Daily Mail - 16.08.2026
2026-08-16 Boosty PDF 中文极简摘要
Daily Mail - 16.08.2026.pdf
- Boosty 帖子：Newspapers - 16.08.2026
- News / 999紧急电话被呼叫淹没：首相授权发送紧急手机警报警告林火风险，导致民众惊慌并堵塞999紧急电话线。保守党指责此举滥用系统，增加了“狼来了”的风险并导致高速公路交通混乱。
- Local News / T恤紧张局势：伯顿-昂-德-沃特过度旅游：当地居民抗议游客拥挤，但商家强调经济依赖游客。格洛斯特郡议会通过开展调查来处理企业与居民之间的僵局，但被指效率低下。
- Culture / Books / 独立书店面临破产危机：普尔曼等作家警告账单飙升将导致独立书店破产，呼吁政府提供类似酒吧的20%商业税率折扣。书店主强调其在社区识字和文化活动中的核心作用。
- Health / 骨折联络服务（FLS）普及争议：ROS慈善机构指责政府在FLS普及进度上提供误导性数据。尽管健康大臣声称有进展，但相关组织认为患者并未获得实际的新医疗渠道。
- Politics / 英吉利海峡拦截率下降：影子内政大臣克里斯·菲尔普披露拦截非法船只的比例下降至56%，批评政府未能有效管控海峡跨境流动。
- Education / Investigation / 剑桥大学教授阿尔代履历造假：阿尔代被发现伪造学术职位、学位及慈善筹款额等大量信息。评论认为剑桥大学缺乏基本尽职调查，导致制度被利用。
- Human Interest / 鲁皮·吉尔夺回家族邮局：鲁皮·吉尔在被错误判定为盗窃罪后，通过邮局调查录像证明清白，并强势接管其父亲开业50年的家族便利店邮局。
- Politics / 奈杰尔·法拉奇选举结果及其影响：法拉奇虽赢得选举但得票率低于预期，未能达到70%的基准。此结果可能导致2027年大选提前，且其未申报的500万英镑礼金调查将重启。
- Health / 英格兰消除丙型肝炎进展：通过免费居家指尖采血测试等举措，英格兰已实现治疗80%已知病例的目标，年死亡人数下降36%，有望成为首批消除该病国家。
- Health / Medical Research / 切除输卵管降低卵巢癌风险：研究表明绝大多数卵巢癌起源于输卵管，切除该部位可降低风险高达80%。专家建议45岁以上且无需生育的女性在腹部手术时考虑此方案。
- Opinion / Finance / 对首相安迪·伯纳姆巡演的批评：财经编辑批评首相的全国巡演旨在误导公众，认为其真实目的是通过提高税收来资助臃肿的福利账单，预警10月28日预算案将带来压力。
- Personal Finance / Retirement / 退休生活标准与财务风险：指南建议单身人士年需45,400英镑以维持舒适退休生活，夫妇则需62,700英镑。研究发现单身女性养老金领取者贫困率最高。
- Community / Health / EA Mobility与帕金森病协会合作：EA Mobility为帕金森病患者提供10%的家居改造折扣，并向协会捐款，旨在通过定制化改造提高患者的独立性和生活质量。
- Business / Automotive / 阿斯顿·马丁财务危机：豪华车制造商阿斯顿·马丁股价暴跌至35便士，估值仅1.54亿英镑。上半年亏损扩大至1.54亿英镑，债务攀升至15亿英镑以上。
- Sports / Football / 曼联季前赛负于AC米兰：前主帅阿莫林执教的AC米兰击败曼联，拉什福德在20个月后首次出战。主帅卡里克承认表现不佳，需在英超开赛前改进。
- Sports / Football History / 前球员奎因回忆考文垂时期：奎因回顾在考文垂队的进球爆发期，得益于教练古尔德要求其留在禁区不参与防守的战术，使其在首六场比赛打入10球。
- Entertainment / TV Guide / 黑色电影《奥德赛》纪录片：BBC将播出关于经典惊悚片《奥德赛》的幕后纪录片，该片当年收益超过预算25倍且赢得奥斯卡奖。
- Science / Nature / 生物命名学中的“拆分者”争议：探讨生物分类学中因物种命名引发的学术争端，以及部分科学家利用命名权进行幽默创作（如以明星命名苍蝇）的现象。
- TV Guide / BBC频道节目预告：列出包括《The Repair Shop》、《Mastermind》及《Only Connect》在内的电视节目排期。
- TV Guide / BBC晚上节目单及犯罪纪录片：预告包括《东区东街》及两集《我的谋杀真相》，分别调查1996年温特伍德森林谋杀案及M4公路行李箱尸体案。
- Advertising / Tools / RYOBI无绳绿篱修剪机产品特性：推广RYOBI 18V伸缩杆修剪机，具备HedgeSweep附件用于清理剪屑，以及可切断18mm树枝的金刚石研磨刀片。
Daily Mail - 16.08.2026.pdf
伯纳姆烧烤手机警报引发混乱
● 999紧急电话被呼叫淹没，警报声大作导致驾驶员在高速公路上横冲直撞 ● 保守党指责首相滥用旨在应对紧迫威胁的系统，存在“狼来了”的风险
独家报道
作者：Glen Owen 和 Mark Hookham
安迪·伯纳姆昨晚被指责进行“首相式的摆姿态”，因为他授权发送了一条紧急手机警报，导致惊慌的英国民众堵塞了999紧急电话线，并使受惊的驾驶员在高速公路上突然转向。
周五下午7点，全国数百万部手机突然响起警报声，警告公众不要点燃任何可能引起林火的东西，例如烧烤炉、火坑和烟花。
但十多年前设计该系统的保守党表示，该警报仅旨在用于存在紧迫、直接且主要为局部威胁的
请参阅第 4 页 »
《名人特工》明星 Maya 心碎之夏的内幕故事
娱乐独家
2
《星期日邮报》 2026年8月16日
天气
英国预报
区域预报
伦敦、东南部、南部、西南部、海峡群岛：早晨开始多云，风力轻微。下午可见阳光间隙，微风适中。晚上转为多云。最高气温 26℃, 79F。威尔士、中地、东安格利亚：早晨多为轻风。下午维持微风。晚上多为天空。最高气温 26℃, 75F。西北部、东北部：早晨风力轻微。下午维持阴天，微风温和。晚上维持，风力减弱。最高气温 26℃, 66F。苏格兰：早晨有小雨，下午转晴。天空持续至晚上，偶尔有阵雨。最高气温 18℃, 64F。
北爱尔兰、爱尔兰共和国：早晨有小雨。下午维持中等风力。晚上雨水回归，风力减弱。最高气温 28℃, 66F。
昨日（截至下午6点的24小时） – 最高温：Frittenders, 3kc。最低温：Bravemar No 2, 1kc。最高降水量：Cliff Farm, 13.40mms。最充足日照：Mauston, 13.3hrs。
气压（下午6点） – 1086.34mb。下降：湿度：56%。
未来一周
周一，雨水主导，部分地区有大阵雨。到周二，预计持续细雨转为阴天。周三带来分散阵雨和晴朗时段。周四，阳光渐现。
六日预报
周一 / 周二 / 周三 / 周四 / 周五 / 周六 伦敦 / 27 / 25 / 23 亚伯丁 / 15 / 17 / 15 / 14 贝尔法斯特 / 18 / 19 / 17 / 16 / 17 伯明翰 / 24 / 23 / 21 / 20 坎特伯雷 / 24 / 25 / 23 / 22 / 21 加的夫 / 22 / 21 / 20 / 19 格拉斯哥 / 17 / 18 / 17 利兹 / 21 / 20 / 19 / 18 / 19 曼彻斯特 / 20 / 19 / 18 / 19 纽卡斯尔 / 19 / 21 / 19 / 18 / 17 诺里奇 / 23 / 24 / 22 / 21 / 20 普利茅斯 / 25 / 24 / 22 / 21
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更正与澄清
2月27日的一篇文章暗示，北威尔士警方的侦查总监 Steve Williams 调查了针对其伴侣的渎职指控，且这一冲突导致了“腐败”指控。事实上，Williams 侦查总监调查的是一项单独的申诉，且当时与该个人并非恋爱关系。我们很高兴能对此予以澄清。
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BBC试图强迫特朗普家族出庭作证
英国广播公司（BBC）试图向唐纳德·特朗普的家族成员发出传票，以应对这位美国总统发起的 74 亿英镑诽谤诉讼。
该广播公司正寻求传票，以强迫特朗普的长子小唐纳德、女儿伊万卡及其女婿贾里德·库什纳在该案中作证。此案的核心在于总统的行为是否煽动了 2021 年 1 月 6 日冲击美国国会大厦的事件。
BBC的律师表示，特朗普家族成员“毫无疑问地拥有关于”他在袭击发生前行为的“个人了解”。
特朗普因一部 2024 年的《全景》（Panorama）纪录片而起诉BBC，该片称他在华盛顿特区发表了一场演讲，
作者：卡罗琳·格雷厄姆（Caroline Graham）
据称该演讲煽动暴徒冲击大楼。
总统声称，该节目将他演讲的不同部分“剪辑在一起”，使其看起来像是在支持暴力。他指责BBC“故意地、恶意地且欺骗性地篡改”了演讲内容。
BBC已就编辑问题道歉，称“这给人留下了总统特朗普直接号召采取暴力行动的错误印象”，但否认其行为构成了起诉理由。
BBC已请求法官驳回此案。小唐纳德和伊万卡在他们父亲发表演讲时在场，而伊万卡的丈夫库什纳先生曾为特朗普起草了一份拟议声明，打算在骚乱期间广播以谴责暴力。
法院文件显示，BBC曾在5月尝试在迈阿密家中向库什纳夫妇送达传票，但被特勤局拦截。在纽约特朗普大厦向小唐纳德送达传票的尝试也未能成功。
在周五提交给迈阿密联邦法院的一项动议中，BBC请求法官授权通过电子邮件进行送达。
特朗普家族的律师拒绝置评。
该案定于明年2月开庭审理。
来自洛杉矶的卡罗琳·格雷厄姆报道
伊朗昨晚反击了唐纳德·特朗普关于他可以将霍尔木兹海峡宣布为美国领土的说法。
总统在周五于长岛一个警察学院发表的演讲中提出了这一主张，他表示：“在我们击败伊朗之后——伊朗正被严重击败，很快就会结束——我将宣布霍尔木兹海峡为美国领土。我们对其拥有控制权。没有其他人，只有我们。”
但昨晚，伊朗外交部副部长卡泽姆·加里巴巴迪（Kazem Gharibabadi）嘲讽了这一说法，称美国对这条在六个月战争中成为闪点的重要水道“没有权力”。
他在X上写道：“霍尔木兹海峡过去是伊朗的，现在是伊朗的，将来也将一直是伊朗的。这条海峡只能在伊朗的指挥下关闭和开放。霍尔木兹海峡不能通过推文被夺取，也不能通过航空母舰，不能通过发布命令，也不能通过选举演讲。”他补充道
伊朗嘲讽总统声称将在赢得战争后将霍尔木兹海峡宣布为美国领土
他补充说，只要特朗普先生“不接受失败的现实”并停止沉溺于他的“幻想”，伊朗将继续对该水道“执行封锁”。在2月份敌对行动开始之前，该水道承载了全球五分之一的石油供应。
根据英国海事贸易行动中心的消息，伊朗昨天对海峡内的一艘油轮发动了袭击，该中心表示，一艘隶属于阿布扎比国家石油公司的船只被一枚“未知投射物”击中。此次袭击据称击中了船体，未报告人员伤亡。
该海峡连接波斯湾与阿曼湾及阿拉伯海，目前由阿曼和伊朗共同管辖。
但特朗普先生多次坚持认为，作为任何和平协议的一部分，他将夺取所有权。
美国已两次对该水道实施全面封锁，特朗普先生坚持认为，继续通过该水道的船只只能在获得美国许可的情况下通行。
上周末仅有6艘船只通过该海峡，而战争前通常每天有140艘油轮通过，现在仅为当时的一小部分。
自冲突开始以来，油价大幅飙升，随着美国和伊朗之间达成和平协议的希望破灭，原油价格本周上涨了6%。
特朗普先生周五告诉福克斯新闻，他将继续“沉重打击伊朗经济”。
他补充说，他“不在乎”战争是否在美国11月的期中选举前结束，在这次选举中，生活成本将是选民关注的首要问题。
在本月早些时候的一次演讲中，他说“胜者拥有战利品”，并宣布美国将在战争结束后对该海峡征收通行费。
特朗普先生说：“我们将控制海峡，我们将向通过的船只收费，我们将赚到很多可观的钱。”
成为特朗普白宫艳女之一是什么感觉？见第18页和19页
彩票号码
抽奖 1 / 17 / 27 / 28 / 42 / 47 / 59 / 奖金球 / 7
抽奖 2 / 4 / 18 / 22 / 30 / 32 / 45 / 奖金球 / 55
昨晚彩票抽奖的估计头奖为350万英镑。
雷霆球 (THUNDERBALL)
11, 16, 24, 34, 35 奖金球 3
在 national-lottery.co.uk 查询彩票抽奖号码
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2026年8月16日 • 《星期日邮报》
3
妈妈能做的，我也能！11岁的夏洛特加入顶级篮网球队，继承凯特的运动天赋
作者：Jennifer Ruby
娱乐新闻编辑
从在马尔伯勒学院就读期间担任曲棍球队队长，到在一次慈善活动中穿着坡跟鞋打排球，威尔士王妃长期以来一直是王室成员中最热爱运动的人之一。
看来真是虎父无犬子（此处指母女），夏洛特公主确实在追随母亲的脚步。
因为《星期日邮报》可以透露，这位在5月刚满11岁的年轻王室成员，在一支校外篮网球队效力，该球队在全国范围内参加高水平比赛。她远非仅仅是
“家长们都在好奇是否会偶遇凯特”
尽管享有皇室待遇，但夏洛特和她的家人可能和许多家长一样：接送她参加每一场客场比赛，在场边摆好折叠椅，并全身心投入其中。
一名消息人士表示：“对方球队所有女孩的家长都在好奇，是否会偶遇威廉和凯特。”
“这一切都非常接地气，而且如果能看到他们在这样一个平凡的环境中，像其他人一样早起并长途驱车，那将会很有趣。”
团队成员： 11岁时的凯特在网球队中。左图：与夏洛特在格拉斯哥参加网球半决赛
夏洛特公主本月早些时候在格拉斯哥英联邦运动会的看台上被拍到，这清楚地表明了她对网球（netball）的热爱。她与父母以及哥哥乔治王子（13岁）和路易王子（8岁）坐在一起，欣赏了澳大利亚对阵牙买加的半决赛，以及英格兰对阵新西兰的比赛。
随后，夏洛特与她44岁的母亲一起与苏格兰队合影——或许这让她窥见了自己未来的样子。
看来她对待网球的态度已经认真了一段时间，凯特在2023年透露，她一直在帮助夏洛特练习投篮。
威尔士王妃是在白金汉郡马洛的比舍姆修道院国家体育中心举行的 SportsAid 活动中，展示自己的网球技巧时发表上述评论的。
活动结束后，英格兰网球运动员阿玛·阿格贝泽（Ama Agbeze，43岁）透露，这位王室成员解释了她自己曾经如何打球，并且现在正在指导夏洛特入门。
她说：“凯特以前打过网球，她了解这项运动。她说她一直在教女儿如何投篮，但年幼者的篮筐较低，所以实际上非常不同——她的球技依然在。”
“她说男人会去踢场足球，而她想念网球，因为你必须特意前往网球场。”
众所周知，2013年在一次 SportsAid 慈善活动中，凯特在给乔治王子接生后不久，被拍到穿着五英寸高的 Russell and Bromley 坡跟鞋打排球。
她还在巴基斯坦打过板球，与艾玛·拉杜卡努（Emma Raducanu）击过网球，并在特威克纳姆体育场打过橄榄球。
射手：
2023年 SportsAid 活动上的凯特，以及最左侧同年尝试橄榄球的她
为什么去 Specsavers 验光可能有助于战胜忧郁
一项研究表明，商业街的验光师有一天可能会被用来诊断抑郁症。
科学家发现，眼底的专业图像（通常包含在标准视力检查中）可以提供线索，揭示谁在多年后可能面临抑郁症的风险。
他们的研究基于一项针对 40,000 名英国成年人的研究
作者：Roger Dobson
研究发现，那些通往视网膜（眼底的一层光敏组织）的静脉较宽的人，在接下来的十年中患抑郁症的可能性最高增加 50%。一种理论认为，抑郁症会导致全身慢性炎症，从而导致视网膜静脉增宽。
来自中国汕头大学国际眼科中心的眼科医生分析了健康男女的眼睛成像数据，随后对其进行了平均 11.3 年的随访。
在此期间，其中 1,402 人被诊断出患有抑郁症——科学家发现，视网膜静脉较宽与该病风险增加 25% 相关。
他们补充说，在缺乏抑郁症客观检测手段的情况下，视网膜图像可能是帮助诊断该病的一个“有前景且易于获取的候选方案”。研究人员在《情感障碍杂志》（Journal of Affective Disorders）中写道：“我们的研究……提供了强有力的证据，证明静脉增宽早于临床抑郁症的发作。”
然而，他们补充说，在利用视网膜图像诊断该病之前，还需要进行更多研究。
4
人们将会忽视它
» 续接第一页
生活。内阁办公室的一份报告明确警告，不要将该系统用于“较低级别”的事件，以免产生“狼来了”效应，导致手机用户在发生真正的紧急情况时禁用或忽视警报。
一名保守党人士表示：“该系统的设计初衷是为了应对恐怖袭击，而不是告诉人们如何烤香肠。”
警报发出后，紧急服务部门被 999 紧急电话淹没，其中还包括有人举报邻居在花园里烧烤的情况。
这还导致了道路上的混乱，受惊的驾驶员在试图查看手机时横跨车道行驶。
沮丧的电影观众和广播公司也对此次干扰提出了投诉；而由于警报是以威尔士语发送的，尽管该国只有四分之一的人口使用这种语言，但整个威尔士地区陷入了混乱。
一些居民收到该消息四次——两次威尔士语，两次英语。
根据内阁办公室关于手机警报的报告（该报告起草于
安全，但向全国每部手机发送垃圾信息并造成混乱并非正确之法。
“周五的警报降低了紧急警报系统的价值，并将导致一部分人群关闭通知，从而在发生真正的紧急情况时降低系统的有效性。”
“工党必须尽快交代是谁批准了使用该系统的决定，以及他们使用了什么标准。”
德比郡消防救援服务局表示，其“接到了大量并非紧急情况的 999 电话”，并敦促居民“帮助我们为那些需要紧急援助的人保持线路畅通”。
与此同时，在萨里郡，消防部门敦促人们仅在“发生紧急情况或产生大量烟雾的火灾”时才拨打 999。
该部门表示：“我们理解居民可能会感到担忧，但除非发生紧急情况，否则我们无法对邻居在花园里烧烤、点篝火或营火的报告做出回应。”
兰开夏郡的一名记者艾米·芬顿（Amy Fenton）报道称，M61 高速公路上的驾驶员在警报响起时猛踩刹车。
她表示，一名女性横跨三个车道急转，一名老年男子在乔利（Chorley）附近将车停在了应急车道上。
阿什坎·卡拉希（Ashkan Kalashy）在西威尔士的一条单车道上与他的两个妹妹和侄子一起开车，当他在急转弯时警报响了。
他告诉 MoS：“我差点失去了对车辆的控制。如果我不小心一点，可能会发生车祸。”
“三部手机在不同时间响起——第一次是同时响起的。听起来就像世界末日一样。”
《犹太纪事报》前编辑斯蒂芬·波拉德（Stephen Pollard）在警报响起时正在开车，他表示：“我无法靠边停车，因此无法看到是什么发出了如此巨大的噪音，巨大的冲击力让我差点撞车。”
“这是对国家警报系统一次极其荒谬的使用。”
AA 总裁埃德蒙·金（Edmund King）表示，驾驶员只有在找到“安全且合法的靠边停车地点”后才应查看信息。
前财政部顾问詹姆斯·吉莱斯皮（James Gillespie）在伦敦中心区的一家电影院观看恐怖片时，一波警报响起，他表示：“我认为没有
任何正当理由向伦敦中心区的每一部 iPhone 发送关于山火的重复警报。”
“直到最近我一直住在加利福尼亚州，那里经常有自然灾害，但我从未经历过像这样如此重复的情况。”
“如果目的是为了贬低该系统并鼓励人们选择退出紧急警报，那么这绝对是正确的方法。”
当第一条消息（威尔士语）到达时，北威尔士科尔温湾（Colwyn Bay）The Picture House 酒吧里说英语的饮酒者们拼命寻找能为他们翻译的威尔士语使用者。
退休摄影师理查德·威廉姆斯（Richard Williams），77 岁，表示：“我们都知道这是一个严重的警告，但关于什么的？自然灾害？恐怖袭击！”
刺耳的警报还中断了几场电视直播节目，其中包括 Sky Sports News 关于足球转会的一档广播。
令人啼笑皆非的是，就在警报响起几个小时后，在加拿大歌手 The Weeknd 的演出期间，温布利球场举行了一场巨大的烟花表演。
球场方面表示，此次表演属于“受控演出”，且每场活动现场均有消防安全专家团队在场。
火车因……而停运
由于担心酷暑可能会损坏铁轨，本周全国范围内的通勤者将面临干扰，部分列车被取消并实施限速。
国家铁路公司（Network Rail）已在英国多个地区实施限速，这将导致列车延误或停运。
此举是在上周 24 小时内发生两起火车脱轨事故之后采取的，据认为这两起事故与影响轨道的破纪录高温有关。
周四，一列从维多利亚站开往东本恩（Eastbourne）、载有 150 名乘客的南方铁路（Southern）列车在卢斯（Lewes）附近脱轨，三节车厢掉出轨道，导致两名乘客重伤，另有 18 人需要住院治疗。
次日，下午 1.51 分一列载有 60 名乘客的从绍森德（Southend）开往伦敦的列车在威克福德（Wickford）脱轨。无人受伤。铁路事故
作者：Abul Taher
调查分局正在对这两起事件进行调查。
交通大臣海蒂·亚历山大（Heidi Alexander）昨晚表示：“我理解乘客可能会感到担忧，但业界一直在采取措施应对高温，例如密切监测轨道温度，并在必要时实施限速。”
在安格利亚（Anglia）地区，由于担心线路下方的土壤干涸收缩导致轨道不平整，金斯林（King's Lynn）与伊利（Ely）以及剑桥之间的列车运行速度有所降低。整个上周，工程师们在深夜工作以修复轨道。大安格利亚铁路公司（Greater Anglia）已发布了一份新时刻表，直到天气转凉。
限速意味着从滑铁卢站到埃克塞特圣大卫站（Exeter St Davids）的火车旅程现在将花费近
昆廷·莱茨（QUENTIN LETTS）- 在这次闹剧之后 我们如何能认真对待 安迪·伯纳姆？ 第 23 页
该系统由联合政府在 2014 年设计，旨在用于化学品泄漏、炸弹爆炸或对生命构成直接且紧迫风险的极端天气事件等情况。
报告称：“响应者一致认为，如果该系统使用过于频繁，其影响力将会降低……它不应被过于频繁地使用，且仅限于最严重的紧急情况，否则接收者可能会变得麻木。”
报告还对“通过扭曲信息导致沟通失误的潜在影响，以及因沟通失误而导致的不作为，例如‘狼来了’的情景”表示担忧。
伯纳姆先生周五表示：“今晚，由于山火风险仍然很高，一条紧急警报已发送给英格兰和威尔士各地的人员。”
“这一请求直接来自消防和救援服务部门……在这一极端高温期间，我要求每个人格外小心。”
“请不要在花园、乡村或其他开放空间（包括公园、荒原和林区）点火。”
但兰开斯特公国影子大臣、国会议员亚历克斯·伯格哈特（Alex Burghart）表示：“紧急警报系统的设计是为了警告人们面临的紧迫危险和风险，而不是为了进行首相式的姿态摆拍。”
“政府在提供关于火灾建议方面扮演着重要角色，
5
在真正的紧急情况下”
火焰在 60 秒内吞噬房屋，母亲惊险逃离
这是斯图尔布里奇（Stourbridge）一对夫妇的“梦想之屋”被山火摧毁的瞬间。
理查德·文滕（Richard Vinten）和罗斯-安妮·文滕（Rose-Anne Vinten）夫妇有两个年幼的孩子，他们仅在五个月前才搬进这座位于西米德兰兹郡的房产，随后周四一场大火“摧毁”了他们的家。
由其安保摄像头捕捉到的戏剧性画面显示，36 岁的文滕女士在山火逼近该房产时在花园中奔跑。在不到 60 秒的时间里，他们的房子就被火焰包围。这是近 40 栋被摧毁或损坏的房屋之一。
“我们的家被彻底撕碎了，”她说。“我们五个月前才搬到那里……我们省吃俭用地攒钱。当我看到造成的破坏时，我感到非常恶心。”
不到一分钟 后，房子就被 火焰吞噬
伯纳姆是否正将我们拖回五月的投票站？
作者：Brendan Carlin 和 Dan Hodges
根据其核心圈目前正在考虑的秘密计划，安迪·伯纳姆可能会在明年五月举行选举。
尽管首相已经排除了提前举行选举的可能性，但《星期日邮报》获悉，他的顾问们正在考虑在春季举行选举，以利用改革英国党（Reform UK）和保守党在右翼阵营中依然分散选票的局面。
上周有说法称，伯纳姆仅凭 30% 的得票率就能获得舒适的多数席位——这比基尔·斯塔默在 2024 年大获全胜时赢得的得票率低 4%。
但战略分析人士认为，如果再等下去，将给改革英国党或保守党提供恢复的机会。上周的一项 YouGov 民调显示，工党支持率为 24%，改革英国党为 22%，保守党为 21%。
伯纳姆从 Sir Keir 那里继承了 169 个席位的执政多数，在 2029 年之前无需举行大选，但他受限于工党 2024 年大选的竞选宣言。
Dan Hodges —— 第 37 页
作者：Elizabeth Ivens
大卫·卡梅伦昨天警告称，在决定停止应要求进行前列腺癌检测之后，将有更多男性死亡，更多家庭将失去挚爱。
这位前首相表示，在他要求进行 PSA 检测后，他自己的前列腺癌被及早发现并治疗。
直到现在，能够检测该疾病的前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）血液检测，仍可免费提供给任何要求检测的 50 岁以上男性，即使他们没有症状。
包括正遭受不可治愈前列腺癌折磨的自行车传奇人物 Sir Chris Hoy 在内的活动人士，此前已呼吁改进该系统——该系统依赖于男性了解自己有权进行检测——转而支持对这种最常见的男性癌症进行更广泛的筛查。
但相反，一名匿名的卫生和社会关怀部（DHSC）官员在周四的一封信中悄悄通知医疗机构，男性甚至被剥夺了这项自动权利。
信中指出，“前列腺癌风险管理计划指南已被撤回”。全科医生（GP）现在有权
卡梅伦就男性失去检测权利导致前列腺癌死亡发出警告
治疗后：前首相卡梅伦勋爵与妻子萨曼莎
决定是否批准检测，这意味着更多男性可能会在未被诊断的情况下生存。
信中建议，当患者要求检测时，“全科医生将考虑患者的癌症风险，以帮助判断进行 PSA 检测是否为该患者的正确选择”。
卡梅伦勋爵称其为“倒退之举”，并敦促安迪·伯纳姆和卫生大臣伊薇特·库珀要“勇敢大胆”，并引入
“针对所有高风险男性的适当定向筛查”。卡梅伦勋爵表示：“筛查对于及早发现癌症至关重要，因为在那个阶段，癌症可以得到更有效、更成功的治疗。”
“正是因为检测，我的癌症才被及时发现并治疗。”
他表示，政府应该“停止这种复杂和混乱，引入一项更先进且能挽救生命的政策”。
来自前列腺癌研究中心的 David James 批评这一未经咨询就做出的决定是“令人震惊的背叛”，这将“导致每年有更多数以千计的男性被判定为晚期且不可治愈的诊断”。
他表示，男性正处于“两难的糟糕境地”：既没有广泛的筛查计划，对于那些积极寻求 PSA 检测的人来说，获取检测的障碍又增加了，这可能会导致
“这不仅仅是不一致，而是一种障眼法”
他们的癌症在仍可治愈时被发现”。
“这不仅仅是不一致，而是一种障眼法，”他说道。
最新的指南是在政府5月份做出一项争议性决定之后出台的，该决定放弃了针对该疾病的大规模筛查，转而采用一项针对具有相关家族史的遗传高风险男性的定向计划。
克里斯爵士在2023年进行肩部扫描后被诊断出患有前列腺癌，此后他一直致力于开展活动并筹集资金，以让更多男性接受PSA检测。
前首相里希·苏纳克与卡梅伦勋爵一同呼吁，通过国家筛查计划（如已有的乳腺癌、结肠癌和宫颈癌筛查）更广泛地推广检测。
由于此类高知名度的宣传活动，公众对该疾病的意识大幅提升，这意味着对PSA检测的需求有所增加。
英国每年约有63,000名男性被诊断出患有前列腺癌，每年导致约12,000人死亡。
卫生和社会关怀部（DHSC）的一位发言人表示，该信函仅仅是向全科医生（GP）提供了“最新的指南”，政策并未改变。
他们补充道：“每位男性仍有权要求其全科医生进行PSA检测，且最终决定权仍由全科医生掌握。”
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没有水炮，没有暴力，甚至没有一丝脏话，当地人表示：“我们热爱游客——只是不要太多”
By MARK PALMER
我们在巴塞罗那的街道上见过水枪，在马略卡首府帕尔马见过暴力示威，在西班牙沿海地区见过被封锁的海滩，在威尼斯见过激进的游行——所有这些都是为了应对猖獗的过度旅游。
但昨天，在被围困的科茨沃尔德村庄伯顿-温-沃特（Bourton-on-the-Water），出现的是野餐垫、草莓、折叠椅和茶壶——同样是为了应对猖獗的过度旅游。
就示威活动而言，这是一场非常英式的活动。没有逮捕；甚至没有愤怒的手势或脏话——但它是真诚的，大约100名居民在早上8点温德鲁什河畔的村庄绿地上文雅地聚集，拿着几块标语牌，穿着正面印有“我们热爱游客”、背面印有“只是不要这么多！”的T恤。
“我们特意在清晨开始，因为我们不想破坏那些‘正确类型’游客的一天，”行动小组“伯顿居民之声”（Bourton Residents' Voice）主席、54岁的夏洛特·乔因斯（Charlotte Joynes）说道。这种情况根本不可能发生。事实上，任何昨天的游客都会发现整个场景异常古朴，更像是一场村庄节日而非村庄骚乱。
这与正常的周六早晨截然不同，那时自拍大军涌向绿地，为他们的Instagram帖子苦苦寻找完美的背景。
格洛斯特郡伯顿-温-沃特的人口不足4,000人，但在高峰时期的任何一天，它都能吸引多达10,000名游客。“这完全失控了，”在村里住了30年的简·罗素（Jane Russell）说道。
“狐狸和老鼠接管了这里”
“垃圾工清理垃圾的速度不够快，这就是为什么狐狸和老鼠接管了这里。这个地方正在崩溃。”
但如果你像我一样，在阳光明媚的周六早上7点，在旅游大巴抵达之前很久到达，这里依然美得离谱。
精美的石桥横跨河流，主路旁有狭窄的街道，因此伯顿被描述为“科茨沃尔德的威尼斯”——但无需入场费。
它也被称为“恒河上的伯顿”，因为它在英国印度裔人群中很受欢迎，其中许多人从伯明翰或莱斯特开车过来一日游。
但或许更准确的描述是“水上的黑池”。
并非不尊重布莱克浦，但之所以如此类比，是因为游客们在河边安营扎寨，摆上折叠桌、遮阳伞、帐篷、椅子、便携式烧烤炉（目前被首相禁用）和冷藏箱。祖母乔因斯夫人说：“他们往往不在商店里买任何东西，因此没有任何贡献。更糟糕的是，村里有 150 个 Airbnb 短租房，这意味着我的孩子们都负担不起在这里生活。”
抗议者们无法忍受的是留下的垃圾。“游客们对任何—。
科茨沃尔德最美村庄的旅游抗议活动于上午8点开始……以免破坏任何人的兴致
T恤紧张局势： 左图，当地人在伯顿-昂-德-沃特（Bourton-on-the-Water）抗议拥挤的人群
几乎完全依赖于游客（这里有35家销售冰淇淋的店铺以及各种茶室），但如果没有游客，这里可能根本不会有任何商店。
“我们依赖游客，尤其是那些乘坐大巴车前来、四处逛逛然后再次登上大巴的人，”在Chestnuts Fashion Fix工作的安妮特·奥布莱恩（Annette O'Brian）说道。“问题在于那些开车过来并在此逗留一整天的人。”
威尔·克拉克（Will Clarke）是销售岩石和水晶的The Lodestone店的经理。他说：“我觉得奇怪的是，那些抱怨游客堵塞村庄的人，自己也花了一整天时间在堵塞村庄。”
按照典型的英国官僚风格，格洛斯特郡议会（Gloucestershire County Council）制作了一份“停车与交通调查”以征求居民的意见，并且“在任何计划最终确定之前，将进行进一步的沟通”。
然后肯定还会有另一项调查来评估第一项调查的结果。正如一名居民所言：“我们内心深处都知道，在处理过度旅游这一企业与居民之间的僵局时，最可能发生的结果就是绝对没有任何结果。”
尽管如此，示威者们已经表达了他们的看法——而且是以一种令人钦佩的得体方式进行的。
自拍大军： 游客准备拍摄这个美丽的村庄
事情，”在前往观看切尔滕纳姆镇足球俱乐部（Cheltenham Town FC）对阵罗瑟勒姆（Rotherham）的途中顺道拜访的西蒙·希奇曼（Simon Hitchman）说道。“他们留下垃圾，并期望别人来清理。”
还有更糟糕的指控。好几个人抱怨游客在前花园里解决内急。据报道，有人在车道上排便。
河流讲述了它自己的故事。孩子们像在黑池（Blackpool）那样在浅水区嬉戏，他们用河墙上的石头筑坝——这是一种破坏行为，且长期来看很危险——但没有人阻止他们。
而这正是症结所在。唯一能执行地方法规（写在告示牌上，包括“禁止搭建帐篷或遮阳篷”和“禁止烧烤”）的人是经过培训的议会官员和警察。“但你永远看不到警察，”教区议员莱安·隆奇伯里（Leanne Launchbury）说道。“考虑到来到这里的人数，如果这是一个市中心，肯定会有警察驻守。而且格洛斯特郡议会早就放弃回复电子邮件了。”但隆奇伯里女士的话音刚落，我就在干涸的“绿地”另一侧发现了两名社区支持警员（PCSOs）以及一名穿着郡议会背心、拿着写字板的男子。
“期望别人来清理他们的垃圾”
当被问及为什么他们出现在抗议活动现场，而其他时间却不见踪影时，社区支持警员们含糊地说了些关于“维持治安”的话，而来自议会的男子史蒂夫·科顿（Steve Cotton）——他后来被证实是村庄管理员——则表示这是一个“复杂的问题”。
这确实很复杂。绝大多数商店都迎合
8
仅15%的人想要船
独家报道
作者：Glen Owen 政治编辑
安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）上周表示，英国较为富裕的地区必须在接收寻求庇护者方面“发挥作用”，此番言论令英格兰中产阶级感到不安。
现在，《星期日邮报》的一项民意调查显示了当地反对情绪的程度：57%的选民表示不希望在自己的地区接收更多移民。仅有15%的人对此想法感到满意。
这项由 Find Out Now 开展的调查还揭示了该政策核心存在的一种矛盾。
许多富裕地区的选民认为自己在政治上是自由派，并同意在全国范围内更公平地分担移民安置问题的原则——除非安置点离家太近。
在受访者中，大多数人（51%）表示寻求庇护者应均匀地安置在全国所有地区，而只有26%的人表示反对。
然而，所有选民达成共识的一点是，移民问题应该
“一个小村庄将被一个可容纳1,250人的新营地所掩盖”
从根源上解决——82%的人认为政府应该采取更多措施，阻止人们乘坐小船非法入境，仅有5%的人表示反对。
该调查采用了超过10,000人的庞大样本量，还揭示了哪些地区最反对接收移民：林肯郡以57%位居首位，随后是伍斯特郡、什罗普郡和达勒姆郡。
最接纳的地区是威尔特郡，仅有21%的人反对，随后是东萨塞克斯郡、默西赛德郡和诺丁汉郡。
这些数据出炉之际，废弃的军事遗址正被转换为寻求庇护者的安置点，其中包括牛津郡皮丁顿（Piddington）村附近的一个基地；该村人口为314人，而一个可容纳1,250名移民的新营地将使其显得极其渺小。这一计划令教区委员会主席愤怒至极，以至于他提议就脱离英国举行一次象征性的全民公投。
自由派的“觉醒人士”支持伯纳姆在富裕邮编区安置寻求庇护者的计划……只要不是在他们自己的家门口，《星期日邮报》民调揭示。
拥挤不堪： 寻求庇护者在法国北部登上小船，试图横跨英吉利海峡
东萨塞克斯郡的克罗伯勒（Crowborough）也发生了抗议，政府计划使用一个前军事基地安置移民直到2030年。
他们有权享受免费巴士旅行，许多人利用这一点前往20分钟车程外的优雅水疗小镇汤布里奇韦尔斯（Tunbridge Wells）。
尽管内政部的指南规定，寻求庇护者的安置点不应靠近托儿所或学校，但北约克郡林顿-昂-乌斯（Linton-on-Ouse）的一所前飞行训练学校可能会迁入多达1,200名男性寻求庇护者——这将导致在人口600人的村庄中，男性与女性的比例达到6:1。一所小学、一家托儿所和一个游乐区距离拟建中心不到一英里。
将西萨福克郡塞特福德（Thetford）附近的伯纳姆皇家空军基地（RAF Burnham）转换为可容纳多达1,250名寻求庇护者的安置点的计划，也导致一些家长考虑将孩子从伯纳姆学校（Burnham School）转学。皮丁顿附近正在考虑的基地紧邻一个游乐区。
边境安全与庇护大臣安娜·特利（Anna Turley）为皮丁顿的方案辩护称：“他们不会住在村子里。他们需要的一切都将在该场地内提供。”
部长们通过将该项目的快速规划申请直接提交给住房大臣安吉拉·雷纳（Angela Rayner），而非通过当地规划部门，此举引发了愤怒。
“该地区男女比例为六比一”
内政部表示：“我们正寻求在全国范围内公平地安置寻求庇护者，并与地方当局密切合作，以减轻对社区的影响。这意味着在将寻求庇护者转移到包括前军事遗址在内的替代安置点时，关闭所有庇护酒店。”
“这也意味着减少在寻求庇护住宿设施中的人数。目前接受支持的人数正在下降，且自大选以来，寻求庇护的成本已降低了 10 亿英镑。”
Find Out Now 调查了 10,549 名成年人。最终样本已根据年龄组和性别进行了加权处理，以具有代表性。
评论 – 第 22 页
独家报道
作者：Nicholas Pyke
一名著名的电视新闻记者在法国北部与小船帮派发生冲突后，正面临着来自人口贩子死亡威胁的生活。
在GB News主持时政节目《今晚》（Tonight）的帕特里克·克里斯蒂斯（Patrick Christys）告诉《星期日邮报》，该威胁极其严重，以至于伦敦警察厅在凌晨时分命令他离开自己的家。
克里斯蒂斯及其怀孕身孕沉重的妻子——同为GB News主播的艾米莉·卡弗（Emily Carver）——收到警告，情报部门认为，由于他揭露加来（Calais）偷渡客走私者的工作，他们的生命处于危险之中。他们被告知收拾行囊并躲在朋友家中。
今天，克里斯蒂斯首次讲述他的这段痛苦经历，他表示，对于英国当局未能打击这些在他看来在光天化日之下活动的帮派而感到愤怒和沮丧。
他还担心，当伦敦警察厅在没有
“谁知道他们是否会伤害我的妻子和儿子？”
警告的情况下断开他们的恐慌警报时，他的年轻家庭被置于危险之中。在一次令人胆寒的事件中，克里斯蒂斯说，一名来自加来的贩子在伦敦的一条街上追踪到了他。十二个月后，这对夫妇雇佣了全天候安保。
“对我来说，这是个人恩怨，”他说。“我希望每个人都能明白，我们允许进入国家的人究竟是什么样的人。这些人口贩子想在我自己的家里杀了我，而当时我的妻子已经怀孕八个月了。”
“谁知道他们是否会为了对我下手而试图伤害我的妻子和儿子？让我感到无比愤怒的是，我们允许非法移民进入这个国家——而且是我们所有人为他们买单。然后，我们又允许这些人通过向英国贩运更多非法移民来赚取数百万英镑。”
“他们如此胆大妄为，认为他们可以在电视记者自己的家中将其杀害而逍遥法外。”
这对夫妇的非凡故事始于去年7月，当时克里斯蒂斯开始识别人口贩子并向当局发出警报。
“我意识到追踪他们是多么容易，”他解释道。“他们在TikTok上打广告。然后为了讨论地点、时间、价格，你会转移到WhatsApp上。”
“然而，似乎没有任何措施被采取。所以，我们决定亲自面对他们。”克里斯蒂斯和摄像组在上午9点抵达加来；到中午时分，他已经面对了三名走私者，
面对抵制，埃德温娜坚称关于妓院的言论只是开玩笑
埃德温娜·库里（EDWINA Currie）坚持她那项极具争议的建议，即计划安置在牛津郡一个村庄附近的寻求庇护者需要“一家妓院”。
但这位直言不讳的前保守党卫生大臣明确表示，她故意采取挑衅态度，是为了表明将数百名寻求庇护者关在营地中绝不能阻止非法移民。相反，她说唯一的解决方案是阻止移民来到这里，并将那些已经到来的人在“大约一周或十天内”驱逐出境。
上周在Times Radio谈到拟建在牛津郡皮丁顿（Piddington）附近的移民新营地时，库里女士说：“在像皮丁顿这样的小村庄中心，1,200名年轻男子显然需要的是一家妓院。我不认为他们会提供这个。”
改革英国党（Reform UK）内政发言人齐亚·尤苏夫（Zia Yusuf）表示，听到“一名保守党前大臣开玩笑说，要为那些他们允许非法闯入英国的军龄男子提供妓院”简直是“令人作呕”。
女权主义活动家朱莉·宾德尔（Julie Bindel）指责库里女士提出了一个“令人震惊的建议”，这将是“一场灾难的药方”。
然而，在周五，库里女士开玩笑说：“我成功地同时激怒了改革英国党和一些激进女权主义者——这两群人绝对是我最喜欢的人。”
但她补充说，关于妓院的俏皮话旨在说明，将大批移民安置在国家的任何特定地区都不是答案。她在Times Radio上说：“答案是确保人们根本不要抵达，或者如果他们抵达了——总会有一些人能潜入——就直接把他们送回家。”
9
附近的移民
家庭之男： 帕特里克·克里斯蒂斯（Patrick Christys）和他的妻子艾米莉（Emily）。右图，他在加来附近与帮派成员对峙
LES WILSON / GB NEWS
揭露偷渡客贩子的电视节目主持人因警方警告有死亡威胁而被迫逃离家园
在此过程中收到了死亡威胁。但真正的折磨是在他返回之后开始的。
“当时我正在电视上进行直播，在广告休息期间，我妻子给我打电话说：‘你得赶紧回家，警察在这儿。有人想杀了你。’”
“我在7月25日刚过午夜时分回到家。警方宣读了一份正式的‘生命威胁’通知。”
“通知上写道：‘由于您近期对法国北部有组织犯罪集团的报道，我们获悉，这些有组织移民犯罪集团的成员正试图积极接触您，以对您造成重大伤害。’”
警员们的措辞则更为直接。
“他们说，你现在必须立刻离开你的公寓。收拾个包，不要开你的车——车里可能装了陷阱——叫一辆黑色出租车。去安全屋。离开这里，不要回来。”
7月26日，伦敦警察厅（the Met）安装了一个恐慌警报器，几天后，这对夫妇被允许回家。
“与此同时，我决定像往常一样继续工作——就好像什么都没发生过一样，”他继续说道。“我被秘密地送进送出办公室。警察告诉我们，如果出门要伪装自己。”
帕特里克和艾米莉——两人均为34岁——还在努力应对他们所面临的威胁时，他们的儿子乔治在几周后出生了。就在那时，克里斯蒂斯走出医院去抽烟时，发现自己第二次受到了惊吓。
“我在加来揭露的人中，有一个是人口贩卖团伙的跑腿。他戴着一枚设计像巴勒斯坦国旗的独特戒指。我用余光看到一个人——正是这个家伙——正向我走来。他走到我面前，停了下来，我想，‘就是现在了。他要对我下手了’。”
“我们四目相对，他盯着我的眼睛，然后走开了。我100%确定就是那个男人。这要么是一个难以置信的巧合，要么是一个令人胆寒的信号。”
“它像一片阴云一样笼罩在我们头上”
几周后，当这对夫妇被告知警方想要收回恐慌警报器时，焦虑感进一步增加。
“当承包商来把它拆走时，我恳求他们把它留下。但他们说警报器已经被断开十天了，因为警方的设备不够。他们竟然在没通知我们的情况下就把警报关了！”情报部门从未撤回过警告，而且不太可能撤回。这对夫妇对于谁想杀死他们以及如何实施依然一无所知。甚至直到昨晚，伦敦警察厅仍未发表评论。
“警方能说的只有他们从情报机构那里得到了一些信息。我不责怪伦敦警察厅没有告诉我更多——因为他们自己也没被告知。”
与此同时，这对家庭的生活受到了深远影响。克里斯蒂斯在往返办公室时有安保随行，GB News 为他们居住的街道支付每晚的巡逻费用。
虽然他接受警方所面临的限制，但这位主持人对更广泛的局面则不那么宽容。“情报部门会说他们正致力于在阿富汗、伊朗或巴基斯坦从源头上铲除这些团伙，但就我而言，他们在法国北部或英国本土做得还不够。”
“你必须记住，这些团伙经常驻扎在这个国家。我揭露的人口贩子中，有一个人的 WhatsApp 头像拿着两把自动武器。这些人是真敢下手的。”
“这是一个可怕的时代，尤其是考虑到我们看到的安·威德科姆（Ann Widcombe）所遭遇的情况，以及尼格尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）家被投掷燃烧弹的事件。我们被要求对伦敦警察厅和情报部门寄予巨大的信任，我不确定这是否完全安全。”
“我永远不被允许知道究竟是谁想杀我，也不被允许知道威胁是否已经消失。它就那样像一片阴云一样笼罩在我们头上。”
“但我想要让这些怪物知道，如果他们的意图是通过恐吓让我噤声，那么他们失败了。在接下来的几周内，我将回到法国北部。GB News 认为这是重要的新闻报道，我们不会被恐吓。”
10
私家侦探监视保守党主席
《星期日邮报》披露，奈杰尔·法拉奇的一名亲信雇佣了私家侦探来监视保守党主席。
据了解，商人阿伦·班克斯指示他曾拥有的一家私家侦探公司——精准风险与情报公司（Precision Risk and Intelligence, PRI），在保守党要求对法拉奇先生的一笔£500 万捐款展开调查后，对凯文·霍林雷克进行调查。此前，班克斯先生曾雇佣该公司监视调查改革英国党（Reform UK）领导人财务状况的记者。
作者：格伦·欧文（Glen Owen） 政治编辑
PRI以冷酷无情著称，金融城的消息人士称，该公司曾对律师事务所的高级成员使用“美人计”陷阱。该公司在脱欧后被解散，但一名消息人士表示，“同样的特工仍在从事相关项目，主要是高价值的诉讼”。霍林雷克先生一直领导保守党对改革英国党财务状况的攻击，包括披露法拉奇的关键助手“精致乔治”科特雷尔以及该党副党魁理查德·泰斯的财务情况。他致信议会标准专员，触发了对加密货币亿万富翁克里斯托弗·哈博恩那笔£500 万捐款的调查。
在被问及是否雇佣私家侦探调查霍林雷克先生时，班克斯先生回答道：“自五月份的地方选举以来，我们就意识到保守党总部和霍林雷克先生一直在对奈杰尔发动一场卑劣的抹黑行动。调查显示，这是将奈杰尔和改革英国党视为政治对手而进行的打击行动，部分媒体也在试图摧毁改革英国党。”霍林雷克先生表示：“利用私家侦探针对记者和政治对手的行为十分阴险，在我们的政治生活中没有立足之地。这里不存在所谓的‘卑劣手段’。我一直在履行我的职责，提出合法的问题。我们对工党关于曼德尔森、雷纳及其他人的做法也完全一样。”
一名保守党发言人表示：“这引发了一个问题：班克斯是凭谁的授权采取行动的？对于在法拉奇可疑的£500 万或他从乔治·科特雷尔那里收到的未申报礼物问题上敢于对抗改革英国党，我们无需道歉。改革英国党必须坦白他们对此次调查的了解程度，并谴责班克斯这种对民主的攻击。”PRI拒绝置评。
补选获胜后，法拉奇将首次在阵亡将士纪念日仪式上获得核心位置
作者：格伦·欧文（Glen Owen）和布伦丹·卡林（Brendan Carlin）
奈杰尔·法拉奇将在11月的纪念碑前首次与其他政党领导人并肩而立，在他那场备受嘲讽的补选获胜后，他试图以此振兴改革英国党（Reform UK）的局面。
法拉奇先生再次当选克拉克顿的国会议员——他在一场为了试图遏制媒体对改革英国党财务状况日益高涨的抨击而触发的竞选中获胜——这意味着该党在下议院的议员人数回升至八名。
根据一项1984协议，一个威斯敏斯特政党必须至少拥有六名国会议员，才有权在国家阵亡将士纪念仪式上献花圈。
在保守党出现高调倒戈之后，改革英国党的议员人数已从去年11月的五名有所增长。
法拉奇先生是一位军事历史爱好者，长期以来一直渴望能与首相及其他领导人一起参加阵亡将士纪念仪式，作为一名
“齐亚失控了……他的日子不多了”
这是他突破进入政治主流的象征——尽管他声称在克拉克顿（Clacton）的胜利是对“整个政治体制竖起了中指”。
在一段关于其健康状况以及对领导职务长期承诺的西敏寺狂热猜测之后，法拉奇先生的亲密盟友们正敦促他“关掉手机，好好休息”。
同样这些盟友还在敦促法拉奇先生通过解雇其内政发言人齐亚·尤苏夫（Zia Yusuf）来“重启”该党。尤苏夫上周因以下行为惹恼了法拉奇先生：
致敬：去年的阵容，右侧为法拉奇先生
将保守党前国防大臣本·华莱士（Ben Wallace）描述为“英国的叛徒”，因为华莱士允许数千名在阿富汗战争期间为英国服务的阿富汗人进入英国。
一名消息人士表示：“奈杰不再宠爱齐亚了，齐亚已经失控。我认为他的日子不多了。鲁珀特（Rupert Lowe，分裂出去的右翼恢复党领导人）离开仅仅是因为齐亚在一些人力资源琐事上对他攻击得太狠。如果齐亚走人，鲁珀特可能会被说服回来。”
在周四的选举中，法拉奇先生获得了63 per cent的选票。在主要政党抵制此次选举后，保守党将其称为一场“毫无意义的闹剧”。
由于其政党声称他面临“可靠的威胁”，他未能出席在埃塞克斯郡该镇休闲中心举行的结果宣布仪式，否则他将被拍到与由“宾脸伯爵”（Count Binface）率领的玩笑候选人们站在一起。在结果宣布后的几小时内，议会标准专员重启了对其涉嫌“未能申报利益”的调查，涉及加密货币亿万富翁克里斯托弗·哈博恩（Christopher Harborne）的一笔£500 万捐款，这可能会导致另一次补选。一名政府消息人士表示：“规定哪些政党可以在纪念仪式上献花圈的协议，是由女王、当时的下议院议长和西敏寺政党领导人在1984年达成的一项协议。一个政党必须拥有六个席位才能受邀献花圈。拥有两个或更多席位但少于六个席位的政党，可以在外交、联邦和发展事务部大楼观看仪式。”
曾“发送淫秽照片”的前保守党成员在改革英国党担任职务
一名因涉嫌发送未经请求的“私处”照片而被保守党开除的改革英国党（Reform UK）政治人物，目前正参与为该党潜在的国会议员准备下次选举。
一封泄露的电子邮件显示，奈杰·法拉奇的政党现已给予埃塞克斯郡议员杰梅·麦克艾沃（Jayme McIvor）“一个支持管理我们议会候选人的新角色”。
改革英国党表示，他将不会负责审查潜在的国会议员。消息人士暗示，他可能仅参与建议个人候选人竞选哪些席位。
但保守党主席凯文·霍林雷克（Kevin Hollinrake）表示，麦克艾沃先生的任何参与都“让改革英国党关于妥善审查其潜在议员的任何承诺变成了笑话”。
“让他们的审查承诺变成了笑话”
麦克艾沃先生曾是保守党的议会候选人，直到2024年选举前不久，保守党宣布将其停职。
同年10月，该党在纪律听证会后宣布开除麦克艾沃先生。投诉详情在两个月后的一次公开议会会议上披露。
工党议员艾丹·麦格伦（Aidan McGurran）就其被开除一事质询麦克艾沃先生，称：“原因是您发送了一张未经请求的私处照片，这是一种刑事犯罪。”
麦克艾沃先生否认了针对他的指控，并坚持认为是他选择离开保守党。
改革英国党消息人士称，保守党尚未提供任何针对麦克艾沃先生的证据。一名发言人补充说，保守党在聘请一名前新纳粹分子担任反极端主义顾问后，“完全没有资格教训任何人”。
HITCHENS: TIME IS RIPE FOR POLL Page 25 HODGES: 2027 ELECTION LIKELY Page 37
AUGUST 16 • 2026 The Mail on Sunday
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您是想告诉我们什么吗，邦德先生？与该角色相关的演员们纷纷与007顶级品牌签约
作者：Dolly Busby
演艺圈记者
如果您正试图拼凑出谁将成为下一任詹姆斯·邦德，那么线索很多——只不过它们都指向不同的演员。
然而，这个谜题的真正答案可能即将揭晓，因为《星期日邮报》可以确认，最后一轮试镜将于本月举行。
据称，该间谍系列电影的选角导演尼娜·戈尔德（Nina Gold）正在伦敦筛选潜在007的人选短名单。
虽然名单被严格保密，但消息人士称，在目前这个后期阶段，竞争演员的人数在“五到七”名之间。据称，顶级竞争者包括《空战之王》（Master Of The Air）的明星卡勒姆·特纳（Callum Turner）、凭借漫威系列成名的亚伦·泰勒-约翰逊（Aaron Taylor-Johnson）、《布里杰顿》（Bridgerton）的乔纳森·贝利（Jonathan Bailey），以及最近加入的《慢马》（Slow Horses）的杰克·洛登（Jack Lowden）。
但是，一连串的赞助协议是否能为粉丝提供关于谁将接替丹尼尔·克雷格（Daniel Craig）穿上礼服的关键线索？几位与该角色相关的演员已经签署协议，担任与007相关的品牌的代言人。
专家表示，英国演员
“我们正看到一系列精心策划的公关行动”
特纳，36 – 他于今年夏天与流行歌星杜阿·利帕（Dua Lipa）结婚 – 签约代言这位间谍最喜爱的威士忌约翰走路（Johnnie Walker），这是一个暗示。在2021年的上一部邦德电影《无暇赴死》（No Time To Die）中，间谍在牙买加的别墅里就出现了一瓶约翰走路威士忌。
与此同时，泰勒-约翰逊最近成为了欧米茄（Omega）的全球大使，该表品牌的时计曾出现在九部邦德电影中。而贝利则与马天尼（Martini）签署了协议，这是007点单时要求“摇匀，不要搅拌”的饮品。
媒体专家马克·博科夫斯基（Mark Borkowski）告诉《星期日邮报》：“我们看到的是一系列精心策划的公关行动。这些品牌签约这些演员绝非偶然，他们知道这些人可能是未来的007。”
“关于谁可能是下一任邦德的问题引发了巨大的猜测，博彩市场总是非常火热。但如果你是一个品牌，并且成功与一名潜在的邦德达成协议，而该演员最终被选中，那么品牌将迅速获利。这对公司来说是一次赌注，但如果赌对了，就相当于圣诞节提前到来。”
“至于演员，他们获得了曝光度，并被认为符合角色要求，这会吸引导演的注意。选角导演不再需要想象他们扮演该角色的样子，因为这一切已经呈现在眼前了。”
一名可能损害了自己机会的邦德竞争者是洛登，36. 《慢马》的明星在去年夏天为 Mini Cooper 拍摄了广告宣传——这个品牌与007的阿斯顿·马丁（Aston Martin）相去甚远。
下一任邦德预计将在年底前确认，这将允许目前掌控邦德特许经营权的亚马逊 MGM 在 2027. 年开始拍摄下一部电影。邦德制片人艾米·帕斯卡（Amy Pascal）在确认试镜过程即将结束时表示：“我想说，年底是一个不错的预测。”
据了解，选角导演戈尔德女士自六月以来一直在与候选人会面。其他入围的人选还包括《快乐谷》（Happy Valley）的明星詹姆斯·诺顿（James Norton）、《蜘蛛侠》演员汤姆·霍兰德（Tom Holland）以及《绅士们》（The Gentlemen）的西奥·詹姆斯（Theo James）。
伯尼
我该拿这些眼镜怎么办？
哈里为戴安娜资金寻找新的非洲慈善机构
作者：Padraic Flanagan
萨塞克斯公爵已停止使用其亡母纪念基金的资金来支持慈善机构 Sentebale，他已于去年离开了该机构。
据昨晚报道，他已将这笔资金捐赠给了一家总部位于博茨瓦纳的野生动物组织——无国界大象（Elephants Without Borders, EWB）。
哈里王子于 2006 年共同创立了 Sentebale，旨在帮助南部非洲患有艾滋病和艾滋病综合征的青少年，但在与主席 Sophie Chandauka 的关系恶化后辞职。
多年来，他一直将戴安娜威尔士王妃纪念基金产生的年度收入中属于他的份额捐给该机构，但他的这一转变在其兄弟的慈善机构——威尔士亲王与王妃皇家基金会（Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales）的账目中被披露。
EWB 创始人 Mike Chase 博士表示，这笔捐款被用于给奥卡万戈三角洲的两头大象安装卫星追踪项圈，这两头大象分别以萨塞克斯夫妇孩子的名字 Archie 和 Lili 命名。
他表示：“公爵对博茨瓦纳及其人民和野生动物有着非常强烈的热情。”
伦敦警方在法耶德受害者处理上出错
伦敦警察厅在数十名声称曾被穆罕默德·法耶德（Mohamed Al Fayed）性虐待的人员的电子邮件地址被意外泄露后表示道歉。
此次数据泄露发生在周二，当时警方向受害者发送月度更新信息，但未隐藏收件人的电子邮件地址，导致名单上的其他人可见。约 140 人受到此次错误的影响。
伦敦警方的一位发言人表示，该错误是“由于人为失误”造成的，他们“诚挚道歉”。
警方表示，已向受害者发送电子邮件，确认另外三名嫌疑人在警告下接受了审讯。
如果杰克得到了它，他可能会要求升级他的 MINI COOPER
12
The Mail on Sunday AUGUST 2026
独家报道
作者：Emily Hawkins
英国顶尖作家敦促安迪·伯纳姆及其财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）介入，以拯救独立书店免于被沉重的税单摧毁。
奇幻小说作家菲利普·普尔曼爵士（Sir Philip Pullman）和儿童文学桂冠诗人帕特里斯·劳伦斯（Patrice Lawrence）等人都支持将该行业纳入上个月为酒吧和酒馆推出的商业税减免计划。
与此同时，已有超过 200
由于店主表示他们是至关重要的社区中心。
顶尖作家敦促首相给予小型书店与酒吧相同的税收减免
独立书店店主警告称，飙升的账单可能会导致许多书店破产，并加剧年轻人群体中的阅读危机。以三部曲《黑暗物质》而闻名的普尔曼表示：“在当前企业阴影的包围下，独立书店就是灯塔。”
“它们几乎是最后几盏闪烁的灯火，提醒我们关于私人阅读、个人探索，以及在与另一个灵魂心领神会时所感受到的救赎之乐。它们理应获得一个良好政府所能提供的各种法律和财务保护。”
凭借讲述初级医生时期的回忆录《这将很痛苦》而走红的亚当·凯；《哈姆内特》的作者玛吉·奥法雷尔以及畅销书《名字》的作者弗洛伦斯·克纳普，也是支持此次运动的作家之列。
伯纳姆先生在担任首相后的首批行动之一，就是为酒吧和现场音乐场所提供 20 per cent 的商业税率折扣。
在致伯纳姆先生和希利先生的信中，书店店主主张他们为当地社区提供的贡献同样之多，必须获得类似的支持。
信中写道：“书店的功能远不止于卖书。92% 的书店举办支持识字并让人们聚集在一起的社区活动。它们支持作者和出版商，举办学校访问、阅读小组和文化活动，并帮助维持繁华的高街。”
伯纳姆先生坚称他将在商业税率方面采取“进一步”行动——这增加了人们的希望，认为在 October 28 财政大臣首次预算案出台前将采取更多行动。
但许多企业在去年预算案前被承诺提供帮助后，却在希利先生的前任瑞秋·里夫斯任内遭遇了更高的税率，导致其深受打击。
英格兰和威尔士约 400 家独立书店面临税单平均上涨
SUPPORT: 作家玛吉·奥法雷尔
4,563 英镑，到 2030. 年每年上涨。书店还主张，与其他零售商不同，它们倾向于遵守书籍背面印制的建议零售价——因此不能简单地通过涨价来抵消成本增加。
作家和店主表示，他们对“财政部反复声称已通过商业税率调整支持零售业”感到“日益沮丧”，并希望看到对书店的支持。作家们补充说，在解决 8 至 18-year-olds 青少年为了兴趣而阅读的比例处于 2005 年有记录以来最低水平的危机中，书店至关重要。
这封由行业团体书商协会（The Booksellers Association）组织的信函称：“政府正确地告诉全国人民阅读很重要。但就目前情况而言，其留下的遗产可能具有矛盾性：一方面推广阅读，另一方面实施减少对书店投资并可能导致其关闭的政策。”
作家们表示，定向折扣将具有“极高的性价比”，因为财政部的成本将是“适度的”，但对书店的推动作用将是“巨大的”。
信中写道：“几千英镑就能决定一家书店是否能雇佣另一名书店员、举办社区活动、支持当地学校、投资库存，或者是否能继续开业。”
印尼地震造成47人死亡
一场毁灭性的地震在印尼的一个旅游胜地造成至少47人死亡。
昨晚，在弗洛雷斯岛上，救援人员在瓦砾中搜寻，拼命寻找幸存者。此前，一场7.7级地震引发了山体滑坡并触发了海啸预警。
包括住宅和学校在内的150多栋建筑遭到严重损坏，居民被迫逃往高地。
这场浅层海底地震发生在当地时间昨天凌晨5点前不久，随后发生了235次以上的余震。
印尼国家减灾局表示，截至昨晚，死亡人数已上升至47人。
作者：Lydia Veljanovski
约50人被送往医院。东努沙登加拉省省长埃马努埃尔·梅尔基亚德斯·拉卡·莱纳（Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena）表示，至少有五名受害者在睡眠中被倒塌的建筑压死。
弗洛雷斯当地居民、37岁的西蒂·苏尔菲亚·比拉（Siti Sulfia Bira）补充道：“我们现在还不敢回家，因为情况不稳定。我们仍然担心可能会有更多的余震。”
同一天晚些时候，在数千英里外的北苏门答腊发生了第二次地震。
由于救援队正在前往偏远村庄，当局警告死亡人数可能会进一步上升。
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作者：Sean Rayment
英国最危险的囚犯将被提供瑜伽课程、针灸和哲学课，作为帮助他们逐步走向出狱努力的一部分。
在白金汉郡的艾尔斯伯里监狱（HMP Aylesbury）的一个中心内，设立了一个专门的监狱翼楼。
被判处不定期“公众保护监禁”（IPP）刑期的囚犯——他们是监狱中最危险的一批人——将被安置在一个名为“凤凰单元”（Phoenix Unit）的特殊中心。
这些囚犯被认为距离出狱最远，要么是因为其犯罪性质，要么是因为他们在狱中犯下了严重罪行。
位于监狱D翼的凤凰单元是政府
为英国最恶劣罪犯提供斯多葛主义课程和瑜伽
帮助IPP囚犯获得假释努力的一部分。该翼楼将容纳49名男性，其中15名为IPP囚犯。其余为服其他长期刑期的男性。可能被送入该单元的囚犯包括理查德·劳埃德（Richard Lloyd），他于2008年5月被判定犯有性侵、企图强奸和恐吓证人罪。
劳埃德被判处37个月监禁。他于2019年获释，2020年被重新召回监狱，目前仍被羁押。
另一名IPP囚犯马龙·陈（Marlon Chen）因持有枪支并意图危及
特殊中心： 艾尔斯伯里监狱（HMP Aylesbury），该单元将在此为IPP囚犯启动
生命而于2006年9月被判处四年监禁。陈于2020年获释，但在2022年因再次犯罪被重新召回。他目前仍被羁押。前监狱大臣蒂普森勋爵（Lord Timpson）告诉上议院，该单元“将成为一个针对那些距离出狱最远的人的专业翼楼”。虽然尚未正式启动，但该设施在2月份已经投入运行，当时英国监狱监察局（HM Inspectorate of Prisons）报告称其为一项“有前景的举措”。
在上周发布的关于IPP刑期的报告中，英国监狱和缓刑服务局（HM Prison and Probation Service）表示，该单元的居民将可以使用“瑜伽、针灸、同行引导小组、读书会和斯多葛主义课程”。
报告补充说，这些举措“旨在支持参与、反思和个人发展”。
2005年至2012年期间，英格兰和威尔士有8,000多人被判处IPP刑期。这些囚犯只有在假释委员会判定安全后才能获释。
司法部一名发言人表示：“我们决心在实现IPP囚犯安全且可持续的获释方面取得进一步进展，但绝不会以任何损害公众保护的方式进行。”
杀害揭发婚外情情人的警员将被提前三年释放
独家报道
作者：Isaac Crowson
《星期日邮报》披露，一名在情妇揭发其婚外情后将其杀害的警察，将根据工党的释放计划被提前释放。
在这一令人震惊的举措下，因在2020年勒死克莱尔·帕里（Claire Parry）而被判入狱的蒂莫西·布雷默（Timothy Brehmer），在仅服刑一半时间后，可能在几周内就重获自由，在街上行走。
这进一步加剧了人们对于释放杀害警员安德鲁·哈珀（Andrew Harper）的两名凶手的计划所产生的愤怒。
尽管布雷默曾是多塞特警局的一名警员，且上诉法院因认为原判决“过于宽大”而将其刑期增加了三年，但这一消息依然传出。
“提前释放他是对其记忆的侮辱”
当时41岁的布雷默在一家酒吧停车场杀害了两个孩子的母亲帕里女士，此前帕里女士将其与他长达十年的婚外情告知了他的妻子。他最初对罪行撒谎，声称这名执业护士是在一次“混乱”中意外死亡的。
他被争议性地判定为不构成谋杀，并因过失杀人被判处十年半监禁。
但当布雷默向上诉法院申请宽大处理时，刑期被增加。一名法官发现，对于其在袭击后的“谎言”和“行为”等“加重情节”给予的权重“太低”。
司法部消息人士表示，他原本在服刑三分之二时才有资格申请假释——这意味着他至少要被关押到2029年。
但现在，布雷默可能成为数千名其他杀人犯和暴力犯罪者中的一员，根据政府的提前释放计划，最早在10月即可在服刑过半时获释。
保守党内政发言人克里斯·菲利普（Chris Philp）昨晚表示：“这个卑劣的罪犯杀害了一名无辜的年轻女性。提前释放他是对其记忆的侮辱，并传递出一个信号，即这个工党政府并不严肃对待家庭内部杀戮和家庭虐待。”
菲利普先生补充道：“政府必须紧急取消他们的提前释放计划。采取行动并引入紧急立法，以确保危险且严重的罪犯留在监狱中。”
这增加了人们对工党提前释放计划的愤怒，该计划旨在缓解监狱过度拥挤，但将导致符合条件的囚犯在仅服刑三分之一时间后即可获释。
大约5,000名囚犯原定于9月获释，但由于愤怒情绪日益高涨，此举已暂停至至少10月。安迪·伯纳姆表示，该计划现在将接受“紧急审查”。
28岁的哈珀警员在2019年被杀，当时三名青少年在逃离一起四轮摩托车盗窃现场时，他在伯克郡的一条乡村公路上被一辆汽车拖行。车上的两名乘客杰西·科尔（Jessie Cole）和阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯（Albert Bowers）被判处13年监禁，但可能在明年获释。
布雷默的审判中提到，帕里女士怀疑他还与其他女性有染，并要求他于2020年5月9日在多塞特郡西帕利（West Parley）的一家酒吧外见面。
在车内的会面期间，她拿走了他的手机并给他的妻子发短信，称：“我在背叛你。”
布雷默称他随后在车内意外勒死了帕里女士，并声称他的手臂“在所有混乱中一定是不小心滑脱了”。
他后来试图用刀自残来掩盖罪行，声称自己被帕里女士捅伤，他随后撤回了这一说法。帕里女士在袭击次日于皇家伯恩茅斯医院死亡。
来自汉普郡霍德尔（Hordle）的布雷默承认过失杀人，此前索尔兹伯里刑事法院的陪审团判定他不构成谋杀。
帕里女士的丈夫安德鲁表示，他对裁决结果“感到极其失望”。
在当时的一份声明中，同样是多塞特警局警员的帕里先生表示：“他是最糟糕的一种窃贼。他偷走了一个母亲、一个妻子和一个女儿。”
司法部表示：“我们接手的是一个处于崩溃边缘的监狱系统。我们正通过增加 14,000 个新监狱名额、扩大电子脚镣的使用范围以及加大对缓刑服务的投入来解决这一问题。”
警员虽被加刑仍符合假释条件，引发新一轮“软正义”争议
认罪：
蒂莫西·布雷默（Timothy Brehmer）以及（插图）他在2020年将其勒死的克莱尔·帕里（Claire Parry）
错过昨日《邮报》中关于鲍里斯的内容？扫描以在MAIL上继续阅读
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短跑名将艾米冲击三金
短跑名将艾米·亨特（Amy Hunt）昨晚有望获得第三枚金牌，此前她助力英国 4x100 米接力队轻松晋级欧洲田径锦标赛决赛。
如果获胜，这位 24 岁的运动员将在伯明翰取得第三枚金牌，追平纪录，此前她已在 100m 和 200m 项目中夺冠。
这将追平她的接力队友迪娜·阿舍-史密斯（Dina Asher-Smith）在 2018 年柏林欧洲锦标赛上获得三金的成就。
但来自诺丁汉郡纽瓦克的亨特如果能带领英国队在今天的首届 4x100 米混合接力项目中夺冠，则能更进一步。
在上次赛道夺冠后的采访中，她表示希望通过成为首位
作者：Nick Constable
在同一届锦标赛中赢得 4 枚欧洲金牌的运动员而“成为标志性人物”。
“4 枚中的两枚已经到手，宝贝，”她当时告诉 BBC。“这正变成神奇的一周，我将终生难忘。”
但她并未掉以轻心，坚持认为“在周日晚上之前，不会有庆祝，也不会有香槟”。
在谈到原定于昨晚举行的女子 4x100 米接力前景时，她补充道：“我对女士们欠了一份情。”
“我们必须出战，确保向她们证明谁才是欧洲最强的短跑国家。”
亨特在正确的时机达到了顶峰状态。今年 6 月，她在斯德哥尔摩的一场钻石联赛中获得第二名，成绩为 10.97 秒，首次在 100 米项目中跑进 11 秒。
三天后，她在挪威的比斯莱特运动会（Bislett Games）再次跑进 11 秒，随后在 6 月 20 日以 11.01 秒的成绩卫冕英国 100m 冠军。
评论员、前 1500 米世界冠军史蒂夫·克拉姆（Steve Cram）表示，她具备一名伟大运动员的所有要素：“速度、耐力、自信。”
与此同时，目前纪录中英国最快的女性阿舍-史密斯在 5 届锦标赛中赢得了六枚欧洲金牌。
体育 - 第 79 页
金牌女孩：亨特与接力队友伊马尼·兰西库特（Imani Lansiquot）昨日合影
作者：Elizabeth Ivens
安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）将前剑桥教授杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）的突然离世描述为“多层面的悲剧”，并呼吁给予一个“反思时刻”。
首相的这番评论是在一名同行学者透露，阿尔代先生在周五下午 3 点后不久被发现于伦敦西南部巴特西家中失去意识的前几个小时，曾承认“我实在无法继续下去”之后发表的。
此前几周情况动荡，同行学者质疑这位 41 岁学者的作品是否具有原创性，从而引发了对其在达勒姆和格拉斯哥的记录及其个人传记细节的审查。
随着来自学者、记者和广播员的质疑增加，阿尔代先生于 8 月 5 日辞去了剑桥大学的职务。
“这是一个多层面的悲剧，尤其是对于所有认识杰森的人，他的家人和朋友们，”伯纳姆先生昨日在访问康沃尔时表示。“我们牵挂着他们。现在不是急于评判的时候，而是一个反思事情如何演变成这样时刻——这是一个真正令人悲伤、遗憾的局面。今天我们必须思考杰森及其贡献，以及他的家人和朋友。”
在接受 BBC 采访时，心理学和精神病学教授西蒙·巴伦-科恩爵士（Sir Simon Baron-Cohen）表示，阿尔代先生在去世当天的早晨给他发了一段带有令人心酸信息的“最后一段语音消息”。
剑桥大学三一学院院士巴伦-科恩教授表示，阿尔代先生自一周多前辞职以来“确实无法应对”。
“他无法应对职业生涯和名誉的丧失。他觉得无法继续下去。他在昨天早晨发给我的语音消息和 WhatsApp 消息中使用了这些词汇，”巴伦-科恩教授在接受 Radio 4 的《Today》节目采访时表示，他称自己“仍对这个可怕的消息感到震惊”。
“他无法应对名誉的丧失”
“可怜的杰森觉得除了辞职别无选择，在过去的十天里，我见证了他的心理健康状况变得越来越糟糕。”
巴伦-科恩教授称阿尔代先生为“一名脆弱的自闭症患者”，并表示：“他曾是一个
首相称杰森·阿尔代之死在多个层面上都是一场悲剧，此前披露前教授称其无法再支撑下去
心酸的信息：杰森·阿尔代在去世当天联系了朋友们
极其善良、温和、体贴且慷慨的人。”
阿尔代先生曾是剑桥大学历史上最年轻的黑人教授，他在2023年3月年仅37岁时被任命为教育社会学讲席教授，当时因其非凡的人生故事而受到赞誉。这位两个孩子的父亲自述为自闭症患者并被诊断有学习障碍，他表示自己在学术上的发展较晚，并且
还完成了包括在35天内跑30场马拉松在内的筹款挑战。但这些细节已开始出现破绽。
剑桥大学宣布，在获得关于阿尔代先生学术资格和荣誉职位的新信息后，已“开始进行调查”。他曾担任研究员的耶稣学院也启动了调查。
影子社区大臣
詹姆斯·克莱弗利爵士（Sir James Cleverly）表示：“杰森·阿尔代的去世是悲剧性的，这让我非常愤怒。即使是最随意的观察者也能看出他是一个脆弱的幻想家。”
“许多学术机构的许多人都需要回答严肃的问题。他们将他安置在显然不符合其资格的职位上，以便拥有一个可以炫耀的黑人神童，为了自身利益将他推向聚光灯下。他的曝光
“我们对他这位了不起的人的离世感到震惊”
是不可避免的，问题只是何时发生，而非是否会发生。他的整个世界崩塌了。”
在他的出版商西蒙与舒斯特（Simon & Schuster）发布的一份声明中，阿尔代先生的家人表示，他们“对他这位了不起的父亲、伴侣、兄弟、叔叔和儿子的离世感到震惊”，但指责他的批评者在进行“虐待”和“误导性宣传”。剑桥大学副校长德博拉·普伦蒂斯（Deborah Prentice）教授表示，他工作的学院在得知他去世后“深感悲痛”。
教育大臣露西·鲍威尔（Lucy Powell）表示她“深感震惊和悲痛”。
巴伦-科恩教授补充道：
“他对我所说的是‘他们毁了我的生活’——不清楚‘他们’是指谁，但我认为他指的是媒体。针对他的个人攻击如此剧烈。”他批评剑桥大学最初将调查交给授予阿尔代先生博士学位的利物浦约翰摩尔大学，直到“就在九天前”才宣布“将开展自己的调查”。
“杰森认为，大学里存在一套旨在抹黑黑人学者的种族主义剧本，而剽窃指控被用来试图击垮黑人学者，”他说。“他认为这些种族主义攻击在夺走他的职业生涯和名誉之前不会停止。”
他表示，在今年2月调查相关指控时，他曾与阿尔代先生一起前往利物浦约翰摩尔大学，“他们得出的结论是，指控未被证实，而他只是犯了诚实且合理的错误”。
当被问及阿尔代先生是否因为潜在的脆弱性而应在“其所作所为的真实性”方面免于审查时，巴伦-科恩教授表示他“并不是说他不应该被调查”。
莎拉·维恩（SARAH VINE） 第27页
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他们在拿 St Michael 开玩笑吗？这款cult品牌的 7000 万英镑 托特包……灵感源自 20 世纪 70 年代风格的 M&S 购物袋
这不仅仅是一个购物袋。这是一个售价 7000 万英镑、灵感来自复古风格的 Marks & Spencer (M&S) 托特包，采用黄油般柔软的皮革制成——是由一个深受 Dua Lipa 喜爱的伦敦 cult 品牌合作设计的。
这家高街巨头正借鉴高级时装的经验，通过由街头服饰品牌 Aries 设计的充满怀旧感的系列，复兴其 St Michael 的传统根基，旨在吸引年轻购物者。
在其 26 件单品的胶囊系列（包含古灵精怪的剪裁套装、针织衫和内衣）中，最亮眼的是这款包，其原型是该零售商标志性的绿金相间 包装。
M&S 的内部品牌 在 20 世纪 70 年代到 2000, 年间繁荣发展，随后在一次公司重组中被废除。但随着 Z 世代开始在 Vinted 网站上抢购该系列的单品，人们对这个品牌的兴趣再次回升。
最初那些曾经免费发放的塑料 购物袋，现在已成为收藏品，在 eBay 上的售价高达每只 £10。
M&S 选择与成立于 2012 年、将高级时装与滑板文化相结合的 Aries 合作，以帮助将该品牌重新介绍给新一代人。
品牌是以 M&S 的联合创始人 Marks 命名的，并以其“质量承诺”著称——提供了一种部分顾客认为此后再未被超越的服装标准。 以羊毛衫、校服裤、经典剪裁的针织连衣裙、袜子以及带有缝制织物标签的尼龙内衣而闻名。
新系列将针对现代、更挑剔的购物者进行更新。单品包括短款 T 恤、运动装和内裤，并借鉴了 M&S 历史中熟悉的符号，例如 Penny Bazaar（便士集市）——纪念这家高街巨头于 1884, 年在利兹 Kirkgate 市场起家，当时摊位上的所有商品每件仅售一便士。
传统徽章、硬币图案、运动标志和学院风元素与 的标志性 logo 共同出现。新的 系列通常在发布后几乎立即售罄，而它与 M&S 的合作系列（将于 8 月 20, 日推出）是否也会如此仍有待观察。但对于 的粉丝来说，这将是一个抢购实惠商品的机会，因为该系列中的产品将明显比 自己的单品便宜得多。
虽然一件 卫衣通常售价 £200, 但 M&S 的粉色版本约为 £45. 一件印有 M&S Spencer Bear 的白色 T 恤售价为 £30 – 而 的上衣则售价 £85. 这一切意味着 M&S 对年轻购物者的争取可能终于大功告成。
复古：这款 7000 万英镑 的 M&S 包，以及（左侧）原版购物袋
又一次了，我们之前是不是见过这种情况？
马莎百货（Marks & Spencer）并不是第一家从高街零售商那里汲取灵感的设计师品牌。2024年，奢侈时尚品牌
巴伦西亚加（Balenciaga）推出了其安特卫普托特包——这款售价 1,000 英镑 的包袋看起来与廉价商店 Iceland 售价 £1.75 的环保购物袋非常相似。而其 Arena 包（右图）则与宜家（Ikea）购物者使用的购物袋惊人地相似。
作者：Matt Davis
一名声称 Lemsip 导致其患上哮喘并使其无法入睡的工厂工人，正起诉其英国制造商，索赔高达 10 万英镑。
Artur Rezmer 是一名制造技术员，曾在该感冒药以及便秘治疗药 Fybogel 的生产线上工作。他表示，产品成分产生的粉尘和烟雾引发了他的喉咙痛、胸闷和呼吸困难。
来自赫尔（Hull）的 45 岁 Rezmer 先生于 2020 年开始在为 Reckitt Benckiser 生产这些产品的工厂工作。他称在几周之内，他开始遭受鼻塞和喉咙痛的困扰，影响了他的睡眠。
尽管他因症状请求调岗，但他在 Lemsip 生产线上工作了数月，最终于 2020 年底被调至 Fybogel 生产线。
但他声称，这反而让情况变得更糟，因为他在三天之内开始出现胸闷、呼吸困难和面部潮红。
虽然他的雇主让他回家休息，并为他提供了一个高性能过滤口罩，但 Rezmer 先生表示他无法耐受佩戴该口罩。
随后他在仓库工作了八个月，但
Lemsip工厂工人因喉咙疼痛起诉公司 10 万英镑
回到了Lemsip生产线——他说，在几周之内，他开始咳血并请了病假。
一名呼吸科顾问医师发现他对ispaghula（Fybogel中所使用的壳类物质）产生了过敏反应，并诊断其患有职业性哮喘和鼻炎。在《星期日邮报》看到的并提交至金斯顿-阿珀尔（Kingston-upon-Hull）综合法院中心的法律文件中，Rezmer先生的律师主张公司提供的口罩贴合度差，且从未强制要求佩戴。
利洁时（Reckitt Benckiser）否认该指控，并表示Lemsip中不存在能够引起哮喘的呼吸道致敏剂，但承认Fybogel中的ispaghula是一种公认的致敏剂——该公司承认，仅就Rezmer先生的案件而言，该成分
否认：Lemsip制造商称其并未导致Rezmer先生的问题
未被削减至健康与安全规则下实际可行的最低水平。
但该公司否认医疗上的因果关系，并指出Rezmer先生的其他过敏原测试呈阳性（包括屋尘螨），且称其未能佩戴所提供的设备。
该案件尚未做出裁决，目前在公司Dettol生产线工作的Rezmer先生仍被该公司雇佣。
在他的诉状中，他指称公司产品的粉末从料斗中泄漏并由于密封加热器灼烧而产生烟雾，且抽风机有时会被堵塞。文件指出，他在每班工作结束后总能尝到Lemsip的味道，且在2022年4月，当发现一条传送带上覆盖着散落的Fybogel粉末时，他再次病倒。
Lemsip由Reckitt & Colman于1969年推出，并在20世纪70年代更换品牌，采用了其标志性的“玻璃杯中之剑”Logo。
该公司的根源可追溯到1840, 年，当时艾萨克·利洁时（Isaac Reckitt）在赫尔（Hull）买下了一家淀粉厂，Dettol在1932. 年推出前首次在此装瓶。Reckitt & Colman于1999年与荷兰公司Benckiser合并成立利洁时（Reckitt Benckiser），如今该公司是一家富时100巨头，报告的2025年营收为£142 亿。
该公司的一位发言人表示，由于案件仍在法院审理中，无法对此发表评论。Rezmer先生已被联系以寻求评论。
16
VI
作者：Ruth Sunderland
一家由女王支持的领先健康慈善机构指责政府做出“深度误导性”的声明，称其改善了针对患有致命骨病——骨质疏松症患者的服务。
由卡米拉王后担任主席的皇家骨质疏松学会（ROS）已致信统计监督机构投诉，称工党正在使用虚假数据，使人们认为能够早期发现该疾病的专科诊所已在全国范围内成功推广。
事实上，尽管一项关键的
工党是否在利用虚假数据声称已达成骨科诊所目标？
选举前的承诺是到 2030 年实现普及。自 2024 年以来，《星期日邮报》和 ROS 一直在游说政府履行其提供骨折联络服务（FLS）的承诺，ROS 表示，该服务可以挽救数千人的生命，并防止因改变生活的骨折而导致进一步的残疾。
在 2024 年大选之前，时任影子健康大臣韦斯·斯特里廷（Wes Streeting）表示，在政府上任后的“首批行动”之一就是让 FLS 在各地普及。
但在一场可能令新首相安迪·伯纳姆尴尬的激烈争论中，该慈善机构已就健康大臣吉莉安·梅伦（Gillian Merron）和卡琳·史密斯（Karin Smyth）的言论致信英国统计局。
梅伦男爵夫人上个月告诉上议院，25 个之中的 23 个
要求伊薇特·库珀（Yvette Cooper）大臣“纠正记录”。ROS 负责人露丝·韦克曼（Ruth Wakeman）表示：“在 NHS 地图上重新划线并不能创建新服务，也不能让患者获得有意义的新医疗渠道。”
“患者被告知了一个极具误导性的进展情况。”
共同主持骨质疏松症全党议会小组的布莱克勋爵（Lord Black）已致信国会议员和贵族院议员，抗议政府的“误导性数据”。
骨质疏松症是一种严重的疾病，影响英国 350 万人，主要是女性。如果未被诊断，人们很容易遭受改变生活的骨折。
这些嵌入在 NHS 信托机构中的诊所，将在患者遭受首次骨折后对其进行疾病筛查，ROS 表示，这将能在五年内防止 74,000 处骨折。目前，这些诊所在英格兰所有 NHS 信托机构中的覆盖率仍仅为约一半。
剑桥大学医院的顾问医生马德哈维·温德拉切鲁（Dr Madhavi Vindlacheruvu）兼英东部骨折联络服务网络主席表示：“重新划分 NHS 边界并不能创建哪怕一个新骨折联络服务。”
卫生部表示：“本届政府仍致力于在 2030 年前推广骨折联络服务……我们还在投资 20 台新型先进的 DEXA（骨密度）扫描仪。”
店内 / 点击取货 / 配送 选定门店。视供应情况而定。Which? 在一个月的时间里，每天追踪约 240 种品牌产品的价格，以计算每件商品的平均成本。随后，Which? 将这些平均值相加，得出每个零售商的总额。其中包含特价优惠、适用时的会员价，但不包括多层定价。对比对象为 Aisle、Tesco、Sainsbury's、Morrisons、Walnips 和 Grads。2026 年 2 月：Aisle 每天检查 240 种产品（平均 $302.00，而次低价的 Tesco 搭配 Grads 为 $301.40）；2026 年 3 月： 每天检查 240 种产品（平均 $392.00，而次低价的 搭配 为 $301.40）；2026 年 4 月： 每天检查 240 种产品（平均 $796.27，而次低价的 搭配 为 $821.67）；2026 年 5 月： 每天检查 234 种产品（平均 $795.55，而次低价的 搭配 为 $811.95）；2026 年 6 月： 每天检查 232 种产品（平均 $785.00，而次低价的 搭配 为 $804.80）；2026 年 7 月： 每天检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 搭配 为 $789.60）；2026 年 8 月： 每天检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 搭配 为 $789.60）；2026 年 9 月： 每天检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 搭配 为 $789.60）；2026 年 8 月： 每天检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 搭配 为 $789.60；9 月 2026 年： 每天检查 235 种产品（平均
$789.60，而次便宜的 Tesco（含 Grads）为 $789.60；2026年9月：Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 Tesco（含 Grads）为 $789.60；
2026年9月：Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 （含 ）为 $789.60；2026年9月： 每日检查 235 种产品
（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 （含 ）为 $789.60；2026年9月： 每日检查 235 种产品 （平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 （含 ）为
$789.60；2026年9月： 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 （含 ）为 $789.60；2026年9月： 每日检查 235 种产品
Aisle（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 Tesco 搭配 Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：每天在 Aisle 检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 Tesco 搭配
Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：每天在 检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 搭配 为 $789.60；2026年9月：每天在
检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 搭配 为 $789.60；2026年9月：检查 235 种产品 每天在 （平均 $789.60，而次低价的
搭配 为 $789.60；2026年9月：每天在 检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次低价的 搭配 为 $789.60；2026年9月：检查 235 种产品
在 Aisle 每日检查（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：235 种产品 在 Aisle 每日检查（平均 $789.60，而次
便宜的 Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：235 种产品在 每日检查（平均 $789.60，而次 便宜的 为 $789.60；2026年9月：235
种产品在 每日检查（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 为 $789.60；2026年9月：235 种产品在 每日检查（平均 $789.60，而次
便宜的 为 $789.60；2026年9月：235 种产品在 每日检查（平均 $789.60，而次 便宜的 为 $789.60；2026年9月：
在 Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：在 Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的
Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：在 Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：
在 Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：在 Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的
Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：在 Aisle 每日检查 235 种产品（平均 $789.60，而次便宜的 Tesco with Grads 为 $789.60；2026年9月：
nextChex）以及 $789.60。所有其他产品均由该公司自己的 company's own company's own company's own company's
鹿角“掌握修复断肢的秘密”
作者：Pat Hagan
科学家发现鹿角中含有能够加速修复过程的化学物质，这可能成为帮助骨折更快愈合的秘密。
当这些化学物质被注射到小鼠体内时，骨折愈合所需的时间仅为正常时间的一小部分。鹿角能够完全再生，雄鹿每年春天会长出一对由骨骼、软骨、血管、神经和皮肤组成的新鹿角。
英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）每年处理超过 500,000 例骨折，其中高达十分之一因骨骼无法“接合”而未能正确愈合。
美国华盛顿大学和中国宁波大学的专家从鹿角中提取了多肽，并将其注射到肢体骨折的小鼠体内。
在一周之内，骨骼就接合在一起——而通常需要两到三周。在 21 天后，它们已完全愈合，而通常需要五周。
在发表于《骨科翻译杂志》（Journal of Orthopaedic Translation）的研究结果中，研究人员表示，鹿角在东亚已被用作传统药物“数千年”，并补充道：“我们的研究表明，它们可以通过促进新骨形成来加速骨折愈合。”
之前的研究发现，鹿角因具有抑制肿瘤的基因而有助于抗癌，同时其中的化合物可以预防帕金森病并缓解关节炎。
17
作者：Codie Bullen
在经历了十年票房高峰与恐怖、创伤性低谷的过山车般生涯后，她正逐渐淡出公众视野。
但亚莉安娜·格兰德（Ariana Grande）昨晚在伦敦 O2 竞技场带来了一场令人难忘的演出，在进入为期一年的休整期之前，证明了她决心按照自己的意愿离场。
两周前，这位 33 岁的歌手在“永恒阳光”（Eternal Sunshine）巡演的芝加哥站宣布将退出公众生活以“设定界限”，令粉丝震惊。她告诉观众：“人类有时需要休息。”
格兰德女士的退隐之举如此剧烈，以至于她退出了桑德海姆（Sondheim）的剧作《乔治与公园里的星期日》（Sunday In The Park With George），该剧原定于明年在伦敦巴比肯剧院（Barbican Theatre）上演。
在过去的五年里，格兰德几乎没有个人时间，她一边在两部《魔法坏女巫》（Wicked）电影中饰演好女巫格林达（Glinda the Good）并承担随之而来的全球宣传工作，一边拍摄喜剧片《福克准女婿》（Focker-in-Law）以及两张
“经历了人生中最黑暗的时刻”
专辑——随后开始了最新的巡演。在此期间，她经历了人生中一些最黑暗的时刻，从 2017 年曼彻斯特竞技场爆炸案的恐怖经历，到一系列痛苦的分手，最近的一次分手就发生在几个月前。
但昨晚在舞台上她毫无失误，格兰德女士演绎了从《Dangerous Woman》到《Thank U, Next》的热门金曲，嗓音一如既往地充满力量。
舞台设计围绕着一座被淹没且被烧毁的房屋，随着夜晚的推进，房屋逐渐被花朵覆盖。与此同时，许多粉丝戴着黑色兔耳并穿着连衣裙到场，这是在致敬该歌手 2016 年专辑《Dangerous Woman》封面艺术中前卫的造型。
安保措施异常严密，粉丝仅被允许携带透明袋，并被敦促仅携带必需品。
这种严格的谨慎程度在格兰德女士的演出中已成为标准，因为 2017. 5 月，伊斯兰自杀式袭击者萨尔曼·阿贝迪（Salman Abedi）在她曼彻斯特竞技场演唱会结束时杀害了 22 人，并导致 1,000 多人受伤。当时年仅 23, 岁的这位歌手描述了她的。
盛大终章——在淡出公众视野前的最后几场演出
现场盛况：昨晚在伦敦的粉丝们
在袭击发生后，她形容自己“破碎了”，此后也谈到了与创伤后应激障碍共存的生活。但
她并没有选择退缩，而是在两周后组织了“One Love Manchester”慈善演唱会，吸引了包括贾斯汀·比伯、凯蒂·佩里和利亚姆·加拉格尔在内的明星们齐聚老特拉福德板球场，为受害者筹集资金。
此后的几年里，她的个人生活同样动荡不安，从前男友 Mac Miller 在 2018 年因药物过量意外去世，到一系列备受关注的感情关系——包括她与喜剧演员皮特·戴维森的订婚
“尽管遭遇挫折，事业依然飞升”
与房地产经纪人道尔顿·戈梅兹近三年的婚姻，以及最近与《魔法坏女巫》（Wicked）合作演员伊森·斯莱特的分手。
但尽管遭遇了所有这些挫折，她的事业在近年来依然飞升——亮点包括 2024 年《魔法坏女巫》的巨大票房成功，以及去年的《魔法坏女巫：永远》（Wicked: For Good）——全球总票房约为 10 亿英镑 billion。
而昨晚这场售罄的演出证明了，无论未来如何，爱莉安娜·格兰德依然是全球最顶尖的明星之一。
疲惫的日程：爱莉安娜·格兰德将休息一段时间
房东须知——如何立即以现金出售您的房产！
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下周新闻……今日播报！
我们每周一次的不羁视角，审视未来几天可能爆发的一些故事……
周一
上周创下的陆地速度纪录立即被打破——打破纪录的是离开克拉克顿的奈杰尔·法拉奇。随着针对这位改革英国党（Reform UK）领导人的议会调查重启，他再次辞职以触发另一场补选。如此循环往复……
周二
消防员表示，如果他们不受软管禁令的限制，在应对林火方面可能会做得更好。英国的干旱变得如此严重，以至于埃塞俄比亚音乐家组建了他们版本的 Band Aid 来提供帮助，发行了一首单曲，歌词中有一句朗朗上口的台词：他们知道现在是 Oboraa Xiqqaa 时间吗？
周三
在上周的日食之后，医生告诉任何仍视力不佳的人加入内阁，在那里他们会非常契合。
安迪·伯纳姆振兴英国商业街的举措启动，用充满活力的成排关闭店铺取代了令人厌恶的电子烟店和博彩店。
周四
部长们解释说，电线杆附近的房屋电费将减免 £250——不是通过降低电价，而是因为他们的房产辐射太强，以至于不再需要使用微波炉。从法国难民营返回的小丑们表示，他们并非如报道所言在娱乐移民，而是在交流如何将难以想象的大量人数塞进一辆车里的技巧。
周五
在安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）脱口而出“烘焙”（bake）这个词后，Greggs 广告宣传了“那个香肠、豆子和奶酪的东西”；随后 Greggs 又以首相之名命名了另一种肉馅糕点，因为这种糕点口感酥脆（flaky，亦指不可靠）、半成品（half-baked，亦指考虑不周）、充斥着热气（puffed up with hot air，亦指自大）且很快就变陈（gets stale quickly，亦指乏味）。面对新的安全威胁，特勤局将唐纳德·特朗普隐藏在一个他的敌人绝想不到的地方……图书馆。
史蒂夫·本内特（Steve Bennett）
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总统的批评者称他是个厌女症患者，但其他人则赞扬他提拔女性担任要职。随着他的关键新闻助手辞职成为全职母亲，内部人士告诉我们的美国编辑卡罗琳·格雷厄姆（Caroline Graham）……
来自卡罗琳·格雷厄姆（CAROLINE GRAHAM）
在洛杉矶
老板的电话最早可能在凌晨2点就开始响起。到早上6点，几乎没有时间考虑睡眠。得预约专业的吹风造型，涂抹层层无瑕的妆容，并选择一套设计师服装——因为在唐纳德·特朗普的白宫里，外在形象与履行职责几乎同样重要。
正如一名曾在特朗普圈子内工作的人所描述的那样，所追求的美学必须达到“Maga完美”的标准。
当然，当为特朗普政府工作的那些高智商女性在 Maga 集会和新闻发布会上与总统一同出现在电视屏幕上时，外界看到的是她们光彩的笑容和精致的衣着。
但在一个深受指控其最高统帅存在厌女症和性行为不端困扰的白宫里，
«Six from his inner circle have quit since January»
那里工作的人所面对的现实则截然不同。高强度、24 / 7 全天候岗位的薪酬有限。没有时间抚养家庭。而且，当然，还隐含着一项要求：必须花费大量的时间和辛苦赚来的钱在个人形象上。
为了揭开美国政治核心地带共和党“魅力女强人”（glamazon）生活的帷幕，几名前女性工作人员秘密向《星期日邮报》描述了真实的情况。
用一个词来概括？精疲力竭。“这会让人感到彻底的枯竭，”一名精疲力竭的员工上周向我承认道，“你必须在工作中表现卓越，这是理所当然的，但如果你是女性，你必须保持某种形象，穿着某种风格，并且 24 / 7 全天候待命，因为这位总统几乎不睡觉。”
“再加上家庭的压力，难怪我们中这么多人会崩溃。”
这种紧张局势在刚刚过去的一周里被揭露无遗，当时特朗普强有力的新闻秘书卡罗琳·利维特（Karoline Leavitt）宣布她将离开白宫，成为两个年幼孩子的全职母亲。这位 28 岁的女性承认她的决定是“苦乐参半”的，她表示，自从 5 月女儿出生后回到白宫，她觉得无法成为她的婴儿和两岁儿子所应得的母亲——同时又要给予这份工作所需的“持续的时间、精力和关注”。这是一个令人瞩目的——
成为特朗普白宫“魅力女强人”的真实体验
这来自一个已成为特朗普华盛顿圈中最具知名度的女性之一的坦率承认。尽管如此，利维特（Leavitt）在周五晚上被拍到身着一件鲜红色的礼服，显得极其时髦，与总统一同准备登上前往纽约的空军一号。她预计将于本月离职。而且，即便仅在今年，她也不是第一个这么做的人。事实上，自一月以来，特朗普核心圈内的六名女性已经离职：国家情报总监图尔西·加巴德（Tulsi Gabbard）、总检察长帕姆·邦迪（Pam Bondi）、国土安全部负责人克里斯蒂·诺姆（Kristi Noem）、劳工部长洛里·查韦斯-德雷默（Lori Chavez-DeRemer）、副新闻秘书艾比盖尔·杰克逊（Abigail Jackson）以及媒体事务总监桑尼·乔伊·尼尔森（Sonny Joy Nelson）。但这或许不足为奇。除了政府高管职位的常规压力外，80岁的特朗普是一个以物化女性而闻名的人（谁能忘记他那句著名的“抓住她的私处”的言论），他因要求绝对忠诚而臭名昭著，拥有毫不妥协且严苛的标准，且每晚仅睡眠四个小时。他以在事情不顺心时大发“脾气”而著称，并要求身边最亲近的人在一天 24 小时的任何时间都随叫随到。
评论人士表示，这绝非巧合，被提拔为特朗普下属的女性——他在之前的生活中曾拥有环球小姐大赛——全部都美丽、修剪得精致且能力极强。
那些接受《星期日邮报》（MoS）采访的人均要求匿名，因为他们随后的职位是在支持特朗普的组织中。
在这样一个具有“极化”特质的老板手下，在 MAGA 运动的核心工作所带来的持久影响是，许多人发现自己被某些雇主（尤其是蓝筹公司）视为一种“累赘”。另一些人则完全离开了职场。
一名法律人士表示：“总统始终处于‘开启’状态。当他需要某人时，他会大喊你的名字。你最好赶紧跑过去。他觉得凌晨 2 点给你打电话没什么大不了的。你被要求必须保持某种形象。白宫的大多数女性都
8月16日 • 2026
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压力：特朗普与卡罗琳·利维特（Karoline Leavitt），以及从最左侧起，娜塔莉·哈普（Natalie Harp）、克里斯蒂·诺姆（Kristi Noem）、帕姆·邦迪（Pam Bondi）和马戈·马丁（Margo Martin）
ZON
她们在上班前每周至少要吹两次头发，而且还面临着去健身房和穿着得体的压力。许多年轻的助手赚的钱并不多。你说的可能是每年 $50,000 到 $70,000。在特朗普的世界里工作不仅是一项压力巨大的事业，而且是一项昂贵的事业。
消息人士透露，对于卡罗琳·莱维特（Karoline Leavitt）来说，在照顾两个年幼孩子的同时承受工作压力，实在让她不堪重负。
一名消息人士表示，特朗普非常“依赖”她，在她最近一次产假期间，“不断”给她打电话，询问她何时回来。
在她的第一次产假期间，由于在宾夕法尼亚州巴特勒（Butler）发生了针对特朗普的暗杀企图，她在分娩三天后就回到了工作岗位。
卡罗琳在接受一名采访者时说：“我怀抱着孩子，看着我的丈夫说：‘我想我得回去工作了。’”
另一位接近总统核心圈的消息人士说：“我不认为卡罗琳介意被叫回来，但我认为这次现实让她清醒了。人们总是期望她把总统放在首位，也许现在是时候把她的孩子放在首位了！”其他女性也公开讲述了她们在特朗普权力走廊中的时光。
对于布兰奇·斯普拉格（Blanche Sprague）来说，在特朗普成为政治力量之前，她就长期担任他的高管和执行者，对他而言，任何时间打电话都没有禁忌。
现年 67 岁的斯普拉格将自己的角色描述为“像个保姆”，处理特朗普琐碎的抱怨和要求。“他过去常在晚上给我打电话说，‘你知道特朗普广场前面有一个汽水瓶吗？’然后我就必须确保那个瓶子立刻被捡走，因为他会再次开车经过，看看它是否消失了，”她回忆道。
在另一次场合，即 1987 年特朗普的《交易的艺术》（The Art Of The Deal）出版后在佛罗里达州举行的一场签书会上，斯普拉格的任务是确保他最喜欢的那支带有知更鸟蛋蓝色墨水的笔没有没墨。最近，白宫办公厅主任苏西·威尔斯（Susie Wiles）将她能够与特朗普共事的能力归功于她有一个酗酒父亲的成长经历。虽然总统不喝酒，但威尔斯说他具有“酗酒者的（夸张的）人格”，并以一种“没有什么是我做不到的。没有任何事，零，没有任何事”的心态进行管理。
与此同时，其他关于他核心圈生活的公开记录对他涉嫌的行为提供了更多令人不安的见解。
在特朗普第一任期内担任新闻秘书——并成为第一夫人梅拉尼娅得力助手——的斯蒂芬妮·格里舍姆（Stephanie Grisham）写了一本措辞激烈的回忆录《我现在回答你们的问题》（I'll Take Your Questions Now），她在书中指责总统经常责骂她，将其愤怒描述为“令人恐惧”。“我开始意识到他的脾气不仅仅是为了制造震惊效果或为了镜头，”她写道。“我开始后悔进入西翼的决定。”她说，在一次爆发中，特朗普向她“大发雷霆”。
“他的眼睛凝视着，充满了愤怒。他的脸已经过了红色，几乎变成了紫色。”
她还指责他涉嫌针对年轻女性员工，包括一名被他邀请进入空军一号私人机舱的新闻助手，因为他“想看看她”。
但特朗普将格里舍姆斥为一名不满的前雇员，称她变得“愤怒且刻毒”，并且是“被一家激进的左翼出版社付费来发表糟糕且不实言论的”。
当然，看待特朗普对女性兴趣的另一种方式是：正如一名消息人士指出的，特朗普的“矛盾之处”在于——虽然他显然喜欢被聪明、泼辣（且长得好看）的女性围绕，但他也同样是她们能力的拥护者。
有人说他“一直将女性提升到高级职位，这可以追溯到他早年的商业生涯”。
许多曾为他工作的女性非常乐意承认这一事实。
有人表示：“你必须记住，这个人的竞选活动是由两名女性——凯莉安·康威（Kellyanne Conway）和苏西·威尔斯（Susie Wiles）领导的。在他的第一个任期内，他的女儿[伊万卡]处于核心地位。”
“他在卡罗琳·利维特（Karoline Leavitt）26岁时就给了她新闻秘书的职位，即使是那些不同意她政治观点的人也承认，她是史上最令人印象深刻且最有效的新闻秘书之一。在这样一个一直由男性主导的领域，总统一直是女性的伟大支持者，人们攻击他是不公平的。人们批评他希望身边的人具备一定的专业水准和美貌，但这就是他的为人。”
“他内心是个商人，并且一直认为你需要通过着装来给人留下深刻印象。公平地说，不仅仅是对女性如此。我见过他因为男性穿着牛仔裤或西装不合身而攻击他们。”
而这些同样的辩护者认为，正是自然的“女性竞争”促使特朗普身边的女性如此注重外貌。
“他并没有强迫这些女性在早上6点做吹风造型，或者去做整形手术，或者服用减肥药，”该消息人士指出。
“她们打肉毒杆菌和填充剂是因为白宫是一个竞争激烈的地方。”
“每个人都在争夺他的关注。天哪，他可是美国总统。”
根据写过四本关于总统书籍的作者迈克尔·沃尔夫（Michael Wolff）的说法，特朗普一点也不介意这种关注。
他说：“我认为部分原因是特朗普在表达‘她们对我而言是触手可及的’。这就是他希望人们这样认为的。我认为，被视为一个让女性
“对他来说，被视为一个身边围绕着女性的人很重要”
围绕着。”（就此，特朗普的发言人史蒂文·张在回应中称沃尔夫是“一个满口谎言的混蛋”）但没有任何迹象表明特朗普不认可女性的专业能力——恰恰相反。
他最亲近的两名助手是娜塔莉·哈普（负责社交媒体）和马戈·马丁（负责新闻）。两人都拥有令人惊叹的长腿且极具魅力，据报道她们能够直接向总统进言。
与此同时，就利维特而言，她将牢牢留在特朗普的快速拨号名单中。
一名忠诚者表示：“总统信任她的判断。他尊重她花时间陪伴孩子们的决定，但他将继续寻求她的指导。”
有人暗示，利维特选择在11月中期选举前跳船，预计特朗普将在这次选举中惨败。但该法律人士表示：“我强烈反驳这一点。我认为卡罗琳已经证明了时代已经改变。”
“如果说有什么影响的话，那就是特朗普赋予了女性权力。他已经明确表示，他将继续留用她作为一名值得信赖的顾问。她才28. 在20世纪80年代，女性必须在事业或家庭之间做出选择。现在不需要了。她在工作中已经充分证明了自己，她不会离开。记住我的话，卡罗琳将继续成为幕后的重要力量。”
随着申请白宫职位的人数达到历史最高点，尤其是那些希望效仿利维特等人获得成功的年轻女性，不太可能缺乏具有魅力的女性来接替她的位置。
阳光突至。即兴野餐。惊喜草莓心。
2 Secret Centre Strawberries
用我们的草莓形状慕斯征服野餐人群，揭开酸甜的果酱中心，全部基于酥脆的白巧克力和消化饼底。
WAITROSE
美食爱好者的之家
2 Secret Centre Strawberries，指定门店。视供应情况而定。适用最低在线消费额和配送费。海峡群岛、Little Waitrose & Partners 及特许经营店的价格可能有所不同。图中为建议食用方式。
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数以千计的粉丝昨天在斯旺西的街道两旁排队，观看邦尼·泰勒的灵柩在明天葬礼前返回故里。
在城市的芒布尔斯地区，情绪激动的粉丝们合唱了她的最大热门歌曲《心之全食》（Total Eclipse of the Heart），抓住最后的机会向她告别。她的家人表示，她上个月在一家葡萄牙医院因手术并发症去世，享年75 in a Portuguese hospital after complications from a surgery, her family said.
她原名盖诺·霍普金斯，出生在附近的一个小矿业村庄，凭借突破性热门歌曲《心碎》（It's a Heartache），她那充满力量的沙哑嗓音使她成为了国际巨星。当她的灵柩（覆盖着威尔士旗帜，旁边放着这位巨星的照片）驶过拥挤的街道时，含泪的粉丝们鼓掌并抛撒鲜花。
许多人不愿让这位被描述为“彻头彻尾的斯旺西女孩”离去，于是跟随在车后，车辆缓慢地穿过她居住超过30 years.
