Tuesday August 25 2026 | thetimes.com | No 75120

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Why I take my dog to cafés

Radical plans for Thames Water put on ice over price tag

Steven Swinford

The prime minister has shelved plans to put Thames Water into administration amid concerns about the cost and the legal risks, The Times has been told.

Andy Burnham has been heavily critical of Britain's biggest water company, which supplies 16 million customers from Gloucestershire to London,

Kent and Essex. He indicated that he wanted to put the company into a special administration regime (SAR) that would allow essential services to keep running until a buyer was found.

Burnham said that the government would introduce “greater public control” of the “essentials”, including water and energy companies. He was expected to do so in one of his first acts in No 10. However, The Times has been told that officials have raised concerns about the risk to taxpayers and the potential for legal challenges.

The government is conducting further work to establish if there is a “viable option” for putting the company into administration, but it is likely to take several months.

The emergency SAR — the first for a water company — would risk leaving the taxpayer with a bill for the £2 billion that Thames Water believes it needs to keep running until the end of next year unless an alternative solution can be found. There are further concerns about how easy it would be to find a buyer for the ailing company after it is taken into administration.

A Whitehall source said: "There is no quick or clean solution without an enormous price tag attached. It is very challenging and there are significant legal risks. It's not off the table, but further work is being done on potential solutions before a decision can be taken."

Burnham suggested in June, in the Makerfield by-election campaign, that Thames Water should be nationalised, Continued on page 2

Stop me Andy Burnham played a few bars of Rusholme Ruffians by the Smiths when he was handed a guitar on a visit to Ukraine's Cultural Forces group Page 8

'Realistic' Burnham hints at tax increases in budget

PM says he won't take risks with people's livelihoods but warns of challenging times

Constance Kampfner Political Correspondent Steven Swinford Political Editor

Andy Burnham has refused to rule out tax rises in the autumn budget, saying he “won’t be unrealistic” about the state of the public finances.

When pressed on how he was going to fund his public spending commitments, the prime minister said the public needed to understand that “we are in a challenging position”.

Economists believe it is increasingly likely that John Healey, the chancellor, will have to raise taxes in the budget on

October 28 because of the impact of the war in Iran and the need to find billions more for defence spending.

Asked whether he would have to increase taxes to fill a hole, Burnham said: “I will always take a careful approach to things. I won’t take risks with people’s jobs or livelihoods or their family finances.

HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

"I will try to help them in whatever way I can and we have already done some things that will help them going forward. I will do what I can, but I won't be unrealistic and people need to understand that. We are in a challenging position. Whatever I do will be carefully thought through. It will be funded. That is exactly what I have done so far but there will be more to come as we go into the autumn.”

Healey needs to find at least £4.7 billion for additional defence spending along with funding for cost of living announcements that Burnham has made since entering No 10.

The public finances are facing further pressure from the war in Iran, which economists believe has reduced the government's fiscal headroom — a cushion against future events — from £22 billion to about £15 billion.

The chancellor will also have to contend with inflationary pressures caused by the conflict, which has left British consumers facing the sharpest summer increase in energy bills in four years, and will need to find an extra £1.2 billion a year to fund the defence investment plan.

Tomorrow Ofgem, the energy regulator, is expected to confirm that energy bills will rise by 4 per cent in October to £1,729 for a typical household.

Burnham has committed himself to Labour's 2024 general election manifesto, which ruled out increasing VAT, income tax or national insurance. He Continued on page 2

Britons want Prince Harry to make up — and cough up

Lara Wildenberg

Most Britons do not think the taxpayer should pay for a security detail for Prince Harry and his family, believing they should pay for all — or at least part of their party, would be called – of it themselves, a poll has revealed.

It also found that most Britons wanted Harry to reconcile with Prince William but a third thought the chances were unrealistic.

Last week it emerged that the Sussex-es intended to return to the UK after six years in the US since they quit royal duties.

The family plans to relocate from their home in Montecito, California, to a private, non-royal residence thought to be outside London.

Harry and Meghan's children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are enrolled to start at a British school in September, while their parents are understood to be continuing their commercial and charitable roles.

One of the reasons Harry had given for not returning to the UK with his family more was his lack of security detail. The Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the independent body responsible for determining whether well-known individuals should be given taxpayer-funded security and at what level, is understood to be reopening its review of Harry's request for automatic right to police protection.

A decision on their security arrangements is not expected to be made before they move back to Britain next week, although a temporary solution could be put in place until a full decision is made.

In a YouGov poll of 2,128 British adults for The Times, 71 per cent said the government should not fund any of the family's security. Eighty-seven per cent said the Sussexes' private funds should fund all, a majority or some of the security needs. Some 52 per cent said the King's private funds should fund all, a majority or some of the security needs.

The poll found that the public was Continued on page 9

News

Today's highlights

7am Matthew Pennycook, housing minister
7.45am Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk & Malton and Conservative Party chairman
10.45am Arthur Zey, who used advanced genetic screening when having his son
1.20pm Rupert Harrison, economist and former chief of staff to George Osborne
3.30pm Michael Owen, right, the former England footballer

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MOUNTAIN PIQUE Snowdon queue jumpers prompt complaints PAGE 11

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COMMENT 17 LETTERS 20 LEADING ARTICLES 21

WORLD 22 BUSINESS 27 REGISTER 41

SPORT 46 CROSSWORD 56 TV & RADIO TIMES2

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Council housing plan gives London a third of funding

Ben Clatworthy Whitehall Editor

London will receive more than a third of the initial funding for new social homes in England under plans for a “council housing comeback”.

Andy Burnham will unveil £10 billion in funding to build 70,000 new social and affordable homes outside London. Of the money, £2.5 billion is expected to be spent in six mayoral areas, with the aim of delivering about 20,300 homes.

However, the Greater London Authority (GLA) will also be allocated £6 billion through the social and affordable homes programme, in an effort to address the housing crisis in the capital.

The previous Labour administration, under Sir Keir Starmer, pledged to spend £39 billion on the scheme, which aims to deliver 300,000 homes by 2036.

The bidding for the initial round of funding was made before Burnham took office. Under the existing scheme 60 per cent are earmarked for social housing — where tenants pay the lowest rent. A further 40 per cent of homes will be affordable rent — where tenants pay up to 80 per cent of market rate.

Burnham has been explicit in his desire for new homes to be “council houses" — built by local authorities — and discussions are under way about how future allocations will be made.

In the initial tranche, £9.58 billion will be allocated to 33 “strategic partners” outside London, including housing associations and councils. The organisations will be announced today and tasked with the delivery of 73,600 new homes in the next ten years.

More than £16 billion is still to be allocated and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government intends “to prioritise social rent homes and council housebuilding, helping deliver the largest expansion of council housing in decades”.

Announcing the funding plans, Burnham said: “I have said from my first day in this job that everything starts with a good home. Nearly £10 billion will go to councils and housing associations to build genuinely affordable homes, most of them for social rent, in the places where families are waiting longest. Councils built this country out of a housing crisis once before. Backed properly, and trusted to get on with it, they will do it again.”

In the 1950s councils were delivering about 200,000 homes a year and employed large departments to handle building programmes. Most of these have been wound down with the delivery handed to housing associations.

Burnham wants to reverse this to have councils building at scale again. In London, councils are expected to deliver more than half of the homes built using the £6 billion. The GLA is due to set out how many homes it plans to deliver in the next ten years.

The government also committed to giving more funding directly to mayoral authorities in the future, which it says builds on ministers' “commitment to move power and decision-making out of Whitehall”. The initial £2.5 billion of funds will be given to mayors in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, North East, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region and South Yorkshire.

Amy Rees, the chief executive of Homes England, which oversees the scheme outside London, said: By working with councils, mayors, housing associations and local partners, we can support the return of council housebuilding at scale, increase the supply of social rent homes and create thriving places that people are proud to call home."

Fortune favoured as next Labour general secretary

Stefan Boscia

Andy Burnham has backed the boss of the Co-operative Party to be Labour's next general secretary as the prime minister attempts to break with the Starmer era.

Burnham has chosen Joe Fortune, the general secretary of Labour's sister party, as his preferred candidate to run Labour's HQ operation and get the party ready for the next general election.

This will probably lead to his election as Labour general secretary by the party's ruling 41-person national executive committee. There is widespread speculation that the two other remaining contenders could pull out of the race.

Fortune is seen inside No 10 as a close ideological ally of Burnham, a longtime member of the Co-op party. If chosen, he would be instrumental in overseeing Burnham's promise to change the party's culture.

Burnham is promising to end what he sees as heavy-handed management from Labour's ruling right faction under Sir Keir Starmer and to instil a culture of “one Labour Party”.

A source close to Fortune said Labour had gone through a “bruising couple of years” since the last election. “Joe’s not a factional operator at all,” the source said.

Hollie Ridley, the present general secretary and a Starmer ally, announced last month that she would leave her role by the end of next month in a surprise to people close to Burnham. Her successor will be responsible for improving Labour's finances and allocating campaign resources.

The Co-op party counts 43 Labour MPs as members and campaigns for greater community ownership of the private and public sectors. Fortune has led the party since 2019. One of his missions in politics is to redistribute power outside Westminster and to create greater opportunity for areas north of London, according to his allies.

This lines up with Burnham's promise to create “good growth in every postcode” and to bring greater prosperity to the north of England.

The Co-op party's calls for the water industry to be run by non-profit companies closely align with the prime minister's desire for greater "public control" over the country's utilities to bring household bills down. A government source said: "When Andy talks about his mission for the country, it very much aligns with Co-op values and about sharing power and wealth."

The other contenders are Claire Reynolds, a former No 10 adviser to Starmer, and John Lehal, Labour's former chief operating officer.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Thames Water plans on ice

saying there was an “overwhelming case for public ownership”. He said this month that he was angry with water companies for treating their customers like a “blank cheque” after half a dozen of them were given the green light to increase bills.

Officials are said to have raised concerns about the practicality of administration. Emma Hardy, the water minister, said last month: “The reality is that there is a high bar for the imposition of a special administration regime.”

A company can enter into a SAR only if it becomes insolvent, or if there has been such a serious breach of its principal statutory duties or an enforcement order that it is no longer appropriate for the company to retain its licence.

“Where performance is concerned, any application for a special administration regime would have to be supported by a robust and compelling body of evidence and would ultimately need to satisfy the courts,” Hardy said. “Bringing a case forward without sufficient evidence would not only risk the failure of that case, but waste a huge amount of taxpayers’ money.”

Thames Water's creditors plan to appoint four board members if the government allows them to take formal ownership. The company, which has £20 billion of debt, has been on the brink of collapse for nearly three years and is in effect already in the hands of creditors, who aim to formally take over this autumn and inject short-term funding. Creditors line up new team, page 27

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PM hints at tax increases

said he would not call an early election, stating that it would distract from the work of government. “An election just brings a load of point scoring, a load of arguments, a load of division,” he said. “Actually what I’m going to try to do in this moment as prime minister is bring people together, get some hope going around the country.”

Some of his allies are pressing for him to introduce wealth taxes. There are also calls for him to increase capital gains tax. Lord O'Neill of Gatley, a close ally of Burnham, has warned that wealth taxes would damage growth. Healey has told ministers that they must make cuts in their budgets to pay for the new spending pledges. He and Burnham have written to every cabinet minister telling them that there is no new money to pay for plans to expand technical education, devolve power to regional government and help people with the cost of living.

Instead, Healey said they would have to find savings in their budgets to ensure the government stuck to its fiscal rule of ending borrowing to pay for day-to-day spending by the end of the decade. Yesterday the prime minister pledged more support to Ukraine, handing over blueprints for British-made Scalp missile components, which will allow it to produce the long-range weapon domestically.

Burnham, who chaired a meeting of the coalition of the willing yesterday, a group of nations Sir Keir Starmer helped to convene to put pressure on Moscow, said he was in Ukraine to prove Britain's "unwavering support". He added: "With a change of prime minister, presumably people might think, 'Is there a change of policy?' Well, I'm here to say there isn't." Politics, pages 6-7 Burnham's devolution dream could backfire, William Hague, page 17

Usain Bolt no match for nuts and bolts at robot Games

Richard Spencer Beijing

The crowd-pleasing star of Beijing's Robot Olympics was a humanoid creature just short of adult human size, all black and with a head the shape of a Darth Vader helmet.

His — if robots are “he” — was, like all good sporting tales, a case of triumph over adversity. Faced with the first obstacle in the 400-metre steeple-chase, what looked like a relatively simple pair of low ramps, Darth Vader tripped and fell over.

The crowd gasped and then laughed, but with that sort of collective laugh that is tinged with sympathy.

Undeterred, the robot hauled himself up and bravely carried on, ever nimbler as well as faster. He climbed a large box and made up ground with a rapid crawl under netting, before picking up speed down the home straight. As he crossed the line he stood proudly to attention, as if to acknowledge the crowd's cheers.

China's annual robot games concluded yesterday after a dramatic weekend of competition. The highlight was the triumph of a robot called Lightning, manufactured by a Chinese smartphone maker, which smashed Usain

Bolt's 100-metre world record. Bolt set a record of 9.69 seconds when he won gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and the next year ran 9.58 seconds at the World Championships in Berlin. Lightning struck in 9.39 seconds.

Bolt, however, has the ability to slow down. Lightning and his competitors had to run full-pelt into a standing, rigid mattress after they crossed the finish line, dying for their sport.

Robotics, of course, is not just good fun. If the Beijing Games were China's "coming out to the world"

party, the Robot Olympics are geared specifically towards its robotics and AI industries.

China's best-known manufacturer, Unitree, whose dancing robots performed on state television's Lunar New Year Gala in February, floated on the

The long jump at Beijing's Robot Olympics. Lightning, left, won the 100m in 9.39 seconds. Top, a robot is stretched off

Usain Bolt set the 100m record at 9.58 seconds

Shanghai stock exchange last week. Its price soared immediately, leaving the company with a valuation of \$50 billion (£36 billion) and its founder, Wang Xingxing, 36, worth \$11 billion on paper. Unitree's robodogs — self-propelled quadrupeds — sell by the tens of thousands and are deployed in industry to check cabling and

to check cabling and in search and rescue. It is on its way to be-ng the world's leading

producer of humanoids too. In fact along with AI, humanoids are the latest battlefield in a global competition for technological dominance. Robotic arms have for decades been taking the jobs of humans in fitting car parts together. The question is whether the more lifelike humanoids can take on a wider range of human activity. Some are cynical. Formula 1 cars do 100 metres twice as fast as either Lightning or Bolt, but that hardly makes them good at doing the laundry, was one comment. But such views were not common at the converted Olympics speed-skating venue in which the games were held.

“Most obviously, they will be great for doing dangerous and dirty jobs,” said Du Mingmin, 20, a computer science student at the China University of Science and Technology and part of the support team for its robot ping-pong player. Neither he nor his friends thought the prospect of robots becoming a regular part of our lives was scary.

Robot Olympics represent a singularly Chinese view of how to showcase their advancing technical abilities. American robot developers have shown off humanoids cleaning a house and loading the dishwasher.

Britain's natural contribution has been to turn robots into television sitcoms, such as the BBC's Ann Droid, in which the Philomena Cunk actress Diane Morgan plays a robot companion to the widowed Sue Johnston.

It is a measure of how far ahead China is of Britain in this field that for spectators in Beijing this turned out to be a serious option, not a comic idea.

When asked about the possible future uses of robots, a number of those sitting near The Times mentioned elderly care. “In the long run I think robots will just do these jobs quicker,” said Mi Bohui, 43, a software engineer for the social media company Byte-Dance, the creators of TikTok.

Nevertheless, for companies such as Unitree to be worth their valuations, there is still a lot of work to do.

Back in the stadium, a large red kick-boxing robot fell over and had to be rescued after it managed for the first time to make contact with its black-clad opponent. The ping-pong turned out to be more a game of ping, since one of the players was unable to hit the ball at all.

Meanwhile, a team of toddler-sized robots from B-Human, a German company, were taking on the local favourites from the China Agricultural University at football. As it unfolded, though, it began to look uncannily like a real-life toddler match. Groups of white and red mini-robots trotted after the ball, kicking it vaguely in a forward direction. If one was fouled, it fell to the ground until Dad — in the shape of the team's manager — ran on to the pitch to pick it up. When the ball went out for a corner, no robot volunteered to take it.

And, to the home supporters' chagrin, Germany won, 21–1.

Batman's manor at risk if owners fail to complete bat survey

Hannah Crowe

The owner of a stately home that featured as Wayne Manor in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins, has been ordered to undertake a bat survey — or risk losing the property.

A formal listed building repair notice has been served to Mentmore Towers, in Buckinghamshire, a grade I listed property that featured in the 2005 film. The home faces compulsory purchase within two months unless its disrepair is addressed. Before renovation work can begin, the Victorian mansion must deal with its bat infestation.

The property is on Historic England's “at risk” register, with its condition listed as “very bad” and “declining”.

Based on the formation of droppings identified by ecologists from Buckinghamshire council, two species of bat have made themselves at home. Deteriorating roofs, chimneys and rooflights, and gaping cracks and crevices in the walls, are visible in photographs taken during a visit in April last year.

The ecologists' report said that due to the "complexity and scale" of the roost features, there was a need to deploy bat detectors and remote sensors in the towers, the basements and the service wing, and to organise a bat survey.

A subsequent notice, dated August 4, requires owner Mentmore Towers Ltd to provide evidence of organising a survey. The company is believed to be owned by Simon Halabi, the Syrian-born entrepreneur and property investor, according to court documents. A further requirement is for three surveys to be completed by August next year. If the notice is not addressed and the government is satisfied the property has fallen into a state of disrepair, the council could seek approval to acquire it through a compulsory purchase.

Mentmore Towers featured in the 2005 film Batman Begins. Two species of bat have made the building home

Henrietta Billings, director of Save Britain's Heritage, said: "We welcome this action ... This exceptional landmark has been neglected for too long."

News

Coroner cautious on Mounjaro link to sudden death

Ed Halford

Doctors did not fixate on a grandmother's use of Mounjaro weight-loss medication before her death, an inquest was told.

Caroline Savage, 73, died at home in October 2024 after being discharged from hospital. She had been taking tirzepatide for about four months, having been prescribed it privately. Norfolk coroner's court has been examining whether her sudden death could be linked to the drug, thought to be taken by millions of people in Britain.

Yesterday, Yvonne Blake, the coroner, ruled out the suggestion that Savage's health concerns were dismissed as Mounjaro side-effects and she did not believe the medication led to a "diagnostic overshadowing". She said medics had considered other possibilities.

Jasmine Leng, who represented family members, had raised concerns.

Blake told the court: “It’s not clear ... from the evidence that the doctors were fixated on Mounjaro. They were testing pancreatitis as Mounjaro is linked to the development in some people. I don’t think the evidence was that they were particularly engaged by the Mounjaro.”

She acknowledged that Savage “had an increasing dose but hadn’t yet given herself the increasing dose”.

Blake will write a prevention of future deaths report which will include concerns about record-keeping, communication and the written handover between paramedics and doctors. "The record-keeping was sparse and neither of the doctors could recall or remember Mrs Savage ... so they were entirely reliant on their notes and their notes didn't contain very much detail," she added.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has 52 days to respond. Savage's family welcomed Blake's decision.

CHRIS GORMAN/BIG LADDER

Shadow land Sunrise over Arundel Castle, West Sussex, yesterday. More changeable and wetter weather is expected as the week progresses Forecast, page 45

Millions of women to be offered home cervical cancer screening

Eleanor Hayward Health Editor

Millions of women will be offered DIY cervical cancer screening kits in the post as part of a campaign to eliminate the disease as a cause of death.

The “gamechanging” at-home swab kits are used to check for human papillomavirus (HPV), a group of viruses which lead to 99 per cent of all cervical cancers.

The NHS said the scheme would provide a “discreet and convenient” alternative to typical cervical screenings, also known as smear tests, which involve a nurse or doctor taking a sample of cells from the cervix, and which some women find uncomfortable.

Self-testing swab kits will be sent to up to four million women in England who are not up to date with screening, and the NHS said this would help it to wipe out the cancer as a cause of death by 2040. Early detection via screening allows any abnormal cells to be removed before they develop into cancer, or cancers to be spotted before they spread and become deadly.

All women aged 25 to 64 are offered screening by their GP every three to five years. However, uptake has been declining and nearly one in three women in England have not had their most recent test.

Cervical cancer affects 3,200 women each year in the UK and kills 850, most of them in their thirties. The NHS is aiming to reduce deaths to zero through screening and the HPV vaccination programme, which was introduced for schoolgirls in 2008.

Dr Sue Mann, the national clinical director for women's health at NHS England, said: "Screening saves thousands of lives each year by preventing cancers and catching them earlier, but only around two thirds of women are attending cervical screening appointments when invited by the NHS. Offering millions of women an alternative test they can do from the comfort of their own homes will be a gamechanger — making it easier than ever for them to get tested for HPV. There are lots of reasons that may stop women from getting their cervical screening — embarrassment, lack of time, or worries about discomfort — and these kits provide a discreet and convenient option we hope will encourage more women to take up the life-saving test.”

Women will be invited to order a free kit, being sent out from today, via the NHS app. The kit contains a swab, similar to a long cotton bud, which is used to collect a sample from the vagina and is then posted back. If high-risk HPV is found, women will be invited to book a follow-up cervical screening appointment at their GP surgery.

HPV can cause changes to cells in the cervix which can develop into cancer. Since the 2008 vaccination programme began rates of the disease among young women have fallen by 87 per cent and there have been no deaths recorded among women in their twenties for the past five years.

By combining the jab with screening, the NHS is aiming to reduce the incidence rate for cervical cancer to lower than four cases per 100,000 women.

Gem Sofianós-Boorman, 39, had cervical cancer diagnosed in 2015 when she was 28 after taking up her cervical screening invite. She said: "Looking back, I truly believe that going to my screening appointment saved my life. My cancer was found early, which allowed me to have treatment before it spread." She urged women to take up the offer of self-testing kits.

Michelle Mitchell, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Cervical screening is a powerful tool that saves lives. At-home HPV self-testing kits will help more people take part in a way that works for them." Dr Mark Porter on lost 'right' to

a prostate cancer test, Times2, page 4

Quintagram® No 2655 Solve all five concise clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Covered in soft hair (5)

2 Ballet dancer's rail (5)

3 Ranch's enclosure for livestock (6)

4 Assess too generously (8)

5 Boxing practice (8)

A	A	A	A	B	C	E	E
E	F	G	I	L	N	O	O
P	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
R	R	R	S	T	U	V	Y

Solutions see T2 MindGames p15 Cryptic clues T2 MindGames p14

Mum 'stabbed 70 times'

A man stabbed his partner 70 times then turned the knife on her daughter, a court was told. Alan Dore, 48, appeared by video link at the Old Bailey yesterday charged with the murder of Samantha Turner, 52, and the attempted murder of Keeley Turner, 32, in Shepherd's Bush, west London, on August 18. He was remanded into custody.

Rise in antidepressants

A record 9.1 million people in England were prescribed 96 million antidepressants last year, a 3.1 per cent rise on the year before, NHS figures show. Sixty-five per cent of the patients were female, rising to 71 per cent for 15 to 19-year-olds. There were 44 per cent more patients given the drugs in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived.

Arrest after car park fire

A fire at a car park that serves Gatwick airport has destroyed 140 cars. Thousands of people were left without power after the blaze broke out about eight miles from the airport at Caldyne Business Park in Rowfant, West Sussex, on Saturday night. A man aged 67 was arrested on suspicion of arson and has since been bailed pending further inquiries.

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Twelve arrested after fatal crash

Sian Bradley, Kevin Donald

Hundreds came to a field near the crash site to commemorate those who died, but tensions rose as masked young men arrived and locals complained of drug use

Hundreds of mourners gathered at a tense vigil last night as nine men and three women were arrested in connection with the A66 crash that left seven people dead, including two police officers.

Cleveland police said the suspects, aged between 19 and 61, were arrested on suspicion of offences ranging from possession of a firearm to threats to kill. Four men aged 19 to 35 were arrested on suspicion of participating in an organised crime group.

PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when a Volkswagen Passat, which had been pursued by police, was driven the wrong way along a dual carriageway near Middlesbrough and hit their marked vehicle.

Cole Worthy and Theo Rae, both 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak, both 23, were also pronounced dead at the scene early on Saturday.

As the St John the Evangelist Church opened its doors to allow locals to pray and pay their respects, about 200 people gathered in a nearby field in

PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough were among seven killed in the crash

South Bank near the crash site to release balloons in commemoration of the victims. Masked youths arrived on scooters, off-road bikes, and quad bikes and roared around the field. Footage posted to Facebook showed young boys on bikes holding orange and red flares as coloured smoke filled the sky.

Tensions flared over public perception of the five dead young men. One attender insisted that Matusiak was “somebody’s son” and described the officers’ deaths as an accident. A local resident condemned the gathering as “nothing but a mockery of the lives of those two policemen” after witnessing drinking, drug use, and reckless driving.

Cleveland police said four of the occupants of the Passat had previous police convictions. Worthy pleaded guilty to common assault of a police officer in 2025 and in June this year was convicted of driving without reasonable consideration, without insurance and while using a mobile phone. Rae had various convictions for assaulting a police officer, aggravated vehicle taking and theft of motor vehicles and shop-lifting.

Saddington pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer in 2025 and indicated a guilty plea to causing racially aggravated alarm or distress to another officer in June, weeks before the fatal crash. Matusiak was convicted of driving without insurance or a licence in March.

TikTok videos shared on now- banned accounts seemed to show the group driving recklessly. In one Saddington appeared to speed in a Volvo on to a playing field to escape police. In others Matusiak flashes cash from a back seat while not wearing a seatbelt, and jokes about driving stolen vehicles while handcuffed in a police car.

Cleveland police said there was no evidence that Saturday's driving was filmed for TikTok. Andy Burnham called sharing footage glorifying dangerous driving “truly reprehensible”, as the government raised concerns directly with TikTok.

Anna Turley, the Labour MP for Red-car, paid her respects to the officers at St John the Evangelist Church. She said the community was “reeling”. She added: “There’s a reason the police were out that night — to keep us safe and to protect us ... I think this just highlights the gravity of some of the issues we’ve been facing in this area for some time now.”

Cleveland police, supported by neighbouring forces, spent the weekend establishing the circumstances leading to the collision

The force had received two reports of vehicles being driven dangerously early on Saturday morning, the Passat and a Volvo XC60, which are believed to have been linked. The Volvo, which has since been recovered, was seen ramming properties in the area.

Both vehicles had cloned number plates to try to avoid detection but were picked up by the force's automated number plate recognition technology.

Last year there were 947 cases reported of drivers going the wrong way on English motorways, according to the AA.

The RAC said the number of officers policing roads in England and Wales had fallen by more than 1,000 in the past ten years. Data collated by Yorkshire Live showed that 384 drivers (one in every 15) in central Middlesbrough have six or more points on their licence. The need for more policing, on the roads and online, leading article, page 21

I wasn't going to dress like Thatcher, teacher tells sex trial

Shayma Bakht

A chemistry teacher accused of indecently assaulting two schoolboys in the 1980s said she wore “figure-hugging” outfits but told jurors: “I was not going to dress like Margaret Thatcher.”

Sally-Anne Bowen, 65, allegedly had sexual relationships with the pupils at the all-boys Christ's College in Finchley, north London.

The teacher, then aged 25, was said to have “engaged in flirtatious conduct” and had sex with the first boy “20 to 30 times” over five months.

Sally-Anne Bowen denied the claims

Prosecutors said Bowen allegedly kissed the second complainant while allowing him to touch her breasts and place his hand near her crotch in a café as they ate lunch together.

Bowen, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, is charged with seven counts of indecent assault, which she denies. She has been cleared of one sexual assault, Harrow crown court was told.

When cross-examined yesterday, Bowen, dressed in a grey top and black knee-length skirt, denied having a sexual relationship with the first boy or even knowing the second complainant. The former teacher suggested that she was the victim of a conspiracy — either through a school leavers' WhatsApp group or Tortoise Media's four-part Lucky Boy podcast about Bowen.

Madeleine Wolfe, for the prosecution, questioned Bowen about claims that her school outfits consisted of miniskirts and tight T-shirts.

Bowen said: “I was 25 years old. I was not going to dress like Margaret Thatcher.”

She denied wearing miniskirts, and even stepped out of the witness box to show the jury the length of her work skirts — she indicated a couple of inches above the knee with her fingers.

“They were not short. I would not have been able to get away with short skirts.” Bowen said she “always, always, always, always” wore baggy tops, adding: “I never wore tight tops. Ever.” The defendant said her outfits were “figure hugging” but stressed a colleague wore fitted clothes and did not draw the same attention.

She also rejected the first boy's account of them going to the pub together and taking lipstick-stained glasses home, telling the jury she had never worn lipstick in her life.

Bowen claimed she told Brian Fletcher, the school's headmaster, about her fears the boy was planning to turn up at the pub with his friends. She said she could not remember the conversation with him outside the pub because she was drunk.

Bowen also said the first boy's mother was putting “two and two together and getting five” when she wrote a letter with concerns her son was “having an affair” with someone after he was spotted with the teacher in Edgware, north

London, by his brother. When Wolfe referred to evidence from the first complainant's sister, Bowen said: "I have never spoken to that woman in my life. She has sat here and lied to the court. I did not make any phone calls to a house in Manchester. She lied. She just lied."

The court was told it would have been a “miracle” for Bowen to have had sex with the first complainant because she was in Turkey at the time and had a scrapbook to prove when she was there.

The prosecutor asked Bowen about her initial police account in which she essentially described the first complainant as a “nasty piece of work”.

She stated that he was never aggressive to her but said: “He did not have a good reputation. He said some unsavoury things to me that I am not going to repeat.”

The trial continues.

News Politics

Zero-hours ban will threaten jobs, warn businesses

Steven Swinford Political Editor Charlotte Bend

Plans to restrict zero-hours contracts will create barriers to opportunity by making it more expensive for companies to employ young people, according to retailers, business leaders and the hospitality trade body.

The government is planning to give rights to all workers on zero-hours contracts. At present such contracts do not specify a minimum number of hours of employment to which workers are entitled.

The reforms would force companies to give staff a guaranteed number of hours a week, reflecting their workload. It would require companies to give workers reasonable notice of shifts and to pay them for shifts that have been “cancelled, curtailed or moved at short notice”.

The British Retail Consortium, UK Hospitality and the British Chambers of Commerce warned that the move could “worsen the jobs crisis”. The organisations raised concerns about the consequences of the plans on the number of Neets, the one million young people not in education, employment or training.

The bodies called for the government to delay the implementation of the plans so they could develop a “proportionate” approach and set guaranteed work at eight hours a week or fewer to ensure that the approach targeted “genuinely low hours work”.

An official impact statement said that the move could impose costs of up to £3 billion a year on employers. It found that the reforms would force companies to contend with extra red tape, higher staffing costs and lost revenue. The government analysis found that sectors such as hospitality and retail, which had already borne the brunt of increases in employers' national insurance contributions and the minimum wage, would be worst affected by the changes.

The analysis warned that the plans would make it harder for employers to respond to changes in demand and could have knock-on effects on revenue and investment.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Government must stamp out exploitation, not flexibility, with employment reforms that close loopholes, not doors to opportunity. With more than a million young people out of work, education or training, we need policies that encourage businesses to hire and create pathways into employment. Get this wrong, and we'll close off opportunities for the very people these reforms are intended to help."

Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Hospitality can deliver jobs in every postcode, but the reforms as they stand will add yet more cost, reduce flexibility for staff who need it and impact job opportunities for young people.”

Shevaun Haviland, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “These guaranteed hours reforms risk being hugely counterproductive for growth, damaging recruitment and investment. For many employees and businesses, zero-hours contracts are a valuable and legitimate form of flexible work.”

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said that higher national insurance contributions, increases to the living wage, new costs associated with the Employment Rights Act and wider pressures from energy bills, taxation and borrowing costs were all squeezing recruitment and investment budgets.

"The same challenges that are holding back growth are hurting young people and their ability to enter the labour market," Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI chief executive, said. "For it to work, growth must be at the heart of the youth employment strategy. Treating them as two separate challenges — and assuming the businesses can deliver opportunities without growth — will result in more young people falling into unemployment and inactivity."

Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, an HR trade body, found that 65 per cent of employers using zero-hours contracts expected their HR and management costs to rise as a result of the reforms, while 31 per cent anticipated that they could have to make redundancies. A further 33 per cent expected to increase their use of self-employed contractors or other temporary and casual workers, raising concerns that efforts to tackle insecure employment could simply shift workers into other forms of non-permanent work.

A government spokesman said: "We are committed to ending exploitative zero-hours contracts, where workers bear all the financial risk when hours, shifts and earnings are unpredictable.

"These reforms will give workers in every postcode greater income security and predictability of hours. We have not made final decisions yet as we have been consulting since June to make sure we get the detail right."

PM: We must be bolder on EU ties

Ben Clatworthy Whitehall Editor

Britain needs to be “bolder” and establish closer ties with the European Union, Andy Burnham has said.

The prime minister told António Costa, the president of the European Council, that greater co-operation was required alongside a “step change in relations”.

Burnham and Costa met on a train travelling to Kyiv on Sunday night before a meeting yesterday of Ukraine's allies in the “coalition of the willing” to mark the country's independence day.

The comments come ahead of summit talks between the UK and EU, that had been due to take place in July but will now go ahead later this year, although the date has not yet been confirmed.

The talks were postponed when Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation in June.

Burnham visited Ukraine yesterday after he agreed to provide blueprints to produce long-range missiles.

Speaking alongside President Zelensky, Burnham compared Kyiv's resistance against Russia to Britain's role in the Second World War.

"My nation kept the flame of European freedom alive in the 20th century, you hold that flame in the 21st," the prime minister said. "Despite Russia's outrageous threats to my country, we will continue our support for Ukraine ... Ukraine has been Europe's protector, not a drain on our security but the front line in keeping Europe safe."

A No 10 spokesman said: “Turning to the UK’s relationship with the European Union, the two leaders underlined the importance of being ambitious to drive a step change in relations. The UK had to be bolder in terms of getting closer to the bloc, the prime minister said.”

That included building on the close defence and security ties already forged between the UK and European allies to drive greater co-operation across all areas of the relationship.

Before he became prime minister, Burnham wrote in The Times: “I want to consolidate the progress made on the existing UK-EU negotiations and make further progress quickly, including by strengthening our co-operation on illegal migration, economic security and the broader resilience of our societies to external threats — from terrorism to AI-driven disinformation.”

It was reported yesterday that Burnham is open to cutting university fees for students from the EU in return for substantial concessions on trade. Brussels had demanded that the UK agree to lower tuition fees for EU students as part of a youth mobility deal for under-30s. It would unlock agreements on food and drink trade and energy markets. Universities said the move would blow a hole in their already fragile budgets, given EU students would begin paying home fees — £9,790 in the next academic year — rather than much higher international fees of up to £38,000.

According to a No 10 spokeswoman: "The prime minister set out his ambitions for the UK to get closer to the European Union, and both agreed on the important cultural and educational ties between the UK and Europe to deliver opportunity for the next generation of Britons and Europeans."

Any move by Burnham is unlikely to go as far as Starmer had planned. The former prime minister intended to give EU students “home fees” as well as allowing up to 100,000 young Europeans into the UK each year as part of an ambitious economic plan.

During his campaign to win the by-election in Makerfield, where 65 per cent voted for Brexit, Burnham said he was not in favour of the UK rejoining the EU, warning it would get stuck in a “permanent rut” of Brexit arguments.

Kemi Badenoch, in a Badgley Mischka midi dress with more than a hint of the

Burnham returns fire in war of words with Kremlin

Ben Clatworthy

Andy Burnham has responded to President Putin in a dispute over British support for Ukraine during his first visit to Kyiv, asking the Russian leader: "Who started the fire?"

The UK is giving Ukraine blueprints for a long-range missile that can strike deep into Russian territory. The Kremlin said the decision would add “fuel to the fire” and undermine any chance of peace. Yesterday, before he chaired a meeting of the coalition of the willing, the European allies of Ukraine, Burnham said in response: “Who started the fire? That’s the question, isn’t it?”

The government has agreed that the defence company MBDA can share classified information on UK components for the French long-range missile Scalp, an equivalent of Britain's Storm Shadow cruise missile. At the meeting

Burnham said the group was “working with our allies outside of this coalition” to provide more support for Ukraine, adding that it “needs more help to protect its people right now”. He also called on the United States to “ratchet up” economic pressure on Russia.

Opening the meeting, he said: “I have only been in office a short time but already in that time Russia has threatened the UK for its support for Ukraine, and I know other countries here have faced similar threats. It just shows that what we are doing is having an impact, and we should stand firm together.”

In a joint statement the prime minister and his co-chairs, President Macron of France and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said the group would aim to strengthen Kyiv's air defences "as a matter of urgent priority". PM adds to Britain's record of stalwart solidarity, leading article, page 21

toga, met Giorgia Meloni at a café in Rome yesterday. The Tory leader was in the Italian capital with her husband, Hamish

News

Meloni warns friend Badenoch against deal with Farage

Steven Swinford

Giorgia Meloni has warned Kemi Badenoch not to do a deal with Nigel Farage, urging her to “be your own woman and stand your ground”.

The Conservative leader is a long-standing friend of the Italian prime minister and met her for an hour-long coffee in Rome yesterday morning to discuss issues including the economy, migration and broader politics.

Meloni and Badenoch are both facing challenges from the right. While Badenoch is fighting Farage and his Reform UK party, Meloni, who leads the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, is facing a hard-right challenge from Roberto Vannacci, a former army general.

Meloni told Badenoch that “you’ve got to be yourself” and resist pressure to do deals. Badenoch said at the weekend that a Tory deal with Reform UK would be “monstrous”.

Badenoch said that she wanted to emulate Meloni's success in turning around the Italian economy. They discussed the need to stop wealthy individuals from leaving Italy and the UK because they were the ones who “create jobs and grow the economy”.

Meloni spoke about how people had written her off at first, assuming that she would never win an election and then claiming that she would last only six months in power. Meloni is poised to become the longest-serving head of government in the 80-year history of the Italian republic after nearly four years in power.

Meloni also spoke about her consistent support for Ukraine, which she said she was pursuing not only for the sake of Ukraine but also for Italy because of the threat posed by Russia. She said that she was facing criticism from both the left and right over her position.

Meloni and Badenoch also discussed the European convention on human rights. Meloni emphasised the need to reform the convention, which Badenoch is committed to leaving if she wins the next election.

Meloni also said that Britain was used to having women in charge, from Queen Victoria to Margaret Thatcher, something that is less common in Italy, where she is the first female prime minister. She said that she was still attacked by the left because she was a woman. Badenoch wants to rebuild Conservative relations with the European Union “one country at a time”.

Meloni and Badenoch first met in 2023, when the latter was the Tory business secretary. They had coffee in the back room of Antica Caffetteria, a small café in the heart of Rome.

Farage has dismissed suggestions that he could form a coalition with the Tories after the election because he did not trust them, nor did the public.

At the weekend Badenoch told the All Talk series hosted by Iain Dale at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe: “What I want is a Conservative government, not a monstrous Reform-Conservative hybrid, which will actually put as many people off as it gains.”

Farage told The Times: “Perhaps she’s right. All I would say is coalitions and deals are about trust and I do not trust the Conservatives. They tell us they’re going to do a whole host of things when the truth is they didn’t do any of it when they were in government. I don’t believe any of it. I won’t be rude and use a word like she has. But it’s an issue of trust — I don’t trust them and neither does the British public.”

Asked if he would rule out a coalition with the Conservatives, he said: "Yes, and I think by the time the election comes around, you'll see quite a lot of people who say they're going to vote for the Tories but they'll see us as the clear choice versus Labour, so a coalition will be neither necessary nor desirable." British families would be prioritised over single people for social housing under a Reform government because the country "needs more babies". Lee Anderson, the party's chairman, said it was a "scandal" that British couples were not having as many children as previous generations had.

Reform pledged to reserve at least half of social homes in England for British-born workers aged under 35. The party said it would also prioritise married couples, veterans, victims of domestic violence and care leavers. Benefit claimants would be at the bottom of the list, as well as foreigners. Kemi's team are shadows,

Max Hastings, Notebook, page 18 Badenoch's strict criteria for candidates, letters, page 20

Greens ‘blocked antisemitism event’

Geraldine Scott Assistant Political Editor The Green Party has been accused of “effectively banning” an antisemitism charity from holding an event at its annual conference after organisers expressed fears it could be used to attack the party’s record.

The Antisemitism Policy Trust had been working with the pollsters More in Common on a fringe event looking at how the growing party could tackle anti-Jewish racism. But The Times understands the event was refused a place in the official fringe programme.

Greens for Palestine, a campaign group involving Green members, has urged activists to back a motion that would make “Zionism is racism” party policy and commit the Greens to supporting a single Palestinian state with equal rights for all in place of Israel.

The Greens have faced antisemitism allegations after the unearthing of comments made by election candidates and members. Zack Polanski, the party's leader, who is Jewish, said this year that the Green Party was tackling antisemitism in its ranks, adding: “Antisemitism is completely unwelcome in the Green Party, as it is in society.”

However, at an online event hosted by Greens for Palestine on August 4 to promote the motion, speakers questioned whether secular Jews were really Jewish and called for Hamas to be removed from Britain's list of proscribed terrorist organisations.

Greens for Palestine, which is not an official party group but made up of many members, said Israel was “illegitimately founded in 1948 through a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing”.

Vivian Lichtenstein, the chair of the Jewish Greens, told The Times: "None of this is helping Palestinians to achieve independence, safety and security, ie the goal shared by all members of the party." She said the group's members were divided over the motion.

The proposed fringe event was titled "The Greens and Antisemitism: what does getting it right look like?" It was due to look at the Greens' rise in the polls and boost in membership and how the party could tackle antisemitism.

The organisations run similar sessions at conferences of other political parties. However, The Times was told there was resistance from Green Party organisers, including concern that the event could become a “hit piece”.

Danny Stone, the chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, said: "The Green Party professes to be a democratic, anti-racist and inclusive organisation, yet it has effectively banned our charity from running an educational fringe event at its conference."

The Green Party said: “We are regularly approached by outside organisations about activities at our party conferences.

"On this occasion, we were, after consulting with our Jewish Greens group, unable to reach agreement with the proposers about how their idea could be fleshed out and made more inclusive."

Mandelson also duped by Trump aide impersonator

were fake and her phone had been hacked, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Max Kendix Washington Correspondent

Lord Mandelson was targeted by someone impersonating President Trump's top adviser a year before Andy Burnham was subject to a similar hoax, a report has claimed.

Mandelson, then the ambassador to the US, was contacted by someone posing as Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff.

Burnham was targeted around the time he became prime minister, prompting questions about how the second incident was allowed to happen. David Lammy, the former deputy prime minister, had passed on the fake contact to Burnham.

The hoax exchange with Mandelson took place over WhatsApp, where the ambassador was asked for a convenient time to meet. Officials in the embassy tried to set up a meeting with Wiles's office only to be told that the messages

It is unclear whether the two hoaxes are related or what the motivation was. The security services are said to be investigating the prime minister's case.

Lord Mandelson was contacted while he was ambassador

Mandelson's communication took place during a period when several business leaders and politicians in Washington were contacted by a Wiles impersonator. The case was taken on by the FBI, which has not made any arrests but said a foreign power did not appear to be involved.

News

Yorkshire fisherman is first Briton to die fighting for Russia

Charlie Parker

A fisherman from Yorkshire is thought to have become the first British citizen to die fighting for Russia against Ukraine.

Bradley Townsend, 33, is said to have been killed in June by a kamikaze drone near Lyman in the Donetsk region after signing up to fight for Russia, his comrades said.

Despite having no military experience, Townsend, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, left Britain for Russia in April

Bradley Townsend, 33, from Barnsley, joined up in April

to join the Kremlin's forces. Before his death, he had described himself as a “normal working-class lad” who wanted to help Russian separatists in eastern Donbas, because the region had supported striking miners in the 1980s.

In a video on social media, he said: “I came with the idea that I probably wouldn’t be able to go home. I’d definitely get persecuted if I went back. I’m not here for a suicide mission, but I understand that’s what can happen. This was my own decision, I wasn’t pushed into anything.”

Aiden Minnis, another Briton enlisted with Russian forces, paid tribute to his friend on social media, saying he had “sacrificed his life for our cause”.

Minnis said: “Bradley Spencer Townsend, call sign ‘Badger’, our beloved comrade-in-arms went into the storm and fell on the battlefield.

"I had the pleasure of spending some time with Bradley before he decided to sign his contract.

"We discussed the danger he would be facing, but he insisted that his mind was made up and he wanted to help the people of Russia defeat the Nazis. Ultimately, he sacrificed his life for our cause. His service was brief but he blazed the brightest star.

“Rest in Paradise brother. To die a warrior in a Holy War is to live forever.”

Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tonbridge and a former security minister, said he was “very sorry for him and his family”, but that joining the Russian armed forces was “unbelievably stupid”.

He said: “It’s extremely misguided and, you know, no question about it, it’s criminal because you’re engaging in an army that is committing the most barbarous war crimes that the world has seen in decades.”

The Foreign Office is supporting Townsend's family.

Andy Burnham at Kyiv's main military hospital, which is supported by the David Nott Foundation, a British charity training surgeons and other health workers. He was welcomed to the capital by President Zelensky for bilateral talks. The president handed a brigade commander a ceremonial battle flag reading “For Ukraine. For its freedom” during an independence day ceremony outside St Sofia cathedral

HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS; SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Ukraine shares data to combat Putin

Charlie Parker

Ukraine has handed Britain a “goldmine” of secret battlefield intelligence to help it build better weapons and protect bases from Russian spies.

The vast database contains millions of frames of frontline footage of Russian tanks, air defences, troops, drones and artillery systems.

The deal, signed by President Zelensky and Andy Burnham in Kyiv yesterday, allows researchers at vetted British defence firms to use Ukraine's new Avengers AI Lab.

Ukraine's system curates and annotates battlefield data gathered by drones, cameras and sensors from across the frontline. The equipment continuously captures video and information on everything from tanks to infantry and kamikaze drones.

The data is then used to train AI models that run automated targeting systems. The Ukrainian armed forces say its systems are now capable of detecting 70 per cent of all Russian targets, after processing years of data collected throughout the war.

Britain is the first country outside

Ukraine to be granted access to the database. In return, it has offered Ukraine expertise from British engineers, academics and business figures who specialise in artificial intelligence.

The deal will first focus on building advanced weapons and improving national security, but has the potential to “revolutionise all parts of public life”, from air traffic control to railways, the MoD said.

Until now, British defence firms have mostly had to rely on “dirty” data to train their AI models. Thousands of videos of Ukrainian and Russian drone operations have been posted online since the war started. These, however, only offer snapshots of drone strikes and surveillance missions.

Now researchers will be able to access detailed footage of combat operations from start to finish, The Times understands.

Several pilot projects have already been launched with three British start-ups: Sintela in Bristol, Mind Foundry in Oxford, and Skyral in London.

The first trial is about to take place at an undisclosed British defence site to protect bases from “protesters and hostile actors trying to gain intelligence", the MoD said.

Ukraine's models are trained on data from attacks on Russian targets

By combining Ukrainian data and British technology, researchers have turned buried fibre optic cables into “a giant AI-enabled sensor”. The technology could also be rolled out to defend critical national infrastructure, such as airports, prisons, railways and energy plants in the future.

In June last year, RAF Brize Norton,

Britain's largest airbase, suffered one of the most serious breaches of defence security for decades, when activists broke in and caused about £7 million of damage to military aircraft.

Two Palestine Action members sneaked past guards using e-scooters and vandalised refuelling jets with red paint. The incident forced the MoD to install new security systems that use sensors, drones and other tech to automatically identify and track intruders.

Last month, the Kremlin was accused of orchestrating an unprecedented surveillance campaign against military bases and nuclear sites across Europe, using drones launched from Russian shadow fleet tankers.

Researchers at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank analysed 144 incidents in more than a dozen countries over an 18-month period between August 2024 and February this year, and concluded that Russian intelligence operated with “substantial impunity” while flying drones over sensitive sites.

The second pilot will see Britain and Ukraine develop next-generation low-power AI chips designed to power future drones, robotics and autonomous systems.

The chips have a new type of AI called a “spiking neutral network”, which allows information to be processed at a fraction of the power required by current systems.

This allows engineers to build lighter and cheaper drones fitted with AI that “learns quicker”.

Burnham described the deal as a “ground-breaking partnership” that “will bring together Ukraine’s unrivalled operational experience with Britain’s world-class AI ecosystem.”

The prime minister said: “Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading innovators in defence technology, forged through courage, ingenuity and the hard lessons of war.”

It comes as Burnham became embroiled in a row with the Kremlin yesterday, after the UK agreed to give Ukraine the blueprints for a long-range missile that can hit targets deep within Russia.

Moscow said the move would add “fuel to the fire” and undermine the chances of a peace deal, while Burnham responded: “Who started the fire?”

African parks charity drops Harry as part of ‘refresh’

Jane Flanagan Africa Correspondent

The Duke of Sussex will leave his last formal role with an African charity after African Parks announced that he would “conclude his tenure” on its board as part of a “governance refresh”.

The conservation charity, which manages 24 protected areas, thanked Prince Harry for “a decade of committed service” in a discreet announcement on its website. His official role with the organisation will end at its board meeting on September 30.

The duke first worked with African Parks in Malawi in 2016, helping to move 500 elephants between parks in

Harry had helped the African charity, which protects rhinos and other wildlife from poachers, since 2016

one of the largest such translocations of the species. He became its president in 2017, a year before his marriage to Meghan Markle, and joined the board of directors in 2023.

Vas Narasimhan, chairman of African Parks, thanked Harry “for a decade of committed service” and said the organisation was “delighted to welcome” two new members: Justice Isaac Lenaola, a judge in Kenya’s supreme court and president of the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone, and Alice Ruhweza, president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

A spokesman for Harry said: “The duke is proud of his ten years with African Parks and fully supports the ongoing strengthening of its board. His commitment to conservation in Africa continues, and he remains a supporter of African Parks' mission." The duke's royal links brought African Parks celebrity and media attention that it might otherwise not have received. But as his public falling out with the royal family became increasingly acrimonious, the association was reportedly seen as a liability, complicating fundraising and bringing greater scrutiny to the organisation's militarised approach to protecting wildlife.

African Parks has been dogged by controversy. In the Republic of the Congo, an investigation into allegations of rape, torture and other abuses by rangers against members of the indigenous Baka community at Odzala-Kokoua National Park found that human rights abuses had occurred in some incidents. African Parks said it deeply regretted the suffering caused but has not published the full report.

The organisation also became embroiled in a dispute with Chad last year, after the government terminated two management agreements covering some of the country's most important wildlife areas. Chad's environment minister accused African Parks of a "recurring, indelicate and disrespectful attitude" towards the government, as well as failures over poaching.

African Parks operates on an annual budget of about \$166 million, funded in part by billionaire-linked family foundations, including those of the Swiss businessman Hansjörg Wyss, Walmart heir Rob Walton and Howard Buffett, the son of the American investor Warren Buffett.

Harry's departure from African Parks is more cordial than his exit from Sentebale, the HIV charity he co-founded in Lesotho in memory of his mother. He and other trustees resigned last year after a dispute with its chair, Sophie Chandauka, who said “the toxicity” of the duke's brand was the charity’s “number one risk”. The Charity Commission for England and Wales later found no evidence of the “widespread or systemic bullying” that Chandauka had alleged but criticised all sides for allowing the dispute to play out publicly.

Netflix keeps us guessing on Meghan

Will the Duchess of Sussex be acting in a Guy

Ritchie gangster show or won't she? (Alex Farber writes).

"Your guess is as good as anyone's", Netflix has suggested, as it announced that a third series of The Gentlemen

CHRISTOPHER RAFAEL/NETFLIX.

would be made, days after Meghan was linked to the countryside cannabis drama.

The Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director is thought to have spoken to Meghan without the knowledge of Netflix bosses. There was speculation that the discussions were leaked in an attempt to bolster her acting credentials.

News

The duchess's Instagram post, left, was possibly a nod to rumours that she is to appear alongside Kaya Scodelario and Theo James in The Gentlemen, below

Ritchie, 57, said that he had high hopes for the third series. “The ambition of The Gentlemen has accelerated, the world has expanded, and the consequences carry weight,” he said. “A third season felt inevitable, and I’m looking forward to pushing the boundaries of it further.”

Announcing the third series, Netflix appeared to hint at the speculation, without directly addressing the rumours. "Your guess is as good as anyone's as to what's coming in the third season," it said. "All bets are off."

One drama veteran said that it was an unusual choice of words for the streamer. “I’ve never seen a quote like it. It’s very nuanced,” they said. “It’s tipping a wink to all the chatter. Are they trying to stir it up? If this is PR spin then it’s genius.”

Yesterday Meghan posted a video on the Instagram account of her lifestyle brand As Ever, showing her in woodland picking apples. “A little hint of what’s coming,” the post said.

The second series of the show begins on September 3. The first gained more than 100 million views, making it Netflix's fourth most-watched show after its release in 2024. Bosses expect that the attention The Gentlemen has drawn will boost its popularity, particularly in the US.

Hugh Bonneville, the TV presenter Maya Jama and the boxer Chris Eubank Jr have joined the cast for the second series, which will follow Eddie, played by Theo James, and Kaya Scodelario's Susie as they expand their criminal empire overseas.

Netflix also announced new series of House of Guinness, Being Gordon Ramsay and At Home with the Furys.

King of Norway seriously ill in hospital

Oliver Moody

King Harald of Norway is seriously ill with a bacterial blood infection, raising the prospect of a succession crisis.

The king, 89, has spent the past week receiving treatment in the National Hospital in Oslo. He had a build-up of fluid in response to his therapy for haemolytic anaemia, a condition where the red blood cells die out faster than they can be replaced.

The royal palace said his health had worsened at the weekend after the infection took hold in his bloodstream but he had responded to antibiotics and his condition was stable yesterday.

Geir Erland Tjonnfjord, a haematology professor at Oslo University Hospital, told the newspaper VG: "Having anaemia places a terrible strain on the heart and lungs, and on a body that is not entirely healthy and is nearly 90 years old, so it can be quite demanding."

The king had previously been taken to hospital in February.

Harald's son and heir apparent Crown Prince Haakon, 53, is serving as regent while his father is on leave.

Public support for the royal family has been shaken by a series of scandals in recent years. The reputation of Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 53, the notional future queen, was hit by revelations that she had maintained an intimate friendship with the financier Jeffrey Epstein for three years despite knowing that he had been convicted of sex offences against under-18s. In June her son, Marius Borg Hoiby, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of two charges of rape and 32 other offences. Hoiby is Mette-Marit's child from a brief relationship before she married Haakon.

Haakon's older sister, Princess Martha Louise, and her husband, a black American “shaman” and conspiracy theorist, also made a Netflix documentary suggesting that Harald and Haakon “did not know what racism is”.

Polls suggest Haakon would make a popular king but that about half of Norwegians do not think Mette-Marit is fit to be queen. About one in three people favour abolishing the monarchy, which is three times the historical average level of republican sentiment.

Royal travails are similar to those of the Windsors, leading article, page 21

Britons want prince to make up — and cough up

Continued from page 1 holding out hope for the brothers to re-unite, despite disapproving of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's return to the UK this month.

Harry is not thought to have spoken to his brother for years. The last time they were seen publicly together was at the funeral of their uncle Lord Fellowes in 2024.

Locals in attendance said that both Harry and William entered the church discreetly, appeared to be “keeping their distance” and did not speak to each other at the service.

Of those surveyed, 58 per cent said they wanted a reconciliation between

Harry and William, but 35 per cent did not think it was possible. Fifteen per cent did not want a reconciliation and 28 per cent did not know.

In the same poll, 76 per cent of respondents had a favourable view of the Prince of Wales and 74 per cent of the Princess of Wales.

By contrast, 31 per cent had a favourable opinions opinion towards the Duke of Sussex and 22 per cent towards the Duchess of Sussex.

Older generations were more likely to disapprove of the Sussexes' return, with 68 per cent of over-65s having an unfavourable opinion, compared with 17 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.

News

Student died using chef's posted poison

Will Humphries Southwest Correspondent

A psychology student used poison posted by Kenneth Law to kill himself just months before The Times revealed Law was supplying people around the world with chemicals to end their lives, an inquest has been told.

Joshua Warner, 21, used a website linked to the Canadian hotel chef to order poison on January 14, 2023, to his university accommodation in Portsmouth. He died on January 31.

Law, 60, was arrested a week after being unmasked by a Times investigation in April 2023 and faces years in jail at his sentencing in Canada next month, after admitting 14 charges of

Kenneth Law has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicides in Canada

aiding suicide in the country. Law sent 1,209 lethal packages to suicidal people in more than 41 countries, including 330 to Britain where 79 people died.

Warner suffered from borderline personality disorder and depression, but his family thought that he had become more “upbeat” before his death because he told them his medication was working. He had spoken to mental health services in Portsmouth but he never spoke to them face to face.

Lorraine Bell, the suicide prevention lead at Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said that it would have been difficult to have done anything differently in Warner's care because he had a plan to end his life and would not give details. She said: "I have not sat here today thinking there have been significant clinical errors ... A lot of effort was made to engage Joshua and monitor his risk."

The inquest continues.

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP

Chiselled abs Andrian Melka, in his studio in Bolton Percy, near York, works on a statue of the Royal Ballet principal Matthew Ball, one of more than 20 ballet dancer pieces that he has made in a range of media, from bronze to ceramic

Snooker star convicted of child abuse

Lucinda Cameron

The former world snooker champion Graeme Dott has been found guilty of sexually abusing two children.

Dott, 49, subjected a girl and a boy to multiple incidents of abuse. The girl was targeted between 1993-1996 and the boy between 2006-2010 when they were of primary school age.

A five-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow was told that Dott, who denied the charges, exposed himself in front of both children, touched them inappropriately and kissed them.

Yesterday he was found guilty of two charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour. In both cases the abuse happened in the Glasgow area.

The judge, Lord Harrower, deferred sentencing until September 29 and remanded Dott in custody. He will be added to the sex offenders register.

One of Dott's victims, a woman now in her forties, told the court that Dott had sexually abused her on multiple occasions while she was a child.

She said that it started with Dott “caressing” her bottom over her clothing while giving her a piggyback. The woman also described an occasion when Dott suggested playing a “guessing game” during which he exposed himself to her and then began touching her with parts of his body, including his penis.

The second victim, a man now in his late twenties, told the court much of the abuse took place in a shower, when Dott would enter either partly or completely undressed. "He would ... come into the shower and put soap on my body and wash me in the shower," the man said. "While he was washing me he would touch me in inappropriate places."

Dott won the World Snooker Championship in 2006, defeating Peter Ebdon in the final at the Crucible in Sheffield. He reached the final in two other years but was beaten by Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2004 and Neil Robertson in 2010.

Jason Arday's memoir will still be published ‘to honour his wishes’

Fintan Hogan

The memoir of Jason Arday will be published this week to “honour his wishes”, his family and publisher have said.

Arday, 41, was found dead in Battersea, south London, on August 14 after being accused of plagiarism and resigning from his position at the University of Cambridge.

The university's youngest black professor yet, who was also alleged to have fabricated his personal achievements, had faced intense scrutiny in the weeks before his death.

Some of the claims that have been put under the spotlight are expected to be included in the memoir.

Simon & Schuster, his publisher, confirmed on Monday that it would still publish his autobiography, Great and Unfortunate Things, on Thursday despite his death.

A statement from Arday's family said: "To the very end, Jason was clear that he wanted his memoir to be published and it is only right that we honour his wishes. There has been so much that has been written and said about our beloved brother, son, father, partner and uncle, mostly by people who don't know the truth of what he experienced, and we experienced as a family, or what an extraordinary person he was.

"We are happy to allow the book to speak for itself and won't comment further on its content. The family is still in shock and we are grieving. We call upon the media to give the family the space it needs to come to terms with this terrible loss."

The family previously called Arday “a gentle man who always wanted to see the best in everyone” and have accused the press of a “campaign of harassment” against him.

Arday resigned at the start of the month, shortly after Cambridge said it would investigate “new information” about him. The university also pledged to review its appointments processes in light of the concerns raised. Arday said at the time that the “relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary” about his life had “taken a profound toll on me and on those I love”.

Great and Unfortunate Things, described by the publisher as an “unforgettable book about resilience and love”, has been subject to scrutiny, including a “1.4 million” deal for the rights that Arday claimed to have signed.

The book gives Arday's own account of his life. The academic, who was diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay, said he was non-verbal until the age of 11 and illiterate until 18. He was widely praised for overcoming adversity to be appointed a professor of sociology of education at Cambridge in 2023, aged just 37.

An early manuscript of the book indicated that several claims that had been publicly doubted were not included in the final version. These include a claim that he ran 600 miles in six days; Arday later clarified that it took him 12 days.

No allegations of plagiarism have been made about the memoir, which was written with Eve Claxton, a British writer based in New York.

Mass public scrutiny of Arday's academic record began in July after Nathan Cofnas, a “race realist” researcher, claimed he had found significant plagiarism in Arday's PhD thesis.

Jason Arday resigned from Cambridge after being accused of plagiarism

Arday denied all allegations of academic wrongdoing and told The Times that, while he had made mistakes, "what I am not is a liar".

An investigation by Liverpool John Moores University — where Arday completed his PhD — last year cleared him of wrongdoing.

Cofnas himself was sacked from his fellowship role at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 2024 over his views about diversity, equity and inclusion.

He previously said that under a meritocracy black people would “disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sports and entertainment” and that genes played a “non-trivial role” in intelligence differences between racial groups.

Last week, Cofnas was suspended by Ghent University in Belgium as a postdoctoral researcher while it investigated him under its disciplinary procedure.

After his death, Andy Burnham called for “a moment of reflection”.

“It’s a tragedy on so many levels, but particularly just for everybody who knew Jason, his family obviously, his friends. We think of them today,” the prime minister said.

An inquest into Arday's death is set to open tomorrow at Inner South London coroner's court.

Scrutiny was legitimate, letter, page 20

News

Graduates from top universities pay the most for degrees

Aaliyah Ahmed

Graduates of the most prestigious universities are being left with the highest average student loan debts, with some owing more than £60,000 despite making repayments for years.

Graduates from the 24 Russell Group universities who are repaying Plan 2 loans owe an average of £52,412, according to analysis of official data by the Financial Times. That compares with an average of £45,498 across all higher education and £47,777 among graduates of MillionPlus universities, which were established since 1992.

Russell Group students are more likely to finish their degrees, and some courses are longer than the standard three years. Students are also more likely to move away from home, increasing borrowing for living costs.

Graduates of the Royal Veterinary College had the highest average outstanding balance at £86,979. They typically spend five years studying. It had 2,900 graduates with an outstanding Plan 2 loan.

Imperial College London graduates topped the list for the Russell Group. The 10,000 with an outstanding Plan 2 loan had an average balance of £63,075. Graduates of St Andrews, not part of the group, owe an average of £65,282.

Under Plan 2 the interest rate rises with earnings and some borrowers can pay hundreds of pounds a month without seeing the balance fall.

The figures cover outstanding Plan 2 debt among borrowers who have graduated or dropped out. Plan 2 covers students who began undergraduate courses between 2012 and 2022. They repay 9 per cent of earnings over £29,385 a year. Interest is based on RPI inflation, plus up to 3 percentage points, reaching 6.2 per cent at a salary of £53,000 presently. Any outstanding amount is written off 30 years after repayments start.

In July the Commons Treasury committee accused ministers of mis-selling student loans to young people.

The Department for Education said it was looking for ways to make the system fairer in a sustainable way.

ANTHONY DEVLIN/GETTY IMAGES

Hikers, above and below, stand in line to pose for a photo at the trig point on Wales's highest mountain, but some think they shouldn't have to wait for a quick touch

Peak Britishness? Etiquette row over Snowdon queue-jumping

Seren Hughes

The queue to the summit of Mount Everest is infamous but perhaps understandable given there are limited routes and the weather window is brief.

On the approach to Snowdon's 1,085m summit, however, there is neither a safety reason nor policing from mountain wardens. Instead, the British penchant for queueing is on full display, fuelled by social media.

On busy days, some hikers report standing for an hour for the chance to touch the trig point of the highest mountain in Wales and pose for photographs without the crowds behind them, with queues reported as early as 5.30am for sunrise shots.

More than 600,000 people climb Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, every year, with thousands more taking the train to the top. Despite there being a large area to mill around at the top, the official summit is the trig point at the very top of some stone steps.

A trig point is a man-made column originally installed to help map-makers by dividing the country into a network of triangles. They were usually placed on high ground for better visibility.

But rows are breaking out after a number of people have begun skipping the queue, rushing up the stone steps for a quick tap of the trig point, insisting they are perfectly within their rights to do so.

One man, Marc Screeton from Manchester, went viral after sharing a video this month in which he was heckled for skipping the summit queue. People in the queue shouted that it was “out of order” and that they should “chuck his phone off”, but he responded: “Imagine queueing on a mountain.”

Screeton, a 27-year-old warehouse operative, told the Manchester Evening News: "People naturally see a queue so they decide to join it — it's a very British thing, isn't it? I just wanted to touch the top quickly and get back down. I haven't endangered anyone or 'shoved or barged' past anyone; I did wait until it was clear to head up and touch the top."

Several similar videos have gone viral. In one someone complains that the summit is becoming a “proper tourist spot”, with “full on model shoots” taking place at the top. Two hikers raising money for charity were booed after skipping the queue in May.

The queue is self-policed and the Er-yri National Park Authority confirmed that there were no plans to change that. It has been forming for years and it is not the first time arguments have been recorded.

But Ioan Gwilym, a spokesman for the public body, told The Times that arguments around the queue for the summit appeared to have been worse this year.

“I assume it’s because of social media videos that have been going viral and it has caused a bit more debate,” Gwilym said, adding that the queues were also longer this year, perhaps due to the warm summer.

Mountain guides have also chipped in. Gemma Smith said in a video on TikTok that she did not think people should be queueing for the summit of any mountain “unless there’s a genuine safety reason for it”. She added that she believed the queue was a “relatively recent thing”, and that “a lot of it comes from social media” and the obsession with getting the “perfect summit photo”.

For her, reaching a summit is about the “experience of getting there”, and she defended the queue jumpers. Mountains “aren’t photo booths”, she pointed out.

Others have shared videos of the crowds at the summit of Snowdon while standing on an empty neighbouring summit, pointing out you can get similar views elsewhere.

Race Across the World star dies a year after son

The Race Across The World star Jo Gardiner has died aged 61, a year after her son and co-star Sam died in a car crash.

The duo competed in the BBC's global travel competition during its second series in 2020, journeying across South America together.

Gardiner died “following a long and courageous battle with cancer”, her family said in a statement. The physiotherapist, from Manchester, was “an intrepid adventurer, brave, kind, witty and endlessly loving”, they added.

“She had a rare gift for making everyone around her feel more alive. She lived fully, fiercely and never did anything by halves. She was blessed with countless friends, drawn to her extraordinary magnetism. Somehow, each one felt as though they were among her very best.

"To us, she was more than all of these things. She was our family, our joy, our safe place and our absolute treasure.

“We know how deeply Jo was loved, and we take comfort in knowing that her laughter, her courage, her kindness and her wonderfully outrageous spirit will live on in the many people whose lives she touched.

"As we grieve, we ask for privacy, but we also ask everyone who knew and loved Jo to do exactly what she would have wanted: tell the funny stories, raise a glass, have an adventure, laugh loudly and live life to the full. She was one of a kind. There will never be another her."

She is survived by her son Charlie.

Sam died in June last year at the age of 24, after his car came off the road and rolled before landing on its side.

The mother and son competed on Race Across The World because Gardiner wanted to experience a travel adventure with Sam, who had ADHD.

A spokeswoman said: “On behalf of the Studio Lambert production team, the BBC and the whole ... cast, we offer our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Jo’s son Charlie, and her wider family and friends. Millions of people remembered their transformative journey.”

Gardiner, who lived with type I diabetes, was an ambassador for Diabetes UK. Her family has set up a JustGiving page in her name, with donations supporting the organisation.

Jo and Sam Gardiner took part in the second series of the popular show

News

I fought Welsh wildfires then my home went up in flames

HUW FAIRCLOUGH/GETTY IMAGES

Will Humphries

Countryside Correspondent

Phil Morris was enjoying a well-deserved day off after spending weeks fighting wildfires this summer, when the fire alarm at his idyllic family home set off an alert on his phone.

Morris, 47, group manager for Mid and West Wales fire and rescue service, was an hour away from home to sell his wife's car, so he remotely checked his external CCTV cameras to make sure everything was OK.

They didn't appear to show any signs of smoke or flames at his remote barn conversion in Llangammarch Wells, Powys. Then the power cut out and the screen went blank.

He called his control room and asked for a fire engine to be sent to his home. What Morris didn't know was that a devastating fire had taken hold in the roof. It gutted his family's home and destroyed everything inside.

“By the time we got there, the property was just four walls standing,” he told The Times. “Everything internal is collapsed in. There is nothing salvageable ... I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

Morris had spent 28 hours during the previous weekend fighting fires in his local community. Now, his colleagues were attending the wreckage of the home he shared with his wife and three children. “We are all still here but we have lost the childhood photos, the children's gymnastics and football trophies, all those little things you build up that makes you you,” he said. “I don’t quite know what emotions I am feeling. Some days I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach.”

When the fire started last Wednesday, his wife, Donna, and their eldest son, Ryley, 19, had been staying in Oswestry, Shropshire, for the week while Ryley received physiotherapy at hospital for his cerebral palsy. Their youngest son, Rico, nine, was staying with grandparents, while their daughter, Hali, 18, was driving to pick Morris up from Merthyr Tydfil, an hour away from their home.

Morris said that since the fire, he and his family had been reminding them-

Phil Morris's home before the fire. Morris with his wife and two of his three children. Wales has suffered widespread wildfires

selves that “we are all here and will start again”. He added: “I have been on jobs where that is not the case. I have seen the other side of that and when I have moments I say ‘we are still here’, and we have a support network and the community has been overwhelming.” As the news spread through the local community, a resident set up a fundraising page for the family, which has raised more than £28,000 in a few days.

“We don’t know the lady who started the fundraising appeal and we were quite surprised,” Morris said. “We hadn’t thought of anything like that but we are so grateful. Some of the messages have been amazing.”

Morris said his memories of the fire were hazy and he had spent most of his time since “on the phone to insurance, trying to figure out how all this works".

“You suddenly realise none of these things are that simple,” he said. “I lost my father when I was relatively young and that sense of loss is the only thing I can compare it to. It’s that sense of helplessness.”

Morris said that another fire service was investigating the cause of the blaze and had told him that it was accidental and most likely to have been caused by an electrical fault.

In a message promoting the fund-raising appeal, Llandrindod Wells fire station said: "As firefighters, we're used to being the ones who turn up when somebody is having one of the worst days of their life ... But when that call is for one of your own, it really hits home.

“Group manager Morris has devoted so much of his life and career to the fire and rescue service, helping others when they need it most. He has been an inspiration to so many of us and an incredible fire officer, colleague and friend. Now it's our opportunity to be there for him and his family.”

Fox intruder bites head of sleeping baby

Seren Hughes

A fox bit a baby's head after sneaking into a home in the first known incident of its kind in more than a decade.

Carly Clarkson, 37, had dozed off while feeding her daughter, Josephine, three months, and woke with a start to find her own face being sniffed by a fox. It had wandered in through an open door to the garden.

Clarkson, from Watford, noticed blood around her sleeping baby and four puncture wounds on Josephine's head, "like a dog had bitten a football". She feared the fox had been trying to pull her daughter away from her during the attack at 9.45pm on Thursday. "It was absolutely horrifying," she said. "I feel absolutely violated."

Clarkson, who has another daughter, aged one, is now scared to use her garden or leave doors open.

Josephine was taken to Watford General Hospital, where staff confirmed that she did not have a skull fracture or damage to her brain.

Trevor Williams, founder of the Fox Project charity, said incidents involving foxes were “rare” but there had been a similar case in 2012.

He believed the fox in Watford was a curious cub. “Experienced adult foxes will always avoid putting themselves in such a vulnerable position,” he said.

Foxes are protected from harm by law and are not classified as vermin so local authorities have no legal obligation to act against them.

Williams said the best protective measure was to keep doors closed and to use non-toxic repellents, sold at garden centres and hardware stores.

Carly Clarkson with Josephine, who was attacked in their home in Watford

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Westminster's wiliest vermin

There was drama in the corridors of Portcullis House yesterday morning as workers in an MP's office became aware of a most unusual intruder. An aide to George Freeman, the Tory MP for Mid Norfolk, came into work and heard an unusual sound emanating from his boss's room. He went to investigate and found a fox in a cupboard. Well, we've always known it took cunning to get into Westminster, but to get through several barriers of security was no mean feat. "The fox was watered and relaxed as much as possible before being escorted off the premises," said Freeman, who was amazed to learn that parliament had an on-site pest control team (a revelation which may well be of interests to the whips). The ever-increasing presence of foxes on the parliamentary estate might have one benefit. They could be an extreme solution to the mouse problem.

On a similar subject, weekend profiles of No 10 North revealed that, rather than having its own chief mouser, the ersatz Downing Street

has a cutout of Larry the Cat. Given that he is made of cardboard, this seems only to offer a chance for the mice to get their own back.

