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The, After Anthony Joshua, Against Prenga, Ajay Banga, Alex Pattle Combat, American Association, An Australian, And Burnham, Andy Burnham
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从凯恩戈姆山的内西桥，到波尔多及其沿海半岛费雷特角，再到马德里，整个欧洲的社区正被迫在目前肆虐且无法控制的山火中逃命。
这就像是大自然在反击。数百万人直接或间接受到影响。农作物——包括珍贵的葡萄园——损失或面临风险，财产和企业被毁，旅游业遭受重创。
天气图显示，从葡萄牙到罗马尼亚的弧形地带，火灾爆发的可能性正在增加，其中还包括大部分英伦三岛（目前正准备迎接这个夏天的第四次热浪）以及芬兰北部。这不仅仅是“天气”，而是一系列不再罕见的事件，它们是目前气候变化科学最切实可见的证明。
考虑到最近一次此类爆发仅在一年左右前，即便它们有时并非史无前例，也难以令人感到安慰。因此，虽然今年欧洲记录了约 1,254 起重大森林火灾，略低于 2025, 年的同期水平，但这已经是 579 起这一长期平均值的两倍多。
类似的“热区”，这是今年第 3 个，也正笼罩在北美的约 70 million 人口之上，从大平原延伸至墨西哥湾，而加拿大山火产生的烟雾仍向南飘向纽约。
今年早些时候，气候变化导致撒哈拉以南非洲大部分地区出现致命洪水，以及东南亚出现热带风暴。与此同时，完整的厄尔尼诺现象效应尚未显现，而格陵兰岛的冰川消融正加速进行（这又是另一个让唐纳德·特朗普远离丹麦领土的绝佳理由）。
一如既往，并非每一个极端事件都应被懒政地归因于气候变化，但近期的事件确实证实了这一长期趋势的科学证据，并及时提醒人们，情况还会进一步恶化。科学可以提供解释并提出解决方案——例如将全球气温升高幅度限制在工业化前水平的 1. 5C 以内。
但采取行动属于政治范畴，而令人悲哀的是，近年来，关于气候变化的共识以及全球净零排放目标的价值已严重下滑。在英国，新成立的伯纳姆政府似乎渴望重新回到在北海钻探更多石油和天然气的道路上。
英国改革党通过推广一种反科学阴谋论与虚无主义的混合体，取得了显著的民粹主义选举进展——即认为即使是人为造成的也无能为力，所以何必费心？甚至在扎克·波兰斯基领导下的绿党也调整了其议程，将加沙置于其主张的中心，而牺牲了更传统、更生态的诉求。
然而，在仍然作为替代政府的保守党内部，这种退步是如此令人费解且遗憾。自从玛格丽特·撒切尔（受过化学训练） 1988 年在联合国大会上就该主题发表具有里程碑意义的演讲以来，该党一直处于保护地球生命的国际努力前沿。没有什么比这更崇高的事业了。
当大卫·卡梅隆在二十年前成为领导人时，他也曾倡导环保，最著名的是前往北极去“拥抱哈士奇”。泰蕾莎·梅曾做出过一项具有约束力的承诺，要使英国经济实现“净零排放”，而鲍里斯·约翰逊尽管有其糟糕的缺陷，但在联合国气候变化大会上维持了这一势头。
然而现在，自称是“净零排放怀疑论者”的凯米·巴德诺克表示，如果潜在的保守党候选人和前国会议员支持英国 2050 净零排放目标，她将阻止他们代表她的政党参选。对于一个在这一领域拥有辉煌记录的民主组织来说，这是一个荒谬的急转弯。这种转变完全基于对绿色可再生能源性质的一种可能是有意为之的误解——不幸的是，巴德诺克女士与奈杰尔·法拉奇持有相同的看法。
关于太阳能和风能（以及核电基荷）的基本事实是，虽然初始资本投资可能很高，但回报是充足、稳定、廉价且丰富的能源供应，使英国能够从不稳定的化石燃料经济及其波动价格中解放出来。拯救地球仅仅是一个额外奖励。
如今，英国正遭受极端天气的影响以及能源成本飙升的冲击，因为国内没有产生足够的自身可再生能源。诚然，与印度或中国相比，英国的温室气体排放量微不足道；但事实上，这些国家根据国际条约也承诺减少排放，尽管时间表较长。
如果英国和其他西方强国放弃其目标，那么亚洲其他新兴工业化超级大国更有可能效仿。这就是为什么唐纳德·特朗普总统任性地退出巴黎气候协定会对地球生存前景造成如此深远的破坏——这是一种超越性的“文明抹除”。
有一天，也许世界各地的右翼人士将再次接受气候科学，接受他们亲眼所见的证据，并且
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Maira Butt
一名消防员在波尔多郊外的 Marcheprime 附近观看肆虐的火灾 (AP)
在西班牙和法国应对大规模山火的应急服务部门正与时间赛跑，试图在本周另一波 40C 热浪袭击欧洲之前将火势控制住。
在法国，火焰已烧毁了大约 4 倍于巴黎面积的区域，目前距离该国第六大城市波尔多仅 9 英里，且没有放缓迹象。在西班牙中部，马德里西北部的山区——马德里省、托莱多省和阿维拉省——仍有三处活跃的火线。
根据两国的气象机构预测，随着西班牙和法国的气温将在几天内达到 40C，这场危机预计将进一步升级。飙升的
“我们仍处于危机之中；我们必须保持警惕，”波尔多吉伦地区省长苏菲·布罗卡斯昨日告诉《巴黎人》报。“火势尚未得到控制，依然极其危险。
“这场前所未有的大火不遵循任何已知模式；它会产生自己的风，需要不断地进行调整。”
到目前为止，法国当局已撤离了约 250,000 人，包括度假者和居民；而在西班牙，约 116,000 人被告知离开家园或寻求庇护。山火还影响了意大利和葡萄牙，英国政府昨日确认正准备应对类似的危机。
“我们所经历的并不是一系列孤立事件，”西班牙首相佩德罗·桑切斯昨日表示。“这是气候紧急状态最痛苦的表达，它使得第六代山火更加凶猛，热浪更加频繁，我们的领土也更加脆弱。”
消防员在昨日波尔多郊外 Le Las 附近肆虐的山火中与火焰搏斗 (AP)
目前的关键数据：
今年法国有 116,000 公顷土地被烧毁，其中 波尔多附近火灾造成了 42,000 公顷
360,000 人被撤离，包括法国的 250,000 人和 西班牙的 116,000 人
2,500 名消防员、1,500 名军方人员以及 1,200 名 警察和宪兵正在法国吉伦特省与大火搏斗
75 名消防员受伤，至少两人死亡
法国有 162 人因涉嫌纵火被逮捕
昨日，法国总统 埃马纽埃尔·马克龙 召集内阁举行危机会议，讨论如何应对火灾。此前他在周末向全国保证，政府将向民众提供“所需之久”的支持。
马克龙先生敦促消防队伍“保持坚强”，并警告称这场战斗将需要时间，但他誓言：“我们将共同赢得这场战斗。”
“我们正面临一场完全前所未有的火灾，”马克龙先生说道，他将此次局势描述为法国自第二次世界大战以来最严重的与火灾相关的危机。
他赞扬了在烈火连续数日蔓延后成功阻止火势进一步扩张的消防团队。但由于林区仍有余烬在阴燃，他警告说战斗尚未获胜。他说：“接下来的几周将很艰难。”
法国总理 塞巴斯蒂安·勒科尔尼 表示，该国正经历一个“前所未有的火灾季”，过火面积已经超过了此前记录最高的 2022. 年。欧盟的欧洲森林火灾信息系统估计，自今年 1 月以来，法国和西班牙因山火烧毁的面积已超过 300,000 公顷。
在这些极端火灾发生之前，西欧地区经历了一系列酷热的浪潮，本月早些时候报告的最高气温达到了 45 摄氏度。
吉伦特省阿雷斯山火期间浓烟升起 (Reuters)
法国国家气象局 (Météo-France) 警告称，下一波热浪将于今日笼罩全国，且明天气温将继续上升，极端高温将在该国西部大部分地区达到顶峰。
住在波尔多附近的 Emmanuel Cerisier 告诉《独立报》，人们在猜测自己是否需要撤离，因此普遍感到一种强烈的“紧张和焦虑”。
“在过去的两三天里，我们经历了浓雾和灰烬云，几乎随时都能闻到那个味道，”Cerisier 先生说道，他与妻子以及 18 岁和 16 岁的两个女儿住在一起。
“即使在波尔多市中心，当风力增强时，灰烬云也会让天空变暗。在这里很容易发现火势何时开始，且这种情况可能会持续几个小时。
“市中心的老年人们戴着口罩，所以如果你去市中心，会让你想起 Covid era。”
“当你身处那些灰烬云中时，喉咙里能感觉到被烧灼的灰烬味。当风向我们这边吹时，我的孩子和妻子都不想出门。”
一架飞机在马德里以西约 40 英里的圣马丁-德-瓦尔代格列加斯附近的一场山火上空投放灭火水（AFP/Getty）
当局警告称，部分火势已变得如此之大，以至于产生了自己的罕见天气系统，引发了雷暴和强风。
“这团烟云产生了自身的天气系统，导致其路径上的任何物体自燃。这在法国是前所未有的，”法国国家消防员联合会发言人埃里克·布罗卡迪（Eric Brocardi）表示。这种“火云”现象通常在火山爆发期间出现，并能产生自身的风和闪电。
由于空气质量低下，游客也被建议远离该地区。昨天，波尔多机场酒店区已被疏散，直至另行通知，尽管机场本身仍维持运营。
机场在昨晚的一份声明中表示，关闭其紧邻区域所有酒店的决定是根据吉伦特省政府的要求做出的。
虽然航班仍在运行，但机场表示，机场本身无法提供任何住宿，而
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而且酒店也没说什么”
詹姆斯·C·雷诺兹（James C. Reynolds）在波尔多采访刚从盖特威克机场抵达的旅客
志愿者消防员已出动协助扑救 Le Porge 等地区的火灾，那里整个房屋被焚毁（AFP/Getty）
周一抵达波尔多的英国旅客顶着烟雾前行，一场“前所未有”的山火继续席卷法国西南部，迫使超过 200,000 人撤离。
从伦敦盖特威克抵达的史蒂夫·布雷（Steve Bray）告诉《独立报》，他和伴侣劳拉·斯莱德（Laura Slade）计划在市中心停留几个晚上，然后前往南部参加一场婚礼。
“我们的政府什么也没说，法国政府什么也没说，航班也没说什么，酒店也没说什么，”他说道。
“一切都好。完全没有被吓跑，”他说道，并补充道：“总的来说，没什么好抱怨的。我们在度假，所以明天不用工作！”
昨天下午从盖特威克飞往波尔多的英国航空航班由于火灾在停机坪上停留了近三个小时，等待降落许可信号。
据当地官员称，已有 80 名消防员在扑救火灾中受伤（AFP/Getty）
在几乎满员的航班上，耐心的工作人员向乘客分发了水和零食。同样在该地区度假几天的维科·帕里安（Vicko Parian）表示：“我们对（火灾）有点紧张，但酒店已经预订且无法退款，所以我们认为……如果情况最糟糕，我们总可以坐火车去巴黎，然后乘坐欧洲之星。”
从卢顿抵达的詹姆斯·马西普（James Massip）表示，他在起飞前等待了大约半小时。“我就住在那里，所以我认识几个人，所以说实话，我一直在关注新闻，”他说道。
住在波尔多北部的朱利安·迪若尔（Julien Dijols）表示，他昨天傍晚从英国度假归来。他表示自己住在远离山火的地方，个人“并不真正担心”火灾。他说他们检查了航班，以确保能够回家。
昨晚波尔多机场的空气中弥漫着烟味，一家酒店向房客提供水和口罩。
英国外交部目前建议在受影响地区或计划前往该地区的人员，“时刻遵守当地当局和应急服务的指示及更新”。
活跃的山火继续在法国西南部蔓延，摧毁房屋并迫使数千人撤离（AFP/Getty）
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自上周大西洋沿岸爆发前所未有的火灾以来，包括游客和居民在内的超过 220,000 人已从波尔多附近地区撤离。
法国内政部长洛朗·努涅斯（Laurent Nuñez）表示，火势在夜间没有扩大，但危险尚未消除。
“火势尚未得到控制。我绝对不想让人们觉得很安心，这不是我的意图。我们必须保持高度专注和坚定决心，”他说道。
努涅斯先生表示，火灾已经烧毁了 40,000 公顷的土地——几乎是 2022 年吉龙德省（Gironde）森林火灾过火面积的两倍。
波尔多居民马蒂尔德·索韦罗什（Mathilde Sauveroche）告诉《独立报》，这场火灾让她想起了四年前的情景，直到她意识到现在的情况要糟糕得多。
“周五，我们在波尔多开始闻到烟味。到周五晚上，空气已经无法呼吸：喉咙发痒，眼睛刺痛，”她说道。
“周五在塞农（Cenon），距离我家几个街区的一个轮胎店被烧毁了，所以味道极其糟糕。”
她描述了自己在周末与丈夫一起逃离城市寻找新鲜空气，随后本周返回到一家日托中心工作的情况。
“回程的路像末日一样，”她说。“我们在蓝天之下出发，然后穿过了一片巨大的橙灰色云团。我们储备了 FFP2 口罩以便能够正常呼吸。波尔多被这些覆盖了。”
“我们会和孩子们谈论火灾，让他们知道发生了什么。他们能感觉到普遍的恐慌，”她说道，并补充说，他们现在请求家庭在可能的情况下捐赠婴儿用品。
法国总统 埃马纽埃尔·马克龙 与内政部长洛朗·努涅斯（左），昨日在波尔多（路透社）
“现在发生的一切在很多年前就被科学家预言了，但我们的政治家对此不屑一顾。随着明年法国总统大选的到来，让人们意识到这件事对公民生活产生的影响就变得更加重要。”
昨日气温下降至 32°C，为消防员尝试控制火势提供了一个短暂的窗口期。法国国家气象局警告说，随着热浪回归，本周晚些时候气温可能会升至 37°C。
据当地官员称，已有 80 名消防员在扑救火灾中受伤。火灾还导致整个 费雷特角 半岛以及波尔多郊外的几个地区被迫撤离。
法国经济部长罗兰·莱斯库尔（Roland Lescure）昨日告诉记者，到目前为止，已有超过 13,000 家企业因森林火灾不得不撤离办公场所。
《独立报》已联系英国航空寻求评论
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Millie Cooke 政治记者
工党领袖安迪·伯纳姆此前表示他支持英国重新加入欧盟（PA）
一名政府部长未能排除在工党下一份宣言中加入重新加入欧盟承诺的可能性，这表明安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）可能会在下一届议会中尝试撤销脱欧。
欧洲关系部长哈米什·法尔科纳（Hamish Falconer）坚称，政府“今天没有讨论重新加入的问题”，但补充道：“我们在下一份宣言中将怎么做，将是工党需要面对的问题。”
伯纳姆先生此前表示他支持英国重新加入欧盟，但随后澄清他不会尝试重新加入，理由是如果国家“陷入不断的争论”，将会陷入“永久的僵局”。
在被问及继基尔·斯塔默爵士（Sir Keir Starmer）启动关系“重启”之后，首相将如何处理英国与欧盟的关系时，法尔科纳先生（Mr Falconer）告诉天空新闻（Sky News）：“前任首相在帮助重启关系方面做了非常重要的工作，我希望巩固其中的部分工作。但我们也需要看看如何能进一步推进。
“甚至自我们开始这些对话以来，世界已经发生了相当剧烈的变化。威胁也发生了相当剧烈的变化——既是指东欧的一些威胁，但显然也存在经济安全威胁以及虚假信息威胁。”
哈米什·法尔科纳（Hamish Falconer）暗示伯纳姆（Burnham）可能会在下一份竞选宣言中加入重新加入欧盟的承诺 (PA)
在被问及是否同意前工党党魁尼尔·金诺克（Neil Kinnock）的呼吁（金诺克在最近接受《独立报》采访时呼吁英国重新加入欧盟）时，法尔科纳先生表示：“听着，关于下一份竞选宣言的问题尚未敲定，但我认为首相的表态已经非常明确，且我在这一点上与他持有相同观点——我们在 10, 年前进行了这次投票。那是国家的意愿。也是我所在选区的意愿。我们不会对此倒退。”
在被问及是否能排除重新讨论脱欧问题的可能性时，他表示：“我们今天不讨论重新加入的问题。我们在下一份竞选宣言中怎么做，也将是一个工党内部的问题。”
本月早些时候，金诺克勋爵（Lord Kinnock）告诉《独立报》，重新加入欧盟是英国“唯一爱国的做法”。
他认为，任何真正热爱英国的人都应该支持重新加入该组织——而且起码应该为了“孩子们”而这么做。
金诺克勋爵在给伯纳姆先生的一封措辞严厉的信息中，还敦促他不要像基尔爵士那样，被工党在欧洲问题上所谓的“红线”所束缚，这些红线排除了重新加入海关同盟和单一市场，或允许劳动力自由流动。
亲欧盟竞选组织“欧洲运动”（European Movement）主席迈克·加尔斯沃西（Mike Galsworthy）表示，法尔科纳先生的言论展示了“完全正确的方法”。
他告诉《独立报》：“一个寻求新议会的工党政府绝对必须在竞选宣言中提供某些内容——而承诺开启全面成员国的加入谈判是一个无需多虑的选择。”
“此外，如果自由民主党、绿党、威尔士党等其他政党也这样做——那么你可能会在下一次大选中看到，大多数选民投票给那些承诺开启加入谈判的政党，从而赋予政府一个非常强有力的授权，同时也向欧盟发出一个明确信号，即这个国家是认真地想要回归团队。
“这就是我们英国欧洲运动组织正在推动的目标。”
与此同时，致力于推动英国重新融入欧盟的“最利英国”（Best for Britain）首席执行官娜奥米·史密斯（Naomi Smith）表示：“在过去的十年里，世界发生了迅速且显著的变化，”
“正如部长所强调的，选民们已经做出了回应——我们的民意调查一致发现，现在大多数人支持英国重新加入欧盟，尤其是那些准备在下次选举中投票给工党的人。
“从国防安全到气候变化和人工智能，共同面临的挑战只能与我们最亲密的盟友和朋友共同应对——而随着新首相承诺确保每个邮政区实现增长，分布在全国各地的 £92bn GDP 增长所带来的再分配收益，无论在经济上还是政治上，都绝对不容忽视。”
但自由民主党欧洲事务发言人阿尔·平克顿（Al Pinkerton）指责政府在欧洲问题上“仍在原地打转”，并补充道：“当部长们在竞选宣言承诺面前小心翼翼，并在 10 号唐宁街争权夺利时，英国企业、农民和年轻人每天都在为保守党破产的脱欧协议支付代价。公众已经厌倦了这种模棱两可的态度和关于可能发生什么的含糊暗示。我们现在需要大胆的行动。”
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David Maddox 政治编辑
首相希望教育部门在学术目标与为儿童提供实践机会之间取得平衡 (AFP/Getty)
安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham) 即将揭晓 15 年来最大规模的教育改革，旨在终结一个优先考虑让儿童准备进入大学而牺牲技术培训的体系。
首相将宣布这些变更，将其作为一项新驱动计划的一部分，旨在解决“迷失的一代”问题，目前有 1 million 名年轻人处于失业状态或被困在教育体系之外。
此前，他在向 BBC 的劳拉·昆斯伯格 (Laura Kuenssberg) 透露，他计划通过将领取福利与寻找工作挂钩（特别是与焦虑和压力等心理健康问题相关的福利）来降低社会福利支出。
然而，将“安全帽视为与毕业帽同等重要”的举措，是与前工党首相托尼·布莱尔爵士 (Sir Tony Blair) 遗产的另一次决裂。在布莱尔的遗产影响下，职业资格被降级，以追求让 50 per cent 的离校学生进入大学。
在宣布之前，伯纳姆先生表示：“在这个国家，长期以来学生们被告知，必须走学术道路才能获得成功并赢得尊重。整个学校体系都是围绕这一点建立的，这让寻求技术资格的年轻人失望了。”
“我想要一个基于学术与技术平等原则的教育体系，为所有年轻人提供清晰的人生路径。从今天起，英国将像重视毕业帽一样重视安全帽。”
他补充道：“解决英国的青年失业危机需要对我们的运作方式进行重大调整——而这正是本政府将要做的。我希望确保我们的教育体系不给年轻人留下任何死胡同。我们今天宣布的变革仅仅是我们恢复全国机会与希望工作的开始。”
这代表了自 2011 年迈克尔·戈夫 (Michael Gove) 推行学校学院 (school academies) 和自由学校 (free school) 改革以来教育领域最大的转型。
但此时重点转向职业资格，正值毕业生因支付学费而承受巨额债务，且许多人难以找到工作的时刻。
新的顶尖技术路径将为 14 岁的人提供提前接触技术技能、工作经验以及与当地雇主建立联系的机会。
伯纳姆先生认为，这些变革的资金将来自现有的 £570m 投资，用于在全国范围内创建额外的学院名额，以及更广泛的教育部（Department for...）
首相已明确表示，他决定将技术教育与传统的学术道路置于同等地位，并确保从教育体系走出的年轻人“没有死胡同”。
这意味着要提供高质量的技术教育路径，使其受到学生、家长和雇主的重视与尊重。在直接给学生的信息中，他将表示：“无论你选择建筑、编程还是古典文学，你都将获得所需的技能并得到应有的尊重”。
根据计划，从 14 岁（Year 10）起，学生将有机会将核心学术科目（包括英语、数学和科学）与与当地就业机会挂钩的技术教育相结合。他们将能够与雇主共处并获得现实世界的经验。
伯纳姆先生认为，他将在其担任曼彻斯特市长期间所倡导的举措（如 MBacc，即大曼彻斯特高中毕业证书）基础上进行构建。新的技术路径将意味着年轻人可以培养在工程、医疗保健和数字技术等领域进步所需的技术知识和技能，使他们具备当地雇主所需的特定知识和能力。
前卫生大臣艾伦·米尔本（Alan Milburn）于5月下旬就其中期报告《年轻人与工作》接受媒体采访（PA）
作为其权力下放计划的一部分，地区市长、地方领导者、学校、学院和雇主将共同协作，塑造新的技术教育路径，这些路径可根据当地产业和增长部门进行量身定制。
首相将承诺，政府将优先为高质量技术教育和进入职场的实践路径提供资金。政府还将改变衡量学校表现的方式。督学员将认可那些提供高质量技术教育，并支持年轻人培养雇主所需要的技能、经验和信心的学校。
在此之前，前工党内阁部长艾伦·米尔本的中期报告警告称，英国面临着出现“失落的一代”的风险，目前有超过一百万名 16 至 24 岁的年轻人不在学业、就业或培训状态中。
他的研究结果描绘了一个严峻的局面：该体系过于频繁地导致年轻人离开学校时，并不具备进入职场所需的技能、经验或人脉。
米尔本先生表示：“首相今天宣布的变革非常受欢迎。这是朝着正确方向迈出的一大步，且与我的审查结果一致。健康、福利和劳动力市场政策以及教育和技能领域都需要进行整个系统的重启。”
此举也受到了商业领袖和工会的欢迎。Small Business Britain 首席执行官米歇尔·欧文斯（Michelle Ovens）表示：“这是让年轻人为未来做好准备的一大步，在不断变化的工作世界中，商业技能和创业精神需要成为核心内容。”
TUC 总书记保罗·诺瓦克（Paul Nowak）表示：“将技术教育与学术研究置于同等地位，使我们更接近国际技能标准。”
但保守党教育影子大臣劳拉·特罗特（Laura Trott）表示：“今天的公告远不足以消除工党已经对就业市场造成的破坏。”
“工党的政策正将青年失业率推向历史新高。他们使得雇佣年轻人的成本过高，并利用其‘就业税’和雇主繁文缛节破坏就业岗位。当年轻人申请救济金比找工作更容易时，青年失业率飙升也就不足为奇了。”
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大卫·马多克斯（David Maddox）
工党似乎从“安迪·伯纳姆效应”中获益，同时绿党的支持率有所下降（PA Wire）
受安迪·伯纳姆出任首相首周势头的影响，工党在民调中首次超越英国改革党，这是一年多来首次出现这种情况。
根据民调机构 More in Common 的一项调查，工党目前以 28 比例领先，上升了四个百分点；而奈杰尔·法拉奇领导的改革党则下降两个百分点，至 24 比例。
这是自 2025 年 3 月以来工党首次处于领先地位，改革党排名第二，保守党紧随其后，以 22 比例排名第三。
More in Common 的英国负责人 Luke Tryl 表示：“他就任仅一周，但显然势头在首相这一边。在经历了一周密集的高调政策宣布和媒体亮相后，工党在我们的周度民意调查中大幅上升。”
“虽然必须说明这仅仅是一次民意调查，但工党目前首次在去年 3 月以来处于领先地位，并持有了自 2024 年本届政府成立初期以来最高的得票份额。与此同时，英国改革党和绿党的得票份额均跌至数月来的最低点，看来早期对生活成本的关注吸引了工党在左翼和右翼都失去的选民。”
这一调查结果出炉前一周，伯纳姆先生正式接替 Sir Keir Starmer 出任首相；后者在工党议员对其击败法拉奇先生的能力失去信心后被迫下台。
更重要的是，民意调查显示，如果现在举行大选，工党将获得 325 个席位，减少 86 个，这将使其拥有一个非常狭小的执政多数席位。
保守党将以 124 个席位排名第二，而英国改革党将以 88 个席位排名第三。
在接受 BBC 记者 Laura Kuenssberg 采访时，伯纳姆先生已否认了提前举行大选的建议。
他表示：“不会有提前大选，我想告诉你的是，你刚才提到的 20 多——多少百万人投票支持了一份宣言，我们处于议会民主制中，所以那就是人们投票选择的结果。”
尽管伯纳姆先生因避开新闻发布会和审查而受到批评，但他试图通过社交媒体短片向选民“猛烈示好”的尝试似乎已获得初步回报。
与此同时，法拉奇先生陷入危机，原因是人们对他未申报的一笔来自加密货币亿万富翁 Christopher Harborne 的 £5m 捐款以及他与被定罪的洗钱者 George Cottrell 的关联提出质疑。
这位英国改革党领导人也成了笑柄，他在自己的选区强制举行补选，而主要政党均抵制此次选举；他将面对 33 名次要候选人，其中主要竞争对手是喜剧候选人 Count Binface。
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T
为什么关于撤销脱欧的讨论再次出现？Sean O'Grady 为您解答
欧洲关系部长 Hamish Falconer 暗示了关于脱欧的情况 (PA Wire)
新任欧洲关系部长 Hamish Falconer 释放了一些强烈的信号，暗示工党在下次选举的宣言中，在推动英国重返欧盟方面的立场可能会比 2024 年更加激进。
法尔科纳（Falconer）说了什么？
在回答天空新闻（Sky News）索菲·里奇（Sophie Ridge）的提问时，法尔科纳说了一句乍一看似乎只是陈词滥调的话：“我们在下一份政纲中将怎么做，将是工党需要考虑的问题”。但语境决定一切——“拒绝将其排除在外”才是关键。这表明，与谨慎的斯塔默（Starmer）era. 相比，目前的做法更加大胆，锋芒更加犀利。
他甚至提出了一个初步的亲欧盟论点。法尔科纳在指出英国脱欧已经失败这一常规观点之上的基础上，认为大环境已经发生了变化：“自 2016. 年以来，世界已经改变。我们需要确保我们与欧洲的关系也随之改变。欧洲和英国都面临着真正的挑战。”
伯纳姆在说什么？
自从进入 10, 号街以来，他没有提出任何新观点，而且他现在还不想公开讨论这个问题，但在梅克菲尔德（Makerfield）补选期间，他确实评论说自己支持重新加入。随后他稍作退让：“我的观点是，脱欧造成了破坏，但我也认为，我们现在最不需要做的就是重新翻炒那些争论。” 这一点有点自相矛盾。
