:20-05:37
Liverpool	23:25-05:30
London	20:57-05:14
Manchester	23:12-05:17
Munczville	23:14-05:09
Newark	20:55-05:05
Pequeno	23:15-05:40
Sheffield	23:06-05:14

Weather Eye

Paul Simons

When the Opec oil-producing countries cut their supply in 1973, the price of oil almost quadrupled, setting off a global energy crisis.

That crisis later inspired Granada Television to make a series, A House for the Future, about a project to build an energy-efficient family home from a derelict old coach house in Macclesfield, Cheshire.

The project began in 1974 by making the building sound and then fitting high levels of heat insulation. External brick walls were clad with timber boards and heat insulation materials, and the roof, ceilings and floors were also well insulated. A south-facing conservatory collected heat from sunshine, and the warm air was piped into bedrooms in the house. A heat pump was used to improve energy efficiency, which was a far-sighted development at the time. Installing solar roof panels to generate electricity was far too expensive in the 1970s, so instead a large array of solar water panels was built on the roof that collected hot water, and a homemade wind turbine was erected in the garden.

When the house was completed, a family of four moved in and tracked their energy use. They found that the best energy savings by far came from the insulation and the heat pump. The contribution from solar water heating was disappointingly small, and the wind turbine fell over and was not replaced.

In many ways the project was ahead of its time. Renewable energy these days has vastly improved and become widespread through cheap solar panels and arrays of wind turbines, but insulation for buildings still remains the bedrock for conserving energy, reducing heating bills and cutting carbon emissions.

As for climate change, a few scientists in the 1970s believed that the world's climate was cooling, which received a lot of publicity, although this proved to be only a temporary regional effect. Most climate scientists recognised that the global climate was warming, and 50 years later the consequences are increasingly clear.

Speak directly to one of our forecasters on 09065 777675

Barn to Spm daily (calls are charged at £1.55 plus network extras)

WeatherQuest

weatherquest.co.uk

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The Times and Sunday Times is a unique and trusted source of travel inspiration. Now you can trust us to take you there too.

Call 0808 231 5090 or visit thetimes.com/holidays

TIMES Holidays

---

56

Sport

Schedule is a mess – players must go from Hundred to Tests in three days

Mike Atherton

Chief Cricket Correspondent

As summer turned to autumn last year, those who had paid premium prices for the opening one-day international at the start of September have probably not forgotten their experience. England's performance that day at Headingley against South Africa was among the most deplorable in recent times. The list is long in that regard, but no one who was there that day could deny the gruesomerises of it all.

To recap briefly, England were bowled out for 131 in fewer than 25 overs — half the allotted time, in other words — having been 44 for one initially. South Africa won in the 21st over by seven wickets, after Aiden Markram gave Sonny Baker a debut to forget, pounding him to all parts of the ground. The game was scheduled for 100 overs, but lasted 44 all told. Those who paid for entry left thoroughly disillusioned and short-changed — not a feeling Yorkshire folk cherish.

It was hard to attach total blame to the players. They played atrociously, and that had to be acknowledged, but the context was important. The Hundred had finished just two days before — Joe Root had been involved in the final and Harry Brook and Adil Rashid in the eliminator — which meant that the squad arrived to Leeds in dribs and drabs. They played like a team whose minds were elsewhere and who had not moved from franchise into international mode, from 100 balls to 50-over cricket.

The challenge of transitioning out of the Hundred is accentuated this year. The first Test against Pakistan, also at Headingley, begins three days after the final of the Hundred (two days in the unlikely event of rain). Clearly, adapting from 100-ball cricket to Test cricket is a greater contrast than from 50-over cricket; lessons no doubt will have been taken from last year's schemozda, but the challenge remains.

Of the 16-man squad for the first Test, all but three — Ollie Robinson, Emilio Gay and Shoaib Bashir — have been involved in the Hundred. Of those, Gay is certain to play (if fit and recovered from his shoulder injury). Robinson is likely to do so, although he is expecting to become a father again around the time of the Test and Bashir could miss out — a remarkable possibility during the hottest, driest summer in living memory. The rest must all switch on to the demands of Test cricket quickly.

For bowlers, this is a physical challenge above all. During the past month they have bowled a maximum of 20 balls in each of what will be about eight matches — about what they might be expected to bowl in a single Test match

innings, in other words. The danger is of injury, once they have to increase that workload significantly and suddenly. To alleviate that risk, they have been tasked to bowl 190 balls a week with a Dukes ball around their competitive matches in the Hundred. That should help to keep, as they say, their 'loads' up.

Co-ordinating all this is Troy Cooley, the ECB's lead bowling coach. Cooley is an excellent and knowledgeable coach, having been with England way back during the 2005 Ashes, and his most recent experience was in a similar position with the BCCI. Because of the length of the Indian Premier League and because of India's extensive international programme, he will have had a lot of experience in readying the fast bowlers for Test cricket while playing in the IPL. It is not easy, but at least, in Cooley, they have someone who knows the ropes.

As well as physical adjustments, there are also tactical tweaks to make. For the past month bowlers have been in largely defensive mode, trying to prevent runscoring, by keeping batsmen guessing through exploiting their range of skills, such as slower balls and yorkers. Now they must revert to a more attacking, wicket-taking mindset and reacquaint themselves quickly with bowling consistently for maidens as well.

For batsmen, the challenge is technical and mental. In a recent article for ESPNcricinfo Daryll Cullinan, the former South Africa batsman, argued that, such are the distinctive demands of the formats, that becoming accomplished in equal measure across the three is unachievable. That may be slightly overplaying the challenge, but there is no doubt that moving from one to the other is difficult, such as the pace at which the formats are diverging.

First-class cricket, especially if the ball is swinging or seaming, demands a batsman play the ball late, under their eyeline, holding a more sideways position with leading shoulder

Root, who played for Welsh Fire last night, must quickly change his mindset to Tests

and front side of the body predominant. T20 cricket requires the ball to be taken early, to clear the in-field or the boundary, and with power coming from the torque of the hips, the trailing half of the body is much more active. It is a different technique entirely.

And, clearly, the mentality is totally different. Though it is a far less defensive game than before, an element of defence and survival is still required in Test cricket; you need to be able to stay in to score and the longer the game the increased value there is on a wicket, making the protection of it important. Clearly in the shortest

format, scoring quickly is the only thing — as Ollie Pope, who became the first batsman in England to be given the shepherd's crook and retired out recently, discovered.

When Dan Lawrence was picked in the squad last week, the national selector, Marcus North, made note that he is among the leading runscorers in Division One of the County Championship. Put aside for a moment the (fair) gripe that my colleague Steve James will have about potential England players needing to bat in the top four for their counties (Lawrence has batted mostly at No5 for Surrey this year, occasionally at four), and think about the structure of his season.

He was in ripe form early on, during the consistent run of championship games in April and May. For Surrey, he made scores of 5, 161*, 31, 0, 125, 13, 104, 21, 1, 218, 101, 8 and 0. Since the last of those games, he has played in the Blast and in the Hundred, scoring one half-century and facing 139 balls in two months. Batting at five is a cosy number in first-class cricket but opportunity is limited in that position in the Hundred. The modern player is used to moving from format to format, but it doesn't alleviate the challenge.

There will, one imagines, be a degree of nervousness among ECB executives during the first Test next week. The schedule is, after all, on them. It is they who have sold off a third of the summer for £500million; it is they who have guaranteed, in return for that cash, that their new franchise partners will have a monopoly of the month and complete control over England-contracted players during it.

Last year, after the debacle at Headingley, Richard Thompson, the chairman of the ECB, acknowledged the problem. 'There are no easy answers,' he said. 'We can't have our cake and eat it. We want England players to play [in the Hundred]. This is our premium white-ball competition and we want England players to play in it. What we have to do is to find a way of ensuring the schedule before and after [the tournament] is better. Take this [2025] year: the gap was a day or two days, that can't be right.'

'We've done this deal in the middle of a rights schedule. Come 2028, when we cut the next deal for the next four years, we can cut this in a different way. We might have a short-term issue here, but we can overcome that,' he said. Quite how they cut it in a different way remains to be seen, given that the Hundred will not be shortened. Will the owners demand more hang (games) for their buck? Will that mean less Test cricket?'

The ambitions of the owners and the broader game are not necessarily aligned and tension in future is likely. That is the deeper issue to play out in the next rights cycle — as England's players prepare to discover whether they can transition from one format to another rather more smoothly than they did last summer.

McCullum is brilliant and Stokes could come back, says Root

CONTINUED FROM BACK

and culture. As part of this, the curfew will no longer be in place. We will ensure all players have a clear understanding of expectations when they come together for the upcoming Test series.'

Root and his squad meet up in Leeds on Monday before the first Test against Pakistan on Wednesday and it is clear that the new captain has discussed

some of these off-field matters with Fleming, even though he does not officially start his role until after the end of this three-match series.

Marcus Trescothick is the interim head coach because Fleming, appointed after Brendon McCullum was sacked as red-ball coach, had pre-existing commitments, although it is expected that he will be present towards the end of the series, albeit not officially coach-

ing. Root also left the door open for a Stokes comeback after the former captain stunned the cricket world by retiring mid-match against New Zealand in June. Asked if he would welcome Stokes back, Root replied: 'I don't know — let's get there first.'

Root revealed he was 'gutted' about the sacking of McCullum, saying he believed that the former New Zealand captain 'really got the best out of me

personally'. 'I love the way he sees the game and the way he's opened my eyes up to looking at it slightly differently,' he said. 'I feel like he's a brilliant coach. I'm very glad we still get to work together in the white-ball stuff.'

Root did, however, welcome the new Fleming era. 'We have crossed paths a bit over the last few years when he's coached different teams around the world and is someone I have always

admired,' he said. 'The way that he's always held himself as a captain first and foremost. His record as a coach has been exceptional, albeit in T20 cricket.'

Root stepped down as captain in 2022 and believes he will learn from some of the mistakes he made in his first spell in charge. One of those being his admission that he needs to manage Jofra Archer better, admitting that 'at times I did overbowl him and overuse him'.

---

THE TIMES | Thursday, August 13 2026

57

Racing Sport

Salisbury

Thunderer

5.30	Zusidopsis	7.04	Siana Storm
6.04	Tara S. Finn	7.34	Green Sky (7b)
6.34	Sereneitha	8.04	Sappalaria
Gating good to firm
Draw: none		Racing TV

5.30 Handicap (£4,500 1m) (7)

1	(2) 3109	ENIGIO ALIART (2) 2P (4) 4b + 3c	K S McNigle
2	(3) 1001	STEREF ROSE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J E Dunham
3	(4) 1001	DECALUSSE (1) 1P (3) 2b + 3c	May Harare
4	(5) 1001	TRISCOLLEBERRY (4) 2b (2) 1b + 1c	J M Smith
5	(2) 1001	ZIPPER (2) 1P (1) 1b + 1c	J M Smith
6	(2) 1001	ANATRUS (2) 2/2 (1) 1b + 1c	J M Smith
7	(3) 1001	EDY SCOTT (1) 2b + 2c + 2a	M S Carter
8	(4) 1001	VALDINE (3) 2/2 (1) 1b + 1c	J M Smith
9	(5) 1001	THE JOHN (4) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
10	(6) 1001	THE JOHN (4) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith

6.04 Restricted Novice Stakes (2×0)

	£4,500 7f (12)
1	(2) 7	TIGRA TIMES (2) 2b (2) 2b + 3c
2	(3)	4 BLA BHAUL (4) 1b + 1c
3	(4)	7 FLORIDINE (4) 1b + 1c
4	(2)	4 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a
5	(3)	6 PEASANT (1) 2b + 2c
6	(2)	10 TIGRA TIMES (2) 4 PHOENIX (2) 1b + 1c
7	(3)	10 TIGRA TIMES (2) 4 PHOENIX (2) 1b + 1c

Thunderer's vision Time: confirmed debut process in decision for the end of the season, can only be a Danger: Funding

6.34 Novice Stakes (£5,400.7f) (2)

1	(2)	1. SERENEITHA (1) 2b (1) 2b + 3c	J T Kense
2	(2)	1. RICHMOND AREA (4) 2b + 3c	O Murphy
3	(3)	1. RICHMOND AREA (4) 2b + 3c	J M Smith
4	(2)	1. RICHMOND NATURE (1) 2b + 3c	W S Green
5	(2)	1. SEAN STONE (1) 2b + 3c	W S Green
6	(3)	1. SEAN STONE (1) 2b + 3c	W S Green
7	(4)	1. SEAN STONE (1) 2b + 3c	W S Green

7.04 Novice Stakes (2×0 £20,616.1m)

1	(2)	CELLIAN'S ROSE (2) 2b + 2c	W Carter
2	(2)	CLARITY (1) 2b + 2c + 2a	O Murphy
3	(2)	4 NORTH LIGHTS (4) 2b + 3c	J M Smith
4	(2)	4 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 3c	W S Green
5	(2)	4 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 3c	W S Green
6	(3)	4 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 3c	W S Green
7	(4)	4 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 3c	W S Green
8	(5)	4 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 3c	W S Green
9	(6)	4 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 3c	W S Green

Thunderer's vision, Draws: Shown from 2nd to 6th (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th) (6th)

7.34 Handicap (£3,300.1m 4f) (8)

1	(2)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J P Dunham
2	(4)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	O Murphy
3	(2)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
4	(2)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
5	(2)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
6	(3)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
7	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
8	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
9	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
10	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
11	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
12	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
13	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
14	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
15	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
16	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
17	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
18	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
19	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
20	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
21	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
22	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
23	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
24	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
25	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
26	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
27	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
28	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
29	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
30	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
31	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
32	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
33	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
34	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
35	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
36	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
37	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
38	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
39	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
40	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
41	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
42	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
43	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
44	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
45	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
46	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
47	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
48	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
49	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
50	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
51	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
52	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
53	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
54	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
55	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
56	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
57	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
58	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
59	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
60	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
61	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
62	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
63	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
64	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
65	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
66	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
67	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
68	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
69	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
70	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
71	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
72	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
73	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
74	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
75	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
76	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
77	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
78	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
79	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
80	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
81	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
82	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
83	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
84	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
85	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
86	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
87	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
88	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
89	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
90	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
91	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
92	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
93	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
94	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
95	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
96	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
97	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
98	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
99	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith
100	(1)	10 NORTH GATE (2) 2b + 2c + 2a	J M Smith

8. 10 NORTH GOOD EARTH (2) 2(5) W. Kensington 8-3-4. T Evans

1	(2) 2(5) WHEEL OUTLETS (1) 2(5) B. Kessler 9-7	E Doudron
2	(2) 2(5) CARYSCAIR (4) 2(5) F. Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
3	(2) 2(5) SUGGART (4) 2(5) D. Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
4	(2) 2(5) SUGGART (4) 2(5) D. Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
5	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	E Doudron
6	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
7	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
8	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
9	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
10	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
11	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
12	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
13	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
14	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
15	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
16	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
17	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
18	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
19	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
20	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
21	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
22	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
23	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
24	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
25	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
26	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
27	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
28	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
29	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
30	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
31	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
32	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
33	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
34	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
35	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
36	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
37	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
38	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
39	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
40	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
41	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
42	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
43	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
44	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
45	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
46	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
47	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
48	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
49	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
50	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
51	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
52	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
53	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
54	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
55	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
56	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
57	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
58	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
59	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
60	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
61	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
62	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
63	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
64	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
65	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
66	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
67	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
68	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
69	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
70	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
71	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
72	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
73	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
74	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
75	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
76	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
77	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
78	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
79	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
80	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
81	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
82	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
83	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
84	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
85	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
86	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
87	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
88	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
89	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
90	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
91	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
92	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
93	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
94	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
95	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
96	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
97	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
98	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
99	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown
100	(2) 2(5) ON THE INLET (2) 2(5) Kessler 9-7	J M Brown

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58

Sport Rugby's Greatest Rivalry

When Springboks caused New Zealand's worst unrest

In second of the series, Elgan Alderman looks at anti-apartheid demonstrations on the 1981 tour

As a prop in the amateur era, Gary Knight was no stranger to a rough time. The Manawatu dairy farmer and Commonwealth Games wrestler, eye-gouged on his All Blacks debut, was knocked down by a flour bomb at Eden Park, against the Springboks, in 1981. "I guess that would be a tremendous thump," Keith Quinn said on commentary.

The third Test, the final match of a tour provoking the deepest unrest in New Zealand history, took place on September 12 of that year. Streaks of white coloured the middle of the field. Marx Jones and Grant Cole had piloted a Cessna aeroplane and flew over the stadium in Auckland repeatedly, over protagonists who were acting in — so they and thousands of others believed — a scandalous enterprise that gave succour to a racist, apartheid regime. It was the final instalment of the barbed-wire tour, and 20 years later a documentary title described it as 1981: A Country at War.

The All Black and Springbok rivalry between 1921 and 1976 was an unofficial world championship of rugby with a sideshow in politics, fuelled by the omission of Maori players and the Halt All Racist Tours movement. Visits by South Africa were no longer peaceful and the crescendo reached fortissimo in 1981 with the Springboks' eight-week tour of New Zealand. The accepted figure is that more than 150,000 people took part in more than 200 demonstrations, leading to injuries and arrests in large numbers, reflecting an issue that split the country and appeared ruinous to the fabric of a placid nation.

The All Blacks were not rugby outliers in recognising South Africa, though the Gleneagles Agreement discouraged Commonwealth countries from sporting contact. In 1980, the Springboks hosted a South American XV twice, either side of a British & Irish Lions tour, rounded off the year by playing France at Loftus Versfeld, and had a two-match series at home to Ireland to kick off 1981. Despite being cast as pariahs they were busier than the All Blacks, who had only four Tests in 1980, all of them overseas.

The tenth bilateral tour between the world's leading rugby nations was organised for 1981. Eight years earlier the prime minister, Norman Kirk, had prevented the Springboks from coming to New Zealand, fearing civil unrest. Robert Muldoon, the premier in 1981, hinted at discouragement but no further, saying he would not bow to overseas pressure in a democracy. Many of those in favour of the tour reckoned sport and politics should not mix, but there was a general election later that year. Muldoon lost the popular vote but retained a majority (just).

Graham Mourie, the All Blacks

Tobias, the first black Springbok, was on the tour and won six caps from 1981–84

South Africa v New Zealand

Tour results Stormers 21 New Zealand 38 Sharks 9 New Zealand 54

Fixtures Bulls v New Zealand Saturday, Pretoria First Test August 22, Johannesburg Lions v New Zealand August 25, Johannesburg Second Test August 29, Cape Town Third Test September 5, Johannesburg Fourth Test September 12, Baltimore, US

flanker, decided not to take part in the series. Rob Louw, the South African flanker, was the room-mate — and future godfather to his child — of Errol Tobias, the first black Springbok and a tour participant. Tobias later said the Springboks shouldn't have gone, but the reaction showed what the world thought of South Africa's government. "As rugby players, our whole dream was just to go across and play against the All Blacks, and most of them were the same," Louw told The Ruck, the podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times. "It wasn't easy. There was a lot of pressure on us."

Anger mobilised before the Springboks' arrival through protests and strikes, and the team could not be flown via Sydney because of trade union opposition. On July 22, for the opening game against Poverty Bay in Gisborne, protesters on both sides faced each other. Anti-tourists, who had organised a "day of shame" march, tried to invade the pitch (there had already been arrests for targeting the hotel). The game went ahead and the Springboks won 24-6. Invasions, projectiles and the threat of stolen aircraft flying over the ground succeeded in forcing the cancellation of the game against Waikato in Hamilton three days later.

On the day of the third game, against Taranaki, Muldoon attended the wedding of Charles and Diana in London. Foreign observers were aware of the strife on the other side of the world. "Anarchy reigns in New

Zealand" and "New Zealand lacerates itself" were headlines in The Times, and the matter was discussed in the House of Commons.

In New Zealand, protest and violence remained the undercurrent and overcurrent of the tour, such as the battle of Molesworth Street in Wellington, where up to 2,000 protesters were met with police bats. There was the familiar divide: those supporting the demonstration saw fascism in the authorities, whereas a group of police wives spoke out against the portrayal of their husbands in the news. Leading figures on the pro and anti-tour sides were being targeted. For those like John Minto, the national organiser for Halt All Racist Tours, it wasn't just about protesting against racism in South Africa, but discrimination against Maori in New Zealand.

The Springboks continued to win, beating Manawatu, Wanganui, Southland and Otago before the first Test. The grandstand at Lancaster Park was aflame two days before

the game and in The Times, David Elias described how the tourists were "almost smuggled into Christchurch". Despite thousands of protesters around the venue, the game took place and New Zealand won 14-9.

The next midweek fixture, three days later against South Canterbury, was cancelled because of security concerns, leaving the Springboks rested for an 83-0 stuffing of Nelson Bays. Next up, in the final warm-up for the second Test, was a midweek encounter with New Zealand Maori in Napier. The Maori led 12-0 in the mud and puddles of McLean Park before a late drop-goal secured a draw, although there was considerable doubt as to whether Colin Beck's effort went between the posts. It didn't look like it did.

On to the second Test in Wellington, where Stu Wilson experienced how the tour could divide loyalties. Wilson's win was among the protest lines, along with other members of his family, whereas Wilson was in the All Blacks team. "We had a load of beers afterwards and he said his whole family were demonstrating against him, but he wanted to play against South Africa," Louw told The Ruck.

The Springboks won 24-12 and then beat Bay of Plenty, Auckland and North Auckland, leaving the series deicider against the All Blacks. Clashes on the day of the third Test were among the most violent of the tour. With a security perimeter around the ground, the game went ahead beneath the regular crossings by the aircraft. "In the first half we basically played looking at the plane," Louw said. Ray Mordt scored a hat-trick for the Springboks, who stayed overnight at the ground, sleeping on hard floors, and the score was 22-22 as full-time neared. Clive Norling, the Welsh referee, awarded the All Blacks a penalty, which Allan Hewson kicked. The All Blacks had won the series 2-1.

This is how Michael Brunson summarised the scenes in The Times two months later: "To describe New Zealanders in normal times as placid may be an understatement. Most Australians, for example, seem always to have preferred the word 'dull'. This year has not been normal. New Zealand's sleepy image has been shattered by the violence of the argument over the Springboks' tour."

The Springboks weren't done. They had one last show of disquiet in the United States, where police were injured at JFK airport when demonstrators tried to stop a plane from taking off, erroneously believing Springboks were on it. The three-match leg in Wisconsin and New York took place in near secrecy to avoid protests.

Why did they bother? Perhaps the Springboks sensed their days of international rugby were numbered. For the next 11 years they didn't face the All Blacks, opposing only a South American XV, England and a World XV. Well, there was one team strikingly similar to the All Blacks. Though a 1985 tour was cancelled, there was a rebel exception in 1986, which many do not talk about to this day.

A Cessna dive bombs the third Test

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THE TIMES | Thursday, August 13, 2026

59

Sport

COLORPORT/OUTERSTOCK ASSOCIATES PRESS, AP PHOTOMER (DELAIDE HERALD)

and, inset, in other runs flour bombs were dropped from the plane. Left, supporters drag away a demonstrator in Hamilton

Mitchell questions trial of smaller balls

Elgan Alderman

John Mitchell fears the use of a smaller ball could lead to an increase in kicking in women's rugby and erode a key point of difference to the men's game.

World Rugby has extended the trial use of size 4.5 balls, which are about 3 per cent smaller than the size 5 but with the same weight, from elite sevens to the WXV Global Series.

As part of the reformatted schedule, England will host Australia, Canada and New Zealand on successive weekends from September 12 before travelling to North America to face Canada twice and the United States once from October 16.

Zoe Harrison, the England fly half, called the trial "the worst decision someone has ever made" when she found out about it in May. Harrison, who has used a size 5 ball since she was 14, succeeded with 29 of her 31 place-kicks during this year's Six Nations. The Red Roses, after winning the 2025 World Cup, extended their unbeaten run to 38 Tests with a grand slam.

Mitchell said England's kickers had been given the smaller ball during the off-season to practise, and believes that familiarity with it will simply come down to coaching. "Now we're just training with it, it's just become part of our training programme," the England head coach said. "We don't talk about it. It's not something that's even obvious really, to be fair. I'm sure each individual will have different feelings as they're going through the adaptation of playing with it."

Part of the rationale is to make off-loading easier, mirroring the use of smaller balls in basketball and cricket, because women on average have

smaller hands. Given that England are the world's dominant side, Mitchell said it could help other teams narrow the gap with their skills.

"It's too early for me to say that it's going to help our offloading game, or it's going to help with the pass," he said. "I'm sure there's consequences as well. There might be more contestable kicking, which is probably something we want to keep away from our game, because it's a point of difference between our game and the men's game.

"Will passes drop away? Will kicks go as far? All those things need to be

Harrison said the trial was "the worst decision ever"

answered. The sample at the moment is too small. Once we get into the first three Test matches at home, a lot of your curiosity will be answered."

The New Zealand-born Mitchell became a British citizen in the off-season, belting out the national anthem during his interview like he has done many times in three stints as an RFU employee. He likened the three Tests against Canada, who lost last year's World Cup final to England, to the forthcoming men's series between the All Blacks and Springboks.

"There's no tournament to win [this autumn], so we can be very patient around how we go about things," Mitchell said. "Ultimately it's like you're auditioning for Australia in 2029 because geographically we're going to be travelling some distance [in WXV]."

Coles and Opoku-Fordjour receive England contracts

CONTINUED FROM BACK

Saints forward, became established in the team over the past year. He played in all 12 England Tests and started at lock in the July Nations Championship matches against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina.

Since the last-gasp loss to France at the end of the Six Nations, Borthwick has preferred Ollie Chessum at blind-side flanker in a pack with more lineout options. The promotion of Coles, who formed a complementary second-row combination with George Martin in July, reflects this selection pivot.

Opoku-Fordjour, 22, has won only eight caps to date, four of those during the past season, but is a valuable asset at prop as he can play both on the loose-head and tight-head side of the scrum. Borthwick is keen to select versatile players for his World Cup squad next year, so Opoku-Fordjour fits that bill.

He started for England in the uncapped international against France in June at loose-head prop, yet is unlikely to see too much game time in that position for his club over the coming domestic campaign. Sale Sharks are well stocked at loose-head with new signing Nicky Smith, England international Bevan Rodd, and the experienced Simon McIntyre. Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes, Fin Baxter, Will Stuart and Opoku-Fordjour are now the five contracted England props. Baxter and Stuart are retained despite both being injured throughout 2026.

Willis, who has left England and Saracens to join the Champions Cup holders

Bordeaux Bègles, has dropped out having not played a single Test while on a central deal. He was paid in full, since he joined the list last August, but as he announced his departure to France at the start of the last domestic season, he was discarded from all England squads.

Roebuck lost his place in the team during this year's Six Nations, and now must fight his way back into contention. He is behind Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Fevi-Waboso, the two contracted wingers, and recently has been overlooked in match-day squads for Cadan Murley and Noah Caluori. Neither of the latter two wings has been awarded contracts, and nor has Ben-hard Janse van Rensburg.

Instead, Borthwick has chosen to reward Atkinson, and retain Henry Slade, as two out-and-out centres, but he has dropped Lawrence. Daly, the 33-year-old utility back, is another casualty.

Atkinson's inclusion is interesting as the appearance of Janse van Rensburg, 29, has made his place in the team uncertain. Atkinson has started the past three Tests at No.12 but Borthwick is keen to see more of Janse van Rensburg, the Bristol centre, in his midfield.

Van Poortvliet confirms his status as England's second scrum half, behind Alex Mitchell. Ben Spencer and Archie McParland have not been given deals.

By picking 25 players to receive RFU deals, Borthwick is in effect revealing his thoughts for next year's World Cup. For the tournament in Australia he will select 33 players, so this group will form the basis of his squad, injury and form permitting.

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60

Sport European Athletics Championships

Now make me mayor, roars Hudson-Smith after home win

Matt Lawton Chief Sports Correspondent, Birmingham

When measuring the burden of pressure and expectation on an international athlete, perhaps try walking a quarter-mile in the spiked shoes of Matthew Hudson-Smith.

Two months before these European Championships, the organisers decided to name a stand here in Birmingham in his honour. They invited the US-based 31-year-old back to his home track, and unveiled the temporary extension to the north end of the Alexander Stadium with a giant banner in his name.

So no pressure, then, on the local hero last night; a Birchfield Harrier, the fifth fastest 400m runner in history and twice previously a winner of individual European gold, expected to run past his own stand and deliver a third sprint title in as many evenings for a British team leading the medal table.

It was not as easy as the form guide suggested it would be. The decision to ease down in his semi-final, and concede victory to the Dutch athlete Jonas Pluffers, left Hudson-Smith in lane nine for this contest. But the Olympic and world silver medallist executed his race in a manner that meant he never saw his opponents, unless, that is, he sneaked a quick glance up at one of the giant screens and witnessed them struggling in futile pursuit.

Hudson-Smith attacked the race pretty much as he always does, pushing hard in the drive phase and into the back straight, before employing that huge, loping stride to carry him around the top bend.

Coming off the curve, he must have been three or four metres clear and, while the athletes inside him did slowly begin to close, he was still more than two tenths of a second ahead

when he crossed for victory, clocking an impressive 44.17sec.

On the public address system, Katharine Merry, the stadium commentator, president of Hudson-Smith's club and a former Olympic 400m medallist, was unashamedly patriotic. 'The Wolverhampton-born Birchfield Harrier delivers,' she declared. 'No one was denying him in his own back yard.'

After posing for photographs in front of his stand, Hudson-Smith echoed the sentiment. 'No one was catching me tonight,' he said. 'Honestly it doesn't just take a village – it takes a whole city, so thank you Wolverhampton and thank you Birmingham.' He then declared his ambition to one day be mayor of the second city.

'I cannot describe what this means to me,' he said, before having a little dig at the BBC. 'I was watching a BBC newscast. You guys need to come with the facts, man. Saying I was injured and everything.'

'The whole point of rounds is to survive and advance. I tried to conserve energy. Me and my coach were laughing all the way around. I knew I was the best in the world. I knew that. On paper, I was a second faster than these guys. My coach said, 'Once you seal the deal, make sure you do it. This is your home. Defend it.'

'I knew it would take one hell of an effort to get past me. Every time someone beats me, I kind of end their career. I knew that for them to beat me, they would have to have a supernatural moment. Nobody is going to beat me on this track. This is my home. I have been here since I was nine. I know this track like the back of my hand. I have got my stand. Now I will go for mayor of Birmingham and Wolverhampton.'

It was yet another successful night for Britain with Emily Newnham

Hudson-Smith thrills the Birmingham crowd with front-running charge for gold

British 400m winners

Matthew Hudson-Smith 2022, 2024 and 2026 Martyn Rooney 2014 and 2016 Iwan Thomas 1998 Du'aine Ladejo 1994 Roger Black 1986 and 1990 David Jenkins 1971 Robbie Brightwell 1962 John Wrighton 1958 Derek Pugh 1950 Godfrey Brown 1938

snatching silver in the women's 400m hurdles in a fine personal best of 51.13sec.

But with a partial eclipse of the sun came an athlete who eclipsed everyone. This was the 14th time a British male athlete had won the European 400m title, dating back to Godfrey Brown in 1938, but only Hudson-Smith has three golds, with eight European medals in total. It made the fact his stand was largely empty all the more disappointing, and yet another source of embarrassment for the organisers.

Some have blamed ticket prices but

when it cost as little as £26 for a seat in that particular area for this session – and half that for children – the argument is hard to sustain.

Senior British athletics figures are bruised by the attendance figures for the first three nights, even if they now point to the fact that 80 per cent of the tickets – totalling some 200,000 – have now been sold for the 13 sessions. They also anticipate full houses for later in the week.

Maybe the prices in some areas were pitched a little high. They are as much as £150, while the most expensive ticket in Rome two years ago was more like £80, with some tickets available for £20 for the finals in the evenings.

But there are plenty of cheaper tickets here and many of those sections have not sold well.

The organisers are scratching their heads a little, when last months London Diamond League was a 60,000 sell-out and the Italian hosts of two years ago had about 40,000 fans for every session at the Stadio Olimpico.

