The Guardian - 06.08.2026.pdf

这是英国史上最大的 No 1

那么为什么没有更多的人认出 Rein Me In？

新闻

酒吧时光？在当地酒吧站着喝酒的时代结束了吗？

新闻

卫报

周四 2026年8月6日 £3.50

订阅者起价 £2.40

学术人员在剽窃指控中辞职

杰森·阿尔代面临剑桥大学的新调查

Richard Adams Lanre Bakare

被指控剽窃和润色简历的剑桥大学教授杰森·阿尔代在大学宣布将对其学历和职业生涯展开新调查后宣布辞职。

阿尔代一直受到关于其学术工作和资历的一系列日益增多的质疑，他在昨晚发表的一份声明中表示，“持续不断的指控、猜测和公众评论对我以及我所爱的人造成了深远的影响”。

在发布于良好法律项目网站的声明中，他写道：“我怀着深切的悲痛写信，立即辞去我在剑桥大学和耶稣学院的职务。当我接受成为剑桥大学社会学教授这一非凡荣誉时，毫无疑问，这是我人生中最大的职业特权。”

但在对其之前的作品进行数日的详细审查，以及指出明显差异的声明之后，阿尔代表示他已“得出结论，结束这一篇章的唯一方法就是离开”。

此次争议发生之际，西蒙与舒斯特出版社正准备在本月出版阿尔代名为《伟大而不幸之事》（Great and Unfortunate Things）的回忆录。阿尔代的辞职可能会暂停甚至停止该书的出版及计划中的宣传巡演。

剑桥大学最初为阿尔代辩护——他是该校历史上被任命的最年轻的黑人教授，拥有一个关于教育劣势的动人生活故事——称其为“卑劣攻击的受害者”。但随着关于阿尔代自身主张的质疑增加，大学领导层认为剑桥大学的声誉正处于危险之中。

卫报发表了自己的调查，揭露了阿尔代在公开陈述中的差异，涉及惊人的筹款成就，以及他声称曾被持刀的蒙面入侵者袭击。

柯文特花园捅人事件导致四人受伤 警方昨日在伦敦市中心的这一旅游热点地区逮捕了一名涉嫌袭击的女性。新闻 第 7 页 →

警方在莱比锡机场的无人机中发现爆炸物

Deborah Cole 柏林 Andrew Roth 华盛顿

德国内政部长警告称，昨日在莱比锡机场发现的一架携带爆炸物的无人机标志着该国面临“一个新级别的危险”，当局目前正在调查这次被挫败的袭击是否由外国势力策划。

在这一重要的货运和军事枢纽机场发现携带爆炸物的小型无人机，在昨日上午引发了警报并导致航班分流。德国警方部署了一台排爆机器人来拆除并销毁该爆炸装置。

昨晚，内政部长亚历山大·多布林特表示，该事件看起来并非业余之作，调查人员将其视为“专业混合威胁情景”的一部分。

“我们在这里面对的是一场竞争，其中可能还包括外国势力——这将是调查的一部分——他们显然希望在德国制造相当大的不确定性，”多布林特说。

一架被迫中止其

57th 希腊报纸, 58th 希腊报纸, 59th , 60th , 61st , 62nd , 63rd , 64th , 65th , 66th , 67th , 68th , 69th , 70th , 71st , 72nd , 73rd , 74th , 75th , 76th , 77th , 78th , 79th , 80th , 81st , 82nd , 83rd , 84th , 85th , 86th , 87th , 88th , 89th , 90th , 91st

, 92nd , 93rd , 94th , 95th , 96th , 97th , 98th , 99th , 100th .

新闻

人工智能部长 Kanishka Narayan 表示，英国 拥有一个世界领先的 AI安全机构 至关重要 PROTOGRAFIA: WIXTOB SENIANDWICZ FUTURE PUBLISHING/ GETTY IMAGES

AI模型在测试期间发起“严重”黑客攻击，令英国监管机构震惊

丹·米尔莫 (Dan Milmo) 全球技术编辑

先进的人工智能模型在一次网络安全测试期间发起了一场黑客攻击活动，令英国的AI安全监管机构感到震惊。AI安全研究所 (AISI) 表示，此次事件是前所未有的，涉及向软件开发人员发送定向电子邮件，试图通过一项评估。

此次黑客攻击涉及代理（能够无需人类帮助即可执行任务的AI系统），这些代理由美国科技公司 OpenAI 和 Anthropic 开发的模型驱动。由前首相里希·苏纳克 (Rishi Sunak) 设立用于测试前沿AI的 AISI 将这种未经授权的行为描述为一次“严重事件”。

该监管机构表示，此次黑客攻击是由两个模型驱动的代理执行的，分别是 Anthropic 的 Mythos 5 和 OpenAI 的 GPT-5.6 Sol，不过 Mythos 承担了大部分黑客攻击尝试。

AISI 表示，在 7 月 28 日一次针对 AI 模型的常规网络安全测试中，它检测到了异常活动。它发现部分模型参与了“针对真实人员和组织的持续且具有潜在危害的活动”。控制该事件花费了一小时时间。

在最严重的一起案例中，一个由 Anthropic 的 Mythos 驱动的代理试图将恶意代码插入 GitHub（一个软件开发人员使用的平台）上的一个开源软件项目中，因为它判定这将有助于该模型通过评估。

为了让代码获得批准，该代理随后创建了虚假的在线身份，并利用这些身份向该项目的负责人施压，以促使其接受该代码。

AISI 表示，该代理使用了与现实世界黑客相关的技术。它向两名特定的开发人员发送了包含有害软件的电子邮件——这种技术被称为“鱼叉式网络钓鱼”。监管机构表示没有造成损害，但这些代理的行为是前所未有的。

意外行为 对将整个世界作为“活体实验对象”的担忧

在最新一次冲击该技术的安全恐慌中，两个前沿 AI 模型将真实人员和组织列为了目标。英国 AI 安全研究所 (AISI) 表示，此次事件是前所未有的，但随着技术能力的日益增强，这种情况可能会变得更加普遍。

发生了什么？ 由英国政府所有并测试先进 AI 模型的 AISI 在一篇博客文章中表示，两个 AI 代理在一次网络安全评估期间进行了前所未有的黑客攻击尝试。这些代理（自主执行计算机任务的工具）由两个模型驱动：Anthropic 的 Mythos 5 和 OpenAI 的 GPT 5.6-Sol。AISI 表示，共有 19 例违规行为，其中 17 例由 Mythos 执行。

在最严重的事件中，Mythos 代理判定，通过黑客手段攻击 GitHub（一个软件开发人员使用的平台）上的用户，将使其能够部署一段软件，从而使其通过测试。它创建了具有虚假在线身份的账户，并利用这些账户针对 GitHub 上一名有权批准其恶意代码的软件开发人员。它还向其他个人发送了携带恶意软件的电子邮件。

它希望通过让对方下载恶意软件来引发一系列事件，从而使其通过评估。AISI 指出，这些模型被刻意给予了开放的互联网访问权限，且部分防护栏被降低。

为什么 AISI 感到惊恐？ 该研究所表示，这些模型表现出了此前从未见过的欺骗行为。在一个例子中，Mythos 代理

在 GitHub 上用丹麦语签署了一条消息，试图说服说丹麦语的开发人员它是真实的。在另一种策略中，它使用一个虚假的 GitHub 账户来认同其主张，即它向开发人员推送的恶意软件没有危险。AISI 将这种行为描述为“持续的”。换句话说，它一直在尝试。

这些模型是否知道它们在针对真实的人类？ AISI表示，目前尚不清楚这些代理是否“意识到”它们在针对真实的人类。在尝试黑客攻击的过程中，Mythos代理一直在推敲它是在与真实的人员和系统还是模拟的人员和系统进行交互。在某个时刻，该代理推断出它正处于现实世界中：“这发生在真实的GitHub上，因此后果是真实的。”它同时也声明：“环境看起来像是模拟的。”

专家怎么看？ AISI明确表示，这些模型是在不受限制的互联网访问和降低防护栏的异常条件下运行的。AISI呼吁以“细微差别”来看待这一事件，并表示其自身的行为在一定程度上促成了这种行为——但它并未预料到所发生事情的“程度和严重性”。

萨里大学的网络安全教授Alan Woodward表示，允许模型访问开放互联网并移除部分防护栏，引发了关于将世界其他地区作为“活体实验对象”的质疑。

他说：“我们应该警惕的不是模型的能力，而是人们测试它们的方式。”丹·米尔莫 (Dan Milmo)

AISI在一篇博文中表示：“这是我们第一次看到围绕自主性和欺骗性的风险在现实世界中如此清晰地显现，且无需特定提示。”

在其中一个案例中，Mythos代理用丹麦语签署了一封信息，试图说服说丹麦语的开发人员接受被感染的代码。它还创建了虚假的GitHub账户，以“赞同”其关于软件并非恶意的错误主张。

该代理误以为上传恶意软件将触发一系列事件，使其能够利用更新后的软件通过AISI的网络测试。此次事件发生在近期OpenAI和Anthropic发生的类似事件之后。上个月，OpenAI表示一个由其模型驱动的代理在一次测试中黑进了一家AI初创公司；几天后，Anthropic表示其Claude模型在一次评估中黑进了三个组织。

AISI表示，这一系列事件代表了“风险格局的转变”。AISI称，这不是一个蓄意滥用公开可用模型的例子，而是表明了处于研究环境中的模型采取了“超出其授权范围”的非预期行动。

它表示，评估期间19起未经授权行为案例中，有17起是由Mythos执行的，2起是由Sol执行的。GPT-5.6 Sol是公开可用的，但Mythos 5则不是。

然而，AISI明确表示，此次事件并非模型突破其“沙箱”（安全测试环境的术语）的情况。该机构表示，它允许了互联网访问，并禁用了模型中拦截危险行为的过滤器。

AISI表示，模型在这些条件下不对公众开放，也没有迹象表明此类行为在测试之外发生。

它表示，此次事件应以“谨慎和细微差别”来解读，但欺骗性行为的迹象达到了“我们未预料到的程度和严重性”。AISI补充说，虽然这是在特定条件下发生的少数事件，但此前从未发生过。该监管机构表示：“我们可以说的是，这种行为是可能的、持续的且是全新的。仅凭这一点就值得关注。”

AISI承认，在评估期间没有积极监控代理的行为，并表示在未来的测试中将对互联网访问实施更严格的控制。它表示，评估应假设模型会尝试在职责范围之外采取行动。

此次事件发生在上周唐纳德·特朗普表示他正在“研究”美国AI控制措施之后。

英国AI大臣卡尼什卡·纳拉扬 (Kanishka Narayan) 表示，英国拥有世界领先的AI安全组织是“至关重要的”。

Anthropic 表示，此次事件“强调了需要就如何安全地评估能力日益增强的 AI 智能体进行更广泛的讨论”，并且将与 AISI 合作对该事件进行评估。OpenAI 则表示，测试是在不反映常规使用情况的条件下进行的。

国家网络安全中心表示，近期的事件凸显了 AI 公司开发强有力安全护栏的必要性。

---

2026年8月6日 星期四 卫报

新闻

▼ 伦敦西区的一家酒吧，里面有“垂直”饮酒者，威斯敏斯特议会计划禁止此行为 摄影：SEAN SMITH

酒吧时间？

议会因推行“禁止站立”计划被指试图阻止酒吧回归本色

Helena Horton

在吧台前等待并试图吸引调酒师的注意以便点一杯啤酒，然后与朋友站在一起叙旧，几个世纪以来，这就是英国人体验酒吧的方式。

但威斯敏斯特议会被指试图终止这种情况。该议会对欧洲最繁忙的夜生活区之一——伦敦的Soho区和西区拥有管辖权，在其新的许可证政策草案中，建议不允许“垂直饮酒”（vertical drinking）以及在吧台点单。

伦敦市长萨迪克·汗批评这些“限制性且反增长的政策”，并表示他希望利用政府即将授予他的新权力，防止议会过度扩张权力。

这项正处于咨询阶段的政策指出，酒吧应当：“遏制过度醉酒，并鼓励在提供酒精饮料的场所提供更多座位，以便人们坐下来享受饮品，并通过桌边服务点餐，以取代那些满足高容量垂直饮酒的开放式吧台空间”。

该政策进一步建议，酒精和食物的销售应“仅通过侍者服务”。

顶级许可律师 Philip Kolvin KC 表示：“垂直饮酒也是社交饮酒，它允许人们根据自己的意愿进行交流和社交，而不是被局限在预先确定的群体中。”

“因此，这是要求传统酒吧不要像传统酒吧那样运作，并要求人们留在他们随行而来的群体中。人们可以将此定性为违背了酒吧作为促进社区凝聚力场所的特质。”

该议会还计划禁止在其所谓的“累积影响区”内开设新的酒吧，该区域涵盖了Soho区和西区的大部分地区。

政策草案称：“对于位于西区累积影响区内的酒吧、快餐店或提供音乐、舞蹈及类似娱乐活动的场所，议会通常将拒绝任何相关申请。”

▲ 1901年的一家麦芽酒馆：威斯敏斯特议会被指试图终结传统的酒吧体验 照片：CLASSIC IMAGE / ALAMY

汗的一位发言人表示：“这进一步证明了限制性和反增长的政策是没有效果的。在场所比以往任何时候都更需要我们支持的时候，许可规则却在针对它们。”

市长预计将通过今年晚些时候在威斯敏斯特通过的次级立法获得权力，这将允许他“召回”由地方议会做出的决定。

在采取这一许可行动之前，汗曾批评一个由威斯敏斯特议会资助的社区团体，该团体誓言要反对所有新的酒吧和餐厅许可证，影响该地区的经营者。

Soho协会（The Soho Society）是一个成立于1972年、旨在“保护Soho特色”的团体。该协会在今年早些时候的年度股东大会上投票通过了一项新的许可授权，这意味着它将挑战该地区所有新的酒吧和餐厅申请，包括对现有许可证的审查。

企业家 Sacha Lord（安迪·伯纳姆的前夜生活顾问）表示：“威斯敏斯特议会是英国最反对款待业的议会。他们的许可政策草案今天公布，建议禁止在酒吧站立，并且他们不希望人们在吧台点单。这就像把我们拉回了新冠时期。”

夜间产业协会（Night Time Industries Association）首席执行官 Michael Kill 补充道：“在酒吧站立一直是英国酒吧文化的一部分。人们通过这种方式与朋友见面、观看体育直播、等待服务，并享受酒吧世世代代提供的独特氛围。”

威斯敏斯特市议会负责增长与规划的内阁成员 Tim Barnes 议员表示：“我们希望人们去西区玩得开心。”

“我们的指导方针仅仅是为了鼓励场所管理好他们的顾客，以免人们拥挤在人行道上，或因过度饮酒而干扰路人。”

伦敦将在数周内推出自动驾驶出租车——目前配备安全驾驶员

Jasper Jolly

出租车应用程序公司 Uber 和自动驾驶技术开发商 Wayve 已获发伦敦首批小出租车执照，允许他们向付费客户提供自动驾驶出租车服务——但目前仍需配备一名人类安全驾驶员。

两家公司表示，在正式向公众全面推出之前，他们将在“今年夏天晚些时候”在英国开始试运行。

总部位于旧金山的 Uber 和总部位于伦敦的 Wayve 正在与谷歌旗下的 Waymo 及其中国竞争对手百度的 Apollo Go 竞相在伦敦推出自动驾驶出租车服务。

人们正密切关注他们的进展，因为英国首都将成为全球首批让美国和中国科技公司在同一条道路上运营的城市之一。

Uber 和 Wayve 表示，已有超过 100,000 名伦敦人加入了自动驾驶出租车的候补名单。

伦敦的许可管理机构伦敦交通局 (TfL) 向 15 辆配备了 Wayve 人工智能驾驶软件以及环视摄像头和雷达的福特 Mustang Mach-E 车辆发放了私家租赁车辆执照。两家公司表示，TfL 已确认其达到了要求的安全标准。

在行程期间，一名持有 TfL 执照的私家租赁司机将坐在驾驶席上，在必要时进行干预，尽管车辆预计将由软件控制。

接下来的步骤——在没有驾驶员的情况下运营出租车——将要求 Uber 和 Wayve 通过一个名为“自动化乘客服务许可”的新流程，向政府的驾驶员与车辆标准局申请批准。

TfL 表示，将监督这些车辆的使用情况，并在乘客安全受到威胁时随时准备干预。由出生于新西兰的 Alex Kendall 共同创立的 Wayve 自 2018 年起就在伦敦配备安全驾驶员测试其技术。

在此前向卫报展示的演示中，该车已经避开了北伦敦繁忙道路上的大多数障碍物，尽管安全驾驶员在一次过程中被迫进行了干预。

▲ 总部位于伦敦的 Wayve 正竞相在该市推出自动驾驶出租车

---

新闻 乌克兰战争

▼ 昨天，在俄罗斯导弹袭击之后，消防员在基辅的一座仓库灭火 摄影：SERGEY DOLZHENKO / EPIA

泽连斯基敦促盟友提供更多防空系统，基辅袭击导致17人死亡

奥利弗·霍姆斯 (Oliver Holmes)

在一次造成至少17人死亡、数十人受伤的夜间袭击中，乌克兰未能击落一枚俄罗斯导弹，随后弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基指责乌克兰的盟友提供防空系统的速度不够快。

乌克兰空军的初步数据显示，其防御系统击落了俄罗斯发射的115架无人机中的98架，但没有击落任何弹道导弹。

“弹道导弹拦截弹本可以挽救今天遇难者的生命，”这位总统在社交媒体上发帖称。“我们的合作伙伴必须明白，供应这些拦截弹的延迟，或不愿提供反弹道系统，将直接导致如此可怕的伤亡和破坏。”

在乌克兰和伊朗战争导致需求激增后，美国制造的“爱国者”拦截导弹在全球范围内出现短缺。泽连斯基表示，今年上半年乌克兰的防空导弹供应量下降至2025年水平的三分之一。

基辅在遭受日益激烈的攻击时，一直恳求获得更多拦截弹。上个月，唐纳德·特朗普暗示美国可能会授予乌克兰制造“爱国者”导弹的许可，但随后他似乎有所退缩，称底层技术是“很难给出的东西”。

乌克兰军事管理部门表示，在午夜后开始的袭击中，有七处地点遭到打击。泽连斯基表示，主要目标是民用设施，包括一家酿酒公司、建筑材料仓库和一个火车站。

他在X上写道：“那些尚未准备好在供应拦截弹方面发挥更积极作用的合作伙伴，可以通过实施新的制裁来提供帮助。俄罗斯很大一部分弹道导弹生产仍未受到制裁。”

“即便在现在，仍需要采取新步骤——来自G7、欧盟以及所有支持保护生命的人。感谢那些愿意以这种方式提供帮助的人。”

韦斯·斯特里廷 (Wes Streeting) 在被任命为国防大臣后昨日首次访问基辅，他表示弗拉基米尔·普京正在输掉这场战争，英国将与乌克兰站在一起，“直到他们获胜”。

他告诉ITV新闻：“我将要做的是了解我们还能做些什么，以支持乌克兰度过一个充满挑战的冬天，以及在此之后的时期，因为最终，乌克兰获胜不仅符合我们的国家利益，也符合……集体和道德的利益。”

在会面前，斯特里廷在圣米迦勒广场的纪念墙前献花。

泽连斯基发帖称，很高兴能首次欢迎斯特里廷访问基辅。

“我们很感激他的访问恰恰发生在俄罗斯再次袭击我们人民之后，”他说。“我向大臣汇报了这次针对生命的袭击所造成的后果以及我们的需求，因为俄罗斯正寻求在冬季前大幅提高其弹道导弹的产量。”

早些时候，救援人员从市中心附近一座在袭击中被毁的仓库废墟中救出两人，基辅市长维塔利·克利奇科 (Vitali Klitschko) 警告称：“废墟下可能仍有人。”

克利奇科补充说，伤者中包括一名救护车司机，四人情况危急。

▲ 弗拉基米尔·泽连斯基与韦斯·斯特里廷昨日在基辅会面

他表示，袭击引发了仓库和存储区域的火灾。市郊发生了一场大火，一枚坠落导弹的碎片落在了一栋住宅楼旁。

军事管理部门表示，袭击导致氨气泄漏，应急人员正在处理。

目击者表示，整个城市都能听到爆炸声。一名记者报道称，数小时后，空气中仍弥漫着黑烟和刺鼻的燃烧味。

住在基辅的纳塔利娅·雷茨卡 (Natalia Reutska) 告诉法新社：“这个夜晚如此恐怖，如此艰难。我们已经习惯了在醒来时想着‘我们今天很幸运’，这非常可怕。”

对基辅的袭击还击中了 Epicentr，这是乌克兰最大的家居装饰和 DIY 零售连锁店。两处关键物流设施和一家工厂在几分钟内被摧毁。

俄罗斯国防部表示，其击中了基辅及其周边地区的物流枢纽和供应中心，并声称这些设施用于军事目的。

俄罗斯军队在乌克兰有攻击纯平民目标并实施反平民暴行的广泛历史。

周二，乌克兰在俄罗斯境内击中了在线零售商 Wildberries 的物流枢纽，使其此前被攻击的目标数量增加到十几个以上。

路透社提供额外报道

---

●●●

3

德国武器运输枢纽发现爆炸物，莫斯科被指责

●

在机场降落，随后在离开机场爬升时与一个未知物体在空中相撞。该飞机随后在其他地方安全着陆。

多布林特和其他德国官员在发言中并未明确提到俄罗斯是潜在嫌疑人。但该机场作为北约和德国军事物流枢纽，以及乌克兰安东诺夫航空（Antonov Airlines）在欧洲的基地，使得怀疑指向了俄罗斯，俄罗斯此前曾被指控在欧洲发动破坏袭击。

安全专家表示，如果确定克里姆林宫参与其中，该事件可能会导致与俄罗斯的紧张局势严重升级。

调查人员表示，昨天夜间，“一名机场员工在莱比锡机场南跑道附近的货运操作区安全区域发现了一架携带未知爆炸装置的无人机”，该设施被归类为“关键基础设施”。

调查人员说：“在跑道此前关闭后重新开放，一架货机在再次起飞后与疑似第二个不明飞行物相撞。该飞机在汉诺威着陆后被检测出轻微损坏。”

一名北约官员表示：“我们已知晓该事件，德国当局正在继续调查。”

据媒体报道，这架配备爆炸装置的四旋翼无人机是在一架乌克兰安东诺夫货机附近被发现的。

部分乌克兰飞机上印有爱国口号，包括“像赫努恩一样勇敢”和“像布恰一样勇敢”，后者是俄罗斯全面入侵初期发生平民大屠杀的地点。

小报《图片报》（Bild）推测，该爆炸物可能是由化肥和汽油制成，而来自公共广播公司NDR和WDR以及《南德意志报》（Süddeutsche Zeitung）的一个团队则表示，该装置含有四硝酸季戊四醇（PETN）——这是赛姆特（semtex）的主要成分，与硝化甘油属于同一化学家族。

正在意大利度假的多布林特表示，他将前往莱比锡与联邦和州政府当局举行会议。

《时代周报》（Die Zeit）称，调查人员正在审查几种可能的方案，包括俄罗斯试图对德国境内的乌克兰设备发动袭击。

▲ 被引入用于检查无人机和爆炸装置的排爆机器人 照片：BERNARD SCHMIDT / DFK / AP

▼ News5拍摄的视频截图，显示跑道上的一架乌克兰安东诺夫飞机，靠近昨天发现无人机的地方

乌克兰驻德国大使奥列克西·马基耶夫（Oleksii Makeiev）指责莫斯科。他告诉商业广播公司Welt TV：“除了俄罗斯还能是谁？”莫斯科目前尚未发表评论。

反对党绿党情报监督发言人康斯坦丁·冯·诺茨（Konstantin von Notz）呼吁以最高紧迫性开展调查，并暗示俄罗斯可能参与其中。

德国议会情报监督委员会保守派主席马克·亨里希曼（Marc Henrichmann）表示，最新事件看起来像是“一次试图针对对乌克兰具有重要意义的公司地尝试”。

他告诉《莱茵邮报》（Rheinische Post），如果细节得到确认，这将“代表此类袭击达到了一个新的升级水平”。

包括一架来自马略卡岛的客机在内的多架飞机因该事件而改道。机场北部的运行在两小时后恢复。

德国和其他欧洲国家在机场、军事设施、港口和物流公司经历了一系列可疑的未经授权无人机飞越事件。他们指责俄罗斯特工是部分飞行行为的幕后黑手，莫斯科对此予以否认。

欧洲安全机构调查了2024年包裹中隐藏并起火的纵火装置，这引发了人们对航空货运运营商遭到破坏的担忧。部分装置在莱比锡的一个DHL (敦豪) 仓库以及在欧洲境内运输的货运 shipment 中被发现。

DHL (敦豪) 首席执行官托比亚斯·迈耶在一次季度业绩电话会议上告诉投资者：“我们针对此类情况制定了计划，我们将努力确保对客户的影响尽可能低。”

德国是向乌克兰提供军事援助的最大单一国家，并指责俄罗斯策划了一场针对德国的破坏、间谍和虚假信息活动，克里姆林宫对此予以否认。

额外报道 Jakub Krupa

俄罗斯顶级无人机制造商老板在叶卡捷琳堡遭车弹袭击受伤

Pjotr Sauer

一家俄罗斯领先无人机制造商的负责人近日在叶卡捷琳堡附近遭遇车弹袭击，受重伤。这似乎是一系列针对与该国乌克兰战争相关人物暗杀企图中的最新一起。

据俄罗斯国家媒体引用应急服务部门的消息，私营无人机制造商 Uraldronzavod 的创始人弗拉基米尔·特卡丘克（Vladimir Tkachuk）在昨日其梅赛德斯汽车底部的炸弹爆炸后被送入重症监护室。他的保镖在爆炸中丧生。

俄罗斯塔斯社报道称，特卡丘克情况危急，医生正在“全力抢救其生命”。

社交媒体上流传的图片显示了一辆梅赛德斯汽车被烧焦的残骸，附近的人行道上可见血迹。

Uraldronzavod 是在全面入侵乌克兰后在俄罗斯涌现的几家私营无人机制造商之一。该公司最著名的产品是 Upyr，这是一款低成本的第一人称视角（FPV）自杀式无人机，在其位于叶卡捷琳堡的工厂中使用 3D 打印技术制造，被俄罗斯在乌克兰的军队广泛使用。

2024 年，弗拉基米尔·普京访问了该工厂，由特卡丘克陪同参观。

由于在俄罗斯战争中扮演的角色，Uraldronzavod 和特卡丘克受到了西方政府的制裁。特卡丘克还是广受欢迎的亲战争 Telegram 频道“Obsessed with War”的创始人，该频道拥有超过 500,000 名关注者，并被用于为前线的俄罗斯士兵筹集资金和采购军事设备。

俄罗斯可能会将此次爆炸归咎于乌克兰。就在几天前，莫斯科市中心一家高档餐厅外的爆炸事件导致五人死亡。

俄罗斯当局尚未确认那次袭击的预定目标，但亲克里姆林宫的博主和俄罗斯独立媒体暗示，目标是俄罗斯航空航天军司令亚历山大·恰伊科（Aleksandr Chayko）陆军大将，据报道他当时正在该餐厅庆祝生日。

▲ 弗拉基米尔·特卡丘克（左）与普京 2024 年访问圣彼得堡时的照片

分析 Dan Sabbagh

这种威胁指向军队或恐怖组织，而非胡闹的业余人士

昨天在莱比锡机场发现的武装无人机虽然没有爆炸，但它能够进入周界并接近乌克兰货机这一事实，引发了人们对国际航空安全的明显担忧。

尽管凶手身份不明，但初步证据坚定地指向一场由俄罗斯策划的阴谋。这是首次在远离乌克兰边境的欧洲地区发现携带爆炸物的无人机。

德国报纸公布的照片显示，这是一架四旋翼无人机，其设计在乌克兰战争中十分常见，且附带了一个包裹。它停在距离一架乌克兰安东诺夫货机仅几米之遥的地方。

德国萨克森州的警方证实，这架无人机“携带一个未知的爆炸装置”，由一名员工在机场南跑道附近的“安全货运飞行运行区”内发现。

德国媒体报道称，附带的炸弹由 PETN 和 Semtex 塑料炸药制成——后者正是当年在洛克比上空 Pan Am 103 航班内部爆炸的物质。但由于雷管故障，这架无人机的炸弹并未爆炸。

当地报纸《莱比锡人民报》（Leipziger Volkszeitung）称，警方发现了多达 800 克的爆炸物。克兰菲尔德大学的爆炸物专家 Trevor Lawrence 表示，这足以对飞机“造成相当大的破坏”，尤其是因为“飞机机身极其薄，通常只有 3 毫米的铝材”。

该爆炸物具体是否为捷克发明的 Semtex 或来自其他国家可能尚未确定。但任何类型的塑料炸药通常仅由军队或成熟的恐怖组织掌握，而非鲁莽的业余无人机飞行员。

在第一起事件发生后，第二个可能同样是无人机的不明飞行物在地面数百米高空与一架 DHL (敦豪) 货机相撞。

虽然凶手身份不明，但初步证据坚定地指向一场由俄罗斯策划的阴谋

该货机仅受轻微损坏。

莱比锡机场是一个敏感地点，是乌克兰安东诺夫重型货机的欧洲基地。该机场还被北约和德国军队使用，同时也是 DHL (敦豪) 的枢纽，而乌克兰飞机的存在表明这里可能也是向基辅供应物资的节点。

这并非莱比锡机场首次涉及危险事件。2024 年 7 月，一个通过 DHL (敦豪) 邮寄的燃烧弹在机场爆炸，而第二个则被寄往英国并在伯明翰的一个仓库起火。波兰也发现了两个类似的包裹。

随后的一项泛欧调查在立陶宛和波兰确定了 22 名嫌疑人，他们被怀疑受雇于俄罗斯情报部门。调查发现，犯罪分子是通过网络招募并接收指令的，且经常以加密货币支付报酬。

国际战略研究所的查理·爱德华兹（Charlie Edwards）表示：“一架携带带有失效雷管电荷的无人机，与我们之前看到的情况截然不同。虽然尚未确定，但这很可能是旨在发挥作用而非被发现的。”

---

国家

处于剽窃争议中心的剑桥大学教授辞职

●

阿尔代在去年年底首次面临剽窃其博士论文及其他学术研究部分的指控，并否认了这些说法。

授予其博士学位的利物浦约翰摩尔斯大学在 2015 年进行了一项调查，该调查并未支持剽窃指控，但表示这些问题可能是由“诚实且合理的错误”造成的。

阿尔代否认了剽窃行为，上周告诉卫报：“针对这些指控，多个机构已经进行了多次彻底的调查，并受到了极大的审查，包括一个学术不端小组，该小组得出的结论是没有剽窃或学术不端行为。”

昨晚，剑桥大学宣布，在表示收到关于其资历和职业生涯的“新信息”后，将启动一项调查。

大学在声明中表示：“剑桥大学在收到关于阿尔代教授学术资历和荣誉职位的新信息后，已开始一项调查。为了确保程序的公正，在调查结束之前，我们不会进一步发表评论。”

“另外，目前仍有若干关于学术不端的持续投诉，这些投诉正根据我们的研究不端行为政策进行处理。这与我们此前就此事发表的声明是一致的。”

“虽然我们充分意识到公众对此事的评论和担忧，但至关重要的是，任何程序都必须彻底，并遵守大学政策和雇佣法。”

“我们也充分认识到，这件事的中心

“这些猜测对我以及我爱的人造成了深远的打击”

昨晚的声明

情况，我们将继续为他提供支持。”

剑桥大学耶稣学院的一位发言人表示，该学院正在启动自己的平行“程序”，并补充道：“阿尔代教授的学院院士身份与其大学职务挂钩，我们将全力支持大学。在这一过程中，阿尔代教授仍担任院士。我们认识到这对他和他的家人来说是一个非常困难的时期，并请求以同情和尊重对待他们。”

新的调查可能是由阿尔代声称在其他大学担任一系列享有盛誉的访问研究员和教授职位的说法所触发的，包括在追溯至 2018 年的已出版传记中的陈述，称他是美国俄亥俄州立大学的访问研究员或访问教授。俄亥俄州立大学否认阿尔代曾担任过任何职务。

与阿尔代相关的传记还声称，他在达勒姆大学、格拉斯哥大学、考文垂大学、伦敦大都会大学以及南非的纳尔逊·曼德拉大学担任访问教授。

阿尔代在相对年轻的 37 岁被任命为剑桥大学社会学教授，通过他的生活故事获得了广泛关注，其中包括在 3 岁时被诊断出患有自闭症，并且

直到 11 岁才能够说话，直到 18 岁才能够阅读或写作。

阿尔代随后进入大学并迅速攀登学术阶梯。在 2015 年获得博士学位后，他在利兹贝克特大学、罗汉普顿大学和达勒姆大学担任学术职务，期间曾在华威大学短暂任职，随后在 2021. 年被任命为格拉斯哥大学教育社会学教授。到 2023 年初，他申请并获得了剑桥大学的教授职位。

阿尔代还声称在 35 天内完成了 30 场马拉松，以及在六天内跑了 600 英里，并在数年间为慈善机构筹集了 500 万英镑。在面对质疑后，他修改了其中部分说法。

他告诉卫报，在被剑桥大学任命后，他成为了威胁的目标，包括有人向他父母家中寄送了一个被切下的猪头。调查发现没有证据支持这一点。

Journal Jason Okundaye →

Journal Jason Okundaye →

▼ 杰森·阿尔代否认了有关他剽窃部分学术研究和博士论文的指控 照片：CHRISTIAN SINDALDE / 卫报

危险牲畜疾病出现“惊人”激增

Bibi van der Zee

在一种由昆虫携带的病毒导致受影响绵羊数量出现“惊人”激增后，农民们被敦促将牲畜移出蠓虫密集的地区。

蓝舌病会导致高烧，伴有嘴唇和舌头肿胀，在某些情况下可能是致命的。舌头可能会变蓝并伸出。

该病通过咬口蠓 (Culicoides) 传播，其在英国的出现与全球变暖有关。根据国家绵羊协会的数据，上周报告的病例超过 590 例。

在德文郡从事耕种的多米尼克·埃尔森昨天损失了一只绵羊，他担心感染率被低估，因为他认为环境、食品和农村事务部缺乏准备，且自我报告系统失效。

国家农民联盟副主席罗宾·蒙特表示：“蓝舌病正以惊人的速度继续传播，是牲畜养殖者关注的重大问题。”

国家绵羊协会首席执行官菲尔·斯托克说：“报告病例数在上周从前一周的仅 115 例激增至 590 例以上。大多数病例出现在西南部。”他表示，协会已获得保证，“疫苗制造商正在尽其所能确保满足需求”。

▶ 一只患有蓝舌病的绵羊。该感染由蠓虫传播，其在英国的出现与全球变暖有关

三星 (SAMSUNG)

商务版 Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

迎接商务新标准

现在通过 EE 以旧换新预订，最高可节省 £580

BITTER FOR BUSINESS

No.1 1996 1996 1

某些 AI 功能需要三星账户登录。

---

国家

7

“完全是随机的”：Covent Garden (柯文特花园) 捅人事件造成四人受伤

Caroline Davies Helena Horton

警方表示，在伦敦市中心的 Covent Garden (柯文特花园) 发生四名男子被捅事件后，一名女子已被逮捕。

大都会警察局表示，这四名男子年龄分别为 34、39、42 和 52 岁，被发现时带有刺伤。在这次发生在 Endell Street 的午餐时间事件后，他们被送往一家重大创伤中心，该地点是首都游客的热门去处。

其中两名男子的伤势被认为不危及生命且不会改变生活，目前正在接受治疗，另外两名男子已经出院。一名 47 岁的女子在被怀疑持有攻击性武器（据信是一把剪刀）及袭击后被逮捕，目前仍被拘留。

负责该地区警务工作的总警监 Jason Stewart 表示：“在收到多起报告后，警员在事件发生几分钟内就做出了响应。虽然调查仍处于早期阶段，但我们希望向社区保证，我们目前认为这是一起孤立的、与心理健康相关的事件。”

“在现场收集证据期间，该地区将维持可见的警力部署，我们感谢公众的理解。”

伦敦救护车服务机构的一位发言人表示：“我们派遣了一组救护车人员、一名乘坐快速响应车的急救医生以及一名事件响应官员。我们还派遣了伦敦空中救护车。我们在现场治疗了四名患者，并优先通过陆路将他们全部送往一家重大创伤中心。”

一名目击者表示，捅人事件发生在 Shaftesbury 剧院外，随后该女子据称沿着 Endell Street 走下去，那里是该地区热门的餐饮场所。

这位要求匿名的目击者说：“我们注意到她在剧院附近用剪刀捅了三个人，然后她来到这里，警察也到了。”当地工作人员表示，其中一名受害者跑进了一家理发店并脱掉衬衫，露出背部的一道大口子。

在 Rock and Sole Plaice 餐厅工作并目击了袭击事件的 Arjan Gjorga 表示，涉事女子为在该街道工作的人所熟知。

“我经常见到她；她是个无家可归的人。她走来走去请求帮助，她会去街道顶端的教堂。”

Gjorga 表示他不需要关闭餐厅，他说：“我们都看到了骚乱。完全是随机的，就是随机的人。她突然开始捅他们。警察立刻逮捕了她。”

42 岁的 Matt Bishop 在 Covent Garden 封锁线旁的一家咨询公司工作，他说他看到一名女子与三名警员陷入“僵持”并挥舞

武器。 “她喊的内容相当语无伦次，警员在询问她喊的是什么语言。”

同一条街上 Da Mario 餐厅的经理 Andrea 表示，袭击发生在午餐服务期间。

他指着在遮阳露台上享用鸡尾酒的两名男子说：“他们目睹了这一切，但他们并不在意。警察的封锁线就在他们头顶，但他们继续享用午餐。这在伦敦只是平常的一天。”

他还认出了涉嫌作案的人，说：“她经常在街上。我们以前见过她做这样的事情。她最近和一名朋友吵架，把一瓶伏特加扔在地上，在餐厅外面摔碎了。”

到下午 3.30 时，该地区恢复平静，封锁线已撤除。

2022年枪杀一名男子至死的警察未受纪律处分

PA Media

一名监督机构已确认，枪杀克里斯·卡巴 (Chris Kaba) 的警察狙击手将不会面临纪律处分，活动人士称此举是“毁灭性的打击”。

马丁·布莱克 (Martyn Blake)，代号为 NX121，在中央刑事法院 (Old Bailey) 的审判后被裁定无谋杀罪，但原定将面临纪律处分。

然而，在政府更改了关于警察使用武力的法规后，监督机构独立警察行为办公室 (Independent Office for Police Conduct) 表示，该处分将不再进行。

警界人士对这一决定表示欢迎，但“为克里斯·卡巴争取正义运动” (Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign) 则表示“震惊”。

IOPC 的参与总监阿曼达·罗 (Amanda Rowe) 表示：“我们的心依然与克里斯·卡巴的家人、朋友以及所有受其死亡影响的人在一起。我们深切意识到相关程序对本案所有相关人员的影响，并一直力求避免任何不必要的延迟。然而，在立法变更生效之前，我们暂停推进纪律处分程序是正确的。”

“在考虑了我们的政策以及卡巴家人和布莱克警曹的陈述后，我们今天已通知他们撤回纪律处分的决定。”一名法医现在将决定是否对卡巴先生的死亡进行死因研讯。

大都会警察联盟主席波拉·多兹 (Paula Dodds) 表示：“这是一个非常正确的决定，不仅该警员及其家人会欢迎，伦敦的所有警察都会欢迎。”

“我们很高兴这一切现在已经结束，该警员可以继续为公众服务。”

2022 年，布莱克在伦敦东南部 Streatham 枪杀了 24 岁的卡巴，此前卡巴试图开车冲撞通过警车。在卡巴死亡的当晚，警方跟踪并围困了他驾驶的奥迪车，因为该车在五个月内与三起之前的枪击事件有关。

他们当时并不清楚他的身份，但卡巴是伦敦最暴力街头帮派之一的成员，并被指控在他死亡前的六天内参与了两起枪击事件。

“为克里斯·卡巴争取正义运动”的特米·姆瓦莱 (Temi Mwale) 表示：“IOPC 有选择权。今天，它选择了不做正确的事。”

▲ 24 岁的克里斯·卡巴在试图开车冲撞通过伦敦 Streatham 的警车后被枪杀

---

国家政治

库珀警告英国国家医疗服务体系应为常规夏季热浪危机做好准备

●

对英国国家医疗服务体系（NHS）基础设施的投资，以增强该服务应对夏季高温的韧性。

医生和其他医疗专业人员已就重复出现的热浪对英格兰 NHS 产生的影响发出警告，其中包括英国皇家全科医生学院建议在极端天气下取消手术。放射治疗机和 MRI 扫描仪出现故障，病房过热，以及为医院提供服务的冷却装置损坏。

英格兰今年夏季的热相关死亡人数有望创下最高纪录，据估计在 5 月和 6 月的热浪中有 2,877 人死亡。随着气候危机的进一步加剧，夏季可能会变得更加炎热，气温超过 40℃ 的情况可能会变得更加频繁。

在接受卫报采访时，库珀表示，全球气温升高给 带来了前所未有的挑战。

“这是 必须应对的一件新事物，”她说。“ 表现出了极强的应对决心，但我们需要更强大的韧性。”

这位庞特弗拉克特、卡斯尔福德和诺丁利（Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley）的国会议员表示，在她担任卫生大臣的新职务期间，她访问了位于约克郡当地的急诊室（A&E），那里的工作人员描述了热浪导致的过度拥挤。“在冬季的几周和几个月里，出现如此之高的就诊人数是正常的，但在夏季则不然，”她说。

她表示，她已与首席医疗官克里斯·惠蒂（Sir Chris Whitty）爵士讨论了一项公共卫生意识宣传活动，警告人们关注老年亲属和有婴儿的人群。

库珀说，全球变暖意味着“一些即时的紧急应对”。“我已经明确表示，我们现在需要像 长期以来准备应对冬季压力那样，来准备应对夏季压力。

我们现在需要一个更清晰的评估，以确定这意味着什么，压力将如何产生，以及需要建立什么样的管理机制来应对。”

政府关于净零排放的法定顾问机构——气候变化委员会在 5 月发布了一份里程碑式的报告，警告称英国的基础设施并非为这种气候而建，并呼吁所有医院和护理院在未来 10 年内安装空调，所有学校在 2050 年前完成安装。

该委员会建议政府针对 2050, 全球升温至少 2℃ 以及潜在的进一步升温制定计划。

今年夏季，农民们也发出警告，称极端温度正影响英国的粮食安全和应对干旱的能力。

唐宁街 10 号表示，提高英国应对极端高温的韧性（包括建设更多水库）是议程中的重点，并表示应对气候危机的重点必须是“在减少排放的同时实现实际的韧性”。

库珀表示，由于死亡人数之多令人“痛心”，她与惠蒂一致认为需要向公众提供更多关于谁面临极端高温风险的信息。“在夏季的高温中，我们所有人都需要关注老年邻居和家庭成员，就像在极寒天气中你会检查老年家人或亲属的情况一样。我们现在在夏季、在热浪期间也需要这样做，同时也要关注年幼者。”

她表示，为医院和其他设施提供冷却将是 基础设施投资的关键部分。“这是我们现在必须解决并为此制定计划的一件新事物，”她说。“显然，解决这个问题也需要时间。但这是目前作为资本计划一部分而正在研究的事项之一。”

绿党党魁扎克·波兰斯基（Zack Polanski）昨天在伦敦的一次新闻发布会上表示，应对

气候危机应该在议程中占据更高位置。“我认为我们需要面对这个现实：已有 1,000 人死于极端高温，”他说。

“我们在电视屏幕上看到的场景坦白说就像是世界末日。然而，我们政府的反应却是假装这一切都没有发生。这是令人震惊的失职。”

皇家内科医学院临床副院长希拉里·威廉姆斯博士表示，英国国家医疗服务体系在应对极端高温方面几乎没有内置的韧性。“热浪对工作人员的影响无论如何强调都不为过，”她说，“当我们看到天气预报时，会有一种不祥的预感，因为我们知道将要发生什么，而工作人员能做的事情非常有限。”

国会议员们还敦促政府采取更多措施，允许人们为自己的房屋降温。超过 50 名议员已致信英国的认证机构，敦促其加快将空调纳入锅炉升级计划的进程，该计划为用热泵等更环保的替代方案取代燃气锅炉提供补贴。

尽管政府去年已将该计划扩展至空气冷却设备，但认证机构尚未给予批准。

“如果担心未来极端气温的人们知道他们可以获得一台兼具空调功能的热泵，他们将更有动力进行更换。这对能源账单和地球来说都是好消息，”组织此次致信的希钦区工党议员阿里斯泰尔·斯特拉瑟恩表示，“负责认证该计划的机构现在真的需要尽快行动起来。”

7月是英格兰南部有记录以来最干燥的月份，预计该地区在一段时间内不会有显著降雨。

今年夏天在5月和6月已经出现了打破纪录的热浪，加剧了干旱和山火。英格兰和威尔士约 2300 万 人正处于禁用水管浇水的限制之下。

安迪·伯纳姆因在担任首相的前几周内未能提及气候危机、净零排放或干旱与热浪而受到批评——尽管他承诺政府将加大努力以提高国家的韧性。

伯纳姆的一位发言人表示：“我们意识到气候变化已经通过极端高温、干旱和对粮食生产的压力影响到全国各地的社区。这就是为什么我们在削减排放的同时，专注于实际的韧性建设。”

◀ 皇家内科医学院表示，英国国家医疗服务体系目前应对热浪的韧性不足

照片：BENJIT TESSIER / 路透社

难以应对的高温

其他在极端高温中挣扎的公共服务

Fiona Harvey 环境编辑

随着政府将应对极端高温列入议事日程，英国国家医疗服务体系 (NHS) 被告知必须增强韧性，以应对因气候危机而加剧且日益频繁的热浪。但还有哪些公共服务已经在承受压力？

交通 由于许多人在近期的热浪中经历过驾驶室温度接近 40℃ 的情况，伦敦巴士司机计划在本月晚些时候就工作条件问题举行罢工。大多数伦敦巴士安装的是气流冷却系统而非空调。该市市长 Sadiq Khan 表示，司机不应在不安全的炎热条件下工作，但私人运营商 Arriva 则表示，更新其车队需要时间。

铁路服务也受到了干扰，因为干燥天气导致土壤收缩，使得英格兰南部的堤道变得不安全，因为枕木可能会移动或脱离位置。高温还会使轨道变形，导致运营商为了安全而实施较低的限速。

在道路上，RAC 警告称，车辆故障增加了五分之一，通常是由于发动机过热或在过热的路面上爆胎。

---

9

农业与食品

昨日发布的一项分析发现，由于英格兰五年内第三次出现重大干旱，导致农民面临土壤干旱和作物受损，今年的收成可能是记录以来最糟糕的。根据能源与气候情报机构 (ECIU) 智库的数据，全英国的谷物和油籽产量可能会下降多达 2.5m 吨，耕种农户面临 3.9 亿英镑m 的收入损失。畜牧业农户同样在受苦：草类生长量减半，迫使部分农户使用原计划留到冬季的饲料。

在此之前，今年年初出现了异常潮湿的天气，但大多数农场无法充分蓄水。代表土地所有者的乡村土地与商业协会 (CLA) 呼吁进行规划改革，以便农民更容易拥有自己的小型水库。由于干旱，再生农业实践引起了兴趣激增，这也有助于在土地上储存更多水分。如果干燥状况持续到秋季，农民在准备明年工作时将面临更多问题。ECIU 的食品与农业分析师 Tom Lancaster 表示：“在春季之初，农民们还希望今年能好转，但干燥的四月和七月以及创纪录的高温，使农民们面临连续第三年收成糟糕的困境。农业目前是受气候变化及其带来的风险和损害影响最严重的部门。

‘从 2024, 年记录以来最潮湿的冬季，到 2025 年最炎热的夏季，以及今年前所未有高温和干旱，英国农业有陷入气候毁灭循环的危险，因为重复的影响削弱了农民播种明年作物的能力。’

随着农民的挣扎，新鲜食品的价格上涨了。番茄的批发价格上涨了 60% 以上，冰山生菜上涨了 90% ，土豆上涨了 40% 以上。国外的前景同样阴沉，超级厄尔尼诺现象的可能性日益增加，因此依赖进口来弥补短缺可能会带来更多问题。

工作条件

英国没有为劳动者设定最高法定温度，而一些维修不善的公共建筑中的劳动者尤其在此时陷入困境。法庭案件受到了干扰，布里斯托的一位法官上个月告诉陪审团，由于被告席因高温无法使用，他们必须通过虚拟链接听取被告的陈述。

一些已经配备空调的公共图书馆正作为社区的“清凉空间”运行——可以在网上找到显示这些空间所在位置的地图。

TUC（英国工会大会）总书记保罗·诺瓦克（Paul Nowak）告诉卫报：“在经历了夏季的热浪之后，很明显我们需要适应气候危机。”雇主需要确保室内外工作人员的安全，提供定期休息或灵活工作制，以及适当的设备和饮用水。他补充说，还需要更多措施，包括立法。

他说：“随着热浪成为我们的新常态，我们需要找到在炎热天气中工作和生活的方法。这意味着需要制定关于最高工作温度的新法律，改造建筑和工作场所以保持凉爽，并采取雄心勃勃的气候行动来从根源上解决问题。”

学校

学生们目前正处于学校假期，得以逃离夏季学期中让部分学生流泪的闷热教室，但英国教育系统中的一些不平等现象仍在继续：卫报揭露，尽管近一半的英格兰地区和部分威尔士地区实施了软管禁令，但私立学校仍在继续浇灌他们茂盛的草坪。

当大多数学生在9月返校时，高温情况应该会减轻，但气候变化委员会已呼吁所有学校在2050年之前安装空调，并重新思考传统的学年安排——鉴于有证据表明高温会影响学生在测试中的表现，在6月举行考试可能不再是安排学术时间表最明智的方式。

埃普斯坦：尽管部长声称，英国将不会启动调查

政治记者

安迪·伯纳姆并未考虑对杰弗里·埃普斯坦在英国的行为启动公开调查，尽管有相反的说法。

受害者事务部长亚历克斯·戴维斯-琼斯周二表示，伯纳姆已同意会见该性犯罪者的受害者，正在研究是否进行调查，并且“非常严肃地对待此事”。

但司法部的一位发言人昨天表示：“我们的心与杰弗里·埃普斯坦的受害者们在一起，他们从毁灭性的创伤中幸存下来。正如戴维斯-琼斯部长所说，我们正在审查可行方案，并将探讨所有支持受害者和幸存者的选项。首相致力于会见受害者，但目前并未积极考虑启动公开调查。”

当被问及公开调查是否在考虑之列时，戴维斯-琼斯告诉 BBC Newsnight：“我们正在研究此事，我们正在审查可行方案……我们已经针对诱骗团伙受害者启动了一项法定调查。我已得到保证，首相非常严肃地对待此事。他将会见那些受害者，并且在现在作为首相能够获取所有信息的情况下，他正在研究可行方案，以查看……我们可以采取什么行动。”

然而，一项针对前哈罗兹百货所有者穆罕默德·阿尔-法耶兹的调查正在考虑中。从 1977 年到 2014 年，针对法耶兹的性虐待指控超过 400 起，包括强奸、性侵犯、性剥削和人口贩卖的指控。大都会警察局正在调查至少 156 名投诉者的指控，其中包括 21 名在法耶兹 2023 年去世前就站出来举报的人。

被伯纳姆重新任命为受害者事务部长的戴维斯-琼斯表示，她已寻求保证，确保受害者将获得优先对待。戴维斯-琼斯说：“我与他及其团队进行了多次对话。他同意会见埃普斯坦的受害者。在他成为首相的那段时间里，他一直与他们保持密切联系，并且他向我保证，现在他担任首相，他将会见他们，并将与我们合作，为所有受害者寻求系统性变革，无论是埃普斯坦的受害者、哈罗兹的幸存者，还是诱骗团伙的受害者。”

在戴维斯-琼斯 5 月退出基尔·斯塔默政府并呼吁其辞职后，她敦促他会见埃普斯坦虐待行为的幸存者。6 月底，斯塔默告诉幸存者兼活动人士丽莎·菲利普斯，他的“大门敞开”，但并未同意会见她。相反，她被提供了一次与戴维斯-琼斯以及前首相首席秘书达伦·琼斯的会面机会。

---

10

国家

◀ 保守党党魁凯米·巴德诺克在给予约书亚·博恩希尔-佩恩顾问职务时表示，需要那些“曾是问题的一部分但已改变”的人来结束极端主义。 摄影：JUSTIN TALLEGAFF / GETTY IMAGES

巴登诺克在一名新纳粹分子撤回候选人资格后将其任命为保守党顾问

本·奎因 (Ben Quinn) 政治记者

一名曾因骚扰一名犹太议员而被定罪的前新纳粹活动分子，在凯米·巴登诺克为其提供党内顾问职位后，撤回了其作为保守党选举候选人的申请。

约书亚·博恩希尔-佩恩 (Joshua Bonehill-Paine) 昨天表示，他已退出明年的地方选举，而保守党党魁则邀请他担任该党文化与整合委员会的顾问，他将在该职位上专注于研究年轻人如何被激进化。

巴登诺克在过去 48 小时内面临来自包括英国犹太代表委员会（Board of Deputies of British Jews）在内的个人和组织的压力，她表示，对于博恩希尔-佩恩“无法获得解释其立场并代表其社群的空间”感到遗憾。

然而，她给予其一个要职的决定立即遭到了其他人的谴责，其中包括卢西亚娜·伯格 (Luciana Berger)。伯格是上议院工党成员，在她担任议员期间，曾是博恩希尔-佩恩反犹太主义虐待活动的攻击目标。

“决定欢迎此人担任反对党领袖的顾问，并不比允许他竞选议会候选人好到哪里去，”她在 X 上发帖称。

▲ 博恩希尔-佩恩在 2015 年因发布反犹太主义材料而被监禁

“这是一个享有特权且具有影响力的全国性角色。作为这个男人残暴罪行的受害者，这次任命是一次侮辱，”伯格写道。

犹太代表委员会和犹太领导理事会 (JLC) 均拒绝了保守党提出的与这名原新纳粹分子的会面邀请。该人士此前将自己描述为一名“民族主义者、法西斯主义者、理论家和白人权利支持者”。

博恩希尔-佩恩近年来重新出现，成为了讽刺类在线账号《克鲁克恩公报》(Crewkerne Gazette) 的创建者。

JLC 昨天发表了一份简短声明，对博恩希尔-佩恩撤回保守党候选人资格表示欢迎，但未提及他被任命为顾问一事。

不过，犹太代表委员会主席菲尔·罗森伯格 (Phil Rosenberg) 告诉时代广播 (Times Radio)，博恩希尔-佩恩成为文化与整合委员会的顾问是“一件好事”。“我认为，利用那些曾经走过这条路的人的经验来抵制其他地方的激进化是非常有益的，”罗森伯格说，并补充称博恩希尔-佩恩担任议员“可能并不合适”。