BREAKFAST BAR After Saturday's story about the former chancellor Ken Clarke keeping his wife in economy while he flew business, I was sent a message by Jonathan Morgan, husband of the former education secretary Nicky Morgan. He told me that he was all too familiar with the feeling of boarding a plane and having to turn right while his partner went left. He recalled one trip to Tokyo where he paid for his own berth in steerage, but taxpayers will no doubt be comforted to hear that the financial rectitude didn't stop there. "At the end of the trip," he said, "our Tokyo embassy invoiced me for the croissants I had eaten for breakfast." Ministerial spouses

aren't even allowed crumbs of comfort.

BEST MEDICINE

Back in the day, many a career began on hospital radio. The comedian and actor Sanjeev Bhaskar was one such chap, and he started out as a youngster by going round the wards collecting requests from patients. He tells Kermode & Mayo's Take that the very first time he did this he was sent into obstetrics, where he greeted the first woman he saw with the words "And how are we feeling today?" The lady replied, "Well, doctor..." Some moments later, the young and embarrassed Bhaskar had listened to polite horror to a tale of gynaecological woe. Finally the lady finished speaking and looked to Bhaskar for advice. She called for the matron when he replied to her by saying "Do you like jazz?"

Nominative determinism abounds at the BBC. The heavy rumours are that a reboot of Top Gear is set to be fronted by the comedian Jimmy Carr, above. It's not like he needed to catch a brake, but he wasn't the only man for the job. "Presumably Alan Carr was unavailable," said one producer. If a woman is required, why not go for Minnie Driver?

JACK BLACKBURN

News

Red Bull? Try Costa if you want wings

Herbie Russell

Coffee drinkers stopping at Costa for a morning cappuccino are consuming as much caffeine as they would in four cans of Red Bull, according to a study of high street chains.

The survey, by Which?, the consumer association, found that its medium cappuccino contains 325mg of caffeine, compared with 80mg in a 250ml can of the energy drink.

The research found that caffeine content varied “wildly” between Caffe Nero, Costa Coffee, Greggs, Pret A Manger and Starbucks. Which? compared equivalent drinks but serving sizes varied in some instances.

Greggs and Caffè Nero cappuccinos had the second and third-highest caffeine at 235mg and 221mg respectively.

Costa also led on caffeine in other drinks, with its flat whites, americanos and matcha lattes also the strongest of the shops surveyed. Its flat white packed in 241mg.

A single espresso at Pret had 180mg, Costa 100mg, Greggs 75mg and Caffè Nero 67mg.

Starbucks serves the least caffeine overall across its drinks. At 89mg, its medium cappuccino has less than a third of that in its Costa equivalent.

Strength disparities can stem from factors including the bean used, with robusta beans containing roughly twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans.

The number of shots in a single drink,

Caffeine in your coffee

Milligrams per serving (mg)
	Espresso	Cappuccino	Flat white
NERO	67mg	221mg	105mg
	100mg	325mg	241mg
	75mg	235mg	150mg
* PRET *	180mg	180mg	180mg
	45mg	89mg	89mg

Serving sizes vary

and brewing processes such as roast depth and grind time, also have an influence. Which? said that while some customers would be grateful for the unexpected boost, people with health conditions or pregnant women may wish to exercise caution.

The British Heart Foundation advises that up to 400mg of caffeine daily is safe and not linked to bad health effects.

Pregnant women should limit caffeine intake to a maximum of 200mg per day, according to NHS guidance.

Jessica Carson, health and wellbeing expert at Which?, said: "If you drink multiple cups a day or need to cut back for health reasons, pay attention to where you shop and what you order to avoid any unwanted side-effects."

Costa said that it provided caffeine information on its menu and online.

Starbucks was approached for comment.

News

Paramount accuses Hollywood actor Ruffalo of antisemitism

Josie Ensor Chief US Reporter

Mark Ruffalo, the actor and producer, has denied allegations of antisemitism after he was accused of using Jewish “tropes” to criticise a billionaire family’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.

The Avengers star, a vocal critic of the merger, reshared a post to his Instagram story on Friday that took aim at the Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison — who backed his son David Ellison's acquisition of Paramount Global through Skydance Media.

Ruffalo also shared a clip from 2024 where Safra Catz, the executive vice-chair of Oracle, discussed steps the company took to “advance the agenda for the Israeli military” after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

"These'really profoundly scary technologies' will most likely be merged into one of the largest media conglomerates in the world and one day used on you," Ruffalo wrote. "Look how [Catz] reveils in what we now have come to see as a genocide, which was built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle.”

Paramount responded, saying it was “troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute”. It added: “Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid’, applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong — they’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe. This doesn't deserve a response in kind — and to be clear, we don't tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone."

A United Nations commission concluded last September that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Ruffalo, 58, said his criticism was not directed at Jewish people and “the accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest”.

“Criticising the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticising Jewish people," he said, adding that the merger "has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country". He added: "Scrutinising the Ellisons, including Oracle's business built on data, surveillance technology and government contracts, and the serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families, is fair and necessary." The post reached 27 million users and was liked 900,000 times.

Apprentice winner has last laugh with air con

When Dean Franklin was trying to impress Lord Sugar

with his plans to expand his tiny air conditioning company, some watching the BBC's The Apprentice laughed and told him, "you can just open a window" (Will Humphries and Robin Jenkins write).

But after winning last year's series and a £250,000 investment from Sugar, the Essex salesman is the one laughing now.

Franklin, 35, and his business partner, Alex Scott, have watched ADL Air Conditioning grow dramatically after five heatwaves this year.

Franklin said they received more than a thousand email inquiries in a single day recently and were getting an average of 500 phone calls a day.

"When I spoke about it on the show, people thought I was mad, especially when I mentioned summers are getting hotter and longer," he said. "I can guarantee those people are rethinking their comments now. Mark my words, air conditioning in the UK will be as popular as it is in Spain in five years time."

Franklin's appears to be a rare success story for an Apprentice winner, although some of Sugar's chosen ones, and a few runners-up, have gone on to great things.

After winning season ten in 2014, Mark Wright founded a digital marketing agency with Lord Sugar called Climb Online, which he sold in 2022 for £10 million.

Susie Ma, who finished third in 2011, turned her fledgling skincare business, Tropic Skincare, into one of the UK's fastest-growing beauty brands with a turnover of £75 million last year. She has appeared as a guest "dragon" on the BBC's Dragons' Den.

Franklin, a married father of two who lives in Upminster, east London, began his business in 2020.

“We have gone from a team of two to 20 since the show and have just opened our new office, warehouse and showroom,” he said.

His team is installing between five and ten units a day and is looking to double

Dean Franklin at work and with Lord Sugar and his fellow finalist, Anisa Khan. Left: a unit promoted on his website

that this year. The company incurred a £1,230 civil penalty under the fluorinated greenhouse gases regulations, however, after failing to maintain an F-gas certificate, according to a list published this month by the Environment Agency. Fluorinated gases are commonly used as coolants in air conditioning and refrigeration systems.

Fines of up to £200,000 per breach can be imposed and ADL has a year to appeal.

London bus drivers walk out over heat

Callum Martin

About 1,500 London bus drivers are on strike after claiming their cabs are getting too hot in the summer weather.

The four-day walkout, which began today, is over a running dispute between the drivers and the bus company Arriva about the use of air cooling on buses rather than air conditioning.

Drivers say their compartments can reach 40C. They have reported heat-stroke, fatigue and near-misses due to the extreme temperatures.

The UK is on course for its warmest summer on record after five successive heatwaves. Temperatures in London reached 38.1C this month.

Unite, the trade union, says most buses operated by Arriva North London do not have air conditioning, but instead use less effective air-cooling systems, which reduce temperatures by only a few degrees. More than 40 routes will be affected by the strike. Drivers will walk out from Barking, Edmonton, Enfield, Grays, Palmers Green, Stamford Hill, Tottenham and Wood Green bus garages. Travel disruption is expected.

Unite, whose members balloted for industrial action, is calling for full air conditioning across the fleet.

A three-day walkout had been planned to begin last Wednesday, but was paused as talks continued. A new offer was voted down by union members, who said it did “not go far enough” to address their concerns over heat. Unless the dispute is resolved, ten more walkouts are planned until mid-October.

Arriva London said: “The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers will always be our highest priority and measures have been introduced this summer to help drivers cope with extreme heat, while we are also investing in air-conditioning upgrades for driver cabs across our London fleet.”

Trainee florist gave victim bunch of fives

Herbie Russell

A trainee florist who was angry after a teacher criticised her wreath in a flower-arranging class punched a fellow student and threw a protein shake at her.

Lorraine Jae, 51, attacked Tracey Musker at St Helens College in Merseyside, leaving bruises, a cut on her chin and a mark on her lip.

Jae admitted assault by beating, resulting in a £200 victim compensation order, a £300 fine and £205 in costs and a victim surcharge at Liverpool magistrates' court.

The attack took place on December 11 as the class received feedback on their floristry diploma coursework. Jae, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, was arguing with the teacher, who had criticised her Christmas wreath, so Musker tried to defuse the situation.

Jae, who had already been struggling with the course, told Musker to “shut the f*** up”, the court was told.

Anthony Carey, for the prosecution, said: "Miss Musker told the defendant not to speak to her in that manner and not to speak to her again and the defendant then began picking up her belongings. But as the defendant went to collect her coat from behind the victim, she directed further verbal abuse at Miss Musker.

"Miss Musker laughed it off but while the victim was still sitting at her desk, the defendant ran over to her and punched her in the face.

Tracey Musker, left, had cuts and bruises after Lorraine Jae's attack

"When Miss Musker stood up, the defendant picked up a full protein drink from the victim's desk and threw it at her." Another student intervened. Jae, who was later suspended from the course, then fled the classroom. Musker was given first aid at the scene but did not seek hospital treatment.

Helen Clarke said in mitigation that Jae had acted in the “heat of the moment” and that she was “apologetic to Miss Musker”.

The defendant thought she had made the wreath to “a satisfactory standard” and was “extremely frustrated” by the feedback, Clarke told the court.

She continued: “[Jae] had been studying the course for some time; it had not been the best experience and she had some problems along the way. Nevertheless she persevered, hoping to achieve a qualification as she was unable to continue other work she had been doing for many years.

“She thought this would be a new start but clearly it did not happen in that way.

“Clearly, this happened out of character and she has learnt her lesson. I can say from speaking to her that she is sorry for what happened.”

Jae, who had no previous convictions, was supported by her husband in court.

Judge James Clarke said: “It would appear that this was a bad situation that went in the wrong direction. It is not a reflection of your personality.”

News

Migrants imprisoned, enslaved and ransomed on Libyan route to UK

BERCK SUR MER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Migrants in the Mediterranean south of Lampedusa wait to be rescued. Traffickers are adapting to crackdowns in Turkey and Bulgaria with “hybrid smuggling”, combining legal flights and irregular crossings

Two hundred migrants limp down a rocky passage to the harbour in Lampedusa, wearing broken sandals and bloody bandages that were

wrapped during the perilous boat crossings to the Italian island.

Below, the Mediterranean Sea lies flat, its blue water the only barrier between them and the Libyan slave hubs they escaped days ago.

Many are en route to the UK on a new corridor run by criminal networks linked to Britain and Iraq. Despite a crackdown by European Union border states, a steady flow of migrants continues to arrive on the shores of northern France, ready to cross the Channel.

The route has already become one of the deadliest crossings to Europe. The Times has spoken to dozens of migrants on the island who say they were abducted and forced into slavery in unofficial Libyan compounds.

"All of us lost friends in the Libyan prisons, from starvation and beatings," a gaunt 21-year-old Ghanaian student says. He was told he would be taken to Britain. For many migrants here, the final destination was to be the UK.

A new 'hybrid' route

People smugglers are sending thousands of people on this route because transit countries such as Turkey, Greece and the Balkans are working to disrupt long-established land routes to Europe. A new flow of trafficked people now travel using “hybrid smuggling”, combining legal flights and irregular crossings over the Mediterranean.

On British shores, the “megadinghy” loaded with more than 230 people that arrived in Dover on August 10 has shown the gangs’ shifting tactics.

The gangs negotiating the irregular crossings into Europe are adapting.

Iraqi smuggling kingpins have told The Times that thousands of migrants wanting to reach Britain have been instructed to board flights to Egypt or Jordan, rather than go by road via Turkey. The fee, of £10,000 to £17,000, includes a legal working visa and a second connecting flight to Benina airport in Libya.

Mark Micallef, director of the North Africa and Sahel Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), said the route was “very much the product of border control and policing [land] borders”. Half of Turkey’s borders were reinforced with military patrols last year and countries such as Bulgaria increased raids — there were 16 arrests in January alone.

Smugglers with links to gangs in Britain, including the Iraqi-Kurdish network known as the Ranya Boys, which is allegedly responsible for thousands of crossings, have rerouted to more dangerous countries.

Countries such as Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia have been given security equipment and billions in EU funding in exchange for “external border control”, but recently their efforts have buckled.

Last month, Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in Morocco, announced a humanitarian and national emergency after it experienced a surge of roughly 78,000 irregular migrant arrivals. They said they had made the journey after reading misinformation peddled by “human trafficking rings”. Despite the risks, demand from migrants continues to grow.

'Pay or I will kill your son'

People arriving in Libya believe they will be driven to launch points on the coast to reach the Italian Pelagie islands, or Crete. However, the majority are abandoned by their Iraqi smugglers in rural Libyan detention centres for weeks or even months — extorted, beaten and forced into unpaid construction work.

At least 500 Kurdish migrants who paid to reach the UK or Germany have ended up in slavery on this route in the past 12 months, according to local groups and survivors. Their captors are the same Libyan militiamen paid to move migrants through the country.

The Times has uncovered new evidence of the abuse suffered by migrants in these unofficial detention centres. There are videos of Kurds with guns pressed into their cheeks, and photographs of scars etched into their backs from lashings. These were sent to family members with demands for ransom and threats to remove organs. One survivor, who had videos of a gun held to his head and his mouth sent to his family for ransom, is now working as a labourer in Kurdistan to pay off debt from his journey. Other videos showed migrants, effectively enslaved, forced to lay bricks on construction sites with “no break”.

Among them is Omid*, 20, from Ranya in Iraq. He said he had flown to Libya with a hundred men who left the town because of poverty and unrest linked to wars with Iran and Turkey. Smugglers drove them from the airport to Zawiyah, a city in the northwest of Libya. He said that armed and masked men diverted the group to a secret facility where hundreds of people were held “like animals”. He said he had been taken to a small room where about 50 men and boys as young as 14 were made to sleep “on [our own] blood on the floor” for months.

“There was no air[flow], no windows or light, they withheld food for two to three days at once [and] there was no water, [just] 100ml each day,” he said. “They would wake us up every morning by hitting the rifle [on] the back of our necks or back and send the men to different jobs every day. We [were forced] to do construction, building walls and cement work. There was almost always blood pooled on that floor. When people were injured, they didn’t let us get any medical help.

An immigrant who had hoped to come to the UK is held at gunpoint

Some people were shot." He said his smuggler was still in business and had taken several of his group to the UK.

His Libyan hostages sent photographs of him to his family, demanding a ransom. One message said: “Pay or I will kill your son. I will take his kidney out and throw it in the ocean.” He said he knew of at least one migrant in the facility who had had an organ removed and sold. Other survivors said they were kidnapped and held for ransom by militias who have gained power in the divided two-state country by exploiting a political stalemate between its two rival governments.

Omid said that five Kurdish locals from his Ranya group were still in the militia-run compound, and ten more were missing. The rest had been allowed to board a flight back to Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, after their families paid ransoms worth thousands of pounds.

A detention economy

GI-TOC estimates that Libya has at least 200 of these unofficial holding facilities for migrants, run by militia and local smugglers. Experts say the country is profiting from the detention economy.

The Global Detention Project said that the EU's plans to work with Libyan officials to counteract new routes — particularly those aiming for Greek islands — could lead to “more people being stranded in the country’s network of detention facilities”, allowing smugglers and militias to make more money through ransom.

A United Nations fact-finding mission to Libya went as far as saying the EU “aided and abetted” human rights abuses by funding the Libyan authorities to crack down on immigration.

The Libyan government runs two official centres, which receive technical support from the EU, despite allegations of abuse said to be “similar to the unofficial ones”.

Iraqi smugglers also profit from this new route, demanding a heftier fee as it involves more flights and paperwork.

Bodies on the shore

In May, a newborn baby washed on to one of Lampedusa's pristine beaches, the same white sand that attracts thousands of European tourists.

As The Times was invited to visit a migrant “hotspot” facility on Lampedusa, run by the Italian authorities, Frontex and the Red Cross, more than four migrant boats were brought to shore.

The Agrigento prosecutor's office said that it was investigating the cause of the infant's death but witnesses said it had suffered hypothermia on the perilous boat journey from North Africa. The baby's mother survived.

Eight hundred people died or went missing on the central Mediterranean route in the first six months of this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. NGO rescue groups, such as Sea-Watch and SOS Méditerranée, say that number may be higher as many people are unaccounted for.

As he rushed to gather his belongings and board a ferry to mainland Italy, the Ghanaian student said: “No one would choose to go through Libya if they knew how they treat migrants. I hope no more will come that way.”

*Some names have been changed

News

Scale of fish farm growth puts revival of bluefin tuna at risk

Adam Vaughan Environment Editor

An 18-fold increase in Atlantic bluefin tuna farms could threaten the huge predator's revival in British waters, campaigners have warned.

Only last week, researchers were celebrating after the species was caught off the coast of Yorkshire for the first time in more than six decades.

The fish, called the ‘Wagyu of the seas’ by chefs, has also been caught in small numbers off southwest England for the past three years. Scientists think climate change and a 15-year conservation plan are behind the species’ return after overfishing in the last century.

However, an animal welfare charity said it fears the rise of tuna farms could reverse this recent success.

About 56,000 Atlantic bluefin tuna were farmed in 2003, increasing by 18 times to roughly a million by 2024, according to analysis of United Nations data by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), a charity.

“We are concerned about the data that we have seen. This is not going in the right direction,” said Dr Elena Lara, author of a CIWF report published today. “We can be happy about the recovery of the species, but let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Farmed salmon are bred and raised in captivity. By contrast, Atlantic blue-fin tuna farming could be described as "fattening" because it relies almost entirely on capturing wild fish rather than breeding them. While some experimental efforts have been made to breed tuna in hatcheries, fish farms remain dependent on wild-caught tuna due to the high death rates of larvae and juveniles in captivity.

Malta, Spain and Turkey are hotspots for the tuna farms. The fish are caught with rod and reel by UK fishermen, with the quota limited to four tonnes this year. By comparison, the tuna caught for the farms are largely captured with “purse seine” nets, cylinders into which fish are corralled. About 24,783 tonnes of wild bluefin tuna were caught using the nets in 2024, a figure 29 per cent higher than that in 2008.

Lara told The Times that expansion

① Wild capture ② Wild tuna are caught alive during spawning season and then guided into cages

How they work

Fattening in cages Fish are kept floating in cages for three to ten months and fed intensively with small fish

at the current rate could undermine the British revival. “We’ll put the species at risk,” she said.

Demand for the tuna, which is used in sushi and sashimi, surged globally in the 1980s, transforming it into a luxury commodity. Overfishing pushed the species to the brink before a 15-year international conservation plan began in 2007. In 2021, after growing signs of a recovery, the species was reclassified from “endangered” to “least concern”.

Compounding fears for the revival, CIWF campaigners are concerned about animal welfare in the facilities. Videos filmed by the group of an unnamed farm in the Mediterranean appear to show tuna with missing eyes and skin loss.

"My main concern is that we're talking about big predators, like lions on land," said Lara. "They are fast-swimming animals and they need to be continuously swimming to breathe." She pointed out that the species was a migratory fish that could swim 260 kilo- metres in a day.

CIWF has called for an international moratorium on new or expanded tuna fish farms, and better transparency and monitoring of catches.

A representative of the farmed tuna industry rejected the claim its methods were unsustainable. “The suggestion that catches supplying European bluefin tuna farms are jeopardising the recovery of Atlantic bluefin tuna is not supported by the latest official scientific advice,” said Javier Ojeda, general secretary of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers, a trade body.

He said that inferring the health of tuna stocks from purse seine catches and the number of licensed fish farms was not how overfishing was scientifically assessed. “Comparing current catches with those of 20 or 30 years ago, without accounting for the substantial increase in stock biomass, is misleading,” Ojeda said.

A charity has called for a moratorium on bluefin tuna farms, which have multiplied since the species became a delicacy

Threshold for criminal damage may be doubled

Jonathan Ames Legal Editor

Eco-protesters are more likely to be convicted, legal experts claim, as ministers face pressure to raise the barrier for criminal damage cases to be tried in the crown courts.

The minimum value of damage caused is £5,000 — a figure set more than 30 years ago — but The Times understands that prominent Labour back-benchers are lobbying the government to raise that to £10,000.

David Lammy, the former justice secretary, told parliament in December that the government intended to amend the law.

Experts predicted that the move would take hundreds of trials out of the crown courts annually and remove the right of jury trial for significant numbers of protesters. They point to reports that show magistrates are more likely to convict defendants than juries.

The plan to halve jury trials was proposed in an effort to reduce the record backlog of cases in the crown courts of England and Wales, which stands at about 80,000.

While law chiefs were broadly united in criticising the attempt to remove many offences from the crown courts, senior figures backed the idea of pushing lower value criminal damage offences into the magistrates' courts. Andrew Thomas KC, vice-chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said increasing the minimum value of damage caused to £10,000 would be “an excellent example of the sort of sensible step that could be taken to keep the distinction between serious allegations and minor offences, helping to free up capacity for jury trials”.

The Free Speech Union, a campaign group, assessed data from the justice ministry showing that between 2017 and last year jury acquittal rates were more than 27 per cent while the magistrates' rate was about 11 per cent.

Defend Our Juries said the proposal on criminal damage was “a further indication that David Lammy’s full-frontal assault on jury trial is dead in the water”.

The Ministry of Justice was approached for comment.

Increases to: £25.50pm on 1 April 27 & £28pm on 1 April 28

Control yourself...why Victorian virtue is back James Marriott Page 19

Comment

Burnham's devolution dream could backfire

Without proper accountability, handing more powers to mayors risks creating out-of-touch regional mini-premiers

William Hague

One of my happiest days as an MP was in 1991, when the highest pub in England (the Tan Hill Inn, elevation 1,732 feet)

was officially returned to Yorkshire. Rectifying its erroneous placing into Co Durham in the sweeping local government reforms of the 1970s, I was allowed, albeit against a howling gale, to carry the sign denoting the boundary of Yorkshire to the north side of the pub. This simple act restored its historic identity and, as a well-lubricated crowd saw it, saved the souls of its inhabitants.

Whether or not they live in Yorkshire, Cornwall, Norfolk — or, I can admit, Lancashire — matters to people. But the frequent redrawing of boundaries and changes of function over the past half century have left most voters baffled as to who does what in the county or region they love. In a 2023 survey, two thirds of voters couldn't name their county council. Waste collection and highways were the only functions on which a majority could correctly identify the responsible authority.

The move to more unitary, single-tier councils is meant to be the answer to that, along with high-profile Burnham-style metro mayors in many areas. Yet in Wales, three decades after unitary local government and national devolution arrived, confusion still reigns. This year YouGov found 81 per cent could not identify who oversees social care, and more than a third didn't know

the Welsh government runs the NHS. In another survey by the Centre for Cities, most people with a mayor could name them, but majorities ranging from 5l per cent in London to 9l per cent in Liverpool couldn't name a single thing they'd done.

This is a problem, as we embark on what the new prime minister has called “the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”. His vision is an appealing one, but in a democracy a new balance of power requires a corresponding shift in accountability so that those empowered are answerable for their actions. Voters can’t hold anyone to account if they don’t have a clue who does what.

Earlier this year, parliament passed the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, transferring many more functions to mayoralities. Its answer to the growing deficit in accountability is to

Who will check that there is no funny business going on?

establish strategic authorities with scrutiny committees that can monitor and question the mayors. But only in London is the mayor answerable to an elected assembly whose members have their own mandates. And now, the “complete rewiring of economic and political power in Britain”, in Andy Burnham's words, is coming on top of the measures anticipated in this year's legislation.

The plan is for metro mayors to dispense a share of income tax receipts in their region, which will add up in each case to many billions of pounds. This week, as described in

The Sunday Times, they will also be given powers to call in and decide on major planning issues, potentially overriding councillors or local opinion. There are good arguments for all this. But who is going to check that the money is well spent? That priorities are rationally decided? That local communities have their say? And that there is no funny business going on behind the scenes?

Perhaps the Treasury is meant to keep tabs on the money that is devolved. This year in West Yorkshire there has been another delay in the interminable effort to build a tram network in Leeds, with a supposedly independent review of the mayor's plans turning out to have been done by central government. National constraints have stopped local choices literally in their tracks, hardly a big rebalancing of power.

Meanwhile, in the West Midlands there has been a huge row over merging the committees that scrutinise the mayor into one body. Two councillors from each of seven local authorities will monitor the mayor. It seems unlikely that they will have the time, information and resources to do that adequately on their own.

Bewildered voters and under-powered scrutiny committees are not the only obstacles to democratic accountability as the biggest rebalancing of power gets under way. There is a danger that some regions become one-party states — you would have to be a very starry-eyed Tory to think you could be mayor of Liverpool. The result could be mayors entrenched for the long term provided they can always secure their party nomination, without effective competition.

Then there is the appalling weakness of local newspapers, largely destroyed by the arrival of social media. While new local websites often do a good job of keeping neighbourhoods in touch, the armies of journalists who used to sit through council meetings and dig into dodgy land deals are now very thin on the ground. In just the past decade, the public scrutiny of local government by the press has become weaker than at any time since the 18th century.

Andy Burnham with Steve Rotheram, metro mayor of Liverpool since 2017

There is a serious danger here for the prime minister's central agenda. He could end up in some areas with overmighty mini-premiers who do a bad job but are not removed, further damaging trust in government. The think tank Demos has argued that the benefits of devolution are not guaranteed, and that he must not "create a democratic blackhole in a new devolved state". The left-wing Compass group has highlighted the case for more elected assemblies on the lines of London. The IPPR, another think tank, is arguing that more power for mayors should be accompanied by pushing more decisions down to communities, which means making local officials more answerable to them.

Burnham would be wise to listen to these concerns. A major rewiring of the state will only work if people have a better understanding of where the wires are and some influence over who flicks the switches. At the most basic level, this will require public information campaigns to explain who will be doing what. If mayoral powers could be made more consistent across regions — currently they are individually negotiated deals that make public understanding inherently difficult — that would help.

Ultimately, however, there is no substitute for the highly annoying expert individual who asks embarrassing questions and won't go away. A report by the Institute for Government in 2024 recommended the creation of a powerful devolved public accounts committee. It would have its own funding and could call witnesses, send for documents and be chaired by opposition members in each region. Other good ideas include adding outside experts and MPs to scrutiny committees and publishing comparable data on performance across mayoralties.

Mayors could be required to involve citizens' assemblies in their work, or to attend regular public question times. The government could add to the money allocated for a local news fund. All these ideas absorb funding, but if the redesign of the state is worthwhile and leads to better spending, they would be worth it. The rewiring of the state cannot be done in the dark.

James Marriott in Edinburgh: The Dawn of the Post-Literate Society

Has doom-scrolling silenced the written word? Join James Marriott and Calum Macdonald in Edinburgh to discuss Marriott's debut book, The New Dark Ages. Based on his viral research, they'll explore how the shift from the printed page to the smartphone is fundamentally reshaping our minds and culture.

Wednesday, September 9 | 7.30pm Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, National Galleries Scotland: National, Edinburgh, EH2 2EL

TIMES Events

Book your tickets at thetimes.com/events

Comment

Tell us who shaped anti-Muslim definition

It's highly concerning if government is concealing the involvement of extremist Islamist groups

Melanie Phillips

@MELANIELATEST

When a government department starts shredding the evidence behind its decisions, it's

a fair bet that it has something to hide from the public.

In March, the government introduced a non-statutory definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” as a way of weaponising the charge of “Islamophobia” without being seen to do so. Islamophobia is a term introduced by the Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood to silence all criticism of Islam or the Muslim world under the guise of outlawing prejudice.

The government set up a working group which invited people to make submissions aimed at defining Islamophobia. This provoked horror from critics who claimed it would create a blasphemy law by the back door for Islam.

The group eventually scrapped the term “Islamophobia” in favour of “anti-Muslim hostility” in an effort to head off such opposition. The government adopted this definition and is encouraging public, private and charitable bodies to act on it.

Critics claim, however, that this Islamophobia-lite is so vague and subjective that it will still have a chilling effect on free speech. One of those critics, the Conservative Party justice spokesman Nick Timothy, has now discovered through freedom of information requests that Angela Rayner's communities department has deleted all the submissions made to the working group.

So, public bodies will be deciding whether to take action against “anti-Muslim hostility” by using a slippery definition for which the reasoning has been concealed. Timothy has drawn the reasonable conclusion that the submissions were destroyed to hide the influence by Islamist extremists over the definition’s wording.

The communities department has flatly denied that any extremist groups were involved in the working

This Islamophobia-lite could still have a chilling effect on free speech

group's deliberations. It claims the submissions were destroyed because of the “volume of special category data”, including personal information and data on philosophical and religious beliefs and political opinions, which could only be used by the working group and not be kept for longer than necessary, in line with “data retention rules”.

Pull the other one. “Data retention rules” don’t explain why the department couldn’t name those who had made submissions or whether the working group had been influenced by them.

Timothy says, despite numerous parliamentary questions, ministers refused to confirm or deny whether the working group was influenced by, or even received representations from, Islamist groups such as Mend, Cage or the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). The government has a “no-contact” policy with these groups on account of their extremism.

Since Mend and the MCB, at least, have long campaigned for a definition of Islamophobia, it beggars belief that they wouldn't have submitted to the working group their views about its definition. One might wonder, indeed, why the government tolerates any extremist organisations operating freely in Britain.

Hatred of Muslims on account of their religious faith or any discrimination against them is of course wrong. But there are already laws against religious hatred and discrimination. Islamophobia — or whatever sanitised euphemism is used — is a threat to a free society, because it may well silence legitimate and necessary scrutiny of Islamic extremism or reprehensible or threatening behaviour within the Muslim world.

Proof that such concerns were justified didn't take long to surface. Within 45 minutes of the new definition being announced, the “Gaza-first” independent MP Iqbal Mohamed asked whether it could be incorporated into the Seven Principles of Public Life — the standards that MPs and other public office holders are expected to follow. This immediately raised the possibility that MPs could be sanctioned for comments made in parliament if they were deemed to constitute “anti-Muslim hostility”.

The Islamophobia claim has been used over the years to stigmatise and intimidate anyone who criticises Muslims or the Islamic world by deeming such expressions to be unacceptable bigotry — even when the claims are truthful and are calling necessary attention to matters of legitimate concern.

This was precisely the treatment meted out to Timothy himself in March when another “Gaza-first” MP, Afzal Khan, accused him of Islamophobia. This was because Timothy had warned, accurately, that the demonstrations of mass Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square represented the “domination of public places” that was “straight from the Islamist playbook”.

The weaponised charge of Islamophobia has long had a chilling effect on public discourse. As Timothy told Policy Exchange last year, even after all the evidence about the rape and grooming gangs, ministers still refuse to say the obvious — that these were racially and religiously aggravated crimes by mostly Muslim men against non-Muslim children.

Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has said Islamists control whole wings of prisons, with officers afraid to intervene “because of the ... fear of discriminating against Muslim prisoners”. Meanwhile, a teacher from Batley is still in hiding more than five years after showing caricatures of Muhammad to a class during a lesson on free speech

Self-censorship is bad enough. But now there has been government censorship of the process by which that self-censorship is to be turned into outright submission.

Max Hastings Notebook

Kemi's team are shadows and that's a big problem

e seldom go to parties, but recently attended a whizzo bash in a Notting Hill communal

garden. A cluster of us, all current or former newspaper or TV folk, were talking politics. I was moved to ask: "How many members of the Tory shadow cabinet can we name, beyond Kemi?" There was a silence. Then John Witherow, former editor of this great organ, mentioned Mel Stride.

Nobody else offered a suggestion, so seeing Emily Maitlis over my shoulder, I asked her the same question, and she added “James Cleverley”. After that, there seemed no more bidders within earshot. Yet 30 years ago all of us could have reeled off almost every name, from both major parties. Our tongue-tied showing that night seems to reflect not our dementia, but instead a huge political problem.

In a couple of weeks I am due to address a dinner group about the Conservatives' future. One suggestion I shall make is that since Kemi Badenoch seems as unlikely to become prime minister as am I to captain the Arsenal, she has nothing to lose by becoming what much of Britain cries out for — a politician who tells the truth instead of peddling fantasies.

She can say that Cameron's pension triple lock is as unaffordable as much of the welfare state at current levels; that Brexit has been a disaster; that we must stop featherbedding the old (the past) at the cost of punishing the young (the future). And so on. Her advisers will say that such frankness would be electoral suicide, but she could establish herself before history as an honest woman.

Love letters

I have been rereading John Betjeman's letters, edited by his daughter Candida.

They are humbling, because they're so full of love and sweetness towards everyone except property developers and modernists. Of course he was an imperfect human being, as are we all, who caused a lot of unhappiness to the women in his life. Yet the kindness and generosity, extended to tens of thousands of people many of whom were personally unknown to him, are deeply moving. Penny recently found a book of his poems which he gave me on my 21st birthday, inscribed "for my friend and fellow-journalist ...". I shed a tear then, and another now.

Ribald rhymes

More poetry. In 1978 Kingsley Amis edited The

New Oxford Book of Light Verse, in which I recently noticed that he included some shamefully vulgar limericks, such as “An Argentine gauche named Bruno/ Declared ‘there is one thing I do know/A woman is fine/ And a boy is divine/ But a llama is numero uno”. I suggested to my favourite Oxford grandee that Oxford University Press in its modern woke dress

would never publish such deplorable stuff. “Absolutely not,” she agreed, “because it’s cruel to animals.”

Turning the page

A wonderful 2024 creation of the former bookseller Emily Rhodes. Working regionally with food banks, the organisation offers families that are otherwise without books, and have no money to buy them, a chance to start reading. Last year they passed on 13,000 titles, half of them for children, through nine partner food banks in London, East Anglia and the north. They aspire to a presence in 30 by 2030, and this autumn are opening in Canterbury, Newcastle and New Cross.

Cancel culture

A distinguished veteran of military studies, who has spent her career teaching at US armed forces institutions, has just copied to me a letter from one such, cancelling her annual lecture “due to circumstances outside our control”. All such events now have to be screened by “secretary of war” Pete Hegseth’s office at the Pentagon. My friend, like most civilised Americans, is a fierce critic of the Trump administration.

Ministers, not chief constables, must lead policing policy David Spencer

The question of who is accountable for British policing's many failings over recent years is the one I wanted to understand most when I interviewed 14 former home secretaries for Policy Exchange.

The public might imagine that all roads of accountability lead to ministers but through my interviews a system was revealed that has, over the past decade and a half, counterintuitively distanced policing from democratic accountability.

A fundamental remodelling of policing governance took place during Theresa May's time as home secretary between 2010 and 2016. This included the creation of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), a worthy project intended to bring elected accountability closer to the crime problems of communities. But simultaneously with the arrival of PCCs came a reduction of ministers' roles in policing-related policymaking.

Instead, chief constables would be invested with their own policymaking body: the College of Policing. This organisation has been at the heart of many of policing's disastrous missteps over recent years, including the expansion of non-crime hate incidents and a “Police Race Action Plan”, which recently advocated not treating everyone the same.

The doctrine of “operational independence” is core to understanding police accountability. Under this concept chief constables, and every constable that serves under them, possess their powers independently of ministers. The rule of law depends on ministers being unable to intervene in individual cases by directing specific arrests or investigations. But there is a difference between this and the policymaking that eventually flows into police officers’ operational decision-making.

Reducing the role of ministers and the Home Office in policymaking has created a vacuum which chief constables and the College of Policing have filled with the voices of politically motivated but unelected activists. The effects on both the public's confidence in policing and police effectiveness have been calamitous.

The government's white paper on police reform proposes the creation of a new National Police Service led by a national police commissioner. It is intended that the current functions of the College of Policing will be folded into this new body. But this risks a continuation of the mistakes of the past decade and a half. When it comes to policymaking, chief constables should no longer be insulated from the influence and direction of elected politicians. Policymaking must exclusively be under the remit of ministers and parliament.

David Spencer is head of crime and justice for Policy Exchange and a former detective chief inspector for the Metropolitan Police

Comment

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Control yourself... why Victorian virtue is back

In a world that's designed around instant gratification, iron self-discipline is becoming a rare but prized asset

James Marriott

@J_AMESMARRIOTT

In the summer off the west coast of Ireland the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean inches up into the low to mid teens. As you tiptoe, shivering and swearing, into its green-black depths every footstep requires a conscious effort of will.

This, according to a useful distinction, is “Type 2” fun. “Type 1” fun is immediately rewarding; the Type 2 variety (which I always have to be coaxed into) is grim in the moment but pays off later. Glowing with cold and unaccustomed self-satisfaction in the car home, it occurs to me that a theory of modern life might be extrapolated from the distinction.

No society in history has provided its citizens with more (or more dubious) opportunities for immediate gratification than ours: sports betting, online pornography, cherry-flavour vapes, video games, junk food, short videos. Existence in the 21st century might be characterised as a kind of cradle-to-grave marshmallow test. To live successfully requires us to gird

ourselves for a thousand daily battles of the will.

An age of automation has prompted much rumination on the “skills of the future”. “Social skills” and “creativity” are common answers. I would add that a talent for postponing gratification is one of the most underrated abilities in the modern world.

Once upon a time this was taken for granted. Self-discipline was a relentless theme of Victorian-era self-help of the Samuel Smiles variety. Smiles thought self-control the “root of all virtues”. The successful man “is he who by discipline exercises a constant control over his thoughts, speech and acts”. The 19th century was transfixed by the degrading spectacle of lost control; the drunkards, gamblers, opium addicts and fallen women glimpsed sliding towards the workhouse in every other novel that century produced.

Our age of social safety nets makes the consequences of failed self-discipline less stark. Nowadays, the temptations most of us dodge are smaller. But they are significant. One obvious case is that of fitness. Before the age of sedentary work and ultra-processed food, physical fitness required little conscious thought. Nowadays, not to be overweight (as two thirds of British adults are) takes a lifelong effort of will. Smiles would have approved of the joggers and

marathon runners toiling up and down the Regent's Canal near me. And what seems today like a minor difference in hobbies will one day manifest as a major difference in quality of life. When they are spry octogenarians, free of pills and hospital appointments, these runners may count themselves among the victors of the modern world.

The banal struggle not to waste evenings scrolling seems equally unexceptional. But recent studies of the effects of screentime on academic achievement, cognitive ability and

We tend to think you should do what you want, what feels good

concentration suggest the stakes may be higher than we assume. A recent Times story that modern students are destined to spend 25 years of their waking lives scrolling on screens gives an idea of the way trivial failures of self-control can accumulate.

So does a report from America that concluded a decline in labour force participation among young men was attributable to a “huge shift” towards time spent computer gaming, which can devour the days of those who lack the will to resist it. Addictions to pornography and online gambling (in America an

astonishing half of men aged 18 to 49 have a sports betting account) are frequently cited as blights on the romantic and financial prospects of young men.

A lack of self-control won't send you to the workhouse but it is increasingly a deciding factor in your chance of living a full and meaningful life. Cruelly, as temptations multiply, major success requires ever-more Herculean feats of self-discipline. The most remunerative modern work demands Stakhanovite feats of commitment. In the pandemic it was revealed that young Goldman Sachs bankers were putting in 100-hour weeks. The days of long lunches and the nine-to-five are long gone.

Flair and intelligence are surely useful assets for those hoping for career success. But only self-discipline is non-negotiable. Many struggle and “burn out” doing jobs like these. The fortunate few who possess the capacity to get their heads down and sacrifice the pleasures of the moment will reap disproportionate benefits later on.

This is less obvious to us than it was to readers of Smiles. We tend to cringe at Victorian-style paean to industry and discipline. A clever recent AI analysis of changing cultural values found that the one that has strikingly risen in prominence over the past century

is “indulgence”. We tend to think you should “do what you want” or “do what feels good”. It is a likeable creed. But as practical advice it is flawed.

Confusingly, for all that our culture preaches self-gratification, it is harsher than ever on loose or reckless behaviour. The much-documented decline in drinking among young people has been attributed to a nervousness about being seen to be out of control online. All of us are judged and surveilled by our peers and employers. Modern offices require workers to navigate complex codes of offence. If you don't want to get fired or publicly shamed, the cultivation of social restraint of a kind the Victorians might have respected is a good idea.

It is no accident that among the most profitable industries of our time are aids to self-control. There are pills and jabs to suppress our appetites, apps to keep us off our phones, personal trainers to bully you down to the gym. Doubtless such things help around the margins. But the real thing — iron self-discipline, a willingness to postpone rewards — is the great and unfakeable asset in 21st-century life. In the modern world, that candy-coloured Hieronymous Bosch landscape of petty temptations, the future is Type 2.

Letters to the Editor should be sent to letters@thetimes.co.uk or by post to 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

Scrutiny of Arday was legitimate

Sir, We write to express our disagreement with those blaming Jason Arday's death on the academics and journalists who subjected his academic work and/or his claimed life achievements to public scrutiny. In addition to being a Cambridge professor, Professor Arday was a fellow of Jesus College; a trustee of the Runnymede Trust and the British Sociological Association; a patron of the Adult Literacy Trust and Get Further; and sat on various committees, including ITV's cultural advisory council and the NHS race and health observatory academic reference group. Hence subjecting his work and apparently untrue claims to public scrutiny was entirely legitimate.

Professor Paul Wragg, writing for Hacked Off, endorsed Dawn Butler MP's un-evidenced assertion that the media had played a central role in "hounding Arday to his death". At the London vigil, Lord Woolley of Woodford, the principal of Homerton College, Cambridge, claimed that "Jason had felt hounded by those rabid wolves" and compared the press's scrutiny to a "lynching". Diane Abbott MP blamed Professor Arday's death on individual academics who publicly exposed Professor Arday's plagiarism and other flaws in his work.

These reckless responses go beyond mourning a death; they are calls for the censorship of the press and the curbing of free speech and academic freedom. While Professor Arday's death was desperately sad, emotional vulnerability cannot be given priority over the need to hold the powerful and influential to account in the interest of truth. They also deflect attention from where it should be placed: the practices and standards at Cambridge University and/or its Faculty of Education and academia more widely. Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, director, Don't Divide Us; Lord Young of Acton, director, Free Speech Union; Edward Skidelsky, director, Committee for Academic Freedom; William Mackesy and Andrew Neish KC, co-founders, Alumni for Free Speech and Best Free Speech Practice; Professor Dennis Hayes, director, Academics For Academic Freedom; Lord Biggar of Castle Douglas; Baroness Fox of Buckley, director, Academy of Ideas; Dr John Armstrong, London Universities' Council for Academic Freedom; Professor Ian Pace, City St George's, University of London Full list at thetimes.com/letters

Letters to The Times must be exclusive and may be edited. Please include a full address and daytime phone number.

Corrections and clarifications

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content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (“IPSO”) rules and regulations and the Editors’ Code of Practice that IPSO enforces. Requests for corrections should be sent to feedback@thetimes.co.uk

Badenoch's strict criteria for Tory candidates

Sir, Malcolm Rifkind uses a bad analogy in his attack on Kemi Badenoch's stance on Tory candidate selection when he refers to Winston Churchill not being deselected for opposing the Munich agreement in 1938 ("The Tories' new candidate policy is anti-Conservative", Thunderer, Aug 24). Even though Churchill abstained in the parliamentary vote, there were indeed strong moves made to deselect him in his Epping seat, which were inspired by Conservative Central Office and only came to an end when Hitler invaded Prague in March 1939, which proved that Churchill and not Neville Chamberlain had been right about appeasement all along. Jeremy Black Emeritus professor of history, University of Exeter; Exeter

Sir, Malcolm Rifkind wonders what would have happened if Chamberlain had blocked Churchill from becoming an MP over his stance on Munich.

I suspect Churchill would have joined the Liberal Party and then, at a suitable moment, crossed the floor. Tom Benyon Bladon, Oxon

Sir, If Grant Shapps is unprepared to follow the Conservative Party's policies then it is right to exclude him. The Tories wasted the entire 2019-24 parliament in a state of incessant infighting, squabbling over their pecking order instead of governing, and there simply isn't the time to waste on such self-indulgent parliamentary parlour games any more. Either Shapps follows the order of service as it is given to him, or he can preach out in the churchyard to the gravestones. Robert Frazer Salford

Sir, In his piece Malcolm Rifkind says there is no precedent for the Conservative Party blocking would-be parliamentary candidates who support net zero or remaining in the European convention on human

rights. He would do well to remember that Tory MPs who didn't support the Maastricht treaty had the whip withdrawn, and it was well understood that no Conservative candidate could support leaving the EU. Nigel Linacre Conservative parliamentary candidate North Cornwall 1997; Chippenham

Sir, Malcolm Rifkind questions the non-selection of candidates such as Grant Shapps and Penny Mordaunt. To my mind, the former foreign secretary is one of the liberal elite who betrayed traditional Tory voters like me, leaving the party in its present pass. The way net zero was implemented has had catastrophic consequences for our manufacturing industries and caused our economy to flatline, making us all poorer. The ECHR has prevented successive home secretaries from controlling our borders. It is right that the architects of our failure should be excluded. Richard Hodgkinson Bristol

Minister's role in rail cancellations

Sir, While the transport secretary is to be commended for her weekend intervention (“Rail passengers frustrated as power cut cancels trains”, Aug 24) in asking publicly owned operators to lay on extra services and sending Network Rail engineers “to restore power and systems as soon as possible”, her action does have something of the comical and troubling, if this is an example of how governance will work if or when the Railways Bill obtains royal assent in the course of this parliament. Comical in the sense of a secretary of state being advised, if indeed she was, that her intervention was required when an interruption of such adverse effect could not be rectified without it. Troubling for similar reasons, leading to serious questions as to the accountability of the new integrated Great British Railways when things happen which could or should have been avoided. Rail passengers have the right to expect that when things go wrong, the suppliers of railway services are properly accountable to them, and do not function in a manner depending merely on the discretion of the transport secretary.

The emasculation of the powers of the Office of Rail and Road under the Railways Bill is just another example of the government's determination to keep the nationalised Great British Railways as far from independent regulation, and proper accountability, as it possibly can. John Swift KC Rail regulator 1993-98; Chalkhouse Green, Oxon

Heath restoration

Sir, The National Trust is to be commended for its swift response to the wildfire on Dunwich Heath with a public appeal for funds, although how it intends to spend the cash remains obscure. The trust envisages a “healthier, more resilient landscape that can support wildlife long into the future” and to help “nature adapt to the new conditions” of hotter summers and wildfires caused by climate change. But what does this mean? Part of the answer lies in understanding heathland, which is uniquely vulnerable to fire. It is not a natural landscape feature but rather occurs when certain types of human activity disturb dry, acidic soils, which in turn promotes the growth of its characteristic undershrubs, namely heather, furze and bracken. Without human intervention, “nature” would simply revert the land to woodland. In the past, heath was carefully

managed through close grazing by sheep and rabbits, and, ironically, occasional controlled burning. Furthermore, furze and bracken were cropped and highly prized as hot, fast-burning fuel.

If Dunwich Heath is to be restored as heath, then the focus must be on mitigating the risk of future wildfires. If the trust's vision of helping nature to create a healthier, more resilient landscape means the removal of those flammable undershrubs, so be it. But it won't be heath. Perhaps before such funds are raised, the trust should set out clearly what it intends to do. Mark Bailey

Professor of late medieval history, UEA

Solidarity in war

Sir, I like to think that perhaps the psychological dimensions of war are at last being observed in high places. The last time the film Darkest Hour was screened by the BBC was a couple of years ago when President Zelensky was staying in London at the Ukrainian embassy. On Sunday it was screened again, on the occasion of Ukraine's national flag day. Somebody somewhere, it seems, has appreciated the similarity of the situation faced by Britain in 1940 and Ukraine in 2026. Thomas Lort-Phillips Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire

A FITTING MONUMENT TO KITCHENER

FROM THE TIMES AUGUST 25, 1926

At an early period of his career Lord Kitchener recognized that British rule in the tropics must be based, to a large extent, on the practice of preventive medicine. With this idea in his mind he proposed, during his last visit to the Sudan, that a medical school should be set up in Khartum, at which students might receive a complete professional education, and so be enabled to take their places in the health organization of the country. His proposal was carried into effect, and the Kitchener School of Medicine was formally opened by the late Sir

Lee Stack, who was governor general of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, in February 1924. The first annual report of the school has now been issued, and is a document of great interest.

The scheme, it is stated, has definitely proved to be workable; students have shown themselves capable of profiting by the instruction given. The students are natives of the Sudan, to whose lot, in Sir Lee Stack's words, it will fall to play “an important part in helping to extend the benefits of good administration in their own country”. They will go out from the school to help in carrying on the campaigns against epidemic disease which are now being waged in the Sudan and by means of which it should be possible to bring many of the common diseases under control in the course of a limited number of years. They will replace, in time, the medical staffs imported from Syria or Egypt, and thus give a truly national character to the medical service.

The importance of this consideration is obvious. Each country has its own peculiar health problems which can best be resolved by its own natives, provided that they have received an adequate scientific training. The students of the Kitchener School are now receiving part of their instruction in public health work in the markets and on the cotton fields of their land. They are learning at home the intricate methods of drainage by which malaria fever is controlled, and the sanitary measures by which villages may be maintained in health and happiness. As professional men, they will be able to uphold among their fellows the necessity of all these schemes. It would be difficult to imagine a nobler or more fitting memorial to the life and work of Lord Kitchener.

THETIMES.COM/ARCHIVE

Canada geese cull

Sir, Canada geese have been out of control for decades, so I sympathise with the chief executive of St George's Hill Lawn Tennis Club over his dawn cull ("Tennis club that culled its geese faces member revolt", Aug 24). Canadas will clear a grass field faster than sheep and empty their bowels with alarming frequency. They're also aggressive at nesting time. When I presented ITV's Heart of the Country, I helped a lakeside manager attempt to reduce their number by pricking their eggs in the nest. A risky and ultimately doomed exercise. Wildlife often has to be controlled for its own sake; deer are a perfect example. We should stop this feigned indignation. Tony Francis Chesham, Bucks

Water harvesting

Sir, Further to Valerie Rigarlsford's letter (Aug 21) on water harvesting, I travelled extensively throughout Japan during the 2019 Rugby World Cup and stayed in numerous boarding houses, hotels and Airbnbs. In many of these places, lavatory cisterns had an integral handwash basin fitted on top as standard. This emptied into the lavatory bowl, thus using grey water for flushing. Ingenious and simple. Hugh Hutchison London W13

Monastic women

Sir, Further to your fascinating article "Medieval retreats inspire trend for women-only havens" (Aug 22), we should not overlook Julian of Norwich, who quite apart from being our own Beguines, was also the first woman to be published in English (Revelations of Divine Love). Nora Howland Broadstairs, Kent

Gargantuan totes

Sir, Reading your article “Drop your tiny clutch, it’s the summer of the supersized tote” (Aug 22), I could only feel sorry for the passenger sitting next to Dua Lipa on her flight to New York. I can’t begin to imagine how the singer managed to store her giant tote on board. The other drawback with these huge bags is the horror of realising that you have dropped your car keys in the bag in your hurry to get to the shops and now need to tip everything out to find them. Pauline Mayer Basingstoke, Hants

Jaw-dropping case

Sir, Mandibular prognathism (letter, Aug 24) is the condition in which the lower jaw projects prominently. As a student at the Royal Dental Hospital in the 1970s, I remember one of our lecturers recounting an encounter from his time as a consultant surgeon to a London prison. He was asked to remove the wisdom teeth of a prisoner serving a sentence for assault who had a particularly prominent lower jaw. He suggested that, while operating, he could also remove some bone and reduce the man's prognathism. Years later, the surgeon met the same man again, who told him that the operation had changed his life: previously, he said, nobody had found him attractive. Since the operation, however, it was a different story and he was now serving a sentence for being a confidence trickster. Dr Jerry Asquith BDS, FCGDent Moor Park, Herts

Leading articles

Daily Universal Register

UK: Edinburgh International Television Festival, until Friday; the Professional Footballers' Association awards, Manchester.

Nature notes

In late August missing sector orb weavers reach adulthood and begin to look for mates. These common and

widespread arachnids are also known as silver-sided sector spiders and winter spiders, and are usually found on or around buildings where they particularly favour spots near windows where there is increased likelihood of flying insects; they often take up residence on car wing mirrors too. They spin the usual flat, round orb-weaver web, but it always has a missing section in the upper part. Behind runs a strong silken line leading to the spider's retreat, where it sits with its first two legs on the line feeling for the vibrations telling them lunch has been caught in the web. MELISSA HARRISON

Birthdays today

Elvis Costello, pictured; singer and composer, Oliver's Army (1979), 72; Matt Aitken, songwriter and producer, Stock Aitken Waterman, 70; Kimi Antonelli, F1 driver, 20; John Badham,

director, Saturday Night Fever (1977), 87; Lord (Conrad) Black of Crossharbour, chairman, Telegraph Group (1987-2005), 82; Paul Blomfield, chairman, Campaign for Dignity in Dying, 73; Tim Burton, director, Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), 68; Billy Ray Cyrus, singer-songwriter, Achy Breaky Heart (1992), 65; Sir Lloyd Dorfman, chairman, Royal Opera House, 74; Will Gompertz, writer, director, Sir John Soane's Museum, 61; Rob Halford, singer-songwriter, Judas Priest, 75; Tom Hollander, actor, Rev. (2010-14), 59; Paul Holmes, Opposition whip, 38; Daryl Jacob, jockey, winner of 2012 Grand National, 43; Howard Jacobson, novelist, The Finkler Question (2010, Man Booker Prize), 84; Blake Lively, actress, It Ends with Us (2024), 39; Prof Sir Colin Lucas, chairman, British Library (2006-10), 86; Catriona Matthew, golfer, Women's British Open champion (2009), 57; Sir Stephen Munby, education consultant, 70; Clive Myrie, BBC News presenter, 62; Taslima Nasrin, writer and activist banished from Bengal region, 64; Xavier Niel, technology entrepreneur, founder and majority shareholder, Iliad (trading as Freeband), 59; Katie Ormerod, snowboarder, bronze medallist at the Winter X Games (2017), 29; Mark Roberts QPM, chief constable, Cheshire Constabulary, 59; John Savage, actor, The Deer Hunter (1978), 77; Claudia Schiffer, model, 56; Alexander Skarsgard, actor, Succession (2021-23), 50; Tom Skerritt, actor, Alien (1979), 93; Gene Simmons, co-lead singer, Kiss, 77; Sir Alistair Spalding, artistic director and co-chief executive, Sadler's Wells theatre, 69; Jonas Gahr Store, prime minister of Norway, 66; Lord (Guglielmo) Verdirame KC, professor of international law, King's College London, 55; Joanne Whalley, actress, Scandal (1989), 65; Joe Wright, director, Pride & Prejudice (2005), 54.

On this day

In 1944 Paris was liberated from German occupation by French and US troops.

The last word

“Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends.” Benjamin Disraeli, twice prime minister, in a speech to the House of Commons (1874)

Scalping the Enemy

Ukraine deserves unwavering support as it celebrates 35 years of independence. By sharing missile tech, Andy Burnham adds to Britain's record of stalwart solidarity

A crumpled Andy Burnham stepped off the night train to Kyiv yesterday determined to show that Britain's support for Ukrainian independence had not flagged, despite almost five years of war. It was his first foreign trip as prime minister and was not an empty act of solidarity: the British government has decided to enable Ukraine to produce its own version of Scalp, the air-launched, deep-strike cruise missile. The gesture has drawn an angry response from the Kremlin, which Mr Burnham should wear as a badge of honour.

Many western leaders have promised weapons deliveries after meeting President Zelensky of Ukraine, but the offers have become more modest as Nato stockpiles dwindle. Some promises, such as President Trump's hint that the United States would allow Ukraine to build its own version of the Patriot anti-missile system, seem to be withering on the vine. The Burnham gift has a different quality: it is about helping Ukraine to develop its own high-tech defence industry by making the classified blueprints available for British components used in Scalp, the French equivalent of Britain's Storm Shadow missiles. Such weapons allow Ukraine to penetrate hardened bunkers.

And it has Russia rattled. Dmitry Peskov, President Putin's spokesman, was quick off the mark.

Mr Burnham, he said, was adding fuel to the fire of war. To which Mr Burnham replied: "Who started that fire? That's the question, isn't it?" The fact is Moscow has been gambling that the West, fearful of depleting its arms stockpiles and lacking the budget to replenish them, would shift from a military outcome towards a political settlement. Mr Putin embarked on the 2022 invasion in the knowledge that he did not have enough troops for an all-out occupation of Ukraine. And his hopes for establishing a puppet government were soon dashed. Now, he seems to be putting his chips on a version of total war, throwing glide bombs and drone swarms at Ukrainian civilians. His aim seems to be Ukrainian capitulation.

That is the difficult position Ukraine finds itself in as it celebrates the 35th anniversary of its independence. Mr Zelensky has to juggle an acute manpower shortage, porous air defences that leave his country vulnerable to ballistic missile attack, strikes against energy infrastructure and the bombardment of grain ports during the export season. He has no choice, in his view, but to strike deeper and deeper into Russia, hoping to sap its population's morale and create the seeds of resistance should Mr Putin opt for what would be a very unpopular general mobilisation.

Mr Zelensky hopes that war fatigue in Russia will create momentum for a ceasefire and eventually the reciprocal withdrawal from the front line of Russian and Ukrainian troops, followed by the creation of a buffer zone. As yet, however, the Kremlin shows no sign of embracing such a settlement. There is thus little choice for the so-called coalition of the willing — chaired for the first time yesterday by Mr Burnham — other than to boost Ukraine's defensive capacity, above all its air defences, and offensive capability.

Moscow has made plain that to be part of this coalition is to identify as an enemy of Russia. None of its rhetorical targets — not Britain, not France, not Germany — should be intimidated by this sabre rattling. There is a risk, shared by all of Ukraine's western supporters, of so-called grey-zone activity: attacks on premises associated with the defence industry in Europe have become more common, and it is reasonable to assume that the Russians have a hand in it. But the moral prerogative is clear: a cash-strapped Ukraine is fighting not only for its own independence but also for the West, for the rule of law in international affairs and respect for the sanctity of international borders. With Scalp, Mr Burnham has put down his marker. He must now stay the course.

Reckless Abandon

The A66 crash highlights the need for more policing, both on the roads and online

Early on Saturday morning, PCs Matthew Blades and Tom Clough were dispatched to assist in the pursuit of a Volkswagen Passat hurtling down the A66 near Middlesbrough. When the car, identified as “suspicious”, joined the dual carriageway in the wrong direction it collided with the vehicle driven by Blades and Clough at around 3.40am. The policemen were both killed, as were the five occupants in the Passat, all of whom were below the age of 24. The two policemen were in their thirties. The incident was horrifying.

The crash resulted in the arrest of 12 people yesterday, including some on suspicion of involvement in organised crime, and possession of a firearm. Four of the occupants of the Passat had previous convictions: Makai Saddington, an 18-year-old suspected joyrider, had admitted assaulting a police officer and causing racially aggravated distress. The car was believed to have cloned number plates, which were spotted on camera and flagged to officers.

Cleveland police are facing a complex task in investigating the crash and the individuals involved. But there are two immediate factors that need addressing when it comes to road safety and tackling joyriding. One is officer numbers and the trend of relying on cameras. Some 7,000 cameras are now present on the UK's road network. These are undoubtedly more cost effective for monitoring traffic levels and safety, and they can make some drivers act more cautiously. But they cannot be a substitute for police patrols.

According to the AA, the number of dedicated traffic officers has slumped over the past decade. As of March this year, there were 4,143 of them, 1,094 fewer than the peak level recorded in 2016. The AA also reported that over half of motorists think careless and dangerous driving behaviour — such as tailgating and middle lane hogging — are not dealt with because of a lack of police patrols. Boosting numbers of white-capped traffic officers would diminish the sense of impunity that results in bad behaviour. Joyriders are less likely to engage in dangerous driving if there is a visible presence on the roads, reminding them of the potential consequences of their actions.

The other area in which change is required is tackling social media glorification of reckless and dangerous driving. As this newspaper has reported, TikTok has hosted hundreds of videos of reckless behaviour by car drivers and motorcyclists. The effects of this conditioning are now being felt. Earlier this month, five teenagers were killed in Ireland when a BMW was driven the wrong way down the M9 motorway, colliding with a vehicle carrying a family to the airport. Online accounts linked to the teenagers showed videos of cars being stolen and driven dangerously.

In the case of the Cleveland tragedy, there is no evidence that the young men involved filmed their escapade. But it has been reported that social media accounts linked to some of them showed chases set to rap music. TikTok says it acts proactively to remove content encouraging dangerous driving. So too does Snapchat, another platform known to have hosted videos of reckless driving.

All platforms must make greater efforts to clamp down on material glorifying law-breaking and thrill-seeking behind the wheel. That, together with greater numbers of dedicated traffic police, is needed if the roads are not to become lawless avenues for life-threatening behaviour.

Scandi Scandal

The travails of Norway's royal family are spookily similar to those of the Windsors

Norway is supposed to have one of those, to put it frankly, boring monarchies. A sober continental bicycling outfit à la Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, members of which are to be seen sauntering along the street, occasionally engaging on strictly egalitarian terms with their subjects. Drama on a truly royal scale is supposed to be the preserve of the Windsors, the last of the blue-blooded family firms to operate on, and spend taxpayers' money on, the grand imperial scale. Not a bit of it. This cadet branch of the House of Glücksburg (our own King hails from it in part) can give Britain's royals a regal run for their money.

Attention on Norway's first family has been reignited by the deteriorating condition of King Harald, who has ruled since 1991. Like Charles, Harald, 89, is widely respected. But like Charles again, there are issues with members of his dynasty, ones that will be spookily familiar to royal watchers here. The Glücksburgs have their own in-house former chum of Jeffrey Epstein. Mette-Marit, the wife of Crown Prince Haakon and Norway's next queen, has had to apologise for her friendship with the late paedophile. She has also had to contend with the fallout after her son from a previous relationship was convicted of rape.

Just as Charles has had to deal with a wayward "spare", so has Harald. His daughter Märtha Louise's marriage to an American called Durek Verrett has caused the ruling family no end of trouble. Mr Verrett, a self-styled shaman who says he is half reptilian, is routinely denounced as a charlatan and conman in Norway's media. The couple appeared in a Netflix documentary during which Mr Verrett complained about royal attitudes to racism, and spoke of family fears that he might appear on Oprah. Sound familiar? The result of this ongoing Scandi drama is falling support for the monarchy. Time for bikes and boring again.

World

No one is above Iran sanctions, US warns China

United States

David Charter Washington

The US has pledged the “economic asphyxiation” of the Iranian regime in an escalation of sanctions that would widen the conflict to all of Tehran's trade partners, raising the prospect of a fresh clash with China.

Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, said that all nations continuing to do business with Iran were being given timelines to cut ties in what he called D-Day for Operation Economic Outcast. Bessent said the aim was to “sever every economic lifeline” for Iran in “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary”. However, he declined to specify the time frame.

Tehran derided the economic offensive as “empty boasts” and said its trading partners, which include not only China but also Russia, India, Turkey and Iraq, would ignore Bessent’s threat to make them pariahs and exclude them from the US dollar system.

"In the Second World War, D-Day marked the historic beginning of a campaign with our allies to target and drive the enemy from its positions, including those in third countries," Bessent said in a press conference at the US Treasury. "In that same spirit, we are launching an economic onslaught against Iran's financial connections around the globe. Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone."

When a reporter pointed out that D-Day was not the threat of an invasion nor the setting of a timeline for Germany, Bessent replied: "Well, we are giving everyone the opportunity to remedy bad behaviour ... we believe that a warning shot and a level set of expectations is appropriate. If people do not want to meet our expectations, then we expect, and they should expect, that they will leave the dollar system."

Bessent was asked repeatedly how his threat of a “zero leakage approach” would apply to China, after President Trump’s bruising tariff conflict that has resulted in an uneasy truce before a planned visit to the US by President Xi next month. “We want to make clear here today that no one is above the reach of US sanctions,” Bessent said. “That if they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money into repression, they will be targeted.”

A strict enforcement of the economic blockade would also mean targeting Pakistan, the nation most involved in trying to mediate between the two sides. Bessent said Trump was personally calling world leaders to set out US expectations. "Any nation that serves as a financial artery of a withering regime should expect to share in its isolation," Bessent said. "To become a sanctuary for terror is to become, in the eyes of the United States, a global pariah."

It marked a relaunch by Bessent of a campaign he called Operation Economic Fury, a play on the war's military title Operation Epic Fury, on May 11, when the Treasury announced sanctions on 12 individuals and entities involved in selling Iran's oil.

“Iran’s enablers purchase and transport its petroleum,” Bessent added in an article in the Financial Times. “They facilitate the flow of its finances through exchange houses and free trade zones. They welcome Iran’s flights and maintain registries on its behalf. They turn a blind eye to seaborne fuel transfers and the illicit use of their banks, all while concealing the extent of their complicity. In short, these countries calculate appeasement of the regime to be the safer course."

The market rate for the rial dropped to 2.02 million to the US dollar as trading opened on currency markets. At the start of the conflict in February this exchange rate stood at about 1.28 million.

"IRAN IS COMPLETELY COLLAPSING!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. As the conflict approaches its six-month mark on Friday, he has switched to an economic pressure campaign that shows some signs of rattling the regime.

Trump also reposted a report on the right-wing news station Newsmax of remarks by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, warning about the country's economic troubles.

“No matter how strong our military power becomes, if we are hungry, we will not be able to endure,” Ghalibaf said, according to the report.

His comments on Thursday were said to have caused a backlash from hardliners in Iran. Masoud Barati, a former state television presenter, wrote on X that Ghalibaf conveyed “a message of weakness”.

In response to Bessent's announcement, Ghalibaf posted: “Americans know that no one believes their empty boasts; economically, the United States is in no position to make its relations with other countries any more restrictive. Iran's trading partners, both in the media and by sending us messages, have told us that they don't give these remarks any credence.”

A propaganda billboard in Tehran adapted an album cover by the 1990s grunge

Cryptic literary master bids farewell with 11 books in a week

France

Adam Sage Paris

When Antoine Volodine, the acclaimed if somewhat cryptic French author, revealed plans to publish 11 books in the same week, commentators were sceptical. One said it was “economic suicide”, another that he was heading for a “commercial debacle”.

Nevertheless, Volodine, the founder of post-exoticism, an obscure and possibly tongue-in-cheek literary movement that seems to have one member — himself — has managed to convince Parisian publishers that some things are more important than commerce.

This week, the 11 tomes of Retour au goudron (Return to the Tarmac), which are a mixture of short tales, vignettes, poetic dialogues, dreamscapes and "shamanic prose", will be published by 11 different publishers in what is being hailed as a literary milestone. The author describes the event as a “performance”. He told Le Figaro that he had been working on the texts for 15 years, adding that they initially filled 343 notebooks and ran to 4,000

pages. He said he had cut the “gigantic mass” to a “more reasonable” 2,500 pages.

Volodine has won literary prizes but compared to other French writers such as Michel Houellebecq, whose controversial novels are bestsellers, and Annie Ernaux, who won the Nobel prize for literature, his public profile is low.

Some of his support-

ers believe he will join a long list of French authors to achieve posthumous greatness, such as Stendhal in the 19th century and Marcel Proust in the 20th.

Volodine says that although all of the 11 books, which range from 170 to 336

pages and cost between €15 and €22.50, focus on similarly dark themes, they do not follow on from each other. “There is no order, no progression. Take any of them,” he told critics when the project was unveiled.

Adding to the arcane nature of Volodine's work, he writes under different heteronyms, or fictional alter egos with their own styles

Antoine Volodine wrote 4,000 pages

and invented biographies. Antoine Volodine is only his best known — the writer's real name is Jean Desvignes. Retour au goudron will appear under a different name altogether, Infernus Iohannes.

Few of the publishers are anticipating a popular triumph for a writer whose works are set in a remorselessly bleak environment where the remnants of a self-destructive human race hover in a dream-like state between life and death. They say it will be difficult enough to persuade bookstores to sell them, let alone readers to buy them.

The French book market is already struggling, recording total sales of 75.66 million in the first four months of this year, down 7.9 per cent compared with the same period last year. Anglo-Saxon literature is dominating and six of the ten bestselling works last year were by Freida McFadden, an American. Yet all the publishers appear enthusiastic at the prospect of involvement in an event they hope will become part of the cultural history of a country that likes to think of itself as an intellectual beacon.

Émilie Colombani, editorial director of Rivages, which is publishing one of the works, said she was participating “in an adventure that is out of the ordinary”. She said the author’s “post-exotic universe possesses a unique narrative power and vertigo”.

Olivier Cohen, the founder of the Éditions de l'Olivier, which is publishing another of the works, told Le Figaro: "I told him it was absurd to bring out ll books in August even if ... it is an extraordinary gesture."

Volodine, 77, says the 11 books mark the end of his career. One of the works, Dernière livraison (Last Delivery), ends with the line: “I am falling silent.”

It's not rude to be nude, Iceland tells bath tourists Page 25

Farmers could make Trump pay for tariff chaos Page 26

ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH/EPA; BACKGRID

band Nirvana to mock President Trump. Top left: his eldest daughter, Ivanka, was seen surfing off Costa Rica on Sunday

Fire tragedy bar owner accused of wife's assault

Switzerland

Adam Sage

The owner of a Swiss bar where 41 people died in a fire on New Year's Day has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife, according to reports in local media.

Jacques Moretti, 49, was detained earlier this month after Jessica Moretti, 41, was admitted to hospital following the incident at their home in the Valais canton of Switzerland, the broadcaster Léman Bleu said. Prosecutors refused to confirm his arrest. In a statement, Hayat & Meier, a Geneva-based law firm that claims to represent both the husband and wife, said: "The events that recently occurred at the Moretti couple's home ... fall within a context that cannot be ignored: that of a particularly intense ordeal which the Morettis have tried to face together."

Moretti was the owner of Le Constellation bar in the chic Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, where 41 people, mostly teenagers, died in the early hours of January 1 during a fire that broke out in the basement.

His wife was the manager of the bar and present that night.

They are accused of installing soundproofing foam on the basement ceiling, which caught alight when a waitress held up empty champagne bottles containing sparklers. The victims were trapped and unable to escape up through a narrow stairwell, or through an exit door that had been locked, Swiss media has reported.

The Morettis face charges including manslaughter by negligence and arson by negligence.

They were arrested after the blaze but released on bail. They deny the charges.

A total of 14 other people have been charged in connection with the fire, including local officials and politicians suspected of failing to inspect the acoustic foam and other works carried out by the Morettis. Crans-Montana council has admitted the bar had not been inspected since 2020.

No trial date has yet been set, and some of the victims' lawyers have criticised the slow pace of the investigation.

"Some parents don't want to wait any longer," said Maitre Sébastien Fanti, who is representing a 26-year-old French woman severely burnt in the fire. He was speaking after a hearing in June, when Maître Didier Elsi, another lawyer for victims of the fire, urged the Morettis to admit wrongdoing.

"The Morettis must stop evading their responsibility," he said. "We want them to admit their mistakes."

Pistorius case was a flawed show trial, says veteran barrister

South Africa

Jane Flanagan Cape Town

Oscar Pistorius was minutes into his cross-examination at the 2014 trial for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, when the prosecutor screened a video of him blasting a watermelon with a gun. As the fruit exploded, a voice off camera that sounded like the Paralympian said: "It's a lot softer than brains ... it's like a zombie stopper."

Gerrie Nel, for the prosecution, turned to him and said: "You know that the same happened to Reeva's head. It exploded. Have a look." The courtroom's large TV screens then filled with a graphic police photograph of her lifeless blonde head matted with blood.

Pistorius shielded his eyes and began sobbing. “I don’t have to look at a picture, I was there,” he told the court. The images and the exchange that followed became one of the defining moments of the televised trial watched by millions around the world.

Chris Marnewick, a veteran barrister and senior counsel — the South African equivalent of a KC — and former acting judge, revisits the episode in a book, Oscar Pistorius: The Big Lie and the Right to a Fair Trial.

Pistorius was originally convicted of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, before the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) overturned that verdict and substituted a murder conviction, resulting in a far longer prison sentence. Marnewick argues the trial was flawed, and that the appeal court compounded those errors. He describes the video and photograph as an “ambush” designed to shock and unsettle Pistorius.

“Pistorius had already admitted that he had shot her and caused her death, so those pictures were irrelevant,” he told The Times. “The prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, hammered it up. He was on the world stage and was enjoying the cameras and bullying his witness. It was outrageously inappropriate.”