本周金句
“巴士大小的船只在光天化日之下穿越英吉利海峡，而法国人拦截这些船只的比例竟然比以前还要低。”
——影子内政大臣克里斯·菲尔普（Chris Philp），在拦截率下降至 56% 的情况被披露时如此表示。
“你们难道没有被震撼到吗？”
——英国运动员艾米·亨特（Amy Hunt）在伯明翰欧洲锦标赛 200 米项目中夺冠（她的第二枚金牌）后说道。
“我不害怕接下来的事情。我内心很平静。我会比预期更早地见到我的狗格雷西（Gracie）。”
——曾在《办公室》（The Office）中饰演唐（Dawn）的演员露西·戴维斯（Lucy Davis）透露她患有乳腺癌晚期。
“电子烟巨龙。”
——社区大臣安吉拉·雷纳（Angela Rayner）因未能戒掉尼古丁依赖，被她的孩子们起的绰号。
“在认识彼此 20 分钟后，我就在想：‘我们要不要直接承认我们父母曾经结婚过的事实？’”
——好莱坞明星理查德（Richard）之子霍默·格尔（Homer Gere）在迪士尼新剧《碎片》（The Shards）片场对超模辛迪·克劳福德（Cindy Crawford）之女凯亚·格伯（Kaia Gerber）所说。理查德和辛迪在 20 世纪 90 年代曾结为夫妻。
“原谅我的粗鲁，但这完全就是一堆毫无意义的废话。”
——前 M&S 负责人斯图尔特·罗斯（Stuart Rose）对首相振兴市中心的努力不屑一顾。
“多比？多比是谁？”
——项目经理西蒙·卢德拉姆（Simon Ludlam）在面对一项旨在阻止在威尔士海滩铺设海底电缆的运动时如此反问，因为那里被认为是《哈利·波特》中家养小精灵的虚构埋葬地。
活动人士敦促英国就塔利班清洗女性权利采取反击
作者：Nick Constable
塔利班昨日庆祝其统治阿富汗五周年，无视外界对其强制执行“性别隔离”的谴责。
纪念活动包括在喀布尔举行的一场阅兵式，其中由美国领导的联军在混乱撤军时遗弃的悍马车被作为胜利战利品展出。
当局还举办了一场板球赛和其他体育竞赛，女性和女孩甚至被禁止参加这些活动。
领先的女性权利活动人士、工党贵族海伦娜·肯尼迪男爵夫人（Baroness Helena Kennedy）表示，英国应该向印度和卡塔尔等与塔利班保持联系的盟友施压。
她在广播 4 台（Radio 4）的《今日》（Today）节目中表示：“现在发生的是性别隔离。针对女性的极端行为令人震惊。”
“你通过那些与当地领导层对话并保持联系的人来施加压力。你试图在较为进步的人与那些仍处于黑暗时代的人之间制造分歧。”
昨日，爱国音乐在街道上回荡，阿富汗人挤在皮卡车和人力车中，车队上装饰着政府旗帜。其中一辆车上展示了塔利班领导人穆拉·奥马尔（Mullah Omar）与奥萨马·本·拉登（Osama bin Laden）的合照。
由于该政权隐居的埃米尔希巴图拉·阿金胡扎达（Hibatullah Akinhundzada）颁布了数百项法令，对伊斯兰法的极端解读导致女性被排除在公共区域和大多数工作场所之外。
女孩在 12 岁之后被剥夺在主流学校接受教育的权利，尽管宗教学校（madrasas）仍然接收所有年龄段的女孩。外交官表示，在塔利班战士通过闪电攻势夺取控制权后，他们曾承诺捍卫女性权利，但随着极端精英渗透进政府，这些承诺已被抛弃。
在 2021 年的撤离中同样撤出军队的英国，是关闭喀布尔大使馆的西方国家之一。
随着阿富汗资产在欧洲银行被冻结，人们越来越担心孤立塔利班无法带来改变。
据估计，有 2200 万 阿富汗人——占人口的一半——依赖某种形式的外国援助才能生存。
外部影响力现在主要掌握在印度、中国、俄罗斯、卡塔尔和阿联酋手中。
一名西方外交官表示，美国决定关闭其国际开发署（该机构曾主导全球处理几乎所有阿富汗问题的方式），是“真正的外交缺口”。
该外交官告诉英国广播公司（BBC）：“考虑到从 2001 年到 2021 年西方投入的规模，阿富汗现在被如此忽视，真是令人震惊。”
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《星期日邮报》
在移民问题上，新左翼精英一直存在着大量的远程慈善和充分的美德信号。即便他们呼吁我们其他人表现出更多的慷慨和耐心，但人们一直怀疑，那些生活优渥的左翼人士在内心深处强烈希望移民能与富裕和特权阶层保持距离。
那些处境舒适、思想自由、受过大学教育的阶层，喜欢认为自己心胸开阔、气量宽宏，他们会跳出来捍卫大量经济移民进入这个国家。他们总是习惯性地称这些人是“寻求庇护者”，尽管每个人都知道，来到我们海岸的人中，极少有人是真的在寻求逃离压迫政权的避风港，大多数人是从安全国家来到这里的。
但他们真正的意思是，其他人——那些更穷、更少
听取公众的声音吧，伯纳姆先生，并停止小船的到来
比他们更贫穷、更缺乏特权的人——却必须应对大规模非法移民带来的无疑存在的问题。
他们是在慷慨地挥霍他人的生活、学校和医院、交通、水资源、基础设施以及开放空间。
因此，首相上周表示更富裕的地区必须在接纳此类移民方面“发挥作用”，这可能在无意中激怒了他的许多较富裕的选民（因为如今大多数此类人士在政治上倾向于左翼）。他们在公开场合可能会说，他们渴望为自己声称信仰的开放边界和自由流动事业尽一份力。
但在实践中，他们的热情可能会低得多。伯纳姆先生在发表此番言论时，全国正处于消化这些移民现在几乎每天乘坐的规模大得多的船只所带来的影响之中。
与此同时，政府计划将大量移民安置在前军事基地中，这些基地通常靠近相当小的村庄，当地居民在担心他们将如何应对生活中如此巨大的变化。
在这种情况下，《星期日邮报》由 Find Out Now 开展的民意调查对伯纳姆先生来说将不是易于阅读的内容。在受访的 10,549 人中，大多数人（可能是咬牙切齿地）表示，“寻求庇护者”应该均匀地安置在所有地区。在许多情况下，这可能就是他们能表达出的最接近“不要在我附近”的话了。因为民调清楚地显示，实际上很少有人欢迎这种移民。
高达 82% 的人表示，政府应该采取更多措施彻底阻止非法入境。仅有 5% 的人不同意这一点。而 57% 的人表示，他们所在的地区不应再接收任何移民。
伯纳姆先生若能听取那 82% 希望彻底停止这一切的人的声音，将是明智之举。数百万人认为这场危机已经持续得足够久了，并且（例如）将很高兴看到卢旺达计划重启，根据该计划，此类移民将被送往第三国。基尔·斯塔默爵士在有迹象表明该计划可能开始奏效时，突然将其取消了。
新任卫生大臣伊薇特·库珀最近表示，在基尔爵士的首相任期内，工党“治理得并不太好”。
关于这一点，她绝对是对的。问题在于，在安迪·伯纳姆的领导下是否会有所改善。
防止我回归“本色”的巧妙技巧
作为一个决心不成为“gronde”（一个用来描述我同龄人中许多人的词，指头发变灰的金发）的棕发女性，跟进我的染发师至关重要。但我最近不得不延长两次预约之间的时间间隔，导致我不受欢迎的白发发根重新出现。
虽然太阳穴处变灰的发丝无法被忽视，但
领先一步：詹妮弗·洛佩兹
当你的头顶变成一片雪景时，却没那么容易察觉。直到几年前，我看到一张别人从上方拍我的照片时才意识到这一点。在那张照片中，一条整齐且宽阔的白线清晰可见，简直像画上去的一样。
我现在非常意识到，任何比我高的人都能发现这个颜色缺陷。但是，嘿，是的，我现在发现了一个时尚的解决方案：夏季头巾。这种造型最初的灵感来自杰基·O，她也是一名棕发女性，她将头巾系在脑后（不像公主
亚历山德拉·舒尔曼的笔记本
（安妮则是把头巾系在下巴下面）。谁知道呢，也许杰基当年也是用头巾来掩饰那些在她丈夫亚里斯多德·奥纳西斯的游艇上度假时悄悄冒出的讨厌白发。
就在上周，57岁依然是棕发的詹妮弗·洛佩兹被拍到戴着白色头巾，搭配复古风格的比基尼；而模特亚历克莎·钟同样也是深色头发，且长期钟爱这种装扮，不过考虑到她才42岁，可能还没遇到白发问题。
所以结论就是：这不仅是一种绝佳的时尚宣言，更是一个极其宝贵的护发工具。我意识到，比起那些戴着时尚头巾的族群，我可能更像个穿着家居服的意大利奶奶，但谁在乎呢？头巾不仅能遮住白发，而且在这种酷热天气里，比把一团厚重的头发盘成凌乱的发髻要凉快得多。而且绝对比戴针织帽强。
切断意面？这在“恶心清单”上
上周末在朋友家留宿共进晚餐时，其中一名客人竟然开始切他们的意大利面。我震惊地看着他们。谁会切意大利面？那位客人解释说，他们一直没能用叉子把面卷起来，所以总是这么做。
我想知道为什么我的反应如此强烈。是因为惊讶，还是因为自命不凡？长面条保持完整真的味道更好吗？这让我想到其他一些我觉得看着不舒服的饮食习惯。像拿笔一样握刀是个经典例子——这大概纯粹是自命不凡；而用叉子叉豌豆则是另一个让人反感的行为。
被神奇时刻凝聚在一起
上周的日食是一个美妙的时刻，不仅是因为它生动地展示了地球作为行星系统一部分的形态，更因为它带来的一种集体精神。
和许多人一样，我前往附近的开放公园观看，并发挥我内心“蓝色彼得”（Blue Peter）的精神，用一个纸箱做了一个针孔相机。为了以防万一，我还带了一个沥水篮。
随着时间临近，我在西伦敦 Wormwood Scrubs 的位置被越来越多的人填满。我是独自前往的，但每个人都在互相聊天，询问对方的日食观测装备，并分享那些像我一样未能买到的珍贵眼镜。
这是一个人们共同协作以纪念生命中特殊时刻的绝佳范例。这也让这一时刻变得更加神奇。
这会是哈维·尼科尔斯的终结吗？
如果能对哈维·尼科尔斯（Harvey Nichols）出售给迈克·阿什利（Mike Ashley）的 Frasers Group 感到乐观，那就太棒了。但不知为何，我不乐观。
这位高街大亨的过往记录中没有任何迹象能支持他会照顾好这家奢侈品百货公司的观点。我承认，虽然这里曾是我在时装秀前经常逛以购买新季服装的地方，但我已经很多年没进过伦敦那家店了。
然而，最近在首席执行官朱莉娅·戈达德（Julia Goddard）和我以前在《Vogue》的同事凯特·菲兰（Kate Phelan）进行翻新后，它似乎再次成为了一个重要参与者。
当 Frasers Group 收购成功的在线奢侈品牌 Matches.com 时，在不到三个月后就将其推入了破产管理。让我们希望奇迹发生，这一次阿什利能投资于时尚的魅力，而不是试图赚快钱。
如果他计划将奢侈时尚体验与他的另一个品牌——走低价走量路线的 Sports Direct——放在一起，那么恐怕，我们所热爱的哈维·尼科尔斯就走到尽头了。
杰克想念真正邦德的冷峻目光
《慢马》（Slow Horses）演员杰克·劳登（Jack Lowden）被认为是下一个邦德的热门人选。但如果劳登是最终选择，我会非常惊讶。他是一位出色的演员，但在我看来，他的长相对于伊恩·弗莱明笔下的英雄来说太温柔了，那个角色心中需要有一抹钢铁般的冷峻。
我押注在卡勒姆·特纳（Callum Turner）身上，他拥有那种必要的冷漠、无情且细长的目光。尽管我有些怀疑，在刚刚与流行歌手杜阿·利帕（Dua Lipa）结婚后，他是否愿意将自己的生活“出卖”给现在拥有詹姆斯·邦德特许经营权的亚马逊公司。
对书籍简介持保留态度
当你最喜爱的女性小说作家在 Instagram 上发布“我疯狂地爱上了这本书”时，你会毫不犹豫地买下它。我也正是这么做的。我现在能说的就是，这本书的作者一定是她的教女或是某个亲密好友。
虽然书中有些令人愉悦的元素，但其写作水准根本没有达到我预期这位作家会推荐的高度。
那些书封背面的推荐语通常是由好友撰写的，或者是某种形式的还人情。我也一直在为我的下一本书请求推荐，显然我既没有朋友，也没有任何人觉得欠我的，因为推荐语几乎没怎么进来。
所以我可以向潜在买家保证，那些已经到手的推荐语是 100% 真诚的。
CHARLIE O'NEILL / JENNIFER LOPEZ / NICHOLAS
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23
周五晚上警报响起时，你在哪里？我刚刚在赫里福德郡结束了一顿户外晚餐，一阵干爽的微风吹动着树梢，这时我的手机发出了一声急促且高频的尖叫。WAUUUUGGGHHH！由于我对技术不太精通，我以为是电脑病毒，于是关掉了那个该死的玩意儿以停止噪音。直到后来，一位朋友才向我解释，那个声音是政府的国家紧急警报，用于警告公民核攻击。
并不是说亲爱的普京先生现在就想摧毁我们。这次警报是关于干燥天气下使用烧烤炉的危险警告。在一次对显而易见之事的陈述中，“保姆国家”在告知我们火焰可能会引发山火。而山火，你看，正是伯纳姆先生最近突然痴迷的事情。他现在掌控大局。
使用政府这种《世界大战》风格的“戴上钢盔”式警告系统，来就户外烤香肠的危险进行说教，似乎有些过
“人们询问这次警报是否是工党对法拉奇获胜的反应”
头了。伯纳姆先生是个有点恐慌的“恐慌队长”吗？还是说这里面有更令人不齿的动机？这是否是一种愤世嫉俗的尝试，旨在制造恐惧，同时营造出“长睫毛的安迪”是一个行动派的印象？是行动派还是笑柄？这场骚动很快转向了极具英国特色的方向——引发了哄笑。一个助听器连接到手机上的家伙说，他的脑袋得好几天才能停止嗡嗡作响。人们好奇这次警报是否是政府对奈杰尔·法拉奇在克拉克顿重新当选的反应。
“安迪找到了一个新玩具，”另一个建议这样写道。有人提到了《福尔蒂酒店》中的消防演习片段，当时巴兹尔对住客失去耐心并吼道：“我不知道我们为什么还要费这个劲！”
互联网上很快充满了关于如何在手机上禁用警报的建议——既然你问了，那就是“设置，通知，紧急，关闭”。我年近九旬的母亲则对她的手机感到失望，因为那部几乎是史前时代的手机没有收到警报。即便它突然响了起来，她也不一定能听到。
威尔士的居民，以及英格兰部分地区的居民，最初收到的是用 Gymraeg 语言发送的刺耳警报，对我们大多数人来说，这就是“威尔士语”。那些不精通坎布里亚沉闷之地的崇高语言的人，对着手机有些发懵，屏幕上显示着一个带有大黑色感叹号的黄色三角形，并附有一大段辅音密集的文字。他们不知道该怎么想。难道克里姆林宫疯了，向马钦莱斯发射了一枚洲际弹道导弹？过了好几分钟——伴随着另一声刺耳的
当安迪·伯纳姆用核战争警报系统来唠叨我们不要在户外烧烤时，我们怎么能认真对待这个“睫毛男”？
作者：昆廷·莱茨 (QUENTIN LETTS)
WAUUUGGGHHH！这导致了一场羊群惊恐地四处奔逃——随后它们收到了该信息的英文翻译，这才得以放松下来。
“为什么警报没有先用阿拉伯语发出？”那些追求平权的嘲讽者们质问道。而我那担任教堂管风琴师的妻子则更沉迷于分析那个 WAUUUGGGHHH！的音调。她很快便在钢琴上尝试还原其音高，并得出结论：那是 A、B 和降 B 的猛烈碰撞，与里姆斯基-科萨科夫《飞行之蜂》的第 23 小节颇为相似。与音乐家生活在一起，人们会对这类信息碎片习以为常。
但伯纳姆先生呢？周五晚上的这场闹剧告诉了我们关于他及其政府，乃至更广泛的统治阶级什么？也许你会说，这并非闹剧。也许山火确实是对我们国家生存的足够威胁，值得发出如此剧烈的警报和喧嚣。
在干旱的马切斯地区写下这段文字时，我无需他人提醒
我们的乡村大部分地区有多么干燥。近日，山坡、田野，甚至罗斯-昂-怀（Ross-on-Wye）郊外的一处墓地部分区域都陷入了火海。
一个公正的人可能会争辩说，消防队一直在开展卓越的工作，任何能帮到他们的事情肯定都值得考虑。
但任何一个理智的人，哪怕是青少年，难道会不知道在这样的条件下点火是多么愚蠢吗？如果专家们真的认为这次警报至关重要，为什么没有在部长们周三举行紧急 Cobra 会议后立即发出？数周以来，山火一直是干旱的英国面临的问题。官方
似乎只有在西班牙和法国部分地区被大火吞噬后才开始感兴趣。伯纳姆先生像个急于开火的步兵一样渴望采取行动，他非常乐意召集 Cobra——白厅的紧急委员会。该委员会在国家危难时刻集结，其名称源自它所集结的内阁办公室简报室。那里一定显得极其令人印象深刻，配有削尖的铅笔、顶级的安全预防措施、窗户上的防爆胶带之类的东西。
一位新首相会觉得这些事情极其令人兴奋。在伯纳姆先生身上，难道没有一种像个敬畏的青年，正盯着他刚刚接管的船只机舱里所有闪亮操纵杆而目瞪口呆的样子吗？
当由于其政府的刑罚政策，导致杀害哈珀警员（PC Harper）的凶手可能会被提前释放变得明确时，伯纳姆先生跳了起来，发表了各种声明，并告诉他的司法大臣要密切关注此事。随后，他大步走向下一个热点问题，心满意足地认为自己展现了领导力。结果会改变吗？极有可能什么都不会改变。
在应对寻求庇护者危机时，他也采取了类似的模式。伯纳姆先生强行介入争端，大声呵斥中产阶级地区必须接收更多难民。搞定了！这会让那些郡县里的保守党权贵知道谁才是老大！或者也许并非如此。他随口下达的指令立即成为了头条新闻，但事实证明这可能无法实施且违法，而且显然没有经过深思熟虑。
这就是领导我们政府的这位未经选举的纯真之辈的本性吗？他浅薄吗？在周五的警报之后，人们在用比喻时会犹豫是否使用一个与“燃烧”相关的词，但他是否是
“伯纳姆像个急于开火的步兵一样渴望采取行动”
那种认为只要往篝火里泼一杯汽油就能让火一直燃下去的人？
伊索写过那个“狼来了”的男孩。同样的话也可以用来形容那些注重形象塑造的首相，他们认为国家警报可以用来发布关于烧烤的警告。这真的是 Cobra 能想出的最佳应对方案吗？还是更多地像是一个公关操盘手的事后想法？这就是为什么在警报响起前延迟了两天的原因吗？
伯纳姆先生是否在追求他曾经的上司托尼·布莱尔曾说过的那种“引人注目的举措”？
2000年7月，布莱尔先生在一份随后被泄露的备忘录中要求采取此类举措。布莱尔先生宣称：“我个人应尽可能多地与这些举措联系在一起。”
官方机构创造了一个令人兴奋的恐惧工具：一种尖锐的警报声，用来告知民众末日将至。利用恐惧来实现政治目的的诱惑是巨大的。看看当局在封锁期间是如何推波助澜的。
这位最初在布莱尔的新工党政府中担任部长特别顾问的“长睫毛安迪”，是否在重复那位老舞者的自我美化壮举？
唐宁街的公关人员在周五的警报响起后，确实迅速发布了首相的话。伯纳姆先生指示我们“严肃对待此次警报”。这句话最可能的翻译或许是：“请严肃对待我”。
当他利用核战紧急系统来唠叨我们关于烧烤烟雾的危险时，我们怎么能严肃对待他？
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25
Peter Mitchens
在 Twitter 上关注 Peter @clarkemicah
法拉奇在克拉克顿的闹剧与凯米的愚蠢失误，可能会诱使工党发起一场令人震惊的投票
周四在克拉克顿，垃圾桶脸（Count Binface）获得了 9,455 票，我从中得出的教训是：这个国家仍处于变动之中。因此，如果我是安迪·伯纳姆，我会在十月宣布举行大选。这样做，我预计会失去工党目前相当大的一部分多数席位。但如果他赢得足够多的席位以维持执政，那又如何？
巨大的多数席位只会鼓励后座议员的反叛，并增加掌控局面的难度。他将能够基于一份与基尔·斯塔默爵士那份古怪且模糊的文件不同的竞选宣言来开展活动——并且在获胜后据此执政。
他将不再是工党前排议员中“平等者之首”，而将成为无可挑战的领导者。他见过戈登·布朗因为在采取同样行动时犹豫太久而遭遇了什么。我怀疑他从中吸取了教训。
目前看来，伯纳姆确实可以依赖于分裂的“右翼”继续出丑。例如，奈杰尔·法拉奇坚定地致力于成为这个国家最活跃且最爱诉苦的受害者。他简直就像是更换了人格一样。
最新的例子就是他拒绝出席克拉克顿的计票结果公布。他是害怕被垃圾桶脸抢了风头吗？噢，真是的。
不久前，法拉奇先生的体面程度并不比现在的垃圾桶脸高多少。还要多久他才会开始抱怨自己的“心理健康”问题？
至于保守党党魁凯米·巴德诺克，是什么让她决定给一名曾对一名著名的犹太裔工党政治人物进行种族骚扰的前纳粹分子提供“第二次机会”？
那个人的名字甚至叫 Bonehead-Pain，或者类似的名字。如果她如此执意要这么做，她的助手应该把她锁在室外厕所里，给她一壶水和一些香肠卷，以阻止她。但你真的需要一个顾问来告诉你，要远离一个曾因纳粹骚扰而服刑的人吗？
如果她能给这个人物第二次机会，那么还要多久她会给那位不被认可的经济天才利兹·特拉斯提供“第二次机会”，也许是让她担任影子财政大臣？你看，这是一个判断力的问题。人们会记住这件事的。
我相当确定 Boneyard 先生已经意识到了自己的错误（可能比以前更深刻）。
人们就是不喜欢纳粹，无论他们现在如何。
在现代英国，有很多工作非常适合改过自新的纳粹分子，其中许多工作允许他穿着制服，甚至戴上大檐帽。但政治不在此列。
计票结果：垃圾桶脸的高票将损害奈杰尔·法拉奇
我们可能终于进入了露西·莱特比争论的最后几个月。距离我在这里质疑她是否实际上无罪已经快三年了。当时，这让我遭遇了大量的愤怒和蔑视。但现在我发现情况没那么严重了。但我们的法院系统讨厌承认自己可能出错。我怀疑这正是因为如今它经常出错。
莱特比的审判是一团糟，部分原因是其中很多内容是秘密的。不少于九名皇家检控方证人被允许向你我隐瞒姓名，而且几乎是永久性的。据称被莱特比女士杀死或伤害的婴儿的名字也被列为秘密。
如果这是一场关于将核秘密交给克里姆林宫的叛国者审判，那么
Letby 审判中的秘密为我们的司法蒙上阴影
在这种情况下，制定此类规则或许有其理由。例如，如果大家都知道安全部门成员的身份，那么这些人将变得毫无用处。
但在本案中，我看不出有任何此类理由。在美国，授予此类权限将是非法的。美国宪法第六修正案赋予被告“与针对其的证人面对面质证”的权利。如果公众不知道这些证人是谁，这如何能实现？证人走出法庭，回归其生活，而
只有他自己知道他曾作证，尽管他的话在那晚可能通过电视传达到了数百万人耳中。
如果一名证人对法庭隐瞒了某些秘密，而这些秘密可能会削弱其证词的效力，但其他人却知情，该怎么办？如果人们不知道证人是谁，那些知情者如何能意识到这一点并联系法庭？激进的大律师杰弗里·罗伯逊（Geoffrey Robertson KC）谴责允许此举的立法是“伪证者的宪章”。然而，这现在已成为法律。迈克尔·霍华德（Michael Howard）废除沉默权也是如此。关于同一罪行被审判两次的古老规则也是如此（这些变更在美国同样是不可能的）。
由于愚蠢地信任我们自己的统治者，我们一次又一次地赋予国家更多掌控我们的权力。这通常是以“恐怖主义”这个薄弱的借口为由进行的，而我们都被说服认为恐怖主义是一个持续的致命威胁。
每当这种情况发生时，那些自满的人们就会愉快地齐声高唱：“如果你没有什么可隐藏的，你就没什么好害怕的。”但这并非事实，正如数十名现在被囚禁多年、生活在肮脏与恐惧中的无辜者所深知的那样。
这些不公正现象中只有极少数能得到纠正。其余的将在未来的许多年里继续令我们蒙羞。
这些想法是由一条新闻引发的：一名仅被称为“A医生”的针对 Letby 女士的证人已经去世。我对他的情况一无所知。我向他的家人表示哀悼。但我怀疑他针对她的证词（很大程度上是推测）给她造成了相当大的损害——因为他们曾经关系友好。
如果他必须以自己的真实姓名作证，他还会提供这样的证词吗？我不知道，你也不知道。而这正是问题所在。
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27
Sarah A. Wine 星期日专栏
年度专栏作家 过去五年 四次获此殊荣！
毫无疑问，杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）教授的去世是一场彻头彻尾的悲剧。无论他如何美化自己的简历或夸大自己的成就——他都不应该死去。
现在，责备游戏不可避免地开始了。就像已故的《爱岛》（Love Island）主持人卡罗琳·弗拉克（Caroline Flack）一样，她在2020年得知自己将因涉嫌袭击男友而面临起诉后自杀；这是一个令人心碎的时刻，迫使每个人停下来进行沉痛的反思。
无论对这个年轻人的批评多么正当或广泛（从《卫报》和《泰晤士报》到英国广播公司（BBC），每个人都极其详细且兴致勃勃地报道了他的故事），但事实依然是，就像弗拉克一样，由此引发的轩然大波必然在导致他死亡的精神痛苦中扮演了某种角色。
正如国会议员詹姆斯·克莱弗利（James Cleverly）在 X 上简洁地指出那样：“即使是最随意的观察者也能看出他是一个脆弱的幻想家。”我认为这话很有道理。
我也从个人经验中知道，当全世界都在厌恶你时，那种绝望感是怎样的，想法会变得多么阴暗且具有侵入性。这种情况发生在我身上，也发生在我爱的人身上。那是一个极其可怕的境地。
阿尔代的情况也是如此。随着一项又一项指控被揭露，我可以看到这个年轻人的整个世界在他周围崩塌，而他那些曾经如此渴望分享他成就光环的学术伙伴们，一个接一个地悄悄地将他抛弃。
突然之间，他们曾经都想参与他的成功，而现在他可能会在他们那些高调的晚宴上让他们难堪，暴露他们的愚蠢和空虚。
克莱弗利再次指出：“许多学术机构的许多人都需要回答严肃的问题。他们将他安置在显然不符合他资格的职位上，以便拥有一个可以炫耀的黑人神童。他们为了自己的利益将他推向聚光灯下。他的曝光是必然的，问题只是何时发生，而不是是否会发生。”
无论他多么脆弱，忽视针对他的指控是不正确的。在任何行业中，处于受信任的高级职位的人误导他人都是不对且不公平的。阿尔代曾担任教育社会学教授的剑桥大学是一所世界级的学术机构，要求世界级的标准。
而正是他们，必须回答一个严肃的问题：为什么他们如此迅速且急切地忽视了针对阿尔代工作的合理担忧。
例如，你会怎么想。
杰森·阿尔代（Jason Arday）之死是一场悲剧，应当迫使每个人停下来反思……首先应当反思的是那些为了自身目的而将他推向聚光灯下的人
如果为你治疗的医生被发现伪造了资历，或者开出租车的人谎称通过了考试，你会怎么想？这些事情至关重要，是有充分理由的。
而遗憾的是，阿尔代的履历中存在大量漏洞。在俄亥俄州立大学（Ohio State University）并不存在的学术职位及其他职位；伯克贝克学院（Birkbeck）无法找到记录的硕士学位；从未出版的早期传记；30场马拉松在35天内完成；警方声称从未发生的涉及猪头的种族主义事件；声称参加了著名的电视系列剧 7 Up，但考虑到他的年龄，这根本不可能；声称直到 11, 岁才开始说话，但这遭到了他几位学校友的质疑，其中一人记得他是个“话匣子”；他据称为慈善机构筹集的 £500 万，结果被发现是一个涉及 100 多人的集体筹款计划的一部分。
当然，如果他只是某个偏远地区的大学教授，这一切可能都无关紧要。但他不是。剑桥大学未能进行哪怕是最基本的尽职调查，责任在校方，而不在于他。毕竟，当制度如此荒谬地愚蠢时，你真的能责怪他利用这个制度吗？正如克莱弗利（Cleverly）所说，他们也应该审视自己的良心。
另一个无法回避的棘手问题是种族问题。阿尔代是被针对是因为他是黑人吗？有人这么认为。在阿尔代死讯公布后不久，作家兼评论员内尔斯·阿比（Nels Abbey）在X上写道：“白人至上主义杀死了杰森·阿尔代。谋杀了他。”
«It would not have been right to ignore the allegations»
英国演员兼导演诺埃尔·克拉克（Noel Clarke）去年在《卫报》发表了一系列针对他的#MeToo指控后败诉于诽谤案，他简单地在X上发布了一张阿尔代的照片，配文道：“他们又这么干了。”
作为一名中产阶级白人女性，我不敢妄言否认两名工人阶级黑人男性的经历。但我认为事情并非如此简单。
任何对阿尔代种族身份的执念并非源自媒体或那些调查虚假指控的人——它始于剑桥大学本身，校方大肆宣传他是被任命为教授的最年轻黑人，仿佛一名黑人达到这样的学术高度是什么小奇迹一样。
认为某人仅仅基于肤色或社会背景就应该免于正当批评，仔细想想，这本身就是一种种族定型。
这也是一种傲慢的胡言乱语。在英国，有无数黑人处于负责和权威的职位。直到最近，我们的外交大臣还是一名黑人，大卫·拉米（David Lammy）。他最近的降职是出于种族动机吗？当然不是。
克莱弗利也曾担任过外交大臣和内政大臣。而且不要忘记，英国的反对党领袖是一名黑人女性，凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）。没有人指责那些质疑她的人（且往往是用最刻薄的措辞）是种族主义者，不是吗？当一个人处于无法自辩的境地时（我担心阿尔代就是如此）就大喊种族主义，是一种软弱的辩护，只会损害当事人。
然而，这正是良好法律计划（Good Law Project）试图构建针对阿尔代案件的方式。他们发表了一封公开信，由包括绿党领袖扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）、工党议员克莱夫·刘易斯（Clive Lewis）和阿普萨娜·贝古姆（Apsana Begum）以及科尔宾的盟友约翰·麦克唐纳（John McDonnell）在内的多位资深学者和政治人物签署，指责“右翼媒体”企图“抹黑阿尔代教授的名誉并破坏他的职业生涯”。
该声明补充称，这“应该让所有相信学术自由、公平和正当程序的人感到担忧”，并总结道，整个事件是一个旨在“削弱拥有影响力职位的黑人”的阴谋。
即便如此，一旦此类案件进入主流视野，就不可避免地会吸引那些真正的种族主义者的注意，而这完全不可接受——这是英国一个谁都无法否认的丑陋面。
而这或许触及了 Arday 的故事
“演变成一场网络围攻，以及随之而来的一切”
最终如此失控的核心原因：社交媒体。最初是对某些严重指控的正当新闻调查，随后演变成了一场网络围攻，以及随之而来的一切。
尽管我们有诸多缺陷，但报纸在关于能写什么和不能写什么的问题上，受到诽谤法和强大的独立监管机构的严格约束。但互联网并非如此，它继续抵制所有控制尝试。而且一旦某个故事在网上获得关注，无数的影响者和内容创作者就会热衷于利用它来赚取点击量。这就是发生在 Flack 身上，以及发生在 Arday 身上的情况。
在不同的时代，Arday 的案例可能只是一场小规模的学术丑闻，很快就会在内部悄悄解决。它可能会在某些圈子里引起关注，但在大多数其他圈子里则基本被忽略。或许《剑桥公报》（Cambridge Gazette）会发表一篇严厉的社论，但除此之外不会有太多动作。他可能仅仅是被降职，被调到一个次要岗位。
相反，这个可怜的人被数百万个声音活活剥皮，并受到了远超他可能或未曾犯下的任何罪行的惩罚。如果他得到了正确的支持，他现在可能还和我们在一起。但遗憾的是，在他真正需要支持的时候，并没有任何人提供帮助。
愿他安息。愿我们都能学会将愤怒留给那些真正 deserving（值得）的人。上帝知道，那样的人绝不少。
28
已破解……阿加莎·克里斯蒂最大的谜团
作者：克里斯托弗·史蒂文斯 (Christopher Stevens)
那辆被遗弃的莫里斯·考利（Morris Cowley）轿车是第一个线索。在早晨的浓雾中，这辆车的前灯依然亮着，它被发现于萨里郡的一处风景区，距离主路陡坡下方500码处。车停在了一个巨大的白垩坑边缘，下方是近600英尺的深渊。
空气潮湿而沉重：茂密的灌木丛围绕着四个深色的池塘，其中一个被当地人阴森地称为“寂静之池”（Silent Pool）。在接下来的几天里，所有这些水域和这片土地都将被搜寻，以寻找一具尸体。
一名来自吉普赛营地的名叫杰克·贝斯特（Jack Best）的男孩首先发现了这辆车。几分钟后，弗雷德里克·多尔（Frederick Dore）在路上看到了它，他靠边停车并沿着草坡走下去近距离查看——阿尔弗雷德·卢兰（Alfred Luland）也加入了进来，卢兰在主路一个弯道处经营着一家茶园茶点亭。
这辆车的引擎盖和窗户上覆盖着12月的霜冻，看起来已经在那里停了一整夜。多尔先生注意到手刹已松开，变速杆处于空挡。他去叫警察。卢兰先生向车内窥视，发现了一件皮草大衣和一个小手提箱，他将其描述为“女士的梳妆箱”。
箱子是打开的，里面装有几件晚礼服、丝袜和鞋子。一把雨伞放在座位上。
卢兰还发现了一张来自伦敦论坛俱乐部（Forum Club）标有“已付款”字样的酒店账单，以及一张过期的驾驶执照。
执照上的名字是阿加莎·克里斯蒂夫人（Mrs Agatha Christie），来自伯克郡的桑宁代尔（Sunningdale）。
克里斯蒂夫人的地址也在执照上：一座名为“样式”（Styles）的房子。她犯罪小说的粉丝们会认出这个名字，因为她曾将其借用作侦探赫尔克里·波洛（Hercule Poirot）首个案件的背景地。
这就是100年前震惊英国的一场真实谜团的开端。随着人们对这位失踪作家命运的猜测日益增加，人们提出了数十种相互竞争的理论来解释克里斯蒂夫人的失踪，这次失踪持续了令人心焦的11天。
即便在现在，似乎也没有任何解释能完全令人满意。这位伟大的小说家是否像她后来声称的那样，陷入了一场失忆症？或者这是一个由克里斯蒂精心设计的3D谜题，旨在吸引她那心不在焉的丈夫的注意？
一个世纪后，阿加莎女爵的传记作者劳拉·汤普森（Laura Thompson）已经
阴谋：上方是阿加莎·克里斯蒂遗留在600英尺深渊边缘的莫里斯·考利轿车，她当时神秘失踪了。
当她的莫里斯·考利轿车被发现被遗弃时，引发了为期11天的警方搜寻，业余侦探们猜测她那出轨的丈夫杀了她。但究竟发生了什么？克里斯蒂的传记作者化身为侦探，以寻找答案。
将线索和零散的报道拼凑在一起，前往这位作家已知访问过的地方，并分析她认为隐藏在克里斯蒂一些最受欢迎的书籍中的暗示。
我们第一次得到了一个确定的叙述，关于这位最伟大的侦探小说家所创造的或许是最令人困惑的所有谜团之一。
“失踪：阿加莎·玛丽·克拉丽莎·克里斯蒂夫人（A·克里斯蒂上校之妻）。年龄35岁，身高5英尺7英寸，头发红色（短发），天然牙齿，灰色眼睛，肤色白皙，体格健壮，”在发现车辆后，警方的警报如此写道。
“穿着：灰色针织裙，绿色套衫，灰色和深灰色开襟羊毛衫，以及一顶绿色天鹅绒小帽子。戴着一枚镶有一颗珍珠的铂金戒指。可能携带一个装有£5至£10的随身包。12月3日9.45分驾驶一辆四座莫里斯·考利轿车离开家中，称要去开车兜风。次日早晨，车辆被发现遗弃在萨里郡阿尔伯里（Albury）的纽兰兹角（Newlands Corner）。”
这张缩略像中省略的一点是，克里斯蒂在离开前摘下了她的结婚戒指，并将其留在卧室里。
1926年，这位作家的名声日益增长，以至于数百人聚集起来协助警方搜寻她的尸体，他们搜捞了四个池塘，并对山坡进行了地毯式搜索。
随着接下来的几天里全国关注度不断提高，像多萝西·L·塞耶斯（Dorothy L. Sayers）这样的侦探小说作家抱怨说，他们的朋友和家人期望他们能解开这个谜团。
“且不论一个人在之前构思过情节后，揭开它要容易得多，”她干巴巴地指出，“报纸上的报道是人们唯一能依赖的线索，而这些报道必然是非常不完整的。”
一个世纪后，这些细节依然不完整：我们唯一能确定的是，自称对事件记忆模糊的克里斯蒂夫人，在她失踪的大部分时间里，一直待在国家另一端的北约克郡哈罗盖特（Harrogate）的一家水疗酒店里——并使用她丈夫女友的名字生活。
负责调查的警官，来自萨里郡警局的50岁警司威廉·肯沃德（William Kenward），认为他从一开始就知道发生了什么。克里斯蒂夫人显然已经死了。
8月 16 • 2026 《邮报》
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在尝试将车开下白垩坑悬崖失败后，她一定采取了自杀行动，可能是溺水，除非她先被冻死了。
尽管他没有公开这么说，但从他的调查方向——以及他对矛盾证据的缺乏兴趣——可以看出，他认为不会有其他结果。
《威斯敏斯特公报》（Westminster Gazette）报道称：“当局已经否决了她可能还活着的所有理论。”肯沃德阴沉地暗示，克里斯蒂夫人的朋友们也认为这是最
心碎： 上图中的阿奇·克里斯蒂曾告诉左图中的阿加莎，他爱上了另一个女人
合理的解释，并向他提供了这位作家想要自杀的原因。
她在前一天离开家时，“情况足以引起某些怀疑”。许多其他人也认为她极有可能已经死亡，尽管有些人对事实给出了更宽容的解释。塞耶斯认为莫里斯车的电池电量可能较低，导致前灯变暗。
也许克里斯蒂夫人偏离了道路，在汽车冲进灌木丛时遭受了脑震荡，然后下车在混乱中徘徊直到死亡。
唯一似乎坚信阿加莎还活着的就是她的丈夫阿奇博尔德·克里斯蒂（Archibald Christie）。他告诉记者，在妻子失踪前一天的早餐时间他见过她，当时她心中唯一的担忧似乎是她最新的小说。
在当年早些时候《罗杰·艾克罗伊德谋杀案》获得巨大成功后，她正努力完成其续作《蓝色列车之谜》。
阿奇没有告诉报纸的是，他的婚姻正处于崩溃边缘。当他的妻子失踪时，他正计划在萨里郡戈达尔明（Godalming）的一个小型家庭聚会上度过周末。
阿加莎没有被邀请……但一个他关系亲近的、更年轻且未婚的女性南希·尼尔（Nancy Neele）将会出席。
不过，许多“扶手椅侦探”猜测他出轨了。随着对克里斯蒂夫人的搜寻继续，另一种理论开始流行，即便它不能被公开陈述。阿奇·克里斯蒂是否为了避免离婚的丑闻而谋杀了他的妻子？
这对夫妇于1914年在布里斯托的伊曼纽尔教堂结婚，教堂就在克利夫顿学院旁边，阿奇曾在那里担任学生会主席，而他的继父在那里担任舍监。
他们有一个女儿罗莎琳德（Rosalind），她在1926年8月满七岁——而就在那个下午，也就是他们唯一孩子的生日那天，阿奇选择告知他的妻子，他已经爱上了南希·尼尔。
多年后，在一部名为《未完成的肖像》（以笔名玛丽·韦斯特马科特出版）的半自传体小说中，阿加莎描绘了那个场景：一名女性正在包装女儿的礼物，这时她的丈夫出现并说他有件事要告诉她，“我想你能猜到，”他说。
当她宣布不会给他离婚时，他称她为“一个庸俗、贪婪的女人”。
书中还记录了另一段令人深感心碎的对话。在意识到父母的婚姻即将破裂后，孩子告诉她的母亲：“爸爸喜欢我。他似乎不喜欢的是你。”
阿奇的兄弟坎贝尔·克里斯蒂告诉警方，他收到了一封来自嫂子的信，这封信显然是在她的汽车被发现当天寄出的。在信中，她告诉他她打算去约克郡的一家水疗酒店。
这不仅表明阿加莎当时似乎还活着，而且邮戳清楚地显示这封信是在伦敦寄出的。坎贝尔指出，如果她死在萨里郡，这是不可能的。
但肯沃德驳回了这一证据，因为坎贝尔销毁了那封信。
他仍然保留着带有邮戳的信封，但没有信件本身，因为信中可能包含一些针对他兄弟的指控，而他想要掩盖这些内容。
这位警司对由夫人留下的信件也不感兴趣
“爸爸喜欢我，他不喜欢的似乎是你”
克里斯蒂为她 26 岁的秘书兼心腹夏洛特·费舍尔（Charlotte Fisher）写信。一家报纸将其报道为：“我要离开，因为我觉得非常古怪。我不知道去哪里。我明天会打电话或发电报。我必须离开。我不能在桑宁代尔（Sunningdale）待太久了。”
各方都传来了目击报告。两人称他们曾帮助过一名符合克里斯蒂夫人描述的女性处理她的汽车：该女性穿着单薄，显得心神不宁。其他人则声称在距离白垩坑三英里外的森林里发现她露宿街头。
“只要被任何人看到，她就会匆忙穿过灌木丛逃走，”一家报纸报道称。事实上，在她的汽车被发现遗弃在萨里郡约 12 小时后，克里斯蒂夫人办理了哈罗盖特（Harrogate）水疗酒店（Hydropathic Hotel）的入住手续。
她在二楼租了一间房，每周租金五基尼（约合今天的 £300），随身只带了一个小化妆箱，这可能是当天早些时候在伦敦购买的，连同一套换洗衣物一起买的。
她登记的名字不是克里斯蒂夫人，而是特蕾莎·尼尔夫人（Mrs Teresa Neele）——使用了她丈夫情人的姓氏——并声称是从南非来访的。在水疗酒店的 18 位客人中，很少有人猜到英国最被寻找的女人就在他们中间。
“她不知道自己是谁，也不知道为什么在这里”
她去镇上购物，买了几件连衣裙；天气潮湿时，她会参加音乐下午茶，弹钢琴并用“非常高亢的女高音，唱得非常好”，据一名客人称。
在其他日子里，她会打台球（尽管打得不好，酒店经理后来告诉了《每日邮报》）。晚上，她喜欢在附近的普罗斯佩克特（Prospect）酒店跳舞。一个名为芬德莱（Findlayx）的家庭打趣说她看起来“非常像那位失踪的女士”。她回答道：“在我看来，克里斯蒂夫人似乎是个相当难以捉摸的女人。我真的不知道她在哪里，或者是否还活着。”
但工作人员从一开始就有所怀疑。客房女佣罗西·阿舍尔（Rosie Asher）声称很快就认出了她，并将担忧报告给了经理泰勒夫人（Mrs Taylor），后者后来告诉《邮报》：“我承担了一定的责任，没有通知警方……尽管这里的一些仆人说，这个女人和照片之间似乎非常相似。我告诉他们不要说任何话。”
舞团成员则没有那么谨慎。在 400 辆汽车汇聚在纽兰兹角（Newlands Corner），公众加入大规模搜寻尸体的那一天，两名名为鲍勃·塔平（Bob Tappin）和哈里·利明（Harry Leeming）的音乐家访问了哈罗盖特警察局。警员们非常重视他们的举报，派遣便衣侦探前往水疗酒店。
在确信找到了这位“难以捉摸的女人”后，他们联系了肯沃德（Kenward）警监——然而，尽管传闻日益增多，他仍然拒绝相信阿加莎还活着。
“报纸暗示克里斯蒂夫人还活着，”他告诉《邮报》。“如果真是这样，为什么她没有写信给她的银行家、代理人或律师，或者她的任何亲属——而不透露她的地址？……她没有写这样的信，原因显而易见——她已经死了。”
但他最终还是让步，询问了这位小说家的秘书，夏-
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警犬搜寻小说家
大规模搜寻：一份关于搜寻阿加莎·克里斯蒂的报纸报道
她的线索是否让丈夫成为了嫌疑人？
»
洛特·费舍尔（lotte Fisher）前往哈罗盖特（Harrogate）去查看这位“尼尔夫人”（Mrs Neele）。费舍尔小姐立即将此事告知了克里斯蒂上校，后者宣布将亲自前往。
当他抵达水疗酒店（the Hydro）时，克里斯蒂夫人盯着他，转向另一位客人说道：
“噢，真巧，我哥哥来了。”随后她退回了自己的房间。
阿奇发表了一份声明：“这位女士是我的妻子；她的身份毫无疑问。她正遭受完全的记忆丧失和身份认知缺失。她不知道自己是谁。她甚至不认识我，也不知道，且无法告诉我她为什么在这里。”
“我希望明天带她去伦敦看医生和专家，希望在休息和静养之后，她能完全恢复。该国警方在此事中付出的不懈努力值得高度赞赏。”
在他们离开哈罗盖特时，全球媒体已聚集在该镇的火车站。
当克里斯蒂夫妇手牵手走在站台上时，有人听到阿加莎问：“这一切是为了什么？”
她的丈夫回答道：“没事的。你只是失忆了。”
他们在利兹（Leeds）换乘火车，据《每日新闻》（Daily News）报道，一名男子“脱帽并试图与这位小说家交谈。她径直走开，仿佛没有人跟她说话。依然拎着行李的克里斯蒂上校冲上前将那人拉开。
“双方发生了一次激烈的争吵，那人对上校评论道：‘既然在搜寻克里斯蒂夫人的过程中花费了大约 1,000 英镑 的公共资金，那么我理应有权要求克里斯蒂夫人对其行为做出解释’。”
克里斯蒂上校脸红了，回答道：“你什么也得不到；我
身份不明，来自 1954, 似乎失去了记忆，尽管她并没有。
劳拉·汤普森（Laura Thompson）认为，触发因素可能是一个像小说一样戏剧性的场景。
她知道她的丈夫和他的女朋友周末住在戈达尔明（Godalming）的一栋乡村别墅里——其名字恰如其分地被命名为
“也许她将线索散落在车座上，然后让车沿着山坡滚下去”
赫特莫小屋（Hurtmore Cottage）。她是否决定与他们对质？
我们永远无法得知阿加莎是否出人意料地出现了，但很容易想象，如果她确实出现了，她在开车离开时可能已经心神不宁。
纽兰兹角（Newlands Corner）和白垩坑距离那里约八英里。也许她把车停在那里，整晚蜷缩在皮草大衣下，构思一个计划，一个阿加莎·克里斯蒂风格的情节。
次日黎明前，也许她小心地将线索散落在车座上，然后让车沿着山坡滚下去——或许她知道这可能会让他受到怀疑，至少能让他的生活在一段时间内变得不舒服。随后，她沿着小路前往下面的村庄，步行走到奇尔沃思（Chilworth）火车站，搭乘 7. 30am 前往滑铁卢（Waterloo）的火车。
在一家百货公司购买了化妆箱和一套换洗衣物后，她给妹夫写了一封信，告知他自己平安无事，然后出发前往哈罗盖特（Harrogate）。
事后，南希·尼尔（Nancy Neele）在报纸上看到自己的名字后感到震惊，于是预订了一次前往牙买加、斐济和纽约的游轮之旅。
在离婚法庭上，阿奇（Archie）被指控在伦敦的格罗夫纳酒店（Grosvenor Hotel）与一名“姓名不详的女性”通奸。在阿奇的离婚手续办妥八天后，南希和阿奇结婚了。
尽管在余生中她一直保留克里斯蒂这个姓氏，但阿加莎后来再次结婚。
她的新丈夫马克斯·马洛万（Max Mallowan）是一名考古学家，比她小14岁。
她是在1929年一次从伦敦到巴格达的铁路旅行后与他相识的。在旅程的第一段接送她的火车正是东方快车，而这正是她后来最著名的那部推理小说的背景。
© Laura Thompson, 2026
● 改编自 Laura Thompson 所著之《十一天》（Eleven Days，Bedford Square Publishers 出版，£18.99），将于8月 27. 出版。如需订购，价格为 £16.14（优惠有效期至 2900 / 26, 英国境内订单满 £25 免邮费），请访问 mailshop.co.uk / books 或致电 020 3176 2937。
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31
业内人士揭秘这位电视节目主持人对其最新分手感到心碎的程度……
作者：Molly Clayton
网红编辑
6月，《爱之岛》（Love Island）主持人 Maya Jama 昂首步入马略卡岛的别墅，参加这部 ITV 热门剧集的开篇集，现场参赛者们发出了尖叫和欢呼。她面带微笑，欢迎这些追求浪漫的选手参加第13季节目，或许她感到庆幸的是，这次被放在显微镜下审视的是他们的感情生活而非她自己的。因为就在几天前，她才觉得有必要首次就近期与曼彻斯特城足球运动员 Ruben Dias 分手一事发声。
“我是一个要么全有要么全无的女孩，”她在社交媒体上宣布，“我会热烈地去爱，否则就完全不爱；如果结束了，那就结束了。”
在5月分手消息传出后，她采取了对待分手的一种“焦土政策”，删除了个人主页上所有过去 18 个月里与 Ruben 共同出镜的甜蜜 Instagram 帖子。
因此，对于这位身材高挑的美女来说，ITV 的旗舰约会节目出现的时间再尴尬不过了。她将主持
“她曾处于人生中最幸福的时刻。她不希望这段感情结束”
参赛者的配对、“重新配对”以及随后的争吵，直到上个月的决赛结束。
而这一次，《星期日邮报》可以揭露 Maya 在面对数百万观众时一直隐藏的秘密心碎程度，她正为失去这段她希望能够“永远”持续的感情而哀悼。
“她崩溃了，这对她来说很艰难，”一位接近这位 ITV 宠儿的消息人士告诉 MoS，“她必须对着镜头微笑，并在夜晚被一群陷入恋爱或失恋的人所包围。”
“这简直像编出来的一样。她以为自己找到了共度一生的人，然后她却不得不监督一栋别墅里一群单身人士寻找他们的一半。”
“与 Ruben 在一起时，她是前所未有的幸福，”该消息人士补充道，“她没有预料到，也不希望这段感情会结束。”
两人在一起还不到两年，但她“真的在与他规划未来”。
去年12月，当这对情侣搬进他们的“梦想之屋”时，一切看起来是多么不同。这座位于切希尔郡专属地区 Alderley Edge 的
£400 万 房产曾是一座 Omaze 抽奖豪宅，幸运中奖者将其卖给了这对情侣的新房东。
他们正面临一个充满繁重承诺的夏天，因为她
Maya 曾以为 Ruben 是她的真爱。随后，当其他人试图寻找真爱时，她不得不面对《Love Island》的镜头微笑
岛上情缘： 左图为 Maya Jama，上方为她与前男友 Ruben Dias
当时她计划在 Ruben 代表葡萄牙队在美国参加世界杯期间拍摄《Love Island》。但正如《星期日邮报》（MoS）所披露，深情的 Maya 在行程中特意安排了航班，以便在美国陪伴 Ruben，并在他返回切希尔（Cheshire）后与他团聚。
这一定让她想起了两人关系初期的日子，那时她经常从伦敦的家中前往他在曼彻斯特的住处，直到她最终为了他搬到北方。
但到了 5 月，有传闻称这位 29 岁的足球运动员一直在深夜向女性网红发送社交媒体“关注”请求——用《Love Island》的术语来说，这叫“试水”（toe-dipping）。
Maya, 32, 对此保持沉默，而讽刺的是，当时她正身在苏格兰的阿德罗斯城堡（Ardross Castle），拍摄第二季《名人叛徒》（Celebrity Traitors）。但两人最终确认了分手，Ruben 坚决否认自己曾不忠。
他在一条 Instagram 帖子中写道：“当我的 85 岁祖父问我是否背叛了女友，因为他在新闻上反复看到相关报道时，这就是我对‘可接受’与‘不可接受’之间底线的定义。”
“我认为 Maya 值得世界上所有的尊重。请尊重我，尊重 Maya，并明白一段关系的结束并不总是意味着一方必须背叛另一方。”
虽然 Maya 在拍摄《Love Island》之前简短地谈到了分手，但她大部分的“倾诉”是通过飞行里程来完成的。
这位 Radio 1 的主持人发布了来自世界各地的度假照片，她 330 万 的 Instagram 粉丝们对此看得目瞪口呆。自分手以来，她已飞行超过 20,000 英里，前往瑞典、米科诺斯、马略卡岛、迈阿密、纽约、伊比萨岛、摩洛哥，并返回伦敦参加派对。
在这些“我很好，真的”的环球飞行之间，她搬出了位于切希尔的爱巢，回到了她在伦敦汉普斯特德（Hampstead）的住处。
Maya 对公开分手并不陌生。她曾与三届 Brit Award 获奖者 Stormzy 约会五年，期间因该说唱歌手被指不忠而短暂分手。两人在 2023 年复合，但一年后再次结束关系。
在与 Stormzy 分手的空窗期，Maya 与 NBA 球星 Ben Simmons 展开了一场旋风式的恋爱。两人在订婚前经历了七个月的浪漫纠葛，但三个月后分手。
Ruben 的感情史同样复杂，他甚至与另一位《Love Island》选手 Arabella Chi 约会过，包括在 2024 年她参加由 Maya 主持的《全明星》（All Stars）衍生节目期间。
在此之前，他与葡萄牙流行歌手 April Ivy 维持了三年的恋爱关系，但最终因“生活方式差异”而分手。
Ruben 几周前在《Esquire》杂志上表示，他希望像其他人一样“安定下来”。
但他很快承认，他的职业让他给人一种花花公子的印象，并表示希望证明自己是“规则之外的例外”。
在一段时间里，《Love Island》的“最高主管”曾是那个例外，但正如节目中那些渴望浪漫的人们极其乏味地所说，“事实就是这样”。
32
离我远点
我的接管
作者：珍妮·约翰斯顿 (JENNY JOHNSTON)
鲁皮·吉尔 (ROOPIE Gill) 的家人将此称为她的“佩吉·米切尔时刻”，这是在引用《东区人》(East-Enders) 中一个标志性的场景：当时 Queen Vic 酒馆那令人敬畏的女店主面对闯入者，对他们说：“滚出我的酒馆。”
57 岁的鲁皮并不是鲁莽的佩吉·米切尔（从举止上看，她完全相反），而且这里是一家体面的邮局而非酒馆，但情况依然如此。
她向我讲述了大约一年多前的一个下午，她走向她父亲 50 年前开业的伯明翰便利店后方，走向那个在五十年来无论是物理上还是情感上都处于该店核心地位的邮局柜台。
她当时仍然无法踏入柜台后面——因为被错误地判定为盗窃罪而被禁止进入——但她礼貌地要求与接替她职位的人见一面。
她解释说，这一切都不是他们的错，但她必须处理这件事。“我让他们坐下来，打开笔记本电脑，给他们看了邮局调查的录像——那些证明我是清白的录像，”她回忆道。
“我说，首先，如果以后有人再叫我小偷，或者警告顾客检查找零，我就起诉他们诽谤。哦，其次，我要接管这家邮局。”
据所有在场者称，当时大家都惊掉了下巴。在讲述这个关键时刻时，并没有什么胜利者的姿态，但鲁皮承认这是“我很长一段时间以来经历过的最美好的时刻”。
在邮局丑闻中出现了许多悲剧故事，而鲁皮的故事是最令人震惊的故事之一。
这位自豪的副邮局局长在被（错误地）指控盗窃 3.8 万英镑 时，不仅尝试过自杀，还失去了她的家、她的丈夫（拉朱 Raju 同样被牵连，并在过程中死于可怕的情况）以及她的名誉。
她的折磨持续了 15 年，只有当你站在位于汉兹沃思 (Handsworth) 郊区的家族商店里时，你才能体会到那种感觉。这里的地理环境意味着她永远无法逃离那种羞耻和屈辱。
“我继续在那里工作，试图维持店面的运转，能听到顾客们在私下议论‘小偷’。每天我都会直视那个邮局柜台，知道我甚至不能走进去。而且我就住在那里。在我和丈夫失去房子之后——经历了法警上门、没收令等等——我无处可去。”
她的父亲在 2017 年去世，当时他的家人已在公开场合
……这是鲁皮·吉尔的决绝之词，她是第一位在 Horizon IT 丑闻中被诬陷后重返岗位的邮局局长。尽管经历了 15 年的折磨，失去了家园，丈夫失去了生命，家族名誉毁于一旦，但她至今没有收到一分钱的赔偿
蒙羞，但在人们意识到他们全部都是英国历史上最大冤案之一的受害者之前，他就去世了，这是一个永远无法弥补的悲剧。
“我最大的遗憾就是父亲在去世时认为我们家族的名声被玷污了，”她说。
去年，在被证明清白、定罪被撤销后，鲁皮采取了前所未有的步骤，要求恢复她的副邮局局长职位——成为第一位（她认为也是唯一一位）以这种方式重返岗位的邮局受害者。有些人，
甚至在家人内部，认为在邮局做了这么多事情之后，她简直是“疯了”。“但我必须为了我父亲这么做。这个地方是他的心血。这是他的遗产。”
这个周末标志着尼尔马尔·辛格·凯利 (Nirmal Singh Kailey) 及其家人开设 Wattville Road 便利店和邮局 50 周年，店窗上挂起了彩旗以庆祝这一时刻。这在很大程度上是一次社区活动。
甚至门外的邮筒也被重新粉刷过，女王的签名以金色勾勒（“它不是
“标准，但我们希望它能与众不同，”鲁皮（Roopie）说道）。事实上，这个邮筒也在庆祝生日。鲁皮记得它是在1976年店铺开业前不久安装的。那时她七岁，才刚刚能够够到投信口。
这家如今宽敞的店铺代表了一段怎样的社会历史。尼尔马尔·凯利（Nirmal Kailey）在1956年从印度来到这里时是一位受过高等教育的人。当时他在分拣局工作，一位同事告诉他，在那里工作太浪费他的才华，他应该经营——
自己的邮局。“我们认为他是伦敦以外第一个经营邮局的亚裔男性。在那个时代这并不常见——这被视为一个亚裔男性在做白人的工作，”鲁皮说。
“作为邮局局长，他是所有事情的核心。在那个年代，社区里很多人不会说英语，所以爸爸会帮他们翻译信件。”
鲁皮小时候在店里帮忙，协助摆放货架，但直到2005年，当她的父亲想要卸任副局长时，她才接手
33
邮局：先驱
接手。她的丈夫 Raju——她两个孩子（现年 33 岁和 30 岁）的父亲——已经在店里工作，他们共同管理邮局，是一个很好的团队。
直到几年后，大约 2008 年，事情开始出现偏差。她开始注意到，账目不太对。“起初规模很小。我们会少 £200，然后是 £300。我无法理解。”
现在我们知道，在全国各地，其他分局局长也遇到了那个花哨的 Horizon IT 系统的问题，该系统旨在让工作比账簿或基础电子表格简单得多。
“受影响的其中一个就是离我们最近的下一个邮局，”Roopie 今天说道。“但我们对此毫无察觉。”
由于感到沮丧和尴尬，她向父亲隐瞒了账目问题，认为“事情会迎刃而解的”。
当数字开始攀升且恐慌袭来时，她拨打了邮局为分局局长设立的特别帮助热线。
“而他们根本不想理会。他们说：‘这得由你来解决，把它弄好。’”
到账目显示缺口高达数千英镑时，Roopie 和她的丈夫开始动用他们的储蓄来“填补缺口”，随后使用了预留给抵押贷款的资金。面对不断增加的损失，他们还开始互相指责。“我知道不是我在拿
“警察来逮捕我时，我感到恶心”
钱，但我们开始怀疑是不是另一个人在这么做。我真的看不出我丈夫怎么可能做这种事。没有任何迹象，没有豪车。我也没发现他把钱寄回在印度的父母那里。”
现在回想起来，她对自己曾积极寻找可怜丈夫有罪证据的行为感到震惊。“你会想，‘是不是有另一个女人？’你会做所有这类的事情。”当然，他也没有做错任何事。
2009年，邮局审计员到访的那天是一个特别的低谷。整个地方被封锁了。鲁皮（Roopie）双手掩面地坐着，她意识到如果失踪的钱找不到，她可能面临监禁。“我记得我父亲到达时，他没说太多，但他崩溃了。彻底崩溃了。他不相信我会那样，但钱确实丢了……没有人能给出答案。”
为了弥补缺口，他们采取了绝望的措施。她的父母卖掉了一处房产。包括珠宝在内的家族传家宝被典当了。她女儿的大学助学金被用来“试图让我们摆脱困境”。车没了。他们违约了抵押贷款，随着时间的推移，他们的房子被没收了。
她的丈夫——“一个好人，一个每个人都爱的人”——在压力下崩溃了。“他以前不怎么喝酒，但后来开始喝酒。到了最后，他从一大早开始喝酒。”
实际上，鲁皮是第一个崩溃的人，就在她被传唤与邮局高层会面前的那个周末。她回忆说，当时她决定唯一的出路就是结束自己的生命。她服用了过量药物，但醒了过来，然后尝试用更多的药片再次尝试。
“我在车里。我记得在开车，然后就靠边停了。我醒来时警察就在那里。我因为失败而感到极度绝望。我母亲彻底心碎了。”
随后她的丈夫去世了。“当时我其实在我母亲家，我把孩子们带到了那里。警察过来告诉我说，他酗酒严重，走到室外后摔倒了，无法站起来。他因为在室外待了一整夜而死于体温过低。”他当时38岁。
即便在此时，当她的世界在她周围崩塌时，鲁皮的遭遇仍是一场私人家庭悲剧。但它即将变得非常公开。我问她是否记得2010年警察来逮捕她的那天，她在家族商店的哪个位置。她当然记得。
“我在薯片和饼干走廊。我永远不会忘记那一幕。那里有一名穿着制服的警察，邮局的人也在场。我把他们带进储藏室，他们问我身上是否有锐利物品。然后他们在所有顾客面前把我押了出去。我不是个爱哭的人，所以我没哭，但我只记得感到生理上的恶心。然后他们把我关进禁闭室。脱掉鞋子。你在电视上看过这些，但你从未想象过那个人会是你。”
此时已成为单身母亲的鲁皮被建议，如果她想避免监禁，就应该认罪。“我别无选择，”她说，“如果我想回家陪孩子，我就必须承认我明明知道自己没做过的事情。”
她的父母在法庭上目睹了鲁皮被判定盗窃和虚假会计罪名成立。她被判处两年缓刑，并被命令进行社区服务。
虽然她的父母从未相信她有罪，但她的一些兄弟姐妹却不能如此确定。家庭内部发生了痛苦的争吵。“你无法想象这种事情会造成多么大的痛苦。”
被定罪后的那些年几乎难以回忆。“我试图躲起来。但妈妈会说，‘进来吧，就帮着理理货架，扫扫地。’即使在店里，我也试图躲起来。I不想见到任何人。我无法面对顾客。”
她说，即使在下班时间，“创伤依然存在”，因为她与新来的邮局员工共用厨房设施。
这听起来就像生活在
敌人。‘确实如此。当时非常明显地形成了“他们”和“我们”的对立局面。甚至到了我父亲只要他们在店里就完全不想进店的地步。他讨厌看到那种场景。’她指出，这一切都不是新员工的错。
Roopie的母亲于2011年去世；父亲在六年之后去世。那时，Roopie已经与Mani关系亲近，Mani现在是她的伴侣。他认识这个家庭很多年了，当时负责向店里配送三明治。随着Roopie向他敞开心扉，他能看出‘这一切都毫无道理’。‘她是一个非常内敛的人，但我能看出她快要崩溃了，’他说。
生意当时也陷入了困境，Mani提出帮忙。他向店里投入了一些资金并开始在那里工作。现在，他也在邮局担任柜员。
直到Roopie在广播中听到记者Nick Wallis谈到‘与邮局有关的一些事情’，她才第一次意识到，重建她的名誉以及她的生意是有可能的。在发现自己并非孤身一人时，她简直震惊得不知所措。
随着时间的推移，事实被查明：有缺陷的Horizon会计软件制造了虚假的现金短缺，导致约3,500名分局邮政局长被指控盗窃。其中900多人被起诉，236人被监禁。这起丑闻已与至少13起自杀事件相关联。
巨大的社会转变——‘当顾客开始走到我面前对我说“天哪，我们非常抱歉”的时候’——是在2024年ITV剧集《贝茨先生对抗邮局》（Mr Bates vs The Post Office）播出之后。
同年12月，她收到了正式的法院信函，证明她没有任何过错。‘她从不哭泣，但那天她哭了，’Mani说。‘她抽泣个不停。’
她决定想要回她在邮局的职位是在多久之后？‘并非立即决定，但一旦这个念头根深蒂固，我就知道我
“我认为应该有人为此负责——但目前还没有”
她说道，“我必须采取行动。”当她昂首挺胸重新走进办公室时，她做的第一件事就是将父亲的照片重新挂回墙上，照片至今仍在那里。
一个幸福的结局？嗯，并非如此。对于她所遭受的折磨，她至今没有收到一分钱的赔偿。与此同时，还没有任何人因邮局丑闻而受到惩罚。
“我确实认为应该有人为此负责，”鲁皮（Roopie）平静地说道，“但目前还没有。”她展现出了非凡的尊严，这一点体现在来自伦敦的邮局高管们被邀请参加本周末的庆祝活动。她说，这就是她父亲所信仰的“社区服务”的含义。
“你必须搭建桥梁，而不是将其摧毁，”她说，“这是我从父亲那里学到的。我从他那里学到了一切。”
34
我的妻子和我一直在问同一个问题：我们什么时候回家？我们已经在度假屋（gite）里住了大约八周了，白天躲在凉爽、墙壁厚实的底层房间里，然后出来在露台上享用漫长的晚餐——然而，依然没有迹象表明我们需要收拾行囊离开。
正如你可能已经猜到的，我们的度假屋其实就是我们在剑桥郡（Cambridgeshire）的家，但它似乎毫不费力地被搬到了数百英里以南（而且我们无需与欧盟的入境 / 出境系统作斗争）。
今年夏天的天气还没有完全把英格兰南部变成地中海——我们经历了一些寒冷的早晨——但这确实像是在法国中部一样。
剑桥郡开阔的白垩丘陵与香槟区颇为相似，或者我们可以想象自己身处更南边的勃艮第。我葡萄藤上的葡萄从未如此硕大丰满（虽然我不打算
“当雨水回归时，我们将猛然回到现实”
再次用它们酿酒……之前的结果比 Super U 超市里最便宜的劣质酒还要糟糕）。
从某种意义上说，这个夏天确实像在度假。我从修剪草坪的任务中解脱了，我记得上次修剪是在六月份。树篱的生长速度也比平时慢得多，让我省去了数小时使用修剪机的时间。我通常不是那种喜欢躺在甲板椅上晒太阳的人，但在过去的几周里我已经习惯了。在温暖夜晚的漫步让我非常想起八月份在法国乡村的时光。但与海峡对岸不同的是，这里还有乡村板球赛，所以这是所有世界中最美好的结合。
我知道我不应该享受这个夏天。我知道我应该对高温和干旱感到惊恐，并将其视为气候变化导致“无法生存”之未来的阴森预兆。我应该赞同扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）上周所说的：“我们在电视屏幕上看到的场景坦白说就是末日景象。”
或者赞同下议院环境审计委员会，他们最近致信政府，将这次热浪描述为“紧急威胁”。但抱歉，我就是不这么认为。这个夏天成了许多人正在享受但很少有人敢承认的“罪恶快感”。
当然，确实有些人一直在受苦。今年的热浪与所有此类事件一样，导致老年人和体弱者死亡人数激增——即便这种激增幅度远低于我们每年冬天遭受的超额死亡人数。在全球范围内，寒冷导致的死亡人数仍约为高温导致的十倍。
此外，澳大利亚莫纳什大学五年前的一项研究发现，随着地球变暖，寒冷导致死亡人数的下降幅度比高温导致死亡人数的增加幅度更剧烈，这意味着极端温度导致的净死亡人数正在下降——而且在每个大洲都是如此。
一些农民日子不好过，因为在预期气候较湿润的情况下种植的作物在干旱中难以生存。但不要
很抱歉，扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski），这个漫长而炎热的夏天并非世界末日——它就像在法国度了一个极其惬意的长假……而且还额外赠送了村庄绿地上的板球赛
作者：罗斯·克拉克（ROSS CLARK）
不要相信关于即将出现粮食短缺的危言耸听。
在2022年夏天，当英国经历上一次剧烈热浪和长期干旱时（那是首次记录到气温超过40℃的一年），人们也做出了类似的阴郁预测。土壤协会（Soil Association）将其称为一场“危机”。
然而，小麦、大麦和油菜的产量均高于前一年。在英国种植的主要耕地作物中，只有糖甜菜显著下降。
然后是山火。如果我住在斯图尔布里奇（Stourbridge）且家园刚刚被焚毁，我肯定不会有度假的心情。
显然，干旱和热浪会使植被干燥并增加山火风险，但在宣布“世界在燃烧”之前，值得审视一下全球情况。
事实上，全球范围内被山火烧毁的土地面积——包括在欧洲——一直处于长期下降趋势。
如果我们想在炎热干燥的天气中避免毁灭性的山火，我们将不得不学习以不同的方式管理土地，例如恢复清理林地枯木的做法，以及在荒原与住宅之间建立防火带。
然后是萨塞克斯（Sussex）和埃塞克斯（Essex）的火车脱轨事故，这些事故被归咎于轨道在高温下变形。我们将不得不等待事故报告，但确实，如果钢轨没有被沉重的混凝土轨枕固定，它们在高温下会膨胀。
但这绝不是对气候变化感到绝望的理由。许多更炎热的国家，如印度，其铁路运行得非常顺利。可以通过对轨道进行预应力处理以应对更高温度，从而防止其变形。
气候歇斯底里似乎变得越来越荒唐。伦敦大学学院（University College London）地球物理学和气候灾害名誉教授比尔·麦圭尔（Bill McGuire）最近在思考2052年的英国夏天会是什么样子。
他写道：“早起的人们在水龙头前排队取水时打着哈欠，伸着懒腰”，随后暗示每天下午都会爆发“电风暴和暴雨”，淹没伦敦的低洼地区。所以我们将同时经历干旱和洪水……不，对我来说，这同样毫无道理。
我拒绝陷入这种夸张的言论中。我的感觉几乎和整整50年前一样，那时我九岁，第一个真正炎热的夏天对我来说是一种美妙的新鲜体验。不同之处在于，那时几乎每个人都能享受其中，而不会遭受恐惧和愧疚的折磨。
此后又有了几个辉煌的夏天。然而，渐渐地，它们被视为某种需要恐惧而非享受的东西。尽管近几周的危言耸听让人难以相信，但英格兰干旱的东南部地区的气候趋势——请记住，气候根据定义是在30年的周期内测量的，而不是一年、两年甚至五年——在降雨量和降雨频率方面，仍然趋向于稍微更湿润的夏天。
不久后将再次开始下雨，我们凉爽潮湿的气候将重新占据主导。我们所有人都会被猛然拉回现实。可能需要很多年我们才能再次享受这样一个夏天（回想一下2007年到2012年之间那段令人沮丧的阴雨连绵期）。在此期间，我同情那些无法享受这个美好夏天的人。
“更炎热的地方运行得非常顺利”
35
哈丽特·基恩（Harriet Kean）
城市谈资（THE TALK OF THE TOWN）
有故事？请发送邮件至 diary@mailonsunday.co.uk
Flingo Starr!
是什么让 巴里在 披头士剧组 大发脾气？
他饰演的可能是披头士乐队中最随和的成员林戈·斯塔尔（Ringo Starr），但爱尔兰演员巴里·基奥根（Barry Keoghan）最近在片场的发脾气，让剧组人员祈祷他能早日学会“顺其自然”（Let It Be），这样大家才能准时回家。
我的现场线报告诉我，这位 33, 岁的《索尔特本》（Saltburn）演员在本月早些时候拍摄备受期待的披头士传记电影时大发雷霆。该传记系列由四部电影组成，计划于 2028 年发行。
“他扯掉了扮演林戈时戴的耳环，把它们扔进灌木丛里，然后愤怒地沿着车道走开了，”我的消息人士在描述在肯特郡斯通沃尔公园（Stonewall Park）拍摄的场景时告诉我。
“工作人员花了很多时间在灌木丛中搜寻，试图找回耳环。这意味着拍摄不得不暂停一天。”
此前，基奥根因遭受大量网络仇恨而退出了公众生活，他说这让他处于“躲藏”状态。
这些网络攻击主要针对他的外貌，以及关于他在 2023 年至 2024. 年与流行乐坛红星萨布丽娜·卡彭特（Sabrina Carpenter）交往期间出轨的传闻。基奥根谴责这些说法“完全不属实”。
今年 4 月，他在《朋友保守秘密》（Friends Keep Secrets）播客中表示：“我退出了 Instagram 和社交账号。我
神似： 巴里·基奥根在披头士传记电影中饰演林戈·斯塔尔
停止参加活动。我停止了社交。”这部披头士传记电影一直饱受争议，粉丝们认为演员们看起来与“神奇四人组”（Fab Four）太不像了。
《角斗士》明星保罗·麦斯卡（Paul Mescal），30, 岁，饰演保罗·麦卡特尼；同为爱尔兰演员且是《怪奇物语》明星的约瑟夫·奎恩（Joseph Quinn），32, 岁，饰演乔治·哈里森；而《宝贝女孩》（Babygirl）明星哈里斯·迪金森（Harris Dickinson），30, 岁，饰演约翰·列侬。
昨晚，基奥根被请求就此事发表评论。
艾玛在伊比萨萨尔萨酒吧的火辣舞步
在访问了新朋友乔治·克鲁尼在科莫湖宫殿般的住所后，艾玛·沃特森（Emma Watson）似乎将意大利湖畔的优雅换成了伊比萨岛的萨尔萨酒吧。
我的线报发现，这位 36, 岁的《哈利·波特》明星在 Cubanito Ibiza 酒店的舞池中，被一名英俊且相当神秘的男子旋转舞动。
两人看起来玩得很开心，当另一名男子走向沃特森女士（显然是想邀请她跳舞）时，他们在笑。但如果那个人希望能插队跳舞，那他失望了：她只是皱了皱眉，继续与她的舞伴跳舞。
莉莉抨击可卡因
莉莉·艾伦（Lily Allen）上周暂停了关于前夫（美国演员大卫·哈伯）的歌唱，在康沃尔郡的 Boardmasters 音乐节上现身，她的上衣上印着一个反毒品漫画。
上面写着：“可卡因并非传闻中那么美好”，而漫画旁边的文字补充道：“看阴茎被砍。看阴茎吸毒。看阴茎死亡。”
很高兴看到这位 41, 岁的两个女孩的母亲、曾经的成瘾者艾伦，继续为当今青年树立良好榜样。
◆ 亿万富翁化妆品大亨夏洛特·蒂尔伯里（Charlotte Tilbury）在她的品牌拒绝采用新的 CFI（国际无残酷组织）标志后，引起了 Z 世代客户的不满。
尽管该公司坚称蒂尔伯里仍然坚持“无动物实验标准”，但社交媒体用户表示，缺乏 CFI 认证是“误导性的”且“令人困惑的”，并带头抵制该产品。“我们需要抵制这个品牌，”一名动物权利抗议者愤怒地表示，“我们是消费者。让我们战斗起来。”
塞莉亚的挂画
她曾获得奥利弗奖和大英帝国司令级勋章（CBE），但塞莉亚·伊姆里（Celia Imrie）很快将获得一项更独有的荣誉：在克拉利奇酒店（Claridge's）的墙上永垂不朽。这位 74 岁的《布里奇特·琼斯》明星（右图）的肖像将被挂在这家梅费尔酒店的“Talking Heads”画廊中。塞莉亚的肖像由克拉利奇酒店的驻店艺术家大卫·唐顿（David Downton）于本周绘制，将与该酒店的其他名客肖像并列，如琼·柯林斯女爵士（Dame Joan Collins）、克里斯汀·斯科特·托马斯女爵士（Dame Kristin Scott Thomas）和迪塔·冯·蒂斯（Dita Von Teese）。
◆ DJ 费恩·科顿（Fearne Cotton）上周的度假行李简直是“金玉其外，败絮其中”——她记得所有东西，唯独忘了内衣。
44 岁的费恩在 Instagram 上透露：“我去了当地的市场，这是我能找到的唯一一条。”这条内裤（上图）的裆部有一只猫——太大胆了！幸运的是，歌手索菲·艾利斯-贝克斯托（Sophie Ellis-Bextor）在现场安慰道：“我也干过完全一样的事。带了所有东西……就是没带内裤。”
偶遇
- ◆ 《龙之屋》的米莉·阿尔科克（Milly Alcock）（左图）在东区酒吧 The Blind Beggar 现身，显得“魅力四射”。
- ◆ 詹姆斯·考登（James Corden）骑着电动自行车在摄政街疾驰，戴着耳机且未戴头盔。
- ◆ 喜剧演员吉米·卡尔（Jimmy Carr）和电视名人路易·塞鲁（Louis Theroux）在科文特花园的 The Delaunay 餐厅用餐。
- ◆ 主持人阿曼达·霍尔登（Amanda Holden）和长相相似的女儿莱克西（Lexi）在苏豪区的 Cafe Bohème 咖啡馆现身。
- ◆ 迪拜统治者谢赫·穆罕默德·本·拉希德（Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid）在骑士桥区漫步，身边跟着约 30 人的随行队伍。
36
我是谁？
- 我的第一笔钱来自一份煮甜菜根的工作。
- 我的侄女是丽塔·西蒙斯（Rita Simons）——《东区》中的罗西·米切尔（Rosy Mitchell）。
- 我自 1975 年起就持有飞行员执照。
- 工党曾邀请我竞选伦敦市长，但我拒绝了，后来我支持了保守党。
- 我曾称足球运动员为“彻头彻尾的人渣”，尽管我曾是热刺队的董事长。
- 我的成名公司 Amstrad 以我的姓名首字母加上代表贸易的“trad”命名。
- 上周我抱怨美国运通公司不愿
谁？什么？哪里？
我们有趣的每周测验，我们将请您猜测新闻中的人物、地点和事物……
提高我的信用额度，尽管我是一名亿万富翁。
我是什么？
-
我于 1968 年在斯劳（Slough）被发明。
-
欧洲法律要求我标明分贝等级，以说明我的噪音大小。
- 伦敦南部的布罗姆利市议会曾建议我是理想的圣诞礼物——而且你可以买到一本 2026 年的日历，上面印有大曼彻斯特地区我最优秀的样本。
- 在载着一名男人的情况下，我曾达到 58 英里的时速。
- 使用他人的我是违法的。
- 2010 年，一名女性将一只猫放进我其中一个里面，令英国感到震惊。
- 我给克拉克顿补选的亚军带来了灵感。
我在哪里？
- 我这里有一座国际象棋博物馆，展出 700 套棋具，其中一套
将托尼·布莱尔（Tony Blair）设为国王。
- The Clash 乐队的主唱乔·斯特拉默（Joe Strummer）出生在这里。
- 凯尔特人在公元前 3 世纪居住在这里——这是该文化传播的最东端。
- 安哥拉羊毛是以我命名的，而我的名字在希腊语中最初意思是“锚”。
- 刚刚披露，唐纳德·特朗普上个月在这里秘密更换了飞机，将通常的“空军一号”留在原地作为诱饵。
- 在 1923 年成为土耳其首都之前，我被描述为“一座无关紧要的小镇”。
答案：舒加勋爵（Lord Sugar）、带轮垃圾桶、安卡拉。
史蒂夫·本内特（STEVE BENNETT）
条款与条件：优惠适用于办理月度订阅的新订户。英国居民且年满 18 岁。优惠为 1 个月免费，随后 5 个月每月 99 便士。从第 7 个月起，您将被按每月 $99 的费率收费。订阅可随时取消。您可以在 14 天的冷静期内免费取消。
公务员丢失 7,000 台设备引发笔记本电脑数据担忧
作者：Matt Davis
在过去三年中，公务员丢失了 7,300 多台笔记本电脑、手机和其他电子设备，给纳税人造成了近 £270 万的损失。
根据《信息自由法》获得的数据显示，政府各部门平均每周丢失 47 台设备。其中近五分之四仅仅是放错了地方，其余则被盗。
在失踪的 7,312 件设备中，4,317 件是手机，2,791 件是笔记本电脑，其余为平板电脑和其他设备。
内政部是违规最严重的部门，三年内丢失了 1,342 台设备，其中 574 台是手机，699, 台是笔记本电脑。该部门负责管理警察、边境、护照
“在员工过失时追回成本”
以及移民事务，并处理国家持有的部分最敏感的个人数据。
就业与养老金部排名第二，丢失设备 1,041 台。该部门处理数百万申请人的福利和养老金记录，包括银行详情和国民保险号码。第三名是国防部，丢失或被盗 876 台笔记本电脑和手机。该部门承认不知道丢失设备的成本。
内阁办公室排名第四，丢失设备 713 台；商业贸易部排名第五，丢失手机和笔记本电脑 642 台。文化、媒体和体育部拒绝确认其是否持有包含敏感数据的设备数据，理由是这样做可能会帮助犯罪分子识别哪些部门最容易成为目标。
设备丢失最严重的五个部门
手机 / 笔记本电脑
内政部 / 574 / 699 就业与养老金部 / 356 / 629 国防部 / 386 / 490 内阁办公室 / 480 / 171 商业贸易部 / 505 / 137
2023 / 24-2025 / 26
财政部确认其丢失和被盗的设备确实包含敏感数据，但坚称每台设备在报告丢失的瞬间都被远程擦除了。
昨晚，纳税人联盟（The TadPayers' Alliance）的活动总监 William Yarwood 表示：“怀特霍尔丢失的设备是一个昂贵的提醒，提醒人们官员们对待纳税人出资购买的财产是多么随意。”
“在任何组织中，丢失数千部手机和笔记本电脑都已经足够糟糕了，而这些部门处理的是政府中最敏感的一些数据。”
“部长们必须在员工过失时追回成本，加强报告规则，并确保官员在纳税人资助的设备消失时承担后果。”
一名政府发言人表示：“我们极其重视政府设备的安全性，这就是为什么笔记本电脑和手机等物品始终经过加密，因此任何丢失都不会危及安全性。”
“与所有组织一样，每年会有极小比例的此类设备被报告丢失或被盗。”
VI
37
DANK HODGES
改革英国党已达顶峰，而“伯纳姆反弹”不会永远持续……这一切都指向 2027 年的大选
关于周四奈杰尔·法拉奇（Nigel Farage）击败“垃圾桶伯爵”（Count Binface）的胜利，威斯敏斯特的共识是：这改变了任何事情。针对他未申报的 £500 万 礼金的议会调查将重新启动。对其亲信之间可疑捐款的审查将继续。他个人的支持率以及该党在全国范围内的民调下滑也将继续。但我现在认为，这一结果将产生一个重大的额外影响：2027 年的大选现在几乎已成定局。
“目前的想法是明年五月，大约在银行假期前后，”一名伯纳姆的高级盟友向我透露。“人们正朝着那个方向走。”
“在官方层面，唐宁街正致力于确保任何关于提前投票的讨论都被迅速压制。”一名伯纳姆的助手向我坚称：“这不会发生。”
但它很可能会发生。原因如下。
首先，尽管其盟友拼命地进行舆论引导，奈杰尔·法拉奇在克拉克顿（Clacton）的赌注失败了。在改革英国党内部，曾设定了一个 70 per cent 得票率的基准。
最终，尽管该党投入了巨大资源，且他并未面临任何主要对手的严重挑战，他的得票率仍远低于此。
44 per cent 的高投票率也说明了问题。虽然这表明法拉奇能够激励他的基本盘，但同时也证明了他在动员对手方面是多么有效。
“垃圾桶伯爵”在没有任何正式组织的情况下，竟然获得了近 30 per cent 的选票。克拉克顿近三分之一的选民愿意在酷暑之日出门，支持一个穿着垃圾桶的人，以此表达他们对改革英国党及其领导人的不满。
正如一名工党官员所言：“法拉奇将不得不投入越来越多的时间和资源来试图巩固他的基本盘，而这在全国范围内只会将越来越多的温和选民推开。”
这似乎就是为什么法拉奇在结果公布后立即 conspicuously 地消失了。
正如一名部长观察到的那样：“我能理解他为什么没去计票现场。他不想在视觉效果上站在一个垃圾桶旁边。但为什么之后没有胜利演说？或者与支持者的集会？”
“他原本完全有机会掌控叙事方向，但他没有这样做。这很奇怪。”
以前的奈杰尔·法拉奇一定会榨干这次胜利的所有价值。然而，他消失了。
所有这些迹象表明，我们确实已经达到了改革英国党的顶峰。而这反过来将对下次大选的日期产生重大影响。
所有主要政党的预期是，在接下来的六个月里的某个时间点，保守党将在民调中超过改革英国党。正如一名影子部
政治直觉： 昨天的安迪·伯纳姆在康沃尔……他需要获得授权来执行其政策
长解释道：“他们可能会在克拉克顿之后获得短暂的反弹。但随后议会将复会，焦点将转移到议事台前的凯米（Kemi）和伯纳姆身上。法拉奇将不再是主角。”
“然后我们将迎来预算案。而改革英国党在经济问题上从未有过任何严肃的见解。所以我们将继续蚕食他们的领先优势。”
一旦出现“交叉”时刻，政治叙事将发生决定性转变。凯米·巴德诺克（Kemi Badenoch）及其团队将能够将自己塑造为反叛者，以及除了安迪·伯纳姆和工党之外唯一现实的替代方案。
改革英国党执政的前景将迅速消退。而那时将是伯纳姆及其团队被迫采取行动的时刻。
“有一件事是肯定的。我们必须在右翼仍然分裂时举行大选，”一名内阁部长承认。“保守党的小幅回升没问题。但一旦他们领先于改革英国党，他们将开始整合反工党的选票。我们需要在这种情况定型之前进行投票。”
第二个问题涉及所谓的“伯纳姆反弹”。
在唐宁街 10 号内部，人们越来越感觉到首相在更实质性的层面上打动了选民。
周四在访问斯图尔布里奇（Stourbridge）时，他得到了自发的掌声，这让他的助手们感到惊讶且欣喜。
但同样，伯纳姆的战略专家们对他目前受欢迎程度的持续时间也持有现实的看法。
“我们认为这不仅仅是一次‘反弹’，”其中一人透露，“确实建立了一种联系。但我们并不糊涂。我们知道这不会永远持续下去。”
内阁内部的观点是，伯纳姆的蜜月期可能还会持续六个月。但在那之后，政治引力将开始重新发挥作用。
“人们真心喜欢他，”一位部长告诉我，“我在我选区的家访中能感受到这一点。但我们还没有不得不做出任何艰难的决定。而当我们这样做时，人们将开始对他感到愤怒。”
这与安迪·伯纳姆的选举机会之窗将相对较快关闭的另一个原因相关。
在唐宁街10号、财政部以及整个政府内部，人们认为目前的政治处于一种“暂停动画”的状态。这是因为伊朗战争以及霍尔木兹海峡关闭带来的全面影响尚未给英国经济造成毁灭性打击。而一旦发生，其影响将是严重的。
“唐宁街10号内部正在为冲击做准备，”一位部长透露。
“他们觉得最初可以挺过去。因为安迪是新人，他可以指向特朗普，指向基尔（斯塔默）和瑞秋（里夫斯）并说：‘看，我继承了这个烂摊子。我需要一些时间来清理它’。但这只能起作用一段时间。”
还有一个最终原因，尽管唐宁街极力否认，但明年举行选举几乎已成定局。
伯纳姆有一系列想要面对的重大政策问题：生活成本危机、国防开支、社会护理、露宿街头危机。而只要在现有工党竞选宣言的束缚下运作，他就无法真正解决其中任何一个问题。
一位部长预测道：“明年夏天，路易丝·凯西（Louise Casey）将提交她的社会护理报告。如果不从选民那里获得新的授权，甚至根本不可能开始解决这个问题。而这正是安迪最关心的政策。”
“我认为在那一刻他会说：‘好吧，如果我们真的想解决任何重大问题，我们需要将其交给全国人民决定’。”
目前，首相在公开场合表示不会匆忙举行选举。
但改革英国党（Reform UK）的衰落、他目前受欢迎程度的“保质期”、伊朗战争的余震，以及前任竞选宣言像手铐一样将他束缚，都意味着提前选举即将到来。
别告诉布里斯托的布伦达。安迪·伯纳姆将在2027年宣布举行选举。
38
JULY 1, 1984
劳拉·柯林斯（Laura Collins）是一位深受爱戴的母亲和祖母，是一位出色的厨师、时尚的穿着者和才华横溢的舞者。她热爱音乐、派对，喜欢在伦敦西区的家中为家人和许多朋友举办盛大的加勒比盛宴。她工作勤奋——几十年来兼顾三份工作以养活庞大的家庭——很少度假，但不知为何总是温暖、善良，且能发现任何人的闪光点。
“她是最高尚的女性。如此坚强且充满光芒——无论走到哪里，她都能让周围变得明亮。她的生活很艰辛，但她给人们带来了快乐，”她的儿子迈克尔（Michael，48,）说道，他是她的五个孩子中的第四个。“她值得更好的对待。好得多。”
劳拉于29, 2022, 在伦敦的查令十字医院去世，在感染新冠病毒六个月后离世。她享年77岁。
尽管这令人深感悲痛，但正如迈克尔所说：“那仅仅是噩梦的开始。”
因为从那时起——是的，直到今天——劳拉的遗体一直被安置在伦敦一家殡仪馆的金属抽屉里——每天支付£20的存储费用，且身体在缓慢腐烂。
与此同时，她的五个孩子中年龄最大的两个，59岁的琼（Joan）和57岁的戈弗雷（Godfrey），竭尽全力阻挠任何葬礼安排，更不用说分配劳拉（Laura）的遗产了，这让家族其他成员陷入了进退两难的境地。
首先，他们拒绝讨论仪式应该在何时或何地举行。“每次我们提出帮忙时，他们就一直说：‘我们在处理了。别担心，我们正在组织，’”迈克尔（Michael）说道。
随后，他们建议将遗体送回劳拉的故乡卡里亚库（Carriacou，加勒比海的一个岛屿），并在商议是否应就涉嫌医疗过失起诉医院期间，进一步推迟了一切进程。
这种情况就这样持续了数周、数月、数年——经历了女王的逝世和四任首相的更迭，以及五名兄妹之间大量的威胁、泪水、侮辱和争吵。
琼和戈弗雷甚至封锁了接触劳拉遗体的途径，在没有告知年幼的兄妹——54岁的谢丽尔（Cheryl）、迈克尔和46岁的克林特（Clint）的情况下，将遗体两次转移到其他殡仪馆。
直到最后，在被挫败感折磨得近乎发疯的情况下，迈克尔被迫花费数万英镑，将他的兄姐告上伦敦高等法院，试图以绝望的方式让心爱的母亲得以安息。
该案件上个月在新闻中引起了轰动，首席法官凯伦·舒曼（Karen Shuman）在判决中指责琼和戈弗雷造成了令人震惊的延误，命令他们承担本案的53,322 英镑法律费用以及5,500 英镑的存放费用，并且不同寻常地将遗产的所有控制权和葬礼安排权授予了迈克尔。
“必须由一个人负责，以便让家人尽可能地团聚，”舒曼表示，“让逝者能够尊严地安息。这就是现在普通的人道主义要求。”
但在今天的英国，这种情况怎么会发生？为什么？这一切都与钱有关吗？劳拉去世时没有留下遗嘱。她的遗产包括位于伦敦西肯辛顿（West Kensington）的72.5 万英镑家族房产，琼一生都住在那里，并在晚年照顾她的母亲。
或许是兄妹间的竞争与控制欲？或者仅仅是因为悲痛过于剧烈，导致琼和戈弗雷陷入瘫痪状态？也许是所有这些因素共同作用的结果。
上周，我在彼得伯勒（Peterborough）迈克尔那栋明亮阳光的房子里与他聊天，谈到他的家庭是如何陷入
作者：Jane Fryer
情况变得如此糟糕——而他的母亲一定会对此深恶痛绝。
“她曾是一位如此端庄的女性。总是穿着得体，配着相称的围巾和帽子。她如果知道了肯定会感到震惊。每个人都知道这件事——她已经在抽屉里躺了四年，”他说。“我只是想让人们知道她曾经多么坚强、多么美好。”
以及所有让劳拉成为劳拉的特质。她那温柔且富有细微变化的嗓音，以及巨大的黑胶唱片收藏。她对园艺的热爱，以及从雷鬼到爵士、从古典到说唱的所有音乐的喜爱。她在面对可怕的种族主义和偏见时所展现出的坚强与韧性。
“她为了我们所有人辛苦工作了这么久，结果却变成了这样”
当她21岁首次抵达英国时，是一场在几年后便告破裂的包办婚姻。
但最重要的是，她对子女和孙辈深沉且具有保护欲的爱。“她为了我们所有人辛苦工作了这么久，结果却变成了这样，”迈克尔说。
他说劳拉的健康状况在感染新冠之前就开始下降。到了70岁出头，在从清洁工作中退休后，由于糖尿病和高血压，她的行动能力变得越来越差。
“她失去了信心，不再经常出门，”他说。“但每当我们聚在一起庆祝生日和圣诞节时，她仍然会烹饪丰盛的大餐。”
迈克尔说，随着年龄增长，劳拉心中开始思考死亡。“她会谈论她走后想要什么，”他说。“她最大的心愿是举行一场有美妙音乐、有亲友环绕的体面葬礼。”可怜的劳拉。
2022年1月，她感染新冠并被紧急送往查林十字医院的重症监护室，她的孩子们担心会出现最坏的情况，但由于社交距离规定，他们无法探视。
“我们通过电话和她交流，还会发信息，”他说。然后突然之间，她沉默了，琼和戈弗雷也同样沉默了。
当家人终于被允许探视时，劳拉正使用呼吸机，且没有反应。
医生告诉他们，她遭受了不可逆转的大脑损伤——关于呼吸管是否从她口中脱出存在一些疑问——并建议家人让她离世。
这时，柯林斯家族内部开始出现第一道真正的裂痕。迈克尔、克林特和谢丽尔希望让她走。 “这非常令人悲伤，也许医院有人负有责任，但那是她的时刻。她受苦太久了，是时候获得平静了，”迈克尔说。
但琼和戈弗雷坚决认为她应该活下去，并一直拒绝，直到几个月后，此案被提交至法院，法官裁定应关闭机器——在经过两周的逐渐减量期之后，以防万一出现奇迹。
在某种程度上，奇迹确实发生了。“她独立呼吸了24小时——我认为那是她给我们的最后的礼物。”然后，最终在7月29日早晨七点，她去世了。“她看起来很平静。她走了。”
琼和戈弗雷再次难以接受。因此，迈克尔与克林特和谢丽尔一起，给了他们一些空间。“显然，现在谈论葬礼和教堂还太早，”他说。
于是他等了几天才再次联系，得到的答复是：“是的，我们在处理。”这感觉很正常：他们是两个年长的兄姐，总是掌控局面。琼与劳拉住在西伦敦，而戈弗雷则与他们的父亲欧文住在南伦敦，欧文在20世纪80年代离婚后一直住在那里，直到2015年去世。
但过了两周，似乎没有任何进展。于是迈克尔再次提醒：“有什么我可以帮忙的吗？我可以给妈妈在格林纳达的家人打电话吗？”
“不，不用，戈弗雷在处理这一切，”对方这样回答。
就这样持续着。周复一周，月复一月。现在，年幼的弟妹们
39
是什么让反目的兄妹将母亲的遗体留在殡仪馆的金属抽屉里……
四年之久
这是一场被高等法院法官形容为令人震惊的家族内斗。现在，随着新冠肺炎受害者劳拉·柯林斯（Laura Collins）在本周终于得以安息，她的一个儿子揭露了整个悲剧故事。
他们确实非常担心，而迈克尔（Michael）一直在施压。
他拜访、打电话、发信息，建议进行丧亲心理辅导，但很快回复就变得不再友好。“你做得永远不够，”琼（Joan）说道。
“我有很多事情要忙，”戈弗雷（Godfrey）说。更令人心惊的是，在劳拉去世至少一年后，迈克尔发现她在卡里亚库（Carriacou）的家人竟然没有一个人被告知死讯。
“我不得不给他们所有人打电话，解释她已经在很久以前去世了。”
在她去世大约两年半后，哈默史密斯和富勒姆（Hammersmith and Fulham）地方当局联系他，询问为什么还没有登记遗体。迈克尔直接联系他们，请求他们推进进程——但被告知他们必须在内部自行解决。
“因为琼和戈弗雷已经签署了殡仪馆的文件，所以我无法接触她的遗体，”他说。
在走投无路之下，他甚至尝试联系警方——“我想，不埋葬遗体肯定是一种犯罪。但并没有。我被告知我必须聘请律师并向法院提起诉讼来强制执行。”
最后一根稻草是无法找到劳拉遗体的位置。
“他们把她移到了伦敦的另一边——移到了莱顿（Leyton）！而且没有告诉我们。我不得不像侦探一样去追踪她的下落。”
他说，问题在于，他们想要的东西不同。
他、克林特（Clint）和谢丽尔（Cheryl）想要一个了结。“我们想要一场葬礼，一个缅怀母亲、告别并哀悼的机会。”
但琼和戈弗雷想要的是报复。“针对医院，或者任何人。他们陷入了否认之中，无法走出阴影，将自己的情绪置于母亲的遗愿之上。”
不出所料，整件事给迈克尔带来了沉重的打击。
“我尝试了所有方法想让她安息。我觉得自己快疯了。这太令人沮丧了。他们在对我撒谎，是的，当然，这让我相当抑郁。”
随着月份接着年份地流逝，劳拉的遗体躺在接连几个冷冻抽屉里，家族两派陷入战争，而他听着她最喜欢的播放列表，烹饪她
“我们想要一场葬礼，以告别并哀悼”
招牌菜肴，并惊叹于她如何如此长时间地将他们所有人凝聚在一起。（迈克尔和克林特直到 32 岁和 31 岁才离开家——“我们热爱住在那里。”）迈克尔是一个温柔、有灵性的人，他告诉我，当他自我怀疑时，能感受到她像拥抱一样温暖的存在。
他尝试了，真的尝试了。“这场战斗完全是为了她，”他说。
在他说话时，我注意到墙上有一张十年前在他婚礼上拍的照片。
他们都在那里。新郎迈克尔和旁边的克林特，两人都穿着干练的保罗·史密斯（Paul Smith）西装。然后是戈弗雷，以及劳拉，她穿着淡粉色衣服，佩戴珍珠，戴着黑色的帽子和鞋子，显得端庄优雅。最后是看起来时尚的琼，以及她身边的谢丽尔。
他们是一个极其迷人的家庭。看起来这是一个欢乐的场合——但我能理解为什么迈克尔不让我们使用这张照片来为这篇文章做插图。这一切实在太令人绝望地悲伤了。
“现在很清楚，她就是将我们凝聚在一起的‘补丁’。掩盖了我们之间潜伏的许多问题和竞争，让每个人都团结在一起。”
时尚： 上图为劳拉·柯林斯，左图为迈克尔拿着他与母亲的照片
他说，失去了她，生活成了一场绝对的噩梦和可怕的挣扎。“但如果我不采取行动，她可能还会在那抽屉里躺上十年。甚至永远在那。”
所以最终，在彼得伯勒（Peterborough）Taylor Rose 律师事务所的莎伦·麦考利（Sharon Macaulay）的帮助下，他在二月份对他两个年长的兄姐发起了法律诉讼。
判决结果并未带来胜利，他也不指望能很快拿到任何遗产——尤其是因为如果想要分割遗产，琼必须先搬出家族住宅。但至少现在，他们终于可以让母亲安息了。
“这不是钱的问题。而是关于为我们的母亲做正确的事，并尊重她的遗愿。”
在接下来的几天里，劳拉的遗体将从莱顿的殡仪馆移出，她的葬礼将在伦敦西部举行，随后她将被安葬。
亲友们已收到通知。仪式流程中留有空白，以便五个兄弟姐妹如果愿意的话，都可以发表讲话。
“我希望他们能来。我相信他们会来的。这是一个巨大的、悲伤的故事，不幸的是，这就是我们的故事，”迈克尔说道。“但我们的母亲终于要被安葬了。”
40
退役军官要求制定新法，保护英国士兵免受“政治迫害”
武装部队的高级退役成员已团结起来，呼吁制定一项“全面的”新法，以消除笼罩在退伍军人头上的起诉威胁。
政府的《北爱尔兰动荡法案》（Northern Ireland Troubles Bill）旨在建立一个遗产委员会，调查早在1969年期间与共和派和忠诚派战斗时的杀戮事件，并承诺为退伍军人提供一套保护方案。虽然理论上恐怖分子也可以被调查，但由于对方缺乏记录，这意味着新系统将不成比例地针对英国退伍军人。
工党前退伍军人事务大臣阿尔·卡恩斯（Al Carns）在6月辞职，此前他警告该法案“不符合目的”且辜负了退伍军人。
准将大卫·马丹（David Maddan）、前SAS指挥官奥尔德温·怀特（Aldwin Wight）、前SAS团军士长乔治·西姆（George Simm）以及牛津大学战争性质演变中心客座研究员、同时曾任职于22 SAS和特种侦察团的罗伯特·帕尔博士（Dr Robert Parr），均呼吁政府废除该法案，并引入一项新的《军事行动法》（Military Operations Act），以管理“国内及海外军事行动的行为”。
马丹准将告诉《星期日邮报》，“无休止的法律调查和潜在起诉的威胁，已经损害了特种部队在极端风险情况下大胆行动的信心”。他补充道：“背后潜伏着律师威胁的普遍氛围，正在侵蚀军事效能。”
“如今执行任务的人……感到得不到政府的支持。特种部队是英国国防能力的矛尖，但这把矛正被一个腐败的法律框架钝化。”
怀特先生表示，如果发生“第二次伊朗大使馆围攻事件”，指挥官们在没有法律豁免的情况下将不愿采取行动，因为“实际上并没有相关框架，这意味着任何想要利用‘法律战’攻击我们的恐怖组织都会这么做”。
他们呼吁制定一项新法，明确定义士兵在海外或英国境内作战时可以做什么以及不能做什么。
北爱尔兰事务部表示，将会有一个“实质性的修正方案来加强”对退伍军人的保护，并且“关于他们将被拖入法庭的说法纯属错误”。
MUSIC2YOU 荣幸呈献
这个新合集包含了 66 首 60 年代和 70 年代的顶级热门歌曲，由格伦·坎贝尔（Glen Campbell）备受赞誉的热门单曲《Wichita Lineman》开篇，以及来自芝加哥乐队（Chicago）、沃克兄弟（The Walker Brothers）和鲍比·根特里（Bobbie Gentry）的榜单冠军歌曲。我们还收录了哈里·尼尔森（Harry Nilsson）的《Everybody's Talkin》、卡普顿与特尼尔（Captain & Tennille）的《Love Will Keep Us Together》，以及一些进入录音室的最优秀的女性嗓音，包括达斯蒂·斯普林菲尔德（Dusty Springfield）、雪莉·巴塞（Shirley Bassey）、卡斯妈妈（Mama Cass）和迪翁·沃里克（Dionne Warwick）。第二碟以 Commodores 乐队的《Easy》开始。
- ● 第一碟
- 1 Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
- 2 Harry Nilsson - Everybody's Talkin
- 3 Bread - Make it with You
- 4 Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
- 5 Disc - The Things We Do for Love
- 6 Alassi Brothers - Oh Lori
- 7 Andrew Gold - Never Let Her Slip Away
- 8 Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
- 9 Helen Reddy - Angie Baby
- 10 Dusty Springfield - The Windmills of Your Mind
- 11 Judy Collins - Send in the Clowns
- 12 Rita Coolidge - We're All Alone
- 13 Elsie Brooks - Don't Cry Out Loud
- 14 Gladys Knight & The Pips - Try to Remember/The Way We Were
- 15 Shirley Bassey - Something
- 16 Andy Williams - (Where Do I Begin) Love Story
- 17 Mama Cass - Dream a Little Dream of Me
- 18 The Walker Brothers - Make it Easy on Yourself
- 19 Jackie DeShannon - What the World Needs Now Is Love
- 20 Bobbie Gentry - I'll Never Fall in Love Again
- 21 Dionne Warwick - This Girl's in Love with You
-
22 Acker Bills - Stranger on the Shore
-
● 第二碟
- 1 Commodores - Easy
- 2 Rose Royce - Love Don't Live Here Anymore
- 3 The Three Degrees - Woman in Love
- 4 Aretha Franklin - Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
- 5 Cilla Black - Anyone Who Had a Heart
- 6 Lesley Gore - Misty
- 7 Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz
- 8 Al Martino - Spanish Eyes
- 9 Matt Moore - Born Free
- 10 Tony Bennett - The Good Life
- 11 Jack Jones - Wives and Lovers
- 12 The Johnny Mann Singers - Up Up and Away
- 13 Christie - Yellow River
- 14 The New Seekers - I'd Like to Touch the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)
- 15 Dawn & Tony Orlando - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree
- 16 Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving out Today
- 17 Peter Shelley - Love Me, Love My Dog
- 18 Dana - Please Tell Him That I Said Hello
- 19 Jacky - White Horses
- 20 Sammy Davis Jr. - The Candy Man
- 21 George Baker Selection - Paloma Blanca
- 22 Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keely - If I Had Words
以及来自 Rose Royce 的《Love Don't Live Here Anymore》，还有来自 Three Degrees、The New Seekers、艾瑞莎·富兰克林（Aretha Franklin）、西拉·布莱克（Cilla Black）和马特·门罗（Matt Monro）的热门歌曲，外加托尼·班尼特（Tony Bennett）演唱的《The Good Life》。第三碟以《A Summer Place》的主题曲开始，随后是来自克里斯托·盖尔（Crystal Gayle）、巴里·马尼洛（Barry Manilow）和汤姆·琼斯（Tom Jones）的热门歌曲，以及丹尼斯·鲁索斯（Dennis Roussos）的冠军单曲《Forever and Ever》，还有来自布鲁克·本顿（Brook Benton）和丹尼·威廉姆斯（Danny Williams）的灵魂乐情歌……以及由查尔斯·阿兹纳夫（Charles Aznavour）演绎的真正震撼的《She》。
- ● 第三碟
- 1 Perry Faith & His Orchestra - Theme from 'A Summer Place'
- 2 Bobby Goldsboro - Honey
- 3 Charlie Rich - The Most Beautiful Girl
- 4 Crystal Gayle - Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
- 5 Eric Carmen - All By Myself
- 6 Barry Manilow - Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again
- 7 Tom Jones - She's A Lady
- 8 Dennis Roussos - Forever & Ever
- 9 Ben E. King - Spanish Harlem
- 10 Johnny Mathis & Roy Connell & His Orchestra & Chorus - Wonderful Wonderful
- 11 Doris Day - Move Over Darling
- 12 Ketty Lester - Love Letters
- 13 Mary Mason - Angel of the Morning/ Any Way That You Want Me
- 14 Liverpool Express - Every Man Must Have A Dream
- 15 Neil Sedaka - Laughter in the Rain
- 16 Frankie Valli - My Eyes Adored You
- 17 George Benson - The Greatest Love of All
- 18 Brook Benton - Rainy Night in Georgia
- 19 Danny Williams - Moon River
- 20 Perry Como - And I Love You So
- 21 Charles Aznavour - She/Tous Les Visages De Camour
- 22 James Galway - Annie's Song
读者可以通过访问 music2you.co.uk / easy，仅需 £9.99（含邮费）即可订购这套精彩的 66 首曲目三碟套装，无论是自用，还是作为礼物送给朋友或爱人都非常合适。如需查看我们所有热门 CD、DVD、有声书和书籍的完整系列，请访问 music2you.co.uk
MUSIC2YOU
立即购买：music2you.co.uk / easy
本周见闻
作者：Jon Connell，来自每日在线时事通讯
1 泰勒·斯威夫特（Taylor Swift）与特拉维斯·凯尔斯（Travis Kelce）的婚礼（右图为两人合影）被 Poptitch 评价为“绝对的催眠曲”。这对新人的誓词每人读了 20 分钟，新郎新娘分别拿着金色的书朗读。一些坐在 VIP 座位的宾客难以保持清醒，汤姆·汉克斯（Tom Hanks）在约五分钟后便打起了盹。
2 当《泰晤士报》的奈杰尔·法恩代尔（Nigel Farndale）在安·威德科姆（Ann Widdecombe）家中采访她时，他注意到她冰箱里有大盆的提拉米苏，并告诉读者这一定是她的“秘密热爱”。几天后，他收到安的一封信，解释说那是属于一名年轻客人的。“你意识到你做了什么吗，你这个无赖？”她说，“我每周参加五六场午餐或晚餐，现在我发现每场都会出现可恶的提拉米苏，而我极其厌恶这种糟糕的东西。”
3 英格兰有望成为世界上首批消除丙型肝炎的国家之一。包括免费居家指尖采血测试在内的举措，意味着到 2030 年治疗 80% 所有已知病例的目标已经实现，年死亡人数下降了 36%。
4 盖尔斯·科伦（Giles Coren）在《泰晤士报》中表示，约翰·汉弗里斯（John Humphrys）有一种在节目播出前让受访者不安的本事。“很多年前，我的前女友开始与已故的罗德·利德尔（Rod Liddle）交往。我第一次听说这件事是在参加《今日》（Today）节目时。就在我们直播前几秒，汉弗里斯说：‘顺便问一下，盖尔斯，我听说的关于罗德和你女朋友的事是怎么回事……’”
5 海伦·科菲（Helen Coffey）在《独立报》中写道，在政府禁止 AI 伴侣应用后，数百万中国年轻人心碎。新规定导致 AI “男朋友”和“女朋友”被删除。“我无法接受我的 AI 爱人永远离开我，”一名用户说道。
免费订阅 The Knowledge，这是一个五分钟的每日时事通讯，让新闻更易掌控，网址：theknowledge.com
8月 16 • 2026
健康
健康版块 经医生审核 财富与假期
作者：Jo Macfarlane
这是一种影响英国数百万人的隐匿性遗传疾病，会剧烈增加心脏病发作和中风的风险。然而，极少有人听说过它。
脂蛋白(a)，或称 Lp(a)，是一种“坏”胆固醇，它不产生症状，且无法通过全科医生（GP）提供的标准测试检测出来。
大约五分之一的人继承了高水平的 Lp(a)，且通常对此并不知情，许多人在遭受严重的心血管事件之前都未被诊断出来。
有些人直到去世都未发现自己一直生活在隐藏的风险之中。上周，《中间人》（The Inbetweeners）的明星
请参阅第 42 页
这是一种五分之一的人携带的遗传性胆固醇，但全科医生很少对其进行检测。
即使你身体健康，也会使心脏病发作概率翻倍的隐匿性疾病
梅丽莎减掉了 2st……全靠她的隐形牙套 健康版 第 44 页
我切除了输卵管以防止卵巢癌 健康版 第 46-47 页
避免在为退休而缩减住房规模时产生遗憾 财富版 第 50-51 页
通过我们的最凉爽城市指南击败热浪 假期版 第 60-61 页
42 健康
The Mall 8月 16 • 2026
这种遗传特质没有症状……对许多人来说，第一个迹象可能是致命的血栓
詹姆斯·巴克利（James Buckley）在他的播客中透露，在一次血液检测发现该情况后，他成为了那些 Lp(a) 水平高到危险程度的人之一。
在与妻子克莱尔（Clair）共同主持的《巴克利一家》（The Buckleys）节目中，这位演员表示：“我现在面临心血管事件的高风险。我不是个虔诚的人，但有时我觉得好像有个上帝在说，‘这就给你个教训’。”
“顺便说一句，对此你无能为力。医生只是告诉我，‘你需要做出改变’。”
正如詹姆斯所指出的，目前还没有能够治疗这种情况的药物。在被诊断出该病后，他转而彻底改变了自己的生活方式，包括减少饮酒。
但这实际上能产生多大影响？而你是否也属于数百万在不知情的情况下继承了高水平 Lp(a) 的人群之一？
在这里，我们的专家将为您告知关于该病的所有必要信息、研发中的新药，以及——如果您确实患有此病——如何管理它以显著降低风险。
什么是 (a) 以及它来自哪里？
(a) 是由肝脏自然产生的一种胆固醇颗粒。科学家认为它可能在帮助修复受损血管和促进伤口愈合方面发挥作用，这意味着每个人的血液中都含有少量 (a)。
问题在于，大约五分之一的人继承了导致其产生远超正常水平 (a) 的基因。与 LDL（低密度脂蛋白）——即人们更熟悉的、在很大程度上受饮食和生活方式影响的“坏”胆固醇不同，(a) 的水平几乎完全由遗传决定。
在高水平状态下，(a) 的行为与 LDL 非常相似，它会附着在动脉壁上，从而引发炎症并导致脂肪斑块积聚，使血管狭窄，并增加心脏病发作和中风的风险。它还可能使血液更容易凝固，进一步增加心血管风险。
尽管影响数百万人，但英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）并未将 (a) 列入常规检测项目，因为其在心脏病中的作用直到相对近期才变得清晰。
2009 年发表的一项研究发现，携带导致高 (a) 水平遗传变异的人群面临的心血管疾病风险几乎翻了一倍。这一证据促使人们发起一项日益增长的运动，要求将 (a) 检测纳入 40 岁以上人群的 NHS 常规健康检查中，专家认为，识别出高风险人群可以让他们采取措施，降低心脏病发作或中风的可能性。
这和高胆固醇不是一样吗？
不是。高胆固醇通常是指 LDL 水平升高——这种“坏”胆固醇深受饮食、体重、运动、吸烟和饮酒的影响。
(a) 则不同。你的水平几乎完全由继承的基因决定，这意味着健康饮食、规律运动和减轻体重几乎没有影响。
它比 LDL 更危险，因为每个 (a) 颗粒都携带一种名为 apo-
风险人群：演员詹姆斯·巴克利（James Buckley）具有高 (a) 水平
脂蛋白(a)，或 Apo(a) 的额外蛋白质，这使其在钻入动脉壁、触发炎症和加速脂肪斑块积聚方面尤为高效。
由于人们从出生起就暴露在高水平的 (a) 中，这种损害可能会在数十年间累积，这意味着心脏病发作和中风可能会比预期提前得多地发生——通常在 60 之前。
“由于那个额外的蛋白质尾巴，它更阴险，”帝国理工学院的心脏病专家兼公共卫生学教授考西克·雷（Kausik Ray）表示，“如果说 LDL 像 tak-
症状，而且来自您的全科医生（GP）或药店的标准胆固醇检测并不检测 (a) 水平。
英国心脏基金会的高级心脏护理师雷吉娜·吉布林（Regina Giblin）表示：“即使你的胆固醇检测结果完全正常，你仍然可能处于 (a) 升高的状态。”
对于许多人来说，该病的首个迹象是在年轻时发生心脏病发作或中风。
但您也可以留意自己家人（包括其他近亲）中是否有 Lp(a) 水平较高的情况。
吉布林女士表示：“如果您的家族中早年患心脏病的发病率较高，甚至有亲属在 40 岁出头甚至 30 岁后期就发生心脏病发作，那么考虑进行遗传性高胆固醇疾病检测是值得的。”
只需一次简单的血液检测即可，且由于 Lp(a) 水平在出生时基本就已固定，通常一生只需要检测一次。
我该如何进行检测？
这不是您的全科医生（GP）能完成的项目——您需要被转诊至专门的血脂诊所或进行私人检测。
私人居家检测费用约为 £45，而私人诊所的收费在 £65 到 £130 之间。
检测过程包括一次简单的抽血，随后分析其 (a) 水平。然而，目前英国国家医疗服务体系卓越研究所（NICE）并不建议对人群进行常规的 (a) 检测。
雷教授表示：“在获取检测机会方面，我们还有很多工作要做，甚至在医院使用该检测方面存在‘邮编彩票’（地区差异）现象。这种情况需要改变。我认为每个人一生中都应该检测一次。”
由胆固醇慈善机构 Heart UK 牵头的一个工作组正呼吁提高对 (a) 作为心血管风险因素的认可度，并考虑将其纳入医生用于计算个人十年内心脏病发作或中风风险的 QRISK 工具中。
这是否意味着我一定会心脏病发作？
雷教授表示，不是，但这确实会显著增加可能性。
(a) 较高会增加患动脉粥样硬化（一种涉及动脉管壁增厚的疾病）、冠心病、中风、外周动脉疾病、主动脉瓣疾病和心力衰竭的风险。研究表明，您的 (a) 水平越高，
风险就越大——超过一定数值后，风险可能会增加一倍以上。
但至关重要的一点是，这一切都是相对的。
如果您在其他方面健康且强健，没有其他风险因素，那么风险翻倍可能仅将您一生中患心脏病或中风的风险从 5% 提高到
10%，例如——考虑到三分之一的人将死于心血管疾病，这并不是一个极其显著的增幅。
雷教授说：“如果您的数值较高，不要惊慌。心脏健康还受到其他因素的影响，包括您是否患有高胆固醇、高血压和 2 型糖尿病，是否大量吸烟饮酒，以及您的饮食、体重和是否锻炼。”
是否有些人风险更高？
是的——某些族群可能更容易遗传此病。阿索穆尔博士解释道：“非裔加勒比或南亚裔人群的 (a) 水平可能较高，而来自中国和日本等地的人群风险可能较低。”
其他疾病也可能导致 (a) 水平升高，例如慢性肾脏病、肾病综合征和甲状腺功能亢进。部分女性在怀孕期间或绝经后水平也可能增加，尽管雷教授表示目前还没有足够的证据来确定这如何影响风险，或解释其原因。
这是一个事实
高血压患者中只有不到 60% 得到了诊断——高胆固醇患者中知道自己患病的人不足一半。
这是一个事实
心脏病发作每年导致约 24,000 名英国人死亡，并导致约 100,000 人住院。
健康 43
如果我早知道这件事，或许就不会心脏病发作
年仅 34 岁时，普林斯·奥杜-奥比（Prince Odu-Obi）几乎不像是会遭遇“寡妇制造者”式心脏病发作的典型候选人。
这位来自赫特福德郡卡夫利（Cuffley, Hertfordshire）的一孩之父身体强健，饮食健康，定期锻炼，且从未吸烟。
但在去年 6 月，这位伦敦地铁列车经理在出现胸部和手臂疼痛后被紧急送往巴茨医院（Barts Hospital），而他最初将这些症状误认为消化不良。
医生发现他的主冠状动脉几乎完全堵塞，并告诉他，如果再延迟就医，他几乎肯定会死亡。直到后来，私人检测才揭示了原因。普林斯——如上图所示在医院中——继承了危险的高水平脂蛋白(a)。
“我完全震惊了，”现年 35 岁的普林斯说。“当他们说这是心脏病发作时，我的大脑一片空白。我的家人中没有人患过心脏病，而且我的健康状况非常好。我饮食健康，从未吸烟，只在社交场合饮酒。”
“心理上的康复非常困难。我经历了一段很长的时间，一直在担心这种情况是否会再次发生，并且难以对生活抱有期待。”
他接受了植入两个支架的手术，现在服用他汀类药物和降低胆固醇的药物依折麦布（ezetimibe）。医生告诉他，当新型降低 Lp(a) 的药物上市时，他将成为首批符合使用条件的人之一。
“我现在知道如何降低风险了。我每周去五次健身房，并遵循地中海饮食，摄入大量水果、蔬菜和抗氧化剂。我只喝水。”
“但我希望我在年轻时就能知道我的 Lp(a) 升高。我会确保自己更加健康，这或许能防止这件事发生。”
我能为此做些什么——可以直接服用他汀类药物吗？
你可以服用他汀类药物，但它不能降低 (a)。事实上，它甚至可能略微提高其水平。
他汀类药物降低的是 LDL 胆固醇，从而降低整体心血管风险。
一些研究还表明，它们可能会缩小 (a) 颗粒，
cles, says Ms Giblin, although it isn't yet clear whether this improves outcomes.