Accessibility could be an issue, and not just by road and rail. International flights into Birmingham are perhaps more limited compared to other major airports, while the city itself could be a further factor. Brummies might love the Bullring but it is probably safe to assume that international fans would find a visit to the Colosseum or a stroll down Via Veneto more appealing.

It is a shame, given how exciting the competition has been. 'Naturally, we would love to see a full stadium for every session, because nothing compares with the energy of a packed Alexander Stadium and the support it gives to the athletes,' said a spokesman for European Athletics. 'But we are very pleased that demand for tickets to the second half of the championships is strong, and we want to encourage people to come and experience this incredible event for themselves.'

The next two nights should certainly deliver too. The women's 800m final tomorrow has long been regarded as the race of the championships; a duel between Keely Hodgkinson and the tall Swiss, Audrey Werro, who beat her in Stockholm in June.

But the women's 200m tonight promises to be every bit as exciting. Amy Hunt is chasing a second individual gold after her stunning display over 300m on Monday and she was impressive in winning her semi-final in 22.37sec when she came off the gas some 30m from the line. In Dina Asher-Smith, the 2019 world champion, she has some serious competition. Asher-Smith also won her semi-final, again with ease. It promises to be some contest.

Evans storms to European gold, with help from Ramsay-Peaty

Swimming Craig Lord Paris

Great Britain found its female Peaty in Paris yesterday night when Angharad Evans stormed to the first European women's 100m breaststroke title in British history.

Continental crowns in the two-length race have been ten a penny among our men. Britain are top of the all-time leaderboard with seven titles; Olympic champions Adrian Moorhouse (three golds) and Adam Ramsay-Peaty (four) are the biggest medal haulers Europe has known. There have been a decent number of silvers and bronzes for the women down the years but never gold. Until now, Evans has broken the duck, and brought real optimism for the Olympics in LA in 2028.

The 23-year-old from Stirling, Scotland, turned heads as she set a championship record in all three rounds, claiming gold in a British record of 1min 04.87sec. The Commonwealth champion from two weeks ago in Glasgow now has the seven fastest times in the world this year.

In Glasgow, victories in the 100m and 200m came the hard way, the expectation of a home crown rattling her nerves and keeping her from her best times. The lesson was 'so important...I now knew that I could be very nervous but still perform and win.'

Buoyed by 'The Britain Bounce', as the team here are calling their rise from a Commonwealth Games dominated by Australians. Evans delivered precisely what her coach, Ben Higson, at the Stirling Performance Centre had asked for.

'Ben tells me three things before every race: hit my line, stay over [control] my stroke, and dominate,' says Evans with a chuckle.

She followed the instruction perfectly. Fourth at the turn, she drew level with Mona McSharry, Ireland's Olympic bronze medalist in Paris two years ago, with 25 metres to go, and then surged with such confidence that neither McSharry nor the rest could respond. It was silver for McSharry, 0.54sec back, and bronze for the Italian world 50m champion Benedetta Pilato, a distant 1.02sec behind Evans.

She will now race the world record-

Evans set a new British record on her way to taking 100m breaststroke gold

holder, Evgenia Chikunova, in the rounds of the 200m today, before the final tomorrow.

So, were we looking at the female Peaty, or simply extraordinary Evans?

A bit of both, the champion said. 'People compare me to Adam Peaty, and it's such an honour. He's someone that I looked up to all of my younger swimming years, but also I do want to make a name for myself. I guess I have a completely different story to him.'

Evans went to college in the US in search of progress in the swimming lion's den, but she said it didn't suit her. She almost quit, before she returned to the UK and opted for Stirling. Although her mum is American and her dad is Welsh, she chose to race for Scotland to pay Stirling back 'for all they've done for me'.

'I went over to the States and was taking time out of the water at a time when Adam [Peaty] was breaking world records,' she recalls.

'So if you look at the two journeys, yes, we swim the same stroke but in completely different ways, and we've been through completely different things. He's had a lot of downs, but a lot of ups. I had very different hills than him and I think it's just beautiful that we are top in the nation but have come from such different backgrounds.'

She then revealed that Ramsay-Peaty had helped her overcome the nerves that had held her back before. 'He said to me, he's always there for me to learn on with nerves and navigate that journey. Now I'm in the higher end of the sport as opposed to a few years ago

when I was just at the first stage. It's very comforting to have someone as experienced as him behind me.'

Similar support, from coaches and senior team-mates, is being given to Amalie Smith, the 16-year-old Kent schoolgirl who claimed silver and bronze medals on medley for England in Glasgow two weeks ago, a fortnight after gold at the European Junior Championships in Munich.

On her European senior debut in Paris, with the rush of Evans's gold in the air, Smith raced to silver in the 400m medley. Trailing the young Smith into the last turn of the night-length, all-strokes event, Ellen Walshe, an experienced 23-year-old Olympic finalist, put in a huge final turn and emerged ahead of her British opponent.

'I'm so happy with my race, my time, and the whole event,' said Smith, who is coached by Karen Bradbury at Monson SC in Kent. 'The crowd is just mental! I'm learning with every passing race.'

Britain's growing female force in the pool now have three golds and a silver after three days of racing in Paris.

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61

Football Sport

United a natural fit for me, says Tielemans

Paul Hirst, Dublin

At Carton House, the five-star hotel in Co Kildare once frequented by Queen Victoria, Youth Tielemans explained what Manchester United means to him.

Decked out in a red tracksuit and sporting a silver wristwatch, he spoke on Tuesday about the “retentlessness” of the club and their “high demands”. “It’s a big institution,” he said.

Training may have been finished for the day, the third day of United’s pre-season training camp, but the 29-year-old midfielder’s afternoon was not over — after his chat with the national press, the Belgian was interviewed by Rio Ferdinand for his podcast.

All the time he was being shadowed by an Amazon cameraman and three murders, who asked those present to sign a form giving their consent to feature in their forthcoming documentary.

United have not revealed publicly how much they will earn from the documentary, but well-placed sources put the figure at about £20 million, which, give or take, buys you half a Tielemans in today’s tumultuous midfield market, where £100 million seems to be the benchmark for a talented pro.

Under the terms of his Aston Villa contract, Tielemans was available for £35 million this summer, which seems a modest amount for a man who has played 244 Premier League games and earned his 90th Belgium cap at the World Cup.

“I wasn’t expecting to move this summer because at Villa we did amazing things, like winning the Europa League, but there are still clubs above Villa, and Manchester United is one of them. Especially at this moment, there is a very positive vibe, a very positive mood in and around the club. So I am just hopeful we can have a great story together. When I was younger, watching the

Tielemans is impressed by United’s positive vibe

Barcelona told to pay £70m for City’s Rodri

Simon Mullock, Paul Hirst

Manchester City have told Barcelona they must come up with £70 million to sign Rodri after reporting a second bid for Spain’s World Cup-winning captain.

The La Liga champions have been informed that a second offer of £51.3 million, plus £5 million in add-ons, was unacceptable. Barcelona’s opening bid was £38.5 million.

City have now set a price and it remains to be seen whether Barcelona return to the negotiating table or wait to see how Rodri’s situation develops when he returns to Manchester for pre-season training tomorrow.

City are interested in the Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández as a direct replacement for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner but are aware the London club value the Argentinian at £120 million.

After spending a club record £116 million to bring in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, as well as lining up an £85 million deal to sign the Lille and Morocco teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi, they are reluctant to lose one of their most influential players without securing the price they want.

Premier League games, Man United was always on top. There was always that mentality of winning games, and that is what we are trying to bring back to the club.”

That Tielemans’s journey with United will begin this season reflects badly on those in previous regimes who turned down the chance to sign the Belgian twice before, in 2019 and 2022.

There has been two times that I spoke with the club, but it did not achieve anything. I was very calm about it,” he says. “I just keep working, keep doing my thing on the pitch and then it happened.”

His name can be added to a long list of players who joined United in the post-Alex Ferguson era five years too late, such as Edinson Cavani, Casemiro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Radamel Falcao, Christian Eriksen and Raphaël Varane.

That said, Tielemans’s powers are not on the decline yet. Despite calf and ankle injuries last season, he played a key role in Villa’s successful Europa League campaign. There are two obvious questions that need to be addressed,

though: first, what does Michael Carrick want from Tielemans and the rest of his midfielders in the post-Casemiro era, and second, is Tielemans’s body up to it? He has played 30-plus first-team matches every season since he was 16 and in his own words, his body “just switched off for some reason” during the warm-up before Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final defeat by Spain.

“I do not think I am a player that absolutely needs a rest,” he said. “Obviously, there are a lot of games and the manager needs to manage the team, but when I am good, I am good, you know. Unfortunately, my body is, when it does not go well, then I will know straight away and I will alert the manager, but it does not happen often.”

While their rivals have spent heavily to reinforce their midfields, United have spent only a combined £85 million on Tielemans and Andrey Santos, the 22-year-old Brazilian, who joined from Chelsea. Whether that is a sign

Galatasaray make £38m bid for Martinelli

Gary Jacob

Arsenal have received a £38 million bid for Gabriel Martinelli from Galatasaray but it is not clear whether the winger wants to move to Turkey.

The 25-year-old is considered surplus to requirements at the Emirates this season, with the manager, Mikel Arteta, looking to bring in a left winger.

Martinelli has one year left on his contract, which is worth about £180,000 a week, but the Premier League champions have the option to extend it by one season, which would protect his value given it would prevent him from leaving on a free transfer next summer.

Martinelli, who played for Brazil at this summer’s World Cup, joined Arsenal in 2019 for £6million from the Brazilian side Ituano. He has featured 191 times, scoring 41 goals. Last season he played 30 Premier League matches but scored only one goal.

Djed Spence is close to leaving Tottenham Hotspur for Inter Milan for up to £30million. The Italian champions are in talks to pay about £25.6million, plus £4.3million in add-ons, and a 10 per cent sell-on clause.

of over-caution or sensible activity remains to be seen, but United do look a little light in that part of the pitch, unless Carrick is convinced Mason Mount can play in a double pivot, as he has been doing alongside Santos in pre-season.

Kobbie Manso and Tielemans are the other two midfielders available, although there are high hopes for Darren Fletcher’s twin boys, Jack and Tyler. All four seniors are technical players, rather than physically imposing midfielders who break up play, which suggests that Carrick wants his players to keep the ball better and move it forward more quickly and efficiently. There were times last season when giddiness

got the better of United in transition. They lacked a technically skilled player with a calm head, and that is where Tielemans’s experience should come in handy, playing alongside a deeper-lying sitter in the double pivot.

“I feel like I am best in the role of linking defence to attack, but if I need to stay more in front of the defence, or if I need to play ten and attack with more freedom, then I can do it easily,” Tielemans said. “I just try and play forward as much as I can, either to Bruno [Fernandez] or the front line, he is a guy who can find space easily. It’s been really natural playing with him so far.”

Carrick clearly wants a lot from Tielemans

emans judging by his conversations with the player just before he signed.

“He wants me to bring the best out of my qualities and he wants me to be free on the pitch, to try and organise the team as best as possible,” he added.

“Obviously, he has got his principles. He wants to have the ball, he wants to press in certain ways. It might be different than what I have been used to before, but it is logical. It is just smelling football, and that is what I have been doing from when I was young. You can add your offensive qualities, especially in the last third, without overcommitting and keeping the defensive line in place, then we can do good things.”

Six Nations: Wales vs England 2027

March 5, 2027

Be there for Wales v England at the Principality Stadium, a Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixture where history, rivalry and campaign-defining pressure meet.

This exclusive package includes official match tickets and two hosted events with commenter legend Stuart Barnes, The Times’s Charlie Morgan and a celebrity guest speaker, for an experience that goes beyond kick-off. With a prime city-centre four-star hotel, you’ll also remain close to the stadium, restaurants and post-match debate. Insight before the whistle, atmosphere after it — and every detail handled from start to finish.

Hosted by Stuart Barnes

Since hanging up his fly-half boots, Stuart is a columnist and match analyst for The Times and one of the country’s most incisive commentators on rugby.

Price includes

• Two nights’ four-star stay at Future Inn
• Cardiff Bay with breakfast
• Pre-match Q&A with commentator legend Stuart Barnes, The Times’s senior rugby writer Charlie Morgan and a celebrity guest
• Captain’s Run access on Friday
• Official Cat A ticket (lower tier, try line area)
• Hosted welcome drinks
• Tour merchandise

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Call 0808 291 4831 or visit thetimes.com/th-sixnations2027

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62

Sport Uefa Super Cup

Paris Saint-Germain's quality tells as Kvaratskhelia, right, gives the European champions the lead. But the 17-year-old Madjo, left, restores hope for Aston Villa with a great strike on the stroke of half-time. Above: Doué seals victory with a stunning goal that was initially flagged for offside. Below: Emery has plenty to look forward to for his much-changed side

Beaten but signs are positive

Charlotte Duncker

Salzburg

Paris Saint-Germain

Kvaratskhelia 30, Doué 61

Aston Villa

Madjo 45

Paris Saint-Germain are Super Cup winners once more, but Unai Emery can head back to Birmingham with something that could mean more than a piece of pre-season silverware: optimism for the new campaign.

Villa came to Austria as the underdogs, with just five of those who started that Europa League final back in May in the starting XI. They lost thanks to two outstanding goals from Khricha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué, but still they fought as they looked to match the level of the best team in Europe.

This was a PSG side who were just two games into their pre-season so were not at their very best, but their star names still graced the pitch. While it

was the familiar characters in blue and red who led them to victory, it was time for Villa's new boys to make a name for themselves.

Brian Madjo became the youngest player to score in the competition when he finished with a lovely volley to level things up for Villa just before the break, and while it wasn't enough to see them take home the trophy there was enough in Villa's performance to please Emery with the season just one week away.

Villa had shown little moments of promise in the early exchanges. John McGinn delivered a wonderful ball into the area that was cleared by William Pacho. 19-year-old George Hemmings was getting into useful positions and Boubacar Kamara had a shot from distance whistle just wide of the post. But they were lacking the

quality in the final ball to find any breakthrough as the European champions soon settled into the game.

After 15 minutes, PSG started to go through the gears. The likes of Doué had only just returned from World Cup duty after playing 45 minutes of the third-placed play-off against England 25 days ago. That muscle memory in the group didn't take long to kick in, though, as their slick passing found a way through Villa's midfield and into the box.

With Emiliano Martinez not with the group because of his World Cup commitments, it was down to Marco Bizot to block anything that came his way.

Bizot stood strong to deny Doué, but there was no stopping PSG's opener 20 seconds later. Vitinha did not need asking to take possession

Emery's European finals

Team v opponent (year)	Competition	Win/lose
Sevilla v Benfica (2014)	Europa League	Winners
Sevilla v Real Madrid (2015)	Super Cup	Runners up
Sevilla v FC Dnipro (2015)	Europa League	Winners
Sevilla v Barcelona (2016)	Super Cup	Runners up
Sevilla v Liverpool (2016)	Europa League	Winners
Arsenal v Chelsea (2019)	Europa League	Runners up
Villarreal v Man Utd (2021)	Europa League	Winners
Villarreal v Chelsea (2022)	Super Cup	Runners up
Aston Villa v SC Freiburg (2026)	Europa League	Winners
Aston Villa v PSG (2026)	Super Cup	Runners up

off Madjo in the middle of the pitch and a swift ball to Doué set them free again.

The Frenchman found Kvaratskhelia out to his left, the Georgian weaved into the box, made sure Matty Cash had no chance of stopping him, and fired past Bizot with a stunning strike.

It was the sort of finish that makes his €72 million (about £61 million) transfer fee they paid in January last year look like a bargain. But Villa cannot, due to the financial rules and regulations,

shop in the same market. Instead they were hoping for their own moment of magic from Madjo.

The 17-year-old signed for £10 million in January from Metz—but was only recently cleared to play after a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling—and led the line in his competitive debut for the club.

The opportunities kept coming for Madjo, but he kept missing. Twice McGinn put it on a plate for him and

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twice he missed the target, and then he hit the post. He got the reward for his perseverance when he scored the hardest chance that had come to him.

After another excellent ball from McGinn to the back post, he held off Pacho and finished past Malvey Safonov at his near post.

And it was Villa who ended the half on the front foot, with McGinn skipping down the line as he tried to spark yet another attack.

But these are the Champions League winners and on came Ousmane Dembélé as Luis Enrique looked to win this trophy for the third time. Villa created more chances, but it took just one moment of quality from their

substitute to release Doué, who curled a lovely finish into the far corner.

It was initially flagged for offside, but Omar Artan, the Somalian referee who was denied access to America at the border and prevented from officiating at the World Cup, overturned it after VAR's involvement.

Villa continued to push with chances for Hemmings, João Gomes and substitutes Alysson and Tammy Abraham, but they couldn't find a way PSG kept their composure and the lead to lift the trophy again.

But maybe, despite all of the changes both on and off the pitch, the future for this 'new Aston Villa' doesn't look so bad after all.

Para Saint-Germain (4-3-3): M Safonov – A Hakimi, Marquinhos, W Pacho, Nuno Mandas (L'Hemanded 75min) – João Neves (F Ruiz 75), Viseina, Ziaro-Emery – M Aleksuche (D Dembélé 46), D Doué (S Mopaju 87), K Krasniakhelia (L Beraide 98).

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): M Bizot – M Cseh, V Lindelot, P Torres (T Minge 79), I Mautner – J Gomes (R Barkley 79), B Zamora (L Bogarde 72) – J McGinn (Alysson 73), E Bumdia, O Hemmings – B Madjo (T Abraham 72). Booked Torras, Gomes, McGinn. Referee O Artan (Sion).

Set Rice free – then he can be the best player on earth

Matthew Syed

Declan Rice is a fantastic player, good bloke, leader, winner of the Premier League title with Arsenal, member of an England team who have reached two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final over the past six years; a 27-year-old who can legitimately claim to be one of the finest players of his generation. But I wonder if he could take a step further.

You'll remember the Ming vase metaphor from politics, the idea (first formulated, I think, by Roy Jenkins) that opposition parties often approach government as if carrying a rare and expensive piece of china across a concrete floor.

They don't want to stumble. They don't want to slip up. So they scrupulously guard against making any mistakes — which is often the biggest mistake of all.

Rice can do almost everything: corners, free kicks, interceptions, you name it. He is so versatile that he played at right back in the latter part of the game against DR Congo at the World Cup — and did jolly well. His adaptability is a huge strength.

But is it not fair to say that he is somewhat beholden to the Ming vase mindset? He hates making mistakes, hates misplacing passes, hates letting team-mates down. All admirable. But it means we rarely see Rice in expressive mode, cutting open defences, taking shots, altering the geometry of a game, in the way I believe he can.

Of course, part of this is down to managers who have often instructed him to play with a safety-first approach. But with a little more freedom, he could take that small but elusive step from exceptionally good to great, from outsider for the Ballon d'Or to winner. The kind of player who can break up attacks and then dart forward, shoot and score from outside the box, as he did in the (albeit unimportant) third-place play-off match against France, with a huge smile on his face.

How different from the regimented, tremulous performance we saw against, say, Ghana.

And it's not as if such a transformation is unheard of at the highest attitudes of world sport. Roger Federer at the peak of his powers realised he would never beat Rafael Nadai by slicing his backhand. At first it was awkward to drill a new

Title glory was the peak of Rice's career so far but he can hit greater heights

technique of hitting flatter. It felt weird — indeed, almost immoral — to be making so many mistakes, not just in practice but in matches too.

But this was the necessary step to gaining the payoff, sure, he was making more errors but he was also making more winners, altering the geometry and psychology of matches. Federer took the Wimbledon title between winning the 2012 and 2018 Australian Opens, returning to No1 in the world — perhaps the finest achievement of his career.

The brilliant NBA player Goran Dragic had a similar journey, albeit from a lower base, a sportsman who was acutely risk averse when he entered the NBA. This was, perhaps, understandable for a player from Slovenia who was desperate to hold on to his place in the world's biggest league, but it also meant that he failed to make the biggest impact.

"I was not aggressive enough," he said in an interview at the time. Alvin Gentry, his coach, inspired him to take a different approach with the advice: "Kid, it doesn't matter how many mistakes you're going to make. Just go. Just play. Be yourself."

There's a lovely story told about Rice by Trevor Bumstead, who was a youth coach at West Ham United after Rice's (acutely painful) release by Chelsea. He asked the youngsters to perform a drill that incorporated a series of tasks including passing, shooting and dribbling. The real purpose of the exercise, however, was to test the attitude of the players. Each time they missed, they had to go to retrieve the ball. Would they do so quickly to continue with the task, or would they do so reluctantly, sluggishly, with a degree of peñance?

"He was fantastic at that because he'd miss and then he'd bring back his ball and have another go," Bumstead said in an interview with the BBC. "He used to assess very quickly what

he'd done wrong and readjust. It was about, 'Can you keep doing it? Who is going to be the most persistent?' And Declan would always win those."

This speaks volumes about the attitude of Rice, about the work ethic that has taken him so far. It is why team-mates admire him, why managers eslogise him. This is a guy who gives back, who picks up the cones, who goes the extra mile.

One of the England assistant coaches told me: "He's a really selfless guy." He wasn't just talking about Rice's willingness to help younger team-mates off the pitch but to let them shine on it too.

Again, hugely admirable. But here's the thing: with your most talented player, do you not want him to shine himself rather than letting others do so? To have a crack at goal rather than always giving others the chance? To take the risk of going for the killer, high-tariff passes that can lead to goals (especially with his vision and accuracy) rather than leaving the pitch always with an unblemished pass completion rate?

In short, is there not a case for this most selfless of players to show a tad more selfishness, and thereby add even more to his team?

And this, I hope, is precisely what Mikel Arteta (who has talked of liberating Rice but has never fully followed through) has in mind for the upcoming season with the signings he's made, including the Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle United. It is an opportunity for Rice to drop the vase more often, and to thereby remake himself as perhaps the finest player in the world.

There was a profile last year in The Guardian in which someone who knows Rice well and speaks to him every day said "he has an extra gear". I hope this wonderful, admirable, thoroughly decent guy finds it — and finds it soon.

'Playing World Cup was father's wish'

CONTINUED FROM BACK

agent. There was speculation about Jorge's health during the World Cup this summer, when, during Argentina's first group-stage match, Messi broke down in tears after scoring the first goal.

He explained that it was due to "something unrelated to football" after going through "a few difficult, complicated days", but later revealed that his father's condition had worsened just before the start of the tournament.

After the World Cup final, where

Argentina were defeated 1-0 in extra time by Spain, Messi spent time with Jorge at home before returning to MLS action with his club Inter Miami. He was absent from their 2-1 defeat by Monterrey at the weekend in the Leagues Cup.

There had been doubts whether Messi would feature at all at the World Cup but he revealed that he chose to play because it was his father's wish. It was the first time Jorge had not been able to attend a World Cup with his son.

In his tribute Messi described the difficulties of playing at the tourna-

ment during this time. "My legs couldn't go on any more. This time I tried to push myself beyond my physical limits, but I couldn't. I never felt well," he said, in reference to the final. "We weren't champions, but you don't know how much we enjoyed every match. Once again, you were right. I had to be there and play it."

He added: "I'm going to miss you so much, but you will always be present, especially in the upbringing of my children, because I will teach them and raise them the way you raised me."

---

THE TIMES

Sport

One night, two golds for Britain

Matthew Hudson-Smith storms to 400m title while Angharad Evans wins in pool Reports, page 60

Be adults, says Root after he scraps curfew

ECB U-turn means end to players' midnight rule

Elizabeth Ammon

Joe Root has said he will scrap the midnight curfew imposed by the England management in the wake of accusations of a drinking culture, but has told his players to "be adults."

The ECB issued updated guidelines to all players last month, which were signed off by Rob Key. England men's managing director, and reiterated that a midnight curfew was in place during all series and that players were not permitted to appear under the influence of alcohol in public.

They also stated that players should inform management if they were out of the team hotel after 10pm but, barely a month later, the ECB has made an extraordinary U-turn and confirmed it will be scrapping the curfew rules.

Root, having been re-appointed Test captain after the international retirement of Ben Stokes, said players needed to take responsibility for their own actions.

"There's not going to be a curfew. I don't think this needs to be a big deal, to be honest," Root, 35, said on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast. "My view on the curfew is that the players are doing their work and if you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they've got to feel like they can be grown adults and make strong decisions off it. That's for us as a team to manage well and police well for me and Stephen Fleming [the new Test head coach]."

England have been plagued by late-night drinking-related incidents in the past year. Harry Brook was fined and

reprimanded for getting in a fight with a bouncer the night before an ODI in Wellington in November, while the Test team's trip to Noosa, Queensland, during the ill-fated Asher series over the winter drew heavy criticism. Then in June an incident in a Chelsea nightclub after the first Test against New Zealand resulted in one-match suspensions for Gus Atkinson and Stokes. Both players were subsequently cleared of wrongdoing by the cricket regulator, amid confusion about whether players were even made aware of the curfew remaining in place after a match had finished.

"We should be known for how we play cricket and what we do on the field. We should be on the back page of papers," Root said. "Be adults, look after yourselves, look after each other. We need to create a good, strong culture where you know when the right time is to celebrate and enjoy a win or to have a sensible beer, but remember you've got to play for England. I don't want people to feel like they can't enjoy winning a Test match because they want to have a beer or at the right time let their hair down and then that's absolutely fine.

"We're human beings at the end of the day. You know what your responsibilities are, you know how you need to prepare for a Test match and what it takes, and the effects that these things can have on you. So be smart, be sensible and just be an adult."

An ECB statement confirmed the withdrawal of the curfew, saying: "We have a Test captain and coach who are looking at how they set team standards Continued on page 56

New season, same old PSG

Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain retain Super Cup by beating Unai Emery's Europa League winners Aston Villa 2-1. Report, pages 62-63

Messi may stop playing soon

Joe Harston

Lionel Messi has said he is unsure how much longer he will continue playing football for after the death of his father.

Messi's father, Jorge, died aged 68 last week in his home town of Rosario in Argentina, after a long illness.

In a tribute on Instagram, Messi wrote: "I don't know what I'm going to do without you. I don't know how to move forward. I only played football and now I have quite a few doubts about whether I'm going to keep doing it for much longer.

"You were by my side from the beginning; there was so little left until the end. Why couldn't you hold on just a little longer so we could finish it together?"

Messi, 39, was accompanied by his father throughout his career, which began when he joined Barcelona at the age of 13. Jorge also acted as his Continued on page 63

Lawrence and Daly dropped

Charlie Morgan Senior Rugby Writer Will Kelleher Deputy Rugby Correspondent

Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, has added Alex Coles, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Guy Pepper, Jack van Poortvliet and Seb Atkinson to his centrally contracted group of players a year out from the World Cup.

Discarded from the group of 25 players are Tom Willis, Ben Curry, Tom Roebuck, Elliot Daly and Ollie Lawrence. Borthwick, therefore, has brought in three forwards and two backs while releasing two forwards and three backs.

This core group of players in the "enhanced elite player squad" each receive about £350,000 a year instead of a Test match fee. In turn they are managed more closely by the RFU.

Coles, the 26-year-old Northampton Continued on page 59

Times Crossword 29,620

ACROSS

1 French chef screws up having left out desserts (11) 7 10-mannered individual's curt sign of contempt (3) 9 Detested suit Charlie leaves packed away (9) 10 Delivery at last bearing winemaker's must (5) 11 Wanting weapon? Bow's safe (7) 12 Countryman in street every so often killed maquis (7) 13 Attending Conference maybe leader's initial form drops (5) 15 Travelling underground primarily, one arriving in High Barnet? (4,5) 17 Alan Shearer missing an odd practice session (9) 19 Indian freezing, without scrap of clothing (5) 20 Where archaeologist would study Carthage is at uni possibly (7) 22 Collection of letters ended with John swapping vowels (7) 24 Thin as Oliver on screen? (5) 25 Ruined relations essentially fixed by international talks (2,7) 27 Root for Nigerian PM making comeback (3) 28 Trump presented cryptically coarse (5-6)

DOWN

1 Take care, shed leaks close to door (3) 2 Stadium regularly painted rear stands (5) 3 Brown rat mainly eaten by animal in caravan? (7) 4 Counter-agents stationed in revolutionary state (9) 5 In Winnebago, do things one long awaited (5) 6 Designer pen catalogue (7) 7 Crime book to need protective covering (9) 8 Yet to be paid, striking (11) 11 Property use wrecked part of building (5,6) 14 Articles bloke picked up touring Brussels institution (9) 16 Bare region no longer covered by crop? (4,5) 18 Who might conduct tests when perhaps on QE2? (7) 19 Understudy, on reflection, pans upcoming film (3,4) 21 Something rolled in gold by émigré, it's said? (5) 23 Sound check that might terminate rally (5) 26 National setter? (3)

Yesterday's solution 29,619

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%

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TIMES 2

August 13

2026

None more nepo!

How Cindy Crawford's

daughter and

Richard Gere's son

got their act together

VOGUE

EXCLUSIVE

Cindy Crawford

and Richard Gere

on mortgage

inspiration

and MW

THE

COMPLETE

WOLF

ON-WINTER

DRESSING

THE

COMPLETE WOLF

spike top: MARGIN M.

TALKING TURKEY

with the best way

by Jeffrey Steingarten

JULIE

1

JULIE

THE

COMPLETE

WOLF

ON-WINTER

DRESSING

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2

Caitlin Moran's

Celebrity

Watch

6

Ejae

Good day, dearest Times reader! Maybe you are on your holiday — your August vacation — and are taking advantage of a “looser” daily schedule. Perhaps you only woke half an hour ago, luxuriating in a human’s inalienable right to let the summer months unravel in an increasingly laissez-faire manner. Perhaps you are so on holiday that “a busy day” consists of drinking an iced coffee in the garden, spending two hours staring at the sky — dim as a box full of toes — before working yourself up to the biggest task of the day: slicing up and then eating some watermelon.

If this is the case, spare a compassionate thought for the K-pop stars of the world. For those not quite abreast of the whole K-pop thing, the TLDR is that K-pop is massive. Korean pop music is a gigantic global force: there are seemingly thousands of K-pop bands, dominating the charts and making the pop music of Britain and the US seem like ancient, 20th-century ideas.

But! It seems this global dominance comes at a price. This week in The Sunday Times the KPop Demon Hunters star Ejae shared an insight into the “brutal reality” of training to be a K-pop star and it does not include any pleasant August holidays at all.

Ejae’s record company signed her up as a teenager, then the next 11 years consisted of drilling her in singing, dancing, media interviews, photoshoots — plus some rather more recherche skills.

“We learnt Chinese because they knew China would be a huge global audience,” Ejae began, which sounds pretty logical. “We couldn’t have ear piercings. It was very much no sodas, no greasy food, keeping yourself unbloated and fit. I wouldn’t say it was healthy.”

It does sound profoundly unfun and likely to make teenage girls fixate on their body image to a painful degree. However, so far, so much patriarchy. It’s the next parts of the “training” that seem... more out of left field.

“We couldn’t chew gum because it would make your jaw bigger,” Ejae revealed. There were also pouting lessons. “We would have to smile in front of the mirror with a ChapStick here,” she said, demonstrating a pout that could hold a tube of lipstick between your upper lip and under your nose, “because it makes your muscles grow and your face shape [better].”

Finally, and most random of all, she couldn’t squat, “because it made your knees ugly”. At the age of 50, I thought I had heard every single batshit thing a young woman could be told about “being beautiful”, so I’m kind of in awe of K-pop for inventing a new one: a fear of ugly knees.

Every day’s a schoolday! Or: 11 years are schooldays, if you want to be a K-pop star.

3

The Bellinghams

With the World Cup over, Britain can still feel a surge of pride that “our lads” played well and that the goalering skills of Jude Bellingham turned him, during the course of the tournament, into a global phenomenon.

Perhaps, more importantly, it alerted me to who he actually is — no small feat, given my profound lack of interest in the world of footballerering. And now Bellingham is on my radar I have become obsessed with the naming rituals of his family. For this week I learnt that he has a brother who is also a footballer and plays for Borussia Dortmund — and that his name is... Jobe Bellingham.

Jude... and Jobe. It feels as if there’s some kind of method here. Some kind of arcane rule that guides the naming of Bellingham children. It’s like one of those rounds on Only Connect where you have to guess what the next thing in a logic sequence will be. I feel like I’m so close to cracking it! If anyone has any further information about the naming logic of the Bellingham family, please get in touch.