Months before Steenkamp's death, Pistorius, who had both legs amputated below the knee, had become one of the world's most recognisable athletes. He became known as the "Blade Runner" who raced on carbon-fibre blades at the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, was shot dead in the bathroom of Pistorius's home in Pretoria in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 2013. He fired four shots through the locked

toilet door, striking her three times. He told his trial that he had believed it was an intruder, having heard a noise, and felt vulnerable as he was in bed without his prosthetic legs.

The open window and locked door were cited by his defence as support for his account. However, the SCA later found that the trial court had failed to properly consider forensic evidence,

Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead in 2013 including bullet trajectories and their ability to penetrate the door and expand on impact. It concluded that Pistorius must have foreseen that someone behind the door could be killed.

Marnewick, the author of a textbook used to train South African advocates, or barristers, saw only snippets of the trial. Years later, he was drawn back to the case by opinions of international legal experts from jurisdictions, like South Africa's, built on the British adversarial model. Among them was the Canadian barrister Scott Fenton, who argued that Pistorius's cross-examination was "inflammatory, abusive and incendiary" and, by Canadian standards, breached rules of evidence that "would warrant an order for a new trial".

Marnewick spent six years examining the transcript, evidence and judgments, treating the case, he said, as an appeal court would. He catalogues a string of grievous episodes over the course of the trial, including during five

Oscar Pistorius's televised trial was watched by millions across the world

days of cross-examination. The “zombie stopper” video, he says, was not disclosed to the defence before it was shown in court.

The TV cameras, he believes, distorted the courtroom dynamic. At the start of proceedings, Judge Thokozile Masipa warned viewers: "You possibly think this is entertainment. It is not." But, according to Marnewick, she was unable to prevent the trial's descent "into a show trial and circus".

He believes her verdict was correct. Masipa convicted Pistorius of culpable homicide in September 2014 and incide in September 2014 and sentenced him to five years. The state appealed, and in December 2015 the SCA substituted a murder conviction. He was resentenced to six years, increased on appeal to 15 years. Pistorius was paroled in 2024.

For Marnewick, the appeal was a crucial failure. He argues that Pistorius's account was "swept aside without proper consideration" by the SCA, which he says made errors of reasoning, fact and law.

Pistorius's father, Henke, welcomed the book's arguments. "The trial was an undignified and unethical travesty and I have said that all along even when Oscar asked me not to speak out," he said.

World

ALESSANDRO TAGLIAPIETRA

Lost in the mists of time This long-exposure photograph of an abandoned island in the Venetian Lagoon has won third prize in the Minimalist Photography Awards

Parents paid £40k per child in bid to foster a baby boom

Singapore

Richard Lloyd Parry Asia Editor

Singapore will pay parents about £40,000 for each of their children in the latest desperate measure from governments around the world to persuade young people not to abandon the idea of parenthood.

The prime minister, Lawrence Wong, said every Singaporean child would receive a “baby gift” of S\$10,000 (£5,700) before similar sums are awarded for higher education at the age of 17, as well as further education, health and child support grants, and reduced nursery care fees for pre-school children. Wong said it represented “a fundamental shift in how we support families”.

Childcare leave will be increased and its cost will be fully covered by the government, rather than employers. At the moment such costs are only partially reimbursed, creating the risk that companies choose to hire childless people rather than parents.

Families applying for government-subsidised flats will have an increased chance of winning allocation ballots for each additional child. “Today, families everywhere are under growing pressure,” Wong said at Singapore’s annual National Day Rally. “We want every family to know: if you choose to have children, the government will stand with you."

The developed world faces a problem of decreasing birth rates as people of child-rearing age, especially women, balk at the financial cost and harm to their careers caused by having children.

A YouGov poll last month of 496 Singaporeans aged 18 to 44 found that almost a quarter neither had children nor planned to have them. Incentives have previously failed: in the same survey, 30 per cent said there was nothing the government could do to make them more willing to have children.

In 2001, when Singapore introduced a “baby bonus”, it had a fertility rate of 1.41, which refers to the average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime. A fertility rate of 2.1 is required to maintain a stable population, excluding immigration. Ten years later, the figure had fallen to 1.2. Last year it hit 0.87, lower even than Japan’s rate of

1.14 and higher only than Taiwan, South Korea and the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.

“Modern capitalism demands maximum extraction of labour,” said Vincent Chua, a sociology professor at the National University of Singapore. “Not just in terms of hours, but in cognitive focus and emotional energy, and raising a family is an intensive, non-market activity requiring immense emotional and physical bandwidth.” Chua told the South China Morning Post: “In a highly competitive society, there is simply no bandwidth left for the family.”

Singapore has therefore moved from a “procreation model” to supporting children to adulthood.

Wong did not go into detail about costs. “With these changes, the government will absorb a much larger share of childcare and pre-school costs,” he said. “But I believe this is one of the best investments we can make.”

Haunted house's unwelcome guests leave PM screaming

Japan

Richard Lloyd Parry

The official residence of Japan's prime minister has a fearful history of coups, assassinations and ghostly sightings. But its latest occupant has revealed the true nature of the creatures that haunt it: not the spectres of murdered politicians, but cockroaches.

Sanae Takaichi described her horror on encountering the insects inside the

Japanese equivalent of 10 Downing Street. “I’ve never encountered a ghost, but until recently I was the one screaming when I came across cockroaches,” the prime minister wrote on X. “I carefully wiped down the floor under the dining table, put food scraps in a sturdy lidded rubbish bin, and washed and sorted plastic containers, so I was shocked when, one day, a cockroach suddenly scurried past my feet.”

Takaichi was reluctant to resort to the obvious solution, due to a concern that the massacred vermin might have been a reincarnated human. “I thought things like, ‘Maybe this life is also part of that long cycle of reincarnation,’ and for a while, I endured it, hoping it would somehow leave on its own.”

Takaichi's staff had no such misgivings, and exterminators were called.

The Sori Kotei, as the residence is called in Japanese, has a grim history. It was built in 1929. Three years later

Tsuyoshi Inukai, then prime minister, was shot through the head in an attempted coup. In 1936 his successor, Keisuke Okada, escaped death by hiding in a cupboard from another group of putschists, who killed five men. A bullet hole can be seen in a glass panel.

Although no prime minister has unambiguously described supernatural happenings, one of them, Yoshiro Mori, once reported “bumps” and the “the rattle of door knobs turning”.

Poll predicts clash of hard right v hard left

France Voters may be forced to choose between populists of the right and left in next year's French presidential election run-off, according to a poll.

The Harris interactive-Toluna survey for RTL radio and the M6 TV channel said Marine Le Pen of the hard-right National Rally and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a radical leftwinger, were on course to reach the second round of the spring election.

Le Pen has been way ahead in the polls since announcing last month that she would run after appeal judges reduced her sentence for a corruption conviction. However, it was the first survey that credited Mélenchon with enough support to reach the final two.

The poll put Le Pen on 35 per cent in the first round and Mélenchon on 16 per cent. Édouard Philippe, one of President Macron's centre-right former prime ministers, was on 14 per cent, and Gabriel Attal, another, on 8 per cent.

Even if Philippe and Attal join forces, as commentators predict, the radical leftwinger could still get through to the final, the poll found. Raphaël Glucksmann, who is favourite to win the centre-left primary, was on between 10 per cent and 11 per cent, while Bruno Retailleau, standing for the right-wing opposition Republicans, was on between 6 per cent and 8 per cent. The survey said Le Pen was on course to win the second round whoever she faces.

Trump mail vote boost

United States The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed for now with plans to restrict mail-in voting before midterm elections in November. The ruling lifts one injunction blocking the policy but leaves a second. Three liberal justices dissented. The president's March order has been challenged by states and voting-rights groups.

Bill on social media ban

New Zealand A bill to ban under-16s from using social media was introduced yesterday in which firms such as Meta could be fined up to 10 per cent of global revenue if they fail to ensure compliance. Christopher Luxon, the prime minister, said the platforms were harming a generation of children. However, the bill may not pass parliament.

Elephant deaths arrests

Kenya Police have bailed four suspects and are looking for a fifth as they investigate the deaths of 18 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem south of Nairobi. Chemical substances were seized, the tourism and wildlife ministry said after earlier indications suggested cyanide poisoning. The area has a history of elephants trampling farmland.

A slice short of a loaf

Germany A master baker has been ordered to stop selling half-loaves of bread and had to spend €15,000 on adapting his weighing procedures after a customer complained to the authorities that one he weighed at home was 10g too light — a third of a slice. Matthias Breitner, who runs a chain of bakeries in Bavaria, is being inspected by the regulator.

World

Go with the flow, bath tourists told

Iceland

Eden Maclachlan Reykjavik

With the temperature at a balmy I5C, it is a hot summer afternoon by Icelandic standards and locals in Kopavogur are gathering to gossip with friends and play with their children.

The only unusual element of this scene, on the southern outskirts of Reykjavik, is that it is in a swimming pool.

Public pools and hot tubs, heated with the island's abundant geothermal energy, are to Icelanders what pubs are to Britons: a focal point of the community where people from all walks of life congregate to let off steam after work.

In December they were added to Unesco's list of intangible cultural heritage, alongside Italian cuisine, Swiss yodelling and Czech amateur theatre.

But Icelanders worry it will lure for- eign visitors by the coach-load, not all of them scrupulous about following the country's hygiene protocols.

Valdimar Tryggvi Hafstein says pools help reserved people to let off steam

A visit to an Icelandic swimming pool follows a routine: leave your shoes outside and your phone in the locker room, then strip off and head for the communal showers. Because the pools have lower levels of chlorine compared with those in most countries, visitors are required to shower naked before getting in. Diagrams of the body indicate the areas in need of vigorous scrubbing.

Thordis Erla Agustsdottir, a photographer who has spent more than two decades documenting the pools, said: "Icelanders are worried now, because since we got on this Unesco list we are afraid that the swimming pools will be full of tourists. And then what will happen if they are full of tourists who don't want to be naked in the shower?"

She hoped that visitors would adapt to the Icelandic way. “Maybe this is something that we have to look into because it [the shower] is part of our swimming pool culture,” she said.

Unesco designation can be a double-edged sword. This summer, some villagers in Vlkolinec, a pretty Slovakian hamlet that became a world heritage site in 1993, have called for the designation to be removed because the pressures of overtourism significantly outweigh the roughly €400 a head that it brings in economic benefits every year.

There have also been laments that the Unesco status has led to the commercialisation, over-regulation or hollowing-out of customs as diverse as pizza-making in Naples, pearl-diving in South Korea and reggae in Jamaica.

There are more than 120 pools across the country and most villages and neighbourhoods have their own. Valdimar Tryggvi Hafstein, a folklorist and professor at the University of Iceland who co-authored a book on the pools, said hot tubs were places where the usually reserved Icelanders could strike up conversation with strangers.

While enjoying the 38C water in Vesturbaejarlaug in western Reykjavik, frequented by the singer Björk, he added: "It is crucial for society to have those places where people come together and get to know each other. This is where you meet people without planning to do so."

A survey by Hafstein in 2023 found that 79 per cent of adults attended the pools, 40 per cent went regularly and 14 per cent went several times a week. Iceland's bathing tradition can be traced back to the 13th century, when the historian and poet Snorri Sturluson lent his name to the Snorralaug pool, which he used to socialise and in an attempt to cure his ailments.

Its modern form lies in the 20th century, when many Icelanders sold their farms and gravitated to fishing villages on the coasts. At that time, less than 1 per cent of the population could swim and there were many drownings at sea. Pools were established to offer swimming lessons, now mandatory for children from the age of six.

Muddy mayhem Max Alran powers past thousands of fans who rushed onto the track to celebrate the 19-year-old Frenchman's victory in the downhill race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Les Gets

BILLY CEUSTERS/GETTY IMAGES

Tech whizz rails against delayed trains

Germany

Oliver Moody Berlin

When Shashank Tripathi moved from California to start a machine learning PhD in the southwest German city of Tübingen five years ago, he was delighted with his new home.

The medieval centre is one of the most handsome in the country, the university was among Europe's foremost facilities for AI research and his supervisor was pleasant and capable.

Yet there was a fly in the ointment: the notoriously unreliable trains of Deutsche Bahn (DB), the national rail operator. "Often you miss a connection ... and then you get the next train and it is also delayed," Tripathi said. "It's very frustrating." Unlike most exasperated passengers, the former Amazon computer scientist was in a position to do something about it.

This month he launched DelayBahn, a free app that pulls together data on every delayed train in Germany, provides detailed advice on punctuality and helps customers to apply for compensation. Within days it had become so popular that DB blocked Tripathi's access to its delay statistics in an apparent attempt to shut the project down, relenting only after he complained on social media.

The idea for the app was born a few weeks ago, when Tripathi overheard a conversation on a platform at Tübingen station between two rail users who were annoyed that their train was once again running behind schedule.

He recalled: “One said, ‘What has happened to DB lately?’ His friend responded: ‘It has become Delay Bahn.’ That day his train to Munich was an hour late, and the train back delayed by two hours.

The final straw came when another delay meant that he missed a connection on the way home from Paris, leaving him stranded in the Rhineland city of Mannheim overnight. "This spurred me ... to look at some historic delay data," he said. "Something surprisingly simple came out: late trains usually stay late and punctual trains stay punctual."

While DB has restored Tripathi's access to its data, he is concerned that it could easily be shut off again. “I hope with all my heart that they see it constructively,” he said. “DelayBahn is free. All I am trying to do is empower DB customers to get the right information and make informed choices.”

Germans lose faith that Merz will go the distance

Oliver Moody

Less than a third of German voters expect Friedrich Merz to remain chancellor until the end of his four-year term, a poll has found.

Merz, the leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, has been in office for 15 months and the next general election is not scheduled to take place until early 2029. However, his approval ratings, and those of his coalition with the centre-left Social Democratic Party, have reached near-record lows.

The hard-right Alternative for Germany leads by between five and eight points in national polls and is projected to come first in at least two of the three regional elections in September. It has a plausible chance of taking power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt and forming Germany's first radical right-wing regional government since 1945.

A survey of 2,091 voters by YouGov found 29 per cent believed Merz would see out the rest of his first term; 18 per cent thought he would be replaced this year; 36 per cent expected him to fall next year or in 2028 and the remaining 17 per cent did not pass judgment.

Merz has alienated party power brokers with a chaotic reshuffle after the resignation of Jens Spahn, the influential CDU leader in the Bundestag. Some 67 per cent of voters thought Merz lost authority in the reshuffle.

World

'I thought of baby as shark attacked'

A woman who lost part of her arm in a shark attack in Sydney has

said the thought of her 18-month-old daughter helped her to survive (Roger Maynard writes).

In her first public remarks since the attack two months ago at Coogee Beach, one of Sydney's most popular, Leah Stewart, 35, told

the Australian TV programme 60 Minutes: "All I was thinking of was August and I thought, 'She's not going to have a mum'. I couldn't handle that. I did not want her to grow up without a mum."

Stewart described the great white that mauled her as a “monster” and said: “Its face was horrific. I will never forget. It was holding on

Leah Stewart appeared on TV with her partner, Fernando. Far left, with their daughter, August

to my leg ... I just thought, 'I've got to fight it and do everything I can to be here'."

Stewart, a teacher, was in a coma for a fortnight after the attack and underwent operations including the amputation of much of her left arm.

She felt she had been given “a second chance at life”, she said, and had spent the past two months healing and slowly returning to normal life. A GoFundMe campaign set up after the attack has raised A\$558,000 (nearly £300,000) for her support.

The attack has prompted New South Wales to introduce drone patrols to monitor sharks. If one is spotted, operators sound an alarm ordering swimmers to shore.

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Trump counts cost of betting the farm

we didn't even buy it at the peak — it has just kept going up."

United States

Max Kendix Polk City

It's haymaking season in Iowa as Aaron Lehman stands on the edge of his 500 acres outside Polk City. He opens a ripening husk of corn. Harvest is around the corner, too.

Fortunes are always fickle for American farmers, acknowledges Lehman, who leads the Iowa Farmers Union, but they have never been more so than under the stewardship of President Trump.

“We’ve got enough trouble with the weather,” said Lehman, a fifth-generation farmer who grows corn, soya beans and oats with his wife and two children.

Business should be good. China is a ready customer for his beans and food security should be paramount for millions of Americans as prices rise and fall with every policy shift from the White House.

And yet all is not well. It seems a far cry from January, when Trump visited the state to declare that farmers, not blue-collar Americans or his Make America Great Again supporters, had sent him to the White House.

“It was the people of Iowa who put us on a rocket ship back to the White House,” Trump said. “You came out by the thousands in a cold and snowy winter evening ... and together, we won the Iowa caucuses in a 30-point landslide. I’ll never forget it.”

That was then. Trump's approval rating among rural voters, which was 70 per cent in January last year, had dropped to 44 per cent by last month, according to Fox News polling.

It bodes ill for the president's chances in November, when voters will deliver their verdict on his second term.

Democrats hope to flip the Senate and the House of Representatives. Once regarded as a long shot, they are eyeing an unlikely win in the Iowa

Ryan Marquardt said the Iran war had increased his fertiliser costs

Senate race, too, and the anger of the state's farmers plays into their hands.

Trump's imposition of mass tariffs on “liberation day” last year hit particularly hard here. The state produces a vast surplus of soya beans, and China has been the main importer for years. But after the tariffs on Chinese imports, Beijing sought revenge by boycotting American soya.

Although a truce has been reached, there is still a levy of 13 per cent on the beans. China has also switched its source to Brazil, which has churned the crop out at record rates and pushed prices down. On top of this, farmers' balance sheets have been squeezed by tariffs and the Iran war.

For Ryan Marquardt, 45, who has 250 acres of corn and 200 acres of soya beans in Dallas County, his thoughts are on the Strait of Hormuz, through which half of the world's urea fertiliser once passed.

“They said, you’ve got to jump on the price now,” he said of the time he was told, in March, that the waterway was being closed. It cost him nearly \$1,000 a tonne, up from \$750 the previous year. “That was easily \$6,000 on additional costs just on that. And

Another expense will be diesel, needed to operate machinery, and for which prices have risen by more than 50 per cent since the start of the year.

Some farmers say it reminds them of the 1980s, when an embargo on exporting grain to the Soviet Union and a Middle East oil crisis set off the worst economic disaster for rural America since the Great Depression. “Growing up, my parents were very scared then about whether we could keep going,” Lehman, 58, said. “We’re starting to hear these conversations again. The toll on people feels very similar.”

The economic hit is now showing up in the polls, after a decade of Republican dominance in Iowa. Before the summer, the chance of the Democrats taking the Senate as well as the House of Representatives in the midterm elections was seen as slim. It is possible only if the Democrats flip a perfect run of states, including Iowa, where Trump won by 13 percentage points two years ago.

Now, polls put the Iowa Senate race as neck and neck between the Democrat Josh Turek, a Paralympian wheelchair basketball gold medallist, and Ashley Hinson, a serving Republican congresswoman who spent a decade as a local newsreader.

Hinson has consistently voted for and defended Trump's tariffs. Iowa Farm Bureau, the state's biggest agriculture lobbyist, has endorsed Hinson and has donated only to Republican candidates since 2008.

But Brent Johnson, the organisation's president, said farmers had had enough. A year ago, he supported the tariffs for their broader goal of restoring a US manufacturing base — even at farmers' expense.

Now, he has changed his mind. "It's gone on too long," he said. "The farmers' runway of tolerance has run out."

Business

Thames Water creditors line up new team to lead turnaround

Emma Powell

The former bosses of Yorkshire Water and BT's Openreach have been lined up to help lead the turnaround of Thames Water by creditors to the troubled utility, who are desperately seeking to avoid a nationalisation.

The London & Valley Water consortium, which represents creditors including Elliott Management and Silver Point Capital, has put forward the first four new board members to oversee the country's largest water company if the government allows the lenders to take ownership of the business.

Liz Barber, a former chief executive of Yorkshire Water, and Clive Selley, who stepped down as boss of Openreach earlier this year, are among the appointments. Bernadette Kelly, a former permanent secretary at the Department for Transport, and Mike McTighe, the Openreach chairman, will also join the board.

McTighe, who has already been advising the creditors on their turnaround plan for the past 12 months, said: “The challenge at Thames Water is huge. If this recapitalisation plan is accepted, we will apply full dedication as a new board, working alongside the executive team to transform the business and build a culture in which the customers and local communities who depend on Thames Water come first.”

The creditors are currently in discussions with Ofwat, the water regulator, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Treasury as they seek to win approval for a contentious refinancing plan.

However, the consortium, which represents about 100 financial institutions holding more than £17 billion of Thames Water's Class A and super senior debt, is yet to meet Angela Eagle, the new environment secretary.

Thames Water, which serves about 16 million customers across London and the south of England, is struggling to service a debt pile of nearly £20 billion, modernise its infrastructure and fix leaks and sewage spills, after borrowing heavily under private ownership. It was debt free when it was privatised by Margaret Thatcher in 1989. It is set to run out of money this year.

Under the refinancing plan, £3.35 billion of new equity would be injected by the creditors, who would also provide £3.25 billion in new debt, which is in addition to £3 billion in emergency financing that was approved last year.

The threat of nationalisation has hung over the utility for almost a decade. Before becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham called for the nationalisation of Thames Water. Robert Lea, page 29

Tetra Pak heirs in \$1bn US sell-off

Rausings dump shares as the wealthy scale back

Louisa Clarence-Smith US Business Editor

A Swedish dynasty that made its fortune from Tetra Pak cartons sold more than \$1 billion of US equities in the second quarter, as the global rich scale back investments in the world's largest economy.

The Rausing family offloaded holdings as US equities climbed to new records, raising concerns about the durability of the stock market boom.

An investment firm controlled by the family sold a 15 per cent stake in Sensient Technologies, a US manufacturer of food colourings and flavours, to collect proceeds of at least \$660 million, according to Bloomberg analysis of regulatory filings.

Another firm controlled by the family reduced more than 100 positions worth over \$500 million, including in Wells Fargo, the US bank, Chipotle Mexican Grill, the burrito restaurant chain, and Abbott Laboratories, the healthcare company.

Tetra Pak, now part of Tetra Laval, was founded by Ruben Rausing, the Swedish industrialist and grandfather of Finn, Jorn and Kirsten Rausing. He devised a watertight cardboard container for storing milk, juice, ice cream and yoghurt that went into production in the early 1950s. Several members of the family now live in the UK.

Europe's wealthiest families have been reviewing their US exposure amid deteriorating relations between Europe and Washington after President Trump threatened to invade Greenland and imposed higher tariffs on trading partners. UBS said in May that its family office clients were trimming exposure to the US dollar as geopolitical tensions and rising sovereign debt drove a broader rethink of portfolio risk.

About two thirds of family offices surveyed by the Swiss bank expected confidence in the dollar as a reserve currency to weaken over the year, UBS found. The survey was conducted between January and late March.

The S&P 500 index of America's largest publicly traded companies has largely shrugged off geopolitical uncertainty, including higher oil prices caused by the Iran conflict, and the US economy has continued to show resilience despite concerns around inflation and fiscal deficits. Last week the index closed just 2 per cent below its record. Yesterday it slipped 0.3 per cent.

Momentum in equities has been driven by excitement about the potential for advances in artificial intelligence. Even as investors fret about a potential AI bubble, the consensus on Wall Street is that it still has room to run.

However, some have begun to warn about overconfidence in the AI trade. Lloyd Blankfein, former chief executive of Goldman Sachs, who steered the US investment bank through the global financial crisis, said: "Every exposure should have a limit, even when you're sure nothing could go wrong."

In a post on X last week, he said: "After all, the Titanic sank and AAA mortgage bonds went to zero." Trump raises tariffs on Canada, page 30

RUTH ROSE/SHEIN/GETTY IMAGES

In style Georgia Toffolo, the entrepreneur and reality TV personality, is one of several celebrities to have partnered with Shein, the fast-fashion giant that is preparing to float in Hong Kong. It is targeting a \$27 billion valuation. Page 28

Football club 'was used to launder funds'

James Hurley

A Kuwaiti businessman known for the failed £3.5 billion “Dartford Disneyland” project “laundered” more than £200,000 through the local football club, a Kuwaiti court found.

Abdulla Al-Humaidi, who was bankrupted after the collapse of plans for one of Europe's largest theme parks, paid funds via Ebbsfleet United that were the proceeds of what the court said were from a “criminal source”.

The football club, sold by Al Hu-maidi's family company last week, is currently suspended by the National League amid concerns about its finances, with a review of its status scheduled for tomorrow.

Al-Humaidi, a Kuwaiti businessman, led the London Resort, an ambitious scheme nicknamed the Dartford Disneyland. It collapsed in 2023, leaving behind more than £100 million in debts, and Al-Humaidi was made bankrupt in November that year.

A Kuwaiti court found last year that about £203,000 had been “laundered” via Ebbsfleet United by Al-Humaidi, and that he “deliberately disguised the origin of the funds ... for the purpose of laundering them and concealing their criminal source”.

Al Humaidi was convicted in his absence by a Kuwaiti court of deception and money laundering, sentenced to ten years' imprisonment and fined about £6.1 million over funds he raised for a “false project” related to plots of land in Dartford.

A spokesman for Al-Humaidi, 40, said he intends to challenge the conviction, adding: “[He] is confident that the Kuwaiti courts will overturn the judgment when presented with proper evidence of how Land Registry and planning process operates in England and Wales.”

Ebbsfleet United, which was taken over by new owners last week, did not respond to an invitation to comment. Tycoon bankruptcy row, page 35

Business

Need to know

1 A Swedish dynasty that made its fortune from Tetra Pak cartons sold over \$1 billion of US equities in the second quarter. The Rausing family offloaded holdings as US equities climbed to new records, raising concerns about the durability of the stock market boom. Page 27

2 Liz Barber, the former boss of Yorkshire Water and Clive Selley of BT's Openreach have been lined up to help lead the turnaround of Thames Water. London & Valley Water, which represents creditors, has put forward four new board members to oversee the water company if they take ownership. Page 27

3 A Kuwaiti businessman known for the so-called Dartford Disneyland "laundered" more than £200,000 through a football club, a Kuwaiti court found. Abdulla Al-Humaidi, bankrupted after the collapse of plans for a theme park, paid funds via Ebbsfleet United that were the proceeds of what the court called a "criminal source". Page 27

4 Shein will float in Hong Kong next Tuesday at a valuation of about \$27 billion, almost 60 per cent below the price it was seeking when it abandoned plans to list in London. The Chinese fast-fashion retailer will offer 280 million shares at between HK\$47.60 and HK\$49.50 each.

5 President Trump has said cars made in Canada will be subject to US import tariffs of 50 per cent, in the latest escalation of a trade war between the two countries after talks broke down. He accused Canada of “ripping off the United States of America for years”. Page 30

6 The New York hedge fund targeting UK investment trusts has launched a bid to appoint three directors to the board of a listed vehicle managed by Baillie Gifford. Page 32

7 The damage caused to KPMG by a high-profile scandal in Australia will result in the loss of almost 400 jobs and put a dent in pay. It emerged that senior partners were sharing confidential client information to win work from their clients' rivals. Page 33

Is Scott Bessent the most dangerous man in finance?

Mehreen Khan, page 31

For expert business analysis subscribe to the business newsletter thetimes.com/newsletters

Falklands oilfield bonanza to bring in the barrels

The Falkland Islands could produce significantly more oil than

expected by the end of the decade under \$3 billion plans to accelerate drilling at the Sea Lion field (Emily Gosden writes).

Israel's Navitas Petroleum, which is leading development of the field, is acquiring a second production vessel that could pump 125,000 barrels of oil per day and said it expected the first output from this vessel by 2030.

That would add to planned production of 55,000 barrels per day from its first production vessel, which is aiming to deliver the islands' maiden oil output in March 2028.

Navitas owns 65 per cent of Sea Lion with the remainder owned by the London-listed Rockhopper Exploration, which discovered the oilfield in 2010.

Rockhopper yesterday said it was suspending trading in its shares on London's junior Aim market while it worked on a planned equity raise to fund its share of the \$125 million vessel acquisition and other development costs.

Sea Lion lies 136 miles north of the Falkland Islands, in the South Atlantic Ocean, and is thought to contain the equivalent

Sea Lion oilfield

FALKLAND ISLANDS

100 miles

of about 900 million barrels of oil. The field lies about 1.6 miles beneath the seabed, in water depths of almost 1,500 feet.

The Falkland Islands government will take a 9 per cent royalty on revenues from the field

Fashion giant set to float with cut-price valuation

Isabella Fish Retail Editor

Shein will float in Hong Kong next week at a valuation of about \$27 billion, almost 60 per cent below the price it was seeking when it abandoned plans to list in London.

The Chinese fast-fashion retailer will begin trading on September 1 after shelving plans for a London listing and failing to secure a US float. It will offer almost 280 million shares at between HK\$47.60 and HK\$49.50 each, with the final price set on the day before trading begins.

At the top of the range, the sale will raise \$2.8 billion for the company and give it a market value of about \$26.8 billion. That is a big markdown from its private-market peak. Investors valued the company, which boomed in the pandemic, at almost \$100 billion in 2022, briefly making it one of the world's most valuable private firms.

Shein was co-founded in China in 2008 by Chris Xu, also known as Xu Yangtian, and is now headquartered in Singapore. It grew from an obscure online retailer into a global fast-fashion powerhouse by using data and algorithms to identify trends and produce thousands of designs at extraordinary speed. Its ultra-low prices put pressure on established chains including Zara, H&M, Boohoo and Asos.

The growth story has weakened. Revenue rose from \$32.1 billion in 2023 to \$38.8 billion in 2024 and \$41.9 billion last year, but net profit fell to about

Early backers offered \$3.5bn sweetener

Shein is sweetening the deal for early backers of its flotation to help compensate them for the mighty drop in its valuation (Isabella Fish writes).

The fashion giant will give \$3.5 billion to a select group of pre-IPO investors as it gears up for its Hong Kong stock exchange debut, representing a costly attempt to make amends following its valuation decline from about \$100 billion in 2022 to \$27 billion.

Investors who bought in at the top are set to receive either cash payouts or additional shares. The prospectus for its listing does not say

\$2 billion last year from \$3.4 billion the year before. In the first quarter of this year, revenue growth slowed to 1.1 per cent and Shein saw a \$99 million loss.

The company has been hit by changes to the tax rules that underpinned its low-price model. In the US, the \$800 de minimis exemption for how much each investor will receive.

Those entitled to the payments in cash and extra shares include entities linked to Boyu Capital, Tiger Global, General Atlantic, Thrive Capital, Mubadala and Brookfield, the filings showed.

They hold Shein's late-stage funding shares — Series pre-D, Series D and Series D plus preferred — which carry protections triggered by an IPO below the prices paid in earlier funding rounds.

The wider group of preferred shareholders also includes Sanabil Private Equity, Coatue, D1 Capital, DST Asia,

Reliance Retail, Coppel Capital and Claure Group.

low-value imports has ended, increasing costs for retailers that ship large numbers of small parcels directly to consumers.

The payments are nearly double the HK13.86 billion (\$1.8 billion) that Shein aims to raise by selling about 280 million shares in its IPO, based on the top end of its indicated price range.

Shein said the payments will be funded from its own financial resources. Holders of Shein's older Series A, Series B, Series C and Series C plus preferred shares are not covered, the prospectus showed.

The fast fashion retailer has faced challenges of late

In Britain, goods worth up to £135 or less have benefited from customs-duty relief, although VAT is still payable, with the government planning to remove that relief from 2029.

Other ultra-cheap, overseas players such as Temu have also struggled with the changes. The owner of Temu missed market estimates in the second quarter, hampered by price competition and regulatory challenges abroad.

The Chinese ecommerce discounter PDD Holdings, which also operates Pinduoduo, posted an 8 per cent rise in revenue to 112.36 billion yuan (\$16.71 billion) for the three months to June 30, versus analysts' average estimate of 116.35 billion yuan, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Shein's expansion has also been dogged by scrutiny over its supply chain, labour practices, alleged intel-

lectual property infringements and links to China. Its attempts to list in the US and London faced regulatory and political hurdles, forcing the company to seek another route.

The initial public offering is being backed by Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan.

Catherine Lim, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said: "With all pre-IPO and cornerstone investors accepting a six-month lock-up, the March 2027 lock-up expiry will be a more meaningful test of its market value than the listing debut."

and then 26 per cent corporation tax on profits, promising a significant new source of wealth for the islands, which are a British overseas territory.

Argentina, which invaded the Falklands in 1982, still asserts sovereignty over the islands it calls Las Malvinas. Javier Milei, Argentina's president, said in

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL

Navitas's development of oilfields off the Falkland Islands, home to gentoo penguins, is seen as “illegitimate” by Javier Milei, Argentina’s president, below

April that it would “act decisively in the face of unilateral and illegitimate activities that seek to advance over resources that belong to Argentines”.

In December Navitas and Rockhopper took their final investment decision to proceed with developing the first phase of the northern area of the field, targeting 170 million barrels of oil using the Aoka Mizu floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO).

This first phase is estimated to cost \$1.8 billion to first oil and \$2.1 billion total.

Rockhopper raised

\$142 million in December to fund its equity share of the first phase. The Aoka Mizu FPSO is also expected to be used for a second phase of the northern part of the field, which could yield a further 149 million barrels of oil.

Navitas has now agreed to acquire another FPSO, called OSX1, for \$125 million, to develop the central area of the Sea Lion field. A spokesman for Navitas said this area could yield the equivalent of 403 million barrels of oil.

The vessel will require upgrading and adapting, bringing total costs for the FPSO to about \$1.15 billion, it said, while the total development budget for the first phase of the central area was expected to be about \$3 billion.

Aside from the FPSO acquisition, Navitas flagged a further \$65 million of costs by the end of 2027, before a final investment decision planned for the first half of 2028.

Rockhopper said that a forthcoming report was expected to show that the net present value of its share of the field had increased by about 35 per cent, from \$2.2 billion at present, in light of the expanded development plans, and current oil price assumptions.

Britons owe record £6bn energy debt

Emily Gosden Energy Editor

Households owe their energy suppliers more than £6 billion in debt, a record amount, according to new figures, amid warnings that bills will stay stubbornly high to the end of the decade.

Energy UK, which represents leading suppliers, said that total household energy debt was on track to surpass £7 billion by the end of the year as customers struggle with high prices.

More than three million households are now in debt or arrears by more than 30 days, with the average amount owed about £1,800, the trade body said.

Domestic energy prices are expected to rise again in October by 4 per cent to a three-year high of £1,729 a year for a typical household, according to Cornwall Insight. The energy regulator is due to confirm the exact scale of October's increase tomorrow. The figures use Offgem's latest average consumption estimates, which make the price cap at present equivalent to £1,663 a year.

EDF, one of Britain's biggest household suppliers, warned that bills were likely to remain high by 2030 despite government interventions providing some limited short-term relief.

The company, which estimates that bills will rise to £1,721 in October, forecasts that they will still be about £1,786 a year in 2030, assuming that the government does not extend temporary relief measures to cut VAT on electricity bills and fund renewable energy subsidies through general taxation.

Even an extension of these measures would only reduce the 2030 forecast slightly, to £1,694 a year — still higher than today's levels, as policy and network costs offset any easing in wholesale costs.

“Bills still look stubbornly high at the end of the decade,” EDF said in a new blog, warning that this would worsen the debt crisis.

"If energy bills are set to remain stubbornly high over the medium term, the status quo on debt and affordability is not sustainable — put simply, too many households cannot afford the energy that they need," it said.

Dhara Vyas, Energy UK's chief executive, said: “The debt mountain is climbing higher, causing immense worry to many customers, adding growing costs to everyone's bills and threatening suppliers' financial viability.

“Persistently high energy bills over the last few years have meant many households have accumulated debt that they have little chance of paying off, given that affording their latest bill will be challenging enough.”

Energy UK is calling for a social dis- count scheme to offer more help to households based on their income, health and energy consumption.

Unrecovered energy debt is spread across all consumer bills and comprises about £50 a year on a typical annual household bill.

Energy UK said the forecast increase to £7 billion could add a further £10-£15 to annual bills.

Shell considers sale of its chemical arm

Emily Gosden

Shell is exploring an \$8 billion sale of its US chemicals assets to potential buyers including ExxonMobil, as it seeks to offload parts of its business.

Europe's biggest oil and gas group said last year it had decided that it was no longer the “natural owner” of its struggling chemicals manufacturing business, which has been loss-making.

Wael Sawan, chief executive, confirmed in May it was seeking to “progress either the sale or some form of capital market transaction, in particular of our US chemicals business”.

The process has drawn interest from Exxon, the biggest US oil and gas group; Apollo, the private equity group; LyondellBasell, the US-listed chemicals group; and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the Financial Times said.

The assets could fetch as much as \$8 billion, it said, citing sources, although some buyers are only seeking to acquire parts of the portfolio.

Shell is a FTSE 100 constituent with operations spanning oil and gas exploration to fuel retailing. Sawan has been seeking to boost its valuation by ditching poorly performing parts of the business including many of its renewable energy investments and the chemicals arm. Last month it reported its second-highest quarterly profit on record, of almost \$10 billion for the three months to June, boosted by high energy prices.

Shell has four main chemicals sites in the United States. It produces chemicals including ethylene, polyethylene and olefins. It also has some chemicals sites in Europe.

Shell's chemicals division reported a \$1.13 billion adjusted loss in 2025, on top of a \$432 million adjusted loss in 2024.

Shell declined to comment and Exxon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Business

Thames Water plan fails to convince

BUSINESS COMMENTARY Robert Lea

M

Oblising the English language and sending it into battle, it is not. The goals set out by the would-be

chairman of a new Thames Water are these: relentless focus on protecting public health; respecting the local environment; ensuring bills are fair; clean and reliable water supplies; corporate governance of the highest order.

These are the ambitions of Mike McTighe, the new chairman for Thames — to replace the hapless Sir Adrian Montague — proposed by its creditors who are planning to take control of the company.

Whether these goals are laudable depends on what one thinks the absolute minimum should be for a private company's stewardship of a region's water resources.

The London & Valley Water consortium — that is, the creditors hoping not to lose too much of the company's £20 billion of debt they stand behind and who are being corralled by a bunch of US hedge funds and distressed debt bottom-fishers — have also put together an A-team of non-executives to help McTighe's promises come true.

They include Clive Selley, an old chum of McTighe from his time at Openreach, the company charged with installing the country's fast broadband infrastructure. If Openreach is judged by the quality of the nation's internet reception, then McTighe and Selley may be assessed on whether they are the people to turn round the water company with the country's worst infrastructure record.

Other proposed non-executives include Liz Barber, a former chief executive and finance director of Yorkshire Water. This is the company fined and penalised for sewage and environmental breaches, missing performance targets and now under regulatory special measures demanding its executives do not get paid bonuses.

And Dame Bernadette Kelly, the former permanent secretary at the Department for Transport. Under Kelly's eye, the HS2 high-speed railway line became a lesson to us all in the delivery of major infrastructure projects.

That this quartet has been put forward by the people who apparently still believe they will be the owners of Thames Water, raises the biggest question of all: is Andy Burnham really going to perform the first U-turn of his premiership and let Britain's largest insolvent business remain in private hands?

Norwegians would

The vast disparity in the take-up of electric cars across the continent might give you the impression the European Union is a strange combine of 27 countries bound only by a scepticism of which world Brussels Eurocrats live in.

The Nordics are smashing electric car sales, according to latest E-Mobility Europe data, with year-to-date registrations making up more than half of all purchases and non-EU Norway at best-in-class 97 per cent penetration. The

Benelux countries are not so far behind. Britain stands alongside Germany and France, at between one quarter and one third.

So what to make of Italy and Spain with electric sales of less than 10 per cent or Poland and the Czech Republic at lower than 7 per cent?

Lower wages, the heavy density of urban populations or a non-net zero culture may all play a part. What binds them is the apathy or indeed antipathy to energy transition of each country's government.

Active government intervention has the strongest correlation to take-up (and investment in public charging infrastructure). If the new UK government dilutes its zero emission vehicles mandate, we will know which way we are heading.

Oilfield aggro

Nothing like a game of football to get the blood up of your average Argentinian. Especially when playing perfidious Albion, even if the English always appear to do the decent thing and find ways to throw the game away.

The unfurling of a Las Malvinas son Argentinas banner by players at the World Cup — roughly translated as the “despite the local population’s right to self-determination we still believe the Falkland Islands to be Argentinian” — indicates the rocky outcrop in the South Atlantic remains a political football.

Feelings might harden in the current right-wing Buenos Aires administration with the news that Rockhopper Exploration is moving at pace to raise the cash to extract oil from the Falklands seabed.

The Falklands conflict of 1982 is not something that should be raised lightly, if for no other reason than respect for the 907 who died in the hostilities and the many who returned home physically and mentally scarred.

Rockhopper does not always cite the sensitivities of history but its investor filings do note “diplomatic tensions” over sovereignty as the second highest risk to the project outside of actually getting oil up in a commercially viable way.

These together could explain why Rockhopper might yet remain a penguin in a poke.

Up the workers

British workers aren't the bunch of slacking ne'er-do-wells that the official data appears to have suggested. The Resolution Foundation's analysis of business data indicates that hard-working people — as politicians like to call them — are just that and UK productivity is in fact "respectable" and not gone to hell in a handcart as previously argued. Some reckon that this may be down to the harnessing of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Or it might just be that post-Covid flexible working practices and more enlightened managers mean people are happier in their jobs. Just a thought.

robert.lea@thetimes.co.uk

Business

Trump ramps up tariffs on Canadian cars in trade war

Max Kendix Washington

President Trump has said cars made in Canada will be subject to US import tariffs of 50 per cent, in the latest escalation of a trade war between the two countries after talks broke down.

Trump accused Canada of “ripping off the United States of America for years” in a Truth Social post announcing the new levies yesterday, calling it “among the worst Nations in the World to deal with”.

On Saturday the US imposed 50 per cent duties on \$20 billion worth of Canadian goods, including wine, cement and hockey sticks. Attempts to reach a deal fell apart on Friday, with both sides blaming last-minute demands.

A deal would have cut the tariff rate on Canadian cars and light-duty trucks from 25 per cent to 15 per cent and the tariffs on aluminium and steel from 50 per cent to 25 per cent. Trump's latest announcement suggests the car and truck tariffs will instead be doubled to 50 per cent while steel and aluminium tariffs stay at 50 per cent, starting on January 1, 2027. It was unclear whether additional tariffs would apply to goods even if they complied with the terms of the existing US-Canada-Mexico trade deal.

Mark Carney, Canada's prime minister, said the country was “at war” with the US and announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation on US steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment,

paper and electronics, se come into effect from September 8. "The new US tariffs are designed to hurt and divide us. They're a miscalculation," he said. "We cannot accept what they offered and we will not give what they asked ... we were not prepared to compromise Canada's sovereignty or undermine our key industries."

Trump complained that Canada had tried to seek benefits as if it were a US state.

“They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON'T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!” Trump wrote. “Their ridiculously high tariffs on our Farmers and farm products has made life impossible for these great American Patriots, and has long created a 60 Billion Dollar Deficit between our two Countries. Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE! ... Build in the U.S. and there are ZERO TARIFFS. Canada will be treated like a State no longer!”

Canada ranks as the third-highest source of US imports, with more than \$380 billion worth of goods brought over the border last year.

A retaliatory cycle of tariffs could raise prices and threaten efforts to get inflation down. The latest figures put US consumer price inflation at 3.4 per cent, well above the 2 per cent target set by the Federal Reserve. Rising prices already forced Trump to relax tariffs on beef imports this week.

Three quarters of Canadian exports are to the US, whose economy is ten times the size, meaning the effect on prices north of the border is likely to be more dramatic.

Bradley Saunders, at Capital Economics, warned that the latest round of tariffs risked pushing Canada back towards recession, particularly if it spirals into tit-for-tat retaliation.

He wrote: "Worse still, a renewed trade war muddies the outlook by

Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement] renegotiations, dealing yet more damage to business sentiment and creating fresh challenges for the Bank of Canada as it balances worsening growth and inflation prospects."

Mark Carney has said Canada is “at war” with the US over trade tariffs

Top bosses urge PM to stop creep of taxation

More than 150 business leaders and members of parliament

including John Caudwell, the founder of Phones4u, and Lord Rose of Monewden, the former M&S boss, have urged the prime minister to end the “creep” of taxes on Britain’s businesses (Charlotte Bend writes).

The Stop the Creep campaign, which is backed by Charlie Mullins, the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, and Reiss's chief executive Christos Angelides, was led by Helm, a community of scale-up founders with a combined revenue of £8 billion.

Signatories warned Andy Burnham that Britain is “training entrepreneurs for export”

TRISTAN FEWINGS/GETTY IMAGES

as they joined the growing coalition of Britain's business leaders calling on the government to ensure the budget will deliver on pro-growth promises.

"If the government wants businesses to create jobs and growth, the budget is the moment to ease the burden on the act of creating them," Rose, chairman of Zenith Vehicles and former M&S chief executive, said.

"I have been in business for over 50 years and have never been

John Caudwell, founder of Phones4u, with the former Olympic cyclist Modesta Vzesniauskaite. Caudwell wants an end to creeping taxation on businesses

more concerned about the cost of doing business and building businesses that are financially sustainable for the long term. Employment costs and regulations are now serious impediments to growth and employment.

“Employers’ national insurance alone took a hundred million pounds a year out of one supermarket. Multiply that across the economy and it is easy to see why investment has stalled. The good news is that this is within the government’s gift to fix.”

The campaign urged the chancellor to reverse the rise in national insurance contributions, restore entrepreneurial reliefs and set out a clear, stable roadmap for business taxation so founders can invest with confidence.

New backers to the intervention, which also warned of “death by a thousand cuts” for Britain’s wealth creators, include Luke Johnson, Gail’s bakery chairman, Johnnie Boden, founder of Boden, and dozens of politicians including Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary.

Andreas Adamides, chief executive of Helm, said: "When founders of this calibre unite around one cause the government should listen, because these are exactly the people it needs onside to deliver the growth it has promised.

“Andy Burnham says he is pro-growth, and we take him at his word, but his first budget this autumn will be the real test of this commitment.

“Stopping the creep of taxes on wealth creators, and giving business the certainty it needs to invest, would be the clearest possible signal that this government wants Britain’s founders to build and succeed here.”

Nimbys in retreat as only 1 in 5 now oppose local development

51% Gen Z support for new housebuilding in area where they live Source: Barclays

Tom Howard Property Correspondent

The era of the nimby is almost in the past as the British public become increasingly open to new development near where they live.

With many struggling to afford their own home amid an enduring housing crisis, there are now twice as many people in favour of more housebuilding than are opposed to it, according to a survey by Barclays.

The high street bank, having polled hundreds of people around the country, has concluded that “Britain is more yimby [yes in my back yard] than nimby [not in my back yard]”.

In its survey, 43 per cent of UK adults said they supported the building of new homes within three miles of where they live, while 22 per cent actively opposed local development.

Support for housebuilding is strongest among younger adults with 51 per cent of Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, wanting more homes built in their local area.

"It's really encouraging to see strong support for building more homes, particularly among younger people who face the greatest barriers to home ownership," Adrian MacDiarmid, head of mortgage lender relations at Barratt Redrow, the country's biggest housebuilder, said.

Similarly, opposition to development rose with age, the Barclays survey found. Just over a quarter (26 per cent)

of baby boomers, now in their sixties and seventies, are opposed to local housebuilding, compared with 16 per cent among Gen Z. Even so, support remains higher than opposition among older respondents.

Barclays found that nimbys' concerns about new development were often "practical, not purely personal".

Among those who opposed local development, loss of green space was the No I concern, with 61 per cent highlighting that issue, followed by 57 per cent noting potential increased pressure on local services such as hospitals and schools. Only 7 per cent were against more housebuilding because it might reduce the value of their home.

“New homes are critical to easing tension in the housing supply, but attitudes towards development are nuanced,” Jatin Patel, head of mortgages at Barclays, said.

“While UK consumers are broadly supportive of efforts to increase housing supply, this has to be in step with investment in local infrastructure, healthcare and transport links.”

The survey also showed how housebuilders can win local support. More than a quarter (26 per cent) of those who oppose local development said adding a new doctors' surgery would make them more likely to be supportive. Investment in roads and green space would also be likely improve their view of a new development.

There remains a question as to whether developers are building the type of homes that people want to live in. Despite a focus on building high-rise blocks of flats in towns and city centres, Barclays data shows houses are much more popular with all buyers.

Some 82 per cent of homes bought by first-timers in the past 12 months were houses as opposed to flats, while 89 per cent of all other buyers bought a house.

Mehreen Khan

Scott Bessent versus the markets is a contest dripping with irony

In 1992, Scott Bessent advised his boss, George Soros, to bet against the pound

“

Is Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, the most dangerous man in finance? He's

certainly the most powerful and the most active. Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, is in the midst of an unprecedented one-man attempt to fight the tide of the markets in which he once participated.

In the past month, Bessent has been responsible for a currency intervention worth at least \$10 billion to support the value of the yen against the dollar. Last week he announced a \$4 billion buyback operation of US Treasury bonds in an attempt to calm a sell-off that has dragged long-term borrowing costs to 2007-era highs.

Yesterday, Bessent issued a new warning that the Trump administration was on the verge of an “economic D-Day” against countries that do business with Iran, mounting “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary”. No countries have yet been named.

Last year Bessent took the rare step of using an emergency Treasury credit line to support Argentina's peso and help its president, Javier Milei — a political ally — to win a key mid-term election.

Bessent is on a blitz. His trigger-happy interventions in asset prices, coupled with the threat of a financial onslaught against Iran, put him on a path to being the most active US Treasury secretary since Alexander Hamilton. Two of his more recent predecessors — Hank Paulson (2006 to 2009) and Tim Geithner (2009 to 2013) — oversaw huge federal fiscal expansions that were necessitated by a generational financial crisis. Other notable occupants of the office include Andrew Mellon, the incumbent during the 1929 stock market crash, who has gone down in infamy for allowing the collapse in order to “liquidate labour, liquidate stocks, liquidate farmers, liquidate real estate ... [to] purge the rottenness out of the system”.

Bessent is not a crisis-era Treasury secretary — yet. What does distinguish him from most of his modern predecessors is that his interventionism is driven by his career as an investor and a “man of Wall Street”. Before he became President Trump’s finance minister, Bessent was not well known outside financial circles, where he was

associated with George Soros's historic bet against the pound on Black Wednesday in 1992. Bessent ran the London office of Soros's fund when he, Soros and Stanley Druckenmiller made a giant wager against the Bank of England's ability to raise interest rates to keep sterling in the European exchange rate mechanism. The trio won. The trade earned them at least \$1 billion as the pound was kicked out of the ERM.

Having been the “market”, Bessent is now the state and is challenging the heft of the financial armoury that is betting against Japan’s yen and, increasingly, against the US government. The steep rise in US borrowing costs is being driven by a cocktail of worries: about the profligacy of the Trump administration, the spectre of perma-inflation caused by the war with Iran, and the credibility of Trump’s new man in charge of the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh. It is a concoction almost entirely of Trump’s and Bessent’s own making, but the

Treasury secretary is convinced his former colleagues making bets against him are wrong. Adam Posen, a former member of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee, is among many to note that “the irony of the guy working for Soros ... pretending that you can do foreign exchange intervention alone and lastingly defend a currency, is just amazing”.

Bessent's ploys are not yet working. Investors have continued to sell long-dated US bonds. The vigilantes are unbothered by Bessent's resolve at a time when the US debt stock has swollen to a record \$40 trillion.

Some context: the US accumulated liabilities worth \$20 trillion during the first 240 years of its history. It has added another \$20 trillion in the past decade. Unlike in the years after the financial crisis, the historic debt piles of developed economies are no longer being run up in an era of rock-bottom interest rates. They are colliding with rising interest rates and at least five years of above-target inflation.

Bessent's gambit, which is likely to be in its early stages, is failing but he remains undeterred. The psychodrama between the former hedge fund manager and the rest of the market is arguably an extension of his professional career rather than a break from it. His record as a money manager would suggest that taking bets against the market — and often falling flat — is Bessent's modus operandi.

The sterling short of 1992 was a triumph, but his record since has been patchy. In 2000, he went it alone with an eponymous fund, which closed after five years. In 2015, Bessent went again, launching Key Square, with \$2 billion in investment from Soros and \$4 billion at launch. It was one of the largest hedge fund launches on record. The fanfare was short-lived: Bessent failed to deliver positive returns in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Assets fell from close to \$5 billion to just over \$500 million. Bessent is reported to have taken unsuccessful bets against oil prices and Japan's yen.

Some of his former Wall Street colleagues have labelled Bessent a consistent “contrarian”. He’s taken bets against the market and reportedly failed to beat it without the help of Soros or Druckenmiller — both legendary investors. As Treasury secretary, Bessent is again going toe-to-toe with the market’s assessment of US bond prices and the value of the yen.

When he was appointed, Bessent was hailed as the “adult in the room” in the second Trump administration, where the president opted mostly for devotees and acolytes over expertise. Bessent was meant to be the exception.

So far, his failed interventions have done little to erode Trump's trust. Bessent is the most visible and seemingly unchallenged member of the cabinet. What he isn't doing is heeding the advice of his former boss Druckenmiller, who in 2019, on stage with Bessent, warned that "the clowns in Washington, unless they get a signal from the bond market, are

just going to keep spending".

The market is giving Trump and Bessent the signal.

Mehreen Khan is Economics Editor of The Times

Business

Gold hits three-month high after bond move

Louisa Clarence-Smith US Business Editor

Gold prices rose to their highest level in more than three months yesterday as buyers piled into a rally driven by the US Treasury's recent bond buyback announcement and a weaker dollar.

Spot gold rose 1.6 per cent to \$4,677.14 per ounce in early trading in New York, hitting its highest level since May 14. US gold futures for December delivery rose 1.2 per cent to \$4,734.70 per ounce.

America's national debt topped \$40 trillion last week and the Treasury launched a major intervention in the bond market to calm investors' fears after a global sell-off.

The move to steady the market was announced on Wednesday, a day after a bond sell-off pushed the 30-year Treasury yield to its highest level since 2007 amid worries of an imminent escalation in the war with Iran and rising con-

Gold

cerns over a deteriorating US fiscal picture as total public debt outstanding passed the \$40 trillion mark.

The US Treasury announced a doubling of its buyback sizes for 10 to 30-year Treasury bonds to at least \$4 billion per operation, slowing — at least temporarily — a weeks-long upward increase in yields that had unnerved global investors.

Jim Wyckoff, a market analyst at American Gold Exchange, said: "The fundamentals and technicals are kind of lining up bullish for the gold market here to start the trading week." He said bond yields "stabilised, even dipped a little bit today", supporting the metal.

With prices trending higher, Wyckoff said the path of least resistance for gold "will continue to be sideways to higher" in the coming weeks, barring a technical reversal signal.

Spot silver advanced 0.8 per cent to \$69.52 per ounce yesterday morning, while platinum gained 0.7 per cent to \$1,891.43, and palladium rose 0.7 per cent to \$1,359.41.

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Saba takes on Baillie Gifford in board battle

Helen Cahill Financial Correspondent

The New York hedge fund targeting UK investment trusts has launched a bid to appoint three directors of its choosing to the board of another listed vehicle managed by Baillie Gifford.

Saba Capital has issued a requisition notice to seek the election of directors to the board of the Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust.

The hedge fund founded by Boaz Weinstein has a 29 per cent stake in the London-listed trust and is trying to appoint Jason Chen, Thomas McGlade and James Waterlow to its board.

In a statement the trust said: “The board recommends that shareholders take no action at this time and await a further announcement from the company in due course.”

The Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust is one of a number of listed vehicles that hold a stake in SpaceX, with its holding making up 13.6 per cent of its total assets. Other top holdings include Stripe, Nvidia, Anthropic and Amazon.

The trust was also boosted recently due to its stake in Moderna, the American drug company, which revealed last week it had made a breakthrough in developing personalised cancer treatments, prompting its shares to gain as much as 177 per cent to \$174.38.

Over the year so far, Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust's shares have gained about 14 per cent.

Saba said the board of the trust had “repeatedly put Baillie Gifford’s interests first” and that shareholders had “suffered”, adding: “Over the past two years, Saba’s engagement in the UK investment trust market has delivered nine successful outcomes for shareholders. Since beginning its UK campaigns in late 2024, Saba has made hundreds of millions of pounds for retail investors who would otherwise still be trapped in these trusts at wider discounts — with no way out. At the same time, record buybacks across Saba-owned investment trusts have boosted net asset values for all shareholders, delivering additional gains."

Saba's latest intervention comes after a victory earlier this year when it won the support of other American hedge funds to push for the removal of six directors of the Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust, which is also managed by Baillie Gifford.

Edinburgh Worldwide's six directors stepped down from the board in April, although Jonathan Simpson-Dent, the trust's chairman, said a significant number of retail shareholders had opted to sell their holdings in advance of the vote because they had been "ground down" by Saba. Simpson-Dent said the US investors were seeking to secure a "short-term gain" from the trust's holding in SpaceX before its float.

Saba has been buying up shares in a string of investment trusts that have been trading at large discounts to their net asset value. The activist has been using its position to push for action to address the discount.

The investment trust sector has been urging the City regulator to introduce rules to stop Saba's continued attacks. Richard Stone, chief executive of the Association of Investment Companies, has said that the current rules are “not fit for purpose”.

The Financial Conduct Authority launched a consultation on possible reforms for closed-ended investment funds at the end of June. The regulator said it would make changes to support boards that sought to act independently of an investment manager.

Insurers try to pull cover for defence costs in bribery trial

Helen Cahill

Insurers are seeking to avoid paying out on policies covering executive legal costs in a move that threatens to derail a major bribery case brought against two former Petrofac directors.

Nine Lloyd's of London insurers have brought a case in the High Court claiming they should not be liable to pay the defence costs, potentially putting at risk a trial due to start in November.

Marwan Chedid and George Salibi, two former Petrofac directors, have made claims on so-called directors and officers policies to fund the costs of a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office. The policies protect board members and managers from personal loss if sued for decisions taken while running a company. They cover defence costs, settlements and damages.

The insurance firms, led by Liberty Managing Agency, a subsidiary of the Boston-based insurer Liberty Mutual Group, said they had been “induced” to issue policies to Chedid and Salibi after the executives “fraudulently misrepresented and/or failed to disclose material circumstances, namely matters relating to those bribery offences, in breach of duty of utmost good faith”.

The insurers have also claimed they were not liable to pay any claims to Petrofac or its subsidiaries owing to “fraudulent breaches of the duty of utmost good faith” in connection with the case. The High Court has expedited a hearing on whether the insurers can avoid payouts on September 9.

The SFO charged Chedid and Salibi in February 2024, alleging they were involved in offering and paying agents more than \$30 million to influence contract awards worth around \$3.3 billion to Petrofac. Neil O'May, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, representing Chedid, said his client "strenuously denies all the allegations" against him and that "the judge and jury alone will decide on the truthfulness of the allegations". Salibi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jason Williams, head of the fraud and corruption division at the SFO, said: "The SFO is aware of this matter but not a party to these proceedings."

Petrofac's shares tumbled in 2017 when it emerged that Ayman Asfari, then its chief executive and a Conservative Party donor, and Chedid, who was its chief operating officer, had been interviewed under caution by the Serious Fraud Office as part of its investigation.

Business

Port's freight bottlenecks blamed on lack of rail investment

Guy Taylor Retail Correspondent

Bottlenecks on London railway lines have worsened after Network Rail “botched” negotiations with a key port, Britain’s largest rail freight operator has claimed.

John Smith, the founder and chief executive of GB Railfreight, said poor investment decisions had contributed to congestion on the London, Tilbury and Southend line and in north London, where much of the rail freight traffic flows out of London Gateway, one of Britain's biggest container ports.

Situated on the Thames Estuary, the port has undergone significant expansion in recent years, supported by billions in private investment, including a £1 billion pledge from its Dubai-based owners DP World in 2024.

"There's no investment being made in rail freight infrastructure," Smith told The Times. "There's no joined-up thinking and we're lobbying for it quite hard. Between the fact that billions have gone into London Gateway, there's nothing that's gone into the railway line to create more capacity. We just cram it into a narrow corridor."

Smith's comments will fuel wider concerns in the rail freight industry that Labour's nationalisation programme will prioritise passenger trains over their vital but less glamorous counterparts, which contribute about £2.5 billion to the economy each year.

Much of the freight traffic from London Gateway travels through Barking, East London, where it splits out onto two busy commuter railways: the Gospel Oak-Barking route and the north London route. The issues have been compounded because of the London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan's desire for more commuter trains around north London.

Smith argued that Network Rail, the public body which manages the tracks, "should have been cleverer" in asking the port to invest more money in the nearby railway infrastructure: "If they were good negotiators, they'd have gone to London Gateway and said, if you're putting all this capital in, we need you to invest in some of the equipment outside."

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "London Gateway has seen a rapid increase in traffic since March 2025 and a resulting increase in the number of trains operating to/from the port from ten to 12 per day in each direction to 22 per day." He said officials were "working closely” with the port and “our collaboration has already seen a marked improvement in the number of right-time starts from the port, up 48 per cent since May 2025.”

DP World said it was in “regular dialogue” with Network Rail and the Department for Transport: “There is strong demand for goods movement by rail and we are investing in additional capacity at London Gateway.

“This is an international gateway for the UK and we welcome further investment in the rail network where it is needed to enable increases in our national freight capacity.”

British firm builds nuclear cargo fleet

A start-up based in west London is to help the US government build a fleet of nuclear-powered cargo ships (Tom Howard writes).

A public-private partnership between the US Maritime Administration and Core Power, based in Chiswick Park, west London, was signed in Washington yesterday.

The first-of-its-kind agreement aims to accelerate construction of a US-flagged fleet of rapid nuclear-powered merchant vessels, and revive a US shipbuilding industry that has been decimated by cheaper competitors from China.

Core Power says it has raised \$200 million from backers including Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo, a trio of Japanese conglomerates, to help it develop the technology. It aims to begin building its nuclear propulsion systems in 2028 and will work with traditional shipbuilders to make the vessels' hulls.

“China is already moving toward nuclearpowered commercial shipping," Mikal Boe, chief executive of Core Power, said. "America does not regain maritime strength by building a better version of yesterday's ship. Government can set the direction and co-ordinate; private industry must move the money and the steel."

Core Power was founded in 2018. In 2024, the most recent year for which its accounts are available, it made an operating loss of £19.4 million and employed 41 people.

Nuclear power has been used for decades in military submarines, but it has struggled to gain traction in commercial

CORE POWER

Core Power has created ambitious designs for floating nuclear power plants. It is teaming up with America for the project on cargo vessels

shipping, partly because of high costs but also safety concerns. Its proponents say safety has been improved, while the sheer power of nuclear-powered ships could offset the costs.

Boe estimated that nuclear-powered vessels could move up to 75 per cent faster than fossil fuel-powered ships, carry more cargo and be exempt from green taxes. Russia, through its use of nuclear-powered icebreakers, is the nation with the largest nuclear shipping fleet.

Regulation and financing of this nascent industry remains a hurdle, but the US government said it would work with Core to develop an “actionable commercial pathway”, including providing clarity on how insurance will work.

“Nuclear propulsion ... must be approached as a complete system — safe, secure, licensable and investable,” Stephen Carmel, of the Maritime Administration, said.

KPMG slashes jobs after audit scandal

Tom Howard

Professional Services Correspondent

The damage caused to KPMG by a high-profile scandal in Australia will result in the loss of almost 400 jobs and put a big dent in partners' pay.

The Big Four firm said the past year had been “very challenging” and not as lucrative as its Australian lead-

ership team had expected, which they accepted was at least in part because of “our own failings”.

KPMG's reputation down under has taken a batter-ing in recent months after it emerged that senior partners

Partners in Australia were accused of accepting "freebie" Taylor Swift tickets were sharing confidential client information with each other to win lucrative work from their clients' rivals, while others were accused of breaching independence rules by accepting freebies such as Taylor Swift concert tickets.

Given the uproar it caused, a number of KPMG's clients either cut their ties with the firm or are reviewing whether

to keep it as their auditor, which has put a dent in its finances. At the same time, all of the Big Four, which also includes Deloitte, EY and PwC, have seen a big drop in consulting work from the Australian government after PwC was outed in

PwC was outed in 2023 trying to use confidential information about changes to Australia's tax policy to win new business from corporate clients, including Google and Uber.

John Sams, who was appointed KPMG Australia's chief executive last month to lead it out of its present crisis, warned that the “difficult market conditions” are likely to persist for at least another 18 months.

As a consequence, and following speculation last week that a jobs cull was on the horizon, KPMG Australia confirmed it would be cutting 5 per cent of its workforce, with 27 partners and 360 rank-and-file staff facing the axe.

“This is not a decision that has been taken lightly, and we know it will have a very real impact on people,” Sams said.

Partners, who in the previous year received about A\$715,000 on average, have seen their pay cut by 13 per cent this time around.

The job losses and pay cuts reflect a financial performance that was “below our expectations” last year. KPMG Australia has declined to comment on local news reports suggesting that it had to be bailed out by KPMG International, which runs the firm's global network.

In the 12 months to the end of June, KPMG Australia's revenue fell 1 per cent to A\$2.26 billion from A\$2.28 billion in the previous financial year.

Despite the scandal involving its audit teams, revenues in that side of the business rose by II per cent to A\$405 million, helped by more companies asking KPMG to track their progress against their environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets.

The tax and legal arm grew by 11 per cent to A\$268 million following “strong, ongoing investment in that business”, while revenue from mid-market clients increased 6 per cent to \$449 million. Deal advisory revenue grew 3 per cent to \$342 million.

However, the all-important consulting division saw a decline by 17 per cent to \$632 million, with clients, including the Australian government, having ditched the Big Four given the scandals that have engulfed them. Most of the job cuts that KPMG is planning will be at its consulting and business services teams.

“We need to be clear about the outlook,” Sams said. “Economic growth is expected to remain subdued until at least 2028, affecting client investment and extending decision-making timeframes. The professional services sector is also changing rapidly as client expectations evolve, AI reshapes the way services are delivered and government spending on consultants remains lower. We also recognise the challenges created by our own failings.”

Sams hopes his decisions will put KPMG back on a “more sustainable footing” after a tough period. He added: “For more than 130 years, KPMG has helped Australian organisations solve difficult problems and supported confidence in our capital markets. The changes announced today are an important step in the longer work of renewing and rebuilding our firm.”

Overseas Growth Investment Funds
OEIC B Class
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Share Class 1-Retail
Share Class C

Charifund Inc @

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5.10

Business Unit trusts

The Times unit trust information service

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0800 092 2051

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AXA FRAMLINGTON UNIT MGMT

HALIFAX INVESTMENT FUND MGRS

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Dling: 0845 602 1952 Priv Clients:0845 777 5511

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Authorised Inv Funds

Enq:0845 745 6123 Dlg:0845 745 6126 Mon-Frid:8-6

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Admin & Enq 0117 989 0808
HSBC Investment Funds (OEIC) Retail Share Class
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Dealing 020 7426 6232

Winchester ‡

5687.29

...

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HSBC Specialist Investment Fds (OEIC)

Private CInts:0800 414161 Broker Dlgs:0800 414181

American Index Retail Inc ‡1240

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Dling:0800 085 8571 Inv Serv:0800 085 8677

Brkr Serv:0800 028 2121

Invesco Funds

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MoneyBlder Inc ‡	28,19	...	5.03
MoneyBlder UK Ind ‡	202,65	...	2.47
Special Sits ‡	7531	...	1.64

Corp Bond ‡	231,02	...	4.08
High Income Dis ‡	433,75	...	3.15
Income & Growth Dis ‡	504,3	...	3.13
Income Inc ‡	1676,7	...	2.87
Money Acc ‡	107,99	...	3.64
Monthly Inc Plus Dis ‡	92,17	...	5.75
UK Opps UK Acc ‡	1400,82	...	1.46
UK Sml Cos Eqty Acc ‡	1361,01	...	1.21

INVESTEC FUND MGRS LTD

Broker Support and Dealing: 020 7597 1900

OEIC Series I, ii, iii & iv

American A Acc ‡	875,43	+6,22	...
Cautious Managed A Acc ‡	472,76	+1,75	2,63
Cautious Managed A Inc ‡	270,95	+1,05	2,51
Diversified Growth A Acc ‡	332,8	+1,24	0,21
Diversified Growth Inc ‡	122,47	+0,46	0,96
Diversified Income A Acc ‡	376,83	+0,47	3,89
Diversified Income A Inc ‡	67,86	+0,09	5,29
Emerging Mkts Blended Debt A Acc ‡	144,2	+0,31	5,78
Emerging Mkts Blended Debt A Inc ‡	166,8	+0,15	7,48
Emerging Mkts Equity A Acc ‡	289,98	-3,97	0,04
Emerging Mkts Leaders A Acc ‡	230,75	-22,34	...
Global Equity A Acc ‡	301,09	+1,56	...
Global Franchise A Acc ‡	404,75	+3,49	...
Global Free Enterprise A Acc ‡	2093,15	+12,7	...
Global Gold A Acc ‡	636,71	+10,8	...
Global Special Situations A Acc ‡	531,99	+6,92	...
Global Special Situations A Inc ‡	408,13	+5,31

	Sell	Buy	+/-	Yld %
UK Special Situations A Acc ‡2715.39			+20.75	1.04
UK Special Situations A Inc ‡933.85			+7.14	1.05

	Sell	Buy	+/-	Yld %
Extra Income Inc ‡	827,85		...	5,09
Gilt & Fxd Int Inc ‡	66,8		...	4,79
GI Hi Yd Bd Inc ‡	39,85		...	6,27
Index Linked Bd Inc ‡	101,06			1,58
Index Trckr Inc ‡	105,02		+0,68	3,00
Short Dated Corp Bd Inc ‡	25,36		...	4,28
UK Select A Inc ‡	3328,47			2,63

For ISIS Asset Mgmt see F&C Fd Mgmt Ltd (OEIC) JANUS HENDERSON INVESTORS Investor Serv: 0800 832 831 DIng:0845 946 4646

All Sticks Credit A Inc ‡	113,4	...	4,50
Asian Div Inc U Trust Inc ‡	100	...	5,60
Cautious Managed Fd A Acc ‡	357,8	...	3,80
Cautious Managed A Inc ‡	153,5	...	3,90
China Opp Fund A Acc ‡	1295	...	0,10
Emg Mkts Opps Fd A Acc ‡	299,5	...	...
Erpn Sel Opps Fd A Acc ‡	3241	...	0,20
Fix IntMnthly Inc Fd Acc ‡	33,16	...	5,90
Global Equity Fund Acc ‡	6537	...	...
Global Equity Income A Ac ‡	188,08	...	2,30
Global Tech A Acc ‡	6861	...	...
Instl UK Idx Opps A Acc ‡	179,3592	...	2,10
M-Asset Abs Rtn A Acc ‡	189,3	...	2,70
M-Man Active Fd A Acc ‡	334,9	-0,1	1,80
M-Man Inc Grth A Inc ‡	160,8	...	2,80
M-Man Inc Fd Grth A Acc ‡	231,7	...	2,70
Sterling Bond U Trst Acc ‡	229,3	...	4,30
Sterling Bond U Trst Inc ‡	55,38	...	4,30
Strategic Bond A Inc ‡	95,47	...	5,70
UK Abs Ret Fd A Acc ‡	206,7	...	2,10
UK Alpha Fund A Acc ‡	199,9	...	1,20
US Growth Fund A Acc ‡	2969	...	...