英国可能在什么条件下重新加入欧盟？
选项是无穷的，只不过 2016 年时存在的那种完全相同且极其有利的一系列特殊安排将不再可用。加入欧盟单一市场和/或关税同盟是初步选项，而非直接获得全额会员资格。通过规则的“动态对齐”，将目前事实上对单一市场的部分会员身份扩展到经济的其他部门是另一种可能性，尽管欧盟不喜欢这种复杂性（瑞士是唯一一个寻求运行这种令人烦恼体制的国家）。
欧盟脱欧谈判代表米歇尔·巴尼尔（Michel Barnier）建议，英国可以重新加入并获得在欧元区和申根自由移动区的豁免权——但预算贡献、主权共享、渔业和工业保护必须包含在内。至关重要的一点是，英国肯定必须接受劳动力自由流动，而移民问题正是十年前促使人们投票支持“脱离”的主要驱动因素。
是否还有其他负面影响？
可以认为，双向的自由流动是一个负面影响。更确定的是，与印度、澳大利亚、日本以及美国（尽管目前很脆弱）新签署的自由贸易协定将不得不终止。英国还必须加强对伦敦金融城和人工智能（AI）的监管，这可能会导致竞争力的丧失。
我们是否必须再次举行全民公投？
不需要。法尔科纳提到预期中的 2028-29 年工党政纲，这一点可能意义重大，这表明也许一次选举授权就足以启动该进程。
从宪法角度来看，无需进行任何全民投票。英国是在 1972 年基于 1970 年的政纲加入当时的欧洲共同体的，而当时的保守党政府正是凭借该政纲赢得了大选。当时甚至没有承诺一定要加入。
脱欧公投后时期的教训是，只有像 2019 年 12 月“完成脱欧”（Get Brexit Done）那样的大选才能解决问题；2016 年的投票本身并不足以通过必要的立法。
一方面，一份原则上以最佳条件重新加入的政纲承诺，可能意味着对于如此重大变革的授权不足——例如，如果工党在 60% 的投票率下获得 30% 的选票，这意味着仅有 18% 的选民支持。但如果加上所有其他亲欧盟政党的选票和下议院席位，这一授权将显得实质得多：工党加上自由民主党、绿党、苏格兰民族党（SNP）、威尔士党（Plaid Cymru），以及部分
真正的问题是，无论过程如何，这个国家是否能够面对更多基于欧洲的创伤。
这需要多长时间？
考虑到脱欧条约下法律的持续重叠，需要几年时间。这将是一个艰苦的过程。
他们真的会想要我们回去吗？
这是一个英国人极少问的问题。来自欧洲的措辞是温情的，但现实是，一个每隔十年或二十年就进出一次的成员国，对于布鲁塞尔来说是一个没有吸引力的，事实上是不可行的前景。只有在英国公众舆论出现明显且压倒性转变的证据时，重新加入才会作为重新谈判的安全基础而被考虑。
当支持重新加入的比例接近 70 per cent 时，事情才有可能推进；另一个 52/48 决定将是灾难性的。
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Holly Evans
罗伯特·布什在进入法庭的途中向记者道歉 (PA)
被给错了骨灰且死者亲人被一名殡仪馆负责人保留数月的家庭表示，对他地道歉感到“震惊”。
罗伯特·布什，48, 岁，在将 31 人的遗体（包括一名死胎）保留在他在赫尔（Hull）的场地后，即将被判刑。一项调查在 Legacy Independent Funeral Directors 发现了 100 套骨灰，其中一些盒子贴有姓名标签和信件。
布什戴着面罩抵达法庭，向受影响的家庭道歉，并告诉 BBC 记者：“我很抱歉，是的。”
人们在布什判刑前在赫尔刑事法院外示威 (PA)
然而，他的道歉并未得到受影响家庭的认可，他们表示，他对记者道歉而没有向他们道歉，这让他们感到“震惊”。
赫尔刑事法院获悉，布什以“几乎是工业规模”的方式虐待了数百个家庭，其犯罪行为影响了“无论老少的所有人”。
在 2024, 3 月，警方收到一名能够进入该场地的人员联系，对该企业的“死者护理”表示担忧后，布什被逮捕。
曾在 Legacy 担任临时雇员并发现此事的帕特里克·摩尔将该场所描述为“像是恐怖电影里的场景”。
警员发现了 31 具本应在数月前火化的遗体，半吨人体骨灰，以及一个袋子里的一个人类胎儿。
殡仪馆负责人布什在警方收到表达担忧的报告后被逮捕 (汉伯赛德警方)
警方发现，在 Legacy 发现的许多死者的家属此前已经收到了布什交给他们的骨灰，这揭露了他将错误的骨灰交给悲痛亲属的普遍做法。
在她的受害者影响陈述中，凯伦·金表示，在父亲去世后，她发现自己颈部的吊坠里佩戴的是“某个陌生人的骨灰”，这让她感到“被侵犯”。她还因为布什“照顾”她的父亲而送了他一瓶波特酒，而在发现他的行为后，她导致了“情绪崩溃”。
布什的罪行总共涉及 254 名受害者，所有指控的时间跨度为 2012 年 5 月至 6 March 2024 之间。
调查人员还了解到，布什在殡葬计划方面实施了欺诈贸易，他收取计划费用，但没有将任何资金转交给在需要举行葬礼时持有这些资金的金融机构。
戈布特先生（Mr Gorbutt）在遗体安置所 Legacy 发现了妻子苏珊（Susan）的遗体，他表示： “那些对这次令人发指的背信行为负责的人，似乎在从事一个——希望是曾经——完全没有监管的行业。谁知道那是这种情况？我肯定不知道。很难想象一个人卖汉堡需要的许可证竟然比处理死者还要多。”
今年 4 月，布什（Bush）承认了 30 项妨碍合法且体面安葬的罪名，以及从包括救世军（Salvation Army）和麦克米伦癌症支持中心（Macmillan Cancer Support）在内的 12 家慈善机构盗窃的罪名。
他此前已经承认了 30 项与在现场发现的遗体相关的虚假陈述欺诈罪名，以及四项关于“胎儿”的欺诈指控，他在这些指控中向女性出示骨灰并谎称那是“她们未出生孩子的遗骸”。
布什还承认了另一项欺诈指控，涉及 2017 到 2024 期间 57 人的骨灰，以及一项关于 2012 到 2024 期间葬礼计划的欺诈交易罪名。
赫尔刑事法院（Hull Crown Court）的量刑审理预计将持续五天，预计将听取 100 多名受害者的证词。布什原居于东约克郡的柯克埃拉（Kirk Ella），现居于西约克郡的奥特利（Otley），目前处于有条件保释状态。
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霍莉·班克罗夫特（Holly Bancroft） 内政事务记者
来自苏丹、阿富汗和喀麦隆的潜在女性学生对内政部发起了法律挑战（Joe Giddens/PA Wire）
高等法院获悉，在内政部对四个国家的国民实施全面签证禁令后，一些“模范”国际学生在英国就读大学的希望“在极短时间内被破灭”。
七名来自苏丹、阿富汗和喀麦隆的潜在女性学生，针对内政大臣 3 月份停止向这些国家以及缅甸人员发放留学签证的决定提出了法律挑战。
苏丹原告之一的法拉博士（Dr Farah）获得了牛津大学应用数字健康硕士学位的录取通知书，并计划在学成后返回苏丹，在当地获得行医资质。
另一位阿里女士（Ms Ali）获得了伦敦大学学院女性健康硕士学位的录取通知书，她希望在性与生殖健康领域发展专业知识，以便防止苏丹境内出现女性生殖器切割的行为。
第三位拉德女士（Ms Raad）志在重建苏丹的医疗体系，并将其职业重心放在在冲突地区重建医疗服务上。她也获得了牛津大学硕士学位的录取通知书。
代表苏丹原告的御前律师蒂姆·布莱（Tim Buley KC）告诉斯泰恩法官（Mrs Justice Steyn），她们是“做出了重大牺牲的模范学生”，并补充道：“她们的期待和希望在极短时间内被破灭。她们具有公共精神，希望追求能够造福他人及自身的学习路径。没有任何理由认为她们在获得签证后会寻求申请庇护或试图留在英国。”
布莱先生表示，如果法院做出有利于原告的裁决，拉德女士仍有可能在今年晚些时候开始课程，因为牛津大学已同意将录取有效期保留至 31 August。
法庭获悉，内政大臣禁止苏丹、阿富汗、喀麦隆和缅甸签证的决定是基于“一个随意计算的数字”，而该数字“与学生签证持有者申请庇护的实际比例毫无关系”。
沙巴娜·马哈穆德认为，针对签证相关庇护申请的增加，需要采取果断行动（AFP/Getty）
内政部将每年发放的学生签证与同年内的签证相关庇护申请进行了对比，但未考虑到许多人在申请庇护前会等待几年，而不是在抵达英国学习的第一年就这样做。申请人认为，这些统计数据“因此是在将苹果与橘子进行比较”（指对比对象不具有可比性）。
布莱先生告诉法庭，来自某些国家的学生在特定年份申请庇护的原因各不相同，例如国内发生的一波迫害或内战爆发。布莱先生表示，这些原因“不能预测未来，也不能预示明年将发生的人数或模式，因为它们会由于潜在的国家情况而因各种原因而有所变化”。
因此，他主张，将这四个国家的国民选定为签证“滥用”的实施者是错误的。
在其他申请人中，两名阿富汗学生之一的萨达特女士已获得萨塞克斯大学和布拉德福德大学攻读人工智能硕士学位的无条件录取通知书，另一名学生则希望在曼彻斯特学习土木工程。
喀麦隆申请人福克瓦女士拥有来自牛津大学和伦敦国王学院的两个博士录取通知书，一直在学习和平建设与冲突转型。苏丹申请人哈利法女士分别获得了在布里斯托和格拉斯哥攻读医疗与公共卫生人工智能硕士学位的录取通知书。
代表这四名申请人的大律师拉扎·侯赛因在提交给法庭的书面陈述中表示，签证限制是对这些女性的“沉重打击”，“她们在寻求赴英学习之前，都面临并克服了教育上的严重障碍”。
内政部辩称，内政大臣需要采取行动，因为在过去十年中，申请庇护的人数急剧增加，其中包括签证持有者的庇护申请。
政府在提交的材料中称，在截至 2025, 9 月的一年里，签证持有者的庇护申请达到了 41,000 起，并补充道：“这些数字表明，签证相关庇护申请现象的规模与小船抵达现象相似，甚至更大”。
内政部表示，学生占签证相关庇护申请的 47 %。
内政大臣认为，当法律签证被用作“在英国申请庇护的途径”时，“公众信心面临被削弱的风险”。
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亚当·怀特
电视明星兼环保主义者比尔·奥迪在 2003 年获得 OBE 勋章时（PA）
自然主义者兼喜剧演员比尔·奥迪于 85. 岁时去世。这位电视明星在 20 世纪 70 年代作为喜剧三人组《好伙计》（The Goodies）的一员（与蒂姆·布鲁克-泰勒和格雷厄姆·加登共同演出）而名声大噪，他于周六去世。
随后，他为 BBC 主持了多档野生动物节目，包括《与比尔·奥迪一起观鸟》、《比尔·奥迪走进荒野》、《春季观察》和《秋季观察》。
他的朋友兼经纪人大卫·福斯特在一份声明中表示：“我深切悲痛地宣布比尔·奥迪的去世，他是该国最受喜爱的观鸟者。”
“然而，他从未看重名声。相反，他鼓励我们尊重并保护环境。
“他教会了我们自然的奇妙。他为此抗议、游说并开展活动。他以身作则，各年龄段、各种背景的人都响应了他的号召。他对自然保护所做出的如此巨大的贡献将永远不会被忘记。
左起：Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie 和 Tim Brooke-Taylor，1975年 (PA)
“作为 Bill 的经纪人，我近距离见证了他的聪明才智与幽默。他是我的朋友，多年来能代表他是我的荣幸和特权。我会非常想念他的。
“我的思念与爱献给 Bill 的妻子 Laura，以及他的女儿们 Bonnie, Kate 和 Rosie，她们要求在此时期不要被外界打扰。请尊重她们的意愿。”
Oddie 从在伯明翰的童年时期起就是一名观鸟者，是一位受人尊敬的鸟类学家。他曾任英国皇家鸟类保护学会 (RSPB)、野生水禽与湿地信托基金会以及世界自然基金会的理事会成员。他还曾任诺森伯兰野生动物信托基金会主席。
Oddie 在 2017 年承认，他从未打算在娱乐业发展事业。“我认为，如果年轻时的我知道生活会变成这样，他一定会感到惊讶，”他告诉《电报》报社。“如果你在学校快结束时问我的朋友们，他们认为我最终会成为什么，他们可能会加入一些演艺圈的元素，因为我写歌曲和综艺节目之类的东西。但我从未在任何一秒钟将其视为工作。”
The Goodies，1975年 (Getty)
他的喜剧生涯始于剑桥脚灯剧团 (Cambridge Footlights)，当时他开始为包括《这就是那一周》(That Was the Week That Was) 在内的节目撰写剧本。随后，他参与编写并出演了众多节目，包括《对不起，我会再读一遍》(I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again)，其中包含了许多他的喜剧歌曲。
他最初是通过与 Graeme Garden 和 Tim Brooke-Taylor（于 2020 年去世）共同加入 The Goodies 组合而成名，该三人组在英国国内以及澳大利亚和新西兰等国外国家都成为了家喻户晓的人物，而他们同名
的电视喜剧节目在鼎盛时期吸引了数百万观众。他的歌曲带领 The Goodies 获得了多次主流榜单热曲，最著名的是《The Funky Gibbon》，该曲在 1975. 年登上了英国排行榜第四名。三人组在《流行榜》(Top of the Pops) 上表演了这首歌；四年后，该曲重新发行，其利润被捐给了一项保护灵长类动物栖息地的活动。
“ 70 年代中期简直荒唐，”Oddie 在 2018 年告诉《广播时报》(Radio Times)。“热门唱片，软装订和硬装订的图书进入前 10 名。尤其是对我来说，我对人群的感觉有点精神分裂。被崇拜的感觉相当不错，但有时会感到太幽闭恐惧。在曼彻斯特 Arndale 中心的人群规模太大了，以至于警察停止了活动！”
在将注意力转向自然节目之前，他继续与 The Goodies 的队友在包括《香蕉人》(Bananaman) 在内的节目中合作。观鸟一直是 Oddie 的热情所在，每当不工作时，他都会抽出时间探索自然。“我当时在做一些零碎的工作，有个记者发现了我的爱好，写了一篇小文章，幸运的是，事情就这样升级了，”他在 2012 年告诉《Varsity》。
Bill Oddie，此照片拍摄于 2015, 年，他在 2009 年被诊断出患有双相情感障碍 (Getty)
除了音乐和自然节目呈现之外，Oddie 对自己终身与抑郁症抗争的经历十分坦诚。他在 2009, 年被正式诊断为双相情感障碍，而就在 2008. 年不久前，他被从《春季观察》(Springwatch) 节目中除名。BBC 表示，Oddie 在节目中被替换是因为他的“健康问题”，但 Oddie 本人表示，关于他的离职，他收到的是一份“含糊其辞的声明”。他将那段时间描述为他人生中最糟糕的时期，并承认自己曾两次尝试自杀，且接受住院治疗一年多。
Oddie 后来推测，他的母亲可能也患有双相情感障碍，但在她生前未被诊断出来。由于精神疾病，Oddie 童年时期的大部分时间都在医院进出。他在 2015 年告诉《卫报》：“在我蹒跚学步时，我母亲的精神健康状况恶化了。她可能患有产后抑郁症，而在那个时代，治疗方法是将病人锁起来并进行电抽搐治疗。”他继续说道：“很明显，我继承了同样的基因缺陷。当有人向我暗示她可能患有双相情感障碍时，我的脑海中响起了无数警钟，因为我也在走同样的道路。”
Oddie 将他妻子 Laura 在他抑郁最严重时期给予的支持归功于她。“一定有那么一些时刻，她会疑惑自己做了什么才要承受这一切，”他告诉《卫报》。“自助书籍往往关注患者，但承受最艰辛时期通常是伴侣。我非常感激她一直支持我。”
Oddie 留下了他的妻子 Laura 以及三个女儿——与 Laura 婚姻所生的 Rosie，以及与第一任妻子（爵士音乐家 Jean Hart）所生的 Kate 和 Bonnie。
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Carsen Holaday 在纽约报道
Carly Simon 将于下月发行她 18 年来首张原创专辑 (Getty Images)
Carly Simon 透露她被诊断出患有帕金森病和皮肤癌。这位 83, 岁的美国歌手已淡出公众视野多年，并在昨日一份由《People》杂志率先获取的声明中透露，她的隐私状态部分是由健康并发症引起的。
“有很多人给我写信，亲切地询问我相对沉默的原因，问我近况如何以及在做什么，”Simon 在给《独立报》的一份声明中说道。“事实是，我一直在学习如何与帕金森病共存。”
她继续说道：“我花了一些时间来理解这个诊断，去适应它，并决定在公开场合透露多少。每个人的帕金森病情况都不同，而且它可能
Simon 接着说，她的健康问题最初始于双膝和一只髋关节的关节炎，她解释道：“我最终更换了所有三个关节，用精巧的金属和塑料组件取代了旧关节。在三次更换手术之后，我以为行走困难仅仅是康复过程中一个不幸且颇具讽刺的部分。”
然而，这位演唱过《You’re So Vain》的歌手的行动能力不仅没有改善，反而进一步恶化，她发现从椅子上站起来变得越来越困难，行走也出现问题。随后她接受了评估并被诊断出患有帕金森病，从而促使她开始包括药物在内的治疗。
Simon 表示，帕金森病作为一种进行性脑部疾病，不仅带来了身体症状，还带来了精神症状。
“它会带来焦虑、抑郁、精疲力竭和冷漠，”她解释道。“冷漠感尤其奇怪。你会发现自己像一只在阳光下晒干的海星一样躺在那里，手臂向四面八方伸展，而内心没有任何指令告诉你起身、阅读、观看、写作、唱歌、给某人打电话，或者做任何事情。”
她继续说道：“这是最难解释的事情之一。这不仅仅是悲伤或懒惰。就好像大脑中那个发出‘参与生活’邀请的部分暂时弄丢了宾客名单。”
卡莉·西蒙（Carly Simon）的新专辑将于 14 August 发行（Sally Taylor）
在西蒙接受帕金森病治疗期间，她的脸上还被诊断出患有基底细胞癌，这是一种皮肤癌。
“癌症被切除了，但手术影响了我的外貌，让我更在意在公众面前露面，”她说。“我一直以来对自己外貌的苛刻程度超过任何人的想象 [看看写下《You’re So Vain》这件事是多么讽刺]，而这次经历给我的内心审判者提供了相当多新素材。”
西蒙说：“在行动不便、帕金森病诊断、手术以及这一切带来的情绪影响之下，退出公众视野是最容易接受的反应。如果一个人被允许在冬季和夏季都冬眠，那么我已经成了一只全季候熊。”
然而，她继续说道：“但我没有停止生活，也没有停止工作。”
这位歌手宣布，《Comes in Waves》将于 14 August 发行，这将是她 18 年来的首张原创新专辑。
“我想现在分享这件事，是因为有这么多人表达了真诚的关切。这些关怀让我很感动，即便有时我不知道该如何回应，”西蒙说。“如今我的行动慢了，比以前更依赖他人，并且我已经学会接受每一天都会有些许不同。但我依然在这里。”
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由于新日立列车的故障，乘客们正面临一个充满航班取消的夏天
Rich Booth
新日立列车的故障导致夏季出现大量取消情况（East Midlands Railway）
东米德兰铁路公司（East Midlands Railway, EMR）的总经理已立即离职，此前乘客在伦敦圣潘克拉斯站（London St Pancras）与诺丁汉（Nottingham）之间的服务中面临着整个夏季的班次取消。
EMR 的所有者 Transport UK 表示，自 2020, 年 1 月起担任该职位的威尔·罗杰斯（Will Rogers）即将离职——由 Merseyrail 总经理尼尔·格拉巴姆（Neil Grabham）接任临时替代人选。
罗杰斯先生于 2020, 年 1 月加入 EMR，就在新冠疫情爆发前夕。
在日立铁路（Hitachi Rail）的新 Class 810 车队出现持续的服务可靠性和维护问题，且该问题“严重影响了 EMR 运行稳定城际服务的能力”后，EMR 宣布临时缩减其城际时间表。
从 20 July 起，EMR 城际时间表在米德兰主线（Midland mainline）上的数百趟服务被取消，其中包括每天连接伦敦、谢菲尔德（Sheffield）和诺丁汉的约 20 趟快车。Class 810 车队在延迟三年后于去年引入，旨在实现从现有的 EMR Class 222 车队的平稳过渡。
此外，6 月在贝德福德（Bedford）附近发生的两列 EMR 火车相撞事故也造成了混乱，导致一名司机死亡，许多乘客受伤。
Transport UK 首席执行官多米尼克·布斯（Dominic Booth）表示：“在我们首次获得合同后不久，威尔就接手领导 EMR。他在为客户提供卓越服务方面发挥了关键作用，并体现了 Transport UK 交付至上的心态。在最近几周，威尔在应对贝德福德南部的悲剧事件中也倾尽全力。我要感谢威尔的所有努力，并祝他在未来一切顺利。”
EMR 预计将于明年回归公有制。
Will Rogers 在 6 月贝德福德附近两列 EMR 列车发生致命相撞事故后向媒体发表讲话 (PA)
即将离任的 EMR 董事总经理 Will Rogers 表示：“自 2020 年起领导 EMR 并支持我们的团队度过一个重大变革时期，我深感荣幸。很遗憾要与这家公司以及对我意义非凡的同事们告别。”
“我非常幸运能与如此优秀、敬业且充满关怀的人们共事，我将永远感激我们共同拥有的经历、友谊和回忆。但现在是我退后一步、花更多时间陪伴家人的正确时机，我想感谢大家给予我的支持、友谊，以及让我成为这段旅程的一员。这是一次荣幸。”
Neil Grabham 表示：“我非常高兴能以临时身份回归 EMR，并有机会再次与同事们共事。EMR 在我心中一直占据特殊地位，我亲身了解这家企业内部所存在的奉献精神、专业水准和承诺。我期待与同事们重新建立联系，并在我们继续为客户和社区提供服务时为团队提供支持。”
最后的度假胜地
在阿尔巴尼亚地拉那，一名女性参加反政府游行。此前，当地针对一个由 唐纳德·特朗普 的女婿 Jared Kushner 关联的计划中豪华度假村进行了数周的抗议。路透社
震惊与矿石
中国东部山东省青岛港的进口铁矿石。法新社/盖蒂图片社
水灾
巴基斯坦穆里德克在遭遇强季风降雨后，住宅楼部分被淹。法新社/盖蒂图片社
尊严之位
在针对一次骄傲游行的袭击导致 1 人死亡、29 人受伤后，人们在柏林勃兰登堡门前表达哀悼。法新社/盖蒂图片社
被击中三桩
在特立尼达和多巴哥的布莱恩·拉拉板球学院，巴基斯坦的 Aamir Jamal 将西印度群岛的 Justin Greaves 击除场外。法新社/盖蒂图片社
由于资金问题，著名的洛弗尔旋转太空望远镜的前景堪忧 (PA)
乔德尔银行的资助将于 2028 年结束
在英国研究与创新局 (UK Research and Innovation) 宣布撤回资金后，英国最大望远镜的前景面临风险。洛弗尔望远镜自 1957, 年起屹立在切希尔郡的乔德尔银行，是全球第三大可转向射电望远镜。
该设备的直径为 76.2 米，是 e-Merlin 阵列的一部分，这是一个由曼彻斯特大学运营、分布在全国各地的望远镜网络。
昨日，UKRI 表示，在目前的协议于 2028 年 3 月到期后，e-Merlin 将不再被列为进一步资助的优先项目。曼彻斯特大学的 Sarah Sharples 教授表示，这将使洛弗尔望远镜以及 e-Merlin 望远镜阵列的运行面临风险。
科学与工程学院院长 Sharples 教授表示：“曼彻斯特大学目前正在极其积极地寻求来自政府、工业界、慈善机构以及私人捐赠的替代资金来源。
“但是，如果我们找不到这些替代资金来源，那么到 2028 年 3 月底，洛弗尔望远镜（Lovell Telescope）将面临不再作为无线电天文学活跃科学设施运行的风险。”
英国研究与创新署（UKRI）在一份声明中表示：“科学技术设施委员会（STFC）已经进行了一次严格的优先排序流程，旨在将投资集中在能为英国带来最大长期科学能力、影响力和价值的领域，同时维持一个可持续的 PPAN（粒子物理、天文学和核物理）投资组合。”
英国改革党就 Instagram 标签举报波兰斯基
在英国改革党就绿党党魁扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）在 Instagram 上发布的一张图片进行举报后，警方正对此社交媒体分享的图像“展开调查”。
该图片随后从波兰斯基先生的账号中取消分享，图中一名男子穿着一件黑色 T 恤，上面写着“我们只是在为奈杰尔制定计划”，并配有一幅断头台的图像。
英国改革党党魁奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）在社交媒体上分享了该图片的截图并写道：“这就是扎克·波兰斯基刚刚在他 Instagram 上发布的内容。如果我发布任何如此具有煽动性的内容，我认为自己应该被逮捕，波兰斯基也同样应该如此。”
英国改革党内政发言人 Zia Yusuf 表示，波兰斯基先生是在“煽动谋杀，警方必须将其视为此类行为来处理”。
绿党表示，波兰斯基先生“谴责 T 恤上的图像”，且他在点击接受被标记在一条包含 20 张图片的帖子中时，“没有意识到其中包含比他所看到的更多内容”。
第一部长约翰·斯温尼（John Swinney）表示，伊恩·伍德爵士（Sir Ian Wood）“帮助塑造了现代苏格兰”。来自商业界和政界的追悼之词纷至沓来。伍德家族于昨日上午宣布了伊恩爵士的去世，称他在家中安详离世。他享年 84 岁。
他被描述为“苏格兰商业巨头”，他与阿伯丁及苏格兰东北部的深厚联系得到了许多其他商业领袖的认可。伍德集团（Wood Group）是该地区的主要雇主，而伍德基金会（Wood Foundation）则支持苏格兰和非洲的多个慈善项目。
第一部长表示：“伊恩·伍德爵士是苏格兰最具影响力的商业领袖和慈善家之一，他的远见、决心和慷慨给这个国家以及更广阔的地区留下了持久的印记。”
国王最资深助手将卸任
查尔斯国王最资深的助手克莱夫·奥尔德顿爵士（Sir Clive Alderton）宣布他将于明年卸任。克莱夫爵士是查尔斯国王和卡米拉王后的首席私人秘书。他的辞职将与他明年 5 月的 60 岁生日同步，且在他加入王室 20 年之后。
在给员工的一封信中，他表示：“在这样一个历史性的时期，能在当前的岗位上服务于国王和王后，并在此过程中经历过令人难忘的幽默时光，是我能想象到的最高荣誉。在余生中，我将继续以非正式的身份提供支持。”
英超俱乐部因球衣价格遭到批评
由于 8 家英超俱乐部提高了价格，足球迷们面临着复刻版球衣的显著涨价，部分球衣现在的价格高达 £90。此举引起了消费专家的严厉批评，他们警告称这是“公然的贪婪”，并可能导致伪造产品购买量激增。
托特纳姆热刺的球迷现在预计需要支付 £90 购买一件成人一线队复刻版球衣，比去年增加了 £5, 而一件三岁儿童的球衣现在则要 £70. 切尔西同样将其价格上调了 £5, 球衣目前的售价为 £89.99.