另一个选择是一类被称为 PCSK9 抑制剂的药物，包括 Repatha 和 Praluent。阿索穆尔博士（Dr Assomull）表示，这些药物获准通过降低 LDL 胆固醇来预防心脏病发作和中风，同时还能将 (a) 降低约 25%。在国民医疗服务体系（NHS）中，这些药物仅预留给那些尽管服用他汀类药物但 LDL 仍然很高，或无法服用他汀类药物的人群。
最后一个选择是血浆置换术（apheresis），这是一种类似于透析的程序，用于过滤血液中的胆固醇。由于它带有风险（包括血栓），通常仅预留给最高风险的患者。
是否有更好的治疗方法在研发中？
是的。几种专门设计用于降低 (a) 的药物正处于临床试验的最后阶段，并可能在未来五年内进入 NHS。
其中最具有前景的是 lepidisiran，这是一种每年注射两次的药物，可阻止肝脏产生 (a)。在一项重大试验中，它将水平降低了高达 94%，部分患者的 (a) 变得无法检测。
另一种治疗方法 pelacarsen 可将 (a) 降低约 80%，目前也处于包括英国在内的国际后期试验中，结果预计将于今年公布。
其他新型胆固醇药物也可能有所帮助。
上个月，美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准了 enlicitide (Lipfendra)，它可以降低 LDL 胆固醇，同时还能将 (a) 降低约 28%。
Obicetrapib 可能在年底前进入英国，它似乎能将 (a) 降低 40 到 50%。
剩下的障碍是证明降低 (a) 能转化为减少心脏病发作和中风的次数。
“我们仍需证明降低 (a) 能改变预后，”雷教授（Professor Ray）说。“但在接下来的几年里，局面可能会发生显著变化。”
“接下来的步骤就是基因编辑疗法。”
我能做些什么来保护自己？
这是一个好消息。虽然你无法降低 Lp(a) 本身，但专家表示，通过处理你可以控制的因素，可以大幅降低整体心血管风险。
“就心血管风险而言，Lp(a) 只是拼图的一块，”Assomull 博士说，“将其视为一个有用的警示信号是值得的。”
这意味着要戒烟、适量饮酒、控制血压并保持健康体重。
饮食同样重要。Giblin 女士建议采用地中海式饮食，多吃水果、蔬菜、全谷物、鱼类、坚果和种子，同时减少红肉和加工食品的摄入。
运动也同样重要。NHS 建议每周至少进行 150 分钟的中等强度活动，而 Assomull 博士表示，定期的抗阻训练也可以通过降低低密度脂蛋白（LDL）胆固醇和甘油三酯（一种脂肪）以及改善血压和血糖来提供帮助。
“人们经常认为这是一个死刑判决，”Ray 教授说，“但没有任何单一因素能预测你是否会出现问题，而且你可以做很多事情来保护自己。”
每天吃一个番茄“可降低脂肪肝风险”
作者：Marti Stelling
一项研究表明，每天食用番茄可能有助于预防致命的肝脏疾病。
在英国，非酒精性脂肪肝疾病影响约三分之一的成年人，并与肥胖、高胆固醇和 2 型糖尿病相关。在某些人身上，这种情况可能会发展为炎症、瘢痕形成，在严重情况下会导致肝衰竭。
来自意大利国家胃肠病研究所的研究人员将 79 名患有脂肪肝且 BMI 在 30 或以下的人随机分为 2 组。
一组每天食用 200 克生番茄（大约一个大番茄）以及 50 克番茄酱，持续六周。另一组则遵循无番茄饮食。
六周后，研究人员使用专业扫描仪测量肝脏脂肪。
这项发表在《营养学》（Nutrients）杂志上并由意大利卫生部资助的研究发现，虽然两组在六周后肝脏脂肪都有所减少，但食用番茄组的减少幅度更大。在六周时间里，他们的肝脏脂肪测量值从基线下降了约 11%，而对照组下降了约 6%。
然而，食用番茄并未显著改善肝脏硬度、纤维化评分、肝酶、胆固醇、血糖或身体成分。
研究人员并不确切知道导致肝脏脂肪减少的原因，但番茄含有被认为具有抗炎作用的营养素，他们认为这可能有所贡献。
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44 健康
《星期日邮报》 8月 16 日 • 2026
玛丽莎如何获得完美笑容并减轻了两英石体重……这一切都归功于她的隐形牙套
玛丽莎·阿莫斯（Melissa Amos）从未担心过自己的体重，因为她认为自己不需要担心。这位来自赫特福德郡（Hertfordshire）的 45 岁三孩母亲练习瑜伽，经常带狗长距离散步，并确保饮食健康。
然而，玛丽莎说，情况在她进入 40 岁后发生了变化。尽管她继续锻炼，但体重开始增加——部分原因是她说她开始无意识地吃巧克力、谷物棒和奶酪作为零食。
有一天，玛丽莎站在体重秤上，受到了巨大的惊吓：她的体重从 11 英石（11st）以下增加到了 13 英石（13st）以上。由于身高 5 英尺 3 英寸，这意味着根据英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）的标准，她被归类为肥胖。
然而，虽然体重让她感到担忧，但这在当时并不是她最大的烦恼。那是她的牙齿。“我觉得身体不健康，也不舒服，但我更担心我的一颗下前牙开始凸出。于是我去了牙医诊所。”
去年 3 月的那次就诊，成为了她人生中最具决定性的时刻之一。
牙医建议她使用 Invisalign（隐形矫正）——这本质上是一种成人牙套，由可拆卸的透明塑料矫正器组成，旨在矫正牙齿。
Invisalign 的费用通常在 1,500 英镑 到 5,500 英镑 之间，据信有数十万英国人在使用，他们通常佩戴这些模具大约一年
作者：琼·麦克法登（Joan McFadden）
半的时间。它们不仅比传统的金属牙套更隐蔽，而且在进食时可以将其摘除。
至关重要的一点是，玛丽莎是越来越多 Invisalign 患者中的一员，他们发现这种治疗产生了一个意想不到的效果——它帮助他们减轻了体重。
虽然患者可以在任何时间取出塑料模具（通常被称为牙托），但他们被鼓励每天佩戴至少 22 小时——在此期间无法进食。这对玛丽莎的饮食习惯产生了直接影响。
“我的牙医说，如果我从一开始就不能坚持，将会影响整个治疗过程，”她说。
“这种承诺让我对自己所做的选择更加自觉。”
“我有时把食物当作分心之物或一种安抚自己的方式。由于每次我想吃东西都必须摘掉 Invisalign，所以每次我想吃零食时，我都必须停下来问自己：‘我是真的饿了，还是在试图改变我的心情？’”
这个微小的改变对她的体重产生了直接影响。在一个月内，她减轻了 2 磅（2lb）以上，在接下来的几个月里，她继续减轻了更多体重。随着体重的改善，担任心理健康教练的玛丽莎觉得能够进行更多锻炼。“我意识到我多么热爱散步，”她说，“然后我开始进行力量训练，以利用我新获得的力量和活力。”
“当我开始更多地思考健康问题时，我将我的饮食输入到 ChatGPT [AI 聊天机器人] 中，发现我的蛋白质摄入不足。现在，我食用更多基于蛋白质的食物，如鸡蛋、酸奶、茅屋奶酪和花生酱。我感到更满足，饥饿感也减轻了。”
自从安装 Invisalign 以来，玛丽莎已经减轻了约 2 英石（2st）的体重，而且在还需要佩戴该设备几个月的情况下，她预计还会减轻更多。她说她的牙齿也得到了改善。“我的牙齿、咬合和颌骨的变化非常显著，”她说。
伦敦 The Bespoke Dentist 的创始人丹尼尔·萨特克利夫（Daniel Sutcliffe）博士说：“在近十年的时间里，我经常听到患者用半开玩笑的语气说：‘你让我减肥了。’”
“当每次吃零食都意味着要摘掉牙托时，一块饼干根本不值得这么麻烦。它在你和饼干罐之间增加了一道小障碍。”
GRIN AND BEAR IT：如今的三孩母亲玛丽莎·阿莫斯
能在扫描前发现癌症的血液检测
研究人员发现，一种血液检测可能能够在扫描成像发现癌症复发迹象的数月前，就检测出相关信号。
这种被称为“液体活检”的检测通过检测血液中微小的循环肿瘤DNA（ctDNA）片段，寻找与癌症相关的基因变化。
研究人员回顾了数十项此前关于ctDNA的研究证据和临床试验。
他们发现，ctDNA有时能显示治疗是否
作者：Marti Stelling
有效，识别可能帮助医生选择后续步骤的突变，并检测体内残留的极少量癌症。
研究人员表示，ctDNA的早期升高可以让医生在“常规成像检测到肿瘤进展之前”就改变治疗方案。
在一项针对130名结直肠癌患者的研究中，ctDNA检测到疾病复发迹象的时间比标准成像早了近九个月。
该检测还可能帮助部分患者避免不必要的化疗。在一项结直肠癌试验中，由ctDNA指导治疗的患者与接受标准护理的患者结果相似，但接受化疗的人数更少。
研究人员强调，ctDNA并非完美的检测手段。某些癌症释放到血液中的DNA非常少，这意味着该检测可能会漏诊。此外，当ctDNA检测出癌症但扫描显示没有疾病时，医生应如何应对尚不明确。
研究人员表示：“ctDNA可能有助于为癌症患者选择最佳的治疗方案和治疗时机，但最佳的临床应用仍不明确。”
他们在发表于医学期刊《美国医学会杂志》（Jama）的综述中还警告称，ctDNA检测结果为阴性并不一定意味着癌症本身不存在基因变化。
液体活检测试目前已通过国民医疗服务体系（NHS）提供给符合条件的肺癌患者，以及用于乳腺癌的特定基因组检测。
NHS英格兰表示，这种方法可以加快获得靶向治疗的速度，部分肺癌患者获得治疗决定的时间比平时提前约两周。
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摄影：PRICE PHOTOGRAPHY
8月16 • 2026 The Hall on Sunday
45
Ellie医生
她不容错过的全新专栏
始终在你身边的全科医生
许多使用减肥针的人遭受危及生命的副作用……就像悲剧性的约瑟芬一样，其真实原因在于……
这是一个令人震惊的故事，也是给那些想要快速瘦身的人的一个警告。上周有报道称，一名居住在伦敦的19岁美国法学院学生在服用了一种含有替尔ゼ帕肽（tirzepatide）的减肥药后死亡——该成分是经NHS批准的Mounjaro药物中的活性成分。
来自加利福尼亚州的约瑟芬·纳斯尔（Josephine Nasr）于2025年9月在东伦敦大学的房间内出现了心律失常并发症。尸检结论认为她患有未被诊断出的心脏病，但同时也指出，药物引起的血糖下降可能触发了这一并发症。
这是与减肥药相关的日益增多的死亡病例之一。根据官方数据，在英国目前已有216人因可能的副作用而死亡——尽管无法确定药物是否为主要原因，只能说被怀疑是原因。
但这些病例中或许最重要的一起是诺福克郡一名73岁的祖母卡罗琳·萨维奇（Caroline Savage）的死亡，因为这揭示了一个未被充分讨论的风险。
在多年尝试减肥失败后，卡罗琳于2024年开始注射该药。她还患有脂肪水肿（lipedema）——这是一种导致腿部、臀部和手臂脂肪堆积的慢性疾病，而Mounjaro已被证明可以缓解此病。
在四个月内，卡罗琳减轻了两个英石（two stone）。然而，在2024年10月，她出现了严重的腹痛，随后在家中昏倒。她在医院去世。
如此重要的一点是死因——粪性腹膜炎，即粪便从肠道渗漏。直到现在，这种病症尚未与减肥药联系起来。
然而，我担心无数服用这些药物的英国人可能
反应：据信减肥药在约瑟芬·纳斯尔（左图）的死亡中起到了某种作用
处于风险之中。这是因为我们知道，其中一个主要风险通常并不危及生命：便秘。
便秘——通常定义为每周排便不超过三次——影响了约五分之一的成年人和三分之一的60岁以上人群。
这在很大程度上是由于饮食不良。纤维对于规律排便至关重要，但只有不到5%的英国人能达到每日建议的30克摄入量。普遍的脱水也被认为是原因之一。而且越来越多的证据
表明减肥针会加剧便秘。这是因为它们会减缓肠道蠕动，意味着身体排出食物所需的时间更长。久而久之，这会导致肠道积压，从而给肠壁带来压力，增加发生破裂并导致粪便进入肠腔的风险。对于老年人来说，这种风险更高。
可能成千上万的减肥针患者正处于风险之中。预防便秘的最佳方法？改变你的饮食。
奇异果和西梅是特别受欢迎的抗便秘食品，但市面上还有许多富含纤维的食物，包括坚果、种子、豆类、豆荚类、燕麦和某些蔬菜。我们都应该多喝水——最少六杯，在炎热天气里至少八杯。
有趣的是，也有充分的证据表明，规律运动——如步行、跑步和游泳——可以缓解便秘。
但最后，对于减肥针使用者，还有一些更为重要的建议：不要急于增加剂量。
患者开始时使用低剂量，然后在几个月内缓慢增加。当患者跳到下一个剂量时，最不舒服的症状（如便秘）就会出现。
在增加剂量前多花几周时间，给身体更多时间适应药物，可能会减轻一些副作用。
或者，对于任何认为自己进展良好的人来说，可能根本不需要增加剂量。
您的疑问解答
我每天早晨醒来时都会咳嗽，喉咙有痰。虽然最终会消失，但总是会复发。这可能是什么原因？
早晨咳嗽可能是由于过敏反应、心灼感（胃灼热）——或者是一些更严重的问题。
咳嗽是全科医生（GP）处理的常见主诉之一，查明原因可能需要一段时间。通常这需要通过试错来确定。
过敏往往是罪魁祸首。大多数人认为过敏反应表现为流鼻涕和眼睛发痒，但对灰尘、花粉热或动物毛发产生的反应也可能仅触发咳嗽。
这通常是由鼻后滴漏引起的——即黏液从鼻子滴入喉咙后部。这种情况在躺下时会加重，因此由此产生的咳嗽在早晨感觉更严重。
判断过敏是否为原因的一个简单方法是尝试每天服用一片抗组胺药，这类药物在大多数街头药店均可买到。如果几天后咳嗽减轻，那么原因很可能是过敏。
然而，早晨咳嗽的另一个诱因可能是心灼感。这种情况也被称为胃酸反流，发生在胃酸上升到喉咙时。与鼻后滴漏一样，这种情况在早晨可能更严重，因为酸液在睡眠期间更容易进入喉咙。
心灼感通常通过改变饮食来治疗，例如减少油腻食物的摄入，以及避免饮酒和碳酸饮料。
在极少数情况下，早晨咳嗽可能由一种名为慢性支气管炎的严重肺部疾病触发。在这种疾病中，气道保持炎症状态，导致身体产生过多的黏液。
这些黏液在夜间可能在肺部积聚，从而导致早晨咳嗽。
慢性支气管炎的其他症状包括喘息和胸痛。它通常由吸烟引起——而症状通常可以通过简单的戒烟来缓解。
NHS 削减成本的患者清理行动正阻碍老年人就诊
我担心成千上万的人可能在不知情的情况下被从其全科医生诊所的名单中删除。
在过去的一年里，NHS 指示全科医生删除一段时间未到诊所就诊的患者。
这是一项削减成本的措施，因为全科医生诊所是根据其登记的每位患者获得报酬的。
然而，我从同事那里听说，用于执行此次清理的软件过于激进，许多年迈、脆弱的患者已被
踢出诊所——这意味着他们将无法预约就诊。
一段时间未就诊全科医生的患者应检查自己是否仍在名单上。您最近是否被从全科医生诊所名单中删除？请来信告知我。
写信给 ELLIE 医生
您有疑问吗？请发送电子邮件至 DrEllie@mailorsunday.co.uk
46 健康
特别报告
作者：Meike Leonard
这种疾病在早期极难被察觉，以至于医生们长期将其称为“沉默的杀手”。但专家表示，他们可能找到了一种有效但极端的手段，能将女性患卵巢癌的风险降低高达 80%：那就是切除输卵管。
每年有超过 7,000 名英国女性患上卵巢癌，每 50 人中就有一人在一生中会发展出此病。
这种病在扩散到周围器官之前几乎没有症状，且没有可靠的筛查方法。结果导致近五分之四的癌症在发现时已处于晚期，此时已无法治愈。这是一个毁灭性的诊断——对于每年约 4,000 名英国人来说，这更是致命的。
但过去 20 年中日益增多的研究表明，几乎所有的卵巢癌——尤其是绝大多数最致命的类型——都起源于输卵管。
这些负责将卵子从卵巢输送到子宫的管状管道，平均长度仅 10 厘米。研究显示，切除这些管道可以显著降低患致命癌症的风险。
作为一项大规模国家研究试验的一部分，这项手术目前已向英国患病风险较高的女性提供。但专家现在表示，即使是没有卵巢癌遗传风险的女性，也可以从切除输卵管中获益。
事实上，英国和美国的多个健康机构正鼓励医生向所有 45 岁以上（此时她们通常不再想要孩子）且已经在接受腹部手术的女性提供输卵管切除术。
这种被称为“机会性输卵管切除术”（opportunistic salpingectomy）的手术，在现有手术基础上仅需增加 5 分钟时间，且几乎没有额外风险。
它也不会像切除卵巢那样带来长期问题，因为切除卵巢会导致女性过早进入绝经期，从而增加患心脏病、骨质疏松症甚至痴呆症的风险。
这听起来可能很极端——尤其是考虑到 98% 的女性最终不会患上卵巢癌——但初步研究表明，如果向所有符合条件的女性提供该手术，可以预防数千例致命的卵巢癌。
“我们知道，在最严重的卵巢癌病例中，大约五分之一与基因突变或家族史有关，”曼彻斯特大学妇科肿瘤临床教授 Richard Edmondson 博士表示。“但这仅占 20%。为了预防其余 80% 被认为处于平均或低风险的女性患癌，需要采取更广泛的策略。机会性输卵管切除术是这一过程中的重要一步。许多女性都会接受各种形式的腹部手术。”
这种癌症会导致六成患者死亡。但专家表示，有一种方法可以防止它在体内扎根。那么……
您是否愿意切除输卵管以防止患上卵巢癌？
“如果我们能将她们患卵巢癌的风险降低 80%，那就是重大进展。任何正在接受手术且该程序可以轻松实施且不增加额外风险的女性，都应该获得这一选择。”
长期以来，卵巢癌一直被认为是最难在可治愈的早期阶段被发现的癌症之一。
症状往往在癌症扩散到其他器官后才会出现，而且可能模糊得令人抓狂——范围从腹胀、疲劳到食欲下降不等。结果，患者除了化疗之外几乎没有其他选择，而化疗最终也会失效。
如今，只有 17% 的四期卵巢癌女性
能生存五年或更长时间。研究表明，筛查几乎毫无用处——一项 2023 年发表的英国重大试验发现，无论是影像扫描还是血液检测，都无法足够早地发现癌症以挽救生命。
但关于该疾病早期发展的突破性发现意味着，专家们现在认为他们可以完全预防它。
荷兰研究人员在注意到癌前细胞很少在卵巢中发现，而经常在输卵管中发现后，首次提出了卵巢癌实际上始于输卵管而非卵巢的理论。但他们遭到了几乎普遍的质疑。
然而，过去 20 年里的先驱性研究很快证明
他们是正确的。重大研究试验发现，癌症并非在卵巢本身发育，而是在输卵管末端开始。
这些微小的细胞会漂浮出来并在卵巢中扎根——但无法在超声波或其他影像检查中显示。
研究发现，在这些癌细胞有机会在卵巢中发育之前切除输卵管，医生可以将高风险女性患卵巢癌的风险降低高达 80%。
与此同时，其余 20% 确实始于卵巢的癌症往往是致死率较低的变体，且在很大程度上是可以治愈的。
如今，对于被认为患卵巢癌风险较高的女性——无论是由于强烈的家族病史，还是由于 BRCA1 或 BRCA2 突变等遗传倾向——金标准预防手术仍然是切除卵巢和输卵管。
但虽然该手术能将卵巢癌风险降低高达 95%，但它可能会带来长期并发症，特别是对于绝经前的女性，她们会被推入早绝经状态。
虽然可以使用激素替代疗法来减轻突然绝经的症状，但长期缺失具有保护作用的激素雌激素与更高的血压和胆固醇、晚年更高的记忆力丧失和痴呆风险，甚至更高的全因死亡率相关联。
一项英国研究项目在过去八年里一直在调查切除输卵管在预防卵巢癌方面能有多大效果。
这项名为 PROTECTOR 的试验为患卵巢癌风险增加但尚未绝经的女性提供输卵管切除术。一旦她们进入绝经期，随后可以切除卵巢——从而进一步降低患癌风险。
正式结果在未来十年左右才会公布——这意味着医疗服务指南仍然建议患卵巢癌高风险的女性同时切除卵巢和输卵管。
但对于许多面临改变生活的诊断结果的女性来说，初步证据已足以让
手术是如何进行的？
英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）每年已经进行数千例输卵管切除手术。
这种被称为输卵管切除术（salpingectomy）的手术被用于癌症预防、治疗异位妊娠（即胚胎在输卵管而非子宫内发育），以及作为一种永久性避孕手段，类似于男性结扎手术（即结扎其“管道”）。
为了切除输卵管，外科医生在腹部切两个小口，并插入一个腹腔镜——这是一种一端带有光源和摄像头的细长仪器。随后，腹腔内会被充入气体，以便医生详细观察子宫和输卵管。
医生使用一把小手术刀切除输卵管，并对内部组织进行电灼（烧灼）以防止出血，然后缝合小切口。
在全身麻醉下处于无意识状态的患者可以在当天回家。恢复期为一到三周，之后患者可以游泳、健身并恢复正常生活。
健康 47
切除输卵管成了一个具有吸引力的选择。
《东区东街》（EastEnders）明星卡拉·托因顿（Kara Tointon），43, 在 2018. 检测出BRCA1基因突变时正怀着她的第一个孩子。她想要更多孩子，因此等到第二个儿子出生后才决定如何处理。
“是我的主刀医生向我推荐了PROTECTOR临床试验，”她说。“他给了我切除卵巢并开始激素替代疗法（HRT）的选择。然后他提到，越来越多的研究表明，卵巢癌始于输卵管，通过切除输卵管并密切观察，你可以将卵巢保留更长时间。”
在与家人详细讨论各种选择后，卡拉决定参加这项试验。
“在当时，失去卵巢让我感到相当不安，”她说。
她在 2024, 进行了该手术，并补充道：“手术本身非常简单。”
“我早上到达，下午就离开了。目前我只需要定期进行血液检测以观察情况。”
现在，越来越多的专家表示，该手术也应常规地提供给那些已经在接受腹部手术且患病风险处于平均水平的女性。
稳妥起见： 卡拉·托因顿在Instagram上讨论她的手术，以及（左图）去年十月在英国骄傲奖（Pride of Britain Awards）上的样子
“我们已经证实，切除高风险女性的输卵管可以预防最具致命性的卵巢癌，”埃德蒙森教授（Prof Edmondson）说。
“研究表明，对于患癌风险处于平均或低水平的女性来说，情况也是如此。这实际上是一个无需多虑的选择。”
专家表示，只有不再想要——或无法再生育——孩子的女性才有资格进行该手术，并且需要接受适当的咨询。但这项五分钟的手术几乎可以在任何腹部手术中一并完成——包括胆囊手术、疝气修复甚至剖腹产。
专家表示，对于已经在接受手术的患者来说，这几乎没有增加额外的风险。
可能出现的罕见问题包括切除部位出血、常规的感染风险以及对附近器官（包括卵巢）的意外损伤。它也不能预防所有形式的癌症——尤其是五分之一源自卵巢的肿瘤。
“当你切除更多组织时，出血或损坏其他器官的可能性可能会更高，”伦敦大学学院医院（University College London Hospitals）的顾问妇科医生亚当·罗森塔尔（Adam Rosenthal）教授说。
“关于切除输卵管是否会导致某些女性更早进入绝经期，我们目前还了解得不够充分。但这通常是一个非常简单的手术。只要女性拥有足够的信息来帮助她决定这对她是否正确，且没有其他会让手术变得更危险的医疗问题，那么这通常是一件非常容易操作的事情，并且在统计学上能降低她的卵巢癌风险。”
然而，其他专家警告称，对平均风险女性进行该手术可能会产生长期后果。
“即使你对患者进行了适当的咨询，但如果她们的输卵管被切除，女性仍可能认为自己永远不会患上卵巢癌，而事实并非如此，”伯明翰大学妇科肿瘤学临床讲师 Elaine Leung 博士表示。
“结果就是，她们在未来可能更容易忽视该疾病的症状，从而延误治疗。”
这项手术已经在英国向女性提供。英国妇科癌症协会在 2024 年更新了其指南，建议对于已完成生育的平均风险女性，在进行常规腹部手术时应考虑进行机会性输卵管切除术。
包括国际妇产科联合会和欧洲妇科肿瘤学会在内的顶级国际机构也纷纷效仿，支持该手术。但一些专家表示，仍有不够多的女性在医疗人员那里获得这一选择。
伦敦玛丽女王大学的妇科肿瘤顾问教授 Ranjit Manchanda 在过去 20 年里一直致力于卵巢癌的预防工作，并主持了为 Kara 提供治疗的 PROTECTOR 临床试验。
他表示，输卵管切除术没有被更广泛地提供的原因之一是很少有女性知道这件事。
“但这也是一个培训问题，”他补充道。“虽然许多妇科外科医生能够轻松完成该手术，但其他专业的医生可能不行。”
Manchanda 教授表示，从长远来看，输卵管切除术只是拼图的一块。
“这是一个巨大且重要的发现。但我们知道癌症病例的数量仍在增加。”
“目前，手术干预是我们已知的预防卵巢癌的最佳方法。”
“但在未来，我们需要找到更好的方法来识别患病高风险的女性——并为她们提供更个性化的护理和预防策略。”
香水和塑料可能给孕妇带来风险
作者：Marti Stelling
一项研究表明，香水、洗护用品、塑料和包装中常用的化学物质可能与怀孕期间血压升高有关。
血液中邻苯二甲酸盐（phthalates）水平最高的孕妇，其血压读数也最高。邻苯二甲酸盐是一组常用的合成化学物质，通常混入塑料中以使其更柔软。
以往的研究已将邻苯二甲酸盐与精子数量减少、生殖问题和生育并发症联系起来。
美国研究人员对 338 名孕妇进行了追踪，在怀孕第 11, 19 和 26 周测量其尿液中的化学物质水平和血压——其中 13% 的人出现了与怀孕相关的高血压疾病。
这项发表在《内分泌学会杂志》（Journal of the Endocrine Society）上的研究发现，单乙基邻苯二甲酸盐（monoethyl phthalate）是与血压升高关联最一致的化学物质，该物质可通过皮肤吸收，或通过含有香料残留的空气和灰尘被吸入。
“导致血压升高”
血压是指血液压在动脉壁上的力量，若该力量过高则处于危险状态。英国有十分之一的孕妇受此影响，并增加了严重并发症的风险，包括早产和低出生体重。
这种情况可能有多种原因，包括肥胖。但专家表示，这项研究表明化学物质也可能导致血压升高。
“我们的研究表明，体内较高浓度的与个人护理产品相关的化学物质（即邻苯二甲酸盐）可能会导致怀孕期间血压升高，”哈佛大学 T.H. Chan 公共卫生学院的博士候选人金伯利·帕拉（Kimberly Parra）表示。
“通过限制使用含有这些成分（尤其是含有香料）的个人护理产品，减少接触此类化学物质，可能是解决怀孕期间高血压并改善孕期健康的一种方法。”
在英国销售的化妆品和美容产品中，危险的生殖毒性邻苯二甲酸盐是被禁止的。
然而，通用标签允许将多种香料成分统一归类在“fragrance”或“parfum”（香料）这一个词下，这可能会掩盖特定的非禁药成分或微量成分。
您是否切除了输卵管？
请致信：health@mailonsunday.co.uk
48 健康
《星期日邮报》 8月16日 • 21
可能导致数千例耳鸣病例的常见维生素缺乏症
……以及几种廉价的补充剂如何能迅速帮助他们结束痛苦
据领先专家称，由饮食不良引起的常见维生素缺乏症可能是耳鸣病例激增的原因。这种病症会导致
作者：Marti Stelling
患者听到通常被描述为鸣响声、嘶嘶声、嗡嗡声或呼呼声的幻听，影响约 760 万 成年人。
目前尚无经过批准的耳鸣治疗方法，且该病症可能持续数年，甚至数十年。
它本身不是一种疾病，而是一种通常与听力损失、暴露于强噪音或耳道堵塞相关的症状。虽然在老年人中最为常见
但年轻人中的耳鸣病例正在增加。
一项研究发现，在过去的二十年里，年轻成年人中的耳鸣病例增长了超过三分之一，目前影响约 229 万 人。
大多数病例与听力损失相关的内耳损伤有关——专家认为，内耳感觉毛细胞的损伤经常触发大脑去“填补”缺失的听觉信号，专家将此归咎于使用耳机听音乐音量过大等因素。
但一些专家认为，耳鸣可能是由某些维生素缺乏触发的——特别是铁、叶酸和维生素 B12，这三种是人体无法自行合成的必需营养素。
铁存在于红肉、豆类和深色叶菜中；叶酸存在于菠菜、柑橘类水果和强化谷物中；维生素 B12 则存在于肉类、鱼类和乳制品中。
“铁、叶酸和维生素 B12 有助于保持神经健康，”牛津大学医院的顾问血液学家、牛津大学副高级讲师 Sue Pavord 博士表示。“它们保护并维持髓鞘，即包裹在神经周围的覆盖层。如果没有这种髓鞘，神经可能会受损。”
“当负责将声音信号从耳朵传递到大脑的蜗神经因为 B12、叶酸或铁不足而失去其保护鞘时，它就会受损。这随后会导致耳鸣。”
这三种缺乏症具有相似的症状——疲劳、皮肤苍白和呼吸短促。专家表示，任何有这些问题的人都应就诊全科医生（GP）并要求进行血液检查。
这些缺乏症可以通过针对性的补充剂进行治疗，例如针对缺铁使用口服铁片，
好转： Rachel Melinek 的饮食改变减轻了她的耳鸣
针对叶酸补充使用每日叶酸药片，以及通过口服药片或定期注射提供维生素 B12。
一些专家呼吁国民医疗服务体系（NHS）对耳鸣患者的维生素水平进行检测，称纠正缺乏症可以改善内耳健康。
“对于任何耳鸣患者来说，检查其维生素水平非常重要，因为这是一个可治疗的因素，”Pavord 博士说。
一些耳鸣患者在接受维生素缺乏治疗后报告了显著的改善。其中一位是 44, 岁的 Rachel Melinek，她多年来一直被耳中高频的鸣响声和呼呼声所困扰。
“耳鸣在我躺下时发生，让我难以放松或入睡，”来自伦敦北部的行政人员 说。她后来出现了其他症状，包括即使在室内也感到异常寒冷、阵发性极度疲劳和脑雾。
的全科医生最终进行了血液检查，结果显示她有轻微的叶酸缺乏。在医生的建议下， 开始使用营养应用程序追踪她的饮食，以确定不足之处。
“我对某些营养素的饮食摄入量，特别是铁和叶酸，低于推荐量，”她说。“我增加了饮食中叶酸来源的比例，例如豆类和扁豆，并服用低剂量铁补充剂。”
“我了解到咖啡因甚至某些食物会影响铁的吸收，所以我停止在靠近富铁餐食或服用补充剂的时间点饮用茶或咖啡。”
随着时间的推移，瑞秋注意到她的耳鸣变得不再那么干扰。她说：“现在我只是偶尔才会出现这种情况，而且程度轻得多。”
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50
财富与个人理财
作者：Toby Walne
从表面上看，缩减住房规模（downsizing）似乎是一种在晚年确保财务稳健的双赢方式。它可以增加您的银行余额，并为退休释放财富。这是一个搬到离家人更近的地方，并寻找一个符合您需求的住房的机会。而且，搬出大房子意味着您的账单会更少，维护成本更低——这也有助于为年轻人释放住房市场空间。
但如果在错误的时间执行，或者在错误的位置选择了错误的房产，这可能会成为一次您很快就会后悔的搬迁。
对于某些人来说，这种剧变迫使他们告别了曾经热爱且现在十分怀念的生活。
“财富与个人理财”栏目采访了近年来缩减住房规模的人，听取他们会做出哪些不同的选择以及他们学到了哪些教训。我们还权衡了将家庭住宅更换为较小房产的成本，并咨询了专家，探讨这在财务上是否合理。
“我对我们曾经热爱的生活感到一种悲痛”
心地善良的凯伦·邓普西（Karen Dempsey），64岁，一直将家庭放在首位。因此，当她的女儿简（Jane，现年38岁）在八年前无法负担为她日益增长的家庭购买住房时，凯伦知道自己必须怎么做。
这位成年社会护理工作者和她的丈夫帕特里克（Patrick），67岁，同意将他们位于伦敦北部巴内特（Barnet）的四卧室维多利亚式房屋换成较小的房产，以释放现金。
通过出售他们在该地区居住了35年的房屋，凯伦和帕特里克能够给简足够的钱让她购买自己的住房。搬到更小的房子是他们知道迟早有一天会做出的改变，因此他们认为提前实施并没有什么坏处。
出售房屋所得的资金将使这对夫妇能够购买自己的房产，并有足够的钱让女儿也能买一套房子。
他们决定搬到离简和他们现在的四个孙辈更近的地方，并在埃塞克斯郡的威瑟姆（Witham）找到了一栋三卧室的半独立式房屋。但搬家后几周内，凯伦表示她觉得他们犯了一个错误。
她说：“初衷是帮助我们的女儿和她的年轻家庭。通过卖房，我们可以做到这一点。”
“起初，他们在寻找房产期间和我们住在一起。但挤在一起生活的压力反而将我们推远，而不是拉近——这与我们搬家的初衷背道而驰。”
凯伦说，自从2018年搬家以来，她一直想念在首都度过的旧生活。她说：“不幸的是，我对我们在伦敦热爱但已失去的生活感到一种悲痛——这座城市的活力，以及拥有更多空间和近在咫尺的朋友。”
“这让我感到愧疚，但我认为我们牺牲得太多了。”
凯伦说她并不觉得
64岁的凯伦表示，为了靠近家人而搬家时她牺牲了太多。安娜贝尔想念与高尔夫球友共进午餐的时光……
退休人员用惨痛教训为你提供避免缩减住房规模遗憾的关键建议
家庭至上：凯伦和帕特里克·邓普西与孙子泰迪（Teddy）
她并不对这个决定感到愤愤不平，并且很高兴看到简在仅八分钟路程的地方买了一套房子。
自从组建了一个当地的步行小组后，她也结交了新朋友——但她担心这并没有为她和帕特里克省钱。
她说：“我们很高兴能帮助女儿——而且我们现在的关系比以往任何时候都亲密。但我们现在发现生活成本更高了。”
“我的丈夫仍在伦敦工作，我也经常回去与朋友见面，这每月增加了600英镑的开支。我们还有一个儿子罗伯特（Robert），36岁，在伦敦，我们经常去看他。”
凯伦建议其他人，在决定采取行动之前，应权衡他们所做的牺牲与缩减住房规模所带来的益处。
她说，他们犯的一个关键错误是在两人仍在工作时搬家。事后看来，凯伦说在决定购买较小住房之前，她本应先租房直到两人都退休。
搬家公司 The Homemover Specialist 的创始人梅里恩·肖（Meirion Shaw）认为，在65岁左右搬家可能是一个“好时机”。她说：“绝不要在没有计划的情况下退休。不要在没有仔细考虑停止工作后打算如何生活的情况下匆忙缩减住房规模。这就是为什么采取行动的好时机通常是在你退休之后。”
“虽然搬到家人附近可能是件好事，但你可能希望保持独立，并且必须意识到家人通常有他们自己忙碌的生活。你不会希望最终感到孤独。”
但同样，那些等待太久才做出重大搬迁决定的人可能会后悔。搬家在身体和情感上都可能令人精疲力竭，因此在仍有精力时进行搬迁至关重要。
肖表示，她建议在离开全职工作后的十年内完成搬家。
她补充道：“缩减住房规模可以成为一个令人兴奋的新篇章，如果可能的话，你应该在身体依然健康且活跃时进行——重要的是不要拖得太晚。”
“我是一个乐观的人”
热衷于高尔夫的安娜贝尔·怀特（Annabel White），93岁，去年意识到是时候缩小住房规模了，因为她发现自己在好莱坞高尔夫俱乐部完成惯常的18洞回合变得过于吃力。
这家位于唐郡（County Down）的高尔夫球场距离她在贝尔法斯特的三居室公寓仅六英里之遥。
寡妇安娜贝尔决定，在球场上行走五英里的体力要求正变得过于具有挑战性。
这是一个让她恍然大悟的时刻，使她意识到也许是时候搬到更小的房子里了。于是去年10月，她在阿马郡（County Armagh）的马凯希尔村（Markethill）买了一栋两居室的平房，那里距离她的旧居西南方向40多英里。
这意味着她现在住在了家人附近，包括她70岁的女儿、40岁的孙女，以及三名年龄分别为13, 11, 和5岁的曾孙辈。
安娜贝尔说：“我是一个乐观的人，但我不再年轻了。我想念那些每周和我一起吃两次午餐的高尔夫球友。他们都快90岁了，所以虽然我搬家后我们计划更频繁地见面，但现在开车过去路途遥远。”
“我已经加入了当地的草地滚球和桥牌俱乐部，喜欢阅读，并养了一只猫作伴。”
这位退休家庭主妇，其
51
编辑：Rachel Rickard Straus
money@mailonsunday.co.uk
金融
年度 标题
丈夫在22年前去世，她没有透露卖房的价格，但表示这次搬迁意味着她现在没有财务方面的担忧。
安娜贝尔说：“我永远不想成为负担——也不希望家人出于责任感邀请我参加周日午餐。保持独立是这次搬迁的关键。最近的超市在15英里外，所以谢天谢地我还能开车。但知道家人在需要时就在身边是一件好事。”
与卡伦（Karen）类似，安娜贝尔表示事后看来，她在买新房之前应该先租个地方。
她补充道：“寻找合适的平房就像大海捞针一样难。我因为压力减轻了一石（约6.35公斤）的体重。但幸运的是，我的房子在短短几天内就卖掉了。”
“记忆在脑海中，而非砖瓦之间”
苏珊·罗伯茨（SUSAN Roberts，78岁）和丈夫杰弗里（Jeffrey，79岁）表示，在缩小住房规模后的第一年里，感觉就像在度假一样——而在随后的20年里，他们从未后悔过这个决定。
在他们58岁和59岁时，当时他们的儿子已经搬出家门，而这对夫妇仍处于活跃的工作生活中，他们以 35 万英镑 的价格卖掉了位于格拉斯哥以南七英里纽顿米恩斯（Newton Mearns）的一栋三居室半独立式房屋，并以 25 万英镑 的价格在东北方向三英里外的吉夫诺克（Giffnock）一个拥有12套公寓的综合体中买了一套两居室公寓。
半退休的医疗秘书苏珊说：“我们曾有一栋很棒的大房子，在那里抚养了儿子。但在那里住了20年后，就只剩下我们两个人，我们不再需要那么大的空间。”
“随着年龄增长，房屋的维护可能会成为一种负担。我们决定利用在学区热门地段拥有房产的优势——这对我们来说已不再重要——将其出售。”
苏珊说，她最大的建议是在决定采取行动的前两年，就开始清理阁楼和车库里的杂物。
她说：“进行一次大清理具有疗愈作用——即使你最终没有搬家。这也能帮你意识到，有些存放起来的东西是你不需要也不使用的。”
“不必担心你留下了什么。记忆在你的脑海中，而不是房子的砖瓦之间。”
这对夫妇渴望在年事过高之前搬家。苏珊说：“无论在什么年龄，搬家都压力很大，但当时相对年轻意味着我们可以亲力亲为，对新家进行全面的翻新。”
“我们可以去度假而不用担心回来时屋顶漏水，因为在离开期间房产由专人管理——而且还有邻居在照看你。”
新家位于二楼（first floor），可以通过电梯到达公共花园和阳台。他们每年支付 4,000 英镑 的物业维护费，包括屋顶和电路、窗户清洁、花园以及定期的垃圾收集。
苏珊说：“在太晚之前搬家能确保你掌控决定权。我的儿子过来后担心他家人过来住时空间不足。但你的孩子们在买房时并没有这样的顾虑。你为什么要担心呢？”
“这些以后都可以慢慢想办法解决。”
缩减住房规模的顶级建议
第一步是想象您希望如何在退休后度过时光。想象您的金色岁月，并考虑您是否想要经常去剧院或外出就餐，带着狗长距离散步，花时间在园艺上，探望亲人或环游世界。
这将有助于确定您应该在哪里定居以及您可能需要什么样的房子。
肖表示：“随着年龄的增长，住在城市里可能具有巨大的吸引力——所有那些在工作期间或家人还住在家里时您从未有时间享受的免费交通和娱乐活动。如果您是夫妇，您需要讨论未来的希望；但如果您独居，请自私一点。”
地理位置通常由家庭决定，但肖表示，缩减住房规模的人在与亲人沟通之前，经常会担心自己成为负担。她说：“没有人想成为累赘，与家人讨论这一点很重要。虽然您可能想支持他们，但您可能同样希望保持独立。”
她的指导建议与大多数房主的想法背道而驰。根据财富管理公司 Hargreaves Lansdown 委托 Opinium 进行的一项调查，只有不到五分之一的人（19%）在退休时考虑缩减住房规模。
而对于 55 岁或以上的人群，这一比例下降到仅 14%。约 37% 的人不想让存放物品的空间变小，而三分之一的人表示他们对自己的家过于依恋。21% 的人表示，考虑到所有带来的混乱，搬家太贵了。
肖说：“人们总在寻找不采取行动的借口——甚至清理杂物也会被‘决策瘫痪’所阻碍。我们最近遇到一个人，他们有一张无法放入新家的餐桌，这张桌子他们买的时候花了 1.2 万英镑，而现在的估值仅为 1,200 英镑。”
“他们感到非常沮丧，直到我问他们买这张桌子是为了什么，并让他们考虑多年来在这张桌子上享受的无数次服务和餐食。它其实已经很好地完成了它的使命。”
如果您担心搬家在体力上的要求，可以考虑聘请搬家公司来负责打包和搬运。您可能需要支付 1,500 英镑 到 5,000 英镑 或更多费用。
准备好面对相关成本
缩减住房规模可以是释放部分现金的一种有效方式，除非您搬到了房价更高的地区。但权衡财务上的利弊仍然很重要。
印花税是对许多人的一个主要阻碍。它适用于所有价格在 12.5 万英镑 以上的房屋购买。在 12.5 万英镑 到 25 万英镑 之间，您需要支付 2% 的税款；在 250,001 英镑 到 92.5 万英镑 之间，则需支付 5%。
一对购买 30 万英镑 房屋的夫妇将面临 5,000 英镑 的印花税账单，此外还有房地产中介费。但出售房屋无需缴纳资本利得税。
而且一旦搬家，维护成本应该会降低，能源账单也会更便宜，因为您的新家可能会更小且更节能。
● 您缩减过住房规模吗？请告诉我们您的经验：发送电子邮件至 money@mailonsunday.co.uk
缩减住房规模的注意事项
建议做
- 决定您对退休生活的期望
- 制定财务计划
- 与家人和朋友讨论未来
- 尽早清理杂物
- 在购买前考虑租房
- 花时间享受寻找房子的过程
建议不要做
- 将计划推迟到明天
- 觉得对家人负有某种义务
- 逃避面对老年生活的挑战
- 低估对家人和朋友的需求
- 仓促决定——考虑所做的牺牲
- 忘记留出储蓄
52
Jeff Prestridge
Jeff prestridge@mailoncunday.co.uk 特约财经编辑
本月，首相正在全国各地奔波，试图让其工党政府与感到幻灭的英国公众重新建立联系。但这机会渺茫。
这场经过精心编排的巡演，紧随安迪·伯纳姆采取的一系列措施之后。这些措施旨在误导我们所有人，让我们认为在应对这场挥之不去的——且随着今年进展并进入 2027 年而将进一步恶化的——生活成本危机时，他坚定地站在我们这一边。
但不要被蒙蔽了。伯纳姆并不站在你这边，他只感兴趣于将你课税到极致，以此来资助该国臃肿的福利账单。“花钱，宝贝，尽管花。”
伯纳姆的魅力作用有限
虽然我不想听起来像个现代版的维克多·梅尔德鲁（Victor Meldrew），但 10 月 28 日的预算案对于我们大多数奋斗者来说，绝不会令人愉快。
就糟糕程度而言，它将与由“会计师”瑞秋（Rachel from Accounts）主导的两场破坏性预算案不相上下。
当然，一方面，看到伯纳姆终于离开了他的屁股，去接触民众，这很好。这是他的前任完全不擅长的事情。这位新首相拥有某种魅力，就像 1997 年工党执政时托尼·布莱尔所具有的那样。
但另一方面，满腔的魅力以及将自己塑造为“人民之友”，对他——以及这个国家——的帮助终究有限。
这无法解决生活成本危机，目前的通货膨胀率为 2.6%，且预计明年第一季度将升至 4.3%。根据
首相想让我们认为他站在我们这边……但他只关心将你课税到极致
投资平台 AJ Bell 的数据，过去五年中，通货膨胀已导致价格上涨了 28%。
一个唯唯诺诺的伯纳姆也无法重启经济。今年第二季度的经济增长率仅为微不足道的 0.4%，而预计明年将呈现 0.3% 的贫血式增长。为了让这个数字更直观，可以将其与预算责任办公室此前预测的 1.6% 增长率进行对比。
你不需要成为一名经济学家就能意识到，经济已经陷入泥潭，被那些反商业、反增长的规则和条例（其中许多由工党引入）所扼杀。
关于推动“每个邮政编码区增长”的言论——这是财政大臣约翰·希利上周四对令人失望的第二季度增长数据的回应——不过是一个幻想家的噱头。
只有当企业从这个政府套在它们脖子上的枷锁中解脱出来，且消费者看到他们辛苦赚来的收入和储蓄不再消失在有害的税收中时，经济才会增长。伯纳姆目前宣布的所有应对生活成本的措施，都无法显著减轻家庭预算的压力。
这些公告——包括从明年起降低英格兰单程巴士票价上限，以及从 10 月起临时暂停电费增值税（VAT）——其噱头成分远多于实际意义。
其中一些措施，例如可能对超市“误导性”折扣采取打击行动，完全违背逻辑。这个国家的超市竞争极其激烈，不需要工党来告诉它们应该如何经营业务。
也许真正有意义的措施被留到了希利的首份预算案中，但我对此表示怀疑。这个政府太受意识形态的束缚，无法采取必要措施正面应对生活成本危机并推动经济增长。
结果就是，能源账单对于企业和家庭而言将继续维持在极高水平——而公司将继续裁员，而非投资于英国经济。至于政府在控制福利支出方面的失败——或是不情愿——这将继续惊吓金融
是时候保护您的家庭财富了
市场并使借贷成本保持高位，这令许多房主深感沮丧。
这一切让我得出一个结论，而这个结论读起来可能并不轻松（也许在继续阅读之前，您可以先休息一下，喝杯威士忌）。
更多的税收上涨即将到来，尤其是如果您是高收入者，或者拥有处于 Isa（个人储蓄账户）或养老金税盾之外的投资财富。在希利（Healey）给您的财务造成沉重打击之前，现在是时候看看您是否能保护好家庭财富了。
因此，我敦促您利用好您的 Isa 和养老金额度——并在家庭成员之间转移资产，以便将集体税收降至最低。
这是我和“财富与个人财务”栏目的同事在现在到 10 月 28 日之间将再次探讨的问题。与工党不同，我们为您而战。
信任一种能够历经岁月而长存的风格
爱丁堡投资信托（Edinburgh Investment Trust，由 Liontrust 的 Imran Sattar 和 Emily Barnard 管理）提供一个由 40 到 50 家英国及国际公司组成的高信心投资组合。该信托将纪律与灵活性相结合，使管理人员能够在机会出现和市场条件演变时，调整投资组合对不同投资风格的敞口。
更多信息请访问： edinburgh-investment-trust.co.uk
由 LIONTRUST 管理
过往业绩并非未来业绩的指南。投资的价值及其产生的收益可能会下跌也可能会上涨，且不保证获利。资本面临风险。本营销通讯不构成直接报价或购买合伙份额的邀请。在做出投资决定之前，您应熟悉与爱丁堡投资信托（EIT）相关的不同类型的具体风险。相关信息可在 www.edinburgh-investment-trust.co.uk 找到。本广告是根据《2000年金融服务与市场法》发布的金融推广，由 Liontrust Investment Partners LLP（2 Savoy Court, London WC2R 8EZ）批准并发布，该公司在英国接受英国金融行为监管局（FCA）（FRN 518552）的授权和监管。
财富与个人财务 53
作者：Rosie Murray-West
我发现了一个能让我的存款获得 7% 高额利息的技巧——这远高于即使是最慷慨的传统活期账户所能提供的利率。
我获得的利率甚至超过了英国股市的平均增长率——而且与投资不同，这里不存在损失任何资金的风险。
这需要一些设置，而且您每月只能存入略高于 1,000 英镑 的资金才能获得 7% 的利率。但为了在一年内赚取 £557.75 利息的机会，这些麻烦是值得的。
其运作方式如下。许多商业银行提供所谓的“定期储蓄”（regular saver）账户以吸引新客户。
这些是只有在持有活期账户时才能开通的储蓄账户，其利率看起来非常诱人——大约 7% 甚至 8%。
然而，它们有一个很大的限制——为了享受最高利率，它们每月仅允许您存入 £200 到 £300。
如果您想存入更多，完全可以将每月的存款分散到五个不同的定期储蓄账户中。这样您每月总共可以存入 1,300 英镑 —— 每年 15,600 英镑 —— 平均利率为 7.36%。
第一步：开设五个获益账户
为了充分获益，您需要在这每家银行都持有一个活期账户。
我建议的五家银行是劳埃德银行（Lloyds）、桑坦德银行（Santander）、Zopa银行、First Direct银行和合作银行（Co-op Bank）。劳埃德银行和桑坦德银行各支付 8% 的利息，另外三家支付 7%。
在劳埃德银行，其姐妹品牌哈利法克斯银行（Halifax）和苏格兰银行（Bank of Scotland）也提供 8% 的方案。所有这些账户都可以通过在线开设，而且这样做通常还有额外的现金奖励。
如果您通过 Topcashback 网站开设 First Direct 账户，您可以赚到 £20。操作方法是在 Topcashback 注册一个免费账户，在其网站上找到 First Direct，然后从中点击跳转到银行自己的网站，即可赚取 £20。
在这些银行开设活期账户无需付费，且它们并不规定您必须将其作为主账户使用，因此您可以仅为了定期储蓄而利用它们，让活期账户处于休眠状态。
开设活期账户非常简单。您可以选择转移现有账户，这需要七个工作日，并完全由您的新服务提供商管理。
或者，您可以开设一个新账户而保持现有账户不受影响，不过在某些情况下，如果您一次性开设过多账户，短期内可能会影响您的信用评分，因此如果您即将申请抵押贷款或其他大额贷款，请不要这样做。
击败股市，通过这些大银行的方案让您的储蓄获得 7% 的收益...
定期储蓄、利率与回报
机构 / 利率 / 每月最高储蓄额 / 要求 / 一年赚取的利息 / 1年后账户总储蓄额
劳埃德 / 苏格兰银行 / 哈利法克斯 / 8% / £250 / 必须持有劳埃德活期账户且今年未开设过每月储蓄账户 / £130 / £3130 桑坦德 / 8% / £200 / 必须持有桑坦德活期账户且一次只能持有一个定期储蓄账户 / £104 / £2504 Zopa / 7% / £300 / 仅限六个月且必须持有活期账户 / £75.50 / £1875.50 First Direct / 7% / £300 / 不允许取款且必须持有活期账户 / £136.50 / £3736.50 合作银行 / 7% / £250 / 仅限合作银行账户持有者 / £113.75 / £3113.75 全年总计 / £1300 / £557.75 / £14360.75
第二步：设置五个自动转账指令
每个定期储蓄账户对每月可储蓄的金额都有自己的限制。存入过多可能会导致您的交易被拦截或退回，因此请确保您了解相关限制。
First Direct 和 Zopa 允许您每月在账户中储蓄 £300，而合作银行和劳埃德银行为 £250，桑坦德银行仅为 £200。
您每月可存入这五个储蓄账户的总额为 £1300。无法存入全额？请优先考虑那两个 8% 的账户，以获得全年最高回报。
资金更多？银行还提供利率低于 7% 但依然可观的其他定期储蓄方案。
英国国家外围银行 (Nationwide) 为活期账户客户提供 6.5% 的定期储蓄，而 Skipton 建筑协会的 6.5% 储蓄方案仅对会员开放。为其中五个账户中的四个注资最简单的方法是，在每月的第一天从您的主活期账户设置自动转账指令。
例外的是 First Direct 账户，它被设置为直接从 First Direct 活期账户将资金转入您的定期储蓄账户，因此请改为向 First Direct 活期账户设置自动转账指令。
您可以通过在线银行应用程序或网站，通过提供账号、分行代码以及您希望每月转账的金额来设置自动转账指令。
第 3 步：等待利息累积
一旦您的资金进入储蓄账户，就将开始赚取这些最高利率。Zopa 账户在六个月后必须续期，这意味着需要登录并以相同的利率开设一个新账户，因此请在日历中设置提醒。
除 First Direct 账户外，所有账户都允许您随时取款。一年后，如果您将所有这些账户资金填满至上限并续期了 Zopa 账户，您将拥有总计 16,157 英镑.75 英镑，并赚取 £557.75 的利息。
如果您是基础税率纳税人，且在 Isa 之外没有其他利息收入，则无需为此支付任何税款，因为这将在您的 1,000 英镑 个人储蓄免税额度内。
如果您是高税率纳税人，您将支付 £23.10 的税款，因为您的储蓄利息免税额仅为 £500，但如果您填满了所有账户，总计仍能赚到 £534.65。
税单通常会自动报告给英国税务海关总署（HMRC），您的税号将据此进行调整。附加税率纳税人没有免税额，因此将对其赚取的任何利息缴纳 45% 的税款。
第 4 步：重新分配您的资金
定期储蓄账户最大的陷阱之一是，一年后（Zopa 为六个月后）您的利率会大幅下降，因此请在日历中记录，以便转移您的新资金池。
劳埃德银行（Lloyds）的储蓄利率将降至约 1.3%，合作银行（Co-op）降至 1.7%，First Direct 银行降至 1.75%，桑坦德银行（Santander）降至约 3%，Zopa 降至 3.4%。
此时正是将资金转移到更高收益账户的时机。Isa 是理想选择，因为您为积累的资金无需缴纳税款。从明年 4 月起，65 岁以下的人在每个纳税年度可向现金 存入 1.2 万英镑 英镑，向股票和股份 存入 8,000 英镑 英镑，而 65 岁以上的人可向现金 存入全额 2 万英镑 英镑。目前，您可以在 Trading 212 或 Moneybox 的便捷访问 中获得 4.7% 的利率，因此如果您拥有 16,157 英镑.75 英镑的全额资金池，且该利率保持不变，一年内将可进一步赚取 £759.41 的利息。
第 5 步：重新开始使用定期储蓄账户 (REGULAR SAVERS)
大多数银行一次仅允许您拥有一个定期储蓄账户，但一旦您关闭了这些账户，就没有什么能阻止您开设一个新账户。请务必检查其他银行是否有更好的优惠，因为这类账户经常变动。
那么，这真的能击败股市吗？
没有人知道在任何给定年份，股市的回报率会高于还是低于 7.36%，而后者是您使用该策略在储蓄中能获得的平均利率。
在 42 年的历史中，富时 100 指数 (FTSE 100) 的平均年复合增长率约为 5.8%，低于您在定期储蓄中能获得的利率。
不过，如果将股息再投资计算在内，平均增长率则超过了这一现金利率，约为 7.8%。
此外，使用 Isa 账户的利息无需纳税，且无需开设活期账户即可使用。
然而，定期储蓄账户的优势在于它完全没有风险，且您可以在需要时取出资金，因此这是一个兼顾长期和短期的策略。
它还免收手续费，而投资通常会被收取费用，这将削减您的回报。
54 财富与个人理财
v1
当玛丽亚·埃斯波西托 (Maria Esposito) 在 2008 年将她的母亲凯瑟琳 (Kathleen) 送入护理院时，她知道自己需要帮助来支付每月数千英镑的费用。
她担心自己不得不卖掉家庭住宅来支付这笔费用。
因此，当她向护理院询问通过国民医疗服务体系 (NHS) 为所谓“原发性医疗需求”人员提供的资金支持时，玛丽亚希望当时 77 岁且患有阿尔茨海默症的凯瑟琳能够符合条件。
NHS 为需要“持续医疗护理”且具有复杂护理需求的人员提供全额资金支持。这涵盖了护理院的全部费用或居家护理人员的访问费用，且不进行资产审查。
该计划旨在服务于像凯瑟琳这样具有重大持续身体或心理健康需求的人员，其价值每周可达数千英镑。
作者：露西·埃文斯 (Lucy Evans)
高级财经记者
但令玛丽亚震惊的是，当现年 66 岁的她尝试申请时，被告知她的母亲已经过评估且不符合条件。
对于试图获得持续医疗护理（CHC）资金资助的家庭来说，这句话实在太熟悉了。
随着护理院的费用平均每周达到 1,535 英镑，这笔资金在保护一生积累的财富方面具有极高价值。但门槛很高。个人必须具有“主要健康需求”才能获得资格，这意味着他们需要护理的主要原因是医疗或健康原因，而非社会原因（例如协助穿衣或洗澡）。
而且，这一过程由一群评估员把守，他们设置了无数重重障碍——在通过初步筛选并进入全面评估的人员中，有 83% 的人被拒绝资助。
而残酷的“邮编彩票”（地区差异）意味着某些地区的接纳率甚至更低。
玛丽亚坚信母亲的失智症意味着她应该有资格获得资助，因此她提出了申诉。在接下来的十个月里，她与官员们反复争论以推翻其判定——并赢了。
但她的胜利十分短暂。符合条件的人每 12 个月会被重新审核一次——因此在成功仅几个月后，凯瑟琳被告知她的母亲在接下来的年份中不再符合条件。
在近十年的时间里，她必须每 12 个月就进行一次这样的战斗，且通常必须经过申诉程序。
随后，在 2016, 玛丽亚和她的兄弟姐妹斯特凡（Stefan）与朱丽叶塔（Giulietta）凭借极强的毅力，最终为凯瑟琳赢得了终身资助。
在凯瑟琳于 2020, 以 89 岁高龄去世之前的 13 年里，该家庭总共节省了 51 万英镑，因为当时的费用已上涨至每月 4,000 英镑（按今天的价值计算为 5,200 英镑）。
凯瑟琳本不得不卖掉她的房子来支付这些费用。
与妻子苏（Sue）住在萨里郡的玛丽亚表示，许多人在工作一生为国民医疗服务体系（NHS）缴费后，却无法获得他们应得的资助，这太“悲剧”了。
在为凯瑟琳争取权益之后，她还帮助她的婆婆获得了资助。今天，玛丽亚揭秘了她用来击败顽固的 NHS 资助系统的具体技巧。
无需透露任何存款情况
与由议会资助的社会护理不同，CHC 不进行资产审查。
一个人的资产（如存款或房屋价值）不应影响其是否符合资格。
但玛丽亚（一名退休电视制作人）表示，在申请过程中，她最初收到了关于凯瑟琳财务状况的问题。
“我质疑为什么会这样，”她说。“如果你披露财务状况，没有人能做出客观的决定，因为他们会完全关注于你拥有多少钱。”
CHC 咨询服务机构 Beacon 确认，如果有人询问你亲人的财务状况，你可以简单地拒绝回答。
亲自参加两次评估
在您提交申请后，CHC（持续健康护理）评估分为两个阶段——玛丽亚表示，家属绝对应该参加这两次评估。
在初步筛选中，一名健康或社会护理专家会根据一系列问题进行审查，以决定您的亲属是否值得进行全面评估。
如果通过筛选，一个团队随后会在一份名为“决策支持工具”的 36 页表格中，针对 12 个领域对他们的护理需求进行评分，以决定您的亲属是否具有主要健康需求。
玛丽亚说：“绝不要在没有家属在场的情况下让他们进行评估。”
“我们最早的一次评估是由一名社会工作者执行的，尽管我母亲有严重的认知障碍，但该工作者单独采访了她。”
“之后我被告知：‘你母亲说她知道自己在哪里，并且认识所有的家人。’”
“无论他们问什么，我妈都会回答‘是’。但她当时对时间和地点感到困惑。”
社会工作实践机构 Nellie Supports 表示，如果您参加这些会议，您可以分享医疗保健工作者可能不知道的信息。例如，您可以讲述困难发作的频率，以及您的亲人六个月前的情况。
如果您被告知不能参加评估，请询问原因，并要求将其以书面形式提供。在这种情况下，他们通常会妥协。
坚持要求召开多机构会议
第二次评估（即决策支持工具阶段）由一个多学科团队执行——通常至少有两名评估员，一名来自医疗部门，一名来自社会护理部门。
“理想情况下，他们应该参与您亲人的治疗或护理，并且接受过评估流程的培训。”
他们的职责是尽可能多地收集信息，以便在包括呼吸、行动能力和营养在内的 12 个关键领域对您的亲人进行评分。
评估员会从社会、医疗和护理记录中提取证据。
玛丽亚表示，您也可以要求评估员考虑来自养老院护理人员或其全科医生的报告。这将使他们能够获得关于您亲人状况及其日常需求的直接证据。她补充说，如果您认为会对申请有利，可以争取让更多代表出席。
玛丽亚说：“您需要养老院的人员、护士和亲属，以及来自医疗和社会工作者方面的评估员，才能全面了解他们的护理需求。”
虽然您完全有权在评估的第二阶段要求召开这种规模较大的会议，但初步清单可以由护士、医生、社会工作者或其他医疗保健专业人员完成。
不要淡化亲人的护理需求
当您会见评估员时，您可能会不自觉地淡化亲人的健康状况，例如被引导地说出“我们能应付”或“他们确实有状态不错的时候”。
但玛丽亚表示，对他们的状况保持残酷的诚实至关重要。
她说：“这种本能是可以理解的。谁想把自己的亲人想象成暴力和具有攻击性的？但这可能会让他们失去应得的护理。”
“无论用您可能不想承认的极端词汇来描述亲人是多么痛苦，您必须这样做——这就是疾病的现实。”
对于凯瑟琳来说，阿尔茨海默症意味着她在洗澡时会变得愤怒，偶尔会从
财富与个人财务 55
我为我母亲赢得了 51 万美元的护理费资助，并保住了我们的家庭住宅
养老院跑掉，并且伴有偏执和困惑。如果护理人员或社区护士参加会议，您应该要求他们也准确反映您亲人的需求，而不是简单地描述他们在状态良好时的样子。
在这里，玛丽亚分享了免费获得护理的技巧，包括您应该使用的准确措辞，以及为什么您绝不能透露您的亲人有多少存款
学习评估员的语言
玛丽亚表示，要想成功，你必须熟悉评估员使用的语言。学习工具中的 12 个护理领域及其描述的内容。前往 gov.uk 搜索“NHS continuing healthcare decision support tool guidance”（NHS 持续医疗保健决策支持工具指南）。你应该查看需求的等级划分，从无、低、中、高、严重，以及在某些领域中的“优先”。在回答评估员的任何问题时，请使用这些特定术语。他们会考察需求的性质、强度、复杂性和不可预测性。如果你理解这种语言以及评分机制，你就可以对你不认同的评估和排名中的不一致之处提出质疑。例如，有一年凯瑟琳的认知能力被评为“严重”，但次年却变成了“中度”。玛丽亚说：“我记得当时问，‘他们找到治疗阿尔茨海默病的方法了吗？’”
如果你不同意，请在会议期间提出。如果无法达成一致，要求他们在决策支持工具中记录你的顾虑，并在该操作完成之前拒绝离开。
如果被拒绝，立即申诉
玛丽亚说：“不要仅仅因为决定来自 NHS 就认为第一次决定是正确的。”
CHC 信息网站 Care To Be Different 表示，请列出评估过程中所有的失误。你可能感到受到了官员的恐吓，或者发现 NHS 并没有组建多学科团队。记录决策支持工具中的所有不准确之处以及被忽略的任何证据。然后写信给负责做出资格决定的综合护理委员会（integrated care board），概述要求复审的原因。
你最初可能会被提供一次“当地争议解决会议”，但家属通常发现这些会议是评估员试图说服你他们是正确的。在这种情况下，你有六个月的时间要求独立审查。
你可能会发现你的亲属在初步核查阶段就被判定不符合 CHC 资格。如果是这样，请写信给 CHC 要求重新测试，并概述你不同意该决定的原因。
如果获得了资金，每年会进行一次审查。但正如玛丽亚发现的那样，官员们仍可能建议重新评估资金并将其撤回。你对此也可以提出申诉。
绝不要接受“不行”这个答案
最重要的是，玛丽亚的首要建议是绝不要接受“不行”这个答案。
2016 年，凯瑟琳的资金申请被拒绝。但玛丽亚请求与临床委托组（clinical commissioning group，此前领导 CHC 资金的机构）的负责人会面，并发送了数十份文件。她甚至绘制了决策支持工具中的评分图表，以证明她母亲的情况并没有改善。
这种坚持奏效了——凯瑟琳不仅获得了那一年的资金，而且该资金被设定为终身提供。
不要扔掉任何文件
之所以能提出上述质疑，是因为玛丽亚从未扔掉过任何决策支持工具。在对决定进行申诉期间，保留所有支付款项的收据——如果你胜诉，你可以申请报销。
凯瑟琳在疫情的第一波冲击中去世。玛丽亚说：“她绝对是个可爱的人。然而，我对那些年记忆最深的不只是阿尔茨海默病带来的心碎，还有为了说服系统承认那些对每个认识她的人来说都显而易见的需求而进行的持久战斗。”
你在尝试争取护理资金方面的经历如何？请发送电子邮件至 money@mailonsunday.co.uk
56 财富与个人理财
为什么单身退休需要额外的 20 万英镑
新数据显示，在平均退休生活中，晚年单身会导致额外支出 20 万英镑。Wealth 的计算发现，单身人士每年必须多支出 1 万英镑 才能维持与伴侣人士相当的生活水平。
作者：Tanya Jefferies
这是因为他们无法分摊房屋取暖、车辆运行或每周购物等费用，这种情况已被称为“单身税”。随着近年来单身养老金领取者人数激增，数百万人现在面临这一财务挑战。咨询公司 LCP 的分析发现，目前 150 万 离婚人士 over 65, 相比之下 500,000 20 年前，同时，退休后从未结婚的人数已达到 800,000,。
前养老金大臣、现就职于 LCP 的史蒂夫·韦伯爵士（Sir Steve Webb）表示：“我们在退休后面临的许多账单，无论单身还是夫妻共同生活都差不多，但拥有两份收入会让压力减轻。”
“虽然单身居住可以享受 25 per cent 的市政税减免，但你仍然需要支付双薪家庭所需支付账单的 75 per cent。”
史蒂夫爵士补充道：“在退休时或退休后变为单身的人数在增加，因此思考在没有他人收入帮助分担生活成本的情况下如何管理财务至关重要。”
LCP 的报告得出结论，在最极端的情况下，增加的成本已使许多人陷入贫困。养老金行业指南估计，单身人士税后每年需要 32,700 英镑 的收入才能过上体面的退休生活，而夫妻则需要总计 45,400 英镑。
这意味着夫妻双方每人仅需 22,700 英镑 —— 比单身人士少 1 万英镑。在 20-year 退休生活中，这累计达到了 20 万英镑。
根据行业团体 Pensions UK 的说法，这一收入水平可提供“适度”的生活方式，涵盖基本需求，并有额外资金用于在饮食和娱乐上挥霍、出国旅行以及运行车辆。
这些数字不包括任何抵押贷款或租金成本，以及所得税
不公平的分成： 女性受损
史蒂夫爵士表示，如果能公平地分割任何养老金，那么女性在晚年生活中的困境将会有更好的改善机会。
养老金账户被定义为婚姻的共同资产，与房屋或储蓄一样。但在离婚过程中，它们经常被忽视——通常是对妻子不利。
离婚女性在退休时的私人养老金财富比离婚男性少约 61 per cent。
安妮·琼斯（Anne Jones）表示，她在 50. 离婚时，退休财务并非其首要考虑因素。现年 74, 的琼斯女士来自伯克郡，她承认，如果不是因为她的律师说服她经过数十年的婚姻她理应获得适当的分成，她可能不会考虑丈夫的养老金。
处理离婚中的养老金主要有三种选择。您可以基于“彻底断绝关系”（clean-break）原则进行分享；一方可以预留部分收入在退休后支付；或者可以用其他资产抵消其价值。
在琼斯女士的案例中，她获得了一项“养老金分享令”，该命令基于彻底断绝关系原则分割账户。她收到了一笔价值数万英镑的趸付款，并将其存入一个新的养老金账户——这使她现在能够过上没有金钱忧虑的生活。
琼斯女士（非真名）说：“如果我只拿到现金结算，我就不会过得这么舒适。”
她有两个 40 多岁的孩子和三个孙辈，她说这意味着她可以尽情地给他们买东西而无需担心成本。
如果她要给那些处于中年离婚的人一个建议，那就是：“寻求专业建议。这看起来可能很贵，但每一分钱都花得值得。我现在生活得极其舒适，这归功于养老金的投资。”
专门从事养老金和离婚法律事务的律师里斯·泰勒（Rhys Taylor）表示：“至关重要的一点是，不能忽视养老金经常被误解的长期价值。”
● 独居？分享您的观点，请发送电子邮件至 money@mailonsunday.co.uk
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“许多养老金领取者陷入贫困”
或是晚年的护理费用。而那些希望退休生活更舒适的人，则需要支付更高额的费用。
专业人士用于估算储蓄需求的《退休生活标准》（Retirement Living Standard）指南建议，单身人士税后需要 45,400 英镑 才能过上舒适的生活。这足以支撑每年一次为期两周的欧洲假期和三次英国周末短途旅行。此外，这还包括每周 £78 的食品购物开支和 1,500 英镑 的服装费用。
一对夫妇每年需要 62,700 英镑 —— 即每人 31,350 英镑 —— 才能实现这种生活方式。这比单身人士少 14,050 英镑 —— 在 20 年的退休生活中，差额为 28.1 万英镑。
独居者必须依靠一份收入承担所有家庭、生活和医疗保健费用。他们面临着独自支付房屋维修费用的财务负担，且无法分摊公用事业账单等固定成本。他们在旅行时也面临更高的成本，因为无法共用酒店房间。
LCP 发现，处于贫困状态的单身养老金领取者中，三分之二为女性，这意味着他们在扣除住房成本前的家庭收入比当前中位数低 60%。
退休后最大的财务风险之一是离婚，因为许多人会发现自己的养老金减少了，甚至完全没有。虽然一些离婚人士可能会遭受金钱
财富与个人理财 57
我与我的钱
迈克·达博 (Mike d'Abo) 歌手兼词曲作者
彼得·罗伯逊 (PETER ROBERTSON) 写道，迈克·达博在 1966 年取代保罗·琼斯 (Paul Jones) 成为 Manfred Mann 乐队的主唱而名声大噪，并获得了七首前十名热门单曲。他还创作了 The Foundations 乐队的热门歌曲《Build Me Up Buttercup》、标志性的 Cadbury's Finger Of Fudge 电视广告曲，以及后来被用作 BBC 剧集《办公室》(The Office) 主题曲并在 2000 年代初由 Stereophonics 翻唱成为热门歌曲的《Handbags & Gladrags》。他目前仍与包括 The Manfreds 在内的几支乐队合作。82 岁的迈克与妻子丽莎 (Lisa) 及其 18 岁的双胞胎孩子住在科茨沃尔德 (Cotswolds)。
你的父母在金钱方面教了你什么？
从小，我和我的三个兄弟姐妹就被告知，我们并不拥有家族其他分支所享有的财富。在母亲那边，他们拥有约克郡塔德卡斯特 (Tadcaster) 的 John Smith's 酿酒厂。在父亲那边，我的祖父曾是 Hambros 银行的董事长。
然而，这些财富似乎都没有流向我们的家庭 —— 我们被告知我们在家族等级制度中处于相当靠后的位置。当我们看到一些表亲享有的奢华生活时，相比之下，我们经常觉得自己像是贫穷的亲戚。
你的第一份薪水是多少？
由于 1963 年考试不及格被剑桥大学开除，我想去美国学习爵士钢琴。我的股票经纪人父亲阻止了这个计划，但帮我在一家音乐店争取到了面试机会。
他的客户之一是 Boosey & Hawkes 的董事 —— 这是一家铜管乐队制造商和音乐出版商。他给我提供了一份工作，在他们位于苏豪区 (Soho) 的 Rudall Carte 音乐店里清理橱窗里的乐器。我的薪水是每周 £10。这份工作持续了一年，直到 1964 年我们以前在哈罗公学 (Harrow School) 的团体 A Band Of Angels 转向职业化。
你是否曾为维持生计而苦苦挣扎？
一直如此！人们可能不相信，但我与 Manfred Mann 合作创作热门歌曲的三年时间里，仅为我赚了 11,700 英镑，而且在整个 20 世纪 70 年代和 80 年代，支付账单一直是一场巨大的挣扎。
你是否曾拿到过离谱的高薪？
我有两次收到过远超预期的支票。
在 Stereophonics 凭借《Handbags & Gladrags》登上排行榜两年后，我收到了一张 6.6 万英镑 的支票。那是我第一次看到五位数的支票。
另一张令人惊讶的支票出现在 Manfred Mann 解散 20 年之后。在对我们之前的唱片公司进行审计后，结果显示我们被少付了 18 万英镑。
我分得的那部分是一张 2.8 万英镑 的支票 —— 然而，我一分钱也没见到，因为我当时的妻子
Manfred Mann 乐队的迈克·达博谈离婚、他的第一份薪水以及为什么他的歌曲就是他的养老金
我在20世纪60年代写了《Handbags & Gladrags》，但到80年代我的银行账户里却空空如也
直接把它存进了她自己的私人建房互助协会账户，并迅速提出了离婚！
你财务状况最好的一年是哪一年？
在写出一首热门唱片后，得等相当长一段时间才能拿到钱。
当The Stereophonics在2001 / 02年凭借我于1967年创作的《Handbags & Gladrags》走红时，我记录到了多年来的最低收入。然而，18个月后，在2003 / 04年，当作者版税终于到账时，那一年成了我迄今为止财务状况最好的一年。
你是挥霍型还是储蓄型？
我人生的大部分时间都在拒绝任何奢侈的消费……只有一个例外：牡蛎。
每当我在机场时，我都会前往Caviar House或最近的海鲜店，奖励自己半打或一打牡蛎！我绝对热爱它们，而且——在配上一杯新西兰长相思白葡萄酒的情况下——它们能给我带来一种天然的快感，让我处于最适合飞行的心态。
你最大的财务错误是什么？
我于1977年移民美国，当我在1982年回到英国时，我没钱了。
为了买车，我不得不接受一项租赁协议。回想起来，想到我为那辆Morris Ital支付了多少超出市价的钱，我就不寒而栗，
领跑：上图为Mike d'Abo在1966年与Manfred Mann共同演出，左图为2015年个人演出。最左图：与妻子Lisa合影
最终导致我支付的价格是原标价的两倍。这就是当你银行账户里空无一文时会发生的事情——而在20世纪80年代，我确实没钱。
你做过的最好的财务决定？
1996年与我的第三任妻子Lisa结婚。
她在处理金钱方面的能力和行政技巧使我们能够储蓄、投资并为税务目的预留资金。
我人生中第一次开始为家庭构建一个安全的未来，而且希望我的五个孩子能从我们改善的财务状况中受益。
你有养老金吗？
我的歌曲就是我的养老金，希望只要我还活着，它们就能为我提供生计，并在我离世后为我的家人提供保障。
我认为自己非常幸运，能够创作出至今仍被播放且对人们有意义的歌曲。
你拥有房产吗？
我们拥有两处：我们居住的房子——一座带有1英亩土地的爱德华时代五居室独立屋——以及三英里外我们之前的住所，目前已出租。我很高兴地说，这两处房产都已经付清了款项。
如果音乐事业没有成功，你会做什么？
我18岁时去剑桥学习神学，打算成为一名牧师。但音乐成了我生命中更主导的力量。
如果你是财政大臣，你会怎么做？
英国在很大程度上已变得难以治理——我们社会的差距过大，文化的侵蚀过于广泛——因此，想要让这个国家重新站起来并让每个人都满意，可能已经太晚了。
你最顶级的纵容是什么？
看板球赛和老电影——任何1935年到1969年之间的电影。我热爱任何能带我回到童年的事物，那时我们的世界似乎是一个更简单、更快乐的居住之地。
你的第一财务优先级是什么？
确保我的家人维持体面的生活标准。我希望我的新专辑能产生额外的收入流。音乐产业持久的魅力之一就是你永远不知道转角处会发生什么。
● Mike d'Abo的新专辑《The Journey... So Far》通过Charly Records和流媒体平台发行。
58 财富与个人财务
在临近退休前降低养老金风险……安全之法
在本系列文章中，我们的专家将回答您关于增加财富的迫切问题。
您已经勤奋地投资了数十年，定期向职场养老金账户储蓄，现在退休已在眼前。虽然距离退休还有十年，但已足够开始构思您在工作之外可能度过的生活。
如果您处于这种情况，您可能需要考虑调整您的投资策略。
您越接近退休，就越不能承受养老金总额价值下跌的风险。
财务规划公司 TrinityBridge 的高级投资总监 Simon Tabb 表示：“距离退休十年是一个开始思考转变重点的好时机，即从单纯追求回报最大化，转向平衡未来的收入需求并保护您已经积累的资产。”
首先考虑您希望如何提取养老金储蓄。如果您计划使用全部资金购买一种形式为年金的保证年收入，那么您将需要开始“去风险化”——将资金从
如何投资……
关于增加财富有疑问？请发送电子邮件至 money@mailonsunday.co.uk
作者：Holly Mead
股票市场转移到波动性较低的资产中。这是因为您需要一次性兑现全部资金来购买年金，以换取终身收入。
如今，大多数退休人员将资金留在股票市场投资，要么提取定期收入（称为灵活提取 / drawdown），要么根据需要提取现金。
对于这些储蓄者来说，将资金分摊可能更有意义，将
一部分投入到短期内可以提取的更安全资产中，而将其余部分留在股票市场投资，使其具有继续增长的潜力。
InvestEngine 的投资主管 Andrew Prosser 表示：“多元化至关重要——持有跨不同资产类别、行业和地区的多种投资可以帮助降低风险。”
可以考虑股票收益基金，这类基金持有多家分红公司的股份，能够提供可靠的收入来源。
平衡基金或多资产基金可以是分散风险的有效方式。这些基金投资于股票、债券以及房地产和黄金等其他资产的组合。
分散资金意味着如果出现市场冲击，您的养老金总额受到的影响会较小。
Hargreaves Lansdown 的分析师 Nicholas Hyett 建议选择 Schroders Managed Balance Fund，以“平滑股票市场的一些波动”。
该基金将其投资组合的四分之三投入公司股票，外加政府债券和公司债券的组合。在过去三年中，该基金的回报率为 43%。
他还看好 Fidelity Global Dividend，该基金“投资于全球高质量的公司，重点关注那些能够在长期内增加分红的公司”。主要持仓包括 National Grid、德意志交易所（Deutsche Boerse）和台积电（Taiwan Semiconductor）。该基金在三年内的回报率为 53.7%。
与此同时，Hyett 表示，Fidelity Money-Builder Corporate Bond 是“那些希望开始逐步降低投资组合风险的人的有用基金”。它投资于由
基准利率追踪器
贷款机构 / 利率 / 详情 / 首付 / 费用 / 联系方式
英国国家外围银行 (Nationwide) / 4.13 / 基准 +0.38%，期限 2 年 / 40% / £999 / 0800 302 010 英国国家外围银行 (Nationwide) / 4.95 / 基准 +1.20%，期限 2 年 / 5% / £0 / 0800 302 010 巴克莱银行 (Barclays) / 4.35 / 基准 +0.60%，期限 5 年 / 40% / £999 / 0333 202 7500
以房养贷 (BUY TO LET)
NatWest / 4.72 / 至 30 / 11 / 28 / 40% / £995 / 0800 400 999
Leeds / 4.61 / 至 31 / 10 / 31 / 40% / 1,499 英镑 / 0545 045 4049 巴克莱银行 (Barclays) / 4.91 / 至 31 / 09 / 31 / 25% / £899 / 0333 202 7500
来源：L&C Mortgages - 0800 694 5444 / lands.co.uk
59
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充满优惠的杂志
ATOL 许可证：1458
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寻找您的奢华海滩逃离之旅...
马尔代夫，Coco Badu Hithi
7 晚起 2,349 英镑( ^{1} )
含机票、5星级全包海滩度假村及快艇接送
- 尽享以观察 Howkabil 海龟而闻名的绝佳家礁 - 在大型海滨无边泳池中放松身心
特别优惠 房费折扣
及 免费升级至全包服务
- 每对夫妇可节省超过 4,050 英镑
毛里求斯 Maritim 度假村及水疗中心
7 晚起 2,549 英镑( ^{1} )
另需在当地支付每人 21 欧元
含机票、5星级全包海滩度假村及私人接送
- 这家近期翻新的度假村坐落在俯瞰壮丽海龟湾的田园诗般环境中
特别优惠 20% 房费折扣
- 每对夫妇可节省超过 £350
马来西亚，婆罗洲，Gaya Island 度假村
7 晚起 1,699 英镑( ^{1} )
另需在当地支付每人 75 马来西亚林吉特
含机票、5星级海滩度假村、早餐及私人接送
特别优惠 房费折扣
及 免费情侣水疗按摩
- 每对夫妇可节省超过 £750
TF 顶级推荐
12 晚泰国奢华城市与海滩之旅 1,599 英镑
寻找您的假期灵感...
美国，加州巡航
14 晚起 1,199 英镑( ^{a} )
另需在当地支付每人 347 美元
含直飞航班、3 晚 4 星级旧金山酒店（含早餐）、11 晚最多可入住 5 人的房车租赁（含 1,500 英里里程包）以及阿尔卡特拉斯与旧金山 2 日随上随下巴士之旅
• 沿着标志性的 1 号公路南下加州海岸
特别优惠 里程包 50% 折扣
- 每对夫妇可节省超过 £250
澳大利亚与新西兰航程
32 晚起 9,999 英镑( ^{1} )
含机票、2 晚 4 星级以上香港酒店、16 晚 3 星级以上至 4 星级以上澳大利亚酒店、罗特尼斯岛探险、珀斯 3 天租车、在 Indian Pacific 号列车金级双人舱入住 3 天（含车外体验及精选餐饮 / 饮料）、乌鲁鲁早晨导览基础步行、从乌鲁鲁前往国王峡谷，以及 12 晚名人邮轮（Celebrity cruise，含全餐、经典饮料套餐及 wi-fi）
南非，超值花园大道与野生动物之旅
12 晚起 2,199 英镑( ^{1} )
另需在当地支付每人 659 南非兰特
含机票、3 星级以上至 4 星级以上酒店、9 天租车、开普敦 2 日随上随下巴士之旅、弗朗舒克葡萄酒电车、刚果洞穴之旅、猫鼬野生动物之旅、2 次半日 Pumba 野生动物体验、10 顿餐食及私人抵达接送
• 探索开普敦的活力
西加拿大
家庭冒险之旅
13 晚起价 2,549 英镑*
另需在当地支付每人 132 加元
直飞航班、酒店、11 天租车、温哥华 Hop-on Hop-off 城市观光巴士游、FlyOver Canada 体验、夏季阿尔卑斯体验、飞索之旅、熊类观赏之旅、终极落基山探索票及牛仔烧烤（含午餐）
价格适用于 2027 年夏季假期
寻找您的巡游冒险之旅...
越南与柬埔寨精华游
17 晚起价 2,499 英镑( ^{a} )
航班、1 晚游前酒店及 17 天小团体导览冒险游，包括 14 晚酒店、1 晚垃圾船、1 晚卧铺火车、共享交通、领队、活动 / 远足及 20 餐
特别优惠 旅游折扣
- 每人可节省 £150 以上
日本：大阪、京都、富士山与东京
7 晚起价 3,299 英镑( ^{1} )
航班、1 晚游前 4★+ 酒店及 7 天小团体导览冒险游，包括 6 晚酒店、共享交通、领队、活动 / 远足及 2 餐
- 漫步于京都最著名的艺伎区——祇园 • 穿行在伏见稻荷大社数以千计的标志性鸟居之下
斯里兰卡深度尊享游
14 晚起价 4,399 英镑( ^{1} )
航班、1 晚游前酒店及 14 天小团体导览冒险游，包括 13 晚酒店、共享交通、领队、活动 / 远足及 21 餐
- 在文化三角区了解该国迷人的历史
• 在加勒体验烹饪课程 TF 独家 旅游折扣
- 每人可节省 £200 以上
经典哥斯达黎加
12 晚起价 3,599 英镑( ^{a} )
航班及 13 天私人游，包括 10 晚酒店及 2 晚旅馆、私人及共享交通与导游、活动 / 远足及 17 餐
- 领略哥斯达黎加惊人的生物多样性 • 欣赏阿雷纳尔火山的壮丽景色 • 漫步在神秘的蒙特韦尔德云雾森林
资深飞行专家
度假
作者：Thomas Isacke
在热浪袭来时前往城市度假似乎有违直觉，但某些城市景点确实非常适合夏季出行。
而且在一年中的这个时间访问可能具有优势。首先，由于许多当地人自己也在度假（可能前往海滩），城市在盛夏时分通常较为安静。其次，酒店价格可能会下降，使其成为一个更合理的出行时间。
The Lovin' Spoonful 乐队 1966 年的经典流行歌曲《Summer In The City》以歌词“Hot town, summer in the city”（炎热的小镇，城市的夏天）开篇，但实际情况不必如此。在这里，我们挑选了一些最佳去处——让你避开拥挤的海滨度假胜地。
在奥斯陆放松
在挪威首都的奥斯陆峡湾（Oslofjord）畅游，这里的水温在夏季可升至 22℃（相比之下，贝尼多姆为 27℃）。Sorenga 峡湾泳池非常棒，此外在 Tjuvholmen 还有海滩和游泳码头 (visitoslo.com)。之后，前往设有空调的蒙克博物馆参观艺术家爱德华·蒙克著名的《呐喊》画作，并在挪威国家歌剧院和芭蕾舞团欣赏演出。预订：市中心现代化的 K7 Hotel Oslo 双人间 £96 起 (k7hotel.com)。斯坦斯特德-奥斯陆往返机票 £105 起 (ryanair.)。
潜入苏黎世
苏黎世的乐趣之一在于，在参观完国家博物馆和国际足联（Fifa）博物馆后，你可以溜到苏黎世湖畔城市中那些绝佳的浴场之一。
预订：Radisson Hotel and Suites 双人间 £95 起 (radissonhotels.)。希思罗-苏黎世往返机票 £175 起 (swiss.)。
针对 50 岁以上人群且无年龄上限的旅行保险
24 / 7 英语紧急救援热线 提供无限额医疗保障 已覆盖 2700 万+ 名旅行者 值得信赖 25 年
夏季促销 基础价格 8折 (20% OFF)
Which? 最佳购买 (Best Buy)
ch? 购买
ch? 购买
Trustpilot 评级：优秀
defoqlo 活动评级
INSURE AND GO
毫无疑虑地出发
免费致电我们的英国呼叫中心 0800 640 4812
InsureandGo Gold 和 Black 等级获得了 Which Best Buy 认证。InsureandGo Gold 和 Black 等级被 Defoqlo 评为 1 星。Black 方案提供无限额紧急医疗费用保障。折扣仅适用于基础保费，不适用于涵盖医疗状况或可选附加项的任何保费，且自动应用。此折扣不能与其他优惠同时使用。优惠于 31 / 08 / 26 的 25.59 结束。详见网站 180。
在巴黎寻找完美
八月是巴黎最安静的月份之一。通过规划参观设有空调的一流博物馆和美术馆来避暑，包括卢浮宫（《蒙娜丽莎》所在地）、奥赛博物馆（充满雷诺阿、马奈和莫奈的作品）以及橘园美术馆（欣赏莫奈、雷诺阿、毕加索以及莫迪利亚尼的作品）。
预订：Hotel Apolonia Paris Mouffetard 双人间 £104 起 (bestwestern.co.uk)。欧洲之星巴黎往返机票 £170 起 (eurostar.)。
鹿特丹的惬意之行
鹿特terdam 在八月因一系列节日而变得热闹，包括免费的“公园古典音乐会”（于 8 月 29-30 日举行）；详见 rotterdamcentrum.nl。预订一次沿新马斯河（River Nieuwe Maas）的船行，从水上欣赏欧洲最大的港口（90 分钟 £26 起，rivercruiserotterdam.nl）。然后，在一流的博伊曼斯·范·比宁根博物馆（Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen）的空调房中保持凉爽，这里收藏了许多荷兰艺术杰作 (boijmans.nl)。
预订：市中心的 NH Atlanta Rotterdam 双人间 £59 起 (nh-hotels.)。欧洲之星鹿特丹往返机票 £300 起 (eurostar.)。
在西班牙消暑
在西班牙较为凉爽的北部大西洋沿岸，圣塞巴斯蒂安深受西班牙人的喜爱，并以其米其林星级美食场景而闻名。这里还拥有一片绝美的月牙形海滩——拉孔查海滩（La Concha），海滩边的散步道下方有许多可以遮阳避暑的场所。老城狭窄的街道同样能提供阴凉。
预订：时尚的 Social Hub Hotel 双人间 £133 起 (thesocialhub.co)。希思罗至圣塞巴斯蒂安往返机票 £193 起 (vueling.com)。
在赫尔辛基避暑
芬兰首都的日最高气温在 20℃ 左右，所以你不会被晒得焦糊。这里有一个中心海滨游泳池 (allaspool.fi)，此外还有一系列可以在波罗的海游泳的地点（水温为 17℃）。预订一张 Musiikkitalo 的门票，欣赏当地伟大作曲家让·西贝柳斯 (Jean Sibelius, 1865-1957) 的下午演出 (musiikkitalo.fi)。预订：舒适的 Hilton Helsinki Strand 双人间 £100 起 (hilton.com)。希思罗至赫尔辛基往返机票 £325 起 (funair.)。
在科隆清凉
在德国宏伟的中世纪科隆大教堂里，感觉十分凉爽。沿着莱茵河散步或乘坐游船
英国怎么样？
爱丁堡：你可以在距离市区三英里的波托贝洛海滩（Portobello Beach）消暑。
布里斯托：参观布鲁内尔的大不列颠号蒸汽船（SS Great Britain）和克利夫顿吊桥（Clifton Suspension Bridge），然后在维多利亚时代的布里斯托露天泳池（Bristol Lido）畅游 (lidobristol.)。
贝尔法斯特：探索设有空调的泰坦尼克号博物馆和阿尔斯特博物馆，然后在凉爽且有微风的拉根河（River Lagan）边散步。
假期
61
即使在酷暑中，这些城市避暑地也出人意料地令人心旷神怡——这里有凉爽的游泳场所、阴凉的街道、设有空调的博物馆以及价格实惠的酒店。
惬意时光：
上图为维罗纳的皮埃特拉桥（Ponte Pietra），右上图为风景优美的奥斯陆。左图：鹿特丹的酷艺术，下图：跳入波罗的海。
在斯德哥尔摩游泳
8月的瑞典首都，日最高气温预计仅为 21℃。这是一个绝佳的旅行时机，在市内的许多隐秘海滩和码头都可以游泳（目前水温约为 18℃）。请参阅 visitstockholm. 的“斯德哥尔摩海滩”页面。国家博物馆 (nationalmuseum.se) 以及 ABBA 博物馆 (abbathemuseum.) 均设有空调。
预订：现代的 Radisson Blu Royal Viking Hotel 双人间 £114 起 (radissonhotels.)。盖特威克 / 曼彻斯特至斯德哥尔摩往返机票 £195 起 (norwegian.)。
选择格但斯克
在优秀的欧洲团结中心 (ecs.gda.pl) 和第二次世界大战博物馆 (muzeum1939.pl) 可以找到空调，前者讲述了 20 世纪 80 年代波兰工会运动的故事。
漫步于中世纪的小巷，在世界上规模最大的砖砌教堂——圣玛丽教堂中保持凉爽。乘坐有轨电车仅需 20 分钟即可到达波罗的海海滩 (visitgdansk.)。
- 一小时游船 £17 起 (getyourguide.)。然后前往历史悠久的中心市场 Alter Markt，在那里你可以找到供应小杯（仅 0.2cl）冰镇科隆啤酒（Kolsch）的酒吧。酒杯会定期更换，确保你的饮品始终处于完美温度。
预订：地理位置优越的 Mondial Am Dom Hotel Cologne 双人间 £106 起 (all.accor.)。斯坦斯特德 / 曼彻斯特至科隆往返机票 £69 起 (ryanair.)。
在维罗纳放松
你可能会认为意大利很热——事实确实如此——但你可以在维罗纳的哥特式和罗马式大教堂中消暑，包括维罗纳大教堂和圣泽诺马焦雷大教堂 (visitverona.it)。阿迪杰河（River Adige）吹来阵阵惬意的微风，河边排列着咖啡馆和餐厅。老城狭窄的小巷同样能提供阴凉。
预订：优雅的 Hotel Leon D'Oro Verona 双人间 £112 起 (hotelleondoro verona.)。盖特威克 / 曼彻斯特至维罗纳往返机票 £139 起 (easyjet.)。
预订：位于老城中心的 Hilton Gdansk 双人间 £127 起 (hilton.)。斯坦斯特德至格但斯克往返机票 £134 起 (ryanair.)。
迷人的爱沙尼亚
爱沙尼亚首都塔林拥有令人愉悦的中世纪中心、热闹的酒吧和餐厅，以及售卖古着衣物和食品摊位的市场。8月的最高气温为21℃，您可以前往波罗的海游泳。最佳地点是Iglopark，那里还设有桑拿房（iglopark.com）。
预订：塔林瑞士酒店（Swissotel Tallinn）时尚双人间 £99起（swissotel.com）。卢顿-塔林往返机票 £166起（wizzair.com）。
● 价格基于本月旅行，且在印刷时准确无误。
巴厘岛欧贝罗伊海滩度假酒店 5*
节省 20%
• 坐落于海滩之上，被郁郁葱葱的花园环绕，提供传统的茅草屋住宿、绝佳的餐厅以及独特的欧贝罗伊水疗中心
• 参观海龟保护区（5月至10月），观看雏龟被释放到大海中
机票、酒店及接送 - 7晚 每人 £1,609起
兰卡威四季度假酒店 5*
2 晚免费住宿
• 在这个集冒险、宁静与浪漫于一体的地方享受放松与休息，周围环境如画般完美
• 入住花园景观房，配有户外用餐区，在绿意盎然的草坪前享受香槟时刻的绝佳选择
机票、酒店及接送 - 7晚 每人 £2,019起
普吉岛杜喜塔尼拉古娜度假酒店 5*
节省 30%
• 位于泰国最受欢迎的岛屿目的地之一的豪华海滨度假胜地，将优雅的泰国传统与热情好客相结合
• 坐落在邦涛海滩的白沙之上，置身于葱郁的花园中，可俯瞰安达曼海
机票、酒店及接送 - 7晚 每人 £1,019起
越南亮点私人之旅 4*
节省 £200
在这次全面的私人之旅中，行程从北部的河内开始，在南部的胡志明市结束。您将访问美丽的下龙湾——该国最伟大的自然奇观——并停留在迷人的顺化和漂亮的会安
机票、酒店及接送 - 10晚 每人 £2,855起
日本美食探险之旅 4*
节省 £300
从寺庙到天妇罗，从神社到刺身，从海鲜市场到清酒酿造厂，让您的味蕾开启一场穿越日本最美味热点的烹饪之旅。参加烹饪课程和演示，尽情品味“旭日之国”的风味。
机票与酒店 - 10 晚起价每人 £4,215
客户信托账户
ATOL 专业认证
ABTA 500 000 000
DialAFlight
您的旅行，量身定制
020-7962-9933
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特别优惠
本次行程将加尔达湖畔的放松时光与前往威尼托大区最迷人城镇的远足相结合，为您提供了解北意大利的理想入门之旅。
在一次非凡的八日假期中，探索一系列令人难忘的亮点，从威尼斯和维罗纳的历史中心，到壮丽的多洛米蒂山脉和诗意的加尔达湖。您将入住里瓦-德尔-加尔达（Riva del Garda）或托尔博莱（Torbole），您的假期将以游览湖边最迷人的城镇开始，包括西尔米奥内（Sirmione）、拉齐塞（Lazise）和巴尔多利诺（Bardolino）。
接下来将前往莎士比亚《罗密欧与朱丽叶》的故事背景地——维罗纳，经验丰富的当地导游将向您介绍这座城市最重要的景点。在迷人的全天观光之后，您可以享受一整天的自由活动时间，随心安排。
假期的后半段将由导游带领您乘坐大巴前往壮丽的意大利多洛米蒂山脉。在探索南蒂罗尔（South Tyrol）期间，您将停靠几个漂亮的阿尔卑斯小镇，然后沿着通往马尔莫拉达（Marmolada）和波尔多山口（Pordoi Pass）的发夹弯蜿蜒前行。
次日，向东前往“最宁静之城”威尼斯，进行另一次导游游览。这座城市曾是地中海的贸易中心，如今是精美的文艺复兴地标、蜿蜒小巷和贡多拉运河的繁荣枢纽，注定将成为您此次行程的主要亮点之一。
在北意大利度过激动人心的一周后，您可以按照自己的节奏在最后一天的自由活动中放松身心，然后返回维罗纳，搭乘航班返回英国。
预订理由
体验 la dolce vita（甜蜜生活）
在这次旅行中，您将接触到许多当地人享受的慢节奏生活方式。入住迷人的里瓦-德尔-加尔达或托尔博莱小镇，即使在自由活动日，您也能轻松前往各种湖畔城镇，体验 la dolce vita——即“甜蜜生活”。您还将通过导游远足访问迷人的景点，从童话般的西尔米奥内到特伦蒂诺（Trentino）地区的阿尔卑斯小镇。
维罗纳亮点
凭借其国际化的历史和艺术遗产，维罗纳在每一个转角都承诺带来丰厚的探索收获。参观这座城市繁忙的主广场——色彩斑斓的布拉广场（Piazza Bra）和药草广场（Piazza delle Erbe），并访问世界著名的朱丽叶故居（Casa di Giulietta），以纪念《罗密欧与朱丽叶》中的悲剧女主角。您还可以参观这座城市的罗马圆形剧场，并在壮丽的斯卡利格家族墓地（Scaliger Tombs）停靠，了解维罗纳中世纪臭名昭著的统治者——斯卡利格家族。
“最宁静之城”之最
毫无疑问，在威尼斯的蜿蜒小巷和运河中度过的一天将是您行程的亮点之一。游览圣马可广场，那里有壮丽的大教堂和总督府，并坐在贡多拉上惊叹于里阿尔托桥。在市内的世界级博物馆之一探索威尼斯共和国的遗产，并在军械库（Arsenal）停靠，发现其军事实力的见证。
北意大利的风景 在探索威尼托和特伦蒂诺地区时，您将经过一些真正非凡的景观。远眺意大利最大湖泊——加尔达湖广阔的湖岸，并在周围的山峦间屏息凝神。探索肥沃的阿尔托-阿迪杰（Alto Adige）地区及其色彩斑斓的葡萄园，并攀登广袤的布伦塔-多洛米蒂（Brenta Dolomites）之巅，俯瞰意大利阿尔卑斯山的全景。
本周特惠
尼罗河奇观： 从阿斯旺到开罗
13 天起价 6,599 英镑
包含项目：
- 2027 年 3 月至 10 月期间选定的出发日期
- 往返机票、大巴旅行及接送服务
- 在 MS Mövenpick Darakum 号邮轮下层甲板船舱内入住 12 晚全包式邮轮住宿
- 参观阿斯旺高坝、菲莱神庙、科姆翁波神庙、埃德富神庙、帝王谷、哈特谢普苏特神庙、卡纳克神庙、卢克索、哈托尔神庙、塞提神庙、法老埃赫那吞之墓、贝尼哈桑墓、旧开罗、科普特博物馆、吉萨大金字塔、狮身人面像以及大埃及博物馆
- 由一名旅行经理陪同
请拨打免费电话 0808 303 7441 或访问 www.mailtravel.co.uk
假期由 Riviera Travel 运营并受其预订条件约束，ABTA V4794 ATOL 2430 受保护，该公司独立于 Associated Newspapers Ltd 和 Mail Travel。价格为每人价格，基于两人同房，单人入住需补差价，且视供应情况而定。*起价基于 2027 年 9 月 1 日从伦敦希思罗机场出发，随后登上 MS Mövenpick Darakum 号。价格在印刷时准确无误。
包含项目
- 往返意大利机票，以及全程大巴旅行和接送服务
- 在精选酒店或度假村入住七晚含早餐住宿
- 加尔达湖大环游
- 维罗纳之旅
- 多洛米蒂山脉景观远足
- 威尼斯之旅
- 由经验丰富的旅行经理全程陪同，并在适用时配备当地专业导游
如何预订
日期：2026 年 9 月至 2027 年 10 月
价格：每人 £1,064 起*
请拨打 0808 239 1392 了解更多信息，或直接访问 mailtravel.co.uk / veniceverona 进行预订
条款与条件：假期由 Newmarket Holidays 运营，ABTOP 5509, ATOL 2525, ABTA V1932，该公司完全独立于 Associated Newspapers Limited 和 Mail Travel。价格基于两人同房。单人入住需补差价。起价基于 2026 年 10 月 14 日从伦敦盖特威克机场出发。*最高 5% 的优惠适用于 2026 年 9 月 30 日前完成的选定行程预订，且不能追溯应用于已确认的预订。视供应情况而定，并可能随时撤销。所示价格已包含折扣。价格在印刷时准确无误。
最高可省 15%
北意大利世界奇观的魔幻之旅
壮丽景观： 威尼斯的水道瞬间展现在眼前
假期 63
By Georgina Fuller
我带着一种难以置信且恐惧的复杂心情阅读了那封电子邮件：“我们非常期待与大家一起共度这个大日子。如果你们中有人想趁机度假，租用我们预订的别墅之一，每人的起价仅为 1,000 英镑。”
噢，太棒了，我记得当时这么想。那是 2011 年，我三十出头。在前一年左右，我已经参加了两场奢华的海外婚礼——一场在法国南部，另一场在托斯卡纳——此外还在巴塞罗那参加了一次单身女派对，这些活动的朋友们收入都远高于我。我怎么能负担得起这次旅行？
当时，我的收入是 3 万英镑。当旅行结束，我最终计算机票、婚礼和一件新裙子（更不用说她的单身女派对）的费用时，我已经花费了数千英镑。此外还有伴随着大量葡萄酒和多道菜肴的长晚餐——再加上鸡尾酒和出租车费……
快进到今天的生活成本危机，这些“度假财富差距”问题依然严重。Airbnb 和家庭假期慈善机构（Family Holiday Charity）的研究显示，27% 的家庭今年无法负担度假，近五分之一的人在过去六个月中取消了海外旅行。
与此同时，在光谱的另一端，返现提供商 Rakuten 的另一项研究发现，女性整体上——有些人比其他人多得多——每年平均花费 2,414 英镑 在维持友谊上，其中大部分涉及旅行。
当我征集有类似“财富差距”度假故事的朋友时，引起了共鸣。例如，劳拉（Laura）被邀请参加朋友在迪拜的 50 岁生日派对，尽管她通常在威尔士她母亲的房车里度假。
她的朋友们很乐意支付鸡尾酒、酒店沙龙的吹风造型甚至豪华游船的费用。但有一天早晨，觉得自己像个应该努力表现的穷亲戚，她提出请客吃早餐。结果让她大吃一惊——三个人一共花费了 £180。
“那是一次极其深刻的经历，我也非常爱我的朋友，但这种程度的奢靡不适合我，”劳拉说。
与此同时，安娜（Anna）在收到邀请与丈夫及孩子一起加入另一个家庭在他们的小木屋度假滑雪时感到非常激动。她尽职且节俭地，
从 Vinted 和 Sports Direct 购买了滑雪裤和护目镜。
但当他们到达莫尔齐讷（Morzine）的小木屋，发现那里配备了私人厨师和保姆，随后被带到一间带有阳台和桑拿房的套房时，她惊呆了。
“我知道他们相当富裕，但我完全不知道他们如此富有，”她说。“他们非常善良……但我们这一周的大部分时间都感到很不舒服。”
还有简（Jane），她被邀请参加在马拉喀什的单身女派对，并在一个带有厨师和屋顶泳池的私人租房上花费了 1,000 英镑。
“我把预订机票拖到了最后一刻，结果在机票和机场停车费上花费了超过 £250。在一家非常昂贵的水烟吧喝鸡尾酒花费了 £200,” 她说。
接下来的情况更糟。“其中一个女孩预订了骑骆驼……作为一名素食主义者，我讨厌看到可怜的骆驼被拴住，被迫在滚烫的沙漠中行走，”她说。
简在慈善部门兼职工作，虽然她富有的朋友们认为周末花掉一千英镑没什么大不了的，但她说：“对我来说，那是一个月的房租。”
另一位朋友哈丽特（Harriet）不得不拒绝担任一名在托斯卡纳结婚的朋友的伴娘，因为作为一名有两个幼子的兼职教学助理，她负担不起在别墅里住一周的费用。
新娘是一家伦敦顶尖公司的会计师，幸好原谅了她。“我们回来后一起吃了晚餐，她沉浸在婚礼的兴奋中，似乎并不在意，”她说。
当我回想起我与朋友们度过的最美好的假期时，那可能是一次
到伊比萨岛，那是1996年，我18岁，我们当时都处于一种几乎破产的状态。
我们合租了一套破旧的公寓，靠着 Pot Noodles（杯面）度日——事实上，那可能是我有史以来最喜欢的假期。莎士比亚曾说：
“我的朋友们虽然贫穷，但很诚实。”或许，至少在度假这件事上，这是最好的组合。
● 姓名和身份细节已做修改。
乌兹别克斯坦——丝绸之路之心
11 天 3,149 英镑 现为 2,899 英镑
您的价格包含：
- 在导游带领下探索塔什干、撒马尔罕、布哈拉和希瓦
- 3星级酒店九晚住宿
- 通过城市游览探索塔什干、撒马尔罕和布哈拉
- 体验布哈拉木偶戏和微缩学校
- 传统的面包制作以及与当地家庭共进午餐
- 参观著名的陶瓷工作室
“我们旅程中的亮点是在乌兹别克家庭中品尝家常面包并玩耍，住在希瓦古城一座由经学院改建的旅馆里，并且在很大程度上得益于我们优秀且知识渊博的导游，得以对这个迷人的国家有所了解。” J Swaisland
索取您的宣传册
travelsphere.co.uk
01858 415072
或访问您当地的旅行社
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昂贵的口味：
乔治娜·富勒（Georgina Fuller）表示，当你把奢华的外餐费用计算在内时，成本很快就会增加，她是顶级的
挪威邮轮探索之旅（EXPLORATIONS BY NORWEGIAN）
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再次爱上斯卡伯勒
我站在斯卡伯勒圣玛丽教堂的一个安静角落，凝视着安妮·勃朗特的墓碑。1849年，这位作家在这个北约克郡的海滨度假胜地去世，年仅29岁。这个宁静的地方俯瞰着南湾，那里的行人道上挤满了当日往返的游客。
如今，游客们涌向斯卡伯勒是为了品尝炸鱼和薯条，当然，还有那些海滩。
但安妮来到斯卡伯勒时，正值19世纪这里的人气上升期，尽管其著名的温泉水在更早的1626年就被发现，标志着英国第一个海滨度假胜地的诞生。
整整400年后，大多数人现在是为了它的经典魅力而来。南湾海滩上挤满了在沙滩上玩耍的家庭，就像多年前我和父母那样。
沿着海滨大道，我认出了
作者：Alesia Fiddler
童年时期的许多店铺，包括一家水桶和铲子店，以及一家名为 John Bull's World Of Rock 的家族经营糖果店。
有些建筑看起来边缘略显粗糙，显然经历过无数次沙风的洗礼。是的，这里有很多海边廉价的小玩意，不过这正是魅力的一部分。
我在 Harbour Bar 买了一个桃子芒果旋风冰淇淋（£3.25），这家冰淇淋店始建于1945年。我没有坐在室内，而是站在港口边，听着一个男人在呼喊“还有没有水手”加入他的下一次船行。
一个孩子走过，手里拿着一个几乎和他头一样大的 Mr Whippy 冰淇淋。冰淇淋顺着他的手滴落，而他的父亲正催促他快走。
为了怀旧，我挤出时间
去逛了逛游戏机厅。我和哥哥以前非常喜欢在去之前收集零钱。Coney Island 和 Olympia Leisure 是我们最喜欢的地方。
一小时后，我带着一个廉价玩具离开，口袋里的英镑比进去时少了，但心情像孩子一样快活。
如果没有品尝炸鱼和薯条，就不算是一次完整的斯卡伯勒之旅。Winking Willy's 多年来一直是我家人最喜欢的餐厅。这次他们也没有让人失望，我拿到了一大盘酥脆的黑鳕鱼和薯条（£15.90）。
最后，我回到了我的酒店 Bike And Boot，这里距离南湾只有很短的步行距离。转角处就是 Grand Hotel，它于1867年开业，当时被称为“欧洲最大且最漂亮的酒店”。
斯卡伯勒的北湾感觉像另一个世界。这里的海滩因其清洁度而获得认可，不像南湾，环境局去年将其水质评级为“差”。
开业于1912年的 Peasholm Park 距离北湾几分钟路程，那里有龙形脚踏船可供租赁。
这是一次美好的回忆之旅，我带着一袋黏黏的甜点回家。
旅行实用信息
Bike And Boot 双人间 £79 起（bikeandboot.com / scarborough）。信息查询：visitnorthyorkshire.com
50岁以上人士旅行保险
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AllClear Gold, Gold Plus 和 Platinum 获得了 Which? Best Buy 认证。AllClear Gold Plus 和 Platinum 被 Defaqto 评为 5 星级。^ 我们在 99.5% 以上的案例中提供了承保（2025 年报价），但不能保证在所有情况下都能承保。^ 英国经纪商奖，2025 年客户服务奖。^ 折扣仅适用于基础保费，不适用于涵盖医疗状况或可选附加项的任何保费，且自动适用。此折扣不能与其他优惠同时使用。优惠于 23:59 在 31 / 08 / 26 结束。更多信息请参阅 AllClearTravel.co.uk 的条款与条件。
66 Holiday
度假专家 (HOLIDAY GURU)
为您解决所有旅行难题
我正考虑在10月份第一次去加那利群岛。我喜欢海滩，但我也热爱徒步和文化。除了那里阳光充足且属于西班牙之外，我对这些岛屿知之甚少。对我来说，哪个岛最合适？
苏珊·杨 (Susan Young)，德比郡，巴克斯顿 (Buxton, Derbyshire)
加那利群岛共有八个有人居住的岛屿：埃尔希耶罗岛 (El Hierro)、富埃特文图拉岛 (Fuerteventura)、大加那利岛 (Gran Canaria)、兰萨罗特岛 (Lanzarote)、拉帕尔马岛 (La Palma)、拉戈梅拉岛 (La Gomera)、拉格拉西奥萨岛 (La Graciosa) 和特内里费岛 (Tenerife)。这些岛屿的总人口为 220 万，而且正如你对西撒哈拉海岸外的群岛所预期的那样，那里全年阳光明媚。
每个岛屿都有其独特的特质。对于初次到访者，尽管有关于“兰萨罗特很糟糕 (Lanza-grotty)”的（不公平的）玩笑，但兰萨罗特岛是一个不错的选择。没错，那里有一些规模庞大的旅游度假区，但也有像帕帕加约海滩 (Playa Papagayo) 和卡莱顿布兰科 (Caleton Blanco) 这样较为安静的地段，此外还有经过旅游开发（但不过度）的黄金海滩 (Playa Dorada) 和白色海滩 (Playa Blanca)。该岛拥有丰富的文化
如何选择你的加那利群岛...
内涵，这尤其要归功于出生于兰萨罗特岛的艺术家塞萨尔·曼里克 (Cesar Manrique, 1919-1992)。
至于徒步，这是一个曾经活跃的火山岛，其中一条顶级的徒步路线是环绕布兰卡火山口 (Caldera Blanca) 的六英里行程，耗时三小时；或者可以选择环绕库埃尔沃斯火山口 (Caldera de los Cuervos) 的 2.8 英里路线 (alltrails.com)。你还可以乘船前往兰萨罗特岛的“妹妹岛”拉格拉西奥萨岛进行一日游，体验更多徒步。
10月份在白色海滩的五星级普林塞萨亚伊萨套房酒店度假村 (Princess Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort) 停留一周的价格为每人 £1,014 起（含早晚餐），包含从曼彻斯特出发的航班 (tui.co.uk)。一周的租车费用为 £102 起 (autoreisen.com)。至于其他岛屿，大加那利岛也是一个极佳的选择，那里有美丽的海滩和火山峰，此外在首府拉斯帕尔马斯 (Las Palmas) 还有现代艺术馆。
与此同时，作为加那利群岛中最大的岛屿，特内里费岛确实有许多繁忙的海滩度假区，但也有充足的徒步路线。富埃特文图拉岛则更为安静，拥有优质的海滩，其中最棒的位于其著名的、位于西南方向的 5.5 英里长索塔文托 (Sotavento) 海岸线。
徒步旅行者尤其喜爱拉帕尔马岛的火山地貌，那里有一套完善的步道网络 (visitlapalma.es)。最西端的微小岛屿埃尔希耶罗岛同样深受徒步者的喜爱，并以生态旅游和“灵魂”而闻名 (elhierro.travel)，而拉戈梅拉岛则拥有茂密的雨林和火山山脊，以及一些安静的海滩 (lagomera.travel)。
我们是一对70多岁的夫妇，虽然我相当活跃，但我丈夫的行动能力有所下降。我们想在加拿大体验落基山登山者号 (Rocky Mountaineer) 火车之旅，但想知道在实际的火车旅程之外是否需要大量行走。您能否推荐一个从温哥华出发，涵盖路易斯湖 (Lake Louise)、贾斯珀 (Jasper) 和班夫 (Banff) 的行程？
杰基·费什 (Jackie Fish)，通过电子邮件
您应该没问题——这些行程不需要太多行走。一个特别引人注目的行程是为期 11 晚的“大冒险环线之旅 (Grand Adventure Circle Journey)”，其中五天在车上，涵盖您提到的地点，费用为每人 £8,313 起 (rockymountaineer.com)。也可以选择更便宜的方案。Trailfinders 可以为您量身定制此类行程 (trailfinders.com)。
我们在此为您提供帮助
如果您需要建议，度假专家将为您解答疑问。请发送电子邮件至 holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk
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票价及供应情况在 14 / 08 / 2026 签发时正确。票价为每人价格，基于两名成人共用，可能随时上涨或撤回。优惠仅适用于新预订。†节省额基于两名成人共用。航班计划可能会有变动且可能是中转航班。最终时间将在出发前确认。‡将产生费用。*受邮轮公司条款及条件约束。礼品每笔预订限一份，仅限英国本土地址。††邮轮里程 (Cruise Miles®) 条款及条件适用。Silversea 条款及条件适用。代理商至 ATOL 持有者 Silversea (4681) E&OE。
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无论您走到哪里都能工作的报警手表
英国目前约有 200 万老年人使用个人报警器，以便在跌倒时召唤救援。
但拉绳和红色按钮仅在您在家时有效，而统计数据显示，48% 的跌倒发生在室外。
现在，一种低调且时尚的新型个人报警器正帮助人们在保持独立的同时保持活力。
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该手表连接至英国移动网络，这意味着它在英国境内拥有无限的覆盖范围
智能手表，配有活动追踪器，可追踪您的步数，测量心率甚至血压。
屏幕上有一个按钮，无论您在国家的哪个地方，都可以使用它来召唤救援。
一位心怀感激的用户 Gillian 表示，她的手表改变了她的生活。两年前她跌倒并导致髋部骨折，当地政府在她家中安装了一个红色按钮式报警器。
“问题是，这个报警器只有在我屋里时才有效，如果我在花园里就没用，所以我觉得被困在室内——这让我觉得自己老了！”她说。“但这款手表让我找回了自由。”
“如果我在外面跌倒，我只需按下手表上的一个按钮，接电话的那些亲切的女士就会通知我指定的联系人或紧急服务部门。”
该手表连接至英国移动网络，这意味着它在英国境内拥有无限的覆盖范围。
轻触按钮，您的位置将立即发送给监控团队（他们提供 24 / 7 全天候服务），他们可以通过内置的扬声器和麦克风与您交谈。这款时尚且低调的手表售价 £59.99，SOS 服务每月 £17.99，YourStride 比大多数个人报警系统更便宜，这意味着您可以享受独立，并自信地知道无论走到哪里都有救援在侧。欲了解更多信息，请访问 yourstride.com 或致电 0203 8685575
生活是为了繁荣而非仅仅生存：50岁以上人群正在重新定义衰老
人们普遍存在一种误解，认为年长者只是简单地听天由命，过着看白天电视的生活。但这已经过时了。如今，50岁以上的人们正在培养新的爱好、旅行、社交，并希望从生活中获得更多。
然而，品牌方并未倾听。最近的研究显示，X世代和婴儿潮一代在英国广告中仅占 12%。这与一个事实形成了鲜明对比：50岁以上人群占据了英国近一半（47%）的消费能力，掌控着超过 £6 trillion 的资产。于是，Humfree 诞生了。这是一个全新的电动代步车品牌，它了解当今的年长一代——这些人拥有自己的生活和热情，他们希望感到被赋能，而非被轻视。
与过去那些笨重、看起来像医疗设备的型号不同，Humfree 的电动代步车轻巧、紧凑且便携。这使得客户能够更轻松地自由出行，而且重要的是，按照他们自己的方式出行。
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通过优先考虑舒适度、独立性和自信心， 代步车开启了一个充满可能性的世界。毕竟，无论你处于什么年龄，生活就是用来体验的。
欲了解更多产品系列信息，请访问 .co.uk 或致电 0800 999 2171 索取免费手册。
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YourStride 跌倒报警手表，让紧急救援触手可及
无论生活带你去向何方， 尽享安心
每天 24 小时，每周 7 天，全天候覆盖。无论是在家中、花园，还是在户外。
只需按下按钮，您即可与我们位于英国的紧急支持团队建立双向通话。随后，他们将向您所在的位置派遣救援。
★★★★ 英国评分最高的个人报警服务
具备自动跌倒检测功能
如果 YourStride 手表检测到跌倒，您将被连接到我们经验丰富的 24 / 7 监控团队。您也可以通过按下手表正面的 SOS 按钮手动呼叫。
由于 48% 的跌倒发生在室外， 的跌倒报警手表旨在室内外均能工作。有了 ，您可以保持活跃，与朋友社交，甚至攀登高山！
一款活动与健康监测仪
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手表完全独立运行，无需 Wi-Fi 或固定电话。因此，无论是在家中、花园还是在户外，您都可以自信地获得所需的帮助。
报警服务运作方式
手表仅需 £59.99，24 / 7 紧急救援服务为每月 £17.99。 跌倒检测附加功能每月 +£2。全部采用灵活的滚动合同，无最低期限要求。
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改造家居，改变生活
很少有合作伙伴能像 EA Mobility 与英国帕金森病协会（Parkinson's UK）的成功协作那样，如此有效地展示实际支持的力量。
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与英国帕金森病协会（Parkinson's UK）的合作为帕金森病患者提供了切实的好处。如果您患有帕金森病，每项改造将获得 10% 的折扣，同时 EA Mobility 还会向英国帕金森病协会（Parkinson's UK）捐款，确保每个项目都能为帕金森病群体带来更广泛的益处。
从时尚的湿房和改造厨房，到门洞扩宽、坡道、家用电梯和行动辅助设备，EA Mobility 的工作是围绕个人需求而设计的。每项改造都将实用性与精心设计相结合，帮助房主在不牺牲外观的前提下，使房产具备面向未来的适用性。
由经过 DBS 审核的友好专家执行的简便家居评估流程，可提供个性化建议、详细报价以及关于潜在增值税（VAT）豁免和融资方案的指导。
英国帕金森病协会（Parkinson's UK）与 EA Mobility 将继续共同证明，成功的合作伙伴关系如何能让个人的日常生活变得更轻松，同时加强对全国数千名受帕金森病影响者的支持。
欲了解更多信息，请访问 eamobility.com 或致电 0800 955 0026
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楼梯安全保障
图片：ACORN STAIRLIFTS
“安全到家”是一个令人安心的词组，然而大多数老年人的跌倒事故都发生在家中。虽然任何跌倒都令人不悦，但在楼梯上打滑或跌落更是不敢想象。
因此，如果您在楼梯上感到不稳或不安全，现在就是投资一台 Acorn 楼梯升降椅的时机。
它可以轻松安装在几乎任何类型的楼梯上，将帮助您在未来的许多年里保障在家的健康与独立。
的英国制造楼梯升降椅可以在您初次咨询后的短短几天内安装完成，即使是非标准楼梯也不例外。它们以用户为中心进行设计，运行可靠且操作简单，如果您需要帮助，只需拨打一个电话即可获得专家支持。购买 楼梯升降椅非常简单。第一步是预约由 专家测量员提供的免费且无义务的家庭访问。他们将测量您的楼梯并与您讨论您的行动需求。
基于这些信息，测量员将提供一份全包报价，该报价在 12 个月内有效，因此您无需匆忙或在压力下做出决定。
欢迎客户的反馈，并被领先的在线评论网站 Trustpilot 评为“优秀”。该评级基于超过 11,000 条评论。
想象一下，您可以随时随地上下楼梯，没有疼痛或不适，最重要的是，无需担心跌倒。这对于您和您的亲人来说，才是真正的安心。
楼梯升降椅
重获家居自由
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72
致信：The Letters Editor, The Mail on Sunday, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY. 电子邮件：letters@mailonsunday.co.uk
读者来信
为什么安德鲁不应该举行皇家葬礼？
上周日你们报道称，尽管安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎（Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor）因其行为举止以及交往的朋友而被剥夺了头衔和特权，但他仍将被允许举行皇家葬礼。
但我想问：“为什么安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎不能举行皇家葬礼？”
这位前王子无疑已经为他的傲慢和行为付出了沉重代价。
你们引用了一些人关于他为何不应获得此类葬礼的观点，但究竟到什么时候他才能获得清静？
请不要忘记，他并未被指控，更不用说被审判过任何刑事罪行；而且，虽然他的道德水准可能像巷子里的野猫一样糟糕，但对于许多贵族和王国骑士来说，难道不是同样的情况吗？
他被指控的是与一名据称被杰弗里·爱泼斯坦（Jeffrey Epstein）贩卖的女性发生性关系，即便这是事实，其本身也不构成犯罪。
德斯·摩根（Des Morgan），斯温顿
我认为现在就为安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎葬礼的细节而激动还为时过早。他可能还会陪伴我们 20 年，我假设到那时，情况会与现在大不相同。
但想到安德鲁的葬礼，让我联想到了
在海上处理移民
你们在上周日刊登了批评开放边境的信件。那么，为什么 RNLI（英国皇家救生艇协会）在“营救”移民并将他们带到英国领土上？英国皇家海军应该将他们带到海上的船只上进行处理。
克拉克·克罗斯 (Clark Cross)，西洛锡安郡，林利斯戈
你们的通讯员呼吁大幅削减移民。遗憾的是，多年来英国一直依赖于从较贫穷的国家挖掘技术人才。为了建立一个不同的体系，我们需要投入资金培训年轻人，并对失业的中老年人进行再培训，以从事这些工作。
理查德·蒙特福德 (Richard Mountford)，肯特郡，希尔登伯勒
你们的通讯员呼吁大幅
所有关于哈里王子将来举行葬礼时会引发的喧嚣。幸运的是，到那时我应该不在人世，不必见证这一切了！
伊莉丝·诺克斯-托马斯 (Elise Knox-Thomas)，诺丁汉
安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎必须拥有一个庄重、私人且家庭式的葬礼。
那么，为什么不在温莎皇家小屋附近的小礼拜堂举行，而不是在圣乔治礼拜堂？
哈里·弗尼 (Harry Verney)，诺福克郡，弗利彻姆
我看到上周日你们报道安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎计划举行奢华葬礼，这无疑是给共和主义者们喂了些“红肉”（煽动情绪）。
毫无疑问，大多数共和主义者如果看到他在时机成熟时被直接扔进垃圾集装箱，一定会很高兴！然而，我也同样确信，这个国家的大多数保皇派根本不在乎安德鲁如何被埋葬。
凯文·科利 (Kevin Coley)，莱斯特
安德鲁是我们已故女王的儿子，因此，他理应获得一次体面的葬礼。
而且他一直以来是关于其与杰弗里·爱泼斯坦牵连的未经证实指控的对象。
姓名与地址已提供
安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎作为一个私人公民，竟然能获得皇家葬礼，这非常奇怪。他因为血统而具有皇室身份，但他并不完全像我们其他人那样是个私人公民——因为他不像我们一样交税！
萨缪尔·法鲁克 (Samuel Farooq)，伦敦，图廷
莎拉对梅根的误判
莎拉·Vine 上周日在《You》杂志上尝试为梅根·马克尔辩护，这次尝试很勇敢。莎拉说，她认为将“脱离皇室”（Megxit）之后引发的皇室混乱完全归咎于梅根是不公平的。我相信很多人会持有相反的看法！
对于左边的梅根，我们曾大胆希望她能成为皇室的一员，但她背叛了我们。她被接纳进入这个圈子，得到了慷慨和友善的对待，并被赋予了其职位的所有装饰和地位。但这一切永远都不够。她有不同的议程，无法接受在家庭中扮演辅助角色，而讽刺的是，这本会让她的名气更大。
不过，莎拉有一点说对了——关于梅根的戏剧化事件已经持续十年了！但毕竟梅根是个演员。现在梅根被迫隐姓埋名地出入英国。这对她来说该是多么悲哀和令人失望！
斯塔莎·马丁 (Stasha Martin)，西萨塞克斯郡，东普雷斯顿
为什么要浪费这么多纸墨在梅根·马克尔身上？她如此侮辱我们的皇室和国家。我一直很喜欢莎拉·Vine，我简直不敢相信她写了这么多关于梅根的内容。
海伦·彭尼 (Helen Penney)，格洛斯特郡，朗博罗
是回到了过去？
安迪·伯纳姆试图将我们带回撒切尔时代之前，这是否错了？在 20 世纪 70 年代，《欧洲人权公约》不是英国法律的一部分，没有人试图让我们相信一个出生为男性的人实际上是女性，而且英制单位被广泛使用！但我认为安迪·伯纳姆不会在这些问题上回头。
克里斯·杰克逊 (Chris Jackson)，韦克菲尔德
安迪·伯纳姆倾向于国有工业。我曾在私营部门和公共部门工作过。后者充满了工会的干预、懒散和敷衍的态度。
史蒂夫·科拉德 (Steve Collard)，肯特郡，贝肯汉姆
本周之信
规则是为了我们好
彼得·希钦斯上周日说得非常正确，我们应该回归传统的纪律价值观。
他特别正确的一点是，应该让孩子们建立起正确的是非观。
1981年，我当时是一名基层警员，曾有机会因为一名小男孩的行为不端而训诫他。
我知道他就读于当地的一所天主教学校。于是我说：“好了。
去向特蕾莎修女报告。告诉她是我让你去的，并告诉她原因。”
那个可怜的小家伙顿时泪如雨下，恳求我原谅他，我也就放了他。
我已经向他传达了观点。特蕾莎修女可能是一个严厉的管教者——她让那些孩子对上帝心存敬畏——但她有一颗金子般的心。
她教育了我的四个孩子。其中三个上了大学，其中两人获得了硕士学位。第四个孩子从未失业。
这直接得益于学校在他们心中培养了对社会其他人的责任感和义务感。那所学校有纪律——而且是出于正确的理由。
我的孩子们现在已经将这些品质传给了他们自己的孩子。
斯图尔特·鲍尔 (Stuart Bower)，西萨塞克斯郡，肖勒姆
警方需要法律变更
为了缓解监狱拥挤而实施的提前释放囚犯的立法考虑不周。它本可以很容易地将杀死警察的人（例如 PC 安德鲁·哈珀）排除在外。在他去世后，现在
法律规定，任何在犯罪过程中被判定杀死紧急工作人员的人将被判处强制终身监禁。如果这项法律可以追溯适用，那么他的凶手将被继续关在监狱里。
B. 麦克纳马拉 (B. McNamara)，萨里郡，沃灵顿
BC 与 BCE 我同意亚历山德拉·舒尔曼的观点，
拒绝使用“BCE”和“CE”，而继续使用“BC”和“AD”。如果其他宗教有自己的历法，为什么基督徒不能有？
无论如何，我认为“BCE”不是指“通用纪元前”，而是“基督教纪元前”，而“CE”则是“基督教纪元”。
唐纳德·布朗 (Donald Brown)，东约克郡，布里德灵顿
公众不便
我完全同意埃莉博士关于关闭公共厕所这一耻辱行为的看法。
获奖信件
本周之信的获胜者将赢得两名在 Leonardo Hotels 酒店入住两晚的机会。仅限在英国境内的任何一家该品牌酒店中选择（两晚含早晚餐，适用条款与条件）。Leonardo Hotels 为城市度假或短途旅行提供完美的基地，提供舒适且现代的客房，并配备定制的 DREAM 床，以确保最惬意的睡眠之夜。如需最佳价格，请在 leonardohotels.co.uk 在线预订。代金券有效期为12个月。
LEONARDO Hotels
这些设施对于患有某些健康问题的人来说尤为必要。我还想提到超市中缺乏公共座椅的问题。
很多年前，几乎每家商店都会提供几把椅子供人短暂休息。出门活动符合我们所有人的利益，而我见过许多老年人或残疾人在徒劳地寻找休息的地方。
J. H. 格雷 (J. H. Grey)，肯特郡，阿什福德
73
财经
《星期日邮报》
住房主管： 我们不会成为 活动人士的 容易攻击目标
访谈
Aldi 总裁痛批竞争对手的
“虚假”忠诚度计划
这家廉价超市坚持认为，购物者 不应因拒绝加入计划 而受到惩罚
Aldi 的英国总裁在支持 安迪·伯纳姆打击超市 “虚假折扣”的同时， 抨击了他的竞争对手。
如下图所示的吉尔斯·赫利（Giles Hurley） 对首相打击他所谓的 “虚构降价”计划表示支持， 并称执法必须“严格且有针对性”。
这位超市总裁还针对超市的 忠诚度计划和应用程序， 表示消费者不应被强迫支付更多费用， “仅仅因为他们没有智能手机”。
他的言论是对 Aldi 一些最大竞争对手 的含蓄批评，因为在生活成本危机期间， 各大超市正展开激烈的购物者争夺战。
作为对他所谓的 “抢劫英国”攻击的一部分， 伯纳姆上周表示， 政府将制定计划， 禁止误导性价格， 因为这类价格使折扣 看起来比实际更好。
他表示，这将包括 实际上是编造折扣的 虚假价格，以及误导性的 “建议”零售价。
赫利在《星期日邮报》的姐妹刊 ThisIsMoney 上撰文， 支持伯纳姆的努力，并表示 超市应尽一切努力 让购物者能够负担得起价格， 认为超市应该“起步价低， 保持竞争力，并让每个人 都能获得该价格”。
他补充道：“真实的 促销活动可以帮助客户， 而遵守规则的零售商 不应被视为违规者。
作者：Emily Hawkins
但参考价格必须有意义， 节省金额的声明必须清晰， 且针对欺骗行为的行动必须迅速。”
作为英国第四大超市， Aldi 是少数几家不提供 忠诚度会员计划的大型超市之一。 这些计划通常要求购物者 在手机上下载应用程序才能获得折扣。
相比之下，特易购（Tesco）和 圣塞伯里（Sainsbury's）在过去几年中 一直在扩大其会员计划。 对于许多商品，他们为会员 提供的价格低于非会员。
Aldi 的竞争对手——折扣超市 Lidl 同样
促销活动适用时，客户 是否真的得到了低价？”
他还认为，消费者 不应因拒绝注册应用程序 和忠诚度计划而被剥夺折扣。
“任何人都不应仅仅因为 没有智能手机、无法加入计划 或选择不交出个人数据， 就为必需品支付更多费用，” 这位 Aldi 总裁说道。 此次批评是在有指控称 超市利用忠诚度应用程序 收集客户数据，进而 鼓励他们消费更多之后提出的。
一些超市还被指责 提高商品的标准价格， 而所谓的“忠诚度价格” 仅仅是将成本降低回市场水平。
其他超市 则指出 竞争与市场管理局（CMA） 在 2024 年的一项调查结果， 该结果显示 92% 的 忠诚度定价产品 与通常价格相比 提供了真实的降价。
但赫利称这只是“部分事实”， 因为它是将超市折扣 与其自身价格进行比较， 而非与更广泛的价格进行比较。
赫利的猛烈抨击是 德国折扣超市与其 英国竞争对手之间 持续战役的最新一环， Aldi 和 Lidl 正在迅速扩张， 以吸引注重成本的客户。
但本月他们的崛起 受到了打击，英国的 竞争监管机构表示， 可能会将他们纳入一项禁令， 禁止超市通过买断相关区域 的合适土地来阻止竞争对手 在附近开店。这威胁到了 一个让 Aldi 和 Lidl 迅速 获得市场份额的漏洞。 特易购（Tesco）和圣塞伯里（Sainsbury's） 拒绝置评。
阿斯顿·马丁支持者 深受震撼
也这样做，并允许会员 通过积分换取“奖励”。
“折扣可能是真实的，但最终价格可能依然昂贵。忠诚度标志并不能证明购物者获得了最佳价值，”赫利（Hurley）说道，他强调了来自消费者网站 Which? 的数据，该数据显示，一份家庭必需品的平均购物篮在 Aldi 的总额为 £158.05，而同一购物篮在 Sainsbury's 的费用为 £187.86，在 Tesco 的费用为 £188.45，即便包含了忠诚度折扣也是如此。他问道：“在每张卡都被扫描且每
永恒经典：来自《绝对时尚》（Ab Fab）的艾迪（Eddy）和帕齐（Patsy）以及这家标志性的伦敦商店
艾希利需投入2亿英镑
以拯救哈维·尼科尔斯（Harvey Nichols）
一位领先的零售专家表示，大亨迈克·艾希利（Mike Ashley）如果想让哈维·尼科尔斯恢复其作为伦敦最热门时尚店的昔日辉煌，在未来四年内将需要投入2 亿英镑 million。
JDM零售咨询公司的乔纳森·德·梅洛（Jonathan De Mello）表示，这位亿万富翁必须摒弃在其Sports Direct连锁店中取得成功的低价、大众市场策略，才能打入奢侈品领域。
艾希利提到，为了稳定这家上周由他从破产管理中收购的零售商，需要£6000 万的资金。但德·梅洛表示，振兴这家百货公司连锁店涉及对员工进行高端商店所要求的个性化服务培训，并重建与高级时尚界的联系。
作者：安妮·艾什沃思（Anne Ashworth）
德·梅洛说：“这关乎于参加时装秀并与设计师建立关系。哈维·尼科尔斯必须成为最惊艳的派对礼服和其他时尚单品的聚集地，”不过他预计部分门店将被重新命名为艾希利旗下的弗雷泽房屋（House of Fraser）。在20世纪90年代的鼎盛时期，其骑士桥店是伦敦时尚界的关键，并在情景喜剧《绝对时尚》（Absolutely Fabulous）中由艾迪（Eddy）和帕齐（Patsy）使其永恒。
德·梅洛补充道：“要回到原来的位置，它必须在自己与哈罗德（Harrods）以及塞尔福里奇（Selfridges）之间建立起差异化优势。”
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伯纳姆的时间不多了
高利率将维持更长时间。这是对英国利率走势唯一合理的假设。
英格兰银行首席经济学家皮尔（Pill）上周也表达了同样的观点。他告诉《华尔街日报》，今年上半年经济增长快于预期，这一事实加强了维持高利率的理由。
这显然很重要，因为作为首席经济学家，他能接触到我们其他人无法获取的数据；但更重要的是，许多购买了英国国债（gilts）的美国人会读到这条消息。
如果英格兰银行被认为在应对通货膨胀方面过于软弱——而且它目前的声誉相当糟糕——这可能会导致人们对英镑以及政府偿还其不断增加的债务能力失去更广泛的信心。
本周我们将了解到更多关于通货膨胀和政府财政的情况。7月份的通胀数据将于周三公布，而
金融城预计消费者价格指数（CPI）将从 2.6 升至 2.8%，随后在今年晚些时候将超过 3.5%。
就市场而言，英格兰银行将被迫做出反应。你可以通过观察货币市场利率来衡量他们的预期。这些指标显示，英格兰银行的基准利率今年将升至 4%，明年升至 4.25%，然后在本十年剩余的时间里保持在 4% 以上。
皮尔是英格兰银行货币政策委员会中上次投票支持加息的三名成员之一。他及其同僚的“鹰派”成员在上个月败北，但市场认为，他们关于英格兰银行在抗击通胀时必须展现强硬态度的判断将被证明是正确的。
政府借款数据将于周五公布。背景是，本财年的前两个月情况糟糕，赤字比预测高出四分之一。
随后 6 月的数据有所好转，使得整体借款仅比预期略高。这依然很糟糕——只是没有想象中那么糟。
你不想因为一个月的数据而过于焦虑，但如果这批数据显示赤字高于目标，那么对于试图在 10 月 28 日制定预算的新任财政大臣来说，这预示着不祥。
这里的关键点在于，对这个新政府的信心正处于危急关头。你可能读到过政府试图通过调整预算责任办公室（OBR）的规则来寻找更多支出空间的报道。英国工会大会（TUC）通过呼吁进行“彻底的”改革以允许更多公共投资（这将需要更多借款），进一步削弱了全球对 OBR 的信任。这
表明这些人多么不了解世界的运作方式。
这就像在提交抵押贷款申请时说——除了购买房屋所需的 25 万英镑 之外——你还将借款 5 万英镑 来安装一个新厨房，以便做美味的餐点，从而节省在餐厅消费的钱。
哦，而且如果你的抵押贷款供-
“英国为偿还债务支付的成本高于任何竞争对手”
应商不喜欢这个想法，你就会去向别人借钱。
难怪在周五的交易中，十年期国债的收益率（或有效利率）回升至 5% 以上，接近 2008 年以来的最高水平。我再次强调，英国为偿还债务而支付的利率高于任何其他大型发达国家。而我们作为纳税人，必须为此买单。
那么会发生什么？我们是一群有韧性的人，拥有一个有韧性的经济体。这就是为什么在今年上半年，我们的增长速度能比美国和加拿大快一点，比德国和意大利快得多。顺便提一句，法国完全没有增长。但在可预见的未来，我们的通货膨胀率将远高于目标，且利率相对较高。
这可能仅仅是一场我们必须应对的长期艰苦磨练。
但我们也可能必须接受未来几年内出现严重的逆转。这可能表现为一场经济衰退，或许是由房价暴跌引发的。在收入受压以及利率可能上升的前景下，我不看好目前的住房市场。
或者，也可能是人们对本届政府信心广泛丧失，导致国债价格大幅下跌并引发紧急预算案。
无论哪种情况，我们都需要集结所有能够动员的韧性。
特易购首席执行官肯·墨菲夺回薪酬差距之冠
作者：帕特里克·图赫（Patrick Tooher）
特易购（TESCO）已重新夺回其“桂冠”，成为蓝筹股公司中老板与普通员工之间薪酬差距最大的企业。
《星期日金融邮报》（Financial Mail on Sunday）对董事会薪酬的年度审计发现，肯·墨菲（Ken Murphy）获得的 £1080 万 薪酬方案是去年特易购平均员工收入的 420 倍。
墨菲在去年曾短暂被彼得·迪尔诺特（Peter Dilnot）取代，后者在航空航天工程公司梅尔罗斯（Melrose）备受争议的奖金计划中拿到了 £4500 万。根据高薪中心（High Pay Centre）智库的数据，目前一名典型的 FTSE 100 首席执行官收入略高于 £500 万，是英国中位数工人的 130 倍——这是八年来的最高差距。
该智库总结道：“在员工工资停滞、生活水平下降且生活成本危机持续的情况下，这既不符合国家的利益，也不符合经济的利益。”
但像特易购这样的大公司表示，为了在他们所谓的日益全球化的高管市场中竞争，需要美国式的薪酬。由于拥有大量兼职员工，零售业和酒店业公司的薪酬差距最大。
保守党高层呼吁“紧急”调查汇丰银行冻结储蓄以讨好北京的行为
作者：Calum Muirhead
一名保守党高层呼吁部长们“紧急调查”银行巨头汇丰银行（HSBC）拦截数百万人英镑、本应支付给在英英国国民的香港养老金一事。
此前，一家人权组织指责这家总部位于英国、且大部分利润来自香港和中国的银行，拒绝了那些使用永久居留（ILR）身份证明其已永久定居英国的人员的取款申请。
影子外交大臣普里蒂·帕特尔（Priti Patel）表示，这导致数千人无法动用其毕生积蓄，是“完全错误的”，且此举是为了“讨好北京”。
在香港实施压制性的国家安全法引发持有英国国民（海外）护照（BNO）的人员大规模移居英国后，超过 10 亿英镑 billion 的储蓄被冻结。其中大部分——£9780 万——存放在由汇丰银行监管的账户中。
这些储蓄存放于强制性公积金（MPF）中，这是一项大多数香港人及其雇主必须缴纳的强制性养老金计划。如果人员已永久定居海外，可以提前提取养老金。为此，他们需要提供允许其在海外居住的证明文件。
2021, 中国表示将不再承认 BNO 护照或签证为有效的旅行证件。
在“香港观察”（Hong Kong Watch）对在英香港人进行的一项调查发现汇丰银行
抗议：普里蒂·帕特尔要求部长们针对最新披露的情况采取行动
同样在拒绝使用 ILR 身份的取款申请后，这场争端再次被点燃。 是由内政部颁发，用于证明人员已永久定居英国的证明。
北京在 2021 公告中禁止接受 BNO，并未提及 。
“那些做正确的一切——在英国建立新生活、获得定居身份并证明其永久离开——的香港人仍然无法动用其退休储蓄，这简直令人愤慨。这并非技术问题，而是威权政体通过政治报复给普通家庭带来的苦难，”香港观察的 Megan Khoo 表示。
当《星期日邮报》（The Mail on Sunday）询问为何拒绝使用 的申请人时，汇丰银行表示，关于哪些文件可被接受用于提前取款的规定是“法律问题”，且其在“此事上没有裁量权”。
但该银行拒绝具体说明在香港或英国使用了哪项立法来实现此目的，也未说明如果申请人未在取款申请中提交之前的护照或签证状态，且 中未记录这些信息，银行将如何获知其之前的状态。
该回应似乎还与香港养老金监管机构的网站相矛盾，该网站指出，包括汇丰银行在内的储蓄受托人负责决定哪些文件足以证明申请人是否被允许在海外居住。
在 BNO 路径设立时担任内政大臣的帕特尔表示：“政府必须紧急调查并采取行动，确保银行没有拦截合法身份证件的使用。工党不能允许讨好北京的欲望妨碍香港人的权利。”
一名汇丰银行发言人表示：“提前取款的条件是法律问题，并非由受托公司设定。不合规将面临严重处罚。汇丰银行或任何其他 MPF 受托人在此事上都没有裁量权。受影响成员的养老金权益仍留在系统中并继续累积，一旦满足任何正确条件（包括退休）即可提取。”
上个月，当知名民主活动人士吴志伟（Wu Chi-wai）尽管持有 BNO 护照旅行却被英国边境代理人拘留并威胁驱逐时，工党对流亡者的立场受到了关注。在活动人士和政治人物的抗议下，他最终被允许留下。
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作者：帕特里克·图赫尔 (PATRICK TOOHER)
新任詹姆斯·邦德的试镜正在进行中——《慢马》（Slow Horses）主演杰克·洛登（Jack Lowden）被认为是接替丹尼尔·克雷格（Daniel Craig）的人选之一，后者在这一令人向往的虚构间谍角色中饰演了15年。但正如长期忍受痛苦的阿斯顿·马丁·拉贡达（Aston Martin Lagonda）支持者们所深切体会到的那样，007最青睐的快车品牌作为一家高调的上市公司，在自身的“银幕测试”中屡遭失败。
这家豪华车制造商于2018年以每股£19的价格上市——在股票稀释后相当于£36——在经历了一系列利润预警后，其股价已暴跌至35便士的新低，导致公司估值仅为£1.54 亿。
由于转型计划停滞不前，上半年亏损从一年前的£1.41 亿扩大至£1.54 亿，而令人眩晕的债务则攀升至15 亿英镑 billion以上。
“阿斯顿·马丁作为一家上市公司毫无意义，”美国耶鲁大学管理学院股权资本市场讲师西蒙·赫斯特（Simon Hirst）表示。
将阿斯顿·马丁最近的困境归咎于美国关税和伊朗战争很容易，因为这些因素推高了能源价格并扰乱了所有汽车制造商的供应链。但金融城的消息人士表示，该公司依然处于下滑状态的另一个原因是其经营方式。
“他们完全没有遵守公司治理准则，”一名接近于被欠款13 亿英镑 billion的债券持有人团体的消息人士在提到上市公司的董事会最佳实践准则时说道，“他们一直在不断地烧钱。”
债券持有人们指向了劳伦斯·斯特罗尔（Lawrence Stroll），这位加拿大亿万富翁在六年前通过一项£5 亿的交易利用其Yew Tree财团拯救阿斯顿·马丁之前，是通过振兴Michael Kors时尚品牌发家的。
作为执行主席和最大股东，斯特罗尔在董事会中拥有巨大的影响力。在上市公司中，主席和首席执行官的角色通常是分开的，以避免将过多权力集中在1个人手中。
更复杂的是，斯特罗尔还拥有总部位于银石（Silverstone）的、在法律上独立的阿斯顿·马丁一级方程式（F1）车队，其儿子兰斯（Lance）在该车队担任赛车手。
这两项事业存在重叠。虽然阿斯顿·马丁现在已经出售了其在F1车队的股份，但其账目显示，作为对该赛车队伍长期赞助的一部分，这家汽车制造商去年产生了£2200 万的“净营销费用”。
这家汽车制造商表示，阿斯顿·马丁在F1起跑线上的出现“将品牌推向了全球舞台”。但随着
阿斯顿·马丁是如何失控的
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME：肖恩·康纳利（Sean Connery）饰演的詹姆斯·邦德在1964年世界锦标赛中驾驶一辆阿斯顿·马丁 Class
詹姆斯·邦德座驾制造商因“秘密”离岸债务协议与投资者陷入争端
爆胎：该汽车制造商股票自上市以来的下跌情况
车队在F1车队积分榜上处于垫底位置。
今年2月，阿斯顿·马丁通过将F1冠名权“永久”出售给斯特罗尔（Stroll）筹集了£5000 万，这相当于这位大亨再次向该公司注入资金。在最新的反转中，债权人威胁要采取法律行动，因为该公司在与基金巨头贝莱德（BlackRock）旗下的私募信贷部门HPS达成的一项旨在减轻债务的争议协议中，将价值巨大的冠名权和品牌权从英国转移到了开曼群岛。
在7月30日转移到离岸单位的195个阿斯顿·马丁商标中，包括了翅膀标志以及DB5的形状和设计商标，而DB5正是肖恩·康纳利在1964年电影《金手指》中驾驶的车型。
阿斯顿·马丁与HPS的复杂协议包括一笔£4.5 亿的贷款。如果该公司将转移商标中50.1%的股份交给共同投资者Authentic Brands，还可以提取另外£1 亿的资金。Authentic Brands拥有Reebok、Ted Baker和David Beckham品牌，以及与埃尔维斯·普雷斯利和玛丽莲·梦露相关的权利。
该协议的消息让阿斯顿·马丁的债权人措手不及。他们已向阿斯顿·马丁董事会发送了一封“诉前通知函”，警告称他们可能会提起诉讼，寻求撤销HPS协议，因为他们担心该公司故意将资产（即债权人向公司提供贷款时的抵押资产）置于其触及范围之外。
一名接近债权人的人士表示，他们对未被告知Authentic Brands协议一事感到“相当震惊”，而他们提供的更廉价的融资方案却被董事会“忽视”，随后董事会又“加速”了与HPS的合作。他们表示，这种缺乏透明度的行为“就像最糟糕的私募股权投资，极其残酷”。阿斯顿·马丁表示，与HPS的协议“显著”增强了其地位，并补充道：“董事会审视了可行的融资方案，并选择了其认为最符合公司利益的一项。该交易完全符合债券融资协议的条款，且在各方面均予以遵守。集团仅仅是在使用这些文件中预先存在的许可。”HPS已被要求就此发表评论。
除非争端得到解决，否则债权人（他们将截止日期设为上周五）将寻求赔偿，或尝试撤销他们认为非法的HPS协议。无论如何，随着阿斯顿·马丁的私人股东几乎被洗劫一空，现在轮到债券持有者感到“晕车”了。
利洁时因婴儿配方奶粉指控面临法庭对决
消费品巨头利洁时（Reckitt）将于明日在美国法庭面临一场对决，这是与其婴儿配方奶粉产品相关的集体诉讼的最新一轮进展。
据指控，其子公司之一的美赞臣（Mead Johnson）未能警告家长，其一款名为 Enfamil 的婴儿奶粉会增加患坏死性小肠结肠炎（NEC）的风险，这是一种在新生儿和早产儿中通常会导致死亡的肠道疾病。利洁时否认这些指控。
利洁时的竞争对手之一——美国雅培实验室（Abbott Laboratories）也面临类似的指控，称其一款名为 Similac 的配方产品
作者：Calum Muirhead
同样增加了患 NEC 的风险。利洁时在伊利诺伊州的美国地方法院面临数百起诉讼的组合，诉讼预计将于明日开始。
“这次风向标式的审判是一个关键时刻，让那些深受 NEC 影响的破碎家庭和早产儿离正义更近了一步，”代表明日集体诉讼原告的 Levin Papantonio 律师事务所的 Sara Papantonio 表示。
利洁时的一位发言人表示：“基于事实和科学，我们对自己的立场保持信心，并期待在审判中陈述我们的案情。我们支持我们早产儿医院营养产品的安全性和有效性，新生儿科医生在临床适当的情况下，会将其作为新生儿重症监护病房标准护理的一部分而推荐。”
“原告律师关于这些产品导致 NEC 的主张没有科学或医学共识的支持。我们将继续基于事实和科学进行有力辩护。”
这些诉讼给利洁时的股价带来了压力，在过去五年中，股价下跌了近 13%，因为投资者担心如果法院判定美赞臣败诉，可能会产生潜在成本。关于 Enfamil 和 Similac 的诉讼最早出现在 2022 年。
但该公司上个月取得了一次胜利，密苏里州的一个陪审团驳回了关于美赞臣配方奶粉导致一名婴儿患 NEC 的指控。
此前，伊利诺伊州的一家法院在 6 月撤销了一项针对该公司的 6000万美元 (£4500 万) 裁决，该裁决原判定该公司未能警告家长其产品可能导致 NEC。
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面对伦敦金融城两个最激进的掠食者相继入股她经营的房地产公司 Grainger，HELEN Gordon 显得非常冷静。上周以 £4000 万 的救援交易收购了 Harvey Nichols 百货连锁店的高街大亨 Mike Ashley 持股约 4%。
更令人不安的是，美国企业掠夺者 Boaz Weinstein 的投资工具 Saba 在今年夏天早些时候建立了 5% 的持股。
Weinstein 在过去两年中给一系列投资信托造成了破坏，并尝试通过一定的成效地罢免其董事会并夺取控制权。他现在正在围攻像 Grainger 这样被称为 REITs 或房地产投资信托的房地产公司。
大多数老板看到这对大腹便便的家伙出现在股东名册上都会感到不安。Gordon 似乎不为所动，也许是因为她早已经历过这一切。
十年前她接管 Grainger 时，遇到了一位强大的激进投资者——Crystal Amber 的 Richard Bernstein。她毫不畏惧，表示：“我想：我可以比激进投资者想象的更加积极。”
Bernstein 希望 Grainger 能快速出售部分以低于市场租金出租给拥有终身居住权的租户的房产。相反，Gordon 将方向转向了“建租房”（build-to-rent），建设高质量的租赁住宅，以提供长期的收入流。
十年后，在富时 250 指数（FTSE 250）上市的 Grainger 已成为英国最大的上市住宅房东，拥有 11,200 套租赁住宅，其中包括我们会面地——伦敦东部 Canning Town 的 Argo Apartments。但与其他 REITs 一样，Grainger 的股票交易价格比其资产价值低 40%，这就是为什么它成为了激进投资者的目标。她如何应对这一点？
“公司的任何股东都有值得倾听的发言权，”她说。“如果他们有一些我所忽略的好主意，关于我如何”
“我可以比激进投资者更积极”
可以缩小折扣，我洗耳恭听。”
她说，她已经“联系了博阿兹（Boaz）”但没有结果，但她补充道：“我们已经会见了迈克·阿什利（Mike Ashley）的团队，结果非常积极。”
Grainger 并非唯一的潜在收购目标——几乎整个房地产投资信托基金（REIT）行业都处于掠食者的视线之中。近期，英国最大的上市 REIT 公司 Segro 向美国竞购者 Prologis 投降，正是时代的标志。
一些观察人士担心，将 出售给私募股权公司和外国竞购者将损害英国。
Segro 开发的数据中心对该国的人工智能具有战略重要性。其他 则拥有安置弱势群体或老年人的房产。Grainger 本身就是 NHS 医生和护士的租赁住房主要提供商，这些人约占其租户名单的 30%。
“也许如果你是一个由海外所有者拥有的 ，他们可能不会考虑英国的社会结构，”戈登（Gordon）说道，她补充道
Grainger 的负责人海伦·戈登女爵士（Dame Helen Gordon）并未被迈克·阿什利和掠夺者博阿兹·温斯坦（Boaz Weinstein）所干扰。在应对过激进投资者、性别歧视者和英国皇家银行（RBS）之后，她已经见惯了这一切！
“我只需要房地产领域”
稳固的基础：海伦·戈登（Helen Gordon）表示，优质的租赁住房能促进经济增长，吸引并留住优秀人才。
她表示，她理解 Segro 被收购的原因，但认为这“非常遗憾”。
戈登在今年的国王生日荣誉名单中被封为女爵士。现年 67 岁的她，在 20 世纪 80 年代初涉地产界，而当时的房地产领域比现在更加由男性主导。
她说，她在年仅 3 岁时就想进入这个行业，当时她的父母正在切希尔郡（Cheshire）盖房子，她在建筑工地里玩耍。
她在 20 世纪 80 年代初参与了米尔顿凯恩斯（Milton Keynes）的开发。随后在基础设施集团 John Laing 工作期间，她领导了英国首个私人融资计划（Private Finance Initiative）建筑项目——位于肯特郡的阿什福德国际车站（Ashford International station）。
“在那个时代，在那个领域做一名女性是很不寻常的，”她说。“我问首席执行官（他是 Laing 家族的一员），是否会考虑任命一名女性为董事，得到的回答是：‘嗯，我确实有一个女儿’。”
她确实成为了首位女性董事，随后在 Railtrack 担任高级职务——在该公司被重新国有化时她正任职其中——
之后在保险巨头 Legal & General 负责管理一只旗舰投资基金。
在 2008 年全球金融危机之后，她负责出售苏格兰皇家银行（Royal Bank of Scotland）价值 380 亿英镑 billion 的全球房地产组合。听起来，如果她能处理好那个项目，那么她可以处理任何事情。
“这绝对让其他挑战显得微不足道，”她说。
在 80 岁快要到来之前，戈登正考虑退出全职执行角色，这时一名猎头推荐她担任 Grainger 的首席执行官。
该公司由一个富裕家庭于 1912 年在纽卡斯尔（Newcastle-upon-Tyne）创立，以该市的格雷格尔镇（Grainger Town）地区命名。
英国租赁住房留给人们的固有印象是阴暗、拥挤的公寓，但 Grainger 提供的住宿质量很高，价格也相应较高。
Argo 的前台提供 24 / 7 全天候服务，设有健身房、工作区、客房以及租客可以租赁用于举办晚餐派对的房间。一套装修精美的两居室公寓每月起价为 2,300 英镑。
戈登认为，提供优质的租赁住宿具有经济和社会目的。如果有更多高质量的租赁住房，英国人可能就不会如此执着于快速攀登“房产阶梯”（买房）。
“在其他国家，人们租房的时间更长，”她说。“如果这个国家的人们知道房价不会飞涨，且有质量尚可的租赁住宿，他们可能会在人生较晚的阶段才买房。”
她说，租赁住房在经济增长中所起的作用被低估了，并补充道：“这是吸引并留住一个地区优秀人才的关键。看看曼彻斯特，很大一部分毕业生会停留一段时间，因为那里有巨大的租赁市场。”
Grainger 专注于 22 个“拥有充足租客供应”的英国城市，包括伦敦、曼彻斯特、布里斯托和牛津。
“我们在德比（Derby）也做得很好，因为工程专业的毕业生去那里工作，而且并不总是想租一栋排屋，”她说。
她希望看到更多私人个体购买 Grainger 的股票，她认为与成为一名“以租养贷”的房东相比，这是投资租赁房产的一种省心方式。
自她接手以来，股价下跌了 20%。但如果将持续增长的股息进行再投资，该期间的总回报率为 14.6%。
她说，虽然科技公司凭借纯粹的希望而飙升，但像她这样拥有稳固资产和持续股息流的公司却被低估，并补充道：“科技公司被视为 AI 繁荣的核心组成部分，但我们
“鉴于住房短缺，我们对英国至关重要”
是住房短缺国家生活中不可或缺的一部分。”
但这在市场上似乎没什么影响力。为什么折价幅度如此顽固地维持在高位？
她表示，投资者担心工党执政时向左翼的倾斜。但她认为，今年实施的《租客权利法案》对 Grainger 是有利的，因为其要求将迫使小型房东退出市场。
但她确实谴责了缺乏连续性的问题，称：“一个问题就是住房部长的轮换。我们在 12 年里换了 17 位部长。”
她比这些人坚持得都久，并且在 Railtrack 的崩溃以及 RBS 380 亿英镑 billion 的房地产贱卖中幸存下来。如果 Weinstein 或 Ashley 认为她是个软柿子，那他们就想错了。
海伦·戈登（HELEN GORDON）：海滨花园爱好者
年龄：67
居住地：伦敦市中心
出行方式：很少开车，主要使用公共交通
教育经历：切希尔郡 Sale 女子文法学校
家庭成员：丈夫 John，侄子和侄女
梦想之屋：任何拥有美丽海景的房子——但是以租客而非业主的身份！
目前在读书籍：
查尔斯·狄更斯的《夜行》（Night Walks）
爱好：研究海滨花园
理想的晚餐派对嘉宾（无论已故、在世或虚构）：伊丽莎白二世女王（左图）
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今日赛马指南及专家建议
庞特弗拉克特 (Pontefract)
电视：RTV
主要赛事，1st Avenue, GDRG，场地状况良好，部分区域极佳。OFFICER? 来自：DRY MARSH'S (Ludovka)
2.5 ENTER ITV'S FOR FREE BIP NOVICE STAKES (CLASS 4) (4) 1st and 2nd (5-4) (6) 1st, 2nd, 3rd (7-4) (8) 1st, 4th, 6th (9-4)
(1) BRACE HARRY (Class 4) 2.5 Tudleyay (2) NORTH CAROLINA (4) 2.5 Ludovky (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarth y (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1.