2

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

He’s the problem that won’t go away. Not-Prince Andrew, the former Duke of York, may well have been vanished from official duties and sequestered somewhere in Norfolk where his presence doesn’t offend the public’s eye, but for the royal family he’s still present, in the form of “a bunch of royal protocol paperwork that is sitting on someone’s desk, and making their life a nightmare”.

This week we learnt that, despite his ties to the dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Not-Prince Andrew is still entitled to a royal ceremonial funeral. He remains included in the government’s “bridge” plans, which prepare for the deaths of members of the royal family, The Mail on Sunday revealed. Although the details are unknown, his funeral could be held at either St George’s Chapel in Windsor or at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, the chosen resting place for other royals that massively f***ed up, eg ex-King Edward VIII.

The “bridge” is the code name given to the plans for an important royal death. Operation Forth Bridge was the plan drawn up for the death of Prince Philip, while Operation London Bridge referred to Queen Elizabeth II. We do not yet know which bridge Andrew’s plans have been named after. Given how dealing with him seems to be an endless task, perhaps a reprise for the Forth Bridge would seem appropriate? Or maybe Andrew should, finally, be removed from these plans altogether, as it is all a bridge too far.

Thank you. Thank you for listening to my joke.

5

The Breakfast Club

There was tantalising news from Hollywood as we learnt that, before his death, the writer and director John Hughes had started work on a sequel to his 1985 teen movie The Breakfast Club, which starred Molly Ringwald, right. Although there are no more details, one presumes it was called Lunch and would have been followed by a sequel, Lunch 2: Dinner. We can only hope Hughes got enough down in note form for someone to bring the whole Significant Meals trilogy to our screens.

4

Jason Arday

It is officially Schadenfreude Summer, with every news outlet and online platform engaging in synchronized tutting over Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor who eventually resigned from his post after denying all allegations that he is: to sue the appropriate playground term, “a Billy Bullshitter”.

Thirty marathons completed while suffering an epileptic fit and a broken leg; being threatened by a knife-wielding stranger not picked up on CCTV; £5.5 million raised for charities for which no actual details can be disclosed, as he had signed NDAs — the

spread of Arday’s unsubstantiated claims is impressively wide. Being nonverbal until he was 11 and illiterate until 18, having a brain tumour and being paid “1.4 million” for his forthcoming memoir — though, conveniently, in a currency not specified: you can’t fault Arday’s range. This is ambitious hogwash. It’s gloriously freewheeling cobblers.

But it’s also a disproportionate backlash he’s facing: after all, Donald Trump comes out with stuff like this every day from the White House — and no one suggests that he got his job on a DEI initiative or that his self-aggrandising horseshit means white dudes shouldn’t be in politics.

Besides, it feels like something obvious is being missed here. Arday should remain a professor at Cambridge but just transfer to teaching fiction writing. He clearly has an immense gift for it.

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3

times2

1M

Perez Hilton

This week's top entry is, I'm sorry to say, not the fabulous chucklefest you are accustomed to. But it's a story that spans almost the entirety of "celebrity culture" in the 21st century, taking in misogyny, cruelty, body-shaming, multiple nervous breakdowns and suicide attempts, and — most importantly — this all being driven by the new Wild West of the internet, which granted unprecedented levels of power to the few early adopters who realised its potential.

And it is a story that ends in unimaginable horror. Last week the gossip blogger Perez Hilton — once The Most Hated Man in Hollywood, but now merely the kind of dwindling D-list celebrity he would have taunted for their own failing career — was hospitalised after he began a livestream on TikTok and commenced mutilating himself, on camera, with a kitchen knife.

In the early 2000s Hilton was one of the most powerful people in showbiz. His website, perezhilton.com, was the first to give 24/7 coverage to a new generation of very young, mainly female celebrities: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande.

Although Hilton was, for his favoured celebrities, seen as something of a star-maker — his website received more than eight million hits a day, his fortune soared to an estimated $20 million and he was on the guest list of all the big parties — his primary business was performative cruelty.

Reading through a list of his most "infamous" moments provokes a gasp now: he would draw cocaine or semen on the faces of female celebrities he disliked. The fat-shaming of stars, often twinkled — Mischa Barton, Lily Allen and the like — was constant. He published a paparazzi "upskirt" shot of Miley Cyrus when she was just 17, something that many suggested was, technically, the distribution of a child sex abuse image.

But he was unapologetic about it all. His nickname for Cyrus was "Slutty Cyrus". The list goes on: he suggested Spears's children had Down's syndrome. He stated that the actor Adam Sandler's child was so fat, she

should go on a diet; the child was, at the time, 14 months old. Perhaps most disturbing, he would write long descriptions of what he imagined female celebrities' genitals looked like and how vile he presumed them to be. Oh, and he constantly threatened to "out" gay celebrities. In the end Lance Bass from the Nineties boy band NSYNC admitted that he was gay as a result of Hilton's constant hounding.

And there was merchandise, horrible merchandise. When the actor Heath Ledger died, at the age of 28, Hilton started flogging T-shirts with Ledger's face on, captioned, "Why couldn't it be Britney?" At the time Spears had experienced a profound nervous breakdown and had to be sectioned, in front of live news crews.

However, around the point he was being called the Most Hated Man in Hollywood, his immense power started to wane. The coming of social media in the 2010s meant that celebrities suddenly realised it didn't matter what Perez said about them any more: they could just take to Instagram, Twitter or, latterly, TikTok, and talk directly to the public instead. The glittery, Botoxed workers had seized the means of production.

Hilton saw his career rapidly start to slide. With the hits on his website dwindling, he followed all the usual routes pursued by celebrities entering their twilight phase — appearing on Celebrity Big Brother but not winning it; writing an unsuccessful children's book; pivoting to charitable causes — one of which was, paradoxically, an anti-bullying campaign. Exactly the kind of things that he would have been poisonous about other struggling celebrities attempting.

By this year he had suffered health crises, had mounting medical bills, had found God and had attempted to reinvent himself as a more "ethical" celebrity journalist, with very modest returns.

Last week, clearly in the middle of a mental health crisis, Hilton turned on his TikTok livestream — and starting self-harming. And this is where the story starts to have the tinge of a dark fable or Greek myth. The man who made so many verbal attacks on other people's appearances — who scrawled over photos of their heads, who defaced their mouths and eyes — now driven to brutally re-enact it on himself. That there will be a movie about all this — a modern horror parable about the dark side of those who become parasites on celebrity — seems inevitable. As is the reckoning, now a decade overdue, about the final toll for performative online cruelty. We think it doesn't really matter — "Just don't look!" — or that the only people it truly affects are those the inhumanity is aimed at. But of course it's not like that. You can't hurt people without it, some day, hurting you.

It's time to enjoy a Gone to Pot Summer. Are you with me? Deborah Ross

If you were to see me at the moment, which thankfully you can't, you would note the congealed fake tan that's puddled at my ankles and behind my knees. I don't blame the fake tan brand (Dove) because chances are I messed up somewhere along the line.

That exfoliating cream, did I massage it in while deploying "a circular motion" as always advised? Did I go too elliptical? Did I, heaven forbid, and in a moment of distraction, go too square even? What if my Jewishness came out and I was, unconsciously, driven to follow a Star of David shape? Wouldn't you puddle, in all the confusion? Wouldn't you go meshuga, and hang around the knees and ankles, awaiting further instruction?

This is the long way of saying: it's too much. A short, sharp heatwave, OK, most women can cope with the levels of grooming expected, but when it's as prolonged as this? I can't take it any more. I've reached Howard Beale in Network levels of fury. (I'm looking forward to winter and putting it all away in... socks. Remember them?)

It's so all-consuming I've reached the stage of: if it isn't preoccupying men, it won't be preoccupying me. Ladies, it's time to own your dead skin cells! Ladies, it's time to throw off the shackles, free up your time and enjoy a Gone to Pot Summer.

Are you with me? I'm already ahead of the game because, due to my inept exfoliating attempts I was, at the last count, 95 per cent dead skin cells. You may have some catching up to do but I'm confident you can get there.

Eventually we may march on parliament (equal grooming standards for all!), shedding nicely as we go. People may well think it's snowing. Let them.

Today, I launch the Gone to Pot Summer manifesto, as not featured in Elle, Vogue or Grazia, although not through want of trying. "Clear off," is all they said. However, before we get to the manifesto proper, would you agree I'm a natural to head up the Gone to Pot Summer movement?

Given that I'm already 95 per cent dead skin cells and my hair, when it encounters humidity, explodes frizzly and takes on the look of a dandelion seedhead? Given that passing young children want to blow on me and make a wish? Is that settled then? Having said that, if you have similar hair, commiserations — but also: do throw your hat in the ring. Do you own a hat, by the way? It could, I think, come in useful. If, that is, you don't want to be blown on in the street by some little lad wishing for a trike and an Action Man?

On to the meat of the Gone to Pot Summer manifesto that states

that we, the undersigned, have better things to do than: ● Lock ourselves in the bathroom for three days before finally mustering the courage for an at-home bikini wax (press strip firmly, yowl, inspect the one little curly hair stuck to it, throw packet at wall). ● Paint our own

toenails, to give the trafficked Vietnamese girl in the nail parlour a break, then race to the chemist for nail polish remover as it looks like a drunk with the shakes has had a go. ● Shave, deplate, thread, splash out on electrolysis, lasers. Just like the suffragettes, who would have achieved nothing had they not agreed to feel terrifically ashamed of any armpit hair. ● Give up on fake tuns and get a real one, but just to remind you: don't hog all the skin cancer. Leave some for someone else. ● Pret about the latest body part to hate by reading "ten tips for a sexy back" while considering fillers to plump out your "Ozempic feet". Yes? Or no? Yes, said our poll, but it turned out they were joking. ● Last, what you must do is embrace your hideous feet, like the man who looks at his thickened, yellow, fungal toenails, looks at his sandals, and says: "Yeah, that'll be fine." See you on the Gone to Pot march? I'm now 98 per cent dead skin cells, so I think you'll know who I am. (At 100 per cent, I believe you crumble into a pile of dust.)

Something to chew on, Angela

I sympathise with Angela Rayner, who has said she can't give up vaping because her nicotine addiction has plunged her "into a lifetime of purgatory". I sympathise because my nicotine addiction has plunged me into a lifetime of purgatory too. My first thought

when I wake in the morning? "Ah, purgatory, here we go again."

I don't vape. I chew nicotine gum and have done all day every day since I gave up smoking 15 years ago. Rayner says she started vaping to give up smoking, and you have to hand it to the cigarette companies who are now behind many of the vape brands. Is there a more classic example of: now we've cut you, might we sell you a plaster?

I chew nonstop. I am chewing now. But her purgatory is better than my purgatory. The gum chewer is ill-served. The gum chewer is ill-served on the high street. There are no gum shops alternating with the Turkish burbers. The gum-chewer is also ill-served flavour-wise. Where's our blue raspberry, watermelon, bubblegum, mango? Does Ms Rayner have any idea how tiresome "original" and "mint" become?

I've tried giving up and have always failed, which is a pity because it's a pain. I once fell asleep before spitting it out and my partner woke up with it in his chest hair. "At least it wasn't my HRT patch," I told him, but he wasn't cheered. He scissored it out even as I was looking forward to having a good yank so I could say: "And that, my friend, is what it feels like to be waxed." But, alas, he wouldn't play ball.

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Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere: the

FRIED, STEVEN MCNEIL, AEROL PETTENBERG, JOLOM, WATTERSTOCK, GETTENBERG

They've led very different lives but do have one thing in common: their A-list parents were once married. By Claire Cohen

Twenty minutes after first meeting at a bar in the Los Feliz neighbourhood of Los Angeles, Homer Gere decided to clear the air with Kaia Gerber. 'I was like, 'Should we just acknowledge the fact that our parents were married?' he says in a new cover interview with American Vogue. 'She was like, 'Yeah. Cool.' And that was it.'

Well, that could have been awkward. Gerber's mother, Cindy Crawford, and Gere's father, Richard, were one of the hottest couples of the early Nineties — the supermodel, the film star and a 17-year age gap. They went official on the Oscars red carpet in 1991, married in Las Vegas in December that year with a tinfoil ring, and split in 1995 (not before placing an advert in this newspaper to put to bed rumours about the state of their marriage and Richard's sexuality).

'We are heterosexual and monogamous and take our commitment to each other very seriously,' it read. 'There is not and never has been a prenuptial agreement of any kind. Reports of a divorce are totally false. We both look forward to having a family.'

Which they did, only not with each other. Gerber is Crawford's lookalike 24-year-old daughter with her businessman husband, Rande Gerber, while Gere's mother is the actress Carey Lowell, to whom Gere Sr was married until 2016.

Now the former power couple's children are sharing the red carpet themselves. In a stroke of genius casting, Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere are starring in a TV adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's The Shards, about a group of fast-living elite private school kids. Not much of a stretch for the nopo babies of Hollywood royalty, you might think. Except that, as Vogue reveals, the pair couldn't have had more different upbringings.

That much is clear before you've read a word. In the magazine's photoshoot Gerber works her angles — as you'd expect of someone who has been modelling since she was ten — and looks every inch the star. Gere? He goofily smiles at the camera, as though posing for a family photo.

This is his first interview and he's nervous. 'I just want to appear likeable,' he admits. 'I grew up in the most normal possible situation given who my father was, I didn't grow up in the industry at all. I had never been on a professional set until last summer.'

Bless. It would be fair to say that

Richard Gere, who was 50 when his son was born (he named him after his father, an insurance agent), took great care to raise him away from the Hollywood spotlight — which encroached only when his legendary agent Ed Limato pulled up to the family home in a limousine.

It was an 'idyllic' childhood in Westchester, upstate New York, that mirrored Richard's middle-class upbringing as closely as possible. Family was a priority, and the actor would turn down roles if it meant being away from his son for long periods. The peace was, presumably, shattered only by his parents' divorce, which took four years to finalise as they wrangled over Lowell's share of the Pretty Woman star's fortune.

'I had grown up my entire childhood with people asking, 'Are you gonna be an actor when you're older?' And I was like, 'F*** no.' I was good in

school, and I had no pressure from my parents. Acting was always over there,' the young Gere tells Vogue. 'It was some other thing that other people did.'

He went to college and bounced from major to major before landing on art. In 2022 a friend asked him to act in a student film and he discovered that he enjoyed it. But it wasn't his 'calling', and on graduating in 2024 he took a gap year and drove across the country, unsure where to turn next.

Destiny came calling in the form of a talent agent who just happened to see his student film (it had a pretty eye-catching name on the cast list, after all).

'I was like, OK, maybe this is a sign,' Gere says, seemingly without a trace of irony. He auditioned for two series

Top, from left: Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford in 1993; Gere with his son Homer in 2024; Crawford with her daughter, Kaia Gerber, in 2025. Above, from left: Homer and Richard Gere with Carey Lowell in 2012; Homer Gere and Kaia Gerber this month

— Euphoria and The Shards — getting a call asking him to do a screen test while he was in India with his father (for the Dalai Lama's birthday — I'm not making this up). He landed both roles.

His father hasn't, he says, advised him on the art of acting, but has counselled him about on-set politics and coping with fame. Which, incidentally, Crawford credited him with teaching her during their marriage.

Might Gerber be gently rolling her eyes at this point? After all, while it's perfectly possible for men to find fame later — Richard was 30 by the time he made his name in American Gigolo — there remains a sense that, as a woman, if you haven't made it by 25 it's probably too late.

Crawford started at 18, after a Midwestern childhood shucking corn on local farms to help her single mother (her parents divorced after the death of her brother, Jeffrey, from leukaemia, aged three) before dropping out of a chemical engineering degree to pursue modelling.

'Fame was something that I was born into, so I didn't experience what it was like to become famous,' Gerber

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kids from fame

tells Vogue. "I kind of thought that my way of being raised was the most anonymous it could get under the circumstances, and then I met Homer. Like, there are no photos of him as a child online, whereas my entire childhood and teenage years are on the internet. I can only imagine. I'm 24 but... very interviewed."

Her childhood in Malibu was one of beach days, being driven to parties by her parents and trying to be a good girl so as not to embarrass them.

Still, she always had "big dreams" — modelling for Versace at ten and walking the runway for Calvin Klein four days after turning 16. By 17 she was living in her own New York apartment, having taken a high school graduation equivalency exam.

Since then there have been dozens of catwalks, campaigns and acting roles. She has dated the comedian Pete Davidson, the actor Jacob Elordi and is in a relationship with Bill Pullman's son Lewis, also an actor. "I think I've been labelled in ways that are quite misogynistic: serial dater, slut, greedy," she tells Vogue.

Basically, she had to grow up fast, watched by her 95 million Instagram followers. Gere, who met his girlfriend last year on Hinge, doesn't have social media. It means he wasn't fully aware of the online swooning over his "dad bod" in stills from Euphoria, in which he's wearing nothing but underwear.

Only men get to have natural bodies and be praised for it, of course. "People have always commented on my body, which is hard," Gerber confesses to Vogue. "I've had disordered eating in my life. People are like, 'You look terrible,' and it doesn't exactly make you go. 'Oh, good. Let me get over this mental illness then!"

Yet despite their different paths to fame, Gere and Gerber have ended up in the same place and are apparently close — partying together until 'I am the night before the Vogue interview. And while Gerber is all go go go, Gere has no projects in the pipeline, other than perhaps another of his favourite ten-day silent retreats. Ah, so not totally un-Hollywood then.

"He has no interest in being famous," Ryan Murphy, the creator of The Shards says. "I think he'll stay pure," whereas "Kaia is so knowing... she's been around the block."

Indeed, she has already offered him the benefit of her experience. "Homer, unfortunately with this show, it's not like you're just any unknown actor and people will judge you as an unknown actor. But what that's done for me is make me want to work harder," she recounts telling him.

After all, there's surely no one who can understand you better in Hollywood than a fellow nepo baby — even if your parents were once married.

Single and childless at 44? I didn't think that would be me

At 28 life seemed set for Claire McGowan. Then came a string of failed relationships and disappointments...

I never thought I'd end up, at the age of 44, single and childless. Yet here I am, like many women, approaching middle age without kids. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, births in England and Wales fell for the fourth year in a row in 2025, to their lowest level in nearly half a century.

So how did it play out this way for me? Until my mid-twenties I'd never thought about having children as a choice. I grew up in rural Northern Ireland, where families of six or even nine children were not unusual (mine, with four, was relatively small). Abortion was illegal until six years ago, despite Northern Ireland being part of the UK, and the Catholic school I went to taught us that contraception was sinful. Many of my friends got married then pregnant right out of university. My cousin, two weeks older than me, had a baby at 18, and at 44 is a grandmother. I felt far too young to think about that — I was consumed by the idea of university and moving to England.

In my twenties I was diagnosed with a huge ovarian cyst after months of bloating and indigestion. Because I was young my stomach muscles had held it in and it didn't become noticeable until things were quite serious. I was rushed into surgery, terrified I might not make it through. Once it was out, I was told it had been early-stage cancer.

I remember absorbing the shock of that in the hospital. They told me not to worry — I could still get pregnant with one ovary and, at most, my fertility might be reduced by about 15 per cent. I'm not sure how they arrived at this figure but I felt relief on being told it.

It took me a long time to recover from the surgery, a midline incision that opened me up from navel to groin and left me hardly able to walk for months. I spent the summer on my parents' sofa watching Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands. I found it challenging mentally, once I was physically out of danger. But I was getting better, at least, and had not needed chemotherapy. When back on my feet I moved to London, started a new job, began dating a colleague and married him at 28. Life seemed set.

However, I didn't get pregnant. We weren't too worried — there was time. A year went by and the tests we took came back normal, even mine. But we were falling apart anyway and broke up before we could seek treatment.

I was 31, and although crushed by the wreckage of my life, I assumed I had time for a family.

Fast-forward seven years, I was in another relationship and we were talking about having a baby. But after almost two years of investigations and waiting, I was told that scar tissue

from my operation was blocking my remaining fallopian tube, and I'd developed painful endometriosis. If I wanted a baby I'd need IVF.

From then on things became increasingly complicated and maddening. After a tortuously long wait for an NHS fertility appointment, having surgery for the endometriosis, undergoing lots of tests with confusing results, being told wrongly that the issue was with my partner, having my medical records lost, and just sneaking in under the wire of turning 40, I was informed that I might not be allowed IVF at all, since I'd had ovarian cancer.

I was stunned — and furious. In 18 months of appointments no one had mentioned this. It also wasn't true, but two months later Covid hit and the clinic shut. Then that relationship ended too.

About a year later I woke up one morning and realised I was going to need to freeze my eggs. I had barely thought about it before, but I was 39 and I'd already left it quite late. I did three rounds privately, getting a decent result of 14 eggs. I felt relieved that the pressure was off.

I was just getting into another relationship with a man I met on Bumble, one that moved fast as we fell deeply in love. At 42 I was engaged, and we had discussed using my eggs in the next year or so. Then, in the middle of wedding planning, my fiancé left me and I was single again. I was devastated in so many ways,

not least because I felt he had led me on about having children only to say he'd never wanted them.

This is how you get to be 44 and childless. In my new novel, The Quickening, I write about a Britain where women's fertility is tightly monitored and contraception and abortion are banned. To me this isn't abstract. It's based on a lifetime of tests and pain, reproductive failures and uncertainty. It is the reality for many women in the world in 2026.

I have never been desperate to have children — I feel that if I were, I would have acted more decisively years ago. I've found this ambivalence to be quite painful at times. When I pick up my friends' babies or hold my nephews' hands I think about how I don't have children and maybe never will. But when I travel and spend my time exactly how I like, I realise that I have the complete freedom to go on retreats, sing in a choir or do yoga whenever I wish.

I'm so aware, all the time, that I need to decide about children — but I can't. Often I worry that I will regret it once it's too late, but I can't make the choice to move forward. So I wait, in limbo. It's possible that life has made the choice for me and, in the end, it will be the right one.

When I pick up my friends' babies I think about how I don't have any children

The Quickening by Claire McGowan (Little, Brown £22). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members

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JEFF KRAVITZ, DOGO CHODOGO/BEN/GETTY IMAGES

Ronaldo's hardest match is kicking

Reaching football's highest pinnacle is nothing compared with being a married man at 41, says Ben Machell

On Tuesday Cristiano Ronaldo married his long-term girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, in a civil ceremony described as "intimate and private" by the

Daily Mail, "civil and private" by Reuters and "private" by ¡Hola!, You get the picture. We weren't invited.

The details of celebrity weddings do not normally excite me. However, like many people I have a long-term fascination with what's going on inside Ronaldo's head: the ego, the vanity, the obsessional control-freakery and maximalist attitude to everything he sets his mind to, from goals to trophies to children to abs. That a skinny boy from Madeira with a father who died from alcohol-related liver failure and a poor, hard-working mum has, through force of will, been able to transform himself into one of the world's greatest players and a billion-pound brand is just... intensely interesting. He's like Christmas for anyone with an interest in Freudian analysis.

Which is why his wedding is important to anyone who, like me, has been trying to understand this guy for ever. Who was present? Well, obviously, there was Rodriguez, whom he met ten years ago while she was working at a Gucci store in Madrid. If she'd taken that job at Wickes her life could have been very different, but their meeting signalled the end of Ronaldo's "wild oats" era.

This period of time is worth a brief diversion. In 2007, during his first spell with Manchester United, Ronaldo dated the Hollyoaks actress Gemma Atkinson. Her account of their first date? "We just went to my house and drank cups of tea and watched Only Fools and Horses," which is the most appealing kiss-and-tell I've ever heard. A later girlfriend, the Italian model Raffaella Fico, recalled him doing abdominal exercises after dinner, which suggests a deepening obsession with physical perfection, though perhaps he was watching Minder while he did them. Later still, when he split from the Russian model Irina Shayk she reportedly lost 11 million followers on social media as a result. This says less about Ronaldo than his incredibly loyal fans, who don't follow gorgeous women on Instagram because they're gorgeous but rather because they go out with their hero. Which is healthy.

Anyway, back to the wedding guest list. Interestingly there were no reports of former team-mates present, Patrice Evra, who played with him at Man U, described once being invited round to Ronaldo's for lunch only to find that the meal was plain chicken, salad and water, and that his host expected them

to do football drills then go for a swim immediately afterwards. "That is why I recommend to anybody, when Cristiano asks you for lunch to his house, just say no, don't go. He is a machine," he said.

When Rio Ferdinand publicly beat Ronaldo at table tennis he became so angry that he immediately bought a ping-pong table, practised nonstop for two weeks, then made sure to beat him in a rematch. Wayne Rooney describes how Ronaldo would stand in front of the mirror telling himself he was "beautiful" and how he — Rooney — would tell him that, no, he was in fact ugly. All of which, taken as a whole, may be why none of these former team-mates were at the nuptials. Perhaps they were worried they'd all have to do chin-ups between the protein shakes drinks reception and raw-veg dinner.

Is Ronaldo as vain as Rooney suggests? Well, when a comedically goofy bronze bust of him was unveiled at Madeira airport — a bust that made him look like a clean-shaved Homo erectus mid-acid trip — his fans were outraged. But he merely requested the sculptor remove some of the lines from around his eyes. Which makes me think he has more of a sense of humour than he's given credit for.

Above: Georgina Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo. Left: Rodriguez at the Met Gala in May. Right: Ronaldo playing for Portugal last year. Below: with four of their children

His five children were at the wedding, however, Ronaldo's approach to fatherhood is... intriguing, definitely worth dwelling on. In 2010 he had Cristiano Jr, who was born in the US. The identity of his mother remains a secret. Then in 2017 he had twins, born in the US via surrogate. By this point he was with Rodriguez, and five months later they had a child, Alana

Martina. So... what's that about? Most wealthy young men in his position actively do what they can to avoid the responsibility of fatherhood. Ronaldo has deliberately and systematically sought it out.

The best theory I can come up with is that here is a guy who has spent his life turning his career into a highly controlled, highly managed project. And that he has the exact same attitude to being a parent. I'm sure his mum's about a lot too. They always are.

There is one thing you can only control for so long, though, and

that is time. Ronaldo is now 41, and anyone who watched Portugal at the World Cup would have been struck by the slightly awkward pathos of seeing him playing up front. It's not that he was bad, it's just he was... slow, static, no longer an elemental force of nature.

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off!

The same mix of ego, stubbornness and pathological desire to work hard that made him vie with Lionel Messi for the (admittedly hugely irritating) title of Goat — greatest of all time — was working against him.

Take it from any Sunday league slogger. When your legs have gone, they've gone, just as you can only keep the lines from around your eyes for so long. At some point even a bronze caster from Madeira is going to tell you, listen... that's just how you look. You're in your forties. Time is doing its thing.

“He is an absolute oddball — but endlessly fascinating”

So perhaps this low-key wedding is a sign that that boy who became CR7 is getting ready to exit stage left. He is, by any measure, an absolute oddball, but endlessly fascinating, and I'll miss him when he's no longer on the pitch. He has always been a person who seemed happiest when fronting up to a challenge. Score the most goals. Make the most appearances. Win the most trophies. Do the most crunches. So perhaps he has finally found the courage to tackle the biggest challenge there is. Namely, being a fortysomething man with a wife and kids. Come on, Cristiano. Let's see what you've got.

Like Lucy Davis, my secondary breast cancer metastasised

At 53, the Office star has said her illness is terminal. Lesley Stephen knows what it's like to be told that. By Anna Maxted

In shocking, saddening news Lucy Davis, 53, the actress who quietly stole the show as the secretary Dawn in The Office, has announced that she has incurable breast cancer. Her stage four breast cancer was diagnosed a year and a half ago, she told followers in an Instagram post. The disease has metastasised to her bones, “specifically, to my spine, my right hip, and my ribs”. She added: “It's too late for chemo.”

She noted that “the initial lump... I felt wasn't a ‘lump’ as such, rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn't bother getting it checked. So I guess I'm saying don't ignore anything — get everything checked out.”

Davis doesn't wish to be treated like a sick person — humour is essential — but, she said, “the pain can really be something else. Standing and walking for too long a time can be hard,” and she sometimes needs a wheelchair. Heartbreakingly, Davis, the daughter of Jasper Carrott, added that she'll see her dog Gracie, who died in 2024, again “sooner than expected”, and is at peace. “I'm trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can.”

Her words suggest she has accepted that she doesn't have long. Lesley Stephen, from Edinburgh, who was 48 when she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, says: “The five-year survival rate for secondary breast cancer is about 22 per cent.”

Twelve years later, now 60, Stephen is well, albeit not cancer-free.

She recalls that her main symptom was a persistent cough.

“Mammograms in the UK happen at 50, so I hadn't had a mammogram,” she says. “I just had a cough that wouldn't go away.” With four children under 12, and being self-employed, she was “exhausted”. She thought she had a chest infection.

After four months she saw her GP several times. “I was given antibiotics.” Other symptoms of secondary breast cancer, listed by the charity Make 2nds Count (Stephen is a trustee), include headaches, breathlessness, stomach swelling, bone pain that isn't relieved by medication, blurred vision, loss of balance or weakness in the legs or arms, loss of appetite, and lumps or swollen areas under the arms, breasts or collarbone.

Stephen, though, had “no lumps, no discharge, no pain”. She says: “I eventually got a chest x-ray, and then an urgent CT scan, which showed that

my cough was [caused by] breast cancer that had already metastasised to my lungs, my liver and my bones. It was a tiny tumour that had come through my lymph nodes.”

The diagnosis “was like you've been punched in the stomach. The grief is unbelievable.” She asked, “How long have I got?” and saw that “the nurse holding my hands was in tears, which wasn't great”.

Now, Stephen says of Davis: “I really feel for her. It does sound like she is resigned to the fact that she is not going to live as long as she would like to, which is absolutely the case.”

Yet Stephen — a patient advocate awarded an MBE — sounds a cautious note of hope. She too had that “awful” diagnosis, a year after which the cancer

Lesley Stephen. Top: Lucy Davis and, below, with her father, Jasper Carrott

metastasised into her brain — “the most frightening thing”. She says: “I would never have believed, 12 years after that diagnosis, that I would still be here.”

She adds: “I know many women with bone ‘mets’, as they call them — they're in pain, bone mets are really, really painful, but I know somebody ten years on who is still doing fine, living well. So, any message to [Davis] would be to not give up.”

“People have no idea — advanced breast cancer cannot be cured”

That said, 18 months after Stephen's diagnosis, “I was told to get my affairs in order because there were no other treatments for me.” After “what I thought was a last family holiday to New York”, she says, “my fantastic oncologist said, ‘There is more chemotherapy for you or you can go on a trial.’” Stephen jumped at the clinical trial option and was on it for

seven years. This “was very unusual, but I wouldn't be here without it.”

She says: “Just having hope is really important.” Stephen and Make 2nds Count subsequently launched a free service to help secondary breast cancer patients to explore the possibility of clinical trials as part of their treatment pathway.

She is grateful to Davis for raising awareness. “Most people have no idea that advanced breast cancer cannot be cured. They think, ‘Oh, breast cancer, that's a good one to get.’ That's

not the case. A thousand women die every month of the disease. It's one of the biggest killers of women under 50, if not the biggest killer.”

Many are unaware that the disease can come back. “You may know people who've had a primary breast cancer. But it can be 20 years later before it then recurs and has spread to the other organs.” She cites Olivia Newton-John as an example.

“The treatments aim to control and slow down the spread of the cancer for as long as possible while hopefully giving you a higher quality of life. There are all sorts of different treatments now,” Stephen says. After chemotherapy she tried (at her own vast expense) a new drug, which failed, before securing the last spot on the clinical trial. After that some cancer grew in her lungs, requiring the removal of one lobe and radiotherapy, but she says: “At the moment there is no active cancer in me.”

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The band who saved me when I was in jail — then took me on tour

When he was locked up for fraud, Chris Atkins became addicted to the music of James. Now he's telling the veteran indie band's story in a new film

I boycotted James's music for most of my adult life. There was an irritating Mancunian on my corridor at university who was an avid fan, and he'd blare out Laid and Sit Down at all hours, so I decided I didn't like the band because I didn't like him. And I would have remained oblivious to James's work had I not been jailed for tax fraud in 2016. I had got embroiled in a dodgy tax avoidance scheme to fund a film and was locked up for two and a half years.