新晋升的科文垂城成人球衣价格跳涨 £10 至 £70, 儿童套装上涨 25% 至 £60, 婴儿套装定价为 £55. 伊普斯维奇城的球衣上涨 £6 至 £65, 而利兹、伯恩茅斯和赫尔均将价格上调了 £5. 总体而言，目前有 10, 家俱乐部对复刻版球衣的收费在 £80 或更多。布伦特福德是唯一一家将球衣款式维持两年的英超俱乐部，为球迷提供了些许喘息之机。
来自 The Complaints Resolver 的消费者专家 Scott Dixon 对此次涨价表示谴责，他指出：“这些价格上涨会让许多忠实球迷质疑底线究竟在哪里。我们年复一年地看到这种情况，这充满了赤裸裸的贪婪，而且是一个可能会对俱乐部产生反作用的‘乌龙球’。无论用任何标准衡量，这些套装都定价过高，会导致许多球迷因无法承受而放弃购买。”
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首相表示，泽连斯基成为他入主唐宁街 10 号后的首位国际访问者“并非巧合”
Sophie Wingate
名册：昨日在朴次茅斯的 Andy Burnham 与 Volodymyr Zelensky (PA)
首相昨日表示，Volodymyr Zelensky 访问英国发出了支持乌克兰的“非常明确的信号”。
Andy Burnham 表示，乌克兰总统成为他入主唐宁街 10 号后的首位国际访问者“并非巧合”，此举旨在强调在他担任首相期间，政府将继续支持基辅。
在朴次茅斯的一个海军基地接待乌克兰总统时，他表示英国可以在“所需的时间内”被信赖。他还告诉记者，他打算“尽快”访问乌克兰，但未说明具体时间。
“此举旨在传递一个非常明确的信号：我们 100% 与乌克兰站在一起，我个人 100% 与你们站在一起，我将全面履行这个国家对乌克兰做出的每一项承诺。”
Zelensky 先生回应称，两国关系“比以往任何时候都更加牢固”，并感谢首相的承诺。
随后他在 X 上补充道：“我们非常感谢我们的团队是 Andy Burnham 就职以来首个访问英国的团队。这是一个重要的支持信号，首相向我们保证这种支持将保持坚定不移。”
在访问期间，Burnham 先生宣布，英国将移交其新型“石cloak”（Stone Cloak）电子战系统背后的知识产权，使乌克兰能够大规模生产该技术。
这款平板电脑大小的设备旨在屏蔽俄罗斯对所安装无人机的探测。
首相表示，此举将帮助无人机“击中目标并挽救乌克兰人的生命”。
国防部已经向乌克兰军队提供了数千个干扰器，以增强其无人机作战能力。
Burnham 先生早前在一份声明中表示：“英国与乌克兰肩并肩站在一起，我们的支持坚定不移。”
泽连斯基昨日在海军基地表达敬意 (PA)
“俄罗斯不应对我们的决心产生任何怀疑，在为乌克兰实现持久且公正的和平之前，我们绝不会退缩。
“‘石披风’（Stone Cloak）代表了英国本土创新的最高水平，并已在前线得到验证，它对于维护我们两国的安全至关重要。”
在乌克兰部署之后，该技术预计将被纳入英国下一代远程打击武器中，包括“制动计划”（Project Brakestop）——这是政府开发低成本巡航导弹的倡议。
访问期间，两国领导人将与 200 多名乌克兰军人会面。这些军人在过去三周时间里在英国参加了“海风”演习（Exercise Sea Breeze），旨在加强黑海地区的作战能力和反雷措施。
外交大臣埃德·米利班德（Ed Miliband）表示：“英国对乌克兰的承诺是坚定不移的。随着俄罗斯继续其野蛮的战争，无论需要多久，我们都将与乌克兰肩并肩站在一起。”
“乌克兰不仅是在为自己的自由和主权而战，也是在为我们共同拥有的安全、民主和法治价值而战。这就是为什么英国正与乌克兰合作，提供军事、经济和外交支持，包括开发有助于乌克兰在战争中获胜的前沿能力。”
昨日，泽连斯基先生表示，在与伯纳姆先生会面时，他希望举行一次“富有成效的双边会议，我们将讨论一个各种各样的话题”。
在社交媒体的一篇帖子中，这位乌克兰领导人还表示，他希望将该国与俄罗斯四年战争中积累的专业经验与英国分享，其中包括在英国建立一家无人机“大工厂”。
他表示：“我们与基尔（斯塔默）做了很多工作，我们需要继续下去，开启我们关系的崭新篇章。例如，无人机协议。我想在英国基于新技术建立一家大工厂，并与我们的合作伙伴共享。我们准备好与英国分享我们所有的经验。”
伯纳姆誓言将维持其前任对乌克兰的支持 (PA)
伯纳姆先生在上周一就职后的首批电话沟通之一中与泽连斯基先生进行了交谈，并邀请这位乌克兰领导人“在最早的机会”访问。
这位新任首相在之前担任政府职务期间几乎没有外交政策经验，但在进入 No 10 之前，他已誓言将维持其前任基尔·斯塔默爵士对乌克兰的坚定支持。
基尔爵士在担任工党领袖的最后一个完整工作日访问了基辅。
与此同时，伯纳姆先生在一次采访中重申，政府将支持此前承诺的，到 2035 年将国内生产总值（GDP）的 3.5% 用于国防支出。
随后，政府在去年海牙举行的北约峰会上同意到 2035, 将 5% 用于国防，而基尔·斯塔默爵士的政府表示，这意味着将进一步投入 1.5% 用于“弹性与安全”。
在接受 BBC 《全景》（Panorama）节目采访时，伯纳姆先生表示，他与财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）——前国防大臣 —— 都在努力确保国防投资计划在秋季预算案之前获得“全额资金”支持。
PA
他表示：“我绝对致力于兑现我们对北约伙伴的承诺。”
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“国际发展并非英国政策的附加项，”外交大臣表示
Chris Stevenson
外交大臣埃德·米利班德表示，他将对海外援助和全球金融承担“个人领导责任”（PA）
埃德·米利班德将接任英国在世界银行董事会的席位，并表示国际发展和气候危机是政府政策的“核心”。
在担任世界银行英国代表（该职位通常由初级部长担任）后，这位外交大臣表示，他将对海外援助和全球金融承担“个人领导责任”，以帮助各国应对气候危机。米利班德先生此前在基尔·斯塔默爵士的政府中担任能源与净零排放大臣。
与此同时，英国正在实施大幅削减援助计划，支出将从国民总收入（GNI）的 0.5 % 下降至 2029 年的 0.3 %。
9 个非洲国家的英国双边援助预计将削减 80 % 以上，对非洲国家的双边援助总额将从 £1.6bn 下降至 £700m 以下。受影响的国家包括许多长期与英国合作的伙伴——包括加纳、肯尼亚、马拉维、坦桑尼亚和莫桑比克——这些国家的援助关系预计将几乎被取消，或减少至 £5m 或更低。
肯尼亚的英国对外援助预计将下降 93 %，坦桑尼亚下降 91 %，莫桑比克下降 90 %，马拉维下降 90 %，赞比亚下降 88 %。一些处于全球最紧急人道主义危机中的国家也将面临资金削减，其中目前正处于埃博拉疫情爆发中的刚果民主共和国的援助额下降 29 %，对黎巴嫩的援助也下降 58 %。
2024 / 5 和 2028 / 9 期间，英国援助总削减额约为 £6.5bn；其中，据称是另一届政府优先考虑的脆弱和受冲突影响国家的援助下降 34 %，最不发达国家的援助下降 49 %，对非洲的援助下降 56 %。
英国的气候援助额也将下降，从 2026 年前五年的 £11.6bn 下降到未来三年的 £6bn。这导致英国在向绿色气候基金（全球最大的发展中国家应对气候危机融资来源）的捐款中削减了 50 %。绿色团体和国会议员还批评了新任首相安迪·伯纳姆，因为他决定使用气候援助预算来资助政府一项新的 £500m 政策，旨在将英格兰的巴士票价上限设定为 £2。
米利班德先生接替伊薇特·库珀担任外交大臣。《独立报》此前披露，此次角色转换可能伴随着被允许优先考虑气候目标的许可，以及一份旨在让英国恢复将 GNI 的 0.7 % 用于援助的路线图。
外交、联邦和发展事务部（FCDO）在一份声明中表示：“英国在世界银行的领导地位将有助于推动在消除贫困、应对气候变化和经济稳定方面的国际行动，并解决诸如粮食不安全和能源价格冲击等全球问题，从而帮助英国民众降低食品和能源成本。”
米利班德先生将由新任发展部长克尔斯蒂·麦克尼尔提供支持。
“克尔斯蒂·麦克尼尔为这一议程带来了卓越的经验和深刻的个人承诺，我们将共同确保英国在应对时代定义性挑战时发挥全部影响力，”米利班德先生在谈到这次任命时表示。
世界银行每年向发展中国家提供约 $100bn 融资，其行长阿杰·班加表示：“英国是世界银行集团的重要合作伙伴，也是长期以来发展的坚定支持者。我期待与外交大臣密切合作，帮助各国创造就业机会，动员更多私人资本，并为人们提供机遇。我们可以共同努力，在最关键的领域将宏愿转化为成果。”
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I
一个起初带有奇思妙想的平台，如今已成为记录印度金融之都各社区内自由漫游猫咪的资源库。Shahana Yasmin 与其创始人进行了对话。
Meowmbai 是一个众包平台，邀请用户将社区猫的照片精准地标注在发现它们的位置（由对方提供）
这个众包网站的名字是将“meow”（喵）与印度金融之都孟买（Mumbai）相结合的文字游戏，它邀请用户将流浪猫的照片精准地标注在目击地点。最终呈现出的是一张熟悉的街道地图，城市各处点缀着猫咪的出没记录。
如果说 Google 地图能帮你找到回家最快的路线，那么 Meowmbai 则能告诉你究竟在哪里可以找到最近的一只猫。
科拉巴（Colaba）的一辆亮橙色摩托车旁，以及达达尔（Dadar）阳光温暖的人行道上的一家四口。还有数百只猫从公寓小区、茶摊和火车站中窥视，每只猫都被某个认为邻里猫咪应当在地图上占据一席之地的用户拍摄了下来。
这听起来像是一种极小众的点子，纯粹是因为某个人觉得有趣而存在，但其创始人表示，该网站已开始对所谓的“社区猫”产生实际影响——这些猫虽然是流浪猫，但为人熟知，它们在社区的各家各户之间穿梭，依赖多个定期喂食者，而没有单一的主人。
来自拉图尔（Latur，一座位于孟买以东约 500 公里的小镇）的 25 岁产品经理苏达山·比尔拉（Sudarshan Birla）在孟买生活了大约一年，由于经常遇到许多可爱的流浪猫，他受到了启发，决定构建这张地图。“我热爱记录事物，”比尔拉告诉《独立报》。
“每当我拍一张猫的照片时，我都会觉得它与某个地点或记忆相连。我会想：‘这只猫来自我每隔一天就会走过的那家茶摊附近的拐角。’我想建立一个交互式地图，让人们可以通过这些猫来发现和重新审视这座城市，”他说道。
构建 Meowmbai 的想法形成得非常迅速。
比尔拉花费了大约两周时间构建该网站，并在 6 月正式推出。虽然他预期同好们会喜欢浏览这张地图，但他没料到人们开始添加自己目击记录或请求为其他城市制作版本的速度竟然如此之快。
“我收到的反馈程度让我感到不知所措，”他说道，但这同时也让他改变了对该项目的思考方式。这个起初只是一个记录邻里猫咪的趣味地图，很快就吸引了社区喂食者、救援人员和动物福利组织的私信，其中许多人看到了除了简单地编录猫咪出没记录之外的可能性。
苏达山·比尔拉在启动该平台之前已在城市中生活了大约一年
“昨天有人给我发邮件说，他们不小心把猫的位置标错了，想要更新它，”他说道。“这是连我都没想到的——用户竟然会考虑这么多细节。”
一些用户在寻求更好的方法来识别社区常客，而另一些用户则在思考，这张地图最终是否能帮助失踪的猫咪回家，或者将受伤的动物与附近的救援人员联系起来。
对于一个最初唯一的真实目的仅仅是为了回答一个令人愉悦且轻率的问题（猫都在哪里？）的网站来说，这些问题出奇地认真。
事实证明，答案很大程度上取决于你询问的是哪个城市。
当比尔拉将 Meowmbai 的范围扩展到孟买以外时，他预期其他地方的地图填充速度大致相同。
Meowmbai 迅速吸引了社区喂养者、救援人员和动物福利组织的关注。
相反，每个城市开始形成自己的特色。孟买的地图上迅速布满了标记点，而印度的科技中心班加罗尔则相对稀疏，在 Birla 接受《独立报》采访时，记录在册的猫仅有 35 只左右。
“只有孟买市有这么多猫。即使只出门半小时，你也能立刻发现一只猫。但其他城市可能并非如此，”他说道。
“我曾去班加罗尔短途旅行，去了库本公园（Cubbon Park），那是周末散步的最佳去处之一。我看到了很多狗，有哈士奇、拉布拉多和金毛寻回犬。但我只能发现两三只猫。”
孟买是否为印度的“猫之都”目前无法断言。
与流浪狗不同，社区猫没有被常规统计，也没有关于其种群数量的官方估算。但救援人员和喂养者表示，孟买为自由走动的猫提供了异常友好的环境。该市密集的住宅区、鱼市、咖啡馆和餐厅提供了稳定的食物供应。此外，这座城市的几代人……
甚至市政机构也承认了它们日益增加的存在感。
In 2019, 孟买市政公司（Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation）成为印度首批批准在其动物出生控制计划下，开展社区猫专项绝育项目的机构之一，尽管该公司承认目前不存在官方的猫类普查数据。
Sudarshan Birla 表示 Meowmbai 起初只是一个有趣的创意
虽然 Meowmbai 并非旨在作为印度的猫类普查，但 Birla 决心使其至少成为人们所遇到猫类的准确记录。尽管每天提交的数量在增加，但 Birla 在每张照片出现在地图上之前都会手动审核，通过检查元数据来验证位置。
随着 Meowmbai 的演进，Birla 对功能的设定变得越来越谨慎。虽然一些用户建议突出显示猫类高度集中的街区，但在与救援人员和长期护理者的沟通后，他决定不采取这一措施。
“我决定不去做的一件事就是添加猫的‘热点’区域，”他说道。“根据我收到的反馈，如果人们看到某个地区已经有很多猫，他们有时会将小猫遗弃在那里。”
“Meowmbai 起初是一个有趣的创意，我希望人们能真正地享受它，”他说。“但现在它正在产生真实的影响。这意味着我有责任深思熟虑地构建它。我目前的当务之急是确保该平台创造真正的价值。”
他希望，随着时间的推移，它能够为救援组织提供帮助，无论是通过协助传播信息、支持活动，还是将已经在救助流浪猫的人员联系在一起。
Sudarshan Birla “非常希望看到人们来到孟买，花时间去了解这些猫”
但他坚持认为自己仍处于“学习阶段”，希望在引入新功能之前了解救援人员的需求。
对 Birla 来说，最大的惊喜不是地图揭示了孟买猫的情况，而是那些停下来关注它们的人。
“我早就知道孟买有这么多猫。但我注意到的一点是人们的视角，”他说道。他从未见过的人们提供了建议和帮助，艺术家和动物爱好者都想为一个本质上只不过是社区猫地图的项目做出贡献。
“我非常希望看到人们来到孟买，花一个周末的时间去了解这些猫，”Birla 说。“也许花点时间陪伴它们，喂它们一些好吃的，拍一张照片并上传到 Meowmbai。”
回到顶部
冈特·冯·哈根斯（Gunther von Hagens），这位以“人体世界”展览而闻名的解剖学家去世，享年 81 岁 (PA)
争议性“塑化”发明者去世
德国解剖学家冈特·冯·哈根斯去世，他通过展出保存的人体尸体“人体世界”展览，在全球范围内引发了人们的痴迷与厌恶。他享年 81 岁。
冯·哈根斯的家人及其创办的塑化研究所表示，他于周五去世。他们昨天发表的一份声明中未提供进一步细节。冯·哈根斯曾在 2010 年宣布自己患有帕金森病。
冯·哈根斯通过其巡回展览以及诸如公开尸检等抢眼之举，在科学、娱乐与商业之间行走于一条微妙的界线。
由此产生的展览“人体世界”于 1995. 年首次在日本展出。冯·哈根斯表示，他试图帮助人们了解身体是如何运作的。美联社（AP）
联合国谴责伊姆兰·汗被单独监禁
一名联合国酷刑专家呼吁巴基斯坦停止对其被囚禁的前总理伊姆兰·汗（Imran Khan）进行非人道待遇，与此同时，其政党计划组织一场全国性游行要求释放他。
联合国酷刑问题特别报告员爱丽丝·吉尔·爱德华兹（Alice Jill Edwards）表示，汗先生在 24 小时 CCTV 监控下被近乎完全地单独监禁了 33 个月。
汗先生因一系列指控被监禁两年多，他及其所属的巴基斯坦正义运动党（PTI）称这些指控具有政治动机。
他在 2022 年的一次议会不信任投票中被罢免，此后面临数十起案件，包括腐败、泄露国家秘密以及与恐怖主义相关的罪行，他否认所有指控。
“前总理 #ImranKhan 目前被关在一个狭小、无窗的牢房中，在 24-7 CCTV 监控下近乎完全地单独监禁 33 个月，”爱德华兹女士在 X 平台的一篇帖子中写道。“通常连续 2 周以上，没有运动或有意义的人际接触。这远远超过了《曼德拉规则》。我呼吁 #巴基斯坦 恢复人道条件。”
澳大利亚政治人物歧视上诉被驳回
澳大利亚法院昨天驳回了右翼领导人保琳·汉森（Pauline Hanson）的一项上诉，该上诉旨在推翻一项裁决，该裁决认定她在告诉一名穆斯林参议员“滚回巴基斯坦”时构成了种族歧视。
澳大利亚联邦法院全庭的三名法官一致维持 2024 年的裁决，认定该在社交媒体上针对绿党参议员梅琳·法鲁基（Mehreen Faruqi）的言论是非法的，且不受言论自由辩护的保护。路透社（Reuters）
巴黎一名孕妇在三人被刺事件中受伤
昨天在巴黎街头，一名携带两把厨房刀的男子袭击了三名女性——据报道其中一名为孕妇。事件发生在巴黎克利希门（Porte de Clichy）附近，时间约为 9. 30am。
内政部长洛朗·努涅斯（Laurent Nunez）告诉记者，该男子袭击了三名女性，年龄分别为 19, 24 和 36, 岁，其中两人受重伤。据一名接受《费加罗报》采访的目击者称，受害者中有一人怀孕。
两名被送往医院的受害者仍处于危急状态。当地媒体报道，一名女性腰部受伤，另一名女性腹部受伤。路透社（Reuters）
返回顶部
肖恩·奥格雷迪（Sean O'Grady）指出，自就任以来，首相在接受记者质询方面表现得异常腼腆，更倾向于通过在线剪辑传递信息——尽管他是少数几个在严厉质询下能真正发光的政治家之一。
在作为首相的首次电视采访中，安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）接受了劳拉·昆斯伯格（Laura Kuenssberg）的采访，时长 23 分钟 (BBC)
在看了劳拉·昆斯伯格对安迪·伯纳姆的 BBC 采访后，我没有感觉到她为了获得在他掌权首日“幕后”独家接触的机会，就对这位新首相格外宽容。
即便她真的这么做了，恐怕也没什么价值——一些公务员匆忙奔走以及伯纳姆看起来很得意的镜头，绝非电视金牌素材。而作为未来几十年宪法历史学家们潜心研究的素材，这简直是一次浪费机会。
这次采访——在昨晚的《全景》（Panorama）节目中完整播出——其力度与她通常对待高级政客的方式没有两样。库恩斯伯格（Kuenssberg）以标题为导向，且直击要点。
LK：你会顶住特朗普的压力吗？AB：会。
LK：我们什么时候能看到社会护理计划？AB：尽快。这需要时间。
LK：福利改革？AB：会——条件性福利。
LK：提前大选？AB：不……
以此类推。在整个过程中，伯纳姆表现得沉稳、自信、放松且投入，这是他近期的任何一位前任都未曾具备的特质。斯塔默（Starmer）、苏纳克（Sunak）以及（令人尴尬的）特拉斯（Truss）都太死板了，简直像是由 Cuprinol 木材涂料赞助的。
在这个方面，伯纳姆在镜头前令人印象深刻，可与鲍里斯·约翰逊、托尼·布莱尔和哈罗德·威尔逊相媲美。他给出答案，即便这些答案没什么实际意义，但他在作答时听起来非常有说服力。
而且，伯纳姆在回避问题方面比斯塔默曾经做得好得多——这也是斯塔默不再接这类节目的原因之一。
伯纳姆在就任首相后的首次电视采访持续了 23 分钟。这本身并没有什么问题，但仅从这个角度看，全国的广播公司似乎已经得出结论：如今观众能忍受的程度也就这么多。
他真的不需要如此胆小……他足够流畅，能够与任何人进行长篇对话，并能够应对来自威斯敏斯特游说团体中最激进者的持续挑战。
遗憾的是，那个全国人民（或者至少是其中相当一部分人）会沉迷于观看玛格丽特·撒切尔与布莱恩·沃尔登（Brian Walden）或罗宾·戴（Robin Day）进行一小时生死决战的时代早已过去。
但对于国家——实际上对于伯纳姆本人——来说，没有更长时间的采访是一件憾事。诚然，他表现出一种奇怪的倾向，不愿接受提问，也不愿在自己的新闻发布会上直面记者。
他真的不需要如此胆小，也不需要进行损害控制。相反，他足够流畅，能够与任何人进行长篇对话，并能够应对来自威斯敏斯特游说团体中最激进者的持续挑战。他在议会席位上与凯米·巴德诺克交锋时，大概也能撑住。九月份的首次首相问答环节（PMQs）将非常值得期待。
一种更开放的方式肯定能消除人们认为他是个轻量级、不严肃人物的认知。例如，在酒吧里与约翰·希利（John Healey）一起拍摄的愉快宣传照中，首相和财政大臣讨论的是炸猪皮而非国防预算。
我看到唐宁街正在招聘更多的社交媒体专家来制作“内容”，即由纳税人出资的宣传，这是一个极不受欢迎的岗位。我们不需要更多伯纳姆坐在椅子上进行“有问必答”环节的场景，而且其中的剪辑还由他的媒体团队严格控制。如果伯纳姆想为 TikTok 制作一些琐碎的、营造良好氛围的短片，那么工党可以自行拍摄并出资。
就像整个“北方”话题一样，他早期露面地如此无关紧要，真的开始让人感到厌烦。
就像整个“北方”话题一样，他早期露面地如此无关紧要，真的开始让人感到厌烦。他在 TikTok 上发布的下一个视频，标题大概应该是《安迪的不可承受之轻》。
在缺乏适当且长时间地审查的情况下，他对审查的厌恶使得伯纳姆（Burnham）看起来很单薄。他的“加冕”恰好在下议院进入休会期间结束，这绝非巧合——这剥夺了反对党质询他的机会（而他本可以从容应对）。
我对伯纳姆的建议是，多让自己露面，并接受各类访谈者的采访，无论是全国性的还是地方性的，广播媒体还是平面媒体。他应该单独做一个《问题时间》（Question Time）特辑，并让自己接受专家的审视，从而深入挖掘并揭露其政策制定中即便在现在也清晰可见的诸多缺陷。
换句话说，安迪，你是我们的新任首相，因为我们并没有选举你到这个职位上，所以我们有权看看你的真本事。试图操纵媒体对你毫无益处。恰恰相反——你正在浪费作为一个首相留下良好第一印象的机会。只要记住上一个家伙发生了什么就行。
返回顶部
伯纳姆的“冬季燃料补贴”时刻
维多利亚·理查兹（Victoria Richards）问道：安迪·伯纳姆是否敢于通过将青年福利金的领取条件与参与志愿服务挂钩，从而激怒将他推向首相之位的左翼力量？
在安迪·伯纳姆的改革下，年轻人如果不在进行志愿服务，将面临被取消福利金的风险（Getty）
在进入唐宁街后的首次重大采访中，安迪·伯纳姆将一百多万年轻人——即那些既没有接受教育、没有就业也没有接受培训的“尼特族”（Neets）——坚定地列为了目标。或者说，这很可能是他们的感受。
此前一份报告发现，在领取个人独立支付金（PIP）的人群中，有超过 87,000 名 16 和 17 岁的青少年，因自闭症、多动症（ADHD）和焦虑症等心理健康及神经发育状况，每周领取 £194 的补贴——这比青少年从事兼职工作能拿到的钱多出 £100。
虽然伯纳姆坚称他不希望“妖魔化”那些真正需要福利金的人，但他在谈到可能如何使这些款项“有条件”地发放时，使用了一个极其耐人寻味的词。
“关键在于改变支持的性质，使部分支持以人们把握眼前机遇为条件，”伯纳姆说。“因此，你可能会增加领取福利所需的条件。”
嗯。不出所料，这引发了传闻，称当伯纳姆在明天发表关于社会护理的重大演说时，他很可能会步其前任之后，将福利与工作挂钩，使其成为“有条件”的。我想说，这风险极大。
正如基尔·斯塔默爵士（Sir Keir Starmer）因极具分歧的福利改革和冬季燃料补贴而陷入困境一样，伯纳姆在就职仅七天后，就面临失去工党左翼支持的风险。先不论他打算如何为社会护理提供资金，真正的问题是：他真的承担得起这个代价吗？
在前任卫生大臣艾伦·米尔本（Alan Milburn）近期关于青年与工作的里程碑式报告中，他警告称需要采取紧急行动以避免出现“迷失的一代”。他将责任直接归咎于缺乏“统筹支持”——并指出一个至关重要的缺失因素便是就业支持。
Z世代在成长过程中，不仅要面对在乌克兰、加沙和伊朗肆虐的多场战争阴云，还要面对与气候危机直接相关的野火，在法国和西班牙喷出末日般的黑色烟云。
伯纳姆政府似乎在认真对待这个问题，因为他本周派遣工作与养老金大臣帕特·麦克法登前往鹿特丹，学习荷兰的做法；荷兰在欧洲的 Neet（既不就业也不进修）人群比例最低，一些残疾青年被鼓励参与诸如捡垃圾等社区项目。
但对年轻人“采取强硬手段”——并警告他们如果不参加培训或志愿者工作，就可能面临被取消福利金的风险——真的可行吗？
斯塔默一年前首先尝试了这一点，当时他宣布对残疾或患病人员的 PIP（个人独立支付）款项进行改革。但在一次大规模的后议员反叛后，他被迫放弃计划，在每年从不断增加的福利账单中削减 £5bn 以及削减福利金的问题上做出让步。他实际上成了自己党内后议员的囚徒，由于取消了两孩福利上限，他被迫在福利上投入更多。
正是这些左翼后议员促成了伯纳姆首相的就任。然而，他现在看起来正准备重复斯塔默的错误。
当被问及是否有人领取了可能并不“需要”的福利时，伯纳姆使用了谨慎且含糊的措辞：“嗯，我不会直接去指责这些人。我想说的是，在福利体系中，有一些 20 多岁的年轻人，可以说他们被相当严重地辜负了，因为在他们本该获得支持的时候，支持并没有到位。”
今天的 Z 世代在成长过程中，不仅要面对在乌克兰、加沙和伊朗肆虐的多场战争阴云，还要面对与气候危机直接相关的野火，在法国、西班牙以及英国喷出末日般的黑色烟云。
他们买不起房——平均房价是典型年薪的 6 到 11 倍，且英格兰银行较高的利率影响了抵押贷款。在极高的通胀峰值、全球能源和燃料冲击、供应中断以及住房和租金飙升的驱动下，食品、能源和住房成本的上涨速度远高于家庭平均收入。经济崩溃，增长乏力，而且英国面临严重的债务问题。
我们仍然感受到疫情的影响，其连锁反应涵盖了从教育、社交到 NHS（国民医疗服务体系）候诊名单的所有方面——去年英格兰的儿童心理健康转诊人数达到了 100 万。儿童专员蕾切尔·德·索萨女爵确认，该国正面临年轻人心理健康的“危机”。
因此，在谈到“撕毁”青年福利体系并重新开始时，伯纳姆应该记住，今天的孩子就是明天的选民——随着下次大选时投票年龄降至 16 岁，工党将需要尽可能争取所有的支持。
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詹姆斯·摩尔表示，安迪·伯纳姆提出的物业价值税将影响数百万房主，提高账单，重塑住房市场并制造政治分歧
据报道，安迪·伯纳姆正在考虑对财产税进行重大改革 (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street)
还记得宣传 Jaws 2 的那个著名口号吗——“就在你认为重新入水已经安全的时候……”？在安迪·伯纳姆的英国，房主们——尤其是那些不在他神圣的北方地区的房主——如果认为这句话现在适用于他们，也是可以原谅的。
上周，我写到了政府在内部政策讨论中抛出的关于土地价值税的未公开提案。根据《泰晤士报》的计算器，这将使我目前支付的市政税增加一倍多——而我住在东伦敦最外郊的一栋家庭住宅中。在像哈克尼（Hackney）这样更时髦的郊区租房的人，其家庭账单将增加三倍多。事实上，在英格兰南部的大部分地区，这一变化代表了巨大的财务冲击。
伯纳姆（Burnham）最新的提案虽然没那么激进——但他的房产价值税（直接基于房屋市场价值且每年缴纳）仍会引发重要问题，并造成可怕的异常情况。不过我在想，考虑到他看待南北分歧的方式，这是否正是其目的所在。
如果按照拟议的房产价值 0.48% 的税率征收，就我的情况而言，每年将额外支付 £400。这虽不至于导致破产，但在家庭已经承受了一系列增税和生活成本上涨的当下，这绝非微不足道。
但此举释放了一个意图信号，因为这将主要是一项针对东南部地区的税收。近五分之一的房主处境将恶化——其中包括伦敦的大多数房主。这些南部房主已经在房产上支付了最高额的印花税，随后还将为了这项特权而承受一项每年重复征收的税款。
这对房地产市场会产生什么影响，谁也无法预料。对我们的政治格局亦然。我想知道，伯纳姆是否计算过，他是否承受得起失去那些基尔·斯塔默爵士（Sir Keir Starmer）在南部勉强赢得的所有边缘席位？
伯纳姆认为，曼彻斯特的人们支付的市政税往往比住在伦敦更大、更昂贵房屋的人更多。斯托克（Stoke）的人们支付的税款比住在
关于现行市政税制度缺陷的讨论肯定是有必要的，该制度的税级仍基于三十多年前的房产估值。但用一项与今日房产价值直接挂钩的税收来取代它，将不可避免地创造一组新的赢家和输家。
工党的多数席位不仅依赖于其传统的城市核心地带，还依赖于几代以来首次在英格兰南部赢得的席位。这些选区中的许多地方恰恰包含了会被房产价值税影响的那类房主。
这些输家将不仅仅是肯辛顿和切尔西（Kensington and Chelsea）数百万英镑豪宅的所有者。他们还将包括住在完全普通房屋中的人们，这些房屋的价值多年来大幅上涨，尤其是在伦敦和东南部大部分地区。一座普通的排屋或公寓现在的价格可能与其所有者的收入几乎没有关系。
这一点至关重要，因为基于资产价值而非当前收入的税收，可能会沉重地打击那些“资产富裕但现金贫乏”的人。批评者长期以来一直针对豪宅税提出这一论点——但如果这一原则被更广泛地应用，问题将延伸得更远。
还有一个问题是，这种税收是否能实现其拥护者所希望的一切。苏格兰提供了一个关于纳税人如何应对激励措施的有趣案例。前苏格兰政府税务咨询小组成员丹·奈德尔（Dan Neidle）认为，更高的所得税税率带来的收益低于预期，因为人们改变了行为，无论是通过养老金缴款、薪酬安排还是搬迁。
这在伦敦内部也可能产生一些奇特的结果。那些房价相对较低的区可能会变得更有吸引力，仅仅是因为其年度税收负担会低于富裕社区。或者，年轻人你可以把南部的房子卖掉搬到北部去。这也许是预期中的结果——但无论如何，这确实是一个结果。
然而，最大的政治风险是选举上的而非经济上的。工党的多数席位不仅依赖于其传统的城市核心地带，还依赖于一代以来首次在英格兰南部赢得的席位。这些选区中包含的大多正是会被房产价值税影响的房主。
斯塔默通过说服中等收入的房主，让他们相信工党既理解他们的抱负，也理解他们面临的财务压力，从而赢得了权力。任何看起来仅仅因为房屋价值增加就惩罚人们的提案，都有可能破坏这种信任。
改革议会税（council tax）有充分的理由，几乎所有人都认同该制度已经过时。但用另一个会产生新不公平和新政治不满的缺陷系统来取代一个不完善的系统，将是一个代价高昂的错误。
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安迪·伯纳姆对一位保守派诗人的钦佩——而这位诗人如今常被贬为古板乖戾之辈——揭示了这位政治家比他表面看上去更为复杂，罗西·米拉德（Rosie Millard）如是说
安迪·伯纳姆将菲利普·拉金的《老年情歌》誉为上“世纪”最伟大的诗篇（Getty）
菲利普·拉金曾在一次采访中说：“我一直都是右翼。”诚然，他的私人信件和发表的文章勾勒出了一位复杂的、有时令人反感的诗人形象，他的名声一直受到厌女症、种族主义和普遍悲观主义指控的攻击。
作为菲利普·拉金协会的会长，我很高兴，且一点也不感到惊讶，我们的新任首相如此推崇一个通常被斥为病态古板之人的作品，但此人绝非如此。
值得称赞的是，伯纳姆能够透过对这位诗人的刻板印象去审视其诗作。1991, 作为一名刚毕业的英语专业学生，伯纳姆给一家全国性报纸写信说：“伟大的诗歌[应当]是令人难忘且动人的。拉金致力于写这样的诗，很少有人否认他成功了。”随后他将拉金的《老年情歌》誉为“本世纪最伟大的诗篇”。
正如拉金本人所写：“诗歌是一场关于理性的事务，是将事物视其本貌。”尽管他毕业于剑桥（拉金同样学习英语，但是在牛津大学圣约翰学院），也许伯纳姆也希望我们能“将事物视其本貌”，抛开讲台，像拉金那样使用平常的日常语言。
拉金不使用华丽的类比来展示自己的聪明。拉金直截了当：“树木正在抽叶”；“日子是我们栖居之所”；以及（在我看来）本世纪最伟大诗篇中那无可匹敌的开篇：“那个五旬节，我出发迟了。”
拉金的作品在婚礼（“性始于1963…”）、葬礼（“我们将留下的将是爱”）以及任何关于父母的狂欢聚会（“他们把你搞砸了，你的父母”）上被诵读，是有原因的。这些诗篇显得如此简单且亲切。但任何读过它们的人都知道，它们同样具有悖论性且复杂。一些让你本能产生共鸣的东西，会突然在情感上让你措手不及。
伯纳姆对拉金的钦佩揭示出这位首相比我们认知的要复杂一些；他是一个不以貌取人、经历过爱情的人，但
我们的首相与拉金一样，优雅地拒绝将伦敦视为唯一选择，并坚持认为北方是一个可接受的，甚至是在艺术、哲学和政治领域理想的场所。
我认为，住在 No 10 的那个人之所以钦佩那个曾经烟不离手的人，还有一个巨大的原因。拉金为北方带来了知识分子的分量和权威，并坚持认为这里是一个有价值的地方。他于 1955 年来到约克郡东骑区的赫尔（Hull），并在那里担任赫尔大学的图书馆员，直到 30 年后去世。赫尔成为了我们这位最伟大的战后诗人的灵感之源。
他在关于赫尔的写作中所展现的情感深度，在当时和现在都坚持要求人们认真对待这座经常被忽视的城市。在我们首相希望建立一个北方的 No 10 的愿望中，他与拉金一样，优雅地拒绝将伦敦视为唯一选择，并坚持认为北方是一个可接受的，甚至是在艺术、哲学和政治领域理想的场所。
我的年纪足够大，还记得玛格丽特·撒切尔在唐宁街的第一天诵读的一段归于圣方济各的祷告词。这一切都很好——但我更愿意由一位理解并钦佩菲利普·拉金那种复杂且苦乐参半的普适性的首相来引导。拉金是一位知道追求“名声、女孩和金钱”是浅薄野心的作家，一个珍视北方的男人，一个知道尽管日子艰辛，但日子“应该是快乐的”男人。
罗茜·米拉德（Rosie Millard）是菲利普·拉金学会的主席
A
在学校假期期间，一种新的“集结”（link-ups）和青少年接管趋势有在英国扩散的风险。通过与背后的青少年交谈，克洛伊·康比（Chloe Combi）发现了其背后的原因，以及其中一些参与者为了让自己被看见、被听到愿意走多远。
年轻人聚集在伦敦海德公园参加一年一度的 “4/20” 庆祝活动 (Sopa/Getty)
随着所有儿童终于迎来了暑假（私立学校在三周前就开始了暑假），且热浪持续，英国变成了一个截然不同的两个国家。对于那些前往国内外参加充满乐趣的家庭度假，或前往营地和节日庆典的孩子和青少年来说，假期是快乐和兴奋的巅峰。然而，随着生活成本和经济危机的打击，对于其他成千上万的人来说，情况则截然不同。
无法负担超过 5 天的假期。令人心碎的是，英国有 8% 的儿童从未度过假期。而且随着汽油、停车、火车票、门票以及餐饮成本的飙升，30% 的英国家长甚至无法负担一次一日游。
对于数百万困在创纪录高温的城市和郊区荒地中的青少年来说，这造成了巨大的空白死时间，而麻烦往往会渗入这种空白之中。正如我在这些页面上一年前报道的“夏季忧郁”一样，暑假总是会导致年轻人实施的轻微及严重犯罪数量激增，以及心理健康状况的恶化。
近期集结活动中出现的大量青少年经常导致社会动荡 (BBC)
但在经历了 12 个月的政治和文化动荡，以及 No 10 又换了一位首相之后，年长的 A 世代和年轻的 Z 世代中的不安感正日益增强。青少年失业危机以及即将到来的社交媒体禁令加剧了这一情况，而对于可以用什么来替代屏幕时间和社会媒体连接，目前还没有一个统一的计划。所有这一切都为“城镇青少年接管”的异议种子成长为一个真正的运动提供了肥沃的土壤。孩子们所谓的“集结”现在正出现在整个
这些“接管”（takeovers）或“聚会”（link-ups）是在加密消息服务上组织的，以避开警察和家长的窥视。它们被宣传为一种免费的闪速节日，人们可以在那里见面并尽情狂欢，但其中往往也夹杂着一种对体制公开反抗的明显情绪。虽然其意图本身不一定具有犯罪性质，但由于涌入某个区域的青少年数量极其庞大，往往意味着这些接管行动伴随着暴力和混乱。
在美国的亚特兰大和芝加哥，青少年在社交媒体上被告知要“过来”（pull up）并“尽情狂欢”（shake some ass），但由于加入了枪支这一恐怖因素，气氛紧张且带有暴力色彩。美国青少年接管行动背后的动机似乎是一种走偏了的、受挫的派对精神；但无论是在那里还是在这里，这些行为的底色都是年轻人对体制的一种挫败感和不公正感，他们认为这个体制不仅没有为他们服务，反而是在积极地伤害他们。
父母一直告诉我们要放下手机。这就是结果。你不能两者都要。
来自南伦敦的 Paulo, 16, 解释道：“在 Snap、TikTok 和 Telegram 上有很多正在规划的聚会。这些必须迅速组织，否则要么无法成行，要么会被警察察觉。到目前为止，规模都比较小，但人们希望这里也能出现像美国那样疯狂的聚会，就是真正的‘接管’。我肯定会参加大家讨论的那个即将到来的聚会。”
Paulo, 16
他说，人们参加的原因各不相同。就像他同龄中的一些人将在 8 月前往雷丁节（Reading Festival，周末门票 £295 起）一样，他的很多朋友则会转而寻求此类聚会。
“人们只是渴望能开心一下，见见人，抽点大麻，”他说。“我显然想见见一些漂亮的女孩（leng girls）。但我肯定认为有些人是想制造麻烦。现在人们对各种事情都充满愤怒，尤其是社交媒体禁令。”
“我认为我们这个年龄段的人这样做是一种抗议。我们没什么可做的，而且像演唱会或音乐节之类的活动都太贵了。父母一直告诉我们要放下手机。这就是结果。你不能两者都要。我父亲告诉我，他年轻时也去过非法狂欢派对（raves）。那么现在有什么区别？”
越来越多的青少年认为，对于他们中的大多数人来说，完全缺乏负担得起且安全的可做之事，这种观点并非不可理喻。Kizzy*, 15, 在复活节假期期间参加了她在 Snapchat 上得知的一次在克拉彭（Clapham）举行的“聚会”。这次活动导致六名少女因暴力和反社会行为被捕，许多商家抱怨遭受了蓄意破坏、恐吓和盗窃。而被忽略的是，这次克拉彭“聚会”的主要目标是餐饮店。
她解释道：“人们在假期里感到无聊，但重点都在食物上。每个人都冲向麦当劳和所有的炸鸡店。所有人都在偷食物而不是偷运动鞋，这太疯狂了。今年夏天计划的那些行动不仅在伦敦，其他城镇也在发生。我们这个年纪的人想袭击那些有钱人的地方，因为大家都很愤怒。”
如果认为这些青少年接管城镇的行为背后有某种统一的意识形态驱动力，那就错了；但稍微深入挖掘，确实能发现一个共同的主题，即缺乏可参与的活动，无论是演出、青年俱乐部还是免费开放的体育俱乐部。
这种情况被一种在年长 A 世代（Gen A）中日益明确的新心理学所加剧。与他们的前辈 Z 世代（Gen Z）不同——后者在疫情期间被迫通过手机社交并为此适应——A 世代展现出一种更为躁动的精神。由于对算法和广告非常精明，社交媒体不再像以前那样令他们着迷，而对传统派对的兴趣正在增长。对于这一群体来说，未成年饮酒、吸烟和非法药物的使用率有所上升。这种邀请人们来参加派对并醉生醉死的“聚会”（link-up）对 A 世代越来越有吸引力，他们渴望体验 X 世代（即他们的父母）在 90 年代所享受的生活。
出生于布赖顿的 16 岁少年 James 是他许多朋友的典型代表，当他说到那种派对自由是他们的梦想时，他表示：“我们回顾过去，觉得那看起来太酷了，”他说，“狂欢派对（Raves）和仓库派对。我父亲给我看了一张音乐节门票，有三天时间可以听那些现在依然出名的乐队，而票价只要 £65！现在这钱可能只能买个汉堡薯条和几瓶啤酒。”
“这太不公平了。如果你没钱，你会被排除在一切之外。关于这些‘接管’行动，让我恼火的是当它们仅仅变成破坏公物或打架的时候。如果人们能像我父亲参加狂欢派对时那样，只是去派对并度过一段美好时光，那就太酷了。”
这太不公平了。如果你没钱，你会被排除在一切之外
我问 James 他是否计划参加今年夏天的一次接管行动？
“肯定会。但不是伦敦的那些。那里只会变得激进。在海德公园曾有一个在 4/20 [指 4 月 20 日，通常被年轻人视为庆祝大麻之日] 左右的活动，起初很好，但后来变糟了。女生们受到骚扰。我觉得不安全。我肯定会去布赖顿的那次。令人恼火的是，这些活动本可以很精彩。这些接管行动本可以意味着某种东西，比如一场有趣的抗议，但人们变得愚蠢，那样你就无法为之辩护了。”
James，16 岁
如今“聚会”的叛逆精神与 60 年代在埃塞克斯郡克拉克顿海边等海滨地点的摩德族（mod）聚会相差无几（Getty）
对于那些批评即将到来的青少年接管精神的人来说，值得记住的是，每个世代都会采取某种形式的快速集会，无论是 James 及其同伴如此热衷于模仿的狂欢文化，还是 60 年代在布赖顿发生冲突的摩德族（mods）与摇滚族（rockers），或者是 80 年代的“摇滚反对种族主义”（Rock Against Racism）。历史上导致动荡之夏的条件是否再次出现仍有待观察，但看来这个夏天也不会有任何不同。年轻人希望将这些集会带到富裕地区的这一事实，仅仅凸显了日益增长的代际之间“我们与他们”的对立情绪。
然而，警方对年轻人的不满反应不出人意料地缺乏同情。针对克拉珀姆（Clapham）爆发的暴力事件以及任何进一步计划的“青少年接管”行动，总警司 Emma Bond 发出了明确的信息：
“这类事件在 TikTok 等平台的在线趋势和病毒式内容的推动下，可能会迅速升级并导致严重后果。如果你参与其中或造成进一步的混乱，应做好被逮捕并面临刑事记录的心理准备，这将对你的未来产生深远影响，包括就业机会以及潜在的出行能力。”
然而，首相安迪·伯纳姆及其内阁同事应当明智地认真思考，为什么这些接管行为会首先发生。年轻人渴望被看见和被听到，因为他们有一种真实的被疏离感和被忽视感。如果不能倾听他们的诉求，我们可能看到的不仅是一个动荡的夏天，还会有不满的秋天和冬天。
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一架美国轰炸机在 1945 年的这一天撞入了帝国大厦的 78 层 (Getty)
1540：亨利八世的大臣托马斯·克伦威尔因推动国王与克莱夫的安妮那场失败的婚姻而在塔丘被斩首。同一天，亨利迎娶了他的第五任妻子凯瑟琳·霍华德。
1586：第一批马铃薯由托马斯·哈里奥特爵士从北卡罗来纳州带到英国普利茅斯。
1750：德国作曲家约翰·塞巴斯蒂安·巴赫死于中风。同年早些时候，他曾接受一名英国眼科医生的两次手术以试图治愈失明。他的视力在 18 July 恢复，距离他去世仅 10 天。
1794：法国大革命的领导者之一马克西米连·罗伯斯庇尔在巴黎被斩首。
1866：比翠克丝·波特出生于伦敦——她是创造了彼得兔、松鼠纳特金和詹妮玛·泥鸭等不朽角色且兼任插画师的作家。
1945：一架美国轰炸机撞入帝国大厦的 78 层，导致 3 名机组人员和 11 名工人死亡。
1959：邮政总长在英国引入了邮政编码以及新的邮件分拣机。
1976：近几个世纪最大的自然灾害之一发生在中国唐山，一场地震造成多达 75 万人死亡。
1987：高尔夫球手劳拉·戴维斯成为首位赢得美国女子公开赛的英国人。
去年今日：中国在线零售商 Temu 被欧盟监管机构指控未能阻止其平台销售非法产品。
生日
里卡多·穆蒂，指挥家，85 岁；伊丽莎白·伯克利，演员，54 岁；贾斯汀·李·柯林斯，喜剧演员/电视主持人，52 岁；迈克尔·卡里克，曼联主教练，45 岁；雪儿·劳埃德，歌手，33 岁；哈里·凯恩，足球运动员，33 岁。
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W
安东尼·库斯伯顿写道，作弊丑闻和日益强大的人工智能工具正迫使大学重新思考它们与技术的关系，甚至禁止使用笔记本电脑。
芝加哥大学法学院指示学生使用纸笔完成课堂考试 (Getty/iStock)
当布朗大学的一位教授允许他的学生在家里参加 3 月的中期考试时，他惊恐地发现有 40 份考试结果获得了满分。
但测试结果的平均分达到了 96%，比平均成绩高出大约 25%，这导致塞拉诺教授怀疑他班上的大多数学生使用了人工智能（AI）来作弊。
为了给他们留一线余地，他决定举行线下闭卷期末考试。结果平均分仅为 48.6%，只有一名学生的成绩高于期中考试。
布朗大学常任委员会目前正在对该事件进行调查，但塞拉诺教授已经承诺，再也不会允许进行居家测试。
普林斯顿大学最近也投票决定结束一项有着 133 年历史的无监督考试传统；与此同时，在由美国大学与学院协会开展的一项调查中，四分之三的受访者表示，他们担心学生使用如 ChatGPT 等生成式 AI 工具进行作弊。
报告指出：“某些曾经需要数小时甚至数周持续努力才能完成的作业，现在几乎可以瞬间完成。全校的教职员工都在匆忙地重新设计教学大纲和评估方式。无论 AI 带来了怎样的前景，目前在校园中的应用方式破坏了对专注、自律思考的预期，而这长期以来一直是严谨教育的标准特征。”
“此外，很明显，我们这个时代的快速技术变革正导致公众对‘人类专业知识’这一理念的信任度下降。”
报告还承认，必须在课堂 AI 处理方法与学生未来职业需求之间取得平衡，因为在未来的职业生涯中，他们将被要求使用这项技术。
本月，芝加哥大学法学院宣布禁止新生使用笔记本电脑和智能手机，以期打击 AI 的使用——尽管该校同时也公布了一项教授如何有效使用 AI 的计划。该校新的 AI 战略中甚至写道：“技术变革太快了。”
新政策将禁止 2026-2027 学年的新生在课堂期间使用任何电子设备，所有考试都将在教室内进行，且不得访问互联网、电子文件或应用程序。
通过回归纸笔时代，法学院希望鼓励成为一名律师所必需的“基本人类技能”。
法学院的新 AI 战略指出：“我们需要确保我们的学生在不依赖 AI 的情况下，真正学会批判性、战略性和独立地思考；但我们也必须面对现实，即 AI 工具已经在学生中广泛普及，我们的毕业生在法律实践中将被要求具备使用这些工具的能力。”
目标并不是要让评估变得 AI 免疫。那可能是不可能的。目标是让学习过程变得足够可见，从而使作品的原创性判定不再仅仅依赖于猜测。
最大的挑战之一是确保核心组成部分（如课程作业）投入了原始的人力努力，这些工作通常需要数小时或数天的时间，无法在受监督的教室环境中完成。
一个潜在的解决方案是使用 AI 检测工具，这些工具可以识别由 ChatGPT 等人工智能工具生成的文本。然而，这些工具在根本上仍然存在缺陷，AI 模型的开发速度往往超过了旨在捕捉它们的应用程序。
英国智库高等教育政策研究所 (HEPI) 的一份报告发现，此类工具通常不准确且不可靠。导致误报最猖獗的原因之一被证明是非英语母语者的写作，这类写作会被错误地标记为 AI 生成。