4.5 BY THE OWN TIME FROM PILLEN HANDICAP (CLASS 4) 4.24, 6PM (4) 3.5, 9:42: 3m
田径
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凯莉的建议
英国队球星表示，在观众人数低迷之后，欧洲锦标赛的组织者本应采取更多措施来推广该赛事
作者：Rath Al-Samarrai 发自伯明翰
凯莉·霍金森（KEELY HODGKINSON）将伯明翰欧洲锦标赛中显而易见的空座位归咎于广告宣传的不足。
周五晚上，超过 23,000 名观众（接近亚历山大体育场的容量上限）目睹了霍金森夺得 800 米银牌，但在前五天的多个场次中，出现了多达 10,000 个空位。
这给组织者带来了一些尴尬的问题，尤其是因为伦敦正在竞标主办 2029 年的世界锦标赛。世界田联主席塞巴斯蒂安·科（Sebastian Coe）在下个月做出决定之前淡化了这些担忧，届时将对罗马、慕尼黑、内罗比和伦敦之间的四方竞争做出裁决。
虽然伦敦在这场竞争中处于令人羡慕的地位，但围绕伯明翰观众人数的讨论对于竞标团队来说出现的时间点非常微妙。
作为英国队中最出名的人物，霍金森现在发表了她的看法，称赛事可见度的缺乏体现在了出席人数上。
她说：“我希望有更多的人支持田径。如果他们能多宣传一下伯明翰，那就更好了。与伦敦钻石联赛相比，他们本可以那样做，因为你全年都能看到钻石联赛的广告。”
“我听说有些人甚至不知道比赛正在进行。最终（在她与奥德丽·韦罗的 800 米对决中）观众的表现非常出色，感谢所有到场支持我们的人。”
霍金森补充道：“因为是在周中，而且
人们都在工作，很难让每个人都来到伯明翰，这有点困难。但整体而言，锦标赛本可以有更多的广告宣传。”
虽然这些担忧成为了本周的一个主题，但对于 24 岁的霍金森来说，一个更紧迫的问题将是在她与韦罗的竞争中重新找回平衡。
在连续两次输给这位瑞士天才之后，这位奥运冠军可以在 8 月 27 日举行的享有盛誉的苏黎世钻石联赛中寻求复仇——目前两名女性均已报名参赛。
人们还期待这两位球星下个月在布达佩斯举行的首届世界田联终极锦标赛上再次对决。
为了霍金森的信心，她会希望尽快重新占据上风，尤其是因为那两次失败是通过不同的方式发生的。
在 6 月的斯德哥尔摩，霍金森发现自己处于一种罕见的境地，即无法在领先位置发起冲刺；而在这里的伯明翰，她体会到了在最后直道上缺乏追上这位 22 岁选手的冲刺速度的挫败感。
无论韦罗扮演的是追赶者还是领跑者的角色，她似乎都有获胜的力量，而距离她在巴黎奥运会上的英勇表现两年后，霍金森尚未找到解决方案。这个问题看起来与其说是战术问题，不如说是纯速度问题。
当然，这一点可以通过计时钟看出——韦罗在过去 10 周内跑出了历史上第三快和第四快的 800 米成绩。凭借 1:53.80 的个人最好成绩，她正在接近雅米拉·克拉托赫维洛娃（Jarmila Kratochvilova）保持 43 年的 1:53.28 纪录，并且比霍金森的英国纪录（1:54.33）快了 0.5 秒以上。
去年大部分时间因伤缺阵的霍金森将希望在最新的对手身上留下印记，此前她已经在竞争激烈的项目中与 Athing Mu、Mary Moraa 和 Lilian Odira 对决——且大多时候占据上风。
费姆克·布罗德斯-博尔（Femke Broeders-Bol）从 400 米栏到 800 米的成功转型，使得局面变得更加复杂。
“已经有了这么多对手
决赛日所有决赛项目...
- 7.30am 马拉松（女）
- 8.10am 马拉松（男）
- 7.30pm 标枪（女）
- 7.55pm 撑竿跳高（男）
- 8.05pm 跳远（女）
- 8.35pm 4X100米接力（混合）
- 8.50pm 3000米障碍赛（男）
- 9.12pm 1500米（女）
- 9.33pm 4X400米接力（女）
- 9.48pm 4X400米接力（男）
“在过去的几年里，”霍奇金森（Hodgkinson）说道，“我已经坚持做了五年。希望我还能再战 10 在我心中。”
“总会有新人出现，你不知道谁会在什么时候取得突破。”
“我为自己能一直保持在顶尖水平并继续战斗，为我的奖牌收藏增加更多奖牌而感到自豪。”
在关注可能与韦罗（Werro）在钻石联赛再次交手之际，霍奇金森补充道：“我报名参加了苏黎世站，因为我知道除了我以外所有人都参加了。我真的很想参加。”
“我不希望它太简单。那样没意思，但我们都会经历赢一些、输一些。这就是生活（S*** happens）。”
KJT 在七项全能中垫底收场
卡塔里娜·约翰逊-汤普森（Katarina Johnson-Thompson）在欧洲锦标赛中获得最后一名后，交出了职业生涯中最低的七项全能得分之一，并承认她需要思考自己作为顶尖选手的未来。
这位 33 岁的运动员在近期受小腿问题困扰后显然状态不佳，在伯明翰的 800 米比赛中几乎是以慢跑形式完成，为其表现不佳的此次征程画上了句号。
约翰逊-汤普森最终获得 5,780 分，在 21 名完赛者中排名第 21 位，这也是她作为职业运动员在 14 年间参加的 16 场重大赛事中的第二差成绩。
作者：Rath Al-Samarrai
为了准备此次比赛，她放弃了在格拉斯哥举行的英联邦运动会，但这位奥运银牌得主在伯明翰期间从未展现出比赛状态。在伯明翰，爱尔兰的凯特·奥康纳（Kate O'Connor）以 6,751 分夺冠。
在昨天进入比赛时，她排名第 16 位，距离第一名落后整整 324 分。约翰逊-汤普森的困境仍在继续，跳远成绩仅为 5.77 米，随后她放弃了接下来的两次跳跃。标枪成绩 36.92 米以及 800 米成绩 2:24.92，与其在本次赛事中多次出现远低于个人最佳水平的得分情况一致。“这远非我的最佳状态。这不是我想要的那种竞争，”约翰逊-汤普森说道。
“在状态不佳的情况下参加比赛并不容易。对我来说，完成比赛很重要。我来这里很多次了，能再次体验这座体育馆满员的状态感觉很棒。”现在的关注点将集中在约翰逊-汤普森是否有欲望或健康状况继续向 2028. 年的洛杉矶奥运会迈进。这是她明确的目标，在最近一次接受《每日邮报》体育版采访时也重复过，但随着年龄增长，顽固的伤病往往会复发，因此她可能需要与教练阿斯顿·摩尔（Aston Moore）进行讨论。
同样 33 岁且深受伤病困扰的劳拉·缪尔（Laura Muir）未能入围今天的 1500 米决赛，乔治亚·亨特-贝尔（Georgia Hunter Bell）将作为热门选手出战。
32, 岁的贝尔表示：“有时你需要花一点时间反思，看看自己走了多远。我是在 2024 年奥运会之后才成为职业选手的。我目前还处于这个阶段的‘蜜月期’。”
80 板球
巴基斯坦的永久“混乱状态”
作者：Richard Gibson 板球记者
新队长、临时教练，以及此前在 2026. 年未曾出场的球员被召回。如果英格兰队在这个夏天遭遇这些事，那将被视为常态，但对于巴基斯坦队来说则是如此。
在即将到来的一周里，由于即将上任的测试赛教练斯蒂芬·弗莱明（Stephen Fleming）尚未准备好就职，乔·鲁特（Joe Root）和马库斯·特雷斯科西克（Marcus Trescothick）将组成临时领导联盟，而丹·劳伦斯（Dan Lawrence）、奥利·波普（Ollie Pope）和萨姆·库克（Sam Cook）将在利兹回归赛场。
在随着本·斯托克斯（Ben Stokes）和布伦登·麦卡勒姆（Brendon McCullum）在仲夏离职而宣告“Bazball”时代结束之后，英格兰队正渴望建立某种稳定性。
在这个板球狂热的国家，场外总有一场风暴在席卷，让队长和教练们频繁更迭
但如果说世界板球中有一支球队习惯于应对全面变革带来的不安因素，那便是巴基斯坦队。
有些人甚至会认为，他们并非在逃避混乱，而是在拥抱混乱；而且，只要涉及他们的板球比赛，就绝不会出现乏味的时刻。队长巴巴尔·阿扎姆（Babar Azam）在周五给赛前带来了惊吓，他因伤被迫退赛，并缺席了与郡队精选十一人队（County Select XI）热身赛的剩余部分。
由于未能避开汉普郡（Hampshire）青少年快速投球手曼尼·卢姆斯登（Manny Lumsden）的一次上升球，巴巴尔的右手手套被击中，随即因不适而痛苦地揉搓着手。
球队内部人士坚称，退赛是预防性措施，且虽然没有骨折迹象，但考虑到这是巴基斯坦顶级击球手在近期于特立尼达赢得对阵西印度群岛测试赛时受伤的同一根中指，因此不能冒任何风险。
本月早些时候的那场以 8 个球门胜出的胜利是巴基斯坦三年来首次在海外获胜，结束了连续八场失利的记录。尽管巴巴尔的短暂缺阵使得这组最新球员组合无法进一步增强场上默契，但他已计划于明天在海丁利（Headingley）重新加入训练，距离三场测试赛的第一场开始还有 48 小时。
与英格兰队所处的境地相似，巴基斯坦在加勒比海地区 1-1 平局系列赛之前的最近一次队长更迭也充满了尴尬。
从英格兰的角度来看，乔·鲁特（Joe Root）和哈里·布鲁克（Harry Brook）之间深厚的友谊淡化了这个问题，此前斯托克斯在特伦特桥（Trent Bridge）的告别仪式上提名后者为继任者，而布鲁克随后公开表达了成为所有赛制队长的意愿。
但可以说，巴基斯坦必须克服的情况稍微糟糕一些：尚·马苏德（Shan Masood）在执掌球队三年后被解任，但在巴巴尔麾下的首发阵容中得以保留。这种应对方式产生了复杂的结果：尽管马苏德在第一局打出了百分，但比赛最终以失败告终，而他则在忍受着
拉什福德回归，阿莫林成曼联噩梦
在马库斯·拉什福德自2024年以来首次代表曼联出战之日，鲁本·阿莫林在面对曼联时笑到了最后。当时阿莫林执掌帅印，曾将拉什福德排除在计划之外。
阿莫林现任AC米兰主教练，米兰昨日在波兰弗罗茨瓦夫击败了曼联。这场失利在英超赛季开赛前仅一周的时间里，为迈克尔·卡里克敲响了警钟。
阿莫林与足球总监杰森·威尔科克斯友好地叙了旧，两人在阿莫林担任曼联主帅的最后日子里曾发生冲突。在开球前的球员通道内，阿莫林径直走上前，拥抱了
By Nathan Salt
整个曼联首发阵容。赛后，在此次比赛中罚丢点球的布鲁诺·费尔南德斯和马特乌斯·库尼亚寻找了他们的前主帅。“这是一场正常的比赛，”阿莫林随后表示，“自从我与米兰签约以来，我对曼联没有任何感觉。我没有感到任何负面情绪。”
这场比赛本应成为曼联季前赛的完美收官，此前他们在对阵罗森堡、马德里竞技、巴黎圣日耳曼和利兹联的比赛中表现出色。
然而，卡里克及其教练组迅速离场赶飞机回家，留下的疑问多于答案。目前，曼联在周六前往赫尔城比赛前已开始准备工作。
“我们今天的表现不好，”卡里克说，“在某些方面是有原因的，我们需要从中学习并改进。但没有借口。”
对卡里克来说，最大的积极因素是拉什福德在20个月后首次为曼联出场。他背对着9号球衣，但俱乐部消息人士倾向于淡化这是否是一个长期变动。
如果他在9月1日转会截止日期后留队，考虑到本杰明·塞斯科持续的伤病问题，他将成为中路的一个可靠选择。
这次失利为曼联揭示的更大问题是，意大利人突破他们的防线过于轻松，尤其是右翼，卢克·肖在那个下午表现艰难。曼联必须签下一名左后卫——而两次尝试签下纽卡斯尔的刘易斯·霍尔均告失败，这表明高层也意识到了这一点。这场表现进一步凸显了解决这个问题位置的紧迫性。
打入米兰首球的萨穆埃尔·丘库埃泽给肖制造了麻烦。他的直接突破导致曼联在米兰的第二和第三个进球中失分，这两个球分别由阿尔法乔·西塞和冈萨洛·拉莫斯打入。
卡里克坚称球队士气依然高昂，但这确实是令人清醒的一天，让他和曼联球员在本周有大量工作需要完成。
81
手指受伤，这将使他无法参加第二场比赛。
马苏德在2023年接替巴巴尔担任队长，部分原因就是他具有政治家般的风度；而前队长拉希德·拉蒂夫本周建议，一种新颖的关系现在可以建立，正是基于他的外交沟通技巧。拉蒂夫认为，马苏德应该继续负责媒体互动，为巴巴尔提供掩护，让巴巴尔在重新获得队长袖标后能够专注于指挥中场运作。
“英格兰之旅是一项艰巨的任务，英国媒体经常试图不必要地将客队卷入新闻
英格兰 对阵 巴基斯坦 1st Test, Headingley 周三，上午11点，Sky频道
故事中，”他声称。公平地说，本世纪以来来此访问的此前几支巴基斯坦队本身就提供了大量素材。
例如，回想2006年因官员指控操纵球而导致因扎曼-乌尔-哈克带领球队离场并放弃椭圆球场测试赛，或者四年后的操纵比赛丑闻。但拉蒂夫希望巴巴尔专注于将巴基斯坦的测试板球带出低谷，这是出于好意。
在世界测试锦标赛排名中，他们处于第八位，比英格兰低一名，在之前的八个系列赛中仅赢了一次——在2024年秋季对阵斯托克斯的球队时。
在一个热爱板球的国家，处理场外的风暴从来都不容易。
就在本周，沙欣·沙阿·阿夫里迪（Shaheen Shah Afridi）还在试图反驳有关巴巴尔（Babar）将很快接替他担任巴基斯坦一日赛队长的传闻。此外，还有关于萨尔曼·阿里·阿加（Salman Ali Agha）将在二十20赛中让位的讨论。
在巴基斯坦的板球圈里，总有人准备接替你的职位。当阿加去年被任命时，他成为了该国14个月内的第四任T20队长。
教练的情况也是如此。萨法拉兹·艾哈迈德（Sarfaraz Ahmed）领导这次巡赛，但这是在经历了2-0负于孟加拉国后被要求下课的危机才幸存下来的。他直到4月才接任该职位。
加里·基尔斯滕（Gary Kirsten）曾带领印度队获得测试赛排名第1以及2011年世界杯冠军，但在执掌
巴基斯坦访问英格兰，永远不乏戏剧性！
1 2001 英格兰试图赢得连续第五个系列赛，但由于巴基斯坦在老特拉福德球场通过四次违例球（no-balls）拿到了四个三击出局，导致计划受挫。在技术手段被用于检查是否越线之前的那些日子里，大卫·谢泼德（David Shepherd）和埃德·尼科尔斯（Ed Nichols）的裁判失误帮助巴基斯坦赢得了比赛，并将系列赛比分定格在1-1平局。
2 2006 因不满在椭圆球场被判定球操纵（ball-tampering）而受罚，因扎曼-乌尔-哈克（Inzamam-ul-Haq）成为了129年来首位放弃测试赛的队长。随着5分的处罚升级为外交事件，巴基斯坦在下午茶休息后拒绝上场，英格兰被宣布为获胜者。
3 2010 巴基斯坦三名球员在勋章球场（Lord's）的行为震惊了体育界——队长萨尔曼·巴特（Salman Butt）以及投球手穆罕默德·阿米尔（Mohammad Amir）和穆罕默德·阿西夫（Mohammad Asif）。一份报纸的卧底报道显示他们参与了一场被称为“定点操纵”（spot-fixing）的博彩骗局。事实证明，他们为了钱财而按要求投出违例球。三人均被判入狱，并被处以长期的板球禁赛。
4 2016 老将队长米斯巴-乌尔-哈克（Misbah-ul-Haq）带领客队获胜，而人们对他庆祝第10个测试赛百分球的反应记忆犹新。他扔掉球拍并做了10个俯卧撑，以向在访问前对巴基斯坦队进行魔鬼训练的军队军官们致敬。
2024.年期间的巴基斯坦白球队。杰森·吉莱斯皮（Jason Gillespie）是他们在分权教练体制下的另一位高知名度外籍任命，但他没能留多久。
两人都对外部干预球队事务感到不满，吉莱斯皮拒绝让两年前在主场2-1战胜英格兰的成功影响他的判断。
他说，他已被降职为“比赛日分析师”，并补充说“这不是我签约时同意的内容”。
无论接下来的一个月发生什么，那些将情感投入到此类系列赛的人，不太可能被随之展开的戏剧性情节所失望。
纽卡斯尔重启追求帕利尼亚
纽卡斯尔联已重启与拜仁慕尼黑关于签下若昂·帕利尼亚（Joao Palhinha）的谈判。
当纽卡斯尔出价£1300 万寻求签下皮埃尔-埃米尔·霍伊比尔（Pierre-Émile Hojbjerg）时，这位葡萄牙人最初是备选方案。但在他们与马赛谈判期间，阿斯顿维拉加强了从拜仁租借帕利尼亚的努力。然而，两笔交易在上周均告破裂，纽卡斯尔重新回到了原计划。
拜仁明确表示不想租借这位31-year-old，而上赛季在托特纳姆热刺的帕利尼亚正在重新评估他的选择，其中包括来自本菲卡和葡萄牙体育的报价。
纽卡斯尔仍处于签下本菲卡右后卫阿马尔·德迪奇（Amar Dedic）的高级谈判阶段。他们还收到了关于转会AC米兰前锋克里斯托弗·恩昆库（Christopher Nkunku）的报价。布伦特福德从独立德尔瓦莱（Independiente del Valle）签下了18,岁的中场球员达尔文·瓜瓜（Darwin Guagua），并将其租借至梅里达。
西蒙·琼斯的转会观察
● 曼城接近完成与里尔身价8000 万英镑m-rated的中场球员阿尤布·布阿迪（Ayyoub Bouaddi）的谈判，他昨天在对阵埃弗顿的比赛中坐在替补席上。巴塞罗那已就曼城中场罗德里（Rodri）提交了第三次报价，据了解价值约为6000 万英镑m。
● 桑德兰已与图卢兹达成协议，以包括附加费在内的2600 万英镑m签下20-year-old的后卫达扬·梅塔利（Dayann Methalie）。他已同意一份为期五年的合同。
● 南安普顿拒绝了本菲卡对后卫泰勒·哈伍德-贝利斯（Taylor Harwood-Bellis）1750 万英镑m的报价。
● 考文垂准备从诺丁汉森林签下泰沃·阿沃尼伊（Taivo Awoniyi）。这位尼日利亚国脚昨天在 newly-promoted 球队接受了体检。森林队签下了前富勒姆门将史蒂文·本达（Steven Benda）。
● 利兹与门兴格拉德巴赫就尼科·埃尔韦德（Nico Elved）达成680 万英镑m fee外加附加费的协议。该交易为塞巴斯蒂安·博尔瑙（Sebastiaan Bornauw）加盟汉堡打开了大门。
● 西汉姆联以创冠军联赛纪录的£2200 万从凯尔特人签下了比利时球星阿尔内·恩格尔斯（Arne Engels）。
维拉加速引进铃木
阿斯顿维拉正接近达成一项价值 £3000 万 的交易，以签下帕尔马门将铃木 Zion Suzuki，这使得埃米利亚诺·马丁内斯（Emiliano Martinez）的前景陷入不确定之中。
意大利巨头尤文图斯曾与马丁内斯进行过接触，但到目前为止未能就条款达成一致。
在铃木加盟巴黎圣日耳曼的计划破产后，维拉重启了与他的谈判。这位日本国脚原定进行体检，但这家法国俱乐部表示经纪人费用过高。尤文图斯此前也一直在讨论租借热刺门将古列尔莫·维卡里奥（Guglielmo Vicario）的可能性。
与此同时，维拉正在完成从马德里竞技签下马特奥·鲁盖里（Matteo Ruggeri）的手续。哈尔姆斯塔德BK（Halmstad BK）对维拉前锋罗里·威尔逊（Rory Wilson）表示了兴趣。
● 热刺后卫阿什利·菲利普斯（Ashley Phillips）已加盟米德尔斯堡。由于体检中出现的问题，此次转会曾被推迟，但在进一步报告出炉后，菲利普斯以一份为期五年的合同成为博罗（Boro）今夏签下的第八名球员。
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足球
作者：Simon Jones
由杰夫·贝佐斯（Jeff Bezos）支持的、计划收购利物浦三分之一股份的财团拥有一项期权，可在未来12个月内以约 59 亿英镑 billion 的估值购买该俱乐部的控股权。
虽然不能保证所有者芬威体育集团（Fenway Sports Group）一定会出售，但激励机制已经存在。
亚马逊创始人贝佐斯是全球第三富有的人，他是 1892 Holdings 财团的一员。该财团由前女王公园巡游者（QPR）共同所有者阿米特·巴蒂亚（Amit Bhatia）领衔，巴蒂亚还将出任利物浦的副主席。在等待批准的情况下，他们已以 12.2亿英镑 收购了约 30 per cent 的股份。
支持者的反应不一，但从根本上说，许多人都在问：这是否会让利物浦成为一个能够在转会市场上出价超过皇家马德里、曼城和沙特职业联赛球队的超级强权？简短的回答是：“不会”。
尽管这使利物浦成为全球第四最有价值的俱乐部，但本转会窗口的预算不会改变。他们继续与巴黎圣日耳曼就布拉德利·巴尔科拉（Bradley Barcola）进行谈判，但签下其队友易卜拉欣·姆巴耶（Ibrahim Mbaye）的代价可能太高。这可能取决于热刺是否会对科迪·加克波（Cody Gakpo）开出一个无法拒绝的高价。
尽管围绕 1892 Holdings 能促成什么而充满热情，但
贝佐斯及其团队可用 59 亿英镑 bn 买下利物浦
俱乐部的信息是：“日常运营不会有任何改变”。
谁是 1892 HOLDINGS？
该财团以利物浦成立的年份命名，投资方包括巴蒂亚、由巴蒂亚岳父拉克什米·米塔尔（Lakshmi Mittal）领导的米塔尔家族、由贝佐斯领导的 K5 Sports 基金，以及 EE Capital（Facebook 共同创始人爱德华·萨夫林及其妻子伊莱恩的家族办公室），后者将进入董事会。贝佐斯则不会进入董事会。他的代表将由 K5 Global 的管理合伙人布莱恩·鲍姆（Bryan Baum）担任。
虽然这是贝佐斯首次涉足体育领域，且他作为拥有 2000亿英镑 个人财富的头号人物备受关注，但巴蒂亚可能会发挥最大的影响力。这位商人在上个月放弃所有权股份之前，曾担任 QPR 的董事兼共同所有者长达 18 年。巴蒂亚
安菲尔德之举：
亚马逊创始人杰夫·贝佐斯是收购利物浦三分之一股份的财团成员。
（左）被 FSG 视为该交易的主要合作伙伴，因为他负责组建这个高知名度的投资者群体。
这是否意味着 FSG 的终结？
当约翰·W·亨利（John W Henry）在 2010, 年以 3 亿英镑 m 买下利物浦时，他意识到如果经营得好，他及其合伙人可以通过长期持有后出售来获得可观的利润。
迹象早已显现。2022, 年，他们聘请了高盛和摩根士丹利寻找 10 per cent 股份的买家，但未能达成交易。随后在 2023, 年，FSG 以 1.64 亿英镑 m 向 Dynasty Equity 出售了 3 per cent 的股份。这更像是终结的开始。FSG 目前维持运营控制权，但退出策略已经就绪。
那么这对我们有什么好处？
利物浦的球迷们很可能会这样问。由于英超联赛和欧足联的财务规定将俱乐部的支出与营业额挂钩，新的投资不会给主教练安多尼·伊拉奥拉（Andoni Iraola）带来直接好处。然而，贝佐斯（Bezos）、巴蒂亚（Bhatia）和萨弗林（Saverin）带来的商业机会无疑将显著增加年度收入——但这可能包括提高票价。
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冠军联赛 83
作者：詹姆斯·夏普（James Sharpe）
在西汉姆联开启新赛季前的一小时左右，伦敦体育场内的几名记者开始下注。尽管被建议不要出现，但不受欢迎的前联席主席大卫·萨利文（David Sullivan）预计会到场，那么主场球迷需要多久才会向他发出第一条信息？30秒？5分钟？或者在波茨茅斯攻入第一个球的时候？
毕竟，这是一个不遗余力地抗议俱乐部管理层的球迷群体。抵制、横幅、黑色气球，然而，尽管发出了所有警告，他们今天仍将前往伯恩利，因为俱乐部开始了14年来在冠军联赛的第一个赛季——以及在英超 era. 的第五个赛季。即便在萨利文因涉嫌性行为不端（他对此予以否认）而辞职后，他在这里依然投下了阴影。
最终，所有的预测都平安度过，即使在铁锤帮落后之后也是如此。直到比赛进行到63分钟，超过 53,000, 人的观众（这在联赛杯首轮是一个相当荒谬的纪录人数）才一致起立，要求“如果你讨厌董事会，就站起来”。当然，萨利文已不在董事会中，但你明白这个意思。
这位 77 岁老人的指纹不再留在方向盘上。他可以观看，就像他上周六那样，并向那些人倾诉
留在球队：队长鲍文（Bowen）选择留在铁锤帮，而前联席主席萨利文（下图）无视建议出席了赛季揭幕战
西汉姆联的新起点
随着苏利文被边缘化以及布雷迪离职，铁锤帮的球迷终于可以乐观地展望未来
在他周围，球队需要更快的速度、另一名前锋和一名创造型中场，但他目前无法对此采取太多行动。前副主席卡伦·布雷迪也已不在俱乐部。上赛季球迷们挥舞的红卡上写着“不要再胡扯（No more BS）”，这是在暗示布雷迪和苏利文。他们带着愿望实现了的心情进入本赛季。
而且，令人难以置信的是，他们依然拥有贾罗德·鲍文。在过去的三个英超赛季中，只有埃尔林·哈兰德、莫·萨拉赫、奥利·沃特金斯、科尔·帕尔默和布鲁诺·费尔南德斯的进球数超过鲍文。
以£1000 万从托特纳姆热刺加盟的新援马诺·所罗门表示，鲍文决定留队的决定帮助说服了他搬到东伦敦。
“我和其他人一样，原以为贾罗德会离开并前往英超，但他决定留下，”所罗门说。“这是我决定签约西汉姆联的关键因素之一。”
俱乐部内部人士谈到了一个全新的开始，以及终于找回的一种常态感。很少有俱乐部的深层运作是完全正常的，但近年来很少有俱乐部像西汉姆联那样无法声称自己正常。新任招募主管尼尔斯·科彭在俱乐部的时间不长，但已经在尝试建立数据驱动的系统，以确保转会操作的顺畅运行。今年夏天，科彭已经免费签下了布莱顿后卫乔尔·费尔特曼，从托特纳姆热刺签下了所罗门，并且即将完成对凯尔特人中场阿尔内·恩格尔斯价值2200 万英镑m的签约。“耐心是一个很好的词，但最重要的是尝试把它做正确，”铁锤帮主教练努诺·埃斯皮里托·桑托表示。“在我们想要达成的所有交易中，球员必须带着目的而来，对我们的期望有清晰的认知。我们没有太多时间，但首要任务是把它做正确。”
情况并非一直如此。“任何能够建立这些流程的人都将彻底改变西汉姆联，”一名内部人士告诉《每日邮报》体育版。
这家俱乐部在这些流程方面一直匮乏得惊人。在蒂姆·斯泰登、凯尔·麦考利和马克斯·哈恩之后，科彭是短短18个月内的第四任招募主管，那么铁锤帮现在仍不得不纠正之前多个转会窗口留下的诸多错误，也就不足为奇了。
马特乌斯·费尔南德斯和克里斯恩西奥·萨默维尔已被出售，总价接近1.5 亿英镑m，但仍有冗员需要清理。努诺想要处理掉尼克拉斯·富尔克鲁格和让-克莱尔·托迪博。布伦特福德询问了后卫埃尔·哈吉·马利克·迪乌夫的情况，他去年夏天刚以2000 万英镑m签约，而阿斯顿维拉则就亚伦·万-比萨卡进行了谈判。很少有签约能像托迪博那样概括西汉姆联近年来荒唐的运作——他最初由斯泰登从尼斯租借而来，并约定如果球队保级成功则必须买断。
等到那个时刻到来时，斯泰登已经离职，主教练朱利安·洛佩特吉也走了。托迪博与接任者格雷厄姆·波特发生冲突，因迟到被弃用，随后在努诺执教下，于上赛季最后一天的西汉姆联对阵利兹联的保级生死战中拒绝出场，并告诉他自己不会再为他效力。他没有参加本赛季俱乐部的媒体日。
西汉姆联仍在与阿森纳就引进边锋里斯·尼尔森进行谈判，并希望签下上赛季租借期间表现出色的切尔西中后卫阿克塞尔·迪萨西。铁锤帮还在追求前托特纳姆热刺前锋特洛伊·帕罗特，并关注着前莱斯特城前锋杰米·瓦尔迪。瓦尔迪已近40岁，但这并没有阻止特迪·舍灵汉姆在多年前带领西汉姆联升级。
董事会的权力斗争也在继续，捷克亿万富翁兼西汉姆联股东丹尼尔·克雷廷斯基正与前纽卡斯尔联共同所有者阿曼达·斯塔夫利就大卫·戈尔德家族的股份进行博弈。斯塔夫利也将目光投向了苏利文的股份。
一些幕后人士对斯塔夫利可能参与其中的前景感到兴奋，一名消息人士将其描述为“非常精明”，但最终说服鲍文留队的却是克雷廷斯基的方案。
西汉姆联可能还有几名崭露头角的年轻人能帮到他。西汉姆联自称是“足球学院”，但从2020年2月起的五年里，竟然没有让一名青训毕业生在英超联赛中完成正式首秀，这已经成了一个有点像冷笑话的梗。
出于显而易见的原因，他们至少在下一个赛季仍不会给任何人这个机会，而且他们查德韦尔希斯基地“毕业生之墙”上最新加入的人员之一——弗雷迪·波茨刚刚以永久转会形式加盟布鲁日俱乐部。铁锤帮永远不喜欢看到自家培养的人才离开。
不过，刘易斯·奥福德和莫哈马杜·坎特的出现，为俱乐部认为投入1000 万英镑m购买波茨是值得的提供了两个理由。奥福德在季前赛期间给努诺留下了深刻印象。他的父母坐在看台上，看着他在对阵朴茨茅斯的比赛中掌控中场。坎特则拥有能够适应英冠联赛激烈对抗的身体素质。
因此，尽管经历了所有动荡，上周六坐在伦敦体育场内时，人们能真切地感觉到，这家俱乐部已经准备好迎接新的开始。
184 英超与联赛
在周五的大赛开球之前，米克·奎因回顾了33年前考文垂在开赛首日出人意料地击败阿森纳的经历……
我们用70年代迪斯科和“放克小鸡舞”来为我的海布里帽子戏法做准备！
在本赛季英超赛程公布后的几周里，米克·奎因（MICK QUINN）一直不耐烦地检查手机，等待着那个始终没有到来的天空体育（Sky Sports）邀请。
随着考文垂城结束25年的流放回归，并在开幕周五晚上的天空体育直播中，在卫冕冠军阿森纳的主场开启他们的征程，他本应是完美的演播室嘉宾。
想象一下，奎因用他精湛的喜剧节奏，向电视观众讲述他在1993-94赛季揭幕战中，在海布里球场以3-0获胜时为“天蓝色军团”上演帽子戏法的故事。
“不敢相信他们还没打电话，”奎因打趣道，只有一半是在开玩笑，“那是他们的损失。”
相反，他那顽皮的机智将在周五出现在考文垂的Mister Shenanigans，参加赛前问答环节，随后是比赛的现场直播以及营业至凌晨3点的深夜酒吧——这听起来比和罗伊·基恩（Roy Keane）以及加里·内维尔（Gary Neville）在霍洛威路（Holloway Road）度过一夜要有趣得多。
“我很期待看到考文垂的表现，”他说，“他们在弗兰克·兰帕德（Frank Lampard）的带领下，踢出了一种非常漂亮的足球风格，俱乐部内部和谐且精神面貌极佳。”
“他们足够强大吗？我不知道。他们可以从上赛季利兹联和桑德兰保级成功中获得信心。希望他们能给一些人带来惊喜。”
这就是33年前正值巅峰时期的奎因和考文垂所做的事。“阿森纳当时没准备好应对我们，”这位64岁的老将说，“他们在前一个赛季赢得了
独家专访
作者：马特·巴洛（Matt Barlow）
足总杯和联赛杯，没料到鲍比·古尔德（Bobby Gould）会用4-3-3阵型去对阵英格兰队的后防五人组。”
“我和两名出色的球员彼得·恩德洛武（Peter Ndlovu）以及罗伊·韦格勒（Roy Wegerle）在前场搭档。他们非常灵活，时而回撤，时而拉边。托尼·亚当斯（Tony Adams）根本无法应对他们。”
恩德洛武为第一个进球赢得了点球，由奎因在当时因装修而关闭的钟楼看台（Clock End）前主罚命中。韦格勒在下半场的反击中助攻了另外两个进球。
“罗伊用头将球回传给我，那是我职业生涯中最好的终结之一，”奎因说，“我用左脚引导球，直接将其推入死角，越过了大卫·西曼（David Seaman）。伊恩·赖特（Ian Wright）走过来对我说，这是他见过的最好的终结之一。”
“完成帽子戏法的那个进球也不赖。这次位置稍微宽了一点，我发力足够。球划了一道弧线，他虽然触到了球，但没能阻止它入网。我被告知，我是70多年来第一个在海布里球场上演联赛帽子戏法的人。我不知道之后是否有人做到了，因为他们把球场拆了。”
快人快语： 奎因坚持认为约克雷斯（Gyokeres）在阿森纳应该进更多球，但希望这种批评在周五不会反噬到自己身上。
相关影像记录了奎因和约翰·威廉姆斯（John Williams）用一段“小鸡舞”庆祝这一重大时刻。
“我带伙计们参加了一次团队建设，”奎因解释道，“我们在考文垂市外的一家俱乐部参加70年代迪斯科之夜，这时响起了一首叫《Funky Chicken》的歌。我们笑着说， whoever 在海布里进第一个球的人，我们所有人都要跳‘放克小鸡舞’。他们要么是醉得太厉害忘了，要么是太尴尬了，因为当我和约翰尝试这种愚蠢的舞蹈时，没有其他人跟着跳。”
阿森纳主帅乔治·格雷厄姆（George Graham）对此也不满意，尽管原因不同。
“保罗·默森（Paul Merson）总是说，乔治因为他周四晚上出去玩而责骂了他，并且
我不是 Gyokeres 的忠实粉丝……他的表现令人大失所望
“准备工作没做好，”奎因（Quinn）说道。“默森（Merson）的回应是：‘好吧，奎尼（Quinny）周五晚上还出去玩了，结果他进了三个球’。我其实没出去。他只是想让自己脱离困境。”
对于古尔德（Gould）执教的考文垂队来说，季前赛并不全是“迪斯科鸡舞”。他们曾在奥尔德肖特（Aldershot）与军队一起进行体能训练。“障碍跑、夜间演习，样样都有，”奎因说。“在森林里露营，在黑暗中搭帐篷，生营火。那些士兵还在剥兔子皮。”
奎因在 30 岁时加盟考文垂，于 1992 年 11 月从纽卡斯尔以低价转会，随后开启了惊人的进球爆发期，在一项新赛事中创下了维持多年的纪录，直到埃尔林·哈兰德（Erling Haaland）闯入曼彻斯特城。
“鲍比·古尔德对我非常好，”奎因说。“我们相处得极其融洽。他说我让他想起了他自己，一个极具攻击性的
71
85
进球型中锋。当我签约时，他说：‘我们这里有一支不错的球队，但我们进不了任何该死的球。这就是你来这里的原因。所以不要回撤去防角球或任意球，节省你的体力，留在禁区里’。我照做了。于是我爆发了。”
奎因在首场六场比赛中打入 10 球。“塞尔希奥·阿圭罗（Sergio Aguero）和迭戈·科斯塔（Diego Costa）[两人均为 8 球] 接近这个纪录，但随后哈兰德 [打入 10 球追平奎因] 出现了。
“我不是那些认为纪录就是用来被打破的人。这些纪录维持了近 30 年。我记得哈兰德到来时我在一家酒吧里，他再次进球，屏幕上出现了各种世界级球员的纪录图表，而我也在其中。有一个纪录他没能打破。我从首秀开始在英超前六场比赛中每场都进球。没有其他人能做到这一点。哈兰德在对阵伯恩茅斯的第三场比赛中没有进球。这是唯一剩下的纪录了。”
1984 年的曼彻斯特城是一家截然不同的俱乐部，当时奎因在斯托克波特（Stockport）出场 63 次打入 39 球，并在旧第四 division 成为最佳射手，赢得了三个金靴奖中的第一个，曼城试图签下他。
“奥尔汉姆（Oldham）、曼城和黑池（Blackpool）都来了，”他说。“我与黑池谈过，他们和斯托克波特在同一个级别。曼城和奥尔汉姆在第二级别，但主席说我不能和曼城谈。转会费是 ，而曼城想分期付款，分两三年支付。他们当时穷到那个地步。奥尔汉姆和黑池直接拿出了钱。我跟随乔·罗伊尔（Joe Royle）去了奥尔汉姆，他将我纳入麾下，培养我，磨掉了我的粗糙棱角。在乔和朴次茅斯的艾伦·鲍尔（Alan Ball）的共同打磨下，他们塑造了一名前锋。
“就像每个进球者一样，我只梦想进球。如果夏天没能打入 20 个联赛进球，我就睡不着觉。”
他拥有像那个时代其他前锋一样的掠食者本能，但在观看维克托·Gyokeres 时并未看到这一点。这位前考文垂前锋在以 £6400 万 从里斯本体育俱乐部转会至阿森纳后的首个赛季中，在英超打入了 14 球。
“实话告诉你，我不是他的忠实粉丝，”奎因说。“他很勤恳，但没有进他应该进的球。如果你是阿森纳队的中锋，凭借他们创造的机会，你每赛季至少需要打入 20 个以上的 [英超] 进球。”
“如果他们想要巩固顶级地位并赢得冠军，比如欧冠，他们需要的是一名得分手。如果他们能得到胡利安·阿尔瓦雷斯（Julian Alvarez），那是不同的档次，我认为他们会再次赢得联赛冠军。
“总的来说，Gyokeres 的表现令人大失所望。我希望这话不会在今晚让我被打脸。”
奎因在考文垂时期的进球狂潮包括 1992 年 12 月对阵利物浦的两球。
“我的家人都是利物浦的支持者，所以我给他们弄了五六张票和一些球员休息室的通行证，”他回忆道。
“他们的心态是：‘我们去看看我们的米克（Mick），希望利物浦能大胜考文垂，而他能踢一场好球并进球’。”
“我们 5-1 击败了他们，我也进了一两个球。我走进球员休息室，发现他们的脸都拉得比鲁德·范尼斯特鲁伊还要长。你简直能把他们的下巴从地板上捡起来。他们甚至没说一句干得好！”
不过，回到他父亲在利物浦坎特里尔农场社区（Cantril Farm estate）开的酒吧里，奎恩成了埃弗顿球迷心中的红人。他没有请客喝酒，直到同一个赛季他两次攻破埃弗顿的大门。
到赛季结束时，他一共打入了 17 球。当他在下一个赛季的开局战中面对阿森纳上演帽子戏法时，人们开始讨论征召他入选国家队的事宜。英格兰队逐渐破灭的世界杯希望寄托在对阵圣马力诺的一场 8 球大胜上，尽管这仍需要其他球队的帮助。
“考文垂从来不是一家自带光环的俱乐部，存在很多偏见，但有一次媒体竟然在推动我出战对阵圣马力诺的比赛，因为英格兰需要进 8 个球，”他说道。
“当时一些前锋受伤了，大家都说：‘让奎恩打一场试试。’格雷厄姆·泰勒完全无视了这一点。那时我就知道，这与天赋无关。那是我离国家队最近的一次，但我从未接到过电话或任何通知。”
有些事情永远不会改变。
揭幕战上，唯有钢铁之城的阳光令人目眩
在评判这两支被寄予升级希望的球队实力之前，还需要时间，而这场沉闷的赛季揭幕战显然不是合适的时机。
这场比赛典型地展现了英冠联赛永无止境的勤勉，但在钢铁之城的阳光下，却缺乏能够打破僵局的顶级水准。
这或许并不令人意外，因为谢菲尔德联在古斯·哈默（Gus Hamer）于本周早些时候重新加盟考文特里后，失去了其组织进攻的能力。
“刀锋”主帅克里斯·怀尔德（Chris Wilder）正努力通过租借方式引进一名替代者，并渴望在其他位置上获得补强。
伯明翰的对头克里斯·戴维斯（Chris Davies）同样需要时间，在夏季签下六名新援后，他需要为这支面貌一新的球队构思出一套获胜方案。
目前正处于第三次执教布拉莫尔巷球场的怀尔德，正寻求第二次带领他的童年俱乐部升入英超。
他将英格兰足坛被遗忘的人卡尔文·菲利普斯（Kalvin Phillips）以赛季租借的形式从曼彻斯特城带回了联队。但这位前利兹联中场最早要到本月晚些时候才能恢复到参赛状态。
比赛的前45分钟未能
作者：Ross Heppenstall 发自布拉莫尔巷球场
产生一次射正，但随着下半场的展开，“蓝军”的威胁逐渐增加。
卡洛斯·维森特（Carlos Vicente）巧妙地避开越位，在右路突破，但他试图传横球而非射门，被联队队长贾费特·坦冈加（Japhet Tanganga）出色地封堵。
作为英冠联赛最受追捧的球员之一，杰伊·斯坦斯菲尔德（Jay Stansfield）随后打出一记低射，被迈克尔·库珀（Michael Cooper）在近门柱处机敏地化解。
片刻之后，斯坦斯菲尔德在25码处尝试运气，但他的射门被库珀轻松化解。
帕特里克·班福德（Patrick Bamford）接应卡勒姆·奥哈尔（Callum O'Hare）的传球疾速推进，迫使伯明翰新门将詹姆斯·比德尔（James Beadle）做出精彩扑救，随后主队替补球员哈里森·巴罗斯（Harrison Burrows）在比赛末段申请点球，但未获支持。
接近比赛结束时，伯明翰看起来最有可能带走三分。
兰克希尔为博罗立功
威尔·兰克希尔（WILL LANKSHEAR）在联赛首秀中梅开二度，帮助米德尔斯堡在揭幕战中通过逆转击败林肯城，避免了尴尬。
这是“林肯之灵”65年来首次参加英格兰第二级别联赛，他们对此乐在其中，亚当·里奇（Adam Reach）在第12分钟让他们取得了领先。
但从托特纳姆签下的夏季新援兰克希尔在第62分钟扳平比分，随后这位21岁的球员在补时阶段打入第二球，帮助上赛季的升级附加赛决赛球队锁定胜局。
这是林肯城自11月22日以来的首场联赛失利，终结了29场不败纪录。
离开林肯城加盟布里斯托尔城的迈克尔·斯库巴拉（Michael Skubala）遭遇了最糟糕的开局，他的新球队在主场被米尔沃尔以2-0击败，且人数减至10人。
亚当·兰德尔（Adam Randell）在第36分钟吃到第二张黄牌被罚下场。不久之后，乔什·科本（Josh Coburn）在近距离破门，这位米尔沃尔前锋在半场休息五分钟后又打入第二球。科本在最近11场英冠比赛中共打入八球。
另一位打入两球的球员是
英冠综述
QPR 组织核心伊利亚斯·切尔（Ilias Chair）在客场 3-1 大胜朴茨茅斯（PORTSMOUTH）的比赛中表现出色。朴茨茅斯在第 15 分钟通过特里·德夫林（Terry Devlin）的一次精彩射门取得领先，但第 33 分钟，哈维·韦尔（Harvey Vale）挑球传中，切尔在近距离将球推入网窝。齐藤幸基（Koki Saito）通过一次折射射门将比分改写为 2-1，而切尔在上半场补时阶段打入个人第二球。
朱利安·斯特凡（Julien Stephan）的球队表现得极其高效，上半场 3 次射正全部得分，朴茨茅斯对此毫无办法。
泰里斯·坎贝尔（Tyreece Campbell）在查尔顿（CHARLTON） 2-1 击败德比（DERBY）的比赛中打入制胜球。坎贝尔用左脚将球低射入底角，为德比队糟糕的几天画上了句号，德比队在本周经历了一次可能的收购计划破产。
蒂埃里·盖尔（Thierry Gale）打入一记精彩的反击进球，波尔顿（BOLTON）以 2-1 战胜普雷斯顿北端（PRESTON NORTH END），庆祝重返英冠。
吉姆·富勒顿（JIM FOULERTON）
186 足球
《星期日邮报》 8月16日
作者：杰克·高恩（Jack Gaughan）
这个夏天，曼城更衣室内部一直在反思，思考着宿醉、重启以及他们正在改变的世界。所谓“国王已死”之类的事情。
“预期”是某些人私下探讨的主题，他们自问什么才算合理。
即便是在最后两个赛季，在佩普·瓜迪奥拉（Pep Guardiola）的球队走下坡路，随后又开始一场改变战术理念的重建时，他们依然能够毫无失误地确保欧冠资格，并赢得了两项国内杯赛，同时将阿森纳逼至联赛冠军争夺战的最后一周。恩佐·马雷斯卡（Enzo Maresca），请再次复制这种成绩。显然，这已成了常态。
“让我担心的是（变化本身），”马特乌斯·努内斯（Matheus Nunes）说道，“即便作为球员，你也必须记住俱乐部所取得的成就。当你思考时，在 10 年内赢得 6 次英超冠军几乎是不可能的。”
“这并不正常，但人们忘记了这一点。有时你必须经历一两年不赢球，才能再次获得胜利。也许[对我们来说]会有所不同，谁知道呢？也许不会。俱乐部值得我们去尝试。”
听起来，曼城的阵容正以
恩佐与手段： 新主帅马雷斯卡在曼彻斯特训练期间传达观点（右），而福登（上）和哈兰德（左）正在进行训练
社区盾杯
阿森纳 对阵 曼城
下午 3 点，TNT Sports
清醒的意识迎接这个新黎明。这是一个未知数。一个令人兴奋的未知数，一个引发好奇的未知数，从今天在卡迪夫对阵阿森纳的社区盾杯开始。
这是一座所有教练都会计入各自荣誉清单的奖杯，马雷斯卡也不例外，但它最终并不具有太大的分量。
在季前赛期间跟随新任主帅的球员们，在上周末于首尔击败马德里竞技时，显得已经准备好投入正式比赛，展现出了这位意大利人在酷暑中长达一小时的训练课上一直强调的那种在进攻三区的活力。他被稳步提升的表现所鼓舞，认为这证明了训练期间传达的理念是正确的。
几天前，在与 K 联赛全明星队的一场友谊赛中，球员们在韩国难以呼吸。
工作人员在赛后私下议论，半数球员几乎无法应对高温，官方气温为 40℃，但体感温度像 45℃。约什科·格瓦迪奥尔（Josko Gvardiol）在某一时刻不得不由一名队友支撑着，随后他瘫坐在地上。
在看台上观察的工作人员每只手里拿着一把手持电风扇来保持凉爽。仅仅是出席就让人出汗，更不用说比赛了。将会有一派
马雷斯卡已如何在曼城留下自己的印记
新的训练方法，新的进攻组织，新的领导者……但与佩普一样，面临的是同样极高的期望
认为这些条件可以加速体能训练，而事实是否如此很快就会变得明显。
马雷斯卡必须在训练时间上发挥创意，以便最大限度地避开极端天气，在木洞体育场（Mokdong Stadium）之间权衡选择清晨或傍晚开始训练——那里缺乏遮荫，是一家乙级足球队的主场，而且颇具讽刺意味的是，
那里还有一个溜冰场。公平地说，那个地区的冬天很冷，但在这里情况恰恰相反，马雷斯卡选择了晚上7点训练而非上午9点。
其理由是，由于时差，球员在亚洲的睡眠质量很差，因此早晨的训练实际上已经失去了意义。最终，温度的差异似乎可以忽略不计。为了说明这位现在领导曼城的人的痴迷程度，并可能唤起人们对他前任的回忆，在香港的一场公开训练课前，马雷斯卡脑海中闪过一个念头。他们将在24小时后的友谊赛中演练如何压迫国际米兰，在尝试快速实施其想法的同时，重点训练球队阵型。关于对手可能会观察并记录笔记的想法
曾短暂地在他脑中盘旋。直到他意识到这一切都无关紧要。
曼城的红眼航班在周一早晨抵达家乡，马雷斯卡等待全队回归的时间很长，本周仅有6,名球员从世界杯归来。其中一人，罗德里（Rodri），预计将成为未来几周离队名单中的首位。随着贝尔纳多·席尔瓦（Bernardo Silva）已经离队加盟皇家
87
马德里，主教练需要重组他的领导四人组，因为去年的人员中仅剩鲁本·迪亚斯（Ruben Dias）和埃尔林·哈兰德（Erling Haaland）。
曼城将前往千禧体育场（Principality Stadium），但关于阵容构成以及在转会窗口——或者马雷斯卡亲切地称之为“窗口转会”——关闭前会发生多少变动，仍存在疑问。关于多少人离开以及多少人加入，不确定性依然存在。
从这个意义上说，马雷斯卡时代在一次重大国际赛事之后开启并不完美，因为转会由于强制性休假而被推迟。到目前为止，最重磅的签约是£1.16 亿的埃利奥特·安德森（Elliot Anderson），他既符合现在的曼城，也符合之前的曼城，这表明这里的过渡比其他地方可能更为顺畅。
“当你更换主教练并选择一位新教练时，选择一位理念相似的教练是好事，”马雷斯卡说。
“这样一来，凭借你现有的球员和招募的球员，他们的风格大致相同。就像埃利奥特那样，尽管我当时不在，他依然契合。”
球员们将这些理念描述为相似但有所不同。首先，他们的防守方式将有所不同。战术上的微调会减少，而会更忠实于核心概念。“他想要的东西非常明确，”尼科·冈萨雷斯（Nico Gonzalez）说，“结构非常清晰。”
这一切都源于中场。马雷斯卡将安德森视为一名
后腰，而这位英格兰国脚本周则在谈论在更前场位置运作的想法。
事实上，他将被要求兼顾两者。
“埃利奥特在诺丁汉森林和国家队展现了个性，”马雷斯卡说。“他的优点是可以胜任不同的位置。目前我们有罗德里作为6号位，一名顶尖球员。如果你有一个非常出色的6号位，那就足够了。但如果你拥有能够共同在不同位置上发挥作用的动态球员，那就完美了。”
这标志着马雷斯卡找到了能够缩小与卫冕冠军之间7分差距的边际收益所在。
如果安德森能毫无压力地融入，那么幕后工作也在同步进行，以确保吉安路易吉·多纳鲁马也能同样适应。在詹姆斯·特拉福德转会至利兹联后，多纳鲁马现在身披1号球衣。出球并非他最擅长的部分，曼城正在寻找解决方案，以帮助他们的门将在持球时做出贡献，而不会要求他完成过于复杂的动作。
其中一个想法是用三名后卫而非两名后卫进行组织，从而为可能的失误提供更多保障，并在传球时提供更多选择。多纳鲁马在训练结束后的额外时段里，与教练理查德·赖特和米凯莱·德·贝尔纳丁一起进行了大量练习，不厌其烦地向边路传出30或40码的球。
在最后一场友谊赛中，当一次简单的传球在曼城自己的后场直接被马德里竞技截获时，马雷斯卡用手捂住了头。而典型地，多纳鲁马化解了危机。
在三冠王赛季担任佩普·瓜迪奥拉的助手期间，额外训练就属于马雷斯卡的职责范围。值得注意的是，他曾与里科·刘易斯和菲尔·福登进行过针对性的专项训练。
“营地里的氛围比前任政权下成为标准做法的氛围更加轻松——你确实无法反驳他们所创造的成功——但马雷斯卡也意识到，这种温情可能会突然停止。”
“季前赛有时会有点棘手，因为你可能会爱上某些球员，”他补充道。
“然后到了赛季期间，他们又变得不一样了。季前赛很好，因为他们需要努力工作，并且需要明白我们需要相互了解。这对一些球员来说很有好处，但现在当真正的竞争开始时，我们需要重新审视。”
竞争从今天开始，而那种争夺位置、在阵容中寻找空间的焦虑感，可能在接下来的几周内都不会消失。
阿森纳为天才球员马克斯解开“手刹”
早在马克斯·道曼（Max Dowman）成为头条新闻之前，阿森纳的高层中就已经开始流传着关于他的议论。
2024年5月，这位当时年仅14岁、面相稚嫩的新星（见下文）被邀请参加米克尔·阿尔特塔（Mikel Arteta）的一线队训练。在场的人预测，在未来的几年里，我们将经常听到他的名字。
阿尔塞纳·温格（Arsene Wenger）经常说，直到球员年满24岁，你才知道他真正的水平。但道曼的情况不同，截然不同。
这位16岁的进攻球员不再是阿森纳被隐藏得最好的秘密。在上赛季末的一系列抢眼表现以及季前赛的延续之后，他带着日益增长的期待进入新赛季。枪手队长期以来一直认为道曼拥有某种非凡的特质。现在，他们准备看看他究竟能走多远。
2025年7月，阿森纳开始加大力度，为当时15岁的他及其团队准备即将到来的聚光灯关注。
在赛季初的几个月里，他曾闪现光芒。在对阵利兹联的首秀中，年仅15岁235天的他赢得了一次点球；随后在15岁302天时，成为阿森纳历史上最年轻的先发球员（对阵布莱顿）；一个月后，他又成为欧冠历史上最年轻的球员。在3月份主场战胜埃弗顿之后，宣传机器真正进入了超速运转状态。
在比分0-0、冠军争夺战令人紧张的局势中，道曼被换上场。他的传中助攻维克托·约克雷斯（Viktor Gyokeres）在第89分钟破门打破僵局，随后他又在一次角球进攻中甩掉埃弗顿的防线，将球推入空门。至此，他成为了英超历史上最年轻的进球者，甚至有人呼吁将他列入英格兰世界杯大名单。而这一切都发生在几个月后他需要参加GCSE考试之前（他将在周四收到成绩）。消息人士称，道曼有时会感到压力巨大，因为他必须在学校学业和一线队足球之间寻找平衡，有时要坐在替补席参加深夜比赛，第二天早上又要早起上学。这种情况已不复存在。道曼将不再进行A-level等高等教育，以便能全身心投入到
作者：Isaan Khan
足球中。人们希望他能在本赛季真正实现突破，而拉明·亚马尔（Lamine Yamal）也是在这个年龄宣布自己成为可以说是世界上最有前途的天才。
16岁的亚马尔在联赛中完成了22次先发，随后经历了一场令人难以置信的欧洲杯之旅，成为该赛事历史上最年轻的出场且进球球员，并在17岁生日后的第二天，通过一次助攻帮助西班牙在决赛中击败英格兰。
很难要求道曼达到同样的高度，但他具备所需的心态。据说他对自己要求极高，并且必须适应阿尔特塔那种要求极其严苛的体系。一名消息人士表示：“你可以说‘表现太棒了！’，而他会说‘不，这里我可以做得更好，那里也可以’。”
季前训练营进一步增强了围绕这位前锋的炒作。道曼在所有五场友谊赛中全部先发，并且在每场比赛中都是阿森纳最具威胁的进攻球员之一。
道曼冲击对方后防线的欲望一直非常稳定。他敢于带球突破以及在计划受挫时迅速恢复的能力，赢得了同辈球员的尊重。
随着布卡约·萨卡（Bukayo Saka）从一段艰难的伤病期中恢复，以及诺尼·马杜埃凯（Noni Madueke）未能稳固右翼位置，道曼在接下来的几周内有机会证明自己的实力。
上赛季，阿森纳在平衡道曼的曝光度以及考虑未成年人的福祉方面非常谨慎。现在，这把“手刹”看来即将被松开。人们相信道曼已经准备好迈出下一步。
马丁·厄德高（Martin Odegaard）曾在15岁时作为一名来自挪威的孩子加盟皇家马德里，当时全世界都关注着他，因此他非常清楚自己所面临的特殊压力。萨卡（Saka）一直在帮助道曼（Dowman）适应一线队，因为萨卡深知一个来自黑尔端（Hale End）的孩子被推向聚光灯下的感受。
德克兰·赖斯（Declan Rice）也是另一个令人安心的存在，他在场外花时间陪伴道曼。正是这些前辈们能让一个16岁的孩子感到自己属于这里。
他的身体素质也在提高。据说他的体格在夏天变得更强壮了，这在这一级别是至关重要的。他能够摆脱比自己年长得多的球员。
目前，与亚马尔（Yamal）的比较仅仅是比较。但如果道曼现在能将他卓越的早期潜力转化为在英超联赛中持续的影响力，那么接下来的几个月可能会标志着某种真正非凡之事的开始。
3 恩佐·马雷斯卡（Enzo Maresca）作为主教练在与米克尔·阿尔特塔（Mikel Arteta）的三次交手中尚未获胜——两次平局和一次失败。
88
北极星：
拉什福德（Rashford）
在
曼联
于
弗罗茨瓦夫（Wroclaw）的
首秀期间
所以，在
612 天之后...
阿尔特塔：我们可能不得不改变风格
作者：Isaan Khan
回到曼联
很高兴吗， 马库斯？
曼联 2 AC米兰 4
米克尔·阿尔特塔暗示，在新赛季前引入一系列新规则后，阿森纳可能不得不调整他们的定位球战术。
2026-27 赛季将实施多项新法律，旨在提高比赛流畅度。这些法律包括球门球和界外球的倒计时、限制换人时间以及严厉打击定位球期间的拉拽行为。
枪手队因其强悍的定位球进攻而备受关注，阿尔特塔表示：“英超联盟和裁判已经与我们一起沟通，解释并详细梳理了所有内容。”
“在季前赛中，我们有机会体验其中一部分。我们需要在赛季开始后观察情况如何演变，哪些更可行，哪些不可行，以及我们需要做出哪些调整。”
“这些是非常好的规则，因为我们所做的是试图增加比赛时间并提高比赛的流畅度。”
解除最大限制 第 87 页
蓝军球迷嘘恩佐
作者：Bobby Manzi
在斯坦福桥球场
昨日，当阿根廷中场恩佐·费尔南德斯回到斯坦福桥球场时，切尔西支持者对他发起了攻击。
费尔南德斯目前是曼城强烈关注的转会目标。在切尔西的最后一场季前赛（3-1 战胜皇家社会）中，他从替补席开始比赛。在这场比赛中，身价创纪录的 £1.17 亿 新援摩根·罗杰斯为俱乐部打入了首球。
这位 25 岁（右）的球员遭遇了敌对的接待。在开球前，当广播播报他的名字时，他被嘘了；在第 60 分钟他替换里斯·詹姆斯上场时，再次遭到嘘声。
球迷的反应发生在切尔西为其他俱乐部开出 £1.2 亿 报价以引进这位阿根廷人的截止日期过后不到 24 小时。
球迷反戈于心向往离开的
阿根廷世界杯球星
自从费尔南德斯在 3 月宣布其梦想是效力于皇家马德里，并随即被当时的教练利亚姆·罗塞尼尔禁赛 2 场以来，他与俱乐部的关系一直很紧张。
由前蓝军主帅恩佐·马雷斯卡执教的曼城目前是签下他的热门人选，尽管切尔西在周五坚持认为他将在 2026-27 赛季留在西伦敦。
在现在到 9 月 1 日转会窗口关闭之间的一次接触，将考验切尔西的决心。
这是费尔南德斯代表阿根廷参加世界杯回归后首次为俱乐部出场。在世界杯半决赛对阵英格兰的比赛中，他在比赛末段打入了一粒关键的扳平球。
费尔南德斯及其队友因在赛事中的非体育精神行为而受到谴责，国际足联（FIFA）随后已对阿根廷及其球员启动了纪律处分程序。
板球
第 80-81 页
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1st
7-DAY TV GUIDE & PUZZLES PULLOUT
电视与评论
电影 音乐 喜剧 戏剧 书籍
本周精选
《路德维希》(LUDWIG)
周四，BBC1，晚上9点
证据一直都在，就在我们眼前。这部剧拥有由大卫·米切尔（David Mitchell）和安娜·麦克斯韦尔·马丁（Anna Maxwell Martin）领衔的强大演员阵容，剧本风趣，谜题令人费解，且背景设定在风景如画的剑桥。难怪这部轻松的犯罪剧《路德维希》大获成功，并赢得了国际艾美奖最佳喜剧奖。
米切尔饰演的约翰·泰勒（John Taylor）是一名谜题出题人，其职业艺名为路德维希。在他的警察侦探双胞胎兄弟詹姆斯在进行一项阴暗的调查时失踪后，约翰同意帮助他的嫂子露西（麦克斯韦尔·马丁饰演）寻找真相，方法是冒充他的兄弟潜入剑桥警察总部。令所有人惊讶的是，社交能力匮乏的约翰在破解谋杀案方面表现得极其出色。
现在情况发生了变化。约翰不得不承认自己并非其兄弟，但依然被雇佣为“犯罪现场顾问”。正如一名警察同事所言：“我们不想失去这位我们从未拥有过的最优秀侦探。”
他们寻找詹姆斯失踪真相的秘密搜寻仍在继续，约翰正在翻阅一名博主兼阴谋论者留下的无数研究资料盒，而该博主最终被杀害。
他坚信其中一定隐藏着线索。但这与阴险的警察局长、更阴森的副局长，或是当地的国会议员之间有什么关系？
迪波·奥拉（Dipo Ola）和多萝西·阿特金森（Dorothy Atkinson）回归，分别饰演晋升后的首席督察卡特（DCI Carter）和侦查主管肖（DCS Shaw），他们负责带领两名年轻的侦探警员。
马克·邦纳（Mark Bonnar）也加入了演员阵容，饰演一名脾气暴躁的当地报纸编辑。
本季的谜题包括一场婚礼舞池中的谋杀案，以及一名斯诺克选手在比赛期间的死亡。然而，第一个古怪的案件涉及两名穿着“满是卷发、珍珠和皮草”的上流社会姐妹，她们与一直陪伴在侧的母亲一起去剧院。
当灯光熄灭时，她们的母亲被杀了。两姐妹（由丽贝卡·弗龙特和杜恩·麦基坎饰演）随后都承认了罪行。因此，正如业余侦探约翰所说：“这意味着我们需要查出谁没有做这件事。”
安德鲁·普雷斯顿（Andrew Preston）
大卫·米切尔回归 饰演从书呆子般的 填字游戏编纂者转变为 出人意料的破案英雄
电视上最令人费解的
侦探回归
《名人厨神》(CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF)
周二，BBC1，晚上9点
同样的配方，不同的食材。“意大利大师”乔治奥·洛卡特利（Giorgio Locatelli）与经验丰富的主持人兼美食评论家格蕾丝·登特（Grace Dent，左）共同主持名人版新一季，并为节目注入了浓厚的个人色彩。这个版本关注的重点不在于大明星，而在于参演者能力参差不齐，因此其中一项挑战由洛卡特利一步步演示操作方法，这显得非常实用。
《法国联络》(THE FRENCH CONNECTION)
周日，BBC2，晚上10.
观众们可能蜂拥去观看《奥德赛》，但这种票房屠杀级的大片与20世纪70年代相比仍然罕见。当时，吉恩·哈克曼（Gene Hackman，左）凭借威廉·弗里德金（William Friedkin）执导的这部残酷的新黑色电影惊悚片赢得了奥斯卡奖——这部作品在评论界大获成功，且在首轮上映期间的收益超过了预算的25倍。马克·克莫德（Mark Kermode）的幕后制作纪录片将在周四，BBC4，晚上10.40分播出。
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英国 最风趣的 电视 评论家
Deborah Ross
澳大利亚版的《傲慢与偏见》？
它更狂野，也更有趣……
《我的辉煌事业》（My Brilliant Career） Netflix ★★★★★
《逃票者：与法律开战》（Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law） 周一，Channel 5 ★★★★★
《我的辉煌事业》改编自迈尔斯·富兰克林（Miles Franklin）的半自传体小说，那是我最喜欢的书之一，所以压力很大。但幸运的是，这部剧画面精美，充满趣味，并注入了现代的灵动感。我不能确定富兰克林会对她的女主角疯狂地随着罗德·斯图尔特（Rod Stewart）或 Wet Leg 乐队的音乐起舞怎么看，但对我来说很奏效。
这部小说有时被描述为澳大利亚内陆版的《傲慢与偏见》，因为两者都塑造了坚毅、聪明且拒绝屈从于社会习俗的女主角。在本剧中，女主角是西比拉·梅尔文（Sybylla Melvyn），她十几岁时被贫困的家人送到贵族祖母家生活。家人希望她能放弃成为作家的梦想——放弃追求辉煌事业——通过一段好婚姻来帮家里还债。
富兰克林在 19 世纪 90 年代 16 岁时开始创作这部小说，并于 1901, 年 21 岁时出版。我第一次接触到它是在 20 世纪 80 年代的一本 Virago 版本，我现在还保留着。我刚刚重新翻阅，它依然闪耀着机智、活力和态度。
这部剧捕捉到了那种机智、活力和态度。此外，澳大利亚的自然景观壮丽无比，极尽奢华，且菲莉帕·诺斯伊斯特（Philippa Northeast）在女主角一角中的表现堪称星光熠熠。剧中确实采取了一些改编，纯粹主义者无疑会对此大加指责，但我现在认为，富兰克林实际上会非常赞同这种调皮的改动。我想她会喜欢 Wet Leg 乐队，也会喜欢 Divinyls 乐队。她甚至可能会希望自己当时能想到让西比拉在面对生蚝——以及高潮——时产生顿悟。
正如我们在开头看到的，西比拉的母亲
虽然嫁错了人，但出身于富裕家庭。他们可是名震一方的“卡达加特的博西尔家族”。当西比拉第一次到达巨大的卡达加特庄园时，她对其宏伟程度赞叹不已。（这让我想起简·爱对桑菲尔德庄园的赞叹。）
然而，博西尔奶奶（安娜·钱斯勒 Anna Chancellor 饰，演得非常尽兴）觉得没什么好赞叹的。西比拉活泼好动，而奶奶不喜欢活泼。奶奶擅长驯马，而西比拉最初在她眼中就是一匹需要被驯服的马。她确实像匹小马一样，走到哪里就制造混乱到哪里。
起初，她的特立独行被宣传得过于响亮。我不确定露天小便的情节是否完全必要。但在六集剧集中，这个角色变得更有分量。在维持创造性和独立生活的梦想方面，西比拉面临着太多阻碍——太多的厌女情绪，太多的
文学之梦： 菲莉帕·诺斯伊斯特和 杰克·邓恩。右图：伦敦交通局（TfL） 督察丽莎
社会不认可——以至于她必须培养出韧性和力量。有一个精彩的场景，在奶奶的一次派对上，她勇敢地朗诵了一首大胆的诗，而到那时，这种勇气已是水到渠成。然而，她会被带偏方向吗？被浪漫爱情带偏？
她最终面对的不是一个而是两个追求者。一个是弗兰克（杰克·邓恩 Jake Dunn 饰），一名在卡达加特担任工头的英国人；另一个是来自邻近庄园的哈里（克里斯托弗·钟 Christopher Chung 饰）。没错，就是《慢马》（Slow Horses）里的罗迪·霍，克里斯托弗·钟，让我告诉你：他是一个优秀的男主角（而且腹肌很棒）。他可能是她的灵魂伴侣。这段关系很有潜力。但西比拉会屈服并结婚吗？像伊丽莎白·班内特那样？这可能会让纯粹主义者不快。现在的哈里是英华混血。一名主要角色被揭露为同性恋。此外，剧中还虚构了原住民角色并给他们安排了独立剧情，事实上我对此持有异议，但仅是因为这个支线剧情太像肥皂剧且十分乏味。
事实是，只有当诺斯伊斯特出场时，这部剧才真正飞了起来。她带来了光彩、闪烁的眼神，以及那头似乎只能被暂时驯服的狂野长发。
她捕捉到了西比拉（Sybylla）的神韵，而这部改编作品则捕捉到了原著的神韵，这才是关键。我深信，富兰克林（Franklin）一定会喜欢这部作品。
我再也没法看任何关于谋杀的内容了。电视剧全都是谋杀、谋杀、还是谋杀——瑞安·墨菲（Ryan Murphy）最新的剧集《碎片》（Shards）里有一个在逃的连环杀手，而 Netflix 似乎每隔四分钟左右就会出一部关于谋杀的真实犯罪纪录片。那些不从事谋杀的罪犯想要登上电视屏幕还有什么希望？至少，第五频道（Channel 5）给了逃票者一个机会。
我原本并不打算看《逃票者：与法律开战》（Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law）。某天晚上我在刷屏时偶然发现了它，心想：噢看，真实犯罪，而且没有谋杀。这概率有多大？我立刻被那个在一年之内在伦敦进行了 530 次行程却一次都没付钱的家伙吸引住了。（这是一场银行卡诈骗——他欠伦敦交通局（TfL）3,700 英镑 的未付票款。）但来自伦敦交通局（TfL）执法团队的丽莎（Lisa）现在盯上他了。丽莎将抓住他视为自己的使命，而且你能感觉到，她的自尊心取决于此。她最终抓住了他，当她向他展示她掌握的关于他的卷宗时——而他却说自己只是今天才没付钱——那一刻极其令人满足。
我以后可能不会特意寻找这个节目，但在观看期间我确实投入其中。而且没有血腥场面，没有割喉，也没有为了某种撒旦仪式而摆放的尸体。这是真实犯罪，而我一次都没有不得不移开视线。完美。
爱丁堡喜剧
自从2007年因被指控谋杀室友梅雷迪思·克彻（Meredith Kercher）而被宣判无罪以来的11年里，阿曼达·诺克斯（Amanda Knox）直接参与了纪录片、播客以及最近的一部电视剧，那么为什么不尝试一下喜剧呢？
如果她的边缘艺术节（Fringe）演出《侧手翻》（Cartwheel，在Gilded Balloon剧场演出至8月17日 ★★★★）真的像广告误导的那样是一部喜剧，那么人们对这部剧的愤怒是可以理解的。但它绝对不是一部喜剧，而诺克斯也远非一名喜剧演员。
作为一部以她的母性本能以及在媒体关注下抚养两个年幼孩子的焦虑为中心的传记式叙事故事（必须说，她几乎没有采取任何措施来减少这种关注），《侧手翻》确实证明了其情感冲击力。剧本得体，包含一些自嘲且心领神会的笑话，作为一名初次登台者，她的表演足够出色。
诺克斯展现出一种挑衅的姿态，愤怒但并不愤世嫉俗，她提到的Chumbawamba乐队的歌词（“我被击倒……”）足以说明一切。她拒绝扮演受害者，但承认自己让处境变得艰难。“我把事情搞得很奇怪吗？”她询问观众。“是的，”观众齐声回答。在这次演出后，没有人会改变他们的看法。
在《边缘之女》（The Woman On The Edge，在Pleasance剧场演出至8月31日 ★★★★）中，艾尔夫·莱昂斯（Elf Lyons）化身为经典的希区柯克式银幕妖女，描绘了一次痛苦分手后的情感崩溃。“失去过谁吗？”她低语道，穿着想象中的高跟鞋醉醺醺地摇摇晃晃。 “我失去过。”
莱昂斯将小丑表演、戏剧、歌剧甚至对口型与单口喜剧相结合，营造出一个大胆的狂热之梦，其中充满了精妙的语言和视觉笑料。“我会变得幽默的，”她承诺道，“在回顾时。”
她利用阿波罗13号任务失败的故事作为她被抛弃之爱的隐喻，引导她脆弱、破碎的心回到地球，并以一个爆发性的、令人振奋的戏剧高潮结束。这是一位非凡表演者带来的真正美丽且令人心碎的一小时演出。
贝拉·赫尔（Bella Hull）带来了纯粹的单口喜剧，并配以扭曲的机智和一些大胆的观众互动，更不用说在演出约20分钟时的一个精彩特技（不剧透）。
在《疯牛病》（Mad Cow Disease，在Monkey Barrel剧场演出至8月30日 ★★★★）中，赫尔释放了一连串有力的笑话，精准地展示了为什么她被抢先招募去为《周六夜现场》英国版（Saturday Night Live UK）撰稿。趁现在还能在阴暗的地下室看到她的演出，赶紧去吧。
8月16日
4
戏剧
罗伯特·戈尔-朗顿（ROBERT GORE-LANGTON）
《权力的游戏：疯狂之王》
皇家莎士比亚剧院，斯特拉特福-upon-Avon 演出至9月5日，时长3小时40分钟 ★★★★★
《另一半如何相爱》
老维克剧院，伦敦 演出至9月19日，时长2小时40分钟 ★★★★★
在《权力的游戏：疯狂之王》中，有巨大的金属比武骑士、钢制的傀儡战马，动作戏在两条相交的跑道上上演。期待一只红眼睛的巨龙、俯冲的乌鸦以及一把由看起来凶狠的餐具制成的宝座，这部剧是乔治·RR·马丁那厚如门板的小说和电视剧的奢华舞台前传。
虽然编剧邓肯·麦克米伦（Duncan Macmillan）和导演多米尼克·库克（Dominic Cooke）的演出视觉效果极佳，但往往在繁杂的情节丛林中显得进展缓慢。剧集中所有的血腥和裸露场景都消失了，或许是为了吸引更多
刻薄组合：
罗杰·阿拉姆（Roger Allam）和多萝西·阿特金森（Dorothy Atkinson）
没有性与血腥的《权力的游戏》……那还有什么乐趣？
面向儿童市场的。 斯特拉特福剧院的常客会立刻认出马丁对莎士比亚的借鉴。韦斯特伦的“疯王”艾里斯（由迈克尔·谢弗饰演，戴着假发，指甲长了三英寸）显然是在向《李尔王》致敬；罗伯特·拜拉席恩大人（卡勒姆·伍德豪斯饰）作为王位的首席竞争者，是个酗酒的胖子，将哈尔王子和法斯塔夫这两个角色合而为一。然后是
雷加·坦格利安王子（诺亚·里特饰）——显然是那个犹豫不决的哈姆雷特的金发假发表亲。
麦克米伦的剧本充满了中世纪风格（如“汝不知否”）和现代风格（如“起来，你这个愚蠢的笨蛋”），但缺乏任何具有诗意且令人难忘的内容。是的，它看起来很棒，雷加·坦格利安和伊莉亚·马泰尔公主（伊丽莎白·阿约德莱饰）会赢得粉丝。
我坐在那儿想，如此展现的创意发明竟然没有被引导至
向李尔王致敬：饰演“疯王”的迈克尔·谢弗
创作莎士比亚真正的历史剧——即《亨利六世》三部曲，真是太可惜了。在我看来，“疯王”似乎是用来填补日益衰落的皇家莎士比亚剧团（RSC）品牌空虚金库的一种手段。
如果你在寻找真正的笑料，你会在旧维克剧院（Old Vic）找到。由艾伦·艾克本创作的《另一半如何相爱》（How The Other Half Loves）是1969年的热门剧目。这里的最大亮点是“演员中的演员”罗杰·阿拉姆（《 Endeavour》的主演），他饰演一名郊区商人——善良、自大、笨拙，令人恼火地含糊不清，且完全没意识到自己眼皮底下发生了什么。
多萝西·阿特金森饰演他那刻薄的妻子菲奥娜，表现出色（两人让人想起《美好生活》中的杰里和马戈·利德贝特），她极力掩饰自己与丈夫员工、讨厌的鲍勃·菲利普斯（罗万·波隆斯基饰）的私情，而鲍勃那泼辣的妻子（艾莎·安托万饰）则被困在家里照顾婴儿。
菲奥娜和鲍勃拉拢了另一对夫妇——沉闷的威廉和胆小的玛丽·费瑟斯通（由出色的劳拉·埃尔斯沃西和亚当·吉伦饰演）作为不在场证明。两场地狱般的晚餐派对同时进行，这是舞台同步协作的一次著名壮举。
在这部偶尔残酷的闹剧背后，是人类弱点的一场光辉混乱。阿拉姆贡献了毫无疑问的年度喜剧表演，部分戏份——正如所有优秀的闹剧一样——是在穿着Y型内裤和背心的情况下完成的。
菲利普·布林精准的时代制作（门铃声、萨沙·迪斯特尔的音乐以及诸如“亲爱的，我们的浴室文具用完了”之类的台词）带来的真正回报是接连不断的笑声。真是太愉快了。
音乐
菲比·布里杰斯（Phoebe Bridgers）此前作为独唱艺人以及超级组合Boygenius的成员已备受赞誉，现在她即将成为超级巨星。她的第三张专辑成了全城热议的话题，伴随着八卦特写和好评如潮。但在初次聆听时，我怀疑我的同行评论家们是否疯了。
开篇曲目《The Outside》令人反感。布里杰斯通常如此温柔且深情的嗓音，通过了一个声码器（vocoder）传出，这可能是音乐技术最糟糕的发明。她讨论的是在父亲葬礼上感到疏离，所以她想让自己听起来不带感情，但她依然将一件美事变成了加工肉类。
当她恢复真实嗓音时，你会松一口气——结果却发现她又切换回去了。当第二首曲目开始时，那个可恶的声码器依然在。谢天谢地，它没有再次出现，在经历了这种颠簸的开局后，专辑很快便乘风破浪。
这是一次围绕她的父亲和两位情人的航行。他们分别是她的男友、喜剧演员波·伯纳姆（Bo Burnham），以及她的前任、演员保罗·梅斯卡（Paul Mescal）（这就是八卦的由来）。布里杰斯将其中一首歌命名为
TIM DE LISLE
Phoebe Bridgers Lost Weekend 现已发行
★★★★★
Role Model Chuck Timely And The Hourglass
★★★★★
伯纳姆对她而言是“Bobby”，她在其他地方也一直提到他。“你的吻像个女孩，”她唱道，对他给予了一个非常现代的赞美。
梅斯卡像幽灵一样徘徊，就像我们的前任经常做的那样。其中一首歌名为 Haunted，而在同名主打歌中 Bridgers 唱道：“我本该结婚的，但我取消了。”这似乎证实了他们曾订婚——并揭示了是谁甩了谁。在 The Governor's Waltz 中，情节变得更加复杂。 对梅斯卡的女友、歌手 Gracie Abrams（同样未点名）发难。她们之间有过渊源：
Abrams 在 13 岁时在网上发布的第一个视频是翻唱 的 Waiting Room，后来 Abrams 还陪同她参加巡演。现在 唱道：“她可以假装是我 / 既然她在那个舞台上的床上取代了我的位置。”如果你打算如此刻薄，最好能把它做好。 的音效可能过于沉重，她的民谣流行乐风格可预测，但她的歌词却极其巧妙。“你四处走动，”她对伯纳姆说，“心事全写在脸上。”
她将最深刻的一句词留给了最后一曲 Lost Weekend (Reprise)：“当梦想成真，幻想便随之消亡。”在这首歌、Still Standing 以及 Other Plans 中，她创造了三个赢家，将回忆录的片段与某种更宏大、更神秘的东西融合在一起。
在经历了上述内容后，我需要一点轻松氛围，于是转向了 Role Model，一位来自缅因州的歌手，原名 Tucker Pillsbury。他最近的单曲 High Hopes 3000 非常精彩，让人想起 1973 年的埃尔顿·约翰。他的新专辑（如果你能原谅它那繁琐的标题的话）是一 bundle 充满智慧的乐趣。
照片：BRIAN MULLY, STEPHEN PERRY, STEPHEN MULLY, MARCH
5
电影
MATTHEW BOND
The End Of Oak Street
分级：12A，1小时39分钟
Sunny Dancer
分级：15，1小时46分钟
Tony
分级：15，1小时46分钟
Lady
分级：15，1小时37分钟
Holy Days
分级：12A，1小时41分钟
天哪，今年夏天美国郊区在电影院里日子很不好过。距离《The Last House》中那些奇怪的雨降临才十天，那些雨将人们锁在室内，可能永远无法离开，而几乎看不见的怪物在外面潜伏。而这些雨在 The End Of Oak Street 中再次出现，伴随着强光和深沉的低音轰鸣，没人会认为那是雷电，而且你绝对猜不到这次在街道上潜伏的是什么。
我们稍后再谈到那个，因为在那之前，这部由 JJ Abrams 监制的影片看起来相当糟糕。摄影很差，尤文·麦格雷戈的发型在每个镜头中都不同，路过的陌生人会说类似“你有一个很棒的家庭，你是个幸运的人”之类的话。
但慢慢地你会想起，这部电影是由 David Robert Mitchell 编剧并执导的，他拍过优秀的恐怖片 It Follows，而 Abrams 过去的监制作品包括两部《星际迷航》电影、三部《星球大战》续集、电视剧 Lost 以及，哦对了，Cloverfield，那部关于巨型怪物入侵纽约的爆米花电影。
他还编剧并执导了 Super 8，The End Of Oak Street 与该片很像。如果这两个人是在拍一部具有 B 级片氛围的电影，那么他们是故意的。这大概解释了为什么安妮·海瑟薇同意出演一名出人意料地机智的郊区母亲。
故事设定在 1982 年，接下来的内容本质上是对史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格的致敬，是 E.T. 和 Jurassic Park 的结合体：一群男孩骑着 chopper 自行车在绿草如茵的街道上飞驰，直到同样的街道突然充满了，呃……饥饿的迅猛龙。是的，这里有恐龙，而且很多。
Mitchell 让动作保持流畅，片长几乎完美的 99 分钟，基调是危机感、悬疑感、幽默（留意一个非常搞笑的恐龙性爱场景）以及适度恐怖的绝妙融合。这正是夏日电影该有的样子。
说 Bella
真是场精彩的“迅猛”乐趣……
Scary monsters
在郊区
Ramsey凭一己之力拯救了这部标题令人反感的《Sunny Dancer》。一旦剧情转移到癌症康复儿童的夏令营，所有饰演青少年的演员表现都很出色。但引领全片的是这位《权力的游戏》明星，而表现稳健的Ruby Stokes则在旁提供了有力的支持。
有利的一点是，Ramsey饰演的Ivy是一个17岁、病情已进入缓解期的女孩，她对于被送往“化疗营”感到愤怒，而我们对于不得不观看这部电影的前景也同样愤怒。事实上，
挑战！
Bella Ramsey和Daniel Quinn-Toye在《Sunny Dancer》中。右图：Dominic Sessa在《Tony》中。
她对那个不可避免的美国营地领导者（由看似不合适但最终表现相当不错的Neil Patrick Harris饰演）所展现出的愤怒与反抗，为这部潜在地矫情但经常幽默的电影提供了切入点。因为随着Ivy逐渐软化，先是与痴迷于性的Ella（Stokes饰）建立友谊，随后又与一名英俊的营友坠入爱河，观众的情绪也随之转变。
Ramsey表现勇敢且足够优秀，为这部电影做出了充分贡献，使其远比其标题和梗概所暗示的要好得多。
2018年自杀的Anthony Bourdain曾是美国餐饮界的“坏男孩”，他在纽约的餐厅里掀起一场美食风暴，但同时酗酒、吸毒，且总体上极其自负。据他自己承认，他青少年时期的样子甚至更糟，这就把我们引向了电影《Tony》。该片记录了一个具有决定意义的夏天，当时一个冲动且自信得令人厌烦的19岁
Bourdain为了追求一个他喜欢的女孩而前往马萨诸塞州的普罗温斯敦，并最终第一次在餐厅厨房工作。那是改变他一生的一个夏天。
以《坠落的继承者》（The Holdovers）而闻名的Dominic Sessa，为原本就倾向于自恋、强迫性不诚实且愤怒管理能力差的年轻Bourdain增添了一层忧郁的强度。厨房戏份非常精彩，饰演配角的Antonio Banderas和Leo Woodall也同样出色，但有一种明显的感觉，即真实事件可能并不像这样戏剧化。此外，一种可能浪费了时间的挫败感也难以摆脱。
《Lady》是一部奇怪且超现实的英国喜剧，由因《伦敦生活》（Fleabag）而闻名的Sian Clifford饰演Lady Isabella，她是一位孤独且在幻想中寻找创造力的贵族，雇佣了一个摄像团队在她的庄园里拍摄一部纪录片。这位获得Bafta提名的导演（Laurie Kynaston）以为自己在为Netflix工作，在发现并非如此时感到愤怒。但当Isabella在他眼前真的开始消失时，他感觉到了一次新的机会。
这里显然意在讽刺——在如今这个时代，如果没有摄像机对着你，你还存在吗？——但由于两位主角之间缺乏化学反应，且带有电视节目《办公室》（The Office）和《Amandaland》的浓厚既视感，这部电影始终未能真正产生效果。
《Holy Days》是一部以新西兰为背景的喜剧，不仅设定在20世纪70年代，而且感觉就像是在那个时代拍摄的一样。当三位年长的修女面临被驱逐出修道院的局面时，她们驾驶一辆从一名神父那里偷来的车开启了一次雄心勃勃的公路旅行，并勉强带上了一个仍在为母亲去世而悲伤的小男孩。情节极其复杂，尽管有Judy Davis和Miriam Margolyes领衔主演，但预想中的幽默既乏味又过时。
6
书评
《蛇人》（Snake Men） 扎克·圣乔治（Zach St George）著 W. W. Norton 出版，£22，272页
根据《国际动物命名法规》第 8.6 条的规定，霍瑟（Hoser）在《澳大拉西亚爬行动物学杂志》发表的第七期纸质副本似乎并未存放于五家大型公共图书馆中。如果你觉得这类句子能勾起你的兴趣，那么这本书就是为你准备的。书中讲述了那些脾气古怪的边缘人之间旷日持久的争斗，他们都渴望证明自己为不同种类的澳大利亚蛇所起的名称才是正确的。这些人就是那种为了找茬而专门去寻找蛇的人。
我们通常认为科学是一项非常精确的职业，是一个界限分明、事实确定的世界。但实际上情况恰恰相反——对新知识的追求不断地让旧知识产生怀疑，而新发现则重新划定了界限。例如，一个物种在哪里结束，下一个物种又从哪里开始？一个生物必须与近亲有多大的差异，才能不再被视为亲缘物种？那些不倾向于创建新物种的分类学家（生物命名者）被称为“合并者”（lumpers），而那些热衷于尽可能多地命名新物种的人则
认识那些以给蛇命名为生的古怪边缘人
被称为“拆分者”（splitters）。他们之间的不和有时会变得异常激烈。在 20 世纪 80 年代，理查德·威尔斯（Richard Wells）和罗斯·惠灵顿（Ross Wellington）的工作引起了澳大利亚爬行动物学会（Australian Society of Herpetologists）的愤怒反应。（顺便提一句，这个机构并不是澳大利亚爬行动物协会。当然不是。）这对搭档被视为“拆分者”，
该学会要求将他们的命名清单列入《动物学被拒绝及无效作品官方索引》：“如果他们的三篇论文……不被压制，对澳大利亚爬行动物学的影响将是毁灭性的”。问题在于，几乎任何人都可以随心所欲地给一个物种命名，而且为了防止混乱，后来的科学家应当沿用该名称的传统。并非所有人都能抵御幽默的诱惑。有些苍蝇被命名为 Carmenlectra shehuggme 和 Carmenlectra shechisme（以《海滩救护队》明星命名）。同一人还将苍蝇命名为 Pieza pi 和 Pieza rhea。字母表的开头也能激发人们的灵感。19 世纪 50 年代出现了一种名为 Aa 的兰花，随后在 1906 年，一只甲虫被命名为 Aaata，而 2013 年，另一只甲虫变成了 Aauaba。你肯定不想在派对上被这些人缠住。不过，至少他们尊重自己的动物。他们以爱心和细心对待主宰他们生活的蛇类和爬行动物——其中一人雷蒙德·霍瑟（Raymond Hoser）在儿童派对上展示它们，因为他深知，如果蛇没有首先受到挑衅，极少会咬人。在美国，被蛇杀死的人几乎总是与一个或多个“4T”相关——纹身（tattoos）、卡车（trucks）、龙舌兰酒（tequila）和睾酮（testosterone）。
而且这些“蛇人”还是表演者。埃里克·沃雷尔（Eric Worrell）是当时最著名的爬行动物学家，在 20 世纪 50 年代他的首次电视亮相中，他打开袋子发现有人踩死了他准备演示的那条蛇。他依然对其进行了“挤毒”以获取毒液，并摇晃它使其看起来像活的一样。“奇迹般地，两滴毒液顺着玻璃烧杯滚了下来……当我把尸体塞回袋子时，我听到一名技术人员说：‘能那样处理一条蛇，得有极其强大的胆量。’”
马克·梅森（Mark Mason）
7
书评
詹姆斯·凯里-道格拉斯历史专栏
《中国最后一位皇帝》 保罗·弗伦奇（Paul French）著 Elliot & Thompson 出版，£25，288页
20世纪初，世界处于一片混乱之中。快速的工业化、政治动荡以及毫无节制的殖民扩张，导致了第一次世界大战中毫无意义的屠杀以及君主制的崩塌。各国都在扭曲自身以适应新时代，中国也不例外。
然而，在北平（今北京）的心脏地带，有一个似乎被时间遗忘的地方。在紫禁城（面积是梵蒂冈的两倍）的朱红墙壁之内，溥仪、他的妻子、英国教师以及被阉割的仆人们在演绎着清朝的最后一幕。
中国最后一位皇帝那奇异而忧郁的一生，见证了他从世界上权力最大的孩子，沦落到在他曾经居住的宫殿附近担任一名园丁。不出所料，这个故事在世世代代的艺术家心中激起了灵感。数百万人涌向电影院，观看贝尔纳多·贝托鲁奇那部基于溥仪与导师雷金纳德·约翰斯顿关系而创作的奥斯卡获奖
“他在登基仪式上号啕大哭”
杰作《末代皇帝》。
现在，汉学家兼作家保罗·弗伦奇写下了这部关于这位皇帝的传记，记录了他从1908年年仅两岁登基，直到1924年最终被驱逐出紫禁城的经历。
溥仪于1906年出生在一个满洲贵族家庭，正值慈禧太后臭名昭著的统治末期。慈禧是一个反社会的人格暴君，似乎以毒杀任何阻碍她的人为乐，甚至包括她自己的侄子。在她坠入地狱之前的最后一次残忍之举，就是指定她两岁的曾侄孙溥仪为继任者。
溥仪当时还只是个蹒跚学步的孩子，就被告知他是上天与人间之间的纽带。他被“骑着蒙古马的骑兵以及身着亮红色制服的宫廷太监”簇拥着被匆匆带往紫禁城。他后来写道，在登基仪式上他一直尖叫和哭泣。
中国的政治体制已支离破碎，当1911年的革命最终将中国建立为共和国时，没有人感到惊讶——甚至包括皇室成员。对他们而言幸运的是，塑造新中国的政治家孙中山博士“认为，保留一种过去的表象，即中国的连续性，是非常重要的”。他还认为“处决一名六岁皇帝的残暴行为，无论在国内还是国外都无法为他赢得朋友”。就囚笼而言。
帝国之内的皇帝之谜
两岁登基，六岁退位…… 一部新历史讲述了中国最后一位帝国统治者及其在紫禁城中镀金生活的惊人故事
溥仪的生活可能是历史上最奢华的。French 极其详尽地描述了这种被隔离生活的壮丽：数英亩盛开着菊花的花园、奢华的宴会，以及一群将溥仪视为上帝的太监。这个“小朝廷”被允许继续运作——尽管已被剥夺所有权力——并获得巨额年度津贴。
雷金纳德·约翰斯顿（Reginald Johnston）在 1934 年出版的关于他教导溥仪（1918-24 年）期间的回忆录，是我们了解“大内”生活的缘由。约翰斯顿是一名驻华殖民官员，他对语言的掌握出奇地好。在被聘为教师后，他对这位年轻的皇帝产生了一种父亲般的喜爱，而溥仪在所有事情上都开始依赖他。
约翰斯顿是众多鼓励溥仪结婚的声音之一。1922, 少年时期的溥仪从一组满洲贵族女性的照片中选中了婉容。
这场婚礼是共和主义与君主制的奇异混合。北京的街道上挤满了围观者，他们来看新娘坐在红色轿子上前往紫禁城禁闭。共和制的行进乐队在骑马的清朝王爷前面演奏美国爵士乐。如果说有什么的话，这种毫无意义的戏剧表演恰恰证明了，无论这是什么，它都无法持久。婉容与其说是妻子，不如说成了这位少年皇帝的一种玩伴。French 为这对夫妇勾勒了一幅亲切的画像：他们骑自行车穿过古老的城堡，调皮地为彼此拍照，并让自己和老师们穿上古装。
然而，他们被囚禁了。溥仪开始梦想仅仅成为一名公民，摆脱宫殿及其太监的束缚。
太监无疑是宫廷生活中最奇怪的特征，而且在我看来，也是其中最可怜的居民。一千多年来，皇家传统规定皇帝必须由太监服侍。太监可以在皇宫中工作，“而无需担心污染皇室血统”。他们也没有家庭的干扰，否则可能会分散他们对皇帝的注意力。
通常，他们在孩童时期就被阉割。贫困的父母会将唯一的经济希望寄托在儿子成为皇室仆人身上。在溥仪的一生中，“他们作为仆人、清扫工、办事员、玩伴、马夫、艺人，以及后来的气枪射击目标，围绕在他身边”。溥仪在回忆录中承认，“到 11, 岁时，鞭打太监成了我的日常活动……每当我心情不好，太监们就会陷入麻烦。”
由于这些人失去了生殖器官（他们将其保存在盐水中，以便死后随葬），你可能会希望唯一的福利是工作保障。然而，始终笼罩着的被永久驱逐的威胁意味着他们连这也没有。自然地，他们开始偷窃。他们会盗取紫禁城内无穷无尽的宝物，将其作为古玩卖给欣喜的游客。
当溥仪发现这一点后，他在愤怒之下驱逐了所有 400 名宫廷太监。许多人因此无家可归，许多人自杀。不久之后，皇帝本人也会被扔出去。
1924 年 11 月，皇帝和皇后最终被驱逐出紫禁城。新共和国的锻造已经相当
“溥仪被送往改造营”
在经历了一些初期的困难后，军阀们在全国各地试图确立自己的统治地位。最终，总统被推翻，军阀冯玉祥占领了北京。他“不耐任何形式的君主制”，而他对布尔什维克的同情理所当然地让溥仪和婉容感到恐惧。
他们被要求搬出宫殿，自谋生路。尽管溥仪长期渴望离开，但红墙之外的生活却每况愈下。溥仪很容易被日本（中国的敌人）说服，接受成为其非法吞并的领土——满洲国的皇帝。这使得溥仪及其妻子成为了中国的敌人，他在第二次世界大战后被逮捕并被送往改造营。婉容在离开北京后染上了鸦片瘾，最终在监狱囚室中因失禁和戒断反应而死。她同样被指控与日本人合作。
溥仪在入狱十年后获释，最终在毛泽东时代的北京以一名园丁的身份结束了生命。
这是一个超现实且令人不安的故事，法兰西（French）以一种充满活力的笔触将其写就，使紫禁城的壮丽与悲惨跃然纸上。
这部令人大开眼界的传记揭示了一个“谦逊且聪明”的男孩的性格，根据一名美国记者的说法，他注定成为“地球上影响力最小的君主”。
© Cengage Learning
Gtech 在污垢占据主导前将其清理干净
Standard Duo
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13
本周电视节目精选
体育板球
乔·鲁特（右）回归担任英格兰队队长，在后“Bazball”时代的首场测试赛中对阵巴基斯坦。周日是欧洲田径锦标赛的最后一天（BBC1, 7.25am & 7.30pm）；The Hundred决赛（BBC2, 2pm & 6pm）；以及社区盾杯的阿森纳对阵曼城（TNT1, k.o. 3pm）。英超联赛将于周五由阿森纳对阵考文垂城开幕（周五，SSME, k.o. 8pm）。周三，Sky Cricket, 10am
真实犯罪
爱你至死
In 2005, four-year-old Matthew Johnson won a Children of Courage award. Two years later, his mother Lisa, left, was convicted of child cruelty. It's unusual for true-crime docuseries to hear from victim and perpetrator, but this sad and complex tale of Fabricated or Induced Illness features both Lisa and Matthew, speaking for the first time. Wednesday-Thursday, C4, 9pm
惊悚片
灯笼
虽然背景设定在DC超级英雄宇宙，但HBO这部新的八集剧集本质上是带有超能力的《真探》，且超能力被置于次要位置。《周五夜灯》的凯尔·钱德勒（右）在剧中饰演一名星际执法者，调查一起发生在内布拉斯加州农村的非常接地气的谋杀案。周一，HBO Max
广播
周日沙漠
岛屿唱片
新音乐剧的主角、由亚历山德拉·伯克主演的查卡·汗被困荒岛。Radio 4, 10am
周日
大北 大西洋家庭 视频档案
关于西马斯·奥赖利（Seamas O'Reilly）的父亲为何从电视上录制超过 700 部电影的动人故事。Radio 4, 7.15pm
周四
文化生活
畅销书《鸟鸣》的作者塞巴斯蒂安·福克斯分享了他关于其“文化活跃”母亲的回忆，以及学生时代在巴黎首次看到印象派作品的经历。Radio 4, 11am
周四
BBC 逍遥音乐节
小号手安布罗斯·阿金穆西雷（Ambrose Akinmusire）和BBC音乐厅管弦乐团在迈尔斯·戴维斯（左）诞辰一百周年之际向其致敬。Radio 3, 7pm
照片：BELLIS / THILL / THANNIS / DENNY / ALLEN / STACY / HEIMAN
14
8月16日 星期日
BBC1 / BBC2 / ITV1 / CHANNEL 4 / 5
6.00 Breakfast 7.25 欧洲田径锦标赛：伯明翰 2026 第七天开幕赛报道，包括男子和女子马拉松，跑者在市中心的维多利亚广场起跑并完赛。 10.35 电影：《鳄鱼莱尔》 (PG / 2022) 由哈维尔·巴登主演的音乐喜剧。<>12.15 Bargain Hunt (R)<>1.00 BBC News; 天气预报<>1.15 Songs Of Praise 由凯特·博特利牧师在诺福克皇家展会现场主持。<>1.50 Money For Nothing (R)<>2.35 Escape To The Country (R)<>3.05 The Mating Game (R)<>4.05 Homes Under The Hammer (R)<>5.05 BBC News<>5.20 地区新闻；天气预报<>5.30 Countryfile 亚当·亨森在坎布里亚郡与27岁的农民乔治亚·亨特在一起。<>6.30 Antiques Roadshow 5 / 19 菲奥娜·布鲁斯在苏格兰的布罗迪城堡 grounds 现场主持节目。(R) / 6.25 Countryfile 亚当·亨森在西萨塞克斯郡会见年轻农民。(R)<>7.25 Breakfast 新闻、天气和娱乐报道。<>9.00 Prayer And Reflection (R)<>9.30 电影：《顶礼帽》 (U / 1935) 由欧文·柏林作曲，弗雷德·阿斯泰尔和金格·罗杰斯主演的音乐剧。<>11.05 The Best Dishes Ever (R)<>11.35 The Great British Sewing Bee 缝纫者们挑战广阔的体育世界。(R)<>12.35 电影：《超人4：和平使命》 (PG / 1987) 钢铁之躯誓要清除世界上的核武器，却面临一个致命的放射性反派。超级英雄冒险续集，由克里斯托弗·里夫和吉恩·哈克曼主演。<>2.00 板球：The Hundred 女子决赛（开始时间 2.15pm）。在 Lord's 球场报道 Trent Rockets 女队对阵周五淘汰赛获胜的 SunRises Leeds 女队。 / 6.00 James Martin's American Adventure (R)<>7.00 James Martin's Saturday Morning (R)<>9.25 ITV News<>9.30 Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh (R)<>11.30 Fern Britton: Inside The Vet's 安迪为一只狗进行手术以切除一个令人担忧的肿瘤。本系列最后一集。<>12.30 Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy 汤姆探索意大利的山区。(R)<>1.00 ITV News; 天气预报<>1.05 Force Of Nature 海洋变暖如何加剧为人父母的挑战。(R)<>2.10 电影：《八爪女》 (PG / 1983) 由罗杰·摩尔主演的詹姆斯·邦德间谍冒险片。<>4.45 The Chase Celebrity Special 问答节目。(R)<>5.45 The Chase Around The World 团队抵达苏黎世，挑战 Governess 和 Dark Destroyer。(R)<>6.40 ITV News; 天气预报<>6.50 当地新闻；天气预报 / 6.20 Cheers 三集连播。(R)<>7.40 Everybody Loves Raymond 两集连播。(R)<>8.30 The Simpsons 三集连播。(R)<>10.00 Sunday Brunch 主持人 Al Murray, Layton Williams, Danny O'Donoghue, Gareth Malone 和 Saffron Hocking。<>1.00 The Dog House 艾莉希望找一只狗来帮助她放松。(R)<>2.00 Four In A Bed 五集。(R)<>4.35 Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive And Kids 规划人员同意翻修现在可以延伸到相邻的谷仓。(R)<>5.35 Worst House On The Street Scarletie 和 Stuart 面临迄今为止最大的挑战之一，他们帮助夫妻 Ian 和 Steph 翻修谢皮岛上一栋已空置近二十年的破旧三居室房屋。(R)<>6.30 Channel 4 News 包括体育和天气。 / 6.00 Milkshake! 儿童节目，包括：<>8.10 Animal Care Club<>8.25 The Smurfs<>8.35 The Creature Cases (R)<>8.50 SpongeBob SquarePants (R)<>9.05 Entertainment News On 5 娱乐圈新闻和八卦。<>9.15 电影：《海绵宝宝》 (U / 2004) 儿童动画 [...OMITTED...]