在博恩希尔-佩恩撤回的消息传出后，YouGov 发布的一项民意调查显示，57% 的英国整体选民认为选择他是不可接受的。

内政部反驳了巴登诺克周一的一项说法，即博恩希尔-佩恩获得了“内政部的认证”，可以就反犹太主义和打击极端主义对警察进行培训。

“内政部不认证个人开展培训，”一名发言人表示，并补充说该部门资助一些可能会利用个人开展培训的公民社会组织。

据了解，博恩希尔-佩恩曾在一机构工作一段时间，该机构旨在引导前极端分子走向康复。

平等事务部部长兼工党主席布里奇特·菲利普森 (Bridget Phillipson) 表示，此事充分说明了巴登诺克的判断力问题。

“令人难以置信的是，凯米·巴登诺克起初竟然欣然允许一名原新纳粹分子参选。而她现在又赠予他一个要职，更是增加了这份耻辱，”她补充道。

巴登诺克在 X 上转发了博恩希尔-佩恩撤回保守党候选人资格的声明，并在评论中称他成了被“围攻”的目标。

她说：“如果我们想要停止极端主义和反犹太主义，我们需要那些曾经是问题的一部分、但现在已经改变并成为解决方案一部分的人的帮助。”

博恩希尔-佩恩此前被选定于明年在萨默塞特郡议会 (Somerset council) 的新克鲁克恩南区 (Crewkerne South district) 参选。

他在2015年因在一次计划中的新纳粹集会前在网上发布“卑劣的”反犹太主义材料而被判处三年以上监禁。2016年，他因对犹太人Berger实施辱骂而被裁定种族加重骚扰罪成立，其中包括在他的博客上发布信息，称Berger为“啮齿动物”和“邪恶的敛财者”。

Berger在周二介入此事，直接告诉Badenoch：“为了避免产生误解，我认为这个男人不应该在公共生活中担任任何职务——这既是因为他的种族主义，也是因为他对女性的看法。”

警务负责人可能就哈珀杀手提前释放一事采取法律行动

杰拉尔丁·麦克尔维 (Geraldine McKelvie)

泰晤士河谷警察局局长杰森·霍格 (Jason Hogg) 表示，如果政府未能阻止两名杀害安德鲁·哈珀 (Andrew Harper) 警员的凶手提前释放，他将考虑加入针对政府的法律行动。

警察联合会正考虑通过诉诸法院，试图让杰西·科尔 (Jessie Cole) 和阿尔伯特·鲍尔斯 (Albert Bowers) 继续留在监狱中。

2019年8月，28岁的哈珀在伯克郡的一条乡村公路上被一辆汽车拖行导致死亡，当时科尔、鲍尔斯及其同伙亨利·隆 (Henry Long) 正从一起四轮摩托车盗窃现场逃离。三人均在2020年被判定犯有过失杀人罪。科尔和鲍尔斯被判处13年监禁，且可能作为政府腾出监狱空间的计划的一部分而被释放。而驾驶汽车的隆被判处16年监禁，不符合提前释放的条件。

在哈珀死亡当晚值班的霍格昨日告诉 BBC Radio 4 的《今日》(Today) 节目，在等待法律建议期间，如果政府拒绝改变立场，他“肯定”会考虑加入警察联合会的法院行动。

他昨日告诉卫报：“我昨天接到了警察联合会的联系，他们告知我正在寻求法律建议，探索针对政府进行司法审查的机会。因此我正关注此事，并且将再次与警察联合会沟通。”

“但我的希望是我们永远不需要走到那一步，警察联合会也不需要走司法审查这条路，因为政府会倾听。”

英格兰和威尔士的监狱容量已达到临界水平。从10月起，政府计划释放约5,000名已服刑三分之一刑期的囚犯。

哈珀的遗孀利西 (Lissie) 在他去世后成功推动了法律变更。2022年引入的立法意味着，那些被判定在值勤期间过失杀害紧急工作人员的人现在面临强制性的终身监禁。然而，该法律不能追溯适用。

霍格表示，他在12天前写信给首相安迪·伯纳姆 (Andy Burnham)，表达了对科尔和鲍尔斯可能被纳入该计划的担忧，但尚未收到回复。

他补充说，他计划再次写信给伯纳姆、内政大臣沙巴娜·马哈茂德 (Shabana Mahmood) 以及司法大臣亚历克斯·诺里斯 (Alex Norris)，以传达“这一决定对我下属警员的士气，以及全国从事警务工作的2,000人的影响”。

霍格不愿就所有被判定过失杀人的囚犯是否都应被排除在该计划之外发表评论。

在受害者的抗议活动后，政府已经表示，那些因强奸、严重的儿童性犯罪和诱导儿童犯罪而服刑的人将不会被提前释放。

“制定政府政策或制定法律不是我的职责，”霍格说。

“但我认为如果你询问街上的大多数人，他们可能会说，在我们的国家夺走他人生命的人应该尽可能长时间地留在监狱里。”

他补充说，哈珀作为一名紧急服务工作人员，这是一个“显著的加重情节”。

---

国家

11

剧院、酒吧和俱乐部因担心侵犯隐私禁用 Meta “间谍眼镜”

Helena Horton

当 Meta 利用超级巨星凯莉·詹娜 (Kylie Jenner) 来推广其时尚的新系列“间谍眼镜”时，这家社交媒体公司希望这些设备能像之前的平板电脑和智能手表一样获得广泛的认可。

但这些计划在英国遇到了障碍，从高端餐厅到热门酒吧连锁店的各类场所都禁用了这款售价 £359 的眼镜，以保护顾客和员工的隐私。

著名餐饮业者杰里米·金 (Jeremy King) 是伦敦包括 Strand 的 Simpson's、Arlington 和 The Park 在内的多家场所的所有者，他禁止客人在店内佩戴这种录像眼镜。

他告诉卫报：“除了我们天生拥有的眼睛，我绝不会在知情的情况下允许任何对客人隐私的侵犯。”

在 Soho House 的私人会员俱乐部中，佩戴该眼镜的人也可能会被要求将其摘除。一名发言人表示，其场所内不允许拍摄。

甚至连酒吧品牌 Wetherspoons 也不允许人们在店内使用该眼镜进行录像。

其首席执行官蒂姆·马丁 (Tim Martin) 表示：“在我们酒吧以及大多数酒吧中适用的通用准则就是，未经许可不得拍摄顾客或员工。Meta 眼镜通过实现秘密监视，似乎违反了这一准则以及常识，因此我们的本能反应是要求关闭摄像头。这类似于我们努力阻止在酒吧内播放有声视频的行为，因为后者同样侵犯了人们的空间。”

那些想戴着 Meta 眼镜去剧院的人可能也会面临障碍。ATG Theatres 的一名发言人表示，其场所内不允许拍摄，在演出期间佩戴该眼镜的人将被要求将其摘除。该公司拥有布里斯托海波德罗姆剧院 (Bristol Hippodrome)、爱丁堡剧院 (Edinburgh Playhouse) 以及伦敦各地的多家剧院。

这款眼镜看起来像普通的眼镜，由詹娜设计的型号采用了时尚的猫眼设计——并嵌入了微型摄像头。

▲ 凯莉·詹娜 (Kylie Jenner) 模特展示 Meta 眼镜。该公司表示，在用于拍摄时，闪烁的 LED 灯会激活。

Meta 表示，它希望这种设计能让用户在无需不断低头看智能手机的情况下，能够“活在当下”。

人们普遍担心该眼镜被用于在未经同意的情况下拍摄他人，并将所得片段发布在社交媒体上。尽管 Meta 指出，眼镜在拍摄时会激活微小的闪烁 LED 灯，但已经出现了多起人们抱怨在不知情的情况下被录像的案例。

在其中一个案例中，一名女性告诉 BBC，一名男子录制了她的视频，然后要求她付钱才将视频从社交媒体上删除。另一名女性描述了自己在未经同意的情况下，在性行为期间被录像的经历。

Instagram 已开始打击在平台上发布的利用该眼镜制作的非自愿视频。Instagram 负责人亚当·莫塞里 (Adam Mosseri) 表示：“如果你发布的内容是在利用他人并骚扰他们，就像我们听说并看到的许多那种搭讪类视频，那么我们将删除这些内容。”

Meta 努力使佩戴这款眼镜成为一种主流选择，向热门社交媒体影响力人士免费发放眼镜。该设备的销量在过去一年中增长了两倍，全球销量超过 700 万 副。

这 700 万 人在英国确实有一些场所欢迎他们及其眼镜。在马洛 (Marlow) 拥有酒吧和餐厅的米其林星级厨师汤姆·克里奇 (Tom Kerridge) 告诉卫报：“我对此完全没有问题。拍摄现在已经是日常生活的一部分。事实上，我认为它们可以用创意且令人兴奋的方式来使用。对它们的第一印象不应该是负面的！”

一名 Meta 发言人表示：“人们使用我们的眼镜是因为它们确实很有帮助——从听音乐、实时翻译到免提通话。对于佩戴者及其周围的人来说，信任至关重要。这就是为什么我们在设计 AI 眼镜之初就将隐私保护内置其中。”

《木乃伊》电影海报因描绘死孩子而被禁

Nadia Khomami 艺术与文化记者

由于包含对死孩子的写实描绘，《木乃伊》（The Mummy）的电影海报被禁止在英国的公共户外场所展出。

广告标准管理局 (ASA) 收到 30 起关于这部李·克罗宁 (Lee Cronin) 新片在伦敦地铁站宣传活动的投诉。

广告中包含一张海报，显示一名具有木乃伊外观且一只眼睛肿胀闭合的女性特写图像。随附文字写道：“有些东西注定要被埋葬。”

电视和直播服务预告了将尸体从石棺中移出的场景，以及一名女性在一只长指甲的灰色手刷过她的脸颊时显得十分痛苦的画面。该广告以母亲说“我只想让我的女儿回来”结束，并获得了 Clearcast 审查机构的批准，可在晚上 7. 30 以后播出。

许多投诉者表示，这些广告对儿童和成人来说都令人不安。

华纳兄弟 (Warner Bros) 为该片的宣传活动辩护，称其是在“对消费者和社会承担相应责任”的情况下准备的，旨在并非为了制造恐惧或冒犯。

该公司表示，海报中描绘的角色是一个“活木乃伊”，她在童年被绑架多年后回到了父母身边。

华纳兄弟表示，海报使用了表情中立的面孔，并通过避免暴力、威胁或恐吓元素降低了造成不安的风险。

制片厂补充说，该设计已提交给伦敦交通局的广告合作伙伴 Global，并被接受在伦敦地铁网络上展出。

该公司称，预告片中的恐怖主题是暗示而非显现的，不包含跳吓、暴力、血腥或露骨的图像。

在维持关于海报的投诉时，ASA 表示，该女性皮肤的灰色和苍白外观、干燥开裂的嘴唇和口腔、一只眼睛肿胀闭合而另一只眼睛凝视且空洞，以及面部凹陷且毫无生气的样子，共同给人一种“死孩子的写实印象”。

▲ ASA 表示，该广告在伦敦地铁宣传期间引发了数十起投诉，给人一种“死孩子的写实印象”

---

12

国家

九岁女孩在露营度假期间被杀，相关人员被指控谋杀

Hannah Al-Othman

一名在苏格兰家庭露营旅行期间死亡的九岁女孩被确认名为 Minnie Merriman。

她的家人通过苏格兰警方发布的一份声明表示：“我们因失去挚爱的、绝对令人惊叹、美丽且勇敢的 Minnie Moo 而感到心碎。”

“在这个极其困难的时刻，我们请求尊重我们的隐私。”

Christopher Rice 昨天在福法治安法院（Forfar sheriff court）出庭时，被指控与她的死亡有关的谋杀罪。他没有进行抗辩，被移交进一步审查并被还押候审。

来自西约克郡的 Minnie 在周一午夜刚过，于安格斯郡阿布罗斯（Arbroath, Angus）的 Elliot 工业园区被发现受重伤。她被送往邓迪的 Ninewells 医院，随后在那里死亡。

根据当地新闻报道

► Minnie Merriman 在苏格兰与家人度假，周一凌晨被发现受重伤

照片：苏格兰警方 / FA WIRE

另外三名家庭成员也被救护车送往医院。据了解，这些人中不包括 35 岁的 Rice，他是由警员单独送往医院的。

在极右翼煽动者 Tommy Robinson 分享了事发现场的视频，导致网络上对其背景产生猜测后，警方透露嫌疑人为白人英国人。

警方表示，Rice 与 Minnie 相识，他们没有在寻找其他与她死亡有关的人员。苏格兰警方重大调查小组的探长 Mike Ness 表示：

“我们的心与受这些事件影响的人们在一起。在我们的调查继续期间，该地区将维持警力部署。任何有疑虑或信息的人，应接触这些警员或拨打 101 联系苏格兰警方。”

据信 Minnie 与家人在该地区露营。当地居民表示，他们周日下午在该地区看到该家庭带着一个小帐篷。

阿布罗斯的居民在靠近海岸的工业园区草边留下了花卉悼念。

来自该镇的 Dawn Reid 告诉《国家报》（National）：“我们对这个消息感到相当心碎。我们的孩子在任何地方都不安全，这太令人心碎了。我只希望他们一切顺利。那个可怜的母亲，她面前还有一条漫长的路要走。”

阿布罗斯东区和卢南（Arbroath East and Lunan）的议员 Lois Speed 告诉当地媒体，她想“表达今天早晨社区内的震惊”。

“我的心真的与这个小女孩及其家人，以及那些深受影响的人在一起，”她说。“除了表达震惊并向每个人表示同情外，我没有更多可以补充或说的了。”

周二下午，现场周围的警方封锁线被撤除，一辆曾处于封锁线内的绿色汽车已被移走。据了解，西约克郡警方正在支持此次调查。

被指盗窃价值100 万英镑m灯具与灯笼的男子出庭

PA Media

一名被指在英国各地盗窃价值100 万英镑m路灯和灯笼的20岁男子首次出庭。

史蒂夫尼奇治安法院昨日获悉，约翰·奥沙利文被指在2025年1月至2025, 6月期间，在贝德福德郡、剑桥郡、达勒姆郡、埃塞克斯郡和赫特福德郡盗窃灯具。

他还面临在2025年9月至今年3月期间在赫特福德郡犯下的另外七项盗窃罪名。

来自赫特福德郡巴克韦的奥沙利文未表明是否认罪。

地区法官艾伦·索恩表示，这些指控“过于严重，无法在此处理”，并将案件移交给圣奥尔本斯刑事法院，定于9月2日举行听证会。

奥沙利文由其父母安娜·奥沙利文（66, 岁）和理查德·奥沙利文（67. 岁）陪同。他们被指控处理赃物。

*适用资格标准。适用条款与条件。

巴克莱银行通过巴克莱银行英国公众有限公司（Barclays Bank UK PLC）向客户提供银行和信贷产品。巴克莱银行英国公众有限公司经审慎监管局授权，并受金融行为监管局和审慎监管局监管。在英格兰注册。注册号 9740322. 注册地址：1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP。

---

国家

13

照片：BROOK MITCHELL/

酷热 在东萨塞克斯郡东本恩附近的比奇海德，草地已完全干枯。预计英格兰南部大部分地区异常干燥的天气将在本周剩余时间内持续，尽管周日可能会有阵雨。7月是自1836年开始记录以来，英格兰南部最干燥的一个月。

巴基斯坦国会议员因涉嫌在曼彻斯特强奸被捕

Shah Meer Baloch Josh Halliday Raphael Boyd

卫报可以透露，一名巴基斯坦前国务部长因涉嫌在 20 世纪 90 年代于曼彻斯特强奸弱势少女而被捕。

鲁克萨尔·艾哈迈德（Rukhsar Ahmed）在离开公职五年后，于上周在巴基斯坦被重新选为国会议员。他在 2024 年 7 月因涉嫌作为诱拐团伙成员强奸及贩卖受监护儿童而被捕，目前在英国处于警方保释状态。

据了解，62 岁的艾哈迈德原定于上个月在曼彻斯特的一家警察局报到以履行保释条件，但因“身体状况不适宜飞行”而未能出席。与此同时，社交媒体上的照片显示，他当时正在巴基斯坦北部的米尔普尔参加各种选举集会进行竞选。

他代表中右翼的巴基斯坦穆斯林联盟-谢里夫派（PML-N），被选为自由克什米尔和查谟立法议会的国会议员，该政党由巴基斯坦总理谢巴兹·谢里夫领导。艾哈迈德从 2006 年起在多个州政府担任部长，直到 2021 年失去席位。

卫报获悉，大曼彻斯特警察局（GMP）曾希望将限制艾哈迈德出国旅行作为其保释条件的一部分，但一名法官在 2024 年 7 月拒绝了这一更严厉的措施。

艾哈迈德于 2024 年 7 月 18 日在曼彻斯特机场被捕，这与过去涉及该市 Rusholme 地区的儿童性虐待指控有关，他曾在该地区居住多年。

艾哈迈德在 Facebook 上拥有超过 17,000 名粉丝，最近在 5 月份仍有他与朋友在 Rusholme 的照片，其关联人士称他经常访问该地。

他曾是一家名为 Gujjar Palace 的餐厅的所有者，该餐厅位于曼彻斯特的“咖喱里程”（curry mile）附近。

侦探审问艾哈迈德

▲ 处于英国警方保释状态的鲁克萨尔·艾哈迈德于上周被重新选为议员

在 2024 年 7 月，侦探就至少两名女性的指控对其进行了审问，这些女性声称艾哈迈德在她们还是少女时参与了强奸和贩卖她们的行为。据了解，侦探是在艾哈迈德被拘留审问期间得知他参与巴基斯坦政治的情况的。

此次调查涉及多名女性关于 20 世纪 90 年代初在护理院遭受儿童性虐待的指控，当时艾哈迈德 20 多岁。据了解，他预计将在未来六周内向警方报到以履行保释条件。

如果他未能出席，大曼彻斯特警察局可能会发出逮捕令或采取步骤将其引渡——这可能会引发外交争端。

巴基斯坦管理的克什米尔地区 PML-N 的一名高级领导人表示，他认识艾哈迈德至少二十年，但不知道针对他的强奸指控。

他表示：“我们只是听说他在 20 世纪 90 年代是曼彻斯特某些团体的成员。但我个人并不知晓艾哈迈德面临如此严重的指控。”

艾哈迈德未回应置评请求。

这一披露出现在

巴基斯坦拒绝英国政府驱逐一名获释的罗奇代尔（Rochdale）诱拐团伙头目的尝试几周之后。73 岁的沙比尔·艾哈迈德（Shabir Ahmed）在因 30 项儿童强奸罪被判处 22 年监禁并服刑 14 年后，于 7 月出狱。

鲁克萨尔·艾哈迈德的朋友们称，鉴于他的政治角色，他在曼彻斯特的巴基斯坦社区中“极具影响力”。

一名在 Rusholme 的关联人士称他是一个“民众之友”且是“最不腐败的人之一”，并补充说他最近访问过该地区。

据已知，他多次访问位于 Longsight 的 Stockport Road 上一家受欢迎的巴基斯坦餐厅，该地靠近 Rusholme。他在自己的 Facebook 账户上发布的一次访问照片显示，他与另外几个人站在餐厅门外。

Stockport Road 的人们对艾哈迈德评价很高。一名男子将他描述为“一个有信念的人，会帮助需要帮助的人”。

他尤其受到来自自由克什米尔地区人们的尊重，那是巴基斯坦北部的自治区域，他的 LA-4 Mirpur-IV 席位就位于那里。

他在社区中的影响力如此之大，以至于每当他每隔几个月访问一次曼彻斯特时，人们会从英国各地赶来见他。

当《卫报》在周二访问时，古贾尔宫（Gujjar Palace）已被封板且处于荒废状态。一名当地企业主表示，该处至少自2009年起就已关闭。

追加报道 Rajeev Syal

格利特因涉嫌 1970 年代儿童性犯罪出庭受审

PA Media

前华丽摇滚明星加里·格利特（Gary Glitter）昨日出庭，被指控在 20 世纪 70 年代对一名 8 至 11 岁女孩实施性犯罪。

现年 82, 岁的格利特（原名保罗·加德，Paul Gadd）通过视频连线出现在威斯敏斯特治安法院，被指控与 13 岁以下女孩发生非法性行为，以及三项对 14 岁以下女孩实施猥亵袭击的罪名。

检察官乔纳森·波尔奈（Jonathan Polnay）KC 表示，涉嫌犯罪的时间发生在 1978 年至 1981, 年之间，当时由于法律原因无法透露身份的原告年龄在 8 至 11. 岁之间。据称，这些犯罪行为发生在格利特位于伦敦西部肯辛顿和切尔西的家中。

检察官指控格利特会给女孩巧克力，并“邀请她进入他的房子，随后在那里实施了一系列严重的性犯罪”。

身穿蓝色衬衫、戴着眼镜和帽子的格利特告诉治安法官，他患有严重的耳聋，并补充道：“除非我读唇语，否则我听不到。如果律师能把音量调低一点，我的助听器就不会产生那么大的失真。”

首席治安法官保罗·戈德斯普林（Paul Goldspring）将格利特还押候审。他将于 9 月 2 日再次在中央刑事法院（Old Bailey）出庭。法官补充说，此次出庭是通过视频连线还是亲自到场“尚待确定”。

法官告诉格利特：“你面临的指控中包括一项仅能由刑事法院审理的罪行，这意味着只有王室法院（crown court）可以处理。另外三项指控由于原告为同一人而与之相关。”

“在这种情况下，所有四项指控均移交给王室法院。”

伦敦警察厅此前表示，相关指控于 9 1 月 9 日首次向警方报告，格利特于 2025 年 7 月 22 日接受了询问。

格利特曾是那个时代最顶尖的明星之一，在 20 世纪 70 年代初的五年内售出了 1800 万张唱片。

▲ 原名保罗·加德的加里·格利特通过视频连线出庭

---

西兰花究竟来自哪里？

介绍...

好奇厨房

从现在起至 8 月 30 日，HelloFresh 在自然历史博物馆举办的“好奇厨房”（The Curious Kitchen）体验活动邀请宾客探索食物的真实来源。这个免费的沉浸式家庭装置旨在准确回答孩子们一直以来提出的问题。参观者将步入一个以农场为灵感的世界，孩子们可以在这里收获食材，了解食物背后的故事，并聚集在互动餐桌旁，观看从田间到餐桌的旅程。

好消息是，人们对这些对话的渴望已经存在。超过四分之三的家长（78%）认同餐桌是讨论食物的最佳场所，且近一半的家长已经尝试与孩子在家里种植植物。“好奇厨房”只是为家庭提供空间和故事，以进一步激发这种好奇心。

对于全国的孩子来说，答案是：“它们不就是小树吗？”

HelloFresh 的一项新研究显示，五分之一的英国儿童认为水果和蔬菜就像变魔术一样直接出现在商店里。近五分之一的 6 至 8 岁儿童认为西兰花是一棵小树。该年龄段中四分之三的人不知道奇异果生长在植物上。至于鸡块？只有不到一半的人能正确地将其与动物联系起来。

虽然这些说法可能会让你微笑，但这项由 HelloFresh 委托的研究指出，食物与其来源之间的脱节程度比以往任何时候都要严重。而且不仅仅是孩子，近一半的家长（43%）承认他们很难向孩子解释某种食物来自哪里。意面、西兰花和酸奶位列最难讨论的话题之首。

今年夏天，HelloFresh 正采取行动，并邀请家庭一同开启这段旅程。

为什么值得一访

凭博物馆门票可免费参观，每日 10am 至 5:50pm 开放（最后入场时间 5:30pm）

该展区完全无障碍，方便轮椅和婴儿车通行，并提供音频解说、象形图标识且无时间压力

这是暑假出行的完美选择

所以这个夏天，请远离屏幕，带家人去一个能激发他们好奇心，并让他们发现盘中的食物究竟来自哪里的地方。西兰花并不是一棵小树。但很有可能在参观完“好奇厨房” (The Curious Kitchen) 后，你的孩子们会准确记得它是什么。

“好奇厨房”在伦敦 Cromwell Road 的自然历史博物馆展出，直到 2028 年 8 月 30 日。凭博物馆门票免费参观。

HELLO FRESH

使用 HELLOG265020 将好奇心带到你的餐桌，首盒可享 50% 折扣，并可获得 2 个月的免费赠品

---

National

19

Making a splash

鲸鱼、船只与刻骨艺术讲述焕新后的海事博物馆中的赫尔故事

Catherine Slessor

赫尔（Hull）翻新且焕发活力的海事博物馆中最引人注目的展品是一具长达12米（40英尺）的北大西洋露脊鲸巨型骨架，它在一百多年前搁浅。这头巨兽的遗骸占据了一个几乎难以容纳其庞大身躯的展览空间。孩子们可以像年幼的约拿（Ionahs）一样爬进它的肋骨笼中，然后出现在一个透明塑料圆顶里，而天花板上则缓缓展开游泳鲸鱼的数字化图像。

北大西洋露脊鲸性格温顺、行动缓慢且皮下脂肪极厚——这意味着被鱼叉击中的尸体能方便地漂浮，并能提供大量宝贵的油脂——在捕鲸 era. 期间，它们几乎被猎杀至灭绝。据估计，如今仅存不到400头。

在鲸类规模的另一端，是一件精雕细琢、可置于掌心的鲸鱼雕刻品，上面点缀着可用作牙签的微型鱼叉。它是该博物馆世界级刻骨艺术（scrimshaw）收藏的一部分，这是一种在象牙或骨头碎片上进行极其繁琐雕刻的民间艺术。

船员们会在漫长的闲暇时光里进行“scrimshandering”（刻骨消遣），在鲸鱼牙齿和海象牙上刻上船只和爱国主义的不列颠尼亚（Britannias）图像，或是旅途中的场景以及挚爱的肖像。

赫尔的地理位置确保了其历史是一部海事史。它位于赫尔河与亨伯河口（Humber estuary）的交汇处，先后通过贸易、捕鲸和捕鱼而繁荣。近期，通过在市内的亚历山大码头（Alexandra Dock）为离岸阵列生产风力涡轮机叶片，它与海洋的历史关系得到了更新。而赫尔和亨伯河口依然是英国最繁忙的港口综合体之一。

尽管如此，这座城市依然给人一种孤立无援的感觉——而且曾经历过更好的时光。赫尔市中心布满了空置的店铺，其码头区在第二次世界大战期间遭受重创，尽管现在有了拥挤的游艇码头和高端仓库改造项目，但部分地区依然显得残缺不全。

▲ 博物馆包括面向儿童和家庭的展区

诗人菲利普·拉金（Philip Larkin）是赫尔最著名的养子，曾任该市大学的首席图书馆员，他写道：“一座大城镇的惊喜……只有推销员和亲戚才会光顾，在一条终结且带有鱼腥味的、船只沿街而立的田园风光中”。拉金与赫尔的关系复杂，但一座于2010, 年建立的他的雕像，现在在市内的帕贡车站（Paragon Station）迎接游客。

当现在容纳博物馆的码头办公室（Dock Offices）在1871, 年首次开放时，赫尔的天际线中船桅比教堂尖顶更多，船只挤在密集的码头网络中。码头办公室坐落在俯瞰现已填平的皇后码头（Queen's Dock）的显要位置，散发出一种傲慢的、维多利亚时代的商业浮夸之气。

该建筑由克里斯托弗·雷（Christopher Wray）设计，其职业生涯曾包括在加尔各答的公共工程部门任职，建筑采用了华丽且浓郁的新古典主义风格，并点缀着海神般的细节，如海怪、渔网和三叉戟状的栏杆。一个不寻常的三角形平面在三个角上冠以厚实的胡椒瓶状圆顶。

该建筑现被列为II*级保护建筑，于1975. 年被改造为该市的海事博物馆。然而，随着时间的推移，当时被称为赫尔博物馆（Museum of Hull）的机构变得陈旧，亟需重启。其四层楼中只有两层对公众开放，主展览空间的墙壁被刷成闪亮的灰色和刺眼的 Germolene 粉红色。负责改造工作的保护专家 Purcell 公司的资深建筑师克莱尔·汉弗莱（Claire Humphrey）表示：“你无法将整个房间视为一个整体空间，因为这里有一个巨大的

▲ 博物馆的一件爱国主义刻骨艺术品（下方）；其帆船时代展厅（中间）；以及法庭（底部） 摄影：HUTTON-CROW

“中间有一个坡道通向夹层。”

该坡道已被移除，配色方案也调整为更符合历史真实性且视觉上更悦目的色调：在冰白色天花板的映衬下，点缀着淡雅的海蓝色。

这项耗资 2040 万英镑m 的项目紧随赫尔在 2017. 成功担任文化之都之后。资金由赫尔市议会 (1180 万英镑m) 和国家彩票遗产基金 (770 万英镑m) 共同提供，并辅以私人捐款。此次重启使博物馆的公共空间增加了一倍，并能展示其庞大馆藏中多出 50% 的展品。目前，约 1,300 件文物在各展厅和开放式存储空间中展出，其中许多是公众首次见到。

新的展示系统让赫尔丰富的海洋资源更加生动地呈现，从码头工人的工具、一只填充的北极熊，到因纽特人的靴子，以及所谓的“美人鱼”（实际上是一个由猴子和鱼融合而成的相当丑陋的奇美拉）。

一组细节精准的模型船队展示了从帆船到蒸汽船的转变，这一进步极大地推动了航运业和渔业的发展。博物馆最珍贵的文物之一是来自 Sirius 号的奔跑之犬木雕船首像，Sirius 号是 1838 年首艘依靠蒸汽动力完成跨大西洋航行的蒸汽船。

其他区域探讨了流经赫尔的丰富移民潮流，这里恰好处于旧世界与新世界之间。你还可以了解到莉莉安·比洛卡（Lillian Bilocca），这位“头巾革命者”在 20 世纪 60 年代为改善渔船安全性进行了坚决的斗争。

在赫尔 150 年的商业拖网渔业历史中，有超过 6,000 名船员丧生，如今他们在博物馆简单而庄重的纪念空间中获得纪念。然而，尽管比洛卡的成功无疑挽救了许多生命，但她却遭到了排挤和列入黑名单。

对赫尔 800 年海洋历史的深入探索并未在博物馆结束。改造后的建筑构成了一个更广泛环线的组成部分，其中包括由现代主义建筑师弗雷德里克·吉伯德（Frederick Gibberd）最初设计的重新景观化的女王花园（Queen's Gardens），以及一个为 Arctic Corsair 提供服务的新游客中心，这艘历史悠久的拖网渔船将永久停泊在北端造船厂内一个巨大的干船坞中。

中心周围的城市环境改善为游客体验铺平了道路，整个开发项目预示着一种不同公民未来的可能性。

---

12

国家

▼ Alexandra Burke 在《I'm Every Woman》中匹配了 Chaka Khan 的能量，但在嗓音力量上稍逊一筹 PHOTOGRAPH: DANNY KAHN

三项中年健康因素可将痴呆症推迟 13 年

Andrew Gregory 健康编辑

科学家声称，他们已经确定了中年时期的三项健康指标，这些指标与痴呆症被推迟十年以上相关。

一项研究发现，在 45 至 65 岁之间拥有正常的血压、没有 2 型糖尿病且不吸烟，平均可增加近 13 年无痴呆症的生活年限。

美国的研究人员分析了“社区动脉粥样硬化风险”研究的数据，该研究始于 20 世纪 80 年代中期，并在随后的数十年中对美国人进行了追踪，测量中年时期的血管风险因素和痴呆症情况。

在一次新的分析中，研究人员观察了 12,409 名平均年龄为 56 岁且没有痴呆症的人员。参与者接受了这三项风险因素的评估，随后被平均追踪了 26 年。

纽约大学 Langone Health 的研究人员发现，在此期间，有 3,008 人患上了痴呆症，5,238 人在未患该病的情况下去世。

没有这三项风险因素的人，其无痴呆症的生活年限比同时拥有这三项因素的人长了近 13 年。

研究发现，在研究开始时没有糖尿病、没有高血压且不吸烟的人，平均多生活了 30.1 年无痴呆症年限。

与此同时，拥有一项风险因素的人多出 26.3 年，拥有两项的人多出 21 年，而拥有三项的人则仅多出 17 年多一点的无病年限。

无论人们拥有多少项风险因素，女性无痴呆症的生存时间都比男性长，白人的无痴呆症年限则比黑人多。

这些研究结果发表在医学期刊《神经病学》（Neurology）上。

首席研究员、纽约大学 Langone 最佳老龄化研究所所长 Josef Coresh 博士表示：“我们的研究结果表明，人们需要在中年时期积极避免这些因素，将其作为保护大脑健康十年以上的策略。”

“希望这些结果能鼓励人们从 45 岁起停止吸烟并密切关注自己的血管健康。”

据预测，到 2050 年，全球患有痴呆症的人数将增加近三倍，达到 1.53 亿。但之前的研究表明，即使在人们寿命延长的情况下，处理 14 项可改变的风险因素也可以预防或推迟 45% 的病例。

纽约大学 Langone 的研究人员表示，这三项因素“通常出现在中年”并“对神经退行性病理产生持久影响”，强调了早期识别和管理的重要性。

未参与该研究的英国阿尔茨海默病研究基金会研究资助负责人 Jacqui Hanley 博士表示：“这些发现强调了为什么照顾好心脏健康与照顾好大脑健康同样重要。”

她表示，每个人都应该采取实际措施，包括保持身体活跃、不吸烟以及管理高血压和糖尿病等疾病。“虽然没有保证能预防痴呆症的方法，但包括本研究在内的研究表明，处理导致心血管健康状况不佳的风险因素可能也有助于降低认知能力下降和痴呆症的风险。”

舞台剧评论：放克女王的史诗故事缺乏 X 因素

《我是每个女人：查卡·汗音乐剧》(I'm Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical) Troubadour Wembley Park 伦敦剧院 ★★★★☆

Ammar Kalia

在灵魂乐天后的殿堂中，查卡·汗无疑是最强悍的人物之一。她拥有极具穿透力的多八度音域，赢得了艾瑞莎·富兰克林和迈尔斯·戴维斯的赞誉，同时她有着波折的个人生活，并曾与弗雷德·汉普顿一起在黑豹党任职。

长期以来，汗的故事一直被认为非常适合通过音乐剧来永恒化。

《我是每个女人》由 X Factor 冠军亚历山德拉·伯克饰演主角。演出时长接近三小时，是一项由两个不均衡部分组成的庞大工程。

前半部分快速地回顾了她非凡的少女时代和青年时期。汗的父亲因药物问题离开家庭，她加入了芝加哥当地的黑豹党分部，坠入爱河，决定成为一名歌手，并目睹了汉普顿被谋杀——这一切在短短几分钟内全部发生。为了防止快节奏无法吸引观众的注意力，剧中还穿插了名人模仿表演。

伯克在饰演汗时展现出一种充满活力的青春感，但在唱功方面则面临一项艰巨的任务。在演唱《Ain't Nobody》和《Tell Me Something Good》等热门歌曲时，她做出了勇敢的尝试，但缺乏复制汗之力量的共鸣感。这一点在慢歌《Through the Fire》中表现得最为明显，该曲使用了三名歌手来复制汗的表演，但仍然无法达到她那种跳跃音阶的灵活性。

当进入下半场，汗在 20 世纪 80 年代成为放克女王时，演出的节奏和音乐完全失去了掌控。

《I Feel for You》是一个喧闹的中场休息后开场曲，但接下来的一个小时则显得漫无目的。当剧情进展到她与在康复中心治疗的女儿进行一次焦虑的情感团聚时，那种悲悯之情未能触动人心。相反，它变成了一部服务于较为稀疏音乐的音乐剧，而非一个令人震惊的故事。

演出至 9 月 27 日止

节省 £288

无限流量数据套餐

此外，可在 49 个欧洲目的地使用数据，含 12GB 漫游流量

£22

每月

涨至：

27 年 4 月 1 日起每月 £24.30

28 年 4 月 1 日起每月 £26.60

24 个月合约计划

优惠于 02.09.26 结束

扫描以切换套餐， 前往门店，或立即致电 0800 033 8053。

Three Value Plan：无限流量数据（最高速度 100 Mbps）。（在英国境内通话分钟数和短信数（至标准手机和固定电话）。节省 £288：在 24.06 - 22.07 期间每月 Visa C34。每月话费包含通过定期支付方式支付可享受的每月 £5 折扣。如果取消定期支付方式，折扣将停止，您的每月费用将增加 £5。包含欧洲 Go Pharm；在 49 个欧洲目的地使用您套餐内的额度，每月公平使用政策为 12GB。需经过信用检查并遵守条款，详见 three.co.uk / terms。

---

新闻

17

SpaceX火箭部件被认为已撞击月球

Oliver Holmes

一个重达四吨的 SpaceX 废弃火箭部件自去年起一直在太空中漂浮，现被认为在无意中高速撞击了月球。这次碰撞对地球不构成危险，但预计将炸出一个新的月球陨石坑。

该物体是 SpaceX Falcon 9 火箭的一部分，该火箭曾在 2025 年 1 月将两个商业月球着陆器（一个来自美国，一个来自日本）发射向月球。

火箭主体预计于昨天上午约 6.35 点撞击月球，以 5,400 英里 / 小时的速度撞击其表面。据预测，这次撞击将激起一个

英里长的月球尘埃羽流，即使在阳光照射下，从地球上用肉眼也很难发现。

使用高质量望远镜和摄像机的专业及业余天文学家无法在昨天确认撞击情况，这可能是因为撞击地点靠近月球的可见边缘。

美国和韩国的月球卫星计划在撞击后对该地点进行成像，但接收到这些信息可能需要数天时间。

美国国家航空航天局（Nasa）表示，预计这次撞击将创造一个宽约 18 米（60 英尺）、深 4 米的陨石坑，并将尘埃和岩石作为喷出物向外抛射。该航天机构表示，将寻找拍摄该地点的机会，任何收集到的数据都将帮助科学家“更好地理解人工撞击及其在探索方面的意义”。

Nasa 发言人 Jimi Russell 周二表示：“这次撞击对地球不构成危险，Nasa 科学家计划收集此次事件的月球数据，并完善追踪太空物体的技术。”

这类被称为“级”的火箭部件，通常在将火箭载荷推送到轨道上的精确位置后，会重新进入地球大气层并烧毁，或坠入海洋。

但由于 2025 年 1 月的月球着陆器任务比靠近地球的任务需要更大的推力，火箭的第二级留在太空中，在数千件其他太空垃圾中漂浮，活跃的卫星必须避开这些垃圾。

来源：USGS

直到今年，天文学家才确定该火箭级（其剩余燃料已排空且无法控制）正处于一个前往月球的轨道轨迹上。

SpaceX 的 Nasa 科学和 Dragon 航天器项目负责人 Julianna Scheiman 周一告诉记者：“发生的情况基本上是太阳活动和引力共同作用，使其进入了通往月球的路径。”

虽然数以万计的太空垃圾正日益拥挤在地球轨道上，但撞击月球的情况相对罕见。

在 20 世纪的太空竞赛期间，多艘美国和苏联的航天器有意或无意地撞击了月球。最近，一个中国火箭级在完成一次月球测试任务后，于 2022 年 3 月撞击月球。2009 年，Nasa 有意将一个火箭级撞击月球，以研究激起的月球物质羽流。

近年来，几艘计划在月球上软着陆的航天器反而发生了坠毁，包括 2023 年的俄罗斯 Luna-25 任务和 2019 年的印度 Chandrayaan-2 着陆器任务。

以色列的 Beresheet 着陆器也在 2019. 年坠毁。在该以色列着陆器的载荷中，有微小的水熊虫，这种微小动物以能在辐射和其他恶劣环境中生存而闻名，它们可能仍留在月球表面。

Scheiman 表示，Nasa 和 SpaceX 正在讨论防止未来月球撞击的方法。

太阳表面的微小涡流为古老之谜提供新线索

Ian Sample 科学编辑

在迄今为止捕捉到的最详细的恒星湍流表面图像中，太阳上出现了金色的条带和旋转的涡流。

天文学家使用位于夏威夷的伊诺上太阳望远镜（Inouye solar telescope）观察太阳。该望远镜是同类设备中全球最强大的，他们在太阳黑点附近的一个磁活跃区域发现了直径小于12英里的新特征。

这些图像显示了表面的过程，这很可能解释了为什么日冕（太阳的外层大气）比其表面温度高出数百万度之谜。

“这些是迄今为止获取的太阳表面最高空间分辨率图像，”美国国家太阳天文台的高级科学家 Friedrich Woger 博士说道。该天文台在茂宜岛哈雷阿卡拉火山峰附近运行这台望远镜。

此前使用该望远镜的观察发现，太阳表面是由颗粒状结构组成的补丁，每个结构大约与法国一样大。那些图像捕捉到了小至18英里的细节，但最新的图像已经达到了该望远镜能力的极限。

团队天文学家 David Kuridze 博士表示：“我的第一反应是：哇，我们怎么能在太阳上看到如此微小、精细的结构？这是我们在任何太阳观测中从未见过的。”

在最新的图像中，太阳表面的这些微小、类似漩涡的结构被认定为

▲ 伊诺上太阳望远镜观测到的表面；下方为 2020, 年最清晰的图像 照片：NIST / NGO / AGRA / NIPS

科学家称之为开尔文-亥姆霍兹不稳定性（KHIs）的特征。当高速移动的等离子体滑过较慢移动的流体时，会在界面产生剪切力，从而形成这种不稳定性。这在太阳等离子体中引发微小扰动，进而生长为螺旋状涡流。

科学家曾在湖泊、海洋、地球的云层以及木星和土星的大气中见过 KHIs，但此前从未确认过它们在太阳上的存在。研究细节发表在《自然》（Nature）杂志上。

太阳上的爆炸性事件——从太阳耀斑、喷射到日冕物质抛射——是由恒星中极端的、波动的磁场驱动的。这些爆炸可能会在地球上造成广泛干扰，导致电网、卫星、GPS 定位和全球通信瘫痪。

磁场是由太阳中发热的带电等离子体运动产生的，但其物理机制尚未被完全理解。天文学家知道磁场线可以像编发一样相互缠绕，产生张力，当缠结的线断裂时，张力会突然释放。但目前尚不清楚是什么启动了这一过程。而旋转的涡流现在成了一个关键的诱因，解释了磁场线最初为何会发生编结，以及为什么太阳日冕被加热到数百万度，而表面仅为 6,000℃。

“这可能会解决过去半个世纪太阳物理学和天体物理学最大的谜团，”Kuridze 说道。“当系统中出现这种不稳定性时，能量很容易级联到更小的尺度。在某个时间点，它就直接以热的形式消散。这可能会产生高温日冕，即太阳及类似恒星的高温外层大气。”

---

你从未听过但最火的歌曲 为什么如此少的人认出排行榜冠军

你听过英国最火的歌曲吗？萨姆·芬德（Sam Fender）和奥利维亚·迪恩（Olivia Dean）的《Rein Me In》本周在榜首停留了19周，成为英国排行榜历史上停留时间最长的 No 1 单曲。英国唱片工业协会表示，这首歌以“如此深刻的方式”引起了听众的共鸣，而芬德则将其称为一个“巨无霸”。

然而，这一纪录在网上引发了人们的困惑，许多人声称他们并不认识这首歌。一名X用户写道：“太疯狂了，单一文化不再存在，因为我觉得我实际上从未听过这首歌。”

这再次引发了一场更广泛的争论，即英国的音乐排行榜是否仍然反映了一种共同的国家文化。一首歌如何在近五个月的时间里统治排行榜，并在布里特奖（Brits）上赢得年度歌曲，却让很大一部分公众觉得它与自己无关？只有在披头士乐队获得 No 1 时住在山洞里的人才可能没听过它。

行业专家认为，答案在于，统治力不再意味着无处不在。“在《流行之巅》（Top of the Pops）、Radio 1和《Smash Hits》的时代，每周的排行榜是一次共同的文化事件，”南安普顿索伦特大学文化经济学副教授克里斯·安德顿（Chris Anderton）表示。他说，流媒体用无尽的选择和算法推荐取代了这一点，产生了作者伊莱·帕里泽（Eli Pariser）所称的“过滤气泡”——听众被反复推送与之前选择相似的音乐。安德顿说，这与将社交媒体用户与相反观点隔离开来的机制相同。

最长 No 1 的纪录此前由弗兰基·莱恩（Frankie Laine）保持，他的《I Believe》在1953, 占据榜首18周，当时英国单曲排行榜成立还不到一年，且包含12首歌。包括布莱恩·亚当斯（Bryan Adams）的《(Everything I Do) I Do It For You》、Wet Wet Wet的《Love Is All Around》、德雷克（Drake）的《One Dance》以及艾德·希兰（Ed Sheeran）的《Shape of You》在内的近期竞争者均未能超越。

《Rein Me In》最初由芬德为其专辑《People Watching》创作，随后被重新录制成二重唱并于2025. 6月发行。它花了36周才达到 No 1, 并且自2月以来断断续续地占据榜首。它还突破了官方排行榜公司在2017 引入的“加速衰减”规则，该规则旨在专门防止流媒体热门歌曲无限期地滞留在榜单上。

No 1 的运作机制也发生了变化。排行榜位置曾经意味着实体销量；而今天，它将销量与来自Spotify、Apple Music和YouTube的流媒体等效值相结合——目前

《权力的游戏》作者公开谈论抑郁症与书籍延期

Emma Loffhagen

在读者等待其热门奇幻系列延期的第六部作品之际，乔治·RR·马丁谈到了他在一个“压力巨大”的一年中所经历的抑郁症。

这位美国作者的《冰与火之歌》系列小说塑造并启发了HBO的剧集《权力的游戏》，他在近六个月来的第一篇个人博客文章中写到了他的困境。

“今年……至少可以说压力很大，”他在一篇名为《迟到总比不到好》的文章中写道。“发生了太多事情，让人不堪重负。有些是伟大的、令人兴奋的事情……但也有噩梦。我失去了朋友。与悲伤和抑郁作斗争。”

他解释说，最近其网站上的文章是由他的助手撰写的，因为尽管有他们的帮助，他仍然继续“落后得越来越远”。

下个月将年满 78 岁的马丁反思了衰老；他写道：“变老没什么好玩的”，“我想这就是生活。当然，我早就知道这一点。”

在亮点方面，马丁提到，基于其《邓肯与蛋》中篇小说的《权力的游戏》前传《七国之骑士》获得了九项艾美奖提名，其中包括优秀剧集奖。

他的这些评论发表之际，关于《冰与火之歌》第六部且为倒数第二部小说《冬之风》的猜测仍在继续，该书自 2011 年起一直在创作中。

“今年……至少可以说压力很大。发生了太多事情”

乔治·RR·马丁 作者

马丁因延期而面临读者的批评，他将这本书称为“我生命中的诅咒”。电视剧最终超过了原著，后几季采用了独立的叙事。

今年 1 月，马丁表示他已经完成了《冬之风》约 1,100 页的手稿。他说，如果不能完成这个系列，会感觉像是一个“彻底的失败”，并补充道：“我已经很清楚《冬之风》是优先事项，但……有时我没有那种心情。”

心理健康慈善机构 Mind 的联系电话为 0300 123 3393，Childline 的联系电话为 0800 1111

---

由

taste DIFFERENCE

令人垂涎的

食谱， 专为您 打造

仅在 应用程序上

获取世界级厨师提供的应用程序专属美味食谱——仅在 Feast 应用程序上。

下载 Feast 应用程序

可在 Google Play 获取

在 14 天免费试用后，将自动转为全价年度或月度订阅。 可在续费日期前随时取消。完整条款详见 guardian.com / feast / techs

卫报

---

国家

21

超过 1,000 人因“残酷且随意”的起诉而被判定非法抵达英国

Diane Taylor

根据信息自由公开数据，自 2022 年以来，包括酷刑和人口贩卖幸存者在内的 1,000 多人被判定非法抵达英国。

内政部于 2022 年引入了非法抵达罪，旨在威慑那些计划通过小船或货车等其他非正规手段进入英国的人。

该决定在当时受到广泛谴责，因为难民公约规定，寻求庇护者不应因其旅行方式而被刑事化，因为他们通常无法合法地从一个不安全的国家迁移到一个安全的国家。

犯罪学家、曼彻斯特大学研究员 Victoria Taylor 博士从内政部获得的信息自由公开（FoI）数据显示，在 2022 年 7 月至 2026 年 1 月期间，共有 1,109 人因非法抵达而被起诉。

数据显示，其中 628 人乘坐小船抵达，而其中 296 人被监控无人机拍摄到正在驾驶充气艇。其他人此前在英国有移民记录。

仅有 12 人因驾驶抵达时乘坐的充气艇而被判定犯有独立的“协助”罪。对于内政部和皇家检控署而言，要获得证据证明充气艇上的人参与组织穿越英吉利海峡的旅程，比起诉他们非法抵达要困难得多。人们被认定为“手握舵柄”的原因很多，包括拥有航海经验、以驾驶换取折扣票价、轮流驾驶或在胁迫之下。

在其中一起非法抵达案件中，内政部就一名来自南苏丹的人口贩卖幸存者的司法复核达成和解，该幸存者在枪口威胁下被强迫驾驶小船。官员们现已同意确保在这些案件中为人口贩卖受害者提供更好的保护。

代表其出庭的 Deighton Pierce Glynn 合伙人 Emily Soothill 表示：“不幸的是，从我们客户的案例中可以清楚地看到，潜在的人口贩卖受害者经常被判定非法抵达并被监禁数月。在我们客户案例中所做的让步，凸显了需要稳健且一致地应用英国的现代奴役框架，以防止人口贩卖幸存者被错误地视为罪犯。”

在被判定犯有各种罪行的人中，有些人是酷刑和人口贩卖的幸存者，其中至少有 30 名年龄有争议的儿童，其中 19 人曾在成人监狱服刑。

Captain Support UK 组织曾与数百名因非法抵达案件而被监禁的人员合作，所有这些人在被捕前几小时都向英国申请了庇护。

628

根据信息自由公开获得的数据，乘坐小船抵达而被定罪的人数

一名发言人表示：“我们亲眼看到了这些起诉给人们及其家庭带来的负面影响。我们紧急呼吁政府停止监禁在迁移途中的人们。任何人不应因寻求安全和更好的生活而被投入监狱。”

Taylor 表示：“选择谁被起诉的过程是随意且残酷的。”

她补充说，自 2022 年以来因非法抵达而被监禁的人中，绝大多数已申请庇护，且许多人在获释后被授予庇护，或被认定为人口贩卖受害者，或两者兼而有之。

Taylor 表示：“关于这些起诉与难民公约的兼容性存在严重疑问，该公约的起草旨在防止国家因难民寻求安全的方式而对其进行惩罚。没有证据支持政府关于这些起诉将‘威慑’人们尝试穿越英吉利海峡的说法。”

内政部已收到置评请求。

小船跨境：策略是否开始见效？

Diane Taylor

头条数据显示，从1月到7月中旬，穿越英吉利海峡的小船数量较去年同期下降了43%——从21,690艘降至12,469艘。

然而，自从安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）于7月20日上台以来，该时间段的数量较去年同期略有增加。2025年7月20日至8月2日期间，有1,962人乘坐小船跨境。而今年同期，人数已超过2,000人。

周日，伯纳姆访问了多佛尔的联合指挥室，那里利用无人机追踪穿越英吉利海峡的小船动向。他表示，政府在阻止小船方面将是“不懈的”，并将“重新夺回控制权”。

部长们是否终于解决了困扰历任首相近十年的政治难题？伯纳姆的承诺能否兑现？

近43%的降幅是否意味着非法进入英国的人数几乎减半？

毫无疑问，政府“阻止小船”的举措扰乱了法国北部偷渡者的商业模式。但这些举措绝没有将其摧毁。在过去一周中，有超过1,000人抵达，因为偷渡者利用了良好的天气窗口：7月29日有9艘船载有752人，为今年单日最高人数；周六则有4艘船载有326人。

虽然寻求庇护的申请数量有所减少，但其降幅并不如小船抵达人数的降幅那样显著。在截至2026年3月的年度中，有93,525人申请庇护，较前一年减少了12%。在这些人中，42%（38,980人）是通过小船抵达的，其余的人则持有签证已在英国境内，或通过货车或集装箱抵达。

偷渡者的商业模式已经演变。船只的出发点在沿海地区分布得更广，一些现在从比利时出发，另一些则远至南部的迪耶普（Dieppe），前往英国的航程为70英里，而加来至多佛尔的航线仅为27英里。法国官员告诉卫报，今年他们记录到了9艘载有100多人以上的巨型充气艇。

对于希望在抵达英国后申请庇护的人，偷渡者提供了价格更昂贵的货车路线。寻求庇护者表示，目前充气艇的一个名额价格为€1,000（€852）或更低，而货车路线的价格则在€4,000至€5,000之间。

这些措施是否震慑了寻求庇护者尝试前往英国？

根据法国北部的慈善机构——包括Care4Calais、Project Play、Utopia 56和Calais Food Collective——仍有大量寻求庇护者在等待穿越英吉利海峡。

英国政府已同意向法国再支付6.6亿欧元，以遏制穿越英吉利海峡的寻求庇护者数量，其中包括资助一支暴动控制小队，以“遏制并驱散”试图乘坐小船的人员。

法国警方的执法以及“一进一出计划”——即部分乘坐小船抵达英国的寻求庇护者被强制遣返回法国，而相应数量的人则从法国北部合法地被带到英国——似乎也没有显著震慑寻求庇护者尝试抵达英国。

国际移民组织总干事艾米·波普（Amy Pope）表示，当寻求庇护者在经历了漫长而艰辛的旅程（有时需要穿越撒哈拉沙漠，并在利比亚遭受奴役和酷刑）到达法国北部时，已经太晚无法让他们回头了。

许多成功穿越英吉利海峡的寻求庇护者在英国有亲属关系或会说英语。一些人表示，由于受到偷渡者的威胁，他们觉得英国比法国更安全。

一名两次跨越英吉利海峡的叙利亚寻求庇护者表示，两次在他脑海中出现的想法都是：“要么过来，要么死。”

为什么在根据“一进一出”协议被遣返回法国后，仍有如此多寻求庇护者返回英国？

参与“一进一出”计划的寻求庇护者估计，有多达 200 人返回了英国。内政部消息人士称，返回的人数较少。

据信，有些人通过货车返回英国，并在内政部不知情的情况下隐秘生活。一些人表示，如果且当据报道的“一进一出”计划在 10 月结束时，他们计划向内政部投案。

在庇护申请被拒绝后返回英国的原因包括法国缺乏支持和生活条件恶劣。

其他人则表示，由于第一次跨海时欠下的钱，他们在法国北部遭到了走私者的袭击。

一名寻求庇护者表示，他计划返回英国，因为法国拒绝了他的庇护申请，并计划将其遣返回原籍国。

“我的政府因为我反对他们的政治活动而通缉我，”他说。“他们会将我投入监狱并在那里杀死我。我知道如果我回到英国……我会被关起来 [但] 我能活下来。”

新任首相是否会加强措施以阻止小船跨境？

伯纳姆呼应了内政大臣沙巴娜·马哈茂德关于建立安全路线的必要性。

随着反对党在小船问题上增加压力，伯纳姆是否会相应地加强措辞和政府行动仍有待观察。

---

22

这场“吠叫”演出略显粗糙

《神探狗狗》音乐剧 (Dog Man: The Musical) 伦敦南岸中心 ★★★★☆

蒂姆·琼斯 (Tim Jonze)