Sterling Class A Investment Funds 3
Corp Bd A Inc ‡	32,69	...	5,09
Dividend Inc ‡	66,61	...	5,36
Recovery A Inc ‡	142,31	...	2,85
Sml Cos Inc ‡	362,18	...	2,83

Sterling Class A Investment Funds 4
Episode Allocation A Inc $160.86	...	3.81

MARKS & SPENCER UNIT TRUST 0808 005 5555

High Income ‡	87,03	...	4,60
High Income Acc ‡	297	...	4,60
UK 100 Comp Acc ‡	715,9	...	3,10
UK 100 Comp Inc ‡	322,1	...	3,10
UK Select Port ‡	477,6	...	2,90
UK Select Port Acc ‡	1092,5	...	2,90
W'wide Mgd Acc ‡@	1329	...	0,20
Worldwide Mgd Acc ‡@	739,8	...	0,20

J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT OEIC

UK Equity Core E Net Acc @712.0000

+4.7000

2.51

MORGAN STANLEY INVESTMENT MGMT

JUPITER UT TRUST MANAGERS LTD

Distribution & Growth ‡	124,11	-0,0939	2.93
Euro Special Sits ‡	598,08	+0,4030	0,71
European ‡	3980,09	+0,4072	0,61
Financial Opps ‡	1340,61	+0,7550	1,01
Global Macro Bd L GBP ACC ‡	426,93	+0,2673	3.87
Merlin Bal Acc ‡	346,22	+0,8068	2.26
Merlin Growth Acc ‡	830,38	+0,4339	0,20

Asset Class Shares
Equity
Glob Bal Inc F F Acc ‡	1049,40	...	1,54
Glob Bal Inc F F Inc ‡	938,65	...	1,55
Glob Bal Inc F I Inc ‡	936,69	...	1,49
Glob Bal Inc F I Acc ‡	1046,53	...	1,47
Glob Bal Sust F F Acc ‡	1036,68	...	1,65
Glob Bal Sust F F Inc ‡	989,88	...	1,66
Glob Bal Sust F I Acc ‡	1034,12	...	1,57
Glob Bal Sust F I Inc ‡	989,45	...	1,60
Grb Br Eq Fund F Inc ‡	1114,32	...	4,28
Grb Br Eq Fund I Acc ‡	1755,27	...	4,25
Grb Br Eq Fund I Inc ‡	1177,93	...	4,37
Grb Br Fund I Acc (PH) ‡	14243,55	...	0,32

ALL YOUR ARRANGEMENTS IN ONE PLACE

Trustpilot No.1 TOUR OPERATOR

First & Business Class Holidays & Flights	020 7368 1400
Corporate Travel	020 7368 1499
Worldwide Holidays & Flights	020 7368 1200
Cruise Holidays	020 7368 1300

ATOL LICENCE: 1458 caa.co.uk

NO ONE LOOKS AFTER YOU BETTER

Merlin Inc Acc ‡@	469,33	+0.2315	3,40
Merlin Wwide Inc ‡	605,98	+0.4326	...
UK Dynamic Equity L Dis ‡	293,72	+0.7132	1,75
UK Growth ‡	284,84	+1.1696	0,64
UK Income Trust ‡	1018,41	+0.3849	4,58

LEGAL & GENERAL (UT MANGRS) LTD Enquiries: 0870 050 0955 Dealing: 0870 050 0956

Euro Ind Acc @	811,6	+1,7	1,90
Euro Ind Inc ‡	484,7	+1,1	1,90
Fixed Int Acc ‡	150	...	4,60
Fixed Int Dist ‡	62,01	+0,04	4,60
Global Health ‡	127,2	...	0,90
Glob Tech Acc @	231,8	...	...
High Inc Acc @	154,4	+0,1	5,70
Japan Ind Acc ‡	110,9	-0,2	1,30
Pacific Ind Acc ‡	419,7	-5,5	1,30
UK Index Trust Acc ‡	540,6	+3,5	2,50
UK Index Trust Dist ‡	234,1	+1,6	2,50
US Ind Acc ‡	1401	...	0,50
Worldwide Acc ‡	468	...	0,90

Glob Br Fund I Inc (PH) †1658,22	...	0,45
Glob Br Fund I Acc (PH) †1767,5	...	0,45
Glob Br Fund I Inc (PH) †3831,05	...	0,32
Glob Quality Fund F Acc (PH) †1553,89	...	0,49
Glob Quality Fund F Inc ‡ 1507,1	...	0,51
Glob Quality Fund I Acc ‡1548,72	...	0,34
Glob Quality Fund I Acc (PH) ‡1548,45	...	0,34
Glob Quality Fund F Acc ‡1565,15	...	0,51
Stg Corp Bond F F Acc ‡ 144,32	...	4,89
Stg Corp Bond F F Inc ‡ 97,86	...	4,91
Stg Corp Bond F I Inc ‡ 1378,13	...	4,74
Stg Corp Bond F I Acc ‡ 3052,94	...	4,74
US Adv F F Acc ‡ 2452,16	...	...
US Adv F F Acc (PH) ‡ 1406,31	...	...
US Adv F I Acc ‡ 2581,6	...	...
US Adv F I Acc (PH) ‡ 1538,75	...	...

SANTANDER UNIT TST MGRS 08457 413002

Equity Inc Inc ‡	237.8	...	...
Stkmkt 100 Tkr ‡	230,8000	...	...
UK Growth I Acc ‡	658.6	...	...
UK Growth Inc ‡	316.2	...	...

M&G SECURITIES

SCOTTISH MUTUAL INV MNGRES LTD

Sterling Class A Investment Funds 2

Far Eastern Inc	617.0700	649.4700	...	...
Mutual Far Eastern	1362.7900	1438.3000	-25.55	0.39
Mutual UK Eq	1429.4900	1508.7000	...	7.81

	Sell	Buy	+/-	Yld %
UK Equity Inc	562,2300	593,3800	...	7.81

SCOTTISH WIDOWS UNIT TRUST MNGRS

UK Trkr A Acc ‡	606.3	+0.60	2.50
UK Trkr A Inc ‡	275.9	+0.30	2.50

UK & Income Investment Funds

Corp Bond A Acc @	328.4	+0.40	4.20
Corp Bond A Inc @	107.7	+0.10	4.20
Envir Invtr A Acc #	468.8	+3.10	2.10
Hi Inc Bond A Ac @	300.5	+1.80	6.40
Hi Inc Bond A Inc @	70,80	+0.42	6.40
Hi Res A Acc #	563.0	+3.20	3.70
Hi Res A Inc #	152.4	+0.90	3.80
Strat In A Acc @	228.5	+0.30	4.60
Strat In A Inc @	86,08	+0.13	4.60
UK Eq Trckr A #	136.6	+0.90	2.50

UK Trkr B Acc ‡	671.8	+0.80	2.60
UK Trkr B Inc ‡	274.4	+0.30	2.60

OEIC C Class

UK Eq Tkr C ‡

133.4

+0.90

2.60

STANDARD LIFE INVESTMENTS

Investment Funds (OEIC)-Retail Shares

AAA Inc CAT Acc ‡	98.41	...	2.52
AAA Inc CAT Inc ‡	51.08	...	2.52
AAA Income Acc ‡	108.50	...	...
Amer Eq Gth Acc ‡	286.20	...	...
Glb Advtg CAT Acc ‡	202.3	...	1.32
Glob Advtg Acc ‡	266.70	...	...
Higher Inc Acc ‡	186.10	...	...
Higher Inc Inc ‡	48.16	...	...
Managed Acc ‡	519.6	...	1.83
UK Ethical Acc ‡	259.80	...	...
UK SmIr Cos Acc ‡	813.90	...	...

SVS BROWN SHIPLEY FUNDS

Enquiries:0141 222 1151

Balanced A Acc ‡	186,12	...	2,02
Blanced A Inc ‡	157,52	...	2,07
Cautious A Acc ‡	133,11	...	2,44
Cautious A Inc ‡	105,28	...	2,48
Dynamic A Acc ‡	496,23	...	1,40
Dynamic A Inc ‡	434,16	...	1,41
Growth A Acc ‡	491,07	...	1,63
Income A Acc ‡	318,76	...	2,17

THREADNEEDLE INVESTMENTS

Client Serv: 0800 0684000

Threadneedle HY Bd Rtl Inc $39,3945	+1,27	...
Threadneedle Mthlyl Eur Inc $110,275	+58,07	...
Threadneedle SterlingCorp Bd Inc $54,7617	+5,12	...
Threadneedle SterlingCorp Acc $54,6541	+4,97	...
Threadneedle Sty Bd Ret Inc $39,4366	+8,98	...
Threadneedle Strat Bd Ret $41,7434	+0,97	...
Threadneedle UK Eq Inc Rtl Inc $119,5929	+100,88	...
Threadneedle UK Growth Inc Rtl Inc $112,301	+101,47	...
Threadneedle UK Istl Rtl $250,6047	+162,11	...
Threadneedle UK Mthlyl Inc Rtl Inc $89,5648	+69,63	...
Threadneedle UK Rtl Inc $168,5326	+141,66	...
Threadneedle O Smaller Cons Rtl Inc $406,105	-20,1	...

For Resolution see Ignis

TU FUND MANAGERS LTD

IFSL Marlborough Eur A Dis1002

1002

...

1.22

* Yield expressed as CAR (Compound Annual Return); † Ex dividend; ‡ Middle price; ... No significant data. # Periodic charge deducted from capital; @ Exit charge

British funds

12 month			Price(£)	Int Yld		Grs rd
High	Low	Stock		+/-	%	yld

Index-Linked

73.08	63,68	Tr IL 0 %:50	63,21	+ .24	0,78	2,56
66,33	56,73	Tr IL 0 %:52	56,84	+ .29	0,44	2,56
101,91	97,20	Tr IL 0 %:28	98,69	+ .02	0,13	0,29
100,99	97,45	Tr IL 0 %:29	98,60	+ .03	0,13	0,67
98,88	94,73	Tr IL 0 %:31	95,98	+ .14	0,13	0,36
88,33	82,19	Tr IL 0 %:36	83,55	+ .14	0,15	1,90
82,85	76,16	Tr IL 0 %:39	77,37	+ .14	0,16	2,19
79,32	72,11	Tr IL 0 %:41	72,66	+ .15	0,17	2,29
74,05	65,19	Tr IL 0 %:44	66,80	+ .23	0,19	2,46
71,23	62,20	Tr IL 0 %:46	63,15	+ .14	0,20	2,52
68,00	59,19	Tr IL 0 %:48	59,45	+ .18	0,21	2,55
60,61	49,87	Tr IL 0 %:56	50,03	+ .23	0,25	2,49
58,90	48,59	Tr IL 0 %:58	48,96	+ .29	0,26	2,46
54,25	43,57	Tr IL 0 %:65	43,65	+ .20	0,29	2,32
53,89	40,40	Tr IL 0 %:68	42,55	+ .27	0,29	2,27
57,66	42,98	Tr IL 0 %:73	43,78	+ .36	0,29	1,98
97,88	93,36	Tr IL 0 %:34	94,05	+ .10	0,80	1,59
79,12	70,87	Tr IL 0 %:47	71,16	+ .19	1,05	2,51
62,70	49,79	Tr IL 0 %:62	51,65	+ .29	0,73	2,41
87,38	80,77	Tr IL 0 %:40	81,06	+ .15	0,77	2,25
84,28	76,40	Tr IL 0 %:42	76,67	+ .14	0,82	2,36
104,16	100,95	Tr IL 0 %:27	101,42	+ .15	1,23	0,10
103,67	99,14	Tr IL 0 %:32	99,99	+ .04	1,25	1,24
86,46	72,33	Tr IL 0 %:56	74,18	+ .34	1,69	2,54
85,60	73,36	Tr IL 0 %:55	73,72	+ .31	1,70	2,53
99,52	94,19	Tr IL 1 %:35	94,69	+ .16	1,19	1,76
97,09	90,76	Tr IL 1 %:37	91,23	+ .17	1,23	2,00
102,53	95,86	Tr IL 1 %:38	96,43	+ .17	1,81	2,09
99,42	88,49	Tr IL 1 %:49	88,80	+ .22	2,11	2,52
248,27	236,46	Tr IL 2%:35	241,57	+ .22	0,83	1,77
349,35	338,55	Tr IL 4 %:30	342,36	+ .07	1,20	0,92

Longs (Over 15 Years)

26,99	21,99	Tr 0 1/3⁄4	61	22,50	.07	2,22	5,51
65,04	55,40	Tr 0 1/3⁄4	51	55,77	+.24	0,22	2,56
38,39	32,78	Tr 0 1/3⁄4	50	33,35	+.09	1,87	5,78
47,60	40,99	Tr 1 1/3⁄4	53	41,46	+.12	3,62	5,84
45,88	39,62	Tr 1 1/3⁄4	51	40,15	+.10	3,11	5,84
33,04	27,34	Tr 1 1/3⁄4	73	27,61	+.09	4,07	5,34
48,44	41,83	Tr 1 1/3⁄4	57	42,15	+.06	4,15	5,79
48,36	41,73	Tr 1 1/3⁄4	54	42,30	+.10	3,84	5,81
41,45	35,52	Tr 1 1/3⁄4	71	35,81	+.11	4,54	5,48
57,14	49,72	Tr 2 1/3⁄4	65	50,18	+.12	4,08	5,70
74,02	64,22	Tr 2 1/3⁄4	68	45,25	+.16	5,36	5,66
81,50	72,00	Tr 3 1/3⁄4	52	72,86	+.15	5,45	5,78
80,90	71,30	Tr 3 1/3⁄4	53	72,02	+.14	5,21	5,81
88,15	77,58	Tr 4 1/3⁄4	55	78,41	+.16	5,42	5,79
83,52	73,28	Tr 4/3⁄4	60	73,97	+.15	5,41	5,76

Mediums (5-15 Years)

83,19	79,47	Tr 0 1/2% 31	81,31	-.04	0,31	4,52
86,27	82,79	Tr 0 1/2% 30	84,60	-.05	0,44	4,47
72,25	67,14	Tr 0 1/2% 35	68,68	-.01	0,91	5,02
79,97	75,46	Tr 0 1/2% 33	76,96	-.01	1,14	4,82
48,97	42,75	Tr 0 1/2% 46	43,49	-.06	2,03	5,27
54,44	57,23	Tr 0 1/2% 47	48,49	-.09	5,09	5,77
61,88	55,55	Tr 1 1/2% 41	56,73	-.05	2,20	5,49
66,75	60,85	Tr 1 1/2% 39	62,16	-.05	1,83	5,33
75,83	69,99	Tr 1 1/2% 37	71,15	+.05	2,46	5,22
55,77	49,19	Tr 1 1/2% 49	49,71	-.09	3,52	5,78
85,07	81,01	Tr 1/2% 32	82,59	-.01	1,21	4,67
82,54	74,42	Tr 3 1/2% 45	75,28	-.09	4,65	5,68
95,49	90,74	Tr 3 1/2% 33	91,70	-.01	3,54	4,76
80,41	72,57	Tr 3 1/2% 44	73,53	-.09	4,42	5,66
100,00	85,76	Tr 3 1/2% 38	86,99	+.06	4,31	5,28
102,40	96,34	Tr 4 1/2% 34	97,30	-. -	4,62	4,91
101,93	0,01	Tr 4 1/2% 35	96,64	-.02	4,66	4,99
96,45	87,54	Tr 4 1/2% 42	88,66	-.09	5,08	5,57
102,33	0,01	Tr 4 1/2% 32	97,98	-.02	4,24	4,65
100,56	94,70	Tr 4 1/2% 34	95,64	-. -	4,44	4,92
99,39	92,65	Tr 4 1/2% 36	93,78	+.04	4,53	5,08
100,00	88,42	Tr 4 1/2% 39	89,59	-.07	4,74	5,37
100,40	86,92	Tr 4 1/2% 40	88,20	+.06	4,82	5,45
96,97	81,54	Tr 4 1/2% 46	82,62	-.13	5,14	5,71
89,58	79,95	Tr 4 1/2% 49	80,89	-.13	5,25	5,23
101,49	97,47	Tr 4 1/2% 51	96,13	-.04	4,20	4,59
100,70	95,57	Tr 4 1/2% 33	96,37	-.02	4,28	4,78
104,72	100,54	Tr 4 1/2% 30	100,96	-.07	4,70	4,50
103,33	96,78	Tr 4 1/2% 35	97,80	+.03	4,86	5,05
102,00	93,84	Tr 4 1/2% 38	95,00	-.07	5,00	5,21
102,58	98,98	Tr 4 1/2% 30	99,49	-.05	4,40	4,53
97,07	89,07	Tr 4 1/2% 40	90,13	+.05	4,85	5,42
100,37	99,69	Tr 4 1/2% 32	99,72	-.04	4,64	4,68
100,00	94,52	Tr 4 1/2% 37	95,48	+.04	4,84	5,19
100,99	96,96	Tr 4 1/2% 36	98,04	-.03	4,97	5,13
105,68	96,52	Tr 5 1/2% 41	97,78	+.04	5,37	5,47
105,44	93,20	Tr 5 1/2% 56	94,17	+.20	5,71	5,79

Shorts (Under 5 Years)

91,87	89,09	Tr 0 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 29	91,19 - .04	0,55	4,36
98,67	91,49	Tr 0 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 28	94,51 - .03	0,13	4,11
99,51	96,19	Tr 0 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 26	99,48 + nc	0,38	3,66
91,00	0,01	Tr 0 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 29	89,61 - .04	0,98	4,44
97,48	95,29	Tr 1 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 27	97,41 - .02	1,28	4,22
95,46	92,89	Tr 1 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 28	94,46 - .05	1,72	4,34
101,17	98,03	Tr 4 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 29	98,75 - .04	4,05	4,49
101,39	99,44	Tr 4 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 27	99,98 - .03	4,25	4,26
101,88	98,28	Tr 4 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 29	99,02 - .04	4,17	4,49
100,70	99,60	Tr 4 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 27	100,03 - .01	4,12	4,01
101,65	99,40	Tr 4 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 28	100,00 - .04	4,37	4,37
107,15	103,38	Tr 6 $\frac{1}{2}$ % 28	103,66 - .06	5,79	4,30

* maturities having an eight-month indexation lag.

This is a paid for information service. For further details on a particular fund, readers should contact their fund manager.

Data provided by ICE. Data as shown is for information purposes only. No offer is made by ICE or this publication

Business

Kuwaiti tycoon in bankruptcy row

LONDON RESORT

The London Resort's ambitious plans for a theme park quickly saw it nicknamed the Dartford Disneyland; left, Abdulla Al-Humaidi during his time at Ebbsfleet United, with the club's ex-manager Daryl McMahon

Abdulla Al-Humaidi, of 'Dartford Disneyland' fame, faces accusations over a housing project, writes James Hurley

Abdulla Al-Humaidi is a man with big ideas. After he acquired Ebbsfleet United in 2013, he told fans of the non-league club of his desire to take it into the English Football League.

His dreams of building one of Europe's largest theme parks in the unlikely setting of the nearby Swanscombe peninsula, a mixture of Kent marshland and industrial space beside the Thames estuary, were even more ambitious. The supposed £3.5 billion London Resort, nicknamed the Dartford Disneyland, boasted of a deal with Paramount, the Hollywood studio, and was expected to feature 50 rides and attractions, a 5,500-bed hotel and one of Europe's fastest rollercoasters.

Yet the London Resort proved a catastrophe for the Kuwaiti busi-

The project, which had been forecast to attract 12 million visitors a year, collapsed in 2023, leaving behind more than £100 million in debts. Al-Humaidi was bankrupt-ed in November 2023 in the fallout.

At Ebbsfleet United his reign and, following his bankruptcy, that of his family company came to an end family company came to an end last week after 13 years. The club is back in the sixth tier of English football, the same level as when Al-Humaidi acquired it, having survived more than a dozen HMRC winding-up petitions.

According to Greg Attwood, the former chief executive of Northfleet Harbourside, a major Kent housing project, Al-Humaidi's sense of ambition for this corner of north Kent did not stop at football and theme park rides. Attwood claims Al-Humaidi was the mystery driving force behind Northfleet Harbourside, one of the UK's most significant housing projects, intended to deliver 3,500 new homes, 3,000 jobs, new offices and retail space, a 300-bed hotel and a new 8,000-seat stadium for Ebbsfleet United.

Following a public inquiry, the plans recently ended in failure after Angela Rayner's housing department refused

planning permission. Attwood claims Al-Humaidi has once again left behind unhappy creditors. He also alleges that Al-Humaidi remained closely involved in the project during his bankruptcy and that Attwood's fees were paid via a family "fixer".

The Times has previously pointed out a series of links between Northfleet Harbourside and Al-Humaidi and his family company, Kuwaiti European Holding Company. However, Northfleet Central I, the company behind the housing project, has insisted Al-Humaidi was not involved.

Attwood, a property and turnaround expert recently put forward by Saba Capital to join the board of Workspace

Group, claims Al-Humaidi appointed him in the summer of 2023 to try to get the Northfleet Harbourside project approved by planners.

"He stayed involved right up to the end of my involvement with the project [in December 2024]. He was stepping outside his bankruptcy restrictions all the time to control the project as a proxy for his family," Attwood claims.

Undischarged bankrupts are not allowed to directly or indirectly take part in the management of a company without the leave of the court.

Al-Humaidi said Attwood's claims were “baseless” and that he had only been involved in Northfleet Harbour-side in his capacity as an employee of Ebbsfleet United. “Being employed and attending technical meetings is well within [bankruptcy rules].”

He claimed Attwood, a former PwC executive, was trying to “blackmail” him and that questions about Attwood’s work for the project should be referred to Northfleet Central 1.

Northfleet Central 1 said Attwood was a “fantasist who publicly supported a scheme he now derides” and that he had been “dismissed within 12 months”.

Attwood, whose consultancy's clients have included PwC, said the blackmail claims were “nonsense”. He said he was not dismissed and his contract had ended, with a final month's payment overdue.

Attwood alleges that, upon appointment, he encountered a chaotic project big on ideas but short on detail.

“Abdulla told me he had lost in excess of £100 million on the failed Paramount Studios theme park on the adjacent land. He thought he was two months away from Northfleet Harbourside being ready to obtain planning permission. In truth, it was much more than that. Much of it was nowhere near financially viable. Within a few days I’d found a £300 million hole in the GDV [estimated market value] numbers owing to very basic and obvious errors, to an experienced development professional at least.

"I found the scheme somewhat fantastical. There were nonsensical elements to it; thousands of feet of retail space they wouldn't be able to market. They hadn't studied the economic viability of the stadium plans ... Valuations on nearby apartments were absurd."

Attwood says he received a draft ten-year contract as CEO and was promised control over team and tactics on the project, but by 2024 it had been paused.

Attwood claims he was told he would be retained on around £20,000 a month for six months during the hiatus. He claims he was paid by a company called Go4Plant Limited, which Companies House records show is controlled by Aden Dervan, also known as Eden Dervan, a former soldier. "I was told the source of funding for this company was the Al-Humaidi family, so I didn't need to worry about getting paid," Attwood said.

Attwood, 55, claims Dervan's precise role in Northfleet Harbourside was not clear but that he was told that he "fixes stuff for the family".

Al-Humaidi said the Go4Plant claims were a “fantasy”. Attwood provided a bank statement which appears to show he was paid by Go4Plant.

Al-Humaidi added: "Eden Dervan is an active investor internationally and had invested a sum in the London Resort scheme previously amongst other projects. When Mr Attwood was sacked by Northfleet he asked me for help and I made a few introductions for him, including to Mr Dervan." Dervan, 66, was approached for comment.

Attwood said his last month's payment, for December 2024, never arrived. He says he is aware of other creditors on the project who say their bills have also gone unpaid.

Al-Humaidi said claims over unpaid bills should be directed to Northfleet Central but “as far as I’m aware he has been fully paid”. Northfleet Central did not comment on this but said Dervan played no role in the project and claimed Attwood “demonstrated an inadequate understanding” of key project issues. “He was both out of his depth and demonstrated none of the experience he claimed to have.”

Attwood said: “I believe there is a scheme that could work at Northfleet Harbourside, but it would be very different from the one submitted. I brought in world-class people. Abdulla embarrassed me.”

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William Kay Tempus Buy, sell or hold: today's best share tips

Healthy appetite is exceedingly good

PREMIER FOODS

Market cap £1.7 billion

Price to earnings ratio 12.6

After a lost decade in which it was dismissed as a zombie, Premier Foods, the Mr Kipling, Bisto and Ambrosia owner, has

been making giant strides back to being one of Britain's leading food producers. It rejoined the FTSE 250 in 2020 after eight years among the small caps, and resumed dividend payments after 13 years in 2021. Freed from debilitating pension commitments in 2024, it has since had cash to expand.

Consequently, the shares rose from 95p to 212p between October 2022 and May 2025. Rachel Reeves's budget last October dented its prospects, but after a sharp decline in the middle of July, the price has recovered from 186p to return to 198p.

After such a strong run, it is normal for a stock to experience profit-taking and for non-investors to take time to assess the prospects before committing themselves. It is also no coincidence that the graph for UK food price inflation is almost exactly the mirror image of the company's. Annual food price inflation peaked at 19.1 per cent in March 2023, plunging to 2 per cent the next year, since when it has largely stabilised with a rise to 5 per cent a year ago.

That has taken the steam out of Premier's pricing power, forcing management to keep increases more in line with the grocery market average. The shares have responded accordingly, rerating from a

Feast on that

ADVICE Buy WHY The public are regaining their taste for Premier's extensive grocery basket

turnaround story to a dependable cash-flow compounder. Nearly 90 per cent of its revenue comes from branded products, the main prop for mid-teens operating margins. For the three months to the end of June, branded sales rose 4 per cent, compared with 2.7 per cent across the board.

David Smith, the Sunday Times economics editor, noted in June that the volume of retail sales adjusted for price changes rose decisively above its level on the eve of the pandemic six years ago, concluding:

Share of the business Bisto, Oxo, Paxo, Merchant Gourmet (Flavourings & Seasonings) 45% Batchelors, Nissin, Merchant Gourmet, FUEL10K (Quick & Easy Meals) 36% Ambrosia, Bird's, Angel Delight (Ambient Desserts) 41% Sharwood's, Loyd Grossman, Homepride, The Spice Tailor (Global Cuisines) 14% Ambrosia, FUEL 10K (Breakfast On The Go & Granola') 12% Mr Kipling, Cadbury (Ambient Cakes) 20%

“Shoppers are letting go.” In July there was another rise in food sales, thanks to warm weather and the Fifa World Cup. Just what Premier wants to hear. For the year to March 28, headline revenue rose 2.5 per cent to £1.175 billion, taking adjusted pre-tax profit up 8.5 per cent to £183.6 million. Adjusted earnings per share of 15.8p puts the shares on a 12.6 price-earnings ratio. The dividend was raised by a fifth to 3.36p, translating to a 1.7 per cent yield.

While its historic brands give the group dependability, they have largely gone ex-growth. So it is reinvesting profits in younger food businesses, such as Fuel 10K, Spice Tailor and Merchant Gourmet, that have more growth potential. Historic brands including Oxo have been reinvigorated, with a bone broth version, and, inspired by bubble tea, Angel Delight is now available in jellies filled with small syrup-filled balls. Last month, Loyd Grossman, a longstanding Premier Foods brand, stepped out of jars for the first time with pasta sauce and rice kits.

Meanwhile, under the enthusiastic chief executive Alex Whitehouse, Premier has reinvigorated its balance sheet, bringing net debt down to under half of ebitda. And in 2024 it combined all its historic pension schemes into one, ending onerous deficit contributions.

Whitehouse says: “We’re very, very rigorous, because we’re looking for the brands of the future. We’re focused on consumer trends and the ability to build the brand using our branded growth model. We sell millions of products a day, so if we can make those products a little bit healthier, the cumulative impact on the nation’s health is not insignificant. We felt there was a moral obligation to do that. With balance sheet strength and a bit of momentum behind us, we’ve got the opportunity to build a much bigger version of Premier Foods than the one we’ve got today.”

Overseas is an obvious area for the group to look at, as only 6 per cent of revenues come from the rest of the world, taking Ireland as part of the UK. It is already strong in Australia and Canada, and has a base to build on with Sharwoods sauce in southern US states.

“Much has been achieved, but there is still a lot of potential,” said Charles Hall at Peel Hunt after the annual results. “There is a lot to like at Premier, and we believe the valuation continues to be attractive.”

FTSE lifts as gold rally helps miners to sparkle

Wall Street report

MARKET REPORT

London's leading share index managed to reverse its lacklustre start to eventually outperform its European peers yesterday (Jessica Newman writes).

The FTSE 100 finished the session 37.76 points, or 0.4 per cent, higher at 10,854.32, a lot better than the Dax in Germany and France's Cac, which both finished in negative territory. It was also a disappointing session for the FTSE 100's second tier, with the FTSE 250 almost dead flat on Monday, down less than 2 points to close at 24,717.48.

Among the blue-chip risers were Endeavour Mining, up 93p, or 2 per cent, to £47.73 as gold prices hit a three-month high on a weaker dollar, while a lift in copper prices supported Antofagasta, which rose 67p, or 1.7 per cent, to £39.72.

It was Diageo that took the top spot on the FTSE 100 leaderboard, registering a gain of 52p, or 3 per cent, to £17.71. Under the leadership of Sir Dave Lewis the spirits giant behind Smirnoff and Guinness told shareholders its plans to return to growth by promoting its more affordable products and streamlining its operation. Analysts at RBC said that while they “can’t be certain” management’s “forceful” cost savings and orga-

US stocks started the week on the back foot as investors weighed up the economic implications of President Trump's new sanctions on Iran before a busy week of economic data and earnings from Nvidia, the world's most valuable chipmaker. The Nasdaq, down 0.8 per cent to close at 25,980.19, was dragged down by chipmakers including Micron, Nvidia and Broadcom. The S&P 500 also declined 0.3 per cent to 7,652.94. However, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.3 per cent to 53,417.16.

The day's biggest movers

Company	Change
Diageo	3.0%
London Stock Exchange Group	2.8%
Airtel Africa	2.7%
Pearson	2.5%
Weir	2.2%
GSK	-1.5%
Melrose Industries	-1.8%
Babcock International	-2.1%
Polar Capital Technology	-2.5%
BP	-2.9%

Endeavour Mining rose 93p to £47.73 as gold prices reached a three-month high

nisation changes “will provide the wherewithal to revive sales growth ... it is credible in our view”.

Sitting at the other end of the leader-board was BP, down 16p, or 2.9 per cent, to 533 $^{3/4}$ p, after oil prices slipped as investors awaited details of expected new US sanctions on Iran, which could further disrupt supplies from the Middle East. Shares in Harbour Energy, the biggest oil and gas producer in the North Sea, were also down 7 $^{1/4}$ p, or 2.8 per cent, to 255p, while Hunting, the energy services group, closed down 11 $^{1/2}$ p, or 2.8 per cent, to 393 $^{1/2}$ p.

Away from the main market, small-cap investors piled onboard Tracsis after the technology company, whose services are used for train timetables, rail safety and road traffic management said it had completed its £48 million purchase of rail software provider Mistral Data after receiving regulatory and other approvals. Alongside the update, Tracsis told its shareholders that its revenues and profits for the year just gone are expected to come to meet the City's expectations. Shares in the Aim-listed company closed up 20p, or 6.3 per cent, to 340p.

Markets Business

NEWS IN BRIEF

Saudis to build Paris park

Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans to build a €6 billion manga-themed amusement park on the outskirts of Paris. The project, partly inspired by the world of the hit Japanese manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball Z, will be built near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of the capital, and is expected to create about 22,000 jobs, the Élysée Palace said. The announcement was made during a visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, to Paris. The idea was conceived after Emmanuel Macron and the prince discovered a shared enthusiasm for Dragon Ball Z during the French president's visit to Saudi Arabia, Macron advisers said. The prince, who owns a chateau near Paris, is on a rare official trip abroad and appeared alongside Macron at the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup in Paris on Sunday.

The Saudi entertainment and investment group Qiddiya will finance the project, which forms part of the kingdom's push to diversify its economy beyond oil and expand its global footprint into leisure. The project is expected to include three theme parks, as well as lodging and dining facilities. No opening date has been set for the development, which will be one of Europe's largest and could eventually rival the neighbouring Disneyland Paris, which has attracted more than 445 million visitors since it opened in 1992.

GSK cancer drug review

GSK said the US food and drug administration (FDA) has accepted dostarlimab, marketed as Jemperli, for a priority review as a potential treatment for a type of rectal cancer. If approved it could eliminate the need for chemotherapy, radiation and surgery for some patients, which despite being effective can have lasting adverse effects on bowel and sexual functions and overall quality of life. Data showed that a significant proportion of participants had no detectable signs of cancer one year or more after treatment. The FDA has assigned an action date for the rectal cancer review in February.

Poor spending power falls

The gap in disposable income between Britain's highest and lowest earning households widened by £30 a week over the past year. Asda's latest income tracker, of the money that can be spent after taxes and basic living costs are deducted, shows low earning households were the only income group to see their spending power drop over the past year, leaving them with a £71 weekly shortfall. Sam Miley, head of forecasting and thought leadership at the Centre for Economics and Business Research which compiled the report, said "households still faced a significant increase in costs on a per unit basis".

Energy complaints rise

Energy complaints taken on by the industry ombudsman rose 16 per cent in the first half of 2026 as disputes over billing concerns increased amid pressure on household finances. The energy ombudsman accepted 46,532 cases in the six months to the end of June, up from 40,068 a year earlier, marking the first half-year rise in complaints since 2023. The figures reveal that billing disputes made up the majority — 58 per cent — of complaints in the period and were 15 per cent higher than a year ago at 27,006. Complaints over smart meters also made up a significant proportion, at 10 per cent in the second quarter.

Business

EQUITY PRICES

Dividend yields Please note dividend yields are supplied by ICE Data Services. The yield is the sum of a company's annual 12-month dividend payments divided by the last day's closing share price.

12-month high and low High/low prices for UK equities and investment trusts are based on intra-day figures.

ICE Futures

12 month			Company	Price (p)	+/-	Forecast Yld%	P/E
High	Low
Automobiles & Part
$86\frac{3}{4}$	33	Aston Martin Lag	$33\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	...	-0.7
Banking & Finance
265	$177\frac{1}{2}$	Aberdeen Group $^{\ddagger}$	$246\frac{1}{4}$	+	$3\frac{1}{2}$	5,9	11.4
$1\frac{1}{4}$	$0\frac{1}{4}$	Acuity RM $^{\dagger}$	$0\frac{1}{4}$			...	-3.4
4006	2624	Admiral	4000	+	24	3,6	16,2
$662\frac{1}{2}$	$414\frac{1}{4}$	AJ Bell	$616\frac{1}{2}$	+	$5\frac{1}{4}$	2,4	24,0
$28761\frac{1}{2}$	$22372\frac{1}{4}$	AON Corp	$26267\frac{1}{2}$	+	$307\frac{1}{4}$	0,9	...
1130	765	Arbuthnot $^{\dagger}$	820	+	20	6,7	7.5
$276\frac{1}{2}$	$145\frac{1}{2}$	Ashmore Group	$227\frac{1}{4}$	+	$1\frac{1}{2}$	7,4	18,7
$2126\frac{1}{2}$	$1590\frac{1}{2}$	Australia & NZ	$1934\frac{1}{2}$	-	$18\frac{1}{4}$	5,9	18,9
$740\frac{1}{2}$	$590\frac{1}{2}$	Aviva	728	+	$10\frac{1}{2}$	5,5	27,1
1122	689	Banco Santander	1084	+	6	1,5	13,9
$554\frac{1}{2}$	$352\frac{1}{2}$	Barclays $^{\ddagger}$	$495\frac{1}{2}$	+	$2\frac{1}{2}$	2,3	11.3
17	4	Blue Star Capital $^{\dagger}$	$5\frac{1}{2}$			...	-2.8
710	613	BP Marsh & Ptnrs $^{\dagger}$	676			5,4	5.1
$351\frac{1}{4}$	212	Bridgepoint Grp	$320\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	3,0	64,1
352	264 $^{\ddagger}$	Chesnara	330	+	4	6,8	-65,3
492	349	City of London Grp	489	-	1	6,7	16,6
$556\frac{1}{2}$	$318\frac{1}{2}$	Close Bros	424	-	$4\frac{1}{2}$	...	-6,3
753	203	CMC Markets	709	-	34	1,9	25,8
$2957\frac{1}{2}$	2057	Deutsche Bank	$2824\frac{1}{4}$	+	$53\frac{1}{2}$	3,0	10,4
93	$73\frac{1}{2}$	EFG-Hermes Hldgs	$73\frac{1}{2}$			0,9	...
$240\frac{1}{4}$	136	EPE Special Opps $^{\dagger}$	211			...	8,7
85	52	Fiske $^{\dagger}$	$67\frac{1}{2}$			1,7	5,9
92	80	Foresight Ventures VCT 83				4,3	15,5
4700	2215	Georgia Capital	4440	+	60	...	2,8
57	$43\frac{1}{4}$	Hansard Global	54	+	3	8,2	41,5
230	194	Helios U/W $^{\dagger}$	225	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	4,4	7,8
1904	$1257\frac{1}{2}$	Hiscox $^{\ddagger}$	1832	+	37	2,1	13,8
1610	$942\frac{1}{4}$	HSBC $^{\ddagger}$	1529	+	$10\frac{1}{2}$	3,6	17,2
1956	1016	IG Group $^{\ddagger}$	1354	+	20	3,1	9,3
204	$90\frac{1}{2}$	Impax Asset Mgmt $^{\ddagger}$	$111\frac{1}{2}$	-	$4\frac{1}{2}$	9,0	7,0
2340	$1424\frac{1}{2}$	ICG	2026	+	10	4,3	12,1
$145\frac{1}{4}$	$115\frac{1}{2}$	Intl Public P'ship $^{\ddagger}$	$140\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{5}{8}$	6,3	-10,4
690	$499\frac{1}{2}$	Investec $^{\ddagger}$	$635\frac{1}{2}$	-	$1\frac{1}{2}$	6,1	8,2
78	60	Investment Co	$76\frac{1}{2}$			...	...
75	48	IP Group	$71\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{7}{8}$	1,8	9,9
24	$6\frac{1}{2}$	Jarvis Securities $^{\ddagger}$	8			43,8	2,5
$214\frac{1}{2}$	$113\frac{1}{2}$	Jupiter Fund Mgmt $^{\ddagger}$	$164\frac{1}{2}$	+	$1\frac{1}{2}$	3,6	8,6
700	549	Lancashire Hldgs $^{\ddagger}$	$608\frac{1}{2}$			2,8	6,9
$318\frac{1}{2}$	$217\frac{1}{4}$	Legal & General $^{\ddagger}$	$288\frac{1}{4}$	+	$4\frac{1}{4}$	7,6	28,8
13620	6905	Lion Finance Group $^{\ddagger}$	13230	+	140	2,4	9,3
375	223	Liontrust Asset Mgmt	312	+	$1\frac{1}{2}$	6,1	20,3
61	35	Livermore Invs Grp $^{\ddagger}$	$37\frac{1}{2}$			8,3	17,0
$117\frac{1}{2}$	$77\frac{1}{2}$	Lloyds Banking $^{\ddagger}$	$111\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{3}{4}$	3,6	15,9
22	14	LMS Capital	$15\frac{1}{2}$			25,6	...
10140	6684	London Stock Exchange $^{\ddagger}$	1840	+	238	1,8	37,1
$367\frac{1}{2}$	247	M&G	$348\frac{1}{2}$	+	$1\frac{1}{2}$	5,9	27,6
$327\frac{1}{4}$	$154\frac{1}{4}$	Man Group $^{\ddagger}$	$304\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{5}{8}$	4,1	27,0
$39\frac{1}{4}$	20	Manx Financial Grp $^{\ddagger}$	$25\frac{1}{2}$			2,0	4,7
10	$1\frac{1}{4}$	Marechale Capital $^{\ddagger}$	$4\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{5}{8}$	...	-5,9
$186\frac{1}{2}$	$98\frac{1}{2}$	Metro Bank	$169\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{5}{8}$	...	21,7

12 month			Price			Forecast
High	Low	Company	(p)	+/-	Yld%	P/E
2621 $\frac{1}{4}$	1864 $\frac{1}{8}$	National Australia	1994 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	12 $\frac{1}{2}$	4.5	17.2
726	500 $\frac{1}{4}$	NatWest Group $\ddagger$	688 $\frac{3}{4}$	+	5	5.1	12.9
833 $\frac{1}{8}$	438 $\frac{1}{8}$	PayPoint	625	-	3	6.4	10.6
1238	910 $\frac{1}{4}$	Prudential	1042 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	14 $\frac{1}{2}$	1.9	9.2
1 $\frac{1}{4}$	0 $\frac{1}{8}$	Quantum Blockchain $\blacklozenge$	0 $\frac{1}{8}$			...	-1.8
209	150 $\frac{1}{4}$	Quilter	193 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{4}$	3.3	21.8
2500	1580	Rathbones Group	1708	+	4	5.9	15.8
325 $\frac{1}{8}$	245	Rockwood Strategic	324 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	0.0
2458 $\frac{1}{2}$	1620	S & U	1975	+	25	5.8	10.1
3	0 $\frac{1}{4}$	Sancus Lending $\blacklozenge$	1 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	8.1
59 $\frac{1}{8}$	42 $\frac{1}{4}$	Schroder REIT $\ddagger$	43 $\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{5}{8}$	8.3	...
599 $\frac{1}{2}$	358 $\frac{1}{8}$	Schroders	583 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	3.8	17.1
1575 $\frac{1}{2}$	1038 $\frac{1}{4}$	St James's Place $\ddagger$	1196 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	8 $\frac{1}{2}$	1.5	12.0
2278	1351 $\frac{1}{2}$	Standard Chart'd $\ddagger$	2195	+	33	2.3	15.3
948 $\frac{1}{2}$	615	Standard Life	928 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	8	6.0	-197.1
6347 $\frac{1}{8}$	4254 $\frac{1}{8}$	Sun Life Canada	5774 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	23 $\frac{1}{8}$	3.5	...
6 $\frac{1}{4}$	2 $\frac{1}{4}$	Tavistock Invs $\blacklozenge$	2 $\frac{1}{4}$			3.6	2.3
5200	3615	TBC Bank Grp $\textcircled{+}$	4876	+	106	5.3	6.9
1 $\frac{1}{4}$	0 $\frac{1}{4}$	Term $\blacklozenge$	1 $\frac{1}{4}$			...	-1.5
60	40 $\frac{1}{8}$	Time Finance $\blacklozenge$	57 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	9.1
0 $\frac{1}{8}$	0 $\frac{1}{8}$	Tooru $\blacklozenge$	0 $\frac{1}{4}$			...	-1.7
4	1 $\frac{1}{4}$	Truetide $\blacklozenge$	3 $\frac{1}{4}$			...	-5.8
132	75	Vanquis Banking Gp	78 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{4}$	...	24.5
2800	2000	Volvere $\blacklozenge$	2070			...	11.0
7239 $\frac{1}{8}$	5453 $\frac{1}{8}$	Wells Fargo $\textcircled{+}$	6185 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	32 $\frac{1}{8}$	2.4	...
2275 $\frac{1}{8}$	1755 $\frac{1}{4}$	Westpac Bkg Corp	1770 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	8 $\frac{1}{8}$	4.6	16.8
31 $\frac{1}{4}$	23	Worsley Investors	28 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{4}$	...	...
57550	49947 $\frac{1}{4}$	Zurich Insurance	53879 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	179 $\frac{1}{4}$	5.1	18.4

Construction & Property
357	181	Alumasc◆	230			4.8	8.9
6%	4%	Aseana Properties	5%			...	1.3
2%	1%	Built Cybernetics◆	2	+	1⁄4	...	-200.0
973	575%	Balfour Beatty	882	-	3	1.6	16.8
410%	235%	Barratt Redrow	315%	+	2%	5.4	23.2
2890	1715	Bellway	2144	+	30	3.4	16.1
4442	2796	Berkeley	3566	+	12	...	10.8
1208	800%	Big Yellow Grp	903	+	2%	5.2	...
460	233	Billington Hldgs◆	407%	+	2%	2.7	39.2
237	133%	Boot (Henry)	154	-	1	5.1	8.8
383%	271%	Breedon	359%	-	1	4.2	14.8
451%	318%	British Land	428%			5.4	...
2900	2500	Cardiff Property	2750			1.1	20.7
2196	1469%	Derwent London	2078	+	26	3.9	...
5%	4%	DCL Advisors◆	4%			...	-2.7
19%	11	First Property◆	13%	+	1⁄4	1.9	7.5
75	29	Fletcher King◆	42%			5.3	28.7
62	31%	Foxtons Group‡	37%	+	1%	3.1	8.8
638	407%	Galliford Try Hldgs	614	+	6	3.3	18.2
391%	241	Genuit Group	283%	+	3⁄4	4.5	15.6
435	221	Gleeson (MJ)	272	-	2	4.0	10.0
1062%	788%	Grafton Grp Units	1026%	-	6%	3.7	14.6
205	149%	Grainger	178	-	3⁄4	4.7	6.5
377	270	Great Portland Est	348%	+	%	2.4	0.0
391%	263%	Hammerson	374%	-	3%	4.9	...
185	116%	Harworth Group	180	-	3⁄4	1.0	62.1
400	215%	Heath (Samuel)◆	245			5.3	30.6
236%	180%	Helical	200	-	1	1.3	41.4

12 month			Price (p)	+/-	Forecast Yld%	P/E
High	Low	Company
144	82 $\frac{1}{2}$	Ibstock $\blacklozenge$	85 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	2.3	...
161 $\frac{1}{2}$	112	James Halstead $\blacklozenge$	139 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1	6.4	14,4
3518	1238	Keller $\blacklozenge$	2858	-	26	2.8	14.1
8694 $\frac{1}{2}$	8573 $\frac{1}{4}$	Kingspan Group	8605 $\frac{1}{2}$			0.6	27.2
726	522 $\frac{1}{2}$	Land Securities	687 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	6.0	...
216 $\frac{1}{4}$	175 $\frac{1}{4}$	LondonMetric Prop194	+	1	1	6.5	...
24	4 $\frac{1}{4}$	Macau Prop Opp Fd	5 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	...	-0.3
190	124	Marshalls	162 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	4 $\frac{1}{4}$	4.3	28.6
106	66	Michelmersh Brick $\blacklozenge$	77	+	1	6.0	19.2
1	0 $\frac{1}{2}$	Mindfair $\blacklozenge$	0 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-1.2
5730	3915	Morgan Sindall	4382	+	8	3.7	11.8
10200	8350	Mountview Estates	8900	+	200	5.9	17.0
85	65 $\frac{1}{4}$	NewRiver REIT	80 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	8.3	...
229	160	Palace Capital	181	-	1	8.3	40.2
320	261	Panther Securities $\blacklozenge$	280	-	16	4.3	11.4
1552	947 $\frac{1}{2}$	Persimmon	1160 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	9	5.2	13.0
24	15	Plaza Centers	14 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-0.1
109 $\frac{1}{4}$	87 $\frac{1}{4}$	Primary Health Props	96 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	7.5	...
33 $\frac{1}{4}$	28	Real Estate Inv $\blacklozenge$	31 $\frac{1}{4}$			4.8	-62.4
849 $\frac{1}{2}$	554 $\frac{1}{2}$	Safestore	604 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	5.1	...
1142	791 $\frac{1}{2}$	Savills	1060	+	14	2.2	20,4
5 $\frac{1}{2}$	0 $\frac{1}{4}$	Secure Prop Dev & Inv $\blacklozenge$	0 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-0.1
997 $\frac{1}{4}$	603	Segro $\blacklozenge$	961	+	3 $\frac{1}{2}$	3.3	...
155 $\frac{1}{4}$	124 $\frac{1}{2}$	Shaftesbury Capital	150 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	2.9	8.0
12	6 $\frac{1}{4}$	SIG	8 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	...	-1.6
153	105	SigmaRoc $\blacklozenge$	131 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	...	18.0
113	86 $\frac{1}{4}$	Sirius Real Estate	96 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	5.7	7.5
140	106	Smart (J)	115			2.8	8.8
23 $\frac{1}{2}$	16	Steppe Cement $\blacklozenge$	21 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	19.4
116 $\frac{1}{4}$	74 $\frac{1}{4}$	Taylor Wimpey	83 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	5.0	29.7
139	104	Town Centre	125	-	4 $\frac{1}{2}$	4.0	...
723 $\frac{1}{2}$	493 $\frac{1}{2}$	Travis Perkins	654 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	6	1.8	-7.9
175	132 $\frac{1}{4}$	Tritax Big Box $\blacklozenge$	158 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	5.2	...
737	442 $\frac{1}{4}$	Unite Group	527 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	7.1	...
746 $\frac{1}{4}$	220	Vistry Group	268 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	4 $\frac{1}{2}$	...	6.4
434 $\frac{1}{4}$	312	Workspace Group	360 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	7.2	...
930	730	Wynnstay Props $\blacklozenge$	915			3.1	12.7

Consumer Goods
229	117 $\frac{3}{4}$	AEP Plantations	195	+	2 $\frac{1}{3}$	3.1	11.5
30	17 $\frac{1}{4}$	Airea♦	26 $\frac{1}{2}$			3.8	10.4
2359	1729 $\frac{1}{2}$	AB Foods	2069	+	8	3.0	14.6
715 $\frac{1}{4}$	589	Barr (AG)	609	+	5	3.1	14.4
5326	3677	British Amer Tob	4194	+	63	5.8	11.9
1376 $\frac{1}{2}$	976	Burberry Group	1078	+	8 $\frac{1}{2}$		...
177	85 $\frac{1}{4}$	C&C Group	91 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{3}{4}$	5.4	...
5 $\frac{1}{4}$	2 $\frac{1}{4}$	Capital Metals♦	4	-	$\frac{1}{3}$	...	-34.5
460	271	Churchill China♦	395	-	5	5.3	9.9
5195	3270	Coca-Cola HBC	4616	+	72	2.2	20.8
1515 $\frac{1}{4}$	821	Colefax♦	1440			0.4	10.2
5810	4775	Cranswick‡	5430	+	70	2.1	18.4
2142	1295 $\frac{1}{2}$	Diageo	1771	+	52	2.1	30.9
0 $\frac{1}{4}$	0	Distil♦	0			...	-0.6
1918	1160	Evans (M.P.)♦	1734	-	16	3.5	10.8
150	114 $\frac{1}{2}$	Fevara	139	-	6	1.7	6.0
23540	14070	Games Workshop	18510	-	150	3.1	29.7
2185 $\frac{1}{2}$	1136 $\frac{1}{2}$	Glanbia‡	1933 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	2 $\frac{1}{3}$	2.0	36.0
307 $\frac{1}{2}$	191 $\frac{1}{4}$	Greencore	267 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{3}$	1.0	20.3
76	4 $\frac{1}{4}$	Headlam	8 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{3}$	...	-0.1
844	447 $\frac{1}{4}$	Hilton Food	619 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	3 $\frac{1}{2}$	5.6	7.1
3632	2476	Imperial Brands‡	2535	+	32	6.6	10.1
7646 $\frac{1}{4}$	5567 $\frac{1}{4}$	Kerry Group	7170	+	247 $\frac{1}{2}$	1.7	20.9
170	106 $\frac{1}{4}$	McBride	166 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	3	1.8	8.6
250	85	Mulberry Group♦	245	+	20	...	-18.8
1275	880	Nichols♦‡	1120	+	5	3.5	19.1
374	252	Norcross	328	+	4	3.4	...
389 $\frac{1}{2}$	309	Origin Ents♦	382 $\frac{1}{2}$			3.9	9.0
1	0 $\frac{1}{4}$	PACSC♦♦	0 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-0.0

12 month			Price (p)	+/-	Forecast Yld%	P/E
High	Low	Company
138	47 $\frac{1}{2}$	Portmeirion♦	53		...	-1.2
1 $\frac{1}{2}$	0 $\frac{1}{2}$	Provexis♦	1 $\frac{1}{2}$		...	-56.2
114	65 $\frac{1}{4}$	PZ Cussons	104 $\frac{1}{2}$ +	$\frac{5}{8}$	3,5	22.2
138	92	REA	109		...	-212.3
210	155	Tandem♦	186		1.6	12.0
320	220	The Character Grp♦	316 +	1	2.2	-46.9
10	5	Ukproduct Grp♦	7 -	$\frac{1}{2}$ ...	...	-16.3
5542 $\frac{1}{2}$	3644	Unilever§	4782 $\frac{1}{2}$ +	101 $\frac{1}{2}$	3.4	12.9
76 $\frac{1}{2}$	19 $\frac{1}{2}$	Victoria♦	57 +	2 $\frac{1}{2}$ ...	...	-0.2

Engineering
591 $\frac{1}{8}$	10	Assoc Brit Eng	20			...	-6,9
2180	1458	Avon Technologies $\ddagger$	1778	-	46	1,0	69,5
1527	902 $\frac{1}{8}$	Babcock $\ddagger$	1081 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	23	0,7	25,7
2360	1529	BAE Systems	2097	-	29	1,8	30,5
1500	500	Braime A N/V♦	1200			1,4	6,4
2490	1376	Braime Group♦	2350			0,7	12,5
550	350	Caffyns	500	+	50	2,0	-12,3
0 $\frac{1}{2}$	0 $\frac{1}{4}$	Cap XX Ld♦	0 $\frac{1}{8}$			...	-3,6
340	202 $\frac{1}{4}$	Castings $\ddagger$	303			6,1	17,5
27	12 $\frac{1}{8}$	Checkit♦	20			...	-7,7
650 $\frac{3}{4}$	446 $\frac{1}{2}$	Chemring Group $\ddagger$	558	-	12 $\frac{1}{2}$	1,5	31,3
55	28 $\frac{1}{8}$	Chesterfield Spec Cyl♦	35			...	-38,9
1538	881 $\frac{1}{4}$	Cohort♦	1220	-	14	1,5	23,4
570	190	Dialight	550	+	19	...	...
15	5 $\frac{1}{4}$	Feedback♦	6 $\frac{1}{8}$			...	-0,3
1270	463 $\frac{1}{4}$	Gooch & Housego♦	1195	-	10	1,1	87,2
28500	9292 $\frac{1}{2}$	Goodwin	18020	-	700	1,6	55,1
4902	3194	Halma	3554	+	44	0,7	36,1
3220	1994	Hill & Smith	2885	-	15	...	28,1
2 $\frac{1}{4}$	1 $\frac{1}{4}$	Image Scan♦	2 $\frac{1}{8}$			...	-12,4
3166	2216	IMI $\ddagger$	3072	+	18	1,1	24,7
7000	3480	Judges Sci.♦	3950	+	50	2,9	47,8
90	34	LPA♦	77 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-29,4
685	409 $\frac{1}{4}$	Melrose $\ddagger$	462	-	8 $\frac{1}{4}$	1,6	15,9
261	179 $\frac{1}{4}$	Morgan Advanced	234	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	5,2	31,2
405	200	Mpac♦	330			...	-10,4
1800	1120	MS Intl♦	1690	+	100	1,5	25,1
3318	1682	Oxford Instruments	2760	-	86	0,9	32,6
2413 $\frac{1}{8}$	1779 $\frac{1}{4}$	Phillips Elec	2019 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	4 $\frac{1}{8}$	3,6	-47,2
4 $\frac{1}{8}$	1	PipeHawk♦	1 $\frac{1}{8}$			...	-2,7
5490	3110	Renishaw	5035	-	65	1,6	43,7
1586	990	Rolls-Royce $\ddagger$	1500 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	2	0,7	21,6
489 $\frac{1}{4}$	286 $\frac{1}{8}$	Rotork $\ddagger$	485 $\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{4}$	1,7	35,2
105	60	SDI Group♦	91	+	2	...	19,4
318 $\frac{1}{8}$	161	Senior	294 $\frac{1}{2}$			0,7	-288,7
2086 $\frac{3}{4}$	2026 $\frac{1}{4}$	SKF Group	2069 $\frac{1}{4}$			2,9	31,1
2754 $\frac{1}{8}$	2088	Smiths	2610	+	10	1,8	30,5
215	135	Solid State♦	192 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	1,4	26,7
250	170	Somero Enter♦	240	-	2	3,1	17,2
8050	5950	Spirax Group	7035	-	25	2,4	31,7
7 $\frac{1}{2}$	3 $\frac{1}{2}$	Tanfield♦	4 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-4,4
320	240	Thorpe FW♦	260	+	1	2,8	12,0
142 $\frac{3}{4}$	47	Transense Tech♦	47 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	5,1
507 $\frac{1}{2}$	350	Vesuvius	382 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{8}$	6,2	18,1
710	325	Volex $\ddagger$	534	-	11	0,9	20,7
3580	2254	Weir	2878	+	62	1,5	30,1
2060	843	XP Power	1734	-	30	...	-41,3

Health
$284\frac{1}{2}$	187	Advanced Medical♦	282	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	1.0	61.0
$12\frac{1}{8}$	5	Allergy Therapeutics♦	$5\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	...	-6.7
8	$0\frac{1}{8}$	CellBxHealth♦	$1\frac{1}{4}$			...	-0.2
580	$391\frac{1}{8}$	Anpario♦	520	+	2	2.4	12.9

12 month			Company	Price (p)	+/-	Forecast Yld%	P/E
High	Low
15732	9892	AstraZeneca‡	12110	-	130	2.0	25.0
31⁄2	11⁄4	Cambridge Nutri Sci◆	11⁄2			...	2.7
2591⁄4	193	Convatec‡	228	+	2	2.4	36.1
34	20	Potter & Moore◆	22			2.5	7.2
1167⁄8	72	Eco Animal Health◆	101			...	31.0
32	211⁄4	EKF Diagnostics◆	251⁄8			...	54.0
101⁄2	01⁄4	Futura Medical◆	01⁄2			...	-0.1
32281⁄4	1943	Genus	2288	+	6	1.4	78.1
2282	14401⁄4	GSK‡	18901⁄2	-	28	3.7	13.4
01⁄4	01⁄4	Gunsynd◆	01⁄2			...	-2.0
4161⁄4	2741⁄4	Haleoni‡	3691⁄4	+	61⁄4	2.0	19.9
1865	1187	Hikma Pharma‡	1633	-	3	3.9	12.2
266	1501⁄4	Hutchmed China◆	178	-	6	...	4.6
191⁄2	11⁄4	ImmunoPharma◆	31⁄2	-	5⁄4	...	-9.2
32	121⁄4	Inspiration Health◆	181⁄2			...	-15.9
15	61⁄4	IXICO◆	71⁄4	+	1⁄4	...	-4.2
1	01⁄4	Thalia Therapeutics◆	01⁄2			...	-3.9
771⁄2	531⁄4	NIOX Group◆	68	-	5⁄4	2.3	40.2
131.50	96.03	Novartis	CHF 126.76	-	0.66	2.9	41.6
962	4411⁄2	Oxford Biomedica	509	-	17	...	-18.9
01⁄4	01⁄4	Physiomics◆	01⁄2			...	-3.0
41⁄2	11⁄4	Proteome Sciences◆	11⁄2			...	-1.5
65221⁄4	3664	Reckitt Benck‡	5180	+	38	4.2	11.1
291⁄2	101⁄4	RUA Life Sci◆	28	+	2	...	-120.2
30	91⁄2	Sareum Holdings◆	29	+	1	...	-12.1
14411⁄2	1046	Smith & Neph	1082	+	121⁄2	2.7	20.5
2561⁄2	1401⁄4	Spire Healthcare	2341⁄2	-	1⁄2	0.6	57.2
14	5	Talisman Metals◆	7			...	2.0
01⁄2	01⁄2	ValRx◆	01⁄2			...	-0.3

Industrials

12 month			Price (p)	+/-	Forecast
High	Low	Company			Yield%	P/E
$219\frac{1}{8}$	$137\frac{1}{4}$	SSP	201			2.2	-21.6
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Bow Street Group◆	$0\frac{1}{3}$			...	-0.3
$845\frac{1}{2}$	$530\frac{1}{2}$	Wetherspoon JD	$845\frac{1}{2}$ +	$6\frac{1}{2}$		1.4	14.1
3302	2098	Whitbread	2463	+	39	3.9	20.0
Media
$76\frac{1}{8}$	$51\frac{1}{8}$	Aeorema Comms◆	$64\frac{1}{2}$			4.1	51.2
29	18	Altitude Group◆	23			...	-92.0
115	$70\frac{1}{4}$	Arcontech Group◆	$79\frac{1}{2}$			5.0	11.3
$828\frac{1}{4}$	$418\frac{1}{8}$	Autotrader	$542\frac{1}{8}$ -	$4\frac{1}{8}$		2.1	15.9
690	435	Bloomsbury Pub	652	-	2	2.5	19.7
$3\frac{1}{2}$		Caledonian Hldgs◆	$1\frac{1}{3}$			...	-0.1
60	40	Catalyst Media◆	$42\frac{1}{2}$			...	23.1
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Catenai◆	$0\frac{1}{3}$			...	-2.8
$20\frac{1}{4}$	9	Ebiquiry◆	$9\frac{1}{4}$			...	-0.9
$785\frac{1}{2}$	$262\frac{1}{8}$	Future	$303\frac{1}{8}$ +	$1\frac{1}{4}$		5.6	4.8
154	$60\frac{1}{8}$	GlobalData	$84\frac{1}{8}$ -	$\frac{1}{8}$		1.8	19.1
110	44	IG Design Group◆	101	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	1.0	-0.9
1000	719	Informa‡	900	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	2.5	...
$87\frac{1}{8}$	$65\frac{1}{4}$	ITV	$72\frac{1}{4}$ +	$\frac{3}{4}$		6.9	12.2
208	$98\frac{1}{2}$	ME Group	$124\frac{1}{8}$ +	$3\frac{1}{4}$		6.7	8.3
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Mediazest◆	$0\frac{1}{3}$			...	14.7
27	12	Mission Group◆	21			...	-1.0
$220\frac{1}{4}$	$139\frac{1}{8}$	Mony Group§	$206\frac{1}{8}$ -	$\frac{1}{8}$		6.1	13.5
$2341\frac{1}{8}$	$1624\frac{1}{8}$	News Corp A	$2248$ +	$35\frac{1}{8}$		0.7	...
$2606\frac{1}{8}$	$1891\frac{1}{2}$	News Corp B	$2543\frac{1}{2}$ +	$19\frac{1}{8}$		0.6	...
$439\frac{1}{2}$	217	Next 15 Group◆	318	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	4.8	-10.6
1337	$874\frac{1}{8}$	Pearson§	1225	+	$29\frac{1}{2}$	2.1	23.8
$4\frac{1}{2}$	3	Primorus Inv◆	$3\frac{1}{8}$			...	5.0
74	$40\frac{1}{8}$	Reach‡	$43\frac{1}{2}$ +	$\frac{1}{2}$		13.6	-1.0
59	40	React◆	$42\frac{1}{2}$			...	-29.3
3600	1991	Relx¶	2652	+	40	2.6	23.6
$775\frac{1}{8}$	$391\frac{1}{8}$	Rightmove	$503\frac{1}{8}$ -	7		2.1	17.9
270	130	SpaceandPeople◆	135			...	6.2
130	$95\frac{1}{8}$	STV Group	$111\frac{1}{2}$ +	$4\frac{1}{4}$		...	-10.3
447	$170\frac{1}{2}$	System1 Group◆	335 +	5		1.8	32.2
$5068\frac{1}{8}$	$5065\frac{1}{8}$	21st Cent Fox A	$5068\frac{1}{3}$			0.8	...
3354	$3302\frac{1}{8}$	21st Cent Fox B	3354			1.3	...
369	230	Wilmington	269 -	9		4.3	20.9
$412\frac{1}{8}$	$218\frac{1}{2}$	WPP	$399\frac{1}{8}$ +	13		3.8	8.0
$71\frac{1}{2}$	40	Zinc Media◆	$56\frac{1}{2}$			...	-5.5

Industrials
79 $\frac{1}{8}$	58 $\frac{1}{8}$	Accsys Tech◆	70 $\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{3}{4}$	...	31,0
4780 $\frac{1}{2}$	3665 $\frac{1}{8}$	BASF	4457 $\frac{1}{8}$	+	12 $\frac{1}{4}$	4,3	28,6
4606 $\frac{1}{4}$	2268 $\frac{1}{2}$	Bayer	4147 $\frac{1}{8}$		50 $\frac{1}{8}$	0,2	-13,2
98 $\frac{1}{8}$	73 $\frac{1}{8}$	Coats Group	80 $\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{5}{8}$	3,0	18,6
3468	2437	Croda	3468	+	35	3,2	78,1
460	230	Cropper (James)◆	445			...	14,4
195 $\frac{1}{8}$	136	Elementis‡	178	-	1 $\frac{1}{4}$	1,9	-31,1
110	6 $\frac{1}{4}$	Hardide◆	96 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	1	...	...
3775	2095	International Paper‡	3020	+	5	4,5	-7,6
3245 $\frac{1}{4}$	2224	Johnson Matthey‡	2268	-	6	4,5	-29,7
1080 $\frac{1}{2}$	660	Mondi‡	863 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	5 $\frac{1}{4}$	1,4	27,0
169 $\frac{1}{8}$	110	Robinson◆	127 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	4,7	9,4
992 $\frac{1}{8}$	597	Swire Pacific	975 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	9 $\frac{1}{8}$	3,8	48,0
11	5 $\frac{1}{2}$	Symphony Enviro◆	8			...	-7,4
124	16 $\frac{1}{4}$	Synthomer	98	-	2	...	-1,0
2858 $\frac{1}{4}$	2026 $\frac{1}{8}$	Takeda Pharma	2670 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	9 $\frac{1}{8}$	3,5	-59,9
838	515	Victrex	820	+	7	7,3	25,6
430	320	Wynnstay◆	375			4,8	38,0
479 $\frac{1}{8}$	318 $\frac{1}{2}$	Zotefoams	435			1,8	9,4

Leisure
451	231	Accesso Tech♠	305	+	$1\frac{1}{2}$	...	14.9
260	160	Celtic♠	199			...	5.6
221 $\frac{1}{8}$	164	Domino's Pizza‡	$205\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{4}$	5.5	13.6
915 $\frac{1}{8}$	500 $\frac{1}{8}$	Entain§	541	+	$3\frac{1}{2}$	3.7	-5.2
61	19 $\frac{1}{4}$	Evoke	45			...	-0.4
52	29	Gaming Realms♠	$29\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	...	14.7
310	210	Heavitree♠	300			2.2	5.5
244	130	Heavitree A♠	195			3.4	3.6
175.70	115.99	InterCont'l Hotels:	$162.75	+	3.30	1.2	33.2
301 $\frac{1}{2}$	223 $\frac{1}{2}$	Mitch & Butlers	285	+	3	...	9.6
297	129 $\frac{1}{2}$	On The Beach	$191\frac{1}{2}$	+	$1\frac{1}{4}$	2.1	34.8
144 $\frac{1}{8}$	86	Rank Group	109	-	$2\frac{1}{2}$	3.2	17.0

Natural Resources

$0\frac{1}{8}$	0	ADM Energy $^{9}$	0			...	1.2
$17\frac{1}{8}$	$8\frac{1}{8}$	H-Power◆	$10\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-4.4
$89\frac{1}{8}$	$36\frac{1}{8}$	Afentra◆	$77\frac{1}{8}$	-	$1\frac{1}{4}$	...	-75.2
0	0	Arkadian Strat Metals◆	0			...	-1.1
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Alien Metals◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-15.1
$2\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Aminex	$1\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{4}$	...	-13.1
8924	$3349\frac{1}{8}$	Anglo Amer Plat‡	$6623\frac{1}{8}$	-	217	6.9	24.6
4239	2154	Anglo Amer‡	4118	+	51	0.7	-17.0
435	155	Anglo Asian Mng◆‡	410	+	5	0.7	36.1
4475	2115	Antofagasta	3972	+	67	1.4	40.2
$1\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Arc Minerals◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-1.4
$2\frac{1}{8}$	$1\frac{1}{8}$	Ariana Resources◆	$1\frac{1}{8}$			...	-158.0
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Arkle Resources◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-10.6
$2\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Asiamet Resources◆	$1\frac{1}{8}$			...	-13.6
1094	508	Atalaya Mine	1010	+	10	1.0	19.4
$4\frac{1}{8}$	$2\frac{1}{2}$	Beacon Energy◆	$3\frac{1}{8}$			...	-0.7
13	4	Beowulf Mining◆	$10\frac{1}{8}$			...	-3.1

PRICES

Major indices

New York
Dow Jones	53,417.16 (+140.95)
Nasdaq	25,980.19 (-200.26)
S&P 500	7,652.86(-21.51)
Tokyo
Nikkei 225	65528.09 (-488.27)
Hong Kong
Hang Seng	25517.33 (-492.13)
Amsterdam
Amsterdam AEX	1109.95 (+3.98)
Sydney
Australia AO	9316.70 (+47.00)
Frankfurt
DAX	26106.60 (-29.96)
Singapore
Singapore Straits	5680.46 (-8.50)
Brussels
Brussels BEL20	5813.50 (+6.33)
Paris
Paris CAC	8453.01 (-31.42)

Zurich
Zurich SMI	14447,19 (-9,79)
Zurich DJ Euro Stoxx 50	6447,98 (-14,24)
London
FTSE100	10854.32 (+37.76)
FTSE250	24717,48 (-1,34)
FTSE350	5915,38 (+18.31)
FTSE Eurotop 100	5062,00 (-2,86)
FTSE All Share	5850.42 (+17.79)
FTSE Non Financials	6418.29 (+9.04)
TechMark Focus	9503.02 (-59.22)
US$	1.3635 (+0.0010)
Euro	1.1687 (+0.0015)
SDR	0.9935 (+0.0010)
CPI Jul (2015=100)	142,9
RPI Jul (1987=100)	419,1
RPIX Jul (1987=100)	412,2

London Financial Futures

	Period	Open	High	Low	Sett	Vol	Open Int
Long Gilt	26-Sep	86.2	86.54	86	86.25	865339	893668
	26-Dec	86.17	86.49	85.96	86.21	719276	470501
	27-Mar				86.19	0
3-Mth Sonia Index	26-Jun	96.2525	96.2525	96.2525	96.2525	1397	389624
	26-Sep	96.155	96.165	96.15	96.155	45996	439962
	26-Dec	95.93	95.94	95.905	95.915	63232	569486
	27-Mar	95.765	95.78	95.72	95.73	46501	405594
3 Mth Sonia Index	27-Jun	95.685	95.7	95.625	95.635	73749	378202
	27-Sep	95.665	95.685	95.6	95.615	42766	250702
	27-Dec	95.685	95.7	95.62	95.64	53668	292044
3-Mth Euribor	26-Sep	97.39	97.395	97.38	97.385	118801	628793
	26-Dec	97.215	97.225	97.185	97.19	147883	949372
	27-Mar	97.095	97.11	97.05	97.055	113475	469055
	27-Jun	97.03	97.055	96.985	96.99	122426	493924
	27-Sep	97.025	97.045	96.97	96.98	118730	439873
3-Mth Saron Index	26-Jun	100.0525	100.0525	100.05	100.05	2737	69933
	26-Sep	100.055	100.055	100.05	100.05	3725	66148
	26-Dec	100.025	100.025	100.015	100.015	5441	55713
	27-Mar	99.955	99.955	99.94	99.94	5669	39511
	27-Jun	99.86	99.87	99.85	99.85	4094	29326
	27-Sep	99.78	99.785	99.765	99.765	2934	25965
	27-Dec	99.705	99.72	99.695	99.69	2279	19720
FTSE100	26-Sep	10826	10891,5	10823	10883,5	44345	477358
	26-Dec	10910	10946,5	10909	10953,5	11	1466
FTSEurofirst 80	26-Sep				8796,7	0
	26-Dec				8842,4	0

Tradeweb

© 2021 Tradeweb Markets LLC. All rights reserved.re-distributed; The Tradeweb FTSE Gilt Closing Prices information contained herein is proprietary to Tradeweb; may not be copied or is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely; and does not constitute investment advice. Tradeweb is not responsible for any loss or damage that might result from the use of this information.