喜剧。11.00 Happy Campers: The Caravan Park 纪录片双片连播。(R) 1.00 Cruising With Susan Calman 双片连播。主持人探索加勒比地区。(R) 3.00 Croc Watch With Steve Backshall 双片连播。自然主义者近距离接触鳄鱼。(R) 5.00 Sicily With Michael Portillo 播报员探索意大利岛屿的首府巴勒莫。(R) 6.25 News 国内外新闻。6.30 Birds Of A Feather: 30 Years Of Laughs 情景喜剧庆祝活动。(R) / 欧洲田径锦标赛，7.30pm / 板球：The Hundred，6pm 男子决赛报道 / Richard E Grant's Very Modern Odyssey，8pm 旅程继续 / 7.30 欧洲田径锦标赛：伯明翰 2026 Gabby Logan 主持决赛日晚间赛事的报道，届时将为包括女子 1500m 和 4 x 400m 接力在内的 8 个项目颁奖。由 Jessica Ennis-Hill 和 Greg Rutherford 进行分析，Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson 和 Paula Radcliffe 进行解说。10.00 BBC News At Ten 10.25 地区新闻；天气 10.30 电影：《碟中谍 2》(Mission: Impossible 2) (15 / 2000) 特工伊森·亨特被派去寻找并摧毁唯一一份致命的人造病毒样本。但他面临着一名由间谍转变为犯罪天才的强敌，对方已经掌握了治疗方法，现在想要获得病原体本身。由汤姆·克鲁斯主演的约翰·吴动作惊悚续集。12.30 BBC News / 6.00 板球：The Hundred 男子决赛（开始时间 6pm）。在 Lord's 球场报道这场焦点赛事，Trent Rockets 将对阵曼彻斯特超级巨人队（Manchester Super Giants）与利兹日出队（SunRises Leeds）在周五淘汰赛中的获胜者。9.30 Q1 9 / 18 Ed Byrne, Cally Beaton 和 Jack Dee 加入 Alan Davies 的喜剧小组问答节目，由 Sandi Toksvig 提出关于戏剧方方面面的问题。(R) 10.00 电影：《法国连接》(The French Connection) (18 / 1971) 两名纽约警察使用非正统手段摧毁一个将海洛因从法国走私到美国的毒品团伙。由 Gene Hackman 出演的基于事实的奥斯卡获奖惊悚片。11.40 电影：《邦妮和克莱德》(Bonnie And Clyde) (18 / 1967) 帮派剧，讲述一对夫妇在 20 世纪 30 年代在美中西部展开犯罪狂欢的故事。由 Warren Beatty 出演。1.30 Sign Zone: Ann Droid (R) / 7.00 Force Of Nature 4 / 6 Andrew Lincoln 讲述动物如何适应寒冷，以及它们在变暖的世界中如何挣扎，包括一只在喜马拉雅山被竞争对手雄性赶出家园的雪豹。8.00 Van Der Valk 3 / 3 一名研究癌症的科学家似乎被暗杀，Piet 必须查明他被杀的原因，并调查与一名制药亿万富翁的联系。
10.00 ITV News；天气 10.15 Sunny Nights 1 / 8 新剧集。美国创业兄妹在遇到一名骗子后被卷入悉尼的地下世界。11.15 25 Years In Afghanistan 再次探访 Mir，观众在 2021 年的纪录片《我的童年，我的国家——在阿富汗的 20 年》(My Childhood, My Country - 20 Years in Afghanistan) 中见证了他从童年起经历二十年剧变的生活。1.05 Shop On TV / 7.00 Gogglebox 第 27 季精彩片段合集，其中 Gogglebox 观众们点评更多最顶尖且最优秀的电视节目。8.00 Richard E Grant's Very Modern Odyssey 3 / 4 Richard 在突尼斯岛杰尔巴（Djerba）寻找神话中具有催眠作用的莲花果，并在意大利西海岸寻找曾迷惑奥德修斯的迷人女巫基尔刻（Circe）。9.00 The Piano 揭晓万能之选，Mika, Claudia Winkleman 和 Jon Batiste 为决赛选手准备在伯明翰交响乐厅举办的他们人生中最大规模的音乐会。10.00 Celebrity Gogglebox 明星们分享他们对《伤急》(Casuality)、《1%俱乐部：足球援助》(The 1% Club for Soccer Aid)、《克拉克森的农场》(Clarkson's Farm)、《约克郡兽医：与格林一家同在》(The Yorkshire Vet: At Home with the Greens) 以及《今晨》(This Morning) 的看法。(R) 11.05 电影：《亲爱的爱丽丝》(Alice, Darling) (15 / 2022) 由 Anna Kendrick 主演的惊悚片。12.45 Ramsay's Hotel Hell (R) / Birds Of A Feather: 30 Years Of Laughs，6.30pm 一场庆祝
15
8月17日 星期一
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 12.15 Bargain Hunt 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC ; Weather 2.00 Money For Nothing 2.45 Escape To The Country 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC 6.30 Regional ; Weather 7.00 The One Show 7.30 EastEnders Nicola 的处境进一步恶化。 8.00 Child Maintenance: Parents Under Pressure – Panorama 8.30 Scam Interceptors 6 / 15 伦理黑客 Jim Browning 抓获正在作案的诈骗者。(R) 9.00 Death In Paradise 7 / 9 (R) 10.00 BBC At Ten 10.30 Regional ; Weather 10.40 Have I Got For You 6 / 10 David Tennant 主持。(R) 11.10 电影：《碟中谍3》(12 / 2006) 动作惊悚片。
BBC2
6.45 Beechgrove Garden (R) 7.15 The Answer Run (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: The Repair Shop (R) 9.00 BBC 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) 5.15 Flog It! (R) 6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (R) 7.00 Global Eye 7.30 Mastermind 8.00 Only Connect Accrual World 对阵 Knitwits。 8.30 University Challenge Bath 对阵 City St George's。 9.00 Buried With Michael Sheen 1 / 2 这位演员调查南威尔士有毒污染的指控。 10.00 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing 4 / 6 (R) 10.30 Newsnight 11.05 Disclosure: Welcome To Glasgow 纪实系列片。 12.05 A House Through Time (R)
ITV1
6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.30 ITV ; Weather 1.55 Local ; Weather 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal (R) 3.00 Deal Or No Deal (R) 4.00 Tipping Point (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local ; Weather 6.30 ITV ; Weather 7.30 Fletchers' Family Farm 10 / 10 Kelvin 打算买一头公牛。(R) 8.00 Emmerdale Ruby 策划盗窃 Jimmy 的货物。 8.30 Coronation Street Sarah 拒绝利用其人脉帮助另一名囚犯。 9.00 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – What Happened Next 跟进被寻回的弃儿 Susanne Barrow 和 Tom Yeo 的故事。 10.00 ITV ; Weather 10.30 Local ; Weather 10.45 Cold Case Forensics: In The Blood 3 / 3 (R) 11.40 The Assembly (R) 12.05 Shop On TV
CHANNEL 4
6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 American Pickers (R) 7.00 Channel 4 8.00 Martin & Roman's Irish Road Trip 2 / 3 Martin 和 Roman Kemp 探索米斯县和都柏林。 9.00 Celebrity Hunted 几名逃犯在 BBC 上实时出现。 10.00 Secret Lives Of Gypsy Wives Trewley 的第一首说唱歌曲反响不一。 11.05 Surgery Secrets Of The Super Rich 5 / 6 Emma 接受了 9,500 英镑 纳米脂肪治疗以改善眼下阴影。(R) 12.05 Walter Presents: Everybody Lies
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6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 新闻 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 电影：《致命之恋》(12 / 2023) 由 Ryan Francis 主演的惊悚片。 4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 新闻 6.00 塞浦路斯：地中海之珠 (R) 6.55 新闻 7.00 Traffic Cops 警员们正在搜寻一辆疑似克隆的车辆。(R) 7.55 新闻 8.00 Street Cops: Catching The Yobs 警员在发现一把带钉棒球棍后追捕一名青少年。 9.00 Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law 调查人员在搜寻一名被认为欠缴车费超过 2,300 英镑 的女性。 10.00 Police Interceptors: Taking Down The Shoplifting Gangs 3 / 4 两兄弟的盗窃行为已失控。(R) 11.05 Traffic Cops 8 / 20 (R) 12.05 Car Pound Cops (R)
8月18日 星期二
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) 1.00 BBC新闻；天气 1.35 地区新闻；天气 1.45 BBC新闻；天气 2.00 Money For Nothing 2.45 Escape To The Country 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC新闻；天气 6.30 地区新闻 7.00 The One Show 由 Roman Kemp 和 Lauren Laverne 主持。 7.30 EastEnders Ravi 向 Zack 寻求建议。 8.00 The Great British Sewing Bee 6 / 10 在儿童周，缝纫者们制作芭蕾舞裙、毛绒玩具和超级英雄服装。 9.00 Celebrity MasterChef 1 / 15 知名人士展开竞争。 10.00 BBC十点新闻 10.30 地区新闻；天气 10.40 电影：《不可触碰》(15 / 1987) 由 Kevin Costner 主演的黑帮惊悚片。 12.35 The Hit List (R)
BBC2
6.30 Escape To The Country (R) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: The Great British Sewing Bee (R) 9.00 BBC新闻 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) 5.15 Flog It! (R) 6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (R) 7.00 Nigellissima 3 / 6 (R) 7.30 Race Against The Tide 1 / 6 8.00 Saving Lives At Sea 1 / 10 有一个关于一名渔民落水的 999 紧急电话。 9.00 Emergency 24 / 7 1 / 6 10.00 Live At The Apollo 6 / 7 (R) 10.30 Newsnight 11.05 The Vampire Lestat: Interview With The Vampire 5 / 7 11.55 The Vampire Lestat: Interview With The Vampire 6 / 7 12.50 Sign Zone: Uncanny (R)
ITV1
6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.30 ITV新闻；天气 1.55 当地新闻；天气 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal (R) 3.00 Deal Or No Deal (R) 4.00 Tipping Point (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 当地新闻；天气 6.30 ITV新闻；天气 7.30 Inside The Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel 5 / 6 接待主管 Rodrigo 迎接他心目中的舞蹈偶像。 8.00 Emmerdale Joe 为大家准备了一个惊喜。 8.30 Coronation Street Kit 让 Sarah 去处理 Kacey 的威胁。 9.00 True Crime Presents: No Escape – Married To A Stalker Raneem Oudeh 被其前伴侣谋杀。 10.00 ITV新闻；天气 10.30 当地新闻；天气 10.45 电影：《八爪女》(PG / 1983) 由 Roger Moore 主演的詹姆斯·邦德间谍冒险片。 1.10 Shop On TV
CHANNEL 4
6.30 《皇后之王》(The King Of Queens) (R) 7.45 《大家都爱雷蒙》(Everybody Loves Raymond) (R) 9.10 《弗雷泽》(Frasier) (R) 11.10 《拉姆齐的厨房噩梦：美国篇》(Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA) (R) 12.05 第4频道新闻摘要 12.10 《寻找、修复、出售》(Find It, Fix It, Flog It) (R) 1.10 《豪宅大赠送》(The Great House Giveaway) (R) 2.10 《倒计时》(Countdown) 3.00 《阳光之所》(A Place In The Sun) (R) 4.00 《伟大B&B挑战赛》(The Great B&B Challenge) (R) 5.00 《城堡DIY》(Chateau DIY) (R) 6.00 《美国淘金者》(American Pickers) (R) 7.00 第4频道新闻 8.00 《ADHD的大骗局？》精神科医生Max Pemberton挑战关于ADHD的传统认知。 9.00 《名人猎杀》Gloria Hunniford为两名逃犯提供避风港。 10.00 《Gogglebox》审视《我是名人，让我离开这里！》(I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!) (R) 11.05 《吉普赛妻子的秘密生活》Trewley的第一首说唱歌曲反响不一。(R) 12.05 《打造摩纳哥超级豪宅》(Building Monaco's Superhomes) (R)
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6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 新闻 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 电影：《危险邻居》(Living Next To Danger) (PG / 2023) 惊悚片。 4.00 《城堡》(Castle) (R) 4.55 《热爱自然》(Love Nature) (R) 5.00 新闻 6.00 《直布罗陀：地中海之珠》介绍位于西班牙南海岸的该半岛。(R) 6.55 新闻 7.00 《警用拦截车》两名开面包车的男子在四个郡展开了一场危险的赛跑。(R) 7.55 新闻 8.00 《高速公路警察：抓捕英国超速者》一辆未投保的梅赛德斯面包车在M6高速公路上拒绝停车。 9.00 《乔治时代》由Rob Rinder与Ruth Goodman主持，回顾1820年乔治四世国王的加冕礼。 10.30 《詹姆斯·布尔格：审判》讲述1993年Jon Venables和Robert Thompson谋杀案的审判故事。(R) 12.05 《连环杀手之妻》(Serial Killer Wives) (R)
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8月19日 星期三
8PM 6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC ; 2.00 Money For Nothing 2.45 Escape To The Country (R) 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC ; 6.30 Regional 7.00 The One Show 7.30 EastEnders 辛迪和金举办单身派对的日子。 8.00 Fake Or Fortune? What Happened Next 关于两本速写本是否为年轻时期的图卢兹-劳特累克作品的最新进展。 9.00 Celebrity MasterChef 2 / 15 10.00 BBC At Ten 10.30 Regional ; 10.40 NOTD: 欧足联冠军联赛附加赛首回合赛事。 11.30 电影：《猴子人》(Monkey Man) (18 / 2024) 首播。由德夫·帕特尔主演的动作惊悚片。
10PM 6.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: Great Japanese Railway Journeys (R) 8.30 Great Continental Railway Journeys (R) 9.00 BBC 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) 5.15 Flog It! (R) 6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (R) 7.00 Today At The Test 英格兰队 v 巴基斯坦队。 8.00 Digging For Britain 6 / 6 (R) 9.00 Murder Trial: Death Of A Dog Walker 2 / 2 前猎场管理员大卫·坎贝尔出庭作证。 10.00 Couples Therapy 1 / 9 10.30 Newsnight 11.05 Couples Therapy 2 / 9 11.35 Couples Therapy 3 / 9 杰森求助于 ChatGPT。 12.05 Buried With Michael Sheen 两部分之一。(R)
9PM 6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.00 ITV ; 1.20 Local ; 1.30 ITV Racing: Live From York. Ebor Meeting 第一天。 4.30 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local ; 6.30 ITV ; 7.30 Inside The Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel 6 / 6 团队庆祝朗廷酒店成立160周年。 8.00 Emmerdale 8.30 Coronation Street 伊德里斯在 Speed Daal 扑克之夜前指导奥利。 9.00 Professor T 1 / 6 由本·米勒主演的剧集。 10.00 ITV ; 10.30 Local ; 10.45 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – What Happened Next (R) 11.40 British Touring Car Championship Highlights 精选集。 1.05 Shop On TV
9PM 6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 American Pickers (R) 7.00 Channel 4 8.00 Extraordinary Extensions 一对克罗伊登夫妇建造了一个谷仓扩建部分。 9.00 Love You To Death 1 / 3 关于一名伪造儿子病情的母亲的故事。 10.00 Outback Murder Highway 1 / 4 调查沿澳大利亚一条 500 英里公路发生的谋杀案的犯罪纪录片。 11.05 Outback Murder Highway 2 / 4 三名新西兰摩托车手的谋杀案。 12.05 Murder Case: The Digital Detectives 一张伪造的 £20 钞票如何帮助揭露 2020 年一起谋杀案背后的真相。(R)
晚上8点 6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 新闻 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 电影：《阁楼里的尸体》（PS / 2023） 4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 新闻 6.00 Capri: Jewel Of The Med (R) 6.55 新闻 7.00 Car Pound Cops 8 / 8 追踪因各种违规而被扣押的车辆。(R) 7.55 新闻 8.00 Casualty 24 / 7: Every Second Counts 巴恩斯利急诊科的团队应对冬季压力。 9.00 999: Critical Condition 6 / 6 一名男子担心在一次道路交通事故后可能再也无法行走。 10.00 A&E: Crash Scene Emergency 考文垂大学医院创伤单元医疗团队的工作。(R) 11.05 Ambulance: Code Red 一名64岁的人在工作时晕倒，疑似心脏骤停。(R)
8月20日，星期四
晚上9点 6.00 早餐 9.30 乡村档案珍宝 (R) 10.30 花园救援 (R) 11.15 房屋拍卖 (Homes Under The Hammer) 12.15 淘宝猎人 (R) 1.00 BBC新闻；天气 1.35 地区新闻；天气 1.45 BBC新闻；天气 2.00 免费资金 (Money For Nothing) 2.45 逃往乡村 (R) 3.30 修理铺 (R) 4.30 答案竞速 (The Answer Run) 5.15 无用之题 (Pointless) (R) 6.00 BBC新闻；天气 6.30 地区新闻 7.00 综合节目 (The One Show) 7.30 东区东街 (EastEnders) Lily和Joel互相支持。 8.00 龙穴 (Dragons' Den) 8 / 14 9.00 路德维希 (Ludwig) 1 / 6 10.00 BBC十点新闻 10.30 地区新闻；天气 10.40 我的谋杀真相 1 / 6 警方对1996年温特伍德森林一起谋杀案的调查。 11.20 我的谋杀真相 2 / 6 在M4公路旁的一个行李箱中发现一名女性尸体。 12.00 我的谋杀真相 在威尔士一辆失事车辆附近发现一具尸体。
晚上8点 6.30 逃往乡村 (R) 7.15 免费资金 (R) 8.00 手语区：园艺世界 (R) 9.00 BBC新闻 1.00 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏屋 (R) 1.30 终点线 (R) 2.15 你了解你的位置吗？ (R) 2.45 动物公园夏季 (R) 3.30 塞伦盖蒂 II (R) 4.30 复古古董路演 (R) 5.10 把它卖了！ (Flog It!) (R) 6.00 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏屋 (R) 6.30 理查德·奥斯曼的游戏屋 (R) 7.00 测试赛今日动态 英格兰对阵巴基斯坦。 8.00 斯蒂芬·麦戈文的大交易 2 / 6 剩下的六对搭档联手为豪宅寻找并出售艺术品。 9.00 穿越时光的房子 2 / 4 评估卡尔顿山上这座房子的维多利亚时代居民的生活。 10.00 红矮星 2 / 6 (R) 10.30 新闻之夜 (Newsnight) 11.05 24 / 7紧急救援 1 / 6 (R) 12.05 电影：《塔尔》(Tar) (15 / 2022) 凯特·布兰切特主演的剧情片。
晚上7.30 6.00 英国早安 10.00 早上好 (This Morning) 1.00 ITV新闻；天气 1.20 当地新闻；天气 1.30 ITV赛马：约克现场。埃博会议第二天。 4.30 倾斜点：史上最佳决赛 (R) 5.00 追击 (The Chase) (R) 6.00 当地新闻；天气 6.30 ITV新闻；天气 7.30 汤姆·克里奇烹饪意大利 6 / 6 汤姆探索西西里的柑橘遗产。 8.00 艾默代尔 (Emmerdale) Kev警告Caleb和Ruby他将揭发他们。 8.30 街道冠冕 (Coronation Street) Leanne因为Idris用她的钱赌博而责骂他。 9.00 全球追击 6 / 6 队伍抵达最后一个城市雅典，在那里他们必须击败所有追击者。 10.00 ITV新闻；天气 10.30 当地新闻；天气 10.45 电影：《天幕杀机》(Skyfall) (12 / 2012) 丹尼尔·克雷格主演的詹姆斯·邦德惊悚片。 1.20 电视购物
晚上8点 6.30 皇后之王 (R) 7.45 大家都爱雷蒙 (R) 9.10 弗雷泽 (R) 11.10 拉姆齐的厨房噩梦美国版 (R) 12.05 第4频道新闻摘要 12.10 寻找、修复、出售 (R) 1.10 豪宅赠送 (R) 2.10 倒计时 (Countdown) 3.00 阳光下的居所 (R) 4.00 伟大B&B挑战 (R) 5.00 城堡DIY (R) 6.00 美国拾荒者 (R) 7.00 第4频道新闻 8.00 翻新救援 在南威尔士，一个在建筑工地生活了18个月、感到厌倦的家庭决定自行完成翻新。 9.00 爱你至死 2 / 3 随着一个不可思议的真相被揭露，Lisa的世界崩塌了。 10.00 爱你至死 3 / 3 Matthew面对他的过去。 11.05 荒野谋杀公路 3 / 4 关注托尼·琼斯的失踪案。 12.05 荒野谋杀公路
晚上9点 6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 新闻 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 电影：《家庭之罪》(Sins In The Family) (12 / 2023) 由 Monique Plante 主演的惊悚片。 4.00 Castle (重播) 4.55 Love Nature (重播) 5.00 新闻 6.00 科西嘉岛：地中海之珠 (重播) 6.55 新闻 7.00 环球头等舱之旅 4 / 4 Josie Gibson 前往香港。(重播) 7.55 新闻 8.00 约克郡兽医 Matt Smith 救助一头牛。 9.00 贝尼多姆谋杀案 4 / 6 Dennis 和 Rosa 调查一名前大奖得主的死亡事件。 10.00 犯罪现场的杀手 Karla Godoy 在去秘鲁度假后失踪，随后被谋杀。(重播) 11.05 逃票者：与法律的战争 调查人员搜寻一名被认为欠费超过 2,300 英镑 的女性。(重播) 12.05 街头警察：抓捕混混 纪录片。(重播)
17
8月21日 星期五
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 12.15 Bargain Hunt 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC ; 2.00 The Hairdresser Mysteries 2.45 Escape To The Country (R) 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC ; 6.30 Regional ; 7.00 The One Show With Angelica Bell and JB Gill. 7.30 The Travelling Auctioneers 3 / 20 Globetrotter Jenny needs help clearing the family home. (R) 8.00 Celebrity MasterChef 3 / 15 The celebrities work in teams to serve up a three-course meal. 9.00 Would I Lie To You? 5 / 9 (R) 9.30 Ann Droid 6 / 6 10.00 BBC At Ten 10.30 Regional ; 10.40 电影：27 Dresses (12 / 2008) 12.30 BBC
BBC2
6.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: A House Through Time (R) 9.00 BBC 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Flog It! (R) 5.00 体操：2026年欧洲锦标赛。男子项目第三日报道。 7.00 田径：钻石联赛洛桑站 The Athletissima. 9.00 Bergerac 6 / 6 必须在Kim遭遇危险前找到她。 9.50 The Secret Genius Of Modern Life (R) 10.00 Q1 10 / 18 With Sarah Millican, Daliso Chaponda and Rob Beckett. (R) 10.30 Novenight 11.05 电影：Silent Roar (15 / 2023) 首播。由Louis McCartney和Fiona Bell主演的喜剧正剧。 12.30 Today At The Test (R)
ITV1
6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.00 ITV ; 1.20 Local ; 1.30 ITV Racing: Live From York. Ebor Meeting第三日。 4.30 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local ; 6.30 ITV ; 7.30 Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes 5 / 6 Abbey访问Seema Malhotra和Alice Temperley的住宅。 (R) 8.00 Emmerdale Jimmy出售了他的货运业务。 8.30 Coronation Street Glenda, Mary, and Christina责备Todd酗酒。 9.00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celebrity Special Laura Kenny和Krishnan Guru-Murthy竞争。 (R) 10.00 The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox 8 / 8 11.00 ITV ; 11.30 Local ; 11.50 电影：Rush Hour (12 / 1998)
CHANNEL 4
6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Highlights 6.30 A Place In The Sun (R) 7.00 Channel 4 8.00 Surgery Secrets Of The Super Rich 6 / 6 9.00 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown With guests Judy Love and Katherine Parkinson. (R) 10.00 Big Fat Quiz: Best Bits 该节目的喜剧吐槽合集。 11.05 Sarah Millican: Bobby Dazzler 一场涉及各种成人主题的单口喜剧特辑。 (R) 12.10 电影：Summerthood (15 / 2023) 喜剧正剧。
5
6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 新闻 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 电影：《我家陌生人》(U / 2023) 由 Angela Cole 主演的惊悚片。4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 新闻 6.00 克罗地亚：地中海之珠 (R) 6.55 新闻 7.00 Tom Read Wilson 的大旅行 3 / 3 Tom 开启了一段穿越托斯卡纳的风景之旅。(R) 7.55 新闻 8.00 Alexander Armstrong 在斯里兰卡 2 / 3 主持人开始他在斯里兰卡冒险之旅的第二阶段。(R) 9.00 Heat 1 / 4 由 Danny Dyer 主演的剧集。(R) 10.05 Heat 2 / 4 火灾蔓延的消息给这个家庭增加了额外的焦虑。(R) 11.05 Piers Morgan: Uncensored 这是一个大胆的、以观点为导向的新闻和辩论节目。1.00 Cruise TV With LoveitBookit (R)
8月22日 星期六
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 10.00 Saturday Kitchen 11.30 Anna Haugh 的爱尔兰美食之旅 (R) 12.00 Bargain Hunt (R) 12.45 The Football Interview 1.00 BBC 新闻；天气 1.15 Money For Nothing (R) 2.00 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 3.00 Escape To The Country (R) 3.45 Final Score 5.25 BBC 新闻 5.35 地区新闻；天气 5.45 The Hit List 6.30 Alan Carr's Picture Slam 7.15 电影：《帕丁顿》(PG / 2014) 家庭喜剧。8.40 The Weakest Link 9 / 16 由 Romesh Ranganathan 主持的问答节目。(R) 9.30 How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge) 6 / 6 一场悲剧性的死亡让 Alan 迎来了一个宣泄时刻。(R) 10.00 BBC 新闻；天气 10.20 Match Of The Day 英超联赛揭幕战的精彩瞬间。11.40 电影：《水中有东西》(15 / 2024) 由 Hittu Quasem 主演的惊悚片。1.05 BBC 新闻
BBC2
6.00 儿童节目 8.45 Around The World In 80 Gardens (R) 9.45 This Wild Life (R) 10.15 电影：《第三个人》(PG / 1949) 由 Joseph Cotten 和 Orson Welles 主演的惊悚片。11.55 The Great British Sewing Bee (R) 12.55 Race Against The Tide (R) 1.25 电影：《我们在黎明潜水》(U / 1943) 3.00 体操：2026年欧洲锦标赛。男子项目的第四天报道。6.00 Flog It! (R) 7.00 Today At The Test 赫丁利球场英格兰对阵巴基斯坦的精彩回顾。8.00 Marvin Gaye: A Tribute At The Proms 由 BBC 音乐厅管弦乐团演出。9.30 Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits – Live In Amsterdam 1976 这位灵魂歌手在荷兰首都的一场演唱会。10.25 Diana Ross At The BBC 档案演出。(R) 11.25 A Night Of Wonder (R) 12.30 Motown Master: Lamont Dozier At The BBC (R)
ITV1
6.00 James Martin's American Adventure (R) 6.55 电影：《月光危机》(PG / 1979) 詹姆斯·邦德间谍冒险片。9.25 ITV 新闻 9.30 ITV Racing: The Opening Show 10.30 James Martin's Saturday Morning (R) 1.00 新闻；天气 1.15 Racing: Live From York。Ebor Meeting 第四天也是最后一天赛事的报道。4.30 The Chase (R) 5.30 新闻；天气 5.45 当地新闻；天气 6.00 Deal Or No Deal: 名人特辑 7.00 The Voice UK 1 / 10 Emma Willis 回归主持这场旋转椅歌唱比赛。8.15 The 1% Club 由 Lee Mack 主持的问答游戏节目，所有问题都关于逻辑和常识。(R) 9.20 新闻；天气 9.35 电影：《幽灵》(12 / 2015) 由 Daniel Craig 主演的詹姆斯·邦德惊悚片。12.20 英格兰足球联赛精彩回顾
CHANNEL 4
6.10 Cheers (重播) 8.00 Everybody Loves Raymond (重播) 9.25 Frasier (重播) 10.55 The Simpsons (重播) 1.20 Four In A Bed (重播) 3.55 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (重播) 4.55 Grand Designs (重播) 6.00 Channel 4 News 6.30 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint And Qualifying Highlights 8.00 电影：《奇异博士》(12 / 2016) 一名美国外科医生在光明与黑暗势力的跨维度战斗中成为一名战士。由本尼迪克特·康伯巴奇和奇韦特尔·埃吉福主演的奇幻冒险片。10.15 电影：《瞬息全宇宙》(15 / 2022) 一名中年中国移民被卷入一场冒险，她必须通过探索其他宇宙来拯救存在。由杨紫琼主演的奇幻喜剧。12.50 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (重播)
5
6.00 Milkshake! 9.05 Entertainment News On 5 9.15 Secrets Of The Royal Palaces (重播) 11.00 Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors (重播) 1.00 The Royals: Uncensored 2.00 Coastal Adventures With Helen, Jules & JB (重播) 3.55 电影：《从时到时》(PG / 2009) 家庭奇幻冒险片。6.00 Sussex: Jewel Of The South Coast 6.55 新闻 7.00 自行车：2026年西班牙环赛 (Vuelta A España 2026) 年度最后一场大环赛第一赛段的精彩回顾。8.00 失业的王子：哈里接下来会做什么？探讨萨塞克斯公爵的未来。(重播) 9.30 奈杰尔·法拉奇：资金从何而来？探讨改革英国党（Reform UK）领导人的财务状况。10.30 当电视新闻出现严重失误时，莫伊拉·斯图尔特讲述了一系列电视新闻灾难的合集。(重播) 12.30 Cops (重播)
广告专题
家中明亮的新核心
现代阳光房曾被简单地视为加在房屋后方的玻璃盒子，而现在它已悄然经历了惊人的转变。它不再仅仅是一个额外的房间，而变成了一个灵活的居住空间，反映了不断变化的生活方式以及人们对更明亮、更健康家居环境日益增长的渴望。
最强烈的趋势之一是室内外融合生活的兴起。宽大的玻璃窗、折叠门和无遮挡的花园景观正帮助房主创造出能将房屋与花园轻松连接的空间，让从家庭烧烤到晚间娱乐的所有活动都显得更加轻松和社交化。
与此同时，阳光房的设计越来越多地考虑到了身心健康。
在自然光的充盈下，它们为瑜伽、阅读、静思或仅仅是享受早晨的咖啡提供了理想的环境，为人们在快节奏的日常生活中提供了一个受欢迎的避风港。
通过亲生物设计的持续流行，自然也正移入室内。室内植物、天然木材、大地色系和有机纹理正在创造出一种感觉平静、具有恢复力且与周围景观紧密相连的室内环境。
图片：CONSERVATORYLAND
灵活性仍然是另一个定义性特征。如今的阳光房在白天可以作为家庭办公室，在晚上作为家庭休息室，在周末则作为娱乐空间。这种适应能力使其成为家中功能最强的房间之一。
室内设计也在演变。温暖的极简主义正在取代冷峻、临床般的审美，柔软的家具、柔和的灯光和天然材料在不牺牲现代风格的情况下带来了舒适感和个性。
或许最重要的一点是，房主不再仅仅为了增加平方英尺而追求空间。
相反，他们正在创造鼓励放松、连接和日常享受的生活空间。就此而言，阳光房已不再是一个事后补救的构思，而是成为了现代英国住宅中最令人向往且最具适应性的空间之一。
欲了解更多信息，请致电 0800 952 8000 或访问 conservatoryland.com
不要让行动不便让你在这个夏天困在室内
在这个如此灿烂的夏天，现在是探访家人、享受海滨、逛逛你最喜欢的园艺中心，或者仅仅是花更多时间在户外最完美的时机。但对于成千上万的人来说，行动能力的下降意味着他们将错过让夏天如此特别的简单乐趣。
一台 Quingo 五轮行动辅助车可以改变这一切。
与传统的三轮和四轮电动代步车不同，Quingo 独特的专利五轮设计已通过独立证明，能够提供更高的稳定性、舒适度、机动性和安全性。
它甚至能自信地以一定角度通过降低的路缘石和不平整的表面，让你能够自由前往许多其他代步车根本无法到达的地方。
最棒的部分是？你不必只听我们的描述。 将把车辆送到你家中，提供免费且无义务的家庭演示，让你在每天使用的地方体验到这种差异。
为了让现在成为购买的最佳时机， 还为指定型号提供价值高达 £600 的
免费保险和道路救援服务。这让你完全安心，因为你知道无论这个夏天你的冒险将你带向何方，只需一个电话即可获得帮助。
这个夏天，不要在窗前观看生活——重新回归生活吧。
—— 英国原创的五轮行动辅助车。你的独立自主值得拥有比普通代步车更好的选择。
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PUZZLEMEISTER® MAILONSUNDAY.CO.UK
开始解谜吧！
比任何其他报纸在一周中的任何一天提供的谜题都多
单词搜索
横向
1 政党，19世纪和20世纪初英国的两个主要政党之一 (7) 5 电报的发明者，以及一种以其名字命名的通信代码 (6,5) 10 马萨诸塞州的一个城市，1692至1693年臭名昭著的审巫审判发生地 (5) 11 热量单位，用于表示食物的能量值 (7) 13 一种具有宽叶的亚洲木本灌木，其茎可产生类亚麻纤维 (5) 14 加那利群岛的共同首府，位于大加那利岛 (3,6) 15 因能力、财富或地位而产生的权力或影响力 (9) 16 手表或时钟的表盘 (4) 17 ___ 星座水瓶座，黄道十二宫的第11个星座 (5,7) 20 一种金属紧固件，由带槽的铰链带组成，可套在钉子上，并由销钉、螺栓或挂锁固定 (4) 21 一种用带子代替完整后跟覆盖物的鞋 (9) 22 一种脆的蓝白色金属元素，用于多种合金 (4) 26 曾出演电影《玛丽·波吉斯》和《音乐之声》的女演员兼歌手 (5,7) 27 泰国的旧称 (4) 29 史蒂文 ___ 电影制作人，其电影包括《大白鲨》和《侏罗纪公园》 (9) 31 为了另一个目标或信仰而背弃原有的事业或信仰的人 (9) 33 古不列颠部落，公元61年在波尔蒂卡女王领导下反抗罗马人 (5) 34 西西里岛生产的一种深色甜点葡萄酒 (7) 35 胫骨的技术名称 (5) 36 南非的一个省，首府是比绍 (7,4) 37 艺术家的工作室或作坊 (7)
纵向
1 在经历之前的失败后，在争论或局面中取得的最终胜利 (4,5) 2 西蒙 ___ 历史上最成功的体操运动员；获得11枚奥运奖牌 (5) 3 浸在糖浆中的环形酵母蛋糕 (3,5) 4 临时替代同专业其他成员的人 (6) 5 1861 小说，作者乔治·艾略特，副标题为《里维尔的织工》 (5,6) 6 ___ Gras，基督徒在忏悔星期二庆祝的节日 (5) 7 火化或埋葬前存放尸体的房间或建筑 (8) 8 18世纪末和19世纪初的一场艺术、音乐和文学运动，通常反对古典主义 (11) 9 眼镜和太阳镜，尤其是将其视为时尚单品时 (7) 12 成功产生预期结果的特质 (8) 16 免除某项责任的声明或文件 (11) 18 对剧烈体力活动的非正式称呼，尤其是艰苦的锻炼 (5,6) 19 位于牛津郡伍德斯托克的宫殿；温斯顿·丘吉尔爵士的出生地 (8) 23 枪准星或其他光学仪器焦平面上的两条细线或细丝之一 (9) 24 保罗 ___ 19世纪法国诗人，与象征主义和颓废主义运动相关 (8) 25 ___ 格洛斯特公爵夫人，英国王室中出生于丹麦的成员 (8) 26 因花香而广泛栽培的灌木或攀缘植物 (7) 28 土耳其的首都 (6) 30 ___ 湖，意大利最大的湖泊，由萨尔卡河注入 (5) 32 阿拉伯联合酋酋人口最多的城市，位于波斯湾 (5)
现在有三种参与方式
完成奖金填字游戏，并计算完成后的网格中字母 T 出现了多少次。然后发送短信 ISPY 加上你的答案、姓名和邮编至 £67 / 00。短信费用为 £1 加上你的标准网络费用。或者拨打 0905 652 2210 并留下你的答案和详细信息。通话费用为 £1 加上你电话公司的网络接入费。参赛作品接收至周五晚上 8:30。或者邮寄你完成的网格以及（对奖金填字游戏 226 的答案预测）。The Mall on Sunday, 10 Nov 24, 9th montham, 16th 05. 参赛作品必须在 8 月 21 日周五前送达（不接受复印件）。获胜者将从正确预测答案的人中随机选出。条款和条件请参阅今日的答案面板。
2279 期的获胜者：Stephen Dade, Brighton。
上周答案：13
TO GET PUZZLING!
顶点求和 (SUMMIT UP)
如果每个三角形中的数字是其下方两个数字之和，那么顶部的数字是多少？下周公布答案。
KEIJO
将瓷砖放入网格中，使每行和每列中出现四个不同的数字和四个不同的形状。下周公布答案。
单词构建 (WORD BUILDER)
回答每个线索，使每个单词包含的字母与前一个单词相同，但增加或减少一个字母。下周公布答案。
1 哭泣 2 人群 3 扫帚 4 沮丧 5 长裙 6 疼痛 7 鱼卵
肯肯数独 (KEN KEN)
用数字 1-6 填充方格，使每个数字在每行和每列中出现一次。数字还必须产生每个区域左上角的结果——乘、加、减或除。同一个区域内数字可以重复。下周公布答案。
快速数独 (QUICK SUDOKU)
用数字 1 到 9 完成网格，使每行、每列和 3x3 宫格包含数字 1 到 9 且仅使用一次。
参与方式：发送 PAIZE 至
随后附上你的答案（从上到下读取 5 个阴影方格）、姓名和邮编至 60700。测试费用为 £5 加上你的标准网络费用。或者拨打 0900 252 5060 并留下你的答案和详细信息。通话费用为 £5 加上你电话公司的网络接入费。参赛申请截止至周五晚上 11:30。条款和条件请参阅今日的答案面板。电话 / 短信服务电话：0930-1000-601。7月 25 日获胜者：Richard Tyler，吉尔福德。本周答案将于下周公布，获胜者姓名将于 9 月 6 日星期日公布。
赢取 £100
4 / 2 / 7 / 3 / 8
3 / 1 2 3 / 1 / 6 / 4 1 / 7 / 3 / 9 / 4 4 / 1 8 / 3 / 5 / 1 / 7 3 / 2 / 7 / 1 7 / 2 / 1 8 / 3 / 5 / 2
丁巴茨 (DINGBATS)
在字母或符号中寻找熟悉的短语、名称或谚语。读者受邀将 Dingbats 发送到 The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 354, Wymondham, NR18 8JG。每篇被发表的作品将获得一张 £10 的图书代金券。请访问网站 dingbats.net。答案见今日答案面板。
- 来自 Sylvia Dupard, Witney, Oxon
G ESSW R K
- 来自 Alan Riley, Bolton, Lancs
-
来自 Alexandra Roope, Melksham, Wilts
-
来自 Linda Smith, Gainsborough, Lancs
首字母谜题 (DITLOIDS)
你能推断出下面首字母代表什么吗？例如，7 D of the W = 7 days of the week（一周七天）。答案见今日答案面板。
1 AP W 4 F 1 W C
2 B I A B by S C 7
3 49 BC JC C the R
4 1 2 3 4 5. O I C A F A
5 9 is a S G on the B S
6 A Of The 50 F W
4 / 8 / 2
6 / 1 / 5 / 4 9 / 6 / 4 4 / 8 / 5 / 2 / 1 2 / 6 1 / 6 / 4 / 5 / 9 7 / 8 / 4 6 / 5 / 1 / 2 9 / 7
媒体 (MEDIA)
6 / 1 / 4 3 / 7 / 2 6 / 2 / 3 9 / 3 / 2 7 / 1 2 / 1 / 6 9 / 4 / 7 4 / 9 / 1 3 / 8
手 (HAND)
大脑训练 (BRAIN TRAIN)
沿着我们的心算火车轨道运行，看看你能走多远——以及需要多长时间到达！共有四个车站 A、B、C 和 D。你可以从 A、B 或 C 开始，并在 B、C 或 D 停止。从你选择的起点出发，按照指令行驶到目的地。在每个站点写下你的答案，然后用车站后的第一个数字重新开始。答案见今日答案面板。
评级：优秀 - 从 A 到 B 用时 30 秒。 非常优秀 - B 到 C 用时 30 秒，或 A 到 C 用时 50 秒。 卓越 - C 到 D 用时 30 秒，B 到 D 用时 50 秒，或 A 到 D 用时 75 秒。 顶尖 - A 到 D 用时 60 秒。
酒馆问答 (PUB QUIZ)
1 电影：
哪部 2019 年的电影是丹尼尔·克雷格首次饰演私家侦探本诺·布兰克 (Benoit Blanc) 的作品？
2 音乐：
哪支合成器流行乐队在 20 世纪 80 年代发行了专辑《Travelogue》、《Dare》、《Hysteria》和《Crash》？
3 电视与广播：
哪位《继承之战》（Succession）的明星在间谍剧集《惊魂》（Spooks）中饰演 D 部门负责人 Tom Quinn？
4 体育：
1988 年由杰基·乔伊纳-克尔西（Jackie Joyner-Kersee）创下的 7,291 分是哪项田径赛事的女子世界纪录？
答案请见今日的解答面板。
5 文学：
《大索菲》（The Grand Sophy）、《摄政时期的花花公子》（Regency Buck）和《弗雷德里卡》（Frederica）是哪位英国作家的小说？
6 政治：
哪位前工党领导人在 2026 年 7 月 20 日被任命为外交大臣？
7 食品与饮料：
哪种威尔士美食是通过煮 Porphyra umbilicalis（一种海藻）制成的？
8 科学：
原子核中哪种亚原子粒子不带电荷？
9 词汇：
recalcitrant 这个词的意思是什么？ a) 沉默的，b) 不服从的，c) 具有攻击性的。
10 英国：
切达峡谷（Cheddar Gorge）位于英国哪个郡？
11 今年：
7 月 26 日，哪个希腊地标因其文化和自然意义被列入联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录？
12 随机题：
乌菲齐美术馆成立于 1581 年，位于哪个城市？
BARE BONES（骨架填字）
赢取一套柯林斯英语词典和同义词词典，以及一本布拉德福德填字游戏求解词典
我们的 Bare Bones 填字游戏非常独特，因为你必须同时完成网格——包括数字和方格。我们已经插入了四个黑格和四个线索数字来帮你开始。该填字游戏具有四向对称性：顶部和底部以及左侧和右侧均匹配，因此你可以立即填入另外 12 个方格。
奖品为一套柯林斯英语词典和同义词词典，以及一本布拉德福德填字游戏求解词典。请将你的答案发送至：Bare Bones Crossword 2016, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 7164, Wymondham, NR18 6AL。参赛作品必须在 8 月 21 日星期五前寄达（不接受复印件）。获胜者的姓名将于 9 月 6 日公布，从第一份正确答案中选出。
12kbl 的获胜者：David Jeffings，布里斯托。
姓名
地址
邮编
电话
横向
1 关于共和党人的线索 5 毕业生让囚犯吃早餐 7 东部湖泊奇怪且令人恐惧 10 白雪公主的医疗朋友 11 作曲的开头，嘈杂且模糊 12 男孩们隐藏旧货 13 标题扮演的疯狂角色 15 他不够聪明，无法制作甜点 16 零食的最后一部分被咀嚼
17 相当多被激光切断，最初 21 批评厨师 22 厨房灯泡？ 23 对愚蠢感到厌倦 24 遵循饮食开始，健康地生活 25 关于动物园第 18 种动物的争吵 26 Oly 热情地接受愤怒管理
纵向 1 嘲讽的结尾是不正确的 2 飞奔去寻找一棵树 3 侦探的大转弯——那是清晰的 4 更多杏仁围绕着田野
5 回来被解雇，因为失败了 6 教会提供了凉茶和糖果 8 抓取外星人装置广播 9 东方节日极客没完成 14 不容忍一部小说 17 法国人开始引领时尚 18 一般征收关于竞争 19 为君主划一条直线 20 昂首挺胸，傲慢
开始解谜吧！
11
MENTAL BLOCKS（思维方块）
将彩色方块放入正方形中，且不得旋转或翻转。每个方块覆盖的数字之和应等于圆圈中的总数。彩色方块中不得出现重复数字。答案下周公布。
9 / 4 / 2 / 7 / 5
1 / 5 / 3 / 6 / 2 6 / 2 / 7 / 4 / 7 4 / 5 / 3 / 2 / 1 5 / 1 / 4 / 8 / 9
WORD SQUARE（单词方格）
尝试这个迷你谜题。答案下周公布。
横向
1 水平 2 黑鸟 3 发生 4 粗鲁 5 花
纵向
1 环保人士 Thunberg 女士 2 喃喃自语 3 避免 4 厚 5 参与
BULL'S EYE（靶心词谜）
利用给出的字母，你能组成多少个由四个或更多字母组成的单词？每个字母只能使用一次，且每个单词必须包含中心字母。至少有一个单词使用了全部九个字母。不得使用大写字母、连字符或撇号，不得使用以 's' 结尾的动词形式，不得使用以 's' 结尾的复数形式。答案下周公布。
你的得分如何？
计算你找到的单词数量 —— 13个：良好；20个：非常好；26个或更多：优秀。
ARROWORD（箭头填字）
完成网格，然后将黄色方格中的字母重新排列，揭晓一个非洲国家。答案下周公布。
参与方式：发送“ARROWD”加上你的答案、姓名和邮编至 95700（例如：ARROWD London John Smith NR 517）。测试费用为 (1) 加上标准网络费用。或拨打 0901 252 5000 留下你的答案和详细信息。通话费用为 (1) 加上你电话公司的网络接入费。线路将于周五 10.5pm 关闭。条款和条件请参阅今日的答案面板。7月26日获胜者：Richard Hicks, Rochester, Kent。电话 / 短信服务帮助热线：0330 1000 400。
QUICK CROSSWORD（快速纵横字谜）
答案下周公布。
横向
1 括号的使用 (11) 9 非常温暖 (3) 10 聚会 (9) 11 力量 (5) 13 测试 (7) 14 掠夺 (6) 16 洛杉矶的富裕社区 (3,3) 18 爱情故事 (7) 19 颜色 (5) 20 平稳协调 (9) 21 鹿的交配季节 (3) 22 不重要 (11)
纵向
2 船的尾部 (3) 3 表现良好 (5) 4 耕种者 (6) 5 拥抱 (7) 6 不活跃的 (9) 7 Coldplay 乐队主唱 (5,6) 8 到处旅行 (11) 12 边界 (9) 15 打扰 (7) 17 破坏外观 (6) 19 戴维斯，美国女演员 (5) 21 神话中的阿拉伯鸟 (3)
FUTOSHIKI（不等式数独）
每行和每列都需填入数字 1, 2, 3, 4 和 5。同一数字在任何行或列中不能出现两次。你唯一的线索是给出的数字以及数字之间的大小关系（> 或 <）。答案下周公布。
KILLER（杀手数独）
适用常规数独规则。此外，每个内部虚线形状内的数字之和必须等于左上角的数字。答案下周公布。
KAKURO（数和谜）
使用数字 1-9 填充每个空白方格序列。每个序列（横向和纵向）的总和必须等于该序列开头或顶部的阴影方格中的数字。数字在同一行或列中可以重复，但在同一个序列中不能重复。答案下周公布。
EVENS（偶数谜）
在方格中填入 1 到 9 的任意数字，使每行和每列的数字之和等于给定的总数。同一行或列中不得重复数字，且偶数必须填在阴影方格中。答案下周公布。
TETROMINOES（四格骨牌）
利用给出的形状，通过将网格划分为不同区域，创建四个由四个字母组成的易位词。你可以旋转形状，但不能翻转。答案下周公布。
CHESS（国际象棋）
在这里，白方的皇后侵入了黑方国王的城堡，但现在被困住了！作为白方，无论如何你都能快速获胜吗？答案请见答案面板。
BATTLESHIPS（海战）
在网格中寻找一艘战列舰、两艘巡洋舰、三艘驱逐舰和四艘潜艇。网格右侧和下方的数字表示该行或该列中有多少个方格包含船只或船只的一部分。船只之间互不接触，即使是斜向也不接触。答案下周公布。
12 尽情解谜！
兰斯洛特爵士与他的侍童
参与游戏，赢取 £250 的机会！
赢取 £250
每周，我们勇敢的骑士都会与他的侍童进行一场友好的较量。他们提供不同的线索，但答案相同。兰斯洛特爵士提供“隐晦线索”，而他的侍童提供“快速线索”。加入他们的游戏，计算完成后的网格中字母 'r' 出现的次数，即有机会赢取 £250！答案下周日公布。
兰斯洛特爵士的
隐晦线索
上周答案
奖金填字游戏 8月9日 答案，编号 2281
横向：5 Lames; Madison, B for us; 10 West Lynn; 12 Clover; 14 Cycle, 15 New York Knicks; 17 Dillon que, 19 Thomson, 23 Jade, 24 Primetime, 25 Torso, 26 Mallory, 28 The Devils, 31 Lemon de Vukes, 34 Dracal, 36 Edna, 37 Mower, 38 Lonsdale, 39 Friday, 40 Old fashioned.
纵向：2 Low-see; 3 Spaulette, 4 Mayo, 5 Dinner suit, 6 Galop, 7 Newport, 8 Derek, 9 Pittman, 10 Checkpoint, 16 Stupor, 18 Vukle, 20 Kierka, 21 Sakamander, 22 Cinderella, 25 Talk sadie, 27 Leopard, 29 & 33 Across View To These, 30 Gaulle, 32 Dharma, 33 Lund, 35 Anah.
WORDS AND
超级方格
快速方格
兰斯洛特爵士及其侍童
横向：4 Pirate, 9 Plantion, 10 Altitude, 11 Badger, 12 Squad, 15 Star, 14 Pity, 16 Slatute, 18 H工作中, 20 Fire, 21 Star, 22 Wreck, 25 Disco, 27 Sikdom, 28 Planifert, 29 Saded.
纵向：1 Skidos, 2 Masiowrite, 3 Sledas, 4 Apteris, 5 Barbarian, 6 Stud, 7 Director, 14 Patriotism, 15 Sulemure, 17 Terminal, 19 Liadite, 25 Clover, 24 Pude, 26 Coin.
中级方格
MILLER
NEW BED
MENTAL BLOCKS
BEGO
POTOSHED
EVANS
TETROMINOS
BATTLESHIPS
COOL CHICK
BAG BONES NO SUN
快速填字游戏
WOMENFIT
PATHFINDER
KARENIO
作品评论：1. Slaughter, Deal, Glade, Dangler, Locker, Drum, Don. 词方格 横向：1 Actor, 2 Tense, 3 Token, 4 Beef, 5 Cents. 纵向：1 Attic, 2 Come, 3 Token, 4 Beef, 5 Beets. 添加：WORD (1ME BEE) BALL'S EYE：aHigh, vian, fenny, flea, hale, HALFPOWER：heal, heap, help, hernia, hernia, hope, lone, leaf, leafy, lean, leap, rape, neop, pale, pane, panel, peal, poun, pett, penal, penny, penny, phenyl, plane, plea, yeah, yelp (15).
本周答案
酒馆高尔夫
7 Movers Out, 2 The Human League, 3 Platforme Martialism, 4 Heptathlon, 5 Georgette Hover, 6 Gil Williams, 7 Lycettwood, 8 Houston, 9 Le Grudendant, 10 Somerset, 11 Mount Olympus, 12 Florence.
DINGLAUS
3 Over and above, 2 You go down in my estimation, 3 It's all in your head, 4 Plant an idea.
国际象棋
- ( 8\mu g = 5\mu g ) 2. ( 4\mu g = 10\% ) 或 10. 5. ( 0\mu g / m ) 等。
大脑训练
A-B=5X, B-C=3X, C-D=10X.
OUTLETS
3 Again Prost Won 4 Formula 1 World Championships, 2 Breept All Back by 5 Club 1 3 K10℃, Julius Caesar Cresco the Rubicon, 4 1 2 14 5, Oren I Caught A Fish Alive, 5 9 In a Strong Gate on the Beaufort Scale, 6 Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman.
条款与条件：仅限英国居民参加，北爱尔兰居民、推广者员工或任何与推广者相关的人员、其亲属或家庭成员除外。参赛者必须年满 18 岁。参赛即表示接受这些条款，每人限参加一次。将从所有正确且符合条件的参赛条目中选出一名获胜者。获胜者将在 7 天内获得通知。若未在 7 天内接受奖品，则任何索赔均无效，届时推广者将选择另一名获胜者。奖品不可转让。推广者保留用等值物品替换奖品的权利。推广者对所有事项的判定为最终结果。不接受任何信函往来。推广者保留在其合理酌情决定下执行以下权利：(a) 取消任何行为违反条款精神的参赛者资格；(b) 宣布任何因印刷、制作和 / 或分发错误而导致且未实质影响索赔人数或索赔价值的参赛条目无效。如果这些条款中的任何规定不适用，则应将其与其余部分分离，且不影响其他规定的有效性。这些条款受英国法律管辖。推广者为 Associated Newspapers Limited，地址为 5 Every Street, London 105 5HP。
BURNHAM BBQ PHONE ALERT SPARKS CHAOS
● 999 swamped with calls and drivers career across motorways as siren blares ● Tories accuse PM of 'cry wolf' risk for misusing system meant for imminent threats
EXCLUSIVE
By Glen Owen and Mark Hookham
ANDY BURNHAM was last night accused of 'prime ministerial posturing' for authorising an emergency mobile phone alert which led to panicked Britons jamming 999 lines and startled drivers swerving across motorways.
Sirens blared out unexpectedly on millions of mobile phones across the country at 7pm on Friday, warning the public against lighting anything that could cause a wildfire, such as barbecues, firepits and fireworks.
But the Tories, who devised the system more than a decade ago, said the alert was only intended to be used in cases where there was an imminent, direct and mainly localised threat to
Turn to Page 4 »
Inside story of Celebrity Traitors star Maya's summer of heartbreak
SHOWBIZ EXCLUSIVE Page 31
2
The Mail on Sunday AUGUST 16 • 2026
Weather
UK FORECAST
REGIONAL FORECASTS
London, South-East, South, South West, Channel Islands: Morning starts cloudy with light winds. Afternoon sees sunny intervals and moderate breezes. Evening turns mostly cloudy. Max 26C, 79F. Wales, Midlands, East Anglia: Morning mostly cloudy with gentle winds. Afternoon remains cloudy with light breezes. Evening sees mostly cloudy skies. Max 26C, 75F. North West, North East: Morning cloudy with light winds. Afternoon stays overcast, mild breezes. Evening remains cloudy, winds easing. Max 26C, 66F. Scotland: Morning cloudy with light rain, clearing by afternoon. Cloudy skies persist into evening
with occasional rain showers. Max 18C, 64F.
Northern Ireland, Eire: Morning cloudy with light rain. Afternoon remains cloudy with moderate winds. Evening sees rain returning, winds easing. Max 28C, 66F.
YESTERDAY (24 hours to 6pm) – Warmest: Frittenders, 3kc. Coldest: Bravemar No 2, 1kc. Wettest: Cliff Farm, 13.40mms. Sunniest: Mauston, 13.3hrs.
Burmester (6pm) – 1086.34mb. Falling: Humidity: 56 per cent.
WEEK AHEAD
Monday, rain dominates with heavy showers in parts. By Tuesday, expect persistent drizzle turning to cloud cover. Wednesday brings scattered showers and sunny spells. Thursday, sunshine edges in.
SIX-DAY FORECAST
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LONDON | 27 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| ABERDEEN | 15 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| BELFAST | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 |
| BIRMINGHAM | 24 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| CANTENBURY | 24 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
| CARDIFF | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| GLASGOW | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| LEEDS | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 |
| MANCHESTER | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
| NEWCASTLE | 19 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
| NORWICH | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 |
| PLYMOUTH | 25 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
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CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
AN article on February 27 suggested that Detective Superintendent Steve Williams, of North Wales Police, investigated allegations of misconduct against his partner, and that this conflict led to allegations of 'corruption'. In fact, DSI Williams investigated a separate grievance and was not in a relationship with the individual at that time. We are happy to make this clear.
■ To report an inaccuracy, email correction@mailonsunday.co.uk. To make a formal complaint, go to mailonsunday.co.uk/evader/evader. You can also write to Readers' Editor, The Mail on Sunday, 9 Derry Street, London W9 5HY, or contact the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) directly at gpo.co.uk.
BBC tries to force Trump family to testify
THE BBC has attempted to subpoena members of Donald Trump's family to defend itself from the £7.4 billion defamation lawsuit issued by the US President.
The broadcaster is seeking subpoenas to force Mr Trump's eldest son Donald Jr, his daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner to testify in the case, which revolves around whether the President's actions fuelled the January 6, 2021 storming of the US Capitol.
Lawyers for the BBC said the Trump family members 'without question have personal knowledge' about his behaviour leading up to the attack.
Mr Trump is suing the BBC over a 2024 Panorama documentary which claimed he gave a speech in Washington DC
By Caroline Graham
that allegedly incited rioters to storm the building.
The President claims that the show 'spliced together' different parts of his speech to make it appear he was endorsing violence. He accused the BBC of 'intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring' the speech.
The BBC has apologised for the editing saying 'it gave the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action' but denied its actions were grounds for a lawsuit.
It has asked a judge to dismiss the case. Donald Jr and Ivanka were present as
their father gave the speech and Ivanka's husband, Mr Kushner, drafted a proposed statement for Mr Trump to broadcast during the riot to condemn the violence.
Court filings show the BBC tried to serve subpoenas to the Kushners at their Miami home in May but were blocked by the Secret Service. An attempt to serve Donald Jr at Trump Tower in New York was also unsuccessful.
In a motion filed in Miami Federal Court on Friday, the BBC asked the judge to authorise service by email or email.
Lawyers for the Trump family declined to comment.
The case is set to go to trial in February next year.
From Caroline Graham
IN LOS ANGELES
IRAN hit back last night at Donald Trump's claim that he could declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.
The President made the assertion during a speech at a Long Island police academy on Friday when he said: 'After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States. We have control over it. Nobody else. Only us.'
But last night Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi ridiculed the claim, saying the US has 'no authority' over the vital waterway that has become a flashpoint in the six-month war.
On X he wrote: 'The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian. This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command. The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech.' He added
Iran ridicules President's claim he'll declare Strait of Hormuz US territory after winning war
that as long as Mr Trump 'will not accept the reality of defeat' and stop indulging his 'delusions', Iran will continue to 'enforce its blockade' of the waterway which, before hostilities began in February, carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply.
Iran launched a strike against an oil tanker in the strait yesterday according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre, which said that a vessel belonging to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was hit by an 'unknown projectile'. No injuries were reported in the strike, which allegedly hit the vessel's hull.
The strait – which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea – is currently under the shared jurisdiction of Oman and Iran.
But Mr Trump has repeatedly insisted that he will seize ownership as part of any peace deal.
The US has twice deployed a total blockade of the waterway and Mr Trump insists vessels which continue to pass through do so only with America's permission.
Only six vessels travelled through the strait last weekend – a fraction of the 140 oil tankers that would typically cross each day before the war.
Oil prices have surged since the start of the conflict, with the price of crude rising 6 per cent this week as hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran faded.
Mr Trump told Fox News on Friday that he will continue to 'hit Iran's economy hard'.
He added that he 'didn't care' whether or not the war ended before November's midterm elections in the US, in which the cost of living will be the number one issue for voters.
In a speech earlier this month, he said 'to the victor goes the spoils', and declared that the US would impose tolls on the strait once the war had ended.
Mr Trump said: 'We will take control of the strait and we will charge ships to go through it and we will make lots of lovely money.'
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE ONE OF TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE GLAMAZONS? Pages 18 & 19
LOT TO NUMBERS
| DRAW 1 | 17 | 27 | 28 | 42 | 47 | 59 | Bonus | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRAW 2 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 30 | 32 | 45 | Bonus | 55 |
The estimated jackpot in last night's Lotto draw was £3.5million.
THUNDERBALL
11, 16, 24, 34, 35 Bonus 3
Check Lotto Raffle numbers at national-lottery.co.uk
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AUGUST 16 • 2026 The Mall on Sunday
3
Anything you can do, Mum! Charlotte, 11, inherits Kate’s sporty side as she joins top-flight netball team
By Jennifer Ruby
SHOWBUSINESS NEWS EDITOR
FROM captaining the hockey team during her time at Marlborough College to playing volleyball in wedges at a charity event, the Princess of Wales has long been one of the sportiest members of the Royal Family.
And it seems that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, with Princess Charlotte well and truly following in her mother’s footsteps.
For The Mall on Sunday can reveal that the young royal, who turned 11 in May, plays on an out-of-school netball team which competes at a high level all over the country. Far from getting the
‘Parents are wondering if they’ll run into Kate’
royal treatment, Charlotte and her family are likely to be doing the same as many parents: ferrying her around to every away match, pitching camping chairs on the sidelines and getting stuck in.
‘All of the parents of the girls on the opposing teams are wondering whether or not they’re going to run into William and Kate,’ a source said.
‘It’s all very hands on and it
TEAM PLAYER: Kate on the netball team aged 11. Left: With Charlotte in Glasgow at the netball semi-finals
would be funny to see them in such a down-to-earth environment, doing the early starts and long drives that everyone else has to do.’
Princess Charlotte made her passion for netball clear earlier this month when she was spotted in the stands at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Sitting with her parents and brothers, Prince George, 13, and Prince Louis, eight, she enjoyed watching Australia take on Jamaica in the semi-final, as well as England’s match against New Zealand.
Later, alongside her mother, 44, Charlotte posed for photos with the Scotland team – perhaps seeing a glimpse into her future.
It seems she has been serious about netball for some time, with
Kate revealing in 2023 that she had been helping Charlotte with shooting practice.
The Princess of Wales made the comments as she showed off her netball skills at the SportsAid event at the Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
After the event, England netball player Ama Agbeze, 43, revealed the royal had explained how she had played the game herself and that she was now showing Charlotte the ropes.
‘Kate has played netball before, she knows the sport,’ she said. ‘She said she had been teaching her daughter how to shoot in netball, but younger people have the net lower, so it’s actually very different – she’s still got it.
‘She was saying men go and have a kick about in football and that she misses netball because
you have to deliberately go to a netball court.’
Kate was famously seen playing volleyball in five-inch Russell and Bromley wedges back in 2013 at an event for her SportsAid charity, not long after giving birth to Prince George.
She has also played cricket in Pakistan, hit tennis balls with Emma Raducanu and played rugby at Twickenham.
GOAL SHOOTER:
Kate at the SportsAid event in 2023 and, far left, trying her hand at rugby that same year
Why a trip to Specsavers could help beat the blues
HIGH street opticians could one day be used to diagnose depression, a study has suggested.
Scientists have found that specialist images of the back of the eye, often included as part of standard eye tests, can hold clues as to who might be at risk of depression years later.
Their research, based on a study
By Roger Dobson
of 40,000 British adults, found those with wider veins leading to the retina – a layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye – were up to 50 per cent more likely to develop depression over the next decade. One theory is that
depression can drive chronic inflammation throughout the body, which may cause the veins of the retina to widen as a result.
Ophthalmologists from the International Eye Centre at Shantou University in China analysed eye imaging data from healthy men and women, who were then followed for an average of 11.3 years.
During that time, 1,402 of them were diagnosed with depression – and scientists found that having wider retinal veins was associated with a 25 per cent increased risk of the condition.
They added that, in the absence of an objective test for depression, retina images could be a ‘promising, accessible candidate’ to help
diagnose it. Writing in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the researchers said: ‘Our study... provides strong evidence that vein widening precedes clinical depression onset.’
However, they added that more research was needed before images of the retina could be used to diagnose the condition.
4
People will ignore it
» From Page One
life. A Cabinet Office report explicitly warned against its use for 'lower level' incidents for fear of creating a 'cry wolf' effect, in which phone users either disabled or ignored the alert in cases of genuine emergency.
A Conservative source said: 'It was designed for terrorist attacks, not to tell people how to cook their sausages.'
Emergency services were inundated with 999 calls after the alert went out, including from those reporting their neighbours for having barbecues in their gardens.
It also caused chaos on the roads, with spooked motorists veering across carriageways as they attempted to check their phones.
Frustrated cinema-goers and broadcasters added to the complaints about the disruption, while there was confusion across Wales after the alert was sent out in Welsh – despite only a quarter of the country speaking it.
Some residents received the message four times – twice in Welsh and twice in English.
According to the Cabinet Office report on mobile alerts, drawn up
safety, but spamming every phone in the country and causing chaos is not the way to do it.
'Friday's alert cheapened the emergency alert system and will have led to a chunk of the population turning off the notifications, making the system less effective when there is a genuine emergency.'
'Labour must urgently come clean about who signed off the decision to use it and what criteria they used.'
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had 'been inundated with 999 calls that are not emergencies' and urged residents to 'help us keep our lines available for those who need urgent assistance'.
Meanwhile in Surrey, the fire service urged people only to call 999 'if there is an emergency or a fire producing significant smoke'.
It said: 'We understand residents may be concerned, but we are unable to respond to reports of neighbours having barbecues, bonfires or campfires in their gardens unless there is an emergency.'
Amy Fenton, a journalist in Lancashire, reported how drivers on the M61 slammed on their brakes when the alarm sounded.
One woman swerved across three lanes while an elderly man pulled over onto the hard shoulder near Chorley, she said.
Ashkan Kalashy was driving on a single carriageway in west Wales with his two sisters and nephew when the alert went off as he was making a sharp turn.
'I almost lost control of the car,' he told the MoS. 'If I wasn't more careful I might have crashed.'
'Three phones were going off at different times – and during the first time in unison. It sounded like Armageddon was happening.'
Stephen Pollard, a former editor of the Jewish Chronicle, who was driving when the alert sounded, said: 'I wasn't able to pull over and so wasn't able to see what was causing a noise so loud it made me nearly crash with the shock.'
'What a ludicrous use of the national alert system.'
Edmund King, president of the AA, said that motorists should only look at messages if they have found a 'safe and legal place to pull over'.
Former Treasury adviser James Gillespie, who was watching a horror film in a cinema in Central London when a wave of the alerts went off, said: 'I don't think there
is any good reason to be sending repeated alerts about wildfires to every iPhone in Central London.
'I've lived until recently in California where they have regular natural hazards and I've never experienced anything like this where it is so repetitive.'
'If the aim was to devalue the system and encourage people to opt out of emergency alerts, this was absolutely the way to do it.'
When the first message arrived – in Welsh – English-speaking drinkers in The Picture House pub in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, desperately tried to find Welsh speakers who could translate it for them.
Retired photographer Richard Williams, 77, said: 'We all knew it was a serious warning, but about what? A natural disaster? A terrorist attack!'
The blaring alarm also interrupted several live TV shows, including a Sky Sports News broadcast about football transfers.
Farcically, just hours after the alert sounded, a huge fireworks display was held at Wembley Stadium during a performance by Canadian singer The Weeknd.
The stadium said the display was a 'controlled performance' and a team of fire safety experts was on site for every event.
Trains axed over
COMMUTERS nationwide face disruption this week as trains are cancelled and speed restrictions imposed amid fear the soaring heat may be damaging rail tracks.
Network Rail has introduced speed restrictions in several parts of the UK, which will lead to trains being delayed or axed.
The move follows two train derailments within 24 hours last week, thought to be linked to the record-breaking temperatures impacting the tracks.
On Thursday, a Southern train carrying 150 passengers from Victoria to Eastbourne derailed near Lewes when three carriages tumbled off the track, leaving two passengers seriously injured and 18 others needing hospital treatment.
Next day, the 1.51pm Southend-to-London train with 60 passengers came off the tracks at Wickford. No one was injured. The Rail Accident
By Abul Taher
Investigation Branch is probing both dramas.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said last night: 'I understand passengers may be concerned but the industry has been taking steps to manage the heat, for example by closely monitoring track temperatures and putting speed restrictions in place where needed.'
In the Anglia region, trains are running slower between King's Lynn and Ely and Cambridge over fears the soil below the lines has dried out and shrunk, causing tracks to become uneven. Throughout last week, engineers worked late at night to fix the tracks. Greater Anglia has put out a new timetable until the weather cools.
Speed restrictions mean a train journey from Waterloo to Exeter St Davids will now take almost
QUENTIN LETTS- HOW CAN WE TAKE ETELASHES ANDY SERIOUSLY AFTER THIS FARCET Page 23
by the Coalition Government in 2014, the system was devised for cases such as chemical spills and bomb explosions, or extreme weather events where there was an immediate and direct risk to life.
The report said: 'Responders agreed that the system would lose its impact if it was used too regularly... It should not be used too frequently and only for the most serious of emergencies, or recipients may become complacent.'
It also expressed concern about 'the potential impact of miscommunication through distorted information and lack of action due to miscommunication, for example a 'cry wolf' scenario'.
Mr Burnham said on Friday: 'This evening, an emergency alert has been sent to people across England and Wales as the wildfire risk remains very high.'
'The request came directly from fire and rescue services... During this period of extreme heat, I'm asking everyone to take extra care.'
'Please do not light any fires in gardens, the countryside or other open spaces, including parks, moorland and wooded areas.'
But Alex Burghart MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: 'The emergency alert system was designed to warn people of immediate dangers and risks, not for prime ministerial posturing.'
'The Government has an important role in giving advice on fire
5
in a real emergency'
Mother flees as flames engulf home in 60 seconds
THIS is the moment a couple's 'dream home' was ravaged by the wildfires in Stourbridge.
Richard and Rose-Anne Vinten, who have two young children, only moved into the West Midlands property five months ago before the blaze 'devastated' their home on Thursday.
Dramatic footage captured by their security camera shows Ms
Vinten, 36, racing through her garden as the wildfire approaches the £550,000 property. In just short of 60 seconds, their house is surrounded by flames. It was one of nearly 40 destroyed or damaged.
'Our home has been utterly ripped through,' she said. 'We only moved there five months ago... we had saved so hard. When I saw the damage done I felt completely sick.'
LESA THAN A MINUTE later, the house is engulfed by flames
heatwave damage fears
AFTERMATH: Derailment near Lewes which injured 20 passengers
half an hour longer than the usual three hours.
Network Rail said there will be no trains between Lewes and Eastbourne until further notice and disruptions on the rest of the
network in East Sussex are likely to continue all week.
Last night Bruce Williamson of campaign group RailFuture said the two derailments will cause anxiety among commuters as
they return to work tomorrow. He added: 'We mustn't jump to conclusions that the hot weather caused this. It probably did, but we don't know this yet.'
Meanwhile, Gurkha troops and a 'waterbombing' helicopter were last night helping tackle major blazes in Wales as terrified families fled homes.
About 100 troops from the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment were sent across south and west Wales as fire chiefs battled to bring massive wildfires under control.
South Wales chief fire officer Fin Monahan said troops were digging trenches to slow fires' spread and delivering water.
He said the wildfires were spreading rapidly, destroying houses, and so fierce that some firefighters were suffering from heat stress. He added they were dealing with 12 large wildfires, some of which had been started by arsonists.
What a blazing idiot!
A HEATED conversation ensued yesterday as a National Trust Countryside Ranger sternly reminded this cook that using an open-flame stove amid the tinderbox-dry bushes of Buckinghamshire's Coombe Hill – ironically overlooking the PM's country house Chequers – could prove disastrous.
PHOTO: BOB BOB
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'We miss them too, Guvnor. But they don't phone and they never write'
Is Burnham dragging us back to the polls in May?
By Brendan Carlin and Dan Hodges
ANDY Burnham could hold an election next May under secret plans now being considered by his inner circle.
Although the Prime Minister has ruled out an early election, The Mail on Sunday has learnt that his advisers are looking at a spring election to capitalise on Reform UK and the Tories still splitting votes on the Right.
Last week, there were claims Mr Burnham could get a comfortable majority on just 30 per cent of the vote – 4 per cent less than Keir Starmer won in his 2024 landslide.
But waiting any longer would allow either Reform or the Tories to recover, strategists feel. A YouGov poll last week put Labour on 24 per cent, Reform on 22 and the Tories 21.
Mr Burnham inherited a working majority of 169 from Sir Keir and does not have to go to the country until 2029 but is constrained by Labour's 2024 general election manifesto.
Dan Hodges – Page 37
By Elizabeth Ivens
MORE men will die and more families will lose a loved one following the decision to stop prostate cancer tests on request, David Cameron warned yesterday.
The former prime minister said his own prostate cancer was discovered and treated early after he asked for a PSA test.
Until now, the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test, which can detect the disease, was available free to any man over 50 who asked for it, even if they were symptomless.
Campaigners including cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, who is suffering from incurable prostate
cancer, had already called for improvements to that system – which relied on men knowing their rights to have the test – in favour of wider screening for the cancer, which is the most common affecting men.
But instead an unnamed Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) official quietly informed health organisations in a letter last Thursday that men have been stripped even of that automatic right.
It stated that 'the prostate cancer risk management programme guidance has been withdrawn'. GPs now have the power to
Cameron's warning on prostate deaths as men lose their right to tests
TREATED: Former prime minister Lord Cameron with wife Samantha
decide whether to grant a test or not, meaning more men are likely to remain undiagnosed.
The letter suggests that when asked for a test 'the GP will consider the patient's cancer risk to help with reaching a judgment on whether undertaking a PSA test is the right option for the patient'.
Calling it a 'backwards step' and urging Andy Burnham and Health Secretary Yvette Cooper to be 'brave and bold' and introduce
'proper targeted screening for all at risk men', Lord Cameron said: 'Screening is essential to catch cancers early, when they can be more effectively and successfully treated.
'Only due to testing, my cancer was caught and treated in time.'
He said the Government should 'stop the complexity and confusion and introduce a more progressive and life-saving policy'.
David James, from Prostate
Cancer Research, criticised the decision, made without consultation, as 'a shocking betrayal' that 'will condemn thousands more men each year to a late and incurable diagnosis'.
He said men were being left with 'the worst of both worlds' with no widespread screening programme and increased barriers to getting a PSA test 'for those who were proactive about it that could lead to
'It isn't just inconsistent, it is a sleight of hand'
their cancer being caught while it can still be cured'.
'That isn't just inconsistent, it is a sleight of hand,' he said.
The latest guidance follows the Government's controversial decision in May to abandon widespread screening for the disease in favour of a targeted programme for genetically
high-risk men with a relevant family history.
Sir Chris, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer after going for a shoulder scan in 2023, has campaigned and fundraised for more men to have PSA testing.
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak has joined Lord Cameron in calling for a wider rollout of tests through a national screening programme, such as the ones already provided for breast, bowel and cervical cancers.
Public awareness of the disease has soared because of such high-profile campaigning, meaning demand for PSA tests has risen.
Around 63,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year and it causes around 12,000 deaths annually.
A DHSC spokesman said the letter simply gave GPs the 'most up-to-date guidance' and the policy had not been changed.
They added: 'Every man still has the right to ask their GP for a PSA test, and it remains the case that the final decision rests with GPs.'
71
7
No water cannon, no violence and not even a hint of foul language as locals say: 'We love visitors – just not too many'
By MARK PALMER
WE'VE had water pistols on the streets of Barcelona, violent demonstrations in the Majorcan capital of Palma, blocked beaches on the Spanish Costas and aggressive marches in Venice – all in response to rampant over-tourism.
But yesterday, in the besieged Cotswolds village of Bourton-on-the-Water, it was picnic rugs, strawberries, fold-up chairs and flasks of tea – also in response to rampant over-tourism.
As demonstrations go, it was a very British affair. There were no arrests; not even angry gestures or foul language – but it was heartfelt, as some 100 residents gathered genteelly on the village green by the River Windrush at 8am, holding a few placards and wearing T-shirts with 'We love tourists' printed on the front and 'Just not this many!' on the back.
'We deliberately started early in the morning because we did not want to ruin the day for visitors of the right kind,' said Charlotte Joynes, 54, chairman of action group Bourton Residents' Voice. No chance of that. In fact, any visitor yesterday would have found the whole scene wonderfully quaint, more akin to a village fete than a village furore.
And very different to a normal Saturday morning when the selfie brigade descends on the green and agonise about the perfect backdrop for their Instagram posts.
The population of Bourton-on-the-Water, in Gloucestershire, is fewer than 4,000 but it can attract up to 10,000 tourists on any one day at peak times. 'It's just completely out of control,' said Jane
'We've got foxes and rats taking over'
Russell, who has lived in the village for 30 years.
'The bin men can't empty the bins fast enough, which is why we've got foxes and rats taking over. The place is falling apart.'
But it's still outlandishly pretty if, like me, you arrive at 7am on a sunny Saturday, long before the coaches roll in.
Gorgeous stone bridges cross the river and there are narrow streets off the main road, hence Bourton being described as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds' – but without the entry fee.
It's also been called 'Bourton-on-the-Ganges' as it's popular with British Indians, many of whom drive down for the day from Birmingham or Leicester.
But perhaps the more accurate description is 'Blackpool-on-the-Water'.
No disrespect to Blackpool, but the comparison is made because tourists set up camp by the river, with treetle tables, parasols, tents, chairs, portable barbecues (currently banned by the PM) and cooler boxes. 'They tend not to buy anything in the shops and so aren't contributing in any way,' says grandmother Mrs Joynes. 'What's worse is that we've got 150 Airbnbs in the village, which means none of my kids can afford to live here.'
What the protesters can't abide is the mess that's left behind. 'The tourists have no respect for any-
The tourism demo at Cotswolds' prettiest village that began at 8am... just in case it spoiled anyone's fun
T-SHIRT TENSION: Locals protest at crowds in Bourton-on-the-Water, left
almost entirely to tourists (there are 35 outlets selling ice cream and all manner of tea rooms) but without the tourists there might hardly be any shops at all.
'We are reliant on tourists, especially those who come on the coaches and wander around and get back on the coaches,' said Annette O'Brian, who works at Chestnuts Fashion Fix. 'It's people who come in cars and decamp for the day who are the problem.'
Will Clarke is the manager of The Lodestone, which sells rocks and crystals. 'I find it strange that the people who complain about tourists clogging up the village are spending the day clogging up the village,' he said.
In true British bureaucratic style, Gloucestershire County Council has produced a 'parking and transport survey' to get residents' views, and 'further engagement will take place before any plans are finalised'.
Then there will surely be another survey to assess the results of the first one. As one resident put it: 'We all know, deep down, that what's most likely to happen as a result of this standoff between businesses and residents in dealing with over-tourism is absolutely nothing.'
Still, the demonstrators have had their say – and done so with admirable decorum.
SELFIE BRIGADE: Tourist set to snap the pretty village
thing,' said Simon Hitchman, who dropped by on his way to watch Cheltenham Town FC play Rotherham. 'They leave their litter and expect someone else to clear it up.'
There are worse accusations. Several people complained of tourists using front gardens to relieve themselves. One reportedly defecated on a drive.
The river tells its own story. Children, who paddle in the shallows as they would in Blackpool, have built dams using stones from the river walls – a form of vandalism and dangerous long-term – but no one stops them.
And there's the rub. The only people who can enforce the by-laws – written on a sign and including 'no erection of tents or canopies' and 'no barbecues' – are trained council officers and police officers. 'But you never see any police,' said parish councillor Leanne Launchbury. 'Given the
number of people who come here, if this were a city centre there would be a police presence. And Gloucestershire County Council has long given up replying to emails. 'But no sooner did Ms Launchbury finish than I spotted two Police Community Support Officers on the other side of the
'Expect someone else to clear up their litter'
parched 'green', and a man with a clipboard in a county council vest.
When asked why they turned up for the demo but haven't been seen at other times, the PCSOs mumbled something about 'keeping the peace', and the man from the council, Steve Cotton, who turned out to be village warden, said it was a 'complicated issue'.
It certainly is complicated. The vast majority of shops cater
8
V2
Just 15% want boat
EXCLUSIVE
By Glen Owen
POLITICAL EDITOR
ANDY Burnham sent a shiver through Middle England when he said last week that more affluent areas of the UK must 'play their part' in accepting asylum seekers.
Now a Mail on Sunday poll shows the extent of that local opposition, with 57 per cent of voters saying that they do not want any more migrants in their area. Just 15 per cent are happy with the idea.
The survey, by Find Out Now, also picks up one of the tensions at the heart of the policy.
Many voters in the wealthier areas regard themselves as politically liberal and agree with the principle of sharing the problem of migrant accommodation more equally across the country – unless it is a bit too close to home.
A majority of those surveyed, 51 per cent, said that asylum seekers should be housed evenly across all areas of the country, while only 26 per cent disagreed.
What all voters are agreed on, however, is that the immigration problem should be
'Tiny village is set to be dwarfed by a new camp housing 1,250'
tackled at root – 82 per cent think that the Government should do more to stop people entering the country illegally on small boats, with just 5 per cent disagreeing.
The poll – which used a huge 10,000-plus sample size – also reveals which areas are most opposed to accepting migrants, with Lincolnshire top on 57 per cent, followed by Worcestershire, Shropshire and County Durham.
The most accepting area was Wiltshire, with just 21 per cent opposed, followed by East Sussex, Merseyside and Nottinghamshire.
The figures come as disused military sites are being converted into asylum accommodation, including a base near the village of Piddington in Oxfordshire where the population of 314 is set to be dwarfed by a new camp housing 1,250 migrants. The plan has so infuriated the chairman of
The liberal wokerati back Burnham's plan to house asylum seekers in affluent postcodes... as long as it's not theirs, MoS poll reveals
SWAMPED: Asylum seekers board a small boat off northern France in a bid to cross Channel
the parish council that he proposed a symbolic referendum on leaving the United Kingdom.
There have also been protests in Crowborough, East Sussex, where the Government plans to use a former military base to house migrants until 2030.
They are entitled to free bus travel, which many use to visit the genteel spa town of Tunbridge Wells, which is 20 minutes away.
Despite Home Office guidance that asylum accommodation should not be near nurseries or
schools, up to 1,200 male asylum seekers may move into a former flight training school in Linton-on-Ouse, North Yorkshire – creating a ratio of six men to each woman in the village of 600. A primary school, nursery and play area lie less than a mile away from the proposed centre.
Plans to convert RAF Burnham, near Thetford in west Suffolk, into accommodation for up to 1,250 asylum seekers have also caused some parents to consider removing their children from
Burnham School. The base under consideration near Piddington is adjacent to a play area.
Anna Turley, the minister for border security and asylum, has defended the Piddington proposal by saying: 'They're not going to be in the village. Everything they need will be on that site.'
Ministers triggered fury by using a fast-track planning application for the project directly to Angela Rayner, the housing
'A ratio of six men to every woman in area'
secretary, rather than through the local planning authorities.
The Home Office said: 'We are seeking to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, working closely with local authorities to reduce the impact on communities. This means closing every asylum hotel while moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites.'
'It also means reducing the number in asylum accommodation. The number receiving support is now falling, and asylum costs are down by £1 billion since the General Election.'
Find Out Now surveyed 10,549 adults. The final sample has been weighted to be representative by age group and gender.
Comment – Page 22
EXCLUSIVE
By Nicholas Pyke
A PROMINENT television news journalist is living under a death threat from human traffickers following a confrontation with small-boat gangsters in northern France.
Patrick Christys, who presents the Tonight current affairs show on GB News, has told The Mail on Sunday the threat is so serious that the Metropolitan Police ordered him to abandon his home in the small hours of the morning.
Christys and his heavily pregnant wife – fellow GB News presenter Emily Carver – were warned the intelligence services believed their lives were at risk because of his work exposing people smugglers in Calais. They were told to pack their bags and hide with friends.
Today, recounting his ordeal for the first time, Christys says he is angry and exasperated by the failure of the British authorities to tackle the gangs, who he says operate in plain sight.
He is also concerned his young family were exposed to danger when the Metropolitan Police disconnected their panic alarm without
'Who knows if they'd have harmed my wife and son?'
warning. In one chilling episode, Christys says he was tracked down on a London street by a trafficker from Calais. Twelve months on, the couple have round-the-clock security.
'This is personal for me,' he said. 'I want everyone to understand the reality of who we're letting in to our country. These human traffickers wanted to kill me in my own home while my wife was eight months pregnant.'
'Who knows if they'd have tried to harm my wife and son in order to get to me? It makes me incredibly angry that we let illegals into the country – who we all pay for. Then we let those same people make millions of pounds trafficking yet more illegals to Britain.'
'They feel so emboldened, they thought they could kill a TV journalist in his own home and get away with it.'
The couple's extraordinary story began in July last year when Christys started identifying human traffickers and alerting the authorities.
'I realised how easy it was to track them down,' he explained. 'They advertise on TikTok. Then to talk about locations, times, prices, you move on to WhatsApp.'
'Yet nothing seemed to be done. So, we decided to front them up ourselves.' Christys and a camera crew arrived in Calais at 9am; by midday he had confronted three smugglers,
I was only joking about brothels, insists Edwina as she faces backlash
EDWINA Currie has stood by her controversial suggestion that asylum seekers set to be housed near an Oxfordshire village need 'a brothel'.
But the outspoken former Tory health minister made clear she was being deliberately provocative to show that keeping hundreds of asylum seekers in camps was no way to deter illegal migration. Instead, she said the only solution was to stop migrants coming here and to expel those that did 'within maybe a week or ten days'.
Speaking on Times Radio last week about the proposed new
migrants' camp near Piddington, Oxfordshire, Ms Currie said: 'The obvious thing that 1,200 young men are going to need in the middle of a village like little Piddington is a brothel. I don't think they are going to provide that.'
Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said that to hear 'a former Tory minister joking about brothels being made available to the military-aged men they allowed to break into Britain illegally' was 'sick'.
Feminist campaigner Julie Bindel accused Ms Currie of making 'an outrageous
suggestion' that would be 'a recipe for disaster'.
However, on Friday, Ms Currie joked: 'I have managed to annoy both Reform and some of the radical feminists – two lots of my absolutely favourite people.'
But she added that the brothel quip was designed to make the point that keeping large groups of migrants in any particular part of the country was not the answer. She said on Times Radio: 'The answer is to make sure people don't arrive in the first place, or if they do – and some will always get through – just send them home.'
9
migrants near them
FAMILY MAN: Patrick Christys and his wife Emily. Right, he confronts gang members near Calais
LES WILSON / GB NEWS
TV presenter who exposed people smugglers forced to flee home after police warned of death threats
receiving death threats in the process. But it was on his return that the ordeal began.
'I was broadcasting live on TV when my wife called me in an ad break saying "You need to come home, the police are here. Someone wants to kill you".
'I got back just after midnight on July 25. The police read out an official "threat to life" notice.
'It said, "As a result of your recent journalistic coverage of organised crime groups in northern France we are aware that members of those organised immigration crime groups are seeking to actively engage with you to cause you significant harm."
The officers themselves were more direct.
'They said, you need to get out of your flat right now. Pack a bag, don't drive your car – which might be booby trapped – book a
black cab. Go to a safe house. Get out of here and don't come back.'
On July 26, the Met fitted a panic alarm and, a few days later, the couple were allowed back home.
'Meanwhile, I decided to carry on at work as normal – as if nothing had happened,' he continued. 'I was bundled in and out of the office in secret. The police told us to disguise ourselves if we went out.'
Patrick and Emily – both 34 – were still coming to terms with the threat they faced when their son, George, was born just a few weeks later. And it was then, stepping out of the hospital for a cigarette, that Christys found himself shaken for a second time.
'One of the people I'd exposed in Calais was a runner for a trafficking gang. He wore a distinctive ring with a design like the Palestinian flag. I saw someone in the corner of my eye – this same guy
– walking towards me. He walked up to me, paused and I thought, "This is it. He's going to do me".
'We locked eyes and he held my gaze, and then walked off. I'm 100 per cent sure it was the same man. It's an incredible coincidence or a chilling signal.' There
'It's left to hang over us like a dark cloud'
was further anxiety a few weeks later when the couple were told the police wanted the panic alarm back.
'When the contractors turned up to take it away, I pleaded with them to leave it. But they said the alarm had already been disconnected for ten days because the police didn't have enough. They'd
switched the alarm off without telling us!' The intelligence services have never withdrawn their warning and are unlikely to do so. And the couple remain in the dark about who wanted to kill them, and how. Even last night, the Metropolitan Police made no comment.
'All the police could say was that they've had some information from the intelligence agencies. I don't blame the Met for not telling me more – they hadn't been told themselves.'
The effect on the family's life, meanwhile, has been profound. Christys has security when he goes to and from the office, and GB News pays for nightly patrols on the street where they live.
While he accepts the constraints the police are under, the presenter is less forgiving about the wider situation. 'The intelligence services will say they're working to take down these gangs at source in Afghanistan, Iran or Pakistan but, so far as I'm concerned, they're not doing enough
in northern France or here in Britain. 'You've got to remember these gangs are often based in this country. One of the human traffickers I exposed had a WhatsApp profile picture holding two automatic weapons. These people are the real deal.
'These are frightening times, especially in the light of what we've seen happen to Ann Widcombe and the firebombing at Nigel Farage's home. We're asked to put a huge amount of faith in the Metropolitan Police and the intelligence services, I'm not sure that's entirely safe.
'I'm never allowed to know exactly who wanted to kill me and I'm not allowed to know if the threat has gone away. It's just left to hang over us like a dark cloud.
'But I want to let these monsters know that if their intention was to scare me into silence, they failed. I'm going back to northern France in the next few weeks. GB News and I think this is important journalism and we won't be intimidated.'
10
Private eyes spied on Tory chairman
A CLOSE associate of Nigel Farage hired private investigators to spy on the Conservative chairman, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Businessman Arron Banks is understood to have instructed Precision Risk and Intelligence (PRI), a private investigations company he once owned, to probe Kevin Hollinrake after the Tories called for an investigation into Mr Farage over a £5million donation. The revelation follows Mr Banks hiring the company to spy on journalists
By Glen Owen
POLITICAL EDITOR
investigating the Reform UK leader's finances. PRI has a reputation for ruthlessness, with City sources claiming it has used 'honeytrap' stings on senior law firm members. The company was dissolved after Brexit but a source said that 'the same operatives work on projects, mainly high-value litigation'. Mr Hollinrake has led Tory attacks on Reform's finances, including disclosures about the finances of key Farage aide 'Posh George' Cottrell and the party's
deputy leader Richard Tice. His letter to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner triggered the investigation into the £5million donation from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Asked if he had hired private investigators to probe Mr Hollinrake, Mr Banks replied: 'Since the local elections in May we have been aware Tory HQ and Mr Hollinrake have been waging a dirty tricks campaign against Nigel. 'Investigations show this was a hit-job on Nigel and Reform as political rivals and elements of the media attempt to destroy Reform.' Mr Hollinrake said: 'The use of private investigators to target
journalists and political opponents is sinister and has no place in our politics. There are no 'dirty tricks' here. I've been doing my job, asking legitimate questions. We've done exactly the same with Labour over Mandelson, Rayner and others.'
A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'This begs the question: on whose authority is Banks acting? We make no apologies for standing up to Reform over Farage's dodgy £5million or his undeclared gifts from George Cottrell. 'Reform must come clean about any knowledge they had of this investigation and condemn Banks for this attack on democracy.' PRI declined to comment.
Farage to get prime spot at Remembrance Day service for the first time after by-election victory
By Glen Owen and Brendan Carlin
NIGEL Farage will stand alongside other party leaders at the Cenotaph for the first time in November as he tries to revive Reform UK's fortunes after his much-mocked by-election victory.
Mr Farage's re-election as MP for Clacton - in a contest he triggered to try to halt a growing media clamour over Reform UK's finances - means the party's Commons contingent is back to eight MPs.
Under a 1984 protocol, a Westminster political party must have at least six MPs to have the right to lay a wreath at the National Service of Remembrance.
Reform has grown from five MPs in November last year after high-profile defections from the Tories.
It has been a long-standing ambition of Mr Farage, who is an aficionado of military history, to join the Prime Minister and other leaders at the Remembrance ceremony as a
'Zia is out of control... his days are numbered'
symbol of his breakthrough into the political mainstream - despite his claim that the Clacton win 'stuck up two fingers to the entire political establishment'.
Mr Farage is being urged by his close allies to 'turn off his phone and have some rest' after a period of febrile Westminster speculation about his health and long-term commitment to the leadership.
Those same allies are also urging Mr Farage to 'reboot' the party by dismissing his home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf, who annoyed Mr Farage last week by
HOMAGE: Last year's line-up and, right, Mr Farage
describing Tory former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as 'a traitor to Britain' for allowing into the UK thousands of Afghans who had served the UK during the war in their country.
A source said: 'Nigel has fallen out of love with Zia, who is out of control. I think his days are numbered. Rupert (Lowe, leader of the breakaway Right-wing Restore party) only left because Zia went for him so hard over some HR nonsense. If Zia goes, Rupert could be persuaded back.'
Mr Farage is won 63 per cent of the votes in Thursday's election, which was dubbed a 'pointless farce' by the Tories after a boycott by the main parties.
He failed to turn up at the decla-
ration at the Essex town's leisure centre, where he would have been pictured beside joke candidates led by Count Binface, after his party claimed there was 'a credible threat' against him. Within hours of the declaration, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards restarted its inquiry into his alleged 'failure to register an interest' over a £5million donation from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne, which could lead to another by-election. A gov-
ernment source said: 'The protocol setting out which parties can lay a wreath at the Service of Remembrance is governed by a 1984 agreement between the Queen, the then Speaker of the Commons and Westminster party leaders. 'A party must take up six seats to be invited to lay a wreath. Those with two or more seats, but fewer than six, can view the service from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building.'
Reform role for ex-Tory who 'sees lewd photo'
A REFORM politician expelled from the Tories for allegedly sending an unsolicited picture of 'his private parts' is now involved in preparing the party's would-be MPs for the next election.
A leaked email revealed that Nigel Farage's party has now given Essex county councillor Jayme McIvor 'a new role supporting the management of our parliamentary candidates'.
Reform said he would not be vetting potential MPs. Sources suggested he could be involved only in proposing which seats individual candidates would fight.
But Tory Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said any involvement of Mr McIvor 'makes a mockery of any Reform pledges to properly vet its would-be MPs'.
'Makes a mockery of their vetting pledges'
Mr McIvor was a Tory parliamentary candidate until shortly before the 2024 election, when the Tories announced he had been suspended.
In October that year, the party announced it had expelled Mr McIvor following a disciplinary hearing. Details of the complaint emerged two months later at a public council meeting.
Labour councillor Aidan McGurran challenged Mr McIvor on his expulsion, saying: 'The reason is you sent an unsolicited picture of your private parts, which is a criminal offence.'
Mr McIvor has denied the claims against him and insists he chose to leave the Tories.
Reform sources said the Tories had yet to produce any evidence against Mr McIvor. A spokesman added the Conservatives 'have zero credibility to lecture anyone' after hiring a former neo-Nazi as an anti-extremism advisor.
HITCHENS: TIME IS RIPE FOR POLL Page 25 HODGES: 2027 ELECTION LIKELY Page 37
AUGUST 16 • 2026 The Mail on Sunday
11
Are you trying to tell us something, Mr Bond? Actors linked to role bag deals at 007's top brands
By Dolly Busby
SHOWBUSINESS CORRESPONDENT
IF YOU'RE trying to piece together who will be the next James Bond, there are plenty of clues – they just all point to different actors.
The true answer to the conundrum may be imminent, however, as The Mail on Sunday can confirm the final round of auditions are taking place this month.
The spy franchise's casting director, Nina Gold, is said to be whittling down the shortlist of would-be 007's in London.
While the names are shrouded in secrecy, sources have claimed the number of actors in the running are between 'five to seven' at this late stage. Top contenders are said to include Master Of The Air star Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Marvel fame, Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey and – most recently – Slow Horses' Jack Lowden.
But could a flurry of sponsorship deals offer fans vital leads as to who will replace Daniel Craig in the tuxedo? Several of the actors named in connection to the role have taken on deals to front brands associated with 007.
Experts say the deal British actor
'We're seeing a string of calculated PR moves'
Turner, 36 – who wed pop star Dua Lipa this summer – signed to front the spy's preferred whisky, Johnnie Walker, is a hint. In the last Bond film, 2021's No Time To Die, a bottle of Johnnie Walker was visible in the spy's Jamaican villa.
Meanwhile, Taylor-Johnson has recently become global ambassador for Omega, the watchmaker whose time-pieces have appeared in nine Bond films. And Bailey has signed a deal with Martini, the tipple 007 orders shaken not stirred.
Media expert, Mark Borkowski, told The Mail on Sunday: 'What we're seeing is a string of calcu-
lated PR moves. None of these brands have signed the actors by accident, they know they could be the future 007.
'The question of who might be the next Bond creates massive speculation, and betting is always hot, but if you are
a brand and you have managed to do a deal with a potential Bond, and that Bond gets chosen, it's quick in. It's a punt for companies but if they get it right, Christmas has come early. 'As for the actors, they get visibility and are seen
to fit the bill which entices directors towards them. Casting directors don't have to picture them in the role anymore, it's right there for them.'
One Bond hopeful who may have dented his chances is Lowden, 36. The Slow Horses star fronted an ad campaign for Mini Cooper last summer – a marquee some way removed from 007's Aston Martin.
The next Bond is expected to be confirmed by the end of the year, which would allow Amazon MGM, which now controls the Bond franchise, to start filming the next movie in 2027. Confirming that the audition process was reaching an end, Bond producer Amy Pascal has said: 'I would say the end of the year is a good bet.'
Casting director Ms Gold is understood to have been meeting with candidates since June. Other names in the mix include Happy Valley star James Norton, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland and The Gentlemen's Theo James.
Bernie
WHAT SHALL I DO WITH THESE GLASSES?
Harry finds new African charity for Diana cash
By Padraic Flanagan
THE Duke of Sussex has stopped using money from his late mother's memorial fund to support the charity Sentebale, which he left last year.
He has instead donated the £5,432 sum to a Botswana-based wildlife group, Elephants Without Borders (EWB), it was reported last night.
Prince Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 to help youngsters with HIV and Aids in southern Africa, but stepped down after his relationship with chairman Sophie Chandauka soured.
For years he gave them his share of the annual income generated by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, but his change of heart was disclosed in the accounts of his brother's charity, the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
EWB founder Dr Mike Chase said the donation was used to fit satellite-tracking collars to two elephants in the Okavango Delta, named Archie and Lili after the Sussexes' children.
He said: 'The Duke has a very strong passion for Botswana, its people, and its wildlife.'
Met's Fayed victims error
THE Metropolitan Police has apologised after the email addresses of dozens of people who claim they were sexually abused by Mohamed Al Fayed were accidentally shared.
The data breach occurred on Tuesday when the force sent a monthly update to victims but left the recipients' email addresses visible to others on the list. Around 140 people were affected by the error.
A spokesman for the Met said the mistake was 'due to human error' and they 'sincerely apologise'.
The force said it emailed victims to confirm three further suspects have been interviewed under caution.
IF JACK GETS IT, HE COULD ASK FOR AN UPGRADE ON HIS MINI COOPER
12
The Mail on Sunday AUGUST 2026
EXCLUSIVE
By Emily Hawkins
LEADING British authors have urged Andy Burnham and his Chancellor John Healey to step in and save independent bookshops from being destroyed by crippling tax bills.
Fantasy author Sir Philip Pullman and children's laureate Patrice Lawrence are among those backing calls for the industry to be included in the business rates relief scheme introduced last month for pubs and bars.
It comes as more than 200
As store owners say they are vital community hub.
Top authors tell PM to give small bookshops same tax relief as pubs
independent bookshop owners warned that soaring bills could push many out of business and
exacerbate a reading crisis among youngsters. Pullman, best known for his trilogy His Dark Materials,
said: 'In the current encircling corporate darkness, independent booksellers are lighthouses.
'They are almost the last beacons shining to remind us about private reading, personal discovery, and the life-saving joy of encountering minds and hearts that speak to us as one person to another. They deserve every kind of legal and financial protection a good government would give them.'
Adam Kay, who shot to fame with This Is Going To Hurt, his memoir of his time as a junior doctor; Hamnet author Maggie O'Farrell and Florence Knapp, writer of best-seller The Names, are among other authors backing the campaign.
Mr Burnham handed pubs and live-music venues a 20 per cent discount off their business rates in one of his first acts as Prime Minister.
In the letter to Mr Burnham and Mr Healey, bookshop owners argued that they offer as much to their local communities and must receive similar support.
'Bookshops do much more than just sell books,' it read. 'Ninety-two per cent of bookshops run community events that support literacy and bring people together. They champion authors and publishers, host school visits, reading groups and cultural events, and help sustain vibrant high streets.'
Mr Burnham has insisted he will go 'further' on business rates - boosting hopes that more action will be taken ahead of the Chancellor's first Budget on October 28.
But many businesses have been left bruised after they were promised help ahead of last year's Budget, only to then be hit with higher rates under Mr Healey's predecessor Rachel Reeves.
About 400 independent bookshops in England and Wales face an average rise in their rates bills of
SUPPORT: Writer Maggie O'Farrell
£4,563 a year by 2030. Bookshops have also argued that unlike other retailers they tend to stick to the recommended prices printed on the back of books - so can't simply increase them to offset higher costs.
Authors and shopkeepers say they are 'increasingly frustrated by the Treasury's repeated claim that it has supported the retail sector through business rates changes' and wanted to see support for bookshops. Writers added that bookshops were crucial in tackling a crisis in which reading for pleasure among eight to 18-year-olds is at its lowest level since records began in 2005.
The letter, organised by trade body The Booksellers Association, said: 'The Government is rightly
'They deserve legal and financial protection'
telling the country that reading matters. But as things stand, its legacy risks being contradictory: promoting reading on the one hand while implementing policies that reduce investment in bookshops and may contribute to their closure on the other.'
The authors said a targeted discount would be 'good value for money', as the cost for the Treasury would be 'modest' but the boost for shops would be 'enormous.'
'A few thousand pounds can determine whether a shop employs another bookseller, runs community events, supports local schools, invests in stock or remains open at all,' the letter said.
47 dead as Indonesia rocked by earthquake
A DEVASTATING earthquake has killed at least 47 in a tourist hotspot in Indonesia.
Rescuers were picking through rubble last night in a desperate search for survivors on the island of Flores, after the magnitude 7.7 tremor triggered landslides and a tsunami warning.
More than 150 buildings were severely damaged, including homes and schools, with residents forced to flee for higher ground.
The shallow undersea tremor struck shortly before 5am local time yesterday, followed by more than 235 aftershocks.
Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency said the death toll had risen to 47 by last night,
By Lydia Veljanovski
with around 50 people taken to hospital. At least five victims were killed when buildings collapsed on them as they slept, the governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, said.
Flores local Siti Sulfia Bira, 37, added: 'We don't dare to go home just yet because the situation isn't stable. We still worry that there might be more tremors coming.'
A second earthquake struck later that same day, thousands of miles away in North Sumatra.
Authorities warned the death toll could rise further, as rescue teams make their way to remote villages.
13
By Sean Rayment
BRITAIN'S most dangerous prisoners will be offered yoga sessions, acupuncture and philosophy lessons as part of efforts to help them progress towards release from jail.
A dedicated prison wing has been created in a centre at HMP Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
Convicts serving indeterminate Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences – some of the most dangerous people in prison – will be housed in a special centre known as the Phoenix Unit.
These prisoners are regarded as being the furthest from release, either due to the nature of their crimes or because they committed serious offences while in jail.
The Phoenix Unit, on the prison's D-wing, is part of Government
Stoicism classes and yoga for UK's worst offenders
efforts to help IPP prisoners achieve parole. The wing will hold 49 men, of whom 15 will be IPP prisoners. The remainder will be men serving other long sentences. Prisoners who could be sent to the unit include Richard Lloyd, who was convicted in May 2008 of sexual assault, attempted rape and witness intimidation.
Lloyd was jailed for 37 months. He was released in 2019, recalled in 2020 and remains in custody.
Marlon Chen, another IPP convict, received a four-year sentence in September 2006 for possession of a firearm with intent to endan-
SPECIAL CENTRE: HMP Aylesbury, where the unit will be launched for IPP prisoners
ger life. Chen was released in 2020 but recalled in 2022 after further offences. He remains in custody. Former prisons minister Lord
Timpson told the House of Lords the unit 'will be a specialist wing for those furthest from release'. Though it has not been formally
launched, the facility was up and running in February, when HM Inspectorate of Prisons reported it was 'a promising initiative'.
In its report on IPP sentences, published last week, HM Prison and Probation Service stated the unit's residents will access 'yoga, acupuncture, peer-led groups, book clubs and a Stoicism course'.
It added that these are 'intended to support engagement, reflection and personal development'.
More than 8,000 people in England and Wales were handed IPP sentences between 2005 and 2012. These prisoners can be released only once the Parole Board has judged it is safe to do so.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We are determined to make further progress towards safe and sustainable releases for IPP prisoners but not in any way that undermines public protection.'
Set to be freed THREE years early, PC who killed his lover after she exposed their affair
EXCLUSIVE
By Isaac Crowson
A POLICE officer who killed his lover after she exposed their affair will be freed early under Labour's release scheme, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
In a scandalous move, Timothy Brehmer, who was jailed for strangling Claire Parry to death in 2020, could be free to walk the streets within weeks after serving just half of his sentence.
It adds to growing anger over plans to release two of PC Andrew Harper's killers.
The news comes despite the fact that Brehmer, a constable with Dorset Police, had three years added to his sentence by the Court of Appeal as it was found to be
'Releasing him early is an insult to her memory'
'unduly lenient'. Brehmer, then 41, killed mother-of-two Mrs Parry in a pub car park after she told his wife of their ten-year affair. He initially lied about the crime, claiming the nurse practitioner had died accidentally during a 'kerfuffle'.
He was controversially cleared of murder, and was jailed for ten-and-a-half years for manslaughter.
But the sentence was increased when Brehmer applied to the Court of Appeal for leniency. A judge found 'too little weight' had been given to 'aggravating factors' such as his 'lies' and 'conduct' in the aftermath of the attack.
Ministry of Justice sources said he would have been eligible to apply for parole two thirds of the way through his sentence – which would have meant him being behind bars until at least 2029.
But now, Brehmer could be among thousands of other killers
and violent offenders due to be released at the halfway point under the Government's early release scheme as early as October.
Tory home affairs spokesman Chris Philp said last night: 'This vile criminal killed an innocent young woman. Releasing him early is an insult to her memory and sends a signal that this Labour Government doesn't take domestic killings and domestic abuse seriously.'
Mr Philp added: 'The Government must urgently cancel the their early release. Act and introduce emergency legislation to ensure dangerous and serious criminals stay in prison.'
It adds to fury over Labour's early release scheme, which is designed to relieve prison overcrowding but which will see eligible prisoners released after serving as little as a third of their sentences.
Around 5,000 inmates were set to
be freed in September, but this has been paused until at least October amid mounting anger. Andy Burnham says it will now be subject to an 'urgent review'.
PC Harper, 28, was killed in 2019 when he was dragged by a car
down a country road in Berkshire as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft. Two of the passengers in the car, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were sentenced to 13 years but could be released next year.
Brehmer's trial heard that Mrs Parry had become suspicious that he was also involved with other women and had asked him to meet her outside a pub in West Parley, Dorset, on May 9, 2020.
During the meeting in his car, she took his phone and texted his wife, saying: 'I am cheating on you.'
Brehmer said he then strangled Mrs Parry by accident in his car, and claimed that his arm 'must have slipped in all the melee'.
He later attempted to cover up the crime by using a knife to wound himself, claiming he had been stabbed by Mrs Parry, a statement he later retracted. She died the day after the attack, at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
Brehmer, of Hordle, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, before a jury at Salisbury Crown Court cleared him of murder.
Mrs Parry's husband, Andrew, said he was 'incredibly disappointed' in the verdict.
In a statement at the time, Mr Parry, who was also a Dorset Police officer, said: 'He's the worst kind of thief. He's stolen a mother, a wife and daughter.'
The MoJ said: 'We inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse. We are fixing this by building 14,000 new prison places, expanding electronic tagging and investing in probation services.'
New soft justice row as constable is eligible for parole – despite having his jail term increased
GUILTY PLEA:
Timothy Brehmer and, inset, Claire Parry whom he strangled to death in 2020
MISSED BORIS IN YESTERDAY'S MAIL? SCAN TO READ ON MAIL
14
Sprinter Amy closes in on hat-trick of golds
SPRINT sensation Amy Hunt was last night poised for a third gold medal after helping GB's 4x100 metre relay team cruise into the European Athletics Championships final.
A win would see the 24-year-old achieve a record-equaling third gold in Birmingham after victory in the 100m and 200m.
That would match the achievement of her relay teammate Dina Asher-Smith's triple European success in Berlin in 2018.
But Hunt, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, could go a step further if her GB team also wins today's inaugural 4x100 mixed relay event.
In interviews after her last track triumph she told how she wanted to 'be iconic' by becoming the first
By Nick Constable
athlete to win four European gold medals at the same championship.
'Two out of four, baby,' she told the BBC at the time. 'This is becoming a magical week and one I will remember for the rest of my life.'
But she is taking nothing for granted, insisting that there would be 'no celebrations and no champagne until Sunday night'.
On her prospects for the women's 4x100, which was due to take place last night, she added: 'I have got a debt to the ladies.'
'We have got to come out here and make sure we show them who the best sprinting nation is in Europe.'
Hunt is hitting a peak of out-
standing form at the right moment. In June she broke 11 seconds in the 100 metres for the first time, clocking 10.97 in a second-place finish at a Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.
Three days later she again ran under 11 seconds at Norway's Bislett Games before retaining her UK 100m title on June 20 with a time of 11.01 seconds.
Commentator Steve Cram, a former 1500 metre world champion, has said she has all the elements of a great athlete: 'The speed, the endurance, the confidence.'
Meanwhile, Asher-Smith, currently the fastest UK woman on record, has won six European golds during five championships.
Sport - Page 79
GOLDEN GIRL: Hunt with relay teammate Imani Lansiquot yesterday
By Elizabeth Ivens
ANDY Burnham has described former Cambridge professor Jason Arday's sudden death as 'a tragedy on so many levels' and called for a 'moment for reflection'.
The Prime Minister's comments came after a fellow academic revealed that Mr Arday had admitted 'I just cannot go on' hours before he was found unresponsive at his home in Battersea, southwest London, shortly after 3pm on Friday.
It came after a tumultuous few weeks in which fellow dons had questioned whether the 41-year-old academic's work was original, prompting scrutiny of his record at Durham and Glasgow and his personal biographical details.
As questions mounted from academics, journalists and broadcasters, Mr Arday resigned from his Cambridge University role on August 5.
'It's a tragedy on so many levels but particularly for everybody who knew Jason, his family and his friends,' said Mr Burnham on a visit to Cornwall yesterday. 'We think of them. It is not a moment for any rushing to judgment. It's a moment for reflection on how things came to this - a really sad, sad and sorry state of affairs. Today we must think of Jason and his contribution and his family and friends.'
Speaking to the BBC, Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor of psychology and psychiatry, said Mr
'He wasn't coping with the loss of his reputation'
Arday had sent him a 'last voice note' with the poignant message on the morning of his death.
Professor Baron-Cohen, a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, said Mr Arday 'really was not coping' since his resignation just over a week ago.
'He wasn't coping with the loss of his career and his reputation. He felt that he could not go on. He used those words in voice notes and WhatsApp messages to me yesterday morning,' Professor Baron-Cohen, who said he was 'still reeling from this awful news', told Radio 4's Today programme.
'Poor Jason felt he had no choice but to resign and in the last ten days I have witnessed his mental health getting worse and worse.'
Professor Baron-Cohen, who called Mr Arday 'a vulnerable autistic man', said: 'He was an
Death of Jason Arday is a tragedy on so many levels, says PM as it's revealed ex-professor said he couldn't go on
POIGNANT MESSAGE: Jason Arday contacted friends the day he died
incredibly kind and gentle, caring and generous man.'
Mr Arday had been Cambridge University's youngest ever black professor, having been appointed to the sociology of education chair in March 2023, aged just 37, and was hailed at the time for a remarkable life story. The father-of-two, who described himself as autistic and diagnosed with learning difficulties, said he had developed academically late and had
also completed fundraising challenges including running 30 marathons in 35 days. But those details have started to unravel.
Cambridge University announced it had 'begun an investigation following new information about Mr Arday's academic qualifications and honorary appointments'. Jesus College, where he was a fellow, also launched an investigation.
Shadow communities secretary
Sir James Cleverly said: 'The death of Jason Arday is tragic, and makes me so angry. Even the most casual observer could see he was a vulnerable fantasist.'
'A number of people at a number of academic institutions have serious questions to answer. They put him into positions he was clearly not qualified for so they could have a black wunderkind to show off, they pushed him into the spotlight for their own benefit. His exposure
'We're in shock to have lost this amazing man'
was inevitable, a case of when, not if. His whole world fell apart.'
In a statement issued by his publisher Simon & Schuster, Mr Arday's family said they were 'in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son', but accused his critics of 'abuse' and a 'campaign of misinformation'. University of Cambridge vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said the faculty where he worked was 'desperately saddened' to learn of his death.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said she was 'deeply shocked and saddened'.
Professor Baron-Cohen added:
'What he was saying to me was 'they've destroyed my life' - it's not clear who they were but I think he was referring to the media. The personal attacks on him have been so immense.' He criticised Cambridge for initially leaving the investigation to Liverpool John Moores, which had awarded Mr Arday his PhD, before announcing 'just nine days ago that they would conduct their own investigation'.
'Jason believed that there was a racist playbook to discredit black academics at universities and accusations of plagiarism were used to try and bring down black academics,' he said. 'He believed that these racist attacks wouldn't stop until he had lost his career and his reputation.'
He said he had been to Liverpool John Moores with Mr Arday when the accusations were investigated in February this year and 'they concluded that the accusation was not proven but rather he had made honest and reasonable errors'.
Asked whether Mr Arday should have been beyond scrutiny over the 'veracity of what he had done' because of potential vulnerabilities, Professor Baron-Cohen said he was 'not saying that he should not be investigated'.
SARAH VINE Page 27
71
15
Are they taking the St Michael? Cult brand's £70 tote... based on 1970s style M&S carrier bag
THIS is not just any carrier bag. This is a £70 vintage-inspired Marks & Spencer tote in butter-soft leather – created in collaboration with a cult London label loved by Dua Lipa.
The high street stalwart is taking a tip from high fashion and reviving its heritage St Michael roots with a nostalgia-filled collection designed by streetwear brand Aries in a bid to appeal to younger shoppers.
The star of its 26-piece capsule collection – which contains quirky tailored outfits, knitwear and lingerie – is the bag, which is modelled on the retailer's distinctive green and gold St Michael packaging.
The in-house M&S label flourished from the 1970s to 2000, when it was scrapped in a corporate overhaul. But there has been a resurgence of interest
By Laura Craik
FASHION CRITIC
in the label after Gen Z started snapping up items from its ranges on the Vinted site.
The original plastic St Michael carrier bags – which used to be dished out free – are now collectors' items selling on eBay for up to £10 each.
M&S chose Aries, which was founded in 2012 and combines high fashion with skate culture to help reintroduce the brand to a new generation.
The St Michael label was named in honour of M&S's co-founder Michael Marks and boasted a 'Quality Promise' – delivering a standard of clothing some customers believe has not been matched since. St Michael was known for wool
jumpers, school trousers, classic-cut jersey dresses, socks and nylon underwear with stitched fabric tags.
The new collection will be updated for the modern, more discerning shopper. Items include cropped T-shirts, sportswear and knickers, and draw on familiar symbols from M&S history, such as the Penny Bazaar – commemorating the high street giant starting at Leeds Kirkgate Market in 1884, where all goods on the stall cost a penny each.
Heritage crests, coin motifs, sporting emblems and collegiate references feature alongside Aries' signature logo. New Aries collections tend to sell out almost as soon as they are released and whether its
collaboration with M&S, which launches on August 20, will do the same remains to be seen. But for fans of Aries, it will be an opportunity to grab a bargain because the products in the collection will be markedly cheaper than Aries' own items.
While an Aries sweatshirt typically costs £200, a pink M&S version will be around £45. A white T-shirt featuring M&S's Spencer Bear will cost £30 – while an Aries top will cost £85. It all means M&S's courting of younger shoppers could finally be in the bag.
VINTAGE: The £70 M&S bag and, left, the original carrier bag
P.S. HAVEN'T WE SEEN THIS BEFORE?
Marks & Spencer is not the first designer label to take inspiration from a high street retailer. In 2024, luxury fashion house
Balenciaga released its Antwerp tote – a £1,000 bag which looked similar to budget store Iceland's £1.75 bag for life. And its Arena bag, right, looked remarkably like those used by Ikea shoppers.
By Matt Davis
A FACTORY worker who claims Lemsip caused his asthma and left him unable to sleep is suing its British maker for up to £100,000.
Artur Rezmer – a manufacturing technician who worked on production lines for the cold remedy, and for constipation treatment Fybogel – says dust and fumes from the products' ingredients triggered a sore throat, chest tightness, and breathlessness.
Mr Rezmer, 45, of Hull, started working for the factory which makes the products for Reckitt Benckiser in 2020, and within weeks says he began suffering from a blocked nose and sore throat which interrupted his sleep.
He worked on the Lemsip production line for months, despite asking to be moved because of his symptoms, and was eventually switched to Fybogel in late 2020.
But that only made things worse, he claims, after he started to suffer from chest tightness, breathlessness, and facial flushing within three days.
While his employers sent him home to rest, and offered him a high-performance filtration mask, Mr Rezmer says he was unable to tolerate wearing it.
He later spent eight months working in the warehouse, but
Lemsip factory worker sues firm for £100,000 – over his sore throat
returned to the Lemsip line – and within weeks, he says, he began spitting blood and took sick leave.
A consultant respiratory physician found he had become allergic
to ispaghula, the husk used in Fybogel, and he was diagnosed with occupational asthma and rhinitis. In legal papers seen by The Mail on Sunday and filed at Kingston-upon-Hull Combined Court Centre, Mr Rezmer's lawyers are arguing that masks provided by the company were poorly fitted and never made mandatory.
Reckitt Benckiser denies the claim and says no respiratory sensitisers capable of causing asthma are present in Lemsip, but accepts ispaghula in Fybogel is a recognised sensitiser – an ingredient which it accepts, for the purposes of Mr Rezmer's case only, was
DENIAL: Lemsip maker says it didn't cause Mr Rezmer's issues
not cut to the lowest level practical under health and safety rules.
But the firm denies medical causation, and points to the fact that Mr Rezmer tested positive for other allergens including house dust mites, and says he failed to wear the equipment provided.
The case has yet to be decided, and Mr Rezmer – now working on the company's Dettol line – remains employed by the firm.
In his claim, he alleges that powder from the firm's products escaped from a hopper and burned on a sealing heater to create fumes, with extractors that were sometimes blocked. The papers state that he could always taste Lemsip after a shift, and that in April 2022 he fell ill again when a
conveyor belt was found covered in loose Fybogel powder.
Lemsip was launched in 1969 by Reckitt & Colman and rebranded in the 1970s with its sword-in-a-glass logo.
The firm traces its roots to 1840, when Isaac Reckitt bought a starch mill in Hull, the city where Dettol was first bottled before its launch in 1932. Reckitt & Colman merged with the Dutch company Benckiser in 1999 to create Reckitt Benckiser, now a FTSE 100 giant which reported revenues of £14.2 billion in 2025.
A spokesman for the firm said it was unable to comment on the case as it was still progressing through the courts. Mr Rezmer was approached for comment.
16
VI
By Ruth Sunderland
A LEADING health charity backed by the Queen has accused the Government of making 'deeply misleading' claims that it has improved services for patients suffering from deadly bone disease osteoporosis.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), whose president is Queen Camilla, has written to the statistics watchdog to complain that Labour is using bogus figures to make it appear that specialist clinics which pick up the disease early had been successfully rolled out across the country.
In fact, only half of NHS trusts have the services, despite a key
Is Labour using bogus figures to claim it has hit bone clinic targets?
pre-election pledge for them to be universal by 2030. The Mail on Sunday and the
ROS have campaigned since 2024 for the Government to make good on its promises to deliver Frac-
ture Liaison Services (FLS), which the ROS says could save thousands of lives and prevent further disability from life-changing fractures.
Before the 2024 General Election, then-shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said it would be one of his 'first acts' in government to deliver FLS everywhere.
But amid a simmering row which threatens to embarrass new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the charity has written to the UK Statistics Authority over remarks made by health ministers Gillian Merron and Karin Smyth.
Baroness Merron told the House of Lords last month that 23 out of 25
Secretary Yvette Cooper to 'correct the record'. Ruth Wakeman, a director at the ROS, said: 'Redrawing the lines on an NHS map does not create new services or give patients meaningful new access to care.'
'Patients have been given a deeply misleading picture of progress.'
Lord Black, who co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Osteoporosis, has written to MPs and peers protesting about the Government's 'misleading figures'.
Osteoporosis is a serious disease affecting 3.5 million people in the UK, mainly women. Left undiagnosed, people are vulnerable to life-changing fractures.
The clinics, embedded in NHS trusts, would investigate people for the disease after they suffer their first fracture, which the ROS says would prevent 74,000 broken bones over five years. The clinics are still only available in around half of all NHS trusts in England.
Consultant Dr Madhavi Vindlacheruvu, of Cambridge University Hospitals and chairman of the East of England Fracture Liaison Service Network, said: 'Redrawing NHS boundaries does not create a single new Fracture Liaison Service.'
The Health Department said: 'This Government remains committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services by 2030... We're also investing in 20 new state-of-the-art DEXA (bone density) scanners.'
In Store | Click & Collect | Delivery Selected stores. Subject to availability. Which? tracks the prices of around 240 branded products every day over the course of a month to work out the average cost per item. Which? then adds up those averages to get a total for each retailer. They include special offers, loyalty prices where applicable but not multilayer. Comparison between Aisle, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Walnips and Grads. February 2026: 240 products checked daily at Aisle (average $302.00 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $301.40; March 2026: 240 products checked daily at Aisle (average $392.00 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $301.40; April 2026: 240 products checked daily at Aisle (average $796.27 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $821.67; May 2026: 234 products checked daily at Aisle (average $795.55 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $811.95; June 2026: 232 products checked daily at Aisle (average $785.00 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $804.80; July 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; August 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; August 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus next cheapest Tesco with Grads and $789.60; September 2026: 235 products checked daily at Aisle (average $789.60 versus nextChex) and $789.60. All other products are sold by the company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's own company's
Antlers 'hold secret to healing broken limbs'
By Pat Hagan
DEER antlers could hold the secret to helping broken bones heal more quickly after scientists discovered they contain chemicals which accelerate the repair process.
When the chemicals were injected into mice, fractures mended in a fraction of the time it normally takes. Deer antlers are capable of complete regeneration, with males growing a new pair each spring made up of bone, cartilage, blood vessels, nerves and skin.
The NHS deals with more than 500,000 fractures every year and up to one in ten fail to heal properly as bones don't 'knit' together.
Experts at Washington University in the US and Ningbo University, China, extracted the polypeptides from the antlers and injected them into mice with fractured limbs.
Within a week, bones had joined together – it normally takes two or three weeks. And after 21 days, they had healed completely, compared to five weeks usually.
In findings published in the Jour-
BIG BREAK: Antlers can regenerate
nal of Orthopaedic Translation, researchers said deer antlers had been used as a traditional medicine in East Asia 'for thousands of years', adding: 'Our research shows they can accelerate fracture healing by promoting new bone formation.'
Previous studies found the antlers could help fight cancer as they have tumour-suppressing genes, while compounds can protect against Parkinson's disease and ease arthritis.
17
By Codie Bullen
SHE IS stepping out of the limelight after a rollercoaster decade of box office highs – and horrifying, traumatic lows.
But Ariana Grande proved she was determined to go out on her own terms last night by delivering an unforgettable performance at London's O2 Arena ahead of a year-long hiatus.
Two weeks ago, the 33-year-old singer stunned fans by announcing at a Chicago date on her Eternal Sunshine Tour that she was stepping back from public life to 'set boundaries', telling the crowd: 'Human beings need a break sometimes.'
So drastic is Ms Grande's retreat that she has pulled out of a production of Sondheim's Sunday In The Park With George, which was due to be staged at London's Barbican Theatre next year.
For the past five years Grande has barely had a moment to herself, juggling two Wicked films in which she plays Glinda the Good – and the accompanying worldwide promotional duties – as well as comedy Focker-in-Law and two
'Weathered some of the darkest moments'
albums – before her latest tour. Along the way, she has weathered some of the darkest moments of her life, from the horror of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing to a string of painful breakups, the most recent coming only months ago.
But there was no faltering on stage last night, as Ms Grande delivered hits from Dangerous Woman to Thank U, Next – with her voice as powerful as ever.
The staging was built around a flooded, burned-out house, that was gradually overgrown with flowers as the night progressed. Meanwhile, many fans arrived in black bunny ears and dresses, a nod to the singer's edgy look in artwork for her 2016 album Dangerous Woman.
Security was exceptionally tight, with fans allowed to carry only transparent bags – and urged to bring only essentials.
It is a strict level of caution that has been standard at Ms Grande's shows ever since Islamist suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people and injured more than 1,000 others at the end of her Manchester Arena concert in May 2017. The singer, then just 23, described her-
Grande finale – Ariana's last gigs before she steps out of the limelight
EAR WE GO: Fans in London last night
self as 'broken' in the wake of the attack, and has since spoken of living with post-traumatic stress disorder. But
rather than step away, she organised the benefit concert One Love Manchester just two weeks later, drawing stars including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Liam Gallagher to Old Trafford Cricket Ground to raise money for victims.
Her personal life has proved equally turbulent in the years since, from the death of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller in 2018 from an accidental drug overdose to a string of high-profile relationships – including her engagement
'Career has soared despite the setbacks'
to comedian Pete Davidson, her near three-year marriage to estate agent Dalton Gomez, and then another recent split from Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.
But despite all the setbacks, her career has soared in recent years – with highlights including the huge box office success of 2024's Wicked and last year's Wicked: For Good – which earned a worldwide total of around £1 billion.
And last night's sold-out show was proof that, whatever lies ahead, Ariana Grande remains one of the biggest stars in the world.
DRAINING SCHEDULE: Ariana Grande will take a break
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NEXT WEEK'S NEWS...TODAY!
OUR weekly irreverent look at some of the stories that might be breaking over the coming days...
MONDAY
The land speed record that was set last week is immediately broken – by Nigel Farage leaving Clacton. As the parliamentary investigation into the Reform leader reopens, he resigns again to trigger another by-election. And so the cycle continues...
TUESDAY
Firefighters say they'd probably be doing a better job against the wildfires were they not subject to a hosepipe ban. The drought in the UK becomes so severe that Ethiopian musicians assemble their version of Band Aid to help out, releasing a single with the catchy line: Do They Know It's Oboraa Xiqqaa Time At All?
WEDNESDAY
After last week's eclipse, doctors tell anyone who is still struggling with vision to join the Cabinet, where they'll fit right in.
Andy Burnham's move to reinvigorate Britain's high streets gets under way, replacing hated vape stores and betting shops with vibrant parades of shuttered-up units.
THURSDAY
Ministers explain that homes near pylons will get £250 off their electricity bills – not through reduced tariffs, but because their property is so irradiated they won't have to use their microwaves any more. Clowns returning from the French refugee
camps say they weren't entertaining migrants, as reported, but trading tips on how to get an unfeasibly large number of people into one vehicle.
FRIDAY
After advertising 'that sausage, bean and cheese thing' when the word
'bake' escaped Andy Burnham, Greggs name another pasty in honour of the prime minister, because it's flaky, half-baked, puffed up with hot air and gets stale quickly. In the face of a fresh security threat, the Secret Service conceal Donald Trump in the one place his enemies would never expect to find him... a library.
Steve Bennett
18
The President's critics say he's a misogynist, but others praise him for promoting women to powerful posts. As his key press aide quits to be a full-time mum, insiders tell our US Editor Caroline Graham...
From CAROLINE GRAHAM
IN LOS ANGELES
THE calls from the boss can start as early as 2am. By 6am there is little time to think about sleep. There is a professional blow-dry appointment to make, layers of impeccable make-up to apply and a designer outfit to choose – because in Donald Trump's White House, looking the part is almost as important as doing the job.
As one woman who worked inside the Trump orbit described it, the desired aesthetic had to be no less than 'Maga perfect'.
Those glossy smiles and immaculate clothes are, of course, what the outside world sees when the parade of highly intelligent women who work for the Trump administration appear on television alongside the President at Maga rallies and press conferences.
But in a White House plagued by accusations of misogyny and sexual misconduct by
«Six from his inner circle have quit since January»
its commander-in-chief, the reality for those working there is rather different. Limited pay for demanding, 24/7 roles. No time to raise a family. And, of course, an implicit requirement to spend considerable amounts of their time and hard-earned cash on their appearance.
To pull back the curtain on life as a Republican 'glamazon' at the heart of US politics, several former female staffers have described, in confidence, what it is really like to The Mail on Sunday.
Summed up in a word? Exhausting. 'It gets to be utterly draining,' as one burned-out employee admitted to me last week. 'You have to be exceptional at your job, which is a given, but if you're a woman you have to look a certain way, dress a certain way and be available 24/7, because this is a President who barely sleeps.
'Add to that the pressure of a family at home and it's no wonder so many of us flame out.'
That tension was laid bare just last week when Karoline Leavitt, Trump's formidable press secretary, announced she was leaving the White House to become a full-time mother to her two young children. The 28-year-old admitted her decision was 'bittersweet', saying that since returning to the White House following the birth of her daughter in May she felt she could not be the mother her baby and two-year-old son deserved – while simultaneously giving the job the 'constant time, energy and attention' it required. It was a remarka-
What it's really like to be a Trump White House Glamazon
bly candid admission from someone who has become one of the most recognisable women in Trump's Washington. Despite that, Leavitt was photographed on Friday night, looking fiercely chic in a scarlet-red dress alongside the President as they prepared to board Air Force One to New York. She is due to step down this month. And she is not the first to do so even this year alone. In fact, six women from Trump's inner circle have left since January: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney
General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem, Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson and Director of Media Affairs Sonny Joy Nelson. But perhaps it is little wonder. Quite aside from the normal pressures of a high-powered job in government, 80-year-old Trump is a man known for objectifying women (who can forget his famous 'grab her by the p***y' remark') who is infamous for demanding total fealty, has unrelenting, exacting standards, and who sleeps only
four hours a night. He is known for throwing 'tantrums' when things don't go his way and expects those closest to him to be available all hours of the day and night.
And it is also no accident, commentators say, that the women elevated to work for Trump – who, in a previous life, owned the Miss Universe contest – are all beautiful, perfectly manicured and extremely capable.
Those who spoke to the MoS did so on condition of anonymity because their subsequent roles are within Trump-supporting organisations.
The enduring fallout of working at the heart of the Maga movement under such a 'polarising' boss is such that many discovered they were viewed as a 'liability' by some employers, particularly blue-chip companies. Others have left the workplace completely.
A legal source said: 'The President is always 'on'. When he wants someone he shouts your name. And you'd better come running. He thinks nothing of calling you at 2am. You are expected to look a certain way. Most of the women at the White House get
AUGUST 16 • 2026
19
PRESSURE: Trump with Karoline Leavitt, and, from far left, Natalie Harp, Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi and Margo Martin
ZON
their hair blown out at least twice a week before work and then there is pressure to go to the gym and dress well. A lot of the younger aides don't make that much money. You're talking maybe $50,000 [£37,000] to $70,000 [£52,000] a year. It's not only a stressful business working in Trump's world – it's an expensive one.
For Karoline Leavitt, sources suggest, the pressure of her job while juggling two very young children simply got too much.
One source said Trump was so 'dependent' on her he 'constantly'
called her during her most recent maternity leave, asking when she would return.
During her first maternity break she returned to work three days after giving birth because of the attempted assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Karoline told an interviewer: 'I had the baby in my arms and I looked at my husband and said: 'I guess I'll be going back to work.'
Another source close to the President's inner circle said: 'I don't think Karoline minded being called but I think reality set in this
time around. She's always going to be expected to put the President first and maybe it's time to put her kids first!' Other women have been open about their time in Trump's corridors of power.
For Blanche Sprague, who served as his high-powered executive and enforcer long before he became a force in politics, no time of day was off-limits for a call.
Now 67, Sprague has described her role as 'like a nanny' dealing with Trump's petty grievances and requests. 'He used to call me up at night and say, 'Did you know that there's a soda bottle in front of Trump Plaza?' and I would have to make sure that it was picked up right away because he would drive past again to see that it was gone,' she recalled.
On another occasion, at a book signing in Florida following the publication of Trump's The Art Of The Deal in 1987, Sprague's task was to make sure his favourite pen, with robin's egg blue ink, did not run out. More recently, Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff, has credited her upbringing with an alcoholic father for her ability
to work alongside Trump. While the President does not drink, Wiles said that he had an 'alcoholic's (exaggerated) personality' and governs with the mindset that 'there's nothing he can't do. Nothing, zero, nothing'.
Meanwhile, other published accounts of life in his inner circle give more troubling insights into his alleged behaviour.
Stephanie Grisham, who worked as press secretary during Trump's first term – and became First Lady Melania's right-hand woman – wrote a scathing memoir, I'll Take Your Questions Now, in which she accused the President of constantly berating her, describing his anger as 'terrifying'. 'I began to see how his temper wasn't just for shock value or the cameras,' she wrote. 'I began to regret my decision to go to the West Wing.' In one outburst, she said, Trump 'unleashed on me'.
'His eyes were fixed and filled with anger. His face had passed red and was turning almost purple.'
She also accused him of allegedly targeting young female employees, including a press aide who he invited into his private Air Force One cabin because he 'wanted to look at her a'.'
But Trump has dismissed Grisham as a disgruntled former employee who had become 'angry and bitter' and was 'paid by a radical Left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things'.
There is another way of looking at Trump's interest in women, of course. The 'dichotomy' with Trump, as one source points out, is that – while he clearly loves being surrounded by brilliant, feisty (and good-looking) women – he is also a champion of their skills.
One said he had 'always promoted women to senior positions, going all the way back to his early days in business'.
Many of the women who have worked for him are only too happy to acknowledge this fact.
One said: 'You have to remember, this is a man who had two women – Kellyanne Conway and Susie Wiles – leading his election campaigns. During his first term his daughter [Ivanka] was front and centre.'
'He gave Karoline Leavitt the press secretary's job at 26 and even people who disagree with her political views agree that she's been one of the most impressive and effective press secretaries of all time. It's unfair that people attack the President when he has been a great supporter of women in a town that has always been male-dominated. People criticise him for wanting women around
him to have a certain level of professionalism and beauty, but that's who he is.
'He's a businessman at heart and he has always believed that you need to dress to impress. To be fair, it's not just the women. I've seen him attack men for wearing jeans or an ill-fitting suit.'
And those same defenders argue that it is natural 'female competition' that drives Trump's women to focus so heavily on appearance.
'He doesn't force these women to have 6am blow-outs or get plastic surgery or go on weight-loss drugs,' the source points out.
'They get the Botox and fillers because the White House is a competitive place.'
'Everyone is vying for his attention. He's the President of the United States, for God's sake.'
Trump doesn't mind that attention at all, according to author Michael Wolff, who has written four books about the President.
He says: 'I think part of it is Trump saying, 'They are available to me'. That's what he wants people to think. I think that it remains enormously important to him to be seen as the guy the women are
'It's important for him to be seen as the guy the women are around'
around.' (For his part, Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung has in response called Wolff 'a lying sack of s***') But there is no suggestion that Trump does not recognise female expertise – far from it.
Two of his closest aides are Natalie Harp (social media) and Margo Martin (press). Both are impossibly leggy and glamorous and are reported to have the President's ear.
Meanwhile, when it comes to Leavitt, she will firmly remain on Trump's speed dial.
'The President trusts her judgment. He respects her decision to spend time with her kids but he will continue to seek her guidance,' one loyalist said.
Some have suggested that Leavitt has chosen to jump ship ahead of November's mid-term elections in which Trump is expected to get a drubbing. But the legal source said: 'I would strongly refute that. I think Karoline has shown how times have changed.'
'If anything, Trump has empowered women. He's made it very clear that he's keeping her on as a trusted adviser. She's only 28. In the 1980s, women had to choose between a career or family. Now they don't. She's more than proved herself at her job and she's not going anywhere. Mark my words. Karoline will remain a force behind the scenes.'
With applications to fill positions at the White House at an all-time high, particularly from young women hoping to emulate the success of others like Leavitt, there is unlikely to be a shortage of glamorous to take her place.
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21
THOUSANDS of fans lined the streets of Swansea yesterday to watch Bonnie Tyler's coffin return home ahead of her funeral tomorrow.
In the Mumbles area of the city emotional fans sang along to her biggest hit Total Eclipse of the Heart as they took their last chance to say goodbye. She died
last month aged 75 in a Portuguese hospital after complications from a surgery, her family said.
Born Gaynor Hopkins in a small mining village nearby, her powerful gravelly voice made her an international star after her breakthrough hit 'It's a Heartache'. Tearful fans applauded and threw flowers
as her coffin, draped in the Welsh flag and with a picture of the star alongside it, was driven through jam-packed streets.
Reluctant to let the woman described as a 'Swansea girl through and through' go, many of them followed the car as it made its way slowly through the Swansea suburb she called home for more than 30 years.
QUOTES of the week
'Boats the size of buses are crossing the Channel in broad daylight and somehow the French are managing to catch a lower rate of them than before.'
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp as it is revealed that the interception rate is down to 56 per cent.
'Are you not entertained?'
British athlete Amy Hunt after winning the 200m at the European Championships in Birmingham – her second gold.
'I'm not scared of what comes next. I am at peace with it. I'll see my dog Gracie sooner than expected.'
Actress Lucy Davis who starred as Dawn in The Office, reveals she has terminal breast cancer.
'The vape dragon.'
Nickname given to Communities Secretary Angela Rayner by her children over her failure to kick her nicotine habit.
'Twenty minutes into knowing each other I was like, 'Should we just acknowledge the fact that our parents were married?''
Homer Gere, son of Hollywood star Richard, to Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, on the set of their new Disney drama The Shards. Richard and Cindy were married in the 1990s.
'Forgive my French, but it's a lot of b***ks about nothing.'
Former M&S boss Stuart Rose dismisses the PM's efforts to reinvigorate town centres.
'Dobby? Who's Dobby?'
Project manager Simon Ludlam after a campaign to stop an undersea cable at a Welsh beach because it's the fictional burial place of the house elf in Harry Potter.
Campaigners urge UK to fight back over Taliban's purge on women's rights
By Nick Constable
THE Taliban celebrated five years as rulers of Afghanistan yesterday in defiance of condemnation that it enforces 'gender apartheid'.
The commemoration included a Kabul military parade in which Humvee trucks abandoned in the chaotic withdrawal of a US-led coalition force were rolled out as victory trophies.
The authorities also hosted a cricket match and other sporting contests, events from which women and girls were banned even from attending.
Leading women's rights campaigner and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy said Britain should put pressure on allies such as India and Qatar, who maintain contact with the Taliban.
She told Radio 4's Today programme: 'What is happening is gender apartheid. The extremes against women are extraordinary.'
You apply pressure (through) the people who are speaking to, and who are in contact with, the leadership there. You try to drive
PARADE: Afghans yesterday on Humvee trucks abandoned by the US
a wedge between the people who are more progressive and those who are still in the Dark Ages.'
Yesterday patriotic music blared across streets as Afghans packed into pick-up trucks and rickshaws in convoys festooned with government flags. One car displayed a photo of Taliban leader Mullah Omar alongside Osama bin Laden.
Such is the extreme interpretation of Islamic law – enforced through hundreds of edicts handed down by the regime's reclusive emir Hibatullah Akinhundzada – that women are excluded from public areas and most places of work.
Girls are denied an education in mainstream schools beyond age 12 although religious madrasas still
take girls of all ages. Diplomats say promises to defend women's rights, made by the Taliban after its fighters took control in a lightning offensive, have been abandoned with the infiltration into government of an extremist elite.
Britain, which also withdrew troops in the 2021 exodus, is among Western countries which have closed embassies in Kabul.
With Afghan assets frozen in European banks, there is growing concern that isolating the Taliban is failing to deliver change.
It is estimated that 22 million Afghans – half the population – rely on some form of foreign aid to stay alive.
Outside influence is now largely in the hands of India, China, Russia, Qatar and the UAE.
One Western diplomat said the US decision to close its Agency for International Development, which once led the world's approach on almost every Afghan issue, was the 'real diplomatic gap'.
The diplomat told the BBC: 'It's extraordinary given the scale of Western effort from 2001 to 2021 how ignored Afghanistan is now.'
22
The Mail ON SUNDAY
ON THE issue of immigration, there has always been a great deal of long-distance charity and plentiful signalling of virtue by the new Left-wing elite. Even as they call for the rest of us to show more generosity and patience, there has always been a suspicion that the better-off Left secretly nurture a strong hope that migrants will keep their distance from the affluent and the privileged.
The comfortably situated, liberal-minded university-educated classes, who like to think of themselves as open-hearted and broad-minded, will leap to defend the admission to this country of large numbers of economic migrants. They will invariably call them 'asylum-seekers', though everyone knows that very few of those coming to our shores are genuinely seeking safety from oppressive regimes, and that most are coming here from safe countries.
