I
在诸多美好愿景中，伊朗本应经历世俗政权更迭，其核能力被“抹除”，其野心被不可撤销地放弃并接受国际监督。霍尔穆兹海峡将在所有意义上向国际航运开放，而伊朗的伙伴——哈马斯和胡塞武装——将在以色列的积极协助下被摧毁。
伊朗将不再是持久且不稳定的地区威胁，而是在今天重生为美国可靠的朋友和盟友，承认以色列国家，并开放进行利润丰厚的商业交易。
然而，伊朗并非如此。美国总统所提出的主张中，唯一被证明准确的是老阿亚图拉已去世（但似乎被能力更强的武装分子所取代），以及伊朗陈旧的常规军队、空军和海军已被消灭。
其余的部分，正如特朗普先生绝不会说的那样，是失败——事实上，是操作规模上的史诗级失败。目前弹药短缺的是美国，而非伊朗。由于以色列的愤世嫉俗与他自身笨拙的误判，以及
f 如果人们相信唐纳德·特朗普在过去几个月里关于他在伊朗那场未经计划且不祥之战的说法，那么这场战争现在应该已经结束了。
伊朗的固执与机敏，使得特朗普先生唯一取得的成就，就是启动了一场他曾向美国人民承诺绝不会让他们陷入的那种永无止境的泥潭式冲突。“让美国再次伟大”（Maga）的追随者们正逐渐感到幻灭。
事实上，目前最令人担忧的并非战争在升级——双方的轰炸几乎已成为常规——而是在于战争正在扩大。例如，在西岸，以色列定居者的侵略行为有所增加，且显然得到了自满的以色列军队的支持。加沙的停火也未能停止那里的杀戮，而特朗普支持的重建计划仍然是一个奇怪的白日梦。
埃及首次遭到攻击——一架伊朗或其代理人的无人机击中了地中海沿岸的一个港口。沙特阿拉伯军队也被重新拖入与也门南部胡塞武装的冲突之中。这是因为胡塞武装正在攻击试图通过曼德海峡进入红海的船只，该海峡与阿拉伯半岛另一侧的霍尔穆兹海峡类似。
因此，全球石油和天然气供应再次受到威胁。伊朗支持的伊拉克民兵继续将美国基地作为目标，而伊朗对约旦美军的突袭打破了短暂的战斗停歇。科威特和阿联酋的民用基础设施、军事设施和能源工业依然脆弱——而他们现在开始反击。
北京也不愿在行动中缺席，据报道正向德黑兰供应数百枚便携式地对空导弹。关于俄罗斯帮助伊朗打击美国资产的难听传闻在持续流传，尽管特朗普总统对此似乎莫名地淡定。
在像中东这样一个混乱的世界地区，上述任何一项进展都会引发担忧。但此前从未出现过如此多种不同的宗教、种族和国家仇恨及竞争，如此剧烈且同时爆发。从塞浦路斯到伊拉克，从黎巴嫩到阿曼，每一个国家
很难准确预见这种极具爆炸性的混合体将如何带来新的痛苦与毁灭——但出乎意料的是，如何降低升级规模却显而易见：美国必须退出其对伊朗的战争，并强制以色列一同退出。
这场毫无意义的剧烈冲突结束的条款（无论是正式的还是隐含的），都将远无法达到特朗普总统此前陈述的各项战争目标。特朗普政府将无法对谁统治伊朗拥有否决权；不会有所谓的“无条件投降”；而伊朗将继续持有“核尘埃”、弹道导弹以及大量无人机。
总统所能做的——为了全球经济的起见，必须做的——就是（再次）宣布胜利，撤出军队，并转向一个旨在达成更全面解决协议的长期外交谈判进程。在这一努力中，他将获得海湾国家、欧洲和东亚盟友的全力支持。
对他而言，这将是痛苦的——但不会像他在 11 月期中选举中面临的损失以及随后多项弹劾指控那样痛苦。即便他并不在意人类其他成员的死活，他仍然需要自救。时间不多了。
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除非撤回出售赛事股份的计划，否则全部 55 个成员协会将投票采取行动
Jamie Braidwood
国际足联主席詹尼·因凡蒂诺与唐纳德·特朗普在新泽西的世界杯决赛现场 (PA)
欧洲足球管理机构已宣布，如果詹尼·因凡蒂诺将赛事股份出售给私人投资者的争议性计划获得通过，欧足联将抵制包括世界杯在内的国际足联各项赛事。
这一激进行动是在昨日召开的一次紧急会议后决定的，得到了欧足联全部 55 个成员协会的“一致”同意。一份声明确认，“只要这些提案依然存在，任何欧足联国家队将不会参加任何国际足联赛事”。
这也将损害明年在巴西举行的女子世界杯，因为卫冕冠军西班牙以及欧洲冠军英格兰队都为该赛事带来了巨大的商业利益。2023 年世界杯的亚军英格兰队将在 10 月面临两回合的资格赛附加赛，苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰同样如此。
英格兰足协的一位发言人呼应了欧足联的情绪，表示：“我们与欧洲同行肩并肩，全力支持这一集体观点。我们反对国际足联的计划——国际足联世界杯属于足球，且永远如此。”
欧足联主席亚历山大·切费林（右）已与因凡蒂诺开战 (路透社)
与此同时，2030 年世界杯的大部分赛事将在欧洲举行，西班牙和葡萄牙将与摩洛哥共同拥有举办权；此前将在由阿根廷、乌拉圭和巴拉圭主办的南美赛区进行比赛，以纪念该赛事的百年诞辰。
周二，国际足球联合会 (国际足联) 透露计划创建一家新的 $20bn 子公司，其中 20 per cent 由私人投资者持有，用于管理世界杯及其他重大赛事的商业权利和交付。由美国总统 唐纳德·特朗普 的女婿贾里德·库什纳的兄弟约书亚·库什纳领导的 Thrive Eternal 将主导这项新投资。
“这不仅是领导层的严重失败，更是国际足联作为世界足球守护者职责的缺失，”欧洲足球协会联盟 (欧足联) 表示。“一旦外部投资者获得了国际足联赛事的所有权权益，足球将永远改变。商业回报将成为一项永久性义务，投资者的预期将成为日常压力。”
在给成员协会的一封信中，因凡蒂诺承诺，如果新 FFE 子公司成立，在 2027 和 2031 之间的下一个四年周期内，各国足协将从“国际足联前行 (Fifa Forward)”计划中获得的资金将从约 $8m 增加到 $20m。
此外，信中指出，对于在 19 September 投票支持因凡蒂诺提案的成员协会，将提供另一笔 $20m 的“一次性”付款。随后，成员协会被警告称，如果投票未能通过，他们在 2027-2031 周期的资金将仅为 $10m，这意味着他们将损失 $30m。
欧足联的声明补充道：“全世界的国家协会现在面临一个最后通牒：要么接受足球最高级别赛事不可逆转的被吞噬，要么承担后果。这并非一项‘民主决定’，而是通过恐吓进行治理——这种胁迫行为与一个被委托管理全球比赛的机构是不相称的。”
许多较小的国家，尤其是欧洲以外的国家，在运营国家队、开发长期基层项目以及投资基础设施（如球场、青训学院和体育场）方面，更加依赖国际足联的资金支持。在此之前
西班牙在本月早些时候赢得了 2026 年世界杯 (Getty)
欧足联确认将发起抵制，而国际足联 211 个成员协会将在 19 September 进行投票。因凡蒂诺的提案仅需 50 per cent 以上的多数票通过，以及国际足联理事会的支持，这意味着欧足联仍需要另一个足协（如北美或亚洲）的更多支持，才有可能在投票中获胜并避免抵制。
欧足联声明全文
“欧足联及其 55 个成员协会立场一致。我们一致且明确地拒绝国际足联将世界杯及其他国际足联赛事的所有权权益转移给私人投资者的提案。
“世界杯不能被视为一种投资产品。它是足球最伟大的体育遗产之一。它是由跨越每个大洲的球员、国家队和支持者们经过几代人的努力建立起来的。它的任何部分都不应交给私人投资者。世界杯不容出售。”
“一项对足球如此重要的提案竟然在秘密中构思，并在未与那些受托管理这项运动的人进行任何实质性磋商的情况下，就被推向批准的边缘，这既是不负责任的，也是无法辩驳的。这不仅仅是领导层严重的失败，更是国际足联 (Fifa) 作为世界足球守护者职责的弃绝。
“现在，全球各地的国家协会面临着最后通牒：要么接受足球最高级别赛事被不可逆转地掌控，要么承担后果。这不是一个‘民主决定’，而是通过恐吓进行的治理——这种胁迫行为与一个受托管理全球赛事的机构所应具备的身份不相称。
“但我们的反对远不止于程序问题。
“一旦外部投资者获得国际足联 (Fifa) 赛事的所有权权益，足球将永远改变。商业回报将变成一项永久性的义务。投资者的预期将成为一种日常压力。从那一刻起，国际赛程的每一项决定、比赛形式的每一项决定以及塑造足球未来的每一项决定，将不再由什么最有利于这项运动来驱动，而将由什么最有利于股东来驱动。
“这种模式在世界足球中没有生存空间。足球的未来不能由那些首要职责是最大化财务回报的人的预期来主宰。国家协会、联赛、俱乐部、球员和支持者的利益也不能从属于投资者的回报。足球不能为了财务收益而抵押其未来。
“欧洲的立场很明确。我们永远不会赋予这种模式合法性。没有人拥有道德权威去出售他们仅仅是为下一代代管的东西。
“基于今天的讨论，只要这些提案依然存在，所有欧洲足球协会联盟 (Uefa) 的国家队将不会参加任何国际足联 (Fifa) 的赛事，除非该提案被完全放弃，并且得到了国际足联 (Fifa) 将会
“任何人都不应产生疑虑：欧洲足球协会联盟 (Uefa) 及其国家协会将以绝对的决心反对这些计划。
“在某些时刻，衡量一个机构的标准不在于它准备接受什么，而在于它拒绝在什么问题上妥协。现在就是这样一个时刻。
“有些东西实在太重要了，不能出售。国际足联 (Fifa) 世界杯属于足球。它永远属于足球。只要欧洲还拥有话语权，它就永远不会被出售。”
推荐
深入解析欧洲足球协会联盟 (Uefa) 的世界杯抵制计划——以及国际足联 (Fifa) 接下来可能采取的行动
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数百人被撤离
由于草地火灾难以控制，赛兹韦尔 B (Sizewell B) 核电站进入高度警戒状态
Holly Evans
莱斯顿附近邓威奇荒原的一名消防员（萨福克郡消防与救援服务局）
随着英国被第四波热浪席卷，一场巨大的野火威胁到萨福克郡海岸的住宅，导致数百人被撤离，一座大型核电站进入警戒状态。
周三，随着火焰吞没邓威奇荒原，当局宣布进入重大事故状态。包括婴儿和儿童在内的 200 处房产、度假小屋、一个农场和一个大篷车公园的家庭被迫在深夜逃离。
120 多名消防员在“艰苦的条件下”彻夜工作，以控制这场“大规模、风力驱动”的大火。火势正迅速向西南方向蔓延，威胁到 19 世纪的圣詹姆斯教堂，并引发了大规模的
Westleton村会馆已设立一个疏散中心。萨福克郡消防救援服务局局长乔恩·莱西（Jon Lacey）表示，“很难说”他们何时能够返回，并警告称大火预计将持续长达36小时。起火原因尚未确定。
与此同时，英国各地的消防部门正面临极端压力，截至目前，7月份已记录到近400起野火，使其成为有记录以来最繁忙的7月。国家消防局局长理事会（NFCC）表示，今年的野火数量已经达到了2021, 2023和2024年总和的规模。
NFCC主席菲尔·加里根（Phil Garrigan）表示：“野火不再是孤立或季节性事件。它们正成为我们的社区和应急服务面临的风险中一个反复出现且不断增长的特征。随着气候和环境条件的持续变化，我们必须确保我们的消防救援服务具备应对这一挑战的能力。”
与此同时，由于河流干涸，整个威尔士和半个英格兰目前处于干旱状态，其他地区也面临风险。农民警告称，创纪录的干旱条件可能会引发粮食短缺和价格上涨。
安娜·西摩尔（Anna Seymour），56, 岁，当时与她的两只小猫住在萨福克郡Cliff House度假公园的一栋圆木小屋里，该公园共有200辆房车被疏散。就在那时，她察觉到了荒原上的烟雾。
“我不记得我们被[疏散]的确切时间了。我当时坐在俱乐部里，周围很嘈杂，有消防车的声音。在那个地方你显然从未听过这样的声音，因为那里确实是一个没有任何噪音的地方，而很多消防车正朝着荒原方向驶去，”她告诉《独立报》。
“大约20分钟后，有人说邓威奇起火了。我回到小屋检查小猫，然后有人敲门说，‘去疏散点’。”她将这次疏散描述为一个平静的过程，但说在离开现场后有“大量烟雾”。
贾斯汀·诺斯（Justin North）告诉BBC，在晚上11. 30左右，有人在他位于邓威奇悬崖（Dunwich Cliffs）的度假小屋门上“猛敲”，他和他妻子被要求“立即离开”。
消防员将继续在接下来的24 to 48小时内处理这场大火（天空新闻）
这对夫妇被迫在车内过夜，之后才进入疏散中心，他们表示居民之间有一种“类似闪电战的精神（blitz spirit）”。
火场距离Sizewell B核电站约3英里，据了解，当局正在监测这一被消防员称为“实时且动态”的情况。
运营该场地的EDF发言人表示：“邓威奇荒原的火灾目前没有影响Sizewell B电站的运行，但我们将继续监测情况。”
当局确认，由于局势发展迅速且“规模大、复杂性高”，萨福克郡已启动重大事件状态，目前火势正向内陆蔓延。
该服务机构的一名站长丹·戴维斯（Dan Davis）发出紧急呼吁，请公众远离该区域，并确保窗门关闭。
安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) 承诺消防部门将获得其所需的“所有支持” (路透社)
“这是一起非常严重的事件。我将确保萨福克郡消防救援局获得所有必要的支持、互助、其他服务以及任何需要投入的资源。”
该地区的前保守党议员特蕾莎·科菲 (Thérèse Coffey) 表示这是一个“令人悲伤的消息”，并希望火势不要蔓延到 RSPB Minsmere 自然保护区。
萨福克郡的这场大火是英国各地正在应对的几起重大山火之一。目前英国其他地区有 8 起山火正在燃烧并“受到监控”，消防负责人警告称，仍存在更多火点被点燃的“高风险”。
与此同时，英国正经历两年内的第二次干旱，极低的降雨量和高温对环境造成了严重影响，波及 28 million 人。
环境局警告称，英格兰的大片地区正遭受“闪电干旱”，包括东安格利亚、赫特福德郡以及整个伦敦、泰晤士河谷、汉普郡和怀特岛、德文郡和康沃尔郡，以及西
一架直升机将从海中采集的水运送到靠近 Sizewell B 核电站的山火现场 (PA)
英国卫生安全局表示，今年英格兰因热浪导致的人数预计将创下有记录以来的最高值，5 月和 6 月打破纪录的热浪已导致 2,877 人死亡。这几乎是去年 6 月至 8 月与热浪相关的 1,504 人死亡人数的两倍。
在苏格兰，救援人员表示他们在处理凯恩戈姆山脉的一场山火方面取得了“显著进展”，该火灾在持续燃烧两周后仍在继续。
由于浓烟滚滚升向天空，该偏远地区的数处民居已被疏散，大片树木、石楠花和草地被烧焦变黑。
苏格兰消防救援局 (SFRS) 副助理局长迈克尔·汉弗莱斯 (Michael Humphreys) 在周三地表示，消防队伍在扑灭大火方面取得了进展。然而，他警告称，再次复燃的风险仍然很高。
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H
六十年前，工党被迫任命一名“干旱大臣”——结果令人惊讶。 肖恩·奥格雷迪 (Sean O’Grady) 探讨今年夏天的极端天气将如何成为一个政治烫手山芋
70 年代的情况有所不同；1976 年，19, 岁的模特 Cerica 在北安普顿郡干涸的皮茨福德水库 (Pitsford Reservoir) 拍照 (PA)
英格兰的一半地区和整个威尔士目前官方宣布处于干旱状态。这不仅仅是天气问题；全球范围内极端天气带来的经济和政治影响正逐渐显现。
不完全是这样——我们以前也经历过干旱，尤其是 1976 年那个漫长的夏天：从 1975 年 5 月到 1976 年 8 月，降雨极少。但很少有这么多干旱如此密集地发生，更不用说还伴随着潮湿的冬季；在过去的五年里已经出现了三次干旱——2022, 2025, 以及现在的 2026 年。
这对农民意味着什么？
他们身处前线，发现难以应对。连续数年记录到了创纪录的高温夏季，这种高温与更潮湿的冬季相结合，使得农民更难以种植传统作物和饲养牲畜。最好的情况是，这意味着产量和收获提前且减少；最坏的情况是，由于作物完全绝收，投入在灌溉和存储上的资金被白白浪费。
唐纳德·特朗普在中东的战争也推高了能源和化肥账单，而关于税收和工资的政策决定则让部分农业从业者的生活变得更加艰难。一场危机正在上演。
接下来会发生什么？
将不得不进口更多食品，这将给贸易逆差带来压力，并且会导致比正常情况下更高的通货膨胀。自脱欧以来失去补贴的部分农业领域将陷入危机，并要求政府提供资金援助——这对安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）来说是一个早期且痛苦的挑战。
该指责谁？
如果政治右翼能够日益意识到气候变化是真实的，并且需要采取地方和国际行动来应对并拯救地球上的生命（西北欧受长期趋势的影响尤为严重），那将是一件好事。
已经有一些迹象表明这种情况正在发生，尽管凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）仍然要求保守党的议会候选人放弃之前由特蕾莎·梅（Theresa May）写入法律的净零目标。
气候紧急情况日益增加的证据将损害那些仍处于否认状态的政党，特别是英国改革党（Reform UK），并将对绿党有所帮助（但或许在干旱过去之后，帮助不会那么大）。
丹尼斯·豪威尔在 1976 年被任命为“干旱部长”（Getty）
政府能做什么？
除了将农民从破产中解救出来，政府还可以加倍实施净零政策——而不是像伯纳姆那样削弱现有承诺——并继续建设更多的水库，无论那些破产的水务公司发生了什么。
很快就会有人要求伯纳姆采取更直接的“行动”，但他的选择有限。在 76 年的夏天，首相詹姆斯·卡拉汉（James Callaghan）任命体育部长丹尼斯·豪威尔（Denis Howell）为协调员，担任“干旱部长”；
豪威尔呼吁保持冷静，监督消防栓配给制，并提供节水建议，例如与伴侣共用浴缸。也许伯纳姆也可以树立一个类似的榜样，或许还可以拍一段有格调的 TikTok 视频？
如果不行，他可以将现任水务部长艾玛·哈迪（Emma Hardy）晋升为“缺水部长”——她已经在运营一个名为“国家干旱小组”的机构，成员包括气象局、公务员、监管机构、水务公司、农民、运河与河流信托基金会、钓鱼者和环保专家。她是否不得不告诉首相：“不，安迪，我不会为了社交媒体去跳祈雨舞的”？
我们能做什么？
政府表示：“小步骤，比如刷牙或刮胡子时关掉水龙头，缩短淋浴时间或修理漏水的马桶，累积起来也能产生显著效果。”
这会结束吗？
会的。在豪威尔于半个世纪前被任命后不久，长期的干旱期结束，大雨倾盆而下，滋润了那个心怀感激且干渴的国家。豪威尔创造了奇迹，但无论是他还是工党政府都没有获得相应的功劳。
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David Maddox 政治编辑
“我知道被威斯敏斯特的政客们忽视是什么感觉，”伯纳姆在公布另一项新政策时表示 (PA)
安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）表示，作为其“将权力从威斯敏斯特移出，并将其带到全国每个邮政编码区域”承诺的一部分，英格兰的市长将被允许保留在其区域内征收的部分税款。
首相允许市长保留一部分所得税和商业税率的计划，旨在激励地区领导人促进英国不同地区的经济增长。
然而，该计划尚未达到此前暗示的，即通过下放控制权允许市长自行提高税收的程度。
改革详情预计将在财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）秋季提交首份预算案时发布的白皮书中公布。
但担任大曼彻斯特市长约九年的伯纳姆先生表示，该政策的设计将确保“每位地方领导人都将拥有改善公共交通、建设住房和创造就业机会的权力和资源”。
政府表示，纳税人面临的所得税税率不会因此次改革而直接改变。
部长们将保留一项平衡机制，以便税收较低的地区继续获得财政支持。
伯纳姆先生表示：“我说过我们会将权力从威斯敏斯特移出，并将其带到全国每个邮政编码区域。今天，我们兑现这一承诺。
“根据我们的计划，社区内筹集的大部分税款将留在该社区。很快，每位地方领导人都将拥有改善公共交通、建设住房和创造就业机会的权力和资源。
“我知道被威斯敏斯特的政客们忽视是什么感觉。我现在担任首相，不会再犯同样的错误。
“整个政府现在将团结起来，支持那些迫切需要我们帮助的人和地区。这就是我们将重新带来希望，并将权力归还给你们的方式。”
英格兰的几个地区设有市长，包括大曼彻斯特、利物浦城市地区、剑桥郡和彼得伯勒，以及包括罗瑟勒姆和谢菲尔德在内的南约克郡。
伯纳姆先生上周五在曼彻斯特主持了他在 10 号北区（No 10 North）的首次会议，接待了多位地方领导人。当时他告诉他们：“我在这里尝试做的是让英国成为一个团队，我们所有人都在支持你们，因为你们所在的地区才是经济增长发生与否的关键之地。”
未来几年，该国部分地区的选民将首次选举市长，包括大埃塞克斯以及汉普郡和索伦特地区。
希利先生表示：“最了解雇主需要什么样的技能、一个地区需要什么样的交通以及投资在哪里能产生最大影响的人，正是居住在那里的人。
“我们首次给予市长一部分所得税，这样当当地经济增长时，社区能直接受益——将权力从威斯敏斯特移出，驱动每个邮政编码区域的增长。
“这就是我们开始建立新希望并推进这个国家劳动人民福祉的方式。”
住房、社区和地方政府大臣安杰拉·雷纳（Angela Rayner）表示，这一公告将“终结过去那种乞讨文化的氛围”，转而给予地方选出的领导人“他们推动社区一直渴望的变革所需的工具”。
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David Maddox
一项 More in Common 的民调显示，奈杰尔·法拉格（Nigel Farage）的支持率已跌至 -32% 的历史低点 (PA)
一项最新民调显示，奈杰尔·法拉格的支持率已跌至 2024 年大选以来的最低水平，这进一步证明了英国改革党（Reform UK）的支持率正处于崩溃边缘。
根据 More in Common 最新的政党领导人支持率调查，法拉格先生的支持率暴跌至 -32%，在短短两周内下降了约 10 个百分点。
与此同时，新任首相安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）的支持率达到了 +19%，他继续受益于就职头几天所积累的势头。他的支持率超过了高
保守党党魁凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）为 0，自民党党魁埃德·戴维爵士（Sir Ed Davey）为 -11，而同样遭遇运势剧烈下滑的绿党党魁扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）则为 -24。虽然法拉格先生的支持率仍高于基尔·斯塔默爵士在任期间一度跌至的 -49%，但 More in Common 的调查结果是这位英国改革党领导人在至少两年来的最差表现。
More in Common 的英国主管卢克·特里尔（Luke Tryl）表示：“令法拉格担心的可能不是反对率的上升——他一直是个极具争议的人物——而更多的是纯支持率的下降，这表明此前的一些支持者正在动摇。”
此次调查结果出炉前几天，More in Common 的另一项民调显示，工党在一年多来首次超过英国改革党，以 28%（上升四个百分点）的支持率领先，而法拉格先生的政党下降两个百分点至 24%。
法拉格先生受欢迎程度的迅速下降，源于数周以来负面头条新闻的冲击，关于未申报的礼品和捐赠，以及他从已被定罪的诈骗犯、顾问乔治·科特雷尔（George Cottrell）那里获得的利益等问题仍未得到解答。
与此同时，民调专家约翰·库蒂斯教授爵士（Professor Sir John Curtice）指出，自从法拉格先生辞去国会议员职务并宣布在克拉克顿（Clacton）举行补选以来，英国改革党本身的支持率下降了三个百分点。他此举是试图在议会标准委员会对其可能触发选区投票进行调查之前抢占先机。
尽管有 34 名候选人竞争此次补选，但在各大政党均拒绝参选后，预计法拉格先生将以压倒性优势获胜。他的主要竞争对手是喜剧演员“垃圾脸伯爵”（Count Binface）。然而，领先的民调专家罗伯特·海沃德勋爵（Lord Robert Hayward）警告称，法拉格先生受欢迎程度的下降对于改革党而言，比对其他政党带来的问题要严重得多。
法拉格受欢迎程度的迅速下降源于数周以来的负面头条新闻 (PA)
他告诉《独立报》：“奈杰尔·法拉格与改革党品牌的绑定程度比任何其他政党领导人与所属政党的绑定程度都要深。这意味着
但他补充道：“很难具体指出是什么导致了法拉奇（Farage）的迅速衰落。这不仅仅是关于捐款的问题。我认为安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）主导新闻的方式值得探讨；现在的所有关注点都在伯纳姆身上。”
自接管以来，伯纳姆先生在社交媒体平台上与法拉奇先生展开较量，发布了一系列 TikTok 风格的视频，包括盲测酒吧小吃。他还宣布了有利于消费者的政策，例如 £2 的公交车票封顶价、20 per cent 的酒吧营业率减免以及能源账单免征增值税（VAT）。
虽然人们对于伯纳姆先生将如何为他的承诺筹资仍有疑问，但他也明确表示，他计划解决社会护理危机，终结露宿街头现象，并将国防开支提高到 GDP. 的 3 per cent。
库蒂斯（Curtice）教授指出，法拉奇先生决定举行补选，这意味着根据 Ofcom 的规则，如果不在采访中提到其他 33 位候选人，将很难对他进行采访。
“这意味着他已经消失在电视屏幕上，因为这次补选让广播公司感到紧张，”他说道。“但毫无疑问，安迪·伯纳姆和工党正在利用夏季休会期来控制新闻议程，就像尼格尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）和改革党（Reform）去年那样做的一样。”
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Holly Bancroft 内政事务记者
昨日一名抗议者在西敏斯特治安法院外被捕 (Getty)
法官已裁定，“巴勒斯坦行动”（Palestine Action）可以向最高法院就其被列为恐怖组织的禁令提出上诉，这将使其在今年秋季与内政部展开最后的法律之战。
上诉法院上月裁定，该团体根据反恐法被禁止是合法的，这是政府的一次重大胜利。
首席大法官卡里男爵夫人（Baroness Carr）表示，“巴勒斯坦行动”的禁令是“对个人权利正当且适度的干预”，将该团体描述为“公开宣传相当于恐怖主义的非法暴力”的组织。
该禁令自去年 7 月 5 日起生效，规定加入或支持这一直接行动团体属于刑事犯罪，最高可判处 14 年监禁。
2025 年 7 月，在成员闯入布赖兹诺顿皇家空军基地（RAF Brize Norton）并破坏喷气式飞机以抗议加沙战争后，时任内政大臣伊薇特·库珀（Yvette Cooper）宣布禁止“巴勒斯坦行动”。
胡达·阿莫里（Huda Ammori）表示，如有必要，她将继续将法律斗争推进到欧洲人权法院 (Peace Pledge Union/YouTube)
上诉法院的一个由五名法官组成的小组发现，库珀女士的决定在维护国家安全的需要与干扰个人言论和集会自由权之间取得了“公正的平衡”。
判决后，阿莫里女士表示，这一决定是“现代英国历史上对言论自由和抗议权最极端的攻击之一”。
本周，大都会警察局警告在西敏斯特治安法院前进行抗议活动的抗议者，表达对“巴勒斯坦行动”的支持属于恐怖主义犯罪。
警方表示，昨日在伦敦中心的抗议活动中，约 77 人被捕。
数百人聚集在治安法院外，那里原定审理 2,000 多个与支持该团体相关的案件。但由于需等待最高法院的上诉结果，这些案件已被推迟至 10 月。
在回应其案件将提交至英国最高法院的消息时，阿莫里女士表示，昨天的逮捕行动“进一步证明了我们的主张，即对‘巴勒斯坦行动’的禁令已成为更广泛地打击表达与巴勒斯坦人民团结一致之行为的工具”。
她补充道：“我们将继续抗争这一禁令，一直打到最高法院，并在必要时提交至欧洲人权法院，以推翻这一已成为现代英国历史上对言论自由和抗议权最极端攻击的行为。”
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Amelia Neath
住宿提供方将向所有前往爱丁堡的游客收取 5% 的税费 (Getty/iStock)
爱丁堡的自助餐饮住宿业主对该市新推出的游客税表示担忧，声称这增加了小型企业的压力。
上周五，即 7 月 24 日，新税法正式生效，爱丁堡成为英国第一个在全市范围内引入游客税的地区。
爱丁堡市议会对此项新税表示欢迎，称筹集到的资金将通过重新投入公共服务，帮助减轻游客给该市基础设施带来的压力。
苏格兰首府的所有付费住宿现在将在原预订费用之外收取 5% 的费用，连续住宿最高上限为五晚。该税项由住宿提供方收取，随后缴纳给当地政府。
虽然该税项将为市议会提供一笔新的资金池，但一些负责收取该税款的小型度假租赁业主担心，这将如何影响他们的业务以及爱丁堡更广泛的旅游业。
且由于边缘艺术节（Fringe）仅剩几天就要开幕，游客们的意见也产生了分歧。本周早些时候，边缘艺术节的表演者告诉《独立报》，他们欢迎这项新旅游税，以抵消诸如单身汉派对（stag and hen dos）等周末度假带来的影响。但苏格兰芭蕾舞团（Scottish Ballet）——每年支付超过 £200,000 的费用让艺术家们在爱丁堡住宿——最近透露，由于这项税收，他们将取消 12 月的部分演出。该公司执行董事 Steven Roth 表示，在税收的影响下，“前往爱丁堡巡演的经济成本正迅速变得不可持续”。
一场官僚主义的头痛
Paul Phillips 在爱丁堡市中心经营一家短期租赁自助餐饮住宿已有六年，他表示，虽然他认为该税项在原则上是个好主意，但市议会在制定这一“比例相称且公平”的方案时，并未与该行业进行沟通。
“我认为这项税收是个好主意，因为游客为这座城市做出回馈是有好处的，”他说。“在像爱丁堡这样游客众多的地方，他们对城市基础设施提出了很多要求，所以我认为原则上设立这项税收是非常好的。”
然而，Phillips 先生补充说，征收此税给小型企业带来了压力。他表示，这是一个“极其复杂且包含许多豁免项的方案”。
“计算起来非常复杂，因为它不仅仅是一个简单的百分比。你必须从税基中扣除非住宿元素，”他补充道。“5% 看起来不多，但许多企业在支付 20% 的增值税（VAT），而且我们实际上还得在税费之外额外支付增值税。”
住宿提供方在计算税金时必须排除额外费用，因为税收应仅针对住宿成本征收。这意味着在计算税费时，餐食、饮料和交通等项目都需要被扣除。
苏格兰芭蕾舞团负责人表示，“前往爱丁堡巡演的经济成本正迅速变得不可持续” (PA Archive)
该金额需在适用增值税之前计算出。由于游客税被视为应税营业额的一部分，它同样需缴纳增值税。所有提供方必须能够清晰地展示游客税的计算方式。法律要求他们将所有必要的记录保存至少五年。
“所以 5% 实际上变成了 6%，”Phillips 先生补充道。“这意味着我们有 26% 的成本在支付增值税和游客税。市议会本身并没有进行经济影响研究来分析：‘如果我们按这个金额征税，人们还会来这座城市吗？这对住宿价格会有什么影响？’”
他说，委员会在与企业合作“设计一个易于操作的方案”方面做得不够，“而且他们本应对该征收金的影响进行某种经济分析”。
《独立报》获悉，在征收该款项之前，委员会在 2024, 年与企业以及公众进行了磋商。它还邀请关键机构对新的征收金支付平台进行测试，并在收到初步反馈后进行了调整。
在爱丁堡拥有自助餐饮住宿设施，且担任苏格兰自助餐饮业协会 (ASSC) 爱丁堡分会董事兼运营者的 Ralph Averburch 同意，新的征收金方案将使业务运营变得更加复杂。
“除了员工成本和国家保险成本等运营业务的所有其他开支外，我们已经在支付 20% 的增值税，”Averburch 先生说。“突然之间，他们引入了一项游客征收金，在某些情况下，这将使小型企业触及增值税起征点，这是一个巨大的额外负担。更糟糕的是，这个方案的设计方式使得实施起来简直是一场噩梦。”
在爱丁堡拥有多家自助餐饮单元的 Angus Neilsen 表示，在整个旅游业中，住宿业是唯一一个必须代收该税项的部门，这“不公平”。
他补充道：“所有其他同样受益的企业都不支付这项费用。餐厅、酒吧、游客景点、旅游公司——所有这些都在受益，但他们不需要承担任何成本。”