One of the things I missed most inside HM Prison Wandsworth in London was Spotify. The brutality of incarceration made me crave escapism in my playlists, but the only source of music was a tiny digital radio, permanently tuned to BBC Radio 6 Music. I listened to new songs constantly, something I hadn't done since my teens. Without Shazam, Google or the rewind button on BBC Sounds I rarely knew what track I was hearing, and so I had to enjoy the music in the moment. This could be exhilarating, making me savour every note as it would soon be lost for ever, but I'd get infuriated trying to work out what songs were called. I was keeping a daily diary about the insanity of my prison life, and so whenever I heard a banger, I'd scrawl a lyric in the margins: "We're gonna miss you when you're gone... Do everything you fear... Getting away with it".

I completely forgot about this analogue archive until I was at open prison a year later. HMP Spring Hill in Buckinghamshire allowed me out on day release to study psychology at Oxford Brookes University, where I started going through my Wandsworth diary. Peeling back the coffee-encrusted sheets of A4 paper, I discovered these fragments of the songs that had touched me all those months before. I was finally able to google these mystery lyrics — and discovered many of the tracks were by the Nineties band James.

I reluctantly conceded that I'd rashly misjudged them 25 years previously, and atoned for the slight by listening to their entire back catalogue. This took several days, as they were

still churning out excellent new music and at that point had chalked up 16 albums. I sat reeling. Now reunited with Spotify, I instinctively started saving tracks out of some latent fear I'd never hear them again, and formed an epic playlist of all the James songs that stirred my soul. It ended up being more than seven hours long.

Prison is so chaotic it makes you cling to rigid routines, and this epic James playlist became the foundation of my day. I'd put it on at 8.15am when I entered the library and played the entire thing while I typed up my prison diary. And I did this most days for nearly a year. Far from being a distraction, James's songs unleashed a creative flow state where I'd completely lose track of time as I edited down my mountains of scrawled notes. Reading it back I'd sometimes get triggered by a traumatic prison experience I'd long suppressed, but there was always a James song to scoop me up. I'd wanted to be a writer for years but self-doubt had always crushed any previous efforts. Thanks to James — and nine mad months in Wandsworth — I was finally able to write something worth reading.

I left prison in 2019 and published my book A Bit of a Stretch. I celebrated

Chris Atkins, centre, with Jim Glennie and Tim Booth of James. Main: Booth at Glastonbury in 2024. Right: James in 1987

by seeing my new favourite band at Wembley Arena. James live were unlike anything I'd

ever seen before. Their talismanic lead singer, Tim Booth, spent half the gig in the audience, duetting with delighted fans, while the rest of the group exploded in anarchic energy.

Around the same time, I stumbled into directing music documentaries. After I released Who Killed the KLF?

My epic prison playlist became the foundation of my day

in 2021, one of the first people to see it was James Blunt, who promptly asked me to make a documentary. James Blunt: One Brit Wonder also did well, and my long-suffering producer Ian Neil asked who we should look at next. I was by now completely obsessed with James. The 1980s and 1990s Madchester scene has been overly covered in documentaries, but nobody had turned the camera on James — and it turned out that they had the cruziest story of them all.

I sent my prison book to Tim Booth and Jim Glennie, who'd formed James in the Mancunian postpunk scene in

1982. I explained how I'd inadvertently become a superfan while doing time, which seemed to strike a chord with them. They sat down for some extraordinarily frank interviews and revealed how they'd joined a cult in 1984 which forced them to meditate for 12 hours a day, leading them to turn down a breakthrough US tour with the Smiths. They developed a unique form of group improvisation in a Moss Side scout hut, playing unspoken for hours and forging songs from their mistakes.

But at the same time they refused to learn their instruments and initially wouldn't record their songs, even foolishly shunning the great Factory Records. The band were riven with infighting, underwent medical experiments to pay the bills and hired their drummer on the advice of a psychic. I stopped wondering why it took them so long to achieve fame and started wondering how they lasted more than five minutes.

I joined them on the road as they embarked on a chaotic tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary. James rarely plan anything in advance, and whenever they do it soon gets binned anyway. This creates breathtakingly unique performances but makes the band a nightmare to film. Before gigs I kept foolishly asking what songs they were planning to perform, which was just met with baffled laughter.

They were given the rare honour of playing at the Acropolis in Athens,

---

JM 01/15/2027 8:04:03 STENNIS WRIGHT/2077 8:04:03

9

which I madly agreed to film with a 16-camera shoot. Given the fragility of the ancient amphitheatre, every detail of the show had to be preapproved in writing by unsmiling Greek architects, which was challenging for a band who have never stuck to a setlist in four decades.

Half the equipment failed in a heatwave, the filming crew barely spoke English and we were threatened with arrest for flying a drone. God only knows how we got away with it. I have worse nightmares from the production than I do from Wandsworth clink. But it was the show of a lifetime.

James have always turned left instead of right but this joyous bloody-mindedness has enabled them to carry on, in my view, now at the height of their powers. Their religiously dedicated fanbase would follow them to the moon. The best I can explain it is that somehow their beautiful anarchy makes you leap into the unknown with them.

James: Getting Away with It is screening in cinemas across the UK on Monday, including a live performance from the Manchester premiere and band interview with Gary Neville streamed to every cinema

arts

Dumbing down classical music? No, I'm breaking down barriers

The Radio 3 presenter Georgia Mann explains why listeners need a new approach — including DJ sets

How likely is it that Shy FX's drum'n'bass soundcheck will drown out my 15th-century polyphony? How do I prevent Joe Wicks's mass workout being louder than my Bach transcription? Am I likely to be stung by a wasp while trying to "drop the beat" in my Janacek? These are all questions I've asked myself while in the role of classical DJ.

That job title may sound like the biggest oxymoron in musical history, but while I can't claim Fatboy Slim levels of adulation just yet, the reaction I've had to DJ sets taking in Bach, Stravinsky and Anna Meredith suggests a sizeable shift in how people want to experience classical music.

My day job is presenting BBC Radio 3's Essential Classics, and I can discern from correspondence to the show that a new, classically curious listener is emerging. Recent research has revealed a youth surge in classical music streaming: listeners under 35 account for more than a third of global classical streamers.

Not everyone is a fan of my way of talking about classical music, which I would class as irreverent and conversational. I tend to focus more on biographical details than musicological ones — for example, I find it more interesting to talk about Beethoven's bowel problems than his treatment of the sonata form. I also try to cut down on the endless key signatures and opus numbers that are part and parcel of classical music's naming conventions. Thankfully, those details are available online these days, as they often take a painfully long time to get out of one's mouth on the radio.

This has irritated some. An editor at The Spectator accused me on X of talking drivel. The Daily Telegraph recently printed a piece with the headline "Has Radio 3 really dumbed down?" with a large photo of my face beneath it. I've framed it and hung it in my loo.

But how can we break down the barriers for those who love the sound of a Beethoven piano sonata but have no idea who poor old Ludwig was? Enter the Classical DJ project. It's a joint venture between me and a sound engineer called Rob Winter. Winter can actually use a pair of decks whereas I struggle with plugging in a pair of headphones. Together we create seamless sequences of classical tunes, with me doing some minimal chat over the top so that audiences get a sense of the people and places that shaped the music they're hearing.

Some of the most surreal and heart-warming moments of my life date from our Glastonbury Classical DJ sets. I admit that I nearly lost it as we reached the point in the set where we were playing the Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson performing a

One couple, nearly naked, listened in ecstasy

searing transcription of Bach's Organ Sonata No 4. Suddenly, cutting through the Bach, came the sound of Wicks screaming at several hundred gym bunnies just down the hill from us to "Come on, keep pushing!" as part of a mass workout.

Every great DJ set needs to give you a sense of being part of something bigger than yourself, and the classical domain really lends itself to group transcendence. At all our classical sets so far we've played Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. I always encourage the crowd to close their eyes and listen for what Reich describes as "pulses" in the music. I'll never forget one couple at Glastonbury listening with ecstatic expressions on their faces, eyes closed while standing up, both nearly

naked and sweating copiously (I'm

sure it must have been the music?). It felt miraculous when we segued from the Reich to Handel's Eternal Source of Light Divine just as the clouds cleared to reveal the Pyramid Stage in the distance, accompanied by the increasingly pungent aroma of a nearby noodle bar.

More is on its way. In September we're inviting everyone to join us for a Hallelujah House Party, combining the baroque brilliance of Handel with Jimi Hendrix at the address where both men

Georgia Mann, also below, and Rob Winter at one of their Classical DJ events

resided, two centuries apart, on Brook Street in London: Handel Hendrix House. We're marking 25 years of their house being open to the public by filling every room with a live DJ set, bringing the place alive with Handel's and Hendrix's music across three days. Imagine Eternal Source of Light Divine blending psychedelically into Hey Joe while everyone eats, drinks and makes merry in the style of Handel in the 1700s and Hendrix in the late 1960s.

Our next gigs involve us dropping some Jacobean-era tunes at Banqueting House in Whitehall while everyone lies back and looks up at the newly restored Rubens ceiling. This is the space in which some serious debauchery took place, so we're bringing back the party by playing the music that soundtracked James I's version of a rave, the masque. As you look up at Rubens's heavenly beings cavorting above, expect to hear 17th-century bangers like Henry Purcell's Bell Anthem.

When I first visited Banqueting House and gazed at the central ceiling panel of James I arriving in the celestial realm, I couldn't help experiencing a brief internal reprise of that 1998 Faithless classic God Is a DJ. See you on the dancefloor?

Classical DJ at Banqueting House, London, is on Sat and Sun. The Hallelujah House Party is at Handel Hendrix House, London, Sep 18-20

---

10

times2

Your weekday brain boost

More puzzles

Pages 14-16

Every day, Monday to Thursday, a page of extra puzzles to give your brain an extended workout

Samurai medium

Fill each grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Where the puzzles overlap, the rows and columns do not go beyond their usual length.

	7	6		1
		1	6	3		9
3						1		8
		4			9	6	1
9			7	5	6			3
	5	2	1			7
2		3
		7		9	5			6
				6				2

				2	5	9
		1		4			6
9					1		4
	4			5		1	3
1	5		6		3		2
	2	3		7			6
6				8			5
					3		6
			4	5	1

					8		6	7
				1	6		9
							4	1
			2	7	4		6
	2		3
9				5			1
	6			4		8	9
8	2		6		9		3	4
	9	4		8			6
	8		2					6
3				9		5
		6	7	5

					9
8			4	1		3
						2	9
		5			3	4	9
9			1	6	5		7
	1	7	9			6
5		3					2
		8		2	6	9
				3		1	8

Sudoku difficult

				5	6		8
			4	2		9
		5	2		3		9
	6	8
	1		8				2 5
		9				7	3 6
					9	5
	8		1		7	2

Killer deadly

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.

23	3		23		12				20
	12			13
		7		8		8			12
9	17	10			21
			13		20
3	9	16	6	19		21			11
				4				12
10	20				17
		17						9

Train Tracks

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.

Futoshiki

Fill the blank squares so that every row and column contains each of the numbers 1 to 5 once only. The symbols between the squares indicate whether a number is larger (>) or smaller (<) than the number next to it.

Sakuro

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

Play Mini Sudoku every day Monday-Sunday online at thetimes.com and on Live app

Codeword

Every letter in the crossword-style grid, right, 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.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Y	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

Yesterday's solutions

SAMURAI

6	4	3	7	9	5	2	1	8		6	1	8	5	7	9	3	2	4
2	1	8	3	6	4	7	5	9		2	5	7	4	3	6	8	9	1
5	7	9	2	1	8	3	6	4		4	9	3	9	2	1	7	6	5
8	9	1	5	2	6	4	7	3		8	6	5	3	1	2	9	4	7
7	6	5	9	4	3	1	8	2		9	3	2	7	4	8	5	1	6
4	3	2	1	6	7	5	9	6		1	7	4	6	9	5	2	8	3
1	2	4	8	5	9	6	3	7	8	2	9	5	4	1	2	8	7	6
9	5	7	6	3	2	8	4	1	6	3	5	7	2	9	1	6	3	4
3	8	6	4	7	1	9	2	5	1	4	7	3	8	6	9	5	4	1
					3	8	9	7	5	1	4	6	2
					5	1	4	2	6	8	9	7	3
					2	7	6	4	9	3	1	5	8
8	3	4	5	6	7	1	9	2	5	8	4	6	3	7	2	4	8	9
2	6	1	9	3	4	7	5	8	3	1	6	2	9	4	1	5	3	6
7	5	9	8	1	2	4	6	3	9	7	2	6	1	5	9	7	6	3
3	9	7	6	6	1	5	2	4				3	4	8	5	1	9	7
5	4	6	2	7	3	9	9	8	1			1	2	9	8	6	7	4
1	2	6	4	5	9	3	7	6				5	7	6	4	3	2	8
4	8	5	1	9	6	2	3	7				9	6	1	7	8	5	2
6	7	2	3	4	5	8	1	9				7	5	3	8	2	4	1
9	1	3	7	2	8	6	4	5				4	8	2	3	9	1	5

TRAIN TRACKS

FUTOSHIKI

4	6	1	3	>2
1	3	2	5	>4
5	1	4	2	3
2	4	>3	1	5
3	2	5	4	>1

Mini

Sudoku

Fill in the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x2 box contains the digits 1 to 6

Solutions In Monday's Times2

4					6
		6	4
	2			3
	6			4
		3	5
6				3

SUDOKU

4	8	3	6	5	1	2	7	9
5	9	2	8	3	7	1	5	4
1	7	6	9	4	2	3	8	5
2	3	7	4	1	5	6	9	8
9	6	4	3	7	8	5	2	1
8	1	5	2	9	6	4	3	7
3	2	1	5	8	9	7	4	6
7	4	8	1	6	3	9	5	2
6	5	9	7	2	4	8	1	5

KILLER

7	4	3	9	1	6	8	5	2
6	5	9	8	2	4	1	3	7
1	8	2	7	5	3	9	4	6
3	1	5	6	9	8	7	2	4
9	6	4	1	7	2	5	8	3
8	2	7	4	3	5	6	9	1
4	9	1	2	8	7	3	6	5
2	3	8	5	6	1	4	7	9
5	7	6	3	4	9	2	1	8

CODEWORD

---

11

television & radio

A fascinating, powerful piece of true crime theatre

Carol Midgley

TV review

Murder Trial

BBC2 ★★★★☆

Courtroom documentaries are rarely like the melodramatic court scenes that we see in TV dramas. Invariably they are more gripping — pieces of true crime theatre.

Murder Trial: Death of a Dog Walker was no exception and also offered the viewer a helpful tutorial on how not to behave in a police interview if you are accused of murder. The No 1 lesson: try not to be arrogant. Or creepy around female detectives.

David Campbell did himself no favours in this respect. The police interview video showed Campbell, suspected of shooting dead Brian Low

in a remote lane in Aberfeldy, Scotland, being supercilious and patronising, saying of the female officer in the room: "I like the company of attractive ladies." The male officer advised him she would be "crawling out of her skin". This is a public service to the rest of us should we be in this position. Be the opposite.

Worse, while watching this recording from the dock, Campbell, a former gamekeeper, seemed to laugh at his behaviour. This was fascinating. The film used no gimmicks because there was no need. Courts are operettas of human psychology.

But the prosecution case against Campbell wasn't overwhelming, with little forensic evidence. The murder weapon was never found. Much of this state of affairs could be laid at the feet of the police, who committed an almighty blunder on the day Low's body was found in 2024.

One of the first officers on the scene said he saw the body and assumed he had fallen while out for a walk. The death was treated as unmaspicious for several days, with the loss of possibly vital evidence, until a shotgun pellet literally fell out of the body bag during preparations for a post-mortem examination, a detail that beggars belief. If that happened in a drama I'd knock off a star for being far-fetched.

This documentary (both episodes are available) was possible because

David Campbell during his trial for the murder of Brian Low

Scotland allows cameras in court when it is deemed in the public interest (obviously you don't see the jury). I am not sure I'd want to have a lens on me when I was giving evidence, whether as a witness or the accused, one of the most stressful moments of your life. I felt for Pamela, Low's grieving partner of 23 years, being cross-examined about contradictions in her statement to police on the day he was found when she was in a profound state of shock. Then again it is good to demystify the court process, for justice to be seen to be done. Here we saw how juries have to look at separate pieces of evidence and see if it convinces them as a whole.

There had been bad feeling between Campbell, 77, and Low, 65, a groundman. On the day of the murder Campbell had tampered with his CCTV and Ring doorbell, which is strange behaviour, and had changed the trees on his wife's bicycle. He had also made idle threats to shoot people in the past.

The moment when the jury came back and delivered their verdict (and we'll allow the second part to reveal this to those who don't know it) packed more suspense than any potholder. There were no shouts in court, no outbursts of anger, just an old man shuffling off, and it was more powerful than any stage play.

Great Lives Radio 4 Extra, 10am

Marking tomorrow's 70th anniversary of the death of the German theatre creator and writer Bertolt Brecht, above, the playwright John Godber joins Matthew Parris in a lively edition of the series to nominate him as one of his greatest inspirations. Both men shared a desire to bring theatre to people outside the usual cultural bubble and to make life's normalities seem like art. They are joined by Professor Michael Patterson, an expert in German theatre, and discuss how Brecht's work is cheerful and entertaining, with the writer even writing for Hollywood after fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933. Clair Woodward

Times Radio

Digital, web, smart speaker, app 5.00am Tom Nunan 6.00 Salma El-Wardany and Stig Abeil 10.00 Hugo Rifkind 1.00pm Stephen Sackur 2.00 Fi Glover and Roya Nikkhah 4.00 Sebastian Payne with Drive 7.00 Albie Amankona 10.00 Henry Bonsu 1.00am The Best of Times Radio

Radio 2

FM: 88-92.2 MHz 6.30am Sara Cox 9.30 Vernon Kay 11.25 Piano Room 12.00 Jeremy Vine 2.00pm Clara Amfo 4.00 Joel Dommett 7.00 Edith Bowman 8.45 Piano Room 9.00 Country Show 10.00 The Good Groove 12.00 OJ Borg 3.00am Dance Sounds of the 90s (r) 4.00 Owain Wyn Evans

Radio 3

FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz 6.30am Breakfast 9.30 Essential Classics 1.00pm Classical Live BBC Proms — Liszt (Mephisto #M2) No 1; Copenhagen Festival & Friends, Smetana (Piano Trio in G minor, Op 15); Granada Festival — Monteverdi (O Tesco, Tesso mio, Lamento d'Arianna, SV 107, Madrigales, Libro VI. 1614); Verban Festival — Debussy (Violin Sonata); Finzi (Eclogue); BBC Proms — Vivaldi arr. Rhian Davies and Ellen O'Brien (The Four Seasons excerpts); Florence Price arr. Rhian Davies (Symphony No 1, Juba Dance, 3rd mvt); Oliver Cross arr. Liam Taylor-West (Barriers); Michael Betteridge arr. Julia Koelmans (Soaring Through Sparks — Clarion Concerto); Charlotte Harding (arr. Liam Taylor-West) (The Orchestra — A Young Person's Guide); and Berg (Violin Concerto)

4.00 Composer of the Week: Montgersoll (1764-1836) Donald Macleod explores Hélène's private life (r) 5.00 In Tune 7.00 Live BBC Proms 2026 The BBC Symphony Orchestra conductor James Gaffigan plays Wynton Marsalis and Barber, and with soloist Yeol Eum Son, Gershwin's charismatic Piano Concerto. Live from the Royal Albert Hall. Wynton Marsalis (Concerto for Orchestra — BBC co-commission: UK premiere); Gershwin (Piano Concerto in F); and Barber (Symphony No. 1 in One movement) 10.00 Night Tracks 11.30 Round Midnight 12.30am Through the Night (r)

Radio 4

FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 Sideways (5/8) (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Payne for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics A guide on using the Oracle to answer life's big questions (3/7) 9.30 The Guitar Story Exploring how the instrument has driven cultural change (2/4) 10.00 Women's Hour Anita Rani presents the magazine 11.00 The Three Ages of Child Guddi Singh looks at mental health in adolescence (3/3) (r) 11.45 Book of the Week: Hiroshima, 8.15: The Lost Memoir Written by Kiyoshi Tanimoto and Koko Kondo (4/5) 12.04pm Scam Secrets (3/8) 12.32 Sliced Bread (7/8) 1.00 The World at One

1.45 Human Intelligence The mind of China's greatest female poet — Li Qingzhao 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Drama: Security By Kelly Jones 3.00 This Natural Life Phoebe Smith shows Martha Kearney one of her favourite places. Last in the series 3.27 Radio 4 Appeal (r) 3.30 Feedback 4.00 The Briefing Room 4.30 BBC Inside Science 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.30 Icklewick FM The radio team are on scene at the Agricultural Festival (3/6) (r) 7.00 The Archers David is offered a choice 7.15 Front Row Arts programme 8.00 At Your Own Peril The history of risk (4/5) (r) 8.15 The Media Show The latest news (r) 9.00 Loose Ends Stuart Maconie presents from Belfast as the city hosts. Fleadh Cheoli na hÉireann (r) 9.45 The Cows Are Mad A mother embarks on a quest for answers (6/10) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: The Vicar of Wakefield By Oliver Goldsmith (9/10) 11.00 Radical The forces reshaping the world 11.30 A Good Read Sophie Raworth and Patrick Ness talk about books (7/9) (r) 12.00 News and Weather 12.30am Book of the Week: Hiroshima, 8.15: The Lost Memoir (4/5) (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.00 As BBC World Service

Radio 4 Extra

Digital only 8.00am The Train at Platform 4 8.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 8.45 Small Island 9.00 Icklewick FM 9.30 Following the Martian Invasion 9.45 Daily Service 10.00 Choice Great Lives 10.30 From Ivory To Plastic 11.00 The Wolf Far Hence 11.30 The Senior Partner 12.00 Capital Gains 12.30pm The Burkiss Way 1.00 The Train at Platform 4 1.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 1.45 Small Island 2.00 Dilemma 2.30 The Change 3.00 The Summer Book 3.45 Short Works 4.00 Great Lives 4.30 From Ivory To Plastic 5.00 The Wolf Far Hence 5.30 The Senior Partner 6.00 Capital Gains 6.30 The Burkiss Way 7.00 The Train at Platform 4 7.30 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years 7.45 Small Island 8.00 Dilemma 8.30 Change 9.00 The Summer Book 9.45 Short Works 10.00 Comedy Club: Icklewick FM 10.30 A Look Back at the Nineties 10.55 The Comedy Club Interview 11.00 Casebook of Max and Ivan 11.30 Sophie Willan's Guide to Normality 11.45 What's the Story, Ashley Storrie?

Radio 5 Live

MW: 693, 909 5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 Breakfast 9.00 Nicky Campbell 11.00 Gordon Smart 2.00pm Matt Chorley 4.00 Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport 7.30 Athletics. Coverage from Birmingham 10.00 Johnny l'Anson 1.00am Charlie Taylor

talkSPORT

MW: 1053, 1089 kHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 Breakfast with Jeff Stelling

10.00 Shebahn Aherne & Steve Bruce 1.00pm Hawksbee and Baker 4.00 Drive 7.00 Transfer Insiders 10.00 The Sports Bar 1.00am Extra Time with Paul Ross

Talk

Digital only 6.00am Ian Collins 10.00 Julia Hartley Brewer 1.00pm David Bull 4.00 Kevin O'Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 10.00 Andre Walker ft. Ash 1.00am Paul Ross

6 Music

Digital only 5.00am Chris Hawkins 7.00 Nick Grimshaw 10.00 Lauren Lawrene. With James Ellis Ford 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 Huw Stephens 7.00 New Music Fix Daily 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 6 Music Artist in Residence: Wolf Alice 12.00 New Music Fix Playlist 1.00am New Album Fix 2.00 6 Music's Jukebox 3.00 6 Music's 90s Forever 4.00 6 Music's 00s Forever

Virgin Radio

Digital only 6.30am The Chris Evans Breakfast Show 10.00 Emma 0 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Geoff Lloyd 10.00 Goldierocks 2.00am Steve Denyer

Classic FM

FM: 100-102 MHz 6.30am Breakfast with Tim Lihoreau 9.00 The Hall of Fame Hour 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 Relaxing Evenings with John Brunning 9.00 Classic FM's Composer Carousel With John Brunning 10.00 Calm Classics 1.00am Bill Overton 4.00 Early Breakfast

---

12

television

PICKS OF THE DAY

A House Through Time BBC2, 9pm

After shuttling between London and Berlin in its previous run, David Olusoga's series returns with a four-parter exploring a house in Edinburgh. Built in 1765, just before construction of the New Town began, it looks down on the Scottish capital from Calton Hill, and was home to the aspirational middle class rather than the elite. Once

again drawn to how political, economic and social developments shaped individual lives, the historian looks initially at residents — a priest who helped French prisoners to escape from Edinburgh Castle, an agent spying on striking weavers — who took sides for or against radical movements in the 1780s and 90s. Also in the spotlight are the Steells, a father and son who exploited their craft skills in different ways; John as a useless businessman. John Jr as a famous sculptor. John Dugdale

David Olusoga (BBC2, 9pm)

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern BBC2, 8pm

Evangelical about demystifying the art trade and opening it up to outsiders, Steph McGovern hosts a six-part contest (prize: art worth £50,000) in which seven amateur duos have a go at flogging paintings. Also guided by "the overarching series expert" Cordelia de Freitas and her one-off sidekicks, the wannabes' first challenge is to pick four works with commercial

potential at a graduation show. Then they must coax the student artists into having know-nothing dealers (this feels phoney) before spouting art tosh at the auction preview, and hoping they have chosen the right pieces and the right "reserve" for each one at the sale. Slightly comically, part one ends with a glorified version of a daytime antiques show's climax; the prices are higher, but there are the same close-ups of presenter and glum or gleeful contestants as the bids come in (or don't). JD

BBC1

• 6.00am Breakfast
• 9.30 Animal Park (r) (AD)
• 10.00 Trace, Track, Get My Car Back (r)
• 10.30 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026. Jeanette Kwaley presents coverage of the opening session on day four, including the women's 800m and 400m semi-finals
• 1.15pm BBC News at One; Weather
• 1.40 BBC Regional News; Weather
• 1.50 BBC News at One; Weather
• 2.00 Money for Nothing. Sarah Moore searches Willey recycling centre in Surrey
• 2.45 Escape to the Country. A couple are searching for a new home in either Worcestershire or Warwickshire (r) (AD)
• 3.30 The Repair Shop. Experts restore a vintage rugby shirt, a serving plate, a map and an accordion (r) (AD)
• 4.30 The Answer Run. Jason Manford hosts
• 5.15 Pointless. Quiz show (r)
• 6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather
• 6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather

BBC2

• 6.30am The Bidding Room (r)
• 7.15 Money for Nothing (r)
• 8.00 Sign Zone: Gardener's World (r) (AD, SL)
• 9.00 BBC News
• 10.30 Antiques Road Trip (r)
• 11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (r) (AD)
• 12.15pm Bargain Hunt (r)
• 1.00 Richard Ooman's House of Games (r)
• 1.30 The Finish Line. Quiz (r)
• 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? Bristol (r)
• 2.45 The Great Rift. Africa's Wild Heart. The creation of the Great Rift Valley (r) (AD)
• 3.35 Spy in the Ocean. The challenges that ocean life must overcome (4/4) (r) (AD)
• 4.35 Vintage Antiques Roadshow. From Duroisian Castle in Scotland (r)
• 5.15 Flog It! From Barnard Castle (r)
• 6.00 Richard Ooman's House of Games. Chris Bisson, Danielle Harold, Katharine Merry and Robert Webb take part (r)
• 6.30 Bear Grylls. Wild Reckoning. A woman who wants to mend her fractured relationship with her daughter (r) (AD)

ITV1

• 6.00am Good Morning Britain
• 10.00 This Morning
• 1.30pm ITV News; Weather
• 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal. Newcastle Racecourse plays host, where a couple of pistols catch Helen Gardiner's eye, and Henry Nicholls splashes out on a rare Christmas single (r) (AD)
• 3.00 Deal or No Deal. Stephen Mulhern hosts as a contestant tries to open the 22 red boxes in the right order, taking on the infamous Banker for the chance to win a life-changing cash prize (r) (AD)
• 4.00 Tapping Point. Ben Shephard hosts the arcade-themed quiz in which contestants drop tokens down a choice of four chutes in the hope of winning a £10,000 jackpot (r)
• 5.00 The Chase. Bradley Walsh hosts as contestants from Northampton, Doncaster, Manchester and Luton pit their wits against one of the ruthless experts (r)
• 6.00 Regional News; Weather
• 6.30 ITV News; Weather

Channel 4

• 6.30am The King of Queens (r) (AD)
• 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (r) (AD)
• 9.10 Frasier (r) (AD)
• 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (r)
• 12.05pm Channel 4 News Summary
• 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (r) (AD)
• 1.10 The Great House Giveaway. A property valuer and a teaching assistant buy a house together in Merseyside (r)
• 2.10 Countdown. With Pauline McLynn
• 3.00 A Place in the Sun. Jasmine Harman helps a couple find a holiday home in the countryside of Murcia, Spain (r)
• 4.00 Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith. In Northamptonshire, Nova Guest has decided to get to grips with Ashby Manor's expansive parkland (r) (AD)
• 5.00 Château DIY. At the impressive Château Trois Cloches, work begins on the hotel-style bedroom and bathroom (r) (AD)
• 6.00 American Pickers. Ploughing through a 40-acre salvage yard, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz harvest a few lost treasures (r) (AD)

5

• 6.00am Milkshake!
• 9.15 Jeremy Vine
• 11.30 Storm & Alexis
• 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime
• 12.50 Matt Allevright
• 2.20 FILM: The Replacement Daughter (PG, TVM, 2024) When Jessica's mother is struck by a hit-and-run, she falls into the care of a wealthy woman, but not everything is what it seems. Thriller starring Stacy Haduk
• 4.00 Castle. Beckett and Castle are faced with a long list of possible suspects when a personal injury attorney is murdered, and a shocking secret deepens the mystery surrounding Richie's death (r)
• 4.55 Love Nature. A red kite feeding centre in the heart of mid-Wales (r)
• 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker
• 6.00 Crete: Jewel of the Med. Joanna Lumley narrates this exploration of the largest of the Greek Islands, taking in turtle-testing sites, cuisine and culture (r)
• 6.55 5 News Update