Commodities

Natural Gas $
2.775	+0.002
Light Crude Oil
84.75	-2.31

Crude Oils (\$/barrel FOB)

WTI NOV 26	83.03-2.13
WTI DEC 26	80.95-2.07
WTI JAN 27	79.09-1.96
WTI FEB 27	77.49-1.88
WTI MAR 27	76.25-1.72

Products
Fuel Oil	500.006	-1.384
Euro Naphtha QF MWE	757.198	1.555

Sep1253.75-1253.25	Jan1090.5-1090
Oct1219-1218.75	Feb1060.75-1060.25
Nov1172.25-1171.75
Dec1126.25-1125.75	Volume: 180835

Brent
Oct92.43-92.41	Jan85.73-85.71
Nov90.64-90.63	Feb83.92-83.9
Dec88.02-88.01	Volume: 579347

Cocoa
Sep4240 -38	Sep4368 -37
Dec4285 -40	Dec4292 -43
Mar4391 -59	Mar4394 -59
May4398 -58	May4393 -58
Jul4395 -56	Volume: 39021

Robusta Coffee

Sep3674 +76	May3659 +100
Nov3740 +122	Jul3542 -3
Jan3723 +123
May3659 +100	Volume: 34365

White Sugar

Oct534.6 -17	Aug521.4 -2.3
Dec531.8 -12.2	Oct515.5 -0.7
May529.2 -5.3
May529.2 -5.3	Volume: 55170

London Grain Futures

LIFFE Wheat (close £/t)

Nov206.5 +1.5		May212.5 +1.5
Jan	207	Jul 213
Mar	209	Volume: 10194

Money rates %
Base Rates Clearing Banks: 3.75%ECB Refi 2.40%Fed Fund 3.5-3.75%Halifax Mortgage Rate (SVR) 7.24%
Sterling spot and forward rates
Mkt Rates for	Range	Close	1 month	3 month
Copenhagen	8.7347	8.7243	-148.304	-407.27
Euro	1.1682	1.1667	-15.27	-41.71
Montreal	1.8868	1.8772	-27.71	-79.86
New York	1.3634	1.3636	-0.19	-0.23
Oslo	12.6804	12.6761	49.29	155.08
Tokyo	216.9460	215.9480	-56.74	-156.99
Zurich	1.0933	1.0927	-39.29	-112.23

12 month			Price			Forecast
High	Low	Company	(p)	+/-	Yield%	P/E
$0\frac{1}{8}$	0	Bezant Resources◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	11.3
3583	1918	BHP Group	3554	+	29	3.5	25.0
14	$7\frac{1}{8}$	Border & Sthn Pet◆	$10\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-92.9
$122\frac{1}{8}$	$8\frac{1}{8}$	Bougainville	$9\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-13.9
$609\frac{1}{8}$	$399\frac{1}{8}$	BP‡	$533\frac{1}{4}$	-	$15\frac{1}{4}$	4.6	...
0	0	Buccaneer Energy◆	0			...	-0.6
$8\frac{1}{8}$	$1\frac{1}{8}$	Cadence Minerals◆	$6\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-11.9
$5\frac{1}{2}$	3	Cadogan Energy	$3\frac{1}{4}$			...	-11.4
2900	1250	Caledonia Mining◆‡	1850	-	30	2.2	8.9
$3\frac{1}{8}$	$1\frac{1}{4}$	Caspian Sunrise®	$1\frac{1}{8}$			...	3.5
244	$125\frac{1}{4}$	Cent Asia Metals◆	$157\frac{1}{4}$	+	$1\frac{1}{4}$	7.6	-5.1
$2\frac{1}{8}$	$1\frac{1}{8}$	Chariot Ltd◆	$1\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	...
0	0	Clontarf Energy◆	0			...	-6.2
$0\frac{1}{2}$	$0\frac{1}{4}$	Corcel◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-2.5
$18\frac{1}{2}$	8	Crism Therapeutics◆	$11\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{4}$	...	-2.3
$300\frac{1}{2}$	$123\frac{1}{4}$	DRD Gold	$226\frac{1}{2}$	+	4	3.4	19.0
$0\frac{1}{2}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	ECR Minerals◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-2.8
$0\frac{1}{8}$	0	Empyrean Energy◆	0			...	-0.4
5620	2472	Endeavour	4773	+	93	2.7	23.2
28	$9\frac{1}{4}$	EnQuest	26	-	1	3.1	...
6	2	Eurasia Mining◆	$2\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	15.0
$2\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Europa Oil & Gas◆	$1\frac{1}{8}$			...	-9.0
$87\frac{1}{4}$	$27\frac{1}{4}$	Ferrexpo‡	$28\frac{1}{4}$			...	-4.6
4472	1657	Fresnillo‡	3200	-	19	3.5	23.2
80	3	Galantas Gold◆	31	+	$4\frac{1}{4}$	...	-0.5
$21\frac{1}{2}$	$2\frac{1}{8}$	GCM Resources◆	19	+	2	...	-27.1
$7\frac{1}{4}$	$2\frac{1}{8}$	Gem Diamonds	$3\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	...	-0.1
$3\frac{1}{2}$	$1\frac{1}{8}$	Getech◆	$3\frac{1}{4}$			...	-7.9
$707\frac{1}{4}$	$281\frac{1}{4}$	Glencore	$593\frac{1}{8}$	-	$3\frac{1}{4}$	2.1	...
$0\frac{1}{2}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Geo Exploration◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-4.3
$4582\frac{1}{4}$	$2310\frac{1}{4}$	Gold Fields	$3471\frac{1}{4}$	-	$5\frac{1}{8}$	3.4	...
21	$6\frac{1}{2}$	Goldplat◆	19	+	$1\frac{1}{4}$	3.5	31.7
2	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Goldstone Res◆	$0\frac{1}{4}$			...	-0.9
800	255	Greatland Resources◆	718	+	$3\frac{1}{2}$	...	21.5
$353\frac{1}{4}$	176	Griffin Mining◆	285	+	3	...	32.1
235	$160\frac{1}{8}$	Gulf Keystone	$183\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{5}{8}$	6.9	35.9
858	$246\frac{1}{4}$	Hochschild	630	-	10	0.7	22.0
553	300	Hunting	$393\frac{1}{2}$	-	$11\frac{1}{2}$	2.6	20.5
$0\frac{1}{8}$	0	Ironveld◆	0			...	-2.5
$219\frac{1}{4}$	$57\frac{1}{8}$	ITM Power◆	$106\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	...	-14.4
$5\frac{1}{4}$	$2\frac{1}{4}$	Jubilee Metals◆	$2\frac{1}{8}$			...	-3.5
$1\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Karel Diamond Res◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-3.9
$2\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{2}$	KEFI Gold and Copper◆	$1\frac{1}{4}$			...	-11.5
330	$178\frac{1}{8}$	Kenmare Res	208	-	2	...	-0.8
$5\frac{1}{8}$	$1\frac{1}{4}$	Landore Res◆	2			...	-2.0
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Lansdowne Resources◆	$0\frac{1}{4}$			...	-1.3
$4\frac{1}{8}$	$2\frac{1}{8}$	Lexington Gold◆	$2\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-28.8
$19\frac{1}{4}$	$10\frac{1}{4}$	Metals Exploration◆	16	+	$\frac{3}{8}$	...	20.8
$0\frac{1}{4}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Nativo Resources◆	$0\frac{1}{4}$			...	-0.1
$4\frac{1}{2}$	$0\frac{1}{2}$	Nostrum Oil & Gas	$0\frac{1}{8}$	-	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-0.0
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{4}$	Oriole Resources◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$			...	-16.5
		Ormonde Mining				...	...
41	$11\frac{1}{2}$	Orosur Mining◆	$16\frac{1}{4}$			...	...
$190\frac{1}{8}$	$60\frac{1}{2}$	Pan African Res	$136\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{3}{8}$	1.6	26.1
$33\frac{1}{8}$	$6\frac{1}{4}$	Pantheon Res◆	$14\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{3}{8}$	...	-51.5
27	$12\frac{1}{2}$	Parkmead Group◆	$22\frac{1}{2}$			...	3.3
$21\frac{1}{8}$	5	Petra Diamonds	$5\frac{1}{8}$			...	-0.2
$1\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{2}$	Petrel Resources◆	$0\frac{1}{4}$			...	-4.0
$1\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{2}$	Petro Mata◆	1			...	-4.7
$8\frac{1}{2}$	$2\frac{1}{4}$	Plexus Holdings◆	$3\frac{1}{4}$			...	-1.4
938	672	Porvair	856	+	4	0.8	21.8

Exchange rates
Australia $	1,90607 (+0.00372)
Canada $	1,88679 (+0.00883)
Denmark Kr	8,73505 (+0.00255)
Euro	1,1682 (+0,0004)
Hong Kong $	10,678 (-0.017)
Hungary	422,62 (-0,76)
Indonesia	24128,86 (-7,75)
Israel	4,0855 (+0,0052)
Japan Yen	216,905 (-0.003)
New Zealand $	2.2876 (+0.0064)
Norway Kr	12.678 (+0.0038)
Poland	5.0288 (-0.0052)
Russia	113.711 (+0.769)
S Africa	21.8249 (-0.0177)
Sweden Kr	12,93625 (+0.02315)
Switzerland Fr	1.0933 (+0.00071)
Turkey Lira	65.53 (-0.0115)
USA $	1.3634 (-0.001)

12 month			Price (p)	+/-	Forecast Yld%	P/E
High	Low	Company
$5\frac{1}{8}$	$2\frac{1}{4}$	Prospex Energy◆	$3\frac{3}{4}$ +	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-5,4
5	$0\frac{1}{4}$	Quadrise◆	1		...	-5,9
160	35	Reabold Resources◆	$61\frac{1}{2}$		...	-768,8
0	0	Red Rock Res◆	0		...	-0,3
10416 $\frac{1}{8}$	5402	Rio Tinto Ltd‡	$9310\frac{1}{4}$ +	$88\frac{1}{2}$	3.7	17,8
9117	$4511\frac{1}{8}$	Rio Tinto‡	7666 +	18	4,4	17,0
$0\frac{1}{2}$	$0\frac{1}{4}$	Rome Resources◆	$0\frac{1}{4}$		...	-14,2
375	186	Serabi Gold◆	325 +	5	1,5	6,2
$302\frac{1}{8}$	146	Serica Energy◆	$254\frac{1}{8}$ -	4	6,3	-26,7
$3758\frac{1}{2}$	$2553\frac{1}{4}$	Shell‡	3397 -	$12\frac{1}{2}$	4,4	15,3
7	$2\frac{1}{4}$	Shuka Minerals◆	$3\frac{1}{8}$		...	-2,3
13	$1\frac{1}{2}$	Sound Energy◆	$1\frac{1}{4}$		...	-1,6
27	$5\frac{1}{2}$	Star Energy◆	22		...	-3,9
$4\frac{1}{2}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Sunda Energy◆	$2\frac{1}{4}$ +	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-2,2
0	0	Sunrise Resources◆	0		...	-3,3
0		Synergia Energy◆	0		...	0,5
$0\frac{1}{8}$	0	Tertiary Minerals◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$		...	-7,0
$0\frac{1}{8}$	$0\frac{1}{8}$	Thor Energy◆	$0\frac{1}{8}$		...	-0,6
7066	$4293\frac{1}{2}$	Total Eng SE	6501 -	$133\frac{1}{4}$	4,6	12,9
0	0	Tower Resources◆	0		...	-0,3
$20\frac{1}{2}$	$3\frac{1}{2}$	Tullow Oil	$20\frac{1}{2}$ +	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	69,7
0	0	UK Oil & Gas◆	0		...	-0,2
13	$2\frac{1}{8}$	URU Metals◆	4		...	-2,7
$9\frac{1}{2}$	$2\frac{1}{8}$	Vast Resources◆	$4\frac{1}{8}$ +	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-0,8
9	$1\frac{1}{8}$	Westmount Energy◆	$3\frac{1}{8}$		...	-8,3
$1\frac{1}{8}$	$2\frac{1}{8}$	Xtract Resources◆	$1\frac{1}{8}$		...	-5,4
$4\frac{1}{8}$	$2\frac{1}{8}$	Zephyr Energy◆	$3\frac{1}{8}$ +	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-7,3

Professional & Support Services
5135	2980	4imprint‡	4502	-	90	4.0	15.2
615	464	Andrews Sykes♦	597 $\frac{1}{2}$			4,3	13.8
130	103 $\frac{1}{2}$	BTG Consulting♦	111	+	2	4.1	20.9
2886	1981	Bunzl	2798	+	44	2.6	19.8
416	215	Capita	290	+	9	...	-2.0
49 $\frac{1}{2}$	25	CEPS♦	40			...	-11.4
165	90	Christie Group♦	152 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1	2.3	30.0
2581 $\frac{1}{2}$	2000	Compass	2297 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	27 $\frac{1}{2}$	2.2	28.5
87	64 $\frac{1}{2}$	Croma Security♦	70			3.4	12.2
6740	4188	DCC Energy	6365	-	5	3.4	...
36	15	Diales Grp♦	34 $\frac{1}{2}$			4,3	26.5
7765	4970	Diploma	7200			0.9	52.2
840	505	DiscoverIE	758	-	6	1.7	25.1
115 $\frac{1}{4}$	78 $\frac{1}{4}$	Essentra	108	-	$\frac{1}{8}$	1.9	...
3987	2203	Experian	2963	+	14	1.7	24.6
330	110	FIIH Group♦	167 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	22 $\frac{1}{2}$	4.0	-4.1
850	588	Hargreaves Servs♦	816	-	2	4.9	8.7
5860	3519 $\frac{1}{4}$	Intertek	5845			2.8	26.8
250 $\frac{1}{4}$	163 $\frac{1}{2}$	Int'l Workplace	180 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	0.6	...
172 $\frac{1}{4}$	123 $\frac{1}{4}$	Johnson Service	144 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	3.3	15.6
554	360	Journeo♦	505			...	20.8
263 $\frac{1}{4}$	178 $\frac{1}{4}$	Kier Group	254 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	3.1	19.9
1170	910	Latham (J)♦	1075	+	10	3.4	11.6
3800	2100	London Security♦	3650			2.7	18.8
298	204	LSL Property Servs	274			4.2	16.5
99	59 $\frac{1}{4}$	Macfarlane	71 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	5.1	18.0
188 $\frac{1}{2}$	64 $\frac{1}{2}$	Maintel Holdings♦	68 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-5.8
28	15 $\frac{1}{4}$	Malvern Intl♦	21 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1	...	-2.8
460	310	Mears Group	427 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	3 $\frac{1}{2}$	4.2	7.7
260	101 $\frac{1}{4}$	Michael Page	221	-	3	2.1	76.2
214	134 $\frac{1}{4}$	Mitie Group♦	208 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	2.2	31.6
15 $\frac{1}{4}$	0 $\frac{1}{4}$	MobilityOne♦	6 $\frac{1}{4}$			...	-2.1
137	71 $\frac{1}{4}$	Newmark Security♦	106 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	15.1
260	170	Norman Broadbent♦	190			...	6.0
158	84 $\frac{1}{2}$	Northern Bear♦	134 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	4	5.6	4.5
187 $\frac{1}{2}$	110	NWF Group♦	150 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	5.8	8.1

12 month			Price (p)	+/-	Forecast Yld%	P/E
High	Low	Company
66	42	PCI-PAL◆	621⁄2		...	...
121⁄2	7	Petards◆	10		...	-14.9
121⁄2	7	PHSCL◆	71⁄4		...	-2.6
01⁄2	01⁄2	PowerHouse Energy◆	01⁄4		...	-3.0
623⁄4	413⁄4	Record	44	-	3⁄8	8.2 11.2
978	772	Renew Holdings◆	952	+	1	2.1 15.4
507	3293⁄4	Rentokil‡	3483⁄4	+	41⁄2	2.7 25.5
310	222	Restore◆	2931⁄2	+	2	2.5 -62.4
7	11⁄2	River Global A◆※	23⁄8	+	3⁄8	... -0.3
30	14	Roebuck Food Group◆	26			... -9.0
7521⁄2	5363⁄4	RS Group	731	-	61⁄2	3.1 21.1
150	85	RTC Group◆	95			7.1 6.7
1253⁄4	68	RWS Holdings◆	1233⁄4	+	1⁄4	5.2 -4.6
612	520	Science Group◆	578			1.7 7.7
3253⁄4	2123⁄4	Serco	2613⁄4	+	13⁄4	1.8 18.2
793⁄4	543⁄4	Smiths News	69	-	3⁄8	8.0 5.9
273⁄4	133⁄4	Software Circle◆	153⁄4	-	1⁄4	... -74.8
521⁄2	363⁄4	Staffline Group◆	423⁄4	+	1⁄2	... 10.8
3001⁄2	1323⁄4	SThree	2951⁄2	-	21⁄2	4.8 21.6
350	146	Synectics◆	1923⁄4	+	71⁄2	2.6 8.8
2	01⁄2	Thruvision Group◆	13⁄8			... -1.3
74	46	Tribal◆	633⁄4	+	13⁄4	2.1 15.1
821⁄2	58	Vianet◆	66	+	1⁄2	3.6 46.2
490	2941⁄2	ZIGUP	4651⁄2	-	1⁄2	5.8 13.8

Retailing
117 $\frac{3}{4}$	82 $\frac{1}{2}$	AO World	94 $\frac{3}{8}$	-	1	...	14,8
269 $\frac{1}{4}$	140	B&M European	243 $\frac{3}{8}$	+	7 $\frac{1}{3}$	3,9	14,9
115 $\frac{3}{4}$	58 $\frac{1}{4}$	Card Factory	76 $\frac{3}{8}$	+	$\frac{5}{8}$	6,5	8,5
1648	1062	CVS Group	1292	-	4	0,7	17,5
204	113	DFS Furniture	159 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	1	0,6	15,2
1248	707	Dunelm	888	+	4	7,9	11,5
840	598	Frasers Group	820	-	3 $\frac{1}{2}$	...	9,5
2046	1407 $\frac{1}{4}$	Greggs	1876	+	38	3,7	15,6
250	123 $\frac{1}{4}$	Halfords $\ddagger$	233	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	3,9	15,3
981	713	Howden Joinery	800 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	2,7	16,3
895	640 $\frac{1}{4}$	Inchcape $\ddagger$	823	-	7 $\frac{1}{2}$	4,1	11,4
1 $\frac{1}{8}$	0 $\frac{3}{8}$	Imaging Biometrics	0 $\frac{3}{8}$	+	$\frac{1}{3}$	...	-4,1
106 $\frac{1}{4}$	64	JD Sports	85 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1	1,4	9,9
372 $\frac{1}{4}$	240 $\frac{1}{4}$	Kingfisher	317 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	3 $\frac{1}{8}$	3,9	22,7
418 $\frac{1}{4}$	301 $\frac{1}{4}$	Marks & Spencer	384 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{4}$	1,1	30,3
3 $\frac{1}{8}$	0 $\frac{1}{8}$	Mothercare $\blacklozenge$	0 $\frac{1}{8}$			...	-0,8
93 $\frac{1}{8}$	61 $\frac{1}{4}$	Naked Wines $\blacklozenge$	70 $\frac{1}{8}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{8}$	...	-7,7
15900	11200	Next	15275	-	10	1,8	20,1
362 $\frac{1}{4}$	140 $\frac{1}{4}$	Ocado	233 $\frac{1}{8}$	-	5 $\frac{1}{8}$	...	4,9
241 $\frac{1}{8}$	167 $\frac{1}{4}$	Pets at Home	215	+	2 $\frac{1}{4}$	3,4	15,6
575	200	Pinewood Tech Group	448	+	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	...	93,3
747	192 $\frac{1}{4}$	Saga	683	+	8	...	...
380 $\frac{1}{8}$	292 $\frac{1}{4}$	Sainsbury's	335 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	2 $\frac{1}{8}$	4,1	19,4
722	378 $\frac{1}{8}$	WH Smith	414 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{4}$	...	-3,7
14	4 $\frac{1}{2}$	Sosandar $\blacklozenge$	13			...	92,9
510 $\frac{1}{8}$	411 $\frac{1}{4}$	Tesco	461 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	4	3,1	16,8
50	30 $\frac{1}{4}$	Tops Tiles	35 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	8,7	11,6

Technology
252	140 $\frac{1}{2}$	Alfa Financial	166 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	2	5,8	16,3
307	195	Aptitude Software	218	+	3	2,5	29,9
129	55	Bango◆	63			...	-8,7
20	11 $\frac{1}{2}$	BATM Adv Coms	11 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-3,9
33	19 $\frac{1}{2}$	Berkeley Res	26	+	1	...	-67,9
3 $\frac{1}{2}$	0 $\frac{1}{2}$	Blackbird◆	1 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-1,9
194	74	Celebrus Tech◆	91 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	3,7	-101,1
28	12 $\frac{1}{2}$	Cirata◆	13 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{8}$	...	-3,1
0 $\frac{1}{2}$	0 $\frac{1}{2}$	CloudCoCo◆	0 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	0,5
5105 $\frac{1}{2}$	2234	Computacenter	5100	+	15	1,5	34,8
286	173 $\frac{1}{2}$	Concurrent Tech◆	222 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	10	0,5	38,0
13 $\frac{1}{2}$	6 $\frac{1}{2}$	Cororero◆	7 $\frac{1}{4}$			...	-98,9
2644	988	Craneware◆	1296	-	4	2,6	31,4
110	50	Crimson Tide◆	87 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	20,8
10	5 $\frac{1}{2}$	CyanCannode Hldgs◆	9 $\frac{1}{8}$			...	-8,4
15 $\frac{1}{2}$	8	Dillistone Group◆	12			...	-8,2

12 month			Price		Forecast
High	Low	Company	(p)	+/-	Yld%	P/E
01⁄2	0	Forgent◆	0			...	-0.0
1653⁄4	941⁄2	FDM Group	115	+	1	6.1	22.1
480	114	Filtronik◆	2461⁄2	-	31⁄2	...	...
265	1543⁄4	GB Group	1553⁄4	-	11⁄4	2.8	-5.1
51	24	Ilika◆	27	+	1⁄2	...	-6.7
138	56	Ingenta◆	651⁄2			6.9	5.5
178	73	Intercede◆	1141⁄2	+	1	...	20.1
281⁄2	111⁄2	Iomart◆	143⁄4			...	-1.8
721⁄2	41⁄2	IQE◆	441⁄4	-	1⁄2	...	-11.9
44531⁄2	9121⁄2	LG Electronics	18331⁄2	-	11⁄2	1.3	...
79	37	MTI Wireless◆	661⁄2	-	1⁄2	3.1	15.5
131⁄2	2	Nanoco Group	21⁄4	+	1⁄4	...	-2.4
138	941⁄2	Netcalli◆	119			0.8	48.6
36	22	Northamber◆	25			2.4	-1.7
601⁄2	371⁄2	Oxford Metrics◆	39	-	3⁄4	8.3	-70.9
31	17	Pennant Inti◆	29			...	-5.8
447	210	Playtech	4121⁄4	+	201⁄4	...	1.0
50	241⁄2	Pulsar Group◆	25	+	1⁄2	...	-3.2
5761⁄2	3981⁄2	QinetiQ	530	-	10	2.1	26.4
117	88	RM	101	-	11⁄2	...	38.8
61⁄2	21⁄2	Seeing Machines◆	41⁄4	+	1⁄2	...	-11.7
66	351⁄2	Shearwater Group◆	581⁄2			...	-1.5
2060	1083	Softcat	2054	+	10	1.5	30.8
50	5	Sorted Group#	9			...	-0.2
10181⁄2	5751⁄2	Tele Ericsson	7433⁄4	-	5	3.1	11.3
1181	7711⁄2	The Sage Grp	1105	+	7	2.0	29.3
891⁄2	521⁄2	Touchstar◆	85			3.8	-6.4
435	280	Trascis◆	340	+	20	0.8	...
430	236	Triad Group‡	410			2.2	41.3
360	210	Water Intel◆	338			...	16.1
150	961⁄2	Xaar	112	-	4	...	-26.0
17	81⁄2	Zoo Digital◆	151⁄4	+	11⁄4	...	-5.7

Telecoms
436 $\frac{1}{2}$	212 $\frac{1}{2}$	Airtel Africa	336	+	8 $\frac{1}{2}$	1,5	24,6
242 $\frac{1}{2}$	173	BT Group $\bullet$	205 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	4,0	18,7
169 $\frac{1}{2}$	106	Currys	147 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	2,0	9,5
1186	687	Gamma Comms	1095	+	13	2,0	15,8
247 $\frac{1}{2}$	127 $\frac{1}{2}$	Helios Towers $\bullet$	203 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	0,9	75,0
0 $\frac{1}{2}$	0 $\frac{1}{2}$	Gana Media $\bullet$	0 $\frac{1}{2}$			...	-3,4
1914	638	Telecom Plus $\bullet$	863	-	8	5,8	8,5
131 $\frac{1}{2}$	83 $\frac{1}{2}$	Vodafone	117 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	3,4	-83,3
Transport
260	203 $\frac{1}{2}$	Braemar $\bullet$	228	+	8	3,1	31,5
5485	3365	Clarkson	5050	+	25	2,3	23,6
683 $\frac{1}{2}$	332 $\frac{1}{2}$	EasyJet	673 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	2 $\frac{1}{2}$	2,0	10,2
227 $\frac{1}{2}$	152 $\frac{1}{2}$	FirstGroup	179	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	4,0	8,4
554	325	Fisher (James)	453	-	7	...	-52,1
492 $\frac{1}{2}$	332 $\frac{1}{2}$	Intl Cons Air	432 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	9 $\frac{1}{4}$	1,6	7,1
699 $\frac{1}{2}$	458	Irish Cont	622 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	10	...	15,6
36	17	Mobico Group	23	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	...	-1,0
7	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	Sutton Harbour $\bullet$	4 $\frac{1}{4}$			...	-0,4
1453	832	Wizz Air	1059	-	1	...	...

Utilities
220 $\frac{1}{4}$	151 $\frac{1}{2}$	Centrica $^{\ddagger}$	154 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{7}{8}$	3,7	-101.2
937 $\frac{1}{2}$	613 $\frac{1}{2}$	Drax Group	739 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	5	4,1	35,7
485	420	Jersey Electricity	435	-	5	5,0	12.1
1428 $\frac{1}{2}$	1000	National Grid	1169 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	4,1	17.9
606	439 $\frac{1}{4}$	Pennon $^{\ddagger}$	462 $\frac{1}{8}$	+	$\frac{5}{8}$	6,3	23.8
3335	2381	Severn Trent	3122	+	8	4,0	25.3
2767 $\frac{1}{2}$	1597	SSE $^{\ddagger}$	2371	-	15	2,9	22.5
1497	1072	United Utilities	1425	+	1	3,8	16.6

Gold/precious metals

(US dollars per ounce)

Bullion: Open $4602.66

Close $4657.54 High $4680.92

Low $4594.737

AM $4634.20 PM $4663.70

Platinum $1891.4

Silver $68.736

Palladium $1368.773

12 month			Price		Forecast
High	Low	Company	(p)	+/-	Yld%	P/E
519	368 $\frac{1}{2}$	Invesco Asia Dragon Tr486	-	7	4,0	49,4
178 $\frac{1}{2}$	150 $\frac{1}{2}$	Invesco Bond Inc	171		7,2	13,1
427	318	Invesco Glbl Eq Inc	412	+	1	3,9	82,2
1258	1041	JPM American	1206	-	6	1,0	...
652	397 $\frac{1}{4}$	JPM Asia Gro & Inc	570	-	12	5,5	...
313	258	JPM China $\ddagger$	271	-	3 $\frac{1}{2}$	5,0	69,7
986	791 $\frac{1}{4}$	JPM Claverhs $\ddagger$	982	+	10	3,7	29,1
310	181 $\frac{1}{4}$	JPM Emrg EMEA Sec	245	+	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	0,2	...
181 $\frac{1}{4}$	118 $\frac{1}{4}$	JPM Em Mkts	163	-	3 $\frac{1}{2}$	4,6	70,9
666	548	JPMorgan Euro	630	+	2	2,5	34,7
221	148	JPM Em Mkts Div Inc	206	+	1	2,9	36,2
641	529 $\frac{1}{4}$	JPM G&GI	614 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	4,0	74,3
1098	799	JPM India $\ddagger$	866	-	10	5,1	...
867	661	JPM Japan	800	-	3	1,1	78,8
463	365	JPM Smlr Co	434 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	5 $\frac{1}{2}$	0,7	...
1290	977 $\frac{1}{4}$	Law Debenture	1248	+	6	3,0	33,5
191 $\frac{1}{2}$	145 $\frac{1}{2}$	Lowland Inv	186	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	3,6	27,6
137 $\frac{1}{4}$	137 $\frac{1}{4}$	Marwyn Val Inv $\ddagger$	138 $\frac{1}{2}$			15,3	...
289	234 $\frac{1}{4}$	Mercantile IT	285	+	2	2,9	30,8
687	536	Merchants Trust	684	+	6	4,3	22,4
804	682	Mid Wynd	788	+	2	1,1	...
1664	1366	Monks Inv Trust $\ddagger$	1598	-	12	0,1	...
189	142	Montanaro Eur Sml $\ddagger$	178	+	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	0,9	91,8
1036	854 $\frac{1}{4}$	Murray Income Trust $\ddagger$	1004	+	8	4,1	26,0
372 $\frac{1}{2}$	293	Murray Intl	371	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	3,5	26,7
437	345	Pacific Assets Trust	423	-	3	...	75,5
409	322 $\frac{1}{2}$	Pantheon Intl	387 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	...	...
5095	3636	Pershing Sqr $\ddagger$	3884	-	32	1,4	3,8
558	511	Personal Assets $\ddagger$	552	+	2	1,0	91,5
743 $\frac{1}{2}$	385 $\frac{1}{4}$	Polar CapTech	623 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	16	...	-742,3
80 $\frac{1}{2}$	63 $\frac{1}{4}$	Renewables Infra $\ddagger$	76 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	9,9	-14,2
2645	1932	RIT Cap Ptnr	2570	-	10	1,8	...
990 $\frac{1}{8}$	490	Riverstone	590			...	-370,7
738	488 $\frac{1}{4}$	Schroder TotRt	695	-	9	1,7	70,8
892	608	Schrd Asia Pac	821	-	16	1,6	62,1
378 $\frac{1}{4}$	311 $\frac{1}{4}$	Schrod Inc Gwth	376	+	2	3,9	30,0
401	276	Schrod Jap Gwth	377	+	1	3,2	54,6
782	652	Schrod UKMid	772	-	1	2,9	30,8
17 $\frac{1}{4}$	12 $\frac{1}{4}$	Schroder UK PP Tr	17 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{4}$	...	-71,9
572	480 $\frac{1}{4}$	Scot American $\ddagger$	558	-	1	2,9	35,7
1563	1015 $\frac{1}{4}$	Scot Mortgage	1458 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	5 $\frac{1}{2}$	0,3	...
88	75 $\frac{1}{2}$	Sequoia Eco	84 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	1	8,1	12,4
253	215 $\frac{1}{4}$	STS Glbl Inc Grwth	228	-	1 $\frac{1}{2}$	3,7	35,1
352	196 $\frac{1}{4}$	Temp Emg Mkt	314 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	6	1,7	58,3
429 $\frac{1}{2}$	334	Temple Bar $\ddagger$	422 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	3	3,7	30,6
198 $\frac{1}{8}$	162 $\frac{1}{8}$	The Glbl Smaller $\ddagger$	192 $\frac{1}{4}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	1,6	65,2
9	0 $\frac{1}{2}$	Potentially AI	6 $\frac{1}{4}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	-1,6	...
364 $\frac{1}{2}$	291	TR Property	306 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	1	5,3	19,4
204	204	UIL	196			19,3	...
302	243	Utilico Emerging Mkt	279	+	3	3,5	20,6
865	682	Vietnam Ent Inv	722	+	7	...	4,7
401 $\frac{1}{2}$	320	Ww Health	391	-	4	0,6	...

12 month			Price			Forecast
High	Low	Company	(p)	+/-	Yld%	P/E
4497	1825	3i Group	2934	+	43	2.9	5.4
395	325	3i Infrastructure	395	+	$3\frac{1}{2}$	3.4	12.3
1772	1408 $\frac{1}{2}$	Aberforth Smrl‡	1764	+	2	2.7	27.6
1394	1178	Alliance Witan	1370			2.1	74.1
404	321	Artemis UK Future Lead397	+	5	3.9	32.1
210	116 $\frac{1}{2}$	Athelney Trust	165			6.1	14.5
273	235 $\frac{1}{2}$	AVI Global	262	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	1.7	51.7
194	154 $\frac{1}{2}$	AVI Japan	169 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	1.3	57.7
331	276 $\frac{1}{4}$	Baillie Gifford Ch Gr	306	-	3	0.8	...
133	91 $\frac{1}{2}$	Baillie Gifford Eur Gr	124			0.6	...
1090	811 $\frac{1}{2}$	Baillie Gifford Jpn	1056	-	4	0.9	...
176	123	Baillie Gifford SN	168 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$1\frac{1}{2}$	0.4	...
231	180 $\frac{1}{4}$	Baillie Gifford UK Gr‡	225	-	1	2.8	36.1
154 $\frac{1}{4}$	121 $\frac{1}{2}$	Bankers Invstmt Tst‡	148 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	1.9	66.0
445	387 $\frac{1}{2}$	BH Macro GBP	426			...	20.1
1784	866	Biotech Growth	1706	-	26	...	-87.9
289 $\frac{1}{2}$	201	BkckRck Amer Inc‡	277	-	1	5.4	97.9
205	122 $\frac{1}{4}$	BkckRck Eng&Res Inc	185	+	$1\frac{1}{2}$	3.1	52.9
208	164 $\frac{1}{2}$	BkckRck Fro Inv	191			4.0	25.7
625	507	BlackRock Grt Euro	605			1.2	87.8
240	200	BkckRck Inc&Grth‡	234			3.3	32.4
288 $\frac{1}{2}$	230 $\frac{1}{4}$	BkckRck Sml‡	274 $\frac{1}{2}$			2.9	31.4
1072 $\frac{1}{2}$	553	BkckRck Wild Min	1032	+	14	2.3	42.9
1665	1277	Brown Adv US Sm	1590	-	$27\frac{1}{2}$	...	-265.4
1584	1336	Brunner‡	1564	+	4	1.7	56.1
402	312	Caledonia Inv	386 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	2.0	50.2
599	486	City of Lon IT‡	591	+	4	3.7	27.4
155 $\frac{1}{2}$	84	Crystal Amber Fd	85 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	-52.0	...
592	439 $\frac{1}{2}$	CT Priv Eq Ord	490	-	6	5.8	...
373	320	CT UK Cap & Inc	358	+	5	3.7	29.5
120	92	CT UK HIT B	109			5.5	22.5
126	97	CT UK HIT	122	+	6	4.9	25.2
480 $\frac{1}{4}$	460	Dunedin Ent‡	475			...	...
861	737 $\frac{1}{2}$	Edinburgh IT	861	+	6	3.7	32.4
294 $\frac{1}{2}$	188 $\frac{1}{2}$	Edin Wwide	259 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	1	...	-233.8
1332	325 $\frac{1}{2}$	F&C Inv Trust	340 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	1.2	75.7
672	546	Fidelity Asian Val	616	-	8	3.3	27.4
339	241	Fidelity China Sp	261	-	$2\frac{1}{2}$	3.4	28.3
1574	836	FidelityEmrgMkt	1472	-	10	1.3	64.7
447 $\frac{1}{2}$	367 $\frac{1}{2}$	Fidelity European Trust438 $\frac{1}{2}$	-		$\frac{1}{2}$	2.3	38.8
477 $\frac{1}{2}$	372	Fidelity Spec Val	474 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$3\frac{1}{2}$	2.2	38.6
910	706 $\frac{1}{2}$	Fins Gwth & Inc	835	+	8	2.4	44.2
85 $\frac{1}{2}$	69 $\frac{1}{2}$	GCP Infrastructure‡	82	-	$\frac{1}{2}$	8.5	38.1
370	316	Global Opps Tst	339 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	4	3.0	43.5
118 $\frac{1}{4}$	115	Golden Prospect‡	116 $\frac{1}{2}$			-17.4	...
68 $\frac{1}{2}$	57 $\frac{1}{2}$	Greencoat Renew‡	67 $\frac{1}{2}$	+	$\frac{1}{2}$	-16.8	...
117	92 $\frac{1}{2}$	Greencoat UK Wind‡	110			9.7	-12.6
346	250	Hansa Investment Co	336	-	2	1.3	76.4
335	244	Hansa Inv Co A	325	-	5	1.4	73.9
3500	2745	Hbrvest Glbl Pt Eq	3340	-	20	...	-56.9
214	173 $\frac{1}{2}$	Hend High Inc	209	+	3	5.3	18.5
998	769	Hend Smrl	974	+	6	3.0	37.3
3290 $\frac{1}{4}$	2285	Herald Inv Trust	2920	-	35	...	...
514 $\frac{1}{2}$	318 $\frac{1}{2}$	HgCapital Trust	420	+	1	1.2	...
141	107 $\frac{1}{2}$	HICL Infra	139 $\frac{1}{2}$	-	$\frac{3}{4}$	6.1	10.1
1611 $\frac{1}{2}$	1288 $\frac{1}{2}$	ICG Ent Tr‡	1486	-	4	2.8	-418.6
494 $\frac{1}{4}$	379	Impax Env Mkts	442	-	3	1.2	89.5

INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Other sterling
Argentine peso	2052.77588-2052.77783
Australian dollar	1.90608-1.90627
Bahrain dinar	0,51330-0,51530
Brazilian real	7,01620-7,01820
Euro	1,16820-1,16900
Hong Kong dollar	10,67800-10,68200
Indian rupee	130,53780-130,61780
Indonesian rupiah	24128.85938-24168.85938
Kuwaiti dinar	0,41910-0,42110
Malaysian ringgit	5,50580-5,50780
New Zealand dollar	2,28765-2,28807
Singaporean dollar	1,73175-1,73209
South African rand	21,82750-21,83530
UAE dirham	5,00690-5,00890

♦AIM company; # Price at suspension; † Ex dividend; § Ex scrip; ▲ Ex rights issue; ▼ Ex all; § Ex capital distribution; * figures or report awaited; ... No significant data. Companies in bold are constituents of the FTSE 100 Index. Investment Cos sector Nav Dis or Prm supplied by ICE Data Services.

Dollar rates
Australia	1.39780-1.39860
Canada	1.38395-1.38398
Denmark	6,40722-6,40743
Euro	0,85690-0,85730
Hong Kong	7,83560-7,83660
Japan	159,08600-159,09500
Malaysia	4,04000-4,04500
Norway	9,30050-9,30330
Singapore	1,27032-1,27039
Sweden	9,48852-9,49264
Switzerland	0,80204-0,80209

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Obituaries

Register

Matthew Jukes

Wine writer, broadcaster and tasting powerhouse who championed accessible connoisseurship before reinventing the alcohol-free market

Matthew Jukes devoted his adult life to promulgating the gospel of drinking fine wines. He wrote about them, spoke at wine conferences, presented radio and television programmes, trained sommeliers and ran masterclass tastings with a boundless enthusiasm and fathomless energy.

Few knew more about the qualities of a fine bordeaux or the complexities of a great burgundy — and perhaps nobody in the world was more knowledgeable about Australian viniculture. To produce the oenologists' bible that was his annual 100 Best Australian Wines list, he would taste about 3,500 bottles from vineyards ranging from Barossa to Coonawarra. He thought nothing of tasting several hundred in a single session, making mental notes on them all with his photographic memory.

When he wrote them up, his tasting notes were famous for their lack of pretension. "He had a blokey way of describing wines in the sort of language that would not be out of place at an Australian barbie and which made them delightfully accessible," Jancis Robinson, the wine writer, said.

Ebullient and larger than life, “Juke-sy”, as he was known in the trade, was something of a legend among fellow wine writers. “He toured the tasting tables with laser-like focus and speed,” Robinson added. “Not that he was impolite or snooty but he gave the impression of knowing just that bit more than the rest of us.”

In total he claimed to taste 40,000 wines a year. His cellar contained some 800 bottles and another 150 were in the wine cabinet he kept in his office. In short, he was a connoisseur who lived by the maxim that wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Alcohol was an indispensable element of a good life — albeit in moderation, of course. “People often ask how much I drink and the honest answer is not as much as you might think,” he said. His mantra was quality not quantity — “Drink fewer but drink finer,” he advised. Therefore, it came as a shock when at a dinner in New York in 2017, Sally Singer, an editor at American Vogue, told him that she could not believe she was drinking on a week night because nobody — just nobody, darling — did that any more.

“I thought, blimey, people are still drinking great wine but only at the weekend,” he recalled. The notion loomed like an affront to his professional standing. As he told The Times this year: “I thought, if that’s what’s happening here, among people who love wine, it will be coming our way soon.”

It set him upon a search for something that could satisfy the sophisticated palates of those who appreciated fine wine on high days and holidays but wanted to give their livers a rest during the week. He did not like the idea of dealcoholisation, the expensive distillation process of removing the alcohol from a wine by reverse osmosis and in doing so stripping away most of its complexity, body and texture. So he began researching alternatives.

Recognising that non-alcoholic wines had traditionally tended to be bland and sugary and made one feel “foolish and inadequate when you drink them”, Jukes began experimenting in his kitchen at his home in Clapham, south London, seeing how he might create a range of non-alcoholic drinks that could “replace wine for a wine-savvy palate”.

His template became a 17th-century farmer's recipe he found for a cordial called Haymaker's Punch using leftover fruit and vegetables preserved in vinegar. Jukes began adding shrubs, spices and switchels, flowers and herbs

As a child, he would often serve wine to his parents' guests in his pyjamas

and found that macerating them in a gentle apple vinegar absorbed the perfume, flavour and aftertaste of his ingredients. In all he trialled more than 200 combinations before he finally came up with the textures and complexity he desired.

The result was Jukes Cordialities, a series of cordials in white, rosé and red, marketed in cans or a cube box holding nine small bottles. "The red was the hardest," he said. "I wanted richness and body, but no sweetness." The answer was beetroot for the deep claret colour, flavoured with plum, blackberry and blackcurrant and laced with black pepper. He believed the result boasted "all the tasting notes you might write for bordeaux or burgundy". A Times wine correspondent reported that it was a “fizzy, moreish thirst-quencher” that with added tonic had “the piquant blast of a negroni with none of the after-effects”.

More than that, Jukes himself reported that after a night drinking proper booze, his white cordial laced with citrus and herbs — which he named Jukes 1 — was the best hangover cure in the world. Drink it the morning after mixed with sparkling water and “you’ll feel like an Olympian”, he claimed.

By 2020 Jukes Cordialities were being commercially produced in a purpose-built kitchen underneath a Battersea railway arch. The range has since grown to ten products, garnering orders from Michelin-starred restaurants and winning Jukes the producer of the year at the 2025 World Alcohol-Free Awards. For such a dedicated aficionado of the grape it was a delicious irony that he enjoyed enormously.

He died while on holiday with his family in Portugal and is survived by his second wife, Amelia, a wine industry marketing consultant, their sons, Rollo and Victor, and by his daughters, Isadora and Elspeth, from an earlier marriage, which ended in divorce.

Matthew Shaw Jukes was born in Hampshire in 1967, the elder son of Patricia, a teacher at the Cordon Bleu School, and Michael Jukes, the head of European sales for an American electronics company. His father's business

KENNETH CHAN/SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST VIA GETTY IMAGES

Jukes in 2007; he wrote prolifically, producing no fewer than 14 books on wine as well as appearing regularly on radio and TV

acumen proved invaluable when he was setting up Jukes Cordialities. “He’s the perfect mentor to have on the end of the phone,” his son noted.

When he was seven his father's job took the family to Brussels for four years, where he remembered "standing in the hallway of the house in my slippers, dressing gown and pyjamas after a bath and welcoming important businessmen who'd flown over from America with a glass of Veuve Clicquot".

That evening, as his parents' underage wine waiter he served their guests a German riesling and a volnay from Burgundy. "I remember pouring these three different wines, and I was allowed to sip them, and thinking how interesting it was that there was a bit of geography involved," he said.

"I went a bit boy scout and got the atlas out, and thought it was fascinating you could have three very different drinks from around the world. It made me super curious about wine."

Back in England he attended the Oratory School, near Reading, where he excelled at all sports. Rugby in particular remained a passion all his life, his final game coming for an English wine trade XV against their counterparts in the Scottish whisky trade the day before a Calcutta Cup match.

On leaving school, he read physics at Queen Mary College, London, but was soon seduced by the world of wine and departed before completing his first year to start work in 1987 in the Barnes Wine Shop under the tutelage of the noted wine consultant James Rogers, whom he credited with “helping me to establish my palate and teaching me how to taste”.

His mother partly blamed herself for his decision to abandon his course. By then she was teaching at Prue Leith's cookery school and invited him to attend a wine-tasting event she was hosting there. Impressed by the knowledge and cosmopolitan sophistication of the experts she had engaged for the evening, he decided it was a world he wanted to join.

He proved to be a rapid learner. Within three years he became a buyer for the Bibendum restaurant, a position he held until its closure in 2016, winning awards for his superlative list.

During the 1990s he opened the fashionable Chelsea wine bar the Crescent with the late wine merchant Hilary Gibbs, and as a writer he was the wine correspondent of the Daily Mail for 22 years. He also wrote a weekly wine column for MoneyWeek from 2006 until his death and published an open-access weekly report on his website.

There were no fewer than 14 books with titles such as The Wine Book: Change The Way You Think About Wines Of The World and Wine — Everything You Ever Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask and he broadcast prolifically on his favourite subject, presenting a weekly BBC radio slot for three years and on TV hosting Wine Hunt for Channel 4.

Asked if he had to pick just one wine for a desert island, he nominated the elegant

freshness and complex, fruit-driven aromas of an Adelaide Hills chardonnay, “which kicks so many goals it’s mind-blowing”, but suggested his “favourite wine moment” came drinking a bottle of 1959 Billecart-Salmon, which in 1999 was voted champagne of the millennium and has been known to sell at £3,300 a pop.

Yet, he added that he was just as happy drinking a modest manzanilla sherry in a town square in Spain with the sun beating down and a plate of clams. “Nothing gets more beautiful than that and it costs nothing,” he said. “It’s almost cheaper than going to McDonald’s.”

Matthew Jukes, wine writer and connoisseur, was born on September 17, 1967. He died suddenly on August 6, 2026, aged 58

Register

Tim Horlick

Ex-husband of the City superwoman Nicola Horlick and former banker who won a huge deal for Covid PPE that was largely unused.

Horlick was arrested as part of an investigation into the non-payment of tax

As Boris Johnson placed the country in lockdown in March 2020 and hospital wards began to fill with coronavirus patients, government officials were scrambling to secure vast quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE). A VIP lane was established, enabling businesses with the right contacts to bypass usual procurement procedures.

Many came from established suppliers. However, one of the biggest contracts was a £252 million deal to supply masks for frontline healthcare staff awarded to Ayanda Capital, an obscure family investment company run by Tim Horlick, a former investment banker. Ayanda was owned through a holding company registered in Mauritius, a tax haven. It specialised in “currency trading, offshore property, private equity and trade financing” and had no obvious history of PPE procurement or government contracts.

Although Ayanda delivered the agreed 50 million Chinese-made FFP2 masks, by August 2020 it was apparent that many did not meet the required standard and could not be used by the NHS. The masks had elastic ear loops instead of straps that tie around the back of the head, meaning they could not be fixed securely. Horlick blamed ministers, claiming that at a “late stage in our contract” they had changed the design. He insisted that proper processes had been followed and that the contract had been “successfully fulfilled”.

With questions being asked about Ayanda's suitability for the role and how the contract came to be awarded, Horlick insisted that there was nothing unusual about a financier sourcing and delivering medical equipment. "The idea we don't have the skills to do this is absolute nonsense. We were perfectly placed to deliver and have done so. Suggestions of cronyism are ridiculous," he said. Attention then shifted to the profits made by several companies that had used the procurement fast lane, including Ayanda. In its accounts for the year to December 2020 the company reported turnover of £247 million, up from £460,000 the previous year, and an operating profit of £20 million, up from £320,000.

Meanwhile, a few months after Ayanda was awarded the PPE contract, Horlick bought an £8.5 million grade II listed flat in Pimlico, central London, which has since been the subject of a criminal restraint order. He also acquired a property in Switzerland, though a friend told the Daily Mail that the latter had “absolutely no connection at all” with the PPE contract, adding: “It’s all funded from Tim’s personal assets.” In November last year Horlick was arrested as part of an investigation by HMRC into the non-payment of tax by Ayanda.

Timothy Piers Horlick was born in Weymouth in 1961, the son of Vice-Admiral Sir Edwin “Ted” Horlick RN and his wife Jean (née Covington); he had three brothers: William, Stephen and Christopher. His childhood included

He and his wife planned to move to Australia until his infidelity was revealed

spells in Singapore, Malta and at naval bases around Britain before the family settled in Bath. At Wellington College he played tennis and was in the rugby XV, later playing for Bath's second team.

While reading politics, philosophy and economics at Exeter College, Oxford, he met Nicola Gayford at a sherry party. She was one of the first women to go to Balliol College, where she read law and dreamt of becoming an actress. They were married in 1984. "When we graduated he had a job in the City and he thought it would be a good idea if we both worked there. He wasn't very keen on me being an actress. And so, at 22, I got my first City job at SG Warburg," she said.

She went on to become Britain's most famous investment manager, regularly referred to in the press as the City superwoman. Asked by the columnist Deborah Ross in 1997 what he made of his wife's fame, he replied: "I only read the Financial Times, so I managed to ignore most of it." They had six children: Georgina, who died from leukaemia in 1998 aged 12, Alice, Serena, Antonia, Rupert and Benjie. At one time Horlick became involved in a legal battle with one of their former nannies. In 2003 the family planned to emigrate to Australia, where Nicola had been offered a new job. On the eve of their farewell party for 330 guests at the Victoria & Albert Museum she learnt of his infidelity and, instead of moving, the marriage was dissolved.

From university the cerebral and charming Horlick pursued accountancy with Price Waterhouse but having qualified left to spend two years in mergers and acquisitions at Robert Fleming and Co. Anxious for “more experience of doing more public market hostile takeovers”, he joined Kleinwort Benson in 1988, advising Boots the chemist on its controversial and ill-fated £900 million takeover of Ward White group.

Unlike his former wife, Horlick kept a low profile. According to a profile in EuroMoney in 2000 he became a director in Kleinwort Benson's equity capital markets and over the next four years helped to build the company into one of Europe's leading equity capital markets houses. When Kleinwort Benson was taken over by Dresdner Bank in 1995 he followed several of his colleagues to Salomon Brothers, heading the bank's new technology group in Europe. "I like the fact that technology companies tend to be more receptive to new ideas and tend to be faster-moving businesses,” he told EuroMoney. “You don’t have to spend a lifetime developing a relationship. If you’ve got good ideas, then they’re prepared to listen.”

Kleinwort Benson was not impressed by his defection and secured an injunction demanding that he return confidential documents and refrain from approaching former colleagues. They also sought up to £100,000 in damages. "Mr Horlick committed a serious breach of his legal obligations as a director and we are seeking a satisfactory settlement," a spokesman said.

Despite Horlick's affable exterior, he had a reputation for being demanding and punchy. "His great strength is that he wants to do things quickly but he also has a tendency for hiring and firing that suggests, 'If you're not for me, you're against me'," one former Salomon colleague recalled. Before long he and a couple of colleagues had decided to go alone, setting up nCoTec, a private equity fund, to invest in communications infrastructure across Europe. In 2017 he started Ayanda Capital with Nathan Engelbrecht, his son-in-law, who resigned as a director in 2023.

Little more was heard of Horlick after his arrest last year though he always maintained that far from jumping on the Covid gravy train, Ayanda had in fact done the nation a favour. “From our point of view we were able to step up and deliver at a time when clearly the NHS and Public Health England were not able to supply the product that was required,” he told the BBC. “It was a very fortunate set of circumstances from our perspective, but I think it was also fortunate from the country’s perspective. If you look at the margins made by most companies that sell to the NHS, I think you’ll find they are probably higher than that.”

Tim Horlick, financier, was born on June 19, 1961. His death in a hospice was announced on August 20, 2026. He was 65

Peter Webber

Roadie turned pub landlord who transformed a Devon inn into one of the country's most unlikely and beloved rock venues

For a quarter of a century Peter Webber and his wife, Lesley, ran Britain's most unlikely and downright eccentric music venue. The Pigs Nose Inn, overlooking the quaint village green in the tiny south Devon hamlet of East Prawle, hosted some of the best-known names in rock and pop, including Damon Albarn, the Yardbirds, the Boomtown Rats, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Atomic Kitten.

All played in a small hall at the back of the pub, initially on an ad hoc stage built from a few beer crates and a couple of trestle tables. The venue became the live music industry's best-kept secret, able to attract top names due to Webber's long history in the rock business, first as a humble roadie, then as the manager of a London rehearsal studio used by George Michael and David Bowie, and then as the proprietor of an equipment hire and tour support company whose clients over the years included Bob Marley and the Wailers, James Brown, AC/DC and Lenny Kravitz.

The Pigs Nose Inn was an afterthought to the business and came about when the Webbers were on holiday in Devon in 1999.

“I was looking at the local paper and it said pub for sale,” Lesley recalled. “We visited it the next day and got pissed, and Peter said, ‘Let’s buy it’. That was so typical. His whole life was lived spontaneously."

Webber bought the pub on a whim

For centuries the pub's clientele had consisted of farmers and fishermen but that all changed when Webber received a call from Andy Powell, the guitarist with Wishbone Ash and an old friend. "He suggested playing a gig," Lesley remembered. "Peter pointed out there was no stage but Andy said don't worry about that, we can build one."

Webber was never one to show much respect for bureaucratic red tape and for the first three years the venue operated illegally without a live music licence. Needless to say, when he added a small extension to the hall for use as a dressing room, he did not bother with building regulations.

As gigs were not advertised and publicity was strictly word of mouth, he got away with it until one night when the African music favourites the Bhundu Boys were due to play. John Peel, a longtime fan of the group, announced their appearance on his BBC Radio I show and urged listeners to get along to the Pigs Nose in East Prawle. It was time to get the paperwork in order and “go legit”.

The inn, which has won awards and in 2023 made The Times's list of the best pubs in Britain, is now managed by the Webbers' son, Joss. "It's a strange little place for all these big acts to be playing," he told The Times when Kerry Katona and Atomic Kitten performed at the venue. "But people love the pub."

Peter Distin Webber was born in 1941 in Paignton, Devon, one of three children and the only son of Maud-Ellen (known as Toni) and Jack Distin Webber, a businessman with fingers in many pies. His father's work took him to Cairo as a boy, where he went to school for three years. On the family's return to Britain, he attended Sale Grammar and the Tiffin School in Kingston upon Thames.

He transferred to Brooklands Technical College for his A-levels but failed to sit them. While his parents waited for his exam results and wondered why they never arrived, at 18 he ran away to Devon with his best friend, Roland Muldoon, the playwright and impresario who was later to rescue the Hackney Empire.

The Distin side of the family were famous Devon lifeboatmen and, convinced the lure of the sea was in his blood, Webber found employment on a trawler operating from Brixham harbour. Muldoon wisely stayed on shore sorting the catch, and although Webber did not like to admit it, he would never have made a lifeboatman for he was dreadfully seasick.

It was the beatnik era and having made a little money as a trawlerman, and possessing not a care in the world, he settled into a bohemian lifestyle as a beach bum. When he ran out of funds, he returned to London and was having a haircut in Weybridge when his barber told him that the Nashville Teens, a local Surrey band who had just had a Top Ten hit with Tobacco Road, were looking for a roadie.

He offered his services and decided he had found "the perfect job". He spent the next three years with the group and a further two as a roadie with Dave Dee of Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich fame. On package tours he also helped out bands such as the Hollies and Small Faces, whose lead singer, Steve

Marriott, nicknamed him “Stormy Weather”, possibly in reference to the famous Distin lifeboat connection.

The arrival of a young family meant steadier employment was required than life on the road offered, and he worked as a ranger on Wimbledon Common and as a gardener before he launched his equipment hire business and opened Ritz Studios in Putney, where he painted everything in black emulsion paint, including the sofas.

If buying the Pigs Nose was a spontaneous whim, it was not his first, and while on holiday with his wife in Ireland in the early 1990s he came upon a disused chapel on Bantry Bay. He promptly bought and renovated it, and he and Lesley, a former air stewardess, lived there for the next five years as he handed over the management of his studio and equipment hire company to his daughter, Lee, and son Ben from his first marriage to Terry.

"It was always so exciting just being around Peter," Lesley said. "You never quite knew what he was going to do next."

Peter Webber, music industry entrepreneur, was born on January 2, 1941. He died after a long illness on July 22, 2026, aged 85

Email: obituaries@thetimes.co.uk

Lives remembered

RW Johnson

Andrew Knight writes: From his Magdalen College base at Oxford, Bill Johnson (obituary, August 18) was in my time, as you

say, a “recruitment agency of sorts” for The Economist. RWJ was a joy to work with. The hallmark of any Bill recruit, imbued into them by his tutoring, was awareness of the actual, not the theoretical, political economy. Always topical, always sound rather than brilliant, these Johnson graduates were simply aware, perceptive and reliable. Clive Crook apart, none measured up for sheer stature to, say, Ann Wroe, Rupert Pennant-Rea, Anatole Kaletsky or Matt Ridley, who were recruited from elsewhere in the same era. What made Bill's young recruits so strong was that dependability of intellect, that Johnson-awareness and training, a readiness to confront conventional wisdom ... colleagues to relish from his particular stable. RW Johnson was a journo-academic, not the other way round.

Richard McCullagh, retired district judge, writes: On a holiday in Ireland in 2004 after a tour of Donegal Castle, I sat at a table in the busy refectory with a tall man and his wife. Initial conversation placed us both in the law but my modest position paled against his stellar career in practice and academia. I did however have some knowledge of his special subject of consumer credit so I ventured the following, "You'll be telling me next you're the editor of Goode on Hire-Purchase Law and Practice [the bible]." "No," he said with a smile, "I am Roy Goode."

Professor Sir Roy Goode KC

of them against himself. They ranged from the apparent chaos of his study, which caused his house guests to call the police to attend to what they were convinced was a burglary, to his forgetting that he had moved house and returning to his old home in London, only to find strange occupants there. When challenged as to what they were doing, he received the reply, "Don't you remember Mr Goode, you sold us the house a month ago!" He never boasted of his eminence and was always self-deprecating as these stories attest.

Sir Jonathan Cohen writes: Professor Sir Roy Goode (obituary,

a fine raconteur of stories, many

(obituary, August 17) was not only a brilliant commercial lawyer but

ter to recognise the damage that major road-building was doing. Horam's greatest achievement as roads minister was to stop his department's controversial extension of the MI west of Leeds and Harrogate, to run between Pudsey and the Al/Al9 Dishforth junction. It was to cross the Wharfe Valley on a huge viaduct and skirt the Yorkshire Dales. On a site visit, he was shocked at the damage it was going to cause and told the road engineers they had to draw up an alternative of upgrading the straight Al dual carriageway through the Vale of York for comparison; and that was the solution chosen.

In the Midlands, Horam sought to scale down the M40 extension to Birmingham, and he had the “Lydiate Ash arm” of the M42 through the Lickey Hills south of Birmingham replaced by a smaller junction with the M5. The M64 Stoke-Derby motorway was dropped in favour of improvement of the A50 with bypasses, and the huge M42 Castle Donington scheme through the fine South Derbyshire landscape west of Calke Abbey, now a National Trust property, was replaced by a shorter A42 road south of East Midlands airport.

A modest but very effective lawyer.

Lord Horam

Mark Sullivan, chairman, Campaign to Protect Rural England, West Midlands Region, writes: John Horam (obituary, July

28) was the first transport minis-

Horam was prescient about transport trends, saying that he wanted to see whether British Rail could carry more traffic to reduce the need for more roads. It was in 1976 to 1979, his time in office, that BR introduced the InterCity 125 train, and long-distance rail travel grew from then on. He saw the future.

If you would like to add a personal view or recollection to a published obituary, you can send your contribution by email to tributes@thetimes.co.uk

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THE greatest among you shall be your servant. Matthew 23.11 (ESV)

Bible verses are provided by the Bible Society

Births

HILL on 9th August 2026 to Lucinda Hiam and Jeremy Hill, a daughter, Joni Meredith Hiam Hill, at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

MACKLIN LONG

on 24th July 2026 to Sophie Long and Thomas Macklin, a daughter, Sloane Elizabeth. First grandchild for Tracy Macklin and for Katharine and Julian Long. An adored niece for her three uncles, Patrick, William and Charles.

MANNING on 13th August 2026 to Flora Manning (née Spens) and James Manning, a son, Frederick Sasha.

Forthcoming Marriages

MR E. CAZZOLI AND MISS G. MAHONEY

The engagement is announced between Edward, eldest son of Ing. Fabrizio and Mrs Victoria Cazzoli of Bovey Tracey, Devon, and Georgia, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs Hugo Mahoney of Pyrton, Oxfordshire.

Deaths

AMROLIWALLA

Coomi on 19th August 2026. Beloved wife of Fredoon Amroliwalla for 68 years, devoted mother to three

children, grandmother to ten grandchildren and great-grandmother to four great-grandchildren, she passed away peacefully in her sleep at times of 98 hours.

passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 92, surrounded by the family she loved so dearly.

family she loved so dearly. Coomi leaves behind a lifetime of love, faith and devotion to her family, and a legacy that will live on through

the generations who were so fortunate to have known and loved her and to have received her love.

BAKER Graham Philip Baker, formerly of Suffolk, died peacefully at home in Montemonaco, Italy on the 15th August 2026. He will be deeply missed by his wife, Annabel, and his family. Requiescat in pace.

BERRY

James Robert Berry MA, FRCO, PGCE, on 13th August 2026, aged 88. It is with deep regret that we announce the death of James Robert Berry on Thursday 13th August at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

Surrey County Hospital. Requiem Mass will be celebrated at the Abbey of St Augustine, Chilworth. GU4 8QR, on 4th October at 1pm. Details: marilyn@outside-in.co.uk.

DUKE Victor Stanley Valentine died on 8th August 2026 in Queen Alexandra Hospital, Hampshire. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and his four children and will be much missed. A memorial service will be held at Westbourne Parish Church at 11am on the 1st September 2026, followed by a wake at Hollybank House in Emsworth.

EMERSON Tim died in Derriford Hospital on 17th August 2026, aged 84. Beloved husband of Susanna, much-loved father of Charlotte and Tom, and grandfather. Funeral: St Andrew's Church, Buckland Monachorum, PL20 7NA, on 11th September at 2pm.

GLOCKLING Dorry (Beryl) (née Dorrington) died peacefully at home in Cambridgeshire on 20th August 2026, aged 96. She is survived by her four children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

HACKING Helen Mary MA, died peacefully on 31st July 2026, aged 96. Formerly of Newcastle upon Tyne and Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire. Beloved wife of the late Peter and dearly loved mother of Julie, Nigel and Jeremy. Grandmother to five and great-grandmother to six.

HAWORTH James (Jim) on 15th August 2026, aged 97. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and great-uncle, musician and lawyer. Funeral on 10th September, 11am, South Oxfordshire Crematorium. Inquiries to Tonks Brothers, 01235 539444.

LEWIS Brian Charles Anthony died on 10th August 2026, aged 86, at home. Much loved husband to Julie, Dad to Kathryn and Sophie and Grandpa to four much-loved grandchildren. A retired CEO, with a passion for watches, vintage cars and his dogs. He will be greatly missed. Funeral at Chilterns Crematorium, Amersham, on Friday 18th September 2026 at 11.30am.

MAER Janet (née Eddington) died peacefully on 6th August 2026. Beloved mother to Sarah and Lucinda and devoted grandmother. Funeral details are available at janet-florence-maer.muchloved.com.

ORR John Carmichael (Michael) died peacefully in hospital on 15th August 2026, a few days short of his 89th birthday. Beloved husband of Janet, much-loved father of Kate and Will and grandfather of Elsa, Tess, Joseph, Felix, Hallam, George, Anna and Caspar. Funeral in September in Barnes. Date to be confirmed.

TROTMAN Jean (née Cooper) on 14th August 2026, aged 92. Wife of Nigel for 61 years. Private cremation. Donations to the Wildlife Trusts or Alzheimer's Research UK or connect with the family via lucyjcollin@gmail.com.

TUCKETT James died peacefully on 15th August 2026, aged 97, after a loving and generous life. Beloved husband to Alison and father to Tim, Sally, Jennie and Wendy. Adored Grandpa and Great-Grandpa. Funeral at midday on 28th August at St Peter's Bramshaw, all welcome. Donations in support of Zane, 0207 0606643.

Memorial Services

HUSSELBY A memorial service for Bill will be held at All Saints Church, Thornham, PE36 6LY, at noon on 9th October 2026.

In Memoriam - Private

DEE Elizabeth, 25th August 2019. Still missed and remembered with love by her family after seven years. Nicholas.

PETERS In loving memory of Roy Peters, who died on 25th August 2023. Missed and loved so much, and will never be forgotten. Jennie, Tom and Sam, and family.

Birthdays

JACK RAINFORD HAPPY BIRTHDAY Happy 90th birthday to probably the most avid Times reader in the country!! All our love, Ian, Julie, Janet, Tony and of course, Peggy xxx

Court Circular

Balmoral Castle 24th August, 2026 The King, Royal Founding Patron, the British Asian Trust, this morning received the Lord Gadhia (Chairman) and Mr Hitan Mehta (Chief Executive).

The simple way to place your Birth, Marriage or Death announcement in the Register. Available 24 hours a day. Go to: newsukadvertising.co.uk

Register

LEGAL, PUBLIC, COMPANY & PARLIAMENTARY NOTICES

To place notices for these sections please call 020 7782 7553

Notices are subject to confirmation and should be received by 11.30am three days prior to insertion

Legal Notices

CR-2025-006388

IN THE MATTER OF BARINTHUS BIOTHERAPEUTICS PLC - and - IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2006

Notice is hereby given that a Part 8 claim form was, on 10 November 2025, issued at the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts, Companies Court (as amended on 18 May 2026) seeking the sanction of a proposed scheme of arrangement as between the above-named company (the "Company") and its member and confirmation of the cancellation of the share premium account of the Company (the "Capital Reduction").

Notice is further given that the final hearing of the Company's application is directed to be heard before a High Court Judge at the Royal Courts of Justice, The Rolls Building, 7 Rolls Building, Fetter Lane, London, EC4A INL on 1 September 2026.

Any creditor or shareholder of the Company wishing to oppose the making of an order to confirm the Capital Reduction should appear at the time of the hearing in person or by counsel for that purpose.

A copy of the Part 8 claim form may be obtained, on payment of the regulated charge, from the Company's solicitors: Goodwin Procter (UK) LLP, Sancroft, 10-15 Newgate Street, London, ECIA 7AZ, Andrew Harrow (AHarrow@goodwinlaw.com) and Sarah McAtominey (SMcAtominey@goodwinlaw.com) (ref: 14240.452778). Date: 25 August 2026

Notice to creditors In the matter of SG TRUST COMPANY LIMITED

in Members' Voluntary Liquidation (the 'Company') (Company Number 00328136)

Previous Name of Company: SG Hambros Trust Company Limited (until 31/03/2025); Hambros Trust Company Limited (until 02/11/1998); Hambros Bank Executor and Trustee Company Limited (until 01/06/1992)

Registered office & Principal trading address: One Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4SG In the matter of the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016

Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 Notice is hereby given, pursuant to Rule 14.28 of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, that the Joint Liquidators of the Company intend to declare a distribution to the creditors of the Company within two months of 30 September 2026. Creditors who have not yet done so must prove their debts by sending their full names and addresses, particulars of their debts and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the Joint Liquidators at Interpath Ltd, 5th Floor, 130 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5HF by no later than 30 September 2026 (the last date for proving).

The intended distribution is a sole distribution and may be made without regard to the claim of any person in respect of a debt not proved by 30 September 2026. Any creditor who has not proved his debt by that date, or who increases the debt in his proof after that date, will not be entitled to disturb the intended sole distribution. The Joint Liquidators intend that, after paying or providing for a sole distribution in respect of creditors who have proved their debts, all funds remaining in the Joint Liquidators' hands following the sole distribution to creditors shall be distributed to the shareholders of the Company absolutely.

The Company is able to pay all its known liabilities in full.

Joint Liquidators: Nicholas James Timpson (IP number 20610) of Interpath Ltd, 10 Fleet Place, London EC4M 7RB and Joyce Eleanor Thomson (IP number 30670) of Interpath Ltd, 130 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5HF. Date of Appointment: 17 August 2026

For further details contact Marva Riaz on +44 (0) 203989 2943 or at marva.riaz@interpath.com

Nicholas James Timpson, Joint Liquidator

Dated: 19 August 2026

Finland to Norway ft. Lapland

BY LAND, RAIL & SEA

SCENIC RAIL THROUGH THE ARCTIC WILDERNESS

ARCTIC SAFARI INCLUDED

ESCORTED WINTER JOURNEY THROUGH THE NORDICS

OVERNIGHT STAY IN A GLASS IGLOO

13 NIGHTS DEPARTING 28 $^{TH}$ NOVEMBER 2027, 2 $^{ND}$ FEBRUARY & 1 $^{ST}$ MARCH 2028

Other dates are available on request - please call for details & pricing

Day 1 Fly from London to Helsinki, Finland Arrive in Finland's capital and settle in for your Northern Lights adventure

Day 2 Helsinki to Rovaniemi Rail journey north - the adventure begins

Day 3 Rovaniemi ★Husky Safari ★ Experience a husky safari through pristine landscapes

Day 4 Saariselkä ★Santa Claus Village, glass igloo stay & Reindeer Safari ★ Travel north through Lapland and visit the Arctic Circle

Day 5 Saariselkä to Kirkenes Visit the SIIDA museum, Kirkenes Snow Hotel and enjoy a King Crab experience

Day 6 Kirkenes, Norway Embark your Hurtigruten Coastal Ship and head south

Day 9 Brønnøysund - Helgeland Coast and the Arctic Circle Cross the Arctic Circle and sail the Helgeland coast

Day 10 Trondheim and Coastal traditions Historic Trondheim and Norway's fishing heritage

Day 11 Bergen, Norway ★City Tour★ Conclude your voyage in Bergen

Day 8 Svolvær - Lofoten, Vesterålen and the Trollfjord Sail through Lofoten's dramatic islands

Day 7 Tromsø - Hammerfest and Arctic ports

Day 12 Norway in a Nutshell to Flåm Bergen to Flåm through fjord and mountain landscapes

Day 13 ★Flåm Railway to Oslo★ Ride the Flåm Railway and continue to Norway's capital

PLEASE SCAN FOR FULL ITINERARY & DETAILS

Day 14 Oslo, Norway Transfer to the airport for your return flight to London

Please note, transfers in Helsinki are not included

WHAT'S INCLUDED

EIGHT NIGHTS handpicked hotel accommodation in Helsinki, Lapland, Inari, Kirkenes, Bergen, Flåm & Oslo, including:

- Overnight stay in a Glass Igloo or Aurora Cabin - Unforgettable winter activities including Reindeer & Husky safari, SIIDA museum entry, Santa Claus Village visit, Kirkenes Snow Hotel & King Crab experience

- English speaking expert tour managers

- Scenic rail journey through Finland's Arctic wilderness

- Ride the Flåm Railway & cruise on the UNESCO listed Nærøyfjord

FIVE NIGHTS full board voyage on board a Hurtigruten Coastal Ship, including: - INCLUDED WI-FI for all bookings - No gratuities expected

Return flights from London (regional and premium class flights may be available on request $^{®}$ ), and select overseas transfers

EARN EXCLUSIVE CRUISE MILES® worth up to £145 off your next booking $^{††}$

Inside Outside Expedition Suite Solo

28 $^{TH}$ NOV 2027 £5,059 £5,239 £6,389 £6,629

2 $^{ND}$ FEB 2028 £5,529 £5,699 £7,269 £6,469

1 $^{st}$ MAR 2028 £5,479 £5,659 £7,289 £7,349

Redeem by 8pm 31 $^{st}$ August 2026 $^{^^}$

TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE Agent to ATOL Holder Hurtigruten 3584 ABTA ABTA No F9255

CALL ONE OF OUR CRUISE SPECIALISTS FREE ON

0808 258 0200

QUOTE OFFER REF 644803

WE ARE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

FROM 8:30AM – 8PM

Today Mostly cloudy and feeling warm and humid with scattered rain across the country. Max 27C (81F), min 7C (45F)

Around Britain

Key: b=bright, c=cloud, d=drizzle, pc=partly cloudy du=dull, f=fair, fg=fog, h=hail, m=mist, r=rain, sh=showers, sl=sleet, sn=snow, s=sun, t=thunder *=previous day **=data not available

	Temp C		Rain mm	Sun hr*
	midday yesterday		24 hrs to 5pm yesterday
Aberdeen	19	S	0.0	1.3
Aberporth	21	S	0.0	13.2
Anglesey	21	PC	0.0	5.9
Aviemore	20	PC	0.4	2.5
Barnstaple	23	S	0.0	**
Bedford	20	C	0.0	**
Belfast	20	S	0.0	1.1
Birmingham	20	C	0.0	**
Bournemouth	23	S	0.0	11.2
Bridlington	19	PC	0.0	**
Bristol	21	PC	0.0	10.6
Camborne	21	S	0.0	12.6
Cardiff	22	PC	0.0	13.0
Edinburgh	19	PC	0.0	7.6
Eskdalemuir	19	PC	0.0	6.1
Glasgow	19	PC	0.0	6.1
Hereford	20	PC	0.0	**
Herstmonceux	22	S	0.0	9.3
Ipswich	19	C	0.0	8.8
Isle of Man	19	S	0.0	2.5
Isle of Wight	23	S	0.0	**
Jersey	23	PC	0.0	10.6
Keswick	21	PC	0.0	**
Kinloss	17	**	0.0	7.3
Leeds	19	C	0.0	**
Lerwick	17	C	0.0	5.0
Leuchars	18	S	0.0	6.4
Lincoln	19	C	0.0	10.4
Liverpool	22	S	0.0	**
London	23	PC	0.0	8.9
Lyneham	20	PC	0.0	11.8
Manchester	21	PC	0.0	11.6
Margate	19	PC	0.0	11.0
Milford Haven	22	S	0.0	**
Newcastle	19	PC	0.0	**
Nottingham	20	C	0.0	12.7
Orkney	16	C	0.0	**
Oxford	22	C	0.0	**
Plymouth	21	PC	0.0	**
Portland	21	S	0.0	**
Scilly, St Mary's	20	PC	0.0	**
Shoreham	22	S	0.0	9.0
Shrewsbury	20	S	0.0	12.8
Snowdonia	20	S	0.0	**
Southend	21	PC	0.0	11.5
South Ulist	16	C	0.0	**
Stornoway	15	C	0.0	0.4
Tiree	16	S	0.0	2.6
Whitehaven	19	PC	0.0	12.4
Wick	15	C	1.2	**
Yeovilton	23	S	0.0	10.4

The world

All readings local midday yesterday

Alicante	31	PC	Madeira	24	PC
Amsterdam	20	PC	Madrid	24	B
Athens	32	S	Malaga	29	PC
Auckland	16	PC	Mallorca	29	SH
Bahrain	40	S	Malta	33	S
Bangkok	33	PC	Melbourne	15	PC
Barbados	30	SH	Mexico City	20	C
Barcelona	30	PC	Miami	33	PC
Beijing	29	S	Milan	28	B
Beirut	**	**	Mombasa	29	PC
Belgrade	31	S	Montreal	21	R
Berlin	18	B	Moscow	19	B
Bermuda	30	SH	Mumbai	30	**
Bordeaux	32	S	Munich	23	S
Brussels	21	S	Nairobi	24	B
Bucharest	31	S	Naples	34	S
Budapest	27	S	New Orleans	32	PC
Buenos Aires	11	PC	New York	27	PC
Cairo	35	S	Nice	30	S
Calcutta	29	R	Nicosia	32	S
Canberra	18	PC	Oslo	19	S
Cape Town	18	S	Paris	24	S
Chicago	24	B	Perth	17	PC
Copenhagen	21	B	Prague	18	PC
Corfu	35	PC	Reykjavik	9	R
Delhi	24	T	Riga	17	B
Dubai	39	PC	Rio de Janeiro	23	C
Dublin	20	PC	Riyadh	43	PC
Faro	24	PC	Rome	33	S
Florence	33	S	San Francisco	24	B
Frankfurt	22	S	Santiago	20	S
Geneva	25	S	São Paulo	20	S
Gibraltar	26	PC	Seoul	31	PC
Helsinki	17	B	Seychelles	29	PC
Hong Kong	32	PC	Singapore	33	B
Honolulu	**	**	St. Petersburg	15	SH
Istanbul	31	S	Stockholm	17	S
Jerusalem	32	S	Sydney	21	PC
Johannesburg	19	S	Tel Aviv	32	S
Kuala Lumpur	33	PC	Tenerife	29	PC
Kyiv	**	**	Tokyo	33	PC
Lanzarote	27	PC	Vancouver	17	R
Las Palmas	28	PC	Venice	28	S
Lima	22	DU	Vienna	24	S
Lisbon	23	B	Warsaw	15	SH
Los Angeles	28	PC	Washington	27	B
Luxor	38	S	Zurich	24	S

Five days ahead

Rather cloudy and humid with showery rain, perhaps heavy and thundery at times

Tomorrow

Rather cloudy and humid with a band of showery rain spreading northwards, perhaps with a few rumbles of thunder. Staying drier across central and northern Scotland.