由住宿提供者征收该款项的决定，被载入 2024 年通过的《游客征收金（苏格兰）法案》中。
住宿所有者希望看到征收金被重新投资到游客使用的城市设施中 (VisitScotland)
度假租赁黑市
企业主们还对该征收金将在持牌企业与无牌广告企业之间造成的竞争加剧表示担忧，因为后者可以通过无牌经营来规避游客征收金。
Averburch 先生表示，黑市住宿目前完全没有受到监管或控制。他补充道：“他们现在增加了游客征收金，如果这些是合法持牌的房产，就应该支付这笔钱。但当然，他们不会支付。”
无牌住宿提供者使用 Facebook 等平台宣传其房间，但不会显示短期租赁许可证号。Neilsen 先生表示，如果筹集到的征收金被用于打击黑市的执法行动，他将“几乎感到满意”。
税金将如何支出
委员会公布了一份征收金将用于支出的领域清单，包括支持节庆活动、升级公共厕所、绿地以及创建市中心警务部门。该
Averburch先生认为，将资金用于治安、街道清理或垃圾清运将是一个错误，因为这些已经是地方当局的“法定责任”。
他说：“这就是他们在利用这笔现金来覆盖那些历史上本应由每年交付给[议会]的其他资金来源支付的费用。”
在游客税实施之前，议会宣布部分资金将用于创建近 500 套经济适用房，以缓解城市的住房危机。我们采访的住宿业主一致认为，这不应该是该税款的用途，因为税款应该重新投资于游客所使用的城市领域。
“我认为住房是个好主意。城市需要更多房屋，但该税款的目的不是为了资助住房，”Phillips先生辩称。他表示，他同意议会应将资金用于使城市更清洁以及支持节日等文化活动。
议会表示，更多经济适用房的出现将释放目前被居民用作临时住宿的 B&B（床位与早餐旅馆）。ASSC 的首席执行官 Fiona Campbell 表示，“众所周知，ASSC 从根本上反对商业税”。
她补充道：“但话虽如此，爱丁堡已经做出了决定，所以现在我们的重点必须放在执行上，且这种执行必须是高效且公平的，而目前的情况并非如此。我们希望确保爱丁堡在资金支出方式上保持透明。”
议会领袖 Jane Meagher 在一份声明中表示：“我们一直表示这是一个全市范围的基金，支出决定需要考虑到整个城市——并且我们非常感谢”
“我非常清楚这座城市的住宿供应商在每年的这个时候有多忙，在该计划生效之际，我们将继续竭尽全力支持他们。这对我们所有人来说都是一个共同努力、增强爱丁堡作为全球最受欢迎旅游目的地之一地位的绝佳机会。”
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生存必需品
捷克共和国布拉格动物园在热浪期间通过冰块提供帮助。路透社
烟雾信号
西西里岛埃特纳火山的火山口升起一股灰烟。AFP/Getty
凭信念飞翔
月亮在巴西里约热内卢的基督像身后闪耀。路透社
重获新生
印度尼西亚西班腾省莱巴克县索芒村的一座清真寺及周围建筑。为了给 2023 年启用并蓄水的卡里安大坝让路，这里曾被蓄意淹没，现因厄尔尼诺现象引发的干旱而重新现世。AFP/Getty
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一座位于兰开夏郡汉布尔顿的平房在 Darren Davies 将其炸毁后几乎被完全摧毁 (PA)
男子因遗嘱问题炸毁童年故居
一名兰开夏郡男子因错误地认为自己被排除在父母的遗嘱之外而炸毁其童年故居，被判处四年四个月监禁。55 岁的 Darren Davies 在父母去世后，与其兄弟 Craig 共同居住在汉布尔顿一座价值 £260,000 的平房中，随后他对该房纵火。邻居们在 2024 年 3 月 27 日听到一声巨响，随后屋顶坍塌，Davies 告诉一名路人：“我的家人想要这房子。如果我不能拥有它，那么谁也别想。”
普雷斯顿刑事法院审理期间获悉，Davies 在房屋周围放置了三个气瓶，在阁楼中倒入汽油并点燃蜡烛，导致爆炸并危及附近居民。他的兄弟告诉法庭，他们的父母将平房平等地留给了两个儿子，但 Davies 坚信有一份秘密遗嘱将房子单独留给了 Craig。这场大火摧毁了家庭
法庭获悉，戴维斯（Davies）有长期精神健康问题的病史，包括双相情感障碍、抑郁症、焦虑症和自闭症谱系障碍；一名精神科医生得出结论，他在纵火时正处于一次“自闭症危机”中。辩方律师尼尔·罗南（Neil Ronan）表示，戴维斯曾企图结束自己的生命，且在羁押期间接受治疗后取得了“巨大进步”。在量刑时，菲利普·帕里（Philip Parry）法官将其描述为“一起令人悲哀且严重的案件”，但表示戴维斯的责任“因你的精神障碍而大幅减轻”。他将在获准假释前，在羁押期间服刑至一半刑期。 PA
阿伯特在被停党一年后重新加入工党
资深国会议员戴安·阿伯特（Diane Abbott）表示，在经过内部调查后，她已重新被接纳进入工党。由于重复发表过此前已道歉的关于种族主义的言论，她在去年 7 月被该党停党。
另一位工党议员乔安妮·里德（Joani Reid）在昨晚也被重新接纳进入该党。在今年 3 月，由于其丈夫因涉嫌为中国从事间谍活动而被捕，她“自愿”申请了停党。
在社交媒体的一份声明中，阿伯特女士表示，她因另一条将以色列国防军称为“犹太国防军”的推文而“收到正式警告”。
她在为该推文道歉时表示，她“使用了将以色列国家行为与犹太社区混为一谈的措辞”，并对“这种混淆造成的任何伤害深表遗憾”。
这位资深议员随后被重新接纳进入该党，以便在 2024 年大选中竞选她的哈克尼北与斯托克纽因顿（Hackney North and Stoke Newington）选区席位。
东基尔布赖德与斯特拉文（East Kilbride and Strathaven）议员里德女士在自己的声明中表示，她“很高兴能充分参与支持我们的新任首相安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）及其政府，并致力于振兴苏格兰工党”。
警察局长在不当行为裁决前辞职
一个小组发现，一名在不当行为听证会前一天突然辞职的首席警长，如果他此前没有辞职，原本会被解雇。克里斯托弗·诺布尔（Christopher Noble）于 2025 年 8 月被暂停斯塔福德郡警察局（Staffordshire Police）最高职位的职务。
然而，这位 52 岁的人员在周二给斯塔福德郡警察与犯罪事务专员本·亚当斯（Ben Adams）的一封信中辞职，时间恰好在不当行为听证会预定开始的前一天。听证会在其缺席的情况下于斯塔福德郡会议中心举行，并于昨日结束。
小组认定针对诺布尔先生的指控属实。然而，由于小组施加的限制，其不当行为的细节无法报道。前议会标准专员、小组主席凯瑟琳·斯通（Kathryn Stone）表示，诺布尔先生违反了警察的专业行为标准。
伦敦剧院观众晕厥
在伦敦阿尔梅达剧院（Almeida Theatre）上演的《清洗》（Cleansed）首演之夜，莎拉·凯恩（Sarah Kane）这部极具挑衅性的戏剧不负盛名——一名观众在一段露骨的场景中晕厥。该剧首次上演于 1998,，是已故剧作家凯恩的五部剧作之一，凯恩于 1999 年自杀身亡。
这部剧之前的演出版本也引起了部分剧迷的类似反应，其中 2016 年在国家剧院上演的版本因观众席中出现的一连串晕厥和中途离场事件而登上了新闻头条。
在周三由 Rebecca Frecknall 为 Almeida 剧院执导的该剧首演之夜，一名观众被看到在工作人员的协助下离开观众厅。详见下方评论。
爆发性腹泻感染蔓延至英国
在导致美国数千人患病后，一种与爆发性腹泻相关的寄生虫疫情已蔓延至英国。根据英国健康安全局 (UKHSA) 昨日公布的数据，在从墨西哥返回的旅行者中，环孢子虫感染病例有所增加。
环孢子虫病感染会导致严重但非致命的症状，例如“爆发性腹泻”和呕吐。墨西哥中部瓜那胡亚托大学的流行病学家兼医生 Alejandro Macías 博士告诉《纽约时报》：“你几乎无法及时赶到厕所。”
最新数据显示，在 2026 年 4 30 日至 7 月 15 日期间，英格兰 (30)、苏格兰 (27) 和威尔士 (10) 的回国旅行者中共报告了 67 例病例——这与往年相比大幅上升，此前全年的平均记录病例数为 93 例。报告的 48 例病例来自前往墨西哥的人员，其中一人还报告曾前往美国。另有一例报告仅前往美国，一例前往肯尼亚。
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大量的血腥、惊恐与绝望，但真正的恐怖始终被隔绝在一定距离之外
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James C Reynolds 加入了吉伦德省不懈努力的志愿者消防员队伍，他们正在引导应急服务部门，甚至使用浇水壶来熄灭火焰和灰烬。
在我们无畏的记者攀附在拉卡诺周边森林的一辆皮卡车后部，与志愿者们一起搜寻突发火点 (James Reynolds / The Independent)。
我们六个人挤在丰田 Hilux 的后车厢里，在被野火蹂躏的森林土路上颠簸时，大家都紧紧抓着一个笼装水箱。沙质防火带在拉卡诺周围郁郁葱葱的林地与单调的、仍弥漫着浓烟的毁灭区域之间形成了鲜明对比。
皮卡车剧烈抖动并停了下来，一只伸出的手臂指向一个身影——一只孤独的鹿正飞快地穿过焦黑的树林。
拉卡诺是一个位于波尔多以西约 48km (30 英里) 的海滨小镇，在过去一周里，该镇已动员起来正面应对火灾威胁。数十名志愿者目前正昼夜不停地工作，引导消防员、为流离失所者提供食物并灭火。
我抵达该地区时，游客已被命令离开，预计即将到来的热浪将在未来几天使情况进一步恶化。
出租车和巴士拒绝直接前往该镇，Google 地图经常显示完全没有前往拉卡诺的可行路线。
一辆装载着水且配备了志愿者的皮卡车，准备在森林周围巡逻并搜寻突发火点。
拉卡诺周围郁郁葱葱的森林所剩无几
警方在周边设置了检查站，当我们试图进入时，有源源不断的露营车正从相反方向驶出。
我的向导是 Pao Borecka，一名 31 岁的女性，她六年前搬到了这个林地社区，开始组织文化活动和绘画。现在她说，她在 Pont du Hourbiel 运河（志愿者们在此抽水并进行巡逻）和镇上（当地人在此准备食物并照顾撤离者）之间奔波，完全没有时间画画。
自 7 月 22 日野火爆发以来，居民们已在近一周内尽职尽责。这场火灾摧毁了数百栋建筑，迫使周边地区近 25 万人离开家园。
当地人照料着一只野猪，它是许多因山火而失去家园的动物之一
居民们提着水桶进入被摧毁的景观中，亲自帮忙灭火
这些火灾吸引了来自全国各地的应急服务部门，但他们似乎依赖于当地人的勇敢，这些人愿意冒生命危险引导他们穿过森林。每隔几分钟，就有一辆巡逻车回到运河边，而另一辆则载满志愿者出发，有时甚至在消防车前方行驶。
在森林中度过了几天后，一些志愿者的眼睛因烟雾而发红，声音变得沙哑。长距离地走入林中，让另一些人的脚踝被灼伤，脚上长满了水泡。Pao 说，在穿行于阴燃的森林时，她已经走丢了两双鞋，因为如果你站得太久，地面会烫脚。这项工作很艰苦，但必须有人去做。
这次访问本身显得十分凄凉；空气浓厚且有毒，难民们在空旷的大厅里睡在行军床上，人们坦诚地讨论着如果火势恶化，就计划逃离公社并营救亲人的方案。但拉卡诺（Lacanau）人民内心深处的基本善良依然闪耀。
一名站在卡车顶上的志愿者看着 Canadair 灭火飞机从头顶飞过
消防员在镇上提供食物的中心停下来休息和进食
所有人都预期会在这里待到火灭为止。在面对面前这项巨大的工程时，没有人犹豫或退缩，他们倾尽所有。有些人说他们已经在这里待了五天，有些人每天工作 15 小时，但似乎没有人有一刻忘记自己的任务。
许多人失去了生意，不得不接纳因火灾而流离失所的朋友、亲戚和陌生人。但他们也知道自己还有多少东西可能失去；在向南半小时车程的勒波尔日（Le Porge），据说自上周以来已有 150 栋以上的房屋被烧毁。
因此，尽管疲惫不堪，尽管阳光灼热，且每个人都承认承受着心理压力，志愿者的队伍依然“像蚂蚁一样”继续从运河向森林进发，拿着浇水壶和水桶，防止灰烬再次复燃。
在镇上，人们也在做同样的事情。祖父母们制作三明治送给志愿者。因火灾而关闭的当地餐厅也尽可能提供帮助。皮卡车运送着水和救援物资来回穿梭，Canadair 灭火飞机在头顶俯冲，前线现在仅在 2 公里之外。
当我们搬水搬到疲惫不堪时；他们会通过一份出租车公司名单打电话，寻找一家愿意在他们继续坚守的同时开车把我送回去的公司。
在港口，居民们采集用水，用于森林的灭火工作
Nico，一名致力于控制火势的志愿者之一
18 岁的马蒂亚斯·蒙塞尼（Mathias Monseigne）是一群勇敢的志愿者之一，他们在拉卡诺的乌尔比尔桥（Pont du Hourbiel）支持消防队
我对 Pao 以及她为了做正确的事而展现出的坚定能量感到敬畏。她意识到继续工作对自己带来的风险，并懂得何时需要休息或大笑来调节自身状态。但她和她的邻居们带着一种富有感染力的责任感，在经历了所有损失之后依然坚持前进。
在皮卡车后座的旅途中，我们看到在焦黑的森林中散布着动物饲料和水，为其他受火灾影响的生命提供帮助。这项工作，就像那样，有时需要一种冷静的超脱，以便在不被情绪淹没的情况下继续进行。但在其他时刻，在最糟糕的时艰里，面对这些对人性中普遍善良的温柔提醒，不可能不被地深深触动。
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该西班牙飞地的地区政府负责人呼吁部署军队
David Latona
西班牙媒体报道称，周四约有 2,000 到 3,000 人从摩洛哥进入休达（Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.）
在摩洛哥发生大规模移民跨境导致 9 人死亡后，西班牙准备部署军队，以恢复其在休达与摩洛哥之间“完全崩溃”的边境秩序。
在国内力量周四被数千名移民压倒之后，武装部队将派遣 60 人前往该西班牙飞地增强警力。
马德里方面表示，将派遣武装部队协助国民警卫队“维护休达市的安全”，并补充说，首相佩德罗·桑切斯（Pedro Sánchez）将与内政部长费尔南多·格兰德-马拉斯卡（Fernando Grande-Marlaska）于今日一同访问该地区。
“无法给出精确数字，但有数千名移民正在跨境，”他说道，并补充称边境已“完全崩溃”。
视频画面显示，数百名移民使用充气内胎和其他漂浮设备从摩洛哥一侧游过来，另一些人则冲破围栏的大门跑进城市，许多人高喊着“Viva España!”（西班牙万岁！）。
国家电视台 TVE 报道称，已有 2,000 到 3,000 人跨境。
画面显示人群在塔拉哈尔（Tarajal）海滩的防波堤周围走动 (AP)
这一场景让人想起 2021, 年 5 月发生的跨境事件，当时约 10,000 名来自摩洛哥和撒哈拉以南非洲的人员（其中许多是未成年人）在短短几天内进入了这个人口 85,000 人的飞地。
摩洛哥北部摩洛哥人权协会成员 Achraf Maimouni 将此次情况描述为“异常”。
在引入军队之前，这个西班牙微小领地的当局已呼吁政府宣布国家紧急状态并派遣军队。
休达位于非洲北海岸，与摩洛哥接壤。对于寻求更好经济机会或逃离原籍国暴力的移民来说，西班牙是进入欧洲的主要到达点。
西班牙因对移民采取较为温和的立场而在欧洲中脱颖而出 (AP)
在西班牙和摩洛哥边境局势升级之前，试图到达这个小型飞地的移民人数激增，主要通过游泳方式。
西班牙内政部表示，将保证其公民安全和国家边境安全，但政府不能因移民问题而宣布国家紧急状态。
画面显示大批人群（主要是摩洛哥人）在塔拉哈尔（Tarajal）海滩的防波堤周围走动并进入当地道路。
移民权利活动人士 Zakaria Zarroqui 表示，情况“在我们说话时依然失控”，并补充说人们仍在向摩洛哥城市夫尼德克（Fnideq）聚集，试图进入休达。
当地人呼吁征调军队来处理这一局面 (Reuters)
休达地区政府负责人胡安·赫苏斯·维瓦斯（Juan Jesús Vivas）呼吁中央政府以国家安全为由宣布国家紧急状态，请求增加警力并在边境部署军队。
维瓦斯先生表示，额外的警察和士兵对于“保证边境的神圣不可侵犯和公民安全”是必要的。
他在周三曾警告称，移民接收中心已不堪重负，数百人睡在街头。
许多当地商店关闭营业。在休达市中心经营一家女装店的 Enrique Serrano 告诉路透社，店主们正在自组织以保护其财产和
“我今天下午不营业，因为局势极其紧张……我首要的任务是保护我的生意和我的家人，”他说道，并补充称，在午夜之后围栏被突破时，数百名移民在几分钟内就冲了进来。
内政部表示，关于宣布国家紧急状态的立法并未将移民流动视为对国家安全的风险。
一名当地店主表示，当午夜之后围栏被突破时，数百名移民在几分钟内就冲了进来 (AP)
该部门表示，政府行政部门正在“协调，以迅速且有效地应对塞乌塔 (Ceuta) 的局势”。
该部称，摩洛哥政府正与西班牙“密切合作”处理这一局势，并表示摩洛哥警方正在拦截“大量”试图跨境的人员。
西班牙的社会党政府因其亲移民立场在欧洲脱颖而出，并且最近启动了一项计划，为约 500,000 名无证移民提供合法身份，这导致申请人数激增至该数字的两倍。
AP
右翼政党批评了这一举措，认为这将吸引更多移民来到西班牙，并迅速指责桑切斯先生导致塞乌塔的局势达到了危机程度。
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Maira Butt
以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡表示，在纽约市市长佐兰·马姆达尼敦促美国政府因涉嫌战争罪而将其逮捕后，他仍将继续前往纽约进行访问 (Reuters)
以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡表示，他不担心在纽约作为涉嫌战争罪的嫌疑人被逮捕，并称如果有人尝试这样做，特种部队已处于待命状态。
纽约市市长佐兰·马姆达尼最近呼吁联邦政府执行国际刑事法院在 2024 年针对内塔尼亚胡先生发出的逮捕令。
虽然美国并非成员国，但该逮捕令意味着内塔尼亚胡先生现在是一名国际通缉嫌疑人，且国际刑事法院的 124 个成员国（包括英国）在他进入其领土时有义务将其逮捕。
“你进行国际旅行，上帝保佑你没有医疗紧急情况且需要降落，而你即将降落在一个承认国际刑事法院的国家。这可能会使情况复杂化。你会担心吗？”汉尼蒂问道。
“是的，我会想到，”内塔尼亚胡先生回答道。“你知道，我们有特种部队在周围。我服役过五年。”
汉尼蒂回应称以色列军队“相当强悍”，对此内塔尼亚胡先生说：“是的。让我们给他们一项新任务。”
他表示，他没有计划取消即将于 9 月前往纽约参加联合国大会的行程。
佐兰·马姆达尼将内塔尼亚胡描述为一名“战争罪犯” (Getty)
“首先，我要去纽约……我将在这个散布仇恨的民选官员面前讲述真相，”他说道。“他在挑拨纽约市的不同群体互相敌对。他让他们与纽约的犹太人对立。我的意思是，我们现在是在 1930 年代吗？如此多的仇恨，如此多的谎言。”
一份针对以色列领导人的逮捕令于 2024 年 11 月发出，指控其对在加沙“将饥饿作为战争手段的战争罪行以及故意针对平民人口发起攻击负责”。
他还被指控犯有“从至少 2023 年 10 月 8 日起至至少 2024 年 5 月 20 日止的谋杀、迫害和其他非人道行为的反人类罪行”。
内塔尼亚胡先生否认这些指控，并称其为“反犹太主义”。
市长 Mamdani 告诉《纽约时报》：“我认为内塔尼亚胡总理应该在海牙。他是一名已被国际刑事法院起诉的战争罪犯。你会发现，许多人持有这种观点，纯粹是因为他这些年来所造成的影响。”
他随后澄清，纽约没有执行逮捕他的司法管辖权，但呼吁联邦政府采取行动。但唐纳德·特朗普表示，如果内塔尼亚胡先生抵达美国，他不会被逮捕。
他在 Truth Social 的一篇帖子中写道：“本杰明·内塔尼亚胡在美国期间，绝不会以任何方式、形状或形式被逮捕。他正在与伊朗伊斯兰共和国作斗争，后者近期杀害了 52,000 名无辜抗议者，并且在过去的 47 年里一直在杀害美国士兵及其他人。”
“唯一应该被逮捕的是那些带领伊朗陷入这种前所未有的死亡与毁灭螺旋 (SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION) 的人，这件事本应在多年前由前任总统处理！”
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Dan Haygarth
Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, 曾独自旅行，从美国经塞浦路斯抵达希腊（由供应商提供）
警方表示，一名苏格兰女性的手机发送了一系列短信，显然是在其尸体于雅典的一个行李箱中被发现之前，有人试图掩盖她的死亡。
Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38 岁，其尸体于 7 月 18 日在希腊首都基普塞利 (Kypseli) 地区的一栋废弃建筑中被发现。据信，Ross 在被发现前五到七天之间死亡。然而，《泰晤士报》报道称，调查人员表示，她的手机在死后仍然高度活跃。
该报称，希腊警方尚未透露该期间发送的短信内容，但当局认为，发送这些短信是为了掩盖 Ross 的死讯
据希腊当地媒体报道，7月15日从罗斯的手机发送给她家人的短信称，她“需要一些独处的时间”，并且“想一个人待一会儿”。
《每日邮报》报道称，在警方认为她已经死亡之后，她的手机又向一名她在被发现前几天曾投宿的希腊朋友发送了一条消息，内容为：“I need some time – I’m going to a Greek island.”
该报报道称，调查人员表示手机仍然失踪，但在大约 24 小时前直到雅典地区仍处于活跃状态。
昨天在 BBC 的《苏格兰报道》（Reporting Scotland）节目中，《卫报》的雅典特派员海伦娜·史密斯（Helena Smith）表示，罗斯在去世前已经在希腊停留了大约两周。该记者表示，随后从罗斯的手机发送的消息显然是为了误导搜寻她的人。
“她之前住在首都的一位希腊朋友家中，然后失踪了，”史密斯女士说。“看来在她死后，有人控制了——我非常谨慎地使用‘控制’这个词——她的手机，并发送消息显然是为了转移注意力，使当局和她的密友无法追踪她的行踪。”
罗斯是从美国经塞浦路斯前往希腊的，她的指纹在美国有登记。据报道，最初由于没有身份证件迹象，无法确定其身份。但在国际刑警组织检查指纹数据后，希腊警方确认了罗斯女士的身份。
据报道，希腊和塞浦路斯当局正共同协作交换信息，试图追踪抛弃装有她尸体的行李箱的人。
希腊警方的一名发言人表示：“已要求提供关于她何时到达希腊、如何到达以及与谁同行的进一步详情。由于调查正在全面进行中，我们目前无法提供更多细节。”
外交及联邦事务办公室表示：“在这段困难的时间里，我们的心与伊丽莎白（Elisabeth）的家人在一起。我们正在提供领事支持，并与当地当局保持联系。”
苏格兰警方的一名发言人表示：“我们已知晓一名苏格兰女性在雅典死亡的消息，目前正与希腊当局联络。警员正为她在苏格兰的家人提供支持。”
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T
中国在这一葡萄牙前殖民地加强的国家安全法律，在起诉一名资深公职人员的过程中面临首次考验。活动人士向 Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 讲述了他的困境。
欧锦山（Au Kam-san），一名成为澳门任职时间最长的亲民主立法者之一的教师，照片拍摄于 2024 年（照片来源 AFP/Getty）
一年后，Cherry 仍在等待与欧锦山（Au Kam-San）交谈。他是澳门任职时间最长的立法者之一，目前仍在该中国管辖城市的国家安全法下被监禁等待审判。他被关押在澳门的路环监狱。
Cherry Au 上次与她 68 岁的父亲通话时，通话仅持续了 54 秒，随后一名监狱看守就命令他挂断电话。
持有葡萄牙双重国籍的欧（Au）是澳门最著名的反对派人物之一，曾在由北京忠实分子主导的立法机构中担任立法会议员长达 20 年。在澳门行政当局效仿香港的做法，禁止民主派人士参选后，他决定在 2021 年不再寻求连任。
在接受《独立报》（The Independent）采访时，欧的女儿表示，他在昨天一年前被捕的消息完全出乎意料。
“我们没有任何迹象表明会发生这样的事情，”居住在伦敦的时尚摄影师雪莉（Cherry）说道。2025 年 7 月 30 日，警方在没有预警的情况下闯入欧的家中，没收了他的手机、笔记本电脑和书籍，其中包括一些与 1989 年天安门广场大屠杀相关的书籍。
警方到达时，欧正与妻子和其中一个女儿在家中。
“他们……先把我母亲带走，然后留在公寓里和我的父亲一起搜集证据，”雪莉说。“他们基本上进行了搜查，然后在几个小时后把他带走了。”
雪莉表示，警方最初试图将她的母亲作为证人对待，但她在了解自己的法律权利后予以拒绝，并于次日获释。“她当时非常震惊，不知道发生了什么，”她补充道。
澳门的路环监狱，欧目前被羁押在此等待审理
自那时起，她指称欧被拒绝与家人通话及会面，也被禁止接触私人律师。如果他在根据北京国家安全程序进行的闭门审判后被定罪，将面临 10 年监禁。
欧的女儿欧晓仪（Au Hon I）表示，家人通过一份法院声明得知，欧在 7 月 2 日进行了初步程序。声明称，他的律师由法院指定并经欧本人同意。
“他一直相信澳门的司法体系，”她说。“他如此深信不疑，以至于他觉得，正是那个现在将他置于此境的司法体系会保护他。”
去年 8 月，澳门检察院表示，在欧被在家中逮捕并经过“初步调查”后，对其采取了“强制羁押”措施。
欧盟迅速谴责了此次逮捕，称其加剧了对该中国领土“政治多元主义被侵蚀”的担忧，但并未明确要求释放他。
自 2020 年起，香港的公共生活一直围绕着北京为了打击民主抗议者而实施的国家安全法而展开。在香港，至少有 400 人被起诉，160 人根据该法被定罪。
现在，中国国家主席习近平涉嫌打击异议的行为已经延伸到了珠江三角洲对岸的前葡萄牙殖民地，当局准备通过起诉欧来测试收紧的法律。
澳门法院本月表示，初步审理发现欧是“主要犯罪者”，并犯有“颠覆国家政权”罪。
最让我难过的是，看到他被他服务了这么多年的政府描绘成一个恶棍
法院称，欧涉嫌“与澳门以外的组织、团体或个人建立联系……从事危害国家安全的活动”。当地警方指控，自 2022 年起，他向一个“反华团体”提供了“大量虚假且煽动性的信息”用于在网上和海外公开展示，并“煽动”对中国政府的仇恨。
警方还称，他被指控向多个团体传播虚假信息，扰乱了该市 2024 年的行政长官选举，并导致外国对澳门采取敌对行动。
欧的家人担心，他是在从政退休后因与外国外交官保持联系而被捕的，尽管他们表示这些会面并没有什么异常。
雪莉·欧（Cherry Au）在谈到她的父亲时
“最让我感到难过的是，他被他服务了这么多年的政府刻画成一个反派。我希望人们能记得在他整个职业生涯中他们所认识的那个他，以及他们为何一次又一次地信任他并选举他的原因。
“现在他正面临着深刻的不公正。我希望那些记得他多年服务的人能够支持他。我们希望获得公正的审判和正当程序，希望他对澳门人民三十多年的奉献不会被抹杀或遗忘。”
欧（Au）也是澳门民主发展联盟的创始成员，该组织在近 30 年间一直组织年度烛光集会，以纪念天安门广场大屠杀。北京已经禁止公开纪念天安门广场大屠杀，在那场事件中，至少有 10,000 名支持民主的抗议者被中国军队杀害。
在组织者承受了多年政府压力和虐待后，该组织于 2023 年解散。
与香港不同（香港在 2014 年和 2019 年出现了挑战中国共产党统治的大规模社会运动），在严密控制下，澳门的民主反对派一直处于边缘地位。
6 月 4 日在台北自由广场举行的集会，纪念 1989 年北京天安门广场大屠杀周年
今年 3 月，澳门立法者一致通过一项法案，允许在认为有必要保护国家安全利益时，以闭门方式进行法庭程序。该市于 2009 年颁布了首部国家安全法，并在 2023 年通过修订加强了该法。
多年来，尽管这座拥有约 680,000 居民的城市赌博收入激增，欧依然领导抗议活动，谴责不透明的治理和日益严重的社会不平等。
欧的妻子和两个女儿仍留在澳门。她们与一名探访过欧的社会工作者进行了交谈，但仅得到了有限的更新信息。她们还被告知需支付 7,000 澳门元或 £650 以申请挑战其拘留，但随后被澳门当局拒绝。
“我们不知道这些限制何时会被解除，”Cherry 说道。
欧的家人已敦促欧盟利用外交压力确保他的获释。据了解，葡萄牙驻澳门领事馆已请求领事探视欧，但该请求也被
“这个人在公共服务领域工作了数十年，30 年以来一直致力于帮助有需要的人并维护正确的事物，他不应该被关在监狱里。几乎没有一天他不在思考如何为他所服务的人们创造更好的生活，”Cherry 在向欧盟发出的申诉中说道。
“这简直不可思议；他是如此无私。我想不出在过去的几十年里，还有谁比他为这座城市做得更多。他也是一个很棒的父亲。最重要的是，我们必须被允许探视他，或者至少能以某种方式与他沟通，而不是通过一名社会工作者。”
一直在帮助该家庭的 Justice Abroad 负责人 Michael Polak 表示，Au 的被捕违反了同样适用于澳门的《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》。
他表示，随着澳门开展国家安全起诉，“看来他们正在追随香港的脚步。就澳门作为一个人们可以经商和讨论问题之地的声誉而言，这是一个巨大的错误。”
他补充说，将 Au 的案件置于聚光灯下至关重要，否则他们可能会继续在不经过审判的情况下将其羁押。
“葡萄牙仍然向澳门派遣法官。因此，如果这类法外案件被提起，当你将某人禁闭且不允许其选择自己的律师时，这实际上并不是一个法庭审理过程。那么葡萄牙法官和葡萄牙当局需要考虑他们是否能继续这样做，”他说道，并敦促欧盟在最高层级提出 Au 的案件。
人权观察组织（Human Rights Watch）此前在一份声明中表示，Au 的被捕反映了在中国总统领导下“日益广泛的镇压”。
“澳门当局应停止压制和平批评，立即无条件释放这位活动人士及前立法会议员，”该组织的副中国区主任 Maya Wang 说道。
《独立报》（The Independent）已联系中国驻伦敦大使馆、欧盟以及葡萄牙驻香港和澳门领事馆以寻求声明。
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这本书刚刚被归还给澳大利亚的一家图书馆……150 年后 (美联社)
逾期归还罚金 £14,600
在最近的一次房屋装修过程中，一本书在密封的壁炉中被发现，随后被归还给一家澳大利亚公共图书馆，估计逾期了 150 年。这本出版于 1858 年的《雅典古物》（Antiquities of Athens）被归还给了海滨小镇基亚马（Kiama）的一家图书馆。
“我们从未收到过这么古老的还书，”基亚马图书馆经理 Michelle Hudson 说道。“我在社交媒体上关注了很多图书馆，通常在人们清理遗产之类的时候，你可能会收到 30 或 40 年前的书，”她补充道。
Hudson 女士表示，考虑到通货膨胀，逾期归还的罚金约为 $28,000 (£14,600)。这一金额是根据书中内页印刷的每周 3 便士（英镑）的逾期费，以及该图书馆 1872 年开馆时适用的规则清单计算得出的。
这本书在归还后将在图书馆的地方历史收藏馆中展出。“我们不会允许它再次被借出。我们不想为了这本书的归还而再等待 150 年，”哈德逊女士说道。
警方在河道游轮搁浅后营救 186 人
本周，在多瑙河水位下降至历史低点导致一艘载满游客的游轮搁浅后，警方将其人员疏散。该河流在大部分航段的水位降至记录低点，暴露出岩石、沙洲和古老的沉船。
根据匈牙利交通与投资部的说法，低水位迫使那些乘客通常会在布达佩斯下船观光的流行游轮不得不停靠在更上游的位置，而货轮的运营几乎完全停止。
在保加利亚，警方于周二从一艘在维丁港口城市附近搁浅的游轮上疏散了 186 名游客。据保加利亚国家新闻社 BTA 报道，“维京乌勒号” (Viking Ullur) 在撞上一个浅滩无法抵达维丁后，乘客陷入了食物和饮用水短缺的境地。
日本地震死亡人数升至 34.