7.00 The One Show Presented by Alex Jones and Roman Kemp 7.30 EastEnders Amy confides in an unlikely source, and Nicola and Eve bond. Meanwhile, Ian finds himself in a worrying situation (AD)	7.00 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 Coverage of the evening session on day four from Alexander Stadium, including the start of the women's triple jump and pole vault finals. Coverage continues on BBC1	7.30 Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy Tom explores Italy's mountains, uncovering the culinary secrets of chestnuts and pasta (5/6) (AD)	7.00 Channel 4 News	7.00 Around the World in First Class Josie Gibson heads for the tourist hotspots of Finland and Sweden, explores Stockholm, and enjoys a helicopter trip over an archipelago 7.55 5 News Update
8.00 Live European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 Gabby Logan presents further coverage of the evening session on day four from Alexander Stadium, including the women's 200m final. The decathlon also concludes with the 1500m, and medals are awarded in the women's triple jump, pole vault and 3,000m, and the men's discus and 800m. With analysis from Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis-Hill, and commentary by Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson and Paula Radcliffe	8.00 The Big Deal with Steph McGovern New series. Steph McGovern hosts as aspiring art dealers compete to spot talent, negotiate deals and make a profit for the chance to win £50,000 worth of British art. See picks of the day (1/6) (AD)	8.00 Emmerdale Kev is thrilled, Billy is in a determined mood and Dylan admits to April he has been struggling (AD) 8.30 Coronation Street Tim takes in Richie's daughter Lucy without consulting Sally (AD)	8.00 Renovation Rescue Vogue Williams and Luke Mabbott help a widow finally breathe new life into her beloved family home that holds so many precious memories (AD)	8.00 The Yorkshire Vet Special: Peter's Dream New series. Cameras follow Peter Wright as he creates a Yorkshire pet memorial garden, inspired by Sussex's pet chaplain and church. See picks of the day
	9.00 A House Through Time New series. David Olusoga charts more British history as lived through by the successive inhabitants of a house, this time a property in Edinburgh. See picks of the day (1/4) (AD)	9.00 The Chase Around the World The teams land in Zurich to take on the Governess and the Dark Destroyer. Players must solve questions to navigate the city and find Bradley Walsh at the finish line (5/6) (AD)	9.00 Spy Next Door: The Anna Chapman Story The FBI reveals that Anna Chapman is just one of a sprawling web of Russian agents on the loose in the United States (2/2) (AD)	9.00 Benidorm Is Murder At her hen party, maid of honour Megan humiliates shy bride Leona and their friends before revealing a luxury villa. When they reject her plans, she storms off alone. By morning, a murder shocks the resort. Crime drama starring John Hannah (3/6) (AD)
10.00 BBC News at Ten 10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather 10.40 FILM: Yesterday (12, 2019) Jack, a struggling musician, gets hit by a bus during a mysterious event. When he regains consciousness, he finds that he is the only person who can remember the Beatles, and sets out to exploit the opportunity by passing their hits off as his own compositions. Comedy with Himesh Patel and Lily James. Directed by Danny Boyle. See film choice (AD)	10.00 Red Dwarf Rimmer tries desperately to be transferred to a ship that is crewed by holograms (1/6) (r) 10.30 Newsnight Headline analysis presented by Katie Razzall	10.00 ITV News at Ten; Weather; followed by Regional News 10.45 FILM: Quantum of Solace (12, 2008) James Bond sets out on a personal mission of vengeance and uncovers a plan to cause a coup in a Latin American country. Spy thriller sequel starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Judi Dench, Gemma Arterton and Mathieu Amalric (AD)	10.00 The Schoolgirl Terrorist? Examining the events that led to Rhianan Rudd becoming the youngest girl to be charged with terror offences in the UK in 2020 at just 15-years-old (AD)	10.00 Killer at the Crime Scene Investigating the death of spa owner Ildiko Krapyak, who was killed in a explosion at her beauty spa in Orange County, California (r)
	11.05 Murder Trial Former gamekeeper David Campbell stands accused of the premeditated murder of Brian Low, a 65-year-old groundsman on the same estate where they both worked (1/2) (r) (AD)		11.05 Social Media Monsters How a stalker sought revenge on her former boss, using LinkedIn, Instagram and X to ruin her reputation. When the campaign of harassment failed to yield results, she turned her attention to other targets (2/10) (r) (AD)	11.05 The Body in the Thames The story of Adam — the unknown boy whose dismembered body, discovered in the River Thames in September 2001, launched an investigation that took officers around the world (r)
12.30am Alan Carr's Picture Slam Alan Carr hosts this game show in which contestants have to identify a board full of images, with a chance of winning up to £10,000. Playing this time are friends from Coventry, siblings from London, and a father and son from Glasgow (r) 1.20-6.00 BBC News	12.05am The Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke With the Franke family isolated, outsiders try to find out what is happening. Last in the series (r) (AD) 12.55 Sign Zone: Ambulance. A man falls 20ft off a ladder on to concrete. Last in the series (r) (AD, SL) 1.55-2.55 Evolution (r) (AD, SL)	12.35am Shop on TV 3.00 The Summit. The Mountain's Keeper gives one of the group the tough decision to choose someone to leave the mountain, while tensions increase when they must camp in the wild (r) (AD, SL) 3.50 Unwind with ITV 5.05-6.00 Deal or No Deal: Celebrity Special (r) (AD, SL)	12.10am Crime Scene Cleaners (r) (AD, SL) 1.05 Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives (r) (AD, SL) 1.55 Ramsay's Hotel Hell (r) (AD, SL) 2.45 Dictator. The Hitler Interviews (r) (AD, SL) 3.40 Fur Babies (r) (AD, SL) 4.35 Kirste's House of Craft (r) 4.55 Couples Come Dine with Me (r) 5.50-6.30 Countdown (r)	12.05am Street Cops: Catching the Yobs (r) 1.00 Cruise TV with LovettBookit (r) 2.00 Entertainment News on 5 2.10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 3.05 Castle (r) 3.50 Friends (r) (AD) 4.35 Cruising with Susan Calman (r) (AD, SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5 5.35-6.00 Children's Programmes (r) (SL)

---

13

television

The Yorkshire Vet Special: Peter's Dream Channel 5, 8pm

The dream for the veterinarian Peter Wright is setting up places where animal lovers can remember their dead pets. He starts by heading to Sussex to visit the UK's first designated animal chaplain, Maria Brett, and her church's pet memorial garden, before returning to Yorkshire to create something similar. Wright also goes to the Howardian Hills National

Landscape, where he plans to place pet memorial benches, and appears on Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show to raise awareness about pet grief. Joe Clay

The Coen Brothers Story BBC4, 9pm

In 1984 the Coen brothers emerged fully formed with Blood Simple, a twist-filled film noir that would set the template for their future classics such as Fargo (1996) and No Country for Old Men (2007). This

updated version of Sarah Aspinalli's 2000 documentary explores the journey that gave rise to this unique vision, with contributions from actors who have worked with them, including George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Tilda Swinton. JC

STREAMING CHOICE

My Brilliant Career Netflix

In the wake of Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie

comes another Netflix series about the adventures of a young girl caught between civilisation and wildness. The darkest of the three original books, Miles Franklin's tale of growing up in the rural Australia of the 1890s has arguably received the finest adaptation. Philippa Northeast is magnificent as the headstrong Sybylla Melvyn and the first two episodes crackle with an earthy love-triangle sensuality. The modern-day needle-drops are terrible, but everything else feels note-perfect. Andrew Male

FILM CHOICE

Yesterday (12, 2019) BBC1, 10.40pm

Himesh Patel is Jack Malik, a busker who, after a global power cut, emerges into a world where the Beatles never existed. But Jack can remember the tunes and records a smattering of them, becomes famous and is tempted over to LA. All along, the riddle of this new world deepens. What can it all mean? (H3min) Kevin Maher

BBC4

7.00pm Villages by the Sea. Ben Robinson explores the remains of a lost harbour in Port Carlisle (2/10) 7.30 Wainwright Walks. Julia Bradbury climbs Scafell Pike. Last in the series (AD) 8.00 Operation Mincemeat. Ben Manning reveals how Britain deceived Hitler into thinking the Allies were planning to invade Greece in 1943 (AD) 9.00 The Coen Brothers Story. Documentary on the film-makers. See picks of the day (AD) 10.00 FILM: Inside Llewyn Davis (15, 2013) Coen brothers drama starring Oscar Isaac (AD) 11.40 FILM: Skull (15, 1971) Blaxploitation detective thriller starring Richard Roundtree 1.15am Wainwright Walks (AD) 1.45 Operation Mincemeat (AD) 2.45am-3.15 Villages by the Sea (SL)

BBC3

7.00pm The Catch Up 7.05 Deadly 60 7.30 Deadly 60 8.00 Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon (4/7) (AD) 9.00 Better Date than Never. New series. People take their first steps into the dating scene (1/7) (AD) 9.30 Better Date than Never. Jack hopes to meet someone he can be himself around (2/7) (AD) 10.00 Better Date than Never. Jack battles nerves on a date (3/7) (AD) 10.30 Ruffus's Drag Race UK: Meet the Queens. Introducing the queens 10.55 FILM: Bridget Jones's Baby (15, 2016) Comedy sequel starring Renée Zellweger (AD) 12.50am The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist (AD) 1.35 The Trouble with Kianje (AD) 2.50am-3.50 Better Date than Never (AD, SL)

Sky Arts

6.00am The Wiz Live 8.00 Artist of the Year: Masterclass (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering: Yul Brynner (AD) 12.00 The Art of Film with Ian Nathan (AD) 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 3.00 The Eighties (AD) 4.00 Discovering: Claude Rains (AD) 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2022 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Voices of the Valley 8.00 Discovering: Michelle Pfeiffer. Profile of the American actress (AD) 9.00 Clint Eastwood: A Life in Film 10.50 FILM: I Am Alfred Hitchcock (15, 2021) (AD) 12.30am Chaplin: The Birth of the Tramp (AD) 1.45 Laurel and Hargit: Their Lives and Magic (AD) 3.30 Inside Art 4.00-5.00 Skinner & Mina's Literary Road Trip: Pope & Swift (AD)

ITV2

6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Potomac 8.20 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 9.15 The Only Way to Essex 10.15 Dawson's Creek 11.10 Charmed 12.10pm Deal or No Deal (AD) 1.10 Supermarket Sweep 2.10 The Floor (AD) 3.10 The Only Way to Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Potomac 5.00 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 6.00 Celebrity Catchphrase (AD) 7.00 The Floor (AD) 8.00 The 1% Club (AD) 9.00 Romsn't Ranganathan's Parents' Evening 10.00 Changing Ends (AD) 10.35 Family Guy (AD) 11.35 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bish's Burgers (AD) 1.30am-2.20 Deal or No Deal (AD, SL)

More4

8.55am Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD) 10.00 Four in a Bed 12.40pm Come Dine with Me (AD) 3.20 Four in a Bed 5.50 Car SOS. Tim and Fuzz restore a 1990s Japanese super saloon (AD) 6.50 Car SOS. A Ferguson TCDI tractor (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. Building a home on a minuscule 38-square-metre plot in London (9/10) (AD) 9.00 The Reclaimers. Made in Suffolk. Hayley embraces seasonal wildlife projects and creates a postcard pinboard (5/5) (AD) 10.00 24 Hours in A&E. Doctors try to save a baby who stopped breathing at home (AD) 11.05 24 Hours in A&E. A 74-year-old man is brought into A&E after suffering a suspected stroke (AD) 12.10am 999: On the Front Line 1.15 24 Hours in A&E (AD) 3.25am-3.55 A Place in the Sun

ITV3

6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.10 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 Agatha Christie's Poirot (AD) 11.30 Heartbeat (AD) 1.35pm Midsomer Murders (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat: Drama (AD) 8.00 Vera. The detective investigates the murder of a fisherman (4/4) (AD) 10.00 Grantchester. Alphy discovers that a young woman he knows has gone missing (7/8) (AD) 11.00 Grantchester. Decide and Larry investigate the mysterious death of a reclusive man (8/8) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. Part two of two. Last in the series 1.25am-2.35 Agatha Christie's Poirot. Stars David Suchet (AD)

Live PGA Tour Golf Sky Sports v, 12.45pm-5 Coverage of day one of the FedEx St Jude Championship, the first event in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee

Live Tennis Sky Sports v, 5pm-4am Coverage of day one of the Cincinnati Open, a hard-court tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio

Live MLB: New York Yankees v Seattle Mariners TNT Sports 1, 6.30pm-9.30 (Start-time 6.35). Coverage of the American League match from Yankee Stadium

Live Belfred Super League: Leeds Rhinos v Leigh Leopards Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action, 7.30pm-15.15 (Kick-off 8.00). From the match at AMT Headingley Stadium

Live CPL: Jamaica Kingsmen v Guyana Amazon Warriors TNT Sports 1, 12.30am-4.45 Coverage of the 720 match from Sabina Park in Jamaica

Talking Pictures

6.00am FILM: A Gunman Has Escaped (PG, 1948) (b/w) 7.05 FILM: Behind the Mask (U, 1958) 9.05 FILM: Highly Dangerous (U, 1950) (b/w) 10.30 FILM: The Small Back Room (PG, 1948) (b/w) 1.00pm The Adventures of Sir Lanottin (b/w) 1.30 FILM: Rebecca (PG, 1940) (b/w) 4.05 FILM: Jigsaw (PG, 1962) (b/w) 6.10 Look at Life 6.20 Strange But True 6.55 The Brothers 8.00 Mark Gaber (b/w) 8.30 The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club 9.20 FILM: The Sea Shall Not Have Them (U, 1955) Drama (b/w) 11.10 FILM: The Comic (PG, 1969) Comedy drama with Dick Van Dyke 1.05am FILM: X the Unknown (PG, 1956) (b/w) 2.40 Colonel March Investigates (b/w) 4.00 Burke's Law (b/w) 5.00am-6.00 Film Noir

ITV4

6.00am The Derby Through the Years 6.20 River Monsters 6.50 Magnum, PI (AD) 7.50 Robin of Sherwood 9.00 Boon 10.10 The Professionals (AD) 11.15 Robin of Sherwood 12.20pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.25 The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (AD) 3.30 Doon 4.35 The Professionals (AD) 5.45 Minder (AD) 6.50 Sharpe. The hero is sent to capture a Fort behind French lines 9.00 Benidorm. First-ever episode of the comedy series (AD) 9.35 Benidorm. Martin and Kate get lost in the town centre (AD) 10.00 Benidorm (AD) 10.30 Benidorm (AD) 11.00 Black Sails. Yane feels like Flint may be a threat 12.15am Hell's Kitchen 1.10 The Professionals (AD) 2.15am-2.45 Auto Mundial

Film4

11.00am Journey to the Center of the Earth (U, 1959) Sci-fi adventure starring Pat Boone (AD) 1.40pm Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (PG, 1942) Mystery thriller starring Basil Rathbone (b/w) 3.00 Film4 Interview Programmes: Talking Film 3.10 The True Story of Jesse James (PG, 1957) Biopic starring Robert Wagner 5.00 Tolkien (12, 2019) JMC Tolkien: biopic starring Nicholas Hoult 7.10 Males (15, 2009) Sci-fi drama starring Sam Rockwell (AD) 9.00 The Woman King (15, 2022) An all-female group of warriors try to protect a West African kingdom. Drama with Viola Davis (AD) 11.40 Anna (15, 2019) Action thriller starring Sasha Luss 2.00am-3.55 Berberian Sound Studio (15, 2012) Thriller starring Toby Jones and Tonia Solinopoulou

UKDrama

6.00am Teleshopping 7.15 The Bill 8.05 Doctors 9.20 Classic Holly City 10.40 Casualty (AD) 11.40 The Bill 12.40pm Classic EastEnders 2.00 Classic Neighbours 3.00 Whitsstable Pearl (AD) 4.10 Lovejoy 5.20 As Time Goes By 6.00 Last of the Summer Wine 8.00 The Marlow Murder Club. Judith, Becks and Suzie investigate when the Mayor dies in the middle of a meeting (1/6) (AD) 9.00 Hit Point. New series. Romantic thriller starring Nick Blood and Saffron Hocking (1/6) (AD) 10.00 New Tricks. Reinvestigating three cases of rape (4/10) (AD) 11.20 Luther (3/4) (AD) 12.35am Lovejoy. The dealer visits Venice 1.45 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD) 2.45 Hotel Portofino (SL) 4.00am-6.00 Teleshopping

Variations

BBC1 It Ireland 11.40pm The Come I Can't Forget (r) 11.30pm-1.20am FILM: Yesterday (2019) Comedy

BBC1 Scotland 7.00pm-7.30 River City (r) 12.30am Scotland (r) 1.00 Alan Carr's Picture Slam (r) 1.45 Weather for the Week Ahead 1.50am-6.00 BBC News

BBC2 Wales 11.05pm-12.05am Eisteddfud 2026 with Huw Stephens (r)

STV 12.35am-3.00 Shop on TV 3.50am-5.00 Unwind with STV

BBC Scotland 7.00pm News 7.30 Hidden Lives (r) 8.00 Beechgrove Garden 8.30 Scotland's Greatest Escape (r)

9.00 Martin Compotents Scottish Fling (r) 10.00 Scot Squad (r) 10.30 Edinburgh Unlocked. New series. The best of the Edinburgh Festival 11.00 Scotland 11.30pm-12.00 Growing Up Scottish (r)

S4C 6.00am Cyw 12.00 News; Weather 12.05pm Cain Quinnell (r) 12.30 Hems (r) 1.00 Cod Hwyf (r) 1.30 Spwrs Dan y Llor (r) 2.00 News; Weather 2.00 Pyehown Da 3.00 News; Weather 3.05 Sioe Món 2026 (r) 4.00 Awr Faw15.00 Stwns: Byd Rondo Dai Pwde (r) 5.15 Larla (r) 5.20 Dyffryn Mwmin (r) 5.45 Cuddio (r) 6.00 Cywfin (r) 6.59 News 7.00 Hems 7.20 News; Weather 8.00 Pobol y Cwm 8.25 Gwal y Basg: Gwilym Bowen Rhyu (r) 8.55 News; Weather 9.00 Fairbourne: Y Mor Wrth y Drws (r) 10.00 Taclo1 Ty (r) 10.30-11.35pm Yr Afon (r)

PBS America

8.00am Weathered: Earth's Extremes 8.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 9.35 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 10.45 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 11.55 Inside Japar's War 1.00pm Weathered: Earth's Extremes 1.35 Digging Up Britain's Past 2.35 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 3.45 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 4.55 Inside Japar's War 6.00 Digging Up Britain's Past 7.00 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 8.10 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 9.15 Inside Japar's War 10.20 Walrus: Life on Thin Ice 11.30 Weathered: Earth's Extremes. The severe impacts of droughts and floods on agriculture (4/6) 12.00 Peleliu: WWII's Most Well-Preserved Battlefield 1.15am-2.00 Weathered: Earth's Extremes

Sky Atlantic

6.00am Fish Town (r) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.15 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 12.35pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.30 Billions (r) (AD) 4.40 The Last of Us (r) (AD) 6.40 House of the Dragon. Daemon visits his wife in the Vale (r) (AD) 7.45 House of the Dragon. Rhaenyra navigates continued speculation about her children (r) (AD) 9.00 Possession. Oliver becomes unexpectedly violent (AD) 10.00 Possession. Claudia seeks her Aunt Mercy to help her defeat Charlotte and is put in a tonne-like state led by their ancestors (AD) 11.00 All Her Fault. News about Carrie's hideout throws suspicion on all the invines, while Brian uncovers a betrayal from Peter (r) (AD) 12.05am House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 2.45 Billions (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 The Guest Wing (r) (AD)

Sky Docs

6.00am The 2010s (r) 7.00 Discovering: Kevin Costner (r) (AD) 8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00 100 Foot Wave (r) (AD) 10.00 Juan Carlos: Downfall of the King (r) 10.55 Celtics City (r) (AD) 12.00 Sergio Leone: The Italian Who Invented America (r) 2.00pm Premier League 360 – Big Sam's Bolton (r) (AD) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Kevin Costner (r) (AD) 5.55 Burden of Proof: Who Killed Jennifer' Symbol? (r) (AD) 8.00 The Essex Murders: Who Killed Goldfinger? Documentary (r) (AD) 11.00 FILM: Touching the Void (15, 2003) Documentary by the director Kevin Macdonald 1.00am King of Lies: Football's Greatest Con (r) (AD) 2.50 Faye (r) 4.40 My Icon: Rachel Yankey (r) (AD) 5.00am-6.00 Discovering: Kevin Costner (r) (AD)

UK Yesterday

6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash. Restoring Classics (AD) 10.00 Berlin Wall: The Night the Iron Curtain Closed (AD) 11.00 The World at War 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash (AD) 4.00 Berlin Wall: The Night the Iron Curtain Closed (AD) 5.00 The World at War 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 A Perfect Planet (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash. A 1968 Mini Make and a Pirate Flat 2TA (AD) 9.00 Bangers & Cash. Restoring Classics. A First Escort Mexico (AD) 10.00 Bangers & Cash. Call the Midwife star Cliff Paris: drops off his Belfred CA (unngiven) (AD) 11.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash. Restoring Classics (AD) 1.00am Find It, Fix It, Flog It 2.00 Abandoned Engineering (AD) 3.00am-6.10 Teleshopping

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14

MindGames

Tetonor Fiendish No 700

25	135	49	60
156	14	324	32
45	221	19	500
84	48	468	30

6	6	7	12	13	17

When complete, the strip below the grid can be split into eight pairs of numbers. Adding the numbers in a pair gives one of the 16 numbers in the grid. Multiplying them gives a different number in the grid. For example, a 4 and 6 in the strip could be paired to make 10 (4+6) and 24 (4x6) in the grid. Enter each sum below the corresponding number in the grid. The blanks in the strip must be deduced, bearing in mind the numbers are listed in ascending order.

The next Tetonor puzzle will appear on Tuesday

For more puzzles, including Mini Sudoku, extra Codeword, Train Tracks and Futoshiki go to page 10

Winning Move

Black to play. This position is from Nihal-Zhao, Hong Kong 2026.

When you are attacking it can sometimes be easy to find spectacular moves – the adrenalin is flowing and you are on the lookout for them. When defending it is harder. You tend to focus on all the things your opponent can do, generating a different mindset. Black's cause seems hopeless but he spotted a spectacular coup. What was it?

Codeword No 5918

25	10	20	25	25	11	9	7	10	10	6	13
6		2		7			20		14		4
12	14	1		20	2	17	4	22	22	4	2
26		7		19		6		6			10
14	7	12	2		22	12	4	23	11	23	10
12		11		21		16		12		7	22
		4	2	23	14	21	21	7	2	22
7		2		15		15		22		23	24
5	6	9	9	14	12	14	10		9	15	14
D	O	G		5		14		21		7	12
15				20	14	22	22	14		18	20
14	22	4	8	10				7		13	14
12		23		14				18	12	14	3
14	10	14	1	14	2

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

Every letter in this crossword-style grid is represented by a number from 1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded. Yesterday's solution, right

Chadines 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 9051 Hard No 9052

D	P	P	I	E	U	N		S	L	A	S	I	R
U								C
P								I
I								U
T								F
								D
								L
								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.

Train Tracks No 2943

Quintagram® No 2945

Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Team exhaled audibly (4)

2 Farmyard sound from good little pig (5)

3 Very little friend, go (6)

4 Noted individually, one different, it'd seem (8)

5 Wrecker, huge beast who's in the Land of No8? (9)

A	B	D	D	D	E	E	E
E	G	I	I	I	L	L	L
M	N	O	P	R	R	R	S
S	T	T	T	U	U	Y	Z

Try Wordhunt and Picle, our new online Quick Play puzzles at thetimes.com/puzzles and on the Live app

KenKen Difficult No 6910

20×			3-		3-
40×		5-	3÷	8+
30×
	6×	12×	3-	3÷
				14+	2-
3-		2

All the digits 1 to 6 must appear in every row and column. In each thick-line "block", the target number in the top left-hand corner is calculated from the digits in all the cells in the block, using the operation indicated by the symbol.

Futoshiki No 5458

☐	☐	☐	☐
✓
☐ > ☐ > ☐	☐	☐	☐
☐	☐	☐	☐ < ☐
^	^	☐	☐
^	☐	☐	☐
^	☐	☐	☐
☐	1 < ☐	☐	☐

Fill the blank squares so that every row and column contains each of the numbers 1 to 5 once only. The symbols between the squares indicate whether a number is larger (×) or smaller (×) than the number next to it.

Kakuro No 4417

7	20	4	17	5	13	32
13		6		21
45		30		24
11			7		6
	16		7		6	4
	16	12		12	5
	16	20		12	25
6		4		4
16			25	18		14
		21
	6		14		20
	45		4		17
	14
			9		8

© PZZM 2026

Fill the grid using the numbers 1 to 9 only. The numbers in each horizontal or vertical run of white squares add up to the total in the triangle to its left or above it. The same number may occur more than once in a row or column, but not within the same run of white squares.

---

15

MindGames

times2 Crossword No 10,234

Across

1 Cooker (5) 4 Citizens of Bratislava's country (7) 8 Brilliance exhibited by a performer (7) 9 Conjure up (a memory, eg) (5) 10 Worker in the machinery of government (5,7) 12 Tent fabric (6)

Solution to Crossword 10,233

11 Like a deity (6) 16 (Of a remark) wise in a glib or superficial way (6-6) 18 Oil-yielding fruit (5) 20 Intense desire to have (7) 22 Exalt (7) 23 Each one (5)

Down

1 Replacement player (3) 2 Rapturous round of applause (7) 3 Explain, enlighten (9) 4 Thinly populated (6) 5 Metal-rich mineral (3) 6 Hawaiian salutation (5) 7 Wraith, spirit (7) 11 State again (9) 12 Powerful tropical storm (7) 14 List one by one (S, not Z) (7) 15 Spike of frozen water (6) 17 Omit (a sound in a word) (5) 19 Seventh Greek letter (3) 21 Man (3)

Need help with today's puzzles? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the answers. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm).

Bridge Andrew Robson

Belgium secured a big win over Switzerland, the pre-fournement favourites, in the Open series of the recent European Bridge National Team Championship. This was the curio that was Board 22.

At Table One, the Swiss N-S reached 5♠ and West led his singleton heart, declarer playing dummy's king. It may appear best for East to win the ace and give West a ruff but declarer could now succeed by winning West's club return (best) then running all his clubs and hearts, squeezing West between a Q98 and +♠ in the endgame. However, East cleverly ducked dummy's king of hearts — and now declarer had to go one down.

At Table Two, the Belgian N-S reached the dizzier heights of 6♠. Steven De Donder capitalised on the Swiss West's unfortunate lead of the ace of diamonds.

Ruffing the lead, declarer crossed to the queen of clubs and ruffed a second diamond. He then drew trumps (discarding dummy's low heart) and led a heart to the king. East won the ace (ducking no better) and switched to the ten of spades.

Winning the ace, declarer crossed to the queen of hearts then cashed the king of diamonds and ruffed a fourth diamond, bringing down the queen. He could now cross to the jack of hearts, drop his third spade on dummy's promoted jack of diamonds, and chalk up his 6♠.

Neither Switzerland (34th) nor Belgium (35th) qualified for next year's Bermuda Bowl. The eight

Side the (Switched 8♂)

S	N	N	E
	2♠(1)	Pass	2♠(2)
3♠	Pass(6)	3♠(4)	Pass
5♠(5)	end

(1) The dreaded Maith, showing a Bleak Two in a major.

(2) Pass or correct (to hearts — at a higher level). (3) Would bid on with hearts.

(4) Acking bid (new knowing West has spades). (5) May bid 3NT (spades covered).

Contract: 6♠. Opening Lead: ♦ 6

Side the (Belgian 8♂)

Side (buster)	N	N	E
	2♠(1)	3N(2)	2♥(2)
3N(5)	2♠	Pass	Pass
4♠(5)	end

(1) More Multifarious activity ... (2) Showing about 13-25, a free way into the auction.

(3) Pass or correct, no need to advertise hearts (as the 2♥ bid did at Table One). (4) Catch showing (as they unholyfully say). (5) Best guess.

qualifiers were (in order of where they finished): Norway, Denmark, Israel, Sweden, Netherlands, England, Iceland and France.

andrew.robsm@thetimes.co.uk

Brain Trainer

Polygon

From these letters, make words of four or more letters, always including the central letter. Answers must be in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, excluding capitalised words, plurals, conjugated verbs (past tense etc), adverbs ending in LY, comparatives and superlatives. How you rate 12 words, average; 12 good; 21 very good; 28, excellent

Yesterday's answers

cell, cell, cees, cost, cite, citole, close, closet, clot, coil, cote, colt, coset, cosset, cossie, cost, cote, cotise, loessic, ossicle, otic, scot, sect, sice, slice, socle, solstice, stoic, telco, telc

Cell Blocks No 5801

Divide the grid into square or rectangular blocks, each containing one digit only. Every block must contain the number of cells indicated by the digit inside it.

Set Square No 4420

Enter each of the numbers from 1 to 9 in the grid, so that the six sums work. We've placed two numbers to get you started. Each sum should be calculated left to right or top to bottom.

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

Killer Gentle No 10,874

Killer Tough No 10,875

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.

Clockless Stuck on Sudoku, Killer or KenKen? Call 0901 293 6263 before midnight to receive four clues for any of today's puzzles. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm).

Solutions

Quick Cryptic 3378

Codeword 5917

Kakuro 4416

Tran Tracks 2942

Sudoku 17019

Sudoku 17020

Sudoku 17021

Killer 10,872

Killer 10,873

Cell Blocks 5800

Fukushiki 5457

Set Square 4419

KenKen 6909

Lexica 9049

Lexica 9050

Today's solutions

Concise

Quintagram

1 Rarm 2 Water 3 Sudden 4 Trainers 5 Gatechand

Word watch

Rackin (6) The shaft of a

busher (Colina)

Mariner (a) An influential

person (Chambers)

Support (a) A clone (1M23)

Chess — Winning Move

1. Qq5v1 is an ingenious defense that exploits the position of the white game. After 2 Qq6v1 (not 2-bq6) when 2... Bq6v1 wins for Black) 2... Bq6v1 3-bq6 the position is balanced. Black is a piece up bid White has two paoms and very active rocks

Sakuro 4819

Quiz

1 Avignon 2 Horse, as in the Oomington White Horse 3 Apple 4 Italy 5 Joe Biden 6 Duran Duran 7 Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) 8 John Stonehouse 9 [Dr Hawley Harvey] Crippen 10 Vermont 11 Special Boat Service (SBS). He died in the Broad Peak avalanche 12 Arvind Adiga 13 Luisa Omielan 14 Manchester City 15 Jack Russell terrier

---

THE TIMES

13.08.26

MindGames

For extra puzzles See page 10

Word watch

David Perfitt

Rachis

• a A device for stretching leather
• b The shaft of a feather
• c A demanding piece for piano

Macher

• a An influential person
• b A pilot of supersonic aircraft
• c Grazing land alongside the sea

Auguste

• a A clown
• b A cordon bleu chef
• c A passionate kiss

Answers on page 15

Sudoku Mild No 17022

Fiendish No 17023

Super fiendish No 17024

		9
	6						7
	7	1	5	3
4	8					9	3
	1		8		7
	7			4		8	5
			2			7
		3		8	4		2
	3	6		7		5	8

2	3			9	4
4	1		2	8	7
	8			6
1						5
7			9		3
4						9
2			3	5		7
7			9	8		4

		9
				6	3	5	4
			8		6		2
1		7
	8				4	7	3
	7
	2	1		5			6
	3			6			5
	8	5		3		2	4

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

The Times Daily Quiz Olav Bjartomt

• 1 Which French city is known by the Occitan name Avinhon?
• 2 Osmington in Dorset is home to a chalk hill figure depicting George III riding what animal?
• 3 Galloway Pippin and Lord Derby are cooking varieties of which fruit?
• 4 The Chianti Sculpture Park is located in which European country?
• 5 Promise Me, America (2026) is a forthcoming memoir by which former US president?
• 6 In 1982, which English pop rock band had Top Ten hits with Save a Prayer and Rio?

• 7 In its first year, over 660,000 people visited which museum's East Storehouse in London?

• 8 Which Labour MP for Walsall North was arrested in Melbourne, Australia in December 1974?

• 9 Former Metropolitan Police inspector Walter Dew wrote the 1938 memoir I Caught ... which American murderer?

• 10 In which New England state is Montpelier, the least populous US state capital?

• 11 The mountaineer Nirmal Purja (1983-2026) was the first Gurkha soldier to join which elite British unit?

• 12 Which Indian-born author was shortlisted for Australia's Miles Franklin award for his novel Amnesty (2020)?
• 13 Which comedian's Edinburgh Fringe show What Would Beyoncé Do?! was broadcast as a BBC special in 2017?
• 14 The former footballer Jill Scott won the 2016 Women's Super League title with which club?
• 15 Which dog breed is pictured?