包括美国加州大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）和加拿大滑铁卢大学在内的几所领先大学，由于担心产生错误指控，已经放弃了主流的 AI 检测工具。
约翰·米利肯博士 (Dr John Milliken)，阿尔斯特大学教育学讲师
AI 检测工具被视为一种可能的解决方案，但许多工具在跟上技术步伐方面举步维艰，或产生误报（AP）
“检测的替代方案并非放弃学术诚信，而是通过行之有效的方法来追求学术诚信，”HEPI 在 7 月 20 日的报告中指出，并呼吁对课程进行彻底重新设计，使其不再依赖基于论文的提交方式。相反，院校应致力于实现“基于过程的评估、分阶段提交、口头答辩以及将 AI 素养植入课程中”。
学术界不再依赖 AI 检测工具，而是越来越多地呼吁恢复在过去 20 年中逐渐消失的评估方法，回归手写考试、口头评估和在监督下进行的课堂测试。
“正确的应对方式不是建立更复杂的系统来检查最终产品，而是重新设计评估方式，使学习过程在整个阶段中变得可见，”在阿尔斯特大学任教 30 年的教育学讲师约翰·米利肯（John Milliken）博士说道。
“目标不是让评估能抵御 AI，这恐怕是不可能的。目标是让学习过程足够可见，从而使作者身份的认定不再沦为猜测。”
布朗大学最近的丑闻很可能成为大学的一次清算。这起已知最大规模的 AI 辅助作弊事件证明了如果不采取新的教学方法将会发生什么。
“我相信 AI 的到来对我们所有人来说就像一场海啸，”这位获奖经济学家在测试结果公布后不久告诉《财富》（Fortune）杂志。
“它让每个人都措手不及。但在我看来，沉默是对这个问题的最糟糕处理方式。”
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一场具有社区感且肯定生命的庆典
Latitude 的舞台依然提供包含音乐、喜剧、舞蹈、诗歌和对话在内的多元化菜单
Brydie Monaghan
Teddy Swims 在 Latitude 2026 的周六晚上领衔演出 (Press)
在过去的 20 年里，数以千计的艺术家曾在萨福克郡的 Latitude 音乐节舞台上亮相，为观众带来了一个由难忘音乐、戏剧、学习、冒险、欢笑和舞蹈组成的周末。
很少有其他地方能让你在主舞台上听到大卫·拜恩（David Byrne）愉悦的律动，在真实的湖面上观看马修·波恩（Matthew Bourne）的《天鹅湖》，并且有机会参加中世纪剑术课程。
《独立报》自己的播客节目《In The Room》让参与者得以一窥政府决策的幕后，而 Adam Clery 足球频道则通过一场关于英格兰队在重大赛事中最令人心碎时刻的问答赛，让 The Listening Post 舞台座无虚席。
音乐节分布在尘土飞扬、被热浪灼烧的田野中，包括名副其实的魔幻“远方森林”（Faraway Forest）和一个湖泊（遗憾的是，由于蓝绿藻的原因，今年禁止野泳），到处充斥着文学讲座、教育展示以及适合全家人的隐藏瑰宝。
《天鹅湖》：Latitude 的一场芭蕾舞表演 (Ruby Boland)
在进入音乐节的路上，我惊讶地发现自己与阵容中的一些艺术家共乘接驳车：Izzy S.O，其流行朋克之声在营地入口停靠的“气候巴士”处迎接露营者；以及 The Scorpios，一支来自伦敦的苏丹迷幻爵士乐队，带着原始的东方放克风格，在 Trailer Park 舞台上演出。
该音乐节的主要吸引力之一是其喜剧阵容，今年也不例外。Latitude 的常客马库斯·布里格斯托克（Marcus Brigstocke）分享了他对 2026, 年身为男性的看法，并调侃了
其他喜剧亮点还包括伦尼·亨利（Lenny Henry）重返脱口秀舞台，克洛伊·佩茨（Chloe Petts）（她让我们回想起去年在女足狮军获胜后感到的自豪感，与今年世界杯的心碎形成鲜明对比），以及布伦南·里斯（Brennan Reece）。
音乐舞台由巴洛克流行乐队 The Last Dinner Party、创作歌手汤姆·格雷南（Tom Grennan）和美国灵魂乐艺术家杰伦·恩贡达（Jalen Ngonda）的演出拉开序幕，为这个风格多样化的周末奠定了基调。
赋予生命的歌词：Self-Esteem 在 2026 年 Latitude 音乐节演出（新闻图）
在 Latitude 首次亮相三年后，泰迪·斯威姆斯（Teddy Swims）于周六晚上回归并领衔主舞台。这位歌手带来了一场真正令人心潮澎湃的演出，他似乎对能再次回来感到由衷的谦卑，并极力让他的才华横溢的乐队成为焦点。观众们被这位歌手情感脆弱的歌词和强有力的唱腔深深打动，而一场出人意料的范·海伦（Van Halen）名曲《Jump》翻唱则让所有人，嗯，都跳了起来。
挣扎。他状态极佳，将抒情歌曲、粗口旁白和大合唱赞歌迷人地融合在一起。与此同时，Self-Esteem 凭借一系列赋予生命的歌词（如《I Do This All the Time》和《Focus is Power》等歌曲）抢尽风头，营造出一场群体性的庆祝，使其成为一场令人惊叹的压轴演出。
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被冷落了？Shein 感受到特朗普贸易战的影响（路透社）
受特朗普关税打击，Shein 陷入亏损
在计划于香港股票市场首次公开亮相前的一次更新中，Shein 披露了因唐纳德·特朗普取消小包裹进口关税豁免而导致销售额受挫，公司已陷入亏损。这家快时尚集团报告称，截至 3 月底的三个月内，底线净亏损为 $99m (£74m)，而去年同期为盈利 £296m。销售额小幅增长 1.1%，至 £6.78bn。
该集团——近期宣布决定在香港进行计划已久的首次公开募股——表示，第一季度的亏损主要由于一项会计变更导致了 £246m 的损失，但这些数字揭露了总统贸易战的影响。去年 5 月，美国取消了针对小包裹的所谓“微量”（de minimis）关税豁免，Shein 此前一直利用该豁免将服装从中国直接发运给客户。本月早些时候，欧盟也采取了同样的举措。
外卖业务推动 Tortilla 销售额强劲增长
墨西哥餐饮连锁店 Tortilla 表示，在 Deliveroo 等外卖平台上的启动加速了其销售增长。Tortilla Mexican Grill 提供定制的卷饼（burritos）和塔可（tacos），该公司表示，截至 6 月底的六个月内，同店销售额增长了近 14%。自 3 月下旬在 Deliveroo、Uber Eats 和 Just Eat 同时上线以来，销售额跳升了近五分之一，而外卖销售额增长了 50% 以上。
该公司还公布了 2025 年的年度业绩，此前由于会计问题导致审计师必须重新评估集团账目，业绩发布有所延迟。Tortilla 表示，其此前高估了去年与法国业务相关的利润，但首席执行官 Brandon Stephens 表示，公司正在“翻篇 2025, 财年法国的会计问题，并展望未来”。新公布的账目显示，2025 年调整后收益为 £1.1 million，其中英国业务盈利，而法国业务亏损。PA
大规模裁员后沃达丰利润上升
沃达丰集团（Vodafone Group）报告称，在削减成本的驱动下，销售额和利润均有所增长，这导致近几个月在欧洲裁员 1,200 人。在英国，该公司目标是在 2030 财年之前，每年从总成本和资本支出中削减约 £700 million；这部分是源于沃达丰与 Three 的合并，以组建该国最大的移动运营商。
在首席执行官 Margherita Della Valle 的领导下，沃达丰一直在推进重大转型，包括专注于德国、英国以及非洲等最大市场，同时退出业务规模较小的国家。公司目前预计全年的调整后收益将在 13. 亿欧元（£11.1bn）至 13.3 亿欧元（£11.4bn）之间。在
英国，截至 6 月底的三个月内，移动服务收入在有机基础上下降了 0.7%，部分原因是监管机构 Ofcom 采取打击措施后，逐步取消了合同期中的价格上涨。PA
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奥运冠军称：“‘超级力量’现在看起来截然不同”
Mark Staniforth
(PA Wire)
Adam Ramsay-Peaty 在格拉斯哥 Commonwealth Games 男子 50 米蛙泳决赛中遗憾获得第二枚铜牌后，坚持认为获胜已不再是全部。
在自己擅长的 100 米项目中获得第三名并表现得十分感性两天后，Ramsay-Peaty 表现得沉着得多。他强调，如果要保持专注地进入 2028 年奥运周期，优先事项的转变至关重要。
“现在的‘超能力’看起来非常不同，”拉姆齐-皮蒂 (Ramsay-Peaty) 说道。
在 2023 年为了优先照顾心理健康而缺席一年，以及在巴黎奥运会上获得一枚银牌之后，他曾经那极其强大的统治力在近年来有所减弱。
“一边照顾喝奶的婴儿，一边还要应付蹒跚学步的孩子，这是一种不同的超能力，”拉姆齐-皮蒂补充道，他与前任伴侣有一个五岁的儿子。
“我依然保持着那种心态——我们只是必须用非常不同的方式去面对。我曾经是那个一直获胜的人，而这几乎会让你付出所有代价，我现在不会说这值得。”
“我认为对我来说，在那段八年未尝败绩的时光里，首先是运动员，然后才是人类。现在是首先是人类，然后才是运动员，这是一个非常公平的代价。”
拉姆齐-皮蒂在周六的长距离项目中获得第三名后，誓言要制定一个“战斗计划”，但在预赛中他看起来并没有那么强悍，最终在胡利 (Houlie) 和 100 米金牌得主威廉森 (Williamson) 之后，以第三名成绩晋级决赛。
尽管赢得了三个个人世界冠军头衔，但拉姆齐-皮蒂在短距离项目上从未能如此绝对地确立自己的权威。在英联邦运动会上，他曾两次屈居于卡梅伦·范登堡 (Cameron van den Burgh) 之后，直到 2022 年在伯明翰终于登上冠军领奖台——而在此两天前，他在 100 米项目中意外地仅获得第四名。
洛杉矶奥运会游泳项目增加了 50 米蛙泳，这被认为是拉姆齐-皮蒂决定追求至少另一个奥运周期的原因之一——但至于他是否认为这值得付出代价，仍有待观察。
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在单杠上发生的一次严重事故中幸免于重伤后，英格兰队的体操运动员加布里埃尔·朗顿 (Gabriel Langton) 告诉詹姆斯·托尼 (James Toney) 为什么他迫不及待地想要回归赛场。
加布里埃尔·朗顿在英联邦运动会一次严重的摔落后幸免于重伤 (图片来源 PA)
加布里埃尔·朗顿承认，在英联邦运动会上发生那次可怕的摔落后，他曾担心自己的体操生涯。这名 19 岁的运动员在男子团体赛单杠项目中接杠失败，从三米高处头先着地，当晚在医院度过。
当他戴着依然帮助团队赢得的银牌回到英格兰队基地时，他确认自己没有遭受脑震荡。“我知道我还能说话，很多地方还能活动。我只是希望我能重新做体操，”他说道。
“颈部受伤必须严肃对待。我当时只是希望情况没有太糟糕。当我拿到扫描结果时，松了一口气。我的想法很快就转变为：‘我应该很快就能回到训练馆了。’”
“我已经和英格兰队的医生和理疗师谈过了，希望不会太久。这将是一个缓慢的重新适应过程，但希望不会太长。我现在感觉好多了。虽然还有点酸痛，但比前两天好多了，因为我知道没有太严重的问题。”
加布里埃尔·朗 {ton} 在单杠项目练习时摔落
朗顿在格拉斯哥国际体育馆的医务室里得知自己获得了一枚银牌，他声称这次摔落纯属意外，并表示迫不及待地想回到训练馆。
“那个动作我已经做了无数次，而这种情况只发生了一次，”他补充道。“我已经安全地完成了那一万次。如果你看这些数据，这就像是一个意外事故。我想我会非常有信心把这件事抛在脑后，再次信任我的体操能力。”
加布里埃尔·朗顿（Gabriel Langton）迫不及待地想回归赛场
朗顿透露他记得坠落时的每一个瞬间，回忆起尽管头先着地，但他的第一本能仍然是爬回单杠并完成他的动作。
“我几乎记得所有细节，”他说。“我们在比赛中稍微落后，所以我试图尽可能地接近完美。在第一次尝试时我全力以赴，显然，出了一点差错。”
“掉下来的时候我感到相当疼痛，但最初我认为我需要回到杠上完成动作。然后更多的医护人员走过来，我意识到我可能无法回到杠上了。”
“我只是非常沮丧这件事在那个时刻发生。球队处于落后状态，我觉得我本可以为团队得分做出贡献，所以我对自己感到失望。随后，当肾上腺素消退时，我开始感觉到疼痛。”
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国际足联主席对任何敢于质疑赛事成功的人发起猛烈抨击，威尔·卡斯尔（Will Castle）写道，但他对特朗普的模仿掩盖不了一个事实：他的行为让情况变得更糟了
詹尼·因凡蒂诺（Gianni Infantino）坚信世界杯没有任何瑕疵（Getty）
看到詹尼·因凡蒂诺是如此拼命地想要成为唐纳德·特朗普，坦白说真是太可爱了。当因凡蒂诺进行一场极其惊人、自我吹捧的咆哮并公开谴责世界杯黑粉时，你可以听到美国总统的语调，甚至看到他的手势。特朗普显然教会了他的国际足联同行一套屡试不爽的政治口号：重复地大声喊某个东西，最终它绝对会变成事实，大概吧。
因凡蒂诺声称他这场“最卓越的世界杯”进行得毫无差池。“我们没有经历暴力，没有事故，100 安全与保障，只有欢乐和幸福！”你以为你记得福拉林·巴洛贡（Folarin Balogun）的惨剧吗？对伊朗的无耻对待？拒绝让非洲最好的裁判入境？墨西哥战胜厄瓜多尔后的庆祝活动中因拥挤导致四人死亡？不，你只是“被仇恨吞噬”了——振作起来，你这个悲观主义者！
詹尼·因凡蒂诺在社交媒体上的咆哮模仿了唐纳德·特朗普（AFP/Getty）
他用像欢乐、团结和爱这样毫无意义的流行词来掩盖他的咆哮，这些词被重复了几十次却没有任何实质内容。但除此之外没有其他表达方式：这是一次对那些试图要求他负责的人的攻击。这是一个扭曲现实并试图重写对他不利的叙事的尝试——即他正凭一己之力毁掉世界上最伟大的运动。
“对于所有错过观看孩子、婴儿、祖父母和父母为了这美丽的足球运动而聚集在一起的人，我深感抱歉，比赛现在已经结束了，很遗憾你们错过了所有的欢乐与团结。抱歉你们如此被仇恨所吞噬”
“对于那些躲在笔纸后面、屏幕后面传播仇恨和虚假传闻的人，我想告诉你们，当你们坐在后面时，我们国际足联正处于前线，组织、努力工作并呈现世界上最精彩的演出。”
随之而来的矛盾地带似乎永无止境。随着每一次刷屏，人们对一个将低劣谎言冒充为绝对真理的可怜之人的愤怒之情便随之而来。
因凡蒂诺似乎坚信世界杯除了巨大的成功之外别无他物（Getty）
根据因凡蒂诺的说法，“伊朗在没有事故或冲突的情况下进入了美国”，因为国际足联“不懈努力地使两个交战国家团结起来”。詹尼，你觉得我们的记忆有那么短吗？！
从“核心”工作人员被拒绝签证，到由于美国的入境限制在最后一刻将训练营移至墨西哥，再到特朗普政府强迫球队在比赛结束后“立即”离境——引用队长梅迪·塔雷米（Mehdi Taremi）的话，伊朗的世界杯经历是一场“灾难”。
国际足联主席还严重低估了极其严重的签证问题。他声称，“少数几个人[被]拒绝签证”与“来自世界各地的数百万获批者”相比微不足道，并自我赞赏地说道：“面临严重健康问题或其他挑战的国家也被授予了签证。”
并非只有少数几个人。“足球比仇恨和歧视更伟大，”他说道。显然并非如此。
索马里裁判奥马尔·阿卜杜勒卡迪尔·阿尔坦（Omar Abdulkadir Artan）的案例最为令人震惊，他曾获评 2025 年非洲年度裁判，却因涉嫌与“恐怖组织疑似成员”有联系而在边境被遣返回国。在经历过“人生最大的梦想”被摧毁之后，欧足联随后任命他为超级杯裁判，这无疑是对因凡蒂诺的一次直接挑衅。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 拒绝给裁判奥马尔·阿尔坦（Omar Artan）发放签证是世界杯最受关注的故事之一 (AFP/Getty)
但对于所有未能进入美国的人来说，有几个名人在某种程度上设法进入了境内。加纳中场托马斯·帕蒂（Thomas Partey）在被指控七项强奸罪和一项性侵罪后等待审判，对此他均否认有罪。而他被允许进入了美国。科特迪瓦的埃利耶·瓦希（Elye Wahi）在世界杯开赛前几天因操纵比赛而被捕。
然后是巴洛根（Balogun）的惨剧。关于这使世界杯陷入的耻辱境地，已经讨论得足够多了。再次，因凡蒂诺在他的长篇大论中淡化了这一点。
“事实上，‘有争议的’裁判决定或‘奇怪的’纪律裁决，例如可能误判的红黄牌，或随后在某些情况下决定不禁赛球员的情况，在全球一些最大的联赛中是常规且被广泛接受的，”他说道。“令人好奇的是，采用这些做法的相同国家竟然是那些在进行批评的国家。”
这是他的组织对欧足联谴责的再一次反击，因凡蒂诺认为自己为所有厌恶者制造了一个“抓到你了！”的时刻。但不需要专家也能剖析出这个空洞论点的本质。
在巴洛根那张令人质疑的红牌出现后，国际足联因其世界杯条例中缺乏官方申诉渠道而面临批评。当因凡蒂诺谈论其他联赛时，指出的正是这些渠道——而他的赛事并没有这个选项。
唐纳德·特朗普通过拥有其电话号码找到了绕过这一障碍的方法。在唐纳德·特朗普要求审查之后，一项鲜为人知的条款被启动，导致巴洛根的禁赛被暂停。尽管有强有力的论据表明，相关条款——第 12.7 条——不应适用于场上的“纪律措施”，因为这些措施理应是最终结论，且不应由国际足联的司法机构审查。
福拉林·巴洛贡 (Folarin Balogun) 被撤销的红卡是本次赛事最大的争议之一 (路透社)
其他球队试图效仿，但由于没有任何官方的上诉渠道，国际足联 (Fifa) 迅速失去了控制并拒绝了任何请求。这散发出一种优待特定对象的恶臭，并让该赛事的体育诚信受到了严重质疑。
所以，不，这并不是世界上最精彩的表演。尽管他与唐纳德·特朗普 (Donald Trump) 一直在谈论这次世界杯取得了无与伦比的成功，但他在帮助这位总统好友实现真正重要的事情上失败了：那就是洗白其政府的声誉。
毕竟，这是一场“体育洗白”活动。“Maga 世界杯”旨在向世界展示这个伟大的美国星条旗般的辉煌，同时在对政府日益增长的蔑视（由 ICE 丑闻、爱泼斯坦文件等催化）之中，提高其严格国境内的支持率。相反，它让人们再也不希望国际体育赛事回到美国海岸。
卡塔尔证明了，世界杯之前的罪行——以令人厌恶的人权侵犯形式出现——不幸的是，只要有一个好的故事线和一场不被国家干预的体面赛事，就可以在大多数普通观众面前被掩盖。即便在
通过允许唐纳德·特朗普 (Donald Trump) 越界干预实际比赛，因凡蒂诺 (Infantino) 让他付出了沉重的代价。唐纳德·特朗普 (Donald Trump) 让自己的国家感到尴尬，同时也让那位被他否定国籍合法性的球员感到尴尬。他的行为还激怒了足球世界的其余部分。
因凡蒂诺 (Infantino) 和唐纳德·特朗普 (Donald Trump) 共同确保了这次世界杯不会被载入史册作为一次伟大的世界杯 (PA Wire)
只有在每位总统的亲信圈子里，这次世界杯才被认为是成功的。目前人们正在讨论举办 64 支球队参加的世界杯，而这个已经臃肿不堪的赛事的未来令人难以接受。
但有一件事是可以肯定的：无论因凡蒂诺 (Infantino) 向他的批评者推荐多少祈祷和冥想，这次世界杯都不会作为伟大的赛事被记录在册。它将被扔进失败者的垃圾桶，而这正是唐纳德·特朗普 (Donald Trump) 想要避免的。
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在安东尼·约书亚 (Anthony Joshua) 对阵克里斯蒂安·普伦加 (Kristian Prenga) 遭遇惊魂时刻，以及关于将泰森·富里 (Tyson Fury) 之战移至美国的讨论中，这场已经过了“保质期”的对决是否将面临进一步的推迟？
Alex Pattle 格斗体育编辑
曾经令人期待的安东尼·约书亚 (Anthony Joshua) 对阵泰森·富里 (Tyson Fury) 的重量级比赛现在变得日益混乱 (盖蒂图片社)
不，安东尼·约书亚 (Anthony Joshua) 对阵克里斯蒂安·普伦加 (Kristian Prenga) 的胜利并非操纵。但由于他与泰森·富里 (Tyson Fury) 的比赛可能已经损坏到无法修复的地步。
当约书亚在周六 20 秒内重重地摔在画布上时，人们曾短暂地感到他与富里的超级对决正随之崩溃。但仅仅五分钟后，约书亚就笑着化解了这次惊魂，因为普伦加的头部撞击在了底绳上，导致这个无助的重量级选手在意识模糊的同时，再次消失在拳击界的默默无闻之中。
关于结果被操纵的暗示（且这类暗示数量之多令人奇怪）绝不应被考虑哪怕一秒钟。在那样混乱的几分钟里，每一次对痛苦和伤害的衡量都是真实的。这一点无需多言。
然而，这场比赛的叙事反转之快，几乎与约书亚（Joshua）对阵富里（Fury）的叙事反转一样迅速。在24小时前，这场对决还被吹捧为注定属于“AJ”的胜利——因为富里在击败马里乌什·瓦赫（Mariusz Wach）时的表现如此乏味。富里在泰国经过七轮比赛获胜（尽管比赛没有在任何地方播出），但一个46岁的瓦赫根本无法作为检验“吉普赛之王”能力的试金石。
就像他在四月份对阵阿尔斯兰贝克·马赫穆多夫（Arslanbek Makhmudov）时那样，富里看起来游刃有余，但仅此而已。不过，公平地说，“游刃有余”总好过约书亚在沙特阿拉伯的经历。
因此，相关记录将写道：“富里通过第七轮 TKO 击败瓦赫 (3:00)；约书亚通过第二轮 KO 击败普伦加 (Prenga) (2:43)”——这扫清了这两位英国重量级选手之间最后的障碍。然而，问题在于，富里和约书亚绝没有在加速冲向11月温布利大球场的终极对决。
沙特比赛撮合人图尔基·阿尔希希赫（Turki Alalshikh）提议的格林尼治标准时间凌晨2点进场早已是荒唐之举，而现在有传闻称，约书亚的合同规定对决必须在英国领土上进行。相比之下，富里的合同则允许在美国会面。
此外，在闭门会议中，一定在讨论约书亚在心理状态上是否适合在11月重返赛场。换句话说，周末虽然拆除了两个障碍（是通过艰苦努力而非强力击碎），但可能又出现了两个新障碍。
如果约书亚对阵富里的比赛推迟到 2027. 年，请不要感到惊讶。如果有人建议增加更多热身赛，请不要感到惊讶。如果这场大戏最终从未上演，请也不要感到惊讶，即便那些参与合同签署的人可能会对这种暗示感到愤怒。
[[IMG_XXXX]] 约书亚在第一轮两次被击倒后从画布上爬起
不要忘记：约书亚对阵富里的比赛之前签署过，但最终还是泡汤了。
在对阵普伦加时，约书亚在经历了12月一场导致两名队友丧生的尼日利亚车祸惨剧后，正经历着一次极其迅速的复出。尽管约书亚拥有令人钦佩的决心，尽管经历了深刻的自我审视，尽管在乌克兰与旧对手奥列克桑德尔·乌西克（Oleksandr Usyk）一起训练，但残酷的事实是，他在普伦加扔出的第一记有力重击下就被击倒了。
无论约书亚是心态出了问题还是下颚不够坚硬，在面对富里时这都是令人担忧的原因。再说一次，周末的比赛让一名拳击手告诉《独立报》：约书亚对阵富里可能是“下颚没了”对阵“腿力没了”的情况。
人们已经达成共识，富里对阵约书亚的比赛如果发生在11月，将比最佳时机晚了数年。但在过去几年的不同时间点，本文作者曾告诉过你，每位拳击手的状态可能都在相似的程度上有所下降，且尚未下降到过度之程度，这使得这场对决依然是一个诱人的前景。当然，在他们权力巅峰时期碰撞将是最理想的，但你真正需要的只是相信双方都有现实的获胜机会——而这些赔率在多年来已多次变动。
Fury 轻松击败 Mariusz Wach，就在 Joshua 击败 Kristian Prenga 的前一天
重量级选手在 40 岁时仍继续拳击并不罕见，但一些史上最伟大的选手在那个年纪时，状态看起来比 36 岁和 37 岁的 Joshua 和 Fury 都要接近巅峰。
因此，正如上文所述，不仅是这些前冠军们在奔向那场期待已久的对决时速度不快；而且在比赛到来之前，两人中的任何一个都可能已经走到了尽头。
每当朝着 Joshua 对阵 Fury 迈进一小步，这场比赛就似乎离触及更远了一点，就像某种西西弗斯式的惩罚。这场比赛作为一个概念而非实际的体育竞技，已经变成了一个无止境的、地狱般的循环。想退出的人应该不止我一个。
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Rhys McClenaghan 在进行鞍马比赛 (PA)
McClenaghan 的冒险动作未能获得回报
本届英联邦运动会的定义在很大程度上取决于缺席的运动员，就像在场的人一样。Rhys McClenaghan 可能会疑惑自己为什么要费这个劲。这位北爱尔兰人是唯一一位在单一项目上赢得过奥运会、世界锦标赛、欧洲锦标赛和英联邦运动会冠军的体操运动员，但在他看来几乎稳操胜券的鞍马决赛中，他竟然一枚奖牌也没拿到。
这位 27 岁的选手公开表示，只有在他继续挑战该运动极限的情况下，他才会前往洛杉矶卫冕奥运冠军，并表示他将继续冒险。如果采用标准套路，他本可以在这里赢得金牌，但这并非 McClenaghan 的风格。最终，加拿大的 Jordan Carroll 击败苏格兰的 Reuben Ward 和 Cameron Lynn 夺金。
“开局并不顺利。裁判没有认可我的上马动作，那是我试图引入的一项新技巧。当你失去这样一个技巧时，整个套路就崩溃了。即使套路其余部分完美无缺，仍然不够。我需要把它改进。我需要让它好到无可争议，这样裁判甚至不需要思考是否认可它。”
“这是过程中的一步。即使我今天赢得了金牌，那也仅仅是另一小步。你在整个体操生涯中不能一直使用相同的套路。” PA/Sportsbeat
ITV 达成协议将播报 2027 年橄榄球世界杯
在达成 2027 年赛事的独家协议后，ITV 将继续作为英国男子橄榄球世界杯的电视播出地。该广播公司是世界橄榄球联合会（World Rugby）的长期合作伙伴，但据认为在明年的版权争夺中，它面临着 BBC 的竞争，后者去年播报了女子橄榄球世界杯。
但 ITV 已确认，它已续签协议，将播报在澳大利亚举行的扩赛版赛事中的全部 52 场比赛，因为它将继续致力于成为橄榄球联合会的免费广播之乡。2026 年和 2028 年国家冠军赛（Nations Championship）的每场比赛都将在该广播公司的频道上播出，此外 ITV 还拥有大部分男子六国锦标赛（Six Nations）比赛的版权。
由于还获得了赛前热身赛的版权，直到 2027 年世界杯期间的所有英格兰男子国际赛都将在 ITV 上播出。
Littler 将在奖金 £501 的 Netflix 节目中担任主演
飞镖 sensation Luke Littler 将在 Netflix 的新系列节目《击败 Luke Littler》（Beat Luke Littler）中担任主角，业余选手将在节目中向这位世界第一发起挑战。这场现场活动为 20 名被选中的参与者提供丰厚的 £501,000 奖金，只要他们能击败这位 19 岁的神童。有抱负的竞争者可以通过公开的地区赛报名
Littler 本人通过一段视频消息发起了参与号召，在视频中，他回应了那些对自己击败他充满信心的社交媒体评论。他面对镜头说道：“觉得你在飞镖比赛中能赢我？来试试吧。”该节目将于 10 月 30 日星期五在 Netflix 平台直播。
希望参加的人可以通过访问 beatlukelittler.com 获取更多申请详情。Littler 在 18 个月大时就开始练习飞镖，并在 16 岁时进入了 PDC 世界锦标赛决赛，最终输给了 Luke Humphries。他的爆发之年是在 2024 年，当时他赢得了超级联赛（Premier League）和飞镖大满贯赛（Grand Slam of Darts）。在 2025 年 1 月举行的 2025 年 PDC 世界飞镖锦标赛上，他年仅 17 岁便成为了最年轻的世界第一。
皮尔路退出意大利国家队主帅之争
安德烈亚·皮尔路（Andrea Pirlo）已确认，他不再是意大利国家足球队下一任主教练的候选人。这位前 AC 米兰和尤文图斯中场曾在 2006 年作为球员随意大利队赢得了世界杯，他在周一通过 Instagram 宣布：“我昨晚获悉，我已不再是意大利国家队主帅职位的候选人。”
他的退出源于对其与一家俄罗斯博彩公司签署赞助协议的政治担忧。多位意大利政治家对皮尔路担任 Fonbet 大使的合同提出了异议，认为在与俄罗斯持续战争的背景下，国家队主教练不应持有与意大利支持乌克兰相冲突的观点。
皮尔路此前已准备好离开他在迪拜联（Dubai United）的职位以接管意大利队，他为该协议辩护称，这“纯粹出于商业和体育”目的，且与其在阿联酋的工作相关。他补充道：“将这次合作赋予政治意义……”
此前他在执教尤文图斯和桑普多利亚期间的不成功经历，已使其成为了一个不受欢迎的选择。路透社（PA）
世界杯决赛裁判温西奇退休
在最近的世界杯决赛中执法比赛的裁判斯拉夫科·温西奇（Slavko Vincic）在赛事结束仅一周后宣布退休。这位斯洛文尼亚裁判因在阿根廷 0-1 加时赛负于西班牙的比赛中，对阿根廷队身体对抗方式的处理不当而面临广泛批评；在那场比赛的补时阶段，他罚下了切尔西中场恩佐·费尔南德斯（Enzo Fernandez）。
在费兰·托雷斯（Ferran Torres）攻入加时赛绝杀球后，赛后场面因西班牙和阿根廷球员在球场上的冲突而变得混乱不堪。国际足联（Fifa）正在调查赛后场景，其中包括阿根廷中场莱昂德罗·帕雷德斯（Leandro Paredes）将加维（Gavi）推倒在地的行为，尽管这位西班牙球星透露他并不希望帕雷德斯被禁赛。
在确认温西奇离任的同时，斯洛文尼亚足球协会发表声明称：“在美国世界杯决赛一周后，斯拉夫科·温西奇正式结束了他在世界顶峰的历史性裁判生涯。”尽管近期存在争议，但 46 岁的温西奇拥有卓越的职业生涯，他曾被国际足球历史与统计联合会（IFFHS）和意大利裁判协会（AIA，该协会每两年颁发一次朱利奥·坎帕纳蒂奖）共同评为世界杯最佳裁判。路透社（PA）
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F
rom Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms, to Bordeaux and its coastal peninsula, Cap Ferret, and then on to Madrid, communities across Europe are being forced to run for their lives from the wildfires now raging uncontrollably.
It is as if nature is biting back. Millions of people are affected directly or indirectly. Crops – including prized vineyards – are lost or at risk, property and businesses destroyed, tourism devastated.
The weather maps show such blazes at increasing probability of breaking out in an arc running from Portugal to Romania, also taking in much of the British isles – braced for its fourth heatwave of the summer – and even northern Finland. This is not “just weather”, but a series of no-longer freakish events that are the most tangible proof yet of the science of climate change.
That they are sometimes not unprecedented is hardly a source of comfort, given that the last such outbreaks were only a year or so ago. Thus, while some 1,254 major forest fires have been recorded in Europe this year, slightly down on the equivalent period in 2025, this is much more than double the longer-term average of 579 incidents.
similar “heat zone”, the third this year, is also settling over about 70 million people in North America, from the Great Plains to the Gulf of Mexico, while smoke from Canadian wildfires is still billowing south to New York.
Earlier this year, climate change contributed to deadly floods across much of sub-Saharan Africa and tropical storms in southeast Asia. Meanwhile, the full El Niño effect is yet to materialise, and active glacier melt accelerates in Greenland (another excellent reason to keep Donald Trump out of the Danish territory).
As ever, not every extreme event should be lazily attributed to climate change, but recent events do bear out the scientific evidence for this long-term trend, and serve as a timely reminder that there is worse to come. Science can provide explanations and propose solutions – such as limiting the increase in global temperatures to 1.5C over pre-industrial levels.
But action is a matter for politics, and it is a tragedy that in recent years, the consensus about climate change and the value of global net zero targets has slipped so badly. In the UK, the new Burnham administration seems keen to slide back into drilling for more North Sea oil and gas.
Reform UK has made much populist electoral progress by promoting a mix of anti-science conspiracy theories and nihilism – the notion that nothing can be done even if it is man-made, so why bother? Even the Green Party under Zack Polanski has rearranged its agenda to put Gaza at the centre of its offering, at the expense of more traditional, ecological causes.
However, it is within the Conservative Party, still the alternative government, that the regression has been so inexplicable and regrettable. Ever since Margaret Thatcher (a chemist by training) made a landmark speech in 1988 at the UN General Assembly on the subject, the party has been at the forefront of international efforts to protect life on earth. There can be few nobler causes.
When David Cameron became leader two decades ago, he too championed the environment, famously going to the Arctic to “hug a husky”. Theresa May made a binding commitment to make the British economy “net zero”, and Boris Johnson, for all his baleful defects, kept up the momentum at COP summits.
Now, however, Kemi Badenoch, a self-confessed “net zero sceptic”, says she will block prospective Conservative candidates and former MPs from standing for her party if they support the UK 2050 net zero targets. It is a ludicrous volte-face for a democratic organisation with a proud record in this field. The shift is based entirely on a perhaps wilful misapprehension about the nature of green, renewable energy – something Ms Badenoch unfortunately shares with Nigel Farage.
The basic truth about solar and wind power (as well as a nuclear base load) is that although the initial capital investment can be costly, the reward is a plentiful, stable, cheap and abundant supply of energy, liberating the UK from the unstable fossil-fuel economy and its volatile prices. Saving the planet is just a bonus.
Today, Britain is buffeted by the impact of extreme weather and by soaring energy costs because it doesn’t generate enough renewable energy of its own at home. Certainly, the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are minuscule next to India, say, or China; but these nations are, in fact, also committed under international treaties to reduce their emissions, albeit on a longer timetable.
If Britain and other Western powers abandon their targets, then it’s more likely the other newly industrialising superpowers of Asia will do the same. That is why President Trump’s petulant withdrawal from the Paris climate change treaty was so deeply damaging to the prospects for planetary survival – a transcendent “civilisational erasure”.
One day, perhaps those on the right across the world will once again accept climate science, the evidence of their own eyes, and
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Macron as another heatwave looms
Maira Butt
A firefighter looks on as a blaze rages near Marcheprime, outside Bordeaux (AP)
Emergency services tackling massive wildfires in Spain and France are in a race against time to get the blazes under control before another 40C heatwave hits Europe this week.
In France, flames have burned through an area roughly four times the size of Paris and are now just nine miles outside the country’s sixth-largest city of Bordeaux, with no sign of slowing down. In central Spain, three separate fronts remained active in the mountains northwest of Madrid in the provinces of Madrid, Toledo and Avila.
The crisis is expected to intensify further with temperatures set to hit 40C in Spain and France within days, according to the meteorological agencies of both countries. The soaring
“We are still in the midst of a crisis; we must remain vigilant," Sophie Brocas, prefect of Bordeaux’s Gironde region told Le Parisien yesterday. “The fire is not contained and remains extremely dangerous.
“This unprecedented blaze does not follow any known pattern; it creates its own winds and requires constant adaptation.”
Authorities have so far evacuated about 250,000 people in France, including holidaymakers and residents, while in Spain around 116,000 have been told to leave their homes or seek shelter. Wildfires have also impacted Italy and Portugal, with the UK government confirming yesterday it is preparing for a similar crisis.
“What we're experiencing isn't a succession of isolated events,” Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez said yesterday. “It's the most painful expression of a climate emergency that is making sixth-generation wildfires more ferocious, heatwaves more frequent, and our territory more vulnerable.”