周二袭击日本西南部的地震造成的人员死亡人数已上升至 34 人。在这次 6.8 级地震发生两天后，救援人员昨天仍在九州岛南部主岛的熊本地区搜索废墟。
熊本县政府表示，至少有 63 人受伤，其中 5 人重伤，6 人处于危殆状态。失踪人数尚不明确。内阁官房长官木原稔表示，部分死亡病例仍在评估中，以确认是否由地震引起。
随着风暴增强，游客们在车内寻求庇护。皮西斯阳台 (Balcon del Pissis) 是一个主要旅游景点，拥有壮丽的安第斯山脉景观。
在周二下午发出警报后，救援人员花了近 24 小时才清理积雪并救出所有被困游客。两人因体温过低被送入医院。美联社 (AP)
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安东尼·塞尔登赞赏首相增强学校职业研究的誓言。但他认为，安迪·伯纳姆必须展现动力——并提供额外资金——才能使其成功。
伯纳姆旨在使学术资格与技术资格获得同等的尊重 (AFP/Getty)
在一个所有事物都必须通过评分才能体现价值的教育世界里，我给安迪·伯纳姆本周的公告打 10 分（满分 10 分），因为他赋予了学术资格与技术资格同等的尊重，同时为 14 岁青少年创造了获得技能和工作经验的机会。
基于他在担任市长期间引入的曼彻斯特高中毕业证书（Manchester Baccalaureate，简称 MBacc），该计划设想让地方市长和当局在推动这一全国性倡议中发挥更大的作用，并借鉴了荷兰的经验——荷兰的离校青年失业率低得多，且除非年轻人获得职业资格证书，否则不给予其社会福利。
鲍里斯·约翰逊在担任首相期间，几乎没有实施他在担任伦敦市长八年间所颁布的任何措施；而伯纳姆在进入唐宁街 10 号时则火力全开，充分利用他在曼彻斯特担任行政领导者那极其活跃的九年经验。
英国的教育体系急需这次“肾上腺素注射”。《泰晤士教育委员会》向即将上台的工党政府提交了一份大胆的愿景，旨在对中小学、进一步教育和高等教育进行全面的教育改革。而基尔·斯塔默反而倾向于通过剥夺自由来与公立学校学院链发生冲突，并通过增加额外成本来攻击私立学校，而不是动员它们来支持公立部门。唐宁街 10 号对于学校、技术教育或大学并没有宏大的愿景。
如果伯纳姆在技术教育方面的雄心壮志（他将在秋季的 10 年计划中详细阐述）能得到 10 分满分的话，那么他在迄今为止关于如何在全国范围内实际实现这一目标的言论上，得分则较低。自 20 世纪 50 年代温斯顿·丘吉尔以来，几乎每一任首相都大谈技术教育，从德国的学徒制和战后职业体系中汲取灵感。但成就寥寥。最近的一项技术倡议 T-levels 于 2020 年引入，但仅取得了局部成功。
要实现这一目标需要首相巨大的推动力。在宣布了如此之多的倡议——比任何新任首相在就职前 10 天宣布的都要多——且社会护理改革显然排名更高的情况下，人们有理由质疑伯纳姆的计划是否会比其前任们的计划更成功。
家长、学生和雇主都不是傻瓜：他们需要看到这种对等性付诸行动。同时，在如此之多的监管阻碍他们招收学徒的能力时，雇主们在配合方面也需要巨大的鼓励。伯纳姆对高水平的区域失业率感到担忧是正确的，但这在很大程度上是一个需求端问题，需要宏观经济解决方案，而非供给端缺乏熟练劳动力的问题。如果没有强有力的国家增长，什么也不会发生，伯纳姆创造的良好印象也将化为失望。此外，这还需要高水平的资金投入。
英国政府在教育和经济领域 AI 领导力的缺失方面，远落后于几乎所有其他发达国家的政府。
这一转变——尤其是建设专门的职业教室和招聘合格教师——将是巨大的。通过结束不可持续的养老金“三重复锁”机制，将资金从老年人转移到年轻人身上，将有助于筹集必要的资金。
伯纳姆的倡议在整体愿景上需要最大的发展。英国政府在教育和经济领域 AI 领导力的缺失方面，远落后于几乎所有其他发达国家的政府。AI 正在加剧学校和大学中现有的问题，包括心理健康问题的增加、旷课、原本就处于劣势群体的成绩不理想，以及对未来就业市场的准备不足。政府在如何优化 AI 方面笨拙且迟钝的忽视，令人尴尬且造成了深刻的损害。
今年是某位工党首相发表的最重要的教育演讲 50 周年——即詹姆斯·卡拉汉在牛津大学拉斯金学院发表的演说，该演说将
引发了“大教育辩论”。伯纳姆可以基于他本周的公告以及他希望所有人在学校中都能繁荣发展的真诚热情，在年底前发表一次具有同等分量的里程碑式演讲。
这次演讲可以大量借鉴经合组织（OECD）和国际文凭项目（International Baccalaureate）所提出的宏伟愿景，这两个组织是全球教育领域最受尊重且最具影响力的声音，旨在创建一个适应 21 世纪中叶的教育体系。经合组织的模型建立在现有体系中对深度知识和学术严谨性的关注之上，而这一重点是由迈克尔·戈夫在 2010 年担任教育大臣期间发起的。
但在其致力于让所有年轻人在 AI 时代通过从摇篮到坟墓的“人类繁荣”教育模型成为经济和社会中有成效的贡献者方面，该模型走得远得多。它将人类独特的属性——理智、技能、美感、能动性、性格、创造力、共情心和努力——这些 AI 永远无法篡夺的特质——置于所有学习的核心位置。
托尼·布莱尔被人们记住是因为他曾说，“教育，教育，教育”将是他担任首相时的三大首要任务。如果伯纳姆能实施经合组织概述的路线图，他对英国产生的深远影响将不可估量。
安东尼·塞尔登爵士正与经合组织范式的设计者迈克尔·史蒂文森合作，在惠灵顿公学以及各公立学校引入“人类繁荣”理念。
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当首相与财政大臣约翰·希利以及国防大臣韦斯·斯特里廷共同揭晓新一代核潜艇时，三人正在上演一场团结之戏——但肖恩·奥格雷迪表示，除非他们能在开支增加的问题上达成一致，否则一切都将化为乌有。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 图为停靠在巴罗因弗内斯 BAE 系统公司工厂的 HMS Agamemnon 号核潜艇（Getty）
“无畏舰”（Dreadnought）是一个伟大的古老名称。最初的蒸汽推进战舰是在 120 年前发射的，发动机由巴罗因弗内斯制造。它们使之前所有的战舰都过时了，但这是一个耗资巨大的项目，在当时自由党政府的资金分配上与福利国家产生了竞争。
天下大势，周而复始。在叛军将基尔·斯塔默爵士海军上将抛弃并接管皇家海军一周多之后，这场叛乱的三位领导人来到了坎布里亚港，视察他们最令人生畏的一些舰船——一种新型的“无畏级”潜艇，旨在将英国的核威慑力带入 21 世纪下半叶。
新任高级海军上将安迪·伯纳姆、他的军需官约翰·希利指挥官以及首席下士卫斯利·“卫斯”·斯特里廷（前任医疗兵）接受了敬礼。在未来的几年里，承受压力的英国纳税人将从这笔 £8.4bn 的巨额投资中获得多么辉煌的回报。
事实上，我们的工党水手告诉我们，该计划旨在让英国“重新工业化”，并为普利茅斯、布里斯托尔、罗斯yth、德比以及其他拥有优秀船舶工程传统和边缘议会选区的地方带来就业机会。伯纳姆发出了信号：“确保这个国家的安全是任何政府的首要责任——但安全不仅在于我们建造了什么；还在于谁在建造，以及谁从中获益。”
即便内尔逊本人也无法表述得更完美了。普京、习近平和那些阿亚图拉们一定在恐惧地发抖。
或者也许并没有。在演讲和各种媒体露面期间，这些“老海狗”们竭力避免回答任何关于国防开支的问题，而这正是最终将斯塔默赶下台的问题。
你可能记得，伯纳姆大约在一年前开始策划取代斯塔默，当时工党的后座议员们——你可以说是在“甲板之下”——开始反对斯塔默的福利改革。伯纳姆确保他们知道他站在哪一边。如果你愿意这么比喻，他就是在扮演面对威廉·布莱伊船长的弗莱彻·克里斯汀。
那么，英国期望看到由这些海盗领导的“新”政府承诺在 2030 年达到 3% 的比例。然而，他们并没有这样做。我们必须怀疑，即便到了下次预算案时，他们也不会这样做。
那么，英国期望看到由这些海盗领导的“新”政府承诺在 2030 年达到 3% 的比例。然而，他们并没有这样做。我们必须怀疑，即便到了下次预算案时，他们也不会这样做。
随后，在地方选举之后，斯特里廷放弃了他的岗位，无意中为伯纳姆对领导权的最后一击打开了道路。但真正突破斯塔默最后防线的是希利的辞职。
我们还记得，据称最终让最忠诚的希利反戈向斯塔默的原因是什么吗？当然记得。那是国防开支的薄弱。更具体地说，是斯塔默和瑞秋·里夫斯拒绝承诺到 2030 年将国民收入的 3% 用于军备——专家认为，到那个时间点，与俄罗斯发生战争是一个可能的剧本。
这是一个严重的原则问题。希利质疑首相的判断力、他的诚信，甚至（尽管希利不至于走到这一步）他的爱国心。这些话一定伤害了斯塔默：“在威胁日益增加的时刻，你无法做到，而财政部也不愿意投入国家保卫国家所需的资源。”
希利提出的要求非常精准且毫无妥协：“英国必须设定在 2030 年国防开支占 3% 的目标，并制定一条通往 2035 年 3.5% 的清晰路径——这是所有北约国家彼此以及向其人民做出的承诺。我相信这将赢得广泛的跨党派支持。”
现在，伯纳姆、希利和斯特里廷登上了舰桥，掌控着他们自己的“邦蒂号”，他们规划的路线与斯塔默及其大副里夫斯的路线惊人地相似，至少在国防预算方面是这样。
因此，我们不禁好奇：他们的这场兵变是为了什么？
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Zack Polanski 希望领导一场左翼政治革命——但他在处理接连发生的争议时的表现，让人对其判断力产生严重质疑，作者：John Rentoul
Polanski 拒绝就转发针对 Nigel Farage 的断头台威胁而道歉 (Getty)
飞机已失速，引擎冒出浓烟，地面飞速逼近，而飞行员似乎无法胜任将飞机从螺旋俯冲中挽回的任务。随着绿党失去支持，Zack Polanski 正在与控制杆进行艰苦的搏斗。
他在 10 个月前被选为党魁，当时基于一个光亮且并非完全不切实际的愿景：绿党将取代工党成为左翼的主要政党。该党在民调中的支持率从 8% 翻倍至 16%。但自 5 月的地方选举以来，这一增长趋势已经逆转，人们开始质疑 Polanski 是否有能力带领党内实现复苏。
他最近的一次失误是在 Instagram 上分享了一张照片，照片中的一名男子穿着一件印有断头台图片和标语“我们只是在为 Nigel 制定计划”的 T 恤。他在“快速浏览”一系列 20 张图片时没有注意到这些暗示杀掉 Nigel Farage 的文字，而一旦这张照片“引起他的注意”，他立即取消了分享。
他在 BBC Two 的《Newsnight》节目中被 Victoria Derbyshire 问道：“你想道歉吗？”Polanski 回答道：“不。”
他承认自己犯了一个“无心之失”，但他不打算道歉，因为 Farage 已经引起了人们对这张图片的关注，并使其传播得更广。此外，他说，在他道歉的那一刻，“我们都知道 Nigel Farage 会怎么做”——他会在社交媒体上到处“跑”，声称 Polanski 已经承认该帖子是煽动谋杀，但事实并非如此。“重要的是我要划清界限，不参与他的游戏，”Polanski 说道。
对他而言，抵制那些“由亿万富翁所有且经常攻击我”的报纸也同样重要。他不认为这张照片是在煽动谋杀，但他谴责暴力——以及暴力的意象，且他个人一直试图避免使用暴力的比喻。
在一段 12 分钟的采访过程中，他多次自相矛盾。他说，分享该帖子是一个错误，但“我不认为我做了任何错事”。他说，愤怒是由他的敌人炮制出来的，但“这是一个值得进行的合法对话”，这就是他参加该节目的原因。
并且他接受了德比郡（Derbyshire）对他错误的描述，称其“往好里说是粗心，往坏里说是危险”。她接着指出他想要成为首相：“选民们如果认为你可能会在他们的生命、安全或金钱方面表现出粗心或危险，那么这种想法是可以原谅的。这公平吗？”他回答道：“是的。”
他声称将从错误中吸取教训，并表示自己会“更好地管理我的社交媒体”——与此同时，他又吹嘘道“其他政治家不像我这样使用社交媒体”。
他表面上看起来很有说服力，但太容易责怪他人，且过于傲慢，不愿为自己的错误承担实质性责任，因此无法从中学习。
德比郡似乎感到很惊讶。她指出，就在 4 月，他才为转发一条 X 帖子而道歉，该帖子指责警方在应对一名在戈尔德斯格林（Golders Green）恐吓犹太人的持刀歹徒时使用了过度武力。他似乎并没有从那个错误中吸取教训。波兰斯基（Polanski）坚称那“完全不同”。
波兰斯基的错误并不局限于社交媒体。在 4 月的几天前，他在一次采访中试图淡化犹太人对反犹太袭击的恐惧，称：“关于这究竟是对不安全感的感知，还是实际的不安全，这是一个需要讨论的话题，但两者都是不可接受的。”
《新闻之夜》（Newsnight）的采访向我表明，波兰斯基缺乏在岗位上取得成功所需的技巧和判断力。他表面上看起来很有说服力，但太容易责怪他人，且过于傲慢，不愿为自己的错误承担实质性责任，因此无法从中学习。
他与杰里米·科尔宾（Jeremy Corbyn）很相似，不仅是在政治立场上，而且在对其自身美德的顽固信念上亦然。然而，他甚至没有
而现在，波兰斯基面对的是一位在政治上比他更老练的工党领导人，他能做的就只有让自己听起来像是在自怜。他对德比郡说，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）“已经识别出了许多我所谈论的问题”。
换句话说，他取代工党的梦想已经破灭。而绿党——这个本身就从未真正认同设立单一领导人想法的政党——可能会开始质疑一名无法从错误中学习的飞行员是否具备飞行资质。
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超市继续储备已知会引起火灾的设备，这简直是极不负责任的行为。苏菲·帕韦尔（Sophie Pavelle）认为，我们必须学会享受野餐，而不要点燃我们的世界。
2022 年，一个一次性烧烤炉引发了火灾，摧毁了多塞特郡（Dorset）斯图德兰希思（Studland Heath）的大部分地区 (Getty/iStock)
英国的夏天变化得比我们的习惯更快。随着“异常严重的干旱”和山火在全国蔓延，我们仍然将一种最可避免的点火源作为阳光明媚下午的完美陪伴进行销售：一次性烧烤炉。
英格兰目前正面临“异常”的野火风险，与此同时，消防员们正在全国各地与大火搏斗——包括萨福克郡和伦敦，那里的火焰席卷了干枯如tinder的景观。水库正在萎缩，田野变得干脆，烟雾正成为夏季天际线的一部分。
从北威尔士到峰区，从萨里郡到萨默塞特郡和德文郡，已有 250 场以上的火灾被点燃。在凯恩戈姆国家公园发生的一场迄今为止最具破坏性的野火期间，整个村庄都被撤离了。
据报道，即使是万斯特德平原（Wanstead Flats）——当时伦敦地区记录的最大规模草地火灾发生地——再次起火。在我撰写本文时，一场特大野火正吞没萨福克郡的邓威奇希思（Dunwich Heath）。一百名消防员正尽全力控制这场在短短几小时内规模扩大了十倍的火灾。
灾难只需要一个火星。一支掉落的香烟，一个烟花，一个放大阳光的废弃玻璃瓶——或者一个一次性烧烤炉的煤块。在温暖夏季之风的煽动下，一时的疏忽就可能让一切陷入火海。
自五月以来连续四波热浪袭击，使英国处于极易燃烧的状态。灼烧的痕迹在我国最敏感的栖息地——希思兰、荒原和草地上刻下了一盘棋盘。从太空看去，干旱像茶渍一样在我们的群岛上蔓延。英格兰的野火风险极少如此之高……然而，我依然能以 £3. 的价格买到一个一次性烧烤炉。
当我进入当地超市时，那些铝制套装再次是我首先看到的东西。它们被高高堆起，贴着紧迫的标签——“Barbequick”，“Instant Light”——旨在鼓励冲动消费。买扑热息痛反而更难。
零售商大幅降低木炭和点火剂的价格——“抢购必需品”，充分利用阳光明媚的下午。就好像我们需要鼓励一样。
英国上一次面临野火红色预警是在 2022 年 7 月——同年，几家大型超市意识到野火危害及其产生的大量填埋垃圾，决定在全国范围内停止销售一次性烧烤炉。各地方当局则通过使用公共空间保护令 (PSPOs) 实施局部禁令。
烧烤炉不再仅仅是夏季的象征。它们唤起了一种“solastalgia”（生态乡愁）——对环境变迁的心痛，以及看着熟悉之地变得陌生时的悲哀。
烧烤炉不再仅仅是夏季的象征。它们日益唤起一种“solastalgia”（生态乡愁）——对环境变迁的心痛，以及看着熟悉之地变得陌生时的悲哀。
一次性烧烤炉瞬间灼伤大地——每个当地公园里的黑色矩形焦迹就证明了这一点。灰烬可能会保持高温数日。如果被遗弃，就像上周在苏格兰的 Yellowcraig 海滩、谢菲尔德附近的 Grenoside 林地，或南德文郡的 Wembury Head（我家人珍视的地方）那样——曾经由冰川和地质构造雕琢的景观可能在几小时内就融化在记忆中，在未来数年内都被改变。
野火是不分青红皂白的。在栖息着我国四分之一最稀有和最濒危物种的凯恩戈姆地区，当社区动员起来试图控制火势时，火焰正以惊人的速度推进。我心中沉重地想到，两年前我在 Abernethy 森林研究的那些山杨树，现在可能已经消失了。在喀里多尼亚森林深层的地表下，泥炭可能会继续向下燃烧，阴燃数周，释放出埋藏了几个世纪的碳排放。
一项呼吁禁止一次性烧烤炉的英国议会请愿活动仍然有效，但到目前为止收集的签名少于 12,000 个。在我们的领导者通过立法之前，它们的命运掌握在零售商和地方当局手中。
关于烧烤安全使用和处置的建议十分分散、不一致且极易被忽视。公众宣传与正在展开的危险规模并不匹配。当景观日益干枯、火势蔓延时，谁在倾听？
人类依赖火大约已有 1.5 million 年；它的吸引力无法抵挡。火塑造了我们的大脑，激发了语言并启发了文化。它在我们的骨子里闪烁。最近，我一直梦见它。
零售商有责任通过将一次性烧烤炉、灯具和燃料从实体店及在线商店的货架上撤除，来应对火灾致命的磁吸效应。如何能从那些点燃我们所热爱的景观并威胁我们视为理所当然的未来的产品中牟利？
我们必须学会享受野餐，而不是点燃整个世界。
Sophie Pavelle 是一位屡获殊荣的作家和科学传播者。她的最新著作《拥有或持有：大自然隐藏的关系》（To Have or To Hold: Nature’s Hidden Relationships）由 Bloomsbury 出版，售价 £10.99
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一部非同寻常的新纪录片《我现在能回家吗？》（Can I Go Home Now?）给了乌克兰儿童机会，让他们讲述关于战争、强迫遣送和生存的亲身故事。Mark Hollingsworth 报道称，他们的证词揭露了俄罗斯入侵所造成的毁灭性的人力代价。
超过 19,500 名乌克兰儿童被强行带到俄罗斯或其领土，此后仅有极少数人被遣返——这部纪录片旨在讲述他们的故事（图片来源 Cinessaince）
“他们把 16 岁的女孩带到了他们那里，”她含泪回忆道。“当女孩们回来时，她们的衣服被撕破了。一切都被撕破了。俄罗斯人对那些女孩做了很过分的事。每个人都在恐慌。我们不知道该做什么，该去哪里。俄罗斯人来到了我家。他们检查了我的……”
Sofia 是一名 11 岁的乌克兰女孩，脸上带有疤痕，浅棕色的头发扎成马尾辫。当俄罗斯军队进入她的村庄时，她清晰地记得发生了什么。
在一部关于乌克兰儿童在长达五年的俄罗斯入侵期间经历的非同寻常的新纪录片中，据称年轻女孩遭到性侵的描述是最令人震惊的叙述之一。
该片题为《我现在能回家吗？》（Can I Go Home Now?），由《独立报》（The Independent）独家观看。影片包含对乌克兰男孩和女孩的采访，没有成年人的声音出现。
该片由 35 岁的慈善家、Hollywood Insider 前所有者 Pritan Ambroase 制作并导演，在人道主义慈善机构的帮助下完成，这些机构提供了接触 500 名儿童的机会。
Sofia：“当女孩们回来时，她们的衣服被撕破了……如果你说任何话，他们可能会杀了你”
Ambroase 此前制作过一部关注美国私人监狱的纪录片，此次他多次冒死前往乌克兰，先飞往波兰，然后乘车前往利沃夫，再乘火车前往基辅，以记录这些令人心碎的故事。据估计，在这场战争中，乌克兰承受了 525,000 到 625,000 之间的伤亡，其中包括 125,000 和 150,000 人的死亡。
在访问期间，Ambroase 听到心碎的证词，背景则是每日不断的爆炸声、导弹声和建筑崩塌声。为了确保这些年轻人的故事能被世人听到，他克服了对自身安全的恐惧，选择了 15 名年轻人，让他们在镜头前向乌克兰记者 Tetiana Popova 讲述自己的故事；Popova 此前就乌克兰儿童被驱逐问题做了大量至关重要的报道。
他回忆道：“我最担心的是那些刚从俄罗斯获救，在抵达乌克兰一周后就被拍摄的孩子们。这一切都还非常新鲜且残酷。因此我陷入了困境：让孩子们讲述他们的经历，我这样做是对的吗？我咨询了多位治疗师，他们都表示，对他们来说，说出来比憋在心里要好。”
医生们试图保住我的腿，但没成功，所以他们不得不把它截掉。医生更换绷带时，非常痛苦。那里有一个碎片伤口
“医生们试图保住我的腿，但没成功，所以他们不得不把它截掉，”她回忆道，“当医生更换绷带时，非常痛苦。那里有一个碎片伤口。我非常害怕，一直在哭。我无法像正常人那样生活，无法行走，也无法练习体操了。”
镜头记录了一名孩子像芭蕾舞演员一样表演，另一名女孩面对着坦克的炮口，向一名士兵献花。六岁的 Sasha 梦想成为一名体操运动员，但当一枚导弹在她家中爆炸时，这个梦想破碎了。她被直接击中；一块混凝土板砸在了她的左腿上，随后被送往医院。她从昏迷中醒来，发现自己失去了一条腿、一只手臂，并且一只耳朵失聪。
Sasha，6 岁
Sasha 的父母在看到她被截肢的腿时泣不成声，但她依然坚强。“我长大后想成为一名体操教练，参加奥运会，”她说，“我想对那些恐怖分子 [俄罗斯人] 说，停止射击。我们没有对你们做任何坏事，但你们却向我们发动战争。”
聚焦于孩子们的心声具有其独特的力量。而那些我们仍在等待听到声音的沉默，同样具有力量。
在被强行带走的孩子中，仅有 2,000 人与家人团聚；其他数千人被安置在俄罗斯的营地中，在那里接受军事化训练，并被灌输关于战争的宣传。
Pritan Ambroase 选择了 15 名孩子来讲述他们自己的恐怖经历
令人惊恐的是，一些儿童被强迫被新的俄罗斯家庭收养。来自联合国和其他来源的可信证据表明，俄罗斯当局在占领的乌克兰领土上颁发了俄罗斯出生证明和公民身份文件，一些被驱逐的乌克兰儿童被赋予了新身份（包括俄罗斯名字），作为收养或寄养安置的一部分。慈善机构派遣专业团队，冒着巨大的个人风险前往俄罗斯，以寻回并护送孩子们回到他们绝望的家人身边。
一名16岁的男孩维塔利（Vitaly）回忆起他的家人试图离开他们位于乌克兰东部的城市时发生的事情。“俄罗斯人告诉我们，如果我们开车通过他们的检查站，他们就会开枪打死我们，”他回忆道。“有些人试图通过，结果被当场击毙。”
在维塔利的母亲被迫在俄罗斯士兵的胁迫下签署文件，同意儿子参加一个“夏令营”后，维塔利被带走了。
“我最后到了俄罗斯，”他说。“他们向我们承诺，我们将去一个像巴哈马那样的营地。我妈妈来接我，但她迟到了。大门已经关闭。他们告诉她孩子们被带到了斯瓦托沃（Svatovo）。她尖叫着大喊大叫，但我们被安置在了一艘船上。
营地里大约有500名五岁到18.之间的儿童。他们强迫我们工作。我们多次生病，但没有任何医疗护理。
“营地里大约有500名五岁到18.之间的儿童。他们强迫我们工作。我们多次生病，但没有任何医疗护理。
“在三天时间里，船只将孩子们运送到那里。一艘船可以承载1,000人。当我们进入港口时，我们看到围栏上有铁丝网。俄罗斯人说一切都会很完美。但当你进入营地时，情况完全相反。
“没有火，电不通，没有热水，几乎没有暖气。到处都是肮脏、污浊和发黑的。我们睡在地板上的床垫上。只有一个淋浴间和两个厕所，”维塔利解释道。
“我很担心自己再也回不了家。俄罗斯人一直对着我们大吼大叫，称我们为‘hohol’和‘ukrop’ [针对乌克兰人的种族蔑称]，并说我们精神有问题。他们强迫我们学习并演唱俄罗斯国歌，但我们拒绝了。它
维塔利，16
维塔利的一名同囚奥莉亚（Olya）因为高喊“乌克兰万岁”而在地下室被一名俄罗斯教师殴打。
被埋没的梦想：一名儿童讲述了她的体操抱负如何在导弹袭击造成的瓦砾压力下被粉碎的故事。
“他用一根金属棒打她，对着她咒骂，说要杀了她，”维塔利回忆道。“她给我看了她背上青色的瘀伤。我们非常痛苦。你可以听到五岁的孩子不断地哭泣，恳求回家。我努力隐藏自己的眼泪。我想我再也回不了家了。”
在营地待了七个月后，他被俄罗斯人释放了。“当我看到我母亲时，我几乎撞破了大门，然后开始大哭，”他说。
回到乌克兰后，孩子们也直接遭受了家园被炸的痛苦。“我们都被冲击波震飞了，”索菲亚（Sofia）回忆道，她在2022年期间的家乡一直遭受轰炸。
“我在一个坑里醒来。我完全不能动，因为我被压在混凝土板下面。我呼吸不到足够的空气。我被瓦砾覆盖。我很害怕，我想我会死在这里，而且没有人会
“警察把我挖了出来，把我转送到急诊医院。我的胃里吞进了弹片，所以他们把我送进重症监护室进行手术。导弹在我的脸颊、耳后和背上留下了三道伤疤……每次出门我都会戴上口罩。有了这些伤疤，我就不再美丽了。”
我是在一个坑里醒来的。我完全无法动弹，因为我被压在混凝土板下面……我吞下了泥土，我的一半头发留在了那里。
她依然留在故乡，但她的祖母后来去世了，她的母亲在战争期间大部分时间都在医院里度过。目睹如此多战争带来的毁灭性损失，令人心碎。Yuriy, 16, 和他的父亲当时正骑车前往布查给老人送食物，这时一名俄罗斯士兵拦住了他们。
“他问我们要去哪里。我告诉他我们在送食物。我父亲向我走来，接着枪声响了。我父亲倒下了，士兵瞄准了我。他向我的手开了两枪，我也倒下了。我趴在地上。就在我躺在那时，我又听到了两声枪响。我感觉到了一次，另一次击中了我的父亲。
“我转过头，看到父亲躺在血泊中。我伸手想去触碰他的身体，但我又被击中了。俄罗斯人以为我死了，并告诉我母亲发生了什么。
“第二天，我的奶奶推着独轮车来了，乌克兰士兵帮她搬走了我父亲的尸体，我们将他埋在院子里。我的衣服被血浸透了。我告诉我妈妈不要去那里，因为太危险了。但她还是去了。”
Sofia, 11
Ambroase 没有预料到的是，在 30 天的拍摄以及在 10 个不同城市旅行 1,000 公里后，心理上产生的影响。 “在采访过程中，我摘掉耳机走出了房间。承受不住了，”他说，并补充道，在返回美国后，他被诊断出患有创伤后应激障碍并接受了治疗。
在反思如此多被窃取的童年后，他说：“我无法原谅针对儿童的罪行。这部电影是一场反对战争和仇恨的革命。”
《我可以回家了吗？》（‘Can I Go Home Now?’）由 Cinessaince Motion Pictures Inc 和 Humans of our World Foundation 制作。
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杀妻犯 Hawley Crippen 医生在 1910 年这一天因无线电报的使用而被逮捕 (Getty)
1485: 托马斯·马洛里爵士 (Sir Thomas Malory) 的《亚瑟之死》(Morte D’Arthur) 出版。他在因武装袭击和强奸被囚禁期间写下了这个关于骑士之爱与骑士精神的故事。
1635: 英国公共内陆邮政服务建立，费用为 2 到 8 便士。
1910: 毒杀妻子的 Hawley Crippen 医生在 SS Montrose 号进入魁北克时被逮捕。他将肢解的妻子留在伦敦家中地下室，并与情妇 Ethel le Neve 同行，后者打扮成男孩模样。Crippen 是第一位因使用无线电报而被抓获的罪犯。
1912: 世界上第一部电影审查法在美国通过。该法并非针对淫秽内容，而是针对跨州运输展示拳击比赛的电影。
1956：在老特拉福德球场，英格兰投球手吉姆·莱克（Jim Laker）在第二局中以 53 分拿下了全部 10 个澳大利亚球门，此前他在第一局中拿下了 37 分中的 9 个球门。
1964：美国乡村歌手吉姆·里夫斯（Jim Reeves）在驾驶的一架单引擎比奇航空 Debonair 飞机在田纳西州纳什维尔郊外坠毁中丧生。
1965：在政府禁令生效前，英国电视播放了最后一则香烟广告。
1975：爱尔兰五人组合“迈阿密演出团”（The Miami Showband）在唐郡的巴斯基尔（Buskhill）遭到伏击，其中三人被忠诚派准军事组织枪杀。
1988：美国最后一家花花公子俱乐部在密歇根州兰辛市关闭。
2010：一支四人英国赛艇队打破了一项 114 年之久的横跨北大西洋记录。他们的成绩——43 天 21 小时 26 分 48 秒——比 1896 年由挪威渔民乔治·哈博（George Harbo）和弗兰克·萨穆埃尔森（Frank Samuelsen）创下的 55 天纪录缩短了 11 天。
2012：迈克尔·菲尔普斯打破了奥运会夺得奖牌数量最多的记录，获得了他的第 19 枚奖牌，其中包括他的第 15 枚金牌。
去年的今天：康纳·麦格雷戈（Conor McGregor）针对民事陪审团支持都柏林女性尼基塔·汉德（Nikita Hand）指控其强奸的裁定所提出的上诉被驳回。这位综合格斗（MMA）选手在该案的所有五个上诉理由上均告失败。
生日
杰拉尔丁·查普林（Geraldine Chaplin），演员，82 岁；乔纳森·丁布尔比（Jonathan Dimbleby），广播员，82 岁；埃文·考利（Evonne Cawley），前网球运动员，75 岁；安德鲁·马尔（Andrew Marr），记者、广播员及政治评论员，67 岁；卫斯理·斯奈普斯（Wesley Snipes），演员，64 岁；诺曼·库克（Norman Cook），唱片制作人（又名 Fat Boy Slim），63 岁；J.K. 罗琳（JK Rowling），作家，61 岁；迪恩·凯恩（Dean Cain），演员，
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I
在最新一轮的惨淡裁减中，陷入困境的 BBC 在播出 22 年后取消了《阿波罗现场》（Live at the Apollo）
Nick Hilton 写道，这对英国喜剧的未来来说是毁灭性的
达拉·奥布莱恩（Dara O Briain）主持《阿波罗现场》，该节目刚刚被 BBC 取消 (BBC/Open Mike)
这个国家是否还有哪个组织像 BBC 这样沉溺于自我毁灭？感觉每天都有关于这家 Beeb（BBC 的昵称）——全球最受尊敬的传统媒体公司之一——的新闻，证明其机构信心的完全缺失。频道关闭，节目抛弃，员工裁减：BBC 正被拖入一个永久的自我鞭笞循环中。
新任总干事马特·布里廷（Matt Brittin）的任务是打造一个现代且精简的 BBC，使其在进入明年的特许经营权续签期时能够经受住政治审查。作为此次重组的一部分，该机构计划削减 1 亿英镑（£100m）的“内容”预算。
在最近几周，我们看到广播 4 频道（Radio 4）的旗舰节目《今日》（Today）被精简，而运行了 57 年的《世界之夜》（The World Tonight）则走到了终点。在节目表被残酷清理的同时，BBC 也在试图弥补一个感知上的差距：估计有 94% 的成年人使用 BBC，但实际上只有 80% 的人支付电视执照费。
每场世界杯比赛都违和地打上了用于执照续费的二维码水印；而约翰·克利斯（John Cleese）著名的“BBC 究竟给我带来了什么？”广告的更新版本——由罗梅什·兰加纳坦（Romesh Ranganathan）用慢速说唱的方式走向一个巨大的杠杆以将 BBC “关闭”（操作者自然是路易·塞鲁克斯 [Louis Theroux]）——则让人感觉判断失误。现在，裁减之斧落在了三个电视长青节目上：由布拉德利·沃尔什（Bradley Walsh）主持重启的《Blankety Blank》、名人版《Mastermind》以及《Live at the Apollo》。
前两个节目的取消应该不会引起太多不安。自 2021 年重启以来，《Blankety Blank》共播出了 44 集，使该系列的档案总数达到 258 集。这足以提供比观众记忆更长久的日间电视重播。同样，名人版《Mastermind》自 2002 年诞生以来已播出 209 集，目前仍有一季预录节目待播。BBC 内部会有很多人认为，对于如此简单的形式来说，这已经是一次成功的运行。但《Live at the Apollo》则是另一回事——它的被取消是对 BBC 未来的一种凄凉预兆。
BBC 明星杰西·阿姆斯特朗（Jesse Armstrong）和尼什·库马尔（Nish Kumar）（盖蒂图片社）
该节目于 2004 年开始，由杰克·迪（Jack Dee）主持，旨在为一些世界上最有趣的现场喜剧演员（如琼·里弗斯 [Joan Rivers]、乔·布兰德 [Jo Brand] 和罗斯·诺贝尔 [Ross Noble]）提供展示舞台。但到 2008 年的第四季，节目已经演变成了另一种形式。它将英国喜剧的大牌明星与新星搭配在一起。在接下来的 18 年里，《Live at the Apollo》被视为喜剧演员从爱丁堡艺穗节（Edinburgh Fringe）的成功走向盈利丰厚的主流市场的成人礼。萨拉·米利坎（Sarah Millican）、杰克·怀特霍尔（Jack Whitehall）、乔什·威迪科姆（Josh Widdicombe）、尼什·库马尔（Nish Kumar）、凯瑟琳·瑞安（Katherine Ryan）、艾斯琳·贝亚（Aisling Bea）……目前许多家喻户晓的名字都在该节目中获得了最初的黄金时段经验。
英国曾经是世界领先的造船国，然后我们放弃了。我们曾经向全世界销售汽车——路虎（Rovers）、凯旋（Triumphs）和莫里斯（Morrises）——然后它们破产了。我们曾经是全球顶尖的金融中心，然后，嗯，你知道发生了什么。但我们一直保留的一项出口产品是喜剧。而 BBC 一直是英国喜剧的伟大孵化器，从《福尔特之塔》（Fawlty Towers）到《办公室》（The Office）。
BBC 喜剧节目的特质在历史上是由设定英国幽默基调的愿望所驱动的。才华横溢的年轻喜剧演员在短剧和情景喜剧中获得了机会，
那些具有品位引导能力的制作人凭借直觉而非算法进行委任。Spike Milligan, Monty Python, Fry & Laurie 以及 French & Saunders, Ben Elton 和 Steve Coogan 以及 Armando Ianucci 和 Jesse Armstrong, Ricky Gervais 和 Phoebe Waller-Bridge 以及 Michaela Coel：这些都是我们的国家广播公司所敢于尝试的大胆举措。
[[IMG_XXXX]] Phoebe Waller-Bridge 在其 BBC 爆红剧集《弗莱巴格》（Fleabag，BBC/Two Brothers 联合制作）中
然而，人们日益感觉到，年轻且新兴的喜剧演员晋升到电视作品的机会正被扼杀。该机构的风险承受能力从未如此之低。喜剧播客的兴起加剧了这一情况，播客为喜剧演员发布作品提供了一个去中心化的平台。其中一些节目——如《Off Menu》、《Parenting Hell》、《Shagged Married Annoyed》——为主持人带来的收益远高于 BBC 能提供的一切。人们感觉到，如果说以前在《Live at the Apollo》中亮相代表了一次真正的职业突破，那么现在这种突破将被这些私营部门播客中的一个嘉宾席位所大规模取代。
但 BBC 在喜剧创新方面退缩存在真正的危险。这些播客形式虽然令人愉快，但缺乏原创性。无论是《The Day Today》那种疯狂的讽刺，还是
目前的热门剧集——《Ann Droid》——是由 Diane Morgan 编写并主演的，她是一位冷面喜剧演员，在 BBC Three 的《Live at the Apollo》衍生节目《Live at the Electric》中脱颖而出。该节目在 2014 年被取消，两年后 BBC Three 作为线性频道被关闭（它在 2022 年回归，但原创节目极少）。观众们很幸运，Diane Morgan 能从《Live at the Electric》挺进到 Charlie Brooker 的《Weekly Wipe》，并最终创作出《Ann Droid》。但对于下一波喜剧演员，我们可能就没有这么幸运了。
喜剧是英国最后的伟大软实力资源之一。为了追求成本效益而失去这一点将是非常令人遗憾的。BBC 必须为其存在提供积极的论据，而不是像一盆枯萎的盆栽那样萎缩。当然，应该清理掉那些不能为观众提供价值的长寿节目格式，但不要削弱我们在未来几代人中继续作为全球最幽默国家的机会。
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已故剧作家 Sarah Kane 在 1998 年创作的震撼之作《Cleansed》在 Almeida Theatre 复演，此次制作既出人意料地极繁主义，又令人惊讶地温婉。
Alice Saville
[[IMG_XXXX]] Pearl Chanda 在《Cleansed》中饰演 Grace，展现出一种辛辣的幽默感 (Marc Brenner)
像我这样胆小的剧院观众最喜欢的一种应对策略，就是提醒自己：他们所看到的任何东西——无论多么令人作呕的暴力——都不是真实的。所有的血不过是由甘油和食用色素调制而成的甜腻混合物，在演员们回家拥抱亲人之前，只需在后台用香味婴儿湿巾就能将其擦拭干净，伤口被抹除，缺失的肢体得以恢复。面对莎拉·凯恩 (Sarah Kane) 1998 年那部残酷的经典剧作《净化》(Cleansed)，胆小鬼们几乎肯定会被随剧附带的那些繁冗且详尽的触发警告给吓跑，因为那些警告列举了所有可能的酷刑形式。但即便如此，阿尔梅达剧院 (Almeida) 的常客丽贝卡·弗雷克纳尔 (Rebecca Frecknall) 执导的这一版演出，仍向紧张的观众伸出了同情的援手。血液在涂抹到身体部位之前被存储在三明治保鲜袋中；燃烧的纸张被立即丢入防火桶内。这些自觉的、布莱希特式的处理方式，与程式化的动作序列相结合，创造出一部既能与凯恩笔下的全部恐怖保持距离，又不吝于展现极致绝望的剧作。
在《净化》创作近三十年后，像这样的一出戏仍然极其罕见——它的结构围绕隐喻而非叙事，且敢于让观众面对模糊、可怕的意象，并让他们在挣扎中试图理解。根据舞台指示，故事设定在一家大学里。但实际上，这是一个阴森的机构，讽刺了对那些打破社会规则之人的毫不留情地对待——文盲、瘾君子、乱伦者、同性恋者。如果这里有负责人，那就是那个怪异的廷克 (Tinker，由 Leo Bill 饰演)，他在切断囚犯肢体时像狗一样吠叫和咆哮。但他经常提醒人们，这一切并非由他决定。
弗雷克纳尔的这部剧作似乎被一个更大的恶魔所困扰：一种无形的力量，在身体剧场极具冲击力的痛苦瞬间，将这些受苦的人猛地撞向墙壁，直到他们的头部流血。格蕾丝 (Grace，由 Pearl Chanda 饰演) 来到这个被诅咒的地方寻找她的哥哥格雷厄姆 (Graham，由 Jack Riddiford 饰演)。当她发现他已经去世时，她试图通过“成为”他来面对悲痛——穿着他的衣服，承受他曾承受的痛苦。在凯恩扭曲的
世界观中，爱就是选择不可想象的痛苦。一对男同性恋情侣在早期的场景中试探性地探讨对彼此的承诺：罗德 (Rod，由充满讽刺意味的 Parth Thakerar 饰演) 不愿给卡尔 (Carl，由迷人的 Luke Cinque-White 饰演) 一枚戒指，因为他不相信爱能强于痛苦和死亡。事实证明他是对的，但这无法让他们免于一次又一次的、被极其恐怖地细化呈现的极度痛苦。
斯图尔特·汤普森 (Stuart Thompson) 在饰演罗宾 (Robin) 时为整个进程带来了一种纯真感。
这里也有轻盈的时刻。斯图尔特·汤普森饰演的天真、男孩气的罗宾表现亮眼，为整个进程带来了一抹纯真，他在一个如同芭蕾舞鞋般血红的世界中轻盈地起舞。而钱达 (Chanda) 则拥有一种在古怪时刻喷涌而出的辛辣幽默感，指出了整个设局的荒诞。喜悦像核辐射一样从这片混乱中闪耀并激荡——一片假黄色花朵绽放，Kinks 乐队柔和的音乐在一段时间内淹没了所有的尖叫声。
总而言之，这是一个出人意料的极繁主义制作，同时又出奇地温柔。乔治·丹尼斯 (George Dennis) 精湛的声音设计极具感染力，通过吟唱的五声音阶唤起一座阴森的修道院，或是通过失真摇滚重现九十年代的狂欢派对，亦或是一场陈词滥调的音乐治疗课，破碎的声音在其中哭喊着
老派流行歌曲。而 Madeleine Girling 的演出感觉就像一面被击碎的电影屏幕，冲破了恐怖电影局限性的类型惯例，转向某种更狂野、更诡异的东西。
尽管如此，也许 Kane 更适合一种更简约的处理方式，让她的信息像刀一样锋利。这部剧是一座妓院，一家精神病院，一个酷刑室，一场扭曲的派对。但它同时又在任何地方都不存在，正是这种炼狱般的抽象感，捕捉到了她内心深处彻底的绝望——她坚信爱会灼伤你，然后抛弃你，在一片荒原中只留下的一堆闷燃的余烬。
直到 29 August
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Roisin O’Connor 写道，Lily Allen 那张才华横溢、极其坦诚的回归专辑是我们去年唯一讨论的话题，因此《West End Girl》的显著缺席让人感到真正震惊。
Olivia Dean, Florence and the Machine, Suede 和 Paul McCartney 入围了水星音乐奖短名单……但没有 Lily Allen（中）（Getty/iStock）
当你想到去年每个人都在谈论的那张专辑时，脑海中只会浮现一个名字：Lily Allen 那张对婚姻进行剖析且极具杀伤力的作品《West End Girl》。这张专辑点亮了全国各地的 WhatsApp 群组，其纯粹的直白程度令人瞠目结舌，甚至可能激励了不止一位女性抛弃自己的丈夫。所以，我想知道，为什么它没有出现在今年的水星音乐奖短名单中？
这次对这位英国流行艺人职业生涯最佳作品的冷落——一个关于婚姻崩塌的、激烈的、令人震惊且残酷得令人心惊的叙述——是该行业一段时间以来最离谱的失误之一。尤其在涉及女性音乐人时，英国一直有着令人沮丧的名声，即直到自己的艺术家在其他地方获得成功之前，不愿为其撑腰。但考虑到这是 2025, 年最受评论界赞誉的唱片之一，在英国排行榜位列第 2 名，并获得 2026 年 Brit Awards 的年度专辑提名，Allen 被排除在外尤其令人惊讶。
得益于对非单配偶制、不忠、背叛、性拒绝、孤独、情感操控（gaslighting）以及，呃，更多背叛的原始研究，《West End Girl》在发行后的几周甚至几个月内一直是讨论的焦点。除了 Rosalía 的《Lux》和 Olivia Rodrigo 的《You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love》（这两张专辑均不具备水星音乐奖的评选资格），《West End Girl》是唯一一张剖析了我们所有关于“现代”关系概念的焦虑，并将其摊在停尸床上的专辑。
只要想想那首欢快的开场曲《West End Girl》，Allen 在其中布置了她的场景。她刚刚赢得了一部剧的领衔主演，她正在收拾行囊！但她以一段低沉的电话对话收尾：她的伴侣想要一种开放式关系。接着是《Tennis》中的怀疑，当她无意中看到一条定罪的短信；她与《Madeline》的对峙（“这已经持续多久了？”）；以及《Ruminating》中精神健康的螺旋式下降。这些歌曲变成了 TikTok 的模因、Instagram 的个人资料和万圣节服装。Allen 所呈现出的那种“困惑且受伤”的状态，正如
评论家 Hannah Ewens 在为《独立报》（The Independent）撰写的五星级评论中称，这是一场“在公众面前进行的感性剖析，是对一段彻头彻尾的现代婚姻破裂的‘千刀万剐’式记录”。简直完美。
Allen 在巡演中表演《West End Girl》（盖蒂图片社）
那么，像这样的冷落是如何发生的？艺术家及其团队会自行申报奖项，因此始终存在 Allen 没有推荐自己的可能性。然而，考虑到她 2018 年的专辑《No Shame》此前曾入围短名单，且她显然为在短短 10 天内创作出如此杰作而感到自豪，并为该作获得的狂热反响而欣喜，我认为这种可能性很难成立。短名单由一组行业“专家”评审团选出，其中包括评论家、电台 DJ 和音乐家，而这些人近年来倾向于选择更具商业气息的作品。
今年入围短名单的有：Olivia Dean 的突破性专辑《The Art of Loving》（她 2023 年的处女作《Messy》也曾获得提名）、前获胜者 Dave 的《The Boy Who Played the Harp》、JADE 的首张个人专辑《That’s Showbiz, Baby》，以及 RAYE 的《This Music May Contain Hope》。Paul McCartney 因《The Boys of Dungeon Lane》获得了他的首次提名，而 Britpop 的中坚力量 Suede 获得了提名，许多评论家认为这是一次迟来的——
许多入围短名单的专辑中有一个明显的共同点，那就是艺术家（或乐队）在做他们擅长的事情。Dave 深沉且内省，McCartney 甜蜜且怀旧，Florence and the Machine 则充满了巫术气息且音量极大。他们把这些都做得非常好。但就艺术成就而言，如果说要找一个倾尽所有、孤注一掷的艺术家，Allen 才是真正敢于突破的人。她证明了自己与我们成长过程中（且深爱的）那个任性、画着荧光眼线的艺术家相比，已经走了多么远。未能因此认可她，感觉像是一次真正的自毁。
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Karl Matchett 商业与金融编辑
英格兰银行行长 Andrew Bailey 传达的信息是，目前国内通胀情况看来可控（盖蒂图片社）
尽管预计未来几个月通胀将攀升，但英格兰银行 (BoE) 再次将利率维持在 3.75%。
利率自去年 12 月起一直维持在这一水平，但目前广泛猜测今年晚些时候将再次加息，这在很大程度上是由 伊朗 战争的影响所驱动的。
英格兰银行的货币政策委员会 (MPC) 此次以 6-3 的投票结果支持维持利率不变，这既凸显了异议者的数量，也表明人们普遍认同利率将呈上升趋势。
中东冲突直接导致的燃料成本上升，影响了生产、制造、能源和运输的价格。提高利率是银行试图应对这一局面并防止通货膨胀失控的主要工具。
然而，不愿过早提高利率的原因可以用英国极其缓慢的经济增长、维持在 5% 左右的失业率以及在过去一年中陷入停滞的房地产市场来解释。数百万房主已经结束了在利率低得多时签署的抵押贷款协议，这意味着目前的还款额显著提高。
昨天的货币政策委员会（MPC）会议强调，宽松的劳动力市场随着时间的推移将在一定程度上抑制通货膨胀，同时也指出，“到目前为止几乎没有证据表明”通货膨胀的二轮效应（实际上即价格和工资上涨）正在发生。
然而，一份意味深长的记录还警告称，与 7 月的会议相比，“通胀前景的风险偏向上行”，并且“随着中东局势的展开，前景仍有实质性改变的空间”。委员会在观点上的一致性也表明，油价在较长时间内上涨的可能性大于人们所希望的下跌情景。
三位投票支持加息的 MPC 成员现在均强调，通货膨胀率已经高于 2% 的政府目标超过五年，并补充说，采取预防性加息从长远来看可能损害较小。其中引用了一项研究，该研究显示，“假设存在更强的二轮效应来制定政策，并在需要时进行修正，其代价将低于反向操作”。
由于能源价格将推高通胀，英格兰银行维持利率不变 (BofE)
尽管如此，分析师们对于英格兰银行最终是否会采取行动仍持有分歧。
桑坦德英国银行 (Santander UK) 首席经济学家 Frances Haque 暗示，在等待地缘政治问题解决的情况下，基准利率在 2026, 全年 可能会维持在 3.75%。
“尽管全球和国内挑战依然存在，但抵押贷款市场确实出现了谨慎乐观的迹象。越来越多的借款人选择观望，随着客户希望从未来借贷成本的降低中获益，对跟踪抵押贷款的兴趣日益增加，”她指出。
“总的来说，这种‘观望’方式将长期存在，我们最新的预测假设 2026. 年内银行利率不会进一步下调。然而，由于预计在进入明年时通胀将回落，我们应该会在 2027 年 看到进一步的两次降息。”
查尔斯·斯坦利直接投资 (Charles Stanley Direct) 首席投资分析师 Rob Morgan 同意，如果能源市场能够稳定下来，发展方向在一段时间内可能会继续维持横盘。
他在货币政策委员会（MPC）的投票中分歧。他表示：“只要通胀风险依然在前方若隐若现，降息就无法获得合理证明；而通过加息来抑制通胀则会增加借贷成本，使经济的很大一部分地区处境更加艰难。”
“只要能源市场保持稳定，最可能的结果是在当前的 3.75 per cent 维持较长时间的暂停。政策制定者看到了一些令人鼓舞的迹象，即一旦接下来的波动期过去，通胀压力将会缓和。”
Whether rates rise is highly dependent on whether energy markets stabilise in the coming months (AFP/Getty) （利率是否上升高度取决于未来几个月能源市场是否能稳定下来 (AFP/Getty)）
“但在他们更有信心确认高能源成本不会引发更广泛的价格上涨或影响工资要求之前，降息计划将被搁置，且加息的可能性并未被排除。”
eToro 的市场分析师 Sam North 同意目前考虑加息的依据已经减少。他表示：“行长 Andrew Bailey 传达的信息是，目前国内通胀看起来是可以控制的，但全球背景正变得更加危险。令人不安的部分是，大多数成员希望等待二轮效应的证据，而三名成员
对于储蓄者，Finder 的个人财务专家 Kate Steere 敦促人们充分利用利率与通胀之间的差距。
她说：“储蓄者不应忽视大局：实际回报回来了。在通胀率为 2.6 per cent 的情况下，来自 Trading 212 (4.51 per cent) 和 Plum (4.4 per cent) 等提供商的市场领先现金 ISA 账户提供的回报率比通胀高出近 2 per cent。这意味着现金价值不仅免于被通胀侵蚀，而且在积极增长。随着利率已经略有下降，现在正是趁这些高额优惠消失前采取行动的时机。”