Answers on page 15

Sakuro No 4819

For interactive puzzles visit thetimes.com

The Times Quick Cryptic No 3379 by Dangle

Across

• 1 Lot of crumbly feta (4)
• 3 Fish alongside boats in area with many bays (3,5)
• 8 Advice from governing body announced (7)
• 10 Plunder gun (5)
• 11 General visiting one running magazine, perhaps (11)
• 13 Found earth in box (6)
• 15 Boss I love in workplace? (6)
• 17 Supply Liberian oil for Donald Trump? (11)
• 20 Vessel blocking that road to the west (5)
• 21 I retain strange disinclination to move (7)
• 22 Stage one in development? (5,3)
• 23 Summons comedian over start of routine (4)

Down

• 1 Confront group for cosmetic treatment (4,4)
• 2 Digital lift-share organiser? (5)
• 4 Oscar moves into first-class accommodation aboard ship (6)
• 5 Its presence affected determination (11)
• 6 Checked entertaining female is urbane (7)
• 7 Appear in diocese before mass (4)
• 9 Be naughty, stopping at 20:00, reportedly, and sparkle (11)
• 12 Expectation for European project (8)
• 14 Bag more bananas in prohibition (7)
• 16 Strenuous sex over phone (6)
• 18 Playwright leaving quietly in Bury (5)
• 19 Defile father and second son (4)

Yesterday's solution on page 15

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---

THE TIMES

THURSDAY AUGUST 13 2026

Countdown

to University

Student guide and clearing special: your next steps in higher education

ILLUSTRATION: CAROL GEORGE PARK THE TIMES

---

2

STUDENT GUIDE AND CLEARING SPECIAL

Thursday August 13 2026 THE TIMES

Time for plan B —

here's how to get through clearing

Don't panic, prepare yourself and pick up the phone — the head of Ucas, Jo Saxton, offers her advice

As the chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (Ucas), and as a former school leader, I've been privileged to witness countless young people celebrate their exam results and prepare for their pivotal next steps. I'm also a parent of young adults who have lived through the highs and lows that come with the path to higher education.

While it's true that most young people secure their first choice (their Ucas "firm" choice) each year, growing numbers successfully find a place through clearing. This is the final stage of the Ucas admissions process, when applicants can search, choose and apply for courses that still have places available.

Results day brings excitement for many, but for some it can bring disappointment. Whether a young person is still looking for an available place, rethinking their plans and considering a different course or institution, or even submitting an application for the first time, there will be plenty of choices to make in clearing.

For the parents and carers supporting a young person applying to higher education this year, or indeed a student preparing for the future, understanding how clearing works will help you to feel confident in making an informed decision.

Preparation

Clearing is open from July 2 to October 19, but places on the most selective courses at the most selective institutions do tend to go quickly — the busiest day for clearing is results day itself.

One of the most helpful things a student can do on the morning of results day is to create a shortlist of universities and courses they want to consider in the event that they need to explore alternative options, and to have an open conversation about what "plan B" could look like.

You'll also need to have a Ucas Hub account login, clearing number and personal ID on hand.

When results are released

For those considering using clearing today, it's important to know that official vacancies are only available in the Ucas search tool and are updated based on the places universities and colleges have to fill. Make decisions based on these official sources, rather than relying on AI tools, which can have incorrect or outdated information.

In clearing, students can also consider institutions whose offers they might have previously declined. Students can also use Clearing Plus, which matches them to course vacancies they may be interested in

based on their Ucas application. A crucial part of the clearing process is contacting universities and colleges directly to discuss available places. Having the relevant grades and personal details written down to reference in these discussions helps to keep both student and parent calm.

Some students I've spoken to say that preparing a checklist in advance and practising phone calls beforehand has also helped them to feel more confident on the day.

Once a student has contacted a university or college and secured a place, they should add it to their clearing choice in the Ucas Hub.

Support available

This year, the results period and clearing is taking place in the context of widespread discussions around the cost and value of higher education. One thing I'm particularly aware of from talking to students, and their teachers and advisers, all over the country is how much financial considerations are shaping their choices.

Every young person should have the chance to make decisions based on ambition, not affordability, and Ucas is working hard to break down barriers to progression.

That's why we've launched a new budget calculator, available in a student's Ucas Hub account, allowing applicants to compare the cost of living across 100 UK locations for the first time and to build a personalised budget. They can also see the range of financial packages being offered by colleges

Every young person should make choices based on ambition, not affordability

and universities through Ucas's scholarships and bursaries tool.

Alongside financial assistance, Ucas has other tools on its website to support informed decision- making, including subject tasters and virtual work experiences.

Still time to apply

I'm a firm believer in the power of higher education and am committed to ensuring that all who could benefit from higher education have the opportunity to do so. And for those who haven't yet applied to start university or college this autumn but think they might be interested, it's not too late — this is particularly the case for mature students, who typically apply much later than school leavers.

In fact, any parent or carer contemplating an empty nest and wondering what to do with their new-found free time might even be tempted to explore the options on offer.

Whatever comes next, I wish every student — and their parents and carers — the very best this results day.

The future leaves and analysts on A-level results day that have come

Is university

still worth it? The arguments for and against

Education editor Nicola Woolcock on the professional and personal benefits of higher education

Sixth-formers waving poodbye to their school days and heading off to university this autumn could be forgiven for having greater than usual levels of apprehension. As well as the personal leap they are making from A-levels to degree — and, for some, from home

to campus — there has been massive angst and debate around the value of going to university and the spiralling levels of student loan debt.

Chuck in fears that AI is replacing graduate jobs, rows about free speech on campus, university mergers, course closures and lecturers being made redundant, and some families could be led to question whether they should bother.

Tuition fees in England will increase this year to £9,790 per year, up from the previous cap of £9,535. For a three-year course, this takes the cost to £29,370 — £765 more than last year's cohort. Maximum maintenance loans are increasing by 2.71 per cent to £14,135 a year for students in London, £10,830 outside London, and

Graduates still, on the whole, enjoy a salary premium

---

3

£9,118 for those living with parents. This can easily add up to a student owing more than £70,000 by the time they graduate. Interest is charged on tuition fee and maintenance loans from the start of the degree, with a 40-year repayment period.

Maintenance grants are being reintroduced but not until 2026. That is too late for this cohort but worth knowing for those who have just taken their GCSEs — and their families.

Such figures are still worth paying, according to many. While there are alternatives to university — mainly in the form of starting work or apprenticeships — graduates still, on the whole, enjoy a salary premium across their working life. The most recent analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that, on average, this premium added up to £100,000, while those studying medicine or economics could see a boost of up to £400,000 higher than if they had not attended university.

Unfortunately this does not apply for every course at every institution. For example, five years after graduating, men taking creative arts subjects earn less on average than peers with similar GCSEs who did not go to university.

Jacqui Smith, the universities minister, said of the analysis: “Going to university and getting a degree is one of the most transformational things a young person can do. But it is not a universal guarantee of success and not all degrees are equal.”

Having said that, some university leavers take several years to find graduate jobs in their chosen field, so data harvested too soon might not

“Earnings are not the only reason for going to university

give the full picture. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, claims the evidence is clear that a university degree still “pays off in a big way for the large majority of people”.

She said recently: “The graduate premium is holding up, despite growth in the minimum wage and the generally poor performance of the economy, which has held back wage growth.”

A good place to start for those wanting to do their research is the government’s Longitudinal Educational Outcomes data, which cross-matches graduate income from tax records with their institution and degree course. Users can search by university, course, GCSE prior attainment, sex, ethnicity and years after graduation. They can see the proportion of graduates in employment and the salary range.

Of course, earnings are not the only reason for going to university. A Ucas survey this year found that about a third of applicants were choosing their degree because of a passion for the subject. Far more cited the need for a specific qualification for their chosen career, but love of learning was a strong motivator for many.

Stern added: “While not all graduates benefit financially to the same extent, it is worth pointing out that some of those graduates who earn lower salaries contribute a lot to society, including those who become artists and performers, whose choice may not have been motivated by money.

“We should recognise that these

£400k

This salary boost makes working life for those who study medicine or economics, in comparison with if they had not attended university

subjects also feed the creative industries, which are a huge economic driver for the UK. And as a humanities graduate myself my bet is that, in an age of AI, we’ll value the understanding of how human beings think and act more, not less, in the future.”

Concern about the immediate cost of living is leading increasing numbers of students to work while studying. There is also growing awareness of bursaries and charitable support, from inside and outside university. Ucas has created a list of scholarships, grants and bursaries to show what is up for grabs and for whom.

Degree apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity across engineering, law, finance and other fields, giving a degree-level qualification, a wage and a chance to graduate without tuition fee debt.

The numbers on offer rose 10,000 in one year to 60,000 in 2024-25, but only half of these went to young people and competition is extremely tough for the most prestigious.

Record numbers of school-leavers have applied for the more traditional route of going to university or college this autumn, with institutions making 1.3 million offers to 18-year-olds — 100,000 more than last year. Ninety-nine per cent of the school-leavers who applied by January have received at least one offer.

But applicants considering clearing this morning should not panic: many universities have seen a decline in foreign students so will be keen to fill courses. However, flexibility depends on entry requirements and the popularity of degrees and institutions.

Choosing the right course for you: an insider’s guide

Koen Lamberts, vice-chancellor, University of Sheffield

Choosing a university can often feel like an exercise in finding the “best” option. Prospective students today have more information than ever before, from league tables and graduate salaries to student satisfaction and employment data, and that’s no bad thing. After all, if you’re making one of the biggest decisions of your life, it’s right that you have as much information as possible.

But there’s one question that matters more than any ranking: where will you be most likely to succeed?

After more than 30 years working in higher education, that’s the question I’d encourage every applicant to ask from the outset. The answer won’t be the same for everyone, because universities aren’t all trying to do the same thing, and students aren’t looking for the same experience. Graduate outcomes matter, as does excellent teaching, world-leading research and innovation, and the opportunities a university creates beyond its courses.

At the University of Sheffield, we’re proud that our students benefit from each of these, as is evident in our league table rankings and recent National Student Survey scores. They are important indicators of quality, and every university should, of course, be ambitious in delivering them. Yet they can’t tell you in isolation whether a particular university is the place where you’ll flourish.

That’s because what shapes your university experience the most often lies beyond the headline figures. One of the biggest misconceptions is that universities with similar reputations all offer broadly the same experience, which isn’t the case. Institutions that sit alongside one another in league tables can differ significantly in their culture and expectations.

Some place particular emphasis on research and others on professional training, while many, including the University of Sheffield, seek to combine academic excellence with a rich student experience. None of these are inherently better than another. But they are different, and understanding those differences is essential to finding the right one for you.

Even courses with the same title might be taught in different ways, have different opportunities for work experience, contribute to world-leading research or get into employment.

So, take your time. Visit campuses, speak to current students, find out how you’ll be taught, how much contact time you’ll have with academic staff and what support is available if things don’t go to plan. Ask about placements, opportunities to study abroad, volunteering, student

“Courses with the same title might be taught in different ways

societies and the connections the university has with employers.

Most importantly, picture yourself there. University is about far more than just the qualification you leave with. It’s where you gain the confidence to take the next steps in your life, meet people with different perspectives and from different backgrounds, and develop your independence.

It’s also worth resisting the temptation to make a quick decision, particularly if you have received an early offer. Choosing a university is a long-term investment in your future, so give yourself the chance to consider your options properly.

Of course, university will not be the right choice for everyone. Andy Burnham, the prime minister, recently set out plans to help young people explore technical education routes from year 10, giving students a range of pathways at an earlier stage, whether academic, technical or vocational.

But crucially, these plans shouldn’t be about playing technical, vocational and academic routes against one another, as if one is superior — they are all valuable choices, and what matters is finding the path that is right for you.

This raises an important question about the information available to students more widely, and the important role government plays in

this. Young people deserve clear, honest information about all of the pathways available and confidence that any provider who fails to deliver high-quality provision, or misrepresent what they offer, will be held to account.

To do that, we need clarity on what “quality” actually means. In the higher education sector, for example, some university courses are currently branded as “low value”, even when there is no nationally agreed definition of what this actually means. We need to take a step back and first reach a national consensus about what we mean by “good value” in higher education.

A shared understanding of value, instead of relying on labels that can oversimplify a complex sector, would provide a much stronger foundation for decisions.

The aim should not be to simply categorise universities more neatly, but to provide prospective students with a clearer understanding of the different roles institutions play, and the opportunities they offer.

Ultimately, there is no single definition of the “best” university because there is no single definition of the “best” student. The right university is the one that will challenge and support you and give you the opportunities to fulfil your potential. Every applicant deserves to have the information that gives them confidence in their decision.

---

Results day will define you

It’s not true that

One moment can change everything

One thing is certain

There is no hope of second chances

We will never believe

The best journeys aren’t always planned

Clearing is the moment everything shifts.

Perspective is everything.

Now read from the bottom up.

University of Southampton

Where changing minds, changes the world

Founding member of the RUSSELL GROUP

---

5

Disappointed on results day?

Take heart — I’ve been there

Emily Formstone had her sights set on a gap year and Oxford, until a shock result forced a change of plan

On the morning of A-level results day I woke from a night filled with the usual bad dreams that plague me on the eve of important news. But this time I didn’t experience the sigh of relief when I woke up.

Almost immediately I opened up the dreaded Ucas website, typed in my password and waited for the page to load. “Muuum,” I called slowly across the corridor as I saw I had been rejected from my first-choice university. My gut sank. I had been predicted three A*s and was planning on taking a gap year and applying for Oxford. The university I had put as my first choice was merely a placeholder — and even it didn’t want me.

I didn’t yet know my grades, only that they had to be far below my predicted ones if I had been rejected by my placeholder. For someone from a hard-working friendship group in a high-pressure grammar school, this was devastating. I started calculating the best-case scenario but was imagining the worst. Maybe, as my brother used to say, I had sailed the U-boat, achieving three Us.

I couldn’t bury myself in a hole just yet though — I had to collect my results from school. Maybe I just won’t go, I thought. Maybe I’ll leave Schrödinger’s cat tucked away in the box — my results for its litter tray. But I reluctantly threw an oversized jumper over my pyjama shorts, looking a far cry from presentable, and got into the passenger seat of my mum’s car like a shy toddler being dragged in to her first day of school.

I cried for the duration of the drive. I sobbed as we parked at the local Sainsbury’s. I wept walking up the familiar school stairs. I blubbed in the library, hardly able to tell my name to the woman handing out the brown A4 envelopes. Beneath the crying mess I had become, I hoped that Ucas had made a mistake. It hadn’t. Sliding the paper from the envelope I saw my physics grade: the lowest I’d ever received. It was like a black hole on the results paper, a tar on my starry academic record, the thing that was going to ruin my future — or so my 18-year-old self thought.

I was so embarrassed to have worked so hard and to have ended up, in my eyes, as a failure. I had tunnel vision on the physics marks and didn’t take a second to celebrate the good grades I’d received in English and maths, or to be grateful for my privileged education.

After I’d (sort of) calmed my tears I was ushered into my English teacher’s office. We talked sombrely about how I could keep my Oxford dream alive. I winced as the dreaded words left her lips: “You could retake.” They brought into

Emily Formstone, a Times graduate trainee, survived and thrived after a disappointing A-level result. Below: on graduation day

Your ‘don’t panic’ checklist

Steps to take if things don’t go to plan

Celebrate Take time to look at what you have achieved.

Speak to your teachers They can give you advice on grade boundaries, remarks and retakes.

Call clearing Plenty of friends got onto really great courses through this route, but don’t rush into anything for the sake of it.

Talk to others who have been through it While it may seem as though most people are elated on

results day, in reality plenty are disappointed. Speaking to siblings, friends and students from older year groups can be really helpful.

Write down your options This really helped to clear my mind on a hectic day.

focus a new reality: my gap year ruined, a whole extra year of revision. I lamented my travel plans — seemingly gone in a wisp of smoke — and pictured my best friend’s face as I told her she’d have to go alone. My teacher was supportive, encouraging me to submit for a re-mark just in case. In reality I knew I was gearing up for a retake.

With all that excitement before I am I’m not exactly sure how I spent the rest of the day. There was no celebratory message in the family group chat, no smiling photoshoot with friends, no congratulatory lunch. The calendar

“ My A-level physics grade was the lowest I’d ever got

left blank for celebrations was a sad void I didn’t want to fill.

Eventually, sitting in the bathroom and tired of my own sadness, I thought: “The worst-case scenario I imagined has happened, but I’m still breathing and life is pretty much unchanged from before. The bathroom is the same, my home is the same, my parents are the same.” It wasn’t a profound thought, but it was comforting. I returned to my bedroom and noticed that the photo of the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford had fallen symbolically from the wall. Determined, I picked it up and replaced it — a sign of my continuing ambition.

Then I sprang into action. I grabbed a flashcard, because I had an abundance of them at the time, and mapped out a timeline for the year: the concrete dates of application deadlines, entrance exams, potential interviews and retakes. I filled in the blanks with periods where I could travel, earn money and revise. Everything was colour coded — I was still in revision mode, after all. I peppered in some motivational quotes for good measure and set down my pen. Maybe this was still possible, I thought, and began to feel remarkably positive. I still have the flashcard, somewhere.

My friends had persuaded me to join them for a results day clubbing bonanza. “Pass or fail, the drinks hit the same,” promoters promised. The evening was difficult. I had cried so

much throughout the day that my vision was akin to looking through two clouds. The official phrase of the evening seemed to be: “Are you happy?” I wasn’t.

What did eventually manage to put a smile on my face was bumping into one of that year’s Love Island cast members. As I posed for a photo I remembered that, statistically, it was harder to get onto that reality television show than it was to get into Oxbridge. At least that makes one of us, I thought.

Step by step I followed my flashcard timeline and, to my absolute delight, I received an offer to study at Oxford on the condition that I resit physics. I went to India with my best friend and spent the spare moments — on sleeper trains, in questionable hostels and struck down with food poisoning — revising and filling out past papers. Spoiler alert: it worked.

If you’re reading this on results day and are in a similar position to me, I’m sorry. I know how you feel — and it’s valid to be upset about your results. But you should know that grades mean nothing in themselves, they are simply stepping stones to the next stage of life.

My results day experience, and the year that followed it, made me less afraid of failure and took the pressure off when I did go to Oxford. To fail is liberating, and for me it was a welcome reality check. As my mum sometimes says, it’s very boring to be perfect.

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6

Internships and work experience: what you need to know

In a competitive job market, it's crucial to build your CV while you are studying. By William Milne

This year the University of Manchester announced that all undergraduates, regardless of their degree, would be offered a work placement. Why? Because students needed "meaningful real-world experience" to be able to stand out in the fiercely competitive job market awaiting them.

An oversupply of graduates, a stagnant economy and the looming threat of artificial intelligence mean that a degree alone does not offer the edge it once did. At the moment there are more than 700,000 jobless graduates claiming benefits, according to research by the Centre for Social Justice.

While Manchester is the first British university to announce work placements for all, many students have already clocked on to the

importance of practical skills. Between 2018 and 2024, the percentage of students who said they had completed at least one internship rose from 39 per cent to 51 per cent, according to the Sutton Trust charity.

Getting experience can feel overwhelming and daunting. Here are some things to bear in mind.

Work experience is designed to help you explore your strengths and try out different industries. Even if you complete an internship that doesn't align with your future career, you will still have learnt transferable skills that will help you to stand out.

Placements can come in all shapes and sizes and many of them are designed to give you a "taster" to see if you are interested. First or second-year students should look out for insight days and "spring weeks", which are most often offered by large corporate firms. These programmes are designed to give you a look into the company and to introduce you to the industry and skills that it typically aligns with. Often they can lead to summer internships.

Applications usually open in late August and close in December or January, so even if you have just started at university, keep your eye out for any interesting opportunities.

"51 per cent of students have completed an internship

If you can, taking a year abroad or opting for a placement year is a great option. These are typically offered to modern languages or business students but can also be available on many other courses.

Talking about when you moved to a new city or country, adapted to a professional environment and gained independence will really help you in future applications. An added bonus is that 44 per cent of placement students return to their placement provider after graduation, according to the Institute of Student Employers.

For those who cannot take a year out, plenty of companies offer summer internships. For some industries — such as financial services — hiring opens nine to

A work placement can give you transferable skills

twelve months in advance, so it is never too early to be on the lookout. Work experience can often feel inaccessible. With too many students for too few jobs, companies take advantage by offering unpaid — or underpaid — positions. In 2025, 35 per cent of graduates completed an "unpaid or underpaid" internship, up from 27 per cent in 2018.

While wealthier students can rely on the Bank of Mum and Dad, those who do not have this support can feel locked out from opportunities. But students from lower-income backgrounds can often apply for internship bursaries and travel grants from their university. These bursaries are sometimes not widely advertised, so speak to your career services to see what support you could get.

Alongside the Bank of Mum and Dad is the Connections of Mum and Dad — a parent's old friend giving out month-long stints of employment, for example.

But politely cold-emailing, without any connection to the recipient, is a route that is often overlooked. While it can seem daunting, plenty of companies are willing to offer a week or two (or more!) of experience if you ask for it — particularly for less corporate industries.

Make the most of LinkedIn, too. You will almost certainly find alumni from your university in a number of industries — LinkedIn will highlight your mutual connections when you visit a company profile. Those connections can provide a great starting point.

And while it may seem obvious, make sure to keep your CV up to date, tailor every application, and put time and effort into each cover letter, highlighting your best qualities.

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7

I'd do it all again — in defence of 'flatcest'

Everyone will tell you not to have a romance with your flatmate, but occasionally it's worth it. By Annie McNamee

Moving to university, you'll get varied advice about studying, drinking, friendships and laundry, but one piece of wisdom persists above all else: don't sleep with your flatmates. Or, in colloquial terms, avoid 'flatcest'.

It's a cardinal sin to the extent that people talk about committing flatcest. One in four students will do exactly that during their studies, according to the student discount company Student Beans, but what would you expect to happen when you mix a dozen freshly minted 18-year-olds with their first real taste of freedom, communal housing and a bit, or sometimes a lot, of alcohol?

Despite this, the anti-flatcest propaganda goes unchallenged year after year — until now. It's time someone was brave enough to stand up for the age-old tradition and fight against the fearmongering, because for all its risks, intra-flat romance can be quite fun.

Don't think I'm being cavalier. In fact, I'm a veteran. I served my time. I watched the good, the bad and the near dropout-inducing flings, and waded through the trenches myself.

My first bizarre not-even-situationship was in my first term at the University of Bristol. It ended abruptly with me phoning my mum at

3am, crying that I needed to come home. Two confusing, heart-aching months followed. Sharing a living space with the source of my sleepless nights was awful. I often cried to my friends in nightclub toilets.

I avoided using common areas lest we be forced into have an awkward conversation over a boiling pot of pasta. I had no space where I could be sad in peace. Threats to move home were made, lectures for my course in film and English were missed. For a time my world became very small.

My experience is not uncommon. Asking for advice on web forum The Student Room, one user put it simply. 'How do I get over him when I live with him?'

Then there are your other housemates — the collateral. Catherine Hodge, 22, was left in an unusual position during her first year at the University of Edinburgh when someone in her halls caught glandular fever, otherwise known as 'the kissing disease', from another resident. The corridor went into lockdown to avoid it spreading further. 'It was quite funny really because no one batted an eyelid, it wasn't seen as strange,' she says.

Eyelids are rarely batted in student halls, where everyone is too distracted by their own chaotic decisions. I would know — in my second term of university I did the only thing more stupid than attempting romance with a flatmate: attempting it again.

With fresh wounds from the first disaster I really did try not to date anyone else I lived with. But after three months of staying up until 3am watching the US series Riverdale in my flatmate Nathan's room it became

Below: Annie McNamee and her boyfriend Nathan shared a flat

impossible to ignore the fact that we fancied each other. Things went a lot better the second time round, and the relationship made it out of the pressure cooker of first year. Four and a half years later we're still together, and needless to say, I'm glad I gave flatcest a second chance.

Flatcest success stories like mine are abundant. Erin, a 20-year-old student at the University of Bristol, had a similarly wholesome experience beginning a relationship with her now girlfriend/former flatmate. 'I did have some concerns about what would happen if it ended badly — we lived with nine people,' she admits. They're soon to celebrate their two-year anniversary.

Nel Roden, 23, has been with her boyfriend since meeting in first-year halls. 'Being in close proximity means you get to know each other really well, really quickly,' she says. 'If you're capable of being adults and agreeing to keep things that shouldn't involve the rest of the house between

Four and a half years later we are still together

the two of you, it's actually quite a chill situation.'

She added that the close quarters of living together take some pressure off the early stages of dating. 'Having somebody witness you being a mess in freshers week seems to be conducive to a happy relationship.'

Even without a fairytale ending, flatcest needn't be a negative experience. Niamh, 23, a former film student, spent one night with her housemate, a close friend and budding tattoo artist. 'It only happened once, and we laugh about it now. She's still my tattoo artist many years later,' she said.

Although I don't have tattoos to show for it, I don't regret my disastrous first-term attempt at romance. I learnt from it, and university should be a sandbox where you can make less than perfect decisions while the consequences are relatively small.

So don't fear flatcest. If it knocks on your door in the form of an attractive housemate, exercise your right to be a bit stupid. Learn from my mistakes, then go and make them too.

Don't drink? You can still have plenty of fun at uni. Here's how

Waseem Mohamed Graduate trainee

'Pub?' — the one-word question familiar to almost every student. An excursion to the boozer is one of the most important rituals for many of the UK's 2.86 million students.

I remember the first time I was asked out for a drink as a 19-year-old fresher at Durham University. The student newspaper I had just joined, held weekly post-meeting socials at a pub in the city centre, and for the first two terms I didn't go.

I saw no reason to force myself into a pub, or to drink at all. For religious reasons I had never (and still haven't) touched alcohol. My generation also seemed to be choosing sobriety, nights in and 'boring' hobbies, so I

didn't feel I would miss out. But walking through town on any given night quickly dispelled the myth that Gen Z don't drink. It made me question whether not drinking was limiting my social circle, and the data suggests my worries were well founded. The annual Students, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, published in May this year, found that 73 per cent of students drink alcohol, and 78 per cent believe that drinking and getting drunk are part of university culture. Many say it had a positive impact on their ability to socialise: 64 per cent of students said they made new friends during or after drinking alcohol.

The picture with Gen Z students and alcohol is far from straightforward. Different universities take different approaches: while

Bradford replaced one of its student bars with an alcohol-free cafe in 2024, others such as Birmingham, St Andrews and Surrey have recently welcomed a campus Wetherspoons.

So students looking forward to a booze-filled freshers week this autumn are likely to find their crowd, but what if you are among the one in four who do not drink?

Halfway through my first year, I concluded that if I did not try to blend in with the drinking majority, I would probably graduate with very few friends. So eventually I took up the offer of going for a drink one cold evening, and bravely ordered myself a pint of tap water.

To my relief, not a single person either then or since has

Gen Z are more understanding of those who choose soft drinks

judged me for not drinking — and my social life was better off for it. The truth is that while most of Gen Z still love a drink, we are also more understanding towards those who choose not to.

Being 'sober curious' has become a growing trend for many. During an acute cost of living crisis, regular pints can rack up costs surprisingly quickly — a fact that many of my friends realised as they plunged deeper into overdraft. There is also the health aspect, both physical and mental.

One of the best things about university is that it allows you to mould the person you want to be, and that also applies to how you approach alcohol. It is no longer a given that you need to get yourself blind drunk to be perceived as cool — if anything, staying sober and being able to remember your night out is a more impressive feat.

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9

Student housing: advice from our rental expert

Choose the right housemates, check out your landlord and know your legal rights, says Sasha Nugara

Living in university halls is renting made easy, with all bills included and onsite management. But looking for your second-year pad comes with a reality shock.

Most students end up regretting at least one aspect of their second-year accommodation, whether it's the house, the landlord, the location or the people they live with. And while some grumbles are inevitable, it's important to give yourself the best possible chance of happiness.

A new consideration this year is the Renters' Rights Act, which came into force on May 1. It overhauled rights for tenants — but when it comes to students it gets more complicated.

Follow our tips on student housing to make sure you know your rights and don't rush into anything.

Decide on your deal-breakers and priorities

There's a lot to consider when beginning your search for the second year, whether you're sociable and just want a room or are introverted and want a studio apartment with self-contained amenities.

If you've formed a group with new friends and are looking to live together, going for a privately rented house in multiple occupation (HMO) is the best option but make sure you're all on the same page in terms of budget, location and social boundaries.

For an experience more comparable to upmarket university halls, with amenities, security and bills included, a purpose-built student accommodation (PBSAs) provider might be more up your street — just be prepared to pay a little more. This could be the perfect option if you've struggled to find your feet or a solid friendship group — PBSAs often have sociable common areas and events.

Know where to look

Start with your student union website, which should have a list of recommended agencies, PBSAs, trusted private landlords and tips tailored to your university town or city. It's also a good idea to check Facebook pages and websites such as SpareRoom.

Lewis Wilson, vice-president for higher education at the NUS England, recommends thorough research. "If you're looking at purpose-built student accommodation make sure you check whether they are accredited by one of the national codes, run by organisations called Unipol or Cubo," he says.

Unipol is a nonprofit organisation that helps to ensure high standards in student housing, while Cubo (College & University Business Officers) is a professional association representing university accommodation managers and other campus service leaders.

Check your landlord is reliable

While options offered via social media and third-party providers can be more flexible and accommodate lower budgets, they may also be less reliable and leave more room for a negative landlord experience. "Your student union may have an accredited landlord scheme, a contract-checking service or advice on renting — use it," Wilson says. "[It's] there to make sure you have the best time at university, and this is one of the things that's really valuable."

If you do need to raise a complaint against your landlord, from 2028 a mandatory ombudsman service is scheduled to go live as part of the Renters' Rights Act. This will be a free, independent alternative to court proceedings, with legally binding powers.

Don't leave room for mistakes

"When you are moving in, take pictures of everything and make sure your inventory is up to date — especially make sure wear and tear is recorded so that you aren't charged for it by your landlords at the end of the tenancy," Wilson says. He recommends protecting your deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme. "Don't be afraid to challenge deductions from it at the end."

If you have moved into an HMO, make sure you and your housemates have separate contracts and all pay your rent individually to the landlord or agency. Similarly, agree beforehand that if someone drops out it is their responsibility to fill their room. Remember, you've only just met each other and the last thing you want is an unreliable person costing you extra and causing unnecessary stress.

Take pictures of wear and tear when you move in

Know your rights

The impact of the Renters' Rights Act for students depends on where you live and who you share with — primarily whether it's an HMO or PBSAs, and whether you live with students or non-students.

"Thanks to student campaigning, landlords cannot request more than one month's rent up front or require students to sign up for housing almost a year in advance of moving in," Wilson says.

In the past a student would have signed a fixed-term contract, but all HMOs have now moved to periodic rolling tenancies. This means you need to hand in your notice two months before you leave. It also means you're no longer locked in to living with people you hate — you can leave at any point of the year.

However, to keep the student housing market cyclical, Ground 4A in the act allows a landlord to evict a student household between June 1 and September 30. This is on condition that the landlord gives four months' notice and intends to re-let to students.

The act also introduces a ban on bidding wars and unreasonable rent increases, and a cap on paying rent in advance.

If you're in university-owned accommodation or a PBSAs you are exempt from the act, so you will be locked into a fixed-term contract and can pay rent in advance.

Below: Sasha Nugara

What does the loans scandal mean for freshers?

Money reporter

There has been a fierce debate this year about student loans in England, spearheaded by Times Money's End the Graduate Rip-Off campaign. So what has happened and does it affect those starting university today?

Recent discussions have centred on Plan 2 loans, taken out in England between September 2012 and June 2023, and still issued in Wales. Introduced the same year tuition fees tripled from £3,000 to £9,000, these loans left graduates with an average debt of £53,000, due in part to high interest rates.

Plan 2 interest rates are set at the retail prices index (RPI) plus up to three percentage points, depending on how much a graduate earns. During the years at university, the full three percentage points are applied.

All undergraduate student loans have a repayment threshold, meaning you repay 9 per cent of your income above a certain level. For Plan 2 this threshold was promised to rise in line with average graduate earnings, ensuring loans were only repaid once graduates felt the financial benefits of their degree.

But in last year's budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the Plan 2 threshold would be frozen at £29,385 for three years. This was the third such freeze since the loans were introduced. Had the original £25,000 threshold risen with average earnings, it would now be about £38,000. Instead, graduates are forced to repay sooner than promised, often before they can afford it.

Graduates felt mis-sold. Many didn't know terms could be changed because student loans — including those taken out by new students today — are statutory, not contractual. Any government can therefore retrospectively change the terms.

Department for Education materials told prospective students that repayments would feel like paying a phone bill or buying cinema tickets. They repeatedly promised that the threshold would rise with average earnings, without explaining that it could be frozen.

The situation became a cross-party political flashpoint. In February Lucy Powell, now Andy Burnham's education secretary, labelled the interest "egregious". She has recently said the issue is at "the top of her in-tray". A cross-party parliamentary committee launched an inquiry in March. The committee concluded that if the government were a private company, its behaviour would amount to mis-selling.

