Plans for affordable housing at the site are being halved in a blow to the city council

A deal for a landmark Bristol development featuring hundreds of new homes, office blocks reaching up to 19 storeys, and a hotel and conference centre close to Temple Meads station is set to become considerably more costly for the city council.

The local authority has already pledged £32m to remediate the derelict former diesel rail depot at Temple Island — previously earmarked for an arena and known as Arena Island before being scrapped by then-mayor Marvin Rees — and lay the groundwork for construction.

It has taken four years to decontaminate the site ahead of developer Legal & General overhauling the land with a £350m investment, which is expected to take roughly a decade to complete.

However, a Bristol City Council report now reveals the agreement signed with L&G in 2022 — which pledged that 40 per cent of the 520 homes would be designated as affordable and included the council guaranteeing office rent to the financial firm for 40 years, estimated at £2m annually — is no longer financially viable.

The report states that both elements have shifted considerably against the council’s interests, meaning it will be forced to absorb additional costs to keep the project, part of the broader Temple Quarter and St Philips regeneration scheme, on course.

The report, due to be ratified by the strategy and resources committee on Monday, July 13, confirmed that land value had fallen sharply owing to a 35 per cent rise in construction costs since 2022 and the introduction of new safety regulations. Yet simultaneously, demand and pricing for Grade A office space in central Bristol has climbed steeply.

All of this means that without a fresh agreement, the 2022 deal would be incapable of delivering the development.

The committee is therefore being asked to halve the proportion of affordable homes from 40 per cent to 20 per cent — a figure that became apparent months before L&G secured planning permission in April — though even this reduction is contingent on a grant from Homes England.

The council, which will sublet the offices, will also be required to pay a higher guaranteed rental income to L&G — a figure that is either unknown, yet to be agreed upon by officers under delegated authority, or not available to the public.

The report said: “As the prevailing rents for Grade A office space have increased significantly since 2022, it is proposed that the rental guarantee is now valued proportionately higher so that it can still contribute to the development viability.”

It noted that the figures were commercially sensitive and were contained within an exempt report.

The report said: “The proposed lease arrangement creates a long-term revenue commitment for the council.

“There is a risk that income generated from office occupiers may be insufficient to meet lease payments to L&G due to void periods, slower-than-anticipated occupation, market rent fluctuations, rent-free incentives, operating costs or wider market changes.

“This may create a revenue budget pressure, particularly during the early years of occupation.”

Finance officers stated: “Finance supports the principle of the proposed variation as a pragmatic route to progressing the scheme in current market conditions.

“However, members should be clear that the decision creates a long-term revenue exposure for the council and that the financial position will require active monitoring and management over the life of the lease.”

DUBAI — Dubai International Airport is open and operating normally today, with flights moving through all three of its terminals and real-time tracking data showing low delay levels across arrivals and departures, according to Dubai Airports’ flight information system and independent monitoring services.

The airport, known by its code DXB and recognized as the world’s busiest international aviation hub by passenger volume, is now fully functional after navigating one of the most disruptive periods in its history. That disruption was triggered by the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran conflict earlier this year, which caused intermittent airspace restrictions, flight suspensions and widespread rerouting across the broader Gulf region for several months.

Throughout the height of the crisis, Emirates and flydubai, the two primary airlines operating out of Dubai, continued flying and served as the backbone of connectivity through DXB even as capacity from many foreign carriers collapsed. At various points during the disruption, the airport maintained more than 220 combined daily departures between the two airlines, even as numerous international carriers suspended or significantly reduced their own Dubai routes in response to regional security concerns. Dubai Airports issued a standing advisory throughout the disruption period urging passengers to confirm departure times directly with their airlines before heading to the airport, guidance that remained in place for much of the crisis.

The path back to normal operations accelerated following a tentative ceasefire between the United States and Iran that took effect in early April, which triggered a series of successive airline reinstatements over the following weeks. British Airways, one of the more prominent European carriers to scale back its Dubai service during the crisis, announced it would resume flights to the city starting July 1, though initially at a reduced scale of one daily flight compared with the three daily flights it had operated before the disruption began. That announcement was widely regarded as the clearest signal yet from a major European carrier regarding what the post-crisis landscape for Gulf air travel would look like going forward.