But what they really mean is that other people – poorer, less
Listen to the public, Mr Burnham, and stop the small boats coming
powerful and less privileged than them – should have to cope with the undoubted problems that large-scale illegal migration brings.
They are being generous with other people's lives, schools and hospitals, transport, water, infrastructure and open space.
So the Prime Minister may have unintentionally upset a lot of his own better-off voters (for most such people are these days on the political Left) by saying last week that more affluent areas must 'play their part' in accepting such
migrants. They may say in public that they long to do their lot for the cause of open borders and free movement that they claim to believe in.
But in practice they may be a good deal less keen. Mr Burnham said this just as the country was absorbing the implications of the vastly bigger boats in which these migrants are now arriving almost daily.
Meanwhile the Government are planning to house large concentrations of migrants in former military bases, often
close to quite small villages whose inhabitants wonder how they will cope with such a huge change in their lives.
In these circumstances, The Mail on Sunday's poll by Find Out Now will not be easy reading for Mr Burnham. A majority of the 10,549 people asked said, possibly through gritted teeth, that 'asylum seekers' should be housed evenly across all areas. In many cases this is probably as near as they can come to saying 'not near me'. For the poll shows clearly that very few
actually welcome this sort of immigration.
An overwhelming 82 per cent said the Government should do more to stop illegal entry altogether. A tiny 5 per cent disagreed with that. And 57 per cent said their own locality should not take any more.
Mr Burnham would be wise to heed the 82 per cent who want the whole thing stopped. Millions think this crisis has been going on quite long enough and would be glad (for instance) to see the Rwanda scheme revived, under which such migrants would be sent to a third country. Sir Keir Starmer abruptly cancelled it just as there were signs that it might be starting to work.
The new Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper, recently stated that Labour 'did not do government very well' under Sir Keir's premiership.
She was certainly right about that. The question is whether it will be any better under Andy Burnham.
Crafty trick to stop me going back to my roots
As a brunette determined not to become a 'gronde' – a greying blonde that describes so many in my cohort – keeping up with my colourist is essential. But I recently had to stretch the gap between appointments, leading to the unwelcome return of my white roots.
While it's impossible to miss the greying strands at the temple, it's
HEAD START: Jennifer Lopez
not so easy to note when the top of your scalp has become a snowscap. I only realised this when, a few years back, I saw a picture somebody had taken of me from above. There, so clear it might have been painted on, was a neat, wide line of white.
I am now horribly aware that anyone taller than me can spot this colour deficiency. But, hey, yes, I've now discovered a stylish solution to the problem: the summer headscarf. The original inspiration for the look is Jackie O, also a brunette, who wore her scarf fastened behind the head (not like Princess
Alexandra Shulman's Notebook
Anne who ties hers under the chin). Who knows, maybe Jackie was also using hers to disguise the pesky greys that crept up as she holidayed on her husband Aristotle Onassis's yacht.
Only last week J.Lo, still brunette at 57, was photographed in a white headscarf teamed with a vintage style bikini, while model Alexa Chung, also dark-haired, is a long-time devotee, though probably not yet dealing with a grey issue given she's only 42.
So there we have it. Not only a fabulous style statement, but an invaluable hair maintenance tool. I realise I may resemble an Italian granny in her housecoat more than those in the glamorous headscarf-wearing tribe, but who cares? Not only can headscarves hide the grey but they are way cooler in this heat than piling a mass of thick hair into a messy bun. And they certainly beat a beanie.
Cut up pasta? It's on the ick list
OVER dinner while staying with friends last weekend, one of the guests proceeded to cut up their spaghetti. I looked at them in shock. Who cuts up spaghetti? The guest explained that they had never been able to twiddle it round their fork, so always did this.
I wondered why I reacted so strongly. Was it surprise or snob-
bishness? Does long pasta actually taste better kept whole? It made me think about other eating habits I find uncomfortable to watch. Holding knives like a pen is a classic – probably pure snobbery that one – while spearing peas on a fork is another ick.
Brought together by a magic moment
LAST week's eclipse was a wonderful moment, not just because of the vivid demonstration of Earth as one part of a planetary system, but because of the communal spirit it brought about.
Like many I headed to nearby open parkland for the viewing and, channelling my inner Blue Peter, I made a pinhole camera out of a cardboard box. I also brought a colander with me just in case.
As the hour approached, my spot on Wormwood Scrubs, West London, filled up with more and more people. I went alone but everyone chatted to one another, asking questions about each other's eclipse-watching kit and sharing the precious glasses I, like many others, hadn't managed to buy.
It was a wonderful example of people all collaborating together to mark a special moment in our lives. And all the more magical for it.
Will this be the end of Harvey Nicks?
IT would be terrific to feel optimistic about the sale of Harvey Nichols to Mike Ashley's Frasers Group. But somehow I don't.
There is nothing in the high street tycoon's track record to support the notion that he will take care of this luxury department store. I admit that, while it was once somewhere I'd regularly browse to buy new season clothes before the shows, I haven't been inside the London store for years.
However, recently, after a revamp by new CEO Julia Goddard and my old Vogue colleague Kate Phelan, it seemed as if it had become a major player again.
When Frasers Group bought the successful online luxury brand Matches.com, it put it into administration less than three months later. Let's hope a miracle occurs and this time Ashley invests in the glamour of fashion, rather than trying to turn a quick buck.
If he's planning to house a luxury fashion experience alongside one of his other brands – pile-it-high outlet Sports Direct – then it will, I am afraid, be curtains for the Harvey Nichols we loved.
Jack misses steely glare of a real Bond
SLOW Horses actor Jack Lowden is being tipped as a front-runner for next Bond. But I would be very surprised if Lowden is the final choice. He's a fantastic actor but, to my mind, his looks are too gentle for Ian Fleming's hero, who needs that sliver of steel in his heart.
My money's on Callum Turner, who has the requisite chilly, ruthless, narrow-eyed gaze. Although I somewhat doubt whether he'd want to sign his life away to Amazon – now owners of the James Bond franchise – having only just married pop star Dua Lipa.
Take a book's blurb with a pinch of salt
WHEN one of your favourite female fiction writers posts on Instagram, 'I am madly in love with this book', you go ahead and buy it. And so I did. All I can say is that the book's author must be a god-daughter or some close friend.
Although there are enjoyable elements, the writing is simply not of the calibre I expected this particular writer to recommend.
Those back-cover book endorsements are often written by pals or are the result of some kind of pay-back. I've been requesting them for my next book and clearly have neither friends nor anyone who feels they owe me, as they've hardly been flooding in.
So I can reassure potential buyers that those that have are 100 per cent truthful.
CHARLIE O'NEILL / JENNIFER LOPEZ / NICHOLAS
71
23
WHERE were you when the balloon went up on Friday evening? I had just finished an outdoor supper in Herefordshire, a dry breeze stirring the treetops, when my mobile telephone emitted an insistent, high-pitched squawk. WAUUUGGGHHH! Not being terribly tech-savvy, I assumed it was a computer virus and switched off the blasted thing to stop the din. Only later did a friend explain that the noise was the Government's national emergency siren, as used to warn citizens about nuclear attack.
Not that nice Mr Putin was trying to destroy us just yet. This alert was a warning about the danger of barbecues in dry weather. In a statement of the bleedin' obvious, Nanny State was letting us know flames could cause wildfires. And wildfires are, you see, one of the sudden obsessions of Mr Burnham. Who is NOW IN CONTROL.
To use the Government's War Of The Worlds-style 'tin helmets on' warning system for a lecture about the dangers of grilling sausages al fresco seemed over the
«People asked if the alert was Labour's reaction to Farage's win»
top. Is Mr Burnham a bit of a Captain Panicko? Or was something more discreditable at work here? Was this a cynical attempt to stir fear while creating an impression that Eyelashes Andy is a Man of Action? Man of Action or Figure of Fun? The hoo-hah soon took a reassuringly British turn towards laughter. A chap whose hearing aids were connected to his mobile said it would take days for his head to stop ringing. People wondered if the alert was the Government's reaction to Nigel Farage's re-election in Clacton.
'Andy's found a new toy,' ran another suggestion. There were references to the fire-drill episode in Fawlty Towers, when Basil loses his temper with the residents and snaps, 'I don't know why we bother!'
The internet was quickly full of advice on how to deactivate the alerts on mobiles - 'settings, notifications, emergency, off', since you ask. My nonagenarian mother was disappointed that her mobile, which is almost prehistoric, did not receive the alert. Not that she would necessarily have heard it even had it burst into life.
Residents in Wales, and indeed in some parts of England, initially received the shrill alert in Gymraeg, which is 'Welsh' to most of us. Those unversed in the noble tongue of Cambria's druddy boggled a bit at their mobiles, which showed a yellow triangle with a big black exclamation mark, accompanied by a screed of consonant-heavy text. They did not know what to think. Had the Kremlin gone tonto and fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at Machynlleth? It was several minutes before - with another ear-jabbing
How can we take Eyelashes Andy seriously when he uses a nuclear war alert system to nag us about grilling hangers al fresco?
By QUENTIN LETTS
WAUUUGGGHHH!, which caused a sheep stampede - they received an English translation of the message and were able to relax.
'Why wasn't the warning in Arabic first?' demanded equal-rights mickey-takers. My church-organist wife was more absorbed by analysing the tone of that WAUUUGGGHHH! She was soon busy recreating its pitch on her piano and concluded that it was a smashing-together of A, B and B flat, not unlike bar 23 of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight Of The Bumblebee. Living with a musician, one becomes accustomed to such nuggets of information.
But what of Mr Burnham? What does Friday night's farce tell us about him and his Government, and indeed the wider ruling class? Maybe it was not a farce, you say. Maybe wildfires are a sufficient threat to our nation's survival to merit such dramatic klaxons and alarums.
Writing this in the parched Marches I need no reminding of
how tinder dry much of our countryside is. Hillsides, fields and even part of a graveyard outside Ross-on-Wye have gone up in flames in recent days.
The fire brigades have been doing magnificent work and anything that helps them is surely worth considering, a fair person might argue.
But can any cogent human, even adolescent, be unaware of the foolishness of lighting fires in these conditions? If the experts truly thought this alert was essential, why was it not sent immediately after ministers held an emergency Cobra meeting on Wednesday? Wildfires have been a problem in drought-stricken Britain for weeks. Officialdom only
seemed to start taking an interest after parts of Spain and France whooshed up in flames. Mr Burnham, who had been itching for action like a trigger-happy infantryman, was only too happy to convene Cobra. Whitehall's emergency committee. It gathers in hours of national peril and takes its name from the Cabinet Office briefing rooms where it assembles. Jolly impressive it must be, too, with sharpened pencils, tip-top security precautions, anti-blast tape on the windows, that sort of thing.
A new prime minister finds such things tremendously exciting. Has there not been,
about Mr Burnham, something of the awestruck youth gawping at all the shiny levers in the engine room of the ship he has just commandeered?
When it became clear that the killers of PC Harper were likely to be released early as a result of his Government's penal policies, Mr Burnham jumped up and down, made all sorts of pronouncements and told his Justice Secretary to look closely at the matter. With that he strode off to the next hot issue, satisfied that he had showed leadership. What will change? Most likely nothing.
A similar pattern developed with his response to the asylum-seekers crisis. Mr Burnham muscled his way into the fray and barked that middle-class areas must take in more refugees. Sorted! That would teach shires Tory toffs who was boss! Or maybe not. His off-the-cuff edict won instant headlines but it may prove unworkable and illegal, and it certainly did not seem to have been given deep thought.
Is that the nature of this unelected ingenu who leads our Government? Is he shallow? After Friday's alert one hesitates to use a combustive analogy but is he the
«Burnham is itching for action like a trigger-happy infantryman»
sort of person who thinks a bonfire can be kept alight simply by throwing a cup of petrol at it?
Aesop wrote of the boy who cried wolf. The same could be said of image-polishing premiers who think a national siren can be used to issue a warning about barbecues. Was it really the best response that Cobra could devise? Or was it more of a spin doctor's after-thought? Is that why there was a two-day delay before the alert was sounded?
Is Mr Burnham in the market for 'eye-catching initiatives', as his sometime boss Tony Blair once put it?
In July 2000 Mr Blair demanded such initiatives in a memo that was later leaked. 'I should be personally associated with as much of this as possible,' declared Mr Blair.
Officialdom has created an exciting tool of fear: a shrill siren to let the populus know when Armageddon is at hand. The temptation to use fear for political ends is considerable. Look at how the authorities whipped up the ante during lockdown.
Is Eyelashes Andy, who began as a ministerial special adviser in Blair's New Labour government, repeating the self-glorifying exploits of the old hoofer?
Downing Street PR wallahs were certainly quick to release words from the PM immediately after Friday's alarm. Mr Burnham instructed us to 'take the alert seriously'. The most likely translation of that may be, 'please take me seriously'.
How can we do so when he uses a nuclear-war emergency system to nag us about the dangers of cooking smokers?
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25
Peter Mitchens
Follow Peter on Twitter @clarkemicah
Farage's Clacton farce and Kemi's bonehead blunder may tempt Labour into a shock poll
HERE is the lesson I draw from the 9,455 votes cast for Count Binface at Clacton on Thursday. The country is still in flux. So if I were Andrew Burnham, I would call a General Election in October. In doing so, I would expect to lose quite a large chunk of Labour's current majority. But so what if he wins enough to stay in office?
Big majorities only encourage backbench revolts and make it harder to stay in control. He will be able to campaign – and, if he wins, govern – on a manifesto different from Sir Keir Starmer's weird, vague document.
Instead of being first among equals on Labour's front bench, he will be the unchallenged boss. He saw what happened to Gordon Brown when he hesitated too long to do the same thing. I suspect he learned from it.
It certainly looks as if Burnham
can rely on the divided 'Right' to continue to make fools of themselves. Nigel Farage, for instance, is firmly set on being the nation's most active and plaintive victim. It is almost as if he has had a character transplant.
The latest example of this was his refusal to turn up at the Clacton result. Was he scared of being upstaged by Binface? Oh, honestly.
Not that long ago, Mr Farage was not much more respectable than Binface is now. How long will it be before he starts complaining about his 'mental health'?
As for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, what possessed her to offer a 'second chance' to a former Nazi who had racially harassed a prominent Jewish Labour politician?
The man is even called Bonehead-Pain, or something of the sort. If she was so determined to do this thing, her aides should have locked her in an outhouse, with a flask of water and some sau-
sage rolls, to stop her. But do you really need an adviser to tell you to stay away from a man who has done time for Nazi harassment?
IF SHE can give a second chance to this character, how long before she gives a 'second chance' to unrecognised economic genius Liz Truss, perhaps as Shadow Chancellor? It's a question of judgment, you see. People will remember it.
I'm reasonably sure Mr Boneyard has seen the error of his ways (even more so than before, probably).
People just don't like Nazis, however ex they may be.
There are plenty of jobs in modern Britain well suited to reformed Nazis, and many of them would allow him to wear a uniform and perhaps even a peaked cap. But politics isn't one of them.
UP FOR THE COUNT: Binface's big vote will hurt Nigel Farage
WE MAY at last be entering the final months of the Lucy Letby quarrel. It is nearly three years since I asked here if she might in fact be not guilty. At the time this meant I met quite a lot of rage and scorn. I don't find that so much now. But our court system hates to admit it might be wrong. I suspect that is precisely because it is so often wrong these days.
The Letby trial was a mess, partly because so much of it was secret. No fewer than nine Crown witnesses were allowed to hide their names from you and me, pretty much forever. The names of the babies allegedly killed or harmed by Ms Letby were also made secret.
If this had been the trial of a traitor for handing nuclear secrets to the Kremlin, then
Secrecy in Letby trial casts a shadow over our justice
there might have been a case for such rules. Members of the security services, for instance, are made useless if we all know who they are.
But I can see no such case here. In the USA, it would be illegal to grant any such thing. The Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution grants a defendant the right 'to be confronted with the witnesses against him'. How can that work, if the public does not know who these witnesses are? The witness walks out of court and back into his life, and
only he knows he has testified, though his words may have been reported to millions that night on TV.
What if a witness has secrets from the court, which might weaken his evidence, but which are known to others? How will those others realise this, and be able to contact the court, if they do not know who the witness is? The radical barrister, Geoffrey Robertson KC, denounced the legislation allowing this as a 'perjurers' charter. Yet it is now law. So is Michael Howard's
abolition of the right to silence. So is the ancient rule about being tried twice for the same offence (these changes, too, would be impossible in the USA).
Foolishly trusting our own rulers, we have again and again granted the state more power over us. Often this has been done on the thin pretext of 'terrorism', which we have all been persuaded to think is a constant deadly threat.
Every time this happens, the chorus of the complacent have chanted merrily: 'If you've
nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear.' But it isn't true, as dozens of innocent people, now locked away for years, in squalor and fear, know all too well.
Only a tiny number of these injustices will ever be put right. The rest will continue to shame us for years to come.
These thoughts are prompted by news that one of the witnesses against Ms Letby, known only as 'Dr A', has died. I know nothing of him. I offer my condolences to his family. But I suspect his evidence against her, largely speculation, did her considerable damage – because they had once been on friendly terms.
Would he have given such evidence if he had been compelled to do so under his own name? I do not know, and nor do you. And that is the problem.
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27
Sarah A. WineON SUNDAY
COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS!
MAKK no mistake, the death of Professor Jason Arday is an absolute tragedy. It doesn't matter how much he embellished his CV or exaggerated his achievements – he didn't deserve to die.
Now, inevitably, the blame game begins. As with the late Caroline Flack, the Love Island presenter who killed herself in 2020 after she learned she would be facing prosecution for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, this is one of those awful moments that forces everyone to pause for sombre reflection.
However justified or widespread the criticism of this young man may have been (and his story was covered in great detail and with gusto by everyone from The Guardian and The Times to the BBC), the fact remains that, like Flack, the furore generated must have inevitably played a part in the mental anguish that led to his death.
As the MP James Cleverly put it so succinctly on X: 'Even the most casual observer could see he was a vulnerable fantasist.' I think there is a lot of truth in that.
I also know from personal experience how desperate it can feel when the whole world is hating on you, how the thoughts can become very dark and very invasive. It's happened to me, it's happened to people I love. It's a horrible place to be.
IT WAS the same with Arday. As allegation after allegation came to light, I could see this young man's whole world collapsing around him as, one by one, his academic chums, once so keen to bask in the reflected glory of his achievements, quietly hung him out to dry.
Suddenly, where they had all wanted to be party to his success, now he risked embarrassing them at their high-falutin' dinner parties, exposing their stupidity and vacuousness.
Again, as Cleverly pointed out, 'A number of people at a number of academic institutions have serious questions to answer. They put him into positions he was clearly not qualified for so they could have a black wunderkind to show off. They pushed him into the spotlight for their own benefit. His exposure was inevitable, a case of when, not if.'
However vulnerable he was, it would not have been right to ignore the allegations against him. In any profession, it is not good or fair that people in trusted senior positions should misrepresent themselves. Cambridge, where Arday was Professor of Sociology of Education, is a world-class academic institution that demands world-class standards.
And it is to them that serious questions must be addressed as to why they had been so quick and eager to overlook legitimate concerns that were raised over Arday's work.
How would you feel, for example,
Jason Arday's death is a tragedy that should force everyone to pause for reflection... starting with those who thrust him into the spotlight for their own ends
if the doctor treating you turned out to have faked his or her qualifications, or the person driving your cab had lied about passing their test? These things matter for good reason.
And there were, I'm afraid, plenty of holes in Arday's CV. The non-existent academic position at Ohio State University and others, the Master's degree from Birkbeck that the university could find no record of; the earlier biography that was never published; the 30 marathons in 35 days; the racist incident with a pig's head that the police claimed never took place; the claim that he took part in the famous TV series 7 Up, which would have been impossible given his age; the claim that he was non-verbal until the age of 11, which was disputed by several of his school friends, including one who remembered him as a 'chatty patty'; the £5million he allegedly raised for charity that turned out to be part of a collective fund-raising initiative involving over 100 people.
Of course, none of this would have mattered very much had he been a professor at the University of the Back of Beyond. But he wasn't. And the fact that Cambridge failed to carry out even the most basic due diligence is on
them, not him. After all, can you really blame him for taking advantage of the system when the system is so spectacularly stupid? They too, as Cleverly says, should be examining their consciences.
Another elephant in the room that really can't be dodged is the question of race. Was Arday singled out because he was black? There are those who think so. 'White supremacy killed Jason
«It would not have been right to ignore the allegations»
Arday. Murdered him,' wrote the author and commentator Nels Abbey on X, shortly after Arday's death was announced.
The British actor and director Noel Clarke, who last year lost his libel case against The Guardian after the newspaper published a series of #MeToo allegations against him, simply posted a picture of Arday on X with the caption: 'They did it again.'
As a middle-class white woman, I would not presume to deny the
experience of two working-class black men. But I don't think it's as simple as that.
Any fixation with Arday's race did not originate from the media or those investigating the false allegations – it began with Cambridge itself, which made such a song and dance about the fact that he was the youngest black person to be appointed to a professorship, as though a black man reaching such academic heights were some kind of minor miracle.
The notion that someone should be immune to legitimate criticism simply based on their skin colour or social background is, when you think about it, a form of racial profiling.
It's also patronising nonsense. There are countless black people in positions of responsibility and authority in the UK. Until recently our Foreign Secretary was a black man, David Lammy. Was his recent demotion racially motivated? Of course not.
Cleverly, too, has served as both Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary. And let's not forget that the Leader of the Opposition in Britain is a black woman, Kemi Badenoch. No one accuses those who question her – often in the most lacerating terms – of racism, do they? Crying racism when
someone is in an indefensible position (as I fear Arday was) is a weak defence that only undermines the person concerned.
And yet this is exactly how the Good Law Project tried to frame the case against Arday, publishing an open letter, signed by various senior academics and politicians, including Green leader Zack Polanski, the Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Apsana Begum and Corbyn ally John McDonnell, accusing the 'Right-wing media' of attempting to 'smear Professor Arday's reputation and undermine his career'.
The statement added that this 'should concern everyone who believes in academic freedom, fairness and due process' and concluded that the whole story was a plot to 'undermine black people who hold positions of influence'.
That said, once a case like this makes it into the mainstream it inevitably attracts the attention of people who are genuinely racist, and that is wholly unacceptable – an ugly side of Britain no one can deny.
And that perhaps goes to the heart of why Arday's story
«It grew into an internet pile-on, with all that entails»
ultimately got so out of hand: social media. What began as legitimate journalistic inquiry into certain serious allegations grew into an internet pile-on, with all that entails.
For all our faults, newspapers are tightly constrained by our libel laws and a strong independent regulator as to what can and cannot be written. But the same is not true of the internet, which continues to resist all attempts at control. And once it becomes clear that a story has online traction, there are countless influencers and content creators keen to capitalise for clicks. That's what happened with Flack, and also with Arday.
In different times, Arday's case would have probably been a minor academic scandal, swiftly and quietly resolved internally. It would have raised eyebrows in certain circles and gone largely unnoticed in most others. There might have been a stern leading article in the Cambridge Gazette, but not much else. He might have simply been demoted, shuffled off into a minor role.
Instead, the poor man was flayed alive by a million voices, and punished in ways that far exceeded any crime he may or may not have committed. Had he had the right support, he might still be with us. But sadly there was none when he truly needed it.
May he rest in peace. And may we all learn to reserve our anger for those who truly deserve it. God knows there's no shortage.
28
SOLVED... Agatha Christie's greatest mystery
By Christopher Stevens
THE abandoned Morris Cowley was the first clue. With its headlights still blazing in the morning mist, the car was discovered at a Surrey beauty spot, 500 yards down a steep slope from the main road. It stood close to the brink of a cavernous chalk pit, a sheer drop of nearly 600ft.
The air was damp and heavy: vast tangles of bushes surrounded four dark ponds, including one known ominously to locals as the Silent Pool. Over the coming days, all these waters, all this land, would be searched for a body.
A boy named Jack Best from a travellers' camp first spotted the vehicle. Minutes later, Frederick Dore saw it from the road, pulled over and made his way down the grassy hillside for a closer look - joined by Alfred Luland, who ran the Tea Gardens refreshment kiosk at a bend in the main road.
The car, its bonnet and windows covered in December frost, appeared to have been there all night. Mr Dore noted that the handbrake was off and the gear lever in neutral. He went to fetch the police. Mr Luland, peering inside, found a fur coat and a small suitcase, which he described as 'a lady's dressing case'.
The case was open and contained several evening frocks, silk stockings and shoes. An umbrella lay on the seat.
Luland also discovered a hotel bill, marked 'paid', from the Forum Club in London and an expired driving licence.
The name on the licence was Mrs Agatha Christie, of Sunningdale, Berkshire.
Mrs Christie's address was on the licence too: a house called Styles. Fans of her crime stories would have recognised the name as one she borrowed for the setting of her detective Hercule Poirot's first case.
This was the beginning of a real-life mystery that gripped Britain, 100 years ago. As speculation mounted over the fate of the missing writer, dozens of competing theories were put forward to explain Mrs Christie's disappearance, which lasted for an excruciating 11 days.
Even now, no explanation seems quite satisfactory. Was the great novelist struck by a bout of amnesia, as she later claimed? Or was this an elaborate, 3-D puzzle created by Christie to grab the attention of her straying husband?
A century on, Laura Thompson, Dame Agatha's biographer, has
INTRIGUE: The Morris Cowley car left at the edge of a 600ft drop by Agatha Christie, above, who had mysteriously vanished
When her Morris Cowley was discovered abandoned, it sparked an 11-day police hunt, as amateur sleuths speculated her adulterous husband had killed her. But what really happened? Christie's biographer has turned detective to come up with the answer
pieced together the clues and the scattered reports, travelling to the places the writer is known to have visited and analysing hints she believes lie hidden in some of Christie's best-loved books.
For the first time, we have a definitive account of perhaps the most baffling of all the mysteries invented by the greatest of all detective novelists.
'MISSING: Mrs Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (wife of Colonel A Christie). Aged 35 years, height
5 feet 7 inches, hair red (shingled), natural teeth, eyes grey, complexion fair, well built,' read the police alert after the finding of the car.
'Dressed: Grey stockinette skirt, green jumper, grey and dark grey cardigan and small green velour hat. Wearing a platinum ring with one pearl. May have handbag containing £5 to £10. Left home in a four-seater Morris Cowley car at 9.45 on December 3 saying she was going for a drive. The next morning the car was found abandoned at Newlands Corner, Albury, Surrey.'
Something this thumbnail por-
trait omitted was that Christie had removed her wedding ring before leaving and left it in her bedroom.
Such was the writer's growing fame in 1926 that hundreds of people turned out to help as police searched for her body, dragging the four ponds and conducting a fingertip search of the hillside.
As national attention grew over the next few days, writers of detective stories such as Dorothy L. Sayers complained that their friends and family expected them to solve the mystery.
'Quite apart from the fact that it is a great deal easier to unravel a
plot when one has previously invented it,' she noted drily, 'the newspaper reports, which are all one has to go on, are necessarily very incomplete.'
A century later, those details remain incomplete: all we know for certain is that Mrs Christie, who claimed to have little memory of events, spent most of the time she was missing at a spa hotel at the other end of the country, in Harrogate, north Yorkshire - living under the name of her husband's girlfriend.
The officer in charge of the investigation, 50-year-old Super-
AUGUST 16 • 2026 The Mail
29
© FENKEL / LEONARD PITT/STEVEN WOLFF
intendent William Kenward of Surrey Constabulary, believed he knew from the start what had happened. Mrs Christie was obviously dead.
After a failed attempt to drive her car over the end of the chalk pit cliff, she must have taken her own life, possibly by drowning, unless she froze to death first.
Though he did not say so
publicly, it was evident from the direction of his inquiries – and his lack of interest in conflicting evidence – that he expected no other outcome.
‘All theories that she may be alive have been rejected by the authorities,’ reported the Westminster Gazette. Friends of Mrs Christie, Kenward hinted darkly, also believed this was the most
HEARTBREAK: Archie Christie, above, had told Agatha, left, he was in love with another woman
plausible explanation and had furnished him with reasons why the writer would want to kill herself.
She had left home the previous day in ‘circumstances which were such as to arouse certain suspicions’. Many others agreed she was most probably dead, though some put a more charitable interpretation on the facts. Sayers suggested the Morris’s battery might have been low, causing the headlights to dim.
Perhaps Mrs Christie veered off the road, suffered a concussion when the car ploughed into bushes, then got out and wandered round in confusion until she died.
The only person who appeared convinced that Agatha was alive was her husband Archibald Christie. He’d seen her at breakfast, the day before she went missing, he told reporters, when the sole worry on her mind appeared to be her latest novel.
After the huge success of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd earlier that year, she was struggling to complete its follow-up, The Mystery of the Blue Train.
What Archie didn’t tell the papers was that his marriage was on the rocks. When his wife vanished, he’d been planning to spend the weekend at a small house party in Godalming, Surrey.
Agatha was not invited... but a younger, unmarried woman to whom he’d grown close, Nancy Neele, was going to be there.
Plenty of armchair detectives guessed at his infidelity, though. As the hunt for Mrs Christie continued, another theory gained popularity, even if it could not be stated openly. Had Archie Christie murdered his wife, to avoid the scandal of a divorce?
The couple had been married in 1914 at Emmanuel church in Bristol, next to Clifton College,
where Archie had been head boy and where his stepfather was a housemaster.
They had one daughter, Rosalind, who turned seven in August 1926 – and it was on that afternoon, their only child’s birthday, that Archie chose to inform his wife that he had fallen in love with Nancy Neele.
Years later, in a semi-auto-biographical novel called Unfinished Portrait (published under a pseudonym, Mary Westmacott), Agatha painted the scene: a woman is wrapping her daughter’s presents when her husband appears and says he has something to tell her, ‘I expect you can guess,’ he says.
When she declares she will not give him a divorce, he calls her ‘a vulgar, clutching woman’.
Another deeply hurtful exchange is included in the book. Seeing that her parents’ marriage is breaking apart, the child tells her mother, ‘Daddy likes me. It’s you he doesn’t seem to like.’
Archie’s brother Campbell Christie told police he had received a letter from his sister-in-law, apparently posted on the day her car was found. In it, she told him she intended to go to a spa hotel in Yorkshire.
Not only did that appear to show Agatha was alive but the postmark clearly showed the letter was mailed in London. That would be impossible, Campbell pointed out, if she was lying dead in Surrey.
But Kenward dismissed this evidence because Campbell had destroyed the letter.
He still had the postmarked envelope but not the note, which probably included some accusations against his brother, which he wanted to conceal.
Neither was the Superintendent interested in a letter left by Mrs
‘Daddy likes me, it’s you he doesn’t seem to like’
Christie for her 26-year-old secretary and confidante, Charlotte Fisher. One newspaper reported it as saying: ‘I am going away, as I am feeling very queer. I don’t know where. I will telephone or telegraph tomorrow. I must get away. I cannot stay in Sunningdale much longer.’
Reported sightings came in from all sides. Two people said they had helped a woman matching Mrs Christie’s description with her car: the woman was dressed in thin clothing and seemed distracted. Others claimed to have spotted her living rough in woods three miles from the chalk pit.
‘Directly she is seen by anyone, she makes off hurriedly through the undergrowth,’ reported one
paper. In fact, about 12 hours after her car was spotted abandoned in Surrey, Mrs Christie checked in to the Hydropathic Hotel in Harrogate.
Taking a room on the first floor for five guineas a week (about £300 today), she brought with her only a small dressing case, probably purchased along with a change of clothes in London earlier that day.
She signed herself in not as Mrs Christie but as Mrs Teresa Neele – using the surname of her husband’s lover – and claimed to be visiting from South Africa. Few
‘She doesn’t know who she is, nor why she is here’
of the 18 guests at the Hydro guessed that Britain’s most wanted woman was in their midst.
She went shopping in the town, purchasing a few dresses, and when the weather was wet, she joined in musical afternoons, playing the piano and singing in a ‘very high soprano voice, very nicely’, according to one guest.
On other days she played billiards (though not well, the hotel manager later told the Daily Mail). In the evening, she enjoyed dancing at the nearby Prospect hotel. One family, the Findlayx, teased her that she looked ‘very much like the missing lady’. She replied: ‘Mrs Christie seems to me rather an elusive woman. I really don’t know where she is or whether she is alive.’
But the staff had their suspicions from the first. Chambermaid Rosie Asher claimed to have recognised her quite soon and reported her concerns to the manager Mrs Taylor, who later told the Mail: ‘I took on a certain responsibility in not informing the police... although some of the servants here had said that there seemed to be a great resemblance between the woman and the pictures. I told them to say nothing.’
The dance band members were not so discreet. On the day that 400 cars converged on Newlands Corner as the public joined a mass search for a body, two musicians named Bob Tappin and Harry Leeming visited Harrogate police station. Officers took their tip-off seriously enough to send plain-clothes detectives to the Hydro.
Convinced they had found the ‘elusive woman’, they contacted Supt Kenward – yet he still refused to believe Agatha was alive, despite the growing rumours.
‘The newspapers are suggesting that Mrs Christie is alive,’ he told the Mail. ‘If this is so, why has she not written to her bankers, her agents or her solicitors, or to any of her relatives – without divulging her address?... She has not written any such letter for a reason which is obvious – that she is dead.’
But he relented long enough to ask the novelist’s secretary, Char-
Turn to Page 30
30
HOUNDS SEARCH FOR NOVELIST
HUGE HUNT: A newspaper report of the search for Agatha Christie
Did her clues make husband a suspect?
» From Page 29
lotte Fisher, to visit Harrogate and take a look at this 'Mrs Neele'. Miss Fisher immediately told Colonel Christie, who announced he would make the trip himself.
When he arrived at the Hydro, Mrs Christie stared at him, turned to a fellow guest and said:
'Oh, fancy, my brother has come.' Then she retreated to her room.
Archie issued a statement: 'The lady is my wife; there is no question about her identity. She is suffering from complete loss of memory and identity. She does not know who she is. She does not even know me and she does not know and cannot tell me why she is here.'
'I am hoping to take her to London tomorrow to see doctors and specialists and hope that after rest and quiet she will be thoroughly restored. Great credit is to the police of the country for untiring efforts in the matter.'
By the time they left Harrogate, the world's press had converged on the town's railway station.
As the Christies walked hand in hand along the platform, Agatha was overheard to say, 'What is all this for?'
Her husband replied: 'It is all right. You have just lost your memory.'
They changed trains at Leeds, where according to the Daily News, a man 'raised his hat and attempted to enter into conversation with the novelist. She walked on as though no one had spoken to her. Colonel Christie, still carrying the baggage, rushed forward and pulled the man away.
'There was a heated altercation for a moment, and the man remarked to the Colonel, 'Surely I am entitled to have from Mrs Christie an explanation of her conduct, where something like £1,000 of public money has been spent in searching for her'.
Colonel Christie flushed and replied, 'You will get nothing; I
tion Unknown, from 1954, appears to have lost her memory, though she has not.
Laura Thompson suggests the trigger may have been a scene as dramatic as anything in a novel.
She knew her husband and his girlfriend were staying for the weekend at a country house in Godalming – aptly named
'Perhaps she scattered clues over car seats and set it rolling down the hill'
Hurtmore Cottage. Did she decide to confront them?
We will never know whether Agatha turned up unexpectedly but it's easy to imagine that, if she did, she might scarcely have been in her right mind as she drove off.
Newlands Corner and the chalk pit are about eight miles away. Perhaps she parked there and sat huddled under her fur coat all night, forming a plan, an Agatha Christie-style plot.
Next morning before dawn, maybe she scattered careful clues over the car seats and set it rolling down the hill – perhaps knowing that it might throw suspicion on him and at least make his life uncomfortable for a while. Then she followed the lane to the village below and walked on to the railway station at Chilworth, catching the 7.30am to Waterloo.
After visiting a department store to buy a dressing case and a change of clothes, she posted a letter to her brother-in-law, to let him know she was safe, and set off for Harrogate.
In the aftermath, Nancy Neele, appalled at seeing her name in the papers, booked herself on to a cruise that took her to Jamaica, Fiji and New York.
In the divorce courts, Archie was accused of adultery at London's Grosvenor Hotel with a 'woman whose name is unknown'. Nancy and Archie married eight days after his divorce came through.
Though she retained the name Christie for the rest of her life, Agatha also married again.
Her new husband, Max Mallowan, was an archaeologist 14 years her junior.
She met him in 1929 after a rail journey from London to Baghdad. The train that took her on the first leg of that journey was the Orient Express, the setting for what would become her most famous mystery of them all.
© Laura Thompson, 2026
● Adapted from Eleven Days, by Laura Thompson (Bedford Square Publishers, £18.99), to be published August 27. To order a copy for £16.14 (offer valid to 2900/26, UK p&p free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
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31
As insiders reveal the extent of the TV presenter's heartbreak over her latest split...
By Molly Clayton
INFLUENCER EDITOR
IN JUNE, Love Island host Maya Jama sashayed into the Major-can villa for the opening episode of the hit ITV show to the squeals and cheers of its assembled contestants. Wreathed in smiles, she welcomed her romantic hopefuls to the 13th series, perhaps relieved that it would be their love lives under the microscope rather than hers. For only days earlier, she had felt obliged to speak for the first time on her recent split from Manchester City footballer Ruben Dias.
'I am an all or nothing girl,' she'd declared on social media. 'I will love loudly or not at all and if it ends it ends.'
Following news of the split in May, she'd taken the scorched-earth approach to break-ups and deleted all 18 months' worth of loved-up Instagram posts featuring Ruben from her profile.
So ITV's flagship dating show couldn't have come at a more awkward time for the statuesque beauty who would preside over
'She was the happiest she'd ever been. She didn't want it to come to an end'
the contestants' couplings, 'recouplings' and subsequent fallouts until the finale last month.
And for the first time, The Mall on Sunday can reveal the extent of the secret heartbreak Maya was keeping from millions of viewers, as she mourned the loss of the relationship she hoped would last 'for ever'.
'She was devastated and it was tough for her,' a source close to the ITV darling told the MoS. 'She had to smile for the cameras and spend her evenings surrounded by people falling in and out of love.'
'You couldn't make it up. She thought she had found her forever person and then she had to watch over a villa of single people trying to find theirs.'
'She was the happiest she had ever been while with Ruben,' the source added. 'She didn't expect, or ever want, it to come to an end.'
The pair had been together for not even two years, but she was 'really planning a future with him'.
How different it all looked last December when the couple moved into their 'dream home'. The
£4million property in Cheshire's exclusive Alderley Edge had been an Omaze prize draw mansion, whose lucky winner had sold it to the couple's new landlord.
They were facing a demanding summer of commitments, as she
Maya thought Ruben was her true love. She then had to smile for the cameras on Love Island as others tried to find theirs
ISLAND FLING: Maya Jama, left, and above with her former boyfriend Ruben Dias
was due to film Love Island at the same time as he would be on World Cup duty with Portugal in America. But, as the MoS can reveal, devoted Maya had built flights into her schedule to be with Ruben stateside and in Cheshire upon his return.
It must have reminded her of the early days in their relationship when she would travel from her London home to his pad in Manchester, before she eventually relocated up North for him.
But by May rumours were circulating that the 29-year-old footballer had been sending late-night social media 'follow' requests to female influencers – 'toe-dipping' in Love Island lingo.
Maya, 32, remained tight-lipped as she was, perhaps ironically, in
Ardross Castle in Scotland, filming the second series of Celebrity Traitors. But the pair eventually confirmed their break-up, with Ruben strongly denying that he'd been unfaithful.
In an Instagram post he wrote: 'When my 85-year-old grandad is asking me if I've cheated on my girlfriend because he's seen it repeatedly on the news, that's where I draw the line on what's acceptable and what's not.'
'I believe Maya deserves all the respect in the world. Respect me, respect Maya, and understand that not always one has to betray the other in order for a relationship to end.'
While Maya addressed the break-up briefly ahead of Love Island filming, she's done most of her talking with air miles.
Her 3.3million Instagram followers have watched agog as the Radio 1 presenter has posted holi-
day snaps from all over the world. Since the split, she has clocked up more than 20,000 miles, travelling to Sweden, Mykonos, Majorca, Miami, New York, Ibiza, Morocco and back for parties in London.
In between the 'I'm fine, honest' jet-setting, she moved out of the love nest in Cheshire and back to her Hampstead pad in London.
Maya is no stranger to a public love split. She dated the three-time Brit Award winner Stormzy for five years before they briefly broke up amid allegations the rapper had been unfaithful. The pair rekindled their romance in 2023 but ended things a year later.
During her hiatus from Stormzy, Maya struck up a whirlwind romance with the NBA star Ben Simmons. The pair were romantically entangled for seven months before getting engaged, but split three months later.
Ruben, too, has a complicated relationship history, having even dated another Love Islander, Arabella Chi, including when she appeared on the All Stars spin-off in 2024 – hosted by Maya.
Prior to that, he was in a three-year relationship with the Portuguese pop star, April Ivy. But it ended over 'lifestyle differences'.
Ruben told Esquire magazine just weeks ago that he wanted to 'settle down just like anyone else'.
But he was quick to acknowledge his job created the perception he was a womaniser and spoke of wanting to prove that there were 'exceptions to the rule'.
For a while, Love Island's mother superior was that exception but, as the show's wannabe Romoso mind-numbingly say, 'it is what it is'.
32
Get out of my
MY TAKING
By JENNY JOHNSTON
ROOPIE Gill's family call it her 'Peggy Mitchell moment', a reference to the iconic East-Enders scene when the formidable landlady of the Queen Vic faced down interlopers and told them: 'Get outta my pub.'
Roopie, 57, is no brash Peggy Mitchell (by demeanour she is the polar opposite) and this is a respectable post office not a pub, but still.
She tells me of the afternoon, a little over a year ago, when she walked to the back of the Birmingham convenience store her father opened 50 years ago, to the post office counter which has been at the heart of the place, physically and emotionally, for five decades.
She still couldn't set foot behind the counter - barred after being wrongly convicted of theft - but she politely asked for a meeting with those who had taken her position.
None of this was their fault, but she had to address it, she explains. 'I sat them down, I opened my laptop and I showed them footage from the Post Office enquiry - footage that proved I was innocent,' she recalls.
'I said that, firstly, if anyone ever called me a thief again, or warned customers to check their change, I would sue for slander. Oh and that, secondly, I would be taking the post office back over.'
Jaws dropped, by all accounts. There is nothing triumphal about the retelling of this pivotal moment, but Roopie admits it was 'the best moment I'd had for a long time'.
There have been so many tragic stories to emerge from the Post Office scandal, but Roopie's is among the most shocking.
Not only did this proud sub-postmistress attempt to take her own life when she was accused (erroneously) of stealing £38,000, she lost her home, her husband (Raju, also implicated, died in terrible circumstances during the process) and her good name.
Her ordeal lasted for 15 years, and it's only when you are standing in the family shop, in the suburb of Handsworth, that you can appreciate how that must have felt. The geography of this place means that there was never any escape from the shame and humiliation.
'I continued to work there, trying to keep the place going, able to hear the customers whispering about 'thieves'. And every day I'd look straight at that post office counter, knowing I couldn't even step inside. Also I lived here. After my husband and I lost our house - there were bailiffs, repossession orders, all that - I had nowhere else to go.'
That her father died in 2017, after his family had been publicly
...the defiant words of Roopie Gill, the first postmistress to return to work after being falsely accused in the Horizon IT scandal. And despite a 15-year ordeal that claimed her home, her husband's life and left her family's reputation in ruins, she still hasn't received a penny in compensation
shamed but before anyone was aware that they had all been the victims of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history, is a tragedy that can never be rectified.
'It's my biggest regret that Dad died thinking our family name had been tarnished,' she says.
Last year, exonerated, her conviction quashed, Roopie took the unprecedented step of asking for her sub-postmistress position back - becoming the first (and only, she believes) Post Office victim to return to work in this way. Some,
even within the family thought she was 'mad', after everything the Post Office had done. 'But I needed to do it for my dad. This place was his baby. This is his legacy.'
This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of Nirmal Singh Kailey and his family opening Wattville Road convenience store and post office, and the bunting is up in the shop window to mark the celebration. It is very much a community event.
Even the post box outside has been freshly painted, the Queen's cypher picked out in gold ('It's not
standard, but we wanted it to be special,' says Roopie). Actually, the post box is celebrating a birthday, too. Roopie remembers it being installed just before the shop opened in 1976. She was seven, only just able to reach up to post a letter.
What a piece of social history this now-cavernous shop represents. Nirmal Kailey was a highly educated man when he came over from India in 1956. He was working in the sorting office when a colleague told him that he was wasted there, and should be run-
ning his own post office. 'We think he was the first Asian man outside London to run a post office. It wasn't done at the time - it was seen as an Asian man doing a white man's job,' says Roopie.
'As the postmaster, he was at the heart of everything. In those days a lot of people in the community couldn't speak English so Dad would translate letters for them.'
Roopie had worked in the shop as a child, helping to stack shelves, but it wasn't until 2005, when her father wanted to step down as sub-postmaster, that she stepped
33
Post Office: HERALD
up. Her husband Raju – father of her children, who are now 33 and 30 – was already working in the shop, and they made a good team running the post office.
Until, several years later, circa 2008, things started to go awry. The books, she started to notice, weren't quite right. 'It started small. We'd be £200 down, then £300. I couldn't understand it.'
All over the country, we now know, other sub-postmasters were
running into problems with the fancy Horizon IT system which was designed to make things so much easier than ledgers or basic spreadsheets.
'One of those affected was the next post office over to us,' Roopie says today. 'But we had no idea.'
Frustrated and embarrassed, she kept the bookkeeping issues from her dad, thinking 'things would work themselves out.'
When the figures started to climb
and panic set in, she called the special helpline the Post Office had in place for sub-postmasters.
'And they didn't want to know. They said, 'It's up to you to sort this out, make it right.'
By the time the books were showing a shortfall running into the thousands, Roopie and her husband were dipping into their savings to 'plug the gap', then using money earmarked for the mortgage. Faced with mounting losses, they were also blaming each other. 'I knew it wasn't me taking the
'I felt sick when the police came to arrest me'
money, but we started wondering if the other one could be doing it. I honestly couldn't see how it could be my husband. There was no sign, no flash car. I couldn't see that he was sending money back to his parents in India.'
She is appalled now that she was actively looking for evidence of her poor husband's guilt. 'You think, 'Is there another woman?' You do all of that type of thing.' Of course, he had done nothing wrong either.
The day the auditors from the Post Office turned up, in 2009, was a particular low. The place was locked down. Roopie sat with her head in her hands, aware that if the missing money could not be found, she could face prison. 'I remember my dad arriving. He didn't say much but he was devastated. Utterly devastated. He didn't believe it of me, but there was money missing... no one had answers.'
Desperate measures were taken to meet the shortfall. Her parents sold a property. Family heirlooms, including jewellery, were pawned. Money from her daughter's university grant was used to 'try to get us out of the hole'. The car went. They defaulted on their mortgage, and in time their house would be repossessed.
Her husband – 'a good man, someone everyone loved' – buckled under the strain. 'He'd never been a big drinker but he started drinking. It got to the point where he was drinking from first thing in the morning.'
It was actually Roopie who
cracked first, the weekend before a meeting she had been summoned to with Post Office bosses. She recalls deciding the only way out was to take her life. She took an overdose, but woke up, then tried again with more pills.
'I was in my car. I remember driving and just pulling over. I woke up with the police there. I was so devastated that I'd failed. My mum was utterly distraught.'
Then her husband passed away. 'I was actually at my mum's. I'd taken the kids there. The police came round and said he'd been drinking heavily and he'd got outside and fallen, wasn't able to get up. He died from hypothermia because he'd been outside all night.' He was 38.
Even at this point, as her world was collapsing in on her, Roopie's was a private family tragedy. But it was about to become very public. I ask if she can remember where, in the family shop, she was, on the day in 2010, when the police came to arrest her. Of course she can.
'I was in the crisp and biscuit aisle. I'll never forget that. There was a uniformed police officer, and someone from the Post Office was there, too. I took them into a stock room and they asked if I had anything sharp on me. Then they marched me out, in front of all the customers. I'm not a crier, so I didn't cry, but I just remember feeling physically sick. Then they put me in the cell. Take your shoes off. You see it on TV, but you never imagine it will be you.'
A single mother by now, Roopie was advised to plead guilty if she wanted to avoid a custodial sentence. 'I had no choice,' she says. 'If I wanted to get home to my children, I had to say I'd done what I knew I had not done.'
Her parents were in court to see Roopie found guilty of theft and false accounting. She was given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to do community service.
While her parents never believed her to be guilty, some of her siblings couldn't be so sure. There have been agonising family fallouts. 'You have no idea how much pain something like this can cause.'
The years after her conviction are almost too difficult to recall. 'I tried to hide away. But mum would say, 'Come in, just stack shelves, sweep the floor.' I'd try to hide even on the shop floor. I didn't want to see anyone. I couldn't face customers.'
Even when she was off-duty, she says, 'the trauma was still there' because of shared kitchen facilities with the new post office staff.
It sounds like living with the
enemy. 'It was. There was very much a 'them' and 'us' situation. It got to the point where my dad hated to come in the shop at all if they were there. He hated to see it.' She points out that none of this was the fault of the new staff.
Roopie's mum passed away in 2011; her dad six years later. By then, Roopie had become close to Mani, the man who is now her partner. He had known the family for years, and was delivering sandwiches to the store. As Roopie opened up to him, he could see that 'none of it made sense'. 'She's a very private person, but I could see she was drowning,' he says.
The business was also in trouble, and Mani offered to help. He put some money into the shop and began working there. He now works as a counter clerk in the post office, too.
It wasn't until she heard the journalist Nick Wallis on the radio talking about 'something to do with the Post Office' that Roopie had the first inkling that it would be possible to rebuild her reputation, as well as her business. She was simply floored to discover that she wasn't alone.
In time, it would be established that faulty Horizon accounting software had created phantom cash shortfalls, leading to around 3,500 sub-postmasters accused of theft. More than 900 were prosecuted, 236 were imprisoned. The scandal has been linked to at least 13 suicides.
The big social shift – 'when customers started to come up to me and say 'Gosh, we are so sorry' – was after the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office in 2024.'
In December that year came the formal court letter exonerating her of all wrongdoing. 'She never cries, but she did on that day,' says Mani. 'She sobbed and sobbed.'
How quickly did she decide she wanted her position in the post office back? 'Not immediately, but once the idea took hold, I knew I
'I believe that heads should roll – and they haven't'
had to put the wheels in motion,' she says. One of the first things she did when she walked back in, with her head held high, was to put her dad's photograph back on the wall, where it remains.
A happy ending? Well, no. She has not yet received a single penny of compensation for her ordeal. Meanwhile, no one has been punished for the Post Office scandal.
'I do believe heads should roll,' says Roopie quietly. 'And they haven't.' She has displayed extraordinary dignity, summed up by the fact that senior Post Office executives from London were invited to the celebrations this weekend. She says this is what 'community service' – the version her father believed in – means.
'You have to build bridges, not smash them down,' she says. 'I learned that from my father. I learned everything from him.'
34
MY WIFE and I keep asking the same question: when are we going home? We have been in our gite for about eight weeks now, retreating within its cool, thick-walled downstairs rooms during the day and then emerging for long dinners on the terrace – and yet still there is no sign of having to pack up and leave.
Our gite is, as you may have guessed, our home in Cambridgeshire, but it seems to have been transported effortlessly several hundred miles to the south (and without us having to do battle with the EU's Entry/Exit System).
This summer's weather hasn't quite turned southern England into the Mediterranean – we have had some chilly mornings – but it is certainly like being in the middle of France.
The open, chalky hills of Cambridgeshire are not dissimilar to the Champagne region, or perhaps we can imagine ourselves being a little further to the south in Burgundy. The grapes on my vine have never been bigger and flesher (although I am not going
«We will be back to reality with a splash when rain returns»
to make wine from them again... the results were worse than the cheapest plonk from a Super U hypermarche).
In one sense this summer really has been a holiday. I have been freed from cutting the lawn, something I last remember doing in June. The hedges, too, are growing far more slowly than usual, sparing me hours with the trimmer. I am not usually someone who basks in a deckchair, but I have got used to it these past weeks. Long walks on balmy evenings remind me so much of those in the French countryside in August. But unlike across the Channel there is village cricket, too, so it is the best of all worlds.
I know I am not supposed to be enjoying this summer. I know I am meant to be horrified by the heat and the dryness, and to see it as a grim portent of an 'unlivable' future caused by climate change. I am supposed to nod along with Zack Polanski, who last week said: 'The scenes we have seen play out on our TV screens are frankly apocalyptic.'
Or with the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, which recently wrote to the Government describing the heatwave as an 'urgent threat'. But, sorry, I just don't see it. This summer has become a guilty pleasure many people are enjoying but few dare to admit it.
Of course, some people really have been suffering. This year's heatwaves, like all such events, have brought a spike in deaths among the elderly and infirm – even if it is much lower than the spike in excess deaths we suffer every winter. Globally, the cold still kills about ten times as many people as the heat.
Moreover, a study five years ago by Monash University in Australia found that the decline in deaths from the cold as the Earth warms has been steeper than the increase in deaths from the heat, meaning the net number of deaths from extreme temperatures is falling – and on every continent.
Some farmers are having a tough time as crops planted in the expectation of damper conditions struggle in the drought. But don't
Sorry Zack Polanski, this long hot summer is not the apocalypse – it's like a gloriously long holiday in France ...with village green cricket thrown in for good measure
By ROSS CLARK
believe the scaremongering about a coming food shortage.
Similar grim predictions were made during the summer of 2022 when Britain experienced its last intense heatwave and a prolonged drought (it was the year when the first temperature of more than 40C was recorded). The Soil Association called it a 'crisis'.
Yet yields of wheat, barley and oilseed rape were all up on the previous year. Of the main arable crops grown in Britain, only sugar beet was significantly down.
Then there are the wildfires. I certainly wouldn't be in a holiday mood if I lived in Stourbridge and my home had just burned down.
Obviously, droughts and heatwaves dry out vegetation and increase the risk of wildfires, but it is worth looking at the global picture before declaring that 'the world is on fire'.
Actually, the amount of land globally being burned in wildfires – including in Europe – is on a long-established downward trend.
If we want to avoid devastating wildfires in hot, dry weather we will have to learn to manage land differently, such as by going back to the practice of clearing dead wood from woodland, as well as creating firebreaks between heathland and homes.
Then there are the train derail-
ments in Sussex and Essex, which have been blamed on tracks buckling in the heat. We will have to wait for the accident reports, but it is true that steel rails will expand in the heat if they are not held in place by heavy concrete sleepers.
But it is hardly a reason to despair about climate change. Much hotter countries, such as India, operate railways perfectly happily. They can be protected from buckling by pre-stressing them to cope with higher temperatures.
Climate hysteria seems to be getting sillier and sillier. Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysics and climate hazards at University College London, mused recently what a British summer would be like in the year 2052.
'Early risers yawn and stretch as they queue at standpipes for water,' he wrote, before suggesting that every afternoon would erupt into 'electric storms and torrential rain', flooding low-lying
parts of London. So we are going to have drought and flooding simultaneously... No, it doesn't make much sense to me, either.
I refuse to fall for the hyperbole. I am feeling pretty much as I did exactly 50 years ago when, as a nine-year-old, my first really hot summer came as a delicious novelty. The difference is that then nearly everyone seemed to be able to enjoy it, without suffering pangs of fear and guilt.
There have been several glorious summers since. Gradually, though, they have come to be treated as something to be scared
«Much hotter places operate perfectly happily»
of rather enjoyed. And hard though it might be to believe from the fearmongering of recent weeks, the climatic trend in the parched south-east of England – and bear in mind that climate is by definition measured over periods of 30 years, not one, two or even five – is still towards slightly wetter summers, both in terms of quantity and frequency of rain.
Before long it will start raining again and our cool, damp climate will reassert itself. We will all be brought back to reality with a splash. It may be years before we enjoy such a summer again (just remember that depressingly soggy run between 2007 and 2012). I pity those who cannot enjoy this wonderful summer in the meantime.
35
Harriet Kean
THE TALK OF THE TOWN
Got a story? Email diary@mailonsunday.co.uk
Flingo Starr!
What made Barry throw tantrum on Beatles set?
HE MIGHT be playing the most laid-back Beatle, Ringo Starr, but Irishman Barry Keoghan's latest on-set tantrum has left the crew praying he'll learn to Let It Be sooner rather than later so they can all go home on time.
My spies on the ground tell me the Saltburn actor, 33, threw his toys (and earrings) out of the pram earlier this month while filming the much-anticipated Beatles biopic, which consists of four films set to be released in 2028.
'He tore out his Ringo earrings, threw them into a bush and stormed off down the drive,' my source tells me of the scene which was being filmed at Stonewall Park in Kent.
'Staff spent a long time fishing through the bushes trying to find them. That meant filming had to be suspended for a day.'
This follows Keoghan's retreat from public life which, prompted by a barrage of online hate, left him, he says, 'hiding away'.
The trolling was mostly directed at his appearance and at rumours that he cheated on pop sensation Sabrina Carpenter after they dated from 2023 to 2024. Keoghan blasted the claims as 'completely untrue'.
In April he said on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast: 'I came off Instagram and social profiles. I
DEAD RINGER: Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr in Beatles biopic
stopped going to events. I stopped socialising.' The Beatles biopic has been plagued by controversy, with fans saying the actors look too unlike the Fab Four.
Gladiator star Paul Mescal, 30, plays Paul McCartney, fellow Irish actor and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn, 32, is George Harrison and Babygirl star Harris Dickinson, 30, is John Lennon.
Last night Keoghan was approached for comment.
Emma's hot sidestep at Ibiza salsa bar
AFTER visiting her new pal George Clooney at his palatial Lake Como home, Emma Watson appears to have swapped Italian lakeside glamour for the salsa bars of Ibiza.
My spies spotted the Harry Potter star, 36, being twirled around the dance floor by a handsome - and rather mysterious - man at the Cubanito Ibiza hotel.
The pair appeared to be having a jolly time, laughing as another man approached Ms Watson, seemingly with an eye to a dance. But if he was hoping to cut in, he was left disappointed: she just frowned and carried on dancing with her partner.
Lily's pot shot at cocaine
LILY Allen took a break from singing about her ex-husband, US actor David Harbour, last week to parade round Boardmasters festival in Cornwall with an anti-drugs cartoon on her top.
'Cocaine is not all it's cracked up to be,' it said, right, while words next to the cartoon added: 'See dick chop. See dick snort. See dick die.'
Good to see mother of two girls Allen, 41, once an addict, continues to do her bit as a good role model for the youth of today.
◆ BILLIONAIRE make-up mogul Charlotte Tilbury has ruffled feathers among her Gen Z customers after her brand has refused to adopt the new CFI (Cruelty Free International) logo.
Although the company maintains that Tilbury still upholds 'no animal testing standards', social media users say the lack of CFI certification is 'misleading' and 'confusing' and have led a charge to boycott the products. 'We need to boycott the brand,' fumed one animal rights protester. 'We are the consumer. Let's fight the fight.'
Celia's hang up
SHE has an Olivier Award and a CBE, but Celia Imrie will soon have a more exclusive honour: being immortalised on the walls of Claridge's. The Bridget Jones star, 74, right, is to have her portrait hung at the Mayfair hotel's Talking Heads Gallery. Celia's portrait, drawn by Claridge's artist in-residence David Downton this week, will be beside the hotel's other famous guests such as Dame Joan Collins, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas and Dita Von Teese.
◆ DJ Fearne Cotton's holiday packing was all fur coat and no knickers last week - as she remembered everything except her undergarments.
Fearne, 44, revealed on Instagram: 'I went to the local market and this was the only pair I could find.' The pair, above, had a cat over the crotch - risque! Luckily, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor was there to console: 'I have done the exact same thing. Brought everything but... not my pants.'
SPOTTED
- ◆ House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock, left, 'looking glamorous' at East End pub The Blind Beggar.
- ◆ James Corden zooming down Regent Street on an e-bike, wearing earphones and no helmet.
- ◆ Comic Jimmy Carr and TV's Louis Theroux eating at The Delaunay in Covent Garden.
- ◆ Presenter Amanda Holden and lookalike daughter Lexi at Cafe Bohème in Soho.
- ◆ Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid sauntering in Knightsbridge with a posse of around 30 men.
36
WHO AM I?
- My first money came from a job boiling beetroot.
- My niece is Rita Simons – Rosy Mitchell in EastEnders.
- I've held a pilot's licence since 1975.
- Labour asked me to run for London Mayor, but I declined, and later backed the Tories.
- I've called footballers 'total scum', despite being a former chairman of Spurs.
- My breakout company Amstrad took its name from my initials, plus 'trad' for trading.
- Last week I moaned that American Express wouldn't
Who? What Where?
OUR fun weekly quiz, in which we ask you to figure out people, places and things in the news...
raise my credit limit, even though I'm a billionaire.
WHAT AM I?
-
I was invented in 1968 in Slough.
-
European law demands I carry a decibel rating stating how loud I am.
- Bromley Council in south London once suggested I'd make the ideal Christmas present – and you can buy a 2026 calendar featuring the finest examples of me in Greater Manchester.
- I have achieved speeds of 58mph, while carrying a man.
- It's illegal to use someone else's.
- Britain was shocked when a woman put a cat in one of me in 2010.
- I inspired the runner-up in the Clacton by-election.
WHERE AM I?
- I'm home to a chess museum featuring 700 sets, including one
with Tony Blair as a king.
- Joe Strummer, lead singer of The Clash, was born here.
- Celts lived here in the 3rd Century BC – the furthest east the culture spread.
- Angora wool is named after me, while my name originally meant 'anchor' in Greek.
- It's just been revealed Donald Trump secretly switched planes here last month, leaving the usual Air Force One as a decoy.
- I was described as 'a small town of no importance' before becoming Turkey's capital in 1923.
Answers: Lord Sugar, a wheelie bin, Ankara.
STEVE BENNETT
Terms & conditions: Offer available to new subscribers taking out a monthly subscription. UK residents aged 18 and over. Offer is 1 month free then 99p per month for 5 months. From month 7 you will be charged at the rate of US$99 a month. Subscription is cancellable at any time. You may cancel within 14 day costing-off period at no cost.
Laptop data fears as civil servants lose 7,000 devices
By Matt Davis
CIVIL servants have lost more than 7,300 laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices in the past three years, costing taxpayers almost £2.7 million.
Figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws show an average of 47 devices going missing every week across Government departments. Almost four in five of them were simply mislaid, with the remainder stolen.
Of the 7,312 gadgets that disappeared, 4,317 were mobile phones and 2,791 were laptops, with the rest tablets and other equipment.
The Home Office was the worst offender with 1,342 devices gone over the three years, of which 574 were phones and 699, laptops. It runs the police, borders, passports
'Recover costs where staff are negligent'
and immigration, and handles some of the most sensitive personal data the state holds.
The Department for Work and Pensions was second with 1,041 devices missing. It processes benefits and pension records for millions of claimants, including bank details and National Insurance numbers. Third was the Ministry of Defence, having mislaid or had stolen 876 laptops and mobiles. The department admitted it had no idea what the missing equipment had cost.
The Cabinet Office was fourth with 713 devices gone and the Department for Business and Trade was fifth on 642 phones and laptops gone. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport refused to confirm whether it even holds figures on
WORST FIVE DEPARTMENTS FOR MISSING DEVICES
| Phones | Laptops | |
|---|---|---|
| Home Office | 574 | 699 |
| Work and Pensions | 356 | 629 |
| Ministry of Defence | 386 | 490 |
| Cabinet Office | 480 | 171 |
| Business and Trade | 505 | 137 |
2023/24-2025/26
devices containing sensitive data, citing that doing so could help criminals identify which departments are easiest to target.
The Treasury confirmed its own lost and stolen devices did contain sensitive data, though it insisted every one was wiped remotely the moment the loss was reported.
Last night, William Yarwood, campaigns director of The TadPayers' Alliance, said: 'Whitehall's missing devices are a costly reminder of how casually officials can treat property paid for by taxpayers.
'Losing thousands of phones and laptops would be bad enough in any organisation, but these departments handle some of the most sensitive data in Government.
'Ministers must recover costs where staff are negligent, tighten reporting rules and make sure officials face consequences when taxpayer-funded kit vanishes.'
A Government spokesperson said: 'We take the security of Government devices extremely seriously, which is why items such as laptops and mobile phones are always encrypted so any loss does not compromise security.
'As is the case in all organisations, a very small proportion of such devices can be reported lost or stolen every year.'
VI
37
DANK HODGES
Reform have peaked and the 'Burnham bounce' won't last forever... it all points to an election in 2027
THE Westminster consensus surrounding Nigel Farage's victory over Count Binface on Thursday is that it has changed nothing. The parliamentary investigation into his undeclared £5 million gift will recommence. The scrutiny of shady donations to and from his closest allies will continue. The decline in his personal approval ratings, and party's national polling, will continue. But I now believe the result will have one major additional impact. A 2027 election is now all but guaranteed.
'The thinking is next May, around the time of the Bank Holiday,' a senior Burnham ally revealed to me. 'That's where people are moving.'
'Officially, Downing Street are moving to ensure any talk of a snap poll is swiftly quashed. 'It won't happen,' one Burnham aide insisted to me.
But it probably will. For the following reasons.
Firstly, despite the desperate spin from his allies, Nigel Farage's Clacton gamble failed. Within Reform a benchmark had been set of 70 per cent of the vote.
In the end he fell well short, despite the huge resources ploughed in by the party, and the fact he wasn't facing a serious challenge from any of his main opponents.
The high turnout of 44 per cent also told its own story. Whilst it showed Farage is able to motivate his base, it also demonstrated how effective he is at mobilising his opponents.
Count Binface, without any serious organisation, managed to secure nearly 30 per cent of the vote. Almost a third of Clacton voters were prepared to go out on a sweltering day to back a man dressed as a bin in order to register their disapproval of Reform and its leader.
A S ONE Labour official said, 'Farage is going to have to spend more and more time and resources trying to solidify his base, and will just keep driving more and more soft voters away nationally.'
This appears to be why Farage conspicuously disappeared straight after the result was announced.
As one Minister observed, 'I can understand why he didn't go to the count. He didn't want the optics of standing next to a bin. But why no victory speech later? Or rally with supporters?'
'He literally had the opportunity to set the narrative. And he didn't take it. It's weird.'
The old Nigel Farage would have been milking his victory for all its worth. Instead, he vanished.
All of which indicates we have indeed reached peak Reform. Which will in turn have major implications for the date of the next election.
The expectation amongst all the major parties is that, at some point over the next six months, the Conservatives will overtake Reform in the polls. As one shadow minis-
POLITICAL A-FEEL: Andy Burnham in Cornwall yesterday... he needs a mandate to enforce his policies
ter explained, 'They may get a brief post-Clacton bounce. But then the House will return, and the focus will switch to Kemi and Burnham at the Despatch Box. Farage won't feature.'
'Then we'll have the Budget. And Reform never have anything serious to say on the economy. So we'll keep eating into their lead.'
The moment 'crossover' occurs the political narrative will shift decisively. Kemi Badenoch and her team will be able to frame themselves as the insurgents, and the only realistic alternative to Andy Burnham and Labour.
The prospect of a Reform government will rapidly recede. And that will be the moment Burnham and his team are forced to act.
'One thing is certain. We have to call an election whilst the Right are
still split,' one cabinet minister conceded. 'A small recovery for the Tories is fine. But once they get their noses ahead of Reform they'll start to consolidate the anti-Labour vote. And we'll need to go to the polls before that gets locked in.'
A second issue relates to the so-called 'Burnham bounce'.
Within No10 there is a growing feeling the Prime Minister has cut through with the voters in a more substantive way.
On visit to Stourbridge on Thursday he was met with a spontaneous round of applause, which surprised and delighted his aides.
But again, Burnham's strategists are also realistic about the lifespan of his current popularity.
'We think its more than just a bounce,' one revealed. 'There's definitely been a connection. But
we're not daft. We know it's not going to last forever.'
Within the cabinet, the view is that Burnham's honeymoon may last another six months. But that after that, political gravity will start to reassert itself.
'People genuinely like him,' one minister told me, 'I get it on the doorsteps in my constituency. But we haven't had to make any tough decisions yet. And when we do, people are going to start to get p***d off with him.'
Which links to another reason why the window of electoral opportunity for Andy Burnham will begin to close relatively shortly.
Within the No10, the Treasury and across the Government, there is a belief politics is currently being conducted in a form of suspended animation. That's because the full
impact of the Iran War, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has not yet come crashing down on the British economy. And when it does, the effect will be severe.
'Inside No10 they're bracing for impact,' a minister revealed.
'There's a sense they can ride it out initially. Because Andy's new, he can point to Trump, and point to Keir [Starmer] and Rachel [Reeves] and say, 'Look I inherited this mess. It's going to take some time for me to clear it up'. But that will only work for so long.'
There is one final reason that, despite Downing Street's strenuous denials, an election next year is all but nailed on.
Burnham has a series of major policy issues he wants to confront. The cost of living crisis. Defence spending. Social care. The rough sleeping crisis. And he cannot properly get to grips with any of them whilst operating within the straightjacket of the existing Labour manifesto.
O NE minister predicted, 'Next summer Louise Casey will deliver her social care report. And it will be impossible to even begin to address it without getting a new mandate from the voters. It's the policy that's dearest to Andy's heart.'
'That's the moment I think he'll say, 'OK, if we actually want to fix anything big we need to take it to the country'.'
At the moment the Prime Minister is publicly saying there will be no dash to the polls.
But the decline of Reform, the sell-by date stamped on his current popularity, the Iran war aftershocks and the handcuffs shackled to him in the form of his predecessor's manifesto mean an early poll is looming.
Don't tell Brenda from Bristol. Andy Burnham will call an election in 2027.
38
JULY 1, 1984
LAURA Collins was a much-loved mother and grandmother, a fabulous cook, a stylish dresser and brilliant dancer who loved music, parties and hosting huge Caribbean feasts for her family and many friends in her home in west London. She worked hard – for decades juggling three jobs to support her large family – and rarely took holidays, but was somehow always warm, kind and could find the good in anyone.
'She was the most amazing woman. So strong and full of light – everywhere she'd go she'd make it bright and lighter. Life was tough for her, but she brought people joy,' says her son Michael, 48, the fourth of her five offspring. 'And she deserves better than this. Much, much better.'
Laura died on July 29, 2022, in London's Charing Cross Hospital, six months after contracting Covid. She was 77 years old.
And deeply sad though that was, as Michael says: 'That was just the very beginning of the nightmare.'
Because ever since – and yes, still today – Laura's body has been in a metal drawer in an undertaker's mortuary in London – stored at a cost of £20 a day, and slowly deteriorating.
Meanwhile, the eldest two of her five offspring, Joan, 59, and Godfrey, 57, have done everything possible to block any funeral arrangements, let alone the distribution of Laura's estate, leaving the rest of the family in limbo.
First, they refused to discuss when the service should be – or where. 'They just kept saying, 'We're on it. Don't worry, we're organising it,' every time we offered help,' says Michael.
Then they suggested repatriating the body to Laura's native Carriacou (an island in the Caribbean) and delayed everything further as they deliberated over whether they should sue the hospital for alleged negligence.
On and on it went, for weeks, months, years – through the death of our Queen and the demise of four prime ministers and an awful lot of threats, tears, insults and rows between the five siblings.
Joan and Godfrey even blocked access to Laura's body, moving it twice to other undertakers, without telling the younger siblings, Cheryl, 54, Michael and Clint, 46.
Until, finally, driven half mad with frustration, Michael was forced to spend tens of thousands of pounds taking his elder siblings to the High Court in London in a desperate attempt to put his beloved mother to rest.
The case caused shockwaves in the news last month and the judgment of Chief Master Karen Shuman blamed Joan and Godfrey for the appalling delay, ordered them to bear the £53,322 legal costs of the case, plus the £5,500 costs of storage and, unusually, awarded all control of the estate and funeral arrangements to Michael.
'There must be one person in charge to allow the family to come together as far as possible,' said Shuman. 'The deceased can be laid to rest with dignity. That is what ordinary humanity now demands.'
But how could this happen in the UK today? And why? Was it all about the money? Laura had died intestate. Her estate included the £725,000 family house in West Kensington, London, where Joan had lived all her life, in latter years caring for her mother.
Perhaps sibling rivalry and control? Or simply a grief so painful that it left Joan and Godfrey paralyzed? Maybe a lot of everything.
Last week I chatted with Michael at his bright, sunny house in Peterborough about how his family fell
By Jane Fryer
out so badly – and how his mother would have hated that.
'She was such a dignified woman. Always beautifully presented with matching scarves and hats. She would have been appalled. Everyone knows about the case – that she's been in a drawer for four years,' he says. 'I just want people to know how strong and wonderful she was.'
And all the things that made her Laura. Her soft, beautifully nuanced voice and huge collection of vinyl records. Her love for gardening and any music from reggae to jazz, classical to rap. Her strength and resilience in the face of terrible racism and prejudice
'She worked so hard for all of us for so long, and then this'
when she first arrived in the UK aged 21 to an arranged marriage that would falter after a few years.
But most of all, her deep and protective love for her children and grandchildren. 'She worked so hard for us all for so long, and then this,' says Michael.
He says Laura's decline started before she got Covid. By her early 70s, having retired from her cleaning jobs, she had become increasingly immobile with diabetes and high blood pressure.
'She lost confidence and stopped going out so much,' he says. 'But she'd still cook up great feasts for our birthdays and Christmas when we'd all get together.'
And as she aged, Michael says, death was on her mind. 'She'd talk about what she wanted after she went,' he says. 'Her biggest thing was to have a nice funeral with good music and people around her.' Poor Laura.
When she got Covid in January 2022 and was rushed to intensive care at Charing Cross Hospital, her children feared the worst, but
due to social distancing rules, could not visit.
'We talked to her on the phone and we'd message,' he says. Then suddenly she went quiet, and so did Joan and Godfrey.
When the family were finally allowed to visit, Laura was on a ventilator and was not responding.
The doctors told them she had suffered irreversible brain damage – there was some question that the ventilator tube had come out of her mouth – and advised the family to let her die.
And this is when the first real cracks began to show in the Collins family. Michael, Clint and Cheryl wanted to let her go. 'It was very sad and maybe someone at the hospital was at fault, but it was
her time. She'd been suffering for so long and it was time for peace,' says Michael.
But Joan and Godfrey were adamant she should live and refused until, months later, the case went to court, where a judge ruled the machine should be turned off – after a two-week tapering period, just in case a miracle took place.
Which in some ways it did. 'She breathed on her own for 24 hours – I think that was her final gift to us.' And then, finally, at seven in the morning on July 29, she died. 'She looked at peace. She had gone.'
Again, Joan and Godfrey struggled to accept it. So Michael – along with Clint and Cheryl – gave them some space. 'It was clearly
too soon to talk funerals and churches,' he says.
So he left it for a few days before he got in touch and was told, 'Yes, we're dealing with it.' Which felt normal: they were the two elder siblings, always in charge. While Joan lived with Laura in west London, Godfrey had lived with their father, Irvin, in south London, where he lived post-divorce in the 1980s until he died in 2015.
But after a couple of weeks, nothing seemed to be happening. So Michael nudged again: 'Can I do anything to help? Can I call Mum's family in Grenada?'
'No, no, Godfrey's doing all that,' was the response.
On it went. Weeks turned to months. Now the younger siblings
39
What made warring siblings keep their mother's body in an undertaker's metal drawer...
FOR FOUR YEARS
It's the family feud a High Court judge described as shocking. Now as Covid victim Laura Collins is finally laid to rest this week, one of her sons reveals the full tragic story
were properly worried and Michael kept pushing.
He visited, called, messaged, suggested bereavement counseling and soon the replies became less friendly. 'You never did enough,' said Joan.
'I've got a lot on,' said Godfrey. More alarmingly, at least a year after Laura's death, Michael discovered that none of her family back in Carriacou had been told.
'I had to call them all and explain she'd died a long time ago.'
About two-and-a-half years after her death, Hammersmith and Fulham local authority got in touch to ask why the body hadn't been registered. Michael contacted them directly to ask them to move things along – but was told they had to sort it out between themselves.
'Because Joan and Godfrey had signed the papers for the funeral directors, I couldn't access her body,' he says.
At his wits' end, he even tried the
police – 'I thought, surely it's a crime not to bury a body. But no. I was told I'd have to instruct lawyers and go to court to enforce it.'
The final straw was not being able to locate Laura's body.
'They moved her to the other side of London – to Leyton! And didn't tell us. I had to become a detective to track her down.'
The problem was, he says, they wanted different things.
He, Clint and Cheryl wanted closure. 'We wanted a funeral, the chance to honour our mother, to say goodbye and to grieve.'
But Joan and Godfrey wanted revenge. 'Against the hospital, anyone. They were stuck in denial, had not moved on and were putting their emotions ahead of our mother's wishes.'
Not surprisingly, the whole thing has taken its toll on Michael.
'I tried and tried every way to lay her to rest. I felt I was going mad. It was so frustrating. They were
lying to me and yes, of course, it made me quite depressed.'
And as the months and then years marched by and Laura's body lay in a series of freezer drawers and the two sides of the family were at war, he listened to her favourite playlists, cooked her
'We wanted a funeral, to say goodbye and to grieve'
signature dishes and marvelled at how she'd held them all together for so long. (Michael and Clint didn't leave home until they were 32 and 31 – 'we loved living there.') Michael is a gentle, spiritual man, and tells me he feels her
presence with a warmth – like a hug – when he's doubting himself.
And he tried, he really tried. 'This whole battle was for her,' he says.
As he talks, I notice that on the wall is a photograph, taken at his wedding, ten years ago.
And there they all are. Michael the groom with Clint next to him, both in sharp Paul Smith suits. Then Godfrey, and Laura, immaculate in pale pink and pearls and a black hat and shoes. And at the end, Joan, looking stylish, and next to her, Cheryl.
They are a strikingly attractive family. It looks a joyous occasion – but I can understand why Michael will not let us use the photo to illustrate this piece. It is just all too desperately sad.
'Now it's clear she was the plaster that kept us all together. Papering over a lot of issues and rivalries bubbling away between us, keeping everyone together.'
STYLISH: Laura Collins, above, and left, Michael holding a photo of him and his mother
Without her, he says, it's been an absolute nightmare and a terrible struggle. 'But if I hadn't done anything she'd still be there in the drawer for another ten years. Maybe forever.'
So finally, with the help of Sharon Macaulay of Taylor Rose solicitors in Peterborough, he issued proceedings against his two older siblings in February.
There was no victory in the judgment and he isn't expecting to get any part of his inheritance any time soon – not least because Joan would have to move out of the family home for the estate to be carved up. But at least now they can all lay their mother to rest.
'It's not about the money. It's about doing the right thing by our mum and her wishes.'
In the next few days, Laura's body will be removed from the undertakers in Leyton, her funeral will take place in west London, and afterwards she will be buried.
Friends and family have been notified. Gaps have been left in the order of service for all five siblings to say something if they want to.
'I hope they come. I am sure they will. This is a huge, sad story and unfortunately it is our story,' says Michael. 'But our mother is being buried, finally.'
40
Retired officers demand new law to protect British soldiers from witch-hunts
SENIOR retired members of the Armed Forces have united to call for a 'comprehensive' new law to remove the threat of prosecution hanging over veterans.
The Government's Northern
By Glen Owen and David Shipley
Ireland Troubles Bill aims to establish a Legacy Commission
to investigate killings during battles with Republicans and Loyalists as far back as 1969, tied to the promise of a package of protections for veterans. While theoretically terrorists
could also be investigated, the lack of records on their side means that the new system would disproportionately target British veterans.
Labour's former veterans minister Al Carns quit in June after warning the Bill was 'unfit for purpose' and failed veterans.
Brigadier General David Maddan, ex-SAS Commanding Officer Aldwin Wight, former SAS Regimental Sergeant Major George Simm and Dr Robert Parr, Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford's Changing Character of War Centre and co-member of both 22 SAS and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, are all calling for the Government to scrap the Bill and introduce a new Military Operations Act to govern 'the conduct of military operations at home and overseas'.
Brigadier General Maddan told The Mail on Sunday that 'the threat of endless legal investigations and potential prosecutions has damaged the confidence of the Special Forces to act boldly in situations of extreme risk'. He added: 'The prevailing atmosphere of the threat from the
HEROES: The famous SAS badge
lawyer behind is corrosive to military effectiveness.
'Those on operations today... feel unsupported by the Government. The Special Forces are the point of the spear of UK defence capability but the spear is being blunted by a corrupted legal framework.'
Mr Wight said that in the event of 'a second Iranian embassy siege', the officers in command would be reluctant to act without a legal waiver because 'there is actually no framework and that means any terrorist group which wants to use lawfare against us will'.
They are calling for a new law which defines exactly what soldiers can and can't do when fighting overseas or in the UK.
The Northern Ireland Office said there will be a 'substantial package of amendments to bolster protections' for veterans, and 'suggestions that they will be dragged through the courts are simply wrong'.
MUSIC2YOU PROUDLY PRESENTS
This new collection contains 66 of the biggest hits of the 60s and 70s, opening with Glen Campbell's acclaimed hit Wichita Lineman and chart-toppers from Chicago, The Walker Brothers and Bobbie Gentry. We have Harry Nilsson with Everybody's Talkin, Captain & Tennille with Love Will Keep Us Together plus some of the finest female voices ever to enter a recording studio, with Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Mama Cass and Dionne Warwick. Disc 2 kicks off with Easy from the Commodores
- ● Disc one
- 1 Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
- 2 Harry Nilsson - Everybody's Talkin
- 3 Bread - Make it with You
- 4 Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
- 5 Disc - The Things We Do for Love
- 6 Alassi Brothers - Oh Lori
- 7 Andrew Gold - Never Let Her Slip Away
- 8 Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
- 9 Helen Reddy - Angie Baby
- 10 Dusty Springfield - The Windmills of Your Mind
- 11 Judy Collins - Send in the Clowns
- 12 Rita Coolidge - We're All Alone
- 13 Elsie Brooks - Don't Cry Out Loud
- 14 Gladys Knight & The Pips - Try to Remember/The Way We Were
- 15 Shirley Bassey - Something
- 16 Andy Williams - (Where Do I Begin) Love Story
- 17 Mama Cass - Dream a Little Dream of Me
-
18 The Walker Brothers - Make it Easy on Yourself
-
19 Jackie DeShannon - What the World Needs Now Is Love
- 20 Bobbie Gentry - I'll Never Fall in Love Again
- 21 Dionne Warwick - This Girl's in Love with You
- 22 Acker Bills - Stranger on the Shore
- ● Disc two
- 1 Commodores - Easy
- 2 Rose Royce - Love Don't Live Here Anymore
- 3 The Three Degrees - Woman in Love
- 4 Aretha Franklin - Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)
- 5 Cilla Black - Anyone Who Had a Heart
- 6 Lesley Gore - Misty
- 7 Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz
- 8 Al Martino - Spanish Eyes
- 9 Matt Moore - Born Free
- 10 Tony Bennett - The Good Life
- 11 Jack Jones - Wives and Lovers
- 12 The Johnny Mann Singers - Up Up and Away
and Love Don't Live Here Anymore from Rose Royce, along with hits from Three Degrees, The New Seekers, Aretha Franklin, Cilla Black and Matt Monro, plus Tony Bennett singing The Good Life. Disc 3 begins with Theme from 'A Summer Place' followed by hits from Crystal Gayle, Barry Manilow and Tom Jones, plus Dennis Roussos with his number one Forever and Ever, along with soul ballads from Brook Benton and Danny Williams... and the truly sensational She performed by Charles Aznavour.
- 13 Christie - Yellow River
- 14 The New Seekers - I'd Like to Touch the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)
- 15 Dawn & Tony Orlando - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree
- 16 Carole Bayer Sager - You're Moving out Today
- 17 Peter Shelley - Love Me, Love My Dog
- 18 Dana - Please Tell Him That I Said Hello
- 19 Jacky - White Horses
- 20 Sammy Davis Jr. - The Candy Man
- 21 George Baker Selection - Paloma Blanca
- 22 Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keely - If I Had Words
- ● Disc three
- 1 Perry Faith & His Orchestra - Theme from 'A Summer Place'
- 2 Bobby Goldsboro - Honey
- 3 Charlie Rich - The Most Beautiful Girl
- 4 Crystal Gayle - Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
-
5 Eric Carmen - All By Myself
-
6 Barry Manilow - Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again
- 7 Tom Jones - She's A Lady
- 8 Dennis Roussos - Forever & Ever
- 9 Ben E. King - Spanish Harlem
- 10 Johnny Mathis & Roy Connell & His Orchestra & Chorus - Wonderful Wonderful
- 11 Doris Day - Move Over Darling
- 12 Ketty Lester - Love Letters
- 13 Mary Mason - Angel of the Morning/ Any Way That You Want Me
- 14 Liverpool Express - Every Man Must Have A Dream
- 15 Neil Sedaka - Laughter in the Rain
- 16 Frankie Valli - My Eyes Adored You
- 17 George Benson - The Greatest Love of All
- 18 Brook Benton - Rainy Night in Georgia
- 19 Danny Williams - Moon River
- 20 Perry Como - And I Love You So
- 21 Charles Aznavour - She/Tous Les Visages De Camour
- 22 James Galway - Annie's Song
Readers can order a copy of this wonderful 66-track three-CD collection for just £9.99 including p&p, either for yourself or as a gift for a friend or loved one, by visiting music2you.co.uk/easy. To see the full range of our popular CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and books, visit music2you.co.uk
MUSIC2YOU
Buy now at music2you.co.uk/easy
THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK By Jon Connell of daily online newsletter
1 Taylor Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce, pictured right together, sounds like 'an absolute snooze fest', says Poptitch. The couple's vows took 20 minutes each, with bride and groom reading them from golden books. Some guests in the VIP seats struggled to stay awake, with Tom Hanks nodding off after about five minutes.
2 When he interviewed Ann Widdecombe at her home, Nigel Farndale from The Times spotted large pots of tiramisu in her fridge and told readers this must be her 'secret passion'. Days later he received a letter from Ann explaining it had belonged to a young guest. 'Do you realise what you have done, you bounder?' she said. 'I go to half a dozen lunches or dinners a week and now I'll find a wretched tiramisu at every one when I LOATHE the beastly stuff.'
3 England is on track to become one of the first countries in the world to eliminate hepatitis C. Initiatives including free at-home finger-prick tests mean the target of treating 80 per cent of all known cases by 2030 has already been met, and the number of annual deaths has fallen by 36 per cent.
4 John Humphrys had a knack for unsettling interviewees before going on air, says Giles Coren in The Times. 'Many years ago, my ex-girlfriend started seeing the late Rod Liddle. And the first I heard of it was when I went on the Today programme. Seconds before we went live, Humphrys said: 'By the way, Giles, what's this I hear about Rod and your girlfriend...'
5 Millions of young Chinese are heartbroken after the government banned AI companion apps, says Helen Coffey in The Independent. The new rules have seen the AI 'boyfriends' and 'girlfriends' deleted. 'I can't accept that my AI lover will leave me for ever,' said one user.
Sign up for free to The Knowledge, a five-minute daily newsletter that makes news more manageable at theknowledge.com
AUGUST 16 • 2026
Health
THE HEALTH SECTION APPROVED BY DOCTORS WEALTH & HOLIDAYS
By Jo Macfarlane
IT IS a silent genetic condition affecting millions of people in the UK, dramatically increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Yet vanishingly few have ever heard of it.
Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a type of 'bad' cholesterol that causes no symptoms and is not detected by the standard tests offered by GPs.
Around one in five people inherit high levels, often without knowing, and many are not diagnosed until they suffer a serious cardiovascular event.
Some die without ever discovering they were living with the hidden risk. Last week, The Inbetweeners star
TURN TO PAGE 42
It's the hereditary cholesterol that one in five of us carry but GPs rarely test for it.
Hidden condition that doubles your chances of a heart attack – even if you are fit and healthy
Melissa lost 2st... all thanks to her invisible braces Health PAGE 44
I had my fallopian tubes removed to stop ovarian cancer Health PAGES 46-47
Avoid regrets over downsizing for your retirement Wealth PAGES 50-51
Beat the heatwave with our guide to the coolest cities Holidays PAGES 60-61
42 Health
The Mall on Sunday AUGUST 16 • 2026
The genetic trait has no symptoms ... for many, the first sign can be a deadly blood clot
FROM PAGE 41
James Buckley revealed on his podcast he is among those with dangerously high Lp(a) levels, after a blood test uncovered the condition.
Speaking on The Buckleys, which he hosts with his wife Clair, the actor said: 'I'm at a high risk now for a cardiovascular incident. I'm not a religious man, but sometimes I feel like there is a God that sort of goes, 'That'll teach you.'
'There's nothing you can do about it, by the way. And the doctor's just been like, 'You need to change.'
As James points out, there is no medication which can treat the condition. Since being diagnosed, he has instead overhauled his lifestyle, including cutting back on alcohol.
But how much difference can this actually make? And could you be among the millions of people to inherit high levels of Lp(a) without knowing it?
Here, our experts tell you everything you need to know about the condition, the new drugs in the pipeline and - if you do have it - how to manage it to significantly reduce your risk.
What is Lp(a) and where does it come from?
Lp(a) is a type of cholesterol particle made naturally by the liver. Scientists believe it may play a role in helping repair damaged blood vessels and aid wound healing, meaning everyone has some in their bloodstream.
The problem is that about one in five people inherit genes that cause them to produce far more Lp(a) than normal. Unlike LDL - or low-density lipoprotein - the more familiar 'bad' cholesterol that is largely influenced by diet and lifestyle, Lp(a) levels are almost entirely determined by genetics.
At high levels, Lp(a) behaves much like LDL, sticking to artery walls where it fuels inflammation and the build-up of fatty plaques that narrow blood vessels and raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It may also make blood more likely to clot, further increasing cardiovascular risk.
Despite affecting millions of people, Lp(a) is not routinely tested for on the NHS because its role in heart disease has only relatively recently become clear.
A study published in 2009 found that people with genetic variants causing high Lp(a) levels faced almost double the risk of cardiovascular disease. That evidence has prompted a growing campaign for Lp(a) testing to be added to routine NHS Health Checks for over 40s, with experts arguing that identifying those at risk could allow them to take steps to reduce their chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
Isn't it the same as having high cholesterol?
NO. HIGH cholesterol usually refers to raised levels of LDL - the 'bad' cholesterol that is strongly influenced by diet, weight, exercise, smoking and alcohol.
Lp(a) is different. Your level is determined almost entirely by the genes you inherit, meaning healthy eating, regular exercise and weight loss have little effect.
It is also more dangerous than LDL because every Lp(a) particle carries an extra protein called apo-
AT RISK: Actor James Buckley has a high Lp(a) level
lipoprotein(a), or Apo(a), which makes it particularly effective at burrowing into artery walls, triggering inflammation and accelerating the build-up of fatty plaques.
Because people are exposed to high Lp(a) from birth, that damage can accumulate over decades, meaning heart attacks and strokes can strike much earlier than expected - often before 60.
'It's nastier because of that extra protein tail,' says Professor Kausik Ray, a cardiologist and professor of public health at Imperial College London. 'If LDL is like tak-
symptoms, and a standard cholesterol test from your GP or pharmacy does not test Lp(a) levels.
Regina Giblin, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, says: 'Even if your cholesterol test comes back completely normal, you can still be living with elevated Lp(a)'.
For many people, the first sign of the condition is having a heart attack or stroke early in life.
But there are signs to look out for in your own family, including other close relatives - who have high Lp(a).
'If there is a high incidence of heart disease from a young age in your family, perhaps even heart attacks in relatives who are in their early 40s or even late 30s, then it's worth thinking about getting a test for inherited high cholesterol diseases,' says Ms Giblin.
A single blood test is all it takes, and because Lp(a) levels are largely fixed from birth, it usually only has to ever be done once.
How can I get tested?
THIS isn't something your GP can do - you need to be referred to a specialist lipid clinic or get a private test.
Private at-home tests cost around £45, while private clinics charge anywhere from £65 to £130.
It involves a simple blood test, which is then analysed for Lp(a) levels. However, at the moment, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) does not recommend routinely testing people for Lp(a).
Prof Ray says: 'We've got a bit of work to do in terms of getting access to the test, and there's even a postcode lottery when it comes to hospitals using it. That needs to change. I think everybody should be tested once in their lifetime.'
A taskforce spearheaded by cholesterol charity Heart UK is calling for increased recognition of Lp(a) as a cardiovascular risk factor, and to consider adding it to the QRISK tool which doctors use to calculate an individual's ten-year risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Does it mean I'm definitely going to have a heart attack?
NO, BUT it does make it significantly more likely, says Prof Ray.
Having more Lp(a) can increase the risk of atherosclerosis, a condition which involves the furring of the arteries, coronary heart disease, strokes, peripheral arterial disease, aortic valve disease and heart failure. And studies show the higher your Lp(a) levels,
the greater the risk - over a certain rate may more than double the risk.
But crucially, it is all relative.
If you're otherwise healthy and fit, with no other risk factors, doubling your risk may take your lifetime risk of a heart attack or stroke from 5 per cent to
10 per cent, for example - not a hugely significant increase given one third of people will die from cardiovascular disease.
Prof Ray says: 'Don't freak out if your number is high. There is no chance, based on other factors that also influence heart health, from whether you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, to whether you smoke and drink heavily, to your diet, your weight and whether you exercise.'
Are some people more at risk?
YES - some ethnic groups might be more likely to inherit the condition. 'People with Afro Caribbean or South Asian heritage might have higher levels of Lp(a), while people from places like China and Japan may be less at risk,' Dr Assomull explains.
Other conditions can also cause Lp(a) levels to rise, such as chronic kidney disease, nephrotic kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism. Levels may also increase for some women during pregnancy or after menopause, although Prof Ray says there is not enough evidence to know for certain how this affects risk, or to explain why.
IT'S A FACT
Fewer than 60 per cent of people with high blood pressure have been diagnosed - less than half with high cholesterol know it.
IT'S A FACT
Heart attacks kill about 24,000 Britons every year - and hospitalise around 100,000.
Health 43
IF I'D KNOWN ABOUT IT, I MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD A HEART ATTACK
AT JUST 34, Prince Odu-Obi was hardly a prime candidate for a 'widow-maker' heart attack.
The fit father-of-one from Cuffley, Hertfordshire, ate well, worked out regularly and had never smoked.
But in June last year, the London Underground trains manager was rushed to Barts Hospital after developing chest and arm pain that he had initially dismissed as indigestion.
Doctors found his main coronary artery was almost completely blocked and told him that, had he delayed getting to hospital any longer, he would almost certainly have died. Only later did private tests reveal why. Prince – pictured above in hospital – had inherited dangerously high levels of lipoprotein(a).
'I was completely shocked,' says Prince, now 35. 'Everything went blank when they said it was a heart attack. No one in
my family has suffered heart problems and I was in great health. I ate well, I'd never smoked and only drank socially.
'Recovery was really difficult mentally. I went through a long phase of wondering if it was going to happen again, and struggling to look forward to life.'
He underwent surgery to insert two stents and now takes a statin and the cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe. Doctors have told him he will be among the first eligible for new Lp(a)-lowering medicines when they become available.
'I understand how to reduce my risk now. I go to the gym five times a week and follow a Mediterranean diet, with lots of fruit, vegetables and antioxidants. I only drink water.'
'But I wish I'd known about my elevated Lp(a) when I was younger. I'd have made sure I was even healthier, which might have prevented this from happening.'
What can I do about it – can I just take statins?
YOU can take a statin, but it won't lower Lp(a). In fact, it can even raise levels slightly.
What statins do lower is LDL cholesterol, reducing overall cardiovascular risk.
Some studies also suggest they may shrink Lp(a) particles,
cles, says Ms Giblin, although it isn't yet clear whether this improves outcomes.
Another option is a class of drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors, including Repatha and Praluent. Licensed to prevent heart attacks and strokes by lowering LDL cholesterol, they also cut Lp(a) by around 25 per cent, says Dr Assomull. On the
NHS, they are reserved for people whose LDL remains high despite statins, or who cannot take them.
A final option is apheresis, a dialysis-like procedure that filters cholesterol from the blood. Because it carries risks, including blood clots, it is generally reserved for the highest-risk patients.
Are better treatments on the way?
YES. Several drugs designed specifically to lower Lp(a) are in the final stages of clinical trials and could reach the NHS within the next five years.
Among the most promising is lepidisiran, a twice-yearly injection that blocks the liver from making Lp(a). In a major trial, it cut levels by up to 94 per cent, with some patients' Lp(a) becoming undetectable.
Another treatment, pelacarsen, lowers Lp(a) by around 80 per cent and is also in late-stage international trials, including in the UK, with results expected this year.
Other new cholesterol drugs may also help.
Last month, the FDA approved enlicitide (Lipfendra), which lowers LDL cholesterol but also cuts Lp(a) by about 28 per cent.
Obicetrapib, which could reach the UK by the end of the year, appears to reduce Lp(a) by 40 to 50 per cent.
The remaining hurdle is proving that lowering Lp(a) translates into fewer heart attacks and strokes.
'We've still got to show that lowering Lp(a) modifies outcomes,' says Professor Ray. 'But the landscape could change considerably over the next few years.'
'The next step is then gene-editing therapies.'
Is there anything I can do to protect myself?
THIS is the good news. While you can't lower Lp(a) itself, experts say you can substantially reduce your overall cardiovascular risk by tackling the factors you can control.
'Lp(a) is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to cardiovascular risk,' says Dr Assomull. 'It's worth thinking about it as a useful wake-up call.'
That means quitting smoking, drinking alcohol only in moderation, controlling blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight.
Diet also matters. Ms Giblin recommends a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, fish, nuts and seeds, while cutting back on red meat and processed foods.
Exercise is equally important. The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, while Dr Assomull says regular resistance training can also help by lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides – a type of fat – and improving blood pressure and blood sugar.
'People often assume this is a death sentence,' says Professor Ray. 'But no one single factor is going to predict that you're going to have a problem, and there is a lot you can do to protect yourself.'
A tomato a day 'can cut risk of fatty liver disease'
By Marti Stelling
EATING tomatoes every day may help protect against deadly liver disease, according to a study.
In the UK, fatty liver disease – where the condition is not triggered by alcohol – affects about a third of adults and is linked to obesity, high cholesterol and type-2 diabetes. In some people the condition can progress to inflammation, scarring and, in severe cases, liver failure.
Researchers from the National Institute of Gastroenterology in Italy randomly divided 79 adults with fatty liver disease and a BMI of 30 or below into two groups.
One group ate 200g of raw tomatoes every day – roughly one large tomato – along with 50g of tomato sauce for six weeks. The other group followed a tomato-free diet.
After six weeks, researchers measured liver fat using a specialised scan.
The study, published in the journal Nutrients and Funded by the Italian Ministry of Health, found that while both groups had less liver fat after six weeks, the reduction was greater among those who ate tomatoes. Their measure of liver fat fell by about 11 per cent from baseline over six weeks, compared with about 6 per cent in the control group.
However, eating tomatoes did not significantly improve liver stiffness, fibrosis scores, liver enzymes, cholesterol, blood sugar or body composition.
The researchers do not know exactly what caused the reduction in liver fat, but tomatoes contain nutrients that are considered anti-inflammatory, which they believe may have contributed.
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44 Health
Mail on Sunday AUGUST 16 • 2026
How Melissa got the perfect smile and lost two stone ... all thanks to her invisible braces
M ELISSA Amos had never worried about her weight because she didn't think she needed to. The 45-year-old
mother-of-three from Hertfordshire practised yoga, went for long walks with the dog and made sure to eat healthily.
However, things changed, Melissa says, when she entered her 40s and, despite continuing to exercise, her weight began to tick up – in part because she says she began to snack mindlessly on chocolate, cereal bars and cheese.
One day, Melissa stood on her scales and received a nasty shock: Her weight had risen from under 11st to more than 13st. At 5ft 3in this meant that, according to the NHS, she was classed as obese.
However, while her weight left her concerned, it wasn't her biggest worry at the time. That was her teeth. 'I didn't feel healthy or comfortable, but I was more worried that one of my bottom front teeth was starting to protrude. So I went to the dentist.'
That trip, in March last year, turned out to be one of the most fateful of her life.
The dentist recommended that she get Invisalign – essentially adult braces that are removable clear plastic aligners designed to straighten the teeth.
Invisalign, which typically costs between £1,500 and £5,500, is thought to be used by hundreds of thousands of Britons, who typically wear the moulds for around a year
By Joan McFadden
and a half. Not only are they more discreet than traditional metal braces but they can also be removed to eat.
Crucially, Melissa is one of a growing number of Invisalign patients who have discovered that it has an unexpected effect – it helps them lose weight.
While patients can take out the plastic moulds (often referred to as trays) whenever they like, they are encouraged to keep them on for at least 22 hours a day – during which time eating is impossible. This had an immediate impact on Melissa's eating habits.
'My dentist said that if I wasn't consistent from the beginning, it would affect the entire course of my treatment,' she says.
'That commitment made me much more conscious of the choices I was making.
'I sometimes used food as a distraction or a way of soothing myself. Since I had to take the Invisalign out every time I wanted to eat, each time I got the urge to snack I had to stop and ask myself, "Am I genuinely hungry, or am I trying to change how I feel?"'
This small change had a direct impact on her weight. Within a month, she had lost more than 2lb
and over the next few months she continued to shed even more. As her weight improved, Melissa – who works as a mental wellbeing coach – felt able to do more exercise. 'I realised how much I loved walking,' she says 'I then began weight training, to take advantage of my new strength and vitality.
'When I started thinking about my health more, I put my diet into ChatGPT [the AI chatbot] and found out I wasn't eating enough protein. Now, I eat much more protein-based foods like eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese and peanut butter. I feel more satisfied and less hungry.'
Since getting her Invisalign fitted, Melissa has lost around 2st and, with several months to go of wearing the device, she expects to shed even more. She says that her teeth have improved too. 'The changes to my teeth, bite and jaw have been remarkable,' she says.
Dr Daniel Sutcliffe, founder of The Bespoke Dentist in London, says: 'For the best part of a decade I heard the same thing from patients, usually said half laughing, "You've made me lose weight."
'When every snack means removing your trays, the biscuit simply isn't worth the hassle. It adds a little hurdle between you and the biscuit tin.'
GRIN AND BEAR IT: Mother-of-three Melissa Amos today
Blood test that can find cancer before scans
A BLOOD test may be able to detect signs of cancer returning months before it can be seen on a scan, researchers have discovered.
The test, called a 'liquid biopsy', detects tiny fragments of circulating tumour DNA, or ctDNA, in the blood and looks for genetic changes linked to cancer.
Researchers reviewed evidence from dozens of previous studies and clinical trials on ctDNA.
They found that ctDNA can sometimes show if treatment is
By Marti Stelling
working, identify mutations that could help doctors choose next steps and detect tiny amounts of cancer left in the body.
The researchers said an early rise in ctDNA could allow doctors to change treatment 'before tumour progression is detectable with conventional imaging'.
In one study of 130 people with bowel cancer, ctDNA detected
signs of the disease returning nearly nine months earlier than standard imaging.
The test could also help some patients avoid unnecessary chemotherapy. In one bowel cancer trial, patients whose treatment was guided by ctDNA had similar outcomes to those receiving standard care, while fewer received chemotherapy.
The researchers stressed that ctDNA is not a perfect test. Some cancers release very little DNA
into the bloodstream, meaning the test can miss cancer. It is also unclear how doctors should respond when ctDNA detects cancer but scans show no disease.
The researchers said: 'ctDNA may help select the best treatment and timing of therapy for a patient with cancer, but optimal clinical applications remain unclear.'
They also warned in the review, published in the medical journal Jama, that a negative ctDNA test
does not necessarily mean that a genetic change is not present in the cancer itself.
Liquid biopsy testing is already available through the NHS for eligible lung cancer patients and for specific genomic testing in breast cancer.
NHS England says the approach can speed up access to targeted treatment, with some lung cancer patients receiving treatment decisions around two weeks earlier than usual.
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AUGUST 16 • 2026 The Hall on Sunday
45
Dr. Ellie
HER UNMISSABLE NEW COLUMN
THE GP WHO'S ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU
Real reason so many on fat jabs are suffering life threatening side effects ...like tragic Josephine
IT WAS a shocking story and a warning for those looking to get thin quick. Last week it was reported a 19-year-old American law student living in London had died after taking a weight-loss drug containing tirzepatide – the active ingredient in NHS-approved Mounjaro.
Josephine Nasr, from California, had suffered a heart rhythm complication in her room at the University of East London in September 2025. A post-mortem examination concluded she had an undiagnosed heart condition, but also suggested a drop in blood sugar caused by the drug could have triggered the complication.
Here is one of a growing number of deaths linked to weight-loss drugs. According to official figures, in the UK there have now been 216 people who have died due to possible side effects – though there is no way to know for sure the medicine was the primary cause, only that it was suspected.
But perhaps the most important of these cases is the death of Caroline Savage, a 73-year-old grandmother from Norfolk, because it reveals an under-discussed risk.
Caroline began taking the jab in 2024 after years of failing to lose weight. She also suffered from lipedema – a chronic condition that causes fat to build up in the legs, hips and arms, which Mounjaro has been shown to ease.
Within four months, Caroline had lost two stone. However, in October 2024 she developed severe stomach pain – before collapsing at home. She died in hospital.
What is so significant is the cause of death – faecal peritonitis, where faecal matter leaks from the intestines. It's a condition that, until now, has not been associated with weight-loss drugs.
However, I worry that countless Britons on these medicines could
REACTION: It is believed weight-loss drugs played a part in the death of Josephine Nasr, left
be at risk. This is because we know one of the main risks is ordinarily not life-threatening: constipation.
Constipation – often defined as no more than three bowel movements a week – affects around one in five adults, and a third of over-60s.
This is largely due to poor diet. Fibre is crucial for regular bowel movements, but under 5 per cent of Britons consume the recommended daily 30g. Widespread dehydration is also thought to be a cause. And growing evidence
suggests weight-loss jabs can super-charge constipation. This is because they slow down the gut, meaning it takes longer for the body to expel food. Over time, this can cause the bowels to get backed up, which puts pressure on the bowel lining and raises the risk of a rip occurring and faeces entering the intestines. This is even more of a risk for older people.
It's possible that there are thousands of weight-loss jab patients at risk. The best way to protect
against constipation? Change up your diet.
Kiwis and prunes are particular anti-constipation favourites, but there are many fibrous foods out there, including nuts, seeds, pulses, legumes, oats and certain vegetables. We should all be drinking more water – six glasses at a minimum or, in hot weather, at least eight.
Interestingly, is also good evidence that regular exercise – such as walking, running, and swimming – can ease constipation.
But finally, for weight-loss jab users, there is some even more important advice: don't rush to raise your dose.
Patients are started on a low dose, which is slowly increased over several months. It is when patients make the jump to the next dose that the most uncomfortable symptoms, like constipation, happen.
Taking a few extra weeks before upping the dose, giving the body more time to get used to the drug, may ease some of the side effects.
Or, for anyone who believes they are making good progress, there may be no need to increase the dose at all.
Your questions answered
I WAKE up every morning with a cough and a phlegmy throat. It goes away eventually but always returns. What could it be?
A MORNING cough could be due to allergic reactions, heartburn – or something more sinister.
A cough is one of the common complaints that GPs deal with, and it can take some time to work out the cause. Often it is a matter of trial and error.
Allergies can often be the culprit. Most people think of allergic reactions as a runny nose and itchy eyes, but it's possible that a reaction to dust, hay fever or animal hair can trigger a cough and nothing more.
This is typically caused by post-nasal drip – where mucus drips from the nose into the back of the throat. This can get worse while lying down, hence why the resulting cough can feel worse in the morning.
A simple way to work out whether allergies are the cause would be to try a daily antihistamine tablet, which can be bought at most high street pharmacies. If, after a few days, the coughing subsides, then the cause is likely to have been allergies.
However, another trigger of a morning cough might be heartburn. Also known as acid reflux, the condition occurs when stomach acid rises into the throat. Just like post-nasal drip, this can be worse in the morning as the acid is more likely to get into the throat during sleep.
Heartburn is typically treated through diet changes, such as eating less fatty food, as well as avoiding alcohol and fizzy drinks.
In rarer occasions, a morning cough can be triggered by a serious lung condition called chronic bronchitis. This is where the airways remain inflamed, which causes the body to overproduce mucus.
This mucus can accumulate in the lungs at night, leading to a morning cough.
Other chronic bronchitis symptoms include wheezing and chest pain. It is typically caused by smoking – and the symptoms can often be relieved simply by quitting.
NHS cost-cutting patient cull is stopping elderly seeing their GP
I'M WORRIED that many thousands of people may have been removed from their GP surgery's list without their knowledge.
Over the past year, GPs have been instructed by the NHS to remove patients who have not come to practice in a while.
This is a cost-cutting measure, because GP surgeries are paid for each patient they have on their books.
However, I've heard from colleagues that the software used to carry out this cull is overzealous and many elderly, vulnerable patients have been
kicked out of their surgery – meaning they won't be able to book an appointment.
Patients who haven't been to their GP for some time should check they are still on their list. Have you recently been removed from your GP surgery list? Write in and let me know.
WRITE TO DR ELLIE
Do you have a question? Email DrEllie@mailorsunday.co.uk
46 Health
SPECIAL REPORT
By Meike Leonard
IT'S a disease so hard to spot in early stages that doctors have long dubbed it the 'silent killer'. But experts say they may have found an effective but extreme way to slash a woman's risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 80 per cent: removing her fallopian tubes.
Ovarian cancer strikes more than 7,000 British women each year, with one in 50 developing it during their lifetimes.
The condition causes few symptoms until it has already spread to surrounding organs, and there is no reliable way to screen for it. As a result, nearly four in five cancers are caught at a late stage, when they are no longer curable. It's a devastating diagnosis – and for around 4,000 Britons each year, a deadly one.
But growing research over the past 20 years has shown that nearly all ovarian cancers – and certainly the vast majority of the deadliest ones – originate in the fallopian tubes.
These tubular ducts, responsible for carrying eggs from the ovaries to the uterus, are just 10cm long, on average. Removing them, studies show, can significantly slash the risk of deadly cancer.
The procedure is already being offered to women in the UK at high risk of the disease, as part of a large-scale national research trial. But experts now say that even women with no genetic risk of ovarian cancer could benefit from having their fallopian tubes removed.
In fact, a number of health bodies across the UK and US are encouraging doctors to offer tube removal to all women over 45 – when they are unlikely to still want children – who are already undergoing abdominal surgery.
CALLED an opportunistic salpingectomy, the procedure adds just five minutes – and few extra risks – to an existing surgery.
It also doesn't carry the same long-term issues as removing the ovaries, which sends women into premature menopause, raising their risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and even dementia.
It may sound extreme – particularly as 98 per cent of women won't go on to develop ovarian cancer – but preliminary research suggests that the operation could prevent thousands of deadly ovarian cancers if offered to all eligible women.
'We know that around one in five cases of the most serious type of ovarian cancer will be related to a gene mutation or family history,' says Dr Richard Edmondson, clinical professor in gynaecological oncology at the University of Manchester. 'But that's only 20 per cent. A wider strategy is needed to prevent that remaining 80 per cent of women deemed at average or low risk of ovarian cancer. Opportunistic salpingectomy is an important step in that process. Plenty of women undergo various forms of abdominal surgery.'
It's a cancer that kills six in ten women who develop it. But experts say there is a way to prevent it from ever taking hold. So...
Would you have your fallopian tubes removed to stop you getting ovarian cancer?
If we can reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by 80 per cent, that's major progress. Any woman who is undergoing surgery where this procedure can be carried out easily and without additional risk should be offered it.'
Ovarian cancer has long been considered one of the trickiest cancers to catch early, when it is still curable.
Symptoms tend to develop only once the cancer has spread to other organs and can be maddeningly vague – ranging from abdominal bloating, to fatigue, to a decrease in appetite. As a result, patients are left with few options beyond chemotherapy, which eventually stops working.
Today, just 17 per cent of women with stage four ovarian cancer
will live for five years or more. Research shows screening is also virtually useless – a major British trial published in 2023 found neither imaging scans nor blood tests spotted the cancer early enough to save lives.
But groundbreaking findings on the early development of the disease mean experts now believe they can prevent it entirely.
Dutch researchers first posited the theory that ovarian cancer actually begins in the tubes, not the ovaries, after noticing that precancerous cells were rarely found in the ovaries, but often in the fallopian tubes. But they were met with near-universal scepticism.
However, pioneering studies over the past 20 years soon proved
them right. Major research trials found that, rather than developing in the ovaries themselves, cancers were instead beginning in the end of the fallopian tube.
These microscopic cells would float out and take root in an ovary – yet failed to show up on ultrasound or other imaging.
Studies found that by removing the fallopian tubes before these cancerous cells had a chance to develop in the ovaries, doctors could cut the risk of ovarian cancer by as much as 80 per cent in high-risk women.
The remaining 20 per cent of cancers that did begin in the ovaries, meanwhile, tended to be the less lethal variants, and were largely curable.
Today, the gold-standard preventative surgery for women who are considered high risk for ovarian cancer – whether due to a strong family history of the disease, or a genetic predisposition such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
mutations – is still the removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
But while reducing the risk of ovarian cancer by up to 95 per cent, the operation can come with long-term complications, particularly for premenopausal women, who are sent into early menopause.
WHILE hormone-replacement therapy can be used to reduce symptoms of sudden menopause, the extended loss of protective hormone oestrogen has been linked to higher blood pressure and cholesterol, a higher chance of memory loss and dementia later in life, and even higher all-cause mortality.
A British research project has been investigating, for the past eight years, how effective removing the fallopian tubes could be at preventing ovarian cancer.
Called the PROTECTOR trial, the study offers fallopian tube removal to women who are at an increased risk of ovarian cancer but have not yet gone through menopause. Once they become menopausal, they can then have their ovaries removed – further reducing their risk of cancer.
The official results won't be published for the next ten years or so – meaning health service guidance still recommends that women at high-risk for ovarian cancer have both their ovaries and tubes removed.
But for many women facing a life-changing diagnosis, preliminary evidence is enough to make
HOW DOES THE SURGERY WORK?
THE NHS already carries out thousands of fallopian tube removals every year.
The operation, called a salpingectomy, is used for cancer prevention, to treat ectopic pregnancy – where the embryo develops on the fallopian tube, rather than the womb – and as a form of permanent birth control, much like a vasectomy, where men have their 'tubes' tied.
To take out the fallopian tubes, surgeons make two small incisions in the abdomen and insert a laprocope – a thin instrument with a
light and camera on one end. The abdomen is then inflated with gas to allow the surgeon to see the uterus and fallopian tubes in detail.
Using a small scalpel, the surgeon cuts out the tubes, cautering (burning) internal tissues to prevent bleeding, and then stitches up the small incisions.
Patients, who have been unconscious under general anaesthetic, can return home the same day. Recovery takes between one and three weeks, after which patients can swim, workout and return to normal life.
Health 47
fallopian tube removal an appealing option.
EastEnders star Kara Tointon, 43, was pregnant with her first child when she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation in 2018. She wanted more children, so waited until the birth of her second son to decide what to do.
'It was my surgeon who recommended the PROTECTOR trial to me,' she says. 'He gave me the option of removing my ovaries and starting on HRT. Then he mentioned that there was growing research to suggest that ovarian cancer was beginning in the fallopian tubes, and that by removing them and keeping an eye on things you could keep your ovaries for longer.'
Kara decided to take part in the
trial, after discussing the options at length with her family.
'At the time, losing my ovaries felt quite daunting,' she says.
She had the procedure done in 2024, adding: 'The surgery itself was so straightforward.'
'I arrived in the morning and left that afternoon. I just have regular blood tests to look out for things at the moment.'
A growing number of experts now say the procedure should
PLAYING IT SAFE: Kara Tointon on Instagram discussing her surgery and, left, at the Pride of Britain Awards last October
also be routinely offered to women at average risk of the disease, who are already undergoing an abdominal surgery.
'We've already established that removing a high-risk woman's fallopian tubes prevents the deadliest ovarian cancers,' says Prof Edmondson.
'And research suggests the same is true for women at average or low risk of cancer. It seems a no-brainer, really.'
Only women who no longer want – or can no longer have – children would be eligible for the procedure, and would need to be properly counselled, say experts. But the five-minute operation can be done as part of nearly any abdominal surgery – including gallbladder surgeries, hernia repairs and even caesareans.
And experts say it carries very few additional risks for patients already undergoing surgery.
Rare issues that can arise include bleeding at the removal site, the standard risk of infection and accidental injury to nearby organs, including the ovaries. It also won't prevent all forms of cancer – particularly the one in five tumours that do stem from the ovaries.
'When you remove more tissue, there can be a higher chance of bleeding or damage to other organs,' says Professor Adam Rosenthal, consultant gynaecologist at University College London Hospitals.
'We also don't know enough yet about whether having the fallopian tubes removed can trigger earlier menopause in some
women. But it's usually a very simple operation. As long as a woman has adequate information to help her decide whether it's the right thing to do for her, and no other medical problems that would make the surgery more dangerous, then it's usually a very easy thing to do that will statistically reduce her risk of ovarian cancer.'
Other experts, however, warn that doing the procedure on average-risk women could have long-term consequences.
'Even if you properly counsel patients, there's always the risk that if their tubes are removed, women may think they can never get ovarian cancer, which isn't true,' says Dr Elaine Leung, clinical lecturer in gynaecological oncology at the University of Birmingham.
'As a result, they might be more likely to dismiss symptoms of the condition in the future, and delay treatment.'
THE procedure is already being offered to women in the UK. The British Gynaecological Cancer Society updated its guidance in 2024 to recommend opportunistic salpingectomy be considered at the time of routine abdominal surgery for average-risk women who have finished having children.
And top international bodies – including the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology – have followed suit in backing the surgery. But some experts say still not enough women are being given the option by medics.
Professor Ranjit Manchanda, consultant gynaecological oncologist at Queen
Mary University of London, has spent the past 20 years working on ovarian cancer prevention, and runs the PROTECTOR trial that treated Kara.
One reason why fallopian tube removal is not more broadly offered, he says, is because few women know about it.
'But it's also a training issue,' he adds. 'While many gynaecological surgeons will easily be able to do the procedure, doctors in other specialties may not.'
In the long-term, fallopian tube removal is only one piece of the puzzle, says Prof Manchanda.
'This is a huge and important finding. But we know that the number of cancer cases are only rising.'
'At the moment, surgical intervention is the best way we know of to prevent ovarian cancer.'
'But in the future we need to find better ways to identify women who are at high risk of the disease – and offer them more personalised care and prevention strategies.'
Pregnant women at risk from perfumes and plastic
By Marti Stelling
CHEMICALS commonly used in perfumes, toiletries, plastics and packaging may be linked to higher blood pressure during pregnancy, according to a study.
Pregnant women with the highest level of phthalates in their blood, which are a group of synthetic chemicals commonly mixed into plastics to make them softer, had the highest blood pressure readings.
Past studies have linked phthalates to reduced sperm count, reproductive issues and fertility complications.
US researchers followed 338 pregnant women, measuring chemical levels in urine and blood pressure at 11, 19 and 26 weeks into pregnancy – and 13 per cent developed a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder.
The study, published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, found that monoethyl phthalate, which is absorbed through the skin or inhaled via air and dust containing fragrance residues, was the chemical most consistently associated with higher
'Contribute to elevated blood pressure'
blood pressure. This is where the force of blood pressing against artery walls is dangerously high. It affects a tenth of pregnant women in the UK and increases the risk of serious complications, including premature delivery and low birth weight.
It can have several causes, including obesity. But experts say this study shows chemicals might also raise blood pressure.
'Our study suggests that having higher concentrations of personal care product-associated chemicals – known as phthalates – in the body might contribute to elevated blood pressure in pregnancy,' says Kimberly Parra, a doctoral candidate at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
'Reducing exposure to this class of chemicals by limiting personal care products containing these ingredients, particularly those with fragrance, may be a way to address high blood pressure in pregnancy and improve pregnancy health.'
Dangerous reproductive-toxic phthalates are banned in make-up and beauty items sold in the UK.
However, generic labelling allows several fragrance ingredients to be grouped under the single word 'fragrance' or 'parfum', which can obscure specific non-banned or trace components.
DID YOU HAVE YOUR FALLOPIAN TUBES REMOVED?
Write to us at health@mailonsunday.co.uk
48 Health
The Mail on Sunday AUGUST 16 • 21
Common vitamin deficiencies that could be behind thousands of cases of tinnitus
...and how a few cheap supplements could swiftly help to end their agony
COMMON vitamin deficiencies caused by poor diet could be behind a surge in tinnitus cases, according to leading experts. The condition, which causes
By Marti Stelling
sufferers to hear phantom noises often described as ringing, hissing, buzzing or whooshing sounds, affects about 7.6 million adults.
There are no approved tinnitus treatments and the condition can last for years – even decades.
It is not a disease itself but rather a symptom often linked to hearing loss, loud noise exposure or ear blockages. Though most common
in older adults, tinnitus cases are rising in young people.
One study found that tinnitus among young adults has grown by more than a third over the past two decades, now affecting about 2.3 million of them.
Most cases are linked to inner ear damage associated with hearing loss – experts believe that damage to sensory hair cells in the inner ear often triggers the brain to 'fill in' missing auditory signals, with experts blaming factors such as listening to music too loud through headphones.
But some specialists believe that tinnitus could be triggered by certain vitamin deficiencies – particularly iron, folate and vitamin B12, three essential nutrients the body cannot make on its own.
Iron can be found in red meat, beans and dark leafy greens; folate is in spinach, citrus fruits and fortified grains, and vitamin B12 is in meat, fish and dairy products.
'Iron, folate and vitamin B12 help keep your nerves healthy,' says Dr Sue Pavord, consultant haematologist at Oxford University Hospitals and an associate senior lecturer at the University of Oxford. 'They protect and maintain myelin, which is the covering that wraps around your nerves. Without that myelin, the nerve can get damaged.'
'When the cochlear nerve, which carries sound signals from the ear to the brain, loses its protective sheath because there's not enough B12, folate or iron, then it becomes damaged. This can then cause ringing in the ear.'
All three deficiencies have similar symptoms – fatigue, pale skin and shortness of breath. Experts say that anyone with these issues should see their GP and request a blood test.
These deficiencies can be treated through targeted supplements, such as oral iron tablets for iron
TURNAROUND: Rachel Melinek's diet changes reduced her tinnitus
deficiency, daily folic acid pills for folate replenishment and vitamin B12 administered via oral pills or regular injections.
Some experts are calling on the NHS to test the vitamin levels of tinnitus patients, saying a correction of deficiencies could improve the health of the inner ear.
'It's really important for anybody with tinnitus to get their vitamin levels checked because it's a treatable factor,' says Dr Pavord.
Some tinnitus patients have reported remarkable improvements after they were treated for a vitamin deficiency. One is Rachel Melinek, 44, who was plagued by a
high-pitched ringing and whooshing sound in her ears for several years.
'The tinnitus happened when I was lying down, making it hard to relax or go to sleep,' says Rachel, an admin worker from north London. She later developed other symptoms, including feeling unusually cold even indoors, bouts of extreme tiredness and brain fog.
Rachel's GP eventually carried out a blood test that revealed she had a mild folate deficiency. On their advice, Rachel began tracking her diet with a nutrition app to identify shortfalls.
'My dietary intake of some nutrients, particularly iron and folate, was below the recommended amount,' she says. 'I upped folate sources in my diet, such as beans and lentils, and took a low-dose iron supplement.'
'I learned that caffeine and even some foods can affect how you absorb iron, so I stopped having tea or coffee too close to iron-rich meals or my supplements.'
Over time, Rachel noticed that her tinnitus became far less intrusive. 'Now I only get it very occasionally, and it's much milder,' she says.
49
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50
Wealth & Personal Finance
By Toby Walne
ON THE face of it, downsizing seems like a win-win way of future-proofing your finances in later life. It can boost your bank balance and free up wealth for retirement. It's an opportunity to move closer to family and find a home that will suit your needs. And moving out of a large property means you'll have lower bills and less upkeep – it also helps free up the housing market for younger people.
But do it at the wrong time or choose the wrong property in the wrong location and it could be a move you soon regret.
For some, the upheaval has forced them to say goodbye to a life they loved and now miss.
Wealth And Personal Finance has spoken to those who have downsized in recent years to hear what they would do differently and the lessons they learned. We have also weighed up the costs of swapping your family home for a smaller property and spoken to experts about whether it makes financial sense.
'I AM LEFT WITH A SENSE OF GRIEF FOR THE LIFE WE LOVED'
BIG-HEARTED Karen Dempsey, 64, has always put her family first. So when her daughter Jane, who is now 38, couldn't afford to buy a home for her growing family eight years ago, Karen knew what she would have to do.
The adult social care worker and her husband Patrick, 67, agreed to downsize from their £750,000 four-bedroom Victorian house in Barnet, north London, to free up cash.
By selling their home in the area they had lived in for 35 years, Karen and Patrick would be able to give Jane enough money to buy her own home. Moving to a smaller home was a change they knew they would one day make anyway, so didn't see the harm in doing it sooner than planned.
The money from the sale would enable the couple to buy their own £350,000 property and have enough for her daughter to also buy a £350,000 home.
They decided to move closer to Jane and their now four grandchildren and found a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Witham, Essex. But within weeks of making the move, Karen said she felt they had made a mistake.
She says: 'The idea was to help our daughter and her young family. By selling up, we could do this.'
'Initially they moved in with us while looking for a property. But the strain of living on top of each other pushed us apart rather than closer together – the opposite of why we made the move.'
Karen says that since making the move in 2018, she has missed the old life she had in the capital. She says: 'Unfortunately I am left with a sense of grief for the life we loved in London and have lost – the vibrancy of the city and having more space and friends close by.'
'It makes me feel guilty, but I think we sacrificed too much.'
Karen says she doesn't feel
Karen, 64, says she sacrificed too much when she moved to be near family. Annabel misses lunches with golfing friends...
Vital advice to help you avoid downsizing regrets ... by retirees who've learned the hard way
FAMILY FIRST: Karen and Patrick Dempsey, with grandchild Teddy
bitter about the decision and was happy to see Jane buy a home just eight minutes down the road.
She has also made new friends since setting up a local walking group – but fears it did not save her and Patrick any money.
She says: 'We were delighted to help our daughter – and we are closer than ever. But we now find the cost of living more expensive.'
'My husband still works in London, and I regularly return to meet up with friends and this adds £600 a month to bills. We also have a
son, Robert, 36, in London who we often visit.'
Karen advises others to weigh up the sacrifices they are making against the benefits of downsizing before taking the plunge.