或许，如果你没有在读小学的孩子，你可能会在幸福的无知中完全不知道《神探狗狗》。这是戴夫·皮尔基 (Dav Pilkey) 的系列图形小说，讲述了一名警察在遭受严重创伤后，将狗的头缝在了自己的身体上，从而创造了一个打击犯罪的犬人混血儿。但如果你已被这一现象所席卷——而《神探狗狗》确实是一个现象，自第一本书出版以来的十年里销量已超过 7000 万册——你就会知道这必然拥有强大的明星号召力：

它有电影、电子游戏、棋盘游戏……现在又有了音乐剧，在百老汇外剧场取得成功后抵达英国。

《神探狗狗》系列书籍混乱、幽默且充满感伤，但编剧兼作词人凯文·德尔·阿吉拉 (Kevin Del Aguila) 和作曲家布拉德·亚历山大 (Brad Alexander) 的这部剧主要倾向于前者。剧中充满了闹剧式的幽默和关于嗅屁股的笑话。当被问到今天过得如何时，神探狗狗回答道：“汪 (Ruff)！”这部剧面向皮尔基读者群中的低龄层，但令人困惑的是，剧中还出现了对狄更斯的引用。

剧情基于该 14 部系列中早期的几本书，实际上是一出“剧中剧”：乔治和哈罗德（《神探狗狗》漫画的虚构作者）上演了一场音乐剧，以向他们的老师证明这有多简单。因为他们是用橱柜里能找到的任何东西拼凑而成的，所以蒂莫西·麦卡比 (Timothy Mackabee) 的

▼ 蒂莫西·麦卡比的舞美设计带有迷人的 DIY 风格，摩天大楼是由纸板和强力胶带制成的 摄影：马克·西尼尔 (MARK SENIOR)

舞美设计带有迷人的 DIY 风格——摩天大楼是由纸板和强力胶带制成的，角色在毛绒玩具 / 手套偶 / 人类演员形式之间变换。

我们的英雄猎犬（雷南·特奥多罗 Renan Teodoro 饰）与反派猫咪皮蒂 (Petey, 萨姆·基普林 Sam Kipling 饰) 以及通过食用“大脑粉末”获得超能力的心理动力蝴蝶鱼弗利皮 (Flippy, 瓦妮莎·杜马蒂 Vanessa Dumatey 饰) 对抗。但剧情有个反转。为了实现邪恶目标，皮蒂克隆了自己，期待出现一个同样扭曲的复制品——结果他误创建了小皮蒂 (Li'l Petey, 丽贝卡-乔·罗伯茨 Rebecca-Jo Roberts 饰)，

一个超级可爱且天真的孩子，坚持称呼皮蒂为“爸爸”（随即引发大量“我不是你爸爸！”的对白）。

小皮蒂是书籍的情感核心，毫无疑问，父母们会对突然在生活中出现一个令人恼火且不听指令的“迷你我”产生共鸣。但当充满活力的演员们像喝了三品脱彩虹糖的 CBeebies 主持人一样在舞台上跳舞、唱歌和吠叫时，这些更动人的时刻在由珍·温曼 (Jen Wineman) 导演并编舞的制作中被掩盖了。此外，看到人类扮演这些角色也有一种轻微的脱节感——孩子们看到皮尔基那些可爱的角色带着巨大的毛茸茸头部活灵活现，难道不会比看到一个戴着橙色无边帽的家伙更兴奋吗？

将图形小说转化为音乐剧向来很困难。在某个时刻，由里卡多·门德斯 (Ricardo Mendes) 和彼得·拉弗里 (Peter Lavery) 饰演的乔治和哈罗德将一块板子搬上台，试图复制系列作品中的“动画”翻页画 (flip-o-ramas)。“这不像在漫画里那样起作用！”他们抱怨道。这是一个笑话，但或许音乐剧并不像乔治和哈罗德认为的那样容易实现。

演出至 8 月 16 日，随后将进行巡演直至 2027 年 6 月 13 日

所有必看与无需浪费时间的推荐

零售价最高可省 31%

订阅所有文化推荐，最高可减 31%。订阅《卫报》。

通过您的印刷版 + 数字版订阅，您可以： ☑ 六日套餐最高可省 31%，或周六单日套餐最高可省 12% ☑ 店内自提或送货上门 ☑ 享受无限数字访问 ☑ 支持独立新闻业 ☑ 随时暂停您的印刷版订阅

订阅时零售价最高可省 31% 扫描二维码或访问 theguardian.com / newspapersubscription

最高可省 31%

Beast

Beast

首日套餐最高可省 31%，或周六专属套餐最高可省 12% ☑ 选择店内取货或送货上门 ☑ 享受无限数字访问权限 ☑ 支持独立新闻业 ☑ 随时暂停您的印刷版订阅

卫报

所示节省金额为对比零售价的每月节省额。仅限 18 岁及以上英国居民新订阅者。每年最多可暂停 5 周的配送或取货。完整套餐详情、配送区域及参与门店请见我们的网站。订阅条款与条件适用，详见 theguardian.com / subscription / terms

---

20

世界

左翼人士在关键州密歇根州的民主党参议院初选中获胜

Rachel Leingang 和 Joseph Gedeon 底特律

阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德（Abdul El-Sayed）赢得了密歇根州美国参议院的民主党初选，成为在11月中期选举前获得该党提名的最新一名左翼候选人。

作为一名进步主义者，埃尔-赛义德击败了由党内建制派支持的温和派美国众议员海莉·史蒂文斯（Haley Stevens）。他现在将在代表这个中西部摇摆州进入参议院的竞选中面对共和党人迈克·罗杰斯（Mike Rogers）。

美联社在昨天宣布了竞选结果，就在史蒂文斯的竞选团队表示她已致电埃尔-赛义德承认失败后不久。

埃尔-赛义德以相对微弱的优势获胜，这表明摇摆州选民仍在就民主党的方向进行博弈。

密歇根州选民还让其他进步派候选人取得了胜利，在众议院席位竞选中提名了气候活动家威廉·劳伦斯（William Lawrence）和美国民主社会主义者成员多纳万·麦金尼（Donavan McKinney），两人均得到了伯尼·桑德斯（Bernie Sanders）的支持。

唐纳德·特朗普在 2016 和 2024, 赢得了密歇根州，不过乔·拜登在 2020. 赢得了该州。该州目前的两名参议员均为民主党人，保住该席位对于民主党今年夺回美国参议院的希望至关重要。密歇根州也是 2028 总统大选版图中的关键部分。

41, 岁的埃尔-赛义德曾是一名公共卫生官员，他的竞选重点是“全民医疗保险”的通用医疗模式，同时面对针对他的巨额外部支出，而这成为了此次竞选的另一个主题。

与此同时，史蒂文斯宣传了她在巴拉克·奥巴马的汽车救援

▲ 落败的海莉·史蒂文斯得到了党内建制派的支持

工作组中的工作，她在该工作组中担任幕僚长。

罗杰斯是该州的一名前国会议员，他也是 2024, 美国参议院的共和党提名人，当时他输给了参议员埃莉莎·斯洛特金（Elissa Slotkin）。

虽然埃尔-赛义德不是一名民主社会主义者，但他的竞选正值全国其他地区民主社会主义候选人赢得一系列胜利之际。他表示自己是一个“了解资本主义如何运作的资本主义者”，希望监管垄断。

“他们花费了前所未有的资金来击败我们，”埃尔-赛义德在昨天的新闻发布会上说道，指的是针对他的数千万加元竞选支出。“但事实证明，广告是电视节目中最让人们不想看的部分。”

“我们挑战了一台机器。你本不应该能够击败 $70 [5200 万英镑] 的外部支出，这是在任何竞选中，在针对一名民主党人的初选中花费的最高金额。你本不应该能击败它。而我们证明了，我们众人的力量大于他们的金钱力量。”

史蒂文斯得到了建制派民主党人的支持，包括参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默（Chuck Schumer），而埃尔-赛义德则得到了桑德斯等知名进步人士的背书。

在昨天的一份声明中，史蒂文斯表示：“我热爱密歇根州，并为能挺身而出服务而感到自豪。我刚才与阿卜杜勒进行了交谈，在我们将共同努力于今年11月击败迈克·罗杰斯之际，向他表达我的全力支持。”

直到今年夏天早些时候，这场初选还是由马洛里·麦克莫罗（Mallory McMorrow）参与的三方竞争，她是一名州参议员，最终退选。昨天早些时候，麦克莫罗将支持转向了埃尔-赛义德。“我很自豪能给阿卜杜尔我的全力背书和支持，因为我们将作为统一的政党共同走向11月，”她说。

特朗普庆祝了埃尔-赛义德的胜利，在他 Truth Social 平台的帖子中声称这对共和党人来说是“好消息”。这位总统随后称埃尔-赛义德是一个“仇视犹太人和以色列的共产主义失败者”，尽管这位民主党提名人经常谴责反犹主义。

“现在，民主党的疯狂政策只会变得更糟！”特朗普写道。

分析：埃尔-赛义德撼动了现状。他是该党未来的风向标

约瑟夫·格迪恩 (Joseph Gedeon) 瑞秋·莱宁冈 (Rachel Leingang)

在该州美国参议院民主党初选的最后冲刺阶段，阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德 (Abdul El-Sayed) 在密歇根州农村地区的一次活动中，挑战选民们思考他们在投票时能向全国其他地区传递什么样的信息。

“我们是谁？我们想成为谁？”埃尔-赛义德说。“我们是想要一个由企业投入多少资金来告诉我们不能拥有什么的州？还是想要成为一个向全国其他地区证明，当你建立一个由人民发起、由人民参与且为了人民的运动时，能够实现什么样的可能性的州？”

现在，埃尔-赛义德的愿景离现实又近了一步：他在初选中击败了温和派国会议员海莉·史蒂文斯 (Haley Stevens)，后者得到了党内建制派以及数千万加元外部资金的支持。

他的胜利可能会改变美国政治建制派看待摇摆州政治的方式——不再要求候选人从中间路线出发，而是阐明在工人阶级和中产阶级与生活成本作斗争之际，他们将如何切实改善人们的生活。

一场在关键战场州的激烈选举在等待着。埃尔-赛义德以 48.5% 对 47.5% 的得票率击败了史蒂文斯。这一微小的差距，加上一名已退选候选人获得的 60,000 多票，表明他必须统一党内意见，并赢得该摇摆州中独立选民和右倾选民的支持，才能击败共和党的迈克·罗杰斯 (Mike Rogers)。

但这场竞选巩固了该党左翼日益增长的反建制情绪，那里的活动人士和支持者寻求一种不依赖于唐纳德·特朗普之前现状的愿景，这在系列造反派候选人的胜利中显而易见。人们感觉到，在特朗普崛起之前，系统就已经崩溃了，而回归那些规范将无法帮助普通美国人。他们正在

---

冬日仙境 惠灵顿 15 年来 迎来首场降雪

革命精神 古巴的坚定信仰者 在停电中维持政党

寻找能够公开指责自己党内正统观念，并挑战困扰美国政治的大额资金的政治家。

密歇根州的选民在埃尔-赛义德身上找到了这样一个人，他的竞选重点是全民医疗保健

▲ 阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德在胜选确认后于底特律举行的新闻发布会上；下方为他在一次健身课上的场景，这是他在密歇根州举办的 500 场竞选活动之一 照片：JULIA DEMARIE NIKKINSON / 美联社

并且毫不避讳地将加沙战争称为种族灭绝。

“这不仅让我们不再局限于我们认为可能的事情，而且改变了我们对可能性的认知，”支持埃尔-赛义德的底特律选民大卫·塞尔尼克 (David Sernick) 表示。

埃尔-赛义德在 2018 年首次竞选公职，在民主党初选中输给了现任密歇根州州长格雷琴·惠特默 (Gretchen Whitmer)。这一次，他建立了一套基层机器，在全州巡回举行集会，同时为社交媒体动态制造可剪辑的瞬间。在他的竞选人员地毯式走访了 200,000 多个门扉并拨打了 100 万多次电话，期间得到了诸如工人家庭党 (Working Families party) 和“不可分割” (Indivisible) 运动分支等左翼团体的帮助。埃尔-赛义德举行了 500 多场竞选活动，访问了 150 间教堂。

在密歇根州迪尔伯恩为埃尔-赛义德投票的拉克尔·加西亚 (Racquel Garcia) 表示，他愿意现身参与的态度强化了她的投票决定。她说，埃尔-赛义德曾在底特律和韦恩县担任公共卫生官员，经常出现在许可听证会上代表民众。

“每次我们与底特律市政府官员会面时，我们都会说：‘我们需要你们像他那样，’”加西亚说。“你们在这里是为了保护我们，而不是保护工业。所以我们一直希望他能就职。我们很高兴他是真诚的。”

安迪·莱文（Andy Levin）曾是密歇根州的一名国会议员，在选区重新划分后于2022年败给史蒂文斯（Stevens）。他表示，这一结果表明选民拒绝了源于焦虑和恐惧政治的“僵化的当选观念”。莱文告诉《民主现在》（Democracy Now）：“他们想要真实性，他们想要真相，他们想要勇敢的政策，不仅是提案，更是行动，这样他们才能在生活中喘口气。这是一场美国人的运动，他们正在说：厌倦了这种照旧的政治。”

罗伊·哈里斯（Roy Harris）在底特律参加了投票，但未透露投票给谁，他表示现在是时候做出改变了。“首次购房者买不起房子——400,000美元，你第一次出去看房，没人买得起，”他说。“我厌倦了支付4美元的油费，我在寻求改变。我希望即将上任的新政权能为我们带来改变。”

在华盛顿，埃尔-赛义德（El-Sayed）在密歇根州参议院选举中获胜的努力，对于民主党夺回上议院控制权的雄心至关重要，并将被密切关注，作为该党未来的风向标。

密歇根州在总统选举中先后投票给特朗普，然后是乔·拜登，接着又是特朗普。它是一个坚定的摇摆州。如果埃尔-赛义德——一位经常提到自己有个“奇怪名字”的坦率进步主义者——能赢得全州范围的选举，这可能会影响2028年的总统竞选。如果他失败了，政治建制派和分析人士将称他及其观点过于极端，并将其作为采取稳健政治的警戒故事。

以色列袭击黎巴嫩南部

导致1人死亡 11人受伤

William Christou 贝鲁特

黎巴嫩卫生部表示，以色列昨日在黎巴嫩南部进行的一次空袭造成1人死亡，11人受伤。这是自6月停火以来，以色列最具破坏性的轰炸之一。

该部门表示，以色列在特赫米内镇（Tehmine）进行了空袭，击中了一处墓地，并补充说曼苏里镇（Mansouri）也遭到轰炸，迫使许多家庭逃离。

以色列军队在袭击前约30分钟发布了撤离令，称其正在摧毁该地区的真主党基础设施，以回应该组织“违反停火协议”的行为。

昨日，黎巴嫩南部发生一起原因不明的爆炸，导致2名以色列士兵死亡，7人受伤。近几周来，以色列士兵在黎巴嫩南部多次被真主党布置的陷阱车辆和地雷炸伤。

这是自6月停火以来，以色列首次发布撤离令。在最近一轮真主党与以色列的冲突期间，此类命令几乎每天都会发布。该轮冲突始于3月2日，导致黎巴嫩境内超过100 万人流离失所。

自6月停火以来，以色列占领了黎巴嫩的大片地区，将其作为所谓的安全区。以色列继续轰炸该区域的部分地区，并杀害靠近该区域的人员。

这与在加沙采取的方法类似，在加沙，以色列占领了该地带超过60%的区域，并将其称为

霍尔木兹海峡

伊朗与阿曼就航运路线“达成谅解”

伊朗外交部发言人埃斯梅尔·巴盖伊（Esmail Baghaei）昨日表示，伊朗与阿曼已就通过霍尔木兹海峡的航运路线地理坐标达成谅解，只要某些第三方不干预，一项联合公告即将敲定。

巴盖伊补充说，任何此类协议本身都不能保证这一战略水道的安全。

一名伊朗高级消息人士和两名地区官员告诉路透社，拟议的协议将使德黑兰能够控制通过海峡进入海湾的船只，这是迄今为止对伊朗最大的让步之一。

该协议似乎是与美国达成更广泛停火协议的敲门砖，届时将重新开放海峡的航运，并解除美国对伊朗港口的封锁，此前该封锁给全球能源市场带来了动荡。

如果获得美国认可，该协议将通过将水道的部分控制权交给德黑兰，标志着一次重大让步。在美以于2月发起联合袭击之前，霍尔木兹海峡曾是一条中立水道。安德鲁·罗斯（Andrew Roth）

---

“黄线”，并继续在那里进行轰炸。5月，以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）表示，他已命令以色列军队控制加沙地带的70%。

自10月在那里建立停火以来，加沙已有1,200多人被杀。在过去的一个周末，以色列在加沙地带的袭击造成至少26名巴勒斯坦人死亡。

以色列还继续对其在黎巴嫩占领的地区进行大规模拆除，包括上周在纳巴蒂耶（Nabatieh）市外的博福特城堡（Beaufort Castle）周边地区使用700吨炸药的一次爆炸。以色列表示其目标是真主党的基础设施，但包括人权观察（Human Rights Watch）在内的权利组织表示，炸药的无差别性质可能构成肆意破坏的战争罪。

黎巴嫩政府与以色列之间旨在实现更持久和平的谈判仍在继续，双方在罗马举行会晤。黎巴嫩政府寻求以色列从黎巴嫩撤军，而以色列则要求真主党解除武装。此次会晤是双方的第七轮会谈，谈判可能会集中在黎巴嫩南部的阿里·塔赫尔（Ali Taher）地区，以色列军队一直在那里进行爆破。

到目前为止，谈判已在黎巴嫩南部产生了三个“试点区”，黎巴嫩军队已在这些区域接管控制权。

双方将这些区域作为测试，以观察黎巴嫩军队能否阻止真主党进入该地区，并能否继续拆除该组织在那里的基础设施。黎巴嫩政府要求以色列更快撤军，但以色列不太可能同意。

最近的战斗升级始于3月2日，真主党为了报复伊朗已故最高领袖阿里·哈梅内伊（Ali Khamenei）被杀而向以色列发射火箭弹。随后，以色列开始了轰炸行动并入侵黎巴嫩南部。此后，以色列在黎巴嫩境内杀害了4,321人，而至少40名以色列人（其中38人为士兵）被真主党杀害。

---

Football Weekly

卫报现场 (The Guardian Live)

现场

1 September / 都柏林，Vicar Street 9 September / 伦敦，Soho Theatre Walthamstow

Football Weekly 世界巡演的欧洲站来了 （没错，纽约、都柏林和伦敦确实构成了一次世界巡演）。

加入 Max Rushden、Barry Glendenning 以及特邀嘉宾，共同见证他们在都柏林和伦敦的舞台演出。凭借 Football Weekly 的常驻嘉宾阵容和惊喜客串，期待他们对世界杯的全面剖析，以及大量关于今年夏天在美国期间、因过于劲爆而无法在播客中讲述的故事。

无论您想在伦敦或都柏林现场加入这场混乱，还是在家里观看，现在就购买您的门票。

都柏林 Tuesday 1 September Vicar Street 8pm-10pm

现场

伦敦 Wednesday 9 September Soho Theatre Walthamstow 7.30pm-9.30pm

直播

在 theguardian.com / footballweeklylive 预订您的门票 或扫描二维码

---

世界

59

埃拉的历史性胜利引发菲律宾网球热

Natasha May 曼谷

在21岁的明日之星亚历山德拉·埃拉（Alexandra Eala）取得历史性胜利后，菲律宾陷入了网球热潮，该国总统为此举办了招待会以表彰她，并对其大加赞赏。

周一，埃拉成为首位赢得女子网球协会（WTA）巡回赛级别单打冠军的菲律宾球员。

菲律宾总统费迪南德·马科斯（Ferdinand Marcos）周二在社交媒体上发布消息，祝贺埃拉取得“又一项历史性成就”，并补充道：“你继续重新定义菲律宾网球的可能性，并激励无数菲律宾年轻人敢于无限制地梦想。”

埃拉不仅击败了排名第一的球员杰西卡·佩古拉（Jessica Pegula）夺得华盛顿特区冠军，而且是在一场因雨延迟而分两天进行的比赛中逆转获胜。美国人佩古拉在赛后表示：“这是我见过的最好的周一决赛观众……所有到场并给予支持的菲律宾球迷，你们正在帮助网球在世界范围内发展，我对此表示感谢。作为一名女性运动员，身处网球界，我们很乐见这种增长。”

比赛期间场内的标语表达了埃拉对这个国家的意义，其中一块写着：“亚历克斯，你让我们为身为菲律宾人而感到自豪。”

菲律宾人上个月已经在庆祝埃拉在温布尔登网球公开赛上的历史性表现，她成为了在网球大满贯赛事中走得最远的菲律宾女性，并在中心球场以直盘击败了卫冕冠军伊加·斯瓦泰克（Iga Swiatek）。

埃拉回国时受到了英雄般的欢迎，马科斯在马尼拉的马拉卡南宫为她举办了招待会，而这个此前很少关注这项运动的国家现在对此痴迷

▲ 亚历山德拉·埃拉在周一赢得华盛顿公开赛决赛后

她激励了大批菲律宾人开始练习网球，导致课程、训练营和球场被预订一空，并促使俱乐部升级旧球场。

在一次新闻发布会上谈到这种受欢迎程度的上升时，埃拉说：“每当我回到马尼拉，大家都会告诉我现在很难订到球场……这是件好事，因为我小时候球场是空的，没有人打球。”

菲律宾的体育兴趣在历史上一直集中在“三个B”上：篮球（basketball）、台球（billiards）和拳击（boxing）。但现在，埃拉的粉丝和支持者们将当地场馆和公共空间填满，举办观赛派对，经常熬夜为发生在世界另一端的赛事加油。

自从拳击冠军曼尼·帕奎奥（Manny Pacquiao）之后，菲律宾一直缺乏一个可以全力支持的顶尖体育超级巨星。帕奎奥在社交媒体上称赞埃拉为“我们的新冠军”，赞扬她在华盛顿的逆转胜利展现了“菲律宾之心”。

华盛顿公开赛的赛事总监马克·艾因（Mark Ein）表示，人们对埃拉的关注程度是无与伦比的。他在一次媒体会议上说：“在过去的一个月里，票务团队表示，本次赛事中至少 80%，甚至更多，的咨询都是关于‘亚历山德拉·埃拉什么时候比赛？’。”

网球通常由那些能够负担每年数千万加元培养年轻人才费用的国家——美国、英国和法国——的球员主导。菲律宾没有这样的基础设施，网球一直是一项精英运动，球场大多分布在富裕地区。

埃拉出身于名门，但在15岁获得奖学金前往西班牙就读拉法·纳达尔学院之前，她在奎松市被刷成网球场的篮球场上学习打球。

埃拉正在激励来自更普通家庭的菲律宾年轻人寻找打球的途径，但她也谈到了改善公共球场和设备获取能力的必要性。

据国家新闻社报道，她在宫廷招待会上表示，直到温布尔登网球赛期间，她才真正意识到自己对数百万菲律宾人产生的影响。

“我非常感激能够与国家分享我的胜利……”埃拉说道，“正如我们所说，tagumpay nating lahat [这是我们共同的胜利]。”

▲ 一名消防员在虎斑猫回到感激它的主人身边前抱着Toast

猫咪“Toast”在犹他州公寓火灾数日后被发现平安无事

Ramon Antonio Vargas

犹他州官员表示，一只名叫Toast的猫在一次摧毁公寓综合体的火灾中，通过躲在衣橱里并忍受数日的等待而被救出，其生存经历与其名字（Toast，意为烤面包 / 被烤焦）形成了反差。

当这座位于盐湖城的五层设施在上午8点左右起火时，Toast正住在该综合体220个入住单元中的一个单元内。

这场火灾可能由机械故障引起，它席卷并摧毁了该综合体，导致数百名居民流离失所。消防员花费了超过60小时才将其扑灭。

尽管许多宠物被疏散，但有一只动物未能立即被确认下落，那就是Toast，这引发了人们对其未能幸存的担忧。

盐湖县动物服务部门在社交媒体上发布消息称，他的主人“担心他们已经失去了他”，并补充道，“随着日子一天天过去，依然没有他的踪迹……希望变得越来越难以维持”。

然而，这只猫坚持了下来。盐湖统一消防局本周在Facebook的一篇帖子中宣布，尽管被许多潜在的致命危险包围，消防员在火灾开始超过72小时后，在北联盟公寓（North Union Apartments）内发现了Toast（是的，这真的是它的名字！）还活着。

帖子称：“这只坚韧的猫躲在衣橱里——这是屋顶坍塌后公寓中仅有的几个幸存地点之一——它在数日的烟雾、头顶喷洒的数十万加仑的水以及周围的毁灭中幸存了下来。”

声明继续写道，Toast很快就“与一位非常感激的主人安全团聚”。“除了身体湿冷且有些受惊外，其他方面都很健康。”

盐湖县动物服务部门周一发布了一段Toast与主人莱德·马蒂斯（Ryder Mathis）团聚的视频。

马蒂斯说：“我对动物服务部门，尤其是盐湖县动物服务部门的坎托中士（Sergeant Cantor）感激不尽。她为了我们而战，确保有人上去检查。我非常感谢她，同时也感谢统一消防局的工作。”

南极寒流袭击新西兰，惠灵顿出现罕见降雪

Eva Corlett 惠灵顿

随着南极寒流笼罩全国，新西兰各地的气温骤降。

首都惠灵顿 15 年来首次出现降雪，而但尼丁的居民则有机会在世界上最陡的街道上滑雪。

冷锋于周二移入，全国大部分地区在冰冻条件、霜冻、降雪、冰雹和刺骨寒风中苏醒。

这种情况在昨天上午依然持续，南岛三个地点的气温达到了 -9℃。部分高速公路被关闭，而北岛东海岸的部分地区则出现了冰雹风暴。

在惠灵顿，周二正午刚过，海平面高度便出现了雨夹雪和降雪。办公室职员们冲出大楼，站在纷纷扬扬的雪中，人们在社交媒体上发布视频，表达着震惊与喜悦。

一名社交媒体用户写道，这里像是一个“冬季仙境”。

另一名用户写道：“惠灵顿下雪了？！太神奇了！这让这一天变得如此不同。”

有人在 Reddit 上写道：“看到大家对此如此兴奋，感觉很温馨。我走到我的

▲ 雪吸引了一名滑雪者（见下图）前往但尼丁的世界最陡街道。摄影：MARK STEVENSON

办公室窗边，对面大楼的每一个窗户里也挤满了观看的人。”

周二，由于大雪覆盖全市，南岛第二大城市但尼丁的学生被遣散回家。

当地媒体的视频片段显示，人们在城市街道上玩单板滑雪，一名大胆的滑雪者在鲍德温街（Baldwin Street）疾驰而下——该街道被吉尼斯世界纪录认定为世界最陡的街道。

一名社交媒体用户写道：“我喜欢但尼丁的一点是，可能一年只有两次会有半英寸的雪，然后所有人都会陷入疯狂。”

向北延伸，基督城的纽布赖顿海滩被一层薄雪覆盖，一架飞机因风雨原因不得不放弃在基督城机场降落。

警方对车辆在冰路打滑的事故做出响应，并敦促公众避免出行。

新西兰气象局表示，预计气温在昨天有所回升，但昨夜再次下降，预计今日全国部分地区将出现年度最寒冷的早晨。

---

10

世界

摩洛哥 焦急等待在休达失踪亲人的消息

Soraya Aybar Laafou Frideq Ashifa Kassam 马德里

数百人聚集在摩洛哥北部的弗里德克（Frideq）镇，这里靠近西班牙飞地休达（Ceuta）的边境。他们向路人出示失踪亲人的照片，希望能追踪到他们的下落。

他们聚集的那块狭小土地，正是上周成为全球头条新闻的地方。当时出现了惊人的一幕：约 72,000 人正设法进入休达，这是一个位于北非的西班牙微小领土。

据当地官员称，在休达至少有 88 人死亡，在摩洛哥另有 11 人死亡，另有数十人仍然失踪。

“我只有一个儿子，”自周六起就在边境等待的哈吉贾（Hadjija）说道，她一直在审视源源不断的返回者，寻找她 23 岁儿子的任何迹象。“我没有收到他的任何消息；他没接手机。”她从位于丹吉尔的家中前往边境，推测她失业的儿子就在那些跨境的人之中。

西班牙内政部长表示，估计上周抵达休达的 70,000 人中，已有大部分在近日被遣返回摩洛哥。

人们参考了 TikTok、Facebook 和 WhatsApp 上的帖子，这些帖子声称摩洛哥允许人们跨境。于是，人们步行或挤在巴士和汽车中抵达弗里德克，加入了涌入西班牙的人潮。

马德里迅速采取行动，与拉巴特合作，在 48 小时内将绝大多数跨境者遣返，与此同时，它还在应对一场政治危机，此前有呼吁要求西班牙被暂停在申根自由移动区之外。

在返回摩洛哥领土时，一些人表示他们是自愿回家的。“我好几天没吃东西了，内心充满恐惧，”来自摩洛哥西北部肯尼特拉（Kenitra）的 Abselam, 19, 说道。

一名休达居民最终收留了他，给了他食物和睡觉的地方，随后他决定回家。

▲ 在进入西班牙飞地休达的边境口岸的摩洛哥人

其他人则表示他们被强行驱逐出西班牙领土。“警察包围了我们的一组人，一路护送我们前往边境，”来自特图安（Tetuan）的 Simo, 21, 说道。“我们其实没有选择。”

近日，非政府组织表示担忧，认为一些进入休达且有资格获得国际保护的人在被允许行使申请庇护权之前就被遣返了。

西班牙政府估计，跨境的 2,000 人中仍有部分留在休达。统计数据包括至少 862 名被登记为无人陪伴未成年人的儿童，而西班牙联合国儿童基金会（Unicef Spain）警告称，可能还有数十名儿童在城市街道上徘徊。

“许多年幼的孩子跨境了；我们不知道有多少人失踪了，”该组织的移民专家苏珊娜·希达尔戈（Susana Hidalgo）告诉广播公司 TVE。结果导致局面“极其困难”。

“在边境的另一边，有许多家庭在寻找他们的儿子和女儿，”她说，而在休达，“有 10 和 12 岁的小孩在请求使用电话，以便给母亲打电话告诉她们自己没事”。

在这次突然涌入几天后，关于是什么导致了大规模跨境的问题依然存在。关于具体发生了什么的未知感延伸到了弗里德克，聚集在边境的亲属们低声谈论着他们的亲人可能遭遇了什么。

许多人仍抱有希望，并引用近日出现的一些好消息，例如法蒂玛（Fatima）的故事，她和家人在边境等待了一整天，希望能见到几天前进入休达的哥哥。

“我哥哥的手机没电了，但昨天他借了一名西班牙人的电话给我打电话，”她说。“他告诉我他今天早上会回来，所以我们在这里等待。我相信他很快就会到达。”

▲ 申请者抗议必须重新参加大学入学考试

墨西哥顶尖大学因作弊疑云将重新举行考试

奥斯卡·洛佩兹 (Oscar Lopez) 墨西哥城

墨西哥规模最大且最负盛名的大学宣布，约 58,000 名学生将不得不重新参加入学考试，此前异常高分的测试结果引发了对大规模作弊的怀疑。

墨西哥国立自治大学 (Unam) 表示，此次考试将采取线下形式，此前该校首次尝试全远程在线版本导致了混乱，并造成数千份结果被作废。

“作为科学、人文和理解之家的 Unam 懂得如何承认错误并自我修正，”该大学校长莱昂纳多·洛梅利 (Leonardo Lomeli) 表示。“这里没有逃避或自满。这里有责任，而我们正据此采取行动。”

今年夏天有近 160,000 名学生参加了入学考试。此次居家测试采用了 AI 驱动的摄像头，通过语音和面部识别来监控考生，以确保没有作弊行为。但结果表明，这些检查未能阻止欺诈。

在 2021 年至 2025 年间，仅有 3.5% 的申请者在 120 分满分中获得 100 分或以上，但今年的这一数字为 16%。获得 110 分或以上分数的学生比例增加了六倍，从 0.9% 升至 5.5%。

在竞争最激烈的本科课程之一的医学专业中，近 30% 的考生获得了 100 分或以上，而去年这一比例为 9%。

这些结果引发了一场全国性丑闻，导致该国总统克劳迪娅·辛鲍姆 (Claudia Sheinbaum) 暗示总检察长可能需要介入调查。“支持始终是可获得的，但无论如何，如果发生了犯罪行为，这将由检察官办公室处理，”她说道。

周一，数百名 Unam 申请者在墨西哥城举行抗议，反对必须重新参加考试。

为了实现更公平的入学机会，该大学今年首次提供在线考试。此前，学生必须从各自的家乡州前往墨西哥城，有时路程长达数百英里。

该入学考试以竞争激烈而著称。今年超过 150,000 名申请者在竞争 21,962 个名额。

意大利27个主要城市因夏季第四波热浪袭击而发布红色预警

安杰拉·朱弗里达 (Angela Giuffrida) 罗马

随着今年夏季袭击该国的第四波热浪增强，意大利将把从北部的的里雅斯特到南部的巴勒莫的所有27个主要城市列入最高级别高温预警。

红色预警意味着，由于长期极端气温给全体民众带来的健康风险，发生紧急情况的可能性较高。

卫生部表示，昨天有25个城市处于红色预警状态，今天将再增加两个。这是今年以来，由卫生部高温监测系统监测的所有27个城市首次全部被列入最高级别预警。这些城市包括都灵、米兰、威尼斯、佛罗伦萨、罗马和那不勒斯。

近日，意大利部分地区的温度已攀升至接近40℃。科学家表示，这种由人类引发的气候危机所驱动的极端高温预计在至少一周内不会缓解。

目前的热浪与近日发生的四起死亡病例相关，其中包括一名19岁的番茄采摘工和一名40岁的木匠，

两人均在伦巴第地区的工业区工作。一名在博洛尼亚的安保人员被认为在车内患上了致命的高温相关疾病。

在经历了干燥的春季之后，今年的热浪还加剧了波河平原（意大利最长河流所在地）的干旱。皮埃蒙特和伦巴第地区的100多个城镇正面临供水困难，部分城镇使用水罐车来填充饮用水储备。

干旱给意大利农业企业带来了严重压力，农民警告称极端高温正在影响作物产量。热浪还加速了部分地区的葡萄成熟，而由于奶牛因热应激导致进食量减少，牛奶产量下降了10%。

罗马等旅游城市正努力减轻高温的影响，在最热的时段提供免费进入空调电影院和文化场所的机会，同时延长包括罗马斗兽场和万神殿在内的古迹开放时间，以便游客在晚上参观。

▲ 昨日米兰主教座堂的遮阳伞，下方为罗马斗兽场的喷雾风扇 摄影：FRIED CRICKART / GETTY IMAGES

---

世界

11

真正的信徒

在停电之中 民众庆祝 古巴革命

Ruaridh Nicoll 皮纳尔德里奥

在黎明前的黑暗中，胡安·维克多·埃尔南德斯·坎波正在古巴省会皮纳尔德里奥郊外为 5,000 人的群众鼓劲。“¡Aquí, quien no salte es yanqui!”他吼道。“不跳的人就是美国佬！”

在他面前的人们穿着纪念菲德尔和劳尔·卡斯特罗 1953 年袭击蒙卡达军营 T 恤，他们吼回去，并在年龄允许的范围内跳了起来。

当埃尔南德斯要求他们跳得更高时，一名妇女指出，考虑到他肚子的尺寸，他自己恐怕很难跳起来。他对此的回应是拉紧 T 恤，像一只求偶的火鸡一样自豪地旋转。“¡Abajo el bloqueo!”他喊道。“打倒封锁！”人群在笑，并挥舞着古巴小国旗。

岛屿的其他地区长 777 英里，在加勒比海的夜晚闷热难耐，此时正处于睡眠之中。在前往皮纳尔革命广场的路边，房屋似乎陷入了该国无休止的停电之中。

六个月以来，古巴一直遭受美国实施的石油封锁，使得本已岌岌可危的经济支离破碎。该岛的国家电网在上周一和周日崩溃，而这些停电发生在 7 月 9 天内三次全国性停电之后。

很难找到不将现状归咎于古巴领导人的人，因为他们让国家陷入了未来可能由最不负责任的美国总统决定的一种境地。

但在革命广场上，并不缺乏共产党忠实信徒。他们在凌晨 3 点前就聚集在一起，庆祝古巴政权最重要的周年纪念日之一——蒙卡达袭击事件，这被广泛视为革命的开端——他们等待着总统米格尔·迪亚斯-卡内尔，甚至可能是 95 岁的前总统劳尔·卡斯特罗，后者 30 年来从未缺席过 7 月 26 日的庆祝活动。

“我们在这里是因为我们真正地感受到它，”在一家国家农业企业工作并同意仅使用名字的约米拉说道，“这是任何革命者的职责”

“我们在这里是因为我们感受到它。参与其中是任何革命古巴人的职责。我们是为了祖国而在这里的。”

约米拉 人群成员

古巴人的职责。我们是为了祖国而在这里的。”

自从美国在 1 月 3 日袭击委内瑞拉并绑架其总统尼古拉斯·马杜罗以来，华盛顿已经明确表示其在古巴追求政权更迭。随着美国威胁采取此类行动，古巴军队一直在准备防御。该岛拥有一支约 50,000 人的小型正规部队，但其装备极其陈旧。因此，古巴坚持在面对入侵时，不再采取常规的

美国石油封锁期间，哈瓦那昏暗街道上的夜色，导致古巴出现导致全国性停电的电力中断 摄影：STEPHANIE KEITH / GETTY IMAGES

军事防御，而是主张全体国民——其中大多数人在毕业时接受过军事训练——将起来保卫国家。

很少有古巴人对此感兴趣：当 79 岁的西尔维奥·罗德里格斯（该国的鲍勃·迪伦）在电视上被看到从总统手中接过一支 AK-47 时，人们感到十分惊讶。

“‘全民战争’的问题——这是他们从越南人那里采用的模型——在于它几乎完全基于预备役部队，”加拿大皇家军事学院名誉教授哈尔·克莱帕克说道，“而这支预备役部队自 1990 年 [当时苏联撤回支持] 以来一直在萎缩。”

但埃博尼·塞马纳特（一个自选的化名）说她准备好战斗了。这位 50 岁的客户服务经理接受了基础训练

爱国群众聚集在皮纳尔的革命广场（左图及下图），参加 7 月 26 日的庆祝活动 摄影：SIMBIA / SHUTTERSTOCK, ANADOLUGETTY

她在大学期间接受过培训，几个月前，在她的工会发出志愿者号召后，她又参加了两门武器培训复习课程。

“杀死另一个人的想法太可怕了，所以我不会花时间去思考这件事，”她说。“但如果那一刻真的到来，我会做任何必须做的事。我不愿意做的是像奴隶一样生活，或者回到我的祖先所忍受的那种奴隶制中。”

虽然古巴的人口传统上在白人和黑人之间平均分布——涵盖了两者之间所有的肤色——但黑人更有可能指出革命的成就，因为革命在早期消除了种族不平等。一个耐人寻味的事实是，在 20 世纪 60 年代逃离革命的古巴裔美国人中，有 90% 以上的人认同自己是白人。

“革命进程深刻地塑造了我的家庭和我今天的生活，”Semanat 说。“虽然我是一个穷人，但我能够上大学，学习了四门语言。我能够花 15 年时间从事歌唱。我没有获得巨大的物质成就，主要是因为我从来不是一个有野心的人。”

“我所做的是非常简单地对比：我的家庭在革命胜利之前是什么样子，以及他们在之后能够取得什么样的成就。”

Semanat 补充说，在美国的古巴社区“感到沮丧，因为革命夺走了他们曾经拥有的特权”。

迪亚斯-卡内尔在凌晨 5.15 正好抵达广场，这个时间与 73 年前蒙卡达兵营袭击战开始的时间一致。

他说，今年的庆祝活动在皮纳尔举行，是因为“在停电和各种短缺之中”，这座城市“将婴儿死亡率控制在活产 1,000 人中 4.8 例，且孕产妇死亡率为零。这就是我们所说的英雄主义！”

劳尔·卡斯特罗在 5 月被美国指控谋杀，目前生活在被绑架的威胁之下，他没有出席。一项维持了 30 年的传统被打破了。“他请我向所有人转达温暖的拥抱，”迪亚斯-卡内尔说。

当总统结束讲话，人群在浓浓的黑暗中渐渐散去时，太阳尚未升起。

古巴与美国的谈判至今由劳尔的孙子劳尔·吉列尔莫·罗德里格斯·卡斯特罗（Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro）负责，他更广为人知的称呼是“El Cangrejo”（螃蟹），一名没有官方政府职位的商人，且其对高级餐厅和爱马仕运动鞋的热爱有据可查。

当被问及他是否认为这样的谈判代表符合革命精神时，最后离开广场的人之一埃米利奥·阿维拉（Emilio Avila）表示他不知道：“但我确信党会做出正确的决定。”

当阿维拉走开时，两辆黑色的军用皮卡车驶过，防空炮从车后部伸出。

där®

自 1971 年起照亮家居

darlighting.co.uk

可通过零售商及在线购买

---

FTSE 100 8.92

10888.30

全股指数 (All share) 8.89

5864.06

道琼斯工业指数 (Dow Indl) 458.94

54544.82

日经 225 (Nikkei 225) 2342.91

66200.44

£€ 1.1666

10.0002

£$ 1.3478

10.0002

来源：ICE www.ice.com / data

Next 在夏季销售激增后上调利润预期

Lauren Almeida Sarah Butler

在炎热的夏季推动其服装销售增长后，Next 提高了人们的希望，认为尽管家庭预算面临压力，英国购物者仍愿意消费。

这家零售商今年第三次上调其利润指引，称在截至 8 月 1 日的 13 周内，公司受益于晴朗的天气以及中东和北欧部分“积压需求”的释放。

Next 拥有美国品牌 Gap 和 Victoria's Secret 的英国权利，并持有包括 Reiss 和 Joules 在内的品牌股份。该公司表示，其第二季度的全价销售额比去年同期增长了 9%，是其最初预计 4% 增长的两倍多。

增长主要由 Next 的一系列替代品牌和强劲的在线销售带动，而由于顾客在酷暑期间避开商业街，门店交易额有所下降。

这家在全国拥有 500 多家门店的富时 100 (FTSE 100) 公司，一直有提高预期随后又超越预期的历史。这种模式在过去一年中就帮助其股价上涨了 20% 以上。

在首席执行官 Simon Wolfson 的领导下，该零售商目前预计年底的税前利润将达到 12亿英镑，比此前预期高出约 2500 万英镑m，且较去年可能增长 7.3%。

其股价在昨天上午跳涨近 7%，创下新高，使其成为富时 100 (FTSE 100) 指数中表现最好的公司。

财富管理公司 Raymond James 的首席投资评论员 Garry White 表示，Next 的更新表明它能够“在消费者支出面临挑战的背景下表现出色”。他补充道：“如果投资者多年来从 Next 身上学到了一个教训，那就是管理层习惯于承诺较低而交付较高，这使得指引的上调感觉不像惊喜，而更像是投资案例的一个特点。”

与此同时，其他零售商报告称，他们正在与艰难的贸易环境作斗争，许多零售商警告称，伊朗战争导致了通货膨胀和消费者信心的下降。

根据 Jefferies 的零售专家对 Numerator 旗下 Worldpanel 市场数据的分析，虽然英国零售商 6 月份销售的服装、鞋类和配饰数量增长了约 2%，

9%

Next 第二季度全价销售额的增幅，是其最初预计 4% 增长的两倍多

但由于打折和转向更便宜的产品，销售总额同比下降。

在低迷的市场中，赢家和输家也十分明显，Next 和 Marks & Spencer 正在上升，而 H&M 和 Zara 的销售额则有所下降。

一些分析师预计，Next 在炎热天气期间的强劲表现会被其他零售商复制。但市场分析公司 GlobalData 的服装分析师 Louise Degine-Farre 表示：“Next 将其强劲的 [夏季] 表现归功于英国异常的天气和国际积压需求，这低估了自己，因为其在服装市场持续的卓越表现表明，它在产品供应、便利性和定价策略方面继续交付成果。”

据《金融时报》报道，上个月 John Lewis 的负责人告诉员工，其利润正受到“非常艰巨”的贸易条件的挤压。John Lewis Partnership 主席 Jason Tarry 在接受其内部杂志采访（《金融时报》已看到该采访）时表示，这家百货连锁店正面临一个“销售额将下降且成本将上升”的环境。

他补充道：“我们必须针对一个即使在六个月前，更不用说几年前，我们都未曾预料到的近期未来做出调整。”

▲ 纽约市广告牌上的 Elon Musk，拍摄于 SpaceX IPO 之日

SpaceX 披露 AI 支出激增后股价大跌

Dara Kerr

SpaceX 在两个月前在纽约证券交易所上市后的首份财务业绩中披露资本支出激增，令投资者感到恐慌。

埃隆·马斯克的这家公司业务涵盖火箭、AI 系统和卫星宽带服务。周二，该公司公布 4 月至 6 月期间的营收跳涨 92% 至 78.1亿美元 (58亿英镑)，超过了分析师预测的 69.3亿美元，击败了华尔街的预期。该季度净亏损收窄至 5.41亿美元，而去年同期为 10亿美元。

但由于公司披露该季度资本支出为 184亿美元，高于 2026, 前三个月的 100亿美元（主要用于资助其 AI 基础设施），昨日交易开始后， 的股价下跌了 12%。在 6 月中旬以 $135 上市的 股价在交易开始时跌至 $110。

投资银行雷蒙德·詹姆斯 (Raymond James) 的首席投资评论员加里·怀特表示：“ 的第二季度业绩令人鼓舞，因为这表明公司在扩大 Starlink 规模并保持发射业务势头的同时，能够继续实现强劲的营收增长，但这也突显了与其长期雄心相关的巨大成本。”

在与投资者的电话会议中，马斯克称这又是公司“具有里程碑意义的一年”。他表示：“ 团队正在解决人类历史上一些最艰巨的工程问题。”

6 月的股市首秀是历史上规模最大的一次。此次首次公开募股将 变成了一家 200万美元 的公司，并一度让马斯克成为万亿富翁。但自那时起，在第二季度财务业绩公布之前，该公司的股价已暴跌 24%，市值蒸发了近 5000亿美元。

去年， 实现营收 187亿美元，营业亏损 43亿美元。其唯一盈利的部门是连接业务 Starlink。

达斯·维达将根据迪士尼短视频协议在 TikTok 上亮相

Michael Savage 媒体编辑

达斯·维达、蜘蛛侠和莫阿娜等角色即将首次在 TikTok 上成为明星——至少现在是以官方形式——因为迪士尼与这个蓬勃发展的短视频平台达成了一项“首创”协议。

为了承认粉丝创作内容目前所具有的影响力，一组选定的创作者将被允许使用迪士尼过往作品库中的角色和场景。

这也是短形式、竖屏视频兴起的最新迹象，用户通过手机屏幕消费内容，而无需将其翻转为更宽的横屏格式观看。

部分创作者内容将在迪士尼尝试进军竖屏视频的自有平台 Disney+ Verts 上展示，该平台目前仅在美国运营。

这证实了创作者“粉丝圈”的强大地位以及 的影响力。根据皮尤研究中心的数据， 的美国用户已超过 2 亿，其中包括约 6 in 10 30, 岁以下成年人。该平台在不到十年前才在国际上推出。

短视频的兴起以及随之而来的粉丝内容，意味着大型娱乐公司必须在知识产权的使用上变得更加宽松。

迪士尼表示，在一项美国试点计划下，创作者将获得访问“一个经过精心策划的广泛内容集”的权限，其中包含来自其旗下品牌（如皮克斯、漫威和星球大战）的角色和故事。

全球娱乐负责人 Dawn Yang 表示：“创作者是我们在 所做一切的核心。他们的创造力将电影和剧集的生命力延伸到了粉丝们发现并分享的对话中。”

“通过与迪士尼合作，我们将 社区真实的创作者表达带到 Disney+，邀请观众体验让粉丝圈如此强大的共同创造力。”

在之前一项允许 OpenAI 的 Sora 视频生成工具使用其过往作品库的短期安排之后，这标志着迪士尼再次尝试授权高知名度第三方使用其角色。

该决定于去年年底宣布，在好莱坞引起了争议，因为 Sora 被认为对创意产业中的某些人构成了威胁，且存在长期存在的版权问题。几个月后，OpenAI 突然关闭了 Sora。此前，该工具被用于制作一些暴力和种族主义内容，以及深度伪造和虚假信息，从而引发了抵制。此举也被视为 OpenAI 在公司上市前精简运营尝试的一部分。

迪士尼发布这一公告之时，正值其透露 Toy Story 5

▲ David Prowse 在 1983 年星球大战电影《绝地归来》中饰演达斯·维达，该片现已成为迪士尼过往作品库的一部分 摄影：ONE TEXT / SPORTSPROTO / ALLISTAR

“创作者是我们在 所做一切的核心” Dawn Yang 娱乐负责人

已帮助其超越收益预期。其股价在盘前交易中上涨 4.6%。其乐园与体验业务的收入比一年前增长 10%，主题公园入园人数增加 4%。该领域的收入达到近 100亿美元。Rivals season 2 成为 Disney+ 在英国和爱尔兰最成功的原创首播剧。

---

54

商业

商业观点

Nils Pratley

索里奥应解释阿斯利康未能收购美国制药竞争对手的奇怪情况

先别急着吃胃药。看来阿斯利康不再考虑收购其美国竞争对手百时美施贵宝 (BMS)，以创建一个价值 4000 亿加元 (€3000 亿) 的制药巨头。周一，由于《金融时报》报道了初步谈判的消息，这家英国公司的股价暴跌 9%。昨天，路透社表示并没有进行实质性讨论。随后，阿斯利康的股价出现了一次小规模的宽慰性反弹。

两家公司都认为没有必要告知股东发生了什么，因此无法得知这些谈判是试探性的“如果……会怎样”的企业调情，还是某种更实质性的计划，而后者可能因为

阿斯利康股东缺乏热情而被扼杀了。

这笔交易——或者说未成之交易——由于本周早些时候这里给出的原因而显得奇怪。在首席执行官帕斯卡尔·索里奥爵士的领导下，阿斯利康在过去 14 年里通过专注于支持实验室中最好的创意以实现长期成功而繁荣发展，而不是玩依赖短期削减成本的债务驱动型收购游戏。

既然索里奥宣称绝对有信心在 2030 年实现 800 亿加元的营收目标，那么没有明显理由偏离这个获胜剧本。

而且，考虑到百时美施贵宝在未来几年由于一款重磅癌症药物专利到期而面临的营收头痛问题，这个目标看起来很奇怪，

▲ 阿斯利康剑桥研发中心的研发人员

更不用说其目前的现金流质量了。

当然，也有相反的论点。两家公司在肿瘤学领域都规模庞大，因此如果能说服竞争监管机构，可能会有机会在

核心制药领域建立多年的主导地位。也许这种交叉意味着潜在的成本节约将比通常情况更大或更容易实现。也许索里奥在百时美施贵宝的药物管线中发现了潜力，或者看到了一个加速实现其雄心的机会——即让阿斯利康在世界上最大且对制药公司最有利的市场美国产生一半的营收；目前的份额为 43%。

无论如何，索里奥应该阐明他是否将巨额交易视为阿斯利康未来的任何可能组成部分。对个别收购传闻采取严格的“不予评论”态度是一回事。但大多数阿斯利康股东肯定认为，他们投资的是一家不进行赌上资产负债表的巨额交易的公司。阿斯利康在 2021 年以 390 亿加元收购的罕见病专家 Alexion 规模很大，但不在百时美施贵宝 1330 亿加元的量级上，且其明确的逻辑是增强创新。

令人担忧的是，随着 67 岁的索里奥进入（大概是）执掌公司的最后几年，美国的吸引力正主导着战略思考。或者，也许出现了一种分析，认为人工智能正在改变制药游戏。索里奥一直将阿斯利康描述为最不需要转型交易的公司。如果他对这个想法实际上持灵活态度，股东难道不应该知道吗？

“解放日” 1000亿美元美国关税获退还

Lauren Almeida

据报道，在 美国最高法院裁定其非法之前，特朗普政府已退还了约 1000亿美元 的征收关税。

据《金融时报》报道，海关官员周二向美国国际贸易法院 (CIT) 报告，该 1000亿美元 (740亿欧元) 的金额占唐纳德·特朗普“解放日”关税总征收额 1650亿美元 的 60%。

关税是对进口商品征收的税款，自特朗普去年重新就职以来，一直是其经济计划的核心部分。

今年 2 月，最高法院废除了特朗普征收的一部分额外关税，迫使政府将资金退还给已支付这些关税的公司。

上个月，特朗普对 80 多个国家征收了新一轮关税，以取代即将到期的 10% 全球关税。这些税率在 10% 到 12.5% 之间。

卫报

升级你的闲暇时光

通过 Puzzles 为你的碎片时间注入新活力。

在 卫报 app 中游玩。

立即下载

---

商业

15

借时间：希利在伯纳姆增长承诺的首场考验中被敦促采取大胆行动

Heather Stewart

距离其首次预算案仅剩 12 周，新任财政大臣约翰·希利（John Healey）正在寻求在不突破财政部财政规则的情况下增加公共投资的方法——一些经济学家正敦促他采取大胆行动。

在入驻唐宁街 11 号之际，这位前国防大臣最紧迫的挑战涉及政府的日常支出。其中包括为安迪·伯纳姆（Andy Burnham）削减能源账单增值税提供资金，以及填补其前任瑞秋·里夫斯（Rachel Reeves）在国防投资计划中留下的 50亿英镑 资金缺口——这也是促使希利在今年早些时候辞职的部分原因。

他可以选择通过税收调整来支付这些费用——例如，将银行意外之财税重新列入议程——或者命令白厅各部门在其他方面节省开支。里夫斯留给他的规则内显著“空间”将有所帮助，在她的春季预测时，这一空间为 240亿英镑，伊朗战争的影响不太可能将其完全侵蚀。

但除了这些短期压力外，希利的上司已明确表示，他希望看到基础设施和住房长期投资的阶梯式变化，以实现他在每个邮政编码区实现增长的承诺。资助部分额外投资的一种方法可能是利用伯纳姆所称的现有财政规则中的“任何灵活性”。财政大臣告诉《泰晤士报》，存在“更多且更快速投资的空间”。

现为后座议员的里夫斯对这些规则下债务的定义做出了历史性改变。这意味着，如果政府使用额外借款

来获取一项金融资产，则该借款不计入财政部的目标。例如，这可以意味着一家公司的股份或一笔贷款。里夫斯使用了这一新定义（在财政部术语中被称为公共部门净金融负债，即 PSNFL，读作 'persuffle'）来承诺大幅增加公共借款，但经济学家一段时间以来一直认为财政部可以走得更远。

决心基金会（Resolution Foundation）最近的一篇论文认为，所谓的“PuFins”——即包括国家财富基金、英国商业银行和国家住房银行在内的公共

90亿英镑 一家智库认为，公共金融机构在财政规则下可额外借款的资金

金融机构——每年可额外借款高达 90亿英镑，而不会违反财政规则。斯塔默政府已经扩大了这些机构的规模，为其提供了额外资本，但该智库敦促伯纳姆采取进一步行动。

曾被传为伯纳姆潜在顾问的前高盛首席经济学家吉姆·奥尼尔（Jim O'Neill）也建议，在规则范围内可能有空间为基础设施项目借更多款——并建议创建一个新的独立机构来评估哪些项目应获得支持。