Thursday

An unsettled, warm and humid day with widespread rain and heavy, thundery showers.

Friday

Some bright or sunny intervals, however staying rather cloudy with showers continuing and perhaps a longer spell of rain in the northeast. Max 24C, min 7C

Saturday

Sunny intervals and showers in northern and eastern areas. Thicker cloud and rain with blustery winds spreading into the south and west during the day.

Sunday

Widespread rain continuing across the country, with chances of thunderstorms over Ireland.

The Times weather page is provided by WeatherQuest

Wind speed

Sea state

Temperature

Calm Slight Moderate Rough

28 (degrees C)

Flood alerts and warnings

At 17:00 on Monday there were no flood alerts or warnings in England, Wales or Scotland. For further information and updates in England visit check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk, for Wales naturalresources.wales/flooding and for Scotland SEPA.org.uk

General situation: A mostly cloudy and humid day with showery outbreaks of rain spreading northwestwards. Brighter in the southeast. Lake District, IoM, NE Eng, E Eng, Borders, Edinburgh and Dundee, Cen N Eng, NW Eng: Cloudy most of the day with scattered showers during the morning, followed by some brighter, drier spells later. Light to moderate easterly winds. Maximum 24C (75F), minimum 11C (52F). NW Scotland, SW Scotland, N Ireland,

Tides

Heights in metres. All times in local time
Today		Ht		Ht
Aberdeen	---:--	--	13:03	3.6
Avonmouth	06:02	10.4	18:28	11.2
Belfast	10:35	2.9	22:48	3.2
Cardiff	05:55	9.9	18:21	10.6
Devonport	04:41	4.4	16:58	4.8
Dover	10:26	5.8	22:51	5.8
Dublin	11:05	3.5	23:06	3.8
Falmouth	04:25	4.2	16:41	4.6
Greenock	11:50	2.8	---:--	--
Harwich	10:52	3.5	23:24	3.6
Holyhead	09:56	4.7	22:00	5.0
Hull	05:07	6.3	17:53	6.2
Leith	01:35	4.6	14:16	4.7
Liverpool	10:34	7.8	22:43	8.4
London Bridge	---:--	--	13:01	6.0
Lowestoft	08:31	2.3	21:35	2.3
Milford Haven	05:28	5.6	17:46	6.1
Morecambe	10:46	7.7	22:54	8.3
Newhaven	10:26	5.6	22:40	5.8
Newquay	04:22	5.4	16:39	5.9
Oban	05:21	3.1	17:33	3.5
Penzance	03:56	4.5	16:12	4.8
Portsmouth	10:55	4.1	23:01	4.1
Shoreham	10:35	5.2	22:47	5.3
Southampton	09:45	3.9	12:35	3.9
Swansea	05:23	7.5	17:48	8.1
Tees	02:40	4.7	15:18	4.8
Weymouth	05:50	1.4	18:04	1.7

Cen Highland, Moray Firth, Glasgow, Aberdeen, N Isles, NE Scotland, Argyll: Some bright spells, but rather cloudy with scattered showers especially around midday. Light to moderate southeasterly winds. Maximum 19C (66F), minimum 7C (45F). SW Eng, Wales, Channel Is: Staying mostly cloudy, with an area of showery rain spreading northwards during the day. Light to moderate easterly winds. Maximum 25C (77F), minimum 13C (55F).

Synoptic situation

High pressure to the northeast and low pressure to the southwest will put Britain and Ireland into a mainly dry, easterly flow as air spreads in from mainland Europe. This will lead to cooler temperatures near northern and eastern coasts. A series of fronts will spread northwards bringing the risk of rain and thunderstorms to southwestern areas later.

Republic of Ireland: Rather cloudy with showers at first, merging into longer spells of rain during the afternoon, heavy at times. Light east to southeasterly winds. Maximum 21C (70F), minimum 13C (55F). London, E Anglia, SE Eng, Cen S Eng, Midlands: Staying mainly dry with sunny spells and feeling humid. The risk of a few thunderstorms in the south by evening. Light to moderate easterly winds. Maximum 27C (81F), minimum 14C (57F).

Highs and lows
24hrs to 5pm yesterday
Warmest: Whitechurch, Pembrokeshire, 25.8C
Coldest: Katesbridge, County Down, 0.2C
Wettest: Wick Airport, 1.2mm
Sunniest: Aberporth, 13.2hrs*

Sun and moon For Greenwich Sun rises: 06.01 Sun sets: 20.02 Moon rises: 19.12 Moon sets: 03.41 Wed Full moon: August 28

Hours of darkness Aberdeen 20:54-05:28 Belfast 21:03-05:50 Birmingham 20:42-05:38 Cardiff 20:45-05:46 Exeter 20:44-05:49 Glasgow 20:59-05:40 Liverpool 20:48-05:41 London 20:32-05:33 Manchester 20:45-05:38 Newcastle 20:46-05:31 Norwich 20:29-05:25 Penzance 20:51-05:58 Sheffield 20:42-05:35

Weather Eye Paul Simons

It is 60 years since the completion of a two-year trial of the late August bank holiday, except for Scotland where the bank holiday remains on the original date, the first Monday in August.

The first August bank holiday was established in 1871 by the Liberal Sir John Lubbock and for the first time created a paid holiday that was not attached to a religious date.

But in modern times holidays became longer and more widespread, and by the 1960s the tourism industry was pressing for the early August bank holiday to be moved to late August to extend the holiday season. There was also pressure to stagger holidays to ease traffic jams on the roads to seaside resorts, as well as congestion in rail and air travel. “The last Monday in August may well appear to be an agreeable break and opportunity for restoration before the long haul through the autumn greyness to Christmas,” commented The Times.

But there were drawbacks to a late August bank holiday. Most obvious, the end of August has fewer hours of daylight, and the chances of poor weather can increase. The first late August holiday was cool, wet and windy. The following year there was some warm sunshine over the holiday weekend, but the Monday was one of the wettest on record, with more than two inches of rain in parts of southern England and the Midlands. In 1986, ex-Hurricane Charley unleashed gales and torrents of rain, and 1992 was one of the windiest August days ever known, with gales gusting up to 77mph. Even the long hot summer and drought of 1976 came to a crashing end over the bank holiday weekend with spectacular thunderstorms, relentless rainfalls and widespread floods.

For those who doubted the wisdom of moving the bank holiday date, the last of the early August bank holidays in 1964 had been pleasantly warm and sunny.

There have been hot late August bank holidays, however, and in 2019 a high of 33C was recorded at Heathrow.

Speak directly to one of our forecasters on 09065 777675

8am to 5pm daily (calls are charged at £1.55 plus network extras)

WeatherQuest weatherquest.co.uk

Explore. Plan. And now book with The Times.

The Times and Sunday Times is a unique and trusted source of travel inspiration. Now you can trust us to take you there too.

Call 0808 231 5090 or visit thetimes.com/holidays

TIMES Holidays

La Vuelta halted by heavy hailstorm

Cycling

Sean Russell

The peloton of La Vuelta was forced to take shelter in a hotel after storms brought huge hailstones to the French Pyrenees on stage three shortly before the race was abandoned.

The weather changed about 1,500m up in the mountains and just before the final climb to Font-Romeu with 15km to go. Tadej Pogacar, who wore the leader's Red Jersey, signalled to the peloton to turn off the course and take shelter from the pounding balls of ice.

Riders with no hopes of winning started pulling over and taking shelter from the storm before Pogacar came to the front of the peloton and waved his hands to pull the riders off course to the IGESA Village Club Mont-Louis Les Sorbiers hotel.

Riders huddled together, sopping wet as they shuffled into the hotel, leaving their bikes outside. It was soon announced that the race had been paused before being fully abandoned within ten minutes. It was too dangerous to continue, especially with about 6km left of a descent before the final climb.

With the recent, tragic death of the 19-year-old Finlay Tarling at the Volta a Portugal just over a week ago, safety is first and foremost in everyone's minds.

Extreme heat has become normal for the Tour de France and La Vuelta in recent years but it is more often the rain that causes stages to be cancelled, especially in the unpredictable Pyrenees. In 2023 two stages were disrupted by torrential rain and mudslides.

Stage three was supposed to be the day that Pogacar launched his first uphill attack of the race but unfortunately the holder of the Red Jersey had to take on another role as the father of the peloton, the rider to take control of the situation.

The general classification will remain as it was after stage two and the racing will continue today in Andorra on stage four.

EUROSPORT

Pogacar, in the Red Jersey, signals to the peloton to take shelter from the storm

Musselburgh

Rob Wright

2.15 Vegasmile	3.45 Florida Dreams (nap)
2.45 Aodhan	4.15 Sir David
3.15 Only Dream	4.45 Beerwah
Going: good, good to soft in places on straight course
Draw: 5f, high numbers best	Racing TV

2.15 Maiden Stakes

1	(6)	60 DIPLOMACY 13 M & D Easterby 9-7	B Garritty
2	(8)	0 THREEOCLOCKFLYER 50 M & D Easterby 9-7 Joanna Mason
3	(1)	VEGASMILE K R Burke 9-7	C Lee
4	(4)	46 COUL BLUE 17 M Dods 9-4	C Beasley
5	(2)	5360 INNS AND OUT 32 T Easterby 9-4	J Hart
6	(10)	PIGEON PETE O Greenall & J Guerrero 9-4	D Nolan
7	(7)	025 SWEET IRIS 14 R & P Fahey 9-2	Oisin Orr
8	(5)	0 BASMAAH 18 B Haslam 8-13	A Mullen
9	(9)	GORDONS GIRL D O'Meara 8-13	D Tudhope
10	(3)	40 WILD ORCHID 21 C Johnston 8-13	S James
Evens Vegasmile, 3-1 Sweet Iris, 6-1 Gordons Girl, 10-1 WIM Orchid, 12-1 Inns And Out, 20-1 Pigeon Pete, 25-1 Diplomacy, 33-1 Coul Blue.

Rob Wright's choice: Vegasmile can make a winning debut in weak maiden race Dangers Wild Orchid, Inns And Out

2.45 Nursery (2-Y-O: £3,664: 5f) (8)

1	(6)	045 NEEDIN' U 13 (H) M & D Easterby 9-9	B Garrity
2	(2)	2563 SPECTACULAR DIVER 13 T Easterby 9-9	J Hart
3	(3)	32103 LAURALYNN 14 (D) D Carroll 9-9	Z Wheatley
4	(5)	004 AODHAN 56 R Menzies 9-8	D Nolan
5	(1)	43300 MARDY BUM 12 (H) D O'Meara 9-1	M Winn
6	(8)	0600 BEA KINDLY 32 (P) T Waggott 8-7	W Pyle
7	(7)	6360 STAY ON TAB 87 (B,T) J Iardine 8-5	A Mullen
8	(4)	605 SAVOY BLUE 39 J Goldie 8-4	Lauren Young (5)
		15-8Spectacular Diver, 11-4 Needin' U, 3-1 Lauryann, 7-1 Aodhan, 20-1 Savoy Blue, Mardy Bum, Stay On Tab, 33-1 Bea Kindly.

Wright choice: Aodhan was a fair fourth here last time; looks well treated Dangers Stay On Tab, Spectacular Diver

3.15 Handicap (3-Y-O: £3,664: 1m 1f) (8)

1 (2)	46211 AMBER HAMUR 22 E Bethell 9-9	C Beasley
2 (7)	24605 VITALITY 14 (H) C Johnston 9-8	D Tudhope
3 (1)	15563 ONLY DREAM BIG 14 (B,C) T Easterby 9-6	P Mulrennan
4 (6)	6606U HORWICH 10 R Carr 9-2	JP Sulivan
5 (3)	50042 BALMORAL BOY 29 N Tinler 9-2	A Jary (3)
6 (5)	05360 POSITIVE THOUGHTS 15 (B) J & S Quinn 9-1	J Hart
7 (4)	42464 DALAMARA 17 (P) B Haslam 8-12	A Mullen
8 (8)	65314 TRUCIAL PEARL 40 (BF) M & D Easterby 8-7	Joanna Mason
2-1	Amber Hamur, 7-2 Crucial Pearl, 4-1 Only Dream Big, 6-1 Balmoral Boy, 10-1 Dalamara, 12-1 Positive Thoughts, 16-1 Vitality, 25-1 Horwich.

3.45 Handicap (£10,468: 2m 2f) (11)

		G Fairley
2	(9) 04022 FAST FRED 18 (P,C) Phillip Makin 6-9-8	S James

3	(1) 16300 TROJAN SUN 25 (P;CD) J Goldie 6-9-6	P Mulrennan
4	(3) 33611 VAGUELY ROYAL 32 (V) I Williams 6-9-6	R Kavanagh (3)
5	(2) 535 FLORIDA DREAMS 61 (P) A M Thomson 8-9-3	K Stott
6	(10) 0/541 NEWPORT 17 (B) J Jardine 6-8-13	O Orr
7	(8) 13153 GALLIS NORMAN 24 (C) J Goldie 7-8-13	Amie Waugh (3)
8	(5) 62351 NED BROY 25 (P) J Jardine 5-8-11	A Mullen
9	(6) 00523 FURHAAN 32 J Goldie 4-8-10	Lauren Young (5)
10	(11) 13433 CASCADE HALL 25 (H.O) J Goldie 7-8-10	R Elliott (5)
11	(7) 14221 IS SHE NOW 10 (V,C) D Bourke 8-8-9	D Fentiman
	7-2 Vaguely Royal 5-1 Inappropriate, Is She Now, 7-1 Newport, 8-1 Fast Fred, Ned Broy, 10-1 Gallus Norman, 12-1 Furhaan.
Wright choice: Florida Dreams, a good hurdler, looks well-in on his handicap debut Dangers Furhaan, Vaguely Royal

4.15 Handicap (£3,664: 7f) (11)

1 (11) 30203 VINCE LE PRINCE 8 (P,T,D) T Easterby 6-9-9 D Fentiman 2 (4) 4040- EVANGELIC J52 (P,T) R K Watson (Ire) 4-9-7 R Elliott (5) 3 (9) 00040 GRESSINGTON 34 (V,D) K Scott 5-9-7 S James 4 (2) 06211 LUMINOUS WARRIOR 20 (T) C Kellett 4-9-6 C Beasley 5 (1) 23442 NOVAK 15 (D) I Jardine 7-9-6 A Mullen 6 (10) 00023 KEEP ME STABLE 15 (C) Miss L Perratt 6-9-2

7	(3) 00533 EDMOND HALLEY 8 (BF) E Bethell 4-9-1	Oisin Orr
8	(6) 02031 SIR DAVID 13 (D) N Tinkler 4-9-1	A Jary (3)
9	(8) 24611 MONHAMMER 18 (CD) Miss L Perratt 8-8-13	M Winn
10	(5) 00432 COCONUT BAY 40 (D) T Davidson 7-8-11	J Hart
11	(7) 0-000 JOSHUAS DREAM 15 (P) J Goldie 4-8-6

Lauren Young (3) 9-2 Luminous Warrior, 5-1 Monhammer, 6-1 Sir David, Novak, 7-1 Keep Me Stable, Coconut Bay, Edmond Halley, 8-1 Vince Le Prince.

Wright choice: Sir David is just 3lb higher than when winning at Beverley

Dangers Edmond Halley, Novak

4.45 Handicap (£3,664: 5f) (6)

1	(3) 40631 SOUTH PARADE 17 (CD) R & P Fahey 5-9-9 E Tindall (5)
2	(6) 06102 BEERWAH 25 (B,D) J & S Quinn 4-9-8 J Hart
3	(4) 20640 JOJO RABBIT 12 (D) R Carr 8-9-7 JP Sullivan
4	(5) 050-6 POUTING 75 (H) D Bourke 4-9-7 Shane Gray
5	(2) 30265 ALBEGONE 32 (P,CD) T Easterby 8-9-1 J Dickson (5)
6	(1) 20031 ZUFFOLO 29 (B,D) M Dods 6-9-1 R Elliott (5)
2-1 South Parade, 9-4 Zuffolo, 3-1 Beerwah, 8-1 Albegone, 12-1 Jojo Rabbit, 20-1 Pouting.

Wright choice: Beerwah did not get a clear run when second at Bath; can make amends Danger South Parade

Lingfield Park Rob Wright

2.30 Amused	4.00 Viking Glory (nb)
3.00 Lazurite	4.30 Devil's Brigade
3.30 Let's Go Hugo	5.02 Time To Sparkle

Going: standardDraw: no advantage

Sky Sports Racing

2.30 Handicap (£3,978: 1m) (9)

1	(5) 30613 GREAT BLASKET 19 (V,BF,D) James Owen 6-10-0 C Howarth
2	(3) 05125 DANNICK 3 (T,C) G & J Moore 4-9-13	J Fernandes (7)

3	(1) 25110 THAPA VC 10 (B,T,C,D) M Rimell 8-9-11	T Moore (5)
4	(4) 21261 HAVANA TOUCH 76 (D) J Butler 5-9-10	C Whiteley (3)
5	(9) 26065 RENESMEE 10 (P,D) Michael Keady 6-9-10K S McHugh (5)
6	(6) 20022 AMUSED 19 J Boyle 4-9-9	D J Murphy (5)
7	(7) 00000 NEZEEH 13 J & S Best 5-9-6	O Tubb (3)
8	(2) 55040 ERNIE'S VALENTINE 148 (C,D) R Burdon 7-9-4	A Redman (7)
9	(8) -0020 MAJESTIC WAVE 21 S Dow 4-9-0	M Paetel
5-2 Great Blasket, 3-1 Havana Touch, 4-1 Dannick, 5-1 Amused, 10-1 Thapa VC, 14-1 Ernie's Valentine, 20-1 Majestic Wave, Renesmee, 33-1 Nezeeh.

3.00 Novice Stakes

(2-Y-O: £5,400: 6f) (7)
1	(6)	6 AMBIENCE 101 (W,T) K P De Foy 9-2	David Egan
2	(2)	COTAI JAUNT Ollie Sangster 9-2	S D Bowen
3	(4)	CUBAN PROMISE Tom Clover 9-2	C Fallon
4	(7)	05 DARK REIGN 33 R Hannon 9-2	J Leavy
5	(1)	LADY OF LUCCA Martin Dunne 9-2	G Wood
6	(3)	20 LAZURITE 95 (BF) R Hughes 9-2	F Marsh
7	(5)	THAI BAHT Owen Burrows 9-2	C Rodriguez
8-11 Lazurite, 5-1 Ambience, 7-1 Thai Baht, 10-1 Cuban Promise, 12-1 Cotai Jaunt, 16-1 Dark Reign, 20-1 Lady Of Lucca.

3.30 Classified Stakes (£3,245: 5f) (10)

(2) 00465 APPLE'S ANGEL 19 (CD) J Boyle 4-9-9 D J Murphy (7) (3) 20-24 BANANA 20 (P,T,BF,D) S Dixon 7-9-9 K O'Neill (4) 90054 BATTLE POINT 8 (CD) M Attwater 7-9-9 G Mangan (5) 000-0 BLUESY MOON 117 M Attwater 4-9-9 K Fox (6) 10-635 BUST A MOON 17 (H,D) D Shaw 4-9-9 D Keenan (7) 00-02 JUNGLE DANCE 8 (CD) J R Jenkins 5-9-9 M Ghiani (8) 40-0604 LOCHABER 445 (B,D) S Dixon 5-9-9 C Howarth (3) (9) 304600 RAINBOW SORBET 8 J & S Best 4-9-9 F Marsh (10) 65-000 VIENNETTA 26 (H) M Blake 3-9-7 W Carson 13-8 Let's Go Hugo, 3-1 Jungle Dance, 7-2 Banana, 14-1 Rainbow Sorbet, 16-1 Battle Point, Bust A Moon, 20-1 Lochaber, Apple's Angel.

4.00 Handicap

(3-Y-O: £3,245: 7f) (10)

1 (5) -0266 STRONG VOICE 6 (P,T) James Horton 9-9 J Mitchell
2 (2) -0536 BIRD OF WAR 21 C HILLS 9-9 R Hornby
3 (1) 10046 QUICK QUASAR 12 (B,D) A Watson 9-7 P-L Jamin
4 (10) 00042 CHAPMAN'S PEAK 10 (P,D) E Dunlop 9-7 R Ryan
5 (6) 0-540 COXY'S STAR 15 W Muir & C Grassick 9-7 L Edmunds
6 (3) 00031 VIKING GLORY 20 (P,T,D) James Owen 9-7 C Fallon
7 (8) -4040 TIE FIGHTER 50 S Dow 9-7 P Bradley
8 (9) 02211 MUSICAL SOLDIER 24 (P,T,D) Ollie Sangster 9-5

10 (4) 00000 RAGAIRE 12 Ollie Sangster 8-4	S D Bowen
2-1 Viking Glory, 3-1 Musical Soldier, 6-1 Chapman's Peak, 7-1 Bird Of War, 8-1 Strong Voice, 10-1 Quick Quasar, 14-1 Tie Fighter, 25-1 Coxy's Star.

4.30 Novice Stakes

1	(8)	532- DEVIL'S BRIGADE 292 E Dunlop 3-9-7	B Loughnane
2	(7)	22 DIALSTONE 20 (BF) R Beckett 3-9-7	R Ryan
3	(5)	45 STATE EXPRESS 7 S Woods 3-9-7	K O'Neil

4 (1) 0- GOING TO GRACELAND 251 C Johnston 3-9-5

		C Shepherd
5 (2)	00- ECHO THAT 265 (P) P Owens 3-9-2	B Sayette
6 (4)	55 FLOATING MARKET 157 A Balding 3-9-2Isobelle Chalmers (7)
7 (6)	54 SAX AVOIDANCE 12 Charlie Pike 3-9-2	T Greatrex
8 (3)	6 ANNCANYA 39 P Chapple-Hyam 3-9-0	M Ghiani
11-10 Dialstone, 11-8 Devil's Brigade, 10-1 Floating Market, 14-1 Anncanya, 20-1 Going To Graceland, 33-1 Sax Avoidance, 50-1 State Express, 100-1 Echo That.

5.02 Handicap

1	(6) -2520 JIMMY MARK 21 (T,D) Zoe Hawkins 6-9-12	K O'Neil
2	(3) 35-00 BACKER BILK 13 (H,CD) L Dace 4-9-11	G Wood
3	(8) 21531 HOVE RANGER 8 (CD) G & J Moore 3-9-10(6ex)

4	(2) 25546 HAVANA TOBOUGGALOO 22 (P) Zoe Hawkins 4-9-9
			D Egan
5	(5) 0060 MINERALITY 47 (P) Dr R Newland 3-9-9		J Doughty
6	(4) 645 THUNDER GODDESS 15 A Balding 3-9-9		W Carver
7	(1) 15323 TIME TO SPARKLE 29 (BF) J Keane 3-9-7		H Vigors (5)
8	(7) 30605 SOVEREIGN BRIGHT 38 (H) C Johnston 3-9-3

2-1 Hove Ranger, 11-4 Time To Sparkle, 4-1 Thunder Goddess, 8-1 Havana Tobouggaloo, 10-1 Jimmy Mark, 12-1 Sovereign Bright, 20-1 others.

Stratford Rob Wright

5.10 Letmeseethecolts	6.45 Getmyfriend
5.40 French Diablo	7.15 Jack Doyen
6.15 Beorma	7.45 Goliath Power
Going: good to firm
Racing TV

5.10 Maiden Hurdle (£5,446: 2m 3f) (8)

1	5-32 DIAMOND GRACE 41 J & A O'Neill 5-11-4	J O'Neill Jr
2	0-46 DREAMING OF THE DR 32 (H) Dr R Newland 5-11-4

5 F5-PP PRETTY SPONTANEOUS 100 (T) A Honeyball 6-11-4

6 F225- GUTS AND GLORY 136 (T) C Boultbee-Brooks 4-11-0

7 3-U66 PRINCESS OF BALLEA 53 (H) Daisy Hitchins 4-11-0 H Reed

8 3-055 STEAL A GLANCE 37 (T) A Honeyball 4-11-0

2-1 Guts And Glory, 5-2 Letmeseethecolts, 3-1 Diamond Grace, 8-1 Dreaming Of The Dr, 12-1 Steal A Glance, 14-1 La Bamba Chica, 33-1 Princess Of Ballea, 66-1 Pretty Spontaneous.

5.40 Handicap Hurdle (£2,640: 2m 6f) (8)

2	0-114 BRIONYWELLS 74 D Killahena & G McPherson 6-11-12	N Slatter (3)
3	OP-00 CAPTAIN CONNOR 32 C Ellam 4-11-1	B J Powell

6	P5-53 KOTGAR 37 Mrs C Williams 5-10-9	C Ring
7	0064P MC'FLO 30 A Carson 5-10-7	J Quinlan
8	0-P04 PINK WALLS 44 M Mullineaux 6-10-5	K Brogan
10-11 French Diablo, 9-2 Delgany Second Now, 7-1 Bells Of Ufford, 8-1 Kotgar, Brionywells, 16-1 Captain Connor, Mc'flo, 150-1 Pink Walls.

6.15 Handicap Chase (S2855; 2m 1f) (4)

1 PP-13 DUKE OF LUCKLEY 32 (B) M Keighley 9-12-0

		F Keighley (5)
2	2-135 SEEYOUINMYDREAMS 32 (T) T Ellis 8-11-11	J Andrews
3	11111 BEORMA 67 (T,D) D Skelton 7-11-6	H Skelton
4	P5-5F IN THIS WORLD 87 (T,D) B Summers 8-11-2	J Best
8-15 Beorma, 4-1 In This World, 15-2 Seeyouinmydreams, Duke Of Luckley.

6.45 Handicap Hurdle

A Jackson-Fennell (7) 3 52-2F ZUCAYAN F33 (T) F O'Brien 9-11-11 N Slatter (3) 4 -1431 GETMYFRIEND 37 D Skelton 5-11-10 H Skelton 5 22-34 JUGGERNAUT 37 (T,BF,CD) A Honeyball 7-11-7 J Robottom (10) 6 0-304 DREAM JET 38 (P,CD) B Ellison 8-11-6 N Moscrop 7 P4512 MI SUENO 3 (P,BF,D) Nick Scholfield 7-10-2 H Reed 8 P0-6P MISS FEDORA 44 (H,D) Nick Scholfield 7-10-2 B Macey (5) 6-4 Getmyfriend, 11-4 Mi Sueno, 6-1 Zucayan, 8-1 Juggernaut, 12-1 Dream Jet, 14-1 Borna Gem, Miss Fedora, 20-1 T Or Coffey.

7.15 Handicap Chase (£4,700: 2m 5f) (8)

1 2-320 BOBBARELLI 75 (H,T) N & W Twiston-Davies 9-12-0 A. Jackson Fennell (7)

2	444P- YOUDECIDE 151 (BF) B Pauling 6-11-9	B R Jones
3	11-21 JACK DOYEN 98 (B,D) B Case 10-11-5	J Quinlan
4	535-3 PESCATORIUS 83 (T,D) B Summers 7-11-3	J Best
5	-5244 CRACKERJACK QUEEN 34 (B,T) T Ellis 6-10-9	J Andrews
6	06-53 KINGS ORDER 57 (T) Mrs C Williams 5-10-5	C Ring
7	3-003 WATCHOUTITSCOOKIE 37 N Hawke 8-10-2	D Noonan
8	-P506 FOX WALLACE 38 (T,C) Ella Pickard 8-10-2	B Godfrey
6-5 Jack Doyen, 16-3 Bobbarelli, 4-1 Youdecide, 10-1 Watchoutitscookie, 12-1 Pescatorius, 16-1 Crackerjack Queen, 20-1 Kings Order, 50-1 Fox Wallace,

7.45 NH Flat Race

1	5 COMPANY CHARGE 43 (V) N & W Twiston-Davies 5-11-2A Jackson-Fennell (7)
2	GOLIATH POWER F O'Brien 5-11-2	Fern O'Brien (5)
3	BOMBUS PASCUORUM D McCain 4-10-13	H Brown (10)
4	0 ON THE FLY 41 J & S Best 4-10-13	R Corcoran (5)
5	0 STAND PROUD 41 D Cantillon 4-10-13	B Macey (5)
6	5 TALLADALE 41 T Lacey 4-10-13	C Iles (5)
7	60 GUERDALE 51 M Comley 5-10-9	A Jones (7)
8	00 PEARL COVE 41 S Lycett 4-10-6	F Keighley (5)
9	4 ROCCANA ROSE 83 (H,T) M Bowen 4-10-6	J Murray (7)
15-8 Rocana Rose, 7-2 Golith Power, 5-1 Talladale, 12 Company Charge,8-1 Stand Proud, 10-1 Bombus Pascuorum, 20-1 Guerdale, 33-1 On The Fly,50-1 Pearl Cove.

Results

Football

Premier League

Fulham

(1) 2

Chelsea

(2) 3

King 23	João Pedro 1
García 54	Rogers 41
	Palmer 49

	P	W	D	L	F	A	GDPts
Brighton	1	1	0	0	4	0	4
Arsenal	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
Brentford	1	1	0	0	3	0	3
Everton	1	1	0	0	2	0	2
Hull	1	1	0	0	2	0	2
Chelsea	1	1	0	0	3	2	1
Ipswich	1	1	0	0	2	1	1
Man City	1	1	0	0	2	1	1
Leeds	1	1	0	0	1	0	1
Liverpool	1	0	1	0	2	2	0
Newcastle	1	0	1	0	2	2	0
Fulham	1	0	0	1	2	3	-1
Bournemouth	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1
Sunderland	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1
Nottm Forest	1	0	0	1	0	1	-1
Crystal Palace	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2
Man United	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2
Coventry	1	0	0	1	0	3	-3
Tottenham	1	0	0	1	0	3	-3
Aston Villa	1	0	0	1	0	4	-4

Tennis

Cincinnati Open

Women's singles: Final C Gauff (US) (4) bt J Pegula (US) (3) 6-2 6-4. US Open qualifying

Men's singles: Round of 128 J Fearnley (GB) (4) bt R Carballes Baena (Sp) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3; T Samuel (GB) (7) bt F Maestrelli (It) 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-1; M Cecchinato (It) bt L Broady (GB) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3; B Harris (GB) bt G Bueno (Peru) 6-1 6-3; J Lee (US) bt M Lajal (Estonia) 4-6 6-3 6-3.

Women's singles: Round of 128 Q Zheng (China) (14) bt X You (China) 6-3 6-3; C Burel (Fr) bt Y Ma (China) 6-4 6-2; L Stefanini (It) (28) bt A Aksu (Tur) 6-2 6-3; R Marino (Can) bt F Ferro (Fr) (30) 6-1 6-4; M Bolkvadze (Georgia) bt E Andreeva (Russ) 6-4 7-6 (7-5); J Pareja (US) bt K Day (US) (9) 6-3 6-1.

Golf

USPGA Tour BMW Championship St. Louis, Missouri: Leading final scores (United States unless stated): -17 W Clark 64 64 65 70. -14 P Cantlay 67 65 66 68. -13 R McIlroy (N Ire) 64 69 65 69. -12 G Woodland 64

65 70 69; C Morikawa 68 65 67 68; C Gotterup 64 67 68 69. -10 R MacIntyre (Scot) 68 69 68 65; M McNealy 67 66 69. -8 J Bridgeman 66 72 66 67. -8 M Brennan 69 65 69 69. S Im (S Korea) 67 64 70 71. -7 A Bhatia 67 68 70 68; S Scheffler 72 65 68 68; R Henley 67 66 70 70; R Hisatsune (Japan) 65 70 67 71. -6 A Scott (Aus) 68 68 71 67; A Smalley 69 68 70 67; A Rai (Eng) 68 71 67 68; J Thomas 67 67 71 69; L Aberg (Swe) 66 70 69 69; R Gerard 70 66 69 69. -5 J Rose (Eng) 69 67 73 66; J Poston 70 70 69 66; K Reitan (Nor) 67 67 74 67; J Spaun 64 66 72. -3 K Kitayama 72 68 68 68; X Schauffele 70 66 71 69. -3 H Matsuyama (Japan) 72 68 70 67; T Kim (S Korea) 72 69 68 68; M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 65 72 69 71; S Burns 71 67 68 71; E Cole 67 68 67.

Fixtures

Football

(Kick-off 7.45 unless stated) Carabao Cup

Second round Barnsley v Crewe, Birmingham v Brentford (8.0), Blackburn v Sheffield United,

Blackpool v Lincoln, Cambridge v Millwall, Cardiff v Norwich (7.0), Doncaster v Middlesbrough (7.30), Fleetwood v Shrewsbury, Ipswich v Leicester, Nottingham Forest v Leeds (8.0), Plymouth v Coventry, Sheffield Wednesday v Wolves, Southampton v West Ham, Stevenage v Reading, Stoke v Hull, Walsall v Leyton Orient, Watford v Peterborough.

EFL Trophy Bristol Rovers v Chelsea U21 (7.0).

Champions League: Play-offs second leg Sabah (1) v Hapoel Be'er Sheva (2) (5.45), LASK (0) v Celtic (3) (8.0), Bodo Glimt (3) v NEC (1) (8.0).

Tennis

US Open

Mixed doubles: Round of 16 A Sabalenka (Bela) & N Djokovic (Serbia) (1) v L Fernandez (Can) & F Tiafoe (US); E Svitolina (Ukraine) & G Monfils (Fr) v A Eala (Phil) & F Auger-Aliassime (Can); B Bencic (Switz) & F Cobolli (It) (4) v T Townsend (US) & A Zverev (Ger); E Navarro (US) & T Paul (US) v A Anisimova (US) & L Tien (US) (3); M Andreeva (Russ) & A Rublev (Russ) v S Errani (It) & A Vavassori (It); D Shnaider (Russ) & C Ruud (Nor) v J Pegula (US) & T Fritz (US) (2).

Yesterday's racing results

Brighton

Going: Good to Firm (good in places)

2.30 (5f 60yd) 1, Em Four (Saffie Osborne, 4-1); 2, South Shore (2-1 fav); 3, Kento (12-1). 6 ran. $^{3/4}$ l, sh. J A Osborne.

3.00 (5f 215yd) 1, Rogue Imperial (H Davies, 15-8); 2, Roll Up Raymond (13-8); 3, I Am Royal (6-1). 5 ran. NR: From Me To You. 1l, sh. A Watson.

3.30 (5f 215yd) 1, Dark Sun (Laura Coughlan, 5-1); 2, Be An Angel (4-1); 3, Blue Anthem (5-6). 5 ran. NR: Rye, Unico, Von Krolock. 1 $^{1/4}$ l, nk. J Bennett.

4.00 (1m 1f 207yd) 1, Crimson Road (W Carson, 4-1); 2, ( fav); 3, Bohemian Breeze (6-1). 7 ran l, 2l. J L Flint. 4.30 (7f 216yd) 1, Dalmally (T Greatrex, 9-2); 2, King David (16-1); 3, Chloe's Courage (5-1). 9 ran. 1l, 1l. M Pattinson.

5.00 (6f 210yd) 1, Berning Hot (W Carson, 22-1); 2, Superstorm (4-1); 3, Kondratiev Wave (3-1 fav). 9 ran. nk, 37 $^{1/2}$ l. M J Attwater.

Musselburgh

Going: Good (good to soft in places)

2.15 (5f 1yd) 1, The Mean Fiddler (J Hart, 1-3 fav); 2, By Jove Grace (18-1); 3, Sable Noir (80-1). 8 ran. $^{3/4}$ l, nk. J & S Quinn.

2.45 (1m 2yd) 1, Forest Berry (L Morris, 4-5 fav); 2, Astral Calling (17-2); 3, Bluestone Lady (7-1). 7 ran. 1l, $2^{1/2}$ L. M Prescott.

3.15 (1m 208yd) 1, Runninsonofagun (J Hart, 9-4 fav); 2, Motawaared (7-1); 3, Princess Niyla (14-1). 11 ran. $\frac{3}{4}$ l, $1\frac{1}{2}$ l. T Davidson.

3.45 (7f 15yd) 1, Two Commanders (O J Orr, 3-1); 2, Blakefell (9-4 fav); 3, Velvet Rhythm (13-2). 10 ran. nk, $1^{1/4}$ l. E Bethell.

4.15 (5f 1yd) 1, Lady Bouquet (K Stott, 9-1); 2, Ski Angel (12-1); 3, Gwen Tennyson (11-1). 10 ran. $\frac{3}{4}$ l, 1L. P A Kirby.

4.45 (1m 2yd) 1, Misemerald (K Stott, 3-1 fav); 2, Abu Royal (16-1); 3, Thats My Boy Luke (4-1). 13 ran. $\frac{3}{4}$ l, $3\frac{1}{2}$ l. P A Kirby.

Windsor

Going: Good to Firm (good in places)

5.13 (6f 12yd) 1, Sunday Girl (K Shoemark, 15-8); 2, Encore (1-1 fav); 3, Cercis (6-1). 5 ran. $4^{1/4}$ , 4L. E Walker. 5.48 (1m 31yd) 1, Nakila Sun (O Murphy, 13-8); 2,

5.48 (1m 31yd) 1, Nakila Sun (O Murphy, 13-8); 2, Camarda Rc (4-5 fav); 3, Aethelstan Gold (22-1). 10 ran. $3 \frac{1}{4} l$ , nk. A M Balding.

6.18 (1m 3f 99yd) 1, Cape Fear (O Murphy, 2-1 fav); 2, Morcar (11-1); 3, Tai Hang Pegasus (10-3). 7 ran. $5^{1/2}$ l, 1l. A M Balding.

6.48 (1m 31yd) 1, Ecclefechan (J Mitchell, 5-1); 2, Buckland Belle (7-4 fav); 3, Berkshire Boom (2-1). 6 ran. nk, 5l. J Ryan.

7.18 (6f 12yd) 1, Cape Toronada (R Ryan, 10-3); 2, Angel Summer (12-1); 3, Beach Partee (28-1). 9 ran. hd, 17 $^{1/2}$ L. A W Carroll.

7.48 (5f 21yd) 1, Faustus (J Mitchell, 9-2); 2, Darkened Edge (7-1); 3, Dragon God (11-2). 8 ran. hd, 1½l. R Cook & J Bridger.

Norris at peak – shame about his car

EVERY SECOND MEDIA/ALAMY LIVE NEWS

Molly Hudson

Formula 1 Correspondent

After hearing George Russell and Kimi Antonelli say that McLaren were the team — and car — to beat, Lando Norris did something entirely uncharacteristic. He took credit himself. He had won the Dutch Grand Prix with a clinical overtaking move on Antonelli, and a hard tyre stint that simply no other driver could live with.

The world champion Norris is a different driver to the one who clinched the title in Abu Dhabi in last season's finale. He has said previously, on multiple occasions, that he did not necessarily believe he could actually do it — achieve his wildest dreams. He is the type of character who only realises what he is capable of in hindsight. But now, he knows.

The title does not guarantee you anything, bar the No I on his car, but it has given Norris new belief. As Andrea Stella, his McLaren team principal, described it: "He is now expressing a higher level of assertiveness as he drives... he's demonstrating more self-confidence."

The move that secured victory in Zandvoort was the perfect example of the new Norris. He produced a brilliant overtake around the outside of Antonelli that was effectively for the race lead on lap 54. He pounced as Antonelli was stuck behind Lewis Hamilton, who was out of pitstop sync compared to the other two drivers. There was no hesitation, or second-guessing.

"The move was good," Norris, 26, said. "I mean, I knew I was not going to get many chances. Every lap I spent behind him [Antonelli] my odds were getting lower and lower. So, I saw Lewis defended and I knew that was my moment. I did a couple of clicks of brake balance. I knew I was going to commit to the braking and that move won me the race."

After back-to-back victories in Budapest and Zandvoort, Norris is 83 points behind Antonelli, with 11 races to go (this could reduce to ten if Imola has to replace Qatar and Abu Dhabi on the calendar at the end of the season).

He would have been much closer were it not for McLaren's reliability issues at the start of the season, when Norris could not start the race in China and retired in Canada and Monaco.

On Thursday he joked that if he is to have any chance of retaining his title he will need Mercedes and Antonelli to collapse in the same way that McLaren did last season, disqualified in Las Vegas and getting their strategy wrong in Qatar.

	2025	2026
Australia	1st	5th
China	2nd	20th**
Japan	2nd	5th
Miami	2nd	2nd
Canada	18th*	18th*
Monaco	1st	19th*
Spain	2nd	3rd
Austria	1st	7th
Britain	1st	4th
Belgium	2nd	7th
Hungary	1st	1st
Netherlands	18th*	1st

*Did not finish ** Did not start

But it isn't only the points deficit which has left Norris unsure if the championship is possible, it is also the tight margins at the top. Mercedes started the season with the strongest car but Ferrari have improved rapidly with a series of upgrades, while McLaren excel in high-speed sections but struggle more in twisty low-speed tracks. They believe they have also designed a car which appears to have more drag, which does not necessarily suit tracks like Monza, the next race in two weeks' time.

"I don't have the confidence to say, 'Yeah, I can easily fight for a championship for the rest of the season.' I know I've just won two races in a row and had two poles in a row, but at the minute I don't have the car I need to fight for a championship," Norris said.

"I know that's quite a big comment, but I think last year I understood what is needed from a car and what was needed for myself. I know the level that I am now and what I know I can perform at, and I know just what I need from the car.

"I know what tracks we have coming up where we're going to certainly struggle more, and I don't want to struggle more."

Norris is 55 points ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri and has outperformed him throughout the season.

Much of Norris's improvement went under the radar given he did not have the car to show for it in the early weeks.

In Budapest, speaking to the British press on the roof terrace of the McLaren motorhome, he described his display the weekend before in Spa, where he had finished seventh after having to take a grid penalty for new engine parts, as “probably one of my best performances I’ve ever had in Formula 1”.

He has proved it by fully capitalising on an improving McLaren in the past two weekends.

"He's driving at the level of a world champion and like I always say for Lando, what I like the most of his journey in Formula 1 is that he keeps improving," Stella said. "Lando is capable of maximising the performance in qualifying trim [now]. When you have conditions in which the car slides in the race, there's not much grip, he is the master in this kind of conditions."

Norris may have played down his title expectations once the adrenaline had died down, but in the cockpit on team radio his message was clear: “The fight’s still on, let’s keep going,” he said.

At the start of this season some criticised Norris for admitting he had achieved everything he had ever dreamt of with last season's title win. They thought it meant he would not be as hungry for victory this time around.

Instead, it has proved the opposite. He simply knows what it takes to win, and more importantly, believes he can — if given the machinery to do so.

Norris' finishing positions

After McLaren's dire start, Norris has won back-to-back races in Hungary and the Netherlands, top, and is much more confident after last year's title

Scheffler hit by ‘children’s’ virus as he goes for \$10m jackpot

Golf

Rick Broadbent

Scottie Scheffler has hand, foot and mouth disease while Bob MacIntyre is battling a shinty related knee cyst as 30 players set their sights on East Lake and the \$10 million top prize on offer at this week's Tour Championship.

Wyndham Clark squandered a five-shot lead at the BMW Championship on Sunday before rallying with three consecutive birdies to finish three clear of Patrick Cantlay, with Rory McIlroy another shot back.

Attention quickly turned to the FedEx Cup finale in Atlanta and the world No1 Scheffler, who finished ten shots off the pace, explained that his struggles had been down to a virus that more commonly affects young children.

“I got hand, foot and mouth so you get blisters on your hands and in your throat and on your feet,” the 30-year-old American said.

Scheffler said he almost shook hands with his playing partner, Cameron Young, at the end, but remembered he was contagious in the nick of time.

“My throat is still bugging me [but] the blisters on my hands were the most challenging,” he added. “I was prioritising rest so I wasn’t able to practise the way I want and even warm up.”

MacIntyre made the 30 qualifiers for the Tour Championship after a brilliant five-under-par round of 65 in St Louis, but then revealed the cause of his own fitness problem.

“I’ve got a Baker’s cyst in the back of my right knee which I got from playing shinty [a sport played in Scotland with similarities to hockey and hurling] back home,” he said. “I’ve been getting

Scheffler thought about withdrawing due to illness

serious pain when I squat down to read a putt and stuff."

MacIntyre, 30, withdrew from the previous week's St Jude Championship after one round. He added that he had been managing the problem since May.

McIlroy says he is still far from content with his form despite a strong display in St Louis. “I’m still not in a spot where I’m super happy with where my game is or where my swing is,” he said after a round of 69. He had the vast majority of spectators on his side as he took on Clark, who is getting used to facing partisan crowds on home turf. He said the crowd wanted McIlroy to win and partly because some wanted a return on their bets. “I think some of the rooting against [me] is because of the betting,” he added.

Spectators cheered Clark's mistakes on his way to winning the US Open in June and there were reports of isolated repeats of that again on Sunday. The gambling issue is a growing concern in golf, with Matt Fitzpatrick saying that every player has received gambling-related heckles. Fitzpatrick will be one of six UK players contesting the Tour Championship alongside his brother Alex, McIlroy, MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

In Indianapolis, LIV Golf limped to the end of what may be its last-ever event. Michael La Sasso edged out Jon Rahm, but the result was an irrelevance amid uncertainty about whether there will be a LIV 2.0, with Saudi Arabia withdrawing its financial support. Tyrrell Hatton looked unhappy as he chose Queen's I Want to Break Free as his walk-on music and was then an unenthusiastic participant at Legion XIII's winning team's press conference. "I just want to get to the airport," he said.

Sport Rugby union

Heart attack at 29 - but former England hooker will not quit

Jack Singleton defied doctor's verdict that his career was over — while on operating table, writes Alex Lowe

Jack Singleton was entering the final season of his Gloucester contract when, on September 18 last year, he suffered a heart attack during a

training session.

At first Singleton tried to ignore the dizziness, the tightness in his chest and the throbbing in his arm. He sat through a team meeting and went for lunch at the club. It was only when he climbed into the car to drive home, with no cessation in the symptoms, that he knew he should check in with the team doctor.

Singleton was 13 when his father suffered a fatal heart attack. The former England hooker, 30, is now in the final stages of his recovery after two heart operations. To many, that would be reason enough to call it quits on a career in which he has played for Saracens, Gloucester, Toulon and England. Uini Atonio, the France prop, retired in January after a “cardiac event”.

But Singleton's commitment to rugby led him to climb off the operating table and initially refuse surgery after being told it would end his career. The prospect of playing again kept him going through months of confusion, anxiety and uncertainty. Specialists have since concluded that his risk profile for suffering another heart attack is 1 per cent higher than the

1 per cent higher than population average, despite a branch off one artery remaining blocked; 2 to 3 per cent in the worst-case scenario.

Gloucester stood by Singleton. When his contract expired, the club put him on a rolling deal so that they could oversee his rehabilitation back to full health. But his final pay cheque is due in September. There is no room for him in the squad at Kingsholm. Singleton understands that — and he is on the hunt for a new club.

Playing rugby again is more than a passion project for Singleton; it represents a

commitment to living an active life, to maximising a second chance that his father never had.

“We had Coventry in to train against us,” Singleton says. “After the session I had a bit of a tight chest, which wasn’t out of the ordinary for me. I’d had it previously but this time it lingered for a bit.

“I went to some meetings. I mentioned it briefly to the doctor but didn’t make a big deal of it. I had some throbbing in my arm, which I didn’t mention. It got a lot worse when I was having food. I started getting dizzy and sweaty. That was probably about 40 minutes after the session.

"I had a golf tee time booked, so I was going to leave the club, have a lie-down and then play golf. As I was in the car, I was like, you know, I'll

just go and mention it all to the doctor. She slipped me an aspirin and a physio from the club drove me to hospital.

“Outside of feeling a little bit rough, I was fine. Even on the way to the hospital I was like, ‘There is no way this is a heart attack.’ I underwent some

I underwent some tests. My troponin [protein] levels were elevated, which is the sign of a heart attack. I ended up being in hospital for a week. The hardest part was calling people and saying, 'I'm in hospital. I'm having a heart attack.' I had to call my mum, and obviously we have family history, so that wasn't a pleasant phone call to make.

"I think it was scarier for other people than it was for me. I just felt a bit rough after training. The fact I was calm probably helped my mum. It was better than receiving a call from a doctor saying, 'Jack's been taken to hospital with a potential heart attack.'

“About a week after the incident, they had done all the tests and scans and they told me there were blockages and narrowing of my arteries — it’s called coronary stenosis — and that they would fix it there and then. They put in stents and drug-covered balloons.

"I was on the operating table when the surgeon told me I would probably never play rugby again. It was a weird moment. I was lying there in a gown with six people around me and I just thought, 'This feels like a weird place to announce my retirement.'

"I said, 'Get me off this table. Let me speak to the club doctor.' So I called Karen Jones — she's now with England — and she was brilliant. She said, 'This is the only option. You need to get this done and we'll figure out the rest after.' But she was like, 'This doesn't mean that you're definitively not going to be able to play rugby.' I think a lot of the times they give you worst-case scenarios, which is understandable.

"The NHS staff at Royal Gloucester were brilliant. Dr Brady, who ended up doing my surgery, had been in contact with Karen and the club. We talked it through and he was a bit less blunt, a lot more calming than the first time I went in."

Singleton was diagnosed with high Lipoprotein(a), which makes the blood more prone to clotting and plaque build-up, increasing the chance of cardiovascular disease. And it is genetic, which explains what happened to Singleton's father.

"When my dad had his heart attack, it was sudden, and it was the first one that we know of," he says. "He didn't make it through that, and so we had no idea of this sort of underlying health condition. My mum doesn't have it so we are assuming that it's come from him."

Three months after the emergency operation Singleton underwent a second procedure. “The follow-up was to make sure everything is as good as it can be for the rest of my life, ideally,” he says.

"The idea was to expand the initial narrowing that they had stented, and then to try to open two of the blockages that I had in my arteries, one of which was successful and the other they were unable to do.

"I am left with that for life. If they had carried on trying to open it, it could have caused more damage. I'd rather have them all open, ideally. But I think your body and your heart almost adapts. From the

I think it was scarier for other people than it was for me. I just felt a bit rough after training

conversations I have had, that isn't a massive concern."

All the while, Singleton's contract was running down. "My head was scrambled," he says. "I struggled to sleep for a bit afterwards. I had a lot of different thoughts.

Atonio, above, retired in January after a ‘cardiac event’ but Singleton, below, who has been capped by England, is determined to continue his playing career

"My initial concern was about playing rugby. I sat down with my cardiologist, Professor Papadakis, and he was pretty blunt. He said it was down to me. Getting the option to come back and play is a win, but that doesn't make it any easier a decision because only hindsight will tell if it's the right answer.

“Let’s say I didn’t play rugby again. I’m not going to stop exercising at the age of 30. I could go out on a run and something could happen there. Or I could be playing five-a-side football. I am not saying that is the same as high-intensity rugby but I’d rather be doing exercise in a place where there are medics who know my history.”

"When I am training now, I try to do it at the club so I am supervised. It does take a while to trust myself to push through certain points of fatigue. That anxiety will definitely lessen with time. You just start to forget about it. There's also some intrigue about playing again. I played for however many years with blocked and narrowed arteries. Did that have an effect on how I was playing?"

“Gloucester have been brilliant with

Singleton has not played since his heart attack but has praised Gloucester's commitment to his rehab

me through this process. I'd like to stay in the Prem but I'm open to going abroad."

Singleton is training with no upper limits on his heart rate, having passed the thresholds of 130 bpm and

150 bpm. He is scheduled to resume contact work in the coming weeks, once he comes off strong blood thinners. He has a small amount of scarring on his heart but none that impacts the pumping function.

SPORT IN PICTURES/ALAMY LIVE NEWS

The cardiologist has written a letter supporting Singleton's return to professional sport, providing he continues to have no complications. Gloucester have written a rugby-specific letter, outlining all the protocols and measures they would put in place if Singleton was to play for them; the intention being to ease concerns that any prospective new club may have.

Singleton has been on a fact-finding mission and he believes his comeback would be unprecedented. He has spoken to Nick Isiekwe and Josh McNally, both of whom played professional rugby after heart operations.

“I haven’t found anyone in rugby who had a similar thing to me,” he says. “All I ever wanted to do was play rugby, and I’d love to come back. I’m looking forward to getting back out on a pitch.”

Sport

Pollard recalled as Erasmus hits the emergency button

Alex Lowe

Rugby Correspondent, Johannesburg

Rassie Erasmus was so anxious to reframe the rugby conversation in South Africa after Saturday's 33-16 defeat by New Zealand that he named his team for the second Test despite not yet knowing exactly what it will be. Siya Kolisi will return as captain if he comes through yesterday's training session, but the likelihood is that Paul de Villiers will retain the No 6 jersey.

Kolisi's hamstring injury was still bothering him on Sunday, so a comeback for the Cape Town Test this Saturday appears unlikely. Erasmus also suggested that Cheslin Kolbe, omitted with an injury suffered in the first Test, could yet return and play on the wing in Cape Town. That also seems far-fetched given the Springboks operate a strict rule that players must train on Monday to be involved.

But it helps Erasmus to go early. He can keep the All Blacks guessing a touch and shift the focus away from Ellis Park and on to Cape Town, where South Africa will roll out the old guard for a critical Test match. If Kolisi does play, with De Villiers dropping out of the 23, then South Africa will be fielding their most experienced starting XV in their history, with a combined total of 1,012 caps. Pieter-Steph du Toit will bring up his century.

Handré Pollard, a 12-year Test veteran with 87 caps, starts at fly half. Elsewhere, Lood de Jager, the 6ft 8in lock who produced a match-winning contribution off the bench in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions in 2021, is back to provide more ballast and impact.

The front-row depth has been improved by a recall for Thomas du Toit, and Deon Fourie, who has not won a Test cap since the 2023 World Cup final, comes back into the squad as a back-up hooker and flanker after Erasmus “pushed the emergency button”. Fourie turns 40 next month and he will become South Africa's oldest international player when he comes off the bench, surpassing Victor Matfield's record.

Kolbe's place on the wing has gone to Ethan Hooker. Grant Williams misses out at scrum half with an ankle injury, with Cobus Reinach to partner Pollard in the half backs. Pollard, 32, was pencilled in to start at fly half anyway as part of Erasmus's rotation plan for the series because of his expertise in managing a game in wet conditions, which appear likely on Saturday afternoon. Pollard started South Africa's victory over the All Blacks in Cape Town two years ago, and their win against Australia in the same stadium last year.

Pollard also brings a big-game temperament that will be critical for South Africa in such a high-stakes situation. The pressure on the Springboks is intense given the manner of their defeat at Ellis Park. This is a

Pollard was in the South Africa squads that won World Cups in 2019 and 2023 knockout game in the sense that the four-Test series cannot be won if the Boks fall again this coming weekend. "We know we are backs to the wall," Erasmus said.

Erasmus trusts the former Leicester Tigers fly half as a man for the occasion. Rewind to the 2023 World Cup and Pollard was introduced just half an hour into the semi-final against England, at a point when the rain-affected game was slipping away from South Africa. Pollard then started the final against New Zealand which the Springboks won by a point.

Indeed, Erasmus intimated that Pollard would have demanded that South Africa kick a simple three points against New Zealand on Saturday night, instead of opting for yet another scrum. “We made a lot of stupid calls. Three points is two less than five [for a try],” Erasmus said. “Handré is a guy that has always done it for us. He grew up there in Cape Town. I see the weather conditions and the chance for rain. We think Handré is a good fit.”

South Africa team for second Test

D Willemse (53 caps); K-L Arendse (33), J Kriel (91), D de Allende (100), E Hooker (10); H Pollard (87), C Reinach (54); J Wiese (46), P-S du Toit (capt, 99), S Kolisi (104) or P de Villiers (4), R Nortjé (21), E Etzebeth (143), W Louw (32), M Marx (90), O Nché (49).

Replacements D Fourie (13), G Steenekamp (20), T du Toit (34), L de Jager (74), A Esterhuizen (32), C Hanekom (3), M van den Berg (7), S Feinberg-Mngomezulu (21).

Since the 2023 World Cup final, Fourie has battled through major ACL knee reconstruction surgery, ankle injuries and a biceps tear. He was added to the Springboks squad after a magnificent performance for the Stormers against the All Blacks in the first game of this tour, making 14 tackles including three in 15 seconds. "All of them were try-savers," John Dobson, the Stormers coach, said. Fourie played flanker then, and will cover hooker on Saturday.

“He hasn’t played a lot of matches but I’ve been coaching him since he was 18,” Erasmus said. “He’s a wrestler, he’s a gymnast. He gives us more leadership and calmness. He was always in that bracket where, listen boys, we sometimes have to press the emergency button."

At this point in the Lions tour in 2021, after South Africa had lost the first Test, Erasmus took aim at the officials and the whole series turned toxic.

This time, his ire has been turned inward. He admitted to not getting his replacements strategy right in the first Test. "We are angry with each other," Erasmus said. "The coaches did and said stupid things. The players did stupid things on the pitch. They are a good team. They are No1 in the world. We are now the team that chases them."

Sport Cricket

Carse has done precisely what Root warned against

Mike Atherton

Chief Cricket Correspondent

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The inevitable came to pass yesterday. Brydon Carse became the third England cricketer this summer to be removed from a Test match squad pending an investigation by the cricket regulator. It happened to Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson against New Zealand, and Carse was unlikely to escape similar sanction once footage appeared of him being handcuffed by police outside a nightclub in Derby in the early hours of Sunday.

There is a weary repetitiveness to opening the laptop to write about this stuff and I find myself having to work hard not to slip into sanctimony, but work hard I will. While it is obviously right that Carse has been dropped pending the outcome of the investigation, I cannot get myself into a lather about a cricketer going out to celebrate a win after a match, unless he has done something demonstrably wrong. As yet, we don't know that he has done anything wrong, ill judged though this appears.

The footage is brief. The night is late (he may not be able to locate a good length when he bowls, but he's doing well to sniff out action late in Derby). There is no evidence that we have seen of violence or ill temper. The police have his hands in cuffs for a short time, reportedly, and he was released without charge. More may come to light, but that is speculative right now.

What is undeniably true is that he found himself in precisely the situation the new captain, Joe Root, warned against in the week before the first Test against Pakistan. Root's first act was to get rid of the curfew imposed after a slew of off-field stories in the winter and early summer. He was right to do so, by the way, regardless of what has happened here. Even if there had been a curfew in place, it is likely that Carse would not have been in breach of it, given he was on Durham, not England, duty at the time.

In removing the curfew, Root was absolutely clear about his expectations: "My view on curfews is that I don't think they work and if you want guys to take responsibility on the field, they've got to feel like they can be grown adults off it and make good, strong decisions off it." Finding yourself in such a situation is not that — especially given the new captain's warnings, which must have been made clear to the team.

“You always want to represent your country in the best possible light,” Root said. “We might have fallen short of that on a few occasions in the recent past. The only thing we can do to rectify that is be really good role models, good human beings and put in really

strong performances on the field." I'm not sure sportsmen should be held to a higher standard than anyone else, but an England cricketer does have a public profile and, therefore, has greater responsibility as a result. As a new captain setting out his expectations, Root could not have been clearer on that.

Sanctimony may be the default reaction but should be avoided. Equally, sympathy should be in short supply given the broader context. Carse was in New Zealand and Australia as part of the squad whose discipline was questioned. First came Harry Brook, decked by a bouncer outside a nightclub before an ODI in Wellington. Then came Ben Duckett filmed the worse for wear in Noosa. Then came defeat, and the inevitable backlash, and then Stokes and Atkinson during the New Zealand series. Context cannot be ignored. Among the raft of recent stories, there are some important differences, though. Unlike Brook in Wellington, this was after a county match, not before an international, and Carse was not on England duty. Unlike Stokes, he was not breaking a curfew he had helped to put in place. That said, he now finds himself at the mercy of not just the

Carse has been axed

regulator but also a new captain and coach who will be keen to draw a line under such nonsense. Given the success England's pace attack at

Headingley, it is unlikely that Carse would have played in any event, though he was only an injury away from doing so. His place in the pecking order has shifted since injury put him out of the start of the summer and following the return of Jofra Archer and the success of Josh Tongue. As the leading wicket-taker in the Ashes, though, Carse is still an important part of the overall plan to have a pace attack with depth.

His place in the squad goes to Sonny Baker. “Never give a sucker an even break,” is the old saying, and now Carse finds himself on the outer. Only he will know whether he has anything to be concerned about regarding the regulator, but with a new coach waiting in the wings who is in daily contact with Root, and with the ECB sick of answering questions about the culture of the team, Carse is in a vulnerable position.

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DARRIAN TRAYNOR/GETTY IMAGES

from England's squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's after he was handcuffed outside a Derby nightclub, inset

ECB refers incident to cricket regulator

CONTINUED FROM BACK

which has begun an investigation into whether Carse and Potts, who hold ECB central contracts, have broken any of its regulations or brought the game into disrepute.

Carse will be replaced in the squad for the second Test at Lord's, which starts on Thursday, by Hampshire's Sonny Baker.

When Stokes and Gus Atkinson were involved in a late-night incident in Chelsea after the first Test against New Zealand earlier this summer, they were made ineligible for selection for the second Test at the Oval. Stokes and Atkinson were later cleared of any wrongdoing and returned for the final Test of the series.

While Potts and Stokes were not on England duty when the incident in Derby occurred, ECB contracts state that players should not do anything that brings the game into disrepute and guidance was issued to all players this year stating that they should not be seen intoxicated in public places.

It has not been confirmed whether Stokes, 35, remains on an ECB contract after his surprise retirement from international cricket in June.

Carse was named in England's 16-man squad for the first two Tests of the Pakistan series but did not play at Headingley, so was released to play for Durham in the County Championship.

In a statement, the ECB said: "Following a referral from the ECB, the Cricket Regulator has confirmed that it will investigate events on Saturday night in Derby. Brydon Carse will no longer be available for selection for the second men's Rothesay Test while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained."

A spokesman for the Derbyshire Constabulary said yesterday afternoon: "A man in his thirties was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in Derby city centre on Saturday night. However, the man was de-arrested shortly afterwards having agreed to leave the area."

The cricket regulator is responsible for investigating alleged breaches of the ECB's regulations and it conducts its work independent of the governing body.

If it finds there is a case to answer then it can decide on no further action, issuing a caution, or charging the player with a breach of the regulations, which results in a disciplinary hearing.

The ECB separately considers whether the employee's conduct is in line with its contractual obligations and can take action as well.

Sport

It is high time MCC recognises Larwood with Lord's portrait

Former seamer one of England's best bowlers but remains overlooked in the Long Room, writes Mike Atherton

At five o'clock on Wednesday, Stuart Broad and James Anderson will stand proudly in the Long Room at Lord's as their

joint portrait is unveiled. As two of England's finest bowlers, who between them played more than 350 Tests — taking 1,308 wickets — few would quibble at the honour bestowed on them.

They stand on the shoulders of giants, of course, as all England cricketers do. Not every former great or significant cricketer has been so recognised, though. Choice is hardly limited but funds are. MCC's heritage and collections committee's present policy is to fund two portraits a year, one male and one female, and preferably of living cricketers, or those that are close to playing age.

The validity of the choices have to be signed off by the cricket.

be signed off by the cricke committee, and obviously Broad and Anderson fit the bill. No doubt we all have our favourites, and not everyone can be accommodated, but let me make the case for an England cricketer who has been overlooked: Harold Larwood, right, a great working-class hero and one of the most impactful fast bowlers that England has produced.

Larwood's story needs little repetition here,

little repetition here, save to say that few cricketers have given so much to an England shirt, nor had such an impact on the establishment of the idea that the Ashes is the ultimate contest for an England or Australia cricketer. It was 100 years ago in June that he made his Test debut, and to see a portrait of him at Lord's for the Ashes next year would help bring closure to the shabby way he was treated by the cricketing authorities after Bodyline.

Larwood's final Test was in Sydney on that Bodyline tour of 1932-33. He'd damaged his foot so badly as a result of his exertions that he was unfit to bowl throughout the following season in England, but he remained on the pitch at Douglas Jardine's command until Don Bradman was dismissed. It was only when Bradman was bowled by Hedley Verity, to complete a series in which Bradman's scores had been reduced to mortal rather than immortal levels, that Larwood hobbled from the field. To smooth the badly frayed relations between the two countries and ensure that Australia would tour England in 1934, Larwood was asked to apologise for his "fast leg theory" bowling during Bodyline. He stubbornly refused, saying that he had bowled as his captain wanted and that he had done nothing wrong. He never played for England again.

Larwood retired from first-class cricket in 1938. He ran a confectionery/tobacco shop in Blackpool until he emigrated to Australia (on the same boat that had taken the England team to the Bodyline tour) in 1950. Although generations of England cricketers on Ashes tours would visit his small bungalow in the Sydney suburb of Kingsford to pay their respects, and although MCC had given him an honorary membership in 1949, Larwood was essentially lost to English cricket thereafter.

In September last year, Larwood's grandson, Andrew, visited Lord's and was surprised that there was no portrait of Larwood in the Long Room, despite there being one of Jardine and one of Bradman. He told The Telegraph: "My surprise was more at the fact that my grandfather was made to feel as though he was in the wrong and asked to apologise for simply following and executing the orders of his captain, yet there is a portrait of his captain in such a prominent place. Why isn't there also a portrait of our grandfather as an acknowledgement of his achievements as an England cricketer?"

Along with Nick Hoult, the correspondent of The Telegraph,

I make a plea for this to be corrected. MCC is, in fact, in the process of raising funds for a maquette, taken from the cast of the statue of Larwood in full flow, made by the sculptor Neale Andrew that stands in Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

Nottinghamshire. That would be something, especially if part of an exhibition in the museum, say, that stands as a reminder of his story. A portrait in the

Long Room would be better.

The Lord's portrait programme is limited by available funds (a portrait from life can cost up to £25,000) and by a desire to commission those of the living, or players close to retirement age. The portrait of Bradman, for example, makes him look like a stockbroker, which is what he became, rather than the greatest run-getter the game has seen.

One understands these limitations, though in Larwood's case an exception should be made. Only this summer, MCC unveiled a portrait of the late Martin Crowe before the New Zealand Test. It was paid for by his cousin, the actor Russell Crowe, and was painted posthumously by Jason Brooks. If a similar benefactor could be found for Larwood, an oversight could be corrected, on the assumption that MCC would be willing.

Larwood has always represented something noble about English cricket: a working-class grafter from mining stock, who bowled his heart out for his country and his captain, who helped derail the greatest run-machine the game has known to win the Ashes in Australia and whose pride and integrity stood firm as others backtracked. His treatment after Bodyline was anything but noble. A portrait in the Long Room would help bring some closure to that.

Sport Football

Why Baleba is exactly the midfielder that United need

The 22-year-old wins duels, covers ground and would be Casemiro replacement, writes James Gheerbrant

At the start of last season Manchester United had five players — Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo — who could play in the midfield two in Rúben Amorim's preferred 3-4-3 system. But once Amorim was sacked, Michael Carrick came in, switched the system to 4-2-3-1 and decisively profiled Fernandes as a No10, not someone who could play in the double pivot.

The demands of playing in a midfield pivot in a 4-2-3-1 are different from those of playing in central midfield in a 3-4-3, because you're protecting only two centre backs, not three. And each member of the midfield contingent that Carrick inherited had some obvious issues: Casemiro, who has now left, had all the mobility of a dreadnought; Mount is really more of a No10 and can't stay fit; Ugarte has struggled with his fitness and his adaptation to the Premier League; and Mainoo, while better in this regard than Casemiro, is not much of a runner either.

In that context, it's not surprising that United have overhauled their central midfield group this summer. They have already signed Andrey Santos, who says his best position is as a deep-lying No 6 (so, in a 4-2-3-1 system, the more defensive of the two in the double pivot), and Youri Tielemans, who profiles as more of a No 8 (in a 4-2-3-1, the more forward-thinking midfielder in the double pivot) and can also shadow Fernandes's No10 role in case of injury. That duo started the game against Hull City, suggesting they are Carrick's first-choice pair, with Ugarte (more of a No6) and Mainoo (more of a No8) as the back-ups.

But, as the 2-0 loss against Hull showed, there are still big issues with those options. Santos, although he is 12 years younger than Casemiro at 22, is not a hugely quick and athletic presence in midfield, and as we know, despite his many qualities, nor is Tielemans. The pair were outrun and outhustled by Hull's midfielders and Mainoo didn't really move the needle when he came on either. Ugarte has a serious knee injury and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Carlos Baleba, then, would address a glaring need. He is an out-and-out defensive midfielder with the athleticism to cover ground quickly and win duels, exactly the sort of player that United's squad lacks, and he has some qualities in moving the ball forward too. He could play as the more defensively minded midfielder in a double pivot alongside any of Tielemans, Mainoo or Santos, who despite expressing his preference for playing as a No 6 is seen by some as being better suited to playing as a No 8.

There are significant caveats, though. Despite having three Premier League seasons under his belt, Baleba still feels somewhat raw, and at Brighton & Hove Albion he seemed to take a step backward in his development. After starting 31 Premier League games in 2024-25, the 22-year-old didn't hold down an undisputed place in the XI last season, starting only 23 games, with a combination of Yasin Ayari, Pascal Gross and James Milner sometimes preferred by Fabian Hürzeler.

In that context, a fee of £70 million would feel rather expensive, but this is an overheated market and perhaps United face paying something of a "Brighton premium" — the selling club are such good identifiers and developers of talent that players who have come through Brighton have a kind of watermark of quality. Of the most expensive Brighton players signed by other Premier League clubs, Moisés Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, João Pedro, Ben White, Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard have all been very

DAVID HORTON/CAMERASPORT /GETTY IMAGES

Baleba, 22, has displayed his defensive talents during three seasons at Brighton

successful buys; only Yves Bissouma has flopped.

The upside for Baleba is that he would be a true Casemiro replacement with all the physical attributes of Casemiro's younger self; he's the leggy, water-carrier type who takes the pressure off his pivot partner and would therefore allow Tielemans, Mainoo or Santos to really shine. It's not without risk, but Baleba could give Carrick a more complete set of midfield options.

York was sentenced to a day in jail

Hodgkinson pulls out of ‘race for the ages’

Matt Lawton

Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter

The New York Post reported that court documents state the 46-year-old “arranged to have sexual activity with [a] female in exchange for \$140” after replying to an advert but was arrested at a trailer park on Sunday by an agent from a human trafficking task force, who had arranged the sting operation. He was sentenced after pleading no contest to misdemeanour charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools.

Hodgkinson now hopes to return at the Diamond League final in Brussels

Having also claimed world indoor gold over the longer distance and an 800m Commonwealth title this year, Hunter Bell is still heading for Zurich and is in the kind of form that should certainly worry Werro. The 32-year-old claimed the World Championship silver medal over 800m, ahead of Hodgkinson, last year.

Athletics

Jed York, the co-owner of Leeds United and Rangers and owner of the San Francisco 49ers, has been sentenced to a day in jail after being caught in a sting operation.

Chief Sports Correspondent

Hodgkinson now hopes to return at the Diamond League final in Brussels next week before heading to Budapest for the new Ultimate Championships. Hunter Bell is expected to target the 1,500m there.

“Unfortunately, the body isn't quite ready to race again after the European Championships,” Hodgkinson said. “We've made the decision to skip this race and get ready for the next one, sad to miss it, hopefully see you next year.”

Leeds declined to comment.

and Georgia Hunter Bell, the new European 1,500m champion and Hodgkinson's training partner.

Former SW19 champion appeals four-year ban

York was arrested on Sunday in East Palestine, Ohio, and was initially charged with engaging in prostitution, but prosecutors amended that to disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to one day in jail and was fined \$1,150.

Keely Hodgkinson has been forced to withdraw from what was being billed as a race for the ages over 800m in Zurich on Thursday.

The Associated Press reported that court records revealed York had a mobile phone returned to him and that the \$140 that was seized was to be given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement. York also completed on online course.

The Times understands that the Olympic champion suffered a slight recurrence of a persistent hamstring issue during her warm-up for this month's European Championships final and does not yet feel quite ready to return to racing.

Tennis The former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has appealed against her four-year doping suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

York, who is married, is the principal owner of the 49ers NFL team and, with 49ers Enterprises, also a co-owner of Leeds and Rangers. He has been chief executive of the 49ers since 2008 and bought shares in the team to become the principal owner in 2024.