She says one of the key mistakes they made was to move while they were both still working. In hindsight, Karen says she would have rented a property until they had both retired before committing to buying a smaller home.
Meirion Shaw, founder of removal firm The Homemover
Specialist, believes making the move from around the age of 65 can be a 'good time'. She says: 'Never retire without a plan. Do not rush into a downsize without thinking through what you are going to do with your life when you stop working. This is why a good time to take the plunge is often once you have retired.'
'While it can be good to move close to family, you may want to keep your independence and must be aware that family often lead their own busy lives. You do not want to end up feeling lonely.'
But similarly, those who wait too long to make the big move could regret it. Moving can be both physically and emotionally draining, so it is important to do it while you still have the energy.
Shaw says she would recommend doing it within ten years of leaving full-time work.
She adds: 'Downsizing can be part of a new exciting chapter, and you should do it while still fit and active if possible – it is important that you do not leave it too late.'
'I AM A GLASS HALF FULL TYPE OF PERSON'
KEEN golfer Annabel White, 93, realised it was time to downsize
last year when she found completing her usual round of 18 holes at her Hollywood Golf Club was getting too much last year.
This golf course in County Down was just six miles up the road from her three-bedroom Belfast apartment.
Widow Annabel decided the physical demands of walking five miles across the course were becoming too challenging.
It was an eye-opening moment that made her realise it was perhaps time to downsize to a smaller home. So last October, she bought a two-bedroom bungalow in the village of Markethill, County Armagh, more than 40 miles south-west of her old home.
This meant she now lived close to family, including her daughter, 70, granddaughter, 40, and three great-grandchildren, aged 13, 11, and five.
Annabel says: 'I am a glass half full type of person but am not getting any younger. I miss the golf friends who I lunched with twice a week. They are in their late 80s, so although we had plans to meet up more often since I moved, it is a long drive now.'
'I have joined local bowls and bridge clubs, enjoy lots of reading and have a cat for company.'
The retired housewife, whose
51
EDITOR: Rachel Rickard Straus
money@mailonsunday.co.uk
MONEY
TITLE OF THE YEAR
husband died 22 years ago, didn't divulge how much she sold her home for but says the move means she now has no financial worries.
Annabel says: 'I never want to be a burden – and do not want family to invite me to Sunday lunches out of duty. Keeping independence was key to the move. The nearest supermarket is 15 miles away, so thank goodness I still drive. But it is good to know family is around if required.'
Similar to Karen, Annabel says that in hindsight she should have rented out a place before buying her new home.
She adds: 'Finding the right bungalow was like hunting for hen's teeth. I lost a stone in weight due to stress. But fortunately my home sold in just a few days.'
'MEMORIES ARE IN YOUR HEAD, NOT IN BRICKS'
SUSAN Roberts, 78, and husband Jeffrey, 79, said it felt like they were on holiday for the first year after downsizing – and they have never looked back in the two decades since.
At age 58 and 59, when their son had moved out of the family home but the couple were still enjoying
active working lives, they sold their three-bedroom semi-detached house in Newton Mearns, seven miles south of Glasgow, for £350,000, and bought a two-bedroom apartment in a 12-flat complex in Giffnock, three miles north-east, for £250,000.
Susan, a semi-retired medical secretary, says: 'We had a lovely big house where we brought up our son. But after 20 years there, it was just the two of us and we didn't need all that space.'
'The maintenance of houses as you get older can be a burden. We decided to take advantage of owning a home in a sought-after area
for schools – something no longer important to us – and sell up.'
Susan says her biggest tip is to start clearing out the loft and garage of junk a couple of years before you take the leap.
She says: 'Having a big clear-out is therapeutic – even if you never move. It also helps you realise there is stuff stored away you do not need or use.'
'There is no need to worry about what you leave behind. Memories are in your head and not the bricks of a house.'
The couple were keen to move before they got too old. Susan
says: 'Moving is stressful at any age but still being relatively young meant we could take a hands-on approach with a complete refurbishment of our new home.'
'We can go on holiday and not worry about returning to a leaky roof because the property is managed while away – and there are neighbours looking out for you.'
The new home is on the first floor and has lift access to shared gardens and a balcony. They pay £4,000 a year for property maintenance, including roof and electricals, window cleaning, gardens and regular bin collections.
Susan says: 'Moving before it is too late ensures you are in control of the decision. My son came round and was concerned there was not much room for his family to stay. But your children do not have such worries when they buy a home. Why should you?'
'You can work it all out later.'
TOP TIPS FOR
DOWNSIZERS
THE first step is to imagine how you want to spend your time in retirement. Picture your golden
years and consider whether you want to go to the theatre or eat out regularly, go on long walks with a dog, spend time gardening, see loved ones or travel the world.
This will help determine where you should settle and what kind of home you might need.
Shaw says: 'Living in a city can hold a great attraction as you get older – all that free travel and entertainment you never had time for when working or the family were still living at home. If you are a couple you need to discuss future hopes, but if you live alone, be selfish.'
Location is often dictated by family, but Shaw says it's common for downsizers to worry about being a burden without talking to loved ones first. She says: 'No one wants to be a hindrance, and it is important you discuss this with your family. Although you may want to support them, it's likely you also want to stay independent.'
Her guidance goes against the grain for most homeowners. Fewer than one in five people – 19 per cent – consider downsizing in retirement, according to a survey by Opinium for wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown.
And for those aged 55 or older, this figure fell to only 14 per cent. Some 37 per cent did not want less room for their belongings, while a third said they were too attached to their home. And 21 per cent said moving was too expensive, considering all the disruption.
Shaw says: 'People look for excuses to do nothing – even clearing out is hindered by decision paralysis. We recently had someone with a dining table they could not fit into their new home, which they had bought for £12,000 and it was valued at just £1,200.'
'They were devastated until I asked them why it had been bought and to consider the many years of service and meals they had enjoyed on it. It had already done its job really well.'
If you are concerned about how physically demanding a move might be, consider a removal firm to do your packing and removals. You might pay anything from £1,500 to £5,000 or more.
BE PREPARED TO FACE
UP TO THE COSTS
DOWNSIZING can be a useful way of freeing up some cash, unless you move to an area with higher property prices. But it's still important to weigh up the financial pros and cons.
Stamp duty is a major deterrent for many. It applies to the purchase of all homes above £125,000. You pay 2 per cent in tax between £125,000 and £250,000 and 5 per cent between £250,001 to £925,000.
A couple buying a £300,000 home would face a stamp duty bill of £5,000, on top of estate agent fees. But there is no capital gains tax to pay on selling a home.
And once you've moved, there should also be lower maintenance costs and cheaper energy bills, as your new home is likely to be smaller and more energy-efficient.
● Have you downsized? Tell us about your experience: email money@mailonsunday.co.uk
DOWNSIZING DO'S AND DONT'S
DO
- Decide what you want from retirement
- Have a financial plan
- Talk to family and friends about the future
- Clear out clutter early
- Consider renting before buying
- Take the time to enjoy the house-hunting
DON'T
- Put off planning until tomorrow
- Feel beholden to your family
- Avoid facing challenges of old age
- Underestimate need for family and friends
- Rush in – consider sacrifices being made
- Forget to keep savings aside
52
Jeff Prestridge
Jeff prestridge@mailoncunday.co.uk MONEY EDITOR AT LARGE
THE Prime Minister is on the road this month, travelling the length and breadth of the UK in an attempt to reconnect his Labour government with the disillusioned British public. Fat chance there.
This heavily choreographed roadshow follows measures from Andy Burnham designed to trick us all into thinking he is firmly on our side as we battle a cost of living crisis that refuses to go away – and will worsen as the year progresses and we move into 2027.
But don't be fooled. Burnham ain't on your side and is only interested in taxing you to the hilt in order to fund the country's bloated welfare bill. 'Spend, baby, spend.'
Burnham's charm will only get him so far
Although I don't want to sound like a latter day Victor Meldrew, the Budget (October 28) is not going to be pleasant for the strivers – the majority – of us.
In terms of horribleness, it will be on a par with the two damaging Budgets overseen by Rachel from Accounts.
Of course, on one hand, it's good to see Burnham get off his proverbial backside and meet the people. It's something his predecessor was hopeless at. The new Prime Minister has a bit of the charisma Tony Blair had when Labour marched into power in 1997.
On the other, buckets of charm and presenting himself as a man of the people will only get him – and the country – so far.
It will not fix the cost of living crisis with inflation currently sitting at 2.6 per cent – and forecast to rise to 4.3 per cent in the first quarter of next year. According to
The PM wants us to think he's on our side...but he only cares about taxing you to the hilt
investing platform AJ Bell, inflation has driven up prices by 28 per cent over the past five years.
Nor will a simpering Burnham reignite an economy that grew by a paltry 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of this year and is now forecast to grow next year by an anaemic 0.3 per cent. To put this figure into perspective, it compares with the previous 1.6 per cent growth forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
You don't need to be an economist to realise the economy is
stuck in a rut, strangled by rules and regulations (many introduced by Labour) that are anti-business and anti-growth.
Talk of driving 'growth in every postcode' – Chancellor John Healey's response last Thursday to the disappointing second quarter growth figures – is no more than the soundbite of a fantasist.
The economy will only grow if businesses are liberated from the yoke put around their necks by this Government – and consumers see less of their hard earned
income and savings disappear in pernicious taxes. None of the measures that Burnham has announced so far to tackle the cost of living will significantly ease pressure on household budgets.
The announcements – including a lower cap on single bus fares in England from next year and a temporary suspension of VAT on electricity bills from October – are more headline-grabbing than meaningful.
Some, such as a possible clampdown on 'misleading' supermarket
discounts, defy logic. This country's supermarkets are super competitive and don't need Labour telling them how they should run their businesses.
Maybe the meaningful stuff is being kept back for Healey's inaugural Budget, but I doubt it. This Government is too boxed in by ideology to do what is necessary to tackle the cost of living crisis head on and get the economy growing.
As a result, energy bills will remain prohibitively high for both businesses and households – while companies will continue to shed workers rather than invest in the UK economy. As for the Government's failure – or unwillingness – to get a grip on welfare spending, it will continue to spook financial
Time to protect your household's wealth
markets and keep borrowing costs high, much to the dismay of many homeowners.
All this leads me to one conclusion which won't make for easy reading (maybe it's time to take a break and grab a wee whisky before you read on).
Yet more tax rises are coming our way, especially if you are a high earner or have investment wealth sitting outside the tax shield of an Isa or pension. It's time to see if you can protect your household's wealth before Healey hits your finances for six.
So, I urge you to use your Isa and pension allowances – and transfer assets between family members so that collective taxes are kept to a minimum.
It's an issue myself and my colleagues on Wealth & Personal Finance will be returning to between now and October 28. Unlike Labour, we bat for YOU.
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Wealth & Personal Finance 53
By Rosie Murray-West
I HAVE found a trick to get a juicy 7 per cent interest on my savings – far more than you can obtain with even the most generous traditional current account.
The rates I'm getting even beat the average growth of the UK stock market – except, unlike with investing, there is no danger that I will lose any of my money.
It takes some setting up and you can only save a little over £1,000 a month to get a 7 per cent rate. But for the chance to earn £557.75 in interest in just a year, it's worth the trouble.
Here's how it works. A number of high street banks offer so-called 'regular saver' accounts to lure in new customers.
These are savings accounts that you only gain access to as a current account holder and their rates look tantalising – around seven or even 8 per cent.
However, they have one big limitation – they only let you save up to £200 to £300 a month into them to benefit from the top rate.
If you want to save more than this, there is no reason why you can't spread your monthly savings between five different regular savers. That could allow you to put away a total of £1,300 a month – £15,600 a year – with an average interest rate of 7.36 per cent.
STEP 1 OPEN FIVE WINNING ACCOUNTS
TO BENEFIT fully you will need to hold a current account with each bank.
The five I would suggest are Lloyds, Santander, Zopa, First Direct and Co-op Bank. Lloyds and Santander pay 8 per cent interest each and the other three pay 7 per cent.
With Lloyds, the 8 per cent deal is also offered by sister brands Halifax and Bank of Scotland. All these accounts can be opened online and there are often extra cash deals for doing so.
If you open a First Direct account through the website Topcashback, you can earn £20. You do this by setting up a free account with Topcashback, find First Direct on its website and then click through to the bank's own website from there to earn £20.
You do not have to pay to open current accounts with these banks and they do not stipulate you must use them as your main one, so you can take advantage of them simply for the regular saver and leave the current accounts dormant.
Opening a current account is straightforward. You can choose to switch your existing one, which takes seven working days and is entirely managed by your new provider.
Alternatively, you can open one and leave your existing one unaffected, although this can in some cases affect your credit score in the short term if you open a lot at once, so don't do this if you're about to apply for a mortgage or other large loan.
Beat the stock market and earn 7% on your savings... with these deals from big banks
REGULAR SAVERS, RATES AND RETURNS
| Institution | Interest Rate | Maximum you can save each month | Requirements | Interest earned over a year | Total savings in account after 1 year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyds / BoS / Halifax | 8% | £250 | Must have Lloyds current account and not have opened monthly saver this year | £130 | £3,130 |
| Santander | 8% | £200 | Must have Santander current account and only one regular saver at a time | £104 | £2,504 |
| Zopa | 7% | £300 | Only for six months and you must hold a current account | £75.50 | £3,673.50 |
| First Direct | 7% | £300 | No withdrawals and you must hold a current account | £136.50 | £3736.50 |
| Co-op | 7% | £250 | Co-op account-holders only | £113.75 | £3,113.75 |
| TOTAL OVER A YEAR | £15,600 | £557.75 | £16,157.75 |
STEP 2 SET UP FIVE STANDING ORDERS
EACH regular saver account has its own limit on the amount you can save each month. Put in too much and your transaction might be blocked or returned, so ensure you understand the restrictions.
First Direct and Zopa allow you to save £300 a month in your account, while for the Co-op and Lloyds it is £250 and for Santander just £200.
The total you can save each month into these five savers is £1,300. Can't save the full amount? Prioritise the two 8 per cent accounts to get the highest returns over the year.
Have even more money? There are more regular savers available from banks at rates below 7 per cent that are still impressive.
Nationwide has a regular saver at 6.5 per cent for current account customers, while Skipton Building
Society's 6.5 per cent saver is open to members only. The easiest way to fund four out of five of these accounts is a standing order from your main current account on the first day of each month.
The exception is the First Direct account, which is set up to pull money straight from a First Direct current account straight into your regular saver, so set up a standing order into the First Direct current account instead.
You can set up standing orders through your online banking app or website by stating the account number and sort code as well as the amount you wish to transfer every month.
STEP 3 WAIT FOR THE INTEREST TO ACCUMULATE
AS SOON as your money hits the savings accounts it will be earning these top rates. The Zopa account has to be renewed after six
months, which means logging in to open a new one at the same rate, so set a diary reminder to do this.
All accounts except the First Direct one allow withdrawals whenever you like. After a year, if you've funded all of these accounts to the max and renewed the Zopa one you'll have a total of £16,157.75 and have made £557.75 in interest.
If you're a basic rate taxpayer and earn no other interest outside of an Isa you won't pay any tax on this as it will be covered by your £1,000 personal savings allowance.
If you are a higher rate taxpayer, you'll pay £23.10 in tax as you only have a £500 allowance for interest from savings, but you'll still make a total of £534.65 if you've funded all of the accounts.
The tax bill will usually be reported to HMRC automatically and your tax code will be adjusted to take account of it. Additional rate taxpayers have no allowance so will pay 45 per cent tax on any interest they earn.
STEP 4 REALLLOCATE YOUR CASH
ONE of the biggest catches with regular savers is that your rate drops dramatically after a year (or six months for Zopa) so make a diary note to move your new pots.
The Lloyds saver drops to around 1.3 per cent, Co-op to 1.7 per cent, First Direct to 1.75 per cent, Santander to about 3 per cent and Zopa to 3.4 per cent.
This is the time to move your money into a higher-paying account. An Isa is ideal, as you'll pay no tax on the pot you've built up. From April next year, under 65s can put £12,000 a year into a cash Isa and £8,000 into a stocks and shares one each tax year, while those over 65 can pay the full £20,000 into a cash Isa. At present you can get a 4.7 per cent rate on an easy access Isa with Trading 212 or Moneybox, so your full pot of £16,157.75 would make a further £759.41 in interest over a year if that rate stayed the same.
STEP 5 START AGAIN WITH REGULAR SAVERS
MOST banks only allow you to have one regular saver at a time, but once you've closed these ones there is nothing to stop you opening a new one. Make sure you check there aren't better offers with other banks, as these types of accounts change all the time.
So will this really beat the stock market?
Nobody knows whether, in any given year, the stock market will return more or less than 7.36 per cent, which is the average interest rate you'll get on your savings using this strategy.
Over its 42-year history, the average compound annual growth rate of the FTSE 100 has been about 5.8 per cent, below the rate you'll get on your regular savings.
If you include reinvestment of dividends though, the average growth has beaten this cash rate, at around 7.8 per cent.
There is also no tax to pay on your interest with an Isa and you don't need to open current accounts to use them.
The benefit of the regular saver though is that it is completely risk-free and you can get your money out when you need it, so it is a strategy that works for both the long and the short term.
It is also fee-free, whereas you'll usually be charged to invest, which will eat into your returns.
54 Wealth & Personal Finance
v1
WHEN Maria Esposito placed her mother Kathleen in a care home in 2008, she knew she would need help covering fees of thousands of pounds every month.
She feared she would have to sell the family home to cover the cost.
So when she asked the care home about funding available through the NHS to those with a so-called 'primary healthcare need', Maria was hopeful that Kathleen, who was 77 at the time and had Alzheimer's, would qualify.
The NHS fully funds people requiring 'continuing healthcare' with complex care needs. This pays for the entire cost of a care home or home carer visits and is not means tested.
It is designed for people like Kathleen, with significant ongoing physical or mental health needs and it can be worth thousands a week.
By Lucy Evans
SENIOR MONEY REPORTER
But to Maria's shock, when the now 66-year-old tried to apply, she was told her mother had already been assessed and wasn't eligible.
It's a line all too familiar to families trying to secure Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding.
As nursing home fees hit an average of £1,535 a week, the funding can be invaluable in preserving wealth built up over a lifetime. But the threshold is high. Individuals must have a
primary health need to qualify, which means the main reason they need care is for a medical or health reason, as opposed to social, such as help with dressing or washing.
And the process is guarded by an army of assessors that put up endless hoops for you to jump through – 83 per cent of those who pass an initial screening test and progress to a full assessment are turned down for the funding.
And a cruel postcode lottery means that some areas have even lower acceptance rates.
Maria was adamant her mother's dementia meant she should be eligible for funding, so she appealed. For the next ten months she fought back and forth with officials to overturn their judgment – and won.
But her victory was short lived. Those who qualify are reviewed again every 12 months – so just months after her success, Kathleen was told her mother no longer qualified for the following year.
It was a battle she had to fight over and over again every 12 months for almost a decade, usually having to go through an appeal process.
Then, in 2016, Maria and her siblings, Stefan and Giulietta, were so persistent they ended up winning funding for life for Kathleen.
In total, the family saved £510,000 in the 13 years before Kathleen died aged 89 in 2020, as fees had by then risen to £4,000 a month (£5,200 in today's terms).
Kathleen would have had to sell her house to pay them.
Maria, who lives in Surrey with her wife Sue, says it's 'tragic' so many people are not getting the funding they deserve after paying into the NHS all their working lives.
Since fighting for Kathleen, she's helped her mother-in-law get the funding. Today, Maria reveals the exact tricks she used to beat the stubborn NHS funding system.
THERE IS NO NEED TO REVEAL ANY SAVINGS
UNLIKE council-funded social care, CHC is not means tested.
Someone's assets, such as savings or the value of their home, should have no bearing on whether they are eligible.
But in the application process, Maria, a retired television producer, says she initially received questions about Kathleen's financial position.
'I questioned why that was,' she says. 'If you disclose the finances, no one can make an objective decision because they are solely focused on what you have.'
CHC advice service Beacon confirms that if someone asks you about your loved one's finances then you can simply refuse to answer.
ATTEND BOTH OF THE ASSESSMENTS IN PERSON
AFTER you put in an application, there are two stages to a CHC assessment – and Maria says family should absolutely attend both.
In an initial screening, a health or social care expert runs through a list of questions to decide if your relative merits a full assessment.
If they pass, a team then scores
their care needs across 12 domains in a 36-page form called a 'decision support tool' to decide if your relative has a primary health need.
Maria says: 'Never let them do an assessment without a member of the family there.'
'One of our earliest assessments was carried out by a social worker who interviewed my mother alone, despite her having significant cognitive impairment.'
'Afterwards I was told, 'Your mother said she knows where she is and knows all her family.''
'My mum would have said yes to any questions they asked. But she was confused about the time and place.'
Social work practice Nellie Supports says if you are in those meetings, you can share information that healthcare workers may not know. For example, you can talk about how often difficult episodes occur and what your loved one was like six months ago.
If you are told you can't attend the assessment, ask why this is, and for this to be put in writing. At this point, they will usually relent.
INSIST ON HAVING A MULTI-AGENCY MEETING
THE second assessment, the decision support tool stage, is done by a multi-disciplinary team – usually at least two assessors, one from health and one from social care.
'They should ideally be involved in the treatment or care of your loved one, and should be trained in the assessment process.'
It's their job to gather as much information as possible to score your loved one across the 12 key domains, including breathing, mobility and nutrition.
The assessors take evidence from social, medical and care records.
Maria says you can ask the assessors to consider a report from carers at the home or their GP, too. This will allow them to get first-hand evidence of your loved one's condition and their daily needs. She adds that you can push for more representatives to be there if you think it will benefit the application.
Maria says: 'You need somebody from the care home, nurses and relatives, as well as assessors from the medical and social worker side, to get a full sense of their care needs.'
While you have every right to ask for this larger meeting during the second stage of the assessment, the initial checklist can be completed by a nurse, doctor, social worker or other healthcare professional.
DO NOT DOWNPLAY A LOVED ONE'S CARE NEEDS
WHEN you meet the assessors, you may end up downplaying a relative's health condition, for example, being drawn into saying 'we manage' or 'they do have good days'.
But Maria says it is vital to be brutally honest about their condition.
She says: 'That instinct is understandable. Who wants to think of their relative as violent and aggressive? But it can cost them the care they deserve.'
'However painful it is to describe a loved one in the extreme terms you might not want to acknowledge, you have to – that's the reality of the illness.'
For Kathleen, Alzheimer's meant she became angry when being showered, occasionally running
Wealth & Personal Finance 55
I won $510,000 care fee funding for my mum and saved our family home
away from the care home and dealing with paranoia and confusion. If care workers or community nurses are attending the meeting, you should ask they accurately reflect your relative's needs, too, instead of simply describing what they are like on good days.
Here Maria shares her tips for getting care for free, including the exact phrases you should use and why you must NEVER reveal how much your relative has in savings
LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF THE ASSESSORS
TO BE successful you have to become familiar with the language the assessors use, Maria says. Learn each of the 12 care
domains in the tool and what they describe. Go to gov.uk and search for 'NHS continuing healthcare decision support tool guidance'. You should look at how needs are ranked, from none, low, moderate, high, severe and, in some domains, priority. Use these specific terms
when answering any questions from assessors. They will look at the nature, intensity, complexity and unpredictability of needs. If you understand the language and how the scoring works, you can challenge inconsistency in the assessments
and rankings you don't agree with. For instance, one year Kathleen's cognition was 'severe', but the next it was 'moderate'. Maria says: 'I remember asking, "Have they found a cure for Alzheimer's?''
If you disagree, raise this during the meeting. If a resolution can't be reached, ask them to make a note of your concerns in the decision support tool and refuse to leave until that has been done.
IF TURNED DOWN, APPEAL IMMEDIATELY
MARIA says: 'Do not assume the first decision is correct simply because it comes from the NHS.'
Put together a list of all failures in the assessment process, says CHC information website Care To Be Different. You may have felt intimidated by officials, or found there was no multi-disciplinary team put together by the NHS. Note all inaccuracies in the decision support tool and any evidence ignored. Then write to the integrated care board, responsible for making eligibility decisions, and outline the reasons for a review.
You may first be offered a 'local dispute resolution meeting', but families typically find these are with assessors trying to persuade you that they are right. In this case, you have six months to ask for an independent review.
You may find your relative has been deemed ineligible for CHC at the initial checklist stage. If so, write to the CHC and ask for the test to be repeated, outlining why you disagree with the decision.
If funding is awarded, there is a yearly review. But, as Maria found, officials can still suggest the funding is reassessed and can be withdrawn. You can appeal this too.
NEVER TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER
ABOVE all, Maria's top tip is to never take no for an answer.
In 2016 Kathleen's funding was refused. But Maria requested a meeting with the director of the clinical commissioning group, the bodies that previously led CHC funding, sending dozens of documents. She even made a graph of scores in the decision support tools to show her mother hadn't been improving.
And this perseverance worked – not only did Kathleen have her funding paid for that year, it was put in place for life.
DO NOT THROW AWAY ANY DOCUMENTS
THAT challenge was only possible because Maria never threw away any decision support tools. And while appealing a decision, keep receipts of everything you pay – if you win, you can claim it back.
Kathleen died in the first wave of the pandemic. Maria says: 'She was absolutely lovely. However, what I remember most from those years is not just the heartbreak of Alzheimer's, but the constant battle to persuade the system to recognise needs that were obvious to everyone who knew her.'
What has been your experience of trying to get funding care? Email money@mailonsunday.co.uk
56 Wealth & Personal Finance
Why you will need an extra £200,000 if you retire single
BEING single in later life costs an extra £200,000 over the course of the average retirement, new figures reveal. Those who live alone must spend an additional £10,000 each year to match the lifestyle of
By Tanya Jefferies
someone in a couple, calculations for Wealth have found. This is because they can't pool expenses such as heating a home, running a car or weekly food shops, in what has become known
as a 'singles tax'. Millions now face this financial challenge as the number of single pensioners has soared in recent years. There are now 1.5 million divorced people over 65, compared with 500,000 20 years ago, while the number in retirement who never married has reached
800,000, analysis by consultancy LCP found.
Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister who now works at LCP, says: 'Many of the bills we face in retirement are similar whether we live alone or as part of a couple, but having two incomes makes things less of a stretch.
'And although there is a 25 per cent reduction on council tax if you live alone, you still pay 75 per cent of the bill a household with two incomes has to pay.'
Sir Steve adds: 'Growing numbers are single either at retirement or later in retirement, and it is important to think how you would manage financially if you didn't have someone else's income to help cover living costs.'
In the most extreme cases, the added costs have pushed many into poverty, the LCP report concluded. Pensions industry guidelines estimate that a single person needs an income of £32,700 a year after tax to live a decent retirement, while a couple needs a combined £45,400.
This means those in a couple need just £22,700 each – £10,000 less than those who live alone. Over a 20-year retirement, this adds up to £200,000.
This level of income affords you a 'moderate' lifestyle, according to trade group Pensions UK, covering the essentials plus extra for splashing out on food and entertainment, trips abroad and running a car.
The figures don't include any mortgage or rent costs, income tax
UNFAIR SPLIT: Women lose out
struggles in later life, they stand a better chance if there is a fair division of any pensions, says Sir Steve.
Pension pots are defined as a joint asset of a marriage, in the same way as a home or savings. But they are often overlooked during a divorce – typically to the wife's detriment.
Divorced women reach retirement with around 61 per cent less private pension wealth than divorced men.
Anne Jones says her retirement finances were not top in her mind when she divorced at 50. Now 74, Ms Jones, from Berkshire, admits she might not have considered her husband's pension if it hadn't been for her lawyer, who convinced her that after decades of marriage she deserved a proper share.
There are three main options when dealing with pensions in a divorce. You can share them on a clean-break basis, one partner can earmark some of the income to be paid out after retirement or you can offset their value against other assets.
In Ms Jones' case, she received a 'pension sharing order', which splits pots on a clean-break basis. She was paid a lump sum worth tens of thousands, which she paid into a new pension – allowing her to live life untroubled by money worries now.
Ms Jones (not her real name) says: 'If I just had a cash settlement, I wouldn't be as comfortably off.'
With two children in their 40s and three grandchildren, she says it means she can afford to delight in treating them without having to worry about the cost.
If there is one tip she would give those going through a divorce in midlife, it is this: 'Take advice. It might seem expensive but it's worth every penny. I am extremely comfortably off. That is down to the investments made with the pension.'
Rhys Taylor, a barrister who specialises in pensions and divorce, says: 'It is vital that the often misunderstood long-term value of pensions is not overlooked.'
● Live alone? Share your view and email money@mailonsunday.co.uk
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'Many pensioners are pushed into poverty'
or care costs in later life. And those hoping for a more comfortable retirement will need to stump up an even larger amount.
The Retirement Living Standard guidelines, used by professionals to estimate how much you need to save, suggest a single person needs £45,400 after tax for a comfortable life. This will be enough for a two-week holiday in Europe every year and three weekend breaks in the UK. It also includes a £78 weekly food shop and £1,500 for clothing.
A couple needs £62,700 a year – £31,350 per person – to achieve this lifestyle. That is £14,050 less than a single person – a difference of £281,000 over a 20-year retirement.
Those living alone must shoulder all household, living and healthcare expenses on one income. They face the financial burden of paying for any repairs on their home by themselves and can't split fixed costs, such as utility bills. They also face increased costs when travelling as they can't share a hotel room.
Two-thirds of single pensioners in poverty are women, LCP found, meaning their household income before housing costs were 60 per cent lower than the current median.
One of the greatest financial risks to retirement is divorce, as many will find themselves with a smaller pension – or none at all. While some divorced people can suffer money
Wealth & Personal Finance 57
ME AND MY MONEY
Mike d'Abo Singer & Songwriter
MIKE D'ABO rose to fame in 1966, replacing Paul Jones as lead singer of Manfred Mann and notching up seven top-ten hits, writes PETER ROBERTSON. He also wrote The Foundations' hit Build Me Up Buttercup, the Iconic Cadbury's Finger Of Fudge TV jingle, and Handbags & Gladrags, later used as the theme tune to the BBC's The Office and an early-2000s hit for Stereophonics. He's still working with several bands, including The Manfreds. Mike, 82, lives in the Cotswolds with wife Lisa and their 18-year-old twins.
What did your parents teach you about money?
From an early age, me and my three siblings were made aware we didn't have the wealth other branches of the family enjoyed. On my mother's side, they owned John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, Yorkshire. On my father's side, my grandfather was chairman of Hambros Bank.
Yet none of this wealth seemed to filter down to our family – we were told we were quite far down the pecking order. When we saw the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by some of our cousins, we often felt like the poor relations by comparison.
What was your first pay packet?
Having been sent down from Cambridge University for failing my exams in 1963, I wanted to go to the US to study jazz piano. My stockbroker father stopped that plan, but helped me get an interview in a music shop.
One of his clients was a director at Boosey & Hawkes – the brass band manufacturers and music publishers. He offered me a job cleaning the instruments in the window at their Rudall Carte music shop in Soho. My pay was £10 a week. The job lasted for a year until our old Harrow School group, A Band Of Angels, turned pro in 1964.
Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?
Constantly! People may not believe this, but my three years of hit-making with Manfred Mann earned me only £11,700, and throughout the 1970s and 1980s paying bills was a huge struggle.
Have you ever been paid silly money?
I twice got cheques that far exceeded my expectations.
Two years after Stereophonics had charted with Handbags & Gladrags, I got a cheque for £66,000. It was the first time I'd ever seen a five-figure cheque.
The other surprise cheque came 20 years after Manfred Mann had disbanded. After an audit had been done on our former record company, it emerged that we'd been underpaid by £180,000.
My share of that was a cheque for £28,000 – however, I never saw a penny of it, since my then wife
Manfred Mann's Mike d'Abo on divorce, his first payday and why his songs are his pension
I wrote Handbags & Gladrags in the 1960s, but by the '80s had not to nothing in my bank
placed it straight into her own private building society account and promptly asked for a divorce!
What was the best year of your financial life?
After writing a hit record, one has to wait quite a while before getting paid.
When The Stereophonics had a hit with Handbags & Gladrags in 2001/02, which I wrote in 1967, I registered my lowest earnings for many years. And yet, 18 months later, in 2003/04, when the writer's royalties finally kicked in, it turned out to be my best financial year so far.
Are you a spender or a saver?
I've spent most of my life denying myself the luxury of any extravagance... with one exception: oysters.
Whenever I'm in an airport, I head for Caviar House, or the nearest seafood equivalent, and award myself half a dozen or a dozen oysters! I absolutely love them, and – accompanied by a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc – they give me a natural high, which puts me in the perfect frame of mind for the flight.
What has been your biggest financial mistake?
I emigrated to the US in 1977, and when I returned to the UK in 1982 I had no money.
To buy a car I had to settle for a lease deal. When I look back, I shudder to think how much over the odds I paid for that Morris Ital,
TAKING THE LEAD: Mike d'Abo performing with Manfred Mann in 1966, above, and, left, solo in 2015. Far left: With his wife Lisa
which ended up costing me twice its original asking price. This is an example of what happens when you've got nothing in your bank account – and in the 1980s, I didn't.
The best money decision you've made?
Getting married to my third wife, Lisa, in 1996.
Her competence and administrative skills in dealing with money enabled us to save, invest and set money aside for tax purposes.
For the first time in my life, we started building a secure future for the family, and, hopefully, my five children have benefited from our improved financial position.
Do you have a pension?
My songs are my pension, and hopefully they will provide me with a livelihood for as long as I'm around, and for my family when I'm gone.
I consider myself truly blessed to have created songs that continue to be played and have relevance for people.
Do you own any property?
We own two: the house we live in – a detached Edwardian five-bedroom house in one acre of grounds – plus our previous residence, three miles away, which is rented out. I'm delighted to say they're both paid for.
What would you have done if music had not worked out?
I went up to Cambridge aged 18 to study theology, with a view to becoming a vicar. But music became the more dominant force in my life.
If you were Chancellor what would you do?
The UK has become largely ungovernable – the disparities in our society being too great, the erosion of our culture too widespread – so it's probably too late to put this country back on its feet to everyone's satisfaction.
What's your top indulgence?
Watching cricket and old movies – anything from 1935 to 1969. I love anything that can take me back to my childhood, when our world seemed a simpler and happier place to live in.
What is your No1 financial priority?
To ensure my family maintain a decent standard of living. I'm hoping my new album will generate an extra income stream. Part of the enduring fascination of the music business is one never knows what might lie around the corner.
● Mike d'Abo's new album, The Journey... So Far, is our new via Charly Records and streaming platforms.
58 Wealth & Personal Finance
De-risk your pension in the run up to retirement... the safe way
IN THIS series, our experts answer your burning questions about growing your wealth.
YOU'VE invested diligently for decades, saving regularly into workplace pensions, and now retirement is on the horizon. It's still ten years away, but close enough to start picturing the life you might lead beyond work.
If this is you, it's likely you will need to consider switching up your investment strategy.
The closer you get to retirement, the less you can afford to risk any falls in the value of your pot.
Simon Tabb, senior investment director at financial planning firm TrinityBridge, says: 'Ten years out from retirement is a good time to start thinking about shifting the focus from just maximising returns to balancing your future income needs and protecting what you have already built up.'
Start by considering how you want to access your pension savings. If you're planning to use your entire pot to buy a guaranteed annual income in the form of an annuity, you will want to start 'de-risking' – moving money out of
HOW TO INVEST...
Got a question on growing your wealth? Email us at money@mailonsunday.co.uk
By Holly Mead
the stock market to less volatile assets. This is because you will need to cash out your entire pot in one go to buy the annuity in return for an income for life.
These days, most retirees leave their money invested in the stock market and either draw a regular income – known as drawdown – or take cash out as they need it.
For these savers, it may make sense to divvy up their funds, put-
puting some in safer assets that can be drawn from in the short-term and leaving the rest invested in the stock market, where it has the potential to keep growing.
Andrew Prosser, head of investments at InvestEngine, says: 'Diversification is important – holding a range of investments across different asset classes, sectors and regions can help reduce risk.'
Consider equity income funds, which hold shares in a number of dividend-paying companies that can give a reliable income source.
Balanced or multi-asset funds can be a useful way to spread out your risk. These funds invest in a mix of stocks, bonds and other assets, such as property and gold.
Spreading your money can mean your pot is less impacted if there is a market shock.
Nicholas Hyett, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, suggests the Schroders Managed Balance Fund to 'smooth out some of the ups and downs of the stock market'.
The fund has three-quarters of its portfolio in company shares plus a mix of government and corporate bonds. It has returned 43 per cent over the past three years.
He also likes Fidelity Global Dividend, which 'invests in high-quality
ity firms around the world, with a focus on those capable of growing dividends over the long term'. Top holdings include National Grid, Deutsche Boerse and Taiwan Semiconductor. The fund has returned 53.7 per cent over three years.
Meanwhile, Fidelity Money-Builder Corporate Bond is 'a useful fund for those looking to start gradually de-risking their portfolio,' says Hyett. It invests in bonds (essentially an IOU) issued by
'The potential to keep growing'
quality firms across the world, including SSE, Mitchells & Butlers and Verizon. It also invests in government bonds and has returned 18 per cent over three years with a dividend yield of 4.46 per cent.
The very cautious may want to have all their money in cash but this is not without risk.
Claire Trott, head of advice at St James's Place, explains: 'If inflation is high, the amount your money can buy reduces even if the actual value stays the same.' Strik-
ing the right balance is important. Sam North, market analyst at eToro, says: 'With drawdown, much of your pot could remain invested for decades, so de-risking too aggressively can leave you vulnerable to inflation or risk you running out of money.'
This is because you will miss out on returns you could make by leaving it invested.
It still makes sense to have a buffer for any short-term spending, so you are not forced to withdraw cash after a market dip.
Usual advice is to have three to six months' worth of essential outgoings in an easy-access account for emergencies, but those approaching retirement may want to increase this to two years' worth.
With a decade to go, don't be tempted to cut back on contributions. Prosser says: 'Pension contributions can be particularly tax efficient too, especially if you pay higher rates of income tax or benefit from employer contributions.'
Paula Llewellyn, from L&G, adds: 'Check what your employer will contribute, whether you have pensions from previous jobs that you have lost track of, and what your existing pension is actually invested in.'
BEST BUYS...The leading deals for your home and savings
CASH ISAS
| TYPE | PROVIDER | MINIMUM INVESTMENT | RATE % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy access | Sidekick | £1 | 4.66 |
| Chip | £1 | 4.55 | |
| One year fixed rate | Vida Savings | £1,000 | 4.70 |
| Vanquis Bank | £1,000 | 4.69 | |
| Two year fixed rate | Vida Savings | £1,000 | 4.77 |
| Cynergy Bank | £500 | 4.75 | |
| Notice account | The Stafford BS 90 Day | £100 | 4.10 |
| Harpenden BS 90 Day | £1,000 | 4.04 |
CHILDREN'S ACCOUNTS
| TYPE | PROVIDER | MINIMUM INVESTMENT | RATE % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savings accounts | Hanley Economic BS | £25 | 5.50 |
| Nationwide BS | £1 | 5.00 | |
| State Bank of India | £1,000 | 4.50 | |
| Junior ISAs | Leek Building Society | £1 | 3.85 |
| Beverley BS | £1 | 3.85 | |
| Skipton BS | £1 | 3.80 |
Source: Moneyfactscompare.co.uk
SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
| TYPE | PROVIDER | MINIMUM INVESTMENT | RATE % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy access | Cahoot | £1 | 5.00 |
| LemFi | £1 | 5.00 | |
| One year fixed rate | Vanquis Bank | £1,000 | 4.85 |
| GB Bank | £1,000 | 4.85 | |
| Two year fixed rate | Recognise Bank | £1,000 | 4.86 |
| Vanquis Bank | £1,000 | 4.85 | |
| Notice account | GB Bank 150 Day | £1,000 | 4.38 |
| BLME 90 Day | £10,000 | 4.37 |
DUMP NOW
HSBC Flexible Saver
This easy access account pays a meagre 1.05pc on £1 or more, giving you just £10.50 interest a year on each £1,000.
BEST BUY
Hargreaves Lansdown
Cash Isa
Available on its savings platform, this easy access cash Isa pays 4.52pc on a minimum £1. But it is not flexible, which means if you take money out you can't replace it without eating into your Isa allowance.
SAVINGS
MORTGAGES
TWO-YEAR FIXES
| LENDER | RATE | DETAILS | DEPOSIT | FEE | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry | 4.91 | To 31/12/28 | 35% | £0 | 0800 121 8899 |
| First Direct | 4.79 | For 2 years | 15% | £490 | 0800 482 448 |
| Barclays | 5.35 | To 30/09/28 | 5% | £0 | 0333 202 7500 |
FIVE-YEAR FIXES
| Allied Irish | 4.82 | To 31/10/31 | 25% | £0 | 0289 047 9221 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Irish | 4.90 | To 31/10/31 | 15% | £0 | 0289 047 9221 |
| Nationwide | 5.19 | For 5 years | 5% | £999 | 0800 302 010 |
BASE RATE TRACKERS
| LENDER | RATE | DETAILS | DEPOSIT | FEE | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | 4.13 | Base +0.38% for 2 years | 40% | £999 | 0800 302 010 |
| Nationwide | 4.95 | Base +1.20% for 2 years | 5% | £0 | 0800 302 010 |
| Barclays | 4.35 | Base +0.60% for 5 years | 40% | £999 | 0333 202 7500 |
BUY TO LET
| NatWest | 4.72 | to 30/11/28 | 40% | £995 | 0800 400 999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds | 4.61 | to 31/10/31 | 40% | £1,499 | 0545 045 4049 |
| Barclays | 4.91 | To 31/09/31 | 25% | £899 | 0333 202 7500 |
Source: L&C Mortgages - 0800 694 5444 / lands.co.uk
59
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| ABERDEEN | 0124 378 600 | 0124 378 600 | SOUTHAMPTON | 0228 311 4930 | 0228 311 4940 |
| BATH | 0123 734 000 | 0123 734 000 | ST ALBANS | 01727 807 700 | 01727 807 744 |
| BELFAST | 030 9027 1888 | 030 9027 1888 | TUNBRIDGE WELLS | 01892 347 180 | 01892 347 200 |
| BIRMINGHAM | 0121 236 1234 | 0121 236 1234 | WINCHESTER | 01962 798 400 | 01962 798 444 |
| BOURNEMOUTH | 01202 411 400 | 01202 411 400 | WINDSOR | 01752 397 400 | 01752 397 444 |
| BRIGHTON | 01273 715 500 | 01273 715 500 | WORCESTER | 01903 349 555 | 01903 349 600 |
| BRISTOL | 0117 929 9000 | 0117 929 9000 | YORK | 01904 942 900 | 01904 942 899 |
| CAMBRIDGE | 01223 441 400 | 01223 441 400 | |||
| CANTERBURY | 01227 865 700 | 01227 865 700 | |||
| CARDIFF | 02920 736 600 | 02920 736 600 | |||
| CAROUS | 01228 471 100 | 01228 471 100 | |||
| CHESAPEAKE | 01245 961 400 | 01245 961 400 | |||
| CHESTERFIELD | 01243 637 372 | 01243 637 372 | |||
| CHESTERHAM | 01244 880 777 | 01244 880 777 | |||
| CHESTER | 0131 363 2800 | 0131 363 2800 | |||
| EDINBURGH | 01293 458 200 | 01293 458 200 | |||
| ESTER | 0141 353 2324 | 0141 353 2324 | |||
| GLASGOW | 01403 478 400 | 01403 478 400 | |||
| GLADSTONE | 0115 346 2000 | 0115 346 2000 | |||
| GLENFORD | 0151 221 9500 | 0151 221 9500 | |||
| INTERPOCK | 0161 839 6949 | 0161 839 6949 | |||
| MANCHESTER | 01908 348 400 | 01908 348 400 |
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60
Holidays
By Thomas Isacke
IT MAY seem counter-intuitive to head for a city break in the midst of a heatwave, yet there are certain urban spots that are well suited for a summer getaway.
And there can be advantages when visiting at this time of the year. The first is that cities are often quieter at the height of summer as many locals are off on their own hols, probably heading for a beach. The second is that hotel prices can dip, making it a more reasonable time to go.
The 1966 classic pop song Summer In The City by The Lovin' Spoonful begins with the lyrics 'Hot town, summer in the city', but it doesn't have to be. Here, we've selected some of the best places to go – and avoid crowded beach resorts.
CHILL OUT IN OSLO
TAKE a refreshing dip in the Norwegian capital's Oslofjord, where the waters can warm to 22C in the summer (this compares with 27C in Benidorm). The Sorenga fjord pool is great, while there is the beach and swimming pier at Tjuvholmen (visitoslo.com). Afterwards, head for the air-conditioned Munch Museum to see artist Edvard Munch's famous Scream painting and enjoy a performance at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. Book it Doubles at the central, modern K7 Hotel Oslo from £96 (k7hotel.com). Stansted-Oslo returns from £105 (ryanair.com).
DIVE INTO ZURICH
ONE of the delights of Zurich is that, after taking in the National Museum and the Fifa Museum, you can slip off to one of the city's wonderful bathing houses on the shores of Lake Zurich.
Book it Doubles at Radisson Hotel and Suites from £95 (radissonhotels.com). Heathrow-Zurich returns from £175 (swiss.com).
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FIND PERFECTION IN PARIS
AUGUST is one of the quietest months in Paris. Keep out of the heat by planning your visit around its top-class museums and galleries with air-conditioning, including the Louvre (home to the Mona Lisa), Musee d'Orsay (full of Renoirs, Manets and Monets) and Musee de l'Orangerie (for its Monets, Renoirs, Picassos and works by Modigliani).
Book it Doubles at Hotel Apolonia Paris Mouffetard from £104 (bestwestern.co.uk). Eurostar Paris returns from £170 (eurostar.com).
IT'S A BREEZE IN ROTTERDAM
ROTTERDAM comes alive in August with a host of festivals, including its free Classical Music in the Park (held from August 29-30); see rotterdamcentrum.nl. Book a boat ride along the River Nieuwe Maas to see Europe's biggest harbour from the water (90 minutes from £26, rivercruiserotterdam.nl). Then stay cool in the air conditioning of the first-rate Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, home to many masterpieces of Dutch art (boijmans.nl).
Book it Doubles at the central NH Atlanta Rotterdam from £59 (nh-hotels.com). Eurostar Rotterdam returns from £300 (eurostar.com).
SIMMER DOWN IN SPAIN
ON SPAIN'S cooler, northern Atlantic coast, San Sebastian is popular with Spaniards and renowned for its Michelin-star foodie scene. It also enjoys a wonderful crescent beach, La Concha, with a promenade beneath which there are plenty of spots to keep out of the sun. The narrow streets of the old town also provide shade.
Book it Doubles at the stylish Social Hub Hotel from £133 (thesocialhub.co). Heathrow-San Sebastian returns from £193 (vueling.com).
TAKE THE HEAT OFF IN HELSINKI
TEMPERATURES touch daily highs of around 20C in Finland's capital, so you won't be burnt to a frazzle. There's a cen-
tral seaside bathing pool (allaspool.fi), plus a series of spots to go swimming in the Baltic Sea (the water is 17C). Book a ticket at Musiikkitalo for an afternoon performance of the wonderful local composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) (musiikkitalo.fi). Book it Doubles at the comfortable Hilton Helsinki Strand from £100 (hilton.com). Return Heathrow-Helsinki flights from £325 (funair.com).
COOL OFF IN COLOGNE
IT'S nice and cool in Germany's magnificent, medieval Cologne Cathedral. Take a walk along the River Rhine or a boat trip
WHAT ABOUT THE UK?
Edinburgh: You can cool down at Portobello Beach, three miles from the city.
Bristol: See Brunel's SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge, then take a dip at the Victorian-era Bristol Lido (lidobristol.com).
Belfast: Explore the air-conditioned Titanic Museum and Ulster Museum, then walk along the cool and breezy River Lagan.
Holidays
61
Even in the heat, these urban escapes are surprisingly welcoming – with cool swimming spots, shady streets, air-conditioned museums and affordable hotels
CHILLING OUT:
Verona's Ponte Pietra bridge, above, and scenic Oslo, above left. Left: Cool art in Rotterdam, and, below, diving into the Baltic Sea
TAKE A SWIM IN STOCKHOLM
EXPECT daily highs of just 21C in Sweden's capital in August. It's a great time to go, and swimming in the city is possible at a number of tucked-away beaches and piers (water temperature currently about 18C). See 'Beaches in Stockholm' at visit stockholm.com. There is air-conditioning at the Nationalmuseum (nationalmuseum.se) as well as in ABBA The Museum (abbathemuseum.com).
Book it Doubles at the modern Radisson Blu Royal Viking Hotel from £114 (radissonhotels.com). Gatwick/Manchester-Stockholm returns from £195 (norwegian.com).
GO FOR GDANSK
FIND air conditioning at the excellent European Solidarity Centre, which tells the story of the 1980s Polish union movement (ecs.gda.pl), and the Museum of the Second World War (muzeum1939.pl).
Wander medieval lanes and stay cool in St Mary's Church, the world's largest brick church. It's only 20 minutes by tram to Baltic Sea beaches (visitgdansk.com).
- one-hour rides are from £17 (getyour guide.com). Then head to the Alter Markt, the historic central marketplace, where you can find bars serving chilled Kolsch beers in small glasses (just 0.2cl). They're refilled regularly so your drink is always the perfect temperature.
Book it Doubles at the well-located Mondial Am Dom Hotel Cologne from £106 (all.accor.com). Return Stansted/Manchester-Cologne flights from £69 (ryanair.com).
UNWIND IN VERONA
YOU might expect it to be hot in Italy – and it is – but you can cool down in Verona's gothic and Romanesque basilicas, including Verona Cathedral and San Zeno Maggiore (visitverona.it). A pleasant breeze comes off the River Adige, which is lined with cafes and restaurants. The narrow lanes of the old town also provide shade.
Book it Doubles at the elegant Hotel Leon D'Oro Verona from £112 (hotelleondoro verona.com). Gatwick/Manchester-Verona returns from £139 (easyjet.com).
Book it Doubles at Hilton Gdansk in the heart of the old town from £127 (hilton.com). Stansted-Gdansk returns from £134 (ryanair.com).
ENCHANTING ESTONIA
TALLINN, Estonia's capital, enjoys a delightful medieval centre, lively bars and restaurants, plus marketplaces with vintage clothes and food stalls. August highs are 21C and you can take a dip in the Baltic Sea. The best place to do so is Iglopark, which also has saunas (iglopark.com).
Book it Doubles at the sleek Swissotel Tallinn from £99 (swissotel.com). Luton-Tallinn returns from £166 (wizzair.com).
● Prices based on travel this month and correct as we went to press.
The Oberoi Beach Resort Bali 5*
Save 20%
• Located on the beach and embraced by lush gardens, with traditional thatched accommodation, wonderful restaurants and a unique Oberoi spa
• Visit the turtle sanctuary (May-Oct) when the hatchlings are released into the sea
Flights, hotels & transfers - 7 nts fr £1,609pp
Four Seasons Resort Langkawi 5*
2 free nights
• Treat yourself to some R&R in a place for adventure, serenity and romance, all in picture-perfect surrounds
• Enjoy a Garden View Room, with an outdoor dining area ideal for champagne moments before a delightfully lush lawn
Flights, hotels & transfers - 7 nts fr £2,019pp
Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket 5*
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• Luxurious beachfront retreat in one of Thailand's most beloved island destinations, which combines elegant Thai heritage with gracious hospitality
• Set on the white sands of Bang Tao beach, in lush gardens, overlooking the Andaman Ocean
Flights, hotel & transfers - 7 nts fr £1,019pp
Highlights of Vietnam private tour 4*
Save £200
On this comprehensive private tour, which begins in the north at Hanoi and ends in the south at Ho Chi Minh, you visit beautiful Halong Bay - the country's greatest natural wonder - and stop at enchanting Hue and pretty Hoi An
Flights, hotels & transfers - 10 nts fr £2,855pp
Japan Real Food Adventure 4*
Save £300
From temples to tempura, shrines to sashimi, seafood markets to sake breweries, take your tastebuds on a culinary journey through Japan's most delicious hotspots. Take part in cooking classes and demonstrations relishing the flavours of 'the Land of the Rising Sun'
Flights & hotels - 10 nts fr £4,215pp
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62 Holidays
SPECIAL PROMOTION
COMBINING moments of relaxation by Lake Garda with excursions to the Veneto's most fascinating towns, this tour offers the ideal introduction to northern Italy.
Discover a collection of memorable highlights, from the historic centres of Venice and Verona to the magnificent Dolomites and idyllic Lake Garda, on a remarkable eight-day break. You'll stay in either Riva del Garda or Torbole, and your holiday will begin with a tour of the lake's most charming towns, including Sirmione, Lazise and Bardolino.
Next will be an excursion to Verona, the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet, and an experienced local guide will introduce you to the city's most significant spots. After a fascinating day's sightseeing, enjoy a full day at leisure to spend as you see fit.
The second half of your holiday will take you into the spectacular Italian Dolomites on a guided coach tour. While exploring the South Tyrol, you'll call at several pretty Alpine towns before winding your way along the hairpin turns that lead to Marmolada and the Pordoi Pass.
The following day, venture east to Venice, 'La Serenissima', for another guided tour. The city, once a centre for trade on the Mediterranean, is a thriving hub of exquisite Renaissance landmarks, winding alleyways and gondola-lined canals, and promises to be one of your tour's major highlights.
After a thrilling week in northern Italy, unwind at your own pace with a final day at leisure, before heading back to Verona for your return flight to the UK.
REASONS TO BOOK
A taste of la dolce vita
On this tour you'll be introduced to the slower-paced way of life that many locals enjoy. Stay in the charming towns of Riva del Garda or Torbole and get a taste for la dolce vita – the sweet life – even on your days at leisure, with easy access to a wide range of lakeside towns. You'll also visit delightful spots on guided excursions, from fairytale Sirmione to the Alpine towns of the Trentino region.
Highlights of Verona
With its cosmopolitan history and artistic heritage, Verona promises rewarding exploration at every turn. View the city's
bustling main squares, the colourful Piazza Bra and the Piazza delle Erbe, and visit the world-famous Casa di Giulietta, named in honour of the tragic heroine of Romeo And Juliet. You can also
pay a visit to the city's Roman amphitheatre and learn about Verona's scandalous medieval rulers, the Scaligeri family, with a stop at the magnificent Scaliger Tombs.
The best of 'La Serenissima'
Undeniably, one of your tour's highlights will be a day spent exploring the winding alleys and canals of Venice. Take in St Mark's Square, crowned by its spectacular cathedral and Doge's Palace, and marvel at the Rialto Bridge from the back of a gondola. Explore the legacy of the Venetian Republic at one of the city's world-class museums and discover a reminder of its military might with a stop at the Arsenal.
The landscapes of northern Italy As you explore the Veneto and Trentino regions, you'll pass through some truly remarkable vistas. Gaze out over the far-reaching shores of Garda, Italy's largest lake, and catch your breath on its surrounding mountains. Discover the fertile Alto Adige area, with its colourful vineyards, and climb to the summit of the vast Brenta Dolomites for panoramic views of the Italian Alps.
OFFER OF THE WEEK
Wonders of the Nile: Aswan to Cairo
13 days from £6,599
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
- Selected departures between March and October 2027
- Return flights, coach travel and transfers
- 12 nights' full-board cruise accommodation on board MS Mövenpick Darakum in a cabin on the lower deck
- Tours and visits to Aswan High Dam, Temple of Philae, Temple of Kom Ombo, Temple of Edfu, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Temple of Hathor, Temple of Seti, Pharaoh Akhenaten's tomb, the tombs of Beni Hassan, Old Cairo, the Coptic Museum, Great Pyramid of Giza, Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Escorted by a tour manager
Call us FREE on 0808 303 7441 Visit www.mailtravel.co.uk
Holidays are operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Riviera Travel, ABTA V4794 ATOL 2430 protected, a company independent of Associated Newspapers Ltd and Mail Travel. Prices are per person, based on two sharing, single supplement applies and are subject to availability. *From price based on September 1, 2027 from London Heathrow, then on board MS Mövenpick Darakum. Price correct at time of print.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Return flights to Italy with coach travel and transfers throughout
- Seven nights' bed and breakfast accommodation at a selection of hotels or resorts
- Grand Circular Tour of Lake Garda
- Trip to Verona
- Scenic excursion into the Dolomites
- Tour of Venice
- Fully escorted by an experienced tour manager, with specialist local guides where applicable
HOW TO BOOK
The dates September 2026 to October 2027
The price From £1,064pp*
CALL 0808 239 1392 For more information, or to book directly, visit mailtravel.co.uk/veniceverona
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Holidays are operated by Newmarket Holidays ABTOP 5509, ATOL 2525, ABTA V1932 a company wholly independent of Associated Newspapers Limited and Mail Travel. Price based on two people sharing. Single supplements apply. From price based on October 14, 2026 from London Gatwick. *Saw up to 5% applies to select tour bookings made by September 30, 2026, and cannot be applied retrospectively to bookings already confirmed. Subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Prices shown include the discount. Prices correct at the time of print.
SAVE UP TO 15%
A magical tour of northern Italy's worldrous sights
GRAND VISTA: The canals of Venice at once
Holidays 63
By Georgina Fuller
READ the email with a mixture of disbelief and dread: 'We're so looking forward to spending our big day with you all. If any of you wanted to make a holiday of it and rent one of the villas we've booked, they start at just £1,000 per person.'
Oh great, I remember thinking. It was 2011 and I was in my early 30s. The previous year or so I'd already been to two glamorous overseas weddings – one in southern France, the other in Tuscany – plus a hen do in Barcelona, all with friends who had vastly higher incomes. How was I going to afford this?
At the time, I was earning £30,000. When eventually, at the end of the trip, I added up the cost of the flights, the wedding and a new dress (not to mention her hen do), I had forked out several thousand pounds. Then there were the long dinners with copious wine and multiple courses – plus cocktails and taxis...
Fast-forward to today and the cost-of-living crisis, and these 'holiday wealth gap' issues are still going strong. Research from Airbnb and the Family Holiday Charity reveals that 27 per cent of families cannot afford a getaway this year and nearly a fifth have cancelled an overseas trip in the past six months.
Meanwhile at the other end of the spectrum, another study by cashback provider Rakuten has found that women overall – some much more than others – spend an average of £2,414 annually on keeping up friendships, much of this involving travel.
When I put a call-out for friends with similar 'wealth gap' holiday stories, it resonated. Laura, for example, had been invited to her friend's 50th in Dubai, though she usually goes on holiday in her mother's caravan in Wales.
Her friends were happy to pay for cocktails, blow-dries in the hotel salon and even a luxury boat ride. But one morning, feeling like a poor relation who ought to make an effort, she offered to buy breakfast. She was in for a shock – it came to £180 for three of them.
'It was one hell of an experience and I love my friend very much, but this level of lavishness isn't for me,' Laura says.
Meanwhile, Anna was thrilled when she and her husband, plus child, were invited to join another family on a ski holiday at their chalet. She dutifully, and frugally,
bought salopettes and goggles from Vinted and Sports Direct.
But her jaw dropped when they arrived at the chalet in Morzine to find a private chef and nanny in situ – before being led to a suite with balcony and sauna.
'I knew they were quite well off but I had no idea they were that wealthy,' she says. 'They were so kind... but we spent most of the week feeling uncomfortable.'
Then there's Jane, who was invited to a hen do in Marrakech and blew £1,000 on a private rind with a chef and rooftop pool.
'I'd left it to the last minute to book flights and ended up spending over £250 on those plus airport parking. The cocktails at a really expensive shisha bar came to £200,' she says.
There was worse to follow. 'One of the girls had booked a camel ride... as a vegetarian, I hated seeing the poor camels tied up and made to walk around the boiling hot desert,' she says.
Jane works part-time in the charity sector and, while her wealthy friends think nothing of blowing a grand over a weekend, 'It's a month's rent for me,' she says.
Yet another friend, Harriet, had to turn down being bridesmaid to a friend getting married in Tuscany because, as a part-time teaching assistant with two young children, she could not afford a week in a villa.
The bride, an accountant at a top London firm, thankfully forgave her. 'We went for dinner when we got back and she was on such a high from the wedding she didn't seem to mind,' she says.
When I think back to the best holiday I ever had with friends, it was probably a trip
to Ibiza in 1996 when I was 18 and we were united in that we were all, just about, broke.
We shared a grotty apartment and lived off Pot Noodles – in fact, it was probably my favourite holiday ever. Shakespeare said:
'My friends were poor but honest.' Perhaps, when it comes to holidays at least, that's the best combination.
● Names and identifying details have been changed.
Uzbekistan - the Heart of the Silk Route
11 days was £3,149 now £2,899
Your price includes:
- Discover Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva on guided tours
- Nine nights in 3-star hotels
- Discover Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara on city tours
- Enjoy Bukhar Puppetry and Miniature School experience
- Traditional breadmaking and lunch with a local family
- Visit a famous ceramics studio
"Highlights of our trip were eating home cooked bread and play in an Uzbek home, staying in a converted madrassa in old Khiva and getting to understand something of this fascinating country, in a huge part due to our excellent and knowledgeable guide." J Swaisland
Request your brochure
travelsphere.co.uk
01858 415072
or visit your local travel agent
Fluted 'Excellent' Truipilot
Price correct at time of print. Terms & conditions apply. ABTA Y6412, ATOL 11266.
EXPENSIVE TASTES:
The costs soon mount up when you factor in lavish meals out, says Georgina Fuller, top
EXPLORATIONS BY NORWEGIAN
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India, Sri Lanka & Christmas in Southeast Asia
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Fly to Mumbai before embarking on an Exploration voyage through India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia, featuring an overnight onboard stay in Mumbai and discovering vibrant cultures, tropical coastlines and iconic destinations along the way.
flights from the UK to Mumbai and returning from Singapore
14 Night Cruise onboard Regatta from Mumbai to Singapore
All-inclusive onboard freestyle dining
BONUS All-inclusive onboard beverage package - worth £440.00
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Onboard entertainment and enrichment programs
Add on a 5 Night Golden Triangle Tour before your cruise from an incredible £799.00 or 7 Night with Ranthambore Tigers £1,099.00
Explore Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, with iconic landmarks including the Taj Mahal. Add on 3 night stay to celebrate New Year in Singapore from £399.00
Fly from your regional airport - Please contact for details Manchester - Birmingham - Prices based on Heathrow departures
FROM
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INTERIOR STATEROOM PER PERSON | TWIN SHARE
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For Cabin Visa Required. Cruise Club UK is a subsidiary of Travelworld International MCR. Cruise Club UK acts as ATOL holder/agent for financial protection. Prices are based on non-shore per person and subject to availability and currency fluctuations. Prices subject to change without notice, until reservation is confirmed. ABTA NUMBER: 59095 | ATOL NUMBER: 5673. For full terms and conditions, cruiseclubuk.com/terms-conditions.phtml
v1
Holidays 65
Our writer relives her childhood holidays on seaside resort's 400th birthday
Falling for Scarborough all over again
STANDING in a quiet corner of St Mary's Church in Scarborough, I gaze at the gravestone of Anne Bronte, who died in this North Yorkshire seaside resort in 1849 aged just 29. The peaceful spot overlooks South Bay, where pavements are heaving with day trippers.
Nowadays, visitors flock to Scarborough for fish and chips and, of course, the beaches.
But Anne came to Scarborough when it was rising in popularity in the 1800s, although its famous spa waters were discovered earlier, in 1626, marking the creation of the UK's first seaside resort.
Exactly 400 years on, most now come for its classic charm. South Bay beach is packed with families playing in the sand, as I did with my parents years ago.
Along the promenade I recognise
By Alesia Fiddler
many shops from my childhood, including a bucket-and-spade seller and John Bull's World Of Rock, a family-run confectioners.
Some buildings appear a touch rough around the edges, obviously having had to battle many a sandy wind. And yes, there's plenty of seaside tat, though that's all part of the charm.
I pick up a peach and mango twist from Harbour Bar (£3.25), an ice-cream parlour dating from 1945. Instead of sitting inside, I stand by the harbour and listen to a man calling out for 'any more sailors' to join his next boat trip.
A child passes clutching a Mr Whippy that's about the same size as his head. It's dribbling down his hand as his dad hurries him along.
For old time's sake, I squeeze in
a visit to the arcades. My brother and I used to relish collecting spare change before our visits. Coney Island and Olympia Leisure were some of our favourite spots.
After an hour, I depart with a cheap toy and fewer pounds in my pocket than when I entered, feeling childishly gleeful.
It's not a trip to Scarborough
TIMELESS: A view of South Bay, above, and, left. Alesia tucks into an ice cream
without sampling fish and chips. Winking Willy's has been my family's favourite restaurant for years. They don't disappoint this time around either, and I'm
handed a big plate of crispy haddock and chips (£15.90).
Eventually I retreat to my hotel, the Bike And Boot, a short walk from South Bay. Around the corner is the Grand Hotel, which opened in 1867 as 'the largest and handsomest hotel in Europe'.
Scarborough's North Bay feels like another world. The beach has
been recognised for its cleanliness, unlike South Bay, where the Environment Agency last year classified the water as 'poor'.
Peasholn Park, which opened in 1912, is a few minutes walk from the North Bay and has dragon-shaped pedalos to hire.
It's been a lovely trip down memory lane, and I head home with a bag of sticky, sweet treats.
TRAVEL FACTS
DOUBLES at Bike And Boot from £79 (bikeandboot.com/scarborough). Information: visitnorthyorkshire.com
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66 Holiday
HOLIDAY GURU
Solving all your travel conundrums
I'M THINKING of going to the Canary Islands for the first time in October. I do like beaches but I'm also into walking and culture. I know little about the islands other than that they're reliable for sunshine and belong to Spain. Which one might be best for me?
Susan Young, Buxton, Derbyshire
THERE are eight inhabited Canary Islands: El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, La Graciosa and Tenerife. Their combined population is 2.2 million and the weather is indeed sunny year-round, as you might expect of an archipelago off the Western Sahara coast.
Each island has its own distinct quality. For the first timer, despite the (unfair) jokes about Lanza-grotty, Lanzarote is a good bet. Yes, there are some sprawling tourist resorts, but there are quieter stretches such as Playa Papagayo and Caleton Blanco, plus the tourist-developed (but not overdone) Playa Dorada and Playa Blanca. The island has a rich cultural
How to pick your Canary Island...
side, particularly thanks to the Lanzarote-born artist Cesar Manrique (1919-1992).
As regards walks, this is a formerly active volcanic island, and one of the top hikes covers six miles around the Caldera Blanca volcano, taking three hours, or there is the 2.8-mile route around Caldera de los Cuervos (alltrails.com). You can
also take a day trip by boat to Lanzarote's little sister island, La Graciosa, for more hiking.
A week's stay at the five-star Princess Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort on Playa Blanca is from £1,014pp B&B in October, including Manchester flights (tui.co.uk). A week's car hire is from £102 (autoreisen.com). As far as other islands are
concerned, Gran Canaria would also make a great pick, with its lovely beaches and volcanic peaks, plus modern art galleries in Las Palmas, the capital.
Meanwhile, Tenerife, the largest Canary Island, does have plenty of busy beach resorts, but there is also ample hiking. Fuerteventura is quieter with fine beaches. The best are on its
renowned 5.5-mile Sotavento coastline in the south-west.
Hikers particularly enjoy the volcanic landscape of La Palma, which has a network of trails (visitlapalma.es). Tiny El Hierro, the most westerly island, is also much-loved by hikers and is known for its eco-tourism and 'soul' (elhierro.travel), while La Gomera has thick rainforest and volcanic ridges, plus some quiet beaches (lagomera.travel).
WE ARE a couple in our 70s and, while I am quite active, my husband has reduced mobility. We want to do a Rocky Mountaineer train ride in Canada but wonder if a lot of walking is required when not on the actual train journeys. Can you recommend a trip covering Lake Louise, Jasper and Banff, starting in Vancouver?
Jackie Fish, via email
YOU should be fine - not much walking is required on these tours. A particularly eye-catching ride is an 11-night 'Grand Adventure Circle Journey', with five days on board, covering the places you mention, costing from £8,313pp (rockymountaineer.com). Cheaper variations are possible. Trailfinders can tailor-make such trips for you (trailfinders.com).
WE'RE HERE TO HELP
If you need advice the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk
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72
Write to: The Letters Editor, The Mail on Sunday, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY. Email: letters@mailonsunday.co.uk
Letters
Why shouldn't Andrew have a royal funeral?
Last Sunday you reported that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is to be granted a royal funeral, despite him being stripped of his titles and privileges because of how he has conducted himself and the friends he has kept.
But I ask: 'Why shouldn't Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have a royal funeral?'
The former prince has surely already paid a heavy price for his arrogance and his behaviour.
You quoted a number of people saying why he should not be granted such a funeral, but at what point will he be left alone?
Let us not forget that he has not been charged with, let alone tried for, any criminal offences, and while he might well have the morals of an alley cat, couldn't the same be said for a number of peers and knights of the realm?
What he has been accused of is having sex with a woman allegedly trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, which even if true was in itself not a crime.
Des Morgan, Swindon
I think it's rather premature to get riled up about the details of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's funeral. He may still be with us for 20 years, and I assume that then matters will look a lot different to how they do now.
But the thought of Andrew's funeral has got me thinking of
Process migrants at sea
You ran letters last Sunday criticising open borders. So why are the RNLI 'rescuing' migrants and taking them to UK soil? The Royal Navy should take them to a ship at sea for processing.
Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian
Your correspondents call for big
all the brouhaha that would be attached to Prince Harry's funeral, when his time comes. Luckily, I will not be around to see it!
Elise Knox-Thomas, Nottingham
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor must have a dignified, personal, family funeral.
So why not at the smaller chapel near Royal Lodge at Windsor, rather than St George's Chapel?
Harry Verney, Flitcham, Norfolk
I see last Sunday that you threw some red meat to republicans with your story that a lavish funeral for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is planned.
No doubt most republicans would be happy if he's simply thrown on a skip when the time
cuts in immigration. Sadly, the UK has for many years relied on poaching skilled people from poorer countries. For a different system, we need to spend money on training young people, and retraining older unemployed people, to do those jobs.
Richard Mountford, Hildenborough, Kent
comes! However, I'm equally sure that most royalists in the country couldn't care less how Andrew might be buried.
Kevin Coley, Leicester
Andrew is the son of our late Queen and, therefore, deserves a decent funeral.
And he has been the subject of unsubstantiated allegations regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.
Name and address supplied
It's very odd that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a private citizen, would be getting a royal funeral. He's royal because of his heritage, but he's not exactly a private citizen like the rest of us – as he hasn't paid taxes like us!
Samuel Farooq, Tooting, London
Sarah's Meghan mistake
Sarah Vine made a valiant attempt at defending Meghan Markle in You magazine last Sunday. Sarah said she didn't think it fair to hold Meghan solely responsible for the royal shambles that followed Megxit. I believe many people would think otherwise!
With Meghan, left, we dared to hope that she could become a proper member of the Royal Family, but she betrayed us. She was welcomed into the fold, treated with generosity and kindness, and offered all the trappings and the status of her position. But none of it was ever going to be enough. She had a different agenda, and couldn't accept a supporting role in the family, which, ironically, would have made her a bigger star.
Sarah got one thing right, however – it has been ten years of drama with Meghan! But then Meghan is an actress. Now Meghan is forced to slip in and out of Britain incognito. How sad and disappointing it must be for her!
Stasha Martin, East Preston, West Sussex
Why waste so much paper and ink on Meghan Markle? She has insulted our Royal Family and our country so much. I have always liked Sarah Vine and I cannot believe that she wrote so much about Meghan.
Helen Penney, Longborough, Gloucestershire
Is it back to the future?
Is Andy Burnham wrong in trying to take us back to pre-Thatcher days? In the 1970s, the European Convention on Human Rights was not part of UK law, there was no one trying to make us believe a person born male was really female, and imperial measurements were widely used! But I don't think Andy Burnham will be reversing on these issues.
Chris Jackson, Wakefield
Andy Burnham favours nationalised industries. I've worked in both the private and public sector. The latter was full of union interference, laziness and mickey-taking attitudes.
Steve Collard, Beckenham, Kent
LETTER OF THE WEEK
Rules are there for our own good
Peter Hitchens was quite correct last Sunday in saying that we should go back to old-fashioned values on discipline.
He was particularly right in saying that children should be instilled with a sense of what is right and what is wrong.
As a beat officer back in 1981, I had occasion to reprimand a young boy for misbehaving.
I knew that he went to the local Catholic school. So I said: 'Right.
Report to Sister Teresa. Tell her I've sent you and tell her why.'
The poor little kid burst into tears and begged to be let off, which I did.
I had made the point to him. Sister Teresa may have been a strict disciplinarian – she put the fear of God into those children – but she had a heart of gold.
She educated my own four children. Three went to university, of which two obtained
masters degrees. The fourth has never been out of work.
This was a direct result of their school instilling in them a sense of responsibility and duty towards others in society. There was discipline in that school – for the right reasons.
My children have now passed on these attributes to their very own children.
Stuart Bower, Shoreham, West Sussex
Police need a change in law
The legislation that was put in place to release prisoners early to ease prison overcrowding was poorly thought through. It could quite easily have excluded anyone killing a policeman, such as PC Andrew Harper, right. Since his death there is now
a law that anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker in committing a crime receives a mandatory life sentence. If this was applied retrospectively it would keep his killers behind bars.
B. McNamara, Wallington, Surrey
BC vs BCE I agree with Alexandra Shulman about
rejecting the use of 'BCE' and 'CE' and still using 'BC' and 'AD'. If other religions have their own calendars, why not Christians?
In any case, I think of 'BCE' not as 'Before the Common Era' but as 'Before the Christian Era' and 'CE' as the 'Christian Era'.
Donald Brown, Bridlington, East Yorkshire
Public inconvenience
I completely agree with Dr Ellie about the disgrace that is the
PRIZE LETTER
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closure of public toilets. These facilities are especially necessary for those with certain health issues. I would also like to mention the lack of public seating in supermarkets.
Years ago, almost every shop provided a couple of chairs for a brief respite. It's in all our interests to get out and about, and I've seen many an older or disabled person looking in vain for somewhere to rest.
J. H. Grey, Ashford, Kent
73
Financial
MAIL ON SUNDAY
Housing chief: We won't be easy pickings for activists
INTERVIEW
Page 76
Aldi boss blasts rivals'
'phoney' loyalty deals
No-frills grocer insists shoppers shouldn't be penalised if they refuse to sign up for schemes
THE UK boss of Aldi has taken a swipe at his rivals as he backed Andy Burnham to tackle 'pho- ney bargains' in supermarkets.
Giles Hurley, pictured below, threw his support behind the Prime Minister's plan to crack down on what he called 'invented reductions' saying enforcement must be 'rigorous and targeted'.
The grocery boss also took aim at supermarket loyalty schemes and apps, saying consumers should not be forced to pay more 'simply because they do not have a smartphone.'
His remarks served as a thin- ly-veiled critique of some of Aldi's biggest competitors, as grocers crank up an intense bat- tle for shoppers during the cost of living crisis.
As part of an attack on what he called 'rip- off Britain', Burnham said last week that the Government would draw up plans to ban misleading prices that make discounts seem better than they are.
He said this would include fake prices that effectively have made-up dis- counts, as well as misleading 'recommended' retail prices.
Writing for The Financial Mail on Sunday's sister publication ThisIsMoney, Hurley backed Burnham's efforts and said supermarkets should be doing all they can to make prices affordable for shop- pers, arguing grocers should 'start low, stay competitive and make the price available to everyone.'
He added: 'Genu- ine promotions can help customers, and retailers that follow the rules should not be treated as wrongdoers.
By Emily Hawkins
But reference prices must be meaningful, savings claims must be clear and action on deceptive practices must be swift.'
As Britain's fourth-largest supermarket, Aldi is one of the only major grocers to not offer a loyalty membership scheme. These often involve shoppers having to download an app on their phone to access discounts.
By contrast, Tesco and Sains- bury's have been growing their membership schemes over the past years. On many goods, they offer customers a lower price than those who aren't members.
Aldi's rival discounter Lidl also
promotion applied, is a customer actually getting a low price?'
He also argued that consumers should not be denied discounts for refusing to sign up to apps and loyalty programmes.
'Nobody should pay more for an essential simply because they do not have a smartphone, can- not join a scheme or choose not to hand over their data,' the Aldi boss said. The criticism follows allegations grocers are using loyalty apps to harvest customer data, which can then be used to encourage them to spend more.
Some supermarkets are also accused of increasing standard prices for items, with the 'loy- alty price' simply reducing their cost back down to market rates.
Other grocers pointed to a find- ing by the Compe- tition and Markets Authority in 2024 that 92 per cent of loyalty-priced products offered a real reduction compared with their usual price.
But Hurley called this only 'part of the story' as it compared supermarket dis- counts with their own prices and not the prices more widely.
Hurley's broadside is the latest in an ongoing battle between the German discounters and their British rivals, with Aldi and Lidl rapidly expanding as they lure cost-conscious customers.
But their ascent was dealt a blow this month when the UK's competition watchdog said it could include them in a ban on supermarkets blocking rivals opening nearby by buying up suitable land in those areas. This threatens a loophole that has let Aldi and Lidl rapidly gain mar- ket share. Tesco and Sainsbury's declined to comment.
Aston Martin backers shaken and stirred
Page 75
does this and lets members earn points for 'rewards'.
'A discount can be genuine, yet the final price can still be expen- sive. A loyalty badge is not proof that shoppers are getting the best value,' Hurley said, highlighting data from con- sumer website Which? that showed an average basket of household staples totalled £158.05 at Aldi while the same basket cost £187.86 at Sainsbury's and £188.45 at Tesco even when loyalty dis- counts were included. He asked: 'After every card has been scanned and every
IMMORTALISED: Eddy and Patsy from Ab Fab and the iconic London store
Ashley's £200m bill
to save Harvey Nicks
TYCOON Mike Ashley will need to spend £200 million over the next four years if he is to restore Harvey Nichols to its former glory days as London's hottest fashion store, a leading retail expert has said.
Jonathan De Mello of JDM retail consultancy said the billionaire had to depart from the cut-price, mass market approach that has seen success at his Sports Direct chain to break into the luxury sector.
Ashley cited a figure of £60 million to stabilise the retailer he bought out of administration last week. But De Mello said reviving the chain of department stores involved training staff in the personalised service expected of high-end stores and rebuilding links with high fashion.
By Anne Ashworth
'It's about going to fashion shows and building relationships with designers. Harvey Nichols has to be the place for the most amazing party frocks and other fashion,' De Mello said, though he expected some stores would be rebranded under Ashley's House of Fraser name. In its 1990s heyday, the Knightsbridge store was a lynchpin of London's fashion scene, immortalised by Eddy and Patsy in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.
'To go back to where it was, it must establish a point of difference between itself and Harrods and Selfridges,' De Mello added.
Follow us on X @Cal_Muirhead @PatrickTooher @ruthiesun @EmilyHwkns @AnneAshworth
74
Burnham is on borrowed time
HIGHER for longer. That's the only sensible assumption to make about the path for UK interest rates.
How Pill, chief economist at the Bank of England, said as much last week. He told the Wall Street Journal the fact the economy was growing faster than expected in the first half of the year reinforced the case for higher rates.
This matters, obviously because – as chief economist – he has access to data the rest of us don't, but more because a lot of people in America who have bought gilts (UK debt) will have read it.
Were the Bank to be seen to go soft on inflation – and its reputation is pretty dodgy right now – that could lead to a wider loss of confidence in the pound and the Government's ability to fund its ever-increasing pile of debt.
We'll learn more about inflation and Government finances this week. Inflation figures for July come out on Wednesday, and the
City expects the Consumer Prices Index to have risen from 2.6 to 2.8 per cent before heading above 3.5 per cent later in the year.
As far as the markets are concerned, the Bank will be forced to respond. You can measure their expectations by looking at money market rates. These point to the Bank's base rate rising to 4 per cent this year, to 4.25 per cent next, then staying above 4 per cent for the rest of the decade.
Pill was one of the three members of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee who voted for a rise in rates last time. He and his fellow hawks were outgunned last month, but the markets think their judgment that the Bank has to show some steel in fighting inflation will be proved right.
Government borrowing numbers come out on Friday. The background here is that the first two months of this financial year were dreadful, with the deficit running a quarter above forecast.
Then the June figures were better, so that borrowing overall was only a bit higher than projected. It's still terrible – just not quite as bad as it might have been.
You don't want to get too worked up about one month's figures but if this lot show the deficit running above target it bodes ill for our new Chancellor trying to frame his budget on October 28.
The big point here is that confidence in this new government is on a knife-edge. You may have read about the Government trying to find more room to spend by tweaking the rules of the Office for Budget Responsibility. The Trades Union Congress has further undermined global trust in the OBR by calling for 'root-and-branch' reform to allow more public investment, which would require yet more borrowing. This
shows how little these people understand how the world works.
It's like putting in a mortgage application that says – aside from the £250,000 you need to buy the house – you will borrow another £50,000 to put in a new kitchen to make nice meals and save the money you spend on restaurants.
Oh, and if your mortgage sup-
'UK has to pay more to fund debt than any of its rivals'
plier doesn't like the idea, you'll go borrow from someone else.
Little wonder the yield – or effective interest rate – on ten-year gilts pushed back above 5 per cent in Friday trading, close to its highest level since 2008. I'll say it again, the UK has to pay a higher rate of interest to fund its debt than any other large devel-
oped country. And it's we, as taxpayers, who have to stump up.
So what will happen? We are a resilient lot and have a resilient economy. That's why we've been able to grow a bit faster than the US and Canada, and much faster than Germany and Italy in the first half of this year. France, by the way, did not grow at all. But we'll have inflation way above target and relatively high interest rates for the foreseeable future.
It may simply be a long grind ahead that we have to cope with.
But we may also have to accept a serious reversal in the next couple of years. That could take the form of a recession, perhaps triggered by a slump in property prices. I don't like the feel of our housing market right now, with squeezed incomes and the prospect of higher interest rates.
Or it could be a widespread loss of confidence in this Government leading to a sharp fall in gilt prices and an emergency budget.
Either way, we are going to need all the resilience we can muster.
Tesco chief Ken Murphy regains pay gap crown
By Patrick Tooher
TESCO has regained its 'crown' as the blue-chip company with the largest pay gap between its boss and a typical worker.
Ken Murphy's £10.8 million package was 420 times what the average Tesco worker earned last year. The Financial Mail on Sunday's annual audit of boardroom pay has found.
Murphy was dethroned briefly last year by Peter Dilnot, who pocketed £45 million in aerospace engineer Melrose's controversial bonus scheme. A typical FTSE 100 chief now
earns just over £5 million, or 130 times that of the median UK worker – the highest gap for eight years, according to the High Pay Centre think-tank.
'While employee wages stagnate, living standards fall and the cost-of-living crisis continues, this is in neither the country's nor the economy's best interests,' it concluded.
But big firms like Tesco say US-style pay is needed to compete in what they say is an increasingly global market for top executives. With many part-time staff, retailers and hospitality firms have some of the largest pay gaps.
Top Tory calls for 'urgent' probe into HSBC freezing savings to appease Beijing
By Calum Muirhead
A TOP Tory has called on ministers to 'urgently investigate' the blocking of hundreds of millions of pounds in pensions owed to British nationals from Hong Kong by banking giant HSBC.
It comes as a human rights group accused the UK-headquartered bank, which makes most of its money in Hong Kong and China, of denying withdrawal applications from people who used indefinite leave to remain (ILR) status to prove they permanently resettled in Britain.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said it had left thousands of people unable to access life savings, was 'wholly wrong' and was done to 'appease Beijing'.
More than £1 billion of savings was frozen after the introduction of repressive national security laws in Hong Kong sparked an exodus of people holding British National Overseas (BNO) passports to the UK. Most of this – £97.8 million – is in accounts overseen by HSBC.
The savings are held in the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), a compulsory pension scheme most Hong Kongers and their employers pay into. People can withdraw their pension early if they have permanently resettled overseas. To do so, they need to provide documentary proof that they are permitted to reside abroad.
In 2021, China said it would no longer recognise BNO passports or visas as valid travel documents.
The row has been reignited after a survey of British Hong Kongers by Hong Kong Watch found HSBC
OUTCRY: Priti Patel is demanding ministers act on the latest revelation
was denying withdrawals using ILR status too. This is issued by the Home Office to prove people are permanently settled in the UK.
ILRs were not mentioned in Beijing's 2021 announcement forbidding the acceptance of BNOs.
'It is outrageous Hong Kongers who did everything right – who built new lives in Britain, gained settled status, and proved their permanent departure – are still locked out of their retirement savings. This is not a technicality, but a hardship inflicted on ordinary
families by an authoritarian regime's political retaliation,' said Megan Khoo at Hong Kong Watch.
When asked by The Mail on Sunday why it was rejecting applicants using ILRs, HSBC said the rules around which documents would be accepted for early withdrawal were 'a matter of law' and it had 'no discretion in this matter'.
But the bank declined to specify which legislation was being used for this purpose in either Hong Kong or the UK, or how it would be aware of a person's previous
passport or visa status if they were not submitted as part of a withdrawal application and given they are not recorded in ILRs.
The response also appeared to contradict the Hong Kong pension regulator's website which states trustees of the savings, including HSBC, are responsible for deciding which documents suffice to prove whether an applicant was permitted to reside abroad.
Patel, who was Home Secretary when the BNO route was set up, said: 'Government must urgently investigate and act to ensure banks are not blocking use of legitimate ID. Labour cannot allow a desire to appease Beijing to get in the way of Hong Kongers' rights.'
An HSBC spokesman said: 'The conditions for early withdrawal are a matter of law and are not set by the trustee company. There are significant penalties for non-compliance. Neither HSBC nor any other MPF trustee has discretion in this matter. The pension benefits of affected members remain in the system and continue to accrue, and can be withdrawn once any of the right conditions are met, including upon retirement.'
Labour's stance on exiles was highlighted last month when Wu Chi-wai, a prominent pro-democracy campaigner, was detained by UK border agents and threatened with deportation despite travelling on his BNO passport. He was finally allowed to stay after an outcry from activists and politicians.
75
BY PATRICK TOOHER
AUDITIONS are under way for a new James Bond – and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden is among those tipped to replace Daniel Craig after his 15 years in the coveted role as the fictional spy. But as long-suffering backers of Aston Martin Lagonda know to their cost, 007's favoured fast car marque has repeatedly failed its own screen test as a high-profile publicly listed company.
Floated at £19 apiece in 2018 – the equivalent of £36 after stock dilution – shares in the luxury car maker have crashed to a new low of 35p after a string of profit warnings left the company valued at just £154 million.
First-half losses of £154 million widened from £141 million a year earlier as a turnaround plan stalled, while vertiginous debts climbed to over £1.5 billion.
'Aston Martin makes no sense as a publicly listed company,' said Simon Hirst, a lecturer in equity capital markets at the US's Yale School of Management.
It would be easy to blame Aston Martin's latest woes on US tariffs and the Iran war, which has pushed up energy prices and disrupted supply chains for all car makers. But City sources say another reason the firm remains on the skids is the way it is run.
'They are nowhere complying with the corporate governance code,' said a source close to a bondholder group owed £1.3 billion referring to the code for best boardroom practice for listed firms. 'They're constantly burning cash.'
The bondholders point to Lawrence Stroll, the Canadian billionaire who made his fortune reviving the Michael Kors fashion brand, before his Yew Tree consortium rescued Aston Martin in a £500 million deal six years ago.
As executive chairman and its biggest shareholder Stroll wields huge clout in the boardroom. The roles of chair and chief executive in publicly listed firms are usually split to avoid putting too much power in one person's hands.
Complicating things further, Stroll also owns the legally separate Aston Martin Formula 1 team based at Silverstone, for whom his son Lance is a racing car driver.
The two pursuits overlap. While Aston Martin has now sold its stake in the F1 team, its accounts show the car maker incurred a 'net marketing expense' of £22 million last year as part of its long-term sponsorship of the racing outfit.
The carmaker says Aston Martin's presence on the F1 starting grid has 'propelled the brand on to the global stage'. But the hoped-for 'halo effect' has dimmed as the
How the wheels came off at ASTON MARTIN
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME: Sean Connery as James Bond with an Aston Martin Class in the 1964 World Championship
James Bond carmaker locked in row with investors over 'secret' offshore debt deal
PUNCTURED: How shares in the carmaker have deflated since floating
team languishes near the bottom of the F1 constructors' table.
In February, Aston Martin raised £50 million by selling its F1 naming rights to Stroll 'in perpetuity' in what amounted to yet another cash injection by the mogul into
the firm. In the latest twist, creditors are threatening legal action after it shifted valuable naming and branding rights from the UK to the Cayman Islands as part of a controversial deal with HPS, the private credit arm of fund giant BlackRock, to ease its debt.
Among the 195 Aston Martin trademarks transferred to an offshore unit on July 30 were the winged logo and the trademark for the shape and design of the DB5, the model Sean Connery drives in the 1964 film Goldfinger.
Aston Martin's complex deal with HPS included a £450 million loan. The carmaker can also draw on another £100 million if it hands a 50.1 per cent stake in the transferred trademarks to co-investor Authentic Brands, which owns the
Reebok, Ted Baker and David Beckham brands and rights tied to Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.
News of the deal blindsided Aston Martin's creditors. They have sent a 'letter before action' to the Aston Martin board, warning they may file proceedings seeking to unwind the HPS deal over concerns it puts assets – against which they lent money to the company – deliberately out of their reach.
A source close to the creditors said they were 'quite flabbergasted' not to be told about the Authentic Brands deal while their offer of cheaper funding was 'ignored' by the board, which then 'accelerated' the HPS tie-up. They said this lack of transparency was 'like private equity at its worst, really red in tooth and claw'. Aston
Martin said the HPS deal 'significantly' bolstered its position, adding: 'The board looked at the available financing options and selected the one it judged to be in the best interests of the company. The transaction is fully permitted by the terms of the bond financing agreements, with which it is compliant in all respects. The group is simply using pre-existing permissions in those documents.' HPS was approached for comment.
Unless the row is resolved, the creditors, who set a deadline of Friday last week, will seek compensation or try to have the HPS deal, which they say is illegal, reversed. Either way, with Aston Martin's private shareholders all but wiped out it's now the turn of the bondholders to feel car-sick.
Reckitt faces court showdown over baby formula claims
CONSUMER goods giant Reckitt is set to face a US courtroom showdown tomorrow in the latest round of a class action lawsuit connected to its baby formula products.
It is alleged that one of its subsidiaries, Mead Johnson, failed to warn parents that one of its infant milk formulas, Enfamil, raised the risk of developing necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a bowel condition that is often fatal in newborn and premature infants. Reckitt denies the claims.
One of Reckitt's rivals, US firm Abbott Laboratories, is facing similar allegations that one of its formula products, Similac,
By Calum Muirhead
also increased the risk of NEC. Reckitt is facing a combination of hundreds of lawsuits in the US district court in Illinois, where litigation is due to begin tomorrow.
'This bellwether trial is a pivotal moment that brings the devastated families and premature babies affected by NEC a step closer to justice,' said Sara Papantonio at Levin Papantonio, a law firm representing the plaintiffs in tomorrow's class action.
A Reckitt spokesman said: 'We remain
confident in our position based on the facts and the science, and look forward to presenting our case at trial. We stand behind the safety and efficacy of our preterm hospital nutrition products, which neonatologists recommend when clinically appropriate as part of the standard of care in neonatal intensive care units.
'Claims by plaintiffs' lawyers that these products cause NEC are not supported by the science or the medical consensus. We will continue to vigorously defend ourselves on the facts and the science.'
The lawsuits have weighed on Reckitt's
share price, which has fallen nearly 13 per cent over the past five years as investors have fretted about the potential costs should the courts rule against Mead Johnson. Lawsuits over Enfamil and Similac first began appearing in 2022.
But the company scored a victory last month when a jury in Missouri rejected claims that Mead Johnson's formula was responsible for an infant's NEC.
It came after an Illinois court in June reversed a $60 million (£45 million) verdict against the firm that it had failed to warn parents that its products could cause NEC.
76
HELEN Gordon seems very calm, given not one but two of the City's most aggressive predators have taken stakes in Grainger, the property company she runs. High Street tycoon Mike Ashley, who last week snapped up the Harvey Nichols department store chain in a £40 million rescue deal, controls around 4 per cent.
More ominously, US corporate raider Boaz Weinstein's investment vehicle Saba built a 5 per cent stake earlier this summer.
Weinstein has wreaked havoc on a string of investment trusts in the past two years, trying with some success to unseat their boards and seize control. He is now laying siege to property companies such as Grainger, known as REITs or Real Estate Investment Trusts.
Most bosses would be perturbed to see the paunchy pair on their shareholder register. Gordon seems unruffled, perhaps because she has been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
When she took over at Grainger a decade ago, she was met by a formidable activist, Richard Bernstein of Crystal Amber. She was unfazed, saying: 'I thought: I can be more active than the activist can ever imagine.'
Bernstein wanted Grainger to do a quick sale of some of its properties let at below-market rents to tenants with a lifelong right to stay. Instead, Gordon pivoted into 'build-to-rent', constructing high-quality rental homes providing a long-term stream of income.
Ten years on, FTSE 250-listed Grainger is the UK's largest quoted residential landlord, with 11,200 rental homes, including Argo Apartments in Canning Town, east London, where we meet. But as with other REITs, Grainger's shares trade at a 40 per cent discount to the value of its assets, which is why it is a target for activists. How does she deal with that?
'Any shareholder in the company has a voice worth listening to,' she says. 'If they have a good idea I have missed as to how I
'I can be more active than the activists'
can narrow the discount, I am really all ears.'
She has, she says, 'reached out to Boaz' to no avail, but she adds: 'We have met Mike Ashley's team and it was really positive.'
Grainger is not the only potential takeover target – pretty much the whole of the REIT sector is in the sights of predators. The recent capitulation of Segro, the biggest listed REIT in the UK, to US bidder Prologis, is a sign of the times.
Some observers fear selling off REITs to private equity and foreign bidders will damage Britain.
Segro develops data centres that are strategically important for artificial intelligence in this country. Other REITs own properties housing vulnerable or elderly adults. Grainger itself is a big provider of rented homes to NHS doctors and nurses, who make up about 30 per cent of its tenant roll.
'Perhaps if you are a REIT owned by an overseas owner they may not be thinking about the fabric of the UK,' says Gordon, who adds
Grainger boss Dame Helen Gordon is unruffled by Mike Ashley and raider Boaz Weinstein. After dealing with activists, sexists and RBS she's seen it all!
'I need just the property scene'
SOLID FOUNDATIONS: Helen Gordon says good rental housing boosts economic growth, attracting and keeping talented workers.
that she understands why the takeover of Segro has happened, but thinks it is 'a great shame'.
Gordon was made a dame in the King's Birthday Honours list this year. Now 67, she cut her teeth in the 1980s when property was even more male-dominated than now.
She said she wanted to work in the industry aged just three, when her parents were building their own house in Cheshire and she played on the construction site.
She worked on the development of Milton Keynes in the early 1980s. Then at infrastructure group John Laing, she led the UK's first Private Finance Initiative building project at Ashford International station in Kent.
'It was unusual to be a woman in that world at the time,' she says. 'I asked the chief executive, who was a member of the Laing family, if they would consider making a woman a director and the answer came, 'well I do have a daughter'.'
She did become the first female director before moving to senior positions at Railtrack – she was in situ when it was renationalised –
and then running a flagship investment fund at insurance giant Legal & General.
In the aftermath of the great financial crisis of 2008, she was in charge of selling off Royal Bank of Scotland's £38 billion global property portfolio. It sounds as though if she dealt with that, she could deal with anything.
'It put other challenges in perspective, absolutely,' she says.
By her late 80s, Gordon was contemplating a step back from full-on executive roles when a headhunter put her forward to be chief executive of Grainger.
The firm was founded in 1912 by a wealthy family in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and named after the Grainger Town area of the city.
The lingering image of rented housing in the UK is one of dingy, cramped flats, but the accommodation Grainger offers is high quality and priced to match.
The Argo's front desk is staffed 24/7, there's a gym, workspaces, accommodation for guests and a room that tenants can hire for dinner parties. A beautifully fur-
nished two-bedroom apartment starts at £2,300 a month.
Provision of good rental accommodation serves an economic and social purpose, Gordon argues. If more high-quality rental homes were available, the British might lose their fixation on climbing the property ladder so fast.
'In other countries people rent for longer,' she says. 'If people in this country knew prices were not going to race away and there was decent quality rented accommodation you might buy later in life'.
The role rental housing plays in economic growth is under-estimated, she says, adding: 'It is a key to attracting and keeping talented people in an area. Look at Manchester. A large proportion of graduates stay for a time because there is a massive rental market.'
Grainger concentrates on 22 UK cities 'that have a ready supply of tenants', including London, Manchester, Bristol and Oxford.
'We've also done well in Derby as engineering graduates go to work there, and don't always want to rent a terraced house,' she says.
She would like to see more private individuals buy shares in Grainger, which she argues is a hassle-free way of investing in rental property compared with becoming a buy-to-let landlord.
The share price is down 20 per cent since she took over. But the total return over the period of consistently rising dividends were reinvested is 14.6 per cent.
While tech firms have soared on the basis of sheer hope, companies like hers with solid assets and a consistent flow of dividends are marked down, she says, adding: 'Tech firms are seen as a central component of the AI boom but we
'We're vital to UK given the housing shortage'
are a central component of life in a country with a housing shortage.'
This does not seem to cut much ice on markets. Why is the discount so stubbornly wide?
She says investors feared the lurch to the Left when Labour took power. But she argues the Renters' Rights Act, which came in this year, is positive for Grainger as its requirements will push smaller landlords out of the market.
But she does decry the lack of continuity, saying: 'One problem is just the carousel of housing ministers. We have had 17 in 12 years.'
She's outlasted the lot, as well as surviving the collapse of Railtrack and a £38 billion property fire sale at RBS. If Weinstein or Ashley think she is a soft target, they have another think coming.
HELEN GORDON: FAN OF SEASIDE GARDENS
AGE: 67
LIVES: Central London
GETTING AROUND: Rarely drives, mainly uses public transport
EDUCATION: Sale Girls' Grammar, Cheshire
FAMILY: Husband John,
nephews and nieces
DREAM HOME: Any with a beautiful view of the sea – but as a tenant, not an owner!
CURRENT BOOK:
Charles Dickens' Night Walks
HOBBIES: Looking into seaside gardens
IDEAL DINNER PARTY GUEST (DEAD, ALIVE, OR FICTIONAL): Queen Elizabeth II, pictured left
77
£10 OFF at SPORTS DIRECT when you spend £50 or more
With today's Mail on Sunday, enjoy an exclusive £10 off when you spend £50 or more in store at Sports Direct.
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And with the new school term just around the corner, get the kids kitted out too. Find everything from school shoes and trainers to PE kits and backpacks – all in one place.
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£10 OFF WHEN YOU SPEND £50 OR MORE
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CARTOONS
176
RESULTS
CHAMPIONSHIP
| BOSTON...(2) | PRESTON...(1) | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| OAK 19 | Oak 20 | |
| Gate 25 | ||
| BRISTOL CITY...(0) | MILWALL...(0) | 2 |
| Lehore 41, 50 | ||
| CHARLTON...(0) | DERBY...(0) | 1 |
| Newell's | Joneside (1) | |
| Campbell 80 | ||
| MIDDERSBURG...(0) | LINCOLN CITY...(0) | 1 |
| Lawrenceville | Beach 7 | |
| NORWICH CITY...(0) | WEST BRIDGE...(0) | 2 |
| Rodgessville 90 | Heggden 75 | |
| PORTSMOUTH...(0) | O'Kee 26, 39 | |
| Devlin 35 | OPR...(0) | 3 |
| SHEFF UTD...(0) | BRIMINGHAM...(0) | 0 |
| STONE CITY...(0) | SWANSEA CITY...(0) | 2 |
| Recal 30 | Opelus (1), 40, 49 | |
| FREDDY & GAME(1) | Widman (2) | |
| Primary Sports Day Second Round | American (1) | |
| Blacksmith (1) | Wisconsin (1) | |
| William 49 | Northampton (1) | |
| Edmonds (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Edmonds (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkman (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) | |
| Elkhart (1) | O'Kee (1) |
LEAGUE ONE
| BARNESLEY...(0) | BIOMOLY...(0) | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Ankenney 79 | ||
| BLACKPOOL...(0) | WYCOMBE...(0) | 1 |
| Monroe 77 | Ongoldema 7 | |
| BRADFORD...(0) | PETERBORO'...(0) | 0 |
| Chesapeake, 76 | ||
| BURTONA...(0) | STEVENAGE...(0) | 1 |
| Annie 78 | Sanderson 30-41 | |
| CAMBRIDGE UTD(2) | WILAN...(0) | 2 |
| Watts 75 | Yvesco 65 | |
| Appier 34, Hadley 31 | Higgins 79 | |
| HUDDERSFIELD...(2) | 0 | |
| Gardens-Fernando 4, 16, Raidstone 39 | WIMBLEDON...(0) | 0 |
| LEYTON ORIENT...(0) | SHEFF WED...(0) | 2 |
| Olsen 38 | Slattery 15...(0) | 1 |
| MANFIELD...(0) | DONCASTER...(0) | 1 |
| Olsen 38, Read 39 | Jones 19 | |
| NOTT'S COUNTY...(0) | LEICESTER CITY...(0) | 1 |
| Grant 50 | Irving 62 | |
| OXFORD UTD...(0) | MR DONS...(0) | 2 |
| Stones 30, Deane 30-41 | Colton 78 | |
| PENSACOLA...(0) | LOCKPORT C...(0) | 3 |
| Brunell 79 | Stanwell 78 | |
| READING...(0) | LUTON...(0) | 4 |
| Blackwell, 31, 34 | Falmer 50, 52, Reda 39, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50 |
LEAGUE TWO
| ACLEMINGTON ST.(2) | COLCHESTER...(1) | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Colton 25, 30 | Jonesville 16, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40 | |
| BARNET...(2) | SAIFORD CITY...(0) | 1 |
| Bridgeport, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36, 36 | Stones 99 | |
| CHESTERFIELD...(0) | ROTHERHAM...(0) | 2 |
| McLean 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40 | ROTHERHAM...(0) | 1 |
| CHESTERFIELD...(0) | FLEETWOOD...(0) | 1 |
| Essex 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39 | Essex 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39, 39 | |
| CRANLEY TN...(0) | CREWE...(0) | 1 |
| GRUNDHAM...(0) | WALSALL...(0) | 3 |
| Green 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30 | Green 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30, 30 | |
| GRIMSBY...(0) | EXTREW...(0) | 1 |
| NEWPORT C...(2) | ROCHDALE...(0) | 0 |
| Cambridge 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38 | Common 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 38 | |
| NORTHAMPTON(0) | SWINSON...(0) | 0 |
| OLDHAM...(0) | PORT VALE...(0) | 0 |
| Newport 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42, 42 | SHREWSBURY...(0) | 0 |
| O'Kee...(0) | BRISTOL ROVERS (0) | 0 |
| NYSEA...(0) | BRISTOL ROVERS (0) | 0 |
| Newell 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50 | Newell 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50 |
ENTERPRISE NATIONAL LGE
| ADERSHOT...(0) | HARTLEPOOL...(0) | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| BARROW...(0) | HORNCHURCH...(0) | 2 |
| CHALERAL...(0) | BORHAMW 9...(0) | 0 |
| GETCHORD...(0) | BRONNE...(0) | 0 |
| EDDERMINSTER (0) | EASTLEIGH...(0) | 0 |
| SOUTHILL 8...(0) | BOSTON...(0) | 2 |
| SOUTHEND...(0) | SCUMTHORPE...(0) | 0 |
| SUTTON UTD...(0) | ALTENHAM...(0) | 0 |
| SKMORDFIX...(0) | ALT FRIER...(0) | 2 |
| WALLDSTONE...(0) | HARBOGATE...(0) | 3 |
| WORTHING...(0) | FOREST GREEN...(0) | 2 |
| YOUNG...(0) | CARLISLE...(0) | 1 |
| FRIENDLES | ||
| B RYGLADBACH...(2) | ASTON VILLA...(0) | 1 |
| BRENTFORD...(0) | FRANKFORT...(0) | 0 |
| BRIGHTON...(0) | BROGONA...(0) | 0 |
| CHICHA...(0) | REAL GOODING...(0) | 1 |
| EVERTON...(0) | LILLE...(0) | 1 |
| FREDERIC...(0) | CRYSTAL PALACE...(0) | 0 |
| FULHAM...(0) | STUTTGART...(0) | 0 |
| HULL CITY...(0) | NICE...(0) | 0 |
| LEEDS...(0) | AUCSBURG...(0) | 0 |
| MANSI...(0) | ENSMUSKOW (0) | 1 |
| MAN UTD...(0) | AC MILAN...(0) | 4 |
| NEWCASTLE UTD (1) | ELVERHOUSE...(0) | 2 |
| SUNDERLAND...(0) | KENNELL...(0) | 1 |
| TOTTENHAM...(0) | HOFFENHEIM...(0) | 3 |
| UNION BERLIN...(0) | IPWACK...(0) | 4 |
| FREDDY & GAME(1) | Georgetown (1) |
SPORT IN BRIEF
Athletics
| ASSISTANT CHAMPIONSHIPS (Birmingham) — Morris Hall Marathon Race Walk 1 F. McGrath (Spd) 76 2pm 23 0pm Marathon Race Walk 1 N. Gorse (Spd) 76 5pm 50 0pm, 80 0pm, Half Marathon Race Walk 1 M. Garcia (Spd) 76 5pm 26 0pm, Marathon Race Walk 1 G. Garcia (Spd) 76 5pm 26 0pm, Marathon Race Walk 1 G. Garcia (Spd) 76 5pm 26 0pm, Marathon Race Walk 1 G. Garcia (Spd) 76 5pm 26 0pm, Marathon Race Walk 1 G. Garcia (Spd) 76 5pm 26 0 |
|---|
Cricket
| FIRST TIDE (Detroit) — Australia 0:00 (10 events) and 10:14 (10 events). Range: 0-6 (0, 0-10 events). |
|---|
| FIRST TIDE (Sudici) — India 2:00 (2.25 events). 2:30 (4:00, 5:30). |
| 185TH TIDE (Belfast) — Australia 2:00 (2.50 events). Afghanistan 3:02.4 (4:15 events). Afghanistan won by 5 wickets. |
Golf
| DANISH CROP CHAMPIONSHIP (Detroit) — 3rd and (U.S. 1st series) (2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) — 1st Language (3rd) 69 0-6 (U.S. 2002) |
|---|
Rugby League
| BETFRED SUPER LEAGUE | ||
|---|---|---|
| BRADFORD | 6 | WILKIN |
| TOULSUSE | 6 | ANDERFIELD |
| WARTFIELD | 16 | ST HILDEN |
Today's Action
| SPORT — One Day Day Team-Finals: Lickestonshire v. Mott's (Coast Road, Tiarre). Middlesex v. Durham (Rudhitt, Tiarre) |
|---|
YOUR GUIDE TO TODAY'S RACING, WITH EXPERT TIPS
Pontefract
TV:RTV
Principal Meeting, 1st Avenue, GDRG, Good to form Good in places. OFFICER? From: DRY MARSH'S (Ludovka)
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(1) BRACE HARRY (Class 4) 2.5 Tudleyay (2) NORTH CAROLINA (4) 2.5 Ludovky (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1. McCarthy (4) 1.
4.5 BY THE OWN TIME FROM PILLEN HANDICAP (CLASS 4) 4.24, 6PM (4) 3.5, 9:42: 3m
ATHLETICS
79
KEELY'S ADVICE
Team GB star says organisers of European Championships should have done more to promote event after poor turnout
By Rath Al-Samarrai IN BIRMINGHAM
KEELY HODGKINSON has blamed a lack of advertising for the empty seats that have been conspicuous at the European Championships in Birmingham.
A crowd in excess of 23,000 — which is close to capacity for the Alexander Stadium — watched as Hodgkinson claimed an 800m silver medal on Friday night, but multiple sessions in the previous five days saw as many as 10,000 unclaimed spaces.
It has raised some awkward questions for organisers, not least because London is bidding to host the World Championships in 2029. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has played down those concerns ahead of next month's staging decision, which will rule on the four-way battle between Rome, Munich, Nairobi and London.
While London holds an enviable position in that race, the discourse around crowds in Birmingham has come at a tricky time for those behind the bid.
Hodgkinson, the standout name in the British squad, has now had her say, claiming a lack of visibility for the event has been reflected in the turnout.
She said: 'I would love more people to get behind track. It would have been nicer if they had put Birmingham out there a little bit more. They could have done that compared to a London Diamond League, you see it advertised all year round.'
'I heard people didn't even know it was on. Ultimately the crowd (for her 800m showdown with Audrey Werro) was incredible, thank you to everyone that turned up and supported us.'
Hodgkinson added: 'It's a bit difficult being midweek, and
OFF THE PACE: Johnson-Thompson
people are all working, and it's hard to get everyone down here to Birmingham. But there could have been a bit more advertising on the Championships overall.'
While those concerns have been a theme of the week, a more pressing issue for Hodgkinson, 24, will be righting the balance in her rivalry with Werro.
Having lost twice in succession to the Swiss phenomenon, the Olympic champion could have a shot at revenge at the prestigious Zurich Diamond League meet on August 27 — both women are currently entered in the field.
There is also an expectation that the two stars will then face-off at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest next month.
For the sake of Hodgkinson's confidence, she will want to get the upper hand again and soon, especially as those two defeats have arrived via different routes.
In Stockholm, back in June, Hodgkinson found herself in the rare position of being unable to kick clear in a leading position and here in Birmingham she tasted the frustration of not having the finishing speed to chase down the 22-year-old on the final straight.
Irrespective of whether Werro adopts the role of dog or rabbit, she seems to have the strength to win, and Hodgkinson, two years on from her heroics at the Paris Olympics, is yet to find a solution. The issue appears less tactical than one of raw speed.
Of course, that much can be told
by the clock — Werro has posted the third and fourth fastest 800m times in history in the past 10 weeks. With a personal best of 1:53.80, she is closing in on Jarmila Kratochvilova's 43-year-old record of 1:53.28, and has an edge in excess of 0.5sec on Hodgkinson's British record (1:54.33).
Hodgkinson, who lost much of last year to injury, will want to put a marker down on her latest rival, having already faced off — and mostly prevailed — against Athing Mu, Mary Moraa and Lilian Odira in a stacked discipline.
The successful transition from 400m hurdles to 800m by Femke Broeders-Bol makes the landscape all the more complicated.
'There have been so many rivals
ALL THE FINALS ON FINAL DAY...
- 7.30am MARATHON (W)
- 8.10am MARATHON (M)
- 7.30pm JAVELIN (W)
- 7.55pm POLE VAULT (M)
- 8.05pm LONG JUMP (W)
- 8.35pm 4X100M RELAY (MIXED)
- 8.50pm 3000M STEEPLECHASE (M)
- 9.12pm 1500M (W)
- 9.33pm 4X400M RELAY (W)
- 9.48pm 4X400M RELAY (M)
the last couple of years,' said Hodgkinson. 'I have been doing this for five years. Hopefully I have got another 10 in me.'
'There were always going to be people coming along, you don't know when someone is going to have a breakthrough.'
'I am proud of my consistency to stay up there and continue to fight and add more medals to my collection.'
With eyes on the possible Diamond League rematch with Werro to come, Hodgkinson added: 'I signed myself up for Zurich because I knew everyone was in it but me. I really wanted to be in it.'
'I don't want it to be easy. That's not fun, but we're all going to win some, lose some. S*** happens.'
KJT trails home LAST in heptathlon
KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON delivered one of the lowest heptathlon scores of her career and then admitted she will need to contemplate her future as an elite-level competitor after finishing last at the European Championships.
The 33-year-old, clearly unfit after recent difficulties with a calf issue, effectively jogged the 800m to bring an end to her underwhelming campaign in Birmingham.
Johnson-Thompson's final tally of 5,780 points left her 21st of the 21 finishers and amounted to her second worst score from 16 major events across 14 years as a
By Rath Al-Samarrai
professional athlete. Having skipped the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to be ready for this, the Olympic silver medalist never looked in race shape in Birmingham, where Ireland's Kate O'Connor took the title with 6,751 points.
After entering yesterday a full 324 points off first in 16th, Johnson-Thompson's struggles continued with a low mark of 5.77m in the long jump before forfeiting her next two jumps. A throw of 36.92m in the
javelin and an 800m time of 2:24.92 were in keeping with an event where she repeatedly returned scores miles beneath her best. 'It's far from my best. It's not the competition I would have wanted,' Johnson-Thompson said.
'It's not easy to come into a competition not in shape. It was important for me that I finished. I've been coming here a long time and it's been great to experience this stadium at full capacity again.' Questions will now focus on whether Johnson-Thompson has the appetite or health to continue onwards to the Los Angeles
Olympics in 2028. That has been her stated aim, one repeated in a recent interview with Daily Mail Sport, but niggling injuries have a habit of recurring with age, so there might be cause for discussions with coach Aston Moore.
Laura Muir, also 33 and struggling with injury, failed to qualify for today's 1500m final, Georgia Hunter Bell will line up as the favourite.
Bell, 32, said: 'Sometimes you need to take a minute and reflect to see how far you have come. I only became a pro in 2024 just after the Olympic Games. I am still in the honeymoon period with it.'
80 CRICKET
Pakistan's permanent STATE OF CHAOS
By Richard Gibson
CRICKET CORRESPONDENT
NEW captain, interim coach, players recalled who had not previously featured in 2026. If England's lot this summer befell Pakistan, it would be considered par for the course.
This coming week, with incoming Test coach Stephen Fleming not ready to take up his role, Joe Root and Marcus Trescothick will form a temporary leadership alliance, while Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope and Sam Cook return to the fray in Leeds.
England are desperate to create some stability after reaching the end of the Bazball era with the midsummer departures of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum,
There's always an off-field maelstrom in this cricket-mad country that burns through captains and coaches
but if one team in world cricket is accustomed to dealing with the unsettling elements of wholesale change it is Pakistan.
Some will even argue that rather than run from chaos, they embrace it, and in keeping with dull moments being conspicuous by their absence where their cricket is involved, captain Babar Azam provided a pre-series scare on Friday when he was forced to retire hurt and pull out of the
remainder of the warm-up match against a County Select XI.
Failing to ride a rising delivery from Hampshire's teenage seamer Manny Lumsden, Babar was struck on the right glove and immediately began wringing his hand in discomfort.
Team insiders insist the removal was a precautionary measure and that although there was no sign of a fracture, the fact that it was the same middle finger Pakistan's
premier batsman damaged during the recent Test win over West Indies in Trinidad meant that no chances were being taken.
That eight-wicket victory earlier this month was Pakistan's first overseas for three years, ending a sequence of eight straight defeats, and although Babar's brief sidelining removed the chance to further develop the on-field bond between this latest combination of players, he is pencilled in to rejoin them in
the nets at Headingley tomorrow, 48 hours before the first Test of three begins.
Mirroring the situation England found themselves in, a level of awkwardness surrounded Pakistan's most recent captaincy change ahead of the 1-1 series draw in the Caribbean.
The strong friendship between Joe Root and Harry Brook has diluted the issue from an English perspective after Stokes nominated the latter as his successor during his farewell at Trent Bridge, and Brook followed up with a public pitch to become captain across all formats.
Arguably, Pakistan had to overcome something slightly worse, though, with Shan Masood axed after three years in charge but retained in the XI under Babar. The response offered mixed results: although Masood scored a first-innings hundred, the match ended in defeat and him nursing a
Rashford returns as Amorim haunts United
RUBEN AMORIM had the last laugh over Manchester United on the day Marcus Rashford played for the club for the first time since 2024, when the Portuguese froze him out while in charge.
Amorim is now head coach of AC Milan, who beat United yesterday in Wrocław, Poland. The manner of the defeat raised alarm bells for Michael Carrick just a week out from the start of the Premier League season.
Amorim amicably caught up with Jason Wilcox, the director of football with whom he clashed during his final days as United boss, and made a beeline to hug the
By Nathan Salt
entire United starting XI in the tunnel before kick-off. Afterwards, Bruno Fernandes, who missed a penalty here, and Matheus Cunha sought out their old boss. 'It's a normal game,' Amorim said
afterwards. 'Since I signed with Milan, I haven't felt anything about Manchester United. I don't feel anything negative.'
This was supposed to be the cherry on top of United's pre-season, which has seen impressive performances against Rosenborg, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Leeds.
Instead, Carrick and his staff made a quick exit to catch their flight home, with more questions than answers as preparations now begin before United travel to Hull City on Saturday.
'We didn't play well today,' Carrick said. 'There's reasons for that in
some ways, we need to learn from them and we need to improve. But no excuses.'
The big positive for Carrick was Rashford's first United appearance for 20 months. He had the No 9 on his back but club sources were keen to downplay whether that was a long-term move.
Should he stay beyond the September 1 transfer deadline, he represents a solid option through the middle given Benjamin Sesko's lingering injury problems.
The bigger issue that this defeat threw up for United was the ease with which the Italians cut through them, particularly down the right
flank on a tough afternoon for Luke Shaw. United have to sign a left back — and two failed approaches for Newcastle's Lewis Hall suggests the powers that be feel that, too. This performance only underlined the urgency to sort out that problem position.
Samuel Chukwueze, who scored Milan's first goal, caused problems for Shaw. His direct running caught out United for Milan's second and third goals, scored by Alphadjo Cisse and Goncalo Ramos.
Carrick insists spirits remain high but this was a chastening day, one that gives him and United's players plenty to work on this week.
81
finger injury that would keep him out of the second match.
It was partly for his statesman-like demeanour that Masood replaced Babar as captain in 2023 and it is for his diplomatic communication skills that former captain Rashid Latif suggested this week a novel relationship could now develop. Masood, he argued, should continue with media interactions, shielding Babar and allowing him to concentrate on directing operations in the middle now he has the armband back.
'An England tour is a difficult assignment, and the English media often tries to unnecessarily involve visiting teams in news
England v Pakistan 1st Test, Headingley Wednesday, 11am, Sky
stories,' he claimed. To be fair, previous Pakistan teams touring here this century have provided plenty of material of their own.
Think back to Inzamam-ul-Haq walking his team off the field and forfeiting The Oval Test amid ball tampering accusations from officials in 2006 or the spot-fixing
scandal four years later as examples. But Latif's desire for Babar to concentrate on lifting Pakistan's Test cricket out of the doldrums is well meaning.
Languishing in eighth in the World Test Championship standings, one place below England, they have won just one of their previous eight series — against Stokes' side in the autumn of 2024.
And dealing with the off-field maelstrom in a cricket-mad country is never easy.
Just this week, Shaheen Shah Afridi was batting away suggestions that Babar will be replacing him as Pakistan's one-day captain
imminently. There is also talk of Salman Ali Agha making way in Twenty20.
In Pakistani cricket circles, there is always someone ready to take your job. When Agha was appointed last year, he became his country's fourth T20 captain in 14 months.
The same goes with coaches. Sarfaraz Ahmed leads this tour, but only after surviving calls for his head following the 2-0 defeat to Bangladesh. He only moved into the post in April.
Gary Kirsten, the man who guided India to the No 1 Test ranking and 2011 World Cup glory, lasted only six months in charge of
It's NEVER dull when Pakistan tour England!
1 2001 ENGLAND'S attempts to win a fifth series in a row were marred by Pakistan taking four wickets with no-balls at Old Trafford. The umpiring errors from David Shepherd and Ed Nichols, in the days before technology was used to check overstepping, helped Pakistan to win the match and draw the series 1-1.
2 2006 INZAMAM-UL-HAQ became the first captain in 129 years to forfeit a Test after taking umbrage at being punished for ball-tampering at The Oval. As a five-run penalty escalated into a diplomatic incident. Pakistan refused to take the field after tea and England were declared winners.
3 2010 THE actions of three Pakistan players at Lord's — captain Salman Butt, and bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif — shook sport after a newspaper sting that showed them to be participating in a betting scam known as spot-fixing. It emerged no-balls had been delivered to order for cash. All three were jailed and handed lengthy bans from cricket.
4 2016 VETERAN captain Misbah-ul-Haq led the tourists to a win remembered for his reaction to his 10th Test hundred. He dropped his bat and peeled off 10 press-ups, in tribute to the army officers who had put Pakistan's squad through their paces pre-tour.
Pakistan's white-ball teams during 2024. Jason Gillespie, their other high-profile foreign appointment in a split coaching set-up, didn't stick around much longer.
Both were upset by external interference in team affairs, with Gillespie refusing to let success against England during the 2-1 home win two years ago cloud his judgment.
He had been reduced to a 'match-day analyst', he said, adding that 'it wasn't what I signed up for'.
Whatever happens over the next month, those investing emotions in a series like this are unlikely to be disappointed by the drama that unfolds.
Toon back for Palhinha
NEWCASTLE UNITED have revived talks to sign Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich.
The Portuguese was initially a back-up option when Newcastle made their £13million move for Pierre-Émile Hojbjerg but, as they negotiated with Marseille, Aston Villa stepped up their efforts to sign Palhinha on loan from Bayern. However, both deals broke down last week and Newcastle have reverted back.
Bayern are clear they do not want to loan the
31-year-old, and Palhinha, who was at Tottenham last season, is re-assessing his options which include offers from Benfica and Sporting.
Newcastle remain in advanced talks to sign right-back Amar Dedic from Benfica. They have also been offered AC Milan forward Christopher Nkunku who is available for transfer. BRENTFORD signed midfielder Darwin Guagua, 18, from Independiente del Valle and loaned him to Merida.
WINDOW WATCH by Simon Jones
● MANCHESTER CITY are close to concluding talks for Lille's £80m-rated midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who was on the bench against Everton yesterday. Barcelona have made a third proposal for City midfielder Rodri, understood to be worth around £60m.
● SUNDERLAND have reached agreement with Toulouse to sign 20-year-old full-back Dayann Methalie for £26m including add-ons. He has agreed a five-year deal.
● SOUTHAMPTON have rejected a £17.5m offer from Benfica for defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
● COVENTRY are set to sign Taivo Awoniyi from NOTTINGHAM FOREST. The Nigeria international underwent a medical yesterday with the newly-promoted side. Forest have signed former Fulham goalkeeper Steven Benda.
● LEEDS have agreed a £6.8m fee plus add-ons with Borussia Mönchengladbach for Nico Elved. The deal opens the door for Sebastiaan Bornauw to join Hamburg.
● WEST HAM have signed Belgium star Arne Engels from Celtic for a Championship record £22 million.
Villa revved up for Suzuki
ASTON VILLA are closing on a £30million deal for Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki which has plunged the future of Emiliano Martinez into doubt.
Italian giants Juventus have spoken to Martinez but so far failed to find agreement on terms.
Villa rekindled talks for Suzuki after the collapse of his move to Paris Saint-Germain. The Japan international was scheduled to have a medical but the French club indicated agents' fees were too high. Juventus have also been
discussing a loan for TOTTENHAM keeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Villa, meanwhile, are wrapping up the signing of Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid. Halmstad BK have expressed interest in Villa striker Rory Wilson.
● TOTTENHAM defender Ashley Phillips has joined MIDDLESBROUGH. The transfer was delayed after an issue raised in a medical but, following further reports, Phillips has become Boro's eighth signing of the summer on a five-year deal.
82
FOOTBALL
By Simon Jones
THE Jeff Bezos-backed consortium buying a third of Liverpool has an option to purchase a controlling stake in the club in the next 12 months for a valuation of around £5.9billion.
There is no guarantee that owners Fenway Sports Group will sell but the incentive is there.
Amazon founder Bezos, the world's third richest man, is part of the 1892 Holdings consortium fronted by former Queens Park Rangers co-owner Amit Bhatia, who will also become Liverpool's vice-chairman. They have acquired an approximate 30 per cent stake, pending ratification, for £1.22bn.
The reaction from supporters has been mixed but fundamentally many are asking the question: will this turn Liverpool into a super power able to outbid Real Madrid, Manchester City and Saudi Pro League sides in the transfer market? The short answer is, 'No'.
Though this makes Liverpool the fourth most valuable club in the world, budgeting for this transfer window will not change. They continue to negotiate with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola but a deal for his team-mate, Ibrahim Mbaye, may be too rich. That could depend on whether Tottenham make an offer for Cody Gakpo that is too good to refuse.
Despite the fervour around what 1892 Holdings could facilitate, the
Bezos and Co can buy Liverpool for £5.9bn
message from the club is: 'Nothing will change in the day to day operations'.
WHO ARE 1892 HOLDINGS?
NAMED after the year in which Liverpool were founded, the consortium includes investments from Bhatia, the Mittal family led by Bhatia's father-in-law, Lakshmi Mittal, the K5 Sports Fund, led by Bezos, and EE Capital, the family office of Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and his wife, Elaine, who will sit on the board. Bezos
will not. His representation will come via K5 Global's managing partner Bryan Baum.
Though it is Bezos's first venture into sport and he is the headline act, with a personal wealth of £200bn, it is Bhatia who is likely to exert most influence. The businessman was director and co-owner of QPR for 18 years before relinquishing his ownership stake last month. Bhatia
ANFIELD MOVE:
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is part of the consortium buying a third of Liverpool.
(left) is regarded by FSG as the primary partner in the deal as he was responsible for assembling the high-profile group of investors.
IS THIS THE END FOR FSG?
WHEN John W Henry bought Liverpool for £300m in 2010, it was not without recognising that, run well, he and his partners could make a considerable profit by selling in the long term.
The signs have been out there. In 2022, they hired Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to seek buyers for a 10 per cent stake, though no deal materialised. Then, in 2023, FSG sold a three per cent stake to
Dynasty Equity for £164m. This is more the beginning of the end. FSG maintain operational control but an exit strategy is in place.
SO WHAT'S IN IT FOR US?
LIVERPOOL fans may well ask. With Premier League and UEFA financial regulations linking a club's spending to turnover, the new investment will not have an immediate benefit for boss Andoni Iraola. However, the commercial opportunities presented by Bezos, Bhatia and Saverin will no doubt grow annual revenue significantly — but that could include increasing ticket prices.
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CHAMPIONSHIP 83
By James Sharpe
AN hour or so before West Ham got their season under way, a few of the journalists inside London Stadium started to place bets. David Sullivan, the unpopular former co-chair, was expected to be there, despite being advised to stay away, so how long would it take for the home fans to send the first message his way? Thirty seconds? Five minutes? Whenever the first Portsmouth goal went in, surely?
This was, after all, a fan base who have tirelessly protested against the running of their club. Boycotts, banners, black balloons and yet, despite all their warnings, they head to Burnley today as the club begins its first season in the Championship in 14 years — and fifth in the Premier League era. Even after Sullivan resigned amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies, here he still was casting his shadow.
