#thetimes

English re-translation of Alan Rickman Vietnam Fanpage

Horton, 78, first met Rickman 60 years ago at the Brook Youth Theatre group in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, when he was 19 and she was 18. Her first impression of him was that “he was an exceptionally good actor,” she said. “He stood out even when he was very young; he was always on another level.”

It was a remarkable career, but Horton feels it was cut short. In January 2016, aged 69, Rickman died in hospital a few months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “It was a terrible shock; we had no idea,” Horton said of the diagnosis.

In June 2015, the couple were in Los Angeles while Rickman was promoting the period film A Little Chaos when he noticed “a very uncomfortable pain in his leg,” Horton said. They thought it might be deep vein thrombosis and went to see a phlebotomist, who discovered a small blood clot and, worried it might be something more serious, advised Rickman to see a doctor as soon as they returned home. “That led to the scans and the discovery of the cancer,” Horton said.

“At first, we told no one except family. Alan didn’t want people to look at him and say, ‘Oh, how sad,’” Horton said. They were not explicitly told it was terminal, but “we knew it was fully developed and had spread. I didn’t Google anything — I didn’t want to know — but we knew what that meant.” Rickman underwent chemotherapy, and Horton believes it helped him live about three months longer than expected. “We knew the chemotherapy wouldn’t work, but you still live in hope,” she said. “You tell yourself, maybe we’ll be the exception.”

Rickman and Horton were friends for a decade before beginning a romantic relationship and did not marry until 2012, in a private, simple ceremony in New York. They had no children, because they “didn’t want them and it would have been difficult with both our careers. Neither of us felt a strong urge; I don’t regret it,” Horton said. She was formerly a senior lecturer in economics at Kingston University and a Labour councillor in Kensington & Chelsea from 1986 to 2006.

Horton still watches Rickman’s films. Her favourites are Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990) and Galaxy Quest (1999). She believes he was proudest of the political play My Name Is Rachel Corrie, which Rickman co-produced with Katharine Viner (now editor of The Guardian) and directed at the Royal Court Theatre. The play is based on the diaries and emails of activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli soldier aged 23. “He took everything he did extremely seriously,” Horton said. “He couldn’t do any job without giving it everything he had.”

To mark the anniversary of his death this month, Horton is organising a raffle of a signed Harry Potter book, autographed by cast members including Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Rupert Grint. “Snape is a wonderful character, and Harry Potter was a significant part of Alan’s life,” she said.

In 2021, Horton became a trustee of Pancreatic Cancer UK. The money raised by the raffle will go towards developing a breath test currently being trialled at Imperial College.

Horton does not dwell on “what ifs”, but feels “immensely sad that he could have given so much more,” she said. She believes the one role her husband never had the chance to play was King Lear. Her fondest memories are not of premieres or parties, but of “those early days in Manchester and Leicester, when Alan was playing small roles in touring productions. I remember that time with enormous affection. He was always with me. He came with me everywhere, all the time.”

Credits & sources

Morten Morland :: @mortenmorland

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“Be loud for America!”

September 3, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Members of the resistance continued to press their advantage on multiple fronts on Tuesday. The full court press is working. Trump is back on his (platform) heels.

In a second outstanding speech pushing back on Trump's threat to “occupy” Chicago, Governor JB Pritzker called on the citizens of Chicago (and America) to be part of the resistance. Pritzker said,

[W]e will do everything possible to ensure that [federal] agents operating inside the confines of this state do so in a legal and ethical manner. To Chicagoans, what you can do is look out for your communities and your neighbors. Know your rights. Film things that you see happening in your neighborhoods and your streets and share them with the news media. Authoritarians thrive on your silence. Be loud for America. To everyone listening, but most especially to the press, refuse to pretend that any of this is normal.

I refuse to concede that the abject cruelty that we're seeing play out with the execution of Trump and Steven Miller's policies are okay or justified. I refuse to fall into the pundit trap that demands we sacrifice vital constitutional rights if it's being done in the fake guise of fighting crime.