Firefighters tackle a blaze as wildfires rage near Le Las, outside Bordeaux yesterday (AP)
Key figures so far:
116,000 hectares burned in France this year, including 42,000 from the blaze near Bordeaux
360,000 people evacuated, including 250,000 in France and 116,000 in Spain
2,500 firefighters, 1,500 military personnel, and 1,200 police officers and gendarmes battling blaze in Gironde, France
75 firefighters injured and at least two dead
162 people arrested on suspicion of arson in France
Yesterday, French president Emmanuel Macron called a crisis meeting of his cabinet to discuss how to battle the fires, after reassuring the country over the weekend that the government would offer support to people “for as long as is needed”.
Mr Macron urged fire crews to “stay strong”, warning that the fight will take time but vowing: “We will win this battle together.”
“We're facing a completely unprecedented fire,” Mr Macron said, describing the situation as France's worst fire-related crisis since the Second World War..
He praised firefighting teams who stopped the inferno's progression after successive days of spreading flames. But with woodlands still smouldering, he cautioned that the battle isn’t yet won. The weeks ahead will be hard,” he said.
France’s prime minister Sebastien Lecornu said the country was going through an “unprecedented fire season”, with the area burned already having surpassed the previous record year of 2022. The European Union's European Forest Fire Information System estimates that over 300,000 hectares have burned in France and Spain as a result of wildfires since January this year.
The extreme fires come after a series of scorching heatwaves across western Europe, with highs of 45C reported earlier this month.
Smoke rises as flames burn during a wildfire at Ares, Gironde (Reuters)
France’s meteorological agency, Météo-France, warned that the next heatwave would settle over the country today and that tomorrow temperatures will continue to rise, with intense heat peaking across much of the western half of the country.
Emmanuel Cerisier, who lives near Bordeaux, told The Independent that there is an overwhelming feeling of “tension and anxiety” as people wonder whether they will have to evacuate.
“Over the last two or three days, we’re experiencing fog and clouds of ashes and you get the smell pretty much all the time,” said Mr Cerisier, who lives with his wife and daughters, aged 18 and 16.
“Even in the city centre of Bordeaux, when the winds get stronger, you can get clouds of ashes that darken the sky. It’s easy to spot here when it starts and it can stay a few hours.
“Elderly people are wearing masks in the city so if you go out in the city centre, it will remind you of the Covid era.
“You get the taste of ashes that burn in your throat when you’re in the middle of those clouds. My kids and wife don’t want to go out when the winds are blowing in our direction.”
An aircraft dumps water over a wildfire burning near San Martin de Valdeiglesias, about 40 miles west of Madrid (AFP/Getty)
Authorities warned that some of the fires had become so large they had generated their own rare weather system, sparking thunderstorms and strong winds.
“This smoke cloud generates its own weather system, causing anything in its path to spontaneously combust. It is unprecedented in France,” said Eric Brocardi, a spokesperson for the National Firefighters Federation of France. The “fire cloud” phenomena is typically witnessed during volcanic eruptions and can create its own wind and lightning.
Tourists have also been advised to stay away from the region due to low air quality, and yesterday the Bordeaux airport hotel zone was evacuated until further notice, although the airport itself remains operational.
In a statement overnight, the airport said that the decision to close all hotels in its immediate vicinity was made in accordance with the Gironde prefecture.
While flights are still operational, the airport said no accommodation can be provided at the airport itself, which
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and the hotel didn’t say anything’
James C. Reynolds speaks to travellers in Bordeaux who have just arrived from Gatwick airport
Volunteer firefighters have turned out to help tackle the blaze in areas like Le Porge, where entire homes have been gutted (AFP/Getty)
British travellers arriving in Bordeaux on Monday braved the smoke as an “unprecedented” wildfire continued to sweep through southwest France, forcing more than 200,000 people to evacuate.
Steve Bray, arriving from London Gatwick, told The Independent that he and his partner, Laura Slade, were spending a couple of nights in the city before heading to a wedding in the south.
“Our government didn’t say anything, the French government didn’t say anything, the flights didn’t say anything and the hotel didn’t say anything,” he said.
“It’s all good. Wasn’t put off at all,” he said, adding: “Overall, can’t complain. We’re on holiday, so haven’t got work tomorrow!”
The British Airways flight heading to Bordeaux from Gatwick yesterday afternoon was held on the apron for nearly three hours due to the fires, waiting for a signal on availability to land.
Eighty firefighters had been injured tackling the blaze, according to local officials (AFP/Getty)
Passengers aboard the almost full flight were handed water and snacks by patient staff. Vicko Parian, also holidaying in the region for a couple of days, said: “We were a bit nervous about [the fires] but then, the hotel was booked and we couldn’t get a refund so we thought ... If worst comes to worst we can always get a train to Paris and then get a Eurostar.”
James Massip, arriving from Luton, said he spent around half an hour waiting before takeoff. “I live here so I know a few people so to be honest, I’ve just been watching the news,” he said.
Julien Dijols, who lives north of Bordeaux, said he was returning from holiday in the UK yesterday evening. He said he lived far from the wildfires and was “not really concerned” about the fires personally. He said they had checked on their flights to make sure they would be able to get home.
There was a smell of smoke in the air at Bordeaux airport last night, and a hotel was providing water and face masks to guests.
The British Foreign Office currently advises people in affected areas, or planning to travel to them, to “follow instructions and updates from local authorities and emergency services at all times”.
Active wildfires continue to spread through southwest France, laying ruin to homes and forcing thousands of evacuations (AFP/Getty)
Travellers are advised to call 112 if in need of emergency help, and to check with their accommodation or travel provider before travelling.
More than 220,000 people, including tourists and residents, have been evacuated from areas near Bordeaux since unprecedented fires took hold near the Atlantic coast last week.
French interior minister Laurent Nuñez said the fire had not spread overnight but the danger had not passed.
“It isn't contained. I absolutely do not want to sound reassuring. That is not my intention. We must remain very focused and very determined,” he said.
Mr Nuñez said the fire has burned through 40,000 hectares of land already – nearly twice the area burned by wildfires in the Gironde region in 2022.
Mathilde Sauveroche, a resident of Bordeaux, told The Independent that the fire had given her flashbacks of those of four years ago, until it became clear that the situation now was much worse.
“On Friday, we started to smell smoke from Bordeaux. By Friday evening the air was unbreathable: itchy throat, eyes stinging,” she said.
“In Cenon on Friday, we also had a tyre workshop that burned down a few streets from my house, so the smell was atrocious.”
She described fleeing the city with her husband over the weekend in search of clean air, before returning this week to work at a daycare centre.
“The drive back was apocalyptic,” she said. “We left under a blue sky and drove through a massive orange-grey cloud. We had stocked up on FFP2 masks to be able to breathe normally. Bordeaux was covered in it.”
“We do talk to the kids about the fires so they know what's going on. They can sense the general panic,” she said, adding that they are now asking families to donate baby products where possible.
French president Emmanuel Macron with interior minister Laurent Nunez, left, in Bordeaux yesterday (Reuters)
“What is happening was predicted by scientists so many years ago yet our politicians ignored it. With the French presidential elections coming next year it's even more important people realise the impact it's having on citizens’ lives.”
Temperatures dipped to 32C yesterday, giving firefighters a brief window to try to bring the fire under control. France’s weather office warned that temperatures could rise to 37C later in the week as the heatwave returns.
Eighty firefighters have been injured tackling the blaze, according to local officials. The fires have also forced the evacuation of the entire Cap-Ferret peninsula and several suburbs outside of Bordeaux.
French economy minister Roland Lescure told reporters yesterday that more than 13,000 businesses have had to evacuate their premises due to the wildfires so far.
The Independent contacted British Airways for comment
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Labour’s next manifesto, minister says
Millie Cooke Political correspondent
Labour leader Andy Burnham has previously said he is in favour of the UK rejoining the EU (PA)
A government minister has failed to rule out putting a promise to rejoin the EU in Labour’s next manifesto, suggesting that Andy Burnham could attempt to unpick Brexit in the next parliament.
Minister for European relations Hamish Falconer insisted that the government is “not talking about rejoining today”, but added: “What we do in our next manifesto will be a question for the Labour Party.”
Mr Burnham has previously said he is in favour of the UK rejoining the EU, but later clarified that he will not try to rejoin, arguing that the country would be stuck in a “permanent rut if we’re just constantly arguing”.
Asked yesterday how the prime minister will approach Britain’s relationship with the EU, following a “reset” of relations undertaken by Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Falconer told Sky News: “The previous prime minister did really important work to help reset relations, and I want to consolidate some of that work. But we also need to see how we can go further.
“Even since when we started those talks, the world has changed quite dramatically. The threats have changed quite dramatically – both talking about some of the threats in Eastern Europe, but clearly there are economic security threats, disinformation threats too.”
Hamish Falconer suggested Burnham could put a promise to rejoin the EU in the next manifesto (PA)
Asked whether he agrees with calls from former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, who called for Britain to rejoin the EU in a recent interview with The Independent, Mr Falconer said: “Look, the questions for the next manifesto are not yet sorted, but I think it’s been absolutely clear from what the prime minister has said, and I share his views on this – we had this vote 10 years ago. It was the will of the country. It was the will of my own constituency as well. We’re not backsliding from that.
Asked whether he could rule out reopening the issue of Brexit, he said: “We’re not talking about rejoining today. What we do in our next manifesto will also be a question for the Labour Party.”
Earlier this month, Lord Kinnock told The Independent that rejoining the EU was the “only patriotic thing to do” for Britain.
He argued that anyone who truly loves Britain should back rejoining the bloc – and they should do it for the “kids” at the very least.
In a stark message to Mr Burnham, Lord Kinnock also urged him not to be as constrained as Sir Keir by Labour’s so-called “red lines” on Europe, which rule out rejoining the customs union and single market or allowing free movement of labour.
Mike Galsworthy, chair of pro-EU campaign group the European Movement, said Mr Falconer’s remarks demonstrate “exactly the right approach”.
“A Labour government looking for a new parliament absolutely has to offer something in its manifesto – and a commitment to open accession talks for full EU membership is a no-brainer,” he told The Independent.
“Furthermore, if other parties like Lib Dems, Greens, Plaid, etc do the same – then you could see at the next general election a majority of voters voting for parties that pledge to open accession talks, thus giving the government a very strong mandate and also a clear signal to the EU that this country is serious about getting back in the team.
“This is what we, at European Movement UK, are pushing for."
Meanwhile, Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, which campaigns to reintegrate the UK with the EU, said: “The world has changed rapidly and significantly in the past decade,
and as the minister highlights, voters have responded – our polling consistently finds a majority of people now support the UK rejoining the EU, especially those prepared to vote for Labour at the next election.
“Shared challenges from defence and security to climate change and AI can only be tackled jointly with our closest allies and friends – and with a new prime minister pledging to secure growth in every postcode, the redistributive benefits of a £92bn GDP boost spread across the country simply cannot be overlooked – economically or politically.”
But Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton accused the government of “still chasing its own tail on Europe”, adding: “While ministers tiptoe around manifesto promises and jostle for influence in Number 10, British businesses, farmers, and young people are paying the price for the Conservatives’ broken Brexit deal every single day. The public is sick of fence- sitting and vague hints about what might happen. We need bold action now.”
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radical schools reform by Burnham
David Maddox Political editor
The prime minister wants education sector to balance academic goals with practical opportunities for children (AFP/Getty)
Andy Burnham is set to unveil the biggest overhaul in education in 15 years with an end to a system which prioritises preparing children for university at the expense of technical training.
The prime minister is to announce the changes as part of a new drive to tackle “a lost generation” with 1 million young people unemployed or trapped outside education.
It comes after he revealed to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that he plans to bring down the welfare bill by making benefits conditional on people finding work, especially ones linked to mental health issues such as anxiety and stress.
But the move to value “the hard hat as much as the graduation cap” is another break with former Labour prime minister Sir Tony Blair’s legacy, which saw vocational qualifications downgraded in favour of getting 50 per cent of school leavers to university.
Ahead of the announcement, Mr Burnham said: “For too long in this country, students have been told that you must take the academic path to do well and to be respected. The whole school system has been built around it and that has let down young people seeking technical qualifications.
“I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical which gives all young people a clear path in life. From today, Britain will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.”
He added: “Fixing the youth unemployment crisis in Britain will require a major shake-up in how we do things – and that’s what this government will do. I want to ensure that our education system leaves no dead ends for our young people. The changes we’re announcing today will just be the start of our work to restore opportunity and hope across the country.”
It represents the biggest shift in education since Michael Gove rolled out the school academies and free school reforms in 2011.
But the focus on vocational qualifications also comes at a time when graduates are being hit with massive levels of debt from paying for tuition fees while many are struggling to find employment.
The new pathways of prestigious technical routes will provide 14-year-olds with early access to technical skills, work experience and connections with local employers.
Mr Burnham believes that funding for the changes will come the existing £570m investment to create additional college places across the country, alongside the wider Department for
The prime minister has made it clear that he is determined to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path and to ensure there are “no dead ends” for young people coming out of the education system.
This will mean providing high-quality technical education routes that are valued and respected by students, parents and employers. In a message directly to students, he will say “whether you choose construction, coding or classics, you’ll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve”.
Under the plans, from age 14 (Year 10), students will have the chance to combine core academic subjects – including English, maths and science – with technical education linked to jobs available in their area. They will be able to spend time with employers and gain real-world experience.
Mr Burnham believes he will be building on initiatives which he championed as mayor of Manchester, such as the MBacc (Greater Manchester Baccalaureate), and the new technical routes will mean young people can develop the technical knowledge and skills needed to progress in areas like engineering, healthcare and digital technology, skilling them up with the specific knowledge and capabilities that local employers need.
Former health secretary Alan Milburn speaks to the media in late May about his interim report Young People and Work (PA)
As part of his devolution plans, regional mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers will work together to shape the new technical education pathways, which can be tailored around local industries and growth sectors.
The prime minister will pledge that the government will prioritise funding towards high-quality technical education and practical routes into work. The government will also change the way school performance is measured. Inspectors will recognise the schools that provide high-quality technical education and support young people to develop the skills, experience and confidence employers want.
It comes after former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn's interim report warned that Britain is at risk of a "lost generation", with over a million 16- to 24-year-olds now not in education, employment or training.
His findings painted a stark picture of a system that too often leaves young people leaving school without the skills, experience or connections they need to step into the world of work.
Mr Milburn said: “The changes the PM is announcing today are very welcome. They are a big step in the right direction and consistent with the findings of my review. A whole system reset is needed across health, welfare and labour market policy as well as in education and skills.”
The move has also been welcomed by business leaders and trade unions. Michelle Ovens, chief executive of Small Business Britain, said: “This is a great step towards preparing young people for the future, which needs to include business skills and entrepreneurship as core to the changing world of work.”
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Putting technical education on an equal footing with academia brings us closer to the international standard for skills.”