The disruption period itself unfolded in stages over several months. Regional tensions escalated sharply in early June, when Iran launched missiles and drones at Kuwait and Bahrain, both of which host U.S. military bases, following a U.S. strike near the Strait of Hormuz. That escalation resulted in a terminal at Kuwait International Airport being struck and several people being wounded, forcing flight suspensions across Kuwait even as Dubai’s airport continued operating throughout the same period. At the time, UAE airspace remained open even as the broader security situation across the Gulf deteriorated, though Dubai Airports had not ruled out the possibility of further disruption depending on how the conflict evolved.

European aviation regulators played a significant role in shaping the pace of the recovery for international carriers. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s conflict zone advisory for the Middle East and Persian Gulf region remained in force for an extended period, with revisions gradually softening the recommended guidance for airlines regulated by the agency from advising against Gulf travel entirely to recommending carriers exercise caution. Until that bulletin was fully lifted, most European carriers were unable to resume Gulf routes regardless of their own individual assessments of the security situation, a regulatory reality that delayed the return of airlines such as KLM, Lufthansa and Air France even as demand for Dubai travel began recovering.

By early July, however, the recovery had become firmly established. Dubai International Airport has now been able to consistently maintain full operational status since the diplomatic de-escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict allowed regional airspace to normalize over the preceding several weeks. Major airlines, particularly Emirates and flydubai, have resumed their normal flight schedules, with travelers arriving from destinations across Europe, South Asia and the United States now proceeding largely as scheduled according to current flight information.

The broader context surrounding Dubai’s recovery underscores the scale of what the airport navigated during the disruption. DXB welcomed a record 95.2 million passengers in 2025, becoming the busiest airport in the world by international passenger volume for the first time. Dubai’s broader tourism sector also continued growing even amid the aviation disruptions earlier this year, with the emirate recording 19.59 million international arrivals, a 5 percent increase over the prior year and marking the third consecutive year of record visitor arrivals. Hotel occupancy in the city has also remained strong, with rates around 80 percent supporting a robust meetings, incentive travel, conference and exhibition market that continues to draw international business travelers to the region.

Dubai Airports has also continued investing in the physical infrastructure of the facility even amid the disruption. The organization recently completed a major expansion of the bridge connecting to Terminal 1, a project intended to increase road access capacity and improve overall passenger flow ahead of the peak summer travel season, which typically brings a significant surge in visitors to the region.

Despite the return to normal operations, Dubai Airports and aviation analysts continue to advise travelers to confirm flight details directly with their airlines before heading to the airport, given the fluid nature of the regional security situation that characterized much of the earlier disruption period. While current conditions reflect a full return to normal operations across all three DXB terminals, the broader Gulf region’s recent history of rapidly shifting airspace restrictions means that travelers with itineraries connecting through Dubai or other regional hubs are generally encouraged to remain attentive to airline advisories in the days leading up to their travel.

For now, Dubai International Airport’s return to full operational capacity marks the conclusion of a challenging chapter for one of the world’s most critical aviation hubs, with the facility once again processing hundreds of flights daily and serving as a central connecting point for travelers moving between Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, much as it did before the regional disruptions of earlier this year began affecting operations across the Gulf.

Liberty Care Developments and McCarthy & Stone Retirement Lifestyles plan care home and apartments at SMC Euroclamp site

Plans have been submitted to build retirement apartments and a care home on the site of SMC Euroclamp at Bollington.

Liberty Care Developments Limited and McCarthy & Stone Retirement Lifestyles want to bulldoze the industrial buildings currently on the land at Albert Road to make way for 40 apartments and a 75-bed care home.

A planning statement submitted by AshtonHale on behalf of the applicant states: “The care element of the proposed development comprises 75 en suite bedrooms.

“The retirement living element includes a total of 40 apartments – 26 one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom.

“The scheme has been designed so whilst the two elements complement and interact with each other, creating a wider community, they are also distinct and can operate separately.”

The purpose-built retirement living property will include the 40 apartments, a communal lounge, guest suite, CCTV entry, 24-hour careline, day manager and maintained gardens.

The planning document says: “It will be bespoke accommodation for those residents that are aged 55 years and over and require supported housing in a community environment.”

It will be a three-story building and ‘set back considerably from Albert Road’.

The 2.5-storey care home will be designed to provide specialist dementia care and the 24-hour elderly nursing care required for many of the residents.

The planning statement says: “The residents in the care home will have reached a stage where they cannot safely live in their own homes or unable to acquire the correct type of care in hospital.