I urge you to watch Governor Pritzker’s 15-minute speech in its entirety. It is another example of Democratic governors resisting Trump by calling him out in plain language.

Moreover, Pritzker challenged the press to speak the truth about Trump's actions and called on Republican officials to abandon Trump's lawless attack on Democratic states. Kudos (again) to Governor Pritzker.

But it gets better. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson followed Governor Pritzker with a speech that tied the gun violence in Chicago to red states “exporting” handguns into Chicago.

Mayor Johnson made the compelling point that if Trump really wanted to clamp down on gun violence in Chicago, he should support gun safety legislation that would shut down the flow of handguns and illegally modified rifles (machine guns) into Chicago.

The video of Mayor Johnson’s remarks is here.

Mayor Johnson said,

The vast majority of guns do not come from Chicago. They are not made in Cook County. They are not bought in the state of Illinois. These guns come from red states. They are coming from Indiana. They are coming from Mississippi. They are coming from Louisiana. That is the harsh reality. . . . [¶] For every gun that the Chicago Police Department fights to get off the streets, two or three more new guns come into our city. Chicago will continue to have a violence problem as long as red states continue to have a gun problem.

Mayor Johnson’s strategy is brilliant: “Yes, there are shootings in Chicago, but those shootings are driven by massive exports of handguns and illegal conversion kits into Chicago from red states.”

Keep pounding that message! The alleged “need” to occupy Chicago is driven by the reckless refusal of Trump and the GOP to regulate the manufacture, sale, and transportation of guns, as well as their refusal to impose liability on manufacturers and distributors of guns and ammunition designed to kill humans.

Governor Pritzker also adopted an effective strategy of previewing Trump's plans. Per Pritzker,

In the absence of significant federal coordination, we've gathered information from unauthorized patriotic officials inside the government and from well-sourced reporters about Donald Trump's plan, which is to deploy armed military personnel to the streets of Chicago.

Pritzker then went on to detail Trump's plans to stage ICE, Border Patrol, Homeland Security, and “masked men in unmarked cars” at the Great Lakes Naval base.

In addition, the Texas National Guard is being moved to the Great Lakes Naval base, presumably to “protect” ICE in immigration raids—a curious development given the thumping that Trump took in California’s suit challenging the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. See WSJ, Trump’s Use of Troops in Los Angeles Was Unlawful, Judge Rules.

Per the WSJ,

In a withering opinion taking aim at President Trump’s enthusiasm for military deployments at home, Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco found that the administration didn’t comply with the Posse Comitatus Act, an 1878 statute that restricts the use of U.S. armed forces on America’s streets.

For an excellent discussion and analysis of the ruling, see Lucian K. Truscott IV (Substack), A scalpel and an axe: I read the Posse Comitatus Act decision against Trump so you don’t have to.

Per Truscott,

Breyer held that Trump’s orders violated the [Posse Comitatus Act] in multiple ways: Trump specifically directed the commander of the deployment to use the soldiers for law enforcement purposes, an action banned by the PCA; failed to insist that the military forces coordinate with local law enforcement; and used an inadequate rationale to justify a military deployment for civilian law enforcement purposes.

For those interested in further reading on this subject, Truscott’s piece provides more detail and discussion.

Here’s the point: Governors Pritzker and Newsom are on the offensive, challenging Trump's unlawful justification for deploying National Guard to Democratic states. Trump and the National Guard commanders must be mindful of Judge Bryer’s detailed deconstruction of the Guard’s presence and activities in Los Angeles. Given the strictures in Breyer’s opinion, the National Guard troops may be relegated to tasks such as picking up trash and spreading mulch in planters, as they are currently doing in D.C.

And finally, in a truly brilliant form of resistance (noted by reader “lin” in the Comment section), Malcom Nance is promoting

a bit of psychological operations. Every time the National Guardsman moved a large unit to Union Station, [veterans protesting the deployment] started playing the retirement speech of General Milley … nonstop. On Sunday, after a show of force by the park police and DHS, they played the recording for eight hours.