But Tory shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: “The announcements today don’t come anywhere close to undoing the damage Labour has already done to the job market.
“Labour's policies are driving youth unemployment to record highs. They are making it too expensive to hire young people, and destroying jobs with their Jobs Tax and employer red tape. When it's easier for young people to claim benefits than get a job, it's no wonder youth unemployment is rocketing.”
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the polls for first time in over a year
David Maddox
Labour appears to have benefited from the ‘Andy Burnham bounce’, as well as a fall in support for the Greens (PA Wire)
Labour has overtaken Reform UK in the polls for the first time in more than a year, buoyed by the momentum from Andy Burnham’s first week as prime minister.
According to a survey by pollster More in Common, Labour is now leading with 28 per cent, up four points, while Nigel Farage’s Reform is down two points on 24 per cent.
It is the first time since March 2025 that Labour has led the way, with Reform in second place and the Tories just behind in third on 22 per cent.
Luke Tryl, the UK director at More in Common, said: “It’s only been a week since he entered office, but it’s clear that momentum is on the prime minister’s side. After a jam-packed week of high-profile policy announcements and media appearances, the Labour Party has surged in our weekly poll.
“With all the caveats that it’s just one poll, Labour now leads for the first time since March of last year, and holds their highest vote share since the early months of this government in 2024. And with both Reform and the Green Party dropping to their lowest vote share in months, it seems that this early focus on the cost of living has appealed to voters Labour has lost on both the left and right.”
The findings come a week after Mr Burnham officially took over as prime minister from Sir Keir Starmer, who was forced out after Labour MPs lost confidence in his ability to beat Mr Farage.
Even more significantly, the poll suggests that if there were a general election, Labour would win with 325 seats, down 86, giving them a very narrow working majority.
The Tories would come second with 124 seats while Reform would be in third place with 88.
In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Burnham has moved to rule out a suggestion of an early election.
He said: “There is no early general election, and the thing I would say to you is 20 plus – how many million people you just mentioned voted for a manifesto, we’re in a parliamentary democracy so that is what people voted for.”
While Mr Burnham has been criticised for avoiding press conferences and scrutiny, his attempts to love-bomb voters with social media clips appear to have had early returns.
Meanwhile, Mr Farage has found himself in crisis over questions about an undeclared £5m donation from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne and his associations with convicted money launderer George Cottrell.
The Reform UK leader has also become a figure of fun after forcing a by-election in his own constituency with the main parties boycotting it, while he is up against 33 minor candidates, with the main challenger being the comedic candidate Count Binface.
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T
assuming it would be allowed back?
Why is there renewed talk of reversing Brexit? Sean O'Grady explains
Hamish Falconer, the minister for European relations, dropped a hint about Brexit (PA Wire)
he new minister for European relations, Hamish Falconer, has dropped some hefty hints that Labour’s next election manifesto could go much further than in 2024 on moving Britain back towards the European Union.
What did Falconer say?
Answering questions from Sophie Ridge on Sky News, Falconer said what appears at first glance to be a mere truism: “What we do in our next manifesto will be a question for the Labour Party”. But context is everything – “refusing to rule it out” is the story. It speaks of a bolder approach and a keener edge than in the cagey Starmer era.
He even offered a nascent version of the pro-EU argument. Going beyond the usual point that Brexit has failed, Falconer argues that things are different more broadly: “The world has changed since 2016. We need to make sure that our relationship with Europe changes too. Europe and the UK both face real challenges.”
What is Burnham saying?
Nothing new since entering No 10, and he doesn’t want to open up the issue just yet, but he did remark during the Makerfield by-election that he favoured rejoining. He later retreated slightly: “My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments." A bit self-contradictory.
On what terms might Britain rejoin the EU?
Options are endless, except that the exact same and highly beneficial range of special arrangements in place in 2016 won’t be available. Joining the EU single market and/or the customs union are initial options, rather than taking on full membership. Extending the current de facto partial membership of the single market to other sectors of the economy via “dynamic alignment” of rules is another possibility, though the EU dislikes such complexity (Switzerland is the only nation that seeks to operate such an irksome regime).
EU Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has suggested Britain could rejoin and secure opt-outs from the euro and the Schengen free-movement zone – but budget contributions, pooled sovereignty, fisheries and industrial protection would have to be in the mix. Critically, the UK would certainly have to accept freedom of movement of labour, an aspect of immigration that proved a major driver of the Leave vote a decade ago.
Are there any other downsides?
It is arguable that free movement – which works both ways – is a downside. More certain is that the new free trade deals with India, Australia, Japan and the US (fragile as it is) would have to go. Britain would also have to tighten up regulation of the City and AI, which could lead to a loss of competitiveness.
Do we have to have another referendum?
No, and it may be significant that Falconer mentioned the prospective 2028-29 Labour manifesto, suggesting perhaps that an election mandate would be enough to begin the process.
Constitutionally, there’s no need for any plebiscite. Britain was taken into the then European Communities in 1972 on the basis of the 1970 manifesto upon which the then Conservative government had won a general election. It didn’t even commit to joining.
The lesson of the post-Brexit referendum period is that only a general election such as the “Get Brexit Done” contest of December 2019 could settle the matter; the 2016 vote in itself was not enough to pass the necessary legislation.
On the one hand, a manifesto promise to rejoin in principle on the best terms available could mean a weak mandate for such a major change – say, Labour winning in 30 per cent of the vote on a 60 per cent turnout, meaning 18 per cent of the voters. But if you add in all the other pro-EU parties’ votes and Commons seats, the mandate would look far more substantial: Labour plus Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru, plus some of the
The real question is whether the country can face more European-based traumas, whatever the process.
How long would it take?
A few years, given the continuing overlap in laws under the Brexit treaty. It would be gruelling.
Will they actually want us back?
A question the British so rarely ask. The words emanating from Europe are warm, but the reality is that a member state going in and out every decade or two is an unattractive, indeed unworkable, prospect for Brussels. Only with evidence of a clear and overwhelming shift in British public opinion would re-entry be contemplated as a secure basis for renegotiation.
When support for re-entry approaches 70 per cent things could be done; another 52/48 decision would be disastrous.
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scandal apologises outside court
Holly Evans
Robert Bush made the apology to reporters on his way into court (PA)
Families who were given the wrong ashes and had their deceased loved ones kept for months by a funeral director have said they are “appalled” by his apology.
Robert Bush, 48, is due to be sentenced after he kept the bodies of 31 people, including a stillborn baby, at his site in Hull. An investigation discovered 100 sets of ashes at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, some with name labels and letters attached to the box.
Upon arriving in court wearing a face covering, Bush apologised to the affected families and told BBC reporters: “I’m sorry, yes.”
People demonstrate outside Hull Crown Court ahead of Bush’s sentencing (PA)
However, his apology was poorly received by the families of those affected, who said they were “appalled” that he had apologised to journalists but not to them.
Hull Crown Court heard that Bush had mistreated hundreds of families on an “almost industrial scale” and that his offending had affected “young and old alike”.
Bush was arrested after police were contacted by someone with access to the site in March 2024, expressing concerns over “care of the deceased” at the business.
Patrick Moore, a former casual employee at Legacy who made the discovery, described the premises as “something from a horror scene”.
Officers discovered 31 bodies that should have been cremated months earlier and half a tonne of human ashes, as well as a human foetus in a bag.
Funeral director Bush was arrested after police received a report voicing concerns (Humberside Police)
Police found that many families of the deceased found at Legacy had already been given ashes by Bush, revealing a widespread practice of him giving grieving relatives the wrong ashes.
In her victim impact statement, Karen King said she feels “violated” after discovering she had been wearing “some unknown person’s ashes” in a locket around her neck after the death of her father. She had also given Bush a bottle of port for “taking care” of her father, with the discovery of his actions causing her to have an “emotional breakdown”.
In total, there were 254 victims of Bush’s crimes, with all the charges dating from a period between May 2012 and 6 March 2024.
Investigators also learned that Bush had committed fraudulent trading in relation to funeral plans, where he would take payment for the plans but not pass any of the money on to the financial institutions that would hold it for when the funeral was required.
Mr Gorbutt, whose wife Susan’s body was found at Legacy, said: “Those responsible for this atrocious breach of trust seem to work in an industry that is – hopefully, was – totally unregulated. Who knew that was the case? Certainly not me. It is hard to believe a person needs more permits to sell burgers than to deal with the dead.”
In April, Bush pleaded guilty to 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial, and theft from 12 charities including the Salvation Army and Macmillan Cancer Support.
He had already admitted 30 counts of fraud by false representation relating to bodies found at the site, and four “foetus allegations” of fraud, where he presented ashes to women falsely saying that they were “the remains of their unborn”.
Bush also pleaded guilty to a further charge of fraud, covering the ashes of 57 people between 2017 and 2024, and one of fraudulent trading relating to funeral plans between 2012 and 2024.
The sentencing at Hull Crown Court is listed for five days, and is expected to hear from more than 100 victims. Bush, formerly of Kirk Ella in East Yorkshire, but now of Otley in West Yorkshire, is on conditional bail.
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hopes dashed by home secretary’s visa ban, court hears
Holly Bancroft Home affairs correspondent
Prospective female students from Sudan, Afghanistan and Cameroon, have brought a legal challenge against the Home Office (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
“Exemplary” international students had their hopes of attending university in the UK “dashed at very short notice” after the Home Office imposed a blanket visa ban on nationals from four countries, the High Court has heard.
Seven prospective female students from Sudan, Afghanistan, and Cameroon have brought a legal challenge against the home secretary’s decision in March to halt study visas for people from those countries and Myanmar.
One of the Sudanese claimants, Dr Farah, has an offer to study a master’s degree in applied digital health at Oxford University and plans to return to Sudan after her studies to become accredited to practice medicine in the country.
Another, Ms Ali, has an offer to study a master’s in women’s health at University College London, and wants to develop expertise in sexual and reproductive health so she can prevent the practice of female genital mutilation in Sudan.
A third, Ms Raad, has ambitions to rebuild Sudan’s health system and is focusing her career on re-establishing health services in conflict areas. She also has an offer to study for a master’s degree at Oxford.
Tim Buley KC, for the Sudanese claimants, told Mrs Justice Steyn that they were “exemplary students, who have taken major sacrifices”, adding: “They have had their expectations and hopes dashed at very short notice. They are publicly spirited individuals who want to pursue routes of study that would benefit others as well as themselves. There is no basis to think that they themselves would seek to claim asylum, or seek to stay in the United Kingdom if they were granted a visa.”
Mr Buley said that Ms Raad still had the potential to start her course later this year if the court ruled in the claimants’ favour as Oxford University have agreed to hold the offer open until 31 August.
The court heard that the home secretary based her decision to ban visas from Sudan, Afghanistan, Cameroon and Myanmar on “an arbitrarily calculated figure”, that “bears no relation to the factual rate at which student visa holders claim asylum”.
Shabana Mahmood argued that drastic action was needed over increase in visa-linked asylum claims (AFP/Getty)
The Home Office had compared student visas issued annually, and visa-linked asylum claims in that same year, but not taken into account that many people wait a few years before they claim asylum and do not do so on the first year they arrive in the UK to study. The statistics “therefore compared apples and oranges”, the claimants argued.
Mr Buley told the court that there are varying reasons why students from certain countries might claim asylum in particular years, such as a wave of in-country persecution or the outbreak of civil war. These reasons “are not predictive of the future, they are not an indication of the numbers that will happen next year, or the pattern, because they can vary for all sorts of reasons due to the underlying country conditions”, Mr Buley said.
As a result, it was wrong to pick out nationals from these four countries as perpetrators of visa “abuse”, he argued.
Among the other claimants, one of the two Afghan students, Ms Sadat, has unconditional offers from both Sussex and Bradford universities to study for a master’s in AI, and the other hopes to study civil engineering at Manchester.
The Cameroonian claimant, Ms Forkwa, has two PhD offers from Oxford and Kings College London and has been studying peace-building and conflict transformation. The Sudanese claimant, Ms Khalifa, has offers to study master’s in AI for medicine and public health at Bristol and Glasgow respectively.
Raza Husain KC, for these four claimants, said in written submissions to the court that the visa brake was “an enormous blow” to the women, “all of whom have faced and overcome serious obstacles to their education prior to seeking to study in the UK”.
The Home Office argued that the home secretary needed to take action because the number of people claiming asylum has increased dramatically in the past decade, including asylum claims from visa holders.
There were 41,000 asylum claims from visa holders in the year ending September 2025, the government said in submissions, adding: “These figures place the phenomenon of visa-linked asylum claims at a similar if not greater scale than that of small boat arrivals”.
Students accounted for 47 per cent of visa-linked asylum claims, the Home Office said.
The home secretary believes that “public confidence risks being undermined” when legal visas are used “as a route to claim asylum in the UK”.
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comedian Bill Oddie dies aged 85
Adam White
The TV star and conservationist Bill Oddie with his OBE in 2003 (PA)
Naturalist and comedian Bill Oddie has died at the age of 85. The TV star, who found fame in the 1970s as a member of comic trio The Goodies alongside Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden, died on Saturday.
He went on to host wildlife programmes for the BBC, including Birding with Bill Oddie, Bill Oddie Goes Wild, Springwatch and Autumnwatch.
A statement from his friend and agent David Foster said: “It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of Bill Oddie, the country’s best-loved birder.
“Yet it was never fame that he valued. Instead he encouraged us to respect and protect the environment.
“He taught us the wonder of it. He protested, lobbied and campaigned for it. He led the way and people of all ages and backgrounds responded to his call. And such a massive contribution to conservation will never be forgotten.
From left: Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor in 1975 (PA)
“As Bill’s agent I witnessed close hand his intelligence and wit. He was my friend and it was an honour and a privilege to represent him for so many years. I will miss him terribly.
“My thoughts and love are with Bill’s wife, Laura, and his daughters Bonnie, Kate and Rosie, who have asked not to be contacted at this sad time. Please respect their wishes.”
A birdwatcher since his childhood in Birmingham, Oddie was a respected ornithologist. He was a council member of the RSPB, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and The Worldwide Fund for Nature. He was also president of The Northumberland Wildlife
Oddie admitted in 2017 that he never had any intention of building a career in the entertainment industry. “I think if my younger self had known how my life would turn out, he’d have been surprised,” he told The Telegraph. “If you’d asked my friends towards the end of school what they’d expected me to end up as, they might have introduced a showbizzy sort of element, because I wrote songs and revues and that sort of thing. I never for one second thought of it as work.”
The Goodies in 1975 (Getty)
His comic career began in the Cambridge Footlights, when he started writing for shows including That Was the Week That Was. He went on to write and appear on numerous programmes including I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, which featured many of his comic songs.
He first found fame, alongside Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke- Taylor (who died in 2020), as a member of The Goodies and the trio earned household name status at home and abroad, in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, while their self-
titled television comedy show attracted millions of viewers in its heyday. His songs led the Goodies to several major chart hits, most notably “The Funky Gibbon”, which reached number four in the UK charts in 1975. The trio performed it on Top of the Pops; four years later, it was re-released and the profits were given to a campaign to preserve the primate’s habitat.
“The mid-Seventies were ridiculous,” Oddie told Radio Times in 2018. "Hit records, top 10 books in paper and hardback. I, particularly, was a bit schizophrenic about crowds. The adulation was rather nice, but sometimes it got too claustrophobic. The crowd was so big at the Arndale Centre in Manchester the police stopped the event!”
He continued to work with his fellow Goodies on programmes including Bananaman, before turning his attention to nature shows. Birding was always a passion for Oddie, who’d take time out to explore nature whenever he was not working. “I was doing bits and pieces and some journalist found out about my hobby, wrote a little article and fortunately it just escalated from there,” he told Varsity in 2012.
Bill Oddie, here in 2015, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2009 (Getty)
Away from music and nature presenting, Oddie was open about his lifelong experiences with depression, and he received a formal diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2009, shortly after being dropped from Springwatch in 2008. The BBC said that Oddie was replaced on the show due to his “health problems”, but Oddie himself said that he was given a “waffly statement” in regards to his exit. He described the period as the worst of his life, admitting that he attempted suicide twice and was under hospital care for more than a year.
Oddie later speculated that his mother, too, experienced bipolar disorder but went undiagnosed in her lifetime. She spent much of Oddie’s childhood in and out of hospitals due to mental illness. “My mother’s mental health deteriorated when I was a toddler,” he told The Guardian in 2015. “She probably suffered from postnatal depression and, in those days, the treatment was to lock up patients and administer electroconvulsive therapy.” He continued: “It’s clear that I’ve inherited the same genetic flaw. When it was suggested to me that she might have been bipolar, a million bells rang in my head because I was heading the same way.”
Oddie credited his wife Laura with supporting him through the worst of his depression. “There must have been times when she wondered what she had done to deserve it,” he told The Guardian. “Self-help books tend to focus on the patient, but it’s often the partner who has the toughest time. I’m so grateful she stuck by me.”
Oddie is survived by his wife, Laura, and his three daughters – Rosie, from his marriage to Laura, and Kate and Bonnie from his first marriage to the jazz musician Jean Hart.
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cancer diagnoses ahead of new album
Carsen Holaday in New York
Carly Simon’s release next month will her first original album in 18 years (Getty Images)
Carly Simon has revealed she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer. The American singer, 83, has been absent from the spotlight for years, and revealed yesterday in a statement first obtained by People that her privacy was partly prompted by her health complications.
“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing,” Simon said in a statement to The Independent. “The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease.”
She continued: “It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly. Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can
Simon went on to say that her health problems first started with arthritis in both of her knees and one hip, explaining, “I eventually had all three joints replaced, out with the old and in with delicate bouquets of metal and plastic. After three replacement surgeries, I assumed my difficulty walking was simply an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process.”
However, the “You’re So Vain” singer’s mobility only worsened, and she found it increasingly difficult to stand up from chairs and had trouble walking. She was then evaluated and diagnosed with Parkinson’s prompting her to start treatment including medication.
Simon said that Parkinson’s, a progressive brain disease, has brought on mental symptoms as well as physical ones.
“It can bring anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and apathy,” she explained. “The apathy is particularly strange. You can find yourself lying there like a starfish drying in the sun, arms pointing in all directions, while nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, write, sing, call someone, or do much of anything at all.”
She continued: “That has been one of the hardest things to explain. It is not simply sadness or laziness. It is as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list.”
Carly Simon’s new album will be released on 14 August (Sally Taylor)
As Simon underwent treatment for Parkinson’s, she was also diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, which is a form of skin cancer, on her face.
“The cancer was removed, but the surgery affected my appearance and made me more self-conscious about being seen in public,” she said. “I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine [check out the irony of having written ‘You’re So Vain’], and this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material.”
Simon said, “Between my mobility issues, the Parkinson’s diagnosis, the surgery, and the emotional effects of it all, withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction. If a person is allowed to hibernate during both winter and summer, then I have become an all-season bear.”
However, she continued, “But I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working.”
The singer announced that Comes in Waves will be released on 14 August, marking her first original album in 18 years.
“I wanted to share this now because so many people have reached out with genuine concern. I am touched by that concern, even when I have not known how to respond,” Simon said. “These days I move more slowly, I lean on others more than I once did, and I have learned to accept that every day will look a little different. But I am still very much here.”
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Railway steps down amid disruption
Passengers are facing a summer of cancellations over problems with new Hitachi trains
Rich Booth
Faults with new Hitachi trains have led to a summer of cancellations (East Midlands Railway)
The managing director of East Midlands Railway (EMR) has stepped down with immediate effect as passengers face a summer of cancellations on its services between London St Pancras and Nottingham.
Transport UK, which owns EMR, said that Will Rogers, who had held the role since January 2020, was leaving – with Merseyrail MD Neil Grabham taking over as interim replacement.
Mr Rogers joined EMR in January 2020, just before the Covid pandemic.
EMR announced a temporary reduction of its Intercity timetable following ongoing service reliability and maintenance issues with Hitachi Rail's new Class 810 fleet that “significantly impacted upon EMR’s ability to run a consistent Intercity service”.
From 20 July, hundreds of services on the EMR Intercity timetable were cancelled on the Midland mainline, including around 20 fast trains a day connecting London, Sheffield and Nottingham. The Class 810 fleet was introduced last year following a three-year delay to provide a smooth transition from the existing EMR Class 222 fleet.
There was also disruption after two EMR trains crashed near Bedford in June, killing one of the drivers and leaving many passengers injured
Dominic Booth, Transport UK CEO, said: “Will stepped in to lead EMR shortly after we first secured the contract. He has been instrumental in delivering exceptional service to our customers and has embodied the Transport UK delivery-first mentality. In recent weeks, Will has also given his all in responding to the tragic incident at Bedford South. I would like to thank Will for all his efforts and wish him the best in the future.”
EMR is due to return to public ownership next year.
Will Rogers speaks to the media after the deadly crash of two EMR trains near Bedford in June (PA)
Will Rogers, outgoing EMR Managing Director, said: “It has been a privilege to lead EMR since 2020 and to support our teams through a period of significant change. I am sad to say goodbye to a business and to colleagues who have meant so much to me.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside such talented, committed and caring people, and I will always be grateful for the experiences, friendships and memories we’ve shared. But it is the right time for me to step back and spend some more time with my family, and I would like to thank you all for your support, your friendship and for allowing me to be part of this journey. It has been a privilege.”
Neil Grabham said: "I am genuinely pleased to be returning to EMR on an interim basis and to have the opportunity to work alongside colleagues once again. EMR has always held a special place for me, and I know first-hand the dedication, professionalism and commitment that exists across the business. I look forward to reconnecting with colleagues and supporting the team as we continue to deliver for our customers and communities."
The last resort
A woman attends an anti-government demonstration in Tirana, Albania, after weeks of protests against a planned luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Reuters
Shock and ore
Imported iron ore at Qingdao Port in Shandong province, eastern China. AFP/Getty
Water damage
Residential buildings are partially submerged after heavy monsoon rains in Muridke, Pakistan. AFP/Getty
Pride of place
Respects are paid at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate after an attack on a Pride parade, killing one and injuring 29. AFP/Getty
Skittled
Pakistan’s Aamir Jamal is out to West Indies’ Justin Greaves at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago. AFP/Getty
The future of the renowned Lovell revolving space telescope is in doubt because of funding (PA)
Financing of Jodrell Bank to end in 2028
The future of the UK’s largest telescope has been put at risk after the UK Research and Innovation announced it was withdrawing its funding. The Lovell telescope, which has stood at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire since 1957, is the world’s third largest steerable radio telescope.
The instrument has a diameter of 76.2 metres and is part of the e-Merlin array, a network of telescopes up and down the country which is operated by the University of Manchester.
Yesterday, UKRI said that e-Merlin will not be prioritised for further funding after its current agreement ends in March 2028. This puts the functioning of the Lovell Telescope and the e- Merlin array of telescopes at risk, Professor Sarah Sharples from the University of Manchester said.
Prof Sharples, dean of science and engineering, said: “We are working at the University of Manchester extremely actively to find alternative sources of funding from government, from industry, from charities, from philanthropy.
“But, if we don’t find those alternative sources of funding, then there is a risk that as of the end of March 2028, then the Lovell Telescope will not be an actively functioning scientific facility for radio astronomy.”
In a statement, the UKRI said: “STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council) has undertaken a rigorous prioritisation process to focus investment on the areas that will deliver the greatest long-term scientific capability, impact and value for the UK, while maintaining a sustainable PPAN (particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics) portfolio.”
Reform reports Polanski over Instagram tag
Police are “conducting inquiries” into an image shared on social media, after Reform UK reported Green Party leader Zack Polanski over a picture on his Instagram.
The image, which was subsequently unshared from Mr Polanski’s account, featured a man wearing a black T-shirt with the message “We’re only making plans for Nigel” and an image of a guillotine.
Sharing a screenshot of the image, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote on social media: “This is what Zack Polanski has just posted on his Instagram. If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski.”
Reform UK’s spokesperson for home affairs Zia Yusuf said Mr Polanski was “inciting murder. It must be treated as such by the police”.
The Green Party said Mr Polanski “condemns the image on the T-shirt” and clicked accept to be tagged in a post with 20 images “without realising there was more to it than he had seen”.
Sir Ian Wood “helped shape modern Scotland”, first minister John Swinney has said, as tributes to the industrialist poured in from the business and political worlds. The Wood family announced Sir Ian’s death yesterday morning, saying he passed away peacefully at his home. He was 84.
Described as a “giant of Scottish business”, his enduring links with Aberdeen and the northeast of Scotland have been recognised by many other business leaders. The Wood Group is a major employer in the region while the Wood Foundation supports a number of philanthropic projects in Scotland and Africa.
The first minister said: “Sir Ian Wood stands as one of Scotland’s most influential business leaders and philanthropists, a figure whose vision, determination and generosity have left a lasting mark on the nation and far beyond."
King’s most senior aide to step down
Sir Clive Alderton, the most senior aide to King Charles, has announced that he will step down next year. Sir Clive is Charles’s and Queen Camilla’s principal private secretary. His resignation will coincide with his 60th birthday in May, and will come 20 years after he first joined the royal household.
In a message to staff, he said: “It has been the greatest imaginable honour to serve the King and Queen in my present role through such historic times and with unforgettable humour along the way. That support will continue, in a less formal capacity, for all of my life.”
Premier League clubs criticised over shirt prices
Football fans are facing significant price hikes for replica shirts, with some now costing up to £90 after eight Premier League clubs increased their prices. The move has drawn sharp criticism from consumer experts, who warn of "blatant greed" and the potential for a surge in counterfeit purchases.
Tottenham supporters are now expected to pay £90 for an adult first-team replica shirt, a £5 increase from last year, while a child’s shirt for a three-year-old now commands £70. Chelsea has similarly raised its prices by £5, with shirts now costing £89.99.
Newly promoted Coventry City has seen a £10 jump to £70 for adult shirts, with children’s kits rising by 25 per cent to £60, and baby kits priced at £55. Ipswich Town shirts are up £6 to £65, while Leeds, Bournemouth, and Hull have all increased their prices by £5. Overall, 10 clubs now charge £80 or more for a replica shirt. Brentford stands out as the only Premier League club to keep its kit for two years, offering a slight reprieve.
Consumer expert Scott Dixon, from The Complaints Resolver, condemned the increases, stating: "These price rises will leave many loyal fans wondering when enough is enough. We see this year in, year out, and it smacks of blatant greed and an own goal that could backfire on clubs. These kits are overpriced by anyone’s standards and will leave many fans priced out."
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support for Ukraine, says Burnham
It’s ‘no accident’ Zelensky is first international visitor since he entered No 10, says PM
Sophie Wingate
Roll call: Andy Burnham and Volodymyr Zelensky in Portsmouth yesterday (PA)
Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the UK sends a “very clear message” in support of Ukraine, the prime minister said yesterday.
Andy Burnham said it was “no accident” the Ukrainian president was his first international visitor since entering No 10, in a move intended to highlight the Government’s continued support for Kyiv under his premiership.
Hosting the Ukrainian president at a naval base in Portsmouth, he said the UK could be counted on “for as long as it takes”. He also told reporters that he intends to visit Ukraine “soon” but gave no indication when that would take place.
“It is intended to send a very clear message: we are with Ukraine 100 per cent, I am personally with you 100 per cent, and I will honour every commitment this country has made to Ukraine in full.”
Mr Zelensky responded that the relationship between the two countries is “stronger than ever”, thanking the Prime Minister for his commitment.
Later on X, he added: “We greatly appreciate that our team is the first to visit the United Kingdom since Andy Burnham took office. This is an important signal of support, and the Prime Minister assured us that this support remains unwavering.”
During the visit, Mr Burnham announced that Britain will hand over the intellectual property behind its new “Stone Cloak” electronic warfare system, enabling Ukraine to produce the technology at scale.
The tablet-sized device is designed to block Russian detection of any drones it is fitted to.
The move will help drones “hit their targets and save Ukrainian lives”, the Prime Minister said.
The Ministry of Defence has already given thousands of the jammers to Ukrainian forces to bolster their drone operations.
Mr Burnham earlier said in a statement: “Britain stands with Ukraine, shoulder to shoulder, and our support remains unwavering.
Zelensky pays his respects at the naval base yesterday (PA)
“Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve and we will not back down until we achieve long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine.
“Stone Cloak is the best of homegrown British innovation and proven on the front line, and it will be vital to protecting our security in both our countries.”
Following its deployment in Ukraine, the technology is expected to be incorporated into the UK’s next generation of long-range strike weapons, including Project Brakestop, the Government’s initiative to develop low-cost cruise missiles.
During the visit, the two leaders will meet more than 200 Ukrainian military personnel who have spent the past three weeks in the UK taking part in Exercise Sea Breeze, aimed at strengthening warfighting capabilities and counter-mine measures in the Black Sea.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said: “The UK’s commitment to Ukraine is resolute and steadfast. As Russia continues its barbaric war, we will stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
“Ukraine is fighting not only for its own freedom and sovereignty, but for the values of security, democracy and the rule of law that we all share. That is why the UK is working with Ukraine to provide military, economic and diplomatic support, including developing the cutting-edge capabilities that will help Ukraine prevail in the war.”
Yesterday Mr Zelensky said he wanted to have a “productive bilateral meeting where we will speak about all sorts of things” when he meets Mr Burnham.
In a social media post, the Ukrainian leader also said he wanted to share expertise with Britain from his country’s four-year war with Russia, which included building a “big factory” for drones in the UK.
He said: “We did a lot with Keir (Starmer), and we need to carry on, open a new chapter in our relations. For example, the drone deal. I want to build a big factory in Britain based on new technologies, share them with our partners. We are ready to share all our experience with the UK.
Burnham has vowed to maintain his predecessor’s support for Ukraine (PA)
Mr Burnham spoke to Mr Zelensky in one of his first calls after taking office last Monday and invited the Ukrainian leader to visit “at the earliest opportunity”.
The new Prime Minister, who has little foreign policy experience from his previous time in government, had vowed to maintain his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer’s resolute support for Ukraine before entering No 10.
Sir Keir visited Kyiv on his final full day as Labour leader.
It comes as Mr Burnham used an interview to reiterate the Government stood behind its previous pledge to spend 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035.
The government then agreed at a Nato summit in the Hague last year to spend 5% on defence by 2035, which Sir Keir Starmer’s government said would mean a further 1.5 per cent spend on “resilience and security”.
Speaking to the BBC’s Panorama programme, Mr Burnham said both he and Chancellor John Healey – the former defence secretary – were working towards ensuring the defence investment plan was “fully funded” ahead of the budget in the autumn.
PA
He said: “I’m absolutely committed to what we’ve promised our Nato partners.”
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seat – with climate ‘central to UK’
‘International development is not an add-on to British policy,’ foreign secretary says
Chris Stevenson
Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, has said he is taking ’personal leadership’ of overseas aid and global finance (PA)
Ed Miliband is taking up the UK’s seat on the board of the World Bank – saying that international development and the climate crisis are “central” to government policy.
In becoming UK governor for the Bank, a position usually taken by a junior minister, the foreign secretary has said he is taking “personal leadership” of overseas aid and global finance to help countries adapt to the climate crisis. Mr Miliband was previously energy and net zero secretary in Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
It comes as the UK implements substantial aid cuts, with spending falling from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) through to 2029.
Nine African countries are set to see their UK bilateral aid cut by more than 80 per cent, with total bilateral aid to African countries set to fall from £1.6bn to under £700m. The countries impacted include numerous long-standing UK partners – including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique – whose aid relationship is set to be virtually eliminated, or reduced to £5m or less.