In the end, all predictions passed without incident, even after the Hammers went behind. Sixty-three minutes needed to tick by before the crowd of more than 53,000, a quite ludicrous record number for the first round of the League Cup, rose in unison amid demands to 'stand up, if you hate the board'. Sullivan, of course, is no longer on it but you got the drift.
The 77-year-old's fingerprints are no longer on the steering wheel. He can watch, as he did last Saturday, and confide in those
STICKING AROUND: Skipper Bowen has opted to stay with the Hammers, while former co-chair Sullivan (below) ignored advice and attended season opener
WEST HAM'S FRESH START
With Sullivan sidelined and Brady gone, Hammers fans can finally look to the future with optimism
around him that the team needs more pace, another striker and a creative midfielder but he is not in a position to do much about it. Former vice-chair Karren Brady is no longer at the club, either. 'No more BS' was the message on the red cards fans brandished last season, in a nod to Brady and Sullivan. They go into the season having got their wish.
And they still, incredibly, have Jarrod Bowen. Over the past three Premier League seasons, only Erling Haaland, Mo Salah, Ollie Watkins, Cole Palmer and Bruno Fernandes scored more goals than Bowen.
New signing Manor Solomon, who joined for £10million from Tottenham, said Bowen's decision to stay helped convince him to make the move to East London.
'I thought, like everyone else, that Jarrod would leave and go to the Premier League, and he decided to stay,' said Solomon. 'It was one of the key things why I decided to sign for West Ham.'
Club insiders talk of a fresh start and, at long last, finding a sense of normality. Not many clubs are all that normal deep down but few have been less able to claim it in recent years than West Ham. Nils Koppen, the new head of recruitment, has not been at the club long but is already trying to put data-led systems in place to ensure smooth running of the
transfer operation. This summer, Koppen has already brought in Brighton full back Joel Veltman on a free, Solomon from Tottenham and is on the verge of completing the £22m signing of Celtic midfielder Arne Engels. 'Patience is a good word but it is, more than anything, trying to make it right,' said Hammers head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. 'All the deals we want to make, the player has to come with a purpose, with a clear mindset of what we expect. We don't have too much time but the priority is to make it right.'
It has not always been that way. 'Anyone who can put those processes in place will revolutionise West Ham,' one insider told Daily Mail Sport.
This is a club which has been so remarkably short of them. Koppen is the fourth recruitment boss in just 18 months after Tim Steidten, Kyle Macaulay and Max Hahn, so is it any wonder that the Hammers are still having to right the many, many wrongs of previous transfer windows.
Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville have been sold
for the best part of £150m but there is deadwood that needs shifting. Nuno wants rid of Niclas Fullkrug and Jean-Clair Todibo. Brentford have enquired about full back El Hadji Malick Diouf, who only signed last summer for £20m, while Aston Villa have held talks over Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Few signings encapsulate West Ham's ridiculous running over recent years like that of Todibo, originally loaned in from Nice by Steidten with an obligation to buy should they stay up.
By the time that came around,
Steinman was gone and so was manager Julien Lopetegui. Todibo clashed with his replacement Graham Potter, was dropped for bad time-keeping, then refused to play in West Ham's survival showdown against Leeds on the final day of last season under Nuno, having told him he would not play for him again. He did not attend the club's media day for this season.
West Ham remain in talks with Arsenal over a move for winger Reiss Nelson and want Chelsea centre back Axel Disasi, who impressed on loan last season. The Hammers are after former Tottenham striker Troy Parrott and are also keeping an eye on former Leicester front man Jamie Vardy. Vardy is nearly 40 but that did not stop Teddy Sheringham from firing West Ham to promotion all those years ago.
The boardroom struggles rumble on, too, with Czech billionaire and West Ham stakeholder Daniel Kretinsky wrestling it out with former Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley over the shares of David Gold's family. Staveley has an eye on Sullivan's, too.
Some behind the scenes are excited by the prospect of Staveley's potential involvement, with
one source describing her as 'proper switched on', yet it was Kretinsky whose pitch persuaded Bowen to stay.
West Ham might just have a few budding youngsters to help him, too. It had become a bit of a running gag that West Ham called themselves the 'Academy of Football' yet failed to hand a single full Premier League debut to a graduate of their youth system in five years from February 2020.
They will not be giving another one for at least one more season for obvious reasons, and one of their most recent additions to the 'Wall of Graduates' at their Chadwell Heath base, Freddie Potts has just joined Club Brugge on a permanent deal. Hammers never like to see one of their own depart.
The emergence of Lewis Orford and Mohamadou Kante, though, provides two reasons why the club felt it was worth banking the £10m for Potts. Orford impressed Nuno during pre-season. His parents sat in the stands to watch him control the midfield against Portsmouth. Kante has the physicality that just might suit the rough and tumble of the Championship.
And so, despite all the upheaval, there was a genuine feeling while sat inside the London Stadium last Saturday that this is a club ready to embrace its fresh start.
184 PREMIER & LEAGUE
Ahead of Friday's big kick-off, MICK QUINN relives Coventry's shock opening-day humbling of Arsenal 33 years ago...
We prepared for my Highbury hat-trick with a 70s disco and the Funky Chicken!
MICK QUINN spent the weeks after this season's Premier League fixtures were released impatiently checking his phone and waiting for the Sky Sports booking that never came.
With Coventry City back from a 25-year exile and launching their campaign at Arsenal, the defending champions, live on Sky on the opening Friday night, he would have been a perfect studio guest.
Picture Quinn regaling an armchair audience with tales of his hat-trick for the Sky Blues in a 3-0 win at Highbury on the opening day of the 1993-94 season and his expertise in the art of scoring with his polished comic timing.
'Can't believe they haven't called,' quips Quinn, only half joking. 'Their loss.'
His roguish wit will instead be available on Friday at Mister Shenanigans in Coventry for pre-match Q&A followed by a live screening of the game and a late bar until 3am, which sounds like more fun than a night on the Holloway Road with Roy Keane and Gary Neville.
'I'm looking forward to seeing how Coventry go,' he says. 'They play a lovely brand of football, there's a harmony at the club and a great spirit there under Frank Lampard.'
'Are they going to be strong enough? I don't know. They can take heart from Leeds and Sunderland staying up last season. Hopefully, they can surprise a few.'
That's what Coventry did 33 years ago with Quinn in his pomp. 'Arsenal weren't ready for us,' says the 64-year-old. 'They'd won
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
By Matt Barlow
the FA Cup and League Cup the season before and didn't expect Bobby Gould to go 4-3-3 against the England back five.
'I was up front with two fantastic players, Peter Ndlovu and Roy Wegerle. They were so mobile, dropping deep, going wide. Tony Adams couldn't handle them.'
Ndlovu won a penalty for the first, converted by Quinn in front of a Clock End closed for renovation. Wegerle set up the other two on the break in the second half.
'Roy backheed one to me and it was one of the best finishes of my career,' says Quinn. 'I guided it, left foot. Just passed it into the top corner past David Seaman. Ian Wright came up and said it was one of the best finishes he'd seen.'
'The hat-trick goal wasn't too shabby, neither. Bit wider this time and I hit it with enough power. It swerved a little bit. He got his fingers to it but couldn't stop it going in. I was told I was the first to score a league hat-trick at Highbury for more than 70 years. I don't know if any-
SHOOTING FROM THE HIP: Quinn insists Gyokeres should be scoring more for Arsenal but hopes criticism doesn't come back to bite him on Friday
body has done it since because they knocked the ground down.'
Footage includes Quinn and John Williams celebrating this momentous occasion with a chicken dance.
'I took the lads on a bonding session,' Quinn explains. 'We were in a 70s disco night in a club outside Coventry and this song called the Funky Chicken came on. We were laughing and said whoever scored the first goal at Highbury, we'd all do the Funky Chicken dance. They either forgot because they were too p**ed to remember or they were too embarrassed because when me and John attempted this stupid dance no one else did it.'
Arsenal boss George Graham was not impressed, either, although for different reasons.
'Paul Merson always says that George had a go at him for going out on Thursday night and
I'm not a huge fan of Gyokeres ... he's been massively disappointing
not preparing right,' says Quinn. 'Merse's response was: 'Well, Quinny was out on Friday night and he scored three goals'. I wasn't really. He was just trying to get himself out of the s**e.'
Pre-season wasn't all disco chickens for Gould's Coventry. They had done their fitness training with the army in Aldershot. 'Assault courses, night manoeuvres, everything,' says Quinn. 'Camping in the woods, pitching tents in the dark, building campfires. The army lads were skinnin' rabbits.'
Quinn joined Coventry at the age of 30, a £250,000 snip from Newcastle in November 1992, and started with a spectacular eruption of goals setting records for a new competition which stood for years until Erling Haaland stormed into Manchester City.
'Bobby Gould was great for me,' says Quinn. 'We got on like a house on fire. He said I reminded him of himself, an aggressive
71
85
goalscoring centre forward. When I signed, he said, 'We've got a decent team here but we can't score any f***ing goals. That's why you're here. So don't come back for corners or free kicks, conserve your energy and get in the box'. And I did. I exploded.'
Quinn scored 10 goals in his first six games. 'Sergio Aguero and Diego Costa [both eight] got close but then Haaland [ten to equal Quinn] came along.
'I'm not one of them who says records are there to be broken. They survived nearly 30 years. I remember being in a pub when Haaland arrived and he's scored again and the graphics come up showing you the records with all these world-class players and there's me among them. There is one he didn't break. I scored in all my first six Premier League games from debut. No one else has done that. Haaland didn't score in his third game against Bournemouth. That's the only one left.'
Manchester City were a very different club back in 1984, when they tried to sign Quinn after his 39 goals in 63 appearances for Stockport, where he won the first of his three Golden Boot awards as top scorer in the old Division Four.
'Oldham, Man City and Blackpool came in,' he says. 'I spoke to Blackpool who were in the same division as Stockport. City and Oldham were in the Second, but the chairman said I couldn't speak to City. The fee was £52,000 and City wanted to pay catalogue style, over
two or three years. They were that skint. Oldham and Blackpool fronted up the money. I went to Oldham with Joe Royle and he took me under his wing, nurtured me and got rid of the rough edges. Between Joe and Alan Ball at Portsmouth they crafted a striker.
'I just dreamed about goals like every goalscorer. I didn't sleep in the summer if I hadn't banged in 20 League goals.'
He had a predator's instinct like other strikers of his era and does not see it when he watches Viktor Gyokeres, the former Coventry striker who scored 14 Premier League goals in his first season at Arsenal after moving for £64 million from Sporting Lisbon.
'Not a huge fan to tell you the truth,' says Quinn. 'Workmanlike but doesn't get the goals he should. If you're the centre forward in an Arsenal team you need to be getting 20-plus [in the Premier League] a season minimum with the chances they create.'
'The one thing they need if they are going to cement their status among the very best and go on and win maybe a Champions League is a goalscorer and if they get Julian Alvarez he is different class and I think they'll win the league again.
'In the main, Gyokeres has been massively disappointing. I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me on the night.'
Quinn's goal spree in Coventry colours included two against Liverpool in December 1992.
'My family are all Liverpool
supporters, so I got them five or six tickets and some passes for the players' lounge,' he recalls.
'Their psyche was: 'We'll go down and see our Mick, hopefully Liverpool batter Coventry and he has a good game and scores'.
'We beat them 5-1 and I got a couple. I went in the players' lounge and found them all with faces longer than Ruud van Nistelrooy. You could've picked their jaws up off the floor. They didn't even say well done!'
Back at his Dad's pub on the Cantril Farm estate in Liverpool, though, Quinn was the toast of Evertonians. He didn't buy a drink. Not until he scored twice against Everton in the same season.
He had 17 by the end of the campaign and when he started the next with the hat-trick at Arsenal, there was talk of an international call up. England's fading World Cup hopes were resting on an eight-goal winning margin against San Marino although still requiring a favour from elsewhere.
'Coventry were never a sexy club and there was a lot of bias but for once the press were pushing me to play against San Marino because England needed to score eight,' he says.
'Some of the strikers were injured and they were all saying: 'Play Quinn for a one-off game.' Graham Taylor totally ignored it. I knew then it wasn't about talent. That's the closest I came but I never had a phone call or nothing.'
Some things never change.
Steel City sun is all that dazzles on opening day
THERE will come a time to judge the credentials of these two sides that are expected to challenge for promotion but this drab season-opener was not it.
A match that so typified the endless industry of the Championship failed to produce the touch of class required for a breakthrough in the Steel City sunshine.
Perhaps that should come as no real surprise, with Sheffield United lacking the playmaking skills of Gus Hamer after he rejoined Coventry earlier in the week.
Blades boss Chris Wilder is working hard to bring in a replacement on a loan basis and is keen for reinforcements in other areas, too.
Birmingham counterpart Chris Davies also needs time to conjure a winning formula from his new-look side, having made six signings in the summer.
Wilder, who is now in his third spell in charge at Bramall Lane, is seeking to guide his boyhood club to the Premier League for the second time.
He has brought Kalvin Phillips, English football's forgotten man, back to United on a season-long loan from Manchester City. But the former Leeds midfielder will not be fit to play until later this month at the earliest.
The first 45 minutes here failed to
By Ross Heppenstall
AT BRAMALL LANE
produce a shot on target but, as the second half unfolded, the threat from the Blues grew.
Carlos Vicente expertly beat the offside to break clear inside the right channel but he attempted to square the ball rather than shoot, drawing a superb block from United captain Japhet Tanganga.
Jay Stansfield, one of the most sought-after players in the Championship, then hit a low shot which drew a smart stop from Michael Cooper at his near post.
Stansfield then tried his luck from 25 yards moments later but his effort was comfortably dealt with by Cooper.
Patrick Bamford raced onto Callum O'Hare's pass and drew a fine save from new Birmingham goalkeeper James Beadle before home substitute Harrison Burrows' late penalty claim came to nothing.
Towards the end, it was Birmingham who looked likeliest to take all three points.
Lankshear earns his spurs for Boro
WILL LANKSHEAR scored a brace on his league debut as MIDDLESBROUGH avoided embarrassment on the opening day with a comeback win against LINCOLN CITY.
It was the Imps' first game in England's second tier for 65 years and how they enjoyed it as Adam Reach put them ahead after 12 minutes.
But Lankshear, a summer signing from Tottenham, levelled after 62 minutes and the 21-year-old scored a second in added time as last season's play-off finalists sealed the victory.
It was Lincoln's first league defeat since November 22, ending a 29-game unbeaten run.
Michael Skubala, who left Lincoln for BRISTOL CITY, had the worst possible start as his new team were reduced to 10 men and beaten 2-0 at home by MILLWALL.
Adam Randell was sent off after a second booking in the 36th minute. Shortly afterwards, Josh Coburn converted from close range and the Millwall striker scored a second five minutes after the break. Coburn has netted eight goals across his last 11 Championship appearances.
Another to notch a double was
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND-UP
QPR playmaker Ilias Chair in their impressive 3-1 win at PORTSMOUTH. Pompey had led through Terry Devlin's fantastic strike after 15 minutes but Harvey Vale dinked the ball through for Chair to nudge home from close range after 33 minutes. Koki Saito made it 2-1 with a deflected shot and Chair scored his second in first-half stoppage time.
Julien Stephan's side were nothing if not clinical, scoring from each of their three shots on target in the first half, and Pompey had no answer.
Tyreece Campbell scored the winner in CHARLTON's 2-1 victory against DERBY. Campbell fired low into the corner with his left foot to complete a miserable few days for Derby, who saw a possible takeover collapse during the week.
Thierry Gale scored a fine breakaway goal as BOLTON celebrated their return to the Championship with a 2-1 win over PRESTON NORTH END.
JIM FOULERTON
186 FOOTBALL
The Mail on Sunday AUGUST 16
By Jack Gaughan
THE Manchester City dressing room has looked within itself this summer, wondering about hangovers and resets and their changing world. The king is dead and all that.
Expectation is a theme that some have explored privately, asking themselves what ought to be considered reasonable.
Even in the final two seasons, with Pep Guardiola's side on the wane and then at the beginning of a rebuild that shifted their tactical ideals, they managed to secure Champions League qualification without fail and won both domestic cup competitions, running Arsenal to the last week of the title race, too. Same again please, Enzo Maresca. Apparently, this is the norm.
'It's not the change (itself) that worried me,' Matheus Nunes said. 'Even ourselves as players, you have to remember what the club has done. When you think about it, it is almost impossible to win six Premier Leagues in 10 years.'
'This is not normal and people forget that. Sometimes you have to go through a year or two of not winning to get to the win. Maybe it will be different [for us], who knows? Maybe it won't. The club deserves us to try.'
It sounds as if City's squad are heading into this new dawn with
ENZ AND MEANS: New boss Maresca gets a point across during training in Manchester (right), while Foden (above) and Haaland (left) go through their paces
COMMUNITY SHIELD
Arsenal v Man City
3pm, TNT Sports
their eyes wide open. This is an unknown. An exciting unknown, an unknown that provokes intrigue, starting today for the Community Shield with Arsenal in Cardiff.
A piece of silverware that the coaches all count towards their various hauls, Maresca no different, but one that ultimately does not hold a great deal of weight.
Those who have been with the new manager during pre-season appeared ready for competitive action when beating Atletico Madrid in Seoul last weekend, showcasing the sort of verve in the final third that the Italian has been preaching during hour-long sessions in the searing heat. He has been encouraged by steadily improving displays, believing it is vindicating the ideas being imparted during training.
The players had been struggling to breathe in South Korea days earlier during a friendly against the K-League All Stars.
Staff members remarked between themselves afterwards that half of the team could barely cope with the heat, officially 40°C but feeling like 45. Josko Gvardiol had to be propped up by a team-mate at one point before going down on his haunches.
Staff watching from the stands kept cool with a handheld electric fan in each hand. Merely attending was sweat-inducing, let alone playing. There will be a school of
How Maresca's already made his mark on City
New training methods, new build-up play, new leaders... same sky-high expectations as Pep
thought that those conditions can accelerate fitness regimes and proof of that or otherwise will soon become evident.
Maresca had to be creative with the timings of his sessions so as to best avoid the real extremities, wrestling with either early morning or the evening starts at the Mokdong Stadium — lacking shade, home to second division football and, somewhat ironically,
an ice rink. The winters are cold in that part of the world to be fair but it was much the opposite problem here, with Maresca plumping for 7pm training over 9am.
The rationale was that players sleep so poorly in Asia due to the time difference that mornings were effectively redundant anyway. In the end, the difference in temperature appeared negligible. To illustrate the obsession of
the man now leading City, and probably evoke memories of his predecessor, a thought popped into the head of Maresca before a training session open to the public in Hong Kong. They would be running through how to press Inter in a friendly 24 hours later, working on team shape as he attempted to quickly implement his ideas. The idea that the opposition could be watching and taking notes did
briefly percolate. That was until he realised that none of it matters.
City's red-eye arrived home on Monday morning and it has been a long wait for Maresca to welcome the entire squad back, with six only returning this week from the World Cup. One of them, Rodri, is expected to be the lead name of departures over the coming weeks. With Bernardo Silva having already departed for Real
87
Madrid, the manager will need to reshape his leadership quartet, as only Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland remain from last year.
City head for the Principality Stadium with questions over the make-up of the squad and how much change will take place before the transfer window — or 'window transfer' as Maresca endearingly labels it — shuts. Uncertainty lingers as to how many go and how many join.
In that sense, the Maresca era beginning off the back of a major international tournament is not perfect, given that transfers are pushed back until after mandatory breaks. The major signing so far, £116million Elliot Anderson, would fit the mould of this City or the last one, though, which points to a more seamless transition than perhaps occurs elsewhere.
'When you change a manager and go for a new one, it's good to go for a manager with a similar idea,' Maresca said.
'That way, with the players you have and the players you recruited, they more or less have the same style. Like with the Elliot one, even though I was not here, he still fits in.'
Players are describing the ideas as similar but different. They will defend differently, for starters. There will be less tactical tinkering, more wedded to the principle concept. 'What he wants is really clear,' said Nico Gonzalez. 'The structure is really clear.'
That all stems from midfield. Maresca views Anderson as a
holding midfielder, while the England international has this week talked up the idea of operating further forward.
In truth, he is going to be asked to do both.
'Elliot showed personality with Nottingham Forest and the national team,' Maresca said. 'The good thing about him is he can play different positions. At the moment we have Rodri as a No 6, a top player. If you have a really good No 6, it is enough. But if you have dynamic players who can play in different positions together, that is perfect.'
That signposts where Maresca has located the marginal gains that can narrow a seven-point gap to the defending champions.
If Anderson fits effortlessly, work is going on behind the scenes to make sure Gianluigi Donnarumma does as well, now wearing the No 1 shirt after James Trafford's move to Leeds United. Distribution is not the finest part of his game and City are looking at solutions to help their goalkeeper contribute on the ball and not ask for anything overly elaborate.
One of those ideas is to build up with three defenders rather than two, giving more security for possible mistakes and more options when passing. Donnarumma has been doing extra work at the end of sessions with coaches Richard Wright and Michele De Bernardin, relentlessly clipping 30 or 40-yard balls towards wide areas.
Maresca had his head in hands when one simple pass was given
straight to Atletico inside City's own third in the final friendly. Typically, Donnarumma bailed himself out.
Extra sessions were part of Maresca's remit when he was assistant to Pep Guardiola during the Treble campaign. Notably he worked on specifics with Rico Lewis and Phil Foden.
'There is a more relaxed atmosphere around the camp than what had become standard practice under the previous regime — and you really cannot argue with the success they engineered — but Maresca is also aware that the niceties can abruptly come to a halt.'
'The pre-season can sometimes be a bit tricky because you can fall in love with players,' he added.
'And then during the season they are not the same. Pre-season is good because they need to work hard and they need to understand that we need to know each other. It has been good for some players but now when the real business starts, we need to see again.'
The business begins today and that feeling of jockeying for position, finding a place in the set-up, might not be shaken for a few weeks.
Arsenal release handbrake on wonderful Max
LONG before Max Dowman began making headlines, the whispers started from Arsenal's senior ranks.
In May 2024 this baby-faced prospect (below), then just 14, was invited to join Mikel Arteta's first-team training and was someone who those present predicted we would be hearing a lot more about in the years ahead.
Arsene Wenger would often say you don't know who a player really is until they're 24. But with Dowman, it's different. Very different.
The 16-year-old attacker is no longer Arsenal's best-kept secret. He enters the new season with expectations rising after a series of eye-catching performances at the back end of last season, which have continued in pre-season. The Gunners have long believed Dowman possesses something extraordinary. Now, they are preparing to find out just how far he can go.
In July 2025, Arsenal began stepping up their efforts to prepare the then 15-year-old and his camp for the spotlight that was about to land on him.
There were flashes through the early months of the season. He won a penalty on debut against Leeds aged just 15 years and 235 days, before becoming Arsenal's youngest ever starter against Brighton aged 15 years and 302 days and then the Champions League's youngest player a month later. The hype machine really went into overdrive after the home win over Everton in March.
Brought on at 0-0 in the midst of a nerve-landing title race, Dowman's cross created Viktor Gyokeres' 89th-minute goal to break
the deadlock before streaking clear of an Everton defence from a corner, and tapping into an empty net. Now he was the Premier League's youngest ever goalscorer, and there were even calls for him to be named in England's World Cup squad. And all this while having GCSEs to sit just a couple of months later (he gets his results on Thursday). Sources say Dowman would sometimes feel stretched having to juggle schoolwork alongside first-team football, sometimes on the bench for a late kick-off and then up early for school in the morning. That is no longer the case. Dowman will not be doing higher education such as A-levels so he can fully focus on
By Isaan Khan
football. There is hope he can really push on this season, at the age Lamine Yamal also announced himself as arguably the world's most-promising talent.
A 16-year-old Yamal made 22 league starts, and a barely believable Euros campaign followed, where he became the youngest player to both appear and score at the tournament, before providing an assist to help Spain beat England in the final, the day after his 17th birthday.
It would be difficult to expect the same from Dowman, but he has the required temperament, a player who is said to be highly critical of himself, and has had to adapt in an Arteta setup where demands are unrelenting. 'You could say, 'Great performance!' and he'll be like, 'Nah I could've done this more, this more', a source said.
The pre-season camp has emboldened the hype around the forward. Dowman has started all five friendlies and been one of Arsenal's most dangerous attacking players in all of them.
It is Dowman's desire to drive at opposition backlines which has been consistent. His willingness to take players on and bounce back when things don't go to plan has earned the respect of his peers.
With Bukayo Saka recovering from a tough period with injuries and Noni Madueke having failed to nail down the right-wing spot, Dowman has a chance to stake his claim in the coming weeks.
Last season, Arsenal were very careful around the need to balance Dowman's exposure, and consider the welfare of a minor. Now, the handbrake looks set to be lifted. There is a belief that Dowman is ready to take the next step.
Martin Odegaard, who had the world's attention on him as a 15-year-old kid from Norway joining Real Madrid, is well placed to understand the peculiar pressures he faces. Saka has helped Dowman settle in the first team, aware of what it's like to be a Hale End kid thrust into the limelight.
Declan Rice has been another reassuring presence, spending time with Dowman off the pitch. It is these seniors who can make a 16-year-old feel he belongs.
He's developing physically, too. His frame is said to have got stronger over the summer, an essential at this level. He is able to shrug off players much older than himself.
For now, the comparisons with Yamal remain just that. But if Dowman can now translate his remarkable early promise into consistent Premier League impact, the coming months could mark the beginning of something truly extraordinary.
3 Enzo Maresca is yet to win as a manager in three meetings with Mikel Arteta — two draws and a defeat.
88
POLE STAR:
Rashford
during
United's
debut in
Wroclaw
SO, AFTER
612 DAYS...
Arteta: We may have to change our style
By Isaan Khan
HAPPY TO
BE BACK AT UNITED, MARCUS?
MAN UTD 2 AC MILAN 4
PAGE 80
MIKEL ARTETA has hinted Arsenal may have to adapt their set-piece routines after an influx of new rules ahead of the new season.
The 2026-27 campaign will feature a number of new laws, mostly designed to make the game flow. The laws include countdowns for goal-kicks and throw-ins, time-limited substitutions and a crack-down on holding during set-pieces.
The Gunners have courted attention for their physical set-plays and Arteta said: 'We have had the Premier League and referees there with us to explain and go through everything.
'In pre-season we had the opportunity to experience some of them. We will have to see when the season starts and how this unfolds and what is more doable and less doable and what we need to adapt.
'They are really good rules because what we are doing is trying to promote more game time and the fluidity of games.'
HANDBRAKE OFF FOR MAX PAGE 87
BLUES BOO ENZO
By Bobby Manzi
AT STAMFORD BRIDGE
CHELSEA supporters turned on Enzo Fernandez as the Argentina midfielder made his Stamford Bridge return yesterday.
Fernandez, who is the subject of strong transfer interest from Manchester City, started on the bench in Chelsea's final pre-season game, a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad that saw record £117million signing Morgan Rogers score his first goal for the club.
The 25-year-old (right) was met with a hostile reception and was booed when his name was read out over the tannoy before kick-of and again when he replaced Reece James after 60 minutes.
The crowd reaction came less than 24 hours after Chelsea's deadline for clubs to make a £120million offer for the Argentine had passed.
Fans turn on wantaway
Argentina World Cup star
Fernandez's relationship with the club has been strained since he announced in March that it was his dream to play for Real Madrid and was promptly dropped for two games by then-manager Liam Rosenior.
Manchester City, managed by former Blues boss Enzo Maresca, are now the frontrunners for his signature, despite Chelsea's insistence on Friday that he would remain in west London for the 2026-27 season.
An approach between now and the end of the transfer window on September 1 would test Chelsea's resolve.
Fernandez was making his first appearance for the club since returning from the World Cup with Argentina, where he scored a crucial late equaliser in the semi-final against England.
Fernandez and his team-mates were condemned for their unsporting conduct at the tournament and FIFA have since opened disciplinary proceedings against Argentina and their players.
Cricket
PAGES 80-81
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FILM MUSIC COMEDY THEATRE BOOKS
PICK OF THE WEEK
LUDWIG
Thursday, BBC1, 9pm
The evidence was there all along, staring us in the face. It had a great cast, led by David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin, a witty script, baffling whodunnits and a scenic Cambridge setting. No wonder the light-hearted crime drama Ludwig was a hit, winning the International Emmy Award for Best Comedy.
Mitchell plays John Taylor, a puzzle setter whose professional name is Ludwig. After his police detective twin brother James goes missing while working on a murky investigation, John agrees to help his sister-in-law Lucy (Maxwell Martin) try and find out what happened by impersonating his brother and getting into the Cambridge police headquarters. To everyone's surprise, socially inept John proves to be brilliant at solving murders.
Things have now changed. John's had to confess to not being his brother but has been hired anyway as a 'crime scene consultant'. As a police colleague puts it, 'We didn't want to lose the best detective we never had.'
Their secret search to find out what happened to James continues with John trawling through countless boxes of research carried out by a blogger and conspiracy theorist who ended up being bumped off.
He's convinced there's a clue in there somewhere. But what does it all have to do with the menacing chief constable, his even more sinister deputy, or the local MP?
Dipo Ola and Dorothy Atkinson return as the promoted DCI Carter and DCS Shaw in charge of two new young detective constables.
Also joining the cast is Mark Bonnar as a grumpy local newspaper editor.
The whodunnits this series include a murder on the dancefloor at a wedding and the death of a snooker player during a match. The quirky first case, however, involves two posh sisters, 'all perms, pearls and furs', who go to the theatre with their everbearing mother.
When the lights go down their mother is killed. Both sisters (played by Rebecca Front and Doon Mackichan) then confess. So, as amateur sleuth John puts it, 'That means we need to uncover who didn't do it.'
Andrew Preston
David Mitchell's back as the nerdy crossword compiler turned unlikely crime-busting hero
Return of TV's
most puzzling sleuth
CELEBRITY
MASTERCHEF
Tuesday, BBC1, 9pm
Same recipe, different ingredients. 'Italian maestro' Giorgio Locatelli joins seasoned host and food critic Grace Dent, left, for a new series of the celebrity edition, and brings a big helping of personality to the pot. This version is less about big stars and more about very mixed abilities, so it's handy that one of the challenges has Locatelli show them how it's done, step by step.
THE FRENCH
CONNECTION
Sunday, BBC2, 10pm
Audiences might have flocked to see The Odyssey but the box-office-slaying blockbuster is still a rarity compared to the 1970s, when Gene Hackman, left, won an Oscar for William Friedkin's brutal neo-noir thriller – a critical hit that also returned more than 25 times its budget on its initial run. Mark Kermode's making-of is on Thursday, BBC4, 10.40pm.
JULY 16
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3
BRITAIN'S WITTIEST TV CRITIC
Deborah Ross
An Aussie Pride And Prejudice?
It's wilder and much more fun...
My Brilliant Career
Netflix ★★★★★
Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law
Monday, Channel 5 ★★★★★
My Brilliant Career is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel by Miles Franklin, which is one of my favourite books ever, so no pressure. But luckily it's gorgeous, and fun, and enlivened with modern-day smarts. I can't say for sure what Franklin would have made of her heroine dancing madly to Rod Stewart, or Wet Leg, but it worked for me.
The novel is sometimes described as a Pride And Prejudice of the Australian outback, as both feature fierce, clever heroines who refuse to bow to social convention. In this instance it's Sybylla Melvyn, who as a teenager is dispatched from her impoverished family to live with her aristocratic grandmother. The hope is that she will drop her dream of becoming a writer – of having a brilliant career – to marry well and bail her family out of debt.
Franklin started writing it in the 1890s when she was 16 and it was published in 1901, when she was 21. I first encountered it via a Virago edition in the 1980s, which I still have. I picked it up just now, and it still briefles with wit, energy and attitude.
This captures that wit, energy and attitude. Also, the Australian landscape is glorious, it is deliciously lavish and it features a star-making performance from Philippa Northeast in the lead role. It does take certain liberties, which the purists will no doubt rail against, but I'm now of the mind that Franklin would, in fact, heartily approve of such mischief. She'd love Wet Leg, I think, and also Divinyls. She may even wish she'd thought of Sybylla having an epiphany over oysters – and orgasms.
As we'll see at the outset, Sybylla's mother
has married badly but hails from a rich family. They're 'the Bossiers of Caddagat' no less. When Sybylla first arrives at the vast mansion Caddagat she marvels at its grandeur. (I was put in mind of Jane Eyre marvelling at Thornfield Hall.)
However, Granny Bossier (Anna Chancellor, having a ball) finds little to marvel over. Sybylla is sprightly and Granny doesn't do sprightly. Granny breaks in horses and that is what Sybylla initially is to her: a horse that needs breaking in. She is certainly coltish, creating chaos wherever she goes.
Her singularity is trumpeted rather too loudly initially. I'm not convinced the al-fresco weeing was entirely necessary. But over the six episodes the character develops more weight. There is so much against Sybylla when it comes to keeping her dream of a creative and independent life alive – so much misogyny, so much
LITERARY DREAMS: Philippa Northeast and Jake Dunn. Right: TFL inspector Lisa
social disapproval – that she has to develop resilience and strength. There's a terrific scene where, at one of Granny's parties, she bravely recites one of her bold poems, but by then it's well-earned. However, might she be knocked off course? By romance?
She ends up with not one but two suitors. There's Frank (Jake Dunn), the Englishman working as a foreman at Caddagat, and the other is Harry (Christopher Chung), from a neighbouring estate. Yes, Christopher Chung, Roddy Ho from Slow Horses, and let me tell you: he makes a fine romantic lead (and has great abs too). He may be her soul-mate. This relationship has potential. But will Sybylla cave in and marry? Like Lizzie
Bennet did? This may well upset the purists. Harry is now Anglo-Chinese. One major character is revealed as gay. Plus there are invented First Nations characters who get their own storyline which, in fact, I did object to, but only on the grounds that this subplot is quite soapy and dull.
The truth is, it only truly flies when Northeast is on the scene. She brings radiance, flashing eyes and the wild hair that, it seems, can only be tamed momentarily.
She captures the spirit of Sybylla while the adaptation captures the spirit of the book, which is what matters. Franklin, I'm convinced, would have loved it.
I can't watch any more murder. Dramas are all murder, murder, murder – the latest Ryan Murphy series, Shards, has a serial killer on the loose, while Netflix seems to come up with a true-crime documentary about a murder every four minutes or so. What hope has the non-murdering criminal of making it onto television? Channel 5 is, at least, giving fare dodgers a go.
I did not intend to watch Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law. I came upon it while scrolling one evening and thought: Oh look, true crime, and no murder. What are the chances? And I was immediately hooked by the fella who had made 530 trips across London in the space of a year and had paid for none of them. (A bank card scam – he owed Transport For London £3,700 in unpaid tickets.) But Lisa, from TFL's enforcement team, was now onto him. Lisa had made it her mission to catch him and, you sense, her self-respect depended upon it. She does, finally, nab him and when she shows him the dossier she has on him – he says he has only avoided paying today – it is most satisfying.
I probably won't look out for the programme in the future but I was engaged while it lasted. And no blood was spilled, no throats were cut, and no corpses were arranged in positions indicating some manner of satanic ritual. It's true crime and I didn't have to look away the once. Perfect.
Edinburgh COMEDY
In the 11 years since her acquittal for the 2007 murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox has had direct involvement in documentaries, podcasts and a recent TV drama series, so why not throw in a comedy as well?
If, in the event, her Fringe show Cartwheel (Gilded Balloon, to August 17 ★★★★) had actually turned out to be a comedy, as mistakenly advertised, you could understand the furore surrounding the show. But it most decidedly is not a comedy, and Knox is very far from being a comedian.
As a biographical storytelling account, centred on her maternal instincts and anxieties over
MARK WAREHAM
Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 7-31
raising her two young children in the media glare (which she has done little to discourage, it must be said), Cartwheel certainly proves emotive. The script is respectful, with some self-deprecating, knowing jokes, and she performs it creditably enough for a debutant.
Knox cuts a defiant figure, angry not bitter, whose Chumbawamba reference ('I get
knocked down...') speaks for itself. She resists playing the victim card but admits she made it hard for herself. 'Did I make it weird?' she asks the audience. 'Yes,' they chorus. And no one's changing their mind after this.
In The Woman On The Edge (Pleasance, to August 31 ★★★★), Elf Lyons charts the emotional fallout from a painful break-up in the guise of a classic Hitchcock screen siren. 'Ever lost someone?' she purrs, tottering around drunkenly in imaginary high heels. 'I have.'
Mixing clowning, theatre, opera and even lip-synching with stand-up, Lyons conjures up an audacious fever dream crammed with ingenious verbal and sight
gags. 'I will be funny,' she promises. 'In retrospect.'
Harnessing the story of the failed Apollo 13 mission as a metaphor for her jilted love, she guides her fragile, broken heart back to Earth, ending with an explosive, uplifting theatrical climax. This is truly a beautiful, shattering hour from an extraordinary performer.
Bella Hull serves up straight stand-up with a side of twisted smarts and some in-your-face crowd work, not to mention a brilliant stunt about 20 minutes in (no spoilers).
In Mad Cow Disease (Monkey Barrel, to August 30 ★★★★) Hull unleashes a stack of punchy jokes, showing precisely why she
DEFIANT: Amanda Knox
got snapped up to write for Saturday Night Live UK. Catch her in a dingy basement while you still can.
AUGUST 16
4
THEATRE
ROBERT GORE-LANGTON
Game Of Thrones: The Mad King
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon Until September 5, 3hrs 40mins
★★★★★
How The Other Half Loves
Old Vic, London Until September 19, 2hrs 40mins
★★★★★
There are huge metal jousting knights, steely puppet war horses, and the action is staged on two intersecting runways. Expect a ruby-eyed dragon, swooping ravens and a throne made of vicious-looking cutlery in Game Of Thrones: The Mad King, a lavish stage prequel to George RR Martin's door-stopper novels and the TV series.
While writer Duncan Macmillan and director Dominic Cooke's show looks great, too often it is a laborious trundle in thickets of plot. All the gore and nudity of the series is missing, perhaps to appeal to a more
CAUSTIC PAIR:
Roger Allam and Dorothy Atkinson
Thrones without the sex and gore ...Where's the fun in that?
kiddie-friendly market. Stratford theatre regulars will instantly recognise Martin's debt to the Bard. Western's Mad King Aerys (Michael Shaeffer in a wig and with three-inch fingernails) is a definite nod to King Lear; Lord Robert Baratheon (Callum Woodhouse), leading pretender to the throne and a drunken tub of a man, is Prince Hal and Falstaff rolled into one. Then there's Prince
Rhaegar Targaryen (Noah Ritter) – clearly a blond-wigged cousin of that arch-ditherer Hamlet.
Macmillan's script is full of medieval ('know ye not') and modern ('Get up, you daft pillock') but is short of anything poetically memorable. Yes, it looks good, and Rhaegar Targaryen and Princess Elia Martell (Elizabeth Ayodele) will win fans.
I sat thinking what a crying shame the creative invention on display hasn't been funnelled into
NOD TO LEAR: Michael Shaeffer in The Mad King
doing Shakespeare's actual histories – namely the Henry VI trilogy. The Mad King seems to me a ploy to fill the empty coffers of the ailing RSC brand.
If you are looking for a really good laugh, you'll find it at the Old Vic. How The Other Half Loves is a 1969 hit by Alan Ayckbourn. The great asset here is the actor's actor Roger Allam (star of Endeavour), playing a suburban businessman – kind, pompous, inept, infuriatingly vague and wholly oblivious to what's going on under his nose.
Dorothy Atkinson is terrific as his caustic wife Fiona (the pair are reminiscent of Jerry and Margo Leadbetter from The Good Life), desperate to conceal her affair with his employee, the horrible Bob Phillips (Rowan Polonski), whose feisty wife (Ayesha Antoine) is stuck at home with the baby.
Fiona and Bob enlist another couple – the dull William and timid Mary Featherstone (played by the terrific Laura Elsworthy and Adam Gillen) – as alibis. Two dinner parties from hell are conducted simultaneously, a famous feat of stage synchronicity.
Behind this occasionally cruel farce is a glorious mess of human foibles. Allam gives what is surely the comic performance of the year, partially delivered – as in all good farces – in his Y-fronts and a vest.
The real rewards of Phillip Breen's spot-on period production (door chimes, Sacha Distel and lines such as 'Darling, we've run out of bathroom stationery') are successive waves of laughter. What a joy.
MUSIC
Phoebe Bridgers, already feted as a solo artist and with the supergroup Boygenius, is about to become a superstar. Her third album is the talk of the town, greeted by gossipy features and rave reviews. But on first hearing it, I wondered if my fellow critics had lost their minds.
The opening track, The Outside, is a turn-off. Bridgers' voice, usually so soft and soulful, comes through a vocoder, possibly music technology's worst invention. She is discussing feeling distant at her father's funeral, so she means to sound impersonal, but she's still turning a thing of beauty into processed meat.
When she reverts to her real voice you heave a sigh of relief – only to find her switching back again. As the second track begins, the wretched vocoder is still there. Thankfully, it doesn't reappear, and after this choppy start the album soon has the wind in its sails.
It's a voyage around her father and two lovers. These are her boyfriend, the comedian Bo Burnham, and her ex, the actor Paul Mescal (hence the gossip). Bridgers names one track after
TIM DE LISLE
Phoebe Bridgers Lost Weekend Out now
★★★★★
Role Model Chuck Timely And The Hourglass
★★★★★
Burnham, who is 'Bobby' to her, and keeps mentioning him elsewhere. 'You kiss like a girl,' she sings, paying him a very modern compliment.
Mescal hovers like a ghost, as our exes often do. One song is called Haunted, while on the title track Bridgers says: 'I'm supposed to be married, but I called it off.' This seems to confirm that they were engaged – and to reveal who dumped whom. The plot gets even thicker in The Governor's Waltz. Bridgers snaps at Mescal's girlfriend, the singer Gracie Abrams (also unnamed). They have history: the
first song Abrams posted online, at 13, was a cover of Bridgers' Waiting Room, and later Abrams supported her on tour. Now Bridgers sings: 'And she can pretend to be me/Since she took my place in my bed on that stage.' If you're going to be that withering, you'd better do it well. Bridgers' sound effects can be heavy-handed, her folk-pop
predictable, but her lyrics are deliciously deft. 'You're walking around,' she tells Burnham, 'with my heart on your sleeve.'
She saves her deepest line for the last track, Lost Weekend (Reprise): 'When a dream comes true, a fantasy dies.' In this song, Still Standing and Other Plans, she has made three winners, mixing the snippets of memoir
with something bigger and more enigmatic.
In need of a little levity after that, I turned to Role Model, a singer from Maine whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury. His recent single High Hopes 3000 was a blast, reminiscent of Elton John in 1973. His new album, if you can forgive its fiddly title, is a bundle of intelligent fun.
PHOTOS: BRIAN MULLY, STEPHEN PERRY, STEPHEN MULLY, MARCH
5
FILM
MATTHEW BOND
The End Of Oak Street
Cert: 12A, 1hr 39mins
★★★★★
Sunny Dancer
Cert: 15, 1hr 46mins
★★★★★
Tony
Cert: 15, 1hr 46mins
★★★★★
Lady
Cert: 15, 1hr 37mins
★★★★★
Holy Days
Cert: 12A, 1hr 41mins
★★★★★
Goodness, American suburbia is having a tough time at the cinema this summer. It's only ten days since those strange rains came in The Last House, locking those inside possibly forever, while barely glimpsed monsters stalk outside. And those rains come again in The End Of Oak Street, accompanied by bright lights and deep bass rumbles that nobody can possibly think are thunder and lightning, and you'll never guess what's stalking the streets this time.
We'll come to that, because until then this JJ Abrams-produced picture looks pretty awful. The photography is poor, Ewan McGregor's hair looks different in every shot and passing strangers say things like, 'You have got a great family, you're a lucky man.'
But slowly you remember this is written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, who made the excellent horror It Follows, and that Abrams' past producer credits include two Star Trek films, three Star Wars sequels, TV's Lost and, oh yes, Cloverfield, the popcorn picture about a giant monster invading New York.
He also wrote and directed Super 8, a film which The End Of Oak Street resembles. If these two are making a picture with B-movie vibes, they're doing it deliberately. Which would probably explain why Anne Hathaway signed up to play a surprisingly resourceful suburban mother.
Set in 1982, what ensues is essentially a Steven Spielberg tribute, a cross between ET and Jurassic Park, with gangs of boys racing down lawn-lined streets on chopper bikes until those same streets are suddenly full of, er... hungry velociraptors. Yes, there are dinosaurs here, lots of them.
Mitchell keeps the action bounding along, the running time is an almost perfect 99 minutes and the tone is a delicious blend of jeopardy and suspense, humour (look out for a very funny dinosaur sex scene) and some moderate horror. It's exactly what summers are made for.
It's not true to say that Bella
It's good raptor-ous fun...
Scary monsters
in a burbia
Ramsey single-handedly rescues the off-puttingly titled Sunny Dancer. Once the action has moved to a summer camp for children recovering from cancer, all the cast playing the teenagers are good. But it's the Game Of Thrones star, ably aided and abetted by a watchable Ruby Stokes, who lead the way.
It helps that Ramsey is playing Ivy, a 17-year-old well into remission and almost as furious about being packed off to 'chemo camp' as we are at the prospect of having to watch it. In fact, the
DEF!ANCE:
Bella Ramsey and Daniel Quinn-Toye in Sunny Dancer. Right: Dominic Sessa in Tony
anger and defiance she displays to the inevitably American camp leader, played by an improbable but ultimately rather good Neil Patrick Harris, provides the way into this potentially mawkish but often funny film. Because as Ivy softens, finding first friendship with the sex-obsessed Ella (Stokes) and then love with a handsome campmate, so do we.
Ramsey is brave and properly good, contributing fully to a film that is so much better than its title and synopsis would suggest.
Anthony Bourdain, who committed suicide in 2018, was the bad boy of American restaurant cuisine, cooking up a gastronomic storm in his New York restaurant but drinking, taking drugs and generally being absolutely full of himself. By his own admission, he was even worse as a teenager, which brings us to Tony, a film that charts a formative summer which saw an impulsive and annoyingly self-confident 19-year-old
Bourdain pursuing a girl he liked to Provincetown, Massachusetts and ending up working in a restaurant kitchen for the very first time. It was a summer that would change his life.
Dominic Sessa, best known for The Holdovers, adds an extra layer of moody intensity to a young Bourdain already prone to narcissism, compulsive dishonesty and poor anger management. The kitchen scenes are terrific, as are Antonio Banderas and Leo Woodall in supporting roles, but there's a distinct feeling that the real events can't have been quite as dramatic as this. A sense of having possibly wasted my time proved difficult to shake off, too.
Lady is a strange and surreal British comedy which sees Sian Clifford, of Fleabag fame, playing Lady Isabella, a lonely and creatively deluded aristocrat who hires a camera crew to make a documentary in her stately home. The Bafta-nominated director (Laurie Kynaston) thinks he's working for Netflix and is furious when he discovers that's not the case. But when Isabella literally starts to disappear before his eyes, he senses a new opportunity.
There's clearly satire intended here – if there aren't cameras pointed at you these days, do you even exist? – but with poor screen chemistry between the leads and loud echoes of TV's The Office and Amandaland, it never really lands.
Holy Days is a New Zealand-based comedy that is not only set in the 1970s but feels like it might have been made then too. When three elderly nuns face eviction from their convent, they embark on an ambitious road trip in a car they've stolen from a priest and reluctantly take a young boy still grieving for his mother along for the ride. The plot is ridiculously convoluted, and despite a cast led by Judy Davis and Miriam Margolyes, the intended humour is both lame and dated.
6
BOOKS
Snake Men Zach St George W. W. Norton £22, 272pp
Physical copies of Hoser's seventh issue of the Australasian Journal of Herpetology didn't seem to be lodged in five large public libraries, as required by Article 8.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. If that's the kind of sentence that tickles your fancy, this is the book for you. It features long-running battles between cranky misfits, all desperate to prove that their names for different types of Australian snakes are the right ones. They're the kind of people who go looking for snakes just so they can go looking for a fight.
We usually think of science as a very precise calling, a world where lines are clearly drawn and facts are certain. But actually the opposite is true – the quest for new knowledge constantly casts doubt on old knowledge, and discoveries redraw the boundaries. Where, for instance, does one species end and the next begin? How different does a creature have to be from its near-relatives before it stops being a relative at all? Taxonomists (creature-namers) who are less inclined to create new species are called 'lumpers', while those keen to name as many as possible are
Meet the cranky misfits who name snakes for a living
called 'splitters'. The feuds between them can get vicious. During the 1980s the work of Richard Wells and Ross Wellington provided a furious reaction from the Australian Society of Herpetologists. (This body, incidentally, is not the Australian Herpetological Society. Of course it isn't.) The pair were viewed as splitters, and
the society called for their list of names to be consigned to the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Works in Zoology: 'if their three papers... are not suppressed, the effects on Australian herpetology will be devastating'. The problem is that pretty well anyone can call a species anything they like, and it's a
tradition that, to prevent confusion, subsequent scientists should stick to that name. Not everyone resists the temptation to be humorous. There are flies called Carmenlectra shehuggme and Carmenlectra shechisme (after the Baywatch star). The same man also named flies Pieza pi and Pieza rhea. The beginning of the alphabet inspires people
too. The 1850s saw an orchid named Aa, then in 1906 a beetle was christened Aaata, while in 2013 another beetle became Aauaba. You wouldn't want to get stuck with these people at a party. Mind you, at least they have respect for their animals. They handle the snakes and reptiles that dominate their lives with love and care – one, Raymond Hoser, exhibits them at children's parties, safe in the knowledge that it's very rare indeed for a snake to bite anyone if it hasn't first been provoked. In the United States people killed by snakes are almost always associated with one or more of the 'four Ts' – tattoos, trucks, tequila and testosterone.
And the snakemen are showmen. Eric Worrell, the most famous herpetologist of his day, opened a bag during his first TV appearance in the 1950s to find that someone had trodden on and killed the snake he was due to handle. He 'milked' it for poison anyway, jiggling it to make it seem alive. 'Miraculously two drops of venom rolled down the glass beaker... As I bundled the body into the bag, I overheard one of the technicians: 'Must take a colossal nerve to handle a snake like that.'
Mark Mason
7
BOOKS
JAMES CAREY-DOUGLAS HISTORY
The Last Emperor Of China Paul French Elliot & Thompson £25, 288pp
In the early 20th century, the world was a steaming mess. Rapid industrialisation, political upheaval and unfettered colonial expansion led to the senseless slaughter of the First World War and to monarchies toppling. Nations were contorting themselves to fit into the new age and China was no exception.
Except deep in the heart of Peking (modern-day Beijing) lay a place seemingly forgotten by time. Behind the scarlet walls of the Forbidden City (twice the size of the Vatican) Emperor Puyi, his wife, English tutors and castrated servants played out the final act of the Qing dynasty.
The strange and melancholy life of China's last emperor saw him fall from being the most powerful child in the world to being employed as a gardener near the palace he used to occupy. Unsurprisingly, artists have been inspired by this story for generations. Millions flocked to see Bernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning
'He cried through his coronation'
masterpiece The Last Emperor, based on Puyi's relationship with his tutor Reginald Johnston.
Now, sinologist and author Paul French has written this biography of the emperor from his accession to the throne in 1908, when he was only two, to his eventual expulsion from the Forbidden City in 1924.
Puyi was born to a Manchurian noble family in 1906 at the tail end of Dowager Empress Cixi's infamous reign. Cixi was a sociopathic despot who seemed to delight in poisoning anyone who stood in her way, even her own nephew. Her final act of cruelty before slipping off to Hell was to name her two-year-old great-nephew, Puyi, her successor.
Barely even a toddler, Puyi was told that he was the conduit between the kingdom of Heaven and the people on Earth. He was whisked off to the Forbidden City 'by cavalry mounted on Mongolian horses flanked by palace eunuchs in their brilliant scarlet uniforms'. He wrote latterly that he screamed and cried through his coronation.
China's political system was in tatters and when the revolution of 1911 finally established China as a republic, no one was surprised - not even the Imperial Family. Luckily for them, the statesman who had forged the new China, Dr Sun Yat-sen, 'believed that a semblance of the past, of China's continuity, was important'. He also thought that 'the brutality of executing a six-year-old emperor would win him few friends either at home or abroad'. As cages go,
Mystery of the Emperor within Empire
Crowned at two and deposed at six... A new history tells the amazing story of China's last imperial ruler and his gilded life in the Forbidden City
Puyi's may have been the most gilded of any in history. French describes the splendour of sequestered life in magnificent detail; acres of gardens blooming with chrysanthemums, sumptuous banquets, and an army of eunuchs who treated Puyi as God. The 'little Court' was allowed to function - stripped of all its powers - and given an enormous annual stipend.
Reginald Johnston's 1934 memoir of the years he spent teaching Puyi (1918-24) is the reason we know so much about life in the 'Great Within'. Johnston was a colonial official based in China who picked up the language uncommonly well. When he was hired as tutor, he developed a
paternal fondness for the young emperor, and Puyi came to rely on him for everything.
Johnston was one of the many voices encouraging Puyi to marry. In 1922, teenage Puyi picked Wanrong from a selection of photos of Manchurian noblewomen.
The wedding was a bizarre mingling of republicanism and monarchy. The streets of Peking were choked with spectators who had come to watch the bride carried on a red sedan chair on her way to her confinement in the Forbidden City. The republican marching bands played American jazz music ahead of Qing princes on horseback. If anything, the meaningless theatrics just proved that what-
ever this was, it couldn't last. Rather than a wife, Wanrong became a sort of playmate for the teenage emperor. French paints an endearing portrait of the couple cycling through the ancient citadel, taking cheeky photographs of each other, dressing up themselves and their tutors in ancient costumes.
However, they were imprisoned. Puyi began to dream of simply being a citizen and free of the palace and its eunuchs.
The eunuchs are undoubtedly the strangest feature of life at the palace, and in my opinion, its most pitiable inhabitants. For more than a millennium, royal tradition dictated that the emperor be served
by eunuchs. Eunuchs could work in the royal palace 'without threat of tainting the imperial bloodline'. They also didn't have the distraction of families, which might shift their focus from the emperor.
Often, they were castrated as children. Poverty-stricken parents would pin their only financial hopes on their son becoming an imperial servant. For all of Puyi's life 'they had surrounded him as servants, sweeps, clerks, playmates, grooms, entertainers and, later, target practice for his air-gun'. Puyi admitted in his memoir that 'by the age of 11, flogging eunuchs was part of my daily routine... Whenever I was in a bad temper the eunuchs would be in for trouble.'
Since these people had lost their genitals (they kept them in brine jars so they could be buried with them) you'd hope the only perk might be job security. However, the ever-looming threat of permanent expulsion meant they didn't even have that. Naturally, they took to looting. They would pilfer some of the inexhaustible treasures within the Forbidden City and sell them as curios to delighted tourists.
When Puyi discovered this, he expelled all 400 palace eunuchs in a fit of rage. Many became homeless, many killed themselves. The emperor would be tossed out himself not long after them.
In November 1924 the emperor and empress were finally expelled from the Forbidden City. The forging of the new republic had quite
'Puyi was sent to a re-education camp'
a few teething problems, with warlords trying to assert their dominance up and down the country. Eventually, the president was ousted and the warlord Feng Yuxiang seized Peking. He had 'no time for monarchy in any form' and his sympathy with the Bolsheviks rightfully terrified Puyi and Wanrong.
They were made to vacate the palace and fend for themselves. Despite Puyi's long desire to leave, life outside the scarlet walls only went from bad to worse. Puyi was easily persuaded by Japan (China's enemy) to accept the emperorship of their illegally annexed territory Manchukuo. This rendered Puyi and his wife enemies of China and he was arrested after the Second World War and sent to a re-education camp. Wanrong, who had become addicted to opium since leaving Peking, died in a prison cell incontinent and in the midst of withdrawal. She too had been accused of collaboration with the Japanese.
Puyi was released after ten years in prison and ended his life as a gardener in Mao's Beijing.
This is a surreal and upsetting story, which French writes with a verve that brings the magnificence and miseries of the Forbidden City to life.
The eye-opening biography lays bare the character of a 'modest and intelligent' boy, doomed to be, according to one American journalist, 'the least consequential monarch on Earth'.
© Cengage Learning
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13
OUR TOP PICKS FOR THIS WEEK'S TV
SPORT CRICKET
Joe Root, right, returns as England captain against Pakistan in the first post-Bazball Test. On Sunday it's the last day of the European Athletics Championships (BBC1, 7.25am & 7.30pm); the finals of The Hundred (BBC2, 2pm & 6pm); and Arsenal v Man City in the Community Shield (TNT1, k.o. 3pm). The Premier League kicks off on Friday with Arsenal v Coventry City (Fri, SSME, k.o. 8pm). Weds, Sky Cricket, 10am
TRUE CRIME
LOVE YOU TO DEATH
In 2005, four-year-old Matthew Johnson won a Children of Courage award. Two years later, his mother Lisa, left, was convicted of child cruelty. It's unusual for true-crime docuseries to hear from victim and perpetrator, but this sad and complex tale of Fabricated or Induced Illness features both Lisa and Matthew, speaking for the first time. Wednesday-Thursday, C4, 9pm
THRILLER
LANTERNS
It might be set in the DC superhero universe, but HBO's new eight-part series is essentially True Detective with superpowers very firmly to the side. Friday Night Lights' Kyle Chandler, right, stars as the intergalactic law enforcer who investigates a very Earthbound murder in rural Nebraska. Monday, HBO Max
RADIO
SUNDAY DESERT
ISLAND DISCS
Chaka Khan, subject of a new musical starring Alexandra Burke is cast away. Radio 4, 10am
SUNDAY THE
GRAND NORTH ATLANTIC HOME VIDEO ARCHIVE
The moving tale of why Seamas O'Reilly's dad taped more than 700 films from the TV. Radio 4, 7.15pm
THURSDAY
THIS CULTURAL LIFE
Sebastian Faulks, the author of bestseller Birdsong, shares memories of his 'culturally active' mother and of first seeing work by the Impressionists as a student in Paris. Radio 4, 11am
THURSDAY
BBC PROMS
Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and the BBC Concert Orchestra pay tribute to Miles Davis, left, in his centenary year. Radio 3, 7pm
PHOTO: BELLIS/THILL/THANNIS / DENNY/ALLEN/STACY/HEIMAN
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Sunday August 16
| BBC1 | BBC2 | ITV1 | CHANNEL 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.00 Breakfast 7.25 European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 Coverage of the opening session on day seven, featuring the men's and women's marathons, as the runners start and finish in Victoria Square in the heart of the city. 10.35 FILM: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (PG/2022) Musical comedy starring Javier Bardem. 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.15 Songs Of Praise The Rev Kate Bottley presents from the Royal Norfolk Show. 1.50 Money For Nothing (R) 2.35 Escape To The Country (R) 3.05 The Mating Game (R) 4.05 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 5.05 BBC News 5.20 Regional News; Weather 5.30 Countryfile Adam Henson is in Cumbria with 27-year-old farmer Georgia Hunter. 6.30 Antiques Roadshow 5/19 Fiona Bruce presents the show from the grounds of Brodie Castle in Scotland. (R) | 6.25 Countryfile Adam Henson meets young farmers in West Sussex. (R) 7.25 Breakfast News, weather and entertainment reports. 9.00 Prayer And Reflection (R) 9.30 FILM: Top Hat (U/1935) Musical with a score by Irving Berlin, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. 11.05 The Best Dishes Ever (R) 11.35 The Great British Sewing Bee The sewers tackle the wide world of sport. (R) 12.35 FILM: Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (PG/1987) The Man of Steel vows to rid the world of nuclear weapons, only to face a deadly radioactive villain. Superhero adventure sequel, starring Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman. 2.00 Cricket: The Hundred The women's final (start-time 2.15pm). Coverage from Lord's of Trent Rockets Women v SunRises Leeds Women who won Friday's Eliminator game. | 6.00 James Martin's American Adventure (R) 7.00 James Martin's Saturday Morning (R) 9.25 ITV News 9.30 Love Your Weekend With Alan Titchmarsh (R) 11.30 Fern Britton: Inside The Vet's Andy performs surgery on a dog to remove a worrying tumour. Last in series. 12.30 Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy Tom explores Italy's mountains. (R) 1.00 ITV News; Weather 1.05 Force Of Nature How warming seas exacerbate the challenges of parenthood. (R) 2.10 FILM: Octopussy (PG/1983) James Bond spy adventure starring Roger Moore. 4.45 The Chase Celebrity Special Quiz show. (R) 5.45 The Chase Around The World The teams land in Zurich to take on the Governess and the Dark Destroyer. (R) 6.40 ITV News; Weather 6.50 Local News; Weather | 6.20 Cheers Triple bill. (R) 7.40 Everybody Loves Raymond Double bill. (R) 8.30 The Simpsons Triple bill. (R) 10.00 Sunday Brunch With Al Murray, Layton Williams, Danny O'Donoghue, Gareth Malone and Saffron Hocking. 1.00 The Dog House Ellie hopes to find a dog to help her relax. (R) 2.00 Four In A Bed Five episodes. (R) 4.35 Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive And Kids The planners agree that renovation can now extend into the adjacent barn. (R) 5.35 Worst House On The Street Scarletie and Stuart face one of their biggest challenges to date as they help husband and wife Ian and Steph renovate a derelict three-bedroom house on the Isle of Sheppey that has been empty for nearly two decades. (R) 6.30 Channel 4 News Including sport and weather. | 6.00 Milkshake! Children's shows, including: 8.10 Animal Care Club 8.25 The Smurfs 8.35 The Creature Cases (R) 8.50 SpongeBob SquarePants (R) 9.05 Entertainment News On 5 Showbiz news and gossip. 9.15 FILM: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (U/2004) Children's animated comedy. 11.00 Happy Campers: The Caravan Park Double bill of the documentary. (R) 1.00 Cruising With Susan Calman Double bill. The presenter explores the Caribbean. (R) 3.00 Croc Watch With Steve Backshall Double bill. The naturalist gets up and close with crocodiles. (R) 5.00 Sicily With Michael Portillo The broadcaster explores the Italian island's capital Palermo. (R) 6.25 News National and international news. 6.30 Birds Of A Feather: 30 Years Of Laughs A celebration of the sitcom. (R) | |
| European Athletics Championships, 7.30pm | Cricket: The Hundred, 6pm Coverage of the men's final | Richard E Grant's Very Modern Odyssey, 8pm The journey goes on | |||
| 7.30 European Athletics Championships: Birmingham 2026 Gabby Logan presents coverage of the evening session on the final day, where medals are awarded in eight events including the women's 1500m and the 4 x 400m relays. With analysis from Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford, and commentary by Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson and Paula Radcliffe. 10.00 BBC News At Ten 10.25 Regional News; Weather 10.30 FILM: Mission: Impossible 2 (15/2000) Secret agent Ethan Hunt is sent to find and destroy the only sample of a deadly man-made virus. But he faces tough opposition from a spy-turned-criminal mastermind who already has the cure and now wants the pathogen itself. John Woo's action thriller sequel starring Tom Cruise. 12.30 BBC News | 6.00 Cricket: The Hundred The men's final (start-time 6pm). Coverage from Lord's of the showpiece match as Trent Rockets take on the winners of Friday's Eliminator game between Manchester Super Giants and SunRises Leeds. 9.30 Q1 9/18 Ed Byrne, Cally Beaton and Jack Dee join Alan Davies on the comedy panel quiz, with Sandi Toksvig asking questions on all things theatrical. (R) 10.00 FILM: The French Connection (18/1971) Two New York cops use unorthodox methods to break a drug ring smuggling heroin into the US from France. Oscar-winning fact-based thriller with Gene Hackman. 11.40 FILM: Bonnie And Clyde (18/1967) Gangster drama about the couple who went on a crime spree across the American midwest during the 1930s. With Warren Beatty. 1.30 Sign Zone: Ann Droid (R) | 7.00 Force Of Nature 4/6 Andrew Lincoln narrates a look at how animals adapted to the cold are struggling in a warming world, including a snow leopard in the Himalayas forced from his home by a rival male. 8.00 Van Der Valk 3/3 A scientist researching cancer is found seemingly assassinated and Piet has to find out why he was killed and investigate a link to a pharmaceuticals billionaire. 10.00 ITV News; Weather 10.15 Sunny Nights 1/8 New series. American sibling entrepreneurs are dragged into the Sydney underworld after encountering a con artist. 11.15 25 Years In Afghanistan Revisiting Mir, whose life audiences followed from childhood through two decades of extraordinary change in the 2021 documentary My Childhood, My Country - 20 Years in Afghanistan. 1.05 Shop On TV | 7.00 Gogglebox Compilation of highlights from series 27, in which the Goggleboxers check out more of the biggest and best TV. 8.00 Richard E Grant's Very Modern Odyssey 3/4 Richard searches for the mythical hypnotic lotus fruit on the Tunisian island of Djerba and seeks out the enchanted Circe, who bewitched Odysseus, on Italy's west coast. 9.00 The Piano The wildcard pick is revealed and Mika, Claudia Winkleman and Jon Batiste prepare the finalists for the biggest concert of their lives at Birmingham Symphony Hall. 10.00 Celebrity Gogglebox Stars give their thoughts on Casualty, The 1% Club for Soccer Aid, Clarkson's Farm, The Yorkshire Vet: At Home with the Greens and This Morning. (R) 11.05 FILM: Alice, Darling (15/2022) Thriller starring Anna Kendrick. 12.45 Ramsay's Hotel Hell (R) | Birds Of A Feather: 30 Years Of Laughs, 6.30pm A celebration |
15
Monday August 17
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 12.15 Bargain Hunt 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC News; Weather 2.00 Money For Nothing 2.45 Escape To The Country 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC News 6.30 Regional News; Weather 7.00 The One Show 7.30 EastEnders A situation escalates for Nicola. 8.00 Child Maintenance: Parents Under Pressure – Panorama 8.30 Scam Interceptors 6/15 Ethical hacker Jim Browning catches scammers at work. (R) 9.00 Death In Paradise 7/9 (R) 10.00 BBC News At Ten 10.30 Regional News; Weather 10.40 Have I Got News For You 6/10 David Tennant hosts. (R) 11.10 FILM: Mission: Impossible III (12/2006) Action thriller.
BBC2
6.45 Beechgrove Garden (R) 7.15 The Answer Run (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: The Repair Shop (R) 9.00 BBC News 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) 5.15 Flog It! (R) 6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (R) 7.00 Global Eye 7.30 Mastermind 8.00 Only Connect Accrual World take on the Knitwits. 8.30 University Challenge Bath takes on City St George's. 9.00 Buried With Michael Sheen 1/2 The actor investigates allegations of toxic contamination in south Wales. 10.00 Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing 4/6 (R) 10.30 Newsnight 11.05 Disclosure: Welcome To Glasgow Factual series. 12.05 A House Through Time (R)
ITV1
6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.30 ITV News; Weather 1.55 Local News; Weather 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal (R) 3.00 Deal Or No Deal (R) 4.00 Tipping Point (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather 7.30 Fletchers' Family Farm 10/10 Kelvin is in the market for a bull. (R) 8.00 Emmerdale Ruby orchestrates the theft of Jimmy's shipment. 8.30 Coronation Street Sarah refuses to use her contacts to help another prisoner. 9.00 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – What Happened Next Following up the stories of foundlings Susanne Barrow and Tom Yeo. 10.00 ITV News; Weather 10.30 Local News; Weather 10.45 Cold Case Forensics: In The Blood 3/3 (R) 11.40 The Assembly (R) 12.05 Shop On TV
CHANNEL 4
6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 American Pickers (R) 7.00 Channel 4 News 8.00 Martin & Roman's Irish Road Trip 2/3 Martin and Roman Kemp explore Meath and Dublin. 9.00 Celebrity Hunted A couple of fugitives pop up live on the BBC. 10.00 Secret Lives Of Gypsy Wives Trewley's first rap song enjoys mixed success. 11.05 Surgery Secrets Of The Super Rich 5/6 Emma has a £9,500 nano-fat treatment to rejuvenate her under-eye shadows. (R) 12.05 Walter Presents: Everybody Lies
5
6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 News 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: An Affair To Die For (12/2023) Thriller starring Ryan Francis. 4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 News 6.00 Cyprus: Jewel Of The Med (R) 6.55 News 7.00 Traffic Cops Officers are on the lookout for a suspected cloned car. (R) 7.55 News 8.00 Street Cops: Catching The Yobs Officers chase a teen after finding a studded baseball bat. 9.00 Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law Investigators hunt for a woman thought to owe more than £2,300 in unpaid fares. 10.00 Police Interceptors: Taking Down The Shoplifting Gangs 3/4 Two brothers whose campaign of shoplifting is out of control. (R) 11.05 Traffic Cops 8/20 (R) 12.05 Car Pound Cops (R)
Tuesday August 18
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC News; Weather 2.00 Money For Nothing 2.45 Escape To The Country 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC News; Weather 6.30 Regional News 7.00 The One Show With Roman Kemp and Lauren Laverne. 7.30 EastEnders Ravi turns to Zack for advice. 8.00 The Great British Sewing Bee 6/10 The sewers make tutus, cuddly toys and superhero costumes for children's week. 9.00 Celebrity MasterChef 1/15 Well-known faces compete. 10.00 BBC News At Ten 10.30 Regional News; Weather 10.40 FILM: The Untouchables (15/1987) Gangster thriller starring Kevin Costner. 12.35 The Hit List (R)
BBC2
6.30 Escape To The Country (R) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: The Great British Sewing Bee (R) 9.00 BBC News 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) 5.15 Flog It! (R) 6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (R) 7.00 Nigellissima 3/6 (R) 7.30 Race Against The Tide 1/6 8.00 Saving Lives At Sea 1/10 There's a 999 call about a fisherman who has fallen overboard. 9.00 Emergency 24/7 1/6 10.00 Live At The Apollo 6/7 (R) 10.30 Newsnight 11.05 The Vampire Lestat: Interview With The Vampire 5/7 11.55 The Vampire Lestat: Interview With The Vampire 6/7 12.50 Sign Zone: Uncanny (R)
ITV1
6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.30 ITV News; Weather 1.55 Local News; Weather 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal (R) 3.00 Deal Or No Deal (R) 4.00 Tipping Point (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather 7.30 Inside The Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel 5/6 Reception supervisor Rodrigo welcomes a dancing idol of his. 8.00 Emmerdale Joe has a surprise for everyone. 8.30 Coronation Street Kit leaves Sarah to deal with Kacey's threat. 9.00 True Crime Presents: No Escape – Married To A Stalker The murder of Raneem Oudeh by her ex-partner. 10.00 ITV News; Weather 10.30 Local News; Weather 10.45 FILM: Octopussy (PG/1983) James Bond spy adventure starring Roger Moore. 1.10 Shop On TV
CHANNEL 4
6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 American Pickers (R) 7.00 Channel 4 News 8.00 The Great ADHD Myth? Psychiatrist Max Pemberton challenges conventional thinking about ADHD. 9.00 Celebrity Hunted Gloria Hunniford provides a safe haven for two fugitives. 10.00 Gogglebox I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! comes under scrutiny. (R) 11.05 Secret Lives Of Gypsy Wives Trewley's first rap song enjoys mixed success. (R) 12.05 Building Monaco's Superhomes (R)
5
6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 News 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: Living Next To Danger (PG/2023) Thriller. 4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 News 6.00 Gibraltar: Jewel Of The Med. A profile of the peninsula located on the southern coast of Spain. (R) 6.55 News 7.00 Police Interceptors Two men in a van embark on a dangerous race through four counties. (R) 7.55 News 8.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders An uninsured Mercedes van refuses to stop on the M6. 9.00 The Georgians With Rob Rinder & Ruth Goodman A look at the coronation of King George IV in 1820. 10.30 James Bulger: The Trial The story of the 1993 murder trial of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson. (R) 12.05 Serial Killer Wives (R)
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Wednesday August 19
8PM 6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC News; Weather 2.00 Money For Nothing 2.45 Escape To The Country (R) 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC News; Weather 6.30 Regional News 7.00 The One Show 7.30 EastEnders It is the day of Cindy and Kim's hen dos. 8.00 Fake Or Fortune? What Happened Next An update on whether two sketchbooks were the work of a young Toulouse-Lautrec. 9.00 Celebrity MasterChef 2/15 10.00 BBC News At Ten 10.30 Regional News; Weather 10.40 NOTD: Uefa Champions League Action from the play-off round first-leg ties. 11.30 FILM: Monkey Man (18/2024) Premiere. Action thriller starring Dev Patel.
10PM 6.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: Great Japanese Railway Journeys (R) 8.30 Great Continental Railway Journeys (R) 9.00 BBC News 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) 5.15 Flog It! (R) 6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 6.30 Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (R) 7.00 Today At The Test England v Pakistan. 8.00 Digging For Britain 6/6 (R) 9.00 Murder Trial: Death Of A Dog Walker 2/2 Former gamekeeper David Campbell takes the stand. 10.00 Couples Therapy 1/9 10.30 Newsnight 11.05 Couples Therapy 2/9 11.35 Couples Therapy 3/9 Jason turns to ChatGPT. 12.05 Buried With Michael Sheen Part one of two. (R)
9PM 6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.00 ITV News; Weather 1.20 Local News; Weather 1.30 ITV Racing: Live From York. Day one of the Ebor Meeting. 4.30 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather 7.30 Inside The Langham: Britain's First Grand Hotel 6/6 The team celebrates the 160th anniversary of the Langham. 8.00 Emmerdale 8.30 Coronation Street Idris coaches Ollie ahead of the poker night at Speed Daal. 9.00 Professor T 1/6 Drama starring Ben Miller. 10.00 ITV News; Weather 10.30 Local News; Weather 10.45 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – What Happened Next (R) 11.40 British Touring Car Championship Highlights Highlights show. 1.05 Shop On TV
9PM 6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 American Pickers (R) 7.00 Channel 4 News 8.00 Extraordinary Extensions A Croydon couple build a barn extension. 9.00 Love You To Death 1/3 The story of a mother who fabricated her son's illness. 10.00 Outback Murder Highway 1/4 Crime documentary investigating killings along a 500-mile Australian road. 11.05 Outback Murder Highway 2/4 The murder of three New Zealand motorcyclists. 12.05 Murder Case: The Digital Detectives How a fake £20 note helped expose the truth behind a 2020 killing. (R)
8PM 6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 News 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: The Body In The Attic (PS/2023) 4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 News 6.00 Capri: Jewel Of The Med (R) 6.55 News 7.00 Car Pound Cops 8/8 Tracking cars as they are seized for a variety of offences. (R) 7.55 News 8.00 Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts The team at Barnsley Casualty deal with winter pressures. 9.00 999: Critical Condition 6/6 A man worries that he may never walk again after a road traffic accident. 10.00 A&E: Crash Scene Emergency The work of medical teams at University Hospital Coventry's trauma unit. (R) 11.05 Ambulance: Code Red A 64-year-old has collapsed at work with a suspected cardiac arrest. (R)
Thursday August 20
9PM 6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer 12.15 Bargain Hunt (R) 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC News; Weather 2.00 Money For Nothing 2.45 Escape To The Country (R) 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC News; Weather 6.30 Regional News 7.00 The One Show 7.30 EastEnders Lily and Joel support one another. 8.00 Dragons' Den 8/14 9.00 Ludwig 1/6 10.00 BBC News At Ten 10.30 Regional News; Weather 10.40 The Truth About My Murder 1/6 The police investigation into a murder at Wentwood Forest in 1996. 11.20 The Truth About My Murder 2/6 A woman's body is found in a suitcase next to the M4. 12.00 The Truth About My Murder A body is found near a crashed car in Wales.
8PM 6.30 Escape To The Country (R) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: Gardeners' World (R) 9.00 BBC News 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (R) 5.10 Flog It! (R) 6.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 6.30 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 7.00 Today At The Test England v Pakistan. 8.00 The Big Deal With Steph McGovern 2/6 The remaining six pairs team up to source and sell artwork for luxury homes. 9.00 A House Through Time 2/4 The lives of Victorian-era residents of the house on Calton Hill are assessed. 10.00 Red Dwarf 2/6 (R) 10.30 Newsnight 11.05 Emergency 24/7 1/6 (R) 12.05 FILM: Tar (15/2022) Drama starring Cate Blanchett.
7.30PM 6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.00 ITV News; Weather 1.20 Local News; Weather 1.30 ITV Racing: Live From York. Day two of the Ebor Meeting. 4.30 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather 7.30 Tom Kerridge Cooks Italy 6/6 Tom explores Sicily's citrus heritage. 8.00 Emmerdale Kev warns Caleb and Ruby that he will expose them. 8.30 Coronation Street Leanne has a go at Idris for gambling with her money. 9.00 The Chase Around The World 6/6 The teams land in the final city, Athens, where they must defeat all the Chasers. 10.00 ITV News; Weather 10.30 Local News; Weather 10.45 FILM: Skyfall (12/2012) James Bond thriller starring Daniel Craig. 1.20 Shop On TV
8PM 6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 American Pickers (R) 7.00 Channel 4 News 8.00 Renovation Rescue In South Wales, a fed-up family who have been living in a building site for 18 months decide to complete their renovation themselves. 9.00 Love You To Death 2/3 Lisa's world explodes as an unthinkable truth is revealed. 10.00 Love You To Death 3/3 Matthew confronts his past. 11.05 Outback Murder Highway 3/4 Taking a look at the disappearance of Tony Jones. 12.05 Outback Murder Highway
9PM 6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 News 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: Sins In The Family (12/2023) Thriller starring Monique Plante. 4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 News 6.00 Corsica: Jewel Of The Med (R) 6.55 News 7.00 Around The World In First Class 4/4 Josie Gibson heads to Hong Kong. (R) 7.55 News 8.00 The Yorkshire Vet Matt Smith helps a cow. 9.00 Benidorm Is Murder 4/6 Dennis and Rosa investigate the death of a former jackpot winner. 10.00 Killer At The Crime Scene The murder of Karla Godoy, who vanished after going on holiday to Peru. (R) 11.05 Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law Investigators hunt for a woman thought to owe more than £2,300 in unpaid fares. (R) 12.05 Street Cops: Catching The Yobs Documentary. (R)
17
Friday August 21
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 9.30 Countryfile Treasures (R) 10.30 Garden Rescue (R) 11.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 12.15 Bargain Hunt 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.35 Regional News; Weather 1.45 BBC News; Weather 2.00 The Hairdresser Mysteries 2.45 Escape To The Country (R) 3.30 The Repair Shop (R) 4.30 The Answer Run 5.15 Pointless (R) 6.00 BBC News; Weather 6.30 Regional News; Weather 7.00 The One Show With Angelica Bell and JB Gill. 7.30 The Travelling Auctioneers 3/20 Globetrotter Jenny needs help clearing the family home. (R) 8.00 Celebrity MasterChef 3/15 The celebrities work in teams to serve up a three-course meal. 9.00 Would I Lie To You? 5/9 (R) 9.30 Ann Droid 6/6 10.00 BBC News At Ten 10.30 Regional News; Weather 10.40 FILM: 27 Dresses (12/2008) 12.30 BBC News
BBC2
6.15 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 7.15 Money For Nothing (R) 8.00 Sign Zone: A House Through Time (R) 9.00 BBC News 1.00 Richard Osman's House Of Games (R) 1.30 The Finish Line (R) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? (R) 2.45 Animal Park Summer (R) 3.30 Serengeti II (R) 4.30 Flog It! (R) 5.00 Gymnastics: European Championships 2026. Coverage of the third day of the men's event. 7.00 Athletics: Diamond League Lausanne The Athletissima. 9.00 Bergerac 6/6 The race is on to find Kim before she comes to harm. 9.50 The Secret Genius Of Modern Life (R) 10.00 Q1 10/18 With Sarah Millican, Daliso Chaponda and Rob Beckett. (R) 10.30 Novenight 11.05 FILM: Silent Roar (15/2023) Premiere. Comedy drama starring Louis McCartney and Fiona Bell. 12.30 Today At The Test (R)
ITV1
6.00 Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning 1.00 ITV News; Weather 1.20 Local News; Weather 1.30 ITV Racing: Live From York. The third day of the Ebor Meeting. 4.30 Tipping Point: Best Ever Finals (R) 5.00 The Chase (R) 6.00 Local News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather 7.30 Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes 5/6 Abbey visits homes belonging to Seema Malhotra and Alice Temperley. (R) 8.00 Emmerdale Jimmy sells his haulage business. 8.30 Coronation Street Glenda, Mary, and Christina chide Todd for his heavy drinking. 9.00 Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Celebrity Special Laura Kenny and Krishnan Guru-Murthy compete. (R) 10.00 The Twisted Tale Of Amanda Knox 8/8 11.00 ITV News; Weather 11.30 Local News; Weather 11.50 FILM: Rush Hour (12/1998)
CHANNEL 4
6.30 The King Of Queens (R) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.10 Frasier (R) 11.10 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R) 12.05 Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (R) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (R) 2.10 Countdown 3.00 A Place In The Sun (R) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge (R) 5.00 Chateau DIY (R) 6.00 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Highlights 6.30 A Place In The Sun (R) 7.00 Channel 4 News 8.00 Surgery Secrets Of The Super Rich 6/6 9.00 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown With guests Judy Love and Katherine Parkinson. (R) 10.00 Big Fat Quiz: Best Bits A compilation of comedic rants from the show. 11.05 Sarah Millican: Bobby Dazzler A stand-up special touching on various adult themes. (R) 12.10 FILM: Summerthood (15/2023) Comedy drama.
5
6.00 Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45 News 12.50 Matt Allwright 2.20 FILM: Stranger In My Home (U/2023) Thriller starring Angela Cole. 4.00 Castle (R) 4.55 Love Nature (R) 5.00 News 6.00 Croatia: Jewel Of The Med (R) 6.55 News 7.00 Tom Read Wilson's Grand Tour 3/3 Tom heads off on a scenic journey through Tuscany. (R) 7.55 News 8.00 Alexander Armstrong In Sri Lanka 2/3 The presenter embarks on the second leg of his Sri Lankan adventure. (R) 9.00 Heat 1/4 Drama starring Danny Dyer. (R) 10.05 Heat 2/4 Word of the fires spreading adds extra anxiety to the household. (R) 11.05 Piers Morgan: Uncensored The bold, opinion-led news and debate show. 1.00 Cruise TV With LoveitBookit (R)
Saturday August 22
BBC1
6.00 Breakfast 10.00 Saturday Kitchen 11.30 Anna Haugh's Big Irish Food Tour (R) 12.00 Bargain Hunt (R) 12.45 The Football Interview 1.00 BBC News; Weather 1.15 Money For Nothing (R) 2.00 Homes Under The Hammer (R) 3.00 Escape To The Country (R) 3.45 Final Score 5.25 BBC News 5.35 Regional News; Weather 5.45 The Hit List 6.30 Alan Carr's Picture Slam 7.15 FILM: Paddington (PG/2014) Family comedy. 8.40 The Weakest Link 9/16 Quiz hosted by Romesh Ranganathan. (R) 9.30 How Are You? It's Alan (Partridge) 6/6 A tragic death leads to a moment of catharsis for Alan. (R) 10.00 BBC News; Weather 10.20 Match Of The Day Action from the opening Premier League matches. 11.40 FILM: Something In The Water (15/2024) Thriller starring Hittu Quasem. 1.05 BBC News
BBC2
6.00 Children's Shows 8.45 Around The World In 80 Gardens (R) 9.45 This Wild Life (R) 10.15 FILM: The Third Man (PG/1949) Thriller starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles. 11.55 The Great British Sewing Bee (R) 12.55 Race Against The Tide (R) 1.25 FILM: We Dive At Dawn (U/1943) 3.00 Gymnastics: European Championships 2026. Coverage of the fourth day of the men's event. 6.00 Flog It! (R) 7.00 Today At The Test Highlights of England v Pakistan from Headingley. 8.00 Marvin Gaye: A Tribute At The Proms Featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra. 9.30 Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits – Live In Amsterdam 1976 A concert by the soul singer in the Dutch capital. 10.25 Diana Ross At The BBC Archive performances. (R) 11.25 A Night Of Wonder (R) 12.30 Motown Master: Lamont Dozier At The BBC (R)
ITV1
6.00 James Martin's American Adventure (R) 6.55 FILM: Moonraker (PG/1979) James Bond spy adventure. 9.25 ITV News 9.30 ITV Racing: The Opening Show 10.30 James Martin's Saturday Morning (R) 1.00 ITV News; Weather 1.15 ITV Racing: Live From York. Coverage of the fourth and final day of the Ebor Meeting. 4.30 The Chase (R) 5.30 ITV News; Weather 5.45 Local News; Weather 6.00 Deal Or No Deal: Celebrity Special 7.00 The Voice UK 1/10 Emma Willis returns with the spinning-chair singing contest. 8.15 The 1% Club Quiz game show hosted by Lee Mack in which the questions are all about logic and common sense. (R) 9.20 ITV News; Weather 9.35 FILM: Spectre (12/2015) James Bond thriller starring Daniel Craig. 12.20 English Football League Highlights
CHANNEL 4
6.10 Cheers (R) 8.00 Everybody Loves Raymond (R) 9.25 Frasier (R) 10.55 The Simpsons (R) 1.20 Four In A Bed (R) 3.55 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces (R) 4.55 Grand Designs (R) 6.00 Channel 4 News 6.30 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix Sprint And Qualifying Highlights 8.00 FILM: Doctor Strange (12/2016) An American surgeon becomes a warrior in an inter-dimensional battle between the forces of light and darkness. Fantasy adventure starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor. 10.15 FILM: Everything Everywhere All At Once (15/2022) A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes. Fantasy comedy starring Michelle Yeoh. 12.50 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (R)
5
6.00 Milkshake! 9.05 Entertainment News On 5 9.15 Secrets Of The Royal Palaces (R) 11.00 Westminster Abbey: Behind Closed Doors (R) 1.00 The Royals: Uncensored 2.00 Coastal Adventures With Helen, Jules & JB (R) 3.55 FILM: From Time To Time (PG/2009) Family fantasy adventure. 6.00 Sussex: Jewel Of The South Coast 6.55 News 7.00 Cycling: Vuelta A España 2026 Highlights of the first stage of the final Grand Tour of the year. 8.00 The Jobless Prince: What Will Harry Do Next? A look at what the future holds for the Duke of Sussex. (R) 9.30 Nigel Farage: Where Does The Money Come From? Exploring the finances of the leader of Reform UK. 10.30 When TV News Goes Horribly Wrong Moira Stuart narrates a compilation of TV news disasters. (R) 12.30 Cops (R)
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GET PUZZLING!
MORE PUZZLES THAN ANY OTHER PAPER, ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
WORDSEARCH
WIN £100
All but one of the female figures from Greek mythology listed below are hidden in the grid. Find the missing term and you could win £100! Words can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal, backwards or forwards. Answer next week. Last week's missing term: ASCENSION.
| R | S | C | I | R | C | E | U | D | M | E | D | E | A | Q | X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | G | H | E | C | U | B | A | A | P | H | O | E | B | E |
| A | N | V | E | R | O | H | C | I | S | P | R | E | T | E | X |
| L | A | N | D | R | O | M | A | C | H | E | H | S | L | Z | P |
| L | M | N | E | M | O | S | Y | N | E | A | I | N | R | E | V |
| I | D | K | A | A | I | E | H | T | R | S | I | Q | E | Q | N |
| O | E | A | R | T | S | E | N | M | E | T | Y | L | C | I | C |
| P | N | P | S | Y | A | M | U | H | R | E | S | E | A | P | J |
| E | E | A | C | Z | M | L | C | T | N | O | L | Y | E | H | Q |
| M | M | A | I | V | E | A | A | E | E | E | D | E | P | I | T |
| T | O | E | R | N | L | R | R | N | C | R | D | Z | O | G | S |
| E | P | H | K | X | A | Y | A | T | T | C | P | G | L | E | I |
| T | L | R | T | O | C | R | R | T | V | A | S | E | E | N | M |
| H | E | C | I | O | C | A | U | G | O | C | H | U | N | I | E |
| T | W | L | M | D | L | A | N | T | I | G | O | N | E | A | H |
| S | C | X | K | V | T | C | Q | Y | S | D | E | U | P | W | T |
| ANDROMACHE | IPHIGENIA |
|---|---|
| ANTIGONE | LACHESIS |
| ATALANTA | MEDEA |
| CALLIOPE | MELPOMENE |
| CIRCE | MNEMOSYNE |
| CLIO | PENELOPE |
| CLOTHO | PHOEBE |
| CLYSTEMNESTRA | POLYHYMNIA |
| CYRENE | RHEA |
| DAPHNE | TERPSICHORE |
| ELECTRA | TETHYS |
| ERATO | THALIA |
| EUTERPE | THEIA |
| HECUBA | THEMIS |
| HELEN | URANIA |
TO ENTER: Once you have found the missing word, text SEARCH followed by a space then your answer, name and postcode to £67/00. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. Or call 0905 652 2210 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Entries will be accepted until 8:30pm on Friday. See today's solutions panel for terms and conditions. This week's solution will be published next week and the winner's name on Sunday, September 6.
July 26 winner: Ellie Petrou, Enfield.
SUPER SUDOKU NO 1205
| 11 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 8 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 5 | |||||
| 10 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 2 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 9 | ||||
| 5 | 11 | 6 | 4 | ||||||
| 3 | 9 | 2 | 12 | ||||||
| 3 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 9 | |||||
| 7 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 1 | |||||
| 11 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| 3 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 6 | ||||
| 12 | 10 | 9 | |||||||
| 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
WIN £100
Test your mental agility with our Super Sudoku and you could win a £100 cash prize! Each row, column and 4x3 box must contain all the numbers from 1 to 12. Call 0905 652 2210 for extra tips. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge.
Winner of 1202: John Bird, Blackpool.
TO ENTER: Text SUPER followed by a space, your 1 shaded squares, reading left to right, name and postcode to £67/00. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. Or call 0905 292 5850 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Entries will be accepted until 8:30pm on Friday. See today's solutions panel for terms and conditions. This week's solution will be published next week and the winner's name on Sunday, September 6.
CODE CRACKER
| 24 | 26 | 2 | 25 | 14 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 25 | 21 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 3 | |||||||
| 19 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 21 | 10 | 12 | 16 | |
| 24 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |||||||||
| 4 | 21 | 5 | 23 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 5 | ||
| 10 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 8 | 23 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 16 | |
| 2 | 16 | 6 | 20 | |||||||||
| 3 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 21 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 22 | 10 | 16 | |
| 5 | 2 | 19 | 7 | 10 | 2 | |||||||
| 25 | 7 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 24 | 9 | 24 | 21 | 12 | |
| 7 | 21 | 10 | 21 | 12 | 11 | |||||||
| 15 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 21 | 7 | 21 | 21 |
WIN £100
| 1 | 14 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 15 |
| 3 | 16 |
| 4 | 17 |
| 5 | 18 |
| 6 | 19 |
| 7 | 20 |
| 8 | 21 |
| 9 | 22 |
| 10 | 23 |
| 11 | 24 |
| 12 | 25 |
| 13 | 26 |
Crack our code for your chance to win £100 cash! Just work out which number goes with which letter to complete the grid below this puzzle. The answer could be a name, such as Danube, or a phrase, eg at once.
TO ENTER: Once you've found the words in the extra box, text CRACKER followed by a space, your answer, name and postcode to £67/00. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. Or call 0905 292 5850 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Entries will be accepted until 8:30pm on Friday. See today's solutions panel for terms and conditions. This week's solution will be published next week and the winner's name on Sunday, September 6.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
This week's prize word
| 11 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 26 winner:
William Baillie, Dalrymple, Ayrshire.
NEED HELP GETTING STARTED? You can get up to three extra clues by calling 0905 292 5850. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Or text EXTRA to £67/00. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network rate. Phone/text services Helpline: 0755 1000 601.
THE PRIZE CROSSWORD
WIN £1,000
There's an amazing £1,000 prize for the first correct solution drawn at random in our general knowledge Prize Crossword. Entries must arrive by Friday, August 21 (photocopies not accepted). Today's solution will appear next week and the winner's name on Sunday, September 6. SEE BELOW THE GRID for details on how to enter.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |||||
| 14 | 15 | |||||||
| 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||||
| 19 | ||||||||
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | |||||
| 24 | 25 | |||||||
| 26 | 26 | |||||||
| 28 | ||||||||
| 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | |||||
| 14 | 35 | |||||||
| 33 | ||||||||
| 36 | 27 |
ISPY
NAME ADDRESS
POSTCODE
TELEPHONE
Across
1 Party, one of the two major political parties in the UK in the 19th and early 20th centuries (7) 5 Developer of the electric telegraph and a communications code
which bears his name (6,5)
10 City in Massachusetts, the location of infamous witch trials in 1692 to 1693 (5)
11 A unit of heat, used to express the energy value of food (7)
13 A woody Asian shrub with broad leaves, the stem of which yields a flaxlike fibre (5)
14 Joint capital of the Canary Islands, on Gran Canaria (3,6)
15 Power or sway resulting from ability, wealth or position (9)
16 The face of a watch or clock (4)
17 The ___ the constellation Aquarius, 11th sign of the zodiac (5,7)
20 A metal fastening consisting of a hinged strap with a slot that fits over a staple, secured by a pin, bolt or padlock (4)
21 A shoe with a strap instead of a full covering for the heel (9)
22 A brittle, bluish-white metallic element used in several alloys (4)
26 Actress and singer who starred in the films Mary Poggyes and
The Sound Of Music (5,7)
27 The former name of Thailand (4)
29 Stever ___ filmmaker whose movies include Jaws and Jurassic Park (9)
31 People who desert their cause or faith for another (9)
33 Ancient British tribe that rebelled against the Romans in AD61 under Queen Boultica (5)
34 A dark, sweet dessert wine made in Sicily (7)
35 The technical name for the shinbone (5)
36 A province of South Africa, the capital of which is Bhisho (7,4)
37 An artist's studio or workshop (7)
Down
1 The final success in an argument or situation, after previous defeat (4,5)
2 Simone ___ the most decorated gymnast in history; winner of 11 Olympic medals (5)
3 Ring-shaped yeast cakes saturated in syrup (3,5)
4 People who stand in temporarily for another member
of the same profession (6) 5 1861 novel by George Eliot, subtitled The Weaver
Of Reveive (5,6)
6 ___ Gras, the Christian festival of Shriver Tuesday (5)
7 A room or building where bodies are kept before cremation or burial (8)
8 A movement in art, music and literature of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, usually opposed to classicism (11)
9 Glasses and sunglasses, especially when regarded as a fashion item (7)
12 The quality of being successful in producing an intended result (8)
16 Statements or documents that release responsibility for something (11)
18 Informal term for vigorous physical effort, especially hard scoutsting (5,6)
19 Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire; the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill (8)
23 Either of the two fine lines or wires in the focal plane of a gunslight or other optical instrument (9)
24 Paul ___ 19th-century French poet associated with the Symbolist and Decadent movements (8)
25 ___ Duchess of Gloucester, Danish-born member of the British royal family (8)
26 Shrub or climbing plant widely cultivated for its fragrant flowers (7)
28 The capital city of Turkey (6) 30 Lake ___ the largest
lake in Italy, led by the Sarca River (5)
32 The most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, situated on the Persian Gulf (5)
NOW THERE ARE THREE WAYS TO ENTER
Complete the Prize Crossword and count how many times the letter T appear in the finished grid. Then text ISPY followed by your answer, name and postcode to £67/00. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. Or call 0905 652 2210 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Entries will be accepted until 8:30pm on Friday. Or post your completed grid AND (tips answer to Prize Crossword 226). The Mall on Sunday, 10 Nov 24, 9th montham, 16th 05. Entries must arrive by Friday, August 21 (photocopies not accepted). The winner will be selected at random from correct tips answers. See today's solutions panel for terms and conditions.
Winner of 2279: Stephen Dade, Brighton.
Last week's answer: 13
TO GET PUZZLING!
SUMMIT UP
If the number in each triangle is the sum of the two below, what is the top number? Answer next week.
KEIJO
Place the tiles into the grid so that four different numbers and four different shapes appear in each row and column. Answer next week.
WORD BUILDER
Answer each clue so that every word contains the same letters as the previous word, plus or minus one. Answer next week.
1 Weep 2 Crowds 3 Broom 4 Downbeat 5 Long dresses 6 Achy 7 Fish eggs
KEN KEN
Fill the squares with numbers 1-6 so that each number appears once in each row and column. The number must also produce the result in the top left of each area - multiply, add up, subtract or divide. Numbers may be repeated within an area. Answer next week.
QUICK SUDOKU
Complete grids with numbers 1 to 9 so each row, column and 3x3 block contains the numbers 1 to 9 used only once.
TO ENTER: Test PAIZE
followed by your answer (5 shaded squares read top to bottom), name and postcode to 60700. Tests cost £5 plus your standard network charge. Or call 0900 252 5060 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost £5 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Entries will be accepted until 11:30pm on Friday. See today's solutions panel for terms and conditions. Phone/ text services telephone: 0930-1000-601. July 25 winner: Richard Tyler, Guildford. This week's solution will be published next week and the winner's name on Sunday, September 6.
WIN £100
| 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 2 | |||
| 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |
| 1 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| 4 | 1 | |||
| 8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | 2 | 7 | 1 | |
| 7 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 8 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
DINGBATS
Find the familiar phrase, name or saying in the letters or symbols. Readers are invited to send in Dingbats to The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 354, Wymondham, NR18 8JG. There is a £10 book token for each one published. Check out the website at dingbats.net. Answers on today's solutions panel.
- From Sylvia Dupard, Witney, Oxon
G ESSW R K
- From Alan Riley, Bolton, Lancs
-
From Alexandra Roope, Melksham, Wilts
-
From Linda Smith, Gainsborough, Lancs
DITLOIDS
Can you work out what the initials stand for below? For example, 7 D of the W = 7 days of the week. Answers on today's solutions panel.
1 AP W 4 F 1 W C
2 B I A B by S C 7
3 49 BC JC C the R
4 1 2 3 4 5. O I C A F A
5 9 is a S G on the B S
6 A Of The 50 F W
| 4 | 8 | 2 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | ||||
| 9 | 6 | 4 | |||||
| 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 2 | 6 | ||||||
| 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | |||
| 7 | 8 | 4 | |||||
| 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 9 | 7 |
MEDIA
| 6 | 1 | 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7 | 2 | ||||
| 6 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 7 | 1 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||
| 9 | 4 | 7 | ||||
| 4 | 9 | 1 | ||||
| 3 | 8 |
HAND
BRAIN TRAIN
Run along our mental arithmetic train track to see how far you can get - and how long you take to get there! There are four station stops, A, B, C and D. You can start at A, B or C and stop at B, C or D. From your chosen starting point, drive through the instructions to your destination. Write your answer at each stop, then start again with the first number after the station. Answers on today's solutions panel.
RATINGS: Good - from A to B in 30 seconds. Very good - B to C in 30 seconds or A to C in 50 seconds. Excellent - C to D in 30 seconds, B to D in 50 seconds or A to D in 75 seconds. Outstanding - A to D in 60 seconds.
PUB QUIZ
1 MOVIES:
Which 2019 film was the first to star Daniel Craig as private detective Benoit Blanc?
2 MUSIC:
Which synth-pop band released the 1980s albums Travelogue, Dare, Hysteria and Crash?
3 TV & RADIO:
Which Succession star played Section D chief Tom Quinn in the spy drama series Spooks?
4 SPORT:
Set by Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1988, 7,291 points is the women's world record in which track and field event?
Answers on today's solutions panel.
5 LITERATURE:
The Grand Sophy, Regency Buck and Frederica are novels by which English writer?
6 POLITICS:
Which former leader of the Labour Party was appointed foreign secretary on 20 July 2026?
7 FOOD & DRINK:
Which Welsh delicacy is made by boiling Porphyra umbilicalis, a species of seaweed?
8 SCIENCE:
Which subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom has no electric charge?
9 WORDS:
What is the meaning of the word recalcitrant? a) Silent, b) Disobedient, c) Aggressive.
10 BRITAIN:
Cheddar Gorge is located in which English county?
11 THIS YEAR:
On 26 July, which Greek landmark was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site for its cultural and natural significance?
12 POT LUCK:
Established in 1581, the Uffizi Gallery is located in which city?
BARE BONES
WIN A COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS SET, AND A BRADFORD'S CROSSWORD SOLVER'S DICTIONARY
Our Bare Bones Crossword is unique because you have to complete the grid - numbers and squares - as well. We have inserted four black squares and four clue numbers to get you going. The crossword has a four-way symmetry: both top and bottom and left and right match, so you can fill in 12 more squares straight away.
There is a prize of a Collins English Dictionary and Thesaurus set, and a Bradford's Crossword Solver's Dictionary. Send your solution to: Bare Bones Crossword 2016, The Mail on Sunday, PO Box 7164, Wymondham, NR18 6AL. Entries must arrive by Friday, August 21 (photocopies not accepted). The winner's name will be published on September 6 from the first correct entry shown.
Winner of 12kbl: David Jeffings, Bristol.
NAME
ADDRESS
POSTCODE
TELEPHONE
Across
1 Lay clues about a Republican 5 Graduate gets prisoner some breakfast 7 Eastern lake is strange and frightening 10 Snow White's medical friend 11 Opening of composition, noisy and obscure 12 Boys hiding old consignments 13 Mad role played by title 15 He's not bright enough to make dessert 16 Chewed last part of the snack
17 Quite a few cut by a laser, initially 21 Criticise cook 22 Kitchen bulb? 23 Sick of silliness 24 Live headthly, following start of diet 25 Row about menagerie's 18th animal 26 Oly accepts rage management with enthusiasm Down 1 Mocking end is not right 2 Raced off to get a tree 3 Large turn by detectives - that's clear 4 More almonds around field
5 Returned to get sacked, having failed 6 Church delivered cool tea and confectionery 8 Grasping alien rigs broadcast 9 Oriental festival geek doesn't finish 14 Don't stand for a piece of fiction 17 The French pen started fashion 18 Levy in general is about competing 19 It makes a straight line for the sovereign 20 Throw up your head, haughty
GET PUZZLING!
11
MENTAL BLOCKS
Fit the coloured blocks into the square without rotating or flipping them. The numbers covered by each block should add up to the totals in the circles. There should be no repeated numbers in a coloured block. Answer next week.
| 9 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 |
WORD SQUARE
Try this mini-puzzle. Answers next week.
ACROSS
1 Level 2 Black bird 3 Occurrence 4 Brusque 5 Flower
DOWN
1 Ms Thunberg, activist 2 Babbles 3 Avoid 4 Thick 5 Take part
BULL'S EYE
How many words of four or more letters can you make from the letters given? Letters may be used only once and the centre letter must be used in each word. At least one word uses all nine letters. No words with a capital, hyphen or apostrophe, no verb forms ending in 's', no plurals ending in 's'. Answers next week.
How did you do?
Score the number of words that you found - 13 Good 20 Very good 26 or more Excellent.
ARROWORD
Complete the grid, then unscramble the letters in the yellow squares to reveal an African country. Answer next week.
TO ENTER: Test ARROWD then your answer, name and postcode to 95700 (eg ARROWD London John Smith NR 517). Tests cost (1) plus standard network charge. Or call 0901 252 5000 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost (1) plus your telephone company's network access charge. Lines close at 10.5pm on Friday. See today's solutions panel for terms and conditions. July 26 winner: Richard Hicks, Rochester, Kent, Phone/text services helpline: 0330 1000 400.
QUICK CROSSWORD
Answers next week.
ACROSS
1 Use of brackets (11) 9 Very warm (3) 10 Party (9) 11 Force (5) 13 Test (7) 14 Plunder (6) 16 Affluent neighbourhood in Los Angeles (3,3) 18 Love story (7) 19 Colour (5) 20 Co-ordinate smoothly (9) 21 Mating season for deer (3) 22 Unimportance (11)
DOWN
2 To the rear of a boat (3) 3 Do well (5) 4 Cultivator (6) 5 Hug (7) 6 Not energetic (9) 7 Coldplay singer (5,6) 8 Travel from place to place (11) 12 Boundary (9) 15 Disturb (7) 17 Spoil the appearance of (6) 19 Davis, US actress (5) 21 Mythical Arabian bird (3)
FUTOSHIKI
Each line across and down is to be filled with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The same number cannot occur more than once in any row or column. Your only clues are the numbers given and whether a number is larger (>) or smaller (<) than the adjacent number. Answer next week.
KILLER
The normal rules of Sudoku apply. In addition, digits in each inner dotted shape must add up to the number in the top left corner. Answer next week.
KAKURO
Fill each sequence of blank squares using the numbers 1-9. Each sequence - across and down - must total the number in the shaded box at the beginning or top of that sequence. Numbers may be repeated within a line or column but NOT in a sequence. Answer next week.
EVENS
Insert any digit from 1 to 9 in the squares, so that the numbers in each row and column add up to the given totals. No digits may be repeated within a row or column, and even numbers must be placed in shaded squares. Answer next week.
TETROMINOES
Using the given shapes, create four four-letter anagrams by dividing the grid into sections. You may rotate the shapes, but may not flip them. Answers next week.
CHESS
Here, White's queen has invaded the Black king's castle, but is now trapped! As White, can you win quickly regardless? Our answer on the solutions panel.
BATTLESHIPS
Find one battleship, two cruisers, three destroyers and four submarines in the grid. The numbers to the right of and below the grid indicate how many of the squares in that row contain ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Answers next week.
12 GET PUZZLING!
SIR LANCELOT AND HIS PAGE
PLAY FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £250!
WIN £250
Every week our gallant knight engages in an amiable jouvet with his page. They provide different clues that give the same answers. Sir Lancelot gives the Cryptic Clues and his page the Quick Clues. Join them in their game and count how many times the letter 'r' appears in the completed grid for a chance to win £250! Answers next Sunday.
SIR LANCELOT'S
CRYPTIC CLUES
Across
9 Master of ceremonies gets one raise (5) 10 Working in arcade has direction and ritual (4,5) 11 Runner that gives hearty encouragement? (9) 12 Drills for key minerals (5) 13 Sure about lieutenant, in the end (6) 14 Excellent spindle worked by daughter (8) 16 Revolutionary sale involved part of London (7) 18 Be left at home with their chaos (7) 20 Leech getting place behind soldier (8) 22 Block endless duration for trade (6) 25 Rota devised with a vital supplier (5) 26 Minder got a different animal (5,4) 28 Wine makes youngster scour compound (9) 29 Point name out for invasive procedure (5)
Down
1 Dismissal of some meat (4) 2 Entertainment at intersection (6) 3 I must broadcast large American encouragement (8) 4 Rapper gets the bird (5) 5 Rides off with couple in bad condition (9) 6 Fellow spreading bile is not too bad (6) 7 Gatecrasher crushed in—less polite (8) 8 Unfamiliar steroid used on journalist (4,6) 13 Accept reel delivered in box (10) 15 Language staff incorporating accents (9) 17 Curious, reads about strange bits of hearing (8) 19 Group of songs with a powerful beat, burly (8) 21 Celebrities taking current flights (6) 23 Cloth wrapped round right implement (6) 24 Fund energy, down, out of sorts (5) 27 Vapour removed front side (4)
THE PAGE'S QUICK CLUES
Across
9 Lift (5) 10 Precipitation ceremony (4,5) 11 Cardiac device (9) 12 Dullards (5) 13 Outcome (6) 14 Wonderful (8) 16 Area of London (7) 18 Come into (7) 20 Bloodzucker (8) 22 Haggle (6) 25 Main artery (5)
26 Female farm animal (5,4) 28 Spawking red wine (9) 29 Invasive medical procedure (5) Down 1 Cut (4) 2 Travelling show (6) 3 Incentive (8) 4 Male duck (5) 5 Worn out condition (9) 6 Eatable (6)
7 Trespasser (8) 8 Paper's head of current affairs (4,6) 13 Container (10) 15 Chinese language (9) 17 Hearing membranes (8) 19 Of stocky build (8) 21 Flight of steps (6) 23 Garden utensil (6) 24 Bequeath (5) 27 Squad (4)
TO ENTER: Complete the Crossword and count how many times the letter 'r' appears in the grid. Then text LANCELOT followed by a space, your answer, name and postcode to 63701, eg LANCELOT's (see credit 469.17). Next, cost 5 (plus your standard answer size). To enter by phone, call 0955-652 2540 and leave your answer and details. Calls cost 0 (plus your telephone company's network access charge). Entries will be accepted until 9:30pm on Friday. See below for terms and conditions. Phone and text Helpline 0551 1000 601.
July 26 winner: Rowena Hawkins, Okehampton, Devon. Last week's answer: 12
NUMBERFIT
All of the listed numbers fit into the grid and there's only one way to do it. One number has been provided to get you started. Answer next week.
4 digits 1325 3220 6381 7345 7365 9563
5 digits 232040 23485 535169 34623 875347 90675 954266
7 digits 1522355 8419342 8456865 8567456
8 digits 16123532 23457456 23473453 65443727 68357572 80043279
PATHFINDER
Beginning with the letter J in the square box, follow a continuous path to find 25 words that can follow 'black'. The trail passes through each and every letter once and may twist up, down or sideways, but never diagonally. Answer next week.
| M | A | O | U | M | I | T | K | S | N | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | I | L | T | S | T | H | C | W | A | E |
| L | O | H | D | R | H | J | A | Y | R | R |
| M | A | R | K | I | O | R | N | M | A | G |
| D | R | A | E | B | A | B | M | R | E | I |
| I | R | O | T | H | E | M | A | D | D | C |
| M | R | B | W | P | A | T | H | A | E | B |
| E | O | R | I | E | E | H | T | S | A | R |
| S | R | O | D | O | L | S | C | I | L | D |
| K | S | H | O | O | T | U | U | R | R | A |
| O | O | B | W | P | Y | A | E | B | T | N |
LAST WEEK'S SOLUTIONS
PRIZE CROSSWORD AUGUST 9 SOLUTIONS, NO 2281
ACROSS: 5 Lames; Madison, B for us; 10 West Lynn; 12 Clover; 14 Cycle, 15 New York Knicks; 17 Dillon que, 19 Thomson, 23 Jade, 24 Primetime, 25 Torso, 26 Mallory, 28 The Devils, 31 Lemon de Vukes, 34 Dracal, 36 Edna, 37 Mower, 38 Lonsdale, 39 Friday, 40 Old fashioned.
DOWN: 2 Low-see; 3 Spaulette, 4 Mayo, 5 Dinner suit, 6 Galop, 7 Newport, 8 Derek, 9 Pittman, 10 Checkpoint, 16 Stupor, 18 Vukle, 20 Kierka, 21 Sakamander, 22 Cinderella, 25 Talk sadie, 27 Leopard, 29 & 33 Across View To These, 30 Gaulle, 32 Dharma, 33 Lund, 35 Anah.
WORDS AND
SUPER SQUARE
QUICK SQUARE
SIR LANCELOT AND HIS PAGE
ACROSS: 4 Pirate, 9 Plantion, 10 Altitude, 11 Badger, 12 Squad, 15 Star, 14 Pity, 16 Slatute, 18 H工作中, 20 Fire, 21 Star, 22 Wreck, 25 Disco, 27 Sikdom, 28 Planifert, 29 Saded.
DOWN: 1 Skidos, 2 Masiowrite, 3 Sledas, 4 Apteris, 5 Barbarian, 6 Stud, 7 Director, 14 Patriotism, 15 Sulemure, 17 Terminal, 19 Liadite, 25 Clover, 24 Pude, 26 Coin.
MEDIUM SQUARE
MILLER
NEW BED
MENTAL BLOCKS
BEGO
POTOSHED
EVANS
TETROMINOS
BATTLESHIPS
COOL CHICK
BAG BONES NO SUN
QUICK CROSSWORD
WOMENFIT
PATHFINDER
KARENIO
COMMENTS ON WORKS: 1. Slaughter, Deal, Glade, Dangler, Locker, Drum, Don. WORD SQUARE ACROSS: 1 Actor, 2 Tense, 3 Token, 4 Beef, 5 Cents. DOWN: 1 Attic, 2 Come, 3 Token, 4 Beef, 5 Beets. ADD: WORD (1ME BEE) BALL'S EYE: aHigh, vian, fenny, flea, hale, HALFPOWER: heal, heap, help, hernia, hernia, hope, lone, leaf, leafy, lean, leap, rape, neop, pale, pane, panel, peal, poun, pett, penal, penny, penny, phenyl, plane, plea, yeah, yelp (15).
THIS WEEK'S SOLUTIONS
PUB GOLF
7 Movers Out, 2 The Human League, 3 Platforme Martialism, 4 Heptathlon, 5 Georgette Hover, 6 Gil Williams, 7 Lycettwood, 8 Houston, 9 Le Grudendant, 10 Somerset, 11 Mount Olympus, 12 Florence.
DINGLAUS
3 Over and above, 2 You go down in my estimation, 3 It's all in your head, 4 Plant an idea.
CHESS
- ( 8\mu g = 5\mu g ) 2. ( 4\mu g = 10\% ) or 10. 5. ( 0\mu g / m ) etc.
BRAIN TRAIN
A-B=5X, B-C=3X, C-D=10X.
OUTLETS
3 Again Prost Won 4 Formula 1 World Championships, 2 Breept All Back by 5 Club 1 3 K10C, Julius Caesar Cresco the Rubicon, 4 1 2 14 5, Oren I Caught A Fish Alive, 5 9 In a Strong Gate on the Beaufort Scale, 6 Attack Of The 50 Foot Woman.
terms and Conditions: Open to UK residents only, excluding residents of Northern Ireland, employees of the Promoter or anyone connected with the Promoter, their relatives or members of their households. Entrants must be 18 years or over. By entering any accept these terms, One entry per person. One winner will be selected from all correct and eligible entries received. Winners will be notified within 7 days. Failure to accept the prize within 7 days will make any claim invalid, when the Promoter will select another winner. Prizes are non-transferable. The Promoter reserves the right to substitute a prize with an item of equal value. The determination of the Promoter on all matters is final. No correspondence will be entered into. The Promoter reserves the right in its reasonable discretion to: (a) disqualify any entrant whose contact is contrary to the spirit of the terms; (b) declare as void any entries resulting from any printing, production and/or distribution errors or are not materially affecting the number of claimants or the value of claims. If any of the provisions of these terms is not applicable, it shall be severed from the remainder and the validity of the other provisions shall not be affected. These terms are governed by English law. The Promoter is Associated Newspapers Limited, 5 Every Street, London 105 5HP.
制度与权力批判深度研判：Daily Mail (2026-08-16)
▌ 本日全报思想与文化深思雷达 (Intellectual & Cultural Significance Radar)
在系统通盘梳理本期报纸所涉及的报道后，以下 2 个具体事件在制度伦理与权力运作层面最值得学者进一步深思：
-
【紧急警报系统的“语义过载”与社会恐慌】
[F1_1, F1_5, F1_7]- 事件简述：安迪·伯纳姆授权发送全国性手机警报以警告林火风险（提醒公众不要点燃烧烤炉等），导致999紧急电话线被淹没及高速公路交通混乱。
- 思想文化深思切入点：技术理性在治理中的“过度施事”如何导致符号意义的坍塌（从“生存威胁”降级为“生活提醒”），以及这种“狼来了”效应如何侵蚀国家与公民之间的信任契约。
-
【媒体编辑权与法律真相的博弈】
[F2_36, F2_40, F2_41]- 事件简述：BBC因纪录片剪辑问题被特朗普起诉诽谤，BBC虽就编辑问题道歉，但否认构成起诉理由，并试图强迫特朗普家族成员出庭作证。
- 思想文化深思切入点：在信息传播中，媒体的“编辑自由”与“事实真实”之间的界限如何被法律程序重新定义，以及权力如何通过诉讼手段对叙事权进行反向控制。
▌ 精选核心专题深度思想论证 (In-Depth Dialectical Monograph)
专题一：技术理性的过度殖民与国家警报系统的“符号贬值”
在当代治理逻辑中，技术被赋予了某种效率期待，然而安迪·伯纳姆授权发送的林火预警事件 [F1_1, F1_6] 揭示了技术理性在缺乏精准分级时如何演变为一种治理上的失能。现实困境在于，一个旨在应对“紧迫、直接且主要为局部威胁” [F1_7 🔍] 的最高级别警报系统，被用于提醒公众不要点燃烧烤炉、火坑和烟花 [F1_6 🔍]。这种功能性的错位直接导致了社会生活世界的剧烈震荡：999紧急电话线的瘫痪 [F1_2 🔍] 与高速公路驾驶员的惊慌转向 [F1_5 🔍]，证明了当国家权力通过技术手段强行介入公民的日常感知时，若缺乏语义分级，其结果并非安全感的提升，而是集体焦虑的触发。
从话语策略分析，保守党将此举定义为“首相式的摆姿态” [F1_5 🔍]，实际上是在指责权力者将技术工具作为一种可见的“治理表演”，而非基于实际风险的理性决策。这种行为在版面上的突出位置 [F1_1 🔍] 被呈现，强化了其作为一种“制度性失误”的叙事。引入哈贝马斯的“生活世界殖民化”理论，我们可以发现，国家治理的系统逻辑（System）试图通过一种强制性的技术指令，直接接管公民的私人生活空间（Life-world）。当警报声导致民众惊慌并堵塞紧急电话线时 [F1_5 🔍]，技术指令已经超越了信息传递，变成了一种心理上的强权压制。
然而，本案证明，信息的“过度可见”反而导致了意义的“不可见”。当最高级别的警报被用于低级别事件，它在现象学意义上造成了符号的“贬值”——未来的真正危机可能会被公众视为又一次低级别的提醒。这种“狼来了”的制度性风险 [F1_3 🔍]，标志着技术理性在追求绝对控制的过程中，反而削弱了其在危机时刻最核心的资产：权威性与可信度。
专题二：叙事权的法律化与媒体编辑权的边界危机
BBC与特朗普之间关于诽谤诉讼的博弈 [F2_36 🔍]，揭示了当代公共传播中“编辑自由”与“事实真实”之间深刻的张力。此案的核心在于一部纪录片对演讲内容的剪辑 [F2_39 🔍]，特朗普指责BBC“故意地、恶意地且欺骗性地篡改”了内容，使其看起来像是在支持暴力 [F2_40 🔍]。这一冲突不仅是法律上的诽谤之争，更是关于“叙事权”的权力斗争：媒体通过剪辑（Editing）构建一种符合其逻辑的叙事，而权力主体则通过法律诉讼（Litigation）试图强制还原其认定的“原始真实”。
BBC虽然就编辑问题道歉，承认其“给人留下了总统特朗普直接号召采取暴力行动的错误印象” [F2_41 🔍]，但依然否认其行为构成了起诉理由。这种矛盾的立场反映了媒体机构在面对权力反击时的防御机制：承认技术性的失误，但拒绝承认制度性的恶意。而BBC试图通过传票强迫特朗普家族成员（包括小唐纳德、伊万卡及库什纳）出庭作证 [F2_37 🔍]，则是一种典型的法律反击策略，试图通过挖掘对方的“个人了解” [F2_38 🔍] 来抵消其在叙事构建上的劣势。
从批判理论视角看，这标志着一种“后真相”时代的司法特征：真相不再是通过公开讨论达成的共识，而是在法律程序的证据交换与交叉质询中被“生产”出来的。当媒体的编辑权被法律程序重新定义为可能的“恶意篡改”时，公共传播的边界被极大地压缩。权力通过诉讼手段，不仅在追求经济赔偿（74亿英镑 [F2_36 🔍]），更是在进行一种叙事权的反向控制，将媒体的监督职能转化为法律意义上的“违规行为”。
▌ 面向学者的开放性思想追问与研究路标 (Open Horizons for Scholarly Inquiry)
- 【关于技术治理的语义阈值研究】：国家在构建紧急预警系统时，应如何设定一个科学的“语义阈值”，以防止治理工具的过度使用导致公民产生“警报疲劳”或“符号脱敏”？
- 【编辑自由与法律真实的冲突模型】：在数字化剪辑时代，媒体的“编辑自由”在何种程度上可以被视为对事实的合法重构？法律如何界定“编辑失误”与“恶意篡改”之间的认识论界限？
- 【制度性信任的崩塌与重建路径】：当国家预警系统
[F1_1 🔍]与公共媒体[F2_36 🔍]这两大信任锚点同时出现信用危机时，社会如何重建一种不依赖于单一权威背书的信任范式？
理性与情感辩证深度研判：Daily Mail (2026-08-16)
▌ 本日全报生活世界痛感与情感政治深思雷达 (Lifeworld & Affective Significance Radar)
在系统通盘梳理本期报纸所涉及的所有报道后，以下 2 个具体事件在生活世界痛感、情感政治动员与制度理性冲突层面最值得学者进一步深思：
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【国家紧急警报系统滥用引发的社会恐慌】
[F1_1, F1_5, F1_6]- 事件简述：安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）授权发送全国性手机警报以警告林火风险（禁止烧烤、火坑和烟花），导致民众惊慌、999紧急电话线被淹没，并使受惊的驾驶员在高速公路上突然转向。
- 情感政治与伦理深思切入点：探讨“技术官僚的预防性理性”如何通过一种极端的、去语境化的信号强行侵入公民的私人生活世界，导致制度预设的“安全感”瞬间转化为集体的“生存焦虑”，以及这种“狼来了”效应如何侵蚀国家信用
[F1_3 🔍]。
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【BBC与特朗普家族的法律博弈与真相建构】
[F2_35, F2_36, F2_41]- 事件简述：BBC试图向特朗普家族成员发出传票，以应对特朗普发起的74亿英镑诽谤诉讼。此案核心在于一部纪录片是否通过剪辑篡改了特朗普的演讲，使其看起来像在支持暴力。
- 情感政治与伦理深思切入点：分析“编辑理性”（通过剪辑构建叙事）与“事实真相”之间的冲突，以及当权力持有者指责媒体“恶意欺骗”
[F2_40 🔍]时，法律程序如何试图在情感化的指控与制度化的道歉[F2_41 🔍]之间寻找客观真理。
▌ 精选核心专题理性与情感辩证论证 (The Dialectic of Logos and Pathos Monograph)
专题一：预防性治理的“信号过载”与生活世界的“惊恐反噬”：论紧急警报系统的理性异化
在安迪·伯纳姆授权的林火预警事件中，我们观察到了一种典型的技术官僚理性（Institutional Logos）与肉身生存痛感（Lifeworld Pathos）之间的剧烈撕裂 [F1_1, F1_5]。从制度理性架构来看，政府采取的是一种“最大化预防模型”：通过利用覆盖全国的紧急手机警报系统，试图在最短时间内实现最高效的风险告知，其逻辑基点在于将“林火风险”量化为必须立即干预的公共安全指标 [F1_6 🔍]。然而，这种理性完全忽略了信号传递过程中的“情感权重”。当数百万部手机在周五下午7点突然响起旨在应对紧迫威胁的警报声时，这种信号在民众的心理图谱中被自动解码为极高等级的生存威胁 [F1_5, F1_6]。
这种制度理性将公民简化为被动接收信息的“终端”，而忽略了活生生的人在面对突发高分贝警报时的生理应激反应。这种痛感在高速公路上得到了具象化呈现：驾驶员在惊恐中突然转向，导致交通混乱 [F1_2, F1_5]。此时，制度端追求的“安全”反而制造了真实的“危险”。更深层的辩证摩擦在于，当民众发现这种极端的恐慌被用于提醒“不要点燃烧烤炉”这种相对低级别的预防性事件时，一种强烈的被愚弄感迅速取代了最初的恐惧 [F1_3, F1_7]。这种情感反弹直接导致了对999紧急电话线的非紧急占用，将原本用于救命的理性资源转化为一种群体性的焦虑宣泄口 [F1_2, F1_5]。
从话语温度差来看，保守党指责其为“首相式的摆姿态” [F1_5 🔍]，并警告存在“狼来了”的风险 [F1_3 🔍]。这种冷色调的制度反思与民众在高速公路上“惊恐转向”的热色调痛感之间存在巨大的鸿沟。这种异化诊断表明，当治理体系过度依赖于“强力信号”而丧失了对生活世界情感阈值的感知力时，制度理性将不可避免地陷入一种自我消解的困境：它越是试图通过增强信号来确保安全，就越是加速了公众对该系统信任的崩塌。
专题二：叙事剪辑的“编辑理性”与权力话语的“受害者认同”：BBC诽谤案中的真相博弈
在BBC与特朗普关于2021年1月6日事件的诽谤诉讼中，展现了两种截然不同的理性模型与情感动员机制的碰撞 [F2_36, F2_37]。BBC的逻辑架构基于一种“叙事建构理性”：通过纪录片《全景》（Panorama）的剪辑，试图将碎片化的演讲内容整合为一种能够揭示其“煽动暴力”倾向的逻辑链条 [F2_39 🔍]。在这种理性中，编辑权被视为一种揭露真相的工具，即使这意味着对原始素材进行重新排列。
然而，这种编辑理性在特朗普的权力话语中被定义为“恶意且欺骗性的篡改” [F2_40 🔍]。特朗普通过将自己塑造为被媒体“故意误导”的受害者，将法律诉讼转化为一场关于“言论自由”与“媒体操纵”的情感战争。这里存在一个深刻的辩证矛盾：BBC虽然在制度层面就编辑问题道歉，承认其行为“给人留下了总统直接号召采取暴力行动的错误印象” [F2_41 🔍]，但在法律层面依然否认这种错误构成了起诉理由。这意味着，制度性的“道歉”被用作一种降低情感冲突的缓冲剂，而非对事实真相的彻底认领。
两者的摩擦在于：法律程序试图通过传票强迫家族成员作证，以寻求一种基于证据的“客观理性” [F2_37, F2_38]；而双方在公众视野中的博弈则完全基于“情感认同”——一方是代表公众监督的媒体理性，另一方是代表个人尊严与政治清白的权力理性。这种撕裂揭示了当代信息社会的一个核心困境：当“真相”可以通过剪辑被重新定义，而“道歉”可以成为法律策略的一部分时，制度理性在面对高度极化的情感政治时，其调解能力正变得极其有限。
▌ 面向学者的伦理与社会心理开放性追问与研究路标 (Open Horizons for Ethical & Sociological Inquiry)
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【关于“信号权力”的伦理边界研究】：在数字化治理时代，国家拥有通过手机警报瞬间触达全民的“信号权力”。当这种权力被用于低级别风险预警时，如何界定“预防性理性”与“情感侵犯”的边界？是否存在一种能够兼顾效率与公民心理韧性的“分级情感信号系统”？
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【媒体编辑权与事实真相的认识论冲突】：在纪录片等叙事性报道中，剪辑行为在何种程度上被允许改变原意以服务于“更高层级的真相”？当这种编辑理性导致严重的社会误导时，制度性的道歉是否足以弥补其对个体名誉造成的“情感伤害”？