Those starting university today will take on the newer Plan 5 loans. While the interest rate is flat RPI, the repayment threshold is just £25,000 — roughly the minimum wage. Like Plan 2, borrowers will repay 9 per cent of earnings above this.

Plan 2 borrowers are dominating headlines because they are now hitting their thirties. They are trying to buy homes and start families but finding themselves held back by debt. For today's Plan 5 students, history may well repeat itself.

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10

What Times writers learnt at

Ignore the swagger – just because someone says they're smart it doesn't mean they are, says Charlotte Ivers

The most important intellectual lesson of my philosophy degree turned out not to be one of allegorical brains in vats or trolleys hurtling towards innocent civilians, but rather a revelation I had one day in the queue for the canteen.

I had been spending an unhappy morning in the run-up to my second- year exams revising formal logic with a boy from my year. Logic had been my lowest grade in the previous year's exams and I was in a bit of a panic. The young man, however, firmly assured me that this was his specialist subject. As a result, I had been looking forward to spending the morning subtly leeching off all of his insights.

The revision session had not gone well. To put it bluntly, I had struggled to understand a word the guy was saying. After several doomed hours glaring at our textbooks, we admitted defeat and headed to get some lunch. While we waited for our rather insipid fish and chips, our conversation turned to the previous year's exams.

My companion informed me proudly that he had actually got 57 per cent in his logic exam. This was a whole 4 percentage points lower than my score, which I had considered to be a shameful indictment of my abilities. My revision buddy, however, explained that he did not view his score as particularly relevant. He was really, really good at logic. It had just been a silly paper, asking all the wrong questions in all the wrong ways.

What a revelation. It had never occurred to me before that one could look at the world this way. To my mind, the examiner was the ultimate arbitrary of intelligence, and if I had fallen short of his standards, I must therefore be an idiot. My revision companion, however, was deriving his self-esteem from some sort of deep inner well of confidence.

The lesson to take from this is not,

of course, that one must be convinced of one's own genius despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But it was a good lesson in not allowing the knocks and bumps of academic life to crush your enthusiasm for a subject.

Even more importantly, it was a lesson in ignoring the boasts and swagger of those around me. I'd spent much of my first two years at university panicking about the seeming genius of others. But that day in the canteen everything changed. I learnt a lesson that still serves me today: just because someone tells you that they are very smart, it doesn't mean that they are.

My mum talks about having this experience too, during her mathematics degree in the 1980s. She arrived at university to find herself surrounded by uber-confident men and promptly decided that she was a dimwit. She then went on to beat them all in her first-year exams. Her conclusion was that her course mates derived their self-assessment from looking at the 90 per cent of things they could do, while she was looking at the 10 per cent of things that she couldn't. Neither practice, of course, is entirely healthy. Somewhere in the middle there is the perfect balance. One day, with any luck, I hope to find it.

Don't allow the knocks of academic life to crush your love of your subject

Charlotte Ivers now and, below, at university

Venture off campus and engage with real life in your new home

There's a whole world out there. Use your time and freedom to start exploring it now, says Ben Machell

The great thing about being a student is that, academic work aside, it's very easy. Everything is laid on for you: accommodation, weekly schedules, social events, alumns hoodies, political views... it's like joining a benign cult in which you and thousands of people very much like you live highly regimented, near- identical lives at a significant remove from mainstream society.

I'm not saying this is a bad thing. In fact, for the first few weeks or months, it's quite helpful when it comes to settling in. There is

something comforting about spending yet another Tuesday night scamming yet more free pizza off your halls of residence's Christian Union by pretending you have a tentative interest in the gospels, or going on mass fancy dress pub crawls, or forming five-a-side teams for student leagues. It's what you're supposed to do. You'll make good friends. You might accidentally find God.

But then, probably midway through your second term, you will have a The Matrix moment. Much like Keanu Reeves in the sci-fi classic, you will start to suspect that the reality in which you exist is perhaps not real at all, but just a comforting simulation. When this moment comes, I urge you to open your eyes — to take the red pill — and see that there is a big, vibrant, somewhat frightening but ultimately exciting world that exists just beyond your

campus, and to go and explore it rather than letting yourself drift along via the comfortable inertia of undergraduate life.

The fact is, when you go to university you have a huge amount of freedom and a huge amount of time, particularly if you're doing an arts degree. Don't waste that time by spending the next three years confining yourself to a student ghetto.

Instead, start practising for life beyond higher education by attempting things that nobody has asked you to do. Form terrible hands. Put on and promote club nights that absolutely nobody comes to. Make connections in your new city that have nothing to do with your university.

Interested in politics? Find like-minded locals rather than

Ben Machell, left, and above with uni friends

fellow students. Didn't make the university netball squad? Find a local team instead. Have particular professional ambitions? Start sniffing out work experience or summer jobs now. Want to be, I dunno... a journalist? Why write for your student rag when there might be local papers being produced a few miles from where you live? Just because you're at university doesn't mean you have to be a student.

But you will notice that, the closer you get to graduating, the more "studenty" many of your peers will become. They will be desperately, decadently studenty because they're afraid of what's coming next, which is to say, a lack of structure, a need for personal initiative, responsibility and experience. In other words, they're afraid of impending reality. But you? You won't be. Because that's where you'll already live.

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11

uni — outside their lectures

SAME SEVEN, CENA HOFSMAN FOR THE TIMES

Don't take student politics too seriously — have a good time

Free condoms, laser tag and friends for life: Sebastian Payne looks back on the proudest wins of his stint in the junior common room

Two words, famously, should never go together: students and politics. Yet when I arrived in Durham in 2007, the yearn for elected office pulled at my Topman collar. Instead of signing up to the Conservative society — all port and loud banging of tables — I went for the more municipal option of the junior common room. This was the student-run body responsible for services within my college, the brutalist edifice of Van Mildert College. Making a real difference to the student experience, I thought — there could be no more noble pursuit.

My first effort ended in failure when I ran for the illustrious position of JCR secretary, the chief notetaker. My second, for vice-president, was a triumph as no one opposed me. Unlike Robert Jenrick, I did not suffer the humiliation of being beaten by the perennial candidate Ron (reopen nominations). As per Van Mildert's tradition, victory was celebrated with a 'kazu': kicking a full can of Coke down the college stairs and pouring it over your head, followed by a yard of alcohol. Choosing vodka and tonic over, say, a yard of ale was an early mistake.

Taking up office at the start of my final year, my responsibilities were suitably fluid. I deputised for the president, a paid-for graduate. But I was in charge of college discipline, which included the tantalising power to fine naughty students. The first time I sought to exercise it, during a formal dinner for the sports societies, I encountered the bulking rugby captain carrying 25 shots into the dining hall. 'You know you're not

Sebastian Payne, left. Above: on duty at Durham area 2009

going to stop me and I know you're not either, so how about you step aside mate?' he said, smiling.

I had more success with one group who destroyed an interior wall with a sofa after a particularly raucous night out. When I hauled them up to the senior tutor, their excuse was 'Durham's nightclubs close too early and we had too much energy.' They were all duly banned from living in college again.

Each week, we elected figures sat through interminable executive meetings. The policy matters debated were serious. One meeting was devoted to the question of condoms and whether the JCR should increase its free supplies to encourage safer copulation — to which one exec member responded: 'I don't need them, I have sex like a real man.'

The executive's work was frequently complicated by the Fleetwood Mac-inspired intertwining relationships between its various

members. Meetings were frequently thrown off course based on who had been sleeping with whom; screaming matches occurred between vying lovers. In the days before WhatsApp, the best way of finding out who was having an affair was who looked the most tired. Add in the fact that everyone was hungover most of the time and it's amazing we agreed to anything. Attendance was ropey, as some saw the exec as a CV booster. Others viewed it as a useful way of avoiding studying.

The wisest words of all were once uttered by the college bar steward. Whereas everyone else was some degree of nerd, he was a full-blown jock — a man who would take pints to late-night gym workouts. After one long discussion about whether the JCR should register as a charity he snapped: 'Listen, we're all gonna be gone from here in two years' time and no one will remember us or anything we did. So can we all shut the I*** up and just get on and do something?' We didn't and he was right.

Was it worth it? The JCR gave me some of the best friends of my life: the president I deputised for was my groomsman and vice versa. We did do some good: we hosted the best balls the college had seen in years, complete with laser tag, B*Witched and a Radio I DJ. We ran a riotous Christmas do for the college staff and their children. We kept pints of Kronenberg at £1.60. We made Van Mildert the most fun college. And we never, ever discussed the 2010 general election. The biggest lesson I learnt: don't take politics at university seriously. Just go for a good time.

Sticky, stuffy and boring... what's to like about clubbing?

Everyone else loved it, so what was I missing? Cindy Yu on finding her groove away from the dancefloor

Irried to like clubbing, I really did. At my uni town there were enough clubs for each night of the week. Tuesdays were at Cellar, Wednesdays at Parhend, Thursdays Bridge, and on it goes. From freshers week on it seemed that the expectation was set: after every evening social event, there would be clubbing to top off the night. Faithfully I traipsed along with my new-found friends.

But I found it a torturous kind of nightcap. The dingy venues were inevitably sticky and stuffy, made worse by the dozens of sweaty

strangers all sardined together. We girls were lucky if we didn't get an unwelcome hand reaching out to cop a feel. The music could be good — if you got the right night — but more often than not a DJ who thought they were David Guetta would ruin it with a dissonant remix.

So on these nights it wouldn't be long before I'd seek the sanctuary of the smoking area. I don't even smoke, but at least there you could get some air, have a chat and actually meet some of the people you were dancing with. I found that a more civilised environment than the dancefloor.

I couldn't understand how everyone else seemed so into clubbing. Was this really the pinnacle of millennial socialising? As a social science student, I started working on a theory that it was a case of the emperor's new clothes — peer pressure was enough to get everyone on board and raving, but I suspected that there were more not enjoying it than would admit it.

Cindy Yu. Above: as a student at Oxford

Whatever the case, eventually it felt so silly that I was going to clubs just to hang out in the smoking area that I went less and less. And that felt good — simply to accept that just because something is mainstream and 'what people do' doesn't mean I have to like it, or do it too.

Some of my friends continued to go clubbing, and that's fine, but we also started exploring other stuff to do. We went paintballing with some vouchers a guy was giving out on the high street. We joined a go-karting competition. We tried out ice hockey. We brought cratpy cheeses to the wine tasting society and did not spit out. Looking back, the people who were there at those times are still my closest friends from university today.

So to make the most of university, try out those quirky hobbies and meet those quirky people. It's a time for learning who you are and what you like. Whether that's clubbing or not, the most important lesson is just to be yourself.

I would seek the sanctuary of the smoking area. I don't even smoke

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13

What you need to know about finances

How to get through uni without breaking the bank. By senior money reporter Megan Harwood-Baynes

It's more than a decade since I hit up freshers week but the financial hangover of being a student can last for ever. Surprisingly, given my job as a money reporter, I wasn't great with money in my twenties. I wouldn't have known a budget if it slapped me in the face and I was on first-name terms with the local Domino's delivery man. My finances were kept afloat through sheer luck and burning the candle at both ends with multiple part-time jobs.

Here is the financial survival guide I wish someone had told me on day one — even if the 19-year-old me would probably have ignored it.

Your student loan won't cover everything

The amount of student maintenance loan you get will be between £4,013 and £14,135. It will vary depending on if you live at home (you get less), where in the UK you are from (each country has its own funding body), your household income (if your parents earn more, you get less, and vice versa) and where you are going for your degree (you get more if it's in London).

The average maintenance loan in 2024-25 (the most recent figures available) was £7,678. This is usually paid in three instalments, one at the start of each term, so it will seem like a lot when it hits your account, but it works out at roughly £640 per month.

With the average student spending £1,142 per month on essential living costs, according to Save the Student, you are already facing a £502 shortfall before you even hit the student bar. Some students can rely on their parents to plug the gap but many need to take on a part-time job to stay afloat. It's helpful to know that there is a gap so you can plan and avoid turning to credit cards or loans.

You do have to pay back what you borrow

Some bank accounts will offer an interest-free overdraft to students, which means if you go below zero, you won't incur any fees. This can feel tempting and a lot like free money —

it's not. Slipping into the red is just making life harder for your future self. It might be interest-free but it is still debt.

After you graduate, your bank will typically transition you to a graduate account, giving you up to three years to clear the debt before you incur fees and interest. But you are already graduating into a tricky jobs market, with expensive rent and lower-than-average starting salaries. To do all this while paying back thousands of pounds will make life harder for you.

The same applies to credit cards, short and long-term loans, and buy-now-pay-later. All of it is real money, and the cheapest way to avoid having to pay it back is to never take it out in the first place.

Budgeting is boring but so is being skint

Your student loan lands at the end of September and suddenly you have more money in your account than you've ever had before. What's one more takeaway, an extra round of drinks or an order from TikTok Shop?

It can be so easy to burn through this money before October's reading week, but you are just setting yourself up for a painful end of term. When your student loan hits, take the figure and divide it into the number of months you have to make it last (or weeks if that is easier). Transfer the majority of the loan away into a separate account and pay yourself in instalments (digital banks like Monzo and Starling with their multiple "pots" are good for this).

Draw up a basic budget to figure

Master the arts of charity shopping and fakeaways

out how much you have to spend on rent, food, university supplies — but don't forget to give yourself some fun money. Budgeting is boring but so is eating plain pasta for a month.

Hunt down a deal

You are a thrifty student now, so time to start acting like it. Charity shops and Vinted have some of the best bargains, or organise a clothes swap with your flatmates if you are feeling bored by your wardrobe. It's better for

“

Budgeting is boring, but so is eating plain pasta

the planet and better for your wallet. Your student discount is your ticket to some great freebies. Ten per cent off at Boots and Asos, free Microsoft Office and Prime Student, to name just a few. Before making a big purchase, take 24 hours to deliberate. First check if there are any discounts available, then give yourself time to decide if you really want something.

You can also score free food from nearby shops using apps like Olio or look on local Facebook groups for furniture bargains. Too Good to Go, an app designed to minimise waste, can be a way to access cheap food at the end of the day. I once fed three people with a £2.99 bag from Toby Carvery but it does come with the risk you'll get three boxes of coleslaw, so pick your surprise bags wisely.

Master the fakeaway and don't buy rounds

We've all done it, but don't buy rounds, especially not on your first few nights out with your new flatmates. It can quickly become costly and is very rarely reciprocated in the earlier days when you don't know people very well.

Love a coffee? Invest in a good at-home option and a solid takeaway coffee cup. And keep your freezer stocked with frozen pizza for the end of a night out — I promise you, after that many Jägerbombs it tastes just as good as a takeaway, is a fraction of the price and you can cook it in the same time it takes for a Domino's to arrive at your door. Just don't fall asleep while it is in the oven.

Maintenance loans leave a spending shortfall

Shortfall between average maintenance loan provided and average funds needed, depending on where an English student attends university

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14

How to survive first-year student halls

Tidy up, don't hide in your room, and talk about any problems, advises recent graduate Callum Martin

It is the best, the scariest and, in many ways, the most bizarre part of going to university. A group of total strangers who haven't lived away from home before thrown together at random for a year of forced cohabitation.

If you're reading this as an incoming first-year, in a little over a month's time you're likely to be unlocking the door to your student accommodation for the first time. Excited, probably Nervous, definitely. The good news is that everybody feels that way. I certainly did. And, having graduated from the University of Exeter last summer, it was just a few short years ago that I was in the same boat as you.

I had a great time in halls, but there are plenty of things I wish I'd known going in. In sharing them here, I'm hoping you won't have to learn any lessons the hard way.

Do... move in early

Most accommodation opens the weekend before freshers week. There are obvious practical benefits to arriving early, such as having first dibs on cupboards or fridge space, but the main advantage is a social one. Moving in is nerve-racking enough without being the person who

The novelty of living in a landfill wears off quickly

Many sign a contract in the first six weeks only to realise soon after that they don't like the people they have agreed to live with.

Obviously you don't want to wait around for too long, but neither should you sign on for the sake of it. If you ignore the noise, some of the best deals can hit the market during the second term.

Do... tidy up

There's a strange romanticism to the idea of the student flat being a tip and, indeed, by week three most look as if they've been hit by a hurricane followed by a plague of alcoholic locusts. But the novelty of living inside a landfill wears off quickly. Nobody likes the person who leaves their dirty dishes festering for days or clogs the sink and does a runner.

Like many flats we opted for a cleaning rota, which went a long way. But at the very least, clean up after yourself.

Don't... think your flatmates have to be your best friends

As great as it would be, the administrators sorting university accommodation do not match people by personality. In fact, I once spoke to one who told me that when they got bored they used to fill an entire flat with men called John.

It's a total lottery, and while I got lucky, not everybody does. That's fine. You should approach everyone with an open mind, but if it becomes clear over weeks that you don't get on with

The university accommodation officers do not match people by personality

someone, don't try to force a square peg into a round hole.

Stay civil, stay friendly, and don't let it get you down. There's a whole world beyond your flat door.

Do... address issues head on

Even if your flat gets on brilliantly, there will be clashes. Living in close proximity it is impossible to avoid some conflicts: your flatmate never takes the bins out; they got back drunk and left the front door open; they smoked a cigarette in their room and set off the fire alarm at 4am.

In my experience, the best way to deal with issues is quickly, calmly and (ideally) in person. There's nothing worse than a passive-aggressive message to the group chat.

Don't... (immediately) hook up with your flatmates

Many of your older friends will give you this advice. You will nod and you will tell them that you'd never be that stupid. And then you will do it anyway. Trust me.

The nothing-matters-it's-freshers- week attitude has its appeal, but the first year is a marathon not a sprint, and you don't want months of awkward encounters around the breakfast table.

I've heard endless horror stories. People who've been forced to move out when it got too messy. People who cheated on their flatmates... with other flatmates. Even a student flat that had a marriage during its lifespan (there was a subsequent divorce). You'd be unlucky for it to go that wrong, but it's still one to avoid.

shows up last on a Sunday night, the newcomer to a group who have had the weekend to get to know each other.

Of the ten students in my flat I was one of three to move in on Friday, and quickly bonded with my fellow early birds, settling the nerves before everyone else arrived. If you have the choice, dive right in by getting there as early as you can.

Don't... hide in your room

This should not be read as "you need to go out". If drinking and clubbing aren't your thing that's absolutely fine. I know plenty of people who did halls sober and had a great time. But even if you're not a partier get out of your room and chat to people as much as you can — as early as you can. Yes, it can be scary at first, but people form attachments quickly in their first year and you'll regret not doing it.

Do... pack wisely

Beyond the obvious packing list there are a few items I'd consider must- haves. A doorstep to show you're friendly and happy to chat; a comfortable topper for your mattress, given the strain likely put on it by previous inhabitant; for similar reasons, noise cancelling headphones are a wise inclusion. But it is equally important not to overpack. There is limited space in student accommodation, and filling the kitchen with useless clutter is a good way to make yourself unpopular. If you are unlikely to use it daily, think hard about bringing it. Seriously, you do not need a bread-maker.

Don't... rush into a second-year contract

This is a common mistake, especially in smaller cities where the unstoppable force of high student numbers meets the immovable object of low housing stock.

There is a culture of panic around locking in second-year accommodation, and conversations often begin as early as freshers week.

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15

‘People would comment about my accent’

Research shows some elite institutions are falling back on access for the disadvantaged. By Marieta Marinova

‘The myth about university life is that once students secure a place, everyone competes on a level playing field,’ says Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter. In reality, he adds, ‘many students from less advantaged backgrounds encounter a dense web of cultural, social and financial barriers’ that determine who flourishes and who falls behind.

Major, the UK’s first professor in the field, believes there are ‘hidden class codes’ around ‘cultural fluency’ that students have to navigate without ever being taught. In a survey last year of 10,000 state-educated students by The 93% Club, a networking charity, almost nine out of ten said that there was a divide between state-educated and privately educated students on campus.

This divide is made worse by shrinking rates of participation from people of lower socioeconomic backgrounds at the most selective institutions. A Times analysis of

figures for England from the Office for Students found that between 2021 and 2024 representation of students from ‘low participation areas’ (places with few people in higher education) increased at 82 of the 120 institutions with comparable data. But at England’s Russell Group universities — a self-selecting group of elite institutions — 13 of 20 recorded a falling share of entrants from low participation areas.

Katy Hampshire of the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity, says that while participation from lower socioeconomic backgrounds has widened nationwide, little to no progress has been made at the most elite institutions.

For those who do manage to get to university from a lower socioeconomic background, the experience brings its own challenges. According to The 93% Club’s survey, 51 per cent of students said that they faced derogatory remarks or jokes about their accent or mannerisms, rising to 71 per cent for those hailing from the north.

Last year, Kara Evans graduated from the University of Warwick, where just 4.2 per cent of entrants came from low participation areas in 2024. ‘University was the tipping point for me where I realised that my background was going to play a big factor in my life going forward,’ she says. Evans, 22, grew up in a single-parent household in Dudley, near Birmingham. As the first in her family

Bristol student Morenike Odetoyinbo Left: Kara Evans

to go to university, she was excited to start her politics and international studies course. But she soon found her accent became a subject of mockery. While her lectures were going well, seminar environments felt toxic and ‘dominated by people’s comments about my accent. Some points I was making were being ignored,’ she says. ‘But then someone from a different background would make the same point and they would be applauded for it.’

Morenike Odetoyinbo, 21, is entering her third year at the University of Bristol. Also studying politics, she often notices peers acting with a sense of entitlement during seminars, and says that this is ‘the nature of the system’. ‘Male private school voices tend to be a bit louder. It’s not that they speak over you, but they think their opinion is right because they’ve probably always been told it is.’

While that never stopped Odetoyinbo from fully participating, Evans had a more difficult time. She remembers getting asked to repeat herself or being corrected for how she pronounced certain words. Evans stopped going to some of the seminars during her first year, and considered dropping out entirely.

At Russell Group universities 42 per cent of working-class students have considered dropping out, not due to academic challenges, but because they felt out of place, according to The 93% Club. ‘I didn’t feel like I had a place at that university, coming from my background,’ Evans says. Some tutors and lecturers ‘made it fairly clear that I was the odd one out.’

Odetoyinbo, who grew up in south London, says she has made many friends at university, but has noticed that ‘different social enclaves and

“Male private school voices tend to be a bit louder”

Class divide on campus

Students report experiencing classism and pressure to fit in Believe student culture caters to the wealthy

Have faced classist jokes

60%

Have considered dropping out of their Russell Group university*

Have changed their accent to fit in

35%

Have been told university is not for people from their background

30%

*not due to academic challenges, but because they feel they don’t belong

Source: 93% Club

Little progress on widening access

The share of students from low-participation areas remains low at many Russell Group universities, despite some institutions performing better than others

	Share 2024-25	Change from 2021

Biggest decreases

University of Exeter	4.8%	▼ 1.5
University of Oxford	4.5%	▼ 1.3
University of Southampton	7.7%	▼ 0.8

Biggest increases

University of York	9.4%	▲ 0.2
University of Liverpool	6.9%	▲ 0.5
University of Manchester	5.8%	▲ 0.7

Source: Office for Students

groups don’t really mix’. She adds that institutional attempts to address these issues sometimes miss the mark. Her university tried connecting students with similar backgrounds through targeted mailing lists, ‘but I didn’t really want to meet up and talk about how I’m the first person [in my family] at university.’

While race and gender are protected under the Equality Act, accent and class are not, leaving students unable to formally address these issues.

Evans never reported her struggles, fearing she would seem ‘dramatic’. Instead, she altered the way she dressed and spoke — 56 per cent of those surveyed by The 93% Club also said they felt pressured to change their accent to fit in. She says these changes harmed her identity and strained friendships back home, where her school peers made fun of her for sounding ‘posher’.

Major suggests that more staff training is needed to recognise class bias. Hampshire, meanwhile, points to the progress that has been made, with universities having more diverse student ambassadors and role models.

Odetoyinbo, like many students, also worries about securing work experience during her studies after she heard of people doing internships through their parents or their parents’ connections. In The 93% Club’s survey, 88 per cent said they had witnessed nepotism in decisions over who gets internships and job offers.

‘It worries me that I’m falling behind because I don’t have those connections,’ Odetoyinbo says.

For those about to start university, Hampshire says: ‘There will be and should be networks and places that support you to thrive. You deserve a place at this university as much as any other person there. If you’re from a lower-income background, organisations like the Sutton Trust will have resources and support to help you think about how to get your internship, how you network and the skills you need.’

A spokesperson for the University of Warwick, where Evans studied, said they were ‘sorry to hear about this student’s experience’ and highlighted its social inclusion strategy. ‘We aim to create an environment in which every student can participate and contribute confidently, regardless of their background or circumstances.’

The University of Bristol said: ‘Our priority is to ensure all students feel welcome, respected, supported, and empowered to succeed at university.’

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16

ILLUSTRATION: MARK COMPTON FOR THE TIMES

Nine students tell us what they really used, and what they could have lived without. By Mashaal Hussain

Freshers season is almost here, bringing the annual question: what do you actually need to take to university? Between overpacked suitcases, last-minute shopping trips and well-meaning advice from parents, preparing to move out for the first time can feel overwhelming.

Packing essentials vary hugely too — from air fryers and other kitchen gadgets to how many clothes you really need. One student's must-haves can quickly become another's unused cupboard clutter.

So we asked UK students what they really used, what they wish they'd packed and what they would leave at home if they could do it all again. Here are their top tips.

Take Earplugs. Lots of them. Student accommodation has thin walls and life is noisy. Whether that's your flatmate coming in at 3am or a location on a busy street.

Don't take Expensive mugs and bowls. Everything breaks. I took a set of patterned cutlery because it's easy to identify, unlike standard silver, which gets mixed up or goes missing.

Best advice Go to society events and taster sessions, attend all of your academic welcome workshops and make time for the gym. Don't be afraid to text your flatmates to see if they want to go for a coffee or a pint. It gets easier. I promise.

Robert Medhurst, 25, studied business at Nottingham Trent University

Take Painkillers and medications (you will get ill). Paracetamol was my best friend during freshers week.

Don't take Summer clothes, plants or too many decorations.

Best advice Socialise as much as you can. Making friends takes effort. Speak to people on your course and people you see around campus. Don't be nervous — compliment their outfit or something simple and start a conversation.

Julia Gamryd, 20, studying psychology and criminology at City St George's, University of London

Take Your passport, especially if you plan to get a job. It's a hassle to travel home if you forget it — that's what happened to me!

Don't take Clothes for every season. You can swap them during the Christmas and Easter holidays and you'll buy more during term time.

Best advice Homesickness is normal, but it does get easier. Everyone is new and figuring things out together.

Don't worry if you don't click with your flatmates either — some people find their closest friends elsewhere. Soyana Devi Sapkota, 19, studying medicine at the University of Bristol

Take A card or drinking game, a great way to break the ice in the first weeks.

Don't take Your best jackets — they're likely to get lost in club cloakrooms and on nights out.

Best advice Don't ever eat dinner in your bedroom. The best moments and conversations with flatmates usually happen in the kitchen.

Zara McIntosh, 22, studied mass communications with advertising, branding and PR at Edinburgh Napier University

Take Batteries and a mattress topper. Don't take An air fryer — wait and see if someone else brings one first!

Ear plugs! Door stops!

What to bring to uni (and what to ditch)

Best advice Take lots of photos. You'll never regret having memories and moments to look back on. Sajay Nanu Jr. Sukumaran, 21, studying medicine at the University of Hull

Take Photos and trinkets from home to make your space feel personal.

Don't take Pans that don't work. Check whether your accommodation uses an induction hob before buying kitchenware.

Best advice Don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to do. I didn't

go clubbing during freshers week and still had a great time. This is your journey, so do what feels right. Ellie Louise, 22, studying social sciences at King's College London

Take A door stopper, extension cords and a room diffuser (or plug-in air freshener).

Don't take A printer — you can use the university library instead — or an ironing board.

Best advice Make sure to create a group chat with your flatmates. It's useful for organising cleaning rotas

Don't take an air fryer, see if someone else brings one first

and planning social activities like game nights.

Rafa Yusuf, 21, studying pharmacy at the University of Kent

Take Indoor shoes such as flip-flops or sliders for the shower and around the flat (floors can get dirty).

Don't take Too much kitchenware. Three plates, bowls and sets of cutlery is more than enough.

The same goes for cookware: two pots and one frying pan will cover most meals.

Best advice Set ground rules early with your flatmates and learn when to let small issues go to avoid unnecessary tension.

Thea Loth, 24, studying film and television, drama and theatre at Aberystwyth University

Take Washing machine pods, small, stackable storage boxes and hangers.

Don't take Too many clothes (especially items you'll only wear once) or too many shoes.

Best advice Put yourself out there, even if you're not outgoing. Be brave. Don't just rely on your flatmates for friends, talk to everyone — and keep your space tidy.

Blythe Eling, 19, studying fashion communications with business studies at the University of Brighton

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17

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide rankings 2026

2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035	2036	2037	2038	2039	2040	2041	2042	2043	2044	2045	2046	2047	2048	2049	2050	2051	2052	2053	2054	2055	2056	2057	2058	2059	2060	2061	2062	2063	2064	2065	2066	2067	2068	2069	2070	2071	2072	2073	2074	2075	2076	2077	2078	2079	2080	2081	2082	2083	2084	2085	2086	2087	2088	2089	2090	2091	2092	2093	2094	2095	2096	2097	2098	2099	2100	2101	2102	2103	2104	2105	2106	2107	2108	2109	2110	2111	2112	2113	2114	2115	2116	2117	2118	2119	2120	2121	2122	2123	2124	2125	2126	2127	2128	2129	2130	2131	2132	2133	2134	2135	2136	2137	2138	2139	2140	2141	2142	2143	2144	2145	2146	2147	2148	2149	2150	2151	2152	2153	2154	2155	2156	2157	2158	2159	2160	2161	2162	2163	2164	2165	2166	2167	2168	2169	2170	2171	2172	2173	2174	2175	2176	2177	2178	2179	2180	2181	2182	2183	2184	2185	2186	2187	2188	2189	2190	2191	2192	2193	2194	2195	2196	2197	2198	2199	2200	2201	2202	2203	2204	2205	2206	2207	2208	2209	2210	2211	2212	2213	2214	2215	2216	2217	2218	2219	2220	2221	2222	2223	2224	2225	2226	2227	2228	2229	2230	2231	2232	2233	2234	2235	2236	2237	2238	2239	2240	2241	2242	2243	2244	2245	2246	2247	2248	2249	2250	2251	2252	2253	2254	2255	2256	2257	2258	2259	2260	2261	2262	2263	2264	2265	2266	2267	2268	2269	2270	2271	2272	2273	2274	2275	2276	2277	2278	2279	2280	2281	2282	2283	2284	2285	2286	2287	2288	2289	2290	2291	2292	2293	2294	2295	2296	2297	2298	2299	2300	2301	2302	2303	2304	2305	2306	2307	2308	2309	2310	2311	2312	2313	2314	2315	2316	2317	2318	2319	2320	2321	2322	2323	2324	2325	2326	2327	2328	2329	2330	2331	2332	2333	2334	2335	2336	2337	2338	2339	2340	2341	2342	2343	2344	2345	2346	2347	2348	2349	2350	2351	2352	2353	2354	2355	2356	2357	2358	2359	2360	2361	2362	2363	2364	2365	2366	2367	2368	2369	2370	2371	2372	2373	2374	2375	2376	2377	2378	2379	2380	2381	2382	2383	2384	2385	2386	2387	2388	2389	2390	2391	2392	2393	2394	2395	2396	2397	2398	2399	2400	2401	2402	2403	2404	2405	2406	2407	2408	2409	2410	2411	2412	2413	2414	2415	2416	2417	2418	2419	2420	2421	2422	2423	2424	2425	2426	2427	2428	2429	2430	2431	2432	2433	2434	2435	2436	2437	2438	2439	2440	2441	2442	2443	2444	2445	2446	2447	2448	2449	2450	2451	2452	2453	2454	2455	2456	2457	2458	2459	2460	2461	2462	2463	2464	2465	2466	2467	2468	2469	2470	2471	2472	2473	2474	2475	2476	2477	2478	2479	2480	2481	2482	2483	2484	2485	2486	2487	2488	2489	2490	2491	2492	2493	2494	2495	2496	2497	2498	2499	2500	2501	2502	2503	2504	2505	2506	2507	2508	2509	2510	2511	2512	2513	2514	2515	2516	2517	2518	2519	2520	2521	2522	2523	2524	2525	2526	2527	2528	2529	2530	2531	2532	2533	2534	2535	2536	2537	2538	2539	2540	2541	2542	2543	2544	2545	2546	2547	2548	2549	2550	2551	2552	2553	2554	2555	2556	2557	2558	2559	2560	2561	2562	2563	2564	2565	2566	2567	2568	2569	2570	2571	2572	2573	2574	2575	2576	2577	2578	2579	2580	2581	2582	2583	2584	2585	2586	2587	2588	2589	2590	2591	2592	2593	2594	2595	2596	2597	2598	2599	2600	2601	2602	2603	2604	2605	2606	2607	2608	2609	2610	2611	2612	2613	2614	2615	2616	2617	2618	2619	2620	2621	2622	2623	2624	2625	2626	2627	2628	2629	2630	2631	2632	2633	2634	2635	2636	2637	2638	2639	2640	2641	2642	2643	2644	2645	2646	2647	2648	2649	2650	2651	2652	2653	2654	2655	2656	2657	2658	2659	2660	2661	2662	2663	2664	2665	2666	2667	2668	2669	2670	2671	2672	2673	2674	2675	2676	2677	2678	2679	2680	2681	2682	2683	2684	2685	2686	2687	2688	2689	2690	2691	2692	2693	2694	2695	2696	2697	2698	2699	2700	2701	2702	2703	2704	2705	2706	2707	2708	2709	2710	2711	2712	2713	2714	2715	2716	2717	2718	2719	2720	2721	2722	2723	2724	2725	2726	2727	2728	2729	2730	2731	2732	2733	2734	2735	2736	2737	2738	2739	2740	2741	2742	2743	2744	2745	2746	2747	2748	2749	2750	2751	2752	2753	2754	2755	2756	2757	2758	2759	2760	2761	2762	2763	2764	2765	2766	2767	2768	2769	2770	2771	2772	2773	2774	2775	2776	2777	2778	2779	2780	2781	2782	2783	2784	2785	2786	2787	2788	2789	2790	2791	2792	2793	2794	2795	2796	2797	2798	2799	2800	2801	2802	2803	2804	2805	2806	2807	2808	2809	2810	2811	2812	2813	2814	2815	2816	2817	2818	2819	2820	2821	2822	2823	2824	2825	2826	2827	2828	2829	2830	2831	2832	2833	2834	2835	2836	2837	2838	2839	2840	2841	2842	2843	2844	2845	2846	2847	2848	2849	2850	2851	2852	2853	2854	2855	2856	2857	2858	2859	2860	2861	2862	2863	2864	2865	2866	2867	2868	2869	2870	2871	2872	2873	2874	2875	2876	2877	2878	2879	2880	2881	2882	2883	2884	2885	2886	2887	2888	2889	2890	2891	2892	2893	2894	2895	2896	2897	2898	2899	2900

How the guide was compiled

Our league table is made up of eight key indicators.