Kenya is set to see UK foreign aid fall by 93 per cent, Tanzania by 91 per cent, Mozambique by 90 per cent, Malawi by 90 per cent, and Zambia by 88 per cent. Countries experiencing some of the most pressing humanitarian emergencies in the world are set to see funding slashed, with aid to the Democratic Republic of Congo – currently in the midst of an Ebola outbreak – falling by 29 per cent, and aid to Lebanon also falling by 58 per cent.
Overall UK aid cuts between 2024/5 and 2028/9 add up to some £6.5bn, with aid to fragile and conflict-affected states – supposedly another government’s priority – falling by 34 per cent, aid to least developed countries falling by 49 per cent, and aid to Africa falling by 56 per cent.
UK climate aid is also set to fall, from £11.6bn across the five years to 2026 to £6bn over the next three years. This has led to the UK cutting its contribution to the Green Climate Fund – the world’s biggest source of finance for developing countries to adapt to the climate crisis – by 50 per cent. Green groups and MPs have also criticised the new prime minister, Andy Burnham, over a decision to fund the government’s new £500m policy capping bus fares in England at £2 using the climate aid budget.
Mr Miliband replaced Yvette Cooper as foreign secretary, with The Independent having revealed that the role change could come with permission to prioritise climate goals and with a roadmap to return the UK to spending 0.7 per cent of GNI.
In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: “UK leadership at the World Bank will help drive international action on poverty, climate change and economic stability, and tackle global issues, like food insecurity and energy price shocks, helping make food and energy more affordable for people in the UK.”
Mr Miliband will be supported by the new minister for development, Kirsty McNeill.
“Kirsty McNeill brings outstanding experience and deep personal commitment to this agenda, and together we will ensure the UK punches its full weight in tackling the defining challenges of our time,” Mr Miliband said of the appointment.
The president of the World Bank, which provides around $100bn in finance to developing countries per year, Ajay Banga said: “The United Kingdom is a valued partner of the World Bank Group and a longstanding champion of development. I look forward to working closely with the foreign secretary to help countries create jobs, mobilise more private capital, and deliver opportunity for people. Together, we can help turn ambition into results where they matter most.”
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challenge of putting strays on the map
I
What began as a whimsical platform has become a resource documenting the free-roaming felines
in the neighbourhoods of India’s financial capital. Shahana Yasmin speaks to its founder
Meowmbai is a crowdsourced platform that invites users to pin photographs of community cats exactly where they are spotted (Supplied)
The crowdsourced website, its name a play on “meow” and the Indian financial capital Mumbai, invites users to pin pictures of stray cats exactly where they are seen. The result is a familiar street map dotted with feline sightings across the city.
f Google Maps can help you find the quickest route home, Meowmbai can tell you where exactly to find the nearest cat.
bright orange motorbike in Colaba and a family of four on a sun- warmed pavement in Dadar. Hundreds more peer out from apartment complexes, tea stalls, and railway stations, each pictured by someone who decided that their neighbourhood cat deserved a place on the map.
It sounds like the kind of a niche idea that exists solely because one person thinks it’s fun, but its founder says the website is starting to have a real impact on the lives of so-called “community cats” – stray but familiar felines who go from house to house in a neighbourhood, relying on multiple regular feeders without having a single owner.
Sudarshan Birla, a 25-year-old product manager from Latur, a town about 500km east of Mumbai, had been living in the city for about a year when he was inspired to build the map by his frequent encounters with its many loveable strays. “I love documenting things,” Birla tells The Independent.
“Every time I took a picture of a cat, I felt it was attached to a place or memory. I would think, ‘This cat is from the corner near the tea stall that I walk past every other day.’ I wanted to build an interactive map where people could discover and revisit the city through them,” he says.
The idea to build Meowmbai came together remarkably quickly.
Birla spent around two weeks building the website before launching it in June. While he expected fellow cat enthusiasts to enjoy browsing the map, he didn’t anticipate just how quickly people would begin adding their own sightings or requesting versions for other cities.
“I was severely overwhelmed by the kind of response that I received,” he says, but it also made him change the way he thought about the project. What began as a playful map of neighbourhood cats quickly attracted messages from community feeders, rescuers, and animal welfare groups, many of whom saw possibilities beyond simply cataloguing feline sightings.
Sudharshan Birla had been living in the city for about a year when he started the platform
“Someone emailed me yesterday that they’d accidentally located the cat in the wrong location and wanted to update it,” he says. “This is something even I hadn’t thought about – that the user would actually think about these many details.”
Some users sought better ways to identify neighbourhood regulars, while others wondered if the map could eventually help reunite lost cats or connect injured animals with nearby rescuers.
The questions were surprisingly earnest for a website whose only real purpose, at least initially, was to answer one delightfully frivolous one: where are all the cats?
The answer, it turns out, depends very much on which city you ask.
When Birla expanded Meowmbai beyond Mumbai, he expected the map to fill up at roughly the same pace elsewhere.
Meowmbai quickly attracted messages from community feeders, rescuers, and animal welfare groups
Instead, each city began developing its own character. Mumbai’s map rapidly became crowded with pins, while India’s technology hub Bengaluru remained comparatively sparse, with only around 35 cats logged when Birla spoke to The Independent.
“Only Mumbai city has so many cats. You can spot a cat right away if you go out even for half an hour. But that might not be true for other cities,” he says.
“I was in Bengaluru for a short trip and went to Cubbon Park, one of the best places for a weekend walk. I saw so many dogs. There were Huskies, Labradors and golden retrievers. But I could only spot two or three cats.”
Whether Mumbai is India’s cat capital is impossible to say.
Unlike stray dogs, community cats aren’t routinely counted, and there is no official estimate of their population. But rescuers and feeders say Mumbai offers an unusually hospitable environment for free-roaming cats. The city’s dense residential neighbourhoods, fish markets, cafés, and restaurants provide a steady supply of food. In addition, generations of the city’s
Even the municipal body has recognised their growing presence.
In 2019, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation became one of the first in India to approve a dedicated programme to sterilise community cats under its animal birth control scheme, despite acknowledging that no official feline census existed.
Sudarshan Birla says Meowmbai started as a fun idea
Though Meowmbai is not meant to function as a census of India’s cats, Birla is determined it should at least be an accurate record of the ones people encounter. Despite the growing number of submissions arriving each day, Birla manually reviews each photograph before it appears on the map, checking its metadata to verify the location.
As Meowmbai has evolved, Birla has become increasingly careful about the features. While some users have suggested highlighting neighbourhoods with large concentrations of cats, he has decided against it after conversations with rescuers and long-time caregivers.
“One thing I’ve decided against is adding cat ‘hotspots,’” he says. “From the feedback I have received, if people see there are already lots of cats in an area, they sometimes abandon kittens there.”
“Meowmbai started as a fun idea, which I hoped people would really enjoy,” he says. “But it is now creating a real impact. That means I have the responsibility to build it thoughtfully. My immediate priority is to make sure that the platform creates genuine value.”
He hopes that, in time, it may become useful for rescue organisations, whether by helping spread information, supporting campaigns, or connecting people already working with stray cats.
Sudarshan Birla ‘would love to see people come to Mumbai and spend time getting to know these cats’
But he insists he is still “in the learning phase” and wants to understand the needs of rescuers before introducing new features.
For Birla, the biggest surprise has been not what the map has revealed about Mumbai’s cats but the people who have stopped to notice them.
“I already knew Mumbai had so many cats. But one thing I noticed was from the people’s perspective,” he says. People he had never met offered suggestions and help and artists and animal lovers all wanted to contribute to something that, at its heart, was little more than a map of neighbourhood cats.
“I would love to see people come to Mumbai and spend a weekend getting to know these cats,” Birla says. “Maybe spend some time with them, feed them some good food, take a picture and upload it to Meowmbai.”
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Gunther von Hagens, the anatomist best known for his Body Worlds exhibitions, has died aged 81 (PA)
Controversial inventor of ‘plastination’ dies
Gunther von Hagens, the German anatomist who generated both fascination and revulsion around the globe with his “Body Worlds” exhibits of preserved human corpses, has died. He was 81.
Von Hagens's family and the Institute for Plastination, which he founded, said he died on Friday. A statement they issued yesterday gave no further details. Von Hagens had announced in 2010 that he was living with Parkinson’s disease.
Von Hagens trod a fine line between science, entertainment and commerce with his touring exhibits, as well as headline-grabbing actions such as a public autopsy.
The resulting exhibition, “Body Worlds”, first went on show in Japan in 1995. Von Hagens said he was trying to help people understand how their bodies work. AP
UN condemns Imran Khan’s solitary confinement
A UN torture expert has called on Pakistan to end its inhumane treatment of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, as his party planned to stage a nationwide march demanding his release.
Alice Jill Edwards, the UN special rapporteur on torture, said Mr Khan had been held in near-total solitary confinement for 33 months under round-the-clock CCTV surveillance.
Mr Khan has been imprisoned for more than two years over a series of charges that he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party say are politically motivated.
He was ousted from office in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022 and has since faced dozens of cases, including corruption, leaking state secrets and terrorism-related offences, all of which he denies.
“Fmr PM #ImranKhan now held in near-total solitary for 33 months in a small, windowless cell under 24-7 CCTV,” Ms Edwards said in a post on X. “Often more than 2weeks continuously, without exercise or meaningful human contact. This far exceeds the MANDELA rules. I call on #Pakistan to restore humane conditions.”
Australian politician loses discrimination appeal
An Australian court yesterday rejected an appeal from right-wing leader Pauline Hanson to overturn a ruling that she racially discriminated against a Muslim senator by telling her to "piss off back to Pakistan".
The three-judge panel of the Full Federal Court of Australia unanimously upheld a 2024 ruling that the comment, addressed to Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi on social media, was unlawful and unprotected by free speech defences. Reuters
Pregnant woman among three stabbed in Paris
Three women – one reportedly pregnant – were attacked on the streets of Paris yesterday by a man armed with two kitchen knives. The incident took place at about 9.30am near Porte de Clichy in Paris.
Interior minister Laurent Nunez told reporters the man attacked the three women, who were aged 19, 24 and 36, severely wounding two of them. According to a witness speaking to Le Figaro, one of the victims was pregnant.
Two of the victims who were taken to hospital remain in critical condition. Local media reports one woman was hit in the lower back and the other in the abdomen. Reuters
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Since taking office, the prime minister has been oddly shy about submitting to questioning by
reporters, preferring to deliver his message via online clips – despite being one of the few
politicians who genuinely shines under tough questioning, says Sean O'Grady
For his first TV interview as prime minister, Andy Burnham was interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg – for 23 minutes (BBC)
Having watched Laura Kuenssberg’s BBC interview with Andy Burnham, I did not get the impression she went particularly easy on the new prime minister in return for her exclusive, “behind the scenes” access to his first days in power.
It would hardly have been worth it if she had – some shots of civil servants scurrying around and Burnham looking pleased with himself wasn’t exactly TV gold. As raw material for the constitutional historians to pore over in the decades ahead, it was a bit of a wasted opportunity.
The interview – which was shown in full during last night’s Panorama – was no more and no less tough than her usual treatment of senior politicians. Kuenssberg is headline-driven, and gets straight to the point.
LK: Will you stand up to Trump? AB: Yes.
LK: When will we see the social care plan? AB: As quickly as I can. It will take time.
LK: Welfare reform? AB: Yes – conditional benefits.
LK: Early election? AB: No…
And so on. Throughout, Burnham is composed, confident, relaxed and engaged in a way that none of his recent predecessors have been. Starmer, Sunak, and (excruciatingly) Truss were all so wooden, they could have been sponsored by Cuprinol.
In that respect, Burnham is impressive in front of a camera, comparable to Boris Johnson, Tony Blair and Harold Wilson. He gives answers, even if they don’t amount to much, and sounds convincing as he does so.
And Burnham is much better at being evasive than Starmer ever was – which is one reason Starmer isn’t doing these gigs any more.
Burnham’s first TV interview since becoming prime minister lasted 23 minutes. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with that, if only in the sense that the nation’s broadcasters seem to have concluded that that’s about as much as the audience can take these days.
He really has no need to be so shy ... he is fluent enough to withstand a long-form conversation with anyone, and to field sustained challenge from even the most hostile of the Westminster lobby
We’re sadly long past the days when the nation (or at least a reasonable slice of it) would be enthralled by watching Margaret Thatcher engaged in mortal combat with Brian Walden or Robin Day for a whole hour.
But it is a pity for the nation – and actually for Burnham himself – that he doesn’t get interviewed for longer. Certainly, he has shown himself curiously reluctant to take questions, and to face reporters at his own press conferences.
He really has no need to be so shy and to engage in damage limitation. On the contrary, he is fluent enough to withstand a long-form conversation with anyone, and to field sustained challenge from even the most hostile of the Westminster lobby. He’ll probably hold his own with Kemi Badenoch at the despatch box. The first PMQs in September will be fascinating to see.
A more open approach would certainly counter the perception that he is a bit of a lightweight, unserious character. The jolly photo-opp in the pub with John Healey, for example, saw the PM and chancellor talking about pork scratching rather than the defence budget.
I see that Downing Street is advertising for more social media specialists to make “content”, ie propaganda, at the taxpayers’ expense, a highly undesirable position. We don’t need any more scenes of Burnham sitting in a chair in an “ask me anything” session, where the editing is tightly controlled by his media team. If Burnham wants to knock out trivial feelgood clips for TikTok, then the Labour party can film it and pay for it.
Like the whole Northern thing, the inconsequentiality of his early appearances is really starting to grate
Like the whole Northern thing, the inconsequentiality of his early appearances is really starting to grate. The next video he posts on TikTok should probably be titled “The Unbearable Lightness of Andy”.
In the absence of proper prolonged scrutiny, his aversion to scrutiny makes Burnham look flimsy. It cannot have been a coincidence that his coronation concluded just as the Commons was heading into recess – denying the Opposition an opportunity to take him to task (which he’d have handled with aplomb).
My advice to Burnham is to put himself about some more and make himself available to a whole range of interviewers, national and local, broadcast and press. He should do a Question Time special, just on his own, and to submit himself to specialists who can drill down and expose the many flaws that are visible in his policy-making even now.
In other words, Andy, you’re our new prime minister and because we didn’t elect you to that post, we deserve to see what you’re made of. You’re doing yourself no favours by trying to manipulate the media. Quite the opposite – you’re squandering the opportunity to make a good first impression as PM. Just remember what happened to the last bloke.
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Burnham’s winter fuel moment
Will Andy Burnham dare upset the left-wing, which made him PM, by making benefit payments to
young people conditional on them taking part in voluntary work, asks Victoria Richards
Under Andy Burnham’s reforms, young people face being stripped of welfare payments unless they do voluntary work (Getty)
In his first major interview since he entered Downing Street, Andy Burnham placed more than a million young people – those “Neets” who are not in education, employment or training – firmly in his crosshairs. Or at least that’s how it will probably feel.
It came as a report found that more than 87,000 16- and 17-year- olds on PIP are receiving £194 a week for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, ADHD and anxiety – £100 more than teenagers can be paid for going out to work part-time.
And while Burnham insisted he didn’t want to “demonise” those on benefits who really need them, he did use an extremely interesting word about how he might make the payments “conditional”.
“It’s about changing the nature of the support, and making some of the support conditional upon people taking opportunities that are presented in front of them,” Burnham said. “So, you might increase the conditions required to receive benefits.”
Hmmm. Unsurprisingly, this has led to rumours that when Burnham delivers what has been billed as a major speech tomorrow about social care, he may well be following in the steps of his predecessor in making welfare “conditional” on work. At his peril, I say.
Just as Sir Keir Starmer came undone thanks to divisive welfare reforms and winter fuel payments, Burnham risks losing the left of the Labour Party just seven days into office. Forget how he’s going to fund social care, the real question is: Can he really afford this?
In his recent landmark report into young people and work, former health secretary Alan Milburn warned that urgent action is needed to avoid a “lost generation”. He placed the blame squarely at the feet of a lack of “joined-up support” – and said a crucial missing factor was employment support.
Gen Zers are growing up not only with the spectre of multiple wars raging in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran – but wildfires directly linked to the climate crisis pumping apocalyptic clouds of black smoke in France and Spain
It’s something Burnham seems to be taking seriously, given that he’s sent the work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, to Rotterdam this week to see how the Dutch do things; the Netherlands has the lowest rate of Neets in Europe, with some young disabled people encouraged to take part in community projects such as litter picking.
But is “getting tough” on young people – and warning them they could face being stripped of welfare payments unless they do training or voluntary work – really the way to go about it?
Starmer tried it first, a year ago, when he announced reforms of PIP payments for people with a disability or illness. But he was forced to ditch his plans after a massive backbench rebellion forced him to back down on taking £5bn a year off the burgeoning welfare bill and cut benefits. He became an effective prisoner of his own backbenchers, forced to spend even more on welfare by lifting the two-child benefit cap.
Those same left-wing backbenchers were the ones responsible for ushering in PM Burnham. Yet he now looks set to repeat Starmer’s mistakes.
Asked whether there were people claiming benefits who might not “need them”, Burnham talked in cautious, woolly clauses: “Well, I wouldn’t necessarily go straight to blaming those people. What I would say is that there are people in the benefits system, young people in their 20s, who have been, I would say, quite seriously let down because the support wasn’t there for them when it should have been there.”
Today’s Gen Zers are growing up not only with the spectre of multiple wars raging in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran – but wildfires directly linked to the climate crisis pumping apocalyptic clouds of black smoke in France, Spain and the UK, too.
They can’t afford to buy a place to live – average property prices are six to 11 times higher than typical yearly wages, with higher interest rates from the Bank of England affecting mortgages. Food, energy and housing costs have risen much faster than average household incomes, driven by sky-high inflation spikes, global energy and fuel shocks, supply disruptions and housing and rent surges. The economy is shot, growth is poor, and Britain has a major debt problem.
We’re also still feeling the effects of the pandemic, with its knock-on effects on everything from education to socialisation to NHS waiting lists – and the number of child mental health referrals hit a million in England last year. The children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has confirmed that the country is facing a “crisis” in young people’s mental health.
So, when it comes to “tearing up” the youth benefits system and starting again, Burnham would do well to remember that today’s kids are tomorrow’s voters – and with the youth vote starting at 16 come the next general election, Labour is going to need all the support it can muster.
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Andy Burnham’s mooted property value tax would hit millions of homeowners, raising bills,
reshaping the housing market and creating political dividing lines, says James Moore
Andy Burnham is reportedly considering a significant overhaul of property taxation (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street)
Remember the famous slogan used to promote Jaws 2 – “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…”? In Andy Burnham’s Britain, homeowners – especially those not in his hallowed North – could be forgiven for thinking it now applies to them.
Last week, I wrote about the government’s unannounced proposal, thrown up by backroom policy discussions, for a land value tax. According to The Times’s calculator, it would more than double what I currently pay in council tax – and I live in a family home on the farthest outskirts of east London. Those renting a room in trendier burbs like Hackney would see their household bill more than triple. In fact, across much of southern England, the change represents a significant financial shock.
Burnham’s latest proposal is less dramatic – but his property value tax, based directly on a home’s market value and paid annually, would still raise important questions, and create dreadful anomalies. But I wonder, given the way he sees the north/south divide, if that’s the point.
If levied at the proposed rate of 0.48 per cent of the value of the property in which you live, in my case, it would amount to paying an extra £400 a year. Which is hardly ruinous – but nor is it insignificant at a time when households have already absorbed a succession of tax increases and rising living costs.
But it sends a signal of intent, as this would be a tax primarily on the South East. Almost one in five homeowners would be worse off – including a majority of those in London. Having already paid the greatest amounts of stamp duty on their property, southern homeowners will then be hit by an annually repeating tax for the privilege.
What this might do to the property market is anyone’s guess. And to the shape of our politics, too. I wonder if Burnham has calculated he can afford to lose all those marginal seats across the south that Sir Keir Starmer narrowly won?
Burnham argues that people in Manchester often pay more council tax than those living in larger and more valuable homes in London. The people of Stoke pay more than those living in a
There is certainly a debate to be had about the shortcomings of the current council tax system, whose bands are still based on property valuations from more than three decades ago. But replacing it with a tax directly linked to today’s property values would inevitably create a new set of winners and losers.
Labour’s majority depends not only on its traditional urban heartlands but also on seats won across southern England for the first time in generations. Many of those constituencies contain exactly the sort of homeowners who would be affected by a property value tax
Those losers would not simply be owners of multimillion-pound houses in Kensington and Chelsea. They would include people living in entirely ordinary homes whose values have risen sharply over the years, particularly across London and much of the South East. A modest terraced house or flat can now command a price that bears little relation to its owner’s income.
That matters because a tax based on asset values rather than current earnings can fall heavily on people who are asset-rich but cash-poor. Critics have long made that argument about mansion taxes – but the issue would extend much further if the principle were applied more broadly.
There is also the question of whether such a tax would achieve everything its advocates hope. Scotland provides an interesting example of how taxpayers respond to incentives. Dan Neidle, a former member of the Scottish government’s tax advisory group, has argued that higher income tax rates raised less than expected because people changed their behaviour, whether through pension contributions, pay arrangements or relocation.
It could also produce some curious outcomes within London itself. Boroughs where property remains comparatively affordable may become more attractive simply because annual tax liabilities would be lower than in wealthier neighbourhoods. Or you could sell in the south and go north, young man. That may be an intended consequence – but it is a consequence, nonetheless.
The biggest political risk, however, is electoral rather than economic. Labour’s majority depends not only on its traditional urban heartlands but also on seats won across southern England for the first time in generations. Many of those constituencies contain exactly the sort of homeowners who would be affected by a property value tax.
Starmer won power by persuading middle-income homeowners that Labour understood both their aspirations and the financial pressures they face. Any proposal that appears to penalise people simply because the value of their home has increased risks undermining that trust.
There is a strong case for reforming council tax, which almost everyone accepts is outdated. But replacing one imperfect system with another that creates new inequities and new political resentments would be an expensive mistake.
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Larkin is exactly what Britain needs
Andy Burnham’s admiration for a conservative poet often dismissed today as curmudgeonly
reveals a politician who is more complicated than he may appear, says Rosie Millard
Andy Burnham cited Philip Larkin’s ‘Love Songs in Age’ as the last ‘century’s greatest poem’ (Getty)
Philip Larkin once said in an interview “I’ve always been right-wing”. Certainly, his private letters and published articles offer a complicated and sometimes repellent portrait of a poet whose reputation has been assailed by accusations of misogyny, racism and general miserablism.
As president of the Philip Larkin Society, I am delighted, and not at all startled, that our new prime minister reveres the work of a man routinely dismissed as a morbid curmudgeon, but who was anything but.
It is to his credit that Burnham can see past the lazy caricatures of the poet and look at the poetry. In 1991, as a recent English graduate, Burnham wrote to a national newspaper, saying: “Great poetry [should] be memorable and moving. Larkin aimed to write poetry like this, and few would deny he succeeded.” He then cited Larkin’s Love Songs in Age “as the century’s greatest poem”.
As Larkin himself wrote: “Poetry is an affair of sanity, of seeing things as they are.” And even though he is a Cambridge man (Larkin also read English, but at St John’s College, Oxford), maybe Burnham too would like us to “see things as they are”, dispensing with the lectern and using normal, everyday language as Larkin does.
Larkin doesn’t use florid analogy to reveal how clever he is. Larkin gets straight to the point: “The trees are coming into leaf”; “Days are where we live,”; the peerless beginning of (in my view) the century’s greatest poem: “That Whitsun, I was late getting away.”
There is a reason that Larkin is read at weddings (“Sex began in 1963…”), funerals (“What will remain of us is love”), and at any knees-up concerning a parent (“They f*** you up, your mum and dad”). The poems seem so easy and familiar. But as anyone who has read them knows, they are also paradoxical and complicated. Something that you respond to instinctively suddenly trips you up emotionally.
Burnham’s admiration for Larkin reveals the PM as a bit more complicated than we maybe give him credit for; a man who doesn’t take things at face value, who has experienced love, but
Our prime minister shares Larkin’s elegant refusal to consider London as the only option, and an insistence that the North is an acceptable, even desirable place for art, for philosophy and for politics
I think there is another, big reason why the man at No 10 admires the man who used to chain-smoke them. Larkin brought intellectual heft and authority to the North and insisted on it as a place of value. He arrived at Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, in 1955 and stayed there, as librarian at the University of Hull until his death 30 years later. Hull became the muse for our greatest post-war poet.
The emotional profundity to be found across his writing on Hull insisted then, and now, that this often over-looked city be taken seriously. In his desire to found a No 10 of the North, our prime minister shares Larkin’s elegant refusal to consider London as the only option, and an insistence that the North is an acceptable, even desirable place for art, for philosophy and for politics.
I am old enough to remember Margaret Thatcher reciting a prayer attributed to St Francis of Assisi on her first day in Downing Street. All very nice – but I would much rather be guided by a PM who understands and admires the complicated, bitter-sweet universality of Philip Larkin, a writer who knew that getting “the fame and the girl and the money” was a shallow ambition, a man who valued the North, and a man who knew that, despite all their toughness, days “are to be happy in”.
Rosie Millard is president of the Philip Larkin Society
A
In the school holidays, a new trend of ‘link-ups’ and teen takeovers risks spreading across Britain. Speaking to the teenagers behind them, Chloe Combi discovers the reasons behind them and how
far some of those involved will go to make themselves seen and heard
Young people crowd out London’s Hyde Park in the annual ‘4/20’ celebrations (Sopa/Getty)
s the summer holidays finally arrive for all children (private schools started their summer three weeks ago) and the heatwave rolls on, Britain becomes a tale of two countries. For the kids and teenagers heading off on fun-packed family holidays, whether here or abroad, and to camps and festivals, the holidays are a pinnacle of joy and excitement. However, as the cost of living and economic crisis bite, it’s a different story for thousands of others.
to afford a break longer than five days. A heartbreaking 8 per cent of children in the UK have never had a holiday. And with the cost of petrol, parking, train fares, admission costs and food and drink soaring, 30 per cent of UK parents are unable to afford even day trips.
For millions of teenagers stuck in record-hot urban and suburban wastelands, this creates an enormous void of dead time, and into this void trouble tends to seep. The summer holidays always bring a spike in petty and more serious crimes committed by young people, as well as a worsening of mental health, as I reported a year ago in these pages as “summertime sadness”.
The sheer volume of teens seen in recent link-ups often results in civil unrest (BBC)
But after 12 months of political and cultural turmoil, with another prime minister in No 10, the sense of unrest among older Gen A’s and younger Gen Z’s is getting spikier by the day. This has been exacerbated by the crisis in youth unemployment and the looming social media ban, which comes with no coherent plan for what might replace screen time and social media connectivity. All this is fertile ground for the dissenting seeds of “town teen takeovers” to grow into a real movement. What kids refer to as “link-ups” are now popping up across the
Organised on encrypted messaging services away from the prying eyes of police and parents, the takeovers, or link-ups, are pitched as a kind of free flash festival where you can meet people and generally have unbridled fun, but they are also often threaded with a distinct feeling of sticking two fingers up to the establishment. While their intention isn’t necessarily criminal per se, the sheer volume of kids that can descend on an area often means the takeovers are tinged with violence and chaos.
In the USA, in Atlanta and Chicago, teens were told on social media to “pull up” and “shake some ass”, but with the added terrifying problem of guns in the mix, the mood was tense with a violent edge. The motivations behind the US teen takeovers seemed to be a frustrated partying spirit that had gone awry, but there, like here, they are underscored by a youthful sense of frustration and injustice against a system they feel is not only not working for them, but actively harming them.
Parents keep telling us to get off our phones. This is what it looks like. You can’t have it both ways
South Londoner Paulo, 16, explains: “There are lots of link-ups being planned on Snap, TikTok and Telegram. They have to be done pretty quickly or they don’t happen or the police hear about it. So far they have been pretty small, but people want ones here like they’ve had in America that have been insane, like proper takeovers. I’ll definitely be going to the one people are talking about that is coming up soon.”
Paulo, 16
People, he says, have different reasons for going. In the same way some of his cohort will be heading to Reading Festival in August (weekend tickets start at £295), lots of his mates will be looking for link-ups instead.
“People are desperate just to have a good time and meet people and smoke some weed,” he says. “I obviously want to meet some leng girls. But I definitely think some people want to cause trouble. There is a lot of anger right now about all kinds of things, especially the social media ban.
“I do think people our age are doing this as a protest. There’s nothing for us to do and everything like gigs or festivals is so expensive. Parents keep telling us to get off our phones. This is what it looks like. You can’t have it both ways. My dad told me he went to illegal raves when he was our age. So what’s the difference?”
The growing teen sentiment that there is a total absence of affordable and safe things for most of them to do isn’t an unsympathetic viewpoint. Kizzy*, 15, attended a “link-up” in Clapham over the Easter holidays that she heard about via Snapchat. This resulted in six arrests of teenage girls due to violent and anti-social behaviour, with many businesses complaining about vandalism, intimidation and theft. What was missed was that the main target of the Clapham “link-up” was food outlets.
She explains: “People were bored over the holidays, but it was all about food. Everyone hit McDonald’s and all the chicken shops. It’s mad everyone’s nicking food and not trainers. The ones being planned this summer aren’t just in London, but are happening in other towns. People our age want to hit places where there are people with money, because everyone is pissed off.”
It would be a mistake to think there is any coherent ideological driving force behind the teen town takeovers, but scratch a little deeper and there is definitely a theme of there not being enough to do, whether that’s gigs, youth clubs or free-to-access sports clubs.
This is exacerbated by a new psychology that’s becoming more defined in older Gen A’s. Unlike their older counterparts, Gen Z, who adapted during the pandemic when forced to socialise via their phones, Gen A are exhibiting a much more restless spirit. Savvy to algorithms and advertising, social media doesn’t hold the same thrall it once did, and an interest in old-fashioned partying is growing. For this cohort, there has been an uptick in underage drinking, smoking and illegal drugs. The “link-up” offer to come and party and get wasted is becoming increasingly appealing to Gen A, who are hungry for a taste of what Gen X, their parents, enjoyed in the Nineties.
Brighton-born James, 16, is typical of many of his friends when he says that kind of freedom to party is a dream for them. “We look back on it and think it looked sick,” he says. “Raves and warehouse parties. My dad showed me a festival ticket and it was like three days with bands you’ve still heard of and it was £65! That would probably get you a burger and chips and a few beers now.
“It’s so unfair. If you don’t have money, you’re locked out of everything. The thing that annoys me about these takeovers is when they’re just about vandalism or fighting. It would be so cool if people just went to party and have a good time like they did at my dad’s raves.”
It’s so unfair. If you don’t have money, you’re locked out of everything
I ask James if he’s planning on attending a takeover this summer?
“Definitely. But not the London ones. They just get aggro. There was one in Hyde Park around 4/20 [referring to the April day often seen as among younger people as a celebration of cannabis], and it was good at first but then went bad. Girls were getting harassed. I didn’t feel safe. I’ll definitely go to the Brighton one. It’s annoying because they could be brilliant. These takeovers could mean something, like a fun protest, but people just get stupid, and then you can’t defend it.”
James, 16
The rebellious spirit of today’s link-ups isn’t too far away from Sixties mod meet-ups in seaside places like Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex (Getty)
For those critical of the looming teen takeover spirit, it’s worth remembering that every generation has resorted to some kind of flash gathering, whether it was the rave culture James and co. are so keen to emulate, or the mods and rockers clashing in Brighton in the Sixties, or Rock Against Racism in the 1980s. Whether conditions that have historically resulted in summers of unrest are present again remains to be seen, but it looks as if this summer will be no different. The fact that young people want to take these gatherings to affluent places simply highlights a growing generational us-versus-them mood.