Per the Remember Your Oath group,

We intend to expand this protest to all major cities. So if you’re a veteran, go to rememberyouroath.org and register. It’s a self-starting group, so once registered, you can get a permit, a tent, and a recording of General Milly’s speech and go to town.

This video shows how the group at Union Station in D.C. is employing this strategy: YouTube, Remember Your Oath: Washington DC.

Watch the video! You will be inspired! I promise!

While Trump may proceed with deploying Texas National Guard troops to Chicago, Pritzker and Newsom are fighting back. Our duty is to stand up for the Constitution. In the words of Governor Pritzker, we must “Be loud for America!”

💼 Planning your career or choosing what to study at university? The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2024–2025 is your essential guide to the UK’s most desirable graduate opportunities. With insights into over 26,000 vacancies and £60K starting salaries and expert tips on landing roles at top firms like Google, Deloitte, and the BBC, this article helps you make informed, strategic decisions.

​ Whether you’re a recent graduate or a prospective student, use this resource to align your passions with impactful career paths. Start early, aim high, and graduate with purpose. 🚀

The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2024-2025

As graduation season approaches, students across the UK are turning their attention to securing employment in a highly competitive job market. The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2024-2025, published by High Fliers Publications in September 2024, serves as the UK’s most authoritative guide for navigating the best graduate opportunities during the 2024 and 2025 period, offering comprehensive insights into the country’s most sought-after employers, current market trends and proven application strategies (The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, 2024). This invaluable resource equips university students and recent graduates with the critical information they need to make informed career decisions and stand out in crowded applicant pools. The top ten employers, as voted by students, are PwC, Civil Service, NHS, Deloitte, BBC, EY, J.P. Morgan, Google, Barclays, and Aldi (see Table 1 below for the complete list).

Table 1. The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2024-2025​

Source: High Fliers (2024).

Ranking methodology

The methodology behind these influential rankings is based entirely on student perspectives. Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews with 14,271 final-year undergraduate students from 30 prestigious universities in the UK in the summer of 2024 (High Fliers, no date). The Top 100 rankings are determined by responses to the open-ended question, “Which employer do you think offers the best opportunities for graduates?” as part of The UK Graduate Careers Survey 2024.

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The 30 UK universities that participated in the research are as follows: Aston, Bath, Queen’s University Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Imperial College London, King’s College London, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Loughborough, LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Queen Mary, Sheffield, Southampton, St Andrews, UCL, Warwick, and York (The Times, 2025).

Graduate vacancies in 2025

Employers are predicting a total of 26,043 graduate vacancies for autumn 2025 start dates, representing a 1.1% decrease compared to the number of graduates recruited in 2024 (High Fliers, 2024). Accounting and professional services firms featured in the Top 100 plan to offer the most job vacancies, with 6,695 positions available in the year ahead. This is followed by public sector employers, who plan to recruit 4,293 university leavers, and engineering and industrial companies, which have 3,325 openings. On the other hand, there are significantly fewer graduate opportunities in oil and energy companies (250 vacancies), chemical and pharmaceuticals companies (143 vacancies), and property companies (130 vacancies) (see Table 2 below).

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Table 2. Graduate vacancies and median starting salaries in 2025

Source: High Fliers (2024).

Median starting salaries in 2025

Excitingly, median graduate starting salaries are projected to increase further in 2025. Among the most attractive opportunities, leading investment banks and fund managers offer the most generous median starting salaries at £60,000 per annum. Following closely are law firms at £56,000, consulting firms at £50,000, and oil and energy companies at £42,000. On the other end of the spectrum, property companies offer the least competitive median starting salaries at £27,500, followed by media organisations at £28,800, engineering and industrial companies at £30,900, and public sector employers at £30,300 (High Fliers, 2024) (see Table 2 above).

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5 proven strategies to secure a top graduate job

Securing a graduate position at a reputable employer can be a competitive process, and it is vital to approach it with careful consideration. Here are five thoughtful strategies to help you shine in the graduate job market and land a role with your favourite employer.