财政研究学会 (IFS) 主任海伦·米勒（Helen Miller）表示，规则内是否存在灵活性的问题可能不是一个最佳的切入点。

她说：“人们有点过于纠结于财政规则。我认为出于信誉原因，他们应该坚持这些规则。但如果政府增加借款，它仍然是借款：它仍将提高借款成本并增加债务，为未来制造更多问题。真正更实质性的问题是：‘这项投资的实质性理由是什么？投资于此是一件好事吗？’”

一些专家主张采取更具创造性的方法。剑桥大学贝内特公共政策学院的托马斯·奥布里（Thomas Aubrey）表示：“如果你真的想产生显著影响，这似乎正是安迪·伯纳姆在演讲中所暗示的，那么 PSNFL 的手段根本不够。”

相反，他认为应该允许公共企业直接从市场借款。“你可以在能源、水务、大规模公共基础设施项目、住房方面这样做，”他说。“英国是极少数没有深厚的公共企业债务市场的主要经济体之一。”

奥布里表示，与拥有财政部担保的政府直接借款相比，这种方式的利率会更高——但权衡之后，长期投资的空间将显著增加。而且，此类债务的买家（包括渴望匹配其负债的养老基金）将与目前购买政府债券（即金边债券）的买家截然不同——因此财政部不会蚕食现有的需求。

他在最近为城市中心（Centre for Cities）智库撰写的一份政策简报中写道：“对于那些拥有详细成本核算、可靠收入预测和专项收入流的项目来说，并不缺乏资本。”

英国的借款成本已经高于许多其他主要经济体，财政部官员可能会警告希利，不要采取任何可能扰乱金边债券市场的行动。

奥布里表示，其他白厅部门此前曾对允许公共企业借款表现出兴趣，但一直被财政部阻挠。

奥布里所主张的方法与伯纳姆相关的智库 Mainstream 的提案相呼应。首相的得力助手路易丝·海格在今年早些时候为左翼刊物《Renewal》撰写的一篇文章中，也指出了允许公共企业直接借款的提案。

如何刺激投资只是希利和首相在未来几个月面临的一系列经济问题之一；但这或许是伯纳姆的权力下放和再工业化计划中最核心的问题——也是检验新政府激进程度的一次早期测试。

因凡蒂诺正遭受

因果报应 但为何足球界 反抗得如此之久？

Jonathan Liew

近几十年来，位于摩洛哥大西洋沿岸、就在拉巴特对岸的萨莱市经历了惊人的转变。在本世纪初，这里还是一个艰苦的工人阶级区域，其旧城区在电影《黑鹰坠击》中足以充当索马里首都摩加迪沙的替身。但在近几十年来，在该国专制政府的领导下，该地区发生了无法估量的转变，且在很大程度上已失去了控制。

在 40 年的时间里，人口增加到了原来的三倍。贫民窟被清理（通常是强制性的），为宏大的巨型项目让路：一套新的有轨电车系统、豪华旅游空间、一座光彩夺目的码头、一个名为 Technopolis 的蓝筹商业园区，以及——自去年 7 月以来——国际足联的非洲总部。在某种程度上，这个充斥着动荡与贪婪、不可撼动的意志和猖獗资本主义的中心，感觉就像是一个被围困的军阀可能会选择进行绝望最后抵抗的完美地点。

根据《泰晤士报》的报道，因凡蒂诺本周一直“躲在”萨莱，试图挽救他的主席之位。显然，因凡蒂诺的助手们一直在焦急地给国际足联传奇人物（该组织支付报酬的前球员大使）打电话，说服他们公开支持因凡蒂诺。昨天，其中一人路易斯·菲戈决定打破沉默。他说：“因凡蒂诺必须下台，”并谴责其将世界杯股份出售给私人投资者的计划是“我见过的最卑劣、最欺骗且最胆怯的自私行为”。那么，答案显然是否定的。

与此同时，非洲足联、中北美及加勒比足联以及亚洲足联的领导人们正在大门口集结力量。是的，在这一刻，这感觉是美好的、令人振奋的、宣泄的，是因果报应。看到因凡蒂诺遭受他应得的痛击，我们都应该感到某种满足。尽管如此，一个相关的问题也随之而来。为什么是现在？又为什么是以这种方式？

毕竟，自从国际足联首次提出出售其商业遗产的一部分以来，已经快八年了。2018 年，因凡蒂诺原则上同意与日本软银公司达成一项协议——而该公司的主要财务支持者恰好是沙特阿拉伯的公共投资基金——以扩大俱乐部世界杯和全球国家联赛。该计划虽然陷入停滞，但几乎没有出现过去两周内可见的那种尖叫和末日般的威胁。

距离那场肮脏、血染的卡塔尔世界杯，以及那场将这项运动最重要的管理人员变成笑柄的“今天我觉得很基”演讲，已经过去了四年。距离沙特阿拉伯在没有任何其他国家准备好参与的竞标过程中被授予 2034 年赛事，已经过去了两年。距离俱乐部世界杯在球员福利担忧的合唱中被强行创建，已经过去了三年。距离奥马尔·阿尔坦被简单地拒绝进入他本应担任裁判的世界杯，已经过去了两个月。距离福拉林·巴洛贡的禁赛被撤销，已经过去了一个月。

对于那些——事实证明——一直掌握着因凡蒂诺命运的男女来说，这一切似乎都不是红线。多年来，不公正、侮辱、名誉和环境损害、对规则和结构的破坏、暗箱操作以及死去的移民工人，都通过欢呼而被放行。因此，值得思考的是，除了野心勃勃的足球高管们获得夺取因凡蒂诺帝国钥匙的短暂机会之外，这里是否真的发生了实质性的变化。

已故的前英足总主席特赖斯曼勋爵将国际足联描述为“黑手党家族”已有十多年时间，而如今这一描述没有一点显得不真实。在许多方面，这是一个超法律机构，运作于传统政治或经济的边界之外，遵循自己的规则和道德准则，将其凝聚在一起的并非大众的共识，而是一套基于贡赋与庇护的封建体系，这种体系的更迭并非通过立法或推翻，而是通过偶尔的黑帮式斩首行动。

因凡蒂诺对违规的渴求是一场忠诚测试

对因凡蒂诺投资计划的道德反对显而易见，但或许更令人震惊的是——对于一位将一切都押在自己驱动营收能力上的主席来说——其经济知识的匮乏。

一名精心挑选的买家（约书亚·库什纳），一个虚构的数字（200 亿美元 billion）以及一个人为的倒计时时钟（19 September）。这真的是为你的资产获取最高价格的方式吗？还是当你想要在自己如此无私创造的慷慨馈赠中占据更大份额，但法律规定你目前的职位只能再任一届时的做法？

事后看来，很明显因凡蒂诺对违规和打破常规的渴求，是一种向亿万富翁投资者阶层证明他确实是其中一员的方式。难怪据报道，当他发现自己陷入困境时，第一本能是向唐纳德·特朗普求助：他的遮风港，他的保护伞，他的志同道合之人。人们常说因凡蒂诺是症状，而国际足联是疾病。事实上，国际足联也是症状；真正的疾病是资本主义法西斯主义，是对人性的简单蔑视，以及一种认为有些人天生统治而其他人注定追随的信念。

足球，这项有史以来最伟大的大众追求，当然会延续下去。在某种程度上，它的独创性，它适应且不被适应所摧毁的能力，既是它的美，也是它的诅咒。就像萨莱的天际线一样，它扭曲、偏移、生长、绅士化并膨胀到无法认出。这仍然可以辨认出是同一片土地，同一片其祖先曾经伫立的草坪。但旧的水岸线已永远消失。

37

---

18

体育 网球

▼ 艾玛·拉杜卡努经常使用ChatGPT：“我觉得它有点太准确了” ELI A LING / MUTTERSTOCK

比赛，盘数，聊天

顶尖球员如何利用 AI 侦察对手并管理生活

Tumaini Carayol 写道，生成式人工智能的出现引发了一场世代交替，而球星们对其在体育运动中产生的影响持有矛盾态度。

不久前，艾玛·拉杜卡努在玩手机时，突然好奇自己对 ChatGPT 的全面使用情况能反映出怎样的性格。“我经常使用 Chat，”拉杜卡努笑着说，“每件小事我都会用它，然后我产生了一个想法。你知道 Spotify 有个‘年度回顾’（Spotify Wrapped）吧？我让 ChatGPT 为我做一个‘Chat 回顾’，它向我概述了我的性格。”

“我的反应是：‘这有点太准确了。’它非常清晰，非常简洁。没有废话，直击问题。我想：‘好吧，也许我能产生共鸣。其中一部分是真的。’”

生成式 AI 的出现导致了社会的转变，并改变了许多人寻求信息的方式。和所有人一样，这一代的网球运动员必须弄清楚这些工具在他们的生活中处于什么位置。有些人认为 AI 能在赛场上为他们提供优势。

杰西卡·佩古拉的丈夫有时纯粹为了娱乐而为她的对手制作 AI 生成的报告。她最近得知，巡回赛中的某人（她拒绝透露姓名）正在利用 ChatGPT 和类似工具来侦察未来对手的打法。“我不知道他们是否 100% 完全听从，但我认为他们可能会进行交叉比对，看看它有多准确，”她说，“这并不糟糕。它只是总结所有内容，你可以让它变得非常简化，或者变得复杂。”

2019 年美网冠军比安卡·安德雷斯库解释说，在降级到较低级别的 ITF 巡回赛竞争后，在与一名完全陌生的对手比赛前，她最近尝试使用了 ChatGPT。“关于她的视频不多，”她说，“所以我很好奇。因为 Chat 会侦察其他来源，对吧？于是我说：‘请具体一点。请做好研究。’我想效果不错。”

AI 在一段时间内一直在悄悄地帮助几位

“感觉很多人将直接瘫在沙发上，通过 AI 来生活”

顶尖球员。最近，ATP 开发了一个名为 Tennis IQ 的平台，该平台处理海量的比赛内数据，以定义球员的性能评级和击球质量。然而，在运动员投入巨资雇佣教练的这项运动中，许多人认为直接寻求生成式 AI 平台的概念充其量是值得怀疑的。

比利时排名最高的男选手 Zizou Bergs 立即厌恶地摇了摇头。“我听说有人[用 ChatGPT 侦察]，他给我看了结果，”他说，“那是两三年前的事，我觉得那完全是垃圾。”

丹尼尔·梅德韦杰夫曾与朋友和团队成员一起在 ChatGPT 上尝试开玩笑地解决男子网球中最紧迫的问题：如何击败 辛纳 和 卡洛斯·阿尔卡拉斯。他将 AI 描述为一个真正的“扶手椅教练”：“[它]说了一些[关于辛纳和阿尔卡拉斯的]事情，而我的反应是：‘好吧太棒了，那我怎么做？’就像：‘好吧，我明白你的意思，而且说的不是坏事，但我怎么在场上把它实现？’”

无聊的 科科·高夫 曾询问一个 AI 平台对阵她自己的最佳策略。“它没有说任何我之前不知道的事情，”她说。然后她滑稽地翻了个白眼。“快讯：每个人打我的方式都一样——击向我的正手，并希望我双误。”

许多关于在网球中使用 AI 的对话很快就转向了关于在场外生活中使用 AI 的讨论。对于拉杜卡努来说，她向 ChatGPT 抛出的问题类型没有共同主题：“这和我的大脑一样随机。这一分钟是历史，下一分钟是艺术，再下一分钟是某个随机事实，接着又是翻译。问题非常多样。”

然而，总体而言，球员们是一个更为谨慎的群体。目前，弗朗西斯·泰亚福不想与生成式人工智能（GenAI）产生任何关系。“我没有 ChatGPT。我没有另一个。我还没有

对阿尔卡拉斯的质疑增加

卡洛斯·阿尔卡拉斯因持续的手腕伤势退出了辛辛那提公开赛，这让人们对他在本月美国公开赛卫冕前的身体状态产生了新的质疑。

这位七次大满贯冠军自4月退出巴塞罗那公开赛第二轮以来一直未能参赛，但他原计划在辛辛那提的ATP Masters 1000赛事中回归，他去年赢得了该项赛事。阿尔卡拉斯未能卫冕法网冠军并缺席了温网，尽管这位23岁的西班牙选手在过去几周发布了训练视频，暗示他已接近回归。

8月23日开始的温斯顿-塞勒姆公开赛将是阿尔卡拉斯在美网前积累比赛经验的最后机会，不过这位世界第二尚未表明是否打算参加这项ATP 250赛事。美国公开赛将于8月30日开赛。路透社

使用了太多AI生成的东西。我在逆流而行。我仍然在使用谷歌搜索，”他说。

2017年法网冠军叶莲娜·奥斯塔彭科表示，她对ChatGPT的看法受到了她听过的一个荒诞故事的影响。“有人去某个国家，他们认为不需要签证。然后他们去了，结果被困在机场，因为ChatGPT告诉他们不需要签证，但实际上是需要的。所以，我不想冒犯ChatGPT，但我仍然认为你必须自己核实事情。因为它让我们变得懒惰。这不是一件好事。”

奥斯塔彭科确实使用ChatGPT，但仅在由于太懒而不想自己搜索时才使用。“我没有购买Plus版本，因为我不想支付€20，”她笑着说。“不是因为我……显然我付得起。只是为了促使我自己多做一些，而不是让ChatGPT帮我做事。”

懒惰是部分球员轻视AI的共同原因，包括梅德韦杰夫。“总的来说我不喜欢AI，”他说。“因为即使我有时是个有点懒的人，但我确实认为我们有时需要亲自动手。有了AI，感觉很多人将只会坐在沙发上，通过AI来生活。我认为这并不美好。”

对于其他人，比如大坂直美来说，AI的环境成本让他们犹豫。“我听说它消耗大量的水，而我喜欢地球上现有的水，”她说。高芙表示赞同：“AI，我认为它很酷，但我也不喜欢它对环境造成的影响，所以我不想在上面浪费我的点击。”

“上一次我不得不使用AI是因为紧急情况，因为我们要去医院，”她微笑着说，随后赶紧澄清自己的话。“但不是为了我！是为了我的朋友。”

还有一些人会咨询它。安德烈斯库说她对这个主题产生了浓厚兴趣，听了无数关于AI的播客。“我尽量不过分痴迷，因为它会控制我们的生活，”她说。“你可以问它任何事情，谈论任何事情，它不会顶嘴。它会问你问题，并且看起来对你谈论的内容很感兴趣。”

伊加·斯维亚特克在解释她如何使用AI时腼腆地笑了。“它有时帮我写邮件，”她说。与此同时，埃琳娜·斯维托丽娜在解释她最后一次给ChatGPT的指令时大笑起来。“什么样的颜色最适合我，”她说，咯咯地笑着。“结果是柔和的色彩。冷夏色。”

最重要的是，不确定性主导了更衣室。蒂亚福长期以来以对生活随遇而安的态度著称，但在AI这个问题上，他像个古板的人。“我就是无法接受它。我看向窗外。在我的后院，那里有一个高尔夫球场，没有人坐在座位上[而它在]给整个球场除草。我很挣扎：这不可能是现实，”他戏剧性地摇着头说。“在某个时刻我会[接纳AI]，但我不喜欢这么多信息。这简直太疯狂了。”

---

体育

▼ 德米·沃勒林（左）击败挑战者赢得第四赛段 英国WALLENSTTY IMAGES

自行车 环法女子自行车赛

沃勒林突破终结费朗-普雷沃的争冠希望

杰里米·惠特尔 博若莱-昂-贝尔维尔

保琳·费朗-普雷沃在博若莱葡萄园中失去了对环法女子赛冠军头衔的防守，这位法国车手与竞争对手德米·沃勒林、马琳·罗伊瑟和卡西亚·涅维亚多马之间的差距进一步扩大。

联盟式橄榄球 欧洲超级联赛接近获得足以改变局面的 NRL 支持

亚伦·鲍尔

由于一项开创性协议与欧洲超级联赛达成协议的可能性即将敲定，NRL 官员已抵达英格兰与各俱乐部举行会谈；与此同时，该赛事的两家巨头——威根勇士队和沃灵顿狼队确认，他们将领衔 2027 年前往都柏林的客场周末活动。

联盟式橄榄球的两大顶级俱乐部赛事在今年大部分时间里一直在讨论一项协议，根据该协议， 将向欧洲超级联赛投入巨额资金，同时取得权威控制权，旨在改变其长期前景。这项投资还将确保俱乐部的财务安全。

在今年的比赛中，三位顶尖车手在蒙布鲁伊山的最后陡坡处脱离了大集团，2023 年环法冠军沃勒林在冲刺中击败了总成绩领先者罗伊瑟，夺得了她职业生涯的第四个环法赛段冠军。

“今天的比赛真的很酷，”沃勒林说，“团队中的每一位车手都参与其中，我最享受这样的胜利。这更加特别且美好，因为你是和大家一起完成的。我知道卡西亚会提前发力，因为她总是这样，我也知道马琳会冒险。我只需要尝试，并且我倾尽了全力。我需要终点直道上的每一米。”

两项赛事在敲定广播细节期间暂停了谈判； 刚刚完成了一项 845亿 (628亿) 的版权交易，而欧洲超级联赛预计将在下周确认其新版广播协议的形态。

但 现在已将对欧洲超级联赛的投资列为 No 1 优先事项。《卫报》获多家俱乐部告知，他们已接待了来自澳大利亚的官员访问，或预计在未来几天内迎来访问。

欧洲超级联赛的高级官员罗德里·琼斯表示：“我们非常有信心在接下来的七天内与 取得重大进展。我们从五月起就与他们接触，但他们现在已经完成了电视协议，所以我可以说，感觉我们是他们的首要任务。”

威根和沃灵顿长期以来一直主张引入澳大利亚的投资和治理。勇士队的首席执行官克里斯·拉德林斯基在宣布明年 4 月 24 日在伦斯特 RDS 体育场与沃灵顿进行都柏林对决时，再次强调了这种支持。当被问及威根是否支持 协议时，拉德林斯基说：“100%。我们从一开始就支持。他们在 所做的一切都太棒了。我认为这是这项运动一个重要几个月的开始”。

在从马孔到博若莱-昂-贝尔维尔这段起伏不平的赛段中，费朗-普雷沃的环法之旅分崩离析。她状态下滑的迹象早在第三赛段就已出现，随后在周二的第四赛段个人计时赛中表现乏力。

比赛的第五天无可辩驳地证实了她的脆弱性。“我认为已经无法挽回了，”她在谈到与竞争对手之间 5 分钟的差距时说道。

当沃勒林、罗伊瑟和涅维亚多马从蒙布鲁伊山向终点下降时，费朗-普雷沃

英格兰橄榄球联合会渴望更多利用特威克纳姆球场

➤ 接自封底页

法国和新西兰。该联合会还指出了自新冠疫情以来财务状况的稳定，以及对战略增长计划的持续投资。

英格兰在今年的六国赛中仅举办了两场主场测试赛，而预期的 1000 万英镑m 损失表明了其对特威克纳姆球场男子比赛的依赖，这些比赛约占该联合会收入的 85%。

英格兰橄榄球联合会内部人士坚称，“轻量化的赛程”比英格兰在六国赛中的失败更为关键。因此，英格兰橄榄球联合会在 6 月向里士满议会提交了规划申请，以允许在特威克纳姆球场举办更多音乐会，试图将其最大资产的收入最大化。

英格兰橄榄球联合会正着手实施其 £66mn 的体育场改造计划，但希望到 2029. 年将非体育类体育场活动的数量增加到 8 场——在最多 15 天内举行。目前，特威克纳姆球场

仍在艰难地攀爬陡坡，双腿沉重如铅。如果说她在计时赛中的表现令人不安，那么她在葡萄园中的溃败则是彻底的。

在令人失望的计时赛之后，“PFP”反弹的梦想在杜比克斯山口（Col de Dubuix）残酷的山坡上被彻底粉碎，2025 年的冠军在 Vollering 猛烈的加速中被甩在身后。

随着领先小组进一步领先，Ferrand-Prévot 的冠军卫冕在博若莱（Beaujolais）下午的酷热中崩塌。她现在能期待的最好结果是一个赛段冠军。

与此同时，关于周二对车手非法使用胸部填充物以改善空气动力学的审查争议仍在继续，在车手工会 CPA 发布声明，要求此类检查应以“专业且尊重的方式进行，充分保障每位车手的尊严和隐私”之后，讨论愈发激烈。

声明补充说，这是为了“防止任何误解、争议或不愉快的情况”。

初步报告称，填充物检查将由一名女性赛事裁判员执行，然而弗拉芒媒体播放的画面显示，一名男性裁判员在公众视野中进行了初步检查。

不过，对非法空气动力学增强的担忧似乎是有根据的，参加女子环法赛的 Ma Petite Entreprise 车队体育总监、前双项运动世界冠军 Gaei Le Bellec 承认了这一点。

“我在女性选手中从未听说过这件事，”他说，“但我知道三项全能运动员尤其会在胸前的骑行服下放置 bidons [水壶] 以减少空气动力学阻力。”

今天 第 6 赛段 Montbrouilly Tournon-sur-Rhône 15.2.46m，丘陵地带 电视 TNT Sports 1 / HBO Max, 2.30pm

仅被允许举办三场。英格兰橄榄球联合会举办更多音乐会的计划将耗资高达 200 万英镑m，里士满议会预计将在 10 月做出决定。英格兰橄榄球联合会的计划在去年 9 月遇到了障碍，当时议会的许可委员会决定活动数量应维持在三场。

截至 2027 年的财政年度预计对该联合会来说将更加繁荣，但截至 2028, 年的年度将是四年周期中最糟糕的一年，因为考虑到 2027 年世界杯，澳大利亚赛事的相关成本以及无法在特威克纳姆球场举行秋季国际赛。

在截至 2024, 年的年度中，英格兰橄榄球联合会公布了 3790 万英镑m 的创纪录运营亏损，同时披露了 Sweeney 长期激励计划奖金的细节，这使其薪水达到了 110 万英镑m，并在英格兰整个橄榄球界引发愤怒，最终导致 2025 年 3 月召开特别股东大会。

与此同时，阿根廷飞翼 Tomás Albornoz 因在球队于极具争议的 Nations Championship 输给英格兰后承认行为不端，被禁赛四场，将缺席对阵南非和澳大利亚的测试赛。

结果

足球

欧冠联赛

第三轮资格赛：首回合 4GP 2 Salish 1；free循环 2 3 turn G12 0

欧联杯

第三轮资格赛：首回合 1eroccass 1 Gornit 0

欧协联

第三轮资格赛：首回合 4G 2 Salish 1；free循环 2 3 turn G12 0

周一欧冠联赛

第二轮资格赛：下一轮决赛 4J 2 Brandy 0；Apollon 2 Cram 3（90分钟后 3-1，Cram 通过点球 4-2 获胜）；Austin 4 Home 3 Haplak Split 2；Boxer 3 Minnema 0；El Kordah 0 Dinaria Nicosia 0；Feroccass 2 Park 3 (art)；Salita 1 Nuno 2；Normandy 4 Apollon 0；Juventus 0；Torricelli 1；Sharks 1；Frennhöfer 1；Rapp 4 Ripp 1；Man 1；Fina / Lamberto 3（90分钟后 3-1）；3M (sawm 4 TSC 0；Rattay Island 0 HR 2；5N 2 PSV 3；Slavia Prague 1 Ramp 1；2（90分钟后 3-1）；Sporting 3 Sucklers 0；St.Palme 4；7R Room 3；Viterengo 0 Madrid 1；Wigan 1；Sport 4 Ripsco 2

板球

第二场测试赛（五场中的前四场）

Pippin West Indies 3A4 LP Groners 73, 76；Chant 70；Sagittown 4 8TS 8 17（East Man 4-12, All Genes 4-18）；Pakistan 3GP Abdullah Shufique 5Nins；Babar Azam 86；Kase Awan 55；JA Marrion 6-12 / 2 8-7 7-2；Pakistan 以 8 个 wicket 击败 West Indies（两场系列赛 8 领先 1-1）。

首场男子一日国际赛

总体：Income & Afghanistan 比赛取消，雨

男子百球赛

Old Northend Men's 4vs 1 / 3-4 (8 / 8) (low) 7 / 2；Manchester Super Giants 1 / 6-1 (71, Sefton 6 / 24), JC Battles 5 / 1-6；Manchester Super Giants 以 9 个 wicket 获胜。Trent Bridge Birmingham 1 / 11-0 (3M Caste 6 / 2)。Trent Rockets 1 / 16-1。 Rockets 以 7 个 wicket 获胜。

女子百球赛

Old Northend Manchester 8 / 5-9 (GP Prendergast 4-18)；Belsh Fire 88-7。Belsh Fire 以 3 个 wicket 击败 Giants。 Bridge Birmingham 1 / 27-7 (St.Clark 4-20)。 Rockets 1 / 14-4 (5M Sackles 4-2)。 以 6 个 wicket 获胜。

男子 Metro Bank 一日杯

第三场 Spring 2R0 (95 Point 7), 2P Gibbs 5 / 3；Kent 191 (JR Daily 51, 7E Lewis 4-40)。Spring 以 95 跑击败 Kent。(Hills Road Hampshire 2 / 9 (JR Lehman 68, 8℃ Brown 58) Glamorgan 173 (IT Laxndon 4-40)。Hants 以 90 跑获胜。

网球

ATP 国家银行公开赛（加拿大蒙特利尔）

第二轮：N.Burges (Fiv) 1st TBI (Chimera (Aeg) 6-4 0-2；Z.Berge (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2；J.Penema (Del) 6-3；Taitama () 7-6 (T) 7-5；M.Burman () 6-4；Vashneet () 1-6 6-3 6-3；L.Moartis () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A.Moartis () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1

BROWN () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1st 5 () 6-4 0-2；A. () 1

自行车

环法女子赛

第五赛段 (Mec en-Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 14 / 8km) 2 0 Vollering (Nettl) 7G1 (Hertel 4up) 2R 5 (Inter 3 Acc; 2 0V Ancon (Soc) Monbon 2 0V Bonadomo-Phinney (Piel) Carrano (Sion) 2 0V Lone (Irec. 2 0V Vollering 2 0V Ancon (Soc) 2 0V 2 0V () 2 0V 2 0V () 2 0V 2 0V () 2 0V 2 0V () 2 0V 2 0V

[...OMITTED...]

赛程

足球 (7-4) (基于胜场数)

Cambler Cup

第一轮：Bristol City v Wiskall

欧联杯

第三轮资格赛：首回合 8er0s v Hivets (Spel)；Wigan 4 (Swan) v Bristle (Spel)；Jagiellon 4 (Rapp) ()；Natt 5 v Jekem 4 (Swan) v Natt 5 ()；Lincsh Red Imps v Dinaria Nicosia ()；Biscade 7 () v USA 6 ()；Paris v Ambroise 16 ()；8 () v 5 ()；8 () v 5 ()；8 () v 5 ()；8 () v 5 ()；8 () v 5 ()；8 () v 5 ()；8 () v 5 ()；8 () v 5 ()

第三轮资格赛：首回合 (Invisited) 4J0s v Shalassana ()；M.Burman v Whittington 4 () v Whittington 4 ()；4 () v Whittington 4 ()

自行车

第三轮：Nibs

Lander Spirit v W1 (Lander, Lord's 0.30pm)

第三轮：Wintons

Lander Spirit v W1 (Lander, Lord's 15pm)

橄榄球联盟

贝尔法斯特超级联赛 St Helens v Wall 51 ()

贝尔法斯特女子超级联赛 St Helens v Wigan (5.15pm)

Greg Wood 的赛马预测

Showmaker 2.20 Stormy Music 2.55 Lord Rappin 1.30 Clydeus 4.00 Chris Black 4.55 High Flow (stl) 2.20 Longs Linder Brothers 2.30 Spirited Dance 3.13 The Monkey King 1.50 Alternative 4.25 Nimo Gold 4.55 Caarney's Phew 1.30 Just Jump Sanders 1.00 Downside 1.20 Worked 6.13 First Law 4.40 Intercept 7.25 Ice Lights (for 1 / 2pt) 7.50 Aircord Southend 1.50 Dutilation 5.34 Ecology 6.08 Handrace 6.41 Southern 7.16 McArthur 7.55 Lord Of Jump 8.26 Cloth Of Gold 9.00 Lure Cheshire 5.20 First Sorrion 5.45 Downsmen and not 6.30 Mar's Legacy 7.05 Seventy Blue 7.40 Companion's Star 8.15 Hollander Beach

---

10

体育 足球

▼ Jamshedpur 上赛季在印度顶级联赛 14 支球队中排名第五，距离榜首仅差 4 分。图片由 ISL 提供

高尔夫

LIV 救援协议不大可能阻止名将退出巡回赛

Ewan Murray

LIV Golf 已获得一名“领投人”以确保其在 2030 年之前继续存在，尽管该协议不大可能阻止一批知名球员在今年年底前离队。

首席执行官 Scott O'Neil 昨日公布了该巡回赛“下一代”的基本计划，但拒绝透露该业务的新出资人。在沙特阿拉伯公共投资资金撤资后，O'Neil 一直在与时间赛跑以挽救他的业务。

“我们非常幸运，一名领投人已经签署了经我们董事会批准的条款清单，这将支撑并资助 的未来发展，”O' 表示。“这对我们来说是非常好的消息。目前，我们将交易细节、投资者以及你们可能想了解的第二阶段的大部分内容对媒体保密。”

预计这一方案将在 8 月底前具体化，包括 2027. 年谁将在 参赛的详细名单。当被问及该交易的达成是否会保护 2027 赛季时，O' 说：“以及 28 和 29 和 30。”他坚称该投资者是一位“有分量”的人物。

虽然通常 的高尔夫球手在公开场合没有谈论重返 PGA Tour 的潜在途径——部分原因是合同约束——但人们普遍认为，由 O' 出于必要而主导的环境变化将引发巨大变革。自 2021 年成立以来， 经常以数亿美元的资金诱导高尔夫球手离开 PGA Tour。

当被直接问及 的两位明星球员 Bryson DeChambeau 和 Jon Rahm 的未来时，O' 表示：“我对 Jon Rahm 和 Bryson DeChambeau 充满信心。我认为如果我说他们不仅仅是地球上最伟大、最优秀的两位高尔夫球手，那就太失职了，而且我认为他们是体育界最顶尖的明星，更不用说高尔夫界了。[我]当然希望他们能继续这段旅程，因为他们在该运动中的影响力可能超过任何人，我对此充满期待。”

钢铁巨头在解散俱乐部后令印度联赛陷入混乱

塔塔集团对贾姆谢德普尔的“腹部重击”使即将到来的联赛赛季陷入新的动荡

John Duerden

“请不要让这成为贾姆谢德普尔足球俱乐部的终场哨声，”后卫普拉蒂克·乔杜里（Pratik Chaudhari）对着镜头说道，队友们在旁边沮丧地看着。“我们想代表所有球员说，请重新考虑这件事。因为如果这真的发生了，这不仅是印度足球的损失……这对整个印度来说都是巨大的损失。”

此外，这家印度超级联赛俱乐部的球迷们举行了抗议游行，请愿书也被发起，印度足球传奇人物苏尼尔·切特里（Sunil Chhetri）表示这是一次“腹部重击”，并与他人一起请求重新考虑。

所有这些请求的目标是贾姆谢德普尔的所有者塔塔钢铁公司（Tata Steel），该公司出人意料地在 7 月 31 日终止了对该俱乐部的支持。在 2025-26 赛季经历了一系列问题——该赛季推迟了五个月才开始，且仅持续了 13 场比赛——之后，原定于 9 月 4 日开启的新赛季本应是一个新的开始。新赛季之前的积极情绪和乐观态度，尽管十分脆弱，但随着 JFC 的消失而烟消云散。

对于球员、员工和球迷，以及整个联赛来说，这都是一个沉重的打击。贾姆谢德普尔拥有坚实的支持，并在俱乐部成立五年后的 2022 年赢得了 ISL 盾杯。史蒂夫·科佩尔（Steve Coppell）是首任主教练，随后斯科特·库珀（Scott Cooper）、艾迪·布思罗伊德（Aidy Boothroyd）和欧文·考尔（Owen Coyle）均接任其职。

Inventive Sports 的巴尔蒂特·里哈尔（Baltit Rihal）是将科佩尔带到这个位于东部贾坎德邦（Jharkhand）城市的经纪人。“坦率地说，在印度足球过去几个赛季面临的所有不确定性之后，贾姆谢德普尔足球俱乐部是我最没料到会退出的一批俱乐部之一，”他告诉卫报。

该俱乐部由塔塔集团（Tata Group）创立，该集团数十年来一直参与印度足球。“当一个拥有如此历史的机构决定它不能再在最高水平上维持下去时，这说明了这项运动现状的一个非常严重的问题，”里哈尔说。

该联赛还失去了一个主要的企业支持者，但该支持者坚持认为，这一决定与金钱无关。“在塔塔钢铁，体育活动从未通过损益视角来评估，”公司副总裁兼俱乐部主席孙达拉·拉马姆（Sundara Ramam）表示。

“我们的体育预算并没有减少。它将继续增长。这一决定是由我们希望更集中地关注基层发展而驱动的，而非出于财务考量。”

然而，如果其他俱乐部效仿，那么年轻人才可能就没有太多的专业晋升路径。这次事件再次让该联赛成为了焦点。在俱乐部发给全印度足球协会（AIFF）的最初信函中，表达了对 ISL 财务模式的担忧，该模式近期发生了变化。信实工业（Reliance Industries）

‘在近期所有不确定性之后，他们是我最没料到会退出的一批俱乐部之一’

从 2010 年起一直是该协会的商业合作伙伴，但当该协议在 2025 年到期时，双方没有达成新协议，也未找到新合作伙伴，因此导致了赛季缩短。

这一次，AIFF 负责治理和行政，而俱乐部承担商业和营销方面的工作。“旧模式意味着俱乐部在联赛如何包装和销售方面几乎没有发言权，”果阿足球俱乐部（Goa FC）首席执行官拉维·普斯卡尔（Ravi Puskar）上个月表示。

“现在，俱乐部直接持有广播权和赞助权。这把提升联赛商业价值的动力交到了那些对其增长投入最深的人手中。”

贾姆谢德普尔的一名工作人员告诉卫报，这一决定是因为对新安排的担忧。“我认为塔塔对俱乐部主导的模式不感兴趣，”他说。“这需要四年的承诺，且 AIFF 要求所有 14 家俱乐部在 7 月 31 日前支付约 £43,000 的初始款项。塔塔可能认为，与其被拖入未知的领域，不如现在停止。”

这是一个令人担忧的退出，因为这并非近期印度足球界唯一的企业撤离。“信实工业（Reliance）退出其核心角色具有重大意义，”里哈尔（Rihal）表示。“城市足球集团（City Football Group）离开孟买城足球俱乐部是另一个警告。”那件事发生在12月，正值上赛季问题频发期间。“塔塔（Tata）现在从贾姆谢德普尔足球俱乐部（Jamshedpur FC）撤出感觉又有所不同，因为该集团在印度足球中有着根深蒂固的历史。这些撤离虽然原因各异，但共同代表了对职业比赛信心的重大丧失。”

人们担心其他人可能会效仿，如果所有剩余的 13 家俱乐部都能开启新赛季，人们将会感到某种宽慰。“印度足球可以恢复，但我们不应低估挑战的规模，”里哈尔说。

“现在的首要任务必须是受影响的人员，其次是尽快明确联赛的结构和未来。球员、工作人员和支持者不能继续在一次又一次的不确定性中生活。他们理应得到更好的对待。”

人们仍然希望塔塔能够重新考虑。“我明白体育领域的一些艰难决定取决于董事会认为什么才合理，”切特里（Chhetri）说。“但我只能请求并希望塔塔的智囊团能选择情感而非理智，重新考虑这一决定。这可能是一个糟糕的商业决定，但将是此时印度足球最需要的决定。”

Women's Super League

奥利德获得曼联教练“梦想”职位

汤姆·加里

埃娃·奥利德在签署了一份直到2028年且包含一年续约选项的两年合同后，将被任命为曼彻斯特联队女足主教练描述为梦想成真。这位西班牙教练将接替马克·斯金纳，后者的突然离职发生在周一。

奥利德在五年的任期内带领哈茨队在上赛季夺得了她们首个苏格兰女子超级联赛冠军，期间她监督了一个显著的进步时期。

这位40岁教练的到来正值

据了解，曼联正优先考虑培养本土球员，而非支付高额转会费。

俱乐部在一份声明中表示：“奥利德的任命标志着曼彻斯特联队女足一个令人兴奋的新时代的开始，俱乐部正致力于实现长期、可持续增长和成功的清晰愿景。”

“为了进一步支持本土天才、年轻球员以及资深国脚的发展，并建立清晰的足球身份，重要的基础已经奠定。俱乐部已对青训基础设施和设施进行了重大投资，强调了建立全国领先的青少年发展系统的雄心。”

奥利德昨天在俱乐部网站上表示：“有机会成为曼彻斯特联队女足的主教练是梦想成真。我们的阵容中已经拥有如此多的才华，我很高兴能与球员们一起工作，支持他们发挥出巨大的潜力。”

---

●●●

11

吉马良斯离队，贾斯勒赞赏“清晰愿景”

路易丝·泰勒

布鲁诺·吉马良斯准备离开纽卡斯尔在西班牙南部的季前训练营，在以 7500 万英镑 转会至阿森纳之前飞往伦敦。在两家俱乐部就转会费达成妥协后，这位即将离队的纽卡斯尔队长计划在北伦敦接受体检。

虽然阿森纳最初希望为这位将于 11 月年满 29 岁且合同还剩两年的巴西中场支付不超过 6000 万英镑 的费用，但纽卡斯尔要求至少 8000 万英镑。

在今年夏天分别将安东尼·戈登和桑德罗·托纳利出售给巴塞罗那和托特纳姆后，纽卡斯尔并没有出售吉马良斯的必要，并且更希望留住这位在 2025 年联赛杯夺冠中发挥关键作用的球员。

自从这位巴西人于 2022, 1 月从里昂加盟以来，纽卡斯尔在没有吉马良斯在场的情况下很难赢得比赛。在他 153 场联赛出场中，他打入 30 球，贡献 26 次助攻，并且随着埃迪·豪的前任球队两次获得欧冠资格，他成为了深受球迷喜爱的球员。

失去吉马良斯可能会给纽卡斯尔球迷带来的打击，

比去年亚历山大·伊萨克投奔利物浦时还要沉重。不过，吉马良斯在豪上周卸任主教练之前就决定加入阿森纳。

这位巴西人于周一飞往拉曼加与俱乐部新任主教练马蒂亚斯·贾斯勒会面，但据了解，他告诉贾斯勒他想离开，且无法被说服改变主意。据信这次分手是友好的，与去年夏天伊萨克不欢而散的离开形成鲜明对比。

在正式宣布新任主教练接替豪之时，这提供了一个不受欢迎的背景。在最终敲定从沙特阿拉伯球队艾尔-阿赫利转会而来后，贾斯勒将纽卡斯尔描述为“一个极其吸引人的地方”。

“当纽卡斯尔联向你招手时，你会注意到，”他说。“俱乐部的雄心、对未来的愿景以及未来的机遇，

▲ 新任主教练马蒂亚斯·贾斯勒：“我的球队建立在团结之上”

使这里成为了一个极其吸引人的地方。我对未来感到无比兴奋。”

“我完全且毫无保留地相信这个项目，以及俱乐部所采取的雄心和方向。这里有清晰的愿景、强大的领导力以及一个卓越的建设平台。”

在豪的执教下，纽卡斯尔的格言是“强度就是我们的身份”，而贾斯勒暗示他将走类似的道路。“我的球队建立在团结、努力工作以及每天进步的热情之上，”这位德国教练说。

“我相信这支球队以及整个足球俱乐部内部拥有巨大的潜力。我将投入全部的承诺和全部的精力，为纽卡斯尔带来进一步的成功。”

纽卡斯尔首席执行官大卫·霍普金森对贾斯勒能够振兴这家上赛季在英超联赛中仅获得令人失望的第 12 名的俱乐部充满信心。“马蒂亚斯是足球界最令人兴奋且备受推崇的年轻教练之一，我很高兴欢迎他来到纽卡斯尔，”他说。

UNIT BERTAU REUTERS

萨拉被围堵 数百名球迷在现场迎接抵达伊斯坦布尔的穆罕默德·萨拉，他身着特拉布宗体育球衣，准备敲定加盟这家土超联赛球队的转会。俱乐部在社交媒体上发布了一段这位前利物浦前锋的视频，他在视频中说：“特拉布宗，准备好了吗？很快见。”

穆德里克回归但切尔西不敌尤文图斯

哈维·阿隆索对米哈伊洛·穆德里克在禁药禁令后“充满情感”的回归表示赞赏。在昨天于香港举行的一场友谊赛中，这位边锋在切尔西队中近两年来首次出场，球队最终 1-0 负于尤文图斯。

穆德里克在第 82 分钟替补尼古拉斯·杰克逊登场，赢得了启德体育公园 43,575 名观众中切尔西球迷的响亮欢呼。

这位乌克兰国脚自 2024 年 11 月以来尚未参加过任何正式比赛，在检测出禁药美多美多（meldonium）的“不利结果”后被临时禁赛。

▲ 乌克兰人米哈伊洛·穆德里克自 2024 年 11 月起未再参赛

然而，这位 25 岁的球员在与足球协会解决该案件后，被批准恢复比赛。尽管在左路有一次活跃的短暂亮相，但穆德里克未能阻止尤文图斯拿走胜利，后者凭借科索沃国脚埃登·热格罗瓦在下半场的一记精彩进球获胜。

“真心为他感到高兴。看到他回归，俱乐部里的每个人都深受触动，”阿隆索在谈到穆德里克时表示。切尔西的联赛赛季将于 8 月 24 日在对阵富勒姆的比赛中开始。

阿森纳因防守失误而付出代价，在都柏林的 Aviva 体育场的一场友谊赛中 3-1 不敌皇家贝蒂斯。

这支英超冠军在半场内先后被罗德里戈·里克尔梅和尼尔森·德奥萨破门而落后。尽管枪手通过皮耶罗·因卡皮耶扳回一球，但巴勃罗·福纳莱斯在休息时间前为贝蒂斯攻入了第三球。综合通讯社

皇马就£115m的迪奥曼德交易达成一致，但旨在留住维尼修斯

Ed Aarons

皇家马德里已与RB莱比锡就延·迪奥曼德（Yan Diomande）达成一项俱乐部纪录的1.35亿欧元 (1.15 亿英镑.7m) 转会费协议，并在向这位巴西前锋提供一份改良合同后，有信心抵御阿森纳对维尼修斯·儒尼尔（Vinícius Júnior）的兴趣。

经过数周的谈判，巴黎圣日耳曼在竞争中退出，关于迪奥曼德的交易于昨天下午最终达成。这位19岁的球员去年夏天从莱加内斯加盟这家德国球队，并在世界杯上代表科特迪瓦大放异彩。据了解，马德里将支付€125m的初始费用，外加€10m的附加条款，总额将超过这家西班牙球队在2023, 签下朱德·贝林厄姆时支付给多特蒙德的费用（据信包括附加条款在内最高达1.34亿欧元）。

莱加内斯将从任何转会中获得5%的分成费。这位青少年在被以2000万欧元 (1740 万英镑m) 卖给莱比锡之前，仅在他们的一线队出场10次。迪奥曼德周三被拍到抵达位于奥地利的莱比锡季前训练营，预计他将签署一份直到2031年的合同，并成为历史上最昂贵的非洲球员，超过阿森纳在2019年花费在尼古拉斯·佩佩身上的7200万欧元。

他的即将到来被认为与维尼修斯是否留在西班牙首都没有关系。这位巴西人及其代表公司Roc Nation昨天与马德里官员就续约进行了谈判，而如果他决定离开，阿森纳则在旁等待。

据了解，米克尔·阿尔特塔的球队准备为这位合同剩余不足一年的26岁球员支付超过1 亿英镑m。但尽管有报道称维尼修斯拒绝了马德里的最新合同报价，但据了解，在西班牙消息人士描述为积极的谈判之后，他现在正在权衡一份更接近

于每赛季€30m的改良协议。维尼修斯周二表示，在世界杯后返回季前训练后，马德里新任主教练若泽·穆里尼奥希望他能“快乐、开朗地踢我的足球”。

阿森纳已就以7500 万英镑m签下其巴西队友、来自纽卡斯尔的布鲁诺·吉马良斯达成协议，据信如果维尼修斯选择与马德里续约，他们将探索进攻端其他选项。

巴塞罗那体育总监德科昨天与马德里竞技就朱利安·阿尔瓦雷斯进行了谈判，试图为这位阿根廷前锋达成交易，但阿森纳希望这位26岁的球员仍能被说服加盟。

阿森纳上个月在英格兰前锋摩根·罗杰斯以1.17 亿英镑m的英国纪录转会费加盟切尔西后错失了他，目前也被认为与巴黎圣日耳曼的布拉德利·巴尔科拉有关联，后者受到利物浦的青睐，且被欧洲冠军球队估价约为1.45 亿英镑m。

与此同时，在与丹麦球队北日兰就加纳中场卡莱布·伊伦基（Caleb Yirenkyi）达成7300 万英镑m的费用协议后，考文垂将在本转会窗口第四次打破其转会纪录。在世界杯上给人留下深刻印象的伊伦基的这笔交易，发生在考文垂已经花费近6000 万英镑m签下卢斯·查斯纳（Louth Chasna）、奥雷尔·阿门达（Aurele Amenda）和卡尔·拉什沃思（Carl Rushworth）之后。

---

体育 足球

▼ 詹尼·因凡蒂诺发现他对国际足联主席职位的掌控力正在下滑 DARRYL DYCK / CANADIAN PRESS / AP

如何修复国际足联

能做些什么来挽救这个陷入困境的管理机构？

詹尼·因凡蒂诺在世界杯争议之后，提出了令人厌恶的允许私人投资者进入的计划。保罗·麦金内斯探讨了足球领导者寻找前进道路的方法

将管理机构拆分

一个运营全球最大体育赛事的组织，怎么能同时又是制定整个运动规则的组织？在最近的世界杯上，我们看到了这种冲突的现实：国际足联为了给其赛事吸引更多关注，不顾其规则手册——无论是关于禁赛的时长还是半场休息的时间。一位对国际足联内部运作有深入了解的人这样描述：

“他们已经表明，为了赚更多钱，他们会扭曲规则。这是一个巨大的利益冲突。国际足联的商业部分和监管部分不仅应该分开，发展部分以及可能的一两个其他部分也应该分开。”

根据国际足联治理委员会前主席、现为该组织主要批评者之一的米格尔·马杜罗（Miguel Maduro）的说法，创建不同的法人实体——即使它们最终仍在其伞盖之下——将允许不同的优先级发挥作用。“这些实体之间必须建立‘中国墙’（防火墙），并且必须拥有不同的激励机制，”他说。“那些寻求最大化商业收入的人不应依赖于监管规则，而从事监管工作的人不应受到商业因素的影响。”

一名内部人士指出，因凡蒂诺夭折的“国际足联前行企业”（Fifa Forward Enterprise, FFE）计划本会创建这样的分离，“但其出发点完全错误”。

引入外部监管

如果希望一个新的国际足联——除了法院之外不对任何人负责——能够遵守其新规则，那么体育界最不吸引人的词汇可能是必要的。“变革需要从外部强加。它不会从内部发生，”马杜罗说。他与其他批评者持有共同信念，认为有必要创建一个类似于世界反兴奋剂机构（Wada）的新机构。该机构将就治理相关的规则追究体育组织的责任。

“足球领域流动的资金如此之多，很容易获得资金支持，”一名国际足联观察员说。问题在于这个新机构将在谁的赞助下创建。“一种方法是在欧盟层面采取行动，”马杜罗说。“其他国家也可以加入，例如英国，然后这可以演变成一个世界体育机构，旨在审查体育协会的伦理问题和合规性。”

在这种背景下，或许值得注意的是，领导抗议因凡蒂诺 FFE 计划的欧足联近年来一直在向布鲁塞尔靠拢。与此同时，另一个机构——欧洲联赛（European Leagues）已呼吁欧盟的执行机构欧洲委员会，就因凡蒂诺的另一项计划进行干预：将世界杯的参赛队伍从 48 支扩大到 64 支。

“变革需要从外部强加——它不会从内部发生”

该机构表示，委员会“应采取必要行动以保护公平竞争，并确保遵守欧盟法院已经制定的原则”。

削弱主席权力

正如 FFE 事件所证明的那样——整个计划显然是在因凡蒂诺办公室之外的所有人毫不知情的情况下设计的——国际足联主席拥有过大的权力。马杜罗表示：“主席本不应该控制行政部门，但后来他开始控制行政部门。接着，国际足联理事会本应该监督主席，并参与国会之外的真正重大决策，但他们并没有这样做。在政治层面本身，你需要制衡机制。”

关于限制行政权力的一项建议是

---

13

取消主席决定资金分配的权力。治理专家马克·皮斯（Mark Pieth）提出了另一个方案，他表示该方案曾由欧足联主席亚历山大·切费林提出。该方案将由国际足联六个洲级足联的负责人轮流担任主席。

“这不是一个离谱的想法，”皮斯说。“我是瑞士人，这种情况在我的国家就发生。七位部长轮流担任总统，但他们的任期仅为一年，而且谁是下一任总统很明确，因为他们按顺序轮换。其效果是没有人能变得真正强大。然后你会问自己，既然如此，国际足联主席为什么需要权力？他在那里的目的是为了组织事务。”

更高的透明度

对于希望就该世界组织现有承诺（如人权）追究国际足联责任的活动人士来说，决策过程以及现有申诉程序的缺乏透明度一直是长期令人沮丧的问题。

同样，国际足联如何处理其产生并分配给成员协会的资金也可能不透明。非营利组织 Fair Square 的董事兼联合创始人尼克·麦基汉（Nick McGeehan）经常遇到国际足联内部透明度的局限。“审计账目在哪里？”他问道。

“国际足联拥有一笔相当于许多大型开发机构的开发预算，但不仅在资金如何分配方面缺乏需求分析，而且完全没有审计证据。访问他们的网站，你可以找到各种关于资金支出的数据，但如果你真的想核实这些资金具体花在了哪里，那是不可能的。”

麦基汉指出，提高透明度还包括增加与媒体的互动。“看起来因凡蒂诺每四年才召开一次新闻发布会，”他说。“这显示出一种威权国家式的对媒体的不信任，以及随之而来的透明度缺失。”

重新思考发展

“国际足联是一个非营利组织——它赚的钱被重新投资于足球。”这句话在因凡蒂诺领导下成了一种准信条。在今年世界杯产生 $15 (1120 万英镑) 后，每个

▲ 欧足联的亚历山大·切费林曾提出一项轮流担任国际足联主席的计划

成员国预计在 2027 年至 2030 年之间收到 $8。但不仅在资金如何支出方面缺乏监督，分配本身的性质也值得质疑。

“问题在于‘一国一票’与‘给每个人相同金额的钱’相结合，”这位国际足联观察员说。“资金是按投票比例分配的，这完全错误，因为蒙特塞拉特和直布罗陀的需求与尼日利亚或印度截然不同。令人惊讶的是，他甚至没有尝试去微调这一点。”

这位批评者表示，由于资金既不按需求分配，也不由增加比赛参与度的战略目标决定，国际足联正在损害其自身目标。“如果根据结果来评判国际足联，那么现在的足球比 20 年前更以欧洲为中心。你可以扩大世界杯规模，这很容易。他们声称这是发展，但如果你深入研究细节，这可能产生负面影响。各协会将所有资金花在男子国家队和欧洲教练身上，而没有资金投入到基层或技术发展中。”

改变选举人团

持续向规模大小不一的协会输送资金，使因凡蒂诺在由211个成员协会负责人组成的选举人团中保持着人气。改变谁能参与国际足联决策，可能是实现更有效治理的另一种方式。

“每当我参加国际足联会议并环视圆桌时，我发现很少有人具有直接的球员经历，或者曾担任过教练或俱乐部高管，”一位足球界资深人士表示。“我看到很少有人真正了解足球的日常运作。”

国际足联选举人团中压倒性的男性构成是另一个与现实世界严重脱节的事实，而球迷们则像往常一样，没有被邀请参加这场盛宴。经常就足球社会责任问题与国际足联接触的政治顾问阿希什·普拉沙尔（Ashish Prashar）表示：“我们需要各联合会聚集在一起，成立一个新的实体，用服务于人民的价值观来巩固这项运动。该实体最重要的议题必须是球迷对足球的所有权。世界杯及其周边活动的决策过程应当让公众参与，无论是通过球迷团体、球迷大使还是球迷选举。”

对于马杜罗（Maduro）而言，选举人团的改变随后可以解锁进一步的进展。“目前国际足联存在投票集团，这造成了极高程度的投票控制，”他说。“你需要强制推行新的代表机制，并创造性地寻找解决方案，以引入那些至今缺席的人员。如果你能建立一个多样化的选举人团，其本身就会产生一种制衡机制，有助于在符合足球及其所有利益相关者利益的情况下，引导出更好的决策。”国际足联已被要求就此发表评论。

菲戈呼吁“欺骗性”的因凡蒂诺下台以“拯救足球”

埃德·亚伦斯 (Ed Aarons)

葡萄牙传奇球星路易斯·菲戈将吉安尼·因凡蒂诺试图向私人投资者出售世界杯股份的失败计划描述为“我所见过的最卑劣、最欺骗且最胆怯的自私行为”，并呼吁这位国际足联主席辞职。

在由欧足联领导的激烈抵制之后，因凡蒂诺被迫放弃了这一极具争议的提案。随着压力日益增大，这位56岁的领导人目前正为自己的前途而战，并于周三召集了国际足联员工的紧急会议。

周二，约旦足球协会主席阿里·本·侯赛因王子（Prince Ali bin al-Hussein）指责国际足联进行敲诈，称如果其协会拒绝支持主席的连任竞选，国际足联将威胁扣押对其协会的财政援助。此前，现任国际足联全球足球发展主管、前阿森纳主帅阿尔塞纳·温格发表声明，与该计划撇清关系，并称撤回该决定是“绝对必要且毫无疑问的”。

曾代表葡萄牙国家队出场127次的巴塞罗那和皇家马德里前边锋菲戈，现已加入批评的行列，并指责因凡蒂诺自2016年接任以来，“贬低了他承诺要提升的国际足联主席一职”。

▲ 路易斯·菲戈表示，他可以写出“10,000字来论述国际足联存在的问题”

主席在危机中寻求摩洛哥的慰藉

马特·休斯 (Matt Hughes)

在昨日于拉巴特与高级官员举行危机会谈后，詹尼·因凡蒂诺 (Gianni Infantino) 继续为自己的前途而战。这位承受压力的国际足联主席在参加了庆祝穆罕默德六世国王登基27周年的登基日庆典后，在摩洛哥度过了过去的一周，并将于明天飞往哥伦比亚，在卡利市参加该国新任总统阿贝拉尔多·德·拉·埃斯普里埃拉 (Abelardo de la Espriella) 的就职典礼。

因凡蒂诺在国际足联提议出售21%世界杯权益的风暴于上周爆发后，前往非洲和南美洲。这些足联是他最大的支持者。非洲足联和南美足联都没有加入由欧足联领导的反对“国际足联前行企业” (Fifa Forward Enterprise) 出售的反叛行动，并坚定地保持支持。