The police response, however, is unsurprisingly unsympathetic to youthful grievance. In response to the outbreaks of violence in Clapham and any further “teen takeovers” being planned, Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond gives a clear message:
“Events like this, fuelled by online trends and viral content on platforms such as TikTok, can quickly escalate and lead to serious outcomes. If you join in or cause further disorder, you should expect to be arrested and risk a criminal record, which can have long-lasting consequences for your future, including employment opportunities and potentially your ability to travel.”
However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his cabinet colleagues would be wise to give some serious thought to why these takeovers are happening in the first place. Young people are desperate to be seen and heard because there is a real sense of alienation and neglect. A failure to listen to their concerns might well see not just a summer of unrest, but an autumn and winter of discontent too.
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A US bomber crashed into the 78th floor of the Empire State Building on this day in 1945 (Getty)
1540: Thomas Cromwell, chancellor to Henry VIII, was beheaded on Tower Hill for promoting the king’s failed marriage to Anne of Cleves. On the same day, Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.
1586: The first potatoes arrived in Britain in Plymouth, brought from North Carolina by Sir Thomas Harriott.
1750: Johann Sebastian Bach, German composer, died of a stroke. Earlier that year he had two operations by an English occulist to try to cure his blindness. His sight was restored on 18 July, just 10 days before his death.
1794: Maximilien Robespierre, one of the leaders of the French Revolution, was guillotined in Paris.
1866: Beatrix Potter was born in London – she was the author and illustrator who created the immortal characters Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and Jemima Puddleduck, among others.
1945: A US bomber crashed into the 78th floor of the Empire State Building, killing the three crew members, and 11 workers.
1959: Postcodes were introduced into Britain by the Postmaster General together with new postal sorting machines.
1976: One of the greatest natural disasters of recent centuries occurred when an earthquake hit Tangshan in China, killing up to three-quarters of a million people.
1987: Golfer Laura Davies became the first Briton to win the US Women’s Open.
On this day last year: Chinese online retailer Temu was accused by European Union watchdogs of failing to prevent the sale of illegal products on its platform.
Birthdays
Riccardo Muti, conductor, 85; Elizabeth Berkley, actor, 54; Justin Lee Collins, comedian/TV presenter, 52; Michael Carrick, head coach of Manchester United, 45; Cher Lloyd, singer, 33; Harry Kane, footballer, 33.
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W
Cheating scandals and increasingly powerful artificial intelligence tools are forcing universities to
rethink their relationship with technology and even ban laptops, writes Anthony Cuthbertson
The University of Chicago Law School has instructed students to complete in-class examinations using pen and paper (Getty/iStock)
hen a professor at Brown University allowed his students to take their March midterm exams at home, he was alarmed when 40 of the test results came back with perfect scores.
But the test results, which had an average score of 96 per cent – roughly 25 per cent higher than the average grade – led Professor Serrano to suspect that most of his class had used AI to cheat.
In an effort to give them the benefit of the doubt, he decided to hold the final exams in person. The average score was just 48.6 per cent, with only one student scoring higher than on the midterm.
An investigation into the incident by the Brown University standing committee is underway, but Professor Serrano has already pledged to never allow at-home testing again.
Princeton University also recently voted to end a 133-year-old tradition of unsupervised exams, while three-quarters of respondents to a survey from the American Association of Colleges and Universities said they were concerned about students using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to cheat.
“Certain assignments that once required sustained effort over hours or even weeks can now be completed almost instantly,” the report noted. “Faculty across the university are scrambling to redesign syllabi and assessments. Whatever its promise, AI in its current use on campus undermines the expectations of focused, disciplined thinking that have long been the standard features of a rigorous education.
“Moreover, it is clear that the rapid technological changes of our moment are contributing to declining public trust in the very idea of human expertise.”
The report also acknowledged that it must balance its approach to AI in classrooms with the need to prepare students for future careers in which they will be required to use the technology.
This month, the University of Chicago Law School announced a ban on laptops and smartphones for incoming students in an effort to combat AI usage – though it also unveiled a plan to teach how to use AI effectively. The school’s new AI strategy even includes the words: “Technology is changing too fast.”
The new policy will prevent incoming students for the 2026- 2027 academic year from accessing any electronic devices during classes, while all examinations will be in-class without access to the internet, electronic files or apps.
By reverting to pen and paper, the law school hopes to encourage the “essential human skills” required to be a lawyer.
“We need to ensure that our students actually learn to think critically, strategically, and independently without relying on AI; but we also must face the reality that AI tools are already widely available to our students, and our graduates will be expected to be prepared to use them in legal practice,” the law school’s new AI strategy states.
The objective is not to make assessment AI-proof. That is probably impossible. The objective is to make learning sufficiently visible that authorship is not reduced to guesswork
One of the biggest challenges is ensuring there has been original human effort on core components like coursework, which typically require hours or days of effort that can not be done in a supervised classroom setting.
One potential solution is AI detection tools that can identify writing that has been generated by artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT. However, these remain fundamentally flawed, with the development of AI models often outpacing the apps designed to catch them.
A report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), a UK think tank, found that such tools are often inaccurate and unreliable. One of the most rampant causes of false positives is proving to be writing by non-native English speakers, which is incorrectly flagged as AI.
Several leading universities, including UCLA in the US and the University of Waterloo in Canada, have already abandoned popular AI detection tools due to the risk of wrongful accusations.
Dr John Milliken, lecturer in education, University of Ulster
AI detection tools are seen as a possible solution, but many are struggling to keep up with the pace of the technology, or producing false positives (AP)
“The alternative to detection is not the abandonment of academic integrity but the pursuit of it through approaches that work,” the 20 July report from HEPI stated, calling for a radical redesign of programmes so that they no longer relied on essay- based submissions. Instead, institutions should aim for “process- based assessment, staged submissions, oral defences and AI literacy embedded in curricula”.
Rather than rely on AI detection tools, academics are increasingly calling for the revival of assessment methods that have gradually disappeared over the past two decades, returning to handwritten examinations, oral assessments and supervised classroom testing.
“The proper response is not to build more elaborate systems for inspecting finished products. It is to redesign assessments so that learning becomes visible throughout the process,” says Dr John Milliken, a lecturer in education who spent 30 years teaching at the University of Ulster.
“The objective is not to make assessment AI-proof. That is probably impossible. The objective is to make learning sufficiently visible that authorship is not reduced to guesswork.”
The recent scandal at Brown University may well serve as a reckoning for universities. The largest known AI-assisted cheating incident serves as a demonstration of what could happen if a new approach to teaching is not adopted.
“I believe the arrival of AI has been like a tsunami for all of us,” the prize-winning economist told Fortune shortly after the test results were made public.
“It’s caught everybody unprepared. But in my humble opinion, silence is the worst treatment for this problem.”
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a communal, life-affirming celebration
Latitude’s stages still offer an eclectic menu of music, comedy, dance, poetry and conversation
Brydie Monaghan
Teddy Swims headlines Saturday night at Latitude 2026 (Press)
Over the past 20 years, thousands of artists have graced the stages of Latitude Festival in Suffolk, bringing audiences a weekend of unforgettable music, theatre, learning, adventure, laughter and dance.
There are few other places where you can find the joyful rhythms of David Byrne on the main stage, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake performed across an actual lake, and the opportunity to take medieval sword fighting lessons.
The Independent’s own podcast In The Room gives attendees a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of government decisions, while the Adam Clery Football Channel packs out The Listening Post stage with a quiz on England’s greatest tournament heartbreaks.
Spread across dusty, heatwave-scorched fields, the aptly titled magical Faraway Forest and a lake (sadly closed to wild swimmers this year due to blue-green algae), the festival overflows with literary talks, educational displays and hidden gems for the whole family.
‘Swan Lake’: A ballet performance at Latitude (Ruby Boland)
On my way into the festival I’m surprised to be sharing the shuttle bus with some of the artists on the lineup: Izzy S.O, whose pop-punk sound greets campers from the Climate Bus parked at the entrance of the campsite, and The Scorpios, a London-based Sudanese psychedelic jazz band with a raw eastern funk feel, performing on the Trailer Park stage.
One of the festival’s main draws is its comedy lineup, and this year is no exception. Latitude veteran Marcus Brigstocke gives his take on what it is like to be a man in 2026, poking fun at the
Other comedic highlights include Lenny Henry making his return to stand-up, Chloe Petts (reminding us of the pride we felt following the Lionesses last year, in contrast to this year’s World Cup heartbreak), and Brennan Reece.
The music stages kick off with performances from baroque pop band The Last Dinner Party, singer-songwriter Tom Grennan and US soul artist Jalen Ngonda, setting the tone for an eclectic weekend.
Life-affirming lyrics: Self-Esteem performs at Latitude 2026 (Press)
Three years after his debut appearance at Latitude, Teddy Swims returns to headline the main stage on Saturday night. Giving a truly electrifying performance, the singer seems genuinely humbled to be back and makes a huge effort to shine the spotlight on his talented band. Audience members are visibly moved by the singer’s emotionally vulnerable lyrics and powerhouse vocals, while an unexpected cover of Van Halen's “Jump” has everyone, well, jumping.
struggles. He’s in great form, delivering a charming blend of ballads, sweary asides, and singalong anthems. Meanwhile, Self Esteem steals the show with her set of life-affirming lyrics from songs such as “I Do This All the Time” and “Focus is Power”, offering a communal celebration that makes for one awe- inspiring show-stopper.
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Left on the shelf? Shein feels impact of Trump trade war (Reuters)
Shein slumps to loss after Trump tariff blow
Shein has slumped to a loss as it revealed a sales hit from Donald Trump’s move to scrap an import duty exemption on small packages in an update ahead of its planned stock market debut in Hong Kong. The fast fashion group reported bottom line net losses of $99m (£74m) for the three months to the end of March against profits of £296m a year earlier. Sales edged 1.1% higher to £6.78bn.
The group – which recently announced its decision to list its long-planned initial public offering in Hong Kong – said its first quarter loss was largely down to a £246m hit from an accounting change but the figures laid bare the impact of the president’s trade war. In May last year, the US removed a so- called “de minimis” tariff exemption on small packages, which Shein had previously used to ship garments from China directly to customers. Earlier this month, the EU made the same move,
Tortilla tastes stronger sales after takeaway boost
Mexican food chain Tortilla has said launching on takeaway platforms like Deliveroo has accelerated its sales. Tortilla Mexican Grill, which sells made-to-order burritos and tacos, said like-for-like sales were nearly 14% higher in the six months to the end of June. Since listing at the same time on Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat in late March, sales jumped by nearly a fifth while delivery sales were up by more than 50%.
It also published its annual results for 2025 which were delayed as a result of accounting issues that meant auditors had to reassess the group’s accounts. Tortilla said it previously overstated its profits for the last year relating to its French business but chief executive Brandon Stephens said it was “turning the page on the 2025 financial year accounting issues in France and looking to the future”. Newly-published accounts showed adjusted earnings of £1.1 million for 2025, with the UK profitable while France operated at a loss. PA
Vodafone profits up after mass jobs cuts
Vodafone Group has reported higher sales and profits amid a drive to cut costs which has led to the shedding of 1,200 jobs in Europe over recent months. In the UK it is aiming to shave about £700 million a year from its total costs and capital spending by the 2030 financial year; this is partly coming from Vodafone’s merger with Three, to form the nation’s largest mobile operator.
Vodafone has been pushing ahead with a major transformation under chief executive Margherita Della Valle, including a focus on its biggest markets in Germany and the UK, as well as Africa, while pulling out of countries where it has a smaller presence. It is now expecting adjusted earnings to come in between 13bn euros (£11.1bn) and 13.3bn euros (£11.4bn) for the year. In the
UK, mobile service revenues on an organic basis declined by 0.7% in the three months to the end of June, partly because of the phasing out of mid-contract price rises following a crackdown by regulator Ofcom. PA
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for 50m breaststroke bronze
‘Super power looks very different now’ says Olympic champion
Mark Staniforth
(PA Wire)
Adam Ramsay-Peaty maintained that winning is no longer everything after he was forced to settle for a second bronze medal in the men’s 50 metres breaststroke final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Two days after cutting an emotional figure after his third-placed finish in his favoured 100m, Ramsay-Peaty cut a much more composed figure as he stressed that a shift in priorities is essential if he is to stay focused heading deeper into the 2028 Olympics cycle.
“Super power looks very different now,” said Ramsay-Peaty.
His former extraordinary dominance has dimmed in recent years, following a year out in 2023 to prioritise his mental health, and a silver medal at the Paris Olympics.
“Juggling babies with milk and having a toddler around is a different super power,” added Ramsay-Peaty, who has a five-year- old son from a previous relationship.
“I’ve still got that mentality – we just have to approach it very differently. I’ve been that person who wins all the time and it costs you pretty much everything and I wouldn’t say it’s worth it now.
“I think for me that period of time when I was undefeated for eight years, it was athlete first, then human. Now it’s human first, then athlete, which is a very fair price to pay.”
Ramsay-Peaty had vowed to put a “battle plan” in place after finishing third over the longer distance on Saturday, but he looked somewhat less than combative through the heats and qualified third for the final, behind Houlie and Williamson, the 100m gold medallist.
Despite winning three individual world titles, Ramsay-Peaty has never been able to assert his authority to such a degree over the shorter distance. He twice finished runner-up to Cameron van den Burgh at the Commonwealth Games before finally reaching the top of the podium in Birmingham in 2022, two days after a shock fourth place over 100m.
The addition of the 50m breaststroke event to the swimming programme for the Los Angeles Games has been cited as one of the reasons for Ramsay-Peaty’s decision to pursue at least one more Olympic cycle – but it remains to be seen whether he will consider it a price worth paying.
G
Having avoided serious injury in a nasty incident on the horizontal bars, the Team England gymnast
Gabriel Langton tells James Toney why he can’t wait to return to competition
Gabriel Langton avoided serious injury after a nasty fall at the Commonwealth Games (Photos PA)
abriel Langton has admitted he feared for his gymnastics future after his horrific fall at the Commonwealth Games. The 19-year-old fell headfirst from three metres to the floor after missing his catch on the horizontal bar during the men’s team event, spending the night in hospital.
He confirmed he had not suffered a concussion as he returned to the Team England base wearing the silver medal he had still helped win. “I knew that I could still talk, I could move a lot of things. I was just hoping I could do gym again,” he said.
“Neck injuries are there to be taken seriously. I was just hoping that it wasn’t anything too bad. When I got the scans back, it was a big relief. My thought process switched quite quickly to being, ‘I should be back in the gym quite soon.’
“I’ve spoken to Team England doctors and physios, and hopefully it won’t be too long. It’ll be a gentle reintroduction, but hopefully not too long. I’m doing a lot better now. Slightly sore, but a lot better than I was a couple of days ago, knowing that it’s nothing too serious.”
Gabriel Langton fell while working on the horizontal bars
Langton – who found out he had won a silver medal while in the medical room at the Glasgow International Arena – claimed the fall was just a fluke and said he cannot wait to get back in the gym.
“I’ve done that skill so many times, and this has happened once,” he added. “I have performed it safely ten thousand times. If you look at those stats, this was just kind of a freak accident. I think I’ll be pretty confident that I can just put that to the side and trust in my gymnastics again.
Gabriel Langton can’t wait to return to competition
Langton revealed he remembers every moment of the fall, recalling how his first instinct was to climb back onto the horizontal bar and finish his routine despite landing headfirst.
“I remember pretty much all of it,” he said. “We were slightly behind in the competition, so I was trying to go as close to perfection as I could. I really attacked that first go and, obviously, it went slightly wrong.
“I was in quite a lot of pain when I fell, but initially I thought I needed to get back on the bar and finish my routine. Then more medical staff came over, and I realised I probably wasn’t going to get back on the bar.
“I was just really frustrated that it had happened at that moment. The team were behind and I felt I could have contributed to the team score, so I was disappointed in myself. Then, when the adrenaline wore off, I started to feel the pain.”
I
Fifa’s president launched a tirade at anyone who dared question the tournament’s success, writes
Will Castle, but his Trump tribute act doesn’t hide the fact his actions made it worse
Gianni Infantino is convinced the World Cup did not have a single flaw (Getty)
t’s honestly adorable to see how desperately Gianni Infantino wants to be Donald Trump. You could hear the US president’s cadence, even see his hand gestures, as Infantino went on an extraordinary, self-congratulating rant putting his World Cup haters on blast. Trump has clearly taught his Fifa counterpart his tried-and- tested political mantra: shout something repeatedly and loud enough and eventually it will definitely become true, probably.
Infantino claimed his “most outstanding World Cup” went off without a hitch. “We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100 per cent safety and security, only joy and happiness!” Think you remember the Folarin Balogun debacle? The disgraceful treatment of Iran? The refusal to allow Africa’s best referee to enter the country? The deaths of four people in a crush during the celebrations of Mexico’s win over Ecuador? No, you are just “consumed by hate” – cheer up, misery guts!
Gianni Infantino emulated Donald Trump with his tirade on social media (AFP/Getty)
He masks his tirade with meaningless buzzwords like joy, unity and love, which are repeated dozens of times without any real substance. But there is no other way of putting this: it’s an attack on those who have tried to hold him to account. An attempt to distort reality and rewrite the narrative that is piling up on him, that he is single-handedly ruining the biggest sport in the world.
“To all of you who missed watching kids, babies, grandparents, and parents come together for the beautiful game, I say sorry that the matches are now over and sorry that you missed all that joy and togetherness. Sorry that you were so consumed by hate
“To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumours, I want to say that while you are sitting behind, we at Fifa are on the front lines organising, working hard, and delivering the best show in the world.”
The contradictions that followed felt endless. With each swipe came a wave of anger over a pathetic man who is passing off abject lies as absolute truths.
Infantino seemed adamant the World Cup was nothing but a roaring success (Getty)
According to Infantino, “Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict” after Fifa “worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war”. How short do you think our memories are, Gianni?!
From “integral” members of staff seeing their visas denied, to the last-minute training camp move to Mexico due to US entry restrictions, to the Trump administration forcing the team to leave the country “immediately” after their matches finished – Iran’s World Cup experience, to quote captain Mehdi Taremi, was a “disaster”.
The Fifa president also grossly undersold the overwhelming visa issues. He claimed that a “few people [being] denied visas” was insignificant compared to the “millions who were approved, from all parts of the world”, patting himself on the back by saying: “Countries facing serious health issues or other challenges were granted visas.”
It was not just a few. “Football is bigger than hate and discrimination,” he said. Clearly not.
The case of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, Africa’s referee of the year in 2025, was the most egregious, sent home at the border due to alleged links to “suspected members of terror organisations”. Uefa have since appointed him the referee of the Super Cup after having “the biggest dream of my life” destroyed, a middle finger directly to Infantino.
The denial of a visa to referee Omar Artan was one of the World Cup’s headline-making stories (AFP/Getty)
But for all those that didn’t make it stateside, a couple of notable names managed to find their way in. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey awaits trial after being charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, all of which he pleaded not guilty to. He was let into the United States. Ivory Coast’s Elye Wahi was arrested days before the World Cup over match-fixing
And then there’s the Balogun debacle. Enough has been said on the disgrace that this plunged the World Cup into. Again, Infantino plays this down in his rant.
“Indeed, ‘arguable’ referees’ decisions or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings such as for instance potentially mistaken red or yellow cards or subsequent decision not to ban players in certain situations are routine and widely accepted in some of the biggest leagues worldwide,” he said. “It’s curious that the same countries employing these practices are the ones criticising.”
A repeat of the swipe his organisation took at Uefa’s denunciation, Infantino thinks he’s produced a “gotcha!” moment for all the haters. But it doesn’t take an expert to dissect this hollow argument for what it is.
Fifa were facing criticism for lacking an official avenue of appeal in their World Cup regulations after Balogun’s questionable red card. These avenues are what Infantino is referencing when he speaks about other leagues – his tournament didn’t have this option.
Trump found a way to circumvent this hurdle, by having his phone number. What followed Trump’s requested review was a little-known clause being enacted, which saw Balogun’s ban suspended. This is despite strong arguments that the relevant clause – Article 12.7 – should not have applied for on-pitch “disciplinary measures”, which are meant to be final and not reviewed by Fifa’s judicial bodies.
Folarin Balogun’s overturned red card was one of the tournament’s greatest controversies (Reuters)
Other teams responded by trying to do the same, but without any official route of appeal, Fifa quickly lost control and rebuffed any approach. It stunk of preferential treatment and called the sporting integrity of the competition into serious question.
So no, it was not the best show in the world. For all the talk from both him and Trump of this World Cup being an unparalleled success, he has actually failed his presidential chum in achieving what really mattered: laundering his administration’s reputation.
This was a sportswashing event after all. The “Maga World Cup” was meant to showcase the star-spangly brilliance of these great United States to the world, while simultaneously bringing about an upturn of approval ratings within his strict borders amid a bubbling disdain towards the government, catalysed by ICE scandals, the Epstein files, and more. Instead, it’s left people never wanting international sport to return to American shores again.
Qatar proved that pre-World Cup sins – in the form of abhorrent human rights abuses – can, unfortunately, be swept under the rug for the majority of casual viewers with a good storyline and a decent tournament that goes untouched by the state. Even after
By allowing Trump to cross the line of tampering with the actual competition, Infantino has cost him dearly. Trump has left his own nation embarrassed, along with the player whose citizenship he rejects the legitimacy of. His actions have also infuriated the rest of the footballing world.
Infantino and Trump combined to ensure this won’t go down as a great World Cup (PA Wire)
Only within each president’s circle of cronies has this World Cup been considered a success. A 64-team World Cup is now being mooted and the future of this already-bloated tournament is difficult to stomach.
But one thing is for sure: for all the prayers and meditation that Infantino recommends to his critics, this World Cup will not go down in the books as one of the greats. It’ll be resigned to the dustbin of duds, which is exactly what Trump would have wanted to avoid.
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hellish loop. Who else wants out of it?
After Anthony Joshua’s scare against Kristian Prenga and amid talks of moving the Tyson Fury fight to the US, could we be set for further delays to a clash that is already past its sell-by date?
Alex Pattle Combat sports editor
The once-tantalising Anthony Joshua v Tyson Fury heavyweight fight has now become increasingly messy (Getty)
No, Anthony Joshua’s win over Kristian Prenga was not fixed. But his fight with Tyson Fury might be broken beyond repair.
When Joshua cascaded to the canvas inside 20 seconds on Saturday, there was a brief feeling that his super-fight with Fury was collapsing him with. But barely five minutes later, Joshua was laughing off this scare as Prenga’s head snapped against the bottom ropes, leaving the helpless heavyweight to fade back into boxing obscurity as his consciousness faded, too.
Suggestions that the outcome was fixed (and there are a strange number of them) should not be entertained for a second. Every measurement of pain and damage in those chaotic few minutes were real. That should not need explaining.
Yet the narrative of the fight flipped almost as quickly as the narrative around Joshua vs Fury, which was being touted 24 hours earlier as a bout that was destined to go “AJ”’s way – such was the lacklustre nature of Fury’s win over Mariusz Wach. Fury was victorious after seven rounds in Thailand (although the fight was broadcast nowhere), but a 46-year-old Wach was no litmus test for the abilities of the “Gypsy King”.
Just as he did against Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, Fury looked comfortable but nothing more. Still, in fairness, comfortable is better than what Joshua experienced in Saudi Arabia.
So the relevant pages will read “Fury def. Wach via seventh- round TKO (3:00); Joshua def. Prenga via second-round KO (2:43)” – a removal of the final hurdles between the British heavyweights. However, the issue is that Fury and Joshua are certainly not speeding down the track to a November showdown at Wembley.
The 2am GMT ring walks proposed by Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh were already farcical, but now there is talk that Joshua’s contract dictates a showdown on British soil. In contrast, Fury’s contract allows for a meeting in the US.
Furthermore, there must be conversations behind closed doors about whether Joshua is in the right state mentally to return to the ring in November. In other words, two hurdles were dismantled at the weekend (laboriously, rather than being battered down), but two more might have arisen.
Do not be surprised if Joshua vs Fury is delayed until 2027. Do not be surprised if more warm-up fights are suggested. Do not be surprised if we never see the big one, even if those involved with the contracts might bristle at that suggestion.
Joshua climbs off the canvas after one of two first-round knockdowns
Do not forget: Joshua vs Fury has been signed before, and it still fell through.
Against Prenga, Joshua was already making a remarkably quick comeback after surviving a car crash in December, a tragic accident in Nigeria that killed two of his teammates. For all of Joshua’s admirable determination, for all of the soul searching, for all of the time spent training with his old rival Oleksandr Usyk in Ukraine, the blunt truth is that he was dropped by the first meaningful shot Prenga threw.
Whether Joshua’s mind or chin is not right, either is cause for concern against Fury. Then again, the weekend’s fights led one boxer to tell The Independent: Joshua vs Fury could be a case of “chin is gone” versus “legs are gone”.
There was already a consensus that Fury vs Joshua, should it take place in November, would be occurring several years too late. But at various points in the last few years, this writer would have told you that each boxer might have diminished to a similar degree, and not to an excessive one, making the match-up an alluring prospect still. Of course it would have been best to see them clash at the heights of their powers, but all you really needed was to believe that both had a realistic chance of winning – and the odds have shifted time and again over the years.
Fury eased past Mariusz Wach, one day before Joshua beat Kristian Prenga
It’s not unusual for heavyweights to box into their 40s, but some of the all-time greats have looked closer to their primes at that age than Joshua and Fury do at 36 and 37.
So, it’s not just that the former champions aren’t speeding down the track to their long-awaited fight, as mentioned above; either man might run out of road before it arrives.
Each time a step towards Joshua vs Fury is taken, the fight inches further out of reach, like some sort of Sisyphean punishment. The fight, as a concept rather than an actual sporting contest, has become an endless, hellish loop. I can’t be the only one who wants out.
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Rhys McClenaghan on the pommel horse (PA)
McClenaghan’s risky routine doesn’t pay off
These Commonwealth Games have been defined as much by the athletes who stayed away as those who turned up. Rhys McClenaghan could be forgiven for wondering why he bothered. The Northern Irishman is the only gymnast to have won Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles on a single apparatus, but he didn’t even win a medal in a pommel horse final he had seemed a racing certainty to win.
The 27-year-old has made no secret of the fact he’ll only defend his Olympic title in Los Angeles if he keeps pushing the sport’s boundaries, and said he’ll continue to take risks. He could have won gold here with a standard routine, but that’s not the McClenaghan way, as Canada’s Jordan Carroll took gold ahead of Scots Reuben Ward and Cameron Lynn.
“It didn't get off to a great start. The judges didn’t credit my mount, and that was a new skill I was trying to introduce. When you lose a skill like that, the whole routine falls apart. Even if the rest of the routine had been perfect, it still wouldn’t have been enough. I need to make it better. I need to make it undeniably good, so the judges don’t even have to think about whether to credit it.
“This is a step in the process. Even if I’d won gold today, it still would have been just another step. You can’t keep the same routines throughout your entire gymnastics career.” PA/Sportsbeat
ITV strikes deal to show 2027 Rugby World Cup
ITV will remain the UK television home of the men’s Rugby World Cup after striking an exclusive deal for the 2027 edition. The broadcaster is a long-standing partner of World Rugby, but is thought to have faced competition for next year’s rights from the BBC, which showed the Women’s Rugby World Cup last year.
But ITV has confirmed that it has renewed its agreement to show all 52 matches from the expanded tournament in Australia as it continues to establish itself as the free-to-air home of rugby union. Every game from the Nations Championship in 2026 and 2028 will be shown on the broadcaster’s channels, with ITV also having rights to a majority of men’s Six Nations games.
Having also taken the rights to the warm-up games ahead of the tournament, every England men’s international through the 2027 World Cup will be shown on ITV.
Littler to star in Netflix show with £501k prize
Darts sensation Luke Littler is set to front a new Netflix series, Beat Luke Littler, which will see amateur players challenge the world number one. The live event offers a substantial £501,000 prize to any of the 20 chosen participants who can defeat the 19- year-old prodigy. Aspiring contenders can enter open regional
Littler himself launched the call for participants through a video message, where he was seen addressing social media comments from individuals confident in their ability to beat him. Looking at the camera, he says: “Reckon you could beat me in a game of darts? Let’s go.” The show will air on Friday, 30 October, live on Netflix.
Those looking to take part can visit beatlukelittler.com for more information on how to apply. Littler began playing darts when he was just 18 months old and reached the PDC World Championship final at age 16, losing to Luke Humphries. His breakout year came in 2024 when he won the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts. He became the youngest world number one at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship in January 2025 at just 17 years old.
Pirlo ruled out of contention for Italy job
Andrea Pirlo has confirmed he is no longer in contention to become Italy’s next national football team coach. The former AC Milan and Juventus midfielder, who won the World Cup as a player with Italy in 2006, announced on Monday via Instagram: “I heard last night that I’m no longer the candidate for the Italy national team job.”
His withdrawal follows political concerns over a sponsorship deal with a Russian betting firm. Several Italian politicians had raised objections to Pirlo’s contract as an ambassador for Fonbet, arguing the national coach should not hold views conflicting with Italy’s support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war with Russia.
Pirlo, who had been prepared to leave his Dubai United role to take over as Italy boss, defended the agreement as “exclusively for commercial and sports” purposes, linked to his UAE job. He added: “Attributing a political significance to that collaboration
His previous unsuccessful stints in charge of Juventus and Sampdoria had already made him an unpopular choice. PA
World Cup final referee Vincic retires
Slavko Vincic, the referee who officiated the recent World Cup final, has announced his retirement just a week after the tournament’s conclusion. The Slovenian official faced widespread criticism for his handling of Argentina’s physical approach during their 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain, a match in which he sent off Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez in stoppage time.
Following Ferran Torres’ extra-time winner, the aftermath of the match was marred by ugly scenes as Spain and Argentina players clashed on the pitch. Fifa is investigating the post-match scenes, which included Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes throwing Gavi to the ground, although the Spanish star has revealed he does not want Paredes to be handed a suspension.
Confirming Vincic’s departure, the Slovenian Football Association released a statement saying: ”A week after the World Cup final in the USA, Slavko Vincic officially concluded his historic refereeing career at the top of the world.” Despite the recent controversy, Vincic, 46, has a distinguished career, having been named the World Cup’s best referee by both the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and the Association of Italian Referees (AIA), which bestows the biennial Giulio Campanati Award. PA
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The University, Arndale Centre, As Bill, As Larkin, As Meowmbai, As Russia, August Sally Taylor
As Simon, Beatrix Potter, Bedford South, Bill Oddie Goes Wild
本次翻译在整体流畅度上较高，但在严谨性、术语一致性以及交付标准方面存在显著缺陷。报告中出现了严重的“交付缺陷”（内部清理标签残留）以及个别数字翻译错误。
> [!WARNING] 翻译质量评估未完全通过... 以及 The, After Anthony Joshua... 等）。£501k prize / £501,000 prize奖金 £501 (遗漏了 K/千)，虽然正文纠正为 £501,000，但标题错误会导致严重误导。PA (Press Association)路透社（PA）。70 million 未翻译为“7000万”，保留了英文单位。In 2019, 孟买市政公司... 句首保留了英文 In 2019，未完全中译。Covid era 未翻译，保留英文。Back to top，随后直接跳到 Page 6。虽然预览包含省略号，但译文在 Page 4 的段落结束处缺乏自然的衔接，且 Page 5 内容缺失（对比原文）。结论：存在阻碍性问题 (Blocking Issues Found)。 主要问题在于交付物中包含了未清理的 QA 内部笔记，且在关键数字（标题奖金）和机构名称（PA $\neq$ 路透社）上出现了低级错误。建议重新审核并清理所有内部标签。