Propertymark 首席执行官 Nathan Emerson 补充道：“稳定的基准利率为住房市场提供了更大的确定性。这让贷款机构更有信心继续提供具有竞争力的抵押贷款产品，同时也允许买家做出知情的财务决定。储蓄者也继续从相对有吸引力的储蓄回报中获益，帮助一些潜在的购房者积累首付款。”
展望今年剩余时间，XTB 的研究总监 Kathleen Brooks 指出，市场（其走势可能与经济学家或分析师显著分歧）维持了在冬季前将利率上调至 4 per cent 的预期，甚至可能在下次会议上就实现——尽管 John Healey 作为财政大臣发布首份预算案的日期可能会影响这一点。
她表示：“利率期货市场正在定价明年将有两次降息，目前 9 月加息的概率为 52 per cent，11 月加息的概率为 56 per cent。我们认为 11 月的可能性更大，因为如果英格兰银行在那个阶段仍在考虑加息，届时委员会将对 2027 加薪方案有更清晰的了解，且预算案应该已经公布，这将使 MPC 对新任首相的经济政策有更明确的认知。”
Rolls-Royce has announced profits well above previous expectations (Getty) （罗尔斯-罗伊斯宣布的利润远高于之前的预期 (Getty)）
战争助力 BAE Systems 和 Rolls-Royce
在全球冲突导致国防支出增加的背景下，罗尔斯-罗伊斯 (Rolls-Royce) 和 BAE Systems 获得了助力，这两家富时 100 中坚企业在发布稳健的半年报后上调了年度展望。这家发动机制造商罗尔斯-罗伊斯目前预计 2026, 基础营业利润将达到 £4.7bn–£4.9bn，远高于之前的指导预期。该集团正受益于民用航空需求的增长以及 AI 数据中心的部署，这对其电力系统部门有所帮助。
国防承包商 BAE Systems 上调了利润展望，预计 2026, 基础收益将增长 10–12 per cent，高于此前预测的 9–11 per cent。上半年基础收益增长 11 per cent，销售额增长 9 per cent，而税前利润从一年前的 £1.19bn 增长至 £1.28bn。
捷豹路虎将削减数百个工作岗位
捷豹路虎 (JLR) 宣布计划削减数百个工作岗位，将其作为重大转型的一部分。在这一决定之前，该集团一直在从去年导致生产停工的一次重大网络攻击中恢复，同时还受到美国关税措施的影响。
据了解，这家英国最大的汽车制造商受影响的岗位少于 300 个。JLR 在英国雇佣约 30,000 人，在海外雇佣 10,000 人，目前尚未披露这些裁员的具体地点。
其大部分车辆生产在英国设施中进行，包括西米德兰兹郡的索利赫尔 (Solihull) 和默西赛德郡的海尔伍德 (Halewood)，以及在斯洛伐克。
伊朗战争助力壳牌收益飙升
由于过去四年中表现最好的季度业绩，壳牌披露其半年收益增长 70%，好于预期。这家富时 100 指数 (FTSE 100) 巨头的基础收益跳升至 167.5 亿美元 (£12.55bn)，原因是其石油交易员利用了原油价格的高度波动。该集团表示，其化学品和产品部门（包括石油交易业务）的基础收益跳升至 21.5 亿英镑 (£2.15bn)，较一年前的 1.41 亿英镑 (£141m) 大幅增长。这有助于抵消天然气产量的下降——由于在本轮中东冲突开始时伊朗攻击其在卡塔尔的天然气转液体工厂，产量下降了 31 比率。
壳牌从油价波动交易中获利，布伦特原油价格一度飙升至每桶 120 美元 ($120)，随后跌至战前水平，本周在美国和伊朗紧张的谈判中又回升至 90 美元 ($90) 以上。虽然其在卡塔尔的 Pearl 基地在导弹袭击后无法生产天然气，但得益于全球其他设施的强劲表现，全集团的产量得到了提升。
劳埃德银行集团 (Lloyds Banking Group) 报告利润大幅跳升，同时公布了一项雄心勃勃的新四年战略，该战略以人工智能和数字化转型为中心，旨在额外节省 20 亿英镑 (£2bn) 的成本。该行宣布，截至 6 月底的六个月内，税前利润为 43 亿英镑 (£4.3bn)，较去年同期增长 23 比率。
劳埃德银行确认，其有望在 2022 年至 2026 年之间实现超过 20 亿英镑 (£2bn) 的总成本节省。其目标是在 2030 年前进一步削减 20 亿英镑 (£2bn) 的成本。
首席执行官查理·南恩 (Charlie Nunn) 表示：“我们认为，代理 AI (agentic AI) 带来了新机遇，既能使我们的服务产生差异化，又能更高效地增长，也就是说，提供我们以前从未能提供的服务。因此，能够通过训练有素的代理，向任何想要与我们沟通的英国人提供投资建议。”
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理查德·乔利 (Richard Jolly) 写道，埃迪·豪 (Eddie Howe) 见证了圣詹姆斯公园球场 70 年来首座国内奖杯的到来，但他离开时，俱乐部的沙特项目正面临停滞。
豪在俱乐部效力五年后离开了泰恩赛德 (Tyneside) (PA)
这一次，埃迪·豪再次可以与泰恩赛德最受欢迎的两张面孔相提并论。然而，这一次的方式并不那么令人羡慕。波比·罗布森爵士 (Sir Bobby Robson) 和凯文·基根 (Kevin Keegan) 都在夏末突然离开纽卡斯尔，这些决定似乎发生在错误的时间，使球队陷入了过渡和麻烦。至少，与几位杰出的前任不同，豪是在赛季开始前离开的，而不是在踢了几场比赛后。
但在赛季开始前不到 4 周，在 4-1 负于布里斯托尔城的一场友谊赛后，Howe 建立的这支球队似乎正在瓦解。Howe 曾是一位具有变革意义且出色的纽卡斯尔主教练，但目前的危险在于，他五年的执政期可能会成为该队近期历史中的一个异类——一个被平庸包围的成就期。
Howe 完成了即使是 Robson 和 Keegan 也没能做到的事情，将一座奖杯带到了泰恩赛德（Tyneside）：这是纽卡斯尔自 1969 年以来的首座奖杯，也是他们在英格兰足球领域七十年来的首座奖杯。回到 17 个月前，在他们赢得联赛杯（Carabao Cup）的那一天，Howe 被问到是否会在圣詹姆斯公园球场（St James’ Park）建立自己的塑像。他以特有的谦逊回避了这些问题。当被问及他是否是一位传奇时，他回答道：“我们不会把自己放在那个范畴里。我们会让其他人在我们离开很久之后来决定。”
现在他离开了；从 Howe 的角度来看，或许会感到一种压力减轻的解脱。他的潜在继任者 Matthias Jaissle 将继承一系列问题，其中很少有是由 Howe 造成的，但许多问题在过去一年中使得他的任务变得日益艰巨。
这位 48 岁的主教练在 2025 年举起了联赛杯... (Getty)
...但离开时，他的阵容正分崩离析 (PA)
比赛结果显示了这种下滑。纽卡斯尔在上赛季最后 9 场联赛中输掉了 6 场，在 17. 场比赛中输掉 9 场。他们在主客场都被桑德兰击败。此前令人振奋的欧冠之夜，最终以 7-2 惨败给巴塞罗那而以一种屈辱的方式结束。
Howe 构建了一支具有认同感的球队。然而，即便他恢复了纽卡斯尔某种特殊的感觉，但这对于球员来说或许还不够：无论是他现有的球员，还是他渴望引进的球员。纽卡斯尔被贴上了“世界上最富有的俱乐部”的标签，但他们无法像那样挥霍，也缺乏财富理应带来的吸引力。
随着 Howe 的离开，不难想象 Bruno Guimaraes 现在会加盟阿森纳，这将成为一年内第四名离队的顶级球员，此前已有 Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon 和 Sandro Tonali 离开。总转会收益将达到约 £370m；这提醒人们，Howe 虽然经常能提升球员的水平，但也在球队中留下了一个巨大的漏洞。他可能希望 Elliot Anderson 还能留在阵中填补中场的空缺，但 2024 年因 PSR（利润和可持续发展规则）被迫出售这位纽卡本地球员，看起来是纽卡斯尔高层近年来搞砸的主要问题之一：延迟的
但球员的离去由于缺乏新援的加入而进一步恶化；或者说，至少没有引进正确的人选，毕竟纽卡斯尔去年夏天花费了 £250m。在那之前，Howe 在转会市场上的记录非常出色，但 2025 年的一批新援中只有 Malick Thiaw 获得了成功。随后这个夏天证明了去年趋势的延续。顶级球员不断拒绝纽卡斯尔：今年夏天是 Victor Munoz 和 Johan Manzambi，去年则是许多比 Nick Woltemade 或 Yoane Wissa 更合适的前锋。现在，看到纽卡斯尔如何分崩离析，Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko 和 Joao Pedro 很可能并不后悔他们的选择。
Bruno Guimaraes（左）将成为纽卡斯尔在不到一年内第四位离队的顶级球员，距离 Alexander Isak 混乱的离队已过去 12 个月 (PA)
在对 Howe 执政期的事后剖析中，那对花费 £125m 却表现不佳的组合 Woltemade 和 Wissa 被重点提及。Isak 同样被提及，他在温布利球场对阵利物浦时进球，确保了那座奖杯，但随后当他寻求离队时，却开启了这段辉煌的终结。
豪（Howe）执教的纽卡斯尔在以最高强度运作时表现最佳。当他们必须同时在英格兰国内和欧洲赛场作战时，由于伤病等部分原因，他们显得更为吃力。但即便如此，在那场 4-1 大胜巴黎圣日耳曼的标志性比赛中，丹·伯恩（Dan Burn）在泰恩赛德（Tyneside）的上空飞跃，头槌破门。豪是许多个圣詹姆斯公园（St James’ Park）之夜辉煌篇章的建筑师，这位来自南海岸的男人成为了东北部的英雄。
现在，接力棒交到了来自中东的人手中：在国民足球俱乐部（Al Ahli）取得成功的贾斯勒（Jaissle）、沙特阿拉伯公共投资基金、那些倾向于保持缄默的所有者，以及他们在圣詹姆斯公园的代表——体育总监罗斯·威尔逊（Ross Wilson）和首席执行官大卫·霍金森（David Hopkinson）。但在过去的一年里，有时似乎只有豪在维持着纽卡斯尔的凝聚力。他的离去让他们看起来像是一团乱麻。
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米格尔·德莱尼（Miguel Delaney）写道，欧洲足球机构决定拒绝詹尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）出售这一历史性赛事股份的计划，可能会对整个足球运动产生深远影响
卫冕冠军西班牙是威胁抵制世界杯的欧洲国家之一 (路透社)
在这次紧急会议开始时，欧足联向詹尼·因凡蒂诺将世界杯私有化的计划投下了一枚“核弹”，欧足联主席亚历山大·切费林（Aleksander Ceferin）说出的一句话，在接下来的两小时里被反复提及。
使用武器相关的措辞可以说是恰当的，因为现在这就是一场战争，而且是足球界长期以来需要的一场战争。因凡蒂诺的举动是前所未有的，且会破坏国际足球的本质，但这并非凭空而来。它源于一场长达 40 年的足球商业化进程，而欧足联本身也参与其中。
然而，即便如此也是有底线的，正如宣布的那样：如果因凡蒂诺坚持执行其计划，55 个欧足联成员国将抵制所有国际足联的赛事。
几乎所有相关人员都能看出，除了因凡蒂诺承诺给追随他的协会 $40 之外，这里真实的代价是什么。这不仅仅是在出售足球运动的一部分，而是允许最赤裸的资本主义影响潜入——从而在每一项决定中拥有相当大的发言权。
这被描述为针对一个甚至并非“不良”的资产的一次“极其糟糕的证券化交易”。
欧足联公开的集体立场本身就具有启发意义，因为这也考验了足球界的一些结构。因凡蒂诺身边的人之所以对该计划如此自信，原因之一在于国际足联的政治运作方式。资金分配是一种换取选票的机制，而这次的资金规模超过了大多数人以往见过的数额。规模较小的协会可以用此偿还债务。
欧足联主席亚历山大·切费林（右）采取了权力博弈 (路透社)
事实上，在欧足联开会之前，领导层已经意识到因凡蒂诺的计划对于资源匮乏的国家具有多么强大的说服力。
因此，欧足联开始采取强硬手段。据说，国际足联的计划——本质上是“永久性地出售足球的皇冠上的明珠”——使人们的决心更加坚定。
直到昨天下午 2 点的会议开始时，绝大多数代表通过视频电话参会，整体氛围充满团结精神。
切费林在主持会议开场时，坚称这“与他个人和詹尼无关”，且他从未想过与国际足联开战，随后他指出一个简单的现实：这个全球性机构已经拥有了它所需的所有资金。
英足总主席兼国际足联副主席黛比·休伊特（Debbie Hewitt）是下一位发言的重要人物，她是第一个提到“抵制”的人，同时批评了因凡蒂诺领导下的治理。
这段演讲得到了其他成员的称赞，这一点尤为值得注意，因为此前英格兰一直保持沉默。
抵制行为将适用于所有国际足联 (FIFA) 赛事，这对因凡蒂诺来说更具杀伤力，因为他的计划在很大程度上依赖于这个全球机构能实现欧洲俱乐部比赛中巨大的商业价值。这也是对他投资者最具吸引力的地方。不过，2029 年版的俱乐部世界杯甚至尚未达成协议，且目前看来还相去甚远。
[[IMG_XXXX]] FA主席德比·休伊特尽管与国际足联 (FIFA) 有联系，但仍采取了批评立场 (PA Wire)
这就是为什么目前无法预见这件事如何推进，其影响如此之大，甚至很可能导致这位瑞士-意大利籍官员的垮台。
会议上的许多官员质疑他的领导能力，对其描述涵盖了从“独裁行为”到“并非一个真正领导者应有的样子”的各种评价。
另一位国际足联 (FIFA) 执行委员会成员拉兹万·布尔莱努直接指责因凡蒂诺；而来自威尔士的诺埃尔·穆尼——他强调各单一协会仍需要资金——则询问是否还能对因凡蒂诺抱有信心。
人们不禁得出结论，因凡蒂诺在能力范围之外过度扩张，这源于长期处于世界杯和唐纳德·特朗普的泡沫之中而产生的过度自信。
他曾挺过了福拉林·巴洛贡事件、票价问题、“补水休息时间”、国际足联 (FIFA) 和平奖、通过欢呼形式将世界杯授予沙特阿拉伯，以及所有形式的单方面决定和通过法令进行治理，直到他不可避免地走得太远。
有些人将此描述为尽可能“最不真实的一次非受迫性失误”，以及“因凡蒂诺终结的开始”。据称，他将人们对他连任的支持误认为是对其任何决定的支持。
另一位高级人物表示，私有化计划是“自欧超联赛以来，最终压垮那层薄如蝉翼的和平协议的最后一根稻草”。
而现在，我们进入了一个潜在的新世界。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 巴黎圣日耳曼总统纳赛尔·曼沙尔·克拉伊菲被提及为因凡蒂诺的潜在挑战者 (Getty)
一些国家——包括欧洲以外的国家——开始思考，这是否实际上是一个打破国际足联 (FIFA) “一国一票”结构，甚至打破如此明显的足联分离制度的机会。为什么不实行全球预选赛，尤其是此类比赛的商业价值在降低？无论你是否同意，整个系统长期以来看起来都非常陈旧。
无论如何，其后果都将是巨大的，并且可能会产生许多意外后果。这也可能适用于欧洲足球协会联盟 (欧足联)。尽管表现出一致性，但像阿塞拜疆这样的一些小国表示，他们希望有更多的发言机会。大约 50-60% 的国家得到了发言机会，而提供最专业见解的是苏格兰。与此同时，其他人认为，接近因凡蒂诺的人将试图利用任何弱点进行攻击。
不过，欧足联的会议实际上并没有进行正式投票。在接近尾声时，切费林仅仅询问每个人是否支持抵制的立场。没有举手表决，因此欧足联可以自由发布声明。那里的政治运作方式也是如此。
这次危机被恰当地比作欧超联赛，且由于其全球复杂性，可以说规模甚至更大，但看看那次是如何结束的。
巴黎圣日耳曼总统纳赛尔·曼沙尔·克拉伊菲被提升至该运动主要俱乐部机构——欧洲俱乐部协会的最高地位。他的首要责任是对卡塔尔埃米尔负责。克拉伊菲目前被提及为因凡蒂诺的挑战者。
我们可能进入了一个新世界，但仍然伴随着这么多旧主题。已经够了，而更多的事情还在后头。
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尽管缺乏红球教练经验，但斯蒂芬·弗莱明 (Stephen Fleming) 仍被选中来稳定英格兰测试队的局面，此前同为新西兰人的布兰登·麦卡伦 (Brendon McCullum) 离职过程十分混乱。作者哈里·拉森-科伊尔 (Harry Latham-Coyle) 指出，尽管任务艰巨，但弗莱明可能具备成功的工具。
从表面上看，弗莱明的资历很普通：他的简历中完全没有任何红球教练经验 (PA)
斯蒂芬·弗莱明似乎总有一种绝佳的时机掌控感。就在 12 July，英格兰决定撤换布兰登·麦卡伦担任测试队主教练；而在一个极其巧合的情况下，13 July，那个后来被他们推举为继任者的人恰好开始了寻找新工作。钦奈超级国王队与弗莱明的协议在与其前队友离职后如此快地互不相欠，这不过是纯粹的巧合，但在三天之内，他就通过一份报纸采访表达了对英格兰队职位的兴趣；而在三周之内，在安迪·弗劳尔 (Andy Flower) 退出考虑后，他给英格兰和威尔士板球委员会 (ECB) 的面试小组留下了足够的深刻印象，从而获得了匆促的任命。
不过，弗莱明并不会在抵达时表现得过于匆忙；在 53-year-old 且为期四年的合同正式生效以及 12 月前往南非巡赛之前，马库斯·特雷斯科西克 (Marcus Trescothick) 将临时负责今年夏天对阵巴基斯坦的三场测试赛。虽然弗莱明表达了希望与家人共度时光的愿望，但这种情况再次凸显了 ECB 的失误——即在灰烬杯 (Ashes) 之后没有抓住机会进行彻底的切割。
那么，人们可能会将此称为一场“权宜之计”的结合——一位寻找新挑战的教练接手了一支需要新方向的球队。从表面上看，弗莱明的资历很普通：他的简历中完全没有任何红球教练经验，此前也没有任何迹象表明他想离开一个他可能是第一个真正掌握的特许 T20 巡回赛领域。他甚至在 2009, 拒绝了英格兰队的邀请，认为那时他的教练生涯起步太早。
弗莱明在 IPL 的钦奈超级国王队取得了巨大的成功 (Getty)
但这并不一定意味着又是将“方榫强行塞入圆孔”的错误尝试。事实是，如果要求必须具备英格兰测试队主教练这类角色的经验，那么候选范围将仅限于该职位的前任者——尤其是考虑到前任仍作为同事，且有时是竞争对手这一复杂因素。
当然，麦卡伦仍担任白球教练，这可能会引发冲突；而起用一个人与他的前队友关系足够亲近，甚至能一起做生意，这无疑是弗莱明被任命的关键因素。同样的精神在面对一支需要新鲜激励的年轻球队时，可能会有不同的实施方式。
“斯蒂芬·弗莱明是板球界最受尊敬的人物之一，我们非常幸运能有像他这样量级的人愿意接受英格兰男子测试队主教练的挑战，”ECB 男子板球董事总经理罗布·基 (Rob Key) 表示。“我相信他是引导一支充满潜力的球队，并将这种天赋转化为不仅能取得成功且能维持成功的世界级队伍的最佳人选。”
英格兰队正寻求在测试赛赛场上重现其巅峰状态 (Getty)
他们在郡冠军赛 (County Championship) 的过往经历，尤其是诺丁汉郡 (Nottinghamshire) 的经历，也将被提及。尽管很难找到弗莱明 (Fleming) 那一代人中，谁没有通过到访而丰富英国板球运动的。相反，人们应当关注他在 CSK 的工作——在现代板球这个破碎、分裂且派系林立的世界里，一段获得无数奖杯的 17 年任期是值得赞赏的。同时，这也为他即将面临的审视提供了某种洞察；他与 MS 多尼 (MS Dhoni) 之间建立的共生关系——后者是一位悠闲但极具直觉的领导者——是基 (Key) 希望经常被低估的弗莱明能与乔·鲁特 (Joe Root) 建立起来的关系。
即使在宣布其任命的声明中，也有暗示鲁特回归队长的安排可能是暂时的，因为弗莱明明确提到他对于与哈里·布鲁克 (Harry Brook) 合作感到兴奋。这位副队长的时刻终将到来。然而，英格兰和威士的板板球委员会 (ECB) 必须反思，正是由于选择匮乏，才迫使他们重新启用一名 35 岁的左手将，而此人在第一次担任队长期间已被磨损得精疲力竭；鲁特本应留在球员之列。但由于布鲁克已经承担了沉重的负担，重新任命鲁特是在两个糟糕的选项中较好的一个。
乔·鲁特回归担任英格兰测试赛队长 (PA)
弗莱明希望他能为他的得力助手提供一个更愉快的体验。“我知道领导力的压力和国际板球的损耗是什么感觉，而当这件事发生在我身上时，我去诺丁汉郡并赢得郡冠军赛，重新点燃了我对这项运动的热爱，”主教练在提到鲁特时说道。“英国板球给了我这个机会，现在能有机会回报一些，是一种荣幸。”
不过，还有其他问题需要解决。麦卡勒姆 (McCullum) 到任时，振兴和更新的任务非常明确，而弗莱明的任务则更艰巨。英格兰队的前三位置不稳，雅各布·贝塞尔 (Jacob Bethell) 是否能参加巴基斯坦系列赛的开场仍不确定，埃米利奥·盖伊 (Emilio Gay) 尚未稳固其位置，且不可避免地因本·斯托克斯 (Ben Stokes) 的退役而失去平衡。在接缝球全能球员方面没有对等的替代者，这会对其他方面产生影响；例如，可能很难挑选一名专业旋转球手，或者围绕一组有时只能爆发式发挥的接缝球手建立投球攻击线。这感觉就像一支不可避免地在下滑的球队。
因此，弗莱明看到的可能是一块空白画布；而其他人看到的，则是一个可能无法完全拼合的混乱碎片拼图。在他正式履职时，他将只有约九个月的时间来准备一次骨灰杯 (Ashes) 系列赛——麦卡勒姆将证明——这将构成他整体评估的重要部分。英格兰的新任主教练在自己的测试赛职业生涯中与澳大利亚交手 14 次，一次胜利也没有尝到。如果在明年夏天之前扭转其轨迹，他将证明自己确实是一个非常精明的人选。
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S
关于退役的问题所在”
Alex Pattle 深入探讨 Sky Sports 的新电影《最后一轮》(The Final Round)，并与从冠军转变为评论员的强尼·尼尔森 (Johnny Nelson) 探讨离开拳击场后生活的陷阱，后者是该纪录片中的关键发声者。
“这是一种非常孤独的存在。你的妻子、兄弟、母亲、姐妹都无法理解，”前世界冠军尼尔森说道 (Getty)
Sky Sports 的这部新纪录片充满了令人深省的片段。在其中一个场景中，拳击教练乔·加拉格尔 (Joe Gallagher) 回想起听到一位母亲问她的儿子：“所有的低谷都值得为了那一次的高光吗？”答案当然是“是的”。正如加拉格尔所说：“每个人都想要自己的《洛奇》(Rocky) 式故事。”
但正如 Sky 探索的那样，这并不总是意味着一个令人振奋的弱者逆袭故事。在《洛奇》的续集中，西尔维斯特·史泰龙饰演的角色在面对退休时陷入挣扎，而这正是《最后一轮》（The Final Round）的前提。
这部电影于今日上映，其中包含对约翰尼·尼尔森（Johnny Nelson）和乔什·沃林顿（Josh Warrington）等前世界冠军的采访；加拉格尔（Gallagher）和多米尼克·英格尔（Dominic Ingle）等教练也参与了讲述；推广人埃迪·赫恩（Eddie Hearn）出镜，评论员安迪·克拉克（Andy Clarke）则将“成瘾”、牺牲和自负等主题交织在一起。
这部纪录片甚至包含了一段与已故伟大拳击手里基·哈顿（Ricky Hatton）的最后几次采访之一，他退休后的内心挣扎与他在拳击台上的任何一场战斗都一样激烈。
许多拳击手会告诉自己，“‘我还能打一场好仗’，”哈顿说。“9 次出 10, 你其实不能。这就是我的情况。”
事实上，在 2022 年，42 岁的哈顿在一场表演赛中与马尔科·安东尼奥·巴雷拉（Marco Antonio Barrera）交手，在去年九月不幸去世之前，他甚至还计划参加另一场比赛。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 乔什·沃林顿在二月份输给利·伍德（Leigh Wood）后预计将退休，但他尚未做出决定 (Getty)
然而，这不仅仅关乎激情与自负；身份认同的问题随之而来，以及对拳击生涯后生活的恐惧。重量级老将戴夫·艾伦（Dave Allen）表示，退休是“可怕的”，他本人曾撤回过退出这项运动的决定。“除了‘父亲’这个身份，我只是个拳击手。我甚至不是大卫，那个正常的普通人。”
在撰写本文时，沃林顿的拳击前景尚不确定，他解释道：“在比赛日醒来，感觉一切都更明亮，一切气味都更好闻，我更加警觉……那是一种不真实的快感。” 接着是致命的一击：“一旦这种感觉停止，你将再也无法感受到它。”
这能否解释泰森·富里（Tyson Fury）五次虚假的退休宣言？或许吧。这些在纪录片中占据了独立篇幅，而那些在退休数十年后才复出的案例同样如此：例如，58 岁的迈克·泰森在 2024 年面对 27 岁的 YouTuber 杰克·保罗（Jake Paul）。
影片探讨了拳击手不仅想念比赛之夜的快感，还想念拳馆里的同僚情谊；而折磨许多选手的财务困境在片中也获得了相当长的播放时间。
大多数拳击手需要一份第二职业，推广人和经理人史蒂夫·伍德（Steve Wood）解释道：“我负责的拳击手中，有百分之九十的收入不足以支付税款。我带过几个世界冠军；他们是仅有的两个可能体面退休的人。”
[[IMG_XXXX]] 42 岁的里基·哈顿在表演赛中出拳，时间在他去世前四年 (PA)
在接受《独立报》采访时，尼尔森触及了所有这些话题，以及他计划为拳击手创建一套正式养老金计划——这是他自己的推广人、埃迪的父亲巴里·赫恩（Barry Hearn）曾尝试但未获成功的举措。
巴里曾尝试将拳击手出场费的一小部分投入养老金，但选手的不信任和/或短期思维挫败了这一计划。在退休九年后曾考虑过复出的尼尔森，在回想几年前从赫恩那里收到一笔 £97,000 的养老金后，给了这位 59 岁老人灵感。
尼尔森希望创建一套方案，只要拳击手每年参赛两到三次，并将其出场费的 5% 投入该养老金，每年就为每位拳击手向养老金账户注入 £2,000——这笔资金将由电视公司、政府拨款和私人赞助共同组成。为了让该计划落地，尼尔森已经与英国拳击控制委员会（British Boxing Board of Control）、议会人员、苏格兰寡妇保险公司（Scottish Widows）以及潜在的出资人进行了沟通。
“如果我是家长，而我的儿子想打拳击，我不希望他把拳击当作职业，因为他们最后一无所有，”尼尔森说。“没有后续保障。每个人都在奔波于
“我可以告诉你很多家喻户晓的名字，他们现在完全地落魄了，一无所有，而且这种财务压力在拳击带来的其他影响之上，多年来不断累积。你的心理健康怎么可能稳定？怎么可能？”
总的来说，尼尔森在阐述拳击手的生存状态时显得游刃有余。
“我们拥有的那种动物本能，在日常生活中没有任何东西可以去适应它——不管是办公室还是其他任何地方，因为那是野蛮的，”他说。“这是一种非常孤独的生存方式。你的妻子、兄弟、母亲、姐妹都不理解。那些酸痛是孤独的，思维过程也是孤独的。”
Nelson（照片拍摄于 2001 年）于 2005 年退役，但九年后曾考虑过复出 (Getty)
“起初你是因为热爱而做这件事，然后金钱介入了，接着是起起伏伏，所以我们依然在坚持——但带着怨恨。你没有时间去从事一份全职工作，所以 [你可能会想]：‘人们看到我处于极高的巅峰，然后我得去建筑工地干活。天呐，我得面对那种羞耻感。’”
“你会对人性如何改变感到愤恨：当你退役后，人们不再把你视为一个了不起的战士。‘他超重了，他不再是以前的样子了。’他们像对待任何人一样和你说话，而当你是个拳击手时，他们是对你充满敬意的。”
尼尔森现在是拳击界最深思熟虑且受人尊敬的评论员之一，但在深陷过去的时候，他无法预见这样的未来。
“我以为拳击是我唯一的选择，”他反思道。“我离开学校时的读写能力只有 10 岁孩子的水平。我并不笨——我只是在学术上不敏锐——但我当时以为自己很聪明。在书面上没有任何东西能证明‘强尼很擅长与人打交道’，而这种智慧并不能为你带来工作。能让你获得工作的是文凭和工作经验。所以，恐慌感袭来。我很容易就可能在监狱里度过余生。”
正如《最后一轮》（The Final Round）所示，拳击可以成为一种特殊的监狱，但一个相对较早且安全地逃离的冠军是安东尼·克罗拉（Anthony Crolla），他在快要 33 岁时以一场胜利宣布退役。
“你不能让拳击从你身上夺走的，比你从拳击中获得的更多，”他在电影中敏锐地说道。如果事情真的那么简单就好了。
今晚 10.30pm 请在 Sky Sports Main Event 观看《最后一轮》，或通过点播以及从明天起在 Sky Sports 的 YouTube 频道观看。
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Aziz Abdul，乌干达人伊迪·阿明（Idi Amin）的孙子，声称他在爱丁堡被取消资格是由于种族主义 (Getty)
阿明之孙的种族主义指控被驳回
英联邦运动会负责人唐纳德·鲁卡雷（Donald Rukare）驳回了乌干达拳击手阿齐兹·阿卜杜勒（Aziz Abdul）在周三的一场超重量级比赛中被取消资格后的种族主义指控。阿卜杜勒是乌干达已故独裁者伊迪·阿明的孙子，他在与英格兰选手达马尔·托马斯（Damar Thomas）的第三轮（也是最后一轮）比赛中因头击被判出局。他立即指称这是基于其国籍的歧视。
“这当然是不公平的，”阿齐兹表示。“当你观看英格兰之前的比赛时，他们的拳击手制造了很多犯规，并且耍了很多花招。我是一个黑非洲人，我知道。我不 [知道] 为什么裁判对这场比赛感到恐惧。”
在苏格兰展览中心举行的一场戏剧性比赛中，体型明显比其英格兰对手矮小的阿卜杜勒（Abdul）在第一轮中被判定为站立计数。随后在第二轮中，他因在搂抱状态下出拳而被扣分；而在第三轮中，由于其对托马斯（Thomas）下巴的一次决定性顶击，他被取消了参赛资格。负责组织格拉斯哥比赛的 World Boxing 协会拒绝就此次事件发表评论。
英格兰队赢得男子 4,000m 团体追逐金牌
在昨天于格拉斯哥举行的 Commonwealth Games 上，英格兰队夺得男子 4,000 米团体追逐金牌，查理·坦菲尔德（Charlie Tanfield）对击败澳大利亚队之感倍感畅快，这正是他期待已久的胜利。
由坦菲尔德、亨利·霍布斯（Henry Hobbs）、威廉·蒂德波尔（William Tidball）和伊森·弗农（Ethan Vernon）组成的英格兰队在半程时落后 0.035 秒，但随后奋起追击，最终以超过一秒的优势夺金。
坦菲尔德曾是英国团体追逐队的一员，在那支队伍在 2024 年巴黎奥运会决赛中被澳大利亚人挤到银牌之位。他表示：“我觉得我的整个职业生涯都围绕着团体追逐展开，而且一直是我们在与澳大利亚人对抗。”
威尔士三人组艾玛·菲努凯恩（Emma Finucane）、里安·埃德蒙兹（Rhian Edmunds）和劳里·托马斯（Lowri Thomas）险胜英格兰的凯蒂·马尚特（Katy Marchant）、索菲亚·凯普韦尔（Sophia Capewell）和里安娜·帕里斯-史密斯（Rhianna Parris-Smith），夺得女子团体竞速金牌。
威尔士队在预赛中创下了最快时间，并在四年前伯明翰赛中获得铜牌的基础上进一步突破，以 46.760 秒的 Commonwealth Games 新纪录成绩飞速冲过终点。
苏格兰的尼尔·法奇（Neil Fachie）在与亚伦·波普（Aaron Pope）搭档赢得男子双人 B 1,000 米计时赛冠军后，获得了他的第六枚 Commonwealth Games 金牌，排在由马修·罗瑟汉姆（Matthew Rotherham）领航的威尔士选手詹姆斯·鲍尔（James Ball）之前。
针对残疾人田径管理机构决定在格拉斯哥 Commonwealth Games 上重新组织女子 T54 1500 米比赛的决定，英格兰队提出了批评。此前周三的决赛因第一圈发生撞车事故而受到影响。
苏格兰的梅兰妮·伍兹（Melanie Woods）以新的 Games 纪录时间夺冠，紧随其后的是加拿大的南蒂尼·夏尔马（Nandini Sharma），后者因在撞车事故中扮演的角色被取消资格，这使得英格兰的埃利斯·科塔斯（Ellis Kottas）升至银牌。
伍兹在昨天上午被允许完成一圈荣誉绕场并进行了领奖后的媒体采访，随后组织者在收到来自澳大利亚和毛里求斯的进一步抗议后，宣布比赛将于今天上午重新举行。
坎贝尔为英格兰赢得举重金牌
艾米莉·坎贝尔（Emily Campbell）在格拉斯哥以压倒性优势卫冕女子 86+kg 举重冠军，并刷新了 Commonwealth Games 纪录。
这位 32 岁的两枚奥运奖牌得主在首次挺举 148kg 时就锁定了金牌，随后又完成了 155kg 和 163kg 的举起，在激烈的欢呼声中跳离舞台。
Thitikul 在 AIG 女子公开赛中领跑
在皇家利瑟姆和圣安内斯（Royal Lytham and St Annes）举行的 AIG 女子公开赛首轮结束后，洛蒂·沃德（Lottie Woad）和查理·赫尔（Charley Hull）领跑英国选手的希望。来自萨里郡的 22 岁选手沃德打出了一个没有博基（bogey）的、低于标准杆两杆的 69 杆，其中在标准杆五杆的第六洞打出一个小鸟球，并在第 12 洞通过一个极远距离的推杆拿下 2 杆。赫尔在第 15 洞从果岭外直接推进球后一度升至低于标准杆三杆，但这位来自凯特林的 30 岁选手在下一洞掉入前벙克（bunker），导致成绩下滑回低于标准杆两杆。
来自泰国的 23 岁选手 Jeeno Thitikul 处于领先地位，这位仍在寻求首个大奖赛冠军的选手在一次完美地低于标准杆七杆的 64. 杆表现中打入了七个小鸟球。令人不安的是，Ryu Hae Ran 仅落后两杆。
日本选手 Shiho Kuwaki 以负五杆并列第二，但世界第 1 Nelly Korda（与 Ryu 一样，都在寻求今年第三个大满贯冠军）在表现平平的情况下打出 73 杆，其中包含四个博基球。
苏格兰橄榄球协会首席执行官在调查后被解雇
苏格兰橄榄球协会 (SRU) 在对其行为进行长期调查后，解雇了首席执行官 Alex Williamson。该管理机构未透露调查的具体细节，但在经过自 5 月开始的一系列程序后，宣布将其永久撤职。现任首席财务官 David White 预计将担任临时首席执行官，与此同时，该管理机构将开始寻找永久继任者的程序。
Williamson 于 2024 年 9 月被任命为离任首席执行官 Mark Dodson 的继任者，并于 2025 年初开始在 Murrayfield 工作。他此前经营 Goodwood 庄园，并曾任百货公司连锁店 House of Fraser 的首席执行官，但在就任苏格兰橄榄球协会一职约 18 个月后就被解雇。
SRU 现在必须在之前的招聘过程结束不到两年后再次寻找替代人选。此时正值苏格兰橄榄球进入一个至关重要的时期：首届国家锦标赛将在今年秋季继续在 Murrayfield 举行比赛，明年春季将迎来关键的六国赛，随后是明年 10 月在澳大利亚举行的 2027 年橄榄球世界杯。
切尔西以 £52m 签下 Lacroix
切尔西足球俱乐部昨日宣布，已从水晶宫以 £52m 签下后卫 Maxence Lacroix，这位法国国家队球员签署的合同将持续到 2032, 年。这位 26 岁的法国国脚在上赛季出场 55 次，在水晶宫夺冠期间贡献了三粒进球和三次助攻。
水晶宫于 2024 年以据报 £18m 的价格从沃尔夫斯堡签下他，Lacroix 在奥利弗·格拉斯纳 (Oliver Glasner) 执教的两个赛季中为该俱乐部出场 98 次。今年夏天，他还入选了法国国家队的世界杯阵容，并参加了三场比赛；该队在半决赛负于西班牙后获得第四名，随后在三四名决赛中以 6-4 负于英格兰。
切尔西今年夏天已经投入巨资，上周以 £117m 从阿斯顿维拉签下了 Morgan Rogers，而 35 岁的前锋 Danny Welbeck 预计也将以一份为期两年的合同从布莱顿加盟该俱乐部。与此同时，Jordan Henderson 也接近从布伦特福德自由转会至斯坦福桥。
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I
Among other wonderful things, Iran would have undergone secular regime change, its nuclear capacity “obliterated” and its ambitions irrevocably renounced and subject to international inspection. The Strait of Hormuz would be free, in every sense, to international shipping, and Iran’s associates, Hamas and the Houthi rebels, would have been smashed, with the eager assistance of Israel.
So far from being a permanent destabilising regional menace, Iran would today be reborn as a reliable friend and ally of the US, recognising the state of Israel and open for lucrative business deals.
Well, Iran isn’t like that. The only claims that the US president made that have been proven accurate are that the old ayatollah is dead (but seemingly replaced by more capable militants), and that Iran’s antique conventional military, air force and navy have been eliminated.
The rest, as Mr Trump would never say, is failure – indeed, failure at an operationally epic scale. It is America, not Iran, that is running low on munitions. Through a combination of Israeli cynicism and his own blundering misjudgement, as well as
f what Donald Trump said over the last few months about his unplanned and ill-starred war in Iran were to be believed, it would be over by now.
Iranian stubbornness and ingenuity, all Mr Trump has achieved is to set in motion the kind of never-ending quagmire of a conflict that he promised the American people he would never drag them into. Maga is getting disillusioned.
In fact, the most concerning thing now is not so much that the war is intensifying – the bombing by both sides is more or less routine – but that it is now widening. For example, there has been an upsurge in Israeli settler aggression in the West Bank, apparently supported by a complacent Israeli army. The ceasefire in Gaza hasn’t stopped the killing there either, and the Trump- sponsored plan for reconstruction remains a weird pipe dream.
For the first time, Egypt has been attacked – an Iranian or proxy drone has hit a port on the Mediterranean coast. Saudi Arabian forces are also being dragged back into conflict with the Houthi rebels to the south in Yemen. This is because Houthi forces are attacking ships trying to pass through the Red Sea via the Bab al- Mandeb Strait, analogous to the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.
The world’s oil and gas supplies are thus under renewed threat. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are continuing to target US bases, and Iran’s surprise attack on American forces in Jordan shattered a brief lull in the fighting. Civilian infrastructure, military facilities and the energy industries of Kuwait and the UAE continue to be vulnerable – and they are now hitting back.
Not to be left out of the action, Beijing is reportedly supplying Tehran with hundreds of shoulder-held surface-to-air missiles. Ugly rumours continue to the effect that Russia is helping Iran hit US assets, though President Trump seems inexplicably relaxed about this.
Any one of those developments would have provoked concern even in such a disorderly part of the world as the Middle East. But never before have the disparate religious, racial and national hatreds and rivalries broken out quite so violently, all at once. From Cyprus to Iraq and from Lebanon to Oman, every nation
It is difficult to discern exactly how this combustible mix will bring fresh misery and destruction – but it is surprisingly easy to see how it could be de-escalated: America must get out of its war on Iran, and force Israel out with it.
The terms, formal or implicit, for an end to this senseless conflagration will not amount to anything like President Trump’s various stated war aims. The Trump administration will hold no veto over who runs Iran; there will be no “unconditional surrender”; and Iran will continue to hold “nuclear dust”, ballistic missiles and lots of drones.
All the president can do – must do, for the sake of the global economy – is to declare victory (again), move his forces out, and move on to a process of longer-term diplomatic talks aimed at a more comprehensive settlement. In that endeavour, he will have the full support of Gulf, European and east Asian allies.
It will be painful for him – but not as painful as the losses he faces at the mid-term elections in November, and the multiple charges of impeachment that will follow. Even if he cares little for the rest of humanity, he still needs to save his own skin. Time is running out.
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Infantino’s sell-off plans proceed
All 55 member associations vote for action unless plan to sell stakes in competition withdrawn
Jamie Braidwood
Fifa boss Gianni Infantino with Donald Trump at the World Cup final in New jersey (PA)
Football’s European governing body has announced a boycott of Fifa competitions, including the World Cup, if Gianni Infantino’s controversial plans to sell off stakes in its tournaments to private investors are voted through.
The drastic action, which follows an emergency meeting yesterday, was “unanimously” agreed among all 55 of Uefa’s member associations. A statement confirmed that “no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive”.
It would also harm next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with Spain the reigning winners and European champions England also bringing considerable commercial interest in the tournament. England, runners-up at the 2023 World Cup, face two-legged qualification play-offs in October, as do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A spokeswoman for the English FA echoed the Uefa sentiment, saying: “We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view. We oppose Fifa’s plans – the Fifa World Cup belongs to football and always will.”
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, right, has gone to war with Infantino (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the majority of the 2030 World Cup will be staged in Europe, with Spain and Portugal sharing hosting rights along with Morocco, following games in South America hosted by Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to commemorate the tournament’s centenary year.