Teaching quality The teaching quality measure reflects the average scores of the teaching, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, and academic support themes. Students answer on a scale from 1 (top) to 4 (bottom), and the score in the table is based on the percentage of positive responses (options 1 and 2). Source: NSS, 2025

Student experience The student experience measure is drawn from the average NSS scores in the organisation and management, learning resources, and student voice themes. Students answer on a scale from 1 (top) to 4 (bottom) and the score in the table is based on the percentage of positive responses (options 1 and 2). Source: NSS, 2025

Research quality A Times analysis of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), which rewards quality and quantity of research work. There are no scores in this category for Buckingham (as a private university it chose not to submit to REF 2021). Sources: REF 2021

Entry standards Mean tariff point scores on entry for first-year, first-degree students aged under 21 based on A- and AS-levels and Highers and Advanced Highers, and other equivalent qualifications (for example, international baccalaureate). Two years of data were used to partially offset the inflation in tariff due to pandemic disruption. Source: Hesa, 2019-20 (double weighted) and 2023-24

Graduate prospects The proportion of students in high-skilled or graduate-level jobs or in graduate-level study 15 months after graduating. Source: Hesa, 2021-22 student cohorts, published 2024

Good honours The proportion graduating with first-year 2-3 degrees. Unclassified degrees were excluded. Source: Hesa, 2023-24

Continuation rates The percentage of UK-domiciled full-time undergraduate students still in higher education after one year, who either continue with the same provider or transfer to another UK institution. Two years of data were used in the calculation this year to balance out the change in continuation rates due to pandemic disruption. The pre-pandemic year (2018-19) was double weighted. Source: Hesa, 2023-24

People and Planet Universities are assessed against 14 ethical and environmental criteria. Approximately 40 per cent of marks come from universities' performance on environmental indicators, taken from the Hesa 2022-23 Estates Management Record. The remaining marks are based on analysis of institutional policies on sustainable issues. Source People and Planet

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18 STUDENT GUIDE AND CLEARING SPECIAL

Academics warn of a cheating crisis

More students rely on artificial intelligence in assessments, and it's harder to detect. By Jennifer Kennedy

Students' rampant use of generative artificial intelligence to cheat in assessments has become a "crisis" that universities are failing to address, senior academics have warned.

Andy Hamilton, who resigned as the chair of Durham University's board of examiners for philosophy in June citing concerns over students' use of AI in assessments, said it had become impossible to detect

when the technology had been used because of the rapid improvements in its capabilities.

"It's an emergency, because we're giving away degrees, and in many cases we've got good reason to suppose that we're giving a first to a student who may not have produced this work themselves," he said.

More than 2,000 undergraduates at Russell Group universities were punished for missing. As in the 2024-25 academic year, data collected by The Times showed About 700 were believed to have been caught in 2023-24.

Investigations into academic misconduct at the University of Cambridge have quadrupled since the widespread adoption of generative AI after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022.

Andy Hamilton

Jason Arday, who was the youngest black professor in Cambridge's history, resigned last week after the university announced it would investigate his academic qualifications and allegations of research misconduct — he has denied plagiarism. In the past academic year Cambridge investigated 78 students for academic misconduct, which included AI-related and plagiarism offences, and found 67 breaches. The university formally recorded its first case of academic misconduct involving AI in 2024.

Most Russell Group universities allow students to take online, open-book examinations, introduced during the pandemic as a way of holding assessments while adhering to social distancing rules.

It's an emergency because we are giving away degrees

Michael Draper, chair of the academic regulations board at Swansea University and an expert in academic integrity, said it was surprising that universities continued to use the format.

He said he had seen "greater urgency" from universities regarding AI and expected to see more institutions moving towards "more secure forms of assessment" in the coming year, including oral examinations. However, Andrew Gunn, a senior education lecturer at the University of Manchester, said that while the sector was in the "early days" of adapting to the technology, universities had not become complacent to the threat and were "learning from one another".

"Universities can and should integrate AI into their assessments," he said. "AI exists, and we can't pretend it's not there."

Art and design

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1	Oxford	80	77	88.8	228		100
2	University College London	92.5	87.8	64.7	198	80.8	98.8
3	Goldsmiths, London	91.8	87.7	57.5	171	72.9	93.1
4	Loughborough	84.7	80.5	51.7	172	81.2	92.9
5	Leeds	83.1	80.9	54.8	163	76	90.7
6	Dundee	86	76.8	57.2	193	66	90.5
7	Kingston	87.3	82.6	63	158	69.2	90.2
8	Newcastle	80.1	75.2	61	199	62.7	89
9	Manchester	87.3	86.7	63	136	68.4	88.6
10	Manchester Metropolitan	85.6	82.6	51.7	145	72.7	88.5
11	Sunderland	89.6	82.9	49.8	122	76.2	88.5
12	Lancaster	81.7	77.2	59.5	159		88.4
13	Bentley	84.9	84	51.8	125	77.3	88.4
14	Edinburgh Napier	89.2	78.4	23.5	179	73	88
15	Northumbria	87	80.2	45.8	141	73.7	87.9
16	Nottingham Trent	88.1	85.2	53	126	72.5	87.9
17	Southampton	88.9	83.9	56.5	130	67.8	87.2
18	Glasgow Caledonian	91.9	92.1	53.8	172	68.3	86.8
19	Sheffield Hallam	87.9	81.4	57	125	67.9	86.5
20	Bangor	98.6	95.3	40.2	110	66.7	86.4
21	Cardiff Metropolitan	84.8	77.1	56.2	124	70.8	86.2
21	Edinburgh	84.9	81.5	54	160	61.5	86.2
22	Ulster	88.4	79.9	64.5	124	67.9	86.1
24	Glasgow	59.2	56.6	68.8	202		85.6
24	Robert Gordon	94.1	85.3	53.8	150	70.1	85.6
25	Coventry	82.8	75	54.2	119	72.7	85.5
27	Arts London	84.7	79.6	46	146	65.5	85.2
28	Bournemouth	84.3	84.2	38.5	100	78.7	85.1
29	Staffordshire	86.8	77.6	53.5	125	65.8	84.9
30	Westminster	85.5	83.1	75.5	131	55	84.8
31	Canterbury Christ Church	95.1	91.8	38	104		84.6
31	Worcester	89.3	82.7	79.2	125	75.2	84.6
33	Portsmouth	85.9	80.3	41.8	114	71.8	84.5
34	Trenville	89.3	82.4	49.2	122	63.2	84.3
35	Greenwich	84.2	79.9	30	114	76.9	84.2
36	Edinburgh	84.8	74.2	48.8	146	62	84
36	Oxford Brookes	92.5	82.6	25.5	140	64.7	84
38	Liverpool John Moores	85.9	81.8	38.2	101	61	83.7
39	West of England	85.9	78.5	36	145	63.9	83.6
40	Lancashire	90.4	89	35.2	123	63.3	82.5
41	Aberley	81.6	74.9		173	73.3	83.1
42	De Montfort	86.9	80.3	32	121	68.3	82.9
43	Middlesex	88.9	80.6	41.2	110	64.8	82.6
44	Aberystwyth	82.8	74.4	41	136	63.9	82.5
44	Marseck Arts	85.6	80	38.8	126	63.8	82.5
46	Wolverhampton	89.3	83.4	35.2	134	59.5	82.4
47	Lincoln	85.8	78.2	43.8	118	63.8	82.3
48	Birmingham City	89.1	84.6	31.2	130	60.9	82.1
48	Brighton	79.2	72.2	53	131	62.6	82.1
48	London Metropolitan	92.3	86.5	42.2	108	59.5	82.1

Business

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1	Oxford	86.4	80.5	66.2	214	98.2	100
2	Warwick	90	91.9	65.2	188	89.5	99.2
3	King's College London	85.4	87.4	63	191	90.9	97.7
4	London School of Economics	84.1	84.3	69	173	96.4	97.4
5	University College London	87.8	88.1	62.3	169	91.3	97
6+	Bath	85.1	84.7	65.2	161	92.1	95.8
6+	St Andrews	83.7	82.7	48.2	276	86.8	95.8
8	Strathclyde	85	83.4	52.5	205	84.2	95.7
8	Edinburgh	77.6	80.1	59	188	88.4	93.8
10+	Leeds	83.1	85.9	62.3	155	84.1	93.5
10+	Manchester	82.1	82.9	64.2	156	84.1	93.5
12+	Durham	83.1	85.4	55.8	143	91.8	93.3
12+	Liverpool	86.1	87.6	58	140	85.5	93.3
14	City St George's	81.5	80.3	67.2	172	78.7	93
15	Exeter	82.7	82.7	63.5	143	87.7	92.9
16	Loughborough	82.2	85.2	49.2	147	90.3	92.3
17+	Bristol	80.8	82.4	46	160	88.9	91.8
17+	Lancaster	83.7	83.5	59.2	135	84.1	91.8
19	Aberdeen	83.5	84.8	32.2	177	84.4	91.7
20	Dundee	90	87.6	28.5	177	74.6	91.6
21	Birmingham	80.1	82.1	55.2	144	88.2	91.5
22+	Cardiff	80.5	83.9	56	147	82.5	91.1
22+	Glasgow	70.7	75.3	57.2	256	80.6	91.1
24	Sheffield	83.2	88.7	48.8	138	81.7	91
25	Queen's, Belfast	81.6	82.5	40.5	148	86.6	90.4
26	Surrey	84.9	84.3	54.8	131	77.3	90.3
27	Nottingham	80	84.9	46.8	149	81.7	90.2
28	Southampton	82.5	82.1	52	131	82.5	90.1
29+	Stoking	80	83.5	38.2	174	75.1	89.6
29+	York	79.7	83.5	50.5	136	81.9	89.6
31	Aberystwyth	94	91.7	22.8	124	74.7	89.3
32	Sussex	82.8	83.5	50.7	125	78.3	89.1
33	Reading	79.7	81.4	46.2	125	84.5	88.6
34	Queen Margaret, Edinburgh	91.6	86.8	75	163	72.4	88.5
35	Manchester Metropolitan	87.3	85	42.8	123	71.9	88.4
36	Heriot-Watt	76.4	77.7	38.2	168	79.2	88.2
37	Glasgow Caledonian	82.6	82.2	25.8	170	73	88.1
38+	Aston	80.1	78.4	42.5	125	83.8	88
38+	Ulster	83.3	81.4	45.8	119	78.3	88
40	Royal Holloway	82.4	85.3	43	123	75.6	87.9
41+	Canterbury Christ Church	91.9	89.9	38	100	68.3	87.7
41+	East Anglia	79	80.7	57.8	119	75.5	87.7
43	Newcastle	75.7	79.8	40.5	141	83.4	87.6
44+	Nottingham Trent	87	86.9	34.2	110	75.2	87.4
44+	Robert Gordon	90.4	89.2	79	143	65.9	87.4
44+	Staffordshire	94	90.6	38.8	104	60.9	87.4
47+	Hull	88.2	89.9	29.5	98	77.2	87.2
47+	Queen Mary, London	80.1	80.9	53.2	152	61.2	87.2
47+	Swansea	82.4	83.9	39.8	121	77.4	87.2
50	Leicester	80.5	82.5	45.8	121	75.4	87.1

Computer science

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1	Imperial College	86.9	84.9	54.8	220	97	100
2	Oxford	89.7	81.4	85.8	211	100	99.4
3	Cambridge	87.8	80.5	78.2	216	94.8	97.3
4	Birmingham	92.4	92.4	82.8	167	97.2	97.2
5	St Andrews	88.4	90	45.2	218	99.1	95.6
6	University College London	77.9	80.2	82.2	199	95.2	94.2
7	Warwick	78.8	81	81.8	198	93	94
8	Bristol	84.6	83.3	76	176	94.7	93.8
9	Glasgow	79.8	80.8	71.8	226	91.4	93.5
10	Durham	82.3	81.9	59	199	96.6	93.4
11	Manchester	78.1	78.3	77.2	189	97.5	92.8
12	Edinburgh	71.5	70.1	81.2	212	92	91.9
13	Sheffield	81.5	84.5	69.8	168	92.5	91.5
14	Bath	81.7	85	52.2	187	93.1	91.2
15	Dundee	87.9	81.1	53.5	184	86.8	90.9
16	Southampton	74.7	76.2	70.8	174	92.4	89.6
17	Queen Mary, London	81.7	80.7	74.2	155	84.9	89.2
18	Leeds	76.3	75.9	72	161	92.1	89.1
19	King's College London	71	72.2	68	176	96	88.9
20+	Lancaster	79.1	75.8	64.8	151	92.4	88.7
20+	Loughborough	84.2	86.5	46.5	156	90.3	88.7
20+	Strathclyde	78.8	74.4	46.2	202	87.6	88.7
23	Liverpool	79.7	82.6	61	137	94.2	88.2
24	York	73.9	73.8	72.5	153	93.5	88.1
25	Surrey	82	85.5	50.5	139	92.4	87.7
26	Royal Holloway	80.2	78.6	65	127	91.8	87.2
27	Exeter	79.1	81.8	45.5	148	93.8	87.1
28	Sussex	81.6	82.7	59.2	131	88.6	86.9
29	Nottingham	73	73.3	63.5	161	89.7	86.6
30	Swansea	83.9	83.6	46.5	128	90.7	86.5
31	Cardiff	73.8	74.9	57.8	152	91.7	86.2
32	Newcastle	73.6	75.2	60.3	127	91.9	85.6
33	Leicester	82.4	83.1	41.8	131	89.4	85.5
34	Queen's, Belfast	71.5	75.4	51	148	92.3	84.9
35+	Essex	80.1	80.5	53.5	126	85.7	84.8
35+	Heriot-Watt	71.3	70.9	39.5	179	90	84.8
37	Edinburgh Napier	78.8	76.2	47.2	155	82.6	84.7
38	Manchester Metropolitan	85.3	82.8	29.2	118	83.6	84.1
39	East Anglia	80.2	79.9	41.8	120	88.7	83.7
40	Aberystwyth	86.1	75.6	43.8	150	84	83.6
41	Ulster	82.1	80.4	38	118	87.2	83.4
42	Aston	80.4	78.1	29.2	131	89.5	83.2
43	Aberdeen	73.1	74.2	54	161		83.1
44+	Glasgow Caledonian	83.6	81.5	13.8	159	81.2	82.9
44+	Northumbria	83.4	79.3	25.4	126	87.6	82.9
44+	Portsmouth	86.1	84.4	32.8	119	80.7	82.9
47	Bromet	85	81.2	37.5	121	78.7	82.5
48	Reading	77.5	79.1	39.8	120	87	82.4
49	Worcester	89.1	89.9	12.5	107	86	82.3
50	Abertay	85	80		162	82.8	82.2

Economics

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1	Warwick	89.1	88.4	76.5	192	93.3	100
2	London School of Economics	85	86.4	80.8	193	96.2	99.8
3+	Cambridge	81.2	75	68.2	213	96.2	97.1
5+	Oxford	86.3	75.6	62	205	94.4	97.1
5+	St Andrews	89.3	88.2	31.2	217	91	95.9
6+	Durham	86.5	86.5	55.8	173	92.9	95.7
6+	University College London	77.4	83.4	72.5	181	94.8	95.7
8	Leeds	81.8	89.5	62.3	166	91.2	95
9+	Nottingham	79.6	84.4	64.5	172	91.1	94.3
9+	Strathclyde	84.4	83.1	52.5	193	86.6	94.3
11	Glasgow	76.5	77.9	57.2	215	87.8	90.6
12	Heriot-Watt	89.1	86.1	18.2	172	86.4	90.8
13	Birmingham	82.9	84.5	55.2	151	91.2	90.1
14	Sheffield	86.6	89.4	48.8	153	85.9	93
15	Liverpool	85.8	88.8	58	141	84.4	92.9
16+	Bristol	77.2	79.7	60.2	174	90.4	92.6
16+	Lancaster	84.2	84	59.2	136	88.7	92.6

---

19

English

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1*	Oxford	907	78	68.8	187	83.3	100
1*	St Andrews	871	841	61.8	202	84.3	100
3	Cambridge	844	70.9	65	201	88.3	99.5
4	University College London	904	86.4	61.5	178	83.2	99
5	Lancaster	961	93.4	63.8	115	86.9	98.6
6	Aberdeen	948	92.4	53.8	167	80.2	98.2
7	York	889	86.8	70.2	155	83.9	97.9
8	Strathclyde	885	86.3	58.8	195	76.5	97.5
9	Durham	862	73.2	55.5	188	85.6	97.4
10	Nottingham	888	86.9	70.5	148	81.4	97.3
11	Warwick	871	79.1	64.8	158	84.6	97
12	Southampton	866	88.3	69.2	142	82.4	96.6
13	Birmingham City	94	94.2	66.5	112	82.6	96.5
14	Newcastle	868	82.8	83.8	137	78	96.4
15	Birmingham	886	85.5	68.8	147	77.1	95.7
16	King's College London	835	80.1	70.8	161	78.9	95.6
17	Exeter	841	83.7	59.5	159	82.5	95.5
18	Glasgow	849	78.8	61.8	93	73.2	95.3
19*	Leeds	817	79.9	73.2	152	79.4	95
19*	Royal Holloway	874	84.5	60.5	135	82.9	95
19*	Surrey	89	81.7	63	126	83.4	95
21	Edinburgh Napier	932	90.7	48.2	156	75.5	94.9
22	Liverpool	871	87.5	65.5	132	80	94.8
24*	Cardiff	879	85.1	67.2	133	77	94.3
24*	Edinburgh	765	70.7	74.5	174	79.1	94.3
25	Sheffield	884	89.1	62.3	150	73.2	94.2
27	Canterbury Christ Church	968	87.1	53.2	72	72.3	94
28	Liverpool John Moores	939	90.7	58	113	77.3	93.9
29	Lancaster	933	87.8	48	136	79.9	93.4
30	Manchester Metropolitan	899	85.6	61.8	117	78.1	93.3
31	Longborough	91	83.7	54.5	138	75.1	93.2
32	Sussex	872	84.2	67	127	76.6	93
33	Keels	956	91.1	54.8	110	74.4	92.9
34	Manchester	811	76.2	66.5	157	75	92.8
35*	Aston	863	84.1	38	112	91.5	92.7
35*	Queen's, Belfast	875	83.1	47.5	144	78.5	92.7
37	East Anglia	862	82.7	67	132	73.1	92.5
38	Queen Mary, London	892	84.7	59.5	138	73.4	92.3
39	Bath Spa	875	80.6	51.7	115	82.8	92.2
39*	Teesside	987	90.7	49.2	92	72.2	92.2
40	Northumbria	921	85.4	54	122	74.1	92.1
42	Reading	874	80.1	51	119	81.4	92
43*	Bristol	788	75.4	54.5	164	77.7	91.8
43*	Swansea	922	87.5	60	130	67.3	91.8
45	Oxford Brookes	933	78.4	72.8	116	66.5	91.7
46	Huddersfield	886	74.5	60	106	80	91.6
47*	Bristol	941	95	42.8	115	73.3	91.5
47*	Dundee	867	82.9	40.8	166	72.6	91.5
49	Sunderland	92	90.5	96	87.5	91.4	91.4
50	Kingston	924	79.1	47	126	91.3	91.3

Law

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1	Cambridge	868	80.4	59.2	201	96.9	100
2	London School of Economics	872	85.5	61.3	199	87	98.5
3	University College London	818	75.9	74.5	182	93.1	98
4*	Durham	86	81.5	59.5	185	90.5	97.5
4*	Glasgow	762	74.6	66.8	232	88.7	97.5
6	Oxford	836	70	62	198	91.8	97
7	Strathclyde	877	87.5	45.8	205	84.4	96.9
8	Sheffield	873	89.4	55	155	91.7	96.7
9	Edinburgh	768	77.6	64.2	212	90.5	96.3
10	Bristol	802	80.9	67.5	173	88.4	95.7
11	Queen's, Belfast	783	81.2	62.3	169	91.8	95.5
12	Aberdeen	847	86.5	43.2	196	85.4	95.4
13	Leeds	812	85.8	66.5	167	83.3	94.9
14	King's College London	809	73.6	56.2	194	86.9	94.7
15	Queen Mary, London	825	82.8	57	163	86.9	94.4
16	Dundee	882	82.8	29.2	192	85.8	94.2
17*	Southampton	833	85	46.5	149	91.3	93.8
17*	Warwick	796	76.6	62	163	88.1	93.8
19	Nottingham	843	82.8	53.5	161	83.9	93.6
20	Ulster	869	82.5	55	132	87.5	93.5
21	Surrey	893	84.4	41.5	129	88	92.8
22	Exeter	773	77.5	54.8	158	90	92.7
23	Birmingham	771	77.2	61.5	152	88.4	92.6
24	Lancaster	864	86	48	145	81.9	92.5
25	York	807	81.7	49.2	154	85.9	92.2
26	Liverpool	794	83.2	51.5	146	85.4	91.7
27	Cardiff	744	78.8	60.5	149	87.3	91.6
28	Aston	857	87.7	43.5	122	84.7	91.3
29*	Manchester	799	76.4	40.8	159	86	90.8
29*	Newcastle	79	81.6	43.8	146	87.5	90.8
29*	Stirling	799	76.2	38.5	194	78.2	90.8
32	Kent	811	80.4	60.8	120	78.4	90.7
33	East Anglia	861	86.9	32.5	116	88.4	90.6
34	Royal Holloway, London	858	83.8	38	134	87.2	90.3
35	Northumbria	862	85.1	30.8	125	85.1	90
36*	Manchester Metropolitan	885	87.8	42.8	115	77.4	89.8
36*	Nottingham Trent	865	84.7	53	109	77.5	89.8
36*	Sussex	859	84.8	44.8	126	80.2	89.8
39	Lancaster	817	82.9	32	132	86.1	89.4
40	Edinburgh Napier	864	85.8	51.5	168	82.4	89.2
41	Essex	831	83.5	56	118	74.6	89
42	Hertfordshire	886	87.3	29	117	78.9	88.7
43	South Wales	879	84	33.5	115	78.6	88.5
44	Kingston	896	87.9	27	102	80	88.2
45	West of England	844	82.5	46.5	109	75.7	87.9
46	Plymouth	829	81.3	37.2	114	79.7	87.5
47*	Edge Hill	90	91.5	36	115	67.5	87.5
47*	Robert Gordon	849	80.3	41	148	87.2	87.5
49*	Abertay	853	84	5	87	87.8	87.4
49*	Gloucestershire	912	84.4	8.8	104	84.8	87.4

Mathematics

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1	Oxford	866	78.5	83.2	212	93.6	100
2	Imperial College	864	86.9	76.8	211	89.8	99.1
3	Cambridge	873	82.5	78	225	87.2	99
4	St Andrews	905	88.3	57.5	230	88.5	98.7
5	Hertel-Watt	885	88.4	66	190	90	97.6
6	Warwick	86	84.9	73.5	200	87.9	97.4
7	Bristol	826	80.5	77	188	91	96.6
8	Sheffield	906	90.3	59.2	154	85.9	94.8
9	Bath	813	83.2	81.5	189	90.2	94.7
10	Lancaster	883	83.3	70	160	83.7	94.5
11	Durham	853	79.1	48.8	204	88.9	94.3
12*	Birmingham	887	83.6	58.8	161	87	94.2
12*	London School of Economics	799	80.7	64	175	92.2	94.2
14*	Glasgow	763	73.5	74.5	216	84.6	93.9
14*	Manchester	838	84.2	66	172	85	93.9
15*	University College London	834	84.7	57.5	176	87.4	93.6
17	Edinburgh	751	72.6	66	218	86.3	93
18*	Queen's, Belfast	879	80.3	44.5	169	88.2	92.8
18*	Strathclyde	864	85.1	43.2	210	80.5	92.8
20	Exeter	839	83.9	64.1	161	82.7	92.3
21	Nottingham	814	87.1	57.5	164	87.5	92.2
22*	Dundee	866	84.5	55.2	186	73.3	91.2
22*	Southampton	824	81	61.5	164	80.6	91.2
24*	Leeds	805	81.9	55.2	160	85.4	91.1
24*	Longborough	84	85.3	46.5	162	83.8	91.1
24*	Manchester Metropolitan	937	92.3	45.5	124	79.2	91.1
24*	Swansea	879	87.2	58.2	117	82.7	91.1
28*	Aberdeen	872	84.8	40	170	91	91
28*	York	84	81.4	55	161	81.4	91
30	King's College London	836	83.8	59.5	169	75.8	90.7
31*	Aston	909	93.7	35.2	120	84.9	90.6
31*	Cardiff	825	85.5	45.5	141	88.2	90.6
33*	Lancaster	827	78.9	51.7	119	91.8	90.5
33*	Newcastle	837	85.2	48	178	85.9	90.5
35	Sussex	894	91.9	50	131	76.5	90.2
36*	Nottingham Trent	874	86	59	158	80.4	90.1
36*	Reading	889	92.9	51.5	120	75.7	90.1
38*	Essex	907	92.9	29	141	80.5	89.6
38*	Hertfordshire	898	89	45.5	123	78.6	89.6
40*	East Anglia	866	87.6	44.5	136	78.8	89.2
40*	Surrey	851	86.7	35.5	141	85.5	89.2
42	Aberystwyth	958	90.7	22.5	118	79.2	88.7
43	Kent	835	80.7	46.5	136	80.9	88.5
44*	Plymouth	899	92.3	22.5	121	82.8	88.3
48*	Queen Mary, London	828	82.5	53.5	142	76.6	88.3
46	Liverpool John Moores	928	92.6	26	119	77.4	88.1
47	Coventry	84	84	31.8	108	83.6	88
48	City St George's	821	80.8	52	115	79.3	87.3
49	Stirling	757	64.9	41.8	174	84.2	87.1
50	Keels	895	79.6	27.3	131	74.7	86

Mechanical engineering

Rank	University	Teaching Quality	Student Experience	Research Quality	Entry Points	Graduate Prospects	Overall Score
1	Imperial College	88	89.2	81	222	96	100
2	Cambridge	804	80.8	77.2	222	97.2	97.3
3	Oxford	804	78.8	77.5	213	94	95.4
4	Sheffield	898	88.3	66.8	170	89.2	93.7
5	Bath	883	83	49.5	191	93	93
6	Bristol	807	78.9	68	176	92.2	92.2
7	Hertel-Watt	831	81.6	55.5	182	90.3	91.2
8	Southampton	834	81	70	168	85.8	91
9	Strathclyde	754	77.2	52.8	212	90.9	90.8
10	Leeds	807	82.4	64.8	174	87.5	90.7
11	Birmingham	791	81.8	63.7	149	84.4	90.2
11	Nottingham	821	82.1	59	148	93.6	90.2
13	University College London	799	77.2	70	179	83.2	88.8
14	Liverpool	899	83.7	57	143	86.4	89.7
15	Longborough	828	82.8	46.5	167	84.4	88.5
16	Edinburgh	752	73.6	55.5	202	87.4	89.2
17	Surrey	882	84.3	55.2	130	88.7	88
18	Queen's, Belfast	807	80.9	51	158	89.7	88.4
19	Manchester	76	76.8	63	176	83.5	88
20	Dundee	84	79.8	50.2	172	81.8	87.9
21	Glasgow	645	59.6	63.5	212	90.8	87.5
22	Aberdeen	758	77.6	35.8	178	92	87
23	Lancaster	828	81.2	44.8	142	87.4	86.5
24	Queen Mary, London	758	79.2	66	146	82.3	86.4
25	Swansea	841	82.7	40.8	119	86.7	85.9
26	Bradford	961	84.1	27	120	85.8	85
27	Cardiff	752	74.5	54	141	90.6	85.6
28	Robert Gordon	798	73	20.5	184	90	85.5
29	Nottingham Trent	841	78.3	59	104	85.3	85.4
30	Lancaster	85	80.6	39.8	120	88.4	85.3
31	Edinburgh Napier	825	85.2	22.8	147	88.2	84.9
32*	Exeter	742	76.3	47	147	84.8	84.2
32*	Newcastle	697	77.5	58.5	132	89.3	84.2
32*	Sussex	785	81.4	29.5	134	90.8	84.2
35*	Northumbria	859	84.9	43	122	77.4	83.8
35*	Plymouth	86	79.8	32.5	118	85.6	83.8
37*	Liverpool John Moores	80	83.4	45.5	114	82.4	83.3
37*	Ulster	77	71.3	40.8	122	85.8	83.3
39	Hull	867	79.6	36.2	110	79.6	82.4
40	Kent	806	77.9	41.5	111	81.9	81.9
41	Manchester Metropolitan	861	80.1	45.5	120	69.7	81.6
42*	Coventry	874	84	23.5	104	80.4	81.3
42*	Teesside	941	90.3	18.8	116	70.8	81.3
43	Aston	782	71.7	35.2	120	81.7	82.7
45	Glasgow Caledonian	788	77.3	12.8	154	80.3	80.6
46*	Surrey	816	74.5	14	120	84.9	80
46*	West of Scotland	871	84.5	16.5	119	80	80.5
48*	Lincoln	844	72.8	24	114	79	79.9
48*	London South Bank	879	86.4	27.3	109	70.4	79.9
50	Brighton	706	67.9	36.5	98	90.2	79.5

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