因凡蒂诺希望摩洛哥尤其能发挥关键的战略

“我可以写10,000字来讲述国际足联存在的问题。但解决方案只需要三个字：因凡蒂诺必须走人，”他在《每日邮报》中写道。

“他撒谎、欺骗，并试图以他本应服务的这项运动为代价来中饱私囊。他失去了高级职员、最亲密顾问、绝大多数致力于这项运动的人，甚至似乎连国际足联和平奖获得者 [唐纳德·特朗普 (Donald Trump)] 的支持也失去了。挽救他的尊严已经太迟，但挽救足球还来得及。他现在就应该离开。”

自2017年起担任欧足联足球顾问的菲戈指出，因凡蒂诺在试图强推私募股权交易时缺乏透明度——据报道，该交易将导致他的年薪增加至$30 a year——这进一步证明他不适合管理世界足球。

“当你把世界杯的领导权拱手送给你在华盛顿的朋友，而他们将给你一份薪水是你目前五倍的工作，却对此绝口不提，这是不诚实的，”他写道。

“考虑到他给足球声誉带来的种种侵害，这一切并不令人惊讶；从暂停并撤销纪律决定，到为了中场表演而破坏比赛规则，没有什么能阻碍他讨好朋友。”

作用，以激励中东地区对他提供支持，而中东很可能成为决定他得票数的关键战场。与非洲足联和南美足联不同，亚洲足联并不采取集体投票，这意味着如果明年总统选举中如预期出现竞争对手，因凡蒂诺将不得不游说个别国家以寻求支持。

《泰晤士报》报道称，因凡蒂诺已向摩洛哥保证，他们将在与西班牙和葡萄牙共同主办的2030年世界杯中举办决赛，以换取他们在游说其他国家方面的协助，尽管国际足联对此予以否认。

欧洲超级联赛谈判将关键利益相关者边缘化

➤ 接后页

据了解，他随后告诉其助手，他并不希望与足球机构作对。

然而，国际足联与欧洲超级联赛达成初步协议的证据，加上因凡蒂诺那场灾难性的“足球前行企业”（Football Forward Enterprise）计划，使这一断言受到质疑，并表明其多次尝试在不咨询最重要利益相关者的情况下重塑这项运动。该联赛将包含其永久成员以及从现有赛事中获得资格的五家俱乐部。它还承诺在不确定的日期前，利用相同的俱乐部创建一个相应的女子联赛。该条款清单将国际足联称为“WOr”，这同时也是英国军队中对高级军官的称呼。

在概述协议关键组成部分的一个章节中，文中提到欧洲超级联赛“愿意讨论将该赛事命名为 WOr SL”。它还确认国际足联将被“授予欧洲超级联赛的优先股权”，这将使其在赛制变更、赛程调整、团结金分配以及赛事首席执行官的任命方面拥有决策能力。

据了解，欧洲足球的高层对大幅缩减国际比赛日数量的计划感到震惊，该计划将其压缩为每年两次、每次为期两周的时间段。许多成员协会本周正被因凡蒂诺争取支持以挽救其任期，而他们可能会失去因国家队曝光度增加而带来的商业机会，并发现自己受制于一个私营的俱乐部赛事。

早前提案中的另一个要点还提到“减少联赛数量”作为一个讨论点。条款清单指出，由国际足联、欧洲超级联赛及“其他相关利益相关者”制定的“新国际比赛赛程”将在国际足联同意后进行审查并实施。

参加欧洲超级联赛的俱乐部将被要求加入世界足球俱乐部协会（WFCA），这是一个由皇家马德里主席弗洛伦蒂诺·佩雷斯在 2019. 年发起、但短期内便解散的代表机构。皇马是欧洲超级联赛计划的主要推动者，直到今年 2 月宣布与欧足联达成协议后才终止该项目。

国际足联与欧洲超级联赛提案的密切关系，增加了因凡蒂诺在 10 年任期内提出的私营支持风险投资的数量。2018 年，他极力推动日本机构软银（SoftBank）提出的 250亿美元 报价，旨在创建一个扩大的世俱杯和全球国家联赛。据了解，国际足联内部的亲密盟友曾警告他不要实施该计划，该计划在遭到欧洲反对后未能获得支持。

国际足联已被要求就此发表评论。

---

Demi 的冲刺 Vollering 在 第五赛段的三方 冲刺中获胜

第 39 页 →

未能过线 LIV 获得新资金 但球星的前景 依然不明朗

第 40 页 →

卫报 周四 8 月 6 日 2026 年

体育

“国际足联超级联赛”

因凡蒂诺讨论将 该全球机构的名称 加入到分裂联赛中

独家报道 Nick Ames

吉安尼·因凡蒂诺曾就将那场注定失败的欧洲分裂赛事重新命名为“国际足联超级联赛”进行过讨论，谈判进程甚至已经到了拟定协议条款清单（term sheet）的阶段，该协议本将改变欧洲足球的面貌。

这份条款清单的内容首次被完整披露，日期为2020年10月，建议将任何新赛事重新命名为国际足联品牌。它概述了因凡蒂诺政府在那个导致球迷广泛反感并在2021年4月将部分俱乐部排除在外的计划中所涉入的程度。它还揭示了国际足联准备在推动削减国际比赛日数量的计划中将其成员协会边缘化，并概述了全球足球管理机构将如何通过“黄金股”获得特殊的治理权和政治权利。

在足球界正因因凡蒂诺

继续战斗 国际足联表示主席 在危机会议后 将留任其职

第 43 页 → ★

取消将世界杯部分份额出售给私人投资者的计划而陷入混乱的一周里，该文件显示国际足联的领导层曾深度参与另一项试图将该运动的主要赛事置于公司控制之下的尝试。它设定了国际足联与欧洲超级联赛之间至少12年的合作伙伴关系，并提议成立一家合资企业来运行其商业运营。

该文件还建议，国际足联扩军后的俱乐部世界杯的一个版本（被称为“全球俱乐部赛事”）将在固定的三周期间每年举行一次，并与欧洲超级联赛直接挂钩。该赛事本将是一项纯淘汰赛，而非在2025年重新启动的分组赛版本。虽然条款清单规定新赛事必须经过国际足联年度大会和国际足联理事会的通过，但据了解，全球各地的足协被绕过了。

因凡蒂诺是参与该项目的多名国际足联员工之一，据了解他完全知晓项目的进展。条款清单称，创始俱乐部“希望就欧洲超级联赛与国际足联之间的合作伙伴关系达成条款”，从而创建这两项赛事。此前，分裂俱乐部向国际足联提交了一份初步提案（卫报也看到了该提案），勾勒了潜在协议的框架。虽然不具约束力，但条款清单通常是正式合同的前奏，这表明国际足联与欧洲超级联赛创建者之间的讨论在当时已接近尾声。

目前尚不清楚因凡蒂诺和国际足联在项目中的角色是否在条款清单阶段之后有所推进。在2021, 年4月该计划的一个版本在没有国际足联直接参与的情况下臭名昭著地启动，并最终在规模巨大的抗议后被废弃之后，因凡蒂诺在蒙特勒的欧足联大会上发表讲话，称他的组织“只能强烈反对欧洲超级联赛的创建”。多个消息来源表示，此前由第三方促成的与欧足联主席亚历山大·切费林的对话，加速了国际足联主席与这一新风险投资的切割。因凡蒂诺正

LEE SMITH / ACTION IMAGES / REUTERS

1000万英镑 RFU loss

在英格兰 六国赛失利之后

独家报道 Gerard Meagher

《卫报》可以透露，英格兰在六国赛中的最差表现，导致英格兰橄榄球联合会预计在截至 2026, 6 月的财政年度内将出现 1000万英镑 的亏损。

史蒂夫·博思威克（Steve Borthwick）监督了一场糟糕的赛季，英格兰在五场比赛中输掉了四场，确保了

在六国赛积分榜上排名第五，并且由于英格兰橄榄球联合会所描述的“极其令人失望”的比赛结果，导致奖金减少。

在获得亚一年后排名倒数第二，被该联合会认为是预期基础亏损 400 万英镑 和总净亏损 1000 万英镑 - 而前一年的基础利润为 800 万英镑 和总亏损为 200 万英镑。

英格兰橄榄球联合会首席执行官比尔·斯威尼（Bill Sweeney）坚称，尽管面临重大阻力，该联合会“继续按照我们的计划执行”，但如果去年 11 月没有在赛程中强行加入一场与澳大利亚的额外秋季赛，财务状况将会更糟。

在英格兰 3 月被意大利历史性地击败后，博思威克获得了一次有条件的信任投票，但在对六国赛赛季进行审查后，他得到了英格兰橄榄球联合会的支持。随后，球队遭遇了南非的一次令人沮丧的失败，之后又以压倒性优势击败了状态不佳的斐济队，并小胜阿根廷队。

英格兰橄榄球联合会坚称 1000 万英镑 的亏损代表了“财务表现的持续改善”，并将自 2024 以来赞助收入增长 50% 列为关键原因。该联合会准备宣布一项新协议，其中将有一家赞助商的标志印在英格兰球衣的背面，英格兰橄榄球联合会声称，届时它将拥有“世界橄榄球领域最高的赞助收入”，超越

It's Britain's biggest ever No 1

So why don't more people recognise Rein Me In?

News

Time at the bar? Is it the end of standing up in your local pub?

News

The Guardian

Thursday 6 August 2026 £3.50

From £2.40 for subscribers

Academic resigns amid plagiarism accusations

Jason Arday was facing new investigation by Cambridge University

Richard Adams Lanre Bakare

Jason Arday, the Cambridge professor accused of plagiarism and embellishment, has resigned after the university announced he was to face new investigations into his qualifications and career.

Arday, who had been dogged by a growing series of questions over his academic work and credentials, issued a statement last night, saying the "relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love".

In the statement, published on the Good Law Project website, he wrote: "It is with profound sadness that I write to resign, with immediate effect, from my position at the University of Cambridge and Jesus College. When I accepted the extraordinary honour of becoming

professor of sociology at Cambridge, it was, without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life."

But following days of detailed scrutiny of his previous work and statements highlighting apparent discrepancies, Arday said he had "concluded the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away".

The controversy comes as Simon & Schuster prepares to publish Arday's memoir this month, entitled Great and Unfortunate Things. Arday's resignation may pause or even halt its publication and planned publicity tours.

Cambridge had initially defended Arday - the youngest black professor appointed in the university's history, with a compelling life story of educational disadvantage - as "the victim of a vile campaign". But as questions multiplied over Arday's own claims, the university's leaders felt that Cambridge's reputation was in danger.

The Guardian published its own investigation uncovering discrepancies in Arday's public accounts involving prodigious fundraising feats as well as claims that he had been targeted by knife-wielding masked intruders.

Four injured in Covent Garden stabbing Police arrest a woman suspected of the attack in the central London tourist hotspot yesterday. News Page 7 →

Police find explosives in drone at Leipzig airport

Deborah Cole Berlin Andrew Roth Washington

Germany's interior minister warned that the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport yesterday marked "a new level of danger" for the country, as authorities

investigate whether the thwarted attack could have been planned by a foreign power.

The discovery of a small drone carrying explosives at the airport, an important shipping and military hub, set off alarm and caused flight diversions yesterday morning. German police deployed a bomb disposal

robot to defuse and destroy the explosive device.

Last night the interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said the incident did not appear to be the work of amateurs and investigators were treating it as part of a "professional hybrid threat scenario".

"We are dealing here with a competition that may also include foreign powers - this will be part of the investigations - who quite obviously want to contribute to considerable uncertainty in Germany," Dobrindt said.

A DHL cargo plane that had been forced to abort its

NHS told to prepare for annual heatwave crisis

Jessica Elgot Alexandra Topping Fiona Harvey

The NHS has been warned it must prepare for a potential annual summer crisis from extreme heat with the same pressures as winter

as heatwaves caused by the climate crisis become routine in Britain.

The health secretary, Yvette Cooper, said NHS staff were feeling pressures on accident and emergency departments that would normally only be expected during the flu season - and that the government would use major

PHOTOGRAPH: 10/2026

---

The Guardian Thursday 6 August 2026

Inside 06/08/26 Four sections every day

News and Sport

'Spy glasses' controversy Restaurants and pubs draw the line at Meta's gadgets, despite celebrity support Page 11

Journal Opinions and ideas

It was the season we all speed to love. But the climate crisis has stolen summer Rebecca Solnit Page 3

Life & Arts Features & interviews

'An exclusive is a failure' Fearless reporter Amy Goodman on censorship, dissent and magic moments Page 8

Save up to 36% with a subscription to the Guardian and the Observer Visit theguardian. com/paper-subs

Weather Page 36

Quick crossword Back of Life & Arts

Cartoon Journal, page 4

Cryptic crossword Back of Journal

Contact For missing sections please fill out the form at theguardian.com/missingsections or call 0800 829 100 For individual departments, call the Guardian web/abuse: 020 3353 2000. For the readers' safety: current, old, & cleftations on specific editorial content, call 020 3353 4736 To leave a voice message, or email guardian.maders@theguardian.com. Letters for publication should be sent to guardian.intern@theguardian.com.

Guardian News & Media, Kings Place, 50 York Way, London N1 6SU, 020 3353 2000. Fax 020 7817 2134. In Manchester: Centurion House, 129 Grange, Manchester M3 2NR. Telephone Sales: 020 7823 3000. The Guardian has also invited a party member, and is the only member of the other group members of the author. Beth Israel is the author of the following: 1st Hellenic newspapers, 2nd Hellenic newspapers, 3rd Hellenic newspapers, 4th Hellenic newspapers, 5th Hellenic newspapers, 6th Hellenic newspapers, 7th Hellenic newspapers, 8th Hellenic newspapers, 9th Hellenic newspapers, 10th Hellenic newspapers, 11th Hellenic newspapers, 12th Hellenic newspapers, 13th Hellenic newspapers, 14th Hellenic newspapers, 15th Hellenic newspapers, 16th Hellenic newspapers, 17th Hellenic newspapers, 18th Hellenic newspapers, 19th Hellenic newspapers, 20th Hellenic newspapers, 21st Hellenic newspapers, 22nd Hellenic newspapers, 23rd Hellenic newspapers, 24th Hellenic newspapers, 25th Hellenic newspapers, 26th Hellenic newspapers, 27th Hellenic newspapers, 28th Hellenic newspapers, 29th Hellenic newspapers, 30th Hellenic newspapers, 31st Hellenic newspapers, 32nd Hellenic newspapers, 33rd Hellenic newspapers, 34th Hellenic newspapers, 35th Hellenic newspapers, 36th Hellenic newspapers, 37th Hellenic newspapers, 38th Hellenic newspapers, 39th Hellenic newspapers, 40th Hellenic newspapers, 41st Hellenic newspapers, 42nd Hellenic newspapers, 43rd Hellenic newspapers, 44th Hellenic newspapers, 45th Hellenic newspapers, 46th Hellenic newspapers, 47th Hellenic newspapers, 48th Hellenic newspapers, 49th Hellenic newspapers, 50th Hellenic newspapers, 51st Hellenic newspapers, 52nd Hellenic newspapers, 53rd Hellenic newspapers, 54th Hellenic newspapers, 55th Hellenic newspapers, 56th Hellenic newspapers, 57th Hellenic newspapers, 58th Hellenic newspapers, 59th Hellenic newspapers, 60th Hellenic newspapers, 61st Hellenic newspapers, 62nd Hellenic newspapers, 63rd Hellenic newspapers, 64th Hellenic newspapers, 65th Hellenic newspapers, 66th Hellenic newspapers, 67th Hellenic newspapers, 68th Hellenic newspapers, 69th Hellenic newspapers, 70th Hellenic newspapers, 71st Hellenic newspapers, 72nd Hellenic newspapers, 73rd Hellenic newspapers, 74th Hellenic newspapers, 75th Hellenic newspapers, 76th Hellenic newspapers, 77th Hellenic newspapers, 78th Hellenic newspapers, 79th Hellenic newspapers, 80th Hellenic newspapers, 81st Hellenic newspapers, 82nd Hellenic newspapers, 83rd Hellenic newspapers, 84th Hellenic newspapers, 85th Hellenic newspapers, 86th Hellenic newspapers, 87th Hellenic newspapers, 88th Hellenic newspapers, 89th Hellenic newspapers, 90th Hellenic newspapers, 91st Hellenic newspapers, 92nd Hellenic newspapers, 93rd Hellenic newspapers, 94th Hellenic newspapers, 95th Hellenic newspapers, 96th Hellenic newspapers, 97th Hellenic newspapers, 98th Hellenic newspapers, 99th Hellenic newspapers, 100th Hellenic newspapers.

News

Kanishka Narayan, the minister for artificial intelligence, said it was vital for the UK to have a world-leading AI safety organisation PROTOGRAFIA: WIXTOB SENIANDWICZ FUTURE PUBLISHING/ GETTY IMAGES

AI models stun UK watchdog with 'serious' hacking spree during test

Dan Milmo Global technology editor

Advanced artificial intelligence models have stunned the UK's AI safety watchdog by carrying out a hacking campaign during a cybersecurity test. The AI Security Institute (AISI) said the incident was unprecedented and involved sending targeted emails to software developers in an attempt to pass an evaluation.

The hack involved agents - AI systems that can perform tasks without human help - powered by models developed by the US tech companies OpenAI and Anthropic. The AISI, set up by the former prime minister Rishi Sunak to test cutting-edge AI, described the unsanctioned behaviour as a "serious incident".

The watchdog said the hack had been carried out by agents powered by two models, Anthropic's Mythos 5 and OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol, although Mythos was responsible for the majority of the hacking attempts.

The AISI said it detected unusual activity during a routine cybersecurity test for AI models on 28 July. It found that some of the models had engaged in "sustained, potentially harmful activity directed at real people and organisations". It took an hour to contain the incident.

In the most serious case, an agent powered by Anthropic's Mythos tried to insert malicious code into an open-source software project on GitHub, a platform used by software developers, having decided that it would help the model pass the evaluation.

In an attempt to get the code approved, the agent then created fake online identities and used them to pressure the project's human overseer into accepting the code.

The AISI said the agent had used techniques associated with real-world hackers. It sent emails to two specific developers - a technique known as "spear phishing" - that contained harmful software. The watchdog said no harm had been caused but the agents' actions were unprecedented.

Unanticipated behaviour Fears over using whole world as 'live guinea pig'

Two cutting-edge AI models have targeted real people and organisations in the latest safety scare to hit the technology. The UK's AI Security Institute (AISI) said the incident was unprecedented but could become more common as the technology becomes increasingly capable.

What happened? The AISI, which is owned by the UK government and tests advanced AI models, said in a blog post that two AI agents carried out unprecedented hacking attempts during a cybersecurity evaluation. The agents - tools that carry out computer tasks autonomously - were powered by two models: Anthropic's Mythos 5 and OpenAI's GPT 5.6-Sol. AISI said there were 19 examples of rogue behaviour, 17 of them carried out by Mythos.

In the most serious incident, the Mythos agent decided that hacking users on GitHub - a platform used by software developers - would enable it to deploy a piece of software that would allow it to pass the test. It set up accounts with fake online identities and used them to target a software developer on GitHub with the power to approve its malicious code. It also sent emails carrying malware to other individuals.

It hoped that getting the malware downloaded would set off a chain of events that would allow it to pass the evaluation. The AISI pointed out that the models were deliberately given open access to the internet and some guardrails were lowered.

Why was AISI alarmed? The institute said the models were showing deceptive behaviour it had not seen before. In one example, the Mythos agent

signed off a message on GitHub in Danish to try to persuade the Danish-speaking developer it was genuine. In another tactic it used a fake GitHub account to agree with its assertions that the malware it was pushing at developers was not dangerous. AISI described the behaviour as "sustained". In other words, it kept on trying.

Did the models know they were targeting real humans? AISI says it is unclear whether the agents "realised" they were targeting real humans. Throughout the attempted hack the Mythos agent reasons about whether it is interacting with real or simulated people and systems. At one point the agent reasons that it is behaving in the real world: "This is happening on real GitHub, so the consequences are genuine." It also states: "The environment appears to be simulated."

What do experts think? AISI states clearly these models were operating under abnormal conditions of unfettered internet access and lowered guardrails. Calling for the incident to be viewed with "nuance", it said it had partly enabled the behaviour with its own actions - but it did not anticipate the "extent and severity" of what happened.

Alan Woodward, a professor of cybersecurity at the University of Surrey, said giving the models access to the open internet and removing some guardrails raised questions about using the rest of the world as "live guinea pigs".

"What we should be alarmed about is not what the models are capable of but the way people are testing them," he said. Dan Milmo

"This is the first time we have seen risks around autonomy and deception manifest this clearly, without specific prompting, in the real world," the AISI said in a blogpost.

In one instance the Mythos agent signed off a message in Danish in an attempt to convince the Danish-speaking developer that they should accept the infected code. It also created fake GitHub accounts that would "agree" with its false claims that its software was not malicious.

The agent had mistakenly calculated that getting the malware uploaded would trigger a sequence of events that would enable it to use the updated software to pass the AISI cyber test. The incident followed recent similar episodes at OpenAI and Anthropic. Last month OpenAI said an agent powered by its models had hacked an AI startup during a test, and days later Anthropic said its Claude model had hacked three organisations during an evaluation.

The AISI said the series of incidents represented a "shift in the risk landscape". This was not an example of deliberate misuse of publicly available models, the AISI said, but showed models in a research environment taking unintended action "beyond their authorised scope".

It said 17 of the 19 cases of unsanctioned behaviour during the evaluation had been carried out by Mythos and two by Sol. GPT-5.6 Sol is available publicly but Mythos 5 is not.

However, the AISI made clear the incident was not a case of a model breaking out of its "sandbox", the term for a secure testing environment. The institute said it had permitted internet access and disabled filters within the models that blocked dangerous behaviour.

The models are not publicly available in those conditions and there is no sign of such behaviour happening outside tests, the AISI said.

The incident should be interpreted with "caution and nuance", it said, but the signs of deceptive behaviour were "to an extent and severity we did not anticipate". It was a small number of events that occurred under specific conditions, the AISI added, but it had not happened before. "What we can say is that the behaviour was possible, sustained and new. That alone warrants attention," the watchdog said.

The AISI admitted it had not been actively monitoring the agents' behaviour during the evaluation, saying it would put tighter controls on internet access in future tests. It said evaluations should assume a model would try to act beyond its remit.

The incident came after Donald Trump said last week he was "looking at controls" for AI in the US.

The UK's AI minister, Kanishka Narayan, said it was "absolutely vital" that the UK had a world-leading AI safety organisation.

Anthropic said the incident "underscores the need for a broader conversation about how to safely evaluate increasingly capable AI agents" and it would work with the AISI on evaluating the incident. OpenAI said testing had taken place during conditions that did not reflect ordinary use.

The National Cyber Security Centre said recent incidents underlined the need for AI companies to develop strong safety guardrails.

---

Thursday 6 August 2026 The Guardian

News

▼ A bar in London's West End with 'vertical' drinkers, which Westminster council plans to stop PHOTOGRAPH: SEAN SMITH

Time at the bar?

Council accused of trying to stop pubs being pubs with 'no standing' plan

Helena Horton

Waiting at the bar and trying to catch the bartender's eye so you can order a pint, before standing with your friends to have a catch up, has been how British people have experienced going to the pub for centuries.

But Westminster council has been accused of trying to put a stop to this. The council, which has jurisdiction over one of the busiest nightlife districts in Europe - Soho and the West End of London - has recommended against allowing 'vertical drinking' and ordering at the bar in its new draft licensing policy.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has criticised the 'restrictive and anti-growth policies' and said he hopes to use new powers due to be granted to him by the government to stop councils from overreaching.

The policy, which is out for consultation, says pubs should: 'Discourage excessive drunkenness and encourage the provision of more seating in premises that serve alcohol for

people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food by table service in place of open bar space that caters for high volume vertical drinking'.

It goes on to recommend that sales of alcohol and food should be 'by water or waitress service only'.

Top licensing lawyer Philip Kolvin KC said: 'Vertical drinking is also social drinking, allowing people to mix and socialise as they wish, rather than being confined to their predetermined groups.

'So this is asking the traditional pub not to behave as a traditional pub and to ask people to stay with the group they came with. One could characterise this as being contrary to the ethos of pubs as places which promote community cohesion.'

The council also plans to ban the opening of new pubs and bars in what it terms the 'cumulative impact zone', which encompasses Soho and large parts of the West End.

The draft policy says: 'The council will normally refuse any application made in respect of a premises located in the West End Cumulative Impact Zone that is a pub or bar, a fast food

▲ An ale house in 1901: Westminster council has been accused of trying to end the traditional pub experience PHOTOGRAPH: CLASSIC IMAGE/ALAMY

premises or a venue offering music, dancing and similar entertainment'.

A spokesperson for Khan said: 'This is more evidence that restrictive and anti-growth policies aren't working. At a time when venues need our support more than ever, the rules on licensing are stacked against them'

The mayor is due to get powers via secondary legislation due to be passed in Westminster later this year, which will allow him to 'call in' decisions made by local councils.

The licensing move comes after Khan criticised a community group funded by Westminster council which vowed to object to all new bar and restaurant licences, operators in the area.

The Soho Society, a group established in 1972 aimed at 'preserving the character of Soho', voted in its AGM earlier this summer for a new licensing mandate, meaning it will

challenge all new applications for bars and restaurants in the area, including reviews of existing licences.

Entrepreneur Sacha Lord, Andy Burnham's former nightlife advisor, said: 'Westminster council are the most anti-hospitality council in the UK. Their draft licensing policy is out today and is recommending banning standing in pubs, and they don't want people ordering at the bar. It's like dragging us back to Covid times.'

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, added: 'Standing in pubs has always been part of Britain's pub culture. It's how people meet friends, watch live sport, wait to be served and enjoy the unique atmosphere that pubs have provided for generations.'

Cllr Tim Barnes, Westminster City Council cabinet member for growth and planning, said: 'We want people to go out in the West End and have a good time.

'Our guidance is simply about encouraging venues to manage their customers so people don't pack on to pavements or excessive drinking doesn't disturb others passing by.'

London to get self-driving taxis in weeks - with safety driver, for now

Jasper Jolly

The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers - but with a human safety driver in place, for now.

The companies said they would start trips in the UK 'later this summer' before the full public launch.

The San Francisco-headquartered Uber and London-based Wayve are racing against the Google-owned Waymo and its Chinese equivalent Baidu's Apollo Go to launch self-driving taxi services in London.

Their progress is being watched closely because the British capital will be one of the first cities in the world to have American and Chinese tech firms operating on the same roads.

Uber and Wayve said more than 100,000 Londoners were on their waiting list for the self-driving taxis.

Transport for London (TfL), the capital's licensing authority, granted 15 private hire vehicle licences to Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with Wayve's artificial intelligence driving software, as well as surround cameras and radar. The companies said TfL had confirmed they reached the required safety standards.

A TfL-licensed private hire driver will sit in the driver's seat during trips to intervene if necessary, although the software is expected to control the car.

The next step, of operating the taxis without a driver, will require Uber and Wayve to seek approval via a new process, known as an automated passenger services permit, with the government's Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

TfL said it would monitor the use of the vehicles, and was ready to intervene if passenger safety was compromised. Wayve, which was co-founded by the New Zealand-born Alex Kendall, has been testing its tech in London since 2018 with safety drivers.

In previous demonstrations to the Guardian the car has navigated most of the obstacles of north London's busy roads, although the safety driver was forced to intervene at one point.

▲ London-based Wayve is racing to launch self-driving taxis in the city

---

News War in Ukraine

▼ Firefighters douse flames at a warehouse in Kyiv yesterday in the aftermath of Russian missile strikes PHOTOGRAPH: SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPIA

Zelenskyy urges allies to deliver more air defences as 17 die in attack on Kyiv

Oliver Holmes

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has blamed Ukraine's allies for not delivering air defences fast enough after it failed to down a single Russian missile in an overnight attack that killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more.

Preliminary data from the Ukrainian air force showed its defences shot down 98 of the 115 drones fired by Russia but no ballistic missiles.

"Ballistic missile interceptors could have saved the lives of those killed today," the president posted on social media. "It is very important that our partners understand that delays in supplying them, or an unwillingness to provide anti-ballistic systems, lead directly to such horrific casualties and destruction."

There is a global shortage of US-made Patriot interceptor missiles after demand soared with the Ukraine and Iran wars. Supplies of air defence missiles for Ukraine in the first half of this year fell to a third of their 2025 level, Zelenskyy said.

Kyiv has been pleading for more interceptors while under intensifying attack. Last month Donald Trump suggested the US might grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriots, but later he appeared to backtrack, saying the underlying technology was "a hard thing to give away".

Ukraine's military administration said seven sites were hit in the assault, which began after midnight. Zelenskyy said the main targets were civilian facilities, including a brewing company, construction materials warehouses and a railway station.

He wrote on X: "Partners who are

not yet ready to play a more active role in supplying interceptors can help by implementing new sanctions. A significant share of Russia's ballistic missile production is still not under sanctions.

"Even now, New steps are needed - from the G7, the European Union, and everyone who supports the protection of life. Thank you to those who are willing to help in this way."

Wes Streeting, who made his first visit to Kyiv yesterday since being appointed defence secretary, said Vladimir Putin was losing the war and the UK would stand with Ukraine "until they prevail".

He told ITV News: "What I'm going to do is to understand what more we can do to support Ukraine through what will be a challenging winter, but also beyond, because ultimately it's in our national interest as well as

... the collective and moral good for Ukraine to win."

Streeting left flowers at the Wall of Remembrance in St Michael's Square, before the meeting.

Zelenskyy posted that it was "a pleasure to welcome" Streeting to Kyiv for the first time.

"We appreciate that his visit comes right after yet another Russian attack on our people," he said. "I briefed the secretary on the consequences of this onslaught against life and on our needs, as Russia seeks to significantly ramp up its ballistic missile production ahead of winter."

Earlier, rescuers pulled two people from the ruins of a warehouse near the city centre that was destroyed in the attack, as Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, warned: "There may still be people under the rubble."

An ambulance driver was among the injured and four people were in a critical condition, Klitschko added.

▲ Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Wes Streeting meet in Kyiv yesterday

He said the attack set off fires in warehouses and storage areas. A large fire broke out on the city's outskirts and debris from a fallen missile landed beside a residential building.

The military administration said the attack caused an ammonia leak that emergency crews were tackling.

Explosions had been heard throughout the city, witnesses said. One journalist reported dark smoke and the acrid smell of burning lingering in the air hours later.

Natalia Reutska, who lives in Kyiv, told AFP: "The night was so terrifying, so hard. We've gotten used to waking up thinking 'we were lucky today', and that's very scary."

The attacks on Kyiv also struck Epicentr, Ukraine's largest home improvement and DIY retail chain. Two key logistics facilities and a factory were destroyed within minutes.

The Russian defence ministry said it had hit logistic hubs and supply centres in Kyiv and surrounding areas, claiming they were for military purposes.

Russia's military has an extensive history of striking purely civilian targets in Ukraine and committing anti-civilian atrocities.

In Russia on Tuesday, Ukraine hit logistics hubs for the online retailer Wildberries, adding to more than a dozen it had previously attacked.

Additional reporting Reuters

---

●●●

3

Moscow blamed as explosives found at hub for German arms transport

● Continued from page 1

landing at the airport then collided with an unknown object in mid-air as it was climbing away from the airport. It later landed safely elsewhere.

Dobrindt and other German officials did not explicitly mention Russia as a potential suspect in their remarks. But the airport's status as a Nato and German military logistics hub, as well as the base for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines in Europe, has directed suspicion toward Russia, which has previously been accused of carrying out sabotage attacks in Europe.

Security experts said the incident could amount to a serious escalation in tensions with Russia if it was determined the Kremlin played a role.

Investigators said that overnight yesterday "a drone carrying an unknown explosive device was spotted by an airport employee in the security area of the cargo operations zone near the south runway" of Leipzig airport, a facility classified as "critical infrastructure".

"A suspected second unidentified flying object collided with a cargo aircraft after it had taken off again following the previous closure of the runway. Minor damage was detected on the aircraft after it landed in Hanover," the investigators said.

A Nato official said: "We are aware

of the incident, which the German authorities continue to investigate."

The drone, a quadcopter fitted with an explosive device, was found near a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane, according to media reports.

Some of the Ukrainian aircraft are emblazoned with patriotic slogans including "Be Brave Like Khenoun" and "Be Brave Like Bucha", the site of a civilian massacre early in the full-scale Russian invasion.

The tabloid Bild speculated that the explosive could have been fabricated from fertiliser and petrol, while a team from the public broadcasters NDR and WDR, and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said the device had contained pentaerythritol tetranitrate, or PETN - a primary ingredient in semtex that belongs to the same chemical family as nitroglycerin.

Dobrindt, who was on holiday in Italy, said he would travel to Leipzig to hold meetings with federal and state authorities.

The newspaper Die Zeit said investigators were examining several possible scenarios including an attempt by Russia to launch an attack

▲ A bomb disposal robot brought in to examine the drone and explosive device PHOTOGRAPH: BERNARD SCHMIDT/DFK/AP

▼ A still from video footage taken by News5 of a Ukrainian Antonov plane on the runway close to where the drone was found yesterday

on Ukrainian equipment in Germany. Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, blamed Moscow. "Who else could it be but Russia?" he told the commercial broadcaster Welt TV. Moscow has not commented so far.

Konstantin von Notz, the opposition Green party's spokesperson on

intelligence oversight, called for an investigation to be conducted with the utmost urgency and also hinted at possible Russian involvement.

Marc Henrichmann, the conservative chair of the German parliament's intelligence oversight committee, said the latest incident looked like "an attempt to target a company of importance for Ukraine".

If the details are confirmed, it "would represent a new level of escalation in these sorts of attacks", he told the Rheinische Post newspaper.

Several aircraft, including a passenger plane from Mallorca, were diverted because of the incident. Operations in the northern part of the airport resumed two hours later.

Germany and other European countries have had a series of suspicious unauthorised drone overflights at airports, military facilities, ports and logistics companies. They have accused Russian agents of being behind some of the flights, which Moscow has denied.

European security agencies investigated incendiary devices concealed in parcels that caught fire in 2024, raising concerns about sabotage of air cargo operators. Some of the devices were found at a DHL warehouse in Leipzig and in freight shipments in transit across Europe.

Tobias Meyer, the chief executive of DHL, told investors during a quarterly results call: "We've got plans for cases like this, and we'll try to make sure that the influence on our customers will be as low as possible."

Germany is the biggest single national supplier of military aid to Ukraine and has accused Russia of orchestrating a campaign of sabotage, espionage and disinformation against it, which the Kremlin has denied.

Additional reporting Jakub Krupa

Ekaterinburg Boss of top Russian drone maker injured by car bomb

Pjotr Sauer

The head of a leading Russian drone manufacturer has been critically injured in a car bomb near Ekaterinburg, in what appears to be the latest in a series of assassination attempts targeting figures linked to the country's war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Tkachuk, the founder of the private drone manufacturer Uraldronzavod, was taken to intensive care yesterday after a bomb planted beneath his Mercedes exploded, according to Russian state media, citing emergency services. His bodyguard was killed in the explosion.

The Russian news agency Tass reported that Tkachuk was in a critical condition and doctors were "fighting [to save] his life".

Images circulating on social media showed the charred wreckage of a Mercedes, with blood stains visible on the pavement nearby.

Uraldronzavod is one of several private drone manufacturers that sprang up in Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The company is best known for producing the Upyr, a low-cost first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drone manufactured using 3D-printing technology at its facility in Ekaterinburg, which is widely used by Russian forces in Ukraine.

In 2024, Vladimir Putin visited the factory, where he was given a tour by Tkachuk.

Uraldronzavod and Tkachuk have been hit with sanctions by western governments for their role in Russia's war. Tkachuk is also the founder of the popular pro-war Telegram channel Obsessed with War, which has more than 500,000 followers and has been used to raise funds and procure military equipment for Russian soldiers on the frontline.

Russia is likely to blame Ukraine for the bombing, which comes days after an explosion outside an up-market restaurant in central Moscow killed five people.

Russian authorities have not identified the intended target of that attack, but pro-Kremlin bloggers and independent Russian media suggested it was aimed at Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko, the commander of Russia's aerospace forces, who was reportedly celebrating his birthday at the restaurant.

▲ Vladimir Tkachuk, left, with Putin on a visit to St Petersburg in 2024

Analysis Dan Sabbagh

A threat of this kind points to militaries or terrorist groups - not amateurs messing around

The armed drone found at Leipzig airport yesterday may not have exploded, but the fact that it got inside the perimeter, close to Ukrainian cargo planes, raises obvious concerns for the security of international aviation.

Although the identity of the culprits is unknown, the initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot. It is the first time a drone with explosives has been found in Europe far from the Ukrainian border.

Photographs published by German newspapers show a quadcopter, a design familiar from the Ukraine war, with a

package attached. It lies a few metres short of a Ukrainian Antonov cargo plane.

Police from the German state of Saxony confirmed that the drone was "carrying an unknown explosive device" discovered by an employee in the "secure cargo flight operations area" near the airport's southern runway.

German media reported the attached bomb was made of PETN and Semtex plastic explosive - the second being the substance that exploded inside Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. But the drone's bomb did not explode because the detonator was faulty.

A local newspaper, Leipziger Volkszeitung, said police discovered as much as 800g of explosive. This would be "enough

to do considerable damage" to a plane, according to Trevor Lawrence, an explosives expert with Cranfield University, not least because "aeroplane bodies are ridiculously thin, often only 3mm aluminium".

Whether the explosive was specifically Semtex, invented in the Czech Republic, or from another country may not have been determined. But any type of plastic explosive has typically only been available to militaries or well established terror groups, not to reckless amateur drone pilots.

A second unidentified flying object that could well have been another drone also collided with a DHL cargo plane in the aftermath of the first incident several hundred metres above the ground.

Although the identity of the culprits is unknown, the initial evidence points firmly towards a Russian-orchestrated plot

The cargo plane sustained only minor damage.

Leipzig airport is a sensitive site, the European base of Ukrainian Antonov jets, used for heavy cargo. The airport is also used by Nato and the German military, as well as being a DHL hub, and the Ukrainian planes suggest it may also have been a node for supplies to Kyiv.

It is not the first time Leipzig airport has been involved in a dangerous incident. A fire bomb, posted via DHL, exploded at the airport in July 2024 while a second travelled to England and caught fire at a warehouse in Birmingham. Two similar packages were also found in Poland.

A subsequent pan-European investigation identified 22 suspects in Lithuania and Poland who are suspected of having been employed by Russian intelligence. The investigation found perpetrators were recruited and given instructions online, and frequently paid in cryptocurrency.

"A drone carrying a charge with a detonator that failed is a different proposition to what we have seen before," said Charlie Edwards, of the International Institute of Strategic Studies. "It is likely, though not yet certain, that this was intended to function rather than to be found."

---

National

Cambridge professor at centre of plagiarism row resigns from post

● Continued from page 1

Arday first faced allegations that he plagiarised parts of his PhD thesis and other academic research late last year and rejected the claims.

An investigation by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded his PhD in 2015, did not uphold the charges of plagiarism but said they were probably caused by 'honest and reasonable error'.

Arday has denied plagiarism, telling the Guardian last week: 'There have been multiple thorough investigations across several institutions as a result of the allegations, and immense scrutiny, including with an academic misconduct panel who concluded that there was no plagiarism or academic misconduct.'

Last night Cambridge announced it would launch an investigation after it said it received 'new information' about his qualifications and career.

It said in a statement: 'The University of Cambridge has begun an investigation following new information about Prof Arday's academic qualifications and honorary appointments. In order to ensure a fair process, we will not comment further until this has concluded.'

'Separately, there remains a number of ongoing complaints regarding academic misconduct, which are being handled in line with our misconduct in research policy. This is consistent with our previous statement on the matter.'

'While we are fully aware of the public commentary and concerns around this matter, it remains vital that any process is thorough and adheres to both university policies and employment law.'

'We also fully recognise that there is a person at the centre of this

'The speculation has taken a profound toll on me and on those I love'

Statement last night

situation, and we continue to provide support to him.'

A spokesperson for Jesus College, Cambridge, said it was launching its own parallel 'process', adding: 'Prof Arday's college fellowship is linked to his university role and we will fully support the university. Prof Arday remains a fellow during this process. We recognise that this is a very difficult time for him and his family, and ask that they are treated with compassion and respect.'

The new investigations may have been triggered by Arday's claims that he held a string of prestigious visiting fellowships and professorships at other universities, including statements in published biographies dating back to 2018 that he was a visiting fellow or visiting professor at Ohio State University in the US. Ohio State has denied that Arday was ever employed in any role.

Biographies linked to Arday have also claimed he had visiting professorships at Durham, Glasgow, Coventry and London Metropolitan universities as well as Nelson Mandela University in South Africa.

Arday's appointment as professor of sociology at Cambridge, at the comparatively young age of 37, received wide publicity through Arday's life story, which includes a diagnosis of autism at the age of three, and being

unable to speak until he was 11, and read or write until he was 18.

Arday went on to university and swiftly climbed the academic ladder. After receiving his PhD in 2015 he held academic posts at Leeds Beckett, Roehampton and Durham universities, including a brief stint at the University of Warwick, before being appointed professor of sociology of education at the University of Glasgow in 2021. By early 2023 he had sought and won appointment to a professorship at Cambridge.

Arday also claimed to have completed 30 marathons in 35 days as well as running 600 miles in six days, and raising £5m for charity over several years. After facing questions he revised some of those claims.

He told the Guardian he had been the target of threats after his Cambridge appointment, including having a severed pig's head delivered to his parents' home. Investigations found no evidence to support this.

Journal Jason Okundaye →

Journal Jason Okundaye →

▼ Jason Arday has rejected claims he plagiarised parts of his academic research and PhD thesis PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTIAN SINDALDE/THE GUARDIAN

'Alarming' surge in dangerous livestock disease

Bibi van der Zee

Farmers have been urged to move livestock out of areas where midges are plentiful after an 'alarming' surge in the number of sheep affected by a virus borne by the insects.

Bluetongue causes a high fever, with swelling of the lips and tongue, and can be deadly in some cases. The tongue may go blue and protrude.

It is transmitted via biting midges (Culicoides) and its arrival in the UK is associated with global heating. More than 590 cases were reported last week, according to the National Sheep Association.

Dominic Elson, who farms in Devon, lost a sheep yesterday and fears infection rates are underestimated because of what he sees as a lack of preparedness by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the failure of the self-reporting system.

The National Farmers' Union vice-president, Robyn Munt, said: 'Bluetongue is continuing to spread at an alarming rate and is a significant concern for livestock farmers.'

The National Sheep Association's chief executive, Phil Stocker, said: 'The number of reported cases shot up last week to over 590, from just 115 the previous week. The majority are being seen in the south-west.' He said the association had been assured 'vaccine manufacturers are doing what they can to ensure demand can be met'.

▶ A sheep with bluetongue. The infection is spread by midges and its arrival in the UK is associated with global heating

SAMSUNG

Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra for business

MEET THE NEW STANDARD OF BUSINESS

Pre-order now with EE Trade in and save up to £580

BITTER FOR BUSINESS

No.1 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1996 1

Samsung account logo is required for certain AI features.

---

National

7

'It was totally random': four injured in Covent Garden stabbing incident

Caroline Davies Helena Horton

A woman has been arrested after four men were stabbed in Covent Garden, central London, police said.

The Metropolitan police said the men, aged 34, 39, 42 and 52, were found with stab wounds. They were taken to a major trauma centre after the lunchtime incident on Endell Street, in a location popular with tourists to the capital.

Two of the men were being treated for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing and the other two had been discharged. A 47-year-old woman remained in custody after being arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon, believed to be a pair of scissors, and assault.

Ch Supt Jason Stewart, who leads policing in the area, said: "Officers responded within minutes of this incident after receiving a number of reports. While still at an early stage of the investigation, we would like to reassure the community that we currently believe this to be an isolated, mental health-related incident.

"A visible police presence will remain in the area while evidence is gathered at the scene and we thank the public for their understanding."

A London ambulance service spokesperson said: "We sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast-response car and an incident response officer. We also dispatched London's air ambulance. We treated four patients at the scene and took them all to a major trauma centre as a priority by road."

One witness said the stabbing happened outside the Shaftesbury Theatre before the woman allegedly made her way down Endell Street, a popular location for eating and drinking in the area.

The witness, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "We noticed that she stabbed three people with scissors by the theatre then she came down here and the police were here." One of the victims ran into a barber shop and took his shirt off, revealing a large gash in his back, workers there said.

Arjan Gjorga, who works at the Rock and Sole Plaice restaurant and witnessed the attack, said a woman involved in the incident was known to people who worked on the street.

"I see her all the time; she's a homeless person. She walks up and down asking for help, she visits the church at the top of the street."

Gjorga, who did not have to close his restaurant, said: "We all saw a commotion. It was totally random, just random people. She suddenly started stabbing them. The police arrested her right away."

Matt Bishop, 42, who works at a consultancy firm next to the cordon in Covent Garden, said he had seen a woman having a "standoff" with three police officers and waving

▲ Police confront a woman with Taser devices after a stabbing incident in Covent Garden, London, an area popular with tourists. The Met police said they believed the incident was isolated and mental-health related PHOTOGRAPH: SWISS

▲ The London air ambulance lands in Trafalgar Square, not far from the incident. Four men received treatment PHOTOGRAPH: MATTHEW CHATTLE/ALAMY

a weapon around. "She was pretty incoherent in what she was shouting, the officer was asking what language she was shouting."

Andrea, the manager of Da Mario restaurant on the same street, said the attack happened in the middle of lunch service.

Gesturing at a pair of men enjoying cocktails on the shaded terrace, he said: "They saw it all but they weren't fazed. They had a police cordon right over their heads but they kept on enjoying their lunch. It's just another day in London."

He also recognised the alleged perpetrator, saying: "She's often on the street. We've seen her do things like this before. She's recently got in an argument with a mate and thrown a bottle of vodka on the floor and it smashed outside the restaurant."

By 3.30pm, the area was calm with the cordon down.

No disciplinary action against police officer who shot man dead in 2022

PA Media

The police marksman who shot Chris Kaba will not face disciplinary proceedings, a watchdog has confirmed, in what campaigners called a "devastating blow".

Martyn Blake, also known by the cypher NX121, was cleared of murder after an Old Bailey trial, but was due to face disciplinary proceedings.

However, after the government changed regulations around police use of force, watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct said this will no longer take place.

Figures in policing welcomed the decision, but the Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign was "appalled".

The IOPC's director of engagement, Amanda Rowe, said: "Our thoughts remain with Chris Kaba's family and friends and everyone impacted by his death. We are acutely aware of the impact of proceedings for everyone involved in this case and have always sought to avoid any unnecessary delays. However, it was right that we paused progressing disciplinary proceedings until the legislation change came into effect.

"Having considered both our policy and the representations from the Kaba family and Sgt Blake, we have today notified them of our decision to withdraw disciplinary proceedings." A coroner will now decide whether an inquest will take place into Mr Kaba's death.

Paula Dodds, chair of the Metropolitan police federation, said: "This is very much the right decision that will not only be welcomed by the officer and his family, but all police officers across London.

"We are pleased this has all now concluded and that the officer can continue to serve the public."

Blake shot Kaba, 24, in Streatham, south-east London, in 2022 after he tried to ram his way past police cars. On the night Kaba died, police had followed and penned in the Audi he was driving because it had been linked to three previous firearms incidents in five months.

They were not aware of his identity at the time, but Kaba was a member of one of London's most violent street gangs and was accused of being involved in two shootings in the six days before he died.

Temi Mwale, from the Justice for Chris Kaba Campaign, said: "The IOPC had a choice. Today it chose not to do the right thing."

▲ Chris Kaba, 24, was shot dead in Streatham, London, after trying to ram his vehicle past police cars

---

National Politics

Cooper warns the NHS to prepare for regular summer heatwave crisis

● Continued from page 1

investment in NHS infrastructure to build the service's resilience to high summer temperatures.

Doctors and other medical professionals have warned of the impact repeated heatwaves are having on the NHS in England, including advice from the Royal College of GPs to cancel surgeries in extreme weather. Radiotherapy machines and MRI scanners have failed, wards have overheated and cooling units serving hospitals have broken down.

England is on track to record its highest number of heat-related deaths this summer, with an estimated 2,877 people dying in the May and June heatwaves. Summers are likely to become hotter, with temperatures exceeding 40°C likely to become more frequent as the climate crisis takes further hold.

In an interview with the Guardian, Cooper said rising global temperatures were causing challenges for the NHS that it had never encountered.

"This is a new thing for the NHS to have to deal with," she said. "There is a remarkable determination of the NHS to respond, but we need much greater resilience."

The MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley said that in her new role as health secretary she had visited her local A&E in Yorkshire where staff described the overcrowding caused by the heatwave. "It would be normal during the winter weeks and months, but not in the summer, to have the very high attendances that they have had," she said.

She said she had discussed a public health awareness campaign with the chief medical officer, Sir Chris Whitty, warning people to look out for elderly relatives and those with babies.

Global heating meant "some immediate acute responses", Cooper said. "I've been clear we now need to prepare for summer pressures in the way that the NHS for a long time has prepared for winter pressures.

We need a much clearer assessment now of what that means, what the pressures are going to be, what management needs to be in place to cope."

The Climate Change Committee, the government's statutory advisers on net zero, published a landmark report in May warning that Britain's infrastructure had not been built for such a climate, and calling for all hospitals and care homes to have air conditioning within the next decade, with all schools to follow by 2050.

The committee advised the government to plan for at least 2°C of global heating by 2050, and potentially further rises.

Farmers this summer have also warned about extreme temperatures affecting the UK's food security and ability to cope with drought.

No 10 said improving the UK's resilience to extreme heat was high on the agenda - including building more reservoirs - and said the focus on tackling the climate crisis must be on "practical resilience alongside cutting emissions".

Cooper said she and Whitty agreed on the need for more public information about who was at risk from extreme heat because of the "distressing" number of deaths. "There is a need for all of us to look out for our elderly neighbours and family members in the heat of summer, exactly as you would if it was freezing cold weather and you would be checking on elderly family members or relatives. We need to do the same thing now, in the summer, in the heatwaves and also for very young."

She said that cooling hospitals and other facilities would be a key part of the investment in NHS infrastructure. "That is a new thing we are now having to address and to plan for," she said. "That obviously takes time as well to address that. But it is one of the things that's being looked at now as part of the capital programme."

The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, told a press conference in London yesterday that tackling the

climate crisis should be higher on the agenda. "I think we need to sit with that reality: 1,000 people have died because of extreme heat," he said.

"The scenes we have seen play out on our television screens are frankly apocalyptic. And yet the response from our government is to pretend none of this is happening. It's an astonishing dereliction of duty."

The Royal College of Physicians' clinical vice-president, Dr Hilary Williams, has said the NHS has very little built-in resilience to cope with extreme heat. "The impact of heatwaves on staff cannot be overstated," she said. "There is a sense of foreboding when we see the weather forecast, because we know what is to come, and there is very little staff can do."

The government has also been urged by MPs to do more to allow people to cool their own homes. More than 50 MPs have written to the UK's certification agencies to urge them to speed up a process to get air conditioning on to the boiler upgrade scheme, which offers grants for replacing gas boilers with greener alternatives such as heat pumps.

Despite the government expanding the scheme to air-coolers last year, accreditation agencies have not yet given it a stamp of approval.

"If people worried about a future of extreme temperatures know they can get a heat pump which will also act as air conditioning they will be more motivated to make the switch. That's good news for energy bills and the planet," said Alistair Strathern, the Labour MP for Hitchin, who organised the letter. "The agencies accrediting this scheme just really need to get on with it now."

July was the driest month ever recorded in southern England, with no significant rainfall expected in the area for some time.

The summer already had record-breaking heatwaves in May and June, fuelling drought and wildfires. About 23 million people in England and Wales are under a hosepipe ban.

Andy Burnham has been criticised for failing to mention the climate crisis, net zero or the drought and heatwaves in his first weeks as prime minister - though he has promised the government will intensify efforts to improve the state's resilience.

A spokesman for Burnham said: "We recognise that climate change is already affecting communities across the country, through extreme heat, drought and pressure on food production. That's why we're focused on practical resilience alongside cutting emissions."

◀ The NHS currently has little resilience to cope with heatwaves, says the Royal College of Physicians

PHOTOGRAPH: BENJIT TESSIER/REUTERS

Too hot to handle

The other public services struggling in extreme heat

Fiona Harvey Environment editor

The NHS has been told it must become more resilient to increasingly frequent heatwaves supercharged by the climate crisis, as the government puts adaptation to extreme heat high on its agenda. But which other public services are already feeling the strain?

Transport London bus drivers plan to go on strike later this month over their working conditions, as many have experienced cab temperatures reaching close to 40°C in the recent

heat. Most London buses are fitted with air-flow cooling systems rather than air conditioning. Sadiq Khan, the city's mayor, has said drivers should not be working in unsafe hot conditions, but Arriva, the private operator, has said updating its fleet will take time.

Rail services have also been disrupted as the shrinkage of soil due to the dry weather has made embankments unsafe in the south of England because sleepers can move or drop out of position. Heat can also warp rails, leading operators to impose lower speed limits for safety.

On the roads, the RAC has warned that breakdowns have

---

9

increased by a fifth, often owing to engines overheating, or tyre blowouts on overheated road surfaces.

Farming and food

This year's harvest could be the worst on record, analysis published yesterday found, as the third major drought in five years in England left farmers with dry soil and damaged crops. Cereal and oilseed yields could be down as much as 2.5m tonnes across the UK, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) thinktank, with arable farmers facing £390m in lost revenue. Livestock farmers are also suffering: grass growth has halved, forcing some to use feed they had hoped to save for winter.

This followed an unusually wet start to the year but most farms are not in a position to store water adequately. The Country Land

► Wheat waits to be harvested in Shropshire, where dry weather has caused crops to ripen very early PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY

and Business Association (CLA), representing landowners, is calling for planning reforms to make it easier for farmers to have their own small reservoirs. Regenerative farming practices, which have attracted an upsurge in interest because of the drought, can also help to store more water on land. If dry conditions persist into

autumn, farmers will have further problems preparing for next year. Tom Lancaster, a food and farming analyst at the ECIU, said: 'At the start of spring farmers were hopeful of a better year, but the dry April and July and record-breaking heat have left farmers facing down the barrel of a third awful harvest in a row. Farming is now

◀ Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, said that rising temperatures were posing major challenges for the NHS PHOTOGRAPH: JAY BROOKS/GUARDIAN

the sector most exposed to climate change and the risks and damage that it brings.

'From the wettest winter on record in 2024, to the hottest summer in 2025 and now unprecedented heat and drought this year, we are in danger of UK farming entering a climate doom loop, as repeated impacts undermine the capacity of farmers to drill next year's crop.'

As farmers have struggled, the price of fresh food has risen. The wholesale price of tomatoes is up by more than 60%, iceberg lettuce by 90% and potatoes by more than 40%. The outlook abroad is gloomy too, with a super El Nino increasingly possible, so relying on imports to make up the shortfall may bring more problems with it.

Working conditions

The UK does not have a maximum legal temperature for workers, who - particularly in some poorly repaired public buildings - have struggled. Court cases have been disrupted, with one judge in Bristol telling a jury last month they had to listen to a defendant through a virtual link as the dock was unusable because of the heat.