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1. Target the right employers. The guide identifies the 100 most desirable companies that graduates actively want to work for, with each company receiving between 40 and 50 applications for every graduate vacancy, and some can even attract two or three times this number (High Fliers, 2024). Additionally, the guide provides detailed employer profiles, including the types, numbers, and locations of graduate vacancies, application deadlines, starting salaries, work experience, and entry requirements. Use these insights to refine your job search and customise your applications to target the employers you want to work for.

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2. Apply early. Competition is fierce, and many top employers close their applications before December. Some roles are even filled on a rolling basis, meaning late applications have a lower chance of success. Therefore, submitting applications as soon as possible is crucial to maximise your opportunities. However, it is worth noting that one in three employers recruit graduates year-round or during different phases and will accept applications throughout the 2024-2025 recruitment season until all their vacancies are filled (High Fliers, 2024). ​

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3. Develop in-demand skills. Many employers now prioritise soft skills, including teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, critical thinking, and resilience, over specific degree content and grades. This trend is evident through their use of aptitude and psychometric tests, recorded AI-assessed interviews, and assessment centres (High Fliers, 2024). To enhance these skills, engage in extracurricular activities and practice as many tests and interviews as possible, as these experiences can significantly strengthen your applications.

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4. Gain work experience. An impressive 40% of 2024 graduates who undertook an internship or work placement during their university years received a graduate job offer from a graduate employer with whom they worked, making work experience a key differentiator among these graduates (High Fliers, 2024). To enhance your employability, proactively seek out relevant opportunities, such as internships, placements, or part-time jobs, during your first and second years of study. Make sure to highlight the real-world experience in your application.

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5. Use your university’s careers services. Maximise a variety of employer events, discussion panels, networking sessions, workshops, and skills training offered by your university to learn about different industries, businesses, and career areas (High Fliers, 2024). Many universities also host exclusive career fairs and provide personalised application reviews, so be sure not to miss these valuable opportunities.

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Implications for prospective students

The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2024-2025 is more than just a career guide. It is a strategic roadmap to shape academic choices, skill development and career planning. Prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students can use this resource to discover employer-preferred degrees and universities with strong industry connections, identify high-growth sectors with abundant job opportunities, find careers that offer competitive salaries, and explore work-integrated programmes that enhance employability.

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While understanding market trends is valuable, it is advisable to choose a course and university that genuinely aligns with your passions rather than solely focusing on those with the best job prospects. Start career planning early to align your education with your career goals. Take advantage of our independent Free Master’s Degree Advice to discover the perfect master’s courses tailored to your unique interests.

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Conclusion

Fewer than one-third of graduates from the “Class of 2024” secured graduate job offers before completing their university studies. (High Fliers, 2024). Start planning now to present yourself as a well-prepared and compelling candidate for potential employers, regardless of whether you are a prospective or current university student or a recent graduate. It is never too late to take charge of your future. Embrace the journey and trust that incredible opportunities are just around the corner, waiting for you to seize them as you embark on a fulfilling career path.

View original post: https://www.aheadachiever.com/news-and-blog/the-times-top-100-graduate-employers-2024-2025-insights

Our team consists of master’s and PhD graduates from Russell Group universities in the UK. We understand what you are experiencing and can help you achieve your academic goals. We are also British Council Certified Counsellors with a proven track record of securing the best admission offers for our clients. If you are considering further studies instead of entering the workforce, let our Postgraduate Admission Application service simplify the entire postgraduate application process for you.

You might also be interested in the following articles:

How do you set meaningful goals and actually achieve them?

Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025 released

Top UK universities preferred by leading employers for graduate recruitment in 2024

References:

High Fliers (no date) Welcome to High Fliers Research. Available at: https://www.highfliers.co.uk/ (Accessed: 27 May 2025).

High Fliers (2024) The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers. High Fliers report. Available at: https://digital.top100graduateemployers.com/view/844684358/ (Accessed: 27 May 2025).

The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers (2024) The definitive guide to Britain’s top graduate employers in 2024-2025. Available at: https://www.top100graduateemployers.com/ (Accessed: 27 May 2025).