“The care home is to be accessed from the eastern access and has its own car park.”

The building will front Albert Road at a similar positioning to existing built development on the site.

A report commissioned by the applicants states there is a need for both types of accommodation proposed.

The planning document says the attempts to market the site for employment uses have proved unsuccessful.

It adds: “Despite the proposals resulting in a loss of employment land, the proposals would result in a marked increase in employment opportunities, specifically 61 additional FTE (full-time equivalent) jobs compared to existing operations.”

The application, number 26/2249/FUL, can be viewed on the planning portal on Cheshire East Council’s website.

The last date for submitting comments is August 5.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

EARLIER this month, the US government restricted non-American citizens from using Anthropic’s Fable and Mythos artificial intelligence models.

US-based Anthropic announced the Mythos model in 2026 but was concerned it was too powerful to let anyone use it. The company feared it could find and exploit cybersecurity holes in all major software systems.

So they initiated ‘project Glasswing’ in April as a way to help get big, trusted companies’ software cyber-ready before public release. 

Project Glasswing was initially open to other large American companies, and eventually other trusted government allies, with the Australian government among these.

There was a lot of hype around this model but reports indicated it was very capable. Some were sceptical, as this was not the first time an AI company had announced concern about the dangers of releasing their model to the world.

In 2019, for example, Open-AI withheld its GPT-2 model because it was too dangerous. Yet here we are, seven years later, with GPT-5.5 in open access and the world hasn’t collapsed in an insurmountable pile of AI slop (at least not yet).

As pressure mounted on Anthropic to release its Mythos model, it announced a restricted version named Fable. Controversially, Anthropic’s safeguards analysed the user’s input and silently switched the model behind the scenes to its less-capable Opus 4.8 model.

Shortly after launch, however, users complained that the safety filters were too eager, and people with legitimate requests felt as though they had been silently switched. Anthropic later apologised for this approach but then the US government export restrictions came into effect and locked the model down.

This had the effect of removing access to non-US citizens in the earlier project Glasswing initiative.

Anthropic’s hype was too effective in scaring the US government.

On the same day the US government locked down Fable (June 13), Chinese AI lab Z.ai released the best open-weight AI model to date, GLM 5.2. 

Early benchmarks show this model is almost as good as Opus 4.8, which means about as good as the dumber model Fable would reroute to when receiving a suspect request. 

Unlike Opus 4.8, the GLM model is entirely open source, with the structure and the weight available for anyone to use. Anyone with access to a super computer or a data centre can run it now. And you can run it and be confident it won’t route your request to an even dumber model.

That’s not to say Chinese models don’t have their own quirks. Many of these models will put forward the perspectives of the Chinese government when asked certain topics, but since they are open, developers can adjust their internals to make them more willing to do anything the user asks.

This means they can also be coerced to help with cybersecurity exploits or other bad things. And this is a real risk.

As these models get better and better they can be used to help create even better models, known as a ‘fast takeoff’ artificial general intelligence (AGI) scenario. 

However, I think that, in a fast takeoff scenario, it’s better for the AGI to be shared and open than closed and locked down.

If you don’t care about any AI research stuff and just want to know if the Chinese models are safe to use, the answer is yes. And if you are really paranoid, then the safest way is to host the model yourself.

If you are working with sensitive data or software, setting it up so it runs on your own servers and with restricted or no internet access will give you near cutting-edge AI at a fraction of the cost and with 100 per cent privacy.

• John Vial has a PhD in robotics and has spent the past several years leading teams in major Perth businesses focused on AI and robotics

VANCOUVER — Switzerland and Colombia meet Tuesday at BC Place in a Round of 16 matchup that closes out the day’s World Cup schedule, pitting two tournament dark horses against each other in a tight, closely contested tie with a quarterfinal berth on the line.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern time, with the match broadcast on FOX in the United States and available to UK viewers free of charge on BBC iPlayer and ITVX ahead of an 8 p.m. British time start. The winner will advance to face either Argentina or Egypt, who play earlier the same day in Atlanta, in the quarterfinal round.