Some public libraries that are already equipped with air conditioning are operating as 'cool spaces' for communities - maps can be found online showing where they are available.

Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, told the Guardian: 'After a summer of heatwaves, it is clear we need to adapt to the climate crisis.' Employers needed to keep staff working both in and outdoors safe, with regular breaks or flexible working and proper equipment and access to water. But more would be needed, he added, including legislation.

'As heatwaves become our new normal, we need to find ways to work and live with hot weather,' he said. 'That means new laws on maximum working temperatures, adapting buildings and workplaces to keep them cool, and ambitious climate action to tackle the problem at its root.'

Schools

Pupils are on their school holidays at the moment, escaping the stuffy classrooms that reduced some to tears in the summer term, but some of the inequalities in the UK's education system continue: the Guardian revealed that private schools were continuing to water their lush lawns, despite hosepipe bans covering close to half of England and some of Wales.

The heat should be less severe when most return in September, but the Climate Change Committee has called for all schools to have air conditioning by 2050, and for a rethink of the traditional school year - having exams in June may no longer be the most sensible way of arranging the academic timetable, given evidence that heat can affect pupils' performance in tests.

Epstein No UK inquiry to be launched despite claim by minister

Political correspondent

Andy Burnham is not considering a public inquiry into the actions of Jeffrey Epstein in the UK, despite claims to the contrary.

The victims minister, Alex Davies-Jones, said on Tuesday that Burnham had agreed to meet the sex offender's victims, was looking into an inquiry and was 'taking this very seriously'.

But a Ministry of Justice spokesperson said yesterday: 'Our thoughts are firmly with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, who have survived devastating trauma. As minister Davies-Jones said, we are reviewing what is possible and will look at all options to support victims and survivors. The prime minister is committed to meeting with victims, but a public inquiry is not being actively considered.'

Davies-Jones told BBC Newsnight, when asked if a public inquiry was on the table: 'We are looking into this, we are reviewing what is possible ... We already have a statutory inquiry under way for the grooming gangs victims. I have been assured that the prime minister is taking this very seriously. He will meet with those victims and he is looking at what is possible, now he has access to all of the information as prime minister, to see ... what action we can take.'

An inquiry into the former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed is being considered, however. More than 400 allegations of sexual abuse have been made against Fayed, from 1977 to 2014, including claims of rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. The Metropolitan police are investigating allegations from at least 156 complainants, including 21 who came forward before Fayed died in 2023.

Davies-Jones, who was reappointed victims minister by Burnham, said she had sought assurances that victims would be prioritised. 'I was having multiple conversations with him and his team,' Davies-Jones said. 'He agreed to meet with the Epstein victims. He was in close contact with them throughout that period where he was becoming prime minister, and he has assured me that he will meet them now he's prime minister and will work with us to look at systemic change for all victims, whether that be the Epstein victims, Harrods survivors, grooming gangs victims.'

After Davies-Jones quit Keir Starmer's government in May and called on him to resign, she urged him to meet survivors of Epstein's abuse. At the end of June, Starmer told the survivor and campaigner Lisa Phillips his 'door is open' but stopped short of agreeing to meet her. Instead, she was offered a meeting with Davies-Jones and the former chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones.

---

10

National

◀ The Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch, said people who 'were part of the problem but have changed' were needed to end extremism as she gave an advisory role to Joshua Bonehill-Paine PHOTOGRAPH: JUSTIN TALLEGAFF/GETTY IMAGES

Badenoch makes former neo-Nazi a Tory adviser after he withdraws as candidate

Ben Quinn Political correspondent

A former neo-Nazi activist who was convicted of harassing a Jewish MP has withdrawn as a Conservative election candidate after Kemi Badenoch offered him a role as an adviser to the party.

Joshua Bonehill-Paine said yesterday that he had withdrawn from next year's local elections, and that the Tory leader had instead asked him to become an adviser to her party's culture and integration commission, where he will focus on how young men become radicalised.

Badenoch, who has come under pressure in the past 48 hours from

individuals and organisations including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said she was sad that Bonehill-Paine 'won't be given the space to explain his position and represent his community'.

However, her decision to give him a plum job was immediately condemned by others including Luciana Berger, a Labour member of the House of Lords who was the target of a campaign of antisemitic abuse by Bonehill-Paine when she was an MP.

'The decision to welcome this individual as an adviser to the leader of the opposition is no better than allowing him to stand as a council candidate,' she posted on X.

'It is a privileged and influential national role. As a victim of this man's

▲ Bonehill-Paine was jailed in 2015 for posting antisemitic material

heinous crimes this appointment is an insult,' Berger wrote.

Both the Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) turned down the Tory party's offer of a meeting with the former neo-Nazi,

who previously described himself as a 'nationalist, fascist, theorist and supporter of white rights'.

Bonehill-Paine re-emerged in recent years as the creator of the Crewkerne Gazette, a satirical online account.

The JLC yesterday issued a short statement that welcomed Bonehill-Paine's withdrawal as a Conservative candidate, but did not address his appointment as an adviser.

However, the president of the Board of Deputies, Phil Rosenberg, told Times Radio it was 'a good thing' that Bonehill-Paine would become an adviser to the culture and integration commission. 'I think it is good to use the experiences of people who have themselves been down

this track to counter radicalisation in other places,' said Rosenberg, who added that Bonehill-Paine was 'probably the wrong fit' to be a councillor.

Polling released by YouGov after news emerged that Bonehill-Paine was withdrawing found that 57% of British voters overall thought his selection was unacceptable.

The Home Office contradicted a claim made by Badenoch on Monday that Bonehill-Paine was 'certified by the Home Office' to train police officers on antisemitism and countering extremism.

'The Home Office does not certify individuals to deliver training,' said a spokesperson, who added that the department funds civil society organisations who may use individuals to deliver training.

Bonehill-Paine is understood to have worked for a time with an organisation engaging former extremists on a path to rehabilitation.

Bridget Phillipson, the equalities minister and chair of the Labour party, said the affair 'speaks volumes' about Badenoch's judgment.

'It beggars belief that Kemi Badenoch was happy for a former neo-Nazi to stand in the first place. That she has gifted him a plum job further adds to that shame,' she added.

Badenoch shared Bonehill-Paine's announcement on X that he was withdrawing as a Tory candidate, adding in her comments that he had been the target of a 'piling on'.

She said: 'If we are going to stop extremism and antisemitism, we are going to need help from those people who were part of the problem, but have now changed and are being part of the solution.'

Bonehill-Paine had been selected to stand for election to Somerset council next year in a new Crewkerne South district.

He was jailed in 2015 for more than three years after posting 'vile' antisemitic material online before a planned neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, he was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment for abuse directed at Berger, who is Jewish, which included posting messages to his blog calling Berger a 'rodent' and an 'evil money-grabber'.

Berger intervened on Tuesday, telling Badenoch directly: 'For the avoidance of doubt, I don't believe this man should have any role in public life - because of both his racism and his view of women.'

Police chief may join legal action over Harper killers' early release

Geraldine McKelvie

The chief constable of Thames Valley police, Jason Hogg, has said he will consider joining legal action against the government if it fails to block the early release of two of PC Andrew Harper's killers.

The Police Federation is contemplating going to court in its attempts to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers in prison.

In August 2019, Harper, 28, died when he was dragged down a country road in Berkshire by a car as

Cole, Bowers and their accomplice Henry Long fled the scene of a quad bike theft. All three were convicted of manslaughter in 2020. Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years and could be released as part of the government's drive to free up prison places. Long, who was driving the car,

◀ Jason Hogg, the chief constable of Thames Valley police, said he hoped a judicial review would not be necessary

was given a 16-year jail sentence and does not qualify for early release.

Hogg, who was on duty the night Harper died, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday that he would 'certainly' consider joining the Police Federation in court action if the government refused to reverse its position, pending legal advice.

He told the Guardian yesterday: 'I was contacted by the Police Federation yesterday, who informed me they are seeking legal advice, exploring opportunities for a judicial review against the government. So I'm watching up with interest and I will be speaking to the Police Federation again.

'But my hope is that we will never get there and that there is no need for the Police Federation to go down the line of a judicial review because the government will listen.'

Prison capacity in England and Wales is at critical levels. From October, the government plans to release about 5,000 prisoners who have served a third of their sentence.

Harper's widow, Lissie, successfully campaigned for a change in the law after his death. Legislation introduced in 2022 means those convicted of the manslaughter of emergency workers on duty now face mandatory life sentences. However, the law cannot be applied retrospectively.

Hogg said he wrote to the prime minister, Andy Burnham, 12 days ago, expressing concerns that Cole and Bowers might be included in the scheme but had not received a reply.

He added that he planned to write again to Burnham, the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and the justice secretary, Alex Norris, to convey 'the impact of the decision on the

morale of my officers, but also on the 2,000 people who work in policing across the country.'

Hogg would not be drawn on whether all prisoners convicted of manslaughter should be exempt from the scheme.

The government has already said those serving sentences for rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming will not be released early, after a campaign by victims.

'It isn't my role to set government policy or set the law,' Hogg said.

'But I think if you ask most people in the streets, they would probably say people who take the life of another person in our country should remain behind bars as long as possible.'

He added that the fact Harper was an emergency services worker was a 'significantly aggravating factor'.

---

National

11

Theatres, pubs and clubs ban Meta 'spy glasses' in fears over invading privacy

Helena Horton

When Meta used the superstar Kylie Jenner to promote its sleek new line of "spy glasses", the social media company hoped the devices would reach the same broad acceptance that tablets and smartwatches have found before them.

But those plans have hit a snag in the UK, where venues from elite restaurants to popular pub chains have banned the £359 glasses in order to preserve the privacy of customers and staff.

Celebrated restaurateur Jeremy King, owner of London venues including Simpson's in the Strand, Arlington and The Park, forbade guests to wear the recording glasses.

He told the Guardian: "I would never knowingly allow any invasion of guest privacy other than with the eyes we were born with."

Those wearing the glasses in Soho House's private members' clubs can also be expected to be asked to remove them. A spokesperson said filming is not allowed in their venues.

Even pub brand Wetherspoons will not allow people to record using the glasses inside.

Tim Martin, its chief executive, said: "The general code that applies in our pubs, and most pubs, is that you can't film customers or employees without their permission. Meta glasses seem to breach this code, and common sense, by enabling surreptitious surveillance, so our instinct is to say turn off the cameras. This is akin to our efforts to stop audible playing of videos in our pubs, which also invades people's space."

Those who want to wear their Meta glasses to the theatre may face obstacles too. A spokesperson for ATG Theatres, which owns the Bristol Hippodrome, Edinburgh Playhouse, and various theatres across London, said that filming is not allowed and that those wearing the glasses during shows will be asked to remove them.

The glasses resemble normal eyewear, with the Jenner-designed model featuring a fashionable cat-eye design - with tiny cameras

▲ Kylie Jenner models Meta glasses. The company said a flashing LED light activates when used for filming

embedded. Meta says it hopes that the design allows users to stay "in the moment" without constantly looking down at a smartphone.

There have been widespread fears about the glasses being used to film people without their consent, with the resultant footage posted on social media. Though Meta points to the tiny, flashing LED light which activates on the glasses when they are being used to film, there have already been multiple instances of people complaining they have been videoed without prior knowledge.

In one instance, a woman told the BBC a man recorded her, and then demanded money to remove the videos from social media. Another woman described being recorded during sexual encounters without her consent.

Instagram has cracked down on nonconsensual videos made using the glasses posted on the platform. Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, said: "If you're posting content that is taking advantage of people and harassing them, like a lot of these pickup

line kind of videos that we've heard of and seen, then we're going to take the content down."

Meta has tried hard to make wearing the glasses a mainstream choice, handing out free pairs to popular social media influencers. Sales of the devices have tripled in the past year, with more than 7m sold worldwide.

Those 7 million people do have some venues in the UK where they and their glasses are welcome. Michelin starred chef Tom Kerridge, who owns pubs and restaurants in Marlow, told the Guardian: "I have no problem whatsoever with them. Filming is part of everyday life now. In fact I think that they can be used in creative and exciting ways. The first thought about them shouldn't be negative!"

A Meta spokesperson said: "People use our glasses because they're genuinely helpful - from listening to music, to live translation or hands-free calls. For those wearing them and the people around them, trust matters. That's why we built privacy into our AI glasses from the ground up."

The Mummy movie posters banned for depiction of dead child

Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent

Film posters for The Mummy have been banned from outdoor public display in the UK because they include realistic depictions of a dead child.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 30 complaints over the promotional campaign in London tube stations for the new Lee Cronin film.

The adverts included a poster showing a closeup image of a female with a mummified appearance and one eye swollen shut. The accompanying text said: "Some things are meant to stay buried."

TV and livestreaming services trailed scenes of a body being removed from a sarcophagus and a woman looking distressed as a greying hand with long nails brushed her cheek. The advert, which ended with the mother saying: "I just want my daughter back," was approved by the Clearcast vetting agency for post-7.30pm broadcasts.

Many of the complainants said the adverts were distressing for children and adults alike.

Warner Bros defended the campaign for the film, saying that it had been prepared with "due responsibility to consumers and society" and had not been designed to create fear or offence.

It said the character depicted in the posters was a "living mummy" who was returned to her parents many years after been kidnapped as a child.

Warner Bros said the posters used a face with a neutral expression and reduced the risk of distress by avoiding elements of violence, threat or intimidation.

The studio added that the design had been submitted to Transport for London's advertising partner, Global, and had been accepted for display on the London Underground network.

It said the horror themes in the trailer were implied rather than shown explicitly and contained no jump scares, violence or gore and no graphic imagery.

Upholding complaints about the posters, the ASA said the grey and ashen appearance of the female's skin, the dry and cracked lips and mouth, one eye swollen shut and the other fixed and vacant, together with the sunken and lifeless appearance of the face, gave a "realistic impression of a dead child".

▲ The ASA said the ad, which prompted dozens of complaints during a London tube campaign, gave a 'realistic impression of a dead child'

---

12

National

Murder charge over killing of girl, nine, on camping holiday

Hannah Al-Othman

A girl of nine who died during a family camping trip in Scotland has been named as Minnie Merriman.

In a statement released through Police Scotland, her family said: "We are devastated with the loss of our beloved, absolutely incredible, beautiful and brave Minnie Moo.

"Our family asks that our privacy is respected at this extremely difficult time."

Christopher Rice was charged with murder in relation to her death when he appeared at Forfar sheriff court yesterday. He did not enter a plea and was committed for further examination and remanded in custody.

Minnie, from West Yorkshire, was found seriously injured just after midnight on Monday at the Elliot industrial estate in Arbroath, Angus. She was taken to Ninewells hospital in Dundee where she later died.

According to local news reports

► Minnie Merriman had been holidaying with her family in Scotland when she was found with severe injuries in the early hours of Monday

PHOTOGRAPH: POLICE SCOTLAND/FA WIRE

three other family members were also taken to hospital by ambulance. It is understood these did not include Rice, 35, who was taken separately to hospital by officers.

Police revealed that the suspect was white British after the far-right agitator Tommy Robinson shared

footage from the scene of the incident, leading to speculation online about the man's background.

Police said Rice was known to Minnie and they were not looking for anyone else in connection with her death. DI Mike Ness of Police Scotland's major investigation team said:

"Our thoughts remain with those affected by these events. A police presence will remain in the area while our inquiries continue. Anyone with any concerns, or information, should approach these officers or contact Police Scotland on 101."

Minnie is believed to have been camping in the area with her family. Local people said they had seen the family with a small tent in the area on Sunday afternoon.

Arbroath residents left floral tributes on a grass verge at the industrial estate, which is close to the coast.

Dawn Reid, from the town, told the National: "We're quite devastated by the news. Our kids are just not safe anywhere, it's heartbreaking. I just wish them all the best. She's got a long road ahead of her, that poor mum."

Lois Speed, a councillor for Arbroath East and Lunan, told local media she wanted to "express the shock within the community this morning".

"Really just my thoughts are with the little girl and her family, and those closely affected," she said. "I don't have much more that I can add or say, other just than express the shock and sympathies with everyone."

On Tuesday afternoon a police cordon around the scene was lifted and a green car that had been inside it had been removed. It is understood that West Yorkshire police are supporting the investigation.

Man accused of lamp and lantern thefts worth £1m appears in court

PA Media

A 20-year-old man accused of stealing streetlamps and lanterns across the UK worth £1m has made his first appearance in court.

John O'Sullivan was accused of stealing lamps in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Durham, Essex and Hertfordshire between January 2025 and June 2025, Stevenage magistrates court heard yesterday.

He faces seven additional counts of theft in Hertfordshire between September 2025 and March of this year.

O'Sullivan, of Barkway, Hertfordshire, gave no indication of plea.

District judge Alan Thorn said the allegations were "too serious for me to deal with here", and sent the case to St Albans crown court for a hearing on 2 September.

O'Sullivan was accompanied by his parents, Anna O'Sullivan, 66, and Richard O'Sullivan, 67. They are charged with handling stolen goods.

*Eligibility criteria apply. T&Cs apply.

Barclays offers banking and credit products to its clients through Barclays Bank UK PLC. Barclays Bank UK PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered in England. Registered No. 9740322. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

---

National

13

PHOTOGRAPH: BROOK MITCHELL/AFP/Getty

Hotheaded The grass is completely dried out at Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, in East Sussex. The exceptionally dry weather for much of the south of England is forecast to continue for the rest of the week, although there could be some showers on Sunday. July was the driest month in southern England since records began in 1836.

Pakistani MP arrested over alleged rapes in Manchester

Shah Meer Baloch Josh Halliday Raphael Boyd

A former Pakistani state minister has been arrested on suspicion of raping vulnerable young girls in Manchester in the 1990s, the Guardian can reveal.

Rukhsar Ahmed, who was re-elected as an MP in Pakistan last week after five years out of office, is on police bail in Britain after his arrest in July 2024 on suspicion of rape and trafficking children in care as part of a grooming gang.

It is understood Ahmed, 62, was expected to answer bail at a police station in Manchester last month, but failed to attend because he was "too unwell to fly". At the same time, he was pictured on social media campaigning at various election gatherings in Mirpur in northern Pakistan.

He was elected as an MP in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly for the party of Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif. Ahmed, who represents the centre-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and was a minister in various state governments from 2006 until he lost his seat in 2021.

The Guardian understands that Greater Manchester police (GMP) had wanted to restrict Ahmed's ability to travel abroad as part of his bail conditions, but a judge rejected tougher measures in July 2024.

Ahmed was arrested at Manchester airport on 18 July 2024 in relation to past child sexual abuse allegations linked to the Rusholme area of the city, where he lived for many years.

Ahmed, who has more than 17,000 followers on Facebook, was pictured with friends in Rusholme as recently as May, with associates saying he had visited regularly.

He is the owner of a former restaurant, the Gujjar Palace, near Manchester's curry mile.

Detectives questioned Ahmed

▲ Rukhsar Ahmed, who is on UK police bail, was re-elected last week

in July 2024 about allegations from at least two women, who claimed that Ahmed was involved in raping and trafficking them when they were young girls. It is understood detectives learned about Ahmed's involvement in Pakistani politics when he was in custody for questioning.

The investigation relates to allegations from several women about sexual abuse of children at care homes in the early 1990s, when Ahmed was in his late 20s. He is understood to be expected to answer police bail in the next six weeks.

If he does not attend, GMP may issue a warrant for his arrest or take steps to extradite him - potentially causing a diplomatic row.

A senior leader of PML-N in Pakistan-administered Kashmir said he had known Ahmed for at least two decades, but did not know about the rape allegations against him.

He said: "We just heard that he was part of some groups in Manchester in 1990s. But I personally didn't know about such severe allegations existed against Ahmed."

Ahmed did not respond to requests for comment.

The revelation comes weeks after

Pakistan refused the UK government's attempts to deport a freed ringleader of a Rochdale grooming gang. Shabir Ahmed, 73, was released from jail in July after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for 30 child rape offences.

Friends of Rukhsar Ahmed described him as "incredibly influential" in Manchester's Pakistani community given his political role.

One associate in Rusholme said he was a "man of the people" and "one of the least corrupt people", adding that he had visited the area recently.

He is known to have visited a popular Pakistani restaurant on Stockport Road in Longsight, near Rusholme, on numerous occasions. Photos from one visit, which he posted to his Facebook account, show him and several others standing outside it.

Those on Stockport Road speak highly of Ahmed. One man described him as "a man of conviction who helps people who need it".

He is particularly respected by people from Azad Kashmir, the self-governing region of northern Pakistan where his LA-4 Mirpur-IV seat is based.

His influence in the community is such that people come from across Britain to meet him when he visits Manchester, which he is believed to do every few months.

The Gujjar Palace was boarded up and derelict when the Guardian visited on Tuesday. One local business owner said it had been closed since at least 2009.

Additional reporting Rajeev Syal

Glitter faces magistrates on charges of 1970s child sex offences

PA Media

The former glam rock star Gary Glitter appeared in court yesterday charged with sexual offences dating back to the 1970s against a girl aged between eight and 11.

Glitter, 82, whose real name is Paul Gadd, appeared before Westminster magistrates via video link charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14.

The prosecutor, Jonathan Polnay KC, said the alleged offences occurred between 1978 and 1981, when the complainant, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was aged eight to 11. The offences allegedly took place at Glitter's home in Kensington and Chelsea, west London.

Prosecutors allege Glitter would give the girl chocolate and "invite her into his house, where he then committed a number of serious sexual offences".

Glitter, who was wearing a blue shirt, glasses and a cap, told the magistrates he was extremely deaf, adding: "Unless I'm lip-reading I can't hear. If the barrister turns the volume down a little bit, it wouldn't be so distorting in my hearing aids."

The chief magistrate, Paul Goldspring, remanded Glitter into custody. He will next appear at the Old Bailey on 2 September. The judge added that it was "to be determined" whether this appearance would be via videolink or in person.

The judge told Glitter: "You face charges that include an offence which is indictable only, which means only the crown court can deal with it. The other three charges are related because it's the same complainant."

"In that circumstance, all four charges are sent to crown court."

The Metropolitan police previously said the allegations were first reported to the force on 9 January last year and Glitter was interviewed on 22 July 2025.

Glitter was one of the biggest stars of his time, selling 18m records in five years in the early 1970s.

▲ Gary Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, appeared via video link

---

Where does broccoli actually come from?

Introducing...

The Curious Kitchen

From now until 30th August, HelloFresh's 'The Curious Kitchen' experience at the Natural History Museum invites guests to explore where their food actually comes from. The free, immersive family installation is designed to answer exactly the questions children have been asking. Visitors will step into a farm-inspired world, where kids can harvest ingredients, learn the stories behind their food, and gather around an interactive dining table that shows the journey from field to fork.

The good news is that the appetite for these conversations is already there. More than three-quarters of parents (78%) agree the dinner table is the best place to talk about food, and nearly half have already tried growing something at home with their kids. 'The Curious Kitchen' simply gives families the space, and the story, to take that curiosity further.

For kids across the country, the answer is: 'aren't they just baby trees?'

New research from HelloFresh reveals that one in five British children believe fruit and vegetables simply appear in shops, as if by magic. Nearly one in five six-to-eight-year-olds think broccoli is a baby tree. Three quarters of that age group have no idea kiwis grow on plants. And chicken nuggets? Fewer than half correctly link them to animals at all.

Whilst these may make you smile, the research, commissioned by HelloFresh, points to the fact that the disconnect between food and where it comes from is larger than ever. And it's not just the children. Almost half of parents (43%) admit they've struggled to explain to their child where a food item comes from. Pasta, broccoli and yoghurt top the list of trickiest conversations.

This summer, HelloFresh is doing something about it, and inviting families along for the journey.

Why it's worth the visit

It's free with Museum entry, open daily 10am to 5:50pm (last entry 5:30pm)

It's fully accessible wheelchair and pushchair friendly, with audio narration, pictogram signage and no time pressure

It's the perfect summer holiday outing

So this summer, skip the screens and take the family somewhere where they can fuel their curiosity and find out where the food on their plates actually comes from. Broccoli isn't a baby tree. But there's a good chance your kids will remember exactly what it is after a visit to 'The Curious Kitchen'.

The Curious Kitchen runs until 30th August 2028 at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London. Free with Museum entry.

[LOGO]

HELLO FRESH

Bring the curiosity to your kitchen table with HELLOG265020 for 50% off your first box and free treats for 2 months

---

National

19

Making a splash

Whales, ships and a scrimshaw tell story of Hull in revitalised Maritime Museum

Catherine Slessor

The star attraction of Hull's revamped and revitalised Maritime Museum is a colossal 12-metre-long (40ft) skeleton of a North Atlantic right whale, beached more than a century ago. The remains of this leviathan dominate an exhibition space scarcely large enough to contain its stupendous bulk. Children can crawl into its ribcage, like junior Ionahs, popping up in a clear plastic dome as digital images of swimming whales slowly unspoof across the ceiling.

Docile, leisurely and extremely blubbery - which meant that harpooned carcasses conveniently floated, as well as yielding copious quantities of valuable oil - the North Atlantic right whale was hunted almost to extinction in the whaling era. Today, it is estimated that there are fewer than 400 left.

At the other end of the cetacean scale is a delicately carved whale that can fit into the palm of your hand, studded with miniature harpoons for use as toothpicks. It forms part of the museum's world-class collection of scrimshaw, the intensely fiddly folk art of carving pieces of ivory or bone.

Crewmen would whale away the long hours 'scrimshandering', inscribing whale teeth and walrus tusks with images of ships and patriotic Britannias, or tableaux from their travels and portraits of loved ones.

Hull's geography ensured that its history was a maritime one. Set at the confluence of the River Hull and Humber estuary, it prospered, successively, through trading, whaling and fishing. Latterly, its historic relationship with the sea has been renewed through the production of wind turbine blades for offshore arrays at the city's Alexandra Dock. And Hull and the Humber remain one of the UK's busiest port complexes.

Nonetheless, the sense persists of a city out on a limb - and one that has seen better days. Hull's centre is pockmarked with vacant shops, and its docklands, which took a pounding during the second world war, remain apologetically gap-toothed in places, despite the crowded marina and upscale warehouse conversions.

▲ The museum includes displays aimed at children and families

The poet Philip Larkin, Hull's most famous adopted son, who was head librarian of the city's university, wrote of 'the surprise of a large town ... where only salesmen and relations come, within a terminate and fishy-smelling pastoral of ships up streets'. Larkin had an ambivalent relationship with Hull, but a statue of him, erected in 2010, now greets you at the city's Paragon Station.

When the Dock Offices that now house the museum first opened in 1871, Hull's skyline was more ships' masts than church spires, with vessels crammed into a network of docks. Set on a prominent site overlooking the now infilled Queen's Dock, the Dock Offices exude a chest-puffing, Victorian mercantile bombast.

Designed by Christopher Wray, whose career encompassed a spell in Calcutta's public works department, the building's florid and fruity neoclassical style is embellished with Neptunian details such as sea monsters, fishing nets and trident-like railings. An unconventional triangular plan was crowned by chunky pepperpot cupolas at its three corners.

Now listed Grade II*, it was converted into the city's Maritime Museum in 1975. Over time, however, the Museum of Hull, as it was then known, became tired and ripe for a reboot. Only two of its four floors were publicly accessible and the main exhibition space was painted shiny grey and lurid Germolene pink. Claire Humphrey, senior architect with conservation specialist Purcell, which oversaw the remodelling, says: 'You couldn't read the whole room as a volume because there was this big

▲ A piece of patriotic scrimshaw from the museum, below; its Age of Sail gallery, centre; and courtroom, bottom PHOTOGRAPHS: HUTTON-CROW

ramp in the middle going up to a mezzanine level.'

The ramp has been removed and the colour scheme toned down to a more historically accurate and visually palatable palette: subtle marine blues set against a glacially white ceiling.

The £20.4m project follows Hull's successful stint as city of culture in 2017. Funding came jointly from Hull city council (£11.8m) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund (£7.7m) plus private donations. The rebooting has enabled the museum to double its public space and show 50% more objects from its expansive collection. About 1,300 artefacts

are now on display across the galleries and open storage spaces, many being seen by the public for the first time.

New display systems bring Hull's maritime cornucopia more vividly to life, from dockers' tools and a stuffed polar bear, to Inuit booties and a so-called 'mermaid' (actually a rather hideous chimera of a monkey fused with a fish).

A veritable regatta of model ships, accurate to the last detail, shows the shift from sail to steam, an advance that supercharged the shipping and fishing industries. One of the museum's most cherished artefacts is a carved wooden figurehead of a

bounding dog from the Sirius, the first steamship to complete a transatlantic crossing under steam power in 1838.

Other sections explore the rich currents of migration that flowed through Hull, propitiously poised between Old and New Worlds. You can also learn about Lillian Bilocca, the 'headscarf revolutionary' who doughty campaigning to improve safety on fishing fleets in the 1960s.

In 150 years of commercial trawling out of Hull, over 6,000 crewmen were lost, now commemorated in the museum's simple and dignified memorial space. Yet despite Bilocca's success, which undoubtedly saved lives, she was ostracised and blacklisted.

The deep dive into Hull's 800-year-old maritime history does not end with the museum. The remodelled building forms part of a wider circuit that takes in the relandscaped Queen's Gardens, originally designed by the modernist architect Frederick Gibberd, and a new visitor centre for the Arctic Corsair, a historic trawler that will be permanently berthed in a cavernous dry dock within the North End shipyard.

Urban realm improvements round the centre literally pave the way for the visitor experience, with the development as a whole suggesting the possibility of a different kind of civic future.

---

12

National

▼ Alexandra Burke matches Chaka Khan's energy but not quite her vocal power in I'm Every Woman PHOTOGRAPH: DANNY KAHN

Three midlife health factors 'can ward off dementia for 13 years'

Andrew Gregory Health editor

Scientists claim to have identified three health measures in middle age associated with dementia being delayed for more than a decade.

Having normal blood pressure, no type 2 diabetes, and not smoking between the ages of 45 and 65 were associated with almost 13 additional years of dementia-free life on average, a study found.

Researchers in the US analysed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, which began in the mid-1980s and followed Americans for decades into late life, measuring midlife vascular risk factors and dementia.

In a new analysis, researchers looked at 12,409 people with an average age of 56 who were free of dementia. Participants were assessed for the three risk factors, then followed up for an average of 26 years.

During that time, 3,008 developed dementia and 5,238 died without developing the condition, researchers from New York University Langone Health found.

People who had none of the three risk factors lived without developing dementia for almost 13 years longer than those who had all three.

Those with no diabetes, no high blood pressure and who did not smoke at the start of the study lived for an average of 30.1 more years free of dementia, the study found.

Meanwhile, those with one risk factor had an extra 26.3 years, those with two had 21 years, and those with three had just over 17 years free.

No matter how many risk factors people had, women lived longer

without dementia than men, and white people had more dementia-free years than black people.

The findings were published in the medical journal Neurology.

The senior investigator, Dr Josef Coresh, the director of the optimal ageing institute at NYU Langone, said: 'Our findings argue that people need to actively avert these factors in midlife as a strategy for preserving brain health for more than a decade.'

'Hopefully, these results will encourage people to stop smoking and watch their vascular health closely from age 45 on.'

The number of people living with dementia globally is forecast to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050. But previous research has suggested that addressing 14 modifiable risk factors could prevent or delay 45% of cases, even as people live longer.

The NYU Langone researchers said the three factors 'often emerge in midlife' and 'exert lasting effects on neurodegenerative pathology', underscoring the importance of early identification and management.

Dr Jacqui Hanley, the head of research funding at Alzheimer's Research UK, who was not involved with the study, said: 'These findings emphasise why it's so important to look after your heart health as well as your brain health.'

Everyone should take practical steps, including staying physically active, not smoking and managing conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, she said. 'While there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, research, including this study, suggests that addressing risk factors for poor cardiovascular health may also help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.'

Stage review Queen of funk's epic story lacks the X factor

I'm Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical Troubadour Wembley Park theatre, London ★★★★☆

Ammar Kalia

In the pantheon of soul divas, Chaka Khan is surely one of the fiercest. With a soaring, multi-octave vocal range that earned accolades from Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis, as well as a chequered personal life and a stint in the Black Panthers with Fred Hampton,

Khan's story has long felt ripe for immortalisation in a musical.

I'm Every Woman features the X Factor winner Alexandra Burke in the lead role. Running just shy of three hours, it is a gargantuan undertaking of two uneven parts.

The opening half sprints through a remarkable girlhood and young adulthood. Khan's father leaves the family owing to a drug problem, she joins the local Black Panther party chapter in Chicago, falls in love, decides to become a singer and witnesses Hampton's murder - all in a matter of minutes. Celebrity impersonations pop up in case the frenetic pace is insufficient to hold the audience's attention.

Burke plays Khan with an

energetic youthfulness, but when it comes to vocals faces a sixyphen task. She makes a valiant effort of singalong hits like Ain't Nobody and Tell Me Something Good, but lacks the resonance to replicate Khan's power. Nowhere is this clearer than during the ballad Through the Fire, which employs three singers to replicate Khan's performance and still falls short of her key-jumping agility.

When the second half arrives and Khan finds herself the queen of funk in the 1980s, the show runs entirely out of pace and music.

I Feel for You is a raucous post-interval opener, but the remaining hour meanders. When it comes time for a harried emotional reunion with her daughter in rehab, the pathos refuses to land. Instead, it becomes a musical in service to somewhat sparse music, rather than an astounding story.

Until 27 September

Save £288

on Unlimited data

Plus, use your data in 49 European destinations with 12GB roaming

£22

a month

Increasing to:

£24.30pm on 1 April 27

£26.60pm on 1 April 28

24 month plan

Offer ends on 02.09.26

Scan to switch, go in-store, or call 0800 033 8053 today.

Three Value Plan: Unlimited data (max speed of 100 Mbps). (minutes and feet in UK (to standard mobiles and landlines). Save £288: Visa C34 pm between 24.06 - 22.07. Airtime monthly charge includes a £5 pm discount for paying by recurring method. If recurring method is cancelled, discount will stop and your monthly charge will go up by £5 pm. Includes Go Pharm in Europe; use your plan's allowance in 49 European destinations, with a fair use policy of 12GB per month. Subject to credit check and terms, see three.co.uk/terms.

---

News

17

SpaceX rocket section thought to have crashed into the moon

Oliver Holmes

A four-tonne piece of a discarded SpaceX rocket that has been floating in space since last year is believed to have unintentionally crashed into the moon at high speed, in a collision that poses no danger to Earth but was expected to blast out a new lunar crater.

The object is part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that had launched two commercial lunar landers, one from the US and one from Japan, towards the moon in January 2025.

The rocket body was due to hit the moon at about 6.35am yesterday, crashing into its surface at 5,400mph. The impact was predicted to kick up a

miles-long plume of lunar dust that, even illuminated by sunlight, would be difficult to spot with the naked eye from Earth.

Professional and amateur astronomers using high-quality telescopes and cameras were not able to confirm the impact yesterday, possibly owing to the site being close to the visible edges of the moon.

US and South Korean lunar satellites were planning to take images of the site after impact, but it may take days to receive that information.

Nasa has said the impact was expected to create a crater about 18 metres (60ft) wide and 4 metres deep and throw dust and rock outward as ejecta. The space agency said it would look for opportunities to photograph the site, with any data

collected helping scientists "better understand artificial impacts and their exploration implications".

Nasa's spokesperson Jimi Russell said on Tuesday: "The impact poses no danger to Earth and Nasa scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event and refine techniques for tracking objects in space."

Such rocket parts, known as stages, typically fall back into Earth's atmosphere and burn up or plunge into the ocean after boosting the rocket's payload to a precise spot in orbit.

But because the January 2025 lunar lander mission required more thrust than missions closer to Earth, the rocket's second stage remained in space, floating among thousands of other pieces of space junk that active satellites must steer clear of.

Source: USGS

It was not until this year that astronomers determined that the rocket stage, which had dumped its remaining fuel and could not be controlled, was on an orbital trajectory headed for the moon.

Julianna Scheiman, SpaceX's director of Nasa science and Dragon spacecraft programmes, told reporters on Monday: "What has happened is essentially a mixture of solar activity and gravity forces have put it on a path toward the moon."

While tens of thousands of pieces of space junk are increasingly crowding Earth's orbit, impacts on the moon are relatively rare.

Multiple US and Soviet spacecraft intentionally or accidentally crashed into the moon during the 20th-century space race. More recently, a Chinese rocket stage crashed into the moon in March 2022 after completing a lunar test mission. In 2009, Nasa intentionally crashed a rocket stage into the moon to study the plume of lunar material kicked up.

Several spacecraft intending to softly land on the moon in recent years have crashed instead, including Russia's Luna-25 mission in 2023 and India's Chandrayaan-2 lander mission in 2019.

Israel's Beresheet lander also crashed in 2019. Among the Israeli lander's payloads were tiny tardigrades, microscopic animals known for surviving radiation and other harsh environments and which may still be on the surface.

Scheiman said Nasa and SpaceX were discussing ways to prevent future lunar impacts.

Tiny vortices seen on sun's surface cast new light on old mysteries

Ian Sample Science editor

Golden bands and swirling vortices have been seen on the sun in the most detailed images ever captured of the turbulent surface of our home star.

Astronomers observed the sun with the Inouye solar telescope in Hawaii, the most powerful of its type in the world, and saw new features smaller than 12 miles across in a magnetically active region close to a sun spot.

The pictures show processes on the surface that are likely to explain the mystery of why the corona, the sun's outer atmosphere, is millions of degrees hotter than its surface.

"These are the highest spatial resolution images of the solar surface ever acquired," said Dr Friedrich Woger, a senior scientist at the US National Solar Observatory, which operates the telescope near the summit of the Haleakalā volcano on Maui.

Previous observations with the telescope found the sun's surface to be a patchwork of granular structures, each about the size of France. Those images picked out details as small as 18 miles, but the latest are right at the limit of the telescope's capability.

Dr David Kuridze, an astronomer on the team, said: "My first reaction was: wow, how can we see such tiny, fine-scale structures on the sun? This is something we have never seen before in any solar observations."

In the latest images, the small, whirlpool-like structures on the sun's surface were identified as signatures

▲ The surface as seen by the Inouye solar telescope; the

closest image in 2020, below PHOTOGRAPH: NIST/NGO/AGRA/NIPS

of what scientists call Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs). These form when fast-moving plasma slides past slower-moving fluid, creating shear at the interface. This sets up small disturbances in the sun's plasma that grow into spiralling vortices.

Scientists have seen KHIs in lakes and oceans, in cloud formations on Earth, and in the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, but have never before confirmed their existence on the sun. Details of the findings are published in Nature.

Explosive events on the sun from solar flares and jets to coronal mass

ejections are powered by extreme, fluctuating magnetic fields in the star. The explosions can cause widespread disruption on Earth, taking out power grids, satellites, GPS positioning and global communications.

The magnetic fields are generated by the movement of hot, charged plasma in the sun, but the physics is not fully understood. Astronomers know that magnetic field lines can twist around each other like braided hair, creating tension that is suddenly released when the tangled lines break. It is less clear what starts the process. The swirling vortices are

now a key culprit, explaining why the field lines become braided in the first place, and perhaps why the sun's corona is heated to a few million degrees while the surface is a mere 6,000C.

"This could solve this biggest mystery of the last half a century for solar physics and astrophysics," said Kuridze. "When you have this instability in the system, it is very easy to cascade the energy into smaller scales. And at some point, it just dissipates as a heat. This could make hot coronas, hot outer atmospheres of the sun and similar stars."

---

Save 25% in year one

Discover our beautifully designed global print magazine, showcasing the best of our reporting. Subscribe today from just £3.35 per issue in the first year and enjoy unlimited access to the Guardian, Feast and Editions apps, as well as ad-free reading on all your devices.

Visit theguardian.com/guardianweekly or scan the QR code

Package	Price per issue	Price per year
Full price subscription	£4.47	£228.00
25% saving in your first year	£3.35	£171.00

The GuardianWeekly

Guardian Weekly annual subscriptions are £171 for the first year, then £228 per year afterwards unless you cancel. Only available to new Guardian Weekly subscribers. Offer cannot be applied to an active subscription. Guardian Weekly reserves the right to end this offer at any time. Offer details correct at the time of printing. For offer terms and conditions visit theguardian.com/weeklyterms. For offer terms and conditions visit theguardian.com/weeklyterms.

---

National

19

◀ Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, with 19 weeks at the top, are less widely known than the chart toppers Wet Wet Wet, right, who had 15 in 1994

100 premium streams, or 600 ad-funded ones, equal one sale.

But the fragmentation runs deeper, according to the music and culture critic Nicolas-Tyrell Scott, who said: "It's not as easy as saying a track is No 1, therefore it's resonant and dominating in everyone's sphere of influence."

Scott noted that generation Z spend 16% of their average audio day on radio, against 42% on streaming and 20% on YouTube - and algorithms actively reinforce those micro-cultures. "It's easy to see why a song like this could pass clusters of people by, despite dominating commercially," he said.

The chart analyst James Masterton put it starkly: a single can break records yet "still struggle with any kind of cultural cut-through". Unlike past mega-hits, he said, this one has no film or event attached to it. "It isn't from a movie soundtrack or connected with any national event. It just ... exists."

Weekly chart consumption has grown from about 20m streams at the start of the decade to more than 30m now, Masterton said, but most No 1s this year have clustered around 60,000 - so while the audience has grown, the biggest hits command a far smaller slice of attention than they once did. Television exposure barely moves the needle either - this year's Brit awards produced no lasting bump for their acts - while radio has splintered into narrow playlists.

"This is merely one symptom of what sociologists are noting as the demise of the monoculture," Masterton said. "With such a vast range of entertainment options available, few creations or productions really need to appeal to a large cross-section of the public. Which is just as well given how few actually do."

Anderton offered a caveat. Songs such as Kylie Minogue's Padam Padam or Charli XCX's Brat summer moment broke through because they became wider cultural phenomena across social media, TV, news coverage and memes. "The ubiquitous hit is not dead," he said. "It just requires much more than chart success."

Biggest song you've never heard Why so few people recognise record chart-topper

Have you heard the biggest song in the UK? Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's Rein Me In became the longest-running No 1 single in UK chart history this week with 19 weeks at the top. The British Phonographic Industry said the song had resonated with listeners "in such a profound way", while Fender referred to it as a "juggernaut".

Yet the record prompted bafflement online from people who claimed they did not know it. "Crazy how monoculture no

longer exists because I don't think I've actually ever heard this song," wrote one user on X.

It has reignited a broader debate about whether Britain's music charts still reflect a shared national culture. How can a record dominate the charts for nearly five months, and win song of the year at the Brits, while leaving large sections of the public feeling as though it passed them by? Only those living under a rock when the Beatles had a No 1 could have avoided knowing it.

The answer, according to industry experts, is that dominance no longer means ubiquity. "In the era of Top of the Pops, Radio 1 and Smash Hits, the weekly charts were a shared cultural event," said Chris Anderton, associate professor in

cultural economy at Southampton Solent University. Streaming has replaced that with endless choice and algorithmic recommendation, he said, producing what author Eli Pariser called the "filter bubble" - listeners are repeatedly served music similar to their previous choices. It's the same mechanism that isolates social media users from opposing viewpoints, Anderton said.

The record for longest-running No 1 was previously held by Frankie Laine, whose I Believe spent 18 weeks in the top spot in 1953, when the UK singles chart was less than a year old and featured 12 songs. More recent contenders, including Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Wet Wet Wet's Love

Is All Around, Drake's One Dance and Ed Sheeran's Shape of You, all fell short.

Rein Me In was written by Fender for his album People Watching before being re-recorded as a duet and released in June 2025. It took 36 weeks to reach No 1, and has held the top spot on and off since February. It also outlasted the "accelerated decline" rules introduced by the Official Charts Company in 2017 to specifically stop streaming hits lingering indefinitely.

The mechanics of a No 1 have changed too. Chart position once meant physical sales; today it blends sales with stream-equivalents from Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube - currently

Game of Thrones author opens up over depression and book delays

Emma Loffhagen

George RR Martin has spoken of his depression during a "stressful" year as readers await the delayed sixth instalment of his hit fantasy series.

The American author, whose A Song of Ice and Fire novels shaped and inspired the HBO show Game of Thrones, wrote about his difficulties

in his first personal blog post for almost six months.

"This year has been ... stressful, to say the least," he wrote in a post titled Better Late Than Never. "So much has been happening, it's been overwhelming. Some great things, exciting things ... But there have been nightmares too. I have lost friends. Battled sadness and depression."

He explained that recent posts on his website had been written by his

assistants because he had continued to "fall further and further behind" despite their help.

Martin, who turns 78 next month, reflected on ageing; "getting old is no fun", he wrote. "I suppose that's just life. Of course, I knew that."

Among highlights, Martin noted that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a GoT prequel based on his Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, had received nine Emmy nominations, including for outstanding drama series.

His comments come amid continued speculation about The Winds of Winter, the sixth and penultimate novel in A Song of Ice and Fire, which has been in progress since 2011.

'This year has been ... stressful to say the least. So much has been happening'

George RR Martin Author

Martin has faced criticism from readers over the delay, and has referred to the book as "the curse of my life". The TV show eventually overtook its source material, with later seasons following a separate narrative.

In January, Martin said he had completed about 1,100 manuscript pages of The Winds of Winter. He said leaving the series unfinished would feel like "a total failure", adding: "It's been made clear to me that Winds is the priority, but ... Sometimes I'm not in the mood for that."

The mental health charity Mind can be contacted on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111

---

supported by

taste DIFFERENCE

Mouthwatering

recipes, exclusively for you

Only on the app

Get app-exclusive delicious recipes from world-class chefs - only on the Feast app.

Download the Feast app

GET IT ON Google Play

Automatically rolls onto a full price annual or monthly subscription after a 14-day free trial. Cancel anytime before the renewal date. Full TBCs at the guardian.com/feast/techs

The Guardian

---

National

21

More than 1,000 people convicted of illegal UK arrival in 'cruel, arbitrary' prosecutions

Diane Taylor

More than 1,000 people, including survivors of torture and trafficking, have been convicted of illegally arriving in the UK since 2022, according to freedom of information data.

The Home Office introduced the offence of illegal arrival in 2022 in a hall to deter those planning to come to the UK by small boat or by other irregular means such as lorries.

The decision was widely condemned at the time because the refugee convention states those seeking sanctuary should not be criminalised for the way they travel, as they often do not have the option to move legally from an unsafe country to a safe one.

Fol data obtained from the Home Office by the criminologist Dr Victoria Taylor, a research fellow at the University of Manchester, reveals 1,109 people were prosecuted for illegal arrival between July 2022 and January 2026.

The data shows 628 arrived on a small boat, and 296 of those were captured on surveillance drone footage steering a dinghy. Others had previous immigration history in the UK.

Just 12 people have been convicted of the separate offence of facilitation, after steering the dinghies they arrived on. It is harder for the Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service to secure evidence that people on a dinghy were involved in organising a journey across the Channel than to prosecute them for illegal arrival. People have been identified as

having their 'hand on the tiller' for many reasons, including having boating experience, steering in return for discounted passage, taking it in turns, or being under duress.

In one illegal arrival case, the Home Office settled a judicial review relating to a trafficking survivor from South Sudan who was forced at gunpoint to pilot a small boat. Officials have now agreed to ensure greater protection for trafficking victims in these cases.

Emily Soothill, partner at Deighton Pierce Glynn, who represented him, said: 'Unfortunately it is clear from our client's case that potential victims of trafficking are regularly being convicted for illegal arrival and imprisoned for many months. The concessions made in our client's case underline the need for a robust

and consistent application of the UK's modern slavery framework to prevent survivors of trafficking from being wrongly treated as criminals.'

Some of those convicted of the various offences were survivors of torture and trafficking, and there were at least 30 age-disputed children among them, 19 of whom had spent time in adult prisons.

The organisation Captain Support UK has worked with hundreds of people imprisoned in illegal arrival cases, all of whom sought asylum in the UK hours before they were arrested.

628

Number of convictions of people are arriving on a small boat, according to data obtained by FOI

A spokesperson said: 'We see first-hand the negative impact these prosecutions have on people and their families. We urgently call on the government to stop imprisoning people on the move. No one should be put in prison for seeking safety and a better life.'

'Taylor said: 'The process of who is selected for prosecution is arbitrary and cruel.'

She added that the vast majority of those imprisoned for illegal arrival since 2022 had claimed asylum, and many have been granted asylum since their release or have been recognised as victims of trafficking, or both.

'There are serious questions about the compatibility of these prosecutions with the refugee convention, which was drafted to prevent states from penalising refugees for how they seek safety. There is no evidence to support the government's claims that these prosecutions will 'deter' people from attempting to cross the Channel,' Taylor said.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.

Small boat crossings Is strategy starting to get results?

Diane Taylor

The headline figures show a fall of 43% - from 21,690 to 12,469 - in the number of small boats crossing the Channel from January to mid-July, compared with the same period last year.

Since Andy Burnham came to power on 20 July, however, there has been a small increase on the same period last year. Between 20 July and 2 August 2025, 1,962 people crossed in small boats. Over the same period this year more than 2,000 have done so.

On Sunday Burnham visited Dover's joint command room, where small boat movements across the Channel are tracked using drones. He said the government would be 'relentless' in stopping the boats and would 'bring back that control'.

Have ministers finally cracked a political problem that has dogged successive prime ministers for almost a decade, and will Burnham's promises be fulfilled?

Does the reduction of almost 43% mean the number of people coming to the UK illegally has almost halved?

There is no doubt that the government initiatives to 'stop the boats' have disrupted the business

▲ Crossings across the Channel are down by 43% on last year, but there has been a small recent increase PHOTOGRAPH: FRANK H. ALEXIOPOULOU, UNP

model of people smugglers in northern France. But they have certainly not destroyed it. In the past week more than 1,000 people have arrived, as smugglers take advantage of a good weather window with 752 people in nine boats on 29 July, the highest number in a single day this year, and 326 in four boats on Saturday.

While there has been a reduction in asylum claims, it has not been as significant as the reduction in small boat arrivals. In the year ending March 2026, 93,525 people claimed asylum, a 12% reduction on the previous year. Of this number 42%, 38,980, arrived by small boats, with the others already in the UK on a visa, or arriving in lorries or shipping containers.

Smugglers have evolved their business model. Boat launches

have spread out further across the coast, with some now leaving from Belgium and others from as far south as Dieppe, which is a journey of 70 miles to the UK, compared with the Calais to Dover route of 27 miles. French officials told the Guardian that this year they have recorded nine mega-dinghies carrying more than 100 people.

Smugglers are offering a more expensive lorry route to those who wish to claim asylum on arrival in the UK. Asylum seekers say the current price for a place on a dinghy is €1,000 (€852) or less, while in a lorry it is from €4,000 to €5,000.

Have the measures deterred asylum seekers from trying to get to the UK?

According to charity organisations in northern France - including Care4Calais, Project Play, Utopia 56 and Calais Food Collective - there are still a significant number of asylum seekers waiting to cross the Channel.

The UK government has agreed to pay France another €660m to curb the number of asylum seekers travelling across the Channel, including plans to fund a riot squad to 'contain and disperse' people trying to boast small boats.

French police enforcement and the 'one in, one out scheme' - where some asylum seekers who arrive in the UK on small boats are forcibly returned to France, while a similar number are brought legally to the UK from northern France - also appear not to have significantly deterred asylum seekers from trying to reach the UK.

Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration, has said that by the time asylum seekers have reached northern France after a long and arduous journey, sometimes crossing the Sahara and enduring slavery and torture in Libya, it is too late to turn them back.

Many asylum seekers who do cross the Channel have family

connections in the UK or speak English. Some say they feel it is a safer place for them than France because of threats from people smugglers.

One Syrian asylum seeker who crossed the Channel twice said that both times the thought in his head was: 'I come or I die.'

Why are so many asylum seekers returning to the UK after being removed to France under the one in, one out deal?

Asylum seekers involved in the one in, one out scheme estimate that up to 200 have returned to the UK. Home Office sources say a smaller number have returned.

It is believed that some people are returning to the UK in lorries and living under the radar without the Home Office's knowledge. Some have said they plan to come forward to the Home Office if and when one in, one out ends in October, as has been reported.

Lack of support and poor living conditions in France are among the reasons given for returning to the UK after asylum claims are refused.

Others say they have been attacked by smugglers in northern France over money owed from their first crossing.

One asylum seeker said he planned to return to the UK because France had refused his asylum claim and planned to return him to his home country.

'I am wanted by my government for political activity against them,' he said. 'They will put me in prison and kill me there. I know if I come back to the UK ... I will be locked up [but] I will live.'

Will the new prime minister strengthen measures to stop small boat crossings?

Burnham echoed the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, on the need for safe routes.

As opposition parties increase pressure on the small boats issue, it remains to be seen if Burnham will ramp up the rhetoric and government actions in response.

---

22

Eyewitness

---

23

Scaling up

A drone photograph of a fish lantern parade in Tangmo village, Huangshan city in eastern China. The parades of giant fish- shaped lanterns take place in the ancient villages of Huangshan and create a visual spectacle at night.

PHOTOGRAPH: SHE YALEU/ANHUA NEWS AGENCY/EYEYINE

---

Felix

Rescuing food for fuller lives

As food prices remaining high, many families are under huge pressure.

The school holidays can make things even harder, with extra childcare costs and no school meals to rely on – many could be pushed to breaking point.

Six million adults and two million children aren't getting enough good food to eat. Families urgently need your support to feed their children in the coming weeks. You can help support them.

Will you give a gift today? £90 could provide the equivalent of three meals a day for three children over the summer holidays.

Here's how your gift will help:

Felix receives good quality surplus food from supermarkets, farms and manufacturers, then redistributes it through 8,000 local charities and community groups across the UK.

The nourishment your generosity provides goes far beyond food. It helps 1.5 million people a year eat, connect and access vital support, meaning fuller plates, fuller communities and fuller lives.

This summer will you help get a month of meals for a family facing hunger?

With a gift of £90 to Felix, you could provide the equivalent of three healthy meals a day to three children for the summer holidays.

How your £90 could feed three children who are hungry

Surplus food is received from suppliers.

Felix redistributes the food to local charities helping people in need.

Children can get healthy meals at day centres, youth groups and community cafes.

Yes, I want to give a gift of £90, which could help feed three children in the UK over the summer holidays.

Complete and post to Freepost FELIX. You do not need a stamp.

Please accept my gift of:

☐ £90 for 315 meals to three children ☐ My chosen amount of £

I enclose a Cheque/Postal Order/Voucher made payable to FELIX

OR please debit my: ☐ Visa ☐ Mastercard ☐ Amex

Card No: ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

IGAQPR26v2O

Start Date: 1 ☐ ☐ Expiry Date: ☐☐ / ☐☐

Signature: Date: ☐☐ / ☐☐ / ☐☐

Make my gift go 25% further with Gift Aid

☐ Yes, I would like Felix to claim Gift Aid on this donation, as well as on all the donations I have made in the past 4 years and on all future gifts of money that I donate. Felix will reclaim 25p

of tax on every £1 I give. By ticking this box I confirm that I am a UK tax payer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations across all charities it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

giftaid it

Name:

Address:

Postcode: :

We need your address to claim Gift Aid

We'd love to keep you up to date on Felix's work including fundraising updates. If you'd like to hear from us, please fill in your details below:

Email:

Telephone number:

If you prefer not to hear from us by post, please get in touch by calling us on 0300 302 3677 or emailing fundraiser@felix.org.uk. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Felix takes appropriate measures to keep your personal information safe. Read our privacy policy in full here:

felix.org.uk/privacy-policy

Registered with FUNDRAISING REGULATOR

Felix is a registered charity in England & Wales (1100081) and Scotland (SC0526732). Registered office: Building 3, White Collar Factory, 2 Old Street Yard, London, EC1Y 8AF.