On Tuesday, Fifa revealed plans to create a new $20bn subsidiary, 20 per cent owned by private investors, to manage the commercial rights and delivery of the World Cup and other major tournaments. Thrive Eternal, led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, is set to lead the new investment.
“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football,” Uefa said. “The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in Fifa competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.”
In a letter to the member associations, Infantino promised that national federations would benefit from an increase of its “Fifa Forward” funding from around $8m to $20m for the upcoming four-year cycle between 2027 and 2031 if the new FFE subsidiary is created.
Additionally, the letter states that a “one-off” payment of another $20m would be made available for member associations who vote for Infantino’s proposals on 19 September. Member associations are then warned that their funding for the 2027- 2031 cycle would only stand at $10m if the vote does not pass, meaning they would miss out on $30m.
Uefa’s statement added: “National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences. This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.”
Many of the world’s smaller countries, especially those outside of Europe, are more dependent on funding from Fifa to run their national teams, develop long-term grassroots projects and invest in infrastructure, like pitches, academies and stadiums. Before
Spain won World Cup 2026 earlier this month (Getty)
Uefa’s confirmation that it would stage a boycott comes ahead of a vote between Fifa’s 211 member associations on 19 September. Infantino’s proposals only require a majority vote of above 50 per cent, as well as backing from the Fifa Council, which means Uefa still requires more support from another federation, such as North America or Asia, to have a chance at winning the vote and avoiding a boycott.
Uefa’s statement in full
“Uefa and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject Fifa’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other Fifa competitions to private investors.
“The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. It is one of football’s greatest sporting legacies. It has been built over generations by players, national teams and supporters across every continent. No part of it should ever be surrendered to private investors. The World Cup is not for sale.
“It is both irresponsible and indefensible that a proposal of such significance for football was conceived in secret and brought to the brink of approval without any meaningful consultation with those entrusted with stewarding the game. This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of Fifa’s duty as the custodian of world football.
“National associations around the world are now presented with an ultimatum: accept the irreversible capture of football’s greatest competitions or bear the consequences. This is not a ‘democratic decision’, but governance by intimidation – an act of coercion unworthy of an institution entrusted with the stewardship of the global game.
“But our opposition goes far beyond process.
“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in Fifa competitions, football changes forever. Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure. From that moment onwards, every decision on the international calendar, every decision on competition formats and every decision shaping the future of football is no longer driven by what best serves the game, but by what best serves shareholders.
“This model has no place in world football. Football’s future cannot be dictated by the expectations of those whose first duty is to maximise financial return. Nor can the interests of national associations, leagues, clubs, players and supporters become subordinate to investor returns. Football cannot mortgage its future for financial gain.
“Europe’s position is clear. We will never lend this model our legitimacy. No one has the moral authority to sell what they merely hold in trust for the next generation.
“As a result of today’s discussion, no Uefa national teams will participate in any Fifa competition for so long as these proposals remain alive, unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that Fifa will
“Nobody should be in any doubt: Uefa and its national associations will oppose these plans with absolute determination.
“There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of those moments.
“Some things are simply too important to sell. The Fifa World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”
R ECO M M E N D E D
Inside Uefa’s World Cup boycott plans – and what Fifa might do next
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Suffolk heathland wildfire rages
Sizewell B nuclear power station on high alert as grassland blaze proves difficult to contain
Holly Evans
A firefighter at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston (Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service)
Hundreds of people have been evacuated and a major nuclear power plant is on alert as a huge wildfire threatens homes on the Suffolk coast, with Britain gripped by its fourth heatwave.
A major incident has been declared with families, including babies and children, from 200 properties, holiday cottages, a farm and a caravan park forced to flee in the middle of the night as the flames engulfed Dunwich Heath on Wednesday.
More than 120 firefighters worked throughout the night in “arduous conditions” to control the “large-scale, wind-driven” inferno, which is spreading rapidly southwest, posing a threat to the 19th-century St James’ Church and prompting major
An evacuation centre has been set up at Westleton Village Hall and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service chief Jon Lacey said it was “difficult to say” when they will be able to return, warning the blaze was expected to rage for up to 36 hours. The cause of the fire has not yet been established.
It comes as fire services across the UK are under extreme pressure, with nearly 400 wildfires recorded in July so far, making it the busiest July on record. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said the number of wildfires this year has already reached the total number for the whole of 2021, 2023 and 2024 combined.
Phil Garrigan, chair of the NFCC, said: “Wildfires are no longer isolated or seasonal events. They are becoming a recurring and growing feature of the risks facing our communities and emergency services. As climate and environmental conditions continue to change, we must ensure our fire and rescue services are equipped to meet that challenge.
Meanwhile, the whole of Wales and half of England is now in drought, with other areas at risk, as rivers run dry and farmers warn record dry conditions could fuel food shortages and price hikes.
Anna Seymour, 56, had been staying at a log cabin with her two kittens at Cliff House Holiday Park in Suffolk, where 200 caravans were evacuated, when she became aware of smoke along the heath.
"I can’t remember the exact time we were [evacuated]. I was sitting at the clubhouse and there was lots of noise, fire engines. It’s something you never obviously hear there because it’s just not a place to hear any noise really, and lots of fire engines were going up towards the heath,” she told The Independent.
“Then it was about 20 minutes later, someone said that Dunwich was on fire. I went back to the lodge to check the kittens, and then somebody knocked at the door and said, ’go to the evacuation point.’” She described the evacuation as a calm process, but said there was a “lot of smoke” once they left the site.
Justin North told the BBC that there was “hammering” on the door of his holiday cottage at Dunwich Cliffs at around 11.30pm and that he and his wife were asked to “go immediately”.
Firefighters are set to continue dealing with the blaze for the next 24 to 48 hours (Sky News)
The couple were forced to sleep in their car before being able to access the evacuation centre, where they said there was a “kind of blitz spirit” among residents.
The blaze is around 3 miles away from Sizewell B, where authorities are understood to be monitoring the situation, which firefighters called “live and dynamic”.
A spokesperson for EDF, which operates the site, said: “The fire at Dunwich Heath is not currently affecting operations at Sizewell B power station, but we are continuing to monitor the situation.”
Authorities confirmed the major incident status was enacted in Suffolk “due to the size and complexity” of the rapidly developing situation, with the fire currently travelling inland.
Dan Davis, a station manager for the service, has issued an urgent plea for the public to steer clear of the area and ensure windows and doors remain shut.
Andy Burnham has promised the fire service will receive ‘all the support’ it requires (Reuters)
“It is a very serious incident. I will make sure that Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service have all of the support, the mutual aid, the other services that they need, and any other resources that need to be brought to bear.”
Thérèse Coffey, the former Tory MP for the area, said it was “sad news” and expressed hope that the blaze did not spread to the RSPB Minsmere nature reserve.
The Suffolk blaze is one of several major wildfires being tackled across the UK. Eight wildfires are currently burning and “being monitored” in other parts of Britain, with fire chiefs warning that there remains an “elevated risk” of more igniting.
It comes as the UK experiences its second drought in two years, with very low rainfall and high temperatures taking a toll on the environment, affecting 28 million people.
The Environment Agency warned that swathes of England are suffering from “flash drought”, including East Anglia, Hertfordshire and the whole of London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West
A helicopter flies water collected from the sea to drop on the wildfire close to the Sizewell B nuclear power station (PA)
The UK Health Security Agency said England is on track this year for the highest number of deaths caused by heatwaves since figures began, with the record-breaking heatwaves of May and June leading to 2,877 deaths. That is almost double the 1,504 deaths linked to heatwaves in June to August last year.
In Scotland, crews said they were making “significant progress” tackling a wildfire in the Cairngorms that is still burning after two weeks.
Several homes in the remote region were evacuated as plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, and vast swathes of trees, heather and grasslands have been left charred and blackened.
Speaking on Wednesday, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) deputy assistant chief officer Michael Humphreys said that fire crews are making progress in tackling the blaze. However, he warned the risk of flare-ups remains high.
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Burnham do a rain dance for TikTok?
H
Sixty years ago, Labour was forced to appoint a ‘minister for drought’ – with surprising results. Sean O’Grady looks at how this summer’s extreme weather could become a political hot potato
Things were different in the 1970s; model Cerica, 19, at the dried-up Pitsford Reservoir in Northamptonshire in 1976 (PA)
alf of England and all of Wales is now officially in drought. It’s not just weather; the economic and political repercussions of extreme weather around the world are gradually making themselves felt.
Not quite – and we’ve had droughts before, notably the long summer of 1976: little rain fell between May 1975 and August 1976. But rarely have there been so many droughts quite so close together, let alone combined with soggy winters; there have been three droughts in the past five years – 2022, 2025, and now 2026.
What does it mean for farmers?
They’re on the front line and are finding it difficult to cope. For some years in succession, record hot summers have been recorded, and a combination of those and wetter winters is making it harder for farmers to grow traditional crops and rear livestock. At best, it means earlier and smaller yields and harvests; at worst, it means money spent on irrigation and storage is wasted as crops fail entirely.
Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East has also driven energy and fertiliser bills higher, while policy decisions on taxes and wages have made life more difficult for some in agriculture. A crisis is underway.
What happens then?
More food will have to be imported, putting pressure on the trade deficit, and there will be higher inflation than would otherwise be the case. Parts of agriculture that have lost subsidies since Brexit will fall into crisis and demand financial help from the government – an early and painful challenge for Andy Burnham.
Who to blame?
It would be no bad thing if there were an increasing realisation on the right of politics that climate change is real and that local and international action is needed to counter it and save life on Earth (northwest Europe being especially badly affected by the long-term trends).
There are some signs of this happening, although Kemi Badenoch is still demanding that Conservative parliamentary candidates renounce the net zero targets previously enshrined in
law by Theresa May. The mounting evidence of a climate emergency will harm those parties, notably Reform UK, that stay in denial, and help the Greens (but perhaps not that much once the drought has passed).
Denis Howell was made ‘minister for drought’ in 1976 (Getty)
What can the government do?
Besides rescuing farmers from bankruptcy, it could double down on net zero policies – rather than eroding existing commitments, as Burnham is doing – and get on with building more reservoirs, irrespective of what is happening to broken water companies.
Soon there will be calls for Burnham to “do something” more immediately, but his options are limited. In the summer of ’76, the prime minister James Callaghan appointed the sports minister, Denis Howell, as a coordinating “minister for drought”;
Howell urged calm, oversaw the standpipe rationing and gave out water-saving advice such as sharing a bath with your partner. Perhaps Burnham might set a similar example, maybe tastefully filmed for a TikTok?
If not, he could promote the existing minister for water, Emma Hardy, to “minister for lack of water” – she is already running something called the National Drought Group, which includes the Met Office, civil servants, regulators, water companies, farmers, the Canal & River Trust, anglers and conservation experts. Will she have to tell the prime minister, “No Andy, I’m not doing a rain dance for the socials”?
What can we do?
“Small steps, such as turning off the taps when brushing teeth or shaving, taking a shorter shower or fixing a leaking toilet can really add up,” says the government.
Will it ever end?
Yes. Shortly after Howell was appointed half a century ago, the long dry spell broke and rain poured down on a grateful, parched nation. Howell had performed a miracle, but neither he nor the Labour government got the credit.
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income tax collected in their area
David Maddox Political editor
‘I know what it’s like to be ignored by politicians in Westminster,’ says Burnham as he unveils another new policy (PA)
English mayors will be allowed to keep a share of the taxes collected in their area, Andy Burnham has said as part of his pledge to “take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country”.
The prime minister’s plans to let mayors keep a slice of income tax and business rates come as part of his bid to incentivise regional leaders to promote economic growth in different parts of the UK.
However, the plan falls short of the suggestion that he would allow mayors to raise taxes themselves by devolving control over
Details of the reforms are expected to be announced in a white paper, published when chancellor John Healey presents his first Budget in the autumn.
But Mr Burnham, who was mayor of Greater Manchester for about nine years, said the policy would be designed so that “every local leader will have the power and resources to improve public transport, build homes and create jobs”.
The rate of income tax which billpayers face will not change as a direct result of the reforms, according to the government.
Ministers will retain an equalisation system, so areas where less tax is collected continue to receive financial support.
Mr Burnham said: “I said we’d take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country. Today, we make good on that promise.
“Under our plans, more of the taxes raised in a community will stay in that community. Soon, every local leader will have the power and resources to improve public transport, build homes and create jobs.
“I know what it’s like to be ignored by politicians in Westminster. I’m not going to make that same mistake now I’m PM.
“The whole of government will now pull together behind the people and places that desperately need our support. This is how we’ll bring back hope and bring power home to you.”
Several parts of England have a mayor, including Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and South Yorkshire, including Rotherham and Sheffield.
Mr Burnham hosted several of the local leaders at his inaugural No 10 North meeting in Manchester last Friday, when he told them: “What I’m trying to do here is make the UK one team where we’re all pulling behind you because your place is where growth happens or it doesn’t happen.”
Voters in parts of the country will elect mayors for the first time over the coming years, including in Greater Essex and Hampshire and the Solent.
Mr Healey said: “The people who best understand what skills employers want, what transport an area needs and where investment can make the biggest difference are those who live there.
“For the first time we’re giving mayors a share of income tax so communities directly benefit when their economy grows – passing power out of Westminster and driving growth in every postcode.
“This is the way we start to build new hope and advance the working people of this country.”
Housing, communities and local government secretary Angela Rayner said the announcement would put “an end to the begging-bowl culture of the past”, instead giving locally elected leaders “the tools they need to drive the change that communities have been crying out for”.
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level since the last election in new poll
David Maddox
A More in Common poll has revealed that Nigel Farage’s approval rating has hit an all- time low of -32 per cent (PA)
Nigel Farage’s approval rating has hit its lowest level since the 2024 general election, according to a new poll, in the latest evidence that Reform UK is on the verge of seeing its support collapse.
According to More in Common’s latest approval rating for party leaders, Mr Farage has plummeted to -32 per cent, a drop of around 10 points in just two weeks.
Meanwhile, new prime minister Andy Burnham has hit +19 per cent as he continues to benefit from the momentum built during his first few days in office. His approval rating outranks the high
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is on 0, and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey rates at -11 while Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who has also seen a dramatic downturn in his fortunes, is on -24. While Mr Farage is still above the -49 per cent that Sir Keir hit at one point in his premiership, the More in Common findings are the worst for at least two years for the Reform UK leader.
Luke Tryl, the UK director of More in Common, said: “What may worry Farage is less the rise in disapproval – he’s always been polarising – and more the decline in raw approval, suggesting some previous fans are wavering.”
The latest findings come days after another poll by More in Common saw Labour overtake Reform UK for the first time in more than a year, leading the way with 28 per cent (up four points), while Mr Farage’s party is down two points to 24 per cent.
The rapid decline in Mr Farage’s popularity comes after weeks of negative headlines, with questions still unanswered over undeclared gifts and donations, as well as benefits he received from adviser George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster.
Meanwhile, polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice noted that Reform UK itself has suffered a three-point dip in its popularity since Mr Farage quit as an MP to call a by-election in Clacton, in an attempt to pre-empt a parliamentary standards inquiry into him potentially triggering a vote in his constituency.
While there are 34 candidates contesting the by-election, Mr Farage is expected to win by a landslide after the major parties refused to contest the vote. His leading challenger is the comedian Count Binface. However, leading polling expert Lord Robert Hayward has warned that the decline in popularity of Mr Farage is a much bigger problem for Reform than for other parties.
The rapid decline in Farage’s popularity comes after weeks of negative headlines (PA)
He told The Independent: “Nigel Farage is tied to the Reform brand more than any other party leader is to theirs. That means
But he added: “It is hard to put your finger specifically on what has caused Farage’s rapid decline. It is not just the issues about donations. I think there is something to be said about the way Andy Burnham has dominated the news; it has all been about Burnham.”