It amounts to a blow for the organisers of the Weltklasse meeting, who were hoping to see the 24-year-old Hodgkinson resume her rivalry with Audrey Werro, the 22-year-old Swiss star who beat her to European gold in Birmingham, in a two-lap contest also set to include the world champion, Lilian Odira, Femke Broeders-Bol

Leeds' US co-owner sentenced to day in jail

"As this is a legal matter, which has been resolved, we will not be providing any further comment at this time," the 49ers said in a statement.

The Czech winner of the Wimbledon women's singles title in 2023 was sanctioned by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for refusing to take an out-of-competition doping test in December 2025. A hearing date has not yet been set, but proceedings typically take place in the months following the appeal. It would be held behind closed doors unless Vondrousova requests a public hearing — a very rare occurrence — with the final ruling issued several months later.

The ITIA said that Vondrousova, 27, had failed to open the door to an antidoping officer. In April she said she was scared because the officer rang the bell “without properly identifying themselves or following protocol”.

A no contest plea by a defendant does not admit guilt but does mean acceptance of the punishment for the charges. The arrest report does not specify what the criminal tools were in York's case.

Jakirovic set to extend Hull deal after beating United

Sergej Jakirovic, the Hull City manager, is close to signing a contract extension after masterminding an opening-day win for the newly promoted club against Manchester United (Ian Whittell writes).

The 49-year-old from Bosnia-Herzegovina had been in talks over the summer to extend his contract until 2029, but it is understood that terms, which feature a substantial pay rise, have now been agreed.

Reports in Turkey, where he had been manager of Kayserispor for only six months before moving to England, claimed Jakirovic's original two-year deal with Hull was worth about £2 million a year.

Meanwhile, Hull's £7 million bid for the Wales winger Sorba Thomas has been rejected by Stoke City.

The club are in talks with Union Berlin for their 6ft 6in striker Ilyas Ansah, who is valued at about £15 million.

Sport

Place your bets, if you dare. We're a game in but season hasn't started

Martin Samuel

It was, in so many ways, an utterly compelling return for the Premier League after what now feels like little more than a sabbatical. Wins for Hull City and Brentford, humbling defeats for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Ipswich Town getting the victory it took them until November to earn the last time they passed this way. Late drama earning three points for Manchester City against Bournemouth, even later drama securing a point for Liverpool at Newcastle United.

So what does it all mean? Nobody has a clue. Not because it's early. Day one judgments have been passed before, certainties presumed, crises identified. Not this year. This season brings a perfect storm of obfuscation. We like Arsenal, of course, who wouldn't — but the rest of them? It's easier to see through a storm on the eastern seaboard.

Having spent the World Cup on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River it was noticeable that when the bad weather blew in, Manhattan disappeared. The city, the skyscrapers, the landmarks known to us all, gone in a grey swirl of driving rain and swirling impenetrable mist. This Premier League season feels a little like that. We can't say what we're looking at, yet. Not from here, certainly not now.

This is the first domestic campaign taking place after an extended 48-nation World Cup. It is also one of the first to occur in a time when the league routinely docks points from clubs for perceived financial misconduct. Put those two factors together and what have we got? This. Are Tottenham a lousy team? We don't know, we haven't seen Tottenham yet. Are Brighton & Hove Albion really four goals better than Aston Villa? Depends if that was truly this year's Villa we were watching.

And this is not about closing the transfer window early to force clubs to do business. Even if they did that, there would still be first-choice players sat on the touchline getting their puff back from the 64-team World Cup — another inevitability in 2030, by the way, no matter what becomes of Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

Consider Tottenham, outplayed by

We think we can presume that the champions will be good, again, and that pound-for-pound there won't be too many better teams than Brentford, but the remainder? There are too many holes, too many absentees, too much to be decided, too much room for change both good and bad. And we should get used to it. Fifa has its tanks on football's summer lawns now and once the Club World Cup becomes a biennial event — as it surely will after 2029 — then there is barely going to be a season that in essence starts on time.

would lead to more immediacy in the qualifying process. In 2025, Inter Miami were the last through the door, qualifying in October 2024. Yet some of the participants had as much as four years' notice — Chelsea, the eventual winners, knew they were in on May 29, 2021, and prepared with a huge squad. A biennial tournament would be more of a rush, however,

giving teams little chance to build or expand squads to cope with a hastily convened 11-month season. What will the first weekend of the next domestic campaign look

Emirates FLY BETTER

The length and depth of this World Cup has taken its toll. Injuries, exhaustion — Bukayo Saka's comeback for Arsenal feels almost miraculous — but there is no going back now. The next tournament is expected to be even bigger and is spread across three continents. Unless Fifa finds a way of taking time out of the event — simultaneous kick-off times for group matches, for instance, as happens in the final round of games — this drain is only going to get worse.

like then?

Tonali, left, made his Spurs debut, Saka, centre, scored for Arsenal and Marmoush, right, may leave City

Add to that the financial regulations that have made the transfer window even more difficult to negotiate. Some clubs have always been slack doing business. There is invariably a struggle between the manager who wants his squad settled and the moneymen who wish to negotiate the most advantageous prices. This, however, has become ever more problematic because clubs now fear punitive punishments — particularly points deductions — if they misjudge the market. Even after signing Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, Manchester City may still retain an interest in Enzo Fernández at Chelsea. But they certainly can't move for him without getting Savinho and Marmoush, at least, off the books because if those moves collapse that could put them the wrong side of financial regulations.

Brentford in a 3-0 defeat. How many of that starting line-up will remain once the injured players are fit and this final round of signings is completed? One of the men now expected to play a key part for the club this season, Omar Marmoush, was named on the substitutes bench by Manchester City. It is quite possible that of the starters against Brentford, as few as four — goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, defenders Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi and midfielder Sandro Tonali — will be in the team once everyone is available. So how to read Tottenham? They looked troublingly unready, certainly against a Brentford side that have lost just one opening game in their six seasons as a Premier League club. Yet how can anyone give a long-range forecast when we know Pedro Porro, James Maddison, Mateus Fernandes, Mohammed

A Club World Cup of 48 or 64 entrants taking place every two years would also exacerbate the problem, particularly as expansion

With the Premier League feeling points deductions an appropriate punishment, no club wants to miss out on the title, or Europe, or end up in the Championship due to a twist of fate. Nottingham Forest were docked points because they held out for a better price from Tottenham on Brennan Johnson in 2023, meaning his sale was not registered on the balance sheet in time. They got the money — but the delay later cost them four points and nearly saw them relegated.

So, with just over a week to go, no team is really the team. And some might argue it was always this way — but it wasn't as volatile as now. Marcus Rashford wore Manchester United's No 9 shirt in the defeat at Hull on Saturday. At every club, the No 9 is historically important, but at United especially so. They have had a few good ones — Dimitar Berbatov, Andy Cole, Joe Jordan, Stuart Pearson and Tommy Taylor, to name a few. Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law all wore it as well. So if Rashford is United's No 9 it should really follow that he is staying. Yet there is speculation he may end up at Chelsea, because Ollie Watkins will leave Aston Villa, and Villa will take Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea, and Rashford will end up at Stamford Bridge. So place your bets, if you dare. We're one game down, and there's already a league table — but it's still quite likely the season hasn't even started.

SAMUEL AT 7AM Read Martin's Premier League column first on Mondays online at 7am. thetimes.com/sport

How they stand

Sport Premier League

Alonso's attacking trio hit it off but keeper flaps again

Fulham King 23, García 54

Chelsea João Pedro 1, Rogers 41, Palmer 49

Peter Rutzler

Chelsea's new-look attacking trident is up and running and it looks set to spearhead this new Xabi Alonso era. At Craven Cottage, all three of Morgan Rogers, João Pedro and Cole Palmer were on the scoresheet, helping Chelsea to see off Fulham in a pulsating west London derby.

But for Alonso, the spark that will have caught his eye came from his No10. Palmer looks back to his best.

“I’m very happy for Cole, because I have really enjoyed seeing Cole play with this dynamism, this freedom, this responsibility, helping the team, feeling important,” Alonso said. “We need that for the team. If Cole feels this way, we will have a better Chelsea.”

This was not a comfortable victory, or a complete performance, by any stretch; there were moments here when Alonso's team were gasping for air, control proving elusive. Old foibles also linger under the surface: defensive vulnerabilities and a goalkeeper prone to error, as Robert Sánchez, once again, illustrated. But their attacking trio will pose problems for any defence.

Palmer was at the heart of everything and the misery of last season was quickly eclipsed; he matched his 2025-26 assist tally within 31 seconds. "You could see it in his eyes in pre-season and in training that he's ready this year, and ready to prove people wrong," Rogers said.

"When you grow up you want to play or do anything with your best friends, so playing football at the best level feels surreal," Palmer said of Rogers, before being asked how ready he is for this season. "Did you not watch the game?" came the cheeky reply.

Fulham have had doubts shrouded all over them this summer, the appointment of Álvaro Arbeloa seen as a gamble. But whatever their fate this year there is no doubt they will be entertaining viewing. Arbeloa wants intensity and this early iteration of his team is frantic; their press is high octane, and the spaces they leave at the back border on bewildering. But they showed tena-

city here and it kept them in the game. Josh King, the star academy graduate, was a thorn in the Chelsea side throughout. "What a player you have here [in England], unbelievable," Arbeloa said. But ultimately, Fulham ran out of steam in both halves, and that, plus their high line and wide spaces in transition, was exposed by ruthless opponents. "We conceded easy goals," Arbeloa added.

Alonso named a team without Moisés Caicedo and

Sánchez looked shaky in goal for Chelsea

	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
Brighton	1	1	0	0	4	0	4	3
Arsenal	1	1	0	0	3	0	3	3
Brentford	1	1	0	0	3	0	3	3
Everton	1	1	0	0	2	0	2	3
Hull	1	1	0	0	2	0	2	3
Chelsea	1	1	0	0	3	2	1	3
Ipswich	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	3
Man City	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	3
Leeds	1	1	0	0	1	0	1	3
Liverpool	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	1
Newcastle	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	1
Fulham	1	0	0	1	2	3	-1	0
Bournemouth	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1	0
Sunderland	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1	0
Nott'm Forest	1	0	0	1	0	1	-1	0
Crystal Palace	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0
Man United	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0
Coventry	1	0	0	1	0	3	-3	0
Spurs	1	0	0	1	0	3	-3	0
Aston Villa	1	0	0	1	0	4	-4	0

Marco Palestra, both out with minor injury setbacks, but he introduced his back-three system, with Malo Gusto and Jorrel Hato offering the width. Chelsea have many bodies to sell and one of them is Liam Delap, absent and in talks, it is understood, with Nottingham Forest. Enzo Fernández was here, though, and was a second-half substitute.

Arbeloa handed debuts to his Real Madrid recruits, Gonzalo García and César Palacios. Craven Cottage crackled with expectation but a fire blanket was chucked on the occasion inside 31 seconds. For Arbeloa, this was a nightmare start. Jorge

Cuenca pumped the ball long and a simple header from Maxence Lacroix bounced undisturbed into the middle of the Fulham half. The spaces between the Fulham players, in possession.

ASHLEY WESTERN/SHUTTERSTOCK

were so

enormous that Palmer appeared surprised when he sauntered on to the ball. He slipped a pass to João Pedro, who continued his electric form in preseason by chipping Bernd Leno.

Would Fulham crumble? Chelsea had the first six shots of the game but Fulham reacted, and had the next six. Their pressing roared them back into the match, led by the sublime King. Chelsea were not going to shake their bad habits overnight. Levi Colwill was fortunate to stay on the pitch on five minutes, wiping out Oscar Bobb and risking a last-man red card. Then Roméo Lavia flew into a challenge and Chelsea had two yellows on the board after 12 minutes.

Sánchez added a sprinkle of goal-keeping melodrama, the continuing Chelsea soap that is a parody of Groundhog Day. New season, same 'keeper woes. King levelled proceedings, thundering the ball low after another slippery run from deep, the ball squirming under the hands of Sánchez, who should have saved it.

Chelsea flailed under Fulham's intensity. But could they sustain it? They left such huge gaps at the back — in possession, their centre halves split so wide that they had chalk on their boots — that they kept shipping chances. João Pedro sent a half-volley wide and then Lavia was denied from point-blank range by Bernd Leno.

Arbeloa had his team run through walls in pre-season, with multiple double sessions, but it did not quite leave enough in the tank, as the Fulham press faded before half-time. They were caught. Palmer fed Lacroix on the edge of the box and he showed a forward's finesse, fooling Cuenca with a drop of the shoulder before cutting the ball back to Rogers.

Chelsea added a third in simple fashion after half-time. Sánchez chucked the ball long and a flick from Rogers set João Pedro away. He waited for Palmer to drift around him and his finish was ice cool, like his old self, through the legs of Leno on 49 minutes.

Fulham picked themselves off the floor again and five minutes later it was

João Pedro gives Chelsea a dream start with a chipped finish after 31 seconds,

3-2. Timothy Castagne, marauding forward from full back, took a fabulous first touch inside the box before striking left-footed and Sánchez could only parry it to García, whose header was unorthodox, into the ground, but it looped over the keeper.

Fernández faced an inhospitable return from the bench as his every touch was booed, his work with Argentina still at the forefront of the home crowd's minds. King shot wide and Antonee Robinson missed a chip with Sánchez stranded. But Chelsea held out, and Alonso is up and running.

Fulham (4-2-3-1): B Leno – T Castagne, C Bassey, J Cuenca, A Robinson (R Muniz 82min) – S Berge (R Sessegnon 73), A Iwobi – O Bobb (S Charles 67), J King, C Palacios (Kevin 73) – G García. Booked Bassey, Castagne. Chelsea (3-4-2-1): R Sánchez – J Acheampong, M Lacroix, L Colwill – M Gueto (P Neto 76), R James, R Lavia (E Fernández 65), J Hato (P Chavarria 65) – C Palmer (Estévão 83), M Rogers (G Quenda 82) – João Pedro. Booked Colwill, Lavia, James. Referee J Brooks.

Uefa will hold meeting to discuss U20 boycott

CONTINUED FROM BACK

England defender who is a former Fifa women's player of the year, and the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit also posted the same statement. Fifa has previously used some official “Fifa legends” to support Infantino's schemes, including his failed attempt to make the World Cup a biennial tournament, so the fact that at least one of these has directly criticised the leadership is seen as significant.

having been played in by Palmer. Rogers, above left, scored on his debut following his £117 million move from Aston Villa

The statement read: “We share the exact same concerns as the millions of fans around the world. Like them, we have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under Fifa's current leadership.

"For too long, we've seen major decisions taken without players being consulted or considered, and without any regard for the fans who sustain the sport. Change is necessary. Power has blurred the current leadership's ability to distinguish between its own interests and what is best for football.

“Recent events have made silence impossible. Enough is enough. There are good people within Fifa who want to rebuild trust, but a new era requires a structural change: a real, direct say for players and fans in how football is run.

“Those who step on to the pitch and those who sit in the stands deserve a genuine voice to help reshape football’s future together.

"The football community has been quiet for too long. For the fans, for the players, and for the good of the game, we will be silent no more."

Meanwhile, Uefa will hold a meeting of its executive committee and the majority of the presidents of its 55 member associations in Monaco later this week to determine the next steps around its boycott of Fifa tournaments.

Teams, including from England, are due to fly to Poland next week before the Fifa Under-20 Women's World Cup, which, as things stand, is subject to a Uefa boycott.

Uefa has said there were two conditions for lifting the boycott — the first was for Fifa

to withdraw the proposal to sell off stakes in the major competitions, which has been met, and the second that “assurances have to

Eto'o has come to Infantino's defence

be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again".

Uefa says that so far the second condition has not been met, and in fact Samuel Eto'o, the former Chelsea and Barcelona striker who is the president of the Cameroon FA, has called for the World Cup sell-off plan to be put back on the table.

Eto'o told CNN Sport: "I don't think that president Gianni Infantino has done anything wrong. After president Infantino is re-elected, we will have the strength to ask for this project to be put back on the table for discussion.

"I think the timing of all of that is because there's an election coming out, when Gianni Infantino is standing.

"All of this has happened because there's an election coming out, that's all there is."

Sport

Newcastle closing in on £50m González

Martin Hardy

Newcastle United are moving closer to completing the £50 million signing of Nico González from Manchester City.

González has intimated to Newcastle officials that he is ready to make the switch to St James' Park and a fee has been agreed between the two clubs. There is hope inside Newcastle that a deal can be completed this week for the 24-year-old Spain midfielder.

Having missed out on key targets Víctor Muñoz (Liverpool) and Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa) earlier in the summer, Newcastle club officials are remaining cautious until the deal for González is finalised.

However, the midfielder is Newcastle's Nol target and club sources are optimistic the move will be completed.

Newcastle, who have been looking to strengthen their midfield, were also in talks for Marseille's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Bayern Munich's João Palhinha earlier in the transfer window.

Hojbjerg's wage demands scuppered a potential £10 million transfer and

Bayern's £30 million asking price for the 31-year-old Palhinha ended that potential move.

City signed González, who has made 59 appearances for the club, from Porto for £50 million in the January transfer window last year and he made his Premier League debut against Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium in a 4-0 victory.

González joined City from Porto in January 2025

Marc Guéhi, a centre back, was preferred to González in midfield in City's 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday — a clear indication that he is not part of Enzo Maresca's plans.

Newcastle lost Bruno Guimarães to Arsenal and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, and started Sunday's 2-2 draw against Liverpool with Sean Steur, 18, and Lewis Miley, 20, in midfield.

City agree to sign Brazilian winger for reduced £38.5m

Peter Rutzler, Paul Hirst, Paul Joyce

Manchester City have agreed a £38.5 million deal with Palmeiras for the Brazilian winger Allan Elias. City will make a down payment of £34.2 million and pay a further £4.3 million in add-ons for the 22-year-old, who has agreed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Palmeiras had been reluctant to let Allan depart because they regarded him as an important player in their pursuit of the Brazilian league title and the Copa Libertadores. However, they were under financial pressure to sell, which is why they accepted a bid way below the £85 million release clause in his contract.

Allan, who is left-footed, can play in central midfield as well as on the left wing. Palmeiras initially wanted City to loan Allan back to them for the rest of the year, but they eventually accepted that would not be possible. Provided all the paperwork is signed off and he passes a medical, the player will complete his move in the next few days.

Allan is effectively a replacement for Savinho, who is joining Tottenham Hotspur for £85 million, while City could also lose Omar Marmoush to Roberto De Zerbi's side. Savinho's departure means that Antoine Semenyo is City's only senior right-sided winger at present, and he had to play on the left in Sunday's 2-1 win over Bournemouth because Jérémy Doku is out with a calf problem. Phil Foden, who likes to play in the middle, started on the right.

Another winger that City are keeping tabs on is Liverpool's Cody Gakpo, who is also a target for Spurs. Contact has been made with Gakpo's camp, although agreeing a deal for the Dutchman could prove problematic. There is no guarantee that City could offer him regular first-team football as Doku is a near permanent fixture on the left wing when fit.

City have agreed an £85 million fee with Lille for 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and want to sign Enzo Fernández, the Chelsea midfielder. If Marmoush departs, another forward would be sought.

Arsenal forward Martinelli mulls £50m Saudi move

Gabriel Martinelli has been offered a salary of more than £12 million a year to leave Arsenal for Al-Hilal, where he could link up with Ollie Watkins (Gary Jacob writes).

The Saudi Pro League club have bid up to £50 million for Martinelli. Arsenal have not yet accepted the offer but the Brazil forward and his family are not opposed to the move.

Martinelli, 25, has one year left on his contract, which is worth about £180,000 a week, but Arsenal have the option of a one-year extension, which would preserve his value should he remain at the club.

Al-Hilal have bid £40 million for the Aston Villa forward Watkins and hope to complete that deal in the next few days. Arsenal are still trying to persuade the Atletico Madrid forward Julián Alvarez to join them instead of Barcelona.

United interested in loan deal for Barcelona's Baldé

Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Alejandro Baldé, the Barcelona left back (Paul Hirst writes).

United are unlikely to agree to a deal however, especially if Barça refuse to lower their demands. The Spanish champions want to sell Baldé for £35 million. United will only come to the table if they are offered the 22-year-old Spain full back on loan.

Luke Shaw is the only senior left back in the United squad.

Meanwhile, Coventry City have agreed a £6 million deal for the centre back Ethan Pinnock, 33, of Brentford. He will sign a three-year deal, with the option to extend it by 12 months.

Sunderland have completed the £8.6 million signing of Jules Ahoka from Royal Antwerp. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder has signed a five-year contract.

THE TIMES

Sport

Mike Atherton It's time to honour Larwood with a Long Room portrait Cricket, page 51

Defying a heart attack Gloucester hooker vows he will play elite rugby again Interview, pages 48-49

Are you watching, Thomas?

Palmer dazzles in first game since his World Cup snub by Tuchel

Fulham

Peter Rutzler

Cole Palmer delivered a thrilling attacking performance in his first game for Chelsea since being left out of England's World Cup squad by Thomas Tuchel.

Palmer, 24, inspired Chelsea to victory at Craven Cottage in Xabi Alonso's first game as manager, scoring once and creating another goal in a man-of-the-match display. But Chelsea were undermined again by goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, who was at fault for both Fulham goals, especially Josh King's first.

Chelsea forward Liam Delap was not in the squad last night as the club held talks over selling him to Nottingham Forest.

Delap has been training with a group of players – which has also included Nicolas Jackson, Tosin Adarabioyo, Mamadou Sarr and Mykhailo Mudryk – away from Alonso's main cohort. Match report, pages 54-55

Palmer, who was left out of England's World Cup squad, scored Chelsea's third goal at Craven Cottage as Alonso won his first game as a Premier League manager

DAVID KLEIN/SPORTIMAGE

Carse dropped by England

Elizabeth Ammon

Brydon Carse has been removed from England's Test squad pending an investigation into a late-night incident in which the Durham seam bowler was briefly detained by the police.

Carse, 31, was out in Derby with his Durham team-mates on Saturday night after they had secured a comprehensive win over Derbyshire earlier in the day which extended their lead at the top of Division Two of the County Championship. Video footage emerged of Carse being handcuffed by police outside a bar in Derby town centre. Ben Stokes, the former England captain, and the seamer Matthew Potts were also clearly visible in the background in the video.

The ECB has referred the matter to the independent cricket regulator, Continued on page 51

Legends turn on Infantino

Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter

The pressure on Gianni Infantino to resign as Fifa president has ratcheted up after damning criticism of his leadership from former and present internationals, including some of his official Fifa “legends”.

The players have shared a joint statement saying “enough is enough” after revelations of Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors, concerned that football is “drifting away from its core values” under the current leadership.

The former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre, the former France defender who is a member of Fifa's Players' Voice Panel, was among those who posted a statement on social media calling for "a new era" in Fifa. Lucy Bronze, the Continued on page 54

Times Crossword 29,630

ACROSS

1 Return of average rain and mist (6)
4 Freeze fish which slips under sole? (3,5)
10 My face is friendly (7)
11 Phase UK out in radical reorganisation (5-2)
12 President destroying capital — this is all that's left? (4)
13 Creature a chap found in southern tree (10)
15 Place in play nun is wandering in Hamlet? (9)
16 Microphone capturing me casually in house? (5)
18 Slick move by goalie grips United (5)
19 Describe round in combat game (9)
21 Cut of meat loaf prepared with wine — essential nourishment (10)
23 Hit Friends is returning (4)
26 Son absorbed by proper ancestry (7)
27 Irritation after Charlie Lake's silly mistake (7)
28 Drink can remedy getting tense inside (8)
29 Former line in output from bakery (6)

DOWN

1 Very current transport minister (5)
2 Urge to fire party lacking skill supported by country (9)
3 Time at home you put up kitchen cabinet? (4)
5 Lawsuit involving scoundrel falls (7)
6 Tiny child in wartime camp, which slowly grows up? (10)
7 Modify pieces in plug (5)
8 Carp I cooked with lime, based on experience (9)
9 Andean animal of mountain and coastal areas primarily (6)
14 Undesirable result if feeds etc are modified (4,6)
15 Disgrace of Republican stopping record change (9)
17 Heavenly brilliance of bird without name gaining height (9)
19 Pig's head on second dish (7)
20 Bitter about one splitting party — sheer folly (6)
22 Thing that helps to contain small elementary particle (5)
24 Composer's block (5)
25 A delay when mounting festival (4)

Yesterday's solution 29,629

Check today's answers by ringing 0905 757 0141 by midnight. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke 0333 202 3390.

Newspapers support recycling The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2024 was 34.7%

The cleavage is back?

I'll drink to that

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Hats off to Haaland: documenting his new haircut showed courage Robert Crampton

F or me, Erling Haaland was, after Gorgeous Jude, the top star of this summer's World Cup. Not for his goals so much as the big blond Scandi's grin, his silly horned helmet, his

percussive leadership of the marvellous Viking row celebration, his self-deprecation.

Now he's gone up even further in my estimation. The one thing I never much liked about Erling was his hair. Long, often greasy, either secured in a

ponytail, like a palomino, or hanging loose, like a little girl, the Haaland hair didn't do the Norse god any favours. I don't think blond men can carry off hair that long, not even Chris Hemsworth in Thor. But now Erling's had his all shaved off, a buzzcut for the new season. It looks fabulous.

Thank the Lord, incidentally, that the Premier League soap opera is back. These past five weeks, between the World Cup final and last weekend's top flight kick-off, have been a struggle, even for fairly casual fans like me. How to fill the time? What to discuss with other chaps in the gym or the loo? Man cannot live by transfer market rumours alone. Now we can get stuck into the

real drama for another lovely nine months. Diving! Rip-off away kits! Touchline histrionics! Basque managers galore! Oh yes, and football.

And, of course, hair. Haaland posted pics of his radical new look on X on Sunday. In an act of considerable courage, he also posted snaps of the process: before, during and after. This involved him being pictured pouting, lank centrally parted tresses fastened in multiple slim bunches, inevitably looking ridiculous. Respect! This is not a guy bothered about projecting conventional masculinity. He's become the heir to Beckham, has Haaland, only more fun, more spontaneous, less building a brand. He feels genuine, this languid Norwegian, like he got the chop because, even in the far north, it was just too hot this summer to bother with all that tonsorial insulation.

After a weekend when Liverpool and Newcastle fans remembered their joint idol Kevin Keegan, who can doubt the importance of a star footballer's hair? My kids knew nothing of King Kev's achievements, on the pitch or off, but his celebrated perm, debuted 20 years before they were born, had somehow seeped into their folk-consciousness. It's no exaggeration to say Kev's perm,

like Beckham's corn rows, mohawk or highlights, shifted the parameters of acceptable masculinity, in a good way, for a generation of young British men. Just as George Best's luscious raven locks had done decades earlier. Bobby Charlton's combover? Not so much.

Paul Gascoigne was so talented, and such an original, that he popularised not one but two iconic styles: his chubby-faced fade at Italia '90 followed by his peroxide crop at Euro '96. They weren't just one-off novelty acts, Gazzà's do's (like Neymar's pink dye job, or Fat Ronaldo's triangle patch), they actually moved the market in how millions of young men wore

their hair. Not as influential, but worth a mention, is Chris Waddle's legendary mullet, its abundant tail fanned out in the breeze like the neck guard on a French Foreign Legionnaire's képi blanc. QPR's Gerry Francis, still magnificently mulleted at 74, deserves a massive shout-out. Utterly defiant, Gerry's hair.

Besides Erling's buzz, I've got high hopes that Cole Palmer's Henry V bowl cut might one day become as eminent as the Keegan perm, if only Cole can stay injury-free. I fear that Jack Grealish's Alice band impact may have peaked. Shame. As with Erling, he seems like a lovely lad, Jack.

Nicked for having a big house

If the stories about the mansion tax police are true, an awful lot of asset-rich folk may be in line to get a criminal record. Reports yesterday suggest that, under the new system, valuation agents will be empowered to enter homes suspected of being worth over £2 million, and thus subject to an extra levy. These inspectors will count bedrooms and bathrooms and so forth, similar to how means-test officials used to tot up every last stick of furniture to assess if a benefit claimant might qualify as a member of the deserving poor.

Having your home revalued at over two mill could mean an extra annual payment of £2,500, possibly more. But here's the thing: if you refuse the inspector entry, as obviously any right-minded red-blooded English man or woman should do, they can only fine you £200. So, besides the cast-iron privacy argument, a householder will also have a major financial incentive to tell the bedroom-counters to, politely, sod off. They just won't have to mind being nicked.

Bad bike behaviour on the rise

Last year, cyclists in England, Scotland and Wales killed two

pedestrians in collisions and seriously hurt a further 232. Judging by what I witness commuting through the City of London every day, I'm surprised those figures are not much higher. The big menace outside Liverpool Street station is cyclists jumping the lights. Nearer home, riding on the pavement and ignoring people on zebra crossings take over as the primary threats. Ebikes, being silent, fast and heavy, are the scariest offenders.

Bad bike behaviour is, I reckon, the new “broken windows” of societal decay. Twenty riders, young and old, male and female, smart and casual, breezily ignoring a red light is physically dangerous. But, in the bigger picture, it is morally dangerous too.

Boobs are in fashion, and I'm thrilled about it

Sales of push-up bras are soaring and it's cool again to have cleavage. I didn't always love mine but a cracking rack hides a multitude of sins. By Katie Glass

t has been a long, hot, skinny summer of lean legs in short shorts and slivers of stomachs being shown off. Some 2.4 million people in the UK are on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and the waif look is ubiquitous. Now there is hope for the more

there is hope for the more curvaceous among us. According to fashionistas, breasts are back!

The push-up bra, last cool in the 2000s, has bounced back into fashion. Victoria's Secret says sales of push-ups have steadily inflated since 2024, so much so that Adam Selamn, its chief creative officer, declared in New York magazine's The Cut this

week: “Cleavage is big back.”

Kim Kardashian's lingerie brand Skims is selling eight variations of push-up bra, including the teet-enhancing "Nikshank"

“Nipple push-up bra”, while Marks & Spencer has more than 50 push-up bras for sale on its site.

Boobs are popping up everywhere. In pop, where Lily Allen's curvilinear West End Girl stage outfits come sponsored by the lingerie brand

Intimissimi. In Charli XCX's Wink Wink video she undulates in a push-up bra, squashing her soapy boobs against a greenhouse window and squirting water down her cleavage. While on catwalks the GOB (going out bra) has been a key item in collections from Balenciaga, Miu Miu and Versace.

British Vogue foresaw the boobage renaissance earlier this summer, asking: “Are You Ready For The Return Of Cleavage?” The piece forecast that once-maligned mammaries would start trending again, claiming that: “Ten years on from British Vogue’s viral declaration that cleavage was dead, the amplified bosom has risen like a phoenix from the ashes.”

To someone who is naturally pneumatic, it's thrilling that boobs are back in fashion. There are many things I love about having a fantastic rack, not least the chance to show it off. Once I learnt how to dress for my boobs — discovering Vivienne Westwood and tailoring — I appreciated how splendid curves can make certain clothes look (although it works both ways — I can't wear a poloneck without looking like Mr Strong).

I love the way having a cracking rack hides a multitude of sins. I'm

slightly less nervous about getting undressed in front of someone for the first time because I know my boobs are distracting. Although this is true only when I am with a man, as I discovered when I was a lesbian for a bit.

I've always felt my generous chest acted as a physical manifestation of my ebullience (and not just because fat girls are more fun). There's something innately jolly about big knockers, as indicated by the ludicrous nicknames men give them. See: pillows and fun bags. They're comely in a way razor hips are not.

I think it's the case that curvier women are more hedonistic because, unless they're fake, you can't have big boobs and be thin. It's no surprise that the return of the cleavage comes just as GLP-1s have taken hold of our bodies and senses. But as someone who has cycled on and off GLP-1s, I always stop taking them the moment I notice my bosom has started deflating. Having put on a significant amount of grief weight a couple of years ago, I used Ozempic to lose three stone, but

Lauren Sánchez Bezos

“It feels like a nice backlash against the tradwife movement

stopped taking it when my pillowy bosom started shrivelling (despite trying to follow all the advice about drinking collagen and eating protein). It's the classic adage of middle-age dieting that you have to choose between your face and your figure, but I've learnt I have to choose between my breasts and my waist. And the boobs always win. I like the way my boobs take up space when women are so often encouraged to shrink ourselves.

I haven't always loved having big boobs. They arrived too early when I was a teenager, killing my skateboarding career and attracting attention I wasn't ready for. But my enthusiasm for my chest was piqued when Eva Herzigova's "Hello Boys" Wonderbra ads started causing car crashes. I grew up watching Pamela Anderson bounce to stardom on Baywatch and the Spice Girls performing in bras and crop tops — and came to see the power a good cleavage could harness. The sociologist Catherine Hakim would later characterise this in her book Honey Money as "erotic capital", describing how women's sex appeal is an asset as valuable as qualifications or education. I suppose you could call this decolletage-privilege.

Now I feel my curvy figure embodies my feminism, since I see women's sexual equality as our last hurdle. It's interesting that the death of the bosom coincided not just with the Covid lockdown, in which we all retreated inside, braless, but with the

MeToo movement, in which women became sick of being perved on by men and decided we'd keep our

sexuality to ourselves. If boobs are back, it feels to me a sign that women are re-embracing eroticism on our own terms. Perhaps push-up bras signal the start of another sexual revolution, or at least the end of the sex recession? For now it feels like a nice backlash against the tradwife movement that smothered women with muffins and aprons.

It may be tempting to ask what the amplification of breasts means politically. Classically a perky chest has been associated with the right. When Sydney Sweeney presented Saturday Night Live in a low-cut dress the National Post declared her chest the “double-D harbingers of the death of woke”, recalling the promise Boris Johnson made that “voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts”.

A similar narrative unfolded after Lauren Sánchez, then Jeff Bezos's fiancée, attended Donald Trump's inauguration in a bosom-bearing Alexander McQueen suit. And I know the suspicion that having a heaving bosom arouses at a Socialist Workers Party meeting. Still, perhaps the boob-whisperer Zack Polanski suggests that cleavage has cross-party appeal.

Either way, boobs, like every aspect of women's bodies, are always politicised. At least if women are buying their own push-up bras we're taking control of the narrative.

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Like Amy Hunt, I know the value of ‘game face’

The sprinter says make-up is part of her racing alter ego. Kerry Provenzano gets it

wooping lashes. A radiant tan. Perfectly manicured, clack-worthy nails. Amy Hunt is posing for a victorious photo at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, where she

has bagged a record-breaking four gold medals, a huge accomplishment for the 24-year-old athlete. And she has done it looking like the Mattel incarnate of a Sports Barbie. But why bother with glam? Hunt says the ritual of getting ready is part of her race-day prep.

“It’s almost like getting ready for a night out,” she said in an interview. “It’s putting on that alter ego... I don’t think you can doubt yourself when you have a cat eye on.”

It may not make sense to some that an athlete with her ability would need make-up to feel her best — but it does to me. Growing up, I was a rhythmic gymnast, and putting on a “game face” was a huge part of my performance. The first time I was allowed to wear make-up was at my debut competition. There was only one place my mum would allow me to wear a full face of make-up aged 11 and it was a sports hall in the Midlands that smelt faintly of dried sweat and ready salted crisps. I remember sitting cross-legged on the floor of the warm-up area while an older gymnast carefully painted my face. I didn’t need base

make-up, owing to the I still had a face like a poreless seal, so we focused on the eyes first — a big swooping cat flick and my first ever coat of mascara — then a few dabs of rose lipstick on my lips and cheeks.

I took one look in the folding pocket mirror and saw myself anew. I was no longer the girl I'd been an hour ago, when rest of my life. I've turned to make-up in the most nerve-racking of situations, from my interview for my Cambridge master's programme

Above: Amy Hunt Below: Kerry Provenzano

to an alumni talk I delivered at my undergraduate university. I've been known to apply mascara with a trembling grip before a blood test, hoping that the nurse has a steadier hand than I do. My typical routine

My typical routine is: moisturise and follow with the Victoria Beckham Foundation

I've turned to make-up in many nerve-racking situations

I'd dropped my thong in the reception area on my way to the changing room and, blushing furiously, had to go back to retrieve it (thongs were another thing strictly allowed only for gymnastics competitions, and for good reason: if your underwear showed, you lost marks for poor presentation). I was now a performer. My alter ego had arrived, and as I stood in the corner, facing a panel of judges, I'd needed that alter ego to force me onto the carpet when my name was called.

And that's the transformational process of game face. So powerful is its effect that I've taken it with me in the

Drops (which are, sadly, very good and worthy of their £100 price tag); next is a lash curl and a couple of coats of mascara; then some bronzer, a touch of blush; and the final step is to line my lips with Chanel Pivoine, which I soften by tapping my finger around the border of my lips then top with a slick of lip oil that smells like cherries.

Just last month I had my first day as a contractor at a Big Four consultancy. There had already been confusion over whether I'd be onboarded remotely or in person, so by the time I was marching through the revolving doors of the office, I was flustered. A quick pre-meeting loo trip revealed that my make-up had almost entirely slid off my face because of the London humidity. Thankfully, I had my game face ingredients in my bag, so I got to work, dabbing and swiping, until I recognised the person staring back at me — the girl I'd seen in that pocket mirror two decades ago. Thankfully I hadn't dropped my thong in reception this time.

times2

Angry about men's lost ‘right’ to a prostate cancer test? Read this Dr Mark Porter

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, thanks in no small part to more men requesting prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests. Few issues in medicine polarise

opinion like PSA. Campaigners want it to form the basis of a national screening programme, while most experts — and not only here in the UK — believe doing so would harm more men than it would save.

So I wasn't the least bit surprised by the recent furore caused by the removal of men's "right" to request a PSA test on the NHS once they reach 50. The withdrawal of the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP), which contained guidance on when men can request a free PSA test, has upset a lot of people, prompting widespread condemnation in the media.

However, from my perspective it really doesn't change much. The advice in the PCRMP was never a legal right: the decision to order a test was always down to the doctor. And so it is now. A man who wants a PSA test today can still ask for one. His GP should discuss the likely pros and cons in his individual case but is most unlikely to refuse if the man wants to go ahead. So testing on demand should continue.

I have never had my PSA checked. Age aside, I don't have any particular risk factors, such as family history, and I worry that while it may detect a cancer that could kill me, it is far more likely to reveal one that won't shorten my life and which I would probably otherwise never have known about. However, that's my take on the evidence, and many men, and some of my colleagues, think differently. So here are some pointers for anyone considering being screened.

● The biggest study into prostate cancer screening in a generation — the Transform trial (see right) — is recruiting thousands of men across the UK to test which screening tool might work as the basis for a national programme. If you are between the ages of 45 and 74 and are invited to take part you should seriously consider it.

- Make sure your doctor is aware of any factors that may put you at increased risk, such as a family history of the disease, particularly where more than one close relative (such as a father or brother) has been affected, or where one developed it before the age of 60. Some genetic mutations that increase the risk of other cancers, such as breast, ovarian and bowel, can also run in families and increase a man's

chance of prostate cancer. And it is more common in black men.

- If you have prostate-related symptoms such as a weak urinary stream and needing to get up more than once in the night, a PSA blood test will be part of the routine investigation by your GP so you won't need to push for one. However, most early prostate cancers have no symptoms, and if we are going to catch them in time to have a good chance of offering a cure, testing of asymptomatic men is the only way, albeit at present a flawed one. So if you are well but worried, be candid and your GP will almost certainly want to do what they can to allay your anxiety.

- If you are symptomless, not at higher than average risk and not overly worried, you may want to delay the test. Research has shown that a

A man who wants a PSA test today can still ask for one

one-off PSA test at 60 can give a good indication of future risk. A reading under 1 ng/mL suggests your risk of dying from the disease in the future is tiny (about 1 in 500) and no further screening is needed. If it is above 2 ng/mL, regular screening may be helpful. If it is between 1 and 2, advice needs to be tailored between the man and his doctor. The now defunct PCRMP recommended referral for men with readings of 3 ng/mL or higher.

Prepare for your test. Sex, masturbation, strenuous exercise and riding a bike may lead to a higher reading, so avoid all for 48 hours before your appointment. And if you have had a urinary tract infection you should wait four weeks before being tested.

- Finally, if the result comes back as high, the next step should be a specialist-initiated MRI, followed by a transperineal biopsy where required (if the MRI is clear you probably will not need one). Not all cancers require treatment. Some can be regularly monitored for years. However, if you do need intervention, ask whether you might be eligible

for one of the newer, less invasive approaches such as HIFU, which is what I'd go for if en the choice.

Screening and the new Transform trial

- Targeted PSA-based screening will be introduced in England next year for men aged 45-61 who have the cancer-causing BRCA2 gene variant and a family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer. The rest of the UK should follow suit.

● The Transform trial is a landmark study looking at the most promising screening tools, such as PSA, MRI and genetic tests.

● Participation is by invite only — 16,000 men will be recruited in the first phase. Letters will be sent from GP practices to selected men between the ages of 45 and 74. You cannot volunteer to take part.

● Recruiting is under way in London, and will spread out to Brighton, Southampton and Bath in the next few months, with other centres across the UK joining early next year.

- If invited I will take part, and would urge other men to do the same.

For more information visit prostatecanceruk.org

The cost of cheap eggs: the fertility market's dark side

An investigation has found that British children have been conceived by IVF using the wrong donors from clinics in Northern Cyprus. Alev Scott went undercover to expose how they operate

W

Then I read about the BBC investigation into donor fraud in Northern Cypriot

fertility clinics this year I was a week post-partum with my third child. A year previously I'd been visiting those clinics while researching my book Cash Cow, which looks at the dark underbelly of the global fertility industry, particularly in low-cost hubs such as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which happens to be my mother's birthplace.

I did not undergo treatment, but as a woman in my thirties with a knowledge of the island and able to speak the local language, I was well placed to pose as a prospective patient and a local egg donor to investigate how profits are made in a saturated and highly competitive market. Fertility clinics form a cornerstone of the health tourism economy in Northern Cyprus, and most have an excellent word-of-mouth reputation. However, it was unsurprising to me that some clinics within a market that is so affordable in relative terms for the British are cutting corners in ways I discovered first-hand.

Details from the BBC's investigation have chimed with my research. One of the affected British patients interviewed, Rachel, did a DNA test for her donor-conceived son and discovered Turkish DNA instead of the western European donor DNA she thought she had chosen and received during treatment at a particularly notorious clinic.

Local laws dictate that clinics choose anonymous donors for their patients, trying to most closely match the phenotype of the patient or

patient's partner. However, in practice some clinics allow their patients to choose from variously priced options. Northern Cyprus is not alone in this. Donors in many markets exist on a complex spectrum of knowability, from totally anonymous and without photos (usually the cheapest and, in some cases, the only legal option) to “open ID” or ID release (named and contactable, sometimes even before treatment) and everything in between. Access to extra information, or contact with the donor, is priced accordingly

— and, of course, prices can differ between donors, some of whom are classed as “VIP”.

Posing as a potential patient I contacted fertility agencies working with local clinics in Northern Cyprus. Agents shared various categories of donor profiles with me through Google Drive, with photos. One folder contained mainly Ukrainian egg donors; the next was a collection of Kazakh, Uzbek and Kyrgyz women, and Russian women of mixed ethnicity. Another folder appeared to contain only white Russian women. The last contained Turkish women. Their eggs were included in the price of the IVF package I was being offered, while the others cost thousands of euros extra. I soon realised that some of the agencies share a pool of women, presumably receiving a cut when one of “their” donors is chosen by a competitor’s client. It was hard not to think of this as pimping.

In person I was warned in one clinic not to pay for non-anonymous donors offered by other, less reputable clinics because “they will just give you the sperm/eggs of someone else”. But I could see how, as a customer, you could become fixated on choosing the exact woman or man that seemed to embody all your ideal characteristics — it would never cross your mind that you might not receive what you chose and paid for.

One fertility agent explained to me that the higher cost of overseas donors reflected their travel costs, or the cost of importing frozen eggs or sperm from international banks. I was sceptical that this was the whole truth. I knew that clinics in Northern Cyprus often use student egg donors from the many local universities on the island. These young women require no transport or accommodation costs, and are paid a few hundred euros per egg retrieval, although this is not a fixed payment, as I was to discover. But something more uncomfortable was going on. My suspicions that phenotypes were relevant to pricing were confirmed by a rival fertility agency. “Oksana” told me that her agency’s VIP donors are flown in from Russia. “Girls with blonde hair and blue eyes [are] more expensive. They have more model appearance.”

Applying to be a local egg donor was perhaps the most eye-opening part of my research. I drove to the most prestigious university on the northern half of the island, a sprawling campus of brick student accommodation blocks, acres of manicured lawns and finally, after a few wrong turns, its campus hospital. I knew students were

Alev Scott, coincidentally pregnant before the launch of her book

Cash Cow by Alev Scott (HarperCollins £22). To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Free UK standard P&P on online orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members

Applying to be a local egg donor was perhaps the most eye-opening part of my research

recruited as donors here. I approached the desk of the IVF department trying to look as young and fertile as I could. I said I was a potential egg donor: 30 years old, with regular periods.

“OK,” said the woman at the desk, looking me up and down. Here I was being clinically appraised as a potential investment, not seduced as a customer.

"When is your next period due?" In two weeks, I told her.

“OK, come in then and we will scan you. Do you have an AMH test result [an indicator of ovarian reserve]?”

I chose a number — high, but not implausibly so.

“Good,” she said approvingly. “Blood type?”

I told her. She made a note. I asked if I needed to bring any paperwork to the scan. She shrugged. I should just come with my printed AMH result.

Then I asked how much I would be compensated. The woman looked away and smiled slightly, as though this was a somewhat indelicate question.

"The more eggs you give us, the more money you receive."

So how much might that be? “It starts at €400 for minimum 8-12 eggs, and goes up to €1,400. Some donors, they give us a lot of eggs — 40 or more.”

I tried not to look surprised. This was the first I had heard of payment per egg, and it took me a moment to digest. The more fertile you are, the higher your financial reward. This made business sense for the clinic, obviously, which wants to maximise its return — it does not want to lose money paying a donor more than the amount it has invested in the retrieval and potential sale of their eggs. But €400 seemed very low to me, especially set against the roughly €1,000 compensation available to anonymous donors in altruistic markets such as Spain and the UK. More than that, there seemed something very utilitarian about it. Later, I noted in donation-related guidelines published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine that “compensation should not vary according to [...] the number or quality of oocytes retrieved”.

The donors here were young students, obviously needing the cash, going through the same hormonal and personal disruption as any other woman undergoing egg retrieval. Later I found out that while Northern Cypriot law limits donors to three retrievals a year, some cash-strapped women do not “rest” for the recommended three to four months between retrievals, donating again immediately at a different clinic, then another.

One London-based fertility agent I interviewed told me that habitual donors produce progressively fewer and less viable eggs — they are therefore less reliable investments, and he avoids them. There is no overall limit of donations per donor in Northern Cyprus, and no limit to the number of families a single donor is allowed to create, which is also the case in the US.

Before leaving I asked the egg recruiter if she needed any particular ethnicities of donor — should I spread the word among my friends?

“All of them, we are interested,” she said. “We have too many patients on the waiting lists at the clinics.”

This struck me as interesting, especially given that most Northern Cypriot clinics claim to have a large database of international donors from renowned banks such as Cryos, which in response to the BBC investigation has said that it has blacklisted the most notorious of the local clinics since 2016. With such a hypothetically large number of international donors available to them, why are these clinics so eager to recruit local donors?

One reason, of course, is that they are cheaper and simpler to process than international ones. The switch is undetectable — until a DNA test is done, as the patients interviewed by the BBC tragically discovered.

But it's not all about direct profit. The intense competition between clinics in a saturated market means that you want to be able to promise your clients whichever donor they want. But you are chasing success rates. If you have a proven local candidate, you might rely on him or her instead of the more unknown overseas donor the patient has requested — particularly if the patient's fertility problems are acute.

Ultimately, these clinics want to achieve as many pregnancies as possible. I imagine this will form part of the accused doctors' defence if and when they have to explain themselves to the Northern Cypriot Ministry of Health.

Three ways to boost brain sharpness

Take a higher-dose vitamin D supplement

The NHS recommends that all of us take a 10mcg supplement of vitamin D from late

September each year, when the amount we make from sun exposure begins to stall. However, higher doses may bring bigger benefits for people in their sixties and older, whose ability to absorb nutrients drops with age, according to one new study by scientists at the Emory University in America. Adults with mild cognitive impairment who took 125mcg daily scored more than 13 per cent higher on a cognitive test

than those taking none. However, the NHS warns that taking more than 100mcg over a long period can cause too much calcium to build up in the

body, which may weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and heart.

Play brain games for five minutes a day A recent study of almost 4,000 adults aged 19-94 at the University of Texas

found that those who used a brain training app for 5-15 minutes a day—in this case the free BrainHealth app, developed by the researchers — experienced positive changes in brain efficiency after three years, even in their eighties and nineties. “This study reminds us that our brain is not defined by age — it is defined by possibility,” says Sandra Bond Chapman, a cognitive neuroscientist and lead author of the study.

3 Do an hour of aerobic exercise twice a week Midlife is considered a critical window for protecting the brain against age-related drops in sharpness, and twice weekly sessions of aerobic exercise could be key to keeping your brain biologically younger, according to a study in the Journal of Sport and Health Science. Middle-aged adults taking part in the 12-month trial were asked to walk, jog or run on a treadmill for 60 minutes twice a week and to use other types of aerobic exercise equipment — bikes, elliptical machines, stair climbers and rowers — to hit a weekly target of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise, the type that makes you breathe hard.

Those who stuck with it had a brain age almost one year younger than that of participants who did not do the exercise. It wasn't just improvements in fitness that accounted for the brain boost. "Exercise may be acting through additional mechanisms we haven't captured yet, such as subtle changes in brain structure, inflammation, vascular health or other molecular factors," said Dr Lu Wan, lead author of the study. Peta Bee

health

The top data scientist's guide to sleeping well — and feeling 'bulletproof'

Dr Kristen Holmes hasn't been ill for eight years. It's the result of everything she's learnt from decades researching tracking statistics, she tells Peta Bee

ven on an early morning call Dr Kristen Holmes appears radiant and energised, which you might expect from someone who has not been ill for eight years. The lead scientist and

global head of human performance at Whoop, the health-tracking brand, Holmes, 52, has about 30 peer-reviewed studies under her belt, and her decades of research have provided her with the weaponry to become, as she puts it, “bulletproof”.

The key to Holmes's remarkable resilience? The psychophysiologist follows daily steps to regulate her autonomic nervous system (ANS). This, she explains, controls involuntary functions in our bodies such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and digestion. "It regulates the body's rhythms and co-ordinates responses to the body's needs," she says.

The ANS has two parts: the sympathetic nervous system, which supplies energy when we perceive threat, and the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows heart rate and breathing when we need to calm down. When they work in harmony, we recover well and become adept at dealing with stress. But when stress, sleep deprivation and other disruptive factors become chronic, we're asking for trouble.

“With better autonomic flexibility you breeze between the two parts as required,” Holmes says. “And we can actively shape our ANS so that it becomes more regulated.”

Her work at Whoop has given her insights into how we can do just that. She has access to the biometric data on the sleep, circadian rhythm and workout behaviours of up to three million members worldwide. “My role is to translate raw data into meaningful insights that can help

A Whoop health tracker

Finish a more intense workout at least four hours before bed people improve their health,” she says. “When patterns emerge [from tracking data] it helps us to see how even small steps towards better recovery can make a big difference to our wellbeing.”

It helps, she says, that Whoop wearers include a cross-section of everyone, from those who struggle to increase their daily steps to elite sportsmen such as the England World Cup squad.

There are more similarities than differences in how each of us should manage and recover from the daily grind, Holmes says. Recovery is powerful and therapeutic — it is not just about rest but also practices that promote renewal. She outlines these strategies in her new book, Aligned: the Data-Driven Guide to Performance, Recovery and Human Potential. This is what she has found.

Stick to your optimum sleep/wake times

If anything is going to bolster your resistance to infection, it is sleep consistency: going to bed and waking up at the same time. “This is probably the behaviour change that will bring the biggest return,” Holmes says. “When I started tracking it in athletes I was working with, it emerged as one of the biggest predictors of athlete availability to train and compete after six months, and it keeps us all on the right path.”

Whoop members have an average sleep consistency score of 67 per cent but Holmes says the optimal target is “above 80 per cent”. Findings from a 2022 Whoop study of 4,912 members showed that those with inconsistent sleep patterns were less likely to exercise and more likely to suffer depression and anxiety.

As a guide she suggests sticking to your ideal wake-up time, being mindful that your drive to sleep will start to hit 16 hours later. Allow

Dr Kristen Holmes

yourself a 30-minute window of variability and the occasional night off but maintain this approach for good circadian alignment as much as you can. Among the strategies is to get outside first thing to view morning daylight. “Do this at the same time and it resets your circadian rhythm,” she says. “It helps enormously with sleep routine.”

Keep sleep debt to 45 minutes Sleep debt is the difference between the hours of sleep you need and the amount you get. When Whoop scientists collaborated with researchers at the University of Melbourne, Harvard Business School and the University of Queensland to look at the effects of sleep debt, they found that getting just 45 minutes below your needs resulted in a 5 to 10 per cent drop in cognitive processes used to plan, monitor and achieve goals. When those in sleep debt got 30 minutes more sleep than normal, their powers of mental control improved. “If you can keep sleep debt below 45 minutes, you can maintain good sleep consistency and that is invaluable for our powers of recovery,” Holmes says.

Do plenty of ‘zone two’ cardio: steady-state, low-intensity exercise In the past few years, focus in the fitness world has shifted to highintensity and strength workouts. While these are important, Holmes says we shouldn't neglect low-intensity cardio: cycling, jogging or swimming at a gentle, sustained effort (roughly 60 to 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate). Essentially, this is a pace at which you can hold a conversation. "During and after this type of exercise

A short nap can improve mood and cognitive functioning

is when a lot of the body's is when a lot of the body's regeneration takes place," she says. "It creates a low-level stress that is just enough for the body to respond in a positive way, enhancing metabolic efficiency, cognitive function and gut health, among many other benefits."

Highly trained people do 80 per cent of their training this way to avoid stressing their system, she says, and most of us need to do it at least three times a week. Ideally, Holmes says, we should also squeeze in some strength workouts — best performed late in the afternoon when the body's core temperature peaks so that muscles are primed — and some high-intensity

interval training (HIIT): bursts of effort that leave us breathless. “Don’t do HIIT too close to bedtime as our data shows it disrupts sleep and ANS function,” she says. “Finish a more intense workout at least four hours before bed.”

Don't stress about being an owl or a lark

Our chronotypes — whether we are a night owl or morning lark — can influence our daily patterns, such as when we eat, exercise and get outside. However, the extent to which we fall into one of these camps is less distinct than previously thought.

"There's no doubt you have eveningness or morning-ness preferences but we don't know how much of that is hard-wired and it's likely [there is] much less variability in our innate sleep patterns," Holmes says.

Studies have shown that within 48 to 72 hours of staying in a mountain area with no access to artificial light, a group of healthy adults all started to fall asleep within 30 minutes of each other, at an average of 3 hours and 18 minutes after sunset.

"When you remove Netflix, screens and lifestyle distractions, we are more similar than we think, so we shouldn't stress too much about being one or the other chronotype," Holmes says. "Lots of artificial light at night causes cellular confusion and that is ultimately the basis of ageing and disease."

The quickest way to realign your waking time? “If you wake up too late, gradually move your wake-up time by setting your alarm a little earlier each day,” Holmes says.

Change your meal times

Time-restricted eating — that is, consuming all of your calories within a clearly defined window — is hugely beneficial for better sleep and ANS regulation. Eat too late, Holmes says, and Whoop data shows that all phases of sleep are affected, fragmented sleep increases and your recovery levels drop. “Food is a very powerful circadian cue, and if we eat too close to bedtime it impacts sleep onset and timing of sleep relative to our own baseline,” Holmes says. “Also, we don’t drop into deep sleep as easily as we are still digesting food at the same time.” The key is to create an eight to twelve-hour window when we are more metabolically primed, finishing all of your meals two to three hours before bedtime.

Take a 20-minute nap before 2pm

Grabbing an early afternoon nap when you can is not a sign of laziness but a tool for better recovery, Holmes says. “As long as a nap doesn’t interfere with your regular biological sleep, then a short nap can be incredibly powerful. There is lots of data to show it can improve mood, cognitive functioning, energy levels and inertia.” If you can, take a siesta after lunch when there is a natural dip in circadian rhythm and make it no longer than 20 minutes to avoid feeling groggy when you wake up.

Watch your alcohol intake Whoop data on alcohol intake is telling. “Alcohol negatively impacts everyone,” Holmes says. “Just one drink within two to three hours of sleep lowers overnight recovery by 4 to 5 per cent, and with three glasses of wine that plummets to a 15 per cent drop in recovery.”

On days when people drink they are less active, make more mistakes at work and eat more calories. A Whoop study of almost 21,000 members showed that alcohol led to shorter sleep duration, increased resting heart rate and reduced heart rate variability (HRV) — the variation in time between each heartbeat, regulated by the ANS. “Effects do seem more pronounced in women and younger adults than in men,” Holmes says, “but it affects everyone to some extent.”

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My pantry is smarter than yours! I’m in love with my luxe larder

Yes we need a second bathroom, but I don't regret my slate shelves. By Rachel Johnson

Rachel wants, Rachel gets, even if it takes her getting on for 30 years.

Things I never lust after when I go to people's houses in the country: an Olympic swimming pool, a media centre, a party barn, a guest pagoda or cottage, a sauna, a home gym, a home office, a kitchen island the size of an aircraft carrier, en suite bathrooms for every room, California closets, a present-wrapping room, a seven-car garage with automatic door, a crunchy gravel drive, horses in climate-controlled stables, landscaped parkland with a Nic Fiddian Green horse's head, a

baronial hall with a Tracey Emin neon scribble... I could go on.

The things I do lust after reveal so much about my humble roots. They prove I am basically a scrubber at heart, with a secret yen for a Good Housekeeping sub. Among them are two dishwashers (Marina Fogle has four). A scullery with deep butler's sinks and storage for pots and pans and extra everything, such as fiddly champagne flutes that never fit anywhere. A boot room with masses

of space for Barbours, wellies and dog beds. A Hons-style linen cupboard, so roomy six Mitford sisters could hide there during Murder in the Dark. A dressing room equipped with an army-style cot for snoring husbands. A woodshed prepped with seasoned dry logs in precision piles. A rush-lined deep pond with a wooden jetty... I could go on for even longer.

When I close my eyes I dream of Sasha Swire's deluxe dog-washing station in an outhouse in their place in Devon and her husband Hugo's proper home pub complete with leather armchairs, cobbled floor and lethal local ales.

These preferences will, I hope, explain why after 25 years I haven't splashed out on a second bathroom for our Exmoor farmhouse. We have only one bathroom, I warn guests. Before we did some renovations I used to say, “It’s one up from rough sleeping.” After the arrival of carpet upstairs and the demolition and rebuilding of an extension made of asbestos, I now say with pride, “It’s one up from camping.”

No, I didn't want a second bathroom — there's nowhere to put it without converting a barn, surely content for a whole other feature. What I wanted was a serious larder makeover. And like Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (who is actually another Rachel), what

Yes, the grotty glory hole with an actual hole in the back wall after a huge leak has just had what I think we can call its first glow-up since we bought the farmhouse on my father's farm in 2000. But let's feast our eyes on the cream tongue and groove walls, the Welsh slate shelves first, shall we? Admit it. You have pantry envy even though this picture was taken as I was still unpacking the marmalade section (note: jersey worn at all times indoors on Exmoor).

The before pictures are grim beyond words. The larder had barely changed

for hundreds of years (the house is from 1700 but feels older).

Besides the large hole in the wall, there was peeling paint, a generally mildewed and scabrous appearance. We kept — obviously — the rough stone floor, fashioned of large stones dragged from the River Exe below the house, and grouted together with God knows what. Some wattle and daub like cement of dung and hair.

And now, after three men worked their butts off all summer, the smartest room in the house is... the larder.

We slatted over the deep window ledge (the walls of our house are several feet thick and I have a jersey and a corduroy jacket on as I write this on a breezy Wednesday) to make a natural cold shelf for cheese and whatnot, and overall the deep shelves now give me a sense of mission. In the main room and inglenook fireplaces, there are large iron hooks for hanging sides of meat (I assume).

I will have to pick the plums, apples and figs from the little orchard behind the house to make preserves and chutneys to line them like the trad nan, Ma, in Little House on the Prairie, I hope to be soon.

The larder is finished. If 2026 really is going to be the coolest summer we will remember in the future, now it's time for a lake.

times2

No need to guess which side I'm on in the dogs in cafés spat

CIRCE HAMILTON FOR THE TIMES

The daughter of a 1970s Hollywood star is suing for the right to bring her pet to the table. Hannah Betts doesn't blame her

A spat has erupted on an island in the Outer Hebrides between a veteran nepo baby “trained for 12 years to facilitate Celtic Viking Mysticism”

and what appears to be everybody else. Claire Kellerman, 62, the daughter of Sally Kellerman (“Hot Lips” in M*A*S*H), has alleged that Great Bernera’s community café discriminated by banning her hound, which is apparently an assistance animal. The charity behind this establishment reportedly says it could potentially face bankruptcy so presumably the answer could shortly be resolved by there being no café, dog-permitting or otherwise.

my flat whites and sourdough belt of southeast London, you can't swing a cat without bumping into a dog. Parks, pub gardens, lying across pavements (you must step carefully over them or risk an eyeroll from their owner). Every café resembles a vet's waiting room — and often smells like one too. Beyond all the noise and tangled leads, isn't the gung-ho foraging around each other's bumholes evidence enough that dogs don't belong in places serving food?

On holiday in Cornwall this summer, when a ripe old labrador came to lean on me as I queued for coffee, its hair-covered owner seemed baffled that I kept backing away in what was a fairly small space. Whatever happened to just tying them up outside for a few minutes? Dogs can't help snarling and scuffling with each other in close proximity but it isn't exactly a relaxing soundtrack to have lunch to.

The lessons here are obvious. First, never get in the way of a middle-aged woman and her four-legged love, for she will crush you and your rights to a cortado. Second, cafés should allow dogs. I say this as the owner of two whippets which I'd like to accompany me everywhere, not merely to Liberty, where tourists take their photographs next to the sight-hound statues by the exit, or Belgravia, where they're Instagrammed next to its greyhound emblem.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I ate a not inexpensive meal downwind of someone's dog's meat farts. At first we thought the chorizo was just a bit high, but then we overheard the couple next to us lovingly chatting about how much chicken poor Lucy had eaten the day before. It seemed particularly unfair given I had, only that morning, whisked our nappied toddler out of a museum before the smell reached anybody else.

The number of children is 14 to 15 mill, but growth is stagnant. Not to be a militant mutt maniac, but dog-owners surely deserve equal caffeine rights? I can hear the naysayers pointing to canine backside licking now. But at least they're keeping themselves clean. I have witnessed people's offspring gobbing, vomiting and crapping in all manner of eateries, Michelin-starred included. Only last weekend I spotted a toddler smear snot all over the table next-door's pizza while his parents blathered on oblivious. My dogs averted their gaze. Canine cinema screenings are now a (glorious) thing,

For Britain is a famously dog-worshipping nation. It's how most of us handle emotion: our stiff upper lips are allowed to tremble over man's best friend. Brits can take or leave humans, but hounds have our souls meaning all dogs are emotional assistance dogs. A third of English postcodes now have more pooches than nippers, with the number of "dinkwads" — dual income, no kids, with a dog — rocketing. The UK can claim 13 to 15.5 million canines, up from 9 million pre-pandemic.

Hannah Betts with Pimlico

while in Athens and Bologna hounds can hang in modern art galleries.

Most people adore dogs — and those that don't are wrong. At my neighbourhood Gail's, my duo are greeted by name by staff and patrons alike. They soothe tantrum-throwing toddlers, lonely students and isolated old folk. Our local nunnery offered up prayers when Pimlico gave birth. It turns me into a froth-mouthed lunatic that my nearest Boots won't allow them to accompany me when I'm picking up my depression pills. Hello, I'm clearly mad and requiring canine support. I am one step away from acquiring "service dog" coats from Amazon — what stops me is that polyester is insufficiently chic.

Once, celebrating my birthday inside Mayfair's Connaught Pâtisserie

As a parent, you quickly learn that this country prefers dogs to children; in public, I keep mine quiet, busy and out of other people's way, aware that they are delightful only to me. Yet people who bring their dogs everywhere seem to feel no such compunction: every bark, howl and snout hunting under your table for crumbs is seen as an adorable inevitability. If you don't find it charming, you are the problem.

— where whippet-owner Nicolas Rouzaud creates chocolate and praline tributes — the Arab gentleman hosting his friends next to us confessed to a rampant dog phobia. Naturally, we packed up our kit bag and made moves to depart. The charming chap insisted on paying our bill, which was beyond generous; dogs, as ever, bringing out the best in human behaviour.

Naturally, some miscreants abuse the system. I was repulsed to watch a woman allow her lap dog to foul its way around the hound-friendly — yet carpeted — Battersea Power Station shopping complex the other day. Not on. But, that's an owner issue, not a dog thing. One must come prepared as parents do with their offspring, scrupulously policing one's charges. My partner Terence and I ensure that our dogs are exhausted on arrival, carting about velvet blankets on which they will bask, water receptacles out of which they will drink, plus objects for them to chew themselves to sleep. If they act up, we leave.

I'm not going to go suing anyone who won't admit the blighters. (Or not yet, anyway: watch yourself, Boots.) However, dogs are part of life — mine and everybody else's. So long as I keep them out of your food/face, they should be part of society at large.

I know, I know: not all dog owners. Yet increasingly it feels like most. There is an assumption now that there is nowhere dogs can't be: in playgrounds with "no dogs" signs, for example, "too anxious" to be left behind. In cinemas (ick). And in cafés, where often the baristas will bend to give them a little whosagoodboy cuddle before returning to make your drink without washing their hands (mega ick — but they look at you as though you're Cruella de Vil if you say anything).

“I can hear the naysayers pointing to canine backside licking

Cafés resemble a vet's waiting room and often smell like one Harriet Walker

would like to propose an easyJet approach to dogs in cafés: only ones that fit under the table in front of you.

Ideally, though, none at all. In

I understand why, in these days of mental health and mass uncertainty, people are choosing to have dogs over babies — they're much less hassle and far more grateful. Yet it doesn't follow that we must therefore accommodate the former as though they are the latter. If in some Nordic countries parents leave their kids sleeping in buggies outside a café, your dog can definitely handle it too. Overindulgent dog-handling is creating a breed of animals that barely understand they aren't the same as us. They'll be after your seat on the bus next.

It's Jaymania! The return of Jay-Z (with a little help from Beyoncé)

It was Jaymania at Yankee Stadium. When word spread that at the first two nights of Jay-Z's three-night run at the New York stadium there were stars performing including Eminem, Pharrell Williams, Nas and Beyoncé — aka Mrs Jay-Z

— fans at the third night rushed the gates, leaving stars such as ASAP Rocky and Fabolous stuck outside as the venue was locked down and the show delayed by four hours. “There was, like, 10,000 people outside,” the rapper told the crowd when he finally launched into Brooklyn’s Finest, with Rihanna and Usher among the array of guest stars lining up in the wings. “I didn’t want to start music and have people get trampled.”

It's a long nine years on from Jay-Z's last album, 4:44. The last time the rapper, real name Shawn Carter, but also known as J-Hova or Hov, took an extended "retirement" from music — following The Black Album (2003) to concentrate on running Def Jam Records — he returned within three years to lukewarm reviews for his comeback album, Kingdom Come. This time, named as the best rapper of all time by Billboard (in 2023) and Forbes (2024), he set Yankee Stadium attendance records for his three shows, which in turn marked the anniversaries for his most revered albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996) and The Blueprint (2001), with a third, career-spanning "Extra Innings" night.

Among the biggest gigs of his career, these shows — kick-starting the JAY-Z30 tour — also saw New York transformed into a citywide celebration of the man and his music. Subway trains were redecorated in his honour and filled with Jay-Z videos and interviews; pop-up art installations traced his journey from street hustler to hip-hop billionaire. And while a three-night stadium residency might seem modest in an age when Coldplay, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift jockey for the longest stint at Wembley Stadium (at present, Styles's 12 nights), that Carter put a second night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on sale five weeks before his arrival in the UK in September shows immense confidence that, musically, it is far from over for Hova.

There has, to be fair, been very good reason of late to believe that Jay-Z may have dropped the mic for good. True, after his post-retirement comeback he had a 2008 Glastonbury headline slot and put out The Blueprint 3 in 2009 with the smash hits Run This Town (with Rihanna) and Empire State of Mind (with Alicia Keys). But turbulence followed.

Magna Carta Holy Grail, from 2013, was a multi-platinum smash but a creative dip, getting some of the worst reviews of his career. In May 2014, following the Met Gala at NYC's Standard Hotel, leaked elevator security footage showed Solange Knowles, Beyoncé's sister, physically attacking Jay-Z while Beyoncé stood by quietly. The altercation fueled intense public speculation regarding Jay-Z's marital infidelity — rumours then obliquely addressed by Beyoncé for his marital infidelity on her 2016 album, Lemonade.

In 2017 Jay-Z responded with 4:44, better received for its unflinching admissions of Carter's flaws and failings. The title track, an explicit apology, was supposedly written at 4.44am after waking up in a sweat. He admits to cheating, expresses shame over his womanising and laments how his actions could affect his children: "And if my children knew, I don't even know what I would do/ If they ain't look at me the same/ I'd probably die with all the shame."

Carter's 4:44 tour was his biggest yet, grossing more than \$48 million. But in stores and on stage, his collaborations were far outrunning his solo work. Watch the Throne, his 2011 joint album with Kanye West, shifted five million copies, and though his 2018 collab with Beyoncé on Everything Is Love (as the Carters) did disappointing business, their accompanying On the Run II tour bagged more than \$250 million from 2.1 million tickets. Meanwhile, his solo income from music was starting to look like parking change when compared with the deals he was striking as one of rap's most Midas-like moguls.

For almost a decade now business has been trumping beats. In 2019 Carter was declared rap's first billionaire, thanks as much to his ownership stakes in brands and

businesses such as Rocawear and Roc Nation as his record sales and tour receipts. His initial \$56 million investment in the streaming service Tidal became \$297 million when he sold a majority stake in 2021. The same year he sold his 50 per cent of the luxury liquor brand Ace of Spades

The star brought a galaxy of A-listers to three sensational comeback shows in New York. Now comes London, says Mark Beaumont

Jay-Z with his daughter, Blue Ivy, and wife, Beyoncé, at the Met Gala in May and, top, at Yankee Stadium, New York, last month

for \$300 million. Two years later he offloaded the majority — but not all — of his share in D'Ussé cognac for an undisclosed sum that reports suggest could have reached \$750 million. No wonder there have barely been wisps of rumours of new Jay-Z music doing the rounds over the past few years, and any suggestion of it recently denied by insiders. For Jay-Z, rapping has become akin to bunging a few old jumpers on Vinted. He hardly needs the beefs.

He has also had cause to shy away from the public eye. The infidelity that surfaced so starkly on Lemonade undoubtedly damaged the Mr and Mrs Carter brand — music's most unified and lovestruck power couple — but subsequent tours and performances together have proved effective damage

His life's philosophy, he told me, was 'be fearless'

limitation. Then, amid 2024's tide of sordid exposés around the disgraced rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, an anonymous woman accused Carter and Combs of sexual assault at an MTV Music Video Awards afterparty in 2000, when she was 13 years old. Her lawsuit was met with a flurry of legal action and counterclaims, with Carter variously alleging extortion, malicious prosecution and defamation. In 2025 the lawsuit against Jay-Z was dropped without settlement, and his own action against the attorney Tony Buzbee was dismissed, although a broader federal suit against his accuser and her legal team is pending.

These ugly accusations could have sent a billionaire kingpin further into seclusion. But the success of Jay-Z's empire has been built on his reputation as the loveable street hustler whose tycoon rhymes came true, and that any stain on his rap Rockefeller image — the clubs, the cognacs, the superstar spouse — is best brushed away as quick as dirt from his shoulder. As I witnessed first-hand in 2009, when he appeared unannounced at a press preview for The Blueprint 3 to play the record from his iPod and chat casually with reviewers, he's a natural charmer and reputation manager: his life's philosophy, he told me then, was "be fearless".

A citywide celebration of his music, then, is perhaps neatly timed to reboot his rep and foreground his legacy. It's certainly one worth celebrating. The two albums Jay-Z played in full at Yankee Stadium are bona fide rap milestones. His 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, is a classic of mafioso hustler rap, blending gritty street poetry with soulful samples and acrobatic flow. The Blueprint is just that: a foundational outline of 21st-century soul-centric rap. To perform them, and his plentiful other hits, with much of their starry original casts, former adversaries — and his daughter Blue Ivy on piano — showed that Carter could reconfirm his place at the benevolent head of the East Coast hip-hop family. Don't call it a comeback, just a timely reminder of who runs this town.

Jay-Z is at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Sep 4-5

times2

Your weekday brain boost

Sudoku fiendish

More puzzles Pages 14-16

Train Tracks

Every day, Monday to Thursday, a page of extra puzzles to give your brain an extended workout

Samurai medium

Fill each grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Where the puzzles overlap, the rows and columns do not go beyond their usual length.