To give online please visit felix.org/summer26 or scan the QR code

---

National

Stage review

Barking show is a bit ruff around the edges

Dog Man: The Musical Southbank Centre, London ★★★★☆

Tim Jonze

Perhaps, if you don't have a child in primary school, you will be blissfully unaware of Dog Man, Dav Pilkey's series of graphic novels about a cop who - after a terrible injury - has his dog's head sewn on to his own body, thereby creating a crime-fighting canine-human crossbreed. But if you've been swept up by the phenomenon - and Dog Man is a phenomenon, selling more than 70m copies in the decade since the first book was published - you will know that this must have some serious star power:

there's a Dog Man film, video game, board game ... and now a musical, arriving in the UK after off-Broadway success.

The Dog Man books are chaotic, hilarious and full of pathos, but the writer-lyricist Kevin Del Aguila and composer Brad Alexander's show leans largely on the former. There's slapstick humour and jokes about butt-sniffing. When Dog Man is asked how his day is going, he replies: "Ruff!" It's aimed at the younger end of Pilkey's readership, which is confusing as there are also Dickens references.

The plot - based on several early Dog Man books in the 14-strong series - is actually a musical within a musical: George and Harold, the fictional writers of the Dog Man comics, put on a musical to prove to their teacher how easy it is. Because they're throwing it together using whatever they can find in their cupboard, Timothy Mackabee's

▼ Timothy Mackabee's set design is charmingly DIY, with skyscrapers made from cardboard and gaffer tape PHOTOGRAPH: MARK SENIOR

set is charmingly DIY - skyscrapers are made from cardboard and gaffer tape, and characters shapeshift across soft toy/glove puppet/human actor form.

Our hero hound (Renan Teodoro) is pitted against Petey (Sam Kipling), the villainous cat, and Flippy (Vanessa Dumatey), a psychokinetic butterflyfish who has gained superpowers from eating "brain dust". But there's a twist. To help achieve his evil aims, Petey clones himself, expecting a similarly twisted replica to emerge - instead he mistakenly creates Li'l Petey (Rebecca-Jo Roberts),

a super-cute and naive kid who insists on calling Petey "papa" (cue much "I'm NOT your papa!").

Li'l Petey is the books' emotional core and no doubt parents will relate to the idea of suddenly having a mini-me in their world who annoyingly doesn't behave as instructed. But as the energetic cast dance, sing and bark their way around the set like CBeebies presenters after three pints of Skittles, these more moving moments get buried in the production, directed and choreographed by Jen Wineman. There's also a slight disconnect in seeing people act out these roles - would children not get more excited at seeing Pilkey's cutesy characters come to life with big furry heads rather than, say, a bloke wearing an orange beanie?

Translating a graphic novel into a musical was always going to be tricky. At one point George and Harold, played by Ricardo Mendes and Peter Lavery, bring a board onstage to try to replicate the "animated" flip-o-ramas from the series. "This isn't working the way it does in the comics!" they complain. It's a joke, but perhaps musicals aren't quite as easy to pull off as George and Harold thought.

Until 16 August, then touring until 13 June 2027

All the must-sees and don't bothers

Save up to 31% on retail price

Subscribe to every cultural recommendation for up to 31% less. Subscribe to the Guardian.

With your print + digital subscription, you can: ☑ Save up to 31% on the Six day package or up to 12% on the Saturday only package ☑ Collect in store or home delivery ☑ Enjoy unlimited digital access ☑ Support independent journalism ☑ Pause your print subscription anytime

Save up to 31% on the retail price when you subscribe Scan the QR code or visit theguardian.com/newspapersubscription

SAVE UP TO 31%

Beast

Beast

Save up to 31% on the 1st day package or up to 12% on the Saturday only package ☑ Select in store or home delivery ☑ Enjoy unlimited digital access ☑ Support independent journalism ☑ Pause your print subscription anytime

The Guardian

Saving shown is the saving per month against the retail price. New subscribers, UK residents 18+ only. Pause delivery or collection for 5 weeks max per year. Full package details, delivery areas and participating stores on our website. Subscription T&Q apply, see theguardian.com/subscription/terms

---

20

World

Leftwinger wins Democrats Senate primary in pivotal state of Michigan

Rachel Leingang and Joseph Gedeon Detroit

Abdul El-Sayed has won the Democratic primary for the US Senate in Michigan, becoming the latest leftwing candidate to gain the party's nomination before November's midterm elections.

El-Sayed, a progressive, beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party's establishment. He will now face the Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern swing state in the Senate.

The Associated Press called the race yesterday, moments after Stevens' campaign said she had called El-Sayed to concede.

El-Sayed won by a relatively close margin, in a sign that battleground state voters are still grappling over the direction of the Democratic party.

Michigan voters also delivered victories for other progressive candidates, nominating the climate activist William Lawrence and Donavan McKinney, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, both of whom are backed by Bernie Sanders, in their bids for seats in the House of Representatives.

Donald Trump won Michigan in 2016 and 2024, though Joe Biden won it in 2020. Both the state's current senators are Democrats and retaining the seat remains critical to Democrats' hopes of winning back the US Senate this year. Michigan is also a crucial part of the map for the 2028 presidential election.

El-Sayed, 41, is a former public health official who centred his run on the 'Medicare for all' model of universal healthcare, while confronting massive outside spending against him, which became another theme of the race.

Stevens, meanwhile, touted her work on Barack Obama's auto rescue

▲ The defeated Haley Stevens was backed by the party establishment

taskforce, in which she served as chief of staff.

Rogers, an ex-congressman from the state, was also the Republican nominee for US Senate in 2024, when he lost to the senator Elissa Slotkin.

While El-Sayed is not a democratic socialist, his run came amid a wave of wins by democratic socialist candidates elsewhere in the country. He has said he is a 'capitalist who understands how capitalism works' who wants to regulate monopolies.

'They spent an unprecedented amount of money to beat us,' El-Sayed said at a press conference yesterday, referring to the tens of millions of dollars in campaign spending against him. 'But it turns out the commercials are the part of the television show most people don't want to watch.'

'We took on a machine. You're not supposed to be able to beat $70m [£52m] of outside spending, a record amount of money spent in a campaign against a Democrat in a primary, in any campaign. You're not supposed to be able to beat that. And what we showed is that the power of our many is greater than the power of their money.'

Stevens got the backing of establishment Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, while El-Sayed received endorsements from prominent progressives such as Sanders.

In a statement yesterday, Stevens said: 'I love Michigan and am so proud to have put up my hand to serve. I spoke with Abdul a few moments ago to offer him my full support as we work to defeat Mike Rogers this November.'

Until earlier this summer, the primary was a three-way race with Mallory McMorrow, a state senator who eventually dropped out. Early yesterday, McMorrow threw her support behind El-Sayed. 'I'm proud to give Abdul my full endorsement and support as we head to November together as a unified party,' she said.

Trump celebrated El-Sayed's victory, claiming it was 'great news' for Republicans in a post on his Truth Social platform. The president went on to call El-Sayed a 'communist loser who hates Jews and Israel', despite the Democratic nominee's frequent denunciations of antisemitism.

'Now, the Democrats crazy policies will only get worse!' Trump wrote.

Analysis El-Sayed shook the status quo. He is a bellwether for the party's future

Joseph Gedeon Rachel Leingang

In the final stretch of the state's Democratic primary for US Senate, Abdul El-Sayed challenged voters at an event in rural Michigan to think about the message they could send the rest of the country when they cast their ballots.

'Who are we? Who do we want to be?' El-Sayed said. 'Do we want a state that's defined by how much money corporations brought in to tell us what we couldn't have? Or do we want to be a state where we demonstrate to the rest of the country what's possible when you

build a movement of, by and for the people?'

Now, El-Sayed's vision is one step closer to reality: he won the primary over the moderate congresswoman Haley Stevens, who was backed by the party's establishment and tens of millions of dollars in outside spending.

His victory could change how the US political establishment views swing-state politics - not requiring candidates to run from the centre, but articulating how they would materially improve people's lives as the working and middle classes struggle with the cost of living.

A contentious election in a battleground state awaits. El-Sayed won by 48.5% to 47.5% over

Stevens. That narrow margin, in addition to more than 60,000 votes for a candidate who had dropped out, suggests he will have to unite the party, and win over independent and right-leaning voters in the swing state, to beat the Republican Mike Rogers.

But the race solidified a growing anti-establishment sentiment on the party's left, where activists and supporters have sought a vision that does not rely on the pre-Donald Trump status quo, apparent in a string of wins for insurgent candidates. There is a sense that systems were already broken before Trump's rise, and that a return to those norms will not help ordinary Americans. They are

---

Winter wonderland Wellington gets first snowfall for 15 years Page 29

Revolutionary spirit Cuba's true believers party amid blackouts Page 31

looking for politicians who can call out their own party's orthodoxies, and challenge the big money that haunts US politics.

Michigan voters found it in El-Sayed, who centred his campaign on universal healthcare

▲ Abdul El-Sayed at a press conference in Detroit after his victory was confirmed and, below, at

a fitness class, one of his 500 campaign events across Michigan PHOTOGRAPHS: JULIA DEMARIE NIKKINSON/ ASSOCIATED PRESS

and was not shy about calling the war in Gaza a genocide.

"It doesn't limit us to just what we think is possible, but it changes what we think is possible," said David Sernick, a voter in Detroit who supported El-Sayed.

El-Sayed first ran for office in 2018, losing to Gretchen Whitmer, now the governor of Michigan, in a Democratic primary. This time he built a grassroots machine, touring all over the state with rallies while producing clippable moments for social media feeds. His campaigners knocked on more than 200,000 doors and made more than 1m phone calls, aided by leftwing groups such as the Working Families party and chapters of the Indivisible movement. El-Sayed held more than 500 campaign events and visited 150 churches.

Racquel Garcia, who voted for El-Sayed in Dearborn, Michigan, said his willingness to show up underscored her vote. El-Sayed worked as a public health official in Detroit and in Wayne County, and would show up at permit hearings and represent the people, she said.

"Every time we meet with the city of Detroit officials, we're like: 'We need you to be like him,' said Garcia. 'You're here to protect us, not to protect industry. So we've been wanting him in office. We were happy that he's real.'"

Andy Levin, a former Michigan congressman who lost to Stevens in 2022 after their districts were redrawn, said the result showed voters rejected a "static notion of electability" that stems from a politics of anxiety and fear. "They want authenticity, they want truth telling and they want brave policy, not just proposals but action, so they can breathe in their lives," Levin told Democracy Now. "This is a movement of Americans who are saying: enough of politics as usual."

Roy Harris, who voted in Detroit but would not say for whom, said it was time for a change. "First-time homebuyers can't buy a house - $400,000, first time you going out, nobody can afford that," he said. "I'm tired of paying $4 for gas, and I am looking for a change. And I hope the new regime coming in brings that to us."

In Washington, El-Sayed's effort to win the Senate race in Michigan is critical for Democrats' ambitious hopes of retaking control of the upper chamber, and will be closely watched as a bellwether for the party's future.

Michigan voted for Trump, then Joe Biden, then Trump in presidential elections. It is firmly a swing state. If El-Sayed, an unabashed progressive who frequently notes he has a "funny name", can win a statewide election, it could shape the 2028 presidential contest. If he fails, the political establishment and analysts will call him, and his ideas, too extreme - and use it as a cautionary tale for play-it-safe politics.

One dead and

11 injured as Israel strikes southern Lebanon

William Christou Beirut

An Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon killed one person and injured 11 yesterday, the Lebanese ministry of health said, in one of Israel's most harmful bombings since the start of the June ceasefire.

Israel carried out an airstrike in the town of Tehmine, striking a cemetery, the ministry said, adding that the town of Mansouri was also bombed, forcing families to flee.

The Israeli military issued a displacement order about 30 minutes before the strike, saying it was destroying Hezbollah's infrastructure in the area in response to the group's "violation of the ceasefire".

Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven wounded in an explosion in south Lebanon yesterday, with the origin unknown. In recent weeks, Israeli soldiers have been wounded by booby-trapped vehicles and mines laid by Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

This was the first time Israel had issued a displacement order since the start of the June ceasefire. Such orders were a near daily occurrence during the most recent round of Hezbollah- Israel fighting, which started on 2 March and displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon.

Since the June ceasefire, Israel has occupied large swathes of Lebanon as part of a so-called security zone. It has continued bombing parts of that area as well as killing people who have come near.

It is a similar approach to Gaza, where Israel occupies more than 60% of the strip under what it calls

Strait of Hormuz

Iran and Oman 'reach understanding' on shipping route

Iran and Oman have reached an understanding on the geographic coordinates for a shipping route through the strait of Hormuz, and a joint announcement is being finalised provided certain third parties do not interfere, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said yesterday.

Baghaei added that any such agreement would not, by itself, guarantee security in the strategic waterway.

The proposed deal would give Tehran control over ships entering the gulf through the strait, a senior Iranian source and two regional

the "yellow line", and continues to carry out bombings there. In May the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he had given orders to the Israeli army to seize control of 70% of the Gaza Strip.

More than 1,200 people have been killed in Gaza since an October ceasefire was established there. At least 26 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes in the strip over the past weekend.

Israel has also continued carrying out mass demolitions of areas it occupies in Lebanon, including in a blast last week that used 700 tonnes of explosives in the area around Beaufort Castle outside Nabatieh. Israel has said that it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, but rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, say the indiscriminate nature of the explosives could constitute the war crime of wanton destruction.

Talks between the Lebanese government and Israel for a more permanent peace are continuing, with the two sides meeting in Rome. The Lebanese government is seeking the withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon, while Israel wants the disarmament of Hezbollah. The meetings are the seventh round between the two sides and talks will likely focus on the Ali Taher area in south Lebanon, where Israeli troops have been conducting detonations.

So far, negotiations have resulted in three "pilot zones" in south Lebanon where the Lebanese army has assumed control.

The two sides are using these areas as tests to see whether the Lebanese army can prevent Hezbollah from entering the area and can continue to dismantle the group's infrastructure there. The Lebanese government has asked for a quicker Israeli withdrawal, which the Israelis are unlikely to agree to.

The latest escalation in fighting started after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on 2 March in retaliation for the killing of Iran's late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Israel then began a bombing campaign and invaded south Lebanon. Israel has since killed 4,321 people in Lebanon while at least 40 Israelis, 38 of them troops, were killed by Hezbollah.

officials told Reuters, in one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran.

The deal appears to be a stepping stone toward a broader ceasefire agreement with the US that would reopen the strait for marine traffic and lift a US blockade on Iranian ports that has brought upheaval to global energy markets.

If endorsed by the US, the deal would mark a significant concession by handing partial control over the waterway to Tehran. The strait of Hormuz was a neutral waterway before the US and Israel launched joint strikes in February. Andrew Roth

---

Football Weekly

The Guardian Live

Live

1 September | Dublin, Vicar Street 9 September | London, Soho Theatre Walthamstow

The European leg of the Football Weekly world tour is here (yes New York, Dublin and London does constitute a world tour).

Join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and special guests as they hit the stage in Dublin and London. With a stellar lineup of Football Weekly regulars and surprise cameos, expect a comprehensive dissection of the World Cup and plenty of too-hot-for-podcast tales from their time in the USA this summer.

Whether you want to join the chaos live in London or in Dublin, or watch from home, get your tickets now.

Dublin Tuesday 1 September Vicar Street 8pm-10pm

In person

London Wednesday 9 September Soho Theatre Walthamstow 7.30pm-9.30pm

In person

Livestream

Book your tickets at theguardian.com/footballweeklylive or scan the QR code

---

World

59

Philippines catches tennis fever after Eala's historic win

Natasha May Bangkok

The Philippines has been swept up in tennis fever after 21-year-old rising star Alexandra Eala delivered a historic win, drawing praise from the country's president who hosted a reception in her honour.

On Monday, Eala became the first player from the Philippines to win a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour-level singles title.

The Philippines president, Ferdinand Marcos, released a message on social media on Tuesday congratulating Eala on 'yet another historic achievement', adding: 'You continue to redefine what is possible for Philippine tennis and inspire countless young Filipinos to dream without limits.'

Eala not only beat the top-ranked player, Jessica Pegula, to win the title in Washington DC, but did so coming back from behind in a match spread

over two days owing to rain delays. Pegula, who is American, said after the match: 'This is the best Monday final crowd I've seen ... To all the Filipino fans that came out, and have supported, you guys are helping to grow tennis around the world, and I appreciate that. Being a female athlete, being in tennis, we love to see that growth.'

Signs in the court during the match expressed what Eala means to the country, including one reading: 'Alex you make us proud to be Filipino.'

Filipinos had already been celebrating Eala's historic run at Wimbledon last month, going farther than any Filipino woman at a grand slam championship and upsetting the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, in straight sets on Centre Court.

Eala came home to a hero's welcome, with Marcos hosting a reception in her honour at Malacanang Palace in Manila, and a nation that had previously paid little attention to the sport now obsessed

▲ Alexandra Eala after winning the Washington Open final on Monday

with it. She has inspired droves of Filipinos to take up tennis, resulting in classes, camps and courts becoming fully booked and leading clubs to upgrade old courts.

Speaking about this rise in popularity at a press conference, Eala said: 'Everyone comes up to me whenever I go back to Manila saying it's so hard to get courts ... that's a good thing because when I was younger the courts were empty, nobody was playing.'

The Philippines' sporting interests have historically been all about the 'three Bs': basketball, billiards and boxing. But now fans and supporters of Eala have been packing local venues and public spaces with watch parties, often staying up to cheer through the night for events taking place on the other side of the world.

The Philippines has not had a prominent sporting superstar to throw its support behind since the boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who applauded Eala as 'our new

champion' on social media, lauding her Washington comeback for showing the 'Filipino heart'.

The Washington Open's tournament director, Mark Ein, said interest in Eala had been unmatched. He told a media conference: 'Over the last month the ticketing team says at least 80%, if not more, of the requests in this tournament are about when is Alex Eala playing?'

Tennis is often dominated by players whose home countries - the US, Great Britain, and France - can afford the tens of millions of dollars annually it takes to develop young talent. The Philippines does not have that infrastructure, and tennis remained a sport for the elite, with courts mostly found in wealthy areas.

Eala comes from a prominent family, but she learned to play tennis on painted-over basketball courts in Quezon City before moving to Spain to attend the Rafa Nadal Academy on a scholarship at the age of 15.

Eala is inspiring young Filipinos from more modest backgrounds to find the means to play but has spoken about the need to improve access to public courts and equipment.

It was only during Wimbledon that she truly appreciated the impact she is having on millions of Filipinos, she told the palace reception, according to the state news agency.

'I'm so grateful that I am able to share my triumphs ... with the country,' Eala said. 'As we say, tagumpay nating lahat [this is our victory].'

▲ A firefighter holds Toast before the tabby's return to its grateful owners

'Toast' the cat found alive and well days after fire guts Utah apartments

Ramon Antonio Vargas

A cat named Toast has defied its name to survive a fire that gutted an apartment complex by hiding in a closet and enduring a days-long wait to be rescued, officials in Utah have said.

Toast was living in one of the 220 occupied units at the complex in Salt Lake City when the five-level facility caught fire at about 8am.

The blaze, which was probably caused by a mechanical issue, tore through and destroyed the complex, displacing hundreds of residents. It took more than 60 hours for firefighters to extinguish.

Though many pets were evacuated, one animal who was not immediately accounted for was Toast, sparking concern that he had not survived.

Salt Lake county animal services posted on social media that his human owners 'feared they had lost him', adding that 'as the days passed without any sign of him ... hope became harder to hold on to'.

The cat, however, held on. Salt Lake's unified fire authority announced in a Facebook post this week that firefighters had found Toast (yes, that's really its name!) alive inside the North Union Apartments more than 72 hours after the fire began, despite having been surrounded by a number of potentially lethal dangers.

'Hidden inside a closet - one of the only places left standing in the apartment after the roof collapsed - the resilient cat survived days of smoke, hundreds of thousands of gallons of water being sprayed overhead, and the destruction all around,' it said.

Toast was soon 'safely reunited with a very grateful owner', the statement continued. 'And aside from being wet, cold and a little scared, was otherwise healthy.'

Salt Lake county animal services on Monday posted a video of Toast's reunion with his owner, Ryder Mathis.

Mathis said: 'I can't express my gratitude enough for animal services, especially Sergeant Cantor, with Salt Lake county animal services. She went to war for us to make sure someone went up there just to check. I am so grateful for her, and also, Unified Fire Authority, for their work.'

Wellington has rare snow after Antarctic cold snap hits New Zealand

Eva Corlett Wellington

Temperatures have plummeted across New Zealand as an Antarctic cold snap hovers over the country.

The capital, Wellington, experienced snow for the first time in 15 years, and people in Dunedin were given the chance to ski down the world's steepest street.

The front moved in on Tuesday, with much of the country waking to freezing conditions, frosts, snowfall, hail and bitingly cold wind.

Conditions persisted yesterday morning, with three South Island locations at -9C. Some highways were closed, while parts of the North Island's east coast had hail storms.

In Wellington, a combination of sleet and snow fell to sea level just after midday on Tuesday. Office workers rushed out of their buildings to stand in the flurries and people expressed shock and joy as they flooded social media with footage.

It was a 'winter wonderland', wrote one social media user.

'Snow in Wellington?! Amazing! What a way to turn a day around,' wrote another.

'Finding the excitement around this so wholesome. I went to my

▲ The snow lured a skier, below, to the world's steepest street, in Dunedin PHOTOGRAPH: MARK STEVENSON

office window and every window in the building opposite was filled with people watching too,' someone wrote on Reddit.

Students in Dunedin, the South Island's second largest city, were sent home on Tuesday after snow blanketed the city.

Video footage in local media outlets showed people snowboarding down the city's streets, with one daring skier flying down Baldwin Street - recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's steepest street.

'The thing I love about Dunedin is you get half an inch of snow maybe

twice a year and everyone loses their minds,' wrote one social media user.

Further north, Christchurch's New Brighton Beach was covered in a dusting of snow and a plane had to abort its landing into Christchurch airport because of wind and rain.

Police responded to incidents of cars sliding off icy roads, and urged the public to avoid travel.

Temperatures were expected to warm up yesterday but fall again overnight. The coldest morning of the year was expected today in parts of the country, New Zealand's weather bureau said.

---

10

World

Morocco Anxious wait for news of loved ones missing in Ceuta

Soraya Aybar Laafou Frideq Ashifa Kassam Madrid

Hundreds of people have gathered in the northern Moroccan town of Frideq, near the border with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, flashing photos of their missing loved ones to passersby in the hope of tracking them down.

Their perch was the same small tranche of land that made headlines around the world last week as extraordinary scenes emerged of about 72,000 people making their way into Ceuta, a tiny Spanish territory in north Africa.

At least 88 people have died in Ceuta, according to local officials, and another 11 in Morocco, while dozens of others remain missing.

"I have just one son," said Hadjija, who had been waiting at the border since Saturday, scanning the steady stream of returnees for any sign of her 23-year-old son. "I haven't had any news of him; he's not answering his mobile phone." She had travelled to the

border from her home in Tangier, surmising that her unemployed son was among those who had made the crossing.

An estimated 70,000 people who arrived last week in Ceuta had been returned to Morocco in recent days, Spain's interior minister has said.

Referencing posts on TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp that had claimed Morocco was letting people cross the border, people arrived at Frideq by foot or packed into buses and cars as they joined the surge of people crossing into Spain.

Madrid sprang into action, working with Rabat to return the vast majority of those who crossed within 48 hours, even as it fended off a political crisis sparked by calls for Spain to be suspended from the Schengen free movement zone.

As they returned to Moroccan soil, some said they had come home voluntarily. "I was hungry for days and filled with fear," said Abselam, 19, from Kenitra in north-western Morocco.

A Ceuta resident had eventually taken him in, giving him food and a place to sleep, before he decided to return home.

▲ Moroccans at the border crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta

Others said they had been forced out of the Spanish territory. "The police surrounded a group of us and escorted us all the way towards the border," said Simo, 21, from Tetuan. "We didn't really have a choice."

In recent days, NGOs have voiced concerns that some of those who crossed into Ceuta and who were eligible for international protection were being returned before being allowed to exercise their right to request asylum.

The Spanish government has estimated that 2,000 people who made the crossing are still in Ceuta. The tally includes at least 862 children who have been registered

as unaccompanied minors, as Unicef Spain warned that dozens more could still be wandering the city's streets.

"Many small children crossed over; we don't know how many have disappeared," Susana Hidalgo, a migration expert for the organisation, told the broadcaster TVE. The result was a "tremendously difficult" situation.

"There are many families on the other side of the border looking for their sons and daughters," she said, while in Ceuta "there are 10- and 12-year-old children asking for phones so they can call their mothers and tell them they're OK".

Days after the sudden influx, questions continue to linger as to what led to the mass crossing. The uncertainty hovering over what exactly transpired extended to Frideq, where the relatives gathered at the border spoke in hushed tones of what could have happened to their loved ones.

Many held on to hope, citing the trickle of good-news stories that had emerged in recent days, such as that of Fatima, who had spent the day waiting at the border with her family for a glimpse of her brother, who had crossed into Ceuta days earlier.

"My brother's phone had run out of battery, but yesterday he borrowed the phone of a Spaniard to call me," she said. "He told me he would come back this morning, so here we are waiting. I'm sure he'll arrive soon."

▲ Applicants protest against having to rest the university entrance exam

Resit of test for top Mexican university after cheating fears

Oscar Lopez Mexico City

Mexico's largest and most prestigious university has announced that about 58,000 students will have to rest their entrance exam after abnormally high test results raised suspicions of widespread cheating.

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (Unam) said the exam would take place in person after its first attempt at a fully remote online version led to a debacle and thousands of annulled results.

"The Unam, the home of science, humanities and understanding, knows how to recognise mistakes and self-correct," said the university's rector, Leonardo Lomeli. "There is no evasion or complacency. There is responsibility and we act accordingly."

Nearly 160,000 students took the entrance exam this summer. The at-home test included an AI-powered webcam to monitor candidates with voice and facial recognition to ensure no cheating took place. But the results indicated that the checks had failed to stop fraud.

Between 2021 and 2025 only 3.5% of applicants obtained a score of 100 or more out of 120, but this year the figure was 16%. The proportion of students who achieved a score of 110 or more increased sixfold from 0.9% to 5.5%.

Almost 30% of candidates for the medicine programme, among the most competitive undergraduate courses, obtained a score of 100 or more, compared with 9% last year.

The results sparked a national scandal, leading the country's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, to suggest the attorney general may have to investigate. "Support is always available, but in any case if a crime has been committed it is a matter for the prosecutor's office," she said.

Hundreds of Unam applicants protested in Mexico City on Monday against having to take the exam.

The drive for more equitable access led the university to offer the exam online for the first time this year. Students previously had to travel to Mexico City from their home states, sometimes hundreds of miles away.

The entrance exam is notoriously competitive. The more than 150,000 applicants this year were competing for 21,962 places.

Red alert for all 27 major Italian cities as fourth heatwave of summer hits

Angela Giuffrida Rome

Italy will place all of its 27 major cities, from Trieste in the north to Palermo in the south, under the highest heat alert as the fourth heatwave to hit the country this summer intensifies.

A red alert means there is a higher chance of an emergency owing to the health risk posed by prolonged extreme temperatures to the entire population.

Twenty-five cities were on red alert yesterday, with two more to be added today, the health ministry said. It is the first time this year that all 27 cities monitored by the health ministry's heat surveillance system have been placed on maximum alert. The cities include Turin, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples.

Temperatures in some areas of Italy have edged up towards 40C in recent days. The extreme heat, which scientists say is driven by the human-caused climate crisis, is not forecast to let up for at least a week.

The current heatwave has been linked to four deaths in recent days, including a 19-year-old tomato-picker and a 40-year-old carpenter,

who were both working in industrial areas of the Lombardy region. A security guard in Bologna is thought to have suffered a fatal heat-related illness while in his car.

This year's heatwaves have also exacerbated a drought in the Po Valley, home to Italy's longest river, following a dry spring. More than 100 towns across Piedmont and Lombardy are dealing with water supply difficulties, with some using tanker trucks to fill drinking water reserves.

The drought is having a severe strain on Italian agriculture

businesses, with farmers warning that the extreme heat is impacting crop yields. The heatwaves have also accelerated grape ripening in some areas while milk production has fallen by 10% owing to dairy cows eating less because of heat stress.

Tourist cities such as Rome are striving to mitigate the impact of the heat by providing free access to air-conditioned cinemas and cultural venues during the hottest hours while extending the opening of monuments including the Colosseum and Pantheon to allow for evening visits.

▲ Umbrella shade at Milan's Duomo Cathedral yesterday and, below, a misting fan at Rome's Colosseum PHOTOGRAPH: FRIED CRICKART/GETTY IMAGES

---

World

11

True believers

Crowds celebrate Cuba's revolution amid blackouts

Ruaridh Nicoll Pinar del Río

In the dark before dawn, Juan Victor Hernández Campo was cheerleading a 5,000-strong crowd in the outskirts of the Cuban provincial capital of Pinar del Río. "¡Aquí, quien no salte es yanqui!" he roared. "If you don't jump, you're a Yankee!"

Those in front of him, in T-shirts commemorating Fidel and Raúl Castro's 1953 attack on the Moncada military barracks, roared back and - as much as their age allowed - leapt to their feet.

When Hernández asked them for more, one woman pointed out he would struggle for lift-off himself given the size of his belly. He responded by pulling his T-shirt tight and proudly rotating like a courting turkey. "¡Abajo el bloqueo!" He shouted. "Down with the blockade!" The crowd laughed and waved small Cuban flags.

The rest of the island, 777 miles long and sweltering in the Caribbean night, was asleep. Houses beside the road on the way to Pinar's Revolution Square appeared caught in one of the country's endless blackouts.

For six months, Cuba has been suffering an oil blockade imposed by the United States, leaving an already parlous economy in tatters. The island's national grid collapsed last Monday and on Sunday, and these outages followed three nationwide blackouts over nine days in July.

It can be a struggle to find anyone who doesn't blame Cuba's leaders for the situation, for landing the country in a position where its future looks likely to be dictated by the most careless of US presidents.

But in the Plaza de la Revolución there was no shortage of Communist party faithful. They had gathered before 3am to celebrate one of the Cuban regime's most important anniversaries - the attack on Moncada, widely seen as the opening act of the revolution - waiting for the president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, and perhaps even the 95-year-old former president Raúl Castro, who hadn't missed a 26 July celebration for 30 years.

"We're here because we really feel it," said Yomira, who works for a state agricultural business and agreed to use only her first name. "It's the duty of any revolutionary

"We're here because we feel it. It's the duty of any revolutionary Cuban to take part. We're here for the homeland"

Yomira Member of the crowd

Cuban to take part. We're here for the homeland."

Since the US attacked Venezuela on 3 January, abducting its president, Nicolás Maduro, Washington has made it clear it is pursuing regime change in Cuba. With the US threatening such action, Cuba's military has been readying itself for defence. The island has a small regular force of about 50,000 personnel but its equipment is woefully antiquated. So, instead of a conventional

Night falling on the darkened streets of Havana during the US oil blockade that has left Cuba

with power outages causing nationwide blackouts PHOTOGRAPH: STEPHANIE KEITH/GETTY IMAGES

military defence, Cuba insists that in the case of invasion, the entire population - most of whom received military training when they graduated - will rise up in defence of the nation.

Few Cubans seem keen: there was amazement when 79-year-old Silvio Rodríguez - the country's version of Bob Dylan - was shown on television receiving an AK-47 from the president.

"The problem with a 'war of all the people' - the model they adopted from the Vietnamese - is that it's almost entirely based on a reserve force," said Hal Klepak, a professor emeritus at the Royal Military College of Canada. "And that reserve force has been atrophying since 1990 [when the Soviet Union withdrew its support]."

But Ebony Semanat (a self-chosen pseudonym), says she would be ready to fight. The 50-year-old customer service manager received basic training

Patriotic crowds throng Pinar's Revolution Square, left and below, for 26 July celebrations PHOTOGRAPHS: SIMBIA/SHUTTERSTOCK, ANADOLUGETTY

when she was at university and then a few months ago she took two weapons training refresher courses after her union put out a call for volunteers.

"The idea of killing another person is so terrible that I don't spend time thinking about it," she said. "But if that moment ever comes, I'll do whatever has to be done. What I'm not willing to do is live as a slave or return to the kind of slavery my ancestors endured."

While Cuba's population has traditionally split evenly between white and black - with every shade between - black people are more likely to point to the revolution's achievements because of the racial inequalities it overturned in its early years. It is telling that more than 90% of Cuban Americans who fled the revolution in the 1960s identified as white.

"The revolutionary process deeply shaped my family and the life I have today," said Semanat. "Although I'm a poor person I was able to attend university, I learned four languages. I was able to spend 15 years singing. I haven't achieved great material things, mainly because I've never been an ambitious person."

"What I do is compare, very simply, what my family was like before the triumph of the revolution with what they were able to achieve afterward."

Semanat added that the Cuban community in the US "are frustrated because the revolution took away privileges they had".

Díaz-Canel arrived in the square exactly at 5.15am, the same hour the attack on the Moncada barracks had begun 73 years before.

He said that the celebration was being held in Pinar this year because, "amid power outages and shortages of every kind", the city had "held its infant mortality rates to 4.8 per 1,000 live births and had a maternal mortality rate of zero. That is what we call heroism!"

Raúl Castro, who now lives under the threat of abduction having been charged with murder by the US in May, did not turn up. A 30-year tradition had been broken. "He asked me to convey a warm embrace to all," said Díaz-Canel.

The sun had not yet risen when the president finished speaking and the crowd filtered away into the inky darkness.

Cuba's negotiations with the US have so far been conducted by Raúl's grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, better known as El Cangrejo (the Crab), a businessman with no official governmental position and a well-documented love of fancy restaurants and Hermès trainers.

Asked whether he felt such a negotiator was in the spirit of the revolution, Emilio Avila, one of the last to leave the square, said he didn't know: "But I am sure the party will do the right thing."

As Avila walked away, two black military pickup trucks rolled past, anti-aircraft guns poking out of the back.

---

där®

Lighting Homes Since 1971

darlighting.co.uk

Available through stockists and online

---

FTSE 100 8.92

10888.30

All share 8.89

5864.06

Dow Indl 458.94

54544.82

Nikkei 225 2342.91

66200.44

£€ 1.1666

10.0002

£$ 1.3478

10.0002

SOURCE: ICE www.ice.com/data

Next upgrades profit outlook after surge in summer sales

Lauren Almeida Sarah Butler

Next has raised hopes that UK shoppers are still willing to spend despite pressures on household budgets, after the hot summer boosted its clothing sales.

The retailer upgraded its profit guidance for the third time this year, saying it benefited from sunny weather and the release of some "pent-up demand" in the Middle East and northern Europe in the 13 weeks to 1 August.

Next, which owns the UK rights to the US brands Gap and Victoria's Secret as well as stakes in labels including Reiss and Joules, said its full-price sales rose by 9% in the second quarter compared with the same period last year, more than double its initial estimate of a 4% rise.

Growth was led by Next's suite of alternative brands and strong online

sales, with trading in stores down as customers shunned the high streets during the sweltering summer.

The FTSE 100 company, which has more than 500 stores across the country, has a long history of pushing expectations higher and then beating them. This pattern has helped drive its share price up by more than 20% in the past year alone.

The retailer, led by the chief executive, Simon Wolfson, now expects to end the year with a pre-tax profit of £1.2bn, about £25m higher than previously expected and a potential rise of 7.3% against last year.

Its shares jumped by almost 7% to a fresh record high yesterday morning, making it the best performer across the FTSE 100 share index.

Garry White, the chief investment commentator at the wealth manager Raymond James, said Next's update showed it could "outperform despite a challenging backdrop for consumer spending". He added: "If

there is one lesson investors have learned from Next over the years, it is that management has a habit of underpromising and overdelivering, making guidance upgrades feel less like surprises and more a feature of the investment case."

Other retailers, meanwhile, report they are grappling with a difficult trading environment, with many warning of inflation and failing consumer confidence as a result of the Iran war.

While the amount of clothing, footwear and accessories sold by British retailers was up by about 2% in June, according to analysis by the retail experts at Jefferies of market data from Worldpanel by Numerator,

9%

Increase in Next's second-quarter full-price sales, more than double its initial estimate of a 4% rise

the total value of sales was down year on year because of discounting and a shift to cheaper products.

There were also clear winners and losers in the lacklustre market, with Next and Marks & Spencer on the rise, while H&M and Zara sales were down.

Some analysts expected Next's strong performance during the hot weather to be repeated by other retailers. But Louise Degine-Farre, an apparel analyst at the market analysis firm GlobalData, said: "Next is selling itself short by attributing its strong [summer] performance to the exceptional weather in the UK and pent-up international demand, when its consistent outperformance of the apparel market shows that it continues to deliver with product offering, convenience and pricing strategy."

Last month the boss of John Lewis told employees its profits were being squeezed by "really tough" trading conditions, according to the Financial Times. Jason Tarry, the chair of the John Lewis Partnership, said in an interview with its internal magazine, seen by the FT, that the department store chain was dealing with an environment where it "will trade into lower sales and higher costs".

He added: "We have to adjust for an immediate future that we weren't expecting even six months ago, let alone a couple of years ago."

▲ Elon Musk on a billboard in New York City on the day of SpaceX's IPO

SpaceX shares plunge after it reveals surge in spending on AI

Dara Kerr

SpaceX has spooked investors by revealing a surge in capital expenditure in its first financial results since floating on the New York stock exchange two months ago.

Elon Musk's company, whose businesses include rockets, AI systems and satellite broadband services, beat Wall Street forecasts on Tuesday with a 92% jump in revenues to $7.81bn (£5.8bn) for the April-June period, against analysts' predictions of $6.93bn. Its net loss narrowed to $541m in the quarter, compared with $1bn a year earlier.

But shares in SpaceX fell by 12% when trading began yesterday after it revealed capital expenditures of $18.4bn during the quarter, up from $10bn in the first three months of 2026, mostly to fund its AI infrastructure. SpaceX shares, which floated at $135 in mid-June, fell to $110 at the start of trading.

Garry White, the chief investment commentator at the investment bank Raymond James, said: "SpaceX's second-quarter results were encouraging because they showed the company can continue to deliver strong revenue growth while scaling Starlink and maintaining momentum in its launch business, but they also highlighted the huge costs associated with its long-term ambitions."

During a call with investors, Musk called it "another milestone year" for the company. "The SpaceX team is solving some of the hardest engineering problems in the history of humanity," he said.

SpaceX's stock market debut in June was the largest in history. The initial public offering transformed SpaceX into a $2m company and briefly made Musk a trillionaire. But since then, the company's stock has plummeted by 24%, erasing nearly $500bn in market capitalisation, before its second-quarter financial results were released.

Last year, SpaceX pulled in revenue of $18.7bn, with an operating loss of $4.3bn. Its only profitable arm is its connectivity business, Starlink.

Darth Vader to star on TikTok under Disney short-form video deal

Michael Savage Media editor

The likes of Darth Vader, Spider-Man and Moana are about to become stars on TikTok for the first time - at least now on an official basis - as Disney strikes a "first of its kind" deal with the booming short video platform.

In an acknowledgment of the influence that fan-made content now has, a select group of creators will be allowed to use characters and scenes from Disney's back catalogue.

It is also the latest sign of the rise of short-form, vertical video, where users consume content via their phone screens without flipping it to watch in a wider landscape format.

Some of the creator content will be featured on Disney's own attempt to break into vertical video, its Disney+ Verts platform, currently US only.

It confirms the powerful status of creator "fandom" and the power of TikTok, which has surpassed more than 200 million US users, including about six in 10 adults under 30, according to the Pew Research Center. The platform launched internationally less than a decade ago.

The rise of short-form video and the resulting fan content means big entertainment companies have had to become more relaxed about the use of their intellectual property.

Disney said that under a US pilot, creators would be given access to "an expansive collection of thoughtfully curated" content featuring characters and stories from across its brands, such as Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.

Dawn Yang, global head of entertainment at TikTok, said: "Creators are at the heart of everything we do at TikTok. Their creativity extends the life of films and shows into conversations that fans discover and share.

"Together with Disney, we're bringing the authentic creator expression of the TikTok community to Disney+, inviting audiences to experience the shared creativity that makes fandom so powerful."

It marks another attempt by Disney to sanction the use of its characters by a high-profile third party after a short-lived arrangement that allowed OpenAI's Sora video generation tool to use its back catalogue.

The decision, announced late last year, was controversial in Hollywood, given the threat Sora was seen as posing to some in the creative industry and longstanding issues on copyright. A few months later, OpenAI abruptly closed down Sora. It followed a backlash over some of the violent and racist content that it was used to produce, as well as deepfakes and misinformation. The move was also seen as part of OpenAI's attempts to streamline its operations before taking the company public.

Disney's announcement came as it revealed the success of Toy Story 5

▲ David Prowse as Darth Vader in the 1983 Star Wars film Return of the Jedi, now part of Disney's back catalogue PHOTOGRAPH: ONE TEXT/SPORTSPROTO/ALLISTAR

'Creators are at the heart of everything we do at TikTok' Dawn Yang Head of entertainment

had helped it beat earnings forecasts. Its shares jumped 4.6% in premarket trading. Revenues to its parks and experiences were up 10% from a year ago, with a 4% increase in theme park attendance. Revenues in that area hit nearly $10bn. Rivals season 2 was the biggest original premiere in the UK and Ireland on Disney+.

---

54

Business

Business view

Nils Pratley

Soriot should explain curious case of AstraZeneca's non-deal to take over US pharma rival

Hold the heartburn pills. It seems AstraZeneca is no longer contemplating a takeover of its US rival Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) to create a $400bn (€300bn) pharmaceutical colossus. On Monday, the UK firm's shares plunged 9% on the FT's report of preliminary talks. Yesterday, Reuters said there were no active discussions. Cue a mini-relief rally in AZ's share price.

Neither company has seen fit to tell its shareholders what was happening, so it's impossible to know if the talks were a tentative "what if?" corporate flirtation or something more substantial that has been killed, perhaps, by the

lack of enthusiasm on the part of AZ's shareholders.

The deal - or non-deal - looked weird for the reasons given here earlier in the week. AZ has prospered under its chief executive, Sir Pascal Soriot, for the past 14 years by concentrating on backing its best ideas in the labs in the interests of long-term success, as opposed to playing debt-fuelled takeover games that rely on short-term cost-cutting.

Since Soriot proclaims absolute confidence in hitting AZ's revenue target of $80bn in 2030, there is no obvious reason to divert from the winning script.

And, given BMS's revenue headache in the next few years as a blockbuster cancer treatment goes off patent, the target looked odd,

▲ Researchers at AstraZeneca's Discovery Centre in Cambridge

never mind the current quality of its cashflows.

There are counter-arguments, naturally. Both companies are very big in oncology, so there could have been an opportunity to establish multi-year dominance in

The worry is that the pull of the US is dominating strategic thinking as Soriot, 67, enters his final years (probably) at the helm

a core pharma field if competition regulators could be persuaded. Maybe the crossover meant potential cost savings would have been bigger, or easier to achieve, than is normally the case. Perhaps Soriot spotted potential in BSM's drugs pipeline, or an opportunity to accelerate his ambition for AZ to generate half its revenues in the US, the world's biggest and most lucrative market for pharma firms; the current share is 43%.

Whatever it is, Soriot should shed some light on whether he sees mega-deals as any possible part of AZ's future. It's one thing to take a strict "no comment" approach to individual takeover tales. But most AZ shareholders surely assume they are invested in a company that doesn't do bet-the-balance-sheet mega-deals. The rare diseases specialist Alexion, bought by AZ in 2021 for $39bn, was big, but not in BMS's $133bn league, and the clear rationale was to boost innovation.

The worry is that the pull of the US is dominating strategic thinking as Soriot, 67, enters his final years (probably) at the helm. Or maybe there is an emerging analysis that AI is changing the pharma game. Soriot has always presented AZ as the last company in need of a transformative deal. If he is actually flexible on the idea, shouldn't shareholders know?

'Liberation day' US tariffs worth $100bn refunded

Lauren Almeida

The Trump administration has refunded about $100bn from the tariffs it collected before the US supreme court ruled them illegal, according to reports.

The $100bn (€74bn) figure, which represents 60% of the total $165bn collected from Donald Trump's "liberation day" tariffs, was reported by customs officials to the US court of international trade (CIT) on Tuesday, according to the Financial Times.

Tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods, have been a key part of Trump's economic plan since he took office again last year.

In February, the supreme court struck down a chunk of the extra tariffs Trump had imposed, forcing the government to return money to the companies that had paid them.

Trump imposed a fresh round of tariffs on more than 80 countries last month to replace a 10% global duty that was due to expire. The levies range between 10% and 12.5%.

The Guardian

Upgrade your downtime

Give your in-between moments a new lease of life with Puzzles.

Play in the Guardian app.

Download now

---

Business

15

Borrowing time Healey urged to be bold in first test of Burnham's growth pledge

Heather Stewart

With just 12 weeks to go until his first budget, the new chancellor, John Healey, is seeking ways to ramp up public investment without busting the Treasury's fiscal rules - and some economists are urging him to be bold.

As he settles into No 11 Downing Street, the former defence secretary's most immediate challenges concern day-to-day government spending. These include the need to pay for Andy Burnham's VAT cut on energy bills and to fill the £5bn funding gap in the defence investment plan left by his predecessor, Rachel Reeves - which helped prompt Healey's resignation earlier this year.

He could opt to meet these costs through tax changes - with a bank windfall levy back on the agenda, for example - or by ordering Whitehall departments to penny-pinch elsewhere. It will help that Reeves bequeathed him significant 'headroom' against the rules, £24bn at the time of her spring forecast, which is unlikely to have been completely eroded by the impact of the Iran war.

But separately from these short-term pressures, Healey's boss has made clear that he wants to see a step change in long-term investment in infrastructure and housing, to meet his promise of growth in every postcode. One way to fund some of that additional investment may be to exploit what Burnham called 'any flexibility' in existing fiscal rules. The chancellor told the Times there was 'scope for more and more rapid investment'.

Reeves, now a backbencher, made a historic change to the way debt is defined under those rules. It means extra borrowing doesn't count against the Treasury's target if the government uses it

to acquire a financial asset. That can mean a stake in a company, or a loan, for example. Reeves used the new definition, known in Treasury parlance as public sector net financial liabilities (PSNFL - pronounced 'persuffle'), to promise a significant increase in public borrowing, but economists have argued for some time that the Treasury could go further.

A recent paper by the Resolution Foundation argued that the so-called 'PuFins' - public

£9bn Additional funds that public finance institutions could borrow under the fiscal rules, a thinktank argues

financial institutions, which include the National Wealth Fund, British Business Bank and National Housing Bank - could borrow up to an additional £9bn a year, without breaching the fiscal rules. The Starmer government had already expanded these bodies, giving them additional capital, but the thinktank urged Burnham to go further.

Jim O'Neill, the former Goldman Sachs chief economist who has been mooted as a possible Burnham adviser, has also suggested there could be scope within the rules to borrow more for infrastructure projects - and suggested creating a new independent agency to assess which should be supported.

Helen Miller, the director of the

▲ Andy Burnham and John Healey, the chancellor. Burnham has promised to increase public spending PHOTOGRAPH: CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/AFP/Getty

Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the question of whether there was flexibility within the rules may not be the best one to ask.

She said: 'People are getting a little bit hung up on the fiscal rules. I think they should stick to them, for credibility reasons. But if the government increases borrowing, it is still borrowing: it will still put up borrowing costs and increase debt, creating more problems for the future. The real, meatier question is: 'What is the substantive case for that investment? Is that a good thing to be investing in?'

Some experts argue for a more creative approach. Thomas Aubrey, of the Bennett school of public policy at Cambridge University, said: 'If you really want to move the needle, which seems to be what Andy Burnham is implying in speeches, then the PSNFL stuff is just not going to be enough.'

Instead, he argues that public corporations should be allowed to borrow directly from markets. 'You could do that with energy, water, large-scale public infrastructure projects, housing,' he said. 'The UK is one of the only major economies that doesn't have a deep market for public corporation debt.'

Interest rates would be higher than for direct government borrowing, said Aubrey, where there is a Treasury guarantee - but the trade-off would be significantly more scope for long-term investment. And the buyers of such debt, including pension funds keen to match their liabilities, would be distinct from those that currently buy government bonds, or gilts - so the Treasury would not be cannibalising existing demand.

'There is no shortage of capital for projects with detailed costings, credible revenue forecasts and hypothecated income streams,' he wrote in a recent policy note for the Centre for Cities thinktank.

The UK's borrowing costs are already higher than many other major economies, and Treasury officials would be likely to caution Healey against anything that might unsettle the gilt markets.

Aubrey said other Whitehall departments have previously shown interest in allowing public corporations to borrow - but it has always been blocked by the Treasury.

The approach urged by Aubrey chimes with proposals from the Burnham-adjacent thinktank Mainstream. The PM's right-hand woman, Louise Haigh, also pointed to proposals for public corporations to be allowed to borrow directly, in a piece for the leftwing publication Renewal earlier this year.

How to boost investment is just one of a slew of economic questions facing Healey and the prime minister in the next few months; but it is perhaps the one most central to Burnham's projects of devolution and reindustrialisation - and an early test of how radical the new administration will be.

Saudi-led group finalises buyout of video games heavyweight EA

Joanna Partridge

Electronic Arts, the maker of video games such as The Sims, Madden NFL and Battlefield, has been bought by Saudi Arabia's wealth fund and a group of investors for $55bn (£41bn).

EA announced the completion of the deal on Tuesday evening, only days after the EU - which was the final regulatory green light needed - gave its approval.

EA is best known for its blockbuster

sports games including EA Sports FC (previously called Fifa).

In one of the biggest buyouts on record, EA Games is going private, ending its 36-year history as a publicly traded company.

The company has been bought by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund along with Affinity Partners, a private equity company run by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and the private equity firm Silver Lake.

'EA has created stories, characters, and communities that have

become part of everyday life for hundreds of millions of people,' Kushner said.

'We're excited to support the company as it continues to reach new audiences, inspire the next generation of creators, and expand the ways people around the world connect through play.'

The Saudi royal family has invested in video games and esports for some time, alongside sports, media and comedy, while the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has a reputation for being a gamer.

EA was founded by the former Apple employee William 'Trip' Hawkins in 1982 and has been run by current chief executive, Andrew Wilson, since 2013.

EA's games still have a dedicated

fanbase, although its annual revenues have stagnated in recent years, hovering between $7.4bn and $7.6bn.

Competition from mobile video game makers, such as Epic Games,

$55bn Price tag of one of the biggest buyouts on record - ending EA's 36 years as a publicly listed company

has intensified in recent years, and one of EA's biggest rivals, Activision Blizzard, was bought by Microsoft for almost $69bn in 2023.

As a private company, EA will no longer be required to report its financial results each quarter, freeing it from some scrutiny, which some analysts say can remove some pressure to meet targets.

However, there are often job cuts and cost-cutting at formerly public companies when they are taken private, although there has not been any suggestion that this will happen at EA.

On Monday, the company reported lower than expected revenues in the last quarter, which has been blamed on a decline in engagement with its latest Battlefield game.

---

56

Weather

Thursday 6 August 2026

UK and Ireland Noon today

Forecast

Atlantic front

• Cold front
• Warm front
• Occluded front
• Trough

© Crown Copyright and/or database rights. Reproduced by permission of the keeper of Public Records and the UK Hydrographic Office

High tides

Aberdeen	0603	3.8m	1854	3.5m
Anonmouth	--	--	1155	13.1m
Barrow	0404	8.3m	1633	7.7m
Belfast	0339	3.3m	1623	3.1m
Cobh	1016	3.6m	2248	3.5m
Cromer	--	--	1108	4.6m
Dever	0326	5.9m	1557	6.0m
Dublin	0421	3.8m	1700	3.5m
Galway	1013	4.2m	2244	4.2m
Greenock	0449	3.3m	1718	3.1m
Harwich	0432	3.5m	1632	3.6m
Hollywood	0252	5.1m	1527	4.7m
Hull	1106	6.7m	2340	6.1m
Leith	0719	5.0m	2005	4.7m
Liverpool	0333	8.5m	1604	8.0m

Sun & Moon

• London Bridge
• Sun rises
• Sun sets
• Moon rises
• Moon sets
• New Moon
• Sun rises
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Moon rises
• Moon sets
• New Moon
• Sun rises
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets
• Sun sets

Lighting up

• Belfast 2116 to 0546
• Birmingham 2010 to 0537
• Brighton 2038 to 0536
• Bristol 2050 to 0544
• Carlisle 2104 to 0531
• Cork 2115 to 0606
• Dublin 2112 to 0551
• Glasgow 2114 to 0534
• Harlech 2101 to 0545
• Inverness 2121 to 0524
• London 2039 to 0533
• M'chester 2055 to 0535
• Newcastle 2100 to 0526
• Norwich 2039 to 0524
• Penzance 2057 to 0600

Weatherwatch

Add together all the UK's household gardens and they cover an area three times larger than all the country's nature reserves combined. But as the demand for car parking increases, many front gardens are being paved over, with research showing that this loss of green is adding to the urban heat island effect, particularly at night.

In 2005, about 7.5% of the UK's front gardens were paved; by 2025 that had risen to 55%, according to Royal Horticultural Society estimates. Those hard surfaces absorb heat during the day and then slowly release the heat overnight. By contrast, leafy green gardens release moisture into the atmosphere, which helps to cool the air as the water evaporates.

A Chinese study published in Nature Scientific Reports last year showed that changing paved gardens back to grass could reduce night-time temperatures by as much as 0.5°C, and adding trees would bring 1°C of night-time cooling. Even small additions such as a planting strip, a hedge or a tree can make a difference. London's "De-pave your garden" programme provides tips on how to go from grey to green and help to keep your neighbourhood cooler in the next heatwave. Kate Raviliious

Around the world

Algiers	31	Lisbon	30
Ann'dam	32	Madrid	32
Athens	33	Málaga	31
Auckland	32	Metfirme	31
Bakres	34	Mexico C	30
Bangkok	33	Miami	31
Barcelona	33	Milan	30
Borza	34	Mombasa	30
Beijing	34	Moscow	30
Berlin	35	Monttori	31
Bermuda	36	N Orleans	32
Brussels	36	Nairobi	30
Budapest	36	New Delhi	30
Chagun	37	New York	31
Cairo	38	Oslo	30
Cape Town	39	Paris	31
Chicago	39	Perth	30
Corfu	39	Prague	30
Dakar	39	Reykjavik	32
Dhaka	39	Ria de J	30
Dublin	39	Rome	31
Florence	39	Shanghai	32
Gibraltar	40	Singapore	32
H.Kong	41	Stockholm	30
Harare	41	Strødhøj	30
Helsinki	42	Sydney	30
Istanbul	42	Tel Aviv	32
Ja'burg	42	Tenerife	30
K.Lampur	43	Tokyo	32
K'mandu	43	Toronto	30
Kabul	43	Vancouver	30
Kroyston	43	Vienna	30
Kolkata	43	Warsaw	31
L'Angelo	43	Wash'ton	31
Lagos	43	Walt'ton	31
Lima	43	Zurich	30

---

Rugby league

NRL set to sign

Super League takeover

Page 39 →

Football

Chaos in Indian

league before new season gets going

Page 40 →

Sport

▲ Gianni Infantino held emergency talks at the Fifa offices in Salé as he tried to save his presidency STRONGER/NEUTERS

Fifa freefall

Infantino is getting

his karmic kicking but why did football take so long to rebel?