Both sides have navigated the tournament so far with contrasting styles but similarly solid results. Colombia enters unbeaten through the group stage and Round of 32, having won three of its four matches, including victories over DR Congo and Ghana, along with a goalless draw against Portugal that showcased the team’s defensive discipline against elite opposition. Colombia’s most recent win came against Uzbekistan, a 3-1 result that demonstrated the team’s capacity to open up attacking play when space becomes available. Colombia’s roster is led by Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, with playmaker James Rodriguez providing additional creative support in midfield.

Switzerland has similarly impressed through the group stage, dropping points only in a draw against Qatar. The Swiss have relied on a settled defensive structure anchored by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and defenders Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez, while an attacking trio of Johan Manzambi, Ruben Vargas and Breel Embolo has combined for seven goals so far in the tournament. Veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka has continued to control the tempo of Switzerland’s play from the center of the park.

History adds an additional layer of intrigue to Tuesday’s matchup. The two nations have met four times previously, with Colombia holding a 2-1 edge in the series, including a memorable 2-0 win over Switzerland at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, a result that has drawn renewed attention in the buildup to this year’s fixture. Switzerland’s lone win in the series came in a 1991 friendly tournament, while the sides also played to a 2-2 draw in 1985.

Colombia is aiming to match or surpass its best-ever World Cup result, a run to the quarterfinals at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, though the team will be without striker Jhon Cordoba, who suffered a muscle tear and is out for the remainder of the tournament. That absence leaves Luis Suarez and Cucho Hernandez as Colombia’s primary options at striker, both of whom have contributed assists during the group stage. Switzerland, meanwhile, is looking to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954, having been eliminated at the Round of 16 stage in each of its past three World Cup appearances.

Betting markets have priced the match as one of the tightest ties of the Round of 16. According to odds cited by multiple outlets, Colombia enters as a narrow favorite, with bet365 pricing the South American side at +125 to win outright, compared with +250 for Switzerland and +210 for a draw after 90 minutes. Other bookmakers have listed similar odds, with Colombia priced at 11/8, Switzerland at 11/4, and the draw at 9/4. Prediction models cited by Squawka gave Colombia a slight edge, projecting the team to win in 52 percent of simulations, while market data from prediction platform Kalshi showed traders pricing Colombia’s win probability at 43 percent, compared with 32 percent for a draw and 27 percent for a Switzerland win. As with any knockout match, if the score remains level after 90 minutes, the game moves to 30 minutes of extra time, followed by a penalty shootout if the teams remain tied.

Analysts covering the match have generally pointed to Colombia’s attacking quality as the deciding factor in a contest expected to be closely fought. One preview described Colombia as “rock-solid” defensively while noting the team’s ability to win matches through multiple approaches, a reflection of Colombia’s balance between defensive discipline and attacking firepower led by Diaz. Betting markets have similarly favored a low-scoring affair, with some bookmakers pricing the under on 2.5 total goals as a leading market given both teams’ recent defensive form. Colombia has kept clean sheets in three of its last five matches and has conceded just once across its three World Cup wins, while Switzerland has allowed only two goals across four matches so far in the tournament. Some betting previews have also suggested a strong likelihood that at least one team fails to score, given that Colombia’s two group-stage wins by 1-0 scorelines and Switzerland’s 2-0 victory over Algeria both ended with one side held scoreless.

Colombia head coach Nestor Lorenzo has guided his team to its first World Cup appearance since missing the 2022 tournament entirely, building on a runners-up finish at the 2024 Copa America to position Colombia as one of the more dangerous South American sides remaining in the bracket. Switzerland’s manager has similarly overseen a steady, well-organized campaign, with the team’s disciplined shape and defensive cohesion cited by analysts as its biggest strength heading into the knockout rounds.

With both nations viewing Tuesday’s match as a genuine opportunity to advance further than recent tournament history might suggest, the contest is expected to be tightly contested from the opening whistle. Analysts have generally described the tie as too close to call with full confidence, though the consensus among bookmakers and prediction models leans marginally toward Colombia advancing on the strength of its more dynamic attacking options, led by Diaz, even as Switzerland’s defensive organization and recent form make the Swiss a credible threat to spoil that outcome.

The winner of Tuesday’s match will move on to face either Argentina or Egypt in the quarterfinal round, continuing a World Cup that has already produced several notable upsets and tightly contested knockout matches throughout its Round of 16 stage. For Colombia, victory would mark a significant step toward matching the deepest run in the program’s World Cup history, while for Switzerland, advancing would represent a historic breakthrough after three consecutive Round of 16 exits dating back more than a decade.