3					9		6	7			8	6		5				3
6		9	1			2						2	4	1	3
		4	3	2	6			5				9	6			4		2
9	1			8	5							7				2		6
	5		4		1		9						2	7	9
			9	3			1	6			4	8				5
4			6	7	3		5			3					5		8
		7			8				2	8	3		8	9	4	6
8	6		5											2			3	4
						7	6	4	1 3		9	1
								3	7	9		5	6
9	7			4											2		5	4
	4	2	3	8	7			6	1 3				9 8	5	1	2		3
		8				9		2			9	2		8	3
			6	5	9							3	2		5		8
3		1				6							1	9			3	2
7		4			5		2				3		5	2	6	1
			2	9	4	7						5			9	3		8
2				1			5	4			6	1	4					7

Play Mini Sudoku every day Monday-Sunday online at thetimes.com and on Live app

	4	6	8	7	5	6
8			2
1	2	7			3
	5	9		3	2
			3	2		1
6			4	8		9
2	8			1	6

Killer tricky

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Each set of cells joined by dotted lines must add up to the target number in its top-left corner. Within each set of cells joined by dotted lines, a digit cannot be repeated.

Lay tracks to enable the train to travel from village A to village B. The numbers indicate how many sections of track go in each row and column. There are only straight sections and curved sections. The track cannot cross itself.

5	5	4	4	6	4	5	3
							6
							5
							4
							4
							3
							4
							7
							3

Futoshiki

Fill the blank squares so that every row and column contains each of the numbers 1 to 5 once only. The symbols between the squares indicate whether a number is larger (>) or smaller (<) than the number next to it.

Sakuro

Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the spaces so that the number in each circle is equal to the sum of the four surrounding spaces, and each colour total is correct

12	23	19	14		4	8	15	13	7	13	10	15
7		2		15		15		7		7		7
16	10	6	6	7	14	6		4	12	10	15	21
2		7		5		20		10		9		20
3	10	3	10	2		14N	10	15	19	2	9
25				9		21				21		22
20	14	3C	10	11	20		6	2	21	20	2	8
11		10				5		13				2
	4	24	2	19	18	23		20	9	1	7	14
25		4		2		6		14		7		11
14	23	9	10	14		10	15	6	2	14	17	2
20		7		6		14		20		3		15
20	26	18	9	10	15	20	11		24	12	20	23

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14N	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

Yesterday's solutions

SAMURAI
						3 8 9	1 2 7	4 6 5
7	9	3	4	8	1	2	5	6	5
5	4	8	2	6	9	3	1	7	4
6	2	1	7	3	5	9	4	8	6
						6	7	2	3	4
						8	9	1	3	5
2	8	7	9	1	4	5	6	3	2	7
3	1	9	6	5	7	4	8	2	8	6
4	6	5	8	2	3	7	9	1	9	5
8	7	6	5	9	2	1	3	4	6	8
1	5	4	3	7	6	8	2	9	5	7
9	3	2	1	4	8	6	7	5	1	9
						1	3	4	2	8
						4	2	8	9	5
						5	8	3	7	1
						7	1	2	6	9
						3	2	5	4	3
						4	9	6	8	1
						6	7	4	1	7
2	6	4	3	7	8	9	5	1	2	3
5	8	9	4	2	1	3	6	7	4	1
7	3	1	9	5	6	2	4	8	9	5
						8	3	5	7	6
9	1	3	5	8	2	6	7	4	8	3
8	7	2	1	6	4	5	9	3	4	2
6	4	5	7	9	3	1	8	2	7	1
1	9	7	2	4	5	8	3	6	1	9
3	5	8	6	1	7	4	2	9	2	6
4	2	6	8	3	9	7	1	5	5	4

5	2	6	4	1	8	3	9	7
3	7	1	2	9	5	6	4	8
9	8	4	6	3	7	1	2	5
2	4	3	7	8	1	9	5	6
6	5	8	9	2	3	7	1	4
7	1	9	5	4	6	2	8	3
1	3	2	8	6	4	5	7	9
8	9	5	3	7	2	4	6	1
4	6	7	1	5	9	8	3	2

5	7	4	9	8	2	6	1	3
1	9	8	3	5	6	4	2	7
6	2	3	7	4	1	9	8	5
9	4	7	5	3	8	2	6	1
8	5	2	1	6	7	3	4	9
3	1	6	4	2	9	5	7	8
7	3	1	2	9	4	8	5	6
4	8	5	6	7	3	1	9	2
2	6	9	8	1	5	7	3	4

TRAIN TRACKS

CODEWORD

Mini Sudoku

Fill in the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x2 box contains the digits 1 to 6

Solutions in tomorrow's Times2

Codeword

Every letter in the crossword-style grid, right, is represented by a number from 1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded.

Dan Stevens finds that hospital can be hell

EMILY V. ARAGONES/AMC

James Jackson TV review

The Terror: Devil in Silver Sky/Now ★★★☆☆

horror set in a psychiatric hospital? That's a juicy premise, except I've found it hard to take any hospital horror seriously ever since

watching Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Matthew Holness's spoof series set in Darkplace Hospital, a place where evil emanated from the portal to Hell under the building, and where a man gave birth to a giant eyeball.

The Terror: Devil in Silver is set in New Hyde Psychiatric Hospital, a place where a hidden silver door is a portal to the home of an evil entity and where a demon with a buffalo-like head roams at night. But here there's absolutely nothing funny about it. Like the previous two series in The Terror anthology — the first of which froze us in the 1840s Arctic, the second of which baked us in a US Second World War camp for Japanese Americans (both are out on ITVX) — here we have an intelligent psychological chiller, or rather a horror that's more grown-up than jump-scare bilge for teenagers.

With his scrappy, mullety haircut, Iron Maiden T-shirts and blue-collar Queens accent, Dan Stevens plays a drummer/removal man, Peter "Pepper" Coffin (not a surname you really want in a horror), wrongly incarcerated in New Hyde after beating up his partner's abusive ex. Pretty soon he is glowering and bloodied himself, looking as if he has lost a nasty fight with his drum kit.

“Do bad things happen in a place because the place is evil, or were so many bad things done there, it invited evil in?” Pepper’s roommate asks him, which would feel ominous at the best of times, let alone in a dank asylum with flickering lights. The creepiness kicks in quicker than Pepper’s meds.

The agitated Pepper is given heavy sedation and soon, as he lies dazed on his bed, a grisly face is leaning over him, announcing in a guttural demonic voice, “You have been summoned...” In Pepper’s head, or something supernatural?

Stevens plays Pepper, incarcerated in a psychiatric institution

The plot thickens as it brings in the various co-patients, notably the long-term resident Dorry. She had first-hand experience of the hospital's malevolent founder, Dr Walter, in the 1960s, a lobotomy enthusiast who might just still stalk the corridors.

Pepper is initially at odds with his fellow eccentrics (or, rather, is savagely beaten up by one) but finds in them a ragtag band of companions to take on the evil entity — and the system in general because, as with the film Unsane, there's also a critique of US healthcare institutions going on amid the squelchy eviscerations.

Alert to looking derivative, Victor LaValle's script overtly references One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest when the inmates discuss Ken Kesey's novel in their book club. "This fool thinks he's McMurphy," an inmate says of Pepper after they've all decried the book's depiction of its patients as "the people without hope" — a revisionist take on the anti-psychiatry classic.

This is a prestige horror, not short of emotional heart, but which as a viewing experience can also feel a bit of a mire. By making the “monster” both literal and metaphorical, the series can rather groan under its ideas.

Yet it certainly has its queasy moments. Make it through so much darkness and the very last scene — a simple moment of calm in the sunshine — is the most unsettling of all.

Valentino Radio 4 Extra, 3pm

The station marks a century since the death of the silent movie star Rudolph Valentino, above, with Bob Sinfield's dramatised biography starring Alan Cumming. The play begins with the Great Lover at a press conference for his hit film Blood and Sand, charmingly explaining his romantic upbringing in Italy with a background as a soldier, and coming to America as a garden designer. In fact, he had a degree in agriculture and on arriving in New York used his skills as a tango dancer to work in nightclubs. After a society scandal, he left for Hollywood, where he became a star. Clair Woodward

Times Radio

Digital, web, smart speaker, app 5.00am James Kitchin with Early Breakfast 6.00 Kate McCann and Calum Macdonald 10.00 Hugo Rifkind 1.00pm The Times at One: with Daniel Finkelstein 2.00 Jane Garvey 4.00 John Pienaar 7.00 The Evening Edition with Kait Borsay 10.00 Neil Breakwell 1.00am The Best of Times Radio

Radio 2

FM: 88-90.2 MHz

6.30am Radio 2 Breakfast Show 9.30 Mark Goodier 12.00 Tina Daheley 2.00pm DJ Spoony 4.00 Jason Manford 7.00 Jo Whiley 9.00 Jazz Show 10.00 The Good Groove 12.00 OJ Borg 3.00am Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton 4.00 Owain Wyn Evans

Radio 3

FM: 90.2-92.4 MHz
6.30am Breakfast
9.30 Essential Classics
1.00pm Classical Live
Linton Stephens celebrates summer music-making in the UK and beyond. From the BBC Proms 2026: Knoxville (Summer of 1915); From Cheltenham Music Festival 2026: Mendelssohn (Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op 49); From the BBC Proms 2026: Dvorak (Symphony No 8 in G, Op 88) JS Bach; Gigout (arranger) (Mein gläubiges Herze

– Aria from Cantata No 68); From Cheltenham Music Festival 2026: Prokofiev (Violin Sonata No 2 in D, Op 94a) From the 2026 Mozart Festival Würzburg: Mozart (Piano Sonata No 14 in C minor, K. 457) From the BBC Proms 2026: JS Bach; Messerer (arranger) (Chaconne – Partita for Solo Violin No 2 in D minor, BWV1004)

4.00 Composer of the Week: Sally Beamish

Donald Macleod joins Sally Beamish at her home to delve into her student years, travels and early professional career 5.00 In Tune

7.00 Live BBC Proms 2026 Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra in music from the iconic spy thriller films. Presented by Georgia Mann, live from the Royal Albert Hall, London. Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra in a musical homage to Ian Fleming's suave spy. Together with special guests they train their sights on the greatest hits from Skyfall, The Spy Who Loved Me and others. Interval: Charlie Higson is the author of the Young Bond series of books following the secret agent during his schooldays at Eton, and the novella On His Majesty's Secret Service. Now, he's published a novel for adults King Zero which begins with a murdered agent in the desert. BBC Concert Orchestra, conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser 10.00 Night Tracks (r) 11.30 'Round Midnight A 15 minute jazz-fusion track (r) 12.30am Through the Night (r)

Radio 4

FM: 92.4-94.6 MHz 5.00am News Summary 5.04 The WhatsApp Underground Documentary (r) 5.34 Shipping Forecast 5.43 Prayer for the Day 5.45 Farming Today 6.00 Today 9.00 Invisible Hands David Dimbleby tells the story of Paul Wolfowitz (5/6)

9.30 Michael Sheen Gets into Character (2/3) (r) 10.00 Woman's Hour 11.00 Add to Playlist (r) 11.45 Book of the Week: All the Beauty in the World By Patrick Bringley (2/5) 12.04pm Call You and Yours 1.00 The World at One 1.45 Human Intelligence Desmond Tutu's leadership of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (7/10) 2.00 The Archers (r) 2.15 Drama: The Test Batter Can't Breathe By James Fritz (r) 3.00 History's Secret Heroes A look at the story of double agent Elvira Chaudoir (1/10) 3.30 Heart and Soul The Jamaican revivalists preserving faith and identity 4.00 An Evening with Dave Van Ronk Elijah Wald tells the story of the American folk singer 4.30 What's Up Docs? Unpacking the benefits of walking 5.00 PM 6.00 Six O'Clock News 6.30 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz Misleadingly-named foods (3/6) 7.00 The Archers Fallon puts her foot in it 7.15 Front Row Arts programme 8.00 The Coroners Question The role of coroners 8.40 In Touch 9.00 Crossing Continents Examining Brazil's problem with gambling addiction (4/9) 9.30 Scam Secrets (4/8) (r) 10.00 The World Tonight 10.45 Book at Bedtime: Mr Sidhu's Post Office By Amman Brar (7/10) 11.00 Half-Life (1/8) (r)

11.30 Everything Is Fake and Nobody Cares (2/6) (r) 12.00 News and Weather 12.30am Book of the Week: All the Beauty in the World (r) 12.48 Shipping Forecast 1.00 As BBC World Service

Radio 4 Extra Digital only

8.00am Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? 8.30 Underland 8.45 Breathing Underwater 9.00 Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz 9.30 Human Hosts 9.45 Daily Service 10.00 A Good Read 10.30 The Choir Invisible 11.00 Five Red Herrings 11.30 Kill the Pharaoh! 12.00 Yes Minister 12.30pm The Milligan Papers 1.00 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? 1.30 Underland 1.45 Breathing Underwater 2.00 It's Not What You Know 2.30 Life in London 3.00 Choice Valentino 4.00 A Good Read 4.30 The Choir Invisible 5.00 Five Red Herrings 5.30 Kill the Pharaoh! 6.00 Yes Minister 6.30 Milligan Papers 7.00 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen? 7.30 Underland 7.45 Breathing Underwater 8.00 It's Not What You Know 8.30 Life in London 9.00 Valentino 10.00 Comedy Club: Paul Sinha's Perfect Pub Quiz 10.30 Pick-Ups 11.00 All the World's a Globe 11.15 2000 Years of Radio 11.30 Chain Reaction

Radio 5 Live MW: 693, 909

5.00am Wake Up to Money 6.00 5 Live Breakfast 9.00 Rima Ahmed 11.00 Emma Vardy 2.00pm Nick Watt 4.00 5 Live Drive 7.00 5 Live Sport 8.00 Football 10.30 Laura McGhie 1.00am Dotun Adebayo

talkSPORT

MW: 1053, 1089 kHz

MW. 1053, 1089 KHz 5.00am Early Sports Breakfast 6.00 talkSPORT Breakfast with Jeff Stelling 10.00 Jim White and Simon Jordan 1.00pm Hawksbee and Jacobs 4.00 talkSPORT Drive 7.00 Kick Off 10.00 The Sports Bar 1.00am Extra Time

Talk

Digital only

6.00am Jeremy Kyle 10.00 Julia Hartley Brewer 1.00pm Ian Collins 4.00 Kevin O'Sullivan 7.00 Peter Cardwell 10.00 Petrie Hosken 1.00am Paul Ross

6 Music

Digital only

5.00am Chris Hawkins 7.00 Nick Grimshaw 10.00 Lauren Laverne 1.00pm Craig Charles 4.00 Huw Stephens 7.00 New Music Fix Daily 9.00 Riley & Coe 11.00 6 Music Artist in Residence: Loyle Carner 12.00 Indie Forever 1.00am From Mento to Lovers' Rock 2.00 From Mento to Lovers' Rock 3.00 Live Hour 4.00 Playlist

Virgin Radio Digital only

6.30am The Chris Evans Breakfast Show 10.00 Emma B 2.00pm Ben Jones 6.00 Will MacDonald 10.00 Goldierocks 2.00am Steve Denyer

Classic FM

FM: 100-102 MHz

6.30am Dan Walker 9.00 The Hall of Fame Hour 10.00 Aled Jones 1.00pm Anne-Marie Minhall 4.00 Margherita Taylor 7.00 Relaxing Evenings with Zeb Soanes 10.00 Calm Classics 1.00am Bill Overton 4.00 Early Breakfast

television

PICKS OF THE DAY

The Tudors with Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman 5, 9pm

Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman's Rich Lives, Poor Lives format might veer towards Horrible Histories territory, such as when asking “where does one defecate on a warship?” However, its focus on particular events can allow for rounded storytelling. Tonight, the citizens of England in 1588 are

apprehensive because their queen, Elizabeth I, has provoked the Catholic King Philip II of Spain after the beheading of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. Rumours abound as to his plans to invade and so it is that we learn of the impact of the Armada. A period of mobilisation included the ships of the merchant Thomas Cordell being requisitioned for the war, while Margaret, wife of the sailor William Browne, faced rising food prices as her husband learnt how to man a cannon. Helen Stewart

Rob Rinder and Ruth Goodman

Emergency 24/7 BBC2, 9pm

As the second episode of this informative medical series filmed in the trauma department of Southmead Hospital in Bristol begins, a different type of emergency is taking place. “Is your iPad still working?” asks a nurse. “Has the whole system gone down?” asks a doctor, muttering darkly about an unpaid phone bill, while a colleague suggests a whip-round. The NHS may be in

dire straits but the same nurse is already directing her junior to locate the whiteboards in the major incident room. “Old school,” she says, undaunted, and thankfully so because the flow of patients continues. A man named Paul has taken an overdose and stepped in front of a train, severing his leg below the knee, and paramedics have his foot on ice. Meanwhile, another man is admitted with a suspiciously deep wound, having “fallen onto a glass”. HS

BBC1

6.00am Breakfast

9.30 Morning Live Top Tips and Best Bits
10.30 Garden Rescue (r)
11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (AD)
12.15pm Bargain Hunt (r) (AD)
1.00 BBC News at One; Weather
1.35 BBC Regional News; Weather
1.45 BBC News at One; Weather
2.00 Money for Nothing. Sarah Moore creates candlesticks from old spindles
2.45 Escape to the Country. Sonali Shah helps a duo from Newport search Devon for their dream country property
3.30 The Repair Shop. The team restores a statuette that survived a shipwreck, and a flight case once owned by David Bowie's former bass player Trevor Bolder (r) (AD)
4.30 The Answer Run. Jason Manford hosts the fast-paced quiz show (r)
5.15 Pointless. Quiz hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Nish Kumar (r)
6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather
6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather

7.00 The One Show Presented by Lauren Laverne and JB Gill

7.30 EastEnders Eve and Suki receive a devastating update, and Denzel is warned against asking Amy out (AD)

8.00 The Great British Sewing Bee In music week, the sewers pay homage to Madonna's cone bra, turn bedroom furnishings into outfits for pop artists and make disco outfits (7/10) (AD)

9.00 Celebrity MasterChef In the second week of heats, Gladiator Emily Steel, Nitin Ganatra, Tom Simons, Donna Preston and Eric Underwood take on challenges in the kitchen, and Giorgio Locatelli demonstrates one of his own dishes (AD)

10.00 BBC News at Ten

10.30 BBC Regional News and Weather

10.40 FILM: Arthur the King (12, 2024)

professional adventure racer looking for one last chance at glory joins a team of athletes on a 435-mile, 10-day event in the Dominican Republic, with the aid of a scrappy stray dog. Fact-based drama starring Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance and Nathalie Emmanuel. See film choice

12.20am The Hit List Marvin and Rochelle Humes present a music-based quiz show in which contestants must name as many hit songs and artists as possible under intense pressure, with a £10,000 jackpot up for grabs (r) 1.10-6.00 BBC News. Headlines

BBC2

6.30am Bargain Hunt (r)

8.00 Sign Zone: The Great British Sewing Bee. The sewers makes tutus and superhero costumes for children's week (r) (AD, SL) 9.00 BBC News

1.00pm Richard Osman's House of Games. With guests Jessie Cave, Ayesha Hazarika, Simon Hickson and AJ Pritchard (r) 1.30 The Edge. Game show (r) 2.15 Do You Know Your Place? Enniskillen (r) 2.45 Animal Park. A mysterious illness appears to be stopping the rock hyrax mum from feeding her babies (r) (AD) 3.30 Serengeti III (r) (AD) 4.30 Vintage Antiques Roadshow (r) 5.15 Flog It! From Surrey (r) 6.00 Richard Osman's House of Games. Jimi Famurewa, Harriet Kemsley, Colin Murray and Sara Pascoe compete in the quiz (r) 6.30 Great Continental Railway Journeys. Michael Portillo is on the European rail network, travelling from Brest to St Brieuc (r)

7.00 Nigellissima Dishes include liquorice pudding, fregola with clams and butterflied leg of lamb (4/6) (r) (AD)

7.30 Race Against the Tide Six teams are challenged to sculpt what home means to them (2/6) (AD)

8.00 Saving Lives at Sea When a mayday comes in from a yacht breaking up off the Norfolk coast, both the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston RNLI crew and Caister's independent lifeboats race to the rescue (2/10) (AD)

save a man whose leg has been severed after being hit by a train, and they question the story of a man with a deep wound who denies being stabbed (2/6) See picks of the day (AD)

10.00 Live at the Apollo (4/7) (r)

10.30 Newsnight Headline analysis presented by Adam Fleming

11.05 The Vampire Lestat: Interview with the Vampire Armand's demands test Louis to his limits and Lestat's soul searching revives memories. Last in the series (AD)

11.55 A House Through Time (2/4) (r) (AD)

12.55am Sign Zone: Celebrity MasterChef Joe Pasquale, Jason Mohammad, Emily Campbell, Shakira Khan and Jay McGuiness compete in the kitchen (r) (AD, SL) 1.55-2.45 Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story. Featuring a televised family reunion, and a heroic escape (r) (AD, SL)

ITV1

6.00am Good Morning Britain 10.00 This Morning

1.30pm ITV News, Weather 2.00 Dickinson's Real Deal. The Albert Hall in Nottingham plays host to the dealer's den, where Fay Rutter is offered the Rolls-Royce of watches, and Stewart Hoffgartner examines a cowboy collection (r) (AD) 3.00 Deal or No Deal. Stephen Mulhern hosts as a woman tries to open the 22 red boxes in the right order, taking on the infamous Banker for the chance to win a life-changing cash prize (r) (AD) 4.00 Tipping Point. Ben Shephard hosts the arcade-themed quiz in which contestants drop tokens down a choice of four chutes in the hope of winning a £10,000 jackpot (r) 5.00 The Chase. Contestants from Stockport, Bristol, Eastbourne and Wolverhampton take on a Chaser. Bradley Walsh asks the questions (r) 6.00 Regional News; Weather 6.30 ITV News; Weather

7.30 Live EFL Carabao Cup: Nottingham Forest v Leeds United (Kick-off 8.00). Mark Pougatch presents all the action from the second-round tie at The City Ground. This is the second meeting between the sides here in the space of four days, with the teams also facing each other in the Premier League on Saturday, and both teams will be looking to fare better in this competition than they did last season. Forest received a bye to the third round, but lost at that stage away to Swansea City, and Leeds went out on penalties at Sheffield Wednesday in this round. With commentary from Sam Matterface and Lucy Ward, and pitchside reports by Gabriel Clarke. See picks of the day

10.25 ITV News at Ten; Weather; followed by Regional News

11.15 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – What Happened Next Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell find out what happened to a foundling and her full sister, who were left in hospitals as babies less than two years apart (r)

12.10am Shop on TV 3.00 Love & Death. Candy gets a visit from an incensed Pastor Jackie (r) (AD, SL) 3.50 Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace – What Happened Next. Charting the story of two sisters who were both abandoned as babies (r) (AD, SL) 4.45-6.00 Unwind with ITV

Channel 4

6.30am The King of Queens (r) (AD) 7.45 Everybody Loves Raymond (r) (AD) 9.10 Frasier (r) (AD) 11.10 Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back. Gordon Ramsay is in New York (r) (AD) 12.05pm Channel 4 News Summary 12.10 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (r) (AD) 1.10 The Great House Giveaway (r) 2.10 Countdown. Colin Murray hosts the game, with Rachel Riley and Susie Dent, and Richie Anderson in Dictionary Corner 3.00 A Place in the Sun. Leah Charles-King helps a couple from Derbyshire find a new home on Spain's Costa Blanca (r) 4.00 The Great B&B Challenge. The battle moves to the dining room (r) 5.00 Château DIY. In the Dordogne, a duo transform an old restaurant building into a French cookery school (r) (AD) 6.00 American Pickers. Junk experts Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz visit a born-and-raised New Englander whose collection might turn out to be off-limits (r)

7.00 Channel 4 News

8.00 The Dog House Exhaustedparents think maybe a dog can wear out their two-year-old toddler, while a dachshund has to overcome some first date nerves as she meets a 25-year-old woman (2/7) (r) (AD)

9.00 Celebrity Hunted The remaining celebrity fugitives converge in Birmingham for extraction details with hopes the hunters won't catch them before they reach the pickup point. Last in the series (8/8) (AD)

10.00 24 Hours in A&E A 56-year-old man is airlifted to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre after crashing his motorbike at speed. Surgeons need to act quickly to save the patient's leg from amputation (8/10) (r) (AD)

11.05 24 Hours in A&E Three pedestrians are brought in to Queen's after a car mounted the pavement, with the most injured patient having suspected head injuries (r) (AD)

12.05am Building Monaco's Superhomes (r) (AD) 1.05 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA (r) (SL) 1.55 FILM: The Quiet Girl (12, 2022) Drama starring Catherine Clinch 3.30 The Piano: The Final (r) (AD, SL) 4.40 Find It, Fix It, Flog It (r) 4.55 Couples Come Dine with Me (r) (SL) 5.50-6.30 Countdown (r)

5

6.00am Milkshake! 9.15 Jeremy Vine 11.30 Storm & Alexis 12.45pm 5 News at Lunchtime 12.50 Matt Allwright

2.20 FILM: A Killer in the Family (PG, TVM, 2023) A mother's world spirals out of control when her shy teenage son is arrested for the murder of a young woman he met online. Thriller starring Zoe Christie 4.00 Castle. A famously reclusive author turns up dead and Castle is determined to solve his hero's murder, but he and Beckett discover that truth is stranger than fiction as they dig deeper (r) 4.55 Love Nature. Cameras focus on Atlantic puffins living on Fidra (r) 5.00 5 News with Dan Walker 6.00 Motorhoming with Merton & Webster. Paul Merton and Suki Webster explore the Cotswolds, helping a man and his apprentice build a dry stone wall (r) 6.55 5 News Update

7.00 Cycling: Vuelta a España 2026 Rebecca Charlton presents action from stage four of the Grand Tour race, a 104.8km route that started and finished in Andorra la Vella

8.00 Motorway Cops: Catching Britain's Speeders On the M6, two PCs are called in after a car fails to stop for Cheshire Police, and further intelligence reveals it's untaxed, uninsured, and without an MOT

Ruth Goodman A look at when England braced for the arrival of the Spanish Armada in 1588, with Rob following the story of a wealthy merchant and Ruth uncovering the experiences of a sailor and his wife. See picks of the day

10.30 Murder on the Doorstep: Who Killed Alistair Wilson? The killing of Alistair Wilson has baffled detectives for almost 20 years. Just after 7pm on 28 November 2004, the young Scottish banker and father was executed on his own doorstep – shot three times at point blank range in a seemingly motiveless assassination. Despite one of the biggest manhunts ever launched in Scotland by the police, Alistair Wilson's murder remains unsolved. This documentary retraces every step of the case (r)

12.05am Nigel Farage: Where Does the Money Come From? (r) 1.00 Cruise TV (r) 2.00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors (r) 2.50 Castle (r) 3.40 Friends (r) (AD) 4.30 The Highland Vet (r) (SL) 5.25 Entertainment News on 5 5.35 Paw Patrol (r) (SL) 5.45-6.00 The Adventures of Paddington (r) (SL)

Best Medicine

Sky One/Now, 8pm

The US Doc Martin has been like a fever dream — the eccentricity, storylines and characters are all familiar, and then Frenchy from Grease turns up (Didi Conn). In tonight's finale, Martin (Josh Charles) delivers a baby and Louisa (Abigail Spencer) receives her medical results, while the townspeople take exception to the Norwegian salmon deal threatening Port Wenn. Emma Bullimore

The Great British Sewing Bee BBC1, 8pm

You can't help but feel sorry for the contestants — they apply to this show because they can stitch a lovely skirt, then find themselves puzzling over bizarre challenges. Music week demands a conical bra in the style of Madonna and co-ordinated outfits for a pop group made out of bedroom textiles, before a disco-themed made-to-measure finale. Sophie Willan, the host, ensures the series remains irresistibly charming. EB

STREAMING CHOICE

Untold: Vince Young Netflix

One of the finest young American quarterbacks, and star of what many believe to be the greatest college football game ever played (the 2006 Rose Bowl), Vince Young was an anomaly, a 6ft 5in, 230 pound-plus man-mountain who

moved and sprinted like a much smaller, faster player. Quite why he never made it as a pro player is explained in this documentary. Andrew Male

FILM CHOICE

Arthur the King (12, 2024) BBC1, 10.40pm

Based on Mikael Lindnord's 2016 memoir Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, here Mark Wahlberg plays Michael

television

Light, the captain of an adventure racing team competing in a gruelling endurance trek through the Dominican Republic. Light is seeking redemption after past failures, but when the team find themselves in a perilous situation, they are saved by the warning barks of a stray dog (the titular Arthur). The mutt comes along for the ride in a tale that would seem pure Hollywood confection were it not rooted in truth. Bear Grylls has a brief cameo. (108min) Joe Clay

BBC4

7.00pm The Architecture the Railways Built (6/10) (AD) 7.45 The Flying Gardener 8.00 To the Manor Born 8.25 Keeping Up Appearances 9.00 How the Celts Saved Britain. Part one of two. How the Irish saved Britain from cultural oblivion during the Dark Ages (1/2) (AD) 10.00 Britain in Focus: A Photographic History. Examining the response to historic events in the first half of the 20th-century (AD) 11.00 The Secret Genius of Plants. Documentary (2/2) (AD) 11.55 Do We Really Need the Moon?. Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock explores Earth's relationship with its satellite 12.55am The Flying Gardener 1.10 The Secret Genius of Plants (AD) 2.05am-3.05 How the Celts Saved Britain. Documentary (AD)

Sky Arts

6.00am Venice: A Concert for Our Climate 7.00 Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra 8.00 Artist of the Year: Masterclass (AD) 9.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 10.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 11.00 Discovering 12.00 The Art of Film (AD) 1.00pm Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 2.00 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 3.00 The Nineties 4.00 Discovering 5.00 Portrait Artist of the Year 2023 (AD) 6.00 Tales of the Unexpected (AD) 7.00 Alfred Hitchcock Presents 8.00 The World in a Painting (AD) 9.15 Art Traffickers (AD) 10.15 Wonderland: From JM Barrie to JRR Tolkien 11.15 The Movies 12.15am Tilda Swinton: The Wildcards 1.30 A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things 3.15 Stories from Tate Britain 4.10 A Play in a Day 5.05am-6.00 The Art of Film (AD)

More4

8.55am Find It, Fix It, Flog It (AD) 10.00 Four in a Bed 12.40pm Come Dine with Me 3.20 Four in a Bed 5.50 Car SOS. Two editions (AD) 7.55 Grand Designs. Kevin McCloud meets a couple who are building a new house on top of a cliff on the west coast of Scotland (1/7) (AD) 9.00 PopMaster TV. Ken Bruce hosts the third heat of the quiz 10.00 Little Trains & Big Names with Pete Waterman. Pete takes Status Quo's Francis Rossi down memory lane to inspire his first layout and works on a huge exhibition build destined for Chester Cathedral 11.05 Police Rescue. An elderly man has gone missing in hard bushland north of Sydney, with temperatures soaring (1/6) (AD) 12.05am 999: On the Front Line 1.10 24 Hours in A&E (AD) 3.20am-3.45 The Perfect Pitch

Daniel James of Leeds United

Live Tennis

Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports +, 6am-6.30 The ATP Winston-Salem Open and WTA Monterrey Open

Live sport today

Talking Pictures

6.00am FILM: The Happiness of Three Women (U, 1954) (b/w) 7.35 FILM: Juggernaut (PG, 1936) (b/w) 8.50 FILM: The Big Bluff (PG, 1955) (b/w) 10.20 The Better Milk Story 11.05 FILM: The Battle of the Rails (PG, 1946) 12.45pm Look at Life 1.00 The Adventures of William Tell 1.30 FILM: Jassy (PG, 1947) 3.30 Dial 999 (b/w) 4.00 That's My Boy 4.35 FILM: Pink String and Sealing Wax (PG, 1945) (b/w) 6.20 Food Flash Dried Eggs 1942 6.25 Whiplash (b/w) 6.55 The Man from UNCLE 7.55 Buccaneer 9.00 Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four 11.05 Fortean TV 11.40 FILM: The Siege of Sidney Street (PG, 1960) (b/w) 1.35am FILM: The Long Haul (PG, 1957) 3.20 Cinebox Memories 3.25 Scotland Yard 4.00 Target: The Corruptors 5.00am-6.00 The Man from UNCLE (b/w)

Film4

11.00am Togo (15, 2019) Adventure based on a true story starring Willem Dafoe (AD) 1.15pm Sherlock Holmes: Terror By Night (PG, 1946) Mystery starring Basil Rathbone (b/w) 2.30 It Came from Outer Space (PG, 1953) Sci-fi adventure starring Richard Carlson (b/w) 4.05 Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (U, 1965) Period comedy starring Terry-Thomas 6.45 Midway (12, 2019) Second World War drama starring Ed Skrein and Patrick Wilson (AD) 9.30 Drive-Away Dolls (15, 2024) Action comedy starring Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan 11.15 Hustlers (15, 2019) Comedy crime drama starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu (AD) 1.25am-3.40 Queenpins (15, 2021) Crime comedy starring Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste

BBC3

Live Snooker Wuhan Open TNT Sports 2, 7am-10 Coverage of the first session from round two of the contest

7.00pm The Catch Up
7.05 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall examines deadly animals in Ethiopia
7.30 Deadly 60. Steve Backshall finds out about animals in the UK
8.00 Top Gear. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May try to build mobility scooters
9.00 FILM: Darkest Hour (PG, 2017)
British prime minister Winston Churchill seeks to rally the nation against Germany's advance across Western Europe. Period drama starring Gary Oldman (AD)
11.00 Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret. Allegations of sexual misconduct against the actor
12.00 Confessions of a Steroid Gang (AD) 1.30am Kyle: The Gunman Who Divided America (AD)
2.30 BBC New Comedy Awards
2024 3.00am-3.55 Vigil (r) (AD, SL)

ITV2

6.00am Backyard Builds (SL) 6.30 Dress to Impress (AD, SL) 7.30 The Real Housewives of Potomac 8.20 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 9.15 The Only Way Is Essex 10.15 Dawson's Creek 11.10 Charmed 12.05pm Deal or No Deal (AD) 1.05 Celebrity Supermarket Sweep (AD) 2.05 The Floor (AD) 3.10 The Only Way Is Essex 4.10 The Real Housewives of Potomac 5.00 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 6.00 Catchphrase (AD) 7.00 Wheel of Fortune (AD) 8.00 The 1% Club Rollover (AD) 9.00 Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection. "Perfect" legs (4/6) 10.00 Family Guy (AD) 11.35 American Dad! (AD) 12.35am Bob's Burgers (AD) 1.30 Plebs (AD, SL) 1.55am-2.20 Deep Fake Neighbour Wars (SL)

ITV3

6.00am George and Mildred 7.05 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 8.05 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 9.10 Agatha Christie's Poirot (AD) 11.30 Heartbeat (AD) 1.35pm Midsomer Murders (AD) 3.35 Classic Emmerdale (AD) 4.40 Classic Coronation Street (AD) 5.50 Heartbeat. An ex-con with a score to settle arrives in the village (AD) 8.00 Vera. The detective is called in when a student falls to his death in mysterious circumstances, so she turns to friends and family to glean all she can (3/4) (AD) 10.00 Lewis. A babysitter is murdered (3/4) (AD) 11.50 Trial & Retribution. Part one of two. Satchell witnesses a gangland killing (5/6) 12.50am Trial & Retribution 1.50am-2.15 George and Mildred

Live US Open Tennis

Sky Sports Main Event, 3pm-7, Sky Sports Tennis, 3pm-10 Coverage of day one of the mixed doubles tournament, featuring the first and second rounds at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York

Live International Rugby

Live International Ragsy Union: Lions v New Zealand Sky Sports Action, 5.45pm-8 (Kick-off 6.00). Coverage of the tour match at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg

Live EFL Cup: Nottingham Forest v Leeds United Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, 7pm-10.30 (Kick-off 8.00). The second-round tie from The City Ground

ITV4

6.00am Magnum, PI (AD, SL) 8.05 Robin of Sherwood 9.10 Boon 10.10 The Professionals (AD) 11.20 Robin of Sherwood 12.25pm Magnum, PI (AD) 2.35 The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (AD) 3.45 Boon 4.50 The Professionals (AD) 5.55 Minder. Terry minds an illegal bookie (AD) 7.00 Aussie Pickers. Lucas Callaghan and Adam McDonald visit Victoria to meet an auctioneer known to the locals as Steptoe 8.00 The Motorbike Show. Henry Cole goes green-laning in Oxfordshire and tells the story of the Streetfighter motorbike 9.00 Ice Road Truckers. A storm brings turmoil to the Dalton Highway 10.00 All Elite Wrestling: Collision 12.00 Dark Side of the Ring 12.55am Minder (AD, SL) 1.50am-2.45 BattleBots

U&Drama

6.00am Teleshopping 7.20 The Bill
8.10 Doctors 9.20 Classic Holby City 10.40 Casualty (AD) 11.40 The Bill 12.40pm Classic EastEnders
2.00 Classic Neighbours 3.05 Whitstable Pearl (AD) 4.10 Kingdom
5.15 As Time Goes By
6.00 Last of the Summer Wine
7.20 Last of the Summer Wine
8.00 'Allo 'Allo! Triple bill
9.40 New Tricks. Sandra's private and professional worlds become intertwined when her mother needs to go into a care home, but her first choice turns out to be the scene of a suspicious death (2/8) (AD)
11.00 Luther (1/4) (AD)
12.20am Lovejoy. The trader helps a film star 1.30 Sister Boniface Mysteries (AD) 2.35 The Chelsea Detective (SL) 3.25 Birds of a Feather 4.00am-6.00 Teleshopping

Variations

BBC1 N Ireland

10.40pm House of the Year (r) 11.10 FILM: Arthur the King (2024) Fact-based drama, starring Mark Wahlberg 12.50am The Hit List (r) 1.35am-6.00 BBC News

BBC1 Scotland

7.00pm-7.30 River City (r) 12.20am Scotcast (r) 12.50 The Hit List (r) 1.35 Weather for the Week Ahead 1.40am-6.00 BBC News

STV

11.35pm FILM: Rush Hour (1998) Comedy adventure starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker 1.15am-3.00 Shop 3.50am-6.00 Night Vision

UTV

11.15pm Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes (r) 11.45pm-12.10am Mahon's Way (r)

BBC Scotland

7.00pm Reporting Scotland: News at Seven 7.30 The Great Food Guys (r) 8.00 This Farming Life (r) 9.00 Murder Case: The Hunt for Arlene Fraser's Killer (r) 11.00 Scotcast 11.30pm-12.00 Icons of Football (r)

S4C

6.00am Cyw 12.00 News 12.05pm Codi Pac (r) 12.30 Heno (r) 1.00 Bwrdd i Dri (r) 1.30 Arfordir Cymru (r) 2.00 News 2.05 Prynawn Da 3.00 News 3.05 Gwesty Aduniad (r) 4.00 Awr Fawr (r) 5.00 Stwnsh: Dreigiau – Marchogion Berc (r) 5.25 Y Smyrffs (r) 5.40 Un Cwestiwn (r) 6.00 3 Lle: Ffion Dafis (r) 6.30 Codi Hwyl (r) 6.59 News 7.00 Heno 7.30 News 8.00 Pobol y Cwm 8.25 Nol o'r Dibyn gyda lolo Williams (r) 8.55 News 9.00 Siwrna Scandi Chris (r) 10.00 laith ar Daith (r) 11.00pm-12.05am Y Cosmos (r)

PBS America

8.00am The World After Stonehenge 9.20 The Normans 10.40 The Mughal Empire 1.00pm The World After Stonehenge 2.10 The Normans 3.25 The Mughal Empire 5.50 The World After Stonehenge 7.00 The Normans. Robert Bartlett examines the impact of the conquest of Britain and Ireland (2/3) 8.15 The Mughal Empire. Exploring the legacy of the Mughals (1/2) 9.30 The Mughal Empire. Examining the impact of Shah Jahan's reign, which ushered in the golden age of Mughal architecture (2/2)

10.45 Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland. A look at the growth of paramilitary organisations in the early 1970s, with killings, explosions, intimidation and street disorder becoming widespread (2/5) 12.00 The Normans 1.15am-2.00 Weathered: Earth's Extremes

Sky Atlantic

6.00am The Guest Wing (r) (AD) 8.00 Billions (r) (AD) 10.15 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 12.40pm Homicide: Life on the Street (r) 2.30 Billions (r) (AD) 4.40 Django (r) (AD) 6.45 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 7.50 House of the Dragon. Rhaenyra is forced into a corner (r) (AD) 9.00 Little Bird. Patti desperately searches for her missing children, while 18 years later Esther has made her way back to the prairies and is desperate to find her family (3/6) 10.00 Little Bird. Esther returns home to Montreal to confront Golda about her new discoveries (4/6) 11.00 Das Boot. A sequel to the classic 1981 German film, set during the Second World War (r) 12.15am Possession. Double bill (r) (AD) 2.15 House of the Dragon (r) (AD) 4.35 Sort Of (r) (AD) 5.05am-6.00 Fish Town (r)

Sky Docs

6.00am History of the Sitcom (r) 7.00 Discovering: Emma Thompson (r) (AD) 8.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 9.00 Janet Jackson (r) (AD) 9.55 Branson (r) (AD) 11.00 Juan Carlos: Downfall of the King (r) 12.00 Wild Wild Space (r) (AD) 1.50pm My Icon: Michael Campbell (r) (AD) 2.00 PL 360 (r) 4.00 The Directors (r) (AD) 5.00 Discovering: Emma Thompson. A profile (r) (AD) 5.55 Chimp Crazy (r) (AD) 6.55 Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God (r) (AD) 8.00 Salt Path: A Very British Scandal (r) 9.30 The Sleepwalker (r) (AD) 11.15 FILM: JFK Revisited – Through the Looking Glass (15,

U&Yesterday

6.10am Abandoned Engineering (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 10.00 Secret Nazi Bases 11.00 The World at War 12.00 Antiques Roadshow 2.00pm Bangers & Cash (AD) 4.00 Secret Nazi Bases 5.00 The World at War. Germany's defeat at Stalingrad 6.00 Antiques Roadshow 7.00 The Blue Planet. The effects of tides on marine life (AD) 8.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics. The team send their Paul Smith Mini in for designer tailoring by the team at Mini Sport (AD) 9.00 Bangers & Cash. Featuring a sought-after BMW 2002 (AD) 10.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 11.00 Bangers & Cash (AD) 12.00 Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics (AD) 1.00am Find It, Fix It, Flog It 2.00 Abandoned Engineering (AD) 3.00am-6.10 Teleshopping

MindGames

Tetonor Moderate No 703

1

3

8

8

11

12

12

45

111

When complete, the strip below the grid can be split into eight pairs of numbers. Adding the numbers in a pair gives one of the 16 numbers in the grid. Multiplying them gives a different number in the grid. For example, a 4 and 6 in the strip could be paired to make 10 (4+6) and 24 (4x6) in the grid. Enter each sum below the corresponding number in the grid. The blanks in the strip must be deduced, bearing in mind the numbers are listed in ascending order.

The next Tetonor puzzle will appear on Thursday

For more puzzles, including Mini Sudoku, extra Codeword, Train Tracks and Futoshiki go to page 10

Winning Move

Black to play.

This position is from Perea Fruet-Jobava, Aix-en-Provence 2026.

Garry Kasparov, world champion from 1985 to 2000, once jokingly remarked that establishing a knight on f5 (or f4 from Black's point of view) was worth a pawn. As with many tongue-in-cheek comments, this observation contains an element of truth. Black's knight here is a powerhouse. How did he cash in?

Codeword No 5928

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26

Every letter in this crossword-style grid is represented by a number from 1 to 26. Each letter of the alphabet appears in the grid at least once. Use the letters already provided to work out the identity of further letters. Enter letters in the main grid and the smaller reference grid until all 26 letters of the alphabet have been accounted for. Proper nouns are excluded. Yesterday's solution, right Cluelines Stuck on Codeword? To receive 4 random clues call 0901 293 6262 or text TIMECODE to 64343. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. Texts cost £1 plus your standard network charge. For the full solution call 0905 757 0142. If you have an old newspaper and need clues from the past 7 days, call 0905 624 0024. Calls to 0905 cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5.30pm).

Lexica Easy No 9075
Hard No 9076

Slide the letters either horizontally or vertically back into the grid to produce a completed crossword. Letters are allowed to slide over other letters

Train Tracks No 2953

Lay tracks to enable the train to travel from village A to village B. The numbers indicate how many sections of track go in each row and column. There are only straight sections and curved sections. The track cannot cross itself.

Quintagram® No 2655

Solve all five cryptic clues using each letter underneath once only

1 Hole where lots scattered (4)

2 Trip with European around capital of Croatia (5)

3 Run rings around family, not being honest (6)

4 Where lines crossed, bit of a shock — stalemate (8)

5 Broke lenses in splinters after pressure (9)

A	C	C	D	D	E	E	E
G	G	I	I	I	J	K	K
L	L	L	N	N	N	N	O
O	O	P	R	S	S	S	T

Try Wordhunt and Picle, our new online Quick Play puzzles at thetimes.com/puzzles and on the Live app

KenKen Medium No 6920

All the digits 1 to 6 must appear in every row and column. In each thick-line “block”, the target number in the top left-hand corner is calculated from the digits in all the cells in the block, using the operation indicated by the symbol.
Fill the blank squares so that every row and column contains each of the numbers 1 to 5 once only. The symbols between the squares indicate whether a number is larger (>) or smaller (<) than the number next to it.

Kakuro No 4427

Fill the grid using the numbers 1 to 9 only. The numbers in each horizontal or vertical run of white squares add up to the total in the triangle to its left or above it. The same number may occur more than once in a row or column, but not within the same run of white squares.

Brain Trainer Easy 132 Medium 81 Harder 27

Concise Quintagram	Cryptic Quintagram
1 Furry	1 Slot
2 Barre	2 Dance
3 Corral	3 Joking
4 Overrate	4 Gridlock
5 Sparring	5 Penniless

times2 Crossword No 10,244

Across

1 Hunt for people or objects (6)
4 Maple tree (4)
9 Vivid blue colour (5)
10 Commerce (7)
11 Built from distinct parts (7)
12 Currency of India (5)
13 Scientific study of apes and monkeys (11)

17 Dimly glowing coal (5)
19 Mentally undemanding (7)
22 Assortment (7)
23 Make an allusion (to) (5)
24 Lawn's top layer (4)
25 Upbeat, optimistic (6)

Down

1 Gather in teeming masses (5)
2 Apart, into pieces (7)
3 Lobster pot (5)
5 Tweet (5)
6 (Of an outcome) fixed (6)
7 One who recounts tales (11)
8 Guard's regular tour of an area (6)
14 Automotive brand (6)
15 World's tallest mammal (7)
16 Authorisation document (6)
18 Short-nosed dog breed (5)
20 Intrinsic merit or quality (5)
21 Fret (5)

Solution to Crossword 10,243

Need help with today's puzzle? Call 0905 757 0143 to check the answers. Calls cost £1 per minute plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).

Bridge Andrew Robson

“Careless talk costs lives” was a Second World War campaign to warn that casual chatter could reveal secrets to the enemy. West’s Michaels bid certainly helped declarer on today’s 4♠.

Both declarers received ace, king and a third heart, ruffed. The other declarer banged down the ace-king of spades and, West discarding, was soon conceding one down, losing a spade and a diamond.

Ostensibly, 4♠ appears to need spades two-two. Our featured declarer thought that was unlikely. Presuming West had five clubs not five diamonds, West would have two spades when 2♠-5♥-1♦-5♣. Wouldn't he have switched to his singleton diamond? Declarer placed him with his actual 1♠-5♥-2♦-5♣.

At trick four, declarer led a club to the jack, an apparently unnecessary risk however 'twas anything but. The jack winning, he cashed the king then crossed to the ace of diamonds and cashed the ace of clubs, dropping a diamond.

At trick eight, declarer led up a second diamond. If perchance West was 2♠-5♥-1♦-5♣, he would be welcome to ruff — for he would effectively be ruffing his partner's winner. As expected, though, West followed suit. Declarer rose with dummy's ace to leave the ending across with declarer about to lead a trump for the first time at trick nine.

East followed with the eight of spades on dummy's two, whereupon declarer covered with the nine. West won his bare jack but was was endplayed to give a ruff-and-discard. Declarer discarded dummy's remaining diamond and (1) Michaels, showing five-five in hearts and an unspecified minor. But what's the point? You are giving away crucial information with little hope of outbidding spades.

Dealer: South, Vulnerability: Neither

Teams
	♠ 7532♥ 853♦ K753♣ KJ
	♠ J♥ AK1062♦ 92♣ Q10652	N W E	♠ Q108♥ J74♦ QJ108♣ 874
		♠ AK964♥ Q9♦ A64♣ A93
S	W	N	E
1♠	2♠ (1)	3♠	Pass
4♠	End

Contract: 4♠, Opening Lead: ♥ A

ruffed in hand. He could then cash ♠ AK, drawing ♠ East's ♠ Q10 and claim the game.

Note, if East makes the expert play of following to the first spade with the queen, swallowing his partner's jack, declarer can win and exit with a third diamond. East wins and may lead a fourth diamond but declarer overruffs his six with dummy's seven then leads a second spade to the nine, avoiding a spade loser. andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk

MindGames

Brain Trainer

EASY

60

$\div 5$

x 3

DOUBLE IT

+ 5

+ 6

-15

$-\frac{3}{4}$ OF IT

SQUARE IT

-157

ANSWER

MEDIUM

18

SQUARE IT

x 2

$\div 8$

+ 40

-73

$-\frac{1}{4}$ OF IT

x 9

HALVE IT

HALVE IT

HARDER

112

-25

x 3

+ 46

-295

x 5

DOUBLE IT

-75

$\div 5$

TRIPLE IT

ANSWER

Cell Blocks No 5811

		9		2
				4	14
	3
			3
		4
4		2		4

Divide the grid into square or rectangular blocks, each containing one digit only. Every block must contain the number of cells indicated by the digit inside it.

Polygon

Set Square No 4430

From these letters, make words of three or more letters, always including the central letter. Answers must be in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, excluding capitalised words, plurals, conjugated verbs (past tense etc), adverbs ending in LY, comparatives and superlatives. How you rate 12 words, average; 17, good; 22, very good; 28, excellent

Yesterday's answers

age, agin, anew, ani, ave, awe, awn, eina, gain, gean, gnaw, nag, naive, nave, vain, van, vane, vang, vegan, via, viga, vina, wag, wage, wain, waive, wan, wane, wave, wean, weaving

Please note, BODMAS does not apply

Enter each of the numbers from 1 to 9 in the grid, so that the six sums work. We've placed two numbers to get you started. Each sum should be calculated left to right or top to bottom.

Killer Moderate No 10,894

Killer Tough No 10,895

As with standard Sudoku, fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Each set of cells joined by dotted lines must add up to the target number in its top-left corner. Within each set of cells joined by dotted lines, a digit cannot be repeated.

Cluelines Stuck on Sudoku, Killer or KenKen? Call 0901 293 6263 before midnight to receive four clues for any of today's puzzles. Calls cost £1 plus your telephone company's network access charge. SP: Spoke, 0333 202 3390 (Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm).

Solutions

Quick Cryptic 3388

Sudoku 17,049

GK Crossword 352
Codeword 5927

Kakuro 4426

		3	8	7	1			2	7
3	7	1	9	5	8	2		6	9
1	5		6	1		3	6	5
	3	9		8	3		9	7	1
	8	7	9		1	2		9	5
1	4		4	1		8	1	3
2	9	6		3	9		2	8
	6	1	8		8	9		1	6
9	1		6	9	3	7	5	4	8
7	2			8	1	5	2

Train Tracks 2952

Set Square 4429

Cell Blocks 5810

8	6	2	7	3	5	9	1	4
1	9	7	6	4	2	5	3	8
4	5	3	1	8	9	7	2	6
3	4	8	5	6	1	2	9	7
9	1	6	4	2	7	3	8	5
2	7	5	8	9	3	4	6	1
7	3	1	9	5	8	6	4	2
5	2	4	3	1	6	8	7	9
6	8	9	2	7	4	1	5	3

Sudoku 17,050

2	6	9	7	8	5	3	1	4
8	1	4	3	6	2	7	5	9
7	3	5	9	1	4	6	8	2
5	8	1	2	7	6	4	9	3
3	7	6	4	5	9	8	2	1
9	4	2	8	3	1	5	6	7
1	5	3	6	2	7	9	4	8
4	2	8	5	9	3	1	7	6
6	9	7	1	4	8	2	3	5

Futoshiki 5467
Sudoku 17,051

KenKen 6919
Lexica 9073

Lexica 9074

8	1	2	7	3	6	5	9	4
7	6	9	4	2	5	1	8	3
3	5	4	9	1	8	6	2	7
4	3	6	8	9	2	7	1	5
5	7	8	1	6	4	9	3	2
9	2	1	5	7	3	8	4	6
1	4	3	6	5	9	2	7	8
6	8	7	2	4	1	3	5	9
2	9	5	3	8	7	4	6	1

1	<	2	4	3	5
					∨
4	<	5	2	1	<
∨
2	3	5	>	4	1
					^
5	1	<	3	>	2
			∨		∨
3	<	4	1	5	2

Killer 10,892

9	2	3	7	8	6	1	5	4
1	8	7	2	5	4	9	3	6
4	5	6	9	1	3	2	7	8
7	9	8	1	4	5	3	6	2
5	3	2	6	9	8	7	4	1
6	1	4	3	2	7	5	8	9
3	6	1	4	7	2	8	9	5
8	7	9	5	6	1	4	2	3
2	4	5	8	3	9	6	1	7

Killer 10,893

9	8	2	4	3	1	5	7	6
1	3	7	5	8	6	9	4	2
6	5	4	9	2	7	8	3	1
7	1	5	8	6	2	3	9	4
4	2	9	3	1	5	7	6	8
3	6	8	7	4	9	1	2	5
5	9	1	2	7	4	6	8	3
8	4	6	1	9	3	2	5	7
2	7	3	6	5	8	4	1	9

Today's solutions

Word watch

Semiterete (b) Round on one side, flat on the other (Collins) Evzone (b) A Greek infantry soldier (Chambers) Lancinating (b) Acutely painful (OED)

Chess – Winning Move

1 ... Rxg2+! leads to a beautiful finish with the black forces coordinating beautifully: 2 Rxg2 Qxh3+ 3 Qxh3 Rxh3+ 4 Kgl Ne2 mate

Sakuro 4829

Quiz

1 Spain 2 Concorde 3 Irish or Irish Gaelic 4 Brussels sprouts 5 Saddam Hussein 6 Edinburgh 7 Lady Macbeth 8 Alexander Pushkin 9 Reginald Pole 10 The Searchers 11 Caspian Sea, as in the Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 12 Richard Owen 13 Ile-Ife or Ife 14 Harrogate Town AFC 15 The Royle Family

MindGames

Sudoku Mild No 17,052

Difficult No 17,053

Super fiendish No 17,054

	6		5	3
			7	9
		7		2			9	3
3	2						5	6
			9			1
1	5						7	9
		3		7			4	8
			4	8
	8		1	5

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

1
	3				5	7
				3	4			6
2	9	7				3	8
	8	5				4	9	7
8			5	7
		2	9				1
								4

Word watch David Parfitt

Semiterete a Able to read but not write b Round on one side, flat on the other c A durable building material

Evzone a A type of folded pizza b A Greek infantry soldier c A range of values for a satellite's escape velocity

Lancinating a Powerfully attractive b Acutely painful c Fleeting, short-lived

Answers on page 15

The Times Daily Quiz Olav Bjortomt

1 The capital city of Trinidad and Tobago is Port of ... what?

2 Operating from 1976 to 2003, which British Airways jet flew more than 2.5m passengers supersonically?

3 Which language with official status in Northern Ireland is also known as Gaeilge?

4 In French, which vegetables are called choux de Bruxelles?

5 The title of Hasan Hadi's 2025 film The President's Cake refers to which Iraqi dictator?

6 The writer Arthur Conan Doyle trained as a doctor in which capital city?

7 In a Shakespeare tragedy, who becomes queen of Scotland after the murder of King Duncan?

8 In 1820, Tsar Alexander I exiled which Russian poet, author of Ode to Liberty (1817), from St Petersburg?

9 In 1556, which Roman Catholic cardinal succeeded Thomas Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury?

10 Which Merseybeat band had a 1965 US hit with their version of Leiber and Stoller's Love Potion No 9?

11 The world's largest tern species is named after which large inland body of water?

12 Which British anatomist and palaeontologist coined the term “Dinosauria” in 1842?

13 Which ancient city in Osun State, Nigeria, is regarded as the cradle of humanity by the Yoruba people?

14 Which Yorkshire football club is nicknamed “the Sulphurites” because of the spa town’s sulphur springs?

15 Which BBC sitcom is pictured?

Answers on page 15

Sakuro No 4829

Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the spaces so that the number in each circle is equal to the sum of the four surrounding spaces, and each colour total is correct

For interactive puzzles visit thetimes.com

The Times Quick Cryptic No 3389 by Joker

1 What shows the way to autograph mail (8)
5 Finished port after daughter's gone (4)
8 Take part in conspiracy, rueing it badly (8)
9 Second working satellite (4)
11 Party time outside record store (5)
12 Warship's tackle kept by chance (7)
13 Flock of geese get going initially in high wind (6)
15 Begrudge what one pays for housing round southeast (6)
18 Outstanding amount of emotional stability (7)
19 Present conflict welcomed by a Democrat (5)
21 Top copy with supplement of Times (4)
22 Bring down charge for burial of rubbish (8)
23 Sci-fi film expected around November (4)
24 Craftsman thriving in barrack (8)

1 Celebration is quiet in a lot of lodgings (7)
2 Rise in fancy costume (3,2)
3 What can be scored with Scrabble tile directly (5-5)
4 Saint and vampire slayer not keeping bishop close (6)
6 Pay no heed to stringed instrument note (7)
7 Anger about new compass (5)
10 Teams get confused on horseback somehow (4-6)
14 Ship's volume filled with energy (7)
16 Little fish holds nothing for one tiny child (7)
17 Chaps grow old in household (6)
18 Particular type of note and unit of currency (5)
20 Shakespearean character I found in Lear possibly (5)

Yesterday's solution on page 15

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The Best of Sicily

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For more than 60 years, Travelsphere have been taking people on trips of a lifetime and as a result, we can offer unrivalled local knowledge to help you get the best out of a destination. You could sit at home pulling together your own itinerary, deciding which flight to take, where to stay and what to see when you get there... Why not let us take care of the details instead?

Sicily has so much to offer, and on this tour, you'll experience it all! The carefully crafted itinerary includes a cable car ride up Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, and a visit to the island's vibrant capital Palermo. You'll learn about Sicily's Greek and Roman history at well-preserved archaeological sites and see the beautiful Monreale Cathedral, a masterpiece of medieval architecture. With its unique style of Italian cuisine, Sicily is also known for its food, and you'll have a chance to sample some delicious local specialities including Palermo's famous street food, and granita, a refreshing semi-frozen dessert. What's more, you'll be staying in comfortable four-star hotels, where

Italy boasts a spectacular array of ancient ruins and on this holiday, you will uncover the fascinating stories of those that lie in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.

Your carefully chosen hotel offers fabulous views over the Bay of Naples and the volcano that erupted so catastrophically in 79AD. To make your holiday even more memorable, you'll be accompanied by a respected Holiday Director, whose knowledge will help you delve deeper into the history and archaeology of the remarkable sites you discover.

You'll visit the famous cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, see ancient Greek temples and explore lesser-known wonders such as Pozzuoli and Oplontis. There will be

In Italy's far south, the two lesser-known regions of Puglia and Basilicata abound with incredible sights. Discover them on this fantastic holiday and you'll see everything from Baroque architecture and Roman ruins to distinctive Trulli houses and ancient Sassi cave dwellings. And of course, no holiday to Italy would be complete without the opportunity to sample delicious local specialities. We've included a trip to a farmhouse for a traditional lunch, where you'll also have the chance to learn the art of making the region's unique orecchiette pasta.

Price includes

- Return flights from London and Bristol, plus overseas transfers

- Seven nights in a four-star hotel you can soak up the Sicilian sun by the pool, relax with a drink, or dip your toes in the shimmering sea.

Price includes

- Return flights from London, plus overseas transportation

- Seven nights in four-star hotels

- Seven breakfasts, two lunches, seven dinners and welcome drink

• Discover Taormina on a guided tour and enjoy a tasting of granita

- Ascend Mount Etna by cable car

- Admire the mosaics at the Roman Villa Romana del Casale

• Explore the fascinating ancient Valley of the Temples

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a chance to admire the spectacular scenery of the Amalfi coast and you'll even get to enjoy a slice or two of the region's favourite pizza.

Price includes

- Return flights from London and regional airports plus overseas transportation

- Seven nights in a four-star hotel

- Seven breakfasts, seven dinners and welcome drink

• Explore the ruins of Pompeii

• Explore Herculaneum and Villa Poppaea at Oplontis

• Discover Amalfi and the temples at Paestum

- Enjoy pizza night at a local Pizzeria

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- Seven breakfasts, one lunch, seven dinners and a welcome drink

• Traditional lunch at a charming fortified farmhouse

• Tour of Matera and its Sassi houses

• See the Trulli houses in three towns

- Visit historic Lecce

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December 21, 2026

Discover Jordan's ancient treasures and biblical sites on this unforgettable holiday at Christmas. Explore the capital city, Amman before heading to Jerash, one of the largest and best-preserved Roman cities in existence. As your journey continues, you'll visit Mount Nebo, where you can take in views of the Holy Land and the valley of the River Jordan, and the ancient fortress of Shobak. Carved into sandstone, the extraordinary city of Petra is sure to be one of the highlights of your holiday and you'll explore this UNESCO-listed site on a guided walking tour. From

here, the sand dunes and desert landscapes of Wadi Rum are yours to discover as you spend a night in a Bedouin-style tent. Finally, your holiday comes to an end at the Dead Sea, where you can relax and float in the therapeutic salty water.

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December 19, 2026

10 DAYS FROM £2,399* per person

A great holiday for first-time visitors to India, this tour takes you on a journey around the 'Golden Triangle' and includes all the highlights of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. You'll delve into the country's rich history and fascinating culture and will begin your adventure by experiencing the hustle and bustle of Old Delhi's crowded streets. We will show you the colonial buildings in New

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Delhi, admire the incredible, pink-coloured architecture of Jaipur and take you to the magnificent Taj Mahal at Sunrise. Beyond this, you'll have opportunities to discover even more. Go on safari in search of tigers, spend two nights in a charming heritage hotel providing a welcome calm from the bustling city of Jaipur. With a Holiday Director on hand to make sure things run smoothly, most meals and so much sightseeing included, this is a fabulous way to immerse yourself in the captivating charm of India.

*Discount on selected departures only and already deducted from advertised price. Prices correct at time of print. Prices shown are based on twin occupancy of a double or twin bedded room and economy flights. All holidays are subject to availability. Images used in conjunction with Travelsphere. Operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Travelsphere, ABTA Y6412, ATOL 11266 a company wholly independent of News UK.

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Seven nights in four-star hotels plus one night in a Desert Camp

Seven breakfasts, two lunches, six dinners including Christmas Eve gala dinner and welcome drink

Panoramic tour of old and new Amman

Visit Mount Nebo and Madaba, where St George's Church houses the Mosaic Map

Visit to The Dead Sea

Walking tour of Petra

Services of an expert Travelsphere holiday director

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Price includes

Return flights from London plus overseas transportation

Eight nights in four and five-star and heritage hotels and lodges plus one night in flight

Eight breakfasts, three lunches, eight dinners and welcome drink

Visit the Agra Fort and Itmad ud Daulah tomb

Search for tigers on a morning Ranthambore safari

Venture up to the hilltop Amber Fort

Dawn visit to the Taj Mahal

Visit the ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur

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Highlights of Sri Lanka

November 2026 to October 2028

Discover this paradise island teeming with wildlife, incredible landscapes and a colourful culture. Start in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, a bustling metropolis where colonial-era buildings and Buddhists temples rub shoulders with modern skyscrapers. Visit Minneriya National Park, home to elephants, deer and wild boar, before heading to see the spectacular rock fortress of Sigiriya which features the impressive Lion Gate. Next, visit Kandy, the location of Travelsphere Cares Project Sthree Café, which you'll visit, as well as the Temple of The Sacred Tooth - the most venerated

place of worship for Buddhists in the world. Continue your discoveries in the hills of Sri Lanka where you'll have a tour of a tea plantation, and venture to Yala National Park. Your last stop is Beruwala, home to one of the longest beaches in Sri Lanka, where you can enjoy some relaxation at the end of your tour.

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Return flights from London plus overseas transportation

11 nights in four and five-star hotels plus one night in flight

11 breakfasts, one lunch, 11 dinners and welcome drink

Minneriya National Park

Royal Botanical Gardens and Temple of the Tooth

See reminders of Dutch colonial rule in Galle

Spice garden visit with cookery demonstration

Yala National Park safari

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October 2026 to November 2028

There are few places on Earth where the contrast between traditional and modern is quite so marked as in Japan and on this tour, you'll discover many of its incredible highlights. Beginning in dazzling Tokyo, you'll go on to admire incredible views of Mount Fuji, see the beautiful Matsumoto Castle and visit the traditional city of Takayama. After riding the famous Bullet Train to Kyoto, you'll spend time exploring

*Discount on selected departures only and already deducted from advertised price. Prices correct at time of print. Prices shown are based on twin occupancy of a double or twin bedded room and economy flights. All holidays are subject to availability. Images used in conjunction with Travelsphere. Operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Travelsphere, ABTA Y6412, ATOL 11266 a company wholly independent of News UK.

this charming city before heading to Hiroshima and uncovering its poignant history before your journey ends in bustling Osaka.

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Price includes

Return flights from London and Manchester plus overseas transportation

Ten nights in three and four-star hotels, plus two nights in flight

Ten breakfasts, one lunch, three dinners and welcome drink

Journey on the iconic Bullet Train

Sightseeing in historic Kyoto, including Nijo Castle

Tour of Osaka, including Umeda Floating Garden

Hiroshima sightseeing tour and beautiful Miyajima Island

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Latin Wonders of the World

October 2026 to November 2027

in partnership with Royal Geographical Society with IBG

The Royal Geographical Society has selected this tour as part of our joint collection as it immerses the modern-day traveller into the cultural heritage of Peru, following in the footsteps of explorers and visiting landmarks shaped by history.

With a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South America, you'll want to see as many of the highlights as you can, and that's exactly what this tour o ers. Over 18 action-packed days you'll experience many thrilling moments as you journey to Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil. This carefully crafted itinerary includes many incredible shared experiences, along with free time to make your own discoveries too. You'll begin your holiday in Peru where you'll take tours in Lima, the 'City of Kings', and Cuzco, once the capital of the Inca

Empire, and discover the iconic ‘Lost City’ of Machu Picchu, nestled on a mist-shrouded mountain. Further incredible sights include the snow-capped Andes and Lake Titicaca, before you head into Bolivia, where La Paz is home to many intriguing gems. Your adventure continues in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, where a guided tour includes the Plaza de Mayo and Recoleta cemetery. Next you’ve the chance to visit the thundering Iguaçú Falls from Brazilian side for extraordinary views. Your tour comes to an end in the exciting city of Rio de Janeiro,

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where you can discover the statue of Christ the Redeemer from your hotel, which is located on Copacabana Beach.

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Price includes

Return flights from London, overseas transfers, other transportation and porterage

15 nights in four-star hotels plus two nights in flight

15 breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners and welcome drink

Explore the cities of Lima, Cuzco, La Paz and Buenos Aires

Discover the ‘Lost City’ of Machu Picchu

Catamaran cruise on Lake Titicaca

See Iguazú Falls from the Brazilian side

Visit the statue of Christ the Redeemer

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Save up to £400 per couple on selected departures*

TEN DAYS FROM £3,509* per person

Highlights of New England

October 2026 to September 2027

Discover the very best of New England on an unforgettable ten-day journey through historic cities, charming coastal towns, scenic mountains and breathtaking landscapes, from Boston and Cape Cod to Maine's rugged shores.

In the northeastern corner of America, New England encompasses six different states. Rich in history, it was at the forefront of the fight for independence and is awash with scenic wonders, from wild coastlines and shimmering lakes to forest-clad mountains and quaint seaside towns. This carefully crafted tour takes you on

a journey through four of New England's states. In Massachusetts, you'll delve into history on a sightseeing tour of Boston and visit laid-back Cape Cod with its vibrant towns and windswept dunes. You'll discover the timeless allure of Martha's Vineyard, see historic homes in Rhode Island and immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of New

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“ I have been on two Travelsphere holidays this year and the tour directors were magnificent. Stephen in Highlights of New England was always available if needed. The tours itself was designed to show us places of not only interest, but often historical importance. Rose

Hampshire's White Mountains. Then as your holiday draws to a close on the rugged coast of Maine, there's an opportunity to sample New England's delicious seafood with a traditional steaming-hot clambake. Join us on this fabulous ten-day tour and find out for yourself what makes New England so special.

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*Discount on selected departures only and already deducted from advertised price. Prices correct at time of print and the offer can be withdrawn at any time. Prices shown are based on twin occupancy of a double or twin bedded room and economy flights and includes the discount. All holidays are subject to availability. Images used in conjunction with Travelsphere. Operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Travelsphere, ABTA Y6412, ATOL 11266 a company wholly independent of News UK.

Scan the QR code with your camera app to view more details.

Price includes

Return flights from London plus overseas transportation

Eight nights in great quality hotels plus one night in flight

Eight breakfasts, two dinners, and welcome drink

Discover Newport, Rhode Island, Boston, Ogunquit and Maine

See iconic New England lighthouses

Visit the John F Kennedy Library and Museum

Visit the former ship-building town of Kennebunkport

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Save up to £800 per couple on selected departures*

LIVINGSTONE'S AFRICA

and Zimbabwe

April 2027 to October 2028

in partnership with Royal Geographical Society with IBG

Experience the very best of Africa on an unforgettable journey combining thrilling wildlife encounters, vibrant culture and the breathtaking spectacle of Victoria Falls, from the mighty Chobe River to the vast savannahs of Hwange.

Few journeys in Africa offer such a range of experiences in such a short space of time, blending iconic wildlife, vibrant culture, and one of the world's greatest natural spectacles. Your adventure begins on the banks of the mighty Chobe River, where open-vehicle game drives bring you face-

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to-face with some of the continent's most impressive wildlife. Cross into Zimbabwe for four nights close to the world-famous Victoria Falls - known to the local Makololo people as Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning 'The Smoke That Thunders' - where a guided tour, a vintage tram ride through Zambezi

National Park, and a sunset river cruise reveal the falls from every angle. The journey concludes in the teak forests of Hwange, home to vast savannahs and exceptional game viewing. From dawn safaris to evening gatherings around the fire boma, this is Africa at its best.

The Royal Geographical Society Collection The Royal Geographical society have selected this tour as part of our joint collection as it immerses the modern day traveller into the cultural heritage of Africa following in the footsteps of explorers and visiting landmarks shaped by history.

Scan the QR code with your camera app to view more details.

Price includes

Return flights from London, plus overseas transportation

Nine nights in a four-star accommodation, two nights in flight

Nine breakfasts, three lunches, seven dinners

Morning and afternoon game drives in Chobe National Park

Guided tour of the Falls including a David Livingstone talk

Vintage tram ride through Zambezi National Park to the Victoria Falls Bridge

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Save up to £1,000 per couple on selected departures*

Highlights of Australia

October 2026 to September 2028

Discover some of Australia's most iconic cities, famous landmarks and natural wonders as you travel from Melbourne to Brisbane.

After exploring Melbourne on a guided tour and maybe watching the delightful Phillip Island penguin parade, you'll head to Sydney where spectacular sights include Bondi Beach and the iconic Sydney Opera House. Next, you'll see Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, at sunset and sunrise, as well as the mysterious Olgas. Continuing on to Alice Springs, you'll discover the Flying Doctor Base – the first

European settlement in Australia and the famous School of the Air, you'll also enjoy an authentic bush barbecue experience.

In Kakadu National Park you'll discover lush rainforest, scenic rivers and a diverse range of wildlife. While here you'll set off on a cruise in search of crocodiles and admire fascinating Aboriginal rock art, before heading to Queensland. Cairns is your

gateway to the amazing underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef, where you can explore above and below water on a catamaran cruise with snorkelling. Finally you'll head to Brisbane to soak up the sun in the capital of the sunshine state. With Australia's only beach within a city, cruises along Brisbane River and plenty of shopping experiences this is the best way to end your Australian adventure.

“ Great tour - very comprehensive, covering most of the country. Lots of included trips and optional ones for the more adventurous! We had a great guide. He couldn't do enough for us and made sure we had a safe, fun and interesting holiday Chris

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Price includes

Return flights from London and regional airports, plus overseas transportation

18 nights in four-star hotels, plus three nights in flight

Seven breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner and welcome drink

Discover iconic cities including Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane

Visit Uluru at sunset and sunrise

Explore the Great Barrier Reef on a catamaran cruise

See ancient Aboriginal paintings at Nourlangie Rock

Visit Kakadu National Park

Services of an expert Travelsphere holiday director

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