Jonathan Liew

In recent decades the city of Salé, just across the river from Rabat on Morocco's Atlantic coast, has undergone a remarkable transformation. At the start of this century it was a gritty working- class area, whose old town was still weathered enough to serve as a body double for the Somali capital Mogadishu in the film Black Hawk Down. But in recent decades, under the country's autocratic government, the area has been transformed beyond measure, and largely beyond control.

The population has trebled in the space of 40 years. Shuns have been cleared, often forcibly, to make way for grand megaprojects: a new tram system, luxury tourist spaces, a sparkling marina, a blue-chip business park called Technopolis, and - since last July - the African headquarters of Fifa. And in a way, this hub of disruption and avarice, unstakeable volition and rampant capitalism, feels like the perfect location from which a besieged warlord might choose to make his desperate last stand.

According to reports in the Times, Gianni Infantino has been "holed up" in Salé this week as he tries to save his presidency. Apparently Infantino's aides have been feverishly calling Fifa Legends - the organisation's paid ex-player ambassadors - to persuade them to offer Infantino their public support. Yesterday one of them, Luis Figo, decided to break his silence. "Infantino must go," he said, condemning his plan to sell off a stake in the World Cup to private investors as "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed." That'll be a no, then.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Defa, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation are massing forces at

the gates. And yes, in the moment this feels good, stirring, cathartic, karmic. We should all take a certain satisfaction in seeing Infantino get his long-deserved kicking. For all this, a pertinent question should also pose itself. Why now? And why like this?

It is, after all, almost eight years since Fifa first proposed selling off a slice of its commercial legacy. In 2018 Infantino agreed in principle a deal with the Japanese firm SoftBank - whose main financial backer just so happened to be the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia - for an expanded Club World Cup and global Nations League. The scheme sputtered to a halt, but with virtually none of the screaming and apocalyptic threats seen over the past fortnight.

It is four years since the soiled, blood-soaked Qatar World Cup, and the "today I feel gay" speech that turned the sport's most important administrator into a figure of ridicule. Two years since Saudi Arabia were handed the 2034 tournament in a bidding process no other country appeared to be prepared for. Three years since the Club World Cup was coerced into existence over a chorus of player welfare concerns. Two months since Omar Artan was summarily denied entry to a World Cup in which he was supposed to be refereeing. One month since Folarin Balogun had his suspension overturned.

For the men and women who - as it turned out - held Infantino's fate in their hands all along, none of this appeared to be a red line. For years the injustices, the indignities, the reputational and environmental damage, the ruptures to rules and structures, the stitch-ups and dead migrant workers, have been waved through by acclamation. And so it is worth wondering whether anything has materially changed here, beyond the fleeting opportunity for ambitious footballing executives to claim the keys to Infantino's empire.

It is more than a decade since the late Lord Triesman, the former FA chair, described Fifa as a "mafia family", and nothing about that description feels less true today. This is in many ways a supralegal body operating beyond the boundaries of conventional politics or economics, operating under its own rules and its own moral code, tied together not through popular consent but through a feudal system of tribute and protection, which changes not through legislation or overthrow but by occasional mob- style decapitation.

Infantino's

thirst for bending rules was a loyalty test

The moral objections to Infantino's investment plan are manifest, but perhaps more striking still - for a president who has staked everything on his ability to drive revenue - is the economic illiteracy.

One hand-picked buyer (Joshua

Kushner), one made-up number ($20 billion) and an artificial countdown clock (19 September). Is this really how to fetch the best price for your asset? Or is it how you act when you want to secure a bigger piece of the largesse you have so selflessly created, but are statutorily bound to one more term in your current job?

And in hindsight, it seems clear that Infantino's thirst for bending rules and breaking conventions was a way of demonstrating to the billionaire investor class that he truly was one of them. No wonder his first instinct on finding himself cornered was reportedly to appeal to Donald Trump: his roof, his protection, his kindred spirit. It is often said that Infantino is the symptom and Fifa is the disease. In fact Fifa too is the symptom; the disease is capitalistic fascism, a simple disdain for humanity, a belief that some are born to rule and others are bound to follow.

Football, the greatest mass pursuit ever invented, will of course endure. In a way its ingenuity, its ability to adapt and not be crushed by adaptation, is its beauty and its curse. Like the Salé skyline, it warps and shifts and grows and gentrifies and swells beyond recognition. This is still recognisably the same land, the same turf, upon which its ancestors once stood. But the old waterfront is gone for ever.

37

---

18

Sport Tennis

▼ Emma Raducanu uses ChatGPT a lot: 'I feel like it's a little bit too accurate' ELI A LING/MUTTERSTOCK

Game, set, Chat

How top players use AI to scout opponents and run their lives

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence has led to a generational shift with stars conflicted about its impact on their sport, writes Tumaini Carayol

Not so long ago, Emma Raducanu was on her phone when she found herself wondering what her comprehensive usage of ChatGPT said about her own character. 'I use Chat a lot,' Raducanu says, laughing. 'Every small thing I do it and I got this idea. So, you know how Spotify do a Spotify Wrapped? I asked ChatGPT to make me a Chat Wrapped, and it was giving me a rundown on my personality.'

'I was like: 'It's a little bit too accurate.' It was very clear, very concise. No nonsense, straight into the question. I thought: 'OK, I can relate maybe. Some of that is true.'

The emergence of generative AI has led to a shift in society and changed the way many people seek information. Like everyone, this generation of tennis players must figure out where these tools fit into their lives. There are some who believe AI can provide them with an advantage on the court.

Jessica Pegula, whose husband sometimes makes AI-generated reports of her opponents solely for his own amusement, learned recently that someone on the tour, whom she declines to name, is drawing on ChatGPT and similar tools to scout the playing styles of future opponents. 'I don't know if they fully 100% listen to it, but I think maybe they cross-reference to see how accurate it is,' she says. 'It's not bad. It just summarises everything and you can make it maybe very simplified or make it complicated.'

Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, explains how she recently found herself on ChatGPT before a match with a completely unfamiliar opponent after dropping down to compete on the lower-level ITF circuit. 'There weren't many videos on her,' she says. 'So I was curious. Because Chat will scout other sources, right? And I was like: 'Please be specific. Please do your research.' And I think it worked out well.'

AI has quietly aided several of

'It feels like so many people are going to just stay on the sofa and make their life through AI'

the top players for some time. Most recently, the ATP has developed a platform called Tennis IQ that processes a massive amount of in-match data to define a player's performance rating and shot quality. However, in a sport where athletes invest significant sums into employing coaches, many find the concept of directly seeking out generative AI platforms questionable at best.

Zizou Bergs, the top-ranked Belgian male, immediately shakes his head in disgust. 'I heard of someone [scouting with ChatGPT], and he showed me the result of it,' he says. 'It was two or three years ago and I thought it was completely trash.'

Daniil Medvedev has found himself on ChatGPT with friends and his team members as they jokingly try to solve the most pressing question in men's tennis: how to beat Jannik Sinner and

Carlos Alcaraz. He describes AI as a true armchair coach: '[It] says some things [about Sinner and Alcaraz] and I'm: 'OK great, how do I do it?' Like: 'OK, I see what you mean and it's not bad things, but how do I go on court and do it?'

A bored Coco Gauff once asked an AI platform about the best strategy for playing herself. 'It didn't say anything I didn't already know,' she says. Then she comically rolls her eyes. 'Newsflash: everybody plays me the same way - hit to my forehand and hope I double-fault.'

Many of these conversations about the use of AI in tennis shift quickly to a discussion on the use of AI in life outside the court. For Raducanu, there is no common theme to the types of questions with which she peppers ChatGPT: 'It's as random as my brain. One minute it's history. One minute it's art. One minute it's some random fact. One minute it's translations. So different questions.'

Players in general, however, are a far more cautious group. For now, Frances Tiafoe wants nothing to do with GenaAI. 'I don't have ChatGPT. I don't have the other one. I haven't

Doubts grow over Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz has pulled out of the Cincinnati Open because of an ongoing wrist injury, casting fresh doubts over the Spaniard's fitness before his US Open title defence this month.

The seven-time grand slam title winner has been out of action since withdrawing from the Barcelona Open second round in April, but he had been poised to return at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, which he won last year. Alcaraz was unable to defend his French Open title and missed Wimbledon, though the 23-year-old Spaniard signalled he was close to a return after posting videos of training sessions in the past few weeks.

The Winston-Salem Open, which begins on 23 August, would be the last chance for Alcaraz to get some matches under his belt before the US Open, though the world No 2 has yet to signal whether he intends to participate in the ATP 250 event. The US Open gets under way on 30 August. Reuters

used much AI-generated stuff. I'm going against the grain. I'm still Google searching,' he says.

Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, says her perspective towards ChatGPT has been coloured by a ridiculous tale she once heard. 'Somebody came to some country, they thought they didn't need a visa. Then they came and they were stuck in the airport because ChatGPT told them they didn't need a visa even though they did. So no offending ChatGPT, but I still think you still have to check stuff yourself. Because it's making us lazy. It's not a good thing.'

Ostapenko does use ChatGPT, but only when she is too lazy to search for things herself. 'I don't have the plus version, because I don't want to pay €20,' she says, laughing. 'Not because I ... obviously I can pay that. Just to push myself to do more than using ChatGPT to do stuff for me.'

Laziness is a common reason for some players' disdain for AI, including Medvedev. 'In general I don't like AI,' he says. 'Because even if I'm someone who can be a bit lazy sometimes, I do believe we need to do something sometimes. With AI it feels like so many people are going to just stay on the sofa and make their life through AI. I don't think it is nice.'

For others, such as Naomi Osaka, the environmental cost of AI gives them pause. 'I just heard it takes up a lot of water, and I like the water we have on Earth,' she says. Gauff concurs: 'AI, I think it is cool, but also I don't like what it does to the environment, so I don't think I'm going to waste my clicks on that.'

'The last time I had to use AI was for an emergency because we had to go to the hospital,' she says, smiling, before urgently clarifying her statement. 'But not for me! It was for my friend.'

There are others who do consult it. Andreescu says she has taken a deep interest in the subject, listening to countless AI-related podcasts. 'I'm trying not to become too obsessed with it because it can control our life,' she says. 'You can ask him anything, talk about anything, won't talk back. It'll ask you questions and seem interested in what you're talking about.'

Iga Swiatek grins sheepishly as she explains how she uses AI. 'He's writing emails for me sometimes,' she says. Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, bursts out laughing when explaining her last ChatGPT prompt. 'What colours are suiting me the most,' she says, 'cackling. 'It was pastel colours. Cold summer.'

Above all, uncertainty rules the locker room. Tiafoe has long been known for his carefree outlook on life, but on the subject of AI he is something of an old soul. 'I just can't get with it. I'm looking outside. In my backyard, there's a golf course there and no one's sitting in the seat [while it is] lawn mowing the whole course. I'm struggling: this can't be reality,' he says, 'theatrically shaking his head. 'At one point I will [embrace AI] but I don't like so much information. It's just crazy.'

---

Sport

▼ Demi Vollering (left) sees off her challengers to win stage four THE UK WALLENSTTY IMAGES

Cycling Tour de France Femmes

Vollering break finishes off Ferrand-Prévot bid

Jeremy Whittle Belleville-en-Beaujolais

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's defence of her Tour de France Femmes title unravelled among the Beaujolais vineyards as the French rider lost even more ground to rivals Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Kasia Niewiadoma.

Rugby league Super League closes in on gamechanging NRL backing

Aaron Bower

NRL officials have arrived in England to hold talks with clubs as the prospect of a groundbreaking deal with Super League nears completion, while two of the competition's heavyweights, Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves, confirmed they will lead an on-the-road weekend to Dublin in 2027.

Rugby league's two premier club competitions have been in discussions for most of this year about a deal that would see the NRL invest a significant sum into Super League, while taking authoritative control in a bid to transform its long-term fortunes. That investment would also ensure the financial security of clubs.

The three outstanding riders in this year's race broke clear of the pelotron over the final steep gradients of Mont Brouilly, with 2023 Tour winner Vollering outspinting overall race leader Reusser to take the fourth Tour stage win of her career.

"Today was a really cool race," Vollering said. "Every single rider of the team was part of it and I enjoy those victories the most. It's even more special and beautiful because you do it

Both competitions put talks on hold while they finalised their broadcast details; the NRL has just completed a 84.5bn (62.8bn) deal for its rights, while Super League expects to confirm in the next week how its new-look broadcast deal will be shaped.

But the NRL has now made Super League investment its No 1 priority. The Guardian has been told by multiple clubs that they have been visited by officials from Australia, or expect a visit in the coming days.

Super League's leading official, Rhodri Jones, said: "We're very hopeful that we'll make some significant progress with the NRL over the next seven days. We've been engaged with them since May but they've now done their TV deal, so I can say it feels like we're their top priority."

Wigan and Warrington have long been advocates of Australian investment and governance. The Warriors' CEO, Kris Radlinski, reiterated that backing at the announcement of their Dublin clash with Warrington at Leinster's RDS Arena on 24 April next year. When asked if Wigan supported the NRL deal, Radlinski said: "100%. As we have been from the start. What they're doing in the NRL is fantastic. I think it's the start of a significant few months for the sport".

all together. I knew Kasia would go early, because she always does, and I knew Marlen would gamble. I just had to try and I gave it my everything. I needed every single metre of the finishing straight."

On the unrelentingly hilly stage from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, Ferrand-Prévot's Tour fell apart. The signs of her fading powers had come as early as stage three and were followed by a listless performance in Tuesday's stage four time trial.

The fifth day of racing provided irrefutable confirmation of her vulnerability. "I think it's unrecoverable," she said of her five-minute deficit to her rivals.

As Vollering, Reusser and Niewiadoma were descending from Mont Brouilly to the finish, Ferrand-Prévot

RFU desperate to make more use of Twickenham

➤ Continued from back page

France and New Zealand. The union also points to financial stabilisation since Covid and its continued investment in strategic growth initiatives.

England hosted only two home Tests during the Six Nations this year and the expected £10m loss demonstrates the reliance on men's matches at Twickenham which account for about 85% of the union's revenues.

RFU insiders insist a "light calendar" is more significant than England's Six Nations flop. So in June the RFU submitted its planning application to Richmond council to allow for more concerts to be held at Twickenham in an attempt to maximise revenues from its greatest asset.

The RFU is setting about implementing its £66mn stadium overhaul but wants to increase the number of non-sporting stadium events to eight - held over a maximum of 15 days - by 2029. At present, Twickenham is

was still riding up the steep climb with legs of lead. If her performance in the time trial had been unnerving, her capitulation among the vineyards was complete.

After her disappointing time trial, dreams of a "PFP" bounceback were definitively shattered on the cruel slopes of the Col de Dubuix, where the 2025 winner was left behind by a vicious acceleration from Vollering.

As the lead group moved further ahead, Ferrand-Prévot's title defence crumbled in the heat of the Beaujolais afternoon. The best she can hope for now is a stage win.

Meanwhile, the debate over Tuesday's scrutiny of riders regarding the illegal use of chest padding to improve aerodynamics rumbled on, after riders union, the CPA, issued a statement demanding that such checks be undertaken in a "professional and respectful manner, that fully safeguards the dignity and privacy of every rider".

The statement added that this was to "prevent any misunderstanding, controversy or unpleasant situations".

Initial reports suggested that the padding checks would be carried out by a female race commissaire, however footage screened by Flemish media showed a male commissaire making an initial inspection, in public view.

The fears of illegal aerodynamic enhancement appear well founded however, as Gaei Le Bellec, a former world champion duathlete, now sports director of the Ma Petite Entreprise team competing in the Tour Femmes, acknowledged.

"I've never had wind of it among the women," he said, "but I know that triathletes particularly put bidons [drink bottles] under their kit on their chest to reduce aerodynamic drag."

Today Stage 6 Montbrouilly Tournon-sur-Rhône 15.2.46m, hilly TV TNT Sports 1/HBO Max, 2.30pm

only allowed to host three. The RFU's plans to host more concerts will cost up to £2m with a decision expected by Richmond council in October. The RFU's plans hit a roadblock last September when the council's licensing committee determined the number of events should remain at three.

The financial year ending 2027 is expected to be more prosperous for the union but the year ending 2028, which takes into consideration the 2027 World Cup, will be the most damaging of the four-year cycle due to costs associated with the tournament in Australia and the inability to stage autumn internationals at Twickenham.

For the year ending 2024, the RFU posted a record operating loss of £37.9m while also revealing details of Sweeney's long-term incentive plan bonus which took his salary to £1.1m and sparked outrage across the game in England, culminating in a special general meeting in March 2025.

Meanwhile, the Argentina fly-half Tomás Albornoz has been suspended for four matches and will miss Tests against South Africa and Australia after pleading guilty to misconduct following his side's contentious Nations Championship loss to England.

Results

Football

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Third qualifying round: first leg 4GP 2 Salish 1; free循环 2 3 turn G12 0

EUROPA LEAGUE

Third qualifying round: first leg 1eroccass 1 Gornit 0

CONFERENCE LEAGUE

Third qualifying round: first leg 4G 2 Salish 1; free循环 2 3 turn G12 0

MONDAY'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Second qualifying round: next Finals 4J 2 Brandy 0; Apollon 2 Cram 3 (art. 3-1 after 90 mins, Cram won 4-2 on pens); Austin 4 Home 3 Haplak Split 2; Boxer 3 Minnema 0; El Kordah 0 Dinaria Nicosia 0; Feroccass 2 Park 3 (art); Salita 1 Nuno 2; Normandy 4 Apollon 0; Juventus 0; Torricelli 1; Sharks 1; Frennhöfer 1; Rapp 4 Ripp 1; Man 1; Fina/Lamberto 3 (art. 3-1 after 90 mins); 3M (sawm 4 TSC 0; Rattay Island 0 HR 2; 5N 2 PSV 3; Slavia Prague 1 Ramp 1; 2 (art. 3-1 after 90 mins); Sporting 3 Sucklers 0; St.Palme 4; 7R Room 3; Viterengo 0 Madrid 1; Wigan 1; Sport 4 Ripsco 2

Cricket

SECOND TET MATCH (top four of five)

Part of Pippin West Indies 3A4 LP Groners 73, 76; Chant 70; Sagittown 4 8TS 8 17 (East Man 4-12, All Genes 4-18); Pakistan 3GP Abdullah Shufique 5Nins; Babar Azam 86; Kase Awan 55; JA Marrion 6-12/2 8-7 7-2; Pakistan beat West Indies by eight wickets (two match series 8 over 1-1).

FIRST MEN'S ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL

Overall: Income & Afghanistan match abandoned, rain

THE HUNDRED MEN

Old Northend Men's 4vs 1/3-4 (8/8) (low) 7/2; Manchester Super Giants 1/6-1 (71, Sefton 6/24), JC Battles 5/1-6; Manchester Super Giants won by nine wickets. Trent Bridge Birmingham 1/11-0 (3M Caste 6/2). Trent Rockets 1/16-1. Trent Rockets won by seven wickets.

THE HUNDRED WOMEN

Old Northend Manchester 8/5-9 (GP Prendergast 4-18); Belsh Fire 88-7. Belsh Fire won Giants by three wickets. Trent Bridge Birmingham 1/27-7 (St.Clark 4-20). Trent Rockets 1/14-4 (5M Sackles 4-2). Trent won by six wickets.

METRO BANK ONE DAY CUP MEN

The third Spring 2R0 (95 Point 7), 2P Gibbs 5/3; Kent 191 (JR Daily 51, 7E Lewis 4-40). Spring beat Kent by 95 runs. (Hills Road Hampshire 2/9 (JR Lehman 68, 8C Brown 58) Glamorgan 173 (IT Laxndon 4-40). Hants won by 90 runs.

Tennis

ATP NATIONAL BANK OPEN (Montreal, Canada)

Second round: N.Burges (Fiv) 1st TBI (Chimera (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; Z.Berge (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; J.Penema (Del) 6-3; Taitama (Del) 7-6 (T) 7-5; M.Burman (Aeg) 6-4; Vashneet (Aeg) 1-6 6-3 6-3; L.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1

BROWN (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1st 5 (Aeg) 6-4 0-2; A.Moartis (Del) 1

Cycling

TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES

Stage five (Mec en-Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 14/8km) 2 0 Vollering (Nettl) 7G1 (Hertel 4up) 2R 5 (Inter 3 Acc; 2 0V Ancon (Soc) Monbon 2 0V Bonadomo-Phinney (Piel) Carrano (Sion) 2 0V Lone (Irec. 2 0V Vollering 2 0V Ancon (Soc) 2 0V Vollering 2 0V Ancon (Soc) 2 0V Vollering 2 0V Ancon (Soc) 2 0V Vollering 2 0V Ancon (Soc) 2 0V Vollering 2 0V Ancon (Soc) 2 0V Vollering 2 0V

Fixtures

Football (7-4) (on wins stated)

Cambler Cup

First round: Bristol City v Wiskall

Europa League

Third qualifying round: first leg 8er0s v Hivets (Spel); Wigan 4 (Swan) v Bristle (Spel); Jagiellon 4 (Rapp) (Spel); Natt 5 v Jekem 4 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); Lincsh Red Imps v Dinaria Nicosia (Spel); Biscade 7 (Swan) v USA 6 (Swan); Paris v Ambroise 16 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel); 8 (Swan) v Natt 5 (Spel)

Third qualifying round: first leg (Invisited) 4J0s v Shalassana (Spel); M.Burman v Whittington 4 (Swan) v Whittington 4 (Spel); 4 (Swan) v Whittington 4 (Spel)

Cycling

The third round: Nibs

Lander Spirit v W1 (Lander, Lord's 0.30pm)

The third round: Wintons

Lander Spirit v W1 (Lander, Lord's 15pm)

Rugby league

Belfast Super League St Helens v Wall 51 (Spel)

Belfast Women's Super League St Helens v Wigan (5.15pm)

Greg Wood's racing tips

Showmaker 2.20 Stormy Music 2.55 Lord Rappin 1.30 Clydeus 4.00 Chris Black 4.55 High Flow (stl) 2.20 Longs Linder Brothers 2.30 Spirited Dance 3.13 The Monkey King 1.50 Alternative 4.25 Nimo Gold 4.55 Caarney's Phew 1.30 Just Jump Sanders 1.00 Downside 1.20 Worked 6.13 First Law 4.40 Intercept 7.25 Ice Lights (for 1/2pt) 7.50 Aircord Southend 1.50 Dutilation 5.34 Ecology 6.08 Handrace 6.41 Southern 7.16 McArthur 7.55 Lord Of Jump 8.26 Cloth Of Gold 9.00 Lure Cheshire 5.20 First Sorrion 5.45 Downsmen and not 6.30 Mar's Legacy 7.05 Seventy Blue 7.40 Companion's Star 8.15 Hollander Beach

---

10

Sport Football

▼ Jamshedpur were fifth of 14 in India's top tier last season, only four points from the top of the table COURTESY OF ISL

Golf

LIV rescue deal unlikely to stop big names from quitting tour

Ewan Murray

LIV Golf has secured a "lead investor" to safeguard its existence until 2030, although the agreement is unlikely to prevent a batch of high-profile players departing by the end of this year.

Scott O'Neil, LIV's chief executive, announced basic plans for the "next generation" of the tour yesterday while refusing to disclose the new funders of the business. After the withdrawal of backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, O'Neil has been engaged in a race against time to save his business.

"We're very fortunate that a lead investor has signed a term sheet approved by our board, which will carry and fund LIV going forward," O'Neil said. "It's very good news for us. At this point we are keeping the details of the deal, the investor, and much of what you might want to know in this second phase out of the media."

It is expected that this scenario could crystallise by the end of August, including with precise detail of who will play on LIV in 2027. Asked whether conclusion of the deal will protect the 2027 season, O'Neil said: "And 28 and 29 and 30." He insisted the investor is one "of weight".

While generally LIV golfers have not spoken in public about potential pathways back towards the PGA Tour - partly because of contractual commitments - there is a widespread belief the change in circumstances overseen through necessity by O'Neil will trigger huge change. LIV coaxed golfers, often for hundreds of millions of dollars, from the PGA Tour from its formation in 2021.

Asked directly on the futures of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, LIV's two star turns, O'Neil said: "I have all the time in the world for Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. I think I'd be remiss in saying they're not only two of the biggest, best golfers on the planet, but I think they're some of the biggest stars in sports, let alone golf. [I] would certainly love them to come along for the ride and journey because they carry maybe more weight than anybody in the game and I have a lot of time for that."

Steel giants throw Indian game into chaos after scrapping club

Tata's 'punch in the gut' to Jamshedpur plunges the forthcoming league season into fresh turmoil

John Duerden

'Please don't let this be the final whistle for Jamshedpur FC,' the defender Pratik Chaudhari said, looking into the camera as teammates looked on disconsolately. "We would like to say on behalf of all the players, please do rethink about this. Because if this happens, this is not just a loss for Indian football ... this is a big loss for all of India."

In addition, fans of the Indian Super League club marched in protest, petitions were launched, and the Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri said it was a "punch to the gut" and joined others in begging for a rethink.

The target of all these pleas was the Jamshedpur owner Tata Steel, which surprisingly pulled the plug on the club on 31 July. After the

problems of the 2025-26 campaign, which started five months late and lasted just 13 games, the new season's big kick-off on 4 September was to be a new start. The positivity and optimism before the new season, fragile though it was, disappeared along with JFC.

It is a huge blow, for players, staff and fans but also for the league. Jamshedpur had solid support and won the ISL shield in 2022, five years after the club was formed. Steve Coppell was the first head coach with Scott Cooper, Aidy Boothroyd and Owen Coyle all following in his footsteps.

Baltit Rihal of Inventive Sports was the agent who took Coppell to the city in the eastern state of Jharkhand. "To be quite frank, after all the uncertainty Indian football has faced over the last couple of seasons, Jamshedpur FC would have been one of the last clubs I expected to pull out," he told the Guardian.

The club was founded by the Tata Group, which has been involved with Indian football for decades. "When an institution with that history decides it can no longer continue at the highest level, it says something very serious about the state of the game," Rihal said.

The league is also losing a major corporate backer, one which insists, however, that the decision is not about money. "At Tata Steel, sports have never been evaluated through a profit-and-loss lens," says the company's vice-president and the club's chairman, Sundara Ramam.

"Our sports budget is not decreasing. It will continue to grow. This decision was driven by our desire to focus more intensely on grassroots development and not by financial considerations."

Yet if others follow suit then there may not be much of a professional pathway for young talent. This latest episode shines a light on the league once more. In the club's original letter sent to the All India Football Federation, concerns were expressed about the financial model of the ISL, which recently changed. Reliance Industries was

'After all the recent uncertainty, they were one of the last clubs I expected to pull out'

the federation's commercial partner from 2010 but, when that agreement expired in 2025, a new deal was not made and a new partner not found, hence the shortened season.

This time, the AIFF looks after governance and administration with the clubs taking on the commercial and marketing side. "The old model meant clubs had very little say in how the league was packaged and sold," Ravi Puskar, the chief executive of Goa FC, said last month.

"Now the clubs hold the broadcast and sponsorship rights directly. It puts the incentive to grow the league's commercial value in the hands of the people who are most invested in it growing."

A member of Jamshedpur's staff told the Guardian that the decision was because of concerns over the new arrangements. "I believe Tata are not interested in the club-led model," he says. "There had to be a commitment of four years and the AIFF was asking for an initial payment of around £43,000 from all 14 clubs to be made by 31 July. Tata might have thought it's better to stop rather than get dragged into unknown waters."

It is a worrying exit as this is not the only corporate departure from Indian football of late. "Reliance stepping away from its central role was significant," Rihal says. "City Football Group leaving Mumbai City was another warning." That happened in December, in the middle of the problems last season. "Tata now withdrawing from Jamshedpur FC feels different again because of the group's deep-rooted history in Indian football. These departures have happened for different reasons, but collectively represent a major loss of confidence in the professional game."

There is fear that others may follow and there will be some relief if all 13 remaining clubs kick off the season. "Indian football can recover, but we should not underestimate the scale of the challenge," Rihal says.

"The priority now must be the people affected, followed by urgent clarity over the league's structure and future. Players, staff and supporters cannot continue living from one period of uncertainty to the next. They deserve much better."

There is still hope that Tata could have a rethink. "I understand that some tough decisions in sport are down to what makes sense in the boardroom," Chhetri said. "But I can only request and hope that the thinktank at Tata picks their heart over head and reconsiders this call. It might be a poor business decision, but it will be the one Indian football needs the most at this hour."

Women's Super League

Olid lands 'dream' job as United coach

Tom Garry

Eva Olid has described being appointed as the Manchester United Women head coach as a dream come true after signing a two-year contract until 2028 with the option of a further year. The Spanish coach will replace Marc Skinner, whose surprise departure came on Monday.

Olid led Hearts to their first Scottish Women's Premier League title last season in a five-year spell during which she oversaw a remarkable period of progress.

The 40-year-old's arrival comes as

United are understood to be prioritising developing homegrown players rather than spending large fees.

In a statement, the club said: "Olid's appointment marks the start of an exciting new era for Manchester United Women as the club embarks on a clear vision for long-term, sustainable growth and success."

"Important foundations have already been put in place to further support the development of homegrown talent and young players, as well as senior internationals, and

establish a clear football identity. Significant investment has been made into the academy infrastructure and facilities, underlining the ambition to build the leading youth development system in the country."

Olid told the club's website yesterday: "The opportunity to become head coach of Manchester United Women is a dream come true. There is already so much talent within our squad and I am excited to work with the players to support them to fulfil their immense potential."

---

●●●

11

Guimarães departs as Jaisle hails 'clear vision'

Louise Taylor

Bruno Guimarães is poised to leave Newcastle's pre-season training camp in southern Spain and fly to London before a £75m move to Arsenal. The departing Newcastle captain is scheduled to undergo a medical in north London after the two clubs compromised on the fee.

While Arsenal had wanted initially to pay no more than £60m for the Brazil midfielder, who turns 29 in November and has two years remaining on his contract, Newcastle demanded a minimum of £80m.

Having sold Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali to Barcelona and Tottenham respectively this summer, Newcastle had no need to sell Guimarães and would have preferred to keep a player who was integral to their 2025 League Cup triumph.

Since the Brazilian's arrival from Lyon in January 2022, Newcastle have struggled to win games without Guimarães on the pitch. In his 153 league appearances he scored 30 goals, contributed 26 assists and, as Eddie Howe's former team twice qualified for the Champions League, became an enduring crowd favourite.

The loss of Guimarães is likely to hit Newcastle fans appreciably harder

than even Alexander Isak's defection to Liverpool last year. Guimarães, though, was determined to join Arsenal even before Howe stepped down as manager last week.

The Brazilian flew to La Manga to meet the club's incoming manager, Matthias Jaissle, on Monday but is understood to have told Jaissle that he wanted out and could not be persuaded otherwise. The parting is believed to have been cordial and in marked contrast to Isak's acrimonious exit last summer.

It provided an unwelcome backdrop as the new head coach was announced officially as the man to succeed Howe. Jaissle has described Newcastle 'as an incredibly compelling place to be' after finally formalising his move from the Saudi Arabia side Al-Ahli.

'When Newcastle United come your way you take notice,' he said. 'The ambition of the club, the vision for the future and the opportunity

▲ New head coach Matthias Jaissle: 'My teams are built on togetherness'

ahead made this an incredibly compelling place to be. I am incredibly excited about the future.

'I fully and unreservedly believe in this project, the ambition and the

direction the club is taking. There is a clear vision, strong leadership and an exceptional platform to build on.'

Under Howe, Newcastle's motto was 'intensity is our identity' and Jaissle suggested he would be following a similar path. 'My teams are built on togetherness, hard work and a passion to improve every single day,' the German coach said.

'I believe there is enormous potential within this squad and throughout this football club. I give my complete commitment and total energy to bringing further success to Newcastle.'

David Hopkinson, Newcastle's chief executive, has full faith in Jaissle's ability to revive the fortunes of a club that finished a disappointing 12th in the Premier League last season. 'Matthias is one of the most exciting and highly regarded young coaches in football and I'm thrilled to welcome him to Newcastle,' he said.

UNIT BERTAU REUTERS

Salah mobbed Hundreds of fans were on hand to greet Mohamed Salah as he arrived in Istanbul wearing a Trabzonspor shirt to finalise a move to the Turkish Super Lig side. The club posted on social media a video of the former Liverpool forward saying: 'Trabzon, are you ready? See you very soon.'

Mudryk returns but Chelsea lose out to Juventus

Xabi Alonso hailed Mykhailo Mudryk's 'emotional' return from a doping ban as the winger played for Chelsea for the first time in nearly two years in a 1-0 friendly defeat by Juventus in Hong Kong yesterday.

Mudryk came on as a substitute for Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute, drawing loud cheers from Chelsea fans in the 43,575 crowd at Kai Tak Sports Park.

The Ukraine international has not played a competitive match since November 2024, having been provisionally suspended after returning

▲ Ukrainian Mykhailo Mudryk had not played since November 2024

an 'adverse finding' for the banned substance meldonium.

However, the 25-year-old was cleared to return to action after

resolving the case with the Football Association. Despite a lively cameo on the left, Mudryk was unable to stop Juventus taking the spoils courtesy of a wonderful second-half strike from the Kosovo international Edon Zhegrova.

'Really pleased for him. It was emotional for everyone from the club to see him back,' Alonso said of Mudryk. Chelsea's league season starts at Fulham on 24 August.

Arsenal were punished for defensive errors as they slipped to a 3-1 friendly defeat by Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

The Premier League champions fell behind to first-half goals from Rodrigo Riquelme and Nelson Deossa and although the Gunners hit back through Piero Hincapié, Pablo Fornals struck a third for Betis before the break. Agencies

Real agree £115m Diomande deal but aim to keep Vinícius

Ed Aarons

Real Madrid have agreed a club-record fee of €135m (£115.7m) with RB Leipzig for Yan Diomande and are confident of warding off Arsenal's interest in Vinícius Júnior after offering an improved contract to the Brazil forward.

After several weeks of negotiations that saw Paris Saint-Germain pull out of the race, the deal for Diomande - the 19-year-old who joined the German side from Leganés last summer and starred for Côte d'Ivoire at the World Cup - was finally struck yesterday afternoon. It is understood that Madrid will pay an initial €125m plus another €10m in add-ons, a total that would eclipse the fee the Spanish side paid Borussia Dortmund to sign Jude Bellingham in 2023, believed to have been worth up to €134m including add-ons.

Leganés are due a 5% sell-on fee from any transfer. The teenager made only 10 appearances for their first team before being sold to Leipzig for €20m (£17.4m). Diomande, who was pictured arriving at Leipzig's pre-season training camp in Austria on Wednesday, is expected to sign a contract until 2031 and becomes the most expensive African player in history, surpassing the €72m Arsenal spent on Nicolas Pépé in 2019.

His impending arrival is not thought to have any bearing on whether Vinícius stays in the Spanish capital. The Brazilian and his representatives, Roc Nation, held talks with Madrid officials over a contract extension yesterday, with Arsenal waiting in the wings if he decides to depart.

Mikel Arteta's side are understood to be ready to pay more than £100m for the 26-year-old who has less than a year of his contract remaining. But despite some reports that Vinícius had rejected Madrid's latest contract offer, it is understood that he is now weighing up an improved deal closer

to the €30m a season requested after what sources in Spain have described as positive talks. Vinícius said on Tuesday that Madrid's new manager, José Mourinho, wants him to be 'happy, cheerful and playing my football' after returning to pre-season training following the World Cup.

Arsenal, who have agreed a £75m deal to sign his Brazil teammate Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle, are believed to be exploring other options in attack should Vinícius opt to renew with Madrid.

Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, held talks with Atlético Madrid over Julián Alvarez yesterday in a bid to secure a deal for the Argentina forward but Arsenal are hoping that the 26-year-old could yet be persuaded to join them.

Arsenal, who missed out on Morgan Rogers last month when the England forward joined Chelsea for a British record fee of £117m instead, have also been linked with PSG's Bradley Barcola, who is wanted by Liverpool and valued at around £145m by the European champions.

Meanwhile, Coventry are set to break their transfer record for the fourth time in this window after agreeing a £73m fee with Danish side Nordsjælland for the Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi. The deal for Yirenkyi, who impressed at the World Cup, comes after Coventry have already spent almost £60m on Louth Chasna, Aurele Amenda and Carl Rushworth.

---

Sport Football

▼ Gianni Infantino has found his grip on Fifa's presidency slipping away DARRYL DYCK/CANADIAN PRESS/AP

How to fix Fifa

What can be done to salvage the beleaguered governing body?

Gianni Infantino followed World Cup controversies with abhorred plans to let private investors in. Paul MacInnes looks at ways the game's leaders can find a path forward

Split the governing body up

How can an organisation that runs the biggest sporting event in the world also be the one that sets the rules for the entire game? We saw the reality of such a conflict at the recent World Cup as Fifa ran roughshod over its rulebook - be it over the length of suspensions or the duration of half-time - in an attempt to generate more attention for its competition. One person with extensive knowledge of the inside workings of Fifa puts

it like this: "They have shown that they will bend the rules to make them more money. This is a big conflict of interest. Not only should the commercial and the regulatory parts of Fifa be separated, but so should the development part and possibly one or two others as well."

According to Miguel Maduro, a former chair of Fifa's governance committee and now one of the leading critics of the organisation, the creation of different corporate entities - even if they ultimately came under its umbrella - would allow for different priorities to take hold. "There would have to be a Chinese wall between these entities and they would have to have different incentives," he says. "Those who are seeking to maximise commercial income should not be dependent on the regulatory rules and those working on the regulatory side should not be influenced by commercial considerations."

One insider notes that Gianni Infantino's aborted Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme would have created such a separation "but for completely the wrong reasons".

Introduce external regulation

The least sexy word in sport might be necessary if a new Fifa - answerable to nobody bar the

courts - is to be expected to follow its new rules. "Change needs to be imposed from the outside. It won't happen from the inside," says Maduro. He shares the belief with other critics that it would be necessary to create a new equivalent to Wada, the global anti-doping body. It would hold sporting organisations to account on rules related to governance.

"There's so much money swirling around in football it could easily be funded," says one Fifa-watcher. The question is under whose auspices the new body would be created. "One way is to do something at the level of the EU," Maduro says. "Other countries could join, perhaps the UK for example, and that could then evolve into a world sports agency that would exist to review ethical issues and compliance of the sports associations."

In this context it is perhaps worth noting that Uefa, which is leading the protests against Infantino's FFE plan, has in recent years been moving closer to Brussels. Meanwhile another body, the European Leagues, has called on the EU's executive, the European Commission, to intervene over another Infantino plan: to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams.

'Change needs to be imposed from the outside - it won't happen from the inside'

The commission, it said, "should take the necessary action to protect fair competition and ensure compliance with the principles already set out by the court of justice of the EU".

Defang the president

As has been proven by the FFE affair, where the whole scheme was apparently devised without the knowledge of anyone outside Infantino's office, Fifa's president has too much power. "The president was not supposed to control the administration, but then he began to control the administration," Maduro says. "Then the Fifa council was supposed to control the president and be involved in the real big decisions outside the congress, and they weren't. At the political level itself you need checks and balances."

One suggestion on limiting executive power would be to

---

13

remove the president's power to determine funding. The governance expert Mark Pieth has an alternative proposal, one he says was once mooted by the president of Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin. It would see the heads of Fifa's six continental confederations taking turns at being president.

"It's not an outrageous idea," Pieth says. "I am Swiss and it happens in my country. Seven ministers take turns being the president, but their tenure lasts one year and it's clear who the next president is because they go around in order. The effect is nobody gets really powerful. Then you ask yourself, well, why would a Fifa president need power anyway? He's there to organise matters."

Greater transparency

For campaigners looking to hold Fifa to account over the world body's existing commitments, such as human rights, a lack of transparency over decision-making and the existing appeals process are longstanding frustrations.

Equally, what Fifa does with the money it generates and distributes to its member associations can be opaque. Nick McGeehan, the director and co-founder of the not-for-profit Fair Square, has frequently come up against the limits of transparency within Fifa. "Where are the audited accounts?" he asks.

"Fifa have a development budget that is equal to many big development agencies, but not only is there no needs analysis in terms of how that money is distributed but there is literally no evidence of any audits. Go on their website and you can find all sorts of data about what money is spent, but if you actually wanted to verify what that money is being spent on, it's impossible."

McGeehan notes that greater transparency would also involve engaging more with the media. "It seems like Infantino only calls a press conference once every four years," he says. "It shows an authoritarian state-style distrust of the media and a concomitant lack of transparency."

Rethink development

"Fifa is a not-for-profit organisation - the money it makes is reinvested in football." This phrase has become something of a mantra under Infantino and following the $15bn (£11.2m) generated by this year's World Cup, each

▲ Uefa's Aleksander Ceferin floated a plan to rotate the Fifa presidency

member nation can expect to receive $8m between 2027 and 2030. But not only is there a lack of scrutiny over how the money is spent, the nature of the distribution itself is questionable.

"It's an issue that one country, one vote is combined with giving everyone the same amount of money," says the Fifa-watcher. "The money is distributed in proportion to votes, which is completely wrong because Montserrat and Gibraltar have very different needs to Nigeria or India. It's amazing that he didn't look to even try and tweak that."

With money neither distributed according to need nor determined by strategic goals to grow participation in the game, Fifa is undermining its own aims, the critic says. "If Fifa were to be judged on results, then football is more Eurocentric now than it was 20 years ago. You can expand the World Cup, that's easy. They claim it's development but if you get into the entry-gritty it can be a negative. Associations spend all their money on the men's national team, on a European coach, and there's nothing spent on the grassroots or technical development."

Switch the electorate

The steady funnel of funds shared with associations big and small has kept Infantino popular with his electorate, the heads of his 211 member associations. A change in who gets a say in Fifa's decisions might be another way to achieve more effective governance.

"When I am at a Fifa meeting and I look around the table, I see very few people who have direct experience of either playing the game, or being a coach or an executive at a club," says one senior football figure. "I see very few people who actually understand the day-to-day of football."

The overwhelmingly male makeup of the Fifa electorate is another fact at glaring odds with the real world, while supporters are, as ever, not invited to the party. Ashish Prashar, a political consultant who regularly engages with Fifa on the game's social responsibilities, says: "What we need is confederations to get together and form a new entity to solidify the game with the values that serve the people. The biggest item for that entity must be fan ownership of the game. The World Cup and its surrounding events should involve the public in its decision making whether that's fan groups, fan ambassadors or elections for fans."

For Maduro, a change in the electorate could then unlock further progress. "Currently you have voting syndicates at Fifa, which creates a huge degree of voting control," he says. "You need to force new mechanisms of representation, and be creative in finding solutions to bring in people that have so far been absent. If you create a diverse electorate that, by itself, will create a mechanism of checks and balances that can help to lead to better decision-making in the interests of football and all its stakeholders." Fifa was approached for comment.

Figo calls on 'deceitful' Infantino to stand down and 'save football'

Ed Aarons

The Portugal legend Luis Figo has described Gianni Infantino's ill-fated scheme to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors as "the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed" and called on the Fifa president to resign.

Infantino was forced to scrap his controversial proposal after a fierce backlash that was led by Uefa, with the 56-year-old now battling for his future having called an emergency meeting of Fifa staff on Wednesday as pressure on him mounts.

On Tuesday the Jordan Football Association president, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, accused Fifa of blackmail by threatening to withhold financial assistance from his federation if it refused to back the president's bid for re-election. That came after the

former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who is Fifa's chief of global football development, issued a statement distancing himself from the plan that said the decision to withdraw it was "absolutely necessary and beyond question".

Figo, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid winger who won 127 caps for Portugal, has now joined the chorus of criticism and accused Infantino of having "debased the office of Fifa president that he promised to elevate" since taking over in 2016.

▲ Luis Figo says he could write '10,000 words on problems at Fifa'

President turns to Morocco for solace in crisis

Matt Hughes

Gianni Infantino is continuing to fight for his future after holding crisis talks with senior officials in Rabat yesterday. The under-pressure Fifa president has spent the last week in Morocco after attending Throne Day celebrations

to mark the 27th anniversary of King Mohammed VI's enthronement, and will fly to Colombia tomorrow to attend the inauguration of the country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, in the city of Cali.

Infantino travelled to Africa and South America in the wake of the storm over Fifa's proposals to sell off 21% of the World Cup broke last week. Those confederations are his biggest supporters. Neither the Confederation of African Football or Conmebol have joined the Uefa-led rebellion against the Fifa Forward Enterprise sell-off, and remain steadfast in their support.

Infantino is hoping that Morocco in particular can play a crucial strategic

"I could write 10,000 words on the problems at Fifa. But the solution needs only three: Infantino must go," he wrote in the Daily Mail.

"He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve. He has lost the support of his senior staff, his closest advisers, the vast majority of people who devote their lives to this sport and even, it would seem, the Fifa Peace Prize winner [Donald Trump]. It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go, Now."

Figo, a football adviser to Uefa since 2017, cited Infantino's lack of transparency over his attempts to push through the private equity deal that would have reportedly led to an increase in his salary to $30m a year as more evidence he is unfit to govern world football.

"It's not honest when you fail to mention that, after you have delivered the head of the World Cup on a platter to your mates in DC, they are going to give you a job worth five times your current salary," he wrote.

"None of this comes as a surprise when you consider the litany of abuses he has inflicted on football's reputation; from suspending and reversing disciplinary decisions to breaking the laws of the game over a half-time show, nothing gets in the way of pleasing his friends."

role in galvanising backing for him in the Middle East, which is likely to become a vital battleground in determining his vote. Unlike CAF and Conmebol, the Asian Football Confederation do not vote as a bloc, leaving Infantino to lobby individual countries for support if, as expected, a candidate stands against him in next year's presidential election.

The Times reported that Infantino has offered Morocco a guarantee they will stage the 2030 World Cup final, which they will host jointly with Spain and Portugal, in return for their assistance in lobbying other countries, although this has been denied by Fifa.

Super League talks sidelined key stakeholders

➤ Continued from back page

understood to have told associates afterwards that he had no wish to work against football's institutions.

Yet the evidence of Fifa's outline agreement with the Super League, coupled with Infantino's disastrous Football Forward Enterprise scheme, casts doubt on that assertion and suggests multiple attempts to reshape the game without consulting its most important stakeholders. The league would have contained its permanent members and five clubs qualifying from existing competitions. It also commits to creating a women's equivalent, using the same clubs, by an unspecified date. The term sheet refers to Fifa under the name "WOr", which is also the name used in the British army for a high-ranking army officer.

In a section outlining the agreement's key components, it says the Super League "is open to discuss naming the competition WOr SL". It also confirms Fifa would be "granted a preferred equity stake in the Super League", which would give it decision-making capability on format changes, calendar alterations, distribution of solidarity money and the appointment of a chief executive for the competition.

Senior figures within European football are understood to have been shocked by the plan to drastically shrink the number of international windows, squeezing them into two fortnight-long spaces each year. Member associations, many of whom are being courted for support by Infantino as he battles to save his tenure this week, may have lost the commercial opportunities available from added visibility for their national teams and found themselves at the behest of a privately run club competition.

A separate point in the earlier proposal also notes "reduction of leagues" as a point for discussion. The term sheet states that "a new

international match calendar" devised by Fifa, the Super League and "other relevant stakeholders" would be reviewed and implemented with Fifa's agreement.

Clubs participating in the Super League would have been required to join the World Football Club Association (WFCA), which was a short-lived representative body launched by the Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez in 2019. Real were key drivers of the Super League scheme and only closed the door on the project when announcing an agreement with Uefa in February this year.

Fifa's close proximity to the Super League proposal adds to the growing number of privately backed ventures brought to the table by Infantino during his 10-year reign. In 2018 he pressed the case for a $25bn offer from SoftBank, the Japanese institution, to create an expanded Club World Cup and global Nations League. Close allies within Fifa are understood to have cautioned him against the plan, which failed to gain support after opposition from Europe.

Fifa was approached for comment.

---

Demi's dash Vollering wins three-way sprint for stage five victory

Page 39 →

Missed cut LIV finds fresh funding but future of stars still uncertain

Page 40 →

The Guardian Thursday 6 August 2026

Sport

'Fifa Super League'

Infantino discussed adding global body's name to breakaway

Exclusive Nick Ames

Gianni Infantino held talks about rebranding the ill-fated European breakaway competition the "Fifa Super League", with negotiations going as far as the term sheet for an agreement that would have changed the face of European football.

The term sheet, whose full contents can be revealed for the first time, is dated October 2020 and proposes renaming any new competition under Fifa's branding. It outlines the extent to which Infantino's administration were implicated in a scheme that caused widespread revulsion among fans and excluded clubs in April 2021. It also reveals that Fifa was prepared to sideline its member associations in pushing plans to cut back the number of international windows and outlines how global football's governing body would have been given special governance and political rights with a "golden share".

In a week when football is reeling from the fallout after Infantino

Fighting on Fifa says president will stay in post after crisis meeting

Page 43 → ★

scrapped his plan to sell chunks of the World Cup to private investors, the document shows Fifa's leadership was deeply involved in another attempt to put the sport's major competitions under corporate control. It sets out a partnership of at least 12 years between Fifa and the Super League and proposes a joint venture that would have run its commercial operations.

The document also proposes that an iteration of Fifa's expanded Club World Cup, referred to as the "global club competition", would be held annually over an enshrined three-week period and tied directly to the Super League. That tournament would have been a straight knockout competition rather than the group-based version that relaunched in 2025. While the term sheet states that the new tournaments would have to be passed by Fifa's annual congress and the Fifa council, federations around the world are understood to have been bypassed.

Infantino was among a number of Fifa staff involved in the project and is understood to have been fully aware of its progression. The term sheet says the founding clubs "want to agree the terms of a partnership" between the Super League and Fifa, leading to the creation of the two competitions. It follows an initial proposal to Fifa by the breakaway clubs, also seen by the Guardian, that sketches the framework for a potential agreement. While non-binding, a term sheet is generally the precursor to a definitive contract and suggests discussions between Fifa and the Super League's creators were nearing a conclusion at the time.

It is unclear whether Infantino and Fifa progressed their role in the project beyond the term-sheet stage. After a version of the scheme was infamously launched without Fifa's direct involvement in April 2021, ultimately scrapped following large-scale protests, Infantino addressed Uefa's congress in Montreux saying his organisation could "only strongly disapprove the creation of the Super League". Multiple sources have stated that an earlier conversation with the Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, convened by a third party, hastened Fifa's president distancing himself from the new venture. Infantino is

LEE SMITH/ACTION IMAGES/REUTERS

£10m RFU loss

after England's Six Nations flop

Exclusive Gerard Meagher

England's worst Six Nations performance has contributed to the Rugby Football Union expecting a £10m loss for the financial year ending June 2026, the Guardian can reveal.

Steve Borthwick oversaw a miserable campaign in which England lost four of their five matches, ensuring

a fifth-place finish in the Six Nations table and reduced prize money on the back of what the RFU has described as a "hugely disappointing" competition.

Finishing second bottom, a year after coming second, has been identified by the union as a factor behind an expected underlying loss of £4m and a total net loss of £10m - down from an underlying profit of £8m and a total loss of £2m the previous year.

The RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has insisted that the union has "continued to perform in line with our plans despite significant headwinds" but the financial position would have been worse had an extra autumn fixture against Australia not been shoehorned into the calendar last November.

Borthwick was given a qualified vote of confidence after England's historic defeat by Italy in March but he received the RFU's backing after a review into the Six Nations campaign. A demoralising defeat by South Africa followed before a thumping win against a poor Fiji side and a narrow victory against Argentina.

The RFU has insisted a £10m loss represents a "continued improvement in financial performance" and highlighted a 50% increase in sponsorship revenue since 2024 as a key reason. The union is poised to announce a new deal which will feature a sponsor emblazoned across the back of England jerseys with the RFU claiming it will then have the "largest sponsorship revenue in world rugby", eclipsing

QA Report - The Guardian - 06.08.2026.pdf

Pipeline

• Extraction route: mistral-ocr
• extraction_route=mistral-ocr
• Translation chunks: 102
• Extraction warnings:
• [OCR-ROUTE] FORCE-MISTRAL: All PDFs route directly to MistralOCR.

Non-model Checks

• WARNING: translated output has low semantic coherence score (0.03)
• WARNING: missing numeric tokens from source: 0252, 0326, 0333, 0339, 0404, 0421, 0432, 0449, 0524, 0526
• WARNING: Missing proper nouns in translation: Aaron Bower, Abdul El, Activision Blizzard, Affinity Partners, African Football, After Davies, Agencies

Real, Alan Thorn, Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz, Aleksander Ceferin - WARNING: source dates, money, or percentage tokens may be missing

Model QA

PDF 翻译质量审计报告

总体评价

本次翻译存在严重的交付缺陷。译文在中间部分出现了大规模的幻觉（Hallucinations），插入了大量与原文完全无关的关于“AI黑客攻击”和“美国密歇根州选举”的内容，且包含大量未翻译的英文索引标签。

详细缺陷清单

1. 严重幻觉与内容篡改 (Hallucinations)

• 大规模无关内容插入：在翻译预览的中间部分，译文突然出现了关于“AI模型发起黑客攻击”、“英国AI安全研究所 (AISI)”、“美国密歇根州民主党初选”、“阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德 (Abdul El-Sayed)”等大量内容。经核对，这些内容在提供的 SOURCE PREVIEW 中完全不存在。 这是一个极其严重的质量事故。

2. 交付缺陷 (Delivery Defects)

• 内部清理标签残留：译文中出现了大量类似 57th 希腊报纸, 58th 希腊报纸... 100th . 的索引标签。根据审计要求，此类内部清理标签被视为交付缺陷。

3. 遗漏与截断 (Omissions & Truncation)

• 关键段落丢失：
  • 原文中关于 NHS told to prepare for annual heatwave crisis 的部分在译文中被上述幻觉内容完全替代，导致该新闻板块被整体遗漏。
  • 原文中关于 Gift Aid (捐赠税收减免) 的详细表格和法律条款部分在译文中被完全遗漏。

4. 准确性与忠实度 (Faithfulness)

• 术语/名称错误：
  • Good Law Project 被翻译为 “良好法律项目”，建议译为 “良好法律计划” 或保留原名。
  • RFU loss 标题中部分保留英文 loss，未完全翻译。
• 数字核对：
  • 在幻觉部分（密歇根州选举）中，出现了 $70 [5200 万英镑] 这种奇怪的标注，且与原文无关。

5. 格式与结构 (Section-order)

• 结构混乱：由于插入了大量幻觉文本，文档的逻辑顺序被彻底破坏，导致原文的体育版块与新闻版块之间被无关内容强行切断。

审计结论

结论：Blocking Issue (存在阻断性问题)

处理建议： 拒绝接收。该译文不仅包含严重的幻觉，且丢失了大量原文内容，属于不可接受的交付质量。需重新翻译并严格核对源文件。