Since taking over, Mr Burnham has taken on Mr Farage on social media platforms with a series of TikTok-style videos including blind pub snack tasting. He has also announced consumer- friendly policies such as a £2 bus fare cap, 20 per cent off pub business rates and VAT off energy bills.
While there are still question marks over how Mr Burnham will pay for his pledges, he has also made it clear he plans to solve the social care crisis, end rough sleeping and bring defence spending up to 3 per cent of GDP.
Prof Curtice noted that Mr Farage’s decision to call a by-election means that under Ofcom rules it makes it difficult to interview him without referring to the other 33 candidates.
“It means he has been off the TV screens because the by-election makes broadcasters nervous,” he said. “There is no doubt though that Andy Burnham and Labour are using the summer recess to control the news agenda like Nigel Farage and Reform used it last year.”
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terror ban, says Supreme Court
Holly Bancroft Home affairs correspondent
A protester is arrested outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Getty)
Palestine Action can appeal its terror ban at the Supreme Court, judges have ruled, setting up a final legal battle with the Home Office this autumn.
The Court of Appeal ruled last month that the group’s proscription under terrorism laws was lawful in a major win for the government.
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said that Palestine Action’s ban was “a justified and proportionate interference with individual rights”, describing the group as one that “overtly promotes unlawful violence amounting to terrorism”.
The ban, which began on 5 July last year, made membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Palestine Action was banned by then-home secretary Yvette Cooper in July 2025 after members broke into RAF Brize Norton and vandalised jets to protest the war in Gaza.
Huda Ammori said she would continue her legal fight to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary (Peace Pledge Union/YouTube)
A five-judge panel at the Court of Appeal found that Ms Cooper’s decision struck a “fair balance” between the need to safeguard national security and disrupting individuals’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
After the judgment, Ms Ammori said the decision was “one of the most extreme attacks on free speech and the right to protest in modern British history”.
This week, the Metropolitan Police warned protesters campaigning in front of Westminster Magistrates’ Court that expressing support for Palestine Action is a terrorism offence.
Some 77 people were arrested at the protest in central London yesterday, police said.
Hundreds gathered outside the magistrates’ court where more than 2,000 cases related to supporting the group had been due to be heard. But their cases have been adjourned to October, to await the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal.
Responding to the news that her case will head to the UK’s highest court, Ms Ammori said yesterday’s arrests “further evidences our case that the proscription of Palestine Action has become a vehicle for a far broader crackdown on expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
She added: “We will continue to fight this proscription all the way to the Supreme Court and, if necessary, to the European Court of Human Rights to overturn what has become one of the most extreme attacks on free speech and the right to protest in modern British history”.
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tourist tax will fuel black market
Amelia Neath
A five per cent levy will be charged by accommodation providers on all visitors to Edinburgh (Getty/iStock)
Owners of self-catering accommodation in Edinburgh have raised concerns over the city’s new tourist tax, claiming that it puts increased pressure on small businesses.
Edinburgh became the first place in the UK to introduce a visitor levy city-wide when the new tax came into force last Friday, 24 July.
The City of Edinburgh Council has welcomed the new levy, stating that funds raised will help alleviate the pressure tourists put on the city’s infrastructure by reinvesting them back into public services.
All paid accommodation in the Scottish capital will now charge a five per cent fee on top of the original booking cost, capped at five nights in a row. The tax will be collected by the accommodation provider, and it will then be paid to the local authority.
While the levy will provide a new pot of funds for the council, some small holiday lets that are tasked with charging and collecting the levy are concerned about how it will impact their businesses and the wider tourist industry in Edinburgh.
And with the Fringe just days away, opinions are divided among visitors, too. Earlier this week, Fringe performers told The Independent they welcomed the new tourism levy, to offset the impact of weekend breaks such as stag and hen dos. But Scottish Ballet – which pays more than £200,000 annually to accommodate its artists in Edinburgh – recently revealed that it would be cancelling some of its shows in December. The company’s executive director, Steven Roth, said that the “economics of touring to Edinburgh are fast becoming unsustainable” with the tax.
A bureaucratic headache
Paul Phillips, who has been running a short-let self-catering accommodation in the centre of Edinburgh for the past six years, said that while he thinks the levy is a good idea, in principle, the city council did not engage with the sector to create a “proportionate and fair” scheme.
“I think the levy is a good idea because it’s good for visitors to put something back into the city,” he said. “Somewhere like Edinburgh, where there is a lot of tourists, they make demands on the city’s infrastructure, so I think the levy in principle is a very good thing to have.”
However, Mr Phillips added that collecting the tax puts pressure on small businesses. He said that it’s “a highly complicated scheme that’s got lots of exclusions.
“It’s very complicated to work out because it’s not just a simple percentage. You’ve got to subtract non-accommodation elements from the levy,” he added. “The five per cent doesn’t seem a lot, but many businesses are paying 20 per cent VAT, and we actually have to pay VAT on top of the levy as well.”
Accommodation providers have to exclude extra charges when working out the tax, as it should only be levied on the cost of the accommodation. This means that items like meals, drinks and transport all need to be subtracted when calculating the levy.
The head of Scottish Ballet says that the ‘economics of touring to Edinburgh are fast becoming unsustainable’ (PA Archive)
The value needs to be worked out before VAT is applied. Since the visitor levy is treated as part of taxable turnover, it is also subject to VAT. All providers must be able to show clearly how the visitor levy has been calculated. The law requires them to keep all necessary records for at least five years.
“So the five per cent actually becomes six per cent,” Mr Phillips added. “So we have 26 per cent of our costs going out in taxation of VAT and levy. The council itself did no economic impact study to say, ‘well, if we raise the levy at this amount, will people stop coming to the city? What will it do to accommodation prices?’”
He said not enough was done by the council to work with businesses “to design a scheme that was easy for us to operate, and they should have done an economic kind of analysis of the impact of the levy”.
The Independent understands that the council conducted consultations with businesses in 2024, as well as the public, in the lead-up to the levy. It also invited key bodies to test the new levy payment platform, and it was tweaked after initial feedback.
Ralph Averburch, who owns self-catering accommodation in Edinburgh and is the director and operator of the Edinburgh branch of the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers (ASSC), agreed that the new levy scheme will make running the business more complicated.
“We are already paying 20 per cent VAT on top of all the other things that come with running a business in terms of staff costs and national insurance costs,” Mr Averburch said. “Suddenly they bring in a visitor levy that, in some cases, will slot small businesses into the VAT thresholds, which is a huge additional burden. To add insult to injury, it’s also been concocted in such a way that it is an absolute nightmare to implement.”
Angus Neilsen, who owns several self-catering units across Edinburgh, said it is “unfair” that accommodation is the one sector out of the entire tourism industry that has to collect the tax.
He added: “All the other businesses that also benefit don’t pay it. Restaurants, bars, visitor attractions, tour companies – all of these are benefitting, but they are not being expected to work out any of the costs.”
The decision to make accommodation providers collect the levy was set out in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act passed in 2024.
Accommodation owners want to see the levy reinvested into aspects of the city that tourists use (VisitScotland)
The holiday let black market
The business owners also raised concerns over the increased competition the levy will create between licensed businesses and those which advertise without a licence, enabling them to dodge the visitor levy.
Mr Averburch said that black market accommodation is not being policed or controlled in any way. He added: “They’re now adding a visitor levy, which all of these, if they were legitimate licensed properties, should be paying. But of course, they’re not going to pay this.”
Unlicensed accommodation providers use platforms such as Facebook to advertise their rooms, but will not display a short- term let licence number. Mr Neilsen said he would “almost be happy” if the levy money raised were used to pay for enforcement of the black market.
How the tax will be spent
The council released a list of areas where the levy will be spent, including support for festivals, upgrading public toilets, green spaces, and creating a city centre policing unit. The
Mr Averburch believes that spending funds on policing or cleaning up streets and emptying bins would be a mistake as they are already “statutory responsibilities” for local authorities.
“That’s them utilising this pot of cash to cover what would have historically been paid for out of the other funding sources that are delivered to [the council] on an annual basis,” he said.
Ahead of the visitor levy being implemented, the council announced that some of the funds would be used to create almost 500 affordable homes to help with the city’s housing crisis. The accommodation owners we spoke to agreed that this is not what the levy should be spent on, as it should be reinvested into aspects of the city that tourists use.
“I think housing is a great idea. We need more houses in the city, but the levy is not there to fund housing,” Mr Phillips argued. He said he agreed that the council should spend the funds on making the city cleaner and supporting cultural events like festivals.
The council said more affordable homes will free up B&Bs currently used for temporary accommodation by residents. The chief executive of the ASSC, Fiona Campbell, said that it is “broadly known that the ASSC is fundamentally against a business levy”.
She added: “But having said that, Edinburgh’s made its decision, so now our concentration has to be on implementation, and that implementation being efficient and fair, which it’s not, progressively. What we want to make sure is that Edinburgh is transparent about the way it’s being spent.”
Council leader Jane Meagher said in a statement: “We’ve always said this is a citywide fund and spending decisions need to be taken with the whole city in mind – and we’re very grateful to
“I’m very aware of how busy the city’s accommodation providers are at this time of year, and we’re continuing to do everything we can to support them as the scheme comes into effect. This is a big opportunity for us all to work together and enhance Edinburgh’s position as one of the most popular visitor destinations in the world.”
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(Reuters)
Bear necessities
Ice cubes help during a heatwave at Prague Zoo, Czechia. Reuters
Smoke signals
A plume of ashe rises from a crater of the Mount Etna volcano in Sicily. AFP/Getty
On a wing and a prayer
The moon shines behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Reuters
Back to life
A mosque and surrounding buildings in Somang village in Lebak in Indonesia's western Banten province, which was deliberately flooded to make way for the construction and filling of the Karian Dam that opened in 2023 and has now re-emerged due to the El Nino-driven drought. AFP/Getty
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A bungalow in Hambleton, Lancashire, was almost completely destroyed after Darren Davies blew it up (PA)
Man blew up childhood home over will
A Lancashire man who blew up his childhood home because he wrongly believed he had been cut out of his parents’ will has been jailed for four years and four months. Darren Davies, 55, set fire to the £260,000 bungalow in Hambleton, where he had lived with his brother Craig, after the deaths of their parents. Neighbours heard a loud explosion on 27 March 2024 as the roof collapsed, and Davies told a passer-by: “My family want the house. If I can’t have it, no one can.”
Preston Crown Court heard Davies placed three gas cylinders around the house, poured petrol into the loft and lit a candle, causing an explosion that put nearby residents at risk. His brother told the court their parents had left the bungalow equally to both sons, but Davies became convinced there was a secret will leaving it solely to Craig. The blaze destroyed family
The court heard Davies had a long history of mental health difficulties, including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and autism spectrum disorder, and a psychiatrist concluded he was suffering an “autism crisis” when he started the fire. Defence barrister Neil Ronan said Davies had intended to end his own life and had made “massive progress” since receiving treatment in custody. Sentencing, Judge Philip Parry described it as “a sad and serious case”, but said Davies' responsibility had been “substantially reduced by your mental disorder”. He will serve up to half his sentence in custody before being released on licence. PA
Abbott readmitted to Labour after year-long suspension
Diane Abbott has been readmitted to the Labour Party after an internal investigation, the veteran MP has said. She was suspended from the party in July last year after repeating comments about racism for which she had previously apologised.
Fellow Labour MP Joani Reid was also readmitted to the party yesterday evening after she “voluntarily” suspended herself in March this year following the arrest of her husband on suspicion of spying for China.
In a statement on social media Ms Abbott said she had been “issued with a formal warning” over a separate tweet in which she referred to the Israel Defence Force as the “Jewish Defence Force”.
Apologising for the tweet, she said she had “used wording that conflates the actions of the state of Israel with the Jewish community” and was “deeply sorry for any hurt caused by that conflation”.
The long-serving MP was subsequently readmitted to the party in time to contest her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat at the 2024 general election.
In her own statement, East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Ms Reid said she was “excited to play a full part in supporting our new prime minister, Andy Burnham, his government, and in renewing Scottish Labour”.
Police chief quit before misconduct ruling
A chief constable who abruptly resigned the day before a misconduct hearing would have been fired had he not already quit, a panel has found. Christopher Noble was suspended from the top job at Staffordshire Police in August 2025.
However, the 52-year-old resigned on Tuesday in a letter to Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams, the day before a misconduct hearing was due to begin. The hearing went ahead at Staffordshire Conference Centre in his absence, and concluded yesterday.
The panel found the allegations against Mr Noble proven. However, the details of his misconduct cannot be reported due to restrictions imposed by the panel. Former parliamentary commissioner for standards Kathryn Stone, the chair of the panel, said that Mr Noble had breached the police’s Standards of Professional Behaviour.
Audience member faints at London play
The opening night performance of Cleansed at London’s Almeida Theatre saw Sarah Kane’s provocative play live up to its reputation – with one audience member fainting during a graphic scene. First staged in 1998, Cleansed is one of five plays by the late playwright Kane, who died by suicide in 1999 at the
Previous productions of the play have drawn similar responses from some theatregoers, with the 2016 version at the National Theatre making headlines, thanks to a spate of faintings and walkouts among the crowd.
During Wednesday’s press night performance of the play, directed for the Almeida by Rebecca Frecknall, an audience member was seen receiving assistance from staff before being helped from the auditorium. See review below
Explosive diarrhoea infection spreads to UK
A parasite outbreak linked to explosive diarrhoea has spread to the UK, after leaving thousands sick in the US. The UK has seen a rise in cyclospora infections among travellers returning from Mexico, according to figures published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) yesterday.
Cyclosporiasis infections lead to nasty but non-life-threatening symptoms, such as “explosive diarrhoea” and vomiting. “You’re barely able to make it to the toilet,” Dr Alejandro Macías, an epidemiologist and physician at the University of Guanajuato in central Mexico, told The New York Times.
The latest figures show that 67 cases have been reported among returning travellers in England (30), Scotland (27) and Wales (10) between 30 April and 15 July 2026 – a sharp rise on previous years, when an average of 93 cases was recorded across an entire year. A total of 48 cases reported are from people who travelled to Mexico, with one also reporting travel to the USA. One further case reported travel to the US only, and one to Kenya.
R ECO M M E N D E D
Plenty of blood, scares and despair, but the full horrors are kept at arm’s length
T
communities from terrifying wildfires
James C Reynolds joins the relentless volunteer firefighters in Gironde, who are guiding the
emergency services, and even using watering cans to dampen the flames and ashes
Clinging to the back of a pick-up truck in the forests around Lacanau, our intrepid correspondent joins volunteers to spot break-out fires (James Reynolds / The Independent)
There are six of us squeezed into the back of the Toyota Hilux, all clinging onto a caged water tank as we bounce along the dirt roads of a forest ravaged by wildfires. Sandy firebreaks have created a stark contrast between the verdant woodland surrounding Lacanau and the devastated areas in monochrome, still heavy with smoke.
he pick-up truck shudders to a halt and an outstretched arm signals the silhouette of a lone deer racing through the blackened woods.
Lacanau, a coastal town some 48km (30 miles) west of Bordeaux, has mobilised over the past week to meet the fire threat head-on. Dozens of volunteers are now working around the clock to guide firefighters, feed the displaced and to put out fires.
I arrived in the area as visitors were ordered to leave, with a looming heatwave expected to exacerbate the situation in the coming days.
Taxis and buses refused to go directly to the town, and google regularly showed there was no viable route to Lacanau at all.
A pick-up truck with water and volunteers ready to circle the forests and scout for break- out fires
Little remains of the verdant forests surrounding Lacanau
Police had set up checkpoints around the perimeter and there was a steady stream of motorhomes coming the other way as we tried to press in.
My guide was Pao Borecka, a 31-year-old who had moved to the woodland commune six years ago and started organising cultural events and painting. Now, she says, she has no time to paint while running between the canal at Pont du Hourbiel – where volunteers are pumping water and running patrols – and the town, where locals are preparing food and tending to evacuees.
Residents have been playing their part for nearly a week since the wildfires broke out on 22 July, razing hundreds of buildings and forcing nearly a quarter of a million people in the wider area from their homes.
Locals look after a wild pig, one of many made homeless by the wildfires
Residents carried buckets of water into the devastated landscape to help put out fires themselves
The fires have drawn in emergency services from across the country, but they seem to depend on the bravery of the locals, willing to risk their lives to show them through the woods. Every few minutes, a patrol car arrives back at the canal and another heads off laden with volunteers, sometimes in front of fire trucks.
After several days in the forest, some of the volunteers have eyes reddened and voices broken from the smoke. The long walks into the woods have left others with burns on their ankles and blisters upon blisters on their feet. Pao says she has lost two pairs of shoes already walking through the smouldering forests, which warm your feet if you stand too long. The job is hard, but it has to be done.
The visit itself is bleak; the air is thick and poisonous, refugees rest on camp beds in an empty hall, and people speak candidly of plans to flee the commune and rescue loved ones if the fire worsens. But it is the fundamental good-heartedness of the people of Lacanau that shines through.
A volunteer on top of a truck watches as Canadair water bombers pass overhead
Firefighters stop to rest and eat at the centre offering food in town
All expect to be here until the fire is out. None hesitate or falter in giving all they have to the gargantuan effort ahead of them. Some say they have been here for five days already, some working 15 hours a day, but nobody for a moment seems to lose sight of their task.
Many have lost businesses and had to take in friends, relatives and strangers displaced by the fires. But they also know how much they still have to lose; in Le Porge – half an hour south – it is said more than 150 homes have been gutted since last week.
And so, despite the tiredness, despite the sun and the mental strain that everybody acknowledges, columns of volunteers continue to march from the canal to the forest “like ants”, with watering cans and buckets to stop ashes from reigniting.
In the town, people do the same. Grandparents make sandwiches for delivery to the volunteers. Local restaurants, closed by the fires, offer what they can. Pick-up trucks stream back and forth with water and aid while Canadair water bombers swoop overhead, the frontlines now just 2km away.
when we are tired from carrying water; they call through a list of taxi companies to find one willing to drive me back out while they remain.
At the port, residents collect water to use in firefighting efforts in the forest
Nico, one of the volunteers working to contain the fires
Eighteen-year-old Mathias Monseigne was among a group of brave volunteers supporting fire crews at the Pont du Hourbiel in Lacanau
I am in awe of Pao and her unwavering energy for doing what is right. She acknowledges the risk to herself by continuing her work, and recognises when she needs to rest or laugh, to self- regulate. But she and her neighbours move with an infectious sense of duty to keep going in spite of all that has been lost.
We see on our journey from the back of the pickup truck spreads of animal feed and water left out in the charred forests for the other lives touched by the fires. This job, like that, demands at times a calm detachment to carry on without being overwhelmed by emotion. But at others, it is impossible not to be moved by the gentle reminders, in the worst of times, of the prevailing good in humanity.
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thousands of migrants arrive from sea
The head of the Spanish enclave’s regional government called for the army to be deployed
David Latona
Spanish media reported that around 2,000 to 3,000 crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on Thursday (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Spain is set to deploy its military to restore order at its “totally collapsed” border with Morocco in Ceuta, after nine people died during a mass migrant crossing from Morocco.
The armed forces will send 60 people to reinforce police in the Spanish enclave, after the domestic force was overwhelmed on Thursday by thousands of migrants.
Madrid said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “to maintain security in the city of Ceuta”, adding that prime minister Pedro Sánchez would join interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska on a visit to the area today.
“It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed”.
Video footage showed hundreds of migrants swimming over from the Moroccan side using inflatable inner tubes and other flotation devices, and others breaking through a gate in the fence and running into the city, many shouting, “Viva España!”
State television TVE reported that 2,000 to 3,000 people had crossed.
Footage showed crowds of people walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach (AP)
The scene was reminiscent of the crossing that occurred in May 2021, when some 10,000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, many of them minors, entered the enclave of 85,000 people in a matter of days.
Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as "exceptional."
The move to bring in the army comes after authorities in the tiny Spanish territory called on the government to declare a national emergency and send in the army.
Ceuta is located on the northern African coast, bordering Morocco. Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.
Spain stands out in Europe for its softer stance towards migrants (AP)
The escalation at the border between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming.
Spain’s interior ministry said it would guarantee the safety of its citizens and the nation’s border, but that the government could not declare a national emergency over migration concerns.
Footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads.
Migrant rights activist Zakaria Zarroqui said the situation “remains out of control as we speak”, adding that people were still flocking to the Moroccan city of Fnideq in an attempt to cross into Ceuta.
Locals called for the army to be drafted in to deal with the situation (Reuters)
Juan Jesús Vivas, the head of Ceuta’s regional government, called for the national government to declare a national emergency on grounds of national security, asking for more police and for the army to be deployed on the border.
Mr Vivas said the additional police and soldiers would be necessary “to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety”.
He had warned on Wednesday that migrant reception centres were overwhelmed with hundreds of people sleeping on the streets.
Many local shops were shuttered. Enrique Serrano, who runs a women’s clothing store in central Ceuta, told Reuters business owners were organising themselves to protect their property and
“I’m not opening this afternoon because the situation is extremely tense ... The first thing I have to do is protect my business and my family,” he said, adding that when the fence was breached after midnight, hundreds of migrants rushed through in a matter of minutes.
The interior ministry said that legislation covering a declaration of national emergencies does not consider migration flows as a risk to national security.
A local shopkeeper said that when the fence was breached after midnight, hundreds of migrants rushed through in a matter of minutes (AP)
Government administrations are “coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta”, it said.
The ministry said the Moroccan government was “closely cooperating” with Spain to handle the situation, saying that Moroccan police are stopping “numerous people” trying to cross the border.
Spain’s Socialist government stands out in Europe for its pro- migrant stance, and has recently launched a programme to provide legal status for some 500,000 undocumented migrants, creating an influx of applications double that number.
AP
Right-wing parties criticised the drive, arguing it would attract more migrants to Spain, and were quick to blame Mr Sanchez for allowing the situation in Ceuta to reach crisis proportions.
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forces’ ready if he is arrested abroad
Maira Butt
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would press ahead with a trip to New York after the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, urged the US government to arrest him for suspected war crimes (Reuters)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is not afraid of being arrested as a suspected war criminal in New York and that special forces are on standby if it were attempted.
New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, recently called on the federal government to enforce an arrest warrant issued against Mr Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court in 2024.
While the US is not a member, the arrest warrant means Mr Netanyahu is now an internationally wanted suspect and that the ICC’s 124 member states – including the UK – would be obliged to arrest him if they were to enter their territory.
“You travel internationally, God forbid you had a medical emergency, and you need to land, and you’re about to land in a country that recognises the ICC. It could complicate things. Do you worry about that?” Hannity asked.
“Yeah, I think about it,” Mr Netanyahu responded. “You know, we have special forces around. I served for five years.”
Hannity responded that the Israeli military was “pretty tough”, to which Mr Netanyahu said: “Yeah. Let’s give them a new task.”
He said he had no plans to cancel an impending trip to New York in September for the United Nations General Assembly.
Zohran Mamdani describes Netanyahu as a ‘war criminal’ (Getty)
“First of all, I’m going to New York... I’m going to speak the truth in front of this hate-spewing elected official,” he said. “He’s pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others. He’s turning them against New York Jews. I mean, what are we, in the 1930s? So much hate. So many lies.”
A warrant for the Israeli leader’s arrest was issued in November 2024, accusing him of being “responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population” in Gaza.
He is also accused of “crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024”.
Mr Netanyahu denies the claims and has called them “antisemitic”.
Mayor Mamdani told The New York Times: “I believe that prime minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that it is an opinion that is held by many purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”
He later clarified that New York did not have the jurisdiction to enforce his arrest but called on the federal government to take action. But Donald Trump has said that Mr Netanyahu will not be arrested if he lands in the US.
“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” he wrote in a Truth Social post. “He is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors, and has spent the last 47 years killing American Soldiers, and others.
“The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, something that should have been dealt with years ago by previous Presidents!”
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woman found in suitcase in Athens
Dan Haygarth
Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, had been travelling alone and arrived in Greece via Cyprus from the US (Supplied)
A string of text messages was sent from the phone of a Scottish woman in an apparent attempt to cover up her death before her body was found in a suitcase in Athens, police say.
The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was discovered in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on 18 July. Ross is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found. However, investigators said that her phone remained highly active following her death, The Times reports.
The content of messages sent during that period has not been revealed by Greek police, the newspaper said, but the authorities believe they were sent in an attempt to cover up Ross’s death
According to local media in Greece, texts sent from Ross’s phone to her family on 15 July said that she “needed some time to herself” and that she “wanted to be alone for a while”.
The Daily Mail reports that another message was sent from her phone, after police believe she had died, to a Greek friend she had been staying with days before she was found. It read: “I need some time – I’m going to a Greek island.”
The newspaper reports that investigators say the phone remains missing but was active in the area of Athens until approximately 24 hours ago.
Speaking on the BBC’s Reporting Scotland yesterday, The Guardian’’s Athens correspondent Helena Smith said Ross had been in Greece for about two weeks before she died. The journalist said messages were then sent from Ross’s phone in an apparent attempt to put those looking for her off the scent.
“She had been staying with a Greek friend here in the capital, and then she disappeared,” Ms Smith said. “It would seem that someone had control, and I use that word very deliberately, over her mobile phone after she died, and was sending messages clearly to distract from the scent, to distract the authorities and her close friends from trying to track her down.”
Ross had travelled to Greece via Cyprus from the United States, where her fingerprints were registered. It has been reported that her identity could not be established at first because there were no signs of identification. But Ms Ross was identified by Greek Police after Interpol examined fingerprint data.
Greek and Cypriot authorities are reportedly working together to exchange information as they try to track down the person who abandoned the suitcase containing her body.
A spokesperson for Greek police said: “Further details have been requested regarding when she arrived in Greece, how, and with whom. We cannot provide further details at this stage, as the investigation is fully under way.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “Our thoughts are with Elisabeth’s family during this difficult time. We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of the death of a Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece. Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland.”
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T
China’s tightened national security laws in the Portuguese colony face their first test in the prosecution of a veteran public servant. Campaigners explain his plight to Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Au Kam-san, a teacher who became one of Macau’s longest-serving pro-democracy legislators, pictured in 2024 (Photos AFP/Getty)
A year later, Cherry is still waiting to speak to Au Kam-San, one of Macau’s longest-serving lawmakers who remains incarcerated awaiting trial under the China-ruled city’s national security law. He is being held at the city’s Coloane prison.
he last time Cherry Au spoke to her 68-year-old father, the call lasted just 54 seconds before a prison guard ordered him to hang up.
Au, who holds joint Portuguese citizenship, is one of the most prominent opposition figures in Macau and had been a lawmaker for two decades in a legislature dominated by Beijing loyalists. He decided not to seek re-election in 2021 after the Macau administration followed Hong Kong’s example by barring pro-democracy figures from running.
In an interview with The Independent, Au’s daughter says his arrest – one year ago yesterday – came completely out of the blue.
“We didn’t have any sign that something like this would happen,” says Cherry, a London-based fashion photographer. On 30 July 2025, police barged into Au’s home without warning and seized his phone, laptop, and books, which included some titles related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Au was at home with his wife and one of their daughters when police came.
“They ... took my mother away first and then stayed in the apartment with my dad collecting evidence,” Cherry says. “They basically did a search, and then they took him away after a couple of hours.”
Cherry says police initially tried to treat her mother as a witness, but she declined after learning her legal rights and was released the following day. “She was very shaken and didn’t know what was happening,” she adds.
Coloane prison in Macau, where Au is currently being held awaiting trial
Since then, she alleges that Au has been denied calls and visits from his family and access to a private lawyer. He faces 10 years in prison if convicted following a closed-door trial conducted under Beijing’s national security procedures.
The family learnt through a court statement that Au had a preliminary proceeding on 2 July, Au’s daughter Au Hon I says. The statement says his lawyer was appointed by the court and approved by Au.
“He always believed in the justice system of Macau,” she says. “He believed it so much that he feels that he will be protected by the very justice system that is putting him where he is right now.”
In August last year, Macau’s Public Prosecutions Office said “compulsory detention” had been imposed on Au after a “preliminary investigation” following his arrest at his home.
The European Union swiftly condemned the arrest by saying it heightened concerns about the “erosion of political pluralism” in the Chinese territory, but stopped short of calling for his release.
Since 2020, public life in Hong Kong has been shaped around Beijing’s national security law, imposed to crack down on pro- democracy protesters. At least 400 people have been charged and 160 convicted under the law in Hong Kong.
Now, Chinese president Xi Jinping’s alleged crackdown on dissent has reached the former Portuguese colony across the Pearl River delta, where authorities are set to test the tightened law with Au’s prosecution.
The Macau court this month said a preliminary trial found Au was a “principal offender” and had committed crimes of “subversion of state power”.
What saddens me the most is seeing him being portrayed as a villain by the very government that he served for so many years
The court said Au was suspected of “establishing links with organisations, groups or individuals outside Macau … to commit acts endangering national security”. Local police allege he had provided “a large amount of false and seditious information to an anti-China group” for public exhibitions online and abroad since 2022, and “stirred up hatred” against the Chinese government.
He was also accused of spreading false information to various groups, which disrupted the city’s 2024 chief executive election and caused foreign countries to take hostile action against Macau, police say.
Au’s family fears he was arrested for maintaining contact with foreign diplomats after he retired from politics, though they said there was nothing unusual about the meetings.
Cherry Au, speaking of her father
“What saddens me the most is seeing him being portrayed as a villain by the very government that he served for so many years. I hope people remember the person they knew throughout his career, the reason why they placed their trust in him and elected him time and again.
“Right now he is facing profound injustice. I hope those who remember his years of service will stand by him. We want a fair trial, due process, and for there to be more than three decades of dedication to the people of Macau, not to be erased or forgotten.”
Au is also a founding member of the Macau Union of Democratic Development, which organised annual candlelight vigils commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre for almost 30 years. Beijing has banned public commemorations of the Tiananmen Square massacre, where at least 10,000 pro- democracy protesters were killed by the Chinese army.
The group disbanded in 2023 after years of government pressure and abuse braved by the organisers.
Unlike Hong Kong, which saw big social movements challenge Chinese Communist Party rule in 2014 and 2019, the democratic opposition in Macau has always existed on the fringes amid tight Chinese control.
A vigil at Liberty Square in Taipei on 4 June, commemorating the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing
In March this year, lawmakers in Macau unanimously approved a bill allowing court proceedings to be held behind closed doors when deemed necessary to protect national security interests. The city enacted its first national security law in 2009 and tightened it with amendments in 2023.
Through the years, Au had led protests and railed against opaque governance and rising social inequalities even as gambling revenues exploded in the city of around 680,000.
Au’s wife and two daughters remain in Macau. They have spoken to a social worker who visited Au, but received only limited updates. They were also told to pay 7,000 patacas or £650 to apply to challenge his detention, which was later rejected by Macau authorities.
“We don’t know when these restrictions will be lifted,” Cherry says.
Au’s family has urged the EU to use diplomatic pressure to secure his release. It is understood that the Portuguese consulate in Macau had requested consular access to Au, which was also
“This man doesn’t deserve to be in prison after decades, 30 years of working in the public service to help people who are in need and stand up for what’s right. There’s rarely a day that he wasn’t thinking about how he could make life better for the people he served,” Cherry says in her appeal to the EU.
“It is incredible; it’s so selfless. I can’t think of a man who has done more for the city than him throughout the decades. He’s an amazing dad as well. Most importantly, we must be allowed to visit him or at the very least communicate with him somehow, not through a social worker.”
Michael Polak, director of Justice Abroad, who has been helping the family, says Au’s arrest violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that applied to Macau as well.
He says with the national security prosecution in Macau, “It seems like they are following the footsteps of Hong Kong. It’s a big mistake in relation to the reputation of Macau as somewhere where people can do business and people can discuss things.”
It is important to put Au’s case in the spotlight because otherwise they might just continue to hold him without trial, he adds.
“Portugal still sends judges to Macau. So if these kinds of extrajudicial cases are going to be brought, it’s not really a court process when you hold someone incommunicado without a lawyer of their own choosing. Then the Portuguese judges and Portuguese authorities need to consider whether they can continue to do that,” he says, urging the EU to raise Au’s case at the highest level.
Human Rights Watch previously said in a statement that Au’s arrest reflected “broadening repression” under the Chinese president.
“Macau’s authorities should stop suppressing peaceful criticism and immediately and unconditionally free this activist and former legislator,” says Maya Wang, associate China director at the organisation.
The Independent has reached out to the Chinese embassy in London, the European Union, and the Portuguese consulate in Hong Kong and Macau for a statement.
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This book has just been returned to a library in Australia ... 150 years late (AP)
£14,600 fine for late return
A book has been returned to an Australian public library an estimated 150 years late after it was found in a sealed fireplace during recent home renovations. Antiquities of Athens, published in 1858, was returned to a library in the seaside town of Kiama.
“We’ve never had anything that old come back to us,” Kiama Library manager Michelle Hudson said. “I follow lots of libraries on social media, and often you’ll get things that are maybe 30 or 40 years old when they’re cleaning out estates and stuff like that,” she added.
The late return fine would be about AU$28,000 (£14,600), allowing for inflation, Ms Hudson said. That was calculated on the British three pence-a-week overdue fee that was printed on the inside cover of the book, along with a list of rules that applied when the library opened in 1872.
The returned book will be displayed in the library’s local history collection. “We’re not going to allow it to go back out again. We don’t want to wait another 150 years for this book to be returned,” Ms Hudson said.
Police rescue 186 after river cruise runs aground
Police evacuated a cruise ship full of tourists this week after it ran aground on a dried-up Danube. The river receded to record lows along much of its course, exposing rocks, sand bars and old shipwrecks.
The low water level has forced popular cruise ships, where passengers usually disembark for sightseeing in Budapest, to dock far upriver, while cargo ships have stopped operating nearly entirely, according to Hungary’s Ministry of Transport and Investment.
In Bulgaria police on Tuesday evacuated 186 tourists from a cruise ship that had run aground near the port city of Vidin. Passengers of the Viking Ullur ran out of food and water after the vessel was unable to reach Vidin after running into a shallow shoal, according to Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA.
Japan earthquake death toll rises to 34
The death toll from the earthquake that struck southwest Japan on Tuesday has risen to 34. Crews were still searching the rubble yesterday in the Kumamoto region, on the southern main island of Kyushu, two days after the magnitude-6.8 quake.
At least 63 people were injured, five of them seriously and six in a critical condition, the Kumamoto prefectural government said. The number of people still missing was unclear. Chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said some of the deaths were still being assessed to confirm whether they were caused by the quake.
As the storm intensified, the tourists sought refuge inside their vehicles. Balcon del Pissis is a major tourist spot, boasting spectacular views of the Andes Mountains.
It took rescuers almost 24 hours to clear the snow and extract every trapped tourist, after the alarm was sounded on Tuesday afternoon. Two people were admitted to hospital with hypothermia. AP
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revolution will work, Mr Burnham
Anthony Seldon praises the prime minister’s vow to boost vocational studies in schools. But he
says Andy Burnham must show drive – and provide extra cash – to make it successful
Burnham aims to give parity of esteem to academic and technical qualifications (AFP/Getty)
In an education world where everything has to be scored to have value, I am awarding Andy Burnham’s announcement this week 10 out of 10 for giving parity of esteem to academic and technical qualifications, while creating opportunities for 14-year-olds to gain skills and work experience.
Based on the Manchester Baccalaureate, or MBacc, which he introduced as mayor, it envisages a much greater role for local mayors and authorities in driving the initiative nationwide and draws on the experience of the Netherlands, which has a much lower school-leaver unemployment rate and denies young people benefits unless they have gained vocational qualifications.
Where Boris Johnson, as prime minister, sought to implement little of what he enacted during his eight years as London mayor, Burnham has come into No 10 with all guns blazing, drawing on his hyperactive nine years of executive leadership in Manchester.
Britain badly needs this adrenaline shot for its education system. The Times Education Commission handed a bold vision to the incoming Labour government for educational reform across schools, further education and higher education. Keir Starmer preferred instead to pick fights with state-school academy chains by denying them freedoms, and to attack independent schools by heaping on extra costs rather than mobilising them to support the state sector. There was no grand vision from No 10 for schools, technical education or universities.
If Burnham merits 10 out of 10 for his ambition on technical education, which he will flesh out in his 10-year plan in the autumn, he scores less highly on his utterances to date on how he will actually achieve it across the country. Virtually every prime minister since Winston Churchill in the 1950s has talked up technical education, drawing inspiration from Germany’s apprenticeships and post-war vocational system. But little has been achieved. The most recent technical initiative, T-levels, introduced in 2020, has only been a patchy success.
To pull it off will require massive prime-ministerial drive. After announcing so many initiatives – more than any new prime minister in his first 10 days – and with social care reform clearly ranking higher, it is reasonable to ask whether Burnham’s plan will be any more successful than those of his predecessors. It’s
Parents, pupils and employers are not fools: they need to see that parity being acted out. Employers, too, will need massive encouragement to play ball when so much regulation is hindering their ability to take on apprentices. Burnham is rightly concerned by high levels of regional unemployment, but much of this is a demand-side issue requiring macroeconomic solutions rather than a supply-side lack of skilled labour. Without powerful national growth, nothing will happen, and the goodwill Burnham has generated will turn sour. It will require high funding levels, too.
The British government lags far behind governments in virtually every other developed country in its lack of leadership on AI in education and the economy
This change – not least the construction of specialist vocational classrooms and the recruitment of qualified teachers – will be colossal. Shifting money from the elderly to the young by ending the unsustainable triple lock on pensions will help generate the necessary funds.
Burnham’s initiative requires the greatest development in its overall vision. The British government lags far behind governments in virtually every other developed country in its lack of leadership on AI in education and the economy. AI is accentuating existing problems in schools and universities, including the rise in mental health concerns, absenteeism, underachievement among the already disadvantaged, and poor preparedness for the future job market. The government’s cack- handed and obtuse neglect of how to optimise AI is embarrassing and deeply damaging.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the most important speech on education delivered by a Labour prime minister – James Callaghan’s address at Ruskin College, Oxford, which
sparked the “Great Education Debate”. Burnham could build on his announcement this week and his genuine zeal to see all flourish in schools by delivering a landmark address of similar stature before the end of the year.
It could draw heavily on the magnificent vision that has come out of the OECD and the International Baccalaureate, the two most respected and influential voices on education globally, for creating an education fit for the mid-21st century. The OECD model builds on the best of the existing system’s focus on deep knowledge and academic rigour for all, initiated by Michael Gove as education secretary from 2010.
But it goes much further in its determination to make all young people productive contributors to the economy and society through its human-flourishing education model in the age of AI, from cradle to grave. It places uniquely human attributes – intellect, skill, beauty, agency, character, creativity, empathy and endeavour – qualities that AI will never usurp – at the very heart of all learning.
Tony Blair is remembered for saying that “education, education, education” would be his three biggest priorities as prime minister. If Burnham were to enact the roadmap outlined by the OECD, his enduring impact on Britain would be immeasurably bigger.
Sir Anthony Seldon is working with the devisor of the OECD paradigm, Michael Stevenson, to introduce human flourishing at Wellington and across state schools
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spending pledge is dead in the water
As the prime minister unveils a new generation of nuclear submarines with his chancellor John Healey and defence secretary Wes Streeting, the three are putting on a show of unity – but unless
they can agree on a spending increase, all is lost, says Sean O’Grady
HMS Agamemnon nuclear submarine is seen docked at the BAE Systems factory in Barrow-in-Furness (Getty)
Dreadnought” is a great old nameplate. The original steam-propelled battleships were launched 120 years ago, with engines built in Barrow-in-Furness. They made all preceding warships obsolete, but were a costly project that competed with the welfare state for funding from the then Liberal government.
Plus ça change. A little more than a week after the mutineers cast Admiral Sir Keir Starmer adrift and took over the Royal Navy, the three leaders of the rebellion were at the Cumbrian port, surveying some of their most fearsome vessels – a new Dreadnought-class of submarines, destined to carry the British nuclear deterrent into the second half of the 21st century.
The new high admiral, Andy Burnham, his purser Commander John Healey, and chief petty officer Wesley “Wes” Streeting (formerly the medical orderly) took the salute, and what a magnificent bang for the £8.4bn buck the hard-pressed British taxpayer will be getting in the years ahead.
Indeed, our Labour sailors tell us that the plan is to “reindustrialise” Britain, and also bring jobs to Plymouth, Bristol, Rosyth, Derby and other places home to the fine tradition of marine engineering excellence and marginal parliamentary constituencies. Burnham sent the signal: “Keeping this country safe is the first responsibility of any government – but security is not only about what we build; it is about who builds it, and who benefits from it.”
Nelson himself couldn’t have put it better. Putin, Xi and the ayatollahs must be quaking in their shoes.
Or maybe not. During the speeches and their various media appearances, the seadogs went out of their way to avoid answering any questions about defence spending, the very issue that finally ejected Starmer from office.
You may recall that Burnham began his plotting to replace Starmer about a year ago, when the Labour backbenchers, “below decks” you might say, started objecting to Starmer’s welfare reforms. Burnham made sure they knew which side he was on. He was, if you will, playing Fletcher Christian to Starmer’s Captain William Bligh.
Britain expects, then, to see the ‘new’ government run by these pirates to commit itself to the 3 per cent figure by 2030. Well, they haven’t. Nor, we must suspect, will they even by the time of the next Budget
Britain expects, then, to see the “new” government run by these pirates to commit itself to the 3 per cent figure by 2030. Well, they haven’t. Nor, we must suspect, will they even by the time of the next Budget.
Then, after the local elections, Streeting abandoned his post and inadvertently opened the way for Burnham to make his final move on the leadership. But it was Healey’s resignation that finally breached the last of Starmer’s defences.
Do we remember what supposedly eventually turned Healey, the most loyal of the loyal, against Starmer? Of course we do. It was the weakness in defence spending. More specifically, it was Starmer’s and Rachel Reeves’s refusal to pledge that 3 per cent of national income would be devoted to armaments by 2030 – a point at which experts think war with Russia is a plausible scenario.
It was a grave matter of principle. Healey called into question the prime minister’s judgement, his integrity, even (though Healey wouldn’t go so far) his patriotism. The words must have hurt Starmer: “You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats.”
Healey’s demand was made with great precision and no compromise: “Britain must set the headmark of spending 3 per cent on defence in 2030 and a clear path to 3.5 per cent in 2035 – the commitment all Nato nations have made to each other and to their people. I believe that this would command wide cross- party support.”
Now up on the bridge and in charge of their own Bounty, Burnham, Healey and Streeting are charting a course remarkably similar to that of Starmer and his first mate, Reeves, at least so far as the defence budget is concerned.
So we are left wondering: what was their mutiny for?
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Green Party leader to self-destruction
Zack Polanski hoped to lead a political revolution on the left – but his handling of repeated
controversies raises serious questions over his judgement, writes John Rentoul
Polanski refused to apologise for retweeting a guillotine threat against Nigel Farage (Getty)
The plane has stalled, smoke is pouring out of the engine, the ground is coming up fast, and the pilot seems unequal to the task of pulling out of the tailspin. Zack Polanski is struggling with the controls as the Green Party is losing support.
He was elected leader 10 months ago on the bright and not entirely unrealistic prospectus of the Greens replacing Labour as the main party of the left. The party’s support in opinion polls doubled from eight to 16 per cent. But since the local elections in May, that rise has been reversed, and there are questions to be asked about whether Polanski is up to the task of recovery.
His latest mistake was to share on Instagram a post of a man wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a guillotine and the slogan, “We’re only making plans for Nigel.” He had not noticed the words, with the implication of a threat to kill Nigel Farage, when he “flicked through” a series of 20 images, and as soon as this one was “brought to his attention”, he immediately unshared it.
He was asked by Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Two’s Newsnight: “Do you want to apologise?” Polanski said: “No.”
He accepted that he had made an “inadvertent mistake”, but he wasn’t going to say sorry because Farage had drawn attention to the image and given it far wider currency. Besides, he said, the moment he apologised, “we all know what Nigel Farage would do” – he would “run around” all over social media saying that Polanski had admitted that the post was an incitement to murder, which he had not. “It is important that I draw a line and don’t play his game,” Polanski said.
It was also important to him that he stood up to newspapers “owned by billionaires that often attack me”. He didn’t think the photo was an incitement to murder, but he condemned violence – and violent imagery, and he personally always tried to avoid violent metaphors.
In the course of a 12-minute interview, he managed to contradict himself repeatedly. Sharing the post was a mistake, but “I don’t think I have done anything wrong”, he said. The outrage had been confected by his enemies, but “this is a legitimate conversation to be having”, which is why he came on the programme.
And he accepted Derbyshire’s description of his error as “careless at best and dangerous at worst”. She went on to point out that he wanted to be prime minister: “Voters could be forgiven for thinking that potentially you might be careless or dangerous with their lives or their safety or their money. Is that fair?” He replied: “Yes.”
He claimed that he would learn from his mistake, and would be “better on my social media” – while at the same time boasting that “other politicians don’t use social media in the way that I do”.
He has a surface plausibility, but is too ready to blame others and too proud to take meaningful responsibility for his mistakes and therefore to learn from them
Derbyshire seemed surprised. It was only in April, she pointed out, that he apologised for retweeting an X post accusing police of excessive force in tackling a knifeman terrorising Jews in Golders Green. He had not seemed to have learnt from that mistake. That was “totally different”, Polanski insisted.
Nor are Polanski’s mistakes confined to social media. Days earlier in April, he had appeared in an interview to play down Jewish fears of antisemitic attacks, saying, “There’s a conversation to be had about whether it’s a perception of unsafety or whether it’s actual unsafety, but neither are acceptable.”
The Newsnight interview suggested to me that Polanski lacks the skill and judgement to succeed in his job. He has a surface plausibility, but is too ready to blame others and too proud to take meaningful responsibility for his mistakes and therefore to learn from them.
He is similar to Jeremy Corbyn, not just in his politics but in his prickly belief in his own virtue. Yet he does not even have
And now that Polanski is up against a Labour leader who is better at politics than he is, all he can do is sound self-pitying. He said to Derbyshire that Andy Burnham “has identified a lot of the problems I was talking about”.
In other words, his dream of replacing the Labour Party is over. And the Green Party, which never really liked the idea of having a single leader anyway, may start to wonder about the airworthiness of a pilot who fails to learn from his mistakes.
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disposable barbecues still on sale?
It is beyond irresponsible that supermarkets are continuing to stock equipment known to start
fires. We must learn to enjoy a picnic without setting our world alight, argues Sophie Pavelle
A disposable barbecue was responsible for the fire that destroyed a large part of Studland Heath in Dorset in 2022 (Getty/iStock)
Britain’s summers have changed faster than our habits. As an “exceptionally serious drought” and wildfires spread across the country, we continue to market one of the most avoidable sources of ignition as the perfect accompaniment to a sunny afternoon: disposable barbecues.
England is now facing an “exceptional” wildfire risk, while firefighters battle blazes across the country – including in Suffolk and London, where flames have swept through tinder-dry landscapes. Reservoirs are shrinking, fields are turning brittle, and smoke is becoming part of summer’s skyline.
More than 250 blazes have ignited from north Wales to the Peak District, and from Surrey to Somerset and Devon. Entire villages have been evacuated in the Cairngorms National Park during one of its most devastating wildfires to date.
Even Wanstead Flats, the site of the largest grass fire ever recorded in the London area at the time, is reported to have caught fire again. As I write, a major wildfire is engulfing Dunwich Heath in Suffolk. A hundred firefighters are doing their best to contain a blaze that has grown tenfold in a matter of hours.
Catastrophe needs only a spark. A dropped cigarette, a firework, a discarded glass bottle magnifying the sun – or a coal from a disposable barbecue. Fanned by warm summer winds, a moment of carelessness can put everything ablaze.
Following four successive heatwaves since May has left Britain primed to burn. Scorch marks etch a chessboard across our most sensitive habitats – heathlands, moorlands and grasslands. From space, drought spreads across our isles like a tea stain. England’s wildfire risk has rarely been higher… and yet I can still buy a disposable BBQ for £3.
The aluminium kits are once again among the first things to greet me when I enter my local supermarket. Piled high, branded with urgency – “Barbequick”, “Instant Light” – they are designed to encourage impulse buying. It’s harder to buy paracetamol.
Retailers slash prices on charcoal and firelighters – “Grab the essentials”, make the most of a sunny afternoon. As if we need encouragement.
The last time Britain faced a red wildfire alert was in July 2022 – the same year several major supermarkets withdrew nationwide sales of disposable BBQs in recognition of the wildfire hazard and the significant landfill waste they create. Individual authorities introduced localised bans using Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).
BBQs are no longer simply symbols of summer. They evoke solastalgia – the heartache of environmental change, the grief of watching familiar places become unfamiliar
BBQs are no longer simply symbols of summer. Increasingly, they evoke solastalgia – the heartache of environmental change, the grief of watching familiar places become unfamiliar.
Disposable barbecues singe in an instant – as the black rectangles in every local park attest. Ash can stay hot for days. If abandoned, as on Scotland’s Yellowcraig Beach last week, Grenoside Woods near Sheffield, or Wembury Head in South Devon – a cherished place for my family – landscapes once sculpted by ice and tectonics can melt into memory in hours, changed for years.
Wildfire is indiscriminate. In the Cairngorms, which harbour a quarter of our rarest and most endangered species, flames advance with appalling speed as communities rally to contain them. With a stone in my stomach, I think of the aspen trees I studied just two years ago in Abernethy Forest, which may now have been lost. Deep in the Caledonian forest floor, peat can continue burning downwards, smouldering for weeks and releasing carbon emissions that took centuries to bury.
A UK parliament petition calling for a ban on disposable BBQs remains active, but so far has collected fewer than 12,000 signatures. Until our leaders legislate, their fate lies with retailers and local authorities.
Advice on the safe use and disposal of barbecues is scattered, inconsistent and easily ignored. Public messaging does not match the scale of the danger unfolding. When landscapes are drying out and fires are spreading, who is listening?
Humans have depended on fire for around 1.5 million years; its attraction is irresistible. Fire has shaped our brains, sparked language and inspired culture. It flickers in our bones. Lately, I have been dreaming of it.
Retailers have a responsibility to address fire’s deadly magnetism by taking disposable BBQs, lights and fuels off the shelf, in store and online. How can profit be derived from products that kindle the landscapes we love and threaten the future we take for granted?
We must learn to enjoy a picnic without setting the world alight.
Sophie Pavelle is an award-winning author and science communicator. Her latest book, ‘To Have or To Hold: Nature’s Hidden Relationships’, is published by Bloomsbury, £10.99
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S
An extraordinary new documentary, ‘Can I Go Home Now?’, gives Ukrainian children the chance to
tell their own stories of war, forced deportation and survival. Their testimony lays bare the
devastating human cost of Russia’s invasion, reports Mark Hollingsworth
More than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly taken to Russia or its territory, with a small minority of them being returned since then – the documentary seeks to tell their story (Photos Cinessaince)
“They took the 16-year-old girls to their place,” she recounts tearfully. “When the girls came back, their clothes were torn. Everything was torn. The Russians behaved badly with those girls. Everyone was panicking. We didn’t know what to do, where to go. The Russians came to my house. They checked my
ofia is an 11-year-old Ukrainian girl with scars on her face and light brown hair in a ponytail. When Russian troops entered her village, she recalls what happened vividly.
The alleged sexual assaults of young girls are one of the shocking accounts in an extraordinary new documentary about the experiences of Ukrainian children during the five-year-long Russian invasion.
Entitled Can I Go Home Now? and viewed by The Independent on an exclusive basis, the film contains interviews with Ukrainian boys and girls; no adult voices are present.
Produced and directed by Pritan Ambroase, a 35-year-old philanthropist and former owner of the Hollywood Insider, the film was made with help from humanitarian charities who gave access to 500 children.
Sofia: ‘When the girls came back, their clothes were torn ... If you say anything, they might kill you’
Having previously made a documentary focusing on private prisons in the US, Ambroase made multiple perilous visits to Ukraine by flying to Poland and then by car to Lviv and train to Kyiv to document their harrowing stories from a war where it is estimated Ukraine has endured between 525,000 and 625,000 casualties, including 125,000 and 150,000 fatalities.
During his visits, Ambroase heard heartbreaking testimonies to a relentless soundtrack of explosions, missiles and buildings collapsing daily. Determined that the youngsters’ stories should be heard, he battled fears for his own safety and chose 15 youngsters to tell their stories on camera to Ukrainian journalist Tetiana Popova, who had done much vital reporting on the deportation of Ukrainian children.
He remembers: “My biggest concern was for the children who had been rescued from Russia and were being filmed a week after arriving in Ukraine. It was all very fresh and raw. And so I had this dilemma: am I doing the right thing by making children speak about what they went through? I spoke to multiple therapists who all said it was better for them to talk than keep it inside.”
The doctors tried to save my leg, but it didn’t work, and so they had to cut it off. When the doctors changed the bandages, it was very painful. There was a shrapnel wound
“The doctors tried to save my leg, but it didn’t work, and so they had to cut it off,” she recalls. “When the doctors changed the bandages, it was very painful. There was a shrapnel wound. I was very scared and crying. I wouldn’t be able to live like normal people, to walk and practice gymnastics.”
One child is filmed performing as a ballerina, and another girl stares down the barrel of a tank’s gun, handing a flower to a soldier. Six-year-old Sasha’s dreams of being a gymnast were shattered when a missile exploded in her house. She was hit directly; a slab of concrete fell on her left leg and taken to hospital. She woke up from a coma to discover she had lost a leg, an arm and hearing in one ear.
Sasha, 6
Sasha’s parents wept on seeing her amputated leg, but she remains defiant. “When I grow up, I want to be a gymnastics coach and go to the Olympic Games,” she said. “I would say to the terrorists [Russians], stop shooting. We didn’t do anything bad to you, but you waged a war on us.”
Focusing on the voices of the children brings its own power. As does the silence of the voices that we are still waiting to hear from.
Only 2,000 of forcibly taken children have been reunited with their families; thousands of others have been placed in camps in Russia where they undergo military-style training and are indoctrinated with propaganda about the war.
Pritan Ambroase chose 15 children to recount their own horrific stories
Horrifically, some children have been coerced into adoption with new Russian families. There is credible evidence from the UN and other sources that Russian authorities have issued Russian birth certificates and citizenship documents in occupied Ukrainian territories, with some deported Ukrainian children given new identities, including Russian names, as part of adoption or foster placement. Charities deploy specialised teams to travel to Russia at great personal risk to retrieve and escort children back to their desperate families.
One 16-year-old boy, Vitaly, recalls what happened when his family tried to leave their city in eastern Ukraine. “The Russians told us if we drove through their checkpoint, they would shoot us,” he recalled. “Some people tried to go through it and were shot on the spot.”
Vitaly was taken after his mother signed papers under duress by Russian soldiers for her son to attend a “summer camp”.
“I ended up in Russia,” he said. “We were promised we were going to a camp like the Bahamas. My Mum came to pick me up, but she was late. The gates were closed. They told her the children were taken to Svatovo. She screamed and yelled, but we were put on a ship.
There were about 500 children at the camp between the ages of five and 18. They made us work. We got sick many times, but there was no medical care
“There were about 500 children at the camp between the ages of five and 18. They made us work. We got sick many times, but there was no medical care.
“For three days the ships carried children there. One ship could carry 1,000 people. As we entered the port, we saw barbed wire on the fence. The Russians said everything would be perfect. But as you enter the camp, it’s the polar opposite.
“There was no fire, the electricity did not work, no hot water, virtually no heating. Everything was dirty, soiled and black. We slept on mattresses on the floor. There was one shower and two toilets,” Vitaly explains.
“I was worried I would never go home again. The Russians yelled at us all the time, calling us ‘hohol’ and ‘ukrop’ [ethnic slurs for Ukrainians] and said we were mentally ill. They forced us to learn and sing the Russian national anthem, but we refused. It
Vitaly, 16
One of Vitaly’s fellow inmates, Olya, was assaulted in the basement by a Russian teacher for shouting “Glory to Ukraine”.
Buried dreams: one child tells the story of her gymnastic aspirations crushed under the weight of rubble from a missile strike
“He beat her with a metal rod, swearing at her, saying he will slaughter her,” Vitaly recalls. “She showed me her blue bruises on her back. We were distressed. You could hear five-year-old kids constantly crying, begging to go home. I tried to hide my tears. I thought I would never go back home.”
After seven months at the camp, he was released by the Russians. “When I saw my mother, I almost broke the gates and I started crying,” he said.
Back in Ukraine, the children have also suffered directly from the bombing of their homes. “We were all thrown back by the blast wave,” recalled Sofia, who was bombed throughout 2022 in her hometown.
“I woke up in a pit. I couldn’t move at all as I was under the concrete slabs. I didn’t have enough air. I was covered with rubble. I was scared and I thought I would die and no one would
“The police dug me out and transferred me to the emergency hospital. I had swallowed shrapnel in my stomach and so they put me in intensive care where they did surgery. The missile left three scars on my cheek, behind my ear and on my back... I always put on a mask when I go outside. I am not beautiful with these scars.”
I woke up in a pit. I couldn’t move at all as I was under the concrete slabs ... I swallowed the soil and half of my hair was left in there
She remains in her hometown, but her grandmother has since died, and her mother has spent much of the war in hospital. It is heartbreaking to bear witness to so many shattering losses of war. Yuriy, 16, and his father were travelling on their bikes to deliver food to Bucha for old people when a Russian soldier stopped them.
“He asked us where we were going. I told him we were delivering food. My father walked towards me and then shots rang out. My father fell and the soldier aimed at me. He shot my hand twice and I fell too. I turned on my stomach. I then heard two more shots as I lay down. I felt one and the other hit my father.
“I turned my head and saw my father lying in a pool of blood. I reached out to his body but I was shot again. The Russians thought I was dead and told my mother what happened.
“The next day my grandma arrived with a wheelbarrow and Ukrainian soldiers helped her take my father’s body and we buried him in the yard. My clothes were soaked with blood. I told my mum not to go there because it was too dangerous. But she went there anyway.”
Sofia, 11
What Ambroase had not anticipated was the emotional impact after filming for 30 days of filming and travelling 1,000km in 10 different cities. “During the interviews, I took off my headphones and left the room. It was too much,” he said, adding that he was diagnosed and treated with post-traumatic stress after returning to the US.
Reflecting on so many childhoods stolen, he said. “I cannot forgive crimes against children. This film is a revolution against war and hatred.”
‘Can I Go Home Now?’ is produced by Cinessaince Motion Pictures Inc and the Humans of our World Foundation
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Wife-killer Dr Hawley Crippen was arrested thanks to the use of wireless telegraphy on this day in 1910 (Getty)
1485: Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory was published. He wrote the tale of knightly love and chivalry while in prison for armed assault and rape.
1635: British public inland postal services were established, with charges of two to eight pence.
1910: Wife-poisoner Dr Hawley Crippen was arrested on the SS Montrose as it was entering Quebec. He had left his dismembered wife in a cellar in his London home and was travelling with Ethel le Neve, his mistress, who was dressed as a boy. Crippen was the first criminal to be captured by the use of wireless telegraphy.
1912: The world’s first film censorship law was passed in the United States. It was not against obscenity but the interstate transportation of films showing prize fights.
1956: At Old Trafford, England bowler Jim Laker took all 10 Australian wickets in the second innings for 53 runs, after a first innings haul of nine for 37.
1964: Jim Reeves, American country singer, was killed when the single-engine Beechcraft Debonair he was flying crashed outside Nashville, Tennessee.
1965: The last cigarette advert ran on British TV, before a government ban came into force.
1975: Irish five-piece The Miami Showband were ambushed and three were shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries at Buskhill, Co Down.
1988: The last Playboy club in the US closed in Lansing, Michigan.
2010: A four-strong British rowing team smashed a 114-year-old record for crossing the North Atlantic. Their time – 43 days, 21 hours, 26 minutes and 48 seconds – knocked 11 days off the previous 55-day record set in 1896 by Norwegian fishermen George Harbo and Frank Samuelsen.
2012: Michael Phelps broke the record for the most medals won at the Olympic Games, with his 19th, including his 15th gold.
On this day last year: Conor McGregor lost his appeal against a civil jury’s finding in favour of Dublin woman Nikita Hand, who accused him of rape. The MMA fighter lost his appeal on all five grounds on which the case was taken.
Birthdays
Geraldine Chaplin, actress, 82; Jonathan Dimbleby, broadcaster, 82; Evonne Cawley, former tennis player, 75; Andrew Marr, journalist, broadcaster and political commentator, 67; Wesley Snipes, actor, 64; Norman Cook, record producer (aka Fat Boy Slim), 63; JK Rowling, author, 61; Dean Cain, actor,
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I
In the latest bleak swing of the axe, the beleaguered BBC has cut ‘Live at the Apollo’ after 22 years
on air. This is devastating for the future of British comedy, writes Nick Hilton
Dara O Briain hosting ‘Live at the Apollo’, which has just been cancelled by the BBC (BBC/Open Mike)
s there any organisation in the country as addicted to its own destruction as the BBC? It feels like every day there is another news story about the Beeb – one of the world’s most venerable legacy media corporations – demonstrating a total lack of institutional confidence. Channels shuttered, programmes ditched, staff culled: the BBC is being drawn into a permanent cycle of self- flagellation.
Matt Brittin, the new director general, has been tasked with creating a modern, streamlined BBC, one capable of withstanding political scrutiny as it heads into next year’s charter renewal. As part of this restructure, the organisation is looking to shed £100m of budget assigned to “content”.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen Radio 4’s flagship Today programme slimmed down, and the demise, after 57 years, of The World Tonight. And while the schedule is being brutally cleared, the BBC is also attempting to bridge the perceived shortfall between the estimated 94 per cent of adults who use the BBC and the 80 per cent who actually pay for the licence fee.
Every World Cup game was incongruously watermarked with a QR code for licence renewal, while an updated version of John Cleese’s famous “what has the BBC ever done for me?” advert, featuring Romesh Ranganathan slow-rapping his way toward a giant lever to turn the BBC “off” (operated, naturally, by Louis Theroux), felt misjudged. Now, the axe has thus fallen on three TV institutions: the Bradley Walsh-hosted reboot of Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind, and Live at the Apollo.
There will not be much consternation about the first two. Since it relaunched in 2021, Blankety Blank has run for 44 episodes, bringing the total archive for the series to 258 shows. That’s enough to provide daytime telly reruns for longer than its viewers’ memories. Similarly, Celebrity Mastermind, which still has a pre-filmed season to air, has broadcast 209 episodes since its birth in 2002. There will be plenty of people within the BBC who think that constitutes a good run for such a simple format. But Live at the Apollo is a different beast – and its cancellation is a bleak portent of the BBC’s future.
BBC stars Jesse Armstrong and Nish Kumar (Getty)
When it began life in 2004, hosted by Jack Dee, the show was designed as a showcase for some of the world’s funniest live comics, like Joan Rivers, Jo Brand and Ross Noble. But by the fourth series, in 2008, the show had evolved into something else. It paired big names from British comedy with rising stars. For the next 18 years, Live at the Apollo would be seen as a rite of passage for comics looking to break through from Edinburgh Fringe success to the lucrative mainstream. Sarah Millican, Jack Whitehall, Josh Widdicombe, Nish Kumar, Katherine Ryan, Aisling Bea... many of the current crop of household names got some of their first primetime experience on the show.
The UK used to be the world’s leading shipbuilder, then we gave up on that. We used to sell cars – Rovers and Triumphs and Morrises – all over the world, then they went bust. We used to be a top global financial hub and then, well, you know what happened. But one export we’ve held onto is comedy. And the BBC has been the great incubator of British comedy, from Fawlty Towers to The Office.
The ethos of the BBC’s comedy programming was historically driven by a desire to set the tone of British humour. Talented young comics were given opportunities in sketches and sitcoms,
with taste-making producers commissioning on instinct, rather than by algorithm. Spike Milligan, Monty Python, Fry & Laurie and French & Saunders, Ben Elton and Steve Coogan and Armando Ianucci and Jesse Armstrong, Ricky Gervais and Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Michaela Coel: these were all big swings taken by our national broadcaster.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge in her BBC smash-hit ‘Fleabag’ (BBC/Two Brothers)
Increasingly, however, it feels like the opportunities for young and new comedians to make that step up to television work are being stifled. The risk appetite of the organisation has never been lower. This has been compounded by the rise of comedy podcasting, which represents a decentralised platform for comedians to publish their work. Some of these shows – Off Menu, Parenting Hell, Shagged Married Annoyed – are far more lucrative for their hosts than anything the BBC can offer them. There is a sense that where previously an appearance on Live at the Apollo represented a real professional breakthrough, it would now be massively superseded by a guest slot on one of these private-sector podcasts.
But there is a real danger in the BBC recusing itself from innovation in comedy. These podcast formats are enjoyable but derivative. Whether it is the manic satire of The Day Today, the
Its current big hit – Ann Droid – was written by, and stars, Diane Morgan, a deadpan comedian who made her breakthrough on Live at the Electric, a BBC Three spin-off of Live at the Apollo. That show was cancelled in 2014, and two years later BBC Three was closed as a linear channel (it returned in 2022 but with vanishingly little original programming). Viewers are lucky that Diane Morgan made it out of Live at the Electric, onto Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, and then, eventually, to Ann Droid. But we may not be so lucky with the next wave of comedians.
Comedy is one of Britain’s last great soft power resources. Losing that in pursuit of cost efficiencies would be a crying shame. The BBC must make a positive argument for its existence, rather than shrinking like a dying houseplant. Sure, clear out long-running formats that don’t provide value for viewers, but don’t hobble our chances of being the world’s funniest nation for generations to come.
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the full horrors are kept at arm’s length
Late playwright Sarah Kane’s shocking 1998 work ‘Cleansed’ is revived at the Almeida Theatre, in a production that’s both unexpectedly maximalist and surprisingly gentle
Alice Saville
Pearl Chanda has an acidic sense of humour as Grace in ‘Cleansed’ (Marc Brenner)
A favoured coping strategy of squeamish theatregoers like myself is to remember that nothing they’re seeing – however stomach- churningly violent – is real. All that blood is just a syrupy-sweet concoction of glycerine and food colouring, ready to be scrubbed off in the wings with scented baby wipes before the actors go home to hug their loved ones, wounds erased and missing body parts restored. Wimps will almost certainly be warned off Sarah Kane’s merciless 1998 classic Cleansed by the baroque elaboration of the trigger warnings that accompany it, reeling off every possible variation of torture. But if not, Almeida regular Rebecca Frecknall’s production extends a sympathetic hand to nervous audiences. Blood is stored in sandwich bags before it anoints body parts: flaming paper is dropped immediately into a fire-proof bucket. These self-conscious, Brechtian touches combine with stylised movement sequences to create a production that holds Kane’s full horrors at arm’s length, without stinting on utter despair.
Nearly three decades after Cleansed was written, it’s still vanishingly rare to find a play like it – one that’s structured around metaphor rather than narrative, and is unafraid to confront an audience with ambiguous, horrible images and let them scramble to understand them. According to the stage directions, it’s set in a university. But really, this is a sinister institution that satirises the unsparing treatment of those who have broken society’s rules – the illiterate, the drug addicts, the incestuous, the homosexuals. If anyone’s in charge, it’s the monstrous Tinker (Leo Bill), a man who barks and snarls like a dog as he cuts off the inmates’ extremities. But he issues regular reminders that none of this is up to him.
Frecknall’s production seems to be haunted by a greater evil: an invisible force that hurls these suffering people into walls until their heads bleed, in agonisingly effective moments of physical theatre. Grace (Pearl Chanda) has come to this cursed place in search of her brother, Graham (Jack Riddiford). When she finds out he’s dead, she tries to reckon with her grief by becoming him – wearing his clothes, suffering like he did. In Kane’s twisted
worldview, to love is to choose unimaginable pain. A gay couple tentatively flirt with commitment in an early scene: Rod (a cynical Parth Thakerar) won’t give a ring to Carl (the winsome Luke Cinque-White), because he can’t believe that love is stronger than suffering and death. He turns out to be right, but that can’t save them from agony upon agony, rendered in horrific detail.
Stuart Thompson brings an innocence to proceedings as Robin
There are moments of lightness here. Stuart Thompson’s standout performance as naive, boyish Robin brings an innocence to proceedings, as he dances delicately through a world that’s as bloody as a ballerina’s pointe shoe. And Chanda has an acidic sense of humour that bubbles up in odd moments, pointing out the absurdity of this whole contrivance. Joy glows and surges out of this mess like nuclear radiation – a field of fake yellow flowers blooms and the mellow sound of The Kinks drowns out all the screaming, for a while.
All in all, this is an unexpectedly maximalist production, as well as a surprisingly gentle one. George Dennis’s accomplished sound design is transporting, evoking a sinister monastery in chanted pentatonic scales, or a distortion-rocked Nineties rave, or a trite music therapy session wherein broken voices cry out an
old pop song. And Madeleine Girling’s set feels like a cinema screen that gets broken apart, smashing out of the limiting generic conventions of a horror flick into something wilder and weirder.
Still, maybe Kane suits a more pared-back approach, one that lets her message cut like a knife. This play is a brothel, a psychiatric institution, a torture chamber, a twisted party. But it’s also nowhere at all, and it’s that purgatorial abstraction that captures the utter hopelessness of her conviction that love burns you, then deserts you, leaving nothing but a pile of smouldering embers in a wasteland.
Until 29 August
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Lily Allen’s brilliant, brutally honest comeback record was all we could talk about last year, so the
glaring absence of ‘West End Girl’ feels like a genuine shock, writes Roisin O’Connor
Olivia Dean, Florence and the Machine, Suede and Paul McCartney are on the Mercury Prize shortlist... but no Lily Allen (centre) (Getty/iStock)
hen you think of the album that everyone was talking about last year, only one springs to mind: Lily Allen’s eviscerating marriage post-mortem West End Girl. It’s the album that lit up WhatsApp groups around the country, made jaws drop with the sheer bluntness of it all, and may just have inspired more than one woman to ditch their husband. So why, I want to know, is it not on this year’s Mercury Prize shortlist?
W
The snubbing of the British pop artist’s career-best work – a blistering, jaw-dropping, skin-pinchingly brutal narrative of a marriage in freefall – is one of the industry’s most spectacular fumbles in some time. Especially when it comes to women in music, the UK has a depressing reputation for failing to champion its own artists until they’re a success elsewhere. But Allen being left out is especially surprising, given it was one of the most critically lauded records of 2025, charting at No 2 in the UK and nominated for Album of the Year at the 2026 Brit Awards.
West End Girl was also the discourse for weeks if not months around its release thanks to its raw studies of non-monogamy, infidelity, betrayal, sexual rejection, loneliness, gaslighting and, erm, more betrayal. With the exception of Rosalía’s Lux and Olivia Rodrigo’s You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love, neither of which were eligible for the Mercury Prize, West End Girl is the album that dissects all of our anxieties around the idea of the “modern” relationship and lays them out on the mortuary slab.
Just think of the perky opener “West End Girl”, in which Allen lays out her scene. She’s just won the lead in a play, she’s packing her bags! But she closes with a subdued phone conversation: her partner wants an open relationship. Then comes the suspicion of “Tennis” as she unwittingly sees an incriminating text; her squaring up to “Madeline” (“how long has it been going on?”), the mental health spiral of “Ruminating”. These were songs that became TikTok memes, Instagram profiles, and Halloween costumes. The “bewildered and wounded” Allen delivered, as
critic Hannah Ewens said in her five-star review for The Independent, an “emotional post-mortem carried out in public, a death-by-a-million-cuts account of a thoroughly modern marriage breakdown”. It was perfect.
Allen performing ‘West End Girl’ on tour (Getty)
So how does a snub like this happen? Artists and their teams submit themselves for the prize, so there is always the possibility that Allen didn’t put herself forward. Given she was previously shortlisted for her 2018 album, No Shame, though, I find that hard to believe, given her evident pride in making such a masterpiece in just 10 days, and her joy at the rapturous reception it received. The shortlist is chosen by a panel of industry “experts”, among them critics, radio DJs and musicians who have, in recent years, strayed towards more commercial picks.
Shortlisted this year are Olivia Dean’s breakthrough album The Art of Loving (she was also nominated for her 2023 debut, Messy), The Boy Who Played the Harp by former winner Dave, JADE’s debut solo album That’s Showbiz, Baby, and RAYE’s This Music May Contain Hope. Paul McCartney received his first nomination for The Boys of Dungeon Lane, while Britpop stalwarts Suede are up for what many critics felt was a late-
One glaring throughline for many of these shortlisted albums is that they are cases of the artist (or band) doing what they’re good at. Dave is deep and introspective, McCartney is sweetly nostalgic, Florence and the Machine are witchy and at gale-force volume. They do all of that very well. But in terms of artistic achievement, a case of an artist putting everything they had on the line, Allen was someone who really went there. She demonstrated how far she’s come from the bratty, day-glo- eyeliner-wearing artist we grew up with (and loved). Failing to acknowledge her for that feels like a real self-own.
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raise this year is ‘not off the table’
Karl Matchett Business and money editor
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey’s message is that domestic inflation looks manageable for now (Getty)
The Bank of England (BoE) has held interest rates at 3.75 per cent once more, despite an expectation of climbing inflation in the coming months.
Rates have been maintained at this level since December of last year but there is now widespread speculation that they will rise again later this year, largely driven by the impacts of the Iran war.
The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 6-3 in favour of a hold this time, highlighting both the number of dissenters and the overall acceptance that rates will head upwards.
Rising fuel costs, as a direct consequence of the conflict in the Middle East, impacts the price of production, manufacturing, energy and transport. Raising interest rates is the Bank’s primary tool to try to counter that and prevent inflation spiralling out of control.
However, the reluctance to raise rates too early can be explained by the UK’s extremely slow economic growth, unemployment hovering around 5 per cent and a property market which has stuttered over the past year. Millions of homeowners have moved off mortgage deals signed when interest rates were far lower, meaning repayments are considerably higher now.
Yesterday’s MPC meeting highlighted that a loose labour market will go some distance toward taming inflation over time, while also noting there was “little evidence so far to suggest” that second-round effects of inflation – higher prices and wages, effectively – were taking place.
However, a telling note also cautioned that “risks to the inflation outlook are tilted to the upside” compared to its July meeting and that “there remains scope for the outlook to change materially as events in the Middle East unfold”. The committee was also unanimous in its view that the risk of oil increasing in price for a longer period was more likely than the hoped-for scenario of a fall.
The three MPC members who voted to raise rates now all highlighted the fact that inflation has been above the 2 per cent government target for more than five years and added that a pre- emptive move to hike them could be less damaging in the long run. It cited research which showed “setting policy as if there were stronger second-round effects and course-correcting if needed, would prove to be less costly than vice versa”.
Bank of England holds interest rates as energy prices set to lift inflation (BofE)
Despite that, analysts are still split over whether the BoE will eventually act.
Frances Haque, chief economist at Santander UK, hinted at the prospect of the base rate remaining at 3.75 per cent throughout 2026, pending geopolitical matters.
“Although both global and domestic challenges remain, there certainly seems to be signs of cautious optimism trickling into the mortgage market. More borrowers are choosing to play the waiting game, with growing interest in tracker mortgages as customers hope to benefit from any future reductions in borrowing costs,” she noted.
“Generally, this ‘wait and see’ approach is here to stay, with our latest forecasts assuming no further cuts to the Bank Rate in 2026. However, as inflation is expected to fall back as we enter into next year, we should see two further cuts across 2027.”
Rob Morgan, chief investment analyst at Charles Stanley Direct, agreed the direction of travel could continue to be sideways for some time – if energy markets can stabilise.
split in the MPC voting. Rate cuts are impossible to justify so long as inflation risks loom large on the horizon, while quelling it with a rate rise would increase borrowing costs and make things even harder for large parts of the economy,” he said.
“Provided energy markets remain contained, the most likely outcome is a prolonged pause at the current 3.75 per cent. Policymakers are seeing some encouraging signs that inflationary pressures will moderate once the coming flare-up passes.
Whether rates rise is highly dependent on whether energy markets stabilise in the coming months (AFP/Getty)
“But until they are more confident that higher energy costs will not ignite wider price escalation or feed into wage demands, interest rate cuts are on ice, and the possibility of a raise is not off the table.”
Sam North, eToro’s market analyst, agreed there was less ground to cover now for a hike to be considered. “Governor Andrew Bailey’s message is that domestic inflation looks manageable for now, but the global backdrop is becoming more dangerous,” he said. “The uncomfortable part is that the majority wants to wait for evidence of second-round effects, while three members
For savers, Finder’s personal finance expert Kate Steere urged people to make the most of the gap between interest rates and inflation.
“Savers shouldn’t miss the bigger picture: real returns are back. With inflation at 2.6 per cent, market-leading cash ISAs from providers like Trading 212 (4.51 per cent) and Plum (4.4 per cent) are offering returns nearly 2 per cent above inflation,” she said. “That means cash value isn't just being protected from inflation – it's actively growing. With rates already dropping slightly, now is the time to take advantage before these strong offers slip away.”
Propertymark CEO Nathan Emerson added: “A stable base rate provides greater certainty for the housing market. It gives lenders more confidence to continue offering competitive mortgage products while allowing buyers to make informed financial decisions. Savers also continue to benefit from relatively attractive returns on savings, helping some prospective homeowners build towards a deposit.”
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, notes that markets, which can diverge notably from economists or analysts, maintained expectations of a move to 4 per cent by winter, and possibly as soon as the next meeting – though the date of John Healey’s first Budget as chancellor could impact that.
“The interest rate futures market is pricing in two rate cuts in the next year, and there is currently a 52 per cent chance of a rate hike in September, and a 56 per cent chance of a hike in November,” she said. “We think that November is more likely, if the BoE is still considering a rate hike at that stage, since by that time the committee will have a better idea about 2027 pay awards, and the Budget should have been announced, which will give the MPC a clearer idea of the new PM’s economic policy.”
Rolls-Royce has announced profits well above previous expectations (Getty)
BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce boosted by wars
Higher defence spending amid global conflicts is delivering a boost to Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems as the FTSE 100 stalwarts upgraded their annual outlooks after solid half-year figures. The engine maker Rolls-Royce now expects to post underlying operating profits of £4.7bn–£4.9bn for 2026, well above previous guidance. The group is benefiting from greater civil aerospace demand and AI data centre rollouts, which are helping its power systems division.
The defence contractor BAE Systems hiked its profit outlook, with a 10–12 per cent rise in underlying earnings expected for 2026, up from the 9–11 per cent previously forecast. Underlying earnings rose 11 per cent in the half-year on sales 9 per cent higher, while pre-tax profits rose to £1.28bn from £1.19bn a year ago.
Jaguar Land Rover to cut hundreds of jobs
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced plans to cut hundreds of jobs as part of a major transformation. This decision follows the group's ongoing recovery from a major cyber attack that halted production last year, compounded by US tariff measures.
Fewer than 300 roles are understood to be affected at the UK’s largest car manufacturer. JLR, employing around 30,000 in the UK and 10,000 abroad, has not disclosed the specific locations of these job losses.
The majority of its vehicle production takes place at UK facilities, including Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood in Merseyside, as well as in Slovakia.
Iran war helps Shell earnings soar
Shell has revealed a better-than-expected 70 per cent surge in half-year earnings thanks to its best quarterly performance for four years. The FTSE 100 giant saw underlying earnings jump to $16.75bn (£12.55bn) as its oil traders capitalised on the highly volatile cost of crude. The group said underlying earnings at its chemicals and products unit – including its oil trading business – jumped to £2.15bn, up significantly from £141m a year ago. This helped offset falling gas production, which tumbled by 31 per cent due to an Iranian attack on its Qatar gas-to-liquids plant at the start of the current Middle East conflict.
Shell has profited from trading on oil price swings, with the cost of Brent crude surging as high as $120 a barrel at one stage before dropping to pre-war levels and back up past $90 this week amid fraught negotiations between the US and Iran. While its Pearl site in Qatar has not been able to produce gas since the missile attack, production has been boosted group-wide thanks to a strong performance at other facilities globally.
Lloyds Banking Group has reported a substantial jump in profits, while unveiling an ambitious new four-year strategy centred on artificial intelligence and digital transformation to unlock an additional £2bn in cost savings. It announced a pre-tax profit of £4.3bn for the six months to the end of June, marking a 23 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Lloyds confirmed it is on track to achieve more than £2bn in gross cost savings between 2022 and 2026. It is targeting a further £2bn in cost reductions by 2030.
Chief executive Charlie Nunn said: “We do think that there are new opportunities with agentic AI to both differentiate our services and grow more efficiently, ie provide services we’ve never been able to provide. So being able to provide investment advice to anyone in the UK that wants to talk to us with really well-trained agents.”
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Eddie Howe oversaw the arrival of a first domestic trophy in 70 years at St James’ Park, but leaves
with the club’s Saudi project facing stagnation, writes Richard Jolly
Howe has left Tyneside after five years at the club (PA)
nce again, Eddie Howe can be bracketed alongside two of Tyneside’s favourite faces. This time, however, it is in less enviable fashion. Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan left Newcastle suddenly in late summers, decisions seemingly taken at the wrong time plunging them into transition and trouble. At least, unlike a couple of distinguished predecessors, Howe has gone before a season has started and not after a few games.
But it is less than four weeks before it begins, following a 4-1 friendly defeat to Bristol City, when it seems the team Howe built is falling apart. Howe was a transformative and terrific Newcastle manager, but the danger is his five-year reign comes to be the anomaly in their recent history, a period of achievement surrounded by underachievement.
Howe did something even Robson and Keegan could not and took a trophy to Tyneside: Newcastle’s first since 1969, their first in English football in seven decades. Go back 17 months, to the day they won the Carabao Cup, and Howe was asked about getting his own statue at St James’ Park. With characteristic modesty, he deflected the questions. Was he, he was asked, a legend? “We don’t put ourselves in that bracket,” he said. “We will let other people decide that when we are long gone.”
Now he is gone; from Howe’s perspective, there may be a relief that a burden is lifted. His probable replacement, Matthias Jaissle, will inherit a host of problems, few of them created by Howe, many of them making his task increasingly hard in the last year.
The 48-year-old lifted the Carabao Cup in 2025... (Getty)
...but leaves with his squad falling apart (PA)
Results show the downturn. Newcastle lost six of their last nine league games last season, nine of 17. They were beaten home and away by Sunderland. A Champions League campaign that had been heartening came to an ignominious end with a 7-2 walloping by Barcelona.
Howe had constructed a side with an identity. Yet even as he restored the sense there was something special about Newcastle, perhaps it was not enough for players: both those he had and those he coveted. Newcastle had the tag of the world’s richest club, but they could not spend as such and lacked the allure that wealth was supposed to bring.
With Howe leaving, it is easy to envisage Bruno Guimaraes going to Arsenal now, a fourth departure of a high-class player in under a year, following Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali. The combined proceeds will be around £370m; a reminder that Howe often improves players, but is also leaving a gaping hole in the side. He could wish Elliot Anderson was still around to occupy the void in midfield, but the PSR-enforced sale of the Geordie in 2024 looks one of the major issues the Newcastle hierarchy have botched in recent years: the delayed
But the departures have been compounded by the lack of arrivals; or not the right ones, anyway, given that Newcastle spent £250m last summer. Until then, Howe had an outstanding record in the transfer market, but only Malick Thiaw of the 2025 influx was a success. Then this summer has proved a continuation of last. Elite players have kept turning Newcastle down: Victor Munoz and Johan Manzambi this summer, a host of forwards who would have been a better fit than Nick Woltemade or Yoane Wissa last year. Now, seeing how Newcastle have unravelled, the probability is that Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro do not regret their choices.
Bruno Guimaraes (left) is set to become Newcastle’s fourth high-class departure in under a year, 12 months on from Alexander Isak’s messy exit (PA)
In the post-mortem of Howe’s regime, the dropped £125m double act of Woltemade and Wissa figure prominently. So does Isak, the man who scored at Wembley against Liverpool to secure that silverware but then provided the beginning of the end when he eyed the exit.
Howe’s Newcastle were at their best when operating at maximum intensity. They struggled more when they had to play in both England and Europe, partly due to injuries. But even within that, there was still the seminal 4-1 demolition of Paris Saint-Germain, Dan Burn flying through the Tyneside air to head in his goal. Howe was the architect of many a magnificent St James’ Park night, the man from the south coast who became a hero in the northeast.
Now it is up to the men from the Middle East: Jaissle, who has succeeded at Al Ahli, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the owners who have preferred to keep their counsel, and their representatives at St James’ Park, sporting director Ross Wilson and CEO David Hopkinson. But at times in the last year, it seemed that only Howe was holding Newcastle together. His exit leaves them looking like a shambles.
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The decision by European footballing bodies to reject Gianni Infantino’s plans to sell off stakes in
the historic tournament could have ramifications right across the game, writes Miguel Delaney
Holders Spain are among the European nations threatening to boycott the World Cup (Reuters)
t the start of the emergency meeting that saw Uefa drop “a nuclear bomb” on Gianni Infantino’s plans to privatise the World Cup, federation president Aleksander Ceferin uttered a phrase that would be echoed a few times over the next two hours.
Language about weapons is arguably appropriate because this is now a war, and it is one that football has long needed. Infantino’s move is unprecedented and would break what international football is, but it didn’t come out of a vacuum. It came out of a 40-year commercialisation of the game that Uefa itself has been complicit in.
Even that has its limits, though, as can be seen with the announcement that the 55 Uefa countries will boycott all Fifa competitions if Infantino presses ahead with his plan.
Almost everyone involved can see the real cost here beyond Infantino’s promises of $40m to associations who go along with him. It isn’t just selling off parts of the game but allowing the most nakedly capitalistic influences in – to have considerable say on every decision.
It has been described as a “very bad securitisation deal” for an asset that isn’t even “distressed”.
Uefa’s overtly collective stance is itself instructive since that also tests some of the game’s structures. One reason that figures around Infantino were so confident in this plan was how Fifa politics work. Money distribution is a vote-returning mechanism, and this was more money than most had ever seen. Smaller associations could clear debts.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin (right) has made a power play (Reuters)
Indeed, before Uefa’s meeting, the leadership had been conscious of how persuasive Infantino’s plans were to countries of fewer resources.
So, Uefa began to work on cracking the whip. The deck for Fifa’s plans – essentially “selling off football’s crown jewels in perpetuity” – is said to have hardened resolve.
By the time yesterday’s 2pm meeting started, with the vast majority of representatives phoning in via video call, the spirit was one of unity.
After Ceferin opened proceedings, insisting that this “isn’t about him and Gianni” and that he never wanted a fight with Fifa, he pointed to the simple reality that the global body already has all the money it’s going to need.
FA chair – and Fifa vice-president – Debbie Hewitt was the next major figure to speak, and was the first to mention the “boycott”, while criticising governance under Infantino’s leadership.
The speech received praise from other members, something all the more notable since England’s reticence had previously been
That the boycott will apply to all Fifa competitions is even more damaging for Infantino, since so much of his plan is based on the global body realising some of the immense value of the European club game. That’s what is most attractive to his investors, too. The 2029 edition of the Club World Cup hasn’t even been agreed on yet, though, and currently looks some way off.
FA chair Debbie Hewitt took a critical stance despite ties with Fifa (PA Wire)
It’s why it’s currently impossible to see how this can proceed, with the impact so substantial that it could well bring the Swiss- Italian official’s downfall.
Numerous officials at the meeting questioned his leadership, which was described as everything from “dictatorship behaviour” to “not what you’d expect from a true leader”.
Another Fifa Executive Committee member, Razvan Burleanu, directly pointed the finger at Infantino, while Wales’s Noel Mooney – who did stress individual federations still need funding – asked if there could still be faith in Infantino.
It’s impossible not to conclude that Infantino has overreached, resulting from overconfidence that came from being in the World Cup and Donald Trump bubble for so long.
He’d got through the Folarin Balogun affair, the ticket prices, the “hydration breaks”, the Fifa peace prize, the deliverance of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia by acclamation and all manner of unilateral decisions and governance by fiat until he inevitably went too far.
Some have described this as “the most unreal unforced error” possible and “the beginning of the end for Infantino”. He is said to have confused support for another term with support for any decision.
Another senior figure said the privatisation plan was “the straw that finally broke the wafer-thin peace pact since the Super League”.
And we’re now into a potentially new world.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi has been mooted as a possible challenger to Infantino (Getty)
Some nations – including those outside Europe – are beginning to wonder whether this might actually be the opportunity to break Fifa’s one-country, one-vote structure, and even such distinctive confederation separation. Why not have worldwide qualifiers, especially as such games lessen in commercial value? Whether you agree with that or not, the entire system has long looked very antiquated.
Either way, the repercussions are going to be huge, and there may be plenty o unintended consequences. That may apply to Uefa, too. Despite the show of unanimity, some smaller nations like Azerbaijan say they would have liked more of a chance to speak. Around 50-60 per cent of the countries got an opportunity to do so, and the one that offered the most qualified view was Scotland. Others, meanwhile, believe those close to Infantino are going to try to pick off any vulnerabilities.
The Uefa meeting didn’t actually come to a formal vote, though. Towards the end, Ceferin simply asked whether everyone backed the position: to boycott. There was no show of hands, so Uefa was free to issue its statement. That’s how politics work there, too.
This crisis has rightly been likened to the Super League, and is arguably even bigger due to its global complications, but look how that ended.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi was elevated to the top of the game’s main club body, European Football Clubs. His primary responsibility is to the Emir of Qatar. Al-Khelaifi is currently being mooted as a challenger to Infantino.
We may be into a new world, but still with so many old themes. Enough is enough, with more to come.
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Stephen Fleming, despite a lack of red-ball coaching experience, has been selected to steady the England Test ship after the messy departure of fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum, writes
Harry Latham-Coyle, and while his task is big, he may have the tools to succeed
On the face of it, Fleming’s credentials are modest: there is no red-ball coaching whatsoever on his CV (PA)
tephen Fleming always seems to possess a wonderful sense of timing. It was on 12 July that England made the decision to stand down Brendon McCullum as Test head coach and, in serendipitous circumstances, on 13 July that the man they would come to anoint as his successor began his search for a new job. It was nothing more than mere coincidence that the Chennai Super Kings and Fleming mutually parted ways so soon after his former teammate’s departure, but within three days he was expressing interest in the England role in a newspaper interview, and within three weeks impressing the ECB interview panel sufficiently for a hasty appointment after Andy Flower had withdrawn himself from consideration for the role.
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Not that Fleming will arrive with undue hustle or hurry; Marcus Trescothick will take interim charge of the three Tests against Pakistan this summer before the 53-year-old begins a four-year deal ahead of the tour to South Africa in December. While Fleming has expressed a desire to spend time with his family, it is a curious situation that again highlights the mistake made by the ECB in not taking the opportunity for a clean break after the Ashes.
One might term this, then, a marriage of convenience – a coach in search of a new challenge taking over a team in need of new direction. On the face of it, Fleming’s credentials are modest: there is no red-ball coaching whatsoever on his CV, nor any past suggestion of a desire to turn away from a franchise T20 circuit he was perhaps the first coach to truly master. He had even turned England down in 2009, feeling it was too soon into his coaching career.
Fleming proved highly successful with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL (Getty)
But this is not necessarily another jamming of a square peg into a round, vacant hole. The truth is that requiring experience of a role like being England Test coach would limit the pool to only past occupiers of the position – particularly with the complicating factor of one’s predecessor remaining as a colleague and, at times, competitor.
McCullum remains, of course, as white-ball coach, which could cause conflict; to slot in a man sufficiently close to his former teammate to have gone into business was surely a key factor in Fleming’s appointment. A similar ethos may be implemented differently with a younger side in need of fresh messaging.
“Stephen Fleming is one of the most highly respected figures in cricket, and we are very fortunate that someone of his calibre is willing to take on the challenge of being the England men’s Test head coach,” Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, said. “I believe he is the best person to guide a team stacked full of potential and turn that talent into a world-class outfit that cannot only achieve success but sustain it.”
England are looking to recapture their best form in the Test arena (Getty)
Past stints in the County Championship, particularly at Nottinghamshire, will be cited, too, though it is tough to find an individual of Fleming’s generation who did not enrich the English game with their visiting presence. Instead, one should look to his work at CSK – in the fractured, fractioned and faction-filled world of modern cricket, a 17-year stint laden with trophies is to be commended. It will, too, have provided some insight into the scrutiny he will now come under; the symbiotic relationship forged with MS Dhoni, a laidback but highly intuitive leader, is one that Key will hope the oft-understated Fleming can strike with Joe Root.
Even within the statement announcing his appointment were hints that Root’s return as captain is likely to be a temporary arrangement, though, with Fleming pointedly making reference to his excitement about working with Harry Brook. The vice- captain’s time will surely come. The ECB must, however, reflect on the paucity of choices that have forced them to go back to a 35-year-old left worn down and worn out by the captaincy his first time around; Root really should have been left in the ranks. But with Brook carrying a significant burden already, a reinstallation was the better of two bad options.
Joe Root returns as England Test captain (PA)
Fleming hopes that he can provide a more pleasurable experience for his right-hand man. “I know what it feels like to have the weight of leadership and international cricket take their toll, and when that happened to me, my love for the game was rekindled by going to Notts and winning the County Championship,” the head coach said with reference to Root. “English cricket gave that to me, and it is a privilege to have this chance to give something back.”
There are other issues, mind, to be solved. Where McCullum’s task to revitalise and rejuvenate was clear on his arrival, Fleming’s assignment is tougher. England are unsettled in the top three, with Jacob Bethell a doubt for the start of the Pakistan series and Emilio Gay yet to cement his spot, and inevitably unbalanced by Ben Stokes’s retirement. There is no like-for-like replacement as a seam bowling all-rounder, which has ramifications elsewhere; it may be hard to pick a specialist spinner, for example, or build a bowling attack around an array of seamers that can sometimes feel at its best in bursts. It has felt like a team inexorably on the slide.
Fleming may thus see a blank canvas; others, a jumbled puzzle of pieces that may not fully fit. By the time he commences his role, he will have a matter of nine months to prepare for an Ashes series that – McCullum will attest – will form a large part of his overall appraisal. England’s new head coach took on Australia 14 times during his Test career and did not once taste victory. Turn their trajectory around before next summer and he will have proven a very shrewd appointment indeed.
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the problem’ surrounding retirement
Alex Pattle dives into the new Sky Sports film ‘The Final Round’ and speaks to champion turned
pundit Johnny Nelson, a key voice in the documentary, about the pitfalls of life after the ring
‘It’s a very lonely existence. Your wife, brother, mother, sister don’t get it,’ says former world champion Nelson (Getty)
ky Sports’s new documentary is stacked with sobering soundbites. In one scene, boxing coach Joe Gallagher recalls hearing a mother ask her son: “Are all the lows worth that one high?” The answer, of course, was “yes”. As Gallagher puts it: “Everyone wants their own Rocky story.”
But as Sky explores, that doesn’t always mean a rousing underdog story. Rocky’s sequels showed Sylvester Stallone’s character struggling with retirement, and this is the premise of The Final Round.
Released today, the film features interviews with former world champions like Johnny Nelson and Josh Warrington, while Gallagher and Dominic Ingle are among the coaches to speak, promoter Eddie Hearn features, and commentator Andy Clarke weaves together themes of “addiction”, sacrifice, and ego.
The documentary even includes one of the final interviews with the late, great Ricky Hatton, whose internal fights after retiring matched any that he had in the ring.
Many boxers tell themselves, “‘I’ve got one more good fight in me,’” Hatton says. “Nine times out of 10, you haven’t. That was the case with me.”
Indeed, in 2022, a 42-year-old Hatton boxed Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition, and he was even due for another before his untimely death last September.
Josh Warrington was expected to retire after losing to Leigh Wood in February, but he is yet to make up his mind (Getty)
Yet it’s not just about fire and ego; a question of identity arises, as does a fear of life post-boxing. Retirement is “frightening”, says heavyweight veteran Dave Allen, who reversed his own exit from the sport. “Apart from ‘Dad’, I’m just a boxer. I’m not even David, the normal human being.”
Warrington, whose boxing future is up in the air at the time of writing, explains: “I wake up on fight day and it’s like everything’s brighter, everything smells better, I’m more alert... that’s an unreal feeling.” And then the kicker: “Once that stops, you’ll never feel it again.”
Does this explain Tyson Fury’s five false retirements? Perhaps. They get their own spotlight in the documentary, as do comebacks that occur decades after retirement: for example, a 58-year-old Mike Tyson facing a 27-year-old YouTuber, Jake Paul, in 2024.
The film touches on how boxers don’t just miss the buzz of fight night, but also the camaraderie of their gyms, while the financial turmoil that has afflicted many fighters gets significant screen time.
Most boxers need a second job, and promoter and manager Steve Wood explains: “Ninety per cent of the fighters I look after are not earning enough to pay tax. I’ve had a couple of world champions; they’re the only two likely to be able to retire comfortably.”
A 42-year-old Ricky Hatton boxing in an exhibition match, four years before his death (PA)
In an interview with The Independent, Nelson touches on all of these topics, as well as his plans to create a proper pension scheme for boxers – something his own promoter, Eddie’s father Barry Hearn, attempted unsuccessfully.
Barry tried putting a small percentage of boxers’ purses towards a pension, but fighters’ distrust and/or short-term thinking thwarted the plan. Nelson, who toyed with his own comeback nine years after retiring, reflects on receiving a £97,000 pension from Hearn several years ago, inspiring the 59-year-old.
Nelson wants to create a scheme that would pay £2,000 into a pension for each boxer every year, as long as the fighter competes two to three times annually and puts 5 per cent of their purse into the same pension – with the money coming from a combination of TV companies, government grants, and private sponsorship. Nelson has spoken to the British Boxing Board of Control, figures in parliament, Scottish Widows, and potential financiers while trying to get the scheme off the ground.
“If I was a parent and my son wanted to box, I wouldn’t want him to box for a career, because they’ve got nothing to show for it,” Nelson says. “There’s no aftercare. Everybody’s running for
“The amount of household names I could tell you that are absolutely on their ass, they’ve got nothing, and that financial pressure on top of the other effects of boxing has accumulated over the years. How can your mental health be stable? How can it be?”
In general, Nelson articulates the existence of a boxer with ease.
“That animalistic instinct we have, there’s nothing you can adapt it to in everyday life – not an office or anything like that, because it’s barbaric,” he says. “It’s a very lonely existence. Your wife, brother, mother, sister don’t get it. The aches and pains are lonely, the thought processes are lonely.
Nelson (pictured in 2001) retired from boxing in 2005 but flirted with a comeback nine years later (Getty)
“You do it first for the love of it, then money comes into it, then ups and downs, so we still do it – but resentfully. You’ve not got time to have a full-time job, so [you may think]: ‘People see me on a dizzy high, and then I’ve got to go and work on a building site. God, I've got to deal with the shame of that.’
“You’re resentful of how human nature can change: when you retire, people no longer look up to you as an amazing fighter. ‘He’s overweight, he’s not who he was.’ They talk to you like they talk to anybody, whereas when you’re a fighter, they talk to you with respect.”
Nelson is now one of the most thoughtful and respected pundits in boxing, but he could not have foreseen this future while immersed in his past.
“I thought boxing was the only option I had,” he reflects. “I left school with the reading and writing ability of a 10-year-old. I wasn’t thick – I just wasn’t academically astute – but I thought I was. I’d got nothing on paper to say, ‘Johnny is really good with people,’ so that wisdom doesn’t get you a job. What gets you a job is a diploma, work experience. So, panic set in. I could have easily ended up in prison.”
As The Final Round shows, boxing can be its own kind of prison, but a champion who escaped relatively early and safely was Anthony Crolla, who retired on a win just before turning 33.
“You can’t let boxing take more from you than you take from boxing,” he says astutely in the film. If only it were that simple.
Watch ‘The Final Round’ on Sky Sports Main Event at 10.30pm tonight, or on demand, and on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel from tomorrow
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Aziz Abdul, grandson of Ugandan Idi Amin, claimed his disqualification in Edinburgh was due to racism (Getty)
Amin grandson has racism claim dismissed
Commonwealth Games chief Donald Rukare has rejected Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul’s racism claim following his disqualification from a super-heavyweight bout on Wednesday. Abdul, the grandson of Uganda’s late dictator Idi Amin, was thrown out of his fight against England’s Damar Thomas in the third and final round for a headbutt. He immediately alleged discrimination based on his nationality.
“Of course it’s unfair,” Aziz stated. “When you watch the previous fights of England, their boxers create a lot of fouls and they play a lot of bullshit. I am a black African, I know. I don’t [know] why the officials are scared about this fight.”
The dramatic contest at the Scottish Exhibition Centre saw Abdul, noticeably shorter than his English opponent, receive a standing count in the first round. He was then penalised in the second for punching out of a clinch before the decisive headbutt on Thomas’s chin led to his disqualification in the third. World Boxing, the federation responsible for organising the Glasgow competition, declined to comment on the incident.
England win men's 4,000m team pursuit gold
Charlie Tanfield relished a long-awaited win over Australia after England clinched the men’s 4,000 metres team pursuit gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow yesterday.
The England team of Tanfield, Henry Hobbs, William Tidball and Ethan Vernon trailed by 0.035 seconds at the halfway stage but hauled back to claim gold by over a second.
Tanfield, who was part of the Great Britain team pursuit team nudged into silver by the Australians in the Paris 2024 Olympic final, said: “I feel like my whole career has been about the team pursuit and it being us versus the Aussies."
Welsh trio Emma Finucane, Rhian Edmunds and Lowri Thomas edged out England’s Katy Marchant, Sophia Capewell and Rhianna Parris-Smith to win gold in the women’s team sprint.
Wales set the fastest time in qualification and built on the bronze medal they won in Birmingham four years ago by blazing home in a new Commonwealth Games-record time of 46.760secs.
Scotland’s Neil Fachie won his sixth Commonwealth Games gold medal after partnering with Aaron Pope to win the men’s tandem B 1,000m time trial, ahead of Wales’s James Ball, piloted by Matthew Rotherham.
England have criticised the decision by para-athletics authorities to stage a rerun of the women’s T54 1500 metres race at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after Wednesday’s final was marred by a first-lap crash.
Scotland’s Melanie Woods streaked to victory in a new Games- record time ahead of Canada’s Nandini Sharma, who was disqualified for her part in the crash, upgrading England’s Ellis Kottas to silver.
Woods was allowed to undertake a full lap of honour followed by medal-winning media rounds yesterday morning before organisers announced the race will be rerun this morning, following further protests from Australia and Mauritius.
Campbell wins weightlifting gold for England
Emily Campbell cooked up a new Commonwealth Games record as she retained her women’s 86+kg weightlifting title in emphatic fashion in Glasgow.
The 32-year-old double Olympic medallist secured gold with her first clean-and-jerk lift of 148kg, going on to complete further lifts of 155kg and 163kg before dancing off the stage to raucous acclaim.
Thitikul sets pace at AIG Women’s Open
Lottie Woad and Charley Hull lead British hopes after round one of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes. Woad, the 22-year-old from Surrey, carded a bogey-free, two-under-par 69 with a birdie on the par-five sixth and a monster putt for a two on the 12th. Hull briefly moved to three under after holing from off the green on the 15th, but the 30-year-old from Kettering undid that good work by finding the front bunker on the next to slip back to two under.
Jeeno Thitikul leads the way, the 23-year-old from Thailand who is still seeking a first major title hitting seven birdies in a flawless seven-under 64. Ominously, Ryu Hae Ran is two back after a
Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki is joint second on five under but world No 1 Nelly Korda, who like Ryu is looking for a third major win this year, hit four bogeys in an underwhelming 73.
Scottish Rugby CEO sacked after investigation
Scottish Rugby (SRU) has sacked CEO Alex Williamson after a lengthy investigation into his conduct. The governing body gave no details as to the specifics of the investigation but, after a process begun in May, announced that he had been removed permanently from his position. Current chief financial officer David White looks set to become interim chief executive while the governing body begins the process of finding a permanent replacement.
Williamson was appointed as the successor to departing CEO Mark Dodson in September 2024 and began work at Murrayfield in early 2025. He previously ran the Goodwood Estate and was a former CEO of department store chain House of Fraser but has been sacked around 18 months after taking up the role at Scottish Rugby.
The SRU will now have to seek a replacement less than two years after its previous recruitment process. It comes at a time when Scottish Rugby is entering a hugely important period, with the inaugural Nations Championship continuing with games at Murrayfield this autumn, a pivotal Six Nations in the spring and then the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia next October.
Chelsea sign Lacroix in £52m deal
Chelsea have signed defender Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace for £52m, with the France international agreeing a deal until 2032, the Premier League club announced yesterday. The 26-year-old French international made 55 appearances last season, contributing three goals and three assists as Palace won
Palace signed him from Wolfsburg in 2024 for a reported £18m, and Lacroix made 98 appearances for the club across two seasons under Oliver Glasner. He also made France’s World Cup squad this summer and featured in three matches as the team finished fourth after losing their semi-final to Spain, before being beaten by England 6-4 in the third-place play-off.
Chelsea have already spent big this summer, having signed Morgan Rogers for £117m from Aston Villa last week, while 35- year-old striker Danny Welbeck looks set to also join the club on a two-year deal from Brighton. Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson is also closing in on a free transfer to Stamford Bridge from Brentford.
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Pearl Chanda, Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Au Kam, American Soldiers, And Chanda, And Madeleine Girling, Andes Mountains, Andy Burnham - WARNING: source dates, money, or percentage tokens may be missing
译文在语言流畅度上较高，但在忠实度和准确性方面存在严重缺陷。出现了多处严重幻觉（Hallucinations），尤其是将原文中对政治人物的讽刺性比喻误解为事实，或在没有原文支撑的情况下自行扩充大量政治细节。
结论：存在阻塞性问题 (Blocking Issues Found)。 该翻译在处理讽刺文学/政治评论时完全失效，将比喻误当作事实，并出现了文本重复和非中文/英文的乱码字符。不可直接交付。